A/N: Hello, readers! Welcome to another chapter! Enjoy!

edited on may 20th, 2022 @ 5:04am

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𝓒𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙵𝙾𝚁𝚃𝚈-𝙾𝙽𝙴,
𝓣𝙷𝙴 𝙱𝙰𝚂𝙴𝙼𝙴𝙽𝚃.

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JOSIAH AND THE OTHERS SOON arrived as Eren soon told Armin what happened, his eyes were widened at the news.

"Well? Up to speed, Armin?" Levi questioned.

"Are you telling me... the Scout Regiment... is the ten of us here... and that's it?" Armin asked.

"For the time being. The fighting ended four hours ago. We've been looking for survivors, but... none yet..." Jean replied.

"S-So, we managed to seal the walls of Shiganshina... But Reiner, the Beast Titan, and one other escaped... Bertholdt was captured... Then... there was a dispute... about using the injection on Commander Erwin or me... And I... turned into a Titan and ate B-Bertholdt..." Armin looked like he was about to vomit.

"Here." Jean said, handing Armin some water, in which he accepts and drinks it.

"Why... did you pick me? No matter how you look at it, wasn't Commander Erwin the right one to bring back? Captain! Why did you give me the injection?!" Armin asked.

"Tsk!" Levi muttered under his breath in annoyance before kicking Eren's back. "I told you to tell him everything."

"The thing is, it seems your two friends here didn't think that way. They stood up to me... prepared to draw blood." Levi continued on.

"Huh?" Armin glanced over at Eren and Mikasa.

"We'll take whatever punishment comes." Eren said.

"You'll be disciplined for insubordination, but... Does taking the punishment allow you to do anything?" Hange asked the pair.

"No..." Eren responded, looking down.

"However... The final decision to choose you was mine. No... I chose this to be the place where Erwin dies." Levi claimed as Armin looked shocked and confused.

"I don't understand... There's no way it's okay to let Erwin die... If the commander is gone, how... how will we go on?" Armin questioned.

"I agree. I thought it should've been used on Erwin... if we're being brutally honest. No... it's a shame we were put in that position..." Hange agreed. "Anyways, Erwin entrusted Levi with the decision to use it. And Levi ended up choosing you. There's nothing more to say."

"Erwin's life and a Titan's power rests on your shoulders. No matter what anyone says, that's part of who you are now, Armin." Hange added on.

"Does that mean... I need to be... Erwin's replacement? No way... I can't..." Armin said.

"Don't get me wrong. You'll never be Erwin's replacement. But... I know you have a strength that nobody else has but you. I won't regret my decision. However, don't make these guys regret it. Nor anyone else. And don't regret it yourself, either. That is your mission." Levi told him.

Sasha groaned in pain. "Shut up!" She said as everyone turned to look at her.

Hange let out a chuckle. "We're no match for Sasha." They commented. "Well, being the successor of Erwin as commander of the Scouts, we're kinda in the same boat."

"From here on out, we'll have to grin and bear it." Hange concluded.

"Right..." Armin agreed.

"Now then... If it's not a problem for Armin, we should get going." Hange spoke, standing up from where they were sitting. "Levi, Eren, Mikasa, and I will go investigate. You other five keep watch from atop Shiganshina's wall."

"Roger." They replied.

"Eren. Do you still have the key?" Hange asked.

Eren touched his chest. "Yeah. Right here." He responded.

Levi, Eren, Mikasa, and Hange jump off the wall and started heading towards the direction of Eren's house.

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"I'll be right back." Josiah told the others, causing them to turn and look at him.

"Huh? Where are you going, Josiah?" Connie questioned.

"There's something I have to see before we head out one last time. I'll be back before they return."

Josiah used his gear as he flew through the air, finally landing on the ground.

He could feel his chest tighten as he walked through the familiar street, memories coming back to him in flashes.

He remembered Clayton being devoured by a Titan.

Josiah walked past the area where Soren was crushed by flying debris, until the Armored Titan finally ended his life.

But there were also happy memories among the bad.

"Jo, where are you doing running off to?"

Josiah looked back to see a younger him along with Soren and Clayton running down the streets.

"There's something that I found a while back that I wanted to show you and Clay!"

Josiah turns around the corner, spotting a familiar treehouse. The brunette was surprised that it wasn't destroyed by the fires.

"A treehouse? Really, Jo? You're such a loser."

"Shut up, Clay! This can be like our secret spot! Just for the three of us!"

"Yeah... just for the three of us..."

Josiah climbs onto the wooden ladder, noticing how it was more difficult to climb with his ODM gear on. Not to mention he was no longer a nine year old kid anymore.

He hoists himself up as best he could onto the platform as he looked around.

A large tree branch was growing into the makeshift window as Josiah pressed his hand onto the treehouse wall.

"Soren, Clay..." Josiah mumbled. "It's been five years, but the Survey Corps successfully retook back Wall Maria. But we had a lot of casualties in the process. The next step is deciding what to do with the information in Eren's basement."

"I've met some really amazing people. There's Armin... He reminds me of you, Soren. He wants to see the ocean as well. Then there's Mikasa... she's super strong." Josiah continued on. "Jean, Connie, and Sasha... those three are the biggest idiots you'll ever meet."

"Finally, there's Eren, or as I like to call him Titan boy. He's... something else. He doesn't think before he acts, and doesn't understand that all actions come with consequences. But... he's someone who's important to me." Josiah concluded.

He let out a tired sigh, standing him from his sitting position. "I have to go now. My comrades are waiting for me." Josiah smiled sadly before using his gear to connect to a run-down house, heading back towards the wall.

It was near dawn when the Scouts returned back from reclaiming Wall Maria. The townspeople were cheering below them as Hange was carrying the three books they found in Eren's basement.

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A/N: I didn't have Josiah go to the basement with them, because I wanted him to have a bit of time alone and revisit his friends hang out spot. Thanks for reading!

Word Count: 1105 words.