Combat training class.
I was playing the role of the attacker, a mock criminal lunging forward — and my target was Krista Lenz.
From her expression, I could tell she was nervous. My wooden knife was ready.
I deliberately let Krista anticipate my first strike. As expected, she focused all her attention on the blade slashing toward her.
But at the moment of attack, it happened again — the strange sensation. I could see it. A flicker. A faint silhouette of her next move, even before she moved.
It was like… I had the ability to foresee her actions.
My gaze trembled slightly. I loosened my grip on the wooden knife mid-air.
From Krista's point of view, it must have looked like I gave up the attack. Her full attention stayed locked onto the descending blade.
But her defense crumbled.
By the time she noticed something was wrong, I had already slipped behind her.
My right hand simulated a strike to her neck. The left followed, locking around her throat. If this had been real combat, I could have snapped her neck in that instant.
"Ah… that was dangerous…" Krista gasped, not resisting — after all, it was just training.
I quickly pulled my hands away. "You okay?" I asked casually.
She turned to look at me with bright, shining eyes. "That was amazing! The way you moved just now!"
"Mm…" I averted my gaze, looking across the field toward another training match.
Eren and Reiner had been paired up earlier and were sparring seriously. But now… they were bothering someone they shouldn't.
Annie.
The girl who always vanished whenever class wasn't being officially graded.
Combat training had no bearing on our final scores. Whether you excelled or slacked off, it didn't affect your rank — which is why many cadets fooled around during this period.
Apparently, Eren had decided to act as the "attacker" and was charging toward Annie with his wooden blade.
Annie, bored as ever, struck a strange fighting stance none of us had ever seen before — both arms raised near her head, right leg trailing behind her left.
Then, with a simple kick, she sent Eren crashing to the ground like a rag doll.
"I can leave now, right?" Annie clearly had no interest in this charade and was ready to disappear again. But Reiner blocked her path.
"Not yet! The training goal this time is to snatch the opponent's blade," he said, smirking, clearly looking to stir trouble.
Annie sighed, visibly annoyed.
Her gaze swept across the yard — and landed on me.
Our eyes met.
Whatever idea sparked in her mind, she turned away from Reiner and calmly approached Eren, who was still groaning on the floor.
"Wait, Annie! At least follow the training format!" Eren protested.
But he didn't even get the sentence out before she struck — a flurry of moves so fast and clean that his body left the ground. He landed face up, completely dazed.
And I… I saw every shadow of her movement. Every faint premonition of each strike.
Annie picked up Eren's fallen blade and casually tossed it to Reiner. I wasn't sure if I was imagining it, but it felt like her eyes flicked toward me more than once.
"Here. You're next, aren't you?" she said, her gaze turning cold as she stared at Reiner.
"No… no, I think I'll pass," Reiner muttered, clearly intimidated. He wasn't dumb — it wasn't worth it.
"Go on, Reiner. Weren't you just preaching about a soldier's duty?" Eren, now watching from the sidelines, gave Reiner a push — probably hoping to share the pain.
"Right… a soldier doesn't retreat from duty… and this counts… right?" Reiner tried to psych himself up. But before he could even swing his wooden blade, Annie's boot sent him flying.
She walked forward slowly, her eyes rising as they locked onto mine once more.
Annie didn't look at me — she looked through me, as if she'd figured something out.
I noticed her stance shifting, weight pressing into her feet. She was coming for me next.
From the corner of my eye, I spotted Instructor Keith approaching. He was close enough to intervene… but not quite there yet.
Sensing danger, I focused all my attention on Annie.
In a flash, she was in front of me.
Through those flickering premonitions, I could see her first move would be a low kick.
I stepped backward just in time, dodging her initial strike.
I could feel it — she was intrigued. Maybe even excited. I might've been the first to dodge her opening blow.
But the afterimages of her next moves were chaotic. I couldn't keep up. Kick? Knee? Punch?
Too many possibilities.
I gave up attacking and focused purely on defense.
Her punch missed. I stepped back.
A sweeping kick followed — another miss. I retreated again.
Annie's attacks were precise and brutal. If she caught me once, I wouldn't escape.
I was nearly backed into a corner when the images became clearer again.
Annie thought she had me — that I was out of space to maneuver.
In the blur of afterimages, I saw it.
A small opening near her chest. Enough room for a single strike.
I thrust forward with my wooden blade — a simple, direct jab to the heart.
It looked so easy to block, but Annie had let her guard down for just a moment. She didn't react in time.
The wooden blade tapped gently against her chest — right over her heart.
Silence.
Everyone had been watching. They'd all assumed I was on the brink of defeat.
And yet… I had turned it around with one clean, emotionless strike.
Annie stared at me, stunned.
Her expression quickly soured. She glared at me, her face tight and unreadable.
To anyone watching, my blank-faced, soft strike probably looked like a taunt.
But for me — it was survival. Pure instinct.
And maybe… just a little bit of foresight.
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