The story we started

[“Please spare me… I’ve already been absent from work for a long time. If I go out and find a part-time job now, Ms. Saki will really kill me!”]

【Zaimokuza scratched his hair and smiled bitterly.】

[“Shaki… I haven’t visited her for a long time. How is she now?”]

[Yuigahama Yui recalled the silver-haired girl with a cold face and the words "Don't bother me" that she first saw in high school, and a trace of memories flashed across her eyes. ]

[“She? She’s living a comfortable life now. She runs a coffee shop and is the boss lady. Apart from shopping and cooking, she has nothing to do every day. All the dirty and tiring work is contracted by this general. I tell you, Yuigahama, that woman is simply the reincarnation of Grandet. Not only does she not pay me, but she also finds all kinds of excuses to deduct my salary every day. She even forces me——”]

[It was rare to find someone to talk to, so Zaimokuza immediately put on a cat-like face and poured out his grievances to Yuigahama Yui. Yuigahama Yui's mumbling, when amused, she even covered her mouth with her hand and smiled reservedly. ]

[The setting sun gradually sinks into the distance, and the light of dusk shines on this small kindergarten. The light passes through the mottled light and shadow cast by the big trees in the garden. The sound of cicadas can be heard faintly. Each cicada's cry records the passage of time without a pause, as if this long and leisurely time will continue with its sound and will never end.]

[This leisurely and peaceful time was ended by the ringing of a phone. ]

[“That woman actually asked me to sell my body to seduce those innocent girls to boost her sales! Can you imagine? She even asked me to wear that kind of sexy clothes—”]

["Hope no のはな system い だ tie が ～ the current servant ら の chest の中 に あ る か ら ～ decisive し て San る こ と は な い ～生きる力! Hope の は な system い だ——" 】

[The newly installed phone rings from Zaimokuza's pocket, interrupting what he was about to say.]

[When Yuigahama Yui heard the phone ring, her smile gradually faded. She had a rough idea of ​​what was going to happen.]

【Zaimokuza took out his phone from his pocket, and paused when he saw the name "Kousaka Kyousuke" on the caller screen. His smile also disappeared from his face like Yuigahama Yui.】

[He unlocked his phone and answered it, then whispered to his ear.]

【“Hello, Mr. Kosaka.”】

[“Zaimokuza, No. 21 has appeared again, this time in the harbor near the Sumida River. After blowing up a small cargo ship, that guy has stayed there and has not left, nor has he killed anyone.”]

[Kousaka Kyosuke said calmly while holding his phone. He looked at the warehouse entrance where a group of investigators were coming in and out, and his eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the various strange items being taken out.]

[“It defeated all the police who came to expel it, and did not leave after blowing up the police car, but let the injured police officer go, as if it was waiting for someone.”]

[“If I’m not mistaken, No. 21 should be waiting for you. You are the target it wants.”]

【"Yeah?"】

【Zaimokuza looked at Yuigahama Yui who was looking at him with a questioning look on her face, and nodded slightly, confirming her guess.】

[“I’m a bit far from there, I probably won’t be able to get there in a short time, and I have a new discovery here.”]

[Kousaka Kyosuke lifted a handkerchief wrapped in a transparent plastic bag in front of his eyes. Looking at the familiar silver rose pattern embroidered on the white handkerchief, he immediately thought of the cold and beautiful woman he had met in Nagano Prefecture before. His eyes became sharp and stern.]

[No. B1... you are here as expected. ]

[“Now you, who are closer, can only go… Zaimokuza, are you okay now?”]

[Although Kousaka Kyosuke was asking, he already knew the answer in his heart. Given the character of the white-haired young man, he only had one answer.]

【And Zaimokuza's answer was not at all unexpected to him.】

【"Big husband!"】

【Zaimokuza smiled and raised his thumb, and gave the same answer to Yuigahama Yui in front of him and Kousaka Kyosuke who was far away.】

[“I’m absolutely fine right now.”]

【"……Yeah."】

[Listening to the young man's voice on the phone, he once again felt the familiar confidence and convincing sense of security from it. Kousaka Kyousuke, who already knew something, raised a very faint smile and spoke softly.]

[“Then I’ll leave it to you.”]

[“Ah, leave it to me.”]

[Beep. 】

[After hanging up the phone, Zaimokuza looked at Yuigahama Yui, whose face showed a hint of worry, and said with a chuckle. ]

【“Well, I’m leaving now. See you next time.”】

[After saying this, he turned and walked towards the Triangle Tracker 2000 parked not far away. His back showed no sign of hesitation or lingering, like a soldier who had made up his mind to go to the battlefield to save his country.]

[Yuigahama Yui stared blankly at Zaimokuza walking towards her beloved car. Her clear pink eyes reflected his receding back. The young man looked thin and frail under the setting sun, but he had a tenacity that could hold him up even if the world collapsed. His white hair glowed with a hazy golden color under the sunlight. Just by looking at his back, a sense of peace of mind gradually filled her heart from the bottom of her heart.]

[For some reason, the back figure in Yuigahama Yui's eyes suddenly overlapped with another back figure that appeared. ]

[The back figure is a black-haired boy wearing a black school uniform and with messy hair. Just by looking at the back figure, one can feel a strong sense of fatigue and boredom emanating from him. One does not need to look at the front figure to know how tiring the mental state of the owner of the back figure is.]

[But once upon a time, this back view was the most reassuring back view in the world for Yuigahama Yui in high school. ]

【“……!”】

[Holding her hands tightly together, with her heart full of emotions, Yuigahama Yui couldn't help but shout to Zaimokuza who was walking away.]

【“Zaimokuza!”】

【“……?”】

[Zaimokuza, wearing a helmet, was about to start the motorcycle and set off, but he turned back in the midst of this emotional call, and his eyes were somewhat obscured by the helmet windshield reflecting the afterglow of the setting sun.]

【"you--"】

[Yuigahama Yui had countless words she wanted to say to Zaimokuza, but when the words came to her lips, she found that she couldn't say anything. The words that came to her mind fell into the deep sea of ​​her heart one by one, disappearing without a trace, leaving only a few ripples.]

[Finally, Yuigahama Yui found that she could only say one sentence, and that was all she could say.]

["Small——caimu seat..."]

[She pursed her moist lips, and a smile slowly blossomed on Yuigahama Yui's face. ]

[In the sunlight, that smile is so sad and beautiful, with a drop of bright golden light shining in the corner of the eye. ]

【"See you tomorrow."】

【“…”】

【Zaimokuza did not respond to her words.】

[Because he knew that the person being questioned was not actually him.]

【The only thing Zaimokuza could do was to slowly raise his right hand towards Yuigahama Yui, with his thumb raised and his eyes curved into crescents.】

【A real man. 】

[Even though she didn't say anything, Yuigahama Yui seemed to have heard what the white-haired young man said. ]

【boom--】

[The engine of the Triangle Chaser 2000 roared loudly, and the motorcycle was like a wild horse that had broken free from its reins, rapidly driving towards the direction where the setting sun was sinking, and in Yuigahama Yui's eyes it quickly went away until it could no longer be seen.]

【Tick.】

[After Zaimokuza disappeared, a teardrop like a melted diamond fell from Yuigahama Yui's slender eyelashes, slid down the curve of her face, and fell to the ground like a shining star.]

……

【Tokyo City, a port near the Sumida River. 】

【05:07 p.m】

[“Hurry, hurry up!”]

[The policeman with burns all over his body fell to the ground and said in pain. The only intact colleague beside him gritted his teeth and ran forward to grab his armpits with both hands and dragged him backwards, leaving a line of blood on the ground. The two of them quickly disappeared in Giiga's orange-red eyes.]

[“Humph, you’re really weak.”]

[It put down its hand that was pressed against its mouth in a bored voice and patted its chest which was covered with dust.]

[The muscles in his chest squirmed, and all the bullets shot into it fell to the ground with a crackling sound, making a clear and pleasant sound like wind chimes.]

[At this time, the harbor was ablaze with flames everywhere. Nearly ten police cars were scattered everywhere and engulfed in flames. Various guns fell to the ground. In the sea nearby, a burning cargo ship was slowly sinking into the sea. The sound it made when it sank was like a giant whose life was about to end and roared at the sky for injustice.]

【But other than that, no one died. 】

[But this is definitely not Giiga's kindness, but the result of it deliberately holding back. Zaimokuza's transformation into Kuuga is a bonus item in "Kikiru" that increases the difficulty of the game, but it is not necessary, and even an ordinary person's life can be used as a substitute. ]

[Giga, who had long considered Zaimokuza to be his own, held back in this "battle" with the police in order to avoid accidentally completing the game and advancing to "go". He could almost be said to be letting them go. He not only controlled the strength of his attacks, but also aimed at an open space far away from the target every time, relying entirely on the aftermath of the explosion to knock down the police. This series of deliberate coincidences created such a strange result.]

[The economic losses were very serious, but no one was killed by it. At most, a few unlucky people sank after falling into the water because they couldn't swim.]

[“There aren’t many players as kind-hearted as me. You better come quickly, ku——”]

【boom--】

[Just as giiga was enjoying himself, the familiar roar of an engine approached from a distance, attracting all of its attention and causing the words it was about to say to come to an abrupt halt.]

[“…Hehe, you’re finally here.”]

[Hearing the "horse hoof sounds" he had heard in the morning, giiga let out a low laugh and slowly turned to face behind him. His orange-red eyes reflected the figure on the motorcycle that was approaching.]

[“Kuuga!”]

[Zaimokuza stopped the Triangle Chaser with a practiced and graceful movement. His eyes under the helmet scanned the tragic scene around him, and he slowly increased the strength of his hands gripping the motorcycle's handlebars.]

【“…”】

[Zaimokuza silently took off his helmet and placed it on the seat of the motorcycle after getting off the train. The sea breeze from the sea messed up his white hair, and the white hair dancing in the wind covered his eyes. His black eyes were faintly visible between the white hair.]

【"--drink!"】

【Om—】

[Looking at the powerful enemy who defeated him not long ago, Zaimokuza said nothing, and clapped his hands on his waist. A silver belt appeared around his waist, and the spirit stone in the center turned purple when it appeared.]

[His next transformation posture was different from before. Instead, he raised his hands one after the other in front of him, with his left wrist supporting his right wrist, and his two arms stretched out and crossed in front of him.]

[Crash--]

[The sea breeze suddenly increased, accompanied by the cries of seagulls in the distance, and a flock of white seagulls flew across the setting sun.]

[The wind blew away Zaimokuza's bangs that were covering his vision, revealing his eyes underneath.]

[There was no trace of fear in those eyes anymore, only the firmness of a rock under a waterfall. Even after enduring the scouring of the waterfall for tens of millions of years, they still stood firm in the same place, never escaping, never giving in.]

[“Hmph, good eyesight, it seems you have improved a bit compared to before!”]

[Giga's excellent eyesight allowed it to clearly see the look in Zaimokuza's eyes from a distance of several dozen meters, and Zaimokuza did the same. The two of them looked at each other as if the distance of several dozen meters was nothing, staring at each other at a very close distance.]

[“In that case, I will give you a reward.”]

【"drink!!!"】

[Giga smiled cruelly and placed his right hand in front of his mouth. A red fireball appeared between his mouth and right hand, accompanied by surging heat waves and converging cyclones. As time passed, the color of the fireball gradually changed from red to yellow and white. The astonishing temperature turned into air waves and spread in all directions.]

【Zaimokuza felt the heat coming from the front, looked at the yellow-white fireball that had dealt a heavy blow to himself in Titan form and mercilessly broke through his defense, and gently closed his open eyes.】

[In his mind, he recalled what Kousaka Kyousuke and Yuigahama Yui had said to him before. ]

[——If you still feel confused and afraid, then think more about why you are fighting and recall what your starting point is. ]

[——Never forget your original intention, and please don't forget those who care about you. Don't let us be sad and cry, because we are also in those smiles you want to protect——aren't we? ]

[Mr. Kousaka, Yuigahama...I won't be afraid anymore, and I won't run away anymore.]

[I have remembered the reason why I fight and the origin of my departure.]

【Ha ha ha ha--】

[The laughter of the children in the kindergarten appeared in front of Zaimokuza's closed eyes. The sun shone on every smiling face. The children's smiles were innocent and pure. There was no evil in the light, and they exuded a bright and illusory atmosphere.]

[The children's faces towards the world and the beauty made Zaimokuza's solemn mouth curl up slightly. Their laughter echoed in the dark world behind his closed eyes, just like lighting bright lights in the darkness, guiding his path.]

[——This smile is the power that keeps me fighting.]

[When a warrior realizes, nothing in the world can block his eyes and obscure the shining heart.]

【Zaimokuza's eyes suddenly opened, and he looked at the fireball in front of him, which had completely turned white. The high heat of the fireball caused the air to flow faster, resulting in a completely upside-down and chaotic scene around him.】

[Facing the fireball that was ready to go, Zaimokuza's eyes were as sharp as a blade out of its sheath.]

[The reason I fight is to protect everyone's smile! ]

【"drink!!!"】

[Just as Zaimokuza opened his eyes, the white fireball had already shot out from his mouth amid a loud roar, leaving a distorted and chaotic trajectory in the air as it shot towards Zaimokuza.]

["Go to hell! Be the stepping stone for me to "go", Kuuga!"]

[“Super Transformation!!!”]

【Zaimokuza roared in a voice that was no less high-pitched than his opponent, and quickly placed his crossed hands on his left waist, pressing down the left buckle.】

【Buzz——————！ ！ 】

[The purple spirit stone on his waist emits a different heavy hum than usual, like the sound of the earth itself. Purple light shines under the approaching fireball. Zaimokuza spreads his hands to his waist and stares at the flying white fireball without moving. The heat wave blows his bangs, but it can't wipe away the determined look in his eyes.]