Chapter 50

Kiz Wilman, the towering figure nearly two meters tall, even though his abilities had diminished over time, still possessed considerable strength. It was rare for an ordinary person to overpower him in terms of strength, but at this moment, Tang Cheng held his face as if he were an eagle grabbing a chick, leaving Kiz unable to resist, only able to make gagging sounds.

In fact, Tang Cheng was not particularly large in build, standing at about 175 cm, which, while not short, made him seem like a child in comparison to Kiz. The way he held Kiz, with his hands not raised very high, made Kiz's posture look particularly awkward, at least to the onlookers, who saw him as almost kneeling.

Of course, if Tang Cheng hadn't deliberately applied extra force, Kiz would have already been on his knees.

Kiz's face, held by Tang Cheng's hand, could only see the gaps between his fingers. Although he couldn't see his current posture, he was well aware of it. In the past, this would have been an incredibly humiliating situation for him, but now, his heart was filled with nothing but fear.

The intense pain in his head made him feel as if his skull was being crushed. He couldn't imagine how a mere trainee could have such incredible grip strength.

Yes, grip strength.

If it were just combat skills, it wouldn't be surprising that Tang Cheng was superior, after all, ranking second among the graduates meant he had real talent. But this inhuman grip strength was something Kiz had never heard of. Combined with the speed Tang Cheng had displayed earlier, he hadn't even seen his shadow. The only word he could use to describe it was terrifying.

When Tang Cheng said he could tear off his face in an instant, Kiz didn't know if others believed it, but he did.

Because he felt as if his face was already being torn off.

As for Riko, who was being stepped on by Tang Cheng, although her posture was quite awkward, almost like she was kneeling, the pain she endured was much less severe, only a dislocated arm. Of course, even so, her forehead was already drenched in cold sweat from the pain. But what she found even more unbearable was the humiliation of being treated like a slave, being forced to kneel, and the powerlessness she felt in the face of such strength.

She couldn't understand why, just by being stepped on the shoulder, her body had lost all its strength.

In fact, she didn't know that Tang Cheng had been holding back. Otherwise, if he had really wanted to kill her, she wouldn't have lasted a second. And for Kiz Wilman, not making him kneel was a way of preserving some of his dignity.

Of course, don't think Tang Cheng was being kind. He was just setting the stage for the next act.

Often, Tang Cheng acted without considering the consequences. To outsiders, his actions seemed reckless, brain-dead, and even suicidal. From elementary school to university, from dropping out to the present, many of his "impulsive" actions had brought him some losses, such as being criticized in elementary school, punished by the school in middle school, and losing benefits in university. He wasn't unaware of these consequences; he just didn't care.

Forget about these external things. If something truly captured his interest, he would even risk his life, no big deal.

But if you thought he was a complete fool who didn't think at all, you'd be wrong.

So, for Kiz Wilman's elaborate plan to target him and even tie him with Eren, Tang Cheng could guess the reasons even if he thought about it with his toes. Since the other party had gone to such lengths, he didn't need to be polite and might as well make the whole situation even bigger.

Even when he was pretending to look around, Tang Cheng had already had an idea. He could make this world of the game more interesting and lively. Although putting this idea into practice would be extremely risky and could cost him his life, he didn't care!

Of course, before that, he had to make himself appear more upright, selfless, noble, and even tragic... well, although he had nothing to do with those qualities now, the play had just begun.

On the other hand, everyone present was shocked by Tang Cheng's sudden actions. The garrison soldiers, fearing for their captain's and squad leader's lives, didn't dare to act. Eren and the others hadn't expected Tang Cheng to act so decisively. This was a direct confrontation with humanity... was this really okay?

Eren thought Tang Cheng was too reckless. No matter what, they couldn't act first. Even if they did, they shouldn't use such force. Even if they used force...

Eren suddenly found he couldn't think any further.

Mikasa's expression didn't change much. She had already made up her mind. If Tang Cheng hadn't acted first, she would have killed them.

"Oh, he really did it. I was right," someone whispered.

"Should we act now?"

"Are you kidding? The situation is already under his control. If we act, we'll offend Tang Cheng, not humanity. I don't want to mess with that lunatic!"

"Right, so let's just watch."

"I'm kind of curious what he'll do next."

"No matter how bold he is, he won't kill a soldier. That's a different level from killing a merchant."

A short distance away, four challengers were quietly discussing.

On the platform, Tang Cheng, who had just turned the tide with a surprise attack, suddenly changed his demeanor, showing a sorrowful expression and shaking his head. "I am very regretful."

Then, a speech that no one would forget began.

"Since the appearance of the Titans long ago, we humans have become their prey, their food. Although a hundred years ago, humans built three walls to gain temporary peace and gradually forgot the terror of the Titans, the threat of the Titans has always existed."

No one knew why he was saying this, but they could only listen.

"During the hundred years of being trapped within the walls, humans gained safety but sacrificed freedom and dignity. After the fall of Wall Maria five years ago, human lives were once again threatened. Often, we could only watch helplessly as our loved ones were devoured by Titans, unable to save them."

"Click!" Hearing this, Eren clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with endless hatred, as Tang Cheng's words reminded him of his mother being eaten by a Titan in front of him.

"But, I am not willing!"

On the platform, Tang Cheng's face also showed deep hatred. "Five years ago, my parents, my seventeen-year-old sister, my six-year-old brother, and my childhood friend Mami were all killed by Titans right before my eyes, especially Mami. I will never forget the moment her head was bitten off by a Titan!"

"Since that day, I have undergone hellish training, constantly honing my strength, because I have vowed to kill all the Titans in this world, not leaving a single one! Even if it means falling into hell, I don't care!"

Hearing this, Mikasa and Eren instinctively looked at Eren. As expected, Eren's gaze towards Tang Cheng had changed, no longer blank but filled with admiration and recognition.

Yes, that's right, even if it means falling into hell, we must kill all the Titans!

Eren thought to himself.

"Then I became a trainee, rejoicing at finally gaining the strength to fight Titans and at having so many like-minded comrades. I believed that as long as humans unite, we can kill all the Titans and regain our dignity and freedom!"

"But! I was wrong..."

At this point, Tang Cheng closed his eyes silently. When he opened them again, his eyes showed a deep sorrow. At the same time, he lifted his foot, and Riko, who was finally free, instinctively tried to attack. But the moment she saw his eyes, she stopped.

His sorrow was overwhelming, the sorrow of a man who had truly seen hell!

Riko stared at Tang Cheng, unable to raise her knife.

Tang Cheng didn't even look at her, his voice filled with pain, and continued, "Not all humans are as I thought. Not all humans want to fight the Titans, like this man in my hands!"

"When the Titans attacked, countless trainees and garrison soldiers rushed to the front lines, fighting tirelessly to eliminate the Titans. Their spirit is worthy of everyone's admiration! But this man... as a captain, he didn't command the front lines but hid in the rear, in a place made safe by the sacrifices of countless soldiers!"

"It's because of him!" Tang Cheng lifted the hostage high. "Because of his cowardice and weakness, the headquarters was breached by Titans, and the front-line soldiers couldn't get supplies, leading to the senseless sacrifice of countless brave warriors... including my classmates for three years, my friends who shared meals with me, and the girl who had a crush on me... I don't want to say more about this."

"I only have one thing to say." Tang Cheng's gaze swept over everyone's faces, and he shouted, "On this battlefield today, I, Tang Cheng! Eren Yeager! Mikasa Ackerman! We three have killed the most Titans! We three have saved the most comrades! We three have protected the most civilians! I can say without blushing... we are heroes!"

"But! How do you treat heroes?"

Tang Cheng shouted, "Questioning! Arresting! Blocking! Interrogating! Even bombarding! Is this how you treat heroes? Is this how humans treat heroes? If so, then... the human race deserves to be eaten by Titans!"

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