"Cadet number one, Reiner Braun."
Shadis called out the order.
The first trainee to go was Reiner.
Even by Shadis' strict standards, he was an elite.
He wasn't as overwhelmingly perfect as Mikasa or Sam, to the point of discouraging the others, but he was reliable enough to be a role model.
"Cadet number one, Reiner Braun. Ready and prepared."
Reiner stood with a slightly tense expression.
Even though the training was just about maneuvering to a tree right in front of him, anything was difficult the first time.
"Begin."
Shadis gave a nod.
Reiner twisted his waist to aim properly and pulled the trigger.
—Bang!
The anchor embedded itself in the perfect spot.
Reiner pushed off the ground with force and released his grip on the trigger.
—Whirrr!
His body zipped along the wire and landed against the tree.
He wobbled slightly in midair, but for a first attempt, it was an excellent result.
The instructor waiting at the tree raised a hand.
That meant he had passed without any major issues.
"Not bad,"
Shadis commented as he watched Reiner.
'…Just need to loosen the straps a bit.'
The ODM gear training progressed quickly.
After Reiner, Eren, Armin, and several other trainees were evaluated.
However, after Reiner, Instructor Shadis didn't seem particularly satisfied.
Eren had gone out full of confidence.
He nailed the anchor perfectly, but failed to control his speed when landing, crashing hard into the tree.
He was still lying on the ground… but he'd probably get up soon.
Armin, on the other hand, struggled even to adjust his anchor properly, likely due to his lack of physical intuition.
Sasha, Connie, and Bertolt did slightly better.
Since they were physically capable, they managed to complete the task with only a few stumbles.
However, it was nothing special—just acceptable—so Shadis didn't find it particularly impressive.
"There are four trainees left,"
Shadis said, glancing at the remaining students.
Annie Leonhart, Christa Lenz, Sam Yang, and Mikasa Ackerman.
Shadis' main expectations were on Sam and Mikasa.
That was also why he had placed them at the very end.
He wanted to focus on evaluating them more closely.
"Then, Cadet number 47, Annie Leonhart."
At Shadis' call, Annie stepped forward.
A quiet girl who didn't socialize much with her peers.
She mostly kept to herself during meals and classes.
She was said to lack enthusiasm in both theory lessons and hand-to-hand combat training.
With her small, delicate frame, there wasn't much to expect from her.
"I'm ready."
"Begin."
Shadis gave the signal.
The trainees who had already finished their turn watched idly, and even the instructors, now slightly bored, yawned.
No one expected much from Annie.
But contrary to everyone's expectations, her maneuvering was top-class.
—Bang! Thud!
—Whirr!
Annie landed perfectly, having placed her anchors with precision and pushed off immediately.
She used her small frame to move with incredible speed.
She didn't make a single mistake throughout the process.
In fact, she might have been even better than Reiner, who had received praise earlier.
"Wow…"
"What the heck? Why is she so good?"
Surprised murmurs and words of admiration spread among the trainees.
However, Annie didn't seem to care. After finishing her evaluation, she quietly walked to a corner and sat down.
"Nervous?"
"J-Just a little…"
I spoke to Christa, who was up next.
The last time we met, I thought she was upset with me.
But now that I casually started a conversation, it didn't seem that way.
Or… maybe she was just too nervous to even remember.
"Phew…"
Her small shoulders trembled from the tension.
Annie had just performed so well, so it was only natural for Christa to feel pressured.
"Cadet number 48, Christa Lenz."
Shadis' voice rang out.
Christa hesitantly stepped forward.
"Begin."
As the signal was given, the trainees focused on Christa.
She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart and pulled the trigger.
Bang! Thud!
Thankfully, the anchor lodged itself into the tree.
Just as she was about to let go of the trigger, she caught sight of Eren, still unconscious from crashing into the tree earlier.
Seeing him lying there, blood dripping from his nose, fear suddenly gripped her.
Instead of releasing the trigger, her fingers clenched around it even tighter.
Shadis, who had been observing her, twitched his brow.
"Christa. Let go of the trigger."
His already stern expression hardened even more.
And that only made Christa even more nervous.
As she stood there, frozen in fear, someone spoke up from behind her.
"Don't panic. Relax your body."
It was Sam, offering her quiet reassurance.