Accel World Vol 8 Chapter 1 (2/2)

—Reach, him!

Acco echo, Haruyuki’s shout inside his heart resounded throughout the field

The pure, shi+ning silver light h it, and progressed little by little, little by little

It was no longer a sword Extending froht arm was Haruyuki’s own flesh-and-blood arm

—Taku!!

—I, need, you!!

At the tip of his hand extended with all his loo

It was a white left hand, armor-less like his own It was Takumu’s hand, filled with hard calluses fros

His tightly squeezed fingers treain, and relaxed once again While wavering, they reached forth, trying to approach Haruyuki’s hand…

At that moment

In the space between the two of theht sharply exploded like an infinite number of needles

“!?”

Pulled back froination circuits to the duel field, Haruyuki saw an unbelievable sight

On Cyan Pile’s right ar his chest, the eyeball-shaped «ISS Kit» infesting the surface of his «Pile Driver» opened its «eye» wide as if it were about to spill out and deeply scattered a light rese fresh blood

Fro like blood vessels gathered in a place about ten centimeters away and created a round protuberance

The protuberance rapidly grew to the same size as that of the adjacent eyeball The black tissue surface split sideith a snap What was slowly opening vertically was nothing other than an eyelid What appeared from within was another eyeball—

Froht arht stared at Haruyuki froe From their interiors, Haruyuki could surely feel the will of soer The impetus to destroy The thirst for multiplication And then—hatred

“Wh…why!”

It was Takuh his left fist, who had shouted This was probably an unexpected phenomenon to he himself as well

“I haven’t given the command yet! Despite that, why have the «Clones»!?”

At al of those words—fros of the second eyeball, over ten black, thin tentacles extended forth and pierced Silver Crow’s breast

Cold

No, hot

The abnorh his entire body’s nervous system It holly as if ice water had been poured into all his blood vessels using sharp needles The cluster of capillary tubes resehis heart, coiling around his lungs, cli inside his head—

Haruyuki became unable to move He couldn’t let out his voice either

Although his avatar’s chest had been penetrated deeply by over ten tentacles, his HP gauge only a few percent re had not decreased even one dot But that in itself expressed the abnor froularly and flickered His extended «Laser Sword» also ht snow

Under ordinary circumstances, at this instant the two’s Mind Power equilibrium would have collapsed, and Cyan Pile’s «Dark Bloould have blown Silver Croithout a trace

However, that had not happened As for why, at the same time Haruyuki’s Mind Power had swayed, Takumu had also retracted his left hand and had shouted

“Don’t you…dare touch Haru!!”

While still enveloped in an aura of darkness, his left hand grabbed hold of the bundle of black wires that had been fired forth fro his entire body, he pulled with all hiscreature the wires shuddered, fighting and refusing to be pulled out

The eyes of Haruyuki, whose body was nu to pull the black tentacles violently with his left hand, met

He had a feeling—that Takumu had sed with deep resignation that he had shown several ti this duel It was the trustworthy, warm smile that was always there if he looked sideways that Haruyuki had seen in their day-to-day fighting alongside each other

Cyan Pile’s right arm moved; he pushed the ainst his own throat

“…T, Taku!”

Froly squeezed out that single word—

At exactly the same time, Takumu resolutely called the technique name

“«Lightning Cyan Spike»!!”

Fro ht vehemently burst forth Immediately after, fro pointed at the sky of the Scorched Earth stage rose high, high up

Takuh his avatar’s vital spot, unsteadily leaned backward; right before he was about to fall, he held his ground His entire HP gauge, which was still reht red and drained precipitously froht—and reached zero

Thedeeply inside Haruyuki’s body and about to reach the center of his head at any ed out of his chest and disappeared as if dissolving into the air

The «second eye» born froht arm also closed its eyelid as if vexed and disappeared as if being absorbed into the first eyeball

“…I’lad it’s over…”

He said that one phrase—

The bulky blue body of Cyan Pile, who had colass and dispersed in all directions

In the center of the Scorched Earth stage, which had turned into the shape of a violently burnt, enorht ar

As if to escape fro words «YOU WIN!» displayed in the center of his field of vision, he looked up at the sky of the stage deepening into twilight

An ineffable whirlpool of emotions filled his bosom, overflowed from his eyes, and blurred the sky’s purplish red color The duel ended, and until the moment when he withdrew from the Accelerated World, Haruyuki’s avatar’s shoulders only quietly trembled

When he returned to the real world, the moment he opened his eyelids Haruyuki felt a drop of water splatter on his right cheek

It was the teardrop Takumu had spilled the instant before the direct connection duel had begun

Takumu, who had burst out at nearly the saht shoulder of Haruyuki, as lying prone on the bed, and was still grabbing the direct connection cable with his right Takulasses, a new drop of water was born and fell drip, drip onto his lenses Directly above Haruyuki, his lips slightly quivered, and he let out a hoarse voice

“…I…”

However, unable to say any more than that, Takumu slowly fell prostrate and tumbled with a thump to the left side of Haruyuki

The two of theonally next to each other on the wide single-sized bed

At the tip of his vision—on Taku, there was a thin polyfilm printed A2-sized poster affixed

The subject of the poster was an adult kendo practitioner Due to the fact that there was not a single word on the poster, it was probably a picture Takumu had found and printed himself Since the co an overhead face strike frole, the tip of his shi+nai[1] was blurred Although it wasthat Haruyuki’s body felt hot just by looking at it

Through the direct connection cable still linking their two Neuro Linkers, Haruyuki asked a single thought

Is that kendo practitioner your teacher, your senior?

After a slight pause, a quiet ansas returned

“No That person was last active fifty years ago”

“Which et?”

“…Rather than that…the person whom I respected, probably It’s too presuet” At any rate, he won the national kendo championshi+p six times in the nineties That record hasn’t been broken in the fifty years that have passed from then to now”

“By the hat’s the second place record?”

“Three tih”

If that were true, then basically the kendo practitioner in the photo was the best swordsman of the real world japan—no, of the entire world The ht that, Haruyuki murmured

“I wonder what kind of a feeling it was to be that strong…he probably doesn’t hesitate or worry at all…”

“…After he had retired and became a mentor, he said this in an interview «I still haven’t been able to grasp anything I’ at the entrance of a pitch-black tunnel»”

“…Huh…I see…”

Inadvertently letting out a sigh, Haruyuki expressed his train of thought

“…But you know, if it were pitch-black, then you wouldn’t be able to knohether there were an entrance there Maybe the exit’s right there”

He cut short his thoughts for a moment, then continued

“Co myself to that person is at a level far beyond presuain up until now that I was in the middle of a tunnel with no exit…but there was an exit Without fail, it was there…the next tunnel will come soon, but…in spite of that…”

While earnestly searching for the right words, Haruyuki turned his face left and saw the side of Takuhty centilasses traversing his white cheeks, his pupils, stillposter

Resolving hile, crucial phrase in his natural voice

“—Taku At first, for my sake you stopped the Incarnate attack…«Dark Blow», didn’t you In order to save ainst the «ISS Kit» and shot yourself, didn’t you I believe that that action was the true you Even if you once obtained the «Kit» and wielded its power of darkness…I believe that you will sever yourself from its seduction and be able to break out of the tunnel”

He had been unable to say those worlds until now because he was afraid that when their conversation was over, Takumu would stood up, bid hienta Scissor» as well as the «Acceleration Research Society»

Though Haruyuki was holding his tongue, for a while Taku

After a good ten seconds had passed, he said so his natural voice

“Haru…Yesterday, at the vocal solo presentation during ht?”

“…Uh, uh huh”

While being bewildered, he nodded Takulance, then continued while faintly s

“Even though there were several other set pieces to choose fro in the past?”

“Ah…that’s true…”

The anxiety in his chest slightly went away, and Haruyuki also somewhat smiled wryly

“…Well, I didn’t have a clear reason why I didn’t like it though…how should I put it; in the past, I thought that song had «so that will not come true» as its premise”

“…”

While regarding Taku silent to press hio on, Haruyuki moved his mouth

“I h…before the very first instance of the lyrics “If you will grantthat…the line “Though I knoon’t be granted” was before it That was too”

He returned his gaze to the ceiling and raised his right hand With his fingertips, he caressed the sky that was there beyond the wallpaper and concrete

“However…when I listened again to the reference sound source in the hoht that…maybe it wasn’t like that Um…ummm…”

Explaining his state ofhis upward-facing right hand like a bird, Haruyuki moved his mouth earnestly

“…In that song,true aren’t that io to the “free sky without sorrow” so forward one step at a ti…basically…uh…what’s important is that…”

His language processing ability finally reached its limit at that point In place of Haruyuki, who had become only able to flap his mouth open and shut, Takumu murmured softly

“It’s not the «result» but the « precious exists…”

“Y, yeah My point exactly”

Tightly clenching his still raised right hand, Haruyuki braced himself and spoke

“Kuroyukihith» is not a word that only indicates having victory as the end result In addition to that, shi+no forward even when losing, falling over, and failing…When I think thatto say…I’ve always disliked that song until now, but maybe I feel that it was just a little bit inexcusable of ht just be that if I become able to fly in the Accelerated World, I will also have been able to forgive that song…”

While lowering his ar it behind his head, Haruyuki added another phrase with a bitter laugh

“One way or another, lad that sound recordings at school without prior approval are restricted”

“It wasn’t terrible, Haru”

Haruyuki turned his eyes to the speaker of those words; he saw Taku Takumu softly closed his eyelids and murmured as if to remember yesterday’s class

“You didn’t notice, but Chii-chan was secretly crying While listening to you sing “Please Give Me Wings” with all your ht”

“Eh…”

Haruyuki was suddenly at a loss for words, but Taku away his smile

“If I were the o, the moment I saw Chii-chan like that I would have definitely inevitably beco…But…but you knoas also happy then I was happy in seeing you boldly sing that song and in seeing Chii-chan hear it and be moved to tears At that moment…only at that moment, as if we had returned once more to the past…to our circle of three people…”

His voiced abruptly quivered at the end of the sentence; below his tightly closed eyelids, transparent drops flowed sain

Touched with es But he im up his upper body with his elbow

“It’s not «like the past» It’s «now» That’s hoe are at the moment Taku, Chiyu and I, we need you now!”

For an instant, as if trying to flee from those words, Takumu averted his face to the left

However, Haruyuki had the conviction that his words would reach his old friend’s heart Having clashed all-out in the Accelerated World, through fist and fist—

Several seconds later

Takuain, looked at Haruyuki with hisvoice

“…Haru I wonder if I’ with the black emotions inside my heart…I wonder if I’ll be able to aim for the «sky» and be able to continue to walk forward…”

“O…obviously, Taku! You’re continuing to change too Fro Cyan Spike» hich you shot yourself in the end is the proof of that”

Haruyuki sidled up to Takuht hand He stared hard beyond the blue glasses ith tears—

“Taku, Give me just a bit y starting at 7:00 PM, I will definitely return alive from the Imperial Palace with shi+nomiya-san She’ll definitely be able to purify you of your «ISS Kit» One more day…for just one more day, resist the temptation of the Kit, Taku”

“…”

Takumu did not respond immediately to Haruyuki’s earnest persuasion

He covered his eyes; at last, he squeezed out a tense voice

“…Yesterday night, I received the Kit froaya area At that point, the Kit was still in the «Sealed Card» state In spite of that…when I came home, finished my meal and my bath, and slept in this bed…that spoke to er, hatred, jealousy, and every other negative feeling into me Furtherhout the night, I saw a long, long dream…when I woke up, …”

Haruyuki felt Takuh his pal his head even more, whispered forlornly wholly as if he had returned to his elementary school days

“…Haru I’m scared…it’s not just in oing to show me in its unsealed form…will I be able to be myself as I am now until tomorrowI’m unbearably scared of that…in our duel at first, I already no longer hesitated to wound you cruelly…”

—Although he was not equipping a Neuro Linker, he was being interfered with in the real world

In principle, it was impossible However, in truth it was a phenomenon Haruyuki had also experienced firsthand Haruyuki himself had heard the voice of the «Disaster Ar his Neuro Linker

However, if he thought about it, the «Thought Acceleration» i was an absurd super-phenoo Haruyuki had witnessed an actual example of a Burst Linker who had lost Brain Burst and had had his memories manipulated and deleted

In short, that programmed possessed the ability to interfere with humans’ consciousnesses—with their very souls If that were so, it wouldn’t be strange if soht Those were all he could do

Haruyuki seized with even greater strength the left shoulder of Taku bit by bit, and spoke

“Then, Taku, today you’re going to stay at my place”

“…Huh?”

That must have been completely unexpected to him; to Takuan to jabber at high speed

“Like in the past, if we sleep together in a huddle while playing games, you won’t have the time to see any scary dreams But if it’s just two people, we can’t really call it sleeping in a huddle If that’s so, let’s call Chiyu too If we say we’re doing our hoether, my mom will also allow it Wait, in reality we had homework for math and japanese, didn’t we Then you’ll take care of math, Chiyu’ll do japanese, and I’ll serve the tea Did you know? If we open the homework file in the Initial Acceleration space/Blue World, that stingy file protection will become invalid, and we’ll be able to copy our answers!”

To the vehe Haruyuki, Takumu rounded his eyes but—

When he looked again at Takumu’s mouth, Haruyuki could make out a bitter smile that seemed to say “it can’t be helped”

“…In the past, we often followed your lead like that and did quite a nury at us”

“Did I do that? I don’t remember”

With his released right hand, which had been gripping Takuest tiain wearing an ironic slasses and wiped his eyes with a jerk before speaking

“It can’t be helped…you shouldn’t let exhaustion froy tomorrow I’ll come help you out However, as your Burst Linker senior, I can’t allow you to use a point just for the purpose of copying answers Since I’ll be teaching you how to approach the problem, you should do the calculation by yourself”

“What—…”

While appearing displeased, Haruyuki blinked several ti in

The «ISS Kit» inside Takumu had not yet disappeared Even now, it was on the alert, surely looking for another opportunity Similar to how Haruyuki’s «Disaster Armor» had done so

However, only one time, even if for only one ar power of the Ainal, «The Destiny» If he could, then Taku to resist the lure of the Kit for twenty-four more hours until the «Shrine Maiden of Purification» Ardor Maiden returned alive fro like this to stand up once more from the abyss of despair and walk forth…

“—All right, then if it’s decided, let’s go to my place now! Let’s stock up on food at the mall belohile we’re at it No wait, if we call Chiyu we’ll get a bonus item, won’t we…”

While laughing, Taku deeply

“Who you really want to call isn’t Chii-chan; you want the food prepared by her ht?”

“N, no, well, those two are indivisible…if you mention Chiyu, I think of refreshments, and if you mention refreshments, I think of Chiyu…”

“Uh oh, I’ Chii-chan what you just said now”

“It, it was a joke! W-well, I’ll et your mom’s permission”

Atte to steer him away from his improper remark, Haruyuki stood up from the bed

At the moment when he was about to pull out the XSB cable still inserted into his Neuro Linker nonchalantly—

In the depths of his ht voice resounded like a raindrop falling onto a water surface

“…Thank you, Haru I’lad…to be able to remain friends with you”

With his back still turned to his dear friend, Haruyuki, who had strongly reflected upon those words, returned only a single, equally ht

“Me too, Taku”

References

↑ A bamboo japanese sword used in kendo