Chapter 4
The punishment in question is
opening the interagation room metal chairs weilded to the floor
I was roughly sat down.
As though the guards enjoyed it
With yawn I said" hey watch it im expensive ya know."
With just that, they seemed to have relearned there manners, and backed off quietly into their respective corners .
Silence filled the room.
Heavily armored officers stood in each corner, their masked faces turned toward me, unmoving. They looked like militant demons, their cold red stares locked in place as if waiting for something. I exhaled slowly, realizing they weren't going to speak first. I begun to talk
"You know it's a crime to arrest a dragon rider, right?" I said, keeping my tone even. I leaned forward for emphasis "especially a nagareboshi.
a guardian clan tasked with defending the skys for you."
There was silence that.
And uncomfortable amount of time passed before anyone spoke.
The girl with a first hint of hesitation said
"It's not when you threaten public safety," the officer replied. Dancing side to side as if just realizing what i truly represented. With a small motion of his hand, he pointed at me. Before I could respond, to whatever lawful jargon he was about to say. the woman beside him spoke, her voice carrying a strang mix of hesitation then satisfaction.
"But don't worry. Your sentence has already been confirmed."
A flicker of i shifted backwards at that. My breath slowing. Well thats not how this usually goes.
Calculating i said"What's my—"
"You." the man cut me off, deep voice gruff and angry, pausing briefly as if choosing his words carfully.
" and Your dragons are going to participate in one of the most dangerous tournament known to modern day man."
The woman continued without missing a beat.
"It's where criminals like you go to experience the same cruelty you inflict on others."
I felt my left eyebrow twitched at that, sharp and immediate i spoke voice growling. "What. The. Hell."
A faint sound echoed in my head, something, not my own, and before I could stop it, a low growl of anger slipped out.
Deathly and hollow with an ancient hum to it.
The reaction was instant. Guns were raised, safeties clicking off as the officers aimed directly at me.
"Try it, kid," one of them warned. "You won't like what happens next."
"Mmmmmm i've fought dragons soo, I think ill be fine."
Smilling as if knowing what's gonna happen.
The guards got ready to fire. trigger fingers at the ready. they all sent burst of mana into the room. it bouncing all around me my head realing from the sudden burst of magic. i slammed into the metal table causing a dent in it.
The interrogator lifted a hand, stopping them. He muttered under his breath for a moment before straightening, as if reminding himself he was in control. Then the air shifted.
The room warping, my vison blurred as
Mana flooded the room.right as i lifted my head tired from the beatings on my body.
A crushing weight forced my head down against the table once agian. This time my muscles locking as my face pressed into the surface. I couldn't move. lungs heaving, i was suffocating with mana overflow.
Blood spilled from my weakend body,nose running.
Across from me, he remained completely unaffected, watching me with a steady gaze. Behind him, even the soldiers seemed tense as they started to kneel under the pressure. But the girl? Oh she was fully enjoying herself.
watching me bleed seemed to give her more satisfaction than a thousand dead warriors at her feet.
then whispered with magic as so only I could hear" revel in this, boshi for your BLOOD won't protect you from everything"
I grimaced in pain rethinking on what i thought of the law enforcement agents.
And honestly didn't think they were this strong.
The city guards at Kaiya city were definitely stronger but.
He's definitely more defined kinda strong.
This provocation was a misstep on my part.
To think an investigator could be this heavy handed was a miscalculation on my part.The woman slammed her hand on the table grinning.
"You're going, whether you like it or not. So you can listen to why, or you can be properly prosecuted."
She then dropped a folder in front of me. Images spread across the surface—destroyed buildings, debris, bodies left behind.
"Mass destruction. Civilian endangerment. Illegal use of force. Destruction of public property."
The pressure lifted as the interrogator leaned back, his mana receding. The armed guards stopped struggling as they rose back up guns down.
The man gave his assistant a brief, sharp look before speaking again.
"Your situation is...unprecedented."
He paused, letting the words settle.
"You held your own against two dragons by yourself. Then you took down a phychic
mage with just a katana. No special steel. No magically enhanced tech. No cybergenitics not even an exstra body. Just you." He tapped the table once, emphasizing the point. "Whether you realize it or not, the world is watching you."
This is bad.
He continued, his tone steady.
"You have two dragons. A family blade—something tied to your very lineage. And are apable of fighting opponents stronger than you and walk away with damaged mana circuits.
As a pat on the back yoyr dragons finish off an raiju level ice mage"
He leaned forward. "That makes you dangerous."
A brief pause followed.
"Stupidly dangerous."
Then his tone shifted,more softer this time.
"We need you to investigate the Suho Tournament."
The words caught me off guard. "Investigate?"
"There are rumors," he said. "Disturbing ones. A terrorist organization connected to the tournament."
He spoke a single name.
"Scourge."
That made me sit back up from the table.
Nose running with blood.
I sniffed.
He sniffed.
A faint smile on his face.
Ignoring that smile..
Scourge wasn't something you just ignore.
"What does that have to do with me?" I asked, though I already had a rough idea.
He studied me for a moment. "Do you really not understand what you've gotten yourself into?
by contracting with two dragons you caused an uproar in the sky islands and with the imperial order of dragons"
I hesitated, then gave a small shrug. I didn't have an answer for them.
They went quiet.
I stayed silent.
Even the guards seemed caught off guard, their weapons lowering their weapons even further passed regulation, albeit slightly.
"…Alright," he said. "Then listen carefully."
He placed another set of images in front of me. Dragons filled the sky beneath a massive wing casting a shadow over a city. Another showed a wyvern overpowering creatures much larger than itself.
I recognized them immediately.
"Mizuki and Kokoro aren't normal," he said. "One comes from a long lineage of powerful dragons, meaning it's likely to become just as strong when it matures."
He gestured to the other image. "The second is a hybrid. A dragon and a wyvern. That alone makes it rare."
He folded his hands together. "You and your dragons are… exceptional. Along with the fact thst you arent even using your full power you just burned your mana circuits to test them."
Tch I scowled caught by the nose he was holding over me
He glanced briefly at his assistant before continuing. "The Suho Tournament is already dangerous. It brings together criminals, elite fighters, and high-level military students."
The assistant stepped in, her expression more serious now..
That caught my attention.
"We cannot tell you to much for it wouldn't give a noticeable advantage to you. And we can't give them hints at who we planted in the tournament"
With a nod i said "That seems reasonable"
The man spoke " so.. Will you help us or not."
After a moment of thinking i decided to help their merry band.
"Aright ill help but under one condition"
The lead investigator perked up noticeably" what is it"
"In times of emergency I want permission to use my family's blade"
The room went quiet... silence filled the room.the mana in the room went cold as if reacting to my words.
The very air was reacting huh.
Guess the gods were listening in.
with an effort he began to speak" if things hit the fan i can agree to such things but if there are casualties aside from the criminals you will be punished by the court of the law dragon rider or not. nagareboshi or not.
The second condition is that you must go to dragon rider school in order to put you to use for the betterment of the world"
I thought about it for a moment it seemed reasonable and a little fun
However I wasent sure how my "friends" would react
" I Agree to your terms"
And with that a sigh of relief went around the room the guards even put down there guns for once
Wow didn't know they could do that, I thought with a smirk.
After that we hashed out the details bringing in mizuki and kokoro to talk about what we were gonna do and while the warriors resistant at first they reluctantly agree that it was for the best and with that their fears were ebbed.
Walking in the room was
A haughty dragon and a seething whyvern
Causing the room to go, whats next?