In a concealed open area at the base of the wall, eight reincarnators formed a rough circle around Zixin and the brawny man, leaving them with a space roughly ten meters in diameter.
Since this was a contest of raw combat ability, both of them had already removed their omni-directional mobility gear.
Although Zixin's figure was tall and elegant, she stood just a little over 170 centimeters, which made her noticeably shorter than the nearly 190-centimeter-tall brawny man standing before her.
The brawny man assumed a fighting stance, his arms raised and ready. He looked down at Zixin, who was standing only one or two meters away, and said with a smug expression, "Let me give you one last piece of advice. If you don't want to get hurt, you'd better surrender now. I'm a man who knows how to treat a lady with care. It'd be a shame to mess up that pretty face of yours."
Before becoming a reincarnator, he had been a fitness coach, already possessing a body far stronger than that of the average person. Combined with the enhancements granted by his reincarnation points, he was confident that at the same level, few could rival his strength.
Zixin, however, paid no attention to his words. Her face remained cold and unyielding as she locked her gaze on him, poised to unleash a thunderous attack at any moment.
Xiaoyu stepped forward, clearly displeased with the brawny man's tone. She glared at him with an irritated expression before raising her voice and announcing, "I'll count to three, and then the duel officially begins. Three, two, one!"
The moment Xiaoyu finished speaking, Zixin crouched low and surged forward in a flash, instantly closing the distance to the brawny man. She launched a powerful uppercut straight toward his chin.
"What?!"
The brawny man was momentarily stunned by Zixin's incredible speed, but he quickly recovered. Crossing his arms in front of him, he managed to block her punch just in time.
In that brief exchange, the difference in their physical strength became apparent. While Zixin's punch caused a sharp pain to shoot through the brawny man's wrists and forced him to retreat several steps, it failed to deal any substantial damage.
Seeing that her first attack had failed to yield significant results, Zixin remained calm. She swiftly retreated a few steps, dodging the brawny man's counterattack—a kick aimed directly at her.
"Phew, that was close," the brawny man said casually, shaking his slightly numb arms. "Good thing my reflexes are sharp. Taking a punch like that to the chin wouldn't have been pleasant."
Despite his nonchalant tone, he was highly vigilant. Zixin's speed had genuinely startled him, and although her strength didn't match his, it was far from negligible.
If she managed to land a clean hit on one of his vital points, the consequences wouldn't be pretty.
On the other hand, Zixin's expression turned more serious as she stared at the brawny man.
Through that brief exchange, she had realized the significant gap between their physical strength. If she tried to go head-to-head with him, she would undoubtedly be at a disadvantage.
However, she also possessed a major advantage: her speed far exceeded his.
If she wanted to win, her strategy would have to focus on that speed.
"If you're not going to attack, then don't mind if I do!" The brawny man's previously relaxed expression vanished, replaced by a serious demeanor as he stared intently at Zixin. Like a tiger pouncing on its prey, he lunged at her with full force.
However, Zixin easily evaded his attack.
Without the slightest pause, she twisted her body mid-motion, planting one hand firmly on the ground before spinning gracefully. Her leg cut through the air in a sweeping arc, aimed directly at the man's neck. Her movements flowed seamlessly, as if she were performing an elegant dance.
The brawny man was completely unprepared for this sudden counterattack and was instantly knocked to the ground by Zixin's kick.
Cheers erupted from the observing reincarnators, with Xiaoyu enthusiastically shouting, "Way to go!"
Meanwhile, the brawny man's three lackeys wore grim expressions. Clearly, they hadn't anticipated this turn of events. Initially, they had assumed that the fight would end in an instant, with their captain emerging victorious. Yet, right at the beginning, their captain had fallen into a disadvantageous position.
Still, it was clear that the brawny man wasn't going to be defeated so easily.
Although Zixin's kick had caused him considerable trouble, it wasn't enough to sap him of his strength.
Lying on the ground, the brawny man quickly rolled twice to the side, narrowly avoiding Zixin's follow-up attacks.
But Zixin had already decided on a strategy of relentless speed to end the fight quickly. She refused to give him any time to recover or adjust. One kick after another rained down on the brawny man as he rolled along the ground.
Caught in this flurry of attacks, the man began to grow increasingly flustered.
"This isn't going to work," he thought to himself, his mind racing.
Finally, gritting his teeth, he made a desperate decision. He would endure one of Zixin's kicks head-on in order to turn the tide.
He curled his body tightly, protecting his head and vital points with his arms.
The next kick landed with tremendous force against his forearms, sending him rolling a meter or two away.
Seizing the moment, he planted his arms on the ground, using his strength to push himself up and leap to his feet, creating some distance between himself and Zixin.
But Zixin, her eyes sharp and unwavering, wasn't about to let him escape. Without missing a beat, she surged toward him at full speed, launching a series of punches and kicks as soon as she closed the gap.
The advantage of her speed was undeniable. Every time the brawny man tried to counterattack, Zixin managed to narrowly evade his strikes, responding with a rapid barrage of blows, relentless as a downpour.
However, Zixin herself wasn't in great shape either. The sheer intensity of her rapid assaults was taking a toll on her stamina, depleting it at an alarming rate.
In less than five minutes, signs of exhaustion began to show. Her movements started to lose some of their initial sharpness, and she was clearly reaching her limit.
The watching reincarnators held their breath, tension written across their faces as they anxiously followed the fight. None of them dared to make a sound.
"Hang in there, Sister Zixin," Xiaoyu thought to herself, clenching her small fists in silent encouragement.
Zixin didn't let Xiaoyu or her other four teammates down. In the final moments of the battle, after enduring countless blows, the brawny man was struck by a powerful punch to the chin. He collapsed to the ground and didn't get back up.
Breathing heavily, Zixin bent forward, resting her hands on her knees for support. A flicker of relief crossed her face. She knew that if the fight had dragged on for even a few seconds longer, it might have been her lying on the ground instead.
Seeing that the match was decided, Xiaoyu immediately sprinted toward Zixin, her face filled with excitement. "Sister Zixin won!" she shouted gleefully.
Behind her, the two men and two other women from Zixin's team erupted into cheers.
"Sister Zixin, you're amazing! As expected of our captain!" Xiaoyu exclaimed, grabbing Zixin's arm and looking up at her with admiration. She didn't mind at all that Zixin's clothes were drenched in sweat.
Zixin managed a weak smile at Xiaoyu before pulling a blue potion from the Lord God Space's inventory and drinking it.
Within seconds, her stamina had returned to its peak condition.
"It's such a shame… I wasted a recovery potion," Zixin muttered, looking at the empty bottle in her hand with a pained expression.
If it weren't for the possibility of the mission starting at any moment, she wouldn't have used the recovery potion to restore her stamina so casually.
"Hmph, it's all because of those guys," Xiaoyu grumbled, shooting a glare at the brawny man still lying on the ground and the three reincarnators who had gathered around him.
She quickly took out her own recovery potion and handed it to Zixin with an eager expression. "Sister Zixin, here, you can use mine."
In the previous world, Zixin had saved Xiaoyu's life, which had left Xiaoyu with deep admiration and trust for her. At this moment, she didn't hesitate to offer her own life-saving potion, her loyalty unwavering.
"I can't accept that, Xiaoyu. You should keep it for yourself," Zixin said, shaking her head firmly as she gently pushed Xiaoyu's hand back.
"But…"
Xiaoyu looked at the recovery potion in her hand, wanting to protest, but upon meeting Zixin's resolute gaze, she swallowed her words.
…
Back on the city wall, Eriri and her companions watched the fight's conclusion on the screen and began discussing what they had seen.
"They're so weak," Kohina commented with a childishly innocent expression, though her words carried a clear tone of mockery as she looked at the two fighters on the screen.
"They are a bit weak," Antilene admitted, her tone thoughtful. "But that long-haired girl has decent combat instincts. If her strength develops in the future, she might make a good opponent." She regarded Zixin on the screen with a look of mild appreciation.
Although the fight seemed no more than child's play to Antilene, it didn't stop her from recognizing Zixin's combat potential.
"Indeed, she's not bad," Eriri agreed with a nod. She then turned to Antilene and suggested, "When you join their team, you could consider helping her grow stronger."
"Joining them sounds fine, but I'm a little curious—why do you want me to join their squad? They're really weak right now," Antilene asked, her curiosity evident.
"Well, even though I'll make sure the Lord God Fragment you have is entirely under your control, freeing you from the Lord God Space's restrictions, having teammates makes things livelier," Eriri explained with a shrug.
"That makes sense," Antilene nodded in agreement.
She had no intention of exploring the vast reincarnation worlds alone. If that were her plan, she wouldn't need to become a reincarnator at all. She could have simply asked Eriri to craft her a tool for traversing worlds, which would have been much simpler.
As Eriri affectionately stroked Antilene's ear again, she continued, "If you were to match with random teammates, you wouldn't know what kind of people you'd end up with. Instead of taking that risk, it's better to join a familiar team."
"And this squad happens to have a harmonious dynamic among its members. Isn't that a perfect choice?"
"As for their current lack of strength, it doesn't matter. You're not becoming a reincarnator to complete high-level missions and earn points to grow stronger. You're doing it to explore and enjoy the reincarnation worlds. Whether your teammates are strong or weak makes no difference at all."
"Mm, you're right. I'll listen to you and do as you say," Antilene replied.
She had no objections to becoming teammates with Zixin and her group, especially since joining the team wasn't a binding arrangement for her.
According to Eriri, she wouldn't be subject to the restrictions of the Lord God Space. This meant she could leave the team or the Lord God Space itself at any time. She didn't even have to complete the missions issued by the Lord God Space if she didn't want to—there would be no penalties whatsoever.
After seeing that Zixin's stamina had been restored, Eriri dismissed the screen before them. The show was over, and now all they had to do was wait for the Colossal Titan to appear.
About ten meters away from them, Mina and the other five members of Eren's group were still busy maintaining the cannons. However, as they worked, they would occasionally sneak glances at Eriri and her companions.
The events earlier had left a massive impact on their minds. The shock was so great that they couldn't focus on their tasks. Even the casual chatter from the original story was completely absent as a result of their distraction.
At that moment, a brown-haired girl with a single ponytail approached Eren and the others cautiously, her expression both nervous and slightly excited.
"Uh… everyone," she called out, her voice drawing Eren and his companions out of their distracted states.
When all eyes were on her, the ponytailed girl continued, "I stole some meat from the officers' storeroom."
As she spoke, she pulled her left hand out from under her jacket. Dangling from it was a string of neatly bound cooked meat.
The sight of the meat caused Eren and the others to pale. They immediately set down their tools and rushed over to her, momentarily forgetting all about Eriri and her group.
"Sasha, do you want to get thrown into solitary confinement?" Eren asked, his tone incredulous.
One of the boys in the group, a black-haired youth, sighed helplessly. "Sasha, you're such an idiot."
Sasha Blouse, the ponytailed girl, seemed completely unfazed by their reactions. Drooling slightly, she said dreamily, "Let's all share it later. We can slice it up and put it in some bread…"
As she imagined the delicious scene, Sasha began to drool even more, a blissful smile spreading across her face.
Watching this familiar moment unfold, Eriri knew that Bertolt would soon transform into the Colossal Titan and appear outside the wall.
She turned to Kohina and said, "Kohina, if a Titan taller than the wall shows up in a moment, I want you to destroy it immediately. Then, in front of those people, pull the person inside the Titan out from its nape."
"Got it," Kohina replied obediently, nodding her head. She then retrieved her two long blades from the storage ring hanging around her neck, ready for action.
At that same time, Zixin returned to the top of the wall with her six-person squad in tow.
Behind them, the brawny man who had recovered from his injuries also ascended the wall with his three lackeys, their faces still filled with displeasure as they trailed behind Zixin's group.
The brawny man and his followers didn't make any further moves. They simply stood where they were, waiting for the appearance of the Titans.
Since Eren and the others were positioned between them and Eriri's group, the brawny man and his team didn't notice Eriri's presence.
Not long after they arrived, a brilliant flash of golden lightning streaked through the sky, followed by a thunderous roar that echoed across the area.
A massive figure emerged—its colossal body towering ten meters higher than the wall itself. Its red, skinless form radiated heat, with white steam billowing from its exposed muscles.
The Colossal Titan had finally appeared!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven