Devil's Child ~ Aot x Male Reader

6: Veil of Silence: The Battle Unfolds.

IN THE LIGHTENED UP MESS HALL, the clinking of mugs and muffled cheers filled the air as Connie and Sasha celebrated their achievement.

Connie, raising his mug high. "I did it! I'm joining the Military Police!"

Sasha, grinning broadly, clinked her mug with Connie's. "We won't go hungry anymore!"

Jean, sitting alone, brooded over his drink, his gaze fixed on Eren with a mix of frustration and disbelief.

"How did I score lower than Eren? Damn it." Jean, muttering to himself.

Thomas, standing beside Samuel, couldn't hide his confusion.

"You seriously aren't joining the Military Police, Eren?" Said Thomas.

Samuel, looking puzzled. "You did all that work to make the top ten. Why aren't you taking the opportunity?"

Eren's eyes shone with unyielding resolve.

"I'd already decided when I began. I wasn't training to live in the interior. I was training to fight Titans." Said Eren.

A private smile touched Eren's lips as he thought of someone special-his motivation, his driving force.

"And there's also someone waiting for me." Eren, thinking to himself.

Thomas, growing impatient, snapped, his voice cutting through the buzz of the hall, drawing all eyes to him.

"You'll never beat them!" His harsh tone echoed, plunging the room into a tense silence.

He leaned closer to Eren, his words heavy with grim reality.

"Do you know how many tens of thousands have been eaten? We lost over twenty percent of our population. We know it for sure. Humans can't defeat Titans." Said Thomas.

The weight of Thomas's words was palpable. Bertolt and Reiner both looked away, the harsh truth of the statement settling heavily on their shoulders.

Eren stood tall, his gaze piercing through the silence, his voice rising with fierce determination.

"So? If you think we can't win, you'll just give up? It's true that humanity has only suffered defeat until now.

But we didn't know anything about Titans then. Fighting them head-on seemed pointless.

We'd lose, but the information we've gained gives us hope for the next time!"

His voice rang with a passion that seemed to lift the very air around him.

Tears glistened in his eyes, but his resolve remained unshaken.

"Will we abandon the tactics that cost tens of thousands of lives to develop and let the Titans eat us without a fight?

Hell no! I'm going to exterminate all the Titans and escape these cramped walls! That's my dream... Humanity isn't finished yet!" Said Eren.

His fervent speech resonated through the room, each word steeped in conviction.

Eren's determined stride towards the door was followed by Armin and Mikasa, who rushed after him, their faces set with worry and support.

Jean, left alone with the echo of Eren's words, grappled with his inner conflict.

The words of his fellow trainee haunted him, stirring a storm of doubt and contemplation.

"If you want to go outside the walls, then go. I'm joining the Military Police, at any cost."