Accel World, Vol. 17: Cradle of Stars

“Y-your servant?! That’s really something coming from a bug like you! Crow is my child, you know!”

“And he is my student, little pet,” Fuko added. “I don’t care who you are, you have some nerve trying to steal him away.”

“It seems you truly do not value your lives, calling me ‘bug’ and ‘pet’ and what have you over and over! Given the situation, I shall make you understand directly! You shall come to my castle straightaway!”

Great. Time to run away. Having resolved to flee for the first time in a long time, Haruyuki started to inch backward, but Kuroyukihime turned the sword of her right hand on him, and he froze.

“Crow, who is this self-important someone?!”

“Corvus, if you run off or try to deceive us, I’ll make you regret it later.”

“Uh, um. Uhhh…” Still in his unstable posture, Haruyuki searched for a path to avoid the crisis but eventually resigned himself to the fact that this was an unavoidable dead end. “Um. This—I mean, this person is a Legend-class Enemy, one of the Four Divines, the Archangel Metatron.”

As he spoke with hesitation, the small icon floated up lightly and flapped its wings importantly, while Kuroyukihime and Fuko opened their eyes wide below it, dumbfounded.

“The Archangel. Meta…tron?”

“Metatron’s main body? It didn’t disappear?”

“You will call me Lord, little warriors.”

I just know that these three will understand one another and be friends someday. Someday…Right, when peace comes to the Accelerated World, then…, Haruyuki thought while sweepingly majestic music played in the background of his mind.

Metatron was thought to have been annihilated during the battle to the death with Armor of Catastrophe, Mark II, but Haruyuki had somehow managed to revive her “core.” Ever since, she had been connected with him through this mysterious link where he was able to call her icon up even in a normal duel field. However, she had lost essentially all her battle power and was currently healing her wounds in her first form in the Contrary Cathedral.

It took about 70 percent of the duel time on the clock to simply explain these facts to Fuko and Kuroyukihime. Metatron kept interrupting him with complaints like “I did not do it to save you” and “You apparently revived me, did you not?” leaving Haruyuki having to apologize each time. But he himself didn’t fully understand the logic of the phenomenon, so there was a limit to how much he could explain.

Having heard him out, Kuroyukihime and Fuko looked at each other again and then let out long groans.

“We found out that the high-level Enemies possessed a certain level of intelligence during the battle with the Gods Suzaku and Seiryu, but this…” Kuroyukihime trailed off.

“Call us Beings, Black Lotus or whatever your name is.”

“But I never dreamed they could talk like this or be so self-important…,” Fuko added.

“I am not self-important. I am important, Sky Raker or whatever it was.”

The floating icon interjected every time either of them said anything, wings flapping lightly, which was as frightening as it was laughable. Haruyuki tightened his lips, a cold sweat on his brow.

Kuroyukihime, keenly picking up on this aura, stared hard at him. “Well, Crow’s the type to pick up strays, so I’m not surprised at this stage, but…”

“Huh?” he said, aghast. “Really?”

“Have a little self-awareness, at least. Now, as for what happens next…” She turned her gaze toward Metatron, thirty centimeters above her head. “Divine Metatron. Before anything else, I shall thank you for saving my child, Silver Crow.”

“There is no need for that, Black Lotus. Silver Crow is my servant, after all.”

“…We’ll sort out via the sword whether the rights of parent or master come first once you have recovered your strength. Until then, I am forced to recognize that you will be with Crow. But I want you to confirm one thing.”

“I am under no obligation to confirm anything to you, but go ahead.”

“Metatron. You also intend to fight the Acceleration Research Society again…Am I correct in assuming this?” Kuroyukihime asked, and the small icon fell silent for a moment.

A chilly, damp wind blew through the Cemetery stage, causing the branches of the twisted, ancient trees to rattle and rustle. He heard the sad howl of a wolf off in the distance, and a large bat cut across the night sky.

“I have no interest in the wars of you little warriors.” Metatron sniffed curtly, but then she continued in a slightly louder voice, “But these who name themselves the Acceleration Research Society had the insolence to pull me from my domain and make me a guard. They produced that repugnant, nihilistic pseudo-Being, and they attempted to erase my servant, Silver Crow. I must make them pay for that.”

“Mmm. That’s a bit of a troublesome answer, but…Well, fine. You’ve made your intent clear. So then, Divine Metatron. From this point forward…” Her eyes focused solely on the icon floating a little above her head, Kuroyukihime announced in a strident voice, “…you are a member of our Legion, Nega Nebulus!!”