Chapter Fifty-Three: The Calm Before The Storm (The Finale Battle: Part One)

(Levi's POV)

I finished packing the horse with the few things we needed for our trip. I glanced over at Emi, who had been looking at the map for the last twenty minutes. A deep sigh escaped my mouth as I walked over to Emi and placed my hand on her shoulder.

"Take a deep breath, you can do this." I tried to reassure her as she kept her golden gaze on the map. "I know...but I need you to promise me.." she began to speak as I suddenly felt the tension begin to build. "If something happens..and Kami is fully released, kill me. If you do it will kill her as well. It's one of the terms of our soul connection." She explained, her serious tone of voice throwing me off guard.

"Emi, I can't do that. You know I can't." I whispered as she stood up and faced me, holding the map in front of her slender body. I felt my heart ache as she softly touched my face. "Levi...Captain Levi I need you to promise me. Please, I can't do this if I don't have your word." Emi begged as I sighed. Mikasa and Armin walked out of the house, with a pair of ODM gear for both Emi and I. Emi turned and looked at them as she dropped her hand from my face.

"Mikasa, please. If Kami is fully released kill me. Levi refuses..but I can't go into this without knowing that if something goes wrong.." her voice trailed off as I glared at my younger niece. "Officer Ackerman." I coldly spoke as Mikasa's dark eyes met mine. She brought her arm over her heart in salute as her gaze shifted from me to Emi

"Yes, Ma'am." She stated Emi sighed a breath of relief. "You two can't be serious! Emi you can't do this please. Stop being selfish and think of others." I raised my voice as she clenched her fist, pulling it back and roughly hitting me square in my jaw. Armin sharply inhaled as I stumbled back a few steps. "You're not the only one who has sacrificed for humanity, asshole." She hissed as she turned and climbed onto her brown horse. Armin looked at us both and sighed. " come on you two! Emi, remember the route to the spirit tree?" He questioned as Emi quickly nodded.

"Forty miles outside the Shiganshina district outskirts. And once we reach the tree I need to go inside, touch the center and say the chant to activate the spirit contract and then when I'm in Kami and I can resign our contracts, therefore strengthen our connection again." Emi explained everything to us, her tone of voice laced with sass as I rolled my eyes.

"Armin and I will send word by hawk when it's our time for patrol on that side of Wall Maria. Head to the rendezvous spot in Trost. Commander Pyxis swore to keep your whereabouts secret. Emi, use that time to prepare. You should hear from us in no more then two days time." Mikasa instructed as we both nodded.

"Are you ready, Emi?" I asked as she kept her intense gaze in front of her. "Whatever.." she muttered as she lightly tapped the side of her large brown horse making it begin to run. I sighed and looked down at my dark onyx horse and commanded it to follow her. "Great, and I thought Kami was bad.." I mumbled to myself as we left and began our journey.