As the last soldier's portrait was finished, the world fell silent for a moment.
Only Bai Yu moved, pulling the blades from the ground and planting them beside their former owners' gravestones, drawing them out one by one, then setting them in place one by one.
Finally, Bai Yu stood before the gravestones, clenched his right fist, and gently pressed it against his heart. Unlike the others, he rarely gave this salute.
At the same time, he smiled and spoke.
"Then, to all of you who offered up your hearts-safe travels."
His voice was very, very soft. At that moment, every Scout pressed a fist against their heart.
The wind picked up. The breeze in the distance stirred the trees, sent ripples through the grasslands, and lifted everyone's cloaks. The Wings of Freedom fluttered in the air, as though, at that moment, the hearts of all the Scouts-both the living and the dead-had become one.
Bai Yu's voice echoed across the vast grasslands, reaching every Scout's ears.
Those who offered up their hearts for humanity were soldiers.
Those who offered up their hearts for humanity's freedom were the Survey Corps!
In the distance, Erwin watched the scene in silence. He showed no intention of joining them, and there was no telling what he was thinking. Hange stood beside him, sorrow on her face.
"Aren't you going?"
Erwin gently shook his head.
"Bai Yu is better suited to this than I am..."
Hange fell quiet too. Of course, she knew what Erwin meant, but she still sighed and spoke in his defense.
"That wasn't your fault. Back then, there was nothing else you could do..."
Toward the end, Hange stopped speaking. She knew there had, in fact, been other options, but they really hadn't had the energy to spare.
But