"So it was you who ate Annie! How do you even know how to inherit the Titan's power?"
The Colossal Titan's corpse was dissolving, the searing heat melting the ground itself. Steam rolled outward in waves, and the nearby Mindless Titans stopped moving, dazed by the blistering air.
Reiner was in terrible shape. From the moment he had transformed into the Armored Titan, he hadn't had a single breath of rest.
Lucien maintained the Female Titan's form, twin Nichirin Blades appearing in his hands.
With a sharp hiss, Lucien lunged forward. The blades cut through the air like lightning, aiming straight for Reiner's neck.
Reiner dropped his weight, sweeping his leg in a desperate counter, but Lucien anticipated it, leaping up and bringing his blade down again.
At the last second, Reiner raised his giant right arm—its hardened armor glimmering, the surface coated with a crystalline layer.
So Reiner could use Hardening too. That ability wasn't limited to the Female, Attack, or Beast Titans; all Nine Titans carried that potential.
Steel met stone. The Nichirin Blade struck the armor with a burst of sparks and a spray of blood. The blade pierced through, slicing deep into Reiner's wrist, nearly severing it completely.
"Damn it!" Reiner roared in fury, lashing out with a powerful kick.
The ground shattered under the impact, but the Female Titan was far faster than the Armored Titan. Lucien twisted aside, his movements sharp and fluid, and his left blade slashed once more at Reiner's neck.
Reiner barely managed to drop flat, but the Female Titan's kick caught him across the chest.
Crack!
Armor shattered, and Reiner's massive body was hurled backward.
The force was brutal; Lucien's own right leg snapped at the calf, hanging by bloody threads as a crimson pool spread beneath him. Yet even as the blood flowed, shimmering five-colored threads intertwined and sealed the wound.
Within half a minute, his leg had fully regenerated. Lucien stamped the ground, the sound echoing through the steaming battlefield, and strode toward Reiner, who was struggling to rise.
Steam poured from the Armored Titan's body, but his regeneration was slow—his stamina almost gone.
Lucien attacked again. A sweeping strike. Another kick.
Each blow sent Reiner crashing back until, finally, he could no longer stand.
Slash!
An armored arm flew through the air. Lucien planted one foot on Reiner's chest and drove a Nichirin Blade into his skull, pinning him to the ground. Then, with a brutal cross-cut, he split the Armored Titan's head in two. Steam burst out, carrying the sound of Reiner's dying wail.
Blood sprayed across the broken earth.
"Lucien…" Reiner's voice trembled as his human body was forced out of the Titan's carcass. His eyes widened in horror at the sight of the Female Titan's looming shadow, her teeth glinting like blades.
"No… no—!"
The rest was drowned in the wet crunch of flesh. Blood and torn meat scattered as the Female Titan devoured him whole.
When the feast ended, thick steam enveloped the battlefield. From the nape of the Female Titan, Lucien tore his way out and climbed onto her shoulder. Looking down at the surrounding Mindless Titans, he kicked off using geppo, rising into the sky and soaring toward the Giant Tree Forest.
Twenty minutes later, Lucien sat on a massive branch, breathing heavily.
His stamina was nearly gone. The fight hadn't drained him as much as the constant use of geppo—flying for twenty straight minutes had taken its toll.
Still, it had been worth it. In one battle, he had obtained the power of both the Armored Titan and the Colossal Titan.
A translucent screen flickered before his eyes.
[Successfully hunted Reiner Braun, a major villain in the Attack on Titan world. Dice chances awarded based on contribution. Congratulations, you have received 3 opportunities.]
[Successfully hunted Bertholdt Hoover, a minor villain in the Attack on Titan world. Dice chances awarded based on contribution. Congratulations, you have received 1 opportunity.]
Lucien frowned.
"Really? Reiner was a major villain, so shouldn't that give a Luck + 1? What, you think major villains don't count? Even some supporting characters got that bonus. And what about Ymir—the Jaw Titan? Not even a minor villain?"
His complaints, as usual, were ignored.
[System: … ]
The light screen stayed silent.
Lucien exhaled through his nose. He'd started to understand the difference between major and minor characters.
Major villains or allies usually had strong connections to the so-called Child of Destiny.
Annie and Bertholdt had been tagged as minor villains, while Reiner, clearly important, was marked as major.
It seemed the System weighed "screen time" and plot relevance.
Ymir not even qualifying was absurd—but that was beyond his control.
What mattered now was Luck.
From his previous twenty-three draws, Lucien had noticed a pattern: when Luck was active, the rewards were powerful—skills like Soru, Senzu Beans, even background BGM.
Without it, he got junk—or worse, punishments.
He still remembered one draw that had saddled him with mid-stage cancer.
"Let's just get this over with."
He started the first roll.
The small model airplane on the screen moved three spaces.
[Reward: One tube of Darlie toothpaste.]
[Description: Pure natural mint and unique fragrance formula—]
Lucien's eyebrow twitched. He didn't bother reading the rest.
Second roll—one space.
[Reward: One pair of light yellow flip-flops.]
[Description: Symbol of freedom and liveliness. Can auto-repair and change outfit with one click.]
At least this one had a function. Auto-repair and instant outfit change—useful.
The flip-flops were real, physical items. In his previous life, he'd worn flip-flops year-round except during winter.
He pulled off his worn boots. With a thought, the new pair materialized on his feet, a perfect fit. Curious, he sliced one with his Nichirin Blade; it healed instantly.
"Not bad," he muttered.
Third roll—six spaces.
[Reward: One pair of green beach shorts.]
[Description: Feel the sea breeze and freedom! Auto-repair and instant change enabled.]
Lucien's face darkened. "Seriously? Green?"
The color was painfully bright. Not exactly a favorite for men.
Fourth roll—two spaces.
[Reward: One white T-shirt.]
[Description: Printed with an Earth pattern. Soft, elastic, form-fitting. Auto-repair and instant change enabled.]
He sighed, looking at the four new items.
"Toothpaste, flip-flops, beach shorts, and a T-shirt… am I supposed to hit the beach?"
No defense bonuses, no speed buffs—just clothes with repair functions.
Still, the ability to auto-repair and quick-swap outfits wasn't useless.
Calming his irritation, Lucien dismissed the screen. The prizes were disappointing, but he'd learned to expect that.
Now it was time to study the Titan powers he had just claimed.