My youth story cannot be a knight war

[He then raised his head, and the hair on his forehead fluttered slightly, revealing the eye that was hidden by his bangs.]

[And that eye was filled with the purest brutality.]

[“Henshin!”]

17. Violence (10K)

【Click! 】

The police officers walking through the hospital's atrium corridor subconsciously looked upwards, following the sound overhead. They saw glass, reflecting sunlight, falling from the sky with a clear, melodious shattering sound, reflecting their stunned expressions.

[Two entangled figures, carrying shards of glass, fell from the air into the pool of water in the atrium lounge area, splashing a huge amount of water.]

[“Ugh—Puff puff puff!!!”]

After falling into the water, Jaraji felt water rushing in from all directions towards his open mouth and nose. Although he was not human, he was still a living being that existed in the world through breathing. Therefore, in this situation, he instinctively raised his head and poked it out of the water, opening his fang-filled mouth to breathe.

[But just as Jaraji poked his head out of the water, a hand covered in red armor suddenly grabbed his neck and pushed Jaraji back down.]

The next moment, a crimson fist slammed into its face with immense force, like the ground being cracked open by dynamite. Blood, even more voluptuous than the fist itself, splattered along with the wailing of flesh and blood, staining the clear, transparent waters of the pond a crimson hue.

【“——!”】

Zaimokuza straddled Jaraji's body, suppressing its attempt to rise. He then pulled his bloodied right fist away from its face, and with a nearly distorted roar, he struck it again, knocking Jaraji's raised head back into the water.

【boom--】

The force of this punch was far greater than the previous one. The pool water, which had been used as a buffer, suddenly exploded in both directions the moment Zaimokuza's fist made contact. The scattered water fell like a torrential downpour, washing over the two bodies within.

The water from the pool fell and washed over Zaimokuza's back. The instant the water touched his burning muscles, a thick white mist rose. The mist covered both of their bodies, but it couldn't hide the pair of blood-red compound eyes that burned like flames.

……

【Nagano Prefecture.】

【Boom——】

[Amidst the dull sound of movement, the two doors blocking the warehouse opened to the sides, revealing the scene inside.]

【"This is……!"】

The moment the warehouse door opened, a thick, overwhelming odor rushed out from inside, accompanied by a chilling wind. Yukinoshita Yukino, who was standing in front of the warehouse door, was caught off guard by the odor and her face instantly turned pale.

The smell emanating from the warehouse was likened to that of a slaughterhouse, the kind where the remains of livestock were left untreated for days after slaughter. The air seemed to have turned red from the rich smell of blood.

【"vomit--"】

She instinctively wanted to run to an open space to retch, but just then, Kameyama came running over with two wet towels. Seeing this, Yukinoshita quickly took one and blocked her mouth and nose with it before she could even say anything. The moist vapor that rushed into her nasal cavity replaced the nauseating fishy smell, and her cramping stomach finally stopped.

Yukinoshita's expression wasn't much better, however. Covering her mouth and nose with a towel, she looked doubtfully at the cordoned-off inner area of ​​the warehouse. Kameyama, who was also covering his mouth with a towel, looked at her apologetically and spoke.

"Sorry, I should have prepared towels in advance, but the smell is actually better now. The first time we opened this warehouse door, the odor was so strong that we vomited before we could even react."

[“Could this be…?”]

Yukinoshita tried to calm her breathing, which had been disrupted by the smell. She looked into the pitch-black warehouse interior and felt an indescribable eerie aura surging out from the open door. She felt as if she were in another world.

"Yes, this is one of the crime scenes of Unidentified Lifeform Zero."

Kameyama nodded solemnly, took out a flashlight from his backpack and handed it to Yukinoshita.

"The seven body parts found there previously have been identified and confirmed to belong to unidentified life forms. We've discovered nine similar locations in Nagano Prefecture this week, and they've also yielded numerous body parts from different individuals, at least five."

"Analysis of the wounds on the bodies revealed a similarity of over 75%, and the time between deaths was no more than a week... Therefore, we can conclude that the murderer of these unidentified life forms was the same individual."

"Are all these corpses... those of unidentified life forms?"

The information revealed in Kameyama's words terrified Yukinoshita. It had been almost a year since the unidentified lifeforms had broken through the seal and awakened in Nagano Prefecture, yet the number of numbered individuals that had appeared in human view had only barely exceeded thirty.

[Yet even these unidentified life forms, numbering only around thirty, have already caused at least five-digit casualties and bloodshed, with the economic losses incurred being countless. Their destructive power is simply unstoppable by humans, and each individual that appears is an unmitigated disaster for human society.]

The police, led by Kousaka Kyousuke and Zaimokuza Yoshiteru, fought these monsters at the cost of their lives. After a huge sacrifice of manpower and material resources, they were able to eliminate the more than 30 Gurongis that appeared within a year.

[But according to Kameyama, even if we calculate the average number of unidentified life forms found in Nagano Prefecture at five per location, the total number is at least over forty!]

The actual number was even greater, and what the humans had achieved with their concerted efforts, taking nearly a year, was surpassed by Zero in just a week. The disparity in combat power between the two sides, as revealed by this time and efficiency data, was so great that Yukinoshita was speechless with disbelief.

[How strong is No. 0? ]

[…Yes, they are all unidentified life forms.]

Guishan was clearly aware of this. After a brief silence, he nodded with difficulty, a flicker of unconcealable fear in his eyes. Clearly, the power displayed by Zero in the massacre of his own kind had truly shocked him.

"But that's not why we asked you to come here, Ms. Yukinoshita. As for the details... I think you'll understand after you see what's inside."

"Please follow me, and be careful where you step. We haven't cleaned up the scene yet to maintain its integrity, so the ground is inevitably slippery due to some tissue debris."

【"……OK."】

Watching Kameyama walk to the warehouse door, flashlight in hand, Yukinoshita forced herself not to think about what he meant by the tissue fragments on the ground. After hesitating for a moment, she bit her lip, then followed him, also turning on her flashlight.

……

[“Puff!”]

The fist sliced ​​through the air with a ripping sound, then struck Jaraji's stiff face again, causing him to tilt his head involuntarily to the side. Broken fangs and blood spurted out of his mouth.

Zaimokuza ignored its miserable state and raised his blood-stained fist once again, striking down upon its face, which was already covered in his own blood.

He crossed his palms and blocked Zaimokuza's incoming punch. A wave of transparent air, accompanied by a dull sound, spread out in all directions, pressing down the flowers planted in the courtyard, their petals dancing in the wind.

"Don't be so arrogant! I'm—huh!?"

Jaraji, completely disoriented by Zaimokuza's relentless attacks, finally regained consciousness at this moment. Through its crossed arms, it gazed at Zaimokuza, whose fists it had clenched, and, in a fit of rage, began to speak harshly.

[But just as the words came out of its mouth, its voice suddenly stopped, and became filled with disbelief.]

“No, it’s impossible! My body—Ughh ...

[Crackling——]

A dazzling crimson electric current suddenly erupted from the G1 belt worn around its waist. This powerful current coursed through Jaraji's body, rupturing the reinforced nerves throughout its body. Blood-red flowers blossomed across its surface.

The pain of having the nerves that strengthen the Gurongi, an extension of his power, destroyed is beyond words. For a Gurongi, there is probably no more cruel and terrifying punishment in the world.

Jaraji's mind suddenly went blank under the pain, and then the pain, comparable to a landslide and tsunami, completely destroyed his sanity.

“Ahhh!”

A shrill wail had barely escaped its open mouth when the fist it had grabbed suddenly broke through the arm's defenses, which had weakened due to the intense pain. It smashed Jaraji's teeth and sank its palm into its mouth, turning the scream into a strange hum.

【“——”】

In a ward on the third floor of the hospital, Kousaka Kyousuke, propped up by an IV, stood by an open window, looking down at the two figures entangled in the atrium's pool. His dark eyes then glowed with a faint red light.

The red light emanating from his eyes resonated with the G1 worn by Jaraji on his waist. A similar light, like that seen in Kousaka Kyousuke's eyes, lit up the pitch-black display screen. A mysterious totem, unlike that seen when using the exclusive card, appeared on the screen. As it gradually became clearer from blur, the electricity emanating from the belt grew more intense.

【Kousaka Kyosuke actually hid something from Ebina Hime. 】

[That is, as he used the G1 belt, he felt more and more that a strange connection had been established between himself and the belt.]

This feeling is quite strange. If I had to describe it, it's like there's an invisible rope connecting Kousaka Kyousuke and G1. Even when separated from G1, he can still feel the belt to some extent, as if it were an extension of his own limbs.

He initially thought it was just an illusion, but as time passed, the feeling gradually became clearer and clearer, until a few days ago, when Kousaka Kyosuke had a dream while sleeping at night.

He dreamed that he was attacked by Gurongi while isolated and helpless, and he was unarmed, not even a pistol. Therefore, he subconsciously hoped to gain enough strength to fight against the unidentified life form.

The moment this thought occurred, he saw from a first-person perspective the G1 locked in his office drawer in his dream. It shone with an eerie light within the dark cabinet, and then the belt gradually became transparent in the light until it vanished into thin air.

[Then the G1 belt that had disappeared appeared around my waist in the dream, and I used the belt to transform and defeated the unidentified life form. The dream ended here.]

At first, Kousaka Kyosuke truly believed it was just a dream. But when he woke up in his dorm that morning, he rolled back the covers and prepared to get out of bed, only to find the G1, which should have been in his office drawer, suddenly appeared at his waist. He fell completely into an eerie silence.

Looking at the G1 wrapped around his waist, Kousaka Kyosuke finally confirmed that it wasn't a dream, and that what he saw wasn't an illusion—driven by his own thoughts, the G1 truly appeared out of thin air beside him.

[Some unpredictable connection must have developed between him and G1. As for whether this connection is good or bad, Kousaka Kyousuke is not sure.]

[But the dream he had earlier and the changes that occurred in reality afterwards actually indirectly pointed to a fact - that is, he could influence or control G1 to a certain extent.]

So when G1's transformation was taken away by Jaraji in the previous battle, Kousaka Kyosuke was shocked but realized that this might be an opportunity. As long as the timing was right, this would become a fatal loophole for the opponent, enough to send No. to hell in one fell swoop.

He understood the principle that the more he talked, the more mistakes he made. So, to ensure that no mistakes were made and that no one knew of his connection to G1, Kousaka Kyousuke kept his plan secret from anyone. He lay in the hospital room, patiently waiting for Jaraji to walk into the trap he had set for it.

[Kousaka Kyosuke didn't know how much control he could exert on G1, but he knew that sometimes even a simple straw could be enough to break the camel's back.]

Therefore, Kousaka Kyosuke didn't need to ensure that he could control G1 to launch a powerful counterattack against Jaraji. He only needed to ensure that at the most critical moment, he could fire the most crucial shot while standing outside the battle. That was enough.

【And now, that time has arrived. 】

Under Kousaka Kyosuke's disruption, the G1, which originally could have significantly increased his own strength, became the final straw that broke Jaraji's back. The powerful power within the belt completely lost control and began to run wild, and began to backfire on Jaraji.

The violent electrical currents shattered the strengthened nerves within Jaraji's body like blades. The nerves, ravaged by the overloaded energy, inflicted excruciating pain and stripped Jaraji of control. The bio-armor, which had been designed to protect its owner after the transformation, now became a prison, completely blocking Jaraji's life force. Trapped within this prison, Jaraji could only futilely endure the attacks from within. The unbearable pain and despair transformed into wailing cries that echoed from its mouth.

If this had happened under other circumstances, Jaraji would have at most given up the action and hidden himself away until the G1's backlash had ended, or he would have manually dismantled it. The damage from the destruction of the enhanced nerves would have been fatal to an ordinary Gurongi, but for a Gurongi of his level, it wasn't irreparable damage.

【But the prerequisite is that it has this time, and now Jaraji, who has been attacked by G1, is facing the furious Zaimokuza. 】

[“Ahhhh!!!”]

As Jaraji's wails intensified due to the pain of its damaged nerves, Zaimokuza firmly grasped the sides of its head with both hands and pressed its head back into the pool.

The electric current emanating from Jaraji was so strong that it boiled the water beneath them. Steam continuously rose from the surface of the water, but Zaimokuza ignored this series of abnormal phenomena, his eyes only focused on Jaraji, who was being held down by him.

Although his eyes became enlarged and unlike those of a human after transforming into his almighty form, they didn't give off any negative vibes. The will within them was as warm and gentle as the sun, enough to dispel the barriers and fears of others.

[But at this moment, Zaimokuza's transformed eyes no longer showed the warmth that once shone in them. His backlit compound eyes glowed scarlet in the shadows, and a layer of flame danced deep within them, as if blood was boiling and burning in them.]

With a few drops of Jaraji's blood splattering across his face, Zaimokuza's features now resembled the blood-feeding demons of folklore, creating an overwhelming sense of intimidation in the eyes of the onlookers.

【His subsequent actions made all the police officers involuntarily take a step back.】

“KU—Aa ...

[Jaraji, whose head was pressed into the water by Zaimokuza, let out an indistinct roar, but it turned into a sharper wail midway.]

Zaimokuza loosened his grip on both sides of its head, and instead, he placed his thumbs firmly on Jaraji's eyes.

【Then, he suddenly dug his thumb down with force.】

【Puff——】

[Two handfuls of blood splattered onto Zaimokuza's transformed face, the sticky blood completely dyeing his entire face red. An even richer crimson color spread from the pool of water beneath him, accompanied by Jaraji's limbs suddenly becoming frantic and struggling.]

【“——”】

Zaimokuza silently raised his blood-soaked hands, each holding a red eyeball with nerves attached. He then slowly exerted force, causing the crushed eyeball tissue mixed with blood to ooze out from between his closed palms.

[He actually dug out Jaraji's eyes with his bare hands!]

Jaraji, whose eyeballs had been gouged out, felt everything before him plunge into darkness. The pool water washing over his eye wounds felt like a knife, inflicting ever-increasing pain. He covered his eyes, which continued to bleed, with both hands, and wailed incoherently. His body writhed frantically in the water in excruciating pain.

[Even though it had killed countless people, it actually looked somewhat pitiful at this moment, like a victim being bullied by a tormentor. However, even though Jaraji had reached such a state of misery, Zaimokuza, the "torturer," had no intention of letting it go.]

“Wait, wait!”

When Jaraji felt his hands, which were covering his face, suddenly being grasped, he felt a surge of fear for the first time.

It originally treated life with such disregard, not only taking pleasure in killing humans, but also, whenever its prey was tormented in various ways until they suffered mental breakdowns or even committed suicide, Jaraji, as the perpetrator, was able to enjoy the despair and fear that filled those people's hearts before death. This feeling trapped it, and it believed that nothing in the world could bring it greater pleasure than this behavior.

The pain, reluctance, and fear of death that erupt when life disappears are so beautiful that they are beyond description.

[The Jaraji's mindset has never been in sync with humans. Jaraji has never considered those who died at its hands as lives equal to itself. To it, they are merely tools to please itself. It also scoffs at the idea of ​​retribution. After all, to it, this action is like a human pouring boiling water on an ant nest. Is there any retribution for such an action?]

[So-called retribution is nothing more than a lie that Lin Duo, as a weakling, fabricates to deceive himself. Therefore, the essence of this world is the law of the jungle. The strong have power over the weak, and this power naturally includes the right to decide their life and death.]

Jaraji, born a Gurongi, is undoubtedly stronger than humans in every way. Therefore, he believes he has the natural right to wantonly burn, kill, and plunder these weaker beings. This power is bestowed by heaven, so no matter what he does to humans, there will be no retribution.

[But when Jaraji held this idea, he always ignored the fact that strength and weakness are never a fixed concept, but a flexible standard for comparison.]

[To weak humans, it is indeed a natural strongman, but in the face of beings with even greater power and violence, it is weak. Strong and weak can be reversed at any time.]

Now, Jaraji, who had gone from being a "strong man" to a "weak man," faced Zaimokuza, who possessed the power of violence to decide his life and death. For the first time, he truly understood what the humans who had died at its hands must have felt before their deaths.

[It was a coldness that was enough to freeze one's hands and feet, and a terror and despair that penetrated deep into one's bones.]

[“Hey! Can we reconcile?”]

It felt the other party's grip on its wrist pause at the words, and suddenly a surge of hope surged within it. It endured the excruciating pain from the wounds in its eyes and continued to beg for mercy in its halting, still utterly unskilled Japanese.

"Please let me go! I'll advance as long as I complete this game. I swear, as long as I kill those Lindos and complete this game, I will never appear in front of you again! So please let me go, just like you did before I was sealed last time, don't kill me—"

After waking from the seal, Jaraji, due to his arrogance towards humans and the limitations of the rules of the game, never seriously understood the people of this era. Therefore, until now, his understanding of modern human thought still remains in the Lindo of the super ancient period.