My youth story cannot be a knight war

"Mr. Kosaka? Are you listening to me?"

“Ah~ I’m listening—”

【--boom!!!!!!】

A violent roar echoed from far away, abruptly interrupting their bickering. Both Kousaka Kyousuke and Zaimokuza Yoshiki's expressions suddenly changed.

They immediately looked at each other and read the same meaning from each other's eyes.

At this moment, the intercom attached to Kousaka Kyousuke's belt was turned on, and a hoarse male voice came from the connected line, echoing in the living room.

"——Unidentified Lifeform No. 33 is attacking! All helicopters were destroyed simultaneously by long-range sniping! Heavy casualties!"

"The enemy has now broken through the minefields and blockades! We've confirmed that Unit 33 possesses attack capabilities far exceeding those of ordinary heavy firepower! We're suffering heavy losses from its attacks!"

"Requesting support! Requesting support! Requesting support!!!"

10. Ignite the Fire

A fierce fire burned the shattered wreckage of the helicopter. Black smoke mixed with the stench of charred flesh and blood rose into the sky. The high temperature turbulently stirred the air, distorting the view above.

This hill near the beach had long lost its former tranquility and solemnity. A solemn and murderous atmosphere filled the area, and raging fires spread from all corners of the woods, causing chaos.

[The flames had spread to all areas ignited by the previously crashed helicopter attack. Much of the debris that fell from the sky happened to land in an area with mines buried. The impact detonated mines buried in the woods, causing even larger, chain-like explosions and infernos.]

No one had anticipated the unconfirmed life form No. 33's appearance would be so brazen and bold, completely overturning everyone's previous expectations.

Not only did it not adopt the expected stealth approach, but it chose to directly break through head-on. Its attack was also extremely fierce, destroying the dozen or so patrolling helicopters in the sky at the same time, transforming them into falling fireballs, announcing its arrival to everyone.

These elite guards hired by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Kotobuki family reacted swiftly, rushing towards the direction where No. 33 had appeared. Knowing they couldn't kill him, they simply hoped to snipe him here, waiting for their own forces to arrive and truly decide the outcome. They figured that even if they couldn't drive him out, they should be able to hold him back here with their heavy firepower.

[But cruel facts proved that they overestimated themselves and underestimated the strength of these monsters.]

【Puff——】

[“Gu!?”]

A silver needle pierced the flames and struck the neck. Amidst the splattering blood, the mercenary, eyes wide with disbelief, covered his bleeding neck with his palm, his eyes fixed on the twisted black figure in the blazing fire ahead. In the end, he could only collapse to the ground unwillingly, his body twitching continuously.

Scarlet blood gushed from his mouth, and knife-like wounds began to appear out of thin air on the mercenary's skin, which was exposed outside his clothes. Soon, the flowing blood completely soaked his camouflage uniform, and the excessive blood loss caused him to stop breathing.

"Game over~"

Jaraji shook his hands, then stood there with his hands on his hips, boredly watching the now silent mercenary. He then turned and glanced around.

At this moment, more than twenty corpses lay around it. Some were mercenaries in camouflage, while others were police officers in uniform. But they all lay motionless on the ground, their bodies covered in similar wounds. The blood flowing from their bodies formed small pools, reflecting the corpses' dull eyes and the burning flames.

"Tsk... These Lindo warriors are as numerous as cockroaches. They're not afraid of being killed no matter how hard you try. How disgusting."

[Jaraji kicked the head of one of the policemen lying at his feet, his voice filled with annoyance.]

Jaraji enjoys killing, but it doesn't enjoy killing those who aren't afraid of death. Its greatest joy is deriving pleasure from its prey's fear before death. Watching the despair and unwillingness brew in their eyes as they transform from bright to dead, that twisted pleasure is always palatable to Jaraji, no matter how many times it repeats itself.

But these guards were different. Almost none of them feared death, especially the mercenaries in camouflage uniforms. They didn't take death seriously at all. Even after seeing their colleagues die at his hands one after another, they still charged forward fearlessly to stop him. This made it impossible for Jaraji to derive any pleasure from killing them.

"What a shame! If these people met the game's standards, I would have passed long ago!!"

【call out--】

The extreme sense of danger stimulated Jaraji's brain nerves. His long-held fighting instinct made him reflexively turn his head to the side. The transparent green arrow cut through several strands of his long hair, which felt like needles at his temples, and hit the burning wreckage of a helicopter behind him.

【boom! ! ! 】

The wreckage struck by the arrow erupted once again in a blazing fire and explosion. Amidst the rising smoke, a dark figure wielding a black crossbow descended from the sky and landed not far from Jaraji.

“You are…really? So it’s you, the one He gave a name to!”

Jaraji, having dodged the attack, watched the crouching opponent with vigilance. As the opponent's figure came into view, his voice suddenly rose, and he instantly understood.

【“——Daguber!”】

Gulkiller One Pegasus Form

[G1 Pegasus Extreme Flying Bow]

【“——!”】

The black crossbow transformed into a black mist that flowed into his palm. Kousaka Kyosuke looked down at the police officer lying at his feet, his eyes wide open. He reached out a finger and touched his neck before falling silent.

He suddenly looked up at Jaraji in front of him, reached out and pulled out the blue crystal card from the clip on the left side of his belt, and quickly swiped it across his belt. The matrix image on the belt display immediately changed, and a mechanical sound was heard.

Form Change Dragon

【Om—】

The green stripes on his body shone with a dazzling light, quickly transforming into azure blue within the glow. A surge of pitch-black matter spread from his open palm, quickly condensing into a pitch-black spear with blue stripes. The sharp tip of the spear flashed with a dazzling cold light.

[G1 Blue Dragon Destruction Spear]

"So that's the Kibolon created by the Lindos? Interesting!!"

Jaraji watched Kousaka Kyousuke's transformations unfold, and a few thoughts suddenly emerged from within. However, before it could continue its thoughts, a sense of danger, even hotter than the raging fire behind it, struck from the side.

A crimson figure suddenly appeared, breaking through the raging fire beside him. He raised his flaming right foot and roared as he charged towards Jaraji, who had turned around.

[“Oh my god!!!”]

The full-force knight kick struck Jaraji in the chest, sending it reeling amidst a shower of sparks. Its feet left two drag marks at least ten meters long on the weed-covered sand before stopping.

【Zizi——】

A crimson totem of "flame" appeared on Jaraji's chest, where he had been struck. He looked up at the red warrior who had landed next to Kousaka Kyousuke and spoke softly.

[“KUUGA, you two finally showed up together…”]

【"What was supposed to happen has finally happened."】

A crimson light flashed in his red eyes, and the flaming totem on his chest was surrounded by an even more ferocious fire, which then gradually devoured and assimilated him, finally dissipating into nothingness.

"Hmm? Red elemental power!"

Zaimokuza, already a veteran of countless battles with unidentified life forms, immediately recognized the energy used to neutralize his attacks, and his heart suddenly grew heavy. In the past, none of the unidentified life forms possessing the element of fire were easy to deal with. Whether it was Number 21 or Number 25, both had nearly cost him his life in battle.

"We need to find a way to lure Number 33 away. This place is too close to the villa, and a fight would have a huge impact."

[Kousaka Kyousuke walked over to Zaimokuza, who had stood up, and said in a deep voice. He had also deduced the nature of Jaraji's ability and immediately felt something was wrong.]

[The element of fire is the most destructive of all elements. Kousaka Kyosuke knew that if a fight really broke out here, the entire mountain, including the villa, would be reduced to a scorched earth. However, the few survivors were hiding inside the villa.]

【"clear."】

【Om—】

Zaimokuza was naturally aware of this fact. He glanced at the lifeless bodies around him and immediately suppressed his reluctance. Without hesitation, he clasped his hands on the spirit stone at his waist. A raging fire and red light erupted from the spirit stone, igniting his body and eyes. The flames formed a scarf around his neck, fluttering in the wind.

[Kuga·Almighty Form·Elemental Awakening (Fire)]

He couldn't just use the Spirit Element Enhancement Mode right here, as that would have a far greater impact. Fortunately, the elemental awakening properties of the almighty form were enough to withstand even the now-increasing Gurongi's power level, making it Zaimokuza's natural choice.

"Hmph... Are you planning to come together? That's fine, come on, but..."

Jaraji twisted his neck, bones rubbing against each other loudly. He stared at the two men standing in front of him, then extended his right hand and beckoned them with his sharp index finger.

[——I hope you won’t regret it when the time comes.]

[This last sentence was not spoken aloud, but echoed directly in Jaraji's heart.]

["Taimu Seat, get on!"]

【"learn!"】

Seeing the enemy's provocation against them and their companions, Kousaka Kyosuke and Zaimokuza rushed forward without hesitation, red and blue light blooming from their fists and spear blades.

[“——Heh~”]

Interlaced red and blue illuminated Jaraji's crimson pupils, which gazed coldly at the two men. He looked at the two men charging towards him, and the corners of his mouth, which had been half-stiff as a mask, suddenly curved upward in a strange arc.

11. Lure the Tiger Away from the Mountain

Violent roars echoed continuously in the sky, spreading along the air currents toward this secluded beach in Fukushima Prefecture.

Scorching flames and explosions echoed continuously in the woods near the beach, and the explosions continued to advance downwards, demonstrating the advancement of the battle line in a most intuitive and brutal way that even those who didn't understand military affairs could understand.

Although the three beings in battle still possessed human forms, their powers were already different from those of creatures humans knew. It could be said that every move they made could cause a catastrophe-like impact on reality. Every attack they made caused the atmosphere to roar, and the wind to howl like a demon.

The laws of reality groaned under the weight of this absolute violence. The trees that had grown for years in the forest were blown away in the aftermath of the three-way battle. A layer of soil was scraped away, revealing a dense layer of roots beneath. The scorching winds of the explosion then burned some of it to scorched earth.

【boom--】

[“Tsk!”]

Several tiny silver needles shot towards Kousaka Kyosuke's face. Transforming into a blue dragon, he swiftly swung his spear, the sharp tip of the spear catching the middle of the needles like a silver star, sending them flying. This extreme maneuver showcased Kousaka Kyosuke's exceptional martial arts proficiency and micromanagement abilities.

The silver needles that flew into the air struck a row of trees diagonally behind him on his right side. A dazzling red light suddenly erupted as the needles struck the trunks, and then a blazing flame erupted in a spiral from the needles. The trees were easily reduced to ash in the raging fire and blast. The scorching heat was so intense that even Kousaka Kyosuke, who was a long way away after transforming, could feel the temperature rise around him, and a chill ran down his spine.

It must be said that this was quite unexpected for Kousaka Kyosuke. After a head-on confrontation, he was surprised to discover that Unidentified Lifeform No. 33 wasn't as weak in direct combat as he had previously suspected. While it still couldn't match No. 30, which had exceptional defense and attack, it had already surpassed No. 31 and No. 32.

[And as expected, it also possesses two different elemental powers, namely 'wind' and 'fire'.]

The element of fire already possesses the most destructive power of the five known elements, and the elemental force of wind further enhances this power. It can be said that each of Jaraji's attacks is like a high-yield napalm bomb exploding. In terms of pure destructive power alone, it even surpasses the number 30 that once forced the two into a desperate situation.

Furthermore, in the densely fallen leaves of the forest, Jaraji's flames were intensified by the terrain. Even when Zaimokuza and Kousaka Kyousuke joined forces, they were temporarily unable to move and were forced to flee in dismay.

But a two-on-one duel was ultimately different from the previous one-on-one duels. Even though Jaraji was unexpectedly strong, as time passed and the two of them silently but tacitly moved the battle venue away from the woods, the advantage gradually fell into Zaimokuza's hands.

【boom--! ! ! 】

Zaimokuza crossed his arms in front of him as a shield, and the needles thrown by Jaraji hit his crossed arms completely. Violent explosions erupted one after another, and dust and shock waves swept through everything around him.

"Idiot, you actually rushed forward——huh!?"

[Jaraji lowered his arm and was about to taunt, but his tone suddenly changed, and a strong sense of danger surged from his heart.]

[“Drink!!!!”]

The flame-encrusted figure roared as it pierced the blazing flames. His body was inevitably stained a pitch-black by the previous attack, especially his arms, which were as black as burnt charcoal. Before his blood could flow, the heat surrounding his body evaporated it into a red mist, dissipating like countless strands of silk floating in front of Zaimokuza.

【"you--"】

“I got you!”

Jaraji was stunned, and for a moment, he hadn't recovered from Zaimokuza's tactic of trading injury for opportunity. Zaimokuza, enduring the excruciating pain, lunged at him and embraced him. Their identical red eyes glared at each other at close range, and Zaimokuza's fierce voice reached his ears.

[“——At this distance, you won’t be able to continue using flying needles for long-range attacks!”]

【『Exceed charge』】

【“!!!”】

A mechanical male voice echoed immediately afterward, and a deep blue light blossomed behind Zaimokuza. Jaraji, sensing the danger, struggled mightily in Zaimokuza's embrace, but was still a step too late.

A pitch-black figure leaped up, a blue light entwined around the spear and spiraled toward its tip. In mid-air, Kousaka Kyousuke hurled the spear towards the entangled two, roaring furiously.

"Zaimokuza, get out of the way!!!"

Dragon Finish

【“——Puwa!”】

Just before the spear was about to pierce through them, Zaimokuza reacted extremely quickly, letting go of Jaraji and leaping to the side. The spear, unhindered, pierced his chest, sending his body flying from the woods with a muffled scream.

Jaraji's body crashed through dozens of trees along the road behind him and flew out of the woods, landing on the road. The sharp spear pierced through his body and continued to penetrate the concrete road, pinning him to the road, unable to move.

Two figures followed closely behind him, leaping out of the woods and landing on the national highway. Looking at Jaraji, who was pinned down and unable to move not far ahead, Zaimokuza let out a light breath and spoke in a complicated voice.

“Finally… solved.”

【“——No, something is wrong.”】

[Kousaka Kyosuke, who was standing beside him, carefully observed the nailed Jaraji and spoke in a sudden, serious tone, causing Zaimokuza to look over in confusion.]

"What's wrong, Mr. Kousaka?"

"Number 33... seems a bit too weak. It's not that it's truly weak, but compared to the previous Gurongi with the same colored belt, its combat effectiveness is even worse."

【“And, did you notice?”】

[Kousaka Kyosuke continued, his tone growing heavier, a sense of foreboding rising quietly from within him.]

[“Throughout this battle, it seems that Number 33 never activated any of the forms that the previous Gurongi had.”]

"Huh? Now that you mention it—"

【"--Hahaha!"】