Accel World Vol 3 Chapter 1 (2/2)
Suddenly Chiyuri's voice echoed from behind him, and Haruyuki turned around.
Standing on top of probably an Acanthaster like black star-shaped cus.h.i.+on, was an elegant avatar. Its whole body covered in soft looking light purple fur, dressed in a small one piece, the cat-evolving-into-a-human kind of design, was Chiyuri's avatar that she also used in the Umesato middle school Local Net.
With a 60% cat-like face, Chiyuri blinked her large bluish green colored eyes as she snorted.
”You are still using that avatar. It's about time you changed it to something better.”
After being told that, Haruyuki glanced down at his own body.
What was there was what he used at school, a pink pig-type avatar. With an almost ball shaped body, and round limbs. A flat nose stuck out from the center of his face, and although he could not see it himself, there should be large ears growing out of his head.
It was a shape that you could not call cool or cute, and actually it was not an avatar that Haruyuki himself selected, but somehow he continued to use it. As Haruyuki moved his nose, he responded as if it was an excuse.
”I have already gotten used to the sensations of this body, and changing it now will be troublesome. Instead of that... earlier I said, 'What is this', was not referring to this strange creature, it's about the whole VR s.p.a.ce. What is this cus.h.i.+on hel... heaven.”
To be sure, Chiyuri liked cus.h.i.+on type stuffed animals from long ago, and he remembered different ones lying on her bed, but this scale was way beyond anything. 'What is the total number of objects', he inquired as he thought about it, then the cat avatar wiggled her tail with a ribbon and smiled proudly.
”Nihihi, isn't it great. Recently, as a present for going to the next grade, I got a Home Server expansion and my own user memory s.p.a.ce. Even at this resolution, from edge to edge it is about 15km.”
”Re...Really!”
At that moment he leaned back in reaction, his round behind slid, and Haruyuki fell in between the elephant and the Anomalocaris. While he fumbled around, he thought. With that much capacity, if it was him, he would recreate the battle field around Kursk in 1943. With a mountain of Tiger tanks and T-34 tanks placed everywhere, and in the sky BF109 fighters. You would cry out, 'What a blood tingling spectacle'.
”...H-Hey Chiyu, let me play with it a bit”
”No!!”
While he was still talking, he was coldly denied, and Chiyuri stuck out her tongue for a ”Be~” between the small fangs in her mouth.
”If I let Haru customize it, it will definitely become something that's oil, steel, and smoke filled.”
”Th-That's just fine.”
”N-o-W-a-y! Ah geesh, we haven't gotten anywhere in talks at all.”
As he looked up at the cat type avatar with her slender arms crossed, Haruyuki finally remembered the reason he was called here.
”Ah... o-oh yeah. Then, what did you want me to do anyway?”
”Just sitting there is fine.”
”Huh?”
Not understanding what she meant, Haruyuki threw out his short legs in front as he sat on top of a huge cus.h.i.+on, with his head tilted. Then, right after—
With a *bounce*, the cat type avatar jumped in front of him, and without any hesitation, she laid her supple body on top of Haruyuki's legs.
”U...Uwaa!?”
As Haruyuki jumped up to escape, Chiyuri's right hand held his nose and pulled him back to where he was.
”You, become a pillow there for a while. Then I will forget about the time of that trip. Let me warn you, if you do anything erotic, I will let the Anomalocaris bite you.”
”I-I won't! Speaking of which... a pillow, what do you...”
Not answering Haruyuki's excited question, Chiyuri extended her small claw fingers and snapped them. At that moment, the calm blue sky above, turned in one direction, and changed to a night sky with a huge moon floating above.
Under the blinking stars that looked the same as constellations found in picture books— and on top of Haruyuki's knees, Chiyuri stretched widely, lay on her side and curled up.
”...There isn't, any deep meaning.”
From the mouth that Haruyuki could not see, came a small whisper.
”Just, when Haru used to come for sleepovers in my home, I remembered that I soon fell asleep when you became my pillow.”
”...Wh-When was that...”
”Who knows. Long... long ago.”
With a ”Fuwa” yawn, the cat type avatar really closed her eyes.
...This kind of role, ask Taku.
He wanted to say that, but Haruyuki swallowed back those words. While they were young, only Haruyuki had experienced being used as a pillow by Chiyuri. Due to Tak.u.mu's parent's strict educational policy, he usually did not have a chance to sleep over at either of their homes.
But, even so, would a conditional response from that long ago remain till now? Furthermore they were both animal type avatars, and this was a virtual cus.h.i.+on heaven created by the Neuro Linker. However, of course, he absolutely could no longer imitate this with his real body. No, even for VR it was questionable, to be truthful.
While that kind of thought spun around in his head, what was amazing was Chiyuri really starting to sleep, breathing calmly.
”...Unbelievable...”
As he groaned involuntarily, Chiyuri, whom he thought just entered sleep, mumbled in an indistinct voice.
”Hey, Haru... I, really worked hard...”
”Huh? For what...?”
”To become a Burst Linker... I tried really hard... Like this... again, we, will return. Like back then... three of us, every day, playing till the sun goes down... that... time...”
There, this time for sure Chiyuri went into a deep sleep. To the avatar that was breathing virtual air with a *Suu Suu* sound echo, he touched the soft fur under her ear, and Haruyuki answered in his chest with a sigh.
—There should be something that won't change.
—But, something that changed, and will no longer return to where it was, also exists for sure.
A few minutes later, after the Neuro Linker determined that Chiyuri had went into a deep sleep, it automatically canceled Full Dive for her. Even after the cat type avatar on his knees disappeared with a bell like sound effect, for a while Haruyuki sat in between the mute stuffed animals.
References
↑ network term, sending out a packet of info to check net connectivity issues such as traffic speed, reliability, and distance.
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