The Truth (1)

???'s POV

The first thing it did was break my legs.

The devil said, "Now, with this, you cannot escape."

Then, its next action was to rip my arms.

"Now you won't be able to fight back," It chuckles in amusement as it continues to devour every finger that was still attached to my torn arm.

The devil waited for a few more minutes until I calmed down before its torture once again began.

Its next target was my skin. It whispered, "Scream, little one, doesn't it feel good? To know unbearable pain, isn't it an honor to experience it?"

And when I didn't respond, it continued. "Don't want to talk? No matter, I'll just pull your tongue out. Happy?"

Yes. Its eyes pushed me to think of that accursed word, goading me to react. More.

Torture me more.

Squeeze everything within me.

Please… I beg of you…

Maybe then, I'll finally be allowed to die.

***

Mina's POV

Death.

A word that continues to hunt thousands of humans. 

It brings fear, trauma, isolation, and sorrow. 

But for those who refuse to run and instead fight it head-on, for a moment… it bestows that sense of peace that is so rare and hard to achieve.

"Aren't you scared of dying?" A trembling soldier who had survived the massacre that the beast titan had brought questioned me back in the previous world. His eyes, so lost in torment, quivered in fear, prompting me to say my next words.

"No," Why should I? "I already died, after all." 

And that's a fact that will never change, even after Ymir has pushed me into this world. 

So… why am I still hesitating? 

Didn't I come here to change this goddamn destiny that the devil has condemned us to suffer from? 

"Be bold, young Yeager," Ymir tempts me as the scout regiment temporarily gathers in a meeting room. "At this rate, your beloved father would still-"

"Suffer," I whisper to myself as I secure a spot near the wall. "I know." 

Isn't that why I'm preparing so much? This time-gun, acquiring Annie as an ally, and having the commander's support… isn't that enough?

"You know very well that it isn't, Yeager-chan." Then it giggles. That freaking horrendous being dared to giggle! "You know as much as I do that Eren Yeager is still walking on the path destiny laid out for him. A path that will ultimately lead to his useless attempt to free this world."

"…"

You don't have to tell me that. I get it. 

"Stop being too soft," Before finally giving me my wanted silence, she whispered. "Take more risks. I'll handle it if it ever targets you."

While lifting an eyebrow, I commented. "This is the second time… damn."

But before I could even ask a question, someone spoke. "Did you say something, Mina?" 

"Hmm?" In an attempt to cover my mumblings, I immediately respond. "Nothing, Armin. Guess I'm just tired."

This isn't a lie, but resting is not something I can afford to buy at this moment. 

So, instead of focusing on that aspect of myself, I finally decided to confront the boy I clashed with a few hours ago. "Does your cheek still hurt?"

"Huh? Ah," Armin's hand immediately shot up to his face before giving me a polite smile. "It does."

"Do you want me to apologize?"

Hearing me say those words instantly made him pale, one that I found amusing to witness. "What? No! You… were right." And that I am. "If someone needs to apologize, it should be me. I'm sorry." 

While nodding in agreement, there was something that I needed to clarify in that statement. "If you're apologizing to me, then it's pointless. It's not like I'm the target of your statement earlier."

"That's… also true." He then gazed at his friend, probably wondering when he'll ever get the chance to do it. "That was tactless of me."

Yes, you're damn right about that.

But in retrospect, I do understand where he's coming from and why he said those things to Eren. In this world where fragile humans largely depend on those with power, pulling Eren from that harsh responsibility is pointless.

Yet… I also can't allow that to happen.

How contradicting. 

With a sigh, I once again gained his attention. "Nonetheless, I'm sorry. I didn't hold back."

"Yeah, that was quite a slap, Mina." While chuckling, he looked straight into my eyes and continued. "I'll be careful from now on. Just like how Eren protects us, let's protect him as well." 

"…"

But you just pressured him earlier…

Damn, I can now only hope that he'll do so.

"By the way…" He then stepped forward and leaned his head on my shoulder, prompting me to tilt my head to hear whatever he would whisper. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Surprised by his random question, I frowned. "What do you mean?"

He visibly swallowed and surveyed our surroundings before returning to his hunched posture. "Are there really people who want you dead?"

Oh.

That's why he asked me that startling inquiry.

Pleased from the sudden shift of pace, I delightfully spoke. "There are." Noticing his frown becoming deeper, I simply chortled and continued. "But I'll be fine. Don't worry, Armin." 

He groans before finally pulling himself away from my shoulder. "How could I not? We just graduated, and yet you're… already far ahead of us."

"That's because I need to." He momentarily looked disconcerted, which encouraged me to continue. "There are many more things to consider in this complicated world."

"Like what?"

Knowing full well how my response could affect his future endeavors, I slightly gripped the hem of my uniform before answering. "Humans."

"Creatures like us, after all, are much more dreadful than a 15-meter titan." 

Slowly but surely, his eyes narrowed as confusion settled deep within his gaze. He must have wanted me to elaborate further but the commanding voice of the squad leader eventually captured both of our attention, as well as the other soldiers nearby.

"Gather around!" Captain Hange ushered us to come closer as her gaze landed on the papers she was currently holding before returning them to the soldiers. "I was finally able to get my hands on the background report for Annie Leonhart."

"Annie's?" Eren whispers while standing up beside Mikasa.

At the same time, I mumbled, "Background report?" 

Just what is about to happen right now?

"It's taken so long to get it because managing these reports is such a mess right now." The captain continues as she slightly lowers her hold on the report. "According to this, two other soldiers who belong to the 104th Cadet Corps came from the same area as her."

"…" My eyes widened at the realization of what was about to happen. It can't be…

"And those two are… Reiner Braun… and Bertolt Hoover."

She said it… She fucking said it! So, why did Eren feel so betrayed after seeing it in the second world? Did he just turn a blind eye to this conversation and pretend that it didn't happen?!

I faced the younger version of my father and frowned. Seeing him wearing an expression of shock still didn't register in my mind as I continued to wonder how naïve Eren currently is.

The captain then continued to explain how mysterious these three were due to their missing family records. This happened because of how chaotic this land was five years ago and how unorganized everyone became after losing one-third of its land.

"However," Captain Hange then finally placed the papers on the table and continued to explain. "During the long-range scouting formation, their unit was given false information. They were among those who were purposely told that Eren was in the right wing."

"The female titan attacked from the right wing!" Armin interjects as the gears inside his head begin to move.

"Huh? What does that mean?"

Armin once again spoke to answer Sasha's question. "That it's possible that they passed the information to Annie."

"Hey, hold on, Armin!" As expected, Eren was still denying what he had just heard. "You can't just-"

"I know that, Eren." Our attention instantly went back to the captain as I noticed how confused the new soldiers were upon hearing this. "By itself, that's not enough to prove anything. So, just in case, I'd like to hear how these three interacted during training. Know anything?" 

With a sigh, I continued to listen to my former classmates as they explained their observations. Armin, unsurprisingly, told everyone that those two men didn't seem particularly close to Annie. While Eren agreed with that, Sasha commented about how Annie liked sweets, even though she looked grouchy. 

Upon hearing that, I immediately made a mental note to buy that kind of food before visiting the female titan in her cell.

When it was Mikasa's turn to speak, she said that she couldn't remember. It took me a whole lot of effort not to smile after discerning why she said so.

"But…" This time, Eren once again claimed the spotlight. "As their comrade, I'd find it hard to believe. Set aside Bertolt, who doesn't say much, Reiner is like everyone's big brother. He's not devious enough to deceive all of us."

Oh… But he is.

To avoid anyone seeing my disagreeable expression, I shifted my eyes to look at the floor just when Armin replied, "I agree. Reiner gave everything he had in fighting the female titan with me. He would have gotten crushed in her hand if he hadn't-"

And in that second, his eyes widened. 

That's it, Armin… Realize it.

Reiner is not an ally.

He's far from that.

***