Vice Commander Gunta's words still clung to the back of his ears. Every time his boots pressed into the training ground's dirt, that cold voice repeated in his head. "—On the battlefield, anyone who breaks formation to shield one person goes into a Titan's belly right along with them." The morning's selection exam. In the mock battle using ODM gear, Yeager Eren had sliced the nape targets faster than anyone and earned his place among the official members. The hiss of gas thrusters, the groan of wires, the visceral satisfaction of ultra-hard steel blades gouging through practice targets. Everything had been perfect. Ackerman Mikasa had also received high marks for her calm formation judgment, and the two of them had secured their spots on the expedition beyond the Walls together. But. During the exam, the moment Mikasa was surrounded by soldiers playing the role of mock Aberrants, Eren had abandoned his position and charged in. When he saw her slender body about to be crushed under the cloth Titan training dummies, his mind went blank. Before he knew it, he'd ignored the formation, fired his wires, and was tearing through the sky. He still remembered how the entire training ground froze when he cut down the targets and landed in front of her. Gunta had stopped the exercise right there. He didn't single Eren out by name in front of everyone, but he'd clearly stared straight at him as he spoke. The grizzled warrior's eyes, streaked with gray, had glinted with disappointment and fury. "On the battlefield, anyone who shields their lover dies together with them." Those words smoldered deep in his chest ever since. By evening, even during equipment maintenance, Eren couldn't meet Mikasa's eyes. As he rewound the wires of his ODM gear, every time her long, straight black hair entered his vision, he deliberately turned his body toward another comrade. Pretending to talk to Connie, pretending to laugh—but his heart kept pounding with an ugly, frantic beat. [laughing] "Eren, you've been acting weird today, man." [serious] "Shut up. You're imagining things." Springer Connie tilted his head as he scratched his close-cropped buzz cut. The usual mood-maker seemed to sense something, but he didn't press further. But someone else did. Jean Kirschtein. Among the recruits, he was especially sharp, with annoyingly keen powers of observation. He'd noticed the shift in Eren's demeanor, and how Mikasa kept staring at Eren's back. Behind the maintenance stands, Jean whispered into Connie's ear. [whispers] "There's definitely something going on with those two." [surprised] "Huh? Eren and Mikasa?" [cold] "You saw how they moved during the exam. He ignored the formation and flew straight to Mikasa first. That's not normal." Connie was only half-convinced, but two other comrades nearby overheard the conversation. At dinner, the rumor spread quietly but surely. In the mess hall, filled with the steam of the barracks' famous mutton stew, Eren and Mikasa ate at separate tables. That unnatural distance only fed the rumors further. Eren stirred his tasteless stew with his spoon, thinking. (*Vice Commander Gunta is right. If I shield Mikasa, the formation breaks. If that happens, other comrades die. Worst case, both Mikasa and I die. So—I should keep my distance.*) His head understood. But deep in his chest, a tearing pain threatened to split him apart. Late at night. When Eren returned to his room alone, the window slid open without a sound. A black silhouette slipped inside, backlit by moonlight. Mikasa. Without a single footstep, she stood before Eren and stared straight at him with her jade-green eyes. Those eyes, cold and clear, yet deep within them, a blue flame flickered. [cold] "Tell me why you're keeping your distance." Her voice was as flat as ever, but Eren could tell. She was angry. [angry] "There's no reason." [angry] "You're lying." She grabbed Eren by the collar and shoved him against the wall. The strength residing in her slender fingers conveyed genuine fury. [crying] "We might die tomorrow—so why are you running away only tonight?" Her voice trembled. A crack in the emotions of the girl who was always calm and composed. Something inside Eren snapped. [angry] "I broke formation to shield you! If you die because of me, I'm finished! That's why I tried to keep my distance!" He spat the words out like a scream. His ragged breathing echoed in the quiet room. Mikasa was silent for a moment, then took Eren's hand. She pressed it against her own chest. Even through her uniform, he could feel it—the sound of her heart. Thump, thump. It was unbelievably fast, and hot. [whispers] "What I'm afraid of... are the nights when I can't touch you." A low, strained voice. Her jade eyes desperately held back tears that threatened to spill over. Inside Eren, his reason crumbled with an audible crack. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist and pulled her close, hard. Their lips met. Gentle at first, but quickly turning fierce, a devouring kiss. Mikasa's tongue slipped into his mouth, and they confirmed each other's heat. Her breath tickled Eren's nostrils. They tumbled onto the bed, entangled, stripping away each other's clothes. Her small, pale breasts were illuminated by the moonlight, the light pink nipples at their peaks stiff and erect. Eren brought his lips to one, rolling it with the tip of his tongue. [whispers] "Ah... Eren..." Her back arched like a bow. Her slender fingers desperately clutched Eren's short black hair. As he gently kneaded her other nipple with the pad of his finger, Eren trailed his lips downward. Her collarbone, the valley of her breasts, her flat stomach—her entire body trembled wherever his lips touched. When he removed her last piece of fabric, she was already overflowing with slick, hot nectar. He scooped up the wetness with his fingers and traced her secret place over and over. When he rolled her clitoris with the pad of his finger, her hips bucked, and a sweet sigh escaped her lips. [whispers] "Eren... put it in, already..." At her pleading voice, Eren's penis stood painfully erect. He spread her slender legs and pressed the glans against her soaking wet vaginal opening. The hot, tight entrance quivered, twitching as if trying to swallow him whole. He thrust all the way in at once. "Aaaah...!!" Her vagina clenched tightly around the entire length of Eren's penis. Love juices overflowed from their union, staining the sheets. Eren began to move his hips. Slowly at first, as if savoring the heat and tightness inside her. Gradually, he quickened, pistoning into her with fierce intensity. Every time his hips slammed against her, obscene wet sounds—squelch, squelch—echoed through the room. "Aah, ah, aaah...! Eren...!" Mikasa bit the back of her own hand, trying to stifle her voice, as she writhed her hips in rhythm with Eren's thrusts. Eren lifted her legs high and drove in even deeper. Every time the tip of his penis kissed her cervix, she let out a small cry and climaxed. He flipped her body over and penetrated her from behind in doggy style. Her long black hair clung to her back with sweat, droplets of water crawling across her white skin, glistening in the moonlight. Gripping her buttocks, he pounded into her even harder. [crying] "Eren, I'm... I'm coming, I'm gonna come...!!" [angry] "Me too... I'm cumming, Mikasa!!" Unable to endure the pleasure pushed to its absolute limit, Eren thrust his penis deep inside her and released, spurting thick, cloudy semen in pulsing waves. At the sensation of hot cum flooding into her womb, Mikasa also climaxed repeatedly, her entire body convulsing. Trembling violently, her whole frame shook, and her vaginal walls clamped down on Eren, trying to milk out every last drop. "Ah... aaaaah... ah..." The two of them held each other tightly, their ragged breaths mingling again and again. The smells of sweat, love juices, and semen mixed together, filling the sealed room. How much time had passed? Once their breathing had settled, Mikasa rested her cheek on Eren's chest, listening to his heartbeat as she quietly spoke. [whispers] "If... I die, you have to live." She pressed her forehead against his chest and closed her eyes. [angry] "Don't ever say that. I'll protect you no matter what—absolutely." He cradled her black hair in both hands and swore a fierce oath. Just before dawn, Mikasa left Eren's room. The hallway was empty, ruled only by silence. With her usual expressionless face, she walked back to her own room. However, just around the corner—Jean Kirschtein, returning from the bathroom, witnessed her figure. Jean checked the door of the room Mikasa had come out of, and his face stiffened. It was Eren's room. [whispers] "I knew it..." The next morning, assembly for deployment. Everyone donned their ODM gear and prepared to mount their horses. In front of the Survey Corps headquarters gate, roughly thirty selected members had gathered. The morning sun streamed in from beyond the Walls, casting long shadows from the soldiers. Jean approached Eren and spoke in a low voice. [cold] "Eren... we need to talk later." The sharpness in his eyes sent a chill down Eren's spine. But at that moment— "All personnel, mount up!! We're moving out!!" The Vice Commander's order rang out across the training ground. Jean swallowed the words he was about to say and sprinted toward his horse. Eren, too, exchanged a brief glance with Mikasa beside him, and they nodded to each other in silence. The sound of hooves shook the earth as the expedition formation slowly began to move. The massive gate in the Wall opened with a heavy, grinding groan. Beyond it lay a domain of death where Titans crawled. Eren faced forward. But deep in his heart, a single anxiety swirled. What was Jean going to say? If he intended to report their secret to the commanding officers—there was no telling what might happen during this expedition. As he passed through the gate to the outside world, Eren tightened his fist around the reins. Beside him, Mikasa's jade eyes stared at him intently. She, too, seemed to sense something. The battle against the Titans, and the ugly strife between humans. Both were about to begin.