Shoichi Tsugami’s Lost Will

"Sagara, are you alright?"

Sagara Katsuhiko had previously been beaten back into human form by the High Lord of Water. After Shoichi Tsugami and Ashihara Ryo arrived, he transformed again to fight, but he was now at his physical limit.

On the side of the Lords, it wasn't just the High Lord of Water overseeing the battle. The White Tiger Lord, the Orca Lord, and the Mantis Lord were all at the same power level. In a one-on-one situation, no Agito on their side could claim an easy victory. Furthermore, they were surrounded by weaker Lords, making the situation extremely dire.

To make matters worse, Shoichi Tsugami, their strongest combatant, had yet to overcome his fear of the High Lord of Water, causing his combat power to plummet. Sagara Katsuhiko, on the other hand, had moved past his fear. After all, he wasn't the one who had directly faced the High Lord of Water back then; he had only been an observer, so the impact wasn't as deep. Moreover, Sagara Katsuhiko was now an Agito. Although he knew the gap in strength was large, his fear of the High Lord of Water had decreased further.

"Shoichi, wake up! It's not that scary!"

Sagara Katsuhiko knew that relying only on himself and Ashihara Ryo gave them no hope of victory, so he kept encouraging Shoichi Tsugami.

Aside from the three of them, Hikawa Makoto and Hojo Toru had also brought two G3-Mild warriors from the standard squad to the scene, taking on several Lords and significantly reducing the pressure.

Looking at his comrades fighting bloodily around him, and Sagara Katsuhiko—a fellow Akatsuki member who had overcome his fear—Shoichi Tsugami actually no longer harbored fear toward the High Lord of Water. But the crux of the matter now lay elsewhere: the fact that Sawaki Yukina was likely an Agito and had killed Nobuyuki Kazaya.

Shoichi Tsugami had begun to doubt the power of Agito. He believed that Kino Kaoru's attacks on Takashima Masahide and Majima Koji were because he was controlled by the Agito power, making him unable to stop himself from attacking innocents. Thus, he was rejecting the Agito power. Even though the situation was critical, and a voice deep within told him the Agito power was neither right nor wrong, he still couldn't escape his mental prison.

Hiding in the shadows and quietly watching all this, Hozer had no choice but to act.

Suddenly, a gale howled across the battlefield, and lightning descended from the heavens. Every Lord was treated to at least one bolt of lightning, while the bolt aimed at the High Lord of Water was as thick as a barrel. However, this was only a stalling attack; Hozer did not deliver a killing blow.

Taking advantage of the Lords' confusion, a voice rang in the ears of Shoichi Tsugami's group, telling them to leave.

"It's Mr. Hozer's voice."

The group, who had thought they wouldn't escape today, were relieved that Hozer had intervened. They quickly retreated from the battlefield. Hozer waited until they had been gone for a while before stopping his attacks on the High Lord of Water and the other Lords, then teleported away.

He had originally intended not to interfere in the war between Agito and the Lords until God himself took action. But given Shoichi Tsugami's current state, he had to do it.

Prometheus had chosen Shoichi Tsugami, but if Shoichi couldn't escape his mental prison, Hozer would find a way to persuade Tetsuya Sawaki to transfer Shoichi's Shining Power to Ashihara Ryo. Sagara Katsuhiko wouldn't work; he never intended to become an Agito. He only became one to protect his fellow Akatsuki members because there were no other candidates. Thus, even with the light power from Takashima Masahide, he could at most transform into the Trinity Form and couldn't carry such a heavy responsibility. Hozer viewed the light power in Sagara Katsuhiko's body more as a reserve for himself.

Although he saved the group, aside from the police officers like Hikawa Makoto, Sagara Katsuhiko was the most heavily injured, and Shoichi Tsugami and Ashihara Ryo were also significantly hurt.

On Yusuke Godai's battlefield, after Hozer acted, the High Lord of Wind and High Lord of Earth also retreated, no longer lingering.

Shoichi Tsugami was no longer living at Misuki Yoshihiko's house; he had moved out. After being injured, he stayed at a temporary base to recover, with Sakaki Aki and Saeko Shinohara caring for the three wounded men.

Hozer took advantage of this gap to visit Misuki Yoshihiko's house. Before this, he had met Tetsuya Sawaki on a specific day and learned the truth behind Nobuyuki Kazaya's death. He also learned about the past that Tetsuya Sawaki never wanted to face. He said Kino Kaoru was atoning for his past, but he himself was doing the same, atoning for Sawaki Yukina's death.

Misuki Yoshihiko received Hozer. At this moment, he was alone in the house; Misuki Taichi and Mana Kazaya were at school and had not yet returned. After a brief chat, Hozer informed Misuki Yoshihiko of the entire truth regarding Nobuyuki Kazaya's death.

Upon hearing this, Misuki Yoshihiko's expression turned grave, but he showed no resentment toward Sawaki Yukina.

"So that's how it was. I also bear a great responsibility for this."

Hozer frowned slightly. As expected, Misuki Yoshihiko knew something. He took a sip of tea and waited for him to continue.

"On the day my brother died, we met at a familiar cafe and had an argument."

At this point, Misuki Yoshihiko sighed, his face growing even heavier.

"My brother's research had touched upon fields beyond humanity. I believed it was impossible and extremely dangerous. I wanted to persuade him to give up, but he didn't see it that way and said he would show me proof. But after he left that day... *Sigh*."

"I wasn't firm enough then. If I had persisted a bit more and tried harder to persuade him, perhaps he would have abandoned that research sooner, and things wouldn't have turned out like this."

No one knows whether an accident or tomorrow will come first. But thinking back, Sawaki Yukina's loss of control wasn't entirely an accident; there had been signs before. One could only say that when facing an unknown power, Tetsuya Sawaki and Nobuyuki Kazaya had failed to take proper precautions.

"Professor Misuki, did you know Mana has psychic powers?"

Misuki Yoshihiko was stunned, then nodded slowly. "My brother told me Mana has psychic powers."

"I understand. Thank you, Professor Misuki."

With that, Hozer stood up to leave.

"Mr. Hozer, I leave Shoichi and Mana in your hands."

Misuki Yoshihiko knew Sawaki Yukina and Tetsuya Sawaki—who were now Shoichi Tsugami's sister and brother. He had previously been puzzled why the two, who were on good terms, had suddenly turned against each other. Now that he knew the truth of Nobuyuki Kazaya's death, everything was clear.

"I will do my best."

Shoichi Tsugami's will to fight was completely gone. Mana Kazaya held a vital place in his heart. If he could obtain her forgiveness, this matter could likely be resolved easily.

After leaving Misuki Yoshihiko's house, Hozer went to Midorigaoka School, where Mana Kazaya studied. Japanese elementary and middle schools are semi-closed; every entrance has security, and outsiders cannot enter without permission. Thus, Hozer sent a message to Mana Kazaya and waited at the entrance. Looking at the time, it was almost dismissal.

However, at this moment, Mana Kazaya didn't see the message; she didn't even have her phone on her. Three senior girls from the tennis club were blocking Mana Kazaya at the top of the stairs.