CHAPTER 5: THE TRAINING GROUNDS
Two years passed.
Sukuna grew.
His body was no longer the weak, small child who had crawled off the boat. He was taller. Stronger. His green eyes had become sharper, colder.
But he was still patient.
He had learned much about this world. The walls. The Titans. The truth that humans hid from each other.
And he had learned about the power.
The power that Eren Yeager was supposed to inherit. The power of the Attack Titan. The power of the Founding Titan.
"Not yet," Sukuna told himself. "I need to get closer."
The training grounds of the Cadet Corps were dusty and hard.
Hundreds of young recruits ran, climbed, and fought. They dreamed of joining the Military Police and living safely in the inner walls. Or the Garrison to guard the walls. Or the Survey Corps to die outside.
Sukuna stood among them. His green eyes scanned the field.
He saw familiar faces.
Mikasa Ackerman. She was already the best. Faster, stronger, sharper than anyone. Her dark eyes still watched him. Always watching.
Armin Arlert. Weak in body, but his mind was a weapon. He read books when others slept. He thought when others acted.
Jean Kirstein. Arrogant. A face that looked like a horse. He wanted to join the Military Police.
Marco Bott. Kind. Freckled. Always trying to make peace.
Connie Springer. Bald head. Dumb jokes. Faster than he looked.
Sasha Blouse. The girl who loved food more than anything. Even Titans.
Krista Lenz. Small, blonde, beautiful. A smile that hid something darker.
Ymir. Tall, freckled, rude. She stayed close to Krista.
Bertholdt Hoover. Tall, quiet, sad eyes. He rarely spoke.
Reiner Braun. Muscular, confident, like a big brother to everyone.
And Annie Leonhart. Cold. Silent. Her blue eyes showed nothing.
Sukuna looked at Bertholdt, Reiner, and Annie.
He knew their secret.
"The Armored Titan. The Colossal Titan. The Female Titan," he thought. "They're standing right next to me."
He smiled.
"This will be fun."
The instructor shouted.
"PAIR UP! SPARRING!"
Mikasa immediately moved toward Sukuna. But someone else was faster.
"I'll take him," said a cold voice.
Annie Leonhart stood in front of Sukuna. Her blue eyes stared into his green ones.
Mikasa stopped. Her hand twitched.
"Fine," Mikasa said quietly. But her eyes burned.
Sukuna looked at Annie. The Female Titan. One of the warriors sent to destroy humanity.
"Are you sure?" Sukuna asked with a small smile.
Annie didn't answer. She raised her fists.
They circled each other.
The other recruits stopped to watch. Jean crossed his arms. Reiner frowned. Bertholdt's sad eyes followed Annie.
"Fight!" the instructor shouted.
Annie moved.
Fast. Too fast for a normal recruit.
Her leg swept toward Sukuna's head.
He ducked.
She followed with a punch to his chest.
He stepped back.
She kept coming. Kick. Punch. Knee. Each strike was precise. Calculated. Deadly.
Sukuna didn't attack. He only dodged.
"Fight back!" Annie hissed.
"Why?" Sukuna asked, dodging another kick. "I'm enjoying this."
Annie's eyes narrowed. She feigned a punch, then grabbed his arm.
She tried to throw him.
But Sukuna didn't move.
His feet stayed planted on the ground like roots of an ancient tree.
Annie's eyes widened for a fraction of a second.
"What...?"
Sukuna smiled.
Then he moved.
One step. His shoulder hit her chest. She flew backward and hit the dirt hard.
Silence.
The recruits stared.
Mikasa's lips curled into a small smile.
Annie lay on the ground, gasping for air. Her blue eyes looked up at Sukuna.
She didn't understand what had just happened.
"Good fight," Sukuna said, offering his hand.
Annie stared at his hand. Then she stood up on her own and walked away without a word.
That night, Sukuna sat alone under a tree.
The stars were bright. The walls loomed in the distance.
Footsteps approached.
Reiner Braun.
He sat down next to Sukuna without asking.
"You're strong," Reiner said.
"I know."
Reiner laughed. "Confident too."
They sat in silence for a moment.
Then Reiner said, "Where did you learn to fight like that?"
Sukuna looked at the stars.
"A different world," he said.
Reiner thought he was joking. He laughed again.
But Sukuna wasn't joking.
"Hey, Eren," Reiner said. "What do you want to do after we graduate?"
Sukuna turned his green eyes toward the warrior.
"I want to see the ocean," he said.
Reiner's smile froze.
"The... ocean?"
"Yes," Sukuna said. "Armin told me about it. Salt water as far as the eye can see. And beyond that... fire and ice."
Reiner looked away. His jaw tightened.
"That's... a nice dream," he whispered.
Sukuna watched him.
"Do you think we'll ever see it, Reiner?"
Reiner didn't answer for a long time.
Then he stood up.
"Get some sleep. Big day tomorrow."
He walked away into the darkness.
Sukuna smiled.
"The Armored Titan is afraid," he whispered to himself. "Good."
END OF CHAPTER 5