After the balance aptitude test, Keith organized six months of physical conditioning and Omni-Directional Mobility Gear training.
Those six months of physical conditioning left most of the cadets complaining bitterly.
This was especially true of those who were already physically weak, such as Armin, Christa, Hannah, and Thomas.
Without help from Arthur, Mikasa, Reiner, and Bertholdt, they might never have made it through such intense training.
Keith observed everyone's performance throughout this period. By now, he had compiled basic profiles for all the cadets he considered particularly promising.
Arthur Ackerman: An absolute genius and a natural leader. Completed every training exercise perfectly. Possesses exceptional willpower, combat ability, and instincts, along with outstanding talent for tactical planning and leading other soldiers. Recommended for a leadership unit. Current rating: S+ Mikasa Ackerman: Another outstanding genius. Can complete every training exercise perfectly, but has a withdrawn personality and seems to depend on soldier Arthur Ackerman in a way that goes beyond a sibling bond. Unsuitable for teamwork. Recommended for a combat unit. Rating: S+ Reiner Braun: Physically strong, with outstanding talent for using Omni-Directional Mobility Gear. Frequently helps his teammates and has become something of a big brother to the others. Recommended for a leadership unit. Rating: S Bertholdt Hoover: Possesses outstanding talent for using Omni-Directional Mobility Gear, but has a withdrawn personality and dislikes acting alongside his teammates. Has romantic feelings for soldier Annie Leonhart. Recommended for a combat unit. Rating: S Annie Leonhart: Possesses outstanding talent for both Omni-Directional Mobility Gear and hand-to-hand combat, but has a withdrawn personality and is unsuited to fighting alongside teammates. Recommended for a combat unit. Rating: A Eren Yeager: Possesses unparalleled willpower. Though his ability with Omni-Directional Mobility Gear is unremarkable, his refusal to give up compensates for his shortcomings in combat. Recommended for a combat unit. Rating: B
These were the six people Keith currently held in the highest regard, though the others had strengths of their own.
After six months of physical conditioning and Omni-Directional Mobility Gear training, Keith announced the end of both courses to keep prolonged high-intensity training from becoming counterproductive. He then announced the start of hand-to-hand combat training.
Everyone cheered when they heard that their next course was hand-to-hand combat. To them, it was not an important subject; it did not even award as many credits as their academic classes.
The instructors generally were not very strict about it, either, so most of the cadets simply coasted along and went through the motions.
As for what hand-to-hand combat training involved, it was simple.
The instructor assigned partners,
then one partner chose to play the thug.
The other played a soldier stopping a crime, fighting the knife-wielding "criminal" barehanded.
Taking the wooden knife from the criminal counted as a win, while getting stabbed counted as a loss. This trained the soldiers not to be helpless when facing human opponents.
Whether by coincidence or not, Arthur's partner turned out to be Christa.
Both of them were a little surprised when they heard they had been paired together.
"Arthur, I'm coming at you now." Holding a wooden knife in her role as the criminal, Christa even gave him an adorably earnest warning.
"Whenever you're ready." Arthur smiled and beckoned with a finger.
"Ha!" With a little cry, Christa charged at Arthur, wooden knife in hand.
Seeing Christa rush him without any technique whatsoever, Arthur smiled, shifted slightly to dodge her attack, then reached out and flicked her smooth, fair forehead.
"Ow!" Christa clutched her forehead in pain, while Arthur casually took the wooden dagger from her hand.
"You lost again, Christa," Arthur said with a smile as he watched her hold her forehead.
"Hmph, that's not fair. You're so strong." Christa wrinkled her delicate nose in displeasure, looking utterly adorable.
"Nothing I can do about that. I'm your partner, after all." Arthur smiled and gently rubbed Christa's forehead.
"..." Christa grew terribly shy at Arthur's affectionate gesture.
Nearby, Mikasa was practicing with a boy. The sight of the two of them stirred her emotions, and in a moment of distraction, she threw her charging partner straight to the ground.
"Ow! Go easy on me, Mikasa! That really hurt!" The boy she had thrown down rubbed his backside, which felt as though it had nearly split apart, and complained resentfully.
She'd been pretty gentle before. Why had she suddenly gotten so forceful?
The boy was baffled.
"Sorry. I was distracted just now." Realizing she had gotten carried away, Mikasa apologized.
Her eyes remained fixed on Arthur and Christa, however. Watching the physical contact between them as Arthur taught Christa self-defense, Mikasa felt as though something inside her had tipped over, leaving her deeply unsettled.
"Christa, when you're facing an opponent stronger than you, you mustn't act rashly. Either run away immediately or aim for his weak points," Arthur explained patiently.
"Like a boy's groin?" Christa asked, only to realize a moment later how inappropriate that sounded and grow terribly embarrassed.
"That's right. But it isn't just the groin. You can also attack their ribs, joints, vulnerable eyes, ears, or throat. All of those can inflict serious damage." Seeing Christa's embarrassment, Arthur scratched his head and awkwardly continued.
"Mm-hmm!" Christa listened attentively to Arthur's explanation, like a diligent student hanging on every word of her teacher's lesson.
Since some things required hands-on practice, their bodies sometimes touched as Arthur demonstrated the moves himself.
Arthur thought nothing of it, but Christa felt differently.
She was terribly shy now, her face so red it looked ready to bleed. She had just touched Arthur's firm abs and muscles.
This was the first time she had ever touched a boy's body, and whenever Arthur touched hers,
she would involuntarily tremble for some reason.
Nearby, Ymir was training with Mina. Seeing Christa's bashful expression infuriated her, and her gaze toward Arthur filled with boundless jealousy.
"Damn it! Why wasn't I the one paired with Christa?"
"Want to take a break?" Seeing Christa drenched in sweat, Arthur handed her water cup to her and asked with concern.
"Yes, let's rest a little. I am a bit tired." Christa smiled and nodded, then took the cup and began sipping, easing the heat that exercise had left in her body.
"All right, rest here for a while. I'm going to see Mikasa." Arthur looked toward Mikasa and found her watching him, only for her to turn her head away when their eyes met. He decided to go over to her.
"Okay." Christa nodded.
Arthur then walked over to Mikasa, handed her a water cup, and said,
"Mikasa, have some water."
"Mm." Seeing Arthur offer her the cup, Mikasa smiled sweetly, took it, and began drinking.
"Don't forget to wipe off your sweat." Noticing the fine beads of sweat on Mikasa's forehead, Arthur took out a handkerchief and gently wiped them away, his tone chiding.
"Mm, I know." Mikasa nodded with a blush and handed the cup back.
Arthur happened to be thirsty, so he took the cup and drank a mouthful.
"!!!" Seeing Arthur drink straight from the cup she had just used sent Mikasa's imagination running wild.
Did Arthur just kiss me indirectly? Mikasa felt her face heat up and her head grow a little dizzy.
"What's wrong, Mikasa?" Oblivious as ever to romance, Arthur had no idea why she was suddenly acting this way.
"Ow! Eren, ease up!" Just then, a shout caught Arthur's attention.