Accel World Vol 3 Chapter 7 (1/2)
Chapter 7
”It's game over, Arita-senpai... no, Silver Crow.”
Those were the first words from Noumi Seiji when Haruyuki first met him.
The front entrance of Umesato middle school was on the east side, with the north side shaped like the top of 工 character. The north section was the special cla.s.ses building, and the south section is the normal cla.s.ses building, with two empty blocks divided by the sports building in the middle. The east block is the «Front Courtyard», and the west block is called the «Central Courtyard».
That central courtyard has many old camphor and oak trees stretching their branches profusely to all sides, so it is dim even at noon. Without any bench or gra.s.sy area, most students don't go near there, and it was not setup with social cameras.
When Haruyuki received the call to go there by Noumi using type email, it was right after the ending of the first cla.s.s on Monday morning. After seeing at the end of the short message composed with small font saying ”Come alone”, Haruyuki looked at the back of Tak.u.mu that sat to the right front of him.
Haruyuki hadn't conveyed the shower room incident from yesterday to Tak.u.mu, after all.
It was fine to explain up till having a virus put into him, and rus.h.i.+ng into the female side, but to explain how he managed to survive that, he would have to touch on the fact that he had encountered Chiyuri. But Chiyuri herself had forbidden him to speak about the incident, so no matter what he said to hide that would be a lie.
He did not want to lie to Tak.u.mu at all.
But he also understood why Chiyuri would not want to be shamed more than she already had been.
While he was moaning, due to being caught in the dilemma of the two opposing situations, that was when he got Noumi's message.
Unavoidably, Haruyuki decided that he would have to leave reporting to Tak.u.mu till after the direct meeting was over. Since the email clearly said to come alone. If Tak.u.mu was with him, Noumi might not appear.
The time specified was from the start of the 20 minute break between the 2nd and 3rd period cla.s.s, which was when Haruyuki stood up from his seat and jumped out into the hallway. He went down the stairs, reclaimed his sneakers from the shoe box, and from the gravel path beside the gym, stepped into the central courtyard.
It was not a place with good memories for him. Since it was outside the social cameras' range, so while he was in first year, he was called here many times by groups of bullies. After being pushed, he would fall on his behind on top of the damp fallen leaves, with nothing else other than being miserable.
—But, that was all in the past. The me right now, is different from the me of those days.
While whispering that inside, he walked towards a big Mongolian oak standing in the center of the gloomy woods.
With a *crunch* small footstep sound, a human shadow appeared in that direction, and faced Haruyuki.
Haruyuki who thought that he would absolutely be the first the arrive, was slightly taken aback by the opponent at that moment, and his right foot took half a step back.
Seeing Noumi Seiji face to face, he noticed that he definitely had a very small build. Compared to Haruyuki who was somewhat shorter than the cla.s.s average, he was another 10cm shorter. His limbs, trunk, and his dark grey Neuro Linker equipped neck was small like a child's. Their difference in weight were probably near two times.
His face too, was so childlike that you would mistake him for a girl. Haruyuki should have remembered this face from the photo that Tak.u.mu sent him, but for a moment, he doubted whether this really was the opponent that set that ruthless trap for him.
With clean cut soft looking hair waving, Noumi made a slight bow. On his eyes with long eyelashes, and his small mouth, a smile appeared—
”It's game over, Arita-senpai... no, Silver Crow.”
Noumi Seiji said that.
”Wh...Wh-What?”
Being caught on the wrong foot, Haruyuki could only inquire with those words.
While still smiling, Noumi shook his delicate shoulders, and said once more.
”That is, winner decided. It's my win, senpai.”
”Wi-Win what...?”
After taking a large breath, and revived his thought, Haruyuki glared at his opponent.
”We haven't had a «Duel» yet. That's because you used some kind of trick to not appear on the matching list.”
”That is no longer necessary, the duel. Since I have this.”
Noumi took his right hand out of his pocket, and lightly manipulated his virtual desktop. In Haruyuki's view, an accept file confirmation holo dialogue lit up.
”Please don't worry, I haven't put a virus or anything like that in it.”
”...”
Even being told that, Haruyuki could not believe it immediately, so he glared at Noumi with doubtful eyes, and slowly asked.
”...You, how did you put a view masker into my Neuro Linker?”
”Hmm, you noticed that much, huh? Then, I will tell you the spoiler as a reward. The photo, it's the photograph! Mayuzumi-senpai sent it to you right?”
”Ph...Photograph?”
After being told, Haruyuki belatedly realized it. It was the kendo club first year student group photo that he got from Tak.u.mu yesterday. Right before he opened the file, he clearly remembered that the data size was relatively large.
”That, embedded in my nametag. The Neuro Linker's photo viewer, and the Augmented Reality information display use the same engine. Hiding a program that does a bit of view manipulation with it is easy.”
Noumi explained while smiling, but for Haruyuki who finally had a bit of a grasp on programing, he did not think that was possible to make with just shallow skill level.
Probably Noumi is also similar to Kuroyukihime and «Red King» Niko, with an outer appearance not matching mental age level of veteran Burst Linker. He could not be underestimated for being younger.
While listening to his inner self saying so, Haruyuki this time started virus checkers other than the default ones, and fearfully accepted the file that Noumi sent over.
What was instantly sent over, seemed to be a short video. Before playing, he checked that there were no inconsistencies in the file size with the video quality and length. Then with stiff lips, he tapped the icon with his fingertip.
A rectangle replay window opened up fully in his view.
The video that was shown, was crisp even with a bit of noise. It was capturing a place that seem like a school hallway from a high viewpoint.
It seem to be underground, with no window on left and right sidewalls. The hallway did not seem to be too long, and on the left side of the wall right in front, was an entrance and exit with no door.
The inside of that area was soon split left and right, with two markings on the wall in between. Blue color for male use, and pink color for female use. That was—
The entrance to the shower rooms below the gym.
After realizing that, Haruyuki could clearly predict the scene that the video would show. At the same time, goose b.u.mps rose on his two arms and back.
One second later, from the lower right portion of the view, a stubby male student came into the frame. s.h.a.ggy and poorly organized hair. Aluminum silver Neuro Linker.
After the boy reached the center of the video at the shower room entrance, he glanced back once at the direction of the camera. The round face that was captured from the front, was none other than Haruyuki.
Haruyuki that was in the video, after seeming to hesitate for a while—
Then, with a trot, went to the right side path that had the female use marking.
”Ah, gee, you were too hasty, senpai!”
While his head became all white, and he stood there in a daze after the video replay finished, and Noumi's cheerful voice reached him.
”Normally, when you realize that it was all pink colored inside, you would have ran away! But still you never came out. I was wondering what to do.”
Those words of Noumi were a mystery, but before that, he could not believe that this video itself could exist, and Haruyuki wrung out a dry sound.
”Y-You... this, how did you...? That pathway, should not have a place to hide...”
Hearing that, Noumi laughed as if it was actually funny, then shook his head sideways.
”That is why the recent young people are.... You made me want to say something like that. Do you think that the Neuro Linker is the only portable device in the world? About ten years ago, this kind of thing was also for sale.”
What he pulled out from his pocket, was a sleek device small enough to fit in his palm. The front side was fitted with a single lens.
”Well, for current digital cameras, there are only large diameter single lens reflex(SLR) ones. But, even with that, the resolution is plenty right? The one being captured is Arita-senpai, anyone can tell by looking. This, was set above the tool storage in that hallway.”
While gazing at that toy like machine with a dumbfounded expression, Haruyuki inquired half automatically.
”...You... you going that far, just to remove me from this school...? No matter what you have to do, you are going to force me to be ex-expelled?”
”No no, no way, not at all!”
With his narrow eyes wide open, Noumi shook his head as if he heard something foolish.
”Forcing senpai to be expelled, what benefit would it have for me? Anyway, if I corner you that far, then senpai might get desperate enough to attack me in the real world, and that would not pay. I just, for my middle school life from now on, want Arita-senpai to...”
There he paused, Noumi Seiji revealed an innocent— yet extreme cunning and coldness hidden inside kind of smile on his whole face.
”...become a loyal and hard working dog is all. To come and let me munch on burst points for my use everyday, as a smart pet dog.”
”I won't let that happen.”
—That sound, shook the oppressive atmosphere in the central courtyard.
Haruyuki was so startled that his back flinched, and Noumi while maintaining his smile, turned towards the direction of the sound.
Coming out of the woods, was Chiyuri with blazing eyes s.h.i.+ning like a cat. Tak.u.mu was not with her. It seemed like she chased after Haruyuki by herself, and heard the conversation.
Chiyuri approached while crunching on the underbrush, then she faced Noumi at very close range, and released sharp words.
”I called Haru from the inside of the girl's shower room. If that video is made public, I will testify like that. The reason was, I fell and twisted my leg so I could not stand up, how about that? With that, there is a valid reason for Haru to enter the female side. Of course, there would be no suspension or expulsion from school.”
After hearing that, Haruyuki forgot about his crisis, and opened his eyes wide in a daze.
Truly, that explanation had plenty of persuasive power. In the first place, if the reason was for peeking, then openly intruding from the front entrance is too absurd.
—However.
Even after Chiyuri closed her mouth, Noumi's thin smile did not disappear.
With leisurely movements he put away the small camera device, then his hands slowly came together, as if he was clapping and said.
”That is good, very good, Kuras.h.i.+ma-senpai. For a baby chick that just became a Burst Linker.”
”...Stop your bluffing please. Already, the video that you took, has no more effect.”
”Hmm, don't bet on it. It's just an example...”
Noumi gestured as if acting, and held up one finger.
”...If, around this time, a hidden camera was discovered from the locker inside the female shower room... what would happen? There would be a big uproar in the school. Then, after the search for the offender begins, that previous video is uploaded to the local net... with that, would Kuras.h.i.+ma-senpai's cover for Arita-senpai still work?”