Because the operation had gone so smoothly, the soldiers were all in high spirits that night. Still, they kept their drinking under control in preparation for the next day's mission.
Early the next morning, all units resumed the operation.
Byakuya and Eto had already eliminated nearly a thousand Titans combined over the previous day alone.
The number of Titans within Wall Maria had drastically decreased.
At this rate, they estimated that within three days at most, every Titan inside Wall Maria would be wiped out.
But a greater problem loomed ahead — the massive breach in Wall Maria caused by the Armored Titan. If that opening wasn't sealed, Pure Titans and Abnormals would continue pouring in from outside, and humanity still wouldn't be able to reclaim their lands.
There were simply too many Titans on Paradis Island. Wiping them all out would take far too long.
Only by sealing that breach could the operation to reclaim Wall Maria be considered a true success.
[Ding! The host has defeated a Pure Titan. Reward: 5 Attribute Points!]
[Ding! The host has defeated an Abnormal Titan. Reward: 10 Attribute Points![…]
By the end of the day, with the support of the elite soldiers from all three military branches, another thousand Titans were lured in for Byakuya and Eto to eliminate.
Byakuya personally handled the majority of them, netting another two to three thousand attribute points.
This method of farming attribute points was absurdly efficient —he'd already accumulated several thousand in total.
And more importantly, his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan quests, Task ③ and Task ④, were finally completed.
[Task ③: Slay 999 Pure Titans (999/999)]
[Task ④: Slay 33 Abnormal Titans (33/33)]
That evening, just like the night before, the elite troops returned to the tower for rest.
Commander Erwin himself had arrived on the frontlines.
Meanwhile, Commander Nile of the Military Police and Commander Pixis of the Garrison remained inside Wall Rose. It wasn't that they were shirking responsibilities — there simply wasn't much for them to do. With Byakuya leading the charge, their presence was unnecessary.
Erwin, however, had always personally led the Survey Corps beyond the walls. It was simply his way.
"Commander, I've heard all about your exploits" Erwin said as he approached Byakuya. "You've wiped out nearly all of the Titans inside Wall Maria. But now we face an even more critical challenge: sealing the breach in the wall."
"Yes, I agree" Byakuya responded. "It's time to move to the next phase, while the number of Titans inside Wall Maria is low."
"Send word to Wall Rose tonight" he continued. "Tell them we need a massive net — strong enough to cover the breach—reinforced with dense rows of metal spikes."
"Titans lack intelligence and are driven purely by instinct. They'll blindly charge at the humans behind the net. Some will get impaled, and others will pile up behind them, blocked by the bodies in front."
"Compared to repairing the wall itself, which is an enormous undertaking, this is the best solution I can think of right now."
Of course, this was actually a method taken from the canon timeline years later—Byakuya was simply bringing it forward.
"I agree. That plan seems viable" Erwin nodded. "I'll dispatch a team immediately to deliver the message to Wall Rose."
"And for tomorrow's mission" Byakuya added, "we'll focus our forces around the breach to hold off any Titans trying to get in. That way, the net can be set up without interference."
Naturally, the bulk of the defense work would fall to Byakuya and Eto.
"Understood"
After the discussion ended, the bespectacled woman (?) sitting beside Erwin couldn't contain her excitement.
"I heard you can transform into a Titan, Commander! Can you show me? Please?"
It was Hange Zoë — one of the Survey Corps' squad leaders, who had come with Erwin to the front.
Byakuya, of course, recognized Hange. She was a true mad scientist with an obsession for Titans.
In the original timeline, many major research breakthroughs about Titans came from her. She even named Pure Titans and treated them like friends — while using them for experiments.
The reason for the question mark after "woman" is because Hange's gender is a mystery. Most people assume she's female, but the original story keeps it intentionally ambiguous. Her features are androgynous, though not unattractive, and while her hair is long, her body is slim and — well — flat-chested.
Some suspect she binds her chest, but honestly, it's nearly impossible to tell.
But Byakuya wasn't the type to care about something like that. What did trouble him, however, was Hange's extreme obsession with Titans.
"Sorry. That's not really convenient" he replied flatly.
Activating his second-stage Susanoo wasn't difficult — but Hange didn't just want to see it. She wanted to study it.
And once she got a taste, she'd want more—probably endlessly pestering him for more demonstrations and experiments.
"Huh? But it's not like it's dangerous anymore, right? We've taken care of most of the Titans inside Wall Maria. You could transform somewhere open — it won't attract any new ones."
Hange was relentless.
Erwin gave her a stern reminder: "Let's show some restraint."
Her obsession with Titans was a bit much, but the Survey Corps had always tolerated her behavior because her research had real value.
"…Fine" Hange sighed, seeing she wasn't getting anywhere with Byakuya.
But she wasn't discouraged for long. She quickly turned her attention to Eto.
"Miss Eto, I heard you can also transform! Could I watch you too?"
"Sorry, that won't be possible" Eto answered with a gentle smile.
"Aw, come on! Why is everyone so stubborn today?!"
Rejected twice in a row, Hange slumped in frustration.