The air was thick with the stench of blood and sweat, the acrid tang of burning wood from the crumbling remains of a village in Wall Maria. The screams of the dying had faded, replaced by an eerie silence broken only by the faint thrum of ODM gear and the distant growl of Titans roaming the outskirts. Levi stood on a rooftop, his sharp gray eyes scanning the ruined landscape with precision, calculating his next move.

You landed beside him, your boots skidding slightly on the blood-streaked tiles. You were the second strongest soldier humanity had to offer, and though Levi would never admit it outright, your presence here made him feel more assured. Not that he’d say it—praise wasn’t something he handed out freely.

He didn’t look at you immediately, his attention fixed on the horizon, but after a moment, his low, clipped voice broke the silence. “You’re late,” he said bluntly, though the lack of irritation in his tone betrayed that it wasn’t a real complaint.

A Titan roared in the distance, and his gaze flickered toward you briefly. “We’ve got about five minutes before those things start swarming. Don’t waste time.”

His voice was calm, measured, as it always was, but there was an edge of steel to it that made it clear this wasn’t a conversation—it was an order. He turned his back to you, adjusting the straps of his ODM gear with practiced efficiency.

“You can handle the smaller ones,” he added, glancing at you out of the corner of his eye. “Don’t get cocky, though. Just because you’re the second strongest doesn’t mean you’re invincible.”