My youth story cannot be a knight war

[“Ah, leave it to me.”]

[Beep. 】

[After hanging up the phone, Zaimokuza looked at Yuigahama Yui, whose face showed a hint of worry, and said with a chuckle. ]

【“Well, I’m leaving now. See you next time.”】

[After saying this, he turned and walked towards the Triangle Tracker 2000 parked not far away. His back showed no sign of hesitation or lingering, like a soldier who had made up his mind to go to the battlefield to save his country.]

[Yuigahama Yui stared blankly at Zaimokuza walking towards her beloved car. Her clear pink eyes reflected his receding back. The young man looked thin and frail under the setting sun, but he had a tenacity that could hold him up even if the world collapsed. His white hair glowed with a hazy golden color under the sunlight. Just by looking at his back, a sense of peace of mind gradually filled her heart from the bottom of her heart.]

[For some reason, the back figure in Yuigahama Yui's eyes suddenly overlapped with another back figure that appeared. ]

[The back figure is a black-haired boy wearing a black school uniform and with messy hair. Just by looking at the back figure, one can feel a strong sense of fatigue and boredom emanating from him. One does not need to look at the front figure to know how tiring the mental state of the owner of the back figure is.]

[But once upon a time, this back view was the most reassuring back view in the world for Yuigahama Yui in high school. ]

【“……!”】

[Holding her hands tightly together, with her heart full of emotions, Yuigahama Yui couldn't help but shout to Zaimokuza who was walking away.]

【“Zaimokuza!”】

【“……?”】

[Zaimokuza, wearing a helmet, was about to start the motorcycle and set off, but he turned back in the midst of this emotional call, and his eyes were somewhat obscured by the helmet windshield reflecting the afterglow of the setting sun.]

【"you--"】

[Yuigahama Yui had countless words she wanted to say to Zaimokuza, but when the words came to her lips, she found that she couldn't say anything. The words that came to her mind fell into the deep sea of ​​her heart one by one, disappearing without a trace, leaving only a few ripples.]

[Finally, Yuigahama Yui found that she could only say one sentence, and that was all she could say.]

["Small——caimu seat..."]

[She pursed her moist lips, and a smile slowly blossomed on Yuigahama Yui's face. ]

[In the sunlight, that smile is so sad and beautiful, with a drop of bright golden light shining in the corner of the eye. ]

【"See you tomorrow."】

【“…”】

【Zaimokuza did not respond to her words.】

[Because he knew that the person being questioned was not actually him.]

【The only thing Zaimokuza could do was to slowly raise his right hand towards Yuigahama Yui, with his thumb raised and his eyes curved into crescents.】

【A real man. 】

[Even though she didn't say anything, Yuigahama Yui seemed to have heard what the white-haired young man said. ]

【boom--】

[The engine of the Triangle Chaser 2000 roared loudly, and the motorcycle was like a wild horse that had broken free from its reins, rapidly driving towards the direction where the setting sun was sinking, and in Yuigahama Yui's eyes it quickly went away until it could no longer be seen.]

【Tick.】

[After Zaimokuza disappeared, a teardrop like a melted diamond fell from Yuigahama Yui's slender eyelashes, slid down the curve of her face, and fell to the ground like a shining star.]

……

【Tokyo City, a port near the Sumida River. 】

05:07 PM

[“Hurry, hurry up!”]

The burned police officer fell to the ground, speaking in agony. His only unharmed colleague gritted his teeth, ran forward, grabbed him under the armpits, and dragged him backwards, leaving a trail of blood on the ground. The two of them quickly vanished from Giiga's orange-red eyes.

[“Humph, you’re really weak.”]

[It put down its hand that was pressed against its mouth in a bored voice and patted its chest which was covered with dust.]

[The muscles in his chest squirmed, and all the bullets shot into it fell to the ground with a crackling sound, making a clear and pleasant sound like wind chimes.]

[At this time, the harbor was ablaze with flames everywhere. Nearly ten police cars were scattered everywhere and engulfed in flames. Various guns fell to the ground. In the sea nearby, a burning cargo ship was slowly sinking into the sea. The sound it made when it sank was like a giant whose life was about to end and roared at the sky for injustice.]

【But other than that, no one died. 】

[But this is definitely not Giiga's kindness, but rather the result of it deliberately holding back. Zaimokuza's transformation into Kuuga is a bonus in "Kikiru" to increase the game's difficulty, but it is not necessary. Even an ordinary person's life can be used as a substitute.]

Giiga, who had long considered Zaimokuza a sure thing, held back in this "battle" with the police, practically letting them go, to prevent himself from accidentally completing the game and advancing to "GO." Not only did he control the force of his attacks, but he also always aimed for open areas far away, relying entirely on the aftermath of the explosions to bring down the police. This series of deliberate coincidences led to such a bizarre outcome.

[The economic losses were very serious, but no one was killed by it. At most, a few unlucky people sank after falling into the water because they couldn't swim.]

"There aren't many players as kind-hearted as me. You better hurry up, KU—"

【boom--】

Just as Giiga was enjoying itself, the familiar roar of an engine approached from a distance, drawing its full attention and causing the words it was about to speak to come to an abrupt halt.

[“…Hehe, you’re finally here.”]

Hearing the same "horse hooves" he'd heard that morning, Giiga let out a deep laugh and slowly turned to face the person behind him. His orange-red eyes reflected the figure approaching on a motorcycle.

[“KUUGA!”]

[Zaimokuza stopped the Triangle Chaser with a practiced and graceful movement. His eyes under the helmet scanned the tragic scene around him, and he slowly increased the strength of his hands gripping the motorcycle's handlebars.]

【“…”】

[Zaimokuza silently took off his helmet and placed it on the seat of the motorcycle after getting off the train. The sea breeze from the sea messed up his white hair, and the white hair dancing in the wind covered his eyes. His black eyes were faintly visible between the white hair.]

【"--drink!"】

【Om—】

[Looking at the powerful enemy who defeated him not long ago, Zaimokuza said nothing, and clapped his hands on his waist. A silver belt appeared around his waist, and the spirit stone in the center turned purple when it appeared.]

[His next transformation posture was different from before. Instead, he raised his hands one after the other in front of him, with his left wrist supporting his right wrist, and his two arms stretched out and crossed in front of him.]

[Crash--]

[The sea breeze suddenly increased, accompanied by the cries of seagulls in the distance, and a flock of white seagulls flew across the setting sun.]

[The wind blew away Zaimokuza's bangs that were covering his vision, revealing his eyes underneath.]

[There was no trace of fear in those eyes anymore, only the firmness of a rock under a waterfall. Even after enduring the scouring of the waterfall for tens of millions of years, they still stood firm in the same place, never escaping, never giving in.]

[“Hmph, good eyesight, it seems you have improved a bit compared to before!”]

Giiga's excellent eyesight allowed him to clearly see the expression in Zaimokuza's eyes from a distance of several dozen meters. Zaimokuza did the same. The two of them seemed to ignore the distance of several dozen meters, staring at each other from a very close distance.

[“In that case, I will give you a reward.”]

【"drink!!!"】

Giiga smiled cruelly, placing his right hand in front of his mouth. A red fireball, accompanied by surging heat waves and converging cyclones, appeared between his mouth and right hand. As time passed, the color of the fireball gradually changed, from red to yellow and then white. The astonishing temperature transformed into air waves that spread in all directions.

【Zaimokuza felt the heat coming from the front, looked at the yellow-white fireball that had dealt a heavy blow to himself in Titan form and mercilessly broke through his defense, and gently closed his open eyes.】

[In his mind, he recalled what Kousaka Kyousuke and Yuigahama Yui had said to him before. ]

[——If you still feel confused and afraid, then think more about why you are fighting and recall what your starting point is. ]

[——Never forget your original intention, and please don't forget those who care about you. Don't let us be sad and cry, because we are also in those smiles you want to protect——aren't we? ]

[Mr. Kousaka, Yuigahama...I won't be afraid anymore, and I won't run away anymore.]

[I have remembered the reason why I fight and the origin of my departure.]

【Ha ha ha ha--】

[The laughter of the children in the kindergarten appeared in front of Zaimokuza's closed eyes. The sun shone on every smiling face. The children's smiles were innocent and pure. There was no evil in the light, and they exuded a bright and illusory atmosphere.]

[The children's faces towards the world and the beauty made Zaimokuza's solemn mouth curl up slightly. Their laughter echoed in the dark world behind his closed eyes, just like lighting bright lights in the darkness, guiding his path.]

[——This smile is the power that keeps me fighting.]

[When a warrior realizes, nothing in the world can block his eyes and obscure the shining heart.]

【Zaimokuza's eyes suddenly opened, and he looked at the fireball in front of him, which had completely turned white. The high heat of the fireball caused the air to flow faster, resulting in a completely upside-down and chaotic scene around him.】

[Facing the fireball that was ready to go, Zaimokuza's eyes were as sharp as a blade out of its sheath.]

[The reason I fight is to protect everyone's smile! ]

【"drink!!!"】

Just as Zaimokuza opened his eyes, the white fireball shot out from in front of Giiga's mouth amidst his loud roar, leaving a twisted and chaotic trajectory in the air as it shot towards Zaimokuza.

"Go to hell! Be my stepping stone to GO, KUUGA!"

[“Super Transformation!!!”]

【Zaimokuza roared in a voice that was no less high-pitched than his opponent, and quickly placed his crossed hands on his left waist, pressing down the left buckle.】

【Buzz——————！ ！ 】

[The purple spirit stone on his waist emits a different heavy hum than usual, like the sound of the earth itself. Purple light shines under the approaching fireball. Zaimokuza spreads his hands to his waist and stares at the flying white fireball without moving. The heat wave blows his bangs, but it can't wipe away the determined look in his eyes.]

[Just as the fireball was about to hit Zaimokuza, the purple light on his waist suddenly dimmed, and dots of silver-purple light like stars in the night sky spread from his waist.]

[The next moment, a fireball just inches away from Zaimokuza suddenly exploded, and the raging flames engulfed his extremely thin figure in front of the flames! ]

【boom!!!!!!】

[Amid the explosion that resounded throughout the harbor, a column of white fire shot up into the sky, shining with a strange light under the setting sun at dusk, as if the time in this area had been turned back to dawn by the gods.]

[“Hmph~ Is that all?”]

Looking at the fierce white flames spreading ahead, Giiga lowered his hands in boredom. He had seen clearly that Zaimokuza hadn't even had time to complete his transformation when the fireball exploded.

[Even the Titan form is vulnerable to his powerful attack, how can a mere human body withstand such a force? ]

[“Then what’s next——Hmm???”]

Giiga, about to turn and leave, suddenly froze. He abruptly lowered his head to look at the dark silver belt with red stripes around his waist. The devil-shaped belt remained unchanged, still ferocious and stern.

[Why...hasn't there been any change? Why haven't I become a "GO" yet?]

[Don't you usually get promoted to the next level immediately after completing your goal? ? ? ]

[Could it be——!? ]

Giiga immediately raised his head, staring intently at the gradually dissipating flames and smoke ahead.

[In the chaotic scene caused by the high temperature, a huge black shadow loomed. ]

[Swish, swish—]

A strong sea breeze blew through the area again, dispersing the rising white mist and the remaining flames, revealing the hidden objects there to Giiga's eyes.

【"……Stone?"】

[It murmured to itself, its voice filled with surprise and astonishment that was difficult to conceal.]

[——The thing that appeared in the smoke was a huge rock.]

[A three-meter-high, pure brown rock stands on the concrete road of the harbor. This scene is full of a sense of abruptness and disharmony, just like inserting a Dadaist ready-made work into an impressionist painting, so awkward that people can't look directly at it.]

The side of the rock facing Giiga was smooth and flat, not at all like a naturally formed rock. Furthermore, the surface was red and steam was rising. Apparently, the temperature had risen due to Giiga's attack, causing it to look like this.

【Kara.】

Just as Giiga was still in shock, the rock, so smooth it could almost be used as a mirror, suddenly cracked and began to split open from the red-hot part.

[Kala ka ka ka ka ka——]

[Like a rolling stone on a mountain, after these cracks appeared, more cracks appeared from all parts of the entire rock, climbing and spreading rapidly on the rock, and soon covered the entire tall stone. At this moment, the rock looked like a piece of porcelain that was broken and glued together again, or like a new modern work of golden iron wire, with purple light spreading from those cracks to the surroundings.]

【--boom!】

Finally, with a violent roar, the entire rock shattered, sending fragments flying in all directions. Some of the fragments even slashed past Giiga's face at breakneck speed, leaving a gash on it and blood gushing out.

【clang.】

[A purple-gold sword fell from the broken rock, and the sharp tip of the sword pierced directly into the concrete ground with rubble and flames. A hand covered with white armor stretched out and grasped the hilt of the sword, pulling the brand new Titan sword out of the ground.]

[“How is it possible…”]

The wound on his face was healing quickly, but Giiga, distracted, had long since forgotten about it.

[It stared at the figure who had drawn the Titan Sword in an almost dull manner, its orange-red eyes reflecting a white warrior.]

"You are——KUUGA!???"