“Wh... who?”
Haruyuki whispered in a sound that was not a voice.
To be able to get close behind the suspicious Yellow King, furthermore, to be able to penetrate that armor like paper without the use of a special skill. No, before that, to cut in between a direct contact fight between two Kings, who would think of doing that?
Then, as if hearing Haruyuki’s sound, from behind the Yellow King, a shadow melted slowly into view. Blending into the twilight almost perfectly, a deep grey silhouette. At the moment its surface was touched lightly by the remaining sunlight, it shone with wet reflection.
The mysterious intruder's body was fully covered with black silver mirror-like armor. The color combination could be said to be similar to Silver Crow, but the form is largely different. The shoulders, chest and elbows had volume, with a heavy feeling like a knight from the Middle Ages. The right hand that was covered by a huge gauntlet, held a double-edged sword of the same length as his height, its extreme tip narrowed as it pierced through the Yellow King from behind.
What drew attention more strongly than the sword, was the knight’s head.
It was covered with a hood type helmet that had long horns extending behind from either side. However, in the place that was originally a face - there was nothing. Shone on by the sunlight, the interior should be clearly seen, but like a manifestation of darkness, the inside of the hood was painted all black. No, if he stared at it longer, he certainly could see something unknown, deep black and wriggling as though it's alive, on the surface.
The knight of dark silver with a mask of darkness.
That name, right before Niko, who was under him leaked it out, Haruyuki too, realized what it was. That was probably... That must be—
“«Disaster Armor»... «Chrome Disaster».”
Right after hoarsely leaking that out, Niko continued.
“Why. Way too early. There should be at least a whole day left.”
The reason she was surprised, Haruyuki soon realized.
Chrome Disaster’s real self, «Cherry Rook» who is a level 6 Burst Linker belonging to the Red legion, and while the train he was riding on was about 2 minutes from Ikebukuro, Haruyuki’s group dived into this Unlimited Neutral Field. Here, the time flows at 1000 times of the real world, so that 2 minutes is about equal to 33 hours.
There could only be one answer. Cherry Rook who was taken over by that armor, accelerated while he was riding the train, and appeared in this world.
If it was a normal duel with 1.8 second max, that is understandable. However this place is an upper world, where one is unable to leave from anywhere aside from one of the Leap Points once dived in. In a place close to others, such as a train, not to mention, leaving the real body behind on a form of transportation, that is an action that surpassed bravery into recklessness.
“Cherry... To be unable to wait for even 2 minutes, is he already that far gone?”
Niko whispered in a muffled voice.
However, Haruyuki did not seem to sense that kind of madness from the fifth Chrome Disaster standing across the crater, on its far west edge.
The stature is not all that powerful. At most 170cm, and compared to the fourth that Kuroyukihime showed them in the playfield yesterday, this one is very small. The form had an orthodox human shape. While holding the sword that pierced through the Yellow King, he did not seem to be doing anything else, spacing out like expression as he stood there quietly.
Why did the Yellow King not escape? Why did he turn his head to the limit and look at Chrome Disaster silently?
That answer - .
Once second later, Haruyuki found out.
“Yuruoooooo...!”
Suddenly, there was a strange scream.
It was not a human’s sound. Not a beast’s. Not a machine’s. He had never heard it before, a heterogeneous roar.
The source was the deep darkness lurking about the knight’s face. From under the bent backward hood type helmet, with the yell, a tangible darkness was blown out, and it slowly formed into a solid shape.
On the hood’s top and bottom came a set of teeth, a sequence of sharp triangles. Fangs. Deep black fangs, from the hood’s edge, as if that was all one mouth, they stuck out.
‘Gupaa’.
With that wet sound, the «mouth» opened.
From the deep darkness inside, two small round eyes, shone with a vaporous red.
At the moment he saw that, the Yellow King, Yellow Radio finally moved. He turned behind with a snap, and held the sword that pierced him with both hands, trying to pull it out.
The reason he did not move till now was - he cowered. Bound by terror.
Kuroyukihime who was also nearby, continued to be silent in her stance. She did not seem afraid, but he sensed a slight hesitation in her. There was a chance to attack, but which should she aim for, to be certain in this situation, she could not decide.
To the Yellow King who was trying to pull the sword out, the Disaster Armor, Chrome Disaster brought his huge «mouth» near as if eating something on a fork. That jaw that was opened wide, closed in on the clown avatar’s round raised shoulders - the fangs dripping a clear mucus -
“...«Deceit Firecracker»!!”
Before his shoulder was bitten, Yellow Radio shouted in a loud voice.
With a poisonous yellow smoke going up, the skewered avatar blew up, and disappeared.
‘Self destruct!?’ Haruyuki’s eyes popped out, however right after that, about five meters away, a similar colored smoke went up, and he saw the clown jumping out from inside. That was probably a dazzle and escape special skill.
While his breastplate with a sharp hole was giving out small sparks, the Yellow King dashed back another few meters. After he indicated to his subordinates’ avatars to gather, he finally released a sound.
“You starving dog, forgetting your owner’s kindness, and want to disturb my program? ...Fine then, if you are that hungry - eat the «Black» one in front of you!! It’s not too tantalizing a color for appetite though!!”
He laughed with ‘Hahahahaha’, but that sound echoed with a tension that was not even disguised.
As the black jaw opened and closed with ‘Gachin Gachin’ sounds, Chrome Disaster looked from the Black King to the Yellow King, who were at an equal distance away. That action did not have the feel of a player trying to decide who to «Duel» with.
It’s the gesture of a beast figuring out which prey he is supposed to hunt.
The face that was not a face, casually turned towards the bottom of the crater. His look stopped for a moment at the damaged and silent Red King, however he did not show any feelings upon seeing his own legion master, then moved his face towards Haruyuki who was standing on the stabilizer on her back.
Suddenly.
‘- Feed.’
‘- Feed, become meat.’
What’s more terrifying than anything else, no matter how you listen to the tone of voice itself, which was from a similar aged boy before his voice changed.
In his back, a fear that he had never experienced in the accelerated world thus far, he now felt it.
Even with Brain Burst’s strange «Accelerate» technology, it is still just a duel fighting game. After arriving in this south Ikebukuro crater, he had been in a gruesome to the extreme battle, but that was still barely within the scope of a game.
To be truthful, if the Yellow King’s trap succeeded with Niko or Kuroyukihime being hunted, those two’s Brain Burst would be forcefully uninstalled, and they would never be able to visit the accelerated world again - however, that is a «Game Ending», but their real life will continue afterwards.
But even so.
If that voice now, belonging to the Burst Linker called Chrome Disaster.
Inside that black silver armor, the boy called Cherry Rook that should have enjoyed this game no longer exists.
‘Enhanced armament will erode its user’s mind’, Kuroyukihime had said. Haruyuki half believed that, but the humanity of the person wearing the armor will mostly be lost, that short sound now clearly showed him. And that condition was probably not just limited to during acceleration. Whoever is in that armor, he would never think that person would be peacefully living in the real world.
“Niko... He, no longer.”
The meaning Haruyuki’s shaky voice tried to convey, the Red King guessed with her sensitivity.
“Don’t say it. Still.. still, we might make it in time. If we destroy that armor now, maybe.”
That quiet voice, did not finish till the end.
As if to reject Niko’s wish, Chrome Disaster again released another roar.
“Ruuoo...oooooo!!”
What he slowly turned to face, was the Yellow King’s direction.
Carrying the large sword in his right hand on his shoulder, his left hand with five huge claw-like fingers was extended straight forward.
Right after that, a surprising phenomenon happened. Even though the Armor did not shout any skill name, right next to the Yellow King’s gathered group, a red type avatar was sucked to Chrome Disaster’s left hand at a fierce speed.
With a ‘Gachin’ metallic sound, the unfortunate duel avatar’s body was penetrated by the Armor’s fingers.
“Hii...”
While loudly screaming, that red type tried to point the rifle held in his right hand towards the Armor’s head area. It was then, that Haruyuki realized that red type was the long range type protecting that jamming avatar earlier.
The rifle’s barrel opening shone, and a blue white beam was fired at point blank range.
However, just before that, the right arm holding the gun was cut off at the base. The beam grazed Chrome Disaster’s helmet, and passed behind him. The sword slash that cut off that arm, Haruyuki could not even see most of it.
Right after that.
“Ruuuu!!”
With that yell, Chrome Disaser’s closed fangs all opened wide at once.
The red type’s left shoulder was bitten by that jaw of darkness with a ‘Crunch’ sound.
“Gya... aaaaa!!”
The scream that was sent out was so grisly that he wanted to cover his ears. In this Unlimited Neutral Field, the damage pain is increased twice that of lower fields. Probably right now, for that red type, he is feeling the same level of pain as being bitten by a beast on his real body.
That avatar’s armor was pierced through easily by the tens of huge fangs. From shoulder to chest area, a half circle shape was eaten, and the cut left arm fell slowly to the ground.
“Aaa... Aaaaa - !!”
With his stomach exposed, and both arms lost, pain made the avatar’s head violently flap around.
After swallowing completely, Chrome Disaster opened his «mouth» wide again, and swallowed that head whole.
With a wet ‘Crunch’ sound, some spray was released, was it spark effect, armor fragments - or maybe that avatar’s flesh and blood.
The scream was fully cut off. With its whole head lost, that avatar’s remains slid down strengthlessly, and a few seconds later, finally dissolved and split into a light pillar.
Haruyuki thought that his view was shaking. The reason for that were his own knees shaking, which took him a while to realize.
That was no longer a «Duel».
Not violence, nor slaughter.
It’s «predation». The captured avatar’s blood and meat, and also Burst Points being consumed, just that kind of instinctive activity.
At the same time the top and bottom black fangs stop moving, on the connections between the black silver armor, Haruyuki saw a deep red light run around. As if not just points, some kind of energy was stolen kind of phenomenon - that was probably what Kuroyukihime said yesterday, the HP gauge absorption ability, «Drain».
“Ruuuuu...”
Chrome Disaster lifted his head up and that low throat rumble came out.
“Rabid dog... no choice, it’s a shame the show will be canceled. Everyone, retreat to the Ikebukuro train station Leap Point!!”
That shout came from the Yellow King. At the time of his directive, he used some kind of special skill, and the around ten remaining Yellow legion members’ shapes became half transparent.
The avatars that became vaporous shadows, left the crater at a tremendous pace, and retreated northwest. Even though his plan clearly failed, the Yellow King’s sound that was moving farther away, his final sneer spread in the field.
“Kukuku... Red, and Black, to my circus’ fun fun carnival, I will someday invite you again! Get eaten up by that dog, if you still have fighting spirit remaining... if only! Kukuku... Kufufufufu...”
If they thought calmly, they could interfere with those people’s retreat and let Chrome Disaster attack them, then take the Yellow King’s head in the confusion, that kind of tactic might be possible. However Haruyuki, not only did he not make a sound, he did not even move a finger. He was paralyzed like a small animal being glared at by a predator, and it was all he could do to stand above Scarlet Rain’s armor plate.
‘- To fight with that? Make him unable to fight, and at super close range attack him with «Judgement Blow»? I am supposed to help with that?
Impossible.
I cannot do it. I am my limit not screaming and running away from this place.’
While Haruyuki’s knees and the roots of his teeth shook slightly, in his view, Chrome Disaster’s body sunk. It was the action of a carnivorous beast wanting to chase and kill the Yellow legion members that were running away like baby spiders being spread apart.
‘Just go away with the Yellow legion like that’, Haruyuki prayed. However.
Behind Chrome Disaster who was going to start a fierce dash - .
“...«Death By Piercing»!!”
The confident echo was Kuroyukihime’s voice.
The right sword arm that was held by the left hand, was thrust straight forward with a jet engine-like loud noise. The violet shine that covered the blade, brilliantly painted the world, as it extended close to 5 meters in a direct line.
The huge attack power that was released compressed the virtual air, and the view there was distorted like flickering flames. A ‘Gakiiin’ kind of high pitched destruction sound echoed - but what was cut apart, was just the right side, the bent back horn on Chrome Disaster’s helmet.
The black silver Armor, in the biggest opening right before starting a chase, and furthermore aimed at from behind, with a mist like movement slid left to avoid the attack.
The horn that danced high, came down while spinning, and stuck into the blue black ground.
“...Ooh, you manage to avoid that.”
While she brought back her extended right hand, Kuroyukihime said as if impressed.
Against that, Chrome Disaster who had turned around, between the huge fangs, a clearly angry moan resounded.
“Yurururuuuu...”
With a ‘Clink’ sound, the large sword in his right hand cut a half circle on the ground.
Picking that up to carry on the right shoulder, the demonic knight faced the deep black beautiful princess. Inside the slightly opened jaw that was under the hood, the deep red light eyes sharply shone as they moved around.
“Se... sen, pa...”
Haruyuki’s dried up parched throat leaked out a raspy sound.
‘- You want to fight? Even though it’s the Red King’s request - against that. Face to face.’
The truth was, Chrome Disaster is still level 7. Even if she loses, unlike against a «King» opponent, she won’t lose Brain Burst.
But, in exchange, she will be eaten.
In the field with the same or higher pain sensation as reality, while alive, the avatar being greedily eaten. That pain cannot be compared to being hit by the gun in Haruyuki’s own self made training room.
No, it’s not just a problem with the pain sensation. A few minutes ago, the long range type avatar that was captured by that, his scream echoed with deep despair. The despair of being captured by an overwhelming predator, and being consumed while helpless.
‘No way. I don’t want to be eaten by that. If it became like that, I will - ‘
Strength suddenly left his legs, and Haruyuki knelt down on top of Scarlet Rain’s armor plate. He tried to stand up in a hurry, but his body did not move. Even his fingers were hard and stiff, frozen while ignoring his commands.
‘- What is this? What is happening to me? Earlier, I said things in such a patronizing way to Kuroyukihime who was lying there, and now I’ve become so unsightly and unable to move.’
The more he panicked, the colder his whole body went. As if the nerves of the avatar’s limbs were cut.
For Haruyuki who was just breathing shallowly under his silver mask, in his ears - .
“«Burst Linker with no fighting spirit cannot move their duel avatar».”
From the crater’s edge while she faced off with the black silver Armor, Kuroyukihime’s dignified voice reached him.
“...Earlier, it is as that little girl said. I don’t want to admit it, but I regretted the betrayal two years ago. I felt it was an unforgivable crime. So with that, my fighting spirit - the fighting feeling that made me want victory, I feared it to the bottom of my heart.”
While being vigilant with both sword arms held up, Black Lotus’ blue purple color eyes glanced in Haruyuki’s direction.
“However Haruyuki-kun. You are the opposite. You fear losing. You think that losing will lower your worth. That, during the recent territory battles, was the reason for your bad condition.”
Those were words that were relentlessly forced deep into his heart.
While kneeling, Haruyuki opened his eyes wide, and strongly ground his teeth.
‘- It’s not just thinking, that’s the truth!’
He shouted that in his brain.
‘- If I lost I would obtain nothing. My, Silver Crow’s value for existing is to continue to win with the one and only «Flight ability». Leveling up and expanding the territory of «Nega Nabulas», to fulfill your expectations only.’
‘- Because, if I don’t win, if I don’t become stronger, you will surely - someday see me as...’
“I will return the same words from earlier, Haruyuki-kun!”
After a slash of her right sword hand, Kuroyukihime shouted fiercely.
“The bond linking you and me, is it just to such a degree... do you really think that way!!”
And then right after that, she started to slash at Chrome Disaster.
As if, with that action, she wanted to convey something to Haruyuki.
Kuroyukihime’s left sword hand that started the attack from high above, was met by Disaster’s huge sword, and a tremendous impact happened. The ball like energy that appeared shone onto the black and silver armor surface, then bounced away and dispersed in numerous dots of light.
Both were fiercely knocked back, slid to a stop while gouging the ground, then with almost the same timing attacked again. Disaster’s huge sword in both hands was swung horizontally. Kuroyukihime did a spin and blocked it with a right kick.
The fierce big attacks that drew deep red and blue purple arcs, caused an actual explosion this time, and a small crater appeared at that place. Both of them were blown flying in opposite directions, Kuroyukihime who got up after tumbling around - was faced directly with Chrome Disaster’s wide open left hand.
‘- It’s that skill!’
Not being able to move, nor able to speak aloud, Haruyuki held his breath.
The special skill that sucked in the enemy with a mysterious attraction and held its target. If she got hit by that, then she wouldn’t be able to swing her swords properly in close contact, and will only be eaten at will.
He thought he saw a silver flash between them.
At the same time, Kuroyukihime had a large lump in front of her that appeared at an unknown time, she placed her right sword foot flat side on it and kicked it up. That was a piece of rock broken from the ground in the earlier explosion.
Chrome Disaster’s palm sucked that rock in at a fierce speed. To the enemy avatar that was shaking off the hard rock that his fingers had deeply pierced, Kuroyukihime started charging at full speed.
‘Gyaan!’ With the release of the sound of metallic impact, the left sword foot was stuck into Chrome Disaster’s breast armor after a kick.
‘...Incredible.’
Haruyuki momentarily forgot the lethargy that bound him, and whispered inside his brain.
Against that terrifying opponent, how could she fight like that? It could be said that her level is higher, but the strength difference is filled in by the enhanced armament, their power is about the same. With a mistake, she will be eaten by those huge fangs, and will actually taste sharp pain and despair. Why that way - as if - .
As if she was enjoying it.
Is it because she has confidence? Since she truly believes that she is stronger than the enemy that she can move that freely?
No, that could not be true. The same level 9 Yellow Radio, even with ten subordinates remaining, fled without hesitation. He could not absolutely say that decision came from fear. Chrome Disaster is no longer a normal Burst Linker. His threat might be beyond the huge «Enemy» Haruyuki saw while on way to Ikebukuro.
As if to support Haruyuki’s awareness, the crazed knight showed him a fearsome phenomenon.
A red black light concentrated on the wound that was cut in the armor by Kuroyukihime, and it slowly flowed to start reviving.
“Yururuu...”
A laughter like low sound leaked from the Armor, then he suddenly started a fast and furious counter attack. The sword in his right hand swung down at an unseen speed, cutting from the air towards the ground in a straight line. Kuroyukihime managed to avoid that path with her miraculous reaction, but with a ‘Pikin’ faint sound, the left tip of the armor skirt on her waist was cut off.
Chrome Disaster’s attack did not stop there. The huge sword with a meter and half long blade, flashed again and again with a speed that made the blade seem weightless. Black Lotus who dodged with a dance like movement, or continued to block, slowly had her elegant armor carved with lines here and there.
In the rush that continued limitlessly, even though she was slowly pushed from the crater’s west edge to the north edge, Kuroyukihime’s fighting spirit did not seem to weaken at all.
With four sword limbs shining violet, she looked for small openings in Disaster’s actions and countered with sharp attacks. Even though the opponent’s armor soon repaired the carved wounds with red light, she simply and accurately stabbed, cut or thrust again and again.
There would be no way that she does not feel fear. With similar attack power, speed, and accuracy, against an opponent that can automatically repair itself, she will eventually be pushed back for sure. If she got hit by the heavy attack even once and her ability to dodge became dull, she will be captured by the opponent at that moment, and a part of her body will be chewed up. Her pride of being a «King» will be robbed, and she will just become food crawling on the ground.
And yet - why...
“Why... are you not escaping!”
From Haruyuki’s throat, a hoarse call leaked out.
Running away won’t lower the Black King’s value. The Yellow King already ran away, and actually, when the previous generation Chrome Disaster was taken down, you said it took an alliance of «Pure Color Seven Kings» to finally stop him right. This is a situation where retreat is a matter of course. Also, above all else -
‘I don’t want to see it. That person being broken and eaten while screaming, absolutely don’t want to see it.’
“Please run away, senpai!”
Haruyuki called out again.
However, right after that.
The iron sword, was swung down from high above with a timing and speed that did not allow it to be avoided.
Kuroyukihime crossed her two sword hands and blocked it, but she was not able to be pushed back like it had been till now, and knelt down on one knee there. A thunder like clashing sound echoed, and the ground around Kuroyukihime cracked in a radiating way.
“Yururuooooooo!!”
Maybe he was sure of his victory, Chrome Disaster roared loudly. The sword that was held in both of his hands, was pressed down with all his weight. With ‘Gii Gii’ hard grinding sounds, small sparks flew out from the contact point of the three blades.
It’s the same situation as when she went against the Yellow legion’s fighter type avatar, however this time the one who was pushed back was clearly Black Lotus. The blue purple aura that surrounded her two sword hands slowly dimmed, and blinked irregularly.
Very soon, her body will be cut apart along with her two swords and she’ll probably suffer large damage. She will get jumped on where she fell, and until her HP gauge was gone, she will be chewed apart at will.
“Why... did you not run away.”
Haruyuki murmured without any strength.
It would not be for protecting Haruyuki who could not move. She attacked Chrome Disaster who was about to chase the Yellow legion, and it was Kuroyukihime who pulled him back herself. That means Kuroyukihime intentionally went against that Armor, furthermore she chose a fight with no chance of winning.
To be truthful that was their goal for diving into the Unlimited Neutral Field, but the situation had already greatly differed from what they had predicted. Takumu who «died» won’t be revived for a few tens of minutes, and the important Scarlet Rain is majorly damaged so she could not move.
And yet, why did that person - .
“This is... my obstinacy, Haruyuki-kun.”
Suddenly, words echoed.
Looking up at the blade closing in front of her with her shining violet eyes, Kuroyukihime said in a calm and heavy sound.
“This time, I became unsightly in front of you. As your mentor... and also your «parent», I cannot face you like that in the real world.”
During that time, Chrome Disaster’s sword moved closer to Black Lotus’ mask bit by bit. Haruyuki took a breath, and ground out a sound from his shaking throat.
“O... obstinacy...? But... if you lose, then whatever... meaning...”
“That is what you are mistaken about. A «Clever Retreat» while you get eaten up by a dog! That kind of thing does not have any value! Once you dive into the battle field... no matter who the opponent is, you have to fight once!!”
The proud words released by Kuroyukihime as she is just about to lose, hit Haruyuki like an iron club.
Inside his brain, the many battles and accelerated feelings that he had experienced till now came flashing back.
Earlier, when he wanted to take down the jamming avatar and had to avoid the supporter’s laser attack. When he slipped through the Red King’s fierce anti-air fire. And then three months ago, when he had just became a Burst Linker, and he held up Ash Roller’s bike, or when he saw through Cyan Pile’s special skill.
‘- Inside me, I should not have the desire to win nor the fear of losing. Just fought like a dream. Without being noticed by anyone.’
‘- I see. What I am afraid of, is not the loss itself. It’s when I lose, being laughed at by the gallery. Being compared to Takumu. And also disappointing that person, I had feared those all along. Not only in reality, even in the accelerated world, caring just «how others look at me» - this kind of thing...’
“...A huge fool, that’s what I am.”
After whispering, Haruyuki put strength into his right hand that was frozen and stayed open without power.
It squeaked with ‘Gishi Gishi’ sounds, however the five fingers held tightly together.
He held that fist straight up, and hit his right cheek with all his strength. With a ‘Gatsun’ kind of impact sound, a burning pain ran along his inner teeth. That burning sensation went through all of his virtual nerves, sending signals to his four limbs.
He held his head up. On the crater’s north edge, Black Lotus tried her last resistance against the lethal blade. The dully colored edges of her crossed blades were pushed barely above her head, and the sparks that flew apart displayed her armor’s many scars.
“...Senpai!”
Haruyuki shouted. At the same time, he expanded his wings that now have power, and flew straight out.
Gliding along the crater’s bottom at almost full speed, he flew towards the edge that was Chrome Disaster’s blind spot.
“U... Oo!”
With his roar, the punch that was aimed for the black silver armor, was barely blocked by the right gauntlet.
However, at the moment when one hand was removed from the sword, Kuroyukihime thrust her two hands forward with a psyche.
With a ‘Gaan!’ impact sound, the blade was bounced away, and Chrome Disaster was pushed back a few meters. It did not seem to disturb his stance, and he soon held his sword low, while under the hood the fangs fiercely grinded.
“Ruruu... Ruoo...!!”
That sound, was clearly filled with anger.
While his whole body shook with terror, Haruyuki stood against that, and covered Black Lotus behind him. Maybe she used up all her strength, Kuroyukihime stuck one arm on the ground as a cane, and eventually stood up with that, then moved to Haruyuki’s left side.
“Then, Haruyuki-kun. - For one game, let’s lose in a cool way.”
Haruyuki involuntarily made a wry smile, and nodded.
“Yes, senpai.”
He lowered his waist, spread his legs apart, and took a martial art like stance.
Kuroyukihime who was beside him too, held her sword hands up and got ready.
One second later, a few things happened one after another.
Chrome Disaster roared in anger and lifted his sword up.
For Haruyuki who was concentrating on that slash, on his left side, he saw some kind of shining light.
Kuroyukihime’s right sword hand flashed with a fierce speed - and the flat side of her sword hit Haruyuki’s chest with all her strength.
He was knocked flying behind easily, and while he was tumbling on the ground with surprise, he saw a crimson wall of light in front of him.
From his left side - he realized it was a beam attack fired from center of the crater, and with the fearsome scaled explosion that was initiated, he was again blown flying back, more than ten meters this time. He used both hands in reaction to protect himself from the oncoming heat and shock wave, even so the HP gauge in his view’s upper left lowered, and his body gave out unpleasant metallic sounds here and there.
All of his nerves felt sharp pain and burning sensation on them, so Haruyuki just lay on the ground with arms and legs open while breathing hard. He could not even scream, and while he waited for the pain of his shaking body to lessen, a huge question marked wind blew in his head.
Why did that happen - the Yellow legion should have retreated without leaving a single long range type behind. Or did they come back half way and cut into the fight? But with that kind of power. It’s not just a gun. It’s a tank’s - no, a battleship’s main gun kind of overwhelming power.
When he waveringly pushed himself up with his right hand that finally had feeling returned, in front of his eyes.
With a ‘Gashaa’ kind of hard sound, something fell.
A deeply cracked, pieces missing black armor. The transparent gloss was lost, only brutal scorch marks remained. From the four swords, the left arm and left leg ones were half broken, the mirror face goggles also had spider web like cracks running on it.
“Ku...”
Haruyuki put out a raspy sound, and his sharp pain was blown away and forgotten.
“Kuroyukihime senpai!!”
He held her up in a daze, and from various places on her body many black fragments fell down. The avatar that lay slack without any strength was very light, from the damaged places, blue purple sparks that looked like blood came spraying out.
In front of him, came another heavy metallic sound. He lifted his head up on reaction, and saw that a bit away, the shape of Chrome Disaster kneeling on one knee with head lowered. His damage was also severe. The black silver armor was covered with soot, and a few places had large depressions. Inside the hood type helmet, there was unstable darkness, and the sword that flew somewhere could not be seen.
The destruction even changed the terrain of the field.
The Ikebukuro crater north edge that became the battle field till now was carved another small crater, with places burning and thick smoke going up. The cannon fire cut through everything and went north, buildings were uprooted and mow down, and a new road was made going towards the Green highway.
And then finally, Haruyuki fearfully turned his head south.
The scene that his eyes captured, Haruyuki had already half guessed. However he did not want to believe it. He determined logically that there could be nothing else, but his feeling strongly resisted it, and that conflict became tears that distorted his vision.
“Why... why did you do that... Niko.”
The fortress avatar that he thought was so broken that it could no longer move, the Red King, Scarlet Rain’s right arm main cannon was lifted up, pointing straight at the center of the new crater. The large size gun barrel released heat, and the haze made the surrounding waver.
The attack that was fired from that cannon - probably the highest rank special attack skill, swallowed Kuroyukihime and Chrome Disaster whole, and there was no doubt about the huge damage it caused.
Haruyuki grinded his teeth, and look at Niko’s eyes in between the armor plates. However those red lens did not take notice of Haruyuki nor Black Lotus that was in his arms.
“...Why!!”
Haruyuki screamed, and the Red King remained silent. In exchange the thrusters on her back and bottom sides shone, and the huge body that was the «Immobile Fortress» slowly started to move forward.
When it started moving, it was surprisingly fast, and it quickly shrunk the crater’s radius distance.
“Ruu... u...”
That moan, came from Chrome Disaster who curved up like a wounded beast. Sensing the approach of the Red King, it crawled on all fours and waveringly retreated north. From the many wounds on the armor, red black «Automatic Repair» lights covering them can be seen. However the wounds were way too deep, and they could not be easily healed.
As if chasing a knight that lost and ran away, the crimson fortress’ shape appeared on the crater’s edge. That majesty, Haruyuki looked at while crying.
“Wh... y...”
His shaking voice, once again leaked from his throat. At that moment, the fortress stopped its forward movement.
Turning to look up at the avatar standing right in front of him, Haruyuki took a deep breath and called out.
“Niko! ...No, Scarlet Rain!! You haven’t forgotten right... if y-you take down senpai... Black Lotus will lose all her points!!”
Kuroyukihime in his arm, still remained unconscious. From the degree of damage, it can be clearly seen that her HP gauge has little remaining.
To Haruyuki’s accusation, the Red King replied in one short sentence with no feeling.
“What about it.”
To the speechless Haruyuki, he was continued to be showered by a young yet cold sound.
“For a Burst Linker, any Burst Linker aside from yourself is an enemy. If you get taken down by an enemy you lose points. When it becomes zero, you are forever retired. That is all it is about.”
“B... but... we... you and us are...”
“Comrades?”
With a heavy sound, Scarlet Rain’s main cannon hit the burnt ground. A blade sharp sound, cut through the air in the last remaining sunlight.
“You guys are so sweet that it makes me want to puke! Listen, I will teach you one final thing. In the accelerated world... something that you can believe in doesn’t exist!! Comrades, friends, legion... and also «Parent Child»’s bonds, are all just illusions!!”
With her shout that was like blazing flames, at the same time, the Red King removed all of her badly damaged armor containers.
From inside the enhanced armament that disappeared like melting into air, a delicate avatar appeared, and it jumped down onto the ground.
The crimson female type avatar’s armor, still maintained a ruby like shine even now. However only the front part of her left elbow was cruelly full of cracks, and small sparks flew out.
That should be hurting, but with an action as if she isn’t feeling it, she straightened her back and the avatar’s face turned slightly towards Haruyuki. Inside the two round lens, he seem to see a high temperature flame roaring.
“...After I have disposed of that guy, I will deal with you guys properly. If you don’t like it, run away right now. The next time we meet... we are enemies.”
After informing him with a cold voice, the Red King looked back ahead. She pulled her large handgun from her waist, and slid the gun body while walking away.
Where she was heading, was towards Chrome Disaster, with his whole body wounds showing blood color lights, he crawled straight north. He was supposed to be closer to the center of the explosion than Kuroyukihime, so he must have really surprising stamina to be able to still move like that. However, right now he cannot move at half of Niko’s walking speed, so it’s impossible for him to retreat.
While holding the heavily wounded Kuroyukihime in both arms, in Haruyuki’s view, the two avatars that were slowly closing the distance gap looked blurred.
If it was rational judgement, thinking that Niko’s previous announcement might be acted out, he should escape to Ikebukuro station or Sunshine City Leap Point right now.
However Haruyuki did not move. No, he did not want to move.
If he escaped, then something that is mistaken might be confirmed as a fact. He felt it like that.
Near the exit of one of the block of buildings that the huge beam mowed down to be a road, Niko finally caught up to Chrome Disaster, and casually lifted up her right foot. With a ‘Crunch’ like metallic noise, she kicked the knight avatar down, and the back of his neck was stepped on by Niko’s left foot.
That was an unspeakably sad sight, Haruyuki felt.
To be sure, that devilish armor should be eliminated. And then, to score a special attack on that guy with the transcendental reaction speed, it is also true that he could only be aimed at while he was right before a confrontation with Kuroyukihime.
However - then, what about that night.
In Haruyuki’s home living room, Niko and Kuroyukihime hugging as if they longed for each other while they slept. Surpassing the fate that «Kings» must eventually fight each other, he felt a larger «bond» between the two girls. That scene that made Haruyuki want to cry as he thought of it, was it just one night’s illusion? Just a meaningless coincidence?
Scarlet Rain pushed the handgun in her right hand at the back of Chrome Disaster’s head.
Somehow not able to bear looking at what’s coming up, Haruyuki lowered his head.
- The gun’s sound, however, he could not hear no matter how long he waited.
In exchange, near his ear, a weak sound was issued.
“...Ex-actly... this is why, children... I dislike them...”
It was the wounded, painfully wavering Kuroyukihime’s voice. However in it, there was not a single bit of anger. Haruyuki lifted his head up, and looked at Kuroyukihime’s goggles that were close by.
Inside them, a faint violet light shone. He pushed down the things welling up, and Haruyuki whispered to Kuroyukihime.
“Se... sen-pa...”
He then heard a ‘Gyariin’ metallic sound at that time.
What Haruyuki saw after moving his view was, Chrome Disaster with upper body turned around, and his left hand raised up high. And Scarlet Rain with her right hand-armor fragments scattering.
Dancing high in the sky, was the crimson handgun.
“Wh... why, did you not shoot!!”
Haruyuki shouted without thinking.
There was plenty of time for her as a legion master to use the member punishment «Judgement Blow» to hit Chrome Disaster. To execute that, Niko involved Kuroyukihime in her special attack, and spewed out all those cruel words. Why did she hesitate now?
The one who answered his raising questions, was Kuroyukihime in his arms.
“...That, little girl... is just sulking. Painful... and lonely, so throwing a tantrum...”
“Wh... what!?”
Surprised, Haruyuki looked between his arms and the rubble, and saw Chrome Disaster’s right hand that flashed like a lightning bolt, caught Niko’s throat.
With the right arm that regained a lot of power, he slowly hung the small avatar up. Niko’s right hand held the Armor’s arm, be she did not seem to resist beyond that, and just dangled down. As if, she gave up on everything, after being thrown away.
“That little girl truly... seeks trust more than anyone. As a Burst Linker’s final bond...”
Kuroyukihime murmured in a quiet voice. Haruyuki opened his eyes wide in a daze and asked in return.
“Bo... bond...?”
“That is... correct. I can understand. Those two are... «Parent Child». The Red King is... Disaster’s... no, Cherry Rook’s «child».”
Parent and Child - !? Those two!?
Till now, he had not thought of it like that even once. However, being told that, he can comprehend just one thing.
In the real world, Niko was able to track Cherry Rook’s position in detail. Haruyuki guessed that it was a legion master’s privilege, but it was not that. Niko simply knows about Cherry Rook’s «Real» side. The one and only «parent» who gave her Brain Burst.
Haruyuki was again surprised, and while he was speechless, his eyes saw Kuroyukihime’s gentle eyes return his look. She lifted up her badly damaged right hand, and knocked Haruyuki on the shoulder.
“Hey, what are you doing. I am... fine. Go and help... Niko... our comrade.”
At that instant.
From Haruyuki’s eyes, unsuppressed tears flowed out.
He did not understand the reason. However, he felt that some kind of huge hot thing born inside his chest, and wanted to rise.
“...Yes!”
He gave a big nod.
After laying Kuroyukihime’s body flat there, Haruyuki stood up. With a sharp sound, he opened the wings on his back wide.
Far away, Niko who was hung up, Chrome Disaster’s jaw closed in on the top of her shoulder. Haruyuki took a deep breath, and held his right hand in a fist - .
“...Ooo!”
With that roar, fiercely kicked the ground.
After a few steps of running, he flapped the two wings of metallic fins with all his strength.
His feet left the ground, and Haruyuki became a silver beam that shot forward into the sky.
Towards the far away rubble road, where the mad Armor was about to devour Niko - his own Linker «child»’s body, Haruyuki closed in bit by bit. With his right fist strongly held together, and body leaning forward -
“Stop ittt!”
With that yell, Haruyuki’s fist that was covered by blinding light, hit the deep black jaw in the center.
With a ‘Crunch’ sound, the silver flash split open the lurking darkness. After a pause, as if repulsed by an explosive force, Chrome Disaster was bent back and blown flying away. He bounced on the rubble, then rolled more than ten meters, and fell down with his arms and legs spread apart.
After folding his wings and landing, Haruyuki found out with a glance that «Punch» just now cost half of his special attack gauge, then he looked down at the crimson avatar kneeling beside him.
Niko who was holding her throat that was caught by Disaster and coughing, lifted her head and glared at Haruyuki with eyes that had flames returned to them.
“Y... you bastard... why...”
“I came to help you.”
With the heat rising up from the bottom of his body, he used a more violent speech style that he normally would not have.
“We are... comrades, that’s why.”
Niko who was momentary breathless, stiffened her body, and wrung out a raspy sound.
“This, bastard... even though you are a small fry, trying to be... cool...”
“You too, even though you are a King, how long are you planning to be so poor.”
Haruyuki kicked the crimson handgun that had fallen right by him with his right foot up, and grabbed the barrel in the air.
He held the grip out to Niko, and continued saying.
“...He, Cherry Rook can only be helped by you, Niko. For him, Brain Burst is just a curse now. Release him from it.”
Inside the round lens, red lights wavered with hesitation.
But one second later, her extended right hand, strongly grabbed the gun.
“Aa... I know. I understand.”
With that whisper, the Red King that soon stood up, stepped on the ground with her left foot loudly as if to shake off something, and looked forward.
Chrome Disaster that was blown away, was raising his upper body at that moment. Holding his face that was hit by Haruyuki with his right hand, and his throat rang in panic.
He probably no longer has the strength to stand up. The red black light that was trying to repair his whole body’s damage had mostly disappeared, and instead from the wounds drips of darkness came out like blood.
“Cherry.”
Niko called with a quiet sound as her feet stepped out.
“Let’s end it. The game that is just painful and tough, there’s no meaning to continue.”
In between the fingers that were covering the helmet, Chrome Disaster’s red eyes faintly shining could be seen.
He lifted up the left hand that was pushing on the ground, with an ‘I surrender’, like gesture the palm faced the sky.
‘Did he regain his rationality?’ Haruyuki thought that for an instant.
- However.
Suddenly, without any preparation, the heavy looking black silver avatar danced up with fierce speed.
“What...”
In the view of Haruyuki who shouted, at a steel beam that was sticking out the top of a mostly broken down five storey building, Disaster had reached that place. He turned backwards, and again, as if sucked in by the air, jumped above.
While staring at the shape that got smaller and smaller, Haruyuki blurted out.
“Fl... «Flight Ability»!?”
“Wrong, it’s «Super Long Distance Jump»!”
Niko answered in an urgent sound.
“...He wants to logout at the Sunshine City Leap Point. If he escape from here... there won’t be another chance...”
Cherry Rook that is covered by that armor, must have realized that his «child», legion master Niko traced his movements with some kind of method. After logging out, he would surely find a counter for that, and then the «Wait and Ambush in Unlimited Neutral Field» kind of tactic could not be used again.
Haruyuki ground his inner teeth, then stared at the Red King and said.
“Niko. This time be sure to shoot. The «Judgement Blow».”
“...Long-winded. I will shoot. For his sake.”
“Then...”
Finally, it’s time for the original plan with Silver Crow to chase and capture Chrome Disaster to start. After that, all he has to do is fly. With that determination, Haruyuki clearly announced.
“...Until Niko catches up, I will hold Disaster down.”
After an instant of speechlessness, Niko tilted her head slightly.
“O... one person is impossible! Even though you can say he is wounded, he can still move like that. Instead of capturing him, you would be eaten up!”
“...”
Haruyuki took a quick glance at the deep black shape that was still lying far south at the crater’s edge.
Soon his eyes turned back, and said forcefully.
“Then I will hold out till being eaten at that time!”
With a ‘Crunch’ rubble sound he changed his direction - .
Haruyuki opened his wings wide, and left the ground in a straight line.
He flew out of the half broken buildings, and gained altitude, then soon saw the dully shining avatar. He had already went about 300 meters northeast, and with tremendous long distance jumping from one building top to another going further away.
After confirming with his glance below, that the crimson avatar started to run northeast as well, Haruyuki took a deep breath, and with a rumble sound, started flying.
His two hands stuck straight in front, and charged forward while cutting the virtual air. He soon flew past the Green highway, then he went into the crossing capital number five highway and continued to accelerate.
The towering Sunshine City that he was heading for was just right ahead. Of course, that shape was not the grey colored high-rise building in the real world. Made up of bluish sharp steel trusses, and piercing through the dark clouds like a huge tower where a demon king lived. The shopping mall at its base was also changed to a desolate courtyard, the space with cracked tiles, black trees with twisted branches spread wide here and there.
There was a big set of stairs that passed through the courtyard to the tower from the street, and there he saw a blue white light filling the entrance. That was probably the «Leap Point». If he escaped there, then there won’t be another chance to capture Chrome Disaster in the Unlimited Neutral Field.
That Disaster, while leaving a deep black blood trail, continued to jump in a zigzag way from one building near the highway to another. The fierce speed from not just any jump, however, it was obviously slower than Silver Crow’s flight.
‘- Catching up!’
Haruyuki held his breath and calculated his rapid descent timing. First he has to knock the Armor to the ground, and then stop his movement.
While maintaining more than enough altitude, Haruyuki reached the blind spot right above the opponent, and the Armor reached the top of another building, then at the moment he jumped towards the next target, Haruyuki entered a full speed dive.
He stuck the tip of his right foot out, and descended like a sharp wedge. Maybe he heard the sound of air being cut, the Armor’s helmet turned to look up. But he should not be able to dodge while in his jump path. The strongly shining tip, headed towards the back of the badly wounded armor -
“Wh... what!?”
Right before that, something improbable happened.
Chrome Disaster that was in the middle of a jump, as if seeing some kind of omen, changed his path to the right.
With a ‘Zaa’ kind of brushing sound, Haruyuki missed kicking his target. He would be buried in the building right below like that, so he controlled both wings with full strength, and barely succeeded in slowing down.
With a ‘Boom’ loud noise release, Haruyuki landed on both feet, and watched in shock as Chrome Disaster flew away to the right side.
‘What was that just now!?’ No matter what kind of long distance jump, while in the middle of a jump there is no way to change the path in the air. If that is possible, then for sure that would be the same as Haruyuki’s «flight», it could only be concluded like that.
Hastily leaving the ground again, Haruyuki chased after Disaster. Until the Leap Point at Sunshine City, there was only two or three jump’s distance left.
For an unknown reason, when the opponent can change its path in the air, he probably can no longer score a hit with a straight dive kick. If it is like that, then he would have to brave the danger of being captured, and try to attack in a close contact chase.
“...Ooo.”
With a short psyche, Haruyuki accelerated all at once, and closed in near the black silver armor’s back. Then, the Armor again made a left turn, and he unreasonably followed the turn. With the centripetal force on his whole body, his avatar creaked.
While grinding his teeth, his held fist hit towards that back, at that time. Again, Chrome Disaster showed him an unthinkable action.
This time right below, sinking almost straight down. With his punch cutting the air, Haruyuki flew past his target, and turned left while diving to aim for the opponent after it landed.
No matter what, just at the instance both feet landed on the building top, to thrust for the next jump he should stop. To the falling Disaster’s shape, with his unreasonable moves, Haruyuki desperately tried to continue capturing him in his view in the dim light, and calculated his timing.
The Armor’s body became round, looked up, and extended his right arm.
And then Haruyuki saw a third startling scene.
The heavy metal avatar that should have a huge mass, rapidly decelerated in the air. With movements as if gravity was turned upside down, he momentarily stopped in the empty space, then again flew straight up. Haruyuki who again missed his target, his right foot cut through only air as he turned around - .
In his wide open eyes, he finally saw it.
Chrome Disaster who ascended in a sharp angle, and towards the somewhat high building he was heading to, between them, was a very small red line, that shone for an instant.
It’s not a beam. That was a reflection from the last remaining sunlight that came in between the buildings.
It is a wire.
Inside Haruyuki’s brain, from the earlier Chrome Disaster’s fierce battles, the strange grip skill that he showed flashback one after another. The Yellow legion’s long range avatar, and the rock that Kuroyukihime kicked up, was improbably sucked in by the Armor’s open palm skill - that, also Disaster’s long distance jump and mid air movement, are all the same principle. Fire from both hands, an ultra small wire with anchor attached hit the target object and sucked it back in. Or hit a stationary object and pull itself up with it.
In Haruyuki’s view, Chrome Disaster who ascended with very high speed coiling of the wire, disappeared between the buildings.
While rising again to chase after him, Haruyuki desperately thought.
To interfere with that jump, all he has to do is cut the wire that was in the air.
But would he be able to cut it with his knife or kick? That heavy looking avatar, furthermore while in descending speed was being supported easily. The hooking power of the anchor, and the wire’s load carrying capacity, must be thought of as to the ultimate range. He won’t be able to cut it, or on the other hand might be damaged by it.
Haruyuki who desperately turned his thinking wheel as he rapidly ascended, saw Chrome Disaster landing on the top of a building with a curved roof.
On the other side of that building is Sunshine City. Just one more jump and he will reach that tower. What should he do? How will he stop him?
Disaster extended his right hand towards the tower’s blue black wall.
That sharp five fingered claw form opened. In the center, a flash of wire being fired shone.
“- That’s it!!”
At that moment, Haruyuki shouted after being visited by revelation. It could be said to be a reckless tactic, but he no longer had any method other than that.
Putting all his energy into the white silver metallic fins that made up his wings, Haruyuki aimed straight for the Sunshine and went forward. The small avatar was covered by dots of light, and trailed a tail in the sky like a comet. Soon he caught up to Chrome Disaster and went past him, then over the road, and kept flying.
More - more, «accelerate» more!
With his increase in speed, the world’s shape started changing. Relatively speaking, everything other than himself started to decelerate.
Haruyuki who went forward like a brilliant laser, ahead in his view, he accurately captured it. Chrome Disaster’s right hand that aimed for the tower’s outer wall and fired the wire. The ultra small hook at the tip of that wire.
“U... O...o!!”
With that roar and final acceleration, Haruyuki started a shallow angle dive, with his flight trajectory aiming to cross the wire.
A ‘Kan’ kind of sound passed through his body, and he felt something ate into the center of his back.
Right after, a tremendous weight wanted to pull Haruyuki back. He resisted that, expanding all the acceleration he had, and Haruyuki continued to move forward.
That weight lessened. Chrome Disaster’s body that was behind the wire, floated in the sky behind him. Without looking behind, in Haruyuki’s brain, the Armor that was connected to him and flying at the same speed in the sky appeared.
Disaster controlled the wire’s coiling speed, so as not to crash into the thing that he hooked onto while landing. However being pulled like this, he should no longer have any skill to slow himself down.
In front of his eyes, the outer wall of the huge tower that reached for the sky closed in. While glaring at the numerous big steel beams that made up the surface of the wall, Haruyuki endured the terror and calculated timing. If he was too early then he would give Disaster time to land, and if too late he would crash into the tower as well.
‘- Here, here,’
“It is!”
With that shout, Haruyuki turned straight up to the limit of angle allowed. All the joints in his whole body creaked, and sharp pain ran in them. One steel beam’s tip lightly scratched from his chest to his stomach. While trailing orange sparks, Haruyuki rose while sticking to Sunshine’s wall, and at the same time slowed down his speed.
Right after that.
With an impact sound that shook the whole Ikebukuro area, Chrome Disaster’s huge body crashed into the tower’s wall.
The tower itself trembled, with broken material and glass blown apart like explosions. The energy wave that was created, became blue white sparks that flew through the air.
The wire that extended from Haruyuki’s back, was sucked into the huge hole on the wall around ten floors high in the tower.
With mushy quiet echos, a large amount of water spew out from that hole while Haruyuki looked on in amazement. If he concentrated on looking, he could see large and small strange sea creatures in the water as well. They danced in the air as the remaining sunlight reflected red light from their scales, and they fell to the ground floor courtyard and bounced around.
In the real world Sunshine City, that location should be the aquarium, Haruyuki realized in a daze. Probably that was also recreated in this accelerated world, and the water tank was broken by Disaster’s crash.
After huge fishes and amphibians flowed out, at the end something like a lump of metal was pushed out of the huge hole, and caught by a bend steel beam.
It was Chrome Disaster. He was so broken up that his original shape no longer remained.
The right arm was half smashed to pieces, and the right foot was like crushed iron scrap. The armor was broken and crushed, with almost none of its usual shine.
From the numerous wounds, a fearsome amount of black liquid flowed out, and before they reached the ground, they dissolved in the air and disappeared. With all those, that he did not get eliminated from the field right this instant, was strange enough.
Haruyuki blinked hard once, then listened to himself saying that this is not the time to be emotional, and prepared to lower Disaster to the ground with the wire that was still connecting them. Niko should reach that place soon.
He rose up slightly, and the wire that was pulled tight brought the Armor’s right arm up.
- At that moment.
“Ruu... oooOOOOOO!!”
Suddenly, a tremendous volume roar was sent out.
Chrome Disaster raised his head, and in his hood like helmet, many long and large fangs of darkness appeared, and opened wide.
His right hand grabbed the air like a claw - and Haruyuki’s body was pulled in with unspeakable force.
After falling for a few meters, Haruyuki used all his strength to move his wings, and resisted the demonic pull. The wire that was pulled tight rang with a ‘Giriri’ sound. Right in front of him, hungry fangs opened and closed.
“Gu... O...”
Groaning, Haruyuki desperately resisted. Chrome Disaster’s «feed on prey» has damage repair function. If he got eaten up here, then that guy that healed up will again go after Niko, and also Kuroyukihime will be attacked.
Turning his eyes away from the fearsome jaw, Haruyuki looked straight up into the sky.
In the Unlimited Neutral Field sky that was getting covered by darkness of night, it was mostly filled with deep black clouds, but in between those he could see a few stars.
He extended his right hand all the way towards the biggest red star in that group. Holding his fist tight, Haruyuki also roared.
“U... O...O - .”
With a ‘Douu!’ vibration sound in the air, the silver wings’ thrust overcame the steel thread’s pull. Haruyuki who went forward as if shot out, while dangling the Armor below him, flew up with a fierce speed close to the outer wall of Sunshine. The impact wave shook the wall like a ripple, and following behind, was glass breaking.
Haruyuki who reached the top of the tower in a few seconds, kicked a strange thorn that stuck out horizontally from its edge, and changed his body’s direction on reaction.
He headed towards Chrome Disaster that was pulled flying by the wire.
“U... Raa!!”
At the same time as that shout, his right foot kicked into the Armor’s throat area. With a dull metallic sound, the helmet’s bottom half was blown apart, and the fangs of darkness also crumbled.
In that posture, this time he started a full speed descent. The white silver and black silver avatars became one and fell to the ground like a shooting star.
- Then.
With a ‘Boo’ sound, the darkness inside Disaster’s helmet was all blown away.
What appeared from inside, was a bright pink, simple mask.
The horizontal oval eyes dimly shone, and a small sound leaked from the mouth. With the remains of innocence, a boy’s voice.
“...I... strong... want to become. Just that...”
While continuing to dive, Haruyuki opened his eyes wide. He met the peeking like eyes, and the pink colored avatar again murmured.
“If it is you, then... you understand right? You too, power... want it right...?”
At the moment he heard those words - .
Deep in his body, Haruyuki felt an emotion with fierce heat erupting.
That was anger. Overwhelming fury.
“Want to become strong... you said?”
Haruyuki concentrated all the thrust from his wings towards the right foot on the Armor’s neck, and he said that. His voice slowly changing to a shout that was sent out.
“That’s why you want to say everything is forgivable!? Wearing that armor, attacking many avatars, and wanting to eat your child, Niko, you want to say all that was justified?!”
The dive already passed half of the tower. If he doesn’t retreat soon, he will be in danger as well. He understood that, however Haruyuki could not stop releasing his words.
‘Wanting to become strong’. Those were truly words that he repeated recently like a curse. Thinking of being inferior to everyone else, he became involved in a reckless training. But, arriving in the battle field today, and gotten past many different fighting situations, Haruyuki finally realized that he had forgotten something important.
Strength is absolutely not something relative.
Winning or losing in a duel, above or below someone, those kind of superficial reference is worthless.
It’s yourself. The only absolute reference is within yourself.
“It’s not just you!”
Haruyuki wrung out all his sound, and shouted.
“Niko as well... senpai too... Taku and other Burst Linkers... Chiyu, the guys in school, and teachers, everyone thinks like that!! Wanting to become strong, wanting to live strongly... everything painful, wanting to face with your own power, everyone thinks like that!!”
Not able to withstand the falling speed, the cracked armor fragments that broke off became points of light and disappeared. The darkness that leaked out from numerous wounds also, at the moment they touched the wall of air, were burnt up by friction.
The avatar under the helmet, no longer said anything.
Haruyuki neither decelerated nor retreated, and rushed forward with the Armor as one body.
At the center of the large stairs extending from the tower’s entrance, the two avatars that were locked together crash landed with fearsome speed, and finally, it caused a huge explosion.
“Wh... who?”
Haruyuki whispered in a sound that was not a voice.
To be able to get close behind the suspicious Yellow King, furthermore, to be able to penetrate that armor like paper without the use of a special skill. No, before that, to cut in between a direct contact fight between two Kings, who would think of doing that?
Then, as if hearing Haruyuki’s sound, from behind the Yellow King, a shadow melted slowly into view. Blending into the twilight almost perfectly, a deep grey silhouette. At the moment its surface was touched lightly by the remaining sunlight, it shone with wet reflection.
The mysterious intruder's body was fully covered with black silver mirror-like armor. The color combination could be said to be similar to Silver Crow, but the form is largely different. The shoulders, chest and elbows had volume, with a heavy feeling like a knight from the Middle Ages. The right hand that was covered by a huge gauntlet, held a double-edged sword of the same length as his height, its extreme tip narrowed as it pierced through the Yellow King from behind.
What drew attention more strongly than the sword, was the knight’s head.
It was covered with a hood type helmet that had long horns extending behind from either side. However, in the place that was originally a face - there was nothing. Shone on by the sunlight, the interior should be clearly seen, but like a manifestation of darkness, the inside of the hood was painted all black. No, if he stared at it longer, he certainly could see something unknown, deep black and wriggling as though it's alive, on the surface.
The knight of dark silver with a mask of darkness.
That name, right before Niko, who was under him leaked it out, Haruyuki too, realized what it was. That was probably... That must be—
“«Disaster Armor»... «Chrome Disaster».”
Right after hoarsely leaking that out, Niko continued.
“Why. Way too early. There should be at least a whole day left.”
The reason she was surprised, Haruyuki soon realized.
Chrome Disaster’s real self, «Cherry Rook» who is a level 6 Burst Linker belonging to the Red legion, and while the train he was riding on was about 2 minutes from Ikebukuro, Haruyuki’s group dived into this Unlimited Neutral Field. Here, the time flows at 1000 times of the real world, so that 2 minutes is about equal to 33 hours.
There could only be one answer. Cherry Rook who was taken over by that armor, accelerated while he was riding the train, and appeared in this world.
If it was a normal duel with 1.8 second max, that is understandable. However this place is an upper world, where one is unable to leave from anywhere aside from one of the Leap Points once dived in. In a place close to others, such as a train, not to mention, leaving the real body behind on a form of transportation, that is an action that surpassed bravery into recklessness.
“Cherry... To be unable to wait for even 2 minutes, is he already that far gone?”
Niko whispered in a muffled voice.
However, Haruyuki did not seem to sense that kind of madness from the fifth Chrome Disaster standing across the crater, on its far west edge.
The stature is not all that powerful. At most 170cm, and compared to the fourth that Kuroyukihime showed them in the playfield yesterday, this one is very small. The form had an orthodox human shape. While holding the sword that pierced through the Yellow King, he did not seem to be doing anything else, spacing out like expression as he stood there quietly.
Why did the Yellow King not escape? Why did he turn his head to the limit and look at Chrome Disaster silently?
That answer - .
Once second later, Haruyuki found out.
“Yuruoooooo...!”
Suddenly, there was a strange scream.
It was not a human’s sound. Not a beast’s. Not a machine’s. He had never heard it before, a heterogeneous roar.
The source was the deep darkness lurking about the knight’s face. From under the bent backward hood type helmet, with the yell, a tangible darkness was blown out, and it slowly formed into a solid shape.
On the hood’s top and bottom came a set of teeth, a sequence of sharp triangles. Fangs. Deep black fangs, from the hood’s edge, as if that was all one mouth, they stuck out.
‘Gupaa’.
With that wet sound, the «mouth» opened.
From the deep darkness inside, two small round eyes, shone with a vaporous red.
At the moment he saw that, the Yellow King, Yellow Radio finally moved. He turned behind with a snap, and held the sword that pierced him with both hands, trying to pull it out.
The reason he did not move till now was - he cowered. Bound by terror.
Kuroyukihime who was also nearby, continued to be silent in her stance. She did not seem afraid, but he sensed a slight hesitation in her. There was a chance to attack, but which should she aim for, to be certain in this situation, she could not decide.
To the Yellow King who was trying to pull the sword out, the Disaster Armor, Chrome Disaster brought his huge «mouth» near as if eating something on a fork. That jaw that was opened wide, closed in on the clown avatar’s round raised shoulders - the fangs dripping a clear mucus -
“...«Deceit Firecracker»!!”
Before his shoulder was bitten, Yellow Radio shouted in a loud voice.
With a poisonous yellow smoke going up, the skewered avatar blew up, and disappeared.
‘Self destruct!?’ Haruyuki’s eyes popped out, however right after that, about five meters away, a similar colored smoke went up, and he saw the clown jumping out from inside. That was probably a dazzle and escape special skill.
While his breastplate with a sharp hole was giving out small sparks, the Yellow King dashed back another few meters. After he indicated to his subordinates’ avatars to gather, he finally released a sound.
“You starving dog, forgetting your owner’s kindness, and want to disturb my program? ...Fine then, if you are that hungry - eat the «Black» one in front of you!! It’s not too tantalizing a color for appetite though!!”
He laughed with ‘Hahahahaha’, but that sound echoed with a tension that was not even disguised.
As the black jaw opened and closed with ‘Gachin Gachin’ sounds, Chrome Disaster looked from the Black King to the Yellow King, who were at an equal distance away. That action did not have the feel of a player trying to decide who to «Duel» with.
It’s the gesture of a beast figuring out which prey he is supposed to hunt.
The face that was not a face, casually turned towards the bottom of the crater. His look stopped for a moment at the damaged and silent Red King, however he did not show any feelings upon seeing his own legion master, then moved his face towards Haruyuki who was standing on the stabilizer on her back.
Suddenly.
‘- Feed.’
‘- Feed, become meat.’
What’s more terrifying than anything else, no matter how you listen to the tone of voice itself, which was from a similar aged boy before his voice changed.
In his back, a fear that he had never experienced in the accelerated world thus far, he now felt it.
Even with Brain Burst’s strange «Accelerate» technology, it is still just a duel fighting game. After arriving in this south Ikebukuro crater, he had been in a gruesome to the extreme battle, but that was still barely within the scope of a game.
To be truthful, if the Yellow King’s trap succeeded with Niko or Kuroyukihime being hunted, those two’s Brain Burst would be forcefully uninstalled, and they would never be able to visit the accelerated world again - however, that is a «Game Ending», but their real life will continue afterwards.
But even so.
If that voice now, belonging to the Burst Linker called Chrome Disaster.
Inside that black silver armor, the boy called Cherry Rook that should have enjoyed this game no longer exists.
‘Enhanced armament will erode its user’s mind’, Kuroyukihime had said. Haruyuki half believed that, but the humanity of the person wearing the armor will mostly be lost, that short sound now clearly showed him. And that condition was probably not just limited to during acceleration. Whoever is in that armor, he would never think that person would be peacefully living in the real world.
“Niko... He, no longer.”
The meaning Haruyuki’s shaky voice tried to convey, the Red King guessed with her sensitivity.
“Don’t say it. Still.. still, we might make it in time. If we destroy that armor now, maybe.”
That quiet voice, did not finish till the end.
As if to reject Niko’s wish, Chrome Disaster again released another roar.
“Ruuoo...oooooo!!”
What he slowly turned to face, was the Yellow King’s direction.
Carrying the large sword in his right hand on his shoulder, his left hand with five huge claw-like fingers was extended straight forward.
Right after that, a surprising phenomenon happened. Even though the Armor did not shout any skill name, right next to the Yellow King’s gathered group, a red type avatar was sucked to Chrome Disaster’s left hand at a fierce speed.
With a ‘Gachin’ metallic sound, the unfortunate duel avatar’s body was penetrated by the Armor’s fingers.
“Hii...”
While loudly screaming, that red type tried to point the rifle held in his right hand towards the Armor’s head area. It was then, that Haruyuki realized that red type was the long range type protecting that jamming avatar earlier.
The rifle’s barrel opening shone, and a blue white beam was fired at point blank range.
However, just before that, the right arm holding the gun was cut off at the base. The beam grazed Chrome Disaster’s helmet, and passed behind him. The sword slash that cut off that arm, Haruyuki could not even see most of it.
Right after that.
“Ruuuu!!”
With that yell, Chrome Disaser’s closed fangs all opened wide at once.
The red type’s left shoulder was bitten by that jaw of darkness with a ‘Crunch’ sound.
“Gya... aaaaa!!”
The scream that was sent out was so grisly that he wanted to cover his ears. In this Unlimited Neutral Field, the damage pain is increased twice that of lower fields. Probably right now, for that red type, he is feeling the same level of pain as being bitten by a beast on his real body.
That avatar’s armor was pierced through easily by the tens of huge fangs. From shoulder to chest area, a half circle shape was eaten, and the cut left arm fell slowly to the ground.
“Aaa... Aaaaa - !!”
With his stomach exposed, and both arms lost, pain made the avatar’s head violently flap around.
After swallowing completely, Chrome Disaster opened his «mouth» wide again, and swallowed that head whole.
With a wet ‘Crunch’ sound, some spray was released, was it spark effect, armor fragments - or maybe that avatar’s flesh and blood.
The scream was fully cut off. With its whole head lost, that avatar’s remains slid down strengthlessly, and a few seconds later, finally dissolved and split into a light pillar.
Haruyuki thought that his view was shaking. The reason for that were his own knees shaking, which took him a while to realize.
That was no longer a «Duel».
Not violence, nor slaughter.
It’s «predation». The captured avatar’s blood and meat, and also Burst Points being consumed, just that kind of instinctive activity.
At the same time the top and bottom black fangs stop moving, on the connections between the black silver armor, Haruyuki saw a deep red light run around. As if not just points, some kind of energy was stolen kind of phenomenon - that was probably what Kuroyukihime said yesterday, the HP gauge absorption ability, «Drain».
“Ruuuuu...”
Chrome Disaster lifted his head up and that low throat rumble came out.
“Rabid dog... no choice, it’s a shame the show will be canceled. Everyone, retreat to the Ikebukuro train station Leap Point!!”
That shout came from the Yellow King. At the time of his directive, he used some kind of special skill, and the around ten remaining Yellow legion members’ shapes became half transparent.
The avatars that became vaporous shadows, left the crater at a tremendous pace, and retreated northwest. Even though his plan clearly failed, the Yellow King’s sound that was moving farther away, his final sneer spread in the field.
“Kukuku... Red, and Black, to my circus’ fun fun carnival, I will someday invite you again! Get eaten up by that dog, if you still have fighting spirit remaining... if only! Kukuku... Kufufufufu...”
If they thought calmly, they could interfere with those people’s retreat and let Chrome Disaster attack them, then take the Yellow King’s head in the confusion, that kind of tactic might be possible. However Haruyuki, not only did he not make a sound, he did not even move a finger. He was paralyzed like a small animal being glared at by a predator, and it was all he could do to stand above Scarlet Rain’s armor plate.
‘- To fight with that? Make him unable to fight, and at super close range attack him with «Judgement Blow»? I am supposed to help with that?
Impossible.
I cannot do it. I am my limit not screaming and running away from this place.’
While Haruyuki’s knees and the roots of his teeth shook slightly, in his view, Chrome Disaster’s body sunk. It was the action of a carnivorous beast wanting to chase and kill the Yellow legion members that were running away like baby spiders being spread apart.
‘Just go away with the Yellow legion like that’, Haruyuki prayed. However.
Behind Chrome Disaster who was going to start a fierce dash - .
“...«Death By Piercing»!!”
The confident echo was Kuroyukihime’s voice.
The right sword arm that was held by the left hand, was thrust straight forward with a jet engine-like loud noise. The violet shine that covered the blade, brilliantly painted the world, as it extended close to 5 meters in a direct line.
The huge attack power that was released compressed the virtual air, and the view there was distorted like flickering flames. A ‘Gakiiin’ kind of high pitched destruction sound echoed - but what was cut apart, was just the right side, the bent back horn on Chrome Disaster’s helmet.
The black silver Armor, in the biggest opening right before starting a chase, and furthermore aimed at from behind, with a mist like movement slid left to avoid the attack.
The horn that danced high, came down while spinning, and stuck into the blue black ground.
“...Ooh, you manage to avoid that.”
While she brought back her extended right hand, Kuroyukihime said as if impressed.
Against that, Chrome Disaster who had turned around, between the huge fangs, a clearly angry moan resounded.
“Yurururuuuu...”
With a ‘Clink’ sound, the large sword in his right hand cut a half circle on the ground.
Picking that up to carry on the right shoulder, the demonic knight faced the deep black beautiful princess. Inside the slightly opened jaw that was under the hood, the deep red light eyes sharply shone as they moved around.
“Se... sen, pa...”
Haruyuki’s dried up parched throat leaked out a raspy sound.
‘- You want to fight? Even though it’s the Red King’s request - against that. Face to face.’
The truth was, Chrome Disaster is still level 7. Even if she loses, unlike against a «King» opponent, she won’t lose Brain Burst.
But, in exchange, she will be eaten.
In the field with the same or higher pain sensation as reality, while alive, the avatar being greedily eaten. That pain cannot be compared to being hit by the gun in Haruyuki’s own self made training room.
No, it’s not just a problem with the pain sensation. A few minutes ago, the long range type avatar that was captured by that, his scream echoed with deep despair. The despair of being captured by an overwhelming predator, and being consumed while helpless.
‘No way. I don’t want to be eaten by that. If it became like that, I will - ‘
Strength suddenly left his legs, and Haruyuki knelt down on top of Scarlet Rain’s armor plate. He tried to stand up in a hurry, but his body did not move. Even his fingers were hard and stiff, frozen while ignoring his commands.
‘- What is this? What is happening to me? Earlier, I said things in such a patronizing way to Kuroyukihime who was lying there, and now I’ve become so unsightly and unable to move.’
The more he panicked, the colder his whole body went. As if the nerves of the avatar’s limbs were cut.
For Haruyuki who was just breathing shallowly under his silver mask, in his ears - .
“«Burst Linker with no fighting spirit cannot move their duel avatar».”
From the crater’s edge while she faced off with the black silver Armor, Kuroyukihime’s dignified voice reached him.
“...Earlier, it is as that little girl said. I don’t want to admit it, but I regretted the betrayal two years ago. I felt it was an unforgivable crime. So with that, my fighting spirit - the fighting feeling that made me want victory, I feared it to the bottom of my heart.”
While being vigilant with both sword arms held up, Black Lotus’ blue purple color eyes glanced in Haruyuki’s direction.
“However Haruyuki-kun. You are the opposite. You fear losing. You think that losing will lower your worth. That, during the recent territory battles, was the reason for your bad condition.”
Those were words that were relentlessly forced deep into his heart.
While kneeling, Haruyuki opened his eyes wide, and strongly ground his teeth.
‘- It’s not just thinking, that’s the truth!’
He shouted that in his brain.
‘- If I lost I would obtain nothing. My, Silver Crow’s value for existing is to continue to win with the one and only «Flight ability». Leveling up and expanding the territory of «Nega Nabulas», to fulfill your expectations only.’
‘- Because, if I don’t win, if I don’t become stronger, you will surely - someday see me as...’
“I will return the same words from earlier, Haruyuki-kun!”
After a slash of her right sword hand, Kuroyukihime shouted fiercely.
“The bond linking you and me, is it just to such a degree... do you really think that way!!”
And then right after that, she started to slash at Chrome Disaster.
As if, with that action, she wanted to convey something to Haruyuki.
Kuroyukihime’s left sword hand that started the attack from high above, was met by Disaster’s huge sword, and a tremendous impact happened. The ball like energy that appeared shone onto the black and silver armor surface, then bounced away and dispersed in numerous dots of light.
Both were fiercely knocked back, slid to a stop while gouging the ground, then with almost the same timing attacked again. Disaster’s huge sword in both hands was swung horizontally. Kuroyukihime did a spin and blocked it with a right kick.
The fierce big attacks that drew deep red and blue purple arcs, caused an actual explosion this time, and a small crater appeared at that place. Both of them were blown flying in opposite directions, Kuroyukihime who got up after tumbling around - was faced directly with Chrome Disaster’s wide open left hand.
‘- It’s that skill!’
Not being able to move, nor able to speak aloud, Haruyuki held his breath.
The special skill that sucked in the enemy with a mysterious attraction and held its target. If she got hit by that, then she wouldn’t be able to swing her swords properly in close contact, and will only be eaten at will.
He thought he saw a silver flash between them.
At the same time, Kuroyukihime had a large lump in front of her that appeared at an unknown time, she placed her right sword foot flat side on it and kicked it up. That was a piece of rock broken from the ground in the earlier explosion.
Chrome Disaster’s palm sucked that rock in at a fierce speed. To the enemy avatar that was shaking off the hard rock that his fingers had deeply pierced, Kuroyukihime started charging at full speed.
‘Gyaan!’ With the release of the sound of metallic impact, the left sword foot was stuck into Chrome Disaster’s breast armor after a kick.
‘...Incredible.’
Haruyuki momentarily forgot the lethargy that bound him, and whispered inside his brain.
Against that terrifying opponent, how could she fight like that? It could be said that her level is higher, but the strength difference is filled in by the enhanced armament, their power is about the same. With a mistake, she will be eaten by those huge fangs, and will actually taste sharp pain and despair. Why that way - as if - .
As if she was enjoying it.
Is it because she has confidence? Since she truly believes that she is stronger than the enemy that she can move that freely?
No, that could not be true. The same level 9 Yellow Radio, even with ten subordinates remaining, fled without hesitation. He could not absolutely say that decision came from fear. Chrome Disaster is no longer a normal Burst Linker. His threat might be beyond the huge «Enemy» Haruyuki saw while on way to Ikebukuro.
As if to support Haruyuki’s awareness, the crazed knight showed him a fearsome phenomenon.
A red black light concentrated on the wound that was cut in the armor by Kuroyukihime, and it slowly flowed to start reviving.
“Yururuu...”
A laughter like low sound leaked from the Armor, then he suddenly started a fast and furious counter attack. The sword in his right hand swung down at an unseen speed, cutting from the air towards the ground in a straight line. Kuroyukihime managed to avoid that path with her miraculous reaction, but with a ‘Pikin’ faint sound, the left tip of the armor skirt on her waist was cut off.
Chrome Disaster’s attack did not stop there. The huge sword with a meter and half long blade, flashed again and again with a speed that made the blade seem weightless. Black Lotus who dodged with a dance like movement, or continued to block, slowly had her elegant armor carved with lines here and there.
In the rush that continued limitlessly, even though she was slowly pushed from the crater’s west edge to the north edge, Kuroyukihime’s fighting spirit did not seem to weaken at all.
With four sword limbs shining violet, she looked for small openings in Disaster’s actions and countered with sharp attacks. Even though the opponent’s armor soon repaired the carved wounds with red light, she simply and accurately stabbed, cut or thrust again and again.
There would be no way that she does not feel fear. With similar attack power, speed, and accuracy, against an opponent that can automatically repair itself, she will eventually be pushed back for sure. If she got hit by the heavy attack even once and her ability to dodge became dull, she will be captured by the opponent at that moment, and a part of her body will be chewed up. Her pride of being a «King» will be robbed, and she will just become food crawling on the ground.
And yet - why...
“Why... are you not escaping!”
From Haruyuki’s throat, a hoarse call leaked out.
Running away won’t lower the Black King’s value. The Yellow King already ran away, and actually, when the previous generation Chrome Disaster was taken down, you said it took an alliance of «Pure Color Seven Kings» to finally stop him right. This is a situation where retreat is a matter of course. Also, above all else -
‘I don’t want to see it. That person being broken and eaten while screaming, absolutely don’t want to see it.’
“Please run away, senpai!”
Haruyuki called out again.
However, right after that.
The iron sword, was swung down from high above with a timing and speed that did not allow it to be avoided.
Kuroyukihime crossed her two sword hands and blocked it, but she was not able to be pushed back like it had been till now, and knelt down on one knee there. A thunder like clashing sound echoed, and the ground around Kuroyukihime cracked in a radiating way.
“Yururuooooooo!!”
Maybe he was sure of his victory, Chrome Disaster roared loudly. The sword that was held in both of his hands, was pressed down with all his weight. With ‘Gii Gii’ hard grinding sounds, small sparks flew out from the contact point of the three blades.
It’s the same situation as when she went against the Yellow legion’s fighter type avatar, however this time the one who was pushed back was clearly Black Lotus. The blue purple aura that surrounded her two sword hands slowly dimmed, and blinked irregularly.
Very soon, her body will be cut apart along with her two swords and she’ll probably suffer large damage. She will get jumped on where she fell, and until her HP gauge was gone, she will be chewed apart at will.
“Why... did you not run away.”
Haruyuki murmured without any strength.
It would not be for protecting Haruyuki who could not move. She attacked Chrome Disaster who was about to chase the Yellow legion, and it was Kuroyukihime who pulled him back herself. That means Kuroyukihime intentionally went against that Armor, furthermore she chose a fight with no chance of winning.
To be truthful that was their goal for diving into the Unlimited Neutral Field, but the situation had already greatly differed from what they had predicted. Takumu who «died» won’t be revived for a few tens of minutes, and the important Scarlet Rain is majorly damaged so she could not move.
And yet, why did that person - .
“This is... my obstinacy, Haruyuki-kun.”
Suddenly, words echoed.
Looking up at the blade closing in front of her with her shining violet eyes, Kuroyukihime said in a calm and heavy sound.
“This time, I became unsightly in front of you. As your mentor... and also your «parent», I cannot face you like that in the real world.”
During that time, Chrome Disaster’s sword moved closer to Black Lotus’ mask bit by bit. Haruyuki took a breath, and ground out a sound from his shaking throat.
“O... obstinacy...? But... if you lose, then whatever... meaning...”
“That is what you are mistaken about. A «Clever Retreat» while you get eaten up by a dog! That kind of thing does not have any value! Once you dive into the battle field... no matter who the opponent is, you have to fight once!!”
The proud words released by Kuroyukihime as she is just about to lose, hit Haruyuki like an iron club.
Inside his brain, the many battles and accelerated feelings that he had experienced till now came flashing back.
Earlier, when he wanted to take down the jamming avatar and had to avoid the supporter’s laser attack. When he slipped through the Red King’s fierce anti-air fire. And then three months ago, when he had just became a Burst Linker, and he held up Ash Roller’s bike, or when he saw through Cyan Pile’s special skill.
‘- Inside me, I should not have the desire to win nor the fear of losing. Just fought like a dream. Without being noticed by anyone.’
‘- I see. What I am afraid of, is not the loss itself. It’s when I lose, being laughed at by the gallery. Being compared to Takumu. And also disappointing that person, I had feared those all along. Not only in reality, even in the accelerated world, caring just «how others look at me» - this kind of thing...’
“...A huge fool, that’s what I am.”
After whispering, Haruyuki put strength into his right hand that was frozen and stayed open without power.
It squeaked with ‘Gishi Gishi’ sounds, however the five fingers held tightly together.
He held that fist straight up, and hit his right cheek with all his strength. With a ‘Gatsun’ kind of impact sound, a burning pain ran along his inner teeth. That burning sensation went through all of his virtual nerves, sending signals to his four limbs.
He held his head up. On the crater’s north edge, Black Lotus tried her last resistance against the lethal blade. The dully colored edges of her crossed blades were pushed barely above her head, and the sparks that flew apart displayed her armor’s many scars.
“...Senpai!”
Haruyuki shouted. At the same time, he expanded his wings that now have power, and flew straight out.
Gliding along the crater’s bottom at almost full speed, he flew towards the edge that was Chrome Disaster’s blind spot.
“U... Oo!”
With his roar, the punch that was aimed for the black silver armor, was barely blocked by the right gauntlet.
However, at the moment when one hand was removed from the sword, Kuroyukihime thrust her two hands forward with a psyche.
With a ‘Gaan!’ impact sound, the blade was bounced away, and Chrome Disaster was pushed back a few meters. It did not seem to disturb his stance, and he soon held his sword low, while under the hood the fangs fiercely grinded.
“Ruruu... Ruoo...!!”
That sound, was clearly filled with anger.
While his whole body shook with terror, Haruyuki stood against that, and covered Black Lotus behind him. Maybe she used up all her strength, Kuroyukihime stuck one arm on the ground as a cane, and eventually stood up with that, then moved to Haruyuki’s left side.
“Then, Haruyuki-kun. - For one game, let’s lose in a cool way.”
Haruyuki involuntarily made a wry smile, and nodded.
“Yes, senpai.”
He lowered his waist, spread his legs apart, and took a martial art like stance.
Kuroyukihime who was beside him too, held her sword hands up and got ready.
One second later, a few things happened one after another.
Chrome Disaster roared in anger and lifted his sword up.
For Haruyuki who was concentrating on that slash, on his left side, he saw some kind of shining light.
Kuroyukihime’s right sword hand flashed with a fierce speed - and the flat side of her sword hit Haruyuki’s chest with all her strength.
He was knocked flying behind easily, and while he was tumbling on the ground with surprise, he saw a crimson wall of light in front of him.
From his left side - he realized it was a beam attack fired from center of the crater, and with the fearsome scaled explosion that was initiated, he was again blown flying back, more than ten meters this time. He used both hands in reaction to protect himself from the oncoming heat and shock wave, even so the HP gauge in his view’s upper left lowered, and his body gave out unpleasant metallic sounds here and there.
All of his nerves felt sharp pain and burning sensation on them, so Haruyuki just lay on the ground with arms and legs open while breathing hard. He could not even scream, and while he waited for the pain of his shaking body to lessen, a huge question marked wind blew in his head.
Why did that happen - the Yellow legion should have retreated without leaving a single long range type behind. Or did they come back half way and cut into the fight? But with that kind of power. It’s not just a gun. It’s a tank’s - no, a battleship’s main gun kind of overwhelming power.
When he waveringly pushed himself up with his right hand that finally had feeling returned, in front of his eyes.
With a ‘Gashaa’ kind of hard sound, something fell.
A deeply cracked, pieces missing black armor. The transparent gloss was lost, only brutal scorch marks remained. From the four swords, the left arm and left leg ones were half broken, the mirror face goggles also had spider web like cracks running on it.
“Ku...”
Haruyuki put out a raspy sound, and his sharp pain was blown away and forgotten.
“Kuroyukihime senpai!!”
He held her up in a daze, and from various places on her body many black fragments fell down. The avatar that lay slack without any strength was very light, from the damaged places, blue purple sparks that looked like blood came spraying out.
In front of him, came another heavy metallic sound. He lifted his head up on reaction, and saw that a bit away, the shape of Chrome Disaster kneeling on one knee with head lowered. His damage was also severe. The black silver armor was covered with soot, and a few places had large depressions. Inside the hood type helmet, there was unstable darkness, and the sword that flew somewhere could not be seen.
The destruction even changed the terrain of the field.
The Ikebukuro crater north edge that became the battle field till now was carved another small crater, with places burning and thick smoke going up. The cannon fire cut through everything and went north, buildings were uprooted and mow down, and a new road was made going towards the Green highway.
And then finally, Haruyuki fearfully turned his head south.
The scene that his eyes captured, Haruyuki had already half guessed. However he did not want to believe it. He determined logically that there could be nothing else, but his feeling strongly resisted it, and that conflict became tears that distorted his vision.
“Why... why did you do that... Niko.”
The fortress avatar that he thought was so broken that it could no longer move, the Red King, Scarlet Rain’s right arm main cannon was lifted up, pointing straight at the center of the new crater. The large size gun barrel released heat, and the haze made the surrounding waver.
The attack that was fired from that cannon - probably the highest rank special attack skill, swallowed Kuroyukihime and Chrome Disaster whole, and there was no doubt about the huge damage it caused.
Haruyuki grinded his teeth, and look at Niko’s eyes in between the armor plates. However those red lens did not take notice of Haruyuki nor Black Lotus that was in his arms.
“...Why!!”
Haruyuki screamed, and the Red King remained silent. In exchange the thrusters on her back and bottom sides shone, and the huge body that was the «Immobile Fortress» slowly started to move forward.
When it started moving, it was surprisingly fast, and it quickly shrunk the crater’s radius distance.
“Ruu... u...”
That moan, came from Chrome Disaster who curved up like a wounded beast. Sensing the approach of the Red King, it crawled on all fours and waveringly retreated north. From the many wounds on the armor, red black «Automatic Repair» lights covering them can be seen. However the wounds were way too deep, and they could not be easily healed.
As if chasing a knight that lost and ran away, the crimson fortress’ shape appeared on the crater’s edge. That majesty, Haruyuki looked at while crying.
“Wh... y...”
His shaking voice, once again leaked from his throat. At that moment, the fortress stopped its forward movement.
Turning to look up at the avatar standing right in front of him, Haruyuki took a deep breath and called out.
“Niko! ...No, Scarlet Rain!! You haven’t forgotten right... if y-you take down senpai... Black Lotus will lose all her points!!”
Kuroyukihime in his arm, still remained unconscious. From the degree of damage, it can be clearly seen that her HP gauge has little remaining.
To Haruyuki’s accusation, the Red King replied in one short sentence with no feeling.
“What about it.”
To the speechless Haruyuki, he was continued to be showered by a young yet cold sound.
“For a Burst Linker, any Burst Linker aside from yourself is an enemy. If you get taken down by an enemy you lose points. When it becomes zero, you are forever retired. That is all it is about.”
“B... but... we... you and us are...”
“Comrades?”
With a heavy sound, Scarlet Rain’s main cannon hit the burnt ground. A blade sharp sound, cut through the air in the last remaining sunlight.
“You guys are so sweet that it makes me want to puke! Listen, I will teach you one final thing. In the accelerated world... something that you can believe in doesn’t exist!! Comrades, friends, legion... and also «Parent Child»’s bonds, are all just illusions!!”
With her shout that was like blazing flames, at the same time, the Red King removed all of her badly damaged armor containers.
From inside the enhanced armament that disappeared like melting into air, a delicate avatar appeared, and it jumped down onto the ground.
The crimson female type avatar’s armor, still maintained a ruby like shine even now. However only the front part of her left elbow was cruelly full of cracks, and small sparks flew out.
That should be hurting, but with an action as if she isn’t feeling it, she straightened her back and the avatar’s face turned slightly towards Haruyuki. Inside the two round lens, he seem to see a high temperature flame roaring.
“...After I have disposed of that guy, I will deal with you guys properly. If you don’t like it, run away right now. The next time we meet... we are enemies.”
After informing him with a cold voice, the Red King looked back ahead. She pulled her large handgun from her waist, and slid the gun body while walking away.
Where she was heading, was towards Chrome Disaster, with his whole body wounds showing blood color lights, he crawled straight north. He was supposed to be closer to the center of the explosion than Kuroyukihime, so he must have really surprising stamina to be able to still move like that. However, right now he cannot move at half of Niko’s walking speed, so it’s impossible for him to retreat.
While holding the heavily wounded Kuroyukihime in both arms, in Haruyuki’s view, the two avatars that were slowly closing the distance gap looked blurred.
If it was rational judgement, thinking that Niko’s previous announcement might be acted out, he should escape to Ikebukuro station or Sunshine City Leap Point right now.
However Haruyuki did not move. No, he did not want to move.
If he escaped, then something that is mistaken might be confirmed as a fact. He felt it like that.
Near the exit of one of the block of buildings that the huge beam mowed down to be a road, Niko finally caught up to Chrome Disaster, and casually lifted up her right foot. With a ‘Crunch’ like metallic noise, she kicked the knight avatar down, and the back of his neck was stepped on by Niko’s left foot.
That was an unspeakably sad sight, Haruyuki felt.
To be sure, that devilish armor should be eliminated. And then, to score a special attack on that guy with the transcendental reaction speed, it is also true that he could only be aimed at while he was right before a confrontation with Kuroyukihime.
However - then, what about that night.
In Haruyuki’s home living room, Niko and Kuroyukihime hugging as if they longed for each other while they slept. Surpassing the fate that «Kings» must eventually fight each other, he felt a larger «bond» between the two girls. That scene that made Haruyuki want to cry as he thought of it, was it just one night’s illusion? Just a meaningless coincidence?
Scarlet Rain pushed the handgun in her right hand at the back of Chrome Disaster’s head.
Somehow not able to bear looking at what’s coming up, Haruyuki lowered his head.
- The gun’s sound, however, he could not hear no matter how long he waited.
In exchange, near his ear, a weak sound was issued.
“...Ex-actly... this is why, children... I dislike them...”
It was the wounded, painfully wavering Kuroyukihime’s voice. However in it, there was not a single bit of anger. Haruyuki lifted his head up, and looked at Kuroyukihime’s goggles that were close by.
Inside them, a faint violet light shone. He pushed down the things welling up, and Haruyuki whispered to Kuroyukihime.
“Se... sen-pa...”
He then heard a ‘Gyariin’ metallic sound at that time.
What Haruyuki saw after moving his view was, Chrome Disaster with upper body turned around, and his left hand raised up high. And Scarlet Rain with her right hand-armor fragments scattering.
Dancing high in the sky, was the crimson handgun.
“Wh... why, did you not shoot!!”
Haruyuki shouted without thinking.
There was plenty of time for her as a legion master to use the member punishment «Judgement Blow» to hit Chrome Disaster. To execute that, Niko involved Kuroyukihime in her special attack, and spewed out all those cruel words. Why did she hesitate now?
The one who answered his raising questions, was Kuroyukihime in his arms.
“...That, little girl... is just sulking. Painful... and lonely, so throwing a tantrum...”
“Wh... what!?”
Surprised, Haruyuki looked between his arms and the rubble, and saw Chrome Disaster’s right hand that flashed like a lightning bolt, caught Niko’s throat.
With the right arm that regained a lot of power, he slowly hung the small avatar up. Niko’s right hand held the Armor’s arm, be she did not seem to resist beyond that, and just dangled down. As if, she gave up on everything, after being thrown away.
“That little girl truly... seeks trust more than anyone. As a Burst Linker’s final bond...”
Kuroyukihime murmured in a quiet voice. Haruyuki opened his eyes wide in a daze and asked in return.
“Bo... bond...?”
“That is... correct. I can understand. Those two are... «Parent Child». The Red King is... Disaster’s... no, Cherry Rook’s «child».”
Parent and Child - !? Those two!?
Till now, he had not thought of it like that even once. However, being told that, he can comprehend just one thing.
In the real world, Niko was able to track Cherry Rook’s position in detail. Haruyuki guessed that it was a legion master’s privilege, but it was not that. Niko simply knows about Cherry Rook’s «Real» side. The one and only «parent» who gave her Brain Burst.
Haruyuki was again surprised, and while he was speechless, his eyes saw Kuroyukihime’s gentle eyes return his look. She lifted up her badly damaged right hand, and knocked Haruyuki on the shoulder.
“Hey, what are you doing. I am... fine. Go and help... Niko... our comrade.”
At that instant.
From Haruyuki’s eyes, unsuppressed tears flowed out.
He did not understand the reason. However, he felt that some kind of huge hot thing born inside his chest, and wanted to rise.
“...Yes!”
He gave a big nod.
After laying Kuroyukihime’s body flat there, Haruyuki stood up. With a sharp sound, he opened the wings on his back wide.
Far away, Niko who was hung up, Chrome Disaster’s jaw closed in on the top of her shoulder. Haruyuki took a deep breath, and held his right hand in a fist - .
“...Ooo!”
With that roar, fiercely kicked the ground.
After a few steps of running, he flapped the two wings of metallic fins with all his strength.
His feet left the ground, and Haruyuki became a silver beam that shot forward into the sky.
Towards the far away rubble road, where the mad Armor was about to devour Niko - his own Linker «child»’s body, Haruyuki closed in bit by bit. With his right fist strongly held together, and body leaning forward -
“Stop ittt!”
With that yell, Haruyuki’s fist that was covered by blinding light, hit the deep black jaw in the center.
With a ‘Crunch’ sound, the silver flash split open the lurking darkness. After a pause, as if repulsed by an explosive force, Chrome Disaster was bent back and blown flying away. He bounced on the rubble, then rolled more than ten meters, and fell down with his arms and legs spread apart.
After folding his wings and landing, Haruyuki found out with a glance that «Punch» just now cost half of his special attack gauge, then he looked down at the crimson avatar kneeling beside him.
Niko who was holding her throat that was caught by Disaster and coughing, lifted her head and glared at Haruyuki with eyes that had flames returned to them.
“Y... you bastard... why...”
“I came to help you.”
With the heat rising up from the bottom of his body, he used a more violent speech style that he normally would not have.
“We are... comrades, that’s why.”
Niko who was momentary breathless, stiffened her body, and wrung out a raspy sound.
“This, bastard... even though you are a small fry, trying to be... cool...”
“You too, even though you are a King, how long are you planning to be so poor.”
Haruyuki kicked the crimson handgun that had fallen right by him with his right foot up, and grabbed the barrel in the air.
He held the grip out to Niko, and continued saying.
“...He, Cherry Rook can only be helped by you, Niko. For him, Brain Burst is just a curse now. Release him from it.”
Inside the round lens, red lights wavered with hesitation.
But one second later, her extended right hand, strongly grabbed the gun.
“Aa... I know. I understand.”
With that whisper, the Red King that soon stood up, stepped on the ground with her left foot loudly as if to shake off something, and looked forward.
Chrome Disaster that was blown away, was raising his upper body at that moment. Holding his face that was hit by Haruyuki with his right hand, and his throat rang in panic.
He probably no longer has the strength to stand up. The red black light that was trying to repair his whole body’s damage had mostly disappeared, and instead from the wounds drips of darkness came out like blood.
“Cherry.”
Niko called with a quiet sound as her feet stepped out.
“Let’s end it. The game that is just painful and tough, there’s no meaning to continue.”
In between the fingers that were covering the helmet, Chrome Disaster’s red eyes faintly shining could be seen.
He lifted up the left hand that was pushing on the ground, with an ‘I surrender’, like gesture the palm faced the sky.
‘Did he regain his rationality?’ Haruyuki thought that for an instant.
- However.
Suddenly, without any preparation, the heavy looking black silver avatar danced up with fierce speed.
“What...”
In the view of Haruyuki who shouted, at a steel beam that was sticking out the top of a mostly broken down five storey building, Disaster had reached that place. He turned backwards, and again, as if sucked in by the air, jumped above.
While staring at the shape that got smaller and smaller, Haruyuki blurted out.
“Fl... «Flight Ability»!?”
“Wrong, it’s «Super Long Distance Jump»!”
Niko answered in an urgent sound.
“...He wants to logout at the Sunshine City Leap Point. If he escape from here... there won’t be another chance...”
Cherry Rook that is covered by that armor, must have realized that his «child», legion master Niko traced his movements with some kind of method. After logging out, he would surely find a counter for that, and then the «Wait and Ambush in Unlimited Neutral Field» kind of tactic could not be used again.
Haruyuki ground his inner teeth, then stared at the Red King and said.
“Niko. This time be sure to shoot. The «Judgement Blow».”
“...Long-winded. I will shoot. For his sake.”
“Then...”
Finally, it’s time for the original plan with Silver Crow to chase and capture Chrome Disaster to start. After that, all he has to do is fly. With that determination, Haruyuki clearly announced.
“...Until Niko catches up, I will hold Disaster down.”
After an instant of speechlessness, Niko tilted her head slightly.
“O... one person is impossible! Even though you can say he is wounded, he can still move like that. Instead of capturing him, you would be eaten up!”
“...”
Haruyuki took a quick glance at the deep black shape that was still lying far south at the crater’s edge.
Soon his eyes turned back, and said forcefully.
“Then I will hold out till being eaten at that time!”
With a ‘Crunch’ rubble sound he changed his direction - .
Haruyuki opened his wings wide, and left the ground in a straight line.
He flew out of the half broken buildings, and gained altitude, then soon saw the dully shining avatar. He had already went about 300 meters northeast, and with tremendous long distance jumping from one building top to another going further away.
After confirming with his glance below, that the crimson avatar started to run northeast as well, Haruyuki took a deep breath, and with a rumble sound, started flying.
His two hands stuck straight in front, and charged forward while cutting the virtual air. He soon flew past the Green highway, then he went into the crossing capital number five highway and continued to accelerate.
The towering Sunshine City that he was heading for was just right ahead. Of course, that shape was not the grey colored high-rise building in the real world. Made up of bluish sharp steel trusses, and piercing through the dark clouds like a huge tower where a demon king lived. The shopping mall at its base was also changed to a desolate courtyard, the space with cracked tiles, black trees with twisted branches spread wide here and there.
There was a big set of stairs that passed through the courtyard to the tower from the street, and there he saw a blue white light filling the entrance. That was probably the «Leap Point». If he escaped there, then there won’t be another chance to capture Chrome Disaster in the Unlimited Neutral Field.
That Disaster, while leaving a deep black blood trail, continued to jump in a zigzag way from one building near the highway to another. The fierce speed from not just any jump, however, it was obviously slower than Silver Crow’s flight.
‘- Catching up!’
Haruyuki held his breath and calculated his rapid descent timing. First he has to knock the Armor to the ground, and then stop his movement.
While maintaining more than enough altitude, Haruyuki reached the blind spot right above the opponent, and the Armor reached the top of another building, then at the moment he jumped towards the next target, Haruyuki entered a full speed dive.
He stuck the tip of his right foot out, and descended like a sharp wedge. Maybe he heard the sound of air being cut, the Armor’s helmet turned to look up. But he should not be able to dodge while in his jump path. The strongly shining tip, headed towards the back of the badly wounded armor -
“Wh... what!?”
Right before that, something improbable happened.
Chrome Disaster that was in the middle of a jump, as if seeing some kind of omen, changed his path to the right.
With a ‘Zaa’ kind of brushing sound, Haruyuki missed kicking his target. He would be buried in the building right below like that, so he controlled both wings with full strength, and barely succeeded in slowing down.
With a ‘Boom’ loud noise release, Haruyuki landed on both feet, and watched in shock as Chrome Disaster flew away to the right side.
‘What was that just now!?’ No matter what kind of long distance jump, while in the middle of a jump there is no way to change the path in the air. If that is possible, then for sure that would be the same as Haruyuki’s «flight», it could only be concluded like that.
Hastily leaving the ground again, Haruyuki chased after Disaster. Until the Leap Point at Sunshine City, there was only two or three jump’s distance left.
For an unknown reason, when the opponent can change its path in the air, he probably can no longer score a hit with a straight dive kick. If it is like that, then he would have to brave the danger of being captured, and try to attack in a close contact chase.
“...Ooo.”
With a short psyche, Haruyuki accelerated all at once, and closed in near the black silver armor’s back. Then, the Armor again made a left turn, and he unreasonably followed the turn. With the centripetal force on his whole body, his avatar creaked.
While grinding his teeth, his held fist hit towards that back, at that time. Again, Chrome Disaster showed him an unthinkable action.
This time right below, sinking almost straight down. With his punch cutting the air, Haruyuki flew past his target, and turned left while diving to aim for the opponent after it landed.
No matter what, just at the instance both feet landed on the building top, to thrust for the next jump he should stop. To the falling Disaster’s shape, with his unreasonable moves, Haruyuki desperately tried to continue capturing him in his view in the dim light, and calculated his timing.
The Armor’s body became round, looked up, and extended his right arm.
And then Haruyuki saw a third startling scene.
The heavy metal avatar that should have a huge mass, rapidly decelerated in the air. With movements as if gravity was turned upside down, he momentarily stopped in the empty space, then again flew straight up. Haruyuki who again missed his target, his right foot cut through only air as he turned around - .
In his wide open eyes, he finally saw it.
Chrome Disaster who ascended in a sharp angle, and towards the somewhat high building he was heading to, between them, was a very small red line, that shone for an instant.
It’s not a beam. That was a reflection from the last remaining sunlight that came in between the buildings.
It is a wire.
Inside Haruyuki’s brain, from the earlier Chrome Disaster’s fierce battles, the strange grip skill that he showed flashback one after another. The Yellow legion’s long range avatar, and the rock that Kuroyukihime kicked up, was improbably sucked in by the Armor’s open palm skill - that, also Disaster’s long distance jump and mid air movement, are all the same principle. Fire from both hands, an ultra small wire with anchor attached hit the target object and sucked it back in. Or hit a stationary object and pull itself up with it.
In Haruyuki’s view, Chrome Disaster who ascended with very high speed coiling of the wire, disappeared between the buildings.
While rising again to chase after him, Haruyuki desperately thought.
To interfere with that jump, all he has to do is cut the wire that was in the air.
But would he be able to cut it with his knife or kick? That heavy looking avatar, furthermore while in descending speed was being supported easily. The hooking power of the anchor, and the wire’s load carrying capacity, must be thought of as to the ultimate range. He won’t be able to cut it, or on the other hand might be damaged by it.
Haruyuki who desperately turned his thinking wheel as he rapidly ascended, saw Chrome Disaster landing on the top of a building with a curved roof.
On the other side of that building is Sunshine City. Just one more jump and he will reach that tower. What should he do? How will he stop him?
Disaster extended his right hand towards the tower’s blue black wall.
That sharp five fingered claw form opened. In the center, a flash of wire being fired shone.
“- That’s it!!”
At that moment, Haruyuki shouted after being visited by revelation. It could be said to be a reckless tactic, but he no longer had any method other than that.
Putting all his energy into the white silver metallic fins that made up his wings, Haruyuki aimed straight for the Sunshine and went forward. The small avatar was covered by dots of light, and trailed a tail in the sky like a comet. Soon he caught up to Chrome Disaster and went past him, then over the road, and kept flying.
More - more, «accelerate» more!
With his increase in speed, the world’s shape started changing. Relatively speaking, everything other than himself started to decelerate.
Haruyuki who went forward like a brilliant laser, ahead in his view, he accurately captured it. Chrome Disaster’s right hand that aimed for the tower’s outer wall and fired the wire. The ultra small hook at the tip of that wire.
“U... O...o!!”
With that roar and final acceleration, Haruyuki started a shallow angle dive, with his flight trajectory aiming to cross the wire.
A ‘Kan’ kind of sound passed through his body, and he felt something ate into the center of his back.
Right after, a tremendous weight wanted to pull Haruyuki back. He resisted that, expanding all the acceleration he had, and Haruyuki continued to move forward.
That weight lessened. Chrome Disaster’s body that was behind the wire, floated in the sky behind him. Without looking behind, in Haruyuki’s brain, the Armor that was connected to him and flying at the same speed in the sky appeared.
Disaster controlled the wire’s coiling speed, so as not to crash into the thing that he hooked onto while landing. However being pulled like this, he should no longer have any skill to slow himself down.
In front of his eyes, the outer wall of the huge tower that reached for the sky closed in. While glaring at the numerous big steel beams that made up the surface of the wall, Haruyuki endured the terror and calculated timing. If he was too early then he would give Disaster time to land, and if too late he would crash into the tower as well.
‘- Here, here,’
“It is!”
With that shout, Haruyuki turned straight up to the limit of angle allowed. All the joints in his whole body creaked, and sharp pain ran in them. One steel beam’s tip lightly scratched from his chest to his stomach. While trailing orange sparks, Haruyuki rose while sticking to Sunshine’s wall, and at the same time slowed down his speed.
Right after that.
With an impact sound that shook the whole Ikebukuro area, Chrome Disaster’s huge body crashed into the tower’s wall.
The tower itself trembled, with broken material and glass blown apart like explosions. The energy wave that was created, became blue white sparks that flew through the air.
The wire that extended from Haruyuki’s back, was sucked into the huge hole on the wall around ten floors high in the tower.
With mushy quiet echos, a large amount of water spew out from that hole while Haruyuki looked on in amazement. If he concentrated on looking, he could see large and small strange sea creatures in the water as well. They danced in the air as the remaining sunlight reflected red light from their scales, and they fell to the ground floor courtyard and bounced around.
In the real world Sunshine City, that location should be the aquarium, Haruyuki realized in a daze. Probably that was also recreated in this accelerated world, and the water tank was broken by Disaster’s crash.
After huge fishes and amphibians flowed out, at the end something like a lump of metal was pushed out of the huge hole, and caught by a bend steel beam.
It was Chrome Disaster. He was so broken up that his original shape no longer remained.
The right arm was half smashed to pieces, and the right foot was like crushed iron scrap. The armor was broken and crushed, with almost none of its usual shine.
From the numerous wounds, a fearsome amount of black liquid flowed out, and before they reached the ground, they dissolved in the air and disappeared. With all those, that he did not get eliminated from the field right this instant, was strange enough.
Haruyuki blinked hard once, then listened to himself saying that this is not the time to be emotional, and prepared to lower Disaster to the ground with the wire that was still connecting them. Niko should reach that place soon.
He rose up slightly, and the wire that was pulled tight brought the Armor’s right arm up.
- At that moment.
“Ruu... oooOOOOOO!!”
Suddenly, a tremendous volume roar was sent out.
Chrome Disaster raised his head, and in his hood like helmet, many long and large fangs of darkness appeared, and opened wide.
His right hand grabbed the air like a claw - and Haruyuki’s body was pulled in with unspeakable force.
After falling for a few meters, Haruyuki used all his strength to move his wings, and resisted the demonic pull. The wire that was pulled tight rang with a ‘Giriri’ sound. Right in front of him, hungry fangs opened and closed.
“Gu... O...”
Groaning, Haruyuki desperately resisted. Chrome Disaster’s «feed on prey» has damage repair function. If he got eaten up here, then that guy that healed up will again go after Niko, and also Kuroyukihime will be attacked.
Turning his eyes away from the fearsome jaw, Haruyuki looked straight up into the sky.
In the Unlimited Neutral Field sky that was getting covered by darkness of night, it was mostly filled with deep black clouds, but in between those he could see a few stars.
He extended his right hand all the way towards the biggest red star in that group. Holding his fist tight, Haruyuki also roared.
“U... O...O - .”
With a ‘Douu!’ vibration sound in the air, the silver wings’ thrust overcame the steel thread’s pull. Haruyuki who went forward as if shot out, while dangling the Armor below him, flew up with a fierce speed close to the outer wall of Sunshine. The impact wave shook the wall like a ripple, and following behind, was glass breaking.
Haruyuki who reached the top of the tower in a few seconds, kicked a strange thorn that stuck out horizontally from its edge, and changed his body’s direction on reaction.
He headed towards Chrome Disaster that was pulled flying by the wire.
“U... Raa!!”
At the same time as that shout, his right foot kicked into the Armor’s throat area. With a dull metallic sound, the helmet’s bottom half was blown apart, and the fangs of darkness also crumbled.
In that posture, this time he started a full speed descent. The white silver and black silver avatars became one and fell to the ground like a shooting star.
- Then.
With a ‘Boo’ sound, the darkness inside Disaster’s helmet was all blown away.
What appeared from inside, was a bright pink, simple mask.
The horizontal oval eyes dimly shone, and a small sound leaked from the mouth. With the remains of innocence, a boy’s voice.
“...I... strong... want to become. Just that...”
While continuing to dive, Haruyuki opened his eyes wide. He met the peeking like eyes, and the pink colored avatar again murmured.
“If it is you, then... you understand right? You too, power... want it right...?”
At the moment he heard those words - .
Deep in his body, Haruyuki felt an emotion with fierce heat erupting.
That was anger. Overwhelming fury.
“Want to become strong... you said?”
Haruyuki concentrated all the thrust from his wings towards the right foot on the Armor’s neck, and he said that. His voice slowly changing to a shout that was sent out.
“That’s why you want to say everything is forgivable!? Wearing that armor, attacking many avatars, and wanting to eat your child, Niko, you want to say all that was justified?!”
The dive already passed half of the tower. If he doesn’t retreat soon, he will be in danger as well. He understood that, however Haruyuki could not stop releasing his words.
‘Wanting to become strong’. Those were truly words that he repeated recently like a curse. Thinking of being inferior to everyone else, he became involved in a reckless training. But, arriving in the battle field today, and gotten past many different fighting situations, Haruyuki finally realized that he had forgotten something important.
Strength is absolutely not something relative.
Winning or losing in a duel, above or below someone, those kind of superficial reference is worthless.
It’s yourself. The only absolute reference is within yourself.
“It’s not just you!”
Haruyuki wrung out all his sound, and shouted.
“Niko as well... senpai too... Taku and other Burst Linkers... Chiyu, the guys in school, and teachers, everyone thinks like that!! Wanting to become strong, wanting to live strongly... everything painful, wanting to face with your own power, everyone thinks like that!!”
Not able to withstand the falling speed, the cracked armor fragments that broke off became points of light and disappeared. The darkness that leaked out from numerous wounds also, at the moment they touched the wall of air, were burnt up by friction.
The avatar under the helmet, no longer said anything.
Haruyuki neither decelerated nor retreated, and rushed forward with the Armor as one body.
At the center of the large stairs extending from the tower’s entrance, the two avatars that were locked together crash landed with fearsome speed, and finally, it caused a huge explosion.
