Kuroyukihime’s Return

by Reki Kawahara

  That was the real distance between us. Don’t go getting any ideas, he told himself as he returned her smile awkwardly. “I—I thought I was done for, too.”

  “Don’t be modest. That was an amazing win. I hadn’t given any thought to the internal structure of Ash Roller’s bike at all. That was probably the first time that weak point had been attacked, thanks to that burst of power from your avatar. In any case, you certainly did get your points back.”

  “I got more than that. Twenty points were added to my total; he was at level two.”

  Kuroyukihime blinked in surprise, the smile on her face quickly becoming even wider, and she hit Haruyuki on the shoulder again. “Ha-ha-ha! He was? So that’s why he could ride up the wall like that.”

  “It’s not funny. I was totally terrified.”

  “Hee-hee-hee, no, I’m sorry. But, well, that did allow you to win in an interesting, cool way, didn’t it? I overheard members of the Gallery talking, and apparently, you’re the first one to attack Ash Roller like that. It was a magnificent win.”

  “U-uh-huh.”

  After spending about five minutes stubbornly yelling and screaming from on top of his bike, drive wheel up in the air and going nowhere, Ash Roller finally climbed down.

  Haruyuki leapt forward immediately, as if the chance might slip away, and shifted the conflict to an intimate hand-to-hand combat, swinging his fists, silver like his name, to win handily.

  “Punch and Kick are starting to look better and better somehow. As for Head Butt, at any rate, with a more orthodox hand-to-hand-type opponent, you won’t have to deal with that delay. But how long are we going to stand here talking?”

  At Kuroyukihime’s question, he looked around again and discovered students on their way home walking along or stopping and staring openly and curiously at the two of them in front of the school gates.

  Shrinking his body with a start, as if to hide himself in his own shadow, Haruyuki saw Chiyuri’s face in the circle of people and stopped breathing. Reflexively, he turned his face away abruptly.

  The memory of fleeing from Chiyuri and Takumu the day before was still fresh. After going and doing that, even though he still hadn’t apologized for the sandwich thing, he didn’t have the slightest idea how he was even supposed to start trying to fix things.

  No. It’s not my fault. It’s Chiyuri’s fault. I mean, I told her I don’t know how many times to keep it quiet, and she went and told Takumu anyway. I didn’t ask them to pity me or feel sorry for me.

  “What should we do?” Kuroyukihime said somewhat doubtfully to Haruyuki as he cast his eyes downward obstinately. “If we’re going to go somewhere else, there’s that cafe over there. Hm? You—”

  “What do you want with Haru?”

  Haruyuki jumped at Chiyuri’s voice, suddenly so close. Lifting his face with a start, his eyes flew to his childhood friend arching her small body fiercely and confronting Kuroyukihime. Thick eyebrows fixed at an angle that only Haruyuki knew indicated maximum competitiveness, Chiyuri continued argumentatively in a low voice, “The reason Haru got into that fight yesterday was because of your meddling, wasn’t it? And yet here you are again, making a spectacle of him like this. What do you want? Is this fun for you?”

  Eeep. What is this, what is going on, what am I supposed to do here?

  His entire body paralyzed, the situation having surpassed his capacity to deal with it, Haruyuki tried to move his frozen mouth. “H-hey, Chiyu—”

  “Shut up, Haru!!” She shot him a look that had been carved into his memory since infancy, and Haruyuki had no choice but to stand at attention and stay silent as her former subordinate.

  Even faced with the superheated Chiyuri beam, Kuroyukihime showed her usual composure and tilted her head ever so slightly, cool smile on her lips. “Hmm. I don’t quite understand. Are you saying that I am playing around, that I am doing something Arita is not happy with?”

  “Aren’t you? Haru hates this kind of thing, standing out so much, being stared at. He’s been seriously bothered this whole time, although I suppose you can’t tell.”

  “Hmm, I see. It’s true that I may have placed Arita in a situation not entirely to his liking. However, I believe that choosing or not choosing is up to him. I wonder if you have any right to be saying anything here?”

  “I do. I’ve been friends with Haru longer than anyone at this school.”

  “My! Friends…hm?” Hearing Chiyuri’s proclamation, the chilliest Kuroyukihime smile rose up on her beautifully pale face. “In that case, I rank somewhat higher. You may have heard the rumors, but I confessed my crush to him and am currently awaiting a reply. We were just about to go on a short date.”

  Gaaaah. I can’t can’t, this is the end of the world, no choice but to change schools tomorrow.

  Chiyuri and everyone around them froze almost like when he was accelerated. Haruyuki also froze in an unnatural position, just his sweat in motion, pouring off his face.

  In the silence, Kuroyukihime pulled a snow-white handkerchief from her uniform pocket. “He’s a strange one. Almost winter and yet…” After wiping away Haruyuki’s sweat, she hooked her arm tightly through his right elbow. “Now then, farewell, Miss Friend.”

  And she began walking forward through the students to their left and right, almost as if walking a red carpet, dragging Haruyuki’s large body with her.

  Dragged along and facing backward, Haruyuki watched in terror as the face of his childhood companion changed from dumbfounded shock to the brink of detonation, anger gauge three times above capacity.

  *  *  *

  “I—I—I know I’m repeating myself, but…wh-what are you thinking?!” Haruyuki shouted and finally ripped his arm free of Kuroyukihime after they had left the main road and entered a brick-paved back lane. “L-l-l-let me just tell you, there are some things in this world that can’t be fixed by acceleration!!”

  “A-ha-ha-ha-ha!” Kuroyukihime laughed delightedly from her belly. “Ha-ha-ha! And you’ve already arrived at the very heart of the Burst Linker! Isn’t that lovely?”

  “It’s not! Not at all! If I stop coming to school, it’s all your fault!”

  “Now, now, you didn’t look entirely displeased, you know. I also managed to get the perfect screenshot this time, too. Want to see?”

  “I do not! Please throw it away!!”

  “Hee-hee-hee…” Kuroyukihime continued laughing for a while, shoulders shaking slightly, as the heels of her loafers hit the wear-resistant brick surface of the road with a biting sound. Finally, she recomposed her face, exhaling softly, and continued. “I’m a little concerned. Or rather, there’s something I’d like to confirm.”

  “Huh? Concerned? You mean, about Chiyuri?”

  “Oh? You’re on a first-name basis?”

  “Oh! Uh, no, it’s Kurashima, Chiyuri Kurashima, grade seven, class one.”

  “I know. Although this is the first time I’ve heard about her being your best friend. What I really want to know, though, is…are you really just plain old friends?”

  Bathed in her suspicious gaze, Haruyuki bounced his head fiercely up and down. “We are. Childhood friends, stuck-with-each-other kind of thing…I mean, she has a boyfriend.”

  “Oh? Even still…no…mm. Hmmmm.”

  “What’s ‘hmmmm’?”

  “Oh, nothing. I just saw again the depths of the real world.”

  “Uh…uh-huh.” Not understanding, he swallowed a sigh and asked something that had been bugging him for a while. “Um…before, did you say you already knew Chiyuri’s name?”

  “Yes, I did. Quite coincidentally, I’ve been paying attention to her for different reasons than I have been you.”

  “Wh-what do you mean?”

  “I can’t explain it in just a few words. It’s directly connected to why I came to invite you to the accelerated world. Anyway, let’s discuss it at length over tea. It’s my treat, a celebration of your victory,” Kuroyukihime said as she changed direction, stepping t
oward the branch of a coffee-shop chain, which was apparently the destination she’d had in mind right from the start.

  Maybe because the afternoon was still young, fortunately, the shop had only a smattering of customers. As soon as Kuroyukihime stepped through the door, though, Haruyuki felt those few gazes locked onto them. It made him afraid to keep going.

  Even at the best of times, Haruyuki had never done anything even remotely close to having tea alone with a girl on his way home from school. Indeed, he had never done anything like this in his life, and his brain immediately overloaded. He ordered a large, sweet drink almost automatically, quietly allowed himself to let her pay, and staggered to a table in the back. As he inserted the cable she produced, he thought, Whoa! What’s going on? This is almost like a real date—

  Prob’ly doesn’t look like that, though. I mean, the two of us? Older sister, little brother? No, mistress and flunky?

  “I know what you’re thinking, you know.” She scowled lightly, and he hurriedly sipped at his sweet, caramel-flavored concoction.

  “N-no. It’s nothing. Anyway, before…The reason you invited me to the accelerated world—”

  “Don’t be in such a hurry. It’s…a long story.” After gracefully raising her not-very-sweet-looking drink to her lips, Kuroyukihime rested her chin in her hand with a short sigh.

  In the pale yellow light coming in through the window, she looked like something out of some old foreign movie while nevertheless remaining a uniformed junior high school student, and Haruyuki was unconsciously struck dumb. It was almost like he was sitting in front of an old projector screen with a direct cable stretching out from it. He’d been spacing out like this for who knew how long when Kuroyukihime suddenly rapped his right hand on the table, and he nearly flew out of his seat.

  “Anyway, you really did great back there. Let me congratulate you on your victory once again, Haruyuki.”

  “Uh, thanks. Thank you. It’s because of all your advice.”

  “No, it was your own resourcefulness. If you keep it up, you’ll be level two in no time. You might even make it up to three before the end of the year.”

  “Uh…uh. Honestly, I can’t even imagine that…” He had only just barely snatched up his first victory. The idea of having to win dozens more fights like that in the future made his mind go blank.

  The smile disappeared abruptly from Kuroyukihime’s face, and she nodded as if reading Haruyuki’s thoughts. “Mm. In fact, the road ahead is unimaginably long. Of the estimated thousand Burst Linkers, the number of those who have been raised to level four is fairly limited. Getting to five or six is nearly impossible in solo play. And it’s no mistake to assume that level-seven and -eight Burst Linkers are all commanders of enormous groups.”

  “G-groups?”

  “Like the guilds or teams you often see in other online games. We are army corps. Called Legions. The current accelerated world is split into and ruled by six enormous Legions. And commanding these are the only six Burst Linkers who have reached level nine. Named Blue, Red, Yellow, Green, Purple, and White, they are the Six Kings of Pure Color!” Her voice, suddenly sharp like a knife, echoed in his brain, and Haruyuki opened his eyes wide. Conscious of his gaze, Kuroyukihime fluttered her eyelids briefly and gave a faintly bitter smile. “I’m sorry for yelling.”

  “It’s fine…but, so, six people?” He was surprised there were even as many as a thousand Burst Linkers, but he could only be baffled that so few had made it to level nine. “I’ve played a lot of different net games, but I’ve never heard of so few players reaching the level cap.”

  “Must feel incredible,” Haruyuki murmured jealously, and Kuroyukihime, listening to him, raised a single eyebrow and shook her head.

  “I didn’t say that level nine was the limit.”

  “Huh? Th-then there’s a level ten, too? How many people…?”

  Her response was another dismissive gesture. Kuroyukihime took another sip of coffee, her seat back making a faint noise as she turned her attention out to space. Pulling at her motion, the direct cable shook, shining silver between them.

  “Brain Burst…Formally titled Brain Burst 2039, the program was released seven years ago by an unknown maker and has already been updated several times. However, despite the fact that so much time has passed, there is not a single Burst Linker who has reached level ten. The sole reason is…the severity of the dictated rules.”

  “Do you mean you have to win an incredible amount of fights? Like a thousand or…ten thousand?”

  “No, just five is sufficient.” A slightly dangerous smile flitted across the lips pronouncing this unexpected revelation. “However, for this purpose, you may only fight another level nine Linker. And if you lose once in a level-nine battle, you instantly lose all your points, and Brain Burst is forcefully uninstalled.” Kuroyukihime turned her pitch-black eyes on her speechless companion. “Haruyuki. Don’t you think it’s strange that Brain Burst, which makes possible the marvelous phenomenon of accelerated thought, has been able to stay hidden from the general public for the last seven years?”

  Haruyuki was bewildered by the sudden question, but now that she mentioned it, it was seriously weird. If there were a thousand Burst Linkers, the secret should have leaked out from somewhere long ago and amazed the world.

  “It stays a secret because of how strict the requirements are for compatibility with Brain Burst.”

  “Requirements? Like being good at games or something?”

  Kuroyukihime smiled bitterly at Haruyuki’s question and replied, “Nothing as ambiguous as that. The most serious requirement is having ‘continuously worn a quantum connection Neurolinker terminal from shortly after birth.’ The first-generation Neurolinkers went on the market fifteen years ago. Which means”—Kuroyukihime paused before continuing slowly—“there are no adult Burst Linkers. The oldest are a meager fifteen years old, mere children. And because they are children, while they are Burst Linkers, they will try to protect that privilege at all costs. And after the program is forcefully uninstalled, they wouldn’t be believed even if they were to say anything to an adult.”

  For a brief moment, an ironic smile crossed her glossy lips.

  “And because they are children, they share the same sweet fantasies. In summer two years ago, the young kings all reached level nine at very nearly the same time. A system message then informed them of the brutal requirements to reach level ten. Did they, as a result, plunge into bloody dispute? No. What the kings chose was eternal stagnation. Rather than move forward, they prioritized maintaining their own tiny gardens. In other words…they decided to divide and rule over the accelerated world in Legions and concluded agreements to prevent the invasion of other territories. It’s honestly a total farce. This, even though we had hunted countless Linkers to reach level nine.”

  Haruyuki swallowed hard. A pain raced down his dry throat, and after taking a large sip of his melted caramel frappe, he put forth his thoughts timidly. “So you’re saying your objective is to challenge these Six Kings of Pure Color…?”

  Hearing this, Kuroyukihime allowed a mysterious smile onto her lips. “No, I already did that.”

  “Wha…?!”

  “The Six Kings…they used to be the Seven Kings of Pure Color. Seven boys and girls, who, although rivals, were bound by strong ties. They fought one another countless times, winning and losing nearly the same amount but never holding even a shred of resentment. The Black King betrayed them all and tried to hunt them. Until that night two years ago.”

  Black…King.

  Which means that avatar name…ruled Black…Haruyuki opened his eyes wide and gulped his breath back.

  Kuroyukihime nodded slowly. “Yes…It was me. The Black King, Black Lotus, was the only one of those who had reached level nine who spoke out against choosing peace. I threw away everything—ties, friendship, respect—and insisted that we should throw ourselves into fighting, wagering our accumulated points. And when they refused to listen, I dyed the rou
nd table of our meeting with fresh blood.”

  “Wh-what did you do?”

  “The last night the Seven Kings met in one building—although, of course, we have never met in the real world. Burst Linkers must do their utmost to hide their real names and faces.”

  Haruyuki was about to ask why, but he quickly deduced the reason. If other Burst Linkers found out your name or what you looked like, in the worst-case scenario, they could attack you in the real world. People pressed into a desperate situation, people who needed to earn points no matter what, would probably go to such lengths.

  Kuroyukihime nodded slightly, as if reading Haruyuki’s mind, and continued. “The meeting that night took place in Battle Royale mode, connecting all seven of us as fighters on the same field. I…The Red King appeared before me, preaching friendship and insisting we stop fighting. He caught me off guard…”

  The pale face beneath her shining bangs collapsed. Fixing her empty eyes on a single point, Kuroyukihime recounted the rest mechanically. “I cut his head off. A perfect critical hit…He instantly lost all the health in his gauge and, under the new rules, all his points as well, finally losing Brain Burst itself as a result. The current Red King is the second one. After that…all hell broke loose. Ha-ha! Purple, who had been in love with Red, screamed and wept; Blue went crazy with rage; and we all began to try and kill one another—no honor, no respect. We knew it was our first and last chance, you see…We struggled desperately to take the other five heads, we were so reckless.”

  Her lightly colored lips twisted and a laugh slipped out of her actual mouth. “The ability to make rational judgments went out the window. Stirred up by madness, I fought, and although I couldn’t take another king, I was also not defeated, and before I knew it, thirty minutes had passed and I was linked out. In the two years since, I’ve focused on running and hiding. Right now, I am the biggest traitor in the accelerated world, I have the largest bounty on my head, and I am the worst coward.”

  “…Why…” Haruyuki’s thoughts were half paralyzed by the gruesomeness of this near-monologue, and even simple questions escaped his consciousness. “Why would you…”