Eren, Milin, and Rudra retreated towards the newcomer, with their eyes trained on the Fiend.

"I assume you are present to help us." Rudra took the initiative to speak.

"I am not doing you a favor, consider this a temporary alliance."

One of the Fiend's spindly arms wrapped around the javelin and effortlessly pulled it out, accompanied with a bestial howl. As if to prove a point, the Old Hag singlehandedly snapped it into half and tossed both the pieces behind her, way beyond the students' reach. The gaping hole in its abdomen oozed mud-green liquid, but somehow in a matter of few seconds the liquid had vaporized and the skin had reknitted itself as if the wound never existed.

"Um... a long-range spell would be quite handy right now, do you know any by chance?" Milin asked the newcomer. Unfortunately, she was disappointed, " I am a Titan, any spells other than body enhancement ones are taboo for us."

"Wow, if you wanna learn practicality learn from the legendary Titans." Rudra snickered apparently satisfied with his sarcastic remark/insult.

The Titan boy might have smacked Rudra right there if not for the spell cast by Old Hag. The Fiend's jaws distended to a point where the lower jaw was almost touching its neck and a dazzling hot white beam emerged from its mouth. The four of them had no choice but to scatter.

Eren quickly scanned the situation. He had seen Milin's last fight and if not for Rudra it would have turned out to be a one-sided massacre. No doubt she was brave, but freezing in the middle of combat doesn't help. Rudra was excellent at long range. He and the TItan...

The Titan's eyes met with Eren's and he sensed his hesitation, "call me Gauze."

Eren cocked his eyebrows at the queer name but continued, "Gauze, I don't know what are your intentions but I hope you can trust us for the time being and we can reciprocate. Milin support us, Rudra!"

"Got it." Rudra cast and summoned a dozen blades, hovering around him like flies, and fired six of them at the Fiend.

The Old Hag glanced at the first dagger approaching her right. Poof.

A few centimeters away from its skull the blade disintegrated as if an invisible barrier was present. Eren immediately cast to take advantage of her distracted state and summoned his shortsword. He had hardly taken two steps forward when he realized Gauze was already attacking its left.

Shit! He is literally brawling it out, there's no opening for a follow-up attack... How did he even get there so fast?

The Old Hag dodged the incoming hooks and jabs effortlessly, deflected a couple more daggers, and then landed a hit on Gauze with its improvised cane. The hit was strong enough for Gauze to lose his footing and he fell facedown.

The Fiend's nonexistent eyes were now set on the shocked Eren. Its blue flames flickered for a moment. The skull slowly turned away from Eren to face the downed Gauze. He was channeling every ounce of strength and Aether into his limbs, but his body felt heavier than a boulder.

The Fiend raised its cane above its head, ready to split Gauze's skull open. Eren gulped as fear set into his heart. His muscles went numb as helplessness washed over him. The air constricted him. His lips quivered with unspoken grief. Rudra was still firing at the Fiend but the daggers would disintegrate moments before making contact. His vision oscillated between the evil Fiend, fighting Rudra, and suffering Gauze. There was nothing he could do.

Eren brought up his hand drowned in red. Blood. Pain. Red... Fiend. His mind snapped.

"No. Not anymore." Eren shouted and dashed towards the Fiend.

"Eren!" "Stop!" Milin and Rudra yelled at the same time.

The Fiend lowered its cane as Eren closed the distance. It raised its free hand towards Eren and just as he was going to swing his blade it flicked a finger.

The force was great enough for Eren to be swept from his feet. He was slammed against a tree like a ragdoll. Fortunately, Milin's timely casting of saved his body but the impact was too much to handle and the sword slipped from his hand.

Tears welled up in Eren's eyes as pain rippled through his slouched back. Through his blurry vision, he saw the dead branch pointed towards him. Timed slowed down. He could see the malicious blue Aether gathering at the end of the cane into an orb, seconds away from consuming him. Dust roused from the impact was still settling. A feather, the color of twilight, landed gently on his lap.

This is how it ends, huh.

"Radiant." A feminine voice tore through his grim reverie, followed by a blinding beam of white light.

The Fiend managed to dodge the beam at the cost of canceling its primed offensive spell.

"Gauze." A girl called out with apparent distress.

"Tiese. Stay back. I can't move, some goddamn spell is holding me down."

"Cedric..."

"I was already working on it."

Gauze was released from his invisible binds seconds after Cedric completed his sentence. Gauze immediately bolted away from the Fiend and joined his teammates.

"What took you guys so long?"

"We got lost," Cedric answered with a sheepish smile.

"Lost!?" Gauze looked at them incredulously.

"It's a long story, I'll explain later and not everyone can use 'Lightfeet' like you. It's your fault for leaving us behind.

"Good grief. I wanted you to die, but there's no helping it I guess. You know, there's a thin line between a hero and an idiot."

Eren looked at the outstretched hand in front of him. He thought for a moment and the corners of his mouth turned upwards. He grabbed the welcoming hand and rose.

"I am that thin line."