My youth story cannot be a knight war

Horikita Suzune, the monitor of Class D and the apparent leader, scolded her, but even she, who was usually indifferent, could not hide the panic in her eyes. She placed her hands flat on her knees, tightly grasping the hem of her skirt.

"...Although the situation is extremely dangerous, it's not a sure death. Zaimokuza-san still has a chance. If he uses that black form—"

"We can definitely turn the tables—with your mindset, you probably think so, right, Horikita?"

"This is the way of thinking of a mediocre person, who is only bound by positive rules and appearances."

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka narrowed his eyes. The bloody scene on the screen didn't move him in the slightest. Back in the White Room, when the researchers were training the White Room students to strengthen their mental endurance, he had witnessed disgusting scenes far more challenging to human physical endurance than this one. This level of intensity was nothing compared to the inhumane training that could be considered mental pollution.

He saw that this was the only way to break the deadlock in this desperate crisis, and Ayanokouji believed that another person had also seen it.

For the first time, he felt that in this "story" where everyone was like a positive character in a fairy tale template, there might really be someone who could become his opponent.

"You were able to break this impasse with such 'skill'. Regardless of whether your mindset is naive or not, your personal abilities and thinking are truly not to be underestimated..."

"Kousaka Kyousuke."

【"Woo..."】

Zaimokuza clutched his bloodied chest with one hand, gasping in pain as he held his upper body up. A pool of blood had formed beneath him.

Footsteps like those of the god of death rang in his ears. He forced himself to turn and look. Gadoru, holding the greatsword, sauntered towards him. Every step felt like trampling on his heart, and a long-lost fear rose within him.

Zaimokuza supported himself on the ground with both hands, rubbing his body. At this moment, he was in a fierce psychological struggle, but as the enemy approached, he was finally pushed to the point of determination.

[This is the only way… Zaimokuza suddenly grabbed his waist and shouted:]

[“Super Transformation!”]

A flash of red light flashed, and Zaimokuza, transformed into his almighty form, rolled over and stood up. At this moment, Gadoru raised his greatsword and slashed down at him with all his might.

Zaimokuza keenly seized the opportunity when his opponent raised his sword, and using his right hand to support himself against the ground, he kicked Gadoru's right wrist with his flaming right foot.

【boom! 】

[“Hmph~”]

This ultimate blow instantly freed Zaimokuza from his deathly position. The black greatsword spun upward, and Gadoru took a few steps back. A red "flame" totem appeared on his wrist armor, but with a cold snort, it was suppressed again.

Zaimokuza looked at this scene without the slightest bit of surprise. He certainly hadn't thought that this attack would cause any damage to Gadoru, but it was enough to buy him some time.

Taking advantage of Gadoru's weapon being taken away, Zaimokuza performed several backflips to increase the distance between them. He then spread his legs and assumed a standard martial arts horse stance. He fully mobilized all the remaining strength in his body, and a dazzling golden light flickered in the spirit stone.

A golden electric current erupted from the spirit stone, powerful energy waves spreading outward from his feet. The once cloudless sky above suddenly dimmed, and dark clouds gathered above Zaimokuza, like a giant dragon formed from the clouds, surging across the sky. The entire sky transformed into a black lake tinged with an ominous dark red.

【"oh!?"】

Watching the strange scene unfold before its eyes, Gadoru let out a sigh of surprise and solemnity for the first time. It could sense a surge of energy far greater than any it had ever experienced before rising from the enemy before it, the powerful energy flow even causing chaos in the air.

If Zaimokuza was only a threat to him before, he now possesses the power to force him into a desperate situation. However, when the sense of crisis arises, Gadoru also feels sincerely satisfied.

This was the kind of battle it desired. Not a one-sided slaughter, nor was it sealed without resistance like before. Instead, it was a battle to the death between equals. Regardless of victory or defeat, there would be no complaints, only the exhilarating satisfaction of the fight.

[“This power… is excellent. This is the way it should be.”]

"It's very close to the feeling we had back then. You haven't tarnished your warrior's honor, KUUGA."

【boom--】

A crimson column of fire descended from the sky, drowning out Gadoru's voice. The blazing flames engulfed the timber base directly below. The flames spread toward the earth like a wave, igniting every building within a 500-meter radius. The work that the workers had spent months to achieve was destroyed in the aftermath.

In the firelight, the black figure reflected an ominous hue. Lava-colored cracks covered every inch of its body, and its golden scarf was stained black. The glow in its crimson eyes at this moment no longer held a reassuring warmth, but instead contained a threat of endless destruction and oppression.

【Kuga·Almighty Destruction·Amazing Sublimation】

This form is the result of further strengthening the power of the almighty Kuuga using the fifth element, and then transforming into it through the third stage of sublimation. Its power is beyond words, and it truly possesses the power to easily flatten the earth.

However, Zaimokuza always tried his best to avoid using this form, because the power of this form was so strong that even he, as the user, could not help but feel fear. After using it only once, he sealed it away and never used it again no matter what danger he encountered.

Unlike his other forms enhanced by the fifth element, this further enhanced form, based on the red form, gave Zaimokuza a completely different feeling. The world seemed to him like rotten wood, easily destroyed. At the same time, an indescribable sense of cruelty resonated in the deepest part of his heart, tempting Zaimokuza to destroy everything he saw.

In reality, he had already lost control once before, when dealing with Number 30. Although he managed to regain consciousness and control his energy, the remaining aftermath directly created the barren landscape of Banqiao District today. To this day, not a single blade of grass grows naturally here; all are transplanted from outside sources, as if the entire land has been cursed with decay.

[And as time went by, Zaimokuza felt that the power of this form was growing stronger uncontrollably. If this continued, no one would know what he would become... No, actually, he knew.]

The terrifying image that had flashed across his mind when he eliminated Number 33 lingered in Zaimokuza's mind. He knew that if his power continued to grow unchecked and out of control, this would be his ultimate fate.

But he had no choice, just like now.

The enemy before me is simply too powerful. Not only does it possess several forms and powers identical to mine, but each form is overwhelmingly more powerful than mine. The gap between the two is practically absolute. Therefore, if I want to defeat this terrifying demon, I can only borrow strength from an even more powerful demon. This form that I fear is my only answer.

To prevent himself from losing control again, Zaimokuza chose to act swiftly after transforming into this form, not daring to delay even a moment. He was also thankful that he was currently in the Itabashi District. After all, rebuilding a dilapidated area that was already under construction would require much less effort than rebuilding an intact area.

A powerful force gathered beneath Zaimokuza's feet, black flames emanating from the cracks between his toes. Even the surrounding air instantly distorted, and the temperature of the entire Itabashi area quietly rose by one degree. Zaimokuza sprinted forward, each footstep leaving a fiery footprint on the ground.

[“——What the hell!!!”]

He leaped up, flipped, and launched a kick at Gadoru, who was looking up. Dark red flames burst forth, forming a curtain that enveloped half of Zaimokuza's body.

【 Destruction·Amazing Knight Kick】

[Gazing at the leaping Zaimokuza, feeling the power within his attack that could absolutely kill him, Gadoru stood still without moving away, his eyes fixed on the approaching opponent.]

[“——It seems you can’t control this power as perfectly as ‘Him’.”]

[The purple-gold eyes changed rapidly at this moment, and the azure color eroded the purple part.]

【Go-Gadoru-Ba·Junmin Body·Second Order】

The next moment, a dark red light enveloped Gadoru's figure, and Zaimokuza's kick struck him head-on, even though he didn't dodge or avoid it.

【“!???”】

A feeling of weakness, like stepping on empty air at the edge of a cliff, came from beneath his feet. Zaimokuza passed right through Gadoru's body. His attack missed, leaving him no time to adjust. He rolled several times after landing before the momentum dissipated. The strength he had once concentrated dissipated into dark red sparks.

「Wh, what’s going on!?」

Zaimokuza, startled, quickly stood up. When he looked back, the sight he saw left him speechless with shock.

Gadoru also turned to look at him, seemingly normal—if you ignored the fact that most of its chest had disappeared.

To be more precise, Gadoru's once muscular chest had become a pool of flowing water, with a vast hollow emanating from the center. This hollow, also made of water, revealed no trace of blood or flesh. This was the reason why Zaimokuza's attack had missed; he had simply passed through the water. The force of this attack was enough to destroy any fixed object in the world, but it could not destroy this formless water.

Gadoru's ability to control the elements far exceeded Zaimokuza's imagination. Not only could he manipulate the energy of various elements in the outside world, he could even directly assimilate parts of his body into the same element!

"It's a powerful force... but it really disappoints me."

【"this--!?"】

Gadoru suddenly spoke, and at the same time, countless water molecules from the surrounding air condensed into a stream of water and rushed towards its chest, filling the gap under Zaimokuza's horrified gaze.

[After the water condensed into the shape of a chest, the light in Gadoru's eyes flickered again, and the water immediately solidified, then suddenly shattered and fell. Among the blue fragments, Gadoru's chest was revealed, unchanged from before.]

Gadoru, having recovered, silently stretched out his arm, opened his palm, and pointed it at Zaimokuza, then closed his fingers and slowly enveloped him.

"I thought you were now able to comprehend the true meaning of your full power, just like 'Him' once was, and freely control everything within yourself... But it seems my expectations of you were too high. You are now completely different from the previous KUUGA, because you are simply using it, without understanding the true meaning of this power."

[“It’s simply too much for me to bear watching.”]

[Zizzizi——]

The cold voice dissipated, and then crimson lightning flashed from the suddenly clasped palms. The Kibolon magic stone on Gadoru's waist suddenly burst into a dazzling light. The four colors of blue, purple, green, and red mixed together, merging into a pitch black that was completely opposite to the original hue.

At this moment, its eyes had completely turned a pure golden color. The blazing golden color was like molten gold, so dazzling that the talent Muza subconsciously raised his hand to block his sight.

[“Look carefully, the true face of this power.”]

The pearls and jade inlaid on his limbs suddenly burst into a four-colored brilliance, and Gadoru's chest cracked dangerously. Several dangerous cracks spread across the center of his pectoral muscles, which were as strong as diamonds. Something was wriggling beneath them, slowly squeezing out.

It was a pitch-black, diamond-shaped stone. This stone, extruded from two rows of pectoral muscles, made Gadoru's chest appear even more erect. Simultaneously, the single horn growing from his head began to grow taller. Then, the four materialized elements formed a black cocoon of light streaked with fine dark red stripes around his body, completely enveloping Gadoru's form.

[Plop——]

A sound similar to fetal movement echoed from within the light cocoon. The greatest chemical transformation in the world began to take place within this cocoon, a reshaping and sublimation of life.

【"What's this……"】

Words couldn't describe the shock in his heart. Zaimokuza stumbled back, completely unable to comprehend what was happening before his eyes.

[What the hell is going on? This feeling, could it be that...]

[…Four elements, it fused their power…???]

The moment he came to his senses, a dark red cocoon of light suddenly exploded. A high-level energy flow, emanating from Itabashi District, spread throughout Tokyo, instantly disrupting all of the city's operations. The power department staff stared blankly at the sky-high energy readings on their computer screens, momentarily wondering if they were dreaming.

……

"Hey! Hey!? Kousaka-kun!"

A chaotic noise suddenly erupted from her headphones. Before Ebina Hime could say anything, the computer images and various devices before her burst into thick white smoke and sparks, then overloaded and burned.

The charred earphones fell to the ground. Ebina stared blankly at the devastation. For some reason, a sense of terror, as if being swallowed by the Black Sea, welled up in him.

【“……!???”】

A familiar figure appeared in my mind, and the smile on his face gradually turned darker... Finally, he completely disappeared into the darkness.

[Ebina suddenly hugged his shoulders with both hands, trembling violently, and an indescribable fear welled up in the depths of his eyes.]

"This is—Yihui!"

……

Four-colored particles rose upwards with the explosion of dark red electricity, like a swarm of startled fireflies. Zaimokuza's figure was reflected in his blood-red compound eyes, and his wrist, covered in dark red fuzz, slowly loosened.

【"This is--"】

[Looking at the enemy's completely new form before him, Zaimokuza's palms slowly clenched, that was out of fear.]

An extreme sense of trembling coursed through every inch of his skin, every cell howling madly, urging Zaimokuza to leave quickly—because staying would only lead to death.

[Gadoru's Gurongi is based on a rhinoceros beetle, which is easily recognizable thanks to the forked horn on its head. Of all insects, there aren't many that can be accurately identified by their heads, but rhinoceros beetles are definitely the most recognizable.]

But that single horn, originally only about twenty centimeters long, has now grown to at least forty centimeters. From its base, it has branched into three sections, each pair of horns staggered by a body length. It now resembles the famous "Seven-branched Sword" from Japanese legend, with each horn extending at a sharp enough angle to make one's hair stand on end.

The originally round, fitted shoulder armor now curved upwards from the outside. Countless dark red hairs covered every crevice of the armor, as if draped in Viking battle armor. A gleaming, pure black gemstone was embedded in his chest. His eyes were as red as amber after coagulation of blood. As his hands moved back and forth, red electricity flowed through his body.

This body possesses an indescribable demonic quality, a fusion of majesty and evil, strength and sinister venom, like the perfect fusion of the words "samurai" and "evil spirit." Even those who study dark aesthetics would find it difficult to imagine such a figure, as exquisite as a work of art.

【Go-Gadoru-Ba·Full Form·Original Dark Form】

[This is a completely new form, different from the fifth element and any of the four elements. It is neither a transformation nor an advancement.]

Rather, it was a fusion. Gadoru, driving his immensely powerful spirit, completely fused these four supposedly mutually exclusive elements, creating a power all its own, unique and inimitable. The black gemstone upon his chest was the very essence of Gadoru's spirit, now tangible. Medieval European alchemy had a unique name for this substance, formed entirely from spirit: the Philosopher's Stone.

Gadoru uses his mind to control the elements, then uses the very elements that form the foundation of the world to counteract the erosion of the world and transform himself. This is the ultimate sublimation of life, an existence at the pinnacle of the planet's food chain, because it completely controls everything within itself, from every cell in its body to its adaptability to the world.

Its power hasn't actually increased significantly from before, but its life form has completely changed. Compared to Zaimokuza, who still can't control his full power, Gadoru has undoubtedly reached a whole new level. The flow of power is as simple to it as the movement of stars in the eyes of God. Now, it can easily replicate any move with just one glance, because its eyes can fully penetrate the composition and flow of elements.

A biologist once proposed a near-idealistic theory: if a living being could arbitrarily reshape itself to adapt to the world, and could erode the world based on itself, completely reversing the dominant position of "self" and "world," then this life form would be the ultimate being that transcends nature, a theological equivalent of a "god."

[And now Gadoru has already achieved the former. In other words, it is now only one step away from the "ultimate life form" and "god" defined in this fantastical theory.]

[——But to all creatures in the world today that are far from "perfect", Gadoru is no different from a god.]

【"call……"】

【Whoosh whoosh——】

A breath gleaming with lightning emanated from its mouth. Gadoru said no more, simply lowering its body. Elements stained dark red flowed toward its feet. Despite the overwhelming force, like a blood-red vortex swirling through the sky, nothing around it even trembled.

[This is because, under extreme control, all power was gathered together, so not even a trace of aftereffects escaped - therefore, the horror it brought was indescribable.]

Facing Gadoru, Zaimokuza felt his entire body freeze. Every cell within him seemed to slowly lose its vitality and wither away in the aura of death that filled the air. This was a warning from the very being "Zaimokuza Yoshiki" himself. If this attack hit him—he would definitely die.

[And this time, he will no longer be able to survive by relying on his extraordinary recovery ability like before. Death is undoubtedly the only outcome.]

[No way to win——When Zaimokuza saw Gadoru transform into this form, he already knew the outcome of this battle.]

[Not to mention that I'm alone now, even if Kousaka Kyousuke joins in, it won't change the situation, because Gadoru is already that strong at this point.]

Zaimokuza didn't want to escape, but he couldn't. He could feel himself being completely locked in by a certain aura, and no matter what he did, he couldn't escape the incoming attack.

【“…”】

His hand, clad in black gauntlets, trembled slightly, but then suddenly clenched. Zaimokuza faced Gadoru with a resolute heart, all his fears vanishing at that moment.

He still feared death, but he was no longer the man who would retreat when faced with the fear of battle. Now, his heart was incredibly strong. As long as his faith remained intact, even the most formidable battles ahead would not deter him.

Zaimokuza also knew that he couldn't defeat the other party, not because he didn't try hard, but because the gap between their realms had already widened and could not be bridged. In the face of this gap, no matter how strong his belief was, it could not change the reality - but this did not mean that he would sit still and wait for death!

[Even if the outcome is already determined, he will fight to the last moment, fighting to protect everyone's smiles! ]

[“Drink!!!!!!!”]

Blazing fire erupted from beneath his feet, and Zaimokuza roared in fury. All his remaining strength gathered in his raised right fist, forming a black and red fireball that almost solidified. At this moment, Gadoru also leaped to his feet and rushed towards Zaimokuza.

It was a replica of the previous scene, but this time, the two sides' positions were completely opposite. Gadoru leaped up, his legs clasped together, and fell from the sky. Crimson lightning completely enveloped his body, like a crimson meteorite falling from the sky. Facing this "meteorite," Zaimokuza charged fearlessly, his right fist brimming with powerful energy, aiming at the center of the "meteorite."