attack on titan · court au · monster transformation · mikasa ackerman · armin arlert · prejudice · trial setting · supernatural · angst · identity crisis
The air in the courtroom congealed into something heavy and sour, thick with sweat and fear. Eren's voice, once fiery with defiance, cracked under the weight of hundreds of accusatory eyes. From the high bench, I watched him, and then I watched *them*—Mikasa, standing rigid as a blade, and Armin, whose intelligent eyes darted with a panic he couldn't fully mask. They weren't just defending a friend; they were guarding a secret. The gavel struck the block with a sound like a bone snapping. 'Permission is granted to the Military Police and to Section Commander Hanji,' my decree echoed off the stone. 'Eren Yeager is to be studied, not killed. And the same order applies in full to Armin Arlert and Mikasa Ackerman.' A wave of stunned silence broke into frantic whispers as the three defendant…