Chapter 18: The Counterattack Begins!

“Oh—roar—”
The newly arrived giant, after smashing the head of the previous one, raised its voice to the heavens in a long, thunderous howl. It seemed to be venting its triumph, or perhaps lamenting the misery of this world.

“It’s finally appeared…” Sikun Xu murmured inwardly.

This giant, with black hair and green eyes, lacked lips and bore ears reminiscent of elves. The lines of its muscles were razor-sharp, hinting at boundless strength within. Standing around fifteen meters tall, it was the archetypal large giant.

“What… what in the world is happening… A giant attacking another giant…” Armin stared at the absurd scene before him, stunned.

“Let’s leave these questions for later. Get to safety first.” Jean and Connie quickly dragged the still-dazed Armin backward. As shocking as it was to witness a giant attacking another, there was no guarantee the giant slayer wouldn’t turn on them next—retreat was the wisest course.

“Sikun, let’s pull back too,” Mikasa said, holding onto him.

“Yes, let’s find somewhere safe so I can put on the omni-directional mobility gear,” he replied.

Perhaps the only one in the group who wasn’t surprised was Sikun Xu. Familiar with the plot, he had anticipated this bizarre event: a giant attacking giants. After all, the rampaging Eren, though unconscious, driven by hatred for giants and his human nature, would naturally target them first.

That’s right—the giant attacking the others was none other than Eren Yeager transformed! One of the only eight intelligent giants in the world of “Attack on Titan”—the Attack Titan.

“Roar—”

After dealing with the giant before him, Eren’s Titan vented for a while where he stood. Yet roaring alone failed to quell his inner fury. Those emerald eyes rolled, ignoring Sikun Xu and his companions as they retreated, focusing instead on the giants still wandering the town.

“Roar—”

In a matter of seconds, Eren’s Titan found its target. Most giants had surrounded the supply room, but the lingering scent of humanity attracted a handful toward Sikun’s group—and those very giants became Eren’s prey.

“Roar—”

Eren’s Titan raised his head and howled; even Sikun Xu felt a chill at the sheer force of his lungs. The roar shook everyone to their core.

Thud, thud, thud!

Having spotted his target, Eren’s Titan sprang into action. He strode forward with powerful, slender legs, charging at the wandering giant nearby.

The wandering giant, seeing a “kin” rushing toward it, failed to realize its doom with its dimwitted mind.

Bang—

Suddenly, a massive fist came whistling down. Eren’s Titan struck with the force of a cannonball, his punch smashing into the giant’s head, twisting its grotesque features under the sheer power.

In an instant, the skin and muscle of the giant’s face contorted madly in the direction of the blow, twisting together like a tangled rope. With a dull thud, the giant’s body, weighing several tons, was sent hurtling through the air, embedding itself in the wall of a nearby house.

Not only that, but the head twisted into a rope did not return to its original shape after impact; even the neck was twisted into a cord, sealing the giant’s fate. Its nape, too, was mangled by Eren’s punch—a death sentence.

Eren’s Titan, his strength truly terrifying!

“Hah… This guy really is much stronger than ordinary giants.” Sikun Xu watched as Eren’s Titan tangled with several more giants nearby, his gaze grave.

The intelligent giants could easily overpower even the most ferocious abnormal giants, and equipped with human intellect and combat skills, even a Sikun Xu at full strength wouldn’t dare claim he could kill one outright.

“Jean, I’ll borrow your gear for now. Have your companions help you.”

Sikun Xu donned the omni-directional mobility gear swiftly, his eyes flickering as if lost in thought.

“Sikun… Are you planning something?” It was Mikasa who knew him best. Perhaps, in her fabricated memories—crafted by the academy with mysterious powers—her childhood companion was the person she understood most deeply.

“Nothing escapes you.” Sikun Xu smiled, squeezing her soft hand.

The academy’s methods were too mysterious. Not just the fantastical worlds, but even the memories of their inhabitants could be manipulated at will. Whether that was good or bad, he didn’t know—but he was certain that what he held in his hand was absolutely real.

“Since this unexpected giant doesn’t attack us, we might as well use it to kill for us,” Sikun Xu dismissed his muddled thoughts. He was too weak for now, unqualified to know many secrets.

“Sikun, do you mean to have the giant eliminate the ones around the supply room?” Armin, after a moment’s thought, understood his plan.

“It might just work! Sikun, you’re brilliant!” Armin showered him with praise, clearly admiring his ingenuity.

Ugh… If only you knew this idea was originally yours, and I just stole it… would you go all out against me? Sikun Xu thought with a twitch.

“But is this really feasible?” Jean and Connie voiced their doubts. It wasn’t that they distrusted Sikun Xu, but they couldn’t trust a giant.

After all, giants had always been humanity’s nemesis, bringing terror and death. For one to suddenly aid humans—it was as absurd as America suddenly helping us fight the Japanese instead of attacking us. Unbelievable!

“Anyway, we’re almost out of gas. Either way, we’re waiting for death. Might as well pin our hopes on this giant and see what happens.” Sikun Xu spoke calmly.

“It’s unrealistic to lure the supply room giants over, but if we keep killing the giants around this one, maybe it’ll follow its instincts and move toward the group at the supply room.”

“Are you serious!” Jean’s gaze trembled; he was nearly convinced, but his deep fear of giants held him back.

“No worries, trust me.” Sikun Xu waved his hand, smiling with confidence. His firm expression and bright smile reassured everyone.

“Alright, since you put it that way…” Jean gritted his teeth. Death awaited either way, so why not make a desperate gamble?

“I’ll go rally everyone now—let’s join forces, kill the nearby giants, and lead this strange newcomer to the supply room!” Once resolved, Jean acted decisively, his leadership skills quickly gathering all the trainees.

Seeing the trust, friendliness, and even admiration in the eyes of those around him, Sikun Xu understood: his and Mikasa’s superior strength had stabilized morale.

“Hah—”

Taking a deep breath, Sikun Xu glanced at Mikasa, who gave him a faint yet trusting smile. He softly declared,

“Counterattack—begin!”