Fuckin' Coronavirus had classes here suspended until April, and now, I'm loaded with schoolwork. DAMN THIS VIRUS!

Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry, or any of its characters…


The news of the two titans that were killed during the night spread through the whole military force in Wall Rose rather quick, mainly because they were important test subjects intended to help in humanity's continuous advancement against the enemy. While there were some who were confused with the sudden uproar that killing titans brought, one thing was for sure.

The culprit will be exposed, one way or another.

In one of the small military barracks found in Trost, the cadets of the 104th Training Corps were going through a mass inspection of their maneuvering gears. Being the ones who were at the front line during the attack on Trost a few days ago, it wouldn't be strange if one of them became fearful and killed the subjects out of desperation.

"When was the shaft last switched out?" asked by one of the MP officers who were sent there to investigate.

"After the mopping up operation six days ago, sir." Sasha Braus replied with a neutral tone, but the look on her face said otherwise. It seemed as if she was nervous about something.

"There's a record of it." His female companion remarked, confirming Sasha's words.

The officer gave a stiff nod, before moving on to the cadet who stood beside the brunette. "All right, next! You!"

"Krista Lenz, 41st Squad." The girl introduced herself, as the investigation to find the culprit continued on.

On the other side of the room, a few cadets were having a little discussion about this newest dispute, and how it involved them. A few days ago, they had just finished cremating the bodies of their dead comrades and now they were a possible suspect in the killing of two important test subjects.

"So you can get punished for killing titans, huh?"

"Yeah, it is weird, but they were valuable test subjects."

"But the fact that they're looking for the culprits here… as if a trainee could've done it!"

"I know… and we're all still worn out from the mop-up after the battle…"

Behind them stood three of the top ten: Armin, Connie, and Annie. They were listening to everything that came out of their fellow cadets' mouths, and Armin could only frown. He returned with Mikasa just yesterday after paying a visit to Eren's mother [with his friend being there as well] and now they were somehow involved in a dispute once again. It's like trouble followed them wherever they went.

"You can't blame someone for hating titans." Connie spoke up, causing Armin to turn towards him for a quick moment.

"...yeah." Despite knowing the intention of the military upon keeping a couple of titans alive, Armin could only find himself nodding in agreement. "But this practically helps the titans… whoever did it may have satisfied their thirst for revenge, but it's a blow to the human race in return."

"I'm an idiot… so I kinda get where they're coming from." Connie said, looking down and causing Armin to look towards him once again, this time with a surprised expression on his face. "You lose your ability to think. Before I saw my first titan, I really wanted to join the Survey Corps… but now… I never wanna see another titan as long as I live. Even though we have to choose a branch today…"

Armin offered his a look of sympathy. "Connie…"

"Damn it… even Jean said he's gonna join the Survey Corps…" he scoffed, remembering Jean's words during the night after the mop-up operation.

Now that caught Armin off guard as his eyes widened in shock. That was the last thing he expected from someone who did nothing but talk about joining the ranks of the Military Police Brigade for years. "What?! Jean said that?"

"Hey… Annie, what do you think?" Connie turned his attention towards the blonde girl beside Armin. "He says he's gonna join the Survey Corps."

"...I have no comment." Annie replied in a cold tone. "My mind's already made up."

"...I see." Connie didn't seem to be surprised with her answer at all, since he somehow expected her to say something like that. "You're going with the MP Brigade, right…?"

Annie didn't say anything, only giving a stiff nod as her answer which was enough for both Connie and Armin to understand.

The inspection continued on, although at a slow pace because the MP officers were strict in following the correct procedure in extracting information, even if it was towards their fellow soldiers. While they were still waiting for their turn, Connie decided to speak out something that was on his mind ever since the clearing operation.

"Hey… Annie…" He turned his head towards Annie's direction, as though he was in desperate need of help. He knew that he couldn't figure this out on his own, so maybe one of his friends would. "You think I should go for the MPs, too?"

"Look…" Annie sighed, seemingly tired of this conversation. "If somebody told you to die… would you do it?"

Connie scrunched his eyebrows out of confusion. It took him a moment to answer but once he did, he looked strangely in denial for a guy who was conflicted in choosing what military branch he would join. "...what? Of course not!"

"Then you should do what you want to do," Annie shrugged carelessly before turning her attention to the blonde boy beside her. "How about you, Armin?"

"Hm…?" He looked at Annie in slight confusion before realizing that she was asking him to answer her question. "For me…? Well… if I could understand why I had to die… I… I think there are times that people have to die, even if I don't like it."

"I see…" Annie nodded slowly, while Connie seemingly looked confused with them. "So you've decided…"

"Yeah."

"You're a weakling… but you've got spirit." she acknowledged, but keeping the straight and cold look on her face.

"Th-Thanks…" Armin spoke with a light blush adorning his cheeks.

"Seriously…?" Connie asked in bewilderment, before feeling as if he was a coward for backing out compared to someone like Armin, who was aware of his own weakness in physical abilities and would be better off in either the Police Brigade or the Garrison. "Armin… you too…?"

"Annie…" Armin flashed a little smile at his fellow cadet. "You're actually… pretty nice."

That wasn't something that the girl expected from Armin's mouth as she turned her head towards him, with both confusion and surprise lingering in her eyes. However, Annie was able to contain herself that her cold expression didn't change at all, only raising an eyebrow to show that she was intrigued.

"Wha…?"

"I mean, it seems like you don't want us to join the Survey Corps… and I bet you have a reason for joining the Military Police."

Annie looked at him blankly for a few seconds before shaking her head and turning away. "...no."

That short answer didn't really surprise Armin at all, but what she said next was enough to make his eyes widen slowly.

"I just… want to save myself."


In a large theater located near the barracks, the members of Squad Levi were gathered backstage with Commander Erwin, waiting for the recruits to arrive. This place was used as a place of gathering by soldiers, usually for the ceremony of picking a military branch by fresh cadets, and it so happened that today was the day for the 104th Training Corps to make the choice that will change their lives forever.

The Survey Corps, the Garrison, or the Military Police Brigade. However, in the case of the cadets who weren't able to make it to the top ten, are only limited to either of the first two branches.

"So, in the end, I guess they didn't find any soldiers who used vertical maneuvering without authorization."

"Who the hell did it, then…?"

The squad was well-informed of what happened during the mass inspection that was done a few hours ago, and needless to say, some of them were disappointed that there were no leads to the person who was behind the execution of the two titan subjects, mainly Eld and Gunther.

"Beats me… but to be honest, I'm more concerned about today's recruit solicitation ceremony."

"I wonder how many newbies are gonna join the Corps on a whim…"

Due to the growing death rate of the Scouts with every expedition, they had doubts that any of the recruits would willingly join and go beyond the wall, especially after the raid on Trost district a few days ago. Because of this, they turned their attention to the person who might have an idea about this matter.

"Hey, Eren." Eld called out to the hooded teen before them while crossing his arms. "Is there anyone from your training group who wants to join up?"

Eren turned to the two of them and thought about it for a moment, before answering in a slightly worried tone. "I know a couple of them have made up their minds and are willing to join…" he said, referring to Mikasa and Armin. In all honesty, he would rather have them joining either the Garrison or the Police Brigade for their own safety. However, he also knew that they have made up their minds long ago. Armin didn't want to be seen as a burden to others, while Mikasa promised his mother that she would look out for him and he would do the same. They couldn't do that if they were part of another military faction and plus, the fact that they visited Carla [consequently, Eren himself as well] a few days ago just adds to it.

"...but for a few other people…" he continued, remembering the time when Sasha and Connie decided to join the Survey Corps, which only took place a few days ago. "...I have no idea how they feel about joining now."


At the same time, the cadets of the 104th Training Corps were already gathered at the theater, and they were waiting for the ceremony to begin. Separated from the massive group of young soldiers were Annie, Armin, Sasha and Connie, who were all leaning against a nearby wall just watching everybody else being confident in the branch they wanted to join.

While Armin and Annie seemed like they were contented with their own decisions, Sasha and Connie weren't faring much. They were still conflicted with what they should do, in direct contrast to their seemingly confident demeanors before the raid on Trost District.

While he was sitting on the ground, Connie was the first one to notice another one of their comrades walking up towards them with a blank expression.

"Jean…"

Hearing the name of one of their fellow top ten, Sasha, Annie, and Armin looked up and saw Jean standing before them. Compared to his usual arrogant and smug expression, he seemed calmer and looked more reserved now.

"Jean, what made you suddenly decide to join the Survey Corps? I mean… I thought you were scared…" Sasha asked, remembering his decision the night when they cremated the bodies of their fallen comrades. It was the last thing any of them would expect to hear from someone like him.

"What?" Jean answered in a surprised tone with his hands planted on his hips. "Of course I don't like it. The Corps, I mean.

Connie frowned in confusion. "Huh? Then why are you…?"

"I may have chosen the Survey Corps, but it's not 'cause I'm not afraid of the titans. And I'm not going to say something like, 'skilled soldiers have a duty to join the Corps.'" Jean rubbed the back of his head nervously, because he knew to himself that this was nothing like him. "Listen seriously… I'm not in a hurry to die like Eren. Don't lump me in with him."

"Trainees, fall in! Face the stage!" An officer called out to everyone else, as the cadets began to gather at the foot of the stage. Reiner, Bertholdt, Krista, and Ymir all sent knowing glances towards Jean and the others, but the latter simply turned his head and gave them a look as if to say 'let me just finish this'.

Jean faced Sasha and Connie again, with a more serious look appearing on his face this time.

"...and nobody convinced me to put my life on the line. This isn't the kind of job you can do without really choosing it yourself." With that, he turned on his heel and began to walk away with Reiner and the rest, but not before glancing one last time at his fellow cadets.

"Now let's go out there and make the choice, you two."


The blonde-haired commander of the Survey Corps stood on the stage for everyone to see, as his loud and domineering voice had the whole area in silence except for him.

"I am Survey Corps Commander Erwin Smith," he began. "The King has granted me authority over all Survey Corps activity. Today, you choose which division to join, and the reason I'm up here is to invite you to become a part of the Survey Corps." With those words, Erwin didn't even hesitate to go straight to the point and announce the dangers of joining the Scouts. "But I should warn you. In the recent titan attack, everyone here experienced what the average excursion outside is like. I'm sure nothing else in your lives came close to it. Though you're trainees, you experienced sacrifice. As a result, I'm sure you came to know… your own limits, and the terror of the titans."

Connie felt like those words were directed to him, remembering how he faltered under a titan's gaze and became unable to fight back, causing him to look down. Sasha, although she was able to bring down one of those monsters on her own, felt the same as Connie did because there was no way she could forget that feeling.

That feeling when you're in the mercy of them.

"Nevertheless," Erwin continued. "While it's true we suffered heavy losses in the attack… the human race has advanced towards victory like never before. By now, everyone is aware of…"

Many of the cadets either bit their lips or gulped nervously, as they waited for the commander to finish his sentence.

"...the existence of Eren Yeager."

This time, it wasn't just the normal cadets. Even the top ten soldiers among them couldn't help but widen their eyes at hearing the blonde man's words. That's right, how could they forget about Eren? He was also trained in the same company as them, even finishing up as the top scorer of them all. It was only about a week since they last saw him, and that was when they had found out his true nature as a demon, as he plugged up the hole in Trost District with his unknown powers and ending the titan raid in that place.

Only Armin and Mikasa had no particular reactions whatsoever upon hearing Eren's name, since they had already come across him a few days ago.

"Through his actions and all of yours, the titan incursion was halted… and we have obtained a path to understanding the true nature of titans. However, a new enemy has now dawned upon us, and we must re-double our efforts if humanity is to survive and win against titans and the demons. It is quite sickening and troubling to know that what you all thought was a simple story turned out to be a reality, isn't it?" Erwin said in a commanding tone, as he clenched his fist tightly.

While most of the cadets didn't know how to feel about that, a few of them winced at remembering what those demons looked like, and how they struck fear into them. Those people were Krista, Ymir, Armin, Connie, and Mikasa; they had separate encounters with demons during the titan invasion, and all of them did not end well.

"I'm not at liberty to tell you much here about Eren… but believe me, he has proven himself as an ally who is willing to lay his life on the line. Furthemore, he has the blood of a demon in his veins, making him the only connection we have to the enemy and to my knowledge, he graduated as the best cadet among all of you. With his knowledge of demons and elite skills on our side, we may not have to worry about our new enemy at all." His face showed a hidden smile at how much of a gold mine Eren was, since they might be seeing the second coming of Captain Levi or perhaps even stronger.

"And we also know that in the basement of his old house in Shiganshina District… there are answers about the titans and possibly the demons that even he doesn't have. If we can just get to that basement… I believe we'll find clues that may free us from a century of domination by titans and an impending one from the demons."

This sparked a lot of confusion and interest in the trainees, as various murmurs filled the area, talking about this newfound knowledge that Commander Erwin gave them.

"His basement…?" Reiner mused out loud.

"Eren…" Sasha and Krista mumbled to themselves, remembering how their fellow cadet effortlessly took down titans during the titan invasion of Trost.

"What the hell…?" Jean said in confusion.

"Are we already that close…?"

"If we're on the verge of finding out what the titans really are, then the situation must not be that bad!"

"To think it took this long for humanity to reach this point…"

Armin, however, was looking at the commander in confusion. "I know they want to recruit soldiers… but making that information public…? I don't think that Eren would even agree to that, because it's supposed to be a…" Upon getting a closer look at the blonde-haired man on the stage, Armin noticed his gaze was roaming around the cadets of the 104th, as if he was looking for someone. "Wait a minute… he must have an agenda… what's the commander…"

"...looking at?" Armin finished aloud, enough for Mikasa to hear him, and thus the girl turned around towards her friend with a confused expression.

"Is there something wrong, Armin?" she asked.

"And yet…" When Erwin began to speak again, all the murmurs and whispering among the cadets stopped at once. "...if we are to perform a full investigation of that basement room in Shiganshina… we first need to take back Wall Maria. In other words, our aim is the same… but now that we can no longer use the gate in Trost District, we have no choice but to use the long way around, from Eastern Karanes District. The path that took one of our battalions four years to clear is completely lost. During those four years, over 90% of the Survey Corps died. That's 90% in four years. Even in the best case, sending another battalion to Wall Maria… would mean five times the casualties and 20 years of work. Those aren't realistic figures."

Just as the cadets were beginning to be filled with hope earlier, Erwin was quick to shoot that down, reminding everyone of the sacrifices and the suffering that the Scouts went through along the way. By now, nearly everyone became conflicted once more, unsure if it would be a safe choice to join the Survey Corps.

"The Survey Corps is always looking for talented people. Since many are killed every time we go out, we suffer from a chronic shortage of personnel." Erwin massaged his forehead for a quick moment before taking a deep breath. "I won't hide it. Those of you who join the Survey Corps will participate in an expedition beyond the wall one month from now. A supply route needs to be put in place as soon as possible. I believe the mortality rate for new recruits going on their first journey outside is 50%. That is for when the titans were our only problem, we have yet to figure out what kind of danger do demons pose. But regardless, those who do get through it go on to become superior soldiers with a high survival rate."

His last sentence wasn't able to shake off the fear that the cadets felt, as they became more and more unwilling to devote themselves to the Scouts' cause. Of course, they were young and most of them had dreams of living a peaceful life with their family or gaining respect and acknowledgement from other soldiers to be able to live in the interior.

They weren't strong enough to give their dreams up just so they could die.

"Now you know the dismal state of affairs. Those of you who are still willing to put your lives on the line, remain here." Erwin said in a serious tone, as the cadets began to shake in fear. "Let me reiterate… the majority of the people who stay here and enter the Survey Corps will likely die. Ask yourselves if you really have it in you to sacrifice your life for humanity. That's all. Those of you who wish to join the other divisions are dismissed."

And with that, the trainees at the far end of the company didn't hesitate to turn around and leave, unable to do what Commander Erwin asked of them. As the seconds passed, more and more graduates left the area, making it look like nobody among them was willing to devote their lives for the human race.

One of the 104th's instructors was watching Erwin closely along with Levi Squad from backstage, and based on how the cadets' reactions as of now, he was concerned with how the commander handled things because the kids may have been scared for life thanks to that speech. "Commander, did you have to be that intimidating? The trainees that are left must feel like they've been through the wringer," he spoke out in sympathy for the cadets that left the place.

The number of cadets that were leaving increased to the point that there was no telling who would remain. Sasha and Connie could only look at their fellow trainees in uncertainty, Mikasa and Armin were trying their best to remain calm since their minds were already made up, while Jean clenched his fists as his mind became conflicted with what he should do.

"Shit… I'm begging you here." Jean thought to himself with a disgusted expression. "Don't make me… hate myself more than I already do."

Even Reiner and Bertholdt looked like they didn't know what to do. Deep down, Reiner simply wanted to help out his friends, but he didn't know what branch he'll join to do just that. Meanwhile, for a guy who talked about joining the Military Police Brigade during their disbandment ceremony, Bertholdt was actually having second thoughts now but it seemed like he was waiting for someone more than trying to figure himself out.

"If I don't get away from here now… I'll have to…" Sasha thought grimly, as she remembered her face-to-face encounter with a titan back in Trost, when she was filled with nothing but fear in the presence of those monsters. "...face them again…"

Beside her, Connie was having similar thoughts as he flashed an awkward smile upon remembering his words back when they were still young trainees.

"That's right… I left the village to become a Military Police officer…" He clenched his fists and his eyes became teary. "Mom would be so happy… if I became an MP… everyone in the village would respect me."

Jean was doing his best to stand his ground and keeo himself from faltering, as the majority of the cadets from the whole 104th have left without a trace.

"We already know… we've seen it… we've seen how titans… eat people…"

Erwin clasped his hands together from behind him and examined the trainees who remained in their place. "If you… were told to die, could you do it?"

"I don't want to die!" Connie's voice rang out of nowhere to answer the commander's question. While nobody seemed to pay attention to him, Erwin heard it quite clearly as he nodded his head slowly in acknowledgement.

"I see… everyone… you look good." With that, he slammed his right fist to his chest in a tight military salute before speaking in a commanding tone. "Very well! I welcome the newest members of the Survey Corps! This is my real salute! Devote your hearts to the cause!"

Mikasa, Armin, Reiner, Bertholdt, Jean, Connie, Ymir, Krista, and all of the remaining trainees that stood their ground saluted back.

"YES, SIR!" they all chanted out in unison as each of them had different reactions afterwards.

"I…I made a promise… and… I will keep it." Mikasa said to herself, a simple but meaningful vow keeping her motivated despite the dangers that she might face ahead.

"...ev-everyone…" Armin mumbled, shocked and became quite scared with the number of people who were willing to sacrifice their lives for humanity.

"Ahhh… shit…" Jean cursed in a low tone, before groaning to himself. "This is the worst. Damn it. The Survey Corps, of all things."

"Unh… I hate this…" Sasha whispered to herself, her eyes looking ready to burst into tears but she tried to reassure herself. "I'm scared… I wanna go back home… but… Eren will be there too… with me…"

"Ahh…" Connie grunted, freely crying now as tears rolled down his cheeks. "I just don't care anymore…"

Reiner said nothing but kept a strong and determined look, not wanting to show any sign of weakness.

Krista didn't say anything as well, but she was shivering in fear and had tears in her eyes. This did not go unnoticed by her friend Ymir who was standing beside her.

"If you're gonna cry here, you might as well quit. But I don't see what you're worrying about. With Yeager and me around, those titans won't be able to get to you." Ymir told her blonde friend, not even showing a tiny bit of fear for what's to come.

Bertholdt, although he was sincere with his salute, still looked like he was looking for somebody. Turning his head, he managed to get a glimpse of Annie walking away with everyone else, staying true to her word about joining the Police Brigade.

"I see 21 members in the 104th Training Corps who have given the salute." Erwin acknowledged, bowing his head slightly towards the remaining trainees in the area. "You have withstood your fear well… you're all brave soldiers. You have my heartfelt respect."


The days flew by as if it were seconds, and one week remained before the Survey Corps would go an another expedition, this time setting out from the Eastern District of Karanes. During the month-long preparation, the fresh recruits did nothing but get oriented into all that there is to know about the Scouts, as well as guidelines and rules to follow whenever there is an expedition.

Right now, Eren was currently training with the Yamato at an open field that wasn't far from their castle, which was also a place for breeding horses.

He had already been taught by Captain Levi and his squad during his first week as a new member, and after that, he focused on training and further refining his skills so that he can stay in the proper condition and shape despite current circumstances. Surprisingly, one word from Levi to not ask Eren any questions about what isn't their business (his demonic heritage) was enough for everyone to leave their newest member be. Although Eren was caught off guard with how professional the captain with regards to the current issue about him, this must be what Petra was talking when she told him how Levi was like.

Anyway, it was a good thing that the captain gave his permission to let him train whenever he wanted, on the condition that he doesn't neglect his duties, train not anywhere near the fortress [so that Eren wouldn't make a mess], and that someone must go with him. Also, Levi had told him to keep his arm hidden at all times, simply because it was disgusting to look at. However, Petra was kind enough to explain to him that the captain just didn't want him attracting unwanted attention, and Eren knew the right thing was to obey, otherwise he might attract the demons at any given time.

Watching the teen from a distance was Oluo and Petra, and the man didn't look pleased about staying here and simply keeping an eye on Eren. But it's not like he had a choice when the captain was the one who assigned this to him. Petra, on the other hand, watched Eren train in silence, admiring how skilled he was despite being younger than her and the other members of their squad.

Eren figured that while he still had time, he would continue to improve his abilities in wielding his father's katana; he had already learned enough from Dante to wield the Rebellion with skill, and now his attention was turned towards Yamato. Compared to his father's, Eren's Judgement Cut was considerably smaller and weaker so that was one of the aspects he needed to focus on, aside from his slashes and fluidity when using the sword.

"Why do I have to be the one to watch this brat? Could've just been Petra alone." he grumbled to himself. Although he wouldn't admit it, it was quite interesting to see those strange weapons again and witness how exactly they were utilized. Petra managed to sense whatever Oluo was thinking about and hit him on the back of his head for the trouble.

"Oi, what the hell was that for, Petra?!" he glared at the girl the same way how Levi would do it.

"I know what you're thinking of, and it's not helping." Petra narrowed her eyes at him, before crossing her arms with a smirk. "At least learn to appreciate what Eren can do. You might learn something new from him one of these days. Besides, I know how much you want to lay your hands on his firearms."

"Tch. That kid ain't better than me." Oluo denied, shaking his head.

"Maybe, but have you even killed a demon before? That's one thing where he's better than you." she pressed on, her smirk becoming wider.

The man clicked his tongue in annoyance, but kept himself composed. "If you're going to keep praising him, be my guest. Although I never thought I'd see you admitting that a kid is better than you, heh."

"At least I can learn more from him instead of being a stuck-up like you."

Before Oluo can fire back at her for that remark, Eren had walked over to the two as he dismissed Yamato from his hand, cutting off the two from another argument. "Petra, Oluo, I thought I'd take a break for a while…" he panted slightly in exhaustion, before wiping the sweat off his face. "Even I have a breaking point and by all means, can't fight forever."

"Here, have some water." Petra offered Eren his canteen, to which he gladly accepted.

"Thanks. So what were you two going on about?" the white-haired teen asked, taking a sip from his jug.

Petra was about to answer him, but Oluo figured that this was the perfect time for some payback. "Newbie, Petra here was wondering if you could teach her a thing or two sometimes because apparently, she wants to know how to deal with demons, and the only way she could learn how is from you." he said, pointing to the gobsmacked Petra while grinning innocently at Eren.

"Hey!" she cried out in alarm.

"Really?" Eren said, looking surprised at the very least. Throughout his time here so far, nobody bothered to get in the way of his training, and he did the same with being quiet about it. "I… I mean… I wouldn't mind teaching her…"

"Oluo, stop it! You know that Captain Levi forbid us to bother him about things like this!" she scolded her fellow soldier, unaware of the blush that formed on her cheeks.

"So what do you say, newbie? She's been watching you and haven't you noticed that she always volunteers to see you train?" Oluo walked over towards Eren and nudged him with his shoulder, as his grin became wider. "Petra's grown to like you during your time here, eh?"

"W-What?" Eren stuttered, as a small blush formed on his face. Despite being incredibly dense as hell, the way Oluo was teasing him about it made Eren a slightly bit uncomfortable for his taste.

"Wha—?! Oluo, stop telling him lies!" Petra clenched her fists near her chest as her face turned dark red. "I'm just appreciating what our new comrade can do!"

"Tch. Now it looks like you're trying to be in denial, Petra. Heh, I'm doing you a favor, you know? Didn't ya hear him? The kid would be more than happy to teach you, but just keep your interactions appropriate. The captain would kill you if he finds out you're ignoring your duties 'cause of getting lovey-dovey with the newbie."

"Oluo, shut up before I punch your big mouth!"

Eren sweat-dropped at their little back-and-forth argument, and although Eld had warned him that this was normal between them, he thought of it something childish.

"And… these are my squadmates… two of the most-skilled soldiers in the Survey Corps, arguing like chil—!" Two familiar faces manage to catch Eren's attention, stopping his thoughts momentarily.

"There they are…" Eren mumbled to himself, seeing Armin and Mikasa in one of the neighboring ranches, along with a few other soldiers [presumably fellow trainees] and they seemed to be tasked with feeding the horses to have them prepared for the upcoming expedition. "I didn't see who else remained that day, but it looks like they really did join the Scouts." He said in his thoughts, quickly noticing the 'Wings of Freedom' insignia on the capes that they wore.

Eren felt the need to talk to them, mainly because they weren't able to see each other for three weeks now, and he certainly didn't want their next meeting to be after the expedition, because there was no assurance that that would even happen.

He turned towards his still-arguing teammates for permission, just to be formal about it. "Petra, Oluo." he called out, causing both soldiers to stop in their little banter for a moment. "Do you two mind if I talk to my fellow trainees a bit?"

"Tch… go ahead." Oluo scoffed, knowing that teasing Petra would be useless if the newbie wasn't around, but nonetheless he kept on sending a smirk towards the orange-haired girl's direction, who looked like she was about to strangle him out of anger and embarrassment. "But remember… Petra here wants to learn more from you, so why not give her a chance?"

Eren just gave a quick nod as he turned around and ran towards his friends in the 104th. "I'll keep it in mind, see you back at the castle!" he exclaimed loud enough for his squadmates to hear, completely forgetting the fact that Oluo was teasing him about Petra earlier.

Once Eren was gone, Petra didn't hesitate the punch Oluo at the back of his head, with her fist literally emitting smoke as a tick mark appeared on her face. However, that did nothing to stop the blush that erupted on her cheeks the whole time.

"What the hell was that for?! I told you to stop with those lies! Did you forget Captain Levi told us not to bother him while he was is training?" she asked through razor-sharp teeth.

"Peh… what are you so angry about?" he brushed her off, taking satisfaction in Petra's embarrassed state. "All I did was recommend you to train under the newbie since you wanted it in the first place. He agreed to it, so it's not bothering him in the slightest. You should be thanking me, as a matter of fact. But like I said, keep your actions appropriate, or the captain will kill you if he finds out."

"You little…" Petra growled, her patience reaching its boiling point.


"Hey!"

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Armin quickly turned his head and saw his best friend leaping over the fences to get to them. He quickly nudged Mikasa with his shoulder, causing her to look at him before he eventually pointed towards Eren's direction.

"Armin! Mikasa!" Eren called out with a big smile as he leapt over the last fence, finally reaching his friends who smiled at him in return.

"Eren, it's good to see you again." Armin said, hugging his friend for brief moment before pulling away.

"Yeah, it feels like it's been so long." The half-demon replied, tapping Armin's shoulder a few times before Mikasa nearly tackled him to the ground in a big hug, as if the last time they met was years ago.

"I'm so happy to see you again," she whispered loud enough for him to hear before nuzzling closer to his chest. It's like her easily-embarrassed self was gone and thrown out the window. Eren could only shake his head and pat the girl's back in return; he couldn't blame her, it's been weeks since they last saw each other.

"Mikasa, it hasn't been that long…" Both him and the girl shared a quick laugh at that before she pulled away with a smile.

"Eren, I…" And now, she was back again to being her shy and embarrassed self, which made both Eren and Armin chuckle. "I… I joined the Survey Corps… to keep my promise…" she spoke, remembering the promise she made to Carla when they were younger.

"I know," Eren smiled. "And I'll keep my end of the deal by making sure you don't do anything reckless like shouting for me to come back from the dead." He said with a teasing grin, causing Mikasa to look at him in shock. She was about to ask how he knew about that, when Eren beat her to it. "Armin told me about that little stunt you pulled in Trost when I 'died', and I have to tell you not to do it again."

As Mikasa hid her face with her scarf out of embarrassment, Armin decided to speak up on behalf of their friend. "I don't think you can blame her for it, Eren. We really thought you died that time… I mean, Krista and Connie were the ones to see you when it happened, and… well, even I believed them until we saw you again."

"Armin, you shouldn't worry that much about me." Eren shook his head but his blonde-haired friend only rose an eyebrow in confusion. "I can't die that easily," he started to explain. "Especially from a simple stab wound by my own sword."

"B-But Connie said that the sword nearly went through you! It might just be because of a miracle that you're still alive now." Armin cried out, with Mikasa nodding simply because the thought of getting impaled by a sword was horrifying.

"You two underestimate my abilities," he waved them off. "Don't be like that, or you'll find yourselves getting more and more surprised in the future. Isn't me coming back from the 'dead', enough proof for you? Or maybe even the fact that I can 'instantly go from one place to another'? I even told you about the Yamato and what it's capable of doing, remember?"

"Well…" Armin looked down, unable to find an answer to that since he knew deep down Eren was right. He was just as worried as any friend would.

However, before he could even have a chance to answer back, their little conversation was interrupted by a few more familiar faces.

"Eren!"

The white-haired teen turned his head to see Sasha, Connie, Reiner, Bertholdt, Krista, Ymir, and the rest of the 21 trainees who chose to join the Survey Corps. He didn't even get any time to react as Sasha gave him a hug as well, catching him off guard that he nearly fell off balance.

"S-Sasha?!" He cried out in surprise, before wincing a bit when he felt the girl hug him tighter.

"Waaahhh, I missed you Eren! I missed eating together with you! I… I had no one to share food with, and… I had no idea what to do with all the ingredients I got! C-Can we cook together again? L-Like how we did back then?" she looked up at the taller boy, and his eyes widened when he literally saw her shedding a few tears. Damn, she really did miss him. Outside of Mikasa and Armin, this was the first time he saw Sasha or any of his fellow cadets ever since the invasion of Trost, so yeah…

He kind of understood why she was being like this.

Back then, during their training days, he considered her as his partner in the kitchen in trying to re-create or improvise the various delicacies that Dante told him about years ago (especially pizza, he still had yet to do that). Sasha had no problem with it since she wanted to get a taste as well, and well, she thought Eren was a great cook in his own right.

"Come on, Sasha. Really? Just because of food, you're clinging on to Eren like that?" Connie remarked sarcastically. But in all honesty, he was surprised with how quick Sasha had changed her demeanor. Ever since making her decision to join the Survey Corps, Sasha always had a fearful look on her face at the thought of seeing them again, especially during the expedition that was a week from now.

Well, that was until Eren showed up.

It's like all thoughts of the titans and even demons didn't matter to Sasha, if the topic involved food.

Weird, but… it works?

Ignoring Connie's little remark, Eren patted her head softly. "Sure we can, Sasha. After all, I still have to complete my mission of making pizza a reality around here." he grinned.

While everyone else became confused with what 'pizza' was, Sasha flashed the biggest smile she had mustered as of late, enough for Eren to actually blush at how cute she looked before turning redder when the potato girl stood on her tiptoes and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, before she pulled away after a full five seconds.

"Then I'll look forward to it, Eren! Maybe after the expedition? Hehe… I can't wait~" she said happily, already thinking of what other recipe the two of them would make, doing a complete 180 from earlier as she skipped off to continue feeding the horses.

"Uhhh…" was all Eren could say, being at a loss for words. It was the first time he got kissed by a girl, regardless if it was just on the cheek, and well… he didn't expect it would happen right now, of all times. Also, why would Sasha even do something like that?!

"Wha…" Connie was the only one to voice out his thoughts among everybody else, but they all shared the same look of shock nonetheless.

Mikasa's eyes widened in shock for a few moments, before looking at Sasha in slight jealousy. "That… That should've…" she tried to argue with herself that it should've been her in Sasha's place, before eventually sighing in defeat. Compared to Sasha's outgoing and carefree attitude (which was similar to Eren's personality in some aspects), she was an introvert and she couldn't even talk properly to Eren without stuttering or blushing madly. The hug she gave him earlier took all of her bravery to do, and she simply treated it as an act of friendship to prevent herself from reacting in her usual way.

She'd have to step out of her comfort zone if she wanted to make a move.

The weird atmosphere among them was cut off when Krista shyly walked up to him while twiddling her fingers. Sasha's bold action was still fresh in her memory, and this made it difficult to even walk up to the boy before her. "Um… Eren…" she called out to him, snapping the white-haired demon out of his stupor.

"Krista?" he asked, turning his attention to the small blonde girl as his face returned to its original color. Good thing, because he didn't want to look red the whole day. "I see you joined the Scouts too." he acknowledged, remembering her words towards him after the disbandment ceremony.

"Of course!" she beamed with her beautiful smile that almost made every boy have hearts for their eyes. "You told me to follow my heart, and I did because… my heart was telling me to follow you here in the Survey Corps. Like I said, I still owe you for what you did that night, so I'll make it up to you, Eren!"

While some of the guys, including Reiner, cursed Eren's luck for earning the affection of the 'Goddess of the 104th', Ymir walked up to Krista and ruffled her hair fondly. "That's my Krista!" she grinned, before turning towards Eren with a disapproving look. "Oi, Yeager. You're lucky, you know? It's not often that she feels indebted to a person, most especially a guy. Don't let this be put to waste. Got it?"

"Y-Yeah…" Eren trailed off, unable to pry his eyes off Krista, particularly her smile. No, this wasn't like with Sasha earlier, where he genuinely felt embarrassed with her kissing him. "What is this? The way she's smiling… feels strange…" he thought to himself, feeling kind of weirded out by Krista's attitude. "And… why does it feel like… she's stalking me around…?"

Eren was confused.

There was no way in hell that someone could look this innocent and cute, while stalking someone else in the process. It would be more understandable if it was someone like Mikasa, shy and isolated from others, but Krista… she was the exact opposite.

Yet why does it feel strange? It's like she was hiding something from him, but continues to follow him because of a particular reason. He didn't feel this way around her during their training days, maybe except from the time when she insisted on giving him her bread, only for him to tell her otherwise and ended up eating her own food anyway.

Anyway, he could focus on that some other time, but right now, he had other matters to deal with.

Finally turning towards Connie, Reiner, and the other remaining trainees of the 104th, Eren cleared his mind from thoughts about Krista and her strange aura before speaking. "You guys joined the Survey Corps, too?"

"Yeah." Connie said, although he wasn't proud of it, while the others simply nodded in agreement.

"Then… only Annie and Jean went with the Military Police Brigade…" Eren concluded, remembering the three people who wanted to join the MPs ever since the beginning. "Everyone else either joined the remaining two branches… but since Marco isn't here, I guess he joined the Garrison then."

That was when the half-demon noticed the downtrodden looks on Connie, Bertholdt, and Reiner. This caused Eren to look alarmed as he scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"Uh, did I say something? What are you all sad about?" he asked in confusion.

"Marco's dead." A new voice spoke up from behind him, and Eren turned around, only to be shocked upon seeing another familiar face who was not supposed to be here.

"Jean…?! What are you doing here?" Eren asked, and it took him a few seconds to register what Jean said just a few seconds ago, causing his eyes to widen slowly. "-wait a second… what… what did you just say? You said…"

Jean retained his hardened expression as he knew what was coming next.

"Marco's… dead?" Eren finished, his eyes wide open and his mouth agape in horror. He never knew about this, and Armin nor Mikasa never told him about it. Speaking of which, he quickly turned his attention to his blonde-haired friend. "Armin, why didn't you tell me about this?!"

"I-I didn't know!" Armin shook his head, him and Mikasa looking just as shocked as he was. "I only knew about this just now, honest!"

"Apparently, not everyone gets to have a dramatic death." Jean continuer in a grim tone. "I don't know what his last moments were like… but he wasn't wearing vertical maneuvering gear. He died… whether by a titan or a demon… and nobody was there to see it…"

"Damn it…" Eren cursed in a low tone as he looked down, remembering how he was forced to watch Thomas get devoured by a titan before his eyes, and felt that it was his fault since he could've done something to save him. Now it was happening again, and this time, he felt like a piece of shit for not being able to look out for his friends.

"Don't beat yourself up for it, you were trying to seal the gate when it most likely happened." Jean rolled his eyes at his rival's attitude, wondering why can't he be a little selfish sometimes. Does he really think he has that big of a burden? "Anyway, Eren…"

The white-haired demon looked up as Jean immediately got in his face, now looking conflicted and quite unsure of things.

"I heard that Mikasa almost died while fighting against demons… and you were with her that time…" His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What the hell was that about?"

Mikasa felt the need to intervene and quickly spoke up before something bad happens. "I-It wasn't Eren's fault… I… I just… w-wanted to help him…" she stuttered, only for Jean to send a scowl towards her, much to everyone's surprise and causing the girl to step back a bit.

"I wasn't asking you," he said coldly.

The next few seconds were spent waiting for Eren to answer, as he sighed in defeat and finally began to speak.

"I'm not gonna deny it. Mikasa could've died if I didn't get to her in time," he stated bluntly.

"Eren…" Mikasa tried once again to make him feel better by saying it wasn't his fault, but the half-demon raised his hand up in her direction, as though he already knew what to answer.

"But that was because the demons had overwhelming numbers," he continued in a more serious tone. "Compared to the titans, those pieces of shit from the Underworld can raid what's left of these walls in a single day, and still have enough forces to take over the whole world. Some of them can be killed easily like the scarecrows we fought, but it's their numbers that you should worry about. I need to find a way let soldiers like you be able to fight against them that doesn't involve vertical maneuvering, because our ODM blades are next to useless against their sheer numbers, and it's because I'm the only one with knowledge about demons around here."

"Is that why you have those swords and guns with you?" Armin asked, remembering the weapons that Eren used back in Trost, as well as the newest one that he acquired a few weeks ago.

"Yeah," Eren nodded before he clenched his fists. "Unlike the titans, you need to fight them head-on and they can appear anywhere, even within these walls. I'd say they are more of a threat to the human race than the titans, honestly. For now, if you ever see them, just run and regroup with other soldiers. Don't try to fight them with your ODM gear, even if it does work on them or you'll get killed." He turned his attention back towards Jean. "Is that enough of an answer for you, Jean?"

Jean himself was wide-eyed and went silent as he listened to Eren's explanation, and it took him a few seconds to register everything before he sighed.

"Did you people hear that? I guess this is where we stand." He said towards every other soldier that was present. "This is what our lives, and the fate of humanity ride on. This is what we'll die for… whether you face a titan or a demon… the most possible outcome would be your death."

Eren looked down once again, knowing that Jean was speaking the truth. He needed to find a way for regular soldiers like them be able to fight on par with the demons, because it was his responsibility.

"Hang on… if I remember correctly…" he thought to himself, as a quick but important memory came to mind, causing his eyes to start widening in realization. "Mikasa was… able to wield Yamato, and… Armin… with… my guns…"

Then it hit him.

He clenched his right arm that was covered in bandages. "If they were able to do it, then everyone else as well! I know what I need to do…" he reassured himself as he began to think of what he should do.

Seeing Eren's state right now made the scarf-wearing girl think he was in distraught over Jean's harsh words. "Jean…" she tried calling out to him. "W...Why are you doing this…?"

"Look, Mikasa…" Jean turned towards her. "Not all of us are ready to die for Eren. All of us should know, Eren included, what are lives are going to be used for. Otherwise, we might hesitate in a time of crisis. But we're looking to Eren to give us something in return, because as he said, he's the only one among us who knows about demons. And then let us carefully appraise its value… so we can decide whether it's worth our lives. So… Eren…"

The white-haired teen was immediately cut off from his thoughts as Jean gripped his shoulders tightly and looked at him with a pleading expression.

"We're counting on you to find a way. You know that can't run from demons forever, we already did that with the titans. And now, we either fight back or die."

Eren was surprised at his rival's change in behavior. It's like he was talking to a polar opposite of Jean, not that he was complaining about. If this had taken place three years ago, he would just carelessly say that he would go live in the interior where the peaceful life awaits him, and then go on to mock Eren for willingly joining the Survey Corps.

Nonetheless, Eren kept his composure and nodded with a determined look. He thought hard about a possible solution to how they can fight the demons equally, and fortunately, he was to come to a conclusion.

All that he needs now are the perfect circumstances.

"Yeah, I know… and you can count on it."


Phew, what a chapter! So now, Armin, Mikasa, Jean and the rest of their friends have joined the Survey Corps while Annie went with the Military Police like she said she would. Next chapter, we proceed with the Scouts' expedition outside the walls, where we see the debut of a new titan-shifter, which I'm sure you all know who it is. Just be aware that in this arc, I'll be making some changes from the one in canon, most especially Annie's fate. I have big plans for her, and it doesn't involve her getting crystallized for four years.

Also, I hope you like the little interactions that Eren had with his future harem hahahahaha. I had fun writing Oluo teasing Petra, as well as the Sasha scene. I hope I didn't make her OOC, because I think Sasha would gladly throw away any negative emotion she has over food. And trust me, if only the titans were food all along, they'd have been wiped out long ago, lol.

Also, another thing to note is that Eren has suspicious thoughts about Krista! Hmmm, something's going on here… but I believe everybody knows what it is about, fufufufufu…

Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture*

-Lance