Kali Lang

Bai Yu and his two companions darted through the forest's towering trees. Two figures flashed past, skimming close to a tree as they sliced through the nape of a huge wooden target standing in for a Titan, sending the model toppling.

They landed on the ground, inspected the long blades in their hands, and gave their Omni-Directional Mobility Gear a few taps.

"Yeah, very good. More responsive than before, and more comfortable too."

Ming spoke calmly.

Then, in a clearing in the forest, Bai Yu took out two pistols and handed them to the pair.

"From now on, your training will also include hand-to-hand combat against humans and firearms training."

"Big brother, we're learning to fight people?"

Bai Yu casually tossed a stone into the air, wiped down the pistol in his hand, then chambered a round.

Bang!

The pistol fired. Before either of them could react, the stone shattered in midair. Bai Yu's expression turned a little cold as he spoke.

"In the future, you'll have to kill people..."

Those quiet words sent a shiver through Ming and Xiate, but they understood what Bai Yu meant and nodded.

Their lack of hesitation put Bai Yu somewhat at ease.

An enemy had to die.

That was something Bai Yu had always believed.

He worried that if they faced such a situation in the future, their hesitation would cost them their lives. If that was how they would act, Bai Yu would distance himself from them.

Anyone Bai Yu wanted to trust had to understand their own place in his heart. They had to know that, to him, nothing mattered more than they themselves did.

If they developed the idea of sacrificing themselves to save others, Bai Yu would never approve.

Other people could call Bai Yu selfish or heartless, but they could not.

Ming and Xiate understood that this was simply how Bai Yu was. In truth, he was also very timid, which was why he was so strong.

Bai Yu himself had said that last part. He had been smiling at the time, but neither Ming nor Xiate had taken it as a joke. Instead, they had engraved it in their hearts.

Bai Yu put away the pistol and returned to his slightly laid-back manner.

"All right, that was just a demonstration. For the next while, you'll practice marksmanship in the late morning, hand-to-hand combat in the early morning and at noon, Omni-Directional Mobility Gear in the afternoon, and firearm assembly at night. Hmm, a packed schedule."

Although Bai Yu usually liked to sleep, while teaching them, he banked his time in the Training Ground to make up for it later.

Bai Yu began unfastening his Omni-Directional Mobility Gear.

"Take yours off too. We're starting today. I'm your instructor."

Neither of them raised the slightest objection. They began removing their Omni-Directional Mobility Gear.

One year later...

Bai Yu stood outside the woods, holding some documents. They were Keith's records on the cadets, which would be submitted to his superiors.

Bai Yu simply wanted to see how Keith had evaluated them.

Over the past year, Yishi had not left. Bai Yu had watched her go from falling behind and being unable to keep up, to gradually catching up a little, to handling everything with ease.

When Bai Yu looked at her expression during training, he could hardly see any determination or perseverance. Even if she announced that she would quit the next second, he would not have been remotely surprised.

Yet she had persisted. Bai Yu did not know how she had managed it. Over all this time, Yishi knew that Bai Yu was often nearby-after all, he never hid when he came-but the two of them had not exchanged another word.

Eren, on the other hand, often brought Armin and Mikasa over to ask about expeditions beyond the walls and what the outside world was like. Bai Yu merely replied that he had not yet been beyond Wall Maria, leaving them rather disappointed.

Speaking of which, the girl named Kali had exceptionally good results. She possessed an outstanding talent for leading a team, and her individual performance with the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear was almost on par with Mikasa, the best of them all. Yet her stamina, speed, reflexes, and other physical abilities were nothing remarkable. She was trying to rival Mikasa through her skill and proficiency with the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear alone.

Bai Yu saw a reflection of his former self in her. Well, his former self playing a video game.

It was a game adapted from Attack on Titan that he had played in his previous life. The player took the role of an original character from the same cadet class as Eren, progressing through the story. In the end, to cover everyone else's retreat, the character had to stay behind alone and was killed off by the plot. Otherwise, Bai Yu maintained that he could have fought his way all the way back.

Of course, that had all been in his previous life, but Bai Yu saw traces of that game character in her.

That nameless warrior.

At that thought, Bai Yu narrowed his eyes slightly as he read Kali's records. The resemblance was too strong: her background, her reason for becoming a cadet, her aptitude, her abilities.

Now Bai Yu had made up his mind. He would recruit her.

As he was thinking this, everyone finished cutting down the Titan models in the woods and assembled before Keith. (Despite being called Titan models, they were nothing more than large, flat wooden boards shaped like Titans, with material that felt like skin attached to the napes and heels, intended to familiarize the cadets with the Titans' height.)

Bai Yu pointed at Kali and addressed Keith.

"Instructor, could you lend her to me for a moment?"

"Kali? What are you planning?"

"Recruiting her. I intend to have her join the Survey Corps when the time comes. Think of it as recruiting for the Survey Corps in advance."

Keith frowned slightly at Bai Yu's words.

Knowing what worried him, Bai Yu offered him reassurance.

"Don't worry. I'm a good judge of people. Besides, if she really doesn't want to, it's not as though I can force her, right?"

Only then did Keith nod.

Bai Yu beckoned to Kali, and everyone in the ranks looked over. After all, he had made no effort to lower his voice, so almost all the cadets had heard him. Some looked at Bai Yu as though he were an idiot, convinced that Kali would never join the Survey Corps.

Eren could barely contain himself either. He wanted to join the Survey Corps too. But seemingly sensing the commotion in the ranks, Keith bellowed.

"Quiet!"

His shout silenced them all.

"Kali Lang, step forward!"

"Yes, sir!"

As the girl stepped out, Bai Yu beckoned for her to come over. Watching Kali run toward him, Yishi could not help clenching her fists tightly.

Why? Why didn't Bai Yu choose me? Is it still not enough? I passed all this training that should have been impossible for me. I caught up with all these cadets I couldn't keep pace with...

Am I really not good enough? I can't keep going anymore...

Inside her mind, she kept weeping and wailing, wanting to give up. Yet her body seemed unable to hear her inner voice and remained standing perfectly straight.

It was as though her actions and her will were disconnected...