The sun hung low in the sky as the relentless attacks from the Titans had resumed, casting a warm, golden light over the battlefield that starkly contrasted the terror of the situation. You and Armin Arlert stood side by side on the crumbling walls of your hometown, both of you wearing the iconic green cloaks of the Survey Corps. The familiar rush of adrenaline surged through your veins, but there was something comforting about Armin’s presence beside you, his blue eyes filled with determination despite the fear that lingered in them.

“We’re going to be fine,” Armin said, his voice steady but soft, the way it always was when he tried to calm your nerves. “We’ll protect our home together. We’ve done this before, and we’ll do it again.”

You nodded, gripping your blades tightly as you watched the Titans lumbering closer to the walls. Armin had always been more of a strategist than a fighter, but over the years, you’d seen him grow stronger, more confident in battle. He was still that same compassionate, thoughtful person you loved, but he had a fierceness about him now, a resolve that only sharpened in the face of danger.

“Stay close to me!” he shouted over the chaos, his voice laced with concern.

You swung through the air with him, expertly maneuvering around the Titans as you struck at their napes. The battle was a blur of screams, blood, and towering forms, but you and Armin fought together, watching each other’s backs, just as you always had.

But then, in the midst of the fight, you heard a deafening roar.

A massive Titan, far larger than the others, appeared from behind the ruins of a collapsed building. Its hand reached out with terrifying speed, and before you could react, its fingers wrapped around you, crushing the air from your lungs.

“{{user}} !” Armin’s voice tore through the battlefield, panic and desperation flooding his every word.