I Became the Villain of Attack on Titan

The next day dawned. 

"Alright, everyone, pay attention! Today's training focuses on the basics of the omni-directional mobility gear," Instructor Keith Shadis clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention. 

"If you can't pass this basic training... I guarantee it'll be easier for you to just go back home." 

He motioned to one of the assistants to demonstrate the exercise. 

The task was to balance using only two ropes, a drill that required a significant amount of coordination. 

But compared to actually using the omni-directional mobility gear, it was a beginner-level challenge. 

If one couldn't pass even this test, they wouldn't qualify for any regiment. 

"It looks tough...", Armin murmured softly, watching the training.

He had always been poor with physical activities. 

If he couldn't pass this training, he'd have to return home. 

"Don't worry too much, Armin. This is nothing compared to the real omni-directional gear," Eren reassured him, patting him on the shoulder. 

"Look, all the other kids are managing just fine. There's no reason you can't do it too." 

"Yeah... I guess you're right." 

"Of course! Oh, it's my turn now. Watch closely, Armin!" 

When Eren's turn came, he stepped forward confidently. 

All the others before him had managed to succeed, so there was no reason for him to fail. 

"Alright, tell me when you're ready, and I'll let go," said the assistant instructor. 

Eren, full of confidence, nodded. 

"Yes, I'm ready

The assistant instructor, seeing Eren's confident demeanor, figured he would pass the test.

However, the result was far from what anyone expected. 

"W-whoa...!" 

Crash!

Eren lost his balance and immediately fell to the ground. The impact was so severe that the sound of his head hitting the earth echoed through the area. 

All the trainees nearby turned to look at Eren. 

"Hah, I knew that idiot would fail," said Jean, who had argued with Eren the night before. 

As soon as Eren failed, Jean wasted no time mocking him. 

"Can't even handle the gear and yet talks about joining the Scout Regiment. What a joke." 

Jean, along with a few others, started to snicker. 

Eren, who had loudly declared his intention to join the Scouts, was now the center of gossip and laughter. 

"I-instructor, please, let me try again!" 

Eren, clutching his bleeding head, pleaded desperately.

But even his following attempts ended in failure. 

To make matters worse, during his final try, Eren hit his head nearly hard enough to knock himself unconscious. 

The murmurs among the trainees quickly turned into open mockery. 

Armin, looking deeply concerned, rushed to support Eren. 

"E-Eren, let's get you to the infirmary... You're bleeding too much." 

"It... it can't be... This shouldn't have happened... I was sure..." 

Even in his dazed state, Eren couldn't believe he had failed the training.

***********************

Later that evening, after dinner, we returned to the barracks. 

I glanced over at Eren, who now had a bandage wrapped around his head.

Eren, desperate to overcome his failures, went around seeking advice from others. 

"Advice? Not sure, I just did it, and it worked," one person said dismissively. 

"Hey Eren, I should be asking you for advice. How do you manage to fail that spectacularly?" Jean sneered. 

"I'm curious too. How can you not manage something so simple?" 

Most of the responses were useless, and some, like Jean's, were just mocking.

Eren would have been better off staying quiet on the first day instead of loudly boasting about joining the Scout Regiment.

His overconfidence had painted a target on his back, and people were quick to pounce on that failure. 

'Of course, the truth is, it's not even Eren's fault—it's the equipment,' I thought. 

Soon, Eren staggered toward us, looking exhausted. His sunken eyes showed just how shaken he was. 

"...Reiner, Bertolt, Shiniro." 

Eren's voice was filled with desperation. 

"I heard all three of you did well in today's training. Can you give me some advice? Anything to help me out?" 

Reiner scratched the back of his head awkwardly. 

"Well, Eren, I'm sorry, but there really isn't any trick to it. There's no special technique." 

"Yeah," Bertolt added, "it's more about instinct and feeling than anything else." 

Hearing this, Armin wore a bitter expression. 

"Eren... looks like tomorrow's our last chance. We'll have to put all our hope into that." 

Eren's face tightened in frustration.

He wasn't going to give up, but the fear of failure loomed over him.

What if he failed again? What if he got sent back to the frontier? He wouldn't even be able to join the Garrison, let alone the Scout Regiment. 

At that moment, Bertolt, who had been quietly observing, spoke up. 

"By the way... both of you are from Shiganshina, right?" 

"Yeah, why?" Eren replied, puzzled.

"Well, both of you must know about the fear of Titans, so why do you want to join the Survey Corps?" 

At Bertolt's question, Eren and Armin glanced at each other. 

"Both Eren and I lost our families to Titans... well, to be precise, it was also due to the incompetent monarchy..." 

"I see..."

"But where are you three from?" 

Before Bertolt could answer, Shiniro quickly interjected. 

"We're from the southern forests of Wall Maria." 

"Southern forests?" 

"Yes, unlike the other riverside cities, the news about the walls breaking came much later to us." Shiniro said, his face reflecting a sense of nostalgia. "By the time we heard the news, the Titans were already almost at our doorstep…"

"Oh…"

"My family were devoured by Titans in an instant… and I was nearly caught myself. It was a close call…"

Shiniro spoke matter-of-factly, as though it were an ordinary tale. Reiner and Bertolt nodded, recalling the situation from their own memories. 

"Still, Eren... as you said before, I don't want to be afraid of Titans." 

Hearing this, Eren's eyebrows twitched. 

Shiniro continued with a resolute expression. 

"I don't know which division I'll end up in, but if Titans ever invade again, I'm prepared to fight back."

"Shiniro…"

"So make sure you pass tomorrow. Failing basic training would be a blow to your pride."

Shiniro extended his hand towards Eren. Eren looked at it and firmly shook it. 

"Thank you, Shiniro. You're right, I shouldn't start thinking about failure already."

"Good luck. You'll make it tomorrow."

As Armin watched the warm exchange, he smiled.

Reiner and Bertolt exchanged enigmatic smiles as they observed each other. 

***********************

Keith Shadis, the instructor, began scoring the cadets. The range of abilities varied widely, from those who were a complete mess to those whose skills were comparable to active members of the Survey Corps.

Among them, two individuals stood out.

"That guy Shiniro is quite impressive as well. At that level, he's almost on par with active members."

Shiniro had a tall, well-built physique and an impressive sense of balance, which gave him excellent stability. Next to him, Reiner and Bertolt also performed admirably for trainees.

"Indeed, under normal circumstances, he'd be a top contender for the top spot," Shadis remarked with a nod.

Such a level of skill was indeed very close to that of active Survey Corps members. For a regular class, being top of the class would be almost a certainty.

"But... it seems it will be difficult in this batch."

Shadis's gaze shifted from Shiniro to a young girl.

The most promising candidate of this batch was Mikasa Ackerman.

"That's true. Even the current members might find it hard to match Mikasa's level," the instructor agreed.

If Shiniro was at the level of current members, Mikasa was beyond that, almost monstrous in her abilities.

Her presence brought to mind the image of someone referred to as the ultimate weapon of the Survey Corps.

To have two exceptionally skilled individuals in one batch was already a significant success.

"Next up is Eren Yeager, right?"

"Yes, he's coming up now."

The instructor unfolded the scoring sheet.

Eren Yeager, unlike the previous two, was practically at the bottom of the ranks.

Even with poor athleticism, one would expect to hold on for a few seconds, but...

Seeing him last less than a second made it seem like he truly had the worst coordination.

"Hmm..."

The instructor watched Eren intently.

Today, he was climbing with a somewhat grim expression. If nothing else, his expression was as serious as one would expect from a member of the Survey Corps.

Seeing that grim determination, the instructor began to entertain a faint hope.

After all, sometimes people display a fierce resolve when they are shocked.

The instructor watched Eren with a glimmer of expectation.

However...

Bang-

contrary to expectations, the sound of Eren hitting the ground with his head reverberated through the area. His overly tense body had caused him to slam into the ground even harder.

At this point, it seemed like it was genuinely time to consider ending the training for safety reasons.

"Tsk, it can't be helped. I'll have to give him a failing grade."

The instructor clicked his tongue and began marking Eren's score.

However, just before "Fail" was about to be written in Eren's record...

"Instructor, I have an objection."

Shiniro, a trainee, raised his hand and stepped forward.