Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei x Sword Art Online c3

PART 1

PART 2

“……’Such a thing wouldn’t occur twice’, huh……”

Muttering dumbfoundedly, I tried pinching my right cheek, but the scene before my eyes did not disappear.

The test space that I was arranged to dive into should have been a bright Spring forest. However, there was no soil beneath my feet, no trees in the surrounding and no blue sky overhead.

What existed instead was a completely white space, curved in all directions. The interior of a pure white sphere, such an expression would probably the most adequate one.

Based on my impression, it was undoubtedly a VR space, but due to this, its extent was hard to grasp. However, if I assume that my avatar is the same size as I am in the real world, then the diameter of the sphere would probably be three hundred metres at the very least……

――My avatar?

Rewinding my thoughts a little, I looked at my own body.

In a FullDive using the STL, the avatar is basically automatically generated from the ≪self-image≫ of the person who was connected. In my previous dive, I created the self from the Sword Art OnlineSAO period that received the nickname ≪The Black Swordsman≫. However, as I felt too embarrassed by it, this time I had asked to use a test-use avatar prepared by default, but――

“…………This time it’s this one, huh……”

I feebly moaned.

It indeed wasn’t my self from the SAO period. However, no matter how I looked at it, I was wearing my coat from ALfheim OnlineALO, which grealy resembles the black long coat I used back then. Even my favourite one-handed sword was equipped on my back. I didn’t have a mirror, so I didn’t know if it even went as far as reproducing my face, but the feeling of my hairdo was undoubtedly the same as it was for the one I used for my avatar in ALO.

Arriving at this point, I had no choice but to accept it. The same ≪quantum device space interference≫ as last week had occurred.

Assuming that, will that silver fighter, Silver Crow, appear again? However, the feeling of this world was too different. The sphere with a diameter of three hundred metres had a outer wall of pure white, which, for some reason, only had curious luminescent patterns, but was otherwise thoroughly clean. Additionally, the only existing object was a small disk that I was standing on.

“Why did this happen again……”, I mutter with a sigh mixed in, but at that moment.

“That’s what I’d like to ask”, a voice, quiet but deep and full of force, resounded behind me.

Without a moment’s delay, I tried drawing the sword on my back reflexively as I turned around, but stopped the movement of my right hand during this dangerous moment. This was because I recognised the man standing at the side of the disk.

Under the longish black hair, clever eyes stared fixedly at me. His body, which was several centimetres taller than mine, was dressed in a white jacket with emerald green highlights that seemed like a school uniform. He didn’t have anything like a school badge on his chest, but could the school badge be the octagon emblem on both his shoulders?

Although I had no memories of the uniform, the sense of deja vu that I harboured for the man's essence wasn’t my imagination.

It was indeed ≪him≫. The mysterious NPC……or perhaps player who appeared several days ago in a campaign quest in ALO in the role of the event boss, the ≪Giant Beli≫. He didn’t tell me his name, so I called him thus.

“……We meet again, ≪No-name-san≫”

Even though I addressed him like that, the man’s expression did not move. It seems that the other party recognised me as well.

“So it’s you…… Kirito-kun.”

Even as he called out my name, the sharpness in his eyes did not disappear. The reason for that became clear with his following words.

“Does this mean that you got intertwined with my ≪reality≫ this time?”

“……By reality…… do you mean that this is the world you live in, No-name-san? This isn’t a virtual world?”

I hurriedly asked in return, thinking that the STL couldn’t have ended up connecting with a real world. However, the man lightly shook his head.

“No, that’s not what I meant. This space is a ≪Five Sense Reproduction-type Virtual Simulator≫ that I have been experimenting with. But, of course, the device that operates it is installed in the real world. And…… since there’s no more concern that I’ll be interfering with your quest, I’ll give you my name as well. I am ≪Shiba Tatsuya≫.”

“ Shiba…… Tatsuya.”

I truly had no recollection of hearing the name that I had just repeated. And so, perhaps judging this from my reaction, the eyes of the man named Tatsuya showed a hint of seriousness for a moment.

“……I see, indeed it seems to be an interference accident like the last time. In that case, should I take the same measures to cancel this state, like last time…… I wonder…”

“……Like last time……?”

After once again parroting his words in a mutter, I finally remembered. Last time, in other words, when I had encountered him in ALO, at the critical moment of our sword and spear battle when we simultaneously struck each other, the connection was cut. And, this was the same as when I had fought against Silver Crow.

“No, wait. Wasn’t the connection cut due to the circuit connecting the two world being unable to endure the burden of our battle at max speed?……In other words, it’s possible that other methods would also cause the same phenomenon.”

“Hmm…… such as?”

Being calmly urged by Tatsuya to continue, I eagerly thought about it. The point is that we should cause a gigantic burden to the world, so…… just as I deliberated up to this point, I recalled the conversation I had with Suguha this morning.

“…………!”

I unconsciously materialised the ≪fairy wings≫ on my back and took off from the disk. I did so because I wanted to get some distance, but, with a twitch of his eyebrow, Tatsuya narrowed his eyes and muttered 「……flight magic, huh」.

The next moment, Tatsuya also rose from the disk and hovered at the same altitude as me. After signalling him to get some distance, using my imagination, I listed a huge numeral. It was a creation borrowed from the STL’s operation circuit――a 2048 bit, six hundred and seventeen digit cipher key.

“Shiba-san. This numeral is the product of two prime numbers. Try decomposing it into prime numbers with the device that operates the simulator.”

In that case, a gigantic burden would be placed on the device…… and consequently, on the circuit connecting the worlds, and it should cancel the state of interference. That’s what I thought, but...

The eyes of Shiba Tatsuya, who was floating in the air without even using wings, were tinged with a curious blue light.

The six hundred and seventeen digit number that I generated also began shining in white. Bit by bit, all the digits vibrated, and the high pitch and frequency made the world tremble.

――――This guy… can’t be serious.

――――He is decomposing 2048 bits into prime numbers with mental arithmetics!?

Leaving my surprise behind, the amplitude of the numeral kept increasing to the max. The white light finished dying the spherical wall, and scorched my vision.

Before long, the numeral line began to split right and left little by little.――

Along with the thunderous roar of the world collapsing, the number was decomposed into two gigantic prime numbers.

Shiba Tatsuya’s figure started disappearing into the white light. As the infinite space came falling down, I shouted,

“Th-THAT’S IMPOSIBLEEEEE!? IT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN TENS OF YEARS EVEN FOR A SUPERCOMPUTEEEEEEER――――――!!

On the verge of the world’s connection being severed, I felt that I could hear Tatsuya’s voice responding to my astonishment.

“……≪Decomposition≫ is my speciality. Let’s meet again some day, Kirito-shounen.”

Chapter end