In an instant, the sky flickered between light and dark. A towering pillar of blue light shot straight into the clouds, and the violent energy blasted several nearby buildings into pieces.
"Thunder."
Chen Si opened his eyes. Two bolts of lightning shot out from his gaze. His body slowly rose into the air as he lifted his arm and spread his palm, releasing a torrent of violent energy.
The raging power of lightning surged forward like a beam toward the Jaw Titan. Thunder roared, lightning flashed, and space itself trembled. Dozens of Titans and nearby buildings caught within the beam were instantly blown to pieces.
"No! How is this possible?! Aaaah! Demon! Humanity has ultimately lost to… a demon! Aaaah!"
The Jaw Titan, transformed by Marcel, had most of its body instantly reduced to dust by the overwhelming energy. The remaining portion exploded apart, its head shattered into countless fragments scattered across the ground. Tears of pain streamed from Marcel's eyes before his death.
Humanity… has lost…
I'm sorry, Mom.
At the final moment before his consciousness faded, Marcel thought of his family.
Reiner, whose soldier persona was gradually giving way to his true self, stared blankly at Marcel's completely destroyed body in the distance.
"How… how could this happen… How could a demon be this strong… Marcel…"
Reiner clutched his head in agony.
"Reiner! What's wrong?! Can you still fight?" Marco asked anxiously.
"Being crushed like that by a Titan… it must have shaken him badly," Connie said, staring blankly at Reiner and the shattered remains of the Jaw Titan.
"Chen Si… that guy… is definitely not human…" Jean said slowly as he looked at the figure in the sky.
"This is…" Armin stared blankly at the towering blue pillar of light.
Inside the command headquarters at Wall Rose—
"What is that?!" Anka shouted, her mouth wide open as she stared at the lightning that looked like divine punishment from the heavens.
"Has the heavens come to save us?!"
"A god! This is a miracle!"
"Heaven still shows mercy to humanity!"
"It must be Lord Chen Si! He is the God of Thunder, here to protect us believers of the Thunder Sect!"
Inside Wall Rose, a handsome young man with slightly wavy brown hair gazed at the light in the sky with admiration.
"The Thunder Sect…"
Countless soldiers looked at the miracle before them like devout believers driven to madness.
Even the usually cold and composed staff officers on the wall were stunned into silence.
"Could all of this really be caused by Chen Si?"
"Who exactly is he?"
"If his loyalty to humanity is insufficient, the consequences could be even worse."
Some of the more experienced officers saw the deeper implications.
"At the very least, he stands on humanity's side. We need him—and he needs us. I suspect his real name may not even be Chen Si. Perhaps he comes from that ancient clan Levi is part of."
"It's recorded in ancient texts that this clan possesses mysterious power. We don't know the reason, but he is indeed human—and a valuable asset to humanity. You all understand, don't you?"
Pixis swept his sharp gaze across the officers whose thoughts were beginning to drift.
He would not allow anyone to hinder humanity's long-term plan. At this moment, unity was absolutely essential—even if the royal government stood in the way.
Elsewhere—
A raggedly dressed girl with lifeless eyes looked up at the endless starry sky as a brilliant meteor streaked past. She stared for a few moments, then pointed lightly into the air. Ripples spread out, then quickly returned to stillness. The girl lowered her head and continued playing with the sand.
Ding. Congratulations, player, for killing an Intelligent Titan for the first time. Reward obtained: Blessing of the Attack Titan.
Chen Si: "???"
"What is that supposed to mean? System, are you okay?" Chen Si called out in his mind.
"Hello? Hello?!"
Receiving no response, Chen Si was speechless. He had no idea what it meant and dismissed it as one of the system's odd jokes.
He slowly landed on a rooftop and clenched his fist, feeling the surging energy within his body. He had now gained a long-range attack method. That bolt of lightning just now could probably destroy even a battleship.
Of course, the cost was immense. After expanding his electrical power threefold, that single attack had consumed seventy percent of his energy.
Chunks of flesh and blood splattered onto Mikasa. She stood there blankly for a moment, then, ignoring her blood-soaked body, sprinted toward Chen Si.
"Chen Si!"
Historia, tears glistening in her eyes, rushed forward with a pitiful, tender expression and threw herself into his arms.