Levi, Erwin, and the others were still gathered around Evil Titan No. 30, studying it. They had discovered that it could not heal itself, yet they simply could not kill it.
Erwin sensed a disturbance and looked up as a beam of light descended from the sky.
Levi's gaze sharpened, and he tightened his grip on his sword.
Mike looked up and sniffed the air. "Hmm? Chen Si's scent?"
At that, Levi relaxed his fingers.
"Older Brother!"
"My lord!"
Mikasa and Floch were the quickest to rush over. Chen Si smiled as he landed before them.
"Chen Si!" Armin followed a moment later, hurrying over in excitement.
"That's the Marshal! He came down from the sky! Just what you'd expect from him!"
"We really get to fight alongside the Marshal!"
"Oh Yeah!"
The elite recruits broke into cheers.
"We're about to head into battle, and they're still this excited. What a bunch of idiots," Jean said, shaking his head helplessly.
"Jean, I understand you now," Marlowe said, moving up beside him.
Jean and Marlowe exchanged a glance, then looked at the excited assault troops and shook their heads in unison.
"Ah, long time no-"
Before Chen Si could finish, Mikasa threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest. She said nothing, simply holding him and nestling against him.
Floch stopped awkwardly, at a loss for what to do. He shot Mikasa a resentful look. Women are such a pain.
Chen Si's usually piercing gaze softened at once. He held Mikasa close, and the strain of an entire year in Marley briefly melted away.
"Sorry for the wait. Everything will be over soon," Chen Si said gently.
"Mm," Mikasa answered softly.
The assault class Mikasa had trained was stunned. The Valkyrie instructor who had