Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin.
A/N: Hi there! Thank you for the new favs, follows, and reviews! They motivate me so much :) This is the official third chapter of this story. Hopefully, you guys will enjoy this too!
I decided to delete all the old chapters, so new and old readers, no need to be confused anymore! I'll try to catch up to the original version as soon as possible. I won't be making any significant changes — only fixing my writing, because I feel like everything was just way too OOC back then. My sincere apologies for any confusion.
Act I
Chapter III: No Turning Back
Year 850
"You're slow. Run, you shitheads!" Keith screamed in our ears as we trainees sprinted up the slippery fields through the rainstorm.
Two long years had passed since we enlisted in the military, and more than eighty percent of the cadets had dropped out. This was the first portion of our graduation exam: an endurance test that required us to sprint across a gigantic mountain under poor weather conditions with a huge bag of equipment on our backs. The test was meant for us to experience first-hand the amount of work it takes to transfer weapons and other supplies during expeditions.
The tar-black clouds showed no signs of abating as they continued to spat down their beads of water. The splashing puddles punctuated our march with discordant echoes as we scrambled up the slippery hills and steep slopes, panting for air.
Jogging a few meters behind me was Armin. He was gasping frantically for air as he wobbled up the slope, eyes drooping from exhaustion.
"Is it too hard for you, Arlert? Do you want to be the only one to put down his equipment?" Keith harshly barked at Armin. "If this were a real expedition, you'd already be Titan food!" Keith declared before he pulled on the reign of his horse and galloped away.
Armin glanced at Keith with heavy eyelids as he continued to stagger up the hills. I slowed down to match his pace with a concerned look in my eye. "Armin, are you okay? Can you make it?"
"I-I'll...be...f-fine," Armin managed to stammer out a weak reply.
Suddenly, Reiner spun around from the front of the line and jogged down towards Armin. Then, he grabbed Armin's equipment and hauled it over his shoulders. "Give that to me! You'll end up dropping out if you don't make it today. We're getting graded on our performance!"
"But you'll get punished if you do that..." Armin sputtered, eyes bewildered at Reiner's suggestion.
"Then just do your best, so no one realizes it," Reiner scoffed as he picked up his pace slightly.
I glanced at Keith's receding figure as it faded away into the thick fog that was covering the whole mountain. Sliding over in front of Armin, I steadied my pacing and turned my head around. "I'll cover up for you. He's not looking this way."
Armin violently shook his head before he clenched his fists. "No...I'd rather die than be a burden!" Armin shouted out to my surprise as he suddenly sprinted forward, grabbed his gear from Reiner, and slowly made his way towards the front of the group.
Reiner hid a small smirk underneath his cloak as he picked up his pace.
I smiled in contentment as I watched Armin's back, feeling a sudden surge of determination. I kicked the ground as I leaped past a vast puddle, ignoring my fatigue. Sprinting forward, I passed by Armin as our eyes met for a split-second. Seeing my increased effort, Armin managed to follow after me until the end of the test.
By the time we reached the top, most of the cadets had already passed the test.
With a sigh of relief, I tumbled down to the ground on my back and gasped for air. Armin leaned against a tree as he caught his breath. Soon enough, Eren came walking over towards me and poked my ribs with his feet.
"Ouch— What the hell was that for?!" I found myself sputtering, glaring at him.
He only smirked down at me from above, a mischievous look in his eyes. "I made it up here twenty minutes before you. Guess I'm the better soldier than you are."
I scowled, rolling my eyes as I sat up with my back straight. "Oh please, last time I checked, you were literally biting the dust when I slammed you against the ground during hand-to-hand combat training."
Eren's face flared red in embarrassment. "S-SHUT UP, THAT WAS ONLY ONCE!"
I laughed, shaking my head. "Right, just once for now and many more to come~" I wiggled my eyebrows with a broad grin on my face.
"Damn you, Rose!" Eren screeched before he grabbed my shoulders and pulled me up to my feet. "Let's have another fight now, shall we? I'll show you I can beat the crap out of you!"
"W-Wait, don't shake me yet, Eren. I'm going to hurl," I gagged as he shook me back and forth. Coughing for air, I shot a glare at him. "Not everyone's a stamina idiot like you."
"Eren has a point though," Mikasa suddenly interjected. "Your endurance is lacking compared to your motor skills."
I groaned, shoulders drooping. "Even Mikasa is taking Eren's side..."
"She does have a point though," Armin smiled warmly at me.
"I don't want to hear that from you of all people," I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Ugh, I know," Armin sighed. "I'm just a useless weakling compared to all of you..."
Eren frowned at Armin's dejected words and slapped his hand on Armin's back, causing Armin to yelp in surprise. "Hey, cheer up, man! You may suck at fighting, but you have that brain of yours. I could combine my head with Mikasa and Rose, and we'd still be no match for you in terms of intelligence."
"Yeah, don't belittle yourself, Armin," I nodded in agreement. "That's a bad habit of yours."
"Ahahaha, thanks guys," Armin beamed, eyes shining bright with determination as he pumped his fists into the air. "Alright! I'm going to get into the top ten!"
Eren proudly grinned. "That's the spirit!"
"What's our next test again?" Mikasa asked for clarification.
"Uh, I think it's the one where we kill those mock Titans," I answered with a smile. "It's the one you're the best at, Mikasa."
"You're better than me at hand-to-hand combat though," Mikasa shrugged nonchalantly. "I can't seem to beat you at that."
"Well, I'm glad my time on the streets didn't go to waste," I gave a dry chuckle before I jerked my head towards Keith. "I think he's rounding us up for the next exam now. Let's go."
"Alright, I'm going to get that number one spot!" Eren declared with a battle-like roar as he threw his fists into the air.
Glancing at Mikasa, I saw that she was looking at Eren with fondness in her eyes. Then, I turned back towards Eren and shook my head in exasperation. "Right, maybe in your dreams, Eren."
Keith Shadis knew better than anyone what it took to be a great soldier. Things like strength and skills were the bare minimum. He had witnessed more than enough pointless deaths to realize that even the best soldier can lose their life over the slightest mistake — and even without an error, anyone could die at any time.
That was just how unfair the world was.
Characteristics that he wished to nurture within the trainees were charisma, leadership skills, and an unwavering resolve — things that made him a failure as the 12th Commander of the Survey Corps.
A part of him was looking forward to seeing which ones of the 104th Training Corps would rise and become the cream of the crop, but at the same time, there was also a lurking sense of fear that he was leading these bright young men and women to their deaths by allowing them to enter the military. As a result of his fear, he ended up sabotaging Eren's examination by messing with his vertical maneuvering equipment.
But it was a fruitless effort. Some people were just destined to fight, and that burning gaze that shone with such brilliance only broke his heart — because it reminded him so much of the passion and confidence he used to have.
Regardless of his concerns, he had a job to fulfill as the instructor of the 104th Training Corps. Keith glanced down at the observation records in his hand and skimmed over it.
Reiner Braun — He possesses great mental and physical fortitude. His comrades also trust him deeply. A potential leader.
Armin Arlert — What he lacks in physical strength, he makes it up for with extraordinary academic aptitude and imagination. An excellent strategist.
Annie Leonhart — The angle of approach of her slashing attack is impeccable. However, while her fighting skills are outstanding, she doesn't work well in a group. A lone wolf.
Bertholdt Hoover — He is highly talented, but lacks initiative. He does not have the motivational drive and decision-making skills to be a top-notch soldier.
Jean Kirschtein — He easily exploits the 3D maneuvering gear to his advantage. He can also take in a situation at a moment's glance, but his personality quickly causes conflict.
Sasha Blaus — She's talented at operating unconventionally and has a remarkable instinct, but is extremely ill-suited for organized activities.
Connie Springer — He's skilled at making sharp turns, but his mind is nowhere near sharp enough. He often makes strategic mistakes and panics quickly.
Mikasa Ackermann — Her performance is exemplary in every subject. Her talent is historically unprecedented. A true genius and a valuable asset for humanity.
Eren Jaeger — While he lacks any outstanding talents, he improved his grades through outstanding diligence. He possesses a sense of purpose twice as strong as anyone else.
Rose Scarlet — She has incredible balance and flexibility, allowing her to make extremely accurate attacks. Highly skilled, but lacks the endurance to keep up her precision.
As the test came to an end, Keith couldn't help but wonder how many of these highly praised cadets would survive. From the bottom of his heart, he prayed that the 104th Training Corps would be the last group necessary to fight for humankind. He didn't want to send any more of these talented kids to their death.
But he knew best that there was no use for prayers in this cruel world. He could only hope, no matter how useless it was, that all of the cadets he had his eye on would make it until the very end.
Mikasa and Eren were in front of me as I tagged along behind them, swiftly dodging the trees and efficiently utilizing my surroundings to my advantage. Towards my left, there were three mock Titans set up for us to practice on.
"Over there," I heard Eren say to himself as he swayed to the left.
Mikasa and I glanced at each other in understanding as we followed suit and curved around a tree, making our way over towards the left after Eren.
"...HAH!" Eren yelled out as he slid down against the mock Titan's neck, cutting a huge chunk off.
Mikasa was next with her swords raised on both sides. With lightning speed, she aimed her grip at the neck and spun mid-air, approaching the neck. The sound of metal blades slicing through the cushion was prominent and distinct as she rapidly whirled down and sliced off the mock Titan's neck with unbelievable accuracy.
I glanced at the remaining Titan, locking my eyes on the center of its neck. Keeping my eyes on its neck, I raised my blades to eye level and leaned my body down towards the Titan as I shot out the grip of my gear.
As it landed on the neck, I felt gravity pull me downwards as I immediately swayed myself to the left and rapidly spun in repeated circles as I built up speed. With a clean strike, I landed a deep cut on the cushion before I released my grip, flying off towards Eren and Mikasa who were waiting for me mid-air.
Mikasa had on her usual bored expression despite her stellar performance. Eren, judging from the solemn expression on his face, was disappointed at his performance. I glanced back and checked our attempt. Mikasa's cut was the deepest, while mine was the most accurate. Eren was accurate as well, but his strike wasn't deep enough to kill a real Titan with one blow.
"Don't worry. Your attempt wasn't too bad," I attempted to console him.
Eren only snarled at me. "Oh, shut up! I can do better than this. Just watch me!" Eren shot me a glare before he headed off in a different direction, looking for new prey. Mikasa followed him without a word.
I shrugged mid-air and turned towards the opposite direction. Feeling the breeze against my skin, I somersaulted mid-air as I felt a small tug on my lips. My smile morphed into a full-beam grin as the cold wind caressed me in its warm embrace with the golden rays shining through the canopy.
Nature was something that I had never seen before. Shinganshina district was just tedious and dull. There was nothing but ragged cities and homes that were filled with dust and dirt. Everything was just so lifeless.
And now here I am, away from my dirty past surrounded by an endless bound of beautiful nature.
From the corner of my eyes, I spotted a familiar pink-head sneaking off towards the left after a mock Titan. My eyes shone with mischief as I sidetracked off my path, taking a detour towards Jean. I quietly sneaked around behind him, keeping my distance a few meters back.
"Psh, Rose!" I blinked as I turned behind. Connie grinned at me. "Don't tell me you're following Jean too!" whispered Connie louder than before.
"Yeah, but if you want, you can take the kill. I've already killed a few on the other side of this training field," I answered with a knowing look.
He nodded as his grin widened. Rushing past me in a hurry, he sent a whirlwind in my direction. My hair ruffled in awkward directions as I shot an exasperated look at him. He turned his head around to smirk at me.
"Oh, you're going to pay for that, you baldy!" I growled in a playful manner, following after his track.
I still can't believe Jean didn't notice us with all the commotion we've been causing behind his back...
Jean smirked as he cautiously approached the neck of his target. Of course, he had no idea that Connie and I were both trailing after him. From my right, a brown-colored blur whirled past me.
"THANKS FOR THE MEAL!" yelled Connie as he rushed pass Jean towards the mock Titan.
Jean gasped in surprise. "What the fuc— where did you come from?!"
"The early bird takes the worm!" Connie screamed in victory as he landed his grip on the Titan's neck...
Only for Sasha to come sliding in from the right, slicing the Titan's neck before him. Connie gaped in surprise as he fumbled mid-air from shock, slamming his head against the mock Titan. "Oh, fuck!" He groaned in pain as he attempted to recover himself on top of the mock Titan's head.
Sasha cheered, bouncing up into the air with her hands up high in the air. "WOOHOO!"
I couldn't help but double down in laughter as I positioned myself on top of an open tree. "S-Shit, that was great, Connie!" Tears pricked the corner of my eyes as I let loose a hearty laugh.
Jean stationed himself mid-air between two empty trees and shot a disgusted glare at all of us. "I can't believe you guys ganged up on me like that. It was my prey!" Jean complained.
I shrugged, leaning myself against the tree as I crossed my arms. "Well, to be fair, it wasn't planned. Connie was always trailing after you. I joined after seeing your figure without knowing Connie was there from the start. Sasha just came out of nowhere and caught Connie by surprise, as you can clearly see." I stifled another chuckle as Connie stood on top of the mock Titan's head with his face all red from the impact.
"God damn it, Sasha! I was the one following after Jean from the start. How dare you steal my prey!" Connie grumbled bitterly.
"HEY! IT WAS ORIGINALLY MINE, OKAY?!" Jean gave a childish retort.
"Well, you were such a slow-poke. It's your fault Sasha got one from you," I chastised.
Jean whirled his head towards me and narrowed his eyes. "I swear I'm going to get a higher rank than you in the top ten!"
I raised an eyebrow at his remark, eyes brimming with curiosity. "You talk as if we're both going to be in the top ten. Isn't that too much confidence in yourself?"
Jean scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Please, I'm willing to bet my entire fortune that us four will probably be in the top ten. There are not that many stand-outs other than us around, so it's kind of obvious we're getting in."
"Wow, talk about being overly confident in yourself," Connie grimaced. "This is why no one likes you, Jean."
"So what? I'm not here to make friends," Jean glared at us. "I'm here to get into the Military Police no matter what. You guys are just rivals I have to beat."
I sighed as I brushed my hair back behind my ears. "It's useless to make friends with this overbearing idiot here. Just let him be."
"Jean, you sometimes talk like you have a stick up your ass," Sasha suddenly deadpanned.
Connie and I turned towards each other, blinking. There was a long moment of silence as Jean quietly seethed in anger. Sasha scrunched up her eyebrows and cocked her head to the side, unaware of the storm that was brewing next to her. "Why are you guys all quiet like that...?" She meekly asked, eyes frantically looking around for signs of danger.
I quickly slammed my palms together, bowing my head slightly as I muttered in harmony with Connie, who was mirroring my actions. "May you rest in peace, Sasha Blaus."
"H-Huh?" Sasha shuddered as she felt a piercing gaze on her back. With a gulp, she slowly turned around in an extremely dramatic manner.
Jean had a wide grin on his face that screamed 'violence' with angry ticks all over his features. His eyes twitched as he shot his grip at the tree Sasha was hanging from. With a roar of anger, he screamed as he came slashing down towards Sasha.
"S-S-S-S-SHIT!" Sasha screeched in horror as she dodged to the left, barely missing Jean's blade by an inch.
She let loose a high-pitched squeak as Jean quickly recovered and chased after her with twin blades in his hands. "WHO THE FUCK HAS A STICK UP THEIR ASS, YOU FAT PIG!" Jean started to cackle as he soared after Sasha with a maniac-like glint in his eyes. The sound of his laughter was filled with evil and his murderous intent.
Sasha's cry of pain was heard in the distance as the sound of metal blades clinking against the trees echoed throughout the forest.
It was no surprise Keith gave them an earful later.
"...W-Woah!" Armin slipped as he fell to the ground flat on his back. He groaned loudly as he curled himself up into a ball, hiding his face in humiliation. "Why am I so weak...?"
"Uh, sorry. I should've held back a bit." Bertholdt sheepishly rubbed the back of his head as he watched Armin sink deeper into the ground from embarrassment.
"That doesn't make me feel any better..." Armin pouted, dejected as he fiddled with his thumbs. "I guess I'm just not fit for combat."
"Come on, don't be too hard on yourself. We all have our strengths and weaknesses," Bertholdt attempted to console him with a light pat on the back. "You're smarter than any of us. You make the most interesting strategies too. It's fine if you're not proficient with combat. Your brain will definitely come to good use later."
Armin only sighed louder. "I hope you're right."
"Oi, Bertholdt," Reiner suddenly appeared from behind Bertholdt. He jerked his head towards Annie, who was practicing alone in the corner. "Why don't you go fight Annie? I'll take over here."
Bertholdt stared at Reiner with skepticism in his eyes. "...You ran away, didn't you?"
Reiner only feigned ignorance as he whistled a cheery tune nonchalantly, eyes looking away from Bertholdt. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Annie beat the crap out of you and Eren earlier, didn't she?" Bertholdt mused as he scratched his cheeks. "I definitely don't want to fight her, so go back and keep her company."
"You do it."
"No, you do it."
"No, seriously, I can't anymore. My back's dead."
"Well, I'm not dumb enough to go fight a pointless battle."
"Hey, I did it once, so now it's your turn."
"No, you just provoked Eren to do it, didn't you? And now it came back to bite you in the ass."
"SHUSH, DON'T SAY IT OUT LOUD. I HAVE A REPUTATION TO KEEP."
"Uh, I think you're the loudest of all, Reiner." Armin only listened to their bantering with amusement swirling in his eyes. "You guys are really close, aren't you?"
"Well we did come from the same place, and we've known each other since we were young," Reiner explained.
"...Hey, Reiner. You may have been saved," Bertholdt suddenly said as he looked in Annie's direction.
Reiner raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Huh? What do you mean?" Reiner's eyes followed Bertholdt's gaze and slowly widened. He let loose a low whistle. "Now that's a matchup I want to see."
"What's going on?" Armin frowned as he turned to look at Annie. His eyes widened, just like Reiner's. "Is that...Rose?"
"Oi oi, is that girl serious?" Connie grimaced as he spotted the duo who were engaging in a heated battle.
Sasha gasped in horror. "Of all people, why is she practicing against Annie?! She'll just die!"
"Nah, you never know." Jean narrowed his eyes at Annie and Rose, who were exchanging blows at each other. "Rose's in the top three when it comes to close combat."
"The ranking so far has Annie, Rose, and Mikasa as our top three hand-to-hand combatants, right?" Connor remembered. "It's surprising since that girl's so fragile and skinny."
"Oh, let me tell you, she packs a punch." Sasha shuddered as she unconsciously rubbed her arms nervously. "She sent me to the infirmary to have my back checked. I got purple bruises everywhere."
Jean and Connie winced. "Seriously?"
Sasha nodded. "Remember those guys who ganged up on her before our initial examination on that 3D-gear platform? She sent them all to the landfills last year with her kicks."
"Well shit," Connie muttered as he nodded in approval.
"But her overall ranking is lower than Annie and Mikasa, though. Even Reiner and Bertholdt bested her scores. I wonder why?" Sasha questioned.
Jean suddenly snorted. "Oh, that's because she was the last ten to finish all our endurance tests." He stifled a burst of laughter at a particular memory. "She barfed on Keith's shoes after our first test on the mountain two years ago. Keith almost sent her to the landfills for that."
"Oh god, that was fucking hilarious." Connie let loose a laugh as he remembered the event. "Did you see Keith's expression then? Golden stuff."
"That was the first time Rose was sent to the solitary cell for punishment," Jean recalled. "The next was when she accidentally knocked a mock Titan over and made it slam against Keith's head."
"Who would've thought that clumsy girl was actually secretly a genius?" Connie hummed.
"Nah, she's not a genius," Sasha commented. "She's always been practicing with Mikasa and Eren in the back, even past curfew sometimes."
"Oh, looks like the battle's over," Jean noted as he watched Annie slam Rose against the ground with a backflip.
Sasha and Connie winced. "Ouch, that's got to hurt."
"Is that the first time she lost so far?" Jean asked with a curious look in his eyes.
"Nah, she lost against Mikasa and Reiner once each before. This is her first time against Annie though," Connie replied as he crossed his arms. "You know, I've always wondered what would happen if you put the three of them against each other. Who'd come out on top?" Connie furrowed his brows.
"I bet my entire dinner on Mikasa," Jean placed his fingers on his chin as he thoughtfully closed his eyes. "Mikasa's got that beast-like instinct of hers, you know? Even if Annie is well-trained, I don't think she can predict Mikasa's moves."
"What about Rose, though? Her fighting style is so unconventional it even caught Mikasa off guard sometimes," Connie brought up his opinion. "To be honest, her fighting reminds me of those scary street brawls I used to witness between lawless rogues that came to raid our village."
Sasha seemed to be mulling over her decision. "Hm, I think both Mikasa and Rose have really wild instincts and are both cool in their own way. But even then, wouldn't Annie have been trained to counter every possible move? She has more experience than the both of them combined, so I bet Annie will take the win."
"I've gotta bet everything on Annie too." Reiner strolled over towards the three of them. "Annie's the better of the two from my experience."
"That's only because she wiped the floor with you." Bertholdt sweatdropped as he followed after his friend.
"I think Mikasa will win in the end. She's great at adapting," Armin casually slid into the conversation.
"Nah, I'm going to bet on Rose. That girl's got spunk since day one. She'll find a way to beat anyone in her way, no matter what." Eren suddenly popped up from behind Reiner.
Armin shot him a dubious look. "Mikasa will kill you if she hears that..."
Eren blinked and cluelessly tilted his head to the side. "Huh? Why would she kill me?"
"You dimwitted bastard..." Jean growled under his breath.
"Stupid idiot," Connie cursed as he glared at Eren with unrestrained jealousy.
"You dense brat. You don't even realize how lucky you are, tch," Reiner shook his head in disapproval.
"Huh? Wait. What? What did I do wrong?!" Eren only whirled around in confusion as panic overtook him. "Is she seriously going to kill me? Armin!"
Armin only sighed in exhaustion. "Why do I have such clueless friends...?"
Bertholdt only dryly chuckled. "The real question is, why are all the women from our year so strong?"
In the end, the seven of them got a scolding from Keith for ditching their practice. Nevertheless, he had been eavesdropping on their conversation and the fight between Annie, Mikasa, and Rose became the highlight of the day with Keith's approval.
"Ow ow ow ow," I repeated as I whimpered from the pain shooting through my back. "Shit, you really didn't hold back at all, Mikasa."
Mikasa smiled smugly, tilting her head up in victory. "It's been a while since I pulled one over you."
"Hey! That was because you and Annie both ganged up on me in the end," I complained as I slid my back against the chair, sighing from exhaustion. "I'm out of gas. Need to sleep. Caaarrrryyyyy meeeee~."
Armin suppressed a laugh while Eren threw his hands up into the air in disbelief. Mikasa smiled and went back to eating her meal.
"Whatever you do, just don't go throwing up on Keith's feet again," Jean scoffed as he munched on his piece of bread.
I shot him a glare from my slumped position. "Bring that up one more time, and I'll beat the crap out of you. Literally."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Jean rolled his eyes. "You're so quick to use violence."
"Well, what can I do? You really know how to piss people off, right, Eren?" I pointed at Eren with my index finger.
"She's not wrong," Eren absentmindedly uttered as he nibbled on a potato. "You seriously suck at making friends, Jean."
Jean scoffed and shot us all a mocking grin. "I may suck at befriending suicidal maniacs like you two, but at least I'll be safe within Wall Sina."
"Wait, Rose's also a suicidal maniac now?" Armin blinked. "Since when did that happen?"
Jean raised an eyebrow at Armin's remark. "What? You didn't know?" Jean slammed his hands onto the table and stood up, his chair creaking against the floor. Then, he narrowed his eyes and sneered at us from above with a condescending look. "These two idiots are obviously planning to join the Scouting Legion, after all."
There was a wave of whispering about the entire room as the cadets immediately started to gossip. Armin was gaping with his mouth wide from sheer horror. Mikasa's eyes shimmered with understanding, having expected this outcome.
"Are you...serious? For real?" Connie's eyes were wider than a deer in the headlights. "You guys have gone bonkers! You sure you're okay up in the brain department?!"
"Only an idiot would pass up on an offer to live a simple and comfortable life within the inner district, right?" Jean's words were filled with malice and arrogance. "Just like these two here."
Eren shot Jean a lop-sided grin filled with confidence. "Right, so an interior life is simple and comfortable, huh? Five years ago, this area was also part of the interior," Eren blankly stated, utterly unperturbed by Jean's derisive remarks.
Jean narrowed his eyes as he leaned closer towards Eren. "What are you trying to say, huh?!" Jean attempted to intimidate Eren as he raised his voice louder, catching the attention of all the cadets in the room.
Eren smirked as he stood up to meet Jean's height. "Jean, you're such a simpleton. You'd be comfortable no matter where you go," Eren taunted Jean with his words that were dripping with sarcasm. "Isn't it crazy? Learning how to fight Titans, just to end up running away from them in battle!"
Jean's eyes twitched with fury as the entire room erupted with the sound of boisterous laughter. His face began to flush red — a concoction of anger and humiliation. Jean took a step closer towards Eren, prepared to give his retort much to my chagrin as I resigned myself.
Here we go again...
"DAMN YOU, BASTARD!" Jean grabbed a fistful of Eren's collar as he yanked Eren up. "FUCK OFF AND FACE REALITY!" Jean screamed into Eren's face.
Eren only retorted back with a punch at Jean's stomach. "YOU FUCK OFF AND LEAVE ME ALONE ALREADY, YOU COWARD!"
"HUH? WHO'S THE COWARD, YOU SUICIDAL MANIAC?"
"I SAID BACK OFF, YOU IDIOT. DO YOU HAVE NO EARS?"
"WHO CARES, I'M SO DONE WITH YOU. GO DIE."
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY, YOU HORSE-FACE?"
"WHO THE FUCK'S A HORSE? YOU LOOK LIKE AN UGLY TITAN YOURSELF."
"HAH? YOU WANT TO DIE?!"
"YOU DIE!"
"FUCK YOU!"
"Yeah, keep on fighting guys!" A random guy started to cheer on the fight.
"Hell yeah, beat each other up!" Another cadet yelled.
I felt the need to intervene before things got even more heated up. I opened my mouth to protest, only to freeze when I saw the look in Eren's eyes. Something in his eyes had changed. His eyes were no longer like uncontrollable flamethrowers but instead, sent a chilling shudder down my spine.
Before I could even move an inch, he raised his hand and grabbed Jean's fist. Using gravity to his advantage, he used his other hand to knock Jean off balance. Then, he shoved his elbow into Jean's neck and pushed him off his feet. With a small kick on Jean's leg, Jean's body bounced down to the ground and slammed onto the cold wooden floor with a reverberating thud.
The cadets stared in shock as Jean grunted in pain before he sat up, caressing his head with his hands. He growled and shot his head up, glaring at Eren. "What the hell was that for?!"
"That was a move I learned while you were slacking off. If you think reality is just about living comfortably and following your own whims, can you seriously dare to call yourself a soldier?!"
Jean flinched at Eren's words as if it pricked his guilty conscience. Nevertheless, he bounced back up and lashed out in rage at Eren again. "I swear to god, you better shut up for real, or I'm seriously going to send your head off your neck!"
"Do it if you think you can. I won't lose to you. EVER." Eren was resolved as he stared back into Jean's eyes, fearless and brave.
"Oh, you little—" Jean gave a battle roar before he raised his fists.
Eren got into a fighting stance of his own. "I'm going to wipe the floor with you!"
"Okay guys, stop it before Keith comes around," I pulled on Jean's shirt as he whirled his head towards me, eyes flaming with unrestrained fury.
"Eren, calm down," Mikasa attempted to catch Eren's attention by placing her hand on his shoulder. "Don't get too worked up. He's not worth it."
"Shut up, what are you, my mom?!" Jean and Eren screeched in harmony, reaching the limit of their patience. "IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, SO PISS OFF!"
Sasha's face paled as she froze with a spoonful of soup half-way in her mouth. Connie's lips quivered as he sputtered incomprehensible words. Reiner took in a sharp intake of breath, while Bertholdt panicked as he frantically glanced around the room, unsure what to do. Armin's lips turned blue as he slowly fainted from fear.
The cadets sat knee-deep in silence. The sound of water dripping into the sink reverberated around the room. Despite its sound being as clear and stark as the sound of a bell, not a single person moved to stop it. No one dared to make any movements as they all drowned in the tension and hostility that permeated around the dining hall. The air was so brittle it could snap. Not a single person was able to swallow their food as they waited for someone to break the suffocating silence.
"...Hah?" Mikasa and I uttered, eyes darkening like polished coals. We both stood up from our seats in a dramatically slow manner. Eren and Jean stood still as a stone — their nerves alarming them that something was dead wrong.
"Mom? You've got to be kidding me." My shoulders lightly shook in disbelief as I took in their ridiculous claim. "Who the hell would want to be your mom?" I started to laugh, but my eyes gave away my murderous intent.
"It'd take so much effort to wipe up your asses whenever you pull a mess like this," Mikasa bluntly stated, shooting a fatal glare at Eren.
"Stop being so loud and learn some manners, you damn brats." Mikasa and I echoed.
Eren and Jean immediately released their grip on each other as they quickly stood with their backs straight, arms behind their back. "YES, MA'AM!"
Bertholdt sweatdropped as he watched Eren and Jean's legs quiver from the sheer terror. "I'm concerned about the future of the 104th Training Corps."
Armin facepalmed and let loose a defeated groan. "We're so screwed."
As we all expected, Keith came in to dismiss us all later from causing havoc. With Sasha supposedly 'ripping a large fart,' our exams peacefully came to an end, and only our graduation awaited us. Although there were many ups and downs during our days of training, there was only one wish deep inside everyone's hearts...
That we would be able to return to such peaceful days again, no matter what happened from now.
Graduation Day
"Hands upon your hearts!" We offered our hearts as one of the commanders in the military came standing on the podium with a proud look on his face.
"For you trainees graduating today, you have three paths open for you. You can be stationed at the walls and defend the cities as members of the Garrison! You can put your lives on the line to fight the Titans in their own territory as members of the Scouting Legion! Or you can serve the King by controlling the crowds and protecting order as members of the Military Police!" explained the old man in charge of the graduation ceremony.
"Of course, only the ten people with top scores that we announced earlier are allowed to enter the Military Police!" He continued his speech. "Now, offer up your hearts!"
"YES, SIR!" We all shouted in unison, placing our hands on our hearts.
I glanced at Eren, who stood next to me. Our eyes met for a second as he nodded in determination. I shot a small smile back as I felt a surge of pride welling up inside me. Both Eren and I had made it into the top ten with similar rankings: me being fifth and Eren being sixth. Mikasa was first as everyone suspected. Reiner, Bertholdt, and Annie followed after.
Jean glared at Eren, biting his lips with envy. Marco calmly stood beside him at 8th place. Connie and Sasha were the last two, who were frozen stiff in the front row from anxiety.
Krista and Armin stood behind us with wide grins on their faces. Ymir only stared blankly at Krista from behind her.
For the 104th Training Corps, a celebration was planned in a small tavern near the training grounds. Most of the cadets were busy chattering among themselves about which group to join. Then again, without even asking, it was blatantly obvious that most of the top ten planned to join the Military Police, while the others aimed for the Garrison...
With one obvious outlier.
"You don't want to join the Military Police? But you've made it this far into the top ten!" A young man who was also a graduate frowned as he confronted Eren about his decision.
"Yeah. I already decided since day one. I don't want to live comfortably inside the walls. I worked this hard to eliminate all the Titans," Eren clenched his fists as he stared back at the cadet with an intimidating gaze.
"But there's no way you can win!" The man groaned, clutching his head in despair at the thought. "You know full well enough just how many people have been eaten by them. We've already lost more than twenty percent of the population already. Humanity doesn't stand a chance against those monsters!"
His protests only fell on deaf ears. Eren shook his head in defiance. "I know that already. But I'm not going to give up just because I think I can't win! Humanity has indeed suffered only losses, but that's because we hardly know anything about them in the first place!" Eren argued back, shoulders shivering lightly from anger.
Eren's lecture echoed throughout the room as the crowd grew silent, listening intently to his speech.
"We can't defeat them with sheer numbers. We may have lost, but the knowledge we obtained from those battles is our guiding beacon of hope! Yet you'd discard the tactical progress bought by hundreds of sacrifices, just to save yourself up on a silver platter?!" Eren scowled, his words like a sharp blade piercing everyone's guilty conscience.
Eren paused for a second as he collected himself. He raised his hand up in front of him and clenched it hard into a fist. "Well, you've got to be kidding me! I'll kill every last one of them and break through these goddamn walls. That's my dream. Mankind hasn't lost everything yet, and I'll prove it to everyone!"
To Eren's dismay, there was not a single response to the words that indeed came from his heart. Of course, he never expected everyone to agree with him. But he also never thought that no one would even react — that they'd choose to stay quiet.
And that hurt him more deeply than anything. The tears came welling in his eyes as he clicked his tongue. Spinning on his heels, he stormed out of the tavern, angry tears flowing freely.
It reminded me of our first meeting on that boat two years ago, and before I knew it, my feet were following after him. Mikasa and Armin were ahead of me, running after Eren's sunken back.
I rounded past the corner as I spotted Eren sitting next to Mikasa and Armin on the stairs. A part of me yearned to join them, but I knew better than to do that. The three of them had grown up together since young, and I was just a stranger who came breaking into their group. This was a tough time for Eren, being faced with animosity due to his assertive opinion.
I knew best how it felt to have your existence denied, being somewhat who was thrown away on the streets since young. I leaned myself against the wall, hiding in the shadows as I quietly eavesdropped on their conversation.
"Hey Eren, can we talk about your dream?" Armin was the first to break the deafening silence.
Eren turned his head towards Armin, acknowledging his presence. "Sure. After all, I got it from you...breaking free of the walls and all that."
I had no idea what they were talking about. Things like the ocean, the deserts, and the sea. They were all things that I had never even dreamed of. It was no doubt that this was a precious memory and dream that they shared.
"...There's something that I want to tell you guys too." Armin suddenly stood up on his feet. He spun around to look at Eren and Mikasa with eyes that shone with confidence and resolution — something incredibly uncharacteristic of him, and yet it didn't look forced at all. "I'm going to join the Recon Corps," Armin declared.
"Wha—" Eren choked on thin air, eyes widening in surprise. "Are you serious, Armin?! You're our top theoretician! Go put that into better use," Eren yelled, mouth hanging open from the shock.
"I don't care if I die as long as I'm useful!" was Armin's firm reply.
"That's good," Mikasa suddenly spoke up. "Because I'm going to join the Scouting Legion too."
Eren whirled to Mikasa in horror again. "You too?! But you got the best score! Go join the frickin' Military Police!" Eren ordered in panic.
"I'll go to the Military Police if you go with me. It's pointless if you're not with me. Besides, you'll die an early death if I'm not there for you." Mikasa took a stab at Eren's hotheaded personality.
Eren groaned as he buried his head in his lap. "I never asked you for any of that, you know?"
"I know, but I don't want to lose any more of my family," Mikasa quietly confessed. "Never again do I want to go through that pain."
Eren kept quiet, staring down at his lap as he mulled over their decisions. Although Eren didn't notice anything, I understood what was hidden within their words. Armin was a shy and meek boy. He hardly ever stood up for himself, but that all changed because of Eren. The poor boy probably truly believed deep in his heart that he was a weakling who couldn't accomplish anything. Ironically, that scar in his heart was what kept him going — because he wanted to be useful to his precious friends.
Mikasa on her own had no desire to fight against anything. I could recognize those dark and corrupted orbs anywhere because it was like looking at myself in the mirror. I knew best how it felt to be tired of living, to be in despair. But she now had a reason to live: for Eren. Those eyes that once lost all hope were now shining with brilliance because of her desire to protect her loved ones.
It was something that I never could've understood if I didn't meet them on the boat that fated day — things like wanting to protect your friends or your loved ones. If I didn't meet them that day, I would have never been able to feel this throbbing pain in my chest whenever I thought of losing them. After all, I was always alone in this cruel world, fighting for myself.
For the first time, my hollowed heart felt full again. The loneliness, the despair, the sadness — for once I could ignore them and bathe in the warmth of the present.
"There's no helping it," Eren sighed in exasperation, but there was no hiding that relieved smile of his. "We'll all join the Scouting Legion together."
There was a certain light-hearted feeling brimming in my chest, although I had no idea what it was. Perhaps it was this so-called 'hope' that Eren often spoke of. I had no clue. But when I saw those innocent and youthful eyes staring up in awe at the shimmering silver specks of the night sky, there was only a single wish in my head.
Dear world, even if you never answered my pleas, if I could be selfish just this once and wish for such halcyon days to never end...