Accel World Vol 2 Chapter 2 (2/2)

“I, I won’t do it, there’s no way I would. B, but, I should learn of it for knowledge sake. Execution... basically, what does it mean...?”

“Hmm, let’s see... well, it’s all right to call it a type of special attack. When a legion creation is requested to the system, the one who is registered as the master will obtain a command, with a.s.signed user names. That is called the «Judgement Blow».”

“Judgement...”

Kuroyukihime looked away from Haruyuki who whispered that, she became more serious and continued.

“Burst Linkers who joined a Legion, that is a team, obtain a lot of safety. Group battles have less risk and a more stable return. The price for those advantages is the existence of the «Judgement Blow». Joining a legion means putting your neck out to the legion master. The legion members who are struck with that blow, will instantly have zero Burst Points, and forever lose Brain Burst. The effective time frame is, while in the legion, and one month after leaving the legion.”

“O, one month... that long?”

“Un. That is right. If you fall for Red King’s social engineering and left Nega Nebulas for even just a bit to join the Red legion, then at that instant your... Silver Crow’s life or death will be the same as in their hands.”

“Uuhee.”

That was all he could say.

Honestly, if he did not see that picture in his grandparent’s home server, he could not deny the possibility that he would believe the Red King was his second cousin Tomoko-chan. If they then spent two nights together, and he was put to the earlier Tak.u.mu guess of “I am actually”, he would probably have followed his feelings and joined the Red legion. There was almost no question he would have.

‘- However, still.’

“...But, why?”

Haruyuki whispered, and looked at Kuroyukihime and Tak.u.mu one after another.

“Why, would the Red King do such troublesome thing...?”

“Umu. After all, it’s where this question leads.”

Kuroyukihime murmured.

“Nn... She went that far to get Haruyuki-kun to join the Red legion and put the «Judgement Blow» on his neck, but that won’t give her Haruyuki-kun’s loyalty. For a member that does not want to belong to that legion, that would only be harmful without a single advantage. That means...”

“That means, just once, she wanted Haru to do «something», right?”

Tak.u.mu pushed his gla.s.ses’ bridge up with his middle finger while he continued from where Kuroyukihime left off.

“If just once, he might listen with the threat... that’s what I think. If that is the case, then what she wants to say to master later in the meeting would be the same. Since her fake imouto act is found out, in exchange she changed tactics and is going for trade maybe?”

“Fuumu.”

After another low murmur, Kuroyukihime looked up at Tak.u.mu and said.

“How to say it... you, seem to be in good shape.”

“Wh, what? What do you mean, master?”

“Like a gla.s.ses type character. How about we call Tak.u.mu-kun ‘professor’ from now on?”

Clink clink, Tak.u.mu slip down the fence he was leaning his back on, and shook his head left and right.

“N, no... thanks for the offer, but I will have to refrain.”

Haruyuki desperately tried to control his laughter and said.

“I... I too, think Taku’s deduction is correct. During yesterday’s fight, the Red King could have had complete victory over me but did not. In exchange, she said she wanted to meet senpai. That would mean, for the second best option she picked negotiation, to show her goal is not to be an enemy maybe...”

“A bit late for you to say good things!”

Kuroyukihime snorted, and changed her leg cross. She crumbled her empty sandwich paper bag in her hand, and over threw it into the waste basket a bit away.

“Anyway fine, I will listen to what she has to say. At the very least, for the king herself to come while accepting «Reality Intrusion» means she has s.h.i.+t amount of courage, for a child. Haruyuki-kun, give the Red King a call. The meeting will be 4pm today, the place will be...”

Kuroyukihime stopped there for a moment and stood up.

She turned around, grinned and - .

“Your home living room.”

‘Nooooit’stooearlyIhaven’tmentallypreparedandwe’repureandpropermiddleschoolstudents.’

To that kind of confused refusal from Haruyuki, Kuroyukihime’s “The Red King is fine but I am not?” one sentence stopped him dead.

Since Tak.u.mu had invited Chiyuri to go home together, and later go to Haruyuki’s house, that naturally left just Kuroyukihime and Haruyuki going home alone.

She must be bringing her student council work home, while one of her hand is busy with the holo keyboard, she smiled and greeted many students on their way home. Haruyuki walking beside her took glances at her and desperately thought.

‘Let’s see, the living room, kitchen and toilet should be properly cleaned. I had bought tea and snacks as well. But the problem is my room. Especially the early era collection of Z type b.l.o.o.d.y games. If that was seen then I would have no foot to stand on from today.’

‘My room must be defended till death. Defend no matter what. Absolutely do not release the electronic lock.’

With that decision, Haruyuki stared at his apartment that could now be seen pa.s.s the elevated Chuo Line[1].

He entered the elevator with the usually nonvocal Kuroyukihime, pressed the b.u.t.ton, and got off on the 23rd floor.

After about 10 meters of public hallway, it will be his home’s door.

“Ah... it’s a not especially interesting normal home. No pet either.”

“I, I see. No, no problem. I don’t like animals that shed their fur.”

With a cough, Kuroyukihime stopped next to Haruyuki.

‘Please, let nothing bad happen!’ With that prayer, Haruyuki touched the door opening dialogue in his view. Clank, the lock released.

The moment he pulled on the door k.n.o.b, he heard.

‘Zubararararara’, that kind of machine gun continuous fire sound and, ‘Gyaa - Help Me - ’, that kind of English screams and, ‘Uorya -, Die -, Go Die -’, that kind of girl’s shout.

“Ugyaa - !!”

Haruyuki also screamed, and while taking off his shoes, he stumbled towards the living room.

What he saw there were, the previous era game hardware connected to the panel monitor on the wall, Haruyuki’s collection of Z type game packages scattered on the floor, and the shape of «Red King» sitting on the sofa cross-legged while holding a wireless controller.

“Ho... how... my room... key...”

To Haruyuki who mumbled after taking one step into the living room, the Red King glanced at him and said.

“Ah, welcome home. Onii-chan, you have a nice hobby. I love this type of thing!”

Next to the stood still, thinking frozen Haruyuki, a little bit dumbfounded voice echoed.

“...Well, I don’t dislike it either. That era western games are philosophical, yes.”

At about that moment, in the large monitor, an old guy that is perhaps a mafia boss was blown away while spewing blood.

“Yes! Stage 5 cleared!”

While looking down at the elementary school girl doing a victory pose, Haruyuki once more murmured without any strength.

“How did you... the key...”

Then, the Red King posing to the game finally turned around.

She first looked at Haruyuki, then Kuroyukihime beside him, and smiled an angelic smile while shaking her twin red pigtails.

“I told you that I got an instant key from Onii-chan’s mother right. With a bit of work, it’s easy to make it into a master key. But, don’t worry, onii-chan. I did not touch the other meaning of Z type software behind the reference books♪”

‘I am done for...’

His school bag dropped from his right hand that no longer has strength.

The Red King looked away from Haruyuki who was like that, and once more looked straight at Kuroyukihime. All the innocence left her expression.

She put the controller beside her, raised both legs, and jumped impressively off the sofa.

Her clothing, was no longer the pure white blouse and navy blue skirt that she had on yesterday. A crimson T-s.h.i.+rt with a zippered black vest above, cut jeans showing the base of her slender legs, and red black bordered socks that came to below her knees.

And then, on her neck was a ruby like half transparent accessory, that is, the Neuro Linker shone brightly.

The girl that was dressed like a flame had a sword like sharp smile, she walked a few steps forward, to the opposite of Kuroyukihime who was beside Haruyuki.

As a counter, the black clothed middle school girl with no color, like a concentration of cold darkness, returned an aloof look and attacked with a smile.

‘Crackle crackle’.

Seemingly blue white sparks were almost visible between the two, Haruyuki momentarily forgot about the disaster in the living room and slowly backed away.

‘- No way, they won’t just «duel» like that right?’

While he looked on with that serious worry, the Red King put her hands on her waist, and said with her jaw held high. Her voice no longer had a single fragment of the earlier sister taste.

“Hum, so you are the «Black King». I see, this is truly black, if it was night I wouldn't be able to see you right in front of me.”

Kuroyukihime immediately crossed her arms and retorted.

“Now that you mention it, you are truly red, «Red King». It would be interesting to see cars stop if you were thrown into an intersection.”

The sparks instantly increased in voltage, Haruyuki shouted silently and backed away another step.

These two are both level 9 «Kings». If they duel, following that special rule, the one who lost will have her Brain Burst taken away. There is no way a light duel will happen either, since Kuroyukihime is easy to anger, and the Red King seem to be a livid character who hate to lose.

‘- Here, I have to jump in between them!’

With Haruyuki’s determination of n.o.ble sacrifice, he scratched the back of his head with one hand and said.

“A, ah, I am so happy to get a cute imouto and beautiful onee-san at once.”

When he giggled.

“I will kill you again.”

“Are you an idiot?”

Two ultra cold sounds were thrown at Haruyuki, hitting him between his eyes and in his heart.

They looked away from Haruyuki who collapsed slowly, and continued to stare at each other for a few seconds, then eventually both snorted and looked away.

“Hey, hurry and prepare tea and things, you seem to be inconsiderate.”

“Ah, Haruyuki-kun. I would like coffee, black.”

‘- The Tomoko-chan that baked cookies and made curry yesterday no longer exist.’

While Haruyuki was truly depressed about that fact, he retreated to the kitchen on all fours, and wiped his forehead when he could no longer be seen by those two.

At the large dining table, Kuroyukihime and Haruyuki sat beside each other, and opposite them the Red King sat cross-legged on her chair, drinking their coffee - Kuroyukihime is black, Haruyuki with milk and sugar, and Red King café au lait with mostly milk - together, at that time the chime rang at the house entrance.

From the door that Haruyuki opened with remote control, after ‘Sorry to bother you’, Tak.u.mu continued in a cheerful voice.

“Ah, it’s so nostalgic. How many years since I came to Haru’s house...”

Then he saw the tragedy on the living room floor, he seems to instantly understand what had happened, and with sympathy behind his gla.s.ses, he patted Haruyuki on the shoulder.

Next he stared at the Red King, his eyes instantly became small, and he silently sat beside Haruyuki.

That seat already had a coffee cup with a little bit of milk in it, Tak.u.mu said ‘itadakimasu’ then extended his hands towards it, and said in a tactful tone.

“First, let’s start with introducing ourselves. Here, shouldn’t you tell us your name, «Red King»?”

After a look at Tak.u.mu, the girl snorted then opened her mouth.

“Well, fine. I will give you that much service. I am... Yuniko. Kouduki Yuniko.”

Next she snapped her finger, and a crimson name tag flowed into Haruyuki’s view. In a somewhat cute font, [Kouduki Yuniko] is shown.

That is like a name card for showing your name to someone you first met, it also act as a simple personal identification card. At the lower right side of the tag shone the Juki Net[2]’s certification mark, that would be hard even for wizard cla.s.s hackers to fake, so the name on the tag should be «Red King»’s real name.

On the tag, other than name and other things, the birthday is also shown. Born on December 2035, that meant just 11 years old.

It is often said that Burst Linker’s mental and physical age is out of sync, Red King - Yuniko’s was hard to judge on first impression. Sometime she felt like much older than Haruyuki, and other times she could be seen acting her age.

“Fuun, Yuniko-chan huh.”

Looking at the lightly laughing Tak.u.mu doubliously, Tomoko that is Yuniko said.

“Give your name too, «Cyan Pile».”

That sentence, showed that the Red King have very detailed information on the legion «Nega Nebulas».

Tak.u.mu probably realized that, his smile changed to a sarcastic one and he said his real name.

“I am Mayuzumi Tak.u.mu. Yoros.h.i.+ku[3].”

Then he did a gesture of snapping his finger. It was probably sending his name tag to the Red King.

After a momentarily look in the air, she faced Haruyuki and pointed her chin.

“M... my name is already known to you. Arita Haruyuki.”

“Send your tag.”

After being told, he manipulated his desktop.

Finally, the three pair of eyes concentrated on the so far silent Black King.

She raised her coffee cup to her face, and blinked her long eyebrows slowly.

“N? Ah, me. I am Kuroyukihime. Nice to meet you, Kouduki Yuniko-kun.”

“Hey you, that could not be your real name!!”

Yuniko instantly retorted, and Kuroyukihime flipped her finger with a cool face. Instantly, not just the Red King, in front of Haruyuki too floated a deep black name tag.

[Kuroyukihime].

On the right side below that written in large Courier font, the Juki Net certification mark shone clearly, Haruyuki sighed and shook his head. Just this person, he could not understand.

The Red King too, sighed with a difficult look, and clicked her tongue hard.

“Ah fine, whatever! I will just remember the cheeky girl who called herself Princess!”

If she tried to give her real name to Yuniko at that moment, with Kuroyukihime being able to hack the tag’s quantum signature key, there’s no way to tell if the next one would be real.

Kuroyukihime grinned and said in a cool voice.

“It’s much more cute than calling yourself «King» right? - Anyway, self introduction is over, let’s hurry onto the main topic.”

Her smile instantly disappeared, and her deep black eyes shone sharply.

“First, Red King... that is Yuniko-kun. I would have you tell me how you did reality intrusion on Haruyuki-kun.”

Hearing the unexpected question, Haruyuki was surprised and left breathless.

That’s right - everything with the problem, started with that. Not how the Red King faked being his second cousin Tomoko-chan, nor her goal. «Reality Intrusion» is a Burst Linker’s biggest taboo - because that directly links Haruyuki to being in danger in the real world.

Yuniko glanced at the understandably green faced Haruyuki, then lightly shook her shoulders.

“You don’t have to make that kind of face. Even in the Red legion, I am the only one who knows you are Silver Crow. I swear on the name of King. The way I did it was...”

There, she lifted part of her lips.

“It’s the same technique as infiltrating this home. Social engineering. However, it could only be done by elementary school student like me.”

“Huh...? What do you mean...?”

“Everyone knows that your territory is Suginami. Then, with the time of your appearance we can find out that you are a middle school student. Do you understand up to there?”

«After you are born you must usually wear the Neuro Linker», with that being the first condition, the oldest Burst Linker now is not yet 16 years old. To be precise, there is a chance there might be first year high school students, but if they are a student, most can be determined to be middle school students.

With his nod, the Red King pulled her jaw slightly then continued.

“With that, I used my elementary student status to visit future middle schools in Suginami city district. With a visitor’s pa.s.s, I can connect to the school local net. Then, when I am being shown the tour by a teacher, I «Accelerate» and check the matching list...”

“- And eventually found Silver Crow right. Hmm, a troublesome but logical method.”

After that little regretful sentence, Kuroyukihime continued with ‘However’.

“But, you won’t be able to tell which of the 300 student in Umesato middle school he is. How did you manage to determine it was Haruyuki-kun?”

Hearing that, the Red King bit her lips and was silent for a while.

She glared at Haruyuki sideways, and said in a childish excuse kind of voice.

“Listen, I do not have any special feelings for you. I only have a use for your duel avatar, to be more precise just the wings on its back. - After I found Silver Crow in Umesato middle school, I took a window seat at a family restaurant that can see the school gate, and accelerated when a student stepped outside of the school. At the moment Silver Crow appeared on the matching list, and the guy who stepped pa.s.s the line was this onii-chan, I was a little surprised.”

Normally he would listen to that speech while slightly bored, but this time he could not.

Haruyuki’s eyes became rounded, he opened and closed his mouth for a few times, then fearfully inquired.

“...That, how many, Burst Points were used...?”

“Around 200.”

“200!!”

Haruyuki shouted, Tak.u.mu dropped his cup, and Kuroyukihime had a large wry smile.

“...I see. That means, other than being an elementary school student, it’s a method that can only be used by a «King» with extra points. However, well... that’s an impressive obsession. Have you fallen that hard for Haruyuki-kun?”

“No way!!”

With an unreasonable kick to Haruyuki’s s.h.i.+n under the table, Yuniko retorted.

“I already said it!! I have no use for him, just his avatar!! Anyway, if everything had gone as planned, he would have been lured away to be my minion by now!!”

“That means...”

With a smile and calm light in his eyes, Tak.u.mu said in a quiet voice.

“That «need», is the reason why you used 200 points to do reality intrusion on Haru, used yourself to do social engineering, and finally requested this meeting.”

At that moment - .

Yuniko’s expression lost all childishness.

With her red hair swaying, she leaned her back on the chair, and the Red King acknowledged in a low voice.

“That’s right.”

She lowered her face with eyes half closed, and looked straight at Haruyuki with cherry brown eyes. That pressure, even this little girl, is a «King» like Kuroyukihime, he fully realized that.

“The wings on your back... «Flying ability», I want to borrow it just once. To destroy the «Disaster Armor».”

References

↑ central railway line in Tokyo

↑ resident registration network

↑ Nice to meet you, Take care of me, or similar greeting. But here it might be a bit sarcastic.

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