My youth story cannot be a knight war

"The original lines on that person's body have become blurred, as if erased by an eraser, but..."

Not only Shiina Mashiro's body, but even her voice was trembling violently at this moment, like a moose running helplessly in a storm seeking shelter, and even faint sobbing could be heard.

"Many new lines were forming on that person's body, slowly drawing a terrifying shadow. I had never seen lines like that before. It was so terrifying!"

"That shadow was white, a very pale shadow, with four very sharp right angles on its head. It looked like—"

"demon."

The Titan Sword, swirling with flames, slashed across the air. Looking down from above, it looked like a scarlet folding fan, as red as a gauze, suddenly opened before Zaimokuza, and Gooma was positioned within the fan's arc.

This slash finally left a glowing red wound on Gooma's chest, and a red flame totem appeared above the wound.

But as the building's chest muscles twitched, the torn wounds rapidly healed, and the totem transformed into red light particles and dispersed. Nothing remained except tiny flames burning on its black surface.

[Damn it! Zaimokuza gritted his teeth watching this scene.]

This wasn't the first time. Just now, he had launched at least thirty slashes at the opponent, but before the next slash could reach him, the wounds from the previous slash had already healed, making it look like the opponent had only suffered a single attack from beginning to end.

[The damage left by my own attack is not even as fast as No. 3's own recovery speed!]

【"What's wrong?"】

[Gooma tilted his neck, sneered, and spoke in Gurongi.]

"Is this all you can do? Kuuga~"

At this moment, Gooma's heart was filled with a joy he had never experienced before. This joy grew more intense with each blow Zaimokuza slashed at him, and a tingling sensation like an electric current ran through his spine.

[That's it, this is what I've always wanted to see! ]

The humiliation of having his dignity trampled upon by his own kind, the pain of having his body abused countless times, the resentment of having his desires despised countless times, all of this was reversed at this moment into supreme joy. For the first time since waking from the seal, Gooma felt that being alive was a truly joyful thing.

I've endured so much resentment and despair, even breaking the rules and making enemies of my own kind, to finally gain the strength I now possess to do whatever I please. If I were to follow the customs of this era, my experiences would probably fill a thick book called "My Struggle," its pages thick with blood and tears.

But it was all worth it. The darkness of the past had finally brought light. Gooma felt that he had reached the pinnacle of his life. Now, only one person could catch his eye. Other than that, those of his own kind who had once bullied him were no longer a threat to him.

[As long as I defeat the Daguba I hate the most, no one can stop me from completing "Kikiru"! Invoke "Ultimate Darkness"!]

[And now, all I need to do is kick away the most obstructing stone in the road... Gooma looked at this old enemy who had once frightened him, and felt extremely happy.]

The old king's fate is to be defeated by the new king. Both Daguba and Kuga have become a thing of the past. From now on, there will only be one name for the noble "N" in the clan's history: N-Gooma-ZeGu!

[I will sit upon a pale throne built from the bones of my enemies. Sacrificial banners woven from the skins of the Lindos will rise from the ground with Jiulangyue as the center. The banners embroidered with my totem will flutter, covering the sky. At the top of the banners, Daguba, whose body was pierced by the blade, will be bound with chains. His body will be consumed by flames. It will be a grand burnt sacrifice that announces to the world the birth of a king!]

A deep, hoarse laugh echoed from his throat. To Zaimokuza, Daguba's laughter sounded like the scream of a night owl, as unpleasant as the sound of fingernails scraping against a blackboard.

High School, Class D, Grade 1.

"I used to think that porcupine number 34 was the most repulsive and disgusting creature in Gurongi, but I never thought there were even masters... I have to admit, even someone as broad-minded and tolerant as the Bay of Bengal is starting to feel the strain."

Sitting in his seat, Koenji Rokusuke crossed his legs on the table and looked at the scene imagined by Gooma on the screen. The face that always wore a confident smile in the face of all ridicule and malice slowly retracted the curve of the corners of the mouth, and the expressionless face became as stiff and cold as a rock.

Koenji Rokusuke looked coldly at Gooma, who was laughing hoarsely in the light curtain, with wrinkles in the corners of his eyes. This was the first time he had shown his disgust for an individual so directly.

"These two Gurongi and that Nanyunya are a perfect match. They're both smug clowns who don't know their own worth and only care about their own strengths. The circus animal trainer's fire ring and whip really suit you guys."

Although Zaimokuza had never understood the language of these monsters since they met, he could roughly guess what Gooma meant by the situation. It was probably just another taunt.

[Faced with Gooma's ridicule, Zaimokuza had no intention of responding. After seeing how little damage his normal attack caused, he retreated without hesitation. Then, as his feet touched the bottom, he bounced up again and leaped high with his sword raised in both hands.]

The jewels inlaid on his wrist armor gleamed a dazzling red. Powerful elemental energy poured into the Titan Sword's spirit stone, and the flames on the blade ignited like a flourishing flower in midsummer. He roared and swung the sword at Gooma, who looked up. The flames streaked through the air like a cascade.

This was the "Lion Demonstration" of the Satsuma Demonstration Ryu, and it was Zaimokuza's most mastered swordsmanship move. His former swordsman had demonstrated this move before him. The sheer force of the sword as it was wielded was like a lion lunging at his face, causing Zaimokuza, who was sitting cross-legged at the edge of the dojo, to instinctively lean back.

The power of Zaimokuza's move at this moment was more than a hundred times greater than that of Shifan's. If Shifan's sword was the heroic slash of a human swordsman, then Zaimokuza's sword was like a mountain crumbling before your eyes!

[A powerful explosion echoed again, and the violent wind extinguished the flames burning on the ground around them, causing dust to rise into the air.]

Zaimokuza maintained a half-squatting position, gripping the hilt of the Titan Sword with both hands. Blood flowed from the cracked knuckles of his hands, dripping down.

The sharp blade spun and plunged into the ground, the broken edge still trembling slightly, and the clear sound was like the blade itself wailing.

Gooma lowered his head, a white mark splitting his face in two. He looked at Zaimokuza, who was half-crouching before him, and white mist emanated from both sides of his mouth.

This was the result of Zaimokuza's full-strength attack, and the collision of blade and flesh resulted in the breaking of the divine weapon. Gooma's face was so hard that it even directly broke the Titan Sword, a simple and brutal act that was almost brutal.

[The difference in strength between the two was fully revealed in this attack.]

Zaimokuza, unable to use the fifth element, simply doesn't have the power to compete with Gooma, who has now evolved into his Ultimate form. Even if he could use the other four elements, he would still be no match for him... Zaimokuza knows this very well.

Since receiving the belt, he had never experienced a fight with such a disparity in strength. It was as if he were just a child wielding a bamboo sword, while the opponent was a world-class boxing champion. The bamboo sword struck the boxing champion's well-trained muscles, but it couldn't even leave a scratch, just like the white marks on the opponent's face that have now disappeared.

[But Zaimokuza is no longer the ordinary man he once was. Long battles have transformed him into a perfect warrior, his mind as strong as steel. He will no longer retreat because of the difference in strength between them, and he will certainly not be afraid.]

[He will never stop until he falls completely! ]

He held the broken Titan sword and roared as he charged forward again. The broken blade was engulfed in flames as he swung it towards Gooma's neck.

[The sword stopped just before it reached his neck, the flames dissipated, revealing the blade trembling weakly.]

Gooma blocked the blow—his right hand extended to the left, three fingers gripping the broad blade of the Titan Sword. However hard Zaimokuza's hands on the sword tried, they couldn't move even a millimeter forward.

"I'm tired of playing~"

[Looking at Zaimokuza's compound eyes so close, Gooma's voice was filled with annoyance and impatience. He pulled back his fingers on the sword, and the hilt of the Titan Sword was pulled out from his tightly clenched palms with a spurt of blood.]

Gooma then kicked Zaimokuza in the abdomen. Zaimokuza's tall body suddenly bent down with a muffled groan, and a transparent sonic boom cloud passed through his back and exploded behind him.

The next second, Zaimokuza was thrown backward like a cannonball into a house. The burning house collapsed and shattered under the impact, and the smoke and dust that rose into the sky buried him completely.

This scene brought back memories of the fight that had broken out between Gooma and Gadoru at the factory in Kita-ku, Tokyo that morning. However, Gooma, who had been the victim of that fight, had switched sides in just one afternoon.

Chiba Prefecture, Sobu High School, Service Club.

"What a joke!"

Looking at the battle on the screen that could no longer be described as "crushing" but only as "torture", Tobe Sho's eyes almost popped out of their sockets, and even his voice became stammering in fear.

"Is this still the same weak Number 3 who was always used by Gurongi as a vent for his anger?! What on earth happened to this guy? He actually beat Zaimokuza so hard that he couldn't even fight back!"

Although not as exaggerated as him, the expressions of the others present were also extremely serious, especially Zaimokuza himself. His expression was so wrinkled that it seemed as if water had condensed out of it, and his hands on his knees were clenched into fists.

"We completely misjudged Number Three's current strength. It's surprisingly this powerful... What on earth was that fragment it used earlier?"

A drop of cold sweat ran down his forehead, and Hayato Hayama felt that his voice had become very dry.

"The current Number Three is already far more powerful than any previous Gurongi. Even if the future Zaimokuza-san and Kousaka-san were to join forces, there's no way they could defeat Number Three. Their chances of winning are practically zero!"

"But there's still a chance of winning."

Hikigaya, who also had a frown on his face, suddenly spoke up. His words also attracted other people's attention. Yukinoshita suppressed her uneasiness and asked.

"Hikigaya-kun, have you discovered anything? Is it possible that Zaimokuza and the others can still turn the tide?"

"No... Although I don't want to admit it, Number Three is too strong right now. Without the ability to use the fifth element, even if Zaimokuza and Kousaka join forces, they won't be a match for this guy. That's a fact."

Hikigaya shook his head and directly expressed his pessimistic view, which made Yukinoshita raise his eyebrows.

"Then why do you say they still have a chance of winning?"

"Although they can't defeat number three, they do still have a chance of winning...it's just that the odds are not on their side."

"...!"

After hearing these words, Zaimokuza's body suddenly shook. He turned his head and stared at Hikigaya intently, and said hesitantly.

"Hachiman, don't you mean?"

"Yes."

Hikigaya nodded, confirming Zaimokuza's guess, and said.

"The future human faction is indeed nearing its end, but the Gurongi faction may not be. At least one of them should be able to deal with the current Number Three."

“Number Zero…!?”

Zaimokuza, with Hikigaya's reminder, remembered this existence that had been forgotten in the development of a series of tight plots, and immediately widened his eyes and murmured.

"Yes! It seems that No. 0 is also heading towards the ruins now! But... will it really help Zaimokuza and the others to deal with No. 3?"

Shizuka Hiratsuka clapped her hands in surprise and said this, but her tone soon became hesitant.

"You know, No. 0 and No. 3 are from the same clan! How could it possibly help an outsider kill one of its own clan? Is it just because Kuuga and it might be 'brothers'? Uh..."

Seeing Zaimokuza's expression suddenly become serious, Shizuka Hiratsuka shut her mouth in disappointment after realizing she had said the wrong thing.

"...For those Gurongi, even brothers will be killed if they get in the way of their game. Not to mention that we don't even know if the story about Kuuga and Zero is true, so that's definitely not the reason."

Hikigaya glanced at Hiratsuka Shizuka speechlessly, then explained.

"I believe that the reason Number Zero will help Zaimokuza and the others deal with Number Three is because, while the Gurongi are brutal and bloodthirsty, they also value following the rules. Number Three was already ostracized by all the Gurongi for breaking the rules and killing someone before the start of 'Kikiru'. Not to mention this time, he directly interfered with Number Thirty-Four's game and was so audacious as to attack the referee. No matter how you look at it, this is a complete violation of all the rules."

"Furthermore, in the eyes of the Gurongis, Zaimokuza and Kousaka are supposedly obstacles used to increase the difficulty of the game. In other words, they are actually part of the game's operating system to some extent. Therefore, they will not be attacked by the other Gurongis before their own game begins. The warning from B1 when No. attacked him is the best proof of this."

"Even if you say so, Xiaoqi... can Number Zero really defeat Number Three?"

Yuigahama clenched her hands, her fair face full of worry.

"After all, the current number three looks so strong."

"can."

Hikigaya answered this question decisively without any hesitation.

"Regarding the golden fragment that Number Three used to strengthen it to this extent, I now have a guess. If my guess is correct..."

A visible haze covered Hikigaya's eyes, and his voice was filled with low pressure, making everyone who heard it feel inexplicably depressed.

"Number Zero... His power is probably far beyond our imagination."

Zaimokuza swung his hand vigorously to clear away the debris that had buried him. He took just a few steps when a painful groan escaped his throat. He fell powerlessly to his knees, supporting himself with one hand and clutching his abdomen with the other.

He felt as if his abdomen were being struck by a steel battering ram. His consciousness had nearly been shaken out of his body just now, and now his abdomen was churning even more violently. A mouthful of blood spurted out of his open mouth, staining the dirt at his feet red.

[“Hmm…”]

He raised his head with difficulty, watching Gooma slowly walk towards him. His hands, supporting the ground, clenched into fists unwillingly, gripping a handful of dirt in his palms.

Although he knew he couldn't defeat his current opponent, Zaimokuza never expected the battle to be so one-sided, and Number Three didn't even seem to be taking it seriously.

[Sorry, Buchou, I'm afraid I really can't make it this time...]

[“It’s time to end it.”]

Looking at Zaimokuza kneeling before him, Gooma raised his right hand without a trace of pity. His five claws, harder and sharper than steel, gleamed like cold steel in the flames.

It swung down towards Zaimokuza's head. If it hit, the force would be enough to shatter his skull.

【But the prerequisite is that you can win the shot. 】

[“——Ugh!”]

The swinging hand suddenly stopped, its sharp fingertips only a few centimeters away from Zaimokuza's head. With the sharpness of its claws, it was likely that it would pierce Zaimokuza's skull like tearing paper the moment it made contact.

Gooma stumbled back several steps, covering his forehead with his hands, wailing in pain, his body convulsing violently.

【“!?”】

【Seeing the other party's reaction, Zaimokuza was stunned for a moment, then when he realized what was happening, he turned around and looked behind him in surprise.】

【“Mr. Kosaka!”】

"That idiot... I told you not to rush so fast alone."

[On the national highway in Soba Village, Kousaka Kyosuke leaned against the police car, placed the activated device on the hood, and looked at the scene in the distance with a cold look.]

After confirming that this specially designed sound wave device had an effect on Gooma, Kousaka Kyosuke immediately turned the device's power to maximum. Powerful infrasound waves, imperceptible to human hearing, spread forward from the loudspeaker. The intensity far exceeded that of the previous sound waves, directly drowning Gooma.

Gooma, caught in the sound waves, felt as if a sharp whistle had transformed into a blade and pierced his ears. His brain felt as if it were trembling slightly, and intense nausea and pain surged rapidly. Because the semicircular canals that controlled his balance were severely damaged, his entire body swayed like a small boat in a rainstorm.

"Now! Zaimokuza!"

【"clear!"】

[Kousaka Kyosuke shouted coldly. Zaimokuza stood up, suppressing the pain in his abdomen. Red flames swirled around his body, transforming into a flaming scarf that moved automatically without any wind at his neck.]

【Kuga·Almighty Form·Elemental Awakening (Flame)】

Unable to use the fifth element, Zaimokuza chose to activate the strongest of the four elements, fire. Of all the elements he currently possesses, fire is the only one that can rival the fifth element in terms of destructive power, and perhaps the only element that can cause damage to Gooma right now.

A massive crimson totem of flame appeared beneath his feet, transforming into red light particles at a speed far greater than before, pouring into the jewel of his right foot. Facing Gooma, who struggled with his head in his hands, Zaimokuza, having fully accumulated his energy, leaped forward, crimson flames exploding beneath his leaping foot.

[“Oh my god!!!”]

Zaimokuza flips forward in the air, flames enveloping the soles of his feet in a giant fireball. He roars and kicks at Gooma, his power like a meteorite falling from the sky.

【“!”】