all attention must be directed to me.

Kazuya's group advanced across the battlefield, their steps resolute, ignoring the muffled sounds of the Titans in the background. He felt as if he were floating above everyone, the tension permeating the environment was merely an illusion to him. After all, why should he care about that? Those miserable beings around him seemed like worms begging for mercy in a world that he, Kazuya, was meant to command. But then, there they were: Levi and Erwin, the two who always stole the scene, absorbing the attention and praise that should all belong to him.

"Why do these idiots worship those two so much?" Kazuya thought, his eyes fixating on Levi and Erwin. To him, the two leaders were nothing more than obstacles blocking his path to divinity. He knew many of the team members sighed with relief at the sight of their faces, as if they were gods who would save them from disaster. A feeling of nausea rose in Kazuya's throat, as if the very thought were repulsive. "They're just extras in my grand theater."

Kazuya's group lined up, reporting casualties and the events of the mission. He heard the words coming out of one of the members' mouths, but everything sounded like a distant echo in his mind. "Captain Levi, Commander Erwin..." The names were spoken with such respect that it seemed the very earth was bowing. "Damn attention thieves," Kazuya thought. He hated how every gaze turned to them, as if they were gods in the flesh. To him, everyone's attention was his right, a tribute the world owed him.

"A rookie here killed all the Titans we encountered on the way to the smoke signal," someone reported. Levi's eyes turned to him, cold and calculating. "How dare you look at me like that?" Kazuya thought, trying to maintain a calm demeanor. "You should be kneeling, Levi. All of you should." In his mind, he saw himself rising above the others, a celestial figure, while they, Levi, Erwin, and all the rest, crawled at his feet.

Kazuya thought "System," and the familiar interface appeared before his eyes. The lock icon indicated he still couldn't leave this world. He knew what he had to do: bring down those who dared to challenge his brilliance, absorb all the power, and reach the divine status he deserved. His plan was simple but audacious. "I'll steal at least a few of the Nine Titans," he mused. "If I could, of course, I'd steal them all." In his grandiose mind, he saw himself as a being so immense that, if he wished, he could subdue all the Titans to his absolute command. "This world is my proving ground," he thought with a satisfied smile. 

Then, Petra Rall's voice pulled him out of his reverie. "Hey, rookie, I heard you killed eight Titans in a row. Congratulations, we're glad to have someone strong on our side." Petra... a character he even liked, but now she seemed like just another puppet, a robot programmed to flatter.

He cast a cold look at Petra, ignoring her attempt at kindness. Oluo joined the conversation with his usual sarcasm. "Come on, Petra, you always praise all the rookies. Kazuya, right? Look, don't get too confident. Otherwise, you might end up dead from Petra's compliments."

While the two exchanged banter, Kazuya looked around, his mind boiling. "Fools," he thought. "Keep up with your pathetic performances." To him, everything was a theater, and he was the only protagonist. This was his stage, and each one of them, Levi, Erwin, Petra, Oluo, were just extras waiting for the moment when he would decide their fate.