The story we started

[Zain roared and tried to break Shurindo's neck, while Kousaka Kyosuke also burst out his potential under the threat of death, roared hoarsely and pulled the safety of the revolver, and quickly thrust the revolver in front of Zain's right eye.]

【“!?”】

[The vision in his right eye suddenly turned into a black tube. Zain's sixth sense keenly sensed a sense of danger rising from his heart, and he subconsciously wanted to turn his head to dodge.]

【But it was too late.】

【boom! 】

[“Uhhhhhhh!!!!!!”]

[Kousaka Kyosuke pulled the trigger with his last bit of strength, and a bullet shot out from the barrel of the revolver amid the smoke, hitting Zain's orange right eye at almost zero distance.]

[The bullet embedded itself into his right eyeball amidst the splattering blood, and his scream of pain resounded through the sky.]

[“Huh!?”]

[The severe pain from his right eye made Zain reach out his left hand to cover his injured eye and roar. He pinched Kousaka Kyousuke's right hand and burst out with great strength under the stimulation of the severe pain, and forcibly pulled him out of the broken car window! ]

[Kousaka Kyosuke was thrown out with a grunt as his seat belt broke, and the car carrying Zain also crashed into the towering rock wall below the cliff.]

【boom--! ! ! 】

[When the truck hit the rock wall, a huge explosion occurred from the front of the truck, and then the entire truck was caught in a series of explosions. The flames from the explosions engulfed the wreckage of the truck and Zain who had not yet jumped out of the car.]

[“Ahem!!!”]

[After being thrown out of the truck, Kousaka Kyosuke subconsciously made a diving motion in mid-air, and then his whole body fell sideways and hit a rock hard, and his right shoulder collided head-on with the hard rock! ]

【Click.】

[Like an egg hitting a stone, Kousaka Kyosuke clearly heard the sound of his right shoulder bone cracking at this moment, and a severe pain that almost made him faint spread from his right shoulder to his entire right half of the body in an instant, completely paralyzing half of his body.]

[“Cough, cough, cough! Gu——Why, it’s this hand again——Ah!”]

[Kousaka Kyosuke covered his right shoulder, rolled on the ground in pain and kept coughing, cold sweat pouring out of his forehead like a faucet.]

[A huge resentment and anger rose from his heart. His arm and shoulder had been through so many disasters. It was broken by the third person, hit by the sixth person and hit against the car window, shot through by the fourteenth person with an arrow, and now it was thrown out by the twenty-second person and collided with a rock.]

[If this continues, he might just have to have his limbs amputated and apply for early retirement.]

[…assuming he can live to that time.]

【Snapped. 】

[A foot stepped out of the truck wreckage engulfed by thick smoke and flames, and a crisp sound of footsteps was heard on the ground.]

【"Well!???"】

[When Kousaka Kyosuke, who was panting painfully on the ground, heard the slight footsteps, he felt as if a thunderclap had passed by his ears, and the hairs on his body stood up as a chill ran down his cervical spine.]

[He turned around, and his wide black pupils reflected a long horn with a purple hue sticking out from the thick smoke. The next moment, his face was stiff, and his hand covered his face, revealing only one dark purple pupil that was staring at him viciously.]

【"snort!"】

[Zain growled and stretched out his fingers from the hand covering his right eye, inserted them into the eye socket and pressed them for a while, and pulled out a bloody eyeball in front of Kousaka Kyosuke's horrified gaze.]

[The eyeball was still attached to a lot of blood, flesh and nerves, but Zain roared and shook his head vigorously, tearing these blood vessels and nerves directly.]

[The eyeball with the bullet in it fell to the ground. A large foot stepped on it, squashing the eyeball and the bullet inside into a blur of flesh.]

[Zain suddenly raised his head, and countless flesh tentacles connected to his empty right eye socket were gradually reorganizing into another eyeball. His new dark purple right eye with blood was staring at Kousaka Kyosuke who was kicking the ground in the distance, trying to get away from here.]

[zu-zain-da·Reinforced body·Strong body. ]

[At the last moment when he was engulfed by the explosion, Zain decisively activated his enhanced body and transformed into this form. He completely withstood the damage of the explosion with his super strong defense. Wrapped in flames, he looked like a terrifying demon that had walked out of the abyss of the fiery hell, bringing with it an extremely oppressive feeling.]

[“——You’re dead, Linduo! I will use my horns to pierce your body bit by bit, and let you experience the ultimate pain!”]

[“Hmm…”]

【Faced with Zain approaching with flames all around him, Kousaka Kyosuke backed away while enduring the intense pain of his right shoulder bone cracking. He grabbed the revolver that had fallen beside him with his left hand and shot at Zain's eyes.】

[Bang bang bang bang bang——]

[Five consecutive gunshots, the bullets aimed precisely at Zain's eyes were completely blocked by his outstretched arms. The bullets bounced off the armored arm as soon as they hit it, and the armored part that was hit didn't even leave a white mark.]

[“Damn it, damn it!”]

【Bang.】

[Kousaka Kyousuke angrily threw the empty revolver at Zain as a weapon, but this time Zain didn't even bother to block it, and let the empty revolver hit his chest with a sound similar to that of a ping-pong ball before falling to the ground.]^

[I’m afraid I’m really going to die this time…]

【Looking at Zain who was already not far away from him, Kousaka Kyousuke couldn't help but curl up a bitter arc at the corner of his mouth. 】

[But even so, he didn't intend to let the other party slaughter him. He held his left hand on the ground and clenched a handful of sand. He looked at Zain and stretched out his right hand to him, ready to aim at the other party's eyes and sprinkle the sand in his hand to buy a chance to escape.]

【boom--】

[The high-pitched roar caused Zain's right hand that was about to grab Kousaka Kyousuke's neck, and his left hand that was about to scatter sand, to stop moving, and they both turned their heads to look in the direction of the sound.]

[The difference is that there is joy and relief in Kousaka Kyousuke's eyes, while there is vigilance and suspicion in Zain's eyes.]

[A motorcycle is speeding towards us from a distance, so fast that before the sound of the engine can reach us, its figure is already within reach.]

[“Taku!”]

【Zaimokuza's pupils shrank as he looked at the burning truck wreckage in the distance, Kousaka Kyousuke lying on the ground, and Zain approaching him. He turned the handlebars again and accelerated his charge.】

[He gripped the handlebars and pushed upwards, the front wheel of the Triangle Chaser 2000 lifted up, spinning with powerful potential energy and hitting the armor on Zain's chest at a speed that left an afterimage.]

[“Hmm!?”]

[A huge force erupted as the front wheel hit his chest. Amid the flying sparks, Zain's tall body groaned as he was knocked back. His feet left two long trails of yellow sand on the ground. He retreated nearly 20 meters before stopping. His knees softened and he half-knelt on the ground, covering his chest with one hand and gasping in pain.]

[“Mr. Kosaka! Are you okay!?”]

【Zaimokuza immediately took off his helmet and asked Kousaka Kyousuke anxiously.】

[“You’re too slow! You bastard!”]

[When Kousaka Kyousuke saw Zaimokuza arrive, his whole body relaxed. ]

[He loosened the handful of sand in his left palm and lay on the ground weakly in a big letter position. He raised his head slightly and looked at him and said unhappily.]

[“Ahehehe…!”]

【After seeing the fallen Kousaka Kyosuke still having the energy to complain to him, Zaimokuza knew that he was basically fine, and he scratched his head and laughed a few times a little embarrassedly. 】

[“Thank you for your hard work. Now leave it to me!”]

[After laughing, Zaimokuza immediately turned to look at Zain who was standing up and dusting his chest not far away. His eyes became cold and stern, and he spoke in a serious voice.]

[He parked the Triangle Tracker 2000 and got off the motorcycle. Facing the most powerful enemy he had ever fought, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.]

【"drink!"】

【Om—】

[Zaimokuza clapped his hands on his waist, and a silver belt appeared with a buzzing sound.]

【call out.】

[What was different from the past was that this time, after the belt appeared, the red spirit stone in the center suddenly flickered, and then a faint flame rose from the entire belt.]

[But the strange thing is that this belt of burning flames did not ignite the windbreaker that Zaimokuza wore outside his clothes, but extended along the windbreaker and wrapped around Zaimokuza's body. His short white hair even had phosphorus powder similar to Mars floating around, like nectar spread around when a flower blooms.]

【"call……"】

[He placed his left hand flat on his waist, and stretched out his right hand to the left front, with his palms together, and slowly moved to the right.]

[As his right palm passed in front of him, a faint flame rose from the depths of Zaimokuza's black pupils, like the first torch rising in the endless black night, illuminating this dark world.]

[A stream of white air mixed with flames blew out of his open mouth, dissipating into countless red sparks under the sky that was about to turn dusk.]

【“Zaimokuza, you…!?”】

【Looking at the transformation prelude that was completely different from the past, Kousaka Kyousuke said in doubt while holding his shoulder.】

[In his right eye, which was dyed red by blood, Zaimokuza's entire body was glowing orange like a torch.]

【“——!”】

【Zaimokuza suddenly opened his eyes, and his left hand, which was placed flat on his waist, gradually moved to the left side of his waist, and his raised palm clenched into a fist.】

【"Super·hen——shin!!!"】

[He shouted softly, his voice sweeping across the wilderness like thunder, and he spread his hands out in all directions.]

【Buzz——————】

[The spirit stone on the waist rotates at high speed, and countless flames burst out from the center of the spirit stone, surrounding Zaimokuza's body and completely enveloping him! ]

[The flames swept past, and a veil was cast over Zaimokuza's red eyes, which were now as hot as lava, but it could not hide the heat hidden underneath.]

……

[“Hey, Zaimokuza, do you know?”]

[“In ancient Rome, the thumbs up was a sacred gesture, an honor that could only be won by outstanding people recognized by everyone, and it was the highest honor.”]

[“People think——”]

[“——That’s the symbol of a hero or a brave man!”]

[Hiratsuka Shizuka raised her thumb and spoke to the non-existent person in front of her. ]

[This “non-existence” is only from the perspective of an outsider, but what she sees is a completely different scene.]

【"hero?"】

[In the past, during the torrential rain that washed over the world, the fat boy with white hair stood in the rain and said blankly, imitating Hiratsuka Shizuka's movements and raising his thumb awkwardly.]

[“Yes… This is an honor that can only be won by a recognized hero.”]

[Hiratsuka Shizuka's eyes are now slightly red, and she is speaking with a trembling voice.]

[“——And now, I give this honor to you.”]

【"……Why?"】

[Zaimokuza looked at the thumbs-up Hiratsuka Shizuka gave him and spoke in a stammering voice.]

[“Why, do you want to give me this honor? I don’t deserve it at all—”]

【“Zaimokuza!”】

[Hiratsuka Shizuka yelled in a low voice, lowered her head and looked at the picture book spread out on the podium in front of her. Looking at the Q-version portrait, mist began to fill her eyes. ]

[“Not every hero is…born to be a hero.”]

[She stroked the smiling face in the album with her palm, and her voice gradually became choked.]

[“So-called heroes are, after all, just human beings. At the beginning, they were just mortals like everyone else.”]

[“But what makes heroes different from ordinary people is that they learn to endure pain too early.”]

[“While other people of the same age grow up peacefully under the protection of their parents, heroes must learn to face the world on their own, experience the ups and downs of the world, endure the scouring of loneliness and helplessness, and use the sad past as nourishment to gradually grow up.”]

[“They learned to persevere in pain, to work hard in sadness, and to move forward in loneliness. They crossed the countless steps set by reality step by step, and then developed a willpower that surpassed that of ordinary people.”]

【“Just like you now.”】

[“Losing one’s parents is indeed a very painful thing, and it is only natural to cry and shed tears for it. Everyone is like this, and they will shed their own tears when they lose something they cherish.”]

[“But…heroes are different.”]

[“After they shed tears, they will wipe them away silently, then move forward into the future with a determined gaze, and continue to open up new paths with their own hands until their hopes and wishes are realized.”]

[“Teacher, I think the greatest heroes are those who are willing to protect the smiles of others after knowing the pain of crying.”]

[“Because I have experienced crying, I don’t want anyone to cry in front of me.”]

[“Because I know that pain, I pray that no one will ever have to endure that sorrow again.”]

[“When a mortal is aware of the tears but is still willing to protect everyone’s smile, he becomes a hero.”]

[In the rain, Shizuka Hiratsuka raised her head with tears in her eyes. In her vision blurred by tears, she saw the figure of the boy standing under the podium.]

[“Zaimokuza, I believe that you can become someone worthy of this honor because you have already understood tears.”]

[“I believe you can become a hero who protects everyone’s smiles, because I am by your side… to give you guidance.”]

[“So, make a promise with me! Zaimokuza Yoshiki!”]

[“From now on, you must work hard to grow and become someone who deserves the honor I give you today before the agreed time limit arrives.”]