My youth story cannot be a knight war

But as her fingers opened, the crimson evil light gradually spread from the bottom. Her palm was completely eroded before she could even open it. Finally, her entire form was washed away by the water like a smear of light ink against a vermilion background, and a fierce red light shot up into the sky.

This ray of light broke through the cave's roof and wall. Its brilliance was so intense that it temporarily suppressed the sunlight. The entire land was now filled with a crimson hue, and the sky became incredibly dark.

The light rushed to the far end of the sky, and soon disappeared into the horizon beyond the reach of the naked eye. Its shape persisted for a long time without disappearing.

[And within this crimson world, a faint, painful cry echoed, filled with despair and sorrow, like a widowed wolf... and a hatred as fierce and fiery as the lava at the bottom of a volcano.]

【For the first time, Zaimokuza realized that the window to the human soul is not only the eyes, but also the voice.】

Just by listening to this cry, he seemed to see a pure soul gradually being saturated by negative emotions dominated by hatred and violence. All the light in humanity was rapidly driven out and swallowed by the darkness. Finally, the darkness sealed the entire heart, and only the flame of hatred still burned brightly within the blackness.

"In order to give the rest of the tribe the power to defy fate, the priest sacrificed himself... and this outcome made everything that followed irreversible."

The red light in Miou's clear eyes gradually faded, and the world returned to its original color, but this did not mean the changes were over.

[On the contrary, this is the real beginning.]

[Shortly after the red light dissipated, a streak of pitch black suddenly appeared in the azure sky. This black was incredibly deep and pure, carrying with it a pure and ominous aura.]

The jet-black light falling from the sky was like a blue landscape painting suddenly smeared with a thick black ink, completely destroying the original harmony. Its mere existence was incompatible with the entire world.

“That’s—huh!?”

Zaimokuza stared at the gradually falling light in astonishment. A sharp headache exploded in his head once again, and he covered his head with his hands in pain.

["Mr. Zaimokuza...!"]

Miou's expression also changed slightly. This time, she reached out to support Zaimokuza, who was bent over, but he didn't even bother to answer her.

A familiar image flashed through his mind, and Zaimokuza remembered that he had seen this happen before, everything that was happening before him!

[Once, when he teamed up with Kousaka Kyousuke to fight against the unidentified life form No. 25, when the other party transformed into the form of a giant mantis, some power stimulated the Yamadam spirit stone in Zaimokuza's body, causing him to see a strange image at that time.]

The scene I saw then was exactly the same as what was happening right now. An ominous black meteorite fell from the end of the sky to the earth, and an evil and terrifying force enveloped the entire world. Now I finally know the origin of this scene.

[“What the hell is this…”]

[Covering his aching forehead with one hand, Zaimokuza reached out to cover Miou's outstretched hand, using it to gain leverage to stand up, and spoke with some difficulty.]

【“…”】

Miou silently turned his head towards the black meteorite falling ever closer to the earth. His eyes reflected the scene of the earth being torn apart at the moment of impact, the red and black light engulfing the entire world, and even the clouds in the sky were completely torn apart.

“This is the truth that people of your generation have been pursuing.”

After the red light permeated the entire world, like a video with the rewind button pressed, the mixed red and black light mask flowed back towards the origin at an extremely fast speed, even the atmospheric flow was sucked into it. Trees that had been toppled by the shock wave suddenly "stood up" again, and the swaying trajectory was like a tumbler.

[The light eventually traced back to the place where it had originally fallen. At the bottom of a massive pit that stretched across the entire plain, crimson and pitch-black mists entwined and engulfed each other, eventually dissipating over time. The mist dissipated, revealing a dark red stone.]

[It was a meteorite formed from the mist just now. Or rather, the essence of that thing was not a stone at all, but another object with the same appearance.]

"That huge rock! Ugh!???"

The moment he saw the boulder, he felt a strong burning sensation in his abdomen. Zaimokuza covered his stomach with his hands, his eyes fixed on the "stone" standing at the bottom of the pit.

The Yamadam spirit stone within him was vibrating gently at this moment. This vibration affected Zaimokuza's spirit through the connection between his body and mind, causing him to experience the illusion of burning sensation.

This was a feeling Zaimokuza had never experienced before. It was as if the Yamadam Reiji had come alive, and even every strengthened nerve in his body was twitching. An unusual burning sensation quickly spread throughout his body, leaving him almost speechless with the discomfort.

A white hand gently rested on Zaimokuza's shoulder, and a faint white light shone from the bracelet on his right wrist, then spread to Zaimokuza's body.

[A white light streamed through him, and the burning sensation within him quickly subsided. Zaimokuza gasped for breath, then collapsed to the ground. Miou supported his shoulders and silently knelt beside him.]

"What on earth is that?"

[Putting his palm on his chest, feeling his heart beating rapidly inside, Zaimokuza asked with lingering fear.]

"Just as you saw."

Miou turned to gaze at the huge rock at the bottom of the pit, his eyes reflecting that ominous light. For the first time, his clear eyes were stained with a certain negative emotion.

[That was hatred, a clear fire of anger burning quietly in the depths of her eyes.]

"As the Gurongi family prayed, this is the power the priests' sacrifices have earned them... and it is also the true source of the Yamadam Reiji within you, Mr. Zaimokuza."

[“Where does Yamadam come from???”]

Amidst the whispers, figures clad in animal skins emerged from behind Zaimokuza and Miou, passing through their insubstantial bodies before moving forward. Zaimokuza turned his head and was met with a haggard, pale face.

[That was the man standing at the front of the altar just now. His other identity was the original patriarch of the Gurongi clan and the husband of the priest.]

Walking to the edge of the pit, he looked down at the huge rock at the bottom, emitting a two-colored glow. It looked like a large human heart. He clenched his fists tightly, and a sharp bloodshot streak covered the whites of his eyes.

[For the sake of the things in front of him, he lost the love of his life, the most important pillar in his life.]

The husband and father who once loved his family has passed away along with his wife. Now he is just the patriarch of the Gurongi clan, his heart filled with a flame of hatred that cannot be extinguished by all the seas and rivers in the world.

The man clutched a bracelet tightly in his right hand. It was his wife's only remaining relic in this world, a gift he had personally woven for her. Because he had squeezed too hard, the sharp crescent-shaped jade on the bracelet pierced his palm, and blood dripped down.

[Revenge—this is his only obsession now.]

[Not only for revenge against the enemies who persecuted the Gurongi clan! But also for revenge against the entire world that abandoned them and left them to their own fate!]

While the surrounding tribesmen were still whispering, the man stepped over the edge of the pit without hesitation. He relied on the height difference and his strong physique to quickly slide towards the bottom of the pit. However, his foot hit a rock, causing him to lose balance and tumble down.

Amidst the tribesmen's distant exclamations, the man tumbled a great distance before crashing into another boulder. By this time, his entire body was covered in blood. Grasping the rock with his hand, which had a broken finger, he staggered to his feet.

The ominous boulder was already within reach. The man took unbalanced steps toward the ominously glowing stone not far away, spilling blood along the path. But the pain of his flesh could not stop his resolute steps. The raging hatred gave him overwhelming mental strength, enough to overcome all obstacles in the world.

【"--etc!!!"】

Watching this scene, a huge heart palpitation suddenly exploded deep within his heart, and Zaimokuza's entire body began to tremble violently and uncontrollably.

[——I must! I must stop him! I must stop him no matter what!]

[Otherwise, everything that happens afterwards will be irreversible! ]

He stood up from his slumped position, stepped over the bodies of the Gurongi in front of him, and slid down to the bottom of the pit, chasing the man who was slowly walking towards the boulder.

Miou did not follow him. She simply sat there, silently watching Zaimokuza approach the man's back, her eyes complex and obscure.

She knew what Zaimokuza was trying to do, because even she herself, when she knew the truth, wanted to stop the man's behavior every time she saw the scene now... But over time, Miou completely gave up.

[Countless times, she had imagined that if she could intervene in what happened, would everything be different now?]

But fantasy is only fantasy after all. No one can change what has already happened. The direction of the world has been fixed since the day she saw it now. Her own existence is the most powerful proof.

"It's useless, Zaimokuza-san... That happened in the distant past. There's nothing we can do—"

The voice suddenly stopped, and Miou's gaze froze as he looked down, completely stunned.

[Her pupils trembled violently, her hands involuntarily covered her lips, and her eyes trembled in disbelief.]

[“How—is this possible!”]

……

【"Wait a moment!"】

Zaimokuza tumbled down the pit, covered in dust, but he no longer cared about his current miserable state. He looked up, locked onto the staggering figure, ran over quickly, and leaped forward, attempting to grab the man's legs and knock him down.

【But Zaimokuza's closed hands went straight through the man's legs, and he fell to the ground. Then the man stepped on Zaimokuza's head, lifted himself up, and continued walking forward.】

【"hateful!"】

Zaimokuza slammed his hand on the ground, then stood up and ran towards the man, only to repeat the previous situation.

In reality, he also knew that everything before him was merely a replay of the past, a virtual reality experience, separated from reality by an incalculable number of miles.

But Zaimokuza refused to give up. He had a vague idea of ​​what was going to happen next, so even if it was just an illusion, he wanted to try to stop it. He had always been such a stubborn person, and would never turn back even if he hit a wall. That was why he had been able to make it this far.

[Even if he knew it was all in vain, so what? He had been ridiculed countless times for doing useless work, but it was precisely the accumulation of these "useless efforts" that had led to the man who wanted to protect everyone today.]

"Please, stop now!"

After repeating this several times, Zaimokuza once again stood up and lunged at the man, who was now only inches away from the boulder.

He passed through the man's figure again. This time, Zaimokuza's palm and the man's right hand overlapped for a moment, and then he tumbled to the ground again.

“Please…”

Zaimokuza staggered to his feet again. The boulder was now only an arm's length behind him. In front of him was the man, who, with the same unsteady movements, raised his bloodied hand, attempting to touch the boulder.

[“——Stop it now!!!”]

Zaimokuza gritted his teeth, opened his arms, and shouted at the man walking towards him at the top of his lungs.

[And then—the outstretched hand truly stopped, its rough, blood-stained fingers resting motionlessly in front of Zaimokuza's chest.]

【"?"】

The man's eyes, a mixture of confusion and determination, hesitated at this moment. He scanned his surroundings, but aside from the ominous boulder before him, he could see nothing else. All he could see was desolation and desolation.

[“Buzz…”]

A faint white light lit up on the bracelet tightly grasped in the right hand, flickering in this primordial hell filled with black and red, like lighting an insignificant candle.

"who is it?"

The man's truly confused words echoed on a fateful day in the distant past, like the tremolo of time's plucked strings.

37. Curse of Fate (5k)

"who is it?"

The man's voice echoed from a short distance away, completely stunning Zaimokuza. He stared in surprise at the confusion and wariness that appeared on the man's face.

"Can you hear me?"

"!"

The voice echoed clearly in his ears, and he was now certain it wasn't an illusion. The man took a cautious step back, his eyes warily scanning everything around him. A blazing fire burned deep in his eyes, a hatred that had almost become tangible.

"Talking to my mind... Are you guys here again!?"

He tightened his right fist so hard that blood spurted out from the wound pierced by the magatama. The man's angry roar echoed and overlapped at the bottom of the huge pit, rising far into the sky.

【At this moment, Zaimokuza was certain that the other party could indeed hear his voice. This was not just an illusion created by his own impatience, but a true reality.】

[“Calm down first, I am…”]

"Get out! You monsters, get out!"

The intensified roar drowned out the voice. This time, the man's eyes were filled with blood. There were gray pupils in the center of his red eyeballs. His eyes were so fierce and brutal, like a demon who had died unjustly.

After sacrificing everything, he was blocked by this inexplicable voice before he could take the final step to gain power. This rapid gap between hope and despair completely shattered the man's already fragile sanity, causing the surging violence and hatred in his heart to burst out like a dam.

Everyone has a limit to their inner endurance. The only difference is that it is different for different people. But when the mental defenses are completely penetrated by pain and despair, no one knows how they will react when they are stimulated.

The man had long been deaf to anything being said. The recent death of his wife had completely destroyed the pillar of rationality in his heart that had been shaky for years. With his mind completely sealed, he was now nothing more than an evil ghost dominated by an obsession with revenge. No trace of humanity could be seen in any movement of his facial features or eyes.

Adults often collapse in an instant, and now the moment, resisted by reason for years, has arrived. Even though he can't see anyone, the man still howls furiously, truly as deranged as a madman.

"Hey! Calm down!"

Zaimokuza stretched out his hands to grasp the man's shoulders, but his hands slipped through his shoulders as Zaimokuza stared at him in astonishment, leaving him stumbling forward a few steps.

"But! Why can I hear my voice but can't touch it?!"

He raised his hand, his expression filled with anxiety.

【"Mr. Zaimokuza!"】

"Miou...what on earth is going on?"

An urgent call echoed from behind. Zaimokuza looked up and saw Miou, dressed in a white dress, trotting over from the pit with an anxious look on her face. He quickly asked her.

"Why can he hear my voice, but I can't touch him?"

[“I, I don’t know what’s going on…”]

Zaimokuza was filled with doubts, and Miou was equally confused at the moment. When she saw him actually make contact with the other person, her mind was bombarded with unprecedented shock and went blank.

[——How is this possible? Everything you see now is just an illusion created by your own power. It is a reappearance of the past. It is not the real world at all.]

[But why was Zaimokuza Yoshiki able to actually come into contact with the other party? Even have a conversation?]

This unprecedented event completely paralyzed her mind, and she was overwhelmed with doubts, none of which could be answered rationally.

[Looking at Zaimokuza's inquiring eyes, Miou's throat moved for a moment, and she spoke with difficulty:]

"Zaimokuza-san, what on earth did you just do—"