Accel World Vol 6 Chapter 3 (2/2)

“...U, n, no, that.”

At this point his eyes could only go black and white. Niko’s shady «Angel Mode» was, something that she used to make fun of him, or cover him in fog, but even knowing that trick, for Haruyuki who was an only child since birth, when he was called ‘Onii-chan’ with a smile, he became unavoidably fl.u.s.tered.

“Forget everything just now! Ah, I should be heading home! Thanks for the juice!”

While continually shooting with a cute voice various sentences ending with star effects, Niko lightly jumped off the sofa. Just like that, she stepped with a small jog in the living room to cross it.

At that point Haruyuki was also able to push away the distraction and stand up, then called to the small backside.

“Wa, wait a minute, Niko. Something... something else, isn’t there more you want to talk about...?”

Hearing that, the slender little girl stopped her feet right before the door. Hesitation momentarily leaked from her, then she suddenly spun around. The words that followed after another smile, were something that he did not expect.

“Hey, Haruyuki Onii-chan. If either of us... maybe both of us lost Brain Burst, for sure that we will forget everything about each other right.”

“Wha...”

—— «Related memory completely erased». Haruyuki found out just two months ago, that was the last rule used on people who lost Brain Burst. Even Kuroyukihime, at that time only had rumor level information, and Niko seemed to have learned this truth somehow.

After peaking from above at Haruyuki who swallowed a breath, Niko suddenly thrust out her right hand, with her surprisingly small little finger extended.

“That’s why, let’s make a promise. If we see an unknown name in the Neuro Linker address book, send out one email before erasing that data. Then, maybe, once more...”

“...rita. Arita! Hey, are you listening?”

The thick sound calling his family name, pulled Haruyuki back from memory from a day ago.

He desperately swallow the pain that was welling up his chest. After taking many breaths, he somehow managed to change thinking gears.

“Y, yes!”

While hurriedly answering, he stood up half on reaction, and his legs b.u.mping into the strengthened plastic desk and chair which gave out clattering sounds. At that point, he finally realized that this was not his home living room, but the second year C group cla.s.sroom.

As he fearfully looked around, he saw that his homeroom teacher Sugeno was making a wry face at the podium, and the surround students were leaking out snicker at Haruyuki’s over reaction.

The sounds of those laughter, compared to the echo of mockery in his first year —— even though not 0% —— were not that kind of laughter. This cla.s.s’s Haruyuki, even though he was still at the bottom side of hierarchy, he had somehow manage to obtain a position of «Harmless round guy». Of course he was not unsatisfied with that position. On the other hand it could be said to be ideal.

That’s why, easy mistake like now that got him useless attention, was a situation that he tried to avoid with all his might. The cla.s.s’ hidden delinquents might use this as an excuse to bully him for some light stress release, was something that he did not want to think about.

That’s why Haruyuki made a shy smile suitable for someone who was flattered and was going to sit down.

However, somehow from the surrounding, he felt something was expected of him, and that made him stop. All the expressions from students, seemed to be ‘Now, now?’ kind of waiting for Haruyuki to say something.

‘—— Wh, what is this atmosphere? What should I be doing here? Did I forget something? Did I start an ultra high difficulty mission like trying for laughter with a one shot comedy?’

As he was thinking at high speed in his brain, and was going to sweat buckets of cold sweat ——.

“Oo, Arita. You standing up, is it okay to take it to mean you are thinking of being a candidate?”

That, was an unthinkable sound echo from Sugeno.

‘—— Candidate? For what?’

Since he had missed all of the homeroom teacher’s speech till now, he had no understanding to connect the front and back parts. The unexpected development made him freeze, so he focused his view behind the teacher. However there was nothing written on the virtual blackboard.

‘—— Don’t panic, think about it. The role you are invited to during long homeroom should be... that’s right, the duty of reading school announcement text. It should be that 99% of the time.’

At the moment that Haruyuki thought of that, his view returned to his virtual desktop. Then he saw that there was a doc.u.ment file in the newly received area.

Reading with his real voice, was something he was not good at. However in j.a.panese and English cla.s.ses it occasionally happened, and it was a lot better than saying what he thought up. In this situation, instead of saying ‘That’s not it’ and sit down to make the atmosphere get cold, it would be a more peaceful choice to accept it and do a goofy reading.

Haruyuki who had the above train of thought and finished deciding his action, raised his head to meet Sugeno in the eyes, and replied “Y, yes, I will do it!” in a clear voice.

Then —— suddenly ‘OOo!’ kind of exclamation sounds filled the cla.s.s, and heavy thunder like hand clapping followed.

“...Yes?”

Wh, what was this response? Why was this kind of clapping just for a reading duty candidate?

In front of Haruyuki who froze up again, Sugeno nodded with hums, then said.

“Sensi, believed that Arita is someone who is willing to do something when he needs to! A group and B group will probably be drawing straws, but C group being decided with candidacy makes me truly happy!”

Being hit with a somehow very bad premonition, Haruyuki clicked the newly received file.

The doc.u.ment that opened up with a faint effect sound was ——.

[Announcement from the new caretaker committee: One person from each of second year cla.s.ses, for a total of three members to be selected.]

That, was lined up in blunt fonts.

“...Ca, caretaker!?”

That moaning sound from Haruyuki, was easily covered and erased by hand clappings.

—— Caretaker. That is, meaning the duty to take care of animals?

As he looked around the cla.s.sroom while thinking what he realized in low speed, he saw Chiyuri who was shaking her head in amazement, and Tak.u.mu who had a ‘Good grief’ wry smile.

“...Hey Haru, I know that you always s.p.a.ce out....”

After school, during the short time before club activities.

His childhood friend, Kuras.h.i.+ma Chiyuri who came to the front of the desk that Haruyuki continued to lay limply, said to him with a clammy look.

“If you didn’t know the situation, you should have at least opened the sent out file! Why did you charge ahead with just that prediction!”

“There, there, Chi-chan. It’s not the first time that Haru thought like Under Siege 2.”

That, was from Mayuzumi Tak.u.mu beside Chiyuri. He thought that was not helping, but could not even retort. With his body slowly sliding from the chair, he weakly said.

“It’s okay, already. I will do it, caretaker or anything.”

“...If it was forced on you, then I would also have said something. But with that impressive candidacy, there was nothing I could do.”

Chiyuri gave a sigh, then suddenly changed her expression. Serious light appeared on her cat like eyes, and the head with light s.h.i.+ning on her large hairpin drew close.

“But, actually, do you have extra time for committee activity? Since, Haru has within one week...”

The continuation to that, was whispered in a low sound by Tak.u.mu who was also bent over.

“...That parasite must be «Purify», no matter what.”

—— That’s right.

This week, that was, June 17, Monday to 23rd, Sunday, was Haruyuki —— Silver Crow’s given «Probation Period».

In yesterday’s seven Kings conference, finally two resolutions were adopted.

First, for the mysterious organization - Acceleration Research Society, was «Continued gathering of information». That, was something that Haruyuki resented as being too lukewarm, but since that organization was completely unknown so they could not even attack, there was nothing they could do.

And then, to cancel out that lukewarm, was a strict decision set down for Silver Crow who became Chrome Disaster.

If in seven days including today, the Disaster Armor, Chrome Disaster parasite could not be completely removed, then Haruyuki’s head will have a very high reward put on by five Kings. Furthermore, the large amount of Burst Points that was going to be the reward, will be split according to number of wins against Silver Crow kind of system.

If that happened, the moment he took even one step out of Suginami area, mountains of Burst Linkers including high levels will attack him, and Haruyuki’s points would dry up in no time. Since, there would be «Destroying the Armor» kind of just cause. There would be no need for hesitation with a large group going after one person.

Of course, he could do the same thing as Kuroyukihime who has a similar rewarded head and stay hiding in Suginami, then even if he connect to the Global net, he could refuse duels, but doing that would mean he could no longer hunt for points. Stopping level up, is about same as a Burst Linker slowly dying.

In truth, the «Kill command from Kings», could be said to equal to an announcement of death sentence. The reason that Kuroyukihime was able to remain alive for two years, was of course due to her iron like willpower to disconnect from even the Global net, but the «Already reached level 9 thing» was important too. For Haruyuki, the latter was impossible, and the first might also be missing.

“...One week, huh...”

Muttering, Haruyuki looked down at his hands laying on the desk.

Even without concentrating, freshly s.h.i.+ning white silver armor overlayed them. Silver Crow, was someone that he could change to at any time, another self. Not being able to become that shape —— meant not being a Burst Linker, did not seem real to him.

‘No, that feeling was, because this is the real world? Real for me, does it already exist only in that world...? If that is the case, when I lost Brain Burst, where else can I go...?’

At the moment he thought of those things, Haruyuki finally was. .h.i.t with a small chill like thing that made his back shook. Inside his ears, crystal clear little girl’s sound awoke.

—— Let’s make a promise. If we see an unknown name in the Neuro Linker address book, send out one email before erasing that data...

How serious was Niko who said that in the Angel Mode that should be an act, Haruyuki did not know. After that, Niko forcefully crossed with Haruyuki’s right hand little finger, then ran in a clatter to return home.

There was no way he would forget. Even if his accelerated world memory was erased, he would absolutely not forget people in the real world whom he had fostered bonds. With that deep belief, a sharp uneasy appeared in his chest. If he lost sense of reality in the real world... memories that were tagged with «Reality», if they become empty while he did not notice...

The suddenly well up fear made him hold his hands tight, and he was going to hang his head even deeper, but a small hand came into his view before that, and covered Haruyuki’s left fist.

“It’s okay, Haru.”

When he raised his head at the gentle sound, Chiyuri’s usual smile was there.

“That’s right. For sure soon, everything will be resolved.”

Tak.u.mu who was standing beside said that decidedly, then extended the hand holding his s.h.i.+nai and knocked on Haruyuki’s right fist. His two childhood friends exchanged looks, then nodded after confirming something, and again looked at Haruyuki.

“Also, Haru. We conferred and decided. Even if one more week pa.s.sed and Haru is chained by the reward, Ta-kun and I, will supply points to Haru so we can level up at the same pace, that. That’s why Haru, you don’t need to worry about anything.”

Haruyuki seriously stared at Chiyuri’s face as she said that. Then he immediately rose from his chair, and fiercely shook his head.

Lowering his voice volume to the limit, Haruyuki said in a half shout.

“N... no! If you do that, then you two will have rewarded heads! Those guys, are waiting for an excuse to put that on all of us!”

“Hey hey Haru, I am at least more senior than you. Secretive ways of moving points around, I know many of them.”

Tak.u.mu who snickered as he touched his eyegla.s.s bridge, soon looked to lower right of his view, then raised up as if to seal Haruyuki’s retort.

“Oops, I should be heading to club activities. Haru, if the caretaker activity takes too long, give me a shout, and I will help with what I can. Anyway this week, we will put master’s formulated «Purification Plan» as top priority.”

“...Ah, sorry, Taku.”

After swallowing various words, Haruyuki nodded.

The Disaster Armor purification plan. That was, after the seven Kings conference decided how to deal with Silver Crow, Kuroyukihime made it up while she was resentful, the mission to erase the Chrome Disaster factor. It seemed to be made up of three steps, but it was not fully explained to Haruyuki and others. While he raising his head, he said with over half for himself.

“I don’t know the details, but... anyway right now we can only do our best...”

“Un, I will also give my full cooperation. Bye, see you later.”

Tak.u.mu once more gave the area around Haruyuki’s right elbow a light knock, then turned around and lightly jogged to the kendo arena. While seeing him off, Chiyuri also quickly whispered.

“I also have to go to club activities, but don’t be afraid to tell me if anything happens. We are... let’s see... friends, or is it... comrades, not that... let’s see...”

‘—— Family. Isn’t that right?’

That kind of sound from Haruyuki’s heart, made Chiyuri stop her mouth as if she heard it, then she had a large smile. Just like that, she made a fist with her right hand, then moved to the exit with a clatter.

Haruyuki who was left by himself, as he wore the satchel on his shoulders, whispered in his chest.

‘Real or virtual, it was not that intrinsic of a problem. Taku and I, Chiyuri and I, Senpai and Raker-san and I, and then Niko. Pard-san, and many other people, what we fostered is always «here» —— in my heart.’

‘I will protect that. I don’t want to lose it. For Arita Haruyuki —— and then for Silver Crow.’

When he glanced at the time, there was only five minutes left till the appointed gathering time. Even while he was running to the stairs to first floor, Haruyuki renewed his decision.

This one week’s probation, was important time that Kuroyukihime and Niko desperately won and took from the Yellow and Purple Kings who insisted on immediate Judgement. He would absolutely not waste it. It was an unexpected committee activity that he carelessly became a candidate for, but there should be some kind of hint even in that. Right now, all he should do was to do his best in everything.

“All right!”

With that small shout, when he went outside, the rain seem to have stopped.

<script>