My youth story cannot be a knight war

“I’ve always hoped that after all this is over, he can continue to live happily as usual… but this wish seems to be impossible to achieve.”

Yukinoshita covered her mouth, suppressing her hoarse voice, but the tears would not stop. The sadness that had been hidden for many years seemed to have broken through the bottleneck in her heart at this moment, and it turned into tears and flowed out.

"They're all like this, each and every one of them, intruding into other people's lives without caring about their own well-being. Why do I always have to run into idiots like you? And I became your friends, spending every day playing and fooling around with you like idiots."

"But why... do you all end up leaving like this? Hikigaya-san is like this, and even Zaimokuza-san is like this... I've already told you, haven't I? I don't have many friends."

[“Under the snow…”]

Makishima stared blankly at Yukinoshita, who was crying non-stop. Suddenly, she felt a pain in her heart that made it hard to breathe. At this moment, she thought of another person.

[The other person is the same, destined to leave my life sooner or later. The only difference is perhaps that I still have some time to accept this fact, while Yukinoshita only has four short hours left.]

But the pain will surely be the same, not even a bit less. Feeling a sense of sympathy, Makishima remained silent for a moment before reaching out and holding Yukinoshita in his arms. Her tall, slender figure perfectly allowed Yukinoshita's face to rest against her shoulder.

"...During this time, please stay by Zaimokuza's side."

[She whispered softly in Yukinoshita's ear.]

[“I think he’ll definitely want you to be by his side in the end—”]

【“——How could that be?”】

A sudden, trembling female voice interrupted Makishima Saori's words. Yukinoshita was also awakened and turned in astonishment to look in the direction of the voice.

A woman with long black hair and a slim-fitting long dress stood at the door. She looked at the two people standing by the door, and Zaimokuza behind them, and covered her mouth with her hands in disbelief, tears welling in her clear eyes.

"Zaimokuza-san——Why!?"

【"Who are you……"】

Looking at this beautiful girl, after hearing her say Zaimokuza's name, Yukinoshita's eyes narrowed, and she remembered what she had learned from Zaimokuza before.

"Are you... Akiyama-san? Why are you here?"

“I, I—”

In response to Yukinoshita's question, Akiyama Mio opened her mouth, her gaze darting between Zaimokuza and her, unsure of what to say. The tears welled up in her eyes, looking as if they were about to fall.

[Just when she was choking with sobs and didn't know how to respond, fortunately someone answered the question for her.]

"I brought her here."

A calm voice came from behind Akiyama Mio. Although Akiyama Mio was completely absorbed by Zaimokuza's miserable condition, she couldn't help but stiffen when she heard the voice, and looked back with a bit of fear.

【“——!!!”】

Makishima and Yukinoshita also froze. They stared at the figure walking out from behind Akiyama Mio, their eyes filled with disbelief and horror.

Because they knew each other, over the past year, photos and information about each other kept appearing. And because of this person, the police's understanding of the Gurongi race deepened, realizing that these monsters were actually just like humans, possessing an appearance that was indistinguishable from that of ordinary people despite their monstrous appearance.

A white figure walked past Akiyama Mio. She glanced at Zaimokuza lying on the operating table and spoke calmly.

[“I won’t say much, I just want to ask one question.”]

Baruba stared at Makishima and Yukinoshita, whose expressions were frozen, and at Akiyama Mio, who had overcome her fear and was running past him towards Zaimokuza. His eyes were so deep that they were difficult to read.

"Do you want to save Kuuga?"

28. The Only Savior (7K)

Chiba Prefecture, Sobu High School, Service Club.

"Number B1!"

Looking at the familiar figure that appeared on the light screen again, Hayato Hayama's eyes suddenly became sharp, and even his original silence and gloom disappeared without a trace.

"What's the purpose of this guy showing up this time?"

Ye Shan found that his understanding of this Gurongi was becoming more and more strange as time went by. At the beginning, he always equated him with other Gurongi, thinking that the entire clan of these guys were inhuman monsters who only needed to be defeated without considering anything else.

But Baruba's actions were becoming increasingly puzzling. Not only did she repeatedly appear before Zaimokuza Yoshiki to deliver messages, but she also seemed to be consistently supporting those who stood against her tribe in certain ways. She even showed mercy to Kousaka Kyousuke several times. If she had always treated Number Three the way she did, he would have been buried long ago.

These abnormal behaviors made it impossible to guess what kind of thoughts this Gurongi referee had. She seemed to have never had a sense of belonging to her own ethnic group, but she never really stood on the side of humans. She just kept wandering in the gap between the two races, doing her own thing.

Especially this time, when "Yukinoshita Yukino" and "Makishima Saori" were helpless about "Zaimokuza Yoshiki"'s injuries and were about to choose to accept their fate in despair, she suddenly appeared with "Akiyama Mio" and made it clear that she seemed to have a way to save the dying other party... All this has made Yeshan completely confused about the other party's true intentions.

Why would she help humans save the Gurongi clan's undeniable mortal enemy? Is this guy a friend or foe?

This is not only Ye Shan's doubt, but also the question of many people in the world today. Now that the future camps are clearly divided into black and white, the position of Gurongi, one of the most powerful, seems to be shrouded in mystery.

"What exactly is your purpose, B1?"

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka narrowed his eyes, looking at the cold and beautiful woman on the screen, his eyes flickering thoughtfully. He didn't know why, but he felt that she seemed to be very similar to him in some way, even to a certain extent, the same kind of person.

Many people like to say that in the adult world, there's no right or wrong, only opinions. However, Ayanokouji sees it differently, believing that opinions are ultimately the product of the coming together of the majority. And since it's the product of the coming together of the majority, there must be a leader.

The nature of these positions depends on their leaders. In other words, what constitutes right and wrong, and the differences in positions, are ultimately determined by the leaders who hold the highest power. The rest of the group has only the power to be determined, not the power to decide. Unlike the "strength first" advocated by this school, which is actually "meanness first," Ayanokouji believes that his own perspective may, in some sense, be the truest form of "strength first."

There are many interpretations and opinions on the so-called strength, but no matter what, when a being possesses pure power that can go to heaven and earth, the other party is a truly "powerful person" no matter how it is defined. The so-called right and wrong of those who are determined are meaningless to these beings, because they simply do not have the power to define right and wrong.

This is the worldview that Ayanokouji holds. The morality and order defined by humans today cannot constrain him. In fact, his point of view can be simply described in four words - "survival of the fittest."

Therefore, he never felt the same anger and hatred as others towards the Gurongi's future rampant slaughter of humans. On the contrary, deep down in his heart, he always felt that this was just natural. After all, the human world has been repeating the same thing throughout history, it's just that this time, humans themselves have become the ones being determined by another race.

His desire to annihilate the Gurongi stems from his own perspective as a human. However, if humanity were to lose the war of races in the future, he wouldn't feel panic or despair, but would simply accept it. In his view, only the victorious side has the right to define right and wrong, good and evil; everything else is meaningless.

Right and wrong are meaningless, good and evil are just a joke. There's only success and failure in the world, where profit determines direction, and winners and losers determine everything. So, compared to others' dislike for Baruba, he's more concerned with whether he can understand her true intentions through her actions.

In this way, perhaps one day in the future, when Gurongi really appears in the world, he may be able to reach a cooperative relationship with the other party based on this information and intelligence. After all, compared to those of his fellow tribesmen who are all grumpy, Baruba may be the only one in the Gurongi clan who can communicate with humans.

【not long ago. 】

[Over the past year, Akiyama Mio has felt that her life has always felt unreal, and this unreality stems from her own experiences.]

After all, being attacked by monsters beyond our comprehension of reality, being rescued by a mysterious hero, and then escaping a series of supernatural disasters is a plot that usually only appears in movies, and that's the kind of treatment the heroine gets.

However, Akiyama Mio never considered herself a heroine. This wasn't just due to her personality, but also because she always believed that heroines in superhero movies were simply the epitome of bad luck. Most of them just wanted a peaceful life, but were repeatedly dragged into terrifying and dangerous events, their lives no longer secure.

[——Just like me now.]

【“……!?”】

Having just cleaned up the mess left by the earthquake, Akiyama Mio's hands trembled uncontrollably as she looked at the stunning woman in a white dress sitting at the table, gazing out the window. The cup of coffee she held on the tray was trembling, and the surface was trembling, threatening to overflow.

If she could, she really wanted to run away right now, but after all, she had lived here for a week and had formed some bonds with the people in this shop. Akiyama Mio was always kind, and even though she was filled with fear, she suppressed the urge when she thought about how they might take their anger out on the other people in the shop if she ran away.

But the fear deep in her heart wasn't so easily suppressed. Just as the coffee was about to spill, a hand reached out and grasped the handle of the coffee cup, lifting it. The flowing water in the cup instantly calmed down after being lifted, without a single ripple.

"Sit down."

Baruba took a sip of his coffee and spoke to Akiyama Mio without turning around. The girl didn't dare offer any resistance, but sat down across the table, her body stiff and uncoordinated, like a robot with unlubricated joints.

[“You seem to have something to say to me. Ask.”]

[“…Please, don’t attack anyone else in the store.”]

Akiyama Mio nervously clutched the hem of her skirt with both hands, lowered her head, not daring to meet Baruba's indifferent gaze, and spoke in a whisper as thin as a mosquito's.

"I, I know you're targeting me, but the others here are innocent. Please, don't hurt anyone..."

After hearing this, Baruba stared at Akiyama Mio intently. The girl's trembling gradually intensified as she felt her gaze, but she still didn't choose to run away.

[Do you care more about the people around you than your own safety? ]

[…It really looks like it.]

[However, whether the two are the same person still needs to be verified.]

【Click.】

Baruba drank the coffee in one gulp and gently placed it on the table. The slight crisp sound sounded like thunder to Akiyama Mio, causing her to tremble involuntarily.

[…I am not qualified to participate, so I cannot kill any Lindo.]

Baruba said this calmly, implying that I wouldn't attack anyone in the store. Although she didn't know whether this was true or not, Akiyama Mio, who could hear the hidden meaning behind the words, finally calmed down a little, but she didn't stop shaking.

"You seem to think I'm here to kill you, right?"

The topic finally came to her. Even though Baruba's words were devoid of any coldness or murderous intent, Akiyama Mio still felt a chill run through her body from the inside out. Everything it passed through was frozen, and her legs were as immobile as ice.

【“…”】

She pursed her lips and said nothing, huddled in a ball on the sofa, not daring to raise her eyes.

[What do you think? Is there any need to think about this?]

Although she could count the number of direct encounters with the Gurongi to date on one hand, even with those few encounters, Akiyama Mio had already thoroughly understood what kind of heartless monsters these guys were. Even if she wavered in that belief even a little, she would still trample upon the students who had tragically died at the hands of Number 33.

Akiyama Mio remained silent in response to Baruba's question, and Baruba didn't get angry at her, but simply changed the subject.

"It seems you're not interested in this topic. Let's change the subject."

"KUUGA is almost dead."

【"……well?"】

After hearing this, it took Akiyama Mio three full seconds to realize what Baruba meant. The fear and anxiety on her face, like that of a young deer, turned into a dull expression.

She even forgot her fear of Gurongi for a moment, and slowly raised her head to look at Baruba, who said this shocking statement without changing her expression, and spoke in a dull tone.

"What do you mean..."

"Don't you understand? Then I'll repeat it again—KUUGA is almost dead now."

【Baruba said indifferently.】

"Or do you want me to repeat his other name? Zaimokuza Yoshiteru."

"You, you're talking nonsense!"

Akiyama Mio understood everything. Anger and fear filled her heart at that moment. She clenched her fists and shouted loudly.

Her suddenly raised voice immediately attracted the attention of the shop. Asahina Mikuru, who was standing nearby, received instructions from Kawasaki Saki behind the counter and hurried over.

"Akiyama-san! What happened..."

Asahina's voice trailed off, and finally, she looked at Baruba, who was sitting across from Akiyama Mio, her expression completely blank. Her gaze was like... like a hamster waking up to see a Tyrannosaurus Rex sleeping right behind it.

"It's okay! I'm fine! I just accidentally spoke a little loudly."

Akiyama Mio was suddenly awakened by her call. Sweating profusely, she looked at the calm Baruba in front of her and explained, trying her best to persuade Asahina to leave. However, because she was so focused on Baruba, she completely failed to notice the look of astonishment on Asahina's face behind her.

[But Baruba noticed. She glanced at Asahina, and she immediately shuddered violently, her plump legs wrapped in stockings almost falling to the ground.]

"Asahina-senpai, please continue with your work and don't worry about me."

“Okay… okay… Akiyama-san… I’ll… I’ll go… get busy~!!!”

Asahina stumbled over her words, biting her tongue at the end. Her steps were as light as a ghost, and she "floated" towards Kawasaki Saki, who was watching the situation at the counter. A faint white mist drifted from the edge of her open mouth.

[At this moment, only one thought kept echoing in Asahina's blank mind.]

[——This time, I’m doomed.]

"You don't seem to believe what I'm saying."

After glancing meaningfully at Asahina, who was now covered in gray and drifting off, Baruba returned his gaze to Akiyama Mio.

【“…”】

Akiyama Mio was in a state of turmoil, but the shock of this news completely overwhelmed all previous emotions. She stared at Baruba intently, her eyes still showing some fear, but more of a stubborn determination.

"Just now, Kuuga was severely injured in a battle with another player. The damage he suffered this time was far greater than any other time before. Not even Yamadam could heal his injuries."

Baruba had barely finished speaking when the news anchor's voice began to play on the TV in the shop, which had miraculously survived the earthquake and electromagnetic waves that had spread throughout Tokyo. The anchor on the screen, who had survived the disaster, looked visibly older than before, and began the news with a tone of relief mixed with a sigh:

"Not long ago, a fierce battle broke out between the unidentified lifeforms No. 37 and No. 4, who had killed a large number of Metropolitan Police Department officers, at the former site of Banqiao District. No. 37 demonstrated overwhelming combat prowess in this battle. The extent of the damage in Banqiao District is currently unknown, but it is said that half of the rebuilt buildings in the entire area were destroyed in the aftermath of the battle, and the Metropolitan Police Department..."

If possible, the Metropolitan Police Department would rather not broadcast this news, but this incident has become too serious. The police have become Gurongi's target and are being hunted throughout the city. The number of witnesses along the way is at least in the four digits, so it is impossible to conceal it.

Furthermore, the damage in Shinjuku Ward is now visible to anyone with eyes. Anyone in Tokyo can simply look up and see the flames and black smoke still raging in Shinjuku Ward, and the lingering dust over Itabashi Ward. The cost of concealing the situation is simply too high.

So, it's better to just break the news directly, then modify some of the details to give the public the illusion that "although the situation is urgent, it's still under the Metropolitan Police Department's control," minimizing the impact as much as possible.

No matter what, Tokyo must not allow for any further unrest at this critical juncture. Otherwise, no one will be able to contain the chain reaction, and even massive riots will erupt throughout Japan.

Beneath the now barely calm surface, this city is actually on the brink of collapse. It only takes a tiny spark to unleash the accumulated contradictions, shattering everyone to pieces.

As expected, after hearing what the news anchor said, visible panic broke out among the people who had taken refuge in the store. Although things eventually calmed down, the unease that permeated the air was palpable to everyone.

There was no need to doubt anymore. Akiyama Mio looked at Baruba's calm face. Her moist lips paled at a visible speed, and her hands trembled uncontrollably.