Taking hostages, though... Claude, that sort of thing only works if they believe you are capable or willing to do harm. Is that what you would do? Convince them that you're ruthless enough to hurt the people they care about?

[ That doesn't sit well with him. ]

...Hayame, at least, thinks the shards they have are merely a trick. Fakes. That isn't something I want to risk being wrong about, though.