My Ice Heart is Yours [Levi Ackerman]

Chapter 6 - Reluctant Heroes

Warning: This chapter contains descriptions of graphic violence and death. Read at your own discretion. 

The blade never fell. You opened your eyes after the few seconds that seemed to have lasted for an eternity. Levi remained still in the same position, but you quickly came to the realization that his bloodlust was intended for another. His gaze had turned in the direction of the titan who had taken the lives of his comrades, his furious aura radiating incessantly from his body.

From the beginning, his murderous glare had been directed, not at you, but at the titan he intended to slay.

Without another word, Levi left your side, flying through the trees with his maneuver gear and attacking the titan with a deafening roar of outrage.

You painfully turned your head towards the fight, struggling to see Levi amidst the fog, rain, and splatters of blood that flew through the air. High-pitched animal-like cries could be heard through the thunderous sounds of the downpour and you hoped that Levi was alright.

It took you a while to realize that it was not the titan who emitted these shrill sounds, but Levi himself, who had lost his composure in the face of his dead comrades.

No. If he continues to fight rashly like this...

You dug your fingers into the dirt, attempting to sit up despite your broken body. Pain ripped through your side and you let out gasps of pain as you managed to raise yourself up on your elbows.

"L-Lev—" you broke off as something large landed with a sickening splash beside you.

You turned slowly to look at the mangled, detached head of the titan. Its lifeless, cruel eyes stared into yours. Its blood stained the ground around it, mingling with the rainwater and sinking into the dirt. Feeling sick at the sight, you dragged yourself away before the blood could seep further into your clothes.

Then, you looked back up at Levi, who continued to hack mercilessly away at the titan's lifeless body. It was now raining blood. Titan blood. Levi's yells still echoed throughout the air. And each sound pierced your heart like the sharp blade he wielded in his hand. These were the sounds of someone who had lost everything. These were the sounds of a pained person grieving. These were the sounds that had once come from you. And these were the sounds that haunted you every night in your dreams.

By now, Levi had stopped, seeming to have realized the meaninglessness behind his undying rage against the corpse. He stood, his head down, by the carcass of what had once been a titan. He was almost hidden from your sight by the vaporizing blood surrounding him. And though you were too far to see, you could swear that you could hear the sounds of his tears.

You lowered your head, covering your mouth with your hand to stop yourself from breaking into tears. Now wasn't the time.

The sound of racing hooves reached your ears and you turned to see the rest of the regiment arriving behind you, far too late to provide assistance to the corpses of your squad.

"Erwin," you said.

He glanced at you, then back at Levi and the titan, seeming to make his own silent assessment of the situation.

The rain ceased and the sun began to emerge once again from behind darkened clouds. You stared at the sun, its bright rays reminding you once more, that the cruelest of things could happen just as easily under a sky brightened by the light of the sun.

Erwin dismounted his horse. "Search for survivors," Erwin said to the regiment before walking over to Levi.

Levi didn't react as Erwin stepped closer. You thought about warning Erwin about Levi's intentions. But you stopped. You were sure Erwin knew that Levi had wanted to kill him. That was why Erwin had made Levi your second-in-command. To keep an eye on him. If Erwin wasn't avoiding Levi now, it was because he was well aware that Levi was too broken to kill him.