The other agents sprang into action, moving to secure Hoshizora's arms and legs, their movements swift and efficient. Meanwhile, Kotori watched in shock, her eyes widening with disbelief at the sudden turn of events. "What's happening?" she demanded. As Hoshizora lay pinned beneath the weight of the agent, struggling to catch his breath, he offered a strained explanation to Kotori's bewildered question. "This... this is how questioning is supposed to be," he managed to gasp out between labored breaths. "One side oppressing the other...."
Kotori's eyes widened in disbelief as she absorbed his words, her mind reeling at the revelation. "But why?" she demanded, her voice tinged with frustration. "Why treat you like this? You're already at a disadvantage because of your blindness, why push it farther?" Hoshizora grimaced, the weight of the situation pressing down on him both physically and emotionally. "Because the higher ups don't know what to do with me," he explained, his voice heavy with resignation. "I'm a battle-oriented neighbor, a threat to their way of life. So they'll do whatever it takes to control me, to keep me in check."
Kotori's expression softened with sympathy as she reached out a hand to him. "I'm sorry," she murmured, her voice filled with genuine regret. "I had no idea it was like this." Hoshizora managed a weak smile in response, though it was strained with pain. "It's not your fault," he reassured her, his voice barely above a whisper. "Just... part of the job, I guess." With a heavy sigh, he braced himself as they brought his chair back up, as they fully restrained him.
In a separate room, Osamu, Yuma, Chika, and Director Rindo watched the interrogation unfold on a monitor. Osamu's fists clenched at his sides, his expression tense with concern as he observed Hoshizora being restrained. "I have to do something," Osamu muttered, his voice tight with urgency. But Director Rindo placed a firm hand on his shoulder, stopping him. "No, Osamu," he said firmly. "We must let the interrogation proceed. Hoshizora has someone to assist him if need be."
Yuma glanced between Osamu and Director Rindo, his expression unreadable. "But shouldn't we help him?" he questioned, his tone calm yet probing. Director Rindo sighed, his gaze fixed on the monitor. "We must trust in the process," he replied evenly. "Hoshizora is not alone. He has Kotori by his side." Chika shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her eyes flickering with uncertainty. "But what if something goes wrong?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Director Rindo's jaw tightened, his resolve unwavering. "If Kotori can't deal with it, then we'll deal with it," he stated firmly. "But for now, we must have faith in Hoshizora and Kotori." Osamu's frustration simmered beneath the surface, but he nodded reluctantly, knowing that Director Rindo was right. "Alright," he conceded, his voice resigned. "But I'll be ready if they need us." Yuma and Chika exchanged a glance, their expressions mirroring Osamu's determination.
The two agents settled back into their seats, their expressions now more composed but still attentive. Agent Naoto glanced at his partners, exchanging a subtle nod before turning his attention back to Hoshizora."Alright, Shogun," Naoto began, his tone more business-like than before, "let's get back to the matter at hand." He pulls out Hoshizora's Trigger again, this time putting it on the table. "How did you even get access to one of our triggers? These are government secrets."
Hoshizora's mind raced as he weighed his options. He knew that resisting would only invite further scrutiny, but divulging too much could jeopardize not only his own safety but how much he could contribute to Border. He shrugged his shoulders and looked toward the direction of the voice. "Well," he began, "I have a knack for gaining access to things I'm not supposed to. Your database was easy to infiltrate. The tech you use is similar to what my home used."
Naoto frowned, "You hacked into our private database?" His expression remained impassive, revealing little about his motives. "I needed it to level the playing field against Neighbors. Your organization has a lot of secrets, and I needed a weapon to defend myself. I happened to find a trigger laying in the Forbidden Zone and worked some magic to help me out." Hoshizora said.
The three agents exchanged concerned glances. His resourcefulness was undeniable, but the depths of his knowledge and the manner in which he obtained the Trigger raised further questions about his past and intentions. Agent Naoto's brow furrowed in contemplation. "Your resourcefulness is impressive, Shogun," he conceded, his tone laced with skepticism. "But accessing our private database and acquiring a Trigger without authorization... That's a serious breach of security."
Before Hoshizora could respond, Midori slammed her hand on the table, her face contorted with anger. "Enough of this!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with fury. "We can't trust him. Who knows what other secrets he's hiding?" With a swift movement, Midori drew her blade and pointed it menacingly at Hoshizora's neck, her eyes ablaze with suspicion. "You're a threat to Border, and I won't let you endanger us any further," she declared, her voice dripping with venom.
As Midori's blade hovered dangerously close to Hoshizora's neck, Kotori's eyes blazed with defiance. In one fluid motion, she drew out her own Trigger, Sōgetsu, in its great axe form, and pointed it directly at Midori. "Enough, Midori!" Kotori's voice rang out. "We can't resort to more violence. This isn't how we handle things at Border. Hell, it wasn't supposed to even go this far."
Midori's grip on her blade tightened, her eyes flashing with defiance. "He's a threat, Kotori," she argued, her voice shaking with rage. "We can't afford to take any chances." Kotori's resolve remained unshaken as she held Sōgetsu steady, "And what about trust, Midori?" she countered. "Yes, Border didn't trust him before, but after hearing the things he's done for the city by the citizens, Commander Kido changed his mind. Border is supposed to give him a chance, a chance for him to trust us."
Agent Ezra, sensing the escalating tension in the room, got up from his chair. "Midori, lower your blade," he commanded. "We need to maintain control of the situation." Midori hesitated for a moment, her grip on her blade loosening slightly as she glanced at Ezra. Reluctantly, she lowered her weapon, though her eyes remained fixed on Hoshizora, brimming with suspicion. Ezra turned his attention to Kotori, nodding in acknowledgment of her stance. "Kotori's right," he stated firmly, his tone brooking no argument. "We need to handle this by the book. We're here to gather information, not start a fight." With a subtle motion, he gestured for Kotori to lower her weapon as well.
Kotori, understanding Ezra's intention, sheathed Sōgetsu with a determined expression. With the immediate threat diffused, Ezra turned back to Hoshizora, his expression once again composed and professional. "Now, Shogun," he began, his tone returning to its previous business-like demeanor, "let's continue. You seem to have an uncanny ability to sense the appearance of gates and Neighbor activity before Border HQ can even react. How do you do it?"
With a deep breath, he decided to tread carefully. "My Side Effect grants me something called Thermokinetic Awareness. It's a sort of heightened sensitivity to temperature and thermal energy. It allows me to pinpoint the location of gates and Neighbor activity with remarkable accuracy, giving me an edge in getting to the scene before Border." Agent Naoto nodded, seemingly satisfied with Hoshizora's response. "Impressive," he remarked, a hint of admiration in his tone.
Hoshizora continued; "My Thermokinetic Awareness goes beyond just sensing gates. It allows me to perceive even the smallest changes in thermal energy in my surroundings. This means I can detect hidden traps, concealed objects, or even the presence of individuals trying to remain unseen. It's a versatile tool that I've honed over time, helping me navigate through complex situations."
Agent Naoto furrowed his brow, a hint of skepticism creeping into his expression. "Forgive me for asking, Shogun, but are you truly blind? The way you grabbed at your Trigger says otherwise" he inquired. Kotori's heart skipped a beat at Naoto's question, her mind racing with conflicting thoughts. She recalled the moment when she reached out her hand to Hoshizora's face and how he flinched, prompting a surge of doubt to bubble up within her.
Meanwhile, Hoshizora's expression remained unreadable as he responded, "Yes, I am," he replied, his tone firm yet tinged with weariness. "The medics diagnosed me with Solar Retinopathy. I've lost my vision as a result of abusing my side effect." Kotori hesitated for a moment before speaking up, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "It's true," she confirmed, her words carrying a weight of embarrassment. "The medical staff confirmed his condition. Hoshizora is blind."
As the truth sank in, Agent Naoto nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. "I see," he murmured, his tone reflective. "Thank you for clarifying." Kotori felt a flush of embarrassment creep into her cheeks.
Midori's voice cut through the tension like a blade. "If you're truly blind, Shogun," she began, her tone laced with suspicion, "then how do you explain my sister's reaction to that question?" Kotori's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Midoris's question. Hoshizora's brow furrowed in confusion at the sudden accusation. "Your sister?" he repeated, his voice tinged with bewilderment. "I'm not sure what you're talking about."
Midori's eyes narrowed as she leaned forward, her expression hardened with determination. "Don't play dumb," she spat, her voice dripping with venom. "She's blushing hard right now when Naoto asked that question. How do you explain that?"
Hoshizora's expression remained impassive, his blindness preventing him from perceiving the subtle dynamics playing out in the room. He listened intently to the exchange between Midori and Kotori, his own confusion mirrored in his voice as he responded, "I can't explain that. Maybe she's just embarrassed by the question?"
Kotori's heart pounded in her chest as all eyes turned to her. Despite her inner turmoil, she managed to summon a shaky voice. "I-I'm sorry, Midori," she stammered, her words tinged with embarrassment. "It's just... I'm not used to these kinds of situations, and... and I didn't expect Naoto to ask a question like that."
Midori's gaze softened slightly, though suspicion still lingered in her eyes. She glanced at Hoshizora, then back at Kotori, her expression conflicted. "I understand," she said, her tone softer now. "But we can't afford to let our emotions cloud your judgment, especially in situations like this."
Ezra cleared his throat and spoke up. "Let's focus on the matter at hand," he interjected. "You mentioned finding a Trigger in the Forbidden Zone," he recalled. "How did you manage to acquire it without detection?" Hoshizora hesitated for a moment, carefully choosing his words. "I stumbled upon it during one of my patrols," he explained. "It was lying abandoned in an area known for Neighbor activity. Seeing an opportunity, I took it and modified it. Since it only had one chip named Kogetsu, I just took off the limiters and used it to the best of my abilities."
Agent Naoto's brow furrowed as he processed Hoshizora's explanation. "But how did you modify the Trigger without triggering the failsafe mechanism?" he questioned. "It's highly unlikely that a Trigger wouldn't have some sort of security measures in place to prevent unauthorized tampering."
Hoshizora's expression remained composed, though a flicker of uncertainty passed through his mind. "I... I'm not sure," he admitted, his voice tinged with doubt. "I just... did what I could with the resources I had available to me." Naoto shakes his head with bewilderment, "We'll need to verify this Trigger with our engineers." Naoto stated firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Something tells me that this is an old Trigger from that invasion when we first encountered Rabits."
Ezra nodded in agreement with Naoto's assessment. "Agreed. We'll have the engineers look into it," he concurred. "For now, let's conclude the questioning." With a subtle motion, Ezra signaled to the other agents to unrestrain Hoshizora. Naoto stepped forward, addressing Hoshizora directly. "Shogun, you're free to go for now," he stated. "But be aware, we'll be keeping a close eye on you."
Hoshizora nodded, "Hmph, finally," he responded. Kotori approached Hoshizora, her expression a mix of concern and apology. "I'm sorry for what happened," she said softly. "I hope you understand that not all of us are like that." Hoshizora offered her a small, understanding smile. "I know," he reassured her. "Thank you, Kotori." Meanwhile, Midori remained silent, her gaze fixed on Hoshizora with a mix of uncertainty and suspicion. Despite her earlier outburst, she refrained from speaking, opting instead to observe.
As Hoshizora and Kotori left the interrogation room, the tension in the air seemed to dissipate, replaced by an uneasy silence. In the monitoring room, Director Rindo's gaze remained fixed on the screen. Yuma leaned forward in his seat, his eyes flickering with a mixture of concern and intrigue.
"Director, what's our next move?" Yuma inquired. Rindo paused for a moment, contemplating his response. "We need to gather more information," he replied calmly. "We'll consult with the engineers regarding Hoshizora's claims about the Trigger." Chika voiced her uncertainty. "Do you think Hoshizora is being truthful?" she asked.
Rindo paused for a moment, considering Chika's question carefully. Then, his gaze shifted to Yuma. Yuma nodded subtly before responding. "For the most part, yes," he confirmed. Osamu, intrigued by this revelation, leaned forward in his seat. "What lie did your Side Effect catch?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.
Rindo's brows furrowed in thought as he considered Osamu's question. After a moment of contemplation, he voiced his suspicion. "When he answered about his blindness," he replied. Yuma nodded, "Yes, but also no," he added. Rindo's expression remained stoic as he absorbed Yuma's response. "What do you mean by 'yes, but also no'?" he inquired, his tone laced with curiosity.
Yuma's gaze drifted towards the ceiling for a moment, as if searching for the right words. "He definitely didn't lie about being blind," Yuma clarified, "But he might have misled us about the extent of his capabilities." Chika's eyes widened slightly as she pieced together Yuma's implication. "Do you think he uses Trion to see?" she suggested.
Osamu leaned back in his chair, mulling over the possibility. "It would make sense," he agreed, his voice thoughtful. Yuma nodded in agreement with Chika's theory before continuing, "As for his Side Effect. He might have lied about that too, but it seems like he's unaware of it himself."
Rindo took a moment to absorb Yuma's assessment, his mind churning with thoughts and considerations. However, after a brief pause, he pushed aside his own contemplations and addressed the team. "Let's wrap things up here for now," he declared, his voice firm yet composed. "You three head back to the branch, I'll take it from here."
Osamu and Chika exchanged glances, "Are you sure, Director?" Osamu inquired. Rindo offered a reassuring nod. "I'll handle the follow-up with Kotori and Hoshizora," he stated firmly. "You've all done well today. Now, go get some rest."