Accel World Vol 4 Chapter 12 (2/2)
“…So, how does Noumi seem…?”
“He’s a completely ordinary first-year club member now Like an evil spirit has coh he was also bright and cheerful on the surface until now, so no one besides us may be able to notice the difference…”
Taking a short pause, Takumu muttered in a hoarse voice
“Haru, I can’t help but wonder Between Noumi now and us, which is normal, and which is abnormal…?”
“It’s already decided We’re the abnormal ones”
The one that made that snap declaration was Kuroyukihime
Her next actions of leaning her body on the back of her chair and nis, nity
The Black King looked at each of her subordinates in turn, and added with a fearless smile
“However, it’s the path that we chose ourselves Isn’t that right?”
After blinking, Takuave a small smile
“…That’s exactly right,the contents of this talk to Chii-chan…”
“Yeah For the ti, we’ll conceal it from her”
Bowing his head, Takumu stood up from his seat, picked up his blue Neuro Linker on the table, and walked away at a trot as his black hakama swayed
Once he couldn’t be seen anymore, Kuroyukihime looked intently at Haruyuki, and whispered in a s with an ‘Also’
“—Even if I were to lose Brain Burst and all et about you I definitely wouldn’t forget”
While feeling the sensation of so firmly inside his chest, Haruyuki earnestly answered back
“Yes Me too… Me too I won’t forget about just you, senpai”
“Yes, I believe you”
Sreatly once, and spoke
“Then, with this, would you say that this series of incidents is over for the present?”
In response to that question, Haruyuki hesitated for a while, and then shook his head slowly
“No…There’s still just one more promise I have to take care of”
“Hoh, what is it?”
Facing Kuroyukihime as she tilted her head
Haruyuki spoke while bowing his head greatly
“—I have a favour to ask Please cos…Sky Raker”
5 PM
Haruyuki and Kuroyukihiether
They walked down Ouhway in silence, and turned north on the way They followed a narrow road and headed towards Kouenji Station
After Kuroyukihime had sent a typed ot ten minutes after consisted only of two lines of text that specified the time and location
In order to head to theplace, the terrace of the south entrance of the shi+njuku Station, the two of them rode on the Chuo Line from the station
Kuroyukihime remained in couess what kind of thoughts were passing through her mind
Since he had regained his flight ability, he had to return the Enhanced Armament «Gale Thruster» to Sky Raker That was the promise he had made to her
However, Haruyuki had also carelessly forgotten to ask her for her contact information in the real world Therefore, he asked Kuroyukihime, who probably knew an anonymous address to contact her
Strictly speaking, there was also theSky Raker’s «Child», Ash Roller However, Haruyuki dared to choose to rely on Kuroyukihi even ether, and got her to follow hi place
Haruyuki didn’t knohether what he was doing was right or not
However, theshe had transferred her Enhanced Arly imprinted on his memories
I was foolish, and therefore lost a friendshi+p
Accel World’s recluse had said that to Haruyuki
Haruyuki, who knew nothing of what had occurred between her and Kuroyukihi
‘But’, thought Haruyuki Even if that friendshi+p was truly lost, was there any reason not to regain it once again? After all, both of them still remembered each other They had carved their ether, deep into their minds
Yes—those ether
When the train gently slid into the platforers, Haruyuki and Kuroyukihime went up the elevator and came out from the southern entrance that opened widely at the front
The shi+njuku Southern Terrace was a shopping e pyra between the crowded shoppers, the two of them rode the central escalator
Kuroyukihime still remained silent
Though he thought ‘Maybe I should say so
The huge auto panels, and carried the two of them past them Eventually, they arrived at the top of the pyramid
The open terrace on the top floor reached 100 round Of course, it couldn’t cos, but it still commanded an unbroken view of the shi+njuku Station terminal, the countless train tracks, and the various trains that kept co was still chilly, and there were very few silhouettes standing in this wind-blown place
Haruyuki and Kuroyukihime walked all the way to the handrail of the northern side by side at the evening landscape below them
5:30 PM
S from behind reached Haruyuki’s ears
He sucked in a big breath—and turned around Kuroyukihime did too, a little delayed after him
Against the background of red-purple clouds, that person stood there while s
Her soft-looking long hair swayed in the breeze The skirt of her uniform fluttered, and her white hand was pressed down over it
She hts move another step forward, and—
The recluse that lived on the Old Tokyo Tower, the a Nebulas, «Sky Raker» first spoke to Haruyuki
“Good evening, Karasu-san”
And then, her gaze turned towards Kuroyukihihtly, she spoke once again
“…Good evening, Lotus”
As a lot of feelings got stuck in his chest, Haruyuki could only bow his head down deeply However, Kuroyukihiave a smile just like Sky Raker’s, and spoke
“It’s been a long time, Raker”
“…Yes, it truly has In the real world, it’s been two years In Accel World…I don’t kno long it’s been anymore”
“Indeed”
They let out a ‘Fufu’ laugh at the same time, but the two of them didn’t try to approach each other any further
Haruyuki clenched his teeth tightly, took several steps forward, and then bowed once again
“Us”
Sky Raker nodded gently with a kind smile
“So you got thes…no, your hope”
“Yes It’s all thanks to you”
And then Haruyuki took out from his pocket a XSB cable he had prepared, inserted own of its two ports into his Neuro Linker, and held out the other end
Sky Raker accepted it, and connected it to her own Neuro Linker without hesitation
The re-transfer of the Enhanced Arh a Direct Connect duel was done quickly without any conversation at all After issuing the transfer request , accepting it, issuing the draw request, and also accepting that, they Burst Out
When they returned to the real world the next instant, the «Gale Thruster» had already returned to its proper owner After detaching the cable and returning it to Haruyuki, Sky Raker sain
“I definitely received it……Then, I’ll be going now”
And then she looked at Kuroyukihihtly bowed
Taking one, two steps back along with a faint servo sound, Sky Raker htly
“…Karasu-san If it’s you, you’ll surely fly to the heights that I couldn’t reach I’ll be cheering for you…do your best”
She sht wink Then, she walked aith firm steps
But, Haruyuki definitely saw it
The s eyes and drew a silver trail through the air
Hanging her bag behind her back, Sky Raker walked far aith unslackening footsteps
Under the evening sky, the sight of her back gradually changed into a silhouette
Suddenly, Kuroyukihime, who had remained completely silent until now, took several steps forith staggering footsteps
But, she stopped a little ahead of Haruyuki, and tightly clenched her hands as if enduring so
—Senpai
——Senpai!!
Haruyuki shouted within his mind
Please, Kuroyukihi for your hand So, come on……
Come on!
Haruyuki strained all of his ht in front of hi his hand
At that instant
TATA She ran several more steps forward
And Kuroyukihinified voice
“Raker!!”
That receding back tre breath as both her shoulder shook, and she shouted once again
“…Come back, Fuuko! I need you!!”
The instant she heard those words, Sky Raker hanged her head down deeply
Her left leg took another step forward—
It tried to, but stopped As if the CPU that controlled her artificial leg resisted the cos being outputted from her soul
Little by little, little by little, she pulled back her leg
Sky Raker slowly, slowly turned around
Her lips moved, and released a very faint voice
“…Sacchan[3]”
And then, a silent question
—Is it okay?
Kuroyukihiain
“…Fuuko”
I towards each other
They threay their bags at the sahtly faster than Kuroyukihime’s, Sky Raker opened her arms to catch her
Holding the girl with black hair just a little shorter than hers to her chest, the face of girl called Fuuko became distorted
Large tears rolled down her cheeks
“U…uaaan……”
As if she had been always bearing it since she appeared on this terrace—
No, since the time she had started to live in seclusion on the Old Tokyo Tower, Sky Raker buried her face in Kuroyukihis
“Aaan…Waaaaaan!”
The still Kuroyukihi voice, and reached Haruyuki’s ears
Unable to keep watching that too beautiful and too precious scene any longer, Haruyuki turned his head upwards, so that tears of his own didn’t roll down
In thefroh thin white clouds and flying to an even high place shone and flashed silver
(END)
References
↑ Here Kuroyukihilish pronunciation, which literally translates as “quantum communication device”
↑ Microtubules is the English word given in furigana, while the kanji beneath it reads as ”microtubular structures” Also, the same ter ”Fluctlights”
↑ Here, Fuuko is presu Kuroyukihime by a nickna the pattern of Chiyuri's nicknainning of her name which starts with ”Sach-” with the suffix ”chan”