My youth story cannot be a knight war

His mind subconsciously followed Ebina's words and responded, and Kousaka's expression then changed slightly.

"Ms. Ebina, are you sure?!"

"No."

After giving this answer crisply, Ebina put the cigarette butt back into her mouth. The steaming white mist coated her lenses white and also obscured the eyes behind the lenses.

"This is ultimately just a conjecture, unproven. In this reality where various superpositions coexist, whether killing Zero can actually reverse the arrival of the 'Ultimate Darkness' can only be verified through practice... But honestly, we don't have any other choice right now."

"And according to Number Zero's power, the only person in the world who could possibly defeat him and change everything is..."

"...Taimu Seat."

As he muttered this name, Kousaka's eyes looked a little complicated.

In the end... does all this still need to be solved by the person who should have nothing to do with all this and just wants to travel around the world and have adventures?

"Thank you for your advice, Miss Ebina. I still have things to do."

The moment of trance lasted only a short while, and then Kousaka returned to his original indifferent expression. He turned his back to Ebina and walked towards the exit of the research institute without hesitation or delay.

"Even after hearing what I said, you still don't intend to give up the fight?"

As I watched quietly as Kousaka's back was gradually swallowed up by the darkness of the unlit corridor, Ebina's voice echoed faintly.

"You know that, don't you, Kosaka-kun? Your current strength is no longer enough to fight Zero. And given your current physical condition, if you transform even once more..."

"You will be wiped out from this world."

This ruthless verdict finally made Kousaka stop. He looked up at the bright red indicator light on the door frame above his head, his eyes not wavering at all.

"...Even so, there are things I can do."

"Zaimukza has his battlefield, and I have mine. I must ensure that when he and Zero start fighting, no other Gurongi survive in this world."

"In fact, death is not scary. What is scary is dying without meaning... And I am very fortunate that I can choose when to die, and my death will definitely be meaningful."

"It's just a pity..."

He reached into his pocket and slowly took out a dark golden crystal card. Staring at the eye-like pattern on the crystal card, Kousaka's half face immersed in darkness revealed a helpless smile.

"It seems that I can't watch that guy go on his adventure again."

"I won't hide this from you anymore, my best friend number two."

Silently looking at Kousaka who was talking to himself, Ebina's eyes were for a moment lost in the haze of memories.

"By the way... have you got any news about Yoshiteru?"

"No."

Putting the crystal card back into his pocket, Kousaka turned his back to Ebina, shook his head, and spoke softly.

"That guy, after waking up in the hospital yesterday, has disappeared. Before he left, he asked Makishima to report his safety. I also asked Ms. Yukinoshita, and she hasn't seen Zaimokuza either... Actually, I came to you, Ms. Ebina, to ask if you've seen him."

"Tsk~ Really, it's already come to this last moment, and you're still causing me all this trouble."

"But you don't look angry, Kousaka-kun?"

Ebina pursed his lips and said.

"Because I believe in him. I believe that no matter what, that idiot will never avoid what he has to face, and belief doesn't need a reason."

"So eventually, that guy will show up, and now... he's just going to do what he wants to do."

After saying that, Kyosuke Kousaka left, and Ebina silently watched the man's back until he completely disappeared into the darkness.

There was no need to say anything sentimental, as what needed to be said had already been said before. Although Ebina knew in her heart that this would probably be the last time she would see this old friend in her life.

But that's how life is. Many times, people you know each other for the last time in their lives is just a matter of turning around or saying hello. She has become accustomed to this.

There is just one thing, Ebina feels a sense of apology towards Kousaka.

"...You're really defenseless against your friends, Kosaka-kun. You know I have a PhD in psychology on my resume, but you don't know exactly what I specialize in, right?"

Looking down at the cigarette in his hand that had burned to the bottom, Ebina's eyes were inexplicably complicated.

"A little hypnosis can only guide someone's thinking...but it's enough for you, Kousaka-kun."

"Stopping the arrival of the 'Ultimate Darkness'...huh~ How is that even possible?"

Throwing the cigarette on the ground, Ebina's gaze looking down was darker than ever before.

When she deduced that the true nature of the "Ultimate Darkness" was a force from a higher dimension, she knew in her heart that preventing its arrival was simply impossible.

Because the future direction has long been completely locked by observations from higher dimensions, no matter how hard you struggle, the final result will not change, and the "ultimate darkness" will definitely come.

Even now, it is just trapped in a time paradox. The process of advent is infinitely postponed in a sense, but it is not completely cut off from the world after all.

When this restraining force completely disappears, "Ultimate Darkness" will eventually descend upon this world.

And in this matter, Ebina told Kousaka a second lie.

This second lie concealed the truth that she absolutely did not want anyone to know—the truth about the only way to save the world from the "ultimate darkness."

As a rare scientist, her comprehension and thinking ability are difficult to compare. Often when the question is just halfway through, Ebina can draw inferences from it and realize that there are other possible answers.

...But the price of this answer and possibility was so heavy that it made Ebina breathless.

bump--! ! !

A loud cracking sound was heard in the laboratory. Ebina, who had his head lowered, suddenly reached out and grabbed the ashtray on the table and threw it out with force.

The ashtray hit the decorative glass on the sliding door at the laboratory exit, smashing it into pieces. The broken glass slid a long distance on the floor.

One of the glass fragments slipped and touched the heel of the high heels, reflecting Hai Lao Ming's haggard face.

She also saw the glass fragment that reflected her own appearance. Her eyes paused, and Ebina bent down to pick up the fragment.

"...To be honest, I've only had my suspicions for years, but the professor said a lot of interesting things in that phone call I received earlier."

Holding the glass fragment in both hands, Ebina stared at his own appearance in the mirror, his eyes dark and mysterious.

"If I hadn't been busy that day, I might have died in that experiment... Time is truly terrifying. It can turn a once gentle person into the cruel and ruthless person she is now."

"You've been listening the whole time, right? So why don't you have a chat with me, your old classmate and your only friend?"

"Or do you feel ashamed? Or do you simply don't care?"

Lifting the broken glass, Ebina spoke softly. But despite his gentle tone, his words carried a fierce surge, like a stream of fire lurking beneath the earth.

Especially the last sentence, the unconcealable anger almost burst out from the heart with the help of sound.

"Hikigaya-san."

4. Restart (4k)

On the road, a manhole cover near the corner of the wall was opened, and a pair of eyes peeked out from the gap in the manhole cover, looking around vigilantly.

What came into view was the familiar black sky and the reflection of the city, followed by the gray-black telephone poles and the yellow swaying trees. Slightly noisy voices came from the distance, and a few cars could be seen at the end of the street not far away.

Cars collided with each other, and all the doors were opened. In the distance, the sound of a slightly noisy crowd faded away. People in this area have already started to flee. The chaotic scene in front of us is quite similar to Hiroshima and Nagasaki back then.

Apart from the chaotic street scene, there was no one in sight, which made the owner of these eyes feel a little relieved.

"Okay, there's no one here."

Hikigaya Hachiman lifted the manhole cover above his head, climbed out of the well using all fours, then turned around and stretched out his hand inside and said.

"I can finally get out! I feel like if I keep going like this I'm going to turn into a sewer mermaid."

A slender and powerful hand grabbed Hikigaya's outstretched hand, and Shizuka Hiratsuka, with a sullen face, quickly climbed out. As soon as she came out, she took a deep breath. The fresh wood fragrance that entered her nostrils almost made her cry after staying in the sewer for nearly an hour.

"Mr. Hiratsuka, I think in that environment you would only evolve into a salamander, not a mermaid, since the latter lives in the sea."

The loud complaints behind her made Shizuka Hiratsuka's face twitch violently. Yukinoshita Yukino, whose face was pale, was the third to crawl out of the sewer. She bent down and helped Yuigahama Yui, whose consciousness was already a little hazy, out. The last one to come out was Ebina Hime.

"While what you said makes sense, Yukinoshita, I don't think now is the time to hurt Hiratsuka-sensei's fragile heart. After all, she is currently the strongest fighting force in our group."

"Hey! You two little brats..."

This time, even the corners of Hiratsuka Shizuka's mouth began to twitch, while Hikigaya reached out and supported Yuigahama together with Yukinoshita, and spoke calmly.

"Now, as we said before, how do you feel—!?"

The wanton roar of the engines made the expressions of all the conscious people present change at the same time. Several people hurriedly supported Yuigahama and hid in an alley in the area. Then several roaring motorcycles sped past their original location.

A group of men dressed like bosozoku on motorcycles were shouting along the way, their laughter filled with disgust and vulgarity of being despised.

"The end of the world has finally arrived! Everyone! No one can control us now, let's be happy as soon as possible~!"

"Oh~! His Majesty the son of a bitch! A school that eats shit! A ghost seeking revenge! Board!!! The end of the world, board!!!"

“Onboard!!!”

This group of bosozoku recklessly chanted slogans reminiscent of those fascist psychopaths from World War II, their deliberately unlifted kicks scraping glaring sparks across the asphalt as they sped away, a trail of sparks and lightning. There was no trace of rationality in their shouts, only joy and madness that ran deep into their bones.

Even the leader was driving while holding an open glass bottle and putting his face close to it, inhaling the white powder inside with his nose, with an expression as if he was about to ascend to heaven on the spot.

Then, they really "ascended to heaven".

Amid the honking of horns echoing throughout the area, a car just turned the corner of the street ahead and had a classic "love at the corner" encounter with the group of bikers.

The violent explosion drowned out all other sounds the next moment. Amidst the rising flames, all the bikers turned into top divers at this moment, performing incredible moves in mid-air and diving towards the downhill slope of the street ahead, leaving a trail of blood and flesh along the way.

The glass bottle spun and rolled on the road for a long distance until it finally hit a pair of sneakers that were so faded from washing.

"...It sucks."

Hikigaya kicked the bottle into the previously opened manhole cover without hesitation. His expression was as gloomy as if covered by a black veil, and the faces of the other people next to him were not much better.

The most feared thing finally happened. After the previous world order collapsed with the previous vision, the morals and etiquette that people used to follow also began to collapse. The whole world was gradually falling into a madness that no one could control.

Moreover, this situation will only become more intense as time goes by and will never slow down. The primitive animality in people's hearts that was suppressed by civilization in the past is gradually being liberated.

"..."

Looking at the car burning in the flames of the explosion, Yukinoshita subconsciously wanted to go forward to rescue the unfortunate car owner, but a hand grabbed her sleeve.

Turning around, Hikigaya shook his head at her with a silent expression. In response, Yukinoshita could only purse her lips and reluctantly stopped the step she was about to take.

"The situation is very dangerous now. This is the address of Zaimokuza's home."

Hikigaya took out a piece of paper with the address written on it from his pocket and handed it to Shizuka Hiratsuka, and he gave orders in a quick tone.

"As I said before, you should quickly go to his house to find Zaimokuza's parents and hide together. Remember, don't take the main road, take the small road!"

"Hey! Hikigaya, the situation outside is very dangerous! You should stay with us—"

Shizuka Hiratsuka, who was holding the note, was about to call him, but Hikigaya just turned around and looked at her. The determination and sharpness in his eyes made her swallow back what she wanted to say.

"I'm sorry, Hiratsuka-sensei, my sister...she needs me right now."

"Tsk! That idiot... He's clearly just a brat, why is he trying so hard to be cool?"

After saying that, he ran towards another street without looking back. Looking at his departing back, Shizuka Hiratsuka, with a conflicted look on her face, could only sigh helplessly.

When a man decides what to do, a woman cannot stop him. This has always been one of the values ​​inherited by this country.

"... Let's go quickly, Hiratsuka-sensei."

Yukinoshita withdrew her gaze from the departing figure of that person, supported Yuigahama and walked to the back of the street, while speaking softly.

"Hayama-san and the others stayed behind to maintain order and buy us time to leave, while Hikigaya-san brought us here. We can't let their efforts go to waste... We must quickly find Zaimokuza-san's parents and protect them. You wouldn't want the pain of future Zaimokuza-san to be repeated on present Zaimokuza-san, would you?"

"Ah~ Let's go! As a teacher, I can't let my students have the same regrets as in the future."

This sentence made Shizuka Hiratsuka make up her mind. She looked carefully at the address written on the note, put it in her pocket, and walked ahead of the crowd to lead the way.

Yukinoshita and Ebina walked behind, supporting Yuigahama, who was still in a semi-comatose state. Ebina couldn't help but look to the right while walking, and Hikigaya's figure just disappeared at the end of the street.

"..."

He frowned slightly, and for some reason, a strange feeling suddenly arose in Ebina's heart.

She felt... as if this was the last time she would see this classmate named Hikigaya Hachiman.

"!"

On the other side, Hikigaya suddenly stopped running. He looked at a motorcycle lying not far ahead, and his eyes widened for a moment.

He gritted his teeth and carefully stepped over a biker next to him whose head and body were bent into a strange arc between the telephone pole and the wall, squatted in front of the motorcycle, and turned the right handlebar hard.