My youth story cannot be a knight war

“Don’t ask!”

Kosaka interrupted Zaimokuza. Even though his jumping power increased significantly after transforming into his Blue Dragon form, he could only leap to the point where the building in front of him was interrupted by the heavy weight of Zaimokuza. Finally, he simply carried Zaimokuza and slammed him into the building's window.

Two bodies crashed through the window one after the other with a resounding crack, then leaped into the building, rolling a long way amidst the shards of glass. Kousaka immediately let go of Zaimokuza and stood up, grabbing a nearby desk and placing it across the two of them.

After doing all this, he finally had time to turn around and explain to the confused Zaimokuza, speaking in a hurried tone;

"Get down! Missiles are coming!"

【"missile?"】

Zaimokuza was stunned upon receiving the answer. Before his brain could react, something even more shocking occurred before his eyes. A rapid whistling sound approached rapidly from afar, like a swarm of wasps flapping their wings towards their prey.

Less than two seconds later, the sound became a resounding roar. Zaimokuza immediately looked in the direction of the sound and saw through the glass of the building's windows dozens of pillars of fire flying towards them from the distant sky. White sonic waves bloomed layer upon layer behind these pillars of fire, like blooming white garlands.

“That’s—!?”

As the pillars of fire drew closer, Zaimokuza, who had recognized their true form with his excellent eyesight, gaped at the sight with his mouth wide open in astonishment. Kousaka Kyousuke hadn't lied, the missiles were truly coming.

[——And the target is the undisputed heart of this country, the Toshima Ward area in Tokyo! ! ! ! !?]

No wonder they reacted like that. Without even a chance to reply, they brought Zaimokuza directly to the building chosen as a shelter. Faced with such modern, high-tech weapons capable of tearing through the sky, even they wouldn't be able to gain any advantage.

However, Zaimokuza found this to be outrageous. Even he, who knew next to nothing about military knowledge, knew that launching such a weapon of war against a nation's capital was a declaration of war!

【unless--】

[One hand grabbed Zaimokuza's head horn and pushed him to the ground, and Kousaka also lay on top of him.]

The next moment, a missile dropped from the window of their floor. A fierce light flashed, and then an eardrum-shattering explosion spread from this street to the entire Toshima Ward, accompanied by a thick white mist.

[——It’s a masterpiece by one of our own.]

The moment this thought flashed through Zaimokuza's mind, the white mist released by the missile explosion engulfed both him and Kousaka. Simultaneously, the shockwave tore apart everything in the building, sending confetti flying like a sea of ​​petals.

At this moment, all residents of Tokyo heard a roar coming from the direction of Toshima Ward. Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw a tiny mushroom cloud slowly rising towards Ikebukuro Station...

……

[“Strike—Confirmed—Hit—”]

In the sky above Toshima Ward, far from Ikebukuro Station, a long figure hovered in the air with the sound of breaking wind. Two rows of smoking launch tubes below it slowly closed and folded, then retracted into its open abdomen. The sunlight shone on the figure, reflecting a bright silver light.

Two cameras, resembling insect-like compound eyes, captured the mushroom cloud rising over Ikebukuro Station. A childish, robotic female voice echoed, transmitting the scene via electronic signals to a room several blocks away, where it was successfully projected onto a computer screen.

[“Nice! Well done, Sleipnir~”]

Sitting in front of the computer, Ebina stretched out a pair of long, black-silk-clad legs from beneath his white lab coat. He stared at the slowly rising mushroom cloud on the screen, raised his cup of coffee, and took a sip.

She nodded in satisfaction, not knowing whether it was because of the delicious coffee or the horrifying scene on the screen.

["G system equipped with A1 auxiliary beetle, mimicking Graham Sleipnir, first battle a great success~"]

8. Rebellious Moment (5K)

"puff!"

Seeing the missile swarm on the light screen, which had dropped from the sky and accurately hit Ikebukuro Station and the surrounding area, Ishigami Yu, who was drinking milk, was caught off guard and immediately spat out his mouthful of milk. The white curtain of water passed through the light screen suspended in front of him, creating circular ripples on the surface like lake waves.

"Hey, hey, hey, are you kidding me? Even Shinomiya-senpai's family wouldn't dare do something like this!"

Ishigami Yu wiped the milk stains from the corners of his mouth, and the corners of his eyes twitched uncontrollably.

"To actually launch missiles into a city, the future Metropolitan Police Department must be completely insane."

The outrageousness of this behavior is difficult to describe in words. It is even more outrageous than shooting at the Tokyo Tower with a machine gun. No matter how high the official position of the person who dares to order such a thing, he will definitely end up stepping down afterwards.

No? It seems the future Superintendent is indeed about to step down? Then he should be able to take the blame before he leaves. Ishigami Yu suddenly realized, and then he couldn't help but shed crocodile tears for him.

Three seconds later, he continued to watch with great interest.

Smoke spread through the broken windows into the building. The excessive smoke activated the built-in fire hydrants, and one spray after another burst into the corridor, quickly washing away the thick fog.

[“Cough, cough, cough!”]

The two figures were barely visible in the descending mist. Zaimokuza inadvertently breathed in a mouthful of the mist as he stood up. He felt a sharp pain in his throat, like a knife cutting through it. He pinched his throat with both hands and began to cough violently.

A wet, balled tie hit his face. Zaimokuza quickly covered his face with it. The moist steam entering his nose immediately made the pain much less severe.

"Be careful, this is no ordinary missile."

[Kousaka Kyosuke said softly as he withdrew his hand and walked towards the gap where the two had just crashed into. Zaimokuza saw this and quickly followed.]

"This is a special missile that Miss Ebina has released. Upon impact, it won't produce a typical high-temperature explosion, but will instead release a massive amount of chemical gas. The properties of this gas are similar to those of the neurotwitch bomb. You can think of it as a super-magnified version of the neurotwitch bomb."

"Your body has enhanced nerves similar to those of the Gurongi, so this gas will also affect you. You must—um, be careful…"

【“Mr. Kosaka!”】

Kosaka's body suddenly swayed, and he staggered to the side. Zaimokuza quickly reached out his other hand and caught him before he fell.

"Mr. Kosaka! Are you okay?"

[“…Don’t worry, I just overexerted myself a bit, it’ll be fine soon.”]

Kosaka shook his head, and the G1 system's built-in gas filtration function silently activated, improving his overall condition. He broke free from the woodblock's support, walked to the gap, and peered down.

Looking at the figure looming in the thick white fog below, the pair of narrow compound eyes on Kousaka's mask flashed a cold light, like a hunter aiming the crosshairs of his shotgun at prey caught in his net.

"Get ready! Send No. 36 to the designated cemetery!"

……

[“Puff!!!”]

A mouthful of blood spurted from deep within his throat. Baberu clutched his throat tightly with both hands. The intense pain caused him to fall to his knees, and every muscle in his body spasmed uncontrollably.

It was at the very center of the missile barrage, so when the missiles spread and the exploding gas swept through, Baberu was directly engulfed. Even after dilution, the gas, even in its small form, made Zaimokuza feel like a knife cutting through a sword when he inhaled it. It's easy to imagine how powerful it would be without any dilution.

Baberu, completely engulfed by the mist, felt nothing at first, but moments later, he felt as if every part of his body were being severed by swords, and his respiratory tract felt like boiling mercury was running through it. Sensing the sharp pain, Baberu immediately closed his sense of smell and all the pores that faced outward. This wasn't difficult for a Gurongi of his level to do.

However, there was one area it couldn't close: the wound on its chest that had nearly melted half of it. The mist flowed through that wound into Baberu's body. Tormented, it immediately covered its chest with its hands, but it was useless.

The mist penetrated Baberu's chest and into his body. His internal organs began to gradually decline in function. The reinforced nerves throughout his body began to burst and turn into blood foam. The mist even eroded his circulatory system, and the chemicals spread throughout Baberu's body with every heartbeat.

This was a truly devastating blow. No matter how powerful a living being might appear on the outside, its interior was inherently fragile. After being invaded by the mist, Baberu's once-proudly defensive body was reduced to rubble. Pain, far exceeding that of the previous attack, spread throughout his body, causing him to spit out another mouthful of blood, mingled with fragments of his internal organs.

"What's going on! My—my body—"

Baberu gasped in agony, but the air he drew into his lungs only intensified the pain. Finally, unable to endure the torture, he let out a shrill roar and frantically clawed at his neck. His sharp claws tore his neck into a bloody mess, and blood flowed from his throat like a broken faucet.

This warrior, who was once considered one of the best in the Gurongi clan, has now become so miserable under the weapons created by modern humans. His pain makes him look even more pitiful.

But now, Baberu displayed a surprising vitality. In the face of near-death, its will to survive unleashed its full potential. The gas spreading through its body began to slowly stagnate, and the inhuman pain began to subside. The horrific wound on its chest also began to gradually heal from the edges. Although the process was extremely slow, it was clearly visible to the naked eye.

This is the vitality possessed by GO-level Gurongi. Ordinary means, even restrained ones, are extremely difficult to kill. Their physical evolution far surpasses that of all other natural species currently living on this planet. In particular, the enhanced nerves emanating from the Kibolon Magic Stone, the source of their power, possess a near-immortal-level activity.

Killing such a being requires a single, powerful attack that exceeds its physical limits, or continuous weakening. While these specialized missiles have a significant inhibitory effect on Baberu, they are unable to surpass its physical limits in a single strike, much less meet subsequent targets. Therefore, in approximately ten minutes, Baberu will fully recover.

But the premise is that it has the time.

A low engine roar echoed up ahead, accompanied by a piercing light. Baberu looked up suddenly, seeing a pair of flared golden horns and enormous red compound eyes.

[“Ah!”]

The horns closed, completely binding Baberu's legs. Screaming, it collapsed onto the front of the car, looking up with difficulty at the two figures in the driver's seat. Its still-bleeding mouth spat out two names filled with resentment.

【"——KUUGA...Daguber!!!"】

"Mr. Kosaka! What should we do now?"

Zaimokuza drove the Leap Gram at an extremely fast speed through the thick fog. Only then was he able to speak, and the person he was asking was Kosaka, who was sitting behind him.

"Go directly towards Saitama Prefecture. There's a stretch of wasteland bordering Itabashi Ward that's large enough to withstand the force of the explosion."

Kosaka was also in the car this time. He looked at Baberu, who was lying on the front of the car, and every word he spoke was filled with extreme coldness.

"Let that place become the burial place of No. 36!"

【"clear!"】

……

In a building on the border of Toshima and Shinjuku, Baruba, dressed in a bohemian white dress, stood by the window, her gaze calm and composed as she watched the vast expanse of white fog gradually dissipate in the distance.

[…Looks like Baberu has reached the end of his rope.]

When she saw the dark figure piercing through the white fog and heading toward the highway, she withdrew her gaze and calmly turned her head to the side.

"In that case, the next round will be taken over by you, the last player in GO and also the leader of GO. Is that alright?"

"No problem... It seems Baberu is just a loser after all."

Gadoru, dressed in a solemn military uniform, stood beside her, his gaze fixed on the three figures gradually receding from his view, a hint of regret in his tone.

"It's a shame, I'm the only one who made it through 'Dark Game'."

"Don't underestimate Kuuga and Daguber. Even with your current strength, you could fall into their hands if you're careless."

Baruba shook his head slightly and spoke softly.

"And Linduo, the current Linduo is indeed different from the Linduo we had back then. Not only has he forgotten the command not to kill, but he's also been able to create such a powerful weapon."

"It's truly extraordinary, but this weapon is of no use to me."

[Gadoru glanced at the weapon and spoke in a cold voice.]

"The only ones who can truly stop me are Kuuga and Daguber. The rest of Rindo won't even be able to pose a hindrance. I will complete the 'Dark Game', then advance to the 'White and Dark Game', pass the trials, and finally—"

A surging fighting spirit rose in Gadoru's eyes, like magma surging on the edge of a volcano, hot and deadly.

[“—I will defeat Daguba and successfully bring about the Ultimate Darkness.”]

"What if you were defeated by the Lindos before fighting Daguba?"

[Looking at Gadoru, whose fighting spirit was completely boiling, Baruba asked slowly.]

"That only proves my lack of strength. If that's the case, there's nothing to say about dying."

Faced with this almost provocative question, Gadoru answered without hesitation, his voice filled with calmness and indifference. This calmness was directed towards the upcoming game, while the indifference was directed towards his own life. He only recognized power and cared little for anything else, and this "everything" naturally included his own life.

Gadoru has lived his entire life as a warrior, a true battle ghost. Death in battle has always been his dream, so he has no complaints.

"By the way, where's Daguba?"

Baruba's question also alerted Gadoru, who turned his head to look at the woman beside him.

"Why haven't I seen Him recently? Is He preparing for the game?"

However, faced with this question, Baruba fell silent this time. She lowered her head, her deep eyes watching the people below the building as they emerged from their rooms to seek refuge after receiving the news, and pursed her thin lips.

[…He is like Lindo.]

【"?"】

Gadoru frowned slightly at this answer, while Baruba looked up at the cloudless sky above and spoke in a deep voice.

[“Like Linduo, he chose to violate the commandments.”]

"...It seems that it's not just Rindo and Kuuga who have changed, but Daguba as well."

……

[A wasteland at the border between Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, and Saitama Prefecture.]

A sudden brake sound, accompanied by the sound of sand being crushed, echoed as a figure flew at least fifty meters before crashing to the ground. It rolled over the wasteland for at least a dozen times before finally releasing the inertial force that was enveloping it.

[“Hmm——”]

Baberu struggled to his feet. Time had largely healed his injuries, a recovery so terrifying it could easily defy the medical knowledge of every surgeon in the world. He gazed at the motorcycle parked ahead and the two figures descending from the driver's seat. He reached out and plucked the two remaining magatama from his cape, and two other massive hammers extended from his palms.

[At this moment, although Baberu seems to have recovered from his injuries, this has also drained most of his energy. He is now at his lowest point and closest to death.]

"Mr. Kosaka, please do it."

The shattered armor on his body was covered by crimson reinforced muscles amidst a humming sound. Zaimokuza, transformed into his all-powerful form, took a deep breath and turned his head to speak to Kousaka on the other side of the locomotive.

[“Ah, it’s time to say goodbye, no—”]

Kosaka pulled the golden crystal card from his left card holder and raised it. He looked at Baberu, who was split in two by the edge of the card. His voice was solemn like the clashing of steel, and his blazing murderous intent was like a series of sparks.

【“——Goodbye!”】