Ep 8. Assassin's Bullet

The episode starts with a tender moment between Eren and Mikasa, where they exchange feelings towards each other, however it is interrupted by General Hange, who has come with news of a recent assassination attempt on Eren's life. Inside the innermost walls, a scout has been shot with a bullet from an anti-Titan rifle - the same kind that killed the scout Ymir. Intelligence has traced the bullet to a civilian farm outside of Paradis, and it seems that the shooter had been aiming specifically at Eren's location.

The scouts immediately suspect the Volunteers and the Azumabito clan as responsible for the assassination attempt. They make a visit to the Azumabito family to question them, but find that Kiyomi Azumabito proves to be unexpectedly forthright - confirming that she was indeed involved in the assassination attempt, but that she had no connection to the Volunteers. Instead, she explains that the entire Azumabito clan is in fact descended from the same bloodline as the royal family of Eldia, and that she had made the attempt on Eren's life in order to prevent any one person from holding too much power. The Scouts are shocked by this revelation, as they had previously known nothing of the Azumabito's connection to Eldia.

Meanwhile, the scouts still suspect that the Volunteers are behind the assassination attempt. They decide to infiltrate the Volunteers' headquarters in Odiha, Marley, posing as wine servers for the party that is taking place to honor the hero Marleyans who fought on Paradis. They discover that the Volunteers have been keeping tabs on Paradis Islanders, gathering data on who should be targeted in the event of an uprising. The scouts also discover that the Volunteers have aligned themselves with Willy Tybur, the head of the Tybur family, who is preparing a grand declaration at the upcoming festival in Liberio - a declaration that will have major implications for the entire world.

It seems that at this point, all the factions are converging on Liberio, with each one planning something big for the festival. The Scouts determine that they must take action at the festival to prevent any further violence from taking place. While in Marley, the Scouts discover a potential ally in the person of Falco, who has been trying to infiltrate the military academy and impart a message to a random Eldian soldier. Falco is intrigued by the Scouts and their cause, and the Scouts recognize in him a potential way in to the military academy.

The episode ends with the scouts gearing up for the festival, as they prepare to face off against not only the Volunteers and Willy Tybur, but also the Marleyan army itself. They know that they must act quickly and decisively to prevent any bloodshed from occurring - but at the same time, they are aware that the future of the world hangs in the balance. Thus far, the 'Assassin's Bullet' has not reached its intended target - but it is clear that the various factions are racing towards a dangerous and uncertain future.