judas | armin arlert

chapter 14 | leave this place behind

Despite the heated exchange unfolding before him, Armin couldn't shake the feeling of dread at the thought of hurting Juliet, let alone killing her. A knot tightened in his stomach, the weight of his conflicting emotions threatening to overwhelm him. He wanted to do anything in his power to stop the Scouts from killing her.

"Look. We couldn't negotiate with Reiner, but we can with Juliet!" As tensions rose and voices grew strained, Armin tried to reason with his stubborn friend, his words measured and earnest, "She's different than those two. I know she'll listen."

"You might have feelings for her, but she's the enemy here, Armin," Mikasa urged him to set aside his feelings and think logically, "She's not the girl you thought you knew."

"That's not what this is!" Armin refused to give up, an obvious blush creeping his cheeks at the call out, but he was still determined to find common ground, "When they first took Eren, the only reason I made it out alive was because her walls were broken down. She let me go! She may be the enemy but she's still human!"

"You call that human?"

"I'm with Armin here," Hange interrupts listening to the two, "She does seem to have a soft spot for you. Use it to your advantage. The way she's cutting Eren now, he's gonna need time to heal. If anything, Mikasa, I'm confident you could take her out."

Take her out. Killing her.

As the gruesome thought of taking her life crossed his mind, Armin felt a wave of nausea wash over him, bile rising in the back of his throat. Each detail of the imagined act seemed to weigh heavily on his conscience, filling him with an overwhelming sense of revulsion and guilt.

"Once I feel she isn't budging, I'm not hesitating to end her life." With a cool gaze and a subtle tilt of her head, Mikasa regarded her friend with an air of nonchalant determination. Despite the gravity of the situation, she remained outwardly composed, her expression betraying no emotion as she contemplated their next move.

As beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, Armin cast a nervous glance at his friend, his anxiety palpable in the air. With trembling hands and a furrowed brow, he struggled to maintain his composure, the weight of uncertainty bearing down on him like a heavy burden, "Yeah, got it."

At the time of their discussion, Juliet had sliced both of Eren's eyes. In an attempt to hit her away, the Attack Titan collided its own fists with its face, knocking Eren to fall. His legs were far too weak to lift him.

With his nape out in the open, Juliet moves quickly and attaches her rigs to his back. Her gear takes her closer and closer. She raises her blades ready to cut as soon as she gets close enough. But she doesn't make it.

With a fierce resentment burning in her eyes, Mikasa lunges forward, tackling Juliet with explosive force. Her muscles tensed with adrenaline as she collided with her, their bodies crashing to a nearby roof in a tumultuous clash.

Mikasa pressed down with all her strength, pinning Juliet to the ground as she struggled to break free. Mikasa wraps her legs under Juliet's and sits on her thighs stopping her legs from moving. With the blade in her hand still, she grabs each of her wrists, the blade harshly pressed against Juliet's neck, "Get off me!"

Trapped beneath Mikasa, fear gripped Juliet's heart as she struggled against her hold. With her eyebrows furrowed straight at her, Juliet growls as she attempts to push the weight off, "Like hell I will!" The pressure of the blade on her neck bore down on her, amplifying her terror as she felt powerless to defend herself. Blood drips down from Juliet's neck, the blade breaking her skin.

"Juliet."

Mikasa watched with a sense of wonder as Juliet's eyes softened, her once-guarded expression melting away at the sound of Armin's voice. In that fleeting moment, a flicker of fear danced in Juliet's gaze, her defenses crumbling under the gentle cadence of his voice. Her eyes widen and shake, trying her hardest not to turn toward the voice.