My youth story cannot be a knight war

[They are Baruba, the expressionless referee, Me-Garima-Ba, the indifferent leader of the 『ME』 group, and Gooma, who I had taught him a lesson earlier.]

[“It seems that you were beaten badly by Linduo’s warriors. So, do you want to admit defeat?”]

[“If you want to admit defeat, as the leader, I can fulfill my responsibility and help you end it before you explode. It can be regarded as giving you dignity.”]

Garima's lips, painted with purple lipstick, curled up in disdain, and she looked at the disheveled Ginoga and said sarcastically.

【Om—】

[It gently plucked a magatama from a string of stone magatama ornaments worn around its neck. The small stone magatama flashed a emerald green light in Garima's palm, and a black double-headed sickle quickly extended out.]

【“…”】

[Looking at the scythe in front of him, whose blade gleamed with a cold light, Ginoga remained silent, lowering his head so that the remaining Gurongi could not see his gaze.]

[“Since you are going to admit defeat, why not give me the qualification to play the game!”]

Gooma had originally only dared to hide behind Baruba, gazing at Ginoga, who sat on the ground, with a look of disdain. However, upon hearing Garima's words, his desire for "Kikiru" immediately overwhelmed his rationality. As he spoke, he eagerly approached, completely forgetting his previous lesson.

[“You’re going to give up anyway! So why not just——”]

【brush! 】

Just as its hand reached out to Ginoga's wrist, where the bracelet was worn, a pale green light flashed by, and then Gooma felt its outstretched arm lighten.

【“——”】

Gooma's expression of longing froze on his face, and he stared blankly at his arm, which was empty from the wrist down, where his hand once was.

The next moment, a huge amount of blood gushed out from the severed wrist, staining the white dress of Ginoga, who was bowing her head in front of it, red.

[“Ugh, Aa ...

[A shrill scream echoed from the deserted subway entrance. Gooma, clutching his severed arm, wept bitterly as he rolled over on the ground, wailing.]

【"……roll!"】

Garima, with a cold expression, turned a blind eye to the bloody scene. He was deeply annoyed by Gooma's wailing. He kicked it, sending it directly into the stairs leading to the subway. Its wailing faded away as it tumbled.

"You're such a fool who'll never learn a lesson! This is a conversation between ME players. When is it your turn as a jerk from ZU to interfere? You're asking for your own fate!"

[“…I don’t need you to do it for me.”]

Ginoga, head bowed, reached out and grasped the blood-stained blade dangling before him. Using the momentum to stand, he flung the blade away. He looked up at Garima, his nominal leader, his face filled with unconcealed disgust and hatred.

[“Oh? It seems you don’t want to give up just yet. It seems you have made some progress.”]

Garima wasn't particularly angry at its behavior. Instead, he raised his slender eyebrows, sheathed his sickle, and spoke with interest.

[“…Don’t think of me as the coward who didn’t dare to fight. I don’t need your sympathy anymore. And even without your help, I can complete my own ‘Kikiru’!”]

[Ginoga wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his hand, and said with a sinister look.]

[“I have always remembered the contempt you showed me and the humiliation you gave me, so you must remember this!”]

[“——When I become a GO through the game, my first target will be you!”]

[“Heh… I’ll wait and see.”]

[Garima sneered at Ginoga's threatening words and nonchalantly put the magatama, which had transformed from a sickle into a pendant at some point, back onto his necklace.]

[“But the premise is… you can actually finish the game.”]

"KUUGA has been poisoned by me. His death is only a matter of time. Can I get his special points now?"

Ginoga ignored Garima's ridicule and turned to ask Baruba, who had been silent until then.

"The rules have changed. Now you won't get any points for defeating Kuuga alone."

Baruba raised his eyes slightly and replied in a neutral tone.

"KUUGA and GO now share the same score. If you want to get extra points, you must defeat GO as well."

[“GO… Hmph! Is that a fake KUUGA?”]

[The image of Kousaka Kyousuke wearing armor and fighting alongside Zaimokuza flashed through Ginoga's mind, and he sneered disdainfully.]

"We've already taken out the biggest threat, Kuuga. It's more than enough to just deal with the remaining guy."

[“…Then you have to work harder. You know, the number of people in your normal game is far from meeting the standard.”]

Baruba remained silent for a moment, then spoke in a light voice.

[“You should know that the Lindo you killed with the power of ‘Him’ are not counted in the number of people. You must do it yourself. Don’t think of breaking the rules.”]

"Similarly, don't let your guard down or underestimate the enemy. If you fail to defeat GO, you might end up getting killed by him."

[“Hmph? Are you talking about yourself? With that fake made by the Lindos? You think you can defeat me now with the armor used by an ordinary Lindo?”]

"Perhaps it was possible in the past, but times have changed. Once-honored Ra-Baruba-De?"

Ginoga spoke with a sardonic look in his eyes, then he took a step forward, bumped Baruba's shoulder, and walked towards the subway passage leading to the surface without looking back.

【“…”】

Baruba, knocked back a few steps, watched the beast's retreating figure. He said nothing more, and his expression showed no trace of anger; he remained as calm as ever.

She reached out to stop Garima, who was about to attack Ginoga because of his rude behavior. At the same time, she gently touched the pearl necklace on her fair neck, her eyes flickering in thought.

[“I’m talking about myself? Haha…”]

[“…That’s not wrong.”]

……

【Tokyo, Jonan University, Research Laboratory.】

[Beep, beep, beep——]

【"?"】

[The slender fingers that were tapping the keyboard stopped because of the ringing of the phone. Yukinoshita Yukino looked at the ringing phone on the desk not far away, stood up from the chair in front of the desk and walked over to pick it up. ]

["...Officer Kosaka?"]

[Looking at the four big characters "Kousaka Kyousuke" displayed on the communication screen, she couldn't help but frown.]

[For some reason, an ominous premonition began to rise from the bottom of her heart, covering Yukinoshita Yukino's heart like a diffuse mist. ]

[“Hello? Mr. Kosaka, do you have any more questions about the inscription that you would like to clarify?”]

[She answered the call on her cell phone and whispered to her ear.]

【“…”】

[There was an unexpectedly loud noise from the other end of the line, with all kinds of voices, but not Kousaka Kyousuke's voice.]

[“Hello? Mr. Kosaka, why is it so noisy over there? Where are you now? Is there anything wrong?”]

[At this moment, the ominous premonition in her heart suddenly soared. Yukinoshita Yukino suppressed her uneasiness, but her voice of inquiry gradually became serious. 】

【“…Ms. Yukinoshita.”】

[After she asked the question, Kousaka Kyosuke's voice finally came from the other end of the line. His calm and rational voice as always helped to calm Yukinoshita Yukino's inner anxiety.]

[“Mr. Kosaka, what on earth is going on——”]

【“Zaimokuza, something happened.”】

[——But the uneasiness that had subsided a little bit was immediately ignited to its peak by what Kousaka Kyousuke said the next moment.]

【“——”】

【Listening to Kousaka Kyosuke's explanation, Yukinoshita Yukino's eyes gradually widened, but her hand holding the phone gradually loosened. 】

[Patter! 】

[The black phone fell to the ground. The impact of the landing caused the screen of the phone to crack into several clear black cracks, dividing Yukinoshita Yukino's shocked expression into several parts, no longer complete. ]

……

[“Hmm…”]

[Zaimokuza's whole body twitched weakly, and he tried his best to speak, but his damaged vocal cords could no longer even achieve the most basic resonance.]

[Strange and creepy black lines continued to climb from his neck along his face, occupying most of his face. Even the bloodshot whites of his eyes began to have fine black cracks, like a black venomous snake crawling in a pool of blood.]

[This can only mean one thing, that is, the toxins in his body have caused an extremely deep erosion of Zaimokuza's body, and the extent of the erosion is so deep that it has even begun to show on the surface of the body. ]

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

Many women outside the light curtain screamed after seeing this horrifying scene, and most of the men who could withstand it turned pale and turned their heads away, unable to bear to watch.

Even these outsiders who were watching felt so horrified that it was hard to imagine what the victim, Yoshiki Zaimokuza, was feeling right now.

Even if it's not a life worse than death, it's probably not far off.

[“This poison is too strong. Although Yamadam can heal it, the balance of power in your body has been completely disrupted. In this case, it is even more damaging... With the current spirit stones, there is no way to heal the poison and rebalance the unbalanced power at the same time.”]

[“…I’m sorry, I don’t have enough strength to do anything.”]

[Those hands stroked Zaimokuza's face, which was covered with black lines, and the female voice continued to speak with guilt.]

[“If I want to heal you now… there is only one way.”]

[“But, if you do that, you will never again…”]

[As if thinking of something, the hands that were caressing Zaimokuza's face stopped, and even the voice showed hesitation for the first time.]

[“Puff!”]

[And in the brief moment she hesitated, Zaimokuza spat out blood again. The turbid black blood even corroded the towel that was pressing on the wound on his neck, causing white smoke to continuously rise.]

【“——!”】

[Looking at this Zaimokuzu, the hands couldn't help but tremble for a moment, and the fingers slowly tightened. ]

[“——I don’t know whether this is right or wrong, but… this is the only way!”]

[Finally, the female voice became firm, and she stretched out a hand, holding Zaimokuza's jaw to stabilize his face.]

[“Uh—uh—”]

[A warm touch suddenly came from his forehead. Zaimokuza barely had the strength to open his eyes now. He could only try hard to move his eyeballs and look upwards.]

[In the corner of his eye, he saw a blurry face emerging in the darkness, with a sense of illusion that he couldn't see clearly.]

[But only those black eyes were so clear, looking at me with guilt, sadness, pain... and nostalgia. ]

【--Who are you?】

[The hand wearing the bracelet gently covers Zaimokuza's wide-open eyes, burying his questions along with them.]

[“This is the only thing I can do now, and the only way to save you.”]

[“I don’t know if this is the right thing to do, but…if you and ‘Him’ really have some of the same qualities in your heart, then this can’t be wrong.”]

[“Next, you will fall into a deep sleep, and your soul will sink into the sea of ​​memory.”]

[“There, you must find yourself, understand your own beliefs, and rely on yourself to complete your soul... Only in this way can you stimulate the true power of Yamadam.”]

[“——Through this, I will embark on the path to becoming the ‘Ultimate’.”]

12. Long-lost name (two in one)

Chiba Prefecture, Chiba Benzan High School, Health Center.

“‘Ultimate’…?”

Kyosuke Kousaka, who was watching the light screen, suddenly felt a strange feeling rising in his heart after hearing this word.

This feeling is hard to describe. This is clearly the first time I heard this word, but it felt like I had seen it before.

"Well!?"

Suddenly, there was a piercing pain in his brain as if being pierced by a needle. Caught off guard, Kyosuke Kousaka let out a muffled groan, then covered his forehead with his hand with a look of pain.

#@￥#@￥@￥@￥#￥…

Tall buildings, streets, cars, shops, bridges - and pedestrians.

Everything that I was accustomed to in my daily life was now engulfed by the boundless flames. All the scenery I saw was surrounded by blood-red flames, and no other colors could be seen.