Chapter 8: When the World Burns

Katsura stood under the scorching midday sun, on top of a roof in the Shiganshina district. On his back hung a large sack filled with "donations" from the mayor—ones he had "taken voluntarily." With a sly grin, he muttered to himself, "Someone like me needs to make sure the rich don't waste their wealth. How can they live in luxury while I, who clearly need it more, survive on scraps?"

As he admired his newly acquired loot, a loud, terrifying scream pierced the air. He froze, his eyes drawn to a 15-meter-tall giant figure. The Titan was lumbering towards the town, its form grotesque and menacing. But the horrifying part was what it held: a middle-aged woman, so small and helpless in its enormous hand. The woman screamed in terror, her voice desperate, begging for mercy that would never come.

Katsura's body stiffened. Slowly, with cold indifference, the Titan lifted the woman to its mouth. Her screams grew louder, but the Titan ignored them completely, swallowing her whole as if she were nothing more than a morsel of food.

Katsura's grip on the sack loosened, the treasure slipping from his fingers. "No... this can't be... a Titan..." he whispered, his voice trembling.

The scene before him was too much to bear. He had always known the world was brutal, but watching someone devoured alive like this... It was beyond what he had ever imagined. This wasn't just a cruel world—this was pure, unrelenting horror. It was hell.

"So this... is the world of Attack on Titan," he muttered, his voice shaking. "A world where death and pain are not just fate, but part of everyday life... This is hell."

Suddenly, anger replaced the shock in his chest. His hands balled into fists, his nails digging into his palms. The pain... this unbearable pain. His heart filled with rage as if a fire had been ignited deep within him. "I... I will make them pay for all this suffering," he growled through gritted teeth. "Damn Titans... Marley... I will make them all pay! I will destroy them, make them feel the pain they've caused us!"

The words echoed in his mind, sharper and more intense with every second. "People who've never known suffering will never understand peace... Marley keeps sending Titans here... I swear, I will make them understand what true suffering is."

His anger fueled his body, and he started running, no longer thinking about the sack of treasure on his back. As he leapt from rooftop to rooftop, heading toward the city gate, something below caught his eye, stopping him in his tracks.

Eren Jaeger's house had been destroyed, buried under a massive pile of debris. In front of the wreckage, two small figures—Eren and Mikasa—were shouting, their faces full of fear. Their mother, Carla, was trapped under the rubble, unable to move.

Katsura stared at them, and for the first time, something felt more important than his anger or revenge. His heart pounded faster, the treasure on his back suddenly feeling weightless, meaningless. "Damn it... did I forget about this part of the plot?" he thought. Without hesitation, he dropped down from the roof, tossing the sack aside. "Even if I can't save many people, at least let Eren's mother live."

Katsura rushed toward the Jaeger family, determined to act, ready to fight back against this world that kept tearing everything apart.

The rescue

Chaos continued to rage inside the district. Eren and Mikasa struggled to free Carla, who was trapped under the rubble of their house. Around them, the air was filled with the terrified screams of panicked citizens, while massive Titans moved slowly but steadily, adding to the heart-pounding tension.

"Eren! We need to leave now!" Mikasa yelled, her sharp eyes full of worry. She tried to get Eren's attention, who was completely focused on his mother.

"No! I'm not leaving her!" Eren insisted, his voice trembling with emotion. He looked at Carla, who was trying to stay calm despite being trapped.

"Eren! Mikasa! Go! Get out of here now!" Carla shouted, her voice filled with fear and urgency. "I don't want you both to be trapped here!"

At that moment, Katsura appeared from the shadows of the rubble. He leaped nimbly over the debris, carrying a long metal rod that could potentially be used as a lever. Seeing Katsura, Eren called out, "Katsura! Help us!"

But Katsura seemed to ignore Eren for a moment, intently examining the rod he was holding.

"Lifting the wood by hand? That's such an old-fashioned method, Eren. You should know there's a more efficient way," Katsura said, still looking around as if calculating a better strategy.

"Stop standing around and help us!" Mikasa shouted, frustrated.

Katsura approached Carla, carefully assessing the situation. "Don't worry, Eren's mom. I'll lift this," he said confidently. He quickly wedged the long rod under the rubble trapping Carla and signaled to Eren and Mikasa to help.

Together, Mikasa and Eren pulled the debris away, and in what felt like an eternity, they managed to free Carla. But as soon as she was freed, Eren noticed her leg was badly injured.

"Hurry, Mom! We need to get out of here!" Eren urged, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.

"But I can't walk!" Carla replied, her eyes full of fear and pain as she looked at Eren.

Katsura, seeing her condition, immediately offered his help. "Eren, I'll carry your mother. We have to leave now!"

"Really? Can you do it?" Eren asked hesitantly, looking at Katsura.

"Of course! I may look skinny, but trust me, I'm strong," Katsura said, immediately lifting Carla onto his back.

"Run! Now!" Eren shouted as they began sprinting away from the rubble, with Mikasa by their side.

As Katsura carried Carla on his back, she smiled weakly, grateful for their help. "Thank you, kids. We need to find a safe place."

They kept running, ignoring the screams and chaos behind them, united in their will to survive the disaster.

While running, Katsura turned to Eren and Mikasa, asking, "Where's Hannes? He should be here helping!"

Eren growled, "He's probably drunk, that coward!" He looked frustrated, his mind consumed by his mother's situation.

Mikasa added, "I think he might be sick... he got into a fight yesterday and got beaten up."

Katsura was momentarily stunned by this information. "He... got beaten up? Oh, crap!" He grimaced, realizing what might have happened.

Mikasa, noticing Katsura's strange expression, asked, "Katsura, were you the one who did that?"

"Huh? No! Of course not!" Katsura quickly denied. "Yesterday, I was very busy... doing charity. I was helping an old lady cross the street!"

Mikasa raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing him. "Charity? While he got beaten up?"

"Well, maybe a little... I was returning some rich people's wealth to those in need," Katsura tried to explain, hoping to save face. "But that's not important, right? Who needs Hannes when you've got me?"

Mikasa gave him a sharp look. "You're unbelievable..."

"Yeah, yeah, let's just focus on getting out of here!" Katsura interrupted, trying to steer the conversation away.

They started running faster, but then, the sound of heavy footsteps grew closer. Katsura turned around and saw a massive Titan approaching, an especially terrifying one (Eren's stepmother). "Oh no! It's coming!"

"Hand mom to me!" Mikasa said, ready to help.

Katsura gently passed Carla to Mikasa. "You need to get her out of here!" he shouted. "I'll distract the Titan!"

Mikasa hesitated. "Katsura, don't—"

"There's no time to argue! Just go!" Katsura yelled, preparing to run toward the Titan.

He sprinted in a zigzag pattern, calling out to the Titan. "Hey! Stepmom! Are you looking for your child? He's over here!" Katsura taunted, trying to lure the giant creature toward him.

The Titan began to follow him, and adrenaline rushed through Katsura's veins. In his mind, he knew his real goal wasn't to be a hero but to reclaim the mayor's fortune he had stolen earlier. But as he glanced at Carla and Eren, he realized he had to act like one.

As the Titan closed in, Katsura's heart pounded in his chest. "You won't get them! Not as long as I'm alive!" he shouted, running even faster. "You can't catch a samurai like me!"

Mikasa watched him with concern. "Katsura, hurry!"

Katsura glanced back and saw the Titan getting closer. "Come on, come on!" he yelled, desperately trying to buy them more time.

He dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the Titan's outstretched hand, determined to give Eren and Mikasa the chance to escape. With incredible bravery—despite his selfish motives—he ran and did everything he could to distract the Titan.

"Don't let yourselves get caught! Go now!" Katsura shouted, facing the giant as he ran further away, leading the Titan away from the others.