Dangerous training

In the woods on the Training Corps' Back Mountain, the cadets had assembled with their Omni-Directional Mobility Gear strapped on. Instructor Keith sternly warned them to be careful.

"Remember! Don't panic, and make sure you stabilize your body as soon as you retract your anchors. Also... Cadet Yago! What are you doing? Get back here!" Instructor Keith suddenly roared.

But the hiss of high-pressure gas had already sounded. Yago was so excited that he instinctively aimed at a thick tree. His Omni-Directional Mobility Gear activated, firing its sharp anchors. The launchers at his waist engaged immediately, and the powerful pull hauled him into the air.

"Yahoo!" Yago kept his balance with the straps around his legs. As he approached the tree, he abruptly retracted his anchors and plummeted.

The other cadets watched in alarm. Just as Yago came within two meters of the ground, his anchors fired again, propelling him straight into the sky. His momentum carried him up into the treetops.

The dense woods were perfect for maneuvering with Omni-Directional Mobility Gear. Yago seemed to have mastered it without instruction, weaving nimbly through the trees like an ape.

One moment he spun, the next he pushed off a trunk and leaped upward. His flashy maneuvers left the other recruits stunned and thrilled, itching to take to the air themselves.

Instructor Keith was just as astonished, with a few beads of cold sweat on his forehead. He had genuinely feared for this outstanding recruit a moment ago, but that worry now seemed entirely unnecessary. The skill Yago had just displayed was already on par with that of some elite soldiers. Keith was astounded. This recruit had either used Omni-Directional Mobility Gear before or was a genius-an unparalleled genius.

Instructor Keith dismissed the first possibility. Yago was only twelve or thirteen, after all, and had no way of getting his hands on Omni-Directional Mobility Gear. Even if he had, using it so proficiently at his age was still remarkable. Keith knew of only two people who had achieved that level: Yago, and the man now known as humanity's strongest soldier, Levi of the Survey Corps.

Keith found himself looking forward to what came next. Levi was a talent Erwin had brought out of the Underground, and his brilliance was unrivaled. Still, perhaps this recruit named Yago would surprise him.

With a scraping sound as his leather boots skimmed the grass, Yago finally finished playing around. He landed perfectly in a drifting slide, skidding across the grass before coming to a stop.

"Reporting, sir! I, Yago, admit my mistake. I was so excited that I activated my Omni-Directional Mobility Gear without permission. Please punish me, Instructor!" Yago wisely owned up to his mistake, though he felt a little smug inside. After seeing what I can do, surely the instructor won't have the heart to punish me?

"Hm! Follow orders next time. Now, fifty laps around the training ground. Go!" Instructor Keith nodded.

"Thank you, Instructor! Next time I'll... huh? What? Fifty laps?" Yago froze. That's not right. This isn't how the script should go! Isn't he supposed to tell me to be more careful next time? Fifty laps?

"Is there a problem?" Keith fixed Yago with a dangerous stare.

"Reporting, sir! No!" Yago could only swallow his frustration and accept it.

"Keep your Omni-Directional Mobility Gear on. Go run."

"Yes, sir..."

Yago miserably began running. At Instructor Keith's command, the cadets, who had long been eager to try, immediately activated their Omni-Directional Mobility Gear.

The hiss of high-pressure gas sounded again and again.

Some lessons had to be paid for in blood. Reality taught the cadets a harsh lesson: not everyone possessed Yago's talent.

Some missed the trees with their anchors and fell. Others moved too fast to stop and crashed into trunks. Still others accidentally tangled their cables together, sending both cadets tumbling. The mishaps were countless, and soon nosebleeds and bruises abounded amid a chorus of groans and screams.

Keith frowned as he watched the recruits. He had expected this scene. Every generation of cadets had passed through this bloody trial. Injuries, disabilities, and even deaths could occur during training. Only by passing through it could these reckless cadets mature into soldiers.

Of course, there were talented cadets too. Keith looked toward several figures in the woods and nodded in satisfaction, though he also felt some regret. The best soldiers often joined the safest branch, the Military Police Brigade. He truly could not say whether that was good or bad.

As evening approached, Yago was drenched in sweat. He trudged weakly toward the mess hall, running into Eren and Mikasa along the way.

Unsurprisingly, Eren had been injured too. The bruises on his face and his disheveled hair said it all. Even Mikasa had a few scrapes on her hand, though she had gotten them while helping Eren.

Eren had lost his footing while standing on a tree and nearly fallen, but Mikasa had caught him in time. In her haste, she had scraped her hand against the bark.

"Where's Armin?" Yago asked in puzzlement. Armin was usually inseparable from Eren and Mikasa. Looking a little uncomfortable, Eren said, "Armin... he was going too fast and hit his head on a rock. They took him to the infirmary."

Yago faltered. "That's..."

Just then, several grim-faced recruits passed by carrying two stretchers covered with white sheets. Dark red blood had seeped through the sheet on one of them.

Yago watched in confusion, seeming to guess what had happened.

Mikasa explained, "They're two cadets from squads twenty-seven and thirty-one. One died after crashing into a sharp branch. The other fell from too high up."

Yago opened his mouth, but no words came out. These were the first training deaths among the 104th Cadet Corps, and for a moment, he could not come to terms with it.

Half the cadets were missing from dinner. They were all lying in the infirmary, and almost everyone in the mess hall was injured too.

As soon as Yago entered the mess hall, he anxiously scanned the crowd. Only when he spotted Annie sitting alone in a corner, unharmed and eating bread, did he breathe a sigh of relief.

Annie noticed Yago's concerned gaze too. It touched her a little, but her expression remained composed as she looked away and continued eating in silence.

Picking up his tray, Yago headed to Annie's corner. No one reacted. Everyone was already used to him gravitating toward her. The boys could not understand why Yago was interested in a girl as cold as ice. Wasn't Christa cute? The girls, meanwhile, envied Annie for having a boy as handsome and capable as Yago pursuing her.

Aside from a few people whose feelings were hurt, everyone had long since grown accustomed to it.

Yago sat opposite Annie without saying anything and quickly dug into his meal. Running fifty laps had burned a lot of energy, and he was still a little hungry after finishing two pieces of bread.

Just then, a piece of bread was held out to him. Yago accepted it without standing on ceremony and took a bite. "Thanks, Annie," he mumbled through his food.

Annie sipped her potato soup and said very quietly, "Don't be so impulsive next time. It's dangerous."

Yago swallowed his bread and teased, "Are you worried about me?"

Annie stared at Yago expressionlessly.

"Ahem. All right, I get it. Don't look at me like that. I'm a genius, you know. One day I'll be the strongest soldier in the Survey Corps!"

Annie said nothing. Perhaps no one had noticed that, while Yago was darting through the woods, a pair of blue eyes had followed him closely, filled with worry.