The story we started

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka recalled the golden light that had appeared in the dream of "Zaimokuza Yoshiki" before, and suddenly felt that he seemed to have found the key point.

"After that power appeared, Zaimokuza, who was originally seriously injured and dying, quickly repaired his body, which was tortured by the poison, and recovered to the point where he was able to fight. The current phenomenon must also be related to this power."

“This power is different from the power of the four elements that Kuuga possesses. It seems to be a power of a higher energy level. Only this level of power can overcome the repulsion and confrontation between the elements and fuse them——!?”

The conversation stopped here, and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka suddenly froze.

At this moment, he suddenly recalled some of his previous guesses about Kuuga and Gurongi's power system, and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka also got some inspiration from the four elements theory of the Buddhist system.

At this moment, his memory began to flow rapidly back to the past. He followed the pace of his memory and subconsciously recited the statement about the theory of four elements that he had read in a Buddhist book.

"Ancient Indian Buddhism believes that the world is free from the power of four elements. These four elements are permanent and unchanging, and complement each other. These four elements are: earth, water, wind, and fire, which are the factors that make up all matter in the world."

"…due to the combination of the four elements, there are various physical forms, which are formed into "color"; if the four elements are out of balance, it will become "disease"; if any one of them is missing, it will definitely become "death"; finally, the four elements disperse and ultimately return to... "emptiness"."

"Emptiness... is nothingness, is the ultimate, is... the empty self???"

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's eyes kept widening as he spoke, and for the first time, those eyes, which had always been indifferent and emotionless, showed an emotion fluctuation similar to "shock".

It's not like he hadn't speculated in this direction before, but he always felt that this inspiration from religious doctrine was too absurd and ridiculous, so he directly ruled it out. But now that he thinks about it carefully...

[——You got it, right? That power.]

[——The power that leads to the ultimate.]

In the previous light screen, the words that the mysterious young man in white said when "Yoshiki Zaimokuza" was unconscious appeared in Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's mind.

“…This is definitely not a coincidence.”

He lowered his head to look at his feet in indoor shoes to hide his eyes that were shaking violently.

"Due to the harmony of the four elements, there are various forms, which are formed into "color"... After becoming Kuuga, Zaimokuza Yoshiteru awakened the various powers of the belt in a series of battles, and was able to transform into forms with various abilities. In other words, he has various forms and different "colors."

"If the four elements are out of balance, it will become a 'disease'; if any one of them is missing, it will definitely become 'death'... During his battle with Unconfirmed Life Form No. 25, he suffered from the erosion of the poison entering his body, causing the elemental power in his body to completely go out of control. He suffered the backlash of his own power, which became a 'disease'..."

"As for 'death'... his heart did stop beating for a time while he was being resuscitated, and even his pupils dilated. If he actually had brain death at that time... then according to human physiological standards, Zaimokuza Yoshiteru has indeed died once."

"And finally..."

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka suddenly raised his head, staring at the almighty Kuuga who was holding up the Titan Sword in the flames in the light screen. Looking at the pair of blazing red compound eyes, a drop of cold sweat slowly slid down his forehead.

"——Finally, the four elements dispersed and eventually returned to emptiness!"

"The different elemental forces were dispersed and then overlapped again... Isn't this describing his current situation?"

"If what the young man in white said is correct, then the so-called 'ultimate' he mentioned is most likely the last 'emptiness' among the four factors!"

The trembling feeling from his arm woke Ayanokouji Kiyotaka from his trance. He looked down at his right hand, which had been shaking violently without him noticing.

He raised his hand and looked at his shaking arm, his eyes blank and dazed for a moment.

"I'm scared? No, this is...excited?"

As the highest masterpiece of the White Room Project, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka is outstanding in every aspect, except for one huge flaw, or rather, an intentionally created "advantage".

That is, he is actually unable to experience normal human emotions.

He can understand what crying is, what laughing is, and when he should express corresponding outward emotions, but he has no idea what those emotions feel like.

Understanding does not mean knowing. These are actually two completely different concepts and cannot be confused at all.

But at this moment, he felt that his heart, like a dead tree, was conveying to him an experience that he had never had before in his life, a feeling that he had never understood before.

The name of that feeling is curiosity.

The desire for the truth of the turn of events drove his body and soul, causing adrenaline to be secreted continuously, bringing a feeling of physical feedback to Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, who had never experienced emotions before.

Spirit and matter are inseparable, and matter has always determined consciousness and has the greatest decision-making power over spirit.

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, who was supposed to have no emotions, experienced for the first time the feeling that both his body and mind were vibrating in unison to a certain melody. This feeling made him feel strange and caught off guard.

But he had to admit that this feeling...also fascinated him.

For the first time, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka felt that he was "alive".

"—"

Perhaps even Ayanokouji himself did not notice that as he was looking at his trembling right hand, the corner of his mouth had already curved upwards.

Different from the indifference and nothingness of the past, the curve of the corners of the mouth is so real, filled with wantonness and madness.

"…Zaimokuza Yoshiki's situation is a perfect match for the changes in this theory! No! Rather than saying that he is in line with the theory's arguments, it's better to say that this theory is simply a prophecy! It predicts the series of changes he will undergo after wearing that belt!"

"And at this moment, he has reached the final stage of this evolution, and is about to become the so-called "ultimate", the so-called "empty"!"

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka put down his hands and stared at "Zaimokuza Yoshiki" in the light curtain with an unprecedented fanatical gaze. The thirst for knowledge in those eyes was so pure that it even gave people a chilling feeling.

"The four elements mentioned above are just the prerequisites for achieving this state. They are the key to activating the true power of the belt. Now he has actually completely embarked on the last stage of the evolution system."

"Although it is incredible and absurd, if Zaimokuza Yoshiki's evolution path is really in line with the ancient Indian Buddhist teachings, then the current evolution is not the end of this belt. He still has the possibility of sublimation again."

"Perhaps in the near future, Zaimokuza Yoshiki will most likely undergo an ultimate evolution that far surpasses his previous ones. At that time, he will become a god that is beyond the imagination of all current science and the reach of human intelligence!"

"But the so-called gods are nothing more than imaginary beings imagined by ancient humans out of their awe of the might of nature. A more accurate statement should be that the scientific community's highest definition of the concept of living things only exists in fantasy—"

"'Ultimate Life Form'!"

[My body feels so light…]

[Zaimokuza jumped up with his legs slightly bent, and dodged the tentacles that swept in from below with an elegant backflip.]

[Looking at the tentacle sweeping past below, and the body that seemed to have become extremely light at this moment, he couldn't help but think so.]

[This feeling is really wonderful. Zaimokuza can't even find words to describe his feelings at this moment. ]

[Even though I was poisoned not long ago and could only lie on a hospital bed while receiving ineffective treatment and waiting to die, I now feel that my body is in surprisingly good condition, as if a spring of water has appeared out of nowhere inside my body.]

[As the spring water gushed out, his originally weak body after recovering from a serious illness began to recover at a speed beyond imagination, and even after his injuries were completely healed, he continued to increase his strength.]

[Zaimokuza now feels stronger than ever before, so strong that he is even close to awakening his elements! ]

【"hateful!"】

[These thoughts only lasted for a moment, and Zaimokuza, who was doing a backflip, swung his Titan Sword at the tentacles below him. The red-gold sword swept across, and a hurricane of flames swept up, burning all the tentacles that rushed in from all directions as before. The dust that was sprinkled was like dense raindrops from a heavy rainstorm.]

[“In that case, how about this move!?”]

【Ginoga saw that this attack was ineffective, and once again waved the remaining tentacles at his side in frustration, swinging them at Zaimokuza one by one at different speeds.】

[At the same time, dozens of other tentacles behind it pierced straight into the ground, shooting from the concrete of the road toward the direction where the Zaimokuzu had landed.]

【“!”】

[As soon as his feet touched the ground, Zaimokuza felt a violent vibration coming from the soles of his feet, and his heart suddenly shuddered. ]

[We have to leave here quickly! ]

[The moment he had this thought, the spirit stone on Zaimokuza's waist flashed a golden glow, and then changed between red and blue for a moment.]

【Om—】

[The red pearls on his ankles turned blue in a faint golden light, and Zaimokuza, who was still in his omnipotent form, suddenly felt his body become extremely light, as if he had already activated the Azure Dragon form.]

[But he didn't have time to think about what was going on. He immediately followed his instinct and jumped up with both feet. This jump was nearly 20 meters high, which was basically the same height as Ginoga's enhanced body! ]

【Buzz! ! ! 】

[The moment Zaimokuza's feet left the ground, the concrete in the area where he was standing suddenly burst and scattered, and several tentacles shot out from the broken ground along with dust and smoke, piercing towards the leaping Zaimokuza.]

[“You’ve been fooled, KUUGA!”]

【“!?”】

【Zaimokuza, who had been focusing on his feet, was startled when he heard Ginoga's wild laughter. He suddenly looked up and saw countless tentacles rushing towards him.】

[Attacks came from both the upper and lower directions at the same time, and the wooden seat was caught in the middle, like a bird trapped in a cage. ]

【“Zaimokuza!”】

[Kousaka Kyosuke, who had already retreated to a distance, looked at this scene, his expression changed drastically, and he shouted, quickly raising the pistol that had just been loaded with new bullets.]

[But his finger stopped just before pulling the trigger, and his pupils contracted as he watched what happened next.]

【Bear!】

[A huge flame suddenly erupted with Zaimokuza as the center, and then it spread upward and downward, condensing into a famous natural disaster spectacle - a fire tornado. ]

[The tornado formed by the condensed flames enveloped all the tentacles attacking from above and below. The incomparable high temperature burned all the attacking tentacles in an instant, and none of them could touch Zaimokuza.]

【"What!?"】

[Ginoga watched in disbelief as his attack, which was originally sure to succeed, was easily resolved. As he was shocked, the rotating fire tornado suddenly exploded from the middle, turning into scorching heat that blew in all directions.]

[Zaimokuza's figure appeared in the air as the fire tornado dissipated. He still maintained his almighty form, but the Titan Sword he was holding had undergone a huge change.]

[The red-golden sword stretched out in the burning flames and turned into a red-golden long stick. The two ends of the long stick were inlaid with gems. In the middle of the fiery red gem was engraved a totem that emitted red light and represented "flame" in the ancient Lindo language.]

[Kuga·Almighty Form·Blue Dragon Stick (Power of Fire).]

[“It’s not over yet!”]

[As Zaimokuza shouted angrily, the red-gold Azure Dragon Staff once again transformed in the flames. The slender staff rapidly shrank and transformed, and within a second it became a long crossbow of the same color.]

[Kuga·Almighty Form·Pegasus Crossbow.]

[The body that had originally leaped up was finally caught by the gravity of the earth. In the process of falling rapidly, Zaimokuza pulled the lever of the Pegasus crossbow, and the firing port was aimed in the direction of Ginoga in the swirling and condensed flames, aiming at the head of the huge shell. ]

【“——Taku!”】

【boom--】

[Zaimokuza's fingers gripping the handle of the Pegasus crossbow pulled the trigger without hesitation, and a red arrow formed by compressed flames flew out from the shooting port and shot towards Ginoga who was aimed at! ]

[The arrow left a red trail as it passed through the air. A whirlwind surrounded it, and a layer of flames formed under the erosion of the fire element energy contained in the arrow. From a distance, it looked like a red meteor flying in parallel, and it hit Ginoga in an instant before he could react.]

[When the arrow hit Ginoga, the powerful energy contained in it immediately exploded, and amid Ginoga's screams, it turned into another tornado of flames that completely enveloped the huge body.]

[“Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!”]

[Ginoga only felt that the temperature around him rose to a completely unbearable level in a short period of time. A high-pitched and sharp scream resounded throughout the entire road. The body engulfed by flames shook wildly, and the tentacles whipped everything around it, destroying everything around him and then turning into ashes and dissipating.]

[Zaimokuza kneels lightly on the ground, and the pearls on his ankles return to their original red color.]

[“This time, it’s really time to end it!”]

[He looked up at the alien plant whose body was constantly dissipating in the flames, and threw the Pegasus crossbow in his hand to the side.]

[The thrown crossbow spun and flew to the other side of the road, and its overall shape returned to its original form in the flames that had not yet dissipated.]

[Clang! 】

[The sharp sword blade pierced into the concrete amidst the scattered sparks. This was the Demon Slayer Great Sword, the exclusive weapon for GO. Zaimokuza had just used this great sword as his own weapon.]

[“Super Henshin!”]

[Zaimokuza took a deep breath, and as he heard the sharp shout, he stretched out his hands and clasped the spirit stone at his waist.]

[Boundless flames gushed out from the spirit stone and wrapped around Zaimokuza's body. A scarlet flame scarf wrapped around his neck and danced in the wind.]

[Kuga·Almighty Form·Elemental Awakening (Flame).]

[This time, the spirit stone did not stop changing after opening its elemental form like in the past.]

[Buzz—buzz—buzz—]

[Amidst the buzzing sound, the red spirit stone suddenly began to flicker rapidly, and the color of the flame burning inside began to change from red to gold. The color of the red spirit stone itself also began to change, and in the flashes it changed to a unique pure gold color.]

[Not only that, the flames swirling around his body also began to change, the bright red color gradually became darker, and gradually dyed with a touch of pure golden color.]

【"This is……"】

[This change attracted Zaimokuza's attention. He looked at the Yamadam belt around his waist that kept switching between gold and red, and his voice was full of surprise.]

[For some reason, he now has a feeling that the elemental form he has activated is——]

[It seems that new changes can be made again! ]

[“Ugh—KUUGA!”]

[While Zaimokuza's transformation continued, the flames burning the outer shell of Ginoga's reinforced body finally dissipated, revealing its horrible appearance after being burned.]

[The huge plant shell is now covered with burn marks everywhere, countless burn wounds appear all over the body, and there is already a tiny purple poison gas leaking out. ]

[Coincidentally, the top of the shell was also burned by the flames, just like in the battle yesterday, leaving a huge hole, revealing the Ginoga body wrapped in countless mycelium.]

[Ginoga, who was severely injured by Zaimokuza again after a day, looked up and stared at Zaimokuza in the distance, with a creepy voice full of hatred and hatred. ]

[After yesterday's battle, it could tell at a glance that Zaimokuza was gathering strength and preparing to use the Knight Kick that nearly killed it a day ago, and immediately tried to stop him, enduring the pain of being burned by the high temperature.]