"Cough, cough, cough..."
Arthur coughed dryly a few times, then slowly opened his eyes.
"Arthur, how are you feeling?" Seeing the color gradually return to his face, Mikasa hurriedly and carefully helped him sit up, letting him lean against her.
"M-Mikasa." Arthur's lungs felt as though they were burning, and his head was swimming.
"Yes, I'm here." Mikasa took his hand and nodded.
"Are... are you okay?"
"I'm okay." Mikasa shook her head to reassure him.
"That's good. Cough, cough, cough..." Arthur nodded in relief, then broke into a fit of violent coughing. He felt as though he was about to cough his lungs out.
"Arthur, are you all right?" Mikasa asked, watching him anxiously.
"I'm fine. I just haven't caught my breath yet." Arthur shook his head, trying to reassure her.
Then Arthur noticed the blood at the corner of Mikasa's mouth and the clear handprint on her face. His heart ached as he reached out with his mud-covered hand and gently stroked her cheek.
The thought of Uncle Kane and Aunt Yumiko's deaths filled him with even deeper regret.
"Mikasa, I'm sorry I couldn't protect your parents. It's all my fault." Arthur felt that Uncle Kane and Aunt Yumiko had died because of him. If only he had noticed sooner, if only he had been a little stronger.
Then perhaps none of these tragedies would have happened.
"Arthur, this isn't your fault. You can't blame yourself!" Seeing Arthur consumed by guilt, Mikasa threw her arms around him.
She knew perfectly well that none of this was his fault. If Arthur hadn't risked his life to protect them, those men would probably have taken her and her mother away long ago.
Seeing how understanding Mikasa was only deepened Arthur's guilt. He dared not imagine how utterly shattered this girl's heart must have been.
Those beasts had killed both Kane and Yumiko right in front of Mikasa.
He knew that witnessing it must have dealt a devastating blow to her.
That beast had nearly strangled him to death just moments ago. Now that the man was dead, there was only one possibility: Mikasa had killed him.
"Mikasa, help me up first." Arthur stroked her head, then spoke to her.
"Okay."
Mikasa nodded and stood, slowly pulling on the arm that hadn't been shot as she helped Arthur to his feet.
Arthur sucked in a sharp breath as he stood.
The gunshot wound in his shoulder made him grimace in pain, though it hurt considerably less than before.
He could distinctly feel that his wound seemed to be healing. This was probably closely connected to why his strength could suddenly become superhuman.
His body seemed to hold an enormous secret.
Once Arthur steadied himself, he saw Yumiko lying just a few meters away.
His gaze grew even more sorrowful as he looked at her body. If not for Yumiko, he would have been shot dead much earlier.
If she hadn't tried to save him, the thug would never have stabbed her repeatedly and taken her life.
"Mom..." Still supporting Arthur, Mikasa looked at her mother's body as two streams of hot tears ran down her cheeks. She remembered how her mother had been teaching her embroidery only moments ago, yet now she was nothing but a lifeless body.
"Mom... Dad, don't leave me." Mikasa stared ahead. For a moment, she seemed to see ghostly images of her parents waving goodbye to her.
The sight of Mikasa like this broke Arthur's heart. He wiped the mud from his hand, then slowly brushed the tears from her face before pulling her into a tight embrace.
"Big brother... we don't have a home anymore."
Mikasa spoke to Arthur as though she were an empty shell.
"No... Mikasa, as long as you and I are together, we're still a family."
"From today on, I'll spend my whole life protecting you. No one will ever tear our family apart again."
Holding back his tears, Arthur held Mikasa and spoke earnestly into her ear.
Hearing Arthur's words, Mikasa felt as though a ray of light had suddenly appeared in her heart, illuminating the darkness that had engulfed it.
That's right. As long as my big brother is with me, anywhere can be home.
Mikasa felt the warmth of Arthur's embrace.
She had found him-the family member she would stay beside for the rest of her life, the one she would protect even at the cost of her own life.
"Mikasa, let's go home." Arthur spotted the scarf he had given her lying on the ground. He walked over, picked it up, and shook off the dirt before carefully and gently wrapping it around her neck.
Then he took Mikasa's small hand again and spoke to her gently.
"Okay!"
Mikasa stroked the scarf around her neck. It seemed to hold some kind of magic, making her feel wonderfully warm when she had been cold only moments before.
Mikasa tightened her grip on Arthur's hand. This time, she would never let go again.