Accel World: Return of Princess Snow Black

by Reki Kawahara

With a prickle of horror at his back, Haruyuki felt it.

  “Thought will... accelerate?”

  “That’s right, for the Neuro Linker that is possible. Without causing any harm to the physical body or brain cells. Right now at this instant, our Neuro Linkers multiply the single heart beat clock, and send it to the brain with wireless quantum signal. Actually this rate, reaches 1000 times!”

  “1000... time... s.”

  Haruyuki could not do anything else other than repeat in blank amazement what he had been told. His paralyzed consciousness was shocked by Kuroyukihime’s flowing voice.

  “Thought sped up by 1000 times. That means, 1 second in reality equates to 1000 seconds, dividing that up, you experience 16 minutes and 40 seconds of time.”

  This is way beyond an F1 racer's speed. It’s no longer technology anymore, it’s equal to «Time Stop Magic».

  However, what is basically possible with this wonderful phenomenon, while Haruyuki was thinking about that, Kuroyukihime looked like she noticed something and whispered ‘Oops’.

  “...?”

  “Ah, sorry. I was engrossed in explanation, so we used up a bit too much time. I completely forgot, but the real you is going to be knocked flying soon.”

  “Arg...”

  Haruyuki hurriedly moved his feet, heading to the front side of his blue frozen self.

  For sure, while they talked for about 5 minutes (about 0.3 seconds in reality), Araya’s fist had traveled quite a bit. Less than 50cm until it reaches Haruyuki’s round cheek.

  Araya’s face, it was hard to believe it was made up from pictures of Social Cameras hidden in the ceiling, his violent excitement twisted his lips.

  What is he so happy about. - No, he should be happy. His fist is heading to me, who was futilely standing there with a hollow expression, exactly what they called a garbage character.

  While the murky thought passed in his mind, he turned toward Kuroyukihime.

  “...Umm, this «Acceleration», how long will it continue?”

  “In theory, it's unlimited. However the «Brain Burst» program has a set limit, your maximum accelerated experience is 30 minutes, that is about 1.8 second in real time.”

  At Kuroyukihime’s cool reply, Haruyuki’s pink pig’s round eyes widened. If his real self is frozen like that for around 2 seconds, Araya’s punch will surely move pass the remaining distance, and gradually sink into his nose.

  “...I'll be beaten up!”

  Thinking about his body flying slowly, Haruyuki shouted. However Kuroyukihime lightly laughed and added.

  “Ah, don’t worry. Of course, you can stop the accelerated state at any time.”

  “O, oh... is that so. Then, I can return to reality and avoid this punch too...”

  “Easily. Fufu, this is «Acceleration»’s easiest to understand use. For situations where a reaction speed that is impossible for your physical body is needed, if you assess and consider it, then you can calmly deal with it after cancelling the accelerated state.”

  As she said, he had not been able to avoid the many beatings till now, due to fear he had not been able to see the path of Araya’s punch and its target, but now inside «Acceleration» he can easily understand it.

  After cancelling acceleration, moving left just 15cm would be fine. He swallowed his saliva while carving that into his head, then looked to Kuroyukihime to find the cancel command.

  However, the black beauty said something outrageous before he could ask.

  “However, don’t avoid it. Be daringly knocked out here, Haruyuki-kun.”

  “Kn...”

  While his pig nose trembled, Haruyuki shouted.

  “N, no way! It will hurt.”

  “Which?”

  “What...? Wh, which means...”

  “I want to ask, is it your body or mind that will be hurt?”

  The smile disappeared from Kuroyukihime’s avatar. Without waiting for Haruyuki’s reply, she appeared in front of him with her black high heels clicking.

  Kuroyukihime bent her slender body that was about 50cm taller than Haruyuki’s pig body, and peeked at his eyes from close range. He held his breath and stood still.

  “This is not the first time you have been beaten up by the student named Araya.”

  “Y... yes.”

  He definitely did not want her to know that he was bullied, but why did he nod.

  “Then, this student had not been punished thus far, there should be two reasons. The first of course is you accepting it meekly. And the other one is, Araya’s violence and blackmail area is strangely outside of the Social Camera's view.”

  Certainly, the places where he was directly bullied was normally the roof’s air exhaust shadow, behind the school and other places where students don’t normally go to. However, that was not for avoiding people eyes, but to avoid cameras.

  While Kuroyukihime showed a difficult expression, she stood up straight.

  “...Unfortunately, this school’s 2nd and 3rd years have the same kind of people like this guy. They have some kind of network, that share things like illegal applications that warn them of Social Camera zones. They will never show their tail in a camera zone... even this new guy should have been strictly ordered about that.”

  Kuroyukihime’s ice like stare looked at the blue Araya’s face once, then her strangely calm voice continued.

  “But, he’s still a child. He lost control of himself from my earlier provocation, and used violence in this area full of cameras. Listen, this is your chance, Haruyuki-kun. It’s easy to avoid this punch, but if you do that then Araya will leave us, and disappear from this place. The chance to give him the punishment he deserves, it will be long gone.”

  - And then, Araya will again make him hurt. That revenge, which will be more than the current half play, is something he can easily imagine. While his back shivered with a prickle, Haruyuki looked at his real self, and Araya’s fist nearing his face.

  The bony right hand was sharp with rock-like points, getting hit with that will be painful enough to make him cry. This half year, he has experienced this pain more than he wanted. However -.

  What will really bleed is not his physical body, but his heart. It’s his pride that was torn to shreds.

  “...Umm.”

  With hesitation, Haruyuki asked Kuroyukihime.

  “If I use «Brain Burst» well, can I win against this guy in fights?”

  Her beautiful face without any expression stared straight at Haruyuki.

  “- You would win. You now have power way beyond non-accelerated people, as a «Burst Linker». Without being hit a single time, you can hit as much as you like, if that is your wish.”

  My wish. There’s no way I won’t wish for that.

  Elegantly avoiding Araya’s karate punches, making his looks more ugly than a pig. Crushing his nose, knocking out all of his front teeth, while he cries, begging on his knees pulling out his boastful golden hair.

  Creek, while grinding his big teeth, he let out a sigh, Haruyuki tells Kuroyukihime in a trembling voice,

  “...No, I will not do that. I will quietly get hit... since this is a rare chance.”

  “...Fu.”

  Kuroyukihime, with a satisfied smile, slowly nodded.

  “Wise decision. Well, this will be the least damage and greatest effect. After «Acceleration» is cancelled, jump straight back to your right. Don’t forget to turn your face to the right to parry the fist.”

  “O... ok.”

  Haruyuki moved right behind his real self to check Araya’s punch path. For sure, if he jumped while turning his face, even karate’s force will mostly be cancelled.

  He moved his view to check where he will be jumping to. The left side has tables, the right side behind has a large empty space, there are no obstacles all the way to the window looking out the central courtyard. Except for one person that is.

  “Ah, no... this is no good. If I jump from here to there, I will crash into senpai’s body.”

  The stan
ding Haruyuki was only about one meter from the real Kuroyukihime who was sitting in a chair. If his huge body hit her, he won’t know what would happen to her slender body.

  However, the black dressed avatar just lightly shrugged.

  “It doesn’t matter, that way will be more effective. Don’t worry, I'll dodge so I won't be hurt.”

  “...O, ok...”

  That’s true, if known before hand that is possible. He forced a nod.

  “We will soon be out of time. Hurry and stand in your real self.”

  Pon, he was pushed from behind, Haruyuki took a step forward, his pig avatar overlapped his blue real self. Behind him Kuroyukihime also seemed to have sat down, her voice coming from a lower position.

  “Ok, I will teach you the acceleration cancel command. Do your best - «Burst Out» !”

  Burst Out!

  Haruyuki took a deep breath and shouted.

  Kiiiin, with a jet engine like sound, something approaching from far away broke the surrounding silence. The blue world slowly returned to its original color.

  In his left side view, the stopped Araya’s fist moved bit by bit. From as slow as a snail, it gradually sped up, heading to Haruyuki’s cheek.

  Haruyuki did as he was told, while jumping to his right side behind with both legs, desperately turned his head to the right. The fiercely approaching fist touched his skin, and sunk in a bit -.

  And then, the world returned to normal.

  Waa, after he heard the noise from the surrounding, Haruyuki’s left cheek felt the hit from the fist. He felt that the inside of his cheek hit his teeth, and his lips were torn. There was some bleeding, however compared to the many karate punches he ate before, this was definitely about half the pain.

  However, at the same time Haruyuki’s huge body showily flew in the air like in the movies.

  Please dodge well! While praying, his back crashed into the chair behind him. A nice smell and a feeling of soft hair reached him.

  The chair fell with a Gataan sound, and right after, Gatsun!! An ominous sound.

  Haruyuki’s breath was knocked out of him when he fell on his back to the floor, while gasping for air, he desperately turned his head, trying to confirm the state of Kuroyukihime who was supposed to avoid the clash.

  What his two wide eyes captured was, head reclining on the window, hands and legs spread out like a broken doll, a delicate shape with eyes closed.

  Under the messed up front hair, on the almost see through white cheek, a line of blood flowed.

  “Ah... ah.”

  While swallowing a scream, Haruyuki tried to stand up. But, before that -.

  “Don’t move!!”

  From the still Direct Connect Linker, Kuroyukihime’s thought voice hit Haruyuki’s consciousness. Reacting to that, his body froze while in the fallen state and replied.

  “Bu, but... Blood!!”

  “No worries, it’s just a small cut. I told you, we are aiming for the greatest effect. After this, Araya won’t appear in front of you. For a second time.”

  After being told, Haruyuki moved only his view from left to right side.

  Araya whose right fist was still held out straight, vacantly looked down at Haruyuki and Kuroyukihime. His face slowly lost blood, his thin lips trembled two or three times with a twitch.

  In the silence that covered the lounge -.

  “...Kyaaaaaa!!”

  The surround table’s female students’ tremendous scream echoed.

  Araya and his underlings A and B didn’t resist when the male student council members captured them. The three people with slightly green faces and shaking legs were taken away by flustered teachers who arrived. Kuroyukihime was carried by the female student council members and headed straight to the hospital.

  Haruyuki himself was lightly treated in the school infirmary, while the school doctor put a disinfection patch on him, the words that Kuroyukihime said to him right before pulling out the Direct Connect cable, still echo deep inside his ears.

  “- Oops, almost forgot to tell you. Until you come to school tomorrow, absolutely do not remove your Neuro Linker. However, do not spend a single second in Global Connect. Listen, absolutely. Promise me.”

  He could not figure out what her true intention was for that directive. While he spent the afternoon two hours in the infirmary, a strange dissociated feeling covered his whole body. The many things that happened to him in the two days between yesterday and today, he has no idea how to sort and absorb them.

  However at the very least, he no longer has to worry about having his shoes missing from the shoe rack, or finding strange things in his shoes. He mechanically changed his indoor shoes to sneakers, while leaving the school building, he did as he was told and cut the net connection from the Neuro Linker.

  What is the meaning for that, while thinking about that again he walk toward the front entrance of the school, at that moment.

  “Haru.”

  The small voice reached his ears and Haruyuki abruptly stopped his legs.

  Looking around, he noticed a small shape in the shadow of the school building that was dyed by the evening sun. While noticing his face tense up, he called that person’s name.

  “...Chiyu.”

  He did not forget, the incident from yesterday that he forcibly pushed out of his consciousness, instantly replayed. ‘Uwa, what should I do, no, I should apologize first, that’s the only thing I can do’, while he was panicking, Kurashima Chiyuri who was showing a difficult face stepped on the synthetic soft pavement of the school yard and approached.

  “Ah... that is... yesterday’s, err.”

  “Haru, I heard about what happened at lunch time.”

  Chiyuri said so, interrupting Haruyuki’s disoriented words.

  “What? Lunch... Ah, Ahh.”

  “You were hit by them, and flew really far... then, that injury? Are you ok?”

  Chiyuri’s face with wrinkled large eyebrows approached him, Haruyuki’s left hand went to cover the patch near his mouth. ‘No way, the flashy flight was done by myself’, but he can’t say that.

  “Ye... Yeah, I am fine. It’s just a little cut. I am not hurt anywhere else.”

  “...I see, that’s good.”

  With her face still tense, but now with a slight smile, Chiyuri took a quick look at their surroundings. After the incident at lunch time, Haruyuki became the subject of talks at school, the students returning home from school stared at him without refrain.

  “Then, let's go home together once in a while.”

  Chiyuri said with a hard sound, and started walking without waiting for him.

  ‘Once in a while she said, we haven’t done that once since entering middle school’, Haruyuki thought, but if he said no and ran away, it will be a repeat of yesterday’s foolish actions. That’s right, no matter what happens he has to at least apologize for yesterday’s incident.

  Chiyuri was walking in large steps that did not fit her height, Haruyuki had to run a bit to catch up to her, he went beside her, keeping a strange distance. Like that, they left the school entrance and walked onto the quiet sidewalk where only cars with in-wheel motors could be heard.

  Normally, after he left school, he would automatically put the surrounding people, bikes, and cars in his virtual view as color symbols while walking with his eyes closed, but now that he is disconnected from Global Net, he can not use navigation. Why would Kuroyukihime direct him to do that, while he was again thinking about that, Chiyuri who was on his right side saying that name nearly made him jump.

  “Is it true that you Direct Connected with 2nd year’s Kuroyukihime-san?”

  “What!? Ho, how -”

  ‘How did you know’, he was going to say, but he realized that it would be like that. Compared to Araya’s punch, that one incident would leave a bigger impact on the students.

  “...Yeah, well...”

  Without looking at Haruyuki’s nod, Chiyuri’s small lips became pointed and walked even faster. That expression,
was her showing the highest rank of displeasure, he knew that from being around her for so long. Why would she be like that? This time too he answered himself after thinking a bit. The idiot who knocked her handmade lunch down onto the hall, without apologizing went and did something strange with another girl, even if it wasn’t Chiyuri they would certainly be mad.

  “Bu, but, there wasn’t any strange meaning. That is, I was just copying her application.”

  It’s October, his back was still filled with unpleasant sweat while he tried to explain. However Chiyuri’s expression did not become peaceful, it seems no matter what, he has to apologize about the sandwich incident first! After deciding that, he earnestly tried to arrange words in his brain.

  “In, instead of that, that is... yesterday’s...”

  Just as he finally said till there, a well carrying voice from the front made him swallow what he was going to say next.

  “Hey, Haru, Chii-chan! What a coincidence, going home now?”

  Chiyuri’s legs abruptly stopped, and Haruyuki raised his face. On top of the seventh circular line escalator, a boy of the same age smiled with a raised hand.

  His uniform was a blue-grey stand collar that’s different from Umesato. His right hand held an old style black leather student bag, from his shoulder hung a shinai[4] case that’s used in kendo[5]. Slightly long hair with a clean feeling was split in the middle, the face below it has a fresh form that fit him more than anyone else, a refreshingly handsome man.

  “Ah... Ta-kun.”

  After blinking a few times, Chiyuri smiled.

  She was so displeased till now. While thinking that, for the 3rd time in a short period of time, ‘Ah, that’s right’, Haruyuki whispered in his heart. - While walking with the annoying guy who dropped her sandwich, she met her boyfriend by accident.

  Haruyuki and Chiyuri’s childhood friend, Mayuzumi Takumu, with his shinai case swinging, approached with a short run, and faced Haruyuki with a cheerful smile.

  “Hey, Haru! Long time no see.”

  “Hey, Taku. Long time... has it been?”

  Haruyuki said while looking at Takumu’s face that’s 10cm higher than his.

  “That’s right, I haven’t seen the real you in two weeks. You don’t go to mansion events.”