Chapter 14: You Weaklings!

“Ah…” The words faded away, for Armin was already sobbing uncontrollably, clutching his head in agony, his whole body trembling.

“How could this happen…”

Armin’s voice was barely above a whisper, yet in the suffocating silence, it reached every ear.

“Even Eren…”

“Class 34 has been wiped out… If we were to face the Titans head-on… this would be our fate as well…”

A deeper despair spread in the wake of Armin’s broken weeping. If before, everyone had only lost their will to fight, resigned to certain death, then now… perhaps some were already contemplating taking their own lives.

“I’m sorry, Mikasa… Eren died to save me…” Armin hung his head, overcome with guilt, unable to meet Mikasa’s gaze.

“Armin… This is not the time to grieve…”

“As long as we kill the Titans around the supply room, everyone will be able to climb the wall safely, right…”

Standing to the side, Sikong Xu could not see Mikasa’s expression beneath her lowered hair, but he knew she had already lost her rationality. Her words were nothing but a strained attempt to appear calm.

“Mikasa!” Sikong Xu called out, but received no answer.

Anxious, fearing Mikasa would do something reckless, Sikong Xu rushed to her and grabbed her hand. “Calm down, Mikasa!”

“Xu… you know, I’m very strong…”

Her words made Sikong Xu pause. He already knew what Mikasa was thinking.

“I am strong!” Mikasa raised her voice, shouting, “I’m stronger than any of you! So I am perfectly capable of killing all the Titans at the supply room by myself!”

“You weaklings—not only can you not fight, you’re cowards! Fragile! Go ahead and hide here if you like. I alone will kill… all the Titans!”

With that, Mikasa wrenched her hand free and prepared to launch herself forward with the maneuvering gear—but someone moved faster than she did.

“Mikasa.”

Suddenly, as if making a firm decision, Sikong Xu seized Mikasa before she could take a step, and embraced her slender, fragrant body tightly.

“Calm yourself, Mikasa…” he whispered, holding her close, one arm around her slim waist, the other gently stroking her loose, dark hair.

“The Mikasa I know is strong, composed, and beautiful all in one. This reckless side of you—that’s not the Mikasa I know at all…”

He pressed his cheek softly against her hair.

“If you want revenge, I’ll go with you. If you want to kill Titans, I’ll go with you. If you die… I won’t let you die!”

In matters of the heart, Sikong Xu was inexperienced, unsure how best to comfort her. So he simply poured out everything he wanted to say, not realizing his words were more a confession than consolation.

In his embrace, Mikasa pressed her small head against his chest—hardly sturdy, but warm. She bit her lip, tears occasionally glimmering in her eyes.

Eren’s death had struck Mikasa deeply. Without Sikong Xu, she might have forced herself to be strong as in the original story, venting her fury on the Titans. But now, with Sikong Xu there, Mikasa seemed to find an anchor, releasing her pent-up emotions on him.

Her silent sobs, the way she bit her lip until blood seeped out to keep from crying aloud—how heart-wrenching it was. Perhaps Mikasa was not as strong as she appeared in the original tale…

A long while passed before Mikasa choked out, “The Xu I know is a bit of a fool, always earnest about everything—not someone who knows how to comfort others like this…”

Hearing her soft words, Sikong Xu broke into a radiant smile. It seemed Mikasa’s spirits were slowly recovering.

“Titans are nothing to fear. Let’s wipe them out together, for Eren’s sake.”

“Mm…” Mikasa replied softly, lowering her head as she slipped from his embrace, her lovely face flushed bright red—nothing of the aloof goddess about her now.

Seeing her like this, Sikong Xu breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to the others. “I have just a few words for you all. If you still want to struggle for survival, listen. If you’ve lost your fighting spirit and no longer care about living or dying, I have nothing more to say to you.”

He cleared his throat. He knew that if he could rouse these trainees, the coming battle against the Titans would be much easier for him and Mikasa. Inspired by Naruto, he launched into his own “talk no jutsu.”

“To offer your heart for humanity! That’s the first thing we learned when we joined the Cadet Corps. Titans are terrifying, yes—fear is only human. But today, we don’t fight for anyone else. We fight for ourselves! To survive, we must take up our weapons, stand tall, and face the Titans head-on! Death is not what we should fear—what we should fear is dying without dignity, in disgrace!”

With those words, Sikong Xu brandished his steel blade and raised it high.

“If I am to die, then I will die with infinite dignity and honor, a glorious sacrifice!”

As his words faded, Sikong Xu and Mikasa dashed swiftly toward the supply room in the distance.

As for the trainees behind, Sikong Xu had no time to concern himself with them.

…

“Damn it! I won’t let that loser steal all the glory!” After Sikong Xu’s speech, Jean clenched his fists, unwilling to be overshadowed.

“He’s right! Even if I die, I want to die with honor!” Connie, ever the hot-blooded one, was easily moved by Sikong Xu’s words.

“That’s right! If Sikong Xu the underdog dares fight the Titans, why can’t we?”

“I refuse to die in disgrace!”

Even Armin, huddled to the side with lifeless eyes, was stirred to action. He knew that now was not the time to curl up and wait for death, but to channel all his fury and avenge Eren!

In an instant, the trainees’ passion was rekindled. Sikong Xu was right—between dying in shame and falling gloriously in battle, the choice was clear.

“Everyone, follow Sikong Xu and Mikasa! It’s one thing to let Mikasa take the spotlight, but why should that loser steal our thunder? Am I right?”

“Yes!”

Fssh! Fssh! Fssh!

One after another, the maneuvering gears roared to life, hissing with the rhythm of high-pressure gas. Gradually, the sound became almost musical—a battle hymn, singing of their coming victory.