Accel World:Volume SS1 Chapter 2
Chapter 2[edit]
“HI……YAAAAAH!!”
Strikes with all-out fighting yells. The virtual atmosphere ruptured, and the thunderous roar of a sonic boom rocked the very stage. With a speed that left even those effects in the dust, jet black blades ran through the air.
People who attempted to stop head-on the slashing blows of the level 8 Burst Linker who possessed the alias «World End[1]» and was head of the legion «Nega Nebulas», Black Lotus, no longer existed in the Accelerated World. Other than just two exceptions.
One of them was «Invulnerable[2]»: Green Grandee, head of the legion «Great Wall». The Enhanced Armament he possessed, «The Strife», which was a large shield ranked as the third star among the Seven Arcs, withstood attacks of every attribute whether they were long-range or close-range and repelled them.
And then the other was one of the cornerstones of «Elements», which was the executive group of Nega Nebulas: Graphite Edge, who was called by the alias «Anomaly[3]». His level was 8, same as Lotus’. And then both the hue of his avatar as well as even his outward traits resembled hers almost too much. The reason was that his weapons were the two swords he gripped in both his hands.
Without moving a step from where he was, Graph awaited Lotus’ all-out strikes.
While whirling the long swords in both his hands with a spin, he raised them up and made them intersect in the shape of the letter X in front of his body. The two straight swords of both blades were both the same design; the edge portions were a metallic gray nearly close to black, but the central part was made of a transparent material like glass. As a consequence, when viewed from a distance, they also looked like swords in midair of which only blades about two centimeters in width existed.
Normally, one only used the blade part of a sword for both striking and receiving blows, but the transparent parts of the swords that Graph was crossing and had at the ready, basically their flat sides, were exposed in front of him. It seemed as if with this he would be broken by even a simple punch attack, but limited to him this action was not a mistake.
Glaring at the midsize M[4]-class avatar standing casually on the other side of his swords, Lotus envisioned the instant of her slash attack.
—Today for sure, I will break that «shield»!!
Lotus’ right-hand sword, which had swung down with a straightforward normal technique that however was accompanied by a force greater than that of a special technique, crashed into the intersected part of the twin swords Graph had at the ready.
Clang! A shrill impact sound reverberated, and the shock waves that broke out spread in the shape of a ring to the far reaches of the stage. Two human figures closely watching the fight from a slightly separated place were also swallowed up by those waves, but since they were treated as members of the gallery, they were not affected.
Lotus’ slash attack did not manage to destroy Graph’s cross defense in one blow, but having said that neither was she repelled; she switched to struggling against him at their point of intersection. In the past years and years ago, when she had first struck Graph’s twin swords, she had easily bounced back and had been blown away a good twenty meters, so she could say that she had made great progress—but with this she would not be satisfied with her «World End».
“Kk……ohh……!!”
While squeezing out her voice, she concentrated all the power she had in her right arm. Their might, compressed into pinpoints, became blue-white sparks and were rendered; the black armor of the two flickered irregularly.
In the swords of her limbs, Black Lotus was equipped with the ability of «Terminate Sword». Its effect was to permanently produce the maximum level of cutting-attribute offensive power in their blades.
There were many duel avatars equipped with swords, but normally only in the middle of their attack motions, namely, only when their swords were swung did power reside in their blades. However, even if they were still, Lotus’ swords continued to produce an offensive power corresponding to that of a slash at all times. The result was that what happened was that when she just guarded her enemy’s attack with her blades, it was the opponent’s fists and feet or weapons that were severed. Hence the alias World End/Absolute Cutting.
What could collide with Lotus’ limbs without being cut up were only armor that possessed resistance of the highest class against cutting damage (though there was probably only Grandee’s shield) and swords that possessed the same level of power (there were only a handful of these as well in the Accelerated World). As exceptions, there were also items and abilities that could defend under special conditions—for example, things such as Yellow Radio’s baton, whose «defensive power rose in proportion to the number of times it was spun»—however, the only thing able to stop and repel Lotus’ slash attacks in all of the Accelerated World with its supposedly vulnerable sides was Graph’s twin swords.
Exposing the flat side of his swords was not because he was particularly holding back. This was the power that the duel avatar Graphite Edge possessed. No, perhaps it should be said that it was the power his swords possessed.
Graph’s twin swords concealed two extremely powerful abilities.
One was that when he used the lateral transparent parts as a shield, he guarded against each and every attack. This power was not an ability of the person himself; it originated from the material of his swords. The transparent portions were neither glass nor crystal but made of the «Hyper Diamond» substance, which possessed a hardness that surpassed even that of natural diamonds. Four years had elapsed since the Brain Burst 2039 game had begun, but there did not exist even a single Burst Linker who had yet broken this defense. Of course, Lotus was not an exception either.
—However, today……today for sure……!
“Oh……ohhhhh……!!”
With all the energy she mustered from within her body, Lotus struck at the core of Graph’s swords of Hyper Diamond, which was said to be the hardest matter in the Accelerated World. Again, shock waves were generated and dispersed at super-high speed. As the two level 8ers clashed, perhaps unable to withstand the power that surpassed its status, cracks began to run radially in the supposedly indestructible ground.
Black Lotus had crossed swords with Graphite Edge, who was a member of the legion of which she served as master……basically, a subordinate, a limitless number of times up till now. It was neither because they did not get along nor of course was it grueling training for him as she threw her weight around in taking advantage of her position as chief. Rather, it was the contrary—from the time when Lotus was still level 2 or 3, Graph had instructed her in the ways of fighting with swords, and he was a so-to-speak «master»-like existence.
In spite of that, there was a reason why limited to today’s training Lotus was desperately trying to overcome her master.
Lotus planned to make her level ascend soon to 9, where no man had yet (supposedly) set foot. In order to raise one’s level from 8 to 9, one had to spend an amount of Burst Points so vast it made one overwhelmed, but despite that she had finally accumulated enough points including a safety margin so as not to bring about a hindrance to her duties as legion master.
Somehow or another, there were indications that the other masters of the six large legions would also reach level 9 at nearly the same time, so in her position all together with them of being called one of the «Seven Kings of Pure Color», she could not afford to be left in the dust. However, there was a problem. Becoming level 9 meant that she would exceed Graphite Edge, who was level 8. In that situation, even if she beat him she could not possibly say that she had «surpassed her master».
Basically, today was probably the last day she could fight with Graph on equal terms. She wanted by any means to show the proof of her growth to him, who had instructed her in a multitude of techniques over more than three years in real world time and uncountable months and years in the Accelerated World. —No, simply put, she wanted to knock down this user of dual swords, who always had so much effort to spare she hated it, and win triumphantly just one time.
“E……nough already, go get yourself blown away……!!”
While feeling the periphery of her field of vision beginning to white out due to excessive concentration, Lotus wringed out a hoarse voice.
She no longer had the energy to spare to temporarily put some distance between them and strike again. Before that, it was a pain driving Graph, a master of step dodging, into making him use his twin sword cross guard. In spite of that, even in this situation, his face mask of which she caught a glimpse across the transparent Hyper Diamond only gave off a casual air.
In times like this, Graph’s triumphant words were “Pretty good, Lotta,” “Just a little push more, Lotta,” “Nice guts, Lotta,” and so forth. On top of his thoroughly room-to-spare attitude, his way of calling her «Lotta», which seemed to be a parody of Lotus, also got on her nerves.
Fair enough, when they had first met, Lotus was still a second grader in elementary school, so treating her as a child might also have been unavoidable, but now she was already a sixth grader……in the spring[5] of next year, she would be a middle schooler. What was what, if she considered the conditions to install Brain Burst, Graph himself should be of similar age, was he not. Good grief, why is this dual sword user like this—……
“You’ve become stronger, Lotta.”
“——!?”
Perhaps her ears had deceived her; she was amazed, but his unusually placid voice continued further.
“……It seems as if there’s nothing more for me to teach you.”
In response to the line that he had never said to her before, Lotus’ concentration negligently slipped. The balance between the rivaling offensive and defensive power crumbled, and in that instant, the energy that was condensed at high density was released.
Bam! Struck by a pressure accompanied by a deafening roar resembling that of an explosion, Lotus was helplessly blown away backward. While bouncing time and time again on the cracked marble of the «Twilight» stage, she tumbled round and round. Watching her timing, she stabbed her right leg sword into the ground and applied the brakes while carving out a rut. As she lightly shook her head, she stood up.
She thought that surely Graph, who had likewise been caught in the power discharge at point-blank range, had also been similarly sent flying back, but of all things the metallic gray avatar had not moved a single step from his original position. It seemed that he had parried all the energy with his intersected twin swords.
…………Good grief, that guy!
While cursing him inside her mind, Black Lotus—Kuroyukihime shouted.
“Oi Graph! Was that a ploy!?”
As she did so, Graph, who was standing in a place over ten meters away, lightly shrugged his shoulders while lowering the swords in both his hands.
“By no means; those were my true feelings as your master. As for a trap to mess up Lotta’s sword stance, that’s right……why don’t we talk about black, flat bugs that crawl with rustling sounds.”
“Stop it. I’ll kill you.”
Retorting back with a frigid voice, Kuroyukihime let out a long breath.
Regrettably, she was unable to reach her goal of surpassing her master, but she had the confidence that if Graph had not said that thing at the end, she would have overcome him. With that implication in mind, she checked with the two people lined up on the left side playing the role of referee who were watching over their initial charge.
“Maiden, Curren[6]. It’s fine……to call it a draw, right?”
Whereupon first the white and light crimson avatar of small build standing on the right moved her face left and right with a shake.
“……No matter how you look at it, it’s your loss, Lo-nee[7].”
Following her, the avatar on the left side whose whole body was wrapped in a peculiar armor of running water similarly shook her head while scattering water drops.
“I believe that the last one standing wins the fight.”
“………………Hmm, is that so.”
Kuroyukihime nodded, and with her gaze still pointed toward the fair referees—
“Hmph!”
Together with a snort, she swung the sword of her right arm. The red light that burst forth ran in a straight line on the ground……to be precise, it ran across the roof of Shibuya Hikarie, a large-sized mixed building that existed at the east exit of Shibuya Station. Their layout was such that Kuroyukihime and the two referees were on this side of the line and Graphite Edge was on the other.
“…………Ah.”
Graph, who seemed to have noticed something, tried to break into a run while still grasping his swords. However, right before he could, the floor where he stood rumbled with a heavy, low sound and sank diagonally backward.
“Oi, Lotta, th-th-that’s cheating!!”
While whirling his hands about and regaining his balance, Graph shouted, but it was already too late. Kuroyukihime had released the long-range attack technique that Graph had directly taught her and had cut the upper tip of the high-rise building diagonally. The massive separated structural object was pulled by gravity and began to slide down along its cross section; Graph, who was standing on it, was also inevitably brought along that path.
“Whoa……I’m……I’m fallinnnnng———”
With that voice as his last, the dual sword user disappeared from Kuroyukihime’s view. Even in Nega Nebulas, there was only one who could return to the roof of a one-hundred-eighty-meter-high building from that situation—only one of the «Elements» not in this place who possessed a high-booster-output-type Enhanced Armament. And then, there were no Burst Linkers that existed in the Accelerated World who could fly higher than she.
From a posture where her right arm had made a full strike, she extended her body straight; Kuroyukihime looked at the two referees and asked anew.
“With this, it’s my win, isn‘t it.”
“………………That’s against the rules.”
“………………It was too sneaky.”
“I’ll take it as a compliment.”
Turning her face away in a pouting manner, Kuroyukihime turned to the west sky. On the right-hand side of the displayed health gauges with the orange of the sunset as its background, the one with Graphite Edge‘s name carved in decreased sharply; immediately after, from the ground far below a heavy collapsing sound reached them.
Five minutes later—.
After joining up with Graph, who had narrowly escaped losing all his gauge whether due to bad luck, his ability, or both of those, and had returned again to the roof by elevator, the four of them formed a circle and sat down. Their chairs were the Greek temple-style pillars characteristic of the Twilight stage cut to appropriate heights.
This was a field generated from Lotus and Graph’s normal duel, so there was a thirty minute time restriction. With the initial clash of the master and apprentice, they had consumed half; about ten minutes remained. It was not via the Global Net; their medium was a legion-exclusive closed network, so there were no spectators.
The first to open her mouth was the miko-style Ardor Maiden clad in the two colors of light crimson and an unbleached color.
“……Lo-nee. Have you the determination to rise to level 9?”
The reason why Maiden called Kuroyukihime, who was still a sixth grader, by an abbreviation of «Lotus-nee-sama» was exceedingly simple. She was a second grader in elementary school and probably the youngest in the legion by a wide margin. However, her level had rapidly reached 7, and her demeanor was also very composed.
Looking back at her round scarlet eye lenses, Kuroyukihime nodded at a subtle angle.
“Well, I suppose…… In truth, I had planned to soundly beat Graph today and level up with a great feeling of refreshment, but……”
As she cast a sharp glance at the metallic gray avatar seated seiza[8] style, with an un-master-like attitude he scratched his head.
“I, I too had the intention of saying something like that you’ve achieved full mastery……”
“Then it would’ve been fine if you had said it properly after the match, not in the middle of our duel at close quarters!”
“No, that’s slightly out of character for me……or should I say it’s embarrassing……”
This lack of dignity of Graph, who was one of the oldest veterans from the time of Nega Nebulas’ formation and the legion’s strongest swordsman, had not changed at all from the past. The fourth member of Elements, who was not present due to the time when she got off from school, commented that he was «a person whose swords were his true form». The armor of Graphite Edge’s true form was thin, and his hand-to-hand combat was also weak, so without his twin swords he probably would not win against even the long-range-class Maiden. He was a single-point-specialized-type duel avatar who had poured almost all his potential into his Enhanced Armament—the two equipped swords intersected at his back.
“It’s all right; through your swords, your feelings must surely have reached Lo-nee too, Graph-san.”
While showing a hint of a smile on her petite face mask, Maiden covered for him, and Graph nodded deeply as if that were exactly so and spoke as if things were going his way.
“That’s right! What I was trying to convey was basically that, my disciple. As expected of the conscience of Nega Nebulas, Denden says the right things.”
The shine filling the eye lenses of Maiden became slightly frightening the moment she heard that pet name that Graph had called her. Kuroyukihime, who had been called Lotta-chan, understood her feelings too, but right now it was vital that they continue to talk. After clearing her throat, she opened her mouth.
“Setting aside whether Graph’s intentions had reached me, I too was satisfied with our combat charge from earlier. I couldn’t score a complete victory, but it wasn’t bad as a last fight between fellow level 8ers……so I think.”
“Well then, are you going to raise your level, Lo-nee?”
She nodded at Maiden, whose facial expression had returned to normal and was tilting her head to the side in a lovely manner.
“Unh. ……It’s dreadful to be spending that vast an amount of points all at once, but if I’m to aim for level 10, it’s a path I cannot take if I shirk it……”
Whereupon at that time, Aqua Current, the slender flowing-water avatar who had up till now been listening to the conversation without a word, spoke quietly.
“While your points are decreasing, we will protect you without fail, Lotus, so it’s okay to be at ease.”
Kuroyukihime turned her body to the left and slightly lowered her head toward the avatar from whom a faint trickling sound was coming.
“Thank you, Curren. However, your singular concern for me is of no use. Since I’m going to participate in the regular enemy hunts in the Unlimited Field even immediately after I level up.”
“……I thought, you would say that. However……there’s something, that slightly bothers me.”
“Is it that rumor? The one where if one rises to level 9, some sort of special rule that hasn’t existed till now will be applied……”
Current nodded, and the water flowing on the back side of her head like trails of hair wobbled.
The «level 9 special rule» rumor had begun to drift about in the Accelerated World about three months ago. Its origin was unknown, and its contents too were obscure. Why information was scarce was because the majority of Burst Linkers had dismissed it as «something that did not concern them».
That was not impossible to understand either. It was said that currently there were just under a thousand Burst Linkers, but the ones who had reached level 8 could easily be counted, and furthermore the number of people who were within range of level 9 probably did not even come to ten. Why Kuroyukihime had been able to amass this many points was because there were many occasions where she had been saved by her position as chief of Nega Nebulas.
If so, if as the rumor stated there were some sort of risk set in ascending to level 9, she had to make sure herself……or she had thought so, but.
Aqua Current turned her streamlined-type face mask to the left and looked straight at Graphite Edge with her blue-white eye lenses.
“Graph. If you become level 9 before Lotus does, I believe you could safely confirm the authenticity of the rumor.”
Having that slightly shocking proposal unhesitatingly thrown at him, the metallic gray avatar reeled greatly.
“Eh……eeh!? M, me!?”
“Maiden and I are still level 7, but you’re 8……moreover, I was thinking that next to Lotus, you’re closest to 9. Am I wrong?”
There was a reason why Current had made no mention of the remaining one member of the four-man «Elements» who was not here. Like Graph, she too was level 8, but recently she had been hinting at her retirement from the front lines of the legion. It was not that she was tired of the Brain Burst game but the reverse……it was because as a Burst Linker, she was aiming for a height more purely than anyone else was.
As Kuroyukihime thought about how she, who was in a different sense than Graph the friend with whom her heart was most strongly joined, was in the process of becoming distant from them, her heart hurt with a throb, but withstanding it she concentrated her consciousness on Current and Graph’s exchange.
“Uh, um……I won’t say that you’re wrong, but if you consider the safety margin I’m slightly short of it, and in the first place there’s no way someone like me could precede the Seven Kings of Pure Color and become level 9……”
“In that case, it’ll be fine if you also name yourself as a king, Graph-san.”
Having that said to him by Maiden too from his left side, the twin sword user exercised his two hands and neck alternately and repeatedly.
“N, nonono, that’s too heavy a weight upon me. In the first place, my color name’s «Graphite»…even if I named myself as a king, what king would I become? «Graphite»[9]?”
“That overlaps with Lo-nee’s «Black King», so you can’t.”
There was a merciless comment from Current too directed at the swordsman, who had been flatly denied by Maiden perhaps as payback for habitually continuing to call her «Denden» and was a loss for words.
“I think «Pencil King» is fine.”
“Pencil……what does that mean, Curren-san?”
In response to Maiden, who had tilted her head in puzzlement, Current, who seemed like Kuroyukihime to be an elementary school sixth grader, explained.
“In the past, a writing instrument that used graphite as its core was widely used. It was thin and snapped easily, so it fits Graph perfectly.”
“I see……elementary school students these days don’t know about pencils, do they……wait, that’s not it! Karinto, I’m not that mentally weak!”
“Everyone noticed that just a little bit earlier, you caved in when you were soundly beaten up by the Purple King. And also……I’ve said it time and time again, but it’s not Karinto, it’s Cur-ren-t.”
“Ah-, um, there’s a well-known sweet in my hometown called mizu-karinto[10], so unconsciously……”
“That’s absolutely a lie!”
At this point, Kuroyukihime burst out laughing at last. Perhaps the three of them had maybe noticed that at first the atmosphere had become a little heavy and were displaying some merry banter on purpose, but that was also the kindness of them all.
“Ha ha ha……, well, let’s not go any further than that, Maiden, Curren. Even if there are uncertain factors in rising to level 9, there’s no way we can force the master to be the forerunner. Besides that, somehow or another it seems that the flow of things is going to be such that our timing’s going to match that of the other kings’ in leveling up……even if it turns out to be risky, those guys are in the same boat.”
The moment Kuroyukihime said that, a serious complexion rose to Graph’s face mask, whose design was simple yet intrepid.
“At the same time as the other kings, huh…… —Lotta, does that basically mean that something like a conference between all the seven kings will be held sometime around their rise to level 9?”
“Depending on how the authenticity of the rumor goes, it’s not out of the question. Up until now, there’s been diplomatic negotiations on the scale of two, three, four people here and there; I believe it would just be a seven-person version of that……”
“I see…………”
Graph’s words trailed off, and he folded his arms and showed signs of being in thought. Usually, he was aloof and slippery, but he was displaying one of his quite rare sharp flashes of insight, so the remaining three closed their mouths and waited.
The twin sword user, who had raised his face at last, made a slightly sudden statement.
“Lotta. Up until now, I’ve advised you here and there about your level up bonus.”
“……? Ahh, I thank you for that, but……”
“No, it’s not that I want you to say thanks. The reason is because that means I decided your direction as a Burst Linker for you. Namely, specialization in offense for one-on-one duels.”
“……What’s with you all of a sudden? I didn’t strengthen this avatar exactly as you told me, you know. Even I too believed that direction was the one in which I could fight most like myself.”
Kuroyukihime slightly spread her two sword-shaped hands, and Graph too nodded slowly.
“I too am not trying to bend you into following my personal opinion at such a late point. Rather than an all-around-type build, the concentrated-type build, in the end of the end, really at the very last phase, can exhibit «the power to break through»……no matter what, that belief will not change. Though well, it goes without saying for the three people here, right.”
This time, Kuroyukihime, Maiden, and Current nodded back.
From the time when she was still a mere newbie, she had selected and based her level up bonuses on her teacher’s advice. Without taking even one long-range/wide-range-type special technique or Enhanced Armament, she had chosen only close-range/standalone special techniques and reinforcement of the offensive power of her four limbs’ swords.
She had not regretted that even once. She believed why her powerful ability «Terminate Sword» had been able to manifest itself was also because she had aimed for a concentrated type. Ardor Maiden and Aqua Current were not particularly Graphite Edge’s pupils, but their directions of growth were along with hers; Maiden and Aqua had mainly strengthened their long-distance firepower and flowing-water armor respectively.
—Despite that, why would Graph say that thing at such a late point?
Receiving the gazes of the three, who seemed wanting to ask that, the twin sword user showed one of his rare moments of hesitation, then spoke in a low voice.
“…………I think that it surely won’t happen, but…… Lotta, if by any chance, even if there’s a situation where there’s a mass fight against guys just as strong as you are in a field without us……don’t ever give up on yourself. Without considering the fact that it’s many-against-one, concentrate on the one-on-one against the one before your eyes. Attack. Attack, attack, cut it down whatever it is. Because that is your strength.”
References
- ↑ Written in kanji as 絶対切断, “Absolute Cutting.”
- ↑ Kanji: 絶対防御, “Absolute Defense.”
- ↑ Kanji: 矛盾存在, “Contradictory Existence.”
- ↑ Male.
- ↑ Generally, in Japan the first school term starts in the spring, the second starts in the fall, and the third in the winter.
- ↑ Curren is an abbreviation of the “Current” in Aqua Current. In Japanese, it is one syllable shorter, although it is not in English.
- ↑ An appellation that combines the “Lo” in “Lotus” and Nee, “older sister.”
- ↑ Seiza (正座) is a formal sitting position in which one kneels down with feet pointed backward and sits upright.
- ↑ In the first use of the word graphite, Graphite Edge uses the Japanese katakana borrowing of the English word, グラファイト, and in the second, he uses the Japanese term 黒鉛.
- ↑ Mizu (水) is water. Karinto (かりん糖, 花林糖) is a Japanese snack composed of flour, water, yeast, and sugar. Its pronunciation also happens to be a close but not exact approximation of the “Current” in Aqua Current‘s name.
