I Became the Villain of Attack on Titan

"Haah... So even Shiniro can't beat Mikasa, huh?" 

Eren kicked a small rock on the ground, his expression slightly sullen—like a gambler watching his favorite racehorse lose. 

"A-Anyway, Shiniro actually did really well, you know!" 

"...You think so?" 

"Yeah! If it were anyone else, they would've gone down after the first hit—like Reiner did last time." 

Armin tried to cheer Eren up, emphasizing how well Shiniro had fought. 

But the truth was, Eren had subconsciously projected himself onto Shiniro during the match. 

Rather than the monstrously strong Mikasa, he found himself rooting for someone within the realm of common sense—someone who trained alongside him, someone like Shiniro. 

Of course, deep down, he had known Mikasa would win. 

"...Mikasa, what did you think about fighting Shiniro?" 

Eren glanced at Mikasa, waiting for her response. 

She remained expressionless, her usual unreadable self. 

"Shiniro..." 

She quietly murmured his name. 

Eren and Armin both looked at her curiously. 

Mikasa, under their gazes, suddenly reached up and rubbed her neck. 

Their eyes followed her movement— 

"...Wait, Mikasa, when did you get that injury?" 

A red bruise was visible on her neck. 

A mark left from when Shiniro had choked her. 

Gently touching the bruise, Mikasa finally spoke. 

"Shiniro is strong."

* * *

The kids continued chattering about Mikasa even as they dispersed. 

"Damn! I'm telling you, Mikasa isn't even human!" 

"...Still, didn't Shiniro do pretty well?" 

"Tch, if that fight lasted three more seconds, Shiniro would've been dead. Mikasa is just... something else. Like a damn wall." 

Most of the conversation revolved around how Mikasa had dodged Shiniro's attacks, broken out of his chokehold with sheer strength, and thrown him aside. 

From the kids' perspective, Mikasa's overwhelming power left the strongest impression. 

Shiniro's techniques, his calculated strikes and wrestling maneuvers, were already starting to fade from memory. 

"But honestly, doesn't this mean Mikasa is the strongest in all the military branches?" 

"Hm? I heard the Scout Regiment has some monster named Levi..." 

"I dunno... I still can't imagine him being stronger than Mikasa." 

The kids continued their chatter as they headed back to the barracks. 

Shiniro, with no serious injuries, also returned to his quarters. 

Now, the once-crowded training grounds were empty, save for two figures—Shadis and his assistant. 

With a hardened expression, Shadis gazed at the spot where Shiniro and Mikasa had fought. 

"Assistant, what did you think of that spar?" 

"Uh... Mikasa was incredibly strong, sir." 

"And Shiniro?" 

"Well... he did well, but still... Mikasa even tore through his uniform, and that thing's supposed to be tough..." 

The assistant picked up Shiniro's shredded jacket. 

The way Mikasa had ripped through the durable fabric like paper still lingered in his mind. 

"I see... I suppose that's to be expected." 

Shadis muttered as he stared at the torn cloth. 

There was no denying it—Mikasa possessed strength beyond human limits. 

If not for Levi's existence, she might truly be the strongest in the entire regiment. 

That level of power was beyond normal. 

Until now, Shadis had only seen such monstrous strength in Levi. 

"...But still, Shiniro's technique was astonishingly perfect." 

Shadis himself had never lost a hand-to-hand combat ranking in his prime. 

He had seen talented fighters like Mike and Erwin, all skilled in their own ways. 

And yet—none of them had displayed the level of refinement Shiniro had. 

"For him to dodge Mikasa's first punch and counterattack... that was nothing short of a miracle."

Mikasa's attack was too fast for even Shadis to see. 

And yet, Shiniro had dodged it—not by luck, but through some kind of instinct or ability. 

Even his missed elbow strike had been executed with perfect timing and rhythm. 

But what truly took Shadis' breath away was the takedown. 

That flawless sequence, that calculated decision in a mere fraction of a second… 

"Shiniro did what any normal human facing a monster would do—he made the absolute best possible choice and succeeded." 

"I-Is that so...?" 

The assistant, overwhelmed by Shadis' serious tone, responded hesitantly. 

To an untrained eye, Shiniro's movements hadn't seemed particularly special. 

Scratching the back of his head, the assistant simply nodded along.