A long, indeterminate stretch of silence hung heavy in the cave, the only evidence of time passing the subtle shifts in the faint light filtering through the entrance. Then, slowly, tentatively, Riku's eyelids fluttered open. A dull ache throbbed through his limbs, a phantom echo of the brutal ordeal he had endured, but to his astonishment, he felt whole. He moved his fingers, flexed his arms, wiggled his toes – all present, all functioning perfectly. The System's promise of healing had been absolute.
He pushed himself up into a sitting position, a wave of dizziness momentarily washing over him. His gaze fell upon Erina, who still lay motionless on the cave floor, her breathing shallow and even. The horrific scene she had witnessed had clearly taken a significant toll.
Just as he was about to check on her, two voices broke the stillness.
"So, you're finally awake." The first voice was low, gravelly, and undeniably familiar, sending a jolt of recognition through Riku.
"Master." The second voice, though deep and resonant, was completely new, a sound he had never heard before.
Riku's head snapped towards the source of the voices, his eyes widening in utter disbelief at the sight that greeted him. Standing near the cave entrance, bathed in the soft light, were two figures that defied all logic and expectation.
There stood Levi Ackerman, the formidable Captain Levi from Attack on Titan, his signature stoic expression etched on his sharp features, his dark hair neatly undercut. And beside him, his crimson armor gleaming as if newly forged, stood Igris.
"Now will you just keep looking at our faces like a stunned idiot, or are you actually going to say something?" Levi asked, his tone characteristically blunt and impatient, his piercing grey eyes fixed on Riku.
At the same moment, Igris took a step forward, his helmeted head tilting slightly in concern. "Master, are you alright? We were quite worried when you collapsed." The deep, unfamiliar voice was Igris's, yet somehow… different, possessing a new depth and resonance.
The sight of Levi and the sound of Igris's newfound voice sent a whirlwind of questions crashing through Riku's mind. Then, the fragmented memories of the gacha spin before his descent into unconsciousness resurfaced. Levi's presence made a bizarre kind of sense; he was a prize from the character gacha. But Igris? How was his loyal shadow knight standing here, seemingly unharmed?
"Igris," Riku began, his voice still laced with disbelief, "what… how are you here?"
Igris inclined his head. "Master, it is my understanding that when the Flugels made their presence known, I followed your silent command to draw their attention. I ran… very far, putting as much distance as possible between myself and the cave, leading them away from your location. It seems that in doing so, I moved beyond the effective range of the System's direct influence. I have always possessed the ability to speak, Master, but there was… a restriction. A silent command woven into my very being by the System, preventing me from vocalizing. Now that I am outside its direct control, that restriction is… deactivated."
Understanding dawned on Riku. It clicked into place with a chilling clarity. The System's control wasn't absolute; it had a limited range. By luring the Flugel far away, Igris had inadvertently freed himself. The System, unable to track him beyond a certain point, had likely registered his absence as death.
A new, unsettling thought wormed its way into Riku's mind. If Igris was no longer under the System's direct control… did that mean he was no longer bound by Riku's orders? The implications were significant.
He looked at Igris, a hint of apprehension in his gaze. "Igris… now that you are… free from the System's direct influence… do you still consider yourself my servant? Will you still… follow my commands?"
Igris turned his full attention to Riku, his crimson eyes burning with an unwavering loyalty. He knelt before Riku, placing a gauntleted hand over his heart. "Master," his resonant voice echoed with sincerity, "my admiration for you is absolute. You possess a strength of will and a compassion that I have never witnessed before. You faced unimaginable hardships and yet you continue to fight, not just for yourself, but for the sake of others. You treated me not merely as a tool, but as a valued ally. My loyalty to you is not born of the System's constraints, but from my own free will. I will continue to serve you, Master, for as long as you will have me."
"By the way, Master," Igris interjected, his newly acquired voice carrying a low growl as his crimson gaze fixed on Levi, "please allow me to teach that ignorant person a lesson in respect." His hand instinctively moved towards the hilt of his spectral sword.
'Oh, don't worry about Levi. He's just like that. Blunt, direct. Honestly, I kind of like his attitude,' Riku thought, a wry amusement tugging at the corner of his lips. He had encountered enough arrogant individuals to recognize Levi's brand of stoicism was different, almost… efficient.
"If the touching reunion between you two lovebirds is finally over," Levi drawled, his sharp grey eyes cutting through the tension, "perhaps we can discuss the pertinent matter at hand. By the way," he added, his gaze flicking between Riku and the still-unconscious Erina, "will someone deign to inform me precisely what the bloody hell I'm supposed to be doing here?"
Levi took a few measured steps towards Riku, his gaze unwavering, locking onto Riku's eyes with an intensity that had unnerved titans. Simultaneously, Igris's hand tightened on his sword hilt, a silent threat radiating from his armored form. Riku, however, offered a subtle gesture, a barely perceptible wave of his hand, signaling Igris to stand down. He met Levi's intense stare unflinchingly.
"Looks like you're the one I'm going to be taking orders from, Riku Dola," Levi stated, his voice flat, his gaze boring into Riku's. He sought to gauge the measure of the man before him, to find any flicker of uncertainty or weakness in his eyes. But Riku's obsidian gaze remained an unyielding void, reflecting nothing back, an unnerving abyss that seemed to swallow Levi's scrutiny whole.
A flicker of something akin to understanding, perhaps even a grudging respect, crossed Levi's stoic features. He had faced down titans, beings of immense power and destructive intent, but there was something profoundly different about the emptiness he found in Riku's eyes. It spoke of a depth of experience, a detachment that transcended even his own battle-hardened stoicism.
"Yeah… it's you," Levi conceded, a hint of grudging admiration in his tone. "Erwin Smith would have done anything to have you in his regiment. I don't know much about you, Dola, but something tells me… you surpass even him." It was a rare and significant admission from humanity's strongest soldier.
"I wouldn't presume to know that," Riku replied, his voice calm, his gaze still fixed on Levi, the unnerving emptiness unwavering. "For now, just keep quiet and let me reconsider our… rather complicated situation." Even Levi, a man who rarely yielded ground in a staring contest, found himself subtly unnerved by the unwavering blackness of Riku's eyes. There was a weight of untold experience there, a silence that spoke volumes.
"Okay, Boss," Levi conceded, a hint of amusement in his tone, a flicker of respect now clearly visible. He turned and casually perched himself on a nearby rock, his gaze sharp and observant, ready for whatever Riku decided.
[System: Levi Ackerman, also known as "humanity's strongest soldier," is the leader of the Survey Corps' Special Operations Squad in Attack on Titan. He is a highly skilled and stoic warrior with a sharp, almost detached demeanor. Levi is known for his unwavering dedication, strong leadership, and intense combat abilities, as well as his meticulous nature and preference for cleanliness.
Unlike actual Levi, this Levi is in his prime with memories and experience of his whole life. His 3D maneuver gear and blades are latest version and are unbreakable while his gas tanker has unlimited gas.]
Riku absorbed this information, his mind reeling slightly. Humanity's strongest soldier. Here. At his command. The implications of this unexpected acquisition were staggering.