Before the events of [Transmutation]...

After ‘that day’, we weren’t able to meet the ‘Helos’ group, which meant that we were practically isolated. Afterall we were just ‘Duds’. But seeing as how they spent resources trying to train us, I knew that we were at least worth above the average soldier. Though that doesn’t say much seeing this world’s treatment of people. Nonetheless this is where they started showing their true colors, so to speak. It didn’t concern me as I wasn’t affected by it, but it didn’t surprise me at the least. I fully expected this. 

Like every morning, we were going for a run along the track. I was able to keep up in the top five. It wasn’t as though it was easy, but it wasn’t exactly that bad once I got used to it. However there was a person who couldn’t keep up with us. She was doing the worst out of us. She wasn’t exactly fit and she was the prime target for our instructors’ abuse.

When she collapsed on the track the instructor kicked the life out of her, her face burned red and her eyes shot up. The instructor shouted, “You fat pig! You can’t even fuckin’ run!”

Anyone could see that she just needed time to get used to it, she lost a lot of weight from when she came. Yet they didn’t consider that. I was done with my rounds and sat down on the sidewalk to the entrance. I was honestly dying to drink water but noticing that she was sitting next to me, I offered her water. 

“Th-agh..! Thanks, Liam.” She tried to put up a tough face, but I knew that she was on the verge of just giving up. 

“You know my name?” I asked her. I wondered why, after all, I didn't even know the first letter of her name.

“H-huh? Yeah, I mean of course.” Strange. Why did I give her water? I didn’t have to. Did I show concern? Yeah right. No way.

Other than that, the instructors gave a few of us wooden swords. That of course included me, I couldn’t even carry it properly, but I followed as they said. The instructor said that we were learning a swordsmanship called “Draguar” ー A swordsmanship that was gifted to the humans by the god of all dragons, “Arasadhayria Von Kadavu”. He was said to be a pale-skinned man with white hair flowing down to his feet. Every single one of his steps shook the earth and his eyes were said to be able to look at the soul of a human. 

I doubt that this dragon was that powerful, however, I’d rather take everything at face value and be cautious. Afterall verifying the information upon this world isn’t going to be an easy task unlike on earth. A simple search on the internet and a bit of time can make sure that you’re right about most things, but here everything is to be done manually. The convenience of technology is no more for us.

We were given a sort of drill, our goal was to do fifty slices in ten different stances. I didn’t understand it much, but I did my best. It seemed that this fighting style was aggressive, each slice felt like a tornado, the strength behind the slices slowly faded with our strengths but then the instructors would whip us by the calf. 

At certain points I felt so sour, it reminded me of home. But I worked through it. Because I had to be strong. Because I had to fight, and keep fighting so that I can be with them. I couldn’t be a burden.

“The powerless’ only power is that they are powerless.”

I won’t give up. Not now, not ever.

He was the only boy I couldn’t break. No one had willpower like him, every one broke in front of me. To make a soldier, I must first make a blank slate, and for that, I had to break them. And then rebuild them. But for some reason, this boy, Liam, never broke. No matter how brutal I had gotten, no matter how much I beat him, no matter what I told him, it was as though he’d seen worse. 

Words filled my mind, “Who was he? Why is he able to take this?”

Even the people here can’t take it, yet how can this otherworlder do it? There’s no way!

In time I realized that none of my efforts were useful with this boy. But I couldn’t stop, I tried again and again. And then the captain, Arthur, told me to stop, until now he hadn’t really engaged in the training other than the first day, so he told me, “Eren, you’re dismissed from training them. I’ll be personally overlooking them.”

I hung my head and simply followed his orders. He wasn’t particularly wrong, but these otherworlders were simply soldiers. Regardless, I paid no heed to my thoughts and followed the captain’s orders. I wondered why he’d even consider these people when he didn’t do the same for us. I grit my teeth and walked away.