"Anyway, it's done."
Ethan Walters sighed as he looked at the acceptance letter in his hand.
From the notice, he could see:
National Entrance Examination Top 1 (Number One)
Perfect scores in math.
Enrolled in Chiba Municipal Sobu High School.
The name of Sobu High School might ring a bell for you.
It's actually the setting for a classic youth romance story.
Yes, it's a very cliché scenario, and Ethan Walters is a time traveler. This world is the world of daily life.
At least, that's what Ethan believed until today.
In this island country, reminiscent of Earth, there are three prestigious high schools.
They say that passing the exams at these schools promises a bright future.
They are Sobu High School in Aomono,
Miss Kaguya's private Shuchiin Academy,
And the private Hundred Kao Academy in the Abyss of Gambling.
As a time traveler, Ethan relied on the knowledge from two lifetimes and a mind that was barely a genius.
He claimed the top spot in the entrance examination.
Naturally, all three academies extended their invitations to Ethan.
Having dabbled in stories surrounding all three, Ethan decisively chose Sobu High School.
Although Sobu is the least prestigious among the trio,
It seemed more appealing compared to Shuchiin Academy, known as an aristocratic school with its divisions of pure and mixed colleges.
And of course, there was the Hundred Kao Academy, infamous for its gambling and livestock system.
Sobu just felt more reassuring.
Putting away the acceptance letter, Ethan jumped off the swing, ready to return to his apartment.
This was a small park near Ethan's home.
In the glow of the setting sun, twilight cast a golden hue across the park.
The autumn breeze swept through the grass, creating a sea of green waves.
Ah, the life ahead seemed bright and promising.
And in such beauty,
A golden flash streaked across the sky.
A thunderous roar shattered the park's peace.
Ethan stopped in his tracks.
The golden lightning struck right in front of him.
Had he taken one or two more steps, he would have been caught in its path.
At that moment, he realized he could have started another round of time travel.
Ethan took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart.
But then, he heard a sound slicing through the air again.
Ethan looked up and saw a figure plummeting rapidly from the sky.
This time, his body reacted quicker than his mind.
Ethan stepped forward, stretched out his arms, and caught the falling figure.
The anticipated impact never came.
Ethan had braced himself for a broken arm.
But, instead, he caught her with ease.
Relieved, Ethan looked at the person in his arms.
It was a girl.
She appeared younger than Ethan.
The girl had blonde hair and delicate features, with a high nose bridge—a classic Western beauty.
She wore a jacket over a white sweater.
Ethan couldn't shake the feeling that this jacket looked familiar.
But more importantly...
There was an unusual device around the girl's waist.
It looked like a small black box, hanging on both sides of her waist.
After examining it for a moment, Ethan concluded,
"Isn't this a three-dimensional maneuver gear?"
It didn't seem like cosplay at all.
More importantly, there shouldn't be any giant comics in this world.
Ethan gently placed the girl on the ground, holding her with one hand.
This freed up his other hand.
Ethan reached out to the maneuver gear, trying to determine its authenticity.
Just as his hand touched the strap,
The girl opened her eyes.
Ethan found himself staring into her blue eyes.
They were beautiful.
But... now wasn't the time to admire her beauty.
At that moment, Ethan was holding the girl with one hand, while his other hand was awkwardly placed near her chest.
The strap of the maneuver gear was high, above her abdomen.
And such a scene...
It looked suspiciously like a crime in progress.
Ethan's mouth twitched, and he said,
"I can explain."
However, the girl quickly kicked Ethan in the chest, like a nimble rabbit.
Ethan immediately raised his hand to block it.
They distanced themselves from each other.
The girl rolled on the ground, eyeing Ethan warily, while raising her left hand.
She opened her mouth and rested it on her left hand, as if ready to bite down at any moment.
Seeing this, Ethan had a rough idea.
This girl was either a severe case of a middle school syndrome or a time traveler.
Or perhaps she was Annie Leonhart herself, possessing the power of a giantess in a giant-themed story.
In such settings, humans with the power of giants need physical trauma and a strong will to transform into giants.
The girl seemed ready to inflict trauma on herself at any time.
"Annie Leonhart?" Ethan called out tentatively.
Annie paused for a moment but didn't lower her guard. She frowned and asked Ethan,
"Who are you? What's your purpose in capturing me?"
Ethan sighed deeply.
It seemed like it was indeed Annie.
Ethan felt a bit dazed but explained,
"Annie, look around. This isn't the world you know."
"As for why you're here, I don't know. You'll have to figure that out yourself."
"I mean no harm to you. I hope you can calm down and talk."
Ethan didn't want an encounter with a giantess, but he had no choice.
If Annie transformed into a fifteen-meter-tall giantess out of impulse...
He'd have to act quickly.
After hearing this, Annie finally lowered her hand after a long pause.
However, she retrieved a strange ring from her pocket and wore it on her hand.
Ethan knew that the ring had sharp blade barbs inside.
With it, she could transform at any time.
Clearly, a few words weren't enough to make her let her guard down completely.
But it was a step in the right direction.
At that moment, a panel suddenly appeared in front of Ethan.
A mechanical voice echoed in his head.
"The Containment System of Myriad Realms has been bound."
"The hope of mankind, the Containment System of Myriad Realms, sends you my most sincere greetings."
^Image in comment ^