My youth story cannot be a knight war

"Thank you for your generosity. Rest assured, my wishes are simple."

"Humph~"

The artificial sincerity and respect in Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's voice vanished instantly, leaving it calm and composed. Ayanokouji Atsuomi, upon hearing this familiar voice, snorted without a hint of surprise. So he's giving up on pretense so soon?

But the next moment, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's words made him clench his hands suddenly, and the cigar head that had just been cut in half by the scissors fell into the iron box along with half of the cigar leaf.

"I want you to send someone to take me away from the High Level Training Academy right now, and then—"

"Please take me to the area near Sobu High School in Chiba Prefecture, the same Sobu High School that appeared on the screen you are looking at now."

"!???"

Chiba Prefecture, Sobu High School, Service Club.

"Destiny is destined..."

Zaimokuza's murmurs echoed in the silent classroom, and his eyes looked gloomy, just like the sky outside which was gradually covered by dark clouds.

"Will everything we have done in the future, all our resistance so far, be meaningless?"

He lowered his eyes and spoke in a somewhat distraught tone.

"Then, everything my future self has done so far, those smiles I've protected... do they really mean anything?"

"...Zaimokuza-san."

Listening to his mumbling, Yukinoshita Yukino, who had been silent on the side, walked silently up to him and suddenly spoke.

"minister?"

Zaimokuza looked up upon hearing the voice, only to be met by a slender hand.

Snapped!

"Hey! Yukinoshita!?"

"Little Snow!"

"..."

Amid the exclamations and silence of the onlookers, Yukinoshita Yukino slapped Zaimokuza in the face with an expressionless face. He covered his face with his hands and stared blankly at Yukinoshita with icy eyes.

"...That's a bit too much, Yukinoshita-san."

Ebina Hina on the side held Zaimokuza's shoulders, frowned at the red marks between his fingers, and her voice and eyes lowered a degree at this time.

"Don't deny yourself, and don't deny the future Zaimokuza-san. Your current thoughts are an insult to the future Zaimokuza-san."

Ignoring Ebina's slightly hostile look, Yukinoshita withdrew her hand and spoke in a calm yet stern tone.

"The tenet of the Service Club: It's better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish—this is what the future Zaimokuza-kun has achieved. He has always fought to protect everyone's smiles, repeatedly taking back the smiles that have been taken away from them. He doesn't just give smiles away, but he gives everyone the ability to smile again."

"...This is something I can't do now, and I won't be able to do in the future, but you in the future have done it."

Her voice softened at this point and she spoke softly.

"And whether it's the future or the present, Zaimokuza-san is Zaimokuza-san. You are you. That's what you can do that I can't. You've fulfilled my wish of establishing the Service Club."

"The future is my responsibility, and she has never given up her responsibilities, so I don't want to give up either. My mission is to ensure that the smiling Zaimokuza Yoshiki exists in this world until I reach the future and hand it over to the me of that time."

"...So, don't let me down, don't let that Zaimokuza-kun disappear... Please."

"minister……"

Zaimokuza looked at Yukinoshita, observing the hope and determination in her eyes. His mouth opened and his eyes slowly returned to their original state.

"I understand. As long as my future self doesn't give up, I won't give up either."

"Thank you."

"Although I know that speaking at this time will ruin the atmosphere...but could you please allow me to interject?"

The originally solemn atmosphere gradually recovered, and then a voice sounded, saying words that were extremely consistent with the content. Hikigaya Hachiman raised his hand to meet everyone's gaze and spoke slowly.

"You've already butted in, Hikigaya."

Shizuka Hiratsuka looked at the raised hand in front of her speechlessly, waved it away in annoyance, and then spoke.

"You're as good at ruining the atmosphere as ever. Tell me! What's the matter?"

"...It's just a small matter, and I just needed your opinion, Mr. Hiratsuka."

Hikigaya rubbed his red palm with a twitching eye, swallowed the curses in his heart, and forced a stiff smile on his face.

"Mr. Hiratsuka, did you drive your Aston Martin to school today? Is there enough gas in the tank?"

"I just filled up my gas tank yesterday, and my car is parked right over there in the school parking lot. What? Are you asking this question because you want to take my car for a spin right now?"

Shizuka Hiratsuka looked at Hikigaya suspiciously, not sure what he was up to.

"Not right now, but probably later... So, Mr. Hiratsuka, could you please secretly drive that car to the back of the school? Otherwise, it will be very troublesome to get a car later."

"You little bastard! You actually have this idea! What on earth do you want to do? I'm telling you, even though classes are suspended now, if you dare to skip class and go out to play, you'll get a beating from me!"

Hikigaya's words made the female teacher frown and rub his fists with a ferocious smile. The crisp sound of his fists cracking made the smile on his face look very forced, but he still had to bite the bullet and continue talking.

"...It's just in case. I might need it later, so could you please grant me this small request?"

"Oh huh? I didn't expect that you, the always sensible Hikigaya, would be so courageous now? Tell me, depending on your answer, I will consider letting you sleep more comfortably, which is also a compliment to you."

Shizuka Hiratsuka looked at Hikigaya with a forced smile. Hikigaya looked at the raised fist and subconsciously wanted to kneel down and beg for mercy, but he still spoke hesitantly due to the fear.

"Probably... to use it to escape."

"what?"

[“Is the ‘Ultimate Darkness’… destined to descend?”]

【Zaimokuza was silent for a moment, then asked in a low voice.】

He wasn't stupid, so he probably understood what Miou meant. If the "ultimate darkness" was really as terrifying as she said, then no matter what preparations they made next, it would be useless.

【But unexpectedly, in response to Zaimokuza's question, Miou shook her head this time.】

“No, you can say yes and you can say no.”

"At least 'now', nothing is doomed... so we still have hope. This is the second thing I want to tell you, Mr. Zaimokuza."

[“Eh? Really!?”]

【"……Um."】

Miou raised her head and looked at Zaimokuza's surprised expression, a faint complex color flashing in her eyes.

"We, the Lindo clan, have spent a long time researching and speculating about the 'Ultimate Darkness'. It wasn't until the end of my life that we finally developed a method to counter it."

"Zaimokuza-san, listen carefully! The 'Ultimate Darkness' is coming..."

[Having said this, she suddenly turned her head slightly, avoiding Zaimokuza's sight.]

[“…Actually, there is a way to stop it.”]

……

【Komazawa Central Gymnasium, Setagaya Ward, Tokyo. 】

【 04:35 PM 】

Crisp footsteps echoed in the corridor. Kousaka Kyousuke, still in his transformed state, walked through the entrance he had just entered and headed into the gymnasium.

Even though he had never been to this place before, he didn't hesitate for a moment, not worrying about getting lost, because he had a good "guiding light" to help him.

As they advanced, a powerful aura spread outward, a golden flame spreading recklessly in a circular pattern, like someone playing square dance music from a speaker—of course, this was what Kousaka Kyousuke saw.

In his vision, the surrounding air seemed to transform into the surface of a lake. A golden beam of light rose from the lake, spreading out in ripples, guiding his direction.

[There's no doubt that this aura belongs to Unidentified Lifeform No. 37. Similarly, when Kousaka sensed it, it also sensed Kousaka's arrival, which is why it released this energy fluctuation.]

[This is both a deliberate direction and a demonstration.]

Gadoru is a skilled and powerful warrior. This skill is reflected not only in his combat skills, but also in his combat mentality. He is well aware of the huge impact that mentality and morale have on combat effectiveness. Therefore, the confrontation between the two began as soon as Kousaka stepped into the gym.

【And it turns out that its approach is effective.】

Feeling the power contained in the golden ripples radiating from his feet, Kousaka's heart was heavy. With just this one move, he felt just how powerful Gadoru truly was, completely different from any other Gurongi they had faced before.

[It was a miracle that B9, whom he had previously killed, had managed to hold out for so long. It could only be that B9 hadn't used his full strength in the previous fight. Otherwise, B9's body would have been completely cold by the time Kosaka arrived.]

[And just to deal with B9, Kousaka has already used all his strength. What will happen this time when facing the even more powerful No. ? ]

He has always been a calm and rational person. He had already anticipated the outcome of this battle, but he still accepted Gadoru's "invitation" and resolutely came here.

[Just like what Kosaka said, some things have to be done by someone, if it's not him or someone else, then he still chooses himself.]

【“…”】

[As he turned a corner, Kousaka's forward steps suddenly stopped. He fell silent, but the look in his eyes beneath his helmet suddenly became fierce.]

In front of the passage leading to the center of the gymnasium, a white figure stood blocking the entrance. Even her back made her look graceful and slender, her black hair flowing past her waist and swaying in the breeze with her skirt.

[But in Takasaka's perception, there was nothing in front of him, forming a sharp contrast with the scene he saw with his naked eyes, and also indirectly reflecting the difference of the figure in front of him.]

[You know, even the powerful No. 37 couldn't escape Kousaka's current perception, but this figure before him did... This can only mean one thing.]

[The opponent is stronger than number 37.]

【"You came."】

【"……I am coming."】

The other party spoke without turning around. His calm voice made Kousaka clench his fist silently, and then loosened it the next moment.

He stared at the figure from behind, watching as he turned his head, revealing a breathtakingly cold face hidden behind his black hair. He spoke in the coldest voice possible:

“B1.”

45. Rubia (9k)

Beautiful pictures.jpg

For a moment, Kousaka Kyosuke's hand, overwhelmed by emotion, wanted to pull out the dark golden crystal card on his right side, but reason made him restrain the impulse.

He couldn't engage in a fight with the woman before him. Number 37 alone was already exhausting him physically and mentally, and he felt somewhat powerless. Adding another enemy of unknown strength to the mix would only lead to his death without a burial place.

[Kousaka is not afraid of death, but he doesn't want to die in vain.]

[As a referee of the Gurongi clan, while his strength is unpredictable, he is not qualified to participate in "Kikiru". Therefore, as long as he does not attack him, he will have no reason to attack him. Kousaka has fully understood this.]

Therefore, despite the murderous intent surging in his heart, almost overflowing from his body, Kousaka slowly lowered his raised hand. He knew that if he took action, it would not hinder his ability to talk.

"I'm so sorry for not welcoming you. I can't believe a referee like you would come here to wait for me. Are you worried I might get lost?"

"Don't worry, I'm not some primitive zombie that just woke up from an ancient tomb. I can still use GDP to find my way."

Kosaka spoke coldly, his gaze gleaming with a chilling light that froze the bones, like an iceberg beneath the Arctic Ocean.

【“…”】

Baruba didn't react to his sarcasm at all, but simply stared at him silently, his eyes dark and indifferent, his dark pupils reflecting Kousaka's transformed appearance.

For a moment, Kousaka's figure transformed into another person in her eyes. Under the faded, dim sunlight of a distant past, he smiled and held out his hand, holding a necklace woven from pearls and vine leaves. The rough surface of the pristine pearls reflected his smile, unfaded.

[But after thousands of years, the familiar scene reappeared, but the person before her was no longer the same person. The last trace of emotion in her heart was also sealed by the cruel reality.]

Baruba reached out and touched the necklace around her neck. Her eyes grew dim and lonely for a moment, but all the warmth of humanity was expelled the next second.

[“…Come here.”]

She turned her back to Kousaka, exposing her defenseless back to his suddenly cold gaze, and spoke without looking back.

"Gadoru is waiting for you. If you don't want it to get impatient and hunt someone else, you'd better hurry."

[“…Tsk!”]

The receding figure before him seemed full of flaws, but the oppressive feeling within him only grew heavier, like a stone. Kousaka abandoned the tempting thought of a sneak attack and, smacking his lips, followed suit, maintaining a distance of at least five body lengths between him and Baruba. This was, he estimated, the most suitable distance for a move in the event of a sudden change.

The distance from here to the exit is about fifty meters. During this journey, neither of them exchanged a single word. Their attitude towards each other was as firm as their stance.

[Until the dazzling light at the exit enveloped their figures, and the lights in the central gymnasium were all turned on, illuminating the dim area like daylight, and also illuminating the figure clearly.]

A majestic figure draped in golden armor stood in the center of the stadium, its two hands clasped with a golden-black greatsword, standing firm. Lights shone from all directions on its body, reflecting a shimmer of pure gold, splitting the ground where its figure stood into dozens of lines, like countless long swords centered around it. Simply standing there, it transformed this stadium, originally used for competitions, into the ancient Roman Colosseum, a scene of life-and-death struggles.

Even without saying a word, the overwhelming power of this figure places a silent pressure on the spirits of those who see it. Even if the lion is just lying on the ground to take a nap, the sound of its breathing sounds like thunder in the ears of others.