The Hunters (Chapter)

"I'd do anything to get those quiet, dull days back...no matter how long it takes...."

- Hannes yearns for better days

The Hunters (追う者) is the 3rd chapter of the 11th volume and the 45th chapter overall of the Attack on Titan manga, written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama.

Overview
At the top of the Wall, Hannes watches the Colossus Titan for the first time after five years. Before anyone can act, the Titan drops down the Wall, crashing above Eren and Reiner. Over in Trost District, Dot Pixis talks about the supposed breach. Soon after, a soldier comes back to inform, saying that three people of the 104th Training Corps are actually Titans.

After the crash, Mikasa wakes up. Armin tells her that the Armored Titan kidnapped Eren, and with Bertolt and Ymir they ran off, both covered by the steam generated after the explosion. He says that nobody is following them because most people are hurt. Mikasa gets sad as she could not protect Eren, but Hannes comes and cheers them both. In a Titan Forest between Wall Maria and Wall Rose, Eren wakes up restrained along with Ymir by Reiner and Bertolt.

Summary
As the Colossus Titan is releasing great amounts of steam, Hannes and other soldiers come to their senses on top of the Wall. Hannes asks Historia why the Titan was suddenly there and where Eren went. She tells Hannes that Eren and the others were on the other side of the Wall. Looking over, Hannes sees Eren and Reiner in their Titan forms fighting on the ground. Reiner let out a scream for help, and Bertolt comes to the rescue, falling from atop the Wall in an attempt to capture Eren to stop him from defeating Reiner. The Colossus Titan impacts on the ground below, engulfing the area in a deafening explosion. In Trost District, a soldier comes and smacks a sleeping Commander Pixis over the head to wake him up, saying that he was not young anymore and that she did not want to get stuck taking care of him. On a serious note, she told him that new Titans had stopped appearing in the first and second line of defense and when they sent out search parties to survey the area, they only found a few wandering around. Pixis says that if Hannes and the Garrison are still alright, they would be showing up at the Wall soon enough after running into the party from the Krolva District. Afterward, Commander Erwin from the Survey Corps comes in looking for Pixis and tells him that they had finally managed to get the Military Police Brigade to leave the safety of the Interior and go to the areas under immediate Titan threat.

On the ground below, Jean and Captain Levi accompany the Military Policemen preparing to leave. Jean wonders if his friends are okay while some of the members of the Military Police complain to Levi about the location of their prey. Levi apologized for not setting them up with any Titans and says that if they are so anxious to fight, they could always have various opportunities in the Survey Corps.

Another soldier comes in and tells informs the commanders that there were no abnormalities or breaches in the Wall but that the situation was terrible either way. They had found out that three members of the 104th Training Corps turned out to be Titans. Erwin asks what had happened after their identities had been exposed. The soldier said that the Survey Corps engaged the Colossus Titan in combat but by the time he and his group joined the battle, it was too late, the Titan had disappeared.

Back at Wall Rose, Mikasa awakens from unconsciousness. She asks Armin where Eren is, and he says Eren and Ymir had been kidnapped by Reiner and Bertolt and that it had been five hours since they escaped. Mikasa asks Armin if there was anyone dispatched to look for them. He says there are not because there is no way of transporting their horses to the other side of the Wall. They are currently waiting for the elevator to arrive so they can switch sides and go after Eren but for the time being, Mikasa must rest because the extent of her injuries were not known. Armin also informs her that Hange and others among their superiors had been heavily injured and could not move, further delaying a rescue mission. Mikasa then tells Armin that when Eren was kidnapped by Annie, she and Levi teamed up and somehow managed to recover him but that this time, a whole five hours had passed. Mikasa puts her scarf back on and asks Armin what the reason is for Eren always ending up far away from them. Armin notices that even when they were little, Eren always ran off on his own and left them behind, and perhaps such things are his destiny. Mikasa tells him that all she ever wanted was to be by his side. While they talk together, Hannes brings both of them some rations. He says that it was always the same, Mikasa always had to take care of the trouble that Eren got into. He says it was like a bond that she could never escape, not even now, they still had the same routine as when they were kids no matter the circumstances. He acknowledges Eren, however, saying that although he never saw him win, he never saw him give up when he was losing. Hannes gives Armin and Mikasa consolation saying that Eren would not stay still, he would raise hell with everything he had no matter who his enemies were until someone went to rescue him. He goes on to say that he will go look for Eren with Armin and Mikasa and that he will not stop until he gets the old days back. With that said, the three of them are ready to go into action.

Shortly afterward, the Survey Corps and Military Police ride to meet the others atop Wall Rose. Armin tells Historia that he would rather her stay on the Wall, to which she disagrees, saying that she will not leave Ymir on her own. Connie says that he will not believe that Reiner and Bertolt are their enemies unless he hears it from them personally. Hange, now conscious, grabs on to Commander Erwin asking for the map. Hange says that because of exhaustion and danger from other Titans, the traitors along with Eren and Ymir should be heading to a nearby Titan Forest and that they can make it before nightfall if they hurried up.

Some distance away in the Titan Forest, Eren awakens alongside Ymir with Reiner and Bertolt watching.

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