Accel World: Dusk Robber

by Reki Kawahara

  ‘He might be digging around to gather various data’, Haruyuki thought, and after saying to himself, ‘But the only choice left is for me to «Duel» with Noumi’, then he mouthed the ‘Link Out’ command.

  When he returned to the real world classroom, there was only ten minutes left of the noon recess. He hurriedly stood up to go buy bread from vending machine, and took a glance at Takumu’s seat, but he still had not returned. When he looked to Chiyuri next, he saw she was in a rare full dive. After staring at the Neuro Linker on the hung down slender neck for a bit, Haruyuki left the classroom.

  ‘—— Like this, the situation would not change for a week.’

  Haruyuki predicted it would be like that. After Noumi said that he would not go after Takumu and Kuroyukihime for a while, he thought that nothing more would happen.

  However, Haruyuki was mistaken about his childhood friend’s intelligence and action ability, he who had cornered the Black King, Black Lotus. The time when he was forced to realize that, was soon after the contact from Kuroyukihime —— Tuesday, 5th period, right before the physical education class ended.

  Compared to the girls who were practicing creative dance in the gym, the boys were given instruction for a 3000 meters running measurement that make you feel somewhat of a gap, so Haruyuki went around the schoolyard track while huffing and puffing.

  In the center of his view, heartless digital numbers engraved the time. The remaining distance and predicted goal time that he did not want to know, and also from average pitch to heart beat was displayed, so as he looked at the violently shaking heart mark, he was worried if his heart was going to explode like that.

  Most of the students had already reached the goal, and only a few extreme cultural type people like Haruyuki remained. The sports club people seemed to have too much remaining energy, so that a few happy go lucky people were even imitating Haruyuki’s stumbling form and was running with him on the inside track, ‘Shit, you jocks better remember this, one day when I become level 9, I will use Physical Full Burst in the 100 meters measurement to get the world record, then when the track and field club come to scout me, I will say something like “There’s an anime I want to watch” for rejection, serves you right, idiot, idiot’.

  While thinking such absurd thoughts, Haruyuki exerted his best spurt on the last straight line.

  At that time, he caught a glimpse of the shape of Takumu quietly sitting near the goal line.

  His childhood friend was not looking at Haruyuki’s sad flat out run at all. It did not seem to be samurai’s compassion either, towards a point in the air —— that meant he was staring deeply at some kind of AR information.

  ‘What is that guy doing?’, Haruyuki thought as he wiped infinite flowing sweat off his forehead.

  Far in his blurred vision, Takumu’s lips opened slightly, seeming about to whisper some kind of command.

  Of course, he was not within range to hear the content. However the words that were issued, were the only ones that Haruyuki could read from lip movement, that command. That was ——

  Burst Link.

  ‘...That guy Taku, why is he accelerating right now...’

  While thinking that, Haruyuki wanted to complete the remaining tens of meters in a full power dash, and put his right foot down.

  At that moment.

  ‘—— Vishiiiiii!!’

  With that familiar cold thunder explosion, the ground’s color changed. Going through a sense of transparent blue, towards a greenish dull silver. The back of student running ahead, the sports club member beside who teased him, and the PE teacher waiting at the goal line all disappeared.

  “Oo... oops... uwaa...!”

  Right after, Haruyuki’s body was covered by light, and was changed to the white silver duel avatar. After falling forward for a few steps, he controlled the strikingly changed light body movement compared to his real self. After standing up by stepping on the hard ground, Haruyuki leaked out a sound of shock under his helmet.

  “Ta... Taku!? Why are you «Dueling» me right now...”

  —— Naturally, he thought of it like that. Takumu accelerated, and right after he was also accelerated, so Takumu should had challenged him to a duel through the local net.

  However, it was not that.

  The flaming words that came up with a rumble as it craved in the center of his view was ——

  [A REGISTERED DUEL IS BEGINNING!!]

  That was, «A registered for viewing duel has started». Haruyuki was not the dueler. He was a gallery. Since Takumu started a duel with someone, Haruyuki who registered as viewer for his duels was automatically accelerated, and invited to the stage.

  In the upper left of his view, the name of the one who started this duel, «Cyan Pile» and his HP bar appeared.

  Next, to the upper right, the Burst Linker that was challenged ——

  The name «Dusk Taker» appeared.

  “Wha...”

  Haruyuki gasped. Dusk Taker, that is Noumi Seiji used some unknown method to normally block being registered on the matching list. To challenge him in school, it could only be done like what he was forced on by Noumi the previous day, bind his real body and forcefully direct connect with him, it should be like that.

  About thirty meters ahead, the heavy looking indigo and blue avatar stood up. Here he finally looked at Haruyuki, however instead of saying anything, Takumu raised his right hand and motioned him to back off. Anyway, other than «Parent Child» and «Same Legion» gallery, they could not close to within ten meters of the duelers.

  Cyan Pile soon looked back to his front side, and the blue light eyes inside the small slits lined on the mask, captured the top part of the school building.

  The normal class building, was already changed to a sticky metallic luster biological form. Numerous windows were all replaced with eyeball like black convex glass, and the wall was lined with numerous protrusions that looked like gills with fins and folds. The sky was painted a weird green color, and the wide schoolyard was covered with blood vessel like tubes of wiggly moving metallic tentacles. Without doubt, it was the «Purgatory» stage.

  Taking a step away from the metallic insects that were crawling around his feet, Haruyuki again wanted to ask Takumu how he managed this.

  However before that, a ‘Bushaa’ kind of hideous explosion sound loudly echoed in the field.

  He looked towards the source of the sound, near the center of the third floor, an eyeball glass around the first year B classroom was shattered from the inside. From the hole in the wall, large amounts of sticky mucus flowed out, and while kicking those aside with his feet, a small shadow bled out from inside the dim darkness.

  “...Well well, I expected you to be a more cautious type, Mayuzumi senpai.”

  With the light youthful voice, the shape that appeared was the blackish purple color duel avatar, Dusk Taker, and as he looked down at Takumu from high above, he slowly shook the blank spherical visor left and right.

  “Gather my data little by little, knead trends and countermeasures again and again, and when you eventually move it would be too late..., I wanted to give that kind development to you as a present too.”

  “I have gathered more than enough data already.”

  After that blunt retort, Cyan Pile shook his left hand slightly.

  “That’s why I can pull you out to the duel stage like this right, Noumi?”

  “...”

  Facing Noumi who leaked out a slight displeased breath, Takumu this time held up his right hand metal pile, then continued.

  “Noumi Seiji. The trick that you used to block being registered in the matching list, is regrettably still unknown. But, the moment that wall is canceled, is already possible to be guessed.”

  “Ca, canceled...!?”

  That shout was from Haruyuki. Takumu took a glance at Silver Crow who stood away from him, and at this point he finally talked to Haruyuki.

  “Yea. Noumi use acceleration ability in the real world for personal gain
s. Even for just a practice match in the kendo club. Then, naturally he would use it for other situations. To knock down someone, to finish homework... and of course also, for tests.”

  “Test...”

  At the moment he whispered that, Haruyuki felt he finally realized the reason for Takumu’s strange questions that he asked Kuroyukihime.

  As if seeing through that, Cyan Pile lightly nodded, then moved his sight towards Noumi above his head.

  “At this moment, the first year students are taking their first proficiency test. The fifth period subject, Noumi, is History where you got full marks in the school entrance exam. Of course, with the power of acceleration. ...Except, different from kendo match where you just need to sign in, during the test you need to often transfer data back and forth with the school local net. You cannot be separated from it. That was why I thought, that during this fifth period, you would momentarily contact the local net with Brain Burst, so I waited. And then when using acceleration during a test, naturally it would be just before time expires. Using outside application to check items and gather them up should be better for efficiency. The result is...”

  As you saw.

  Takumu spread his left hand wide to show it was like that.

  Haruyuki who listened while even forgetting to give responses, involuntarily sighed with deep admiration.

  At the last moment before the test which he got full marks during entrance exam ended, Noumi would appear on the matching list for one instant. Takumu who arrived at that deduction, continued to accelerate many times while sitting in the schoolyard, and continually checked the list probably.

  For Noumi whose action was read precisely, after continuing to be silent for a few more seconds, suddenly shouted brightly.

  “Something like History test, what is it anyway! Something that can be instantly understood after searching, don’t you think it’s totally pointless to answer based only on memorization? Furthermore during test you are connected to the local net, yet only browsing the database is blocked! Makes you think it is some kind of joke!”

  While laughing with shoulders shaking, Noumi continued with gradually lowered temperature sound.

  “...Mayuzumi senpai, early you said it like this right. ‘Acceleration ability being used in the real world for personal gains’ ...as if, makes it seem like that is the lowest misdeed. But, I have to say, I don’t trust the people who only use Burst Points for duels. In that case, why would it have to be «Brain Burst»? Aren’t there mountains of other more cruel, violent, and furthermore painless games around? —— After all, you people also think inside your heart that you are the privileged class. One of just 1000 acceleration ability users in the world, different from other slow kids, like that. While clinging to that elite consciousness, and not use the ability for advantage? If that is not hypocrisy and deceit, what else can it be called...?”

  “Not particularly, I have no intention of condemning you.”

  Takumu lightly shook his shoulder, and countered.

  “Just a little while ago, I too used acceleration ability to cheat a lot. How to use points, that’s personal preference, do as you like. Just, if you are willing to accept one advice from a senpai, you are getting too many full marks, Noumi. Just inviting useless attention, with no gain at all.”

  “That is where our opinion differ. For me, anything I can obtain, it is my principle to want the upper limit. Even for just one point in a test, or just one point in a practice match. No... to be precise, it should be call «Rob», Fufu.”

  Moving his avatar’s upper body out from the hole in the wall, Noumi’s right hand equipped with the huge cutter, thrusted his palm above.

  “There is a limit to all things existing in the world. Then, when someone obtain something, at the same time someone lost just the same thing. As though it is a conservation of energy. This world’s fundamental principle is a «Contest», senpai. For me, I... love to rob, but above that, cannot tolerate lost, and being robbed. Right now you, are about to rob a maximum of 1.8 seconds of my time. Furthermore, valuable time during a test. In order for that to be forgiven... naturally requires compensation. Of your Burst Points.”

  “No... it is I, who plan to make you return something you got unfairly, Noumi Seiji. What you robbed from my best friend, his important thing.”

  At the instant he heard that quiet sound, Haruyuki’s body immediately tensed up.

  Takumu already knew. That Silver Crow’s silver wings, were robbed by Dusk Taker.

  A somewhat sad look appeared on Cyan Pile’s fierce looking face, and Takumu momentarily looked at Haruyuki.

  “...Last night’s, your duel in Shibuya, I heard the rumor about it, Haru. Sorry... that I did not notice anything. This time, is my turn to fight.”

  “Ta... Taku...!”

  Hearing Haruyuki’s short shout, Takumu held up his left hand thumb to say “Leave it to me”.

  At that moment, Haruyuki strongly felt his own smallness. Haruyuki who said nasty things to hurt his best friend because he did not want him to know about his lost of wings and power, even so Takumu still wanted to save him. For just that he wrung his intelligence and spent points to make this duel possible.

  “Taku...”

  While strongly holding his fists tight, Haruyuki felt ashamed of himself for trying to resolve the situation while hiding everything. He even momentarily forgot about the accumulated long training in the Unlimited Neutral Field for that purpose, and Haruyuki released a shout from the bottom of his heart.

  “Taku, Win! Not just for me, so that he understand your strength, win!!”

  “I will win. For taking back your wings, Haru.”

  With a nod, Cyan Pile who took a heavy step out, thin blue flames blew up in the area around his right foot and made the air waver.

  Dusk Taker who was the target of that spirit, turned his head away as if disgusted, and lowly spat out.

  “Aah... please don’t make me watch something disgusting. It will give me goosebumps. Seeming to believe in illusion like «Voluntary Friendship», looks like only blissful people can do it with a straight face.”

  Here, the blackish purple avatar that finally fully appeared from the dark hole, coiled his left hand tentacles around the edge of the hole, and smoothly descended by extending those. After kicking away the metallic insects creeping about the ground and landing, he looked at the much taller than him Cyan Pile from about twenty meters away with upturned eyes. Returning the tentacles released from the school building wall with a whiz, he lightly touched the two curved horns extending from his avatar’s back —— the folded flying membranes.

  “Return what I obtained unfairly? Don’t joke with me. Anything I rob once, is forever mine. Until I am bored of it, and don’t want it anymore. I am starting to like these wings... so until Arita senpai finish paying the two year loan, I will get the most enjoyment out of it.”

  Feeling huge rage and disgust in the bottom of his stomach, Haruyuki grounded his inner teeth together.

  However before he can say anything back, Takumu’s unchanged quiet —— but still filled with high heat flame sound whispered.

  “No, that’s wrong. No matter what, robbed strength will never become your own. Strength is... something you produced, polished, and trained, there are no other way of obtaining it.”

  “Oh ugh... someone like you, still saying things like that.”

  While showing the gesture of covering his mouth with his right hand, Noumi taunted.

  “Since talking anymore will make me puke, it’s about time I accept your points and leave. The test only has five minutes left too.”

  And then the diminutive avatar lowered his waist a little, and held his hands in front of his faceless mask.

  On the other hand, Cyan Pile took an imposing stance like in a kendo match, and only thrusted his left hand straight out.

  In the upsurge of fighting spirit, Haruyuki took a step back and quickly shouted.

  “Ta... Taku, that guy’s tentacles can
revive even if cut! The right hand cutter also has a lot of cutting power! Also, if you are bound, and get hit with a black beam from the mask, it will rob ability or enhanced armament, be careful!”

  Even if it was bad manner for the gallery to give advice to one dueler, but of course in this situation there is no reason to be reserved. Haruyuki’s sound, made Noumi give him an irritated glance ——

  Right after, Takumu moved.

  With a ‘Gashuu!’ rumble sound, the blue giant flew out at a speed that made him hazy.

  Something not possible for a heavy type body, a fierce frontal dash. Furthermore, with no motion. What produced the propulsion force, was the right hand pile driver that poked the ground behind him sometime ago. Using the special attribute of «Purgatory» which made the ground into hard metal, the power of the metal pile that he fired out was changed straight into dash power.

  Maybe momentarily caught off guard, the slow to react enemy’s face was closed in by Cyan Pile’s huge fist with a howl.

  Dusk Taker gave up on evading, and took a position to guard with both arms crossed. The punch that still landed coming from above, made the battle’s first attack spread out bluish white flashes.

  An impact sound like hammer smashed onto iron plate roared, then the diminutive avatar was blown away spinning. It looked like he would crash into the school building behind him like that, but he coiled his left hand tentacles around the protrusions on the ground, and slowly braked as if with a rubber band.

  Dusk Taker who landed with one knee on the ground, even though he guarded, his HP bar was cut over 5%, showing Cyan Pile’s huge power.

  “...Hmm, isn’t that very different from that time in kendo? That means that body, represents Mayuzumi senpai’s «Lack»? Even though you are that smart and clever, deep in your heart yearn for savage masochism[12]?”

  To Noumi’s ‘Kuku’ ridicule, Takumu no longer said anything. While he reloaded his right hand pile, he carefully closed the distance. Noumi who backed away as if pressed, again continued to spit out words mingled with mockery.

  “Or was it, from the avatar’s name, the wound itself is the right hand metal skewer? Uun, what would that symbolize? Piercing... penetration... oh, what’s the matter? Your eyes are becoming a bit scary...?”