A small flashbang hit the ground among the crowds of battling students with a sharp clink—then erupted. A blinding light burst forth, freezing every shadow, followed by a deafening blast that sent many crouching or staggering about, their vision completely white, hearing nothing but a ringing silence. Amid the chaos, a shadow moved with fluid precision. A side kick felled a attacking student, then a swift 360-degree turn struck another, presumably it's teammate before ending with leap and a roundhouse kick as a finishing move, defeated. As the dust settled, a figure emerged, smirk in place, resting the back of a scythe on his shoulder.
"Sorry, nothing personal!" quipped Takumi, confidence radiating from him as he revealed himself.
Just then, Takumi narrowly dodged an attack from a curved sword, leaping to the side. His teammate followed up with a war axe, but Takumi swiftly stuck the tip of his scythe's handle into the floor with a solid thud, using it as support to launch himself away from them. He shrugged as the pair prepared for their next attack.
"Hey, let's talk about this..." Takumi pleaded frivolously, holding his palms up as if that would stop them.
He then leaned his left elbow onto the handle of his scythe, shrugging nonchalantly. Without a second thought, the pair ignored him and charged, circling him as they looked for an opening to strike. Takumi smirked as they came in simultaneously, pulling his scythe from the ground to block their strikes. He gripped the long handle tightly, then spun swiftly, knocking them away in opposite directions.
Ducking down, he slid two cylindrical devices towards the spots where the students had landed, each stopping precisely beneath them. They erupted in a jolt of electricity, paralyzing the pair. Their eyes widened in shock as they collapsed to the ground, bodies trembling. Takumi walked away casually, waving his left hand dismissively as he rested his scythe on his back.
"Good talk..." Takumi said sarcastically, his confidence unwavering.
"No, it wasn't..." one of the pair replied faintly, exhausted and gasping for air.
As he continued forward, all the defeated students in the arena, as well as those thrown out, began to fade in a faint, glowing cyan light. Takumi watched as they were instantly teleported back to the bleachers. Most remained unconscious or fatigued, while some apologized to each other for their failure to communicate, and others argued and blamed one another. Takumi sighed at the sight; it was expected, especially since they had all been forced into roommate and teammate situations. His gaze drifted to his left, disappointment evident as he spotted Liene.
She leaped backward, using the blade of her kyoketsu-shoge to knock back a charging student. Spinning her blade with the rope for momentum, she released it toward another teammate, sending them staggering back before turning her attention to Takumi as she closed in.
"Small world?" Liene said in soft with quick left eyebrow raise
"Wish it was bigger..." Takumi smuggly replied
Suddenly, Takumi narrowly dodged a dagger that zipped towards him, embedding itself into the floor. He and Liene glanced in the direction it came from, spotting a pair—one standing with a smirk, juggling a dagger in one hand, while the other crouched, aiming a rifle at them. The rifle fired, and they quickly separated to dodge the rapid gunfire. As they moved, the teammate hurled another knife towards Takumi. He rolled to the side, about to halt—but narrowly avoided being hit by the blade.
As the gunfire stopped and the opponent reloaded, Liene lifted herself up with her legs, rising to her feet. She spun the blade of her kyoketsu-shoge from the string, letting it gain momentum as she sidestepped. In a flash, she launched it with tremendous force toward the pair. The teammate parried it with their dagger, but as the other prepared to fire again, Takumi slid beneath them, kicking the rifle upward just as it fired. The shot missed, but the opponent struck him with the back end of the rifle, pushing him back slightly.
Without missing a beat, Liene charged in, spinning her blade. She quickly reached for the hook of her kyoketsu-shoge at her left waist pouch, leaping into the air while twirling. As she did, the string unraveled from the pouch, and her hook began to glow, activating her stellar skill, Nautilus Hook. A flurry of bullets and daggers rained down toward her, but the hook glowed brightly as it sliced through the air, locking onto one of her attackers. She landed gracefully, her blade digging into the ground, causing the loose string on the floor to tighten around both opponents. Their eyes widened in shock as they were caught. Liene smirked.
Takumi splashed grease on the floor in their direction, causing them to lose balance as they flailed desperately. Liene unwrapped them with a swift motion, sending them spinning erratically. They slid forward, but Takumi nonchalantly sidestepped, letting them pass and crash out of the arena. He walked forward as if nothing had happened, smirking at Liene.
"They say you shouldn't run in school; of course, no one listens, so here we are..." Takumi shrugged sarcastically, resting the back of his head on the handle of his scythe.
"Oh, shush. Like you did all the heavy lifting," Liene remarked with a soft chuckle, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Ah, ah, ah, the gentleman takes center stage while the lady watches as the action unfolds..." Takumi replied, leaning toward her and twirling his finger in front of her. He spread his arms wide, gripping his scythe, as he confidently showed himself off. Liene immediately broke into a soft chuckle.
Meanwhile, somewhere along the arena's edge, Claire stood near the border, nervously drawing her bow as she surveyed the chaos in front of her. Pairs of students—nearly sixty from the freshman class—fought fiercely against each other. She aimed left, then right, unsure where to focus amidst the erupting mayhem. Sweat trickled down her forehead as her nerves began to take over.
Suddenly, a student charged toward her, wielding a double-headed spear. Startled, Claire fired an arrow in their direction without properly aiming. The student ducked with precise agility, closing the distance rapidly and preparing to strike. She frantically sidestepped to avoid the first attack.
"Whoa!" Claire exclaimed, her voice trembling.
Before she could catch her breath, another student—presumably the spearman's teammate—sent a sharp, leaf-like projectile flying toward her. She ducked instinctively, her eyes widening as she shielded her head with her arms. Barely recovering, she pressed her hands against the ground and launched herself upwards just as the spear-wielder attempted a slash.
While mid-air, Claire suddenly felt vines emerge from the ground, ensnaring her feet and halting her leap. They swung her in a dizzying circle before hurling her toward the arena's border.
"Oh crap!" she yelled, flailing her arms wildly as she was thrown through the air.
Despite her panic, Claire grabbed an arrow from her quiver, the loose string attached to it stretching taut as she fired toward the ground below. The arrow struck, startling both attackers who assumed she was out of bounds. Grabbing the string, Claire stopped herself mid-air, taking a moment to steady her breath. Using the tension, she swung herself in a circle, building momentum before landing swiftly. Her left hand gripped the embedded arrow, while her right rested behind her neck with a forced smile.
"Hi, I'm back!" she said sweetly, tilting her head slightly to hide her nerves behind a confident façade.
Angered, the spearman charged again. Claire reacted quickly, grabbing another arrow from her quiver, drawing it, and firing with precision. The arrow struck their shoulder, pinning them to the ground. Their teammate, now casting a spell, conjured a long, sharp leaf blade and lunged at her. Claire ducked just in time, swiftly drawing another arrow and firing. The arrow hit its mark, launching the foe off the border and causing both them and the spearman to be teleported back to the bleachers.
"Geez, that was intense..." Claire thought, collapsing onto the floor as she tried to catch her breath.
As Claire walked back to the arrow embedded in the ground, she felt like she wanted the ground to swallow her whole. Pulling it free, she slid it back into her quiver with a quick sigh. Maybe it was the exhaustion from the battle or the fact that her teammate was nowhere to be found, leaving her to fend for herself.
"Aw geez, what have I gotten myself into?" she muttered, her voice adding weight to her thoughts.
She quickly recalled splitting up from Takumi, Liene, and Rose to avoid facing each other in battle. Her glance drifted to where Kazuki had been sitting, now empty, leaving her to her thoughts. She looked away, twirling a strand of her yellow hair absentmindedly.
With a long sigh, she stepped forward into the arena, her hands hanging down. Despite being alone, she couldn't help but search for Kazuki. She quickly refrained, shaking her head before popping her cheeks lightly with her palms.
"I can do this, I can do this, I can do this..." she repeated to herself, trying to drown out the rising anxiety in her thoughts.
Her focus shattered when their instructor, Darui, clapped loudly, piercing through the chatter and cheers of the sixty or so freshmen gathered. He began explaining the task, his voice cutting through the chaos.
"I think he said something about a border..." she thought, the details slowly trickling back into her thoughts. "Oh, right, if any pair crosses it, they're eliminated along with their teammate, gone, out, overrr..." She remembered her panic then, realizing she'd drag Kazuki down if she fell. "Wait, If he won't even talk to me, why should I care? Let him deal with it!"
A rogue fireball zipped past her, and she sidestepped without missing a beat, still deep in her thoughts.
"Like I care anymore, Let him complain for once if I don't contribute..." She halted, biting her lip as a memory surfaced—Kazuki saving her twice before. It didn't help her irritation. "Seriously, couldn't it have been someone brave and caring? Nooo, it had to be some weirdo in black."
Her thoughts were interrupted by a stray arrow. Despite her distraction, her hand shot up, catching it mid-air before slipping it into her quiver. Her mind shifted to Rose's beaming face after they'd passed the entrance exam.
"Ugh, eliminating myself would disappoint her," she realized, sighing again. "Geez, Rose, guess I have to see this through after all, capisce?"
She pressed her lips together, a faint smile breaking through before she continued recalling the task's rules in her thoughts.
"And again with the 'Any form of combat is allowed, as long as it's non-lethal. If a student can't fight, they're out.'" She thought, "Oh, and something about the task lasting thirty minutes, with performance evaluated even if we're eliminated and to help develop our teamwork and whatnot..." She rolled her eyes, groaning softly as she remembered Darui's spiel about teamwork.
"Teamwork? Yeah, right. How am I supposed to develop teamwork with someone who doesn't even talk to me?" Frustration bubbled up, her thoughts painting a mental image of Kazuki surrounded by raging flames.
She sighed again, dragging her attention back to her thoughts. "Guess he also explained how this is different from the last task—something about random deployment at the Starfield to fight Akumos. Whatever. I already forgot most of it."
Finally, she recalled glancing up, watching Darui cast the spell that created the barely visible border around the arena. Her eyes shifted to the large clock above, counting down from thirty minutes parelled to the present as it hit twelve minutes remaining, like a fading transition as begins to sigh deeply.
She took a few steps back, only to suddenly bump into someone. Turning her head immediately, her eyes widened in surprise—it was Kazuki, the last person she expected to see. His head was tilted slightly, and he darted his eyes briefly toward her, just enough to catch a glimpse before facing forward again, his expression unreadable and his gaze devoid of emotion.
With their backs now turned to each other amidst the chaos of duels raging around them, Claire froze. She couldn't figure out how to approach or speak, her mind spiraling into anxious overthinking. Her lips pressed tightly together as sweat dotted her brow, her hands trembling slightly while gripping her bow. Yet, somewhere in the turmoil of her thoughts, a strange impulse urged her to say something—anything—to break the silence.
"Hey, uh, do you think cats dream about us?" Claire blurted, her tone unnaturally high-pitched and hyperactive, the words spilling out like an untamed stream.
"What?" Kazuki replied, startled, his voice tinged with disbelief as if he'd just heard something absurd.
"I just... I mean, they sleep a lot. Like, a lot. You think we're in their dreams? Or is it just mice and… string?" she continued, her thoughts still jumbled, shrugging awkwardly as she tried to sound casual but utterly failed.
"Uh... Huh? What?" Kazuki responded, utterly baffled, confusion swirling in his tone as he struggled to process her bizarre question amidst the chaos.
"Well, you know..." Claire rambled on, her words trailing as she absentmindedly rubbed the tip of her bow against her head.
Suddenly, Kazuki stiffened. A faint metallic click caught his ear, distinct even amid the clamor of the arena—it sounded like a rifle being reloaded. Without hesitation or warning, he grabbed Claire by her free hand, startling her out of her strange musings as she let out an involuntary squeal.
"...Heh?" Her voice cracked in surprise.
Before she could process what was happening, Kazuki sharply pulled her to the side, breaking into a swift run. The sharp crack of gunfire followed seconds later. Without pausing, he rushed away from the line of fire, dragging Claire stumbling behind him.
A loud clank echoed as Kazuki intercepted a bullet from a revolver with his sword in a single fluid motion. He ducked swiftly as the next five rounds zipped toward him, his gaze locking onto a pair of opponents—one wielding a rifle and the other a revolver. The rifleman had already taken aim and fired another round, forcing Kazuki to weave and evade, while the revolver-wielder cocked their weapon, preparing for another shot.
Still clinging to Kazuki's hand, Claire's expression was a frozen mixture of shock and confusion, her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide as she struggled to process what was happening.
"Uh, hey!" she managed to squeak out, her voice cracking as she stumbled along, half-dragged by Kazuki's unwavering pace.
For a moment, the world seemed to blur and stretch around her. The chaos of the arena faded into distant echoes, and her focus snapped to the sensation of Kazuki's firm, gloved grip on her hand. Her thoughts spiraled—was she panicking more about dodging bullets or about the man who had ignored her so often suddenly dragging her like this?
Her trance shattered when Kazuki's sword swung sharply, deflecting another revolver round with a precise slice. As four more bullets came his way, he blocked each cleanly with the flat of his blade, his movements seamless. His narrowed eyes flicked briefly toward the rifleman, now reloading for another shot.
Meanwhile, Claire let out a startled yelp, ducking instinctively as a stray bullet zipped inches past her head, nearly causing her to lose her footing.
Then, Kazuki's eyes shifted, catching sight of three enormous boulders barreling toward them, a result of a separate duel in the distance.
With a faint, resigned sigh, Kazuki leapt onto the first boulder without hesitation, leaving Claire below him to shriek in panic.
"Uh, hey! Are you crazy?!" she yelled, her voice cracking as her arms flailed wildly, trying to steady herself.
Kazuki, completely unmoved by her outburst and eerily calm, sprinted along the side of the boulder with surgical precision. His black hair whipped in the wind, his focus unwavering. The boulder shielded them briefly from the line of fire as the revolver-wielder adjusted their aim and the rifleman hurried to reload.
Claire, wobbling like a newborn deer, scrambled to follow. Her arms flapped frantically as she gripped her bow with white-knuckled determination. Kazuki ran diagonally upward along the curve of the boulder before leaping gracefully onto the second.
"Woaaaaaaa!" Claire's panicked scream stretched out as she jumped after him, her yellow hair flying wildly and obscuring her face. Her heart pounded like a drum, panic and disbelief blending with a strange, inexplicable thrill.
Kazuki landed effortlessly and used his sword as leverage to launch himself into a flipping leap onto the third boulder. Meanwhile, Claire squealed again, stumbling mid-air during her attempt to follow. Her awkward, panicked movements stood in stark contrast to Kazuki's composed agility, though she couldn't help but marvel at the height they had reached, as if caught in a surreal dream.
Time seemed to stretch as Kazuki deftly dodged revolver fire mid-air, landing on the third boulder with fluid grace. Claire barely managed to land, skidding and flailing before regaining her footing. Her wide eyes blinked in disbelief, her panic momentarily replaced with awe.
Kazuki wasted no time, leaping once more. He landed smoothly on the arena floor with a precise roll, sword poised at his side in a crouched stance.
Claire tumbled face-first into the ground with a muffled thud. She lay there for a brief moment, gasping for breath, relieved that the wild chase was finally over—until frustration surged through her. Pushing herself up, her hair stuck messily to her face as she glared daggers at Kazuki, who hadn't even bothered to glance back.
"Geez! Did you have to drag me through all that?!" she gasped between breaths, her voice an exasperated mix of disbelief and fury.
"Stay here," Kazuki replied, his tone low and monotonous, commanding without a trace of concern as he prepared to charge.
"Huh? What do you—" Claire started, but in a blur of motion, Kazuki dashed forward with such force that a gust of wind hit her square in the face. She instinctively shielded herself with her wrist, shouting, "Hey!"
Kazuki surged toward the pair firing at them, silent and unfazed. His gaze locked forward as he dodged left and right, narrowly evading the stream of bullets. Without breaking stride, he gripped his blade firmly and delivered a wide, vertical slash.
The duo barely ducked in time, narrowly avoiding his strike before leaping apart. The revolver-wielding student retaliated with another round of gunfire before drawing a dagger from their waist pouch. With a swift slash, they lunged—but Kazuki countered instantly, deflecting the dagger with his blade and disarming them with a harsh clang.
Before he could follow up, the revolver-wielder tackled Kazuki to the ground, pinning him with force. Yet, Kazuki remained utterly unfazed, his expression cold and unreadable as if being restrained was merely an inconvenience.
Meanwhile, the rifle-wielding student took aim, activating a stellar skill as the weapon's tip began to glow ominously. Claire's eyes widened in horror as she watched the scene unfold, panic tightening in her chest. Without thinking, she frantically reached back, grabbing an arrow from her quiver and notching it to her bow with trembling hands.
"Lucky you," the rifleman sneered, an egotistical smirk spreading across his face. "You're the first to see this stellar skill I've been working on… 'Bullet Storm.'"
"Oh?" Kazuki responded with a low, monotonous voice, feigning mild surprise. His expression remained unchanged, unaffected by the threat.
"Move! Out of the way!" Claire yelled in panic, drawing her bow back as her voice cracked—but unlike her, Kazuki stayed perfectly still, his eyes locked ahead, calm and unreadable.
Claire drew her bow with trembling hands, her breath hitching as she loosed the arrow. It struck the rifle-wielding student's back shoulder with a dull thunk, causing them to grunt in pain but stubbornly continue charging up their stellar skill. Desperation surged within her as she rushed forward, her pulse pounding in her ears.
Kazuki, however, remained eerily composed. His light gray eyes showed no panic, no desperation—just an unreadable, detached focus as he stared at the glowing tip of the rifle. With sudden precision, he headbutted the student pinning him, causing them to stumble back with a stunned gasp.
The rifleman, now grinning despite the pain, fired the charged shot with a thunderous blast. Bullets of blistering speed erupted from the rifle, causing such recoil that the student visibly shook while firing. Claire froze in wide-eyed horror, helplessly watching as the air crackled with destructive energy.
Yet, Kazuki merely walked—sideways, fluidly slipping out of the line of fire without breaking his stride. His expression remained stoic, his eyes void of emotion, unaffected by the chaos erupting around him.
The rifleman's smirk twisted into confusion, then frustration, as he continued firing, the bullets slamming into the arena floor with violent *clangs*, leaving deep dents. But Kazuki didn't even flinch—he advanced with chilling precision, effortlessly weaving past the spiraling onslaught as though it were nothing but a mild inconvenience.
Before the rifle-wielder could react, Kazuki seized the glowing barrel of the weapon barehanded, gripping it firmly. The air hissed from the heat, but he showed no sign of pain. His cold, emotionless gaze bored into the stunned student's eyes, rendering them paralyzed with fear.
With brutal efficiency, Kazuki ripped the rifle from their grasp and, with a swift motion, bashed it into the student's torso, sending them crashing to the ground, unconscious. The weapon clattered beside them with a lifeless thud.
Claire stood frozen, her bow still clenched tightly in her hand as her mind struggled to process what she had just witnessed. Her breath came in shallow gasps, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Disappointed…" Kazuki muttered in a cold, monotonous voice, his gaze devoid of anything but quiet disdain as he discarded the rifle like worthless scrap.
Claire watched in stunned silence as Kazuki smoothly sheathed his sword, its metallic click cutting through the fading hum of battle. The defeated students dissolved into faint cyan particles, teleported back to the bleachers. Her arrow, once lodged in one of their backs, clattered uselessly to the ground.
Despite her awe—having never seen anyone fight with such precise, overwhelming skill—unease crept into her chest. The way he fought made her feel absurdly out of place, as though she didn't belong on the same battlefield. He didn't need her—not as a teammate. If anything, she might've been a hindrance. Her gaze drifted upward toward the timer, its final minutes ticking down relentlessly. Around her, duos either claimed victory or met defeat, vanishing from the arena.
Her fist clenched against her chest as she gulped, the bitter thought settling deep within her. She stood frozen, her mind spiraling, until she realized something startling—
"Wait… He's approaching me?!" Claire gasped internally, panic rushing through her veins.
Her wide eyes tracked Kazuki's steady approach, her cheeks puffing slightly in nervous anticipation. He stopped just a step away, his face tilted downward and slightly turned aside, deliberately avoiding eye contact.
Then, with a measured motion, he extended his hand—her arrow resting in his palm. His light gray eyes flicked toward her, meeting her gaze for the briefest moment.
"I think this is yours…" he said flatly, his monotonous voice devoid of warmth or emotion.
Claire's breath hitched as her mouth hung slightly open in surprise. "O-oh yeah... Arrow... Mine..." she stammered, fidgeting as she reached out with shaky fingers.
He placed the arrow in her hand, his touch brief and impersonal. She nervously attempted to slide it back into her quiver but missed several times before finally securing it. Kazuki remained still, his expression unreadable, eyes distant as he pointedly averted his gaze.
Claire noticed his deliberate avoidance, her nervousness fading as curiosity sparked within her. She opened her mouth to say something, but at that exact moment, the timer hit ten minutes remaining.
Suddenly, the arena floor lurched upward at extreme speed, jolting her off balance.
"Wha—!" she gasped, staggering as nausea blurred her vision.
The entire battlefield transformed into rising platforms of uneven terrain, forcing combatants into disarray. Some students crouched defensively, others fell to the ground, and a few took the opportunity to strike at unguarded opponents.
On a nearby platform, Takumi and Liene, fresh from their recent battle, dropped to their knees. Takumi gripped his device-filled pouch, readying himself, while Liene surveyed the chaotic surroundings with calculating focus.
Claire desperately tried to steady herself but failed, crashing onto the floor with a thud. A sharp groan escaped her lips as she braced herself with her elbow, shaky and disoriented. Strands of her hair fell over her face, partially obscuring her vision as she huffed in frustration.
Meanwhile, Kazuki remained standing, his hand calmly resting on his sword's hilt, his piercing gaze scanning the shifting arena with unwavering focus.
"What the—" Claire mumbled in confusion, still struggling to regain her footing as the platform continued its relentless ascent.
The rose suddenly came to a halt, causing a jolt that ran through the arena, leaving most with a momentary wave of fatigue. Claire crouched on the floor, her body trembling and her vision blurry. She huffed, her hair messy as she sat beside Kazuki, who seemed completely unaffected by the sudden shift.
"Hah... wha—whoa... legs... still there?" she mumbled, dizzy and disoriented, still catching her breath.
Kazuki, still expressionless, glanced at her briefly. "Yes... your legs are definitely there," he responded flatly, his voice tinged with dry sarcasm.
"Gooooood..." Claire sighed in relieved exhaustion, giving a weak, trembling thumbs-up before letting her arm flop heavily onto the floor, unaware of who had even answered her.
As her breathing steadied, the fog in her mind gradually lifted. Her eyes widened as she took in the transformed battlefield—once a chaotic clash, now scattered with fallen students. Some students groaned on the ground, too nauseous to rise, while others slowly forced themselves up. A few even retched from motion sickness.
Yet, despite the exhaustion hanging thick in the air, the battle resumed. Pairs of students wobbled but fought with renewed urgency, taking advantage of weakened opponents by knocking them out or shoving them off the edge of the arena, their bodies dissolving into shimmering cyan particles as they were teleported back to the bleachers.
Without warning, the floor's edges began to crack and crumble. Claire watched in terror as the chaos around her intensified. Her eyes widened in panic, and she quickly stood, but the ground beneath her seemed to disintegrate. Some students stumbled and fell, while others scrambled away as the edges continued to break apart, crumbling faster than she could process.
Amidst the fleeing students, Kazuki's gaze darted to his side. In a flash, he turned and pulled his blade from its scabbard with his left hand, parrying a strike from a scimitar. Claire shrieked in surprise behind him, watching as he effortlessly pushed the attacking student away. Kazuki then charged forward with silent, precise steps, preparing for an immediate counterattack.
Claire turned to face the distance, her mind racing. Unbeknownst to her, a student emerged from the crumbling floor, wielding a double-handed blade, poised to strike. Claire's eyes widened in realization, but it was too late. Just as the attack was about to land, a sharp clang rang in her ears. She turned toward Kazuki, who stood at a distance with his defeated foe in front of him, his hand stretched out toward her.
"Huh?" Claire asked, confusion in her voice.
She then slowly looked the other way, only to see Kazuki's gray blade, now embedded in the ground, having intercepted the attack. The student faltered, its weapon clashing with Kazuki's as both blades pierced the ground, causing the attacker to stumble.
Before Kazuki could close the distance and defeat the student, a fireball erupted from the side, delivering the finishing blow. The sudden blast startled Claire, causing her to instinctively grab her bow. She quickly spun an arrow from her quiver, drawing it back in a swift motion, aiming at a nearby blue-haired male student. His arm was raised defensively, and a nervous expression crossed his face.
"Whoa, easy there... I don't mean to cause harm..." the blue-haired boy said, his voice trembling with unease.
"Then why the fireball?" Claire shot back, her tone sincere but betraying a hint of jittery nerves.
"Well, you were in a bit of trouble," he stammered, "I couldn't help myself. Just trying to help out, that's all."
Claire narrowed her eyes, clutching her bow tightly as she scrutinized the blue-haired boy. His nervous smile did little to ease her suspicion. Meanwhile, Kazuki had already retrieved his sword and now stood beside her, calm and ready, his stoic demeanor unshaken. Claire's focus sharpened, her gaze widening as sudden recognition flickered through her thoughts.
Before she could fully process it, Kazuki abruptly grabbed her hand.
"Wha—?!" she squealed, her body jolting in surprise as he yanked her forward, pulling her away from the crumbling edge that crept closer with every second.
She stumbled at first, dragged behind him, but with a quick motion, she disengaged from his grasp. Finding her footing, she transitioned into a sprint, managing to catch up to him as she fell in stride beside him, her expression a mix of annoyance and lingering surprise.
"Y'know, you could ask before dragging me!" she snapped, glaring at him with a frustrated pout, her fist raised and shaking for emphasis.
Kazuki, unfazed, kept his gaze locked ahead, his expression blank as ever. "Same outcome. Whether I ask or not, I'd still end up dragging you," he replied, his voice flat and indifferent.
Claire's face twisted in disbelief before settling into exasperation. "I mean, yeah, but geez! You really ought to be more mindful!" she retorted, her voice starting in a grumble but rising to an indignant yell as she turned her focus forward.
Kazuki glanced at her briefly, his response coming after a slight pause. "I-I don't… know what you mean," he said, his monotone faltering with an uncharacteristic stutter.
Claire blinked, momentarily thrown off by his response. She wanted to press him but shook off the thought, her focus snapping back to the situation at hand. The crumbling floor loomed dangerously close, the chaos around them only growing as students scrambled or fell into dueling pairs.
Without exchanging another word, they both readied their weapons. Kazuki moved with calculated precision, parrying incoming strikes and cutting down obstacles in their path, while Claire fired arrows in rapid succession, her aim swift and true as she cleared foes at a distance. Together, they carved a path forward, evading the collapsing terrain beneath their feet and pushing ever onward through the chaos.
And despite the unfolding chaos around them, Claire couldn't shake a looming thought—a persistent, inescapable thread weaving through her mind. It bound her, inexplicably, to the very person she now sprinted alongside.
Her chest tightened as her gaze flickered toward Kazuki, his unwavering stride and stoic presence only amplifying the nagging feeling. She quickly looked forward again, trying to focus, yet the thought returned, unrelenting.
"You again… always you..." she murmured under her breath, the words slipping out without thought.
Kazuki, ever observant, caught the faint movement of her lips but gave no reaction. His eyes remained fixed ahead, his grip firm on his sword, as if the weight of her unspoken thoughts meant nothing to him—or perhaps he chose not to acknowledge them at all.