“Will, instead of that, would you understand if I say «Image Power»?”
Sky Raker’s voice, made Haruyuki lift up his head suddenly.
“Image...?”
“That’s right. You can also say it as the power of imagination. From then on, how you wanted to accelerate, turn, and slow down, you should have strongly imagined them during flight. The Neuro Linker read that, and moved your avatar. Listen... Image Power! That is truly, the Burst Linker’s secret true power. This wheelchair, my firm incarnation of the image for these two wheels turning is how it is controlled. I made it move this much, but it required a long time for this... however, it is not impossible. Definitely.”
Again, the right wheel slightly turned with a squeak, then Sky Raker and her wheelchair faced Haruyuki.
Her words that were issued next, somehow contained an echo of majestic, mysterious, and divine revelation.
“Hidden inside the normal avatar control of «Action command type», the Burst Linkers who reach the existence of «Image power control type», called this power like this. Will from the mind —— that is, mind power[9].”
A pause.
“«Incarnate[10] System».”
“Mind... power?”
It was a word he had not heard of in the accelerated world or the real world.
However that echo, had some kind of convincing power feel to it, which Haruyuki repeated many times in his mouth.
What Sky Raker said, he could not understand immediately. Even though the principle of Neuro Linker is a different existence from old era VR machine, and Brain Burst is an unknown super application, still the process of «Changing the dive person’s image to data» or whatever, exactly what kind of mechanism would make that possible.
However, the elegant wheelchair made with silver did not have any propulsion system, but could still show him the dance on the grass. That alone was the truth.
‘—— Accept it.’
Haruyuki closed his eyes tight, and whispered that inside his chest.
It’s circular, but if will —— belief has real power in this world, and if he believe Sky Raker’s words, then he felt that without doubt it would become truth for him.
“That means..., that means.”
Something big and hot was stuck in his throat, and Haruyuki with difficulty changed the words ahead.
“If I can use that «Incarnate System», then I, can fly again even without wings... is, is that right?”
He stared at Sky Raker’s face as if trying to devour it, as Haruyuki waited for the answer with searing craving.
A few seconds later, the quietly released words, however, was something that was neither confirmation or denial.
“...Earlier, I showed you how I moved the wheels with mind power right? However, even without the difficulty of straining image power, you can do the same thing simply with the use of hands. Listen... using mind power for something that is possible to do with normal control type, and trying to use mind power for the incarnation of a phenomenon that is normally not possible, between them there is a very wide and deep gap... no, a large gorge exists. For example, that is like, in the real world, hitting one bullet with another bullet. It is physically possible, however it is hard to do. Extremely.”
Sky Raker looked away from the speechless Haruyuki, and casually looked up in the sky.
And then, there was a serene monologue containing something indescribable.
“I could not do it. Threw away my legs, my friends, and everything else I could thought of, and still could not cut off this world’s virtual gravity... Earlier, I said it right. Even if wanting to fly, it was a Burst Linker who could not fly, that was me...”
“Ye... yea...”
After he nodded while drawn in, the sky color avatar extended her supple right hand straight up, and returned the nod.
“Close, but I could not reach it... —— From the beginning, my avatar had an enhanced armament. The power to leave the ground and get close to sky. However, that was something you can not really call flight. With just a moment of thrust, only about 100 meters high jump, afterward just falling down kind of thing instead of flight.”
“...”
Without being able to say anything back, Haruyuki just held his breath.
Once long ago, he checked to see how high Silver Crow’s flight ability could rise to. The Normal Duel Field’s four side «Area» borders were surrounded by half transparent walls, but how would the sky be like, which he wondered.
The result was, even using up a full tank of special skill gauge, Haruyuki’s finger could not touch a wall. The height at that time, he remembered it was over three times the height of Shinjuku Metropolitan Government Building seen far away. The recently rebuilt government building, boast a majestic height of 500 meters. That meant, Haruyuki easily rose to a height of over 1500 meters, and furthermore that was just done out of a whim.
‘—— I, did not even think about the meaning of the power I was given.’
Feeling the same regret that he had while on top of Ash Roller’s bike, Haruyuki shrunk his body even smaller, and Sky Raker’s sound continued to reach his ear.
“...One day, I was taken by the desire to go higher, and fly farther. I used various level up bonuses to enhance my jump ability, and then was devoted to battles to get more points. The few friends I had, and even my «Parent», became dissatisfied with me and left. Just one person, the master of the legion I belonged to at that time understood, and cooperated with me. I also wanted became her strength, and we fought shoulder to shoulder for a long, long time... —— However, reaching level 8, using that bonus would not be enough to turn «Jump» into «Flight», when I realized that... my desire became a deep rooted delusion... no, became madness.”
“Mad... ness.”
Looking momentarily at Haruyuki who whispered that in a raspy sound, Sky Raker showed a very faint smile, and deeply nodded.
“I... in order to make my avatar itself lighter, and to increase flying strength from mind power, determined to throw away my highest attack power, which were my legs. I asked that person who was friend and master to cut them off with her sword. She tried to stop me. However, I already, no longer even understood how she felt... I threw cruel words at her, however she only made sad faces, and finally granted my wish.”
Sky Raker’s right hand gently caressed her knee, and calmly concluded.
“Spent all the bonuses, trained mind power, and even threw away legs so that I can no longer walk... after all those, the height limit reached was, 350 meters. 3.5 times of the starting value. However, I could not reach the sky. It barely reached the top of this old Tokyo Tower, then I finally realized it. The wounds of heart that was my avatar’s source, my hope and desire, did not have that kind of power. «Raker» means «Someone who overlooks». Momentarily overlooking the sky at the top of a parabola... that was the absolute limit of the power given to me. By the time I realized that, I had already lost everything important to me.”
With the shadow of a smile on her mouth, Sky Raker asked Haruyuki.
“How about it, Silver Crow. After listening to words of this fool, do you still want to use the «Incarnate System» for flight training? Probably, it would be 99% impossible, with that will you still try?”
“...”
Haruyuki hung his head, and bit his lip.
‘—— Could not possibly do it. If it was impossible for this person who reached powerful level 8 Burst Linker rank, then what could the crybaby, coward, and full throttle underdog me do.’
‘—— My wings, would not be forever lost even remaining like this. It will be returned after enduring two years. As for Takumu and Kuroyukihime, I would make up some kind of reason for excuse, lie about it, and continue to secretly pay points to Noumi as tribute for two years would be fine. At the time I was bullied by Araya, didn’t it go for half a year like that? As for Chiyuri, if I desperately begged her, then she should endure being used as a pet in duel fields. That should be fine
, shrink my hands and feet, living just looking down is fine.’
“...For me.”
It’s impossible.
Haruyuki wanted to answer like that. He wanted to answer, stand up, and turn towards the portal behind to return to the real world.
“...I, for me...”
However, something inside his chest stubbornly resisted, and would not let him say what was ahead. As if, the avatar called Silver Crow itself refused to speak that. Now that he lost the wings, the avatar was just a stickman with needle like limbs and a huge head on top, but it still had something important, as if it wanted to tell Haruyuki that.
He breathed in a lot of cold air into his trembling chest, and held them.
Then Haruyuki said with his head deeply lowered.
“For me, there is still something that I must do. ...I beg you. Please teach me... how to use the «Incarnate System».”
Sky Raker again faintly smiled, and slightly tilted her head.
“It will take a long, long time.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“More than you imagine right now, probably a lot longer. It might come to, the «Point of No Return» for a Burst Linker.”
The meaning of those words, Haruyuki somehow immediately understood.
Haruyuki knew of two Kings —— Black King, Black Lotus, and Red King, Scarlet Rain. Those girls’ speech and action, had parts far removed from their real world appearance. The reason was, they spent a long time in this Unlimited Neutral Field. So much that a gap was created between their actual age and mental age.
For him also, the time for that choice finally arrived. Haruyuki shuddered, but still took a deep breath, and nodded.
“I understand. ...I beg you, Sky Raker-san.”
“Fine then.”
With a ‘squeak’, the wheelchair turned, and the accelerated world’s hermit looked at the sky.
“...Right now, the real world time should be just after 9pm. How much longer over there can you keep on diving?”
“Let’s see... tomorrow is school day, but three or four more hours should be fine. If necessary, till morning...”
Before, Kuroyukihime warned him that staying in this world for too long would make the real world memory from before the dive fade away. However, he thought there would be no need to worry about that this time. No matter how much time past, he would not forget about Noumi Seiji who robbed his wings. Absolutely, he would not.
“Fine.”
Holding the fingers of both hands together, Sky Raker turned back towards Haruyuki.
“So then..., we will rest for today.”
“Ye, yes!?”
“Your mind is disturbed by today’s happenings. You can not train mind power or anything like that in this state. Since it is already night here, have a good night’s sleep, then we will start tomorrow morning. There is plenty of time.”
“Go, good sleep... you said.”
Haruyuki inquired while dumbfounded.
“Si, since, if you fall asleep during full dive, the Neuro Linker will detect the brain wave and automatically Link Out right?”
“You don’t have to worry about that during acceleration. Recently a work was animated by an active high school student that is a famous manga artist right?”
While puzzled by those abrupt words, he still made a small nod.
“Ye... yes. I am a big fan...”
“He is a high level Burst Linker. All of his sleep is taken here, and while going to school is putting out a weekly series, that kind of unreasonable thing is being done.”
‘What, that natural hitmaker is a Burst Linker? Now that you mention it, there was something like that before.’
While a slight sense of Deja Vu spun around his head, Haruyuki chased after the wheelchair that started moving lightly.
After being invited in, the inside of the white wall and green roof house, was unexpectedly wide.
Even saying so, there was only one room. In there, only a small kitchen, table, and bed was setup.
Sky Raker’s wheelchair moved to the cooking stove set at the kitchen side, and took the lid from the pot on top with some clanking sounds. At that moment, a soft nice smell expanded in the house.
While Haruyuki looking on in a daze, she quickly put something like stew in wooden bowls, then with both hands holding dishes, this time the wheelchair moved to the table. While putting similar wooden spoons beside them, she said to Haruyuki.
“Don’t just stand there, how about sitting down?”
“Ah..., ye, yes.”
After he unsteadily sat in the high back chair, he looked down at the steaming white stew, and Haruyuki muttered inside his mind.
‘No, but, how to say it, here...’
“Is inside a duel fighting game, right...”
After he carelessly said that, Sky Raker nodded with a composed face.
“That is right. Is there a problem?”
“Since, that, eating dinner in a fighting game...”
“Oh, the background of a certain fighting game in the early days, had the gallery eating ramen.”
“Th, that might be true but!”
At the same time as he was hit by the feeling of wanting to scratch his head, Haruyuki realized that he was fiercely hungry. Even though he had eaten pizza just a bit ago in the real world, where did this empty stomach feeling come from?
Even that kind of metaphysical question was instantly cleared up when Sky Raker said “Please, eat up”, and Haruyuki quickly held the wooden spoon.
And then he hesitated again.
“Ah, bu, but, my, mouth.”
Silver Crow’s face was covered with a mirror like silver helmet, without any eye, nose, or mouth. However, since Sky Raker urged him to eat with gesture, he hesitantly scooped up some stew, and brought it to his mouth. Then ——.
With a light humming sound, the bottom of his helmet slid just a little upwards. As he used his left hand to touch in amazement, he could definitely feel a mouth inside. Not understanding anything anymore, Haruyuki muttered “Let’s eat” and closed his mouth on the spoon.
—— It was delicious.
More natural than any company’s VR taste recreation engine, the fine tastes spread in his mouth, then Haruyuki scooped up potato, small onion, and chicken one after another and crammed them into his mouth. As he greedily ate, facing him, Sky Raker who elegantly moved her spoon said with a smile.
“I am happy that you like it, Karasu-san. Please fully taste it while eating. That memory, so that it will be remembered for some time.”
“...Yes?”
After emptying the dish without pausing for breath, Haruyuki finally thought about the meaning of those words just now. However, without the time to answer his question, Sky Raker started throwing the dishes into the kitchen shelves with flicks, so all he could do was bow his head and said ‘Thanks for the food’.
When he noticed it, outside the south facing window, it had became completely dark. Probably it was bright around the Odaiba area, and the swaying reflection from the black sea surface could be seen from afar.
Sky Raker’s fingers sounded with a snap, and either from house function or «Mind Power» movement, all the curtains closed shut. The wheelchair moved with squeaking sounds to the side of the small bed, then the avatar who lost legs, with just the right hand for support lightly moved her body on top of the sheets.
“So then, it’s a bit early, but we should sleep.”
What.
Sleep she said.
There was only one bed. There were two avatars. This means —— what would this mean?
Haruyuki thought in high speed for an instant, but that was cut apart by the pillow that was thrown to him. Holding that, he thought ‘Yea it should be like this what was I thinking I am an idiot idiot this fool’. While cursing himself, Haruyuki lay his silver avatar on top of the floor. Since his whole body was covered with hard metallic armor anyway, whether it was bed or board below would not make much of a difference
.
After putting her hat on the hook on the wall, and quickly taking off her one piece and throwing it, Sky Raker lay flat on top of the bed, then snapped her fingers once more. The ceiling lamp and wood stove fire extinguished, then the inside of the house was covered with light blue darkness.
“Good night, Karasu-san.”
‘—— As expected of her being that Ash Roller’s Parent, this person is not someone ordinary.’
While impressed, Haruyuki also answered.
“Go, good night...”
At the same time in his mind, he shouted ‘As if I could sleep in this situation!’ —— but.
Unexpectedly, at the moment he closed his eyes while shifting to a sleep position beside the table, the base of his head immediately started to be covered with a fluffy white fog. As Sky Raker said, the many happenings were a big drain on him mentally after all.
Of course, he would not forget the humiliation and despair Noumi visited upon him. However right now, while inside this house in this world, he felt that the black things were driven away. Maybe that was, because the inside of his stomach was filled with delicious stew worth cup of happiness feeling, or it might be due to his gluttonous eating of the pretty realistic food.
Resisting the sleepiness that want to close his eyelids with violence like heaviness for a bit, Haruyuki very light whispered.
“Ah, Sky Raker-san. A little, can I ask you something?”
“Go ahead.”
Since he heard that sound immediately, he took a glance towards the bed, and asked while facing the graceful curved silhouette.
“That is... Ash Roller-san, has he already learned the «Incarnate System»?”
“In earnest, not yet. But I just gave hints, and that kid devised various things.”
With that answer, he understood something. Ash Roller’s new skill of controlling the bike while standing on top seem pretty absurd, but that probably contained image control. He gave a small nod on the floor, and asked the next question.
“Since you are his «Parent», are you also in the Green King’s legion now...?”
Accel World: Dusk Robber Page 15
