The sound of destruction from the aftermath of the fight between Kevin, Reiner, and Annie continues to sound, affecting everyone.
Inside the dark house, Armin looks tense, his eyes watching every movement of the soldiers, who are present there.
The same soldiers who were comrades some time ago now transform into potential adversaries.
He tightened his grip on Eren's hand, trying to shield him from the strange gazes of others.
"Don't worry, Armin." Sensing his discomfort, Ian said to him, "You don't have to be guarded against us."
Armin didn't reply but just stayed silent, his eyes still looking at everyone.
Sigh~
Seeing no change in Armin's stance, Ian lets out a sigh.
"It can't be helped." Ian mumbled to himself, "Well, why don't you introduce your friend?" Looking at the unconscious figure of Eren, Ian questioned Armin.
Silence permeates the air, broken by the roar of Reiner's titan.
The next second, tremors travel through the ground.
Suddenly the gazes fixed on Eren and Armin are withdrawn, and some soldiers move out of the house to assess how the fight is going.
Ian looks back and signals other soldiers with his eyes to ease their stance and ease the tense atmosphere.
Following that, the soldiers ease off and put off their tense expression.
Armin notices the action of Ian and feels the change in the atmosphere. Knowing that they are cooperating with him, Armin replies, "He is Eren, Eren Yeager." Looking at the still curious expression of Ian, Armin continues.
"He is my friend, and we are both from the Shiganshina district. After the fall of Wall Maria, both of us joined the military, and currently we are both members of the Military Training Corps."
"Hmm, so you are both in the training corps." Ian questioned.
"Yes sir, we were stationed here in the Trost district for the final training."
Being confirmed, Ian gives a nod and then thinks of something and decides to ask for it.
"Then...was your friend 'this' special from the start?" Eyes locked on Eren, Ian finally asks Armin, who immediately turns tense.
"No, sir." Knowing that running and avoiding this will only make the situation worse, Armin chose to confront it head-on.
"I don't know how he was inside the nape of that titan, but you have to believe me that he is with humanity." Armin quickly replies, desperation flashing in his eyes.
"I believe you, Armin." Ian speaks up, "But you have to understand, even if I believe in you, how can others have the same faith in your words?" Armin looks in the eyes of other soldiers, who look at Eren in distrust.
Ian continues, "I know you are an intelligent person, so you should be able to tell that this situation is very grim; the context of a living human appearing out of a titan's nape is something no one will believe if they didn't see it through their own eyes."
"The possibility of a human being..."
Although Ian left the word unsaid, but everyone immediately understood the heavy implications.
"So Armin, I will ask you again, how can you prove to everyone that he isn't a threat but an ally?" Ian cut to the point.
"U-um." Armin hesitated for a moment, but knowing that if he didn't handle the situation carefully, he might lose Eren.
So making up his mind, Armin hardened his resolve to protect Eren.
"Everyone." Armin calls out to every soldier present there; their gaze leaves Eren and then focuses on him.
"I know the situation is very puzzling, but you have to believe me, Eren is not a danger that you have to be wary about."
"He is one of us; he is my friend." Armin said, looking at the face on Eren as he seemed to be waking up.
"One of us?" One of the soldiers, a middle-aged-looking man, points at Eren, his eyes carrying fear, fear of the unknown and the shattering of his belief. "You said he is one of us? No, not; he is not one of us; he is not a human being." The hoarse voice of the middle-aged man cracked, his finger shaking.
"He is a...devil; he is a titan."
Hearing that, the other soldiers, who were trying to ignore the fact, all have the same expression of fear and uncertainty.
Some steps back, the look in their eyes when they see Eren, transforms into what they see when they look at a titan. In the tense atmosphere someone even unsheathed his blade.
Knowing that the situation is getting worse, Armin hurriedly tries to explain.
"N-no, you are misunderstood; he isn't—
"Misunderstood?" The soldier interrupts him harshly, "Do you think we don't have eyes? Do you think we don't see him appearing out of that titan nape?"
Fury appears in that soldier's action; his every word seems to be the collective question of others.
"Or do you think we don't have brains? We can all understand what that signifies, and after all that, how can you prove that he is a human? Tell me, answer us, we aren't going to waste our lives on your whims."
The soldier completely vented his fear and anger on Armin.
Who seems to be overwhelmed by the soldier, but gathering his courage, Armin still replies, not wanting to back down, "I understand you." Armin softly says, looking at the soldier who has just questioned him, "I know what your insecurities are, but haven't you yourself seen that even if that titan was Eren from whom he appeared, he still attacked the titans, he fought against them. That alone shows that he is with humanity."
Armin tries to reason with them but the stubborn soldiers didn't seem to budge, their question still about Eren's questionable humanity, whether he is a human or a titan.
After trying to reason with them, Armin feels like he can't change their mind, tired, he looks at Ian Dietrich, who patiently hears both of their words.
Feeling the eyes of Armin, who wants to get his help, Ian Dietrich, finally speaks up, silencing everyone.
"Armin." His voice sounded, everyone focused on him, as in charge of the Trost district and their supervisor, everyone listened to him.
"I hope you understand, but every person present here wants to know just one thing." Ian points out his one finger out, and said, "and that is whether Eren Yeager is with humanity or is he a titan?"
Silence permeates the air, the soldiers all ask the same question to Armin with their eyes.
Armin seems struck, having already explained everything to everyone, he feels like no matter what he says, no one is going to believe him.
And just as it seems that Armin has no way left.
"Kill."
The voice sounded from Eren, covered in sweat, he mumbles unconsiouly.
"Kill."
"I am going to kill every titan in this world."