Chapter 26
Setting Out
Akashi did not like that his unit was placed on guard duty. While the Scouts divided into two groups at Ehmrich, the bulk of his MP soldiers were to stay on Erwin. The other Scouts moved from Ehmrich to Trost. The plan was to link up with the Garrison and figure out where the breach was.
It was now a bit past noon and they had not moved from Trost since they had arrived early in the morning. All of the Scouts appeared to be on edge, all talking amongst themselves about what was going on beyond the wall. While his MP units were too lax about the situation. While he understood why, he hoped those he hand picked to serve under him would at least be more professional on missions.
Luckily, his four personal units kept most of the others in line. There was also Midorima and Aomine, whose presence was enough for most to understand the severity of the situation. However, that did not stop the bolder soldiers to speak out against the Scouts and not encountering titans.
One close to him was speaking to more rank and file Scouts, calling them out on how easy their job must be. The Scout tried to talk back, but he was being ganged up by the other MP's with him.
Akashi sighed and let his arms drop from being across his chest and walked over to them.
"You guys fight those things all the time right? It can't be that hard of a softie like you is still standing," a shagged haired MP said.
The Scout tried to talk back, but was cut off by another MP. "Maybe your regiment isn't as needed as most think."
"Hey, you three."
The three MP's blood went cold. They turned to see the heterochromatic captain walking towards them. They stiffened in attention as he got up in the face of the shaggy haired MP.
"I did not recruit you to act like this. If you're boasting this much, then you must be useless on the battlefield." Akashi's gaze narrowed. "Go back to Stohess, you won't be needed on this assignment."
"B-But Captain-" "I said to leave."
Akashi's glare made the shaggy haired MP drop to the floor. He quickly got up and sprinted to his horse. When he disappeared form sight, Akashi noticed the crowd that had formed. A simple glare made the people around him to start moving.
Akashi turned to the Scout, which was likely a recent recruit, who stiffened when their eyes met. The Scout turned to leave, but the sound of Akashi clearing his throat made him stop.
"Are you okay?" Akashi asked.
The Scout recruit nodded quickly. "Yes, sir."
Akashi gave a curt nod. "That's good." Akashi turned on his heel but did not begin to walk away. "I may not be fond of your regiment, but your fight is an important one."
Akashi turned his head slightly to catch the recruit smiling towards him. He turned away and began to walk away from him.
"Get back to your post."
"Right away, sir!"
Akashi could hear the crunching of dirt as the young soldier jogged towards where ever he was going. When he was out of earshot, Akashi turned to Carsten, who stopped dead in his tracks.
"Carsten?"
A silver haired young man walked towards Akashi. "Yes, sir?"
"What was his name?"
"The soldier you dismissed?" Carsten asked.
Akashi turned to him with a narrowed gaze. "Who else would I be referring to?"
Carsten swallowed nervously. "Right, sorry."
Akashi let his gaze soften slightly. "Now, his name?"
"Gilbert Ratri, I believe."
Akashi nodded. "Take him off the list. We won't need him for my future plans."
Carsten nodded in response. "I'll do it right away. However, may I ask a question?"
Akashi gestured for him to continue speaking.
"Is your plan still in motion, so to speak?"
Akashi chuckled, which caught Carsten off guard. His captain was not one to smile, much less laugh.
"Of course. I think these recent developments will help the plan greatly." Akashi turned away from Carsten and clasped his hands behind his back. "Once this matter settles down, if things go the way I think, the stage will be set."
Carsten nodded. He knew the basics of the plan Akashi had been cooking up. He knew it had something to do with the royal council. He had yet to tell anyone, besides Shintaro, the true extent of the plan.
"Don't worry, Carsten. You and the other three will be let in on the plan soon. Can I count on your full cooperation?" Akashi asked.
"Of course, sir." Carsten accentuated his words by adding a salute.
Akashi let a pleased smile come to his face. He was happy to have such loyal soldiers as direct subordinates.
"Captain Seijūrō!"
Akashi and Carsten turned to see a young man with sleek black hair jogging towards them. When he reached the two, he put his hands on his knees and panted heavily.
"What is it Reynald?" Akashi asked.
Reynald took a deep breath before answering. "The Garrison's team has returned."
Akashi's eyes widened slightly, but managed to keep his reaction subdued. "Take me to them." He turned to Carsten. "Keep them in line."
"Yes, sir!"
When Akashi made it to where Commander Pyxis was, there was already a group of soldiers surrounding a lone Garrison soldier and a young scout. The Garrison soldier looked pale and, by their panting, the two were very out of breath. Akashi wondered what could have made him go so fast. He had to guess that he had found the breach, but that did not entirely explain why he was missing part of his team.
Akashi turned to Reynald. "Are they the only ones that came back?"
Reynald nodded. "From what I understand, yeah."
"Did any of them say anything before you came to get me?"
"Not that I know of."
Akashi let out a breath and moved towards the front of the group of soldiers. Most let him pass without much fuss, but others took a bit more time to budge.
"Glad you could join us, Captain," Pyxis said as he saw Akashi out of the corner of his eye.
"I was informed we might have new intel, so I had to be here," Akashi replied.
Pyxis nodded and turned to the soldier who just finished downing a water skin.
"Now, son, tell us what you found," Pyxis said.
"That's the thing, we found nothing," the soldier said.
Everyon presented gasped in surprise. Even the more stoic of soldiers flinched at the news. Akashi'a eyes widened in surprise. He was not expecting there to be nothing.
"From Trost to Krolva there isn't a single crack in the wall."
"I see. No breach as far as you could tell, correct?"
The soldier nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Hmm, as I thought," Pyxis mused aloud.
The soldier drank more water before continuing. "But a situation has developed. One our way back we ran into another unit. A Scout unit led by Section Commander Hange and Captain Tetsuya. There were members of the 104th Cadet Corps with them without equipment."
Akashi's mind began to race. Hange and Kuroko's unit were the ones that left from Ehmrich before dawn. He knew the Scouts had a group of recruits that were not at Stohess, so that factored in the 104th Cadets. Why they were important, Akashi could only guess. Without equipment meant they were the ones to first spot the titans behind Wall Rose. Likely they were caught unawares and were forced to flee without an ODM rig.
"This might sound crazy, but three of them were titans!"
That made every thought in Akashi's head freeze. There were more shifters in the 104th. That meant that the Colassal and Armored Titans were a part of that cadet corps. The third was a wild card for Akashi. he had no idea there were more people who could transform into titans. He turned to Erwin, who was rather stone faced, but there was a hint of surprise in the way his eyes were sider than usual.
Akashi had to guess that he knew of the possibility that rogue shifters were in his regiment, but only knew of two. The third even gave him pause for a moment.
"Hang on a sec."
Akashi turned and saw a young Scout step forward. His eyes growing wide as he processed the information.
"You're saying there were three more? But who were they?" The young Scout turned to the female Scout who had remained silent. "Who dammit?"
"Well, I, um-"
"Jean." Erwin's voiced pierced through the tension in the air. He put a hand on Jean's shoulder. "Calm down."
Erwin turned to Garrison soldier. "What happened when these titans were revealed?"
"The Scouts engaged the Colossal and Armored Titans as best they could, sir!"
"Were they all killed?" Akashi asked.
The Garrison soldier turned to Akashi, his face paler than before. "By the time our unit arrived, it was too late."
Everyone present let out a gasp. Akashi could tell they all feared the worst. Even he was beginning to think so, but he knew Kuroko was too tenacious to die like that.
"That doesn't answer my question. Where they all killed?" Akashi let his tone sound more authoritative.
"Well-I-uh-"
"Answer me, dammit!"
"Seijūrō, settle down," Pyxis said. He turned to the two messengers. "The two are still shell shocked. Give them a moment to collect their thoughts."
Akashi turned to meet Pyxis' eyes. "We don't have time for that shit! Right now the Armored, Colossal, and a third shifter are on the loose. For all we know they'll start bashing in the nearest gate from their last position."
Akashi shifted his gaze to Erwin. He pushed past Pyxis and stood in front of Erwin. "Don't you give a damn about your soldiers? They could be dead and you're acting like it doesn't affect you."
"Everyone who signs up for the Scout Regiment knows death could come at any time. Even seasoned veterans may fall in battle," Erwin replied with his gaze narrowing.
Akashi tightened the grip of his fist. "If they are dead, we lose our one lead as to who the shifters are."
Erwin said nothing in response. He continued to meet the gaze of the Oriental captain. The silence between the two lingered and Akashi's eyes slowly widened in realization. Erwin knew who the Armored and Colossal Titans were.
"You know who they are, don't you?"
All eyes turned to Erwin. Even Pyxis' attention was grabbed.
Erwin turned to Levi, who was off to the side. Levi simply grunted and turned his gaze away from Erwin. The blonde commander closed his eyes and let out a breath.
"We have a theory as to who they could be, yes. Hange's encounter would serve as confirmation, if her team survived," Erwin said.
"And why not sure with the rest of us who they could be? I'm sure it would help us know who we're fighting against."
Once again all eyes were on Erwin. Everyone was expecting an answer from him. Akashi had forced him to take two paths. If he let everyone know of his theory, then all heat against him would disappear. Should he deny them the information, then he would be seen as suspicious.
"I do not know who."
Akashi's expression paled. He was not expecting a third option to be brought up.
"What do you mean by that?" Akashi asked.
"Tetsuya and Hange were in charge of figuring that out. Tetsuya said he had a theory as to who it could be, but was unable to tell me. He rode with Hange before relaying his intel," Erwin explained.
"Well, isn't that convenient," Akashi grumbled.
Pyxis cleared his throat and brought all the attention unto him. "Regardless of Commander Erwin's actions and words, we should still mount an investigation mission towards their location. Two of my most trusted officers were likely with the Scouts and confronted the Titans. I can count on them to stay alive." Pyxis turned to everyone present. "Make sure all supplies are loaded onto the carts and that the horses are ready to move out! Get that pulley set up so we can bring supplies to the top of the wall!"
"Yes, sir!"
Soldier began to move toward their assigned duties. Akashi had his people asking what do and he simply waved them off. He told them that Pyxis would be in charge of giving orders. He had to collect his thoughts.
Midorima and Aomine joined him as he walked towards the MP supply cart.
"That Erwin sure is a tough bastard," Aomine said crossing his arms.
"Indeed. I would not have expected him to not know the theory of their identities," Midorima added.
"The bastard was lying," Akashi said.
The two Orientals turned to their superior officer with brows raised.
"How do you know?" Midorima asked.
"It was slight, but I could tell. His breath waved as he spoke about Tetsuya not telling him. Pyxis probably caught it too. I was right to put him in a tough situation. Didn't expect him to talk his way out of it."
"Could be that him and Pyxis are conspiring," Midorima suggested.
"It's possible. But right now nothing is certain. We should link up with Tetsuya and get answers there," Akashi replied.
"Will they be alive?" Aomine asked.
Akashi scoffed. "Please, this is Tetsuya we're talking about. If he's dead then we'll be soon to follow."
Akashi moved past Midorima and Aomine to begin to bark out his own orders to his MP unit. The two Orientals looked at each other and shrugged.
"Ready for a fight Midorima?" Aomine asked.
"Truth be told, yes. I was unable to get revenge for Kise's death, so I'll take out my frustration on the Armored and Colossal. Maybe even that third shifter too," Midorima answered.
"Shintaro! Daiki! You better get moving or we'll leave you behind!" Akashi called out.
"The master beckons," Aomine said with a snicker.
Midorima rolled his eyes. "You're so childish."
—
By the early afternoon, every soldier that was being sent on the investigation mission was atop the wall. Just as Akashi had thought, the operation was going to be a joint one with all the regiments. He knew that his MP unit was mostly there to make sure Erwin did not do anything outside his assigned duties. He was still supposed to be on trial after what happened in Stohess.
Akashi kept the bulk of his forces in the rear, while he rode closer to the front to keep an eye on Erwin. As for the Garrison Regiment, Pyxis was staying behind but a large portion of the regiment was joining them.
Once everything was in order, Erwin called for everyone to move out. As he rode forwards, his subordinates followed, with the Garrison soldiers close behind. Akashi's MP force took a bit longer to move out, as they were not keep on following Erwin's orders. However, Midorima and Aomine were quick to get everyone moving. Akashi let a smile form on his face. He was glad he count on them to keep the other in line when he was not close enough.
When he faced forward again, Akashi made sure that his smile was gone. He had to focus on the mission ahead. First, they had to investigate the sighting of the Colossal and Armored Titans. With the team that arrived to give them the news leading, they had a destination. From there they had to figure out where they were and, finally, where they went. Akashi was dead set on capturing the shifters. He wanted answers, but if he could persuade them to join his side then his plans would become a lot simpler.
"You look pretty focused."
Akashi was broken from his thoughts and turned to Erwin. The Scout Commander spared him a single glance before returning his gaze forwards.
"Well, we're so close to answers. But those answers might never come should your subordinates be dead," Akashi replied.
Erwin scoffed. "I thought you of all people would have more faith in Tetsuya."
"Who said anything about Tetsuya?"
"Don't play coy with me. The only reason you were so adamant on finding out if they are dead or not was to know if Tetsuya was dead." Erwin's gaze drifted towards the red head. "Despite everything, you all still see each other as the same group from your cadet days."
Akashi shrugged. "Can you blame us? There's only so many Orientals behind the walls. We have to stick together. Plus, we're looked down upon for just looking a little different." Akashi met Erwin's gaze. "I'm part of the strongest group of cadets ever and even that doesn't change how people look at me or us. It's quite infuriating."
"You speak highly of Tetsuya. Yet he only has disdain for you," Erwin said.
"Tetsuya just hasn't come around. I only have his best interests at heart. He's wasting his talents being a part of your regiment."
"I wouldn't say that. He's second only to Levi in titan kills. I'd wager if our regiment did not have Levi, Tetsuya would be 'humanity's strongest soldier,'" Erwin argued.
"What do you know what's best for him?"
"Do you?" Erwin shot back.
Akashi could not find the words to respond, so he shot him a flare. Erwin gave a satisfied smirk and turned his attention forwards.
That bastard, Akashi thought.
Akashi could not believe that Erwin had the gall to say that to him. Of course he knew the best place for Tetsuya. He already had a spot for him in his plan. Akashi knew that once everything was in motion Tetsuya would know which side to choose. He had indulged in his hero fantasy long enough. Once he saw reality, he would know his place, at his side.
—-
Arriving at the scene of the appearance of the Colossal and Armored Titans, Akashi got a good look at what happened. The far side of the wall was damaged and the bottom that faced towards Wall Maria showed signs of a fight.
As for the Scouts, many looked injured. A large group of them were covered in what looked like burns and bruises. From what he could tell most of the veteran soldiers were out of commission, with only a few suffering minor injuries.
Those that were still battle ready were outfitted with an ODM rig, likely from those who would be unable to join on the mission. Part of him was happy that they brought enough for resupply.
He scanned around the group of soldiers before him, trying to find Kuroko and Murasakibara. He thought finding someone as tall as Murasakibara would be easy, but it proved to be a challenge. Akashi shook his head to try and refocus himself. Ever since his conversation with Erwin he felt distracted. He could not let himself get distracted on the battlefield.
"Hey, there's Atsushi!"
Akashi turned to see Aomine jogging towards a group of soldiers. He let a relieved expression come to his face when he saw Murasakibara and Momoi. Next to them was another Oriental with darker red hair. Akashi did not recognize who he was, but made a mental not of remembering him.
"Shintaro, stay with the men. I'll check up on our comrades."
Midorima glanced towards him and nodded in response. He turned to the MP's present and began to give orders.
Satisfied, Akashi turned away and walked towards the group. He saw Kuroko sitting up, but his face and hands were covered in burns. His eyes were also bloodshot. He looked happy to be talking with Aomine, but the happy look disappeared when he saw Akashi.
"You're here."
Akashi smiled smugly and cocked his head to the side. "Why wouldn't I be? I was put in charged of keeping an eye on your commander."
Kuroko did not respond and turned away from the red head.
Akashi sighed and turned to Murasakibara. "I need a sit-rep of what happened from the moment you left Ehrimc. That way I can get a better idea as to what to do."
Momoi let out a breath and Akashi turned to her.
"We were returning from rescuing our recruits from the 104th and made a stop here, at the wall, to regroup. When we were about to move out, the Colossal and Armored Titans appeared. After a fight, the two escaped and took Eren, another shifter named Ymir, two soldiers, a recruit named Aemilia," Momoi explained. "You see for yourself what came of it."
Akashi crossed his arms and turned to the wounded soldiers behind him. Very few of them would be ready to mobilize and from the looks of things, so would Kuroko. Akashi pinched the bridge of his nose and turned to Kuroko.
"Are you going to be in fighting shape?" Akashi asked.
Before Kuroko could open his mouth, Momoi spoke for him. "He won't be. He can barely sit up without wincing in pain."
"I figured as much." Akashi turned to Aomine. "Let's go, Daiki. We need to address our unit."
Aomine sighed and stood up. He turned to Kuroko and gave him a cocky smile. "Just you wait. We'll be back before the sun goes down."
Kuroko chuckled. "I'll hold you to it. Though, it's almost sundown. Better move out soon."
Aomine grinned and began to walk away. Akashi stopped walking and faced the red head Oriental. He had a similar glare to Kuroko, which he would not tolerate from him.
"Who're you?" Akashi asked.
"Taiga Kagami. Recruit from the 104th."
"Well then," Akashi put a hand on the red head's shoulder. ",Kagami. You should not look down on your betters."
The weight of Akashi's glare and hand built up and Kagami found himself collapsing to the floor. He was left wide eyed as Akashi walked away from him. While Akashi ignored Kuroko's words to come back and explain himself.
I don't need to explain myself to trash like him, Akashi thought.
—-
As soon as Akashi left, Commander Erwin called for all able bodied soldiers to join him for a strategy meeting. Not wanting to be left out, Kuroko asked for Connor to help him get to the commander. Momoi and Connor were quick to protest, but Kuroko pleaded with them. He had to know at least the plan and give input. He knew Erwin would trust a suggestion made by him.
When they reached the huddle of Scouts and a handful of MP's, Hange had a map in front of them. However, Kuroko knew Hange would not be going on the mission. Their wounds were worse than his. How she was managing to even crawl just showed how tenacious they could be.
When Kuroko moved to the front of the huddle, Erwin acknowledged him with a nod. Kuroko turned his attention to Hange, who was waiting for everyone that needed to be present.
"Go ahead, Hange," Erwin said.
Hange nodded and coughed. Moblit moved to help them, but was waved off.
"It's a gamble, but the trees in this forest are massive. I say we ride straight for them," Hange explained. "See, even if they had a way to cover the Armored Titan's tracks, this is almost definitely where we would find them."
"Why's that?" Erwin asked.
"They need to regroup. They have the power to transform, but titans on that side of the wall still pose a threat. Especially after putting up such a fight. Yes, Eren was worse for it, but they have to be spent." Hange turned to Kuroko. "Remember when Annie went out cold."
Kuroko put a hand on his chin and ran through scenarios. All of them led to just one outcome. He let out a gasp and all the attention had turned to him.
"They're heading beyond Wall Maria. There has to be somewhere they need to get to."
Hange nodded. "Exactly. That's more than just a hike. They need all the energy in order to get there. They're in no shape to cover that distance. Which is why they need to rest in a place that titans can't reach them."
"Which is why we need to cut them off at that forest," Kuroko assumed.
"Precisely. Odd are they'll rest until it gets dark. We have until sundown to get them back!"
Erwin quickly stood up and everyone followed suit. "Prepare to move out! We have course! All abled bodied soldiers prepare yourselves for an intense fight!"
"Yes, sir!"
Soldiers began to scramble. All of them grabbing any equipment they should need. Erwin let out a breath and turned to Kuroko, who was being held up by Connor.
"Will you be able to come, Tetsuya?" Erwin asked.
Kuroko chuckled. "I wish I could, but doctor's orders that I remain here."
Erwin nodded in understanding. "I see. Your presence will be missed."
"Don't get sappy on me now, Commander." Kuroko removed himself from Connor's shoulder. He stumbled a bit, but managed to regain his balance. "However, my team is at your disposal." Kuroko turned to Connor and Momoi. "Kick some ass for me."
The two soldiers nodded in response. They saluted their captain and joined the other soldiers in prepping equipment.
"Rest well, Tetsuya," Erwin said.
Kuroko nodded and slowly sat down next ot Hange, who looked equally unhappy they were not joining.
"I'm sure everything'll work out," Kuroko said.
"I know that. But that's not what I'm worried about," Hange replied.
—
Kagami made sure all his belts were properly fastened. He had several things on his mind, but one was at the forefront: finding out the truth. He had to know why Reiner and Bertolt betrayed them. He had only interacted with them a few times, but when he put past his suspicions of them, he knew they were good people. Then there was Aemilia. He had to know if she betrayed him.
He let out a breath and he put four blades in their scabbards. The mission was retrieval, but if given the chance he would take down all three of them. He looked towards the horizon and wondered what was beyond it. Kuroko had said they were planning on going beyond Wall Maria. That meant there was something beyond it of importance.
Kagami tightened the grip of his fist. He was not angry, just confused. Would he be angry when he learned the truth, or would a different emotion overtake him.
"I've never seen you so unreadable before."
Kagami turned to see Historia standing next to him.
He looked past her to see the other members of the 104th were gathered near them. Kagami chuckled and turned to face forwards again. Those around him turned to the red head, surprised he could chuckle.
"Well, I'm confused. I thought I had things all figured out, but I don't," Kagami said.
"Not just you. I gotta know what they were thinking," Connie added.
"We're really doing this? Are we really just going to kill people who we thought as friends?" Sasha asked.
"They made their choice. Now we have to follow through with ours," Aline growled.
Kagami turned to short recruit and saw her brows so furrowed they nearly became one.
"All troops, assemble at the base of the wall!" Commander Erwin's voice boomed.
"That's our cue," Jean said.
One by one, the recruits from the 104th descended the wall, until only Historia and Kagami were left. Kagami turned to the blonde, despite her face looking determined her hands were trembling.
"Don't worry, we'll get her back."
Historia turned to see Kagami with a reassuring smile. Before she could say anything, Kagami was descending the wall. Historia looked to the floor and felt her face burning up. She collected her feelings and joined the others at the base of the wall.
—-
"You fucking idiot!"
Aemilia slugged Reiner across the face. He stumbled back and managed to regain his balance. He peer down to the forest floor and saw the awaiting gazes of the titans. He swallowed saliva before turning to Aemilia.
"Wow, the girl's got some bite," Ymir said.
"Can it, you! You're lucky I haven't eaten you yet," Aemilia threatened.
Ymir did not respond. She shrugged and turned away.
"Now calm down Aemilia," Bertolt began to say.
"And you! Why didn't you try harder to stop him? You let him blow this whole operation!" Aemilia said.
Bertolt brought his legs closer to his face and turned away, not wanting to argue with the girl.
"We did what we had to. You saw him lumbering out there. We're out of time," Reiner said.
"Don't give me that crap! So that justifies just transforming and grabbing him?!" Aemilia asked.
"What else could've we done?! If we waited any longer we would've been at Trost with the other half of the Scout Regiment! The two of us can't take all of them on. And you'd just be a liability!" Reiner said.
"He's right, Aemilia. I'd say we've done more than enough at this point," Bertolt reasoned.
Aemilia grit her teeth in frustration. First Annie goes MIA, then they see the Beast, then Ymir was that titan, leading up to Reiner's idiotic decision. She ran a hand through her hair to try and calm herself down. Everything had gone wrong so fast. Ever since the expedition she could not think straight. Every time she thought up a plan, there was always a roadblock. That roadblock was that damn red head Oriental.
Annie had told her about his suspicions and took it upon herself to keep any eye on him. She could tell he knew something, but never had the pieces. When he had told her he knew who the Female Titan was, she knew he had to be removed from the equation. She had spent so much time with him that she actually got to know him better. The thought that the feeling she had for him made her sick.
She chuckled humorlessly. Making Reiner and Bertolt look to her with concern. "I actually fell for him. How stupid can I be?"
"You feeling okay?" Reiner asked.
"Me? Am I okay? Of course not! This whole damn mission has taken pieces of my sanity and I'm just now realizing it," Aemilia said. She turned to Reiner. "I can say the same about you."
Reiner was taken aback. He was about to say something response when Aemilia cut him off.
"Though, you lost it a lot sooner. When this is all over, I do hope you get your due," Aemilia said.
Reiner rose an eyebrow. "What might that be?"
"What else? You lose that armor."
AN: I'm alive! Sorry for taking so long with a new chapter. I'm taking uni summer courses and those sap a lot of energy out of them. That is also the reason why this chapter is on the shorter side. I hope to make next chapter longer and hope the hiatus will be shorter.
With that out of the way, about this chapter. It serves as a segway into the next big part. I got some interesting ideas for it, so I hope you look forward to it. As for this chapter, I wanted to have another chapter with a focus on Akashi. We'll be seeing more of him during the retrieval operation, but this one sets up a bit of what he'll be doing during the fight. I hope you look forward to it. The other GoM's will be getting a bit more time devoted to them with these next few chapters. A lot of them are sidelined due to the focus on the Scouts, but I hope to rectify that with these coming chapters.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned for the next one! If you're enjoying feel free to follow favorite and/or review. I also have a Twitter. Follow it for story updates and other stuff I post on these.