I always thought becoming a protagonist meant glory.
Chosen by fate. Blessed by luck. Surrounded by teachers, companions, and opportunities that fell from the sky like gifts from the gods.
But the moment I opened my eyes in this world—
that illusion shattered like fragile glass.
---
A cold wind slapped my face. Not the kind of cold from an air-conditioner or winter morning in my apartment.
This one carried dust, the smell of mud, and… iron.
I blinked.
Wooden rooftops. Narrow stone roads. That familiar massive wall stretching into the sky.
…Wait.
A chill ran through my spine.
"This… is Wall Maria?"
My voice trembled.
No, I trembled.
Because I knew this moment. Every anime fan knew it.
This wasn't just a peaceful day in Shiganshina—
It was that day.
The day humanity's peace ended.
Before I could process it, something flickered in the corner of my vision —
A faint blue window.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING…]
[Welcome, Junta Shiraishi. You have been granted the role of 'Potential Protagonist'.]
My heart froze.
"P-Protagonist…? Me?"
The window expanded.
[Due to narrative imbalance within this world, a new Main Character candidate has been selected.]
[Your mission: Survive. Evolve. Steal the spotlight of fate itself.]
The words felt unreal, but the vibration in the air didn't.
Rumbling.
Heavy.
Earthquake-like.
My breath hitched.
"No… not yet — not now—!"
A shadow passed over the rooftops.
People screamed. Birds scattered.
The ground buckled under my feet.
And then —
A colossal hand gripped the top of Wall Maria.
Red flesh, exposed muscle, steam rising like a furnace.
The Colossal Titan.
Right in front of me.
My legs wanted to give out. My throat closed.
It was nothing like watching it on a screen.
This was fear.
Raw, suffocating fear that crawled under your skin and strangled your heart.
Beside me, a little boy cried for his mother. A soldier shouted orders with shaking hands.
Everyone's eyes widened in horror—
their hope collapsing with the cracked wall.
And in that chaos, the System whispered calmly:
[Main Quest Activated: Survive the Fall of Shiganshina.]
"Survive…" I muttered. "How? I'm not Eren. I'm not Mikasa. I'm just—"
[Incorrect.]
[You are no longer a bystander. You have been chosen as the 'MC Candidate'.]
The words burned into my mind.
The Colossal Titan exhaled—
A blast of heat like a burning hurricane.
The wind slammed into me, ripping rooftops apart. My ears rang. My body rolled across the ground.
I forced myself up, coughing, vision spinning.
People were dying around me.
Soldiers thrown like dolls.
Homes on fire.
Children screaming.
All I could think was—
This world is real.
This pain is real.
And if I die here…
There's no 'second episode.'
My breath shook.
"System… give me something. Anything."
For a moment, nothing.
Then—
[New Function Unlocked: Protagonist's Trial]
[Choose your starting ability.]
1. Titan Trigger (Locked — Requires Special Condition)
2. Combat Instinct (Bronze)
3. Plot Distortion (Random) – Causes unpredictable events
4. Memory Sync – Gain memories of someone connected to this world
My hands trembled as I stared.
This was my "golden finger"?
This was my chance to be a real MC—
in the most tragic anime world possible.
Dust filled the air. Explosions echoed.
The gate had just been kicked in. The Armored Titan would soon charge.
Time was bleeding away.
People cried. Titans roared in the distance.
I could almost taste death creeping closer.
I clenched my fist.
"If becoming the protagonist means surviving…
If it means changing fate…
Then—"
My finger hovered over the choices.
This was it.
The first decision of my new storyline.
"I choose—"