Vengeance Of A Human

To the Very End: The Purpose of Life

Armin

Zeke looks down from Armin and continues to work on his sandcastle. “Long, long ago, when nothing but mere matter existed in this world, as countless masses of some unknown things appeared, disappeared, and appeared again, one of them eventually survived. We now know it as ‘life’. The reason that life ultimately survived was because it was in its nature to multiply. Life took new forms in order to multiply, adapting to every kind of environment and eventually leading us to where we are now. It sought numbers. It sought spread. It sought abundance. And so, this is to say the purpose of life is to multiply.

“This sand, these pebbles. the water. They don’t seek to multiply. But life never stops in its frantic quest to do so. After all, death and extermination of the species run counter to the goal of multiplying. That is why we face the punishment known as fear...and why that child so desperately sought to avoid such pain. Something stronger. Something larger. She gave birth to an undying body and then she escaped to a world that was free of even death.”

Armin looks around Paths, finally understanding the nature of this place. “That girl was Ymir, the founder, and this is that world free of death. In that case, what exactly is Ymir’s goal?”

“I spent myself an astounding amount of time here trying to understand her. In spite of all the strength she had, she could never defy King Fritz. Why was that? For two thousand years, she remained here, obeying him. What was the reason?” Zeke’s sighs and his eyes fall. “Yes, she did still feel attached to the world she left behind. Eren was able to understand that when I couldn’t. And that is why Ymir went with him.”

Armin’s eyes widened. Ymir…chose Eren? Then Ymir… Does she support the rumbling? “You have to tell me! Isn’t there...some way of getting back to the outside world from here?”

“Who knows? I think it’s impossible now.”

“I haven’t given up on anything yet.”

“Why?”

“Well…”

“To continue to multiply? Is the continuation of your species that important a task to you? What’s happening now could be called the miserable sight of life forms controlled by fear. A kind of fear brought about by completely pointless vital activities that--”

“My friends, they’re fighting right now! Because we can still save so many people from terror! What we’re doing is fighting fear!”

“What would be wrong with losing that fight? You know that to live means to one day die, does it not? Who knows… Perhaps one’s final moments bring relief. Maybe the end of your days being manipulated, all in the name of multiplication, without ever knowing if it means anything at all, feels like freedom.”

Armin drops his head, letting Zeke’s words sink in. No, there has to be another way… Armin’s fingers brush against something that isn’t sand, catching his attention. It is a leaf, a piece of greenery among this sea of sand. He picks it up, and a memory surfaces. “The sun was starting to set. We were running to a tree on the hill. The four of us...were racing. Eren brought up the idea and took off out of nowhere. Mikasa ran too but stayed behind him on purpose. Joshua started to catch up to Eren as they came closer to the tree. And, of course, I was dead last. But the breeze was nice and warm that day. Just running felt good. Leaves fluttered everywhere. And, for some reason, I thought then, maybe the reason I was born was so that the four of us could be racing there. I thought the same when I read books at home on a rainy day. When a squirrel ate some nuts I gave it... When we all walked around the market, too… I felt it. That these trivial moments might actually be precious.”