The Killing Fields

Keiriku no Kōya (刑戮の荒野) is the twelfth chapter of the Before the Fall manga, written by Ryō Suzukaze and illustrated by Satoshi Shiki.

Summary
As Titans approach in the darkness, Cardina Baumeister asks Kuklo why he has suddenly stopped. Kuklo, frozen in horror, informs Cardina that he can hear multiple Titans approaching. Cardina begins to panic, asking if their execution has already begun. As the Titans begin to approach, Cardina begins to the East, but Kuklo insists that they go West, towards the flickering light atop the Walls.

As they run, the Titans draw close enough for Cardina to hear their footsteps also, and Kuklo realizes that the Titans are pursuing them. As they approach the Wall, Kuklo begins to worry that no one will be there to save him and Cardina, but he grows excited when he sees the man who gave him his knife waving to them from atop the Wall. As he drops a rope down the side of the Wall, the man warns Kuklo and Cardina to hurry, as Titans are following them. Realizing that he and Cardina won't have time to climb the rope one at a time, Kuklo tells Cardina that they will have to climb together. However, when he turns to look at Cardina, he is horrified to see a Titan reaching down to grab an exhausted Cardina.

Despite the man atop the Wall advising him not to, Kuklo turns to engage the Titan. The Titan swats Cardina out of the way, and Kuklo, observing that Cardina is still alive, orders him to run to the rope hanging off of Wall Maria. Unsheathing his knife, Kuklo observes that the attacking Titan is smaller than the one he fought during the Survey Corps expedition. Charging towards the Titan, Kuklo tries to slice the Titan's face, but is quickly pinned down under one of the Titan's hands. As the Titan picks up Kuklo and prepares to eat him, Kuklo manages to cut off the Titan's thumb, causing it to drop him.

Landing on the ground, Kuklo turns to face the Titan again, lamenting that he can't fight like the Survey Corps soldiers do. However, determined to stop the Titan and return to the Interior, Kuklo begins his attack again. Dodging one of the Titan's attacks, Kuklo quickly begins to climb it, and prepares to attack the Titan's head, but is caught by the Titan before he can attack. With his arms pinned, Kuklo is unable to stop the Titan from eating him, and is only saved by the arrival of Cardina, who's arrival allows Kuklo to successfully cut through one of the Titan's Achilles tendons, leaving it crippled and unable to walk.

As Cardina and Kuklo approach the rope, they are stopped by another Titan suddenly landing in front of them. Alarmed, they turn to see a group of Titans approaching, with the largest of them throwing smaller Titans at Cardina and Kuklo.