"Geez… did you really have to leave me like that? I could've been hurt, capisce…" Claire muttered, her voice small but edged with frustration.
She trailed after Kazuki through the undergrowth, leaves brushing against her cloak, her complaints fading as they dealt with weaker Akumos along the way. The warmth of the sun dipped lower, streaks of light slipping through the canopy, but the growing silence only made her more restless.
"Hey… you can't just keep ignoring me," she called out, her voice rising a notch.
Kazuki kept moving, unbothered, the weight of his silence settling over them like mist. Claire twirled a strand of hair nervously, her fingers fidgeting. The words kept catching in her throat, but the urge to speak wouldn't let up.
"I… I just think we should, you know, maybe… work together. A little," she tried, awkward, her cheeks warming. "I mean, we can't keep acting like I'm not even here."
She sighed, shoulders drooping when he didn't answer. The quiet gnawed at her, leaving her thoughts a mess.
"Look, I get it," she went on, softer now. "I know I kinda… dragged you into that explosion. Sorry about that. But could you at least… I dunno, say something? Anything?"
Nothing.
Kazuki's silence stayed as heavy as ever. Claire bit the inside of her cheek, frustration starting to blur into something else — a knot of irritation, guilt, and plain old confusion. She tightened her grip on her bow and kept moving, her heart heavy with the things she couldn't seem to get out.
The ground trembled slightly, leaves rustling as the trees swayed. Kazuki glanced left — a Kurutor came barreling toward them, a heavy two-handed mace gripped in its hands. It swung. Kazuki leapt aside, landing without a sound as the mace slammed into the ground, sending dirt and grass flying in a sharp burst.
Before the creature could raise its weapon again, Claire slid into view, bow drawn, an arrow aimed straight at its face. A small, crooked grin tugged at her lips, though tension flickered in her eyes.
"H-hey there…" she teased, her voice a notch shakier than she wanted.
She loosed the arrow. It struck the Kurutor's jaw, snapping its head back with a grunt. Without missing a beat, Claire ducked low and slid beneath it, firing a scatter of quick shots toward its chest and neck as she moved. The arrows barely sank into its thick hide, but it was enough to catch its attention.
The Kurutor roared and turned, mace resting on its shoulder, readying another swing.
Claire straightened, not backing down. Her pulse hammered, but the smirk stayed.
"Forget about someone?" she called, hoping her voice sounded steadier than it felt.
Before the Kurutor could react, a blade burst from its chest. The creature let out a stunned grunt, glancing down at the sword before toppling forward with a heavy thud. Kazuki stood behind it, withdrawing his weapon without a word as the monster's form faded into scattered light.
Claire pumped her fist, bow in hand, a little too eagerly. "Yes!" she whispered to herself.
But when she looked at Kazuki, her burst of confidence faltered. His expression hadn't changed — no glance, no reaction, nothing. The weight of it settled in her chest, and she rubbed the back of her neck.
"I… uh… guess you didn't really need my help, huh," she muttered, avoiding his eyes.
Kazuki slid his sword back into its scabbard and walked past, the silence heavier than before.
Claire blinked, the lack of acknowledgment stinging more than she expected. Being ignored felt worse than getting smacked by that mace.
"…Rude," she grumbled under her breath.
She turned, eyeing Kazuki's back as he walked on, completely unfazed. His posture stiff, his steps measured, arms loose at his sides like a machine going through programmed motions. No glance, no shift, no sign of anything remotely human.
Is he a robot or something? Claire scowled at the thought, a fresh wave of frustration prickling beneath her skin.
She twisted a strand of her sunflower-yellow hair, nerves and irritation tangling together. Why did it bother her so much? The silence wasn't new — it was his default. But now it felt loud. Too loud. Like every word she wanted to say got lodged somewhere between her throat and her clenched fists.
Her brow twitched. Enough.
"Y'know what? If you're not gonna talk to me, fine!" she snapped, voice sharper than intended. "Could've just said so from the start! I'm fine on my own! Do whatever you want!"
Nothing.
Kazuki kept walking, not a single glance thrown her way. The anger sputtered out as quickly as it came, leaving something heavier behind. Claire's shoulders sagged. Her hand pressed against her chest, as if she could push down the knot growing there.
It stung. More than she liked.
Then — Kazuki stopped.
He turned. Sword drawn. That unreadable, detached stare locked on her.
Claire stiffened. Panic jolted through her like lightning.
"H-hold up — what are you—?!" she stammered, throwing up her hands as if her palms could stop a blade. "Wait, waitwaitwait, I—I'm sorry, okay?!"
She barely finished the sentence when his sword flew.
Claire jerked to the side with a yelp, heart leaping into her throat. The blade whistled past, striking something behind her with a solid, fleshy crunch. A fading screech followed. An Akumo. She hadn't even noticed it.
She dropped to the ground with a thud, hair catching stray leaves as she stared at the vanishing creature. Then back at Kazuki, who was already retrieving his weapon like nothing happened.
Claire's mouth fell open.
"What the heck?!" she blurted, scrambling up, dirt clinging to her sleeves. "You could've taken my head off! Do you even—! I mean—my head! That close!"
No answer.
He slid the sword back into its scabbard, still stone-faced, and walked past her without a word.
Claire glared at his back, fists clenching tight. It should've made her angrier — but all she could do was sigh, the fight draining out of her. She should've been furious. Part of her was. But as she stood there, huffing in the clearing, she let out a breath and brushed a hand through her messy hair.
Okay… fine.
Twice now.
Twice, without a word.
He didn't say a word, but… he'd turned around.
As she dusted herself off and followed after him once more, Claire couldn't help it. Beneath the frustration and silence, something about Kazuki nagged at her. And no matter how much she told herself to stop, her feet kept moving, trailing after the boy who wouldn't even look her way.
Still no reply.
He slid the sword back into its scabbard and started walking again, that same indifferent expression plastered to his face.
As much as it drove her crazy, she couldn't ignore it. And despite everything — the silence, the indifference, the near-decapitation — her feet still followed.
And she wasn't sure why.
Liene gave a slow, lazy clap. "Lovely. Ten out of ten," she murmured.
Takumi scoffed, rolling his shoulders. "Glad you're enjoying the show."
But there was no time for banter — the Zensukos were already surging in, lean bodies cutting through the undergrowth, claws kicking up dirt.
Takumi's hand tightened around the haft of his scythe, still buried in the ground. As the first wolf lunged, he vaulted up, using the weapon as leverage to launch himself clear. Midair, his boot cracked against the second Akumo's jaw, sending it staggering.
Landing cleanly, he yanked the scythe free in one smooth pull. Mana gathered along its curved blade, a pale violet glow rippling through the metal — familiar, steady, like muscle memory.
Whirling Crescent.
The words never left his mouth, but his body knew the rhythm. He pivoted sharply, the scythe carving a wide, brutal arc through the space around him. Two Zensukos were caught clean, dissolving into mist before their bodies hit the ground.
Without missing a step, Takumi dropped low and swept upward in a rising slash, sending another creature airborne, its shadowy form unraveling as it flew.
A pair of them lunged at once. He drove the scythe down, embedding it in the earth, and vaulted skyward, twisting mid-leap. The moment his hand closed around the weapon again, he spun — a vicious, seamless motion. The remaining wolves fell in quick succession, their forms scattering like smoke.
Takumi landed light, resting the scythe's shaft across his shoulder as the last wisps of shadow vanished.
Liene pushed off the tree, smirking. "Took you long enough," she teased. "Show off."
"At least I handled it," Takumi muttered, rolling his wrist. "Some people just sit around and take notes."
"Hey, someone's gotta supervise," Liene shot back with a grin. "Besides, I'd have cleaned that up twice as fast. No theatrics."
"Sure you would've." Takumi scoffed, adjusting his grip on the scythe. "From that tree, maybe."
"You're just mad 'cause I made it look easy," she teased, giving a lazy shrug.
Takumi opened his mouth to retort — but a sharp rustle from the trees cut the air. Both of them froze.
Without a word, Takumi shifted his stance, raising the scythe with one hand, his other palm open and steady. Liene's expression cooled as she slipped the Kyoketsu-Shoge free from her belt, the weighted ring swinging gently in her grasp.
Another rustle. A faint snap underfoot as Takumi's boot brushed a loose branch.
Liene shot him a glare. "Shh… quiet."
"You be quiet," Takumi muttered back, eyes still locked ahead.
The rustling in the bushes grew louder. Takumi and Liene instinctively fell silent, weapons raised, exchanging a brief nod. Whatever was coming, they'd deal with it.
The branches parted — and Kazuki stepped out.
His head hung low, black hair catching the dim light through the leaves. When he looked up, his dead-eyed stare met theirs, a flicker of minor confusion crossing his otherwise unreadable face.
Takumi blinked, lowering his scythe. "...Huh. Not what I was expecting."
Kazuki said nothing, his gaze already drifting past them.
A few seconds later, Claire stumbled into view, nearly tripping on a branch. She awkwardly kicked it aside, fumbled with the hem of her cloak, and shuffled a few steps behind Kazuki.
Takumi recognized her. "Oh — it's you."
Claire glanced up. "Uh… yeah," she managed, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
Liene eyed the both of them, lips quirking. "Cute entrance. Real dramatic," she teased, voice dry as she casually rested her weapon against her shoulder.
Takumi gestured at Kazuki with his chin. "You tagging along with him?"
Claire hesitated, then gave a sheepish nod. "Kinda… it's complicated."
"Right," Takumi muttered, giving Kazuki a side glance, then shrugged. "Well, if you two aren't here to bite us, guess we'll live."
Liene let out a soft scoff. "Hey, quiet boy — you got a voice, or just dead air?"
Kazuki didn't answer.
Claire shifted uncomfortably behind him, twisting a fold of her cloak between her fingers. The silence pressed in heavier than she expected.
Then — in a blink — Kazuki's eyes cut sharp. His hand went to his sword.
A blur of black burst through the trees.
The shadow eagle Akumo dove, a flash of talons and gnashing beak. Kazuki's blade caught the strike mid-air, steel crashing against the creature's claws. The impact sent him sliding several meters back through the dirt, leaves and dust scattering in his wake — but he held firm, boots skidding to a stop.
Claire's breath hitched. "K-Kazuki!" she called, snatching an arrow without thinking.
"Son of a—" Takumi hissed, scythe already coming up.
The Akumo wheeled around, its wings kicking up wind and broken branches.
Liene stayed unnervingly calm, her Kyoketsu-Shoge twirling at her side, eyes never leaving the Akumo. She was waiting. She always waited.
Claire could barely breathe. The chaos pressed in on her — screeches, wings tearing through the air, wind blasting past like invisible waves. She fumbled an arrow onto the string, fingers trembling so hard the shaft nearly slipped. Her breath hitched, chest tight.
Kazuki glanced at her — just a flick of his gaze, then back to the Akumo barreling down on him. No hesitation. No wasted motion. He braced, shoved back against the force of the attack, and held his ground.
Claire's arrow flew, striking the creature's wing. A burst of feathers. A raw, ugly screech.
Takumi was already moving, scythe in hand, storming forward through the wind.
Kazuki leapt, blade sinking deep into the creature's back. The Akumo shrieked and kicked off the ground, wings hammering the air. Kazuki hung on, coat and hair snapping wildly, his left hand locking around coarse, sharp feathers.
On the ground, Takumi shielded his face from the gusts, teeth gritted.
Then it saw Claire.
The Akumo's eyes flared blood-red. It twisted mid-air, wings tucking close, and dove.
Takumi's gut dropped. "Claire—! Move, dammit!"
She didn't. Couldn't. The scream and rush of air drowned everything out. Her body froze. It was as if her legs belonged to someone else.
Kazuki's grip tightened.
His sword drove forward, stabbing deep. A vicious kick knocked the creature's dive askew, claws missing Claire by inches as earth and leaves burst around her feet.
The shock hit her chest like a punch. She twitched, heart slamming against her ribs.
The Akumo wheeled around, wings spread, lining up for another pass.
Kazuki's voice cut through the chaos.
"Move."
Flat. Sharp. Not loud — but it landed like a strike.
Claire flinched, breath catching — then bolted aside. Urgency overtook hesitation, her body moving before thought. Her heart hammered in her ears as she nocked an arrow and loosed it in one smooth motion.
The shot struck the Akumo's leg. It shrieked, a sharp, piercing cry rattling the trees as it swerved upward in pain.
"Yes!" Claire breathed out, a quick grin flashing.
It lasted half a second before she stumbled straight into a tree, her back thudding against the trunk. She slid down, ending up sprawled awkwardly in the grass, arrows scattering around her.
"Oh geez… seriously?" she muttered, heat rushing to her face.
Without wasting another beat, Claire scrambled to gather her arrows, stealing a glance upward. Kazuki was still locked on, the Akumo thrashing wildly in the sky. She crouched low again, breath steadying, fingers tightening around the next arrow.
The Akumo's head snapped toward Takumi, its red eyes narrowing. With a sharp screech, it tucked its wings and dove straight at him.
Takumi's eyes widened. "Oh, come on—!"
Before he could react, Liene's Kyoketsu-Shoge shot past him, the chain whipping through the air. It looped cleanly around the handle of his scythe. A sharp tug sent him sprawling sideways, just as the Akumo's talons raked the ground where he'd been standing.
Takumi crashed into a tree with a thud, leaves and twigs showering down around him. An acorn bounced off his head for good measure.
"Seriously?!" he barked, scowling through the mess of leaves in his hair.
Liene stood a few paces off, weapon lazily spinning by her side, not bothering to hide the faint grin on her face. "That's gratitude for you."
Takumi grumbled, pushing himself up. "Maybe warn a guy next time."
"Maybe duck faster," Liene shot back, tone light and dry.
Claire winced, glancing nervously between them, then up at the circling Akumo overhead. The creature shrieked again, and the sound jolted her into speaking.
"U-um—guys? Not to be rude, but c-could you guys maybe...not do this right now? Just a thought."
Both of them blinked at Claire's sudden outburst. She immediately shrank a little, fiddling with her sleeve, but managed to gesture upward.
"It's, um… still up there? And kinda trying to kill us? So… maybe less arguing, more, uh… not dying? Capisce?"
Above them, the Akumo screeched as Kazuki's sword bit deep into its back — two swift, brutal strikes. The creature thrashed, its wings kicking up a storm of leaves and dust. With a savage twist, it flung him through the air like dead weight.
Kazuki was hurled high into the air, vanishing into the trees with brutal force. The crash came seconds later, a distant, heavy thud rattling through the forest canopy.
"Kazuki!" Claire's voice cracked, her chest tightening. Her hand clutched her bow, but her legs refused to move.
The Akumo didn't hesitate. It whipped around midair, talons out, diving straight for them.
Claire froze, breath snagging in her throat as her foot caught on a root. A sudden tug yanked her sideways—Liene.
"Move," Liene snapped, voice low and sharp, hauling Claire out of the way as the creature's claws tore through empty space where they'd been.
Takumi bolted after them, casting a glance back. His lips twitched despite the tension. "Was kinda hoping for a snack break, not cardio from hell."
Claire forced her legs to keep moving, every step uneven as the Akumo shrieked overhead, closing in fast.
"Can someone explain what the hell that thing is?!" Takumi barked, ducking beneath a low branch.
"No clue," Liene muttered, eyes following its movements, her weapon twirling with ease. "But it just punted your quiet friend halfway to another province."
Takumi let out a humorless snort. "Brilliant."
Without wasting another word, he grabbed Liene's arm, pulling them both aside as the Akumo's talons swept down. Claire dove in the opposite direction, hitting the ground on one knee with her bow skidding beside her.
The creature wheeled in the air and loosed a burst of sharp, black feathers. Claire's breath hitched as she arched back, the tips of the feathers grazing her hair. She scrambled for her bow, her fingers unsteady but quick.
Meanwhile, Takumi shifted in front of Liene, his scythe raised in blocking the attack. A few feathers tore through his sleeves, leaving shallow cuts. He grinned anyway despite the sting.
"Guess that makes us even," he threw back at her, a sharp gleam in his eye.
Liene steadied herself, brushing stray leaves from her hair as the Akumo circled overhead. Her gaze flicked to Takumi—and her expression shifted. The torn sleeve, the shallow cuts lining his arm. No mischief, no dry remark came this time. Just a sharp breath and a firm voice.
"Hey, you're hit—"
Takumi barely spared the wounds a glance, turning toward her with a crooked grin, his posture loose, face unreadable but deflecting all the same.
"I've had worse," he muttered, rolling his shoulder as though to shake it off. Then, quieter, the ghost of a smirk tugging at his mouth. "Wait till you see what happens back at home."
The words hung there for half a second, brushed off like a leaf on the wind. Liene's lips pressed together, something flickering in her eyes—but she let it go, shifting her attention back to the Akumo.
"Spread out!" Claire's voice broke through, thin and cracking.
Liene and Takumi exchanged a quick glance, then split in opposite directions. The Akumo dove straight for Claire. For a heartbeat, her legs locked — then instinct shoved her into a backward dive, landing in a shaky crouch, heart hammering against her ribs.
Takumi ducked low as the beast swept over him, a grin tugging at his lips as he slapped a small device onto its tail.
"Didn't see that coming, did ya," he muttered.
The Akumo twisted midair, flinging a barrage of razor feathers toward Liene. She hooked her kyoketsu-shoge onto a branch and swung clear, landing in a smooth crouch, a sharp contrast to Claire's rough tumble.
As the creature rose again, Takumi straightened, dusting himself off, blood still trailing down his arm. He flicked open a detonator and pressed the button without ceremony.
The device on the Akumo's tail burst, sending the creature into a disoriented spin.
"Gotcha," Takumi said under his breath, a crooked grin in place as he lazily spun the detonator in his fingers.
The three regrouped, breath ragged, leaves clinging to them, the Akumo circling overhead like a storm cloud.
Takumi leaned against his scythe. "We can't keep playing tag with this thing. Ideas? Or should I keep carrying the team?"
Liene snorted, wiping a stray cut from her cheek. "You, carrying us? Adorable. Got anything, yellow-hair?"
Claire flinched at the sudden attention, her grip tightening on her bow. "I—uh… maybe if we, um…" She fumbled for words, face reddening, then blurted, "We could pin it down… or something… capisce?"
Takumi raised a brow. "Pin it down, huh? Great. I'll grab its ankles, you write it a nice letter."
Claire shrank a little, mumbling, "It was just a suggestion…"
But Liene gave a rare, light grin — no teasing, just a glimmer of approval. "Not bad, sunshine. Let's see what we can make of it."
Claire blinked, surprised, her gaze darting between them. Both watching her now, defiant, expectant. The Akumo's furious cry above rattled the leaves, and Claire's chest tightened — but her fingers steadied on the bowstring.
I… I can't… I can't think of a plan.
Claire's grip tightened around her bow, her shoulders trembling. The weight of the moment pressed down on her chest, her thoughts a messy blur.
Takumi caught the look on her face, sighed, and stepped forward, rubbing the back of his neck. "Hey," he muttered, his tone rough but edged with a hint of awkward reassurance. "No need to panic, alright? We've been winging it this whole time. Kinda our specialty."
"Boy," Liene called calmly, her gaze never leaving the circling Akumo. "Take her. We move before that thing turns us into kebabs."
Takumi scowled. "Why me? You're faster."
"Because I said so." Liene gave the faintest smirk, her weapon lazily spinning in her hand. "We've got trees, your toys, and sunshine over there. No plan? Then we scatter. Your guts are cute and all, but they won't stop those talons."
Groaning, Takumi rolled his eyes. "You make it sound like my gear's useless. For the record, my guts have gotten me pretty far. Fine, whatever." He turned toward Claire, his tone sharper now. "Claire, seriously — we gotta move. That thing's about to dive again."
But Claire blinked, something flickering in her mind. "W-wait… you said something about the trees…"
Takumi frowned. "I said we should run."
"N-not you, Takumi… Ah! I didn't mean it like that! I'm sorry! I'm sorryyyy!" Claire stammered, flustered by the misunderstanding.
"Focus. What was it you figured out?" Liene cut in.
Snapping back to the moment, Claire turned to Liene with a suddenly sincere look. "Y-you mentioned… th-the trees?"
Liene's brow twitched. "Yeah. What about 'em?"
Claire's eyes darted between the treetops, the Akumo, and their weapons. Her fingers brushed the feathered fletching of an arrow as pieces started clicking into place.
"You've got something," Liene said, catching the shift in her expression. "Don't you, sunshine? 'Cause clock's ticking."
Claire swallowed hard, tapping the arrow against her chin. "I… I think so."
Her voice was barely above a whisper, but her eyes lifted, a small, nervous spark breaking through the haze of fear. She glanced at Takumi's scythe. At Liene's Kyoketsu-Shoge. The trees.
"It's a little all over the place," Claire said, a faint, crooked smile tugging at her lips. "B-but… I think it'll work. Capisce?"
Takumi crossed his arms, eyeing her skeptically. "If this involves me doing something reckless, I'm charging double."
Liene chuckled, loosening her stance. "Relax, boy. Let's hear what she's got."
Claire inhaled, steadying herself. The Akumo's screeches raked the sky overhead as she opened her mouth to explain.
Meanwhile, back at the hill.
Isaac stood at the edge, the wind tugging at the hem of his coat as he watched the chaos unfold on his device. Onscreen, Claire, Liene, and Takumi struggled against the massive hawk-like Akumo, their movements frantic beneath the creature's shadow.
A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
Ann lingered a few steps behind, her own device clutched tightly in her hands. Her gaze flicked between the battle and Isaac's unreadable expression.
"That thing wasn't supposed to be there," Ann said quietly, the unease in her voice barely concealed. "Are you sure we shouldn't step in? That's a Kurotaka — if it gets serious…"
"They'll manage," Isaac murmured, not looking away from the screen. "And if they don't… well. Better to find out now."
Ann's grip on her device tightened. "Whoever summoned it… that kind of power—"
"Exactly why I'm watching." His voice was calm, almost too calm for the weight of the moment. "I want to see how far our students can go when faced with something real."
There was a pause. The wind picked up.
"If you say so," Ann murmured, though her tone made it clear she didn't believe a word of it.
Isaac's gaze hardened, voice quieter now. "This is nothing, Ann. A taste. You and I both know what's waiting beyond these walls."
He shut off the device, tucking it away as the screen faded to black.
"And it's coming… whether they're ready or not."