My youth story cannot be a knight war

When she first saw the photo of the inscription, she had always thought that the mark was just a natural stain caused by the inscription being buried underground for a long time, but now...

After hesitating for a moment, Yukinoshita put on the eye mask-type monitor hanging around her neck and turned it on.

This type of imaging device can expand the human eye's field of vision by changing the brightness and reflection of light. It is commonly used in various archaeological research activities to find traces that would be missed by the naked eye. It is very expensive.

【“——”】

After putting on the monitor and looking back at the stone tablet, Yukinoshita's eyes beneath the eye mask suddenly widened, and her dark blue pupils rapidly contracted.

In the dim blue-green vision of the monitor, two faint traces appeared on the totem representing the warrior on the stone tablet, extending upward from the middle of the two original corners. One of the traces connected perfectly with the black trace, forming a complete shape.

[As the horizon fell into darkness, the warrior's totem also changed, as if the devil had peeled off the heroic mask on his face, revealing his hideous true self.]

The two-horned totem now has four horns, and its appearance is identical to the signature left by No. 0 in the warehouse.

Yukinoshita stared at the four-horned totem in silence. If the two-horned Kuuga totem could be called a "warrior" in Lindo's writing system, what would the four-horned totem be called in Lindo's writing system?

[‘Devil’? ‘Demon King’? Or…]

[“The gruesome warrior…”]

After taking off her blindfold, Yukinoshita's eyes were slightly dull. She leaned against the table behind her, and her back looked exhausted.

[Until this moment, she finally had to admit the suspicion in her heart that she was unwilling to admit.]

[It's the same. In fact, it has always been the same. It's just that I have always been bound by my own cognition and emotions and am unwilling to admit this fact that has long been in front of me.]

Recalling all the descriptions of Kuuga's abilities in the inscriptions so far, as well as the similarities and differences shown by the Gurongi, Yukinoshita covered her face tightly with her hands.

When a demon wielding the power of darkness appears, a hero will inevitably emerge who can fight it and protect the world. Wielding the power of light, representing the incompatibility of light and darkness... Such a plot only appears in the settings of heroic stories; reality is far from that rosy.

[The truth is, humans are fundamentally incapable of fighting demons. The only ones who can fight a demon are another demon... or humans who have signed a contract with a demon and chosen to become one.]

[Whether it's the ancient Kuuga or the modern Kuuga, they all chose to sign a contract with the devil.]

Recalling what Ebina Hime had told her about the results of the blood test on Number One, Yukinoshita suddenly felt that this world was so absurd. Gurongi and Kuuga, two seemingly incompatible people, actually had something in common.

[They—are all human.]

The belt created by the ancient Lindo is likely a replica of how humans first became Gurongi. The Kuuga who wears the belt is essentially a man-made Gurongi.

[No wonder Kuuga and Gurongi's abilities are so similar. It turns out that, after all, they are the same kind.]

Beneath the guise of a war between heroes and demons, it is actually a fight among humans, no different from every war in human history.

[Why is Zero's totem the same as Kuuga's? I think there's an explanation.]

[——What if Kuuga was originally created by Gulinda as a copy of Zero?]

[This is undoubtedly incredible, but it now seems to be the closest possibility to the truth.]

[The counterfeit is, of course, identical to the original. If we think even more boldly, the material used to make Kuuga might even have come from Zero!]

If that's the case, then Kuuga and Zero's relationship is probably much closer than Yukinoshita expected. They can even be said to be—

【brother.】

"Gurongi is human? Kuuga and Zero are brothers???"

Everyone outside the light curtain was completely shocked by "Yukinoshita Yukino"'s guess, and they were all stunned.

Gurongi is human? From the time the video and light screen appeared until now, I'm afraid almost no one would have thought in this direction, because it is really too outrageous.

The abilities they display are something that humans would never be able to achieve under normal circumstances no matter how much they evolve, and their extreme bloodlust towards humans subconsciously causes people to classify Gurongi and humans as different races.

But... thinking about Kuuga after the transformation of "Zaimokuza Yoshiki" and the similarities shown by the Gurongi in the battle, many people fell silent, and then felt extremely scared and even creepy when they thought about it carefully.

If those monsters were truly human, then what were all these battles really about? A civil war between ancient and modern humans across time and space?

How did they become the monsters they are today?

Chiba Prefecture, Sobu High School, Service Club.

"Kuga and Zero are... brothers?"

"So, all the Gurongi I've defeated in the future... have they all been human?"

Zaimokuza stared at the light screen, his mind going blank.

Kuuga and Gurongi were actually of the same race? He was even brothers with Zero, the man who had single-handedly caused all this tragedy? Was this some kind of New Century's annual bad joke? This joke was too cold, so cold that it made him tremble from the bottom of his heart.

So what I have been doing in the future is actually killing each other with my "brothers and sisters"?

My future self... has actually been killing people all along?

The scene in the light screen in the past where "Yoshiki Zaimokuza" defeated those Gurongi again and again appeared before his eyes. Every time he watched those monsters scream and wail and die in the explosion, he felt happy and even cheered.

But now, everything seemed to be covered with a blood-colored filter, and the defeated monsters turned into human beings.

Those people were killed by their future selves. Their bodies splattered with blood under their attacks. They were sent to hell by their own hands. Their desperate wails were like the vengeful spirits accusing them of seeking revenge.

In that case, my future self has never been a hero who defeats monsters, but has always been... a murderer?

The moment he realized this, an unprecedented sense of terror made Zaimokuza tremble violently. Cold sweat poured out from his forehead, his face turned extremely pale, and even his pupils were trembling.

"Well--!"

A strong nausea surged from deep in his throat, and Zaimokuza suddenly covered his mouth, wanting to vomit uncontrollably.

A trash can was brought in front of him by a hand. Zaimokuza didn't bother to say anything. He suddenly grabbed the trash can and buried his head in it. The sound of violent vomiting and the sour smell echoed in the entire service club.

"Hey! Zaimokuza!?"

"Zaimokuza-san!"

Amidst the crowd's exclamations, Hikigaya Hachiman withdrew his hand and silently half-knelt beside Zaimokuza, who was kneeling and vomiting. He reached out and patted his heaving back to help him breathe more smoothly.

His eyes were dark as he watched Zaimokuza sigh silently, then looked up at the people gathered in front of him with worried faces and shook his head.

In fact, he had already guessed that Gurongi was a human from the very beginning, but he never said it out loud.

It was because he anticipated that if he expressed this guess, Zaimokuza would definitely react in this way.

Hikigaya has always been good at seeing through the hearts and nature of human beings, so he knows that beneath Zaimokuza's usually nonchalant and second-year student appearance, there is a soul that yearns for heroes and justice, beauty and kindness.

Such people cannot bear the sin of killing, which is no different from torture to them.

If it were Hikigaya, even if he guessed that Gurongi's true form might be a human, he would not regard those guys as humans, because Hikigaya could also see that apart from their appearance before transformation, almost none of those guys had human hearts.

Human beings are the name of a race, but only those who possess a human heart can be considered human beings. The term "human beings" is based on philosophy and morality.

But even if Zaimokuza Yoshiteru understood this, he would not be happy. For him, killing is killing, and it cannot be covered up with any reason or excuse.

He is just that kind of person, pure and simple.

But simple people are always more vulnerable than others because this is the world, neither right nor gentle.

But at this moment, Hikigaya felt how cruel the world was. It was such a person who had to take on the responsibility of protecting mankind in the future. In order to protect everyone's smiles, he had to wield the violence that he hated.

Can he really hold on to the belief of protecting everyone's smiles until the end?

"Are Kuuga and Zero brothers?"

"Gurongi...could they actually be human?"

【Zaimokuza was stunned when he heard what Kousaka Kyousuke had told him about Yukinoshita Yukino's discovery and speculation.】

He stared blankly at Kousaka Kyosuke, his eyes more absent-minded than ever before.

"Based on what Ms. Yukinoshita discovered, this might actually be possible. Even if it's not, Kuuga's birth definitely has a deep connection to Zero... Zaimokuza?"

[Kousaka Kyosuke looked at Zaimokuza's dazed expression and asked with some concern.]

【"How are you?"】

【“…”】

Zaimokuza lowered his head and didn't answer Kousaka Kyousuke's question, as if he hadn't heard it at all. This made him feel uneasy.

“Hey, you—”

【"A real man~"】

Just as Kousaka Kyosuke was about to step forward to call back his attention, Zaimokuza, who had been looking down, suddenly raised his head and said to Kousaka Kyosuke with a smile.

"It's just that the news you just told me, Mr. Kousaka, was so shocking that I was momentarily taken aback."

[“Don’t worry, I’m not that fragile.”]

He gave Kousaka Kyosuke a thumbs-up and said with a smile.

【And Zaimokuza's smiling face was the same as when Kousaka Kyosuke first met him, without any change.】

【"Big~husband~"】

27. "White and Dark Game" (4K)

[Looking at that usual smile, Kousaka Kyosuke's inner anxiety calmed down a little.]

[He realized that by now, he already knew Zaimokuza Yoshiteru very well. Since he said it was okay, then it was indeed okay, so he simply skipped the topic.]

"We can discuss the matter of Number Zero sometime later. Right now, the most pressing matter is the matters of Number Three and Number Thirty-Four."

Kousaka Kyosuke pulled out a small, plastic-wrapped transparent bottle and a pair of tweezers from his windbreaker pocket. He carefully used the tweezers to touch the green liquid clinging to a nearby piece of building debris.

Although the tweezers emitted a faint white smoke when they touched the liquid, they were not completely melted. This made Kousaka Kyosuke feel relieved, but also left him with a sense of caution.

It seems that the venom secreted by No. 34 will evaporate over time after coming into contact with the air. Kousaka Kyosuke's eyes flickered as he stuffed the liquid into this special sampling bottle.

He turned to look at Zaimokuza and shook the bottle of poison in his hand.

"I'll send this body fluid back to the Metropolitan Police Department. I'll ask Ms. Ebina to help analyze its composition and see if there's anything we can use on No. 34."

"Also, regarding number three..."

[Kousaka Kyosuke pinched his chin and thought for a moment before speaking.]

"In addition to the ultrasonic detector developed based on Number 3's characteristics, the Metropolitan Police Department also developed a set of ultrasonic weapons specifically for Gurongi like Number 3. However, since Number 3 hasn't appeared since the incident with Number 14, and no similar Gurongi have appeared since then, this set of equipment has been left unused."

"While I'm not sure if that thing is still useful to Number Three, I'll notify Gosuke to retrieve the instrument and perform maintenance before use. As for Zaimokuza, you should return to rest and treat your injuries, then await my further instructions."

"Mr. Kosaka, don't look at me like this. I can recover from this minor injury in no time. Let me go with you!"

Zaimokuza said this while patting his chest generously, and Kousaka Kyosuke smiled playfully upon hearing him say this.

"Oh? Do you really think so?"

He glanced at Zaimokuza's black waiter uniform and said with a half-smile.

"I know you have a strong ability to heal injuries, but you should go back and change your clothes and rest for a while. After all, judging by the fabric, it's probably a high-end brand, right? If you damage it in the battle, Ms. Kawasaki will probably be very angry, right?"

"Also, you rushed out of the restaurant right when you were working, right? Don't you think you should be worried about your own safety right now?"

【"Well--"】

Zaimokuza's smile suddenly froze, and his entire body turned gray, as if its color had faded. Then, along the arc of his smile, it gradually cracked and crumbled into ashes.

A huge fear exploded from within him, and Zaimokuza, his face ashen, lost his earlier boldness. He trembled all over like a rabbit hiding under a tree during a storm.

[It was as if he could hear the familiar sound of a snarling grin and the crack of a whip from behind. Zaimokuza wished he could bury his head in the ground and never lift it up again, so that he wouldn't have to continue facing this cruel world.]

There's no way around it. Even though he's now a literal superman, capable of anything, Zaimokuza wilts like a cucumber when faced with the capitalist lady who controls his food, clothing, housing, and transportation. After facing countless instances of ruthless suppression of his indignant struggles under such extreme oppression, he no longer has the slightest thought of resistance. His first instinct is to flee.

The relationship between the two is like that of predators on the food chain. Mr. Zaimokuza is just a pitiful, weak rabbit, while Ms. Capitalist is a titanic python that can devour him whole, flesh and bones, in one gulp, without even burping.

After recalling how he had immediately stuffed the tray in the capitalist lady's arms upon receiving the news, and then, ignoring her angry roars, fled on his motorcycle in a blatant act of absenteeism, Zaimokuza's not-so-intelligent brain came to a conclusion after a brief reflection:

【I'm probably dead.】

"...Mr. Kosaka, can I sleep with you tonight?"

[“Of course not.”]

Facing Zaimokuza's hopeful gaze, Kousaka Kyousuke smiled and gave the coldest and most heartless answer.

[A sound like stone cracking was heard.]

"I don't want to fall asleep to your snoring at night. It'll give me nightmares. You have to deal with your own troubles. Just accept your fate."

He squatted beside the petrified Zaimokuza, smiled, and patted his shoulder, his tone full of gloating.

"Don't worry, Miss Kawasaki is a kind person. I think the most she'll do is skin you alive and burn you to death. Beyond that, she won't do anything to you."