However, right now, at the climax of the huge Hermes Cord Traversing Race event, Rust Jigsaw’s incarnate technique was being released in full view of over five hundred Burst Linkers.
The gallery viewers should have strongly realized it through their own senses. Realized the irrationality of the spectator stands that should have been protected from collapsing, and of the HP gauges that should have been locked being blown away. And the existence of a different power that was overriding the normal system.
“Why…such a thing?”
Sky Raker feebly whispered while shaking her head. Haruyuki painfully understood her feelings.
She probably believed in the light side of the Incarnate System the most among all Burst Linkers. She prayed that, not hatred or fear, but hope itself was the greatest power in Accel World. For Raker, this spectacle that a power that embodied the ultimate hate while hurting many Burst Linkers must have been unbearable.
“Master…”
When he turned around and said that, Haruyuki noticed something at the edge of his vision, and frantically returned his body forward.
In the direction their shuttle was dashing towards while just barely staying out of the effect range of Jigsaw’s big technique «Rust Order», many protruding objects were sticking out from the surface of the elevator. They were probably obstacles for heating up the race. Though he would have been enthusiastic to display his skills here if they weren’t in this kind of situation, Haruyuki couldn’t help but be terrified right now. It was absolutely impossible to go straight at high speed among the antennas and tanks standing in close proximity to each other, and if he reduced his speed even a little, they would be caught in Jigsaw’s mind power.
As Haruyuki gritted his teeth, the loud sound of a second floating spectator stand collapsing and countless screams reached his ears.
“Damn it…damn it!!”
Haruyuki unconsciously cried out. His vision became blurred in rainbow colors as tears fell from his eyes.
—Even though this was a race that filled me with greatest excitement. Even though I united together with my greatest friends and was competing with my greatest rivals. And most of all—even though I was so, so close to bringing Raker-san to the «end of the sky» that she wished for so much!!
“As if I’ll…let us lose here—!!”
Shouting that and brushing away his tears, Haruyuki glared ahead.
He couldn’t accept that this race was going to be broken by hatred under the name of mind power. He’d fight to the end. He’d resist.
In order to advance forward while avoiding the incarnate attack, he had to escape from the obstacle zone without reducing speed even once. Although Jigsaw’s No.10 shuttle had overwhelmingly less weight loaded on it than theirs, since he was running the shuttle while only pressing down on the accelerator as he released his big technique, his running speed was the same as the No.1 shuttle of Haruyuki’s team. If they continued maintaining this distance between them, Haruyuki’s team should be able to jump through the goal first without getting caught by the storm of rust.
As if becoming one with his machine, Haruyuki concentrated all his nerves into the steering wheel he gripped with both hands, the accelerator pedal he was stepping on with his right foot, and the seat his waist was sticking to.
After several seconds, the fast shuttle jumped into the center of the group of antennas that irregularly covered the tower’s surface.
“Kuh…oh…”
While leaking out his voice from the gaps between his clenched teeth, he avoided the steel antennas that flew past him to the left and right one after another. Since he couldn’t ease down the accelerator, it would be over the moment he broke his posture. Just before the magnetic forces emitted from all four linear wheels could no longer grip the steel surface, he did another last minute turn.
The four people in back also seemed to grasp Haruyuki’s determination. Without saying anything, they would push their weight on the opposite side whenever the machine tilted in one direction due to turning. Through this desperate cooperation play, the No.1 shuttle continued to desperately escape the looming storm of mind power by just a few centimeters.
Even when the No.10 shuttle rushed into the obstacle zone, it didn’t pause through the course at all. The antenna and tanks blocking its way were changed into lumps of rust and blown away one after another. Even though more than five minutes had passed since «Rust Order» had been activated, the raging light of mind power showed no sign of weakening at all.
Continuously maintaining a large-scale «Override» like this for such a long time required a terrifyingly intense imagination. At the same time as he shuddered at the depths of the hatred contained within it, Haruyuki also harbored some slight doubts.
This wasn’t his first time facing Rust Jigsaw. Two months ago, within the duel stage at «Akihabara Battle Ground», Haruyuki had fought and won against Jigsaw while teaming up with Blood Leopard in a tag team.
However, back then, Jigsaw hadn’t tried to use any incarnate techniques at all. Based on his words and conduct today, he would have absolutely used it back then if he could. Therefore, there were only two reasons for this that he could think of. Jigsaw’s incarnate techniques consisted of only this «Space Erosion-type» technique which was also accompanied by a risk to his brain the longer he use it, or he had been forbidden to use any mind power by his superiors.
If it was the latter, it meant that a huge change of policy had occurred within the mysterious «Acceleration Research Society» during these past two months. That was because the actions of Rust Jigsaw, who had been speaking recklessly, must have been done with the approval of his organization in that case. The fact that «Black Vise», who called himself the group’s vice-president, had been helping him was proof of that. Just what was the objective of the «Acceleration Research Society» by doing such large scale subversive activities…?
The reason that Haruyuki was also able to think about such things even at the corner of his mind was because he had managed to memorize the arrangement pattern of the obstacles to some extent. Although it was complex, the antennas were arranged in accordance with fixed rules. After that, he just had to repeatedly dodge left and right without a single mistake. He had already done this kind of action many times in the racing games he had played endlessly up until now—
However, at that instant. Haruyuki realized that that pattern itself was the greatest obstacle of this area.
Just as he was getting used to the arrangement of the antennas and relaxed a bit in his mind, the arrangement rules changed entirely.
“Guh……”
While groaning quietly, he desperately operated the steering wheel. As the shuttle unsteadily shook left and right, its sides chafed against obstacles he couldn’t dodge, and bright sparks were scattered in the air.
And after several seconds, as if to ridicule Haruyuki’s hard struggle, a group of antennas lined up side by side blocked the path ahead. There was no space to pass between them. He had to dodge them by turning hard to the right or left. But at this speed, he would barrel roll the moment he spun the wheel.
By the time he determined that, Haruyuki’s right foot had already reflexively let go of the accelerator and pushed down on the brakes. As the magnetic force of its wheels twisted, the shuttle entered a right turn while falling forward.
That slight deceleration—was not overlooked by the storm chasing them from behind.
“Haru……!!”
At the same time as Takumu shouted, the back of their shuttle was swallowed by dull red.
A strange vibration was transmitted to him from the steering wheel. Even without looking at his rear-view mirror, he understood that the shuttle’s beautiful silver body was being rapidly corroded and falling off in chunks. Haruyuki resisted panicking and tried re-accelerating the shuttle once it finished turning. —However, it didn’t produce the same reliable acceleration that it had just a while ago.
It wasn’t just the body, even th
e back linear wheels were being rusted. The No.1 shuttle desperately tried to dash forward using just the magnetic force emitted from its front disks, but the output was only half of that of before.
“Guh…!”
“Kyaaah!?”
Immediately after hearing Takumu and Chiyuri’s cries, Kuroyukihime and Fuuko sitting in front of them, and even Haruyuki in the driver’s seat were caught in the jaws of the red storm.
“…Hahahaha! Corrode! Degrade! And crumble—!!”
Jigsaw’s high-pitched laughter reached them from far away. However, Haruyuki didn’t have the time to stop and listen to him.
—Hot! His entire body was wrapped in sharp pain, as if he were being showered in boiling water. When he looked down, Silver Crow’s shining beautiful silver armor was clouded over in white all over, and small holes were drilling into it. Synchronized with that phenomenon, the HP gauge in his upper left vision was quickly being shaved away as if ridiculing the [LOCKED] display.
Withstanding the pain, Haruyuki turned around.
And his face reflectively distorted. The other four passengers were similar having their duel avatars’ armors encroached all over, and were bending over their bodies as they withstood the pain. Although the metal color Silver Crow was weak to corrosion attacks in the first place, to think that it would also eat this much into Kuroyukihime and the others who were normal colored. Jigsaw’s mind power was no longer the image of just «iron rust» anymore. Just as he had shouted out just now, it was a «decay» that was closer to «degradation» at its core.
“Ah…aah…!”
A thin scream leaked out from Chiyuri’s mouth as she apparently couldn’t bear the pain. Hearing that, Takumu tried to put his body over her to protect her, but the red light slipped inside every gap and cruelly withered Lime Bell’s fresh green color.
“Bell…!”
Sky Raker called out her name, and for an instant, cast her gaze downwards as if hesitating over something.
But the next instant, she raised her head and held her thin right arm up high.
“…Raker.”
Whatever Kuroyukihime had to say was stopped by her left hand—and then Fuuko released a vivid sky blue light from her raised palm.
«Over-Ray». The radiance of a firm will that was released from the depths of the heart.
“«Wind Veil!!»[50]
Following the loud technique name declaration—the wind blew.
A whirlwind tinged with a faint sky color formed with Sky Raker at the center, and wrapped around the entire shuttle. Immediately after, the pain of corrosion that tormented Haruyuki’s entire body faded away as if it had been a lie. Small sparks flashed in meshes where the red light and blue wind touched, and showed how the two forms of imagination were clashing.
There wasn’t any doubt. This was an incarnate technique invoked by Sky Raker. It wasn’t an offensive, but rather a defensive image. Moreover, it was covering not only Raker herself, but everything within a 3 m radius.
If positive mind power that targeted individuals was «hope».
And negative mind power that targeted the surroundings was «hate».
Then what should this positive mind power that was protecting the five of them be called?
That kind of thought and deep emotion passed through Haruyuki’s mind for an instant. The No.10 shuttle that Jigsaw rode passed by the No.1 shuttle, which slowed down while wrapped in the blue veil, from about twenty meters away from them at high speed. The rust-colored avatar standing tall in the cockpit stuck out his hands to the heavens once more, and let out loud laughter filled with malice.
“Hahaha…hahahahahaha!!”
While smashing through one antenna after another ahead of it and carving deep rents into the tower surface behind it, his shuttle instantly grew distant from them. Only this person, who had thoroughly destroyed the Hermes Cord Traversing Race, was dashing to the goal line that awaited the winner in the sky ahead…
“Damn…it…!”
Haruyuki unconsciously swore.
This was unforgivable. It was already impossible for him to overtake the No.10 shuttle again with the partially destroyed No.1 shuttle, but, at the very least, he absolutely couldn’t accept Jigsaw becoming the winner. That would mean the defeat of all the teams that participated in this race…no, of everyone including the many people in the gallery.
But, even so, there was nothing Haruyuki could do…
——No.
There was. Even if he couldn’t win the race, there was still just one way to stop Jigsaw.
At that time, their shuttle finally escaped from the effect range of «Rust Order». Raker stopped the sky-blue wind and collapsed into her seat as if she had used up all her strength. Kuroyukihime anxiously held her shoulders. After ascertaining that, Haruyuki returned his gaze forward. Although the speed of the shuttle had been reduced by half, the two front linear wheels should still be working.
Completely forgetting his thoughts and feelings about Raker’s incarnate technique he’d been thinking about just a little while ago, Haruyuki gritted his teeth.
Even if the shuttle kept running like this, they no longer had any chance of catching up to Jigsaw. But now, there was just one method that could be used. Yes—if it wasn’t the shuttle, but just Haruyuki by himself.
“……Haru, what should we do…? If we follow him while maintaining a safe distance, we’ll probably be able to get second place, but…”
In the back, Takumu murmured that. Kuroyukihime responded in deathly stifled voice.
“Hmm…rather than pick up a prize like that, it’d be better to just scuttle the machine here and…”
Their conversation scarcely reached Haruyuki’s consciousness. He merely gazed at the storm of rust becoming more distance by the second, and then stood up from his driver’s seat.
“…Crow…?”
Kuroyukihime called out to him as if having sensed something from him. He gave a short response without turning around.
“—Senpai, take care of everyone.”
“Wha…What are you going to do!?”
Instead of answering, Haruyuki pressed down on the accelerator while still standing.
The dying machine released a shrill shriek. Lightning sprouted from the rust-covered linear disks like death throes of agony.
Confirming that the digital meter had gone back up, Haruyuki suddenly leaned his body forward.
He extended both his hands forward. And then drew them back hard. Synchronizing with that motion, the thin metal fins currently folded on his back were deployed on either side.
Just now, Silver Crow had received damage that ignored the system protection due to the incarnate attack, which took away close to 30% of his gauge. In exchange, his special technique gauge had also been charged by more than half. In other words—he could fly now.
“N…No, don’t do it, Crow!”
Guessing Haruyuki’s intention, Kuroyukihime shouted.
“You mustn’t oppose mind power born of hatred with hatred of your own! There’s no meaning in fighting here anymore!”
“But…I…I!”
From the space between his clenched teeth, Haruyuki squeezed out a cracked voice.
“I can’t forgive him no matter what!!”
—No matter what means I have to resort to, I’ll stop Jigsaw. No, I’ll crush him.
Immediately after adding that within his mind, the right linear disk finally exploded with dazzling sparks.
And right before that, Haruyuki bent his body and shot out into the sky above with all his strength.
A slight vibration went through his wings as they spread out behind his body. He glared forward as if devouring what he saw, and caught sight of the No.10 shuttle in the center of his vision as it dashed forward.
“—Go!!”
Along with that sharp cry, he fully released all of his wings’ thrust output. Leaving behind the No.1 shuttle as it stopped in place after spinning, Haruyuki flew forward by himself.
As the only flying-type duel avatar in Accel World, Silver Crow’s highest speed was about 300 km/h. The No.10 shuttle was running at a speed of over 400 km/h. Therefore, he definitely wouldn’t be able to catch up to it with zero head-start, but if he jumped off his own shuttle that was running at the same speed like a catapult, there should be a slight chance for him to catch up.
Converting all of his will and special technique gauge into flight power, Haruyuki rushed forward as a streak of light.
He instantly broke into the effect range of «Rust Order» and all his armor began to cloud over. The armor surface bubbled as if boiling, and dissolved into fine particles before crumbling away behind him.
Although burning pain once more ran through his nervous system, the size of his anger won over. He pierced straight through the raging storm of rust and approached the shuttle. Although all ten of his metal fins on either side of his back’s wings peeled off from the base one by one, he pushed on without caring.
Both his inertia and propulsion were rapidly lost, and his speed fell down. 600 km/h. 500 km/h. If he didn’t catch up before his speed fell lower than the shuttle’s running speed of 400, he would never again get the chance to touch it.
He got closer to the rust-colored shuttle…and closer…but his momentum was rapidly slowing—
“Uu…oo…!”
Extending his left hand forward with all his concentration, his fingertips touched the shuttle’s rear wing, then lost it, then touched it again—and then firmly dug into it.
“Ooooh!!”
While crying out, Haruyuki drew out the last of his strength and jumped into the shuttle’s backseat. Jigsaw quickly turned around in the cockpit. Slight surprise ran over his bare framed face.
It seemed that, at this distance from it, the corrosive effect was almost completely absent, like the eye of a typhoon. Even so, Silver Crow’s body had rusted all over from shooting through the storm of mind power. His remaining HP gauge was hallway gone at 30%. While dropping fragments of his armor, Haruyuki drew back his right hand, arranged his fingers and concentrated the last of his mental strength into there.
Accel World: Floating Bridge in Starlight Page 20