Accel World Vol 4 Chapter 9 (1/2)
Chapter 9
April 19th
Friday
On the lunch of this day which was just a day away from Kuroyukihime’s return to Tokyo, Haruyuki went to the school cafeteria, cut through the long lines of tables and headed straight to the very back of the room
The place he was heading towards was the lounge In this place where, in addition to the unwritten rule that only second and third year students could use it, there were also many tables for the exclusive-use of so clubs, Haruyuki hadn’t never once set foot inside here until nohen Kuroyukihime wasn’t present
However, just this once, heup to a circular table there The students that were sitting there and eating lunch while pleasantly chatting raised their heads as they noticed Haruyuki approach
A club and softball club ere staring at this out-of-place student stepping up to them, Haruyuki walked up to the short first-year as the only one with his back to him, and called out to him in a low voice
“Nou to tell you Please come to the place where we talked for the first time”
And then, he turned around and left without waiting for an answer
While waiting for Nourove of trees that was at the back of the courtyard and outside of the range of the Social Cameras, Haruyuki recalled back to the day he had first met that first year student here
The underclassirl had declared to Haruyuki that the battle was over using a cheerful voice while s Just as he had said, Haruyuki’s situation had worsened thereafter the led
He had hit Nouht ability had been stolen in a Direct Connect duel after he was trarasped a co the Incarnate System in the Unlimited Neutral Field, he had been further defeated because of the unexpected intrusion of Chiyuri
Noumi’s attacks hadn’t stopped there, and in the real world he had spread ru camera perpetrator in the real world in order to corner Haruyuki, while in Accel World he had earned a vast as and Chiyuri, and further leveled up
At this rate, Nou Black Lotus, would be exposed to danger just as Takumu predicted
—However
This is as far as you go, Noumi
Hearing a twig snap fro from behind him, Haruyuki slowly turned around
Haruyuki saw the pure yet crafty smile on the face of the underclassman as he appeared fro oak tree—and then he spoke
“Game Over, Noumi Seiji…No, Dusk Taker”
“……What was that?”
Still s, Noumi tilted his head
“In other words, are you saying that you coive up, so please don’t bully me anymore’?”
“…No It s over with you is already over”
Haruyuki replied in a low voice, putting all his strength into his eyes while taking the sneering gaze from his opponent
Nouradually faded A detestable wrinkle was faintly etched between his brows
“…Senpai, you’re also soh I recognize your efforts in acquiring a stingy incarnate technique and picking up a fireworks-like Enhanced Armament, isn’t it already obvious that you can’t stand up to up to me no matter what kind of hand you have? You and Mayuzumi-senpai can only hold your thu, and rule over this school…no, over all of the Suginami area”
Haruyuki shook his head strongly and brushed off those words that were released in a knife-like cold voice
“No That won’t happen”
Haruyuki took one step forward—
And spoke in a clear voice
“The reason you don’t appear on the Matching List is because you have a second VR machine within your head…in other words, a Brain Implant Chip”
Instantly
The sudden change that struck Nouuess
Both his eyes widened greatly for a rated, and several thin lines of wrinkles ran to the bridge of his nose
“………”
Facing Nou, Haruyuki attacked even deeper
“If I’ht now Your school register tag that’s displayed in my vision shouldn’t disappear even if you do that”
Both Nouning ignorance by saying so’ Because, if Haruyuki anonymously conveyed his suspicions to the school authorities, Noumi would receive a head scan at the hospital with staff e the results of that scan were coally passing his entrance exa expelled from school he would be forced to receive treatment to have his BIC deactivated
The dareater than the punish camera
Nou to hide his fury, and spit out words in a hoarse voice
“…I thought you were a pig, but to think you were actually a rat Always darting about, sneakily sniffing around…”
“In that case, you should have crushedso was your mistake”
In response to Haruyuki’s retort, Nouer under control and gave a conteain
“Well, I’ll recognize that So? What do you intend to do? Do you wish to exchange ether? …Both o to the hospital, you’ll be sent to juvenile hall Furthermore, we’ll both eventually receive real world attacks and then lose Brain Burst…That can’t be the ending that you wish for, right, senpai?”
“If forced to, I’m not afraid to do so, but”
Tightly clenching his cold and sweating fist, Haruyuki spoke the ht about overnight
“—Nou the video ofthat there is a way to settle things without using those andeach other in the real world…the only way is to «duel»”
“Duel…?”
“That’s right, since you and I are both Burst Linkers Fro your Neuro Linker instead of your BIC In addition, you will cancel your once-per-day restriction and do nothing but continue to duel against me Until one of us either accepts defeat or loses all our Burst Points…Although, I have no intention to surrender, not until the last point is lost”
—And then, even if I were to lose, after that will be Takuht you
Noumi must have also heard those words that he added within his heart
Once again, Nouer and irritation appear on his face for only a very short time
“……Dueling Burst Linker Both of those are words that I hate No, it’s thethose words that I find truly detestable But…If that is senpai’s wish, it can’t be helped”
Changing his expression back to his usual thin sainst the trunk of an oak tree, and nier
“But, if we’re going to do things like that, I also have a proposal”
“…Proposal?”
“Yes Don’t you think it’s ridiculous for us to repeat acceleration duels dozens or worse hundreds of times until either me or senpai loses all our points? Also, even if one of us surrenders, hoill be secure in the veracity of those words?”
“Then, ould you have us do?”
“Let’s finish it in one go With Arita-senpai’s favorite «duel[1]»
Nouruesome smile etched onto his face
“In the Unli all of both side’s Burst Points in a single e all the points they have into an ite, it becomes winner takes all How about it, don’t you think that we can settle things smartly like this?”
“……”
After staring intently at Nou face for several seconds, Haruyuki shook his head slightly
“…Unfortunately, Noumi, I cannot trust you that h If it’s in the Unlimited Neutral Field, there’s no way to eliminate the possibility that you will make a comrade of yours lie in ambush at the location of the duel”
Then, Nourief’
“I think that there is also such a danger for uarantees First, you ht me in turns And secondly, you may postpone the tiht up until its starts If it’s like this, it’s realistically impossible for someone to lie in ambush”
“………”
Haruyuki held his breath, and quickly thought
In the Unlimited Neutral Field, time flowed 1000 times faster than in the real world For example, if he specified to Dive in at 5 PM at first and then postponed it enough until several seconds after that, a ti that interval If this postponement was repeated several tie, and it would be i with normal nerves
However, if gradual Dives and log-outs were repeated one after another instead, one would have to consume 10 Burst Points for each ti»-class
Speaking of an ambush in the Unlimited Neutral Field, Haruyuki recalled the case where the Yellow Legion had laid a trap for the Red King Niko during the Chroo, but he didn’t knohen they appeared there and they did not necessarily wait many months inside there for Niko The real world identity of «Cherry Rook», Disaster’s true form, had already been discovered by them due to the process of the Enhanced Armament transfer by Direct Connect, and as such he had likely been under surveillance and the time when he Dived was predicted
Since even that kind of method couldn’t be used here, it was surely impossible to set an aht
However, Haruyuki are that his knowledge regarding Accel World was still far froive an immediate answer
“…In that case, may I consult with Takumu?”
“Of course, go right ahead! Please consult with each other for as long as you like”
S, Noumi stepped back
“When you come to a conclusion, please inform me at this address Since I also want time to prepare myself”
He sent over an anonymous mail address to Haruyuki with a flick Haruyuki held his breath and watched Noumi’s back as he then simply turned around and walked away
He had an unpleasant feeling When Haruyuki had said the words ‘BIC’ to Nouht away just like that Now, he felt like the pace had once again been taken away fro time between them here
After confir, Haruyuki leaned against the trunk of a nearby tree and spoke with thought-speech
‘…What do you think, Taku?’
‘…It’s dangerous’
Taku to the entire conversation with Nouave that response
Haruyuki had already told Takuht about the matter of the BIC that he realized In addition, he had also told his with Nou Haruyuki, then Takue Noumi to local network duels until Noumi had no more Burst Points
Of course, they had considered the possibility of both of theainst the Level 6 Dusk Taker But, if they lost a norht? «When you Dive into the battlefield once, there is nothing but battle» That was the teaching of their master, Kuroyukihime
However, Nou that they had not expected Takuhts
‘It’s too dangerous, Haru In the Unli what may happen Even more so if the opponent is that Noumi’
‘Then, shall we reject his proposal?’
‘……’
Here, Takuain in Haruyuki’s mind in a lowered tone
‘…But, just as Nouuarantee things even if he surrenders…Since there reain someday…’
‘Hey, Taku Do you think there is a way to avoid the constraints of the «unfixed extension of the designated time» that Noumi spoke of and make an ambush ahead of time…?’
After sinking into silence again for several seconds, Takumu slowly answered
‘Either by having a huge ae amount of patience There shouldn’t be any other ways besides those The probleree to pay such a huge sacrifice…’
This tiht for a while, and then answered
‘H to soh In addition, the other one the BIC iht in Akihabara, is also probably aattached to the names of either of their avatars, it’s probably different froion…’
‘So they’re guys who earn Burst Points efficiently with the Brain Chip and then use them earnestly in the real world They really are «Acceleration Users» just as Noumi said before’
‘Yeah…Would guys like that cooperate to the point where they would almost infinitely waste points or time for the sake of Noumi’s personal circumstances…?’
Suddenly biting his lips, Haruyuki immediately continued
‘No, I don’t think so Considering Noue’ friends, that , if he had such a comrade, I think that Noumi…would surely have become a proper Burst Linker’
There was no basis for Haruyuki’s words, but Takureement
‘Yeah Yes…That’s exactly it This is a battle between us Burst Linkers and the Acceleration User Nouht…’
For a h the circuit of the Voice Call as a white flash
Haruyuki nodded his head and strongly transhts
‘Alright, I’ll accept the proposal I’ll send Nounated time after you and him finished club activities and return home…let’s say at 8 PM We’ll extend the time by 10 hest, so the possibility of an ambush will be lost’
‘Roger’
Letting out a little of the tension in his shoulders after hearing that striking-like answer, Haruyuki added more