My youth story cannot be a knight war

[It stretched out its hands, grasped the tank's barrel, and gave it a strong lift.]

【“——”】

A huge feeling of weightlessness washed over the commander, who subconsciously clutched the hatch beside him. The world spun before his eyes, and then he saw Gooma's face, and in front of it was a gray concrete road—wait? The other side of the concrete appeared in front of him?

The commander felt his brain freeze for a moment, then reacted immediately.

[No! It wasn't Gooma and the road that appeared in front of me, but I and the tank were lifted up.]

[——Unidentified life form number three actually lifted a nearly eighty-ton chariot with just the strength of his arms!]

The surrounding police officers were so stunned by this scene that they even forgot to shoot for a moment.

【"save--!!!!!!"】

An incomparable sense of fear exploded within him. The commander opened his mouth to call for help, but the fierce whistling of the wind distorted and stretched his voice, transforming it into a strange, drawn-out sound.

Gooma grabbed the tank's barrel as a base, roaring and spinning in place. Lifted by sheer force, the tank's mass emitted a terrifying, muffled roar, like thunder exploding on the ground. The resulting intense wind pressure instantly blew away the surrounding Self-Defense Force members.

After dragging the tank around three times, Gooma grabbed the barrel and flung it forward. The moment it let go, the heavy tank flew out like a light paper airplane. A white sonic boom exploded in front of the tank, evidence of an object's speed breaking the sound barrier.

The tank flew away into the sky at the end of the field of vision, accompanied by the faint, distorted screams of its commander amidst the roar of the sonic boom, until it was no longer visible.

【“——”】

As the tank disappeared from view, the expressions on the faces of all the police officers present froze. Their bodies, like wooden stakes, faced the direction the tank had disappeared. No one moved, and not a single one uttered a sound.

[Faced with this pure violence beyond imagination, everyone's ability to think was completely frozen by what was happening before their eyes.]

[Crack! The crisp sound of bones rubbing against each other echoed, and everyone's expressions and movements became extremely stiff as they turned their necks to look in the direction of the sound, fear practically tangible and overflowing from their eyes.]

[Gooma, standing in the river, rubbed his neck. He looked down at the police officers below, his mouth stretched wide to his cheeks, almost reaching his ears.]

"How many people will die before Daguba arrives?"

41. Race Against Time (4K)

"It can actually fuse three elements!"

When he saw the line of words behind the Gooma that had evolved into its Ultimate Form on the light screen, a rare expression of "shock" appeared in Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's eyes.

"It's actually possible to do this. What on earth is that fragment that No. 3 fused into his body?"

It's no wonder he's so emotionally unstable. After all, apart from Gadoru, who has already taken action but still seems unfathomable, the players of the "GO" group, who represent the top combat power of the Gurongi clan to date, can only fuse the power of two elements. And they can only do so when they activate their original form. They are simply unable to maintain the light human form like Gooma is now.

And what we must remember is that before Gooma used that fragment, he was just an ordinary Gurongi from the "ZU" group, without even an enhanced form. His actual combat power could only suppress his nascent form, which was called the shame of all Kuuga's forms, and he couldn't even defeat his newly awakened all-powerful form.

However, after using that fragment and evolving only twice, its combat power has surpassed almost all the Gurongi in the "GO" Group. The improvement in its strength is so great that it cannot be described with the word "unbelievable". It completely tramples on all the common sense in the world.

"That fragment...what is its true identity?"

[Nagano Prefecture, Kuroyama, the ruins investigation team's headquarters.]

【02:31 PM】

"Hurry up! Collect all the information!"

Totsuka Ayaka hurriedly swept the drawings and notes on the table into her arms, not even taking the time to sort them. She simply threw the materials into the box on the table. At the same time, sweat dripping from her forehead, she looked up and shouted to the others busy around her.

At this moment, the investigation team's base was no longer as quiet and peaceful as before. After receiving intelligence from the police that Unidentified Lifeform Number Three was heading straight for them, the entire investigation team sprang into action, like a monkey with its butt burned.

Every person working here is aware of the tragedy that occurred here. They even set up a row of memorial tablets for the first investigation team outside the entrance to offer daily worship and pray for blessings, hoping that such a tragedy won't happen again during their exploration of the ruins.

[But now, while nothing has happened at the ruins, another danger is coming straight towards them from Tokyo, thousands of miles away. This is completely beyond everyone's expectations. You know, although they have prepared many risk prevention plans, they are all for risks within the ruins, and there is absolutely no preparation for risks from outside.]

[But reality is staring us in the face. It's no use regretting our earlier inconsideration. Escape is our top priority. And while we're at it, we must also take with us as much research material on this ruin as possible. These thin pages are more valuable than an equivalent amount of gold in today's scientific research on super-ancient civilizations and Gurongi. We absolutely cannot afford to lose them.]

"This is Wolf No. 1, please speak—what!?"

The guard standing at the tent entrance, his gun in hand and his face warily scanning the surroundings, received a call from the intercom. As soon as he answered, his expression suddenly changed due to the message on the other end. His square face turned pale, like soaked noodles.

Without giving it any time to think, the guard immediately lifted the tent curtain and peered inside, shouting to anyone looking over.

"Everyone, please hurry up! Number Three broke through the police blockade at the edge of Ogano Town half a minute ago. All officers at the scene have been declared dead! And Number Three is now heading this way!"

【"Varied--"】

[The moment she heard the news, Totsuka Ayaka's expression changed drastically, and her eyes even looked a little absent-minded.]

He briefly wondered if he was hallucinating, or if the guard had simply misheard the message. Hadn't he just said the police had deployed heavy firepower to siege Number Three? Hadn't he also said that even the Self-Defense Forces were being mobilized, ensuring that Number Three wouldn't even set foot in Nagano Prefecture?

[But how long has it been since he said that? Ten minutes? Has the police ambush already been completely destroyed?]

【"Damn!"】

This question lingered in his mind for only a moment before Totsuka Ayaka, a researcher, quickly snapped back to his senses. Without a care in the world, he immediately shed his white coat, rolled up his sleeves, and shouted hurriedly.

"Everyone, speed up immediately and take all the information away! No one can be left behind!"

"But, Team Leader, what should we do with these excavated objects? They're too heavy!"

The researcher, whom Totsuka Ayaka called Kamijou, raised his hand with a bitter expression. Totsuka glanced around at the various items spread out on the other tables in the tent and gritted his teeth.

[All of these objects were unearthed from the ruins. Since Graham's incident, the investigation team has stepped up their efforts to excavate and protect these objects, hoping to discover similar objects in the future.]

[These objects include everything from stone plates and bracelets similar to those used in rituals to pots and pans. This morning, we even found a large fragment engraved with unknown totems. Judging by its design and appearance, it's clearly part of a larger object.]

[But things happened suddenly, and there was no way to take all these things away now. Totsuka couldn't help but pull his hair with both hands in distress.]

"Everyone, please take whatever paper documents and small items you can carry. Leave all the remaining baggage and belongings here."

"Yukinoshita-san!?"

Just when he was feeling frustrated, a cold and hurried voice came from behind him. Totsuka Ayaka turned around in surprise.

Yukinoshita Yukino, dressed in a long office lady dress, clutched the tent curtain, panting softly. Lack of strength had always been her biggest enemy, both before and now. Running up the mountain after receiving the notification had nearly cost her her life. Not only had her hair matted to a pulp by sweat, but even her stockings had been torn by branches, revealing her fair skin. She looked incredibly disheveled.

But Yukinoshita Yukino no longer cared about her appearance. She arrived at the scene and immediately took command, speaking calmly.

"Take away everything you can immediately, and leave behind anything you can't take away. We don't have time to hesitate."

"But, Yukinoshita-san, these..."

"Remember, Totsuka-san, what's important is the person. As long as the person is still alive, there's hope. If the person dies, everything becomes meaningless."

【"……clear!"】

Totsuka Ayaka was still a little hesitant, but after Yukinoshita's last words, she fell silent and nodded in agreement with a firm look in her eyes.

[“Huh~”]

Yukinoshita sighed deeply, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and looked back toward the woods, her eyes filled with worry and uneasiness.

[Come over here quickly, Zaimokuza-kun…]

……

【not long ago. 】

[Near JR Mitaka Station, Mitaka City, Tokyo.]

[“Damn it! Those damned Lindo…”]

Zazaru, dressed in a flashy outfit, waving a fan, walked beneath the skytrain. He looked up at the sun overhead and cursed under his breath with a look of surprise on his face.

It arrived here ten minutes ago, intending to board the next train and start its game. However, three minutes earlier, Mitaka Station staff had broadcast a statement of apology to all passengers.

"Sorry, due to special circumstances, all trains at this station are suspended today until noon tomorrow. Thank you for your understanding."

All the passengers waiting for the train were shocked upon receiving this notice, expressing their dissatisfaction one after another, completely unaware that they had just narrowly escaped death. Upon hearing this, Zazaru, who was waiting on the platform, angrily kicked a trash can to the ground.

Despite his arrogant and self-centered appearance, Zazaru has actually devoted considerable effort to conducting in-depth research on this country's human society for his game, and naturally has a deep understanding of the efficiency of this country's government, a subject even its own people have long complained about.

It's no secret that after an earthquake or other disaster in Japan, the first people to arrive at the scene are always volunteers from other countries and gangsters. This has been a long-standing international joke.

As for our government personnel? Sorry, it's already time to get off work. I'll come back tomorrow after clocking in. Please continue to hold out under the rubble. I believe life is strong!

The first half of the sentence might be a joke, but the second half is reality. This also indirectly reflects how slow the Japanese government's operating efficiency is. So Zazaru couldn't understand it at all. Even if his game rules had been discovered, according to the government tradition of this country, how could they react so quickly?

Zazaru actually made a mistake here. Although he did research on the workings of human society, he relied solely on the internet and books. Some things will never appear openly in books or online. These are things that only those who have experienced long periods of social practice and life can understand. They are facts that may not be made public, but are known to everyone.

For example, while this country may appear to be a modern democracy led by the government, the real decision-makers are never the politicians who risk being executed by righteous men even when they go to the streets to campaign for votes. Instead, they are the numerous chaebols who are the true uncrowned rulers of this country.

To ensure he could intercept Zazaru's target first, Kousaka Kyosuke took the plunge, bypassing his superiors at the Metropolitan Police Department and opting to call the head of the Kotobuki family, rumored to be his future father-in-law within the department. The head readily agreed to what he considered a "trivial" request.

So, only ten minutes passed between Kousaka Kyosuke's phone call and the announcement of the one-day emergency suspension of service at Mitaka Station. This decision, which usually takes several days of wrangling among Ministry of Transportation bureaucrats, had already been fully implemented.

Furthermore, within Tokyo, all orange-colored Shinkansen, buses, and taxis have been ordered to suspend operations for one day. This includes private cars, and any vehicle associated with the "moving orange box" concept.

"It's a small matter, and we'll resolve it right away. After all, we're all family, so Kyousuke-kun, you must be careful and ensure your own safety. And don't forget to have a good meal together as a family once all the incidents involving unidentified life forms are over!"

"No problem, thank you for your concern."

[Faced with the instructions given by the head of the Kotobuki family at the end of the call, Kousaka Kyosuke calmly complied with the instructions despite the strange looks from his colleagues, without any hesitation.]

Now that he's nearing death, he's utterly fearless. He's too lazy to explain the rumor. As for the final promise, which essentially agreed to marry into the Kotobuki family... Anyway, according to Kousaka Kyousuke's estimation, once all the unidentified lifeforms are resolved, he'll probably be able to rest in peace.

Unless the head of the Kotobuki family wanted his daughter to remain a widow and had his ashes dug out of the grave for a ghost marriage, there would be no need to worry about the other party being furious at him for breaking his promise in this way. Therefore, while Kousaka Kyousuke didn't want to harm the girl, he didn't mind a little deception to help her father out.

"After all, I was already gone by then. You can't say I was deceiving your daughter, right?"

"Damn it! I can't believe I can't find another orange box!"

Zazaru threw the folding fan in her hand, which had been smashed, away and angrily walked in another direction in her high heels.

But just as it walked a short distance, the roar of a motorcycle sounded from the front. A golden-red motorcycle drove towards them and soon passed Zazaru.

The wheels screeched to a halt, and Zaimokuza, having stopped his motorcycle, suddenly turned to look at Zazaru, who had turned back in response to the noise. In stark contrast to the impatience on his face, Zaimokuza's eyes beneath his helmet were as sharp as a drawn blade.

"Number 34!"

[“Tsk~ What a disgusting guy!”]

[Hearing Zaimokuza's question, Zazaru's expression was filled with anger, and she even pulled off her high heels and threw them at Zaimokuza like a shrew.]

"Can't you, the troublemakers, just find a place to die? Stop interrupting other people's games!"

Zaimokuza reached out to catch the high heels thrown by Zazaru, and pulled off his helmet with one hand. After confirming the other party's identity, he didn't want to say a word.

He must quickly deal with this guy and then go to Nagano Prefecture to provide support, as that place is even more important to Zaimokuza!

【“henshin!”】

【Om—】

With a cold, completely different shout, Zaimokuza's entire body was covered in blue armor. The blue pearls inlaid on his wrist armor shimmered, and the high-heeled shoe belonging to Zazaru in his hand rapidly stretched, transforming into a blue-gold short staff.

[Today, Zaimokuza no longer needs to meet specific conditions to use the exclusive weapons of each form. As long as he wants, anything he touches can be his weapon! ]

【"KUUGA...hum!"】

Seeing the blue warrior, whom he had just met, leap out of the car and rush towards him, Zazaru's irritated expression instantly turned as cold as frost and snow. He reached out and swiftly pulled off the earring on his left ear.

"Alright, let's deal with you first, you're the most troublesome guy!"

42. Killing Game (7K)

[“Hey!!!”]

With his customary battle cry, Zaimokuza grasped the end of the Blue Dragon Staff with both hands and swung it. The other end rubbed against the air, producing a sharp, terrifying whistling sound. The staff twisted its straight shape at extreme speed, looking like a blue half-moon suddenly rising in the air.

Zaimokuza's seemingly ordinary swing embodies the essence of the ancient swordsmanship of Satsuma Shikenryu. A swordsman practicing Satsuma Shikenryu accompanies each attack with a strange howl, using this as a psychological cue to unleash their full strength. Their attacks boast overwhelming power and speed, and their signature technique is a downward slash.

[To put it bluntly, it was just an ordinary slash, but the power of the Satsuma Shigenryu slash was fundamentally different from that of ordinary slashes.]

During the late Edo period, the reputation of the Satsuma Shigen-ryu school terrified the shogunate's enemies. Their techniques were all about attack, no defense, and they ignored their opponent's attacks. In a duel, Shigen-ryu possessed overwhelming power and speed. In a standoff, Shigen-ryu would knock the opponent's weapon down with a single blow, cleaving them in half, sword and all!

Zaimokuza has always liked to call himself the reincarnation of a great swordsman, and this isn't entirely exaggerated. Among his two thousand skills, one is related to kendo, and the Satsuma Shigenryu is his best swordsmanship. This is because Zaimokuza actually studied under the Satsuma Shigenryu for a period of time and achieved remarkable results.

When he left the sect, his swordsmanship teacher awarded him the highest achievement a disciple of a kendo school could achieve—Menkyo Kaiden. This indirectly demonstrated Zaimokuza's talent in kendo, and was also an important reason why he liked Kuuga's Titan form so much.

The Satsuma Shigenryu is more of a philosophy and a method of attack. Once you fully master its essence, you don't even need a sword. Zaimokuza used a staff instead of a sword to perform this move. Wherever the staff passed, a sharp whistling sound stimulated the eardrums. Even before it completely chopped down, it swept away the dust on the ground in a circular motion!

The stick struck the ground, and the concrete floor instantly exploded. Spider-web-like cracks spread along the impact point, and cement fragments flew everywhere. But despite its immense power, it missed its intended target.

A blue totem of "water" flashed across the shattered ground where the Blue Dragon Staff touched. Zaimokuza even secretly infused this move with the power of the water element, but ultimately failed.