Another Ackerman - Ayanokoji x Snk

"We've been going around the area, delivering horses to the people who are still alive... You're lucky I heard someone screaming for help."

The deep, relaxed voice of the man pulls me out of my thoughts. I slowly turn to look at him more closely. His posture is firm but casual, and beside him, Sasha seems uncomfortably tense, barely noticeable through the movement of the horse.

I suppose this man is the one who gave us the horse. There's no need for deep analysis to see that they share an incredible resemblance. Their facial features, hair color, even the stubborn gleam in their eyes are practically identical. I'd bet they're father and daughter.

He smiles boldly, perhaps as a way to put me at ease.

"Well... This must be a first in history. Someone without maneuvering gear taking down one of these monsters with just a bow and an axe."

His gaze falls on my right arm, still covered in the thick, hot blood of the titan. The burning sensation is almost unbearable—what I did should be nearly impossible for anyone else.

"And it looks like it wasn't easy. But I have to admit, kid, you've got guts. If you hadn't held out here, my daughter and that girl would've been in serious trouble."

Sasha lowers her gaze uncomfortably, avoiding mine.

"It was nothing," I reply indifferently.

The man lets out a rough laugh.

"Nothing, huh? Well, well, you're one of those quiet and mysterious types... I like this guy for you, Sasha. Marry him before someone else snatches him up."

Better to ignore that...

Sasha chokes on her own saliva but doesn't blush in the slightest, which at least reassures me.

"What?! Dad, please, shut up!"

Her father just laughs even louder and slaps my shoulder, not caring about the titan blood covering me completely or the fact that we're speeding on horseback.

"Relax, kid. Just joking. Though I won't lie—if you were a few years older and a little less terrifying, I'd be serious."

Sasha looks like she wants to disappear into the ground.

"Dad, enough!"

The man finally stops laughing, but his expression softens a bit as he looks at me seriously.

"Really, thanks for looking after my daughter and that girl. Life out here is hard enough without losing more important people."

I hold his gaze for a second before giving a slight nod.

"I just did what seemed best..."

He smirks slightly, as if he expected that answer.

"Well, you did good. Now, let's go before another one of these titans shows up."

Sasha sighs with relief as she sees the conversation ending, though she still glares daggers at her father.

Without saying another word, we speed up. The adrenaline still courses through my veins. There are still several hours before nightfall, maybe...

After just a few minutes—

Beside me, Sasha keeps her gaze ahead, frowning. She hasn't spoken since we left. I'd assume she's too embarrassed by her father's comments, but her expression seems more tense than uncomfortable.

"You sigh a lot."

Sasha blinks and glances at me. "Huh?"

"You've sighed at least four times in the last two minutes."

"Oh, come on! Don't tell me you even count that..."

"I just notice it, that's all."

She huffs but doesn't deny it. "I can't help it. It's been a... tough day."

"For everyone."

"I know!"

Sasha glares at me but doesn't seem to have the energy to argue.

I take the pause as an opportunity for something important.

"When you reach the headquarters, I need you to give a message to Erwin, Hange, or Levi—I don't care which."

Sasha looks at me in confusion.

"A message? Why don't you give it yourself?"

"Because I won't be staying there. I'll be joining the southern squad after I equip myself."

She widens her eyes in surprise.

"What? Why? Aren't we all supposed to regroup before deciding on the next steps?"

"The priority is finding out how these titans got through. There's something I need to see for myself."

Sasha doesn't respond immediately. Her expression changes as she processes my words.

"... You're always thinking further ahead than I am, huh?" she mutters.

I don't answer, but she already knows.

She lets out another sigh and nods.

"Fine. What do you want me to say?"

"Just tell them that..."

Sasha falls silent for a moment, her expression darkening before she nods again.

"Alright... but don't do anything stupid in the meantime, okay?"

"If something goes wrong, I'll just improvise."

Sasha gives me a look of pure disbelief and exasperation.

"That doesn't reassure me at all."

"It's not my job to reassure you."

"For god's sake, Kiyo! Are you always like this?"

"Yes."

Sasha puts a hand to her face, mumbling about how her head hurts.

Now, considering they won't find a hole in the Wall, the situation changes drastically. The initial plan to track a possible breach loses all meaning, which means the squads patrolling the area will eventually run into each other.

If both my group and the southern squad maintain a constant pace, without major interruptions or obstacles, there's a point where our paths will inevitably converge. Since the search will start shortly after sunset to avoid titans, the most logical calculation suggests that they will meet... here...

I just hope I make it in time...

------

The silhouette of the headquarters stands against the sky, darkened by clouds. I don't stop to take it in. My steps are firm as I enter, passing by the few soldiers still on alert. I have no time to waste.

I step into the storage area and, without a word, grab a set of 3D maneuvering gear. I check it with clockwork precision. Blades, cables in good condition, functional propulsion, two full gas tanks. Perfect. I strap it on quickly, adjusting every belt with fluid, automatic movements.

My stomach protests. Only now do I notice the hunger that's set in after hours of constant effort. I walk to the pantry and grab the first thing I see—a piece of bread, some dried meat, and water. Not a proper meal, but it'll do. As I chew, I study the map hanging on the wall.

If I keep my pace and the southern squad does the same, we'll meet at roughly 2 AM, at a strategic point.

I finish eating and leave the empty container on the table. No time to rest. Without hesitation, I leave the headquarters and head out.

I hate being me...

Just don't disappoint me... Armored... Colossal...

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

9 hours after the titan sighting

5 hours after the northern squad reaches headquarters

Southern Squad

"Ufff..."

"Ufff..."

"Ufff..."

The steady rhythm of our breathing mixes with the pounding of hooves against hardened earth. The exhaustion is evident, but we can't afford to stop.

Every breath gets heavier. Every muscle burns. But we push forward.

The only light we have is from the torches we carry, and even then, they barely illuminate a few meters around us. Beyond that, there's only darkness. A void stretching endlessly, swallowing any hope of visibility.

We gallop, but not too fast. Doing so would be suicide. On this rough, pathless terrain, a single misstep could cost us our lives. One wrong move, an invisible obstacle in the shadows, and we'd fall. And if the fall didn't kill us, the titans lurking in the darkness would.

We know it.

We feel their presence.

We don't see them yet, but we know they're close.

Because we're heading straight for the breach.

And that inevitable moment when they appear—will come.

"Ufff..."

My fingers tighten around the reins.

"Ufff..."

Shit...

"Ufff..."

This is driving me insane...

When?

When...?

When will they appear...?

"Ufff..."

And then, just when the tension becomes unbearable—

Light.

Torches, up ahead.

I widen my eyes in surprise.

"Ugh!!??"

More torches? Nanaba...?

It can't be.

It's... impossible.

I see the silhouettes of riders approaching us. It can't be anything else. Their torches flicker in the distance, and the sound of hooves on the ground becomes clearer as we draw closer.

When we finally meet, a familiar face is illuminated by the glow of the flame.

It's Nanaba.

I automatically ask, "Did you also ride along the wall?"

No... that doesn't make sense.

If Nanaba's squad also patrolled the wall... then...

"Yes," she replies. "So... where's the breach?"

Silence.

"Uh...?" I let out, shocked.

Something is wrong.

"What do you mean, 'Uh'...?" Her voice is sharper than I expected. "We've been riding along the wall from the east... but we didn't find anything unusual. So, if the breach isn't on our side, it must be on yours..."

Another pause.

The night air feels colder.

"No..." I say slowly. "We didn't find anything either..."

My mind freezes for a second.

...

...

"Could you have missed something?"

The question feels absurd.

"Impossible. We're talking about a gap big enough for titans to pass through. There's no way we wouldn't have seen it," someone from the squad replies.

Silence again.

Shit.

This doesn't make sense.

If it's not on our side...

If it's not on theirs...

If it's nowhere...

How did the titans get in?

A chill runs down my spine.

"Alright, then..." My gaze shifts between us and the wall, hidden in the darkness. "We should check once more."

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

The sound of hooves mixes with the night breeze, but no one else notices.

Not until the light of my torch becomes visible in the distance.

The journey was difficult—impossible for anyone else who would have pissed their pants at every moment...

But a long time ago, I memorized every part of the inside of the walls, every inch, every path—I could navigate them with my eyes closed.

That, combined with keeping my senses at their peak, gave me the confidence to move in the dark for hours at a steady pace.

A single flickering flame in the darkness.

The gallop of my horse echoes against the damp ground as I advance in a straight line toward them, unhurried, without hesitation.

I don't rush.

There's no need.

I see them before they see me. Their silhouettes stand out against the gloom, a group of riders surrounded by the orange glow of their torches. Tension in their postures. Doubt in their eyes.

I understand them.

They've been riding for hours, exhausted, hoping to find an answer that never came.

I stop a few meters away from them.

"There's no need to keep searching." My voice rises, empty and cold as always.

Everyone turns to me instantly.

For a moment, silence covers everything.

I can feel their gazes evaluating me, trying to recognize me through the flickering light of the torches.

"K-Kiyotaka?!" Connie's voice breaks the silence, filled with incredulity.

Nanaba's eyes widen in shock. As someone who knows my value to the Survey Corps, she likely expected me to run away.

"Kiyotaka..."

"You didn't find any breach in the wall because there isn't one."

My words drop like a weight over the group.

Some blink. Others frown.

"That doesn't make sense." Someone breaks the silence—I barely recognize him as the alcoholic. "Then how did the titans get in?"

"I don't know." I respond without hesitation.

I don't try to explain the inexplicable. No theories, no speculation.

I don't know how, but I do know what I saw.

And what I didn't see.

The squad exchanges glances. Nanaba presses her lips together, thoughtful.

Some seem ready to keep searching, unwilling to accept the illogical nature of the situation.

"There are some ruins nearby," I suddenly say.

Several heads turn in my direction.

"Ruins?" Gelgar asks, raising an eyebrow.

"A castle. Not far from here." I point behind me. "We don't have any more time to waste. We need to rest."

The words hang in the air.

No one immediately refutes them.

Because, deep down, they know I'm right.

No breach.

No answers.

Only the night and exhaustion digging into our bones.

Nanaba sighs, closing her eyes for a moment before nodding.

"Alright." She turns to the rest. "Let's go to those ruins."

Without further questions, I take the reins and turn my horse.

Only a few seconds pass before I hear hooves speeding up beside me.

I glance sideways.

Krista.

Of course.

She has matched my pace, holding the reins delicately, but her expression betrays her concern. Her blue eyes shine with the reflection of the torchlight, and her breathing is still a bit ragged from the ride.

"Kiyotaka..." Her voice is soft, almost hesitant. "Are you okay? You look..."

I don't hear the end of the sentence.

Or rather, I don't care.

"I'm fine." I cut her off before she can continue.

She blinks, as if expecting a different answer. "But... you were alone in the dark. And..." She bites her lower lip. "What happened to you? How did you get here?"

"There were some things I had to see for myself, so I came."

My tone is flat.

Krista lowers her head slightly, unsure.

I know she's going to insist. I know it's part of her nature.

Sweet. Angelic. Always worrying about others.

But I have no interest in that concern.

It's unnecessary.

I barely turn my face forward when another pair of hooves approach.

"Hey, Kiyo!" Connie's voice interrupts any attempt Krista might have made to continue.

This time, I do look.

Connie has placed himself on the other side, his expression a mix of relief and confusion. "Weren't you with Sasha?" he asks bluntly.

There's anxiety in his gaze.

He seems to have expected to find her here with us, and now that he doesn't, doubt creeps into his voice.

"Yes..."

His body leans forward slightly. "And? Is she okay? What happened?"

"She's fine," I answer without fuss. "Her village too."

Connie lets out a long sigh, as if he had been holding his breath all this time. "Damn... what a relief..."

"They gave her a horse, and she left with a girl she rescued."

Krista's eyes widen slightly. "She rescued someone...?"

"Yes, she saved her from a three-meter titan."

Connie lets out a short laugh, relieved. "That idiot... always getting into trouble."

Maybe he still wants to say something more.

But he doesn't.

Maybe he realizes there's no point in continuing.

It doesn't take long before two more people approach to talk to me.

Reiner and Bertholdt.

I expected it.

Their faces are tense, their gazes carrying the same concern Connie had a moment ago. But there's something else in them... caution.

"Kiyotaka... I'm glad to see you, but..." Reiner is the first to speak, his voice firm but with a trace of relief. "What the hell was that? Where did you come from?"

"The nearest outpost," I reply without embellishment.

Reiner looks at me for a moment, as if waiting for me to say more, but he visibly shivers.

"Alone? That's more than four hours away..." Bertholdt asks. His tone is lower, more careful.

"Yes..."

A pause.

Reiner frowned. "Damn... It's not normal to see someone riding alone in the middle of the night. What happened to you?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary, I simply thought it was the best option."

Reiner clenched his jaw but slowly nodded.

"I see..."

...

This time, it was Bertholdt who took a breath before speaking.

"And... do you have any idea what happened to Annie...?" The question was casual. Or at least, it tried to be.

But his gaze gave him away.

Reiner was also watching me more intently.

I didn't react immediately.

"No, unfortunately, I have no idea..."

Bertholdt swallowed hard, averting his eyes for a second. "Ah... I see..."

Reiner, on the other hand, kept his gaze fixed on me.

He didn't say anything for a moment.

Then, he let out a sigh, trying to ease the tension.

"Well... at least you're here. I don't know how the hell you managed to survive out there alone, but I'm glad you did."

"Yeah..." Bertholdt murmured, still a bit tense. "It was... impressive how you appeared out of nowhere..."

I didn't respond.

They didn't insist any further.

But their gazes remained heavy.

---------

"Sheesh... this castle is way too close to the wall..."

After tying up the horses and lighting a fire, we took the time to explore the castle as a group. Surprisingly, the structure was in good condition despite the evident abandonment. I wasn't the only one having thoughts about it; even the alcoholic superior seemed more perceptive than I had assumed.

"There are still signs that someone lived here recently... Some thug probably turned this place into their stronghold," Gerger commented, inspecting the surroundings with a thoughtful expression. "The port board says these are the ruins of Utgard Castle."

After a few minutes of exploration, we finally settled around the fire, allowing ourselves a brief moment of respite amidst the tension.

"I had no idea there was such an old castle here... You found a good spot, Sr Kiyotaka," Nanaba said in a more relaxed tone.

"Sr Kiyotaka? He's half your age," Ymir intervened, raising an eyebrow with a slight smirk of disbelief.

Nanaba tilted her head as if she had just remembered something important. "You don't know...? Since the last expedition, he was promoted to sergeant..."

"What?"

"What?"

"What?"

"What?"

Damn it... Erwin didn't even tell me... That bastard.

Before I could fully process it, the door swung open. Gerger entered hastily, carrying a dusty bottle in his hands. His fingers visibly trembled as he held it up in front of us.

"Hey, look what I found!" he exclaimed with a mix of excitement and hesitation.

"Gerger... Is that wine?" Lynne asked, the only one who seemed to retain some common sense. "Don't tell me you're going to drink it..."

The man swallowed hard, looking at the bottle with a doubtful expression. "Of course not... Not at a time like this."

"Still... Who would've thought we'd get a break thanks to some bandit's loot..." Nanaba murmured, resting her elbows on her knees while staring at the fire.

"It's a bit cruel to say that we're the thieves now, don't you think?" she commented with an ironic tone.

"HAHAHA!" Lynne suddenly burst into laughter, perhaps trying to lighten the mood. However, no one else followed. The shadow of reality weighed too heavily upon us.

Gerger sighed and stood up with a serious expression. "Rookies, make sure to get some rest. It's nighttime, so I doubt there are any active titans left, but for safety, we'll take turns standing watch. We'll rotate every four hours until dawn."

A brief silence settled before Krista hesitantly broke it with a question. "B-but... if the wall isn't broken... how did the titans get in...?"

We all fell silent.

Gerger clicked his tongue as if he preferred not to dwell on it. "We'll deal with that tomorrow," he replied, walking toward the stairs leading to the roof. "For now, rest."

...

...

"It could be... that the situation is different from what we thought," Krista continued with a hesitant voice. "It's just that..."

"Hnnn..." Lynne frowned, thoughtful.

"Yes, there are only a few titans now..." Gerger responded seriously. "I wonder if they really broke the wall..."

"The titans we encountered were the same ones we saw at the beginning..." Nanaba added, her gaze lost in the fire.

The atmosphere grew even more tense. The lack of clarity in the situation unsettled us all.

...

"By the way, Connie..." I decided to intervene for the first time in the conversation, getting ahead of Ymir, who seemed about to ask the same question. "What happened to your village?"

Connie didn't respond immediately. He lowered his gaze, lost in thought.

"It was destroyed..." he murmured after a few seconds. "We arrived just after it was overrun by titans..."

Everyone's expressions darkened immediately.

"I see..."

"But no one was devoured... It seems like they managed to escape safely," he continued, his voice reflecting a strange mix of relief and confusion. "At least that's some kind of relief among all this shit..."

Destroyed...?

"I see... They must have escaped on horseback, right?" I added in an apparently casual tone.

One of the superiors visibly flinched.

What a shame. Apparently, all the horses were still tied up in the village...

At least with this, I can fulfill one of Erwin's dreams... I just need to figure out how... This world gets harder every second...

"But... didn't you say the village was destroyed?" Ymir intervened, frowning.

"Well, the buildings were wrecked, but there were no signs of victims. When titans devour humans, there are always remains... blood, bones, torn clothes... But there was nothing like that. The most logical conclusion is that they escaped."

...

...

"It's just that... there's something that's been bothering me since that moment..." Connie swallowed hard, as if he was still processing what he had seen. "The titan lying on my house... it couldn't move. Its body seemed completely inert. However, for some reason, it was there... lying on my house as if it was sleeping."

He paused.

"And the thing is..."

Everyone remained silent, waiting for his next words.

"...Its appearance, in some way... really reminded me of my mother."

The air seemed to grow heavier.

"What the hell does that mean...?"

...

Interesting. In the end, you're not as dumb as I thought. At least your intuition works...

"Connie... you're still going on with that stupidity—" Reiner began to say impatiently, but he was interrupted before he could finish his sentence.

"ARE YOU SERIOUSLY AN IDIOT?! WHAAAT?!" Ymir burst into uncontrollable laughter, doubling over. "YOUR MOTHER, A TITAN?! THEN HOW THE HELL ARE YOU A SHORTY, HUH?! SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT, CONNIE?! THINGS DON'T WORK THAT WAY, YOU KNOW?!"

Her laughter echoed in the castle.

"I knew you were dumb! But maybe it's the other way around! If that's the case, maybe you're a genius! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Ah... enough already..." Connie murmured, lowering his head, offended.

"Calm down... what you're doing is ridiculous..."

But Ymir wasn't going to stop there.

"Hey, if what you're saying is true, wouldn't that make your father a titan too?" She placed a hand on her chin with an exaggeratedly thoughtful expression. "Because if he isn't, then... you know... they couldn't have done it!"

Connie turned red with anger.

"SHUT UP, YOU DAMN WITCH!! JUST GO TO SLEEP ALREADY!!"

Ymir just laughed even harder, enjoying the boy's reaction.

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