Accel World: Flight Towards the Blue Sky

by Reki Kawahara

  Haruyuki also recognized a place like this. A so-called «Dive Café», a shop that cheaply offered private rooms for Diving while in the town. Since the booths could be locked, the security was quite higher than leaving one’s real body in an open space like a family restaurant or coffee shop.

  Nonetheless, there had certainly been plenty of Dive Cafes closer to the parking lot where they had left the bike. He wondered why they had expressly come to this far away building, but Pard-san quickly finished up with the receipt at the unmanned counter in front and then briskly walked further inside the place. Haruyuki reluctantly followed.

  However—

  “Enter.”

  What Blood Leopard indicated at was to all appearances a single person-use booth and she furthermore entered inside following after Haruyuki as if it were natural, so Haruyuki couldn’t help but question her this time.

  “U-Umm, there’s only one chair.”

  “There were no two-person booths vacant. If we cram in together, we’ll fit.”

  As she replied with that expressionlessly, she shut the slide-type door and the sturdy-looking lock resounded out with a ‘GACHINGACHIN’. While collecting together her long skirt, she sat down sideways on the reclining chair.

  When she brought her slender body near the edge, there was certainly about 40 cm of space left on the chair. But even so the fat Haruyuki would just barely fit if he sat there. Rather, he would be squeezed in.

  “……Um.”

  As Haruyuki tried to continue to say ‘I’ll reserve another room for myself’, the maid-san beat him to the punch and spoke.

  “NP. I don’t care about sticking close to a child.”

  —But I care about it a lot!! Or rather, if you think about the first condition for being a Burst Linker, you can’t be more than three years older than me!!

  Although he cried that all out in his mind, Haruyuki was already in a mental state of being used to this, and so sat down next to Blood Leopard while mumbling “P-P-P-Please excuse me then”. Although he tried to lean as far as possible towards the armrest, there was still only about a 2 mm gap between the nose of Haruyuki’s head and the chest covered by a pure white apron.

  He felt faint as soon as he noticed a sweet fragrance that drifted softly in the air and that smelt of cream and strawberries, but he somehow endured it, and then a whisper came from so close by that he could feel the breath on his brow.

  “First, you must set up a Full Dive-use avatar that cannot be connected to your real life self.”

  “…Ah, y-yes.”

  He somehow reorganized his decelerated thoughts, quickly operated his virtual desktop, and changed his avatar from the pink pig that he used on the Umesato Middle local network to a green lizard he had never used before.

  “I-It’s done.”

  “Then, when you Full Dive, pass into the access gate that has the shining tag «Akihabara BG».”

  “U-Understood.”

  “K. Counting down. One, zero.”

  …One usually starts from three at least!

  At the same time as he thought that, the same command came out from both of their mouths.

  ““Direct Link.””

  *SHUWAH!* Along with that sound, Haruyuki’s consciousness and real body separated, and he fell into darkness.

  A few Access Gates approached from below. Since Haruyuki was cut off from the Global Net, they all should have be local networks administered by this building «Quadtower». Among the sparkling characters that read «Read as much as you like!» and «Online Game Free Play», there was indeed an inconspicuous tag that read «Akihabara BG».

  When he extended an invisible hand towards it, it drew closer within his field of vision. The moment he was sucked in by that circular gate, there was a slight lag. A sign that some kind of authentication was being performed.

  But the feeling of movement quickly came on him again, and finally the soles of Haruyuki’s feet landed on the ground with a hard metallic sound.

  When he lifted up his turned-down head, he saw that he was in a place that could be called either a huge bar or a club.

  All the walls and floor were made of rusty steel plates and wire-mesh. The rectangular space in the center looked like an atrium, and on the floor of the first floor that was created as if to surround it and the floor of the second floor, there were rough tables made of just bare iron plates lined up at equal intervals.

  At the same time, many avatars that seemed to have also Dived into this bar could be seen seated at these gloomy tables. They were sunken in shadow, but the instant he saw their silhouettes, he got a shuddering feeling.

  This place was not in Accel world, but in a normal virtual space. Even so, Haruyuki understood. They were all Burst Linkers. In other words, this network known as «Akihabara BG» was a place where only those that had Brain Burst in their Neuro Linkers could connect to.

  After gulping with his green lizard avatar’s throat, he looked around further.

  The next thing he noticed was a large four-sided monitor that was hanging from the ceiling with a chain in the center of this large space. Since the shop was dimly-lit, the characters projected on the virtual screen could be clearly seen.

  Displayed at the top was [TODAY’S BATTLE] in Gothic font.

  Beneath that was [18:00], most likely the current time.

  The next line [«Frost Horn Lv5» 1.57 VS «Slate Bolt Lv4» 3.22] were without a doubt the announcement of a duel. But he didn’t understand what the numbers with a decimal point that was written after the level were supposed to be.

  “……Umm, this place is…”

  When Haruyuki finally stopped looking around at his surroundings, he spoke in a low voice to Blood Leopard who was standing right next to him.

  Her avatar, perhaps naturally or as expected, wasn't wearing a maid dress anymore. Her entire body was tightly covered with a black leather rider suit. However, what was on top wasn’t a human head. A beast of the feline family with beautiful dark red fur. For the first time, Haruyuki remembered that «Leopard» meant leopard[25].

  The female rider with a leopard head glanced down at Haruyuki’s lizard avatar with her shining ash-gold eyes, and spoke.

  “«Akihabara Battle Ground». The holy place of duels for Burst Linkers.”

  “H-Holy place…?”

  After repeating her words, Haruyuki suddenly thought of something and asked.

  “Akihabara, that means, is this the base of the Yellow Legion or something?”

  “No. This is the only absolutely neutral place within the Akihabara area…Follow me.”

  Her boots made a clacking sound as she started to walk, so for the time being he followed after her.

  At the very back of the bar, there was as expected a counter that was made from iron plates. Blood Leopard smoothly sat down on the center stool with a supple movement. Haruyuki also made his small lizard body climb onto the stool next to hers with a heave-ho.

  “Good evening, «Matchmaker».”

  Looking at the avatar on the other side of the counter that suddenly raised its face in response to Pard-san’s quiet voice, Haruyuki at once thought ‘A dwarf!’.

  A shaggy beard along with a short and stout stature. He wore metal-rimmed glasses over round, sunken eyes, and a huge butterfly necktie was tied around his neck. Rather, it was stranger that he wasn’t holding an axe in his rough hands.

  The dwarf-type avatar first looked at Pard-san’s leopard head and raised one of his eyebrows, then looked at Haruyuki’s lizard heard and made a ‘hmm’ sound, and then turned back to Pard-san and grinned.

  “Why if it isn’t a rare customer. How many months has it been, leopard?”

  It was a completely dwarf-like tone, complete with baritone. But, since he was connected to this network, the one moving this avatar should also be a Burst Linker, so in other words he shouldn’t be older than 17-years-old.

  However, to worry about such a thing would be dumb and boorish. Pard-san shrugged her shoulders
slightly, and gave a short response of “Eight months”. The dwarf that was appropriately named «Matchmaker» laughed again as his mustache twitched, and then spoke.

  “Have you missed having a real fight here? Or are you here to earn more pocket money?”

  “Sorry, but I didn’t come here today to duel, nor to gamble.”

  Hearing those words, Haruyuki reflexively raised his voice.

  “G-Gam…ble!?”

  Then, the dwarf raised his eyebrows and pointed at the huge center monitor with the tip of his beard.

  “Look at those numbers there. Those show nothing except the odds.”

  “Odds…”

  Now that he mentioned it, it was exactly as he said. The numbers of 1.57 and 3.22 that followed after the names of the announced fighters could only be the rates of betting.

  In other words, this place managed gambling for «duels» between Burst Linkers.

  “…J-Just what on earth do you bet? I-I-It can’t be Burst Points, can it?”

  When he asked that in a hoarse voice, the dwarf let out a grand snort.

  “Idiot, if we betted something like points, hot-headed idiots would have their Brain Burst forcefully uninstalled one after another. Of course the bets are real money.”

  “R-Real money…”

  That was also plenty bad enough, or rather private gambling was a completely illegal act. As Haruyuki flapped his mouth open and shut, Matchmaker suddenly gave a satisfied smile.

  “You, don’t you know just how much this leopard-head onee-san has earned here?”

  “Don’t say things that will cause misunderstandings. You can’t earn anything by betting with just fight money, and in the first place you only get five hundred yen per game even if you win. It is much lower than a part-time job’s hourly pay.”

  “……F-Five hundred yen…”

  Haruyuki once again mumbled, aghast. Hearing him say that, the dwarf laughed pleasantly.

  “Well, that’s how it is. The maximum you can gamble is 300 yen per game. That’s the limit with the pocket money of middle and high school students.”

  “……I-I see…”

  As the tension finally left Haruyuki’s shoulders just a little, Blood Leopard’s voice mentally strained him once again.

  “Let’s end the greetings here, and head into the main subject.”

  “You’re an impatient leopard as always. If you’re here neither to battle nor to gamble, what did you come here for?”

  “I came to meet with you as an informer today. What I want to know is information about the «Local Net Troll»…the Burst Linker who can intercept the Matching List without being connected to the network.”

  His reaction to that was striking.

  The instant he heard Pard-san’s question, the dwarf gained a sharp glint in his eyes in shock, and quickly looked left and right over the counter. After checking that there weren’t any other Divers without hearing range, he squeezed out an even lower voice.

  “…I’ve heard of the talk about list interception somewhere. The rumors that are flowing about right now shouldn’t be that detailed.”

  This time Blood Leopard was the one who raised the eyebrows of her leopard head.

  “The one that’s asking is me.”

  “Muh…that’s true. Then, since an information fee concerning this topic is not needed, please tell me what you know as well in exchange.”

  “K, to the extent that I can talk about it.”

  Matchmaker nodded, then leaned his body over the counter and started speaking in a voice that seemed to twist from inside his beard.

  “…The Burst Linker that intercepts the Matching List…That is the big problem that is secretly shaking this Akihabara BG right now.”

  Listen well, kid.

  The dwarf said that to Haruyuki who was visiting here for the first time.

  Akihabara BG was a local network that can also be connected to within the game center «Quadtower». Burst Linker that wished to appear in betting matches here would visit this bar first and register as players at the counter. Then the system selected the most suitable duel opponents based on level and affinity, and the match time and odds were displayed on the central monitor.

  Those that wanted to bet money would bet up to 300 yen up until the deadline time. After that, one of the players would accelerate just before the game time started, and the opponent would be chosen from the Matching List and the «duel» would begin. The fundamental structure of it was just that. Simple, no?

  The greatest rule in this local network was one must not «duel» against anyone except the players chosen by the Matchmaker. Anyone that broke this rule and picked a duel against a betting visitor or another player that was more convenient for them would be beaten up by the strong-armed bodyguards—of course, in a duel—and would be kicked out from the local network. This was a holy place for duelers that not even the «Yellow King» that ruled Akihabara could lay his hands on.

  “However, then.”

  Matchmaker continued after some liquid inside of a tumbler that had appeared on the counter without notice.

  “About one week ago, an insolent person appeared that didn’t register as a player and started a duel against one of two fighters right before their announced match began. Because of the mechanism that automatically registers IDs for everyone that Dives into Akiba BG when they connect for the first time, the bodyguards accelerated the instant he appeared again the next day in order to beat him up. However. Even though he was definitely connected to the local network…his name wasn’t on the Matching List.”

  “……!”

  Haruyuki sucked in a sharp breath.

  The situation that Matchmaker recounted. It was exactly the same as the situation occurring at the Umesato Middle School’s local network right now.

  The dwarf drank up the amber-colored liquid, and then struck the tumbler against the iron-plating of the counter.

  “That day as well, that guy intruded into a match, took down the opposing player, and then calmly logged out. And the next day as well, and then the day after that too. At present, we’ve explained to the players and visitors that it’s the fault of the game registration system, but that's also already at the limit. Rumors of a «Local Net Troll» are also flowing around. At this rate, if that guy’s rampage is allowed to continue, it will also affect the continuation of Akiba BG itself.”

  After gulping, Haruyuki timidly asked.

  “U-Umm…That is, what is the name of the Burst Linker that doesn’t appear on the list…?”

  The name that the dwarf spitefully spoke was—

  “«Rust Jigsaw».”

  —It’s different.

  Haruyuki unconsciously let out a breath of relief, but it being someone different was also a problem. Because it meant that there existed multiple Burst Linkers that had the Matching List interception ability. Within the system of Brain Burst, that privilege was just too huge.

  Matchmaker also voiced in a subdued tone the same kind of misgivings.

  “«One cannot choose one’s duel opponent as one likes». That is the great general rule of Accel World. Even if you only choose and fight convenient opponents, there is no way to tell when those kinds of opponents will appear on the list. While waiting for them to appear, you can also conversely be challenged to a duel by someone you’re weak against. Therefore, Burst Linkers desperately try hard to polish their own special techniques and conquer their weak points as well.”

  “…It’s exactly as you say.”

  “But, «Rust Jigsaw» is now using the system of Akiba BG and is freely choosing the duel opponents he wants. If you look at that monitor, it’s very clear which Burst Linkers are connected at any given time. After that, he just has to choose opponents he will certainly win against and intrude just before the start of a match. That guy has already earned over 100 points here just through duels. Not only as the Matchmaker…but as a Burst Linker, I absolutely cannot forgive him.”

  Finishing speaking th
ose unpleasant words, the dwarf stared intensely at Haruyuki, and then Blood Leopard from behind his round glasses.

  “My story ends here. Now then, this time it’s your turn to talk. Although currently only myself and the bodyguards here should know about «Rust Jigsaw» intercepting the Matching List, just where on earth did you hear about it?”

  Haruyuki glanced up at Pard-san to his left, then moved his lizard’s mouth with a mumble.

  “…Umm, I didn’t hear about the case happening here. Another Burst Linker who possesses the exact same ability appeared at a certain local network that I usually connect to…So, I thought that there would be someone from Akihabara who knows something about it…”

  “What!? Another one, at the same time…!? That’s inexcusable…”

  NUUN* After growling, the dwarf naturally asked the next question.

  “Where is that local network?”

  “I-I’m sorry. It has to do with my real life information…”

  “What, then it’s almost as if I’m the only one that talked!”

  —Then.

  Here, Pard-san at last spoke in a quiet voice.

  “Matchmaker. What is the level and type of that Rust Jigsaw?”

  “Hmm? His level is 6, the same as yours. His color is just as his name says, an iron-rust color. This also bears a strong resemblance to you, but his fighting style is different. That guy’s specialty is to hunt close-range types while remaining in the middle/long range, so a mainly close-range type like you would have honestly bad affinity with him.”

  …Pard-san is a close-range type? Even though she belongs to the Red Legion, and the ‘blood’ in her name is reddish?

  These questions that Haruyuki momentarily had were blown away by Blood Leopard’s next words.

  “K. Then, I’ll carry out the information fee like this. Register me and this kid as tag-team players, and set up a long-range type team as our opponents. In addition, if you cancel all the remaining games, Rust Jigsaw who has no other opponents to attack should choose us as his prey for today.”