Accel World - Volume 18 - Chapter Aft

AFTERWORD

Thank you so much for reading Accel World 18: The Black Dual Swordsman.

First of all, I apologize for once again making you wait eight months since the last volume. I’m going to do my best to deliver the next volume to you at my previous pace, so please forgive me!

Now, then. In Volume 18, the last of the Four Elements, Graphite Edge, finally makes an appearance, and the executives of the first Nega Nebulus are together. Although Kuroyukihime, Fuko, and the others don’t appear to be too moved at their reunion…(LOL). With his demeanor, his position, the names of his special attacks, and so much more, Graph is quirky in all kinds of ways, but he’s a valuable (?) male character, so please do cheer him on!

This is changing the subject, but as a general rule, up to now, Accel World has been written from the limited third-person perspective of the protagonist Haruyuki. But with that single viewpoint, there comes the fact that I can only write the things that Haruyuki saw or heard, and when the number of complex scenes with simultaneous development in different places increases together with the increase in the number of characters, the story just doesn’t come together with Haruyuki’s viewpoint alone, and so the perspectives of other characters have been added since around Volume 15. We’ve had scenes from the point of view of Kuroyukihime, Pard, Magenta Scissor, aka Rui Odagiri, and in this volume, scenes from the perspective of Utai Shinomiya and Chocolat Puppeter, aka Shihoko Nago.

The number of things I can write about has increased—or rather, the number of things I have to write about has increased, so in order to progress with the story, I’d prefer not to add too many characters’ perspectives. But on the other hand, it is quite a bit of fun to write these new perspectives. In particular, the scene with Shihoko and the members of Petit Paquet was quite novel for me, with its tone like a slice-of-life comedy novel, which I’ve never done before (LOL). If I can find the opportunity, I’d like to do their part again, a little longer next time.

The story is at last (or perhaps I should say finally…) moving toward the conclusion of the two pillars of the tale that are the Castle and the Acceleration Research Society. I intend to do my best to retrieve the countless bits of foreshadowing I’ve sown aimlessly up to now, so I do hope you will all join me for the ride!

Additionally, as in the previous volume, this volume collects a previously unpublished story that was a perk for the TV anime Accel World Blu-Ray and DVD release, “Prominence Trajectory.” I would like to once again thank those involved who allowed me to print it here, as well as everyone who watched the anime version.

Thank you also to illustrator HIMA, who drew so cutely the three members of Petit Paquet and the Coba-Manga sisters who appeared here in the real for the first time, and my editor, Miki, who took the greatest of pains in arranging for this and that and doing traffic control! We will meet again in Volume 19!

Reki Kawahara

On a certain day in April 2015