Somewhere within the Giant Tree Forest.
Ymir frowned slightly as she slowly opened her eyes.
Fresh air. Silence. Sunlight filtered through the dense gaps between the branches above, making her squint as she looked toward Reiner, who was sitting on a branch opposite her.
"You're awake, Ymir."
"…"
She glanced at her left arm and right leg—both had been blown off in the explosion. Steam was rising from the stumps as they slowly regenerated.
"Reiner…" She looked around. They were inside the Giant Tree Forest.
She wasn't particularly familiar with the place, but she had been here before.
When she first turned back into a human and traveled toward the world inside the Walls, she inevitably encountered Titans along the way. She had once hidden in this forest to escape, so she had a basic understanding of the terrain.
She grinned and asked, "So where's your partner—Bertholdt?"
"…"
Reiner's expression darkened. Seeing that, Ymir immediately burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! What, did he die? Or get captured?"
"Shut up!" Reiner roared, veins bulging on his neck from anger.
"It's all your fault, Ymir! If you hadn't interfered—" He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "They won't kill Bertholdt. They must've captured him. I'll definitely rescue him."
"Is that even possible?" Ymir leaned back against the tree trunk.
"Don't you understand the Survey Corps by now? They don't just let go of what they catch."
Reiner fell silent.
Looking at him, Ymir suddenly thought of something else.
"Oh right—Annie's one of your companions too, isn't she?" she said.
"I really didn't expect it. That girl was a Titan too… But she didn't stand on your side."
"Annie…"
Mentioning Annie only made Reiner angrier. He couldn't understand it—why had Annie run away at such a critical moment?
Fear? Impossible. Then why?
If Annie had stayed and fought, with her combat skills and explosive power, she could have killed Eren instantly. Then Bertholdt wouldn't have—
Things wouldn't have turned out like this.
"Looks like you didn't know either," Ymir chuckled.
"Didn't you know? That short guy and her were in the same district in the Military Police. Hey—do you think she might've fallen for the short guy? Maybe she didn't want to hurt him, hahaha—"
Reiner shot her a cold glance.
"Lillian is already dead."
The smile on Ymir's face froze.
The corners of her mouth slowly fell, forming a bitter smile that seemed entirely out of place on her face.
"Is that so…" she said softly.
"Haha. Guess I still couldn't save him in the end. Damn it… What's Krista going to do now? She'll definitely cry again."
"…Aren't you sad?" Reiner asked.
"Huh?" Ymir froze, then slapped the tree trunk with her remaining right hand and burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! What would I be sad about?! Reiner, you're really funny. I hated that short guy a long time ago! He was always pissing me off and making Krista worry! He deserved to die! Dying is better! Hahahaha—your joke is way too funny, Reiner…"
She raised her hand and wiped the corner of her eye.
"You've got me laughing so hard I'm crying."
"…"
Reiner stared at her reddened eyes in silence.
In truth, despite her joking tone, the thought had genuinely crossed his mind.
Could it really be… that Annie had developed feelings for Lillian?
It wasn't impossible. During their time in the training corps, they often sparred in hand-to-hand combat. Later, they were assigned to the same Military Police district. Among the 104th cadets, it was just the two of them there.
No one knew what had happened between them.
If that was really the case… then Annie's absence during the expedition outside the Walls—was it because she didn't want to come? Was the so-called "emergency patrol" just an excuse?
Annie… would you really forget your identity and your mission over something like this?
Would you even abandon your family back home?
"…Damn it."
Reiner clenched his teeth.
Why was it that of the four comrades who had infiltrated the Walls together, only he remained now?
After Marcel—their leader—was eaten by Ymir, Reiner had sworn that the remaining three would return home together.
But now?
Annie had abandoned the mission.
Bertholdt had been captured or killed by the Survey Corps—his fate unknown.
Only Reiner himself remained… along with Ymir in front of him.
At that thought, his gaze toward Ymir turned sharp and cold.
"Ymir," he said grimly, "you still remember who you had to eat to become human again, don't you?"
"…Ah. I remember," Ymir replied, looking at him.
"I remember now. The one I was supposed to grab back then was you, Reiner. But that kid pushed you out of the way."
"That's right." Reiner clenched his fists.
"His name was Marcel. He was our leader—and the holder of the Jaw Titan. He died saving me, and you stole that power when you ate him."
"…"
"It's because we were too immature. We… were only twelve years old back then." Reiner spoke with pain and self-blame.
"Even though the four of us all possessed Titan powers, when it actually happened, all we knew how to do was run. We were terrified—just running away…"
"Well, then I guess I was pretty lucky."
"You really were lucky." Reiner steadied his emotions, forcing himself to calm down. Then he asked coldly, "Ymir—you're also from Marley. So let me ask you this. Do you think this world… this island… still has any hope?"
Ymir fell silent.
"Commander Erwin is the smartest, most capable leader on this island—the man with the strongest resolve and execution that I know." Reiner spread his hands and shouted, "And yet, even with a mind like his, all he thinks about every day is how to kill Titans! As for everyone else—the civilians—how many of them even have basic education? How many can read? How many truly understand the world? Ymir! Tell me—does a world like this really have a future?!"
"…"
"Do you think we wanted to do this?!" Reiner's eyes filled with tears.
"But even if we didn't do it, someone else would! Don't you understand that?!"
As he spoke, tears streamed down his face. Ymir watched him, then suddenly laughed twice.
That laughter instantly ignited Reiner's fury.
"What are you laughing at?!"
"Nothing," Ymir replied.
"I just think… you live a very exhausting life, Reiner. And a very fake one, too. Coming up with all those excuses must take a lot of effort, huh?"
"Wha… what?"
"Tell me, Reiner. You say that if you don't do it, someone else will—so why not let them do it? Why must it be you? In the end, isn't it just because you're afraid to die?"
Reiner froze.
"Of course, I know you're not afraid of death itself," Ymir continued.
"But you are afraid of your family dying, aren't you?"
Reiner was stunned.
"That's why I say you live such a tiring life," Ymir said quietly.
"You live for others. You live inside other people's expectations. What does that feel like, huh? Hahaha."
Her laughter grew lower, darker.
"But I get it. I used to be just like you. I was given some grand, glorious title by my so-called 'people,' forced to live as someone else's faith."
"Yet after wandering this island for sixty years, the moment I woke up again, I decided—this time, I would live for myself. Truly live for myself."
"Ymir… you—"
"Reiner, you probably think you're a victim, don't you?" she interrupted.
"'Why do I have to bear so much, yet no one understands me?' That thought's been circling your mind this whole time, hasn't it? Well, that's normal."
As she spoke, a strange smile crept onto her face.
"How about this, then—why don't you just kill yourself?" she said lightly.
"That way, you'd be free from all this pain instantly."
"Ymir… you… devil."
Reiner said the words aloud, but for some reason, when he heard the word suicide, for just one fleeting moment—he truly, truly…
No! Stop thinking!
Bertholdt is still waiting for me.
My family is still waiting for me.
Annie… I have to bring her back too!
I'll go back to Marley first—then I'll come back immediately. If I can bring the Warrior Chief with me, then everything will be fine!
"Ymir, I don't want to talk to you anymore. Shut up!"
"Huh? Then are we just going to sit here and wait for nightfall? That's boring."
She smirked. "Come on, Reiner, talk to me a little more. Tell me about your inner struggles. I'm afraid I won't get the chance to hear them again later."
"Hmph. Don't worry—once you're locked up in prison, I'll tell you everything slowly!"
Prison… What am I even saying?
Once she's taken back, she'll just be fed to someone designated by the Marleyan military.
"Prison? I don't want to stay in a place like that."
"What, are you still fantasizing that someone will come save you?" Reiner snorted.
"Don't be ridiculous. Eren has no stamina left. The others can't even break my defenses. Ymir—stop dreaming. Give it up!"
"I—"
Before Ymir could finish, a familiar voice suddenly rang out, cutting her off.
"Who said no one's coming to save her?"
---
Ehrmich District
The Survey Corps had fully withdrawn into the inner-city branch headquarters to rest. Everyone was both physically and mentally exhausted, and had gone off to recover on their own.
Two girls from the 104th Cadet Corps discussed it briefly, then decided to go check on Krista together. After returning, Krista had locked herself in her room and hadn't come out for over an hour. Everyone was worried.
They knocked on her door.
"Krista, can you open the door? Let's talk."
"Yeah! I brought you something good to eat—there's meat!"
No response.
Knock, knock.
"Krista?"
The two exchanged glances, sensing something was wrong. Mikasa reacted instantly—stepping back half a step and kicking the door open with a loud bang.
The room was empty.
"Oh no!" Sasha rushed to the open window and looked down.
"Krista must have run away! She must've gone to save Ymir on her own!"
"She… what?!"
"Sasha…" Sasha looked at Mikasa, who seemed unable to understand.
"If it were Eren—if the commander decided to abandon him—wouldn't you… go save him by yourself too?"
"…"