My youth story cannot be a knight war

Gadoru, watching the "resurrected" Zaimokuza, was equally astonished. He hadn't expected his nemesis to still be alive. No one knew better than him how powerful his attack had been.

But after the shock wore off, hot blood began to flow through every strengthened nerve in his body, and a burning desire to fight rose in Gadoru's heart.

[Very good! That's right!]

【This is how battle should be done! 】

[“Huh…is everything okay?”]

Kosaka looked at Zaimokuza, who had stood up before him. His expression was completely different from his usual cold expression, and the oppressive aura that lingered around him. He let out a long breath and spoke softly, his voice barely concealing his weakness.

[With their tacit understanding, some words don't need to be long; just a few words can express the entire meaning.]

"Hmm... Leave it to me, Mr. Kousaka."

Zaimokuza relaxed his right palm, nodded, and spoke, his gaze still fixed on Gadoru.

【Om—】

A dazzling red light shone in Zaimokuza's black eyes, like two burning torches, and the fire was truly ignited.

A silver Yamadam emerged from the ring of fire that had ignited from nowhere around his waist. The spirit stone at its center was as red as glowing amber, and even the flames surrounding it couldn't match its brightness at that moment.

Zaimokuza raised his right hand, fiery sparks erupting from between his fingers. His suddenly clenched fist crushed the flames, bringing with it a completely different, cold, murderous intent.

[“Leave this guy to me!”]

[In his entire life, apart from Number 33, Zaimokuza has never been so determined to eliminate a certain existence with his own will...even if it means using violence, which he hates the most.]

He suddenly crossed his arms in front of him, and flames ignited simultaneously at his wrists and belt, rapidly igniting Zaimokuza's entire body like a nuclear explosion.

[“Super Transformation!”]

47. Primal Force (5K)

"call……"

When seeing "Kousaka Kyosuke" in the light curtain about to be killed, "Zaimokuza Yoshiki" arrived in time to knock Gadoru away and save him. Although Kousaka Daisuke's expression remained calm, the heart hanging in his chest finally calmed down.

"Thank you, Zaimokuza-kun."

"You're so slow, you..."

Kyosuke Kousaka took a deep breath, looked at the figure wrapped in flames in the light curtain with complicated eyes, and muttered.

"Then the rest is up to you."

【Om—】

A dazzling light blossomed amidst the ruins and flames. The light emanating from the Yamadam Spirit Stone now far surpassed any previous illumination, like a vermilion sunset sinking into the darkness. Its brilliance was so intense that it even illuminated most of the Setagaya district, centered around the stadium.

However, Kousaka, bathed in this radiance almost at close range, felt no glare at all. Instead, he felt the wounds throughout his body, which had been numb from pain, begin to tingle intensely, as if a thousand ants were scratching at his wounds, nearly causing him to cry out.

【"This is--"】

Kosaka was shocked to discover that the reinforced nerves in his wound were now repairing at a speed dozens of times faster than before. Countless nerves were squeezed out from the flesh of his severed arm, snaked through and outlined the muscles, blood vessels, and bones of his arm. The gap in his right abdomen was almost completely repaired, and skin and flesh had already covered the internal defects.

All of this was simply due to the movement of Zaimokuza's transformation. A powerful force was contained in the light released by Yamadam. The moment it shone, the strengthened nerves in Kousaka's body resonated, and his fatigue, which had consumed most of his strength, began to become extremely active.

The light gradually dimmed, and the ignited flame began to die. The last spark of fire dissipated at the end of the fluttering scarf. A pair of compound eyes, gleaming red even in the darkness, reflected the figure of Gadoru in front.

The red warrior once again stood firm on the battlefield. Zaimokuza transformed into his long-lost red form, his red, reinforced muscles gleaming in the firelight. The only difference from before was the red scarf wrapped around his neck, which only appeared when he activated Elemental Mode.

【However, unlike the half-flame, half-solid appearance back then, this scarf has now become completely solid, which also shows from the side that Zaimokuza's transformation this time is unique.】

[This is not a further transformation or sublimation of the previous omnipotent form, but rather a return to one's original source after thoroughly mastering the true meaning of the power represented by this form and fully controlling this power.]

[In the beginning, he was also the strongest, just like the warrior who once sealed all the Gurongi.]

【Kuga·True·Almighty Form】

【"Caimu seat..."】

“Ah… I think I’ve finally grasped Kuuga’s true power, Kousaka-san.”

Zaimokuza slowly raised his hands. As he clenched his fists, flames erupted from between his fingers and from the jewels inlaid on his wrists. This wasn't simply a phenomenon of flame and high temperature as defined by physics, but rather the purest element of fire.

He had never felt such ease in controlling the power within him. The flow of elements was as clear and unobstructed as a river flowing before his eyes. The elemental power that he had previously only been able to manipulate rigidly after entering elemental mode now felt as natural as breathing.

[The so-called elemental awakening is only a semi-finished product of its current form. Only now has Zaimokuza finally mastered the full power of the four elements.]

Thank you, Miou.

Feeling the immense power surging within him, Zaimokuza suddenly looked up, his gaze fixed on Gadoru who was now stepping forward.

[“Hey!”]

Facing this powerful enemy who had made him feel the depth of despair that morning, he no longer felt any fear or gloom. He quickly leaped up, flipped in mid-air, and punched Gadoru, who was looking up below.

A stream of red flames spread out in front of Zaimokuza's fist, enveloping his form like a curtain. The fiery elemental power converged on his fist. The power contained in this punch could easily kill any Gurongi from the ME Group or even below!

【"snort!"】

Gadoru, facing this powerful blow, did not choose to sit still and wait for death. He turned his wrist and slashed at Zaimokuza's incoming attack with his sword held in both hands.

The black blade flashed with a cold light as it sliced ​​towards Zaimokuza's wrist from the side. With the speed and sharpness of this sword, Gadoru could have cut his fist and body in half in mid-air if his attack had hit him.

Gadoru was undoubtedly an extremely experienced opponent. A simple parry could not only block the enemy's attack, but also use it as a defensive momentum to launch an attack. If it had been Zaimokuza from before, this strike would have definitely thrown him into disarray, leaving him vulnerable enough to be fatal.

[The premise is——the previous Zaimokuza.]

[And now, facing the attack of the sword that had severely wounded him several times, Zaimokuza no longer frantically dodged as before, but continued to attack without hesitation, treating the sharp blade as nothing.]

【"Lu--!!!"】

Seeing his desperate determination to attack him without dodging or avoiding, Gadoru was about to open his mouth to mock him coldly, but the scene before him made the rest of his words fade away into the echo of astonishment.

The sword blade slashed through the air, sparks flying everywhere, but there was no sound of tearing cloth or splashing blood when flesh was torn apart.

Red flames replaced blood and appeared on the area of ​​Zaimokuza's body where the sword had cut him. The area of ​​his flesh engulfed in flames suddenly became hazy and illusory, like a mirage in the desert.

[This is surprisingly elemental. As soon as he was hit by the attack, Zaimokuza transformed his body parts into pure elements and dodged the sword!]

Without even giving him time to think, Zaimokuza's fiery fist landed on Gadoru's chest, who was stunned by the scene.

【boom--! ! ! 】

[An explosive flash bloomed above his right fist, and a raging flame formed a huge fireball in front of his fist, enough to wrap around Gadoru's body. The fireball pushed Gadoru out quickly!]

Gadoru's limbs were stretched out by the massive fireball, his feet lifted off the ground and levitated upwards. Powerless to resist, he flew backwards into the already dark sky behind him. The fireball drew an exceptionally bright and fiery trail across the night sky.

The scene was like a meteor streaking across the sky, but unlike the usual falling from the heavens, this one soared into the sky. Within seconds, the fireball disappeared into the horizon, leaving only the burning track stretching across the night sky, like an arched bridge stretching vertically from Setagaya District towards Saitama Prefecture.

Gadoru was directly knocked out of Tokyo by this punch. Zaimokuza never thought that this punch would be enough to defeat him, but at least it could move him out of Tokyo, so that the aftermath of the battle would not directly destroy half of the city.

"Mr. Kosaka, I'll leave this to you!"

"Hey! Wait—"

The second explosion of dust and flames swallowed Kousaka's scream. Zaimokuza didn't wait for a response before kneeling and leaping up. Blazing flames erupted from his feet as a boost, then enveloped him and transformed him into another meteor, flying in the direction where Gadoru was knocked away, leaving a second trail of fire in the night sky.

"That idiot... Ugh."

After Zaimokuza followed Gadoru out, only ruins, torn apart by shockwaves and flames, remained. Beneath a collapsed wall, a scarred left hand trembled as it reached forward, finally falling helplessly.

“Forget it… I’m used to it…”

Beneath the ruins, Kousaka's stiff, faint voice slowly rang out, seeming particularly hopeless in this dilapidated gymnasium.

……

【06:25 PM】

Under the pitch-black night sky and the cold moon, the quiet atmosphere of the forest was broken. Two "meteors" fell from the distant sky one after another, creating explosions and shockwaves that startled the sleeping birds. The vibrations from the explosions then continued unabated.

【"snort!"】

A red pillar of fire spread rapidly forward from the ground, silently burning all the withered yellow leaves along its path to ash. Finally, the pillar of fire reached a hilltop at the end of the forest. A massive explosion and dust shattered half of the mountainside into rubble.

[However, no matter how terrifying the attack, if it misses its target, it's like a breeze passing by, at most a slightly warm breeze.]

Zaimokuza leaped to avoid the attack and landed in a somersault. As his feet touched the ground, before he could straighten his back, a figure wrapped in flames burst through the smoke and dust ahead at a speed that was almost blinding to his imagination. A black fist wrapped in a spiral of flames slammed into Zaimokuza's head!

A red palm opened to block the blow. A stream of scorching energy shot through the fist, creating an invisible tunnel of flames on the ground behind Zaimokuza. All the flying leaves within this tunnel were ignited and burned by the intense heat. From above, a long red line, over a hundred meters in diameter, swept through the forest like a painter's paintbrush.

Another fist followed, and Zaimokuza reached out with his other hand to grasp the two-headed creature. At this moment, his eyes met the pair of narrow compound eyes in front of him through the flames and dead leaves, each of them burning with the flame of fighting spirit.

[“Drink!!!!!!!”]

Gadoru, who had always been calm and cool in battle, now roared in fury, his voice filled with a blazing heat and murderous intent, like the roar of a raging lion.

"Hello!!!!!!!"

【boom--!!!!!!】

Zaimokuza shouted with a voice no less resounding than his own. A dazzling light, engulfed in flames, erupted from the wrist jewels held in their taut grip, like dozens or even hundreds of G4 bombs exploding simultaneously. A pillar of raging flames shot up into the sky, centered around the two, forming a mushroom cloud of flame.

The surrounding soil and trees were completely blown away by the collision of the elements. A huge crater, burning with flames, appeared where the two had been. The temperature inside was as scorching as a furnace smelting steel.

Gadoru and Zaimokuza, their stalemate fruitless, decisively let go, then clenched their fists once more and swung them towards each other, the hurricane of wind created by the collision of their fists completely extinguishing the raging fire within the pit, leaving only a dense swarm of fireflies, sparks whistling wildly from the edge of the hole on the wind.

[The fist retracted, then struck out again, colliding with the opponent, its speed gradually increasing... In the end, the space between the two of them was completely devoid of the fist's shadow. Only the air could be seen being torn apart by the explosion that had occurred out of nowhere. Shock waves were generated as dense as raindrops, blowing away the air again and again, and turning up the earth at a speed comparable to dozens of drills being activated simultaneously.]

Although both he and Gadoru's legs remained stationary, the shockwave and kinetic energy propelled them backwards behind Gadoru. An outsider observing the scene would have noticed their trajectory completely defied the laws of physics, as if an invisible elevator were carrying them rapidly away from Gadoru, without them even taking a single step.

[Obviously, Zaimokuza had the upper hand in this fight, as the person being pushed away was from behind Gadoru, not him, proving that he was already stronger than the other.]

[Where both sides passed, trees collapsed, the earth tore apart, and shockwaves carried flames and debris far away. To them, even the aftermath of a simple clash was like a natural disaster, terrifying and devastating.]

This is also why Zaimokuza had to "take" Gadoru out of Tokyo first. With their current strength, leveling the entire city would be a piece of cake. Even at full strength, it wouldn't take even ten minutes.

Another powerful punch was unleashed, this time the two fists interlocked and collided, blazing sparks illuminating both figures like the slicing of a compressor. The area within a 300-meter radius around them had become a charred wasteland, with not a single plant growing on the dark red soil.

「──That’s it!」

Looking at Zaimokuza in front of him, Gadoru could no longer suppress the excitement surging in his chest, and even his tone was filled with audible changes in emotion.

"It's this power! I've never forgotten it! That man displayed such strength that day! You've finally regained your former power!"

[At this moment, distant memories flashed back in Gadoru's mind. He recalled the night he considered a lifelong shame, yet would never forget. He had never experienced such a "battle" with such a huge disparity in combat power.]

Rather than a battle, it was more like a one-sided abuse of hundreds of Gurongi by one man. The only difference was that compared to his fellow Gurongi who were sealed with one strike, Gadoru's "result" was more impressive because he took two strikes before being sealed.

The memory of that day never left Gadoru's mind. He considered being defeated that day a humiliation, yet he also saw the man who had defeated him as his goal. He had given him a second goal besides completing "Kikiru"—to avenge his previous humiliation.

But that man was already dead, having passed away the day all the Gurongi were unsealed. Upon waking up, Gadoru immediately returned to the cave where he had been defeated and sealed. He remained silent for a full hour, staring at the lifeless corpse.

Out of respect for the warrior's strength, it chose to leave without damaging the remains, but the resentment and unwillingness within it never dissipated, a regret that Gadoru was reluctant to express.

This regret hasn't lessened for a single moment in the past year, not even after Gadoru learned someone had inherited that man's belt and become the new warrior. Gadoru, who had rushed to the scene specifically, only felt a glimmer of hope when he saw this new warrior, but the moment he saw this new warrior, his only hope was overwhelmed by an endless sense of emptiness.

Because the other party was so weak at the time, although he had grasped some of the man's power, it was completely incomparable to the original. Using the analogy of an ant to a human was a compliment. Therefore, Gadoru felt that his wish might never be fulfilled.

[But this world is truly full of surprises. The warrior I once considered not even a replacement has actually come before me, having transcended numerous games. He has gone from being weak to being able to rival my all-out efforts, and even to have the upper hand.]

[And the power the other party possesses, even though it is still a little immature, is exactly the power of that man back then!]

[My wish finally had the possibility of being fulfilled... Millions of years of resentment and unwillingness transformed into a roar at this moment, echoing from the depths of Gadoru's throat and reaching the distant heavens.]

"KUUGA!!!"

In response to Gadoru's roar, another fist swung forward. Brilliant light and heat erupted from this fist, completely engulfing his body.

The might was like the dormant Mount Fuji erupting at this moment. Blazing flames like a waterfall shot up into the sky in the center of the forest, and the endless flames piled up into the shape of a blooming lotus.

The sky was illuminated by this fire, like the dawn when the night was reversed and the day had arrived.

48. Embers of the Long Night (10k)

"Amazing!"

The literally "earth-shattering" battle in the light curtain shocked many people's cognition. Even the civil war that broke out between "Yoshiteru Zaimokuza" and "Kousaka Kyosuke" was far less intense than this battle.

After all, in that battle, apart from "Kousaka Kyosuke" who lost his mind after going berserk, "Zaimokuza Yoshiki" had no intention of killing anyone. But now, both sides of this battle have the most burning desire to kill each other, and every punch and kick is a fatal move, which is completely incomparable.

Therefore, the true combat power of the two was fully displayed at this moment. The visual performance far exceeded all the battles that had ever occurred. The laws of the real world had to give way to these two human-shaped disasters. The damage caused by their punches and kicks was comparable to the collision of thermal weapons on the most advanced battlefields in modern times.