Starfield

"Geez, did you really have to leave me alone? I could've been hurt, capisce..." Claire mumbled, her voice hesitant but carrying a tinge of frustration.

She followed Kazuki through the thick leaves and bushes, her complaints trailing off into the quiet as they dealt with weaker Akumos. The sun's warmth began to fade, and beams of light filtered through the trees, but Claire's discomfort only grew with each step behind him.

"Hey... you can't just keep ignoring me!" Claire said, her voice rising slightly as her annoyance started to build.

Kazuki kept walking, unbothered by her words, his silence hanging heavy between them. Claire, unable to hold back her growing frustration, twirled a strand of her hair nervously, her fingers trembling slightly. She felt awkward, out of place, but the urge to speak her mind bubbled up despite her hesitation.

"I... I just think we should work together, at least," Claire muttered, her words stuttering, her cheeks turning slightly pink with the awkwardness of the situation. "I... I just wanted to... to let you know that... we can't just keep going like this... with you acting like I don't exist..."

She sighed, her shoulders slumping as Kazuki continued to ignore her. Claire fidgeted, feeling the weight of her thoughts pressing against her chest. Why couldn't she just say it? Why was she so hesitant?

"Look... I get it," she said, her voice quieter now, tinged with guilt. "I know I dragged you into that explosion and, uh, I'm sorry for that. But... can you at least say something? Anything...?"

Kazuki's silence was deafening. Claire's frustration slowly turned into a mixture of irritation and confusion. She wanted to shake him, to get him to acknowledge her, but instead, she just clenched her fists and followed behind him, her heart heavy with unspoken words.

Suddenly, the ground and trees shook slightly as the grass and leaves swayed. Kazuki glanced to his left to see another Kurutor charging toward them, wielding a two-handed mace. The creature immediately swung toward Kazuki, who leaped to dodge the attack, his expression still unreadable. The mace crashed into the ground, sending grass and fallen leaves flying, creating a small dirt crater.

As the creature raised its mace again, Claire appeared, sliding into position with an arrow aimed directly at the Kurutor. She couldn't help but give a small, confident smile, though it was quickly tempered by the tension in the air. The Kurutor looked down at her in shock.

"Hayooo..." Claire teased, her voice a bit shakier than she intended.

Without hesitating, she released the arrow at the creature's jaw, making its head jerk back. Sliding under the Kurutor, Claire propelled herself upward, pulling more arrows from her quiver and releasing them at random across the creature's head and chest. The Kurutor turned toward her, its attention now fully on her, but her attacks barely scratched its tough hide. It prepared to charge, the mace resting on its shoulder, ready to strike.

Claire stopped shooting, standing straight without backing away, a confident smirk still on her face, though she felt a slight flutter in her stomach.

"Forget about something?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Before the creature could react, a sword's edge pierced from the inside of its chest. It looked down at the blade in shock, before slowly stumbling down with a slight thud, revealing Kazuki behind it. He pulled his sword from the creature's back as it began to fade, his face as emotionless as ever.

Claire punched the air with the fist holding her bow, a little too eagerly, celebrating their victory. "Yes!" she muttered to herself. But as her gaze turned back to Kazuki, she felt her confidence falter. His lack of reaction made her suddenly nervous, and she scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

Claire's smile quickly dropped into a shy, uncertain expression. "I... uh... guess you didn't need my help after all," she mumbled, avoiding his gaze. The awkwardness of the moment weighed on her as she stood there, trying to ignore the growing nervousness in her chest.

Kazuki didn't respond as he slid his sword back into its scabbard, walking past her with his usual blank look. Claire's eyes widened in realization—no acknowledgment of what she had done, not even a glance. It stung more than she expected, like a silent dismissal that made her feel small. It was like being ignored was worse than being hit by the Kurutor's mace.

"Hmph... Rude," Claire muttered under her breath, her words barely audible.

She turned, glancing at Kazuki who continued walking forward, completely unfazed. His posture was stiff and mechanical, like a soldier, his head held high, his arms hanging at his sides. No sign of anything human in his movements.

"Is he a robot or something?" Claire thought to herself, her frustration bubbling up again.

Her hand tugged at a strand of her sunflower-colored hair, twisting it nervously. She felt a sharp annoyance growing, but it quickly morphed into confusion. Why did his silence bother her so much? He wasn't saying anything, yet it felt like everything she wanted to say was stuck inside her throat. Her fists clenched at her sides as her eyebrows twitched.

"Look, if you're not gonna talk to me, fine! You should've just said so!" Claire blurted out, her voice a little louder than she intended. "I'm fine on my own anyway! Do whatever you're going to do!"

Still, Kazuki remained silent, walking ahead without a single word or even a glance. Claire's irritation started to fade, slowly replaced by a sinking feeling in her stomach. Guilt. Her shoulders slumped, and her head dropped slightly as she pressed her hands against her chest. She felt the weight of everything unsaid, all the emotions piling up with no way to express them.

Kazuki's silence felt deafening.

Suddenly, Kazuki turned around, unsheathing his sword with a serious look on his face. Claire froze, panicking, her hands raised in front of her like she could ward him off with just her palms. "W-wait... What are you doing?!" she cried, her voice shaky as she spun around. "Y-you can't be serious, right? Alright, I-I'm sorry!"

Before she could react further, Kazuki threw his sword in her direction. Claire's heart skipped a beat, her body instinctively jerking to the side, narrowly avoiding the blade. In her shock, she looked over to see the sword had struck an Akumo sneaking up behind her. The creature crumpled to the ground as it faded, leaving Claire breathless on the ground.

Her hands held the sides of her head, still reeling from the near miss, her yellow hair now covered in leaves as she sat there, stunned. She glanced between Kazuki and the fading Akumo, struggling to understand what had just happened. Kazuki was already walking toward the spot where he had thrown his blade, seemingly uninterested in helping her up.

Claire's mouth dropped open as she quickly recovered from her shock. "What the heck! You could've hit me!" she exclaimed, frustration bubbling over again. "You know how close that was? My head! Let me repeat: my head!"

Kazuki didn't respond, his expression still emotionless as he slid his sword back into its scabbard and walked past her without a word. Claire sat for a moment, her fists clenched tightly in annoyance as she tried to hold herself together.

Despite the sting of his silence, she had to admit—he did save her. Twice. She sighed, realizing he had turned around to help her, even if it didn't feel like it. And yet, here she was, walking behind him again, unsure of what was going through his mind but unable to stop herself from following. The silence between them was heavy, but Claire couldn't help the feeling that there was more to Kazuki than what he was letting on.

Meanwhile, in the same forest, Liene sat with her back against a tree, watching as Takumi fought off a pack of Zensukos—black shadow wolves with elongated limbs and sleek, sinewy bodies. He held off the entire pack alone while Liene observed with no intention of assisting.

One of the Zensukos growled deeply before charging at Takumi, its mouth wide open, revealing sharp teeth. Takumi subdues it by letting it bite onto the blade of his scythe before pushing it back. Surrounded by the pack, he glanced at Liene, who yawned as if mocking him for taking too long.

"You gonna help me or what?" Takumi asked, his annoyance growing.

"No... You seem to be doing just fine," Liene shrugged.

"Great help as usual," Takumi sarcastically commented.

He scanned his surroundings, planning his next move as the Zensukos growled continuously. One by one, they began to charge at him. Takumi slashed the first one downward, then spun his weapon above him to gain momentum, holding it with both hands. He quickly slashed the second charging Zensuko and noticed another behind him. Passing his scythe to his left hand, he slashed sideways, effortlessly spinning the blade before switching it to his right hand. He turned, taking out three Zensukos beside him with a left-slanted slash. The ones he struck dissipated into shadows, revealing their weakness despite their numbers and speed. He spun his blade several times vertically in his palm before stabbing it into the ground, confidently eyeing the remaining Akumos.

"Great show," Liene commented softly, clapping gently from where she sat against the tree.

Despite Liene's comments, Takumi brushed them off, focusing on the charging wolf-like Akumos, the Zensukos, as they rushed forward with immense speed, their claws tearing through the soil. Takumi smiled, using his scythe, still embedded in the ground, as support to lift himself upward, dodging the first Akumo. He used the gained momentum to kick the next charging Akumo, spinning in the air before landing and pulling his scythe from the ground. Surrounded, he performed his Stellar Skill, Whirling Crescent. He spun with his scythe, slashing two charging Zensukos, then crouched briefly and slashed upwards, piercing an Akumo and sending it flying.

Takumi stuck his scythe back into the ground, lifted himself into the air, and spun upside down, dodging the Zensukos leaping at him. He pulled his scythe and leaped, spinning in a whirlwind. One by one, he struck the charging Akumos, sending them back and making them dissipate into shadows. He took all of them out with a single move before landing, the back of his scythe resting on his shoulder as he glanced at the fading shadows as Liene stood up and approached him.

"Took you long enough," Liene commented. "Show off..."

"At least I did something. You were watching the whole time, doing absolutely nothing," Takumi retorted.

"My, my, aggressive... You know, if I were in your position, I would've finished faster, be it with less flashy moves," Liene shrugged with a teasing smile.

"Easier said than done, lazy woman," Takumi rebutted.

"Heh... puke boy," Liene snickered.

As Takumi was about to retort, they heard leaves rustling amid their bickering. They quickly stopped, Takumi lifting his scythe from his shoulder and assuming a stance, left arm holding the scythe slightly elevated backward, right hand in front with his palm stretched out. Liene slowly pulled out her Kyoketsu-Shoge. Both backed away from the direction of the sound, preparing for an attack. Takumi stepped on a branch, causing a slight sound. Liene glanced at him.

"Shh... Quiet," Liene whispered.

"You be quiet," Takumi retorted.

The rustling leaves grew louder as Takumi and Liene momentarily halted their bickering, nodding to each other in agreement to work together against whatever was behind the rustling leaves. They braced themselves, weapons at the ready. Suddenly, Kazuki emerged from the bushes, his head down. He glanced up to see Takumi and Liene staring back in shock, expecting an Akumo or a hostile student ready to battle, but instead seeing a black-haired student with a hint of minor confusion on his usual dead stare.

"You're not picking a fight, are you?" Takumi asked, lowering his guard in confusion.

Claire soon folloed as was caught off guard as well. She awkwardly shuffled her feet, unsure of what to do, and almost tripped on a branch. She kicked it away and hastily regained her balance, standing a few steps behind Kazuki, her hands nervously twisting each other.xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Takumi noticed her, his confusion evident. "Oh hey, it's you!" he said, lowering his guard.

"Y-yeah, I guess it is..." Claire replied quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. Her gaze lingered on Kazuki's form, and she tried not to let her discomfort show, though her cheeks burned.

"You with him?" Takumi asked, nodding towards Kazuki.

Claire glanced at Kazuki from her position behind him, her face flushed with uncertainty. She hesitated for a moment, biting her lip, then nodded. "Uh, I guess so..." she muttered, unsure of how to explain the situation.

Takumi looked back at her, still confused. "Right..."

Liene observed the exchange with an unreadable expression before speaking, her voice soft yet commanding. "Hey boy, you gonna say something or what?"

Kazuki remained silent, and Claire felt the usual knot of awkwardness tighten in her stomach. She barely held back the urge to shrink into the ground. His silence never bothered her before, but in moments like this, it felt like an insurmountable wall between them.

Suddenly, Kazuki's gaze sharpened, and he reached for his sword. Without warning, the large black Akumo—a massive shadowy eagle—dove toward them with incredible speed. Kazuki parried the attack, but the force of it sent him skidding several meters back, his stance never faltering.

Claire's heart skipped a beat, and without thinking, she sprinted forward, trying to catch up with the others. Her hands fumbled at her quiver as she grabbed an arrow and quickly nocked it, the fear in her chest causing her movements to become clumsy. "K-Kazuki!" she called out, her voice wavering, not sure if he even heard her over the rush of adrenaline and the beating of her heart.

"Oh goddamn it..." Takumi muttered under his breath, scythe in hand, following close behind.

Liene moved with a deliberate calm, her eyes never leaving the Akumo as she twirled her Kyoketsu-Shoge by its string, waiting for the perfect opening. Claire, on the other hand, could barely focus on anything besides the chaos unfolding around her. She instinctively aimed her bow at the massive creature, but her hands shook from the combined anxiety and urgency of the moment. Her breath hitched in her throat as she tried to steady her nerves.

Kazuki glanced at Claire momentarily as she called out his name but quickly refocused on the Akumo in front of him, which rammed its head toward him. He pushed back to gain his footing. Claire quickly halted, swiftly drew an arrow from her quiver, nocked it, and released it towards the creature. The arrow struck the creature's wing, causing it to screech in pain. Takumi rushed forward, leaving Claire as she slightly crouched, covering her ears from the loud screeching. His left hand held his scythe while his right hand was positioned in front.

Seizing the opportunity, Kazuki leaped onto the eagle-like creature's back, stabbing his sword into it. The creature screeched again and flew upward, spinning and flapping its wings vigorously. Kazuki struggled to hold on, his sword slipping out of the creature's body. He grabbed several of its black feathers with his left hand while holding the hilt of his sword with his right. Takumi stopped below, shielding his face from the gusts of wind created by the creature's wings. Despite the creature's screeching, he stood unfazed. Kazuki noticed that the creature's feathers felt somewhat sharp, but his black gloves and coat shielded him from their edges. He glanced at them with an emotionless expression, clearly unfazed.

As the Akumo spun, it spotted Claire in the distance, causing its red eyes to glow menacingly. It momentarily halted, pointed its head upward, and screeched as it began to swoop towards Claire. She watched in shock, flinching, while Takumi, realizing the situation, immediately began running back.

"Oh shit!" Takumi exclaimed.

Kazuki glanced toward Claire, who stood frozen, her eyes wide and her breathing shallow. Takumi was frantically waving his arms above his head, shouting for her to move, but his words seemed muffled in her ears, like distant echoes. Her legs felt locked in place, and a wave of panic clouded her thoughts.

Kazuki's gaze flicked between her and the oncoming Akumo, his expression blank yet decisive. Without hesitation, he thrust his sword forward, stabbing the creature mid-dive. With a forceful kick, he sent it swooping upward, its claws narrowly missing Claire. The sudden motion snapped her body into an involuntary twitch, her head jerking upward.

She blinked rapidly, her vision clearing just in time to see the Akumo circling back toward her. Her chest tightened, and she stumbled backward, trying to gather herself. Kazuki remained on the creature's back, his grip unyielding despite its erratic movements. His hair and coat flared wildly in the wind as he held on.

"Move," Kazuki finally yelled, his voice monotone yet commanding.

Claire froze again, her mouth opening slightly in surprise. It was the first time she'd heard him speak, and though his voice lacked emotion, the sheer weight of the moment jolted her back into focus. She scrambled to her feet, her movements clumsy as she rolled out of the Akumo's path. With her heart pounding, she reached for her bow and fired an arrow at the creature's leg. The arrow struck true, and the Akumo screeched, its cry reverberating through the forest as it swerved upward in pain, shaking the surrounding leaves.

"Gotcha!" Claire exclaimed, a confident grin breaking through her otherwise timid demeanor.

Her moment of triumph was short-lived as she rolled straight into a tree, her back colliding with the trunk. She slid downward, ending up upside down with her arms stretched out awkwardly. Her quiver tilted, scattering arrows around her. For a moment, she stayed in that position, her cheeks flushing as she muttered, "Oh geez... Capisce?"

Shaking off her embarrassment, she scrambled to her knees, quickly gathering her fallen arrows. Her eyes darted upward to see Kazuki still clinging to the Akumo as it twisted and flailed, trying to dislodge him. Determined, Claire crouched low, her hands trembling slightly but her focus sharpening as she prepared to fire again.

Meanwhile, the Akumo shifted its attention to Takumi, swooping down toward him with lethal intent. Takumi's eyes widened as he sprinted, shouting, "Oh come on!"

Before the Akumo could reach him, Liene hurled the blade of her Kyoketsu-Shoge toward Takumi's scythe, its string wrapping tightly around the handle. With a sharp tug, she yanked him out of harm's way just in time. Takumi crashed unceremoniously into a tree, landing with a loud thud as a flurry of leaves rained down around him. Groaning, he slid down the trunk, only for an acorn to bounce off his head.

"Seriously?!" Takumi grumbled, glaring up at Liene, who stood calmly, her weapon spinning in her hand as she kept her eyes on the Akumo.

The creature let out another screech as it flapped wildly, spinning and twisting in the air, desperate to throw Kazuki off its back. Claire glanced between Kazuki and the Akumo, her fingers gripping her bowstring tightly as she aimed, her shyness momentarily forgotten in the chaos.

"Could you at least not make me crash into a tree next time?" Takumi muttered, scratching his head, his expression twisted in pain and frustration.

"Oh? Complaining after the lady went out of her way to save you?" Liene replied, her voice soft with a teasing edge.

"Save me? You practically launched me into that tree! Might as well have finished the job," Takumi shot back, his eyes wide with exaggerated annoyance.

"Really now? Well then, maybe I should throw you back, see how you like it," Liene countered, her tone light but laced with mock irritation.

Claire hesitated a few steps away, glancing nervously between the two before gathering enough courage to interrupt. "Um, w-would you two, uh, maybe—just maybe—stop arguing? I mean, we're in the middle of a... a really bad situation! Like, uh, super bad!"

Both turned to her, startled by her sudden outburst. Claire flushed, her hands fidgeting as she pointed towards the berserk creature circling above them. "I-it's up there, you know, so maybe we should—um—focus on not getting, uh, eaten or anything. Capisce?"

Above them, the Akumo flapped its massive wings, screeching in frustration as Kazuki slashed its back twice with precise, unyielding movements. Its glowing red eyes locked onto him, filled with rage. With a violent whirl, it spun midair, twisting with enough force to shake him off. Kazuki's grip failed, and he was flung through the air, landing hard on the forest floor.

"Kazuki!" Claire cried out, her voice trembling, a mix of fear and helplessness. Her hands instinctively tightened around her bow.

The creature hovered menacingly for a moment before diving toward them with blinding speed. Claire froze, her breath catching in her throat. She tried to step back, but her foot caught on a root, leaving her awkwardly stumbling as Liene grabbed her arm.

"Move it!" Liene called, her voice soft yet trembling with panic as she tugged Claire forward.

Takumi glanced over his shoulder, his smirk faint despite the strain on his face. "You know, running for our lives wasn't on my to-do list today, but hey—great way to stay in shape!"

Claire nodded shakily, forcing her legs into motion. Her steps were uneven, her heart pounding as she tried to keep up with the others, glancing back nervously at the Akumo. It was closing in, its massive talons reaching for them, and Claire's grip on her bow tightened, the weight of the moment pressing on her chest.

"Does anyone know what the hell that is?" Takumi asked frantically while running, glancing over his shoulder.

"No idea, but whatever it is, it's strong. Look how far it threw that boy..." Liene said softly, her voice panicked but calm enough to tease.

Grabbing onto Liene, Takumi leaped to the left while Claire stumbled to her right, narrowly avoiding the creature's claws. She landed awkwardly, losing her balance and landing on one knee with her hands pressed to the dirt, her bow clattering to the ground beside her.

The Akumo spun around, releasing a flurry of razor-sharp black feathers. Claire's eyes widened as she quickly arched backward, the feathers grazing the tips of her hair. Her breath hitched, and she scrambled to grab her bow, her fingers fumbling nervously around the weapon.

Meanwhile, Takumi stood in front of Liene, raising the blade of his scythe to block the attack. A few feathers pierced his sleeves, leaving scratches along his arms, but he held his ground, grinning despite the pain.

"Now we're even!" Takumi said with a sharp grin, glancing back at Liene, who sat behind him on the ground.

"But you're—" Liene began, her soft tone tinged with worry as she gestured toward his wounds.

"Don't make it weird," Takumi cut her off, waving her concern aside. "Focus on the giant bird trying to kill us, yeah?"

As the creature flapped its wings fiercely, creating gusts of wind, Liene stood up, bracing herself and gripping the string of her blade. She snickered faintly as Takumi leaned into the wind, his snarky bravado unwavering.

The Akumo hovered momentarily before diving towards them at incredible speed. Its glowing red eyes locked onto the trio, its wings stretched wide like a shadow of death.

"Spread out!" Claire shouted, her voice cracking slightly.

Liene and Takumi exchanged glances and nodded, moving in opposite directions. The creature zoomed toward Claire first. She hesitated for a split second, her legs stiff, but as the Akumo neared, she threw herself into a backward dive, landing with a shaky flip, her heart pounding in her chest.

Takumi, meanwhile, ducked low as the creature swooped over him, smirking as he swiftly planted a small device on its tail. "Bet you didn't see that coming," he muttered to himself.

The Akumo spun, sending another volley of feathers toward Liene, who hooked her kyoketsu-shoge onto a nearby branch and swung herself to safety. She landed with grace, her movements smooth compared to Claire's clumsy dodge.

As the creature hovered above, Takumi stood, casually dusting himself off despite his injuries. He held up his detonator and pressed the red button. The device on the Akumo's tail exploded, sending it into a momentary daze.

"Gotcha!" Takumi called out smugly, flipping the detonator in his hand like a toy.

The three regrouped briefly, each catching their breath as the creature circled overhead, visibly disoriented.

"We can't keep dodging this thing," Takumi said, leaning on his scythe, his tone laced with irritation. "Ideas, anyone? Or should I just keep being the MVP here?"

Liene smirked faintly. "You, MVP? Cute, but no, boy. Got anything, girl with the yellow hair?"

Claire flinched slightly at the sudden attention, her fingers nervously tightening around her bow. "Uh, I—um... maybe if we—uh, um..." She trailed off, her face turning red as she avoided their eyes. She shuffled awkwardly, then added in a tiny voice, "We could... um, try pinning it down or something. Capisce?"

Takumi raised an eyebrow at her. "Pin it down, huh? Fantastic. Wanna go ask the giant death bird nicely to stay still while we figure out how to do that?"

Claire's face burned as she ducked her head further, muttering, "It's just... an idea, okay..."

Liene gave Claire a soft, encouraging smile, her teasing tone unusually gentle. "Hey, not bad, sunshine. Let's see where that takes us."

Claire's eyes widened as she glanced between Liene and Takumi. Both were now looking at her expectantly, their expressions a mix of defiance and curiosity. Her heart raced as she shifted her weight, her mind growing fuzzy under the pressure. She glanced up at the hovering creature, its glowing red eyes piercing through her like a hunter sizing up its prey.

"I... I can't... I can't think of a plan. I'm useless," Claire thought, her body trembling slightly as she hugged her bow tighter.

Noticing her growing panic, Takumi sighed and stepped forward, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "Hey, no need to freak out," he said, his voice softer but still carrying his usual edge. "We've been winging it so far, so, you know, no pressure or anything..."

"Boy," Liene interjected calmly, though her eyes were locked on the creature circling above. "Take her. We're running before that thing swoops down again."

Takumi turned to her, scowling. "Why me? You're faster."

"Because I said so," Liene replied with a small smirk, flicking the string of her Kyoketsu-Shoge in one hand. "All we've got here are trees, your fancy gadgets, and the girl with the yellow hair. If there's no plan, we need to move before we get skewered."

Takumi groaned. "Geez, you make it sound like my gear's useless. Fine, whatever." He turned back to Claire, his tone sharpening again. "Claire, seriously, we gotta go. That thing's gonna dive any second now."

Claire blinked, her panic momentarily disrupted by a spark of thought. "Wait... you said trees, right?"

"No, I said we should move," Takumi replied, frowning.

"Not you. Her," Claire said, her voice soft but steadying slightly as she gestured toward Liene. "You mentioned the trees."

Liene tilted her head, intrigued. "Yeah, I did. Why?"

Claire bit her lip, her eyes darting between the trees, the creature, and their weapons. Slowly, she reached for an arrow in her quiver, her fingers brushing against it as she began piecing something together in her head.

"You've got something cooking in that brain of yours, don't you?" Liene asked, her voice light but encouraging. "Because we're running out of time, sunshine."

Claire took a shaky breath, her gaze lingering on the forest. She tapped the arrow against her chin, her head slightly bowed. "Yeah," she said, her voice barely above a whisper before glancing at Takumi's scythe and Liene's weapon. "Yeah, I think I might have something in mind..."

Her lips curved into a small, timid smile as she glanced at them. "It's... not perfect, but... I think it'll work. Capisce?"

Takumi crossed his arms, eyeing her cautiously. "Alright, let's hear it, genius. But if this involves me doing something insane, I'm charging extra."

Liene chuckled softly, adjusting the string of her weapon. "Let's give her a shot, boy. She's earned it."

Claire took another deep breath, steadying herself as she prepared to share her plan, the creature circling ominously above them.

Meanwhile, back at where they started, on the elevated hill, Isaac stood near the edge, watching the situation unfold on his device. Claire, Liene, and Takumi were engaged with the large hawk-like Akumo, and he anticipated their next move with a smirk. Ann stood slightly behind him, holding a similar device in her hands, glancing towards Isaac with evident concern for the students' safety.

"That creature certainly wasn't meant to be there. Are you sure we shouldn't intervene? That creature, that Kurotaka, may pose a significant threat to these students..." Ann inquired, her tone slightly frantic.

"No, they should be fine. Whoever summoned that creature possesses great power. I want to see if our students can match that power," Isaac responded calmly, brushing off the seemingly dangerous situation.

"If you say so, sir..." Ann replied, hesitantly accepting his claim.

"Just remember, the world these students will soon explore is far more dangerous. You and I both know that," Isaac spoke with sincerity.