Another Ackerman - Ayanokoji x Snk

"Now that you've completed your training, you have three options..."

Instructor Shadis took a few steps forward, his commanding voice rising above the murmurs of the cadets in formation.

"First, the Garrison Regiment: responsible for reinforcing the walls and protecting the cities."

"Second, the Scout Regiment: those brave enough to sacrifice their lives outside the walls to fight the Titans on their own territory."

"...And third," the instructor's tone hardened, "the Military Police Regiment: under the direct control of the king, tasked with regulating the population and maintaining order."

The tension grew, especially with his final warning:

"I don't need to say this, but... only the top ten recruits can apply for a position in the Military Police Regiment. Tomorrow, you'll submit your applications..."

A brief silence preceded his closing words:

"THE 104TH CADET CORPS IS OFFICIALLY DISBANDED!"

"SIR, YES SIR!"

I let out a resigned sigh. Barely ten seconds passed before Sasha Blouse wrapped her arm around my shoulders, her expression strange, and... was she drooling?

"Kiyo~ Today is a very important day! I've been planning for months to get some meat from the officers' provisions!"

My expression immediately grew more serious. "Meat...? Real meat? Did you confirm the product?"

Her face took on an almost comical seriousness, as if delivering a military report. "Yes! I scouted for weeks."

I brought a hand to my chin, analyzing the situation. "I think I can get you a minute."

Sasha's eyes sparkled as she raised a fist with determination. "For the meat!"

I raised my fist in response, keeping my blank expression and monotone voice. "For the meat."

Before I could continue, Mikasa appeared and grabbed my arm. "Kiyotaka, let's go."

Resigned, I let her drag me away. "Goodbye, Sasha." I raised a hand in farewell.

..........

After being dragged to a table, I quietly sat down, sipping my drink and ignoring most of Jean's racket. I must admit, however, his sincerity was respectable. He didn't try to disguise his desire to join the Military Police for comfort or safety; at least he wasn't pretending to "serve the king."

I appreciated that honesty, although insulting this place seemed unnecessary. Especially knowing that most of us were doomed to stay here.

Eren, of course, wasted no time in interrupting:

"You said earlier that the central district was the most comfortable... This city was also part of that district, you know?" Jean stopped laughing and looked at him intently. "I'm sure that even if you move there, your head will stay just as comfortable and empty."

Before anything else could happen, I turned Reiner's head in the opposite direction... causing juice to spill from his nose directly onto Armin's head.

"PSSSSSSFFFFFF!"

"AAAAAGGHHH!" Armin screamed, completely drenched.

I sighed, pulling out some tissues and handing them to him apologetically. "Sorry..."

Detaching myself from the pitiful incident, I refocused on Jean and Eren.

"Are you calling me brainless, Eren?" Jean asked, frowning. "You're wrong... I'm a realist... the oldest here."

Jean sighed, dark and resigned. "Four years ago, they sent half the population on a general offensive. Half of what remained of humanity..."

"And most just ended up in the Titans' stomachs."

"It takes an average of thirty lives to take down one of them... But there aren't enough humans left to make up a thirtieth."

Then, with a broken voice, he concluded: "Humanity doesn't stand a chance."

Eren scowled and replied vehemently: "So what?"

Jean looked at him incredulously. "Didn't you hear me?"

"I only heard you giving up because you think we can't win."

Eren stepped forward until he was face-to-face with Jean. "Tell me... what's the point of throwing in the towel? What good is it to abandon all hope and escape reality?"

That boy and his foolish conviction... Surprisingly, his words might motivate some to throw themselves headlong into death.

Would that weigh on his conscience? How would he feel afterward? Perhaps I should measure his reaction sooner than expected.

"If we compare ourselves to the Titans by numbers, we're screwed from the start. But the main reason for the defeat four years ago was that we knew nothing about them."

"...They beat us, but the information we gained was an important step in the right direction. It gave us hope."

Eren clenched his fist and stared at Jean. "And you're willing to abandon your responsibility to devise a strategy just to end up as Titan food like that? You've got to be kidding."

Jean tensed.

Eren continued, determined: "I have a dream. A dream to defeat the Titans, leave the walls, and explore the world."

Jean laughed bitterly, stepping closer. "Listen to yourself! And then you call me brainless?"

"What did you say?!"

"Look around. Nobody agrees with you."

Eren sneered. "I see... Then go to the inner district if you want! Having a defeatist like you around would only ruin morale."

Jean slammed his forehead against Eren's. "Fine! I will. What about you? You're gonna cross the wall, huh? Go ahead! Your beloved Titans are waiting for you!"

Eren growled: "Screw you—!"

In the blink of an eye, both threw punches simultaneously, barely managing to dodge.

"YESSSS! THERE THEY GO AGAIN!" someone shouted from the back.

Jean tried to land a blow that Eren blocked perfectly. "EREN, WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?! IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE ME, THE TITANS WILL CRUSH YOU!"

"YOU'RE RIGHT!" Eren shouted as he launched a kick that Jean blocked.

The exchange intensified until Reiner intervened: "Come on, cut it out! Did you forget, Jean? According to the results..."

"In hand-to-hand combat, Eren ranks second," Reiner muttered with some respect.

Just before they could land hits, I stepped forward, grabbing their fists and redirecting them with enough force to send them to the ground.

Jean and Eren fell on their backs, stunned.

Mikasa wasted no time and lifted Eren as if he were a sack of potatoes, carrying him effortlessly.

I sighed and followed her at a slow pace, but before leaving, I sent a slight nod to Sasha, who was now gathering bread from everyone distracted by the fight.

--------

After stepping outside, Mikasa threw Eren to the ground without any consideration.

"UAAA!!!" He could only rub his sore backside, grimacing. "That hurts, you know?!"

Mikasa watched him with her usual calm, almost cold expression. "You always act impulsively when things get out of hand. It seems like you can't control it."

Her indifferent face had something peculiar about it... as if she were trying to imitate me.

The three of us sat on the edge of the step. After a few moments of silence, Eren broke the stillness.

"So... which unit are you joining?"

I glanced at Mikasa, who nodded slightly, giving me the signal to speak for both of us. "We're both joining the Scout Regiment."

Eren tried to say something, but I didn't give him time.

"Although I would prefer it if Mikasa and you joined the Military Police. That would make things much easier for me..." I sighed, letting the words fall with resignation. "But at least Mikasa's survival isn't something I need to worry about, considering her skills."

"Mikasa... you too?" Eren asked incredulously.

She adjusted her scarf slightly, covering part of her face. "If both of you go... I have no other choice. But if you decide to go to the Military Police, I'll go with you."

Then, her gaze fixed intensely on Eren. "You'll die if I'm not around."

Eren tensed, visibly annoyed. "How long are you going to keep that up?! I DIDN'T ASK YOU TO FOLLOW ME!"

Mikasa lowered her head, her voice soft but firm. "As long as I live... I'll protect you both."

Her next confession was quiet, almost as if speaking to herself. "I already lost everything once... and I won't forget it."

A heavy silence fell over us. The words lingered in the air with a weight none of us seemed willing to break.

"I don't want to lose anyone else in my family."

My eyes widened slightly at that declaration, even though I had already expected Mikasa to say every word exactly as she did.

I wondered... Had Mom felt the same way before giving me to that man?

It was natural, wasn't it? A simple instinct.

But why...? Why not with me?

In every memory of my life, I was never cared for like that by anyone.

Matsuo... Hirata... Horikita... Sakura... Karuizawa... Ichinose... Sudou... Older Horikita... Hasebe... Keisei... Miyake...

Why was I thinking about them now? I hadn't seen their faces for nearly fourteen years. Even as their names crossed my mind, I expected to feel something, anything...

But I felt nothing.

I still couldn't get used to the fleeting impulses of this body. I didn't know what was in my blood, but it drove me toward useless thoughts. However, in exchange, it granted me power—more than I had gained through the White Room.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when Armin appeared, joining us.

"Hey, guys! The party's over. Let's head back to the dorms."

"Ah, yeah... Hey, Armin," Eren said, still dwelling on Mikasa's words. "Which squad are you going to apply for?"

Armin sat down next to me before responding with determination, "I've decided to join the Scout Regiment!"

"Are you serious?! You?" Eren asked, visibly worried.

"Yeah, I know... I'm physically weak... It's a miracle I passed the battle simulation—"

Eren quickly interrupted him. "You were one of the top students in theoretical classes! You should make the most of your abilities. The instructor said so!"

After a pause, Eren added firmly, "You won't be braver by ignoring your strengths and jumping into a world of uncontrolled violence."

Don't disappoint me, Armin.

Armin kept his gaze steady on Eren, with a resolution that left no room for doubt. "I'd rather die than be a burden!"

Before we could continue the conversation, a group of soldiers passed in front of us. We quickly stood up upon noticing Hannes among them.

"That's all for today. Dismissed," Hannes ordered his subordinates, who saluted with a quick "Yes, sir!"

Hannes chuckled confidently as he observed us. "Ah, good to see you're all doing well."

"Rules are important, but I still can't get used to dealing with you."

Eren smiled and took a step forward. "I agree. I can't get used to a drunkard like you being captain of the Garrison troops."

Hannes laughed, placing a hand on my head. "You've grown, kids! Especially you, Kiyotaka... It's been five years since the last time."

For a moment, his voice took on a darker tone.

Forgive me... for not saving your parents.

"Forget it," Eren muttered awkwardly. "What could you have done?"

Hannes sighed with regret. "Before you were born... my wife contracted a widespread illness at the time. An illness that claimed many lives... But one day, Dr. Jaeger arrived, bringing the cure..."

His eyes gleamed with gratitude. "And he saved everyone."

...

Hannes lowered his gaze, his voice heavy. "I wanted to repay him... but I was never able to."

Eren scoffed, tired of hearing it. "I've lost count of how many times you've said that."

"And it's still true." Hannes sighed, his expression darker. "I have no idea where Dr. Jaeger, your father, is right now... We can only go by your memories since you were the last one to see him. But..."

He leaned forward slightly, with seriousness. "Do you remember anything?"

Eren wasn't simply recalling his father. This was something deeper, something visceral. A memory buried—or perhaps implanted, connected. What did you do, Grisha?

The human mind is fascinating. Fragile, malleable, but also stubborn in its self-preservation. Eren was fighting against something, though he didn't even seem aware of the invisible enemy inside his own brain.

I brought a hand to my chin, ignoring Eren's state.

Who was Grisha Jaeger? His world must be an interesting place to see.

I wonder what he would have done in my place.

What were you searching for, Grisha? What legacy were you trying to leave for this boy?

Eren gasped, struggling to stabilize himself as Hannes and Mikasa looked at him with concern. But I didn't intervene.

Interesting... Thank you, Grisha.

You just gave me another clue, and very soon, I'll witness the results of your desperation.