My youth story cannot be a knight war

"It's late enough. I'm going to take a shower and go to bed. You can take a shower with me this time, Mikuru. Let me see how good your figure is and how well you've developed."

[“Oh? No, no, no! Really! I can wash it by myself! No need to go through so much trouble!”] 39HNFu

[Faced with the girl's blushing face and fiercely shaking her head in rejection, Kawasaki Saki laughed heartily and walked briskly towards the second floor.] 39HNFu

[Just as Kawasaki Saki turned her head, the shy Asahina Mikuru behind her suddenly changed her expression dramatically.] 39HNFu

She lowered her head slightly to look at the white collar on her chest, which was supported by the towering front armor. Her large, moist chestnut eyes were filled with deep worry and uneasiness.

"Zaimokuza-senpai, he should be... okay, right?"

19. The Door of Memory: Before Tragedy (Part )

"Asahina Mikuru...what is her purpose?"

Regarding this girl who is lurking in the Bellissimo Ricordo restaurant as a waitress and whose real identity is from a more distant future, Ishigami Yu feels confused and has no idea what she wants to do.

"She's from the future, and according to previous intelligence, the future Asahina lives in is different from the developments of Mr. Zaimokuza's era. Even the most crucial Kuuga's transformation is carried out by Mr. Kousaka, not the Mr. Zaimokuza we know. Therefore, it can be inferred that the future she comes from is very likely a parallel world." 39HNFu1

"But that doesn't mean the information she knows is useless. At least regarding the unidentified life forms, the order of appearance in this era is basically the same as the information she has. This means that Asahina should also have some understanding of the abilities of the unidentified life form No. 39 that she appeared."

Ishigami Yu twirled the ballpoint pen between his fingers, frowning as he stared at the pen shaft that had already created an afterimage between his fingers, thinking thoughtfully.

"Perhaps the No. 39 we know is vastly different from the No. in her profile, but if the nature of her abilities hasn't changed, they should still be primarily poisonous. And Asahina looks uneasy... could she be aware that Mr. Zaimokuza is seriously injured?"

"Her future Kuuga—did he also encounter the same situation?"

The fingers suddenly stopped moving, and the ballpoint pen was thrown out by inertia and fell on the bed behind Ishigami Yu.

"Since she knew about this, why didn't Asahina choose to intervene? Could it be related to the rules of her organization? It's like those time-traveling organizations in science fiction movies, where they're not allowed to tamper with the past to ensure historical authenticity?"

Ishigami Yu crossed his hands and placed them on his chin, his eyes moving rapidly around, as if he had grasped some clue.

"But rules are fixed, people are alive, and based on the current state of affairs, everything that happened during Zaimokuza's time is clearly vastly different from the history Asahina and the organization behind her know. In this case, she shouldn't have such concerns, right?"

"And she looks very worried about Zaimokuza-san. I can feel that her feelings are real, but Asahina is just worried, not overly anxious."

"...Could it be?"

The other eye that was not covered by his overly long bangs widened slightly.

"Does she know something that we don't, so she's so sure that Mr. Zaimokuza will be fine?"

19. The Door of Memory: Before Tragedy (V)

【Kantō Medical University Hospital, Tokyo.】39HNFu

【 11:56 PM 】39HNFu

[At this moment, the hospital was also overcrowded. Even though it was already early in the morning, the next day after the incident, the lights were still on, completely different from the usual silence.] 39HNFu

All the emergency rooms were lit with red lights. Often, as the last patient was wheeled out, the next person on a stretcher was simultaneously pushed in. As a result, the operating lights were rarely turned off, and the medical staff were all working overtime.

The entire hospital was bustling with activity. Many of the victims' families crowded the corridors. Some wandered nervously outside the operating rooms, while others burst into tears upon learning that their loved ones had died after failed attempts at rescue. This only served to irritate others, who then lost control of their emotions and began to curse.

[Crying, cursing, and even a few fights... This place is like a bustling market, with no peace or quiet for a single second.] 39HNFu

[And Yukinoshita Yukino and Yuigahama Yui, the two of them were in such a place, sitting side by side on a bench in front of an emergency room.] 39HNFu

【“…Yui.”】39HNFu

Yukinoshita took a tissue and wiped her friend's red eyes. Looking at the dark circles under her eyes, she said with some heartache.

"Just take a break. I'm here for you."

【“…”】39HNFu

Yuigahama silently shook her head. Her fingers trembled as she took the tissue from Yukinoshita's hand. She turned her head away from the emergency light she had been staring at for almost an hour and spoke with tears in her eyes.

"Xiaoxue... Zaimokuza, he'll be fine, right?"

【“——Yihui will be fine, don’t worry, Yui.”】39HNFu

Before Yukinoshita could reply, another sudden voice startled her, and they both subconsciously turned to look in the direction of the voice.

["Ebina-kun?"] 39HNFu

[Looking at the woman in a white coat walking around the dense crowd in the corridor, Yukinoshita opened her eyes wide in surprise. Yuigahama Yui, who was sitting next to her, had the same expression.] 39HNFu

【"Hina!?"】39HNFu

Yuigahama Yui's eyes widened red as she suddenly saw her high school friend whom she hadn't seen for many years, and in such an unexpected situation.

【“It’s me… Yui.”】39HNFu

Ebina reached out and took the tissue from Yukinoshita Yukino's hand, gently wiping the tears from Yuigahama's eyes. His face no longer had that mysterious smile, but a gentle smile.

[“After so many years, you’re still so tearful?”] 39HNFu

【“——Hina!”】39HNFu

After confirming that the person in front of her was not her own illusion, Yuigahama, unable to suppress her emotions any longer, immediately rushed forward, opened her arms and tightly embraced Ebina's slender waist, buried her face in her upright arms and let out a low sob.

"Hi, hi, hi? I'm here, Yui."

Ebina gently embraced his old friend, stroking her long, loose pink hair as if comforting a child, and whispered soothing words to her.

19. The Door of Memory: Before Tragedy (VI)

"...Yukinoshita-san, after all these years, besides just phone calls, we finally get to meet in person again."

[Ebina, who was holding Yuigahama, looked at the silent Yukinoshita and spoke with an inexplicably complex tone of emotion and sigh.] 39HNFu

"Indeed, it's been a long time."

Yukinoshita nodded. She looked at Ebina, whose appearance and figure had become mature and charming, completely different from the youthful appearance in high school. Her eyes were also a little dazed.

[When was the last time the three of them appeared in the same place together?] 39HNFu

A scene flashed through Yukinoshita's mind at this moment——

Under the pitch-black sky, torrential rain rolled down, and the entire world howled as if weeping together, carrying with it a deep sorrow and coldness.

[Amidst the heavy rain, several people wearing black suits and holding umbrellas faced the same direction.] 39HNFu

[In front of him, a white-haired young man knelt before a black coffin, one hand tightly holding the coffin, the other hand tightly grasping a brown-covered book——]

"——Let's stop reminiscing here, Yukinoshita-san."

Before Yukinoshita could feel sad because of the memories, Ebina's voice called her back to reality.

Ebina still held Yuigahama, who was still crying, in her arms. She looked up at Yukinoshita, the reflection from her glasses obscuring her gaze. However, the corners of her mouth, which usually held a curve, were now completely smoothed out, and even a little tense.

[“…Now, what’s the situation?”]

【“…”】39HNFu

Yukinoshita turned back to look at the door of the operating room, her eyes so dim that it was hard to believe that she was the always cold, sharp and strong ice queen.

"As you can see, Zaimokuza-san...is still in danger."

19. The Door of Memory: Before Tragedy (VII)

【“Hmm——”】39HNFu

Zaimokuza spat out another mouthful of blood, staining the nurse's sterilized gloves.

If the blood he vomited previously still reminded people of liquid, then this time it had completely transformed into a semi-solidified liquid, even mixed with fragments of internal organs, a terrifying and horrifying sight.

Not only that, his heart rate suddenly began to plummet below the horizontal line, and the red light of the instrument illuminated the nurse's pale cheeks.

"Doctor, the patient's heart rate is almost stopping!"

"Keep injecting adrenaline! This time, the dose is 500 ug!"

"But the patient has already been vaccinated. If he gets vaccinated again within a short time, he might—"

"Don't worry about it, just do as I say!"

Makishima Saori's angry shout suppressed all objections. She pressed her hands hard on Zaimokuza's chest to perform a pacemaker, her eyes anxious.

"Hey! Wake up, Zaimokuza! You can't just die like this!"

"You're the only friend Kousaka-kun can confide in! If you're gone, who will comfort him? Who will help him?"

"Please, hold on!"

[She pressed Zaimokuza's chest while gazing into his naked eyes and shouting.]

Zaimokuza's cloudy gaze fixed on Makishima Saori's face, which was so close to him. His eyes were empty and dead, and only his slightly trembling pupils proved that he was still tenaciously alive. Seeing this, she trembled in her heart.

In Zaimokuza's view, everything before him, including the anxious half of Makishima Saori's face, was rapidly fading away, and another scene replaced it all.

[——In a world shrouded in torrential rain, the pitch-black tombstones stood quietly, carrying with them a silent sense of sadness and desolation.] 39HNFu

[On that tombstone, engraved was the unforgettable name, but he could not see it clearly because his tears had blurred his eyes.]

Something seemed to be running down his face, but Zaimokuza couldn't tell whether it was rain or his own tears.

【“…”】39HNFu

Zaimokuza's gaze remained empty, but fluid had already accumulated in the corners of his eyes, mingling with the blood that had seeped from his burst capillaries, which then slid down his eye sockets under the force of gravity.

He is crying, silently but deeply moving.

20. Interlude: Restart of the War (3K)

Sakurasou, 3-10-11 Sakura Terrace, Suimei City, Tokyo.

“So sad…”

All the guests and hosts of Sakurasou, both teachers and students, were now gathered in the living room, watching the light screen intently. The most outgoing one, Kamiigusa Misaki, was shouting and waving her fists to cheer for the human side in the light screen, and several times she almost knocked off the glasses of Mitaka Jin, who was sitting next to her.

At this moment, Shiina Mashiro, who was sitting among everyone, saw tears mixed with blood flowing from the corners of the eyes of "Zaimokuza Yoshiki" on the light screen. She suddenly turned her head to the side and spoke softly.

"W-What's wrong!? Shiina?"

Kanda Sorata was originally watching the light screen while secretly glancing at the profile of the girl he liked out of the corner of his eye. When he saw her suddenly turn her gaze towards him, he almost thought that his little action was exposed, and he blushed and stammered.

"I don't like the color that person has now."

Shiina Mashiro looked at the blushing Kanda Sorata with her penetrating and ethereal moist eyes, shook her head and said.

"Did you find anything, Mashiro?"

Chihiro Sengoku knew from a young age that her cousin intuitively possessed the same extraordinary talent in art as she did. Knowing that she must have discovered something when she said this, she immediately asked with great interest.

"That person's skin color is originally the same as Rita's. Although it is mixed with some gray tones, the majority of it gives people a warm feeling, a warm color, like the color of sunshine."

"but……"

Having said that, the blonde girl, who had always had a blank expression, showed an uncomfortable expression on her face for the first time, and clutched her collar tightly with one hand.

"That person, the color on him now... is so gray."

"It's like the warm tones in him are almost completely gone... It gives people a terrifying feeling."

【Tokyo, Shinjuku-ku.】

06:12 AM

It was already the early morning of the next day, and the sun had already risen from the distant east, but the unrest that had been lingering in Shinjuku since yesterday had not ceased.

[Under a certain bridge, several police cars were parked in a scattered manner, their lights blaring rapidly, drowning out the screams and gunshots.]

“Shoot! Keep shooting!”

"How long will it take for reinforcements to arrive? Ten of the seventeen have already been killed!"

“Don’t come over here! Ughh ...

A policeman lay on the ground in agony, his hands clutching his neck tightly. His eyes were wide open, seemingly bulging from their sockets. Dense purple lines spread from his bloodless lips to his face.

[After a while, he, who had been lying on the ground struggling, turned his head to the side and died with his eyes open.]

Surrounding the fallen police officer were more than a dozen bodies wearing the same clothing. Their shapes and appearances varied, but their only commonality was their expressions of extreme pain, as if they had endured some horrific torture before dying. Their lips had turned black.

"Seventy-sixth target, got it?"