Accel World: Floating Bridge in Starlight

  And all games are meant to be enjoyed.

  For the thrill, the excitement, and the passion in playing. And in the case of net games, for the feeling of solidarity that came with competing and fighting alongside others. All players had a right to receive that. Games never exist for the sake of suffering.

  In order to convey this belief to Kuroyukihime, the only thing Haruyuki could do was to muster his entire body and soul to fight her right here and now. With all his strength, he would challenge her, who thought that her avatar and will power projected «despair» and that those who crossed blades with her would also be consumed by it as well. And, he would remind her of the pleasure of dueling.

  —That’s why, I’m…

  “I’m going to come at you seriously, senpai!!”

  Shouting that, Haruyuki fiercely dashed forward off the ground.

  Black Lotus still didn’t move. However, he didn’t slow down his momentum, and so he ran through the twenty meter distance between them in an instant and stepped right up to her so strongly that he cracked the marble floor.

  His first attack was his best specialty, a left-hand straight punch, which he aimed at the center of her body with the maximum spin of his waist and shoulder to give it more power. Kuroyukihime stepped one leg back at just the last second and narrowly avoided his attack.

  Although she had accepted Haruyuki’s challenge, she was probably still held back by hesitation. Her movements didn’t have their usual sharpness. Although she raised her right-hand sword for a counter thrust, Haruyuki could clearly see the point of the sword as if it were in slow motion.

  He gathered his fingers on his right hand into a straight open palm while extending the hand forward. Wielding his arm like a whip, he tried to repel Kuroyukihime’s attack with a hand thrust.

  Even though they had never fought each other directly, since they had fought side by side in territory battles for over half a year, Haruyuki had noticed a single very small weak point in the way Kuroyukihime fought at close range.

  Although the swords on Black Lotus’ four limbs were terrifying weapons that equally integrated both offense and defense, they were still swords, and so their power had a certain orientation and direction. To be specific, their strength was concentrated only on the blade edges, and the body of the sword was actually rather vulnerable.

  Of course, they couldn’t be broken with just a single strike, but it was possible to pile up damage. That was the only chance of winning that he would be able to find in a close range battle with her.

  “…Kh!”

  Along with a sharp righting yell, Haruyuki thrusted his right hand into the side of the blade being swung at him—or tried to.

  However, the impact he expected didn’t occur. Instead.

  Feeling a soft sensation he couldn’t described except as ‘gentle’, Haruyuki was shocked.

  The long jet-black sword enfolded Haruyuki’s hand thrust with a small outward motion. He couldn’t believe it, but it looked as if the blade had changed into a soft material and halted his arm with a spiral motion around it. But, the moment after he felt that—

  “Hah!”

  Letting out a momentary exhalation, Kuroyukihime shook her right arm sharply while taking a step forward.

  Instantly, an explosive repelling force hit Haruyuki from his arm to his shoulder and chest.

  “Wha……”

  By the time he managed to croak that out, he had already been helplessly blown backwards. Unable to adjust his stance either, his back crashed into one of the distant pillars. The pillar broke with a loud crash, but even so Haruyuki didn’t stop there, and after rolling on the floor some distance further, he finally stopped with his limbs spread out.

  After seeing sparks flicker before his eyes for over a second, he shook his head and quickly stood up. Somehow managing to stay standing despite his shaking legs, he raised his head and shouted out.

  “Wha…What was that just now!?”

  Slowly approaching him with her legs’ hovering movement from far away, Kuroyukihime shrugged slightly and answered back.

  “A soft technique for facing a hard technique[35]…I suppose you could describe like that. Someday I’ll tell you about the time I trained in the Chinatown area within Yokohama…More importantly, Haruyuki-kun. Wasn’t there something you wanted to tell me?”

  Her voice was calm, but Haruyuki was strongly conscious of a feeling of suffocating loneliness contained within her tone.

  Just as he thought, the current Kuroyukihime was always imprisoned by the feelings buried deep inside her. ‘My fighting can only create negative energy. I can give neither the excitement of battle nor the feeling of solidarity from competing against each other to my opponent.’ That’s what she believed.

  —No, that’s wrong!

  —I’m experiencing the strongest shiver in my body right now. It isn’t due to fear. My entire body is shaking from the thought of having such a strong person in front of me…and of having that person fight me.

  Haruyuki resisted the urge to shout that out, and clenched his fists tightly.

  He wouldn’t be able to convey this to her with words. That’s why he requested this duel. He couldn’t cower from having been blown back once in this situation. He couldn’t stop until he completely used up his entire being right now.

  “……I’ll tell you with my fists!”

  Shouting loudly, Haruyuki once again dashed forward.

  His health gauge had decreased by 20% due to the attack that had sent him flying just now. However, in exchange, his special technique gauge had also been charged up. While running, he unfolded the metal fins on his back one by one.

  He threw away his plan of counter-attacking Black Lotus’ sword from its side. He risked everything on the three-dimensional rush attack from zero-distance that he had secretly trained for a long time.

  “Uu…oooh!”

  Crying out, he did another long punch. Kuroyukihime also did a thrust with her right sword just like before. As things stood, he would be hit first due to the difference in reach between them.

  The shining point of the sword approached closer and closer, and the instant it was about to touch his helmet—

  Haruyuki strongly vibrated his left wing just once. Silver Crow’s body slid to the right without any preliminary movement, and the sword scattered sparks across the surface of his helmet as it just barely passed by him.

  “…!”

  Kuroyukihime sucked in a short breath. But she didn’t stop her movement even slightly, and instead rotated her body with her left leg’s sword as the axis and tried to dodge Haruyuki’s punch. At that instant, Haruyuki’s right wing quivered this time. He corrected his trajectory once again, and—

  *KIIIN!* With a small yet clear sound of impact, sparks burst out from Black Lotus’ left shoulder armor. Her health gauge indicated to the top right of his vision lost only a single small dot, but it definitely decreased.

  —Now!

  “Seaaah!”

  Haruyuki let out a war cry and raised his right leg. Ordinarily, he wouldn’t be able to successfully use a high kick when glued to his opponent like this. That was because a minimum fixed distance from the tip of his left foot that served as the axis of rotation and the tip of his right foot that dealt the damage was required. Kuroyukihime had perhaps figured that out as well, and instead of receiving or dodging the attack, she tried to counter with an elbow strike.

  However, at that moment, Haruyuki once again activated only his right wing at full throttle for an instant. Using the center of his tilted body as the axis, he let out a groan as he put a miniscule swing that should have been impossible into his high kick.

  Kuroyukihime stopped her elbow strike and bent her body back, but Silver Crow’s sharp toes grazed the left side of Black Lotus’ mask. Once again, sparks were emitted and minimum damage was dealt.

  Having finished his bold move, Haruyuki was forced to experience a momentary stiff posture that was only natural at this point
. Perhaps hating having her opponent glued to her, Kuroyukihime jumped back and crouched her body. But Haruyuki kicked off the ground with his left leg using the momentum from swinging his right leg. He activated his right wing for an instant again. Using the rotation this created, he unleashed a back roundhouse kick with his left leg.

  Kuroyukihime blocked it with her bent left arm and received an intense impact. An orange flash effect dyed both their armors and the surrounding marble.

  While perceiving the upper right gauge at the edge of his vision go down by two dots, Haruyuki added thrust from his left wing this time into the recoil of his kick. He rapidly counter-rotated in mid-air, and using that energy he thrusted with his left hand. His fingertips shallowly dug into Kuroyukihime’s right shoulder. He then activated both his wings when the two of them were face to face with each other. His double knee-kick was unfortunately blocked by her right arm, but it caused the greatest impact thus far to shake the stage. Damage, three dots.

  —This was his second special technique that specially utilized flight ability, where he did a non-stop rush attack that efficiently employed momentary bursts of thrust from his wings, to which Haruyuki had dedicated special training for after the «bullet-dodging» training from before. Its name was «Aerial Combo». Compared to the first technique he had, «Dive Attack», its appearance was modest and it didn’t deal extra-large damage, but it could be used even indoors unlike the first and it could also be activated starting from when his special technique gauge reached 20%. And most of all—it was almost impossible to defend against when seeing it for the first time!

  “Oooh!”

  Immersing his entire body in the sensation of acceleration as if his nervous system was bursting apart, Haruyuki sped up his rush attacks further. Remaining glued to his opponent, he continued letting out attacks with all four of his limbs while almost never landing on the ground. All of his attacks were avoided or blocked at the last minute, but it still gradually accumulated bits of damage to Black Lotus’ gauge.

  Even while frantically moving his entire body, Haruyuki shouted out within his mind.

  —Senpai, this is my current self. This is all the power contained in me, who you saved from that bog and gave wings to. If your true nature is «despair» and «loss» that cuts down everything…then what do you make of this battle!?

  Without him noticing, Silver Crow’s form had turn into an aggregation of silver light that shined in the air. Putting at full throttle the reaction speed he’d trained at the virtual squash game in the Umesato Middle School local network, which had once served as the incentive that made him catch Kuroyukihime’s eye, Haruyuki continued unleashing his Aerial Combo. Although he wasn’t certain how many dozens of attacks he’d done, he still hadn’t landed even one clean hit. Kuroyukihime silently devoted herself to defense, and continued doing nothing but evading or blocking Haruyuki’s unpredictable rush attacks.

  Although they didn’t exchange any words, after a certain amount of time Haruyuki was conscious of a deep emotion that was exchanged between the two whenever their avatars came into contact.

  It was admiration. Towards Kuroyukihime’s defensive skill for Haruyuki. And most likely towards Haruyuki’s mid-air rush attacks for Kuroyukihime. Both of them felt unbelievably, deeply impressed and excited.

  Suddenly, he felt as if he heard a voice.

  ——Aah, I see…So that’s it.

  ——This is a «duel». You only need to forget everything else, become one with your duel avatar, and fight to your heart’s content. Even if this is a world that will disappear in just 1.8 seconds, even if it’s a contact that will end in 1.8 seconds…An innocent duel will surely leave something behind. It will give something to you…

  ——Rider and I. The countless number of battles between Rider and I that we had when we were young also surely…created something precious…that remains behind even now, within both of our hearts……

  Haruyuki didn’t know if he really did hear those thoughts.

  Because that voice was transmitted to him in the space between seconds when Haruyuki’s right fist, which he had lunged out dozens of times, was touched and drawn in by Kuroyukihime’s left sword, a transient instant that couldn’t really be called time.

  The next instant, that mysterious attraction intensely drew in Haruyuki’s fist once again.

  …Ah, that «soft technique»…!

  Gritting his teeth, Haruyuki tried to oppose the explosive repelling force.

  However, it never hit him. Instead, Haruyuki’s body was pulled up to Kuroyukihime’s chest, and was firmly halted and held within her arms.

  “Eh……”

  While Haruyuki stiffened as he was unable to judge what he should do in response to this very unexpected development, this time an actual voice whispered in his ear.

  “You were splendid, Haruyuki.”

  —Eh? The duel is over? But, both our gauges are still full, and there’s still time left, isn’t there?

  When he checked their respective health gauges in confusion, Haruyuki realized something important.

  Silver Crow’s special technique gauge had been consumed what he’d accumulated on it due to his continuous momentary thrusts of his wings, and now not even 10% of it remained.

  On the other hand, Black Lotus’ special technique gauge was completely filled due to her endless blocking, and was shining a brilliant blue from end to end.

  “This is the first time I’ve used this technique in two and a half years. Thank you, Silver Crow. Nice fight.”

  At the same time as she whispered that, Black Lotus’ arms, which now wrapped around Haruyuki’s back from both sides, emitted an intense violet-blue flash.

  “«Death By Embracing».”

  Right after she uttered the technique name—there was a light cutting sound. Before its echo could even fade away, Silver Crow’s entire health gauge was dyed red—decreased swiftly from the right end—and reached zero.

  ……Really, what power she has.

  At the same time as the greatest feeling of admiration he felt thus far filled his chest, the flaming words [YOU LOSE] appeared before his eyes. Luckily, before the feeling of being cut in half could reach his senses, Haruyuki’s entire body shattered into pixels while emitting a silver light.

  He escaped from the darkness where he was filled with a feeling of floating, and returned to reality.

  Opening his eyes on top of his bed, Haruyuki blinked several times, and looked for Kuroyukihime’s face, which should have been right in front of him.

  But, he couldn’t find it. Because Kuroyukihime had pressed her body against his, put her head on his left shoulder, and wrapped her arms around his back at some point.

  “Ah, umm, hey…”

  As the sensation of her hair tickled his cheeks and the scent of her shampoo directly hit his brain, Haruyuki tried to jump up while still sitting. However, he wasn’t able to perform such a dexterous movement at a time like this, and instead his balance was broken backwards. He tried to frantically recover his posture with the thrust of his wings, but the back of his physical body was of course equipped with no such thing.

  As Haruyuki fell down onto the mattress, Kuroyukihime’s slender body softly landed on his chest shortly after.

  With only the faint sound of the air conditioner pervading the room, Haruyuki’s entire body froze completely this time as he widened his eyes. ‘First calm down, coolly judge the situation, and act!’ is what went through his mind, as he completely failed to grasp what had happened.

  He was lying down on his bed in his usual sweatshirt and sweatpants attire at 11:00 PM. Up till this point was okay. There were no problems. However, the pajama-wearing Kuroyukihime was on top of his body, with both arms wrapped around him, and was also putting further strength into them—was this situation really reality? In the first place, why had they ended up in this kind of position? Was this all the work of a city-wide virus or something?

  “……I’m surprised.”
br />   When a voice spoke directly in his left ear, Haruyuki’s extremely confused thoughts halted.

  “You…became that strong without me realizing it……”

  Unable to think at all as he heard that emotion-filled murmured voice, Haruyuki’s mouth moved by itself.

  “B-But, the end result was an almost perfect win for you, senpai……”

  “That merely reflects the difference in levels. That battle was far more even-matched than you think. I was forced to desperately block while you continued your mid-air rush attacks for an incredibly long time.”

  “Re…Really…?”

  He skeptically muttered. In his estimation, though, he honestly thought the difference in true strength between himself and the Black King was like the distance from the bottom station of the space elevator to the top or geostationary orbit station.

  But Kuroyukihime raised her head slightly, and then looked into Haruyuki’s eyes from point-blank range and smiled weakly.

  “Really. Aah…I wish I could convey to you how happy and how moved I am right now!”

  A light like stardust whirled and glittered within her wide jet-black pupils. Just seeing that blew away his mind once again. Haruyuki didn’t know from whose heart the intense heartbeat he heard came from as they remained glued to each other with no space between them.

  As the tips of their noses were so close that they touched, and they held each other’s gazes—

  Kuroyukihime continued speaking quietly.

  “…At the very least, I’ll believe in the path I’ve walked until now. I still have many regrets, but…even so, the enormous time I spent in Accel World and the countless duels I accumulated weren’t useless. Because I got to find and invite you at the end of that path…”

  She moved her right hand from his back and gently stroked Haruyuki’s cheek with her fingers.

  “Haruyuki-kun. I’m proud of you.”

  The instant he heard those words.

  All of the fright inside him concerning the current situation evaporated.

  Instead, something hot overflowed out from his eyes, and dripped down his face and onto the sheets. The drops of liquid spilled out one after another without stopping.