The story we started

[“Hmm!”]

【Zaimokuza crossed his hands in front of his face. Every time an arc of lightning hit him, he felt as if his whole body was being continuously shocked by high voltage electricity. Severe pain and numbness spread from the parts of his body that were struck by lightning. He was in so much pain that he couldn't even breathe.】

【"snort……"】

[Badjisu's six wings on its back crossed in front of its body to form a protective shield to block all the arcs of electricity that burst out from the collision of the two arrows. Its green compound eyes looked through the gaps between its wings at Zaimokuza, who crossed his hands to defend himself, and a cold laugh came out of its mouth. ]

[“Naive guy.”]

【"Varied--!?"】

【boom!!!】

[At the moment when it said this, Zaimokuza was shocked to see that the black arrow that collided with his arrow flashed a dim green, then suddenly exploded and turned into countless black needles that spread out. The transparent arrow, without any obstacles, shot straight at the opposite badjisu, but was completely blocked by its crossed wings. The impact of the arrow hitting the wings and exploding made badjisu groan, and his body retreated involuntarily, and his feet rubbed on the ground and left two dusty tracks.]

[——And the countless fine needles that burst from the pitch-black arrows shot towards Zaimokuza like a flood!]

[Can’t avoid it! ]

【After seeing the dark barrage of bullets shooting towards him, Zaimokuza immediately realized that he could no longer dodge. He gritted his teeth and raised his hands to protect his face, which was the most important part. The next moment, a rain of dark needles poured down. 】

[“Ugh!!!!”]

[When the dense black needles hit Zaimokuza's body, countless tiny blood flowers burst out from various parts of his body. The incomparable pain instantly made his brain go blank, and his arms, which were crossed in front of his face, relaxed for a moment under the severe pain - his defense thus had a fatal flaw.]

[At the moment when the defense disappeared, a faint green light was reflected in Zaimokuza's green compound eyes, approaching in his sight, and then bright red blood suddenly rose! ]

【“——————Wuwaa ...

[The next moment, a shrill cry like that of a widowed male wolf resounded throughout the sky, startling countless birds in the surrounding woods.]

【“Zaimokuza!”】

[Kousaka Kyosuke, who was rushing over here after losing No. 3, heard this scream that no longer had any familiar tone, and his face changed drastically, and he ran faster.]

"Zaimokuza's eyes...!"

Yumiko Miura covered her mouth in horror, looking at the scene in the video with a panic expression, and her hands covering her mouth were shaking slightly.

Hayato Hayama and Hachiman Hikigaya didn't say anything, but the expressions on their faces were frighteningly pale. Yukinoshita Yukino couldn't bear to look at it and turned her head away. Her originally fair and tender face was now as pale as a dead person.

"Zaimokuza..."

Hiratsuka Shizuka placed one hand on Zaimokuza's shoulder, and the moment her hand touched his body she felt it trembling slightly, and then it slowly calmed down.

"It's okay, I'm fine..."

Watching the blood dripping onto the ground in the cell phone video, Zaimokuza's throat moved a few times and he suppressed the urge to vomit.

[The Pegasus crossbow slid a long way on the ground, and the weapon that had left Zaimokuza's hand quickly turned back into the simulated firearm it was originally.]

【"ah!!!!!!"】

[Zaimokuza fell to the ground, his green armor covered in blood, his hands covering his left eye and rolling on the ground, blood gushing out from between his fingers, screaming miserably.]

[Does anyone know the human pain scale? It's not the 12-level pain scale that netizens made up out of boredom, but the real pain index. ]

[The World Health Organization divides the pain that humans can feel into five types:]

[o degree: no pain;]

[Grade 1: Mild pain, intermittent pain, no medication required;]

[Grade II: moderate pain, continuous pain, affecting rest, and requiring painkillers;]

[Grade III: severe pain, which is continuous pain and cannot be relieved without medication;]

[Grade 4: Severe pain, continuous severe pain accompanied by changes in blood pressure, pulse, etc.]

[In addition, sometimes the pain level can be measured by numerical scoring, where 0 is no pain, 10 is the most painful, 1-3 is mild pain, 4-6 is moderate pain, and 7-10 is severe pain. For example, advanced cancer is often at the highest level of pain, which is internal pain, while external pain is undoubtedly burns.]

[But even the pain of internal cancer and external burns, which are rated at level 10 on the pain index, are far less than the pain Zaimokuza is feeling right now. Eyes have always been one of the most vulnerable parts of the human body. Imagine how it would feel to have a needle pierce your eye when all your senses are enhanced to a degree far beyond the original tens or hundreds of times.]

[And now Zaimokuza knows, but if possible, he never wants to know. 】

【Om—】

[“Ah… Ugh…”]

[Soon, the green spirit stone on his waist emitted a faint light, and the green armor on Zaimokuza turned back to white in the light, and the horns on his head also shrank. After turning into a newborn form, his screams finally weakened and turned into a whimpering sound.]

[“Hmm!”]

【Badjisu, who was hit by the arrow shot by Zaimokuza, also let out a dull groan of pain. A fiery red totem mark appeared on the crossed wings on its chest as it half-knelt on the ground, but the mark quickly dissipated with a cold snort from Badjisu.】

[“It looks like the winner has been decided, Kuuga.”]

[Badjisu, who was half-kneeling, slowly stood up, opened his wings, and saw Zaimokuza lying on the ground in his newborn form. He smiled coldly, raised the crossbow in his hand, and when he aimed at him again, he suddenly paused.]

【"Um?"】

【Wow——】

[With the sound of waves, badjisu's body changed, and after exiting the shooting body, it returned to its original appearance. It looked at its right wrist, where a new silver needle had been extended again.]

[“…It seems you are still somewhat useful.”]

[Badjisu glanced at his right wrist with the silver needle extended, then looked at his left wrist which originally wore the bracelet. His blue insect compound eyes flashed with inorganic light. After thinking for a while, he looked up at Zaimokuza who was lying on the ground in the distance and said coldly. ]

[“You saved your life, kuuga.”]

[After saying this, Badjisu took the simulated gun that had returned to its original form, opened the four wings that had returned to their original form on its back, and flew high up with its body in a rapid vibration, and soon disappeared into the clouds, leaving behind Zaimokuza who had returned to his original form and fainted with his eyes covered.]

[It was not until it flew away that Kousaka Kyousuke finally arrived and saw Zaimokuza lying unconscious on the ground. ]

【“Zaimokuza!”】

……

【Kwandong Medical University Hospital. 】

【01:23p.m】

[“It hurts, it hurts!”]

[When Makishima Saori used bandages to wrap around Zaimokuza's face to bind up the wound, he kept screaming, and his facial features were almost wrinkled like a grain of rice.]

[“Feeling pain means you’re still alive. Be thankful! Your eyeball was completely pierced. It was just a little bit away from damaging your brain. It’s a miracle that you’re still alive.”]

[“Ouch! It hurts! Ms. Makishima!”]

[Makishima Saori calmly reached out and patted Zaimokuza's head, causing him to scream.]

[“What an incredible body. Most people would still be in the ICU, but you’re already alive and kicking after just a few hours… I can’t help wanting to dissect you and see your body structure.”]

[“Ms. Makishima, is it really okay for you to say this to a seriously injured patient…”]

【Looking at Makishima Saori's eyes full of curiosity, Zaimokuza, who was just screaming in pain, felt goose bumps all over his body. He couldn't help but sit on the sofa with his legs hugged and laughed dryly, rubbing his butt against the sofa to stay away from her without making a sound.】

[“Okay, let’s stop playing and tell me about your situation first.”]

[Makishima Saori noticed Zaimokuza's little move and glanced at him unhappily, then turned to speak seriously.]

[“According to the examination report just now, the stone inside your body is now in a strange state, just like the situation of people who are overly tired and stay up late to work overtime. I really didn’t expect to see this phenomenon on a stone that should be inorganic. All the neural networks in your body extending from the abdomen have fallen into a state similar to “laziness”. It is estimated that you will not be able to transform in the short term.”]

[“So I won’t be able to transform anymore!? Ms. Makishima.]

[Zaimokuza became a little nervous after hearing the news. If he couldn't transform now, he didn't know how many people would have to die the next time this unidentified life form appeared again. ]

[“That won’t happen. The nerves in your body are gradually recovering. It won’t be long before you can transform again. I estimate that it will take about two hours. Your injured eye will probably take about a day. This is much better than the last time when you were completely exhausted.”]

[“Anyway, you just need to rest for a few more hours…”]

[Just as Makishima Saori was giving instructions, Kousaka Kyousuke, who had just finished a phone call outside, walked in with a heavy face, looked at Zaimokuza with a bandage on his eyes, and asked her.]

“Is he okay?”

[“Don’t worry, he’s in better condition than you except for some minor skin injuries. On the contrary, your condition is more serious, Kosaka-kun. If you don’t want to die suddenly, don’t stay up late.”]

[Makishima Saori rolled her eyes at Kousaka Kyosuke, causing him to cough a few times in embarrassment before continuing.]

[“Since Zaimokuza is fine, I’ll leave first. I have other things to deal with now. Please, Makishima.”]

[“Mr. Kosaka, has something happened? Has No. 14 committed a crime again!?”]

[Zaimokuza saw the heavy look on Kousaka Kyousuke's face just as he was about to turn around and leave, and immediately asked nervously.]

[“No, it’s not about number 14. How should I put it… do you still remember Natsume Kokichi?”]

[Kousaka Kyousuke originally wanted to evade the question, but after seeing the serious look in Zaimokuza's eyes, he knew that if he didn't explain it clearly, he would definitely misunderstand that he was lying because he didn't want him to be disturbed, so he could only sigh and say it.]

【"Natsume Kokichi?"】

【Zaimokuza muttered this familiar name, and suddenly opened his only remaining eye wide, saying in surprise.】

【"That's not the Minister's——"】

[“Yes, it’s the professor who led the research and died on the day of the awakening of No. 0 at the Kuroyama Ruins. He is also Ms. Yukinoshita’s mentor.”]

【Kousaka Kyosuke nodded and continued.】

[“His widow and daughter came to Tokyo today, bringing something from home and saying they wanted to provide us with clues. In fact, I had already seen them this morning, but because of what happened on the 14th, I asked them to go to Jonan University to look for Ms. Yukinoshita, but…”]

【Zaimokuza instantly recalled the girl who ran outside crying alone at the funeral in Nagano Prefecture that day, and his eyes suddenly became a little gloomy. When he saw Kousaka Kyosuke stopped talking in the middle of his speech, he hurriedly asked.】

【“What’s wrong? Mr. Kousaka?”】

[“…When she was at Seongnam University, the girl ran away from school due to emotional reasons. According to the phone call from the police officer, she called the investigation headquarters and said that if they did not immediately search for the whereabouts of No. 0, she would commit suicide.”]

【Speaking of this, Kousaka Kyousuke sighed helplessly, and Zaimokuza remained silent. After a while, he continued to ask.】

[“…Mr. Kosaka, what is the name of that girl?”]

……

【Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, bellissimoricordo restaurant. 】

【"Natsume Mika?"】

[Kawasaki Saki came up with two cups of coffee and handed them to Tsurumi Rumi and said.]

[“Well, she is in the second year of junior high school this year. She is my cousin.”]

[Tsurumi Rumi said after taking a sip, looking at the white steam coming out of the coffee in the cup with her eyes lowered.]

[“Why did she run away from Joonan University alone? As far as I remember, Joonan University is not the school that Yukinoshita attended?”]

[“…Actually, Yukino-nee’s instructor, Natsume Kokichi, was my uncle, Mika’s father. He passed away a few weeks ago.”]

[Speaking of this, Tsurumi Rumi couldn't help but hold the coffee cup tightly, her tone becoming a little low as she recalled her uncle's voice and smile in her mind.]

[“…Is it related to this matter?”]

【Kawasaki Saki was silent for a moment, then continued to ask.】

[“My uncle… was killed by an unidentified life form. Mika and my aunt came all the way from Nagano Prefecture in the hope of providing the police with clues that could lead to the capture of the unidentified life form that killed him. However, the police asked them to go to Jonan University to look for Sister Yukino because of the incident with No. 14. Some misunderstandings occurred along the way, so Mika ran out in anger. Now I don’t know where she ran to. Sister Yukino told me to come here, saying that there are people here who can help me…”]

[“Unconfirmed life form… Oh, life is exhausting enough already, and I don’t know where these monsters came from.”]

[After hearing the name of the unconfirmed life form that she had heard countless times in the past month, Kawasaki Saki frowned and said in a bored tone that she had long been disgusted with these monsters that caused so much killing.]

【“…”】

【In response to her words, Tsurumi Rumi remained silent. 】

[“So, Yukinoshita actually asked you to come to my place to find that Zaimokuza guy, right?”]

[Kawasaki Saki didn't notice her strangeness, and stroked the rim of the coffee cup with her fingers, talking in boredom.]

[“Sister Shaki, why are you…”]

[“It’s very simple, because it was Yukinoshita who asked me to let him live here. Since she said there is someone here who can help you, it must be him. It can’t be me, right?”]

[Kawasaki Saki casually stated the question that Zaimokuza had been wondering about. There was indeed a traitor who told his information to the evil capitalists. That traitor was his department manager, Yukinoshita Yukino.]

[“That day I searched for him on the street for a long time before I found him. When I found him, he was squatting next to his motorcycle, eating a bowl of instant noodles. Yukinoshita said that Zaimokuza’s wallet and ID were burned in a fire in Nagano Prefecture. He was penniless and didn’t know where to go, so she asked me to take him in.”]

[“Nagano Prefecture? Does that mean…?”]

[Hearing this familiar place name, Tsurumi Rumi was stunned. ]

[“Ah, your uncle’s incident happened in Nagano Prefecture, and Yukinoshita was his student. The Zaimokuza’s things were also burned down in Nagano Prefecture a few weeks ago. This can’t be a coincidence. Maybe that guy knows something, so Yukinoshita asked you to come to me.”]

[“Originally I didn’t want to get involved in this matter, but since I owed that Yukinoshita guy a favor, I decided to let him move in… But, it’s not a bad thing to repay this favor. I have to admit that Zaimokuza is quite handsome now. He looks like two different people from high school. If it weren’t for that white hair, I wouldn’t have recognized him. Thanks to that face, my store’s sales have increased a lot in the past few weeks.”]

[Miss Capitalist thought about the increasing amount of banknotes on the counter in the past few weeks, and she suddenly felt very happy, and her tone became much lighter.]

[“Yihui… has indeed changed a lot.”]