Disclaimer:

Ultraman series and Attacks on Titan do not belong to the author. They are creations of the following creators. Please support those guys with credits. Do notice that the 0 manga is now considered non-canon.

Attack on Titan/ Shingeki no kyojin 進撃の巨人© Hajime Isayama,

Ultraman/Urutoraman 初代ウルトラマン© tsuburaya

Non-cannon Ultraman Manga/ Urutoraman Sutōrī 0 0 ウルトラマンSTORY 0,

© Mabune Kazou

Thanks for reading.

Perception

"When we focus on ourselves, our world contracts as our problems and preoccupations loom large. But when we focus on others, our world expands."

Daniel Goleman. 'Social Intelligence. The New Science of Human Relationships.'

Armin Arlert. As shy as the sheep in a wolf's skin he is, is still able to cherish many things in life with people close to him, despite surviving in the world against a planet where death and predation comes as often as the rainy weather.

There is something he cannot cherish. Innocence.

Yet here he is again, the same scene played for perhaps the 9th time in over a months after it. Doing what he does best; failing, hiding, staying powerless against what life hits him with.

While the brave role models he always admired, would rather attack the cruelty of life directly all the virtues a good human craves for, Armin hated himself for his ineffective and pointless way of counter-attacks; escapism and rejection.

Even the most disgusting and vile humans around at least can fight like a monster when their lives are endangered. Armin on the other hand….can't stand none of it. He can't even run.

"Can you guys ever forgive me?" He cowered fully in wet tears with cups around his face and arms capping his body into a ball. A natural body posture that surrendered to the situation already. He can't get out of this cavernous mouth. He can't and don't want to do so.

Mina, Tom, Mylius as well as several other 104 Training Corps's visceral screams of being butchered like weak dogs, or the ear killing torment a human or anything living gives before its termination poisoned the atmosphere, they were not fully shut down to his senses. He swore he heard Mikasa's terror and horror as well, no matter how seemingly unbreakable she was.

Ignoring them was impossible. He would do anything for mobility or try to fly like a superman and smash these bullying predators to pieces. Though something just made him stuck there. Why can't human nature save others?

The only action he took to avoid being devoured into an empty memory that never existed was saying countless billions of curse words in his head he dreamt of saying during high hormonal outbursts under the ferocious bullies who weren't that different from the terror of the giants that ends people's lives for sport. As if this will create a fantasy bubble that lives after death.

"We can't die here!" The hand protruded in a sign of false hope into the cavern of jaws. One of the only precious friends that were more than another human trying to gain something. Eren is like his big brother most of the time, still with that relentless energy against what's scripted.

"Get lost and die." Armin flatly hissed. "Eren. I don't want you to save me. Leave me to rot." But the hand magically latched on anyway. In an involuntary blink….a darkness switching to light, the 2 boys had the fateful swap of destined outcome.

"No. NO! We're going outside. Right?" The green eyes which shined slightly in the fading candle of the jaws of despair whispered. "Thank you Armin. Keep her safe for the time to repay my favours. I'm not gonna go now, you heard it! WAIT FOR ME!"

Armin didn't tremble due to the sheer repetition of the same terror all over, over and over again. He often wondered why such vivid torture of a memory still haunts him.

With a huge hammer that struck his heart. The jaws closed and murdered his friend exactly in front of his traumatized gaze. He knew it's ridiculous to cry, he should be shouting with the testosterone of a primitive cave man, alert his comrades and screw up this mass of pure demon to death a million times worse. But he wasn't sure if anyone was there.

The world suddenly felt empty. All was empty. The gunners in their hundreds somehow mysteriously vanished. Not murdered but just never came to existence. There were only titans. No-one else. No humans, no more. It was…peace. In a grotesque way.

At least the Titans didn't stare ominously with any distressing lack of any trace of emotion of hate, happiness, remorse and their creepy aura like last time. They continued business as usual without paying any attention to him. He thinks he should be mourning but he felt anger, no he felt fear. He wasn't sure what he should be feeling.

That's when he realized there's something wrong with his 9th time. He gazed up directly into the eyes of Eren's killer. Only to realize this was not him-it. It wasn't a titan.

It's just a macabre shadow.

Unlike the crystal clear landscapes where visibility was really high in quality, the titans looked so grotesquely realistic…the thing he was facing now was…a blurry black shadow..one could see it in the old movies footages with technical difficulties of low resolution if they can afford the luxury.

All this was some big black blur that seemed as if some hideous shadow walked out of the walls into life.

While the Titan's creepy lack of any human traits even when they look so gave his spine the chills.

But this creature or whatever this monster is….completely incinerated his soul. There were hollow orbs and a mouth laced with needles. Its interior burned with a fire as if it was the hottest oven from hell. While the description sounded like the classic boring bible verse of a devil, its hatred and dark side was simply incapable to be expressed in human communication. You have to see it to understand it, be maddened by it. He felt himself….burn.

It talked. Sending Armin tumbling down till he found himself in its palms. Under helpless arrest for trial. It was speaking English without a mouth.

"Armin Arlert. Good work on the retake of Trost. I am too impressed." It voice spoke deep and as loud as all the loudspeakers man could build stacked into one.

"Uh. Yeah. I. guess. What are you. And just why are you in my dreams?"

"I don't operate on human conventions so forgive me if I state my purpose first.

You have a choice, I offer it. If you agree, I will offer you the most sincere help I could. I can offer strength, will and a weapon. In one sentence, I'm just something that wants to help you." The weird red and silver titan put Armin back to the balcony.

"I must be going crazy. Well-see ya Mister or whatever monster you belong with. Why should I trust you when you have eaten my friend?" The blonde boy looked with solid gaze that was enough to saw the giant through.

The voice seemed much lighter, the volume decreased to almost an man's voice with an oriental accent similar to Mikasa's. The giant was physically now a man in a dark orange suit seemingly from a bizarre and rare rescue operation corps from maybe sina places.

"Armin. I have seen you in action a lot now. You are not the near pathetic man you believe yourself to be. In fact there is no one so pathetic. We all have our reasons to be here. We are only different. But in the end…every one of us is an object to make the book into the book it needs to be. Take it easy. In fact your intelligence served everyone else better than your friend's negligent attacks. The least description of you would be- a true work of art, the master piece homo sapien has produced.

However…All I want to ask is your perspective. That's all there is to your purpose being here. Your perspective. Not what is right, wrong, tough or weak.

Making it simple, if you had an option to change what happened on that day….would you want to be the one to be eaten instead of Eren? I have been around with humans for too long. Some see it as compassion which is a logical choice for the species but once the individual who say this actually encounter the monster, you really perceive their own wild and selfish side against such an ideology, they lie but can't take the weight of it.

Others humans see it as stupidity, which is wise in that they go to the realistic option with pre-determined endings but can they make a difference… and whether are they truly satisfied with the consequences?…That's my question.

I want you to entertain me by choosing a side of the coin. This will be the last time I try to convince you so please make the best out of it." The man patted Armin on the back sitting beside him on the balcony gazing into the sunset. The man gave a smile and pushed Armin off the balcony into the mouth of the Titan agape beneath.

"Hey buddy. What's wrong?" Eren half heartedly tried to hide his irritation of his sleep being cut off. He walked to the balcony table on which his childhood friend and best comrade sits on, gazing out into the sky.

"Oh. Uh. Sorry Eren. Damn it. Did I scream aga-No. I-I-You see. I was watching that comet. Over thing just outside the wall." His lowly stuttering gave it.

Eren was briefly caught by a sapphire blue trail remaining in the sky for a brief second. The duo fetched Misaka too. After all…comets aren't that common. Eren decided that the best would be for all three of them to swallow down this second of tranquility, in their little and possibly short lives.

"You know you should make a wish. We all should. " The Asian girl's hair of night covered her pale lunar face, highlighting her like a goddess of the noir blue darkness. She gave a rub of her eyebrows. It was a rare moment of which the iron nailed girl shown a fleshy emotional side. Eren whined quietly to show his disapproval.

The week's sky were gifted with the necklaces of blue-white, nephrite stars.

They were tired. After the victory, they rather felt…exhausted. It was hours of watching the comet's dance of light fade itself into history, then Eren broke the silence with the truth.

"What was it about honestly, Armin? Was it that nightmare for what-the 6th time now?" Eren gave a frustrated sign as Armin nodded staring at the marble bench and his own reflection, perhaps a representation of him he wants in his brain. Eren felt the urge to transform into a Titan and crush his friend right now for the little sleep time they have remaining. Sure the comets and that big meteor were quite exquisite. However, Eren understood what Armin was feeling. He once had plenty himself. His town. Mum and all that. If felt right sometimes to mourn but the right thing is not the good thing. Eren need to just keep walking on.

"Hey Eren?" Armin was shy to grab his friend's attention. "I'm sorr-Why did you save me from that Titan a month ago?" Was Armin's cold inquiry full of emotions that the group rather not talk about. "I want to go deep. Now we're not in the middle of a predation period, I like to know truly why you are doing something so stupid for a life so mea-"

"Watch it! Your life being meaningless. You gotta be joking after today. Plus I'm okay. See, big and tough." Eren would have gone down with a bashful of self help lectures if he had energy. He didn't in the way of a mock amalgamated with a sense of irritation and fury. Rolling up his sleeve he curled his bicep.

"Yeah but—let's say what if you are not so special. You could have died you know. We won't have any progress or any change to our overall method of working if you are not here. Existing." Armin scratched his cheeks from the chilly air.

"Okay. Armin, unless you want to eat 5 more knuckles for breakfast, I'd suggest you stop saying things like that. It's not good charms okay? Don't make some bad luck, make good luck by saying something good. How about a prayer? Who cares if God exists or not…but hey."

"Eren. Mikasa-chan." Armin stared sharply enough his eyes shone yellow. His head turned way to quick like some rabid symptom. "I don't want it any longer. I don't want to freeze there anymore. Life is not for the static ones. I can't accept myself."

"Quit it bro." Eren blocked Armin's face like a boss. "You're not that crazy. Stay back and make yourself safe for our return. That's how you should pay our kindess. Live so we won't be dust with the wind." Eren wanted to slap Armin so badly.

"Shhhh." Mikasa chased Eren off.

"Armin listen, you're a great friend to me. To Eren. Maybe something more. That's why if any of those things come to get you, we'll cover you, even if it's nothing but our naked, mortal flesh. I understand you want the same but you are the smartest man here after all. How are Eren and me going to survive without a head?" She kissed him on the cheek immediately scoring a flush of hormones.

"Remember the talk with Eren's imprisonment. We both really owed it to you there. So thank you." Both nodded in unision.

With that the trio slowly fell into a heavy paradise for a long era of reigned fantasy. No war. No Titans. They clutched their hands and walked through a flower field on an Earth where all life was in harmony. Peace.

The last words lodged in Armin's memory of the dream were "I have decided My friends matter to me. I am born as a protector. Not a parasite." He could still feel the me the existence of a guardian angel watching the 3 from their backs. Even to the depth of unconsciousness.