Chapter 37: Graduation
Erwin looks down at the young soldiers in front of him. He told them what they will do, what their job entitled. He said that their life is something they will be asked to give away and still they stay. Young and shaking in fear. Most of them. Eren is smiling up at him, happy to return to the castle and to his friends, with more to bring along. It still amazes him how this boy, had changed the Survey Corps by just being there with them.
The body count is the one thing, his colleagues from the other military bunches have no idea how they had changed their way of handling things, the bad reputation of the Survey Corps hadn't changed so much even after Eren helped them.
The new recruits look frightened and excited, shocked and disbelieving. As if they can´t comprehend what they just did by staying here. They will follow him and that is all that counts. They will help the Survey Corps to catch or eliminate the shifter so they can focus on their real mission. Explore the outside world and find a way from humanity to leave the walls behind, without fear and death awaiting them.
Sadly, their well-prepared plan to get the new recruits outside the wall didn't work out. Halfway back to the headquarters with only a few hours of riding left something changes. It might have been Hanji who told Levi about the experiment they want to do or Eren asking him about the status of Wall Maria and if they could go back out there. It might have been the slip in the undercover work or the answers to question that provided information that shouldn't have been said. In the end it has the same result.
One of their suspects Reiner Braun stops his horse and before any of them could react the familiar flashes explode at the place where the young man hand stood. The armoured titan took his place, the young soldiers out of the 104th are too shocked to even move, their other suspect Berthold Hoover doesn't move either. Maybe because he doesn't want or can. It doesn't make a difference as the titan starts his attack, on him. Erwin had thought about it, what the shifter would do when they are cornered, attacking him was on the lower end of the list. First was and always will be Eren. He is a shifter, they could want him, alone for the fact that he is stronger as any other normal titan.
"Fall back." Erwin shouts. With only Hanji, Levi and Eren as his support he has no other choice he can´t let their new recruits die on their first day. "Hanji take the 104th away from here, get them ready. Eren transform, Levi and I will support you. Try not to kill him."
They salute and Hanji takes the other teenager further away from the fighting ground. Aware that they have most likely another shifter with them. Levi is next to him, they both face the titan and don't look behind them as Eren transformers to attack his enemy.
The sound of the titans on the ground, the shaking of the earth and their screams take in everything. Levi has no real chance to interact. He certainly tries and is able to slice the back of one knee. It takes the stable stand away but Eren still has his difficulties. Their blades are useless against the hart skin of the titan. The armour the titan has on his body is hart, their blades can´t cut, the only places are between the armour pieces. Both titans are to fast, but Erwin sees how Eren tries to get a good grip on the titan to stop him from moving. The sickening sound of bursting muscles and breaking armour, Levi tries to help he too can see that this fight, as short as it may seem, takes out a lot of Eren. Who hadn't trained for three years and never fought like this before.
Behind him he hears some tumult, the soldiers deserve an explanation, and they will get one. As soon as they have finished off their enemy.
"I can´t cut him out." Levi shouts, standing half on Eren´s shoulder and having the other leg on the armoured titan.
Erwin takes a look on Eren, he sees his strength decrease but right now their titan has a secure hold on the titan. He lands on the armoured titan´s chest. "Will you come out or do we have to eliminate you?" The eyes of the titan follow him as he walks closer, not too close. A short headshake is all the answer he needs. "Eren take him out." Erwin jumps down from the titan as the fighting starts again.
The armoured titan realizing that he is no longer a potential prisoner but their next dead body. He begins to struggle, his fight to survival kicks in Erens own last power resources.
The one moment Eren has a secure hold on him, the next he is free and gets the moment of surprise. The victim of this surprise attack is Levi. The titan got hold on his cables and pulls the small man towards him. With this he had signed his own death. Erwin sees it, Eren´s anger, his fear and his furious untamed wildness. Erwin get to his horse to get some distance. There is no doubt what will happen next.
Unstoppable Eren crushes into the armoured titan holds him down with strength no one knew he processes and bites out the vulnerable nape of his enemy. Erwin can see legs and arms remain inside the body as Eren crushes the human body between his teeth. A familiar picture. A titan eating a human but still different.
Levi frees himself and Eren stops his movement as the armoured titan´s body starts to dissolve and steam covers them all.
They won but what is the price for this victory?