The Swords We Yield - ◈ ARMIN ARLERT X OC ◈

Chapter 21 - Last Chance

A moment has passed once the others have noticed Erwin's absence from the front of our group.

"Huh?" Mikasa exclaims looking back past me to Erwin still being dragged away. I watch as his body hangs from the mouth of the titan, I hear my comrades calling out but their voices sound so distant while my eyes are still fixated on the commander.

"Advance!" Erwins voice booms again in the open field, "Eren's right there! Advance!" He demands pointing ahead of us with his sword. I listen to him, focusing my attention in front of the group again without looking back. The sounds of engaged ODM gear reassure me that some scouts have gone to take down the titan and get our Commander back.

As we finally reach the titans I focus all my energy on guiding Atlas through their stampede and not getting eaten. The agonising screams of my comrades make it hard to concentrate but all I can do now is focus on keeping myself alive. Part of me wants to find Jacob and Gen and get them to safety, away from this brutal battle but deep down I know that right now I'm on my own and that I need to make sure I don't die. I lead Atlas past through the legs of a squatting titan that is too focused on the scout in their hands to worry about me. I quickly look up to the titan as I pass through its legs, without registering my movements. I look back down before I realise who I had seen in the hands of that titan. My body freezes as the image sticks in my head, I could recognise that blonde ponytail in any crowd. Without another thought I turn around and race back to the group of titans to go rescue Gen.

"Zariya! What are you doing!" I hear Armin call behind me but I don't bother looking back, please be alive, please be alive, please be alive, the voice in my head repeats to me.

"PLEASE! NO, I- I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" Gen cries frantically in distress as I reach her and the titan again.

"GEN!" I scream before standing up on Atlas, tears streaming down my face. I engage my ODM gear, dismounting him, launching myself directly towards the titan's nape. I quickly glance down at Atlas to see he has gone through the titans legs again before turning back around, running in the same direction as before towards the others.

"ZARIYA! PLEASE!" Gen screams, struggling against the titan's grip. A rage greater than any other I have experienced bubbles in my stomach as I speed towards the monster in front of me. Reaching the titan from behind, I watch as it lifts Gen higher into the air while putting its head back preparing to drop her into its mouth.

"HURRY!" Gen yells, pulling her arms free, stabbing the finger that is grasped around her. The titan lets out a distressed grunt loosening its grip on Gen making her slip through its hand. Gen screams in terror letting go of her sword still embedded in the tissue of its hand.

Finally reaching the nape I swiftly cut through the soft muscle before redirecting my ODM towards Gen. The pit in my stomach grows when the titan does not fall, my cut wasn't deep enough. The tears in my eyes blur my vision as I accelerate towards the titan head on, Gen is barely holding on to the pinky finger of the titans, her feet inches away from its mouth.

"LET GO OF HER YOU BASTARD!" I scream at the top of my lungs as I adjust the grip on my swords before cutting through the titans extended throat. The wound gushes with blood, covering my entire body as I land on its shoulder. It drops its head before letting go of Gen, wrapping its hands around its throat. Gen screams again as she plummets to the ground. I quickly jump down speeding after her before urgently grabbing her hand, pulling her up before she makes contact with the ground. She tightly holds on to me as I use my ODM gear to swing us both through the titans legs again towards the others.

"Get ready to run!" I yell over the whipping sound of my gear as we fall to the ground. With the momentum we have built up we land on the ground but continue to run forward away from the titans, Gen huffing beside me. I bring my fingers to my mouth whistling for Atlas, he runs at the back of the group ahead but quickly falls back running in pace with Gen and I. Frantically grabbing the reins with one hand throwing my body over him before reaching out for Gen to grab my hand. She quickly takes it as I pull her up onto Atlas behind me, she tightly hugs my body again before breaking down into tears.