Chapter 9

The Führer walked in empty space. The darkness surrounded him, everywhere was pitch black. The Führer thought it strange. Was this the afterlife?

No. He looked down at his body and recognized it not as his own, but rather the body of Eren Yeager.

The Führer heard a clanging noise behind him. Turning around to inspect, he was met with a rather grotesque sight.

He immediately identified his body, old body, the true Führer's body at the forefront of the mountains. Expect the mountains weren't made of dirt. They were all comprised by corpses. So many of them that the peak seemed so far away.

So this was the number of people The Führer murdered in his past life?

Ironic, that he would be in the front, standing there with so many wounds covering his body.

But if his past evil deeds lay behind him, what was in front?

A glance to the front showed him what exactly lied there.

Three bodies.

Corpses, mutilated as if chewed alive by a pack of wild animals.

One corpse was burnt badly as if it were bathed in acid.

Racheal.

Another was torn to bits and pieces, it was hard to recognize at first.

Theodore.

The other was the easiest to identify. Only missing her lower half, he didn't even hesitate to confirm who it was.

Starr.

The first three people he had ordered to die for him and his future.

Because he was incompetent… These three…

"Having second thoughts?"

The Führer knew that voice. It was the first voice he ever heard when he had died and come to this black abyss.

The Führer said nothing.

"Look at me!" The demon shouted.

Reluctantly, The Führer complied. Looking upon the image of the beast who brought him back to life.

The demon took the form of a Titan, or perhaps Titans took the form of demon. In any case, this Titan was different. Towering over The Führer, he was unable to discern the height. It had horns growing out of the side of his head, bent back like a cat's ear would be when they are either scared or defensive.

His hair was blond with blue eyes and his body was of the muscular and lean catergory.

"Overcompensating for something?" The Führer said as he took in the view of what could be the ideal man, only looking at his genitalless crotch as he said the last bit.

"I asked you a question."

"He… Haha… HAHA!" The Führer let out a burst of laughter. "Second thoughts? Don't give me that shit! I never had a choice in the first place! I was prepared to die and atone quietly for my sins in whatever Hell I was sent to! You think I want to play savior again?! Order other people to die for a stupid dream?! I've had enough of it!"

The Führer let out ragged breaths as he finally broke character and screamed out his problems to the demon in front of him.

If The Führer were being honest, he didn't want to save the current world he was in. He had enough. He was tired and simply wanted to rest.

The demon looked at him with half-lidded eyes. He then gave a sigh as he spoke his next piece.

"If it helps you, think of saving this world as your atonement…" The demon seemed hesitant to speak again. "However… You will not live to be old."

"...Does it have to do with what Grisha did to me?"

"It's best if I not say…"

"Why not?" The Führer grew irritated. "Why can't you?"

"In due time, you will understand. I will tell you this, you simply have to have the will. That is why you haven't been able to activate the power that resides within you."

"Power within? Is it similar to the Colossal and Armored Titans? Reiner and Bert?"

"... Earlier, you said you were tired. And yet you still seek answers to questions?"

"Tsk, avoiding the question? Fine then. This is how I operate. This is how The Führer operates."

"Then there is the answer to your true question."

The Führer gave him a confused look. He was about to tell the demon off when the horned Titan spoke again.

"Stop being The Führer."

Whatever The Führer was going to say next died on his tongue. His mouth hung slightly open at the shock the statement implied.

Stop being The Führer? Ridiculous, The Führer was all he knew, was all he was. If he stopped being The Führer, who would he be?"

"Ridiculous." He voiced his thoughts. "The Führer is who I am, if I were to get rid of it…"

"Hypocrite!" The demon burst out with a scream that shook The Führer to the bone. "Was it not you that told your own father it was foolish to dwell on the past? You said that you looked to the future, and that was why you were victorious in the end! Burn your bridges! Look not to the past, but the future!"

The Führer remained silent as he dwelled on words that the demon spoke to him.

"Please." The demon almost seemed tame as he said his last bit. "Save my world…

"Eren Yeager."

The Führer stood there once more. A minute past. Now two. Perhaps he was there for an entire day or simply an hour, he didn't know.

It wasn't until a smile formed on his face did he finally decide to move. Walking past the three corpses, he shedded his old personification of The Führer.

He walked forward, vowing he would be a different Führer.

Not once did he look back.

Eren Yeager's sight was set to the road ahead

He awoke with an aching headache. Not even twenty-four hours had passed since Operation Aviation. He had spent most of his time with the lead scientist, Hugo, on devolvement matters.

They decided to rehaul the tanks. Replacing the mechanics that moved the tank with an engine similar to the aircraft that had been found.

Not only that, but Hugo said he would work personally on aircraft and assured Eren that in under five years they would have functional aircraft that could be fitted for combat purposes.

All was going well on Rommel's side and his faculties.

The only problem was that Eren had to start training without having even so much as a free day. Well, since he was planning a coup, it was understandable he would be bogged down with work.

Considering he also took the liberty of enrolling into the military, he only had himself to blame for not getting any rest.

Eren splashed cold water on his head to get rid of the cobwebs that were still ever present when he awoke this morning.

"Hey, Eren!" Armin joined him at the sinks as he began to wash his hands. "You got here late. Mikasa was really worried when you didn't show up at the mess hall."

"She shouldn't worry so much." Eren said as he started to put on his training uniform. "We had until morning practices started to get here. I know it's smart to show up a day before, but I was honestly busy with my father's acquaintance. But besides that…"

"Oh, yeah. Well, Mikasa already told you who was staying behind. Nobody really acted out of the normal, but Annie said she was staying behind as well, but two days after you left she left. She didn't come back until last night."

"Interesting…"

"Well, I suppose she could have gone somewhere and just didn't want people to know…"

"You give them to much credit Armin. By the way, are you familiar with the fighting style named Krav Maga?"

"I never heard of it."

"Not even in a book?"

"Afraid not."

"I see… So then how does she know the exact moves those who trained in that style do?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing." Eren dismissed as he walked out of the changing room. "Anyways, we shouldn't be late for roll call."

A week had gone by since the mandatory rest break in the training curriculum had happened.

"Alright, it's time for a training exercise that will put you to the test!" Instructor Shadis began as he walked around the cadets during morning roll call. "You all will be broken up into two groups for this exercise. The object of this is to find out how well one can stay alert in a non-critical situation."

Keith stopped and buried his face in a nearby recruit.

"So don't screw it up."

"You will make a round trip on horseback through a wasteland." He walked back up to the front to tell the trainees of the exercise. "Both groups will depart at the same hour and travel along two different routes, retrieve the planted object, then return to the base. I have already predetermined the leaders for each group, as well as a scribe who will report all information. No excuses.

"I expect the best out of you, because if you can't handle a simple trip then how do you expect to succeed as a soldier?"

When all was done and said, the 104th began to get ready for there trip.

"Looks like you'll be the scribe for our team Armin." Eren said as he looked at the paper that the instructors handed to them.

It was a list of names that would be in the group. At the top was Marco who was designated team leader. Right below him was Armin.

Marco Bott.

Eren didn't have much to say on the man. He believed it to be a great honor to serve the king by being a part of the Military Police. Idealistic guys like him would just be swallowed up. But nevertheless, he still seemed like a good boy.

He noticed that he and Armin did their maintenance checks together, so if Armin got along with him then so could Eren. It's not like he did any wrong to him, but by confirming at least three suspicious people in the camp, it was best not to let one's guard down.

"I'm not with you…" Mikasa spoke in a depressed tone as she looked at the sheet. Hers was different in the fact that she was in another group.

"I guess that's reasonable." Eren said as he took a glance at her sheet. "You're a scribe since you don't hold much of a bias opinion towards others. If you were with me though… Well, I believe Shadis knows what he's doing."

It didn't take long for each person to get in their respective group. It was easy to identify everyone in his group, but soon after that, he realized he really didn't talk all that much to them. Besides Armin, the only other person may have been Jean, but that was just bickering.

Still, it showed how much he talked to others.

Most seemed dull in his opinion. However, there was one exception.

Christa Lenz.

It was blatantly obvious to him that she wore a mask. It was easy to identify since he too wears a mask every day.

He wears so many that he had forgotten who he used to be. Who was the real him?

Eren rolled his eyes at the thought of such an edgy statement. It didn't matter whether or not what he knew his true face, but that his goals were simply achieved.

But the blond girl just seemed so fake whenever he saw someone conversing with her. He wasn't the only one. He noticed that the Ymir girl took an interest in Christa. By the look in her eye, she knew something that Eren didn't.

Well, not that it mattered in his opinion, however, Christa could still serve a purpose for his plans.

He had overheard some of the boys describe her as a goddess. Eren had to agree that she had the image of one. Kind, gentle, and a loving smile. Although they were fake, she had them down where almost no one noticed it being a simple mask.

Eren stared at the girl in question for a while as plans ran through his head.

A figurehead for politics?

No, he didn't know if she could handle them.

Then what about a puppet ruler for the kingdom?

Yes. That could work. Everyone wouldn't be opposed to having someone like Krista be their ruler. With Eren controlling her from the shadows, it could work…

But how to go about it?

Break her mind? Turning her into an obedient subordinate?

"Stop being The Führer."

The demons word penetrated his mind as they rang throughout his head.

Perhaps he will just leave those thoughts for another time. The conditions that would need to be set up were just too much and tedious. It would be easier if he were to rule and not have a puppet as a figurehead.

"Boooooring~" The potato girl's voice broke Eren's line of thought as he looked in her direction.

"Yeah, there is nothing to do!" Conny, the midget, agreed with Sasha.

"Well, this is to test out attentiveness during a noncritical situation…" Armin trailed off as he held the board that he was using to write down their activities.

"I can't help but agree." Eren spoke up, not wanting to waste time riding at such a leisure place. "If we hurry this up, we could be at the compound by nightfall."

"Bah." Jean spoke up. "It's not like we'll get extra credit for rushing things. I say let's take our time. The time we spend out here is less time working our butts off."

Eren could only give a distasteful stare at Jean's antics. Eren could usually ignore such comments from people, but Jean was a different case altogether.

A part that Eren would never admit was jealous of him. Jean was the type of a person to say whatever he wanted, without fear of the consequences.

The prime example was when he told Instructor Keith to the face that he wanted to live a comfy life in the interior by becoming part of the Military police.

Eren envied that. Compared to someone like him, who had to choose their words carefully in order to get what they wanted, Jean didn't do that.

Still, Eren couldn't accept Jean's line of thought.

"How are we suppose to better ourselves if we don't want to in the first place?"

"Better ourselves? Why would we need to do that when I'm going to live in the interior."

"Fool, you still have to do work in the interior."

"What did you say suicidal idiot?!"

"Why, I ought to-"

"Enough!" Marco said. "Keep it together, we're on a training exercise so please act professional."

Eren and Jean quieted at the remark. Jean because Marco was a friend and Eren because the jab at him being 'unprofessional' really dug home.

"Look!" Suddenly Sasha pointed ahead toward the path in front of them. "A lizard!"

The group followed her line of sight to see a large lizard that laid in front of their path.

"Lizards taste really good!" Sasha seemed dazed with drool running down her face. "They taste just like chicken! Oh, when was the last time I had chicken!"

"Heh," Jean adopted a smug expression. "If that's the case, I'll skewer it myself!"

Jean snapped the reigns of his horse and drew out a sword as he made way to the lizard. He was just about to strike it when his blow was parried by Eren who rode up to him.

"What are you doing?!" Jean let out a shocked yell.

"Do you even realize what you're doing?" Eren shot back the question to Jean.

"Securing food!" Jean withdrew his sword from Eren's. "That's also part of the mission, isn't it?"

"You know the food crisis the walls are suffering for." Eren cut back. "If we kill off creatures at random, how do you expect them to reproduce and keep the meat coming in?"

"It's just one lizard! Humanity isn't going to starve if one lizard ends up dead!"

"Guys!" Marco intervene. "If you keep disturbing the formation it will get documented."

"Who cares!" Jean yelled out, not taking his glare of Eren. "If this shit head would just let me-"

A sudden scream stopped whatever Jean was going to say.

"It got away!" Sasha screamed again, looking like someone had just died.

"Uh... Armin." Marco turned to the scribe, ignoring the sobs of the potato girl. "Could you just… write this down as a 'heated debate'?"

"Y-Yeah…"

After the lizard got away, the group continued on at a leisure pace much to Eren's distaste.

It wasn't until night fell that they decided to set up camp in the forest they were currently navigating through.

Setting up a fire and getting rations out, they all ate in silence.

"Ugh," Sasha grunted as she bit down on a ration bar. "No taste at all… That lizard would have been so delicious."

"Hm," Jean gave a sigh as he bit down in a bar. "Yeah, and we would have been if someone didn't stop me."

"Alright." Eren put down his own bar as he stood up. "Maybe I stopped you because I don't think so highly of you. Really, why are you even in the military in the first place?"

"What's so wrong with wanting to live in the interior?! Not everyone is so eager to get themselves killed by the Titans!"

"I won't die to the likes of those Titans, so calling me suicidal is an insult! I'll kill all the Titans and take back the land they stole from us, even if I have to do it alone!"

Eren was losing himself. It was odd for him to get so worked up over something so petty. He wanted to blame it on this teenage body's pheromones and the way they reacted, but maybe he was just upset that Jean didn't follow his way of thinking.

"That's exactly it!" Jean said with a deranged smile and laugh. "You want to take back what the Titan's stole, alone if you have to! How is that not suicidal, tell me something that isn't?!"

"Tsk," Eren started getting annoyed at Jean's bluntness. "Didn't your mother ever tell you to stand up for a goal like a man and not cower behind some lowly walls?!"

"Well, at least I have a mom!"

At that statement, everyone went dead silent.

Those in the group had stopped eating to stare and Jean and Eren, seeing how the latter would react.

It seemed like what Jean had just said finally registered.

"Eren, look." Jean said in a much calmer. "I didn't mean… I'm sorr-"

"Forget it." Eren said as he walked off into the night, disappearing into the treeline.

Armin was about to write down what had happened when Marco's hand stopped him. Simply shaking his head, Armin complied with the silent request. Looking back at where Eren had run off, he pondered if he should go after him.

He decided not to, realizing that his friend needed some time alone.

Eren sat on a large rock near the lakeside. It was a decent sized lake, reflecting the moon that had just recently come out from cloud coverage.

He didn't know why he reacted the way he did to Jean. It was an enigma to him. He, who in the past conquered nations with his tongue alone, was getting into verbal disagreements. It irked him how Jean could get under his skin so easily.

The last bit he had said had struck home.

In a way, Eren did set himself up for such a comeback, even if such a comeback was insensitive and unwarranted.

Regardless, it didn't change the fact that he and Jean were making fools out of each other. With a sigh, he decided that he should end this little feud. After the training exercise, he would confront Jean on the matter.

Hopefully, they could at least come to a ceasefire of some sorts.

"Armin, could you please go." Eren responded when he heard a rustle of leaves behind him.

"Maybe I would listen if I was actually Armin." A feminine voice spoke up.

Eren looked over his shoulder to see that it was Christa who came for him. She had a slight smile on her face as she walked over towards Eren.

For some reason, the action angered.

"I don't want your fake sympathy!" Eren spat out, shocking the girl.

"W-What do you mean?" She asked innocently.

Eren could only scoff at such antics. Her behavior, the way she acted, it all seemed fake. To him, a natural at wearing the mask, it was a disgrace. He let out a sigh. He shouldn't take out his bent up frustrations on the poor girl. There was probably a reason why she acted the way she did, Eren had no right to blow up at her.

"Sorry, forget what I said." Eren retreated with this statement.

"It's okay." Christa said as she sat down near Eren. "If you don't mind me asking… how was your mother?"

"My mother?" Eren rose an eyebrow at the question she asked. Why would she ask about his mother specifically? If she followed her facade, shouldn't she ask how he was doing?

Ah, Eren realized now. The cause of why Christa acted the way she did… It must have to do with her mother.

Eren could refuse to answer her. It would save him time and breath.

"She was kind, I suppose." So why was he telling this girl about his mother? "She gave out discipline when it was needed, and kisses when it was needed. She was… gentle." Perhaps he found something akin to a similarity in him and Christa. "It wasn't obvious to a lot, but I could tell she had some admirers when she was younger." Yeah, although the only thing he knew they shared was wearing a mask, perhaps their roots weren't that different. "She was loved by all. I honestly can't stomach that type of person as a friend, but as a mother…"

Or perhaps he was just making this all up, and he wanted to find some comfort in knowing that he wasn't alone in his burden.

Eren gave a laugh, causing Christa to tilt her head.

That's right, how foolish of him. He had let a moment of weakness overcome him and expose him to Christa, coming up with a childish notion that they were similar.

"Well, I cried over her death. So I had some emotional attachment to her."

"That's a weird way to describe your relationship with your mother." Christa brought her attention to the lake. "She seemed like a lovely person."

Eren remained silent.

He heard some rustling of leaves, believing that Christa had left, he finally started to relax. Being with someone that acted so fake…

Although Eren did hide behind The Führer as a mask, he still didn't change his beliefs as Eren. It was disgusting to be with someone like Christa.

"E-Eren…" The mentioned girl stuttered his name.

"Christa, I thought you went back…" Eren trailed off as he looked in the direction her voice came from.

Only to be met with the barrel of a rifle.

The gunshot rang throughout the night, awakening those at the camp.

"W-What was that?" Marco immediately got up to survey the situation.

"It sounded like a gun…" Armin spoke up nervously.

"Hunters? This late at night?" Conny asked as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Maybe they got that lizard!" Sasha grew wide-eyed at the prospect of food. "Maybe they'll share~"

"No one move!" A rough voice cut through the cadets' chatter. "No one move or the sow gets it!"

The cadets looked at the source of the voice. His figure and voice indicated a man. He wore a mask to hide his face. He wielded a knife.

A knife that was pointed at Christa's neck.

"C-Christa." Jean said as he looked at the girl. She had red eyes as tears kept streaming down her face.

"Just stay still!" Another man came up with a gun in hand, pointing it at the cadets. "Hurry! Gather up there gear!"

"Christa!" Armin shouted, causing all guns to train on him. "You went to see Eren, right?! Where is he?! What was that gunshot?!"

Christa stared at Armin with horror-stricken eyes. Her answer was to glance away, looking anywhere but him.

"No…" Armin felt weak in his legs, and soon fell to the ground, shock overcoming him.

"That's right!" More masked men seemed to surround them. "If you don't want to end up like your friend then you best comply!"

The men went to work as they began to gather up everyone's gear. No one could move, no one could fight back. Some were shocked at the implications that Eren may be dead.

"Hey." Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke up near the edge of the woods. "A wise man once told me, 'that those who kill should be prepared to be killed'.

"So," The firelight revealed a figure emerging from the woods. It was Eren, holding the neck of one of the mask men. "Are you prepared to die?"

The man in Eren's clutches struggled with groans and choked sounds. It lasted for mere seconds as Eren twisted his arms and an audible snap was heard. The man fell over with a thump, never to move again.

"That… That bastard! I thought you killed him!"

"I-I did! I shot him in the head!"

Eren ran fast and true, ending up near the two people who had just spoken. He recognized them as the people who first grabbed Christa and shot him.

Producing a knife, he returned the favor of the gunshot by slitting the throat of the nearest one. He then retaliated by stabbing the other guy in the chest. He grabbed hold of the body, using it as a makeshift shield to protect him from the bullets that were now being fired at him. Moving forward, he discarded the body once he heard the sounds of gunfire go silent.

The thing about these old gun designs was that you had to reload them every time you fired, and it took thirty seconds to a full minute to complete the reloading process. So with the guns out of the way, Eren was free to take down these guys, as he was confident in his knife skill is close quarters combat.

However, it seems like he didn't learn from last time.

The guy who held Christa seemed more composed than the last guy. He simply raised the knife and grazed her skin, a shed of blood trailing down her neck.

The sight made Eren stop once again.

Cursing himself for doing it once again, he didn't have time react to the butt of the rifle hitting his temple, causing him to stagger down.

"Damn it! This bastard!" The man who knocked him over yelled. "Let me kill him!"

"Enough!" The man who held Christa yelled as he backed away from the group. "We're getting out of here! We got the gear!"

And with that, the masked men left, albeit a few reluctant, wanting to kill the brat who slaughtered some of their comrades. However, they would have to overextend themselves, seeing as it would take to long to load a bullet and shoot him.

They decided it wasn't worth the risk of their own lives, after all, they saw what that monster could do.

As the last of them disappeared into the darkness of the foliage, Eren got up to give chase, only to stumble as he held his head where he was hit.

"Eren!" Armin immediately engulfed him with a hug. "I thought you were dead!"

Tears began to trail down the boy's face at the relief he felt at his friend being alive.

"T-That gunshot…"

"They missed." Was Eren's response as he got up once again. "But more importantly, we have to save Christa."

"Your joking, right?" Jean spoke up. "They have guns, what can we do?"

"I hate to say it, but Jeans right." Marco said. "I think we should go back and report this to the instructors, they'll know what to do."

"It'll be too late." Eren said. "They were wearing mask. Maybe we could identify some of them from the corpses, but it would take to long."

It was at that statement that they remember what had just transpired. One of their classmates had just killed. But what was worse was that he seemed unfazed by the matter. Someone may have mentioned his coldheartedness if there wasn't a more dire situation on hand.

Christa had been kidnapped.

"Besides, they were wearing masks. In this day and age, it is impossible to discern who was underneath those masks and who was involved. Plus, if we are too late…" Eren trailed off.

"Too late for what?" Connie asked.

"If we don't stop them tonight, she may be sold off as a sex slave as soon as possible. Considering her appearance, I think she'll be sold off quite fast…"

No one said anything at them. Some of the lesser cadets fell to the ground, one of them even trying not to vomit.

However, what Eren said stuck to their minds. If they went back to camp for help, the guilt of leaving Christa by herself to be sold off would remain with them.

"How would we even go about finding them?" Connie said, trying hard not to think what would happen if they were too late in saving her.

"We should get a high vantage point." Oddly enough, it was Sasha who suggested this. "If we do that, we could search the surroundings."

"Nice thinking Sasha." Eren praised the girl for her work. "This raid seemed planned, so they must have stolen the other's groups gear. Most likely they all will meet up in a designated spot."

Eren started to go off towards a moutian but soon realizes that no one was following him.

"Eren…" Marco spoke up with hesitation. "Even if what you say is true, what can we do? We don't have our gear… We are better off retreating and asking Shadis for help!"

"Fine then." Eren said. "You go do that. I, on the other hand, well rescue Christa, even if I have to go alone.

Eren immediately turned to go, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

It was Jean.

Eren was just about to spout off something him when Jean opened his mouth first.

"There you go, running off alone to go die, you suicidal idiot." Jean said, causing Eren to glare. "But I suppose I'm just as much as in idiot. It would look bad on our scores if we just left Christa. Besides, we're comrades, we just can't abandon her."

Eren looked at Jean's eyes. He could see the slight tinge of fear they held at the prospect of going against armed bandits.

However, his fear went unnoticed by the others. Oddly enough, it was Jean who managed to convince them all to join the effort in rescuing Christa.

They did as Sasha suggested earlier. Upon reaching a high vantage point, they were able to see a trail of smoke in the sky. Traveling through the foliage, they came upon a perch that overlooked the bandits camp.

After observing the situation, they met up and discussed what they should do.

"We can't just rush in there." Marco said. "They all have guns, we'll get blown away."

"That may be true." Eren said. "But we have no other choice. We have to take them before they leave."

"That's not true." Armin suddenly spoke up, looking at a map. "They have our gear, so they will most likely sell it in the nearest city."

"So we know where they are going. We can work from there." Eren said as he took a look at the map.

"So what? They have wagons while we are on foot?" Jean said a little skeptically. "How will we ever catch up to them?"

"We can cut through the forest!" Sasha said. "Since we don't have wagons or horses, we don't have to worry about finding a safe way to maneuver through it!"

"Good thinking." Eren said. "Let's go."

The group of cadets headed straight through the forest, coming upon a divergence in the road.

"That path leads directly to the city. We have to stop them here."

"We can block the road." Eren said as he looked at the path. "We set up an ambush, get our gear back, and save Christa."

"How will we know what wagon has our gear?" Mina, Eren recalled the girl's name, said.

"We can use cans to signal." Marco spoke up. "We can listen to the wagon as it goes by. The bumps in the road should signal which wagon has it. One ring for the first wagon, two for the second and three for both. How about it?"

"Sounds good to me." Jean said.

"Good." Eren said. "With all the positions filled, we just need the people to assault."

"Well, everyone but you and Jean have a role…" Armin spoke up nervously.

It was true. Most of the cadets were working on getting the foliage to block the road, while two were listening for which wagon held the gear.

Eren looked over at Jean.

"Are you up for it?" Eren asked.

Jean gave a sigh as he looked at Eren.

"I'm up for it… but the question is, are you?"

Eren raised an eyebrow at that. It confused him why Jean had said something like that. His tone of voice didn't suggest he was teasing, but rather serious about the question.

"I'm talking about what happened back at our camp." Jean said, sensing the confusion of Eren.

Everyone went silent at that. They had, for the most part, ignored what Eren had done, but now that Jean brought it up, they couldn't anymore.

Eren had killed.

"... They were prepared to kill us, even shooting me beforehand, albeit missing." Eren chose his words carefully. "I thought we could take them if I had a leading assault, but I…"

Eren trailed off, recalling how he hesitated.

Why did he hesitate to and not follow up with the kill? Was it because of Christa? No, impossible. He simply saw her as a tool, a pawn. It would be a nuisance if she were to die.

"Don't worry." Eren said with determination. "I won't lose control like I did back at the camp."

And thus the cadets' plans began.

It was simple. Jean and Eren heard the cans ring two times, signaling what wagon had the gear.

"Here we go…" Jean let out a breath of anticipation.

The first wagon past.

They saw the second one.

They jumped.

Falling through the tarp, Eren immediately analyzed his surrounds. He saw the gear in crates, so they at least had the right wagon, however, three men and the driver were also in the wagon with them.

They seemed surprised at the two boys, however, it was only for a second as some realized who one of the boys were.

Yelling in rage, one of them thought to avenge their fallen by taking a swing at Eren. The boy dodged and grabbed the arm of the man, using all his strength to throw him out the back of the wagon. That just left two more. The driver wasn't much of a threat, seeing how he couldn't fight and drive at the same time. His most important role was to make sure the wagon didn't fall of rode.

That just left two men that Jean and Eren had to beat.

The closest one went for Jean, bringing out a blade, he tried to slash his throat. He missed the intended target due to Jean ducking and stepping back, but the slash still penetrated skin, leaving a small red line on his cheek.

Jean retaliated by throwing a punch at the man who was still recovering from his slash. His fist hit him square in the jaw, stunning him for a brief second.

That was all Jean needed.

He went in and tackled the man, pinning him the ground, he lifted his fist and swung as hard as he could towards the jaw. He had learned it in combat training that a blow to the jawline could knock a grown man unconscious.

It seemed to be accurate because as soon as Jean landed the blow the man stopped moving, eyes rolled back into his head.

Looking over at Eren, it seemed like his fight was nearing an end. Having the man in a headlock, he seemed to be choking him to cause him to pass out. It looks like he was restraining himself from killing.

Jean decided to copy Eren and went for the driver, putting him in a choke hold as well. However, it was at that precise moment that Jean saw one of the men in the front wagon aim a gun at him. Jean wasn't sure if he would shoot, seeing as the driver was blocking most of his body, but it seemed like he wouldn't get the chance.

Christa jumped at the man's gun, causing him to struggle. Jean didn't know if what she did help or hindered them, as the gun soon fired and took out the wheel of the wagon, causing it to stumble and crash.

Jean swore as he got up. It looked like he was fine, but the rest of the men were still unconscious thankfully.

Eren seemed to be fairing just as well, as he got up and dusted the dirt off him.

"Come on." Eren said as he went straight to the gear. "We have to catch up to save Christa."

It was at that moment that everyone else caught up with them.

Each one grabbing their gear and putting it on. Since Jean and Eren were the first to get the gear, they were naturally the first to put in on.

It didn't take long for the two of them to catch up with the wagon. Performing a maneuver in the air, they both struck the reins of the horses at the same time, releasing them from the wagon.

The driver seemed to realize that he no longer had control of the wagon, and pulled the brake to stop it, lest they crash. However, at such a high speed it caused them to do exactly that. The sudden brake on the wheels caused the wagon to jump a little, making it turn off course and onto its side. It spun for a while until it reached a ditch where it stopped. Eren and everyone maneuvered their way to the crash site, stopping at the top of the ditch as the peered down.

"Don't move!" The driver had a knife to Christa's neck. "Remove all your gear or else the girl gets it!"

Eren's face grew into a grimace. Here they were, so close to getting Christa out of there. But it appears that they wouldn't be able to save her like this.

Eren toyed with the idea of killing them. He could shoot out his hooks and peirce the man who held Christa. He then could reel in and cut down the other man who held a gun pointed at them.

However, he decided against a course of action. He realized he told Jean and the others he wouldn't kill anyone. Also, he remembered seeing a flare behind them as they rushed to save Christa.

It appeared Armin was the right man to trust.

He came up with a contingency for even if Eren had failed to save Christa.

Armin wasn't as smart as Eren, but he held a league over him when it came to planning.

Where Eren was the type of man to take a battlefield and turn it into his own little game, Armin could take control of a situation and turn it for the better.

Eren planned ahead before he even begun, while Armin could plan on the go.

Eren could change plans on the spot and come up with different tactics, however, Armin was way above him when it came to making rash decisions on the battlefield. Even in the heat of everything, he didn't get tunnel vision.

Eren couldn't help but grin as he saw two blurs come down, striking the blade out of the Driver's hand and the other taking out the gun the other man had pointed at them.

Both blurs, who turned out to be Mikasa and Annie, pointed their blades at the bandits.

It looked like Mikasa was about to cut the neck of her opponent, but something Christa said stopped her.

Regardless, after that fiasco, it seemed like the bandits had had enough. Slumping to their knees, they gave up without any further fighting.

The cadets had successfully managed to get their gear back and save Christa as well. All with no casualties on their side.

"And that's all I have to report sir." Armin said to the instructor as he held a fist over his heart in a salute.

As soon as the event was over, the cadets had contacted the instructors. It didn't take long for the Military police to respond and detain all the bandits.

"Hm," Keith hummed as he looked over the report Armin had given him. Since he was the scribe, he had naturally documented all that had happened.

Even the things that Marco told him not to.

"You all did well in that situation… You seem to have something on your mind Cadet Arlet."

"Yes sir…" Armin hesitated to respond. "It just… Did we make the right decisions?"

Silence was the only response as Keith thought of what to say to Armin. Finally, the instructor opened his mouth.

"I believe that as a man I should have chosen the most difficult option. So tell me, what would have been the most difficult task for you?"

Armin stood there, thinking it over.

One could say that it would have been easier to go back to the instructors to ask for help. However, the same person could say that it would have been harder to leave Christa behind like that.

Armin didn't know the right answer, so he didn't respond.

"You're dismissed." It seemed Instructor Keith realized this, allowing Armin to go. "However, could you send in Cadet Yeager? I have a few words I wish to discuss with him."

Armin gave an affirmative as he walked out of the instructor's office. There was only one reason why Instructor Keith would wish to speak with Eren.

It had to be about the men he killed.

It didn't take long for Armin to find Eren and tell him that Keith wanted to see him.

A knock on the office door and a low 'enter' had Eren standing before Instructor Keith.

Keith was sitting at his desk, looking through files while Eren stood there in the at ease position.

They stayed like that for a few minutes.

Eren had already deduced why he was called in here, and a few seconds later Keith confirmed it.

"Skull caved in, resulting in death due to brain damage. Neck snapped, dead before he hit the ground. Throat slit, death due to blood loss. Heart punctured aswell as multiple gunshot wounds. Do any of these seem familiar?"

Eren recalled how he killed the four men. Three of them at the campsite and one of them by the river.

"Yes." Was Eren's only response.

"Do you realize what commotion this would cause?"

"I don't see how self-defense would cause a fairly big uproar."

Keith gave him a glare.

"It seems like the Military police think the same. They aren't even bothering with it anymore. However, I am of a different opinion.

"You killed four men. What worries me is not the fact you seem unfazed by it, but rather you knew exactly how to kill them."

It seemed like that was one of Eren's mistakes he made that night. He acted recklessly, showing him in a new type of light. For the cadets, it seemed like he acted in self-defense, high on adrenalin, he was able to maneuver and kill like that. But the way it looked to Keith was one irrefutable fact. Eren had killed like he knew how to kill before.

He knew this time would come, so he prepared for it accordingly.

"You wish to know how I could do it?" Eren asked as he looked Shadis straight in the eye.

A nod was all he got.

"I don't know if you recall, but you can read the reports if you wish. There was an incident involving the girl Mikasa Ackerman. As you're aware, my father was… is a doctor." Keith didn't seem to notice his slip up as he continued the story. "He made frequent house calls. At the time, Mikasa's mother was ill. My father believed she was pregnant, but that matters little.

"He invited me to come one time, considering Mikasa and I were of the same age, however when we got there both Mr. and Mrs. Ackerman were dead. They were murdered and at the tender age of nine I witnessed the uneasy site of their corpses. Later on, I would kill the men who captured Mikasa."

"What do you mean?" Keith asked in a grave voice.

"My father told me to return to the wagon as he went to fetch the military police. I noticed footprints as I went down the trail. I followed them to find Mikasa and the kidnappers. I overheard that they were going to sell her for a profit. I went in and killed them, burned down the house to hide the fact I did it, and left with Mikasa.

"So," Eren continued as he glared down at Shadis. "If you are wondering why I could kill so easily, it's because I don't even view people like that as humans. They're beast, no better than Titans. So I simply put them down like beast."

It was all in act. Eren knew that if anyone were worst than Titans, it was him. The men could have had families, wives, and children.

However, by simply stating that he didn't seem them as humans, it would be much more convincing as to why he was able to kill them.

"I see…" It was all Keith said on the matter. "Dismissed."

With a salute, Eren turned around and left.

The sun was beginning to set. Soon this day of events would be behind them. However, there was one more thing that Eren needed to address.

She was leaning on a wooden beam that was used to support one of the lookout towers.

"Christa." Eren said her name as he walked up to her. "How are you doing?"

"I should be asking that." She said as she looked at Eren, specifically below his left eye.

The place he was shot.

Eren recalled what had happened. Thinking back on the first person he had killed, and… his first brush with death.

"Christa!" Eren moved first, grabbing the barrel of the gun that was so foolishly pointed so close to him.

The man panicked and tried to pull the trigger, despite the gun not being aimed at Eren. However, Eren was faster, taking the gun out of the masked man's grip, he pivoted on his foot and completed a 360-degree spin, hitting the man with the butt of the rifle with his full strength.

He heard an odd, but satisfying crunch as the rifle connected with the man's skull. It was dark out, and Eren couldn't quite see the details of the work he just created, but he saw the glint of what was an eyeball fly out into the lake.

The man fell over silent, and unmoving. The blast to his head had killed him.

Eren immediately made a rush for Christa, who was still near the masked men.

"D-Don't move!" One of the men shrieked as he grabbed Christa by the back and pointed a knife at her throat.

Eren hesitated.

It was his mistake.

He should have continued. However, the prospect of Christa befalling harm…

He didn't know why he stopped just short of following through the attack, but it gave ample time for another masked man to move up and point his gun at Eren.

This time he didn't have time to dodge.

The man pulled the trigger and the hammer fell back.

The bullet flew true, penetrating right below Eren's left eye. He collapsed near the man he had just killed, joining him in the sweet slumber of death.

"I saw you…" Christa said with a little whimper. "I saw you got shot, the blood! I was so sure of it! How are you-?!"

She stopped when Eren place his hand on her head. Patting her like he would a pet.

"The brain does weird things. It can obscure reality, twisting it into a form of fiction. I was shot, but the man missed. However, in your stressed induced state, it seemed like the implications of me being shot may have overdramatized the actual events."

"What?" Christa seemed confused by all the overly complex words Eren was using.

"What matters most is the guy missed me. I played dead so I could get the jump on them. I'm sorry I put you through that."

Christa still seemed skeptical about the whole thing. She was sure she saw the bullet hit him, the blood splatter everywhere.

Yet, here Eren was. Unharmed and still alive.

There could be no other explanations as to how he survived other than the bullet really had missed.

"I… Thanks." She said shyly. "For saving me."

"It was a team effort." Eren said with a smile as he walked away. "Comrades don't abandoned each other.

Night had fallen and everyone had fallen asleep.

All but one person.

Eren walked out of the dorms, towards a spot in the forest where no one could hear him.

It was here that he brought his hand to his mouth and bit down on it. Blood streamed from where his mouth had bit down. He tasted the coppery flavor that was commonly tasted in blood.

Good, it seemed like he could control it to a degree.

It was then that steam began to erupt from his wound, causing it to close back up as his blood evaporated.

Just like a Titan's.

It was at that precise moment that as his wound closed up he recalled the Demon's words on how to use his power.

Simply have the will.

He bit down on his hand, but this time he had a direct line of thought.

A flash of green light, and Eren's power was revealed.

He would have smiled if he had lips to do so.

His power appeared to be able to shift into a Titan. Having a build similar to the demon, it appeared Eren's Titan form would be able to excel in close quarters combat.

It was strange how he found out about this power. It had clicked, in a sense. As soon as Eren was shot, it all made sense on how his power worked.

It allowed him to regenerate, the bullet wound no longer becoming critical.

A huff allowed a puff of steam to emit from his mouth, then the Titan was engulfed slowly with steam as Eren emerged from the nape of the neck.

An interesting power indeed.

It opened many doors as well as answered a few questions. It would be naive to believe he could be the only one to transform, suggesting that both the Colossal and Armored Titan were like him.

And if his hypothesis was correct—Well, it was more of a hunch—both Bertholdt and Reiner could be the Colossal and Armor respectively. It was a gamble, but he should keep close tabs on those two in particular.

But right now, Eren had to deal with the situation at hand.

He watched his Titan corpse dissolve into nothing. What should he do? Should he keep the power to himself? No, involving Rommel would be to his benefit. They could perform experiments much easier that way. Perhaps getting the expertise of Hugo. The man had proved himself loyal, so perhaps he could help with the experiments.

It was something to think about.

Eren couldn't help but smirk as he walked back to the dorms.

Not only had he finally learned the power his father gave him, but he also cleared up two obstacles today.

One was Keith. By using the past story of the Ackerman incident, he was able to convince Keith that what he had done didn't need too much attention. Whether or not this would change the other cadets' way of looking at him mattered little. At this point in the game he had already discerned the useless and useful in the class and had already acted accordingly.

The second was Christa. The girl had seen him get shot. It would have complicated matters if she started suspecting him. However, her mask came to an advantage to Eren. She was the all so accepting nice and innocent girl. Her mask suggested her not to push the matter, and with Eren's overly complicated words, he defused the situation quite well.

Everything was going his way.

Eren stopped at that prospect.

Everything was going his way, yet for what? To save this world, the demon said it was his atonement. He even alluded to the fact that he wouldn't live long. Would he die for this world like he did the last? Or perhaps this power eats at his own life force.

Eren gave a sigh as his eyes lost focus, becoming glazed over.

What was he doing? Why was he doing it?

Nothing really changed.

He was still acting like the old Führer. Making plans, discarding the means if it justified the ends.

How could he change? Someone like him who only knew deception and manipulation?

Eren recalled a phrase of his old world. A hero could save everyone, but who saved the hero?

Eren by no means would call himself a hero, but a savior could have been a proper replacement. However, the fact still remained.

Eren was lost.

The Führer was lost.

"Tsk, such petty thoughts." Eren said in disdain. "I'll just go along with the ride. But will I clutch onto the handrails and try and discern the rollercoaster, or throw my hands above my head, screaming as I enjoy the thrill… Will I crash into the ground, or arrive safely at the end of the ride?"

Eren walked the remaining distance to the dorm in silence, both mental and physical.

He entered the dorms quietly, going back to bed.

He stayed awake, thinking about something and yet nothing.

His mind was eerie quiet. No attempts at thinking up schemes, no overly dramatic speeches he should use in the near future, just simply nothing.

But that wasn't entirely true.

Perhaps it was a bout of depression, having a near-death experience triggering something inside him. Perhaps it was all the years of loneliness that finally caught up to him. Perhaps it was the fact that he would partake on another path of bloodshed in the near future.

Perhaps it was actually nothing.

But one thought ran through Eren's mind even as he drifted off to sleep.

Why am I even here?

Besondere #4

Report

Mein Führer,

I am writing this report to inform you that the complexity and intuitive design of the anti-human vertical maneuver gear are too ineffective. While it is far superior to its predecessor, it is a one unit design.

Meaning, despite its combat prowess benefits, it is simply too difficult to master. Even the subjects of the Kräfte expressed difficulties in mastering it. And to be frank, besides subject Wilfred, none of the Kräfte are using the anti-human gear to the utmost efficiency.

Not to mention the flaws of certain features regarding the gear. You are already aware of my guns powered by the same burst gas we use for practically everything in the facilities. I suggest we replace the gun powered reliant guns with my new gas powered ones.

However, before anything else, I want to bring forth a new concept to the anti-human gear. I call it Mark two. Mk. 2 serves the simple version of being capable of mass production to be used by the common people. By common, I mean those who serve the Military.

It takes three years for a regular cadet to learn the ins and outs of the vertical maneuvering gear. While there is obviously other military activities in the training camps, the sole focus is to turn those who join into Titan killing machines.

And yet, we find that not all our proficient enough to fight the Titans with three years of training.

To summarize, the attached details of the Mk. 2 would make it easier to use than the current Mk. 1, in which even of those of the Kräfte express their irritation of handling the unit.

The Mk. 2 designs are similar to the standard Vertical maneuver gear, with two hilts to control the gear, having those hilts semi-transformed into guns. So instead of holding blades, it holds guns.

It would be easier to adapt this into standard training as it holds far more similarities to the current in-use design.

Simply put, the design we have right now exceeds every single one, but the amount of skill needed to use it is far too high. This new design would not only make it easier to mass produce (Due to its similar design to the vertical maneuver gear) but easier to handle as more people will be familiar to it.

This concludes my report,

Signed Hugo Schmeisser.

Attached Details

Iceburst Gun-

Caliber: .22

Velocity: 1200-1600 ft/s

Weight: 2.6 lbs, 2.1 with empty magazine.

Effective Range: 100 m

Maximum range: 1,800 m

Notes: Holds 15 bullets within one magazine that is integrated within the grip of the gun. A Cylinder, much like the gunpowder revolver invented by one of your earlier scientists, is a chamber used to hold the Iceburst stone. As we all know, the stone turns to gas and this gas is used to propel the bullet in place of the gunpowder.

Mark Two Vertical Maneuver Gear: Anti Human Gear-

Notes: A simple rehaul of the current gear. Implementing designs from our first gear made it smaller, thus allowing more speed while maintaining the same gas storage. Key difference is that in place of swords, a modified version of the Iceburst gun I created is attached to the device that controls the gear.