Attack On Titan: Hope

The golden light of dawn spilled across the streets of Wall Rose, casting long shadows as the bustling activity of the new cadets filled the air. The energy was palpable—fresh recruits storming into the city, brimming with a mix of determination and nervous chatter. Meanwhile, the recent graduates prepared themselves, bags slung over shoulders, minds set on the choices they would make that night.

Commanders Pixis and Nile were already en route to Trost, leaving the cadets to make their final decisions under the weight of looming responsibility.

Further down the main street, Commander Erwin and the Scout Regiment had just returned from another grueling expedition beyond the walls. The townsfolk gathered in droves, their cheers ringing out in admiration. Eren stood amidst the crowd, arms crossed, his sharp gaze tracking each Scout as they passed.

"Special Operations Squad... Hmm... Not too strong," he muttered under his breath, the faintest flicker of disinterest in his green eyes.

His gaze lingered on each member of the squad as their names echoed in his mind: Petra Ral, Oluo Bozado, Gunther Schultz, Eld Jinn, Farlan Church, Isabel Magnolia... and Levi Ackerman.

Eren's focus sharpened as he brought up Levi's stats, a faint glint of intrigue crossing his face.

---

Name: Levi Ackerman

Age: 33

Status: Captain (Level MAX)

Kill Count: 142

Attributes:

Strength: 76

Speed: 84

Intelligence: 43

Agility: 72

Health: 89/100

Endurance: 32/170

Skills:

Awakened Ackerman (Level MAX)

Current Status:

[Heart Rate: 79, Blood Pressure: 118]

Affection Level: None

---

Eren's brow furrowed as he analyzed the stats. Impressive, but nothing that made him falter.

[Activating Skill: Chameleon]

He closed the screen with a sigh, his mind already moving to other matters, when a distant voice cut through his thoughts.

"Eren?"

Turning, his eyes landed on a figure with a familiar face. The man was blond, his Reiner-like haircut now accompanied by the faint trace of a beard and mustache. His bright azure eyes glistened with unshed tears as he approached.

"Hannes!" Mikasa and Armin called out in unison, their faces lighting up in recognition.

The man didn't hesitate, rushing forward and throwing his arms around Eren.

"S... Sorry... Sorry... Sorry..."

His voice cracked with emotion, and his words tumbled out like a broken record. Tears streaked down his face as he clung to Eren, his guilt and regret spilling forth in an uncontrollable wave.

Eren stood stiffly, his expression blank as he watched the scene unfold.

Hannes' words came in fragments, each weighted with pain. "I failed you, Eren. I failed Carla. I was a coward... I ran away... I could've saved her, I could've saved you both... And that regret, it eats me alive every day..."

Armin and Mikasa exchanged somber glances, understanding the depth of his remorse. But Eren's reaction was far from what they expected.

"Who are you again?"

His voice was cold, detached, his gaze flicking between Armin and Mikasa, their expressions now painted with pity.

The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the soft sound of Hannes' shaky breaths.

Hannes froze, his arms slackening around Eren as if the weight of those words had turned them to stone. His tear-filled eyes searched Eren's face for a trace of familiarity, of understanding—but there was none.

"Eren..." he whispered, his voice cracking under the strain of disbelief.

Armin took a hesitant step forward, trying to bridge the chasm that had suddenly opened between them. "Hannes, he's not the same as before. Things have… changed."

Armin gently guided Hannes away, leading him to a quieter, more peaceful spot where he could calm down. The burden of regret weighed heavily on the older man, but Armin's reassuring presence seemed to ease his turmoil, if only slightly.

Meanwhile, Mikasa turned her attention back to Eren, her voice soft but firm. "Eren… let's go. We're on cleaning duty today."

Eren didn't respond right away. His gaze lingered on the horizon for a moment longer, as if searching for something invisible in the distance. Finally, he sighed and turned, his movements deliberate and measured. Without another word, they began their trek toward the Wall of Trost, where the other cadets were already hard at work scrubbing cannons.

The crisp morning air carried a faint metallic scent as they climbed the steps to the wall. Around them, the chatter of cadets and the rhythmic scraping of metal on stone filled the silence. Eren walked slightly ahead, his expression unreadable, while Mikasa followed closely, her watchful eyes never leaving him.

When they reached the top, Connie spotted them first, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. "Finally! Thought you two decided to ditch us."

Eren didn't respond, grabbing a bucket and rag without a glance in Connie's direction. Mikasa offered Connie a small nod before following Eren's lead, her hands moving with practiced ease.

The work was monotonous, but the tension in the air was palpable. Each scrape of the rag against the aged metal seemed to echo louder than the idle chatter around them. Mikasa glanced at Eren from the corner of her eye, her concern growing with every passing moment of silence.

Finally, she broke the eerie silence,"Eren… now that we've graduated what do we do now?"

Eren didn't look at her. His hands continued their mechanical motion, scrubbing away at a stubborn patch of rust. "Kill or be killed." he said curtly, his voice devoid of emotion.

Mikasa glanced at Eren with a mixture of confusion and mild amusement as she helped him scrub the cannon. Their quiet task was soon interrupted by Sasha, who appeared out of nowhere clutching a suspiciously large chunk of meat. Her mischievous grin betrayed the fact that she had once again raided the officer's pantry.

Eren cast her a bored glance as Mikasa and the others tried to scold her into returning the stolen goods. "Sasha, put that back before you get us all in trouble," Mikasa said sternly, though Sasha's stubborn expression made it clear she had no intention of surrendering her prize.

Instead, Sasha's determination to enjoy the meat won out, and before long, they were making sandwiches from her ill-gotten gains. The group gathered around, laughing and sharing as they indulged in the unexpected treat.

"Yo, Eren, here!" Sasha called out, holding a piece of bread stuffed with meat toward him.

Eren glanced at her briefly, his focus still on discarding unwanted items from his system's inventory. "I'm not hungry," he replied flatly, turning back to the cannon.

"Oh, come on!" Sasha huffed, rolling her eyes before delivering a firm slap to his back.

Eren turned, narrowing his eyes. "I said I—"

Before he could finish, Sasha shoved the sandwich into his mouth, her grin widening triumphantly. "Stop acting like a sissy and enjoy something for once!"

Eren sighed, reluctantly chewing the bread. He didn't bother arguing further, knowing it was pointless against Sasha's relentless energy.

Mikasa, who had been watching the exchange with an amused smile, approached them. "Blouse, start cleaning before the higher-ups—"

But Eren's words were cut short as a sudden flash of lightning illuminated the sky. The deafening crack of thunder that followed seemed to shake the very ground beneath them. Everyone froze, their eyes widening in shock as they turned toward the source of the disturbance.

There, in front of them, a massive figure emerged, towering over the landscape. Its grotesque form was impossible to ignore—its body stripped of skin, exposing raw, pulsing muscles glistening in the sunlight. The air grew heavy with the presence of the Colossal Titan, its soulless eyes glaring down at the stunned cadets.

Eren's bored expression was unchanged even right now as he instinctively stepped in front of Mikasa, his gaze locked on the terrifying sight before them. The moment of levity was gone, replaced by a suffocating sense of dread. Trost was breached and the next target was Wall Rose. The battle for Trost was about to commence.