"Earth to Noah!" Nik waves a hand in front of his face. It gets his attention, but Noah doesn't flinch.
"What?" Noah continues to strap on his gauntlets, each holding a retractable Sai blade, waiting for Nik's reply.
"Oh, nothing. It's just that we've been watching you stare off into space like a zombie for the last five minutes. Talking to those people in your head again?" Nik chuckles at his own lame joke. "Come on."
"Oh, you're so funny." Noah's sarcasm reaches a new high. "Let's see how much you'll be laughing out there once we start fighting those Ferals." As he snaps the final latch down, he turns and faces Nik with a grin.
"Yeah, we'll see, alright. Don't think you'll get an advantage just because you're a demon. I'll kill mine before you can kill yours. Just watch!" Nik hoists his battle bow and arrows over his shoulder as he walks.
Gunther quickly latches his double-sided Warhammer against his back and chases after Nik. "You mean ours, don't you?" He easily catches up and walks with Nik to the exit door, where they wait.
Noah glances over at Mai, who has just slid her second katana blade into its sheath against her back, the two ends forming an X pattern. "Lili, be sure to hook it on properly this time."
"I know, I know. Here, check it for me." Lili stands in front of Mai with her arms out to the side so Mai can see her harness. Mai tugs on it to ensure that Lili's double-sided scythe staff is snug against her back. She nods in confirmation and pats Lili's head, which Lili always enjoys. "Okay, let's go now!"
Noah watches as Lili drags Mai off to join the guys at the exit door, wondering what type of relationship those two actually have. From Mai's constant blushes and flustered behavior when Lili gets too close, Noah might think Mai had feelings for her. Mai's unjust animosity toward him certainly seems to suggest so. Yet he's never seen Mai make any advances or show any indication otherwise that she has feelings for Lili beyond that of a little sister. Petting Lili's head, checking her harness, and tending to every need as though Lili is still a child—that's not very fitting behavior for someone in love. Unless Mai hasn't realized her true feelings yet, which is a likely possibility. Noah doubts Lili would pick up on it anyway, since she's oblivious to many things and is so out of touch with love and relationships that she'd never really understand it, even if she shared similar feelings to Mai's.
Noah shrugs, no longer caring. He's sure they're happy with things as they are now, so what happens in the future is their business, not his.
Noah finally makes his way over to join the others just as Tahno approaches the group.
"Alright, I see you've all geared up. Good," Tahno begins. "Today, you're going to face a training exercise that's a bit more challenging than usual. Normally, each pair would go out and wait in the clearing until I release a captured Feral, but that's not typical of a real-time situation. So, instead of sending the Ferals to you, I'm sending you to them, and you're all going to go at the same time, not pair by pair."
Everyone is visibly surprised at Tahno's sudden change of protocol, except for Noah, who isn't surprised by anything the sadistic bastard does anymore. Mai is the first to speak up. "You mean they've already been released?"
"Yes, they've been running around out there for almost a day now, so they're quite famished too."
"But that means they'll be even more aggressive, right? A day without flesh makes them even madder!" Gunther exclaims, his voice tinged with concern.
"Yes, Gunther, that's correct, but that's the point. Ferals in the wilderness outside these walls aren't the tame demons you've been fighting so far. They are starved, aggressive beings that will devour you in seconds if you leave yourself vulnerable. Now, these won't be quite that intense, but don't think you can underestimate them. They are still fierce and will require quality teamwork, which is my aim."
"So we have to fight them alone? More than one? I don't think I'm ready for that!" Lili's voice trembles with fear.
"Well, I'm sorry, Lili, but that's how it is. You'll never be ready for a fight with them out there, so you should just get used to it. That's why you must rely on your team to help you and protect each other."
Mai places a reassuring hand on Lili's head. "Don't worry, I'll protect you, Lili, just like I always do, okay?"
Lili seems to calm down, reassured by Mai's words. "Okay, I trust you, Mai. I trust everyone."
"Yeah, don't worry, Lili, we've got your back! I'll smash any Feral that gets close to you into pieces. Then I'll bury them with my rocks. I don't like fighting, but I won't let those creeps hurt my friends," Gunther adds, his voice full of determination as he flexes his chest, showing off hidden muscles.
"Hold the iron there, buddy." Nik pats Gunther's shoulder and then turns to Lili. "We've got your back, Lili. We'll make sure those freaks don't lay a finger on you two." He strikes a valiant pose with a grin.
"Thanks, but I can protect myself and Lili too. Just worry about yourself," Mai retorts, her voice edged with ferocity.
"Wow! Isn't someone a bit touchy today? Is it that time of the month, or just your normal bitchiness?" Nik spits back, creating a tense contrast between them—fire and ice indeed.
"Mai, calm down. I'm sure he didn't mean any harm; they're just being nice," Lili pleads with her.
"Yeah, chill out, you guys. We shouldn't go into battle with such animosity; we have to work together," Gunther advises.
Hearing Gunther's words, Nik starts to back down, and Mai relaxes in response to Lili's plea.
Noah senses this is a moment where a leader should step in and rally the team, but he's not really feeling it today. Instead, he simply says, "Guys, just cut the shit and get it together. We have a battle to win."
They all look at Noah as though he's a nuisance, but they say nothing more. Tahno, who has been watching silently this whole time, doesn't comment on the exchange but continues his briefing. "Okay, so you can remain in your usual pairs to fight, but you should stay as a unit in the same area so that you are available to aid a teammate outside your pair if things get intense. There are three Ferals loose out there, so one for each pair and one for Noah. I won't be participating, of course, but I will be observing. However, don't think that's a safety net because I'm not going to step in if things go bad. You're on your own for this one, so understand that if you don't work diligently and work together, you can and will die." He opens the exit door with the push of a button. "Happy hunting!" he adds enthusiastically.
They step out into the open air, feeling the cool breeze on their faces. For March, it's surprisingly warm, though the breeze gives a slight chill. They take in their surroundings—an open field surrounded by a thicket of trees, where their Feral targets are surely hiding.
As the door clicks shut behind them, they're officially on their own. A distant screech echoes through the air. "Well, I guess it's time to man up and kill these fuckers. Just follow my lead, Noah, I'll show you how it's done," Nik declares, running off into the woods.
The others quickly follow, and with a smirk, Noah takes off too. "Bring it on!" he mutters to himself.