My youth story cannot be a knight war

32. Dark Revelation (9K)

“The first humans possessed a civilization so brilliant that it was unimaginable to all subsequent generations. However, unlike later generations who evolved to become the masters of this planet, humans were not the most powerful race in their time.”

[“That was a time when many other highly intelligent races existed besides humans, and humans…”]

[“Turning those races into our enemies.”]

The red flames illuminated Miou's profile. Her eyes reflected the blazing world below, rippling with endless sorrow and gloom.

The countless scenes before him vanished at that moment, and the world, engulfed in flames, returned to the scene Zaimokuza had witnessed moments before. Shouts of killing mingled with blood, and the people's voices echoed with fanaticism and bloodlust.

It was a scene of unimaginable horror. Zaimokuza saw countless humans armed with spears, swords, and halberds, besieging countless creatures that looked vastly different from themselves. Some were purely animal, while others had the appearance of animals but human forms.

These creatures were defeated by the humans' siege, their heads severed and held high on spears, forming a dense forest. Everyone cheered at another bloody massacre and victory over other races, their voices filled with pure joy, the joy of killing.

The next moment, these wildly shouting people were engulfed by countless fierce winds or blazing flames. From the far reaches of the sky, the peaks of the mountains, and even the depths of the sea, countless creatures of all shapes and sizes descended upon the human world, angrily attacking all humans within sight. The cheers were quickly replaced by screams and roars.

The same scene reappeared at this moment, as Zaimokuza witnessed before. The palace suspended in the sky was engulfed in flames, and even the entire cloud layer was ablaze at this moment. The ancient city standing in the sea was collapsed by a violent earthquake, and then buried by the lava erupting from the underwater volcano. The majestic city that stretched to the end of the land was gradually pushed down by the wall of water rolled up by the ocean. Countless flaming meteorites fell from the burning sky, destroying this supreme embodiment of human civilization to pieces...

[Finally, the blood flowing from the lives spread across every inch of the planet. The burning flames burned the sky dry. Everything in sight was filled with red and black. The red was the eternal crimson flame, and the black was the darkness left after the blood solidified.]

From the perspective of the universe, the azure planet in the solar system was engulfed by these two extreme colors. If hell truly existed, then this Earth, tens of thousands of years ago, was the only example, unsurpassed.

【“……!”】

Zaimokuza could no longer bear to watch. He gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and clenched his fists, trembling slightly.

It wasn't that he didn't want to stop these horrific scenes, but all of this was a reality that had already become a foregone conclusion countless years ago. What he saw now was just a replay of that scene.

[But even with just this, Zaimokuza felt a soul-shaking despair and pain lingering in every frame of these scenes. It was hard to imagine how unbearable it was to watch what actually happened.]

“That was an era when both gods and demons existed. Humanity was supposed to coexist with these alien races, but its extreme arrogance led it to want to turn everything into its slaves, ultimately sparking a war that affected the entire planet.”

[…This is the first sin committed by mankind, the original sin that can never be erased.]

Miou waved her hand, and the hell before her eyes changed again, returning to the scene Zaimokuza had first seen, replaced by surging water and a sky full of crimson.

“After endless repetitions of killing and being killed, humanity finally realized the horrific crimes they had committed, and they felt remorse and despair… But it was too late. What had happened was irreversible, and so was the karma.”

"Even the chance to atone for their sins was denied them. At the end of this war, everything came to an end. The entire planet seemed enraged by this sin. The surging ocean waves swallowed up all traces of humanity that had once been on this planet, burying all other species in the world."

“But humanity ultimately survived. With the help of some species that still harbored compassion for humanity, insightful individuals among humanity spent countless years constructing a giant ship that preserved the flame of life amidst the catastrophe. Eventually, countless humans and the ancestors of other creatures boarded this ship and began their long journey through this catastrophe, supporting each other.”

【“——”】

A huge shadow slowly appeared on the surging waves, obscuring the figures of both Zaimokuza and Miou. Zaimokuza looked up at the shadow, speechless, his eyes filled with endless shock.

As Miou had said, what appeared before our eyes was a gigantic Ark of Life—a ship so gigantic it was beyond human imagination.

The bow alone filled his entire field of vision. Zaimokuza tilted his head upward, only to see a massive conical "wall" rising infinitely until it aligned with the crimson sky, as if a patch of iron-gray sky had appeared out of thin air above him.

It's hard to imagine the vastness and grandeur of this enormous ship. Just a portion of it gives people the feeling of facing a mountain. It's more like a "city" than a "boat."

The mere existence of such a massive vessel defies the laws of physics. It's no longer just a miracle, but a miracle itself. Perhaps only a miraculous vessel like this, beyond human imagination, could preserve the spark of life amidst this apocalyptic catastrophe.

Miou also looked up at the giant ship, watching it slowly pass by. The ship, so huge it was beyond comprehension, gradually shrank from view, swaying away on the waves.

Amidst the crimson and gloom that permeated the entire world, the exterior of this massive ship emitted a faint white fluorescence, like a single firefly in the boundless darkness, stumbling towards the end of the road completely obscured by darkness.

[“…That is the beginning of the ancestors of today’s human race.”]

[Watching the giant ship sailing away on the sea, Miou's voice carried a special emotion, and his hands were tightly clasped together.]

"On that giant ship, the human population gradually increased from a mere handful until it finally formed a small society. To better manage the group, humans chose a leader. The leader's name was inherited from the sage who had foreseen the disaster and spearheaded the construction of the giant ship."

"And I think you, Mr. Zaimokuza, may have heard of this name."

「Is it…!?」

His spine seemed to twist as the thoughts emerged in his mind. Zaimokuza, who had just thought he had reached the peak of his life's emotional turmoil, couldn't help but tremble slightly all over. This time, it was not out of fear or reluctance, but shock.

"This name actually has many names in human society during your time, Mr. Zaimokuza. However, I believe that regardless of cultural differences, this one is the most famous."

Miou lowered her folded hands and softly recited the name recorded in human mythology and epic poetry.

“That sage’s name was ‘Noah.’”

[Noah.]

Zaimokuza had certainly heard of this name. Rather, in this day and age, even uneducated people have heard of it to some extent, because this name, to some extent, bears witness to human cultural history.

Rather than calling it a name, it's more like a metaphysical totem symbol, a concretization of a concept.

Noah, recorded in the Bible as the savior of mankind, was a perfect and flawless person chosen by God from the sin-ridden human world. He once received a revelation from God that he intended to destroy humanity, and before the seven-day deadline arrived, he built an ark to preserve the human flame.

After the Ark was built, He and his family boarded it, taking one person from every species in the world except humans. Then, as expected, the world-destroying flood arrived. Except for the life on the Ark, everything in the world was completely submerged. When the flood receded, the life on that Ark became the original ancestors of all species in the world today.

Even in all the myths and legends of the world, this figure holds one of the most significant influences. Within the cultural sphere of the Western world, many with limited religious understanding consider Noah to be on par with Jesus, even surpassing the noble angels and a saint second only to the supreme Jehovah.

[But he is ultimately just a fictional mythical figure! Just one of countless creation legends! A mural totem that shouldn't even exist in the real world!]

[In fact, Zaimokuza had already made some guesses when he saw the huge ship and the huge waves covering the world just now because of the sense of déjà vu, but he was not sure at all because it was too outrageous.]

[After all, this is just a familiar myth, and there is an insurmountable gap between it and reality. How can the two be confused?]

[——But now, this legendary figure has been confirmed by Miou. His real existence, including his achievements in saving the world and the disasters that destroyed the world, all happened in the past on this planet.]

[Across countless years, reality and myth merged into one at this moment, or perhaps... myth is just a variation of reality.]

Zaimokuza covered his head tightly, feeling that his worldview had completely collapsed at this moment.

Everyone's worldview collapsed.

Outside the light curtain, the world seemed silent. Everyone was staring at the floating image in front of them, and almost no one could speak.

The absolute contrast between myth and reality shocked everyone's brain. Faced with this truth that surpassed all the mysteries of past history, no one could speak up to refute it. The function of language was completely crushed by the weight of the fusion of history and myth, and even the limit of rationality was completely broken.

Afterwards, riots far beyond any previous ones broke out all over the world. Christianity, Islam, Catholicism, Buddhism... countless world-famous religions experienced an unprecedented earthquake at this time, and the aftermath of this earthquake quickly spread throughout the entire human society, with an intensity beyond words.

Language is too pale and powerless in the face of today's scene, its lack of immediacy clearly exposed. Those who haven't witnessed it firsthand probably can't imagine the madness of the situation when everyone's worldview is shattered at once.

Chiba Prefecture, Service Club, Sobu High School.

“Mythology…is the other side of reality.”

Amidst the countless noises of commotion outside, the entire service club was silent. Only Yukinoshita Yukino's low moan echoed in the club room, with an uncontrollable tremor in her voice.

“…But I am more inclined to another view.”

Hikigaya, who had been silent, then continued Yukinoshita's words. His eyes looked particularly deep, and his hands were clasped together.

"...Perhaps, this is a reflection of the reality that is about to happen—"

"prophecy."

It took Zaimokuza a while to come to terms with this fact, and Miou remained by his side, giving him time to reshape his shattered perspectives.

[When she saw that he had almost completely recovered from the shock of the truth, she continued to tell her story.]

"Amidst the darkness and flood, time lost its concept. Humanity had no idea how long they had lived on this great ship. All the other intelligent species that had boarded with them had passed away, along with their ancestors. Only the humans, who had completed their generational cycle, and the few remaining animals remained."

"In a sense, that giant ship is the true birthplace of modern humanity. The survivors of this disaster regard this disaster as the highest taboo and admonition, and for generations, they have taught the lives born within the giant ship that humans must respect and absolutely not harm other equally intelligent beings."

"Are the ancient Lindo clan the descendants of humans who inherited this teaching?"

Zaimokuza whispered as he watched the giant ship drift away in the waves with a complex expression, and Miou nodded in agreement.

[“Yes, we, Linduo, are the descendants of the survivors who inherited that original will… and perhaps the only one left.”]

"After countless years passed, the human population on that giant ship grew to a dangerous level. Resources were no longer sufficient to sustain our continued existence on the ship, and we were even squeezing out the living space of other creatures within."

“Fortunately, before the situation became unmanageable, this long-lasting disaster finally subsided, the flood receded, and the earth reappeared on the world.”

At this moment, time seemed to have been cut short in a movie. The surging waves, accelerating at an unfathomable rate, "quickly" descended to the surface, revealing the mountain peaks, the horizon, and the swampy earth.

This massive ship also docked at the edge of a cliff somewhere. A group of people in plain, ragged clothing descended from the rusted entrance of the cabin. After several thousand people reached the cliff, the cabin was sealed under everyone's gaze, and then it slowly set sail again towards the sea.

"Those are the ancestors of the Lindo and Gurongi tribes, and they are also my ancestors."

[Miou said in a low voice.]

“When the earth was not fragmented like it is today, but still connected, our ancestors shouldered the responsibility of rebuilding human civilization and were chosen by all of humanity to be the sowers responsible for this land. It was our ancestors who sowed the seeds of civilization that first appeared on this land after its destruction.”

[“And the era you call the Super Ancient Era officially began from this time.”]

"Wait? Your ancestors were chosen to sow the seeds of this land? Did all the humans on the Ark disperse afterwards?"

Zaimokuza noticed something in Miou's words and couldn't help but ask.

"Yes. After the disaster subsided, all the humans originally aboard the Ark were dispersed in batches to different regions around the world. This was also for the sake of efficiency in rebuilding civilization. Each region was assigned to a specific group."

"The region we were originally responsible for is the Japan you are in today. However... our mission to rebuild civilization in this area failed. The seeds of civilization withered before they could fully grow."

"Because of Gurongi? Wait, wait a minute!"

[Hearing this, Zaimokuza suddenly realized something even more out of place, and he rubbed his temples.]

"If your mission to rebuild civilization failed, then what about us today? Since the myth of Noah's Ark is true, then according to the myth, aren't you the ancestors and founders of our current civilization?"

"Zaimokuza-san, we have failed in our mission to rebuild civilization in this area, but other places are not like us."

【Miou smiled and said softly.】

"I've said before, we're just one of the rebuilders of human civilization. Even though we failed, it doesn't mean others have failed. After all, there are still humans who have successfully rebuilt civilization... For example, what you're calling the 'Four Ancient Civilizations.'"

"And Mr. Zaimokuza, your ancestors traveled across the ocean from one of the four ancient civilizations approximately two thousand years ago and arrived in this land, where they developed. You could say they were another branch extending from that original branch."

【"So this is ah……"】

Zaimokuza has heard of this theory regarding the origins of modern Japanese culture, and it does hold a certain international influence. However, mainstream Japanese historical scholarship has consistently denied it, with some radicals even accusing it of slander and vilification, a malicious rewriting of historical facts.

However, as someone who has traveled the world, Zaimokuza isn't the type to live in an information cocoon. Through what he's seen and heard in various countries, he's well aware of just how outrageous his country's historical writing is. The Three Great Asian Sorcerers are probably unworthy of even carrying their shoes, because what they've created is at least within the realm of human acceptance.

Even when his grandmother was alive and always taught Zaimokuza to be honest and trustworthy, the negative examples she used were from history textbooks compiled by the Japanese government.

"Even the people of their own country are so skeptical of the history promoted by their own government, one can only imagine how poorly the authenticity of Japanese history truly is. Therefore, Zaimokuza easily accepted the truth Miou told him, as the latter presumably witnessed that period of history."

【After this doubt was answered, Zaimokuza turned his attention to another question.】

"So, the reason your human branch's mission failed was because of the Gurongi?"

[…You can say it is, and you can say it is not.]

Miou fell silent in the face of this question. A distant look filled her eyes, as if she had traveled through time to the era in which she was born.

"The Gurongi clan already existed when I was born. Although we originally belonged to the same clan, by then we had become mortal enemies."

"But if they were originally humans like you, Lindo, how did they become like that?"

"And what is 'Ultimate Darkness'?"

The topic finally reached a crucial point, and Zaimokuza's eyes grew serious as his tone grew. This was the truth he had to get to the bottom of. Miou's earlier revelations were indeed shocking, even to the point of overturning humanity's entire understanding of history and the world. However, they held no significance for the current situation they faced.

Those events were ultimately in the past, but the threat of the Gurongi continued from the ancient times to the present day. Even after such a long battle, Zaimokuza still had very limited knowledge of these creatures. Even though he knew their purpose was to summon the "Ultimate Darkness," he still had no idea what that meant.

"Gurongi, in the beginning, was indeed no different from Linduo - um..."

"Hey! Miou!?"

Miou's body suddenly began to sway unsteadily. Zaimokuza quickly reached out to steady her, looking at the girl's now pale face with concern.

【"What's wrong with you? Are you okay?"】

[“…It’s okay, I’m fine.”]

Miou's slender arm slipped out of Zaimokuza's hand. She shook her head, a smile that had been there since her beginning playing on her lips.

"Just repairing the damaged Yamadam for Zaimokuza-san has cost me so much of my energy that I feel completely drained... I have to admit, I'm really exhausted."

"You've consumed so much energy!? Then you—"

[“Please don’t worry~ Although I’m really tired, it’s okay for me now.”]

Zaimokuza didn't expect the situation to be so serious, and his brows furrowed. Just as he was about to say something, a finger pressed against his open lips.

Feeling the soft touch of his lips, Zaimokuza blinked in a daze, then smiled as Miou withdrew her fingers.

“It’s very rude to interrupt someone while they’re speaking. Please listen carefully to what I’m going to say next, Mr. Zaimokuza…”

【"Well……"】

Zaimokuza was speechless, wanting to complain, "Weren't you the one who interrupted the other person first?" But he finally held his temper and nodded seriously.

"Yeah, good boy~"