My youth story cannot be a knight war

【“…”】

[Faced with these heart-wrenching words, Zaimokuza couldn't utter any more words.]

“I don’t want to do this, but this is the only way.”

Kosaka patted Zaimokuza's shoulder. He looked at the crying girls in front of him, especially Kotobuki, and his voice became low unconsciously.

"B1's strength remains a mystery. With our current abilities, protecting just one person is the limit. Adding even one more person would be disastrous... So she has no choice but to leave. This is for everyone's benefit."

"Due to work, I can't devote much energy to this, so you have to do this."

After saying this, he turned to look at Kousaka Reina beside him.

"Reina, have the principal come with us for a moment. We need to have a serious talk about... the suspension."

"Don't worry, cousin."

Kosaka Reina nodded silently, and Kosaka walked past Zaimokuza, who lowered his head, leaving behind a whisper so soft it was almost inaudible.

"We must leave here before the sun sets, otherwise it will be too dangerous."

“So, let Akiyama cherish the remaining time and say goodbye to his friends.”

Listening to the sound of footsteps fading away, Zaimokuza silently turned back to look at the girls hugging each other, and happened to meet Akiyama Mio's raised gaze.

The two of them hadn't chosen to avoid any secrets in their conversation just now. From this distance, they could hear everything clearly. So, although the girl, who already knew the outcome, had a dim look in her eyes, she still bit her lip and nodded gently to Zaimokuza. The tears in her eyes stung his heart.

Zaimokuza silently watched Akiyama Mio, who was forcing herself to be tough, and slowly clenched his right hand into a fist before gently releasing it.

He walked over, put his hands on the shoulders of Yui Hirasawa and Ritsu Tainaka, and turned them both towards him.

[“…Yihui-nii?”]

Hirasawa Yui sobbed, looking at Zaimokuza with tearful eyes, her voice choked with sobs.

【"……It's fine."】

Zaimokuza reached out and wiped away the tears from her face. He looked around at the girls who also had tears in their eyes and spoke softly, a smile slowly spreading across his face.

"Don't worry, Xiao Mio will be back soon, because these things will be over soon."

"Is what you said true?"

[Taizhong Ritsu stared at Zaimokuza intently, reached out and grabbed his arm, questioning him, his palms squeezing so hard that his skin almost turned pale.]

"Will Mio really come back?"

【"I promise."】

Zaimokuza reached out and placed his hand on her head, removing the headband. Her short, smooth hair fell down, and her tomboyish aura vanished. The softness of a woman was revealed in Tianzhong Ritsu. He gazed into her eyes and solemnly assured her.

"Mio will definitely come back, and you will definitely be able to hold a concert at the Budokan. I have a promise with you."

"The day when you two can perform together at the Budokan will definitely come."

……

[Under a certain railway bridge in Shinjuku, Tokyo.]

Gadoru, wearing a military uniform, held a wooden sign in his right hand and walked on the sidewalk with an expressionless face. His attire attracted many people's attention and whispers, but he did not react.

[When walking to a corner where few people go, Gadoru's boots suddenly paused and he turned to look towards the corner.]

[…It seems you’ve finished your work.]

[“Shushu—you too.”]

Baruba said this while leaning against a pillar at the corner. She looked at the wall in front of her, holding the bottle of milk tea she had brought with her in one hand and drinking it through a straw. The sound of the liquid flowing echoed in the silent corner.

Gadoru said nothing more. He raised his hand and threw the carved wooden sign into the air, sending it soaring towards Baruba. The streak of light that swept through the air was as swift as a swooping peregrine falcon.

Baruba reached out to take the wooden plaque and held it up to her eyes. When she saw the words written on it, her gaze was fixed for a moment, and even the milk tea in her straw slipped back down.

[“…This is really a big deal. Are you sure you really want to make this your rule of the game?”]

She placed the remaining milk tea on the nearby iron railing and waved the wooden sign to ask Gadoru.

"Ah, it's decided."

Gadoru turned to face Baruba. His posture and demeanor were that of a battle-hardened soldier; even the most discerning instructor couldn't find fault with him. His voice was as deep and profound as the rolling of bedrock.

"Then let's get started."

Baruba glanced at him, then slowly raised his other hand. The ferocious-looking ring striker on his middle finger gleamed coldly in the dim light of the corner, like the sting of a poisonous bee. A strange golden-green light flowed from the tip of the striker, giving people a chill.

"Wait, now is not the time."

“Do you have any questions?”

Unexpectedly, Gadoru raised his hand to stop the conversation. Baruba then lowered his finger and calmly began to question.

[“Now, I have discovered the clue of new power.”]

“Before the game begins, I hope to be given a seven-day buffer period so that I can try to master this power.”

Gadoru explained in his deep voice, a golden light flowing deep within his eyes, like a river of molten gold, dazzling beyond words.

"At that time, I will enter the 'Game of White and Darkness' with my strongest form."

[“…Alright, then it’s as you wish.”]

Baruba was silent for a moment, then spoke. Having received permission, Gadoru turned without hesitation and quickly walked towards the other side of the intersection.

[“A new power…”]

[Fiddling with the wooden plaque, Baruba's eyes, as deep as an ancient well, became unusually complex at this moment. A variety of emotions flowed through them, but in the end, they all returned to calm.]

She turned her head and looked to the other side, gazing at the sky divided by the crisscrossing bridges above her head, muttering to herself.

"Seven days... By then, the other side should be almost finished, right?"

19. The Silent Howl of Wind and Rain (A Moment of Silence)

Bellissimo Ricordo restaurant, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo.

08:05 AM

"In recent days, a mysterious 'white night' phenomenon has appeared near the Earth's equator, a phenomenon typically seen only in mid- and high-latitude regions. Sometimes accompanied by the appearance of an auroral curtain, it has been witnessed in equatorial countries like Gabon, Uganda, and Kiribati. This unprecedented and bizarre natural phenomenon has sparked heated debate among meteorologists and naturalists worldwide, who suspect it could be..."

The TV host's voice echoed in the store from the TV turned on at the counter, and the store was filled with many customers who came to have breakfast. While the students were still sleeping, the adults had already started working for their livelihood.

As a Japanese standard JK who is still in her second year of high school, Akiyama Mio once had a strange curiosity about this atmosphere that her classmates said represented "maturity", but after a few days, this feeling disappeared completely, and the only feeling she had was that adult life is really not easy.

"This is your store's strawberry toast, please try it."

After placing the guests' ordered meals on the table, Akiyama Mio, dressed in a maid outfit, walked back and forth holding a tray. Her flowing black hair and headscarf became a new beautiful landscape in the restaurant, attracting the attention of many male customers and students, and also made her feel a little uncomfortable. Although the hem of the dress was already above the knee, she still subconsciously wanted to pull the skirt down.

After delivering the last meal, Akiyama Mio, who had nothing to do for a while, leaned against the pillar with the tray in her arms, took a deep breath, and turned to look at the scene outside the window.

I still feel like I'm in a dream and haven't woken up yet...

Looking at the traffic going back and forth outside the window, Akiyama Mio couldn't help but be dazed, and didn't even hear the sound ringing close to her ears.

"Ms. Akiyama?"

"Alas!?"

A hand suddenly touched her shoulder. Because of the special nature of her clothes, the hand directly touched Akiyama Mio's fair skin. The close contact of skin gave her a cool feeling, which caught Akiyama Mio off guard and made her scream.

"Yeah, sorry!"

Not only the person who called her was frightened by this reaction, but even the other people sitting in the restaurant at this time turned their eyes here. Noticing her own embarrassment, Akiyama Mio's face turned red all of a sudden. She hugged the black tray with both hands and bowed hurriedly to apologize. Her long hair wrapped in a white headscarf drew an arc in the air like the vibration of butterfly wings.

"Asahina-senpai, I'm sorry! I was distracted."

With a bitter face, Akiyama Mio turned to look at the chestnut-haired girl who had patted her shoulder from behind, and said timidly.

"No, I just noticed you looked a little strange, so I wanted to remind you... Did I make you angry?"

Unexpectedly, Asahina Mikuru on the opposite side responded weakly with an attitude that was even more timid than Akiyama Mio. Her big chestnut eyes were sparkling and she was about to cry, which made the already embarrassed Akiyama Mio feel a headache.

"No, no, no, this is my fault! It has nothing to do with you, Asahina-san! Don't mind it!"

From childhood to adulthood, Akiyama Mio had always been self-aware of how timid she was. Even the cicadas chirping in the tree in her garden during the summer would scare her so much that she wouldn't dare approach the living room window for days. She had originally thought she was rare to be this timid, but she hadn't expected someone as timid as her to be so skilled.

She had some impression of this girl named Asahina before, but after living under the same roof with her for a few days, she realized how weak a person could be.

It's no exaggeration to say that even at night, when she heard the wind whipping leaves against the closed window, Akiyama Mio would wake up with a start. But it wasn't the rustling of the wind pouring in through the cracks that woke her, but when she opened her eyes slightly at the noise, she saw Asahina on the bed opposite her, curled up in the quilt, her teeth chattering non-stop. The most amazing thing was that she was shining a flashlight on her face from bottom to top while wrapped in the quilt... Her appearance was like a female ghost who had died unjustly.

That night, Akiyama Mio's screams echoed throughout the restaurant. Zaimokuza, hearing the commotion, rushed in at lightning speed, but before he could even take in the scene inside, she screamed even louder and hurled a pillow at him. The rest of the night was filled with turmoil and sleeplessness. The next day, while washing up, Akiyama Mio noticed in the mirror that her face was so haggard, as if she had entered menopause.

That night had completely changed Mio Akiyama's understanding of human fear, and over the next few days, she had gained a whole new understanding of Asahina Mikuru. To be frank, Mio Akiyama felt it was a miracle that she had managed to grow up safely.

When she goes to the street to buy vegetables, she is easily cheated by unscrupulous merchants and has to pay 30% more than the original price. She often gets lost when walking on familiar roads. A newborn cat can ride on her head and show off its power, scaring people to the point of crying but not daring to move at all... Mio Akiyama feels that if someone in the world compiles a ranking list of humans, the name "Asahina Mikuru" will definitely be listed at the bottom of the list. After all, it is a shame for humans that they cannot beat a kitten that has not even grown a claw yet.

Although she was nominally a waitress working in Akiyama Mio's restaurant, she could see that neither the senior Zaimokuza Yoshiki nor the store manager Kawasaki Saki regarded her as an employee, but as a child who had not grown up, or even treated her like a mascot. The favor she received in this restaurant was probably second only to her younger sister Kawasaki Kyoka, who was treated like a daughter by Kawasaki Saki.

"Ah~"

After gently persuading this cute senior who looked like the reincarnation of a coward to leave, Akiyama Mio sighed while holding the tray in her arms, her eyes full of worry. She really couldn't understand why things had turned out like this.

"Why, you still haven't gotten used to the life here?"

"Tsurumi-san..."

The faint female voice from next door made Akiyama Mio turn her head and see a girl in a school uniform similar to a nun's uniform sitting on a chair next to her, sipping a cup of coffee gently. Her white fingers were even more slender than the cup handle, as if they were carved from delicate jade.

Although Akiyama Mio was once regarded as a beauty by her childhood sweetheart, Ritsu Tainaka, she always felt a sense of inferiority whenever she saw Tsurumi Rumi.

Honestly, their looks were roughly equal in terms of cuteness, but when it came to temperament, Akiyama Mio felt that even ten of her could not match Tsurumi Rumi. Although she was only a senior in her year, her calm and steady aura made her unconsciously treat her like an elder, a sentiment that Mio, who had always admired mature women, envied.

"You've been here for almost a week. Are you living here well?"

Tsurumi Rumi put down the coffee in her hand and glanced at Akiyama Mio, who was wearing a maid outfit. Although her tone was still calm, Akiyama Mio still heard the hidden concern in her words. After a moment of silence, she shook her head and nodded slightly.

"Thank you for your concern, Tsurumi-san. I... can't say I've completely gotten used to life here, but everyone in the store, whether it's the manager or Zaimokuza-san, has been very kind to me. All in all, I feel more at ease now than on my first day here."

"...That's good. Thank you for your hard work."

Tsurumi Rumi, who had learned from Zaimokuza everything that happened to Akiyama Mio, did not say anything about it, but she couldn't help but sigh in secret.

"When Yoshiki brought you back to the store a few days ago and told me you were staying there, I was really shocked when I saw your appearance. I almost thought Yoshiki had finally awakened to his rabbit nature and started to act on his instinct to eat the grass near his burrow."

"Hahaha……"

Hearing her talk about this, Akiyama Mio suddenly laughed awkwardly, her laughter full of embarrassment and shame.

It’s no wonder that Tsurumi Rumi said that. Now when she thinks about what happened that day, Akiyama Mio feels so ashamed that she wants to find a crack in the floor to crawl into.

That day, to prevent a possible retaliation from B1, whose intentions were unknown, Zaimokuza and Kousaka decided to rush Akiyama Mio back to Tokyo before dark. They didn't even plan to take the Shinkansen, but drove directly back. Given the distance between Kyoto and Tokyo, only about an hour had passed since their conversation, and they immediately set off on their return journey.

At that time, Akiyama Mio was severely traumatized. She had no idea why things had turned out like that. Two hours ago, she and her friends were immersed in the joy of the school anniversary, but two hours later, she had to leave her hometown and come to Tokyo for her own safety. She didn't even have time to change her clothes, and she had been wearing the windbreaker that Zaimokuza had lent her at the time.

Fortunately, with the intervention of official forces, the school and family were settled and notified. However, after the car drove away from the school gate of Kitauji and the figures of her friends disappeared in the rearview mirror, Akiyama Mio, who had been trying hard to cheer herself up, finally broke down completely at that time. She cried all the way in the back seat, and the two people in the front seat could only remain silent.

Around eight o'clock, they finally arrived in Tokyo. Akiyama Mio's voice was hoarse and her eyes were red from crying. It was Zaimokuza who helped her get out of the car and into the house. As a result, they bumped into Tsurumi Rumi who came to visit the store on vacation.

A young girl was wearing sexy clothes, her clothes were messy, and she was crying so hard that she couldn't even walk steadily. She was wearing a men's windbreaker that covered her private parts. The man was helping her into the store with a caring expression, and he kept saying, "It's okay, it will be over soon." Such magical words... This scene cannot be said to be very imaginative, but it would make a person with social morality want to call the police after seeing it.

Especially the windbreaker draped on Akiyama Mio, which immediately ignited the heart of the actual owner who was filled with extreme possessiveness. So without waiting for the sweating man to explain, the unparalleled iron fist inherited from Hiratsuka Shizuka was swung out in an instant.

That night, the entire sky over Bunkyo Ward was filled with Zaimokuza's miserable howls, attracting the caws of crows.

Before Akiyama Mio could figure out how to explain, the next question from Tsurumi Rumi made her freeze, and an uncontrollable blush appeared on her cheeks.

"Are you used to the pace of life in a big city? You've been living here for the past few days. Did that idiot Yihui do anything to you?"

"If so, you can tell me and I will seek justice for you, Akiyama-kun."

"I-I-didn't-"

Caught off guard by this combo, Akiyama Mio stammered, her pupils spinning rapidly along her eye sockets, so fast that they seemed to be about to form a circle.

Akiyama Mio had no idea how to respond. To be fair, Zaimokuza's herbivorous nature hadn't really affected her. But with another person suddenly crammed into a shop that usually only had three people, it was impossible for nothing to change. The most obvious example was the time allocated for using the restroom and bathroom.

The original time allocation for two women and one man was that the two women would wash consecutively or together, and then it would be the man's turn. The time was basically fixed at seven or eight o'clock in the evening. After washing, they would work the night shift, so the order and time were arranged very strictly.

So on the second night, as usual, when Zaimokuza opened the bathroom door wrapped in a towel, his eyes met stiffly with the girl who was soaking naked in the steaming tub. The silent atmosphere lasted for about ten seconds... and then the high-pitched screams resounded throughout the store again.

This is just one example. Even Akiyama Mio is too embarrassed to talk about the rest. Every time she thinks of them, her brain overloads, just like now.

"Hey~"