"Great! Then let me see the power that's said to rival that of the gods!" Kenny Ackerman's eyes gleamed with fanaticism.
Lock turned to Ymir and Petra.
The two nodded. Ymir stepped into an open space, turned her back, and—just as Lock instructed—drew her knife and slashed her palm deeply.
In an instant, the underground chamber, already bright from the crystals, exploded with lightning and thunder. The blinding flash reflected off the crystals, filling the cavern with dazzling brilliance.
Lock, Kenny, and Petra had no time to admire it. Their eyes were fixed on Ymir's position.
Moments later, Ymir's Jaw Titan emerged in full form, crouched and snarling. She flexed her limbs to adapt to the underground space, then approached.
Kenny instinctively raised his twin guns, ready to fire.
"Don't get jumpy," Lock said coolly. "We've got no reason to fight."
Kenny lowered his weapons and broke into an almost feverish grin.
"You're really straightforward… but unbelievable. Power like this, wielded by someone outside the Reiss family? Incredible!"
He couldn't deny what he was seeing. If Ymir could do it, so could he—Titan power, within human grasp.
It was intoxicating.
Like a man admiring a divine relic, Kenny stared up and down at the Jaw Titan. "Can I touch it?" he asked, voice trembling.
"Go ahead," Lock nodded.
With permission, Kenny stepped forward and pressed his hands against the Titan's surface. His movements were reverent; his face, almost childlike. It was grotesque to see such devotion from a man like him.
Ymir shifted uncomfortably. She crossed her arms and closed her eyes, fighting the urge to crush him on the spot.
Then she felt something odd—pain in her right calf. Snapping her eyes open, she saw Kenny cutting into his own leg with a knife, then leaning down as if to lick the blood.
"Pervert uncle, don't push your luck!" Ymir growled through the Jaw Titan's throat, the hoarse, distorted voice echoing through the cavern.
"You can talk?!" Kenny exclaimed, thrilled.
"Of course," Ymir snapped, clearly unwilling to engage further.
Kenny didn't care. He kept examining her like a fascinated scientist. His obsessive gaze made her skin crawl.
Lock stepped in. "You've seen enough."
"Not nearly," Kenny muttered, reluctantly stepping back. But he caught himself quickly. For all his madness, he was cunning enough not to lose composure now.
He shifted his attention toward Petra.
"She has Titan power, too?"
"She just inherited it," Lock replied evenly. "She's still learning to control it."
Petra glanced at Lock. He gave her a firm nod. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into another open area. She turned her back so Kenny couldn't see the method, then sliced her palm.
Again, lightning and thunder erupted—though less intensely than Ymir's transformation. Still, the air shook as Petra's Colossal Titan began to form.
However, only her upper body manifested—blood-red muscle and bone exposed, steam pouring from every inch. Even in this incomplete state, the sheer scale dwarfed Ymir's form.
"What is this?!" Kenny's jaw dropped.
Before him towered a half-formed Colossal Titan, its massive torso rising more than ten meters from the ground. Below the ribs, the transformation hadn't completed.
Ymir crossed her arms. "Don't look at me, bastard," she muttered irritably under his gaze.
"What a terrible attitude," Kenny whispered, then glanced at Lock.
"She inherited her power recently," Lock explained calmly. "There hasn't been enough space inside the Walls for her to practice. Once she gains full control, she'll be able to transform completely. It's a process."
Kenny nodded subconsciously, then caught himself. "You know quite a lot about Titans."
"I just know a bit more than most," Lock replied curtly, not elaborating.
Kenny grinned thoughtfully. He stepped closer to Petra's half-formed Titan, the heat rolling off it in waves.
"It's so powerful even half-finished," he said with excitement. "Once complete… it'll be terrifying. Truly enviable power."
Comparing Ymir's nimble Jaw Titan and Petra's overwhelming Colossal Titan, Kenny understood that Titan powers manifested in different ways—and his greed flared. If he ended up with only Ymir's small form, it'd be disappointing.
Ymir rolled her eyes silently.
Petra's form, however, fascinated Kenny more. The intense steam made it difficult for him to get too close, leaving him both impressed and frustrated.
Still, Lock had shown him everything he needed to see. Now it was Kenny's turn to make his move.
Reluctantly pulling his gaze away from Petra's towering form, Kenny turned to Lock—who stood watching, calm as ever.
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A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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