Just then, Historia flew in from the distance and landed beside Armin.
"Armin, Connie, have you seen Chen Si?" Historia asked.
"Chen Si? Isn't he resting at Command Headquarters?" Connie asked in confusion.
"Chen Si went to support the front lines earlier. Haven't you seen him?" Historia's eyes were full of worry.
"Chen Si... Aaaah!!! I'm useless! Why wasn't I the one who died!" Armin screamed in anguish.
"Hey, calm down, Armin. Where is everyone?" Connie asked next.
"There's no need to keep asking, Recruit Connie. This is war. Death, every minute and every second, is the constant rhythm of the battlefield. Carry on your comrades' wishes and kill a few more Titans. That's the best way to repay them."
Deputy Squad Leader Trout spoke from beside them. He had long since grown used to it, and now he needed to remind these recruits. The only thing that surprised him was that even Chen Si had died.
"You're joking, right? They were in the top ten. Chen Si was even the Top Graduate. How is that possible...?" Connie said in disbelief.
"Armin! What did you just say? What happened to Chen Si? What happened to everyone!?" Historia could no longer stay calm either and pressed him frantically.
Armin clutched his head, tears streaming down his face in anguish, without saying a word.
"How is that possible...?" Historia's eyes trembled, and she was just as disbelieving.
"I'm invincible, you know, little queen."
Chen Si's words filled Historia's mind.
"No! Chen Si wouldn't die," Historia said firmly.
Historia went over to Armin, crouched beside him, and comforted him:
"Armin, we can't let everyone's sacrifice be in vain. We have to stay strong."
Hearing this, Armin trembled but said nothing. All he felt was crushing guilt.
Trout sighed when he heard her. Even someone as strong as you can fall in battle? Looks like I'll have to drink with you at your grave.
Historia clenched her fists and quickly pulled herself together. She looked at the unconscious Mina beside them, then at Armin, who still hadn't recovered. Wiping away her tears, she hoisted Mina onto her back and went to find a medic.
Trout nodded at the sight. She faced reality so quickly. What a strong girl. But why does she seem to have an unusual relationship with Chen Si too? Is that Ackerman soldier his sister?
Trout pondered this as well.
"Armin, can you stand?" Connie held out a hand to help Armin up.
"I'm sorry for the trouble. Please take care of Mina."
Armin gritted his teeth and stood, then used his Vertical Maneuvering Equipment to fly away at speed.
"Hey, Armin!" Connie looked after him, deeply worried.
Soon, Trout gave everyone an order:
"We'll keep supporting the front lines."
After settling the civilians, the Elite Squad that Mikasa belonged to was discussing its battle plan.
Mikasa used her Vertical Maneuvering Equipment to fly to the top of the Tower, scanned her surroundings, and frowned.
The retreat bells had rung long ago. Why hadn't anyone reached the wall? Looking into the distance, Mikasa saw that the Supply Station was already surrounded by Titans.
This is bad. Mikasa hurried in the direction of the Supply Station.
Meanwhile, Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie had regrouped.
"Is this what you wanted? Trost District has successfully been turned into hell, and I haven't seen the slightest sign of the Founding Titan," Annie said quietly, her face expressionless.
"Annie, we had no choice," Reiner said, keeping his voice low as well.
"Reiner, Zeyechuan told us to find an opportunity to capture Eren's mother so we can use her to threaten them later," Bertolt said listlessly, his head lowered.
"That cook? She would make a good hostage. Apparently, Chen Si and Mikasa Ackerman were both raised by Eren's family," Reiner said, carefully considering it.
A flicker of disgust crossed Annie's eyes. That bowl-cut bastard was as underhanded as ever.
Just then, Marco approached from the side, and they immediately fell silent.
"Mikasa! Aren't you with the support unit? What are you doing here?" a soldier she passed asked in confusion as Mikasa raced across the rooftops.
Mikasa didn't stop to explain. She kept running without looking back.
"Annie, I've gotten a rough idea of the situation. I know this might not be the right time to ask, but have you seen anyone from Chen Si and Eren's squad?" Mikasa asked, visibly uneasy.
"I'm sorry, I haven't. Neither have the squads that made it onto the wall," Annie answered.
"Oh, Armin's here. He's right over there," Reiner said, pointing out Armin's location.
"Armin!" Mikasa called urgently.
Armin, who had withdrawn into himself nearby, startled like a frightened bird at the sound, his pupils contracting.
It's Mikasa. What do I do? How am I supposed to explain this to her? I can't. How can I even face her? I only survived by chance because Chen Si and Eren died. If I'd known, I should have just died with them back then.
Armin was frantic inside, his thoughts racing. He had no idea how to face Mikasa.
"Armin, are you hurt? How are you feeling now?" Mikasa asked worriedly, slowly crouching beside him.
Armin lowered his head even further.
Seeing that Armin was all right, Mikasa breathed a sigh of relief. She stood, looked around, and asked:
"Where are Chen Si, Eren, and the others?"