Accel World (先飞看刀) Accel World Vol 7 Chapter 1

Blackout[1]

Spotlight

Gigantic round vermilion pillars, stripped of their former gloss, materialize out of the light. Backed against the arc of the pillar is a small figure. It's not a real person. The whole body is covered by heavy silver armour; the head is covered by a helmet of the same colour. The surroundings are weakly illuminated. It's night. Countless torches flicker soundlessly. The first pillar is not the only one – it is but the first in a seemingly-endless line of pillars extending off into the distance. The ground is covered with pure white pebbles. At the edge of vision one could just glimpse the outline of a colossal citadel. The silver helmet turns to regard the citadel opposite it.

…… Not really «Absolutely Inaccessible» now is it?

Despite understanding how he had brought this whole mess upon himself, he can't help but complain.

Except he can only complain in his head. He doesn’t dare to make a sound, he can hardly take a step for the fear of the sound of his own footsteps. The slightest of sounds might attract the fearsome Warrior-Formed Enemies that wander inside the citadel causing them to attack him.

A Warrior Enemy can reach three meters high. The Beast Enemies that roam the outside can be as much as five times as tall. But the Warrior Enemies that patrol the long corridors and citadel walls in groups of three or four, can emit a pressure that surpa.s.ses Beast and even Legend Enemies. No, the pressure might be just as suffocating as the pressure emitted by the «Four Sacred Beasts» that guard the citadel gates. Of course, the only time the citadel – the «Imperial City» that stands within the «Unlimited Neutral Field» – could be breached would be if or when the Four Beasts were overcome. But not a single Beast has yet been defeated. He slipped in when he saw a chance – no, an accidental entry seems more likely.

Can't they at least prepare a Portal for escaping?

He grumbles and complains in his head once again, while trying to control the fear and anxiety he is feeling.

The metal-coloured Avatar – his armour reflecting the light from the torches – feels cold all over, his heart beating vigorously inside the slightly-char-black silver armour. This really is a pinch, the biggest he’s been in since becoming a «BB Player».

But at the same time, he begins to feel excited from within the depths of his heart.

It has been eleven short months since the birth of the Accelerated World – when an unknown ent.i.ty gave about a hundred first year elementary students living in central Tokyo copies of the Full Dive Fighting Combat Game «Brain Burst». For these eleven months, most players decided to challenge the colossal citadel sitting in the centre of this world upon gaining the right to access the "Unlimited Neutral Field" when they reached level 4. Whether it's because it has the same position in the real world as the imperial residence, or because of the absolute-gravity chasms around the structure --- no matter how you look at it, it’s the place where the game will end – or as the children would call it, the «Last-Boss-Dungeon».

However, every Burst Linker that has ever challenged it easily crumbled in the face of super Enemies with terrifying powers – the «Four Sacred Beasts».

Genbu of the North, Seiryuu of the East, Byakko of the West and Suzaku of the South. They are individual Enemy units, each with five bars of HP, and each of them possesses abilities to support and heal each other. The Beasts not engaged in combat can utilise these formidable abilities – for example, the ability to cast protective shields or recover HP for the ones engaging in combat at their respective gates. In other words, it's impossible to focus on just one of the Four Beasts. The players must divide into four teams and a.s.sault the Four Beasts simultaneously. Except right now the total number of Burst Linkers is less than five hundred. They have even formed smaller groups contending with each other. If the players cannot stand united, then an operation of such a scale is impossible. Among the Burst Linkers, there have been some small parties that forced their way through to one of the gates, only to die at the end of the bridge and fall into the «Infinite Enemy Death» state – a term not conceived of until this event occurred – until all points are lost.

Under such circ.u.mstances, even though the Four Sacred Beasts weren't defeated, to successfully infiltrate the Imperial City is nevertheless a source of excitement.

It has to be that by continuing into the depth of the citadel, he would be able to obtain the final game-clear item – thus becoming the first person to clear Brain Burst, engraving his name in the history of the Accelerated World forever.

He possesses an ordinary ability, a plain metallic colour and a name that doesn't stand out much ---

«Chrome Falcon»

Although a Duel Avatar named after the falcon sounds pretty cool, it can also be said that both Chrome Falcon's ability and his appearance pale in comparison to his name. This is the opinion held not only by his opponents, but by himself.

The only similarity the Avatar has to the fierce bird of prey is the slightly sharp beak-like protrusion at the bottom of the mask. His eyeless face is completely silver – as such, the Avatar can't help but give off an impression of a lackey. Slight of body, with no weapons, and with nothing resembling wings on his back.

The only offensive abilities of this Avatar are punches and kicks – other than that, the only advantages are the speed allowed by the small build and the hardness of the body. The only person to call him 'cool' is his partner, «Saffron Blossom». Although he does not doubt her words, he would still like to be powerful enough to be worthy of her.

Blossom, as her name indicates, possesses the power to «Allow Flowers to Bloom». The small wand in her right hand can fire off many different types of seeds into the opponents' or allies' Avatars. The flowers that bloom from the seeds after a set amount time can leech the HP Gauge, the Special Attacks Gauge, or interfere with the opponents' movements. By the same token, the seeds have the power to cast buffs, erase de-buffs and produce other beneficial effects. Some sarcastic players gave the power the uncomfortable name of «Parasitic Type Attack»; yet even amongst the Indirect Yellows, not many Avatars have that wide a range of abilities.

Of course, to possess such a powerful ability, other attributes must be sacrificed. For Blossom, her defensive power is low beyond imagining. That's why, to compensate for this weakness, she partnered with the defensive type Falcon. That said, although they have fought together for half a year, he still feels uneasy – if someone with a higher defence were to invite Blossom to join their party, how would she react?

In the «Metal Colour Chart» – distinct to the «Base Colour Circle» – Precious Metals such as platinum and gold are on the left side, and Base Metals such as steel and iron are on the right. Although divided into Precious and Base, if the Avatars are at the same level, the potential is the same for both sides. Precious Metals have strong resistance to toxic, acidic, corrosive and other types of Special Attacks; Base Metals have strong resistance to punches, slashes and various other Physical Attacks.

«Chrome» is a colour close to the very centre; it lacks the resistances of either Precious or Base Metals. Although few in number, there are metal colours with stronger armour than his. It wouldn't even be surprising if there are players more suited to be meat-shields amongst the highly defensive greens from the Base colours.

That means, based on hardness of the Avatar alone, there's no knowing when Blossom might leave him for another player.

He can't say for sure exactly why he feels the way he does right now. In the Accelerated World he was able to survive by making the harbour districts his base. As time pa.s.sed, he was given the t.i.tle of «The Falcon of Black Silver». Yet as soon as he returns to the real world, he’s just an eight-year-old kid – still in second grade. --- Except he’s just using that as an excuse. Less than a year may have pa.s.sed for his body, but since he gained access to the Unlimited Neutral Field – the world that processes infinite time– five years have pa.s.sed for his mind.

That's why… I think I can understand a bit now.

He had reached level five and learned a certain ability, so he decided to come to the «Imperial City» to put his ideas into practice. After being lucky – or unlucky – enough to succeed in getting inside, he could now be surrounded by intimidating Enemy mobs at any moment. This was all because of the love and possessiveness he felt for Saffron Blossom.

--- I have to move fast, otherwise, a Warrior Enemy will find me as it patrols the area, following its movement patterns.

Poking his head out from the shadows of the vermilion pillar, he quickly a.s.sesses the situation.

He is currently located in the Southern area of the «Imperial City» Inner Garden - which is one thousand five hundred meters in diameter - in the corner of the road that connects the «Suzaku Gate» to the Front Gate of the citadel proper. Both sides of the entrance are guarded by a Warrior Enemy – each one aggressive and strong enough to be like a Demon Enemy. It would seem impossible to defeat them. That's why, in contrast, his target is a window upon the white walls. Because it's an improper route, there's a high chance the window might not open from the outside – but as long as it's a real window, using it to enter should be possible.

From the back, the footsteps of the patrolling Warrior Enemy mob slowly approaches. Taking a deep breath, he takes a step with his right foot while softly whispering out the ability name ---

«Flash Blink»

Even though it was uttered with a voice barely audible, the Warrior Enemies' pace changes immediately.

But by this time, the black-silver Avatar has completely vanished from the shade of the pillar. He disappears after leaving behind a blue afterimage, then soundlessly materialises thirty meters away beside the citadel wall.

This is Chrome Falcon's level five Special Ability, «Pseudo-Teleport». Pseudo because it's just an expansion of «High Speed Straight Line Movement» type abilities. Movement is only possible in areas where «the eyes can see the path» and «s.p.a.ce is connected» – but the moving Avatar turns into a particle with zero ma.s.s, nullifying physical and gravitational type attacks.

He appears again backed to the white wall and observes the movement of the Warrior Enemies who have arrived at his former hiding place. The invader who had set off their attack mode has been lost; the Warrior Enemies angrily look left and right and finally return to the original patrol path before resuming their former slow pace as if forgetting anything had happened . Huuuuu, a deep breath. Despite the combat abilities of the Warrior Enemies, the AI settings appear to be much lower than that of the «Four Sacred Beasts».

He turns, raises his head to look at the giant window on the wall behind him.

The field attribute is the long awaited j.a.panese style «Peace» Stage, as expected, the windows are made out of criss-crossing thin red strips of wood without inlaid gla.s.s panels and the like. From what he could see, each little grid is just three centimetre square in size – no Duel Avatar would be able to pa.s.s through it directly, but ---

Raising his eyes to take a look at the Special Attacks Gauge, he sees that he only has 5 percent left. The HP Gauge has just 20 percent left, but even at full health, to take a strike from the Warrior Enemy's Tachi [2] means instant death.

He sets up his trajectory carefully, then kicks off the ground with his right foot and spends the last of his Special Attacks Gauge to use the final «Flash Blink».

The granulated body of Chrome Falcon pa.s.ses through the wooden window frame and finally enters the Imperial City proper.

This Ability is the very method that tricked the eyes of the «Four Sacred Beasts» and made possible the entrance into the impenetrable outer regions of the Imperial City. The method is extremely simple. He charges his Special Attacks Gauge beforehand, circles around to the infinitely dark outer regions of the Imperial City, rather than crossing the bridge guarded by the Four Sacred Beasts and uses «Blink» to cover the greatest possible distance. Even so, even by using up all of the Special Attacks Gauge, a hundred meters of movement is the maximum –not enough to pa.s.s through the abyss five hundred meters wide.

That's why the initial trajectory is set to be slightly higher. The moment he appears above the abyss, the Avatar, unable to resist the super gravity is pulled to the bottom of the abyss while the HP Gauge is drained. But as a result, the Special Attacks Gauge is recharged – after a certain amount is replenished, «Blink» is used again diagonally upwards. The process is continuously repeated until he crosses the abyss.

--- Even if that all worked, he only planned to scout - or, to use another term, experiment - today. If the cycle of Blink, recharge and Blink again was proven to be possible, he planned to just fall to the bottom of the abyss and die. He would use the obtained data as a basis to tweak the plan after he revives in front of the abyss. Once he had ensured a greater possibility of success, he would start the real challenge.

Or that was how he intended. Instead he charges in recklessly without a plan on the very first try, all due to the extreme fear he felt as he dropped down the abyss. Completely ecstatic after the first drop, blindly using Blink in front of him, he didn’t realise what was happening until after he had reached the outer walls of the Imperial City.

Of course, the desired result is achieved – but to accept what had been learned and give up now is not possible.

Eleven months since the start of the battle of the Accelerated World, the children who became BB Players are creating a history of rivalry, as well as the history of the struggle against the unknown game creator, at the same time. The children poured tremendous enthusiasm into finding loopholes in the system – «ways to easily obtain Points» – but as soon as the methods were found, the creator would install a patch to close the loophole. The «Enemy Stacking» [3] within the game, the «Seal Cheating» which relies on outside programs from the real world and other methods…… as long as the techniques are found to have the slightest trace of trickery, amendments to disable such techniques will be installed at a speed astonishingly faster than other web games. The reaction speed has lead many players to believe that the creators and administrators of Brain Burst are not real people but AI.

In any case, the mysterious creator strictly forbids opportunistic approaches within the game. In the Accelerated World, to obtain something, the player must pay an equal price.

As such, flying over the obstacle instead of entering via the four directional gates to enter the absolutely inaccessible «Imperial City» – Chrome Falcon's method – would definitely not be recognised as proper. A patch will be released very soon, the super gravity of the abyss then being able to capture the originally physical and gravitational nulling Flash Blink. No, maybe the patch has already been released ---

That's why… this is my first and last chance.

To obtain something here, or to become stronger here and become a Burst Linker worthy of being Saffron Blossom's partner. To no longer fear to lose her, to allow her to feel content with choosing me.

And most importantly, to repay Blossom for reaching out and talking to me – since I am as introverted here as I am in the real world.

The area after pa.s.sing through the window frame is a wooden corridor well-polished and looking brand-new. Gorgeously drawn sliding doors line the walls further along the corridor. Golden candle stands are equally s.p.a.ced apart, their orange flames flickering silently. Signs of Enemies --- so far, nothing.

He makes sure that there is a little golden bolt hanging off the window behind him. The bolt is not a meaningless ornament. He turns the bolt and lightly pushes, the vermilion window opens outwards soundlessly. At least by returning here, it is possible to escape from the Inner Imperial City.

But even if he does leave, there is no Portal for escaping. It's impossible to leave the same way he came in. He makes up his mind, coming to the conclusion that – as long as his mentality and luck hold out – progressing forward deeper is the only way to go.

Holding his breath under the silver mask, the skinny Avatar advances forward as if melting into the gloom of the corridor.

A few hours --- or is it closer to a few dozen?

Because he dives into the Unlimited Neutral Field right after elementary school ends, in theory it is possible for him to spend days or even months in this world. In truth, he had once dived, no, «lived» with Blossom in this world for a full three-month period.

That said, the difficulty of avoiding the Reaction Area of the Warrior and Shinto Priest Enemies --- which are much stronger than their counterparts in the Inner Garden --- is simply beyond imagining. If Falcon didn't have such a small and lightweight body, then this act would probably be impossible. At the same time, it would seem that the Citadel was built with the expectation that it would be a.s.saulted by ma.s.sive parties with hundreds of members. The road is surprisingly wide; the ceiling is also very high. He is able to avoid the patrolling Enemies and continue forward precisely because of this fact, but his concentration is approaching its limit.

He takes a deep breath. The icy air refreshes him once more as he hides behind a large round pillar, searching for his next route.

The Imperial City is one thousand and five hundred meters in diameter; the distance from the Suzaku Gate to the Front Gate guarded by the Demon Enemy is roughly four hundred meters. So the size of the Main Hall, the greatest distance from South to North, should only be about seven hundred meters across. He speculates that he has walked five hundred meters already since he broke in; therefore, he should be approaching the central area of the Main Hall.

Sure enough –--

A particularly broad s.p.a.ce, its floor flickering with inconceivable radiance, appeared in front of the road stretching northwards.

Two objects, standing side by side. Transparent cyan in colour, rippling like the surface of water.

That colour is very familiar. It is the radiance of the «Leave Points», also known as «Portals», set up within iconic buildings throughout the Unlimited Neutral Field.

He can't help but feel relief as he sighs – only to swallow this feeling in mid-breath. If this is just a Leave Point connected to the real world, he can't even take back some sort of proof of his successful trespa.s.s – much less the honour of clearing the game. For what reason did he challenge the abyss for so long, being prepared to die while using «Blink» for all that time, endure the nervousness for dozens of hours as he sneaked through ---……

--- No

No, the original motivation behind this Individual Mission wasn't anything material. He only wanted something akin to confidence. A certain pride that would allow him to continue to stand tall beside Saffron Blossom.

Then this is already enough. Sneaking into the most dangerous place in the Accelerated World, arriving at the innermost area and surviving. Even if I am the only one who knows what I have achieved, this fact will surely give me courage in the future. The fact that I did what even the strongest «Pure Colours» couldn't.

Thinking about it carefully, the system never plainly indicated exactly when this immense and mysterious game, Brain Burst, would be finally «cleared». The ideal outcome would involve having the name of the clearer declared to the whole Accelerated World, awards of Burst Points as prize money and Enhanced Armaments as prize items, before the game continues …… but there is also the possibility of the Ending Theme playing while the credits roll, followed by the uninstalling of the game software from the Neuro-Linkers of the BB Players as the word END appears. Because he has never met Blossom in reality or exchanged contact methods, if that were to be the result… they would never meet each other again.

That's why, if I come across any item that seems like a Clear Item, I will not think about touching it. That's All. Surviving past the Portal… is the best reward I should expect from this quest……

Yet it's almost as if this n.o.ble thought of this ordinary Metal coloured Duel Avatar… convinced the true G.o.d of the Accelerated World to show pity on him.

Because what awaits him to demand his attention at the expense of his concentration and alertness focused on watching his surroundings… aren’t just ordinary Portals.

The ovals flickering with blue light sitting side by side are indistinguishable from countless other Portals existing outside of the Imperial City. But an incredible object is placed in front of each oval.

Two gleaming black pillars – no, pedestals, each standing at about one meter tall. Each one has an object placed on top of it. Treading lightly to minimize the sound of his own footsteps, he approaches the pedestal on the left.

In front of him, slightly above his line of sight, sits a sword or a katana bathed under the radiance of the Portal. The reason why it can't be properly distinguished is because although the hilt and the guard are both j.a.panese in style, the sheath forms a straight line without any curve to it. The mirror like surface, forged from a silvery metal, is almost without any decorations.

The terrible power hidden within this straight katana can be seen from a glance. If it is an Enhanced Armament, then it must be of the highest rank – no, probably even above that. Just looking at it knocks the breath out of him due to the pressure. It’s as if he is being stared down at close range by Legend Enemies …… no, more like by the «Four Sacred Beasts» he once saw.

Taking his sight off from the straight katana with some effort, he looks to the black marble pedestal once again.

A rectangular metal nameplate is inlaid on its foreside; some images and characters are engraved on it.

First of all, at the very top is seven dots arranged like a letter 'P' leaning left and a line connecting the dots. He had once seen the same image during science cla.s.s in elementary school, when they were learning about constellations. A quadrangle formed by four stars connecting to a tail of three stars. That is the ladle shaped «Big Dipper». Carefully looking at it, the centre of the ladle handle - that is, the fifth star from the left is larger than the rest of the stars.

Underneath the constellation, are two Kanji characters rarely seen in the Accelerated World where English words are normally used – 【玉衝】 – although he can read, he can't understand what they mean.

Below that is one more line of text, this time in English.

【THE INFINITY】

He does remember that that means «Infinite». Most likely, this is the name of the straight katana Enhanced Armament within the game. The silver masked Avatar rolled the words over his tongue repeatedly as he moves several steps to the right to look at the other pedestal. No matter how you look at it, the item placed on top is a Western style protection gear –--

Armour.

Its form is not heavy or bulky. In normal VRMMORPGs[4], it would be considered a light-armour type. The headpiece is round in shape; the chest, shoulder and wrist parts have been reduced to the absolute minimum size. The lower portion consists simply of boots that reach up to the knees. But it doesn't give at all the impression of a weak item. The armour – brilliant silver like the sword – seems to contain within astounding data density – enough to block some attacks completely. Even the s.p.a.ce around it seems to be distorted due to its influence. Compared to it, the armour of the Metal-coloured Chrome Falcon seems like some sort of simple toy.

Holding his breath, he checked the nameplate.

The overall style is exactly the same as the one on the pedestal of the sword. At the top is the schematic view of the Big Dipper. But the larger star is the sixth from the left instead. The Kanji characters are 【開陽】. Sure enough, he still can't understand the meaning.

And the English name at the very bottom ---

【THE DESTINY】. It should mean «Fate».

As he read to this point, he can't help but take a step back, this time breathing out heavily.

These two are perhaps Enhanced Armaments for the strongest rank within the Accelerated World. Sword and armour.

He can make them his own by simply reaching out and touching them. Throughout the Unlimited Neutral Field there are numerous «Dungeons», where – according to rumours – Enhanced Armaments on pedestals have also been found deep within.

However, the Portals wavering behind the pedestals need to be noted. They have to be related to each other. Most likely they will activate as soon as he touches and activates one of the items and forcibly send him to the real world.

Also, if an item is activated, the matching Portal would become a singular use «One Time Portal» and seal off its corresponding pedestal. That is to say, a single person or group at one time can only choose between the sword and the armour. A standard two choice question in games.

Although just a few minutes ago, he had already fully considered the circ.u.mstance where he enters the Portal and logout, in the current situation he lacks the resolve to not touch either of the pedestals. Anyways, his real age is just eight – even if the accelerated portion is added on, he’s still no older than thirteen. Since everything has been set up like this, it is obvious that the Portals will only activate if he touches one of the pedestals.

So, which one?

It doesn’t really matter if he chooses the sword or armour – as long as he equips it, it will obviously make his ability parameters soar. But to enhance Chrome Falcon alone is meaningless. The first thing he should consider is how the choice will affect him as Saffron Blossom’s partner. The only reason for Falcon's existence is to protect her. Then should he choose the sword? He is already a defensive Metal Colour – to strengthen his armour again would just be redundant.

The foot heading to the pedestal of 【THE INFINITY】--- suddenly stops. To protect Blossom. If that is the only requirement, then there is a better option. An option that can protect her despite her frail armour; an option that allows her to be unharmed even under harsh and concentrated attacks.

Clenching his right fist, he hammers his own chest to expel his immaturity and selfish desires, and reaches out to the silver armour sitting to the right.

The instant his fingertip touches the item, a purple System Message pops out in front of him with a bright sound. «YOU GOT AN ENHANCED ARMAMENT 【THE DESTINY】».

The armour disappears into light particles; at the same time, the Portal's blue light radiates out and envelops Chrome Falcon.

Blackout

Spotlight

Although not s.p.a.cious, a room that feels soothing materializes out of the light.

Both the wall and the floor have been heavily polished. A black cooking stove stands in the corner. Sizzling steam constantly pours out of a teapot sitting above it. Opposite it, next to the wall, is a large bed. Upon the pure white sheet sit two people, side by side.

They aren’t just humans. One of them is clad in deep-silver armour. The other's body is bright orange like the sun. The short hair and the well-conceived shoulder and waist design make her look just like a budding bloom.

Facing the silver Avatar who is bowing his head like a child being scolded, the orange Avatar gently raises her cute right fist.

'G.o.d --- are you an idiot!?'

Dong. He doesn't know how many times he had taken a hit to the helmet already. Cringing out of reflex, he repeats the same excuse he had used.

'Li-, like I said, I only planned to experiment a little at the start.'

'Then just use the same method to come back! Why did you just charge into the citadel without a care in the world!?'

'Be-, because my HP had already dropped a lot – if I died on the inner side of the abyss while using «Blink», I may not have resp.a.w.ned again on the outside.'

'But even if you did resp.a.w.n on the inside, your HP would have been completely restored by then – you could have just used 'Blink' to come back out!'

'Uuu…… th-, that is true, but……'

There is no chance of him winning this kind of argument against his logical, cool-headed partner. Just as his shoulders droop in misery, he hears a loud sigh – and then, instead of a fist, a delicate palm pats him on the head.

'But…… the will to challenge the «Imperial City», and the mental strength to make it to the innermost area and come back out… are worthy of praise. You did well, Fal.

He raises his head – that gentle voice makes his heart skip a beat. Just in front of him, a calm smile appears upon Saffron Blossom's cute face.

'Th-thank you, Fron.'

Staring into her light aqua-coloured eyes as he murmurs, Blossom shrinks back her shoulders shyly and pulls her hand back from the top of Chrome Falcon's head.

'I'll go brew some tea. That's right, we’ll have a slice of cake to celebrate your safe return. I recently bought one from the «Food Shop» down in Ginza. It looks quite tasty.'

He watches the figure of his partner running hurriedly into the opposite kitchen – as his heart is once again filled with emotions, he is unable to make a sound.

The key to the small house – located in a corner of the Minato Ward[5] in the Unlimited Neutral Field, a location that corresponds to the artificial island of Odaiba[6] in the real world – was purchased by the two of them with the points they had gathered from Enemy hunting over many years – albeit of Accelerated Time. To Falcon, the thought of using these points for levelling up or purchasing a strong Enhanced Armament had crossed his mind. But seeing Blossom open the doors of the house for the first time blew away all those childish ideas in an instant.

After that, almost another year was spent collecting furniture for this home. To Falcon, this place feels more like home than his home in the real world. Compared to an empty home with no siblings where his parents leave early and come home late… there is this home, where Blossom is always by his side. Of course, sharing a bed is still embarra.s.sing.

As to why she was so fixed upon the idea of buying a house back then… she told him the reason a month ago in real time.

Saffron Blossom has suffered from intracellular mitochondrial dysfunction, an incurable disease, since birth. Because it's a hereditary disease, even the most advanced nano-machine therapies show no results. Although the only symptoms she has so far are headaches and increased fatigue, her condition will continue to deteriorate, the symptoms worsening to convulsions and paralysis before the disease finally reaches her heart…… the doctors have already predicted that she is unlikely to reach adulthood. It seems that the other reason she had worn the Neuro-Linker since birth – at that time, it had just gone on the market – was to have her condition and vital signs monitored at all times. Blossom gives Falcon, who is sitting on the same bed staring at her, a bright smile.

---Don't make such a face, Fal. Even if some misfortune were to befall me, it won’t be for another ten or fifteen years… Besides, we still have «Brain Burst». In this accelerated world, we can live for almost a lifetime. In this cute and beautiful home we bought, living with the person I love most, forever and ever……

Facing Blossom as she says that while smiling shyly once again, he can't help but blurt out 'You mean, me?' Immediately he receives a punch in response.

So happy, but scared at the same time. Can I really do it? Do I, Chrome Falcon, really have the right to spend a «lifetime» with Blossom? The other reason he recklessly challenged the Imperial City yesterday was due to that fear within his heart.

That's why, looking at the side of his partner’s face as she prepares tea and cake on the small table in front of him, he can no longer suppress the question that has been weighing heavy on his heart since surviving that citadel.

'Ah…… Fron. Why…… why me? I don't have any significant abilities. Even in the Metal Colour Chart, I'm nothing that special. Why did you choose me?'

Immediately Blossom shows an expression of dazed astonishment, but quickly purses her mouth.

'Aah, you forgot?! Fal, the one who first suggested that we form a party was you! With that super quiet voice you were using to talk to me among the spectators, I had to keep asking you to repeat the question!’

'Eeh…… Wa, was that the case?'

He quickly looks back through his memories, but that moment feels like it happened close to five years ago. Even so, according to his memories of that moment from the distant past, he was the one who first talked to Blossom – not the other way around. Surprised by his own courage, a non-existent cold sweat begins to break out across his Avatar’s body . Setting the teapot down, Blossom leans over and places her hands on his shoulders.

'Now, it's my turn to ask. Fal, why did you choose me? I didn't have any abilities back then, and I was always being trounced by the high power types – why me?'

---Why? He had chosen her from the moment he first saw her.

But it seems that those feelings are impossible to hide from his long-time partner. With a gentle smile, the sunny Avatar wraps her delicate arms around Falcon's head and hugs him tightly.

'…… Me too. I thought so too. There is no other reason, and I haven't regretted it once …… let’s finish this tea. After that we’ll go out and watch the sea. It’s still the «Twilight Stage» outside – the sunset must be really pretty.'

Blackout

Spotlight

Two standing figures emerge out of the white halo, snuggling together. One dark-silver, the other orange.

Points of light spread across the distance. The quiet sea, and the sun sinking into the horizon. The water surface reflects the dazzling setting sun, and blends together with the colours of the two figures gazing at this sight.

The sunset view overlooking Tokyo Harbour from Akatsukifutou Park in the south-western corner of Daiba[7], is breathtaking to the point that it is hard to believe it is just 3D imagery produced from the data taken by the security cameras.

But this is not the real world, since the constant airline arrivals and departures that should be taking place in Haneda Airport on the opposite sh.o.r.e are nowhere to be seen, and instead there are gigantic pterodactyl Enemies soaring carefree in the orange sky. Instead of whales, plesiosaurs cause ma.s.sive waves in the shallows of the bay.

Every time he gazes into the distance with Blossom in the vast Unlimited Neutral Field, he can't help but ponder.

For what reason does this world exist? For what purpose are only young children allowed to step foot into this world?

The total cost to build as well as operate such an enormous system is completely beyond the imagination of an elementary school student. Not to mention that until this moment in time, not one BB Player has paid even a single cent in gaming fees. There are rumours saying it's a market research project carried out by big-budget gaming companies, others say it's a publicity stunt by advertis.e.m.e.nt companies, however, if that is really the case, then way too few programs have been distributed.

Around a year ago, about one hundred children received the Client Package from an untraceable source. Of that number, only thirty percent managed to level up to Level 2 and become «Parents»who have the unlimited privilege to copy-and-install --- thirty people. From there, the game spread once again by being shared between children who like video-games, yet although it has now reached five hundred players concentrated in the southern areas of the 23 wards [8] as the hub, the scale is still incredibly small for it to be a corporate sales strategy.

In the first place, the requirements to become a player for the game Brain Burst are way too strict. It is difficult to imagine many children at all to have worn a Neuro-Linker since birth and be experienced in Full Dives for extended periods of time. Although the BB program comes with a «Install Apt.i.tude Checker» module, which detects if the requirements are met via transferring a Trojan-like file through a Direct Link, Falcon has yet to find anyone close to him who can satisfy the requirements. As a result, although he has reached Level 5, he has completely given up on becoming a «Parent».

Why does it exist? For what reason does this alternate world with infinite s.p.a.ce and time exist?

'Are you still thinking, Fal?'

Saffron Blossom, who is leaning next to him, suddenly murmurs. Blinking several times under the silvery mask, he ceases his rambling thoughts.

'Ah, yeah. I don't really have any weird feelings about the normal Field, but every time I see the Unlimited Field, I feel really concerned. Whe… where is this all leading, things like that.'

'Well… I can understand that same feeling. During my recent conversations with friends and family in the real world, from time to time, they would look at me really weirdly. Though I don't believe I’ve changed much at all, it seems I have been unconsciously using words and expressions that I’ve never used before.

Blossom seemingly leans closer to him timidly, sensing that, Falcon tenses his shoulders to hug her tighter. 'That can't be helped. We have already spent… no, lived five years in this world. We have experienced so many sights, so many exchanges, so many thoughts. The age of our souls has long surpa.s.sed the standards of a sixth grade student. But every cloud has its silver lining. If it's the me from the past, I would unconsciously feel embarra.s.sed just to stay in the same room with girls, let alone talk to them.'

'Ho, ho. It seems to me that you're still a kid, Falcon-san.'

Although Blossom smiles faintly, a look of grimness soon appears on her cute face.

'Hey… Fal. Have you ever heard about this…? What happens to players who lose all their Burst Points and have their BB program forcibly uninstalled…?'

The soft murmur causes his body to stiffen for a moment. However he quickly relaxes and deliberately answers in a calm voice.

'Those are just rumours… Players who had their programs uninstalled will lose all memories regarding the Accelerated World… That just sounds so far-fetched, manipulating other's memories and stuff…'

'If that is so, then the technology to accelerate one's thought speed by one thousand times is just as unbelievable initially. To tell the truth, I still can't comprehend it all. That's why, perhaps «Memory Erasure» is also…'

At this point, Falcon, who is equally dubious about the base technology within Brain Burst, can't help but fall silent.

Both of them are «First Generation BB Players» without «Parents», whose numbers have dwindled to just twenty people, both of them also don't have their own «Child». As a result, there has not been any chance for them to confirm whether or not players who lose the program really do lose their memories.

No, even if there is a chance, confirming the truth will not be easy. According to rumours, the people who retire from the Accelerated World, instead of losing all memories regarding the Accelerated World, could be more accurately described as having«lost interest in Brain Burst as well as the fine details regarding the game». A technique that does not create any memory blanks, thus minimizing the sense of discord felt by the people around them, can best be described as a mental manipulation with a buffering characteristic.

Which is why this could be a technique more fearsome than simple complete memory erasure.

Buddies who have been always in the same Legion, or strongly bonded «Parents»and their «Children», one day they don’t simply forget --- they lose all interest in each other. They see each other as one of those non-essential acquaintances they could do without. If this was truly the end result, it would be much better to become total strangers. Although slim, there would still be a chance to reacquaint and become friends again…

The inexplicable chill brought about by his own thoughts makes the Avatar shiver. At the same moment, a soft murmur reaches his ear.

'Fal, I really want a «Child» soon.'

'Eh…?'

The unexpected statement makes him stare at his partner. Blossom smiles shyly for an instant, but quickly changes her expression and quietly continues.

'Until this moment I did not dare to try it because I never had the confidence to protect my «Child», but recently my normal battle win ratio has stabilised, and I have also acc.u.mulated enough battle techniques for use against Enemies right? In the future, even if my Child's points fall below a safe level, I will still be able to bail them out to an extent. Even so, I won't just spoil them by doing that all the time. Once they reach Level 4, they can just pay me back by hunting Enemies.'

'Ha… ha ha, is that so…'

Falcon nods, if it's Blossom, then she will become a harsh yet gentle mother… no, «Parent». Taking her eyes off Falcon, Saffron Blossom turns her gaze past the Tokyo Bay to the distant Pacific Ocean and makes an even more surprising statement.

'After that, even if it is much further in the future, one day, I will start my own Legion.'

'Eh… You want to start partic.i.p.ating in territory battles?'

He hurriedly asks so, the short bright-yellow hair shakes from side to side as a reply.

'No, no. The Daida area has always been an unclaimed land, so it's possible to initiate a territory declaration, but that would just be more of the same. My Legion won't be a warring Legion… how should I put it, it would be more of a Legion of mutual aid.'

'Mutual aid… as in helping one another?'

'Yeah, that's right. Providing points when the «Children»run low and being paid back in the future, isn't that like what I just described? But this will be larger in scale and more systematic. '

He frowns deeply as his partner’s words have finally gone beyond his level of comprehension. Immediately, Blossom turns around, grabs both of Falcon's palms and continues with a serious expression.

'Hey… Fal. We’ve been a team since Level 1 right? Both of us lost ourselves in battle as we worked our way up to Level 2, then Level 3, then Level 4, by the time we noticed, we were already Level 5. But if we think about it right now, we are indeed very lucky. Though I am a little unwilling to think about it, all this time we've been levelling up, sometimes even because of our levelling up, many BB Players have lost all their Burst Points and retired from the Accelerated World.'

'……'

Indeed that is so. Although, at this point, the moment when someone's Burst Points run out has only been witnessed a handful of times, the indisputable truth remains that four out of every five «First Generations» have been eliminated.

The seriousness of the topic robs him of his replies, as Blossom’s two small hands rub back and forth around his wrists lightly, soothingly. At the same time she softly murmurs.

'Sorry Fal. I don't regret anything. «Brain Burst» is a fighting game after all… there will always be winners as well as losers, that is an undeniable fact. But… But, the moment your points become zero, you will lose the program, lose the memories, lose everything and never be able to return to this world, that is just too cruel… I have seen too many people with only a few points left, I can't feel a hint of joy from them… If you can't enjoy it, then how can this still be called a game?

--- Perhaps, this cruelty is what the mysterious developer is hoping for. That thought crosses his mind for an instant, but he chooses to remain silent. Instead he suddenly asks.

'That's why… you want to build a «Legion of Mutual Aid»…?'

'…Yeah. Collect a ma.s.sive reservoir of points beforehand and lend them to those who have nearly exhausted theirs. After their points are back to a safe level, they can return the points by partic.i.p.ating in Enemy hunts. Over the last five years, we've learned so many hunting techniques that I’m almost sick of them. With these techniques, the number of accidents during Enemy battles can be substantially reduced.'

'But…But.'

As he struggles to understand the goals behind Blossom's scheme, he asks her in a careful manner.

'If all the players join the mutual aid system… then no one will ever lose all their points, all the players' «Acceleration» as well as levelling points has to be supported by the hunting of Enemies… Is that even possible…?'

'It is. It will be… It absolutely has to be this way.'

Saffron Blossom shows her most serious sparkle so far in her light blue eye-lens that reminds one of the spring sky as she reveals some new information.

'I… recently heard a rumour. Some of the Legions go to game shops and amus.e.m.e.nt parks just to look for children who have Acceleration compatibility, and once found, they give them the BB program straight away…'

'Tha… that is indeed somewhat informal, but isn't that a great way to increase members…?'

'No. Those people never saw the «Children» as partners at all… They don't teach the children anything about Brain Burst, instead they use the Direct Link or the Local Area Net to continuously challenge the children to take all of their initial 100 Burst Points… causing the forced uninstall of the programs…'

'Wha…'

He catches his breath. This isn't even «Soliciting»anymore, it has turned into pure «Hunting». Not Enemy hunting --- Player hunting.

Blossom watches Falcon closely and, seeing he is unable to speak, continues in a strained tone.

'If that is the truth… then it must be wrong. Even if it is possible on the system, it is still wrong. Although I don't have that much power… I will do something about it. I’ll try my hardest, even if it changes little. I don't know how long it will take, raising a «Child», testing the plan to loan points, building the Legion… One day, one day I will make sure that everyone in this world can enjoy this game…'

By the time he realises, his arms are already tightly wrapped around Blossom.

To the small Avatar within his arms, he desperately whispers.

'… Let me help. Although I'm a good-for-nothing Metal Colour, I promise, for you, for this world, I will keep on doing my best. Brain Burst is a fighting game, and games you play should be enjoyed. I am really happy that I have always been able to fight with you, Fron. Ever since I have met you, every day, I have always happily looked forward to the next day. I want to share our happiness with the other players as well.'

'Yeah. Yes… it the same for me, I am so happy with Fal. From now on, for sure, we'll be happy forever. Let us spread this happiness. If it's the two of us then it will be possible.'

Hugging Blossom tightly as she replies in a shaking voice, he lightly presses down on her shoulders.

Just a sec, raising a single finger as if saying that, he touches his own HP Bar to the upper-left of his sight to open the Menu Window. Searching through his Storage[9], he Objectifies an Item.

It's a Card with a silvery radiance like the surface of a mirror. The Items obtainable in the Unlimited Neutral Field probably all initially existed in Card form such as this. Enhanced Armaments are no exception, after obtaining them from Dungeons or as Enemy drops, they are sealed as Cards before being placed in Storage. The ownership settings are decided by who equips it for the first time.

Removing the Card from the Window, he pa.s.ses it to Blossom.

The tiny characters carved onto the surface spell ---【THE DESTINY】. Obtained from the deepest part of the Imperial City, perhaps the strongest armour of white-silver in the world.

'Fron, this is for you. Your dream, will be realised for sure.'

Blossom carefully lifts her hands to take the Card.

Because of this overwhelming power, both of their destinies will be distorted, but at this point of course, it is impossible for them to know…

Blackout

Spotlight

A delicate figure emerges out of the white halo.

The shading of her body remind others of the bright orange spring sunlight. But colours previously unseen on her body have now appeared. Her forehead, chest and all four limbs now shine with a mirror-like silver.

The short hair that looks like a budding flower is hanging down flatly. Both arms are spread out in opposite directions, her skinny legs stretching down powerlessly. The only reason she would remain motionless in such an unstable posture is because something restrains her from behind.

Thin and solid black, as if cut from a large uniform sheet --- a cross. The orange figure is firmly secured to the cross, making it unclear whether or not the cross exerts some attracting force.

The illumination continues to spread, finally allowing the surrounding area to be seen.

The ground emits a metallic-green l.u.s.tre. Strange bugs with the same metallic l.u.s.tre are wriggling everywhere. The cross has been stuck into the lowest part of the bowl-like depression in the ground. Close by her, a large fissure has been opened in the ground; the black fissure opening gives off a feeling of absolute terror. The sides of the fissure are coated with clear viscous slime.

The illumination spreads out further.

Around the edge of the thirty metre-wide depression, several dozen figures stand in a circle. Not moving, not speaking, they are all silently observing the cross at the bottom of the depression. It's just like they know what's about to happen. Holding their breath, eyes wide open, fearing --- or antic.i.p.ating --- something.

Among these figures, only one is lying upon the ground.

A small body with a dark-silver l.u.s.tre. Slim of limb and wearing a round helmet. He seems to be trying desperately to stand up, his sharp fingertips carving into the metallic ground. But all to no avail. Two pieces of thin black plates, very similar to the cross at the bottom of the depression, hold him on his left and right.

The metallic bugs which have been slowly crawling around the depression suddenly flee the area in a great hurry. Diving into the gill-like folds spread across the ground, disappearing from view instantly.

Zuzuzu, zuzuzu, from the open fissure down in the depression, a barely audible sound of vibration reverberates out.

'Stop… stop, for the love of G.o.d, stop!!'

These same words are screamed out dozens, even hundreds of times, only for the sound to dissipate once again into the Unlimited Neutral Field.

Countless scratches have been carved into the ground in front of him by his fingers. But, regardless of how much effort he put in, he is only able to move his forearms and hands. The jet-black plates which clamp his arms at his shoulders are thin beyond belief, but they have the overwhelming power to tightly bind Chrome Falcon like gigantic pliers.

What's even more unbelievable is that the player who is controlling the two plates is managing the cross at the bottom of the depression in the distance to bind Saffron Blossom at the exact same time.

Bowing her head feebly, it seems that Blossom doesn't have any strength left to move. It can't really be helped. All of the pain she has ever experienced in the Accelerated World can't even match that of what she has just experienced.

At the same time, the extreme rage and despair that are colliding within Falcon's consciousness are feelings that he have never experienced before in his life.

'Stop… stop, please stop…'

He desperately squeezes out a dry rasp through his clenched teeth. At the same time, his Avatar's fingertips carve out new parallel lines upon the hard ground of the «Purgatory» Stage. However, he is still unable to move. The sense of powerlessness only intensifies the despair he feels.

He can feel it with his body, that terrifying tremble. That thing is coming again.

In the centre of the depression, from the depths of the two meter wide fissure beside the cross that's restraining Blossom, it seems like something is about to crawl out of there. Ten feelers with sharp tips emerge first, waving about erratically. Then two parallel rows of red glowing orbs light up from the depth of the darkness. The orbs that impart a feeling of endless hunger are that thing's eyes. The moment the feelers sense Blossom close in front, countless eyes radiate a bright glare. Then…

Along with a slimy sound and the splashing of countless droplets of mucus, what emerges out of the fissure is a worm type monster gigantic beyond belief. It is one of the strongest beings in the Accelerated World apart from the «Four Sacred Beasts» that guard the four cardinal gates of the Forbidden City, Legend Rank Enemy --- h.e.l.l Worm «Jörmungandr»[10].

Even though it only appears in «Purgatory», «Disease», «Rotten Woods» and a small number of the organic stages, meeting it pretty much guarantees death. But its nest is considered small for a Legend Rank Enemy, only a small round depression thirty meters in diameter; even if killed, it is still possible to escape after revival in an hour and the ten seconds or so before Jörmungandr appears again. That is, if nothing --- or no one, is deliberately interfering with escaping.

Jörmungandr's head slowly approaches Blossom who is being restrained by the black cross and unable to move. Below the sixteen lens like red eyes separated into two rows, is a round mouth surrounded by feelers, well, technically it is called an acetabulum[11]. The bottomless jaw with numerous rings of saw-like teeth and that constantly drips with mucus closes in on the pet.i.te Avatar. Blossom shudders and hangs her head even lower.

'Stop… it….! Stoooooppppp!'

Falcon cries hoa.r.s.ely from beneath his helmet, but Enemies aren't people, so naturally they won't obey any plea.

The meter wide jaw of the long worm opens to its limits above Blossom's head. The secreted mucus continuously drips down, hissing and producing white smoke on contact with the bright orange armour. That liquid has the effect of dramatically decreasing the physical resistance of an Avatar. The silvery armour on her body instantly loses its glow. As if unwilling to wait any longer, Jörmungandr swallows the upper body of Blossom in one go along with the cross.

In the centre of his vision dyed red with his burning emotions, his long time partner screams again and again.

Enhanced Armament «THE DESTINY»'s power greatly exceeded all original expectations.

Physical type attacks such as cutting, impact, piercing, shot and explosive can all be basically nullified. Energy type attacks such as laser are reflected; the armour is highly resistant to freeze, heat and electric types as well. The only thing that it can't defend against is the natural enemy of metallic armours, corrosive acids, but players who have these types of attacks are few and far between. Invincible. That is not an exaggeration at all when describing such terrifying defensive capabilities.

But that's only natural, the armour is supposed to be only obtainable by the ones who have defeated the absolutely unbeatable Super Enemies, «Four Sacred Beasts», and reached the deepest area of the Imperial City, it could even be called the final Item of Brain Burst. But since it was obtained via chance and luck plus a system loophole in the dawning ages of the game, there is no wonder its power is overwhelming.

«THE DESTINY» is strong enough to completely break the game balance of Brain Burst, strong enough to render even the owner of the armour, Saffron Blossom, scared. After all, in the past she would lose almost all her HP if she was. .h.i.t by a Full Charge Attack[12] from a red or a blue Avatar, whereas now those attacks barely do anything even if she takes them head-on. Just a few regular battles spread her name throughout the whole Accelerated World, accompanied soon after by buying offers and invitations to join strong Legions. Of course, there were also accusations of underhandedness and cheating.

If Blossom was still her same old self who just wanted to team up with Falcon and keep on fighting, perhaps she would have sealed or sold the armour.

But now she has an yet unfulfilled dream of forming a «Legion of Mutual Aid» to prevent others from losing all their points, so as to remove the slaughters resulting from exploiting the Accelerated World's game mechanics and change it into a place where everyone can battle happily… no, live happily.

Perhaps this is just a silent protest from Blossom who was informed that she would never live until adulthood, but nevertheless has accepted such a fate. To spread countless seeds in the barren lands of the Accelerated World, and make this world bloom with countless flowers---. Perhaps since the instant she became a BB Player, that has always been her dream.

In order to make the core of the Legion of Mutual Aid, «Burst Point Loan System», function practically, a sufficient points pool is necessary. As well as the fighting power needed to dissuade those malicious partic.i.p.ants who never intended to pay back the points.

Needless to say, apart from standard battles, «THE DESTINY» also displays overwhelming power during Enemy hunts, so for Blossom, it is no doubt an express ticket to the fulfilment of her dream. Although equipping it significantly quelled challenges, there are still many brave fighters who wished for a battle, however, they were defeat by Blossom and Falcon without exception.

Although it was two on one, they even managed to narrowly defeat one of the strongest «Pure Colours», then Blossom finally announced her idea to the entire Accelerated World. When this occurred, applicants for the new Legion were numerous.

And yesterday, more than thirty BB Players sent a joint message, wishing to hear about the details.

The two of them were thrilled, but slightly uneasy at the same time. The place those people specified was the Unlimited Neutral Field. Although their justification of wanting to see if safe hunting of Enemies is possible was not unreasonable, it is still hard for anyone to predict what would happen in the Unlimited Neutral Field. In the worst-case scenario, it is not at all impossible for all thirty of them to attack at the same time.

Even if they were walking into an ambush, however, it was still hard to believe Blossom could be defeated by one hit when she had «THE DESTINY» equipped. The two of them chose a place very close to a Leave Point as an added precaution. If it was a trap, they only needed to dash to the Portal.

The plan was not without flaws, as it did not provide a contingency plan for abilities like Blossom's, that do not attack Duel Avatars directly but instead utilize hindering type abilities to impend movement or deprive vision, thus creating a chance that escape through the Portal could be prevented. The two of them still decided to ignore the risk because the list of names contained plenty of old acquaintances. They could not imagine, or want to imagine it to be a nasty trap set by all of those people.

The meeting place today is the equivalent of Shibaura Parking Area north of the Rainbow Bridge, just in case they checked from the distance. More than thirty have already gathered and they matched the names on the sent message.

As Blossom and Falcon walked under the Daiba Route of the Shuto Expressway[13], rea.s.sured, two plates suddenly appeared below them---.

Instantly, an intense pressure restrained the two of them.

'Stop…Please stop it! Why… why are you doing this……!!'

Staring at the worm that looks nothing like its «Legend» rank[14] sinking its countless teeth into his beloved pa