Accel World Vol 4 Chapter 8 (1/2)
Chapter 8
“One…One hundred percent winning rate!?”
Lunch break the next day, Thursday the 18th
Haruyuki shouted in a shocked voice on top of bench on the rooftop of Umesato Middle School
“That…isn’t just a figure of speech, but they really didn’t lose even once…?”
Sitting next to hiht at the cafeteria on his knees
“Yeah, I heard it from an acquaintance of mine in the shi+njuku area Since he seems to have watched it all of Nou from their first one, appears to be true…He said that, once Dusk Taker’s gauge fills up and he starts flying, no duel avatars are able to do anything to him no matter what type they are”
“……”
After looking duer for a while, Haruyuki nodded
“…I see, so that’s how it is…Close-range types aren’t able to approach hie types tofirepower since he has a healer”
“Yeah —I don’t ht ability» was such a strong power that it couldn’t be embodied in an avatar unless all other potentials were throay But by stealing it froe techniques Right now, that guy has boundlessly deviated froeneral rule of same level, same potential» Furthermore, there are tactically no blind spots in Noumi either…”
Whilethe film around his sandwich in half, Takumu added more in a heavy voice
“Since the Level 7 and 8 rankers see Nou ill happen when they coainst theined”
“W-What do you mean…?”
“……Haru, so so Noumi becomes, when master…when Black Lotus returns, that person will solve the situation in a single stroke’, right? But…”
The moer Without noticing how he reflexively grasped it with all his strength and how the overflowing sauce fro on his hands, he shouted in a hoarse voice
“T-Taku…Are you saying she’d lose!? Senpai, against Noumi!?”
“I don’t want to consider it either! …But, at the very least, we have to admit that Noumi does intend to do that”
Haruyuki noticed how Taku as he tried to tear off the sandwich’s fil
“Yes…Nou Corner and put the three of us at a disadvantage during the week that ather only the trump cards that can let hiuy…intends to hunt the Black King, Black Lotus”
“Hu…Hunt…?”
“Yeah —In the past, I felt inclined to target the Black King just because she didn’t possess any fighting power in her duo as far as taken some of her points But Nou down Black Lotus in her original for…”
Haruyuki shook his head strongly as if to negate the cold feeling that was crawling down his back
“Impossible…As if, as if senpai would lose to a bastard like him!”
To Haruyuki, that beautiful jet-black avatar was the only absolute existence in Accel World No matter what kind of Burst Linker she faced, even if her opponent was another «King», he believed that there was no way she could lose
It was iainst a rule-breaking «Acceleration User» like Noumi It was impossible, but—
…If I were to hold her back
If this idiot that was tricked by a virus, was caught on video, and even lost his wings, were to dull that person’s sword
Or if the worst case situation were to become reality as well…
“—Haru”
Takuly
“Haru, nowe have to do Wewe can do until this Saturday”
“What we can do…but what’s that? We’re absolutely helpless as long as that guy is intercepting the Matching List”
After ly twisted and he continued
“Or else, are you saying we should also go to shi+njuku? Do you plan for the two of us to intrude onto Noumi’s team and take down Chiyu…?”
This ti while
Eventually, he removed his hand frolasses and answered back quietly
“——Please don’t say that to me”
“…Sorry”
After hanging his head as well and letting out a long breath, Haruyuki apologized
“Senpai and Chiyu can’t be compared, after all…For now, let’s believe That the people of Akihabara BG and Blood Leopard will solve the mystery of the list interception…”
Those words were closer to a prayer to God than hoping for so, but it was also a fact that there didn’t reain, that would only be like walking blindly down the road
While Haruyuki vigorously gnawed at his crushed hahtly cloudy sky
Once the clock struck 2 PM, Haruyuki slipped out in order to escape froed his shoes and left the school grounds at his fastest dash
He connected his Neuro Linker to the Global Net with a feeling of praying and check the anonymous mail box he had told to Blood Leopard, but—
“……Still nothing, huh…”
He understood that it wasn’t such a sie disappointment and dropped his shoulders
Kuroyukihi to return froht Although it was aforward to, now he also wished that she would reer in safe Okinawa for at least one more day
In the interval of 48 hours until then, they had to uncover Nouet back Chiyuri But right now, he couldn’t do anything else besides patiently waiting for information
Tor his head doard as far as possible and walked down the path towards his hoone hoone to club activities today, since he had skipped for three days in a row
He trudged toward his aparte of rain, and at the e entrance and looked up
The back of a fe in front of one of the two elevators on the far-off wall at the end and earing the same Umesato Middle School uniform as him came into his view
Short hair that ca she carried slanted Even just by seeing her from behind, Haruyuki immediately realized that it was Chiyuri —However, as she here, at a time like this?
Chiyuri was part of the track-and-field club, and ran around the track everyday right until it was time to leave school The time when she returned home should have been two hours later than Haruyuki as part of the going-home club When he saw her in the classrooht a cold either
After that familiar back vanished into the elevator and the door closed, Haruyuki finally realized
She was skipping club activities on Nou in shi+njuku, just like yesterday In order to use her avatar as bait and attract the ene to heal Dusk Taker who hovered above in the safety of the sky
“……Chiyu”
While htly Haruyuki didn’t understand this feeling that pushed up from the bottom of his stomach and that had the heat and density of melted metal But, when he pricked that heat and ht as the door opened, and on i the button for the floor two levels below his—the 21st floor
After he stepped out froain, he stopped in front of the door of the Kurashi+ma household He pushed the displayed chihtly
Chiyuri should also have already learned via the home server that the visitor was Haruyuki
After stubbornly standing there waiting, he finally heard the click of unlocking and the door opened
Perhaps aunty had gone shopping, since the one who stood in the apartment’s entranceas Chiyuri herself It see clothes, for she had re down from the neck of her shi+rt
Chiyuri slightly tilted her outwardly calle word
“…What?”
“I came, to talk”
Haruyuki iht of what he should talk about, but even so his mouth still moved almost automatically
“…I see”
Giving a short answer again, Chiyuri then turned around and returned inside Haruyuki held his breath, then went through the door, took off his shoes and followed after her
Half a year ago as well, Haruyuki had been driven by a similar impulse and visited Chiyuri’s room
The reason for that visit had been to direct connect with her and confirm whether Chiyuri was the unidentified Burst Linker «Cyan Pile» who had beenattacks in the Umesato local network back then
The visit this time as as similarly related to Brain Burst However, the situations differed greatly as much as they were similar Chiyuri was definitely the Burst Linker «Liainst Haruyuki and Takumu due to her oill
After sitting down on the bed with a thu stuffed anie numbers—probably some kind of sea creature on top on her knees, Chiyuri spoke once again
“What do you want to talk about?”
While standing near the door, Haruyuki let out the words as his moved his mouth
“…You skipped your club activities, didn’t you?”
“Yeah”
When Chiyuri gave only that azes with her firmly, and asked another question
“Is that part of Noumi’s instructions?”
“…If it is?”
“If that’s so, then stop It's wrong to give priority to Brain Burst in real life”
Then, Chiyuri’s expression changed for the first tihtly and her sharp voice returned
“Speak for yourself Haru, howbut Brain Burst?”
“Th…That’s not true I’otten about my homework because of it”
“And in exchange, you pour in all your other time into it…”
In that instant, Chiyuri shut her mouth
And she suddenly cracked a smile
“Let’s stop It’s just a game Let’s not become so serious about it”
She was brightly s, but Haruyuki, who had seen Chiyuri’s face for such a long tirasped the very faint aardness that was hiding in that expression But Chiyuri sht hand
“…It’s aone up two levels The people in the gallery said that going froht be the fastest record in the history of Brain Burst I can’t even count the nuotten”
“……Chiyu”
Calling out her name in a voice that seemed to catch in his throat, he took a step forward
“I’, so you don’t have to worry Since ht even as a solo I’ve already gotten the knack of dueling…”
“Chiyu!!”
He said it again in a half-cry, and words burst forth from Haruyuki’s throat like a stream
“Chiyu, you’re obeying Nouht!? He told you that he would subht!? In that case, you don’t have to worry about such a threat! Noumi can’t use it, because even he understands that if he did, I would release his real world infor…That video can only be used to threaten notabout it already!”
—‘It’s useless even if I say this’, even though he should have understood those words intellectually
If Noumi exposed that video, Haruyuki would almost certainly be expelled On the contrary, it was quite possible that he would be arrested and, as result of a trial in family court, be sent to Juvenile Hall
As long as that possibility existed at all, Chiyuri would continue to obey Noumi That was because—she was Chiyuri Because she was his childhood friend who always tried to protect Haruyuki since long ago
“………”
After turning down her gaze and becoain
“That’s not how it is, Haru I just want to collect points quickly and raise my level I said this before the other day as well”
“That’s…That’s not like you at all!”
Haruyuki shouted as tears flowed down fro aware of it
“I’m the one, I’m the one that’s completely at fault here! I let him manipulate me just like he wanted and let him take hold of my various weaknesses, and on top of that…if even you are stolen away by him, I don’t knohat to do…”
As Haruyuki slued his head doards, in his ears—
The similar tearful voice of Chiyuri reached him