The next morning, Gale woke up to the sound of horse hooves.
It was Hange who had arrived. She returned with the Survey Corps troops and the horses.
Everything was ready—they were about to depart for the capital!
And Gale, after that conversation with the man who had conquered everything, reconsidered the shortcomings in his plans with a colder mind.
…
Ehrmich District, noon.
The Garrison soldiers guarding the gates of the special zone were dozing off from boredom.
It was lunchtime, and they were waiting for the shift change so they could go eat and rest.
The sun shone intensely overhead, and the heat distorted the view along the wall.
The Garrison soldiers did not notice that a hooded figure was hiding in a blind spot along the outer wall.
The man pulled a long cylindrical object from his pocket, pointed its opening toward the sky, and lit the fuse.
Boom!
With a sharp, piercing explosion, the flare tore through the sky, sending arcs of red smoke drifting downward.
The Garrison soldiers standing guard on the wall stared blankly at the elegant arc when suddenly, they heard a rush of footsteps behind them.
"That's Captain Hange's signal! Open the city gates!" voices shouted from behind as dozens of people rushed toward the wall.
They were dressed as civilians, but they were as disciplined as soldiers.
Upon reaching the gate, they used sticks and clubs to knock out the Garrison soldiers, quickly seized control of the wall, and a dozen men worked together to turn the wooden mechanism and raise the gate.
The rusted iron lock rattled and scraped as the heavy stone gate lifted, clouds of dust and sand rising into the air.
"Now!!!" Hange, who had been lying in wait in the forest, shouted. The Survey Corps soldiers, already mounted on their horses, snapped their reins, their assault rifles swaying at their waists under the sunlight.
"Our objective is the gate of Wall Sina! Everyone, follow me and attack!" Hange's roar was like thunder, and the Wings of Freedom on her back fluttered in the wind.
She led the charge at the front. The sound of hooves was like torrential rain, stirring a violent gust as the Scouts surged through the city gate like a massive wave.
They advanced in a straight line, firing into the air to intimidate civilians on the road, forcing their way forward through chaos.
From the Special Lure Zone gate to Wall Sina, there were only a few kilometers. By the time the soldiers stationed at Wall Sina saw the flare and the approaching horses, Hange's troops were already close.
The stationed soldiers frantically grabbed their muskets, formed ranks, and aimed downward from above.
Before they could even load their weapons, some of the horses suddenly came to a halt.
They stopped beneath the wall and pulled out strangely shaped weapons from their waists. Their shape resembled… some kind of custom-made musket…
What were they going to do?
Everyone knew the answer the next second.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The Survey Corps soldiers aimed at the wall and fired. The sound was deafening, and sparks burst from the barrels like a storm.
Bullets embedded themselves into the stone, turning the wall into something resembling a honeycomb.
Flattened bullets fell with sharp clinks.
The soldiers stationed on the wall did not dare show their heads. Even those hiding behind cover were struck by stray bullets. Anyone who dared to stand up was immediately shot down.
The soldiers were filled with fear—fear of that new weapon.
They had no understanding of such firearms; they could not comprehend what those weapons were or how they were made.
In the midst of gunfire, the only thing humanity could do was pray.
Meanwhile, Hange led her soldiers up the wall using their ODM gear. She and her elite troops used it to scale the fifty-meter-high wall.
Iron hooks attached to cables shot into the air, bearing the emblem of the Wings of Freedom.
The soldiers crouching and covering their heads suddenly noticed that the gunfire had stopped.
Immediately afterward, a chill ran down their necks as they felt cold metal tubes pressed against their skin—a sensation that made their hearts race.
"Drop your weapons and raise your hands slowly!" Hange ordered coldly. "If you value your lives, you'd better behave."
The soldiers swallowed hard and obeyed. One by one, they became prisoners of war, crouching against the wall with their hands raised, guarded by a dozen men carrying those terrifying new weapons.
"Who is in charge of the city gates? Step forward and open them!" Hange waved the AK-47 in her hand and fired at the ground, leaving a deep bullet hole at her feet.
Faced with life and death, the officer in charge stepped forward voluntarily. Following orders, he guided the others to raise the gate without the slightest resistance.
The air, thick with the smell of gunpowder, made the prisoners sweat profusely. None of them dared make a sound.
Good news also arrived from below.
Hange successfully led her troops to capture the Lure District, mentally counting up to 226.
Two people died and fifteen were injured—all enemy casualties—and the battle was won with almost no bloodshed.
This was the first victory of the AK-47—a dazzling achievement that sent chills down one's spine.
…
Outside Wall Sina, Gale, who was hiding in the forest, saw Petra riding out. "Looks like they succeeded…"
"We've captured the Ehrmich District!" Petra shouted with a smile. "Captain Hange is counting the horses and will arrive soon to deliver the weapons!"
On the ground lay rows of AK-47s tied with ropes, along with several magazines filled with bullets. Gale and Historia did not belong to combat units, so they stayed in the rear, waiting for news.
Even faster than expected, Hange appeared on a new horse just as Petra had barely exited the city gates.
The horses that had come from the factory, carrying so many weapons and supplies, were exhausted after traveling nearly the entire day.
These were newly replaced horses.
Hange also brought food with her. Everyone ate bread and drank water before entering the city on horseback.
Historia and Gale rode the same horse.
Although Gale was young, he rode quite well because he had trained on a farm.
They were positioned in the center of the group, protected, with Historia—slightly shorter than him—clinging to the horse's neck while being supported by Ian's arm, watching the trembling prisoners.
The soldiers from the special zone had been captured. They stood lined up beneath the wall, hands raised and shoulder to shoulder, as if facing the wall in repentance.
Shell casings and bullet holes were everywhere.
The soldiers seemed terrified of the AK-47. Some of the more cowardly ones had even wet their pants.
Finally, the group crossed Wall Sina and arrived in a new world.
Gale asked Historia, "Are you afraid?"
"I'm not afraid." Historia shook her head. "Are you?"
"Of course. I'm not as brave as you—I'm still a little afraid." Gale looked back at the seemingly imposing wall that blocked his view. "But I believe that one day, we'll tear down this wall!"
"Why tear down the wall?" the still-young Historia asked.
"Because beyond the walls, there is a vast world." Gale said, gently patting her head as he murmured, "I've always wanted to see that world."
They rode against the wind, and the entire group left the Ehrmich District behind.
Even after their departure, the soldiers in the special zone remained intimidated, and it wasn't until several hours later that messengers were sent to other areas and to the capital.
The letter contained the following message: The rebels of the Survey Corps possess an extremely terrifying weapon; do not engage them directly.