Late at night, at a military base on the outskirts of the Shiganshina region.
In the silence of the night, only the chirping of crickets and the croaking of frogs echoed across the prairie.
The members of the Marine Infantry preliminary corps were already asleep in their barracks.
The bright moonlight illuminated the cross at the center of the field, where Reiner Braun and Bertolt Hoover lay sleeping in handcuffs, hundreds of meters away.
They had their eyes closed in silence, with calm expressions, and the faint rise and fall of their chests showed that they were still alive in this world.
The soldiers on guard, carrying large miner's lamps, watched over the surrounding prairie, all remaining silent.
Gale stood in the distance, nodded, and said, "Let's begin."
Hannes, who had been silent, nodded, stepped away from Gale, and walked together with Mick toward a table where a military officer was preparing documents.
"By agreeing to sign this document, you will become more than men with the power of a Titan. You will inherit the will of our fallen comrades, and with it, the desire for peace of those who are still alive."
"From this night onward, you will become symbols. You will be etched into history and become ultimate weapons that will fight to protect us from foreign enemies."
Mick did not hesitate; he was the first to sign, and Hannes followed, with a calm smile, thinking that this time he might truly be as strong as in his dreams, able to protect the children.
Both placed their fingerprints on the document, and each received a dose of cerebrospinal fluid.
Under the watchful eyes of hundreds of people, both men solemnly walked toward the prairie.
Hannes stopped in front of Bertolt Hoover, and Mick stopped in front of Reiner Braun.
As agreed, Eren was using the power of the Founding Titan to oversee the area, preventing any accidents during the inheritance of the Titan power.
Someone raised a flag, and the soldiers gradually dispersed, leaving enough space.
As the flag waved, Hannes and Mick drove the syringes filled with cerebrospinal fluid into their skin, pushing them all the way in.
Boom!
In an instant, two bolts of lightning lit up the starry sky.
"Give them orders," Gale said to Eren, who stood beside Dina, waiting.
"Understood." Eren used the Coordinate to command the two Titans to each devour their respective targets.
Gale stood there, watching the scene closely without looking away.
During the day, Reiner and Bertolt had said they wanted to go home.
Gale spoke with the two of them for two hours about their hometowns, their families, and their past.
They were not interrogated for basic information as if under questioning; they simply chatted casually and were spoken to in a normal tone.
They spoke not only about their stories, but also about his own past.
It was like a conversation between friends.
Gale lied when Bertolt asked him about Annie, trying to obtain information about the girl.
"She's still alive. If the Marley government is willing to reconcile with us, perhaps you will meet again someday."
"Don't worry, we will do everything possible not to use the Rumbling of the Founding Titan. We only want to prevent the Marley government from invading our territory."
When Bertolt heard the news, a glimmer of light appeared in his eyes.
Gale knew that Annie was the girl he liked, a pure and innocent feeling without any hidden motive.
However, he did not like making promises he could not keep. That was why, before leaving, Gale told them something:
"Your crime of destroying the wall will be punished sooner or later. Tens of thousands of people died because of you. It would be best if you do not hold too many illusions about returning home and prepare yourselves."
Reiner and Bertolt responded as follows:
"We have been thinking about why we are imprisoned here."
"No matter how much we try to justify ourselves, we know that we have committed an unforgivable crime."
"But… our families… our families who live in the restricted zone are innocent; they did nothing."
"So… please, we are willing to accept any punishment, but please, King of the Walls, intercede for them when you speak with Marley. Otherwise… otherwise… the government will turn them into 'Titan weapons'…"
Reiner and Bertolt knelt down, their foreheads pressed to the ground, hoping that Gale could convey their message to the "King of the Walls."
"I promise that our people, who remain enslaved, will be brought to the island so they can live freely." This time, Gale made a real promise he intended to fulfill.
After the conversation ended, Reiner and Bertolt were given an anesthetic injection and had remained asleep ever since.
Gale witnessed their deaths in silence, memorizing every scene unfolding before his eyes.
He did not want to defend himself; he had already made a decision.
He simply felt pity for those two children who could not return home.
"But this is war. At least they are fortunate. As long as I remain alive, the world will see the light after the death of the Founding Titan. And I swear, I will create a world without Titans."