"You! Who are you!?"
A blond boy in the second row stiffened as Keith Shadis's glare locked onto him.
Cold sweat dripped down his face in an instant.
"R-Report, sir! I-I'm Thomas Wagner from Trost!"
"TOO QUIET!!"
"R-Report, sir! I'm from Trost "
Keith didn't pick recruits at random.
He had his own brutal criteria:
He targeted faces that showed weakness.
A recruit's expression revealed everything
their psyche, their past, their limits.
Those who had already witnessed Titan slaughter firsthand carried a different aura
quiet, hollow, hardened.
Those were not the ones he bothered with.
Instead, he zeroed in on the anxious ones
the naive ones
the ones who could break.
Just like earlier, when he targeted Armin.
Despite having seen Titans, Armin hadn't suffered the trauma head-on.
And now his next victim was none other than Jean Kirstein.
"You! Who are you!?"
Keith bent down, face practically touching Jean's forehead.
The drill sergeant's murderous stare made Jean tremble.
"R-Report, sir! I'm Jean Kirstein from Trost!"
"Why did you come here!?"
"I-I…!"
Jean hesitated, shame creeping into his voice.
"...To join the Military Police… and live in the interior…"
A wave of murmurs rippled through the ranks.
Not because his dream was unusual
everyone secretly desired the cushy life behind Wall Sina
but because he actually said it out loud.
It was like telling an officer:
"I joined the army so I can have an easy life later!"
Asking for death.
"Ohh…?"
Keith smirked coldly.
"You want the interior, do you?"
Jean nodded earnestly. "Y-Yes, sir!"
BAM!
Keith's shiny bald head slammed straight into Jean's.
Jean yelped, clutching his skull as he fell to his knees.
"WHO TOLD YOU TO SIT DOWN!?
A quitter like you dreams of joining the Military Police!?"
With a disdainful snort, Keith moved on
eyes scanning for his next target.
His gaze fixed on a freckled boy in the fourth row
Marco Bott.
Keith marched toward him, ready to unleash another round of verbal carnage
When suddenly
A soft, lazy yawn sounded nearby.
It was quiet, almost gentle…
but on this silent parade ground…
It boomed like thunder.
Several recruits stiffened in horror and turned toward the source.
Even Keith froze.
Slowly, he turned his head.
There standing casually among the ranks
Evan Cross rubbed his eyes, still half-asleep.
"...Hissss " he exhaled groggily.
A collective hiss spread across the field.
This kid…
This absolute lunatic…
He just yawned in front of Shadis.
He must have a death wish.
Keith's aura darkened like a thundercloud.
He radiated enough killing intent to make grown soldiers faint.
His jaw twitched in fury as he stomped toward Evan.
Suddenly, Evan's sunlight disappeared
blocked by the looming shadow of death itself.
Evan blinked.
Looked up innocently.
"...You need something?"
Keith Shadis forgot how to breathe.
The surrounding recruits forgot how to breathe.
Nobody…
nobody had ever asked the drill sergeant that.
Eren buried his face into his palm.
"Unbelievable… he's still as reckless as ever…"
Armin silently prayed for Evan's soul.
Mikasa lowered her head with a long sigh
uncertain if she was annoyed or worried.
Even Annie…
the unshakable Annie…
had a faint twitch at the corner of her lips.
So earlier you were just a curious puppy,
she thought.
Turns out you're a full-grown problem child.
~~~~~~~~~
~> Bonus Chapter every 300PS!!