It was an early afternoon. Members of the Military Police Brigade and small children had handed multiple newspapers to multiple citizens within the streets of Wall Shina.

"Get today's news!" A boy in a coat and a hat yelled as he was handing out newspapers, repeatedly.

Meanwhile within a dorm, Commander Erwin Smith and Squad Leader Hange had sat at a table with a reporter named Roy and his employee, Peaure. They were all having tea ad discussing the secrets of humanity, now that it has been revealed. Levi had stood next to a window, holding its cup of tea and watching people's reactions.

Peaure was reading an article about the titans. "So... all those man-eating titans that tortured humanity for may years... were actually humans. The king of the walls a hundred years ago, Karl Fritz had used the power of the Titans to wipe out most of humanity's memories... making everyone believe that humanity outside the walls were all but extinct." Peaure read through the fine print, but has temporarily put it down. "But, we haven't disappeared. We are really known as the "Subjects of Ymir." A large group of people that can transform into titans. In other words, we're a race of devils that roam Paradis Island.

"According to the ones from Grisha's memories... yes. Those people on the other side of the sea. They're are known as "Marleyans." They are enemies from across the sea and are responsible for transforming eldians into titans, that attacked humanity within the walls." Erwin said.

Hange quoted. "We don't know when they are coming to invade this land, so it's best to prepare for their full blown assault when they arrive." Hange said.

"So, the Marleyan's goal is to invade this land and to recover the power of the Founding Titan and resources on Paradis. And all of those attacks from the past five years were caused by titans from Marley."

Erwin, Levi and Hange stood and stared in a moment of silence and went down memory lane. They reminisced during all of those events that had happened, from the time Annie Leonhardt had attacked the fifty-seventh expedition-to the day they had retaken Shignshina.

"Do you all really believe this story, commander?" Peaure asked.

"For years, I have always wondered if there were people living outside the walls. And after learning the true secrets from Grisha Jaeger's basement. My suspisions were correct. So yes. I do believe it." Erwin gave Peaure a big explanation.

"What do you think of it, Squad Leader, Hange?" Peaure turned and asked Hange.

"I don't want to believe it, but it is what it is." Hange answered.

Peaure turned to look at Levi. "Captain Levi?"

Captain Levi does nothing but stare and sip the tea from the cup.

"How are the people within the walls taking feeling about the news?" Erwin asked.

"Well..." Roy's eyes narrowed downwards. "To tell the truth... the people are in a state of confusion. Some people are accepting it as our fate. Some people are denying it. And there are those who are coming up with their own conspiracy theories."

"That's fine. People will have their own beliefs. But the truth is the inevitable. Observing and securing is the mission of the Survey Corps." Erwin said.

Roy put down his teacup. "I am very proud of you Survey Corps. As a man who lives within the walls and a fellow working man."

"Maybe you can right about us saving the world, within a month or two." Levi said as he walked towards the table and sat down.

"But the question is, what do we do now? We used to look at the titans with fear. Hatred. Resenment. We even wished that they never existed to begin with. And now that we learned that the titans are not the major threat, but humanity outside the walls are." Roy's body started shaking, as he held his cup. "THe world sees us as devils. Monstrosities. We cannot experience that same hell again."

Erwin, Hange, Levi and Peaure all look at Roy, as he broke down.

Erwin stood from the table. "The only thing we can do is to prevent that hell from happening."


The Next Day

The Survey Corps had approached the throne room, where they held a ceremony for the surviving Survey Corps. They were met by hundreds of soldiers in trench coats in two big columns in the hall. Historia, the Queen of the Walls had worn a white dress and a crown.

The Survey Corps that had survived the Retaking of Shiganshina had kneeled before the Queen of the Walls and were presented with rewards. First, Queen Historia would present the necklace of honor to the Survey Corps, then the members would kiss her hand. The first person Queen Historia had started the ceremony with was Erwin Smith, the Commander of the Survey Corps. Then she moved on with Squad Leader, Hange Zoe. Then Captain Levi.

By the time Queen Historia had moved onto Eren and presented him with his award, Eren was thinking about the power of the Founding Titan. Eren grasped her hand and suddenly paused for ten seconds. The ceremony was on hold. The other Survey Corps all look at Eren Yaeger.

"Eren?" Historia muttered, before gasping.

Eren's teeth cluttered, his eyes widened as he was in utter shock.


Within the Next Year

It had taken three quarters of a year to purge all roaming mindless titans within the walls. After the purge, Queen Historia had agreed to Erwin Smith's plan prepare for an all out defense across the three walls against Marley and other enemy nations. The Garrison were in charge of the wall's defense. By the time winter had came around, Trost Districts's Giant Hammer that was used to smash titans had been abandoned, until the spring.

By the time Trost District's elevators were freed for use, work had started to pave on the main road. Citizens, refugees, survivors from Shiganshina and Wall Maria had started to move back into their homes and work, now knowing that there are no upcoming threats. Not at this time.

Erwin would continue to hold conversations with Eren, discussing about Marley. He would sometimes keep Erwin company.

The year, Eight Fifty-One

It was a normal sunny day. The sky was blue, the sun was yellow and a few white clouds in the sky. As for the Survey Corps, for the first time in six years. The Survey Corps had brought a dozen caravans with them and were free to embark on their fifty-eighth Expedition, led by Commander Erwin Smith, himself. Erwin rode on a yellow-horse, as Hange and Levi rode next him. Hange rode on a brown horse and Levi continued to ride on his black horse.

"It looks like we've taken out many titans from within the walls within a year." Levi said.

"Yes. And now that we know what the titans are... it's honestly sad. Eldians trapped inside of an ongoing nightmare. And we are the ones snuffing out the flame of life from them." Erwin felt little pity for the pure titans. "But we must press on. Our questions will finally be answered, once we've reached the ocean." Erwin's eyes stared forward.

Levi glanced at the side of Erwin's facial expression. He couldn't really read Erwin's mind. He was like a sly fox.

Eren was riding on horseback. His hair had gotten a little longer, down to his neck. He remained silent the whole trip. As he rode his horse forward, he saw shadows of birds on the ground and looked up. He saw birds that were white. These wasn't birds that he was familiar with. These birds were seagulls. He stared at the birds from below, until a signal flare was fired into the sky.

"There's a titan nearby." Hange informed Erwin and Levi.

The Survey Corps was alerted by the threat. It took at least two minutes to catch up to the titan. The expedition stopped and saw a titan, whom was crawling on the ground. It's head and torso were big, but its limbs were too small to support the body. A few of the Survey Corps were stunned.

"No way," Hange was surprised.

"It can't move?" Connie asked.

"It can, but my guess was that it could slowly crawl on the ground." Sasha guessed, as she stare at its small arms and legs.

Eren jumped off his horse and immediately walked towards the stubby titan.

"Be careful, Eren." Hange said.

"I know, thanks." Eren placed a hand on his left forehead. He could feel the pure titans' emotions. Its pain. Its suffering. "He's one of the compatriots... of the Eldian restorations, who'd been sent to Paradis Island." Eren said out loud.

Erwin stared at Eren, who just informed everyone else. He sighed.

"What do we do with him, Erwin?" Hange asked.

"There's nothing we can do, except put it out of its misery." Erwin responded.

Without question or orders, a fellow Survey Corps member quickly eliminated the titan to end its suffering. An hour of riding on horseback had passed. The Survey Corps discovered there was a tall wall. The wall was surrounded by sand and rocks. Eren remembered seeing the walls through his father, Grisha and Krueger's memories.

Erwin stared at the tall wall for about a minute. "So, this is where the Marleyans turned Eldians into titans." he then imagined the horrors of what the Eldians had been through over the decades. Erwin snapped out of it, as Levi snapped his fingers. On the other side of that wall was the ocean. As they passed the wall, they stopped on top of a cliff. The entire corpse was amazed of what they saw the giant body of water, which was the ocean.

Erwin's blue eyes met the shining light of the water, as he stare at it. In Eren's mind, he knew that it was the ocean. From the books that he shared with Armin, the memories from his predecessors. He had a gut feeling that he finally made it... to the Ocean.

Fifteen minutes after gazing, the Survey Corps decided to set camp near the beach, in case anyone comes.

Jean cupped his hands and sipped some of the saltwater, then immediately spat it out "Argh! It's salty!" he groaned.

"Gotcha!" Connie splashed saltwater into Sasha's face.

"Argh! My eyes!" Sasha complained.

Erwin, Levi and Hange stood as a trio. Hange took off her boots to check the saltwater.

"So, this is finally saltwater." Hange spotted an unknown object brushing onto the beach waters. "Ooh, what's that?" Hange reached for the object, which was a Sea Cucumber.

"Be careful, Hange. It could be poisonous." Levi stayed alert, until he saw Erwin walked onto the waters.

Eren walked onto the light sand and let his feet relax in the shallow water, which was brushing against his feet. He stared at the water and saw an object below and between his feet. It was a white object that he's never seen before. He picked it up with his hands and looked at it. The conch shell suddenly made him think about his late friend, Armin Arlert. He looked at the bright blue sky, he could hear the seagulls squawking.

'It's just like you said, Armin. The ocean is so big a merchant could spend his whole life collecting salt, and still won't be enough. Rocks that it would take days to climb. Everything in that book Armin showed me... was true.'

Mikasa carried her boots in her hands. She attempted to walk close to Eren, but the water wave caused her to flinch. Eren turned his head to see Mikasa, who embarrassingly smiled. Eren turned his head towards the sea and ignored Mikasa.

'We did it, Armin. We finally made it to the ocean.' Eren turned his head to the right, where he imagined Armin Arlert standing next to him. Armin had a bright smile on his face, which caused Eren to let a tear out.

"Eren." Mikasa had called for his attention. "Armin would be proud that we made it t the ocean."

"I know. On the other side of the walls... is the ocean. And on the other side of the ocean... is freedom. That's what I used to believe, but I was wrong." Eren dropped the conch shell and looked up at Erwin. The other side of the ocean... are the enemies. That's what I saw in dad's memories." Eren then pointed forward towards the sea. "If we kill them all... will we truly be free?"

Ewin who was still with Hange and Levi had stared at Eren. Hearing Eren say that made him think back a certain incident a year ago.

Flashack

Within the headquarters of the Survey Corps, two titans that were in custody, Sonnie and Bean had been killed by an unknown assailant. The suspect as at large and the Survey Corps were trying to figure out who.

As Eren stared at the dead titans that are evaporating, Erwin suddenly had came from behind and asked him something.

"What do you see? Who do you think the real enemy is?" Erwin asked.

"Sir?"

Flashback

Erwin now understands that he might have asked Eren the wrong question.

Two Nights Later

The Survey Corps had camped by the beach sand. Almost everyone was asleep in the middle of the night, except for a few Survey Corp scouts. One of the scouts who was on patrol duty were looking through a small telescope. He looked around until had spotted something steaming and floating on water, a few kilometers away. It was a Marleyan steam ship. He gasped, then left his post to alert the Commander.

"Commander! Commander! They're hear! The enemy!" the Survey Corps scout had yelled and alerted the Survey Corps.

"It's the enemy." Erwin said with a serious look on his face. He had learned that Marley had finally decided to invade.