It was hard to finish this chapter, one being that I do have to watch "Midnight Sun" again. As I said, I knew Armin would live, but that was the only thing I knew. It was a shock to watch the first time and it still is now.

Another reason it was hard came down to how I wrote this chapter. It is mostly from Joshua's perspective, so I am leaving some stuff out, but going back down his memories in this story was quite emotional. I actually teared up writing the Scout's charge to save Eren while watching the same scene as it is one of many examples of Commander Erwin being the inspiration he is. Nothing hit me harder than seeing him dragged by the Titan that took his right arm and him ordering the Scouts to keep moving forward.

But Armin is the one friend that is so dependable, even in life and death. Like Eren, I too had forgotten about the ocean, like Erwin, I wanted to know exactly what the hell is going on in the world and like Eren, I wanted to see some dead Titans like Reiner and Bertholdt. But Armin, that pure, smart bastard, just wanted to see the endless sea.

If I had to choose... I don't think I could. So I reflected these thoughts in Joshua, but in the end, he made a choice. I wonder who you guys would've chosen to bring back.

Anyway, here's chapter 36...

Eren

"Have I ever lied to you in my life?"

Eren drags the severed torso of Bertholdt along a rooftop as Armin's words replay in his head. "Dammit, I should've known." Stopping by the charred body of his best friend, Eren fights back tears as he kneels down. "I knew...you were more of a hero...than anyone else… I should've known this would happen. But… I had no other choice but to rely on you. Armin… Why don't you run away?" The tears run down Eren's face as he allows his sorrow to overwhelm him. Before he can get peep a whimper, a crash behind him catches his attention. Through the rising debris, he spots a quadruped beast on a nearby rooftop. "A Titan?" Not just any Titan, but the one they named 'Cart Titan'. Upon him is a blond-haired man with his limbs removed.

As it makes its way to Eren, he grabs Bertholdt and holds a sword to his neck. Once it arrives, Eren glares at it while pressing the blade in. "You just try coming closer! Make one move to take him and he's dead!" Upon the Cart Titan is a blond-haired man with his limbs removed. "What's that? He's got… Titan marks around his eyes. Is he the Beast Titan?"

"Are you...Eren Jaeger?" In defense of having his own identity revealed (not that it was hiding now) Eren draws blood from Bertholdt's neck. The man, however, doesn't seem affected by that action. "You look nothing like your father." That loosens Eren's grip. This man...knows his father? That thought runs through his head as the man continues to speak. "Believe me, I know what you're going through. We're both victims of your father. You've...been brainwashed by him."

Something about the man's eyes reminds him of Grisha Jaeger. "My…dad?"

The man suddenly looks up. "Argh, You're kidding me! He chased me all the way here? Let's call it a draw, Levi. We're in no shape to fight." He looks away from wherever Levi is back to Eren, or should he say Bertholdt. "Bertholdt, I'm sorry, but I think it's the end for you. Eren! Someday, I'm coming back to rescue you!" The Cart Titan and the man depart, leaving Eren with questions that now cannot be answered.

Lieutenant Levi lands in front of him seconds later. "That was the last of my gas. I'll chase him! Hand over your gas and blades!"

Eren begins to take off his ODM. "Right!"

"Hurry!" As Eren loosens the first strap, he hears a low, pained gasp of air from behind him. Gasping, he turns around slowly, unsure if he believes his own ears. There's no way in hell...Armin is alive.

Joshua

Just let me kill him. Let me end this. Reiner continues to live as Hange analyzes a metal case from Reiner's chest pocket. She hasn't given Joshua any command to gut his enemy, so he continues to breathe despite the sword ready to puncture his heart. It angers him immensely. Bertholdt should be alive, why not keep him for interrogation? Let Reiner die.

"Reiner… What's this metal case you had in your left chest pocket? Before we chopped off all your limbs, you tried to grab it with the strength you had left. Suicide pills? Or perhaps a bomb?"

"A letter," Reiner speaks in a dry, weak voice.

"A letter? What kind of letter?"

"A letter...from Ymir. You have to...give it...to Christa…"

Hange sighs. "Only after we've inspected it. Now then," she stands while putting the case in a pocket of her own, "I've got a mountain of questions for you, but your lips seem as tight as your armor is hard. Are you going to cooperate and tell us everything that we want to know?"

"No."

"Thanks. It helps that you're prepared for this. Joshua." My blade has never moved faster. Blood spurts from the small pressure of my sword in Reiner's chest, barely a cut in his skin. I decide not to end him quickly, oh no. I want Reiner to suffer as much as he made me suffer, to know the pain I had all these years. I want him to die knowing that I-

"Hold on!" Nearly jumping out of my skin, I leave my sword in place but relieve the pressure as I listen to Jean's sudden plea. "Joshua, are you sure? We might be able to steal his power." I frown. Yes, we have a syringe with that Kenny stole and gave to Levi. Commander Erwin's orders were clear, that if we captured any of the enemy shifters alive, we hold them in case we can steal their power.

"I don't think all the conditions for that have been met," Hange says. "We don't know the situation with Levi and the other side. Neither do we have the time to go confirm it ourselves. Reason being, there's no way for us to gauge the full depth of their powers!"

"Even if I cut his head off, we can't be too sure!" I cut my eyes at Jean, furious that he'll stop me at this moment. "Are you really going to make me reconsider this, Jean? After all that he's done? After all that we been through? Look around you! This, all of this, is his fault!"

Jean drops his head. "This isn't like you, Joshua. If they were here...if Mina was here, she would say the same thing to you. She would tell you that you're acting out of your anger, not with the mind we've come to respect these last few months. You have him beat. You beat the Armored Titan, and for now, until we can get this sorted out, isn't that enough? I believe you don't truly want to kill him off either because if you wanted to, he'll be dead already by now. There's something within you holding you back..."

Historia nods as she folds her hands behind her back. "I understand. I ask Eren what he would do if he met Reiner and Bertholdt again… What about you? Do you think...you could actually kill them?"

I bit my lip. "Are you asking me as a soldier or as me?"

"As you."

"Reiner… Yes. Yes, I would, it's all I ever swore. But Bertholdt...maybe. But before I even consider it, I have to know why they hate us. I need answers. I need to know...what the basement may not be able to answer. I need to know why they spent three years among us, why they befriended us, why I shouldn't...kill them. I need to know that there's not a shred of humanity in them, that I am truly facing monsters wearing human skin, not humans playing monsters. And then… I'll deal with their deaths."

He dare use Mina against me? Jean, you son of a bitch. The weight around my neck grows heavier, so heavy in the light that, even if I could argue against it, I know he's right. Grinding my teeth to a point I'm sure I shaved off some enamel, I lower my sword. I turn to the Section Commander, holding my rage inside. She nods, then turns to Mikasa. "How much gas do you have left?"

"It's almost entirely gone. But it should be enough to reach Eren and Armin at least."

"That's more than me. Mikasa, I need you to go check out their situation. Fill up your gas and bring back the injection from Levi. If for any reason you're unable to do so, fire a smoke signal. That will be Joshua's signal to end Reiner."

"Affirmative." Moments later, I remove my gas canister from Mikasa's and watch her head off for Eren and Armin. My anger continues to boil as I stare to the cloudy sky above.

"Joshua, I-"

"The choice is mine, Jean. You just happened to be a small factor." I step away from Jean, back to Reiner, kneeling down in front of the Armored Titan. "I let you live. You once said you didn't have much of a choice back then when you and Bertholdt sacked this town, but I choose to spare you for now. But you...you have already taken my parents from me, and you almost took away my girlfriend. So you should be thanking me, for it'll be hell to pay the day I let a Braus take away someone I love ever again! When that day comes, I won't just kill you. No, I'll hunt down everyone you care about. Your mother, your father, your sisters and brothers, your uncles and aunties, your cousins, your friends back in your 'hometown,' I will fucking kill them all! Everything you have taken from me, I will take from you tenfold!"

"J-Joshua!" I feel Jean's body collide with mine, grabbing me as he gets us away from Reiner. We tumble a few meters away, with me landing on my back. I glance up, seeing the Cart Titan from earlier in the battle along with a blonde-haired man on its back and Reiner in its mouth. No… No no no!

It runs off with Reiner, with Conny initially giving chase before Hange calls him off. As I get back up, Jean beats his fist on the ground. "Shit! It's my fault! I've...done something terrible."

With my head clouded in rage, I disregard Jean's claim. "I said the choice was mine. We should regroup with the others."

The sight before me is a nightmare that not even the Titans could create. I stand in shock as I look at Eren beaten and hanging off the building, Mikasa on top of Lieutenant Levi with her sword at his neck, and one of the new recruits, Floch standing over a wounded Commander Erwin. They're arguing over something about bringing the commander back to life, but I do notice is that Armin is nowhere to be…

No...is that torched body...Armin?

Hange had just prevented Mikasa from hurting Floch by holding her back. Jean and Conny (with Sasha on his back) just arrived behind me. "Hey… You've got to be...kidding me…"

"No way…You can't...be serious..."

Levi opens the case and begins to assemble the syringe for use on the commander, in which Mikasa begins to shout angrily. "Mikasa," Hange says to her, "you have to know how much we need Erwin! We can't let the flames of hope extinguish inside the walls!"

"But… Armin could… do that, too!"

"It's true, Armin is exceptional, but he doesn't have Erwin's experience and leadership." Mikasa tries to break out, but Hange prevents it. "There are people I want to bring back, too. Hundreds of them. I've had to say farewell since the day I joined the Scouts. But… You know, don't you? No matter who it is, there comes a day to say farewell. I know it's impossible, but you have to accept this. There will be times when you can't keep your sanity. It's tough. Very tough. Even so, we have to keep moving forward."

Sobbing, Mikasa turns to me, tears flowing down her face, pure desperation to save our friend in her irises. "Joshua, please…" I look to Eren, that same plea in his eyes as well. Taking a few steps away from the group, I look up to the sky for some sort of answer. "I agree with Hange. Every day since we've joined the Scouts, nay, since we joined the fight, we lost people I wish I could bring back. Friends we've known for five years died at Trost. Friends we made since putting on this cloak we lost since meeting the Female Titan." I take off my necklace, holding the wooden art in my hand. "I don't know which person is best to let live and let die. Armin...without him, I do not know if I'll be alive minus my own recklessness..."

"He was always determined to never be left behind, despite not being as capable as some of us…"

"That was, uh, quite a speech you gave us there," Armin says.

Eren shrugs. "Yeah. Most of it was yours. All the stuff you used to say back in the day."

I chuckle. "Yeah, I knew those words were too much for your simple, kill-all-Titans mind." Eren smiles, punching me in the arm. I smile a little more before dropping it, turning the conversation into a serious one. "You know my path, Eren. The Scouts has always been our calling, and I'll be glad to have you by my side when we take back our home-and beyond."

Eren nods. "Of course. I've never doubted you would go anywhere else. Even if you could go to the MP."

Armin sighs. "Yeah, well, I'm joining the Scout Regiment, too!" Eren and I look at Armin in shock. Why...Why would Armin join the Scouts? He can't join the Military Police, but the Garrison Regiment I thought he would choose.

"Now you're just being stupid," Eren shouts. "Come on! You're not a fighter! Your life is with the books!"

I interject. "Maybe the Garrison, Armin. You won't have to fight as much, but still on the frontlines."

Armin acknowledges our responses, but before he says a word I can tell his resolve is set. He won't change his mind. "I'm through with letting other people fight for me."

"When there was no hope, Armin found it…"

Jean inspects one of the rifles he, Marco, and a group of cadets found inside. "Are you absolutely sure buckshot is the way to go? Seems like we might as well throw spitwads. I mean, come on, guys. Are guns even effective?"

"I don't know," Armin confesses, "but they're bound to be better than nothing. We're looking at eight Titans in the supply room, of the 4-meter-tall variety. If we time this perfectly, this much ammo ought to be enough to do the trick."

I nod. "Alright Armin, what is the plan?"

"Step one, we lower a group into the area via lift to get the Titan's attention. Step two, when the Titans come within range, the group fires in all four directions simultaneously, blinding them. Then the hard part. The moment of truth, as it were. Before the Titans have time to recover, eight of us swoop down from the ceiling and strike their vital regions. That's it. That's the plan. It puts all our lives on the line. We screw up, we're dead. That's a hell of a risk for one attack but it's our only chance. eight people have to slay eight Titans in one blow, at the same time. We're going to need the best of you. The eight soldiers most physically gifted and adept with their paring blades. You'll be the difference between life and death for the rest of us. I'm sorry. That's it."

You aren't sugarcoating this, Armin. Even if you were, everyone knows the risk. As Armin's words weigh heavy on my mind, I am sure I am not alone in this. The last two steps have no guarantee to work. The eight soldiers indeed have the most vital job, for there is only one shot to take the Titans out.

"Seems like a sound plan," Reiner says.

Annie speaks up afterward. "When you get right down to it, the risk is the same for everyone. Doesn't really matter who goes." I tighten my lips. Annie might actually believe that but in truth, the chosen eight do matter.

"Look, I… I'm willing to be talked out of this. One half-baked strategy can't be our only option, right?"

Marco leans over to console Armin. "Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. Come on, with our situation? 'Cause for our only option, it's pretty well thought out. If we give it our all, we might just pull this off!"

Armin looks to me and Mikasa for the same confidence, possibly because ours hold the most weight. "It'll be fine," Mikasa says. "You just have to be confident. You're a better strategist than you give yourself credit for." Armin gasps, possibly to refute Mikasa's claim, but she continues. "I'm serious. That mind's saved Eren and me more than once."

"When did I ever save you? That's not…"

A cadet calls for everyone to jump in the lift. We now stand, but Mikasa, Armin and I stay in place. "You didn't realize it at the time. We can talk about it later."

"I have always trusted him to make the tough choices…"

"Listen Eren, I won't-"

"Just wait a second, would you? If you recall, I said I had two ideas." Eren now turns his attention to Armin. "Armin, I trust you to make the right decision."

"Huh?" Seems our blond friend is within his own head as I was.

"Now hear me out. And yes, I'm aware of how unrealistic this plan is. The best-case scenario? I try to use my Titan ability strategically. It should be under military direction. This might sound crazy, but if you think you can convince the Garrison Regiment, right here and now, that I present no threat to them, I'll trust you, and we'll go with that option. That's my second idea."

"But Joshua tried."

I nod. "I tried reasoning with them, you are right, but you, Armin, are much better with words than I am."

Eren focuses his stare. "If you don't think you can get it done, then my last resort is the first idea. You got fifteen seconds to decide. Think you can get it done? Listen, I'll respect your opinion either way."

Armin, overwhelmed with the idea he decides Eren's course of action, takes a moment to breathe and comprehend what Eren is asking of him. "Eren, why would you leave such a major decision up to me?"

Eren, despite the situation, smirks. "Because you keep a level head. You always choose well, no matter how ugly things get. I figure that's worth relying on."

"When have I done that?"

"Come on, you do it all the time. Take five years ago. If you hadn't gone to Mr. Hannes for help, Mikasa and I would've been eaten by the Titans."

"Take today as well." I smile to Armin, pointing at the Wall. "You, not me, not Mikasa, is the reason we left the headquarters, that we're not still in there now. You got Eren to get over there. You made a risky plan that paid off. If there's anyone who can make a major decision right now, it is you, Armin."

Armin gasps as if Eren and I broke his mind by revealing how important he is to us. At the same time, the upper part of the Titan's backbone falls apart. "That's how you see me? You don't think I'm a poor excuse for a friend? I had convinced myself that I was just a burden to all of you. But you never… You never thought of me that way at all!"

"Armin! Our time is up!"

"Wipe your face and decide!"

I am proud to say he chose the right decision. We gasp as Armin stands up with determination. "I will persuade them, trust me. You three just act as non-aggressively as you possibly can, agreed?"

"We wouldn't have figured out Annie, not until much later since I was catching on…"

"So I'll get straight to the point. Armin, Jean, you three were first to encounter the Female Titan, per Joshua's retelling. When he spoke of your attack against her, he said that there were two things that stood out. One, the Titan knew how Eren looked like, and two, based on a few words, she was hesitant. You two agree with that information?"

"Yes," Armin says. "That's exactly what happened."

"I don't know why those words paused her attack if I'm honest," Jean states as he rubs his head. "But what Armin says, I said those words about Eren some time ago. A lot of times actually."

I take over the conversation. "Sasha told me Jean called Eren a 'suicidal maniac' before the graduation ceremony (As I say that, I can feel Mikasa, who stands beside me, darken the room with malicious intent). Armin said those exact words to Jean as he fought the Female Titan. I can say Jean has done so many times over the years. As I told you, Commander, that could have been any girl… But three more pieces of evidence came up after. One during the battle, two afterward."

Erwin, with interest, sits down. "Floor is yours."

"Actually, we have Armin to thank here." I turn to my friend, giving him a thumbs up. "After all, he figured the identity of the Female Titan first, did you now?"Armin looks to his feet, not liking the well-deserved attention he's getting. "Well...yes, but I still had doubts."

"And we definitely wouldn't have beaten Bertholdt without him. He is my friend, he is definitely worth saving." I blink my eyes to keep more tears from falling at the sight of my barely breathing friend, then gaze to the commander. "But… I cannot say the commander isn't worth saving too…"

"Though it was Hange who brought me into the Scouts informally, it was Commander Erwin who gave me such a choice…"

"Okay Scouts! We've been tasked with getting rid of any Titans remaining in the vicinity of the Wall as part of the operation to recover Trost. So let's get this done ASAP so we can start preparing for our next extra-Wall survey mission. Okay, you know what to do! Let's do it!"

As the Scouts file out, Hange steps up to Erwin, pointing me out. "Erwin, what do you think about the new kid taking part in this operation?"

Erwin looks at me analytically. "Hmph. Well I know it doesn't seem like much, but we'll definitely be engaging with Titans, Hange. You sure he's ready for that?"

"I think it's the perfect opportunity for him to gain some valuable experience. I'll keep a close eye on him, don't worry."

"Well, I don't want to force him into it. What do you think, soldier?"

I perform the salute as I speak for myself. "I want to take part in the operation, sir. Others can speak for my talent in Trost, as you have heard, so I can take care of myself. Sitting around and doing nothing while there are Titans still around is not preferable to eliminating them."

Erwin nods. "Okay, if that's how you feel, you're in. Let's hope the experience only makes you a better soldier."

"He has trusted my opinion on many occasions as if I was an officer…"

Next thing I know, I land beside Commander Erwin and Lieutenant Levi. "Commander."

Levi faces me, sighing. "Oh, it's you. What are you doing here anyway?"

I ignore Levi for the time being. "Sir, I believe the enemy to be nearby. If anything, she's lacking the energy to keep moving. I want to find her."

"Levi, go make your preparations." Erwin looks away to the consuming Titans but gestures me to come closer. "Why is that?"

"Jean, Armin, and I who first engaged her in the fields figured she was after Eren as she ignored soldiers in the right flank unless provoked. However, some developments have lead me to believe that her identity is much more realized than we think."

"You think you know who it is?"

"Not exactly, but we've considered two things: If she knows about Eren, not saying he's our best-kept secret, she specifically knows how he looks. She investigated each of us to see if we were him. Two, most importantly, when we fought her, Armin didn't mention Eren in name, but used terms Jean would call him, specifically 'suicidal maniac.' She hesitated once she heard that." I look to the corpse, crossing my arms. "To that end, she must have known everything since Trost, including that this expedition will occur. I suspect our traitor is part of the military, either of the Garrison or the Military Police."

"Why not suspect the Scouts?"

"I thought about it, but that's when I considered the last piece of information. If a Scout were to betray us, indeed they would have attacked the side they were told Eren would be on. But the attack came from outside the right flank, not within. It would be a better tactic to sneak up on horseback before transforming, catch Levi Squad off guard, and try to capture Eren instead of what she did."

"Hmm. You have a point." The Commander turns to me, nodding his approval. "Resupply yourself and join up with Levi Squad asap. I have a different theory in mind about our enemy's whereabouts, but I do want answers. Once we return to Calaneth, we'll discuss our theories...if we don't end it here."

"And he...was willing to make choices no one else wanted to make… But every choice he made, if it costed lives, he was there with us…"

"You guys," we heard Hannes call to us, "get away from there!" Seeing him look ahead, I turn to Reiner's front.

"Holy hell! Move out!" I and the other cadets leap off Reiner back to our horses, looking with differing levels of awe, confusion, and fear as our crazy-ass Commander Erwin leads a horde of Titans our way.

"All soldiers, disperse! Get far away from the Titans!" He didn't need to command that, half of us were already ahead of him. Between the Titans already chasing us and those the commander were leading, it is an easy decision to make. As we move out the way, I turn back to see if everyone is okay. All non-Titan cadets of the 104th are-where the hell is Christa? I look back to the Titan gathering around Reiner and Ymir, not missing the sight of the blonde hanging to her friend's hair. If Ymir can protect Christa for a moment longer…

We settle on a hill, watching the carnage unfold. The Titans attacking Ymir and Reiner, one able to fight, the other with his arms tied protecting the shifters. I look down to the commander a few horse-steps away from me, wondering how he came up with this plan. However it was born, it is working to slow Reiner down. What is next?

"What's going on?" Jean says. "Is this hell?"

"No," Erwin says as he rides past Jean, "but it will be!"

I frown. "What is he doing?"

Erwin draws a blade in his right hand. "All soldiers, charge!" You can imagine the shock around the Scouts (and whatever Military Police and Garrison remains) as Erwin tells us to advance. It is a deathwish. It will be a massacre. There is no way he can seriously be ordering this. "The fate of humanity will be determined at this very moment! There is no future where humanity can inhabit these lands without Eren! We recover Eren and immediately retreat!" He hits his heart then points forward. "Give your heart!"

Mikasa is the first to gallop after Erwin, of course. "Ah, what the hell?" I follow after her, and soon the others. This is crazy. This is crazy. This is fucking crazy! As we come closer, I look up to Reiner, seeing him unfold his arms to fight off the Titans, therefore exposing Bertholdt and Eren. "There!"

"It worked!" Jean shouts. "His hand's gone!"

"Now's our chance!"

"Hey, Mikasa? Can't you see all those Titans? How do you plan on getting through that mess? You'd have to slip through a horde of 'em."

"She has me, Jean." Mikasa looks back to me while I smirk up to her. "I'll keep them off you. Jean, you follow closely. Whatever we do, we must get Bertholdt to release Eren!"

"Advance!"

"Yes, si-" Before I can even finish that, blood floats in the space where Commander Erwin sat. I gasp in shock as we see a Titan hold him by his arm in his mouth, halting our advance. "Commander Erwin!" I half turn my horse around to help him, I have to. I owe everything the last month to him. Letting me go on missions with the Scouts as an honorary member, him trusting me with the identity of the Female Titan and telling Section Commander Miche about Stohess. "I'll get him, you guys-"

"ADVANCE!" Erwin still commands us even in his perilous position. Does he know he could die here, and leave us without his leadership? "Eren is just ahead! Advance!" Even at the cost of his own life...he commands us to go forward. Towards our freedom. Towards our destiny. Towards our victory.

I look away from the commander to the sky above us. "I wouldn't be able to choose. The ones who could are the ones who need to be chosen. I have already made one choice of life today… I can't do it again." Flipping the necklace in the air, I catch it and slap it on the back of my left hand. The Wings of Freedom side is up. Sighing, I point away from myself, towards one of the two wounded soldiers. "If I let fate choose for me, I choose him."

"Lieutenant," I hear Eren say to Levi, "do you...know about...the sea? No matter how far you look, it stretches past the horizon. It is a gigantic lake. Armin said-"
Floch drops himself on Eren to remove his grip on Levi's heel. "Hey! Cut it out!"

"There's a sea beyond the walls and he said we'd go there together! But...that was our dream since we were little, and I forgot about it long ago! Avenging my mom… Killing the Titans...The only thoughts in my head are full of hate! But...he's not like that! Armin cares about more than just fighting! He has dreams!"

Levi stands up with the syringe completed. "Everyone get out of here! I'm going to have Erwin eat Bertholdt!"

I move away from Levi with the others, letting my own personal choice wage an inner war inside me. Would I have made the right choice if it was me? Or the wrong one? Would it matter in the end?

I let those thoughts ravage my mind as the new Titan rises and Levi escapes with the one who will die. The rest of us watch silently as the Titan grabs Bertholdt, but he must have awoken prior as he begins to scream. He looks in our direction, ceasing his tantrums as he spots Jean, Mikasa, Eren, Conny, and me watching the scene. "Guys! Help me!"

None of us dare move.

He screams again as he is pushed into the Titan's mouth. "Annie! Reiner!" As Bertholdt's last words echo in the air, I feel a single tear wash down my face. It is remorse for Berthodlt? Yes. Yes, it is. He was my enemy, but he was also my friend, and just as I have regrets deep inside me for Annie, I feel the same for Bertholdt. Even now, to this day, his words to us four months ago are remembered by me. "T-Tell me who!... Who the hell would want to kill people by their own choice? Who the hell would like doing this sort of thing? Do you think I wanted to do this? People hate and despise us. We've done such terrible things, we deserve to die. Things we'll never be able to take back...but...we just...couldn't come to terms with our sins. The only time we had some respite...was when we pretended to be soldiers. That's not a lie! Conny! Jean! It's true we may have deceived everyone, but it's not all a lie! We really considered you comrades! Neither of us have any right to even apologize. But...someone...please… Someone, please… Someone find us!"

What did Bertholdt mean back then? Will we ever find out? I bow my head and take Sasha from Conny as the Titan collapses and he and the others head down to the rising Titan out of the Titan's corpse. Turning to Levi, Floch, and Hange on a nearby building, I ask my squad leader a question. She replies negatively. There's still time…

Armin might have been given the right to live, but before Commander Erwin dies, I will give him the answers to this world.