Another Ackerman - Ayanokoji x Snk

District of Karanes

"COMMANDER, IT'S TIME! THE TITANS IN THE AREA ARE BEING CONTAINED! THIRTY SECONDS UNTIL THE GATE OPENS!"

Shouts echoed through the ranks as tension filled the air. Soldiers adjusted their equipment, horses neighed anxiously, and the sound of steel and wood creaking signaled the slow ascent of the massive gate.

Then, Erwin's voice thundered over the crowd:

"FINALLY! FROM THIS POINT ON, HUMANITY WILL TAKE A STEP FORWARD. SHOW ME THE RESULTS OF YOUR TRAINING!"

The soldiers' shouts of response merged with the pounding of hooves against the ground.

"THE 54TH EXPEDITION BEYOND THE WALLS OF THE SURVEY CORPS BEGINS! ADVANCE!"

The formation moved forward. One after another, the units crossed the gate with calculated precision. The support squads kept the nearby Titans occupied, giving us the necessary margin to expand into the large scouting formation.

"DON'T STOP! KEEP MOVING!"

The horses picked up speed, and within seconds, we had left the safety of the walls behind. Now, in open terrain, Erwin's strategy came into play: an extensive defensive formation designed to minimize casualties and maximize enemy detection.

The expedition had begun.

Days Before...

Inside a tent, surrounded by maps and strategic documents, the Special Operations Squad reviewed the expedition formation. Gunther pointed to a specific spot on the map with his finger.

"We, the Special Operations Squad, will be here..." he said, marking a zone just behind the center of the formation—the safest position. "Line five, on standby."

Eren observed the location in silence, his expression a mix of confusion and frustration.

"Pretty far back, isn't it?" he finally commented, doubt evident in his tone.

Gunther nodded. "Yes, and that's how it should be. This is the safest part of the formation, even more so than the supply wagons. After all, our top priority is protecting you."

Eren frowned, still unconvinced. His mind seemed to wrestle between acceptance and resistance.

"This expedition is short," Gunther continued. "More than anything, it's a simulation of what we'll do when we attempt to reclaim Shiganshina."

The words hung in the air for a moment before Eren spoke again, his voice laced with uncertainty.

"I... still don't understand what I should do with my power." His hands clenched into fists on his knees. "Is it really okay for me to just accept this? To let things stay the way they are?"

Before anyone else could respond, I spoke, my tone calm yet firm:

"Eren." His eyes immediately met mine. "Did you understand Erwin's question?"

Silence.

Eren opened his mouth but found no answer.

"...No," he finally admitted.

Petra shook her head with a small smile. "No idea."

"Not at all," Auruo added, shrugging.

Erd snorted. "Don't ask me."

Gunther sighed. "I didn't understand a thing, to be honest."

If my expressions were more pronounced, I would have sighed in frustration. At the very least, I was relieved they didn't ask me. After all, with everything Levi had said about me, they probably assumed I already knew my role in the mission.

Crossing my arms, I concluded with measured calm:

"In any case, it's obvious there's a secondary objective behind this expedition. Whatever it is, it'll come into play once we accomplish the main goal: go, return alive, and protect you."

The words weighed in the air.

Erd, arms crossed and a determined look in his eyes, was the first to break the silence. "For now... the only thing we can do is trust the commander."

Eren, still filled with doubt, took a few seconds to respond but eventually nodded. "Yes... sir."

As we were preparing to depart, Eren suddenly stopped upon noticing the new recruits who had just arrived. His eyes scanned the familiar faces, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Auruo, can I talk to my fellow trainees?" he asked urgently.

"How annoying..." Auruo scoffed irritably. "Go quickly, but don't make us wait."

I suppose I should go too...

Just as we were leaving, Eren suddenly turned and shouted:

"HEY!"

His voice echoed through the camp, making Mikasa and Armin startle.

"IT FEELS LIKE IT'S BEEN FOREVER SINCE WE LAST SAW EACH OTHER!" he added with a smile.

"EREN!"

Mikasa and Armin shouted almost in unison, rushing toward him. However, as soon as I entered their field of vision, Mikasa practically disappeared from her spot and appeared right in front of me in less than a second. Her sudden presence made me let out a quiet sigh and earned me an imaginary drop of sweat.

"KIYOTAKA! ARE YOU OKAY!? WHY DID YOU DISAPPEAR!?" she exclaimed, grabbing my shoulders firmly.

How do I tell her that I simply forgot... or rather, that I chose to forget to inform her? For now, it's best to deflect the issue.

"I was forced to join Levi's Special Operations Squad..." I replied calmly. "I've been pretty busy, but I'm fine. I'm sorry I couldn't inform you, Nee-san."

I slightly lowered my head in apology, but before I could react, I felt her arms wrap around my head in a firm embrace.

"It doesn't matter... It's enough that you're safe."

After a few seconds, she let go of me gently.

I gave a quick nod of greeting to Armin before shifting my attention to the others. Instinctively, I expected Sasha's usual enthusiastic greeting, but instead, I found her with her head lowered, her expression hidden beneath her bangs.

"Eren, Kiyotaka!!" Connie greeted, trying to mask his obvious nervousness.

Eren, still smiling, looked around. "You guys joined too?"

A brief silence followed.

"So... the ones who went to the Military Police were Marco, Annie, and Jean, right? The others must have joined the Garrison."

The moment the words left his mouth, I noticed the shift in everyone's expressions. Their faces darkened visibly.

I had clearly overestimated this guy's intelligence. I thought he would at least ask about the casualty report first... after all, the reasons behind those deaths were to give him a chance.

A cold silence settled between us.

"Marco died."

Jean's voice cut through the air like a blade.

Eren blinked, his brain taking a few seconds to process the information. "J-Jean... why are you here?"

His voice trembled, and slowly, he began piecing things together.

"Wait... you said... What was that?... About Marco..."

His face twisted in horror, sweat beading on his forehead, and his hands began to shake.

"He... died...?"

His voice broke.

"Is that... true?"

Jean clenched his fists. "Not everyone gets a dramatic ending... We don't even know what kind of end he had. He didn't have his maneuvering gear when we found him."

Eren was in shock, his face completely pale.

"I see..." he murmured. "He... died without anyone seeing him... or those who did also died..."

Jean sighed and looked at him firmly. "Eren."

Eren lifted his gaze.

"From what I know, you would have killed Mikasa if Kiyotaka hadn't intervened when you transformed into a Titan."

"What...?"

Tension grew in the air.

Mikasa narrowed her eyes in irritation and quickly defended Eren:

"That's not true... Eren was just trying to kill a fly."

Jean shot her a look of disbelief before responding dryly:

"I wasn't asking you."

Mikasa frowned but remained silent.

Eren clenched his teeth.

"...It seems to be true that I tried to attack Mikasa when I transformed into a Titan..."

Jean stared at him coldly. "Seems to be? So, you don't even remember? You don't even know your own Titan power? And you have no way to control it either?"

Jean's words hit him like a storm, forcing him to lower his gaze.

"...That's right..." he admitted in a subdued voice. "You're right..."

Jean took a deep breath, then turned to all the recruits around them.

"Did you hear that?" His voice was firm, though calmer. "This is the current situation."

He paused, letting everyone process his words.

"Humanity's fate depends on this. That's why... we could die like Marco, without Eren even knowing."

Jean... He's being unnecessarily harsh, but I don't blame him. His way of thinking is completely understandable.

Mikasa looked at him sternly. "Jean, cornering Eren like this right now, what's the point—"

I decided to interrupt her monotonously.

"Not everyone is like you. Not everyone is willing to die for Eren without a good reason."

Mikasa's reaction was immediate. She looked at me in disbelief, as if she couldn't believe what she had just heard.

Jean nodded, crossing his arms.

"Exactly. We all need to know. To know why we're risking our lives."

He turned back to Eren, his voice now more measured.

"If we don't, we end up hesitating when it matters most."

He stepped closer, placing his hands on Eren's shoulders "What we ask is for Eren's assurance... Be clear about valuing your own life... If it's worth as much as ours..."

His eyes reflected a genuine plea.

"That's why, Eren... I'm truly asking you, okay?"

The atmosphere grew heavy.

With this tension, it'll be impossible to talk to anyone else.

"Umm..."

I felt a gaze on me. Lowering my eyes, I found a girl who seemed to shrink with every passing second.

Mina Carolina.

"What are you doing here, Mina?" I asked, my expression unchanged.

She swallowed hard. "Uh... mm, well..."

She hesitated for a few seconds, her gaze wavering.

"I said I would do it."

I observed her for a few seconds "I see..."

...

...

...

...

"YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE!? AREN'T YOU ANGRY!?"

Her sudden emotional outburst made me blink slowly "...If you've already made your decision, there's no point in me getting angry about it. Do you expect me to try to stop you?"

I sighed with obvious disinterest, which only made her expression even more annoyed.

She bit her lip "...That's not it..."

"Then what?"

"I don't know."

She frowned, clearly frustrated with herself "I thought you'd say something... I don't know... something more than just 'I see'... something that would make me feel like my decision wasn't completely stupid..."

"If you're doubting now, it's because deep down, you fear it might be."

She lifted her head abruptly, as if my words had physically struck her.

"But the only way to find out is to move forward," I said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Mina looked at me with a mix of resignation and acceptance "Just tell me one thing, Kiyotaka..."

I nodded slightly, signaling her to continue "Why did you decide to join the Scout Regiment?"

...

Such a simple question, yet most soldiers here had very different answers to it.

But my reason...

It wasn't patriotism.

It wasn't revenge.

It wasn't the thrill of exploration or the adrenaline of battle.

Mina watched me intently, waiting for my answer.

"Because it seemed like the best option at the time."

She looked at me in disbelief "...That's it?"

"That's it."

Mina remained silent for a moment. Then, she let out a heavy sigh and ran a hand through her hair.

"You really... are impossible."

...

She observed me for a moment longer before shaking her head.

"Whatever... Just don't die, okay?"

My response was simple. "Same to you."

Mina seemed surprised by my reply but then gave a small smile.

"See you later, then."

I nodded, and she turned to rejoin the others.

I can't even get a second to rest when I feel someone beside me, still holding that strange look.

Sasha.

She sighed visibly, running a hand through my hair.

"Sasha..."

She lifted her gaze slightly.

"If you survive... I'll cook whatever you want."

"YES!!!!!!!"

----------------------------------

"ENEMY DETECTION FORMATION AT LONG RANGE!!! DEPLOY!!!!!!"

Erwin's voice thundered across the open field, and instantly, the sound of galloping hooves intensified as the Scout Regiment dispersed in all directions.

The forward semicircular formation began to take shape, with soldiers strategically positioned in key spots to maximize Titan detection at regular intervals.

It was an efficient design:

Each soldier on the outer line maintained constant vigilance. If they spotted a Titan, they would fire a red smoke signal. That signal would then be relayed across the formation in the same manner, ensuring the information reached Commander Erwin in the shortest time possible.

If the commander deemed it necessary, he would fire a green flare, indicating a formation change and a shift in direction. Then, all members of the formation were to fire green flares as well, synchronizing with the newly established course.

This strategy allowed us to keep moving without stopping, avoiding Titans as much as possible.

The enemy had a major weakness: endurance. While most Titans were unable to keep up with our horses over long distances, some special cases complicated the equation.

— There were abnormal Titans that could run faster than our horses for short periods.

— Sometimes, Titans appeared without warning due to terrain conditions.

— Some Titans, for one reason or another, managed to break into the formation, destabilizing it and causing absolute chaos.

For those cases, a special flare existed: the black flare.

If an anomalous Titan was detected, the order was clear—fire the black flare and prepare for battle.

Riding among the main formation, I scanned the sky for signals.

A flash caught my attention.

"Hm..."

My slight reaction drew the gaze of Petra, who was galloping a few meters beside me "Something wrong?" she asked, keeping pace with her horse to stay at my side.

My eyes followed the trajectory of the flares in the sky "Black flare."

Her expression hardened "An abnormal Titan?"

"Not just that."

I kept my gaze fixed on the horizon.

"A black flare, followed by several green ones to the northeast of the formation."

Petra frowned, processing the information "and...?"

She stopped for a second, then looked at me with a mix of disbelief and surprise.

"...That the plan was a success."