I WILL PROTECT YOU

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝟐

3rd POV

"This could be bad, Erwin," From hearing the voice of Pixis, Erwin turns his attention to the commander. "All the officials are saying similar things. It's just as your father speculated." Pixis said. Erwin's black eye wasn't as bad as it was earlier, only slightly swollen. "The Reiss family must be able to alter people's memories as it suits them. From the sound of it, certain bloodlines, including theirs, are immune to the effects."

Erwin gasped. "How is that even...?" He was too shocked to even finish his question. "If Reiss is able to obtain Eren's Scream, this uprising will amount to absolutely nothing. As proof of that, they're spilling all their secrets with no shame. As if saying we'll get what's coming to us." Pixis told him.

"I see...In other words, we may forget even that fact altogether."

Pixis crossed his arms, closing his eyes while thinking of Zackley. "Though, I suppose having them experience torture by the hands of Zackley is better than nothing in my book. I don't understand that man. To think he dedicated so much of his life just so he could do that." The contraption Zackley made sent shivers up Pixis' spine.

"Commander, you knew about him?" Erwin said in surprise. Pixis opened his eyes. "Mmm... 'Twas a slip of the tongue." Turning on his heel, he slowly walked off. "Indeed...I suspected Darius Zackley had such ambitions." Pixis halted. "Unlike you, I'm not very fond of gambling. And also, unlike you...I value the number of remaining humans over my own life." Erwin stayed silent from Pixis' comment.

"The reason I backed you was because I believed it was the superior choice for humanity. Had the government been the favorable choice, I was prepared to fight against Zackley. To think, we're comrades just following a coup d'état, and look what I'm saying...I once heard a song that someday humans will stop fighting, but when will that be?" Pixis asked.

"Commander!" Hearing a soldier calling him, Erwin turned his attention to his soldiers. "All troops are prepared and ready! We're ready to go!" They informed him.

"Humans will continue to fight one another until the day there's one human or less." Erwin said. The old man laughed. "I was hoping for a better answer than some bleak hyperbole."

Throwing his cloak around himself, Erwin yelled out to his soldiers. "All troops, fall in! Our mission to recover the Jaegers and Historia will now commence! We make for their location, believed to be the chapel on Reiss territory!"

-

Mikasa sat in the wagon, one of his legs propped up on his seat as he had one arm on it. Although his mind was clouded with other matters, he listened to Levi talk about Kenny.

"Understand? He's Kenny the Ripper. If he's there, he'll be our biggest obstacle." Levi began. "In terms of how much of a threat he is, equate him to me as an enemy. No...With those weapons of his, he's deadlier than me." He said which made the others gawk at Levi's comparison.

"Then he's unbeatable, at least for us..." Sasha confessed. Connie began to sweat and said, "If we could meet up with the troops—" Mikasa glared his eyes over at Connie and cut him off by saying, "Absolutely not." Connie quickly stiffened up. "I know, absolutely not! If we wait until morning, Eren might end up getting eaten!" Connie said, feeling Mikasa's cold stare.

"Though, if what the Captain said is true, it's not like he has no weak points." Armin joined.

"For real, Armin?" Jean asked him. Armin nodded his head. "Yeah, I'm sure he's trained plenty, but having combat experience is something else," Armin told him and the others.

Hange scratched the back of her head. "I wonder, how is it that you lived with Kenny the Ripper but know almost nothing about him, Levi? Did you even know Kenny knew Y/n?" Hange asked Levi. The man tilted his head forward and raised his brow.