The air hummed with the familiar hiss of ODM gear as Kare moved through the field, blades glinting in the sunlight. Jean pulled his horse to a halt, holding the reins tightly as he turned to look back. Beside him, Floch followed his gaze, both of them watching as Kare tore through two titans with lethal precision.
Jean's mind raced. He recalled hearing about Kare's missions back even before they became officially part of the regiment — how he'd been with Levi's squad, helping out, how he'd racked up kill after kill, and how he'd returned to them alive after months in titan territory. Seeing him in action again, Jean couldn't deny just how strong Kare was.
Floch leaned closer, his voice low. "You think we should help him?"
Jean gave him a sharp look. "Does it look like he needs help?"
Floch shook his head, letting out a breath. "No… but damn. If we'd had someone like him earlier, someone that skilled maybe things would have been different. Maybe…"
"Yeah," Jean muttered, his grip tightening on the reins. "Maybe."
Their attention snapped back to Kare as he moved. Upside down in midair, his blades gripped in reverse, he spun like a circular saw. The hiss of his ODM gear was sharp as his controlled and precise movements tear through the air. He sliced through the nape of one titan, then used the momentum to adjust his trajectory, spinning forward and dispatching the second.
Kare flipped gracefully in the air, landing cleanly in the saddle of his horse. He adjusted his reins, guiding the animal back toward the group.
"Let's go," Jean said, nudging his horse forward.
Floch nodded, following without another word.
[
"Haha, as skilled as ever, Sir!" one of the scouts called out, grinning as Kare rejoined the formation.
"Hey, why does he get to be Lieutenant already?" another complained, though there was no real heat behind the words.
Kare shrugged, his tone light. "If you want to handle supplies, development, and all the talks with Reeves, I'd be happy to hand over the reins."
The complaining scout quickly waved him off. "You know what? We're thankful, sir!"
Kare chuckled, the sound genuine. It was good to see familiar faces, good to feel the camaraderie again. Out here, in the field, he felt like himself. Office work had its place, but this — slaying titans, protecting his comrades — this was where he belonged.
Still, the thought lingered in the back of his mind. With the titans inside the walls soon to be eradicated, their purpose as soldiers was beginning to shift. He knew what the titans truly were. Their own people, transformed and abandoned. And yet, despite that knowledge, the hatred he harbored for the creatures hadn't lessened. It burned in him just as fiercely as it always had.
Shaking his head, he refocused, letting his enhanced senses take over. Kare had trained himself to listen, to use sound to detect threats. The faintest shift in the wind, the echo of a distant step… he could hear it all, letting the sounds bounce and map the world around him.
As they rode across the springtime plains, the air changed. Kare inhaled deeply, catching a hint of salt on the breeze. His hearing picked up the distant crash of water against stones, the rhythmic pulse of the ocean drawing closer. It was tantalizing, almost surreal. He could feel his heart beating rapidly at the thought of seeing it.
Then, his ears caught something else — a labored, wheezing breath. He tensed, his hand tightening on the reins. It was a titan.
Kare glanced ahead, where Eren and the others were riding in the vanguard. He didn't call out; the titan's presence wasn't a significant threat. Still, he kept his focus sharp as they approached.
The group slowed as they came upon the source of the sound. A crawling titan. Its stunted legs rendered it unable to stand, forcing it to drag itself along the ground in a futile attempt at progress. The sight was pitiful, almost grotesque.
Eren dismounted, walking toward the creature without hesitation. The other scouts shifted uneasily, their hands tightening on their reins or hovering near their blades. Kare stayed where he was, his expression unreadable as he observed the scene.
Eren placed a hand on the titan's forehead, his movements slow and deliberate. The titan didn't react, its vacant eyes staring into nothingness.
"Let's leave it alone," Eren said softly, his voice carrying an edge of weariness. He turned back to the group, his gaze distant. "It's… a comrade, after all."
The scouts exchanged uneasy glances, their discomfort palpable. Floch broke the silence, his voice sharp. "Oi, Eren. What do we do with this? We're just leaving it?"
He turned toward Kare, his expression expectant. "What about you, Sir? What do you think we should do?"
Kare's green eyes narrowed slightly, his voice calm but firm. "Let's just end its misery." He signaled to the scouts, gesturing for them to form up. "Please take care of it."
Floch hesitated, then sighed. He dismounted, walking toward the titan with slow, deliberate steps. Climbing onto its back, he drew his blade and sliced the nape in one swift motion. The titan shuddered, its body beginning to dissolve into steam.
Without a word, Floch mounted his horse again, returning to formation as the rest of the scouts regrouped.
[
The scouts slowed their pace as they approached the immense sea wall. It loomed before them, a simple reminder of the memories Eren had recounted in the meeting. This was where people were injected, transformed into titans, and abandoned to roam the island. The sandy ground beneath their horses' hooves muffled their steps, and an eerie silence fell over the group as they rounded the wall and began climbing the gradual slope beyond it.
The air changed as they ascended, carrying a salty tang and a cool breeze. And then, as they crested the hill, the horizon opened up before them.
The ocean.
A vast, endless expanse of shimmering blue stretched out as far as the eye could see, its surface glittering under the sun. Waves rolled lazily toward the shore, crashing softly against the white sand.
The scouts gasped, the sound almost collective. For a moment, no one spoke, their eyes wide as they took in the sight.
Kare felt his chest tighten. Armin had always told him the ocean might be real, and Kare had believed him. But seeing it now, in all its glory, was something else entirely. His shoulders sagged as emotions washed over him — shock, awe, and a deep, bittersweet sadness. How many of their comrades had died without ever seeing this? How many had fought and bled and sacrificed, all for this moment?
He glanced around, his gaze falling on the faces of the veteran scouts. Tears streamed down their cheeks, their hardened expressions softening, as if the sight had cracked something open inside them. It was as though the ocean had answered their suffering, rewarding years of pain and hardship with its boundless beauty.
"All our comrades died for this," Kare thought, his heart heavy.
The first to break the silence was Captain Levi. He shook his head, his voice cutting through the stillness. "Oi, you damn brats! Let's get down there!"
The command snapped them out of their reverie, and a cheer rose from the group. They urged their horses forward, guiding them carefully down the slope toward the beach.
The scouts dismounted on the sand, their boots sinking slightly as they stepped closer to the water. Kare watched as some of the scouts stared in wonder, dipping their hands into the surf and laughing like children.
Kare stepped forward and crouched near the water. Scooping some into his hand, he brought it to his lips and took a sip. Immediately, he sputtered, his face twisting.
"Oh, fuck, it's salty!"
Jean, Conny, Sasha, and the others burst into laughter, their voices ringing out across the beach. Even Kare couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head as he tried to rid himself of the taste.
Commander Hange, true to form, was already knee-deep in the surf, eagerly examining the ocean floor for samples. "Incredible! I wonder how deep it goes!" she exclaimed, her enthusiasm infectious.
Armin knelt a short distance away, gently picking up a seashell and holding it to the light. His expression was a mixture of joy and quiet wonder, as though he'd found a treasure. Even Mikasa, usually so stoic, wore a faint smile as she watched him.
Kare's gaze drifted toward Eren, who stood apart from the others. He was staring at the ocean, his hands limp at his sides. For a moment, Kare felt a pang of worry. Eren should have been filled with hope, but instead, his expression was one of despair.
"Eren!" Armin called out, his voice filled with excitement. "It's just like I said! A salt lake so big, merchants could never deplete it even if they spent their whole lives extracting salt!"
Eren didn't turn. His eyes remained fixed on the horizon, his voice quiet and mournful. "Yeah… it goes on forever."
The weight in his tone silenced the surrounding laughter.
"And beyond that ocean…" Eren continued, his words slow and heavy, "…lies freedom. That's what I always believed. But I was wrong." He took a deep breath, his shoulders rising and falling. "The only thing we'll find out there… is the enemy. Everything here is exactly like I saw in my dad's memories."
His voice sounded exhausted, as if he had already read the ending of a story he had once loved. He raised a hand and pointed toward the distant horizon.
"Hey," he said, his voice steady but hollow. "If we kill every last one of our enemies there, will we finally be free then?"
The words hung in the air, unanswered. The waves continued their rhythmic dance against the shore, indifferent to the pain and conflict that swirled in their hearts.
Kare clenched his fists at his sides, his gaze fixed on Eren. The ocean stretched before them, vast and beautiful, but its promise of freedom was overshadowed by the grim reality of what lay beyond. The sight was supposed to bring peace, but instead, it reminded them all of how far they still had to go.
Kare's gaze drifted to the horizon, the endless expanse of blue that Eren had pointed toward. Beyond it lay the truth, the world that had been hidden from them for so long. But what kind of freedom waited on the other side? Was it freedom at all?
The laughter and excitement of moments earlier had faded. The other scouts exchanged uneasy glances, the enormity of Eren's question weighing heavily on their minds. Even Armin, so full of hope only moments ago, seemed unsure of what to say.
Kare took a step forward, his boots sinking slightly into the wet sand. The cool breeze tugged at his green cloak as he approached Eren, his voice low and steady.
"Eren."
Eren didn't turn to face him, but Kare saw his shoulders tense slightly, acknowledging his presence. For a moment, Kare saw the boy that had wished to see the scenery beyond the walls. Then suddenly, it was gone, as if it had run somewhere inside.
"Do you really believe that?" Kare asked, his words measured but firm.
Eren's hands clenched into fists at his sides. "Believe what?"
"That we can kill just them all. That we can conquer this." Kare gestured toward the ocean, his eyes sharp. "Do you truly believe we can slaughter every enemy out there and then call that freedom?"
Eren finally turned, his expression unreadable. His tired eyes met Kare's, and for a moment, they simply stared at each other.
"What else can we do?" Eren asked, his voice tinged with bitterness. "That's how it had always been, Kare. If we don't fight, we can't win. Hey… do you think we can win this too?"
Kare looked at the ocean… the joy he had now replaced with worry.
"I don't know."
He truly didn't.