The night of the disbandment ceremony (part two)

Atop the tower in the Training Corps camp, Annie, Reiner, and Bertholdt gathered together. None of them spoke first.

Finally, Reiner could no longer hold back. "It's been five years, and we have little to show for it. Our homeland won't be satisfied with what we've achieved."

Annie leaned against the wall and said coldly, "So? What's your plan this time? Don't count on me again. I nearly died the last time I infiltrated Wall Sina."

Bertholdt kept his head lowered without speaking. Reiner seemed to make up his mind. "Tomorrow! We'll find an opportunity to breach Wall Rose!"

"What?!" both of them exclaimed.

Annie and Bertholdt looked up at Reiner at the same time, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Bertholdt stammered nervously, "B-but, Reiner, everyone from the Training Corps is still in Trost District. And there are tens of thousands of civilians here, too."

Reiner clenched his fists, a wild look in his eyes. "This is the only way to get the attention of the Founding Titan inside the walls! It's our only chance to complete the mission! We're running out of time!"

Annie frowned. "But a lot of people will die. A lot of your friends will die because of this, too. Maybe all of them!"

"They're not my friends!" Reiner said, growing hysterical. "They're devils! Devils! Devils who deserve to die!"

Reiner thought of Christa, who had once gently bandaged his wounds. Though the thought pained him terribly, he had already steeled himself as a warrior of Marley.

Annie's eyes widened as she stared at Reiner in disbelief. "You disgust me! I won't agree to this!" She firmly rejected his proposal.

"Annie, I don't need your agreement," Reiner said. "Don't forget, you weren't the one who destroyed Shiganshina and Wall Maria. Bertholdt, are you in or not?"

"I... I..." Bertholdt looked terrified. What had happened back then still tormented him deeply.

"Bertholdt! Don't you want to go home?" Reiner demanded sharply.

Bertholdt clutched his head in anguish, tears glistening in his eyes, but he still gritted his teeth and said, "I'm in!"

Annie looked at Reiner and Bertholdt. She knew she could not stop her two companions unless she chose to expose their identities. But how could she possibly do that? She could only remain silent, her heart filling with guilt once again.

In the five years she had lived here, Annie had never felt that the people around her were devils. On the contrary, they were better and kinder than the people back home. The eyes of the people in her homeland were full of madness. They were the ones who seemed more like devils. Yet her father was waiting for her in that hellish place.

Annie's heart was filled with sorrow, but her expression did not change, and she did not object to Reiner's plan again.

After making the arrangements, Reiner looked at Annie's somewhat vacant expression and sighed. "I'm sorry, Annie. What happened before was my fault. In the end, it was all because I was too much of a coward. What happened to Marcel, too... I'm truly sorry. But I hope you'll still help us. We have to get back home!"

Annie turned away. "If we still get nothing out of this, we have to leave immediately. I've had enough!" With that, she walked off, leaving behind a guilt-stricken Reiner and a Bertholdt who was already beginning to fall apart.

Annie wandered alone through the training camp, walking without thinking. Before long, she reached the mess hall, where another solitary figure sat on the steps.

Yago sat on the steps in a daze, his thoughts a tangled mess. Suddenly, a fragrant breeze drifted past him. He paused and turned his head, catching sight of Annie's striking profile.

"What are you thinking about?" Annie asked.

"Nothing. I'm just feeling a little lost," Yago said. "It always feels like this world has so many buried secrets. By the way, Annie, you're going to join the Military Police Brigade, right?" He looked at her expectantly.

Annie felt like laughing. There was something almost pitiful about the look in his eyes.

She feigned nonchalance. "Well, not necessarily. Maybe the Survey Corps wouldn't be such a bad choice, either."

Yago's eyes suddenly lit up, though a trace of unease remained. Rationally, he did not want Annie to join the dangerous Survey Corps, but deep down, he still hoped she would join him there.

After all, who wouldn't want to be with the girl he liked? That was right-Yago was done pretending. He liked Annie. Or rather, he had fallen for this seemingly cold girl the day they met upon joining the Training Corps. Somehow, she felt deeply familiar to him, giving him the urge to look after her for the rest of his life.

Seeing how flustered Yago was, Annie could not help smiling. Just then, Eren suddenly rushed outside, tears still glistening in his eyes.

Eren had not expected anyone to be outside, either. Remembering that he had been crying, he hurriedly fumbled to wipe away his tears.

In a good mood, Yago smiled at Eren. "Oh? Why's Eren crying? Who bullied you? Didn't Mikasa beat the crap out of them?"

"Yago! You jerk! That's going too far!" Eren snapped, embarrassed.

Eren was not completely oblivious to romance, actually. He just had a vague feeling that getting together with Mikasa would not be a good idea.

Before Yago could say much more, an anxious Mikasa and Armin came hurrying out after Eren. Yago shut his mouth. With Mikasa here, teasing Eren was out of the question. He did not want to face her death glare, after all.

Mikasa and Armin both breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that Eren was all right. Just a moment ago, he had delivered a stirring speech in front of almost all the trainees.

As though he had made up his mind, Armin raised his head and said firmly, "I'm joining the Survey Corps, too!"

Eren was startled. "But, Armin, your classroom grades are so good. You..."

"I don't want to be a burden!" Armin said.

"I'm joining the Survey Corps, too," Mikasa added.

"Don't joke around," Eren said. "You ranked second! Why would you go somewhere as dangerous as the Survey Corps?"

Mikasa had eyes only for Eren. "Eren, wherever you go, I'll go. You can't leave me, or you'll definitely die young!"

Even Yago, who had been enjoying the show from the sidelines, was stunned by such a blunt declaration.

"You guys..." Eren did not know what to say.

"Hey! Eren, did you forget about me? I'm the top trainee, you know. Once we join the Survey Corps, I'll be looking out for all of you." Yago planted his hands on his hips and spoke with deliberately exaggerated swagger.

"Yago, you..."

"What about me? I remember telling you when we first joined the Training Corps that I was going to join the Survey Corps and become your squad leader. Besides, I promised Aunt Carla I'd take good care of you."

Eren felt a surge of emotion. "Count me in. I'll join the Survey Corps, too," Annie said then, having remained silent off to the side until now.

Yago looked at Annie in surprise and delight.

"Amazing," Armin said, marveling. "Four of the top ten have chosen to join the Survey Corps. That must be unprecedented, right?"

But if Armin had known that Connie and Sasha were also considering joining the Survey Corps, he would surely have been even more shocked.