My youth story cannot be a knight war

Kosaka's first step into the arena was like another thunderclap, waking the lion from its slumber. A pressure dozens of times greater than before surged towards him like a tornado, even the air stirred by this astonishing power, making a ghostly "woooo" sound. Even evil spirits would shudder at the source of this oppressive feeling.

【Crackle!】

Beneath his helmet, Kousaka's expression was stern and solemn. He stared at the golden figure below, who turned to look at him. His right hand clenched into a fist, dark red lightning flashing between his fingers.

Baruba, who had led him to this battlefield, now stopped at the exit of the corridor. Without taking a step, he stood with his arms folded across his chest, staring quietly at Kousaka's back.

[Next is the warriors' battlefield. There is no room for her to intervene. She can only watch quietly as a spectator.]

The moment the black-gold blade was pulled from the ground, a golden electric current pulsated, its light blazing, but none of it could compare to the brightness of Gadoru's eyes. Those golden compound eyes were like jewels placed above the sun, blinding to the naked eye.

"I've been waiting for a long time. Come on."

Gadoru pointed his sword at Kousaka, who was sitting in the audience. His majestic voice was filled with unconcealed joy and solemnity, as the battle he longed for finally arrived.

【“Daguber.”】

Form Change Titans

A mechanical male voice responded, and a dark purple mist extended straight out from Kousaka's outstretched right hand. Then, as he tightened his grip, it transformed into a hilt, and the heavy sword condensed into shape within the mist.

[G1 Titan Slayer]

【"drink!"】

[Without further ado, Kosaka, transformed into a Titan, grasped his greatsword and leaped down from the air. Holding the sword with both hands, he roared and slashed at Gadoru, who looked up. The blade ripped through the air, letting out a deep, tiger-like roar.]

He had nothing to say to Gurongi. The moment they met, there were only two possible outcomes: either you die or I die!

[And apparently, Gadoru thinks so too.]

The black-gold blades rose, and Gadoru spread his right fingers against the tilted blades. The collision of the blades unleashed a cascade of fiery sparks, a transparent shockwave radiating in a circular pattern at the point where the two blades met. These shockwaves, like extensions of the blades, sliced ​​through the stadium walls and the spectator seats horizontally.

Amidst the scattering sparks, the auditorium and the front wall began to collapse upwards, following the shockwave's spread. The seats collapsed and piled up, and Gadoru's legs were buried in the floor tiles, bearing the full force of the previous encounter.

【"--snort."】

[Looking up, he met the eyes of those beings across the sword blade. Seeing the red light flowing through those purple compound eyes, Gadoru smiled, a very happy smile.]

The hand gripping the hilt of the sword suddenly exerted force, and the swung blade deflected Kousaka's sword, knocking him away.

[The battle begins. It's a fight to the death. Only one person can survive.]

The spinning purple-black sword cast a blurry circular shadow in the light, its tip piercing the wall. The immense force caused dense cracks to spread across the area where the blade had penetrated, sending rubble and dust cascading down.

[Turning his head to look at the greatsword so close at hand, the purple-black blade reflected Baruba's indifferent expression, not even a trace of emotion from the danger that had passed by.]

[She looked down at the battle erupting below from a high position, then silently turned to face the corridor behind her and was about to leave.]

[Crack--]

[But she stopped just as she took a step. The sound of the high heels hitting the ground made a crisp echo that reverberated in the corridor.]

【“——”】

Baruba's previously calm eyes widened slightly, the color in them fluctuating in a rare moment, like a boulder crashing into a tranquil lake.

【"……Yeah?"】

[She clasped her right hand across her chest and grasped the sleeve of her left arm. Feeling the fleeting breath, Baruba slowly closed her eyes.]

"It seems you've fulfilled your wish... Congratulations."

"Miou."

……

"That's it... This is what we know about the measures to take in the event of the arrival of the 'Ultimate Darkness'."

In the space shrouded in light, Miou paused in her narration. Throughout this, she didn't dare raise her head, even glancing to the side from the corner of her eyes. Her fingers were tangled in a ball on her chest.

"Really? Is this the only way?"

[…Well, this is the only way.]

Zaimokuza's voice rang out, and Miou stammered in response, her head lowered even further at this moment.

"I'm sorry, but if there's a better way—eh?"

Miou felt a warm touch on her cheek and froze in shock. Then two gentle forces lifted her head and she stared blankly at the smiling face before her.

"Look up! I'm not blaming you, why are you acting so guilty?"

Zaimokuza grinned as he cupped Miou's face. Looking at the girl's blank expression, he playfully squeezed the corner of her mouth with his thumb, squeezing her small cherry lips into a round shape.

"Miou, you've helped us so many times and saved me twice. I can't thank you enough. How could I possibly blame you?"

"And you've done a great job. I believe you and your people have worked so hard to find this solution. It's a huge help to us. How could we possibly be dissatisfied with the result? So don't take it to heart. Even a pretty girl like you shouldn't show such an expression. A smile really suits you best."

Zaimokuza's thumbs kneaded Miou's cheeks and pulled them apart, creating a large "smiley face" on her face. This, combined with the girl's stunned expression, was particularly funny, and he smiled at the smile himself.

"Come on! Smile! Smile!"

【“…”】

[Looking at Zaimokuza's smiling face, which was completely free of gloom, a faint light flickered in Miou's eyes.]

She reached out and grabbed Zaimokuza's hand that was pressing on her face, then gently pulled it away. His fingers left, but the arc of his hand remained on her face.

"I think I understand why this girl likes you, Zaimokuza-san, so much—"

"Yes! That's the expression. Keep it up."

She said this with a smile, and Zaimokuza looked at the smiling girl in front of him, clapping his hands together in surprise, his eyes narrowing into crescents.

"That's right. A smile is indeed what suits you best, Miou. You look really pretty when you smile. Smile more often~!"

"...You really are an incredible person~"

Miou choked at the interruption, but didn't raise her voice. She shook her head helplessly. She took two steps back, folding her hands in front of her.

"If possible, I really want to spend some more time with you. I feel like I've been so much happier since meeting you, Mr. Zaimokuza~"

Her voice gradually lowered, and finally she spoke in an inaudible voice, her tone filled with regret.

"But unfortunately... the time has come."

[“Eh? What does this mean—”]

[Snap——]

A cracking sound like an eggshell interrupted Zaimokuza's words. He looked up, stunned to see dozens of even more dazzling pure white light patterns suddenly bursting out from the bright yellow light all around him.

These light patterns slowly began to spread out to the entire surrounding light. The flowing trajectory was truly like an egg about to hatch, and Zaimokuza and the others were inside this egg.

"What the hell is going on?!"

"I've already told you, it's time... Zaimokuza-san, it's time for you to wake up."

Zaimokuza's face changed drastically as he watched the strange things happening around him. He asked Miou in confusion, but Miou spoke in a light voice.

"Your healing is complete, and my strength is exhausted, so... it's time to say goodbye."

【"……is that so?"】

Zaimokuza scratched the back of his head with a somewhat bewildered expression. After hearing Miou's explanation, he no longer felt uneasy. He simply looked at the girl standing before him with her head bowed, feeling somewhat bewildered.

He had heard about this matter before, but now that it had finally come to pass, Zaimokuza felt somewhat reluctant.

[Because according to Miou, her strength has been completely exhausted in order to save herself. When she wakes up, she will be asleep. And the time it takes for her to wake up again is completely unknown. It may take a long time, or it may be very short.]

[Even though they had only been together for a few hours, Zaimokuza unexpectedly felt that he and this super-ancient Rinta girl had a very good connection. Not only was she similar in appearance to the familiar Akiyama Mio, but her personality also perfectly matched a fantasy Zaimokuza had once harbored.]

[If I wasn't an only child, and had a younger sister or something like that—perhaps she would be like the girl in front of me?]

[“I feel like… I’m suddenly reluctant to leave you, Miou.”]

He pursed his lips, subconsciously wiped the tip of his nose with his fingers, and then spoke with a smile.

"Can we meet again next time?"

【“…”】

In response to Zaimokuza's question, Miou chose to remain silent, lowering her head without answering. Her hands were clenched tightly in front of her, her fingertips turning white from the exertion.

"Miou?"

After waiting for a while but receiving no response, Zaimokuza was stunned by the girl's reaction.

"Um, Miou? You—"

【Black hair rose before his eyes, and a soft touch suddenly came from his arms, and Zaimokuza's eyes opened wide.】

【“——!!!”】

[A tiny speck of white light drifted from bottom to top across his eyeball. His iris reflected this fleeting speck of light, and his pupil contracted rapidly, shrinking to the size of a needle tip.]

The soft body in his arms slumped to the side, and Zaimokuza instinctively reached out to wrap his arms around her slender waist, then suddenly looked down at the girl in his arms.

Miou's body was now covered in the same white light patterns as those in the outside world. These patterns shattered the petite girl's body into pieces, like a shattered wax model, with light particles floating from the cracks.

As the light drifted, Miou's body gradually faded, starting with the tips of her sandals, which gradually became transparent and ethereal, until they disappeared.

【“——Miou!???”】

Watching all this in disbelief, Zaimokuza half-knelt down with Miou in his left arm, and with his right hand, he cupped Miou's face, turning her face, which was buried in his arms.

[When he saw Miou's cheek, his breathing even stopped for a moment.]

[Glowing cracks appeared across the girl's cheeks, her beautiful features almost shattered. Her large, bright eyes became dull, and even her focus was completely diffused.]

Seeing her like this, Zaimokuza felt a surge of anxiety from within, completely engulfing him. His hands began to tremble uncontrollably from the shock he felt.

"What the hell is going on!? Miou! Can you still hear me? Hey!"

Zaimokuza's call had an effect. Miou's lifeless eyes began to move, and her pupils gradually regained their focus, then condensed on his face.

Her pale lips moved, and she finally managed to reveal a smile on her broken face, a smile filled with a broken beauty.

"It's okay, Zaimokuza-san, I'm just... falling asleep again, that's all. There won't be any—"

"Don't lie to me! What on earth did you do!?"

Zaimokuza's voice, interrupting Miou, was almost a roar. He held the girl, whose body gradually disappeared into dust, in his arms, not daring to move.

[Some things never happen more than three times. Miou had had similar reactions twice before, but she had fooled him by acting cute in various ways, and Zaimokuza didn't think much of it. After all, she looked normal at that time.]

[But he's not stupid, nor is he blind. Moreover, any normal person wouldn't believe this after seeing the girl in his arms.]

[Miou had deceived Zaimokuza from the very beginning. Everything she said was indeed the truth, but the real purpose of these truths was to cover up a lie, and that lie was her current appearance.]

「This doesn’t look like exhaustion at all. It’s more like──」

Familiar memories flooded his mind once again at this moment. Under the white sky, where darkness gradually faded, a faint blue light drifted from behind him along with the falling snow. It pointed the way to the truth for Zaimokuza at the time, and also made him feel an incomparable pain.

【Thinking of that possibility, Zaimokuza's entire body began to tremble slightly, and his eyes trembled even more.】

[The girl's face in front of him overlapped with another person's face at this moment. Even the smile was so similar, it made his heart palpitate.]

"What the hell is going on? Explain it to me!"

[“…Looks like… I can’t hide it anymore.”]

Miou looked at Zaimokuza's anxious expression and knew that her clumsy lie wouldn't work because she wasn't a good liar to begin with.

[She smiled after her lie was exposed, and at the same time, she stretched out her hand towards Zaimokuza's face. Zaimokuza quickly reached out and grasped this slender hand, but his heart suddenly sank the moment they touched.]

The temperature of this hand was icy cold, completely different from the warmth I had felt when I had rubbed my face as a prank. It was like suddenly going from summer to the cold of winter.

“I had thought that at least when we said goodbye… I could hide it from Zaimokuza-san… but it seems… I was being too… arrogant…”

Listening to Miou's fragmented words, Zaimokuza's anxiety reached its peak, and even his voice began to tremble.

"Miou... what on earth did you do???"

[“Nothing~ I just did what I could…”]

Miou tried her best to speak in her usual playful tone, but her voice was already weakening uncontrollably, just like her leg, which was now half gone.

【Then what she said made Zaimokuza's mind suddenly go blank.】

"I simply gave my life... to you, Mr. Zaimokuza."

(BGM: Rubia)

"……I knew it."

Looking at the girl's gradually broken face on the screen, Xu Guoliang lowered his head with a heavy expression, and the look in his eyes seemed a little dim at this moment.