Cold

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To survive in this world you must become heartless.

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"What...?" Connie's voice trembled as his eyes widened, the weight of his disbelief crushing him. His legs buckled, threatening to give way beneath him. "That wall is 50 meters high—how is that even possible?"

Beside him, Samuel stood frozen, his teeth clenched and his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. The sight of the impossible looming over them was enough to break his composure, and the panic was palpable in every strained breath he took.

The other cadets mirrored their despair, faces pale and drenched in sweat, their minds too paralyzed to process the enormity of what stood before them. Towering above them, the Colossal Titan let out a guttural roar that reverberated through the air, shaking their very cores.

The sound pierced through the chaos, sending shivers down their spines and scattering the cadets like leaves in a storm. But amid the fear and the chaos, Eren stood unmoving, his frame a stoic silhouette against the steam that billowed out from the titan's flesh. His dead, icy stare locked on the beast's towering form.

A sudden gust of scorching steam erupted from the Colossal Titan, the intense pressure sending soldiers tumbling through the air like ragdolls.

Eren's hands tightened around his ODM sword handles until they shattered under the sheer force of his grip. His gaze remained unyielding, locked onto the titan as he fired his hooks into the wall's surface to steady himself amidst the storm.

Behind him, the grunts and wails of cadets echoed as they scrambled to ensure their comrades were safe. Yet Eren paid them no mind, his focus razor-sharp.

Amidst the chaos, the Colossal Titan raised its massive fist, the movement slow but deliberate, its intent clear.

[Activating Skill: ODM Mastery]

The notification flashed before Eren's eyes, but he didn't flinch. He inhaled deeply, the steam burning his lungs as he prepared to move.

"EREHH!!!" Mikasa's desperate cry cut through the air, her voice filled with anguish. She clung to the wall alongside the other cadets, powerless to intervene as Eren disappeared into the dense steam.

The Colossal Titan's massive fist swept across the surface of the wall in one fluid motion, demolishing every cannon in its path.

[Activating Skill: Blade Mastery]

"E-Eh?" The Colossal Titan paused mid-action, its massive bloodied arm emerging from the steam—its hand gone, severed clean.

Bertholdt's heart sank, his Titan's eyes narrowing in disbelief. "Eren?" he murmured, spotting the lone figure standing amidst the wreckage on the wall. Eren's stance was unyielding, his blades held in reverse grips, his body drenched in evaporating Titan blood. His icy gaze burned through the haze, fixed on the Colossal Titan with deadly precision.

"Did he just...?" Bertholdt's thoughts spiraled, confusion and fear clashing within him.

Before he could comprehend, Eren's hooks fired, propelling him directly toward the Titan.

[Activating Skill: Master Thrower]

"Hngh!" Eren grunted, twisting his body mid-air with practiced precision. With a forceful motion, he hurled his blades straight at the Colossal Titan's eyes, followed by four more in quick succession.

"AHHHHHHH!" The Colossal let out an ear-piercing shriek, its massive eyes exploding in crimson, leaving it blinded and thrashing.

Mist escaped from Eren's mouth in cold bursts as he landed briefly, his stance unwavering. Drawing more blades, he fired his hooks toward the Titan's neck, the blades sparking fiercely against their containing boxes as they slid into place.

The Colossal Titan's roar echoed across the Wall, a deafening sound of anguish and fury that sent vibrations through the stone structure. Blinded and disoriented, its movements became erratic, each step shaking the ground and threatening to topple those still clinging to the surface.

"Eren! This fight isn't over. I'll kill you myself later…" Bertholdt growled, his voice laced with venom as steam poured from his titan form. This time, the heat was more intense, fierce enough to scorch the very air around him.

Eren's jaw tightened as he fired his left hook toward the nape. The grapple hook latched on perfectly, but within seconds, the rope disintegrated in the blistering heat.

"Tch…" he muttered under his breath, his frustration mounting.

"EREH! WATCH OUT!" Mikasa's voice cut through the chaos, sharp and urgent.

A blinding flash of lightning split the sky, crashing onto the Titan's head just inches from Eren. The force of it sent a shockwave rippling through the air, momentarily blurring his vision.

When the light faded. The Colossal Titan was gone, vanished into the swirling steam like a ghost.

His narrowed eyes scanned the area, searching. The silence that followed was deafening, the battlefield suddenly still.

With a resigned exhale, Eren fired his hooks back toward the Wall, propelling himself toward the waiting cadets. His landing was heavy, his shoulders tense as he met their wide-eyed stares.

"What happened?" Sasha asked, her voice trembling as he clutched the wall for support.

"Did you get em?" Connie continued as Mikasa ran towards Eren concerned scanning him for any injuries.

"He got away...." Eren muttered placing his blades back into their places. Eren's then attention shifted at Mikasa.

"Ackerman... Your gear.... Hand it over... Mines damaged..." Eren said and she looked him in the eyes.

"It'll take a while for the scouts to come back. The armoured is likely to appear any moment now I'll hold him off. The rest of you inform the hire ups..." His voice was stern and commanding the others didn't dare say anything back seeing how fast and brave he was against the colossal.

"Ereh! But let me..." Mikasa said but Eren cut her off by clutching the side of her cheek making her yelp. "Ackerman... No buts this time. Do as you're told...." The others watched in confusion seeing his special way of ordering her.

She gulped and reluctantly agreed exchanging gears. And then diving back into the city eyes scanning at behemoths that were approaching them in the distance.

And the others watched in awe and confusion the arch's of blood erupting from each titan he cut through not even allowing a single Titan to step foot through the hole, Eren held them off while the bells started to ring it took them a while to notice that the walls have been breached or maybe the garrison regiment responsible for the ringing were a bunch of drunkerds.

Just as the cadets were about to deploy the Garrison Regiment's arrived signaling the start of Operation Colossal Titan Response. Connie hastily briefed the higher-ups on the situation and about Eren The Garrison Regiment sprang into action, launching a desperate defense against the approaching Titans alongside Eren.

A mesh structure was hastily erected at the gate, buying time for the evacuation of Trost's civilians. The Garrison Regiment charged forward, blindly sacrificing themselves against the abnormal Titans.

The cadets, still reeling from their graduation, reluctantly equipped their ODM gears. Eren and the others joined the chaos at the supply center, seeking to refill her gas tanks while Eren returned mikasa's gear back and equiped a new one for himself.

Amidst the frantic preparations, Mina's voice pierced the air, her eyes deadened by tears.

"Guys, they've entered Trost... The mesh... They broke through it easily..." A collective shiver ran down the spines of the cadets.

Armin's breath came in ragged gasps, his eyes wide with despair. "This is it... We are as good as dead..." His voice trembled, the weight of their predicament crushing him.

"It's not death you should be afraid of, Arlet," Eren whispered, his voice steady yet cutting as he stood before Armin. Beside him, Christa, Ymir, and Mikasa lingered silently, their expressions betraying unease. "It's the fear of never starting to live."

He turned his sharp gaze toward Armin, letting the weight of his words settle. "And if you're that desperate to live, just hide behind Ackerman here. She'll protect a coward like you..." His tone dipped lower, almost a growl, as Mikasa's brows furrowed in protest.

"Ereh! Don't be rude," Mikasa scolded, her pout softening the harshness of her reprimand as she reached up and clutched his ear, tugging it lightly.

"Oi, Ackerman!" Eren barked, his usual commanding tone faltering as her grip lingered. Mikasa finally released him with a sigh, though her actions sent an unmistakable pang of jealousy rippling through Christa's chest.

Taking a breath, Mikasa turned her focus to Armin. "Armin... Listen." she said, her voice low and firm, like an anchor against the storm. "We've been through worse than this, and every time, we survived. Think of today as another one of those days we have to endure. Pray it passes, and do what we cadets need to do—ensure the evacuation. Afterwards, we retreat. Just... don't die until then."

Her simple yet resolute words sparked a faint glimmer of hope in Armin's watery blue eyes. He glanced at Eren, his gaze silently pleading for reassurance.

Eren muttered, crossing his arms. "There's an easier way to survive this, Arlet. Come here—I'll break your arm. At least then, you'll have an excuse."

Before Armin could react, Mikasa leaned in and clutched Eren's cheek.

"Ereh!"

Eren's hand clutched her wrist. "Ackerman, the hell?! You're not my mother. Stop treating me li—"

Mikasa cut him off with a pointed look, her tone firm yet soft. "Ereh, you too. Don't be reckless."

For a moment, Eren stared at her, his defiance wavering. Something unspoken lingered in his gaze before he turned away, jaw clenched.

Why was she treating him like that? He was supposed to be cold and strong, the one everyone believed wanted to be left alone. Yet here he was, his edges softened—only for Mikasa.

Even Christa, watching the scene unfold, found herself unsettled, her heart stirring with unfamiliar emotions.

"Cadets! If you're done equipping your gear, the captain would like a word with you!"