Haruyuki shook his head repeatedly and tried to focus his mind on only the holo-window in front of him. But, as he translated the English words with great pain and trouble, the thing that was weighing heavily on his heart wouldn’t go away.
As if mocking Haruyuki’s impatience—
That day, on the evening of April 17th, the tag team of «Dusk Taker» and «Lime Bell» achieved their full-fledged debut in Accel World. Haruyuki was told about it the next day by Takumu.
The two of them had suddenly launched an attack not in Suginami, but instead in the Shinjuku area, the mecca of «duels» in western Tokyo. This tag team, which added Lime Bell’s «healing ability» to Dusk Taker who possessed the ultimate combo technique of «flight ability» and «long-range firepower», was literally invincible and crushed all types of duelers one after another.
Noumi’s tactics were the logical type that actively used Chiyuri who was inferior in offensive power as bait and then the enemies that approached to take her down first were slaughtered by his flamethrower. There were no blind spots in his cold-heartedness as he didn’t mind dragging his partner into his wide-range attacks sometimes either, and the Burst Linkers that first dueled them were all burned out without being able to do a single thing.
After two of the main force members of the Blue Legion that challenged them last were also defeated as a tag team, Dusk Taker’s name became famous in Accel World with a shock that exceeded the appearance of Silver Crow half a year ago.
Chapter 8
“One…One hundred percent winning rate!?”
Lunch break the next day, Thursday the 18th.
Haruyuki shouted in a shocked voice on top of bench on the rooftop of Umesato Middle School.
“That…isn’t just a figure of speech, but they really didn’t lose even once…?”
Sitting next to him, Takumu nodded while placing the sandwich he bought at the cafeteria on his knees.
“Yeah, I heard it from an acquaintance of mine in the Shinjuku area. Since he seems to have watched it all of Noumi and Chii-chan’s duels starting from their first one, appears to be true…He said that, once Dusk Taker’s gauge fills up and he starts flying, no duel avatars are able to do anything to him no matter what type they are.”
“……”
After looking dumbfounded at his partially-eaten hamburger for a while, Haruyuki nodded.
“…I see, so that’s how it is…Close-range types aren’t able to approach him from the beginning, and it’s also impossible for long-range types to make Dusk Taker fall down in a firefight using firepower since he has a healer.”
“Yeah. —I don’t mean to put you down, Haru, but originally your «flight ability» was such a strong power that it couldn’t be embodied in an avatar unless all other potentials were thrown away. But by stealing it from you, Noumi has made it compatible with long-range techniques. Right now, that guy has boundlessly deviated from the «general rule of same level, same potential». Furthermore, there are tactically no blind spots in Noumi either…”
While mechanically tearing the film around his sandwich in half, Takumu added more in a heavy voice.
“Since the Level 7 and 8 rankers seemed to still be following a wait-and-see strategy regarding Noumi yesterday, there is no telling what will happen when they come out to face him, but…if Noumi still continues to win against them, then the situation is far more serious than I imagined.”
“W-What do you mean…?”
“……Haru, somewhere in our hearts, we have probably been thinking something like this. ‘No matter how strong Noumi becomes, when master…when Black Lotus returns, that person will solve the situation in a single stroke’, right? But…”
The moment he heard those words, Haruyuki almost dropped his hamburger. Without noticing how he reflexively grasped it with all his strength and how the overflowing sauce from within was falling on his hands, he shouted in a hoarse voice.
“T-Taku…Are you saying she’d lose!? Senpai, against Noumi!?”
“I don’t want to consider it either! …But, at the very least, we have to admit that Noumi does intend to do that.”
Haruyuki noticed how Takumu’s hand was minutely trembling as he tried to tear off the sandwich’s film. Turning even paler, his best friend spoke as if groaning.
“Yes…Noumi probably planned to do so from the beginning. Corner and put the three of us at a disadvantage during the week that master is absent, and gather only the trump cards that can let him oppose master. No, not just oppose her. That guy…intends to hunt the Black King, Black Lotus.”
“Hu…Hunt…?”
“Yeah. —In the past, I felt inclined to target the Black King just because she didn’t possess any fighting power in her dummy avatar form. Even so, I only intended to go as far as taken some of her points. But Noumi is different. He without a doubt is thinking of taking down Black Lotus in her original form and taking over this school…no, taking her seat as a King…”
Haruyuki shook his head strongly as if to negate the cold feeling that was crawling down his back.
“Impossible…As if, as if senpai would lose to a bastard like him!”
To Haruyuki, that beautiful jet-black avatar was the only absolute existence in Accel World. No matter what kind of Burst Linker she faced, even if her opponent was another «King», he believed that there was no way she could lose.
It was impossible for that «Black King» to lose against a rule-breaking «Acceleration User» like Noumi. It was impossible, but—
…If I were to hold her back.
If this idiot that was tricked by a virus, was caught on video, and even lost his wings, were to dull that person’s sword.
Or if the worst case situation were to become reality as well…
“—Haru.”
Takumu suddenly grasped Haruyuki’s shoulders strongly.
“Haru, no matter what Noumi’s intentions are, there is one thing we have to do. We must do everything we can do until this Saturday.”
“What we can do…but what’s that? We’re absolutely helpless as long as that guy is intercepting the Matching List.”
After mumbling that in a hollow voice, Haruyuki’s face strongly twisted and he continued.
“Or else, are you saying we should also go to Shinjuku? Do you plan for the two of us to intrude onto Noumi’s team and take down Chiyu…?”
This time, Takumu became silent for a long while.
Eventually, he removed his hand from Haruyuki’s shoulder, shut his eyes behind his glasses and answered back quietly.
“——Please don’t say that to me.”
“…Sorry.”
After hanging his head as well and letting out a long breath, Haruyuki apologized.
“Senpai and Chiyu can’t be compared, after all…For now, let’s believe. That the people of Akihabara BG and Blood Leopard will solve the mystery of the list interception…”
Those words were closer to a prayer to God than hoping for something, but it was also a fact that there didn’t remain any other methods. Even if they went to Akihabara again, that would only be like walking blindly down the road.
While Haruyuki vigorously gnawed at his crushed hamburger and moved his mouth to chew, he stared up at the slightly cloudy sky.
Once the clock struck 2 PM, Haruyuki slipped out in order to escape from the classroom’s usual cold atmosphere, and then changed his shoes and left the school grounds at his fastest dash.
He connected his Neuro Linker to the Global Net with a feeling of praying and check the anonymous mail box he had told to Blood Leopard, but—
“……Still nothing, huh…”
He understood that it wasn’t such a simple matter, but Haruyuki was still struck by huge disappointment and dropped his shoulders.
Kuroyukihime was already going to return from Okinawa the day after tomorrow, on Saturday night. Although it was a moment he had been looking forward to, now he also wished that she would remain longer in safe Okinawa for at leas
t one more day.
In the interval of 48 hours until then, they had to uncover Noumi’s secret, eliminate the video evidence, and also get back Chiyuri. But right now, he couldn’t do anything else besides patiently waiting for information.
Tormented by burning impatience, Haruyuki hung his head downward as far as possible and walked down the path towards his home alone. Takumu had, as expected, not gone home with him and instead had gone to club activities today, since he had skipped for three days in a row.
He trudged toward his apartment home under the sky that seemed on the verge of rain, and at the moment when he went into the large entrance and looked up.
The back of a female student who was standing in front of one of the two elevators on the far-off wall at the end and was wearing the same Umesato Middle School uniform as him came into his view.
Short hair that came to her shoulders. A sports bag she carried slanted. Even just by seeing her from behind, Haruyuki immediately realized that it was Chiyuri. —However, why was she here, at a time like this?
Chiyuri was part of the track-and-field club, and ran around the track everyday right until it was time to leave school. The time when she returned home should have been two hours later than Haruyuki who was part of the going-home club. When he saw her in the classroom today, he didn’t see any signs that she had caught a cold either.
After that familiar back vanished into the elevator and the door closed, Haruyuki finally realized.
She was skipping club activities on Noumi’s instructions. In order to «duel» from the evening in Shinjuku, just like yesterday. In order to use her avatar as bait and attract the enemy, while continuing to heal Dusk Taker who hovered above in the safety of the sky.
“……Chiyu.”
While mumbling that, he unconsciously gripped both his fists tightly. Haruyuki didn’t understand this feeling that pushed up from the bottom of his stomach and that had the heat and density of melted metal. But, when he pricked that heat and moved, Haruyuki walked to the elevator, jumped in right as the door opened, and on impulse pushed as if jabbing the button for the floor two levels below his—the 21st floor.
After he stepped out from the lift and started walking again, he stopped in front of the door of the Kurashima household. He pushed the displayed chime button without hesitation, and a sound effect chimed lightly.
Chiyuri should also have already learned via the home server that the visitor was Haruyuki.
After stubbornly standing there waiting, he finally heard the click of unlocking and the door opened.
Perhaps aunty had gone shopping, since the one who stood in the apartment’s entranceway was Chiyuri herself. It seemed she had been in the middle of changing clothes, for she had removed her blazer and her undone blue ribbon hung down from the neck of her shirt.
Chiyuri slightly tilted her outwardly calm-looking face, and spoke only a single word.
“…What?”
“I came, to talk.”
Haruyuki immediately answered. Truth be told, he hadn’t entirely thought of what he should talk about, but even so his mouth still moved almost automatically.
“…I see.”
Giving a short answer again, Chiyuri then turned around and returned inside. Haruyuki held his breath, then went through the door, took off his shoes and followed after her.
Half a year ago as well, Haruyuki had been driven by a similar impulse and visited Chiyuri’s room.
The reason for that visit had been to direct connect with her and confirm whether Chiyuri was the unidentified Burst Linker «Cyan Pile» who had been making attacks in the Umesato local network back then.
The visit this time as well was similarly related to Brain Burst. However, the situations differed greatly as much as they were similar. Chiyuri was definitely the Burst Linker «Lime Bell» now, and on the surface had turned against Haruyuki and Takumu due to her own will.
After sitting down on the bed with a thump and holding one of her big stuffed animal cushions that were lying around in large numbers—probably some kind of sea creature on top on her knees, Chiyuri spoke once again.
“What do you want to talk about?”
While standing near the door, Haruyuki let out the words as his moved his mouth.
“…You skipped your club activities, didn’t you?”
“Yeah.”
When Chiyuri gave only that minimal answer, he unusually locked gazes with her firmly, and asked another question.
“Is that part of Noumi’s instructions?”
“…If it is?”
“If that’s so, then stop. It's wrong to give priority to Brain Burst in real life.”
Then, Chiyuri’s expression changed for the first time here, and her eyebrows furrowed slightly and her sharp voice returned.
“Speak for yourself. Haru, how many times until now have you thought of nothing but Brain Burst?”
“Th…That’s not true. I’m not in any clubs, and I’ve never carelessly forgotten about my homework because of it.”
“And in exchange, you pour in all your other time into it…”
In that instant, Chiyuri shut her mouth.
And she suddenly cracked a smile.
“Let’s stop. It’s just a game. Let’s not become so serious about it.”
She was brightly smiling, but Haruyuki, who had seen Chiyuri’s face for such a long time even more than his own, clearly grasped the very faint awkwardness that was hiding in that expression. But Chiyuri smiled even wider and gave a V-sign with her right hand.
“…It’s amazing, you know? I only started yesterday and I’ve already gone up two levels. The people in the gallery said that going from Level 1 to 3 in a single day might be the fastest record in the history of Brain Burst. I can’t even count the number of legion invitations I’ve gotten.”
“……Chiyu.”
Calling out her name in a voice that seemed to catch in his throat, he took a step forward.
“I’m only skipping club for the time being, so you don’t have to worry. Since my pace will drop once I stabilize and can fight even as a solo. I’ve already gotten the knack of dueling…”
“Chiyu!!”
He said it again in a half-cry, and words burst forth from Haruyuki’s throat like a stream.
“Chiyu, you’re obeying Noumi because of that video, right!? He told you that he would submit the video of me peeping to the school, right!? In that case, you don’t have to worry about such a threat! Noumi can’t use it, because even he understands that if he did, I would release his real world information to other Burst Linkers. That thing…That video can only be used to threaten not me, but you, so stop worrying about it already!”
—‘It’s useless even if I say this’, even though he should have understood those words intellectually.
If Noumi exposed that video, Haruyuki would almost certainly be expelled. On the contrary, it was quite possible that he would be arrested and, as result of a trial in family court, be sent to Juvenile Hall.
As long as that possibility existed at all, Chiyuri would continue to obey Noumi. That was because—she was Chiyuri. Because she was his childhood friend who always tried to protect Haruyuki since long ago.
“………”
After turning down her gaze and becoming silent for a long while, Chiyuri smiled once again.
“That’s not how it is, Haru. I just want to collect points quickly and raise my level. I said this before the other day as well.”
“That’s…That’s not like you at all!”
Haruyuki shouted as tears flowed down from his eyes without him being aware of it.
“I’m the one, I’m the one that’s completely at fault here! I let him manipulate me just like he wanted and let him take hold of my various weaknesses, and on top of that…if even you are stolen away by him, I don’t know what to do…”
As Haruyuki slumped to the floor and hanged his head downwards, in his ears—
The similar tearful voice of Chiyur
i reached him.
When he raised his head up with a start, his childhood friend was still giving an unchanged smile, but there were two thin lines of tears quietly falling down her suntanned cheeks.
“……You don’t understand. Haru, you don’t understand me at all.”
“Eh……?”
“Even though you don’t understand anything…anything at all!!”
Suddenly shouting in a teary voice, Chiyuri then did an unexpected action.
With the fingers of her trembling hands, she started to undo the buttons of her white shirt from the top one after another.
In front of the Haruyuki’s eyes as his breath caught and he froze, Chiyuri, after showing a momentary hesitation, took off her shirt in one go. Her upper body, which only had a simple bra covering it, was exposed to Haruyuki’s eyes without anything obstructing it.
Several days ago, Haruyuki had been tricked by a visual marker and entered into the female shower room, and as a result had seen her stark naked form, but for some reason, seeing her figure right in front of him like this now was accompanied by overwhelmingly huge implications and knocked down Haruyuki’s consciousness.
“……If I do this, do you understand?”
Chiyuri whispered in a trembling voice.
“Even if my avatar in Accel World obeys Noumi, the me here in the real world…is in a place where you could touch me if you wanted to, Haru. Do you still not understand with this? I haven’t been stolen away or anything like that.”
Gazing at Haruyuki with eyes that shined intensely despite being wet with tears, Chiyuri spoke as if to engrave every word upon him.
“I act according to my own will. Both until now, and from now on.”
Haruyuki—
Couldn’t understand.
Chiyuri was acting according to her own will. What was that supposed to mean? Did she mean that, just as she had said until now, she had judged that, as a Burst Linker, it was more advantageous to join with Noumi rather than Haruyuki and the others, and was cooperating with him in order to get more points?
Suddenly, Haruyuki understood that the feeling that had been squirming and burning inside him since he saw her at the entrance was jealousy. It seemed that, even though he liked Kuroyukihime and wanted Takumu and Chiyuri to turn out well together, that black feeling hadn’t been exhausted and had sprung up from the bottom of his chest just from thinking that Chiyuri was on Noumi’s side.