My youth story cannot be a knight war

["error, error, error——@#@￥!#￥@@￥#"]

【Om—】

The male voice that had been repeating the error message suddenly turned into a meaningless garbled message as the screen suddenly brightened red. Then, a red light, accompanied by a humming sound, bloomed from the belt, enveloping Jaraji's body.

[“How—is this possible!?”]

[Not far away, Kousaka Kyosuke, gasping in pain, watched this scene and spoke in disbelief.]

How is this possible?! The belt clearly has authorization settings set up, and only he who has entered the information beforehand can use it. How could Number 33 just use it right after taking it?!

Just as Kousaka Kyosuke was still in shock, the light began to fade, and a strange figure gradually emerged from the light.

【“——”】

[Looking at that figure, Kousaka Kyosuke's pupils shrank extremely at this moment.]

Although the overall color tone after the transformation remains the same pitch-black color as when Kousaka Kyosuke transformed, if the feeling given by Kousaka Kyosuke's G1 transformation is a sense of primal solemn beauty, then the appearance of Jaraji after the transformation gives people a feeling of complete distortion.

The lines that should have been orderly covering its body's surface had disappeared for some reason, and countless tiny spikes protruded from its surface, like the thorns a hedgehog grows to protect itself.

Two curved, twisted blades extended from the elbows of his arms. His face was as ferocious and terrifying as a demon. Messy white hair sprouted from his golden horns and the back of his head. His mouth, crisscrossed with sharp teeth, opened, exhaling a foul-smelling white mist. Unlike the narrow eyes of Kousaka Kyosuke's transformation, these eyes were round like lightbulbs. The crimson color no longer conveyed a sense of reassurance, but rather a sense of evil and foreboding.

If I had to find a word to describe this figure, Kousaka Kyousuke could only think of one—

【Evil ghost.】

Gulkiller one another form

14. Mutual Choice (5K)

[“How is this possible!”]

Kousaka Kyousuke clenched the sand beneath him in his hands. He looked ahead at the unidentified lifeform No. 1, who had used the G belt to transform into a form he had never seen before. He was so shocked that he momentarily ignored the burns on his body and cried out.

Compared to Kousaka Kyosuke's disbelief, Jaraji was filled with ecstasy. From his laughter, one could sense how happy he was.

[“Hahahaha! This feeling, this power… I finally understand why that guy gave you this name.”]

"Lindo, did you actually create this belt directly using fragments of the power of 'Darkness'?"

Jaraji, laughing maniacally, lowered his raised hands and walked towards Kousaka Kyousuke. He bent down, grabbed his collar, and pulled him up with one hand.

[“Hmm!”]

A strong feeling of suffocation came from his neck. Kousaka Kyosuke grabbed the other person's wrist that was pinching his neck with a painful expression, and his legs swung weakly in mid-air.

"You've given me a real gift, Daguber!"

"Since you've given me such unforgettable memories and surprises, I can't just let you go back without any reward, right?"

Jaraji smirked at Kousaka Kyosuke, who was being lifted up by one hand. With his other hand, he grabbed a strand of his white hair and pulled it down, holding it tightly in his hand.

【Om—】

The white hair transformed into sharp silver needles between its clenched palms. The triangular pointed barbs gleamed with an icy light under the sunlight, and then stabbed Kousaka Kyosuke with force!

[“Hmm——”]

[Kousaka Kyosuke's eyes suddenly widened. He stared intently at Jaraji's transformed face, which had become as ferocious as a demon. A trickle of blood fell from the corner of his tightly clenched mouth.]

He lowered his head slowly and stiffly, and Jaraji just let go of the silver needles, and one of them had already pierced his chest. Red blood spread from the clothes around the area where the silver needle pierced.

“Ahhhh!”

Then, amidst Kousaka Kyosuke's painful groans, the silver needles trembled and slowly penetrated his body. The excruciating pain, no less intense than when the G1 side effects erupted, spread from his chest. Blood flowed from the wound in his chest like a stream, accompanying the needles' penetration, and only stopped when the needles were completely immersed in his body.

After the silver needles completely penetrated his body, the bloody wound on Kousaka Kyosuke's chest, pierced by the numerous needles, gradually began to heal. After a few seconds, aside from the blood-soaked clothes and the wound, there was no trace left, as if the previous scene was just an illusion.

[“This is a special service I offer you—die like your prey.”]

[Plop——]

Jaraji threw Kousaka Kyousuke towards the nearby beach, watching him fall into the water and sneered.

"But the amount I'm giving you is dozens of times more than what they gave me back then. When the time is up, those knives will tear you to pieces from the inside out. The pain you'll feel will also be dozens of times greater than what they felt!"

"Enjoy your last days. You only have four days left."

[After it finished speaking, it patted the G1 belt around its waist, nodded with satisfaction, and turned away.]

[It just got a new toy. Before it goes on to kill prey, it needs to find a place to play with it.]

Jaraji's figure disappeared into the woods, and the beach returned to its previous calm. The waves repeatedly lapped the sand, washing away the traces and blood left by the previous battle.

[Until a dark figure with seaweed on its head suddenly emerged from the water, and then stumbled towards the beach.]

【“——Puff, cough, cough!”】

Kousaka Kyosuke fell to his knees, coughing violently. He felt a burning pain from all the wounds on his body. The bloody wounds being soaked and washed by the salty seawater was like torture.

[After coughing, he rolled over and lay on the beach, gasping for breath.]

[There's no doubt that this was an absolute crushing defeat, and it was caused by Kousaka Kyousuke's insistence on pursuing Unidentified Lifeform No. 33 alone.]

Even so, Kousaka Kyosuke's face showed little remorse, and he was even unusually calm.

"Even though we lost, we didn't gain nothing...at least..."

As time passed, the pain from the wound was no longer as unbearable as before. Instead, waves of numbness spread throughout his body, and Kousaka Kyousuke's consciousness gradually began to fade.

[“…You can’t escape anymore, number 33.”]

[A faint red light suddenly flashed in his slightly dazed eyes, and then he slowly closed his eyes.]

[As he lost consciousness, Kousaka Kyosuke vaguely heard footsteps approaching from a distance. The footsteps were dense and orderly, and he could tell from the sound that they were the work of well-trained professionals.]

"I actually... lost?"

Kyosuke Kousaka looked at the light screen and saw that "Kousaka Kyosuke" was unconscious on the beach and was rushed to support by a group of people. His eyes were very solemn.

"And that look from before...what happened to you? My future self."

Thinking of the other party's crazy and violent look towards the enemy before, Kyosuke Kousaka felt very uneasy for a moment.

He knew very well what kind of person the future "Kousaka Kyosuke" would be. This man had a very clear distinction between emotion and rationality. Even if he had a lot of anger and hatred in his heart, he would never let this emotion dominate his brain during battle, so as to avoid affecting the entire battle situation.

But ever since he started chasing No. 33 alone, his words and actions have revealed that something is wrong.

Not only did he abandon his previous calm and composed fighting style in the battle with the opponent, but the subsequent beating was completely one-sided and inclined towards violence. Even after the transformation, Kyosuke Kousaka could clearly feel the feeling of being completely dominated by anger and hatred, to the point that it felt unfamiliar to him.

These abnormal behaviors have created an irreparable inconsistency with the usual "Kousaka Kyosuke" in his cognition. According to Kousaka Kyosuke's understanding of the other party, no matter how angry he is when facing this situation, he will still choose to prioritize reason. At the very beginning, he will directly choose to stay with "Zaimokuza Yoshiteru" to protect the surviving survivors, rather than impulsively go out alone to chase the enemy.

"G1, isn't the impact on him more than just physical?"

Kyosuke Kousaka's eyes moved around gloomily, and he suddenly thought of another person.

"Zaimokuza Yoshiki", he remembered the other party's Yamadam belt and the G1 held by his future self. In terms of the manifestation of side effects, both belts were the kind that the longer they were used, the more obvious the effect of the belt on the host would be.

It has only been about a month since "Kyosuke Kosaka" received G1, but the impact on his body and mind has already been so obvious. What about him?

Nearly a year has passed since Zaimokuza Yoshiki in the light curtain obtained the Yamadam. And unlike the detachable G1 belt, the belt has always been hidden inside his body...

So to what extent has he been affected?

【01:48 PM】

[After the battle, police reinforcements arrived quickly and urgently evacuated the seriously injured Kousaka Kyosuke and several girls who had once again survived the clutches of No. 33.]

There's no other way. We can't stay in this villa any longer. Since No. 33 managed to break through once despite such strict defenses, there's no guarantee it won't break through a second time. Therefore, relocation is imperative.

For safety and distance reasons, the police urgently transferred the Light Music Club members to a hospital in the city. The seriously injured and unconscious Kousaka Kyosuke was also taken there for treatment. To prevent further damage in the ensuing battle, the original patients in the hospital were ordered to be transferred elsewhere. Even the nearby residences were evacuated, leaving only their own personnel. The police transformed the hospital into a fortress, fully prepared for the return of Number 33.

This battle caused a great shock to the police. Against such a strong defense, No. 33 not only managed to break through the heavy defenses and slaughter all the guards, but even Kousaka Kyosuke, arguably the face of the police force, was defeated by him.

[To make matters worse, as a G1 Transformer, he not only lost, but even the G1 Transformation Device, which is the police's top armed secret, was taken away by No. 1. According to Kousaka Kyosuke, who has woken up after treatment, No. successfully used it to transform after taking the G.]

The Tokyo Superintendent, whose face was already livid due to the string of bad news, fainted upon hearing this final report. He was rushed to a police hospital for treatment.

This couldn't have been a worse outcome. After all the sacrifices, they didn't even save Number 1, and instead, the opponent snatched away the all-important G belt. It's truly a complete loss.

[And you have to know that after the police's previous extensive publicity to restore their credibility and reputation, everyone in the country now knows that the G1 is a soldier belonging to the police. If No. 1 uses the G device to transform and massacre people in public, then it will become a reality next time——]

伿【The mere thought of that scene gives me chills.】

[By then, the public's anger alone would be enough to burn the entire Metropolitan Police Department to ashes. All senior leaders would be forced to resign one by one, otherwise there would be no hope of relieving the negative impact.]

To avoid this outcome, the rest of the Metropolitan Police Department's overwhelmed leadership issued an ultimatum to Kousaka Kyosuke, who was far away at the Fukushima Prefectural Hospital. The serious mistake of G1 being taken away could be put aside for now. As long as he could lead the local police in the upcoming battle to successfully eliminate No. 1 and recapture G, then the incident could be considered as if it had never happened. However, even if the item could not be recovered, No. must be eliminated!

They didn't mention the consequences of failure, but Kousaka Kyosuke knew it. If they failed again, everyone, including him, would probably have no future.

If that's the case, what's the point of mentioning the consequences?

[But the situation they face now is equally grim. Not only is Kousaka Kyosuke, the police's strongest fighter, seriously injured and hospitalized, but their most powerful G1 system has also been stolen by the enemy. Even if the remaining GO systems can be urgently airlifted, no other police officer can use them as freely as Kousaka Kyosuke did before. Moreover, the power of the GO systems is probably meaningless in the face of the unidentified life forms now.]

[To put it bluntly, there is only one person left who can stop Unidentified Lifeform No. 33 from committing atrocities.]

"So, now I can only rely on you."

【"...wooden seat."】

[Lying on the hospital bed, his body wrapped in bandages, Kousaka Kyousuke glanced sideways at Zaimokuza, who sat silently beside the bed with his head bowed.]

"I understand... Leave it to me, Mr. Kousaka."

Zaimokuza looked at the pale-faced Kousaka Kyosuke and spoke after a moment of silence.

"I'm sorry, if I had been with you at that time—"

"No, I should be the one apologizing. You did the right thing."

[Kousaka Kyosuke shook his head and looked calmly at the chandelier on the ceiling. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.]

"I asked you to stay there and look after the children because I was worried that Number 33 would try to lure the tiger away from the mountain like before. Actually, I should have stayed too... but at that time, my inner emotions completely took over."

"It's a taboo for police officers to let their emotions get the better of them while investigating a case. I never thought I, who's always been calm, would make such a mistake one day. The result of my stubborn insistence is this miserable situation... If my father were still alive, he'd definitely give me a resounding slap in the face when he saw me like this, right?"

[“Hahaha, this is so embarrassing…”]

[Kousaka Kyosuke laughed at himself and said this with a smile.]

"Don't worry, I'll handle number 33... Just rest assured."

Zaimokuza forced a smile, then stood up and walked towards the door.

He wanted to go check on the Light Music Club members who were currently being housed in another ward. After this attack, their mental state must have been severely affected, and Zaimokuza couldn't help but pay attention.

"Zaimokuza. I have something to tell you."

Just as Zaimokuza opened the door to the ward, Kousaka Kyosuke's voice came from behind him, causing him to stop in his tracks.

[Kousaka Kyosuke looked at him with his back to him and gave his advice in a calm tone.]

[…Emotions are a double-edged sword. They can be a great help to us, but they can also become a huge obstacle to us.]

“Positive emotions can inspire us, ignite our fighting spirit, and provide us with great strength; negative emotions, on the other hand, can destroy us, weaken our will, and cause our strength to spiral out of control.”

"It's our rationality that controls these two different emotional shifts. While this sounds simple, it's actually very difficult, and few people can do it. We must learn to control these emotions."

"Before, I failed to control my emotions, allowing myself to be consumed by anger and hatred. That's why I was ultimately defeated by Number 33, leading to this unfavorable situation. Of course, I'm not saying this to defend myself. I just want you to remember one thing."

[Kousaka Kyousuke said every word. 】

"—Don't be like me, consumed by the hatred within. No matter how intensely the fire within you burns, calmness is the most powerful way to defeat the enemy."

"Don't do anything that you'll regret..."

Zaimokuza stood at the doorway, listening to Kousaka Kyousuke's words, but he neither spoke nor turned around.

He simply walked out of the door and gently closed it again, leaving Kousaka Kyousuke alone.

【"……well."】

Seeing the other party's reaction, Kousaka Kyosuke sighed silently. He didn't know whether Zaimokuza had listened to him or not, but he just hoped the answer was yes.

[Because he already regretted it, as a counterexample to his own words.]

[Kousaka Kyosuke reached out and unbuttoned the hospital gown from his chest, peeling back the bandages wrapped around his chest. Then he took the small mirror from the bedside table and placed it over his chest.]

In the mirror's reflection, a slightly blurry totem appeared between his well-defined chest muscles. Only the sharp horns on top were clearly visible, even the lines on them were visible.

[Kousaka Kyosuke remembered clearly that just a day ago, the corner of this pattern was still in the same blurry state, but now it has undergone such a significant change.]

[Watching the changes in the totem on his chest, he fell into silence and slowly placed the mirror over his chest.]

What will happen when the totem pattern becomes completely clear? He doesn't want to think about it.