Harry's blacksmith shop was located in the southeastern part of Shiganshina District, while Shin's home was near the central plaza—a decent walk, especially after a full day of hard labor. But to Shin, that distance wasn't a chore. It was training.
Every evening after work, he would run home instead of walking, using the opportunity to condition his body. Over time, the changes were obvious. What had once been a light jog was now a fast, effortless run, sweat pouring down his neck as he maintained a brisk pace all the way home.
And with each new limit he pushed past, the system acknowledged it.
Ding! Endurance +1. Speed +1.
His standard for reaching physical exhaustion was rising rapidly.
"Huff... huff... huff..."
On this particular evening, Shin ran through the streets at a pace noticeably faster than the day before. His clothes clung to his body from sweat, and steam rose from his skin like he was a walking furnace. The townspeople he passed were long used to his daily routine and often teased him playfully. Shin would flash them a grin and fire back with a joke of his own.
It made people smile.
They remembered the lonely boy who rarely spoke and avoided others. Losing his parents early had left him withdrawn and guarded. But now, Shin was cheerful, sociable. A different person, really.
And indeed, they weren't wrong.
Shin had replaced the old self that once inhabited this body.
Just as he rounded a corner, expecting a familiar stretch of alley to breeze past him like usual, a voice caught his ear.
"I'm not a heretic! Please, don't go too far!"
The words were defiant—but tinged with fear.
Then came the mocking tones of several children.
"Well, would you look at that? Our little heretic has a backbone now!"
"He's fighting back? How cute."
"Guess we'll have to teach him a lesson—nip this heresy in the bud."
"Hehe... Know what you get when you argue with your fists?"
"Cry, you little freak. Cry for us!"
Shin froze mid-step.
A familiar face flashed through his mind.
He turned on his heel without thinking and sprinted into the alley.
There, under the shade of crumbling walls, five boys had cornered a blond-haired child. They formed a tight circle around him, grinning cruelly.
The child stood with his back to the wall, arms raised in protest. His face was tense with fear but defiant.
"Armin..." Shin muttered.
Without hesitation, he strode forward, voice loud and firm. "Hey, hey, hey. Are you brats bullying Armin again?"
Armin's face lit up the moment he heard him. "Brother Shin!"
The other boys turned, expressions souring.
"Shin, seriously?" the ringleader scoffed, stepping forward. "You're helping him again? Mikasa's not here to save you this time."
Shin rolled his shoulders and gave Armin a subtle nod of reassurance. "Don't worry. I can handle this."
Armin's joy quickly turned into panic. In the past, it was always Mikasa who beat these guys up. Even though Shin was older, he could usually only fight off one or two. But there were five today.
He instinctively curled up slightly, preparing for the worst.
Armin's still too weak... Shin thought, sighing inwardly.
Then, without warning, he stepped forward and smashed his fist into the ringleader's face.
The boy crumpled instantly, crashing to the ground with a heavy thud.
"Litton?!" one of the others gasped.
"You bastard! You sucker-punched him!" another shrieked.
"Forget talking—get him!"
The remaining four charged at once.
Shin didn't dodge. He rushed in head-on, letting their fists land as he threw his own with brutal efficiency.
He struck one in the gut. Another went down from a punch to the chin. Elbows, knees—he used every part of his body like a weapon.
The blows they landed on him barely registered. They were just kids, and their punches lacked weight. Shin, bolstered by days of training and the hidden benefits of his system, was built like steel compared to them.
When the dust settled, all five bullies lay groaning on the ground.
Armin stood frozen, wide-eyed.
"W-What... That was amazing!"
He'd never seen Shin fight like that before. Sure, Shin was older and tougher than him, but he'd never been... this strong.
Shin turned and offered his hand.
"Can you stand?" he asked with a warm smile.
"I-I can," Armin stammered, taking it. "Thank you, Brother Shin. If you hadn't come, they would've..."
"We're friends, aren't we?" Shin said simply.
He pulled Armin to his feet and shot a glance at the groaning bullies.
"Come on. Let's go talk somewhere else."
"Y-Yeah."
They walked in silence for a while, eventually sitting by the river. The water sparkled in the fading sunlight.
"Brother Shin," Armin asked quietly, "Is my dream really so wrong?"
He hugged his knees, eyes cast down. "Everyone says it is. That we shouldn't talk about the outside. That wanting to leave the Walls is heresy. But... I just want to see what's out there. Is that so bad?"
Shin looked at the river, his reflection wavering on the surface.
"No, it's not wrong," he said. "Your dream is just too big for people who've lived small for too long. A hundred years behind these walls... Most people have forgotten what it means to explore or to hope."
He paused, choosing his next words carefully.
"But you're not alone. Eren believes in the outside world. Mikasa does too. And so do I."
Armin looked up, eyes wide.
"I don't think the people inside the Wall are bad," Shin continued. "Honestly, if I didn't know what was coming, if I wasn't... different, maybe I'd be like them. Content to live behind stone and pretend it's enough. Because truth is..."
He gave a soft, self-deprecating smile.
"I'm afraid of dying too."
Armin stared at him, stunned. Then he smiled.
"Thank you, Brother Shin."
"You don't have to thank me," Shin replied, ruffling Armin's hair. "And listen—next year, I'm joining the military. I'll enlist for the conscription and sign up for the Survey Corps."
Armin's eyes widened in horror.
"The Survey Corps?!" he blurted out, but when he saw the firm look on Shin's face, he swallowed his protest.
"If I make it," Shin said softly, "I'll see the outside world for you. First the fields. Then the forests. Then... the ocean."
"...Ocean?"
"Yeah," Shin said with a nostalgic smile. "There's a place out there where water stretches as far as the eye can see. It's salty, and huge creatures swim beneath it. It's called the ocean."
"An endless sea of water?" Armin's eyes sparkled with wonder. "That sounds... incredible."
Shin nodded, staring toward the wall as a breeze rippled the river.
"One day, you'll see it too."
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A/N: Please Leave A Comment Or Drop A Powerstone It'll mean alot to me...