Chapter Nine: A Broken Oath

850, Walls of Trost District, 11:43 AM.

Everyone including Kishito stared at the destroyed door in complete disbelief. Before gazing their eyes at the Colossal Titan. Everyone who was at that post was now hanging on the walls with their maneuver gear. One of them was knocked out and only dangling because of the steel wire in his leg. It only took Kishito to think of what to do. It didn't seem smart to engage it, seeing how it was only supposed to destroy gates. Which meant the Colossal Titan would only disappear to prevent any lethal attacks on the nape of it's neck. Knowing this, he ran towards the edge of the wall. Marco saw what he was doing and ran to him.

"Hey! Kishito, what're you doing!?" Marco asked.

"I'll get to HQ and warn them of the broken gate. You see if you can all help the other trainee graduates there. I'll come back later, just go!" Kishito yelled. He quickly dropped down towards the walls and grappling himself to multiple buildings, releasing his small steel anchors off each one to advance to HQ. As he was flying through Trost with his maneuver gear, he felt something ominous. Very ominous. Something bad was going to occur and could almost feel death in the air.

"Why does everything have to go wrong for us?!"

850, Headquarters, 11:46 AM.

It took a while, but Kishito made it. He feared that he would run out of gas, but it seemed like he didn't. Which made him feel relieved, only a little, seeing how badly the situation was in right now. As he ran around HQ, he had to find someone to inform them of the breached gate, anyone. He managed to find a soldier who was in the Stationary Guard. He stopped at him as Kishito exhaled in exhaustion. The soldier saw confusion, he couldn't understand why a graduate was in HQ and not out in the walls, checking the cannons.

"Hey! Why aren't you out in walls!?" The soldier asked.

"Because this is urgent news! The gates been breached by the Colossal Titan!" Kishito informed. The soldier was bewildered by what had Kishito said. But he did not dare to doubt it, if it was true, then it would be true.

"What?! How?! Fine, I will go inform other graduates of a planned operation. In the meantime, you! Prepare yourself!" He ordered, running out of HQ. Kishito sighed and buried his face in his hands. He wondered why something like now would happen, he was not scared, he was confused. He questioned how the Colossal Titan got to the walls so quickly and why it attacked on the day after graduation. Soon, he stopped giving himself questions and digged in his jacket pocket. He then grabbed a pair of leather gloves he always wore since the sweat on his hands would make him lose his ability to fight efficently. He sighed and wore them on his hands.

"I know I can do this, I've trained for three years now, I can do this!" Kishito said, encouraging himself.

850, Headquarters, 12:16 PM.

Kishito was in one of the organized groups who were being briefed by some old bearded man in the Stationary Guard. What he knew was the Vanguard was already dead and now, it was the Middle guard that was left to protect the civilians. The rear guard would be put in the back, of course. The rear guard would be the protectors of the wall behind the gate. After that, he didn't listen anymore. All he heard afterwards was that traitors would be dealt with. Once they were dismissed, everyone ran to their places in panic. Kishito knew that would be bad, panic in the ranks would be disastrous with the plans.

"I think I'm assigned to Team 42.. looks like I'll be with a group of people I don't know. Again." Kishito thought as he saw that most of the graduates were in high depression and minor shock, seeing the possibility of dying. To Kishito, it didn't really move him, he saw the opportunity of showing what he could do and saw the current problem as a test to see if he was strong and dedicated enough to protect humanity, let alone serve humanity. As Kishito was about to go, he couldn't help but frown at the situation around him. He felt a dread and dead morale in the air. No one around him had no hope, other than Eren and several others, seeing how he saw him encouraging Jean, saying that he'll live, but in a rather angry tone. He looked around more, he could see that everyone was muttering nonsense and were all scared. Kishito sighed in disappointment, he would never think everything would be in ruins so quickly.

"I've never thought that everything would fall apart so quickly.." Kishito thought. He brought his right hand, covered by his leather glove, to his hand to calm himself down and think clearly. He felt that falling into his comrade's dread would not gain anything. He needed to see that he could still fight for those who didn't have the courage to do so. Kishito took a deep breath and showed a determined and hopeful expression.

"I can do this, I know I can!.." Kishito whispered to himself, clenching his hands. He was about to go until he heard Mikasa's voice overpower in his head. He looked to both Eren and Mikasa. He was surprised that Mikasa was falling out a little. Kishito was slightly surprised, out of all the graduates, Mikasa was the best at keeping a clear head, but it appears her mentality had some kind of a limit. As Mikasa grabbed Eren's sleeve, causing Eren to pull his hand away and walking away from her, it appeared that she had a faint frown on her face, an expression of concern.

"Please, not now..!" Kishito thought, he never knew how to cheer up Mikasa, she was always so quiet and somewhat cold. Though, he was one of her more important friends, how could he not help her? He gave a long sigh before going to her. Mikasa still had a face of worry and concern. Which was most likely directed to Eren, seeing how close they were.

"Mikasa, what's wrong?" He asked.

"..." She didn't answer instantly, but she eventually did. "It's nothing, I'm fine.." She said. Kishito looked at her with a suspicious glare, until he found out what was wrong, he felt a bit sorry for her since she had already saw Eren go by himself. Though he didn't dig into it much, he knew both Eren and Mikasa were very close. Like brother and sister.

"What do want me to do..?" Kishito groaned. He felt like he was going to regret it, but right now, things were becoming bad as it was.

"What?" Mikasa questioned, not fully understanding what he meant.

"Eren's going off by himself, you've always been by his side, protecting him." He pointed out. Mikasa went back to her faint frown, nodding to what he said as correct. "You don't have to worry." Kishito said. Mikasa sighed, she nodded at what he said, seeing how he was pointing out that Eren could take care of himself. Though, that's what Mikasa had thought.

"Because, I'll look after him." Kishito promised. Mikasa felt a small shock of relief in her system. She looked up at Kishito, who had a determined look on his face.

"Are you sure you can do that?" She asked, unsure if Kishito had the strength to do so. Kishito nodded.

"He and I don't really get each other as friends, but I think I can do it. Since when did you ever doubt me or my sense of loyalty? What are friends for?" Kishito smiled. Mikasa nearly smiled and nodded again. Kishito nudged her shoulder, expressing that everything would be fine. "I've got to go, humanity calls. Thank me when I come back." He said, before saying his farewells to Mikasa. Kishito frowned a little as he looked back at Mikasa. He was unsure if he could keep his promise. But he was going to surely do his best to see Eren alive. For Mikasa's sake. Kishito sighed as he was running out of HQ.

"Don't expect me to do any miracles, Mikasa..."

850, Alven Household, 12:23 PM.

Reneth looked out of his balcony, hearing the distant explosions of the cannons. He frowned, seeing how that there was now another need for bloodshed in the world. Despite that he did not talk about it, he knew that humanity was not doing well against the Titans. They were actually losing to them. He knew that the back days when the highest elite soldiers lived, humanity was standing a chance. In fact, humanity was beating the Titans. But now, they were being ravaged by the Titans.

He took out an iron key out of his brown pants, looking down on it. He only felt bad memories in his head, but despite that, he knew that heroes had to come back out. To save humanity. Reneth ran to a room and opened it with his iron key. A room that he always told Kishito to never, ever go into. As he went in the room, Reneth saw the complete emptiness of the room, seeing how everything was just gathering dust in the pitch darkness. Reneth had taken a candle with him, so he managed to see what he had hidden.

"Ah, there it is." Reneth said with an middle-aged voice, despite that he was in his starting fifty's. He wiped off the dust off the steel barred chest and took out another key from his green vest pocket. A silver and elegant-looking key. He sighed and frowned, hating to release the memories of his past. But he had to do it, for Kishito. He knew that Kishito would have nothing but a slim chance of living, if he was ordered to engage. But now, in a dark time as of where they were now, he was going to open the chest. For the sake of the one he was trusted to raise. Reneth inserted the key into the keyhole and turned it, putting his hand on the top of the chest. He closed his eyes, hoping that he would be forgiven for breaking an oath he had swore years ago.

"Forgive me... Lord Ishita..."

Well, there it is! Another cliffhanger. Well, I hope you give me reviews on what you think about this!

QUESTION OF THE DAY: "What is in the chest?" and quoted by Brad Pitt... "WHATS IN THE FUCKING BOX?!" Tell me what you think! And, what did Reneth mean when he asked to be forgiven? That's up to you to decide!