Pull of the Dark Nebula

by Reki Kawahara

  So the leader whose aim was to destroy the Being—let’s call him A. As an alternative plan, he tried to lock the Being away in the virtual world forever. He created an enormous dungeon at the center of the world, sealed the Being in the deepest level, and had the area guarded by eight of the most powerful class of monsters. Moreover, he made the dungeon itself an impregnable, impenetrable stronghold protected by four similarly powerful monsters.

  Meanwhile, the other leader, B, whose start had been delayed only a few minutes, challenged A to a fight and won. But by that time, A had completely locked the stronghold, and B could not rescue the Being with GM privileges. Leader B and the players they commanded were forced to attack the stronghold under their own power. But the four guard monsters A had placed there were overwhelmingly—no, hopelessly strong, and B and their army could not defeat even one of them. B’s comrades fell one after another, and finally, B, too, had to abandon the attack.

  So they decided to entrust their hope to the future. To believe that at some point, warriors powerful enough to defeat the four gatekeeper monsters would come, penetrate the stronghold, take down the eight guardian monsters, and release the Being.

  Even after Graphite Edge closed his mouth, no one said anything for a while. It was too abstract a story, the details too difficult to visualize. It seemed to Haruyuki that a war in a virtual world that worked on a game program was, when it came down to it, simply a multiplayer fighting game, but Graph sounded like he was recounting a real war.

  Still, there were a few things he could imagine. After exchanging a look with Fuko, Haruyuki began timidly, “Um. So the stronghold in your story’s the Castle, the four gatekeeper monsters are the Four Gods, the sealed Being is the last Arc, The Fluctuating Light…Is that what that’s supposed to mean?”

  “Well, that’s basically the gist of it.” Graph nodded.

  “So then that means, um, the person who created the Castle and the person who created the rest of the field and the other dungeons are not the same?” Haruyuki asked further. “Is that the cause of the contradiction I felt?”

  “Well, that’s basically the gist of it.” Once again, the double swordmaster nodded.

  Indeed, if there were these two leaders—A, the creator of a Castle he didn’t want attacked; and B, the creator who wanted to attack it—then that would explain Haruyuki’s doubt about whether the creator of Brain Burst wanted the Castle attacked or not. But still, wasn’t B taking the long way around here?

  “Hmm. So then with the GM privileges, creator B can manipulate every place other than the Castle, right? In that case, couldn’t they have just created a ton of Enemies as strong as the Four Gods and had them attack the Castle…or made their own status more powerful than the Four Gods and charged the gates?” Haruyuki wondered.

  “First of all,” Graph said, raising a finger, “as a general rule, the only ones who can attack monsters are players. You can’t manipulate a large army of monsters or make other players bend to your will. It might be possible to control a scant few with special methods, but they’d never win against the Four Gods like that.”

  Haruyuki worried about Metatron’s reaction to this, knowing that she had been tamed with the power of an Enhanced Armament once, so he looked to his shoulder, but the 3-D icon held her silence. When he turned to face forward again, Graph added a second finger.

  “Second, there are ways to strengthen players, but those have limits, too. Listen. Creator A placed the most powerful monsters the program would allow—Enemies, in other words, as the Castle gatekeepers. So all the players—the Burst Linkers—can do is also get as strong as the maximum status allowed by the program.”

  “And that maximum is level ten…is that it?” Fuko asked.

  Graph didn’t respond right away. Sitting cross-legged still, he crossed his arms and leaned forward. “Hmm. The thing is…I’m thinking maybe the real limit program-wise is level nine.”

  “What do you mean?” Fuko pressed.

  “Mm, it’s hard to explain.” The avatar’s hands rounded as though he were holding a ball. “There’s an upper limit to the amount of Burst Points you can earn, too. So Burst Linkers can’t keep getting more of them forever, and not every Burst Linker who exists now can become a high ranker. So maybe level nine’s the highest level you can reach normally, by spending points and leveling up, and that’s related to that resource upper limit. But…Even if you make it to level nine, there’s absolutely no way you can defeat the Four Gods. About all you can do is use every Incarnate technique in the book and somehow make it so that can’t act temporarily.”

  Haruyuki remembered when he’d fought Suzaku with Kuroyukihime and Fuko. They hadn’t been able to defeat it even by dragging it up into the stratosphere, which made Suzaku’s flames die out, and beating on it with the full force of the Black King’s second-level Incarnate technique Starburst Stream.

  “It’s true.” Perhaps reliving the same memory, Fuko shuddered slightly as she spoke. “I don’t feel at all that I’d be able to defeat a God if I went up another level. So then…level ten goes beyond the system limits to fight the Four Gods?”

  “Dunno. What I know’s limited info from the past; I can only guess from that about the current Accelerated World. But the sudden-death rule—if a level niner loses to another level niner, it’s immediate total point loss, and if you get five people down to zero like this, you can get to level ten. For a game, it’s abnormally harsh. It wouldn’t be at all strange if it was a rule to give you the power to surpass system-wise limits…Or it’s testing us,” Graphite Edge muttered, half to himself, and then lifted his face as if he’d abruptly realized something and looked at Haruyuki. “Crow, your face says there’s a whole lot you can’t accept here.”

  Reflexively, Haruyuki touched his face with both hands. Silver Crow’s face mask was covered by mirrored goggles, which were absolutely impossible to see through, and yet, Graph had somehow sensed his expression. He nodded his head up and down.

  “Yes. The way you’re talking, it sounds like it’s not the duel that’s the main objective of Brain Burst, but Enemy hunting…”

  “Yeah, I guess,” Graph agreed. “But that’s the way it is. The reason Burst Linkers exist isn’t to win against other Burst Linkers, but to reach TFL sealed in the center of the Castle…and that means defeating the Four Gods and the Eight Divines, the strongest of the Enemies.”

  “So then why is Brain Burst a one-on-one fighting game?!” he shouted, clenching his hands into fists.

  “No idea.” Graph only shrugged lightly. “In order to attack—no, have the Castle attacked, creator B tried three approaches. Trial one aka Accel Assault, trial two aka Brain Burst, and trial three, Cosmos Corrupt. Apparently, AA was a high-speed shooter with player fights as the main deal; CC was hack and slash with Enemy fights as the main thing. If the objective of all three games was to liberate The Fluctuating Light, then CC would seem to be the closest to that objective. But AA and CC are both long closed down, and all that’s left is BB. And I don’t think that’s mere coincidence. Even setting aside G’s hard work.”

  “Excess fighting…and excess harmony,” Fuko remarked. “That’s why the worlds of AA and CC fell. According to the White King, at least.”

  Graph snorted. “Ninety percent of what she says is to manipulate other people. You can’t take it seriously. Anyway, now I’ve told you everything I know about The Fluctuating Light. You two be the ones to tell Lota.”

  The man moved to stand, but Fuko called to him sharply.

  “Wait. We still haven’t heard the most important part. At the end of the day, what is The Fluctuating Light? It’s not simply an in-game item. What did you mean by Being before?”

  “Unfortunately, I don’t know that either,” Graph said, spreading his hands. “I mean, it’s not like I was there for this virtual war way back when…You want anything more than that, your only choice is to achieve level ten and ask the developer.”

  Then where exactly had Graph he
ard the story he told them? The doubt rose up in Haruyuki’s heart, but he felt like he wouldn’t get an answer even if he asked the question.

  “Um, can I ask just one last thing?” Haruyuki followed Graph to his feet and cast a glance into the darkness beyond the sacred rope before looking at Graph again.

  “Yeah. If it’s something I can answer.”

  “Even a guess would be great. If someone does break into the Shrine of the Eight Divines, reach The Fluctuating Light, and remove the seal…what will happen to Brain Burst?”

  Graph paused briefly. “Sorry. My only answer to that is ‘no idea’…But if there was one thing I could say…I think the outcome will change the world.”

  “Change…the world?” Haruyuki parroted. “Do you mean it would bring about a large change in the Accelerated World?”

  “No, that’s not it.” An air of a grin and a daring laugh bled through Graph’s face mask. “The real world. Somewhere inside that light is a blow powerful enough to change our lives in the real…That’s what I think.” He stared at the golden light shimmering in the distant dark.

  Haruyuki, Fuko, Lead, and Metatron also stared wordlessly at the final Arc for a while. At the light that was quietly and yet definitely breathing. It really didn’t seem like any ordinary item. It called out with a voice that did not form words, as a presence with some kind of will.

  “If…” Unconsciously, Haruyuki started to ask the swordsman. “If all of us here now took on the challenge, could we reach that light?”

  “No way.” The reply came back to him instantly.

  Only two words, but their simplicity held an incredible weight.

  Haruyuki slowly nodded and closed his eyes. Right now, there’s something else we have to do. When it’s time to fight toward that light, I’ll come back here again with Kuroyukihime. Carving this resolve deep into his heart, he lifted his head. What he had gained by coming that day was great. That would have to be enough for now.

  “Wohkay.” Graph’s lazy voice broke the silence. “Sorry for the wait, Lead. You’re in charge from here on out…Good luck.”

  Lead nodded silently, and Haruyuki blinked in surprise.

  “Wh-what do you…?”

  “It’s obvious.” The black-clad swordsman thrust out a finger as he smoothly made his announcement: “Lead’s leaving this Castle…together with all of you.”

  6

  “All right then, Master. Thank you so much again today.” Haruyuki bowed his head after walking her to the doorway, and Fuko shook hers with a laugh.

  “No, it was a good experience for me, too. I should thank you for bringing me along, Corvus.” She slipped on her shoes to the faint sound of motors whirring and set her hand on the door handle. But then she let go and turned back with a serious look. “It’s just…I think it’s going to take me a little time to process what we learned today. Corvus. When are you going to tell Sacchi?”

  “Oh. Right.” He paused. “I was thinking today if I could…”

  “Were you…? Well, yes, that’s fine. All right, I’m sorry, but do you mind if I leave you the job of telling her first?”

  “No, of course not.” Haruyuki shook his head slightly.

  “All right.” Now Fuko did actually push the door open. She bowed lightly with the twilight-colored sky behind her. “I’ll be on my way then. Have a good evening.”

  “Thank you. You too!”

  She waved with a smile, and once she had disappeared beyond the door, Haruyuki let out a small sigh.

  The time was 5:25 PM. It hadn’t yet been half an hour since they’d dived into the Unlimited Neutral Field. But in Haruyuki’s subjective reality, he had been over there for more than ten hours, so he had ten hours’ worth of exhaustion. With the round trip, it had been quite an adventure, slipping past the fierce attacks of the God Suzaku not once but twice.

  After he returned to the living room and cleared away their glasses, he flopped down on the sofa and sank back.

  “Aaaah,” he groaned. “I feel like Suzaku’s initial Hate is gradually increasing.” He raised one hand to count on his fingers. The first time he encountered Suzaku had been a month earlier, on the outward journey of the mission to rescue Ardor Maiden. With the trip back after that and then that day’s return trip, that made four times he had charged across the large bridge to the south, and he keenly felt each time the growth of the God’s rage.

  And the escape that day—his fourth—was a terrific battle on par with his second close call with Suzaku. They had flown out of the south gate with Lead wedged in between Haruyuki and Fuko, but even still, Suzaku’s manifestation was a beat faster, and the three of them had just barely made it out, using Incarnate techniques to defend desperately against the inferno Suzaku rained upon them from overhead.

  If they hadn’t had Lead’s defensive Incarnate technique Genuine Specular, which turned his sword, when brandished horizontally, into a large mirror shield, and the support of Graph’s dual swords striking at random with Vorpal Strike from inside the south gate, it would have been utterly impossible to break through. Right from the start, Lead had said escape was impossible without the flight speed of Silver Crow and Sky Raker, and when they managed somehow to flee to Sakurada Street, all three of their health gauges were colored bright red. If they tried that mad dash one more time, it was entirely possibly they’d be wiped out.

  “The fifth time, we’re gonna have to actually fight and not just sneak past,” he muttered to himself, before sitting up and switching mental gears with an “Okay!”

  He had taken Fuko on the sudden mission to the Castle and exposed them both to serious danger, but they’d obtained information that was plenty worth it: the origin of the Accelerated World and the reason for the existence of The Fluctuating Light. And one more thing—an unexpected, trustworthy ally.

  Thanks, Lead…and Graph. He dipped his head to the east and then stood up. First, he had to get in touch with Kuroyukihime and tell her everything they’d found out. He did some flicking on his virtual desktop, until— “Whoa?!”

  Suddenly, the incoming mail icon flashed before his eyes, and he fell back onto the sofa in surprise. He hurried to open it; the body of the message had only the four words: “Arrival in thirty seconds!” And before he could check the sender’s name, the door chime sounded, announcing a visitor.

  “……”

  With a strange look, Haruyuki hurried to the entryway where he had only just seen Fuko off a few minutes ago.

  “’Suuuuup!” A red shadow jumped inside and slammed a fist into his side.

  “Hrngh!” he groaned. “Wh-what’s with the sudden jab?”

  “A friendly greeting aaaand angry-sad punishment!” a girl in a red T-shirt and shorts shouted. This was the head of the Legion Prominence, the Red King, Scarlet Rain, aka Yuniko Kozuki.

  “Angry-sad?” he asked, stepping back.

  “Yup.” Niko glared at him, striking a daunting pose on the step into the condo. “You didn’t take me to Shibuya on Sunday or anything.”

  “W-we had the negotiations with Great Wall,” he protested.

  “And you took forever to tell us the results,” she sniffed.

  “A-a bunch of stuff happened…”

  “Welp, suck it up. That’s what that gut punch was for.” A grin broke through her sullen expression, and a slender figure appeared in the half-open door.

  “Hi,” said Blood Leopard aka Pard, dressed in riding leather.

  “Hello, Pard.” He bowed lightly. “What’s up all of a sudden?”

  “SRY. We have something urgent to talk about.”

  “Yup. I’m coming iiiin!” Niko walked into the living room, overly familiar with the house, and Haruyuki hurried after her.

  He sat them on the sofa, poured cold tea in the glasses he’d just washed, and brought them out to the living room again. He took a sip of his own tea to calm himself down before turning to Niko, who was now sitting directly across from him. “So. What did you want to talk about?” />
  “Ohh, about that…” Perhaps thirsty, Niko drank down the cold-brew green tea in a single go and turned a slender finger toward the floor of the living room. “You’re not calling Kuroyukihime over?”

  “Huh? Kuroyukihime?” It was an unexpected demand, but Haruyuki had been about to get in touch with her anyway. “Um. Okay, I’ll just send her a mail.”

  He launched the mailer he had been about to start up before the two girls arrived and quickly sent her a message; the response came right away. It seemed that Kuroyukihime had just left school. She would be there in ten minutes.

  The chime rang eight minutes later, in fact.

  A uniformed Kuroyukihime followed him into the living room. “Oh-ho?” she said, the moment she caught sight of Niko and Pard on the sofa, her voice containing all kinds of nuance. Her gaze shifted to Haruyuki, and a smile of ultimate chill—well, not that far, a coolish smile rose up on her face. “Haruyuki, mind telling me what the situation here is?”

  “O-oh! Um! …Oh! M-Master Fuko was here before, but—!”

  “Oh-ho-ho?”

  “Uh! Um! But I guess Niko and Pard are here for something else…!”

  “Oh-ho-ho-ho?” Kuroyukihime’s smile grew increasingly broad.

  “Hey, Black,” came a voice from the sofa. “C’mon, sit.”

  “This isn’t your house, Red!” Kuroyukihime whirled around to shout before stepping over briskly and throwing herself down next to Niko.