"Successfully killed a Pure Titan. Reward: Synchronization +0.1%."
0.1%?
Evan Cross stared at the system prompt, and his excitement dropped instantly.
If killing one Titan gave only 0.1%…
Then to reach 100% Tiga power, he'd need to kill 1,000 Titans.
"A thousand…?
You've gotta be kidding me…"
Before he could complain further
"ROOOOOOOAAAH!!!"
The remaining black-haired female Titan
Eren's "stepmother Titan"
suddenly went berserk.
Her shattered teeth regenerated in seconds.
With a vicious snarl, she lunged and clamped her jaws onto Tiga's left arm
as if determined to tear off a piece of this strange new Titan.
"What the hell!? I wasn't the one who dumped you, why take it out on me!?"
Evan tried to dodge but reacted a second too late.
CRUNCH!
Pain rippled across his body
not unbearable, but sharp enough to make him hiss.
"Tch !
Why didn't biting my armor shoulder hurt, but THIS does…?
Ah
The chest armor must've protected me earlier…"
No time to think.
He needed to break free.
Pure Titans only had one real weapon
their jaws.
And as long as they could still bite, they'd never stop.
Before Evan found a solution
His Titan body moved on its own.
His right leg bent
muscles tightening
and with explosive force
BAM!!!
He drove a brutal knee strike straight into her abdomen.
"ROAAAAAH!!"
The female Titan reeled backward from the impact.
Tiga blinked.
Or more accurately
Evan blinked.
"Wait… when did I get THIS good at kicking…?"
Then it hit him.
Tiga's combat skill merges with the human body.
Both forms share mastery.
No time to celebrate.
The female Titan recovered and charged again.
Evan crossed his arms defensively
blocking her easily.
Then he leapt
twisting mid-air
ULTRA KICK!!
Both feet hammered into her chest.
BOOM!!!
The female Titan toppled, sending dust exploding everywhere.
"That Titan… did a martial arts move!?"
Hannes stood stiff, jaw practically on the floor.
He'd only ever heard of Titans in legends.
Today was his first time seeing one
and now he was seeing a Titan doing combat techniques?
Utterly unbelievable.
But Tiga didn't pause.
Pure Titans felt no pain
and would fight until their last breath.
Evan sprinted toward the fallen Titan.
His eyes sharpened.
He lifted one massive foot
And stomped on her nape.
THUD! THUD! THUD!!!
Each stomp sent tremors through the ground.
Each stomp splattered blood in thick arcs.
It was ruthless.
Efficient.
Terrifying.
Finally
Steam rose from the female Titan's body.
She was dead.
"Successfully killed a Pure Titan. Reward: Synchronization +0.1%."
"Current Synchronization: 1.2%."
Evan finally exhaled.
This brutal battle felt… oddly cathartic.
Ever since arriving in this nightmare world, there had been a heavy knot in his chest.
But now
crushing Titans
he felt it loosen.
"Mikasa!!!"
Hannes' sudden panicked shout snapped Evan around.
Even atop his towering Tiga form, Evan heard it clearly.
He turned
and his pupils shrank.
Two more Titans had appeared at the church ruins.
And one of them
one massive hand
was gripping a girl.
Mikasa.
"MIKASA!!!"
While Evan fought earlier, the spectacle had drawn more Titans from the area.
Mikasa and Hannes had been so focused on the Tiga battle
they hadn't noticed.
And now
Mikasa was seconds away from being shoved between Titan teeth.
Tiga's eyes sharpened
and then
BOOM BOOM!!!
He exploded forward with blinding speed.
"You disgusting piece of garbage!
Eat me? Eat your mom! EAT THIS!"
He swung his hand
CHOP!
A razor-sharp knife-hand strike cleaved clean through the Titan's nape.
SPLASH!!
Its head flew off
blood spraying like a fountain.
The Titan collapsed
loosening its grip
and Mikasa plummeted from its hand
But Tiga caught her instantly, gently cupping her in his massive palm.
Mikasa stared upward blankly at the giant silver face.
Her mind had gone white.
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed.
"Th… thank… you…"