Attack On Titan: Pure Blood

Chapter 9: 104th Cadet Corps Part 9: The Power of Blood

The sudden cry of panic that echoed through the forest, along with the shrieks of the fleeing horses, caused Eren to open his eyes in alarm... only to see a rifle barrel pointed directly at his face.

"Don't move," was the warning he received from the man holding the gun.

His voice was slightly distorted due to the sack he had on his head to cover his face, except for the holes at eye level to see.

And he was not the only one present. There were three other men who pointed rifles at them, all had the same jacket over their heads to make it impossible to identify them.

"Collect the ODM," ordered the same man who was still pointing Eren in the head, possibly being the leader of the thieves. "And hurry up."

All the recruits were puzzled by the situation. Just a minute ago they were all sleeping peacefully, and now they were being robbed by people who pointed guns at them. Nobody knew how to react to this situation.

Eren, being the first to emerge from his stupor, frowned at whoever was pointing the gun at him.

"And what do you plan to do with them?" He demanded.

"There are certain people who pay very well for these equipments," replied the man without stopping, pointing the gun at him. "They are unique and valuable. Just one of those kits could comfortably feed an entire family member for more than a month. And since you can't beat the Titans, what's wrong with wearing gear that would serve a better purpose than useless fighting?"

Eren did not like that answer at all, who frowned sharply as he clenched his teeth furiously.

Reacting swiftly to the surprise of his captors, Eren grabbed the rifle from the one pointing it and raised it over his head as he struggled to take it from the man.

"Everyone, now!" He yelled.

"Eren, don't!" Armin tried to stop his friend, but the man behind him brought the barrel of his rifle to his head. A clear warning not to move.

Nobody knew how to react to this turn of events. Sasha and Connie were confused about what they should do. In an attempt to escape danger, Jean quickly got up and tried to flee, but a shot from one of the men alerted everyone. Jean felt the bullet graze his cheek, drawing blood and causing him to froze in fear.

The sound of the gunshot, or perhaps the sight of Jean trying to flee, stunned Eren. That moment was seized by the man he was wrestling with for the weapon, who snatched the rifle from him and hit Eren hard in the face, knocking him to the ground with a groan of pain.

"Better think before you act," said the man with whom Eren struggled for the weapon. "Stay calm and silent. Otherwise, I will silence you permanently with a bullet to the head."

The tension was even greater in the environment. Jean's legs trembled at how close that bullet came. If he had passed a few more inches to the left, he would undoubtedly have died.

Eren clenched his fists in anger and frustration from his spot on the floor, but kept quiet.

It was at that moment that Marco realized something.

"What did they do with Krista?" He asked one of the men, "The scream from just now was hers."

"You mean that pretty blonde girl?" Asked the man behind him. "We'll take her and the other boy. The girl will sell very well to some wealthy nobleman as a servant or something else. As for the guy... Well, considering who he is, it'll be a good way to make a good extra income."

A grimace of displeasure settled on Eren's face as he heard what they were going to do with Krista. Those guys were planning to sell her as a slave. Take away her freedom. In Eren's eyes, they weren't people. They were animals with human skin.