Accel World Vol 3 Chapter 4 (1/2)
Chapter 4
On the following day, Thursday after school, afternoon 2:50pm
Haruyuki was hurriedly walking towards an area of the school that he did not re too often in his one year of school life
Umesato middle school was built like very old traditional schools where the nor is connected to the special classroo in a H shape
In the horizontal part of that H shape, beside the gym that held the school entrance cere for Of course, he was not going to join the judo club to work his overweight body If there was a «Special Forces Club» that taught shooting and , but unfortunately those did not exist
In the first place, it was not Haruyuki ished to join a club, instead Takumu was today's main focus
When he neared the y, and dry impact sounds that overwrote those He took off his indoor shoes and put theht, then stepped onto the polished wooden floor
In the line of not too many visitors, he spotted the faed near Chiyuri who turned around, instantly pouted and complained in a small voice
”Haru, you're late! Ta-kun has already finished one match!”
”Sorry But it should have been an instant win, for the first match”
”Well, that is true”
He looked away from Chiyuri's puffed up face, and stood on tiptoes to look around, then in the line of kendowith defensive arly cool appearance He ht have seen Haruyuki at the saht hand
After returning a slight nod, Haruyuki turned his attention towards the match area
”Eaaaa!”
”shi+eee!”
Two slender orously attacked each other with their shi+nai The high pitched fervor, and their straps being green, meant they were probably both 1st year students
Today, is Umesato middle school kendo club all member participation tournaularnew members to bash the upperclassmen's power Umesato middle school has an exclusive use dojo, so the kendo club is so traditionally, and this year about ten people seem to have joined In that, there was only one 2nd year new member, which is Takumu
While Takua Nebulas, but Kuroyukihily remonstrated that ”Don't mix all your real life with Brain Burst”, after his worshi+ped «Master» told him that, the kendo that was always inside of Takumu was renewed, and he wanted to do it here as well, so this spring he finally handed in the club joining application form
To Haruyuki's understanding, the reason Takumu invited Chiyuri and him to this tournament was to show his decision that: even if he lost, he would not use «Acceleration» in kendo again That was also the reason why Haruyuki stepped into the sports territory that he was truly intimidated by
”Body hit, winner decided!”
With the echo of the advising teacher's voice, Haruyuki's thoughts were interrupted
After returning to the start line, one 1st year student who lowered his shi+nai, with undisguised chagrin and stu footsteps, returned to the line of members On the other hand, the student that seely slender body around, and left the match area without a sound
Haruyuki who made a ”Hmm” sound as he chased that slender back with his eyes, was interrupted by the teacher's voice that came next
”Second round, first i White, Mayuzumi!”
Then, two students stood up Takagi was a 3rd year student, and Mayuzumi— Takuht, but for body size, Takagi was er
After bowing to each other, they stepped forward three steps to the starting line Haruyuki stared at the shape of Takuht in the middle
Thinking back, this was his first ti a kendo unifors of matches uploaded to the net, but the amount of inforht of the black shi+ning shi+nai they use, the hardness of the uniforms, and he seem to even smell the scent of the defensive equipment, so he involuntarily sed
For those kendo participants that did not change for over 100 years, the only differences were theout from under it
For different kind of sports o that they were allowed to participate while wearing a Neuro Linker
The reason for that, was mainly to display points obtained and match ti, it was used for effective judge co the Neuro Linker senses feedback function, that was easily determined
Naturally, during matches it is strictly checked for use of outside applications and Global Net connection But, there is one super program that can easily stay undetected by this kind of surveillance Without needing to be said, that is of course «Brain Burst»
During last year's summer Tokyo middle school kendo tournament, Takumu used «Acceleration» ability to win first place as a 1st year student However for that reason he used up tooBrain Burst, so he was finally cornered into putting a virus into Chiyuri's Neuro Linker to rob points from Kuroyukihime— aka Black Lotus
The regret for that action, even after Chiyuri and Kuroyukihiht now he still had that stain inside of him
However, returning to kendo gym like this, Takumu finally took a new step forward, Haruyuki felt it like that
”Ta-ku~n! Knock hi—!!”
While shrinking involuntarily from Chiyuri's unreserved cheer beside him, Haruyuki also put out as much sound as he could
”Ta-Taku! Fight Hard!!”
Against the 3rd year Takagi-so hit once
He easily won the next quarter finals And he also won the seement, and advanced to the finals
However, the talk of the tournament was not Takuh the tourna wins
”GlGlove hit! Winner decided!!”
The advisor's slightly higher sound, was overlayed with loud commotions ”There is an incredible 1st year” kind of ruh it was after school, in about tenthe match arena was almost full of students
Not even showing that he noticed any of that, the 1st year student that returned to the starting line with a sliding walk, was the slender participant that Haruyuki saw in the firston him was marked with the name Noumi
The height, was at most 155ce built upperclassmen, it was like adult and child, where a match was unthinkable
However, they could not hit hih speed hits from 3rd year students, aled by his reaction as if he predicted them Or he matched the hits with his own hits
According to Haruyuki's vague understanding of kendo, before the opponent started attacking, or finished attacking, it's not a coet in a hit that counts The early one is called front of front, and the late one is call front of behind, that means, how fast you can react to the eneht
With that point in mind, it was as if the 1st year Noumi had an ability beyond the rest
That's right— Ability
”Final match!! Red, Noumi! White, Mayuzumi!”
With the advising teacher's sound, Noumi and Takumu advanced towards the allery
The relatively tall Takumu for a middle school student, and Noumi who could only look like a eleht Even without thinking, the advantage is with Takumu Their reach is totally different But, thus far for opponents bigger than Noule hit
The ted to each other, then stepped to the starting line holding their shi+nai, aswas suddenly sed by silence For Haruyuki, he could al out of the sword tips of the two facing each other
”Begin!!”
—Right after that sound echo, two shouts and one iym
The first one tohe leaned forward, with an ”Meeeen!” psyche as he attacked With a barely within reach distance ai blow Noumi who has short reach could not counter attack, that hat it was supposed to be like
However, quicker than Takumu's shi+nai could hit
”Teeee!”
With that instant of psyche, Noulove And a loud Baan! i ripples in the air
Takuave Nouh
”Glove hit!”
With that sound and the rise of the red flag, finally the gallery and the over 30 members were in commotion Beside Haruyuki, Chiyuri with eyes wide also said ”Unbelievable!”
Haruyuki also felt that he could only say 'No way'
The first one to move was Takumu, that ithout doubt
And then, he was attacking the face of the opponent that was barely within his own reach During that attack, his glove was hit, how could that happen? Thatand path of Takumu's attack, and followed that prediction to place his shi+nai «ahead»— it could only logically be that way Not front of front, or front of behind It could only be said to be «front of middle»