My youth story cannot be a knight war

"—!"

The smoke gradually became thinner under the strong wind blowing from high altitude, and a figure was looming in the mist. When they saw the figure slowly becoming clearer, Kousaka and Zaimokuza both opened their eyes wide, and colors of shock were wrapped around the figure reflected in their eyes.

It was a pitch-black warrior, with a pair of azure compound eyes still shining. However, compared to the grand light at the beginning, this light was now so dim, as dim as a fake sapphire, full of impurities under the luster.

His body was shrouded in smoke from the friction with the atmosphere, and there were even many tiny flames still burning all over his body. At the same time, his left hand was tightly covering his right shoulder, and there was blood dripping from his bent shoulder. The original arm had disappeared.

The bloody nerves and flesh fibers squirmed and stretched in the blood flowing from the severed arm, and began to slowly rebuild the shape of another arm at a speed visible to the naked eye. Some kind of super cells comparable to nanomachines were still dividing and repairing his body. The repair speed was indeed very fast, but it was far too slow compared to the initial healing speed that occurred almost simultaneously with the injury.

The black warrior half-knelt on the ground, the giant sword in his hand, which was a mixture of simplicity and luxury, shattered into metal fragments no bigger than a fingernail, scattered on the black bricks and stones on the top of the tower. Countless holes on his black armor, which was covered with cracks, were bleeding. He looked like he had been immersed in a pool of blood, and his body was covered with sticky blood clots.

These were the wounds he received in the battle just now. Having long since become the ultimate life form, his body is now filled with strengthened nerves that can move independently as if they were conscious. These strengthened nerves surround all his organs, flesh, blood, and every bone, giving him an unparalleled physique and unmatched repair ability.

However, after the battle just now, about three-quarters of these reinforced nerves, which were much more flexible than spider silk, along with the organs attached to them, were shattered by the powerful elemental force, and these elemental forces still left remnants attached to all the wounds. It was precisely because of the interference of these residual energies that the speed of flesh repair was now so slow.

There is also another reason, that is, the warriors themselves have reached their limits.

Although this pitch-black form of the opponent was the first time I had seen him in every aspect, the feeling brought by that back figure was still so familiar. Even though I couldn't see the whole picture because the dust had not completely dissipated, I recognized the opponent the moment I saw him.

"No way, that's..."

Kousaka muttered, and Zaimokuza beside him had unconsciously taken a step forward, his eyes and mind focused on the dark figure that looked extremely desolate at the moment.

"Future me."

He spoke, and the light that followed illuminated Zaimokuza's stunned face and his raised blue compound eyes.

Above the pitch-black sky, pure white holy light opened a clean heavenly channel that descended from the sky. Black feathers fluttered like snow, and then a ball of white light slowly descended along the channel formed by the holy light. Wherever it passed, the darkness retreated.

The scene was so sacred, as if a suffering fallen angel had descended to earth to bestow God's baptism upon the believers. However, the other people present who were bathing in this light did not feel even the slightest warmth, only a fierce heat that seemed to burn their flesh and bones to ashes. This perhaps also indirectly reflected the true nature of the being that emitted this light.

The ball of light hovered two meters above the ground on the top floor of the tower, then the light faded, and two pitch-black wings opened, revealing the equally pitch-black figure.

That was Daguba. Only two of the six wings on its back remained. The other four had been destroyed in the all-out battle just now. There were also countless scars on its body, but when the wings were opened, these scars were mostly repaired. When the wings were fully opened, no trace of any injuries could be seen anymore.

Obviously, His condition was much better than Zaimokuza's who was almost exhausted on the other side. The difference between the two sides could be seen with the naked eye.

Because even if it was a fake, Daguba was still a "god" after all, and although Zaimokuza's power was comparable to his, he was still a mortal in essence.

The most essential difference between the two lies in their existence status and the level of life represented by this status. The life level of gods far exceeds that of humans, and their form of existence has even touched the level of concepts. It can be said that they are half-transcend the constraints of materiality.

The same is true for its energy reserves. The energy possessed by Daguba is almost endless. Even if he uses and explodes it wantonly, he does not have to worry about exhaustion. He can draw power and elements from the entire world to replenish himself, but all of Zaimokuza's power comes from himself. Although he can also absorb power from the outside world, the scale is not comparable to Daguba.

He lost.

No matter how reluctant one is to admit it, anyone can see this obvious fact when looking at the comparison between the current status of both sides.

Reality is reality. Its direction is not determined by the will of any single individual, but is the final result left after the competition of countless possibilities... However, this result is something that almost no one is willing to accept.

Except for the two sides fighting, they didn't seem to care about it.

"What's wrong? KUUGA?"

Daguba tilted his head, and the boy's original face seemed to appear on the mask that was both sacred and evil. He looked at Zaimokuza who was half-kneeling in front of him, frowned in dissatisfaction and said.

"Stand up, it's not over yet, our battle has just begun, right?"

"..."

Zaimokuza said nothing, but responded to Daguba's words with practical actions.

The regrown right hand stretched out to the side, grasped another black Titan sword rising from the bricks and stones, pulled it out, and slowly stood up. During this process, blood continued to drip from his feet.

Then Zaimokuza took a step forward, his figure engulfed in a violent whirlwind, and rushed towards Daguba, who was standing motionless, sword in hand.

bump!

But with a strike of black fist, the storm suddenly stopped and dissipated, and the pitch-black sword spun and fell from the edge of the top of the tower.

Zaimokuza was like a kicked football, rubbing against the bricks and stones as he flew away. He rolled nearly a hundred meters before slowly stopping. He struggled to stand up by supporting himself with his hands on the tiles.

"Stand up~"

At this moment, Daguba's voice, which had always sounded soft and smiling, was strangely calm. However, those who heard it seemed to be able to feel a turbulent tide surging under his voice, like the raging waves of the sea.

He was angry, angry at the powerlessness shown by Zaimokuza at this moment. Daguba retracted his punch, and the scarlet elemental power lingered on the tip of his fist.

"Stand up~!"

At Daguba's call, Zaimokuza stood up and staggered back a few steps before steadying himself, but he still slowly raised his right fist, and a different blue elemental light bloomed on that fist.

But compared with the light of Daguba, this light is like a lake and the bright moon. The gap between the two is so huge at this moment.

Zaimokuza naturally understood this, but he still took a step forward silently, and his walking turned into a running, rushing towards Daguba who was standing in the same place.

Facing the oncoming Zaimokuza, Daguba still had no intention of dodging. He put his fists at his waist, and his pitch-black compound eyes reflected Zaimokuza's approaching figure.

When the two figures shortened to a distance of half a meter, two fists wrapped in different lights hit each other, and red and blue afterimages drew dazzling tracks in the air.

wow——

A weak small whirlwind spread out from the two of them. This whirlwind was so weak, just like a gust of wind after the rain, and it no longer had the earth-shaking momentum of the previous fight.

The fists of both sides hit the center of each other's chest without deviation.

Click...

The sound of something breaking could be heard quietly above the now silent top of the tower.

……

"—!"

His pupils reflected the two figures swinging their fists together. The hand holding the hilt of the sword trembled uncontrollably, and Xu Guoliang clenched his teeth.

He clearly felt that a force disappeared, and there was no longer any aftereffect.

At this moment, the light of the entire world fell into endless darkness, and the last bit of hope was swallowed up by despair.

“Zaimu seat!!!!!!”

31. Collapse of Hope (Wishing all students to get what they want!)

Beautiful pictures.jpg

Click~

Under the impact of the pitch-black fists, the azure crystal in the center of the sturdy chest, representing the flawless spirit, let out a faint cry, and a crack with a white glow appeared in the center.

Then the cracks climbed and spread to the entire Philosopher's Stone, which was composed of pure spiritual elements. In each crack, rainbow-colored light particles overflowed to the outside and dissipated into the air in an instant.

"cough……"

The hideous steel-like mouthparts opened, and a thick, hot blood mist spurted out from the gap, dyeing the black bricks and stones under the feet and the Philosopher's Stone on the chest that was on the verge of breaking red.

The fist that hit Daguba's chest dropped, and Zaimokuza covered the Philosopher's Stone on his chest, which was overflowing with elemental particles, with one hand, staggered back several steps, and then slowly knelt down.

hum...

The radiance of the azure Yamadam spirit stone at the waist slowly dimmed, and amidst a faint, almost inaudible humming sound, the jet-black mighty armor gradually peeled off from the body, revealing the clothes underneath that were completely soaked in blood. Due to the extremely low temperature of the environment, a thin layer of ice crystals immediately condensed on the surface of the jet-black clothes, glowing with a brilliant scarlet color like blood diamonds.

The blood flowing on the skin slowly coagulated. The mottled blood solidified and stopped flowing, but it looked like pieces of red roses dotted on the wound. Even the fair face was dotted with such blood flowers, which looked extremely terrifying and beautiful, like an exquisite work of art.

But he is not a work of art, but a human being, because only works of art consider the element of material "incompleteness" as beauty, and the incompleteness of life always represents the exhaustion of approaching death.

"..."

The blood flowing from the corner of his mouth was coagulating bit by bit. Zaimokuza's eyes were blocked by his hanging hair. He covered his chest with his hands, his kneeling legs were trembling, and he tried hard to stand up again.

But this move ultimately ended in failure. His clenched fist fell silently to his side, and his figure slowly fell forward.

The perception of time at this moment was infinitely stretched in the mind. The man's falling appearance was like a series of film negatives pieced together. His messy white hair drew a dark blue curved trajectory in the air, and the glaring blood at the corner of his mouth also stretched out an unforgettable red stream, as vivid as the abrupt stroke in a black and white ink painting.

pat.

He fell silently before his enemy, his hands, which were covered with coagulated blood and could not be closed, hanging beside his face. The whole process looked almost boring and ordinary, and it would be a scene without soundtrack in a movie or TV show.

Even when he fell down, Zaimokuza's clenched fists remained tight, indicating that he was still ready to fight, and perhaps he had never given up fighting in his heart.

There was no earth-shattering wail, no roar of disbelief, Zaimokuza Yoshiki just fell down, the biting snowflakes fell on his stained white hair, adding a touch of white to the lonely and broken scene.

This world has always been able to function without anyone, but for everyone who witnessed this man fall, the world in their eyes seemed to completely collapse and shatter. The silent silence sounded like the foundation of the world, shaking and about to fall.

"!"

After finally climbing back into the tower, Kyosuke Kousaka, who was trying to climb to the top floor, suddenly stopped.

He covered his left chest with his right hand over the position of his heart, feeling the residual sensation of his heartbeat stopping just now, and his pupils trembled slightly.

"No way……"

……

"..."

The pitch-black pupils reflected the white figure that fell down and was gradually buried by the falling snow. Hikigaya Hachiman was speechless, but just closed his eyes silently and stopped watching this scene.

...It's over, he said indifferently in his heart.

But that was all. Even when he witnessed the fall of the only person in his life who could be considered a friend, Hikigaya Hachiman's dead heart was not moved at all at this moment, like a dead sea without a single ripple.

Because he had seen too many similar scenes, so many that he couldn't even count them, and many of them were even created by himself. However, humans are adaptable animals, and "habit" is just a simple physiological mechanism for humans, not the growth of spiritual realm.

So even if he didn't want to get used to it, he had already gotten used to it. His soul had long been numb and had lost all awareness of death and pain. Now, no matter how tragic and desperate the people and things happening in the outside world were, they could not shake Hikigaya Hachiman's heart and will in the slightest.

Is that the end of it? The story you created.

After one last look up, Hikigaya turned around without any reluctance and walked towards his still unconscious sister.

"...?"

But just after taking a few steps, Hikigaya suddenly half-knelt down, stretched out his right hand and tightly covered his left chest.

Feeling the pain coming from his heart below his chest, his expression did not change, but the darkness in the depths of his eyes that could not be illuminated by any light seemed to linger for a moment.

This feeling is so strange, yet it has a long-lost sense of familiarity. This endless pain is like someone crying in the deepest part of his heart, completely separated from the emotions he has now.

Hikigaya remembered that this body now belonged to him and yet did not belong to him.

This body belongs to another person named "Hikigaya Hachiman", the original self that has been forgotten in the deepest part of his memory and buried by time.

So there are some things that he had lost a long time ago, but he still has them now, including this pain.

“It’s a feeling I haven’t seen in a long time.”

The hand covering his chest slowly dropped down, Hikigaya lowered his head, his eyes dimly visible through the cover of black hair. Sometimes there was deep and bottomless darkness in his pupils, and sometimes there was overflowing pain in his heart, as if two different souls were flashing alternately in his eyes.

"I almost forgot... what kind of person was Hikigaya Hachiman at the beginning."

He raised his head, looked at the dark sky revealed by the broken ceiling above his head, stared at the half face that was the same color as snow, and spoke softly.

"Because you're about to lose the 'real thing' around you, are you afraid and terrified, or even crying? This kind of emotion is something I haven't felt in a long time—"

"disgust."

……

"How, how could..."

Fujiwara Chika, who was still stuck by the window, tilted her head back and muttered with a dull look in her eyes. The folding fan she was waving in her right hand slowly dropped down and finally fell downstairs from her loose palm.

Kaguya Shinomiya, who was hugging her waist from behind, closed her eyes with an expression of reluctance, while Miyuki Shirogane beside her lowered his head, with his hands hanging at his sides clenched into fists. The blue veins on the backs of his hands, which looked slightly pale due to malnutrition, were throbbing, but in the end, they calmed down as he loosened his fists weakly.

“…Tsk! That’s terrible!”

The usually noisy F class was now as silent as a cemetery. Sakamoto Yuji looked at the fallen figure on the surveillance camera and clenched his teeth on the thumb in his mouth.

"I knew it, reality is always worse than a sci-fi drama! Not only are there no reasonable plans or limits for power levels, but the disparity in combat power between us is even more outrageous than a PVP game that was built with feet and then delayed... Screw Number Zero! This is the first time I've seen someone more disgusting than that old witch!"

“…(It’s over).”

Kouta Tsuchiya sat aside with his head down, silently fiddling with the camera that he always kept in his hand, his eyes dark and lost.

"how so……"

Yoshii Akihisa, who was covering half of his swollen face, was also staring blankly at the battle results displayed on the virtual screen in front of him, his eyes empty and lifeless.

"Mr. Zaimokuza, he..."

“…Did you lose???”

His pale lips trembled, and his trembling pupils reflected the thin figure that was gradually buried in the snow. Togashi Yuta stepped back in disbelief, and the loose straps fell from his forehead to the floor and were then stepped on by his heels.

"No, Zaimokuza-san is a hero, there's no way he can lose—he won't lose!"