The day after dismissal night.
As the top graduate, Chen Si was assigned a relatively light yet important task: inventorying equipment at the armory.
The armory could be said to be the most critical department in the military. Weapons were a soldier's lifeline—without them, one was nothing more than livestock awaiting slaughter.
Every year, this duty was handled by the top trainee. Eren, Mikasa, and the others were assigned to inspect the city walls and service weapons. They would be heading to the Trost District walls to maintain the fixed cannons.
Before going to the armory, Chen Si returned to the dormitory and retrieved the blade he had tempered with lightning for three years from beneath his bunk.
He was confident that this blade was as hard as Titan hardening itself. Even a full-force strike wouldn't snap it.
After finishing his task at the armory, Chen Si refilled his vertical maneuvering equipment with gas and inserted his tempered blades into the sheaths. Then he immediately launched himself toward the wall.
His smooth and fluid maneuvering drew exclamations from passersby.
"That soldier's control is incredible. Is he from the elite squad?" a Garrison soldier remarked.
"That's Chen Si, this year's top graduate. I heard he even broke Captain Levi's training records," another informed soldier replied.
"Wow… the top graduate—that's someone destined for greatness," another soldier said admiringly.
Chen Si weaved freely through the streets, exhilarated. He felt that even if he closed his eyes, he wouldn't fear crashing.
Soon he reached the top of the wall and saw everyone hard at work.
"Top graduate."
"Good morning, Top Graduate Chen Si."
Unfamiliar soldiers greeted him one after another. They all knew that as the top graduate, he was bound for prominence, so they eagerly built goodwill.
Chen Si responded with polite smiles.
"What? Connie, you're joining the Survey Corps too? Didn't you always say you envied the Military Police's?" Eren asked in surprise.
"Maybe he was inspired by what Chen Si said yesterday," the petite Mina said honestly.
"Shut up. I decided on my own," Connie muttered, his face slightly red.
"You're not the only one. A lot of people are," Thomas added, scratching his cheek.
"Haha, then I guess my speech wasn't wasted," Chen Si said as he approached.
"Top graduate," Mina and Thomas greeted.
"Good morning, Mina. Thomas," Chen Si replied gently, like a spring breeze.
Mina's cheeks flushed slightly.
"Um… everyone… I stole some meat from the officer's food storage," Sasha said dreamily.
"What?!" Everyone looked horrified.
"Sasha, do you want to be locked up?" Eren exclaimed.
"Put it back!" Thomas urged.
"That idiot is terrifying," Connie muttered.
"With less farmland now, meat is precious," Mina said worriedly.
"Hehe… should we bite into it whole? Or slice it into bread…" Sasha ignored them entirely, lost in culinary fantasies.
"I want some," Chen Si said calmly.
Everyone stared at him in shock.
"Well, if the top graduate says it's fine, I want some too!"
"Me too!"
"Save me a piece!"
Like students panicking over unfinished homework suddenly discovering the class representative hadn't done it either, they instantly relaxed.
With Chen Si leading, they all turned into "bad students."
"Sasha, give me the meat. I can make sure everyone eats cooked meat," Chen Si said.
Sasha hesitated, then suddenly remembered the roasted chestnuts from before and eagerly handed it over.
"Chen Si, it's not mealtime yet—the kitchen isn't open, you—" Eren began.
Before he could finish, a thick cloud of smoke burst forth.
Chen Si leapt straight off the wall.
"Cough, cough!" The smoke obscured everyone's vision.
Eren was the first to rush forward to the edge, heart pounding with worry.
Then he froze.
Below the wall, three Pure Titans were clawing at the stone—two around seven meters tall, one about four.
Chen Si plummeted downward. Just before hitting the ground, he drew his blade. Lightning crackled around his body, blue light blazing in his eyes.
To secure his "first kill," he unleashed every ounce of lightning within him.
Using the momentum of his fall, he flipped midair and rotated, slicing cleanly through the nape of a seven-meter Titan—head and flesh severed effortlessly.
A mechanical female voice echoed in his mind:
"Ding. Congratulations to the player for your first Titan kill. Ackerman bloodline 100% activated. Electrical output greatly enhanced. Upon slaying one hundred Titans, lightning power will reach maximum state."
Power surged through him like a flood.
Thick arcs of lightning coiled around his body. The blue glow in his eyes shimmered like stars.
He felt electricity overflowing within him.
At this moment, even without vertical maneuvering equipment, he was confident he could fly using lightning alone and instantly eliminate three Titans—until his energy ran out.
His enhanced electrical power could now replace gas for brief flight.
It was as though he had awakened a form of spiritual perception.
Closing his eyes, he sensed and locked onto the other two Titans.
The instant the first Titan's head hit the ground, Chen Si opened his eyes and transformed into a streak of lightning, flashing past the second seven-meter Titan's nape.
Without pause, he shot toward the four-meter Titan.
Even before reaching it, the smaller Titan's flesh was scorched by crackling arcs.
One final slash split it in half from nape downward.
Less than two seconds.
Three Titans—dead.
He also discovered something surprising: every Titan he killed instantly restored electrical energy. The seven-meter Titan restored about half his energy; the four-meter far less, not even a tenth.
In theory, if Titans were clustered together and locked by his perception, even a hundred could be cut down one by one.
Of course, realistically, after ten or so, the others would react and surround him. Titans wouldn't just stand still.
In other words, his "mana bar" refreshed with kills.
As long as he had energy—he was nearly invincible.
And he had two energy sources: the gas from his maneuvering gear and his lightning reserves.
Eren stared in shock as blue lightning illuminated his pupils.
For a moment, he recalled a dream—lightning striking down Titans one after another.
A sudden headache came, and the memory vanished.
The others rushed to the wall's edge.
"Top graduate jumped down!" Mina cried.
Connie, Sasha, and the others ran forward anxiously.
Below, the three Titan corpses steamed and slowly evaporated.
Chen Si stood with his back to the wall, gazing at the distant Titan hordes.
In his hand, he held up the now-cooked meat.
During the battle, it had been roasted by his lightning. Under his precise control, it hadn't been burned or destroyed.
"Chen Si, you're amazing! Three Titans weren't even a match for you! We'll wipe them all out someday!" Eren shouted excitedly.
"As expected of the top graduate," Mina said, eyes sparkling.
"With you here, we'll definitely reclaim Wall Maria!" Connie declared passionately. His village was still under Titan threat.
Only Sasha burst into tears.
"The top graduate used Titans to cook meat for us! Waaaah!"
Everyone was moved, admiring Chen Si's "sacrifice."
Chen Si thought, That explanation works. Titan body heat probably could cook meat… but that's filthy. I'd rather use electricity.
They divided the meat and ate heartily.
To them, this was a meal prepared at the risk of his life.
"It's so good! Thank you, Top Graduate!" Sasha sobbed happily.
"Thank you, Top Graduate!" the others echoed.
"Sasha, just call me Chen Si. We're friends. From now on, you can eat as much as you want," he said warmly.
He knew Sasha had a habit of flattering others. When others flattered him, he accepted it—he was exceptional.
But with Sasha and the others, he wanted friendship without distance.
Sasha cried even harder.
"Chen Si, you and Historia are the kindest people I've ever met!" she wailed.
"Still crying? Then I'll take your meat," Connie said, snatching a piece and running off.
"Connie, you bastard!"
Instantly, Sasha stopped crying and chased him.
Everyone laughed.
Chen Si took a large bite. It tasted excellent.
It seemed lightning even enhanced the flavor.
As he ate, he gathered strength.
Come on, Bertholdt.
Come die.