(08) The battle for Trost

"The three years that you've been able to endure is definitive proof that you are ready to serve when the need arises. And unfortunately there is a need to serve now! You may not have joined your respective groups yet but you are no longer cadets! You are fully fledged soldiers!", the cadets all listened to the Garrison captain address them. They were geared up and ready for any orders from their superior.

"You shall be seperated into squads with a designated leader for each squad and join the middleguard lead by the supply team. Your mission is to resupply combatants, relay orders, and slay titans!", The Garrison leader continued as nerves ran high amongst the cadets.

"Mina Carolina, Armin Arlert, Thomas Wagner, Nac Tias, and Milieus Zeremski, you will form a squad under Eren Jaeger. Dismissed!"

"Yes sir!", the graduated saluted their commander before running off.

One by one, the newbie soldiers were assigned to different squads and deployed into the battlefield. Leaving only Strauss and Mikasa left.

"Mikasa Ackerman! You are to join and assist the rear guard, formed of the Garrison's elite, in the evacuation of citizens! Dismissed!", hearing her orders Mikasa saluted and left the HQ.

The captain of the Garison regiment finally turned to Strauss.

"Strauss Ackerman, your orders are to join and assist the vanguard to ward off and delay as many titans as possible from entering even deeper into the district!"

"Yes sir!"

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"Hey, Pixis, are you even paying attention? I'm nice enough to play chess with you every month but you never improve". Marquis Bart made an arragont remark as he moved his chubby hand up to his mouth, taking a sip of an expensive wine.

"It simply seems like I'm no match for you Marquis". The commander in question simply held his bald head awkwardly and smiled, eliciting a laugh from the noble.

"Aren't you the commander of the Garrison? How are you going to defeat the titans with that level of intelligence and skill?"

Just as the veteran soldier was about to respond a soldier barged in to the room with urgency.

"Commander Pixis, there's an emergency!"

The Marquis looked at the intruding soldier angrily and his voice broke into a shout. "How dare you interrupt-".

The soldier paid him no mind and continued talking anyway. "The colossal titan has appeared in Trost and It's destroyed the gate!"

The noble man dropped his cup of wine, shattering it upon the impact. A look of fear and shock spread across his face as he looked over to the Commander of the Garrison. Pixis simply picked up the entire wine bottle and took one large swig of it, almost emptying it.

"A fine drink indeed. It would be my honor to take it with me into battle"

Pixis turned around, leaving the room with his men and made his way out of the Marquis' establishment.

"W-Wait Pixis! You can't leave, you have to gather your men and protect my territory! Besides you can't even beat me at chess, what good will you be on the battlefield?"

Pixis looked at the stout man chasing after him and sighed. "Marquis Bart, my men are risking their lives in Trost and many are likely dying by the second. Yet you ask me to remain here? Marquis Bart, have a nice and peaceful day as you would any other time". Pixis shook his head, turning to a female soldier that accompanied him. "Ready my horse, we're leaving for Trost now".

"But Pixis-", The Marquis wasn't quite ready to give up on letting Pixis leave, however he found himself interrupted once more by another of Pixis' men.

"You need not worry yourself Marquis, in a battle against titans, the commander won't throw the match on purpose".

The Marquis was simply left speechless as all he could do was watch the backs of Pixis and his soldiers as they continued to leave.

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Strauss launched himself into the air with a burst of gas from his ODM, spinning carefully to dodge a 7 meter tall titan trying to grab him. He flew straight past the side of the titan ending up in the air behind it. Strauss turned 180 degrees, hooking into the titans nape and slicing it clean off.

The titan fell, creating a loud thud which echoed through the empty street. It's body began evaporating into the air.

Strauss turned back around, and continued making his way, before he suddenly shot straight up, narrowly avoiding a titan jumpimg up at him to bite him.

"An abnormal? Seriously?"

Strauss' heart thumped at the close call he just avoided and his eyes narrowed, observing the titan. He suddenly burst forward at a speed which made it impossible for the titan to react and before it could even use it's insignificant thinking ability to decide it's next move, it cried out in pain, losing vision in both eyes.

Strauss continued his assualt however, as he kicked forcefully off of the titan's head, launching himself back in the air and almost dropping the titan. He fired his hooks into the ground behind the titan, and shot straight past its right shoulder, slashing open its nape and ending its life.

"Shit, if the titans are this deep into the district then there's either a helluva lot more titans than we thought, or the vanguards been completely decimated. Or maybe both".

Strauss had a grim expression on his face as he shot off to his destination.

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A/N: calm luh double cause i forgot to upload fr.