My youth story cannot be a knight war

A police officer from the Unidentified Lifeform Countermeasures Headquarters approached Kousaka Kyosuke, who lowered his head in silence, saluted, and then asked.

"You will lead a group of people to stay here and assist the medical staff in sending the remaining survivors to emergency care. Also... take care of the bodies of our colleagues who died in this operation."

"The rest of you, follow me."

After a brief silence, Kousaka Kyosuke stuffed the G1 into his arms and began removing the bandages from his body. This startled the police officer, who quickly tried to dissuade him.

"Officer Kosaka, your body hasn't fully recovered yet! Please don't—???"

【"It doesn't matter."】

[Kousaka Kyosuke shook his head. After removing the bandages, no wounds were visible on his skin. The police officer who saw this immediately swallowed what he was about to say.]

"It's very hard for me to get hurt seriously now... Is this what that idiot usually feels like?"

[Reaching out his hand to wipe the blood stains from the surface of his arm, Kousaka Kyosuke looked at his white skin after wiping away the filth. Under the puzzled gaze of the police officer next to him, he suddenly laughed in a self-deprecating tone.]

[“Heh… This feels terrible.”]

……

Even though her mouth and nose were tightly covered with a wet towel, Yukinoshita Yukino still had to hold her breath, otherwise she felt she would definitely vomit in the next second.

After entering the warehouse, she discovered that the odor here was far stronger than outside. Without taking any protective measures, an ordinary person would experience various discomforts and even pass out in just a few minutes if exposed to this level of odor.

[Pfft. 】

Her high heels felt something wet beneath her feet. Yukinoshita forced her curiosity to shift her gaze downwards, and with a sullen expression, she followed Kameyama's patrol ahead of her through the area.

Even though her eyes were fixed on the back of Kameyama ahead, she couldn't help but see things from the corner of her vision: the red blood coating the entire wall, the flesh scattered on the sandbags, and even a few pale knuckles on the steps around the corner as she ascended the stairs... Yukinoshita wanted to retract her previous assessment of this place.

Because this place wasn't just a resemblance to a slaughterhouse, it was literally a slaughterhouse. Every flick of the flashlight illuminated a scene so bloody it made her stomach ache. These fragmented images connected in her mind. Through this mental technique cultivated by her deceased mentor, Yukinoshita "saw" the horrific massacre that had once taken place here.

This type of thinking is called profiling. It involves using various psychological cues and intelligence to deduce events in the mind, recreating past events. It's often used at crime scenes to analyze the personality and psychology of murderers. Exceptional individuals are even able to recreate the crime scene in their minds in a way that's strikingly similar to the real thing.

Yukinoshita also systematically studied this technique and was once praised by her instructor, but now she has begun to regret why she worked so hard to learn profiling.

The more she profiled them, the more Yukinoshita's cheeks twitched uncontrollably. The owners of these "remains" all died in extreme pain. Their dying cries seemed to transcend time and echo directly into her ears, stimulating the nerves in her brain.

[The strength and brutality displayed by Number Zero in the massacre also left an indelible shadow in her heart.]

A familiar smiling face flashed through her mind, alleviating Yukinoshita's discomfort, but also increasing her worries.

[Such a terrifying monster...can he really defeat it?]

[Just as she was thinking, Kameyama, who was walking in front of her, suddenly stopped. Yukinoshita, who was so engrossed in her thoughts, almost bumped into his back.]

"We're here, Ms. Yukinoshita."

Kameyama turned his head and spoke, and Yukinoshita looked around at the empty surroundings and couldn't help but frown.

"Officer Kameyama, what exactly do you want me to see? Isn't there nothing here?"

“No, there are… Please see.”

Kameyama shook his head at her question, raised his flashlight, and the light illuminated the ceiling above him. Yukinoshita also looked up.

【“——”】

What she saw made Yukinoshita open her eyes wide uncontrollably. She stared blankly at the illuminated ceiling, her dark blue eyes reflecting a hideous pattern carved in blood.

"Looks familiar, doesn't it? This totem is identical to one of the designs on the obelisk at the Kuroyama Ruins. I heard that Ms. Yukinoshita has been investigating this totem as well."

Kameyama spoke in a serious tone, but Yukinoshita could no longer hear him.

[She looked at the scarlet totem on the ceiling and spoke in disbelief.]

[“…Kuga’s totem? No, this pattern…”]

"Four corners?"

……

The combined Leaping Gram and the Leaping Chaser 2000 raced down the highway. The sharp horns on the front of the car pierced the air at high speed, making a sharp hissing sound like the cry of a bird.

Zaimokuza suddenly turned the car and took the branch road to the beach, remaining silent all the way.

Jaraji, chained to the front of the car, had already repaired most of his injuries during the journey from the hospital to the beach. Not only had his eyes, tongue, and vocal cords been torn out by Zaimokuza in the previous battle, but even his arms, which had been severed, had largely grown back. However, the price of this rapid repair had consumed most of Jaraji's energy.

[Right now, let alone opening its previously unused primordial form, even the elemental power within it is as weak as a pool of stagnant water. No matter how hard it tries to mobilize it with its mind, there's no response.]

Jaraji also knew that, although he didn't understand why the other party hadn't killed him yet, if he continued like this, he would definitely die.

Even though its physical strength has been almost completely depleted, it still decides to make a final struggle to survive.

It had already given up hope that the other party would let it go. After the torture it had endured, Jaraji had fully understood that the Kuuga before it was completely different from the ancient one. Having felt Zaimokuza's burning murderous intent, it had no doubt that the other party truly wanted to kill it.

With a trembling hand, still bleeding, he plucked the circle of fine needles from his neck. The circle twisted in his hand, transforming into sharp thorns. Jaraji raised the silver needles with all his might and stabbed them at the wooden seat of the motorcycle driver.

【when--】

Amidst the crisp sound of steel clashing, the sharp silver needle collided with the silver heavy armor, leaving only a few subtle dents on the armor before it could penetrate no further.

[Kuga·Titan Form·Elemental Awakening (Earth)]

[“Hey!”]

[Snap——]

Zaimokuza, who had awakened at some point, waved his hand away from Jaraji's palm and roared, punching him in the face. The force of his punch, far greater than that of a normal Titan, sent Jaraji reeling backward amidst a spurt of blood. The bones in his neck cracked dangerously under the strain.

[And just then, the speeding motorcycle finally arrived at its destination—the beach where Kousaka Kyosuke had been defeated before.]

【"Well!"】

Zaimokuza pressed the brake valve, and the wheels of the Leaping Graham scraped against the road with a harsh sound. The horns that were locked around Jaraji's waist loosened at the same time.

The powerful potential energy generated by the emergency brake was instantly transmitted to Jaraji, who was lying on the front of the car. It only had time to let out a muffled grunt before it flew backwards, directly across the beach and crashed into the shallow water.

【Om—】

Zaimokuza, who had gotten off the bike, didn't waste any time. He simply grasped the bike's right handle, twisted it once, and pulled it off, swinging it vigorously to the right.

The purple-gold Titan Sword sliced ​​through the air as Zaimokuza descended the steps from the road toward the beach, heading towards Jaraji, who was just rising from the water.

[Gah!]

As he passed the fence, Zaimokuza reached out his other hand without even looking, grasping one of the fences. With a crack of steel and sparks of fire, he tore it apart with his terrifying strength. The broken fence in his hand became another identical Titan Sword.

Zaimokuza, twin swords in hand, descended with heavy steps without pause. His silence now gave the impression of a mountain slowly collapsing before his eyes. The overwhelming sense of oppression he felt was enough to fill one with uncontrollable fear and unease at the mere sight of it.

In Jaraji's eyes, no other figure in his memory could bring him the same suffocating despair and terror as the one before him. Zaimokuza was now like the deadly god of death, and the twin swords he held were the scythes of death that were about to sever his soul!

"Don't come over here!!!"

In despair, Jaraji made a final stand. With both hands, it plucked off all the ornaments from its neck and transformed them into needles. It poured the last bit of elemental power remaining in its body into the weapon, then forcefully launched all the glowing red needles at Zaimokuza.

[Boom boom boom——]

A deafening explosion echoed from the beach. The moment the needles struck Zaimokuza, they exploded, and flames and smoke completely engulfed his moving figure.

【"call--!?"】

Before Jaraji could feel at ease after seeing him being hit, a more deadly sense of crisis rose within him.

A golden light flashed through the smoke and flames, and then a powerful wind blew the smoke away from the center, sweeping it back past the stunned Jaraji.

[Gripping a massive sword as long and wide as a man in each hand, Zaimokuza slowly raised his head, his purple-gold eyes reflecting Jaraji's panicked figure falling to the ground.]

[Kuga·Titan Form·Spiritual Sublimation (Earth)·Level 2.]

[The final resistance also completely failed.]

Jaraji, realizing this, felt a boundless panic and a chill creeping upwards from the end of his cervical vertebrae like a venomous snake. An extreme chill and stickiness filled every inch of his body. Terrified, he stretched out his right hand toward Jaraji, who was approaching again, and begged for mercy in Japanese.

"Please, please! I won't dare to do that again! I won't kill Linduo again! Please let me go! I don't want to die!"

Zaimokuza ignored his pleas for mercy. Furthermore, it felt as if a nerve in his brain had completely snapped at that moment.

【“——”】

Zaimokuza felt as if the scene before him had been dyed blood red, and heard the wailing of countless people. They were the parents who had lost their children in this incident.

[And the shy smile of Manabe when they first met appeared before my eyes, and then turned into a bloody arm that I caught a glimpse of when we met again, and the wailing face of Hirasawa Yui who had lost her best friend, and Akiyama Mio who shed tears in front of me because of her friend's death...]

The smiles that once existed on these girls' faces were completely destroyed, turning into unwanted tears; and everything that was once so beautiful about them, their happy daily lives, their friendships that shone like gold... all of these once beautiful things were taken away.

All that was left of those children was pain that would take a lifetime to heal, and memories that brought tears of sorrow every time they recalled them. When the beauty of the past was twisted into a bloody mess, the pain it brought was something no one could withstand... Zaimokuza understood that feeling better than anyone.

[——And the culprit who robbed those children of their happiness is this guy in front of me, unable to resist the fear of death and begging for mercy?]

[——Is it this thing that took away everyone's smiles that they had been trying so hard to protect?]

[——You must be joking.]

"Such a disgusting creature! Such trash! What ability does it have! What reason does it have! What qualifications does it have! Why does it take away everyone's most precious happiness! Why does it take away the smiles that they have fought and protected for so long!?"

【Absolutely, unforgivable! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !】

“Ah ...

The metal mouth on Zaimokuza's face opened, and a wild animal-like roar emanated from it. He swung the sword he held in both hands violently, slashing at Jaraji in front of him.

The giant blade ripped through the air with a terrifying, muffled scream, severing Jaraji's legs as he stood up and tried to escape. With his legs severed, he rolled in the sea, wailing in despair, stretching his arms toward the azure sky before him, as if begging for something.

[Another giant blade flew across the sky, severing its outstretched arm from the forearm as well.]

Amidst the wailing and roaring that had completely degenerated, Zaimokuza swung his two swords, the silver blades slashing through Jaraji's body time and time again.

[Calves, knees, thighs, shoulders, torso... Zaimokuza, like a professional butcher slaughtering a pig, frantically swung his sword, repeatedly slicing off the valuable areas of Jaraji's body. The splattering blood dyed the water near the beach red, until all the excess parts of Jaraji's torso, except for the head, were completely removed.]

[Seawater washed over the area where Jaraji's limbs had been removed. Its wailing sounded so shrill that it no longer seemed like something a living creature could produce. Its futilely twisting torso looked like a caterpillar, pitiful and ridiculous.]

[Facing Jaraji, who was barely breathing, Zaimokuza, having completely lost his mind, raised his two swords again and was about to strike.]

[——"Zaimokuza, control yourself."]

A familiar, calm voice echoed in his ears, instantly bringing some clarity back to Zaimokuza's overheated brain.

[——"Don't... do anything you'll regret."]

【Poof! 】

[The two swords changed direction, and the sharp blades pierced Jaraji's chest, piercing its heart at the same time.]

Its wails vanished as if its throat was strangled. This blow completely ended Jaraji's life.

【boom--】

The demon belt around Jaraji's waist cracked at this moment, and a dazzling golden light burst out from the crack. Then, his body completely exploded with a violent roar, and the flames and shockwaves swept across the entire beach.

【“——”】

A feeling he had never experienced before suddenly welled up in his heart, and Zaimokuza, holding his two swords, raised his head and looked forward.

[The blazing flames engulfed everything within sight. The scorching air brushed against the sturdy armor, and the warmth felt all over my body was so clear.]

[But all of this is no match for the coldness that seems to spread deep within my soul.]

[A purple-gold figure reflected a slowly emerging figure within the flames, the crimson color appearing as if stained with jet-black ink.]

The figure was clad in pitch black, with golden stripes extending from a belt around the waist to the rest of the body. Sharp spines extended from the wrists and ankles, and the curvature of the shoulder armor was so sharp it made one shudder.

He waved his arms and legs in the flames. It seemed like the opening move of some kind of martial arts, or some mysterious dance—but there was probably no other dancer in the world so full of murderous intent.

Every movement of this figure is imbued with a solemn and weighty beauty, each action carrying an indescribable sense of intimidation. Simply looking at it causes a pain as if one's eyes are being gouged out, and the spirit seems to howl, like a mortal witnessing the roaring sea, the crumbling mountains, and the falling sky.

The clouds stopped and the wind died down. The figure stopped dancing, slowly turned to face Zaimokuza, and raised its lowered head.

【The last thing Zaimokuza saw were only two things.】

[Those are the four golden horns, whose simplicity reveals infinite majesty, and—]

[As dark as the word "darkness" itself, a pair of compound eyes of pure black.]

……

Looking at the "Kuaga" totem before her, with its four horns and every stroke a ferocious and evil look, Yukinoshita slowly lowered her head, her pupils trembling.

All the inscriptions related to Kuuga that she had translated over the past year flashed before her eyes, and her memory finally settled on the totem she had found at the Alpha Obelisk, which looked exactly like the one before her. Yukinoshita realized that perhaps she had been mistaken all along.

[“Not two horns, but four horns…”]

"Ms. Yukinoshita, what's wrong with you?"

Kameyama, who was standing nearby, noticed her strange behavior and quickly asked, but Yukinoshita ignored him. At that moment, she was completely immersed in her own thoughts.

Because of her initial preconceived notions, Yukinoshita had always considered the totem she had found on the obelisk to be the symbol of Kuuga. Driven by this habitual thinking, she overlooked many inconsistencies that she should have noticed.