the numerous game titles he had played thus far, did image power... that is the strength of ?mind? matter in any of them at all.

‘Squeak’, the wheelchair moved forward, and stopped right in front of Haruyuki who squat there while being struck by deep emotion.

To the right hand that was held out, Haruyuki hesitantly caught it. He was pulled up with unexpected amount of force, and stood up unsteadily.

Sky Raker removed her hand, smiled once more, then said something he did not expect.

“...With this, I have nothing more to teach you.”

“Whatt...”

Swallowing a breath, Haruyuki shook his head sideways many times in reaction.

“Bu, but, I am not yet... finally able to climb the wall only, right! That is far from flying... still, there are many things I need to be taught...”

“Didn’t I say it, Karasu-san. That I, could not reach the sky.”

After calmly saying so, the sky color avatar also gently shook her head.

“Just maybe, someday you can fly in the sky with just mind power. However, that will probably take a tremendously long time. Even with continued intensive training in this world, for... perhaps ten years.”

“Ten...”

Haruyuki was speechless, he ground his inner teeth with a creak —— and said.

“Does... doesn’t matter. If I can fly again with that, then... I will...”

“You must not.”

Suddenly, a harsh sound interrupted what he was going to say.

“Half year, one year, with that amount you can still return. However a person who lives in this world for ten years, can no longer return to reality.”

“Whatt...”

“The real world will no longer matter. Quit school, forget friends, and just shut himself in the room, thinking that just this world is good enough. In the Unlimited Neutral Field, there are no small number of such Burst Linkers roaming around. They no longer duel or train, just shut in here to escape from the real world... Silver Crow. Why did you play this game, Brain Burst anyway?”

The sudden question, made Haruyuki slightly hesitate, then he soon took a breath and answered.

“To... to become strong. Gain strength, to reach level 10 together with that person... to clear this game. To know what is ahead, I am...”

“Then, you should not continue to stay here. If you don’t return, eventually you will become afraid of this world ending. You will only wish for the continuation of the accelerated world. If you don’t want to lose what you are feeling now... please return, to reality.”

“Bu, but... I... I.”

Moving his head sharply, Haruyuki shouted.

“I want to fly! No... once again, I... have to, fly.”

To Haruyuki who slumped down to his knees on the the grass, he was supported by two extended arms.

He was then held tightly to Sky Raker’s chest like that, and while all his body froze due to the immense shock, a soft voice whispered near his right ear.

“It’s okay. I will give you my wings.”

“What...”

“My enhanced armament, ?Gale Thruster?. The current you should be able to use it... towards the height that I could not reach, you surely should be able to fly there.”

For Haruyuki who almost fainted from the plump feeling under the white dress that did not seem to be something from an avatar, he somehow managed to arrange his thoughts and asked in a shaking sound.

“...Wh, why... Why, do you, have to do so much? It, it’s a bit late, but... you are Ash Roller’s ?Parent?, he and I are...”

“Friends. Isn’t that right?”

The instantly released words, again made him breathless.

“That kid, when he was dueling with you, how he won, or lost, always happily talked to me about it. Having that kind of opponent is a joyful thing. Even when under different masters. That’s why, for that kid, I want you to fly once more.”

“...”

After a long, long silence, Haruyuki managed with difficulty to wring out one thing to say.

“...Thank you, very much.”

At the same time, even though way too late, how much his attitude in the previous duel with Ash Roller disappointed him —— no hurt him, he now found out. There was no way he could put the different feelings swirling around inside his chest to words, so he just repeated the short word again and again.

“Definitely..., definitely, definitely.”

“Yes. Definitely, you should be able to overcome that wall. Well... it’s time to leave this garden, Karasu-san. The next time, we will meet in the real world.”

“Wha... whatt!?”

Lifting his head after hearing some unthinkable words, he saw a smile from the madder red eyes at extreme close range.

“It’s a matter of course. In order to give an enhanced armament, either use ?Shop? to mediate, or direct connection in reality. If that was sold, it would have a tremendous price, a range that the Burst Points you have would never be able to afford.”

“...So, something that valuable...”

“It’s fine, that kid would also want to fly again... Place and time, let’s see... morning 7am in real time, in front of the Shinjuku station west entrance, the...”

Haruyuki knew about the burger shop that Sky Raker specified, and even though he was dumbfounded by the quick development, he nodded. With that time, there would be plenty of time to make it to school.

“Good. So then..., huh...?”

Releasing the arms that held him, Sky Raker who was going to pull Haruyuki’s body up, slightly tilted her head. Her fingertip poked a few times at the center the Silver Crow’s back that had lost the wings.

While resisting the ticklish feeling, Haruyuki also tilted his head.

“Ah, is there... something...?”

“No... —— Nothing. There, please go.”

This time she helped Haruyuki stand up, and Sky Raker on the wheelchair nodded with a smile.

No knowing how to express his gratitude, Haruyuki bowed as deeply as possible, and said with a trembling sound.

“...Thank you very much, Sky Raker-san. The... stew and bread, were delicious.”

And then, before she realized that he was crying under the helmet, he turned around behind, carved the sunset of Unlimited Neutral Field’s new shape into his deep memory, then jumped straight into the blue swaying portal in that center.

After waking up on his bed in the real world, Haruyuki continued to lay under the sheets for a while.

Eventually he glanced at the clock, the time was still only 9:10pm. Even so, he felt like he had left home for a terribly long time. The memory of the taste of the pizza that he should have eaten before the dive, also completely disappeared.

Just ten minutes —— over there only one week passed, he felt this much separation. If that became half year, or one year, what would happen? His mouth tighten strongly, and suddenly a sharp pain came from his right cheek.

He should not have forgotten the reason for that pain.

He said something nasty to Takumu, and that was the wound from being hit.

“...I should apologize...”

While touching his cheek with his fingertip, he muttered. He should properly apologize, so they could once more return to being one and only partners, and take back what was robbed no matter what. His pride, and —— also, his wings.

Haruyuki removed his Neuro Linker, set his wake up time on the clock at his bed’s top board, then closed his eyes.

At that moment, the fatigue from the tower climb in the other world all came rushing back, and he fell into the abyss of deep sleep like that.