Chapter 26: Dire Fate
After that brief compliment, Mikasa turned her head toward the last of the fleeing citizens. "We should check up on the other squads; they might need our help," Mikasa voiced her concern.
Kaito gave a nod, knowing all too well that her primary concern was Eren, even if she didn't say it aloud. "Of course, but let's not keep them waiting."
Just as they were about to spring into action, a person descended from above the walls. It was Captain Ian of the Garrison Regiment, a man in his early thirties with a respectable level of strength.
Captain Ian gazed at Kaito with evident surprise, his eyes wide in awe at the remarkable performance he had just witnessed. "That was amazing... Which world did you come from?"
Kaito replied with a tinge of melancholy, "One with anime, video games, and... hentai."
Captain Ian was thoroughly baffled by the response. Anime, video games, and hentai? Were these some sort of newfangled battle techniques?
Before he could delve any further into this strange conversation, Mikasa made a firm request to the captain, which sounded more like a declaration. "Captain, I would like to assist the vanguard squads with their retreat."
Without waiting for his response, Mikasa shot into the air, her ODM gear propelling her, leaving Captain Ian with his mouth half-open in bewilderment. Patting his shoulders, Kaito couldn't resist a parting comment as he launched into the sky, "Have fun, Captain!"
As Kaito followed suit, his gaze lingering on her bulbous ass for a moment, his mind replaying the earlier battle. It had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, the elaborate show he had put on. He could have easily dispatched the Titan with one swift move. However, he couldn't resist showing off some of his skills to Mikasa and, well, the small group of citizens who had been left in awe and that Ian guy, too.
But then again, it wasn't likely anyone would question his abilities, much like how no one seemed to question Levi's superhuman reflexes in the whole four seasons of anime. He was just an ordinary, perfectly human-looking guy.
"And if someone ends does.. it's not like a person or two can't go missing in the grand scheme of things,' With a hint of mischief in his thoughts, he followed Mikasa.
As Kaito and Mikasa ventured deeper into the heart of the city, the true extent of the Titans' devastation became starkly evident. Unlike the relatively calm and isolated scenes near the city's edges, where a rare Titan or two wandered aimlessly, this part of Trost had been transformed into a nightmarish landscape.
Titans roamed every street, feasting on the unfortunate souls who had crossed their paths, whether they were still breathing or had already met their grisly end. Streets were stained crimson with blood, and the air was heavy with a sickening metallic scent.
While Kaito maintained his stoic facade, his vampiric nature allowing him to distance himself from the horrors before him, Mikasa was not as unaffected. Her normally unwavering composure wavered ever so slightly as she bore witness to the horrifying tableau that had unfolded before her.
Even with her strong heart, this was her first time experiencing such an unrelenting nightmare. Shinganshina had been a different sort of chaos, where they had been carried away from the brewing carnage, but here, in Trost, they were thrust into the thick of the brutality.
Kaito's keen perception picked up on the faint tremors in her eyes, a manifestation of the shock and revulsion she was battling to keep at bay. There was no need for words between them; Kaito understood the gravity of the situation, and he was there to provide support without the need for spoken reassurances.
Their journey through the city eventually led them to a rooftop where a group of former cadets had taken refuge. The scene was one of a fragmented assembly, with many familiar faces present but a noticeable absence of others. Eren being one of the latter.
The air was thick with unease, and a lingering sense of dread hung over the group, hinting at the magnitude of the challenges they would soon face.
Kaito approached Connie, who was sitting on the roof's edge with a gloomy atmosphere. "Connie, why's everyone gathered here? I've got a hunch, but tell me anyway."
Connie's voice quivered as he responded, "It's bad, Kaito. Real bad. Our gas reserves for the ODM gear are almost empty. We're in no shape to scale those gigantic walls, and the Garrison HQ is surrounded by Titans. There's no way we can refill our gas tanks."
Amid the fearful crowd, Kaito couldn't help but inject a touch of dark humor into the grim atmosphere. "Such a bad situation, I hope titans don't chew us alive," he said with a mirthful tone.
But the faces of those around him, filled with terror and despair, only emphasized the gravity of their situation. It was painfully clear that the absent members of their group had likely met a gruesome fate on the battlefield.
The expressions etched on the survivors' faces told a tale of terrible encounters and the horrifying end that had befallen their comrades. The mental images were vivid, of their dear friends being torn apart and devoured by the merciless Titan.
Mikasa's eyes searched anxiously for the familiar faces of her friends. Her heart pounded, and her gaze locked onto a battered and shaken figure leaning against a chimney wall.
Her voice quivered as she called out,
"Armin!"
Armin's face bore a blank expression, his eyes devoid of emotion, two silent teardrops tracing a mournful path down his cheeks.
Currently Armin's mind was a turbulent sea of self-condemnation. He felt like a dead weight, an anchor holding back the progress of his friends. He replayed the painful events in his head, each a heavy burden that weighed on his conscience. He should have been faster, braver, more attentive – all those "ifs" haunted him. He had cost his friend's life, not just through inaction but as an active participant in their grim fate.
As his thoughts churned, vivid scenes of horror from Trost played before his mind's eye. The blood-soaked streets, the agonizing sight of Hanna desperately attempting CPR on the half-eaten Franz. Eren, selflessly threw him out of the Titan's maw, their final eye contact as the Titan devoured his savior.
Armin had come to a grim understanding; this world was nothing but a living nightmare. It was an existence where tragedy seemed to follow him like a relentless shadow. First, the loss of his parents, then his grandfather, and now, the heart-wrenching absence of Eren.
"Armin... Ar... Armin!" A voice from the world outside his thoughts pulled him back to the harsh reality he was trapped in.
Upon hearing the voice, Armin knew it was Mikasa.
"M-Mikasa," he whispered under his breath.
His heart was once again burdened by guilt. Armin understood just how much Mikasa cherished Eren, far beyond the bounds of mere friendship, closer than a sibling. And now, how could he ever face her? How could he admit that he had caused Eren's death? He should have perished alongside Eren. Oblivious to the turmoil within Armin, Mikasa let out a sigh of relief.
"Armin, are you hurt? Are you feeling okay?" She inquired, her voice filled with concern. Armin couldn't muster a response, his thoughts still in disarray.
"Hmm, where is Eren?" She asked, her worry increasing as she noticed his absence. Armin remained silent, his mind a tangled mess of emotions.
"Armin?" Mikasa repeated, growing more anxious.
Finally, Armin looked up at Mikasa, tears streaming down his face. Mikasa desperately tried to suppress the unsettling notion that had crept into her mind, but her hopes were cruelly dashed as Armin began to speak.
"Our unit... The 34th cadet unit... Thomas Wagner, Nic Tius, Mylius Zeramuski, Mina Carolina, Eren Jaeger," his voice grew stronger as he pronounced the names, "All of them have fulfilled their duty and died a heroic death in battle."
He practically screamed the last line, or so it seemed to Kaito, who was silently observing the heart-wrenching scene. Attempting to blend in, Kaito emulated the expressions of the others, trying to match the solemn atmosphere. Inwardly, he couldn't help but wonder why Armin's words mirrored those of the original storyline so closely. It was as if something, or someone, was compelling events to follow a preordained path. After all, even the slightest changes could drastically reshape the course of the future.
As for the cadets who lost their lives, Kaito had known them, but he didn't have much emotion for people he had only met after arriving here. It was likely tied to his vampire nature, which often came across as cold and detached, especially towards those with whom he didn't share a deep connection or found hot.
And, for the record, Mina hadn't been someone he found particularly attractive.
The crowd's murmurs intensified upon learning the fate of the 34th cadet unit. An air of anxiety and fear began to grip the onlookers, filling the atmosphere with trepidation.
"I'm sorry, Mikasa," Armin began, his voice heavy with sorrow. "Eren died in my stead... I couldn't do anyth-"
"Armin"
Before he could finish, Mikasa cut him off. Her voice remained resolute, her face betraying no emotion. Kaito, however, couldn't overlook the surge in her heart rate, which briefly spiked before rapidly falling to a pace that suggested she had entered a trance-like state.
"This isn't time to be emotional," Mikasa declared, her tone devoid of feeling.
"Huh?"
"Stand up," her voice signified that what she said wasn't a request.
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Hello lads, what's up? Sorry for not uploading any chapters in the last five days. My schedule is a bit tight-packed due to Upcoming End Semester Exams. I will release two chapters today to make up for that. The second one will be released later tonight.
And also, the update rate will be 1 chap per 2-3 days for now.
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