(9 hours earlier - at the markets of the village of Gino.)

MORI YAZAWA'S POV

Noriko and I travel through the markets to buy ingredients to feed our family. However, we arrived to find that much of the food at the markets are in short supply. It was not surprising to us since we knew that those ingredients might have already been donated to refugees from Wall Aya.

"Noriko, food is in short supply. It looks like we need to hunt animals for food."

"Hunting animals will not be easy either. Most people right now are gonna do the same just so they can eat."

We walked through one street to find two groups of people that caught our attention. At the streets, we found beggars lying around, starving and hopeless. Overhead, we saw refugees waiting in line for bread that is being delivered by Garrison Guards.

I felt guilty as I looked at the starving citizens of Wall Aya.

I remembered one time I had back at the Love Live Corps. Three years ago, we faced a problem on how to get food after a pack of Alpacas blocked the warehouse where our food was stored.

"Mori, do you feel guilty?"

"Huh?"

"Mori, I can sense that you pity these people. I can also sense you want to do something for them."

"How can I if I have already lost an arm?"

"You still have one more arm to do something for them? Why don't you use it then?"

Noriko started lecturing me all of a sudden. It felt like she is urging me to do something for mankind once more.

She is right. I felt that I had to do something.

(At Aki Acre, the Yazawa family's new home - 7 hours earlier)

"We're home!!"

We arrived back home. The only ingredients we managed to buy are some fruits and one large piece of chicken meat. Our children eagerly wait for a feast.

I noticed that Nico is busy cleaning the house. It looked like she took no breaks to make our new home look better.

We are living a peaceful life together, I am happy we are. However, I realized that as we live through this peace, we try to ignore the chaos of the world. To live happily, we have to turn a blind eye on what is truly happening inside the Walls.

But I will soon realise that my perception is wrong. I am the only one thinking this way.

In other words, I built a wall of peaceful thinking for myself and for my family. I ignored the reality that building such a mental wall will not solve the chaos that goes beyond it - that such a wall will ultimately break.

I could see those cracks now. As we sat together on the table, everyone looked like something beyond hunger is racing through their minds. Noriko looks stressed - she is probably thinking of how many people she needs to help as a doctor. Cotaro, my youngest son, is drawing a logo of the Love Live Corps. Cocoa also draws as well, this time she drew a rough sketch of an Alpaca. Cocoro looks at her food without much interest, as if something is bothering her.

Finally, Nico sat but did not eat. She did not touch her food. Rather, she looked at me and asked a question.

"Dad.....how are the people outside?"

"Nico....what do you mean?"

"Dad, are the people outside okay? Do they have enough food to survive?"

"Nico....I cannot believe you would ask such a thing....."

"They are starving, my dear.", Noriko replied, wanting to tell Nico what is actually going on.

"Noriko!!?"

"Mori, do not try to hide the truth from them."

Noriko looked at me seriously. She turned back to Nico and continued.

"Nico, here is what I understood. The people outside are starting to suffer from starvation. Lack of food is primarily because of the loss of farm lands due to Wall Aya's fall and also because there are too many people to be fed enough bread or grain. Judging from my experience, I expect that a plague will likely break out soon."

"Really, mom?"

"Yes, Nico."

"....this is terrible. No wonder why dad only managed to buy only one chicken meat."

The more they talk about Alpacas, starvation and stuff, the more irritated I become.

"....those Alpacas are the ones responsible for all this. Someday, I have to do something about them."

"Nico, there are many ways you can help out. I do my part to treat wounded soldiers if there are any. Besides my profession, you can try out being an engineer for building 3DMG weaponry. Just want to let you know that there are other ways besides being a soldier that actually fights them - "

I turned to Noriko demanding explanation for why she is giving our daughter too much information.

"Noriko, why are you giving her ideas? Don't tell me you support her - "

"Yes I do, dear. But that does not mean I want her to do it. It is her choice, I only gave her suggestions. And those suggestions I gave are actually a bit safer than what she previously only knew..."

"Enough of this!"

I slammed the table and stood up. It surprised everyone, but I am more surprised about how they are all behaving.

"Why are you all like this?! We should be living normally, eating lunch to enjoy the food and talk about our future!! Instead, all of you want to talk about are the suffering of other people, the hopelessness of others, going out to face danger than to enjoy living in a home, and - "

"And what?"

"........darn it.", I could not counter her question. I knew I could not.

"...you are about to say "reality", right?"

Noriko is right. I forgot how my wife is very good at talking, negotiating, and reading people's emotions.

"Mori, I understand how you feel. But in my opinion, I'd rather talk about or even do something about the reality of what is going on than to talk about our future. For me, we don't have a future."

"What....did you just come up with?", I gave a confused reply.

"Dad...", soon my children started sharing their opinions.

"Dad, I want you to know that our future depends on humanity's future. That is my opinion. If we don't do anything for them, nothing good will come for us either.", said Nico.

"Dad....I think mom is trying say that we will be safe if we help humanity to be safe too."

Even Cocoro understands and supports what Noriko said. Meanwhile, Cocoa and Cocoro looked at me while showing me Cotaro's drawing of the LL Corps logo.

"You are all.......sigh....yeah...you are all correct."

I gave in. I now realise what my family wants - not food, but aid for others.

"I get it now. I have a family that does not want to sit around and live peacefully knowing that the world is falling apart.

"You don't like it, right Mori?"

"No....the truth is....I am proud to have a patriotic family like you!"

But for some reason, I like having people like them. I ended up saying "good" things about them.

"And you know what, you are all just as patriotic as my former comrades in Love Live Corps are!! You all remind me of them."

Even I am shocked with the deductions that I made right now. I never thought I would think like this - I want to help mankind as much as possible just like them.

"I am guessing that right now, my comrades are going to volunteer for the First Expedition....no...I think they are needed there."

"Mori, it is not too late.....", replied Noriko.

"What do you mean....do you....do you want me to go back?"

"I will be honest, dear. As much as I am happier to see you alive with us, I am bothered by how you left the Corps. I know that you did that out of fear for the Alpacas and your desire to be with us....."

She wants me to know that most families would not want their fathers to fight, but she and the Yazawa family are an exception.

"...but Mori, humanity needs soldiers to protect them cause no one else will. They need you."

"Dad....please fight those monsters for us!"

My children cheered for me. They want me to become a Legionnaire again. I still hesitate - my dear of death is what is keeping me from getting rid of my cowardice.

"But.....I might die....I don't want to die...", I asked them desperately.

"My dear, we will don't want to die too. But...if we let them do as they please, we all will die eventually..."

I realized just now that if the Military fails to fight back and the Colossal and Armored Alpacas return too soon, Wall Emi might fall soon as well. My family will become food for the Alpacas. I will become food too, otherwise I might end up getting murdered by fellow humans. They realised that sooner than I did.

"Geez....you are all a trully unusual family...I should have realized long ago that I have been part of another Love Live Corps all this time!"

After all that long talk, I headed straight for my closet. I picked up the cloak and uniform of the LL Corps. I decided to return to the frontlines - having only one arm left should not be an excuse to prevent me from doing what I truly want to do.

"I knew it!! Dad kept his uniform! He actually wants to return after all!"

Now that Cocoro mentioned it, I remembered why I kept my uniform, particularly my cloak. I remembered a time years ago when I shielded my comrade, Nori Sonoda, from the cold during one of our Expeditions where a heavy storm took place.

Geez, he died a brave hero. Guess I should do the same thing.....without the dying part.

"I am doing this because you guys want me to! I am gonna join the Expedition!!"

Nico, Cotaro, Cocoa, and Cocoro gave me hugs. Noriko kissed me on the cheek. Afterwards they smiled at me and cheered at me for support. It felt so nostalgic.

I opened the door and walked outside. I looked at a cloudy yet bright sky above. How strange, a while ago the sky looked gloomy enough to rain. But now, it looked like it is giving me a signal for hope.

I took a deep breath, and made up my mind that I can do this, I should do this, and I want to do this. I want to join Expedition One and assist the Expeditionaries.

"I will guarantee you all one thing - I am not gonna die. I will return alive to serve both you and mankind. Even if I have to abandon someone for my sake....."

I turned to give them an anxious look. I want them to see my real emotion.

"....so please do not criticise me for it!"

My family smiled. It looks like they did not care at all. They understand me. I finally felt relieved - and proud - as a dad of a one-of-a-kind family.

I left, walking away with pride as my green cloak flew through the winds.

------

(At the village of Ginza, refugees flock up to get food from the authorities.)

HANAYO'S POV

"Kayochin, are you alright?"

I sat down looking at my mom's gift. It is an eyeglass meant to help improve my eyesight.

"My mom left to join the Expedition. I am scared for her."

My mom is forced to join the Expedition in order to take our land back. The fall of Wall Aya stripped us of our homes and livestock. We lived at Rin's second house ever since, her dad had the hospitality to take us in and live there.

Obviously Rin is worried.

"It cannot be helped, I guess Kayochin.....and everyone else here is already more scared than you are!", she talked in a tone where she tries as hard as she could to lighten my mood.

She is right. Around me, people are gathering for food. The Garrison is currently leading the distribution of bread, butter, grain, and clean water.

"I am hungry......"

"Really? Hold on there, nyah! I am gonna get more for you!!"

Rin left me to get in the line and ask for more bread. I could see her from a distance so I know both she and I are safe. As she focused to give me some food, my eyes focused on the people - struggling to get something to eat and to live for.

"Hey!! Don't fight over that piece of bread!!!"

The woman in front of us is Kona Kousaka, the new Commander of the Uranohoshi Garrison Corps. She is in charge right now of the refugee center here at Ginza Village.

She seems to be very tired - I could see the eyebugs drooping on her face. Yet she continues to service the people.

"Ahhhh....why?!", nearby a young man got his hand stabbed by another man.

"That bread is mine! You give it to me now or else!"

Violent incidents like this has happened a lot of times already in this village. The Garrison is having trouble with the populace. Most of the violence have been resolved though - most but not all.

"What the hell.....", said Kona as she scratched her head in annoyance.

Usually, soldiers should try to restore order via peaceful means. Incidents like this, as violent as they are, could be resolved peacefully or through threats of force.

But I can tell that Kona's mind is too tired to think properly. She ran towards the assaulter and kicked him. Then she beat him up to the ground, taking her musket and aiming it on the man's head.

"Ahhh!"

"You want something to eat, right? Instead of stabbing someone for bread, you should be asking for soldiers to feed you bullets. We have a ton of ammunition for pigs like you! You want some!!?"

"Commander Kona!! You should not do that!!", two young Garrison Guards ran by to try and restrain Kona.

"Shut up!! Ignore me, focus on sending a medic to that injured man!!"

I witnessed how people, even soldiers, lose their minds and sense of reasons in situations like this. They act upon emotion rather than logic. Or in this case, Kona-sama lost her mind because of stress and exhaustion. Her actions provoked a bit of fear amongst the crowds.

I kept hearing the people's sorrows. It is hard to bear. These people have suffered beyond what they could bear.

I saw a girl with bluish hair watching the crowd by a corner. She stared into the crowd like a horrified animal. She witnessed the sufferings of people right before her eyes.

In front of her, there is a crying grey-haired girl. She is crying and screaming over the death of her family. I looked at her and I could relate to her - I have a bad feeling I will end up like her and lose my mother as well.

However, the bluish haired girl decided to come to the girl and comfort her. She started a conversation.

"Hey.....you should not be afraid...."

"Eh?"

"Listen...umm...you should not give in to fear! Be proud that you are still alive! Be proud that God protected you from death!!"

"....really?.....if that is the case....why did "God" let the Walls fall? Why did He let my entire family die?!"

"....it...it is because......", the bluish haired girl hesitated to say something for a bit, but then she recalled what her mom taught her when she looked at the cross-shaped necklace around her neck.

"....Because God wanted us to believe in Him!!"

This girl suddenly developed confidence after noticing that her answer had an impact on this poor girl.

"That's right.....my mom learned that the fall of Wall Aya is because of people who refuse to believe in Him, because people disobeyed His commands by trying to leave these Walls!! Yes, it is because He wanted to challenge us if we are worthy for Him!! If we pursue salvation by respecting Him and these sacred Walls, He will no longer need to let another Wall fall!!"

She succeeded in giving the girl a comfortable explanation, as young as she may be. I guess being the daughter of a religious family makes you a bit wiser, huh?

"What is your name? I want you to help me learn salvation!"

"....ummm....Yoshiko....my name is Yoshiko Tsushima! My mom is one of the priestesses of the Holy Walls Cult!! I will bring you to her!"

She grabbed the poor girl and carried her to the opposite street towards the area where Wall Cultists are gathering.

I understand why she did that. She wanted to try and help these people via religion. She probably thought that giving people something to belive in, albeit how insane that belief is, is the key to help mankind.

Although I disagree with what she just did, I am aware that what she did is necessary. That poor girl would have suffered more without Yoshiko's aid. Sometimes, helping someone requires you to sacrifice one of your beliefs. That is what I thought.

Geez....right now, I just witnessed how irrational mankind is becoming. It won't be long before I grow up to see people killing each other for land or income, people turning blind eyes and try to ignore the coming disasters, people turning to a made-up "God" for worship just to survive, and people who have nowhere to go to end up dying inside these Walls. By now, mankind is already mentally extinct.

It all comes down to the First Expedition.....will it succeed somehow? Our existence right now lies in them.....or no....our fates lies in the paws of the Alpacas. When will the Armored or Colossal Alpacas show up? How long will this Wall last? Does mankind has any time left to make a comeback?

Considering the situations right now, I do not think a God actualy exists anymore. The only "god" might be death itself. All we could ever do now is prepare for our deaths.

....I need to stop thinking about this. I am too young to think like this. I need to sit by a corner and rest.

The sky above is cloudy yet bright. I wonder if it meant something.

------

A/N: Took a while to publish this because of lack of Internet, and otaku events. Finally, I wanted this chapter to be as well-written as possible, actually one of my most favorite chapters for this volume actually.

Next chapter will come soon, stay tuned. Also, it would help if you guys tell others about this book and that I am updating it again. I have a feeling that the long hiatus made you guys lose interest.

I look forward to all of you bearing with me for this volume, because the next ones will be action packed and original. See ya!