Chapter 24: Thunderous Momentum, First to Strike!

Ignoring the other cadets who were still standing there in a daze, Sikong Xu pulled Mikasa onto the lift, and together they slowly descended into the basement. In an instant, a wave of dust-laden air surged toward them. Sikong Xu's nose twitched; the place felt like a storeroom that hadn't been opened in years, with countless particles of dust suspended in the air. The smell was far from pleasant. Yet, after another sniff, Sikong Xu’s brow furrowed.

Though the dust was overwhelming, he still managed to catch a faint scent of blood. Someone had evidently been in here before him—and had likely fallen victim to a titan.

Thump, thump, thump—

Just as the lift reached its halfway point, a series of subtle tremors echoed in Sikong Xu and Mikasa’s ears. The vibrations weren’t loud, but if one listened carefully, it was clear they were growing stronger, coming steadily closer.

At once, both of their expressions changed. Though they had yet to see the source, Sikong Xu and Mikasa both recognized the sound for what it was: the tread of titans. There could be no mistake.

“Mikasa, get up onto the rafters. I’ll handle these titans. If I need your help, I’ll call for you.” Sikong Xu licked his lips, eager to test his own limits—these seven titans would make the perfect trial.

“No, it’s too dangerous!” Before Sikong Xu could ride the wave of excitement, Mikasa’s words chilled him.

“We’ll face the titans together,” Mikasa insisted, brooking no argument.

Sikong Xu’s eyebrows rose. Mikasa was as formidable as ever—athletic figure, sweet voice, perfect in every way—except for her overpowering protectiveness. It seemed he’d have to display enough strength to truly astonish her; otherwise, he’d end up henpecked for life. No, he needed her to understand: in this house, the family name was Sikong, not Ackerman.

“Have a little faith in me. I’m not as weak as you think. Besides—” Sikong Xu paused, then spoke with solemn gravity, “Besides, what I want is to protect you, not to be protected.”

“Xu…” Seeing his resolute expression, Mikasa realized further persuasion would be useless. Perhaps she really did need to trust in him a bit more.

Once Mikasa had withdrawn to the beams above, Sikong Xu grinned and turned his gaze ahead.

There, seven indistinct figures loomed. Each stood about three or four meters tall. Their movement was slow, but each footfall was heavy and forceful. These, no doubt, were the seven small titans the supply squad had mentioned.

In the original story, thanks to Armin’s brilliant strategy, these seven titans were dispatched almost instantly by the top ten cadets. Thus, Sikong Xu had no indirect way to gauge their actual strength.

Still, underestimating them because of the original tale would be a fatal mistake. No matter how weak a titan might be, the gap in power between them and humans was vast. What’s more, in a confined space like this, maneuvering with 3D gear would be nearly impossible. Sikong Xu would have to rely solely on his human body against them—a daunting prospect.

Fortunately, these were small titans, only three to four meters tall. Sikong Xu eyed their approaching forms and estimated their nape height at about two and a half meters. For his former self, that would have been insurmountable. But now, with the power of the “Infinite Martial Refinement,” he could unleash one hundred percent of his physical strength. Two and a half meters was a leap he could make with some force and technique, even more so if he found something to use for leverage.

Thud—thud—thud—

At last, after several minutes of slow advance, the seven titans emerged from the dust nearby. Their vacant eyes sharpened the moment they saw Sikong Xu. Titans possessed a nearly pathological hunger for human flesh, willing to risk everything to devour their prey.

So, when the seven titans caught sight of Sikong Xu, they charged at him with the ferocity of starving wolves spotting a meal.

“In such a hurry?” Sikong Xu smiled. Having grown used to the sight of massive titans several stories tall, these smaller ones now seemed almost unfamiliar. Still, even the smallest among titans was a colossal threat to humans—a body nearly three stories tall was by no means insignificant.

The seven small titans, eyes glinting coldly, formed a circle around the lift, closing in on Sikong Xu. Any ordinary person would be paralyzed with terror, mind overwhelmed, perhaps even driven to suicidal despair. But Sikong Xu was no ordinary man. What seemed an impossible situation to most, he faced with remarkable composure.

Not only did he show no fear as the seven titans bore down on him, but he even gripped his twin blades and advanced to meet them.

Swish!

Sikong Xu, standing atop the lift, sprang into the air. Under his powerful bodily control, his legs unleashed a tremendous burst of strength, propelling him like a tiger pouncing on its prey toward the nearest titan.

“Farewell!”

In an instant, as he landed on the titan’s shoulder, both shining blades flashed in opposite directions—one slicing through the air to pierce the eye of the titan directly before him, the other slashing at the eye of another titan flanking him, striking with uncanny precision.

Both titans, hands already raised high to launch a crushing attack against Sikong Xu, were caught off guard by his ruthless efficiency. In the blink of an eye, both were blinded, their assault faltering.

Yet, titans were still titans. Their craving to devour humans exceeded all reason. Even blind, those massive hands, paused only for a heartbeat, came crashing down toward him, relentless in their pursuit.

But Sikong Xu’s combat skills, honed by his “Infinite Martial Refinement,” had reached unimaginable heights. Seizing the split-second lull after his attack, he leapt from the blinded titan’s shoulder and landed lightly on the ground.

Boom—

As he rolled aside, two dull thuds rang out. The titan he had just stood upon, a body nearly three stories tall, lost its balance and toppled in his direction.

Its fate was sealed by the clumsy aggression of its kin. Unable to halt their attacks, both titans’ enormous palms smashed down upon the unlucky one—one of those palms, comically enough, belonging to itself.

And so, the titan’s massive body crashed headlong to the ground.

It was an opportunity Sikong Xu was not about to miss. Even with six more titans lurking hungrily nearby, he darted forward, blades flashing coldly once more.

Slash—

The razor edge of his blade tore through flesh, slicing away the nape of the fallen titan.

The first small titan—eliminated.