Tears slipped from my eyes… but I wiped them away almost instantly.
And yet—even though I'd stopped crying—the drops that kissed my cheeks, that soaked into my skin… they still fell.
Not mine.
These were the tears of God. Rain from the heavens.
The cold wind howled.
Freezing rain drenched my body.
My right hand slowly raised the blade until it aligned with my eyes. With dozens of afterimages flickering in my vision, I steadied my breath.
"I won't retreat again… I'll defend this land…"
"I am… a soldier!"
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
While I stood alone atop the wall of Trost, facing a flood of Titans, tragedy unfolded behind me in the middle guard.
In the 34th Squad, Armin was plunged into despair.
Crouched on a rooftop, frozen and expressionless, he was discovered by Connie's team after the bloodbath.
"Hey—! Hey, Armin?! Snap out of it!" Connie shouted, shaking the dazed boy like a ragdoll.
"Ugh…?" Armin slowly returned to consciousness.
"You awake? Are you okay? Not hurt, right?" Connie pressed, concerned.
"Where's the rest of your squad? Why are you alone? And why are you… sticky?" Connie's last question struck like lightning.
"UWAHHHH!! I'm useless! I should've died instead!!" Armin finally broke.
It all came rushing back.
Thomas devoured by a charging abnormal.
Eren, enraged, giving chase.
One by one, the 34th Squad was swallowed whole.
And at the very end—
Eren, bloodied and broken, dragged Armin from the Titan's jaws.
Saving his friend… at the cost of his own life.
Armin survived.
Eren did not.
He was the last one left.
"…Armin, calm down, man…" Connie muttered, confused and helpless. His simple mind couldn't grasp what had just happened.
"What's the point of me living…?!"
"Armin… what happened to the others?" Connie asked again, still clueless.
"Stop asking," a tall, sharp-eyed girl spoke from the rooftop. "They're all dead. He's the only one left."
Ymir. Always blunt. Always cruel. But never wrong.
"Don't say that! Armin hasn't said anything yet!" Connie protested.
"Open your eyes. Look around. We don't have time for this," Ymir snapped.
"Then why is he the only one who made it?" Connie demanded.
"How the hell should I know? Maybe the Titans thought he was already dead. Sure, it sucks they got swarmed, but if the weakest link is the only one left, doesn't that make Eren's death meaningless?" Ymir's tongue was sharp enough to cut steel.
"You loudmouth piece of—! Want me to shut you up permanently?!" Connie was about to explode.
"Stop it, both of you!" Krista stepped between them like a ray of light in the storm. "Everyone's upset… We've lost too many… It's not anyone's fault!"
Ah, Krista. Always gentle. Always kind.
Ymir softened instantly.
"No one like my Krista. After the mission… marry me, okay?"
It was well known. Ymir had confessed to Krista in front of everyone once.
"Anyway, this can't go on forever. Can you walk, Armin?" Connie offered a hand.
Armin stared at it.
He'd seen this before. That gesture. That kindness. Always the same.
And he always chose the same thing.
"No… thank you." He stood on his own, eyes dark with guilt.
"…I'm sorry for the trouble. I'll go join the rear guard."
Before Connie could call after him, Armin had already disappeared.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
On his way to the rear, Armin stumbled upon a familiar scene.
A girl desperately performing CPR.
Hannah… trying to revive Franz.
But it was too late.
Franz's heart had long since stopped.
The retreat bells rang loud through the city.
Mikasa, assigned to the rear guard, had completed her mission of protecting the civilians.
The evacuation was over.
Many soldiers had fallen.
But the civilians were safe.
That was enough to sound the bell.
As the rain began to fall, Mikasa looked to the darkening skies.
To the weeping heavens.
The clouds above seemed to whisper… something was wrong.
She did not retreat.
Instead—she ran.
Toward the frontlines.
Rain pelted her as she soared to a church rooftop. Confused, she scanned the battlefield. Why hadn't the others retreated yet? The bells had rung. The mission was done.
Then she saw it.
The old supply tower, swarming with Titans.
"...Sandra…!?"
Her heart dropped into a void.
She didn't know I was at the edge of the Trost wall.
Didn't know I was facing down an endless tide of Titans.
All she knew—was that I had been assigned to the supply corps.
She didn't know that on this battlefield drenched in God's tears…
I too was being washed clean.
Alone.
Fighting the impossible.
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