Eren knows it was cheap, a lower blow than he should have made in something that's not even serious. It also shows his hand just a little; he's willing to do this like that just to win here. What would he do in another situation? Actually, even he doesn't know the answer. Part of him still wants blood and violence because that is what he knows. Part of him wants to return to that night in the dark where he remembered how to be soft.

Neither of them are soft now, though.

Eren is a little surprised that Reiner accepts his hand. He wouldn't have, if their positions were reversed, though Eren just gets angry at words more than confused.

He watches that anger on Reiner's face and answers it with half a smirk. Oh? Now they're playing for real? Good. It's hubris to think he can win with Reiner angry at him for that display of utter bullshit, but he would never admit defeat. Besides, he's still standing, right? That's good enough.

He lifts his stick too.

"Yeah," he says. "Again."

He waits, braced as well as he can be against the increasingly wet, slippery beam beneath them. He saw the counterstrike. Maybe he can figure it out this time.