“..Arita, hit me!! Please, hit me!!”

As those words were said over and over again, a shaven head stuck out in front of Haruyuki.

The owner of that voice was Ishio of the basketball club. He was the student who had called Haruyuki to the roof several days ago and given him a single punch there.

“N-No, it’s fine already. Since you understand now.”

While also repeating the same phrase over and over again, Haruyuki desperately looked for a way to escape.

However, with the location in front of the Class-2C podium, the time at Monday morning homeroom, and forty students approaching on his right side, there was no path of retreat. Furthermore, his homeroom teacher Sugeno was standing opposite Ishio, and had his arms folded with a meek face. He was cornered like this.

Ishio brought his face even closer, and argued vehemently with him while moving his eyebrows in the shape of the character 八.

“No, until you hit me, I can’t agree!! Even though there was no proof, I arbitrarily decided that you were the culprit of the peeping video attempt..What’s more, I punched you..If it’s true, then it wouldn’t be strange even if I was punished for that! Yet, you didn’t say anything to the teachers. As things stand, I cannot forgive myself!!”

..Then please hit yourself with your own hands!

While screaming that out inside his mind, Haruyuki looked over at Chiyuri and then Takumu in search of help. However, the two of them were merely grinning. They were enjoying the situation from the bottom of their hearts.

—The reason the ?peeping camera attempt incident?, where a small digital camera was discovered in the locker room of the female shower room last week, had taken such a sudden reversal of events was all due to Kuroyukihime’s ability.

Her plan, which she had executed with a skill and idea that could only make one think of a Network Witch, was actually very simple and immediately effective. Kuroyukihime had completely changed the records of the peeping camera’s maker, model number and serial number into being the exact same as a camera that she had found on the school’s Lost Equipment List.

Haruyuki had naturally asked ‘Is it really all right to do something like that’, but Kuroyukihime had answered easily, saying, ‘The camera that was unrelated to you from the beginning will simply become even more unrelated’.

If even the serial number was made to match it, there was no room to suspect the fact that that camera was an item that had already been lost two years ago. And Haruyuki hadn’t been attending this school two years ago. Thus, the suspicions that had been laid against him disappeared instantly, and the instant Sugeno had reported that in homeroom, Ishio had stood up and dragged Haruyuki over to the podium—and so it became this scene.

“Come on, hit me, please!”

Gazing at Ishio as he shouted that again, Haruyuki murmured in his mind.

—Even if you say that, there are Social Cameras right in this classroom as well. As if I’m going to make new proof of violating the school regulations again. Rather, Sugeno-sensei, you should be the one to stop this! Why have you been looking at me with such a strange face!?

However, Ishio, who wouldn’t stop unless he received a punch, seemed determined not to budge.

Swallowing down a sigh, Haruyuki responded in a whisper.

“..T-Then, I’ll do it if it’s to the belly instead of the face.”

He inwardly added, ‘And if it’s a body blow from this angle, it won’t be captured by the cameras’.

Ishio gave a huge smile as if happy about something, and raised his body along with a ‘Alright, bring it!’.

While carefully calculating the cameras’ field of vision, Haruyuki clenched his right hand.

When he launched a punch with an awkward motion, his round fist collided with trained abs, and rebounded back with a ‘POYON’.

Showing a seemingly dissatisfied face for a moment, Ishio then immediately grinned, said ‘You really are a good guy’, and returned to his seat.

..It wasn’t that I held back, rather, I really did put all my strength into it.

Although he was dejected inside his heart, Haruyuki let out a sigh of relief, and also tried to return to his seat.

Then, he heard Sugeno’s solemn voice from behind him.

“..Arita. I am truly sorry. I don’t mind, so please hit sensei too!!”

——Please give me a break!!

Haruyuki let out that unvoiced scream.

Nonetheless.

He still couldn’t say that everything was settled with this. There was still a big and also far too mentally heavy mission awaiting Haruyuki.

That is, the negotiations with Noumi Seiji. If he couldn’t get him to dispose of the peeping video from in front of the shower room that he should have saved, Haruyuki wouldn’t be able to go to school with peace of mind.

As soon as lunch break came, Haruyuki went to the third floor where the first-year classrooms were.

He waited near the stairs, and after several minutes, he saw the moderately long hair that he remembered within a group heading towards the lounge.

Noumi Seiji was walking while chatting cheerfully with several of his classmates. As the distance between them shortened, Haruyuki’s hand sweated and his heartbeat sped up.

—Three days ago, I fought a battle with him where we threw all our hate at each other to the utmost limit.

—And then I mercilessly took away his Brain Burst. I completely annihilated his acceleration ability, the only thing he persisted in.

Even while Haruyuki thought that, Noumi rapidly approached. His girl-like long eyelashes blinked, and his eyes caught Haruyuki standing in a corner of the hallway—

And then, his eyes passed over him.

“....!?”

Haruyuki’s breath was taken away. To be ignored, even though he had expected a glare or insults.

No, it was also different from ignoring him either.

It was as if Noumi didn’t know him from the beginning. As if Haruyuki were only just another of the hundreds of students that attended the same school as him.

Haruyuki unconsciously took a step forward, and called out to Noumi as he was about to pass by in front of him.

“U-Umm!”

After stopping and looking at Haruyuki once again, Noumi merely titled his head with a puzzled-looking face.

“Umm..you’re Noumi..-kun, right?”

“Yes. Did you need me for something?”

What is this? What’s happened to you?

Swallowing down his confusion with difficulty, Haruyuki moved his stiffened mouth.

“Umm, I just want..to t-talk.”

Noumi once again put on a face that seemed suspicious, and then he turned to his friends and told them to go on ahead to the cafeteria without him.

He looked at Haruyuki again, and—

“What is it?”

“Eh..err..”

The short-statured first-year student before Haruyuki, who he didn’t think was putting on an act, merely looked in curiosity at this second-year student that had called out to him. There wasn’t any other emotion on his well-featured face at all.

Could this be a different person? Some kind of twin brother or something?

While thinking that, Haruyuki gave his name for the time being.

“Umm, I’m Arita. Arita Haruyuki, in second year..”

Then, Noumi’s eyebrows twitched. He frowned, and seemed to be trying to remember something.

“..Arita, senpai..Ah, yeah, that’s right. You played a net game with me..”

“..T-That’s..right, but..”

Strange. Something is unbelievably strange here.

Looking at the stock-still Haruyuki, Noumi Seiji, while making an expression of searching through his memories even harder—

Spoke.

“Err..That game..what was its name again..?”

The intense fear and dread that Haruyuki felt at this moment was without a doubt the greatest since he had become a Burst Linker. A shudder, colder than the time he stood face-to-face again the Armor of Catastrophe, Chrome Disaster, or the time that his wings had been stolen by Dusk Taker, crawled violently down his back.

—His memories have been suppressed!

There was no other way to think of it than that.

Noumi Seiji had had most of his memories related to Brain Burst erased through some kind of means.

He didn’t remember anymore. That he had been the ?plunderer? Dusk Taker. That a death match had unfolded between himself and Haruyuki’s group. And even the existence of Accel World.

Perhaps grasping whatever expression was on Haruyuki’s face, Noumi smiled as if troubled.

“Ah, did you possibly come here to invite me to play? But..I’m sorry, I’m not that interested in net games anymore..”

Haruyuki merely gazed this underclassmen, who was making an earnestly apologizing face.

Just before a puzzled expression appeared on Noumi’s face again, Haruyuki moved his mouth into the form of a smile with difficulty.

“Is..Is that so? Then..it’s fine. Umm..also. About the video of me..”

“Eh, video..? I’m sorry, what is that?”

“....No, sorry, it’s nothing.”

After shaking his head a little, Noumi smiled again and quickly bowed his head.

“Is that so? Then, I’ll be going now.”

And then, the boy who had once been called by the name of Dusk Taker turned around, went down the stairs at a fast pace, and disappeared from Haruyuki’s view.

Stumbling back several steps and leaning his sweat-covered back on the hallway’s wall, Haruyuki shut his eyes strongly.

Ex-Acceleration Ability Users cannot interfere with Accel World in any way.

Now, Haruyuki finally understood the meaning of those words from the mysterious avatar Black Vise.

Burst Linkers who lost Brain Burst lost all memories related to Accel World. Therefore, they couldn’t do anything. They wouldn’t try to do anything.

Noumi Seiji must have also known the truth from having driven his ?Parent?, his real life older brother, into going through the forced uninstallation. Yes, he recognized it at the moment his avatar was dispersing in the Moonlight Field. That his memories were being erased. That, in that moment of self-awareness, he was already becoming an ?ex-Burst Linker?.

“That..That’s just..”

As Haruyuki mumbled that while wearing a pale face in front of the first-year student classrooms, the other students looked at him strangely.

After school.

At the usual table in the student’s dining lounge, Haruyuki explained what he had learned to Takumu and Kuroyukihime. There were no students in their vicinity at all.

He could still feel his fear and dread even as he explained it. Because he feared that the Brain Burst program was possibly monitoring all his speech, and would also erase Haruyuki’s memories the instant it detected keywords such as ?uninstall?, ?memory?, and ?erase?.

Therefore, after making all of them remove their Neuro Linkers, Haruyuki had started talking rapidly.

Even after they finished hearing everything, the other two did not speak for a while.

After being silent for a full thirty seconds, Kuroyukihime picked up her cup of black tea, and after moistening her lips, she spoke in a whisper.

“..You two must have always wondered about it. About why Accel World’s existence had continued to be completely hidden over the span of seven years.”

“....Yeah.”

Haruyuki nodded.

“If it were me and I lost Brain Burst, I would become desperate and be liable to expose everything about it on the net or the mass media, in order to take down Accel World along with me..”

“Hey, hey, are you talking about me?”

Kuroyukihime gave a faint wry smile, put her cup down, and continued.

“But, well..there would always be those who think like that..and those who would put those thoughts into action. But various reasons for why that doesn’t happen have been conjectured. Because a child won’t be believed by the mass media no matter what they say without proof. Because a system that deletes all information about Brain Burst is encroached into all networks. And there is one more conjectured reason..I also heard about it on the rumor level.”

Her black pupils narrowed sharply. A voice that was even quieter flowed out from her.

“..That Brain Burst, when it vanishes, takes along with it the memories of it as well. But..I didn’t believe it unless I could see it with my own eyes, no, I didn’t want to believe it. However, to think that it really is..the truth.”

Once again, silence.

Takumu, who was wearing his kendo clothes as he was in the middle of a rest time in the kendo club’s activities, asked in a stifled voice.

“However, master. In the first place, is it even possible? That..one application could erase the user’s, no, people’s memories..”

“—Theoretically, it’s not impossible, or so I’ve heard.”

Kuroyukihime answered while gazing at their three devices placed on top of the table.

“The Neuro Linker[1], strictly speaking, does not access brain as a biological organ.”

“Eh..t-then, how does it connect to it..?”

She turned her gaze towards the frowning Haruyuki, and looked straight into his eyes with her jet-black pupils.

“I don’t understand it perfectly either, but. In our brain cells, there are something called Microtubules[2], and the quantum light that is the essence of human consciousness is confined in there. The Neuro Linker reads and rewrites the data itself that is preserved by the spin and vector of those quantum lights. At that level, sensory information and memory information are no different than a form of data.”

“....In other words, the Neuro Linker reads and rewrites our memories in the same way as it lets us see and touch the virtual world..is what you mean.”

When Haruyuki said that as if groaning, Kuroyukihime shook her head strongly.

“It’s all hypothetical. Besides, I cannot believe, even if it is theoretically possible, that such a function would be equipped into the Neuro Linker, which is a commercial device. —I can’t believe it, but..”

—Noumi Seiji has actually lost his memories.

No one voiced it out loud, but the three of them were certainly thinking that.

After another span of silence, Kuroyukihime spoke decisively.

“It’s pointless to discuss this any further. If we want to know the answer, we have no choice but to reach Level 10 and ask the developer of Brain Burst.”

“..That’s true. That was our goal from the beginning, after all..”

After nodding, Haruyuki then timidly asked Takumu.

“..So, how does Noumi seem..?”

“He’s a completely ordinary first-year club member now. Like an evil spirit has come out of him..is the best way I can describe it. Though he was also bright and cheerful on the surface until now, so no one besides us may be able to notice the difference..”

Taking a short pause, Takumu muttered in a hoarse voice.

“Haru, I can’t help but wonder. Between Noumi now and us, which is normal, and which is abnormal..?”

“It’s already decided. We’re the abnormal ones.”

The one that made that snap declaration was Kuroyukihime.

Her next actions of leaning her body on the back of her chair and nimbly crossing her legs that were wrapped in black stockings, made her completely regain her usual dignity.

The Black King looked at each of her subordinates in turn, and added with a fearless smile.

“However, it’s the path that we chose ourselves. Isn’t that right?”

After blinking, Takumu also gave a small smile.

“..That’s exactly right, master. Oops, then I’ll be going back now. Err..about conveying the contents of this talk to Chii-chan..”

“Yeah. For the time being, we’ll conceal it from her.”

Bowing his head, Takumu stood up from his seat, picked up his blue Neuro Linker on the table, and walked away at a trot as his black hakama swayed.

Once he couldn’t be seen anymore, Kuroyukihime looked intently at Haruyuki, and whispered in a small voice by starting with an ‘Also’.

“—Even if I were to lose Brain Burst and all my memories of Accel World disappeared..I wouldn’t forget about you. I definitely wouldn’t forget.”

While feeling the sensation of something digging firmly inside his chest, Haruyuki earnestly answered back.

“Yes. Me too.. Me too. I won’t forget about just you, senpai.”

“Yes, I believe you.”

Smiling, Kuroyukihime nodded greatly once, and spoke.

“Then, with this, would you say that this series of incidents is over for the present?”

In response to that question, Haruyuki hesitated for a while, and then shook his head slowly.

“No..There’s still just one more promise I have to take care of.”

“Hoh, what is it?”

Facing Kuroyukihime as she tilted her head.

Haruyuki spoke while bowing his head greatly.

“—I have a favour to ask. Please come with me to meet the person that lent me her wings..Sky Raker.”

5 PM.

Haruyuki and Kuroyukihime came out from the Umesato Middle School gate together.

They walked down Oume Highway in silence, and turned north on the way. They followed a narrow road and headed towards Kouenji Station.

After Kuroyukihime had sent a typed mail after much hesitation, the reply that they got ten minutes after consisted only of two lines of text that specified the time and location.

In order to head to the meeting place, the terrace of the south entrance of the Shinjuku Station, the two of them rode on the Chuo Line from the station.

Kuroyukihime remained in complete silence the entire time. Haruyuki had no way to guess what kind of thoughts were passing through her mind.

Since he had regained his flight ability, he had to return the Enhanced Armament ?Gale Thruster? to Sky Raker. That was the promise he had made to her.

However, Haruyuki had also carelessly forgotten to ask her for her contact information in the real world. Therefore, he asked Kuroyukihime, who probably knew an anonymous address to contact her.

Strictly speaking, there was also the method of once again asking Sky Raker’s ?Child?, Ash Roller. However, Haruyuki dared to choose to rely on Kuroyukihime. In addition, he said something even more unreasonable to her, suggesting that they return home together, and got her to follow him to the meeting place.

Haruyuki didn’t know whether what he was doing was right or not.

However, the momentary expression that Sky Raker had shown the morning she had transferred her Enhanced Armament to Haruyuki was strongly imprinted on his memories.

I was foolish, and therefore lost a friendship.

Accel World’s recluse had said that to Haruyuki.

Haruyuki, who knew nothing of what had occurred between her and Kuroyukihime, may not have had the right to say nor do anything.

‘But’, thought Haruyuki. Even if that friendship was truly lost, was there any reason not to regain it once again? After all, both of them still remembered each other. They had carved their many memories, and the times they fought together, deep into their minds.

Yes—those memories surely still connected the two of them together.

When the train gently slid into the platform and they blended in among the many passengers, Haruyuki and Kuroyukihime went up the elevator and came out from the southern entrance that opened widely at the front.

The Shinjuku Southern Terrace was a shopping mall in the form of a huge pyramid-type layered structure. Passing between the crowded shoppers, the two of them rode the central escalator.

Kuroyukihime still remained silent.

Though he thought ‘Maybe I should say something, yeah I should’, Haruyuki also said nothing.

The huge automatic stairs went between lively advertising panels, and carried the two of them past them. Eventually, they arrived at the top of the pyramid.

The open terrace on the top floor reached 100 meters above the ground. Of course, it couldn’t compare with the surrounding high-rise buildings, but it still commanded an unbroken view of the Shinjuku Station terminal, the countless train tracks, and the various trains that kept coming and going in each direction. The evening was still chilly, and there were very few silhouettes standing in this wind-blown place.

Haruyuki and Kuroyukihime walked all the way to the handrail of the northernmost tip, and waited for the appointed time while staring side by side at the evening landscape below them.

5:30 PM.

Small clicking footsteps that were approaching from behind reached Haruyuki’s ears.

He sucked in a big breath—and turned around. Kuroyukihime did too, a little delayed after him.

Against the background of red-purple clouds, that person stood there while smiling.

Her soft-looking long hair swayed in the breeze. The skirt of her uniform fluttered, and her white hand was pressed down over it.

She made her legs wrapped in over-knee tights move another step forward, and—

The recluse that lived on the Old Tokyo Tower, the member of the first Nega Nebulas, ?Sky Raker? first spoke to Haruyuki.

“Good evening, Karasu-san.”

And then, her gaze turned towards Kuroyukihime next to him. Changing the appearance of her smile slightly, she spoke once again.

“..Good evening, Lotus.”

As a lot of feelings got stuck in his chest, Haruyuki could only bow his head down deeply. However, Kuroyukihime gave a smile just like Sky Raker’s, and spoke.

“It’s been a long time, Raker.”

“..Yes, it truly has. In the real world, it’s been two years. In Accel World..I don’t know how long it’s been anymore.”

“Indeed.”

They let out a ‘Fufu’ laugh at the same time, but the two of them didn’t try to approach each other any further.

Haruyuki clenched his teeth tightly, took several steps forward, and then bowed once again.

“Umm..Raker-san. I’ll be returning them now..your wings.”

Sky Raker nodded gently with a kind smile.

“So you got them back. Your silver wings..no, your hope.”

“Yes. It’s all thanks to you.”

And then Haruyuki took out from his pocket a XSB cable he had prepared, inserted own of its two ports into his Neuro Linker, and held out the other end.

Sky Raker accepted it, and connected it to her own Neuro Linker without hesitation.

The re-transfer of the Enhanced Armament through a Direct Connect duel was done quickly without any conversation at all. After issuing the transfer request window, accepting it, issuing the draw request, and also accepting that, they Burst Out.

When they returned to the real world the next instant, the ?Gale Thruster? had already returned to its proper owner. After detaching the cable and returning it to Haruyuki, Sky Raker smiled once again.

“I definitely received it....Then, I’ll be going now.”

And then she looked at Kuroyukihime—and lightly bowed.

Taking one, two steps back along with a faint servo sound, Sky Raker moved her lips slightly.

“..Karasu-san. If it’s you, you’ll surely fly to the heights that I couldn’t reach. I’ll be cheering for you..do your best.”

She smiled and turned around after leaving a light wink. Then, she walked away with firm steps.

But, Haruyuki definitely saw it.

The small grains of light that fell from her blinking eyes and drew a silver trail through the air.

Hanging her bag behind her back, Sky Raker walked far away with unslackening footsteps.

Under the evening sky, the sight of her back gradually changed into a silhouette.

Suddenly, Kuroyukihime, who had remained completely silent until now, took several steps forward with staggering footsteps.

But, she stopped a little ahead of Haruyuki, and tightly clenched her hands as if enduring something.

—Senpai.

——Senpai!!

Haruyuki shouted within his mind.

Please, Kuroyukihime-senpai. That person is waiting for your words. Waiting for your hand. So, come on....

Come on!

Haruyuki strained all of his mind power and pushed Kuroyukihime’s back right in front of him without moving his hand.

At that instant.

*TATA*?She ran several more steps forward.

And Kuroyukihime shouted in a dignified voice.

“Raker!!”

That receding back trembled, and stopped. Kuroyukihime sucked in a big breath as both her shoulder shook, and she shouted once again.

“..Come back, Fuuko! I need you!!”

The instant she heard those words, Sky Raker hanged her head down deeply.

Her left leg took another step forward—

It tried to, but stopped. As if the CPU that controlled her artificial leg resisted the command of its owner. As if it was following the true feelings being outputted from her soul.

Little by little, little by little, she pulled back her leg.

Sky Raker slowly, slowly turned around.

Her lips moved, and released a very faint voice.

“..Sacchan[3].”

And then, a silent question.

—Is it okay?

Kuroyukihime nodded greatly, and called her name once again.

“..Fuuko.”

Immediately after, the two girls started running towards each other.

They threw away their bags at the same time. Running at a speed that was slightly faster than Kuroyukihime’s, Sky Raker opened her arms to catch her.

Holding the girl with black hair just a little shorter than hers to her chest, the face of girl called Fuuko became distorted.

Large tears rolled down her cheeks.

“U..uaaan....”

As if she had been always bearing it since she appeared on this terrace—

No, since the time she had started to live in seclusion on the Old Tokyo Tower, Sky Raker buried her face in Kuroyukihime’s hair, and released her feelings.

“Aaan..Waaaaaan!”

The still Kuroyukihime’s own sobbing also mixed in with that crying voice, and reached Haruyuki’s ears.

Unable to keep watching that too beautiful and too precious scene any longer, Haruyuki turned his head upwards, so that tears of his own didn’t roll down.

In the middle of the sky which persistently continued changing from blue to dark red, an airplane that was pulling through thin white clouds and flying to an even high place shone and flashed silver.

(END)