My youth story cannot be a knight war

"It's okay. I know that unless something serious happened, the Nagano Prefecture police wouldn't be so anxious to call me here."

Yukinoshita Yukino, dressed in an office lady outfit, sat in the back seat of the police car. She tilted her head to look out the window at the dim sky and spoke softly to Inspector Kameyama.

"So please tell me, the real reason for your urgency is probably more than just the mass slaughter of unidentified life forms you mentioned on the train, right? There must be some crucial news you haven't told me."

"...You're quite right. While the large-scale slaughter of unidentified life forms is shocking, if that were all there is to it, there's no need to involve you, our country's most advanced ancient civilization researcher."

[Inspector Guishan gave a wry smile, his expression becoming even more worried.]

"But before we discuss this, there's something else I think you must know, Ms. Yukinoshita."

[“What’s going on?”]

"Do you know what? Based on the statements of some witnesses, we suspect the perpetrator of the massacre of those unidentified life forms is very likely—"

[At this point, Inspector Kameyama's expression suddenly became hesitant, and his tone became halting, causing Yukinoshita to frown.]

"...Officer Kameyama, I personally never let my emotions affect my work, so there's no need for you to avoid anything."

"So please tell me, who killed those unidentified life forms?"

[“…Since you’ve said that, I won’t be shy about it anymore.”]

Guishan took a deep breath, calming his throbbing emotions. His eyes became serious for the first time.

"After comparing the eyewitnesses' descriptions with the data we have, we have determined that the murderer is—"

[“Unconfirmed life form, number zero.”]

【“——!”】

[The moment she heard this name, Yukinoshita's pupils shrank instantly.]

Interlude: The Ultimate Dark Mystery

Koukouyusei High School, student dormitory.

"Have we finally officially started clearing out those Gurongi who are not qualified to participate in the game?"

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka silently watched Gooma in the light curtain stabbing the fragment at his abdomen. The information displayed by the light curtain this time did not surprise him. Ayanokouji had actually predicted that those Gurongi who did not participate in the game would be eliminated sooner or later.

Thinking from common sense, if the battle between humans and those Gurongi players is like a war between two ancient countries, and those Gurongi who did not participate in the game are the third country watching, leaving aside the human side, how could those Gurongi who participated in the game allow these losers in their eyes to have the possibility of reaping the fruits of victory after both sides were destroyed?

Although the thinking patterns of the Gurongi have little in common with those of modern humans, when it comes to competition based on the law of the jungle, even irrational beasts will follow this practice. For example, after a lion group kills the old lion king and the new king ascends the throne, the new king will slaughter the former's mate and descendants to prevent himself from being defeated by the loser's descendants in the future.

But Ayanokouji didn't care about this at all. Even the humans of his own race were just pawns to be used in his eyes, not lives that could be treated equally. Not to mention those races that were not even human. No matter how many of them died, it would not cause the slightest fluctuation in his heart.

He had thought before whether these Gurongi had any use, but after looking at them all, he had completely given up on this idea.

These guys are not only bloodthirsty and brutal but also full of extreme contempt for humans. It is impossible to control them with the human-controlling skills that he had learned in the "White Room". I am afraid that they will chop him into pieces the first time they meet. Even if they send people to make indirect contact, the same is true. These violent primitive people with killing in their minds will probably not let the messenger live to say the first word.

At best, he can only use them to deduced one of the rules of the game and use them to divert the trouble to kill those who will get in his way, such as his biological father who has always wanted to control him as a puppet. The unemotional Ayanokouji Kiyotaka does not feel any guilt for violating human ethics for taking the life of the man who is legally his guardian.

But even so, there is a great probability that things will go wrong. These unscrupulous monsters cannot be controlled as easily as humans, nor can they be restricted by the many social rules like humans.

Not only could he not gain any benefit from them, but he would even be dragged into their killing game at any time. Therefore, in terms of his attitude towards these Gurongi, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka and the future "Kousaka Kyosuke" Void reached a consensus in his heart at this moment:

Either we seal off the Jiulangyue ruins forever with anti-nuclear explosion facilities before they are broken, and let those guys rot in the seal together with the previous Kuuga until the end of time; or we completely kill them all after the seal is broken in the future. There is no other option.

What he was more concerned about was the meaning revealed by this incident.

"As expected, just as Kousaka Kyousuke speculated, this mysterious 'Kikiru' has now completely entered a new stage, or perhaps... its final stage."

"First, there's Unidentified Lifeform No. 0. Having been missing since the beginning of the 'story,' it finally makes its official appearance. Its true name has also been revealed through the conversations of the Gurongis."

Ayanokouji took the pen and opened the page in his notebook to the blank space below the sketch of No. 0's back and wrote and drew.

"According to current information, its true name is Daguba. The suffix is ​​unknown. Based on current information, each type of Gurongi has a different suffix, but the suffixes of the same type of Gurongi are very consistent. It is speculated that it is used to symbolize the racial branch to which they belong. As for the prefix—"

"—The prefix should be 'N'. This proves my previous hypothesis was correct. Zero is indeed not in the same class as any other Gurongi. Judging from the tone and attitude of the Gurongi when they talk about it, this 'N' class should surpass all previous classes, including the 'Go' and the referee's 'Ra'. It is speculated that it is the highest ruling class of the entire Gurongi clan."

"Within the Gurongi clan, which values ​​strength, those who become the ruling class are undoubtedly the strongest of the entire race. However, as there is currently too little information to determine whether the 'N' class is comprised solely of Gurongi Zero, I cannot yet make a determination, but..."

The pen tip stopped moving at this moment, and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka narrowed his eyes slightly. He remembered a part of the translation of "Alpha Obelisk" that was deciphered by "Yukinoshita Yukino" on the light screen before.

[——"Those whose lives are corroded will inevitably become its apostles. The chief of the apostles is 'Golden Darkness', the apostle who controls disease and disaster, and is also the first apostle."]

Judging from the literal description of the words engraved on the obelisk by Gulindo, it is undoubtedly pointing to a specific existence, or even the first Gurongi born in the world.

Although there is currently no evidence to prove whether this Gurongi is Number Zero, according to the scientific principle of being skeptical when facing the unknown, if the Gurongi referred to by the "Golden Darkness" is indeed not Number Zero...

After thinking for a while, the stagnant pen tip began to write again.

"——The possibility of two or even multiple Gurongi in the 'N' class cannot be ruled out."

"Then, it's Kousaka Kyosuke."

Ayanokouji turned the page of the notebook again, and a full-body sketch of the future "Kousaka Kyosuke" appeared on the lined page. He easily outlined the image of this iron-blooded police officer with simple lines. The eyes, which were made up of only five or six strokes, seemed to come alive on the page. The coldness and wisdom contained in the eyes made the viewer mistakenly believe that the iron-blooded police officer appeared before their eyes like a real person.

Anyone who has studied art knows that, regardless of the Eastern or Western art system, the most important part of portrait painting is always the eyes. It is the key to whether such paintings can "come alive" and leap off the paper. Ayanokouji relied on memory to perfectly depict this key part of the portrait with just a few strokes, and the brightness and shade of the brushstrokes as well as the angles of light and shadow were all perfectly controlled. With this skill alone, he can be called a true master painter.

Next to the sketch of "Kousaka Kyosuke" are two other images, which are his different looks when using the GO and G1 systems. The lines are equally lifelike, and even the screws at the connection of the armor are not missed.

"Unlike the GO system, this G1, made from the remains of fallen GO Group players, does indeed have significant issues. Even if it survives the % screening rate, the side effects of subsequent use will be significant. Based on the information provided by the Gurongi, it's very likely that Kousaka Kyousuke will defect from the human side to the Gurongi side."

"The referee, Dorudo, relayed Baruba's words very clearly, without any hints or metaphors. This suggests this side effect is very intuitive. And since it could make a man like Kousaka Kyousuke, who fears no death, join the side of the Gurongi he hates, the true side effect of G1 is probably..."

A possibility suddenly popped up in his mind, and even an artificial genius like Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, who didn't know what emotions were, couldn't help but fall silent at this moment because of the idea that popped up in his mind.

——If it is really as he thought, then fate is really playing an extremely malicious joke on this man who is fighting to protect humanity. For "Kousaka Kyosuke", it would be better to die gloriously than this result.

Ayanokouji had thought about trying to win over Himena Ebina after this 'story' was over. GO aside, her scientific talent, which could create the G1 weapon, a weapon that transcends its time, was something no force could ignore. If he could get her help, many things after graduation would be much easier.

He even considered whether he should find a way to replace "Kousaka Kyosuke" and become a future G1 user, using this identity and power to increase his bargaining chips and say when facing his father, but now...

"...Forget it. Some things are better not to force. Otherwise, not only will it not bring any benefits, but it will also cost you a price you can't afford."

"Although mastering the G1 system can grant superhuman strength, the benefits and costs are simply incomparable."

"It's a shame you can't be of any use to me, but as expected... it's best for humans to remain 'human', no matter how you look at it."

Shaking his head and passing over the topic, Ayanokouji continued his analysis.

"While it's unclear what the fragment Number Three holds is, it undoubtedly contains immense power. It's so powerful that it believes it can survive the upcoming Gurongi purge and even defeat Number Zero."

"Based on the image on the light screen, we've confirmed the fragment is buried somewhere in a forest in Nagano Prefecture. It's also possible that, like the mysterious Alpha Obelisk, it's buried near the ruins of Mount Kuro. This has narrowed the search area significantly. It seems to require a specific ritual or spell to obtain it, and it's unclear what the consequences would be if used by creatures other than the Gurongi. Therefore, it can only be placed under observation, and currently has no value or significance in obtaining it."

"And finally, this is it..."

Ayanokouji wrote five neat Chinese characters in regular script with his fountain pen, stroke by stroke. However, because he used too much force and was too slow, the excess ink in the pen flowed down from the last stroke, like blood that had turned from red to black.

——『Ultimate Darkness』.

Looking at the line of words he had written, Ayanokouji narrowed his eyes, and his expressionless face seemed to be shrouded in a hazy darkness, inexplicably eerie and terrifying.

"The Ultimate Darkness... The true cause of this war between humans and Gurongi."

he whispered.

If the protagonist and initiator of this "story" is "Yoshiki Zaimokuza", then this "ultimate darkness" is the true source of this story, and it can even be said to be the origin of everything.

As for the era before the super-ancient civilization recorded on the obelisk, Ayanokouji did not make any comments because it was too illusory and vague, and lacked any evidence. After all, even the super-ancient civilization that was later in time was so vague today, let alone the era even more ancient.

"According to the translation of the Alpha Obelisk by Yukino Yukinoshita, this 'Ultimate Darkness' did not exist in that ancient civilization where gods and apostles coexisted. Instead, it first appeared after the world experienced the destruction brought about by the so-called divine punishment, during the era of the ancients who forged this obelisk."

"Its true identity is unknown, its abilities are unknown, and it's unclear whether it's a real thing or just some vague concept. But one thing is certain: this 'Ultimate Darkness' does exist, and it's not a fabricated lie."

"During the previous battle against Number 26, Zaimokuza Yoshiki saw that scene through the Yamadam Spiritual Stone. That meteorite that fell from the sky long ago... could that be the 'Ultimate Darkness'?"

"The Ancients call it a calamity that fell from the sky. Does this mean... this 'ultimate darkness' isn't a force native to our planet, but rather an invading alien force? A complete invader?"

Thinking of the memory scene played on the screen before, Ayanokouji couldn't help but fall into deep thought. Could that mysterious black and red meteorite be the so-called "ultimate darkness"?

He was not clear about this, because apart from "Asahina Mikuru" who was lurking in the Bellissimo Ricordo restaurant and said she was an undercover agent but behaved like a working maid, and the future human force she represented, in the current situation where everything was gradually becoming clear, only the "ultimate darkness" was still shrouded in mystery, but people had to pay attention to it.

At first, Ayanokouji thought that Asahina was planning something secretly and paid attention to her, but soon put it out of his mind.

Because through various observations, he was completely sure that the other party knew nothing at all. She was just an unlucky person who broke in for no apparent reason and couldn't find a way home. At most, the future information recorded in the instrument she carried with her was more valuable. He could even eliminate this person directly after getting the instrument.

For this "story" centered around "Zaimokuza Yoshiteru", the character "Asahina Mikuru" is more like a guest appearance in other stories, just like the protagonist's intrusive appearance in many works of the same anime company. She is purely here to attract the audience's attention, and other than that, she does not occupy any position in the progress of this story - and so on.

Same company? Different story?

"Ok?"

It was as if a flash of lightning suddenly passed through Ayanokouji's mind, and he felt as if he had caught something, but he could not recall the inspiration just now no matter what.

Frowning, he put the strange feeling behind his mind and continued to think.

——In short, unlike the dispensable "Asahina Mikuru" and that future force that probably won't have a chance to appear, the concept of "ultimate darkness" can be said to run through this entire "story".

According to the obelisk records left by the Gurindos, the Gurongi race did not actually exist in this world. It was because of the "Ultimate Darkness" that the first Gurongi was born in the world. He is the first apostle recorded on the obelisk, "Golden Darkness".

After that, the race of people like the Gurongi were born on the world. They were cruel and bloodthirsty and became mortal enemies of the peace-loving Lindos, officially starting this "story" that lasted for tens of thousands of years and spanned two eras of civilization.

The reason why the Gurongis brutally massacred Lindo was to take a step further in the killing game of "Kikiru". Now it is known that the ultimate goal of "Kikiru" is to bring about the "ultimate darkness".

The Gurongi was born because of it, and the reason why the Rindo were massacred was also because of it. The Rindo, who did not want to be killed, rose up in resistance and used their own technology to create Kuuga, a warrior to protect them. Therefore, it can be said that the birth of Kuuga is also related to it.

"Ultimate Darkness" originally appeared in the ancient times, and its truth should also be revealed in the ancient times, but the dramatic thing is that the previous Kuuga who lived in the ancient times sealed all the Gurongi with his own strength, and fell into a deep sleep to watch over these sealed monsters. Everything that happened in the ancient times ended with a disappointing ending.

It's ironic, although Ayanokouji doesn't know why the previous Souga didn't kill these monsters but chose to seal them, there is no doubt that his actions at the time were absolutely wrong, and extremely wrong, in the eyes of today's humans.

Even though the previous Kuuga may have had good intentions, man proposes, God disposes. In modern times, when it is unclear how much time has passed since the ancient times, an archaeological team discovered the ruins where demons and warriors were sleeping. They broke the seal with their own hands and opened Pandora's Box, releasing the bloodthirsty demons that had been sleeping for tens of millions of years.

The gears of fate that had been stagnant in the ancient times began to turn again, but the warrior who was supposed to wake up with the monsters and stop them was left alone in the ruins forever... This was really an unfunny result.

For modern humans, this result cannot be said to be unfunny, but can only be described as endless despair - the demons return to the earth to slaughter living beings, but their most powerful guardian completely withdraws from the stage in the middle of the story because of his own people... If this kind of plot is put into any story, the author who conceived it will definitely be scolded by readers as a moron.

But stories require logic, but reality does not.

The hero who once sealed all the Gurongis actually died just like that. Not only did he die in a dark corner where no one knew about it, he also left behind such an irreparable trouble for future generations of human beings.

Fortunately, someone stood up and took over the responsibility and power left by the dead hero, and started this war that has lasted from the ancient times to the present day with the resurrected ancients in modern times.

This time, they will decide not only victory but also life and death. This ill-fated relationship passed down from ancient times will come to an end in this era.

"Zaimuza Yoshiki..."

Muttering this name, Ayanokouji felt that things were really strange.

Unlike the previous Kuuga who only existed in the background setting, this battle that has continued from the ancient times to the present day should end in his generation - is this because he is the protagonist of this "story"?

Or, if he hadn't started this "story", then all of this would have been buried in the dust of time, and no one would have known what had happened in the past?

……etc?

Ayanokouji suddenly realized something, something he could not ignore.

If—if "Zaimokuza Yoshiteru" wasn't the protagonist of this "story," and they didn't know about it... then how would things have turned out?

What if... the question he was thinking about just now was actually the original reality?

If we think along this line of thought, then the real purpose of this light curtain and the previous video is...

Then, is this world we live in originally——!?

"No, what am I thinking..."

He suddenly covered his face with his hands, shaking his head and muttering to himself as if he felt it was ridiculous.

"This is completely unbelievable. This speculation goes against science and all of human history... Could I possibly harbor such a delusion?"

"If you really think like that, then there's no truth in this world..."

Ayanokouji forced himself to put this thought behind him, but for some reason, he, who had never known what fear was, now felt a faint trace of palpitations deep in his heart?

In order to divert his attention, he closed the notebook in his hand and put it back on the table, then looked at the light screen again with full concentration.

In any case, as everything in the light curtain has progressed to this point, he believes that all his previous doubts should be answered soon.

Whether it is the truth of the "Ultimate Darkness", or the outcome of the war between Gurongi and humans, the ending of "Kousaka Kyosuke" and "Zaimokuza Yoshiki", can humanity welcome the dawn of the future?

The answers to all these mysteries will definitely come to a complete end at the end of the story.

9. Evil Invasion (6K)

The girl's sobs continued for a long time. Zaimokuza's words immediately triggered the suppressed emotions she had held back since the tragedy. She burst out without restraint, her cries flowing through the living room like a river, even attracting the attention of several patrolling police officers.