heels that were double of Sky Raker’s in height.

At the moment when that foot stepped into the range of the standing pillars, the thick fog seemed to be unable to withstand the killing instinct and was hugely blown apart.

When the shape of that avatar finally showed itself, to describe it in one word —— instead of ?King?, it could only be called ?Queen?.

What looked like hair, was a veil type armor that extended from the crown on the head downwards. The facemask was beautiful and sharp, and the shoulder and chest parts, even though feminine, were intimidating. From high on the waist, a long skirt type split armor extended downwards, and in the gap between them, the slender long legs were fully exposed almost to the joint part.

Without a doubt, compared to what Haruyuki had seen up till now, that should be the most ?bewitching? duel avatar. However, that beauty was not the type that you would want to touch. Including the tiara on top of the head, everywhere on the body, were sparkling thorn like sharp decorations.

The right hand held a about one meter and half long Bishop’s staff. That tip also conspicuously shone with a long needle rose vine. The color of all the armor was a mysterious type that swayed in illusions as light hit it.

“She came...”

While glaring at the queen avatar that approached with ‘crunch crunch’ sounds with her narrowed eye lens, Sky Raker whispered in a barely noticeable sound.

“That, in all the Kings gather here today, is probably the most hostile opponent to us. Controlling the area from Ginza to the bay coast, the legion ?Auroral Oval?’s leader, nicknamed ?Empress Voltage?, the Purple King, ?Purple Thorn?. And then the Bishop’s staff that she is holding in her right hand, is one of the ?Seven Arcs?, ?The Tempest?.”

“A... Arc?”

After Haruyuki repeated the unfamiliar word, Raker quickly added in explanation.

“In the accelerated world, it was speculated to have a total of seven strongest class enhanced armament. Currently known ones are, including that staff, Blue King’s great sword ?The Impulse?, Green King’s great shield ?The Strife?, and one more...”

There, Haruyuki wanted to ask why Raker stopped, but he did not get the chance.

The Purple King that was slowly approaching the center of the pillars, stopped at the place closest to the seven cut pillars, the rightmost one where Kuroyukihime sat, and stabbed the ground loudly with her Bishop’s staff.

With thin veils swaying, the mask turned slightly towards Kuroyukihime. The sharp shape eye lens, contained an amethyst color cold light.

When the pressure that the queen type avatar was sending out in all directions till now, was concentrated and focused on the three from Nega Nebulas only, Haruyuki almost fainted for real when he felt that.

If this was clear anger or hatred, then it could still be handled. For Haruyuki, in the 8 months that he had become a Burst Linker, he had experienced many fights with different kind of anger.

However, what the Purple King released, was not simple emotion. Making you feel that there was no room for negotiation, the meaning of absolute denial. For this opponent, no matter how the situation change from now on, Haruyuki had a hunch that they will forever continue to feud with each other. Until the end of the accelerated world.

After the Purple King, Purple Thorn looked down at Black Lotus for about two seconds, she released calm words.

“It’s been a long time, Lotus. I did not expect that the day to speak to you again like this would come.”

There was no sharpness in the speech, because it slid like ice. If it was once broken, it was without doubt that many sharp edges will be created, and that tension made Haruyuki even more speechless.

Although majestic, the somehow female sweetness mixed Purple King’s voice, he thought he heard it somewhere before. After a bit of thinking, he soon remembered it. Haruyuki was sure he heard her voice once before. Of course, it was not directly. It was in a scene that he saw as it was replayed in the unlimited field, where the Purple King’s voice was recorded. From the bottom of his memory, that voice was refreshed.

—— Rider, I can’t just ignore what I heard!

—— Wait, wait!

Although indignant, the still sweet little girl shouting sound.

In the video at that moment, the first generation Red King, Red Rider’s neck was wrapped around by the Black King, Black Lotus’ two arms. That was why, the Purple King, who was intimate with the Red King, raised her voice suited to her angry expression.

However, right after that ——.

Black Lotus’ two sword arms closed like a giant scissor, and cut Red Rider’s head apart from his body.

Level 9 Burst Linkers are chained by a Sudden Death rule where those who lost to same level 9 opponent, will lose all their Burst Points at that moment. That meant at that moment, the Red King was forever exiled from the accelerated world.

What the video replay recorded as the last scene was Purple Thorn’s silk tearing like scream.

From what Haruyuki heard, after that scene, was that Kuroyukihime became the opponent of the remaining all five people, and continued a death match. However without felling anyone but without falling, the 30 minute duel time ended. After that, Kuroyukihime cut herself from the global net for two years, and continued to hide in Umesato middle school’s local net. During last year’s autumn, Cyan Pile’s attack and the chance for Silver Crow’s birth visited him.

Just like that, the two Kings that shoulder the remaining weight of the past, fought with stare and aura for a few more seconds. In his heart, Haruyuki could not help but fear that Black Lotus might be lowering her head. Since Kuroyukihime was still regretting the sneak attack on Red Rider deep in the bottom of her heart even though the Red King no longer remembers that he was a Burst Linker.

—— However.

The black crystal avatar, without moving her sharp face mask a little, continued to meet the thorny queen’s stare.

Eventually, Kuroyukihime’s low slippery sound, flowed into the thick fog covered field.

“For me also. Thorn. The next time we meet, I am sure that one of our heads will fall.”

The words that were dropped without any color of upset, made the Purple King blink slightly. The next sound that she released, might be just him imagining that it was somewhat colder.

“...It might become like that, right? For example, if everyone gathered here agree on a mode change from ?Normal Duel? to ?Battle Royale?... then the possibility exists.”

After taking a big gulp, Haruyuki desperately resisted shouting ‘No way don’t joke like that I will absolutely not agree!’.

However Kuroyukihime leaked out a short ‘Fu’ laugh and calmly replied.

“If that is the case, then it will make it easy. If today, becomes the day that the Brain Burst game itself is cleared, then we will no longer need this troublesome conference.”

At that moment, Haruyuki again froze up with a snap. If those words, were heard as ‘Right now, right here I will hunt four more Kings’ kind of announcement... but there could not be anything else. He could not belief that Sky Raker beside him was brave enough to stand casually.

The Purple King tilted her head slightly at the Black King’s cutting retort.

Suddenly, the staff on her right hand lightly thrusted onto the stone pavement.

With a sharp ‘Clink’ sound echo, another situation appeared that made Haruyuki’s heart became colder. Somehow, from the direction that the Purple King came from, many heavy footsteps were beautifully synchronized, then 8 Burst Linker shapes appeared.

There were different colors and armor shapes. However, he could see with one look that they were all veterans. Probably, the Purple legion’s highest combat powers were gathered to dive together.

Purple Thorn smiled the first time till now, and said.

“You will regret thinking that I was joking. Of course, I am fully prepared. In case the time to fight you comes, this time I made sure that you cannot escape.”

It was not a demonstration. She was serious. Inside this person was sealed a strong emotion that he could not hope to understand.

Feeling pressure that stopped his breath, Haruyuki moved his right foot back slightly.

However Kuroyukihime’s expression did not seem to break down any. Somehow, in this situation she showed a ‘Fu, fu, fu...’ laughter and said.

“Fufu..., I see, I have overlooked this. However Thorn, if you really want to go after my head, with that number, shouldn’t you hide them just within the area’s edge? Try to learn from Radio over there.”

‘What?’, and Haruyuki looked at Yellow Radio sitting opposite of them. The yellow color clown lightly shrug his shoulders and said nothing, but thinking about it, even if there was 0.001% chance that the conference could become a battle, the Yellow King would not come alone.

The person that responded to what Kuroyukihime pointed out, was not the Purple King, but a female type avatar that stepped out from her 8 followers.

The armor color, was a deep reddish purple that reminded him of wine. The large flange hat and wide thigh spread made it seem like army uniform. However instead of a gun on the waist, it was equipped with a whip wrapped around it.

The female officer type avatar, stopped one step behind the Purple King, and released the coldest sound.

“Having so much false bravado is comical, King of the cave. You jumped around here and there after crawling out of the ground, but your tiny territory would be squeezed and broken apart if the six Kings were serious. It would be troublesome if you forgot that.”

It was the most insulting speech, but Haruyuki could do nothing other than ground his teeth.

Unfortunately, he could not help but realize what the officer avatar said was the truth. Right now, Nega Nebulas controlled all of Suginami ward, but 70% of of the weekend territory battle challenges came from middle to small legion, and from the six large legion, the east neighbor ?Leonids? usually one or two teams, and the south ?Great Wall? challenging once in awhile. Furthermore, challengers average levels could be said to be around 4 to 5, with level 7 and above high rankers not appearing even once.

Even so, with Nega Nebulas having only 5 members, it was not an easy job maintaining their territory. If the six large legion ever hit them with their combined force for a concentrated attack in one battle round, the huge number of defenses will make over half average wins not possible to obtain, then the black flag would disappear from the accelerated world map.

That meant, in a certain sense, six —— no, other than the ceasefire Niko, the rest of the five people are ?Checking out the situation?, and that was what made it possible for Haruyuki’s group to continue protecting their home area of Suginami.

Instead of giving a retort to the female officer avatar, he could not even make an argument in his chest, so Haruyuki started lowering his helmet head.

However right before his view reached his foot, the elegant sound that echoed from right next to him, made Haruyuki jerk his head up.

“For something that you could not do, I am surprised you can say it so proudly, ?Aster Vine?.”

It was Sky Raker. As Kuroyukihime’s lieutenant, she held her chest high and stood firmly without backing of a step from the officer avatar’s threat.

The whip user called Aster Vine, narrowed her eyes under the flange, and responded with even lower temperature sound.

“Could not do... you said? While you were running and hiding, did your head rust so much that you cannot even rate strength?”

“You also, did your eyes fog up so much after we haven’t met for a while that you cannot see reality?”

In the exchange that crackle the atmosphere with electricity, Haruyuki could only continue to stand still and listen.

What did Sky Raker mean by ?Reality?, he could not understand no matter how much he thought about it. Nega Nebulas and the five legion except Red, their numbers and total levels comparison was way too far apart. What did Raker want to say...?

The answer to that question, after a slight pause, was introduced by Raker’s own words.

“—— If you think that Nega Nebulas’ territory continue to exist due to the Kings’ kindness, then either you are stupid or was not trusted with it. Something that can be destroyed should already have been destroyed. If that was not the case... then those who call themselves ?King?, would show that their control is not absolute.”

“...Say what?”

Compared to Aster Vine who grounded out that sound, the Purple King maintained an unnatural silence. The light that appeared on her eyes, was not an emotion that could be read. In the frozen Demonic City stage, Raker’s calm sounds continued to echo.

“Listening? The six large legion's total members are just about over 600. On the other hand, Burst Linkers living in the capital of Tokyo is over 1000 right now. In the territory map, including this Chiyoda area, close to 40% are in grey neutral condition.”

“...So what. Other than the pure color six legion, the rest are all bubble groups that can be blown apart. Including your tiny home.”

“That’s right, all those legion are made up of small numbers. ...But, including Burst Linkers with no legion, there is one common point with that 400 people. That is, ?They did not join the six large legions?.”

The words were momentarily cut, then Sky Raker, releasing pressure as if she was a level 9 herself, continued to speak.

“Listening? Most of those people are choosing to be small by themselves in order to revolt against the Kings that froze the accelerated world with their ?Non-aggression pact?. Right now, they are paying attention to the direction of the revived Black Lotus, and the Black legion. In order to determine if that ?Intent for Rebellion? is real or fake. At this time, what do you think would happen if the six Kings’ legion combine to destroy us? To be sure, our flag will momentarily disappear from the territory map. But, the Black King herself would not have disappeared from the accelerated world, and the legion itself remains. And then the small legion’s direction, might move a step forward from ?Observation?. If they were joined into a single flow, would you still insult them as bubbles...?”

Around here, Haruyuki felt that he dimly understood what Raker wanted to say.

The previous week’s ?Hermes Code Traverse Race?. The over 500 people gathered above that orbit as gallery, even when the exiled traitor Black King appeared, did not shower her with jeers. Instead of that, didn’t they sent loud cheers? There, without a doubt was expectation for the Black King to become ?The person who break apart the frozen condition?.

If that energy was gathered in one power group, that, would be something even the six Kings would not be able to ignore... no, would that not be something that could be acknowledged as a threat?

Towards the silent Aster Vine, Sky Raker opened her right hand slightly and showed it.

“Do you understand now? That the current accelerated world, is in a far more tense situation than you think it is. That under the surface stagnation, there are many large currents starting to flow.”

In the ultra silent field, the remains of the clear sound spread everywhere, and disappeared.

What broke the silence, was the ‘Crunch’ sound of Purple King’s high heel as she took a step.

She turned her face back forward, and as if she did not even notice what Raker pointed out, she walked silently away in front of Haruyuki's group’s eyes.

Aster Vine also, after leaving a fierce glare behind, followed after her. A little apart, the remaining seven followers also chased after those two.

The Purple King, from the half circle of pillars, claimed the empty seat between the Blue King and the Yellow King. Behind her, the eight Burst Linkers lined up in a V shape. The weight of imposing appearance created was clearly larger than any other legion gathered here.

‘—— ?Auroral Oval?’s territory being far away from Suginami in Ginza and Ariake, I am glad for that.’ As Haruyuki earnestly felt that, he hurriedly straighten his back. If that cowardice was noticed by the two people right near him, then he would not know what kind of punishment will befall on him. As a deception, he quietly whispered.

“With this... Six people right. One more person, let’s see.”

Currently gathered were Black, Blue, Red, Green, Yellow, and Purple factions. That meant, the remaining one was ——.

However, before Haruyuki voiced the continuation of his thought, Kuroyukihime lowly whispered.

“No, that person will not come.”

“What...?”

“The remaining person, will not appear in this place. Without a doubt that person will send a representative.”

‘Why do you know that?’ was what Haruyuki wanted to ask.

Right before that, an unnatural look appeared in part of his view. He closed his mouth, and looked around.

However nothing seem to have changed. The Demonic City’s East Garden castle keep ruins, were quiet with the usual white fog. The group of round pillars, about half that was seven of them were cut apart, and on those seats were sat seven representatives of accelerated world’s large legion ——

“What.”

At the moment when he noticed?that, Haruyuki upper body shook with a jerk.

There were seven chairs made. Currently appeared Kings were six. Then there should be one empty chair. However, right now all the chairs in Haruyuki’s view were filled. Did he miss an appearance? No, it’s not possible. For the always tense Haruyuki maybe, but he did not think that even Raker and Kuroyukihime would also not notice.

Since, the chair that should be empty, was right in front of the three people from Black legion. If it was right to the side then maybe, but if someone approached the front pillar and sat down, then that movement should have been seen. However the reality was, on top of the less than 10 meter apart chair, somehow existed a Burst Linker.

It was willowy slender. Harmonically simple design armor covered the body, with no sign of weapon. The only thing distinctive was, the slender and long sharp head. The front was only engraved with curved parting lines, with no sign of eye or mouth. On top of the pillar, it sat straight with hands and legs together, as if it was a decorative object instead of a duel avatar. The whole body’s color made you think of porcelain, a glossy pale ivory color.

It was an extremely inconspicuous avatar. The thick pressure released by the other Kings for just been here, there was not a single fragment of it from him. No, isn’t that an actual decoration? No way, did he miss a statue that was there at the beginning...?

While Haruyuki was getting trapped in that mystery, at that moment.

The ivory color avatar, with both hands left on knees, bent his waist for a bow. At the same time as the upper body straighten, a sound that was nothing special other than being male flowed.

“I am ?Ivory Tower? belonging to legion ?Oscillatory Universe?. I am joining this conference with the White King’s full authority as the representative. Yoroshiku.”

As if, this place was not accelerated world’s duel field, it was changed to a company’s conference room kind of extreme business like greeting.

After hearing that, the other Kings and their followers leaked out controlled but clear unpleasant feeling. Probably, they also did not notice Ivory Tower’s appearance. Especially the Yellow King that sat right next to him, was poking the floor with a pointed toe to show irritation.

However, the atmosphere worsen for only a few seconds.

The Blue King, Blue Knight that sat on the center chair stood up with his armor ringing, and spoke with strongly echoing sound.

“Alright, with this everyone is gathered. First, I would like to say thanks for all seven legion attending without anyone missing. Good job.”

“Compare to the conference two and half years ago, two people’s faces are different though.”

That extra interruption was of course from Yellow Radio. The Red King being second generation, and the White King sending a representative was probably sarcasm, but no one responded. The Blue King only showed a slight wry smile as he continued with the proceedings.

“Since time is short, we will move onto the main topic. —— Everyone should know already, but to make a long story short, right in the middle of previous week’s ?Hermes Code Traverse Race?, and right in front of a few hundred gallery’s eyes, the incident where the ?Incarnate System? was used happened. Today’s first agenda, is how we are going to deal with this situation. Even saying so, I think it could only be one of two ways. Make every effort to keep the System secret as it had been, or give that up and present it to all the Burst Linkers, one of the two.”

“There is no way we can present it, isn’t that right?”

‘Idiotic’, the person who wanted to say that and raised his voice was again Yellow Radio. He raised both slender arms wide, and shook his shoulders with exaggerated movements.

“The Incarnate System, could be called something like nuclear energy right? If it was not strictly controlled, then disasters like the accelerated world being destroyed could happen, didn’t we all share common understanding on that?”

As the clown’s pointed hat tilted, the Purple King seated to his left instantly argued.

“We are talking since that control was broken right, Radio. If it is compared to nuclear, then nuclear material is scattered around the world kind of situation. How do you recover from that at this point?”

“Just because of that, are we going to kindly send out the manual for making missiles too? Most of the Burst Linkers, should still not know what Incarnate System is right? Couldn’t we just blame it on trouble with the event stage?”

Right before the Purple King was again going to argue the Yellow King’s speech, a sound interrupted.

“Ah, may I speak?”

The polite hand raise, was from the ivory color avatar sitting at the left edge of the half circle, the White King’s representative, Ivory Tower. When all the eyes were gathered on him, he lowered his left arm and said.

“Before we discuss how to deal with it, shouldn’t we find out why that happened? Released during the event, the mind power ?Space Erosion? that involved galleries, who was that Burst Linker, and what was his goal?”

Silence again took over the conference.

The Burst Linker in question’s name and organization. That, Haruyuki already knew.

However, there was a huge hesitation in opening his mouth at this location. Since, to speak about that mysterious organization, they must touch on the Burst Linker who was the ?Vice President? of that group, however the color that crowned that person, was the same as his most respected sword master’s —— ?Pure Black?. If they knew that, then the other Kings would absolutely suspect their connection...

“?Rust Jigsaw? belonging to the ?Acceleration Research Society? kind of organization. That, is the name of the Burst Linker that used mind power attack during the event.”

“W...!?”

During the flow of the bright sound, Haruyuki held his breath.

It was Kuroyukihime. The Black King, Black Lotus, with no sign of fear for suspect towards her, continued with smooth words.

“The whole of the organization is unknown, but they call themself a ?Circle? instead of legion. The other known members are, ?Dusk Taker? who already retired from the accelerated world, and one more person...”

“Wait a minute, Lotus.”

Right before?that name?was said, a sound sharply interrupted.

It was the Red King, Scarlet Rain that took the seat to the right of Haruyuki’s group. With both arms crossed, the smallest build body in this place released an unbalanced amount of pressure sense.

‘Are you going to help us, Niko?’, and Haruyuki relaxed his shoulders thinking that. However.

The round eye lens that glanced their way, blew flaming aura his way, and Haruyuki stopped breathing.

“...Before that, if we don’t clear up another agenda, then I cannot stand to be here any longer. An unfit guy who spread the threat of mind power, slipped in here. The ?Power of Curse? that was supposed to be totally destroyed, and the ultimate mind power’s dark side avatar, the guy that is sheltering it.”