The massive gate of the Wall groaned shut behind them, a dull, heavy sound. That low reverberation clung deep in Yeager Eren's chest. It was an awful feeling. As if he'd just been sentenced to never return—an ominous shudder crawled up his spine. The air outside the Walls was nothing like the air within. The scent of damp earth, the thick green smell of grass, and faintly mingled within it all, the smell of blood. Only the pounding of horse hooves against the earth echoed unnaturally loud in his head. Thirty soldiers of the Survey Corps' select unit advanced through the wasteland beyond Wall Maria, maintaining a vigilant formation. As he spurred his horse onward, Eren fixed his gaze on the back of Ackerman Mikasa, riding several meters ahead. Her long black hair swayed in the wind, the harness of her ODM gear biting into her slender frame. The warmth of last night flickered back to life at his fingertips— That was when it happened. A horse pulled up beside him. "[cold]Eren." It was Kirschtein Jean. He kept his eyes forward, tossing only his voice in Eren's direction. His profile lacked its usual flippancy. "[cold]Last night. I saw Mikasa leaving your room." His heart stopped. Eren's expression hardened. His fist clenched tight around the reins. "[angry]...What are you talking about." His voice dropped low. Jean let out a short, derisive snort. "[cold]Don't play dumb. Once the survey's over, I'm debating whether to report this to Vice-Captain Gunta." With that parting remark, Jean urged his horse forward. Watching his back, a gut-twisting anxiety surged up inside Eren. He faced forward again. Mikasa's figure in the distance felt impossibly far away. —We've been found out. The weight of their secret mingled with the tension outside the Walls, settling cold and heavy at the pit of his stomach. They must have ridden for another two hours after that. The formation approached the entrance to a forest of giant trees. Massive trunks, towering over eighty meters high, clustered so densely they blotted out the sky. Sunlight was blocked, leaving the forest interior dim and steeped in a chill, stagnant air. The Forest of Giant Trees—one of the most dangerous points along the Survey Corps' expedition route. "Everyone, tighten the formation. Keep your ODM gear ready." The voice of Captain Ackerman Levi, riding at the head of the column, cut through the unit with quiet authority. A short, efficient command. From his back, which never once turned around, radiated the overwhelming presence of a veteran forged in countless battles. Looking at that back, Eren thought honestly to himself—he was truly glad this man was on their side. The formation began weaving through the trees. Eren kept his thumb on the wire-launch trigger, advancing while scanning his surroundings. That was when, at the edge of his vision, he caught sight of an unfamiliar figure from behind. Short blonde hair in a bob. Cold blue eyes rapidly scanning the gaps between the trees. Her ODM maneuvering was refined, utterly devoid of wasted tension. "[surprised]Who's that." Connie, riding beside him, answered in a hushed voice. "[whispers]That's Leonhart Ani, from the Military Police. She's accompanying us as an observer. She was in our Training Corps year, right? You seriously don't know her?" Leonhart Ani. Eren had heard the name before. But this was the first time he'd seen her up close like this. Her icy eyes flicked toward Eren and Mikasa for just an instant. A gaze that seemed to measure, to appraise. Eren felt a faint discomfort and instinctively looked away. The anomaly occurred just as they reached the forest's midsection. A signal flare rose from the rear. Red smoke climbed ominously into the dim forest. The sign of approaching Titans. "They're coming! Deploy to the right wing!" Almost simultaneously, massive bodies burst out from behind the trees. One, two—no, more. From the rear, a total of eight Titans, including one Abnormal, crashed into the formation. The Abnormal moved differently from ordinary Titans. It ran in zigzags, impossible to predict. It leaped on all fours, grabbing and snapping the ODM gear wires. One soldier lost balance mid-air. "Uwaaaaaah!!" A Titan's hand seized the soldier. The next instant—a sickening crunch of pulverized flesh. Eren's throat constricted. But there was no time to wallow in sentiment. Another Titan was closing in right in front of him. "Eren, handle the Abnormal! I'll take down two!" Mikasa's voice rang out. She was already in motion. Launching her wires, she kicked off a giant trunk and accelerated. Her movements held not a shred of hesitation, her dual blades tracing an arc. Shhk—the Titan's nape was deeply cleaved, and one collapsed. "[angry]Got it!" Eren locked onto the Abnormal. If he couldn't read this thing's movements, they'd all be wiped out. He tracked it with his eyes—right, left, up—damn, it was fast. He opened the gas throttle fully and gave chase. Slipping between the giant trees, he focused everything on anticipating the Abnormal's next move. That was when his wire tangled. The tip of his wire snagged on a giant tree branch. The momentum of his gas propulsion was killed, and Eren's movement halted for a split second. —Shit. In that single moment of vulnerability, another Titan closed in on Mikasa from behind, utterly silent. She had just finished slicing the nape of the second Titan and was in her landing stance. Her reaction was a fraction of a second too slow. "Mikasa!!" His mind went completely blank. Eren abandoned all focus on the Abnormal and launched his wires again, practically tearing them free. Accelerating at an impossible angle, he threw himself in front of Mikasa. The Abnormal's claws grazed his shoulder—he didn't care. He swung his dual blades through and slashed away the arm of the Titan threatening her. "Eren, what are you—" Mikasa shouted. But before her voice could even finish— From behind, the fingertips of a third Titan gouged deeply into Mikasa's side. Shhk. A horrible sound. The wet noise of flesh tearing and bone shattering. The white shirt Mikasa wore was instantly dyed crimson. Blood gushed out, and her body collapsed at the base of a tree like a marionette with its strings cut. Thud. To Eren, that sound was the sound of the world ending. "—Mikasaaaaaa!!!" Eren somehow evaded the Abnormal and landed. He rushed to Mikasa's side immediately. She lay face down, utterly motionless in a pool of blood. Blood still pulsed and overflowed from the wound in her side. His mind went white. Forgetting even to launch his ODM wires, Eren crumbled to his knees. With trembling hands, he lifted Mikasa into his arms. Her skin was unbelievably cold, her lips already beginning to turn pale. "[crying]Don't die... don't die...!" Eren pulled out bandages. But his fingers trembled too much to work properly. He tried to press them to the wound, but blood just kept gushing out, and he could do nothing. "[whispers]...Ere...n..." Mikasa opened her eyes, just barely. Her voice held none of its usual strength; it was terribly frail. Her slender fingers faintly gripped Eren's arm. "[crying]Mikasa! Don't talk! I'll save you, right now! I'll definitely save you—so don't die! Don't you die!" His voice cracked. Whether it was tears or blood, his entire face was wet. Hatred for the Titans, revenge, everything—it had all been blown away. Only Mikasa, here in his arms, was everything. The terror of losing her had completely seized control of him. It was a sensation he had never felt before in his life. From a distant treetop, Leonhart Ani looked down upon this scene. She had already finished off her assigned Titan. Her movements were utterly efficient, almost like a dance, her blonde hair swaying in the wind. Her cold blue eyes steadily observed Eren, lost in panic within a pool of blood, and the wounded Mikasa. (Ah, so that's how it is.) Ani reached that conclusion internally. A comrade who could make a soldier lose composure to that degree was no ordinary comrade. This could be used. Unnoticed by anyone, she quietly raised the corner of her lips. Someone happened to catch that expression. Jean. (...What the hell is she smiling about.) Jean felt a wave of disgust, but in the chaos of battle, he had no room to dwell on it further. He launched his wires toward another Titan. The remaining Titans—Ackerman Levi ended them all. His movements were nothing short of divine. Switching wires again and again, he tore through the giant trees like a meteor. His dual blades precisely found the napes of the Titans, silencing them one after another. It was overwhelming. The final Abnormal let out a death cry and crumbled. Levi shook the blood from his blades and landed beside Eren. "[cold]...It's deep." Glancing at Mikasa's wound, Levi's voice was as calm as ever. "[crying]Captain...! Mikasa, she's...!" Eren's hands still trembled as he tried to apply the bandages, utterly failing. Wordlessly, Levi brushed Eren's hands aside and applied direct pressure to Mikasa's side with his own hands to stop the bleeding. The speed and lack of hesitation in his technique. Stunned, Eren looked at Levi's profile. For just the briefest instant, something bitter flickered across it. "[serious]Save the sentiment for later. Right now, focus only on keeping her alive." It wasn't an order. It felt to Eren like something else—words born from experience. "[sad]...Yes, sir." Eren nodded silently. A small light of trust and reverence for Levi kindled deep in his chest. The order to retreat was given, and the unit spurred their horses urgently onward. Eren rode with Mikasa cradled in front of him, holding her close. The hand he kept pressed against her wound was already slick and sticky with blood. Mikasa's consciousness was hazy; pained, shallow breaths escaped her from time to time. "[whispers]...Eren." Mikasa murmured in a hoarse voice, her fingertips gripping his arm. A thin, small strength. "[crying]Don't talk, Mikasa... we'll reach the barracks soon..." His throat tightened. He couldn't force out any more words. At the edge of his vision, he caught sight of Jean pulling his horse up beside Vice-Captain Gunta behind them. And ahead, Ani, riding at the front, glanced back just once. She looked at Eren and Mikasa, then faced forward again without a word. Eren couldn't understand the meaning of that cold gaze. But—something bad had begun. That was the only certainty. There was no guarantee for Mikasa's life, and the threat of Jean's report and the meaning behind Ani's cold stare pressed down on him with crushing weight. The retreat route back to the barracks would still take hours. Eren gritted his teeth, looked only ahead, and kept his horse running. The cold weight of Mikasa in his arms was all that existed in the world.