Absolute Strength

"You have done well, young ones...But this is as far as you come."

- Mike to the underclassmen

Absolute Strength (絶対に強い) is the 8th and final chapter of the 2nd volume and the 16th chapter overall of the Attack on Titan: Junior High manga, written and illustrated by.

Overview
Eren proposes using a Titan catching net to trap the upperclassmen so they can steal their headbands. This goes well until Mike is able to break through the netting. While this scares off some of the first year students, Mikasa helps Eren rally the remaining students to try and achieve victory. As the match progresses, the first years are eliminated and end up dancing with the Titans.

Summary
Before the beginning of the contest between the two warring classes, Krista persuades Annie to help her cheer on the first years competing and gives her a cheer uniform. After trying it on, Annie has second thoughts about it but Eren says she looks great and tells her to do her best in cheering them on.

For the third match up, Eren proposes a secret plan for the first years to catch up in points that will guarantee them victory. On the other side of the course, Petra and Oluo remain confident in their chances, with Oluo seeing Levi leaving to attend other business. The match starts and the upperclassmen are shocked to get caught under a strong net. Eren proudly states that, when tasked with cleaning the storage room, Eren found a net used for capturing Titans; the first years immediately start taking the headbands of the upperclassmen as they struggle to break through the net.

Just then, Mike breaks through and stuns the first years. Reiner charges at Mike and, not wanting to lose out on dancing with Krista, throws himself on top of the hole. Mike muses on Reiner's decision and when Reiner calls Mike a sore loser, the latter tosses Reiner away. Mike congratulates the underclassmen for using tricks, but they will not get any further. This scares many of the first years away, abandoning Eren. Mikasa stands up and rallies the remaining students to stay when Jean flies by still using the vertical gear to collect several headbands.

Eren goes with Reiner and Bertolt to collect the most valuable headbands when they see Levi in the middle of cleaning. The latter chastises them for still playing a game and goes back to cleaning; Eren spots Levi still wearing his headband around his wrist and goes to take it. Before Eren can react, Levi knocks him back, rendering Eren unconscious for dirtying an area he had just finished cleaning. The first years are unable to come back and are defeated by the upperclassmen. After the first year students suffer through dancing with the Titans, Petra and the others vow to go easier on them from now on.