My youth story cannot be a knight war

62. Memories of Hometown (Two in One)

Chiba Prefectural Chiba Benzun High School, health room.

“How many police officers have died since this video was released?”

Kyosuke Kousaka, who had wrapped himself in a quilt like a dumpling, looked at "himself" on the mobile phone screen taking his last look at the dead policeman, and sighed silently in the quilt.

"Police, this is really a dangerous job..."

As he said this, Kyosuke Kousaka began to feel a little worried because he thought of his father.

My father is also a policeman, and he is a criminal policeman just like my future self in the video. He has always been at the forefront of the case and often encounters very dangerous situations, such as vicious criminals, robbery scenes, gang conflicts... and all kinds of things.

Although Kyosuke Kousaka usually doesn't ask about his father's work, he actually has unspeakable worries in his heart, worrying that something might happen to his father one day.

Thinking of this, his heart moved slightly, and he looked at himself in the mobile phone video putting down his bloody fist, his eyes somewhat curious and puzzled.

Speaking of which, why would I become a policeman in the future?

From the moment he saw his future self appearing in this video wearing the classic Tu Siren patch windbreaker and sunglasses, Kyosuke Kousaka actually had this question, but he could never figure out the answer.

He had imagined what he would do after graduating from high school. Years of study had made him feel disgusted with learning, and with his mediocre grades, he didn't think he was cut out for study. Therefore, Kyosuke Kousaka planned to submit his resume directly for a job after graduation. He estimated that he would become one of the nails that make up Japan's high-pressure heavy industrial society, and like other office workers, he would become a social animal who would work from nine to nine or even 007 for the rest of his life.

He had never thought of becoming a policeman like his father, so Kyosuke Kousaka couldn't understand why his future self would choose this profession.

Kyosuke Kousaka has always hated violence, and actually has always had a slight resistance to the profession of policeman which inevitably involves the use of violence, so it is difficult for him to imagine himself wearing a police uniform, holding a gun and handcuffs to arrest a criminal.

What is even more unimaginable to Kyosuke Kousaka is that in the future he not only becomes a policeman who was originally resistant, but also becomes a veritable ace operator of the Metropolitan Police Department, with abilities far exceeding those of his colleagues and yet he is so brave that he disregards death.

Unlike his current self who doesn't even dare to kill a chicken, when facing unconfirmed life forms, which are far more terrifying than the most vicious criminals that the police of this country have faced in the past, such as cult leaders like Asahara Shoko, his future self will always charge to the front line of the battlefield with a sniper rifle, fighting side by side with Zaimokuza who has the ability to transform as a mortal. He uses his life and guns as weapons to dance the dance of death with those executioners who kill without blinking an eye and have various superpowers. He survives every time and even becomes a hero recognized by all citizens.

The difference between the future "self" in the video and the present self is so huge that it is impossible to imagine that they are the same person. Not only Zaimokuza Yoshiki but also Kousaka Kyosuke has this doubt.

How on earth would his future self become such an outstanding policeman? This was something he had never been able to figure out.

[A factory in Togane City.]

【09:23 AM 】

[“Aiya! Don’t come over here!”]

[“Help! Someone—Ahhh!!!”]

[Amid screams of terror, many workers in grey work clothes tumbled and crawled out of the factory gate. Looking down from above, it looked like a school of fish rushing downstream with the flowing river water after the sluice gate was opened. It was a spectacular sight.]

[As if there was some terrifying plague god inside, some people fell down because they ran too fast and their shoes flew off, and they immediately got up and ran forward barefoot in socks, not even throwing away the shoes that fell to the side, for fear that their parents did not give them more legs and that they ran too slowly.]

Just as the last few workers, their clothes tattered and bloodstained, ran out of the factory, a blurry black shadow flew out at an extremely fast speed and hit the unfortunate few who had left. The workers hit by the shadow screamed and were crushed to the ground. The weight of the shadow on their backs made it impossible for them to get up.

[The blurry black shadow stopped after hitting the worker. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a fat middle-aged man in a suit and glasses with a beer belly.]

[This obese middle-aged man is the boss of this factory. He no longer has the arrogance and meanness he had before when he exploited male workers and used the employees' mistakes to coerce their wives into submission. His pale, bloodless face with tears streaming down his face still has traces of fear and pain. There is an extremely hideous bloody hole in the middle of his beer belly, which weighs at least 50 kilograms. Various organs flow out of the hole along with the blood, and flow onto the faces of the workers who are pressed down by his 300-kilogram weight, causing even more shrill screams.]

[“Hmm… hm?”]

Zain wiped the blood from his fierce face and walked out of the factory, frowning suddenly.

[Many of the first workers to flee had already rushed onto the various machines parked outside and inside the factory, rumbling outside. The rumbling engine sounds of the heavy industrial machinery sounded to the rhinoceros Gurongi like a student studying hard before the college entrance examination being beaten by a bunch of square dance aunties outside the building, who were dancing with the Great Compassion Mantra playing on their speakers, and they danced all night until dawn before they left.]

You can imagine what Zain is feeling right now. His face twitched in a twisted manner, his eyes bloodshot as he watched the workers fleeing in their work vehicles. He fixed his eyes viciously on the few unfortunate people who had left behind and pushed aside their boss's corpse to run towards the factory. He strode towards one of the workers who was running towards another dump truck.

[“Uwaa! Help! Help——Gu!?”]

[Just as the worker opened the door of the dump truck with a panicked expression and got in, a strong arm with bulging muscles grabbed the handle of the dump truck's cab and pulled the entire door down, then grabbed the terrified worker's neck and dragged him out of the cab. As the worker cried for help, the hand slightly increased its strength, and the worker rolled his eyes and his legs twitched.]

[“You are the 43rd one, are you proud——!?”]

【boom--! ! ! 】

Just before the unfortunate worker was choked into unconsciousness by the grinning Zain, a high-pitched roar like a cheetah caught his attention. Zain turned around and saw a series of silver-blue motorcycles speeding towards him from the factory gate.

[“Hmm!”]

Zaimokuza's eyes glared at Zain approaching and the worker it had grabbed by the neck. He raised the wheel high and slammed it into Zain, sending him stumbling backwards as he dodged past. The worker, who had been grabbed by the neck and lifted up, fell to the ground as his grip loosened, coughing painfully while clutching his neck.

[“Drink!!!”]

【“!?”】

Zaimokuza, who had knocked Zain and the worker aside, had just turned the car around to continue his attack when Zain, his face filled with rage, had already rushed over with his fist as big as a sandbag raised high, and punched Zaimokuza in the face, who was covered in helmets, before he could react.

[Snap! ]

[“Hmm!”]

[The windshield of the helmet was shattered by this punch, and the fierce punch with the glass shards hit Zaimokuza's fair face, knocking him directly off the Triangle Chaser 2000 and onto the ground. The broken helmet rolled a long way on the ground.]

【"Woo..."】

【Zaimokuza covered his bruised face and fell to the ground with a painful expression. Feeling his swollen cheeks, loose teeth and the iron taste in his mouth, he suspected that his molars had been loosened by the beating.】

[“Since you dare to get in the way, you will replace this Linduo and become the forty-third victim!”]

[Zain retracted his fist and said coldly to Zaimokuza who had fallen to the ground.]

[After saying this, it rushed forward again, waving its fist, and without a word or a second, it punched Zaimokuza's head with a force that was strong enough to break a 20-centimeter thick steel plate.]

Zaimokuza saw this and quickly ducked his head and rolled sideways to avoid Zain's fist. The fierce gust of wind created by the heavy punch as it passed behind his ear left him no doubt that this punch could directly smash an ordinary person's brain like a watermelon.

[“What!? Ugh!”]

[“Drink!!!”]

Zaimokuza dodged the punch and just as he stood up, placing his hands on his waist to call upon his belt to transform, Zain growled, lowered his head, grabbed Zaimokuza's waist, interrupted his transformation, lifted him up, and threw him behind him with an overhand throw.

[Zaimokuza's back hit the ground hard, and the impact of the collision penetrated into his internal organs from the back, almost making him want to suffocate, but he immediately turned around and tried to stand up, enduring the pain.]

[As a result, when he turned around, what caught Zaimokuza's eyes was another fist. 】

[“Puff——”]

[This punch hit Zaimokuza's chin. As the fierce punch force passed through his jaw and into his brain, his mind went blank for a moment, and then his prone figure was knocked into the air by Zain's heavy punch and flew backwards. A mouthful of blood spurted out of his mouth and splashed on Zain's face.]

【"Well……"】

【Zaimokuza stood up with trembling hands and feet. The scene in front of him had an afterimage because of the punch, and his cerebellum was also shaken by the punch. His legs trembled and his body swayed, almost falling down.】

【But a pair of hands grabbed his collar and lifted up Zaimokuza's body as he was about to lean forward, and then he was forced to turn to the left.】

【"snort!"】

Zain grinned and restrained Zaimokuza with both hands. His right arm, as thick as a log, wrapped around Zaimokuza's neck, and his left hand held Zaimokuza's head, applying force to the left in a cross-locked position.

[“Feel the pain of having your neck broken! Linduo!”]

[“Wow!!!”]

Zaimokuza, his face filled with pain, grabbed the thick arm that bound his neck with both hands, and as Zain leaned back, his legs left the ground and kicked and struggled.

[He could clearly hear the "crunching" sound of his slender neck bones being violently beaten by the opponent. It would not be surprising if his neck was broken in the next moment.]

[The worker had just recovered and quietly escaped while Zain wasn't paying attention. At this moment, the only sounds echoing in the factory were Zaimokuza's screams of pain as he was brutally tortured by the muscular man.]

"Oh my god! There is actually such an operation!?"

Ishigami Yu looked at Zaimokuza, who was being choked by Zain on the computer screen in front of him, with a dumbfounded expression.

He never expected that the enemies this time would be so brutal. They were completely different from the group of Gurongi that appeared before. Not only did they have no martial ethics and tricked and attacked Zaimokuza Yoshiki, a young man who was not even a fraction of their age, but their series of fierce attacks did not even give Zaimokuza a chance to transform and fight back. It was just like the player who skipped class and used the bug to attack from behind when fighting the Phantom Monk in "Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice".

Compared to the "honest" counterparts who appeared before it and were full of martial virtues and waited for Zaimokuza to transform before taking action, Zu-Zain-Da, the leader of the "ZU" group, was simply a mudslide in Gurongi. He attacked without any routine and mastered the rules of victory perfectly by accident.

That is to use a series of fierce attacks to make the enemy completely unable to breathe, and directly deal with the opponent before transforming!

If the No. 6, No. 14 and No. 21 that appeared before had followed its example and not waved when the wind was favorable, Zaimokuza would have died long ago.

【At the same time, Chiba Prefecture Station. 】

【Da da da--】

[A tram slowly entered the station. After entering the station, the doors opened at the same time, and many people filed out of it. Various kinds of shoes stepped on the platform, and the busy footsteps sounded. People as numerous as ants walked towards the exit of the platform. ]

[After everyone left and the tram door was about to close, a pair of black leather boots stepped out of the tram.]

【“We’re finally here.”】

[Hiratsuka Shizuka, who was carrying a backpack, had just stepped out of the train when the door closed. She heard the rumble of the train leaving the station from behind her. She looked at the familiar platform in front of her after many years and slowly exhaled a puff of white mist from her mouth. Her face, which already had dark circles under her eyes from staying up late, looked even more tired. Her expression seemed to have aged several years in an instant and entered menopause.]

【There was a small accident on this trip. 】

[Before setting off, Shizuka Hiratsuka was preparing to resign, so she forgot to refuel her car, which caused her Aston Martin to break down halfway due to lack of gas.]

[Helpless Shizuka Hiratsuka could only call a tow truck to tow her beloved car away. She met a kind-hearted person on the road and asked him to take a ride to the station. She got in before the train to Chiba Prefecture departed. She experienced the long-lost feeling of being squeezed by crowds, which she had only experienced when she was in school.

[The crowds of people in the train were like sardines in a can, and she almost couldn't breathe. She was also unlucky enough to meet a pervert who wanted to take advantage of her because of her beautiful appearance. Judging from his skillful tricks that didn't attract the attention of people other than the person involved, he must be a repeat offender.]

[But Shizuka Hiratsuka is not a timid girl who lets them do whatever they want because she is afraid of being discovered. When she found out that a pervert was taking advantage of her, Shizuka Hiratsuka reached out and grabbed the rough hand that was touching her butt. She bent four fingers of the hand in the opposite direction expressionlessly as the pervert screamed. Then she watched the pervert, who was afraid of attracting the attention of the people around him who were attracted by the screams, silently endured the pain and ran to another car, thus saving the last bit of face for herself.]

[I've really softened my heart. If it were in high school, I would have beaten this scum up in front of everyone on the bus. At least I would have let him experience what social death feels like, Shizuka Hiratsuka thought as she swung her wrist and smacked her lips.]

[“Chiba Station… It’s been a long time since I came back.”]

[Shizuka Hiratsuka looked up at the familiar station sign above her head. The yellowed sign was almost the same as when she left, except that the oxidized yellow color was a little darker.]

[She shook her head, dispelling the nostalgia in her heart, and walked out of the platform alone with her backpack on her back.]

[The next place Hiratsuka Shizuka is going to is another school where she taught a long time ago and her alma mater when she was a student. It is also the place where she and Zaimokuza agreed to meet this time. ]

[Soubu High School is a well-known high school in Chiba Prefecture with the highest enrollment rate in recent years. 】

[Boom boom——]

[Soon after Hiratsuka Shizuka left, another train slowly entered the station. After entering the station, the doors opened and many people got off the train one after another.]

【“Chiba Station…long time no see.”】

[After changing into casual clothes, Yukinoshita Yukino walked out of the train door carrying a shoulder bag, and also looked up at the familiar platform in front of her, her eyes were a little dazed. ]

[This is the place she has been away from for many years since she was admitted to university. It is also the hometown where she has the most memories since she was born.]

[Wearing a white dress, Yukinoshita's black hair formed a sharp contrast with the color of the dress she was wearing. Coupled with her own outstanding appearance comparable to that of an idol in the entertainment industry, she attracted the attention of almost everyone in the station. There were all kinds of looks, including surprise, jealousy, and admiration.]

[Yukino Yukinoshita, who had been accustomed to this kind of gaze for many years, was not moved at all. She walked out of the platform, and the hem of her white skirt swayed in the air as she walked forward.]

[The destination she is about to go to is her former alma mater, Sobu High School, just like Shizuka Hiratsuka. 】

[Yukinoshita Yukino met some of the most important friends in her life at that school, and also left indelible memories there. ]

[Many years have passed, but the scene of that high school and the faces of those people are still as vivid in my memory as yesterday, as if I had never left.]

[And now, Yukinoshita Yukino will return there again to fulfill her promise on behalf of her friend. ]

63. Reunion with an old friend after a long absence

[Chiba Prefecture, near Sobu High School, Aido Restaurant.]

[“This restaurant didn’t exist before…Did it open after I left?”]

Shizuka Hiratsuka, backpack on her back, stopped as she passed this restaurant. She lifted her sunglasses and looked up at this small restaurant she had never seen before. She stroked her chin and muttered to herself. The fish logo behind the restaurant sign and the aroma of eel wafting from inside made her want to try something else.

[Gu~]

[At this moment, her flat belly also let out a long groan, reminding her master that she was hungry.]

[“Oh my, I was in such a hurry to get out this morning that I only ate one piece of bread.”]

[Hiratsuka Shizuka touched her stomach awkwardly, and faced with the fragrance that kept coming from her nose, she walked into the small shop without hesitation.]

【“Welcome! What would you like to eat?”】

[A young woman wearing an apron and with long wine-red hair, who looked like the proprietress, trotted over with a menu in hand, her slightly round face full of smiles.]

【“Let’s have some grilled eel rice.”】

[Hiratsuka Shizuka glanced around and saw a poster of an eel rice on the wall that looked pretty good. Her eyes lit up and she raised her voice slightly.]

[“Okay! Anata~give me a plate of grilled eel…rice.”]

【“……?”】

[The proprietress was writing the names of the dishes on the menu happily, and while writing she looked up at Shizuka Hiratsuka.]