Death wasn't supposed to feel so peaceful.
One moment, I was gripping the controller mid-match—lights flashing, my screen a blur of fireballs and jutsu. The next, everything went black. No pain, no suffering, just… quiet.
And then I opened my eyes again.
The sky was red with dusk. Dust choked the air, and far in the distance, a bell tolled. A boy screamed. Another soldier collapsed. A beastly roar echoed through the canyons of stone walls.
I sat up in the mud, dazed, my heart thudding like a war drum. The world around me looked familiar—but not in the comforting way. This wasn't Tokyo, or even Earth as I remembered it. It was somewhere far worse.
Shiganshina.
I'd watched this scene a hundred times in anime and manga. Attack on Titan. The fall of Wall Maria. Titans pouring through the breach like locusts, devouring everything in sight. The first domino in humanity's spiral toward extinction.
And I was sitting right in the middle of it.
"What… the hell?" I muttered. My voice sounded different—older, deeper. I glanced down at my hands—calloused, rough, and stronger than I remembered. I looked like myself… but not. Taller, leaner. Clad in black shinobi-style armor with a red swirl crest on the back. Like—
"No way…"
A whisper passed through my mind like a haunting breeze: You have inherited the power of Madara Uchiha.
I blinked.
Madara. As in the legendary Uchiha warlord. The guy who could flatten mountains with a glare and solo armies with a flick of his wrist?
I checked my reflection in a cracked puddle. Sure enough, my eyes shimmered crimson. The Sharingan—three tomoe swirling lazily. The very power that had humbled tailed beasts and razed shinobi nations now rested behind my gaze.
A sharp scream jerked me to my senses. I turned just in time to see a Titan—at least fifteen meters tall—reaching for a running child.
Without thinking, I moved. One hand formed the Tiger Seal instinctively, like muscle memory burned into my bones.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
I didn't even question how I knew it. The moment the words left my mouth, a sea of flame erupted from my lips, engulfing the Titan's face. The monster staggered, flailing, its flesh sizzling. Seconds later, it crashed into the dirt—still burning.
Gasps and screams echoed around me. A few soldiers nearby had stopped dead, their ODM gear mid-fire. One girl dropped her blades, eyes wide in disbelief.
"…What the hell was that?" someone whispered.
I didn't answer. My brain was still catching up.
---
A Week Later – 104th Cadet Corps Training Grounds
"You're late, new kid!"
I snapped out of my trance and saluted automatically. Instructor Keith Shadis stood in front of me, jaw clenched and veins bulging. His eyes scanned me up and down like I was a rotten piece of meat.
"I asked you a question! What is your name and where are you from?!"
"…Arata."
"Arata what?!"
I hesitated. I couldn't exactly say "Arata Uchiha." That would just raise more questions.
"…Just Arata, sir."
He glared at me, then nodded once. "From the interior, huh? You've got that smug noble look on your face."
I didn't bother correcting him.
What else could I say? Hey, sir, I'm actually a reincarnated anime nerd from 21st century Japan with god-tier ninja powers, thanks. That'd go over real well.
I glanced sideways at the other recruits.
Eren Yeager stood three rows down, scowling with that wild fire in his eyes. Mikasa was beside him, silent and unreadable. Armin shifted nervously behind them. Sasha sniffed something in her pocket. Jean was arguing with Connie again.
It was surreal. I was inside the story now. A spectator turned participant.
And I had a feeling I was going to break a lot of things just by existing.
---
Nightfall – Cadet Dormitories
The stars overhead were dim behind the walls, but I could see them clearly with my Sharingan. I leaned against the wooden railing of the barracks and stared up in silence.
"What are you?"
The voice caught me off guard. Mikasa.
She stood a few feet away, arms folded, eyes like daggers.
"You didn't use gear during Titan combat training. And yet you passed."
I shrugged. "I have my own methods."
She stared for a long time. "You burned a target from fifty meters away. That's not normal."
"I'm not normal," I replied simply.
She didn't flinch.
"You're dangerous."
I turned to face her fully, letting my Sharingan activate with a quiet snap. Her eyes widened, just for a second.
"I'm dangerous to those who want to harm this world," I said. "Not to those who want to save it."
She didn't respond, but I could feel her measuring me. Not with fear—but curiosity. A storm behind her silence.
"I'm watching you," she finally muttered before walking off.
I exhaled. That went better than expected.
---
The First Test – ODM Gear Training
I stood on the wooden platform, arms relaxed at my sides. The instructor nodded at me.
"Your turn, Arata. Let's see what you can do with the belts."
I stepped forward. ODM gear clung awkwardly to my hips, but I didn't need it. Not really.
Still, I played along.
I triggered the gas release and launched upward. For a second, I staggered mid-air, letting the harness pull me into a spin.
Then—just for flair—I twisted, planted my feet against a wall, and somersaulted off it, landing perfectly on the target platform.
Gasps.
Keith grunted. "Hmph. Show-off."
I grinned. That was the first time in this life I actually enjoyed myself.
I may have been dragged into a dying world filled with giant man-eating monsters, but I had power now. Real power.
And I wasn't here just to survive.
I was going to change this story.