‘-Unlimited Burst!’

After he shouted that while preoccupied, the many times louder sound of accelerating hit his consciousness.

His view instantly became dark.

However, the darkness was soon pierced by silver light. That was the effect light that changed Haruyuki’s real body into a steel mechanical body.

Normal acceleration - with the ?Burst Link? command, he would first become his pink pig avatar, that phase was now skipped and Haruyuki was changing into his pure silver duel avatar - ?Silver Crow?.

Right after that, the surrounding darkness was also blown away by rainbow light.

What appeared beyond the radiating aura was shining blue black steel.

The place that was supposed to be his apartment living room had become a cold metallic corridor like a demon king’s castle from a fantasy movie. The windows facing south were all gone, from the walls and pillars with many iron plates stuck on, like the design of heat releasing fins, many light blue flames were lit. Near his feet was a layer of thick fog, and the high ceiling sunk in a deep darkness that could not be seen.

The metallic part is very similar to the ?Purgatory? stage, but there was not a single sign of disorder from life. Haruyuki looked around the cold straight scene that’s everywhere.

When he looked back around him, he saw three duel avatars standing there.

Dark blue armor and strong limbs, and the right hand equipped with a huge pile driver, is ?Cyan Pile?.

Crimson delicate stature with only one handgun on her, is ?Scarlet Rain?.

And then with a pure black semi transparent armor, sharp sword like limbs shining, is ?Black Lotus?.

Standing in the same place, with the two ?Kings? was one thing, but even the same leveled Cyan Pile - Takumu made him feel inferior, he swallowed that and whispered.

“...This is the ?Unlimited Neutral Field?...”

“That’s right.”

After confirming with electronic effect like sounds, Kuroyukihime lightly turned around. Black Lotus that became all sharp endpoints, did not walk normally, she moved while slightly hovering above the floor.

With her right hand that is a large blade similar in size to her leg, she pointed past the corridor.

“That is probably the exit. It’s faster if you see for yourself.”

“That’s true. Let’s go.”

Scarlet Rain - Niko nodded too, while her twin pigtail antenna moved up and down.

After walking in the steel passage covered in thick fog for a bit, their destination was filled by white light from outside. Haruyuki involuntarily walked faster and passed the other three, then took a left turn and opened his eyes wide.

The place that was originally the apartment east street side wall, had became a fully open outside terrace. He was currently at a height that was similar to his 23rd floor home, so he could see everything outside the terrace.

Dreadful - is the only thing that could describe the scene.

The sky was covered with many thick grey clouds. Between them, frequent blue violet lightning passed through.

And then on the ground, similar to Haruyuki’s apartment, were buildings designed with sharp steel plates stuck on like objects. Right in front, the hazy fog covered Shinjuku, was no longer crowded with tall buildings, but was now like a fortress filled with an evil army. No matter how he looked, there was not any movement. As if it was totally uninhabited.

Demonic city, while those words appear in his mind, Haruyuki asked Kuroyukihime who stepped out beside him.

“It’s the first time I've seen this kind of field. Here, the attribute is...”

“It’s ?Chaos?.”

After that short answer, she turned her eyes shining with violet light towards Haruyuki and added.

“You will eventually understand what that means. Instead of that, Haruyuki-kun. Looking at the scenery is fine, but there is something else that you should realize quickly.”

“Wh... what?”

While Haruyuki hurriedly looked around, he finally saw what he was supposed to.

Up till now in duel fields, normally in the upper part of his view is shown his own and his enemy’s HP bars, right between them is the remaining time count starting from 1800 seconds. However right now, there is only his HP bar, and there is no countdown number.

So far, the game application ?Brain Burst? that Haruyuki experienced were, detailed fields that could only be thought of as reality, with perfect real five senses feedback that is ultimate technology, but the content was an old style one on one fighting game. At the moment he arrived at this ?Unlimited Neutral Field?, the graphics design only changed slightly, but he felt that the game suddenly changed clothes and became a cutting edge large scale network game, so he involuntarily shouted.

“Th, there isn’t any remaining time...!? What does this mean...?”

“Exactly what it seems.”

The one who answered, was Niko who came up on his left side.

“Here, there is not a dive time limit setup. That’s why it’s ?Unlimited?.”

“Wha.”

Again losing his words, Haruyuki desperately tried to think about the meaning of what he heard.

“...Th, that is. We, ?Accelerated? right?”

“Of course, that’s right.”

Kuroyukihime’s reply made his thought turning fully again.

Brain Burst accelerated its user’s thinking by 1000 times while in a full dive in a virtual field. That’s why, even if the normal acceleration limit of 30 minutes are all used up, in the real world it would only have been 1.8 seconds.

However, with no limit, that means.

If just 10 minutes of real time is spent in this ?Unlimited Neutral Field?, that would be a length of 10,000 minutes - that is about 166 hours, which is around 7 days.

Then, if he spent a whole real day here.

After he calculated with his fingers, Haruyuki murmured with a raspy voice.

“Th... three years...”

‘Oh my god’. That is about equal to forever in time. That means, if he uses the command ?Unlimited Burst?, no matter how much homework he left behind, or slack off on studying for a test...

“You should not do that, Haru.”

At that moment, as if he perfectly traced Haruyuki’s brazen thoughts, Takumu said behind him.

Turning around, he saw the avatar’s muscular shoulders shrug, and his friend continued with a sound containing laughter.

“I too, came here just once before. At that time I was as excited as you are, also since 10 Burst Points were used, I thought it would be a waste to go home soon, so I spent 3 days inside. When I returned to reality, I had forgotten all about what I was going to do before accelerating, it was awful.”

“That’s right, Haruyuki-kun. With just 3 days you can get away with forgetting what you were going to do, but if you spend 1 month, or half a year in here...”

Saying till there, Kuroyukihime’s tone of voice became serious.

“- when you return,?your personality would have changed. Of course, compared to yourself up to that point, at worse your soul’s age would differ too. If you don’t want your family or friends to look at you with puzzled faces, you should not come here too often.”

At the instant he heard that speech, one awaken voice rang in his mind.

‘- If you knew how much time that girl and I spent in the accelerated world...’

Yesterday, Niko said that with laughter. The meaning of that, which is - .

However before he can think ahead, he was lightly hit on the back by that person.

“Instead of that, it’s time to move. At the time we accelerated, it would be still two real minutes before the train Cherry is on arrives at Ikebukuro, so we still have time though.”

“Y, yea. Moving... that is to Ikebukuro right.”

Two minutes of real time is over 33 hours in the accelerated world. While he thought that might be way more time than needed, Haruyuki moved his view towards the northeast direction.

Beyond the blue black steel city that extended far away, he could make out a lightly floating huge structure. If that is Ikebukuro’s Sunshine city, the distance there should be about 6km, similar to the real world.

“Let see... do we walk? Or run...?”

“No way. Why do you think we have you here?”

“Huh? That means...”

In front of the dumbfounded Haruyuki, the pitiful crimson avatar held her hands together in front of her chest and tilted her head.

“Carry me and fly, onii-chan?”

Haruyuki used his ?Punch? and ?Kick? to destroy the objects of deformed statues and iron bars set on the open terrace, and after his special gauge was maxed, he turned around while saying ‘Let see...’.

There, were shapes of two Kings looking at him sharply.

“He will carry me, since I have these arms. You can dangle below Silver Crow’s legs.”

“Stop joking! Why do I have to do that humiliating thing? It is your avatar’s design fault, you go ride the train by yourself!”

Between the two with sparking flashes that were not an expression but was really there, Takumu sighed and interrupted.

“Then, let’s do this. Master on Haru’s right arm, and Red King on his left arm, have him carry you like that. And then I will dangle on his legs. Will that work, Haru?”

“Ah... y, yea, probably. I can’t put out much speed though.”

Moving to the front of the still unsatisfied Niko and Kuroyukihime, Haruyuki first extended his right hand.

“Ex, excuse me.”

He tightly held Black Lotus’ slender waist which had a lotus flower like armor skirt below, next he used his left hand to hold Scarlet Rain’s even more delicate body.

Without a fragment of mental space for a ‘Yay, a flower in both hands’ kind of thought, Haruyuki slowly put strength into his shoulder blades, and opened up the metallic fins folded on his back.

The wings that spread apart with a clear sound, soon released a light flapping sound. The virtual lift that was created made them float above the ground.

He slowly rose, when he was about 1.5m above ground, he hovered.

“Taku, it’s okay now.”

“Yoroshiku, Haru.”

Soon, Cyan Pile’s strong arms held onto around his calf area.

“Then... we are going!”

With his announcement, Haruyuki shook the fins with all his strength.

Three extra people’s weight was a lot, but he still managed to accelerate and fly towards the sky. The steel terrace was left farther and farther behind, and the uninhabited, deformed city opened up wide below.

“Oh... oh, incredible...!!”

In his left arm, Niko shouted.

“You are really flying! That is Seven Ring[1]... that is central train line huh. Wonder if I can see my school!”

For Haruyuki, it was all familiar scenery. Even within the Normal Duel Field’s movement limit, he could still see not just Tokyo, but the whole district of Kanto.

However, no matter how many times he saw it, the feeling that welled up in his heart never seemed to thin. More than anything, this ?Unlimited Neutral Field?, according to Kuroyukihime’s explanation, is limited by the social camera network range - that meant it continued all the way to the edge of Japan.

That is a scale that could no longer be called a game map. It is another world.

“I see... this huh.”

Haruyuki unconsciously whispered.

“This is the true ?Accelerated World? right. Always existing beside the real world... not an instant, but a permanent world...”

“That’s right.”

That short murmur, was from Kuroyukihime he held in his right arm. From the sharp shape, shining eyes turned towards Haruyuki and her strict yet kind voice flowed.

“And this is Burst Linker’s true battle field. If you aim for level 9, eventually you will have to fight here, and win. ...Well, right now is not that time yet.”

Does that mean his level is too low, or Haruyuki himself does not have enough ability?

Realizing that a bit of impatience pricked at his chest, Haruyuki lightly nodded.

“Yes... In, instead of that...”

“Nn? What is it?”

“Since this is a permanent map, that means, at this moment other than us, there are other Burst Linkers who dived in here right?”

“Of course.”

It was Niko who answered him. Haruyuki changed the way he was facing, and asked another question.

“B, but, if that is the case... I don’t seem to sense anyone else...”

The deformed city below was filled with cold silence, and he could not see any movement. Haruyuki thought it would be like the usual duel field, with duel avatar shapes here and there, so what does this mean?

However soon, this time it was from Takumu dangling on his legs that made a sound.

“Haha, that’s of course, Haru. The total number of Burst Linkers is around 1000, so at any one time the number of them that dive in this Unlimited Neutral Field is at most 100 people. Even saying it like this, for places like Suginami that does not have anything, not seeing anyone is a matter of course.”

“Th, then... if we head towards the city center...?”

“That is exactly it. That’s why we, and also ?Cherry Rook? are aiming for Bukuro.”

At the same time she said that, Niko knocked on Haruyuki’s helmet head.

“Instead of that, if you keep floating and don’t move, your gauge will disappear.”

“Ah, y, yea.”

Haruyuki checked the small blue shining special attack gauge bar below his HP bar. Hovering does not use up a lot of the gauge, but it already lost about 10%.

“Then, we will be taking the direct route.”

With that announcement, Haruyuki again increased his wing’s vibration rate.

Right below the hanging black clouds, he moved forward like sliding. Soon they passed the empty Seven Ring and entered Nakano.

When his eyes captured the elevated central train line supported by awfully sharp pillars, he looked ahead casually. He saw something unexpected and murmured.

“Ah... Th, the train is moving...!?”

On the black shining rails, just made up of only two cars, there really was a train shaped long small shadow moving with heavy sounds towards the direction of Shinjuku.

“You can really ride it. It will cost points though.”

Hearing Kuroyukihime’s somewhat fun explanation, under the silver armor his eyes opened wide.

“Wha... wh, who is driving it!?”

“Fufu, you should check it out yourself someday.”

While they were chatting, the train line was left farther and farther behind, in exchange he could see Yamate street. After they pass that, they will arrive at Mejiro, and then Ikebukuro.

In the real world, Haruyuki usually went there to buy old styled game software and paper media books, but access to it from Suginami is unexpectedly bad. Either he took the train to Shinjuku and left from there, or rode the bus from Kouenji, both ways are right angle movements so it took time.

‘If I can fly like this it would be fun’, while he was thinking those carefree thoughts, at that time - .

“Hey, Haruyuki-kun. Look at that.”

Kuroyukihime who was riding on his right arm, pointed with the tip of her sword towards the east side.

Haruyuki who looked that way casually, his overwhelming shock almost made him drop the two Kings he was carrying, so he hurriedly held them tighter.

“Uwaaa... Wha... what...!?”

On Yamate street where deep fog flowed, there was a huge slow moving shadow. It could only be said to be strange looking. Its full body form was like a four legged beast, but its body was flat like a stingray, and where the head was supposed to be, many tentacles dangled to the ground. At the end of long strong legs, like on a bug, two brutal looking sharp claws extended.

And then its large size, no matter how you look at it, was about the height of a three storey building. Taking over three car lanes of road below, it slowly moved south.

When its feet touched the ground, a ‘Booom’ like low sound shook the air, while feeling that, Haruyuki whispered in amazement.

“What is... that?”

“It is an ?enemy?. Created by the system, it moves, and is this world’s resident.”

Continuing after Kuroyukihime, Niko blew a short whistle.

“Seeing one that big all of a sudden, you are lucky. But, don’t approach too close to it. If we become a target of that class, even these members won’t be able to handle it.”

“Target... you said, what, it will attack us!?”

“The meaning of the word ‘enemy’, you should have already learned it in middle school.”

He did not have time to retort to Niko’s bad mouthing, as Haruyuki hurriedly gained altitude. The strange looking huge beast did not seem to notice the people looking from above, and slowly continued to walk.

“Wh... why is that dangerous thing setup...”

“Why, you ask... that is...”

Kuroyukihime’s reply faltered. Niko and Takumu too seemed to show they lacked the answer, so Haruyuki tilted his head.

Then, Takumu who was dangling on his legs shouted with an undertone.

“Ah, there, it’s just starting. The ?Hunt?.”

“Hu... hunt...?”

Right after that, the huge beast passing right under them suddenly roared, and Haruyuki jumped a few meters.

“Uwaaa!?”

The beast stood up on its two hind legs, and while the tentacles on its head violently shook, it roared again. However its opponent was not them, as Haruyuki soon realized.

Farther south on Yamate street, there were many small shadows.

At first he thought they were other ?enemy?, but he soon realized that was not the case. The many colored armored humanoid silhouettes - must be Burst Linkers.

The large size person standing at the front raised its right hand and brought it down.

At that moment, from the roof of buildings to either side of the street, many beam lines and actual ammo ballistic curves were sent, which exploded around the huge beast’s head.

The huge body of the ?enemy? was momentarily staggered, then with a ‘Yuoooon’ roar, its head turned towards one of the buildings. While its front legs scratched the air, it started to move forward with earth tremors.

However, right before the huge body crashed into the building, the Burst Linkers taking formation on the road all released mid range attacks at the same time. The beast that stood while covered by many explosions roared in anger and changed its target, charging towards the people standing on the road.

“Ah, danger!”

Haruyuki shouted involuntarily. The huge beast’s front leg came down from far above, the one that looked like a leader was stepped on in one fell swoop and crushed - that was what it looked like, but the blue silver heavy armored duel avatar stopped the huge claw with his crossed arms.

Even so it did not seem like they want to stop the beast and fight it there, while he guarded the people the rampaging huge beast was attacking, he slowly backed off.

After pulling it a far enough distance away from the two buildings, from the rooftops all weapons were fired again, hitting the base of the huge beast’s tail. While the beast turned slowly to head for the building on the eastern side, this time the group on the ground chased it for close range attacks.

“That’s a pretty nice party. The hate control is good. Who is that leader?”

To Kuroyukihime’s impressed question, Niko answered.

“It should be a management member of the Green legion. But that party seems to be made up of random people.”

With that conversation, Haruyuki finally understood what the fight occurring below him was for.

“I, I see... those Burst Linkers are not attacked by that monster... They are going after it to kill it right.”

“That’s right. That is a ?hunt?.”

“That means, if they kill it, experience points... not that, Burst Points...?”

“Umu, exactly that.”

After Kuroyukihime nodded, Niko knocked on Haruyuki’s head.

“Even you should have understood by now. The reason enemy exist in this Unlimited Neutral Field, that also is the reason why this field exists. Not just from normal duels, Burst Linkers can hunt here to level up as well. But...”

“...That efficiency, is significantly worse compared to duels. That class of large size beast, even hunting with the risk of full annihilation, is similar to winning a duel with a same level once... that is about 10 points are gained.”

Kuroyukihime who continued the explanation, paused there, and lightly shook her flowing form mask.

“That is something that could not be helped. Hunting enemy in this world, is an act of creating Burst Points from nothing. That means, for the ?Duel fighting game? that is Brain Burst, originally hunting in the Unlimited Field is just a method of supplementing points. However right now, that became about the only way that high level can be reached. The reason is...”

“The mutual no invasion treaty... right.”

Haruyuki murmured.

“For high level Burst Linkers, even if they want to duel normally, they cannot strike in other legions’ territory. For that reason also, the weekend ?Territory battle?, due to the treaty cannot function...”

Haruyuki looked away from the fierce battle occurring far below him, and again started moving northeast, below him Takumu said in a thoughtful tone of voice.

“Master, but... to be exact, there is another way right. Getting points with high efficiency in this current situation, the method to get pass the high level barrier.”

“What? Taku, that is...?”

“What I mean is... in this world, you can hunt another target other than ?enemy?. In addition, a prey that has way more points...”

After thinking for an instant, Haruyuki took a sharp breath.

“I, I see... earlier... instead of the huge beast, those people...”

He glanced back, far south behind them, he could still faintly see the cloud of continuous fire fight.

The short silence was broken by Kuroyukihime’s quiet voice.

“That is exactly it. For normal duel, the high level Burst Linkers that usually do not leave their own legion territory, and even if you want to challenge them you cannot, but in this place you can attack them as you like. Moreover you can ambush, sneak attack, anything you like.”

“And then, the one who is doing exactly that, is ?Cherry Rook?... no, ?Chrome Disaster?.”

Niko murmured that in a low voice, her crimson round eyes were fogged as she looked straight ahead.

They had already passed Mejiro street that was one of seven radiating roads, and the center of Ikebukuro is straight ahead. The palace surrounded by strange steel spires that seem to swallow the deep black roads, from there was the JR[2]?Ikebukuro station. East of that extended a huge sky corridor, linked to the skyscraper fortress standing a little further away- Sunshine City.

At the base of the corridor stood some small buildings, and he seemed to be able to see different kind of lights blinking.

‘Are those just light effects? Or maybe it is actually similar to the real Ikebukuro, with a wide shopping center?’

While thinking he unconsciously forgot their current situation and tried to move there, but Niko’s right hand pulled his head back.

“Whoa, stop here. It will be a long time before Cherry comes here, but just in case let’s go to the ground. Flying around will be easily seen from below.”

“Well, that is true... however even if you say Ikebukuro, it’s a big area. Do you know where he will appear?”

To Kuroyukihime’s question, she snorted.

“If it’s the same pattern till now, it will be around Sunshine City. Circle around the south side, and just pick a building to descend onto.”

Haruyuki did as he was told and changed his body direction to head east.

He could see the fortress pointing to the sky on his left front side. To the right side, there is a gaping open hollow-like place. In the real world that should be the south Ikebukuro park, however there is not any type of trees, it was like a huge meteor crashed into it, making it have a crater like bleak feeling.

“...Then, we will descend near that empty ground.”

While saying so, Haruyuki checked his little remaining special gauge, determined that they will barely make it, and moved his wings.

Slowly, the four people weight started to move forward -

At that moment.

“Haru!!”

Near his feet, Takumu shouted.

Haruyuki who looked down in reaction, what his eyes captured, were bright orange firing lines extending up from between the buildings on the ground.

“...!!”

Without even time to scream, Haruyuki on reaction fully dashed towards the right front.

‘Jyaaa!’

With the sound of air being burned, he felt a huge heat wave going by near his back. He felt some frizzling pops on the tips of his wings that did not have any pain sensors.

However he ignored it, and again slid in the air, this time to the left side. Because he saw the second volley of fire from the ground. Moreover, its color is different from the first attack.

Right after the blue white ray was also dangerously dodged, Kuroyukihime lowly shouted.

“Could it be... Chrome Disaster?”

Against that, even though tense, Niko’s reply voice also has a dumbfounded echo.

“There is no way... it’s way too early, before he appear, there should still be a full day’s worth of time here! Also, that guy doesn’t have this kind of skill...”

Those two’s conversation was overwritten by Haruyuki’s scream.

“Descending!!”

Since, from the buildings on the ground, the third attack - this time he could see multiple lights. Those are not direct line lasers, but are actual ammo, moreover probably are tracking missiles’ firing lights.

Haruyuki stopped all of his wing’s lift, and descended almost like falling. However if he descend straight down, they will instantly be captured by the mysterious enemy. He spread his wing straight, and while sliding in the air like a glider, he aimed for the huge crater in front.

“Here they come! Missiles!”

With a tongue clicking sound, Niko bended over in Haruyuki’s arm and pulled out her handgun.

‘Dadadan’, that crisp continuous gun fire sound echoed, and many small sized explosion sounds also roared. However, just one handgun cannot shoot down all the missiles, the few missiles that passed through the flames and closed in -

“...Yaaa!”

Were mowed by Kuroyukihime’s left hand sword strike and cut apart.

After a bit more distance apart, more explosions occurred. Using that pressure wave, Haruyuki cut through the last few ten meters, and flew at full speed towards the center of the circular crater.

First, Takumu released his arms, and landed while gouging the ground. Right after that, from his left and right arms, the two Kings jumped off, and lightly landed on the ground.

After falling in an awkward mess in between the three, Haruyuki hurriedly jumped up. With a quick glance, he checked his HP bar, luckily only less than 3% was lost. Kuroyukihime and the others should not have been directly hit either.

In the center of the huge hole filled with numerous radiating cracks, Haruyuki’s group breathed a sigh of relief.

As if the continuous attacks a few seconds ago were lies, the world returned to silence. Far up above in the black clouds, flashes of lightning making thunder sounded, and the wind blowing sound lightly echoed.

Then - .

With a small foot step sound, on the crater’s west edge, one shadow appeared.

It was a Burst Linker. Without a doubt it was probably one of the people attacking them earlier. Since it was mostly a silhouette, Haruyuki could not determine its color.

“That... is the person who attacked us earlier...?”

Haruyuki whispered in a sound that could barely be heard.

However, just one second later.

Right next to that, a second shadow appeared without a sound. And then a 3rd, and a 4th too.

“Wh... what is going on...”

Takumu’s light murmur, was about at the same time as the sound of many foot steps’ echo.

Looking up, Haruyuki saw that the crater’s edge, left, right and every which way was filled with avatar’s shadows. Large sized, small sized, long ranged, and close ranged, their abilities differed, but they had one thing in common.

That is their feel. Their looks filled with overflowing battle intention, silently looking at their prey - a hunter’s feel.

The total number of Burst Linkers that appeared was around 30 people. And then finally, passing between the circle gathered at the crater’s outer edge, an avatar with the strongest presence appeared.

Long and slender. With a height probably taller than Cyan Pile, however its four limbs were delicate like Silver Crow’s. The humanoid shape almost looked like it was made up of bones, only widening at the shoulder and hip.

The head was covered with a hat that is shaped like horns on either side that was small and curved. Large balls at the tip-->>

next page