The Most Miserable Life In Another World
Chapter 1: Empty On The Outside
Opening one's eyes was supposed to be a common action that never required much thought or focus. Not even energy. The eyelid goes down, then with minuscule amounts of strength, it goes up. That was all it took.
That's all Natsuki Subaru needed to do. Yet, he wasn't able to do that action.
Focus was immediately put into trying to open his eyes with more effort and energy, calling on the nerves he'd been controlling comfortably just moments ago to answer his command and allow him to see the night sky again.
He couldn't. His body wouldn't. And the final thought Subaru had of his predicament was simple and concise.
"Shit, my chips!"
Panic began spreading through his psyche, as the feeling of inability and helplessness consumed his entire body. His arms and legs felt numb when he tried to move them. He couldn't even tell if he was breathing anymore. He somehow suddenly stopped existing. He could feel and see nothing.
This wasn't instant. It was a long, torturous, moment that went on and on. It was a loop of distaste that made him hate consciousness itself. He never wanted to exist if it was this. He never wants to be here again.
"A car will run me over any minute now… I was walking in the middle of the road…" He couldn't help but think inside his brain. "What the hell is this? I can't feel my legs… Did I fall? I can't even move my hands to touch my face! I don't know if I hurt my head or somethin- ghk!" He struggled to get anything within his body to move in a sudden boost of effort that was born out of panic to no success whatsoever.
"Damn it, what is happening with me today?! Is my brain suddenly numb because of my blood flowing too fast again? Is this what happens when I play video games for too long? Mom was right, my body grew too malnourished and weak! If I hadn't spent the past two weeks late nighting Knights of Our Youth, I would be a healthy young man who walked his way back home from the store without any blackouts like this one!"
The young man blamed everything in the world but himself for what he thought was the problem. But sooner than later, he began feeling the air flow across his body once again.
"Finally!" He said within his mind in relief. "I hope I didn't fall over, I know that brain numbing happens to people when they stand up so suddenly, but considering I was already in a bad unhealthy state before… My trip to the store was really unthoughtful."
And yet, as the sudden control of his own body was given back to him, the first thing he noticed was that his eyes wouldn't open as fast as he wanted to.
"Eh?! Come on!"
With a bit more concentration, his darkness finally turned to light.
"TOO MUCH LIGHT! ARGGGHHH!"
All he could see was white, and then he closed his eyes once again. Like a cat that had been trying to get out of a box for so long until it felt a drop of rain when it managed to poke its head out.
When he finally managed to get them open again, he was much better prepared for the burn they would receive.
"Grrrgh… That sucks… Wow…" He breathed a sigh of relief, finally happy with the fact that his eyes could see beyond what was a striking stroke of… sunlight?
"Wait… What?" He backed one step at the sight before him. "No way… huh?" He thought to himself that there would be a dark street and some cold air that would meet him when he became conscious and moving once again. Instead, all he was met with was a… an open space of grass and sparse trees.
One look at the vast world before him showed a beautiful scope of untouched natural terrain that stretched out to what seemed to be the infinite.
"This is…" Subaru was left to pick his jaw off the ground at the sight of the plains. "Where…" He tried to blink again, thinking it might have been a fluke from his eyes. He opened them, narrowed and widened them, nothing changed.
"I'm in another world…" He spoke this sentence for the first time, announcing it with a look of shock yet a hint of acceptance shining through. "I'm… Mom… Dad…"
His voice cracked as if it hadn't been used for a long time, probably should've struck more words with the cashier to smooth it, or maybe it was the emotion finally affecting him. His eyes surely caught on as they teared up.
How could it not when he realized that he was never going to see his world again?
"H-Hold on…" His head shook. "I need to focus more… I don't know what happened. This could just be somewhere in my world still, obviously not Japan. Could this be somewhere in Africa? I'm sure a cute girl is supposed to be waiting for me at the moment I'm summoned or something… Man, this is going to be a long walk if I need to find civilization on my own."
He began thinking and turning around, trying to see any signs of structures. Or hints of life in general.
"Wait a second… I'm a genius!" His eyes widen immediately as he picks up his phone from his pocket, quickly flipping it open. "I can just check and see if the network is still active! This way I can know if I'm in another world or not- Huh?!"
He was met with a completely drained battery, and an even more shocking discovery of a child's face staring right at him through the phone's reflective screen. His own face from when he was younger.
His eyes slowly and subconsciously moved toward the hand he was using to carry said phone… It was a child's hand. So tiny it can't wrap around a baseball.
"... This is insane." Those were his last words before falling over and blessing himself to the darkness. Willingly ignoring the fact that he's now been turned into a child.
His final thought was about how comfortable the grass felt in this land. It must have people lying on it all the time.
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"This place is beyond filthy…" A man grumbled as he followed along through the crowds. "Wasn't the expedition delayed for another few weeks? What are we doing getting so close to the outside this early, Erwin?"
"Don't be so cranky now, Levi. The commander has requested me to accompany him on this urgent summons to this district." The man now known as Erwin replied comfortably to his shorter colleague. They both wore a similar outfit of leather jackets and boots with a green cloak around their shoulders.
"What could the Garrisons be calling us here for? Shouldn't these guys mind their own business or something?" Levi, a sharp-eyed person with neatly cut hair asked the man he was following.
"I would rather wait before we answer such a question. We have nothing to go on."
"You don't seem that interested…" Levi looked directly at Erwin's back as they moved through the marketplace.
"Not that I'm downplaying our friends in the Garrison corps like you were," Levi snorted, "but… I refuse to let my imagination run wild when it comes to information coming from within the security of the walls."
"Right… It's absolutely not the fact that we've just seen some of them drunk out of their own minds just now…"
"I cannot comment on that," Erwin said in a serious voice. "They are brave people, doing their best for humanity."
"Is that why that guy was puking down the river stream?"
"A bad apple."
"His friend was pissing in it."
"Two bad apples."
"He was being cheered on by a bunch of red-faced men."
"A few bad apples, I wouldn't call such a small number as a testament to how this branch of our military operates, Levi. You're just being unfair."
"... This is bull."
Erwin couldn't help but give a small nod to his companion's comment. "Nonetheless, it's an important summoning for our commander, one that hasn't happened in a long time." He looked out towards the far end of the busy marketplace, watching the people interact. "This isn't a normal call for help. One does not bring in a special summons to the leader of the scouts for something as small as titan sightings behind the walls."
"I'd say that is because people see the scouts regiments as a tax burden more than a trustworthy force…"
"Have more faith," Erwin turns his glance to the glaring man beside him. "It's more about what we can do, not what they think of us."
"You got a plan to understand what's happening on the outside of these walls right now?" Levi raised an eyebrow.
"I don't need a plan," Erwin turned from both, Levi and the marketplace, as they had reached the edges of a most beautiful fountain. "Even if the commander refuses to give us any information on what he's received from the head of the Garrison unit in this district, we have our own intel to review."
Levi snorted at the comment, crossing his arms and staring upwards towards the walls of the city. "I don't trust that guy… He seems overly reliant on himself."
"Again I tell you," Erwin looked out towards the wall with an unreadable look. "Please have more faith in our comrades, especially Commander Shadis."
Levi rolled his eyes but stayed quiet.
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"Keith Shadis… Things are more serious this time."
The twelfth commander of the Survey Corps was not a title easily given. It's one that can be obtained only when a soldier witnesses his previous leader's death and survives the elimination of their entire squad. Only then, can one gain the honor of leading the next batch of wings, to fly in search of humanity's freedom. As a matter of fact, out of the previous eleven holders of the title, not a single Survey Corps commander was able to retire from his duty before death. It's a tradition wrapped in glorified stories of heroism and self-sacrifice that grows larger with the number.
Keith Shadis had been the one to take over the number twelve. The facial features of the man could describe the perfected stress and anxiety attacks he had to face for it.
"Hope you're not showing me a bunch of cows running in a weird formation beyond the walls as a joke again, Madison." The honorable commander stared deadpanned at the man opposite to him. "You Garrisons need to stop messing with people just because you can't have any exciting missions while you clean the mold off the walls."
"I'd like to counter this by reminding you of just how abnormally these cows were forming themselves at the outskirts." The man with a slick mustache and a large grin laughed in reply to the glare present on Keith's face.
"I came here to answer another one of your urgent calls… Though I'm forced by duty to answer, you're not doing yourself much favor within the interior command, wasting my time like this." Keith coldly spoke, not showing a hint of emotion other than annoyance.
"Yeah, I getcha. I've wasted a lot of time trying to mess with the scouts." Madison nodded with a solemn expression that only lasted a second. "But ya wouldn't have me prosecuted by any ministers even when ya had my neck bared to you on a plate… that means ya must've loved our practical jokes!"
"I showed you mercy during martial court once because I did not want an even bigger imbecile to run the Garrisons in this district particularly. I know the people who come from here and I know how the rest of humanity sees us." Keith diplomatically interjected with another stiff explanation about what he thinks of the man before him. Yet Madison refused to have his grin wiped away from the harshness of the scout commander.
"Aha! So you do prefer me over anyone else!"
"I prefer to have a harmless idiot calling me for useless shit from time to time, rather than someone with ambitions to dismantle my job so they could earn more money." Keith sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Why did you call for the Survey Corps, Madison? You know we are busy preparing for the next major mission outside."
"I know," Madison grew quite suddenly, with his usual grin fading a bit. "Like I told you, it's a lot more serious for us, watchers of the walls too."
Keith raised an eyebrow at the name.
"I'm trying something new! You don't like it?" Madison asked with a self-conscious glance, Keith only scoffed at him. "Anyway, the situation you've been urgently summoned here for, as you could see by the minister's handwriting on this parsley, wasn't just from me, it was given to the highest observers in the interior and maybe some of the royalty beside them as well."
"Get to the point."
"No need to be so rude," Madison grumbled and shook his head. "The wall observers have noticed something very unusual outside of the walls, actually important stuff, not like the last one-hundred times we've summoned the Survey Corps… In this district alone."
Keith's glare intensified on the man.
"Ahem… Yeah so… For some reason the uh…" Madison, foregoing his usual confidence and glamor in every facial expression he held, opted for a more confused expression as he rubbed at his nape. "The uh… Titans…"
Keith's glare soured upon the prankster who had been appointed as head of the district's guard unit. This mention was clearly not bringing any light to his mood.
"What about them? Spit it out already."
"... They are… Not here anymore…"
"Hm… What?" Keith's eyes widen and his expression pulls back into a surprised one.
Madison looked serious for the first time in a decade before a Survey Corps commander.
"The Titans that've been surrounding the lands beyond the district and wall Maria… They disappeared overnight."
"Explain." Keith lost all interest in acting annoyed with the man before him. He sat straight and stared Madison down with expectancy and demand.
The man couldn't but nod towards the commander of humanity's wings, seeking more help with this situation from someone more suited to it, someone special.
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Two people had the rose emblems of the Garrisons on each of their shoulders as they walked on top of the highest point that humanity has ever built upon this world. The refined stones of the colossal walls that had kept humans protected since so long ago, remained polished, sturdy, and magnificent. As the glory of the walls remained, people inside of them had gotten used to the sight of stone towering above them like a box.
Walking atop the walls was more different than being trapped under them. It was meant to be more terrifying. There was no difference between the open outside and the caged inside. The terrain outside the final circle of Walls, Maria, was nothing special compared to what they had in terms of land and fauna. It was the same land, the same area.
The only difference was that there were no humans outside, and there were humans here… Inside. Looking up at the walls was scary. Looking down on both worlds where humanity exists and where it doesn't exist will always be terrifying.
One can be able to see that terror from the brave Garrison soldiers that were standing on top of the wall at this moment.
"Maine! Why don't you get this thing off the damn ledge?!"
"You watch your mouth, Shenjol! That thing has a name! You must give it respect for it breathes the same air as yo-"
"GET YOUR HORSE OFF THE LEDGE OF THE WALL LADY!"
"... Did you just interrupt me while I was speaking?"
Maine, the girl of the two, stood offended with a gaped mouth as her partner began pulling the ropes of what was assumed to be her horse from the very edge of the wall. Though he was having great difficulty doing so.
"IT WILL FALL OVER IF YOU DON'T COME AND HELP ME!"
"He."
"WHAT?!"
"It's a he. Please respect that it's a living being, not an it."
"MAINE! COME HERE AND HELP OR THERE WILL BE NOTHING LEFT WHEN IT'S FALLING INTO SHIGANSHINA'S STREETS!"
"..."
"Well?! Are you not going to help me save your damn horse from falling to its death?!" Shenjol was pulling with all of his strength while Maine watched with a look of contemplation. The girl made no effort to even help the scrawny boy as he was ignored and even pulled by the animal.
The girl slowly stepped back, staring Shenjol in the eyes as she moved away from where he was struggling, and turned around to look at the open half of the world. Shenjol could only gape at the audacity she had displayed. The disrespect was clear.
"No titans around… This is so weird…" She paused when she noticed the usual frightening figures of the man-eating monsters weren't around for the morning. She noticed how much more flatter the world had become without those towering giants running around everywhere, trying to get into the walls.
"MAINE!"
"Could our world really… be empty of them one day?" Tears welled up in an impressive speed within her eyes as she monologued, her friend all but forgotten as the horse inched closer to the edge.
"MAAAAAINE!"
"Our world… Our homes…" Maine's lower lip trembled as she wiped some of the droplets away.
"MAAAAAAAAAINE."
In a move showcasing her humanity and solidarity with the souls beneath her in the district, she bravely placed her fist to her heart in the standard salute to give her heart. She stood tall, a fighter for all things human.
"MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAINE!"
Truly, she was a soldier of exemplary morals and compassion. A true believer in humanity's cause to live.
"I'M GOING TO FAAAAAAAAAALL!"
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"There are… no titans outside the wall right now?" Erwin had to let his usual stoicism fall for a second and raise a brow at the informant.
"This bar stinks, and why is there a girl screaming so loudly about a horse?" Levi remained unfazed by the news, preoccupied with his surroundings while waiting for Erwin to gather his intel so they could leave.
"It's just like I said," the woman before them crossed her legs and sighed. "The sight of them is always so terrifying to anyone that watches from the peak of the walls. I go there every day to look at them but… Today of all days, there aren't any titans as far as the eye can reach."
"Why would a woman like you want to watch the Titans every day? Is that a weird fascination for you or somethin'?" Levi had the crass to ask from the back before Erwin could deliberate on the information. "Is it some sort of fetish?"
"If I did have such a fetish then I'd be having my fell living in the wild outside of this crappy circle instead of sticking to the walls as a mold cleaner." The woman grimaced at his comment and looked away.
Levi on the other hand had his eyes widen in what Erwin could describe as a pleasant surprise. "Hang on, you mean the Garrison has teams of soldiers that exclusively work on cleaning the top of the walls?"
"It's the only other respectable job we can do." She replied with a raised eyebrow.
Erwin had to give a long sigh as soon as she said this and he could feel the betrayed, no less seething glare from Levi.
"I'll talk to you about it later-"
"You said that jobs like that didn't exist and I should work with you instead!"
"Excuse me?" The woman gave a snort to the two men that were on the edge of an argument, getting them to look at her in remembrance.
"Right…" Levi glared at Erwin one final time, before moving back to lean on the wall again.
Erwin had to sigh again. Levi's going to be grumpy all week because of this.
"Forgive him, the information seems to be surprising to us all. Can you please explore that statement some more, Mrs. Smith?"
"Ha! Nobody's called me by that name since I had thrown my husband off the damn edge four years ago."
"I didn't mean to bring about such memories…" Erwin grimaced lightly, noticing the sarcasm and pain in her eyes. "Please stay focused on the topic, ma'am."
"I got it, I got it," she shook her head, removing the pain from her eyes. "Listen, there's nothing more for me to detail to you, alright? You asked me what the meeting between our commanders was about, and I told you what abnormality happened as of late."
"Have the Titans disappeared like this before?" Erwin asked. "I'd assume you'd know because of your habit of watching them."
"Ya believe I have a thing for em like your friend over there?" She seemed curious to genuinely know, but Erwin gave her nothing with his poker face expression. "No. They never acted this way, ever."
"That means something beyond the walls is happening…" Levi glanced at his blonde colleague with a knowing yet dead expression.
"Beyond…" Erwin's whisper wasn't unnoticed by the woman before him. She had the decency to scoff and move back from the table to stretch and uncross her legs.
"You seem mad with curiosity, you fool." She said this without looking at either of the two. She stood up to leave after finishing the last drop of drink in her cup. "Thanks for the good time. Hope ya don't get killed out there, Scouts."
"Thank you as well, Sallia."
She waved to them both before walking to the door of the bar.
Left alone to themselves, Levi took the seat that Sallia left vacant and abandoned. "How do you know such freaks?"
Erwin doesn't react to the comment. "Miss Smith was a remarkable teacher during my youth. She had incredible knowledge to share with her students no matter how rowdy we were."
"A woman like that? Seriously?" Levi widened his eyes in shock. "She doesn't even look that old."
"Time's been kind to her, indeed," Erwin answered absentmindedly. "But… She's been through more than enough to offset such a blessing…"
"You mean her husband? What did she mean by throwing him off the edge?" Levi questioned this while crossing his arms.
"Her husband was… A friend of my father. Military Police." Erwin looked at his cup with a thoughtful look.
"Sounds complex…" Levi's sharp-eyed stare was unblinking and honed towards the man.
"I can't help but think myself a prey due to your gaze, my friend."
"Don't sound too conspicuous then," Levi turned away from him to look at the empty bar. "This town is a shit hole. They probably drove all those Titans away from stink alone."
"The Titans…"
"They can't be gone like that without reason? Yes. I think the same." Levi continued Erwin's muttering with a nod. "Anyone can see that woman's eyes were telling us the truth about this behavior. Though even a child can tell something is going on…"
"This abnormal disappearance must be explained somehow," Erwin said with a deep frown, still mesmerized on his cup.
Levi sighed, knowing this man even with the short time they'd worked together. "You want to be the one to understand what's going on the most…"
"Commander Shadis wouldn't possibly allow us to move up the date of the expedition…"
"That guy doesn't control the money for said expedition, so forget about any useful outcome from him." Levi shakes his head, remembering a lot of yelling from a crowd of taxpayers that blamed the Scouts for a shortage in wheat supply at one district. "I don't think the regiment itself will be able to do much… Best we can do is to wait until the Titans return before the date of the expedition."
"That's sensible." Erwin nodded with contemplation still apparent on his face.
Levi wasn't able to read the blonde man's emotions, a powerful stone-like discipline was to thank for that on the part of Erwin. No, there was something that the thug-turned-soldier always understood about this man from the first glance he gave to him.
"Yeah, sensible… But you'd rather know what's going on by your own way, don't you?"
"I have to keep reminding you," Erwin had the slightest bit of shame to perk the edges of his lips upward as he stood from his seat. "Judging your comrades so openly will only lead to trouble."
"Mhm…" Levi glared at him with nothing but suspicion.
Without any acknowledgment of this accusing glare, Erwin turned to the barkeeper with a friendly grin. "How long do you think it takes to get from here to the gates of the district?"
"Oh, hells…" Levi sighed tiredly.
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"How…" Keith Shades couldn't formulate any further words to articulate his shock. The man who commanded lives to their doom had never been so dumbfounded in his life. "It's as if the edge of the world had swallowed them all…"
"Indeed! It's maddening, no?" The Garrison deputy of Shiganshina brought his flask forward to share with the regiment commander, but the refusal was swift. "Suit yourself."
"Has this ever happened before?" Keith asked while catching the man's shoulders in both hands. "I need you at your most competent with me here! Answer me!"
"H-Hey, shaking my shoulders won't help explain anything! I've no idea how things are for the rest of Wall Maria, but this situation is surprisingly similar to nearly every checkpoint our guys could message and relay from." Madison brought a hand to push Keith away.
"Wait. That means…" Keith found himself stepping back voluntarily as he stared down below once again. To the barren plains that had not a single one of those monsters that haunted humanity for so long. "That means… All around Wall Maria… There aren't any more Titans…"
"For all we know," the Garrison deputy sighed, "I gotta say, I'm not likin' that reaction outta you so far. I need guidance here, not someone more distraught than we are."
"Have you taken this information back to the interior?" Keith immediately asked the man with a glare, fully realizing the implications of what was being said. "Don't tell me you called on me first and foremost…"
"Oh, but I thought my good friends deserved special treatment when it came to knowing secretive things!"
"Stop joking around, damn you! If the capital hears about what is happening around us today, we might be able to fetch faster support for another expedition! We must get out of these damn walls and see what's going on with the monsters-"
"Dooon't get too excited, my good ol' friend." Madison shook a finger at the Scout. "We haven't gotten back any word from the rest of the outposts or the rest of the districts. So we don't know if all of Wall Maria has this emptiness of Titans around it or not."
"..." Keith clicked his teeth and glared at the earth below them, letting Madison go. "I'm going to send a message to the capital."
"I don't advise doing this until we're sure…" Madison said this in a quieter tone compared to his usual cheeriness. Acknowledging the resolve that had settled within Keith's eyes.
"Something tells me that you don't care much about what they have to say, else you wouldn't be talking to me in secret like this." Keith's words are as accusing as his glare. One that Madison shrugs in reply to.
"Not really my way of doing things, I would much rather have you over for tea and biscuits honestly-"
"We're done here, I'm going to be sending an urgent message to the headquarters so we can receive information from the rest of the outposts across Maria." Keith turned from the man and began walking towards the lifts to get down from the wall. "Next time you want to use me for a political fight, just say it like a man."
Madison chuckled as he was left alone. "I was hoping he would go out in haste… Too bad the guy's smarter than we give him credit for. Oh well."
Looking out to the open plains, his eyes softened as his imagination took over. "... I hope you can receive your messages quickly and give us all good news though."
As Keith descends the Wall, his mind is racing through the sight he'd just seen.
The outside world was empty. There were no Titans for as far as the eye could see. This has been an impossibility for as long as the Walls have existed. Yet Keith couldn't see a single one roaming around.
Thoughts of possible reasons for why every Titan in the world would disappear began playing within his mind. He couldn't help but hold a giant grin on his face. The fantasy was nothing but euphoria for the man, and seeing that sight of a Titan-free outside world gave him nothing but fuel for that fantasy to be implanted in his brain.
It was hard to ignore his excitement at the thought.
"I need to stop myself…" his eyes trail towards the district below him, seeing the city he was born from surrounded by walls in every direction. "This could be something else. They are not gone… Humanity is too unlucky for that to happen on a whim."
Keith sighed, the thoughts were nice. But they are just thoughts. He was a man of action, not a dreamer.
"I need to deliver that message immediately." He glared in determination and stepped off the left that had reached the ground. Nodding in thanks to the operators, he began his journey toward the main military offices of the district.
"Am I feeling sentimental because of those fantasies in my head?" Keith's head shook as he looked away from the children who were playing next to the fountain. He couldn't recognize the kids, but he looked at them with a strange sense of protectiveness. He had strange scenarios of who these kids would grow up to be, and how their lives would look like without these strange walls around them. "Carla's kid would be not older from them… What a creepy thought to have. The hell's wrong with me." The man slapped his forehead and kept up the pace.
As he was walking away, he couldn't see the emerald eyes that were glaring at him from far away. The child who owned those eyes was seemingly glaring straight toward the wings symbol on Keith's green cape.
"Eren! You need to help me and Mikasa or else they will beat you up too!"
"I'm coming Armin! Just give me a second!"
"What are you doing over there anyway? We-"
"I said I'm coming! Jeez!"
"Such a lovely day today! Hey, Barnes! Bring the goods quickly my son."
"Coming Dad!"
Downward from beneath the great gate to the outside world, Defan smiled as his son stumbled his way toward the booth. Their business was small compared to the merchant class in the market of the district. That's probably why he was allowed to place his small booth directly beside the great outer gate. His family alone managed to survive all these years off of the direct laziness of the people living near the gates and finding it too inconvenient to walk to the market street for better vegetables or cheaper prices.
It was honest. And so long as most merchants kept away from this area due to being so close to the one weak point between humanity and the wastelands outside, that meant competition was low. Meaning better earnings.
"Are we going to get more customers today Dad?"
Defan had to laugh at his son's innocence and excitement. "Of course, son! Why, we are the only ones selling such high-quality foods in the entire outer gate region of the city. Might as well play a game of cards while waiting for the usuals to come buy their needs."
"Awesome! I can't wait to beat you again."
"Hehe! We will see about that ya lil' runt!" He pats his son on the head and laughs alongside him. "Go grab the game from the house and I'll keep watch on the business."
His son suddenly looked worried as soon as he finished saying that. "I'm not so sure, Dad. I don't like leaving you here."
Defan looked up with an expression of amusement. Of course, his son would be worried about this one thing. "You're always so scared of that…"
"Of course, I'd be scared! How couldn't I?! The Titans that almost ended humanity are one wall away from us… We are sitting directly below the gate…" Barnes, god bless his small innocent soul, looked at his father with worry and a hint of determination against the unknown. As if the child was willing to face the world's greatest monsters to keep his father safe.
"Oh, son. You make this old man proud, y'know that?" Defan tried not to sound too emotional, but he couldn't keep his voice in check.
"You're getting more sappy than anything else, Dad." The boy tried to sound sarcastic and uncaring but his sniffles betrayed him.
"Shut it you little brat. Come'er."
Son and father moved closer to hug one another.
"It doesn't matter if you worry about me, son. You're not gonna ever need to. Only keep thinking about your mom and little siblings, ok?" Defan patted the head of his son again, keeping it there even when they pulled back. "Besides, that gate will never open up for the Titans to be allowed inside. It only opens to allow that tax waste called the Survey Corp to sacrifice themselves as fodder. Nothing more will make these gates open."
Defan laughed as he saw the glare on his son's face at the mention of the Survey Legion. His son always had a soft spot for the heroic tales surrounding the group. Too bad he's only a child.
"Alright, alright, go and bring the game for us to play, ey? We have a lot of work to-"
His words were stuck to his throat when Barnes' eyes went wide like that time he was found loitering around his sister's bedroom. The boy started stuttering out incoherently, petrified while staring behind his father.
"Dad!" The boy pointed behind them, finding his voice in a shrill scream of terror.
Defan, alerted by this sudden transformation in his son, looked behind him immediately to find… nothing.
"Huh? Son, there's nothing behind us. What's gotcha so worried?" Defan looked back towards his dear child with love in his eyes.
But the boy started pulling his arm to stay away from whatever he was seeing.
"What's gotten into you boy!" Defan looked worried now as his son was frantically pulling and hugging his arm.
"Dad! Run!"
"From what?! Tell me, my boy, there is nothing behind us but the open plain fields- wait a moment…"
The man looked behind him one more time, seeing the vast open lands that could be seen from beyond the walls through the grand gate of Wall Maria that had now been opened in all its glory.
Shiganshina witnessed the first man to run with his son in his arms as the gates opened the city to the Titan infestation on the outside of the walls.
More of the people who were as unfortunate as he was to be near the gate became the first to notice what was happening. Nearly all of them began running across the district to get away as quickly as possible. Some were curiously coming closer toward the hole to take a glimpse of the outside world, the sight was magical for many, to the point they couldn't help but want to venture further outside. Taking steps on lands that have been forbidden for Humanity to enjoy ever since the walls were built.
As Defan and his son began running toward their family home, they both couldn't help but be thankful to whatever deity there was that the monsters beyond the walls hadn't shown up yet.
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"Erwin Smith… Why would you bother walking all the way here?" Shadis was surprised to find none other than one of his subordinates waiting for him at the doors to the Shiganshina city's military offices.
The man met his superior with a gaze of curiosity, eloquence is how Shadis can describe the smile politely given to him upon their notice of each other.
"I've just arrived at these offices myself. I wanted to report some Garrisons that bothered my friend while we took a detour." Erwin's words were cordial and honest, with no hint of distaste that one can expect from a man who was filing a complaint.
"Hm, you would think there would be some kind of fear in your eyes when you tell me that. This is the city I hail from after all," Keith commented offhandedly as he faced his subordinate with a professional stature.
"That wouldn't be something I should worried about because I know you're a man of integrity, commander." Erwin managed to crack a small smile of sincerity to Keith. The commander refused to give any reply to it.
"Well… I'm not afraid to say that this district could do with the discipline, you can carry on with what you were doing but make sure not to cause me any trouble."
"Thank you, sir."
"Erwin…" Before they could part ways, Keith called for the man suddenly, "Would that friend of yours be… the tunnel rat?"
"Hm… Yes. Though I assure you that Levi has been nothing short of exemplary so far." Erwin gives the commander a firm nod.
"You put that much trust in these words? I never understood what you liked about him." Keith kept a heavy glare on the blonde as he said this. "Keep a better watch on him."
"Of course, commander." Erwin's reply was courteous, most of all, emotionless. "As I was from the start, I will keep an eye on him."
"Great work… I'm sure you understand that I'm not blind to his abilities and how much he's helped your squad when we needed him. He's a good soldier but you need to make sure that he remains a good man, lest those abilities can be used against us one day."
"Better not forget the rest of our team, commander. We all contribute so Levi can shine." Erwin knew that Keith wasn't going to take this as an egotistical sentence. The man's witnessed the blonde's character too many times to think that low of him.
That's exactly why Keith gave a small snort in reply. "Then they better be ready to perform your special tactics when we make our next outing for Titan lands. I fear the day's going to be closer than expected."
Erwin's eyes had a shine to them suddenly that Keith couldn't explain. "Would that be related to what had been reported to us from the Garrison unit here?"
"It's definitely that, yes," Keith answered much faster than Erwin expected, a point the commander noticed leaving no impression on Erwin's arrow-focused stare. "Much of what I've heard is to be given as soon as the interior command gets word and replies to me. So I can't have you spreading rumors around."
"So the interior doesn't know about what was reported to you." Erwin was a lot sharper than Keith could give a subordinate working under him credit for. He couldn't even click his tongue because the blonde carried on to the next point with a swift command of the conversation. "Wouldn't this be a violation of respect to the command chain?"
"Yes… It is. That's why I'm going to be sending them a report right away so we can receive a plan of action."
"If I may, commander. This seems like a plot to get more support toward the coming expedition." Erwin wasn't just sharp, he was annoying. Keith applied the habit he'd picked up after dealing with Erwin's consistent curiosity and nosiness many times, he clicked his tongue and glared at the man. "Would I be correct in assuming the situation has that much potential?"
"What's it to you anyway, Smith? Are you excited to prepare your tactics and apply them on the battlefield again?!"
"... I apologize if I seemed that zealous, commander." Erwin navigated Keith's furious tone with ease, clearly the blonde had mastered how to deal with him. Keith himself could see it, he was being toyed around without any effort required from Erwin's point of view. All because he could think of nothing but the blonde's nosiness and successes where he was failing when it comes to leading the Survey Corps.
And even when there was an apology coming out of his lips, the blonde devil refused to look emasculated or even a little backtracked. His resolve remained stingy with focus. And Keith couldn't help but feel like he wouldn't be able to receive that apology without feeling like a child.
Luckily, Erwin decided to take control of the conversation once again.
"I'd rather you don't take this the wrong way, commander Shadis. I would never accuse you of seeking to take advantage of whatever is happening. Though I understand your mistrust and anger toward what I was saying."
"That's not what I thought you've insinuated, but you should be at ease, soldier." Once he saw the chance to lead with words once again, he took it immediately and blabbered without understanding what Erwin had even said. Keith didn't seem like he cared much at all for where this conversation was heading, it was just the fact that Erwin was the one saying it that bothered the commander so visibly.
"Now, I'll allow you to carry on with your day, keep an eye on the tunnel rat you're so fond of, and do not forget to report those men who bothered you."
"Will you be sending a letter to the heads of military command?" Erwin inquired as Keith turned on his feet.
"More like heads of state if I have to… but yes. The letter is of urgency, so allow me the space to send it if you please." Keith gave him one more glare before walking away.
Erwin was left behind which was a good thing. "I never know why, but that man always gets on my nerves. His existence itself makes me want to choke myself out." He had to give himself a headshake there.
That was a bit too far to say since his feelings were not that heated towards the blonde man. Keith Shadis was not a man of envy or jealousy, but he was a man who held grudges. His relationship with his subordinates has always been pretty down the ropes but when it came to Erwin or anyone who identified themselves as Erwin's lackeys were special enough to earn an even worse relationship with him. Especially that Hange girl.
"Shit… I guess coming back here does suit me better. Wish I didn't bring Erwin along with his tunnel rat too. But I needed to make the higher-ups happy by giving him a ride. They truly do want to replace me with someone crazy."
It wasn't lost on Keith why he got forced into allowing Erwin and his squad to run things their own way whenever they were on side missions or a part of big campaigns underneath his command. The blonde man had talent and charisma, but he withheld so much intense passion and curiosity it was almost insane every time he opened his mouth about another plan. Things could be disastrous if any of his ideas were miscalculated and the Scouts could get terminated upon immediate recalibration of lives lost and money squandered.
Of course, the fact that Erwin's plans always seem to be flawless for the few times he was allowed to run things, and the fact that Keith's own plans never seemed to bring any good results, were both irrelevant to the commander's mind.
"I know what's best for these soldiers, and I'll continue to look out for our future on the outside until the day I can be relieved from this cloak in the overblown stomach of a giant."
Shaking his head again, the commander didn't expect the harsh impact upon his chest. Had he not straightened himself and dug his heel to the ground, he would be on the floor with the beautiful woman currently leaning against him.
"Would you watch where you're going, lady!" Keith huffed in surprise, pushing her away slightly. He was surprised to see a really stunning woman looking at him with bewilderment.
"Well… This is a first. Most men would be apologizing to me by now." She comments on this with an essence of befuddlement and curiosity as if he were an anomaly standing before her.
"If you have experience with men bumping into you then you need to get a grip on yourself." Keith waited for the Garrison soldier before him to walk out of his way. "Get a move on already, I got somewhere I need to be."
"Sheesh what's with your mood, Scout? Are ya grumpy because there are no more Titans beyond the walls or somethin'?" She placed her hands on her hips which annoyed him even more as if she was telling him she wasn't budging before figuring him out.
"Of course, leave it to a Garrison to blabber about non-confirmed rumors as if they were facts."
"Oh? Are ya callin' me incompetent just cuz of my bein' in the Garrison unit?" Her voice was too loud on the last part, and Keith suspected it was done on purpose because this had a lot of Garrison soldiers glaring at him. He could feel the fires they were trying to set upon the wing emblem stitched on his cloak.
Even within the security of the walls, a Scout must be surrounded by enemies to truly feel the need to be free. And just like a scout, the commander faced the small crowd of soldiers with his glare.
"Yes, I very much am. You wouldn't be spreading what you've seen above the walls if your unit had any self-restraint and dignity."
"Whoa there-!" As expected, a dumb-faced soldier stepped toward Keith in protest, but before he could move his prepared fist, the commander's knuckle had been halfway towards his stomach. "-Ooof!"
"Anyone else is free to try." Keith's glare was the most frightening thing some of these soldiers had seen. And even though he was inviting them warmly, the group stepped back a bit and started contemplating their next set of actions. It was quite rude, especially when Keith was waiting patiently with their friend gripping his stomach and wheezing in pain at his feet.
"Guys, guys! Let the man be, he's a bit prissy but what can we do? It's the life of a Scout he leads~!" The men around Keith seemed to chuckle and soften their gazes at her words.
He gave them no care as they nodded in agreement and backed away from around them. The man who was wheezing on the ground managed to stand up again and started walking away with a spiteful glare thrown at Keith as he widened the distance between them.
"Self-satisfied idiots, I know." The woman giggled after insulting her own unit. Keith wasn't inclined to argue. "It looks like I won't be getting that apology after all. Shucks… My name's Sallia, a resident wall watcher."
"So that's how you know." Keith huffed. "Keep your mouth shut until we receive actual confirmation from the rest of the Maria outposts that things are the same."
"I wouldn't really be spreading this around anyways. Not my problem, sweetheart."
"You just did to me, soldier." Keith's glare was intensifying at a terrifying rate.
"Ah, but you're not just anyone though! I would surely be able to talk about this with the commander of the famous Survey troops." Sallia gave him a wink that just served to annoy him even more.
"Move out of my way. I've wasted enough time." Seeing that she knew his true standing and authority within the army yet still chose not to give him respect, Keith realized that he'd been dealing with an imbecile all along.
Once he began walking, the lady strangely remained in place, grinning at him.
"Whoops. Did I annoy ya too much? I get that a lot."
"Is everyone here cursed with being a moron? Why do you all act like Madison?!"
"Oh, you reminded me! I need to take these urgent letters to him! Thanks for reminding me!"
Keith stopped walking and turned around. "Letters? From where?"
Sallia gave the man a raised brow. "Uh. These are not mine or yours to read buddy. They are special to Madison's eyes only."
Keith ignored her blatant use of her own unit head's name instead of his official title.
"Just tell me where the letters are coming from!"
"Geez… they are from headquarters. Possibly the outposts replied to him or something." Sallia held the letters forward, grinning at Keith.
"I see…" his eyes went unblinking, staring at the envelopes within her palm. "It's interesting you'd give them to me. Especially since I'm not the most trusted person in the eyes of the Garrison."
"Oh definitely, I mean who would trust a Scout, amiright?!" Sallia laughs. "But who wouldn't blame me if I give the commander of the Survey Corp my duty to do for me? That would be so cool to brag about in the barracks~!"
"That's very much not going to happen. Because I'm taking you to martial court under arrest." Keith replied with a simple tone.
Her laugh escapes the comfort of her mouth again. "Ah come on… I wouldn't have joked if ya weren't so damn stoic all the time."
"That's just it. I'm arresting you because of conspiracy to cause chaos within the Walls, government forgery, and possibly theft." Keith replied again to her with a monotone voice, causing her to stop giggling and look at him with confusion.
"Huh? Whatcha on 'bout?"
Keith's glare had reached a level of hate that Sallia felt could almost melt her in place. "Madison didn't involve the interior when he asked for the outposts to reply. They would've sent their own messengers to him which is why they've been so slow to send their reports to Shiganshina, none of them are using the direct line because he asked them to do so."
"..." Sallia's eyes had widened for a single second, and it caused Keith to feel confident in his hypothesis.
"You having such an overwhelming number of responses from every outpost in Wall Maria and them all coming from the Interior lines of communication means one thing… Someone wants to send us false reports… Seeing how you want me to take them, I'd assume whoever that person was, they want me to do something hasty…"
"Aren't ya being a bit paranoid there? Since when does being a Scout include being a mathematician?" Sallia's response was a lot smoother than Keith would give her respect. She was an experienced soldier, and he could see the look of grief and hardship within her eyes every time he tried to glimpse into them. It's partly what made him suspect her of foul play in the first place.
"I've been pretty patient so far," he crossed his arms and glared at her. "Open one up, see what the report says. If it urges us with an action to open our walls and send an expedition immediately, then we know I'm right, and these fake reports could make me lead my men to their deaths… Giving a lot to Madison and his lackeys in the interior."
"If ya got a crush on our unit deputy, please go and kiss him in his office, don't include me in such convoluted fantasy." Sallia managed to fake a glare on her smooth features, which for the first time, made Keith feel a surge of thrill.
"I never said it was Madison who would do this… It's someone else… Someone that wants me to go out of these walls as soon as possible… The Titans disappearing may just have been an excuse or a convenient time to start their plan…" As Keith calculated with himself, the woman he kept glaring at seemed to grow more distant, quiet, and losing that controlling edge she had with her facial expression. She went thin-lipped and her mask was gone so Keith could see her darkness from within in all its glory.
This woman wasn't trustworthy. She almost led him to his doom.
"... Don't make a stupid move you'll regret." He could read her aura of bloodlust from the moment her mask slipped. "Come quietly and we will be able to help in case you need it. I don't suppose you want to do any of this."
"Ya're deep into the fantasy, Commander." For some reason, it was deeply unsettling for her to finally give him his title. "Stop it before ya ruin a person's life for no good reason."
"I don't believe you have anything to be scared of then. You would just have to answer all my questions truthfully back at the barracks."
They both remained motionless. Staring at one another and waiting for movement to spring so they can counter. Keith could read that she's an experienced fighter, she possibly aims to disarm him and use his stature to her disadvantage since she's short.
However, before either could make a move, the commanding voice of Erwin Smith interjected on the standstill from behind Keith.
"Commander. The Walls have opened their gates and we can't get them to close!"
"What?!" Keith looked at Erwin with widened eyes, fully showing his shock and forgetting about the woman for a moment. "Is this a joke, Smith?"
"The Garrison has lost four men at the outer Gate." Erwin continued his report with a pressing tone. "The four were responsible for guarding and activating the levers to open the gate."
"They're dead…?" Keith asked, growing more and more horrified as the report continued.
Erwin nodded, swiftly giving him more information. "The people of Shinganshina have begun evacuating while we try to fix the damage done to the gate gears, so far no Titans have breached the wall but the panic has caused a lot of chaos throughout the city."
"They're going to trample over one another trying to get away from the outer gate!"
"Exactly. The perpetrators of this attack aren't anywhere to be found, I've sent Levi to look for them but we aren't optimistic… They disappeared…"
Keith could only see honesty within Erwin's eyes, no he could hear it as well. The chaos hadn't reached the offices yet because he was at the far end of Shiganshina where the Inner gate was located. Most of the people are still running their way toward the area… Erwin must've used ODM gear to get this far faster than all of them.
Erwin Smith wasn't a liar. He didn't expect him to be even if he did see the potential to do so within the man.
This was a truth. It's the situation that he, as the commander of the Survey Corps, needs to lead everyone in.
"What should we do, commander?" Erwin asked with a knowing glint in his eyes that Keith didn't notice.
Keith went silent in thought. He kept thinking about who would do such a thing, and who to trust in this situation. Which led him to immediately think about the woman behind him.
"Are you complicit with this madness you bitc-...?!"
She was gone. Silently leaving him when he was hearing Erwin's report.
"Damn…" Keith glared back at Erwin and almost blamed him for not stopping her. The serious expression on the blonde man's face caused Keith to snap out of his anger. "Bigger things to fix." He whispered in frustration.
"What do we do?" Erwin asked, fully giving him authority and leadership which made the man focus.
"Crowd control is our priority. We will not venture outside. The Garrison will need to step up and take care of their own. Let them fix the Gate while we help people evacuate."
Erwin nodded with what Keith could describe as a second of disappointment showing within the stoic facade.
Being more observant than most was a blessing and a curse for someone who's honed that skill in battle. Something Keith could say with confidence now that he was that person.
Erwin Smith wasn't a stranger to this either, so every emotion he shows must be a sign of something bigger.
Keith did not like this man. Nor did he trust that he didn't have any part in this. But now they will have to move.
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"Why… Why… Why… This is crazy…"
His short legs moved with a deliberate, cautious rhythm, each step accompanied by a sense of unease. The grass fields seemed endless, and the monotony of the flat landscape did little to inspire a sense of adventure. Every stride carried the risk of tripping over the uneven ground, prompting him to move with an almost hesitant gait.
As he navigated the vast expanse, the feeling of isolation began to set in. The summoning had brought him to this seemingly deserted place, and the lack of any discernible landmarks made it difficult for him to gauge his progress. The occasional trees dotted across the terrain provided minimal shade and served as the only points of interest in this desolate landscape.
His journey felt more like a chore than an exploration, and the reluctance in his steps hinted at a growing frustration. The sense of confinement within the grassy fields limited his motivation to venture further. Perhaps there was a purpose to his summoning, but the lack of any apparent direction or destination made the journey all the more perplexing.
With short legs and an uncomfortable atmosphere, he pressed on, hoping to discover something beyond the seemingly endless grass fields. The anticipation of what lay ahead was a faint spark, struggling to ignite in the vastness of the flat land.
His legs all but gave out after what felt like a day but could realistically be a couple of hours. Breathless, he sat on a grass patch, bringing an assortment of items that he'd picked up and carried under his arms as he came across them during his journey.
A couple of mushrooms, what seemed to be flint rocks but he doubted it, and some nice wooden branches from decaying trees.
"At least I can rest and start a fire… Wonder if anyone will see the smoke…" He got to work on setting up the camping spot. Fixing the branches and some dead weeds to allow the sparks a lot more flammability. The successful creation of the fire was a proud moment for him as he set out to admire it before moving on to other things. "Dad's tips do work magic… Alrighty… What else do I got?"
The boy rummaged through his outfit and brought out a can of noodles that had been inside his sweatsuit pocket for the whole day. "At least I don't need to preheat it… Just gotta cook it somehow…"
He realized that there was no possible way he would be eating this without water.
"Shit… I am thirsty now that I think about it. God… Mama really shouldn't have let me leave for a late-night snack…" He paused his thought, trying not to remember his mom's face too much as it would lead him to a whole set of emotions that weren't easy to deal with. "Since when do I call her mama? Why did I say that…?" The boy looked at his dirty hands with a baffled face.
"Does my body stay like this for good?" Another depressing thought that he shouldn't be thinking about at a time like this. "God… Why have been brought here… Papa…"
The tears willed in his eyes the more he looked at the state of himself, his ten-year-old body, and the place he was in. No one to comfort him, no one to help him, and not even company.
Subaru was all alone.
"... Guess I have to look for water before the sun lets down…" The boy wiped away some tears in the corner of his eye and stood up. Deciding to empty the plastic cup of noodles into his chips bag and take with him the empty cup if he finds a water source.
"I know I saw a pond somewhere near here… or a reflection of something in the ground from the sun." He decided to walk around from where he stationed his things. "Hope someone can see the smoke and come help me…"
He walked all alone, looking down at his small-sized sneakers from time to time. "I guess I am in a different world, I don't think dreams can take longer than a few hours of walking through something this boring…"
It's a world not his own if it required him to de-age from seventeen to ten. It's more fascinating just how much he'd lost upon this summoning. "My phone is too big for my hand… It's not even active for some reason. I swear I had a full battery."
Subaru shook his head. He set the phone down in the small pocket of his child-sized sweatsuit. Yes, his clothing also shrank to fit his new body… or old body if you wanted an accurate answer.
"This is… god…" He sighed in frustration, wishing for some candy to nibble on or something nice to eat. Not to mention some cold water to drink. "My legs hurt…"
He walked even through the exhaustion and pain, describing the area as a few minutes away from where his fire was.
"That smoke is at least visible from afar… Perfect." Subaru couldn't but look at the way his fire commanded a rugged line that flew toward the sky with pride. "That's awesome. No way someone wouldn't be able to see this from far away." He refused to give the possibility of there being no one around to see this smoke signal any thought.
"Gotta find me some water…" He continued to walk. "The spot is real close. It must be here where the reflection was let up… Must be." The boy looked around after perching on a tiny hill to look all over.
He noticed something immediately. Not water, but a big pile of dirt.
It seemed like a hill like the many others across the stretched plains but this hill was a bit more rough around its edges with a lot more visibly dug-out gravel and dirt being placed on top of each other in an unprofessional manner. It was a direct offense to the beauty of the smaller collection of hills with grass and flowers all over them.
"What… Hmmmm…" Subaru immediately dug his heels into the hill he was on and started sliding to get there. Closer, and closer, he stood right over the weird hill.
It was gigantic, almost one hundred times the size of his small body in its current form.
"This is so weird… Someone dug this out… They must've…"
He began digging through the pile. He wasn't sure why when he was asked, he didn't even think this through, his hands just began taking the dirt apart from the gravel and stone and putting them behind him.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to try and see what's with this spot. No one's waiting on me anyways." He grumbles as he keeps digging with his tiny hands.
A sudden occasion compelled him to stop for a second. His breath was caught in his throat as he waited to feel the earth under his feet move again. It was akin to a small earthquake and he knew it was real because his short legs were a lot more sensitive to this.
The air hung heavy with an eerie stillness as the dirt hill, The ground trembled, and an ominous shudder traveled through the soil, signaling an impending upheaval. Small rocks and particles cascaded down the sides of the hill, revealing the subtle but distinct movements below.
"What the hell…" Subaru shouted as he watched the earth erupt as if birthing an ancient behemoth.
Terrified by the sudden burst of dust, he watched as a colossal figure emerged, rising from the depths beneath the dirt hill. The thing's body, massive and imposing, gradually came into view. Towering over the landscape, it stood with an unsettling stillness, as if frozen in time.
The creature appeared humanoid but lacked any distinguishing features that would render it truly human. Its form was a grotesque interpretation of the human anatomy, with no discernible gender, and its skin, if it could be called that, had an otherworldly pallor, a sickly blend of grays and browns. Naked and devoid of any visible private parts, the titan's unsettling nature only heightened to the absolutely petrified child and the man inside the mind of said child.
Subaru did not put a muscle into activation as he observed it. Its movements were strange and disjointed as if it were attempting to mimic the motions of a human but falling short in an uncanny, unsettling way. Each step was a deliberate, almost mechanical motion that seemed out of sync with the natural world around it. The titan's limbs moved with an otherworldly grace, contorting in ways that defied the laws of anatomy.
Despite its colossal size and bizarre movements, the titan's face remained frozen in an expression that transcended emotion. It bore an expressionless visage as if trapped in a perpetual state of stoic contemplation. Its eyes, though devoid of any discernible emotion, radiated an otherworldly intelligence that sent shivers down the spine of any witness.
As the creature continued to rise, the surroundings took on an ominous aura. The earth seemed to groan in response to the titan's emergence, and the air itself felt heavy with an unsettling energy. The once-quiet landscape was transformed into a surreal scene, with the titan casting a long, eerie shadow over the grassy fields and trees that stood witness to its awakening.
Subaru's legs began to shake as soon as the giant, captivating but endless irises of the colossal human aimed its gaze downward, right on him.
"H…Hi…" he managed to squeak while using the voice of his child self, even though he could really feel some tears already flowing down his cheeks because of how scared he was. He didn't normally find things like these important, but the heroes in his video games never truly captured what a normal human feels when they faced such a different creature.
He was less inclined to call it a monster… Not when it gave him a tilt of its giant head, appearing to show confusion at the tiny boy it was seeing.
"H-Hi! Do you speak Japanese?" His voice cracked a thousand times, trying to yell at an exaggerated thousand-foot-tall naked human was hard for a kid. "Do you have a name? You seem friendly…" Oh god please be friendly.
Subaru noticed that the creature began moving toward him. It showed no sign of hostility or rush to get to him… Not that he would be able to do much in the case that happened. His legs were not going to move from this spot. That's what his mind, body, and soul have decided and so he needed to talk his way into the heart of this truly terrifying thing. It seemed to gosh on him with its dead stare, head still tilting to the side, giving him all the attention in the world.
"D-Do you- AGRHHH!" The boy was swiftly palmed by the giant's hand. It wrapped its fingers around his small body, unapologetic as it most surely crushed a few delicate bones in the child.
"NO! PLEASE STOP!" Subaru screamed in pain and terror, begging the creature for release out of the grip. "AHHHH! PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME!"
Subaru couldn't see anything in the darkness of the crushing palm, but he could feel it moving to the point where his blood pressure was most surely heavier than before. That means he's been elevated higher… Then the light began creeping into his vision.
The cavern of flesh that was this creature's closed palm opened, directly freeing Subaru's small body from the grip it had on him.
When he fell slowly, the boy looked down and let the scream of a lifetime fill the air.
The creature's mouth awaited his falling form, open. A black sinkhole was visible in the throat to what became its food as he screamed and struggled against the saliva of the tongue. Ending the struggle, the giant closed its mouth, and swallowed, the throat muscles winning the battle against the helpless food and forcing the boy to be swallowed whole into its stomach.
In the dim, humid confines of the giant's stomach, young Subaru found himself surrounded by the unsettling mixture of water and humidity. The darkness pressed in on him, and the rhythmic gurgles of the creature's digestive processes echoed through the cavernous space. Panic clawed at the edges of his mind as he grappled with the reality of his predicament.
Tears mingled with the oppressive humidity, trickling down Subaru's cheeks as he clutched his knees to his chest. The waterlogged environment played tricks on his senses, distorting his perception of time and space. Each heartbeat reverberated through the chamber like a distant drum, amplifying the sense of isolation that gripped his fragile soul. His injuries remained forgotten for now, as the fear greatly outweighed all of the pain his body was screaming for him to notice.
His voice trembled as he spoke to himself in a hushed whisper, the words carrying the weight of despair. "I didn't ask for any of this. I was just going to get some noodles and chips… Summoned into a world with no one to guide me anywhere. Where's the princess that should be helping me… Where's my great power up to save the world?!"
Subaru's thoughts wandered to the memories of his parents, the warmth of their embrace, and the comforting familiarity of home. The ache of homesickness bore down on him like a physical weight, amplifying the sense of helplessness that pervaded the damp darkness.
"Why did this happen to me?" he mumbled, his voice barely audible over the sloshing sounds of the stomach's digestive fluids. "I miss Mom and Dad. I miss my room, my friends, everything. I never got to say goodbye. I never-..."
The waterlogged atmosphere seemed to seep into his very soul, exacerbating his mental anguish. The overwhelming realization of his fate, to be dissolved and digested in the belly of this creature, gripped him with a sense of impending doom. A trembling sob escaped his lips, and he clung desperately to the vestiges of his dwindling sanity.
"I'm not the hero… I was never meant to be… Mama… Please… Mom…" Was it the child inside of him or was he the adult crying for his mother? Was it important to understand what he was thinking in his final moments being alive? Would this lead to him waking up somewhere warm and inside a comfy home back in Japan?
Why did he ever think he would be a hero in this brand-new world?
"I give…" He didn't want to say it. Even within this hell of flesh and water, he refused to say it. Even as he felt and accepted that this was his ending, the little child couldn't say it loud and clear for the world to laugh. He didn't want anyone to laugh at his finale.
But his senses heightened, an effort to refuse the crushing agony of his own body and mind taking their toll on him. He tried to look for anything in the dark, hear anything that could give him hope.
And so it was. For amidst the disorienting chaos within the dissolving titan's stomach, Subaru's senses were assaulted by a sudden loud noise echoing from outside. The distinct sound of a zip line reached his ears, cutting through the eerie silence of the monstrous confines. The unexpected noise intensified the disarray within the colossal creature's belly.
Abruptly, the giant's massive form collapsed, and Subaru found himself stumbling against the slimy walls of its dissolving insides. The world around him seemed to warp and shift as the flesh began to vaporize, creating an otherworldly fog that enveloped him. The strange smell and overwhelming humidity clung to him as the titan's body disintegrated, leaving Subaru in a surreal mist of dissolution.
"Goddamn it, Erwin's hunch wasn't right this time. The smoke led me so far away from the walls and I still found Titans hiding beneath the ground trying to get here. He needs to stop the plan or else we will lose men."
Slowly, Subaru regained his senses, and a mysterious conversation reached his ears. A voice spoke urgently about someone named Erwin being wrong, emphasizing the need to return immediately and warn him against coming without the necessary support. Subaru, still in shock from the bizarre events he had just experienced, found himself instinctively calling out to them, his voice lost in the chaos.
Thankfully, the man was alert to the sound of Subaru's feeble cries, and quickly made his way through the dissipating titan's remains. Racing against the fading reality of the once-enclosed space, the man reached the bewildered Subaru. The stark contrast between the two figures—one a seasoned warrior with sharp eyes and a strange bowel cut that reminded Subaru of what he called mafia men in his world, the other a bewildered child—created an unexpected tableau amid the dissipating titan.
"Who… Are you, sir?"
"Name's Levi," the soldier answered him with a look that showed the exact emotion Subaru expected from someone who would say the next few words. "How the fuck did you make it out here, kid?"
As Levi approached, Subaru, overwhelmed by the surreal turn of events, could no longer bear the weight of the experience. The shock and bewilderment overcame him, and his consciousness slipped away into unconsciousness. The world around him, the remnants of the titan, the mysterious conversation, and the shocked mafia man all faded into a murky haze as Subaru succumbed to the temporary respite of oblivion.
"Hey! Hey kid! Stay with me… Damn it!"
Subaru had a small thought on his mind before anything else could beat the darkness around him.
"I wish I was just like you…"