The shadow was none other than Asahi.
Although the conditions—the heavens, the earth, and the people—all seemed to be aiding Annie and Bertolt in escaping him, how could Asahi give up so easily?
It must be noted that Reiner, Annie, and Bertolt were not just valuable sources of information for Marley; the three individuals themselves possessed extremely powerful Titan strength. In a direct confrontation, even he wasn't completely sure he could subdue two individuals, let alone three. Not to mention that if an all-out war broke out, Titans would undoubtedly be war machines that crushed everything.
Therefore, these three had to be captured. Partly because he couldn't yet accelerate the invisible war taking place between Paradis and the outside world, and partly to cripple the Titan combat strength of the Marley military, in case the conflict became unavoidable.
"This rain... is getting heavier and heavier, and so is the disturbance from nature."
"It's a good thing I don't have to rely solely on myself."
Since he began utilizing the Kamen Rider power, Asahi admitted he had slightly neglected the System. After all, with the power in his hands, he could handle almost any situation. At that time, the System had become almost invisible to Asahi, only communicating back and forth occasionally.
Now, having lost his power, and still harboring a "bomb" within him strong enough to destroy both reality and the timeline, he was no different from a king knocked down to a beggar. He was forced to learn how to utilize the System's power once more.
Fourth-Generation Soccer Boots.
Connected directly to the nervous system, allowing activation at the speed of thought. Jumping, accelerating, stepping on air using momentary energy pads, capable of continuously converting movement energy or absorbing pure energy, and able to consume pure energy within the body to increase physical capabilities. Note: Only to be used when physical fitness has surpassed the limit.
He gently flexed his legs, and his feet flashed with a dark golden light, which were the shoes he had just exchanged in the System's shop. This item would greatly enhance his aerial combat and multi-directional movement capabilities. As for why it was called "soccer boots," in a 23rd-century world, sports had evolved beyond flat fields, expanding into "three-dimensional battlegrounds" in the air. To play sports there for extended periods, one needed physical fitness exceeding normal human limits and special tools.
These shoes were one such tool.
Whoosh!
With a slight whooshing sound through the air, Asahi's figure pierced through the curtain of rain, flitting in and out of sight within the damp forest. He didn't jump high to avoid detection but continuously leaped forward, his feet never touching the ground.
If one looked closely, they could see that every time he pushed off the air, a faint layer of energy would appear immediately at his toe to act as a spring-board for momentum, then vanish within a second.
To gain momentum for a long jump in such a brief moment, and that too in mid-air, was nearly impossible for ordinary people even with assisted support. But Asahi glided smoothly.
"This thing is really good. The Omni-Directional Mobility Gear isn't unusable, but it's a bit cumbersome."
He thought to himself, his jumps continuously morphing.
The word "bit" might sound insignificant, but in a critical moment, it could become the thing that cost him his life.
Asahi was thinking on one side, while on the other, he was constantly receiving and processing incoming information at extreme speed.
Currently, he was using the infrared vision from his helmet, not just his naked eye. After all, rain couldn't disrupt a creature's thermal energy, at least not to the point where infrared couldn't detect it.
As soon as he caught sight of those two figures, he would immediately execute his suppression plan.
Annie, in hiding, suddenly felt a shiver run through her entire body. Her expression hardened; she couldn't understand why she suddenly felt this kind of "anxiety."
It was as if she were a small mouse, falling into the hunting range of a venomous snake hidden somewhere unknown.
"Bertolt, we have to run."
"Huh? Ann... Annie, we just rested a bit... besides, the pursuit squad has left..."
Bertolt complained miserably, but Annie still insisted on pulling him along. That premonition was growing stronger and stronger, almost making it hard for her to breathe.
He was getting close!
"Bertolt! Transform into the Colossal Titan quickly!"
"No, that would be..."
"Do it now!"
The determination in Annie's eyes stunned Bertolt momentarily. Before he could fully process it, she bit his hand.
Asahi caught the faint movement traces left by Annie and Bertolt, his eyes looking up towards the hilltop area covered by vegetation. He silently analyzed the spot; the visibility there was the clearest, and it was the exact location where they could have watched him and the pursuit team retreat earlier.
"Very soon..."
Boom!!!
Suddenly, a giant column of lightning tore through the sky, splitting it in two. Furthermore, it happened at the exact moment he looked up. This coincidence caused the infrared vision sensor he was using to nearly explode from the immense thermal energy released.
"Hrk!"
He immediately had to shut his eyes. Even so, he felt a slight burning pain in his pupils. An ordinary person would likely have been instantly blinded in his situation.
"What the hell..."
He switched off the infrared mode, and his body landed on the ground.
That last development was terrifyingly coincidental.
"System, is this perhaps fate?"
"..."
The System did not reply.
He didn't expect much anyway. His figure flashed and disappeared again.
Although that move had severed his plan and played a trick on him, they had also revealed their location. It was a draw, five to five. Now, it was a race against time.
When he arrived, all that remained was an incomplete Colossal Titan corpse, as the transformation hadn't been fully completed. Annie and Bertolt had likely escaped immediately afterward. The entire surrounding area and the Colossal Titan corpse had turned into a massive heat map, rendering thermal tracking useless. This effectively nullified Asahi's move.
"Infrared is useless now..."
But he wasn't too bothered. His eyes became incredibly sharp.
They couldn't have run far. Less than a minute had passed since that lightning strike. How far could they run in one minute?
But just as he intended to continue the chase, another massive heat wave erupted from the Colossal Titan's body. The temperature was nearing a level capable of incinerating a human being. Simultaneously, the incomplete body of the Colossal Titan moved. A terrifying arm slammed down straight onto the spot where he was standing, forcing him to leap backward while resisting the enormous, indiscriminately radiating heat.
"An ambush."
And that wasn't all. The Female Titan tore open the Colossal Titan's ribcage and appeared unexpectedly. It turned out that not only had Bertolt transformed moments ago, but Annie had as well, and she had deliberately hidden within the Colossal Titan's chest, using the Colossal Titan itself as a screen, all to wait for this exact moment.
The Female Titan launched a kick—the strongest kick she had ever delivered in her life, pouring all her strength and focus, with 120% of her will. It was aimed straight at Asahi, who was suspended in mid-air!