進撃の巨人
Attack on Titan
自由の翼
Wings of Freedom
#1
Levi
A Reunion
My heart stopped when I saw her walk towards our direction.
Her long black hair was sitting beautifully on her shoulders. Her posture was like a queen's who has the crown sitting proudly on her rightful head. The light made her dark eyes glimmer as if they were the night sky. She looked like a lady, but one thing ruined the picture—her hands were swinging on her side. It's Emilia at her finest.
"Emilia?" I heard Erwin say under his breath. I looked up, and saw his eyes glint at the sight of her.
"Eh?" I heard Hange mutter. She then made a noise that sounded like a squealing pig was escaping her mouth. "EMILIA!"
Hange couldn't wait. She ran for her.
As the two women meet, Hange wrapped Emilia in her arms tightly. Emilia, instead of saying anything, patted Hange on the back like she was patting a little child, and smiled.
It's been a while since I last saw that, I thought.
After their little reunion, the two walked towards us. Hange's left arm was wrapped around Emilia still.
"Emilia?" Erwin muttered again, this time a bit louder as the two were closing in.
"Oi, Erwin, why not just run to her like Four-Eyes did?" I told him bluntly. He sure did look like he wanted to. He just turned to me, and blinked.
"What?" I asked in my usual tone.
"Erwin, it's great to see you," Emilia said calmly. Hearing her voice made me feel a chill down my spine. It's been a while since I last heard her speak. Her expression changed. This time, she looked a bit livelier.
"Good to see you too," Erwin said in reply. I noticed that his voice sounded softer.
"About time you show up," I managed to say. She looked at me with a different expression, but I wasn't able to determine what. Sometimes, when I look right at her, it's like staring at my own reflection.
"Yes," Emilia said. "It has been a while. I am sorry to keep you waiting, Heichō."
"Tch," I said, crossing my arms. I kept my eyes on hers. Beautiful. "It's not me you kept waiting, but him." I tilted my head at Erwin.
Erwin made a noise, which made him sound like he was constipated, or something like that.
A faint smile formed on Emilia's face. People talk about how rare it is to see her smile, which is true considering that she only smiles at certain things, and certain people. Her smile is a rare sight—a beautiful one.
"I see, Heichō." It annoyed me that she called me that twice. I rather have her say my name. Hearing her say it make it sound like it's angelic. Anything she says sounds angelic regardless of what it is.
She turned to Erwin, her hair gently following her motion. "I came here for the trial, but I was informed that it just finished."
Erwin nodded. I just realized that he was looking down at her. It was strange a strange sight. He usually looks down on me, so seeing how he does it from a different perspective was a fresh sight to my eyes.
"We gained custody of Eren Yeager—"
"The Titan Shifter," Emilia interrupted, eyeing Eren who was standing right beside me. "I've heard a lot during my travel."
I turned from Emilia to Eren. The damn brat looked awful.
Emilia began to walk towards Eren quickly, shrugging Hange's arm off her shoulder. She raised her hands to his face gently, studying my work. "And just what happened to you?" Emilia sounded very worried.
The damn brat found courage to look at me like he was pointing out the bully to his mother silently as if I won't notice.
"It was necessary," I uttered. I forced myself to sound as convincing as possible. Of all the people I want to upset, I wouldn't fancy it to be Emilia.
"Really?" she asked with a load of doubt.
"Hai," Eren defended me. "It was necessary. If Levi Heichō didn't beat me up during the trial, the Survey Corps wouldn't have proven their point to the Commander-in-Chief, and without Levi Heichō, I'd be in the hands of the people who would kill me."
How can this piece of trash call me by my name while she can't? I asked. Twice?
"Kill you?" Emilia sounded like a worried mother, and she grabbed Eren's hands like she was shielding them from something.
"Oh, the Military Police Brigade," Hange said after being silent for a while. She went behind Eren, and laid her hands on his shoulders like the creep she is. "They planned to dissect Eren in order to study him."
Emilia looked very worried. The last time I saw her have that face was when I injured myself some time ago. She was worried like a mother, and she hardly left my side until I was able to recover. I found myself wishing to acquire an injury again.
"I am glad that you didn't end up with them," Emilia said to Eren. She sounded relieved. "You hold such potential for humankind, Eren Yeager. I wouldn't want to see it thrown away like how Titans throw up their fill of humans."
Emilia being Emilia.
Eren looked disgusted, while Hange looked like she badly wanted to see the Titan's barf Emilia was talking about.
"Er…Hai," Eren managed to say.
Emilia looked at me with her eyes fixed on mine. I was always fascinated by how unique they look like. Her Asian blood is very visible on her appearance, but for some strange reason, her eyes look like they're not from any race.
It's like—
"In that case, thank you for beating him up," she said with a smile.
Seeing her smile is a rare sight, I heard people say. Her smile can melt hearts—even make the hard ones turn soft.
Her smile to me was warm. I felt the chills in my spine disappear, my body felt more relaxed, breathing was easier, and I had the urge to walk up to her, and just kiss her.
Shit.
"Anytime," I forced myself to say with my usual tone, but knowing Emilia, she probably heard even the slightest quiver in my voice.
"Well then," Emilia said, focusing on Erwin this time, which made me feel uncomfortable again, "if you all wouldn't mind, I would like to have a word with Erwin alone."
"Go and take him," I said with boredom. My blood was boiling for some reason.
"What is it about?" Erwin asked.
"It's a matter that is only for your ears to hear," Emilia answered with such calmness, yet there still was that hint of seriousness she's known for.
"I see." Erwin looked at me as if asking for my permission. I gave him a "just-go-already-you-brat" stare. He turned at Emilia. "Very well."
Emilia nodded slightly, and turned around where a young lady was standing behind her. "You stay here."
Everyone was surprised. We were all so focused on Emilia that we all didn't realize that there was another person with her. She was a girl, only older than Eren by the looks of her, and is taller than Emilia—about Eren's height to be precise. Her hair was golden, and was neatly resting on one shoulder. She was wearing a dress similar to Emilia's only more royal-looking. She seemed shy considering that she hardly made eye contact to everyone when we realized that she was present, and she hardly made eye contact with Emilia as well.
What caught my attention was her face. She had features that looked so fragile, even the slightest breeze might wreck it. Her lips were finer than Emilia's, and her nose was more distinguishable too. Her eyes were as blue as Erwin's, but they looked like they're filled with insecurity.
"Am I supposed to stay with them, Onēsan?"
Onēsan? She's Emilia's sister? I asked in my head. The two didn't even look like they have a single same drop of blood in them.
"Where else would you go?" Emilia asked with a sharp tone.
For a moment, Emilia's sister was silent. She then studied everyone from Mike to Erwin. When she reached Erwin, she quickly took her eyes away, and blushed.
"Anja, you stay here." I've never heard her sister's name before. Emilia always talked about her family without mentioning any names. I didn't even ask why. I knew that she had a good reason behind it.
"I'll…" Anja took a quick glance at Erwin, then looked back at her sister who looked very impatient. "I want to stay with you."
"You can't." Emilia sounded even more irritated than she usually is. Her expression remained the same. "Remember that you're only here because I was forced to drag you along. Now, do my bidding, or you'll be sent back to Mitras."
Anja looked down at her feet. She looked like she had just been defeated. "I—I believe that your decision will suit me better, Onēsan."
Such formality, I thought.
"You should've said no more a while ago then," Emilia said back bluntly as if it wasn't her younger sister she was talking to. Emilia turned to face Erwin who faced me.
"Levi, bring everyone to the headquarters. We'll meet you there," Erwin instructed. "Take her with you." Erwin looked at Anja who blushed at the sight of him.
"Oi, don't you dare take long. I'm not a babysitter you know," I said with utter annoyance. I already had one brat to look after. Aside from Eren, Hange will also be a pain—now I have to look after another one.
Erwin just shot me a look.
"Shall we?" I heard Emilia say.
Erwin nodded, and the two of them began to walk away from the rest of us.
"Pretty short reunion, I must say," Mike, who had been silent for the whole time, remarked.
"Ugh…I know!" Hange complained. "I wanted to ask her more about her expedition before she stayed in the Capital! I know that her letter to Erwin was not all!"
"Er…her expedition?" Eren asked softly. "Is she a soldier?"
Hange stared at him with her weird eyes, and her lips formed a strange line. "Why of course she is! How will she know us if she wasn't? Anyway, she did an expedition just before the attack here at Trost. She ventured on her own. I thought the trainees would've heard about it, but apparently you kids didn't."
"Emilia…" Eren muttered silently. "Is she Lady Emilia Albert?" Eren asked in surprise.
Mike made a sound that affirmed Eren. I studied Eren's face. He was stunned.
"I never—"
"Her letter seemed like the whole expedition to me," I interrupted Eren. Hange looked at me with her weird face, her lips pouted. "I know Emilia well enough. She doesn't leave out things. She wants everyone to experience what she experienced the way she had experienced them."
"That's a lot of experience," Hange remarked like a child. "Well, never mind that! I'm sure I can talk to her sometime later. Anyways," Hange brought her attention to Emilia's sister, "you're going to tag along with us aren't you?"
Anja stood still with her hands gently on top of each other against her waist. She seemed uneasy. Although, I can't blame her. Being around a weirdo with glasses sure is frightening.
"Are you deaf, Four-Eyes?" I asked Hange. "Didn't you hear what Erwin said?"
Hange turned to me. "I just wanted to hear her say something." She faced the girl again, this time, she had the expression she usually has when she greets her Titan experiments.
"So…are you?"
Anja nodded.
"Hmm…do you speak at all?"
"She just did a while ago, idiot," I murmured.
Hange didn't even care. She remained eyeing Anja like one of her Titans, and continued to ask her questions like she does with her experiments.
Tch. This Four-Eyed idiot is annoying as hell, I thought.
I finally wasn't able to hold it. I took Hange by the collar, and was face-to-face with an idiot in an instant.
"Oi, Erwin instructed us to go to the headquarters, and we're dragging that girl along." Hange had her usual stupid look again. Her eyes were wide, and her lips were pouting.
She sighed. I felt her breath touch my skin. In disgust, I let go of her collar violently, and she fixed herself. "Alright, alright," she said.
"Well then, off to the headquarters!" she announced with a finger pointing towards the doors. All five of us began to walk towards them.
I looked at Eren who was walking behind me. He looked like he finally recovered from my work.
"Oi, Eren, I suggest you catch up, and stay close to me," I said. The brat assured me that he will not stray away as he walked closer.
"Not that close!" I said. He apologized, and backed up a little.
In front of us was Anja walking side by side with Hange and Mike whom I realized didn't sniff Anja at all. Anja would look at Hange occasionally, making her face visible to Eren and me. Whenever she turns, I see Eren's face light up and redden. The brat likes her.
"Might want to walk faster," I complained. We were walking as if we were taking a stroll. "I've seen Titans walk faster than you."
Mike shrugged, while Hange turned her face, making only the side of it visible to me. "Oh, sorry! You see, we aren't Titans…"
"Just shut up, and walk faster," I said irritably. I wanted to get to the headquarters as early as possible. I wanted to sit down, and have tea.
We continued our walk with Hange talking about how Anja is like one of her captured Titans, and I knew that Anja was even more uncomfortable than I was.
