Historia stood thirty meters away, her gaze fixed on the signal that had been sent. She looked down at her arm, her heart pounding in her chest. Despite knowing what she was about to do, Historia felt no fear. Instead, she felt a strange sense of calm wash over her. No Regrets, she thought to herself before injecting the serum into her arm. The moment she did, she felt a sharp pain spread throughout her body before a bolt of yellow lightning struck the ground. Everyone around her watched in astonishment as an eleven meters Titan formed, unlike all the other Titans they had seen before.
Historia's Titan skin was so pale it almost seemed to glow in the sunlight, her teeth were sharp and pointed like a predator, and from her back sprung out a set of wings that seemed to stretch for five meters, her long blonde hair cascading down her back to her middle, her face looking very similar to Historia's, yet with a certain otherworldly quality that made her seem almost ethereal.
Hange shrieked excitedly, her eyes widening with anticipation as she realized this looked like a new Titan that was standing before her. She was about to use her ODM Gear to reach it, but before she could take a single step, Levi had grabbed her shoulders, stopping her from getting herself killed.
"Not yet, shitty glasses. She might not have control." Levi barked at her, and as if to prove his point, Historia let out a loud shriek, making everyone cover their eyes. Even Eren and Armin covered their ears due to the incredibly loud noises. Levi heard the sound of the windows shattering behind them.
Levi's voice was cold and commanding as he ordered, "Shut her up," his hand already reaching for his sword, ready to cut her throat. But Eren was one step ahead, his fist already flying towards her face before Levi could even draw his blade. Everyone expected her to be sent flying, but Historia was surprisingly quick, her hands moving swiftly to grab his arm before it could reach its intended target.
Fast! Eren reacted quickly, desperately trying to dodge the large, sharp nails that Historia had lunged at him. Still, one of them managed to scratch his face, causing him to become increasingly annoyed. He used his other hand to grab her arm, and with all the strength he could muster, he slammed her against the ground. He raised his fist, ready to punch forward, but instead of connecting with her, he hit nothing but the ground, causing it to crack like glass. Historia used her long nails to cut his eyes.
Eren roared, not being able to see. The Titan chose this opportunity to punch the hand holding her ankle, ready to pounce Eren's titan, when she turned around, hearing loud and heavy footsteps approaching as Armin slammed against her using his body.
Historia hit the ground roughly, her body crashing against the hard earth with a thud reverberating through the air. She quickly scrambled to her feet, but before she could take a step forward, a voice called out to her, "Historia, it's us. Stop!" Ymir had used her ODM Gear to get closer and grab her attention, hoping her voice would be enough to snap her out of it, but the Titan narrowed her eyes, her expression still that of a predator.
Shit, she thought, as the titan started running towards the tree Ymir was standing on, biting her lower lip in anticipation of the impending danger. A bolt of electricity hit Ymir just in time to transform her into a towering eleven-meter-tall titan, and Historia tried to attack her with her arm. But Ymir's agility allowed her to grab Historia's arm with her crystallized teeth, and with a single bite, her arm was severed like a hot knife through butter. Historia shrieked loudly in pain, and Ymir winced at the sound of her agonizing screams. Historias titan spread her wings wide, flapping them with a powerful gust of wind that rippled through her feathers. With a determined leap, she used her long legs to propel herself into the air and started soaring away, leaving a trail of glittering dust in her wake.
"Someone stop her," Armin shouted in alarm, desperately hoping that someone would be able to stop her before it was too late; they were completely unprepared for the fact that a Titan could fly, and Doctor Yeager had failed to mention it in any of his briefings. He was filled with dread at the thought of what would happen if someone else were to witness Historia's Titan, and he knew that they had to act quickly.
Eren quickly jumped, grabbing onto her ankle with high speed, taking advantage of his 27-meter titan form. The Historias Titan tried to sway her body around, desperately attempting to shake him off, but her focus was solely on Eren, so she didn't notice the two Ackermans using their ODM gear to come to his aid.
In a blur, both of her wings were sliced off, and before Historia had a chance to let out a shriek of pain, Levi had already moved with high speed, slicking her neck and preventing her from screaming again. Taking advantage of this momentary distraction, Eren, whose hand was still firmly gripping her ankle, slammed her body against the ground and moved on top of her. Historia's Titan tried to fight back, but Eren opened his mouth to speak.
"Hi-i-sto-ri... Historia." Eren spoke, this time sounding plainer.
As Historia heard his voice, her body gradually relaxed, and the tension that had been building up disappeared. Her clouded blue eyes, which had been hidden behind a veil of fear and anger, slowly became more apparent, and she stopped struggling against him.
Historias Titan stared intently at Erens Titan, her gaze searching for something that seemed to elude her, but when her eyes finally met his emerald green ones, her own azure eyes widened in surprise.
"Eren!" Historia spoke, sounding a little confused.
Hearing the Titan talk, the others breathed a sigh of relief, Squad Levi and the other two squads had wanted to jump and help Eren and Armin, but Erwin ordered them not to interfere unless Armin, Eren, and Ymir couldn't handle it.
Levi had been the first to act when Historia had attempted to fly away, using Eren's titan body to catch up to her quickly. Mikasa had followed close behind, determined to stop her at all costs.
Now that they heard her speak, they knew she was in control now.
"It's done, Commander. Historia, it's safe now." Mikasa informed everyone. They still looked tense, except for the captains and the Commander.
"OHHHH, GOD YES. CAN I PLEASE SEE HER FROM UP CLOSE." Hange screamed, her mouth wide open and drool rolling down her jaw and onto the ground, but this time Levi was not fast enough to stop her, as she ran towards Historia with Moblit hot on her heels, her eyes wild and her hair flying behind her like a cape.
"Hange, please be careful." Mikasa felt a pang of sympathy for the unfortunate soul who had been tasked with the responsibility of keeping up with her, as Moblit shouted out in frustration; she knew it couldn't be easy to be constantly trailing after a woman as unpredictable and wild as Hange.
Historia looked around cautiously as Eren allowed her to stand up, her wings slowly regrowing behind her back. Ymir, sensing her unease, rushed to stand beside her, offering her a comforting hand and a reassuring smile as she regained her footing.
"Historia, are you alright?" Armin stood beside Eren, his only wound being a deep claw mark across his bone plates around his shoulder. He had thrown himself at Historia in an attempt to push her away from Eren, but she had moved with such speed that her claws had managed to cut through his armor before he had even made contact with her.
Historia tried to put on a brave face, but she couldn't help but feel a little lightheaded. She held her head with her hand, trying to steady herself, and reluctantly answered, "I-I'm fine."
Before Eren could tell her to come out of her titan, all the Titan Shifters heard footsteps approaching, revealing the crazy Sentience.
"Historia, this is Amazing. How is it that you have Wings? How does it feel? How can you scream like that-" "Captain, do you lack any human compassion?" Moblit interrupted, pointing dramatically at Historias Titan, who had fallen to her knees, her breath coming out in short, sharp bursts as steam rose from her nape.
"Historia." Mikasa was the first to get to her. Ymir and Eren came out of their Titans, as Mikasa, with a determined glint in her eye, unsheathed her sword, and with a single, swift motion, she sliced through the muscles that had been binding Historia's face to the Titan, freeing her from its grasp.
Historia was breathing heavily, her eyes half-closed, as Eren and Ymir gently helped her down from the back of the Titan. Armin had come out of his own Titan. His gaze fixed on Historia's face with a look of intense concern.
Just as I suspected, every titan leaves different marks on our faces, Armin thought; Historia's Titan marks were three lines similar to Erens, but hers went all the way to her neck, and behind her back were two large red marks looking like burn marks, slowly healing, probably because of her Titan wings.
Armin was perplexed by the presence of wings on Historia's back, and he couldn't help but wonder if it had something to do with her Royal Blood. He wasn't sure if his theory was correct, but it was the only one he could come up with at the moment.
"I'm really sorry. I got carried away." Hange apologized profusely, feeling a wave of guilt wash over her as she watched Historia breathing heavily, her body trembling from the effort of standing up. Eren and Ymir were quick to come to her aid, their arms gently wrapping around her shoulders in a comforting embrace as they helped her to her feet.
"I-It's alright. E-Eren told me the f-first time it's very e-exhausting." Historia brushed it off with a wave of her hand, her voice sounding hoarse. Erwin, who was walking towards them with a determined stride, was accompanied by a host of other people.
"We all are grateful for what you have done for us, Cadet Historia." Erwin expressed his appreciation with a beaming smile.
"N-n-No problem, I-I just n-n-nee-" her words trailed off as she could no longer keep her eyes open. Falling asleep, Eren quickly reached out and held her in his arms, preventing her from falling to the ground.
"Prepare a bed for her to rest," Erwin commanded. Mike Squad was quick to do the job.
Once she was sleeping peacefully on her bed, the group made their way out of the castle, the aftermath of the battle still quite visible. Erwin glanced over at Eren. His brow furrowed in curiosity as he wondered which Titan Historia had transformed into during the fight.
"I think she's a beast titan. Only they have the ability to look like a specific animal." Eren answered the question before it was even asked, and Armin nodded in agreement, his mind drifting back to the memory of Historia's sharp nails that had dug into his skin during their last encounter.
"I think she has taken after an eagle. They're known to have very sharp fangs and long, powerful wings." Armin added, and the others nodded in agreement since it made sense.
Hange, on the other hand, couldn't help but ponder why Historias Titan didn't have an eagle beak but eventually decided to put that thought aside for the time being and focus on the task at hand.
Erwin, not knowing when Historia would wake up, instructed the rest of the group to hone their skills in battling intelligent Titans by using their ODM Gear in order to prepare for any potential future encounters.
Since Armin's Bone Armor couldn't be pierced with normal blades, Eren, feeling a sense of responsibility, volunteered to be the one to transform into a Titan, and Ymir was immensely grateful, as it allowed her to stay by Historia's side and keep an eye on her while she continued to sleep peacefully.
"Well, since his Nape is crystallized, we can't harm him but try to bring him down," Levi ordered his team sternly, who nodded with determination.
The Captain stared at Erens Titan, feeling a strange mixture of awe and apprehension. It was a surreal experience to have a 27-meter Titan standing right in front of them, and while Levi knew that Eren's Nape was protected, he was aware that the other way around wasn't as secure. Despite this, he kept that information to himself, as Eren had been proving himself to be a reliable and trustworthy ally thus far.
Levi watched his team move around Eren with remarkable speed, attempting to distract him with their agility, but despite his large size, Eren was surprisingly quick and nimble. Oluo and Eld tried to blind him with their swords, but Eren was too fast and managed to grab both of their vires with ease. The scouts panicked in fear momentarily, but Eren simply let them go. Levi clucked his tongue in annoyance.
"You lost. If this were a real fight, you all would be dead." Levi spoke plainly to his team, who looked a little discouraged. They, of course, knew Eren was holding his punches and always went for a grab instead of trying to smash them into pieces.
"Try Again," Levi ordered sternly, and his squad nodded in acknowledgment before they started again. He watched every move with narrowed eyes, analyzing every single misstep and every opportunity Eren had to kill them but chose not to.
Every time one of them was captured, they would try again. Soon Levi Squad ran out of gas to use their ODM Gear.
"Enough," As Levi's team touched down, he firmly commanded them to stop, his voice echoing through the air. He then strode confidently towards the titan, his presence commanding attention and respect.
"Eren, now you're against me." Levi challenged before double-checking his gear one last time, preparing himself for the battle ahead.
"No Holding Back. You will fight me with everything you got." Levi quickly added. Eren nodded in understanding; Mikasa couldn't help but feel a shudder.
Mike watched this one intently with a small smirk, his eyes never leaving the scene before him. He could feel the tension in the air as Levi Squad shifted uncomfortably, obviously wanting to tell their captain that this was a dangerous move, but Levi gave them all a hard look, daring them to speak up.
"Start," Hange shouted excitedly. Levi moved with such speed and agility that it almost seemed as if he was blurring through the air, leaving a trail of dust and wind in his wake. Eren, with his enhanced vision, was the only one who could keep up with Levi's movements, watching in awe as he flew past. Raising his fist in the air, he swung it with all his might towards Levi, who because of his speed looked like a circular saw and was slicing through Eren's arm with incredible speed. He jumped towards Eren's face.
The Titan saw the attack coming, and at the last second, he tilted his head to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack on his left eye. His right eye was blinded by the sword impaled, and his right arm was rendered useless, but Levi was quick on his feet and managed to disappear again, this time staying on his blind side and out of harm's way. Eren tried to follow him when his knees were suddenly cut so deeply that they could no longer support the weight of his body, causing him to collapse to the ground in a heap. He's Too Fast!! Eren thought, falling to his knees, his body not healing fast enough.
Eren's single functioning eye widened in shock as he watched in horror as Levi swiftly sliced through his other arm, rendering his Titan body completely useless and powerless.
Levi was tempted to try and cut through his neck, to get to his location, and pull out Eren forcefully, but held his blades. There was no need to do that. Instead, he landed far enough from Eren.
"Eren!" Mikasa called out, but Levi stopped her as Eren pulled himself out of his nape.
"Captain Levi, you truly are humanity's strongest soldier." Eren praised, pulling himself out easily; Mikasa quickly got by his side. Despite the admiration, the Captain didn't like the title of 'humanity's strongest soldier' that was bestowed upon him; he never thought of himself as the strongest, especially when there were millions of people outside of their island and Kenny was still kicking.
"Not bad, kid. You were able to follow my speed." Levi praised before walking towards his Team, who were astonished by the fight. Even Armin couldn't fathom how Levi had beaten Eren so effortlessly.
Mikasa looked at Eren with a concerned expression, her eyebrows furrowed as she asked if he needed help, to which he responded with a gentle, warm smile.
"Maybe a little," Eren leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on her cheek, causing her to blush so deeply that she quickly slid her red scarf upwards to hide it, though she knew he had already seen it.
For the following two hours, the other two teams tried against Eren's Titan. Hange Squad and Mike Squad were beaten effortlessly; Eren even beat someone like Mike, but after losing one of his Titan's arms. Sadly when Eren tried to transform a third time, to keep fighting, it seemed he had reached his limit.
"Eren!" Hange shouted with her hands cupped around her mouth, desperately trying to make her voice louder as she called out to Eren, who had suddenly collapsed to the ground after transforming into a Titan. "Eren, are you alright?" she cried out, her voice echoing through the air as she awaited a response.
"The brat is tired. Look at his body. His legs have no muscles, he's only fourteen meters tall, and his ass is sticking out." Levi pointed out dryly. Eren's Titan legs were so thin that they seemed almost skeletal, and his chest had lost its muscularity, with his ribs visible through his thin skin. His teeth were so loose that it seemed as if they were about to fall out of his mouth.
"I know." Hange countered before rushing to help Eren. And when they arrived at his Titan body, they could feel the warmth radiating from his skin
"How do we pull him out?" Hange shouted, pointing at the crystallized Nape of Eren's Titan, Mike tried to use his blades to break the crystal, but they shattered like glass, proving that even though this was a weak transformation, the nape was still too strong to be broken.
Huh! It seems that ability will be there even if he's tired, Armin thought, tapping his finger against his chin. Levi was about to suggest Armin transform and turn his body around when the crystal started cracking before Eren pulled himself out.
"Eren." Mikasa was quick to help him, trying to pull him out, but the muscle tissue just wasn't letting him go. Everyone was a little grossed out by the sight, as the muscles had glued themselves to his face, pulling the skin off and revealing his skull beneath.
"Stand Back," Levi ordered before cutting the tissue; Eren stumbled back before falling. The steam coming out of his face and severed hands was a clear sign he was healing.
"Get him inside to Rest. We are done for today." Levi ordered everyone. Everyone walked back to the castle, the titan's body still decomposing behind them.
Night
As everyone settled around the table to enjoy the meal, Nanabi couldn't help but ask Ymir a question that had been on her mind for some time. "Ymir, you were raised in Marley, right? What was it like?" Historia and Eren had just woken up, and although the blonde girl still looked a bit weary, she was determined to stay strong.
Ymir pondered whether she should tell them or not but Soon decided to just go along with it. "Not really that great, I had to hunt for my food every day, and the people there weren't exactly kind to me. Since I was homeless and without a name, people could throw rocks and other things, and no one would care." Ymir kept telling them a little about her childhood. Hange wrote everything in her notebook, much to Ymir's growing annoyance.
"It's not like it matters. It's been over sixty years. I doubt the place is the same as I left it." Ymir ended her tale before drinking soup with her spoon. The scouts were unsure of how to process Hange's words; the people of Marley sounded so hostile, yet Hange wanted to believe that not everyone outside the island harbored such animosity towards them.
Levi, on the other hand, didn't really care. He would continue to protect his people as he had done for so many years. To think the same people sent people here and turned them into Titans, the same titans that ate...Levi's grip around the cup of tea tightened as he tried to distract himself from the thoughts that were swirling around in his head, the thoughts of them that he was desperately trying to push away. He knew that if he allowed himself to think about them, he would be pulled into a world of memories and emotions that he didn't want to face. So, he forced himself to take a deep breath and focus on the warmth of the cup in his hands, and the steam that was rising from it, in an effort to stop thinking about them.
A life without regrets, he repeated in his head, his eyes slowly settling on Hange. He had to admit that she had started to grow on him, and he found himself no longer minding her wild talk about Titans as much as he had in the past. He couldn't help but feel a strange sense of comfort in her presence, and he wondered if this was what it felt like to have a... Perhaps I'm losing my mind, Levi quickly came to the conclusion. He hadn't noticed that Hange was also looking at him, especially the way the fire illuminated his face, causing a blush to form on her cheeks that she tried to hide.
Soon everyone went to sleep except Eren and Historia, who walked outside, wanting to watch the full moon. Levi simply told them not to wander off. Mikasa and Ymir knowing what was happening went to their rooms to sleep.
Armin smiled, feeling a warm sense of contentment that his childhood friend was so happy. His thoughts soon drifted to Mina, and he couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement in his chest at the prospect of finally asking her out on a date.
Later
"You did excellent today, Historia." Eren complimented, his forearms resting against the cold rails of the balcony.
The silence around them was calming, like a blanket of peace that had been draped over the land. The full moon was high in the sky, its silvery light illuminating the world around them, creating a magical atmosphere that was both calming and awe-inspiring.
Historia was nestled beside him, her head resting comfortably against his shoulder as she hummed a gentle melody, her eyes closed in contentment as she enjoyed the moment of peace and tranquility they shared.
"Thank you, Eren. I really appreciate your words."
Historia couldn't quite put her finger on it, but whenever he spoke, his words seemed to have a magical quality that could soothe her soul. She felt a warmth radiating from her chest, as if a thousand butterflies were dancing in her belly, and before she knew it, her hand had found its way to his, their fingers intertwining in a comforting embrace. Eren turned to face Historia, her skin almost glittering from the moonlight, his emerald eyes looking at her deep blue eyes.
As Eren felt her lips touch his, he could sense the panic radiating from her body as she realized what she had done. But when he kissed her back, the panic was replaced by a wave of pleasure and happiness that almost took her breath away.
Eren's hands felt like a warm embrace around her hips, and Historia felt herself melting into the sensation. His fingers then moved to her long golden hair, and she felt a shiver of pleasure run through her body as his hand cupped hers. She moaned softly, losing herself in the moment and the feeling of his touch.
"Eren. I want to be with you tonight."