From One Hand to Another (Chapter)

"I don't know which it is. The only people who do know...are the ones who keep moving forward."

- Mister Kruger wonders what draws a soldier through hell

From One Hand to Another (手から手へ) is the 3rd chapter of the 24th volume and the 97th chapter overall of the Attack on Titan manga, written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama.

Overview
Following a close encounter between Annie and an elusive MP, the Warriors decided to breach Wall Rose after their Training Corps graduation to make new progress. Recalling his past, Reiner nearly takes his own life, but decides otherwise after remembering the importance of his role in the new Warrior candidates' lives. Falco is worried that he will not inherit the Armor, but a wounded soldier named Mister Kruger assures him that it is best for him to live a long life.

After the unexpected arrival of the Tyburs, Magath speaks with Willy Tybur, head of the family, and learns of the Tyburs' role as the true leaders of Marley. Worried about the fate of Marley and Eldia, Willy plans to reveal the truth to the world at the coming festival. Meanwhile, Falco delivers a letter from Mister Kruger.

Summary
One day Annie tried to locate the true king of the Walls by tailing a member of the Military Police Brigade. She was quickly discovered, and attempted to convince the man that she was his illegitimate daughter, come to reconnect with him, but the man easily saw through her ploy. Lashing out in self-defense, Annie fled and managed to escape the man through the sewers.

The next morning, the boys of the 104th Training Corps attempted to use Bertolt's abnormal sleeping position to predict the weather, before they were sent on their way by Reiner. While eating with his fellow trainees, Reiner commented on Eren's demeanor, prompting Jean to begin making fun of Eren for his poor performance with vertical maneuvering equipment. This prompted Eren to criticize Jean for training only with the intention of getting as far away from the Titans as possible, leading to a physical altercation between the two that Reiner is forced to break up. As he was separating the two, Reiner and Bertolt both noticed the look of exhaustion on Annie's face.

That night, Annie informed them of her encounter with the Military Police member. Fearing that her face was seen, Annie suggested that the three return to Marley and turn over what little information they had found. Reiner refused to agree to this, arguing that what they had uncovered would not justify the five years they had spent on Paradis Island. Reiner proposed instead to destroy Wall Rose, noting that they would have the perfect opportunity when their Training Corps graduates in Trost District, as the Survey Corps will be leaving on an expedition that day. Once the Wall is breached, the three would move into Wall Sheena with the rest of the refugees. Annie noted that Reiner's friends would likely die in the process, but Reiner insisted that he did not care for any of his fellow trainees, a sentiment which disgusted Annie. As the three headed back to the training grounds, Bertolt revealed that he was having a recurring dream about the suicide victim whose story they stole.

Sometime later, as Reiner was training, he noticed Eren losing control of his vertical maneuvering equipment. As he attempted to convince Eren to take a break, Eren, frustrated with his poor performance, asked Reiner what he needed to do to improve himself. Remembering his own struggles as a Warrior candidate, Reiner advised Eren to not get discouraged, and to keep moving forward, assuring him that if anyone would be able to exterminate the Titans, it would be him.

Remembering all of his experiences of Paradis Island, Reiner prepares to commit suicide. However, before he can go through with it, he is interrupted by the sound of Falco training outside. As he watches Falco leave, Reiner realizes that the new Warrior candidates are his reason to keep on living.

As Falco laments the idea of Gabi inheriting the Armored Titan, he finds himself outside of a hospital for Eldian soldiers who were traumatized during the Marley Mid-East War. One of the soldiers, who Falco had attempted to help upon their return to Liberio, invites him to sit down with him. Falco notes that the man seems to be recovering well, and the man admits that he is in fact not suffering from any form of psychological trauma and is only pretending to because he does not want to go home to face his family. Noticing Falco's injuries, the man asks if they came from his Warrior training, which Falco confirms. He admits that he likely will not inherit any of the Nine Titans which, to Falco's surprise, seems to please the man. Falco tells the man that there is another candidate that he does not want to become a Warrior, before lamenting that he will likely die without accomplishing anything meaningful. Moved by Falco's words, the man begins to muse on what motivates everyone to step into hell, noting that some people are forced to by outside forces, while others force themselves. He concludes that those who force themselves likely see something beyond the hell they are placed in, but that they will never know what that thing is if they do not continue down that path.

Reiner is surprised to run into a breathless Falco outside of the Warriors' headquarters. When asked where he is going, Falco simply states that he has left something behind at the headquarters and is going to retrieve it before leaving, with a letter in hand.

Elsewhere, Magath is informed by Koslow that the Tybur family has come to pay him a visit. As the two go to meet their visitors, they note that the Tyburs have brought their own guards, rather than Marleyan soldiers. Arriving at the room where the Tyburs are staying, Magath is greeted by the family's current head, Willy Tybur. Speaking privately, Willy asks Magath if he is able to tell which Tybur is currently holding the War Hammer Titan, but Magath insists he cannot tell. Magath notes that the owner of the Warriors' headquarters left earlier that day after receiving instructions from his superiors, and asks if this unusual behavior was involved with Willy's visit. Willy claims that he came to see the statue Helos, the Marleyan hero who slayed the Devil of All Earth, praising the figure as the spirit of Marley. Willy is taken off-guard by a snide remark from Magath about the statue being hollow, before asking Magath about his plans to reinstate the Marley conscription system. Magath muses that Marley as a nation will not stop warring and expanding its borders until it is completely destroyed and advises Willy that it is already too late for anything to be changed. Noting Magath's insinuation, Willy reveals that the Tybur family is, as Magath suspects, currently in control of Marley. However, he insists that Marley's penchant for war has always existed, and that the Tyburs merely enabled the nation to do so as penance for their suffering under Eldian rule. Willy acknowledges that all of the negativity that has arisen recently is a result of the Tybur's lack of action, but assures Magath that he intends to reveal the Tyburs' secrets at the upcoming festival. Commenting that Marley needs another Helos, Willy entreats Magath to work with him.

Falco recalls the last thing the soldier, Mister Kruger, said to him before he left the hospital. Kruger had asked Falco to leave the Liberio internment zone and mail a letter to his family for him, as any mail sent from inside the internment zone would be searched before it was sent, and it will be discovered that he is faking his trauma. Kruger told Falco that he simply wanted to let his family know that he was in Liberio, and that he was safe. Falco places the letter in a postbox and goes about his way.

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