Having read the original manuscript on Attack on Titan written by Byakuya himself, Eto was already well aware of the kind of person Hange was.
And she absolutely disliked the idea of being someone's research subject.
Just then, Hange suddenly thought of something and quickly said,
"Then… during tomorrow's battle, it should be fine if I observe nearby, right?"
(Note: Although Hange's gender is ambiguous, we'll use 'she' for convenience, since she presents more femininely.)
"Of course"
Byakuya nodded slightly.
He wasn't about to go so far as to stop Hange from simply observing — doing so would be a bit much.
"That's great!"
All the frustration vanished from Hange's face in an instant.
"..."
Though her idea of spectating from up close was dangerously reckless, Commander Erwin knew that once Titans were involved, there was no stopping Hange. So he chose not to interfere.
"Hange, just make sure you stay safe,"
Erwin reminded her.
"No problem!"
Hange gave a confident thumbs-up.
After that, Erwin and Hange left the scene.
Erwin immediately sent a team back to Wall Rose with instructions to carry out the strategy Byakuya had proposed.
After dinner, Erwin also helped gather the elite soldiers from all three military branches and relayed the Commander's new battle plan for tomorrow.
"As per the Commander's orders, tomorrow's strategy has changed,"
Erwin announced. "We will no longer be luring Titans into the tower area. Since the Titans within Wall Maria have been mostly eliminated, all our forces will now converge at the breach created by the Armored Titan. Our goal is to block any incoming Titans and provide a safe environment for the troops constructing a defensive structure."
That "defensive structure" of course, referred to the spiked net Byakuya had mentioned.
Everyone nodded.
After two days of successful operations, there was no one left who dared question the Commander.
Without Byakuya's overwhelming power, it would've been impossible to eliminate so many Titans from inside Wall Maria in such a short time.
Even soldiers from the usually uncooperative Military Police Brigade were now willing to follow Erwin's relay of orders.
"If tomorrow's operation succeeds" Erwin's tone grew spirited, "then humanity will witness its first true victory!"
"For the sake of humanity's freedom and triumph—offer your hearts!"
With that, he clenched his right fist and placed it over his heart.
This was the standard salute across all military branches, but it was rooted in the Scout Regiment.
Everyone present mirrored the gesture almost simultaneously.
Their hearts were pounding with emotion.
Though true victory seemed within reach, it still felt like a dream —could humanity really win?
Since the 145th King Fritz altered the memories of all Subjects of Ymir, humanity had never recorded a single triumph against the Titans in the known history within the walls.
They had always cowered behind 50-meter walls, like livestock confined in pens.
The Scout Regiment's excursions beyond the walls had always ended in failure, usually with massive casualties.
The friction between the Military Police and Scouts stemmed from the former's conservative stance: they believed Titans were unbeatable and saw no reason to venture outside the walls to face certain death.
But now, even they could feel it—real hope.
Everyone knew tomorrow's mission was critical. It would decide humanity's fate.
If they succeeded, Wall Maria's vast lands could be reclaimed.
Tension built in everyone's hearts. That night, most struggled to fall asleep.
...
Even before sunrise, the sky was bright enough to see clearly.
The elite troops from all three branches were already on the move, marching toward the breach in Wall Maria—specifically, the one connecting to Shiganshina District.
Along with them came a squad that had rushed overnight to deliver the massive net Byakuya had requested — the prototype, assembled hastily through the night.
Along the way, they encountered no Titans — a clear sign that Wall Maria was nearly purged.
First, they would block the breach. Then, they could mop up any Titans still lingering inside, allowing the flood of refugees to finally return to their homes.
By the time the sun crested the horizon, they had reached the breach in the wall.
The gaping hole stood over ten meters tall, and right then, a 15-meter Titan could be seen entering from Shiganshina.
Just as Commander Erwin opened his mouth to order the Titan's removal, Byakuya had already moved.
Appearing behind the Titan's nape in a blink, he severed its head in one clean strike.
[Ding! The host has defeated a Pure Titan. Reward: 5 Attribute Points!]
The Titan collapsed before Erwin could even issue a command.
"As expected of the Commander… That kind of power is just unreal. In every sense."
"I still can't wrap my head around it… How does he go from horseback to the back of a Titan in an instant?! It's insane!"
"With the Commander around, it feels like we don't need to do anything. Victory is just… guaranteed."
"I mean, it's true. This is the first time I've felt safe—like we won't be eaten alive."
"..."
The elite soldiers were awestruck.
Byakuya and Eto immediately moved beyond the breach to block the Titans roaming through Shiganshina.
Eto transformed into her kakuja form, her massive frame alone able to halt the advancing Titans.
With her holding the line, Byakuya didn't even need to summon his Susanoo.
The scattered Titans that approached were easy prey — he cut them down one by one with his quinque.
Meanwhile, the troops in charge of constructing the net began their work.
Some climbed to the top of the 50-meter wall, from where they would throw down the net. Others stayed on the ground to secure its ends.
If the net wasn't anchored properly, it would be torn through by the Titans easily.
The top teams also had to fix the net's upper end securely.
The net had been made roughly 60 meters long—just enough to cover the breach—and crafted from special materials strong enough to bear the weight of a Titan without breaking.