Chapter 90: Blocking Pain
Early the next morning.
Inside Wall Rose, on a remote, reinforced training ground, the sunlight pierced through the morning mist, casting several figures onto the stone bricks.
An unspoken tension hung in the air.
Eren stood in the center, his gaze sweeping over Levi opposite him, then flicking to Armin at the side. The questions and resulting disappointment from last night hadn't fully dissipated.
Mikasa stood near Armin, her eyes filled with concern.
Hange adjusted her goggles, notebook in hand, ready to record data.
"Alright everyone!" Hange clapped her hands. "The objective is clear! Test the individual combat capabilities of the Magical Girl forms, and—Eren, your potential new form!"
She looked at Eren, her eyes fervent. "Let's put last night aside for now. It's time to collect data! Everyone, focus!"
Levi, expressionless, flexed his wrist. "Understood."
Eren took a deep breath. "Yes, ma'am!"
"First!" Hange pointed at Eren and Levi. "Magical Girl forms, free combat!"
The moment the order was given, Eren let out a low grunt, and green light flared as the dark brown dress materialized around him. Levi was simultaneously enveloped in deep blue light, the simple tactical skirt appearing, giving him an air of sharp intensity.
"Begin!"
Before the word even faded, Levi's figure blurred. A deep blue afterimage flashed as his blade slashed straight for Eren's neck with incredible speed.
Eren's eyes narrowed. He quickly sidestepped, throwing a right punch that carried the force of a shockwave.
BANG!
Fist met blade, energy exploding outwards. Levi used the force to retreat, twisting in mid-air to dodge the energy beam Eren immediately fired after him. The beam left a scorched hole in the wall.
"Tch." Levi accelerated again, his slashes becoming a rapid, dense flurry. Eren had the advantage in strength, but his speed was completely overwhelmed.
The green and blue lights clashed and separated at high speed. Hange scribbled furiously nearby, muttering observations under her breath.
After a few minutes, Levi exploited a gap in Eren's energy conversion, pressing the tip of his blade against Eren's throat.
"End." Levi sheathed his blade, the light around him fading as he returned to his normal attire.
Eren, panting, deactivated his transformation, a clear look of frustration on his face.
Hange turned to Armin and Mikasa. "Next pair! Armin versus Mikasa! Armin, use your Magical Girl form! Control the output of your attack magic, don't injure Mikasa!"
Hearing the command, Armin subconsciously stiffened. Yesterday, when he transformed into the Female Titan, his body had been covered in the Magical Girl outfit, but after reverting, he returned to normal. Now, he had to fight directly in… this female attire? Under the gaze of Eren, Mikasa, Captain Levi, and Section Commander Hange…
Armin took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and activated the power within him. A soft, sea-blue light enveloped him. When it faded, he was wearing the Magical Girl outfit: a light sea-blue and white short dress top, a knee-length white pleated skirt adorned with gold trim, a beret on his head, and a scepter in his hand.
Without the massive form of the Female Titan, combined with Armin's delicate features, he looked… like a rather pretty and demure Magical Girl, if he didn't speak. Despite being male.
Eren stared, his expression turning somewhat strange. Mikasa's expression also faltered for a moment, as if she were struggling to process the sight. Hange let out a low "Oohh" of amazement.
Feeling his comrades' varied gazes, Armin's cheeks instantly flushed hot, the blush spreading to his ears. This is… so embarrassing…! He instinctively tugged at the hem of his skirt, trying to compose himself, but his slightly trembling fingers betrayed his awkwardness.
Mikasa broke the slightly awkward atmosphere by drawing her blades. "Armin, I'll be coming at you with everything I've got."
Armin quickly gathered himself, forcing himself into the right mindset and gripping his scepter. "Me too, Mikasa."
The fight began. Mikasa immediately activated her gear, moving at high speed to attack from a blind spot. Armin tapped his scepter lightly, creating several energy barriers in front of him that blocked her assault. At the same time, a wave of psychic interference momentarily disrupted Mikasa. Armin seized the chance, swinging his scepter to release a weak energy shockwave. Mikasa blocked it but was knocked back several meters.
Armin continuously used barriers and mental interference to control the engagement, showing decent crowd control abilities.
After a few rounds of testing, Hange called a stop.
"Basic data collection complete! Next—the main event!" Her gaze returned to Eren. "Eren! Same as Armin before! Magical Girl form, then… Titan shift!"
Eren stiffened, remembering Armin's peculiar Titan form from last night—covered in the Magical Girl outfit… His cheeks felt a little hot. "I—I'll try."
Transforming into a Magical Girl again, the dark brown skirt swirled around him. Eren closed his eyes, concentrated, recalled the feeling of shifting, and maintained the energy connection.
"ROOOOAAAR—!!!"
A thunderous explosion of steam erupted as Eren's body rapidly expanded. A fifteen-meter Titan rose up. Unlike a normal Titan, its bare muscles were covered in an enlarged version of the Magical Girl dress, composed of emerald-green energy. The short skirt barely covered the essentials, creating a starkly bizarre contrast with the Titan's powerful musculature.
"Pfft…" Hange barely suppressed a laugh, hiding her face behind her notebook, her shoulders shaking slightly.
The Eren Titan looked down at the "clothes" on its body, a flicker of confusion seemingly crossing its massive face. But he quickly suppressed the feeling and let out a powerful roar.
"Success!" Hange shouted excitedly. "Data! Quick! Mikasa! Test its defense and reaction speed!"
Mikasa pushed down her own sense of weirdness and activated her gear, launching herself at the Eren Titan.
CLANG!
Her blades struck the energy skirt-armor, leaving only a shallow white mark. "It's hard!" Mikasa reported before dodging away to avoid being accidentally hit.
"Defense is significantly increased in the Magical Titan state!" Hange noted. "Levi! Your turn! Test the limits!"
Levi wasted no words. The deep blue light flared again as he shot toward the Titan like lightning. His blades, coated in pale blue energy, precisely slashed at the energy layer on the nape of the Titan's neck.
SHINK SHINK SHINK!
The skirt was cut open, revealing the muscle underneath.
The Eren Titan spun around violently, its massive fist swinging toward Levi with devastating force. It was too fast, too close!
Levi's eyes narrowed. He crossed his arms to block. An agonizing pain, as if his bones were about to shatter, shot through him. But just for an instant. The tearing pain quickly faded, replaced by a strange numbness. His brain seemed to have automatically made the decision for him, blocking his sense of pain.
BOOM!
With a tremendous impact, Levi was sent flying backward, crashing hard into the distant wall. Dust and debris exploded outwards.
"Captain!" the others cried out in alarm.
The dust settled. Levi slowly stood up from the rubble, brushing himself off. He moved the arm he had used to block; the movement was slightly unnatural. The bones might be fractured, the muscles definitely torn. But there was no hint of pain on his face.
The impact was real. The damage was real. But the pain… it felt like it wasn't even there.
He looked at the faintly glowing deep blue gem on his chest. Could it be… that a Magical Girl's body… can actively block pain?