Accel World: Floating Bridge in Starlight

  When they finished quickly Direct Connecting with four variously colored XSB cables, Haruyuki looked around at everyone else and spoke.

  “Err…When you accelerate and arrive in the «initial acceleration space», please remain on stand-by there. I’ll use my «Transporter Card» from the instructions menu, and after that everyone should be instantly transported to the Hermes Cord’s bottom station.”

  The other four nodded. Since the details about the race had previously been explained in an email, the only thing left to do now was wait. They gazed not at the analog clock on the wall, but instead at the digital clock in their lower right visions on their virtual desktops that always indicated the exact Japanese Standard Time. There were thirty seconds left till 12:00.

  Although normally real world time felt as fast as a surging wave in a torrent, this time every second by second was frustratingly long. Even so, the numbers on the clock steadily continued changing, and when there was finally only twenty seconds remaining, Kuroyukihime spoke out in clear, light voice.

  “Well then, everyone…Let’s enjoy the «Hermes Cord Traversing Race» with all our might! I’m starting the countdown! Ten, nine, eight, seven…”

  The five of them deeply leaned their bodies back on the sofas, and at the same time closed their eyes. Six, five, four.

  They shouted out.

  “Burst Link!!”

  Chapter 8

  After having transformed from his pink pig avatar into his duel avatar «Silver Crow» while traveling up through a tunnel of light that connected to an area in the sky 150 km above ground, Haruyuki stepped onto metal ground with a loud clang at the same time as he left the especially dazzling ring.

  Immediately after, the feet of his four comrades also landed on the ground loudly one after another. He slowly stretched his body out of his slouched posture, and then opened his closed eyelids.

  At that instant—

  “Uooh, it’s the «King»! The Black King has come——!!”

  “It’s getting exciting now! Nega-Bu[42] is the best——!!”

  Cheers of “DOWAAAAH!” poured down on them from all directions, making Haruyuki jump slightly.

  “Wha……!?”

  He frantically looked around, and found himself standing dumbfounded at the scene before him.

  A flat ring-like metallic stage. A steel tower rising upwards in the center. A dark blue sky and a hovering cluster of clouds surrounding it all. This was, without a doubt, the majestic appearance of the space elevator «Hermes Cord» in Accel World, which he had visited several days ago.

  However, there now existed three huge somethings surrounding the tower that he didn’t remember seeing last time.

  No matter how he looked at them they were «audience seats». Oblong stair-shaped stand seats about 50 meters in width were suspended slightly above the stage Haruyuki and the others were standing on. On the seats divided up into four rows per stand, avatars of all sizes and colors were positioned there bunched together. Combining all three spectator stands, their numbers probably exceeded five hundred people. In other words, more than half of all the Burst Linkers that exist were crowded together on this field.

  “This…has become something amazing…”

  “Yeah, I’ve never seen this many people…”

  Next to Haruyuki, TakumuCyan Pile and ChiyuriLime Bell also murmured as if they were seized by shock. KuroyukihimeBlack Lotus and FuukoSky Raker remained calm, as expected of them, but even so, they were each probably feeling deep emotions right now. They silently looked up at the sky.[43]

  “…How did those gallery viewers Dive into here…?”

  When Haruyuki unconsciously asked that, someone answered from right behind his back.

  “Spectator-use Transporter Cards were distributed.”

  “A-Ah, I see…Heh, so the system also does kind-hearted things once in a while…—wait, uwah!?”

  He turned around in surprise, and there stood a slender avatar with a dark red body, which had approached him without him noticing. Even without seeing her mask with triangular ears and her long tail, he knew right away that it was the member of the Red Legion «Prominence», «Blood Leopard», or Pard-san for short. A little ways behind her, there were four people who were presumably her team members standing there and speaking quietly to each other. Although they were all veteran Linkers who he’d seen several times, there was no sign of a crimson little girl-type avatar among them.

  “H-Hello, good day, Pard-san.”

  “’sup?[44]”

  After the leopard-headed avatar gave her usual form of highly abbreviated greeting, Haruyuki asked in a low voice.

  “Umm…Niko didn’t come?”

  “She really wanted to participate, but the «Six Great Legions' Mutual Non-Aggression Treaty» states that fighting between Kings is forbidden even in events like this. Instead, she gave me this message for you. ‘Aim for at least second place and do your best’.”

  “Ah…Y-Yes.”

  After unconsciously smiling as he imagined Niko’s frustrated face and tone, Haruyuki asked another question.

  “Then, err…will our team and your red team fight alongside each until we’re close to the goal…?”

  However, Blood Leopard did not answer. She turned her gaze away from Haruyuki, and silently started walking. She passed between Takumu and Chiyuri, and even passed by Kuroyukihime—heading towards the sky-colored avatar sitting on a silver wheelchair.

  The two Burst Linkers, who had fought many hard battles against each other in the past, gazed at each other silently. There was no hostility there, and yet a thick and sharpened atmosphere formed between them, keeping the surrounding noise away for a short while.

  After several seconds, Pard-san took a step back, and after glancing at all of the black team members, she turned back to Sky Raker and spoke.

  “We’ll obtain victory using all our strength.”

  That was a declaration that basically said that, even if their legions were friendly with each other, there would be no collusion between them. No, Haruyuki thought that there was probably a deeper meaning to it. Since Sky Raker continued to seal away her «Gale Thruster» and not participate in normal duels, the day when the two of them could return to their old rivalry would no longer come. Therefore, Pard-san undoubtedly wished for them to compete against each other seriously for today at the very least.

  Likely realizing that, Raker gave a big nod and replied back.

  “Just like I want it.”

  Returning a light nod, the leopard-headed avatar flexibly turned around and returned towards her team members. The five of them then headed towards the ten shuttles parked at the base of the elevator tower.

  When Haruyuki looked over there, he saw that, above the slanted starting grid that held the various-colored shuttles, a huge digital countdown was ticking away. The race was only ten minutes away from starting.

  “Now then, let’s go as well. That silver one at the left end is our shuttle No.1.”

  At Kuroyukihime’s urging, the five members of the black team also began walking to their shuttle. Then, another figure approached them from their right. Haruyuki didn’t know who that avatar walking in clunky rugged boots was until he spoke.

  “Hey, heeeeeeeeeeeey! So the nonchalant Lose-Dog[45], no, the Loser-Garasu[46] has come!”

  “Eh, huh, Ash-san!?”

  “…H-Hey now! Who else looks like this Mega Cooooool self of mine!?”

  The arrogant skull helmet avatar before was without a doubt the guy he had fought just yesterday, Ash Roller. When Haruyuki shifted his gaze, he saw a bright ash gray shuttle behind Ash as he ran up to him. It seemed that this end-of-the-century rider had also somehow succeeded in registering as a driver. While thinking something very rude along the lines of “Noticing the appearance of the portal at the Sky Tree by yourself is a sign of intelligence that doesn’t suit your character”, Haruyuki apologized and explained his excuse.

  “S-Sorry. I didn’t realize it
was you since you weren’t riding your bike…”

  “Hey, you! Treating the great me as if I’m an option on my bike, that's bullshit!”

  “That’s quite vulgar, Ash.”

  The instant that voice spoke out from behind Haruyuki, the end-of-the-century-looking avatar straightened his back in an upright posture that didn’t suit his image, and gave a jerking respectful bow.

  “H-Heeeeello, master! And Lotus-sensei too, a-are you doing well?”

  After mumbling out a greeting, Ash Roller raised his head as if having remembered something and suddenly brought his skull-face right up to Haruyuki.

  “T-That’s right, this isn’t the time to be dissing each other! Crow, there’s something I want to ask you.”

  “Y-Yes, what is it?”

  “Since you’re registered for the No.1 shuttle, that means that you were the first to arrive here when this stage opened up, right?”

  Haruyuki looked at Ash in puzzlement when he asked that unexpected question, and then immediately nodded.

  “Yes, that’s right. But, I arrived at almost the same time as Blood Leopard, who took the No.2 shuttle.”

  “…Then, that shuttle has been like that since you guys came here? Or did you see the person that registered for it?”

  Unable to understand what Ash Roller was talking about, Haruyuki tilted his head in puzzlement. The skull avatar then impatiently wrapped his arm Haruyuki’s neck and started walking pass the line of shuttles.

  “Wait, umm, where are we going!?”

  “You’ll understand the moment you see it! …Here, this No.10 machine. Hey, was this one like this from the beginning?”

  Haruyuki hardly heard the last part of that question. The instant that thing came into his view, his head was hit by shock.

  Among the ten shuttles lined up on the starting line with two meters between each of them, the machine sitting at the right end was—

  Rusted.

  Its entire body was covered in rust as if it had been exposed to salt air for many years. Unlike the other nine shuttles that shined brightly in the same color as their registered driver, only the tenth shuttle had lost its luster completely and was rusted in a reddish brown color. It wasn’t just the body, even the seats and the driving disks on its lower body were weathered down, so much that it didn’t look like it would be able to run at all.

  Haruyuki unconsciously held out his hand, and lightly clicked on it like he had when he had registered on the No.1 shuttle several days before. With a ‘PON’, a system color window appeared. He read the words displayed on it out loud.

  “Re…RESERVED? It’s been registered…in this state!?”

  “Yeah, it’s completely incomprehensible, right? It was already like this when me and the other legion guys arrived here at 5:30 PM on Wednesday.”

  “Eh, that’s strange!”

  Haruyuki tore his eyes away from the window and objected.

  “Pard-san and I left immediately after we registered for the No.1 and No.2 shuttles respectively, but at that time we could already hear sounds of people running towards here. There shouldn’t have been more than ten seconds from when we disappeared to when Ash-san and the others ran over here. That’s why it’s impossible for someone to have registered without you or me seeing them…No, before that.”

  After closing his eyes for an instant and vividly calling up his memories, Haruyuki spoke clearly.

  “When we left here, this No.10 shuttle wasn’t rusted. It was the same beautiful steel grey as the other eight shuttles!”

  “Well…so it’s really true. Then that means…in other words, it rusted by itself in those ten seconds…or it’s the work of someone that hid themselves…”

  “That’s impossible. There’s nowhere to hide here…and leaving aside myself, there’s no way even Pard-san wouldn’t have noticed them…”

  The two of them held their respective helmets, but before they could come up with a logical answer, a loud buzzer rang out, and excited cheering several times louder that it shook the stage. When they raised their heads, they saw that the remaining time till the race was down to three minutes.

  “Oh well, it feels bad, but I guess we’ll have to let this one go. It seems the driver hasn't arrived either…”

  “…Yeah. If this is due to something by the system, we’ll find out about it during the race.”

  “That’s how it is…Well, in any case, let’s each do our best.”

  “Yes, let’s!”

  Haruyuki and Ash Roller each gave a small nod, and then ran over to their respective machines. At their parting, the usual abusive language flew between them.

  “I’ll tell you now! I Giga-welcome anything with tires, from tricycles to tankers!”

  “These shuttles don’t even have tires!”

  Giving that retort, Haruyuki finally arrived at the No.1 shuttle and found the other four already having taken their seats in the back. Chiyuri waved her right hand and shouted.

  “So slow! What were you doing!?”

  “I-I’m very sorry!”

  He frantically jumped into the driver’s seat and grasped the steering wheel. The text [HELLO MY DRIVER!] appeared in a small window, and then various indicators were displayed.

  Despite that, though, it wasn’t complicated. There was only a speedometer, a range finder, and a durability meter.

  Sitting in the front row of the crew seats alongside Sky Raker who had de-equipped her wheelchair, Kuroyukihime leaned forward and whispered.

  “Crow, I did a rough confirmation of the other participants, but they’re all highly skilled Linkers, including the members from Six Great Legions…Though, it’s still the first time any of the drivers have ever operated these shuttles. Go carefully at the beginning until you get used to operating it. The rest of us will tightly defend against attacks from the other teams, so don’t worry.”

  After Kuroyukihime finished, Chiyuri also spoke up from where she was sitting in the back row.

  “That’s right, if we get even a little damaged, I’ll rewind it back!”

  “No, Bell, since our avatars’ HP gauges have been locked, I don’t think our special technique gauges will be able accumulate that much.”

  After Takumu pointed that out, Chiyuri shouted “What’s with that!”, and Kuroyukihime and Fuuko laughed.

  Looking at his comrades interacting together from over his shoulder, Haruyuki murmured in his mind.

  —I’m counting on you, senpai. You too, Taku, Chiyu. And…Raker-san. I will absolutely bring you to the goal. I’m here right now for the sake of that.

  “All right, one minute left! Everyone, make sure to hang on tightly!”

  At the same time as Haruyuki shouted that, one of the shining digital numbers above them left became zero as all that remained were the two digits on the right end.

  The cheers that poured down from the three floating spectator stands were already like an earthquake. Haruyuki tightly grasped the steering wheel with his hands, and lightly pushed down his right foot that was placed on the accelerator. The engine of the shuttle gave a reliable “VRRRRRR!” sound, and vibrations pulsed through the car. The digital meter that displayed the total 4000 km of the race course shined brilliantly.

  Staring at the majestic appearance of the «Hermes Cord» reproduced in Accel World, a metal column of 100 meters in diameter that rose up to pierce the sky, Haruyuki suddenly thought.

  Were rich tourists ascending up to space on the real world elevator right now as well? Even if they were, they would never imagine it. That in another world created by the social cameras installed everywhere throughout the elevator, dozens of children were about to run right past them.

  Of course, Accel World is, in the end, a false reality created through the Neuro Linker. But, even if this place didn’t have any material substance, truth did exist here. That’s because—

  My chest is burning this much with hot excitement right now!

  “Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!”

  The s
ound of the red signal lighting up overlapped with the loud chorus of the gallery. Crimson dots of light appeared in a line in the sky above and illuminated the ten machines. At exactly the same time, one of the spectator stands obstructed the sunlight from above, and the starting block was wrapped in deep shadows. As the signal light dyed all the cars in a red color, the second buzzer rang. The revving of each car rose up all at once. Dazzling lightning was emitted from the four drive discs that were equipped in place of tires and burst out on top of the steel ground.

  “……Goooooooo!!”

  The instant the countdown reached zero and the dots of light turned to blue, Haruyuki pushed the accelerator down to the floor.

  A tremendous torque made the machine kick off the ground. The ten shuttles ran up the short slope in the blink of an eye, and began to dash straight upwards against gravity along the gently-curving surface of the giant metal tower. Some kind of attractive force seemed to work between the tower and the machines, so that even though the ascending angle was 90 degrees, it physically felt not much different from running across a straight road.

  While pressing down on the accelerator, Haruyuki checked the speedometer. The vivid digital numbers had went past 200 km/h just like that in a little less than ten seconds, and was continuing to quickly rise even more.

  “He…Hey, Haru, i-is it okay to take off this fast!?”

  Hearing Takumu’s question from the farthest back seat, Haruyuki responded back with a shout.

  “Leave it to me! I’ve crashed a total of 10,000 times in various race games!”

  “……T-That’s…”

  “All right, let’s go full throttle—!!”

  Chiyuri’s cheer pushed aside Takumu’s hoarse voice. When Haruyuki glanced at the rear-view display window on the upper part of the windshield window, he saw Kuroyukihime and Fuuko sitting there with cool and composed faces. Feeling supported by that, Haruyuki put even more strength into his left foot and pushed it further down. 250 km/h. 300 km/h. Although this would soon reach the maximum speed if this were a care race in the real world, the virtual linear drive shuttle kept revving even louder, and pulled up even more speed from somewhere. The details carved into the steel ground were melting, and the lumps of clouds that occasionally appeared were blown away behind them in the blink of an eye.