My youth story cannot be a knight war

[Faced with Zain's words, Biran sneered disdainfully, moved his face closer to it, and spoke with a grin.]

Zain, who was already violent and cruel by nature, was directly triggered by this ridicule and the resentment and frustration he had been feeling for the past few days. He roared even louder, and at the same time, he grabbed the pair of arm blades with his bloody palms and pushed Biran's body against them, rushing out of the factory.

[“Shut up! Whether I’m qualified to participate in the game is up to me to decide. It’s not your turn to say that!”]

"That's a nice thought, but you better be more self-aware and let me chop off your head! There's no hope for you and that stinky bat Gooma anymore! You 'ZU' bastards!"

[The two men moved outwards in a stalemate, while each of them used the Gurongi language to confront each other. After a long journey of blood, they soon arrived at a cliff outside the factory. Under the cliff was a rushing river with clear water. ]

[“——Ugh!!!”]

[“Gu! You bastard!?”]

Amidst Biran's angry curses, Zain opened his arms, hugged its body, and leaped towards the river below the cliff with a roar. His muscular arms held Biran's body tightly in his broad chest. It twisted and struggled, but under the physical strength far exceeding its own, it was as powerless as a three-year-old child trying to fight an adult.

【Pfft! 】

[The bodies of both fell into the flowing river under the cliff while struggling, and huge splashes of water were created by the potential energy of gravity acceleration.]

【"--Well!"】

[The bloodstained front half of the horn was thrown off the factory wall and bounced off and fell to the ground. Zaimokuza endured the severe pain and pulled out the big horn that pierced his chest. He covered his bleeding chest and stood up. He staggered along the blood trail to the outside of the factory and came to the cliff where the two Gurongi jumped off.]

【“…”】

Zaimokuza panted at the edge of the cliff and leaned his head out to look at the river below the twenty-meter-high cliff. He could only see the surface of the river flowing rapidly. The blood from Zain's wound had long been washed away.

[At this time, the sound of a police siren came from behind. A police car drove towards this side at a very fast speed. After a flexible drift, the car body faced the cliff. Kousaka Kyosuke opened the door and walked out. ]

【“Zaimokuza!”】

[Kousaka Kyosuke immediately ran over when he saw the white-haired young man standing on the edge of the cliff, and Zaimokuza also covered his chest and gasped, looking back. There was blood spreading under the white shirt on his chest, and the blood from the wound that had been pierced had completely soaked the surrounding fabric.]

【“Mr. Kosaka——Ugh!”】

[“Hey! How are you? Are you seriously injured?”]

[The scene in front of Zaimokuza's eyes began to shake and produce afterimages. His standing body also began to shake unsteadily. Kousaka Kyosuke immediately increased his running speed and supported Zaimokuza's body when he was about to fall backwards. His face changed drastically after he looked at his palm covering his chest and the blood stains on his shirt spreading underneath.]

[“Such a huge amount of bleeding! Are you okay?!”]

[“I’m fine… This level of injury is no problem for me.”]

[Kousaka Kyosuke helped Zaimokuza sit on the ground. Facing Zaimokuza's worried gaze, he gently shook his head to indicate that he was fine. His handsome face turned extremely pale due to blood loss, but his rapid breathing rhythm finally began to slow down.]

[“Did No. 22 escape from here? How could it survive after being hit by your ultimate move?”]

[Kousaka Kyosuke immediately determined what happened here after seeing the bloodstains in front of the cliff. He looked back at the still towering stone pillar of the factory behind him with a look of disbelief. Even Zaimokuza's most destructive attack at this stage couldn't eliminate the enemy this time?]

[“No, I lost this time.”]

【Zaimokuza rejected Kousaka Kyousuke's idea and said with difficulty while lying in his arms.】

[“I was almost killed by No. 22... If it wasn’t for a newly emerged unidentified life form that stopped it, I would probably be dead now.”]

[“The newly emerged unconfirmed life form stopped No. 22??? Is this an internal conflict?”]

[Kousaka Kyosuke couldn't help but look suspicious after hearing what Zaimokuza said. How could those guys fight among themselves like humans? What's the reason?]

[“I don’t know what happened. They were fighting and talking in the Gurongi language. I didn’t quite understand it, but from the voice of No. 22, I could tell that it must be very angry that its companions stopped it from killing me.”]

[“Those two guys jumped down from here during the fight. They should have drifted away with the river now, and…”]

Thinking back to the battle just now, when Biran extended from his elbows to wrap around the blades on both arms, and then transformed into a stream of water with his own control into a larger blade, Zaimokuza's eyes flashed darkly, and the palms covering his chest tightened their grip on his soaked clothes.

[——There is no doubt about it. That is the same elemental power as when I use elemental awakening!]

Although Zaimokuza had already had some suspicions during their battles against No. 14 and No. 21, who wielded the power of wind and fire, he hadn't been completely certain before. Biran's ability to freely shape the water flow just now had already confirmed his suspicions in the most direct way.

[Because I can't change the properties and forms of water at will when I'm in the Azure Dragon form. Only after I activate the element awakening can I make various changes according to my will.]

[Zaimokuza has always believed that elemental awakening is his unique ability and his biggest trump card in facing these Gurongi, but the cruel reality he saw with his own eyes today completely shattered his fantasy. ]

[“They…are constantly getting stronger and evolving, just like me.”]

[The sense of urgency in his heart became unprecedentedly strong, and Zaimokuza's desire for power became more determined and persistent. He remembered that his almighty form had not yet been awakened, and he closed his eyes and then opened them again. ]

[In a trance, Kousaka Kyosuke, who was looking at Zaimokuza, saw a faint flame rising in his eyes, and then extinguished the next moment.]

[In Zaimokuza's heart, his will to fight overwhelmed his aversion to violence at this moment, and his voice was as fiery as fire.]

[“…I need power, the power to freely use the red elemental power, and something even more powerful…”]

[“The power that transcends this!”]

……

[Chiba Prefectural Sobu High School, Service Club. ]

[“Two thousand skills…”]

[Hiratsuka Shizuka sat on a chair that had been wiped clean with a rag, one hand on her forehead, her brows wrinkled into a conspicuous “川” character.]

[“Although I didn’t know about the agreement between Zaimokuza and you before today, I intuitively think it should be related to the skills that Zaimokuza has been working hard to learn over the years.”]

[Yukino Yukinoshita, who was sitting on another chair opposite her, nodded slightly and asked with some curiosity while looking at the thoughtful Hiratsuka Shizuka.]

[“How’s it going, Mr. Hiratsuka? Did you remember anything about your agreement with Zaimokuza-san?”]

[“Tsk… No, it’s been almost ten years since the agreed time. I can’t remember it anymore.”]

[Hiratsuka Shizuka shook her head and sighed.]

[“Perhaps Zaimokuza still remembers it. After all, he has remembered it for so many years and still remembered to come to the appointment. I think he should know.”]

【"Yeah……"】

[After hearing this, Yukino Yukinoshita was a little disappointed, but Hiratsuka Shizuka's next words attracted her attention again. ]

[“But I still roughly remember… the circumstances under which I made this agreement with Zaimokuza.”]

[After Hiratsuka Shizuka finished speaking, her expression suddenly became a little hesitant. She looked at Yukinoshita Yukino's eyes, which were as clear as a river under a frozen glacier. Her lips opened and closed, but she didn't know what to say.]

[…Tell me, Mr. Hiratsuka. I know roughly when it happened.]

[Seeing the hesitation on Hiratsuka Shizuka's face and the evasive look in her eyes, Yukinoshita Yukino realized something, slowly closed her eyes, and her voice became calm and low. ]

【"……well."】

[Looking at Yukinoshita Yukino like this, Hiratsuka Shizuka exhaled lightly and spoke slowly, her voice like the cold autumn wind blowing through the falling leaves of the maple tree. ]

[“Zaimokuza and I have agreed on a date…”]

[“It was shortly after his parents and Hikigaya’s sister passed away.”]

69. Broken Mirror Reflects Destiny (Two in One)

Chiba Prefecture, Sobu High School, health room.

Clap!

The screen of the mobile phone that fell to the ground shattered after bearing the force of the impact, breaking the atmosphere that had almost solidified into substance.

"Hey! Zaimokuza."

Although it was her own cell phone that was broken, Shizuka Hiratsuka no longer cared about feeling sad. She stretched out her hands to press the shoulders of the dull-faced Zaimokuza in front of her, and shook out her words.

"Zaimokuza, calm down. This is just what happened in this video. Although it is very likely to be true, it will also happen in the future. Calm down!"

“Dad, Mom…!”

Zaimokuza muttered his parents' names to himself, then his eyes suddenly widened, and he immediately tried to break free from Hiratsuka Shizuka's hands on his shoulders and walk out of the health room.

"I, I need to go back! Teacher, please let me go!"

"Zaimokuza..."

"Get out of the way! Hiratsuka-sensei!"

Zaimokuza, who was worried about the safety of his parents, could no longer listen to what Hiratsuka Shizuka said, and pushed her aside roughly.

Hiratsuka Shizuka was pushed by Zaimokuza and staggered back a few steps, almost hitting the wall behind her. Fortunately, Yukinoshita Yukino hugged her from behind in time and prevented her from falling. Only then did she realize that the fat otaku in front of her was so powerful.

"Zaimokuza-san, please calm down. You almost made Hiratsuka-sensei fall, and there are people everywhere outside. You can't get out."

When Yukinoshita Yukino hugged Hiratsuka Shizuka, she was knocked back a few steps by the force she carried. Her pair of arc-like brows slightly frowned, and she whispered to Zaimokuza's back as he walked towards the door.

She didn't dare to provoke Zaimokuza, whose emotions were obviously out of control because of the news of his parents' death in the future, and she even lowered her voice, but Zaimokuza acted as if he didn't hear her. He used his shoulder to push away Hayato Hayama and others who came to the door and tried to stop him when they realized that something was wrong, and walked to the front of the health room, grasped the door handle and tried to open it.

At this moment, a white hand was placed on Zaimokuza's right shoulder, and the five fingers of the hand clasped tightly.

"!?"

Although the arm that grasped his shoulder had no muscular lines, the five fingers were as stiff as iron clamps. Zaimokuza felt as if the fingers of this hand were directly grasping his flesh and the shoulder bone underneath through his clothes, causing him to feel so much pain that he even loosened his hand that was holding the door handle.

"It hurts! You—Hachiman!?"

The hand that gripped his shoulder was so strong that it hurt Zaimokuza so much that he couldn't help but slap the hand away and look behind him. The person he saw made him speechless.

Hikigaya Hachiman, who had been unconscious just now, had woken up at some point and was standing behind him. The sunlight shone into the health room from the window behind him, creating an oblique rectangular edge of light on the floor, covering Hikigaya entirely.

With his back to the sun, his face was cast in darkness, and his bangs were drooping, making it impossible to see the eyes hidden behind the hair and shadows. One of his clenched hands at his side was tightly holding a mobile phone, which was playing the video content just now.

He didn't know why, even though the person in front of him was his close friend whom he had always known, Zaimokuza felt that he had become extremely unfamiliar at this moment, and the atmosphere around him was so gloomy that everyone felt depressed.

"…Calm down, Zaimuzhao."

Hikigaya Hachiman spoke, his voice unexpectedly calm, as if he had not heard the news of his family's accident together with Zaimokuza, so calm that it was even a little weird.

"Don't worry, just keep reading."

"What are you talking about, Hachiman!?"

Zaimokuza shouted to Hikigaya Hachiman in amazement, with disbelief and confusion in his voice.

"You also heard what Mr. Hiratsuka said in the video, your sister is also like my parents - now all communication equipment is unusable, we should immediately run to check the safety of our family members, you should also -???"

A hand grasped the collar of Zaimokuza's windbreaker and roughly pulled him forward. Hikigaya Hachiman's face rapidly approached in his sight and became very close.

It is hard to imagine where the skinny Hikigaya got so much strength that he could pull Zaimokuza, who weighed about twice as much as him, in front of him with one hand. Because he was too rough, the glasses on Zaimokuza's face tilted forward during the rapid movement, with only one temple hanging on his ear.

Zaimokuza looked at Hikigaya Hachiman's face at a close distance with a dazed expression, his eyes obscured by double barriers becoming vaguely visible at the extremely close distance.

"—"

Looking at Hikigaya's eyes, Zaimokuza couldn't even find words to describe it for a moment.

It is difficult to describe what those eyes look like. The black eyes hidden behind the hair are moist and smooth. They are neither empty nor deep, but with an indescribable inorganic quality. All human emotions seem to have disappeared from the depths of the eyes, as if a pair of puppet eyes were placed on a human face. The pure black even suppressed the shadows on the face.

"Hey! Hikigaya, no violence!"

"Xiaoqi!?"

"Hikigaya-san..."

Many screams were heard from behind Hikigaya because of his action. Hiratsuka Shizuka grabbed his shoulders, and Yukinoshita Yukino put her hand between the two of them to push them apart, but after using force, it had little effect except making Hikigaya and Zaimokuza's bodies shake slightly.

"I understand, I know, of course I know how you feel... because I feel the same way now."

Hikigaya ignored the attempts to stop and dissuade others and spoke to the stunned Zaimokuza in a calm voice.

"But the information we have now is too little, so we must remain calm and continue to watch to see if we can get any useful clues. We can use these clues to avoid the disaster that our family may have to endure."

"Have you ever thought that our impulsive behavior after watching this video might cause our family to get into trouble? Since your dream is to become a writer, you must have heard of the term "butterfly effect" and the story of "The Tragedy of Oedipus Rex."

"I……"

Zaimokuza was startled for a moment; he indeed had not thought of this possibility.

What if he and Hikigaya's family would have been fine originally, and this result happened only after he knew about it and tried to stop it?

There are two ways to say the "Butterfly Effect". Let's not talk about the realistic one for now. The literary one has always referred to the fact that the characters in literary works know how the future will develop in some way and want to intervene, but accidentally bring about the fate they originally knew. It is not until the end of the story that they suddenly realize that the fate they knew was actually part of their original fate.

The story of "The Tragedy of Oedipus Rex" is even more despairing, because it means that whether you know it or not, whether you intervene or not, fate will surely move towards the tragedy that has been predetermined.

Just like the silk threads spun on the looms of the three goddesses of fate in Norse mythology, they move straight forward all the way to the destined destruction and end, representing the most cruel and terrifying aspect of the concept of "fate" in Greek mythology and literature.

Although it is very outrageous and absurd to apply this fatalistic statement to reality, after all, even more bizarre things (video) have already happened in reality, so what Hikigaya Hachiman said may not necessarily become a reality.

"Let's continue watching and wait until we gather enough information from this video before taking any action or making a plan."

"…So, calm down, calm down, calm down… ok? Zaimokuza."

Finally, Hikigaya Hachiman repeated the word "calm" three times in a row, which seemed to be said to Zaimokuza as well as to himself. He gently released the hand that was grabbing the collar of Zaimokuza's windbreaker under everyone's worried gaze.