"That's what Guardians are. We're soldiers," Declan replied, frowning slightly as he tried to think of a better way to explain. He had waited quietly, watching Aoba without another thought in his head other than it was important to let Aoba do things, and asking for things meant making him feel like he wasn't there for free. Declan wasn't exactly the quickest person, but he had a deeper understanding of basic things than most people realized. Particularly how important is was to feel useful.

"There are a few Guardians who have very specific tasks that keep them out of the field, but for the most part, every Guardian is a soldier. When the Ghosts find us, they bring us back for only one purpose: to fight the Darkness. I've never known anything else. I've always been a Guardian."