Chapter 73

Tom Cheng's final kick was not an ordinary one; it was the Flash Sheath Six Rabbits of the Seven Nights Assassination Technique, a move designed for explosive strikes. Combined with the power of iron-hardening and the concentrated strength from adjusting his body's cells, and further augmented by the impact of the剃 (剃), this seemingly casual strike almost reached the peak of his explosive power, enough to crush the head of an ordinary Titan.

The Female Titan was far more powerful than an ordinary Titan. Under normal circumstances, even if this strike could cause her harm, it wouldn't be so devastating. However, with her neck already cut around, if Tom Cheng couldn't kick off her head now, he wouldn't be worth his salt.

As the head fell heavily to the ground, the people around finally snapped out of their shock and looked at Tom Cheng standing on the Female Titan's shoulder in disbelief... Although Tom Cheng's strength had already left an indelible impression on them, it was only at this moment that they realized they had underestimated him. This was no longer just a single combatant's strength; it was the strength of an entire army!

If they had encountered Tom Cheng for the first time, most of them would have been terrified. After all, a human with strength surpassing a Titan was far more terrifying than a Titan itself. But now, due to the month they had spent together, they felt more shock and relief than fear.

The shock came from his strength, and the relief was because such a powerful person was their ally. If he were an enemy, it would be terrifying to the extreme.

"Hey, what are you all standing there for?" As everyone waited for Tom Cheng's next move, he shouted impatiently from the Female Titan's shoulder, "This thing has no head and can't harden anymore. You idiots, aren't you going to cut off her limbs now? Do you want me to cook soup for you? You guys are really hopeless! How can a squad leader be so short-sighted? It's all your fault!"

Damn! Didn't you tell us to watch?

Everyone collectively rolled their eyes, and Levi's face turned pale.

Of course, they could complain, but they were all seasoned warriors. In an instant, they reacted. At Erwin's command, over a dozen elite members of the Survey Corps rushed forward, slashing at the Female Titan's limbs.

Unlike zombies, Titans don't die even if their heads are blown off, but their actions still rely on their heads. Without a head, a Titan is almost defenseless until it regenerates. Therefore, it was crucial to dismember the Female Titan before she could recover, to capture the human inside her.

Tom Cheng stood on the Female Titan's shoulder, monitoring her regeneration speed. If her head regenerated quickly, he would throw another bomb. However, his concern turned out to be unnecessary. Although these dozen people couldn't defeat the Female Titan at her peak, dealing with a headless Titan was much easier. In less than half a minute, the Female Titan's limbs were cut off, leaving her a mere torso.

Then, they carefully cut open the back of her neck, trying to extract the human inside.

However, when the back of her neck was opened, everyone's expressions changed. Unlike Eren, the human inside the Female Titan was encased in a transparent crystal, making the entire body transparent.

"Armin!"

"How could it be... her?!"

When they recognized the person, the new recruits like Mika, who had joined the Survey Corps a month ago, couldn't help but exclaim in shock.

Seeing their expressions, Erwin immediately asked, "Do you know her?"

Armin's eyes widened, and he nodded painfully, "Armin Leonard, a trainee of the 104th Training Corps, ranked fifth among the graduates, later joined the Military Police... Why, why is it her? How could this be..."

Not just him, but others like Eren, Annie, and Connie also had complex feelings. A former comrade who had trained and eaten with them was now the enemy who had killed their predecessors. This was not a happy discovery.

Erwin nodded upon learning this but didn't say much. He then ordered the others to remove Armin, looking at the crystallized woman with disappointment. "It's a shame that Tom Cheng deliberately left her alive, but she chose this method to keep her secrets. Sigh."

Although the crystallized Armin was still alive, for the Survey Corps, it was as good as dead. At least until the crystallization was reversed, they couldn't get any information from her, which was extremely disappointing.

"Ha, looks like we wasted our time." Tom Cheng poked the crystal with the Frost Blade, but couldn't even create a crack. He then casually gave up and signaled to Historia that they could leave.

Ymir, seeing Historia approach, quickly asked, "Historia, are you hurt?"

Historia shook her head with a smile, indicating she was fine, then walked to Tom Cheng and asked, "Are you okay?"

"What could be wrong with me?" Tom Cheng looked at her strangely, not understanding her concern. He pointed at the crystallized Armin, "If you're going to ask, you should ask if she's okay."

She's not related to me, why should I care... Historia muttered to herself, then pointed to Tom Cheng's forehead, "But you're bleeding."

"Really?" Tom Cheng touched his forehead and felt a streak of blood, which stung a bit. He realized it was from when the Female Titan had slapped him down, and the iron-hardening hadn't fully protected him. He praised, "To be able to break my great body, this girl has some skills. I'll make an exception and add her to the KFC deluxe meal."

"Here, use this to wipe it off." Historia took out a handkerchief from her pocket and offered it to him.

Seeing Historia being so attentive to Tom Cheng, Ymir was almost on the verge of a breakdown... She should have known, she should have known. She should have kept a closer eye on Historia and prevented these two from having too much contact. Now, the worst thing she had feared had happened!

Ymir knew Historia better than anyone. The Historia in her heart was not the cheerful girl with a constant smile but a lonely and miserable girl who couldn't even reveal her true name. Recognizing this, Ymir saw her own past in Historia and felt she couldn't leave her alone. So, she approached her, took the most important place in her life, and protected her.

But she knew her protection had limits, especially when Tom Cheng and Historia started interacting frequently. She realized something was changing.

In the past month, Tom Cheng and Historia had interacted a lot. He taught her various things, and Ymir secretly found out that Tom Cheng was almost omnipotent. At first, Historia complained to her about Tom Cheng being too strict, leaving her no time to breathe. But in the second half of the month, the complaints decreased, and the praise increased. Whenever she mentioned Tom Cheng, her face would show a smile different from before, along with a hint of sadness.

Ymir wasn't stupid; she knew what this meant. The outcome she had long anticipated didn't surprise her at all. After all, Tom Cheng was an excellent man, extremely excellent, so much so that Ymir herself admitted that it would be hard to find a more excellent man in the world. Such a man was fatal to most women, especially to someone like Historia, who had to hide her true self behind a mask to survive. Tom Cheng could make her show her true self.

So, it was only natural for Historia to fall for Tom Cheng. If Ymir were in Historia's position, or if any woman were in Historia's position, the result would be the same.

But!

He's a lunatic, a madman, a super pervert with no common sense. Following such a man would never bring happiness!

Ymir really wanted to shout this at Historia, but she had always hoped that Historia could live as her true self. When she finally saw the girl showing her true side, she couldn't bear to destroy it. She could only pray silently... May a lightning strike kill Tom Cheng, may a Titan suddenly appear and eat him. If he can't be killed, then please tell me that Tom Cheng and Historia are actually siblings!