Chapter 7: The Thief with a Heavy Heart

On the other side

In a corner of the city that was starting to crumble, Katsura Kotaro stood calmly on the roof of a partially destroyed building, gazing with half-closed eyes at the Colossal Titan that had just kicked down a wall. Without haste, he tightly gripped the wooden sword he had obtained from a gacha a few days earlier. The hot wind from the ruins brushed against his face, while distant screams and cries of fleeing citizens echoed faintly in the background.

Deep down, Katsura already knew this would happen. Not because he had a premonition, but because he understood the story's flow, how cruel fate could be for this district. If only I had greater power, I might be able to change something... perhaps save them all. But the bitter reality was that he was just a small boy with a wooden sword and limited parkour skills. He didn't have the immense strength of Susanoo Madara, who could destroy everything with a single slash. Then what am I doing here?

The indifference he often displayed was his way of protecting himself. If I care... if I really care... when they die, it will hurt. He stared blankly at the sky, regretting his limitations. The only thing that allowed him to maintain a casual demeanor was the knowledge that everything would unfold as it should. For him, getting too emotionally involved with others would only add to his wounds. Better to live my own way—carefree—because caring about them will only torture my heart further.

Yet beneath that indifference, Katsura was not a coward. I can take action! his inner voice screamed. No, he didn't run to the gates to save himself like the others. Instead, he lightly stepped toward the large house in the center of the city—the mayor's residence, which he had long known to be a gathering place for ill-gotten wealth.

How can I let this stolen money go to waste? That would be irresponsible! That money should be donated... to me, of course! Katsura grinned foolishly and sprinted toward the mayor's house, skillfully navigating the debris with his parkour moves.

Upon arriving in front of the mayor's house, the large door swung wide open, revealing the mayor in a panic, frantically stuffing valuables into a large sack. His face was pale, and he was out of breath as he hurriedly gathered his possessions. When the mayor turned around, he was startled to see Katsura standing at the door with an empty sack on his back, his expression as relaxed as ever.

"W-who are you?" the mayor shouted, half terrified.

With a peaceful smile, Katsura approached. "I'm just someone who cares about the welfare of your riches, Mr. Mayor. As a good leader, shouldn't you stay here and take responsibility for the city? Ah, of course, I won't let this heavy burden add to your difficulties." Without further ado, Katsura unleashed his advanced parkour technique, sprinting toward the mayor with astonishing speed and, in an instant, took him down with a swift punch.

"As a leader, you're too weak," Katsura said as he grabbed the sack of the mayor's treasures. "So, I'll take over this responsibility for a while."

Easily, Katsura stuffed all the riches into the sack on his back and walked out of the mayor's house. Before leaving, he glanced back at the mayor, who lay sprawled on the floor. "You should care more about this city than your gold. But don't worry, your gold will be in the right hands."

The kind-hearted mayor could only remain silent in his panic, watching the long-haired boy disappear through the door with all his wealth. With the sack full on his back, Katsura now dashed across the rooftops of the houses, which were starting to crumble under the Titan's attack. With impressive speed and agility in his parkour moves, he moved as if nothing could stop him.

People watching from a distance might have thought he was just a regular citizen fleeing with his belongings. But they didn't know that inside his sack lay all the corrupt wealth of the city's ruler.

This stolen money is truly useful! At least for me. Katsura chuckled to himself, leaping from one roof to another with ease. After all, who needs it more right now than I do?

The final scene showed Katsura, with a large sack on his back, running toward the city gates, a satisfied smile painted on his face. To those watching from afar, he might have looked like a hero. But for those who knew the true story, he was just a cunning thief seeking to profit amid the chaos.

Yet behind it all, he remained Katsura Kotaro, a young man fighting in his own way to survive in a world filled with violence and destruction.