This is where Eren's planning, such as it is, falls apart. He can't predict with any real accuracy how people will behave. Who can? Well, Armin probably can, at least to some some extent. Eren is basically assuming things will go the way they've gone, that they'll be four for four here.
As soon as Reiner moves, he realises he's wrong. Shit, what is he supposed to do to block that? For as many people as Eren has killed, will kill, he hasn't fought that many of them up close and personal. A few, sure. But mostly he's had fistfights or titan fights. Even serious fights before they reclaimed the walls, they weren't like this. Guns, sure. Not rifles. Not calculated strikes with weapons.
It's not like a sword fight, either. He's trained with a sword and is passable with it, but these are foam sticks, not at all designed to do what swords do.
He has to make a choice, and fast. Move out of the way (into the water), or take the hit and hope he doesn't fall. These are not very good odds.
He picks the stupider choice. Of course he doesn't just dodge; that's still losing, because falling again is a loss no matter what causes it. And he's not a coward anyway, shying away because he pushed Reiner too far.
He does his best to block or deflect; the technique he tried to observe from before won't work here at all. He deflects the stick only a little, taking the hit off center instead of head on. That's a mistake too, though in the end there were no good choices here.
Reiner is stronger than Eren, obviously, and though Eren is braced for an attack, there's no real contest. The blow actually hurts; if he was a regular person it would probably bruise. It will bruise, really, but only for a minute.
He can't right himself again after the hit, wincing in pain, moving his own stuck too clumsily in an attempt to counterattack. But he's already off balance, and whether his wild strike connects or not, he tips to the side. This is a worse way to fall, for him, because he hits the water sideways, the momentum flipping him so he's not sure which way is up.
It will take him a few extra seconds in the pull of the waves to figure it out. He comes up coughing water. Stupid. Why did he think this was going to work?
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As soon as Reiner moves, he realises he's wrong. Shit, what is he supposed to do to block that? For as many people as Eren has killed, will kill, he hasn't fought that many of them up close and personal. A few, sure. But mostly he's had fistfights or titan fights. Even serious fights before they reclaimed the walls, they weren't like this. Guns, sure. Not rifles. Not calculated strikes with weapons.
It's not like a sword fight, either. He's trained with a sword and is passable with it, but these are foam sticks, not at all designed to do what swords do.
He has to make a choice, and fast. Move out of the way (into the water), or take the hit and hope he doesn't fall. These are not very good odds.
He picks the stupider choice. Of course he doesn't just dodge; that's still losing, because falling again is a loss no matter what causes it. And he's not a coward anyway, shying away because he pushed Reiner too far.
He does his best to block or deflect; the technique he tried to observe from before won't work here at all. He deflects the stick only a little, taking the hit off center instead of head on. That's a mistake too, though in the end there were no good choices here.
Reiner is stronger than Eren, obviously, and though Eren is braced for an attack, there's no real contest. The blow actually hurts; if he was a regular person it would probably bruise. It will bruise, really, but only for a minute.
He can't right himself again after the hit, wincing in pain, moving his own stuck too clumsily in an attempt to counterattack. But he's already off balance, and whether his wild strike connects or not, he tips to the side. This is a worse way to fall, for him, because he hits the water sideways, the momentum flipping him so he's not sure which way is up.
It will take him a few extra seconds in the pull of the waves to figure it out. He comes up coughing water. Stupid. Why did he think this was going to work?