Accel World Vol 5 Chapter 6 (2/2)

Lowering her hand, Kuroyukihime gave a smile that had various feelings mixed into it.

“When I was clearly demonstrated the truth of this final rule, which had only been a rumor until then, in the most irrefutable fas.h.i.+on possible, I became very afraid. Because, if I’m beaten by any of the other «Kings» even once, it means that I would forget who I was at that very instant. But, Haruyuki-kun. At the same time, I…also felt relieved…”

Unable to immediately grasp the meaning of her words, Haruyuki was confused. Kuroyukihime gripped the cus.h.i.+on on top of her knees harder, and continued with her eyes cast downwards.

“……Two and a half years ago, I banished one of the «Kings» from Accel World forever with a surprise attack during a meeting. Since then, I have always been frightened in the deepest depths of my heart. I thought that he…the boy who was once the first generation Red King, «Red Rider», held a profound resentment towards me from somewhere in Tokyo.”

Haruyuki sucked in a sharp breath.

He had heard this story several times before. No, he had even seen a replay file that recorded that very scene once. Therefore, he had come to understand the size of the scar which that incident had left in Kuroyukihime’s heart, but at the same time, he had foolishly thought that she had already overcome that pain.

Unconsciously leaning his body towards Kuroyukihime as she set on the left side of the bed, Haruyuki spoke keenly.

“B-But…Even if it was a surprise attack…Wasn’t it a legal attack in accordance with the rules? Furthermore, he didn’t even have a non-aggression pact with the legion boss he was facing at the time. In that case, he shouldn’t bear a grudge…”

Kuroyukihime shook her head gently but clearly and interrupted Haruyuki’s desperate words.

“That’s wrong, Haruyuki-kun.”

“Eh…What do you mean, that’s wrong…?”

“The attack I used when I cut off Red Rider’s head was my Level 8 special technique, «Death By Embracing». It has an attack range of only 70 centimeters, but in exchange it has a high attack power. —That being said, regardless of how strong it is, it still shouldn’t have had the power to instantly kill Rider, who was the same level as me and moreover had a high defense just below that of the green and blue colors due to being a pure battle type. Yes…you probably already understand. At that time, I activated the «Incarnate System». I used the forbidden power that all seven Kings had sworn to not use after subduing the fourth generation «Chrome Disaster»…”

This time, Haruyuki was speechless.

The high-ranking interface hidden within Brain Burst, the «image control system». Crossing over the limits within the game by intentionally using this interface was, in other words, the «Incarnate System». Its power was the greatest, but at the same time it seemed to also have a terrifying dark side to it. All the high-ranked players Haruyuki knew had told him that all those that pursue its power are swallowed up by the darkness within their hearts. Kuroyukihime, sitting in front of him, was not an exception to that either.

Her slender shoulders slumped even further and a dry voice came from her.

“……Rider has a right to resent me, after I broke the oath we all swore. Although I don’t have any regrets at having chosen to fight the other Kings, my arms are still stained with the feel of that one attack…—That’s why, Haruyuki-kun, for a long time I stubbornly didn’t believe in the rumor that former Burst Linkers lose their memories of Accel World. Because I couldn’t allow myself to cling to that rumor and let myself feel better because of it. However, when it was proved two months ago that the rumor of memory erasure was true…I was relieved. I recognized that Rider no longer remembers that he was the Red King and that he was banished due to my betrayal, and I felt relieved about it from the bottom of my heart. Geez…what an incorrigible cowards I am…”

Chuckling slightly, the pajama-wearing Kuroyukihime looked unusually weak and fragile. Haruyuki mustered what little courage he had and shortened the distance between them by another five centimeters.

However, he of course didn’t touch her hand, but at least spoke as best he could.

“Se…Senpai. Umm, I think that the reason the existence of the memory erasure process is hidden is because it creates an incredible pressure within you if you fight while knowing about it. Bu…But, we already know about it. From now on, we have to fight while understanding that resolve. So…it isn’t cowardly to instead be a bit relieved about it…rather, I believe it’s perfectly justifiable.”

Kuroyukihime raised her head a little and glanced at Haruyuki. A painful yet gentle smile spread over her pale lips.

“…I see. That kind of logical opinion is just like you. That’s right, you should fight under that belief…But, I probably don’t have that right…”

“Wh…Why!?”

“That’s…because the Burst Linkers that received an unrecoverable loss due to an incarnate attack by me aren’t just Rider alone.”

Blinking several times, Haruyuki frowned and asked.

“By that…you mean the fourth generation Chrome Disaster? B-But, that couldn’t be helped with him, right?”

“No, that’s not it.”

Swaying her damp hair, Kuroyukihime shook her head feebly. After several seconds, she said the person’s name in voice that was almost like a sigh.

“My…old friend. The only person I had a friends.h.i.+p with in the real world before I made you my «Child»…Fuuko, no, Sky Raker.”

“……Eh…?”

“The reason Raker’s legs weren’t restored even with Chiyuri-kun’s «Citron Call» after the territory battle today wasn’t because her will power didn’t work. It was because of me. Most likely, my will power is still eating into Raker’s scars even now and is preventing them from being healed. Like a poison…Like a curse.”

“No way! No way, that can’t be!!”

Haruyuki shouted fervently. Shaking his head repeatedly, he leaned forward his upper body and argued back vehemently.

“Raker-san said that she forcibly asked you to do that, senpai. You tried to dissuade her right until the end, but Raker-san wouldn’t change her mind no matter what, so you reluctantly cut her legs off…Isn’t that how is was!?”

“That’s correct, on the surface…”

Burying her face into the cus.h.i.+on in her arms, Kuroyukihime whispered.

“But…my twelve-year-old self back in those days was far more childish and foolish than I am now. I couldn’t understand her feelings when she chose…couldn’t help but choose to yearn for the sky instead of fighting alongside me as the legion’s sub-master. At the very end, when I realized that Raker would never change her mind, I felt sad…and angry…and so I loaded all those feelings into the blade of my right arm and cut off Raker’s legs. At that time, there was surely the thought ‘Then you should lose your legs forever’ within my heart as I used will power. That became a curse which remains to this day. Just like the deep-seated grudge of the first generation Disaster that produced the «Armor of Catastrophe» in the past…”

She put even more strength into her hands holding the cus.h.i.+on. Her low cracked voice flowed into the dim bedroom.

“…The will power that Raker and you use is an embodiment of «hope». But I’m different. I override phenomena with the opposite…with the power of «anger», «resentment» and «despair». I don’t pile up or create anything, I just cut through everything, and lose everything. It’s as if my avatar is an extremely ugly form that symbolizes that…Everyone in the reborn, no, in the second generation «Nega Nebulas» that you revived will also one day be lost if they continue to fight with me…definitely……”

The volume of the last half of her words sank even lower, so much that Haruyuki felt as he was hearing not sound, but rather Kuroyukihime’s self-reproach itself.

—That’s wrong. That’s wrong. That’s definitely wrong.

«Despair» and «loss» can’t be your true nature. Because, I was saved by you. You keenly held out your hand and pulled me up from the bottom of the bottom within the pitch-black bog I was in. You gave me overwhelming «salvation»!

Although he shouted that in his mind, he definitely wasn’t capable enough to put those swirling feelings into words. Haruyuki gritted his teeth hard, and thought desperately about how he could convey to Kuroyukihime just how much he had been saved by her and Brain Burst.

After five seconds, the answer he came to was—

“……Senpai.”

Haruyuki called out to her, and quietly held out an item he picked up from the corner of his headboard.

It was a XSB cable with a silver wire. Gripping the plug at one end in his left hand and the other end in his right hand that he was holding out to her, Haruyuki spoke.

“Senpai, please «duel» with me. If we do that, I think I’ll surely get you to understand. About…about how…”

Unable to suppress the feelings that came welling up, tears fell in drops from Haruyuki’s eyes. He took a deep breath while sniffling and then continued in a trembling voice.

“…how important you are to me.”

Kuroyukihime turned her face halfway up towards Haruyuki, and widened her eyes. Showing an expression that went from shock, to hesitation, and to fear, she finally settled on a light yet pain-filled smile.

“…You always surprise me.”

Muttering that, she took the plug.

But, instead of putting it in her Neuro Linker, Kuroyukihime crossed over the bed and sat on her knees right in front of Haruyuki. The scent of soap and shampoo drifted to his noise, and his mind jumped in spite of the situation.

“Now that I think about, this is the first time we’re…”

Leaving her words there, she put her plug into the port on Haruyuki’s Neuro Linker.

“…f-fighting each other one-on-one.”

Finis.h.i.+ng her sentence, Haruyuki also held out his plug to Kuroyukihime’s Neuro Linker while suppressing the shaking of the hand holding it. He jacked it in at the same time as they ended up face-to-face and pressed against each other. A wired connection warning blinked in his vision.

While soaking himself in the sensation of touching not just digital signals, but each other’s consciousness themselves, Haruyuki quietly recited the command.

“Burst Link.”

Clad in silver metallic armor, his thin legs stepped onto a floor of cracked marble.

Haruyuki’s apartment building had changed into a white-walled shrine. All the walls that divided the rooms of every apartment disappeared, and it all turned into a single floor consisting of a vast circular atrium. The ceiling was high, supported by Greek-style pillars in some places. Faint pale yellow sunlight s.h.i.+ned in from openings along its perimeter.

It was the same «Dusk» stage where Haruyuki had received his first lecture from Kuroyukihime in the past. When he finished confirming his surroundings, he turned his gaze forward, and there, 20 meters away from him—a beautiful obsidian avatar stood there quietly.

Both her hands and legs were made of long swords. A petal-like armored skirt enclosed her thin waist, and both sides of her face mask gleamed sharply.

Accel World’s rebel, the Black Knight «Black Lotus», had her arms lowered without taking any stance, and her faced was slightly tilted downwards. However, that slender figure emitted an intense pressure that made Haruyuki feel as if he were standing under a huge guillotine, and so «Silver Crow»’s thin body unconsciously shook.

—No, I can’t let myself be seized with fear in this situation!

He shouted that at himself beneath his silver exterior.

Haruyuki had a reason for challenging Kuroyukihime to a «duel». It was something incredibly simple. He wanted to convey to her a certain belief that supported him as a Burst Linker. That was—

«Brain Burst» is, at its foundation, an online player-vs-player battle game.

And all games are meant to be enjoyed.

For the thrill, the excitement, and the pa.s.sion in playing. And in the case of net games, for the feeling of solidarity that came with competing and fighting alongside others. All players had a right to receive that. Games never exist for the sake of suffering.

In order to convey this belief to Kuroyukihime, the only thing Haruyuki could do was to muster his entire body and soul to fight her right here and now. With all his strength, he would challenge her, who thought that her avatar and will power projected «despair» and that those who crossed blades with her would also be consumed by it as well. And, he would remind her of the pleasure of dueling.

—That’s why, I’m…

“I’m going to come at you seriously, senpai!!”

Shouting that, Haruyuki fiercely dashed forward off the ground.

Black Lotus still didn’t move. However, he didn’t slow down his momentum, and so he ran through the twenty meter distance between them in an instant and stepped right up to her so strongly that he cracked the marble floor.

His first attack was his best specialty, a left-hand straight punch, which he aimed at the center of her body with the maximum spin of his waist and shoulder to give it more power. Kuroyukihime stepped one leg back at just the last second and narrowly avoided his attack.

Although she had had accepted Haruyuki’s challenge, she was probably still held back by hesitation. Her movements didn’t have their usual sharpness. Although she raised her right-hand sword for a counter thrust, Haruyuki could clearly see the point of the sword as if it were in slow motion.

He gathered his fingers on his right hand into a straight open palm while extending the hand forward. Wielding his arm like a whip, he tried to repel Kuroyukihime’s attack with a hand thrust.

Even though they had never fought each other directly, since they had fought side by side in territory battles for over half a year, Haruyuki had noticed a single very small weak point in the way Kuroyukihime fought at close range.

Although the swords on Black Lotus’ four limbs were terrifying weapons that equally integrated both offense and defense, they were still swords, and so their power had a certain orientation and direction. To be specific, their strength was concentrated only on the blade edges, and the body of the sword was actually rather vulnerable.

Of course, they couldn’t be broken with just a single strike, but it was possible to pile up damage. That was the only chance of winning that he would be able to find in a close range battle with her.

“…Kh!”

Along with a sharp righting yell, Haruyuki thrusted his right hand into the side of the blade being swung at him—or tried to.

However, the impact he expected didn’t occur. Instead.

Feeling a soft sensation he couldn’t described except as ‘gentle’, Haruyuki was shocked.

The long jet-black sword enfolded Haruyuki’s hand thrust with a small outward motion. He couldn’t believe it, but it looked as if the blade had changed into a soft material and halted his arm with a spiral motion around it. But, the moment after he felt that—

“Hah!”

Letting out a momentary exhalation, Kuroyukihime shook her right arm sharply while taking a step forward.

Instantly, an explosive repelling force hit Haruyuki from his arm to his shoulder and chest.

“Wha……”

By the time he managed to croak that out, he had already been helplessly blown backwards. Unable to adjust his stance either, his back crashed into one of the distant pillars. The pillar broke with a loud crash, but even so Haruyuki didn’t stop there, and after rolling on the floor some distance further, he finally stopped with his limbs spread out.

After seeing sparks flicker before his eyes for over a second, he shook his head and quickly stood up. Somehow managing to stay standing despite his shaking legs, he raised his head and shouted out.

“Wha…What was that just now!?”

Slowly approaching him with her legs’ hovering movement from far away, Kuroyukihime shrugged slightly and answered back.

“A soft technique for facing a hard technique[4]…I suppose you could describe like that. Someday I’ll tell you about the time I trained in the Chinatown area within Yokohama…More importantly, Haruyuki-kun. Wasn’t there something you wanted to tell me?”

Her voice was calm, but Haruyuki was strongly conscious of a feeling of suffocating loneliness contained within her tone.

Just as he thought, the current Kuroyukihime was always imprisoned by the feelings buried deep inside her. ‘My fighting can only create negative energy. I can give neither the excitement of battle nor the feeling of solidarity from competing against each other to my opponent.’ That’s what she believed.

—No, that’s wrong!

—I’m experiencing the strongest s.h.i.+ver in my body right now. It isn’t due to fear. My entire body is shaking from the thought of having such a strong person in front of me…and of having that person fight me.

Haruyuki resisted the urge the shout that out, and clenched his fists tightly.

He wouldn’t be able to convey this to her with words. That’s why he requested this duel. He couldn’t cower from having been blown back once in this situation. He couldn’t stop until he completely used up his entire being right now.

“……I’ll tell you with my fists!”

Shouting loudly, Haruyuki once again dashed forward.

His health gauge had decreased by 20% due to the attack that had sent him flying just now. However, in exchange, his special technique gauge had also been charged up. While running, he unfolded the metal fins on his back one by one.

He threw away his plan of counter-attacking Black Lotus’ sword from its side. He risked everything on the three-dimensional rush attack from zero-distance that he had secretly trained for a long time.

“Uu…oooh!”

Crying out, he did another long punch. Kuroyukihime also did a thrust with her right sword just like before. As things stood, he would be hit first due to the difference in reach between them.

The s.h.i.+ning point of the sword approached closer and close, and the instant it was about to touch his helmet—

Haruyuki strongly vibrated his left wing just once. Silver Crow’s body slid to the right without any preliminary movement, and the sword scattered sparks across the surface of his helmet as it just barely pa.s.sed by him.

“…!”

Kuroyukihime sucked in a short breath. But she didn’t stop her movement even slightly, and instead rotated her body with her left leg’s sword as the axis and tried to dodge Haruyuki’s punch. At that instant, Haruyuki’s right wing quivered this time. He corrected his trajectory once again, and—

*KIIIN!* With a small yet clear sound of impact, sparks burst out from Black Lotus’ left should armor. Her health gauge indicated to the top right of his vision lost only a single small dot, but it definitely decreased.

—Now!

“Seaaah!”

Haruyuki let out a war cry and raised his right leg. Ordinarily, he wouldn’t be able to successfully use a high kick when glued to his opponent like thos. That was because a minimum fixed distance from the tip of his left foot that served as the axis of rotation and the tip of his right foot that dealt the damage was required. Kuroyukihime had perhaps figured that out as well, and instead of receiving or dodging the attack, she tried to counter with an elbow strike.

However, at that moment, Haruyuki once again activated only his right wing at full throttle for an instant. Using the center of his tilted body as the axis, he let out a groan as he put a miniscule swing that should have been impossible into his high kick.

Kuroyukihime stopped her elbow strike and bent her body back, but Silver Crow’s sharp toes grazed the left side of Black Lotus’ mask. Once again, sparks were emitted and minimum damage was dealt.

Having finished his bold move, Haruyuki was forced to experience a momentary stiff posture that was only natural at this point. Perhaps hating having her opponent glued to her, Kuroyukihime jumped back and crouched her body. But Haruyuki kicked off the ground with his left leg using the momentum from swinging his right leg. He activated his right wing for an instant again. Using the rotation this created, he unleashed a back roundhouse kick with his left leg.

Kuroyukihime blocked it with her bent left arm and received an intense impact. An orange flash effect dyed both their armors and the surrounding marble.

While perceiving the upper right gauge at the edge of his vision go down by two dots, Haruyuki added thrust from his left wing this time into the recoil of his kick. He rapidly counter-rotated in mid-air, and using that energy he thrusted with his left hand. His fingertips shallowly dug into Kuroyukihime’s right shoulder. He then activated both his wings when the two of them were face to face with each other. His double knee-kick was unfortunately blocked by her right arm, but it caused the greatest impact thus far to shake the stage. Damage, three dots.

—This was his second special technique that specially utilized flight ability, where he did a non-stop rush attack that efficiently employed momentary bursts of thrust from his wings, to which Haruyuki had dedicated special training for after the «bullet-dodging» training from before. Its name was «Aerial Combo». Compared to the first technique he had, «Dive Attack», its appearance was modest and it didn’t deal extra-large damage, but it could be used even indoors unlike the first and it could also be activated starting from when his special technique reached 20%. And most of all—it was almost impossible to defend against when seeing it for the first time!

“Oooh!”

Immersing his entire body in the sensation of acceleration as if his nervous system was bursting apart, Haruyuki sped up his rush attacks further. Remaining glued to his opponent, he continued letting out attacks with all four of his limbs while almost never landing on the ground. All of his attacks were avoided or blocked at the last minute, but it still gradually acc.u.mulated bits of damage to Black Lotus’ gauge.

Even while frantically moving his entire body, Haruyuki shouted out within his mind.

—Senpai, this is my current self. This is all the power contained in me, who you saved from that bog and gave wings to. If your true nature is «despair» and «loss» that cuts down everything…then what do you make of this battle!?

Without him noticing, Silver Crow’s form had turn into an aggregation of silver light that s.h.i.+ned in the air. Putting at full throttle the reaction speed he’d trained at the virtual squash game in the Umesato Middle School local network, which had once served as the incentive that made him catch Kuroyukihime’s eye, Haruyuki continued unleas.h.i.+ng his Aerial Combo. Although he wasn’t certain how many dozens of attacks he’d done, he still hadn’t landed even one clean hit. Kuroyukihime silently devoted herself to defense, and continued doing nothing but evading or blocking Haruyuki’s unpredictable rush attacks.

Although they didn’t exchange any words, after a certain amount of time Haruyuki was conscious of a deep emotion that was exchanged between the two whenever their avatars came into contact.

It was admiration. Towards Kuroyukihime’s defensive skill for Haruyuki. And most likely towards Haruyuki’s mid-air rush attacks for Kuroyukihime. Both of them felt unbelievably, deeply impressed and excited.

Suddenly, he felt as if he heard a voice.

——Aah, I see…So that’s it.

——This is a «duel». You need only forget everything else, become one with your duel avatar, and fight to your heart’s content. Even if this is a world that will disappear in just 1.8 seconds, even if it’s a contact that will end in 1.8 seconds…An innocent duel will surely leave something behind. It will give something to you…

——Rider and I. The countless number of battles between Rider and I that we had when we were young also surely…created something precious…that remains behind even now, within both of our hearts……

Haruyuki didn’t know if he really did hear those thoughts.

Because that voice was transmitted to him in the s.p.a.ce between seconds when Haruyuki’s right fist, which he had lunged out dozens of times, was touched and drawn in by Kuroyukihime’s left sword, a transient instant that couldn’t really be called time.

The next instant, that mysterious attraction intensely drew in Haruyuki’s fist once again.

…Ah, that «soft technique»…!

Gritting his teeth, Haruyuki tried to oppose the explosive repelling force.

However, it never hit him. Instead, Haruyuki’s body was pulled up to Kuroyukihime’s chest, and was firmly halted and held within her arms.

“Eh……”

While Haruyuki stiffened as he was unable to judge what he should do in response to this very unexpected development, this time an actual voice whispered in his ear.

“You were splendid, Haruyuki.”

—Eh? The duel is over? But, both our gauges still full, and there’s still time left, isn’t there?

When he checked their respective health gauges in confusion, Haruyuki realized something important.

Silver Crow’s special technique gauge had been consumed what he’d acc.u.mulated on it due to his continuous momentary thrusts of his wings, and now not even 10% of it remained.

On the other hand, Black Lotus’ special technique gauge was completely filled due to her endless blocking, and was s.h.i.+ning a brilliant blue from end to end.

“This is the first time I’ve used this technique in two and a half years. Thank you, Silver Crow. Nice fight.”

At the same time as she whispered that, Black Lotus’ arms, which now wrapped around Haruyuki’s back from both sides, emitted an intense violet-blue flash.

“«Death By Embracing».”

Right after she uttered the technique name—there was a light cutting sound. Before its echo could even fade away, Silver Crow’s entire health gauge was dyed red—decreased swiftly from the right end—and reached zero.

……Really, what power she has.

At the same time as the greatest feeling of admiration he felt thus far filled his chest, the flaming words [YOU LOSE] appeared before his eyes. Luckily, before the feeling of being cut in half could reach his senses, Haruyuki’s entire body shattered into pixels while emitting a silver light.

He escaped from the darkness where he was filled with a feeling of floating, and returned to reality.

Opening his eyes on top of his bed, Haruyuki blinked several times, and looked for Kuroyukihime’s face, which should have been right in front of him.

But, he couldn’t find it. Because Kuroyukihime had pressed her body against his, put her head on his left shoulder, and wrapped her arms around his back at some point.

“Ah, umm, hey…”

As the sensation of her hair tickled his cheeks and the scent of her shampoo directly hit his brain, Haruyuki tried to jump up while still sitting. However, he wasn’t able to perform such a dexterous movement at a time like this, and instead his balance was broken backwards. He tried to frantically recover his posture with the thrust of his wings, but the back of his physical body was of course equipped with no such thing.

As Haruyuki fell down onto the mattress, Kuroyukihime’s slender body softly landed on his chest shortly after.

With only the faint sound of the air conditioner pervading the room, Haruyuki’s entire body froze completely this time as he widened his eyes. ‘First calm down, coolly judge the situation, and act!’ is what went through his mind, as he completely failed to grasp what had happened.

He was lying down on his bed in his usual sweats.h.i.+rt and sweatpants attire at 11:00 PM. Up till this point was okay. There were no problems. However, the pajama-wearing Kuroyukihime was on top of his body, with both arms wrapped around him, and was also putting further strength into them—was this situation really reality? In the first place, why had they ended up in this kind of position? Was this all the work of a city-wide virus or something?

“……I’m surprised.”

When a voice spoke directly in his left ear, Haruyuki’s extremely confused thoughts halted.

“You…became that strong without me realizing it……”

Unable to think at all as he heard that emotion-filled murmured voice, Haruyuki’s mouth moved by itself.

“B-But, the end result was an almost perfect win for you, senpai……”

“That merely reflects the difference in levels. That battle was far more even-matched than you think. I was forced to desperately block while you continued your mid-air rush attacks for an incredibly long time.”

“Re…Really…?”

He skeptically muttered. In his estimation, though, he honestly thought the difference in true strength between himself and the Black King was like the distance from the bottom station of the s.p.a.ce elevator to the top or geostationary orbit station.

But Kuroyukihime raised her head slightly, and then looked into Haruyuki’s eyes from point-blank range and smiled weakly.

“Really. Aah…I wish I could convey to you how happy and how moved I am right now!”

A light like stardust whirled and glittered within her wide jet-black pupils. Just seeing that blew away his mind once again. Haruyuki didn’t know from whose heart the intense heartbeat he heard came from as they remained glued to each other with no s.p.a.ce between them.

As the tips of their noses were so close that they touched, and they held each other’s gazes—

Kuroyukihime continued speaking quietly.

“…At the very least, I’ll believe in the path I’ve walked until now. I still have many regrets, but…even so, the enormous time I spent in Accel World and the countless duels I acc.u.mulated weren’t useless. Because I got to find and invite you at the end of that path…”

She moved her right hand from his back and gently stroked Haruyuki’s cheek with her fingers.

“Haruyuki-kun. I’m proud of you.”

The instant he heard those words.

All of the fright inside him concerning the

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