Accel World - Volume 25 - Chapter 14

14

The milky-white sky of the Sacred Ground stage changed to a transparent darkness. All the buildings were replaced with a cluster of white lights. Cyan Pile, Graphite Edge, Trilead Tetroxide, Centaurea Sentry, Lavender Downer, and Metatron had become twinkling stars of different colors.

And in the center of his field of view, a terrifyingly massive vortex of energy swirled, the likes of which he’d never seen on the Highest Level. Compared with this, the Armor of Catastrophe, Mark II, was nothing more than a speck of stardust. This was a black hole to swallow everything.

“See? There’s nothing to be done about a thing like this, hmm?”

He heard a voice from behind and looked back.

Standing there was White Cosmos, depicted in white light. Perhaps because this was her usual armor color, or usual air, she didn’t seem much different on the Highest Level.

“You…Did you know this would happen?” Haruyuki asked slowly.

“No.” Cosmos shook her head gently. “I thought they would attempt to get you back, but I didn’t think you could destroy all six crowns at once—not when they’re immune to physical attack, flame, corrosion. Tezcatlipoca was supposed to react exactly according to my program and capture you and the rescue team in the gravitational constraints and pin you to the ground until I arrived. But you all constantly surpass my expectations. You can take pride in that,” she said, as if consoling him.

“Pride?!” he shouted back, clenching his hands into fists. “I— Because of my foolishness, I put my precious comrades in the absolute worst situation!”

He fell to his knees on invisible ground. Beaten and battered in the Unlimited Neutral Field, Silver Crow was uninjured in this world, but he was unaware of this as he squeezed words out of his constricted throat. “If I’d just…If I’d just looked at Tezcatlipoca from the Highest Level…If I’d seen this, I would never have thought I could escape.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered. Lotus and your comrades would have carried out a rescue mission whatever you said, yes? That’s Nega Nebulus’s strength. And its weakness.”

“…”

He wanted to argue with her, but he didn’t have the strength left for that. Instead, he looked once more at the enormous black hole, still on his knees on the ground.

“Is this the end, then? Is it going to crush everyone and then keep going to destroy the Unlimited Neutral Field? I…pushed the end button. Is that it?” he whispered.

“The reason I was able to tame it was because I stepped into the first and final opening it had, in the middle of the activation sequence after it appeared from inside Inti,” the White King responded, her kindly voice even. “There won’t be another opportunity like that. However.”

“However?” He looked up at her.

“However, there is a possibility. Of all the Burst Linkers, I alone might be able to stop it one more time. Perhaps.”

“Why…you alone?”

“Because I was consumed by it a long, long time ago,” she said, her voice strangely calm.

Haruyuki couldn’t understand the meaning of these mysterious words and was about to ask what she meant, but then he realized he had a more important role there now. This was already the only thing he could do.

“Please, White King. Please stop it. Before it erases everyone.” He sat formally on his knees, pressed his hands to the ground, and entreated White Cosmos.

She cocked her head slightly to one side. “What advantage is there for me in doing that? What kind of reason would I have for saving them when they’re trying to eliminate Oscillatory Universe from the Accelerated World?”

“…”

Haruyuki clenched his hands and took two deep breaths. “I…” His throat threatened to close over, but he pushed the words out. “I’ll transfer to Oscillatory Universe. I’ll work as hard as I can for you. So…So.”

It was all he could do to say that much.

The White King’s elegant face mask showed no expression whatsoever as she pushed further. “You? You’re telling me to throw away the chance to eliminate high rankers, including the Anomaly—and he might even be stronger than a king—to get ahold of you, when you’re still a mere babe?”

“…Yes. That’s all I have to offer you. Just my life and my loyalty.”

“Mmm. Hmm.” White Cosmos tilted her head back and fell into thought, while in front of her, Haruyuki moved to press his forehead to the ground.

But before he could, a new, cold voice echoed through space.

“I shall also move to the White Legion with Crow.”

Haruyuki looked back to see the Archangel Metatron, wings on her back spread wide, her normally closed eyes now wide open.

“…?!”

He reflexively stood up and thrust both hands out at her. “Y-you can’t, Metatron! You have to stay in Nega Nebulus! You have to keep everyone—keep her safe for me!”

“You…fool!!” the Archangel cried, particles of light—tears—spilling from her eyes. She raced over to him and whapped him on the shoulder with her fist before stretching that hand around to his back to pull him close. Her other hand held his head firmly and when she spoke again, her voice was anguished.

“I…Do you have any idea how lonely I was during these ten years I spent recuperating?! I do not wish to be apart from you any longer! If you go to the White Legion, then so shall I!”

“…Metatron.” It was all Haruyuki could do to say her name.

Earnestly pushing back whatever it was that threatened to spill from his chest, he turned his face and looked at the White King.

A slight, mysterious smile had come across Cosmos’s face mask as she looked at them. Her gentle voice broke the ongoing silence.

“I suppose.” She nodded slowly and her tone changed somewhat. “Silver Crow. Being Metatron. I will trade the lives of those five others for your move to my Legion. Crow, swear your loyalty.”

Haruyuki obediently pulled away from Metatron and took a step toward the White King.

I’m sorry, Kuroyukihime. He lowered his eyes and apologized to Kuroyukihime in his heart before kneeling.

When he put his hand on his left hip, Lucid Blade materialized there. With one hand on the guard, he unsheathed it and offered the hilt to his new king.

White Cosmos accepted the sword and tapped Silver Crow’s left shoulder with its tip. “From this moment on, you are my knight. You will obey only my orders and spend your life only for me.”

“Yes.” Haruyuki bowed his head deeply, and Metatron knelt beside him.

The White King thrust the sword into the ground. Lucid Blade stood up straight in the virtual space, and the slender pointed toes on the other side of it changed direction slightly.

When he looked up, the White King was staring at the swirling black hole with an unreadable expression on her face.

To be continued.