Reincarnated In Attack On Titan World As Nobody

The moon was dim, stars few and faint, and a cold wind swept across the land like an invisible blade. On either side of the narrow dirt road stood rows of sparse trees, skeletal in the winter chill. The silence of the night was broken only occasionally by the hurried steps of patrolling soldiers, their faces stern as they vanished quickly into the darkness.

Then came the distant sound of wheels—steady, rhythmic, growing louder as two wooden carriages raced down the path.

Inside one of them, Shin sat wrapped tightly in layers of cloth and wool. Only his eyes were visible, sharp and unblinking as they stared out from beneath the hood. Despite his discomfort, there was a glint of anticipation in his gaze. The cold didn't matter—not tonight.

As the carriages turned a bend in the road and emerged from beneath the tree cover, a vast cliff suddenly came into view. Fifty, perhaps sixty meters high, it loomed above a collection of wooden buildings nestled below. These buildings were surrounded by tall palisade walls, fortified and formidable even in the dim torchlight.

At the sight, Shin's eyes widened with excitement.

"We've finally arrived," he whispered under his breath, feeling warmth return to his limbs—not from the temperature, but from adrenaline.

Beside him, Ellis and Livington stirred in their seats, equally relieved to see their journey's end. Riding through a winter night in a creaky, uninsulated carriage had drained them, body and spirit alike.

The gates opened as they approached, creaking as if to signal the threshold of a new chapter. The carriages rolled in, and the tall walls of the training base finally blocked the relentless wind.

Shin exhaled, his breath fogging slightly in the air.

He thought they would be taken to a resting area, maybe offered something warm before being shown to their quarters. After all, it was the middle of the night. But to his surprise, the carriages rolled past rows of sleeping quarters and continued deeper into the compound—toward the base of the cliff.

Sitting upright, Ellis frowned. "Brother, where are you taking us?" he asked the soldier riding alongside the driver, a man he'd befriended over their two-day journey.

The soldier gave him a glance, his tone nonchalant. "The playground. You should be the last batch of cadets to arrive. Prepare yourselves."

"Prepare for what?" Livington asked, furrowing his brows in confusion.

But the soldier merely offered a tight smile—half-sympathetic, half-amused. "You'll find out soon enough."

He said no more.

Ellis looked back at Shin, lowering his voice. "What do you think that means?"

Shin met his gaze, expression calm. "I'm not sure. But something tells me we're about to make an impression."

And then the carriages passed the last of the buildings and emerged onto a flat, open square at the rear of the base.

Under the flickering torchlight, they could see a large group of boys and girls standing in formation. Their breaths misted in the cold air, arms folded tightly against their chests. Some were trembling. None looked pleased.

The carriages came to a halt.

A heavy silence followed—but not for long. Shin could feel it before he saw it: a collective glare from dozens of tired, angry eyes. The recruits already present had been waiting.

For them.

"So… they've been standing out here because of us."

Shin stepped down from the carriage, boots crunching in the frost. He scanned the crowd, noting the frustration painted on their faces. Then a familiar voice called out from the front of the formation:

"You've arrived. Join the others."

Shin looked up. It was Erwin Smith—the man who had overseen the conscription trials back in Shiganshina. Deputy Commander of the Survey Corps… and now standing before them in a much simpler instructor's coat.

Shin gave a slight nod and responded automatically, "Understood."

He led Ellis and Livington into the first available space in the front row. As they took their positions, he noticed Erwin watching him with a faint, unreadable smile.

"Is the deputy commander of the Survey Corps always this free?" Shin wondered silently.

His eyes flicked across the assembled trainees. Strangely, there was no sign of Levi. A mild pang of disappointment surfaced, but he quickly brushed it aside.

Erwin's voice cut through the night again. "Since everyone has arrived, today's gathering is concluded. Training begins tomorrow morning. Sleep well."

He turned and walked away, not sparing another glance.

The soldiers from the training corps stepped forward and began dispersing the crowd.

But the mood didn't ease.

The angry glares hadn't vanished. If anything, they intensified now that they were no longer under Erwin's watchful eye.

"Hey! You're the reason we had to freeze our asses off out here, and you think you can just walk away?" a voice barked.

The six new arrivals paused.

The voice came from a tall young man, broad-shouldered and grimacing as he stepped forward with several others at his side. His eyes were locked on Shin.

Ellis and Livington instinctively shifted their gazes to Shin as well.

"Tsk, letting a kid do your thinking for you?" the tall recruit scoffed. "That's pathetic."

Laughter erupted from the group behind him.

Only a handful of trainees—perhaps a dozen—stood at a distance, watching without getting involved.

Shin stepped forward, expression blank. He looked up at the taller boy, eyes steady.

"Move."

The recruit raised an eyebrow. "Or what?"

There was no warning.

Shin's right fist snapped forward, a clean and brutal strike. The impact landed squarely on the taller boy's face—specifically, his eye socket.

WHAM.

The sound was sharp, echoing across the courtyard. The taller boy's head snapped back and he crumpled to the ground with a groan, clutching his face and writhing in the dirt.

Silence.

The other recruits stared in stunned disbelief.

Shin exhaled softly. He didn't need to say anything. His message had already been delivered.

Inside one of the instructor barracks, Erwin removed his coat and handed it off to an aide. One of the soldiers hesitated before speaking.

"Deputy Commander… was it really alright to keep those kids waiting just for this?"

Erwin's smile returned, faint but amused.

"There's no deputy commander here. Just an instructor."

He paused before adding, almost to himself, "That boy won't disappoint me."

And with that, he disappeared down the corridor, leaving the soldier to shake his head and follow behind.