My youth story cannot be a knight war

Gooma clenched his fists, flapped his wings, and quickly soared upwards. His figure immediately disappeared from their sight, leaving only a cruel word in his wake.

[“This time, I will definitely kill you!!!”]

[“…Ugh! Zaimokuza!??”]

[Watching Gooma's back disappear from his sight, Kousaka Kyosuke, stunned, suddenly came to his senses and immediately looked towards Zaimokuza, who was lying in front of him.]

……

【"Come out! Daguba!"】

A frantic roar echoed through the silent woods. The sound of Gooma's feet crushing broken wood was so piercing. It scanned the dense forest, searching for someone it wanted to fight.

[“Come out! Let’s have a duel between warriors!”]

A strange white mist had quietly filled the air around him. Gooma waved his hands vigorously, creating a whirlwind, but the mist seemed solid and could not be dispersed no matter what he did. This made Gooma, already overwhelmed by his fighting spirit, feel irritated.

"Don't hide like a coward! Come out! Face your death like a warrior!"

It flapped its wings, stood in the center of the thick fog, and roared with its head raised. The roar echoed far and wide through the fog until it could no longer be heard.

[“Huh—Huh—Huh—”]

Gooma panted violently, its voice echoing through the woods, devoid of any sound except its own. It was like entering a strange realm shrouded in silence, swallowing up all sounds except its own.

It clenched its fists and shifted its gaze cautiously, knowing full well that the other party was right here.

Gooma could feel a tingling sensation on his skin, a sense of danger brought on by the opponent. The opponent's aura permeated every inch of the space, as if it had completely transformed this place into his own domain. It felt like there were sights directed at him from all directions, but Gooma couldn't find the opponent's specific location.

To prevent a surprise attack, it could only stand still and take defensive actions, quietly waiting for the moment when the opponent would launch an attack and then launch a counterattack.

The surrounding haze enveloped Gooma. It gazed at its surroundings, now blinded by the sight of anything, and waited patiently.

The wind had ceased at some point, and the clouds that had obscured the moon in the sky quietly dissipated, letting the cool moonlight shine through—! ! ! ! ! !

An unprecedented sense of crisis instantly exploded within him, every cell in his body wailed, and the horrifying aura of death flowed through every inch of his skin.

A huge black shadow appeared in the white mist behind Gooma. A demonic sound echoed in his ears, and he immediately looked back in horror.

……

[“Damn it! The injury is too severe!”]

[Kousaka Kyousuke tore a piece of his windbreaker and bandaged it across his chest wound. Enduring the severe pain, he crawled over to Zaimokuza's side. After carefully examining his condition, his teeth rubbed against each other, making a crisp sound.]

【"Well……"】

Zaimokuza's pale, purple lips moved, as if he wanted to say something.

"Don't talk. You're in such a bad condition right now that you can't move."

[Kousaka shook his head and said that he didn't even dare to move Zaimokuza, lest he cause secondary damage to the opponent.]

He groped around with one hand, pulled out his phone, and tapped the screen. A screen saver of a girl in a dress with long beige hair and a sweet smile lit up. The reflection on his face made Kousaka Kyosuke breathe a sigh of relief. Luckily, his phone wasn't broken.

[Kousaka's previous cell phone had been damaged in combat in Fukushima Prefecture. This one was given to him by Kotobuki, who claimed it was comparable in quality to the most advanced military equipment, had an independent satellite communication line, and was extremely difficult to damage.]

It now appears that the other party was not exaggerating. This phone is good in every way, the only problem being that the screensaver cannot be changed for some reason. Kousaka Kyousuke used to be very distressed by this, but when he saw this screensaver, he felt a slight warmth in his heart.

[This proves that everything he has done so far is meaningful. The smile on this screensaver is the best proof that everything he has done is worth it.]

He looked at Zaimokuza, who was almost completely covered in blood, and covered his chest, which was still bleeding, while gasping for breath.

[“Hmm…Hold on! I’ll call an ambulance right away…”]

A dazzling light illuminated Zaimokuza's pale face, and Kousaka Kyosuke was stunned... It was night time, and there were no lights on, so where did such a bright light come from?

A pillar of fire suddenly rose from the outside of the pit, swirling and piercing the clouds. It continued to rise without stopping, radiating astonishing light and heat.

It was already night, but the brightness of the pillar of fire was truly astonishing. After passing through the clouds, the light it released completely illuminated the pitch-black night sky. It was as if time had reversed, returning to noon, more than ten hours earlier. The "sunlight" felt warm on my face.

【“——”】

[Kousaka Kyosuke looked at the sky that had completely turned into daylight. He lost his voice for a moment and stared blankly at all this. The phone he had raised to his ear fell silently.]

If the sound of Gooma falling from the clouds with Zaimoku Zaimoku just now was comparable to a meteorite hitting the ground, then the scene happening before our eyes was like a supernova explosion in a distant galaxy.

The unrivaled power even caused the sky to tremble. The pitch-black night was completely ignited, and the surrounding air rapidly heated up. Japan's already fully autumn weather felt like it had suddenly arrived in Hawaii.

Kousaka Kyosuke looked at the pillar of fire in front of him that completely obscured his vision. His entire body was illuminated in a fiery red, and his irises reflected the blazing flames. For a moment, only this color remained between heaven and earth, nothing else.

Faintly, Kousaka Kyosuke seemed to hear a hoarse wail beside his ear, a wail filled with unspeakable pain, despair, and fear. And the voice sounded strangely familiar.

That was the voice of Number Three, the unidentified lifeform that had slaughtered the entire Outeba Village and displayed an unmatched power in the battle against them, as powerful and brutal as an evil god. The other party's hoarse tone was particularly recognizable.

[But this devilish voice was so terrifying at this moment, like a frightened child facing a real demon, howling shrilly, as if calling for help.]

[Finally, as the pillar of fire dissipated, the sky turned from day to night again, and its voice completely disappeared into the darkness, never to be heard again.]

62. Encounter (Happy New Year!!!)

After the pillar of fire that pierced the sky and the earth dissipated, a dark figure fell from mid-air to the edge of the pit. The impact made a loud noise as it landed, and dust rose up.

【“!?”】

The loud noise also brought Kousaka Kyosuke out of his trance. He looked cautiously toward the pit where dust was rising. Then he saw a pitch-black arm extending from the pit. The arm was covered with fiery red stripes, looking like a newly burned charcoal.

A figure tumbled down from the edge of the pit. Kousaka Kyousuke was startled, and without caring about Zaimokuza's injuries, he quickly grabbed his clothes and pulled them towards him. Zaimokuza narrowly missed the figure, and the figure fell to the ground where Zaimokuza had been.

【"This is……!"】

[Kousaka Kyousuke carried the unconscious Zaimokuza aside, looking in astonishment at the... the humanoid figure in front of them.]

The only word he could think of to describe this figure was "deadly." Every part of its body was charred black, covered in the same dense crimson lines he had just seen. A white mist of intense heat rose from its body, and a faint, burnt aroma, like that of scorched steak, lingered in the night air... This completely charred figure lay motionless in the cracked earth, presumably already dead.

【Suddenly, the charred fingers moved a few times.】

This terrifying sight was so terrifying that Kousaka Kyosuke's face suddenly changed drastically. He ignored the wound on his chest and dragged Zaimokuza backwards with one hand. With the other hand, he pulled a revolver from his windbreaker. After releasing the safety with one hand, he pointed the gun at the figure, his finger firmly on the trigger, ready to fire at any moment.

[As if sensing the presence of someone ahead, the figure trembled. All its hair was burned off, leaving only a charred, bald head. It slowly raised its head from the dirt and looked towards Zaimokuza and Kousaka not far ahead.]

When he finally saw the other man's face, even someone as calm as Kousaka Kyousuke couldn't help but gasp, and the muzzle of his gun, steady as a pillar, shook. It was simply because the scene before him was too horrifying.

The other person's dark face was also covered with dense red cracks. His eyes were wide open, but no eyeballs could be seen inside.

The terrifying heat had completely incinerated the opponent's eyeballs into two pitch-black charcoal balls, their edges covered in bloodshot red lines. The eyelids had been burned, leaving the two charcoal balls completely exposed to the air.

[It was like a heinous criminal who had escaped from a scorching hell. Even in the most violent films, it is difficult to see such a terrifying face.]

【“…”】

The humanoid's mouth opened, revealing an equally dark cavity. What should have been a tongue moved, as if it were speaking. However, because its vocal cords had been burned, it couldn't utter a single syllable.

[But these are not the most terrifying things for Kousaka Kyosuke. The real horror is that he recognizes this face.]

Even though the original face had been ravaged beyond recognition by the flames, Kousaka, a longtime criminal investigator, knew that many bodies at crime scenes had faces with disfigured features. Therefore, using the remaining lines and shapes of facial features to separate them in his mind and reconstruct the deceased's general appearance was a skill essential for a seasoned detective. Though Kousaka Kyousuke had only been a police officer for a few years, these skills had already been honed to perfection.

[And after Kousaka Kyosuke used this skill to dissociate the features of this charred humanoid figure in his brain and piece together its face, he was so shocked that he almost let go of the gun handle.]

"Number Three???"

Looking at the humanoid's face, Kousaka spoke out its codename in disbelief. It was the humanoid form of the third unidentified life form listed in the Metropolitan Police Department's records, and its facial features matched perfectly with those in the records and photographs.

[…But how could the person who was so lively and energetic just now become like this?]

Gooma, now completely speechless and blind, seemed to have heard Kousaka Kyosuke's voice and immediately moved its charred body towards them. Even though its body had become so horrible, its strong physique still prevented it from dying. It was even able to move. This terrifying vitality was simply astonishing and speechless.

[When he saw Gooma crawling towards him, although he was still in shock, when he recognized who it was and saw it move, Kousaka immediately pulled the trigger of the pistol without hesitation. At this moment, Gooma's palm had already grasped his right ankle, which was wrapped in his trouser leg.]

【Bang bang bang bang bang bang——】

Six shots rang out, and the nerve-shredding bullets that burst from the revolver's muzzle all hit Gooma's forehead. Takasaka's shooting skills were undeniable. At such a close distance, all six bullets hit the same spot, making the bullet holes look like they were fired from just one shot.

[At this moment, Gooma, who had been hit in the forehead by a bullet, simultaneously emitted dazzling sparks from the back of his head, but no blood or brain matter splattered. Only black ash and sparks floated out from the hole in the back of his head.]

A large hole pierced Gooma's head. Kousaka Kyosuke, standing directly in front of it, could even see through it into the dirt of the pit across from it. The inside was the same charred, reddish-black hue as its outer surface... Even its brain had been burned to charcoal, yet it managed to survive for a few moments. This outrageous vitality would put even tardigrades in awe.

But Kousaka Kyosuke's six shots were like the last straw that broke the camel's back. The Gooma, hit by the bullet, suddenly stopped moving. A thick white mist rose from its grip on Kousaka's ankle, revealing its current high body temperature.

[Gooma's charred eyes could clearly see nothing now, but Kousaka Kyosuke felt that the two charcoal balls were staring straight at him, and felt a hysterical fear, pain, and...]

【despair. 】

[Sasha——]

The arm gripping Kousaka Kyosuke's ankle suddenly collapsed, disintegrating from the fingertips into scattered ash, flickering with a faint glow. Gooma's head, with a large hole in it, collapsed shortly afterward. Its entire body slowly turned to ash as Kousaka Kyosuke watched. With a gust of cold night wind, these ashes, representing the last traces of its existence in this world, drifted away until they were no longer visible.

[Unconfirmed life form number three, confirmed dead.]

[“Hmm…”]

The empty revolver fell to the ground. Kousaka Kyosuke gritted his teeth and pulled his right foot out of the ashes. He saw that the trouser leg at the ankle had been burned, and the skin underneath was covered with charred burn marks. He had been burned.

The remaining ashes of Gooma were slowly blown away by the wind, and a faint golden reflection was faintly visible among the ashes.

"vomit--!!!!!!"

Dalu Bingzang buried his face in the trash can and vomited violently. Everything he had eaten today was completely vomited out from his stomach along with acid. It was obvious that he could not bear this scene, which was so heavy that it was too simple to describe it as a heavy taste.

"Hmm... Although I had expected this damn bat to die miserably, to die in such a graceful and refined manner is still an extraordinary feat... It's truly a creature that tries so hard to disgust others even before its death."

Dila's bird-like face twitched a little. It covered its mouth with one wing and complained in a pretentiously elegant tone.

"...Tsk!"

The constant vomiting sounds and sour smell coming from behind made Dila frown fiercely. He suppressed the cramping of his stomach, turned around and kicked Dalu Bingzang on the leg, and said angrily.

"Give me some more! Your tolerance is truly terrible! Young man! If you want to throw up, get out of here! Have you never eaten roasted bat? It's one of our country's specialties. How about I treat you to a meal later to broaden your horizons? It tastes just like chewing beef!"

“Ugh…!?”

It would have been better if it hadn't said anything. When Dalubingzang, whose condition had barely improved, heard the word "roasted bat" in Dila's words, he raised his head and buried it in the trash can again. This time, he even vomited out stomach acid.

Dalu Bingzang vomited until his body collapsed on the floor. He held the trash can with both hands and buried his head in it. He almost completely lost consciousness, and his hands and feet were twitching subconsciously.

This time, Dila covered his face with both wings and distanced himself from Dalu Bingzang. He glanced at him with disgust, turned his head, and muttered:

"Is that all? If he really catches up with the little girl and plans to start a family, I'm afraid he'll be so nervous that he faints when he proposes to her father... Hmm!???"

Dila glanced at the light screen out of the corner of his eye. He was about to continue watching what was going to happen next, but suddenly he let out a surprised sound and stopped moving abruptly.

"Hey, hey, hey, no way?"

Its eyelids twitched violently and its eyes flickered in surprise and suspicion.

"What does this monster want...? Didn't it already kill the dead bat it was targeting? Isn't it planning to just leave?"

"Zaimokuza, hold on! Ugh..."

Kousaka Kyousuke tugged at the unconscious Zaimokuza's clothes and, with one hand, grasped the dirt in the pit, using this method to leverage the force to move both of their bodies outward. Not only was Zaimokuza unable to move, but he himself was also severely injured. Neither of them could stand, so this was the only method left.

The entire Waichang Village had been razed to the ground in the recent battle, and even the original terrain had been destroyed by the aftermath of the battle. The original river and road had been completely rerouted. In this situation, even if an ambulance was called, it would not be able to get in. The only option was to call a professional rescue helicopter.

[Regarding their current injuries, they shouldn't have moved and should have stayed where they were and waited for help. However, Kousaka had a strange feeling that something terrible might happen if they stayed there. His intuition was always right on this point.]

[“Hmm!?”]

Kosaka grabbed a rock at the edge of the pit, but just as he was about to exert force, the rock was suddenly pulled out. Momentarily losing his strength, he instinctively used his body to protect the nearby Zaimokuba. Both of them slid toward the bottom of the pit again.

[“Damn it! Looks like we can only wait here for help…”]

[Kousaka, sprawled on the ground, sighed helplessly. He stared at the pit with a dark, uncertain look in his eyes. The sense of danger in his heart hadn't diminished in the slightest, but he had no other options left, so he could only resign himself to his fate.]

He used both hands to prop up his upper body, while simultaneously grabbing Zaimokuza's clothes, trying to help him find a more comfortable position to lie flat. In the process, his eyes couldn't help but glance at the pile of ashes that once belonged to Gooma at the edge of the pit.

[“Hmm? That’s…”]

Kosaka suddenly stopped, his brow furrowed as he stared at a sharp corner in the ashes that reflected a faint golden glow. It was a golden fragment that was half submerged in the ashes.

[Since the unconfirmed life form No. 1, all Gurongi have left behind a strange mysterious substance after being annihilated. Kousaka Kyousuke is very familiar with this matter, because the G system he uses is manufactured using this substance as raw material.]

Although the true nature of these substances is unknown, their properties and origins clearly dictate that they cannot be left unattended. Therefore, Kousaka is tasked with collecting all of these substances during the post-war cleanup of the battlefield.

Because the battle was so intense and the two men were so severely injured, they had no time to pay attention. Seeing the third man reduced to ash before his eyes made Kousaka subconsciously think that everything about him had been reduced to ash as well. And because he was worried about Zaimokuza's injuries, he forgot to check again carefully.

"This color isn't right. It doesn't match the black substance left behind by the Gurongi after their deaths."

He looked at the golden fragment that was faintly visible in the ashes and felt that it was completely different from the material left behind by the Gurongi of the previous "GO" Group after their death. The color and shape alone were completely different.

A bold guess suddenly came to Kousaka's mind. Could this be the reason why Number Three became so powerful?

This speculation immediately gave him a shocking feeling. If it was true, the rewards he could gain would be far beyond his imagination. Perhaps by studying this fragment, he could find out why it suddenly went from being weak to being so formidable. He could even replicate it through technological means, thereby increasing humanity's combat power!