Bizarrely, both of these things are things Asch actually does understand; his nod is firmer this time. (Even blades who live peaceful lives can't escape that some part of them is wired for fighting - or perhaps it's all the fighting they've done in the forgotten reaches of the past.)

"Jade and I will wind up going together on whichever team we go with, I'm sure," he says. "Normally blades go where the fighting is fiercest, since we're hardier than humans, but there's plenty of people who don't seem to be normal humans here, either."