The moment of confusion is less one of non-recognition and more of disorientation at a brief overlay of memories - the last time he had truly seen Hange, dispersing them into Shiganshina, a handful of moments in the intervening years at a spectral distance, to witnessing their death with a detached existence...and then taking their hand, after.

Ah...right.

Emotion swells in his chest as the true implications of those hazy spirit-memories descend onto him - alive, truly. And so are they, full and real and vibrant.

He stumbles a little, a laugh startling from his mouth as he reaches automatically with his one arm to steady himself against their elbow, locking onto it. Solid. Real.

"Yes- Hange, it's me." Erwin leans away enough to look at their face fully, the eyepatch covering their face - familiar and yet not, opposite of Levi's. Yet more scars they have all borne for him.

"It's good to see you."