AUTHOR'S POV:
"He seems to have been bit right out of the neck. Is Eren dead?" Levi asked.
"He's alive." Mikasa answered without a doubt. "Our target seems highly intelligent and capturing Eren is apparently her primary goal." She continued. "If she wanted him dead, she could've crushed him in her jaws. Instead, she's carefully holding Eren inside her mouth while fighting to escape."
Levi glanced at her and sighed. "I hope you're right."
"Judging by the situation, it seems like your squad is... I am sorry for them." Mikasa said, looking down.
"It's not the time to feel sorry." Levi replied, looking ahead. "Let's save your Eren first." He continued. "We'll focus all our manpower on one goal. First of all, forget about killing the Female Titan."
Mikasa just nodded and the two continued to fly through the forest.
"But she killed so many of our comrades!" Mikasa said.
"So long as she can crystallize her skin, there's no way we can kill her." Levi replied. "Trust my judgment. We'll keep hoping that Eren is still alive and attempt to rescue him before she leaves the forest. I'll hack her up..." Levi readied his blade. "You draw her attention!"
The Female Titan ignored them, continuing to run.
Mikasa had almost caught up to her, staying close to the ground and watching as Levi approached the female titan from above. She was aware of him closing the distance between them.
Levi's eyes glinted with bloodlust. He switched his hold on his right sword, the blade pointing back instead of forward.
Suddenly, the female titan turned, right fist shooting forward. Levi met her attack straight on, cutting up her arm.
With a flip, Levi landed on her arm and used the momentum to push off, reaching her face and digging his swords into her eyes. Droplets of blood flew out as the Female Titan's head tilted back.
Levi yanked his arms back. Flipping back into the air, he took out fresh blades and spun down, slicing her down to her ankles. He came at an arch, not giving her any time to recover and continuing the assault. Blood burst up from behind her head. She slid, falling on her rump, hand still covering her nape.
'He's fast...' Mikasa observed him shoot up and fly straight down, attacking relentlessly. 'He moves so quickly that she can't get a chance to harden her skin!'
Levi continued to carve the female titan up.
Finally, the Female Titan's hand fell from its protective position. Her neck was completely exposed.
Mikasa gasped. 'We can go for her neck! She's tired...' She observed the female titan. 'I bet she can't move.' She gritted her teeth. 'I can kill her!'
A hook dug into the Female Titan's
shoulder. Her eyes stayed closed.
"Stop!" Levi yelled, noticing Mikasa's killing attempt.
Mikasa charged in, letting out a battle cry.
The Female Titan's fist moved towards her. But, before it could hit her, Levi crashed into her shoving her out of the way.
Levi's ankle twisted from the impact and he grunted from the pain.
Gritting his teeth, he shot toward her mouth and sliced it with his swords.
The Female Titan's jaw fell open, revealing an unconscious Eren, covered in saliva.
"Eren!" Mikasa called out.
Levi snatched Eren and flew away.
Mikasa landed on a branch, watching Levi do the same a few trees over.
"Hey! We need to get out of here!"
"Eren!" Mikasa said smiling.
"I think he's alive and okay, although filthy. Don't worry about anything else." Levi said as steam rose from the blood around his eyes. "We're pulling back." He glanced at the Female Titan, sitting at the base of the tree, giving off waves of steam. "Don't lose sight of your primary objective. Is it more important to get the revenge you desire? Isn't he a dear friend of yours?" He took off.
"No, I..." Mikasa trailed off, looking down.
Levi flew through the air. Mikasa soon joined him. His eyes widened and he looked started, seeing the female Titan crying.
.
At Throst district, people were standing around near the gate, waiting for the return of the Survey Corps.
"They're returning already?"
"What happened?"
"No clue. I'll bet they're coming back with a heap of corpses again, though."
.
The survived soilders were now retreating back on horse, the Forest of Giant Trees in the distance behind them.
.
Eren was laying asleep in a cart, a bandage wrapped around his head, covered by a cloak.
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A brown-haired young woman stared outside the window, waiting.
Then a middle-aged woman entered the room. "Erd is coming home."
The young woman gripped the basket of clothes in her arms and turned. "I see."
.
"You think Oluo will have time to come home?" A boy asked to his mother.
"It couldn't hurt to make dinner for him, just in case." Oluo's mother said, cooking.
His father smiled, watching her.
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"Gunther's coming home." A hunchbacked woman said.
The elderly man in the chair opened his eyes. "I see."
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"Mikasa and her friends are coming back." A concerned Mrs. Ackerman said.
"I am sure they are ok." Mr. Ackerman replied, looking outside. "Didn't you hear that our daughter is equal to 100 soilders." He said proudly.
"Even so..."
.
The Scouts were resting, some tending to their horses while others kept watch for Titans.
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Eren continued to lay unconscious. Mikasa stood by the cart, mournful. She looked to the side at the pairs of the boots.
Corpses lay wrapped up in white sheets, tied by rope, with blood soaking through.
An arm wasn't tucked into the white sheet of one of the bodies. A bite mark was visible on the small hand.
Mikasa took in everything in silence.
Soldiers on horseback lowered wrapped corpses to their comrades to join the other deceased Scouts.
.
Levi knelt before the bodies, moving the white sheet aside to reveal the Wings of Freedom stitched on the pocket of the jacket.
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Armin and Faye placed a corpse over a row of corpses in a cart.
"This isn't something anyone wants to see anyday." Faye said sadly. "But, I guess we have to get used to this."
Armin put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
"You are right." Armin said. "But, don't lose hope yet."
"I am glad Eren is ok..." Faye said and sighed in relief.
.
"How much longer will I be alive?" Connie said, holding a small bucket up to his horse.
Sasha stood behind him, her back to him, feeding her horse.
"You're living now, aren't you?" Sasha replied.
"For the moment." Connie replied.
"Isn't that a good thing? You're alive!"
"How can you say that in front of the corpses of those who died?"
Sasha didn't reply.
"I'm not even sure I can go home anymore... "Connie said.
.
"We're almost done. There were five casualties we couldn't recover." A soilder informed.
"Not even any parts of them?" Erwin inquired, holding a clipboard.
"We couldn't get close enough because of the Titans." The soilder replied. "It's probably better for the families if we don't bring those back."
"Report them as missing." Erwin ordered.
"Yes, Sir. We've sighted several Titans near the forest, but none are headed in our direction yet." Another soilder informed.
"We're moving out now. Inform the squads." Erwin said and handed him the clipboard and walked away.
"Yes, Sir."
"I refuse to accept this, Commander Erwin!" A voice suddenly said from behind him.
"Hey, you-"
"We should recover them!" Dieter insisted. "Ivan's body was right in front of us!"
"There was a Titan right next to him!" A Scout present said. "We'd just end up losing someone else!"
"If they attack us, we can just take them out!" Dieter argued stubbornly.
"Ivan and I are childhood friends from the same village!" Jurgen said more calmly than his friend. "I know his parents." Erwin did not look pleased. "If nothing else, I'd at least like to bring him home!"
"Stop being selfish!" A scout yelled.
"Hey!"
They turned to see Levi.
"Captain Levi!"
"If you confirmed he's dead then we can do nothing now." Levi said calmly. "I understand the pain of losing a friend but retrieving his body will only cause more deaths."
"We'll say Ivan and the others are missing. That's my final decision. Leave it at that." Erwin said walked away, Levi following.
Jurgen and Dieter just looked at eachother and sighed.
"He is right." Dieter said, looking down. "May his soul rest in peace..."
.
.
The Survey Corps was heading back to Wall Rose. Mikasa rode alongside Eren's cart, keeping an eye on him. Behind her were carts carrying the corpses. A blond-haired soilder was sitting in one of the carts, barley two feet from half a dozen pairs of boots.
.
.
.
.
A young Eren was carrying firewood along with Faye and Mikasa.
"Eren, I'd forget about the Survey Corps if I were you." Mikasa said.
"What? You're gonna look down on them, too?" Eren replied angrily.
"Eren, It doesn't have anything to do with how I see them. I just want you to be... Safe." Mikasa replied with a sad tone.
"That's why you will be teaching me how to fight today." Eren said with a cheerful tone.
"You have to teach me too Mikasa." Faye said with excitement.
Bells began ringing in the distances. Eren's face lit up then.
"The Survey Corps is back! They're gonna open the front gate!" Eren said and grabbed Mikasa and Faye's hand. "Let's go see the heroes return!"
Then he stated running, holding their hands.
"Slow down Eren!" Faye yelled.
.
The three children climbed up the crates. Then smile fell from Eren's face.
"Only this many made it back?"
"The rest of them must've been eaten."
"That's what you get when you venture outside the Walls."
The young Eren glared, overhearing them.
"It's like all our taxes are spent fattening up the Titans."
"Eren?" Mikasa said.
Eren was frozen. Mikasa and Faye's eyes widened, noticing his shaking shoulders as he lowered his arm.
"What is it?" Faye asked.
Eren clenched his fist. He was no longer the child Eren but the teenager, dressed as a Scout.
Little Mikasa and Faye just stared at his back.
"Eren..."
Eren had his head down and his shoulders were still trembling.
.
.
.
.
"Eren!" Mikasa called out.
Eren woke up with a gasp.
Mikasa was sitting beside him, holding his hand.
"Eren..."
He sat up, still covered by Mikasa's cloak.
"Don't try to get up yet. Rest up." Mikasa said with concern.
"The Female Titan?" Eren asked desperately.
"She escaped..." Mikasa replied, looking down.
"What? What happened to others?" His asked with trembled voice. "What about the plan?"
"It failed... Lay still for now, Eren." She said calmly.
"You saved me. right ?" Eren asked, looking down. "Sorry for causing you trouble again..."
"It's ok Eren... You are safe that's matter the most." Mikasa replied softly, still holding his hand.
"But," Eren said, looking at her. "You probably put your life in danger for it. Didn't you?"
Mikasa just looked down.
"Don't just throw away your life for me, Mikasa..." Eren said, looking down. "I don't want to... Lose you too..."
Mikasa immediately looked at him with concern.
"I will never leave you Eren." Mikasa said with a smile. "It's my promise."
Eren looked at her and smiled too.
"You better keep it." Eren said then frowned. "But, things could have gone differently... I could have saved them all..."
Mikasa remained silent, looking down.
.
.
After some times, the survived soilders arrived at Wall Rose with a cart full of corpse.
Erwin, Hange, and Mike led the remaining soilders.
The people were whispering as the downcast soldiers walked in silence, looking somewhat dazed.
"Aren't a bunch of them missing compared to this morning?"
"Man..."
"Far fewer..."
"How horrible."
"Just this morning they left to raise hell, but now they're back already? What was the point?"
"Who knows?"
Eren laid quickly and Mikasa listened to them nervously.
"But judging by those gloomy expressions, they managed to gobble up more of our taxes..."
Eren glared, starting to sit up.
"Eren, just bear with it." Mikasa said, quietly.
Eren lost his anger when he noticed a grinning young boy standing with a little girl.
"So cool!" The boy's voice was full of excitement and awe. "The Survey Corps are so awesome! They get their butts kicked, but they keep on fighting!" He told the girl with him.
Eren sat back down, shaken.
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Faye walked with her head bowed, Reiner with him. Armin's face was covered by his hair. Ymir observed the crowd as she walked beside Christa, who couldn't bear to face them. Sasha and Bert wore matching disheartened expressions.
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"Captain Levi!" A brown-haired man said, approaching him. "My daughter is in your squad. I'm Petra's father." He smiled at him. "Before I see her, I wanted to talk with you. She sent me this letter," He held up a white envelope. "She said you respected her skills enough to allow her join your squad. She swore she'd to devote herself to you. Well, I guess she's too starry-eyed to consider her father's feelings! Anyway, as her father, I think it's still too early for her to marry."
Levi looked devastated.
"She's still so young, with so much left to experience!"
Levi didn't say anything and walked away.
Then two soilders handed Petra's body to his father. The scouts handed over other soilders' body to their family members too.
.
"Commander Erwin! Answer us!" Men and women yelled, looking furious.
Erwin walked, holding his horse's reins.
"Did your expedition learn anything worthwhile to justify the body count?" A woman demanded.
"Do you really believe the dead leave no regrets?" Another man yelled.
Erwin's face remained blank. The people continued to yell.
.
Mikasa's parents were in the crowd too. They were happy to see Mikasa and her friends coming back, but they didn't approach her, respecting the families of the martyrs.
Mikasa couldn't even look into her parents eyes.
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Lying in the cart, an arm covering his face, Eren cried. Tears ran down the side of his face.
Mikasa was still holding his hand, looking down.
.
.
The costs and casualties of the failed expedition were easily enough to discredit the faction that had supported the Survey Corps.
As those responsible, including Erwin, were summoned to the capital, it was decided that Eren would be handed over.
.
.
'I am sorry... Petra, Oluo, Gunthar, Erd... I couldn't save you...'
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