After school, Haruyuki learned about a lot of things from Kuroyukihime. Then when he stepped out of the school, he challenged Ash Roller once again and started their match once again and, of course, Haruyuki won this match.
Ash Roller, who had lost, became very annoyed.
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"
Ash Roller didn't expect what Haru had told him before to become the truth. He had lost against Haruyuki who was a newbie that he had defeated in the morning which was quite shameful, but at the same time, he became even more scared of Haru, especially when that guy was brave enough to threaten his boss.
Ash Roller was a part of the "Great Wall" Legion which was being led by the Green King, Green Grande. He was only level 2 and he didn't think that he would be able to defeat Haru, especially with Sumire, Tabane, and Charlotte beside him at that time. Even so, he thought that Haru and his group were very cool since the four of them dared to challenge his boss.
"Cool! But I'll quickly level up and challenge them! Oh, right! I'll have my revenge too!"
---
Haruyuki and Kuroyukihime went to the cafe to celebrate Haruyuki's first victory.
Haruyuki ordered a melon soda with a sundae and Kuroyukihime ordered black tea. The cafe was fairly quiet and there weren't many guests within which made it very comfortable for both of them. Ignoring the sound of the quiet music, both of them talked about Haruyuki's match.
"Congratulations on your first victory. You'll become Level 2 soon if you carry on like that."
"Thanks... but I can't even imagine leveling up."
"It's a long, hard road. Not many of the estimated 1000 Burst Linkers have made it to Level 4. At Level 7 and 8 you become the leader of the Legion."
"So those fours are amazing?"
"Yes, and it might be because of them that the "brain burst" has become even more lively lately."
Haruyuki suddenly remembered something and asked, "Legion?"
"Yes, like a guild or team that you often see in online games."
"Is "Pets" a Legion?"
"Yes, but the Pets is only a small Legion."
Kuroyukihime showed a hologram map of the territory of many Legions within Tokyo.
"Currently, Accel World has six major legions ruling over the different zones. Each one is led by one of the six Level 9 Burst Linkers. Their colors are blue, red, yellow, green, purple, and white; and they're known as "The Six Kings or Pure Color"."
"I have never heard of a game where only six people have reached the max level?"
"I didn't say Level 9 was the maximum."
"Eh, so how many people are Level 10?"
"The Brain Burst 2039 program was released seven years ago anonymously. Due to its harsh rules, no one has ever reached Level 10."
"Do you have to win tons of fights? Such as 10,000 wins?"
"No, just five. They just have to be against Level 9 opponents. It only takes one loss to wipe out all your points, and the program will uninstall automatically."
"...."
Haruyuki was dumbfounded when he heard such a requirement to become Level 10.
"Do you know how this program has remained a secret for seven years?"
"No."
"It's due to such strict conditions."
"Huh?"
"The main one is to have had a Neuro-Linker installed at birth. And since Neuro-Linkers have only been available for fifteen years, there are no adult Burst Linkers. Because they are children, they try to protect their special privilege. And since no evidence remains of when it was uninstalled, any talk of it is dismissed as a child's fantasy."
Sipping black tea, Kuroyukihime continued, but couldn't help but sigh when it had become lukewarm.
"Two years ago, the young Kings all reached Level 9 around the same time and were informed by the system that such harsh rules to become Level 10 existed. Did this lead to a bloody, all-out struggle?
"No, the Kings chose to languish indefinitely. They made a peace treaty and consolidated their realms in Accel World. It's absurd. Considering all the Burst Linkers, they had been killed to reach Level 9."
"Until the "Pets" come..." Haruyuki couldn't help but say and ask, "So do you plan on challenging the Six Kings of Pure Color too, Senpai?"
"No, before the "Pets", I've already done that."
"Huh?"
"There used to be Seven Kings. While they were rivals, there was a strong bond between them. Until one night two years ago, when the Black King betrayed and attacked them."
"The Black King?"
"That would be me, Black Lotus."
Kuroyukihime introduced herself to Haruyuki.
"I alone reject peace and argue that we should all fight and risk it all. When my plan was rejected. I... Beheaded the anti-war Red King! He lost his Brain Burst instantly. His girlfriend, the Purple King, started screaming and the Blue King became enraged. I fought in a furious frenzy, but was unable to get any of the others. After 30 minutes were up, I linked out."
"....."
Haruyuki didn't say anything but quietly listened.
"I've been hiding ever since. In Accel World, I'm loathed as a traitor, with a huge bounty on my head. I'm a lowly coward."
"But why?"
"I wanted to reach Level 10 more than anything. The game said Level 10 Burst Linkers would meet the creator and discover its true meaning, its ultimate purpose." Kuroyukihime took a deep breath and said, "I'm desperate to find that out. We accelerate and fight for the rewards of becoming rich, successful, and famous; but is that all there is? There's got to be more, so much more, beyond our human shell."
"...."
Haruyuki could only be mesmerised by Kuroyukihime and hoped that he could be some help for Kuroyukihime to achieve her goal.
Then they continued to talk about a lot of things inside the cafe.
---
Haru, Tabane, Charlotte, and Sumire had studied a lot of things during their stay in this world. Truthfully, their stay in this world was very wonderful, especially when they had gotten a lot of information about the virtual world and various things.
Haru also got a lot of business ideas and copied various famous works in this world that he could copy later in his original world. He was wondering whether his world would mutate and if there would be Kirito and Haruyuki in the future.
'Well, but that 2022...'
In his original world, it was 2010, and 2022 would be 12 years in the future.
'That means I'll be on my 28...'
Haru was in his prime at that time and thought that he might have children during that time. When he was in deep thought, he felt someone rest her head on his arm.
"Charlotte?"
"I'm a bit sleepy. Lend me your shoulder."
"Alright."
Haru looked at Sumire, Tabane, then Charlotte. He somehow had a feeling that if those three women didn't meet him then the interaction they had with a male would be limited to the main characters in each of their worlds. He took a deep breath and decided to stop thinking about such messy things.
"Ah, Haru! You pervert! Do you love to smell Charlotte that much!" Tabane accused him after she saw him taking a deep breath when Charlotte's hair was so close to his face.
"..."
Haru glanced at Tabane before sighing.
"Just enter the game."