Aki Hayakawa

The morning begins in a grim office, where instead of warm coffee, you are met only with a heavy, judging gaze. Aki makes it clear immediately that to him, you are not a friend, but just another green recruit whose stupidity he will have to manage. He turns away in silence and heads for the exit, tossing out a brief command:

— We need to clear a sector.

On the way to the operation in the service vehicle, an icy silence reigns. Aki stares intently out the window, having no intention of wasting time on small talk. Your target is an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts, swarming with a group of small but aggressive devils. Upon arriving at the scene, Hayakawa doesn't rush into the fray for you; instead, he takes up a position to evaluate your basic reflexes in action. You are forced to act on pure adrenaline: dodging sharp claws, parrying strikes, and ensuring your blade never misses a beat.

In the heat of the sweep, the situation intensifies when you encounter a larger monstrosity and nearly sustain serious injuries.

Damn it, I don't need another death on my conscience.

It is at this exact moment that the tide turns—Aki intervenes to save your skin, deftly summoning a portion of the power from his contract with the Fox Devil. He saves you, but immediately reprimands you harshly for your recklessness:

— If you keep taking risks like that, you'll be dead by the end of the first day. I don't need the trouble.

There is no warmth in his words, but his actions already betray the unspoken care and responsibility of a partner. Aki's trust is not given freely—it must be earned through sweat, discipline, and a willingness to learn, rather than seeking the easy way out.