NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: Word Count (Skip This Shi-)
"Well, it's finally done."
A young man named Takamine Haruto let out a long sigh as he looked at the admission letter in his hand.
On the letter, the following words could be seen:
National Joint Entrance Exam Top 1 (Ranked First)
Perfect Scores in Mathematics and Science
Accepted into Chiba Municipal Sōbu High School
The name Sōbu High School might sound familiar to some.
That's right—it's the main setting of "My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU" (Oregairu).
Yes, it's a very cliché setup. Takamine Haruto is a transmigrator, and this world is a daily life crossover anime world.
At least, up until today, that was what Takamine Haruto had believed.
In this Japan-like parallel world, three prestigious high schools stood out.
These "Big Three" were considered a guaranteed path to a bright future,
Sōbu High School
Shuchi'in Academy
Hyakkaou Private Academy
As a transmigrator, Takamine Haruto relied on the knowledge of two lifetimes and his somewhat genius-level intellect to secure the top spot in the entrance exams.
Naturally, all three prestigious schools extended invitations to him.
But after having some knowledge of all three settings, Haruto decisively chose Sōbu High School.
Though Sōbu was the weakest among the three, it was still far better than Shuchi'in, a so-called noble academy that even divided students into Purebloods (Pure Institute) and Mixed-bloods (Mixed Institute).
(T/N: Ma man missed the chance to woo Kaguya, hopefully he does in the future.)
Hyakkaou Academy, which revolved around gambling and even had a pet system that ranked students based on wealth and power.
Compared to those options, Sōbu felt so much safer and more peaceful.
Putting away his admission letter, Takamine Haruto jumped off the swing and started walking back to his apartment.
This small park near his apartment was peaceful in the evening glow.
The autumn breeze swept across the grass, creating rippling waves of green.
"Ah… my future is looking bright."
But just as he was enjoying the scenery—
A golden bolt of lightning streaked across the sky.
A deafening boom shattered the park's tranquility.
Takamine Haruto's steps froze mid-motion.
The golden lightning struck the ground directly in front of him.
Had he taken just one or two steps forward, it would have hit his head directly, sending him off on another round of transmigration.
Taking a deep breath, Takamine Haruto tried to calm his racing heart.
But before he could relax—
A loud rushing sound filled the air.
Looking up, he saw a human figure rapidly plummeting from the sky.
His body reacted before his mind could catch up. Haruto stepped forward and extended his arms, catching the falling figure. To his surprise, the expected heavy impact never came.
He had prepared himself for a broken arm, but after adjusting his stance, he was able to catch the figure without much difficulty.
Letting out a sigh of relief, he finally looked down at the person in his arms.
It was a young girl.
She had golden-blonde hair and delicate facial features, especially a high nose bridge, giving her the appearance of a classic Western beauty.
She wore a white hoodie over a jacket.
For some reason, the jacket looked very familiar to Haruto.
But more importantly—
She had a strange device attached to her waist.
A small black box hung from both sides of her belt.
After examining it for a moment, Haruto came to a shocking realization.
"Isn't this… the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear?"
It didn't look like cosplay at all.
Still holding the girl, Haruto reached out with his free hand, intending to inspect the device more closely.
But just as his fingers touched the strap—
The girl's eyes snapped open.
Their gazes met.
Her eyes were a deep shade of blue.
They were beautiful.
But… this wasn't the time to be admiring her beauty! Because from an outsider's perspective, the scene looked extremely suspicious.
At this moment, Haruto was holding a girl in his arms—while his other hand was reaching toward her chest. To be fair, he was actually trying to touch the strap of the ODM gear, which was located above her stomach.
But to an observer, it looked exactly like he was groping her. Haruto's lips twitched as he awkwardly explained, "Uh… I can explain."
Before he could say anything else—
The girl kicked him in the chest with incredible speed.
Haruto barely managed to raise his arm and block the kick. They separated instantly. The girl quickly rolled to the ground, her eyes full of wariness, as she lifted her left hand toward her mouth—
She opened her mouth and prepared to bite down on her hand. Seeing this, Haruto immediately understood. This girl was either a hardcore chuunibyou who believed she could transform into a giant, or the real Annie Leonhart who possessed the Female Titan's power.
Because according to Attack on Titan's lore, Titan Shifters must injure themselves and have a strong will to transform.
And biting one's hand was the signature method.
"Annie Leonhart?" Haruto called out hesitantly.
Annie's eyes narrowed slightly, but she still kept her guard up and asked,
"Who are you? Why did you capture me?"
Haruto sighed. 'Looks like she really is the real Annie.'
Feeling slightly overwhelmed, he quickly explained:
"Annie, take a look around you. This isn't the world you know. As for why you're here—I have no idea. You'll have to figure that out yourself.
"I don't mean you any harm. I just want you to calm down and talk things through."
Haruto didn't want to become "The Talk no Jutsu Titan", but he had no choice. If Annie lost control and transformed into a 15-meter Female Titan…
He would die instantly.
After a long silence, Annie finally lowered her hand.
But instead of relaxing, she reached into her pocket and put on a strange ring.
Haruto recognized it immediately.
It was a special ring with hidden blades—one that Annie could use to instantly trigger her transformation.
Clearly, a few words wouldn't fully convince her.
But at least things were moving in a better direction.
Just then—
A blue system panel suddenly appeared in front of Haruto. A mechanical voice echoed in his mind:
[Multiverse Containment System has been bound.]
[Humanity's last hope—the Multiverse Containment System greets you with its sincerest regards.]
[The core directive of the Multiversal Containment System: Secure, Contain, Protect.]
[The spatial barrier of this world is weak, and anomalies will continue to appear.]
[As the bound individual, you are responsible for containing anomalies and protecting human awareness.]
[Upon successful containment, the system will reward you with lottery draws based on the anomaly's level and the extent of containment.]
[These draws grant anomalous abilities, ensuring that you can handle increasingly powerful anomalies.]
[Humanity cannot live in fear. You will be their beacon of hope.]
[We secure. We contain. We protect!]
Gazing at the panel before him and listening to the mechanical voice in his mind, Haruto realized that his peaceful daily life was gone for good.
His eyes shifted toward Annie.
This wielder of the Female Titan's power… she should count as an anomaly, right?
Meanwhile, Annie was scanning her surroundings.
At first, Haruto's words—"This is not the world you know"—didn't feel real to her.
But when her gaze fell upon the towering skyscrapers around her, the meaning behind his words finally sank in.
This was neither the walled world of Paradis Island nor her homeland of Marley.
Compared to the modern city before her, both seemed utterly primitive.
So… where exactly was this place?
A sense of unease crept up her spine, but she kept a cold expression as she looked at the boy in front of her.
"Where is this? Who are you? And how do you know my name?"
Haruto shook his head, not answering her barrage of questions. Instead, he said:
"Let's leave first. Come to my place. You made quite the entrance."
"If we stay here, we might get caught and questioned."
Without waiting for her response, Haruto turned and headed toward the park's exit.
That golden lightning bolt from earlier had made a huge scene.
There was a good chance law enforcement would come to investigate.
And if they found Annie, who had no identification, she might just be arrested as an illegal immigrant.
Annie raised a hand, intending to stop him.
She had no reason to blindly follow him—what if he was leading her into a trap?
But as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings, she clenched her teeth and ultimately decided to follow.
In this unknown world, the boy in front of her was the only bridge connecting her to it.
Hearing the footsteps behind him, Haruto let out a quiet sigh.
Alright… she took the bait.
Taking out his phone, he quickly placed an online order.
Annie's wary voice came from behind.
"What is that in your hand?"
Haruto casually swiped away the shopping page before turning the phone screen toward her.
"This is a phone—a communication device. Think of it as an upgraded version of a telephone."
Hearing that, Annie immediately snatched the phone from his hand.
"Are you trying to contact your accomplices?"
Marley's technology was stuck around World War I levels, so they did have telephones.
But in this strange world, where the technology was clearly far more advanced, Annie forced herself to keep an open mind.
However, poor Annie still assumed that phones required spoken conversation to function.
She had no idea that Haruto had already taken care of some arrangements.
Haruto shook his head.
"A phone has other functions beyond communication. It can help you understand this world faster. It's for you."
Annie was momentarily stunned before falling silent. She didn't use the phone just held it tightly in her hand.
As they walked through streets, intersections, and alleys, Haruto patiently explained things to her.
"That's a traffic light. It controls when vehicles and pedestrians can move. You know what cars are, right?"
"Okay, it's green now. We can go."
"That's a screen displaying moving images, kind of like a TV… Wait, do you know what a TV is?"
"Don't be nervous—that's just a pedestrian. He's just curious about the device on your waist, not hostile."
"Alright, this is where I live. Hang on, let me open the door."
Haruto talked the entire way, while Annie remained silent. Finally, they arrived at his apartment.
It was a fairly spacious, standalone unit— its not bad, but not extravagant.
Taking out his key, Haruto unlocked the door.
Annie remained on high alert, standing stiffly at the entrance, making no move to step inside.
She was acting like a wary stray cat.
Haruto sighed.
"There's no one else inside—no traps. If you want information, you'll need to trust me at least a little."
Annie's blue eyes studied him for a long moment before she finally said,
"You go in first."
With that, the two entered the apartment—one leading, the other cautiously following behind.
In the living room, Haruto pulled out a chair and sat down, gesturing to the seat across from him.
"Annie, have a seat."
Annie didn't want to sit, but perhaps because of his earlier words about trust, she reluctantly took a seat.
"So, will you tell me where we are now?" she asked, staring at him.
Haruto picked up a water jug from the dining table, poured himself a glass of water, and drank it in one gulp.
Only then did he respond,
"This is Earth, in the country of Japan. A world where neither Marley nor Paradis Island exists."
Annie's pupils shrank.
She instinctively wanted to refute him. It was too absurd.
But as she recalled everything she had seen along the way—
The towering skyscrapers.
The orderly streets lined with advanced vehicles.
The massive screens hanging on buildings.
She couldn't find the words.
Her head lowered, and for the first time, her expression wavered. She had promised herself that she would return. No matter what, she would go back home.
But now… what was she supposed to do?
She had no clue how she ended up in this foreign world. Yet something still felt off.
"How do you know my name? Do you know me?"
Why did this boy know her name and seem to understand her so well?
No one in this world should know her.
Haruto's expression turned a little wistful.
"Let's just call it fate."
With that, he stood up and walked into another room.
Annie tensed.
But soon, Haruto returned, holding a thick stack of papers.
Annie frowned.
Haruto handed the stack to her.
Still confused, she took it. Glancing at him to make sure he wasn't up to anything suspicious, she then lowered her gaze to the papers in her hands.
As a result, the moment she saw the first page, Annie's pupils suddenly contracted.
"This is... the world inside the walls of Paradis Island? And this... is Eren and Mikasa?"
She stared at the vividly drawn manga content on the manuscript paper.
Annie widened her eyes.
Flipping through a few more pages quickly, she confirmed the authenticity of the manga. It completely depicted events that had actually happened on Paradis Island.
Bertholdt transformed into the Colossal Titan and kicked down the wall, then Reiner broke through the inner wall. The manga unfolded from Eren's perspective, recording the fall of Wall Maria.
As one of the main culprits behind this incident, Annie was not only shocked but also felt a deep sense of pain.
It was her and Reiner who breached the walls, allowing countless people inside to be devoured. The people who were eaten weren't so-called devils.
They were just ordinary people with families and friends.
Annie took a deep breath, suppressing the pain rising in her heart.
As she continued flipping through the manuscript pages—
Soon, she saw herself appear.
Her past self, as a cadet of the 104th Training Corps. The training and selection process was exactly as she had experienced.
Her hand stopped turning the pages.
Because the events she remembered ended there, yet there were still many more pages left.
Her hands trembled slightly. After hesitating, she turned to the next page.
As she expected, the manuscript depicted the "future."
Page by page, she continued flipping.
Until she reached the final page. Annie put down the manuscript and looked at Haruto.
The manuscript ended at the moment when Annie encased herself in crystal. Although she didn't want to admit it, when she put herself in that situation—
She knew she would most likely make the same choices as depicted.
Attacking her comrades, showing a moment of hesitation due to her emotions, and then struggling desperately until she had no way out.
So, was this manuscript truly the "future"?
That was... quite a tragic fate.
Seeing Annie remain silent after putting down the manuscript, Haruto spoke up:
"There are connections between worlds. Sometimes, events in one world get transmitted to another. Some people receive these transmissions and call them inspiration, then turn them into various types of works that spread.
But that's not the point. The point is you, Annie. You possess power beyond ordinary humans. This world has many anomalies that threaten human survival. I want to protect humanity.
Annie, will you lend me your strength to contain these anomalies and protect mankind?"
Annie listened to his words and looked up to meet Haruto's gaze.
At that moment, her mind was in complete turmoil.
Traveling between worlds, an apparent predetermined future—everything made her feel lost.
And now, she was being asked to save humanity?
Annie shook her head.
"I just want to go back."
Hearing this, Haruto sighed.
"Alright, I won't force you. It's getting late, and you must be hungry. I'll go prepare some food. Let's eat first and then talk."
With that, he got up and headed for the kitchen. Just then, the doorbell rang. Annie instinctively became alert. Haruto simply waved his hand, signaling her to relax.
"It's probably just a delivery. Like when you order something, and the shopkeeper sends it to you."
Annie hesitated but then nodded.
Haruto went to the door and raised his voice to ask, "Who is it?"
A reply came from outside, "Delivery service. The package is computer parts. Please sign for it."
Hearing this exchange, Annie finally relaxed.
Haruto opened the door and brought in the "computer parts."
Then, he went into the kitchen, took ingredients from the fridge, and started cooking.
Soon, two servings of egg fried rice were freshly prepared.
After setting the plates on the table, Haruto took out a bottle of cola from the fridge and grabbed a cup for Annie.
The fried rice looked great.
After living alone for three years, Haruto's cooking skills had reached a high level.
Sitting across from Annie, he took a bite of the fried rice.
Mmm, it was really good.
"Eat," Haruto urged Annie.
"Can I have yours instead?"
Annie asked in a low voice.
Even though she believed Haruto's explanation, she still wasn't letting her guard down.
Haruto sighed helplessly and switched plates with her.
"Thanks," Annie said sincerely.
Then, she started eating quickly. On Paradis Island, even having cold bread was considered decent. Compared to that, this egg fried rice was a gourmet meal. And she was extremely hungry.
However, soon after eating too fast, Annie started choking. Haruto pointed at the cola.
"This is a drink called cola. It tastes great, give it a try."
Annie shook her head and instead picked up the water jug on the table, pouring herself a glass.
After taking a sip, she frowned.
There was a strange taste.
Was the water quality bad?
As this thought surfaced, her vision began to blur.
A spinning sensation overwhelmed her.
'Damn it!'
Annie immediately realized something was wrong. As she struggled to stay conscious, she reached for her special ring.
A hidden metal spike popped out from the ring.
Blood splattered.
The last thing Annie saw before losing consciousness was Haruto grabbing her hand and completely covering the ring.
"Sleep,"
His voice echoed in her ears as she fell into complete darkness.
Haruto cradled the unconscious Annie in his arms.
He removed her special ring.
Unfastened her Omni-Directional Mobility Gear.
Then, carrying her in a princess hold, he walked toward the bedroom and placed her on the bed. Hmm, at this point, it almost seemed like something that couldn't be shown on TV was about to happen.
"Well, in any case, the containment was successful."
Haruto let out a deep breath.
He searched the drawer and pulled out a soft nylon rope.
(T/N: Bondage?)
This material was tough to break free from, yet wouldn't easily cause skin abrasions.
Carefully, Haruto tied Annie down to the bed.
Her hands and feet were secured separately, with additional restraint bands around her legs, waist, and chest. He also made sure to put three layers of winter gloves on her hands.
The feet were more challenging since he lacked toe-separated socks.
Instead, he wrapped each of Annie's toes with cotton fabric.
Finally, he secured a restraint band across her forehead.
Then, he stuffed a handkerchief into her mouth and tied an elastic band around it.
To be honest, this setup would be very uncomfortable.
But there was no choice—
To prevent Annie from injuring herself and transforming into a Titan, he had to take these measures.
After finishing everything, Haruto stepped back and admired his work.
At that moment, a system notification appeared.
[Successful containment of anomaly: Titan Power—Female Titan.]
[Containment Level: 3—Catastrophe. Containment status: Good.]
[Reward: One Level 3 Lottery Draw.]
[First-time anomaly containment detected. Reward: One Beginner's Tenfold Lottery Draw.]
(Containment levels from lowest to highest: 1—Dangerous, 2—Lethal, 3—Catastrophe, 4—Destruction, 5—Apocalypse, 6—Supreme Divinity.)
Looking at the system panel, Haruto smiled in satisfaction.
It was all worth it, scheming, and deceiving a girl's feelings.
"Let's start with a beginner's ten-pull to warm up the pool."
A beginner's ten-pull interface popped up on the system panel. White rewards accounted for forty percent, green for thirty, blue for twenty, and purple for nine. The chance of a golden legendary was only one percent.
And the highest-tier red reward? Zero percent.
Takamine Haruto shook his head helplessly.
As expected, beginner pulls rarely yielded anything good.
As he pressed the ten-pull button, ten streaks of light flashed across the panel.
Takamine Haruto took a deep breath and widened his eyes.
What did he just see!?
Golden legendary!
One percent chance, and he actually pulled gold!
"Wuhu!"
[Acquired white rewards: 100,000 yen, a toddler's burp bag, a very stylish shirt, a blue and white fat cat plushie, some strange black stockings, and 14 apples.]
[Acquired blue rewards: M1917 Smith & Wesson manufactured in the northern country.]
[Acquired purple reward: Amnesiac Crowbar Containment Object.]
[Acquired golden reward: Perfect Blacklight Virus Serum.]
Takamine Haruto stared at the reward panel, dumbfounded.
What the heck is all this?
The white rewards were a joke.
The blue ones? Just average.
The purple one… hard to comment on.
Luckily, he had good fortune and got a golden pull.
He took out the Perfect Blacklight Virus Serum.
A transparent vial appeared in Haruto's hand.
Inside, the liquid was in a stabilized genetic state.
It was a deep red fluid, exuding a violent aura.
[Perfect Blacklight Virus Serum: Grants the host the ability to devour any genes and evolve towards perfection.]
Without hesitation, Haruto unscrewed the cap and gulped it down. The deep red liquid surged down his throat.
He instantly felt his body ignite, as if set ablaze.
Staggering back two steps, he collapsed to the ground, gritting his teeth to endure the excruciating transformation.
Time passed unknowably, until the pain finally receded like a tide.
Haruto opened his eyes again. The world before him seemed different. His vision had reached the limits of human capability, as had his strength and speed.
Unfortunately, since he had always worked out and already had an eight-pack, his body only became more proportioned rather than drastically changing.
"If I had known, I wouldn't have bothered training."
Looking in the mirror, Takamine Haruto muttered.
"Speaking of which, if the Blacklight Virus can devour genes… does that mean I can also obtain the power of a Titan?"
Haruto shifted his gaze to Annie, lying on the bed.
At that moment, she was completely restrained, looking somewhat… alluring.
To obtain the power of the Titans, he needed Annie's genetic material. Blood was out of the question. If he wounded her, she would transform into a Titan the moment she woke up.
Hair and fingernails could work, but—
Takamine Haruto's eyes eventually landed on her lips.
Annie's small mouth was a soft pink, slightly parted due to the handkerchief stuffed between her teeth.
It looked rather tempting.
(T/N: Bros walking on the path of a scum. *Brings a tear to my eyes*)
"No choice, this is for the power of the Titans."
Muttering to himself, Haruto moved toward Annie.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
His actions halted—crime suspended—before he walked to the entryway.
Through the video doorbell, he saw a girl standing outside, looking somewhat concerned.
"Eriri, what's wrong?" Haruto opened the door with a smile.
The girl at his doorstep was his neighbor, Sawamura Spencer Eriri.
She had been his neighbor for three years. Eriri was petite, with twin tails of golden hair so perfect they seemed like a registered trademark. Her blue eyes were crystal clear, and her skin was like white porcelain—a universally recognized beauty.
(T/N: I swear, Chinese heroines description is always over the top.)
Seeing Takamine Haruto, Eriri breathed a sigh of relief but quickly averted her gaze.
"I heard some weird noises and came to check."
Takamine Haruto understood immediately.
She must have heard the sound of him collapsing from the virus transformation.
"That was just me accidentally knocking into some furniture while moving things… Were you worried about me, Eiri?"
Takamine Haruto chuckled.
After three years of knowing each other, they were quite close. He was happy that Eriri was concerned about him.
"I-I wasn't worried about you! Who would be worried about a guy like you!? I was just… just curious about the noise, that's all!"
As soon as she spoke, the classic tsundere act began.
Indeed, she lived up to her title as the industry's most famous golden-haired loser heroine—Tsundere Queen Eriri.
"Well then, since your curiosity has been satisfied, Eriri, please be on your way."
Haruto was naturally adept at handling tsunderes.
Eriri's blue eyes widened in disbelief.
"You're actually kicking me out!? I refuse!"
With that, she slipped past Takamine Haruto and ran into the apartment.