A New Beginning

The first morning inside the Survey Corps Headquarters was surprisingly peaceful.

Golden rays of sunlight filtered through the tall trees surrounding the headquarters, while a cool breeze carried the scent of damp grass across the training grounds.

Unlike the noisy atmosphere of the Training Corps...

Everything here was calm.

Disciplined.

Every soldier already had a routine.

Some were cleaning their ODM gear.

Some were grooming horses.

Others were inspecting equipment before the day's training.

The newly recruited soldiers had just finished breakfast in complete silence.

No one complained.

No one joked loudly.

They quickly gathered outside, forming neat rows on the training field.

Everyone understood one thing.

Life in the Survey Corps was very different from training.

This was where real soldiers were made.

...

Y/N quietly took her place in the last row.

Her posture remained perfectly straight.

Hands behind her back.

Expression unreadable.

The ash-silver hair tied into a flawless military bun made her look even colder than yesterday.

She stared ahead without saying a single word.

Yet...

Even after yesterday's shocking decision, she remained the center of attention.

"There she is..."

"The Stone Girl..."

"I still can't believe she chose the Survey Corps."

"And did you see her score yesterday?"

"She broke a ten-year record..."

"She's probably the strongest recruit we've had in years."

"I heard even Commander Erwin was impressed."

"Still..."

"Why would someone like her throw away a comfortable life?"

No one had an answer.

Y/N ignored every whisper as if they didn't exist.

Her eyes never shifted.

Not even once.

...

A few minutes later—

The sound of firm footsteps echoed across the field.

Every soldier instinctively stood straighter.

Commander Erwin Smith walked onto the field with his usual composed expression.

Beside him was Hange Zoë, looking unusually energetic despite the early morning.

A few steps behind them...

Captain Levi.

His sharp grey eyes swept across the formation once before he folded his arms.

The whispers instantly disappeared.

Silence reclaimed the field.

Erwin stood in front of the recruits.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Commander!"

The voices echoed together.

Erwin gave a small nod.

"Starting today..."

"You are no longer trainees."

"You are soldiers of the Survey Corps."

His gaze slowly moved across the formation.

"The standards here are different."

"You will be expected to maintain discipline at all times."

"Every mistake has consequences."

"Every decision carries responsibility."

He paused.

"And from today onward..."

"Your training begins again."

Several recruits exchanged nervous glances.

Again?

They had already graduated.

Did that mean...

Everything was starting over?

Almost as if reading their thoughts, Erwin continued.

"Graduating from the Training Corps proves your potential."

"It does not prove you are ready."

"The Survey Corps demands far more than potential."

"It demands consistency."

"It demands judgment."

"It demands trust."

No one spoke.

The only sound was the gentle wind passing through the trees.

Then Hange suddenly stepped forward with an excited smile.

"Don't look so scared!"

A few recruits awkwardly looked at each other.

"We're not going to throw you outside the Walls today."

A few nervous chuckles escaped from the formation.

"...Probably."

The smiles instantly disappeared.

Hange tilted their head innocently.

"What?"

Levi let out a quiet sigh.

"Tch..."

"You really enjoy making recruits panic."

Hange grinned shamelessly.

"It keeps things interesting."

Levi didn't bother replying.

The morning briefing came to an end.

Erwin stepped aside as one of the senior soldiers walked to the center of the training field.

"Today's schedule is simple."

"We'll be evaluating your close-combat abilities."

"One-on-one sparring."

"Treat this as an assessment, not a competition."

The recruits immediately began stretching and preparing themselves.

Some looked excited.

Others... nervous.

Y/N simply walked toward the edge of the sparring area.

Her expression remained as unreadable as ever.

---

Groups of recruits entered the ring one after another.

Wooden practice blades clashed.

Dust rose into the air.

Cheers and groans echoed across the field.

"Good!"

"Again!"

"Keep your guard up!"

Several senior soldiers quietly observed each match, taking mental notes.

From a distance—

Erwin, Hange, and Levi watched everything in silence.

---

Meanwhile...

The whispers hadn't stopped.

"Did you see her yesterday?"

"She shattered a ten-year record."

"I still don't believe it."

"They say she's unbeatable."

"The Stone Girl..."

Jean clicked his tongue.

"Seriously..."

"Enough already."

His voice wasn't loud...

But it was enough for the nearby recruits to hear.

"Since yesterday all I've heard is 'Stone Girl this'... 'Stone Girl that'..."

He glanced toward Y/N.

She stood alone exactly as before.

Not talking.

Not reacting.

Jean sighed before walking straight toward her.

Several recruits noticed immediately.

"...Wait."

"Is Jean...?"

"No way."

"He's actually going over there."

Y/N slowly lifted her eyes as Jean stopped in front of her.

For a brief moment...

Neither of them spoke.

Then Jean crossed his arms.

"I want to challenge you."

The surrounding recruits froze.

"What?!"

"Is he serious?"

"Has he lost his mind?"

"She's Rank One!"

"The girl broke a ten-year record!"

Even Hange raised an eyebrow with interest.

"Oh?"

Erwin quietly folded his arms.

Levi remained expressionless.

Jean looked directly into Y/N's silver eyes.

"I want to see if the rumors are true."

Y/N stared at him for a few seconds.

"...Fine."

Just one word.

Nothing more.

---

The two stepped into the sparring circle.

The chatter around them instantly disappeared.

Every pair of eyes was fixed on the center.

One recruit swallowed nervously.

"I can't believe this..."

Another whispered,

"Jean must have a death wish."

---

"Begin."

The signal was given.

Jean moved first.

Without wasting a second, he rushed forward.

Fast.

Aggressive.

His wooden blade aimed directly toward Y/N.

"Got you—!"

...

And then—

Everyone blinked.

"...Huh?"

"What just happened?"

Jean's eyes widened.

For a split second...

Y/N had been standing in front of him.

The next—

She was gone.

It was so fast...

It almost looked as if she had disappeared.

Jean instinctively turned—

Too late.

A sharp force shifted his balance.

His legs gave out beneath him.

Before he even realized what had happened—

Thud!

His back slammed against the ground.

The practice blade slipped from his hand.

"Wha—"

Before he could react further—

A knee pressed firmly against the center of his chest, pinning him in place.

At the same time...

Two slender fingers rested lightly against the side of his neck.

Not enough to hurt.

Just enough to remind him—

If this had been a real blade...

The fight would've already been over.

Jean stared upward in complete disbelief.

Above him—

Y/N looked down with the same calm, emotionless face she always wore.

Not a single strand of hair had come loose from her bun.

Not even her breathing had changed.

Silence.

The entire training field fell deathly quiet.

One second.

Two.

Three.

"...Impossible."

"Did anyone... see her move?"

"I didn't!"

"It looked like she vanished!"

"No..."

"She moved that fast."

Even the senior soldiers exchanged surprised glances.

From where they stood...

Hange's eyes practically sparkled.

"Ohhh..."

"Did you see that?"

Erwin didn't answer immediately.

His gaze remained fixed on Y/N.

"...Clean."

"...Efficient."

"...No wasted movement."

Beside him—

Levi silently watched the sparring ring.

His sharp grey eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

For the first time that morning...

His attention lingered on Y/N longer than usual.

Without saying a word—

He continued watching the girl whom everyone called...

The Stone Girl.

The silence lasted for several long seconds.

Jean was still lying flat on the ground, staring at the emotionless girl above him.

Y/N slowly removed her knee from his chest before taking two steps back.

She offered him a hand.

"...Get up."

Jean looked at her hand for a moment before accepting it.

As soon as he stood up—

"...I lost."

There wasn't even a hint of frustration in his voice.

He simply scratched the back of his head with an awkward laugh.

"Guess the rumors weren't exaggerated after all."

Y/N merely gave a small nod.

"...Thank you for the match."

Then she quietly walked away.

Leaving everyone else staring after her.

---

The combat evaluations continued.

One after another, recruits entered the sparring ring.

Connie Springer versus Sasha Blouse.

The two spent more time arguing than actually fighting, causing a few soldiers to chuckle.

"...Stop running!"

"I'm not running! I'm surviving!"

Thud!

Connie eventually managed to pin Sasha.

"Winner—Connie."

---

Next...

Marco Bott faced Thomas.

Their fight was calm and technical.

Marco won through clean footwork rather than brute strength.

---

Eren Yeager stepped into the ring shortly afterward.

His aggressive fighting style immediately caught everyone's attention.

Every strike carried determination.

Every movement reflected stubborn persistence.

His opponent barely managed to keep up.

"Winner—Eren Yeager."

Eren exhaled deeply before stepping back into line.

---

Several more matches followed.

The recruits gradually relaxed as the evaluations continued.

Until...

The instructor's voice echoed once again.

"Next."

A brief pause.

"...Mikasa Ackerman."

Mikasa calmly stepped forward.

Her black scarf rested neatly around her neck despite the warm weather.

Without a word, she entered the sparring circle.

The instructor looked toward the opposite side.

"...Y/N L/N."

The entire field froze.

"...What?"

"No way..."

"Rank Two against Rank One?"

"This is going to be incredible."

Even the senior soldiers stopped what they were doing.

Hange's grin slowly widened.

"Oh, now this..."

"...This is interesting."

Erwin quietly folded his arms.

Levi's gaze shifted toward the center of the field once again.

---

Standing nearby—

Eren's eyes widened.

"...Mikasa?"

He frowned.

"This won't be easy."

Beside him, Armin adjusted his glasses.

"I've watched both of them."

"Mikasa is unbelievably talented..."

He looked toward Y/N.

"...But Y/N's movements..."

"I couldn't even follow what she did to Jean."

Eren crossed his arms.

"...Neither could I."

For the first time...

Even he wasn't sure who would win.

---

The two girls walked toward the center.

One had raven-black hair.

The other...

Ash-silver hair tied into a perfect military bun.

One possessed an intimidating calm.

The other...

An unreadable silence.

They stopped several feet apart.

Neither spoke.

Neither looked away.

The atmosphere itself seemed to grow heavier.

Around them...

Every recruit unconsciously held their breath.

Even the birds that had been chirping moments ago seemed to disappear into silence.

Hange leaned forward excitedly.

"I've been waiting for this."

Erwin remained silent.

Levi simply watched.

His sharp grey eyes moved between the two strongest recruits of the graduating class.

The instructor raised a hand.

"...Ready."

Mikasa lowered her stance.

Y/N didn't move.

"...Begin."

For the briefest instant—

Neither of them made the first move.

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