Haruaki Azuma/Abilities

Azuma is an invaluable asset to Border. He was the captain of the First Generation of Azuma Squad which was A-rank no. 1, whose members later went on to lead their own A-rank squads. He has had several other pupils whom he mentored in strategy, a field he excels in. Together with his aptitude for leadership, he is held in high esteem by other Border agents, who will seek his help and follow his directives in battle even if they belong to other squads. His outstanding analytical abilities assisted him in creating a plan with which he and his allies succeeded in defeating the powerful Ranbanein. He can make accurate guesses about the unfolding of a conflict from its early stages and act accordingly, on top of having a reliable stock of tactics ready for multiple scenarios. His precise and insightful commentary of Rank Wars is very popular among agents, including the no. 1 solo combatant Kei Tachikawa, to the point of drawing them to spectate matches.

His latest mentees are the two Attackers in B-rank Azuma Squad, whose placement in the ranking does not do justice to Azuma's competence on the battlefield. He is Border's first Sniper and remains one of the most skilled fighters of position. His skills are such that he can hit moving targets from far away, and take aim and switch targets at remarkable speed. Hyuse was wary of Chika firing Meteor while Azuma might have a visual on her for fear that he'd be able to hit the bullet before or shortly after she released it, causing her to self-destruct. Azuma can also snipe through multiple walls by combining complex data and making fine adjustments on the spot. Furthermore, he is capable of accurately selecting the Sniper Trigger most suited to the situation at hand. His skillset as the perfect Sniper is completed by his proficiency in stealth. Azuma is in fact notoriously elusive, having been forced to Bail Out only once in the sixth matches his squad fought during the latest season of rank wars due to all three opposing teams focusing their fire on him. Even Masataka Ninomiya, the no. 2 solo combatant, no. 1 Shooter and Azuma's former student, was convinced that it would be impossible to find him if he did not open fire and preferred to hide rather than lure him out despite possessing enough Trion to block his Ibis. Masato Kageura, a top Attacker famous for his aggressive fighting style, did the same, as Azuma is one of the only two people in Border not to trigger his Side Effect thanks to his ability to fight impassionately.

Outside of his work as an agent, Azuma is a postgraduate engineering student who conducts experiments to determine the composition of Trion. He has also researched military history and tactics. Additionally, he is a skilled mahjong player and fisher.