The afternoon sun crept up, dazzling the edges of the glass. Outside, Violet was gently wiping the surface. She glanced over to the corner near the door for a moment, watching Sophie change the sign to 'Closed.'
Violet just remembered that today the tavern would close early, Greta didn't give a reason.
On her way back to the tavern, she ran into Krause, but he didn't greet her as usual. He simply smiled faintly, holding a large bouquet of flowers.
For a moment, Violet's gaze fell on the flower.
"I took a little from the front," said Krase, "Please pass it on to the old man, Violet."
"From the front?" Violet repeated as if unsure of the small number.
Sure enough, when her eyes glanced at the yard pot, the flowers were swept clean.
Violet sighed softly, sensing Krause was acting up again. Violet tried to grab the flower, but before she could reach it, Sophie's voice stopped her.
"It's okay Violet, I already bought new seeds," she said calmly without sounding like a problem.
Violet blinked, not understanding. She then asked, "Krause-san, why did you bring flowers?"
"There's a place I want to go. Do you want to come?" Krause asked lightly.
Sophie listened quietly from inside. Since the Trost incident, Violet hadn't gone anywhere. The world she knew was limited to this building, the small courtyard, and the street in front of it. Even on holidays, she always spent the same time.
Sophie turned to Greta as if asking for something but Greta immediately left.
Without needing an explanation, she immediately understood, she approached the door.
"Go Violet, I'll take care of the rest," she said.
"But... is this okay?" Violet asked hesitantly.
Sophie nodded quickly twice, her small smile at the end breaking through her hesitation.
"Come on Violet." Krause said without turning around, already ahead.
A few minutes passed, as they walked quietly without a word. Ahead, a dense crowd could be seen between two buildings at the intersection, seemingly about to pass through the market block.
A sight Violet rarely sees outside of her workplace.
He saw a small child carrying boxes larger than himself, then arranging them into a cart without complaint. The middle-aged man who owned the cart waited beside him, and after the job was done, he slipped a few coins, countless on his fingers, into the small palm.
Not far away, an old woman crouched near a pile of trash. Her hands parted the pieces one by one, until she finally found a piece of bread. She put it in the plastic bag she was carrying and then went back to searching.
Seeing that, Violet's steps slowed, then stopped.
Krause noticed it, he turned his head half way with the corner of his eye glancing at Violet for a moment.
"They are one of those who lost their parents and perhaps also lost a child who was their breadwinner," Krause said in a low voice, not wanting to wait for Violet to ask.
Krause slowly took another step, adding,
"The mass recruitment five years ago, took everything away from them."
"Mass recruitment?" Violet asked,
"Yes," he answered briefly.
"I don't understand," Violet said, shaking her head slightly.
"In short, it was done to reduce the population under the pretext of retaking the Maria Wall area."
Violet stopped immediately, her eyes widening.
"Impossible."
Without even looking up, Krause said in a lower tone, "But I admit the government at that time made the right decision."
Violet's gaze on Krause changed, not as calm as before.
"Krause-san?" Violet asked as if to make sure she really said those words.
Krause took a deep breath before answering, "When Maria Wall was breached, hundreds of thousands of people fled to the Rose Wall area. We experienced a food crisis for days with no way out. If the government did not take action, humanity would certainly collapse. Therefore, a large-scale operation was carried out to retake Maria Wall. Not everyone agreed, some went into hiding, they did not want to put their fate at stake there. Because of its coercive nature, the military would not hesitate to execute those who fled and brand them as traitors... Yes, those were very dark days."
Violet just remained silent, unblinking, her gaze slightly lowered.
Krause let Violet process her emotions, he understood such an incident would not be easy for her to accept.
"Then... what were you doing at that time, Krause-san?" Violet asked finally,
"I'm one of those cowards," Krause said flatly.
Violet flinched but Krause didn't react and continued walking, there was no further conversation after that, until they finally arrived at a meadow not far from the outskirts of town.
Violet swept her gaze around, her body seeming to remember the familiar place she had known when she first woke up in this world. The wild wind gently touched her face, dancing through the loose strands of hair in front of her.
Violet stared at Krause's back. Not far away, she saw a tree taller and shadier than the others. It was right on the edge of the border between the forest and the grass.
There she saw a small, elongated mound with a wooden stick stuck on top of it.
Krause paused. He bent down for a moment and placed the flowers there. It was then that Violet realized that the grave before her was a grave.
Violet watched him, as the man slowly lowered his body, then placed his hand on the ground as if touching the forehead of someone he knew, was his way of conveying something he never wanted to show anyone.
Violet remained standing, silent. Her palm gently lifted to touch her chest, her eyelids slowly drooping, her head bowed for a moment, paying a small respect to someone she didn't know.
"Violet..."
The voice immediately made Violet blink. The tone wasn't clear, whether he was calling or just saying something. What she saw was that Krause didn't turn or move.
"Yes??" Violet asked without raising her voice.
The wind felt free, filling the silence for a moment, before Krause finally spoke.
"I feel a lot of things in the future, but there is not the slightest chance of seeing you there."
Violet fell silent. She didn't fully understand, but this time she felt compelled to listen more carefully.
"I was never worried," Krause said, "Your ability... you can control it very well, Violet. I must say that you are far above average and I am sure you should not be placed in a regular squad in the future. So... you should be fine."
Krause stood. He walked slowly, sweeping his gaze around for a moment, before finally turning to Violet. A faint, barely perceptible smile appeared on his face, but Violet didn't change her expression; she still looked uncertain.
"Krause-san… I'll come back when I can. To meet everyone. So… this shouldn't be goodbye."
Krause laughed dryly, "Yes, yes. I wouldn't doubt it."
"Then why do you talk as if we will never meet again?"
"It's time, Violet. A new path awaits you out there. Once you put on that uniform, the way you see the world will never be the same again."
"The world?" Violet repeated, her mouth opening for a moment as if to confirm what she was thinking.
"Yes. I already knew, Violet," Krause said without waiting. "That you weren't from here. Actually, when you first came, that was enough to make me wonder. But I didn't think much of it because you looked so much like someone I used to know."
Krause just walked towards the forest without really turning back.
Violet remained silent, staring at his retreating back, her gaze falling to the grave for a moment and then back to him. Eventually, she followed him, though her initial steps were hesitant.
Soon they stopped at a place that was very familiar to Violet.
"I didn't expect the cemetery to be this close to the training ground," Violet said.
"So that's why you're always late, Krause-san."
"Estelle Voght... she's my sister"
Violet didn't blink, her expression changed slightly but she didn't try to respond.
Not wanting to add to the heavy atmosphere, Krause took a deep breath before he spoke, casually leaning against one of the trees with his arms crossed.
"You've never heard of her, huh?" he said, "I'd say, seventy out of a hundred times her face is similar to yours, the exact same is her hair color, but when it comes to attitude, she's the exact opposite of you. I can still hear her voice in the early morning while cooking… pulling my ear for not listening to her ramblings… or slapping me in the face over trivial things."
Krause said it lightly like idle talk but Violet didn't change her expression at all.
"What happened?"
Krause sighed, his gaze dropping, his hands clenching into fists. Although his face looked sluggish, he couldn't hide the other side that was slowly changing his body language.
"She was also a soldier like me, after her graduation from the 104th cadet class, I was only able to train him for a week before the Shiganshina incident happened, she was not ready enough to directly face the titans, the same as the other cadets or even worse. At that time, if only I had received the information sooner..." his words hung in the air, his eyes narrowed, a deep emotion was painted on his face, as if no apology could be accepted.
"You better not blame yourself, Krause-san."
Krause immediately approached with a burning anger, not trying to hide anything anymore.
For the first time, Violet saw a look on his face that she had never seen before. Although she knew the anger wasn't directed at her, it was enough to make her nervous. Violet slowly clenched her fingers.
"When I got there I didn't care about anything, just hoping she was okay but.... I found her lying there... and couldn't find half of her mangled body."
Violet fell silent for the umpteenth time, her mouth slowly opening amidst the silence. She saw the trembling eyelids and clenched fists of the man who always tried to make things better when everyone was around.
"You know what I saw after that? The seniors were standing in the safest corner. Giving orders. Giving confidence to the cadets. Those bastards did nothing."
The silence went on for too long,
Violet was about to approach Krause who was looking down, her shoes slightly lifted but the man's voice reached her first.
"Because of that... Violet. I won't forgive you if that happens. I won't bury anything again."
Violet wondered why they had been so worried all this time, perhaps because she hadn't shown any understanding of how dangerous her path was. For people like them, who had lost so much of what was precious to them, it wouldn't be easy to trust her, who always seemed calm about her choices.
. . .
The next day Hange picked Violet up in front of the tavern.
"You didn't bring a bodyguard?" Greta asked casually.
"I forgot where your people were following me yesterday, but now they're gone," Hange replied.
"That's strange," Krase said, touching his chin slightly, "I think they identified you as a friend."
Hange let out a short sigh, "Or a trusted friend, that sounds more appropriate."
Greta didn't respond further, just smiled faintly.
Not long after, the sound of creaking wood was heard from the shop door.
A white cloth appeared first, blown away by the incoming gust of wind.
Then the sleek boots followed, the brown almost blending in with the floor.
Her steps were graceful and careful.
One step.
Her outfit began to appear. The long sleeves were blue, and a golden ribbon curled between the delicately flared cuffs, giving it a truly elegant look.
Two steps later, he finally stopped.
On her neck, a cloth decoration on the front chest just below the collar, with folds that fall neatly over a sparkling green brooch.
Her hair was partially tied up, with the front strands loose and moving lightly with her steps.
As usual, his face barely showed any expression but it was enough to make everyone who saw him fall silent.
The girl is Violet.
Hange's breath caught for a moment, her appearance even more perfect than the last time she'd seen her. She felt like she was about to pick up a noble from the capital.
Hange didn't speak right away, her breath holding for a moment.
"...You never said she would come out like this," Hange said finally, not directly addressing Violet.
Greta crossed his arms proudly, "First impressions are important. Well, she's been trying hard, that'll help you, right?"
"Good, now they'll be even more confused as to why I brought her." Hange replied, her tone changing slightly.
"That's the point," Greta said.
Hange was silent for a moment, "....What?"
"I'm sure they won't be surprised because you guys often recruit unusual people," Greta said.
"You don't get what I'm thinking, Mr. Greta," Hange said, her tone sounding lazy.
"Of course I understand," Greta turned around and picked up two fairly large bottles of beer, "But I can guarantee you one hundred percent that they won't be willing to do such a troublesome job."
Hange didn't answer right away, her gaze had been glued to the bottle from the start. Because the glass was transparent, she could see the liquid. It was a deep gold color like amber, completely clear, without any sediment. Even when the bottle was slightly shaken, the color remained stable, not changing in the slightest.
Greta added,
"In return, I'll have my men deliver this to wherever you want. Besides, there's nothing to worry about, right? Agree?"
"Thank you." Hange responded immediately, accepting the offer as if it felt light, "You're very perceptive."
After Violet said goodbye, Hange took her on a horse to one of the districts of Sina Wall.
The journey took quite a while, they arrived at the Military Police Headquarters when the sun was already up, Hange kept her horse in the spacious courtyard.
Before entering, the officer asked for a permit.
"Letter," he said briefly.
Hange raised her piece of paper without saying anything.
The officer didn't really read the contents, he just looked at the signature and stamp and then made a light gesture for the gate to be opened.
Hange had noticed from the start that those stares were very unwelcome. She was used to them, having dealt with them many times before, but this time felt different.
Hange turned her head halfway, Violet didn't seem bothered.
"We'll be there, do you need time?" Hange asked.
"No, I just don't know what to do yet, Hange-san," Violet said, before her gaze swept over the soldiers who were glancing at her.
There was a second's pause as Hange watched him,
"Interrogation... that's it, you just have to answer every reasonable question. It should be easy."
"I understand," Violet said, bowing slightly.
Two other officers stood right in front of the door, one stepping forward as they approached.
"Captain Hange," he said after glancing at Violet for a few seconds, "Do you need something?"
"Yes," Hange answered briefly, "I want to take the recruitment procedures."
The officer fell silent, looking away for a moment before speaking again, "Is this the girl?"
"You're right." Hange was about to raise the permit, but the officer's hand pushed it back.
"No need, come in." His tone sounded like he was holding back laughter.
The officer opened the door, there was no creak of wood even though the door was three meters high, the officer also pushed it lightly, the door was not as heavy as it looked.
Hange entered first, another officer sat up straight but his gaze was different, he also immediately smiled at her.
Without waiting for Violet, the officer greeted her first.
"Good afternoon."
Hange immediately blinked, the gesture made her feel like she was somewhere else.
"Please Si—" His words were cut off in midair,
Hange's gaze slowly rose, slightly surprised as she stared at the officer's frozen face, then she realized the officer was staring at Violet who had followed in.
"Luther-san?" a soft voice came from behind.
Hange immediately turned to Violet, "What? You know him?"
Violet didn't have time to answer,
"Why... are you here, Violet?" said the officer named Luther, still looking at her in the same way.
Hange glanced at Violet then back at Luther, she didn't insert herself into the situation again.
"Sorry Hange-san, I didn't tell you earlier. We often meet due to professional relations."
Hange narrowed her eyes in surprise, "What did you say?" her tone raised slightly.
Luther was silent trying to understand the situation, this time he was the one who looked back and forth between Violet and Hange.
"No no no, let me explain," Luther said hurriedly, "You just misunderstood."
Hange didn't respond immediately, she sighed and pushed herself back into the chair. Hange thought Luther was strange too, why did he act so differently from the other members. But what she couldn't accept was the fact that the girl recognized her, why Violet never told her that she had an inside connection, which should have given Hange an easier option than going through the tedious bureaucracy.
"No need." said Hange, turning back "Violet, does Mr. Greta know?"
Violet was still standing in front of the door, she couldn't answer the question straight away.
"Know? You mean we are close acquaintances? Maybe he doesn't know."
Hange turned to Luther with a flat stare.
Luther gave a small gasp,
"I wanted to say, yes," he said nervously.
Hange lazily let out another long sigh.
"You know why I'm here. Your name is Luther, right?"
"Your tone sounds like you want to blame Violet." Luther's voice lowered, not wanting the accusation to be too forceful.
"Yes," Hange said shortly, "I hope you have something."
Luther scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile.
"Sit down Violet," Luther said, "Listen, I can guess what happened earlier. If Violet decided not to tell you, I'm sure she has a reason you wouldn't guess."
"I'm listening," Hange said, starting to cross her arms.
As the seconds ticked by, Violet remained silent, but their gazes didn't shift in her direction. They were simply checking to see if it was time for her to speak, without having to ask.
"Was it a mistake for me to decide not to provide that information?" Violet finally asked.
Hange didn't change her flat gaze, "For me, yeah. Because maybe I won't waste much time here."
Violet lowered her gaze slightly, "Sorry Hange-san, I really don't understand what I'm supposed to do. I never knew what the rules were supposed to be."
Hange didn't answer immediately, she quietly looked at Violet's gloves that she always wore. Hange sighed, sitting back as before.
"No, I count this as my fault. I should have been more understanding of you."
"It's a good thing she chose the Scout Regiment," Luther said suddenly, flashing a faint smile, "Someone like you shouldn't be here."
Hange was silent for a second, the glance made her look like she agreed even though there was something she didn't know yet.
"That statement applies to you as well. It's very rare to see this behavior within the Military Police."
Luther chuckled, "So we're that rotten in your eyes huh... I'd love to give you some good news if I know some cadets but unfortunately they have no influence here. Someone at your level would definitely be delegated to the top of the chain of command."
"Is there no one you can rely on?" Hange asked, her tone lower.
"I won't repeat it, you know what kind of people they are."
Luther straightened up again, "Where are the files, let me see them."
Hange gave it to him without saying anything, Luther checked it page by page, the man actually read it carefully unlike what he had expected.
"I thought you were the same as them, at least in terms of procedure," Hange said sarcastically.
"What do you expect me to do? I get paid by the hard working people from outside the walls who don't even know luxury."
"Very wise. Now I look forward to the most important part."
Hange started to look relaxed as her back touched the chair, but not long after that the creaking of the door was heard from behind.
Another officer appeared, a tall man with a stern face, he carried a piece of paper complete with a stamp and a signature.
"Congratulations," he said.
That one short sentence made Hange look up slightly, slightly stunned as the man smiled faintly but not at her.
"You..." Violet's words trailed off, though her calm face remained unchanged Hange now noticed her small expression.
His index and middle fingers shifted the paper towards the two of them.
"You just need to sign over there. There's no interrogation. This document is proof that you're officially allowed into the scout regiment... Violet."
Luther, who was still sitting, showed a teasing expression as if he already understood. At the end of the man's sentence, he winked at Violet.
Hange shook her head slowly while sighing, "I don't want to ask anything else."
Violet slowly bowed until her hair fell, "Thank you very much, Reinhard-san... Luther-san. I really appreciate your kindness."
Reinhard smiled a thin, almost invisible smile, while Luther scratched the back of his head while looking to the side,
"A... What a shame, I wanted to drink chocolate while looking at something beautiful... but she came alone. Oh well, it's okay, I also like the food at that tavern."
Luther tried to sound relaxed even though his tone made it clear that he was nervous.
Hange blinked, "Tavern?", the corners of her lips turned up slightly, "So that's what her mean by professional relationship, my mind was too... far away."
.
.
The next day in a large field, all the soldiers from all divisions of the Scout Regiment lined up neatly.
At a distance of five steps from the formation line, Commander Erwin had just arrived along with the high ranking officers following behind him, each of their steps conveying an unquestionable authority.
Captain Levi, Hange, and Mike all stared back at the soldiers, many of whom were embarking on their first mission. As the seniors who had been there the longest, they could feel it. Even though their juniors didn't give the slightest gesture, their gazes, faces, and small expressions never lied. That fear truly could never be hidden.
Erwin took two steps, he didn't immediately make a speech or greet, for a moment his cold gaze swept across the formation.
Erwin took a deep breath, "This is your first mission, new warriors. Luckily this time humanity has a glimmer of hope from the suffering we have experienced for years."
There was a momentary pause.
"Although, disaster never really leaves us."
Without needing to explain, some of the soldiers understood what Erwin was talking about.
In the line, Jean secretly glanced at his colleagues.
"Go back to the barracks, Connie," Jean said after seeing Connie's hands which looked restless.
"Huh??", Connie grinned with a slightly annoyed face.
Armin, who was also in the same row, interrupted, "Your voice is shaking too Jean, none of us are really ready so be quiet."
"Come on Armin, I wasn't really serious." Jean said, scratching his head before adding, "But we'll be placed on the outermost layer, it's not a joke."
"No Jean, I heard a little about that. The seniors will also be spread out among each rookie squad, this mission doesn't require us to fight titans."
"Then... what does that mean?"
"It sounds trivial, but there's a lot we can learn there. As people who have explored the outer regions, their way of dealing with wild titans might not be as simple as we imagine, so we have to see it for ourselves and learn from it."
Jean swallowed hard and remained silent for a moment. Although his face showed that he still had other questions, Armin's explanation made enough sense to bury them deep inside.
Mikasa turned to Eren after the conversation was over, "Eren, you shouldn't be reckless in using that power."
Eren didn't answer immediately, when he saw her face, every time his gaze was always focused on the deep scratches on Mikasa's face.
"Yes," Eren said briefly, his tone lower than usual, this time he accepted the advice gently.
Eren shifted his gaze to the other side after their eyes met for a moment.
Mikasa didn't blink, somehow that small gesture made her look a little different.
Meanwhile from the front, Mike's eyebrows slightly raised in realization, then he half turned his head towards Levi.
"Where's your squad Levi?"
Without looking up, Levi answered flatly,
"They will be late with an excuse."
"What?" Mike asked his voice lower.
"I always thought you knew everything, Mike. Or maybe your sense of smell just can't detect anything unimportant."
"Tch." Mike looked away, feeling that it wasn't something interesting to find out.
The corner of Levi's eye fell on Hange beside him, just for a second. Levi felt like he could still hear her, but for some reason Hange didn't say anything.
Levi took a deep breath, as usual he wasn't the type of person to interfere in other people's affairs unless he had to.
After that, no one started small talk anymore, everyone focused on listening to Commander Erwin's speech until it was finished.
.
.
.
The mission was forced to halt in the Forest of Giant Trees . Chaos ensued when it was discovered that the Logistics Division had made a fatal error. Some of the squad's gas supplies were swapped with those from the last operation. In their haste, they failed to double-check before departure.
But the real problem isn't there, one of the senior squads from the outermost layer disappeared after being attacked by an Anomalous Titan... and not ordinary Anomalous Titan. Armin was on the rookie squad and happened to be the closest, he said that the titan was too intelligent and from its movements it seemed to have consciousness.
A red flare shot into the sky.
The core command immediately turned the formation towards the Giant Tree Forest.
The Anomaly Titan chases Squad Levi to target Eren, but unexpectedly, everyone is already in on Erwin's plan. One of the squads brings heavy equipment and sets up a trap there.
As soon as the titan entered the area, cannon blasts rang out from all directions. The cannons fired arrows with steel cables, which penetrated the titan's flesh deeply enough to trap it, immobilizing it.
.
.
Without any orders, Levi flew using his ODM Gear towards the outermost point, but soon he heard a roar followed by a red flare behind him.
"This is bad."
He hung crookedly on the tree trunk, unsure whether to turn back or continue, for they were equally important.
The Female Titan, that is the name of the Anomaly Titan who was chasing Eren, Levi didn't realize that he had escaped from the trap.
A group of Levi's men were knocked down when a stranger wearing the same robe suddenly slashed at them. After killing one, he vanished, only to see a lightning bolt appear a few seconds later, exactly the same as Eren's Titan transformation, and it turned out to be the Female Titan.
Eren was forbidden from using his Titan powers, but it was in vain. The Female Titan slaughtered the remaining Levi Team members, enraging him.
A loud roar was heard all the way to the edge of the Forest.
A colossal battle is inevitable.
Mikasa joins Armin's squad on the outskirts of the forest to prevent the titans from entering.
"Stop Mikasa!"
"What are you waiting for Armin! What if something happens to Eren!"
"Yes, I understand, but don't use the device now, you don't have any gas reserves left."
Suddenly a hand landed on his shoulder.
"Go, we'll catch up." Jean said as he handed him the ODM Gear.
"Then what about you?"
"Armin and I will follow you on horseback, we can't hold this post."
Without hesitation, Mikasa shot off at high speed while Armin and Jean got down on their horses.
It didn't take long for Mikasa to find the source of the chaos, she saw that some of the trunks were damaged in an unnatural way.
The sun's glare blocked his view for a moment.
And that's where he saw it...
Eren staggered.
He slammed into a tall tree, shaking, branches and leaves shaking violently before his back pressed against the trunk helplessly. His body slumped until he was completely motionless on the ground.
Soon hot steam came out of the pores of his skin, his titan body began to evaporate.
Eren appeared behind the nape of the neck, his hands and feet still attached to the flesh, his breath gasping amidst the clouds of steam that continued to erupt.
"Eren!" Mikasa shouted from afar, her voice conveying the emotion clearly visible in her eyes.
Mikasa flew as fast as she could, realizing the danger wasn't truly over. Along the way, she was forced to slash at wild titans despite her best efforts to avoid them.
"Wait Mikasa—" Armin shouted from behind trying to catch up but his sentence was cut off by Jean who held his shoulder.
"There's no need to rush Armin, we should worry about ourselves."
Eren half opened his eyes, his breath was gasping for breath, not realizing that there were still many wild titans left near him.
Mikasa was only tens of meters away from there but suddenly the gas on her back weakened.
"Oh no! please not now."
She landed roughly and rolled several times.
Mikasa tried to get up, her vision blurring as she saw a giant hand reaching for Eren.
Her breath suddenly stopped.
Knees hit the ground, body shaking trying to get up.
When her eyes fully opened, it turned out that the hand did not belong to a wild titan.
It's the Female Titan.
Mikasa gasped for breath, but was suddenly startled when the Female Titan stopped her movements.
Her head turned to the side.... she saw something.
Towards it?
No.
He wasn't looking at Mikasa, but further away.
Jean and Armin on their horses were surrounded by wild titans.
"Damn! I haven't had time to prepare my tools."
Armin was silent, all that could be heard from him was his rapid breathing.
Suddenly a hiss was heard in the air.
In one blink the two titans in front of them were struck.
Fast.
Very fast.
He disappeared behind a giant tree trunk.
"W-WHAT IS THAT!?"
Jean froze his eyes wide open following the direction the person was flying.
Armin caught a glimpse of it, just a glimpse.
"Mikasa!? No, no. Is she one of the seniors?? I've never seen her before."
Soon the hiss was heard again, she slashed the last titan with a terrifying maneuver.
The person glanced at them before flying towards Mikasa and Eren.
Armin and Jean didn't blink, never expecting what they were seeing.
Mikasa noticed him too, as she flew past her.
Mikasa saw it clearly.
A girl her age.
Golden hair danced in the wind, tied up neatly in part, pale sapphire blue eyes stared at him worriedly.
She kept going.
The Female Titan immediately threw a punch, so powerful that it created a great ripple around it.
The girl didn't dodge, she just slid to the point of attack, flattening herself to break the shockwave.
She hovered between his arms, her body barely touching by inches.
Blood spurted out of the Female Titan's eyes, she didn't have time to react.
The girl did a spin and immediately slashed at the nape of his neck.
The sound of metal clanking was heard.
The girl was shocked that her two swords were shattered into pieces, she saw that the Female Titan could harden her skin as hard as crystal.
The Female Titan counterattacked, swinging her leg at him.
The girl stuck the cable into the ground and the tree trunk sent it flying low, her reflexes so perfect that the deadly attack seemed like nothing.
In the final maneuver, she attached a cable to the Female Titan's leg and then deliberately lengthened the cable to its maximum limit, until it finally touched a tree trunk.
He used the momentum to triple his speed, flying low around the trees at a very high speed.
Slowly rising, it seems he is aiming for the inside of the knee.
Blood gushed out.
The Female Titan immediately fell.
This time she landed quietly in front of Eren, her back to him.
Eren's vision was blurry, but he clearly saw the silhouette of a person.
Her robes fluttered for a moment, then finally he half turned her head.
"Are you okay... Eren?"
That soft voice...
Her golden hair...
Eren recognized him immediately, his eyelids half open.
"You... Violet??"
Not far from there.
Mikasa froze again, but this time it was different, she felt something else, something very foreign to her.
A girl he doesn't know saves Eren.
She has abilities equal to her.
And they... had known each other, without her ever knowing.
"Since when is Eren? Who... is that girl?"
For the first time... someone stood where she had always guarded.