"Hurts… it hurts." Heard a familiar voice.

The Commander Erwin had woken up in a pitch black void. The last thing he could remember was that he was leading a charge towards the Beast Titan. He remembered getting blown in the lower left side of his stomach, then collapsed while his soldiers charged on. As he lied unconscious, he could hear Captain Levi's voice, then he could he Hange's voice. Then suddenly, a giant large face had appeared before the awakened Erwin. Half of its face was a skeleton, and the other half had no other than flesh. It resembled the Colossal Titan.

Erwin stared as its face with confusion, then noticed tears had streamed down its right eye. Erwin gasped as his eyes widened a little.

"What was that?" Erwin asked as he was finally brought back into reality. He gasped as he had awaken completely. He found himself inside of a sleeping bag next to Sasha Blouse, whom was injured and sleeping inside of a sleeping bag and sitting next to a bunch of Survey Corps supplies. He also noticed that he was on top of the Fifty-Meter wall in Shiganshina. "What was that just no—" Erwin gasped as he felt something touch his head. He slowly looked at it and discovered what it was. His eyes widened as he stared at his right hand. 'My hand. My arm. It's back! Is this some kind of dream? Or am I…'

"Agh!" Sasha groaned in pain.

Before he could finish his sentence, he heard a feminine noise right beside him. He turned around to see 104th graduate, Sasha Blouse. "Ugh… it hurts… it hurts so bad." She muttered in her sleep.

'Sasha Blouse? I wonder, what happened to her?' Commander Erwin thought.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead." Said a dark masculine voice. Erwin turned his head to see Levi in his Survey Corps. cloak with his hood down.

"Levi." Erwin called. They stare at each other for a brief moment until Erwin frowned. "Tell me what happened."

"Sure. But first…" Levi pulled out a signal flare and fired it on top of the wall. The remaining Survey Corps. members whom were searching for survivors had saw the flare go up, and was told that Erwin had awakened from his slumber.

Everyone grouped around their respective commander, except Eren Yaeger, whom was still distraught over the death of Armin Arlert, and Floch whom was placed on lookout duty. After a few minutes explaining to Erwin everything that happened, all Erwin could do was face the facts. "I see. So, the only remaining members of the Survey Corps. are us nine left?"

"That's right, commander. So far, it's only been us four hours and we haven't found any survivors yet." Hange said in a serious tone.

"I see. They were all probably wiped out." Erwin assumed the worst. "So, we successfully sealed the breach in Shiganshina. Reiner Braun, the Beast Titan and that quadruple Titan had fled. We successfully captured Bertoldt Hoover. And when the young Armin Arlert and I were on the brink of death…" he paused for a brief moment, then looked at both Eren Yaeger whom was staring at his hometown with empty green eyes and Mikasa Ackerman whom was still a little sad about Armin. "There was a debate on whether the young Armin Arlert or I should receive the injection. And in the end… you picked me. Didn't you, Levi?" Erwin looked at Levi.

"Yeah." Levi said plainly.

"Then I turned into a titan and devoured Bertoldt Hoover and became the Colossus Titan. Am I correct?" Erwin asked.

"That's right."

"If I were to die, then Hanji would be the next commander of the Survey Corps. The Survey Corps would've lost its symbol of hope."

"I totally agree with you. It's good to have you back, Commander Erwin." Hange said.

Erwin then clutched his arm as he looked at it. "When I first saw my right arm again, I thought this was a dream, but then I realize it wasn't. I never thought I would get it back, though. You were right to use the injection on me." Erwin looked at Levi.

Levi almost forgot to mention one small detail to Erwin as he looked at both Eren and Mikasa. "What you should also know is that these two troublemakers didn't see things our way. They actually pulled their blades against me and tried to stop me from using the injection on you."

"Do whatever you want. I don't care what punishment awaits me." Eren said in an emotionless tone. He didn't even look back at the others. He continued to stare forward at Shiganshina.

"I'll take whatever punishment you can give me, as well." Mikasa said as she wrapped her scarf around her lower face.

"Your insubordination will be punished of course, but this goes far beyond military discipline." Hange said.

"Yes, Hange." Mikasa answered, but Eren didn't.

"I wouldn't blame them. Armin Arlert was there childhood friend." Erwin looked down at what remainedof Shiganshina. And he was born in this town. He has really done a lot for the Survey Corps."

"With that said, we did bury Armin Arlert in the home he was raised in. He died in the town he was raised." Levi said. Armin Arlert's singed body was buried under dirt. A Survey Corps. cloak was left over the place he was buried as a sign of respect.

"I see. I entrusted the injection to Levi. Then, Levi entrusted me with the power of the titans… and now the life of Armin Arlert now rests on my shoulders. "I'll admit. I'm not as intelligent as Armin Arlert, but he has played a huge role for the Survey Corps. to get this far. He has my respect." His eyes met Levi's. "Levi. Were you able to discover the Beast Titan's true identity?"

"No, not really. The only thing I know is that he's blonde, he has a beard, and he can control titans at will. I'm still holding on to that promise I made to you about killing the Beast Titan."

"No matter. After all the events that had happened today, I doubt that this will be the last time the Survey Corps. will encounter the Beast Titan. I can guarantee it. But for now, we need to focus and get to the basement as planned." Erwin said as he remembered Grisha Yaeger's basement.

"Got it." Levi replied.

"Ugh…" Sasha groaned. "Shut up!" she mumbled out loud.

Everyone surrounding Erwin turned their attention to the mumbling Sasha and stayed silent.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha!" Hange laughed out loud. "I guess we're still no match for Sasha though." Hange joked as she stood up. "Well, commander. If you're able to move, I say let's go to the basement."

"Yes." Erwin looked to the sky. 'We're finally going to the basement. At long last, my dream will finally come true.' Erwin took it easy and slowly stood up one foot at a time. "It's time for us to get going." He looked at his fellow members. "Eren Yaeger, Mikasa Ackerman, and Captain Levi will go on and pursuit the basement as planned. Jean Kierstein, Floch and Connie Springer. You three will stay here, in case the Beast Titan returns with reinforcements.

"Sir!" Connie, Jean and Floch stood and solute to their commander.

"Eren. Do you still have the doctor's key?" Erwin asked as he saw Eren still sad.

"Here. Take it." Eren removed from around his neck and tried to offer it to Erwin.

"That's not enough, Eren. We need you to come and help solve your father's mystery." Erwin said.

"Sorry, Commander. I'm just not in the mood right now." He said as he looked at Eren with tired and empty eyes.

"Hey. The commander just gave you an order. So stop playing hard to get and let's move." Levi said, a little irritated.

"What's even the point of me going to that basement now? I lost my best friend. In my own hometown." Eren continued to sulk.

"Look, we're all tired and bloodied from everything what's happened to today. We lost a lot of good people. More than we have ever before. Armin sacrificed himself so you can take down the Colossa—I mean, Bertoldt. We're all grateful for everything he has done. He died a soldier's death. Don't make his sacrifice be in vain, just because you want to miss out on the most important thing that awaits the Survey Corps." Hange tried to reason with a depressed Eren.

"Yeah, that's right. Armin didn't have to sacrifice anyone else but himself just for me to get to Bertoldt, unlike what the commander who's sacrificed dozens of new recruits against the Beast Titan and failed." Eren said in a smart remark.

"That's enough, Eren!" Hange yelled.

"No, Hange. He's right. I sacrificed dozens of new recruits, drove them straight into hell against the Beast Titan. And only one of them had made it back alive." Floch glanced over at Erwin when he mentioned the new recruits. "I'll admit. I'm not as smart as Armin, but the thing I can least think of what was in his mind when he faced Bertoldt… was that he entrusted his hopes, his dreams, and everything to you."

"You don't even know Armin as well as I do." Eren protested.

"You're right. I don't. But I do know one thing... Armin Arlert wanted to go to the ocean." Erwin mentioned.

After hearing Erwin mention the ocean, Eren gasped and teared up a little. "That's right. He did want to see the ocean."

"I'm also betting that Armin Arlert would've wanted you to carry on his will as well." Erwin started reasoning with Eren. "Armin Arlert maybe gone, but he still live within our hearts. And he would've wanted you to save everyone within these walls. That's why he sacrificed himself."

"Armin… he sacrificed himself as a diversion… for me to take down Bertoldt. Armin hooked onto the Colossus Titan's teeth, and refused to let go… until the very end. He was scorched alive, but he still kept fighting. He believed in me and it costed his skin and his life. I know for a fact that no one else wouldn't even dare to pull off that stunt as Armin did." Tears ran down Eren's face as he remembered Armin from when he was a boy until he faced Bertoldt. "He was the bravest of us all…" he muttered. Hange, Connie and Jean couldn't help be a little sad about hearing what Armin went through. Tears ran down Mikasa's face as she listened to how Armin sacrificed himself.

"Indeed he was." Erwin agreed. "If I'm a betting man, Armin would've wanted you to save everyone and make it to the ocean for the both of you. That's why he sacrificed himself to take down Bertoldt Hoover." Erwin offered a hand to the sulking Eren Yaeger. Eren looked at Erwin, whom stretched his right hand towards him. Eren thought back when Erwin first brought him into the Survey Corps. after his trial and offered him a hand. Then back when he was held captive by Bertoldt and Reiner, he remembered that Erwin had lost his right arm during the rescue attempt.

"Fine. I'll go." He took and grasped Erwin's right hand.

"Then it's all settled." Hange said.

It took at least ten minutes for Erwin to completely recover, then the five Survey Corps. members had used their maneuvering gear all the way down to the ground, where there houses with shattered windows with large chunks of rubble collided with the houses. As the five looked around, the area. As they reminisced, Eren and Mikasa remembered their childhood before the fall of Shiganshina. They remembered how they ran through the streets with smiles on their faces, as they passed by many happy people.

As they passed by one street, Erwin remembered the day he first saw Eren when he was kid. He could never forget the smile he had on his face, as he looked at the current Eren Yaeger.

As they walked, Hange noted that there was no fire around. "So far, the fire didn't spread this far out, unfortunately." They stopped to a certain point. "Is that it?" Hanji asked.

Eren and Mikasa stopped and reminisced the day the wall of Shiganshina had been breached Their house was destroyed by the giant rock that landed on it. "Yeah."

"First thing's first. Let's remove those boulders." Erwin said as he looked at the rubble that is on top of the basement.

"Sir!" Erwin's subordinates replied.

The five Survey Corps. members had taken large pieces of wood and used them to remove the rocks. As they attempt to move it, Eren reminisced about the times his mother Carla had told him not to go in the basement and when he asked his father when he could go in. As they moved the rubble, they discovered a secret door that leads to an underground basement.

Hange flashed a lantern, discovering that it was totally empty. "Looks like it didn't flood or anything down here."

"That's right. We're almost there." Erwin said.

Erwin looked at Eren for a bit. "Eren. You first."

Eren gazed upon the basement until he felt a feminine hand on his shoulder. "Eren. Let's go." Mikasa said.

"Right."

Eren and Mikasa walked in first together, almost like a couple. Then Erwin who followed them, then Levi and Hange. The group had walked down the dark abandoned stairs that leads to a short tunnel. Levi lit up and held a lantern close to him. Eren once again reminisced about the time Grisha asked him why he wanted to go beyond the walls. He also remembered Grisha showing him a key to it. As they got to the wooden door, Eren held the key in front of the lock.

"Well, there it is. On the other side of that door…" Hange began to say as she looked forward.

"…It's the basement you've been pissing yourself, Erwin." Levi finished Hange's sentence. Are you pissing yourself right about now?" Levi asked.

"No. Too be honest, I really am excited to see it. The Survey Corps. shed a lot of blood, sweat and tears to make it this far. Let's hope this trip isn't all for nothing." Erwin said.

Levi looked at Eren. "Open it." He ordered.

Eren then placed the key into the lock and tried shifting it, but only to discover that this wasn't the right key. Eren gasped as he kept trying.

"Eren?" Mikasa noticed something was wrong.

"What is it, Eren?" Erwin asked.

"Something wrong?" Hange asked.

"Hurry it up." Levi said, a little impatient.

"This key… it's not the right key! This isn't the key to the door…" Eren said.

The group took a look at the lock and discovered that the whole was small.

"What?" Hange was thrown off.

"But, that has to be a mistake. I'm certain that Doctor Yaeger gave you the right key." Mikasa said.

Erwin sighed. "He must've had another key hidden somewhere. Maybe he dropped it outside by accident?" Erwin Smith assumed.

"Even if he did, we don't have time to search for a stupid key. It could be somewhere in this town for all we know." The impatient Levi shoved Eren aside and walked closer to the door. "I'll open it."

"What? Wait a minute!" Hange yelled, but Levi had already roundhouse kicked the wooden door open, which caused a fracture within a door. Erwin did not flinched as the small pieces of door wood had flown into his direction. "Just stay calm, everyone." Hange said, while trying to keep composure.

Levi slowly opened the door, making the hinges squeak a little. The five soldiers had walked in the room, discovering a small abandoned basement inside. There were a few spiderwebs lying in the corner, a desk in the middle, a bunch of jars lying on a shelf, a few boxes of crates lying on a wall. Eren, Mikasa and Erwin gazed inside of the room as Levi and Hange had already started searching. Erwin had almost cracked a smile for once as he had finally fulfilled his dream.

Levi had picked up some bottles of medicine and read the labels. "If these labels are accurate, these are just widely available medication." Levi guessed.

"If that's the case, Doctor Yaeger could've sold them and made a fortune off of his medicines." Erwin said, as Levi handed him the bottle.

Hange stared at the bookshelf, then grabbed a book and started flipping pages. "And these are just medical books. At first glance, this looks like no ordinary basement, but the Doctor's Laboratory. It's almost as if they're telling us… that there's nothing suspicious here."

"I doubt that Doctor Yaeger left anything forbidden just laying around for the Military Police to find." Erwin said as he looked around investigating.

"Agreed." Levi said as he turned to Eren and Mikasa. "Hey, don't just stand there, you brats. We may have gotten to the basement, but that doesn't mean that you can slack off right now."

"Yes. sir." Both Eren and Mikas replied, then started searching, picking up and looking at objects.

Mikasa grabbed a book and started moving a little slow. As she walked, she accidentally knocked down a wooden cup. As it fell to the floor, Mikasa remembered giving Grisha a beverage as he went down into the basement. As she bent down to go pick it up, her eyes narrowed to the right and spotted something familiar. She looked closely and discovered that it was a keyhole on the top left corner under the desk. Mikasa gasped as her eyes widened a little. "Eren." She called, as Eren turned his attention to Mikasa. "There's… a keyhole here!" she yelled.

"R-really?" Eren walked over to the side of the desk Mikasa was at and saw it as well.

"Nice job, Mikasa." Erwin praised as he walked over.

"Do it, Eren." Hange said.

"Right." Eren pulled out the key once again and stuck it into the hole. It was a perfect match. He turned the key to the left and the five heard a clicking sound. The group gasped after hearing the click.

'Could what we've been searching for all along be in this drawer?' Hange thought as she watched Eren unlock it.

'At long last. We will finally know the truth about the world.' Erwin thought.

Eren slowly opened the desk drawer and his eyes widened as he discovered nothing was in there. "It's… empty?!" He panicked a little.

"No. Look closer. It's a false bottom." Levi said as he discovered.

"Good eyes, Levi." Erwin praised.

Eren then removed the false bottom and placed it on top of the desk. He looked inside of the drawer again to discover three old books. Erwin, Levi and Hange each picked up a single book.

Hange also picked up the things between the book and sniffed it a little. "It smells like peppermint and charcoal. It must've been used to keep the moisture and bugs away." Hange assumed as she sniffed.

"After five whole years, these books were able to maintain fresh because of it. Grisha Yaeger must've learned to keep his objects fresh and clean." Erwin said.

"These books must've been what we were looking for the entire time." Levi said.

"Yes. And now what's inside of these books, will reveal the truth." Erwin said as he looked at Eren. "I insist that you open them, Eren."

"Yes, sir." Eren placed his hand on the cover of the book. 'What could have my father… wanted to show me… five years ago?' Eren hesitated to open a little, until he felt a soft feminine hand next to his. He looked over to see Mikasa with him. They both nodded at each other and opened the cover together.

As they did, Erwin couldn't help but think back during the time he asked his father a question about people living outside the walls when he was a kid. 'Teacher. How do we know that there aren't any people living outside of the walls?' Eren saw a photograph and looked at it up closely.

"Is this some kind of portrait?" Hange asked as she looked at it.

"No. It's far too perfect for any human to have drawn it." Erwin stated as he looked at the image.

"Look, there's writing on the back of it." Mikasa pointed out.

Eren flipped the picture over and started reading what Grisha had wrote. "On the other side of the image was a message written in my father's handwriting."

"This is not an illustration. It is an Imprint of reflected light, left on special kind of paper. It is called a Photograph. I came from the walls, where humanity enjoys a refined existence. Humanity has NOT perished."

"So… my theory was right all along… Humanity still does exist beyond the walls. At long last. I finally know the truth." Erwin palmed his forehead and smiled a little.

"Are you pissing yourself right about now, Erwin?" Levi asked.

Eren continued to look at the picture. As he saw his father Grisha with a child and a blonde woman whom looks familiar dressed casually. Eren wondered who are these people.