Jean and Eren looked in a mix of shock and horror as Alto emerged from the forest. His blades were stained with guts. His cadet jacket was covered in mangled guts. Blood spotted his face. They didn't want to believe what happened, but the look of absolute horror on Historia's face was enough.

"This is a joke right?" Eren approached him "You guys slaughtered a deer or something!" Alto didn't look at him. Jean ran into the forest, a few minutes later, he came out, and retched.

"Why?" He asked,

"Come on! You saw it! It was a deer!"

"The body... his arms were hacked off... his stomach and chest were spilt open... his intestines were splattered everywhere...his head was cut...no one deserved that." Jean retched again.

Alto wiped his blade, "My family didn't deserve to die either." Was all he said as he mounted his horse. Mikasa and the others arrived on time.

"What the hell happened here?" Reiner asked taking a look at Alto.

"Christopher butchered one of the bandits like a pig." Jean said darkly, "What you did wasn't vengeance! It was murder!" Jean yelled at him. "How are you any better than the people who killed your parents if this is what you do to them?!"

Alto looked at him, his eyes blank. "I'm not." was all he said before turning and riding away.


Publicly Disclosable Information (PDI)

Later on, the Military Police later picked up the remaining bandits. Christopher Holt was interrogated, but later released and charges against him were dropped. The incident came to a close without a single casualty among the Cadets. Despite the exercise being called off however, a record of the events that transpired was still required to be handed in. The report, according to the testimony of Armin Arlelt and Mikasa Ackerman, contained nothing the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.


Later that day

As Shadis flipped through the report handed to him by Armin, Armin asked "May... I ask a question?"

"What?" Shadis asked

"Should... we have turned back?" Armin asked, "Historia said she over heard one of them talking about his daughter... and the way Christopher killed them... Were our actions still correct?"

"I can't answer that Arlert." Shadis sighed, "But I'll tell you this. As a soldier, and person, I would've done what Christopher did, and taken the more difficult path. Bandits or return to base? Which seems more difficult to you?" Shadis asked, Armin couldn't answer but wondered...

'Perhaps it was all part of the exercise after all...'

Male bunk

Everyone steered clear of Alto. Which was fine as he wanted to be alone anyway.


"Alto butchered one of those bandits like a pig."

"You didn't just kill him! You tortured him! You massacred him! How are you any better than him?!"

"I'm not."


"It's best not to dwell on such things." His father said, "But your answer was one far beyond your years."

"How can I not dwell on it?" Alto asked him, "I killed those men! Men with lives! Families!"

"During my time in the Survey Corp, I made many decisions that'd disgust the average person." Alto could hear the sadness and regret in his voice. "'If I had been a little faster, If only we'd taken this path instead of the one I chose' those kinds of choices."

"That's not the same." Alto turned over in his bunk.

"That's where you're wrong." Astell said, "The principle is the same. We're butchers Alto. And there's nothing we can do about it. That's the reality."

"I would've expected something different. Something a little more along the lines of forgiveness." Alto said mirthlessly.

"Nothings more encouraging than the truth." His father said,

Alto smiled, "Thanks dad."

"No problem." He felt a small breeze as his father left his head,

'A butcher huh? I suppose that's what all soldiers are.' Alto said,

Camp Watchtower

Marco walked up the steps of the camp watch tower. "I should've never taken the lead." He smiled sadly.

"I thought you did pretty well actually." Eren said to him, gratefully taking the coffee he offered.

"Nah, I'm no good at leading, Jeans more suited for that sort of thing."

"Jean?" Eren said in surprise, "Yeah... I'd rather not put up with that."

"You'll see it one day." Marco said

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Eren said in reply, taking a sip of his coffee.

"You know. I wonder, what kind of soldiers is everyone going to be?" Marco said,

Eren just smiled, and looked out over the camp, "I think thats the great thing about it, no one knows." He said.