Accel World: Crimson Storm Princess

  While feeling some pain inside, Haruyuki tried his best to put up a smile and said.

  “Th... thank you. I am starving.”

  Doing so, the girl too, smiled happily like ice melting.

  “Umm, I am, Saitou Tomoko. Elementary school 5th year. We haven’t seen each other for many years, so you might have forgotten... I think onii-chan and me are second cousins. Umm... I am unworthy, but please look after me.”

  While holding the plate, she bowed, that made Haruyuki’s heart beat rocket up and his sweat glands open wide.

  However he soon remembered his earlier thought, and managed to return a barely understandable greeting.

  “Yes, err, I... I am Arita Haruyuki, h-here also, p-please take care of me, Saitou-san.”

  The instant reply of ‘Tomoko is fine’ and smile caused Haruyuki to desperately pull his thoughts going far away back to normal.

  Nakano’s Saitou-san, about that, all he remembered was having this kind of relative. For a parent’s cousin, that was normal.

  “...Y, you are also a single child?”

  Hearing that, Tomoko nodded.

  “There is just father and me in my family. He suddenly had to go on a business trip, I said I was fine by myself, but he was worried. Earlier, he brought me here from school, and then left for Narita.”

  Tomoko answered while placing the plate of cookies on the table, which confirmed something for Haruyuki.

  “Ah, then, you haven’t met my mother.”

  “No. I have only been given an instant key for onii-chan’s house.”

  That was very fortunate. If it was that mother, she would have shown Tomoko a 100% bothered face without hesitation.

  - However.

  ‘Then, if it’s like that. That means for the next three days, I will be living alone with this girl.’

  ‘No no, you don’t need to panic, you fool. The opponent is just an elementary 5th year child. She and I are a whole two years apart... Two years... Whole? Is that whole?’

  Without noticing Haruyuki’s panic attacks, Tomoko said ‘Please wait till it cools’, then after another smile, turned around. She quickly washed the bowls and things in the sink, at the same time boiling some water, and after just a few minutes, she returned with a tea tray. Clearly, she’s already more familiar with this kitchen than Haruyuki.

  Girls are incredible, after thinking that, Haruyuki shook his head. A child, the opponent is just a child.

  However the cookies, were so delicious that they could be sold just like that in a shop.

  After eating nine of the so-so big cookies, Haruyuki wondered how many years it had been that he had eaten someone’s handmade sweets, and sipped the tea Tomoko poured for him.

  On the other side of the table, his red-headed second cousin blew on her cup with a serious face. Each of those gestures, were simple and cute, just looking at it gave him a warm and snug feeling.

  “...Thanks for the food. They were... d-delicious.”

  Haruyuki somehow managed to say that normally, it made Tomoko show a huge smile of relief.

  “Really, I am glad! Since you did not say anything, I was worried.”

  “S-sorry. I was eating in a daze...”

  “That’s true.”

  With ufufu laughter, she extended her hand in a half-raised posture, and took a cookie crumb that was stuck to Haruyuki’s cheek.

  Then she threw it in her mouth, and laughed again.

  Zing, noticing a strange sound effect in his brain, Haruyuki wiped around his mouth in panic.

  “W, well then, err... th, that is, what should we do now? Wa, want to play games? I have mountains of them, a collection of games starting from 40 years ago...”

  After saying so, he remembered that most of them are the bloody and hellish graphic type.

  However fortunately, Tomoko smiled and lightly shook her head.

  “Well, I don’t play too many games. I have a bit of trouble with Full Dive...”

  “I, I see.”

  Haruyuki looked at her after saying so, on her small neck above the top blouse button, he belatedly noticed that the current era's absolutely necessary social tool, the Neuro Linker, was not there.

  Indeed, there are families who avoid having elementary school student wearing the Neuro Linker permanently. The unlimited Global Net is a hothouse for many different kind of crime. Even with the parental control functions, it’s difficult to block 100% of the harmful information.

  If they only use sight and sound mode for daily school classes, it’s reasonable for them to be scared of full dive that cut all five senses. Then what should they do, while desperately thinking, his eyes finally stopped at the large panel monitor in the living room, Haruyuki pointed to that.

  “Th... then, want to watch a movie on that? Even for old 2D software, they are pretty fun.”

  However, this time too, Tomoko shook her head slightly, and shyly said.

  “Umm... Instead of that, can we talk? I want to learn about onii-chan’s middle school.”

  She then stood up, walked around the table, and sat beside him.

  A milk like sweet smell tickled his nose, his long nurtured anti-female field activated at that moment, and Haruyuki moved back in reaction. His chair leaned, about to make him fall to the left, he flapped both arms to balance himself.

  Tomoko laughed while looking at Haruyuki returning to his original position with a bang.

  “Onii-chan, you have a pretty cute side to you.”

  ‘- Uwaa.’

  While blowing bubbles from his mouth, Haruyuki lowered himself deeper into the bathtub.

  On his mother’s whim, the Arita house bathroom is very big. The bathtub is big too, so Haruyuki’s huge body fit in it with no problem and he was able to extend his hands. He breathed in a big whiff of the bathwater soap scented steam, kept it in his his lungs, then exhaled it slowly.

  Even though his speech was awkward, his rare long speech made his throat hurt a bit. Along with the curry rice dinner Tomoko cooked, he calculated that he had spent four hours total speaking. He was strangely impressed that he had so many stories to talk about from his everyday life.

  In the end, starting with the Umesato middle school’s different systems, various episodes with his two childhood friends, to his «most important person», that is the black clothed upperclassman as well, were completely talked about. The only things he did not mention, was the bullied incident that continued till a few months ago, and - the «other world» related information.

  To those talks that he thought certainly were not interesting, Tomoko seriously listened, and once in a while laughed with a comment.

  Is this the feeling of having a sister? Haruyuki tried to get a hold on it.

  At the same time, he hated himself for maintaining a certain doubt.

  It’s just - too perfect. One day after returning home from school, a little sister suddenly appeared, baked cookies and made curry, and even used the killer move of ‘Wanting to talk with onii-chan’. Beyond that, they will be living with just two of them for three days?

  Haruyuki was not brought up in such a pure way that he could accept this rare event that fell on him.

  However, even if this incident had a back side to it, who would have done it and for what reason? And how should he go about to check it?

  After thinking for a while, Haruyuki raised his top half from the bath, and took the aluminum silver Neuro Linker from the corner rack.

  Even though it was water proof, he wiped his neck of water just in case, and put it on from behind. The U-shaped parts swung together, and locked around his neck.

  After turning it on, the start-up logo shone in front of his eyes, and after twenty or so seconds of brain connection check, the virtual desktop opened. Moving his right hand finger quickly, he opened the Arita home server window.

  In the data storage, Haruyuki thought of going into the family album, but he hesitated. In recent years they haven’t taken any family photos, but in there before Haruy
uki became so rounded - when his father and mother were still happily together, there were lots of their family pictures. Those things, he would rather die than look at.

  Going back up to the home server lobby, he opened the connection to the external net.

  A few solid access gates popped up. These were all of the Arita relatives’ home nets. Of course you cannot fish for data as you like, but you can leave messages or check the relatives’ public schedules.

  However, the access gate with «Nakano’s Saitou-san» home net did not exist. Most of the home net top pages only showed recent reports of family gathering pictures, he checked them out, but the only connections were from his mother’s family, a few uncles and aunts, it did not cover their cousins.

  For a moment, Haruyuki looked away from the desktop towards the bathroom door and listened. He could hear slight sounds from the panel TV in the living room. Tomoko was probably still watching family oriented variety shows. Since she strongly urged him to take a bath first, he should finish quickly and go out. If the reason for his long bath was due to doubt if she was his real second cousin, even more so.

  He looked back to the desktop again, the access gate that was floating in the center - his mother’s family home net, he opened it.

  He ignored the family picture taken in a mountain village, and clicked on the gate connecting to the internal net. Of course a login confirmation appeared, Haruyuki quickly moved his fingers.

  There, he entered the ID and password he got from mother. Since this access will be logged, if the other side asked his mother about the login reason, he would be in big trouble after his mother found out that he stole her ID, but he did not think that his village born grandparents would check their home net access logs.

  But of course, he must quickly finish what he had to do. Haruyuki hurriedly dived into his mother’s family home net, and opened the album folder.

  He was overwhelmed by the number of pictures from all the years, but he found the era and number of people from the folder data. If his vague memory was right, five years ago for his grandfather’s birthday, a lot of Arita family gathered. He might have greeted «Nakano’s Saitou-san» at that time. If it’s like that, then five years or so old Tomoko should be there.

  His search was soon over, and a few thumbnails were stacked.

  He flicked each with his finger.

  Not this, not this either... ah, around here. The next one was bingo.

  “Onii-chan♪”

  Suddenly, a song like voice came from his right side, Haruyuki turned his head in reaction.

  Then, he froze with his right finger in the air.

  Not sure when, the bathroom door was opened a crack, on the other side, Tomoko peeked in with her face and right shoulder shown.

  From the reddish hair head that was warped in a towel, to the slightly shy looking face, then the slender neck and shoulder skin, his view moved down - .

  “Wha... wh, wha...”

  To Haruyuki who was moving his mouth quickly, Tomoko returned a slightly pink smile.

  “Onii-chan, can I join you?”

  “To... gether... that...”

  “Since, onii-chan is taking so long. I got tired of waiting.”

  With an ehehe smile, Tomoko entered the bathroom without waiting for an answer. Haruyuki lowered his body in panic, and shout with his eyes shut tight.

  “S, sorry, I am getting out now! I am getting out soon so wait a bit more!!”

  “It’s okay, we are second cousins.”

  ‘It’s absolutely not okay - !!’

  While his brain screamed, Haruyuki’s biological optical observation system, that is his eyes, betrayed his command and opened. When the small bare feet on the ivory tiles entered his view, his breath stopped.

  Both of his eyes’ focus automatically moved up. Surprisingly slender calf drawn with slippery lines. Small round knees and supple lower legs.

  The end of the legs were barely covered by a pink bath towel, Haruyuki momentarily thought, ‘fool, what are you doing’, he blamed himself as his eyes moved further up. The towel covered a body that did not have too many bumps, his eyes moved pass the cloth that could come off at any moment, and saw smooth skin covered a delicate collarbone.

  “B... but, please don’t stare at me so much.”

  And finally, the shyly lowered face.

  Haruyuki compare that to the large Arita gathering picture shown on his view’s left side.

  The front line was a group of children including himself. Now, he would not know who was who, but fortunately, the pictures in this era used technology that contain embed data.

  Moving his focus, made names appear and disappear in front of the children.

  This name, appeared on the 6th person. «Saitou Tomoko».

  When he stared at it, the child’s face automatically zoomed in, becoming the same size as the Tomoko in front of him.

  Five years old then. It is said that girls change, but becoming this face in five years...

  No way.

  Haruyuki took a deep breath, held it, then let it out.

  He faced the girl that said she was his second cousin with a vacant expression, and called with a sad smile.

  “Tomoko-chan...”

  “What is it, onii-chan?”

  “...You, are a «New Burst Linker» right?”

  The reaction was immediate and real.

  Tomoko’s cute face, instantly became blank with a surprised look.

  That face probably was dyed red with some other reason than embarrassment, and the right eye jerked.

  But what was impressive, was the around 10 year old girl, tilted her head and said with a normal cute voice.

  “What, onii-chan, what did you say? Bu..rst? What is that?”

  “Tan line.”

  Haruyuki replied with a murmur.

  “What?”

  “Around your neck, there’s a nice tan line. Similar to mine. To that degree, you could not get it unless you often worn it since birth... the Neuro Linker.”

  Tomoko - probably not her name girl, covered her neck with both hands. Then, Haruyuki continued.

  “There’s a picture from five years ago in my grandfather’s home server. Saitou Tomoko-chan was there... even though I am saying it in this situation, you are 10 times cuter.”

  The girl’s face jerked again, showing a complex expression.

  Eventually that multi-faceted face, settled on a sulky face that was one light year from the naive face till now.

  “Geesh.”

  With her hands on her waist around the bath towel, she clicked her tongue strongly.

  “I checked the family album here. To dig around in your grandfather’s home net, you have too much distrust.”

  The sharp dig made his eyes spin, but Haruyuki somehow managed to retort.

  “Y... you are too unreasonable. You probably faked an email from Saitou-san to my mother, what would you do if my mother checked with them?”

  “The email and call from your mother’s Neuro Linker to Saitou-san were all interrupted and redirected to me. It took three days of preparation.”

  “That... must be hard work...”

  While holding the edge of the bathtub, Haruyuki let out an amazed sound.

  To put a virus in someone’s Neuro Linker, it could only be done with a cable direct connect. Probably this girl checked his mother’s movement, and connected their Neuro Linker in the changing room of the sports gym that his mother frequent.

  Of course, having a family member subjected to that did not feel good, but before that, he was impressed. This world has many self proclaimed Linker hackers and wizards, but to leave their safe home and go to the outside for «Social engineering» - meeting others to do offline extreme hacking - there are not many strong ones like that.

  Hearing Haruyuki’s words containing admiration, the girl’s face showed a strong smile.

  Seeing that, Haruyuki continued to voice his guess.

  “...For you to go this far, you m
ust be trying to hack my supporter, «that person», that’s too naive. For that person, one look and she will know you are a fake, unlike me who took 5 hours. ...I can understand that you cannot win fighting face to face as a Burst Linker... since the opponent is that «Black Lotus»...”

  ‘Would you hurry and leave’, while thinking that he said up to that point -

  At that moment.

  The girl’s presence, again changed sharply.

  Her eyes shot out strong light, with a hint of red like her hair. Her glossy lips twisted into a bend, showing pure white teeth.

  An expression that can only be described as arrogance looked down at Haruyuki, and the girl said in a low voice.

  “...Hey you, what did you say?”

  “...Eh? Th, that is... even if you challenge her face to face...”

  “Cannot win? Me? That’s why I sneak around and go about this bothersome real hack?”

  ‘- That’s not it?’

  At the same time Haruyuki asked that question with his eyes, the girl’s right hand moved, and took off the towel that was around her head. She threw that towel to the floor with a loud thud, then pointed her index finger at him.

  In the foggy air, he seemed to see that her near deep red hair stood up on ends. With her short hair waving like flames, the girl let out a threatening voice.

  “It’s too bothersome, I will force you to listen to me. I will have you pay dearly for looking down on this «Scarlet Rain»-sama, wait right there till I get my Neuro Linker!!”

  With her index finger waving, she stuck out her thumb, then turned it down and wiggled it, turning around in a big move.

  Then, her right foot that took a step, stepped on the towel that she threw earlier, and slipped.

  “Nyaa!?”

  A high pitched scream. Looking at the girl falling in an almost perfect back flip, Haruyuki also shouted.

  “Uwaa!?”

  He hurriedly opened both arms, and caught the girl before she hit the bathtub’s edge. However his feet slipped inside the bathtub, so he also fell backward.

  Splash.

  With a huge splash sound, a water pillar went up high, that blew up most of the bath towel.