Chapter 9
His Neuro Linker amplified his thought process clock, and Haruyuki shut his eyes and pa.s.sed through the «acceleration» process released simultaneously from his five senses’ signals in the real world.
Waiting till he felt his momentarily floating body descend to a hard, level surface, he raised his eyelids.
What was there was no longer the Arita family’s living room he was accustomed to seeing. A floor joined together in a complex manner from blue-black tiles with a dull metallic l.u.s.ter. Walls with a design of like that of thin blades lined up. A ceiling with narrow beams in lattice formation crossing it. The only illumination was from a number of curious purple candles installed on the wall; on the whole, it was rather gloomy, and from both his gut feeling and his knowledge, he knew that it was a deep underground room.
This was the center of the Unlimited Neutral Field, the deepest of the depths of the main shrine of the «Imperial Palace»—a small room linked to the hall a certain person had called the «Shrine of the Eight G.o.ds». Why the design differed from the one he remembered was because the Unlimited Field’s characteristic «transition» had occurred, and the attribute had changed from last time’s «Heian1» stage to this.
“…It’s the «Demonic City» stage.”
A lovely voice that was also clear resounded; Haruyuki turned his gaze that way.
The one standing with her two hands aligned precisely before herself was a duel avatar of a small frame equipped with white and scarlet armor that reminded one of a miko’s2 dress. One of the corners of the first Nega Nebulas’ Elements, the world-destroying conflagration shrine maiden «Ardor Maiden». The one handling her was of course Shinomiya Utai—.
In response to Utai’s voice, which he could not hear in the real world, he quickly responded.
“I’m glad it’s not a stage full of terrain traps and wild creatures. The terrain’s probably harder than that of the Heian stage, but the Imperial Palace’s building is indestructible anyways…”
While chatting, he checked his status in the upper left hand of his field of vision. Since they had dived again after leaving once, while his health gauge was at full throttle his special technique gauge was zero.
Following that, he looked around in circles, but of course other than those of himself and Utai there were no figures of legion members. Unlike the two of them, the four people including Kuroyukihime and company who had escaped normally from the «Leap Point» portal in last time’s dive would appear in Suginami, separated ten kilometers to their west. Around now they were probably meeting up with Ash Roller and starting to move. Basically, the only ones here were Utai and Haruyuki—
…No, that was not so. There was one more person who should appear.
“…Tha…that’s right. He’s…”
“Already here.”
In response to Haruyuki’s murmur, Utai had responded like that, so with an “eh” he tried to look around at his surroundings anew; at that instant.
“—I’m sorry to have kept you waiting, Crow-san, Maiden-san.”
From the darkness alongside the wall, a refreshing boy’s voice reminiscent of a balmy breeze in early summer reached them.
He strained his eyes in that direction, and in the middle of the meager candlelight a silhouette stood out.
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His overall impression was quite similar to that of Ardor Maiden. Head armor in the shape of a parted hairstyle and a lucid face mask. Arms swelled out in a shape that made one think of j.a.panese-style dress. Why the hakama3-style breast armor was extended horizontally was because the avatar was sitting seiza-style on the ground. His armor color was nothing but serene azure.
In front of the body that was, if anything, of small build, a silver bar-shaped object lay flat. A straight sword sheathed in its scabbard. It was not that large a thing, but perhaps reflecting its concealed overwhelming potential it even seemed that the surrounding s.p.a.ce was distorted imperceptibly. The fifth star of the «Seven Arcs», the group of the strongest Enhanced Armaments in the Accelerated World, «The Infinity»—.
The deep blue avatar, who could be perfectly described as being a young warrior, looked straight at Haruyuki and Utai with his light blue eye lenses and then made a deep bow while still in seiza posture. He lifted his body, raised his straight sword up from the ground, and stood up lightly.
With a splendid movement, the neighboring Utai also bent her waist and returned the favor to the young warrior, who had stepped forward a few paces from the wall, so Haruyuki also hurriedly bowed his head respectfully. He lifted his face; after being at a loss for words for a while, he opened his mouth.
“Uh…um, uh, it’s been a while…though it really hasn’t. Good evening, Lead. S, sorry to have kept you waiting.”
At Haruyuki’s awkward remarks, the young warrior avatar smiled tenderly and shook his head.
“Not at all, even if one said I waited, it was only to the extent of two seconds in real world time. Please don’t worry about it.”
—Though having said that, in this side two seconds was two thousand seconds, in short over thirty minutes. If he sat in the seiza position for that long a time, Haruyuki’s legs might go numb even as a duel avatar.
Before that, in this day and age where the Neuro Linker was in widespread use, no one was «just waiting» any longer in one’s daily life. For example, even in cases where one had arranged to meet someone, the Neuro Linker would tell one how many more minutes till one had to leave the house and which time’s train would be able to optimize the migration to one’s destination when ridden, and even the current location and the estimated time of arrival of the person one was meeting were displayed in detail. Even for having a meal, one understood the congestion conditions of the surrounding stores in real time, so it could be finished without lining up, and as for riding a taxi, with the push of a b.u.t.ton from one’s navigation application a request would be sent to the nearest vehicle. Of course, due to unforeseen circ.u.mstances some waiting time sometimes occurred, but there were a heap of ways of using one’s time meaningfully built into one’s Neuro Linker.
As a result, in this place where there was nothing to do, from the bottom of his heart Haruyuki thought that having kept him do nothing but wait for thirty minutes was inexcusable and tried to lower his head again. However, wholly as if he were used to sitting for long periods of time with neither an AR nor a full dive the young warrior stopped Haruyuki’s apology and spoke amicably.
“Really, please don’t mind it. Waiting for the two of you to come was also a very heart-pounding experience. I wouldn’t even mind waiting a whole day.”
“Is, is that so… Um, well, I too…in terms of the situation, I was in a pinch, but I too was greatly looking forward to it. That is, being able to meet you once again, Lead.”
A remark rare for Haruyuki spilled out like a drop from his mouth; the azure avatar hunched up his shoulders, and replied with a smile as if feeling bashful.
Lead was an abbreviation. Correctly, it was «Trilead Tetraoxide». Haruyuki had not checked that name, which according to what Tak.u.mu had searched was the chemical formula of the substance «Pb3O4», in the Brain Burst system. To the last, it was just that he had given his name as such.
In the Unlimited Neutral Field, health gauges apart from his were not visible, so if he were to check his avatar name, within Haruyuki’s knowledge he could think only of sending him a request for admission into the legion from the «Install Menu». But he couldn’t behave like that all of a sudden, and, in the first place, whether «Trilead Tetraoxide» was his real name or not strangely did not bother him. If he were hiding his proper avatar name, then Haruyuki only thought that he had a reason for having to do so by any means.
First and foremost, bearing any kind of doubt toward Lead at such a late point would make this very Imperial Palace escape mission not come to completion. As for why, without his cooperation the act of Haruyuki and Utai coming out from the inner sanctuary probably would not be fulfilled—.
Therefore, Haruyuki had already decided to have complete faith in Lead, and Utai seemed to have done the same. The shrine maiden whose frame was even smaller than that of the young warrior lowered her head respectfully once more, and spoke far more smoothly than Haruyuki had.
“I too am happy to have been able to meet you once more, Lead-san. I have a strong urge to inquire about various things, but…since we’re making our legion comrades outside the Imperial Palace wait, it’s selfish of me, but I was thinking about receiving your opinion regarding a means of immediate escape from here.”
Though Haruyuki had a heap of things he really wanted to ask Lead—how he had entered this Imperial Palace, why he had not used the «one-time portal» in the hall above and escaped, what was the truth behind the words that “he had not fought a normal duel even once,” et cetera—however, true enough it was not the situation to be chatting leisurely. Kuroyukihime and the others were probably still in the middle of moving, but he wanted to make the time they waited outside the south gate as short as possible.
They would surely have opportunities to hear his story while moving; thinking that, Haruyuki also nodded wordlessly. In doing so, Lead straightened his sitting posture and replied in a voice with increased spirit.
“You being selfish, that’s unthinkable. The first time the two of you met me, you trusted me unconditionally. In that case, it’s natural to answer to that trust… Allow me to gladly a.s.sist you in escaping.”
There, the young warrior stopped his words temporarily and mounted the sheath of the straight sword gripped in his left hand at his waist. He leisurely raised his hand, which had become free, into the air and continued.
“Currently, there exist two ways of breaking out normally from this Imperial Palace. However, one of them is realistically impossible.”
His left hand moved further and indicated the depths of the not-so-wide room.
What existed there was a railing, no, barricade with a design completely like that of diagonally intersecting countless short swords. On the other side of the railing was a vast s.p.a.ce filled with blue darkness. In the far distance of the large hall that was several times, several tens of times larger than Umesato Middle’s gymnasium, two small colors of light were visible.
What was pulsing blue like a water surface was the light of a portal, basically a pathway to the real world. And then a golden light that wavered ephemerally existed before it. According to Trilead, that very thing was the last Divine Weapon remaining in the Accelerated World, crowned with the name of the seventh star «Youkou» and inscribed «The Fluctuating Light».
In the same way as that of the day before yesterday, as if being lured in Haruyuki went out a few steps and fixed his eyes with a stare upon the golden resplendence. Since it was too far, he could discern neither the substance of the light nor the pedestal on which it was supposed to be placed. However, in spite of that Haruyuki still felt «something».
The desire to possess a rare item? —Nay.
The instinct to strengthen his fighting power? —Nay.
The reason was that to Haruyuki, that light, which was supposed to be nothing more than an Enhanced Armament, Divine Weapon be that as it may, could not be thought of as a simple item by any means. As proof of that, the «dream» he, Chiyuri, and Tak.u.mu had shared this morning—had «The Fluctuating Light» that they had seen as save data in the middle of the «Brain Burst central server», which in a certain sense was an area more inviolable than the Imperial Palace, not been shining more greatly and dazzlingly in the center of the galaxy than anything else? Just as if it were even the absolute core of the Accelerated World itself…
“The last Divine Weapon, «Youkou»—”
Suddenly, at his immediate left Lead’s voice reverberated, and taken aback Haruyuki awoke from his internal thoughts.
“If you can obtain it and activate the portal at its back, a normal withdrawal from the Imperial Palace is possible. However, that is far too difficult. As to why, this railing…the day before yesterday, it was a shimenawa4, but from the moment you cross it, absurdly powerful enemies will begin to appear in the s.p.a.ce back there.”
“«Begin to»…does that mean that it’s not only one?”
From Haruyuki’s right, Utai interrogated that, and Lead slightly nodded.
“Correct. In the beginning there’s two…as the invader advances, or as the time he or she stays lengthens, a further two bodies will increase apiece. I’ve confirmed up to six, but probably with that it’s not the end. Based on the conjecture that they will probably increase by at least two more, I call them the «Eight G.o.ds».”
“…Eight, Eight G.o.ds…”
Haruyuki murmured in a stiffened voice. Though they had been unable to deal with even one of the «Divine Beasts», the super-cla.s.s enemies who protected the gates outside the Imperial Palace, they were even doubled here.
“…If in actuality that portal were linked to the next boss room, and there «Sixteen G.o.ds» popped out…”
In response to Haruyuki’s nonsensical statement, next to him Lead showed signs of being in serious thought, so in a flurry he shook his head and hands.
“N, never mind, sorry, forget what I said just now. Th, that’s right, at any rate even if we don’t defeat the «Eight G.o.ds» and manage to reach the portal while evading their attacks, that also seems h.e.l.la5 futile, right.”
“Yes, as you say, Crow-san, it h.e.l.la seems that way. Besides that, if we don’t completely defeat the enemies, I think that procuring «Youkou» also probably seems h.e.l.la impossible.”
“…Forget about «h.e.l.la» too.”
Since it seemed that he would accidentally cause Lead, whose brain’s conversion dictionary seemed to be in a state of brand-new purity, to learn a strange word, Haruyuki hurriedly added that and continued.
“Uh, um, to be sure it seems that realistically we can’t go out from that portal. Which means, about the second method…I tentatively predicted that we might have to also do that. Basically…returning to the south gate once again and leaving from there…right?”
Upon that, Lead turned toward Haruyuki and nodded while smiling.
“It is exactly thus. —If you insist by any means, Crow-san, I don’t mind the north or west gate either though.”
“No, no it’s all right, we’re fine with the south gate! I mean, our comrades are also waiting for us there…”
After replying with that, Haruyuki suddenly tilted his head quizzically and inquired.
“—Is the east no good?”
“I’m somewhat diffident about recommending the east gate… Since the characteristic attack of its guardian beast «Seiryuu» is slightly troublesome…”
“Really? What does he do?”
“«Level Drain».”
“Let’s give up on the east.”
In less than a tenth of a second, he replied right away and immediately continued.
“N, no, let’s give up on the north and west too; the south, if you please.”
“h.e.l.la understood, Crow-san.”
Lead nodded with a dead serious expression on his face, and Utai, who was standing to the right side, let a rare small voice of laughter slip out with a chuckle.
“Kuu-san and Lead-san are harmonized in sync too much, I don’t have a chance to get a word in.”
“Eh…is, is that so.”
“You two have splendid s.h.i.te-kata6 and waki-kata styles.”
Utai, who had commented with words that Haruyuki did not know, changed the expression of her face mask and bowed her head facing Lead.
“Lead-san, forgive us, but we would like your a.s.sistance.”
“I’ll do what little I can. —Well then, the two of you, first of all to above.”
Lead left the barricade of swords and began to walk toward the ascending steps at the rear of the small room. Utai continued after him.
After chasing after the two and stepping forth several paces, Haruyuki looked back at the «Shrine of the Eight G.o.ds» once again. Gazing at the golden light swaying in the distant ultramarine darkness, he murmured inside his mind.
—One day, I will come here again. Besides that, I will acquire enough power, go on the right path, and come to meet you again…until then, please wait.
For some reason, his words had become as if they were a call directed not at an Enhanced Armament but at «somebody», but to Haruyuki, completely as if the seventh Divine Weapon carried a will and were answering him, it could be clearly seen flickering strongly once—or so he thought.
The stairs, which were heavy boards the day before yesterday, had changed into a spiral staircase joined together from polished stones and steel.
At the time when he had begun to lose track of how many rounds they had done, they finally managed to reach the ground floor.
The hall at the place where they had come out from the stairs also indeed deserved to be called the «Demonic City» stage, having been transfigured into a both sinister and solemn figure. Countless spear-shaped protuberances decorating the walls. A pointed ceiling chandelier that seemed just like some sort of free-fall type of trap. What had not changed were just the two right rectangular prism objects lined up in the center of the hall. The pedestals of black granite where in the past the fifth and sixth Divine Weapons had been enshrined—.
“Is that so…come to think of it, after all…”
Casually speaking out while walking, Haruyuki held his tongue. Lead, who was ahead, had looked back strangely at him, so he apologized with “Sorry, it’s nothing.”
What he had tried to say was “After all, I have one of the Divine Weapons that used to be on those pedestals.”
«The Infinity», the fifth Divine Weapon, was glittering beautifully at the waist of the young warrior avatar before his eyes. And «the Destiny», the sixth Divine Weapon—was dozing lightly in the depths of Haruyuki himself, who was basically Silver Crow. However, it was no longer its former mirror-like silver color. A black-tinged chrome silver. The «Destiny» had now transformed into the Disaster Armor «The Disaster», not the strongest but the most atrocious power in the Accelerated World.
Haruyuki could not fully remember that strange dream, but in the far, faraway past…in the very dawn of the Accelerated World, a Burst Linker who had succeeded in trespa.s.sing into this Imperial Palace had acquired the Divine Weapon the Destiny. He did not use it for himself but gave it to his partner. To the girl who had bright golden yellow armor and had appeared in Haruyuki’s dream.
However, after that, something had—«something» very saddening as well as frightening had happened. No matter what, he couldn’t remember the details. Even if he retraced his hazy memories with all his might, all that was resurrected were a number of fragmentary images.
—An enemy with a humongous, repulsive figure.
—Many Burst Linkers who were lined up around the edge of a large hole and were looking down.
—And a number of people talking covertly in a corner, though he did not understand them too well. «Main Visualizer»…«Override phenomenon»…and «sh.e.l.l of trauma». Those words faintly grazed his hearing, but if he tried to grasp them then they would disappear all too quickly like soap bubbles. If he tried to chase after them forcibly, then that phenomenon would surely occur again. «Overflow», which would call up an extraordinary amount of negative emotion as well as intense pain. Right now, he had to avoid collapsing and becoming unable to move.
At any rate, due to some occurrence involving those images, the shape—or the essence of the «Destiny» had changed into that of the «Disaster».
As a result, the Enhanced Armament that Haruyuki possessed now could no longer be called one of the Seven Arcs. If he were to explain how that had become so to Lead, who knew nothing, no matter how much time he spent it wouldn’t be enough; in the first place, he did not possess sufficient knowledge to explain things out.
…I’m sorry, Lead.
Inside his heart, facing the blue back of the younger warrior who made him feel a curious intimacy, Haruyuki apologized.
…One day, I will surely tell the whole story. Not just about the «Armor»; why I became a Burst Linker, what sake I’m fighting for, what I’m aiming for…everything, without leaving out a thing. However, when that time comes, you too…
There, against his will he checked his thoughts; Haruyuki hastened his feet and lined alongside the two walking ahead.
With their shoulders side-by-side, they pa.s.sed through the area with the pedestals lined up left and right, and they headed for the south of the hall.
At the point where the depths of the exit adorned with austere decorations became visible, Haruyuki again slightly raised his voice.
“Huh…the terrain’s…different..?”
The day before yesterday, when he had entered this hall, if he recalled correctly he had went through a pa.s.sageway running east and west. However, now the pathway visible on the other side of the exit stretched south as it was—what was more, in its depths he could see an ascending staircase.
The one who answered Haruyuki’s bewilderment was not Lead but Utai.
“Since a «transition» had occurred and the stage had changed from «Heian» to the «Demonic City», not only the labyrinth’s design but also its structure changed.”
“Geh… —That means, my «memory» can’t be counted on anymore, doesn’t it…”
The day before yesterday, why Haruyuki and Utai had been able to arrive at this large hall without attracting the sentry enemies once was due to the fact that he had vaguely remembered the route the avatar whose name he did not know had taken in the middle of his strange «dream». However, if the terrain had changed due to a transition, obviously that memory could not be used.
However, fortunately as if to rea.s.sure the two Lead nodded and spoke unhesitatingly.
“It’s all right, I know the way.”
“Eh…does, does that perhaps mean that you memorized the maps of this Imperial Palace, each and every one of the over one hundred types of stage attributes..?”
As he asked in a dumbfounded way, the youthful samurai nodded while slightly being bashful.
“Though having said that, I only remember the path from this hall to the exit of the inner sanctuary though.”
“Th, that’ll be enough. Whew…I thought maybe we had to do a dungeon strategy from square one until the exit…no, by no means do I hate it though…on the other hand, I like it, but…”
At Haruyuki’s strange relief, Lead showed a modest smile, but his expression immediately returned to what it was before, and he spoke.
“—However, speaking from experience, the level of difficulty of this «Demonic City» stage is slightly higher than that of «Heian». The strength of a single sentry enemy is not that much, but since their numbers are many, it’s difficult to move without being found…”
At the imbalance of the knowledge of Lead, who seemed to know relatively many stage names for not knowing the name of «Nega Nebulas», in his heart Haruyuki wanted to slightly tilt his head, but he immediately put his doubts aside and murmured.
“I see, it means that the mob’s7 easy to aggro8, so it’ll be hard to sneak around…”
Upon that, not only Lead but Utai too wore puzzled faces. It seemed that somehow or another, both of them were unacquainted with online games’ general purpose terminology. Putting aside the thought that it would no doubt be interesting to have them chat with Pard-san, he continued without online gaming terms.
“Um basically, it means that we have to use our nerves to move, more so than in the Heian stage. If that’s so, I’ll do my best somehow or another. I’m pretty good at sneaking around.”
“That’s rea.s.suring.”
In response to Haruyuki’s declaration, which was meant half in jest, Lead nodded with a serious expression and added “However.”
“It’s just one place, but there’s a place where we can’t slip through the enemy’s blind spot no matter what. Therefore, we must engage in combat once. Please prepare yourselves for that.”
“…Is, is that so. Unh, understood. It’s all right, w-w-we’ll try our best. They’re weaker than those of the Heian stage, right, if so I think we can do it, it’ll definitely be fine, hopefully.”
In his mind, he was in the mindset of breaking out into a great sweat, but with a show of courage Haruyuki pounded his chest once with a thump to deceive them and with great vigor went forth about three meters. He looked back and questioned Lead.
“With that, well…tentatively, just to be sure I wonder if you could tell me something. The fight, when will that be..?”
In doing so, Lead’s response was unusually delayed; about two seconds later, for some reason he apologized.
“…Pardon me, Crow-san. My explanation was not sufficient.”
“Eh..? Wha, what wasn’t sufficient..?”
“Combat will become inevitable when we leave this hall. As the sentry guards are patrolling the inner pa.s.sageway en ma.s.se…”
“……What.”
At the same time Haruyuki murmured, stupefied, a heavy metallic sound rang out at his back with a clank.
Fearfully, he looked round, and from the large exit, an even more enormous silhouette peered into the hall.
In the Heian stage of the day before yesterday, all the bodyguard enemies of the Imperial Palace’s inner sanctuary had j.a.panese-style warrior figures, but the ones of now had a figure that should be called a «knight» that matched the Demonic Stage well. Its huge frame approaching an overall height of three meters was surrounded in bulky metal armor. A kite shield like a sliding door in its left hand. A rough large sword that seemed as if it were cut from a plate of steel in its right hand.
The part below its helmet, from which a long horn was growing, was engulfed in darkness and was not visible, but two eyes radiating a dull purple looked down on Haruyuki in a staring manner. That gaze indicated that Haruyuki had basically entered the knight’s sphere of response.
“…………What.”
Leaking out a hoa.r.s.e voice once more, Haruyuki tried to draw back gradually.
However, quicker than he could the knight caused the earth to rumble and took a step inside the hall.
“VORUAAAAAA!!”
That war cry, which would be like that if one were forced to transcribe it, struck his avatar with a physical pressure. Overhead Haruyuki, who had reeled, a too-immense sword was raised very high up.
“Just…a mome…”
In blank amazement, he had let out that voice, but there was no way the enemy would accede to it. Its two purple eyes gleamed in a fiery way, and the knight tried to cleave in half the small avatar who did not even reach his waist with a single stroke—
Giin! That sharp metallic sound restored Haruyuki’s thought process, which was in a half-stopped state.
An arc of blue light that had come flying from the rear collided with the knight enemy’s sword and had forced it slightly back. Not letting the produced extension of time slip through his fingers, this time Haruyuki made a back dash with all his strength.
The one who had pa.s.sed him and had gone forth was the young warrior Trilead who possessed azure armor. The earlier attack was unmistakably his, but however his left hip’s straight sword was still sheathed in its scabbard. Instead, his hands were enveloped in a blue glitter.
Before Haruyuki, who had opened his eyes wide, Lead raised his swordless right hand straight overhead.
“—Ha!!”
A razor-sharp fighting cry. His hand in the shape of a sword flashed vertically. From that trajectory, a blade of crescent-moon-shaped light same as the one he had seen earlier was generated and ran through the air. A second metallic sound. The blue arc, which had hit its target of the knight’s neck, engraved a definite scar in the heavy armor.
“Voruuu…”
The knight enemy growled in a low voice, and the focus of its gaze shifted from Haruyuki to Lead. Its target had been transferred. Basically, just as Haruyuki had felt the day before yesterday, the knight AI was different from the «Four Divine Beasts» and was based on the principle of simple hate9.
“VORAH!!”
At the same time of the howl, the huge sword was swung with a sidelong sweep. With a sliding-like step, Lead evaded that blow, which seemed as if it would snap even the large trees of the «Primeval Forest» stage. For the third time, an arc of light was released from his sword-like hand and sc.r.a.ped the surface of the knight’s left-hand shield diagonally.
While making Ardor Maiden, who was at his back, retreat even more with unconscious movements, Haruyuki continued to open his eyes very wide.
This was the first time he was watching the mysterious Burst Linker «Trilead Tetraoxide» in combat. From the way he carried himself, he had antic.i.p.ated it to a certain extent, but even so it was unmistakable that he was unbelievably skilled. A way of walking smoothly like flowing water, his swiftness from dodging to counterattacking; more than anything else those blades of light fired in rapid succession from his two hands were not mere special techniques. Judging from the lack of technique name utterance and their might in chiseling the knight enemy’s armor that seemed ridiculously hard, they were clearly a power outside the system produced from his imagination—namely, Incarnate attacks.
At the same time he collected those pieces of information owing to his Burst Linker instinct, Haruyuki also felt a question.
Why had he not withdrawn his sword? It would not be an exaggeration even to say that the thing fitted at Lead’s left hip had an offensive power that could be said to be the strongest in the Accelerated World, the Divine Weapon «The Infinity». If he could produce that much power without the sword, then if he used the Divine Weapon it wouldn’t be impossible to even deal several times, no, several tens of times more damage…
“—Forgive me, Crow-san, there’s a reason I can’t use the sword right now!”
Just as if he had read Haruyuki’s mind, while avoiding the knight’s slashing attack by a wide margin Lead shouted.
“One way or another, we must defeat this enemy without the Divine Weapon!”
“…Un, understood!”
After immediately shouting that in return, he hurriedly added a question.
“Is, is it okay even if we use Mind Power!?”
Why he had asked that was because the conversation of Kuroyukihime and the others from the day before yesterday had lingered in his ears. According to them, the more an enemy’s cla.s.s rose, the harder it became for Incarnate attacks to work, and simultaneously it became easier to be drawn in by the waves of Mind Power. Though the one knight before their eyes was so scary that he was about to faint, if they increased to two or more he did not have the confidence that he would be able to be there without fleeing.
However, fortunately Lead quickly nodded.
“In this room, as long as you don’t use it continuously more than you need to, it’s okay!”
“Understood!”
Shouting once more, Haruyuki belatedly also positioned his hands in front of him. His head, which had shaken by the sudden enemy appearance, finally switched to battle mode.
By good luck, the knight enemy seemed not to execute long-range attacks. Of course, their opponent was an «Imperial Palace guard enemy» who probably concealed a potential rivaling that of the «Legend cla.s.s», so if he took a direct hit from its huge sword, Haruyuki would probably die in one hit anyway. No matter how he thought about it, his concentration to continue to draw its target would not last, but however if he attacked from a far distance while coordinating with Lead, they definitely had a chance of victory.
While sucking in a huge breath, he conceived the «image of the speed of light» in his hands, and Haruyuki chased Lead and aimed his mind’s scope at the back of the knight.
The enemy brandished its sword, its bulky armor slipped out of place, and a portion of chain mail whose defense seemed slightly thin became visible at its neck, at that instant—.
“…«Laser Lance»!!”
He loaded the Incarnate technique he had just developed into the fighting spirit of his whole body and mind and released it. From his right hand extended straight out, a lance of silver light poured out and without straying from its mark hit the knight’s lower neck. Its huge frame slightly faltered, and the path of its sword attack aimed at Lead went astray and violently struck the ground.
At the same time, in Haruyuki’s field of vision the knight enemy’s health gauge was displayed. The right end of the first bar of the vertically three-layered bar—decreased about two percent.
“…Wah…”
Reflexively, he groaned. Including the one clean hit Lead had landed on the knight’s body a while ago, the gauge of which they had deprived it did not fill even a tenth of the first bar yet. At this pace, if they were to shave away at that colossal gauge, just on earth how many dozens of minutes…no, how many hours would it take?
At that moment, at his back a young and resolute voice resounded.
“Both of you, please endure it for three minutes. After that, I will undertake the job.”
The owner of the voice was of course, Shinomiya Utai—Ardor Maiden, who had been silent up until now.
In only three minutes, at best they could probably sc.r.a.pe a few percent more of the knight’s gauge away. Even though she said she would undertake it afterwards, could Maiden, who was a complete long-range type, take the enemy’s target?
Instantly, Haruyuki flicked that question from his head and yelled.
“Ro, roger!”
Simultaneously, from a slightly separated place Lead also responded.
“Understood!”
Before he was aware of it, Maiden, who had nodded in response to the two’s replies, had raised her long wakyuu10equipped in her left hand forward. It was rapidly enveloped in scarlet flames and changed its shape as if melting. The item, which had changed into a short, flat rod shape, opened thinly and became a folding fan together with a satisfyingbam!.
From the left and right of the face mask of the lovely miko, pure white supplementary armor slid together, merged at the middle, and created a both beautiful and bewitching mask. Immediately after, a scarlet aura heavily wrapped up her avatar’s entire body…
Having verified that phenomenon thus far out of the corner of his eye, Haruyuki moved toward Lead’s side. With only eye contact, they communicated their strategy to each other. Having said that, it was not a complicated thing. They would only mutually draw the knight enemy’s hate11 in nearly equal amounts apiece and attack while causing its target to scatter as much as possible.
“VO…ROOOAAAAA!!”
As if it were irritated at not yet having scored a direct hit, the knight howled. While swinging the large sword left and right wildly, which till now had only been striking with single blows, it pressed in on the two.
After having lured it in to their limits, Haruyuki and Lead, who had dove greatly left and right, matched their timing perfectly—
“Haa!!”
“Laser Lance!!”
They let blue and silver light fly. At the flank of the knight, the dichromatic light effect burst. Damage, four percent.
From there, for three minutes it became something that was painful, drawn out to the point where he would faint, and then just a little bit exciting.
No matter how much they were splitting its target, he would not run that much about his circle of safety. Even though he was barely dodging the sword of the knight, who was closing in while bellowing in a rage, occasionally he accidentally received splash damage from its blade, which struck the ground.
If Haruyuki were alone, without lasting a minute he would be showered in direct blows, but despite that why he was able to continue slipping through the lethal blade was because of Lead’s precise instructions. Somehow or another, it seemed that the young warrior was completely knowledgeable about not only all of the attribute’s maps of the Imperial Palace’s main shrine but also the attack patterns of the metamorphosing guard enemies. Without mentioning the path of the sword the knight was brandishing in every direction, he splendidly read even its trampling steps from its log-like legs and the wind pressure attacks for which it used its shield, and he conveyed the ways of dodging those to Haruyuki.
He faithfully followed the instructions and kept avoiding the attacks, and when its target transferred to Lead he aimed for the opportunity to get a blow in. Continuing to clear the tightropes that would lead to instant death if they had even one miss with actions of superb coordination was in a certain sense the very thrill of online games.
From the time two minutes had elapsed, Haruyuki and Lead almost no longer even exchanged voices. With just a slight hand motion, Lead conveyed his instructions, and Haruyuki responded to that without time lag.
…If I could have done it like this.
…If I could have done it like this in today’s basketball match too. If I had formed an image of the movements and thoughts of not just the opponent players but also my allies and had been moving according to that, perhaps…
In the midst of the intense fighting, that thought crossed his mind for an instant; he immediately denied it.
…There’s no way I could have done it. The real world me is completely different from Silver Crow. I’m not this light. I’m not this fast.
…However. I just might be able to aim for it. No matter how impossible it seems…if I wish to change and just try to take one step, just one step out for that purpose…perhaps, I too…
“—This way!”
Suddenly at his back a sharp voice rang out, and Haruyuki abruptly opened his eyes wide.
Before he had known it, the three-minute interval designated by Utai had pa.s.sed by. Briefly exchanging glances with Lead, who was at his right side, he simultaneously made a huge back jump. They steered the knight enemy, who was chasing them while becoming increasingly enraged, in the direction from which they had heard Utai’s voice.
However, although they had endured it for three minutes as they were told, the first of the three levels of the enemy’s health bar still had close to ninety percent remaining. From here, what on earth did Utai intend to do?
While carrying that worry, Haruyuki lined up with Lead, continued his back dash, and reached the vicinity of the second pedestal in the center of the hall.
That moment, the right side of his vision was stained a deep red, and reflexively his eyes were separated from the enemy and looked that way.
What existed there was—a sight at which even Haruyuki, who had stumbled across various superphenomena in the interior of the «Imperial Palace» and whose nerves had supposedly gotten reasonably used to them, could not help from catching his breath in blank amazement.
Flames. What was burning was the entire body of the miko avatar of small build. From her tabi12-shaped tiptoes to the tip of her long hair parts, she was enveloped in blazing bright red crimson flames.
It seemed that Ardor Maiden herself was not receiving damage, so it probably was not a true blaze. Probably, it was the irregular light effect that accompanied the activation of the Incarnate system, namely the «Over-Ray». However, even compared with the Over-Ray of the Red King Scarlet Rain, who was likewise a red-color, hers was closer in its fluctuations and hue to a true flame.
That aura, which had been refined over a good three minutes, was even several times more violent as well as beautiful than that of the time she had reduced Bush Utan to ashes in their tag duel of three days ago. The miko clad in crimson wielded the fan in her right hand and leisurely continued to dance. With a momentum as if to trample Maiden into pieces, the knight enemy pressed in—.
“—«Pitiable, agonizing flames of ire»13”
All of a sudden, a sonorous «poem» resounded from the miko’s mouth.
The fan was swiftly shaken, and from it small sprays of flames flowed in the air. Seeming only like trifling fire powder, they fell at the feet of the knight enemy; at that instant.
The roar of a thunderous crack!, which nearly deafened his ears, rocked the air, and the floor of the supposedly preposterously tough «Demonic City» stage burned—no, melted.
The knight enemy sank helplessly up to around its chest in the middle of that liquid that sparkled in a dazzling orange color and could no longer be called anything but magma. That moment, its metallic armor, which till now had been shining in a cold, dull color, became red hot like coal.
“VOOOOOOAAAAA!!”
A howl that gushed out, or a shriek. Flailing its two arms about pell-mell, the knight tried to escape from the magma, but the diameter of the «pond» able to melt the floor easily surpa.s.sed five meters. It only scattered drops of flames in vain; there was no sign of its huge frame emerging.
“«Return unto the dust of the ground.»”
Again, the poem possessing a strange meter resounded. The crimson aura enshrouding the miko became increasingly violent, and the quant.i.ty of heat in the pond of magma also increased further. A hot, burning-like wind drifted even to the body of Haruyuki, who was separated far enough away. If he approached any closer than this, it wouldn’t be strange even if he actually received damage.
After standing still dumbfounded for more than ten seconds, Haruyuki finally looked at the health gauge displayed overhead the knight enemy. In doing so, the first level was at the point of literally burning to nothing.
Lead had said that if they continued to use Incarnate techniques for over ten minutes in this hall, then there was a possibility other enemies would be called here. If they considered that, whether they would be able to sc.r.a.pe away the remaining two gauge levels within the time extension was slightly dicey. It might have been a scene where Haruyuki should also a.s.sist with long-range techniques, but however for some reason his gut told him that he must not do so. This «dance of flames» was Utai’s stage alone; there was no need for others to cut in. Perhaps Lead also felt the same; in Haruyuki’s immediate proximity, he only continued to stand quietly.
Thereafter, indeed over a five-minute interval the miko danced, the blaze swirled, and the knight continued to writhe.
At last, finally the third gauge burnt out, and in the middle of the pond of magma, together with a fearsome, tremendous explosion effect the enemy was extinguished.
Even when Ardor Maiden had slowly lowered her folding fan and had stopped her movements, Haruyuki was unable to speak out once.
He had been overwhelmed. By the might, the beauty, and the fearsomeness of Utai’s Incarnate technique. By the exceedingly terrible «power of destruction» at which he could not help but shudder—.
In terms of the logic of the technique, it was not that complicated a thing. It melted the setting of the stage, changed it into a high-temperature liquid, and dropped the enemy there. What was terrifying something else. Basically, there was no way to escape this technique. Without the ability to fly like Haruyuki or a unique movement ability like the fifth-generation Disaster’s «Wire Hook», the act of crawling out of the magma pond would not be granted. The viscosity of the liquid was high, obstructing movement inside, and even if one somehow managed to reach the bank, the sides of the hole would also melt. It was probably even more difficult than climbing a gla.s.s wall smeared with oil.
It was a power that differed fundamentally from the «flames of purification» that had reduced Bush Utan to ashes three days ago. As for its Incarnate technique category—he did not want to think this, but probably it was the fourth quadrant, basically a «negative power with range as its target», was it not. Why on earth would that young, sweet Shinomiya Utai have a technique this mercilessly destructive…
At the moment where Haruyuki had thought that far in a corner of his half-numb mind. The body of Ardor Maiden, who was standing still a number of meters ahead, wavered with a violent shake.
“Ah…”
Reflexively, he dashed and supported the back of Utai, who seemed about to collapse to the ground. Before Haruyuki’s eyes, the pure white mask covering the miko’s face was divided and was retracted beneath her hair parts.
Her scarlet eye lenses flickered irregularly and regarded Haruyuki. Her voice flowed out in a frail manner.
“…It seems that, it was slightly too early for me…to use it yet, in actual combat.”
“Eh…what does that mean..?”
“The technique, of just now was…the «technique specifically against anti-ground-type heavyweight-cla.s.s enemies» in its experimental stage that I’ve been practicing for about a year. If I said more…it would be «exclusively for one of the Divine Beasts, Genbu».”
“…Exclusively for, Genbu…”
After repeating after her in great surprise, Haruyuki held his breath.
Of course, Haruyuki had not directly seen the «Divine Beast Genbu», the super-cla.s.s enemy guarding the Imperial Palace’s north gate. He did not know at all what kind of form he had or what kind of attacks he made. However, there was just one thing he knew. That was the fact that even now one of the Elements of the old Nega Nebulas like Utai or Fuuko was sealed at Genbu’s feet.
Inside the arms of Haruyuki, who had lowered his waist, Utai closed her eyes and continued in words that tended to taper off.
“…It was just as if, my power did not…work on the «Divine Beast Suzaku». On the occasion of the past Imperial Palace conquest tactics, the one who desired to command the anti-Suzaku forces was me myself. No matter what power he had, if it were flames then I would control it; that was what I foolishly…thought conceitedly. If, the one who confronted Suzaku had been…Aqua Current, who manipulated water, Suzaku’s opposing attribute. Or if it had been Sky Raker, who’s faster than even the wind…they might have broken through Suzaku’s guard. If so…the legion’s annihilation, of two years ago was…the responsibility of, me, who made light of…and forgot my respect for the enemy…”
The instant he saw a small drop glisten at the rim of one of her closed eyes, in spite of himself Haruyuki shouted.
“That’s…that’s not true! Absolutely no one thinks that it’s your responsibility, Mei-san!”
“No…the blame’s mine, for which I ought to be rebuked. As to why…at that time, in my heart I thought…if it were me, then I could quell the flames of the Divine Beast Suzaku, and we might have been able to pa.s.s through the gate without having anyone’s lives robbed… If you don’t call that foolish conceit…what would you call it…”
There, the whispering voice that had a faint scream-like ring completely broke off.
Without even being able to find the words he needed to say to her, Haruyuki had the feeling that now at last he was able to understand the reason why Utai had continued to live in seclusion in a nook of the Accelerated World without contacting Kuroyukihime and the others for a good two years.
In the past, Utai had explained that reason as being for «the sake of not wanting to cause secondary damage in having Ardor Maiden, who was in a sealed state, rescued». Of course, that probably also was not a lie. However, at the same time she was continuing to blame herself deeply. Tormenting herself with the thought that the cause of the legion’s annihilation lay with her, she had personally decided that due to that sin, no matter how much she wanted to meet Kuroyukihime or Fuuko, it would not be tolerated. Indeed, over a good two years.
However—.
However, that feeling of self-reproach was common to both Kuroyukihime and Fuuko as well.
Driven by impulse, Kuroyukihime, who had captured the head of the first-generation Red King, Red Rider, and had brought about an all-out war with the remaining five kings’ legions, was fixed on thinking that that was a direct factor in Nega Nebulas’ annihilation and had continued to hide herself for two years in the Umesato Middle School local net.
Fuuko was worried that the fact that she had resolved to have both her legs severed in order to strengthen her own Mind Power and that she had compelled Kuroyukihime to do so had created all the underlying causes, and for two years she had retired from the world in the Old Tokyo Tower in the Unlimited Neutral Field.
They were the same. All three of them were the same. Since they strongly thought about their comrades to whom they were bound by deep bonds, they punished themselves. Undoubtedly—, undoubtedly, the remaining two people of «Elements» too and the other legion members too whose names Haruyuki still did not know had thought the same thing and had erased their forms, no doubt about it. They had sacrificed themselves eternally in the former Nega Nebulas’ annihilation…they would never again stand on the center stage of the Accelerated World any more…
“…However…however.”
While gazing at the face of Ardor Maiden, who was still in his arms with her eyes closed, Haruyuki squeezed his voice out with all his might.
“However…suffering, worrying, hating, fighting…Brain Burst doesn’t…exist for those things’ sake…it must be like that. In this world, plenty of saddening things and harsh things also happen, but…however, one day, the day when we can overcome those, hold hands once again with the people we love, and share everything will definitely come. The day when you can share the suffering you’ve always been carrying alone with your comrades, Mei-san, will inevitably come. —A good two years have already pa.s.sed since the annihilation of the former Nega Nebulas. If so, it’s fine even if today is that day…!”
Even while moving his mouth desperately, Haruyuki vaguely realized what the source of the fearsome Mind Power of destruction that Utai had activated a moment earlier was.
It was a «sin». It was not as tainted in darkness as «despair» or «hatred», but however by no means was it a positive power. If it were a flame that burnt offenders, then while her technique was activated, Utai was continuously tasting the same suffering as that of her target.
And then, simultaneously—. The sin Utai was carrying was probably not only something concerning the legion’s annihilation. There existed a deeper, stronger emotion that was directly connected to her in the real world. As for the reason, had Kuroyukihime not said it? That if one did not face one’s «wound» head-on in the real world, then on no account would one be able to produce the second stage of Incarnate techniques.
Of course, there was no way that Haruyuki, who had met Utai only a few days ago, would be permitted to trespa.s.s into the depths of Utai’s heart. Right now, he could not even imagine what she had experienced in the past, what she had suffered—and then why she had lost her natural voice. However—however…
“Even in this world, if we must forever suffer from and hate each other for…all our mistakes and misunderstandings…then, for what purpose did we become Burst Linkers…!”
At the words that Haruyuki, driven by emotion, had squeezed out from his chest, the body of Utai, who was completely exhausted and had lost her strength, quivered with a twitch.
The scarlet eye lenses slowly opened. However, their light was still wavering frailly. Though he thought he wanted to say something, say another sentence, Haruyuki’s chest kept trembling strongly, and words would not come out.
Then—.
A voice that was refreshing and calm like a breeze blowing across a meadow flowed softly.
“—«For play were we born, for mischief were we born»14.”
It was Trilead, who had been silent up till then. The young warrior moved from Haruyuki’s back without a sound, stopped at a position directly across Utai with her between them, and sat seiza style with an upright posture.
After a moment of silence, while slowly blinking Utai replied in a faint voice.
“—«If I hear the voices of children playing, even my body moves»…”
It seemed probably to be something like an old waka15, but Haruyuki did not know that phrase. However, though it was through his feelings, he had the sense that he was able to understand its meaning. Lead transferred his gaze from Utai to Haruyuki and began to speak quietly.
“It’s embarra.s.sing, but…till now, I have not thought about what kind of fate all the Burst Linkers apart from me shouldered or any kind of the goals for which they fought… Only—I only thought, that it was fun for them to play this game in large numbers. And then, that if someday I too could join those comrades…I thought, those shallow thoughts…”
He rocked his tied-up hair and hung his head. Raising his face, the warrior of many mysteries continued quietly.
“—However, the only Burst Linker I knew until I met you two…basically, the person who was my parent and teacher said this. That ‘Even if you’re alone, even if you’re unable to go outside this castle, play and enjoy yourself with all your body and soul.’ That ‘only that single path leads to your future.’ —Forever, while I imagined the voices of children merrily playing on the other side of the high castle walls, I continued to swing my sword alone. At the end of my long…long days, at last Crow-san and Maiden-san appeared before me…exchanged words with me…promised to return…and then today, we were able to fight shoulder-to-shoulder. I am quite unable to put what I am feeling now into words.”
Mutely, Haruyuki and Utai watched the streak of a drop fall down along the shapely face mask of Trilead, who had cut his words short again. Without wiping his face, in a trembling voice Lead put a final sentence into words.
“Just…what I can just say is…that I’m glad to have become a Burst Linker. That it was a blessing to have been able to know the Accelerated World. The ones who gave me this joy were…Crow-san, and Maiden-san, you two.”
There, the young warrior closed his mouth and again made a deep bow.
For a while, silence ruled the hall enveloped in a curtain of dim blue darkness. Before he was aware of it, the pond of magma created by Utai’s Incarnate technique had also cooled, and only a slightly low indent remained.
Before long, Utai raised her body from Haruyuki’s arms, and after looking at the two in turn she spoke in a distinct voice.
“—To me too, just that…just having been able to have become a Burst Linker was an unmistakable blessing. No…serving the Black King, Black Lotus, as well as fighting as a member of Nega Nebulas…and then, at the end of that path, having been able to meet Kuu-san and Lead-san were also like that. If so…the path I’ve always been walking till now…was not wrong…”
Her feet, which were an imitation of tabi, moved and touched the floor with a tap. Matching Utai’s movements, Haruyuki also slowly stood up.
Waiting for Lead to also similarly stand, Utai took a step out, looked back, and spoke.
“—My apologies for having caused you to worry. Now then…let us go. Ahead this path that we have walked one step at a time, without a doubt our future…our destiny extends out infinitely.”
Lead’s words that he had memorized the internal structure of the Imperial Palace’s inner sanctuary, including all its attributes, was by no means an exaggeration.
The young warrior continued to lead them without losing his way even once through the «Demonic City» stage’s complex map, which was wholly different from that of the «Heian» stage of two days ago.
He climbed stairs, crossed aerial corridors, pushed mechanism switches to open hidden doors, and descended below with pulleys. It wouldn’t be strange even if it took a number of days, no, a number of weeks to break through the old-castle-type dungeon chock-full of gimmicks without guidance. Furthermore, on top of that, ubiquitous enemies of the same type as the knight with which they had first fought and guys with heavier armor, guys that seemed quick-witted and agile, and even magician-type guys were wandering about.
Haruyuki was prepared for them to be unable to avoid maybe another two, three times of accidental random encounters, but Lead’s instructions were flawless. Even in situations where groups of enemies were walking from the left and right, they could calmly remain in the shadows and run all-out as soon as the enemy had went far off and had entered a blind spot. Once, they displayed the feat of purposely moving an empty elevator and descending down a ladder on the opposite side once the enemies had gathered there. Describing it as one’s own backyard would not be an exaggeration at all.
For Haruyuki, a hardcore gamer, the t.i.tles of «being able to move» this freely went only to an online FPS16 he had played for a number of years and a one-player action ADV17 in which he had spent over a hundred hours. Moreover, since the structure of the Imperial Palace changed completely with every transition, just exactly how many years had Trilead continued to fight…no, «play» in this place…
—While he pondered that question, before the eyes of Haruyuki, who had followed Lead’s instructions, had run, had climbed, had descended, and no longer even knew how many doors they had pa.s.sed through, that sight suddenly appeared.
Just one small window set up in the wall. In its depths, a vast s.p.a.ce that spread out, and pillars that stood lined up, and then the sky swirling with black clouds. It was the «outside».
“…Good work. The inner shrine of the Imperial Palace ends here.”
Saying that as if it were nothing, Lead approached the window and casually flung it open. A cold wind blew and coolly caressed Silver Crow’s armor.
As if drawn to it, Haruyuki approached the window and looked outside.
Two lines of blue-black, enormous pillars were lined straight into the distance from the far right side of the window. He had seen that appearance before. Even in the Heian stage of the day before yesterday, though their shades were different, similar columns had stood at the front of the inner sanctuary all in a row. Basically—what lay ahead was…
“…It’s, it’s the gate…!”
Almost involuntarily shouting, he hurriedly restrained his mouth.
On the other side of the mist trailing the ground, sure enough a huge castle gate could be slightly made out extending in a straight line from the procession of pillars. From the orientation of the shadows made by the pillars, the gate was straight south—basically, that very thing was the «gate of Suzaku» that Haruyuki and Utai had broken through two days ago.
At last—at last, they had come to the point where the