Accel World Vol 3 Prologue (1/2)

Prologue

The largest network called «Global Net», transcended the name Global five years ago. In the Eastern Pacific, a s.p.a.ce elevator was built to a stationary orbit s.p.a.ce station, that also connected to many bases on the moon, and now anyone who wishes, can dive from their home to the moon's surface in true real time image.

Of course, numerous networks other than that exist. Countries and businesses with their firewall protected large scale Closed Nets, schools and apartments with their Local Nets, or personally operated Private Nets, and many more are built on top of each other. If you could see the internal communication signals flying around, the world would be seen as covered by a thin s.h.i.+ning white mesh.

Compared to those, it's very small scale, however for Arita Haruyuki, it's a net that holds a very important meaning, which is occurring in Haruyuki's room right now.

”...Th-Then, connecting, Chiyu.”

He announced it in a low voice, and Chiyu, that is Kuras.h.i.+ma Chiyuri, answered with a voice that had none of his tension.

”Why are you trying to be pompous. Just do it quickly.”

Not understanding other's feeling.

While moaning in his heart, Haruyuki inserted the plug held in his left hand into the Neuro Linker on his neck.

At the same time, two Wired Connection warnings lit up red in the center of his view, then disappeared.

Chiyuri who sat on the bed, from her light purple Neuro Linker, two XSB cables extended from left and right side, one of them connected to Haruyuki who sat on the floor. And the other one, was connected to Taku that is Mayuzumi Tak.u.mu who sat on a mesh chair.

This connection situation should not be filled with such tension. No, before that—

”...You don't really need to direct connect with me...”

After he complained, Chiyuri's cat like eyes gave him an once over.

”No. If the copy from Ta-kun fails, I have your promise that the next install will be from Haru. I won't let you get away.”

”...Yes.”

He nodded, and took a glance to the right, where Tak.u.mu returned a wry smile while pus.h.i.+ng his frameless gla.s.ses up.

Haruyuki, Chiyuri, and Tak.u.mu were all born in the same year in this south Kouenji large apartment, that is they had childhood-friends relations.h.i.+p.

The long time old friends played together everyday, sometimes they had silly quarrels, and then made up, which continued till three years ago— when the three of them were 11 years old, Chiyuri and Tak.u.mu started going out with each other, so Haruyuki backed off. The result, was that the equilateral triangle they had till then, one corner moved far away and it became an isosceles triangle.

However last year, with a certain incident's trigger, their relations.h.i.+p was fully reset once, and now half a year later, it continued to be in a delicate state.

For Haruyuki, he wished they would quickly make up. However Tak.u.mu who started the incident, still continued to blame himself, and with him not taking any proactive action, the triangle's sides expand and shrink unstably day by day. Just like— right now, the uneven sway of the two cables between the three Neuro Linkers.

”Then, you are ready right, Chi-chan?”

With a soft sound that did not show his inner feelings, Tak.u.mu said so.

Chiyuri nodded as her short hair swayed, and her hands held tight above her small knees which peeked out from her skirt.

Tak.u.mu also returned the nod, then his long finger moved in midair— he must be manipulating the virtual desktop that only he could see, and while his middle pressed on a file, a slight hesitation showed on his well featured white face.

”...Chi-chan. For the last time, let me again make sure... the «Brain Burst» that I will send you, it is a game but not a game. In exchange for tremendous privilege, pleasure, and thrill, it requires many different kinds of compensation. Someday... you might regret it.”

Those words, easily represented Haruyuki's misgivings in his heart.

With the installation of the mysterious game application «Brain Burst», people that became accelerated ability users called «Burst Linkers», can no longer go back to what they were before. Completely captured by the unknown net of the accelerated world, and to keep the rights to connect to that, «Duels» must be repeated forever. That pressure sometimes distorted the personality. The incident in which Tak.u.mu placed a backdoor virus in Chiyuri's Neuro Linker and was given a 'friends.h.i.+p break off' announcement for a while, was due to his fear of losing accelerated ability being pushed to the limit.

However, for Chiyuri who was faced with worried looks from left and right, she puffed up her cheeks and said in a sharp voice in return.