The next phase of training shifted from mastering equipment to mastering ourselves. Shadis announced the commencement of hand-to-hand combat drills, his voice echoing across the now-familiar training ground. "Titans aren't your only enemy!" he bellowed. "Conflict is inevitable! A soldier unable to defend themselves against a human opponent is useless!"
A murmur went through the recruits. Some looked eager, flexing their hands. Others, like Armin, visibly paled. Eren, predictably, looked energized, a predatory gleam in his eyes. Combat, even against humans, was a step closer to his goal.
My own reaction was complex. A thrill, undeniable and sharp, shot through me at the prospect of truly using this body's potential. The Ackerman combat instincts hummed beneath my skin, a latent power eager to be unleashed. I'd watched Mikasa fight countless times on screen, her movements fluid, devastatingly effective. To wield that myself… it was intoxicating. Yet, there was apprehension too. Could I control it? Mikasa's strength was immense; hurting someone accidentally, or revealing the true, terrifying extent of her abilities this early, could be disastrous. My goal was to blend flawless competence with unwavering devotion to Eren, not to stand out as some kind of superhuman anomaly yet.
Shadis began pairing recruits off, seemingly at random, though I suspected his choices were deliberate, designed to test specific weaknesses or temperaments. I scanned the pairings anxiously. Please don't pair me with Jean. Please let me be near Eren.
Eren was matched with Reiner Braun. My eyes narrowed slightly, observing Reiner's easy confidence, his solid build. Knowing who – what – he truly was sent a chill down my spine, quickly replaced by a protective urge towards Eren. This wasn't just a spar; it was a wolf assessing the sheepdog. Eren, oblivious, met Reiner's stance with fierce determination.
Armin was paired with Thomas Wagner, a relatively gentle match, much to my relief. Jean ended up with Connie, a pairing likely to devolve into flailing and insults, which suited me fine. Keep him occupied and away from us.
"Ackerman!" Shadis barked. "You're with Hoover."
Bertholdt Hoover. Tall, quiet, perpetually nervous Bertholdt. The Colossal Titan himself. My stomach tightened. Sparring with him felt… wrong on multiple levels. He shuffled forward awkwardly, looking almost apologetic.
"Alright, begin!" Shadis roared.
The field erupted into motion. Grunts, shouts, the thud of bodies hitting packed earth. My attention immediately flickered to Eren and Reiner. They circled each other, Reiner solid and powerful, Eren quick and aggressive. Reiner seemed to be mostly defending, testing Eren's attacks, a subtle calculation in his eyes that chilled me.
"Um… ready?" Bertholdt asked nervously, snapping my attention back.
"Ready," I replied, slipping into Mikasa's calm, focused stance. The Ackerman instincts took over, mapping his posture, predicting his likely movements based on his hesitant stance. He lunged, a clumsy, telegraphed move.
Without conscious thought, my body reacted. A swift sidestep, a hand deflecting his arm, my other hand striking precisely at a nerve cluster in his shoulder. Not enough to cause real damage, but enough to make his arm go numb and send him stumbling back, eyes wide with shock.
"How did you—?" he stammered.
"Focus," I said coolly, maintaining my stance. I didn't want to hurt him, just disable him quickly and efficiently. This continued for a few minutes – his hesitant attacks easily deflected, met with swift, controlled counters that kept him off-balance without causing injury. It was almost boringly easy. My gaze kept drifting back to Eren.
Reiner had Eren pinned, using his superior weight and strength. Eren struggled furiously, landing a few blows but unable to break the hold. There was no malice in Reiner's actions, just overwhelming power, but seeing Eren trapped, fighting against impossible odds… it mirrored his future struggles too closely. My knuckles whitened.
Suddenly, a commotion nearby distracted me momentarily. Jean had somehow gotten the upper hand on Connie and was strutting, puffing his chest out. He caught my eye and smirked, clearly trying to impress me even after yesterday's brutal shutdown. Disgust washed over me. I turned away, refocusing.
That split second of distraction was almost costly. Bertholdt, perhaps sensing an opening or just flailing, launched a slightly more committed attack. I reacted instinctively, moving to disarm and potentially throw him—
"Jaeger!" Shadis's voice cut through the air again. He was watching Eren and Reiner. "Strength isn't everything! Use your speed! Exploit openings!"
Eren, hearing the command, seemed to find new resolve. With a desperate surge, he twisted, using Reiner's own momentum against him, slipping out of the pin. He wasn't winning, but he wasn't giving up. Pride swelled in my chest.
Just then, Jean, finished with Connie, decided to wander closer to Eren and Reiner's spar, making loud, unhelpful comments. "Wow, Jaeger, really getting thrown around there! Maybe you should stick to yelling."
Eren's focus wavered, his head snapping towards Jean, anger flaring. Reiner, sensing the shift, moved to press his advantage again.
That tears it.
My spar with Bertholdt was instantly forgotten. In two swift strides, I closed the distance. Before Jean could utter another word, before Reiner could fully capitalize on Eren's distraction, I moved.
It wasn't a direct attack on Reiner – that would be too obvious. Instead, I 'stumbled' as if losing my balance from my own spar ending, bumping hard into Jean and sending him sprawling sideways into the dirt, away from Eren. Simultaneously, my foot lashed out in a low, controlled sweep aimed not at Reiner himself, but at the ground just beside his leading foot, disrupting his stance just enough.
It happened in less than a second. Jean yelped indignantly from the dust. Reiner stumbled slightly, his planned move disrupted, giving Eren the precious instant he needed to regain his footing and distance. Bertholdt stood frozen, staring where I had been moments before.
I straightened up immediately, adopting Mikasa's neutral expression, though my heart hammered with the adrenaline of intervention. "Apologies," I said blandly, looking down at Jean without actually meeting his eyes. "Lost my footing."
Jean scrambled up, sputtering, covered in dust. "Lost your— You did that on purpose!"
"Enough, Kirschtein!" Shadis barked, though his eyes lingered on me for a moment, assessing. "Control yourself. Ackerman, Hoover – spar concluded. Jaeger, Braun – keep going!"
Jean shot me a furious, betrayed look before stomping away. Reiner gave me a brief, calculating glance before re-engaging Eren, the subtle testing seemingly replaced by a more straightforward spar. Eren shot me a quick, confused look, but the fight demanded his full attention again.
I stepped back, my duty done. I had protected Eren from distraction and subtle sabotage, asserted my presence without overt aggression, and put Jean firmly back in his irrelevant place. All while maintaining plausible deniability.
I watched Eren continue his spar, my expression calm, but inside, a fierce satisfaction burned. This strength, this power… it felt right when used for him. Let the others see. Let them learn. Eren Jaeger was mine to protect. And anyone who interfered, subtly or overtly, would learn the weight of Ackerman strength brought down upon them.