In a moment like this, anyone still smirking was either a fool scared witless or a master with a plan.
Reiner watched Rein's grin widen, yet his body stood stock-still. Doubt crept in.
"What's this weakling plotting?"
What could a weakling even plot?
Reiner steeled himself, momentum unstoppable. His agile frame leaped, lunging at the frozen Rein.
"Die, punk!"
"Heh heh~"
Right as Reiner's grip closed in, Rein ducked low.
Ducking was all he could manage.
Reiner's speed was insane—his mobility far outclassed Rein's Pure Titan bulk.
But ducking was enough.
"Another slide tackle?" Reiner thought. "I'll fall for the same trick twice?"
He adjusted mid-air—right leg bent, center of gravity lowered—nullifying any tackle.
If this hit landed, Rein would be crippled on the spot.
But in that split second, Rein tipped backward, his massive frame sinking into the ground.
"Damn it!" Reiner saw too late—behind Rein was a cliff, masked by thick trees, looking flat at a glance.
Rein had known. Every twist and turn was to lure Reiner here.
"No stopping now!" Reiner glimpsed Rein below, hands gripping cliffside trees, half-dangling, smirking wide.
" Bastard!"
The drop was over a hundred meters. For the 15-meter Armored Titan, climbing back wouldn't be easy.
And Rein? He flashed two fingers in a weird gesture, grinning at Reiner.
"What's that—scissors?!"
Reiner wasn't sure, but he knew it was mockery.
Marley's shield couldn't stand mockery!
Mid-air, Reiner twisted, legs and waist snapping into action. A perfect flip—he reached for Rein.
He'd drag him down!
"No way! Mutual destruction?!" Rein yelped. Reiner's steel grip clamped his shoulder.
Crack!
The trees snapped. Both giants plummeted off the cliff.
When Rein came to, Reiner was charging.
A hundred-meter fall was death for humans. For Titans—especially the armored Reiner—it was just a rough tumble.
Rein wasn't so lucky. If the ground hadn't been soft grass, he'd be toast.
Bones rattled, he couldn't stand. But seeing the Armored Titan storming over, he flipped up like a carp and ran for his life.
The Sprint Titan lived up to its name.
Only now did he take in the scene.
A sunken marsh lake—a natural basin from some old collapse. A cliff-ringed trap.
At its heart, a calm lake mirrored the sky, surrounded by grass.
A giant urn—and Rein was the turtle trapped inside.
No escape.
Both knew it. Reiner cackled, as if saying, "Stop running, my little darling."
Not running? Fat chance!
The shore was bare—sand and pebbles. In a short sprint, Rein couldn't touch Reiner's explosive speed. Two steps in, the Armored Titan was on his tail.
"What now?"
"Am I, Rein, really dying here today?"
He ran like mad, scanning for a lifeline.
Nothing—except the lake.
"Gotta gamble!" he decided.
Just as Reiner's grasp brushed him, they hit the shore—five meters from the water.
Cornered, Rein veered sharp and leaped. Sunlight haloed him, tracing a perfect arc.
Splash!
The mirror shattered, ripples exploding across the lake.
Rein bet everything on Reiner not swimming!
The anime never showed Reiner swim. Rein, though? Grew up by a river—his self-taught doggy paddle could save him in a pinch.
Sure enough, Reiner's charge halted at the edge.
"Saved!" Rein's heart soared. Stay in the water, wait Reiner out till he ran dry and turned human—he'd leave.
But…
Rein stared at the water—barely knee-deep. Joy turned to ice, chilling him head to toe.
"Jie jie~" The Armored Titan's eerie laugh rang out. No hesitation—he leaped, soaring over.
"God want me dead?" For a moment, Rein considered giving up.
He splashed toward the center, water slowing his desperate flight.
Whoosh! A gust hit from behind—fast.
Instinct kicked in—he dodged. A fist grazed his ear.
The Armored Titan had caught him!
"My life's over!"
Mind split, Reiner's other fist flew. No dodging this. Rein threw up his numb hands.
Bang!
A steel punch—like a hammer—slammed his arms. Numbness turned to cracking bones.
"Ow!"
He stumbled back. Before he could steady, Reiner's leg swept in. Water slowed it—otherwise, Rein couldn't have blocked.
Smack!
Arms up again, the force knocked his giant frame back into the water, splashing despair.
Cold lake water flooded his face.
Chilling—to his core.
Gasping, water rushed into his nose and mouth, stinging from nose to brain.
A question hit him: "Can Titans drown?"
No precedent in the anime.
Titans died in wild ways—never drowning.
But the water in his lungs? Felt like drowning was possible.
He couldn't breathe. He tried to stand.
Through the surface, a looming figure closed in. Reiner—the Armored Titan—towered over the pathetic "Attack Titan."
He grabbed Rein's shoulder, flipped him over, exposing his pristine nape.
One bite now—nape out, spinal fluid down—and Reiner would wield two Titans' powers, becoming Marley's ultimate shield.
Note: Protagonist's always running, always getting trashed—time to hook him up with some cheats!