In a world where humanity cowers behind three great walls, the Survey Corps stands as the last, desperate hope against the man-eating Titans beyond. Among them is Captain Rivai Akkaman—a short-tempered, obsessive neat freak from the underground slums, rumored to be humanity's strongest soldier. Three years ago, Commander Eruvin Sumisu descended into the darkness to offer him a hand, and Rivai has fought by his side ever since. But on the eve of the 57th expedition—the largest and most dangerous
The Vow Beyond the Walls - Awakening and Reversal — Protecting You, That Is the Path I Chose —
Afternoon light poured through the hospital window.
The white curtain swayed in the breeze. A single wildflower in the vase by the wall drooped its head.
Rivai Akkaman sat in the hard wooden chair, watching the man in the bed.
Two days since the return from beyond the walls.
Eruvin Sumisu was still asleep. His swept-back blond hair was disheveled, and his eyes were closed beneath thick brows. Thick bandages wrapped his right arm; a splint braced his left leg. His breathing was shallow, and every so often his brow twitched faintly.
Rivai clenched his palms against his knees.
Two days since that night. The man in black, Gelgar's trap. Countless Titans. And the blow Eruvin had taken shielding Rivai.
The smell of Eruvin's blood, the heavy sound of his collapse, the weight of his limp body in Rivai's arms—all of it still raw.
Rivai bit his lip. The taste of iron spread through his mouth.
"...Tch."
He clicked his tongue softly and stood. Dust had gathered on the shelf in the corner of the room. He pulled a cloth from his pocket.
He wiped the shelf from end to end. Dust danced in the light.
"Captain Rivai."
He turned. Petora Raru stood in the doorway. Her orange-brown short hair was softly edged by the light from the window behind her. The silver piercing in her left ear glinted faintly.
"Petora."
He tucked the cloth back into his pocket.
"How is the Commander's condition?"
She entered the room quietly. Her gait was still a little stiff, and the bandage on her left shoulder was visible even through her clothes.
"No change. Still asleep."
"...I see."
She stood beside the bed and looked down at Eruvin's face.
"The Commander will wake up. I'm sure of it."
Her voice was quiet, but there was a steady strength in it.
"I believe it. He isn't the kind of man who ends here. He still has things he has to do."
Rivai said nothing.
Petora turned toward him.
"Captain Rivai. There's something I want to tell you properly."
"What is it."
"I respect you more than anyone, Captain Rivai."
Her amber eyes looked straight at him.
"On that expedition beyond the walls, I nearly died so many times. But every time, I saw your back, and I could stand again. Because you're there, I can fight. That's what I thought."
Rivai silently accepted her gaze.
"So please, don't push yourself too hard. If you were to fall, Captain Rivai, I... no, all of us—we wouldn't know what to do."
"...You should worry about yourself."
His voice was blunt.
"Your wounds haven't closed yet either. Don't force yourself to walk around."
"But—"
"But nothing. That's an order. Take care of your own body."
Petora opened her mouth for a moment, then gave a small laugh.
"...Yes. Understood."
It was a somewhat lonely smile.
Petora respected him. That much was certain. But Rivai knew that sometimes, deep in her gaze, another emotion flickered.
Rivai turned his eyes back to Eruvin.
"...You really do care about the Commander, don't you, Captain Rivai."
The words fell softly, almost to herself.
Rivai's shoulder moved slightly.
"What are you getting at."
"Nothing. It just looked that way to me."
She went on quietly, watching Eruvin's face.
"Since the Commander collapsed, you've been here the whole time. You barely eat. You don't sleep. It's as if you're carving away your own life to keep his going."
"...You're exaggerating."
"Am I? That's how it looks to me."
She turned toward him.
"Captain Rivai. When the Commander wakes up, please tell him properly. How you feel."
Rivai furrowed his brow.
"What are you talking about."
"...Fufu. Nothing at all."
She headed for the door.
"I'll excuse myself now. I'll come visit again."
"Yeah. Don't push yourself."
"Yes."
She turned back and smiled at him one more time. That smile disappeared beyond the door.
Rivai was left alone in the room.
He looked at Eruvin's face.
Three years of feelings, locked deep in his heart. There was no way he could put them into words now.
He lowered himself into the chair. Outside the window, the wind stirred the leaves of the trees.
―――
In the evening, the air in the room shifted faintly.
Rivai slowly lifted his head from where he'd been looking down.
On the bed, Eruvin's fingers moved faintly.
Rivai leaned forward.
Eruvin's eyelids trembled. His deep blue eyes opened a sliver.
"...Eruvin."
His voice was hoarse.
Eruvin's gaze drifted slowly from the ceiling to Rivai's face.
"...Rivai...?"
A rasping voice. But it had certainly spoken Rivai's name.
"Yeah. It's me."
He took Eruvin's hand. Cold. But undeniably alive.
"...Where..."
"The Survey Corps headquarters. The infirmary. We made it back inside the walls."
"...I see."
He exhaled slowly.
"How long... was I asleep?"
"Two days."
"Two days... huh."
He looked at his right arm. Thick bandages covered the limb that would not move.
"...My arm..."
Rivai didn't answer.
"Rivai."
The blue eyes looked at him.
"...According to the doctor, the nerves are damaged. It might never move properly again."
His voice was low and heavy.
Eruvin stared at his right arm for a while.
"...I see."
No sorrow, no anger. Only the quiet ring of a man accepting a fact.
"Eruvin."
Still holding his hand, Rivai spoke.
"Don't fight anymore."
Eruvin's blue eyes widened slightly.
"Your body's already in pieces. Your right arm won't move. Your leg—no telling if it'll ever fully heal. If you go back out to the battlefield, this time you'll die for sure."
His voice was trembling.
"Please. Stop. You don't have to fight anymore."
Eruvin was silent.
"...Rivai."
It was a quiet voice.
"I still can't end it."
"What did you say."
"Not until I clear my father's name—until I settle what was done to him."
A fierce light kindled in Eruvin's eyes.
"Since that day, I've been chasing the truth. Why my father was killed. The truth of this world, of the walls, of the Titans. Until I've confirmed it, I cannot end."
"Don't give me that."
His voice rang through the room.
"If you die, none of it means anything! The truth, your revenge—all of it means nothing if you're not alive!"
He was on his feet. His clenched fists shook.
"If you die, what am I supposed to do?"
The words spilled out.
"If you're gone, I... what am I supposed to fight for?"
The air in the room froze.
For a moment, he couldn't understand what he'd just said.
Three years of feelings, shut away deep in his heart, had burst forth like a broken dam.
"You are everything to me."
His voice was wet with tears.
"Ever since the day you reached out your hand to me in the Underground, it's been that way. I've lived for you. Because you were there, I could be strong. Because you were there, I could keep fighting. Without you, I'd just go back to being a thug from the Underground."
He gripped Eruvin's hand in both of his.
"If you die, what am I supposed to do..."
Tears wet Eruvin's hand.
Eruvin watched Rivai's face in silence. His blue eyes wavered faintly with surprise.
"...Rivai."
It was a gentle voice.
"I'm sorry."
"I made you feel this way. For the sake of my own selfish dream. For my own selfish resolve. I dragged you into it."
"...No."
He shook his head.
"No. It's not your fault. I just followed you on my own."
Still gripping his hand, Rivai raised his face.
"Eruvin. I will protect you. That's the path I chose."
His gray-blue eyes looked straight into Eruvin's blue ones.
"No matter how reckless you are, no matter how dangerous the path you choose, I'll stay at your side and keep protecting you. When you die, I die too. That's fine by me."
Eruvin listened in silence.
Then slowly, he reached out his left hand toward Rivai.
"...Then—"
It was a quiet voice.
"—fight alongside me."
The same hand Eruvin had extended to him in the Underground three years ago.
Rivai laid his own hand over Eruvin's.
"...Yeah."
His voice was hoarse.
"Of course."
Their hands clasped tightly together.
Sunset poured through the window. Orange light illuminated their joined hands.
―――
Night. The door of the room opened quietly.
"Did you two finish your talk?"
Hanji Zoe came in, her messy chestnut ponytail swaying. Behind her glasses, her brown eyes gleamed. An old bite scar marked her right wrist.
"Hanji."
He settled back into the chair.
"Eruvin, you woke up. Thank goodness, really."
She stood beside the bed and peered into Eruvin's face.
"Yeah. Sorry to worry you."
"Worry doesn't even cover it. Rivai here stayed glued to your side without sleeping at all. Even when I offered to take over, he absolutely refused to move. Honestly, watching him gave me palpitations."
"...Don't say unnecessary things."
He glared at Hanji.
"Ahaha, no need to be embarrassed."
Laughing, she set the bundle of documents she carried on the table beside the bed.
"So, the main topic."
Her expression turned suddenly serious.
"I've finished analyzing all the materials we found among Gelgar's belongings."
Rivai's and Eruvin's eyes both gathered on Hanji.
"The mastermind's identity is confirmed. Jer Sannes of the Central Military Police. His alias was Lawrence. This is the man who killed your father, Eruvin—the one directly responsible."
Eruvin's blue eyes flashed sharply.
"...You're certain?"
"Yes. I decrypted every coded document that was left. And it matches the contents of the letter Gelgar left behind. Jer Sannes is a man who takes on the shadow work of the royal government—essentially the dark underbelly of the Central Military Police. He executed your father on the charge of 'prying into the secrets of the walls.' The one who gave the order and the one who carried it out—both were him."
Eruvin closed his eyes.
"...I see."
It was a quiet voice.
"But Hanji. There's one more thing you found out, isn't there."
"...As expected of you, Eruvin. Yeah, I know."
She pushed up her glasses.
"In Gelgar's materials, there was a record stating that Eruvin deliberately created a dangerous situation to flush out the traitor. In other words, during this expedition beyond the walls, Eruvin set a trap himself so the traitor would make a move."
Rivai turned toward Eruvin.
"...What does that mean."
His voice was low.
"Eruvin. You did that without saying a word to me?"
Eruvin met Rivai's gaze.
"...I'm sorry."
It was a quiet voice.
"I hesitated to put you in danger. But there was no other way. To smoke out the traitor for certain, I had to create that situation."
"Even so—did you have to charge into a swarm of Titans?"
Anger bled into his voice.
"Did you have to nearly die? Did you have to lose that arm?"
"Rivai."
"Next time, consult me too."
He looked straight into Eruvin's eyes.
"I'm at your side. You don't have to carry everything alone. Understand?"
Eruvin looked at Rivai for a while.
Then he smiled faintly.
"...Yeah. I understand."
It was a soft smile.
"Thank you, Rivai."
"...Hmph."
He looked away.
Hanji watched the two of them and grinned.
"All right, all right. Now that you two have made up, shall we get to the strategy meeting?"
She spread out the documents.
"Jer Sannes is currently in the capital, Mitras. Hiding out at the Central Military Police headquarters. To capture him, we'll have to march into the capital. But the capital is the Military Police's territory. If we go in head-on, we'll be crushed."
"I know."
He stood.
"That's why we do a surprise attack. We hit him when he's alone."
"But Rivai. You're covered in wounds yourself, aren't you? And Petora's injuries are still deep. We don't have enough fighting strength."
Rivai fell silent.
"...Even so, we've got no choice but to do it."
He said.
"We can't leave Sannes running loose. That bastard killed Eruvin's father. And this time, he tried to kill Eruvin himself. If we let him be, he'll do the same thing again."
"Rivai's right."
Eruvin said quietly.
"Jer Sannes must be captured, without fail. To settle my father's grievance. And to e
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