The Cultural Exchange was an imperfect institution.

No shit, right? Anyone who has read the manga or watched the anime should know that, seeing as one of the very first scenes was Smith messing up Miia's host family and just running with it, not to mention the Cultural Exchange Bill, which, while well-meaning, had holes big enough to fit a goddamn aircraft carrier. I mean, seriously, liminals weren't allowed to defend themselves from humans, and vice versa, without getting deported? What the fuck was that about?

Despite reading about it, experiencing it was even more distressing, especially since I was confronted with the inexcusable negligence of that organization by being dropped by a raptor in the middle of a forest.

Allow me to backtrack a little. Preya had not anticipated that I would accompany her on her daring escape. Yet, she didn't let that deter her from heading towards the most promising destination - one as far from civilization as possible. Once the bustling cityscape was replaced by lush greenery, Preya's patience with my presence quickly faded.

She didn't need to say anything; her body language said everything. As her outstretched talons glinted menacingly in the sunlight, each one longer and sharper than a steak knife, my fear of heights evaporated, replaced by an overwhelming terror of being sliced in two.

I let go in a state of panic and immediately regretted my decision. Thankfully, the height of the forest canopy wasn't too high so that I could survive my fall through the leaves and branches. Unfortunately, I was left with numerous scratches; my clothes were in tatters, my left leg was not functioning correctly, and a deep cut on my left shoulder might leave a permanent scar.

My only consolation was that I heard chicks are attracted to scars. And I was still alive, which was great!

"Lucky me," I exclaimed to no one in particular as I hobbled through the dense forest, hoping that I was heading in the right direction toward civilization. I was thankful that my smartphone had a compass, as I was sure the east was where I needed to go to make it out of the woods. Of course, I was not getting any cellular service, which seemed only to make sense in my current situation.

On top of it all, I was nearly sure that this was the same forest Kii had been left in, so I was on high alert for any plant monsters that may or may not have grown to kaiju-sized proportions due to their hatred of humans. I nervously scanned my surroundings as I jumped at the slightest twitches from the bushes, and I internally railed against the Cultural Exchange for allowing such a calamity to happen.

What did Smith think when they carelessly dropped off a raptor, one of the most dangerous liminal species, to someone unable to care for it, let alone himself? Smith was usually quite lazy when it came to her job, but even she had a sense of responsibility for the welfare of liminals. Did someone incredibly callous handle Preya's case?

Maybe, but that was still no excuse. The Cultural Exchange was the primary representation of human-liminal relations in Japan, so I highly doubted they could get away with cases like this for much longer. So why couldn't they do a basic check on their employees and services? Surely they should be more diligent in performing their duties properly.

Blaming Preya for her actions was out of the question. Even though this situation was highly inconvenient for me, she had it worse. The root of the problem was the system that had placed her there. As someone who was part of that system, it was heartbreaking to see it fail her, and I wanted to do something to rectify it. Unfortunately, I had no idea how to do that.

"Maybe I should prioritize getting home first," I said, wincing as I stepped over some roots. "Solving society's issues can wait for another day." I looked up at the sky, though the thick canopy of trees blocked my view. I hoped wherever Preya was; she was at least content.

My stomach rumbled, and I quickly dug into my pocket, where I had tucked away some strips of beef jerky. I had brought them along, hoping that Preya might be more comfortable talking to me if I provided her with food. Unfortunately, that didn't seem an option anymore, but at least the jerky managed to keep my hunger at bay for the time being.

As I munched on my jerky, I glanced at my watch; it was close to noon. Zombina must be wondering why I wasn't done by now. If Manako had reported what had happened, she would certainly discover the truth soon. Perhaps they were frantically searching for me at this moment—a comforting thought.

I was startled by the rustling above me. Horrifying images of Kii's giant wooden claw crushing me filled my mind, causing me to let out a loud and dignified scream as I quickly jumped to the side to escape the potential danger.

Ow ow ow ow ow!

I let out a sharp hiss of pain as I crashed to the ground, the impact worsening my numerous injuries. Instinctively, I curled into the fetal position in a desperate attempt to reduce the agony, so I didn't spot whatever had landed close to me until they spoke out.

Preya growled menacingly at me, "I want your meat!"

My first thought, despite my current situation, was holy shit, phrasing.

My second thought was that I had honestly anticipated Preya to be far away from here by now. What could have brought her back to me?

Oh, right, food. But wouldn't she rather hunt for it?

"Yeah, I know," I replied, my voice hoarse from the aches I felt. I handed her a piece of dried meat. "I didn't expect to ever lay eyes on you again."

Preya let out a contented grunt as she quickly devoured the meat. "There wasn't anything worth hunting around here, so when I caught the scent of food on you, I thought it would be a convenient snack!"

"Worth hunting?" I asked, wincing as I shifted my body to an upright position against a tree. "Plenty of game in this forest, so you're bound to find something that sparks your interest. Not to mention, it shouldn't be too hard for you to hunt it down..."

She folded her wings and looked away from me when I said that, indicating that she was uncomfortable with what I had said. It suddenly became clear to me.

"Oh, ohhhhhh... No way! Were you having any trouble hunting?"

Preya huffed in frustration, "Those damned, nimble beasts! Skittering away before I can swoop in... I'm just out of practice!" She stomped toward me with a glare and declared, "That's all! It's not my fault!"

The raptor glared at me as if she was ready to rip me to shreds for even uttering such a suggestion. I should have been petrified, yet I was in disbelief, finding the entire situation absurd.

I attempted to let out a hearty laugh, but that was too painful, so I settled for a faint chuckle.

Preya shouted at me in disbelief, her eyes wide and her body tensed, ready to lunge. "You think this is funny?!" she exclaimed.

"Kinda," I chuckled, shaking my head in disbelief. I was starting to lose it. "I mean, what kind of luck do I have? Getting accidentally kidnapped by a raptor who escapes from a shithole of an apartment to hunt, only to find out she can't even hunt! On top of that, it turns out I joined one of the most incompetent organizations I've ever seen, considering they just let someone live in that kind of place. I mean, the absolute audacity," I muttered the last part, sinking onto the tree trunk, feeling the rough bark scrape against my skin.

My amusement quickly dissipated, and I gazed into Preya's eyes. "I am so sorry that happened to you. It's not acceptable and should never have been allowed. I understand that these are just words, but..." I sighed, feeling overwhelmed and hurt. "I'm probably just rambling due to being tired. I apologize."

Preya was silent for a while, her piercing black eyes piercing me with a deep gaze. I felt like an eternity had passed before she clicked her tongue and looked away, muttering under her breath, "Not your fault. I just wanted to experience what human society had to offer, but I suppose that's too much to ask of someone like me."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I'm not exactly a good fit for all the walls and rules and... what's the word, Socrates, that you humans seem to love so much."

"Socrates?" What did she mean by that? I couldn't help but think it wasn't related to the ancient philosopher. "Was it... society that you were referring to?"

Preya waved her wing dismissively and declared, "Call it whatever you want; I'm just not interested. I think it's best if I fly home and forget this ever happened."

I frowned deeply, unsure of what to do. Should I let her go? She had no desire to stay, and I couldn't fault her for not wanting to have anything to do with humans... but it made me feel a bit heartbroken. I knew a harmful introduction could undoubtedly sabotage any chance of a connection, especially when placed in an unfamiliar environment with people you didn't understand. But to allow such a bad first encounter to shut the door on potential relationships, experiences, and discoveries... seemed so unjust.

Yeah, Preya may not have been the ideal fit for certain aspects of human society. Nevertheless, she deserved a much better opportunity to make that determination.

I just wanted to let her know that much. I wasn't going to force her to do anything.

"If you want, I'll make sure you find a place here that will give you the best treatment possible," I told her, "Someplace nice and open by the woods, so you'll have plenty of space to spread your wings. Ensure that your host is someone who truly values your presence and will treat you with the utmost respect. You deserve nothing less."

Preya looked at me suspiciously. "Why should I trust you when you're saying the same thing they said when I joined this program?" she questioned.

"Unlike some others, I genuinely care about you," I said, tinged with bitterness. "I took this job as a counselor to help liminals, not just to make money. I'm here to give you whatever you need, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes," I gestured to my weary body. "I'm all yours to command."

Unbelievably, Preya snickered in amusement. "You're certainly one of a kind, Bando. Most people wouldn't be so forgiving after they've been nearly killed."

You know, you could at least appear apologetic about that.

"Yeah, I'd say I'm inspired by the mixed results of the Cultural Exchange," I answered. "When it's successful, it's truly remarkable, but when it falls short, the consequences can be dire."

"Hm," Preya grunted. "I don't-"

Her head swiveled to the side with lightning speed, and before I could ask what was happening, she darted toward me.

"What the hell-?" I gasped in shock as she suddenly grabbed my shoulders, causing me to cry in pain. Everything was a blur of brown feathers and the wind blowing through the leaves until I realized she was lifting me into the sky.

Preya's face paled as she said urgently, "Something's coming - and it's angry!"

Oh no.

The towering trees beneath us began to shift and sway, their bark creaking and groaning as it twisted and morphed into a new form. As a monstrous figure slowly emerged from the forest floor, I let out an anguished scream of profane words so loud and so strong that it would have made even the roughest of sailors blush.

Why couldn't this shit go as smoothly as it had with Mandroot?

To be continued!