Attack on Titan: The Strongest Newcomer

The location Hanji and her team had selected was indeed strategic. It was a secluded area surrounded by high walls, cutting off all connection to the outside world. Even if the titan were to rampage, it would take significant time to destroy these walls. That time would be more than enough for the Survey Corps to organize a countermeasure, whether it was recapturing or eliminating the titan.

These fallback measures were just in case of an emergency, though Hanji was confident that their experiment would proceed smoothly. With Ryo's presence, her confidence soared.

The soldiers moved cautiously, prying off the steel nails and freeing the titan. Once unbound, the creature let out a guttural roar and lunged toward Ryo and the others.

Hanji and her team, understanding their limits, activated their mobility gear and swiftly retreated to safety. They knew they couldn't contribute much in such close combat. Instead, Hanji settled into a comfortable vantage point with her notebook and snacks, ready to observe.

"Ryo, it's all up to you now! Show us what you're capable of!" she called out, grinning.

Ryo sighed, giving her an exasperated look. "You're really enjoying this, aren't you?"

The titan roared again, charging toward Ryo. Without hesitation, Ryo activated his gear, zipping into the air to avoid its grasp.

Ryo had to avoid harming the titan; they needed accurate data on its speed and strength. For now, his goal was to bait it into chasing him. However, something felt off.

The titan's movements were sluggish, its stride awkward. Ryo noticed immediately that this wasn't the creature's full speed.

"Why is this guy so slow?" he muttered, zipping to a high wall to observe. It didn't take long to spot the issue. "Its arms are still tied. No wonder its movements are so strange."

Smirking, Ryo muttered, "Guess I'll fix that."

Instead of continuing the chase, Ryo made a sharp turn, heading directly toward the titan.

Hanji, who had been watching closely, froze in surprise. "Wait, that's not part of the plan!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening as Ryo drew his blade and dove toward the titan.

The titan, seeing Ryo approach, attempted to swat him, but its bound arms threw off its balance. With a deafening crash, it toppled forward, exposing its back.

"Perfect," Ryo said with a grin.

In three swift strikes, he severed the restraints binding the titan's arms and stepped back, his blade already sheathed.

Hanji let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. For a moment, she'd thought Ryo was going to kill the titan, ruining their experiment.

"Wait... Did he just...?" Hanji's voice trailed off, her expression shifting from relief to disbelief.

The other soldiers, however, were less composed. "What is he doing?! He just freed the titan!"

The group exchanged panicked glances, their eyes filled with a mix of confusion and anger. Capturing the titan had been a grueling task, and now it was fully unbound.

"Hehehe, now you can show me your true strength," Ryo muttered, smirking at the titan. He jumped onto its head, stomping a few times, though it was more to provoke than to injure.

The titan, now realizing its newfound freedom, let out another deafening roar. Using its arms to push itself upright, it scanned the area, its eyes locking onto its target once more: Ryo.

"Good," Ryo said, readying his gear. "Now we can really get started."