My youth story cannot be a knight war

"If humans want to actively enter the mirror world and fight these monsters, the Knight Card Box is the only pass."

Hikigaya Komachi nodded and pointed her delicate fingers at the card box in Hayama's hand.

"Those who hold the Knight Card Box can enter the Mirror World and hear the noises made when monsters appear to hunt."

"The only way to fight these monsters is to use the power of the card box to sign a contract with the same mirror monsters, then transform into a Kamen Rider. Using the mirror monsters' powers to fight mirror monsters is what's known as 'fighting fire with fire'... Of course, even if I don't explain this, I'm sure you, Senior, have experienced it firsthand."

After hearing these words, Ye Shan looked at the card box in his hand, and there was a ripple in his eyes.

"So according to what you said, Hikigaya-san... everyone chose to become Kamen Rider in order to fight these monsters?"

“Puchi~hahaha…”

"..."

But as soon as he opened his mouth, Hikigaya Komachi did not answer, but lowered her head deeply.

Hoshino, on the other hand, bent over without hesitation, covering his stomach with his hands, lowered his head and made an undisguised laugh. His action immediately attracted Ye Shan's hostile gaze.

"What are you laughing at? Is there something wrong with what I said?"

"No, you're absolutely right. This statement is very consistent with society's definition of morality and humanism. I really admire your ideas."

Hoshino stopped laughing. He looked up and smiled at Ye Shan. After he finished speaking, he stretched out his hands and clapped, his eyes full of admiration.

However, combined with his previous impression of him, Ye Shan felt that Hoshino's praise was simply an alternative mockery of himself. The anger that already existed in his heart instantly surged, and his expression became indifferent.

"Really? Well, thank you for the compliment. Anything else you want to say?"

"Yes, that is—"

In less than a second, the smile on Hoshino's face quickly disappeared, his eyes became cold and indifferent, and the coldness and loneliness that came from his heart was even more than that of Ye Shan at the moment.

"You know absolutely nothing. Although your predecessor should know, he was probably just as naive as you, so that's why he gave the card box to you, right?"

"I can only say that your predecessor's death was not unjust at all."

"What did you say!"

Ye Shan immediately sat up from the chair. At this moment, he didn't even care about the pain caused by the pull on the wound in his abdomen. He stared at Hoshino with eyes almost spitting fire.

"Repeat what you said!"

"Of course."

Facing Ye Shan's questioning, Hoshino smiled, a smile that was extremely indifferent, and the hexagram imprinted in his pupils emitted a faint black light.

"I'll tell you as many times as you want, it's you and your ex—"

"Aqua."

Hikigaya Komachi interrupted Hoshino again. She slowly stood up and looked directly at the latter. Her eyes were calm, but beneath the calmness there was a solemnity as solid as rock.

"If you continue to act so recklessly, I will no longer cooperate with you."

Faced with the words and eyes of the girl in front of him, Hoshino suppressed the sneer on his face and fell into silence.

"Ha~"

All the darkness and coldness disappeared from his body, and for the first time he showed such a helpless expression.

"Okay, okay~ I'll do whatever you say, okay? Stop threatening me like that, okay?"

Hikigaya Komachi did not answer him, but continued to stare at Hoshino with a straight face. The latter saw that the left eye of her big eyes had "あや" written on it, and the right eye had "まる" written on it.

"...Are you my mother?"

The corners of his mouth twitched as Hoshino complained, but he could see that the girl was serious this time. Not wanting to break up with her, Hoshino could only look reluctantly at Hayama behind Hikigaya Komachi, and bent down with a standard bow to apologize.

"Hey~ I'm sorry, I was too rude before, please forgive me."

It's the standard, emotionless voice of a politician apologizing. You can tell right away that the speaker has no apology at all.

"It's okay. I forgive you."

Ye Shan stared at Hoshino who bowed to apologize, the anger on his face suddenly faded away quickly, and he said with a half-smile.

"Huh~?"

Hoshino raised his head, a sharp light flashed in his eyes, and the star-shaped color in his eyes became deeper and darker.

Of course, he could see that Ye Shan was mocking him in this way of forgiveness, and his eyes immediately became sharp.

However, considering that he didn't want to make Hikigaya Komachi angry again, he didn't say anything in return, but his facial expression also became a smile, and his eyes met Hayama's.

Zizzi~

When the two looked at each other, the air between them was faintly filled with the burning sound of lightning, and then dissipated as they looked away from each other.

Without a sound or a trace of anything, the two of them had become enemies. Although they did not immediately lash out at each other out of consideration for the third person present, both of them looked away with a sour look on their faces.

"Senior Ye Shan."

The girl's voice made Hayama look at her. Hikigaya Komachi looked at Hayama quietly, her eyes more serious than ever.

"Senior, after listening to what I said, what are your plans? Can you tell me?"

"..."

Ye Shan closed his eyes slightly, holding the card box, and fell into deep thought.

Hikigaya Komachi did not urge her, and Hoshino, who was leaning against the wall, looked indifferent. He occasionally glanced at Hayama out of the corner of his eye, then looked away.

Time passed quietly, and when the minute hand of the wall clock completed a circle, Ye Shan opened his eyes and gave his answer.

"I—want to protect humanity."

He lowered his eyes and met Hikigaya Komachi's, and said in a serious tone:

"I only got this card box by accident, but the person who gave it to me sacrificed himself to save me, a complete stranger... Before he died, he told me that he hoped I would stop this for him."

"I didn't know what he meant by that at the time... but now I understand why he gave me this card box."

He slowly raised his right hand and looked at the card box in his hand, a determination flashed in Ye Shan's eyes.

"He must also be hoping that I can use the power of this card box like he did to protect those defenseless humans from the clutches of those mirror monsters... So, I must fight."

Putting down his right hand and staring into the girl's clear eyes, Ye Shan said the last words.

"I want to fight, not for anything, just to protect humanity, that's all."

"...That's enough, Hayama-senpai."

The corners of her tense mouth curved upwards, and Hikigaya Komachi said with a smile.

"You just need to keep this idea in mind and fight. Don't worry about anything else. Just follow Senior Ye Shan's own ideas. I believe in you."

"Thank you for letting me know what I should do."

Ye Shan expressed his sincere gratitude and a smile appeared on his face.

"I'm really happy to meet you, Hikigaya-chan. This is probably the luckiest thing that has happened to me recently."

He turned his head to look out the window. The sky outside had already darkened completely. Knowing that it was getting late, he said to Hikigaya Komachi.

"I'll be leaving now. I hope I can chat with you next time... Also, thank you for the clothes, junior."

When saying the last half of the sentence, Ye Shan glanced at Hoshino next to him, then said with a smile.

"The clothes fit me well, I like them very much."

""

Green meridians popped out from the white forehead. Hoshino looked at the smiling Ye Shan and also smiled, with murderous intent visible to the naked eye in his smile.

"No, senior, you don't have to be polite to me."

Because of the angle of view, she couldn't see Hoshino's expression behind her. Hikigaya Komachi nodded, and the smile on her face was a little apologetic.

"Please pay attention to your wound. Although it's bandaged, it still needs maintenance... I'm really sorry."

"It's okay, this little injury is nothing to me."

Covering the right side of his abdomen, Ye Shan forced himself to suppress the pain and spoke, but there was still a slight twitch in the corner of his eyes.

"See you next time, Hikigaya-san."

"Yeah~see you next time."

After saying goodbye, Ye Shan walked towards the door of the coffee shop. During this process, he ignored Hoshino who was leaning against the door, and Hoshino also ignored him. The two passed each other without any eye contact.

When Hayama walked out of the door, the smile on Hikigaya Komachi's face gradually disappeared. She pursed her lips, lowered her head and remained silent.

"is this okay?"

Hoshino walked to her side with his hands in his pockets, turned to look at Hikigaya Komachi with a depressed look on her face, raised his eyebrows and spoke.

"You really don't plan to tell him? All of this."

"...When the senior comes to ask, I will tell him."

With her index fingers tightly twisted together in front of her body, Hikigaya Komachi looked in the direction where Hayama left, with a deep sense of obscurity in her eyes.

"Actually... I think what Senior said is correct."

"It's up to you, but even if what he said is correct, if he keeps thinking like that, he will only end up destroying himself."

Turning his head, Hoshino had a blank expression on his face, but there was a deep dark shadow surging in his eyes.

"Because—this is a war without justice."

……

Walking on the quiet streets at night, Ye Shan's figure rotated like a clock hand under the illumination of the parallel street lights, over and over again.

When passing a street corner, Ye Shan stopped and looked down at a small puddle on the asphalt road at his feet. His pensive face was reflected in the puddle.

Along the way, Yeshan has been thinking about the news that Hikigaya Komachi told him.

Then he concluded that the other party must have concealed some important information from him.

However, Ye Shan had no intention of asking further questions. Even though he could see that the other party would definitely tell him the answer if he asked, he didn't want to do that.

In interpersonal communication, the most taboo thing is for people who meet for the first time to ask each other too in-depth questions. Since he was a child, Ye Shan has already made this practice a habit, so he was able to have so many "friends" around him. After all, who doesn't like to be friends with someone who has a gentle personality, is considerate of them, and cares about them?

And most importantly, Yeshan did not feel any malice from Hikigaya Komachi, and the apology and guilt she expressed to him on behalf of Hoshino did not contain a trace of impurities. This is the reason why he decided to trust her.

After all, if he really had any bad thoughts about him, why did he save himself at that time?

However, there was still some haze lingering in his heart, although even Ye Shan himself could not explain why he had such a feeling.

He took out the card box and looked at the dragon head emblem carved on the front of the card box. There was anxiety about the future and determination in his chosen path in his eyes.

"Please... from now on, please lend me your strength."

Putting the card box back into his trouser pocket, Ye Shan took another step forward.

sizzle-

"!?"

He stepped hard on the pool of water at his feet, and the turbulent water surface reflected Ye Shan's face with a drastic change of expression.

"Is this-is there a mirror monster around here?!"

Thinking of the information Hikigaya Komachi had told him before, Yeshan's heart tightened. He looked around and found that there was no one around, so he took out the knight card box again.

"Tsk! Of course it's at this time... Never mind!"

Looking at the pool of water on the ground in front of him, Ye Shan pressed the wound on his waist that was still aching slightly, gritted his teeth to suppress the pain, and then aimed the card box at the pool of water.

“hen——”

Suddenly, the familiar noise in his ears disappeared, and Ye Shan, who was just about to transform, was stunned when he heard it disappear.

what happened?

Wow~

A strong night wind suddenly blew from behind him, causing the hem of Ye Shan's clothes to sway in the night wind and making his eyes gradually widen.

He felt a breath, or a sense of presence, surging from behind.

This feeling is just like...

"Is it you this time?"

In the wind, a person's calm words came with the wind.