You are my Soul

☾hapter XLIV

The squads and I did our best to protect the horses. My gaze swept across the battlefield, and I couldn't help but wonder how many of those damned Titans were left lurking. The looming threat of the Beast Titan remained ever-present; at any moment, it could dispatch more colossal Titans to join the fray alongside us.

" Recruits ! Take the remaining horses to the west side ! Protect Squad Dirk !". Klaus barked out orders.

" Incoming ! Three-to-four meter class Titan from the east !". A soldier shouted.

Levi and I exchanged a brief nod before sprinting toward the two Titans, determined to put them down.

" Captain Levi ! Anelise !". Marlowe's voice rang out with relief.

I glanced back at them," Go ! Protect the horses. We'll handle these Titans". I commanded.

Marlowe's comrade nodded fervently," She's right ! This is our chance ! Hurry !".

Levi surveyed the scene, then turned his attention to the soldiers on the neighboring rooftops, not far from us.

" Mop up those smaller Titans now, before the Beast Titan acts ! No casualties allowed ! I forbid any of you to die !". Levi's orders were sharp and commanding.

The soldiers nodded nervously, responding with a quick," Sir !".

As they dispersed, I overheard Levi's annoyed huff. 

" What's going on ?". I asked curiously.

He clicked his tongue in frustration," It's a letdown. The weak ones die so quickly. I can't stand weaklings".

I gazed at him sadly before placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder," Unfortunately, we have no other choice. Our priority is taking down that ape. After what it did to Mike's squad and my brother's village, it won't escape unscathed".

Levi nodded grimly and redirected his focus to the menacing Beast Titan.

Levi was right. Most soldiers struggled against these smaller Titans. It was their first expedition, and they found themselves face-to-face with these creatures. Many had never seen Titans before, let alone fought them. It was a chaotic mess.

My gaze wandered to the Titans still clustered around the Beast Titan. I couldn't help but ponder their origins. Did they willingly transform, as Eren and the other Titan shifters did ? Was there a way to reverse this process ? 

And more perplexing, did they willingly surrender their consciousness to become instruments of destruction ? If so, their motivations eluded me entirely.

Glancing behind me, I saw Erwin standing on the wall in the distance, observing the enemy's movements. He, too, must have grappled with the same emotions as Levi, though Erwin always chose his words more carefully.

With a sigh, I turned my attention back to the distant Titans, the enigmatic threats that had brought chaos to our lives. 

Third person POV :

Erwin surveyed the battlefield, where most of the new recruits were struggling in their battles against the Titans.

" They're having a hard time with three and four-meter class Titans, and we've already suffered casualties. The Survey Corps' strength isn't what it once was. But without those losses, we'd never have made it this far". Erwin thought.

Erwin reminisced about his days in the Training Corps, recalling the theory he and his father had discussed. He had planned to prove it once he joined the Survey Corps, but after becoming a soldier, he found himself unable to talk about it.