"I am alright!" Gongenzaka assures Steven- a certain edge of his tone wavering as the reality of how close a shave that was sinks in. He loosens his hold on the boy somewhat, watching as the barrier rises and as the thoughts from around them close in.

It is when that hesitance rises that his eyes widen, and he gasps. "...That feeling...did you catch that?" He asks the others, glancing at Steven- resident empath and all- in particular. "It feels...as if we are meeting with a collective, and yet within that..."

That hesitance- it was surely individual. And so rather than double down on ferocity, Gongenzaka feels out for that hesitant spirit among the wave around them, forcing himself to focus on them rather than upon what strikes the barrier. "...I, the man Gongenzaka...am going to try and 'speak' to them," he tells the others- and they have perhaps one or two seconds to make him do otherwise.

For if they do not, then as best as he is able, Gongenzaka reaches out for that more individual spirit with all he can muster, trying to reach out to them with
his spirit. Addressing them with firm, but warm emotions- They are here, to offer peace and freedom- they are here 'For them', rather than 'for Them'-

He fills his emotions with nothing but kindness and hope, and with his heart asks...

What do they want, truly, separate from the beings around them?