The narrow interrogation room was enveloped in a cold white light. Kamaji Kaito sat quietly, his shoulders stiffening as if he wanted to hide the feeling of insecurity inside. Images of the attack at the café flashed through his mind: screams, bullets, and the sharp pain of a wound to his shoulder, but what hurt most was the suspicious stares from the policemen outside the two-dimensional glass.
Sheriff Takeda Hiroshi walked in, his cold eyes locked tightly on Kaito. He carried a thick file and placed it on the table with a squeaky sound.
"Kamaji Kaito, you said that you were only defending yourself during the attack on the Familier café," Takeda said, his voice deep and stern.
"But let's explain this: The people who attacked you, we checked. All of them were unconscious, with no clear identities. No fingerprints, no DNA records in the national database. They were like ghosts that didn't exist. And here," Takeda continued, pushing a photo of the scene towards Kaito.
"The wounds on the attacker did not look like they were inflicted by a civilian. His shots... very special. So special that no one believes that they are ordinary self-defense responses. Where did you learn this way of fighting?"
Kaito looked down at the document, the bloody photos of the scene hit his eyes. Fatal shots, coldly accurate. He swallowed dryly, trying to stay calm.
"I don't know... It's instinctive. I just reacted to protect myself."
Takeda raised his eyebrows, his eyes sharp as if he wanted to pierce through Kaito's words.
"Instinct? It's interesting. But I have to say, his 'instincts' are too good to be random. Have you been trained?"
Kaito clenched his fists on the table, feeling like he was cornered.
"I don't remember anything before that day. I have lost my memory."
"What a coincidence," Takeda smiled faintly, his hand pushing another photo book towards Kaito.
"The people who attacked you no records, no identity, no DNA. And here, the way he fights – completely unusual. Are you sure you're just a victim?"
Takeda's words swirled through Kaito's mind, making his head ache. Fragments of dim memories suddenly flashed-a dark room, red light from the screen flickering. A cold voice sounded in his head:
"Remember, Kaito. You are our tool, and we will never leave you alone."
Kaito looked up, his eyes a little bewildered. Takeda, realizing the confusion, leaned closer.
"You just remembered something, didn't you? Kaito, if you don't tell the truth, we'll find it out the other way." Takeda said.
"Nothing," Kaito snarled, trying to hide the wavering.
"I don't remember anything. I'm just defending myself."
Takeda pursed his lips, his eyes full of suspicion. But before he could continue, the door to the interrogation room opened.
A woman walked in, her eyes shining and her appearance authoritative. Lila Aquotte, in her well-groomed dark suit, looked as if she had been well prepared for this confrontation.
"Sorry for the interruption, sheriff," she said, her voice calm but not lacking in coldness.
"I am Aquotte Lila, the legal representative of Kamaji Kaito. My client will not answer any further questions."
Takeda was surprised.
"Legal representative? When did Kaito hire her? According to the records, he has no one to turn to."
"My client doesn't need to explain that to you, and I'm here to make sure that his rights aren't infringed," Lila replied, keeping her voice cold.
"If you don't have incriminating evidence, I ask you to release him immediately."
Takeda smiled faintly, his gaze glancing at Kaito and then back to Lila.
"How long can you shield him? If we find any indication that he is involved in this case, I will come back. And then, it won't be as easy as it is today."
Lila kept quiet, but her gaze was enough for Takeda to know that she wasn't easily shaken. Kaito turned his eyes to follow the shadow of Takeda's back leaving the interrogation room, the space seemed to expand behind his heavy words.
Outside the police station, the cold air enveloped the two of them. Lila led Kaito to the car parked nearby, her high heels echoing the definitive sounds on the roadbed.
Kaito broke the silence, he glanced at Lila, his voice lowered, a hint of gratitude:
"Thank you... for helping me. But why did she do all this? You know something about me that I don't know, do you?"
Lila glanced at him, her eyes flashing an unpredictable light.
"Kaito, there are things I can't say yet. But believe me, I'm not here to harm you. If you want to survive, you have to follow me."
Kaito frowned, the feeling of doubt in his heart soared. But before he could say anything more, his gaze caught a dark figure moving in the distance.
In the darkness of the Tokyo night, a black car quietly follows them from afar. Lila quickly realized, her gaze swept over the rearview mirror.
"They've found us," she said quietly, in a serious voice.
"Get in the car, right away!"
The car rushed away at high speed, leaving the police station area. The light from the street lamp behind him formed dark patches, reflecting off Lila's tense face and Kaito's worried eyes.
"It's the Nexus?" Kaito asked, looking through the window.
Lila nodded, keeping her voice calm while concentrating on driving.
"They never give up on the goal. And you're their top priority."
In the rearview mirror, faint black cars gradually appeared, getting closer and closer. The air in the car gradually became stifling, as if all danger was piling towards them.
"Hold on," Lila said quickly. "We're not going to let them catch us."
Kaito looked out, the darkness of Tokyo passing in the dim light from the street lamps. Despite the danger on the outside, he still felt a glimmer of hope from the determination of Lila, the only person he could trust at the moment.
The car plunges into the night, leaving behind the lights that fade away, but Kaito knows that his true journey has only just begun.