Combat Training

Chapter 5. Combat Training

* * *

It had been two years since the fall of Wall Maria.

Since then, Shiniro and the rest of the warriors had been moved to the northern shelter, a place of stay but also a harsh working ground.

Shiniro worked in the fields during the day, but at night, his time was dedicated to training with Annie.

Tonight was no different.

Shiniro stood a few feet away from his opponent, Annie, who was as poised and ready as ever.

He took a deep breath, focusing on the task at hand.

Annie was a formidable opponent, and every session with her pushed him to his limits.

"Ready?" Annie asked, her eyes locked on his.

Shiniro nodded, his muscles tensing in anticipation. "Ready."

Without another word, he charged forward, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat.

He aimed a quick jab at her midsection, but Annie sidestepped effortlessly, her movements fluid and precise.

She countered with a swift kick to his side, which Shiniro barely blocked with his forearm.

"Focus, Shiniro," Annie's voice was calm, almost encouraging.

He gritted his teeth, trying to keep his concentration.

He threw a series of punches, alternating between left and right, each one aimed at different parts of her body.

Annie blocked and dodged them with ease, her experience showing in every movement.

As he swung his right fist towards her face, Annie ducked and spun around, delivering a powerful kick to his back.

Shiniro stumbled forward but quickly regained his balance.

He spun around to face her, his eyes burning with determination.

He couldn't afford to lose focus for even a second.

He launched himself at her again, this time feinting a punch and instead sweeping his leg low to knock her off balance.

Annie jumped to avoid the sweep and brought her knee up towards his chest.

Shiniro twisted his body just in time, catching her knee with his hands and pushing it away.

"Not bad," Annie remarked.

Shiniro didn't respond.

He was too focused, too intent on finding an opening.

He stepped back, giving himself a moment to assess.

Annie was fast and strong, but he knew he could match her if he played his cards right.

He had to be smart, had to use his training to its fullest.

He darted forward again, this time aiming a high kick at her head.

Annie blocked it with her forearm, but the force of the kick pushed her back a step.

Shiniro used the momentum to spin around and deliver a backhand strike, which Annie ducked under.

She retaliated with a punch aimed at his ribs, but Shiniro twisted his body to let the punch glance off.

Their movements were a blur of strikes and blocks, each one testing the other's limits.

Shiniro could feel his muscles burning, his breath coming in short gasps, but he refused to give in.

He had to keep pushing.

Annie suddenly lunged at him, her fist aimed at his face.

Shiniro barely managed to sidestep, but she followed up with a roundhouse kick that caught him in the side, sending him sprawling to the ground.

He groaned, feeling the pain radiate through his body.

"Get up," Annie's voice was firm. "You can do better than this."

He pushed himself up, his vision blurring for a moment.

He couldn't lose again, not after all this time.

He steadied himself, his mind racing.

He needed a plan, a way to turn the tide.

As Annie closed in, Shiniro faked a stumble, baiting her into thinking he was more hurt than he was.

When she moved to strike, he suddenly lunged forward, catching her off guard with a powerful punch to her midsection.

She gasped, the wind knocked out of her, but quickly recovered, her eyes narrowing.

They clashed again, their movements a flurry of kicks, punches, and blocks.

Shiniro could feel himself getting slower, his muscles screaming in protest.

Annie was relentless, her strikes precise and powerful.

He knew he was on the verge of losing, but he couldn't give up.

In a desperate move, Shiniro ducked under one of her kicks and grabbed her leg, using all his strength to lift her off the ground.

Annie's eyes widened in surprise as she was thrown to the ground with a heavy thud.

Shiniro quickly followed up, pinning her down with his body weight, his breath ragged and his heart pounding.

For a moment, there was silence.

Annie looked up at him, her eyes filled with a mix of shock and exhaustion.

Shiniro could hardly believe it himself.

He had done it. He had defeated her.

"You really are crazy.." Annie said, her voice soft but sincere.

* * *

Another year had passed, and the warriors had grown accustomed to life at the Northern Shelter.

They had gathered a lot of information, including the fact that the king was a fake, the Reiss family was behind it, and that the Military Police were involved.

Most of this information came thanks to Shiniro.

Reiner admired Shiniro's ability to gather information.

The things he had uncovered were almost unbelievable.

Never did he know that Shiniro had already had all the info beforehand.

The door creaked open, and Annie, wrapped in her cloak, walked in.

"Annie, you're back! Do you want a warm drink or...?" Bertolt asked, but Annie shook her head and went to her room.

A few minutes later, Annie emerged in her usual attire and noticed Shiniro's absence.

"Where's Shiniro?" she asked.

"He's probably training outside," Reiner replied.

After Shiniro had defeated Annie in the sparring match, he had started training alone.

Annie thought for a moment before speaking. "I'll go find him."

Reiner tried to say something to Annie, but she had already left.

Annie stepped out into the cold winter night.

The Northern region was freezing during winter, but she was used to it.

She headed towards the forest where she and Shiniro used to train and fight together.

There, she found him.

"Training alone again?" Annie said as she approached.

Shiniro looked up and nodded. "Annie. Did you need something?"

"Not really. Just thought I'd check on you," she replied with her usual calm demeanor.

Shiniro paused his training and walked over to her.

"How have you been holding up? Ever since we breached Wall Maria, the other guys seemed like they couldn't get over it."

Annie's expression remained stoic, trying to hide any vulnerability. "I'm fine. It was just another mission."

Shiniro gave her a knowing look. "Annie, I know you're still bothered by what happened. Admit it."

Annie's facade wavered for a moment before she regained her composure.

"I'm managing. We all have to deal with it in our own way."

Shiniro nodded, his eyes filled with understanding.

"I get that. Just know that you don't have to go through it alone. When you need someone to talk to, I'll be right here waiting for you."

Annie felt her heart beat a little.

She tried to brush it off. "Thanks for saying that."

"Of course," Shiniro replied. "We're in this together, after all."

Annie nodded. "Right. Together."

They stood in silence for a moment, the cold air wrapping around them.

It wasn't a grand gesture, but it was enough.

"Let's head back," Shiniro suggested.

"Okay," Annie replied, and they walked back to the shelter together, side by side.