The world outside my Titan body felt distant—
as if I were submerged under boiling water.
My vision pulsed red.
My hearing was warped, every sound stretched and twisted.
But I could still feel everything around me:
Fear.
Heat.
The trembling earth.
And the Titan in front of me —
the one that tried to crush me like an insect—
had finally realized something:
I wasn't human anymore.
It stumbled backward, arms flailing in clumsy panic.
And deep inside this unstable shell of flesh and steam…
I felt it.
A new instinct.
A hunger—
not for food, but for dominance.
My Titan body lurched forward.
Bones cracked as my incomplete form took a step.
CRACK — THUD.
The impact made the ground ripple.
People screamed and scattered, but I couldn't focus on them. Their voices were distant echoes.
The only thing that mattered…
was the Titan in front of me.
It turned to run.
A mistake.
My arm swung—
the movements grotesque and jerky, like a newborn creature trying to walk—
but the power was undeniable.
My hand— no, my claw— slammed into its back.
BOOM—!!
The small Titan flew across the dirt road and crashed into a wall, its ribs snapping with a sickening crunch.
Inside the nape, the human operator was instantly killed.
A strange satisfaction burned through my chest.
Was it me…
or my Titan instincts?
I didn't know.
But I didn't have time to think.
More Titans crawled through the shattered gate.
Some tall and twisted, others smiling with eerie stupidity.
They approached slowly—
uncertain, cautious.
Titans could smell something different.
Something wrong.
My existence.
[Titan Form Stability: 41%]
[Warning: Structural breakdown imminent.]
The System's message hit me like a bucket of ice water.
If this body collapses while surrounded by Titans…
I was dead.
Steam hissed violently from my joints.
The incomplete bones in my legs cracked, threatening to snap.
I roared—
a sound that shook dust off the rooftops.
Three Titans charged in response.
The first one lunged at my leg.
Too fast.
It sank its teeth into my shin—
or tried to.
The moment its teeth touched my steaming flesh—
they shattered.
The Titan froze, confused—
its jaw hanging in pieces.
Without thinking, I grabbed it by the head.
CRUNCH.
Its skull caved under my grip like soft earth.
The second Titan leaped—
I swung my arm.
WHAM—!!
Its body spun like a broken doll, crashing through the side of a house.
The third Titan jumped at my chest—
and this is where the incompleteness betrayed me.
My body jerked.
My arm didn't move properly—muscles refusing to obey.
The Titan latched onto me.
"HRRR—!!"
I growled, trying to pry it off, but my arm twitched violently.
Outside, I could hear people screaming,
"IT'S FIGHTING THEM—!!!"
"A Titan is fighting Titans!"
"What IS that thing?!"
Their fear ran under my skin like electricity.
Not fear of the Titans.
Fear of me.
And then—
a stabbing pain shot through my spine.
The System blinked.
[Stability: 30%]
[Forced Ejection in 35 seconds]
My heart dropped.
"No—! Not now!"
If I left the Titan body now, surrounded by these monsters—
I'd die instantly.
The Titan on my chest opened its mouth, ready to tear into me.
I reacted without thinking.
My incomplete ribs extended—
snapping outward like jagged bone spears.
They impaled the Titan through the torso.
It froze.
Steam hissed.
Its mouth hung open silently before falling limp.
Inside the Titan body, I gasped.
That…
that wasn't something I consciously controlled.
It was automatic.
Instinct.
Reflex.
Monster-like evolution.
I could feel the Titan form deteriorating rapidly—
like a machine tearing itself apart.
[10 seconds until Ejection.]
The remaining Titans, sensing weakness, circled in.
I braced myself.
My incomplete Titan roared one last time—
but the sound warped, cracking.
Everything shook.
Everything bled steam.
And then everything… cracked open.
My Titan body collapsed.
Flesh evaporated.
Bones dissolved into white steam.
I was thrown out—
a tiny human compared to the monsters around me.
I hit the dirt hard, panting, half-conscious.
The steam around me faded.
The world grew quiet.
Too quiet.
I lifted my head slightly.
Three Titans stood only meters away—
their shadows falling over my small, helpless body.
Their eyes widened with excitement.
Their mouths twitched with hunger.
And I realized something chilling:
Without the Titan body…
I couldn't move.
My limbs were numb.
My vision was fading.
This was it.
My short life in this world would end here—
eaten like any other nameless casualty.
The closest Titan lifted its foot.
Then—
THWIP—!!
A line of steel flashed through the air.
The Titan's head exploded from the side, spraying steam.
Someone landed in front of me, wearing a Garrison cloak, blades steaming, eyes fierce.
"Are you alive?!" he shouted.
I couldn't answer.
My vision swayed.
Another voice screamed,
"Pull him out of there! More Titans incoming!"
Arms wrapped under me, lifting me up.
My consciousness slipped.
The world dimmed.
The last thing I heard was someone yelling—
"Who the hell is this kid?!
How did he survive THAT?!"
And then—
Everything went dark.