A Cruel, Yet Beautiful World (Eren x Mikasa) AoT AU

Chapter 11

This is by far the longest chapter that I have written for this story thus far at over 5,600 words. I am sorry that it is this long and originally meant to split them into two chapters but kind of struggled to find a good point split them so I am just going to release it as one really long one. Since this chapter took so long to write, please tell me what you think of it :)

"Yeah okay? I saw the big guy." An annoyed Eren responded to a group of cadets that surrounded him while he ate his dinner. This was about the fifth time he was asked this question today and frankly he was sick of them.

They all gasped at what the emerald eyed boy just said. A boy excitedly remarked, "Wow! Really?!"

Another one cried out, "Exactly how tall was he?!

"Enough to stick his head over the wall." Eren responded not looking up from is food.

A brunette boy then said, "What?! I heard it stepped over the wall!"

"Me too!" A black haired girl agreed with him.

"That's what they said in my village too!" Another boy cried out

"No, it wasn't that big." Eren sighed, quickly shutting down his comrades outrageous claims.

"What did it look like?!" A girl asked in complete wonder.

"It had the mouth of a corpse, and no skin, just muscles." Eren said putting a mouthful of stew into his mouth.

"Wow!" They all said in shock.

"What about the Armored Titan that broke through Wall Maria?!" Another cadet cried out.

"Is that what they're calling it? It looked like an ordinary Titan to me." Eren said nonchalantly, trying to impress the people around him. In reality, the boy was terrified when he saw that behemoth. He still remembered how easily the titan broke into Wall Maria, treating it like a tower of toy blocks. It was in that moment that Eren crossed a line there was no going back from. Fighting against the titans was no longer a dream about achieving freedom, it was about ensuring humanity's survival. To avenge all those who have fallen in their wrath. That was the moment that Eren dedicated himself to the eradication of all titans.

"No way! So what were they like?!" A boy with a buzz cut excitedly asked.

This question caused the emerald eyed boy's mind to play a flashback to what happened that day. He saw that blonde titan with the gaping smile on its face picking up his mother. Eren's hand began to shake and he felt sick to his stomach. The brunette boy dropped his spoon into his stew before putting his hand up to his mouth to keep himself from throwing up. That event still haunts the emerald eyes boy's nightmares to this day.

The cadets around Eren noticed the boy change in demeanor at the seemingly simple question, they clearly struck a painful cord and felt bad. A boy with freckles then told the others, "Let's spare him the questions, everyone. I'm sure there are things he doesn't want to remember. Sorry for asking we didn't mean to-"

"It's not like that!" Eren interrupted, before taking a bite out of a piece of bread and confidently saying, "Titans aren't actually that big of a deal! Once we've mastered omni-directional mobility gear, they'll be nothing to us! We finally get to train as soldiers. I was just overcome with emotion, that's all. One day I am gonna join the Survey Corps and send every last titan to hell. I will slaughter every last one of them myself if I have to."

"Whoa, what are you, crazy or something?" A boy laughed, catching Eren's attention. He turned in the direction the voice came and saw a smug boy with ash brown hair snickering at him, "You mean to tell us that all that stuff you said to Shadis was not bull shit? You actually meant it when you said, 'I will not stop until every last one of them is reduced to dust' You think you can actually kill every titan? Let alone in that death sentence of a military regiment?"