Accel World Vol 4 Chapter 12 (2/2)

“…So, how does Noumi seem…?”

“He’s a completely ordinary first-year club member now. Like an evil spirit has come out of him…is the best way I can describe it. Though he was also bright and cheerful on the surface until now, so no one besides us may be able to notice the difference…”

Taking a short pause, Tak.u.mu muttered in a hoa.r.s.e voice.

“Haru, I can’t help but wonder. Between Noumi now and us, which is normal, and which is abnormal…?”

“It’s already decided. We’re the abnormal ones.”

The one that made that snap declaration was Kuroyukihime.

Her next actions of leaning her body on the back of her chair and nimbly crossing her legs that were wrapped in black stockings, made her completely regain her usual dignity.

The Black King looked at each of her subordinates in turn, and added with a fearless smile.

“However, it’s the path that we chose ourselves. Isn’t that right?”

After blinking, Tak.u.mu also gave a small smile.

“…That’s exactly right, master. Oops, then I’ll be going back now. Err…about conveying the contents of this talk to Chii-chan…”

“Yeah. For the time being, we’ll conceal it from her.”

Bowing his head, Tak.u.mu stood up from his seat, picked up his blue Neuro Linker on the table, and walked away at a trot as his black hakama swayed.

Once he couldn’t be seen anymore, Kuroyukihime looked intently at Haruyuki, and whispered in a small voice by starting with an ‘Also’.

“—Even if I were to lose Brain Burst and all my memories of Accel World disappeared…I wouldn’t forget about you. I definitely wouldn’t forget.”

While feeling the sensation of something digging firmly inside his chest, Haruyuki earnestly answered back.

“Yes. Me too… Me too. I won’t forget about just you, senpai.”

“Yes, I believe you.”

Smiling, Kuroyukihime nodded greatly once, and spoke.

“Then, with this, would you say that this series of incidents is over for the present?”

In response to that question, Haruyuki hesitated for a while, and then shook his head slowly.

“No…There’s still just one more promise I have to take care of.”

“Hoh, what is it?”

Facing Kuroyukihime as she tilted her head.

Haruyuki spoke while bowing his head greatly.

“—I have a favour to ask. Please come with me to meet the person that lent me her wings…Sky Raker.”

5 PM.

Haruyuki and Kuroyukihime came out from the Umesato Middle School gate together.

They walked down Oume Highway in silence, and turned north on the way. They followed a narrow road and headed towards Kouenji Station.

After Kuroyukihime had sent a typed mail after much hesitation, the reply that they got ten minutes after consisted only of two lines of text that specified the time and location.

In order to head to the meeting place, the terrace of the south entrance of the s.h.i.+njuku Station, the two of them rode on the Chuo Line from the station.

Kuroyukihime remained in complete silence the entire time. Haruyuki had no way to guess what kind of thoughts were pa.s.sing through her mind.

Since he had regained his flight ability, he had to return the Enhanced Armament «Gale Thruster» to Sky Raker. That was the promise he had made to her.

However, Haruyuki had also carelessly forgotten to ask her for her contact information in the real world. Therefore, he asked Kuroyukihime, who probably knew an anonymous address to contact her.

Strictly speaking, there was also the method of once again asking Sky Raker’s «Child», Ash Roller. However, Haruyuki dared to choose to rely on Kuroyukihime. In addition, he said something even more unreasonable to her, suggesting that they return home together, and got her to follow him to the meeting place.

Haruyuki didn’t know whether what he was doing was right or not.

However, the momentary expression that Sky Raker had shown the morning she had transferred her Enhanced Armament to Haruyuki was strongly imprinted on his memories.

I was foolish, and therefore lost a friends.h.i.+p.

Accel World’s recluse had said that to Haruyuki.

Haruyuki, who knew nothing of what had occurred between her and Kuroyukihime, may not have had the right to say nor do anything.

‘But’, thought Haruyuki. Even if that friends.h.i.+p was truly lost, was there any reason not to regain it once again? After all, both of them still remembered each other. They had carved their many memories, and the times they fought together, deep into their minds.

Yes—those memories surely still connected the two of them together.

When the train gently slid into the platform and they blended in among the many pa.s.sengers, Haruyuki and Kuroyukihime went up the elevator and came out from the southern entrance that opened widely at the front.

The s.h.i.+njuku Southern Terrace was a shopping mall in the form of a huge pyramid-type layered structure. Pa.s.sing between the crowded shoppers, the two of them rode the central escalator.

Kuroyukihime still remained silent.

Though he thought ‘Maybe I should say something, yeah I should’, Haruyuki also said nothing.

The huge automatic stairs went between lively advertising panels, and carried the two of them past them. Eventually, they arrived at the top of the pyramid.

The open terrace on the top floor reached 100 meters above the ground. Of course, it couldn’t compare with the surrounding high-rise buildings, but it still commanded an unbroken view of the s.h.i.+njuku Station terminal, the countless train tracks, and the various trains that kept coming and going in each direction. The evening was still chilly, and there were very few silhouettes standing in this wind-blown place.

Haruyuki and Kuroyukihime walked all the way to the handrail of the northernmost tip, and waited for the appointed time while staring side by side at the evening landscape below them.

5:30 PM.

Small clicking footsteps that were approaching from behind reached Haruyuki’s ears.

He sucked in a big breath—and turned around. Kuroyukihime did too, a little delayed after him.

Against the background of red-purple clouds, that person stood there while smiling.

Her soft-looking long hair swayed in the breeze. The skirt of her uniform fluttered, and her white hand was pressed down over it.

She made her legs wrapped in over-knee tights move another step forward, and—

The recluse that lived on the Old Tokyo Tower, the member of the first Nega Nebulas, «Sky Raker» first spoke to Haruyuki.

“Good evening, Karasu-san.”

And then, her gaze turned towards Kuroyukihime next to him. Changing the appearance of her smile slightly, she spoke once again.

“…Good evening, Lotus.”

As a lot of feelings got stuck in his chest, Haruyuki could only bow his head down deeply. However, Kuroyukihime gave a smile just like Sky Raker’s, and spoke.

“It’s been a long time, Raker.”

“…Yes, it truly has. In the real world, it’s been two years. In Accel World…I don’t know how long it’s been anymore.”

“Indeed.”

They let out a ‘Fufu’ laugh at the same time, but the two of them didn’t try to approach each other any further.

Haruyuki clenched his teeth tightly, took several steps forward, and then bowed once again.

“Umm…Raker-san. I’ll be returning them now…your wings.”

Sky Raker nodded gently with a kind smile.

“So you got them back. Your silver wings…no, your hope.”

“Yes. It’s all thanks to you.”

And then Haruyuki took out from his pocket a XSB cable he had prepared, inserted own of its two ports into his Neuro Linker, and held out the other end.

Sky Raker accepted it, and connected it to her own Neuro Linker without hesitation.

The re-transfer of the Enhanced Armament through a Direct Connect duel was done quickly without any conversation at all. After issuing the transfer request window, accepting it, issuing the draw request, and also accepting that, they Burst Out.

When they returned to the real world the next instant, the «Gale Thruster» had already returned to its proper owner. After detaching the cable and returning it to Haruyuki, Sky Raker smiled once again.

“I definitely received it……Then, I’ll be going now.”

And then she looked at Kuroyukihime—and lightly bowed.

Taking one, two steps back along with a faint servo sound, Sky Raker moved her lips slightly.

“…Karasu-san. If it’s you, you’ll surely fly to the heights that I couldn’t reach. I’ll be cheering for you…do your best.”

She smiled and turned around after leaving a light wink. Then, she walked away with firm steps.

But, Haruyuki definitely saw it.

The small grains of light that fell from her blinking eyes and drew a silver trail through the air.

Hanging her bag behind her back, Sky Raker walked far away with unslackening footsteps.

Under the evening sky, the sight of her back gradually changed into a silhouette.

Suddenly, Kuroyukihime, who had remained completely silent until now, took several steps forward with staggering footsteps.

But, she stopped a little ahead of Haruyuki, and tightly clenched her hands as if enduring something.

—Senpai.

——Senpai!!

Haruyuki shouted within his mind.

Please, Kuroyukihime-senpai. That person is waiting for your words. Waiting for your hand. So, come on……

Come on!

Haruyuki strained all of his mind power and pushed Kuroyukihime’s back right in front of him without moving his hand.

At that instant.

*TATA* She ran several more steps forward.

And Kuroyukihime shouted in a dignified voice.

“Raker!!”

That receding back trembled, and stopped. Kuroyukihime sucked in a big breath as both her shoulder shook, and she shouted once again.

“…Come back, Fuuko! I need you!!”

The instant she heard those words, Sky Raker hanged her head down deeply.

Her left leg took another step forward—

It tried to, but stopped. As if the CPU that controlled her artificial leg resisted the command of its owner. As if it was following the true feelings being outputted from her soul.

Little by little, little by little, she pulled back her leg.

Sky Raker slowly, slowly turned around.

Her lips moved, and released a very faint voice.

“…Sacchan[3].”

And then, a silent question.

—Is it okay?

Kuroyukihime nodded greatly, and called her name once again.

“…Fuuko.”

Immediately after, the two girls started running towards each other.

They threw away their bags at the same time. Running at a speed that was slightly faster than Kuroyukihime’s, Sky Raker opened her arms to catch her.

Holding the girl with black hair just a little shorter than hers to her chest, the face of girl called Fuuko became distorted.

Large tears rolled down her cheeks.

“U…uaaan……”

As if she had been always bearing it since she appeared on this terrace—

No, since the time she had started to live in seclusion on the Old Tokyo Tower, Sky Raker buried her face in Kuroyukihime’s hair, and released her feelings.

“Aaan…Waaaaaan!”

The still Kuroyukihime’s own sobbing also mixed in with that crying voice, and reached Haruyuki’s ears.

Unable to keep watching that too beautiful and too precious scene any longer, Haruyuki turned his head upwards, so that tears of his own didn’t roll down.

In the middle of the sky which persistently continued changing from blue to dark red, an airplane that was pulling through thin white clouds and flying to an even high place shone and flashed silver.

(END)

References

↑ Here Kuroyukihime uses the kanji量子通信機器for “Neuro Linker” beneath its English p.r.o.nunciation, which literally translates as “quantum communication device”.

↑ Microtubules is the English word given in furigana, while the kanji beneath it reads as ”microtubular structures”. Also, the same term is used in Volume 9 of Sword Art Online, when describing ”Fluctlights”.

↑ Here, Fuuko is presumably calling Kuroyukihime by a nickname based on her currently unknown real name. Following the pattern of Chiyuri's nickname for Tak.u.mu ”Takkun”, it most likely combines the beginning of her name which starts with ”Sach-” with the suffix ”chan”.

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