My youth story cannot be a knight war

It was a brilliant feint. Even if Gadoru reacted, he would still have fallen for it. Another dark figure flashed overhead as he raised his sword. When he lowered the blade, Dorudo, who had been standing opposite him, had vanished without a trace.

It fled. As the referee, Dorudo, while possessing combat prowess exceeding that of most Gurongis, lacked the same warrior dignity. So, when he saw the balance of power tilting in his favor, he chose a tactical retreat without hesitation.

[“Hmph~ A dying struggle.”]

Gadoru turned and looked toward the passage behind him, snorting coldly before moving in pursuit.

[“There’s no need. Dorudo can’t escape.”]

A calm female voice from behind Gadoru stopped him in his tracks. He turned to look at the audience seats to the side. Baruba, who had returned at some point, was quietly looking down at him.

"Daguber has arrived, and Dorudo's escape direction is right in his path... They must have collided."

A violent roar erupted from the end of the corridor. The sounds of battle resounded throughout the entire gymnasium, then gradually spread from near to far.

"...If that's the case, then let them decide the winner first. A warrior's sacred fight to the death shouldn't be interrupted."

Gadoru stopped walking at that, turned, and walked toward the center of the gymnasium, then plunged his sword into the floor tiles.

It leaned on the end of its sword's hilt with both hands, looking toward the tunnel entrance where Dorudo had just escaped. Its straight figure cast a long, straight line across the gymnasium floor. From a distance, it looked like a general preparing for battle.

"And whoever survives this battle will be my first prey when I restart the game."

"Damn it! This guy acts like he's already won. Mr. Kousaka isn't some weakling who can be easily defeated!"

When Ooji Mochizo heard Gadoru's arrogant declaration, he immediately clenched his fists in indignation.

"Tsk~ Although this makes me uncomfortable, I still have to admit that this rhinoceros beetle does have this kind of strength."

Dila sat back in his arms and twisted her round body as fat as a football, and used her wings to comb the flirty feathers on her head with elegant movements. She looked at the strong figure in the light curtain with the same unhappy look.

"This guy is completely different from that damn bat. Not only is his strength far superior, but his mentality is a hundred times stronger than that clown bat who took drugs and thought he was invincible... With the cold-faced boy's current strength, he can only repeat the same defeat as the smiling idiot before. No surprise there."

"Hey! Dila, can't you say something nicer? You're only emboldening the enemy and destroying your own prestige!"

Dalu Bingzang, who was holding it, immediately expressed serious dissatisfaction after hearing this. He used his right hand to slap Dila's round body like a basketball, and the opponent's extremely elastic body really bounced around like a basketball.

"This is called a rational analysis of enemy and our own combat power. It may sound a bit harsh, but it's the truth! And I'm not a basketball! Young man!"

"Whoa!"

Dila, who was dazed by the beating, angrily kicked Benkei's leg, and while he was holding his calf and screaming, he flapped his wings and flew up to the chandelier on the ceiling. His huge weight immediately made the chandelier rope whine under the heavy burden.

"Oh, really! If I continue to stay here, my life will be shortened sooner or later! Prince, when will you come to take me back?"

Dila, who was holding the rope, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his other wing. Feeling inexplicably tired, he sighed, and then glanced at the Continental Pancake Zang rolling on the floor.

"Whether you admit it or not, this battle is indeed very dangerous for that cold-faced brat. I estimate that this rhinoceros beetle is the strongest among the Gurongi clan, except for the two unfathomable monsters of the 'N' Group."

"Even the smiling fool in his black form was defeated miserably by the rhinoceros beetle. Even if the cold-faced brat is stronger now, he can't be much stronger than him. Unless his power can undergo another qualitative change, he will just repeat the same mistakes. And that vulture alone is enough to make him suffer."

"Hmm—so, is there no way to defeat it? Just like with Number Three last time?"

Ooji Mochizo now finally understood the pain Benkei had felt. It took him a long time to catch his breath. He lay on the ground, holding his calf and asked tremblingly.

"Don't even think about it. The last time was a completely unrepeatable situation. It was purely that damn bat's own fault. This time is different."

Dilla simply sat down on the chandelier, rolled her eyes and said, but considered the end of her words.

"But there's still a chance of a comeback. It all depends on whether that idiot with a smile, still lying dead in the hospital, can pull off a miracle."

"Furthermore, the little girl who is accompanying him now, who has lived from ancient times to the present day... knows more than you can imagine."

Thinking of what Miou said after appearing in front of Zaimokuza, a deep haze flickered in Dila's eyes.

Dila had never lied to Dalu Bingzang and the others before. It was indeed the sacred bird of its country of origin, but it had never told them in detail what kind of country that was.

But its very strangeness revealed the extraordinary nature of that country. After all, what normal bird could be so anthropomorphic? Possessing emotions and intelligence indistinguishable from humans, even professionally trained birds couldn't express it so naturally. Furthermore, it could even project images from its eyes, formed by past memories.

If the former can be said to be something that ordinary birds can do after training, then the latter is a completely supernatural ability, which is something that normal natural creatures cannot do even if they evolve for thousands or tens of thousands of years.

Dila also knows many things that ordinary people will never know in their lifetime. Any one of those things, once spoken out, can completely shatter a normal person's worldview.

So it happened to know some clues about what Miou said. Although it behaved like a homebody who only knew how to eat, drink and have fun after arriving here, it was a true bird of faith in its own country.

This bird of faith represents the belief in the "God of Birds." In many countries around the world where primitive religious worship still exists, the belief in birds has always been linked to the concepts of "flying" or "storms."

So it can also be said that the belief represented by Dila is the belief in the "God of Wind".

"If those Gurongis in the future are really like what the little girl said, and that they were transformed from humans into this form because of that priest... then this is a huge joke."

A barely perceptible drop of cold sweat ran down his cheek. Dila stared intently at the scene on the screen that was changing again. His bird eyes had never been so profound.

"What kind of evil cult's gods could transform their followers into such terrifying monsters? But if they really were possessed by the power of gods..."

"Why haven't they been eradicated yet?"

“The true origin of all this now begins with the priest who left following the split of the tribe.”

“Thinking back now… the split in the tribe was like opening a terrifying box, releasing all the disasters that had been sealed within.”

Miou's gentle voice echoed in this space, and after saying this, her face inexplicably turned pale, as if she was still feeling palpitations from something that happened in the distant past.

"What happened back then?"

Looking at the girl's expression, especially the faint fear in her eyes, Zaimokuza knew something horrible must have happened. Even Miou, who was not yet born at the time, felt a sense of fear after learning about it.

[“…Actually, at that time, we had a wrong understanding.”]

Miou clasped her fair fingers together and whispered.

[“That is, we thought humans were the only race that survived that horrific apocalypse.”]

“Wait, you mean…?”

Zaimokuza's eyes widened involuntarily as he recalled what Miou had told him about the beginning of human civilization and the reasons for its demise.

"Back then... were there other races that also survived that disaster?"

[…Perhaps using the word ‘survival’ is a bit unrealistic. I should say they have always been there, and they were probably the same ones back then…]

[Miou pursed her lips at this point, and for some reason she chose to skip this paragraph before continuing.]

"Actually, within the Linduo clan, or more accurately, within the priestly lineage, there was a strange phenomenon that persisted—there would only be one priest in each generation, and there would never be a second."

"Is that a problem? It doesn't sound like anything."

[“Yes, it does sound like nothing… We thought so at first, too.”]

Zaimokuza felt that this was not a problem, but Miou then used this sentence to raise a counter-question.

"In the original Lindo clan, priests were a very special and mysterious existence. Unlike clan leaders, who were chosen from the most outstanding members of the clan, they inherited this responsibility through bloodline. This meant that the previous priest was usually the current priest's father or mother."

"Each priest possesses exceptional abilities. They can ignite fire from thin air, move objects with their thoughts, and some even possess the ability to see the past and future. Each generation of priests has used these abilities to help our tribe survive numerous natural disasters that have brought us to the brink of extinction. They are deeply respected by us... And precisely because we respect the priests, we choose to turn a blind eye to the abnormalities that continue to occur to them."

"Abnormal? Is that what you just said about there being only one priest in each term? Is this the rule of your clan?"

"Yes, although I don't know why, our clan does have a rule that there can only be one priest in each term. But... but this is completely different from the abnormalities that have occurred to priests throughout the ages."

[Miou closed her eyes and hesitated for a few seconds before continuing.]

"The anomaly that occurs to the priests is that while each priest is alive, there are no other members of the same clan who share the same bloodline... In other words, there is only one person in each priest's family."

【"……What's the meaning?"】

[Hearing this, Zaimokuza finally sensed something was amiss, and a sense of inexplicable unease spread within him.]

[“Every priest is alone.”]

Miou silently looked up at Zaimokuza, but her gentle voice was like an ominous black veil slowly enveloping the surface of his heart.

"And this one is a real one. There have been several instances in the tribe where female priests have died very shortly after giving birth."

"This, I think, has to do with your living environment back then. I remember the mortality rate of women giving birth in ancient times was—"

"But what if I tell you, Zaimokuza-san, that the same thing happens to male priests all the time?"

This answer immediately blocked Zaimokuza's words, and before he could react, Miou continued speaking.

"Not only that, this abnormality also manifests in the offspring of the priests. If there's only one child, there won't be any abnormality. However, if a priest gives birth to two or more children, those children will die along with the priests, leaving only one descendant who inherits the priest's bloodline... No matter how the process develops, only one person will survive."

"We have always believed that this was a side effect or limitation of the priests' extraordinary abilities. The priests have always remained silent about this matter, so we have always maintained this view."

“It wasn’t until that priest abandoned his duties…that we realized we had been wrong all along, terribly wrong.”

Miou's eyes were deep and profound, like a dense forest swaying in the wind at night, the rustling of branches and leaves creating a pure sense of unease in one's heart.

"It was then that we finally understood why only one member of the priest line could survive at any given time. This wasn't a side effect of some power, nor was it a limitation... but a terrifying curse."

【"curse?"】

[“Yes, this is a curse filled with malice and ruthlessness. Those priests of the past, and their bloodlines…”]

【"Everyone was killed."】

35. The Origin of Disaster (7K)

"Those priests and their descendants were all killed... by the other races that survived the disaster, besides humans."

Miou's voice reached Zaimokuza's ears. The originally soft and ethereal girl's voice seemed to have transformed into a silent and ethereal melody, bringing with it an indescribable coldness and strangeness.

[“…Why do those creatures that also survived the disaster hunt you, Lindo? Or do they specifically target the priests of your tribe?”]

Zaimokuza frowned and asked, feeling that this matter was becoming increasingly strange.

Originally, he simply hoped to learn from Miou about the Gurongi clan's purpose and the truth behind the "Ultimate Darkness." However, the more he dug, the more his initial doubts remained unanswered, and new ones kept popping up. Now, even the truth he was seeking was shrouded in layers of darkness.

“…Who knows?”

[After a long silence, Miou shook his head and said.]

"As for this, I'm afraid only the priests who took office at the time knew the truth... But I think it's precisely because they knew it that they never told the rest of the tribe."

"The priests must have known about the curses that had befallen them. After all, some of them once possessed the ability to predict the future. But even so, they chose to remain silent and conceal the truth. I believe the reason was to protect their tribe."

“It was only after the priest left the tribe that we learned the truth of this matter… Similarly, we finally understood the other meaning of the teachings given by our ancestors.”

"Though those instructions were intended to protect other lives, their primary purpose was to protect us, Lindo."

[Touching the stone magatama bracelet on her right wrist, the girl's tone took on a touch of sadness.]

"We have always believed that humanity has paid the price for that catastrophe. The most glorious civilization was destroyed, and the number of species is less than one ten-thousandth of what it once was. But that is just wishful thinking. In the eyes of the remaining races, the atonement and repentance we humans have made for that catastrophe is probably far from enough."

"Our ancestors should have understood this, which is why they established such strict rules. Besides regulating our behavior, they also served to demonstrate our sincerity in atonement to those races... But in the end, this atonement failed because of the schism."

[…and those who left the tribe eventually paid a heavy price for their actions that broke the teachings.]

As the words fell, the surrounding light faded again, the incandescent sunlight piercing through the dissipated golden light, and hot wind mixed with sand and dust lashed Zaimokuza and Miou's skin.

This is an immensely vast plain, the yellow earth blending into the sky as far as the eye can see. The sky, unpolluted by modern industry, is cloudless, and the height of the heavens is breathtaking.

Amidst this breathtaking scenery, a long yellow line stretched across the plains: a herd of large, running wild deer. The sound of hundreds of animals running in the same direction was truly breathtaking, even more eye-catching than a thousand cars moving in unison.

Following the deer, dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of figures were chasing them at an equally impressive speed. Zaimokuza, with his exceptional vision, could clearly see their forms: they were a group of humans riding horses of an unknown species.

The humans, both men and women, were clad in clothing made from the hides of various wild animals, and there were even many young children. Their exposed bodies were muscular and dark, but their eyes shone brightly. They wielded various weapons and rode their horses, chasing the fleeing deer ahead.

Undoubtedly, this was a primitive hunt that took place long ago. The figures riding on these horses resemble the primitive cave paintings found in many countries. They are imbued with the wildness and vitality unique to primitive people, and they are extremely proficient in hunting techniques.

The deer were driven into a gap between two towering peaks by these men. Just as about half the deer had entered the gap, several massive rocks fell from the sky, killing several deer and sealing the entrance. Seeing this, the men chasing the deer raised their weapons and cheered.

Because their goal had been achieved, about half of the deer were driven into the gap with no exit, thus completing a very fruitful hunt.

"Those people, could they be..."

[Pointing at the primitive people who had jumped off their mounts and rushed into the crevice to hunt the deer, Zaimokuza suddenly understood something and turned to Miou who was standing beside him and asked.]

"Just as you thought, Zaimokuza-san, those are the ones who left the tribe back then. According to your current calculations, it's about ten years after that split."

Miou nodded in confirmation, then pointed toward another mountain not far away. Even with Zaimokuza's current vision, he could only vaguely make out several shadowy figures wandering on the cliffs of that mountain. Unlike the men in animal skins, they wore simple dresses woven from dried white straw.

"Behind that mountain is where our tribe once stood before it split. After the split, with this plain and two mountains as the boundary, we lived side by side with the divided tribes."

"Those who broke away from the tribe formed a completely new group. They abandoned their original farming skills and began to learn hunting techniques that were previously forbidden by the tribe. They made a living by hunting and called themselves 'hunters', which means..."

【“Gurongi.”】

[“Gurongi!?”]

[Hearing this name that couldn't be more familiar, Zaimokuza's pupils suddenly contracted.]

"Indeed... Our culture didn't have such a word or concept that favors killing before. This word was coined by the Gurongi clan. The name 'Gurongi' means a fusion of the words 'hunting' and 'herd' in our culture. In your language, it translates to 'hunter's pack.'"