Returning to the trainee dormitory, Haruya pondered what he should do next.
First, he could easily join the Survey Corps and get closer to the center of events.
If he had stayed voluntarily, he probably wouldn't have gained as much attention. That's why he had taken such risky actions earlier, fighting Titans alone.
After pouring himself a glass of water, Haruya sat by the window again, looking out at the nearly empty streets and the few pedestrians.
The population of Trost District had begun to plummet, as citizens, distrustful of the government, sought to flee inland.
The desolate streets made Haruya sigh. The next steps of his plan began to take shape in his mind.
The Survey Corps would set out to scout, attempting to reclaim 'Wall Maria' using Eren's Titan power. Then, the Female Titan (Annie) would launch a sudden attack.
After running through this sequence of events, Haruya didn't forget to consider what to do if the story suddenly changed.
But how exactly could he capture the Female Titan?
As a human, completing this task would be nearly impossible unless he had skills on par with Levi's...
If the Survey Corps, led by Erwin, captured her, wouldn't that count as a mission failure?
If the mission failed, Haruya's life would end here... he downed the slightly sweet water in one gulp and noticed many soldiers emerging from another street and alley.
There were members of the Military Police and the Survey Corps, signaling the end of Eren's deliberation meeting.
In the crowd, Haruya spotted a few people wearing cloaks and hats. It seemed the Survey Corps had temporarily gained custody of Eren.
Looking up at the sky...
"It's about time..."
The two Titans captured by the Survey Corps were killed by Annie, and Squad Leader Hange went berserk. Next would be the expedition beyond the walls.
This expedition was merely a scouting mission, aimed at safely delivering Eren to a designated location.
But returning to the main topic... Haruya's mission: [Capture the Female Titan].
If he could rely on others to capture the Female Titan while participating in the operation, it might count as a success.
But what if it didn't?
If it didn't, the mission would end there. Annie would seal herself away, and everything would be over.
[How about making a deal?]
The sudden change came from above.
By the time Haruya noticed, everything outside had frozen except for him.
If it were a matter of perceived time, at least the pigeons flying outside would still be moving slowly. But now, there was no movement at all.
The wind-blown trash, the soldiers' raised hands, the expressions of passersby... all were frozen in place.
In short, time had stopped for everything except Haruya.
"Have I finally awakened this power?!"
The ability to accelerate time!
[Don't ignore me, Nangou Haruya. I'm the one who stopped time. Don't foolishly think you've awakened some superpower. Having one ability is already the luckiest thing in your life, isn't it?]
"Though I really don't want to admit it, there's nothing to refute. I am indeed unlucky..."
Since arriving in this world, unfortunate events had decreased. Was this hidden proof that 'being Isekai'd equals misfortune'?
[As the saying goes, 'the pitiful have their hateful aspects, and the unfortunate have their moments of happiness'. But let's get back on track. Will you make a contract with me and become– oh, my bad, I've been watching too much anime lately.]
"Don't bring virtual world stuff into the real world. Though this place can't exactly be called the real world either."
[I think I'll play the role of Mephistopheles, the demon. Humans love that kind of character, right? The idea that a demon can grant them power.]
"That's true. After all, many villains are like that. The reason evil fails is simply because the setting dictates that good must triumph."
[What an unfair world. Why must evil always lose? No one can deny the world someone else wants to create, right? Of course, I think those who dream of conquering the world, whether human or not, are utterly foolish.]
In this frozen moment, the Supreme Deity seemed eager to elaborate on 'His' views.
[Those idiots should think carefully. After conquering the world, how would they manage it? Politics, economics, culture, communication... if mismanaged, once the conqueror's power weakens, they'll be overthrown by others. All their efforts would be handed over to someone else. In my opinion, the reason humans or non-humans can't conquer the world is simple: the world doesn't want to be conquered.]
"Kind of like how your destiny isn't determined solely by yourself, but also by others?"
[What a philosophical way to put it, 'I say mockingly...']
"You jerk."
More importantly, the Supreme Deity repeated 'Himself' twice before lowering 'His' position slightly.
[Personally, I don't agree with the saying 'good always triumphs'. A more accurate statement would be 'evil always loses'. From observing countless events, tragedies, and stories, it seems that powerful evil always ends up struggling for various reasons and ultimately fails. Meanwhile, the weaker side, representing good, seizes victory at that moment, acting almost like a villain.]
"I get it, 'I said in a tone that suggests I'm listening to nonsense...'"
[You jerk.]
Getting back on track, the Supreme Deity elevated 'His' position and stature again. What a convenient 'body'.
[Your mission is to capture the Female Titan, but for someone as unlucky and weak as you, it's too difficult...]
"Unlucky is a given, but weak is a biased opinion. As long as I can use my ability, I'm practically invincible."
[Don't get excited. Since you want to change the situation, let's make a deal... I'll grant you Titan powers, and in exchange, you'll be limited to a set number of Saves in this world...]
For emphasis, the Supreme Deity's passive luminescence intensified slightly...
[Once you accept the deal, your ability in this world will be limited to five uses.]
'Five times...'
'That's a bit low...'
Since entering this world, Haruya had already used it over ten times, many of which were spent practicing with the ODM Gear.
Thanks to those days of practice, he had avoided being eaten by Titans many times during his first battle.
However, once he gained Titan powers, he wouldn't have to worry about being killed by Titans, as long as he didn't get too reckless.
But what if something unexpected happened, and the situation became dire?
With only five Saves, each use would have to be extremely cautious and deliberate...
'Before that...'
"Can you tell me what kind of Titan powers you're offering? I don't want to be a regular Titan or an Abnormal Titan. Oh, and a flying Titan would be awesome."
[Stop talking nonsense. What's wrong with your brain?]
The Supreme Deity deliberately used a mocking tone. Haruya snorted and sat back down.
[The ability after Titan transformation definitely won't be flight. Aside from the fact that flight is only useful for escaping and doesn't enhance combat power, flying in human territory would be meaningless. Moreover, based on a Titan's size, while it's not as heavy as one might imagine, supporting such a massive body would require wings of considerable size. The idea of small wings allowing flight in anime is pure nonsense. Rather than saying wings enable flight, it's more accurate to say that wings are imbued with flight magic.]
It seemed this Supreme Deity had been influenced by otaku culture as well...
Indeed, as the Supreme Deity said, characters in anime who fly with small wings must be using flight magic rather than relying on the wings themselves.
"But none of this is useful..."
[I told you not to get excited. As the price for only being able to use five Saves, after transforming into a Titan, you'll gain an armor ability. How about that?]
"Like Armament Haki from One Piece?"
[Yes, you could say it's a combination of the Armored Titan and the Female Titan. Even your elbows will be perfectly protected, unlike the Armored Titan, which has vulnerable joints.]
"That's pretty convenient."
A Titan with Armament Haki? That's ridiculously overpowered.
[So, will you make a contract with me... no, will you agree to the deal?]
"Deal." Haruya nodded.
[Good. The method of Titan transformation is the same as for other characters. Oh, and...]
At this point, as the Supreme Deity floated toward the window, 'He' added:
[That armor ability initially has a limited coverage area and can only last for five seconds, with a ten-second cooldown.]
"…What the hell! Why are you only telling me this now?!"
[Goodbye!]
"You're screwing me over!!!"
Even if he shouted, it wouldn't change anything. Plus, time had started flowing again, so to avoid drawing attention, Haruya chose to stay quiet.
…..
A few days later, the graduating trainees gathered for the new recruit induction ceremony.
"Have you all made your decisions?"
Hearing Armin's conversation, Jean looked serious, while Connie seemed conflicted.
Standing on the stage was Erwin Smith, commander of the Survey Corps.
"I am Erwin Smith, commander of the Survey Corps. The king has entrusted me with managing the Survey Corps' activities. On this day, when you choose your branch, what I want to discuss with you is, of course, persuading you to join the Survey Corps."
Erwin scanned the crowd, his gaze lingering on a few individuals before passing over Haruya.
"Due to the sudden Titan attack, you've been forced to gain experience equivalent to an expedition beyond the walls. Witnessing so many sacrifices as trainees is unprecedented."
He continued without pause:
"You've come to understand the terror of Titans and the limits of your abilities. But this time, thanks to Eren Yeager, we achieved victory!"
Then, "...In the basement of his home in Shiganshina District, there's said to be a mystery about Titans that even he isn't aware of. If we can reach there, we might find clues to end the Titans' century-long reign!"
As everyone knew, to fully investigate, they would need to reclaim 'Wall Maria', which would be an incredibly difficult task.
However...
"Our goal remains the same, but the gate in Trost District is unusable, so we'll have to detour through Karanes District to the east. The four years spent building the main route have been rendered useless."
And during those four years, over 90% of the soldiers had died.
Erwin added, "Even with conservative estimates, sending another large force to 'Wall Maria' would require five times the sacrifices and twenty years... An utterly unrealistic number."
The expressions of the trainees around him instantly changed.
"We need talent. Due to the high number of casualties, we're short on personnel. Therefore, new recruits will also participate in a month-long expedition. The mortality rate for new recruits on their first expedition is 50%. Those who survive will gradually become elite soldiers with high survival rates!"
Erwin's next words made even more people hesitate.
"Those who know the horrors and are still willing to risk their lives, stay. Those who stay will mostly die in the near future. Ask yourselves if you can dedicate your hearts to humanity."
After speaking, Erwin announced that those unwilling to join could leave, while those who volunteered could stay.
In an instant, most of the trainees left.
They walked past Haruya, their expressions varied... some relieved, others gritting their teeth.
"If someone told you to die, would you do it?"
"I don't want to die!"
"Good, everyone's expressions are clear."
Erwin saluted, "Now, welcome to those who remain as new members of the Survey Corps. This is a heartfelt salute from me. Dedicate your hearts!"
""Yes!!!!!!""
The number of recruits joining the 104th Survey Corps was twenty-two.
"Well done. You've endured the terror... You are brave soldiers, and I deeply respect you."
Haruya stood at the far right, saluting before letting out a sigh of relief.
This way, the story hadn't deviated from Haruya's expectations and was progressing well.
As for the Survey Corps, he would join no matter what.
More importantly, he wanted to find a secluded, hidden place to practice...
Looking at his right hand, what he needed to practice wasn't the ODM Gear, but the ability to transform into a Titan.
The sensation of transforming, the movements, the use of abilities all required practice.
But maybe it would be as easy as controlling his own body. Eren seemed to manage it...
"This is troubling."
Because soon, the expedition beyond the walls would begin...
...
{T/N: Did anyone catch the little 'Toaru' reference in this chapter?}