Chapter 4- The Rematch

September 28, 2056

The timer for the duel ran out shortly after Marth scrolled through his ability list and confirmed (to himself) that his duel avatar did have most of his real life abilities. There were some things that were missing, like his wings and wolf form (granted the latter ability was very situational in terms of usage as it locked him out of his magic and sword skills, meaning it wasn't always ideal to use). Other than that, everything looked alright which meant he can avoid getting defeated in such an embarrassing way again.

The moment he and Kuroyukihime returned to the real-world lounge, she removed the direct cable from her Neurolinker, with Marth doing the same immediately after. "Alright then. Time for us to eat, Marth. Otherwise it'll get cold." She casually grinned before picking up her small spoon off the table and started digging into her plate of curry rice.

The demon didn't respond but he half-heartedly opened the lunch bag that Kisara had prepared for him. Inside was nothing too fancy, just a simple turkey and ham sandwich, a small bag of chips, an apple, and a bottle of water. Not exactly his sister's best work, but it was doable, way better than anything he could have prepared.

He pulled out the sandwich from the plastic bag it was in and began taking a few bites into it. As he did so, he was acutely aware that the students in the other tables were staring at him. He could faintly hear their murmuring, their comments about him tainting their lounge. And people wonder why Marth refuses to interact with strangers.

His relatively quiet lunch was then interrupted when another third-year student came up to his and Hime's table. "Kuro, isn't it about time you told us? We're all dying of curiosity. What's your relationship with…him?"

"Mm," Kuroyukihime mused as she gracefully lifted her teacup. All the other students fell silent with expectation. "To be blunt, I told him I liked him and he blew me off."

The entire lounge filled with shrieks and cries of surprise, though Marth's reaction was the most passive. In fact, not only was he surprised, but he was also frustrated, proven by the venomous look he gave the student vice-president, simply drank her tea without so much as a flinch.

Already Marth was starting to regret this "alliance" between him and Hime. She just seems to love bringing attention to him. He may have to keep a closer eye on her than he initially thought. Either way, he was not in the mood to hear the other students pestering him over his "relationship" with Kuroyukihime, so he briskly gathered his things and promptly left the lounge, not even giving his fellow Burst Linker a single word or look.

The remaining two hours of school went by just fine after that, but there was the annoying new addition of the other students now paying more attention to him. He really wished he had Rias's skill with mental manipulation magic during that time. It would have been really handy to get them to leave him alone. Unfortunately he was still an amateur at that type of magic. It's a magic that takes years to master and a powerful will. It's not something one can half-ass.

The moment school let up, Marth began making his way to the school gates, running into a certain someone in the process.

"Are you trying to find ways to irritate me?" he asked rigidly. "I don't like being taken advantage of, especially for someone's amusement."

"Always so serious," Kuroyukihime said with a quiet laugh, remaining as composed as ever. "I didn't tell them the truth now, did I? Plus I got something good out of it."

As she spoke, she swiftly gestured over her virtual desktop. A file promptly arrived through the local net, blinking before Marth's field of vision. Curious, he clicked on it and a large image opened up. It was a picture of himself, eyes bone chilling cold, mouth obscured by his sandwich.

"Not…amused," he said coldly as he dismissed the image. "Though I have to commend you for taking this screenshot so quickly."

"That means a lot coming from you. You're the only boy I've interacted with that's blown me off. That's a big deal."

"Yeah, but not exactly in the way the other students will interpret it as."

Kuroyukihime let out another giggle. "Since when do you care about what others think of you?" Her voice then went low. "Anyway, once you leave the school gates, your Neurolinker will connect to the global net. That means the other Burst Linkers in Suginami area number three can force you into a fight. Before that happens, accelerate and challenge Ash Roller to a Duel."

"Wait, area?" Marth said in surprise. "Are there limits on the range where you fight?"

"There are. You might start a Duel with someone on the opposite side of Tokyo, but you'd run out of time before you could meet them. At any rate, you might one day set foot on a group field where any number of people can connect without limits, but that won't be until you get past level four. Just focus on the battles in front of you for now." She took a quick breath before continuing in a sharper tone. "One more thing. If you lose, you can't immediately ask for a rematch. You can only fight the same opponent once a day. I'll be in the Gallery, but unfortunately I won't be able to help you. Just remember what I mailed to you and you'll be fine."

He let out a sigh and scratched the back of his neck. "Alright." Kuroyukihime had sent him a message during sixth period, giving him some suggestions on what to do during the Duel. Admittedly, they were pretty good tips, but Marth had already been going over a potential strategy against Ash Roller. Still, it was nice that his new acquaintance tried to help him.

"This will be your real debut battle, Ashen Wolf. Good luck."

Marth simply nodded his head as he stepped out to the road leading into the battlefield.

The battlefield was a Century End stage again, dotted with a nightscape of abandoned buildings lit up by fires. Marth was standing on an elevated walkway, casually leaning against the metal fence, overlooking the paved street below.

As soon as he challenged Ash Roller to a Duel and the stage loaded, he immediately bolted for a vantage point. He'll let his opponent come to him. Now that he wasn't caught off-guard, he soon noticed that besides the timer, health gauge and special move gauge, there was a small light blue triangle in his field of vision. It was a guide cursor that gave a rough idea of where the enemy was. All it really gave was a simple direction, not how far they were.

The cursor was pointing north, with Ash Roller no doubt making a beeline straight for him. Given the tips that Kuroyukihime gave him, the biker avatar had two weaknesses. The first was the loud sounds of his motorcycle. It made stealth attacks literally impossible unless the enemy was deaf.

Soon, he heard it. The intense, thunderous sound of a motorcycle engine coming from the north. He could practically sense Ash Roller's eagerness to crush the newb he beat earlier today.

"Oh how disappointed you'll be afterward. This won't be the same as last time."

The cursor didn't change, and likely won't until the two opponents crossed paths. The sound was getting louder and louder, meaning that the biker was getting closer. It wasn't long until the bike came into view. The headlight was off, but he could clearly see the red bonefire flames shimmer across the chrome exterior. It would take about fifteen, correction, ten seconds before their paths cross.

Obviously unless he threw them, Marth's swords would never reach his opponent from his current position. If he was an ordinary swordsman, he'd have no choice but to jump from the bridge to get within striking range of his opponent. That strategy was risky as Ash Roller could potentially move out of the way, causing the dual swordsman to crash into the pavement instead. It was too soon to say that fall damage didn't exist in this game, but now wasn't the time to test it.

Unfortunately for Ash Roller, Marth Umbris was no ordinary swordsman. He is the self-exiled prince of Eternus, the reincarnation of Zane Umbris. In his veins flows the blood of the Goddess of Darkness, Sinestra, the progenitor of the demon race. He was trained by the deadliest woman in the three realms in swordplay, Scathach, and practiced magic under the tutelage of Rias Morningstar, the Crimson Sorceress and one of the six demon lords. Though he has yet to regain the power he had from his first life, he was still not to be underestimated.

Not drawing his swords, he instead stood straight and held out his right index finger. He was prepping a spell he has used thousands of times. A lot of his spells, both offensive and defensive, were locked behind his special-attack gauge, which was currently empty. Supposedly to fill it, you had to either inflict damage to your opponent, damage the terrain, or take damage yourself. Marth had done neither of these actions but the spell he was preparing didn't require it. It was a rather fast spell that while didn't do much damage, it was ideal for surprise attacks.

"Thunder Ray," Marth muttered under his breath as an ash gray magic circle appeared before his outstretched finger. Focusing into it, a bolt of silver lightning shot through the circle and rushed towards its target. The basic spell struck true and the surprised Burst Linker cried out in pain as electricity surged through his body.

The sudden act also caused Ash Roller to fall off his motorcycle, which careened diagonally before crashing into a pile of rubble. Ash himself found himself comically sliding against the pavement face first. His HP only dropped by about ten percent, but that was about what Marth expected. Thunder Ray was one of the basic spells of lightning magic, meaning it didn't have much power to it. It probably only took about five percent of the biker's HP while his tumble and slide took the remaining five percent.

Even though he had successfully landed the first attack, Marth knew he couldn't get complacent. With Ash Roller off his bike, he was totally defenseless, but the demon didn't want to end the Duel so quickly without giving his opponent a fair chance. He did have a code of honor after all.

"But that doesn't mean I won't make Ash work for the chance to fight me head on," Marth thought slyly. He turned his gaze to a five-story building that he had noticed earlier and took off running.

According to Kuroyukihime, the Century End stage was mainly the street, meaning that you couldn't enter the buildings. However, that didn't mean that you couldn't go on the building's fire escape stairs. With inhuman skill, Marth leapt up and grabbed onto the railing of the stairs on the second floor before effortlessly pulling himself up onto the stairway. He then briskly made his way to the roof.

One would think that Marth was taking the coward's option of simply dealing minimal damage to the opponent while keeping himself safe until time ran out, but that was far from his mindset. He himself was actually quite familiar with hit and run strategies, heck he does them all the time whenever he fights shadow beasts in Eternus, mainly ones that are bigger than him.

This was simply a test for his opponent. If Ash Roller couldn't find a way to reach him, then it would show that he wasn't worth Marth's time to fight. Speaking of his opponent, the leather-clad Burst Linker had gotten back on his bike and finally managed to restart the engine, which had briefly shorted out due to Marth's spell.

Debating whether or not he should goad his opponent, he soon heard the faint whispering of a voice, "Wow. Seems like this guy can play after all."

"He's totally different from this morning. Who's his 'guardian'?"

Turning his gaze away, he could faintly see silhouettes sitting some distance away on nearby rooftops and even a water tower, all watching him. The Gallery.

Since Duels in Brain Burst lasted only one-point-eight seconds in the real world, you couldn't watch it if you accelerated once a fight had begun. To fix this, the game allowed you to register the names of friends and Burst Linkers you were interested in. If any of them got into a fight and you were in the same area, the game would automatically accelerate you so you could watch, all without consuming a burst point.

Given his pitiful performance from this morning, it was doubtful any of the viewers were here because of him. The most likely answer was that they were here because of Ash Roller, his opponent. They had registered him in their viewing list. Although there should be someone in the Gallery who was here because they had registered Ashen Wolf. Black Lotus, aka Kuroyukihime

He did wonder where she was but before he could try to look for her, he noticed one of the two players sitting on the water tank wave a hand at him lightly.

"If you win this Duel, I'll put you on my list. Good luck out there!"

"Well, I don't think it's going to be as easy as all that."

Marth had to agree with the other person's statement. If winning duels was this easy, then they would be pretty boring, especially to watch. That meant there had to be a way for Ash Roller to reach him.

With that new thought in mind, he returned his focus to the road, his eyes widening at the sight. Ash Roller's bike, which was several feet moments ago, now had its front well up against the building wall. The sight gave Ashen Wolf an uneasy feeling.

"You think you can beat that easily, hoodie?!" the biker cried out in rage. "I'll make you dance to the sound of my V-twin!" The motorcycle's engine roared loudly, exhaust fumes rising from the chrome muffler. The enormous American bike then began to storm straight up the wall.

Okay, out of all the potential scenarios that Marth expected his opponent to do, that wasn't one of them. The bike flew past the dual swordsman, reaching about two meters above the roof, before turning towards him and dropped. Gritting his teeth, Marth immediately backflipped away just before the bike's tires hit the concrete roof. Unfortunately for him, the impact broke off several shards, which all struck the demon's armor, which reduced his HP by a tiny amount. He let out a slight grunt from the impact as he landed in a low position.

"This game might be harder than I thought," Marth thought to himself while keeping his eyes locked on his opponent, who maintained their distance. "If even that can damage me, then this isn't like the other VRMMOs. This world seems to have more realism than the others. It's almost like an alternate world."

When it came to fighting in this world, his opponent had more experience. However, if Brain Burst was indeed more realistic than the other VRMMOs, then Marth might be able to use his real-life combat experience to close up the gap. There wasn't even a pain absorber in this world, a staple among the other VRMMOs.

"Okay, I gotta admit it, hoodie, that was a pretty sick move you just did," Ash Roller commented in a high-pitched, metallic voice, not climbing off his motorcycle. "Just for that, I'll tell you something. By defeating you this morning, it pushed my awesomeness over three hundred points. I'm now level 2 and used my level up bonus to get the ability to drive up walls. Pretty sweet, right?"

So that's how he was able to do that. It would seem that leveling up in this world can allow you to enhance your avatar, possibly even granting them new abilities. Maybe that's how he can regain his wings and wolf form, or do they have different requirements that he didn't know of?

"Interesting," Marth admitted as he calmly stood up. "You might put up a better fight than I thought."

According to Kuroyukihime, a duel avatar's color (usually) decided what the avatar's fighting prowess would be. Blue were short-distance direct attacks, red were long-distance direct attacks, and yellow were intermediate attacks. Intermediate colors like purple and green would have characteristics similar to two other colors. Given that "ash" is part of both the opponents' names, Hime speculated that both avatars focused more on blue than green on the color circle. Of course she didn't know about Marth's magic attacks at the time, but that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

In terms of speed, Marth might have the edge, but he's never been in a fight quite like this before. Both Scathach and Medusa were fast, but they never rode any vehicles whenever they sparred with him. This may require some improvisation.

Tossing quick glances at every direction, Marth looked around possible escape routes. The roof he was on was a bit too cramped for his liking, especially with his current opponent. If he took any more damage, then Ash Roller would claim the lead. If he loses to the same guy twice in a row, there's no doubt it'll make him look bad among the other Burst Linkers. Losing was not an option here.

"Empty your mind of all distractions," Scathach's words echoed in his mind. "The battlefield is no place for idle thoughts. Do not waste a single second. One mistake can cost you everything."

"Ha-ha-ha!" Ash Roller bellowed. "Did you lose all your fighting spirit, hood boy? Then allow me!"

The engine roared loudly before the bike charged, its path leading directly to Marth. The hooded avatar leapt to right, heading straight for the nearby rooftop. Sadly the distance between the two of them was too little, causing the front tire to just barely graze the tip of his foot, causing Ashen Wolf's HP to drop abruptly. The shock of the impact soon followed, spreading through his nerves, but Marth easily brushed it aside. One tends to get used to that after six years of some rather intense sparring with three of the most powerful beings of Eternus.

The bike turned from about three meters away, preparing for another charge. Now was definitely the time for the demon to get more serious. He still had his special attacks, but the gauge for them wasn't anywhere close to use them, especially his Dual Blades skills. Disappointing, but manageable. Most of his One-Handed Sword Skills could be activated like regular attacks, a welcome relief. It gave him a new option to use, one that might turn the tide.

As he reached for his swords, he noticed a lone figure standing upon a tall building, staring straight at him. Long hair swaying in the night wind, a dark dress. Almost transparent butterfly wings. He couldn't make out their face but he had a hunch who it was and what they were saying. Don't give up, no matter what.

Curiously, he felt a piercing gaze from behind his back. Daring to look, he could faintly see a silhouette of someone lurking in the shadows. The figure was nearly impossible to identify but he saw a small trace of light green hair. Was it another Burst Linker?

Marth was forced to redirect his thoughts away from the mysterious figure as he nimbly dodged another of Ash Roller's charges. However, because of the earlier distraction, the dodge wasn't perfect so his HP took another hit.

"I'll worry about that later. It's time I end this."

Drawing his trusted swords from their sheaths, Marth got into a fighting position, his gaze fixed on the enemy before him. The air grew tense and those in the Gallery fell silent, knowing that this Duel was reaching its climax. This next exchange will determine the winner.

"It's time for you to lose again, hoodie!" Ash Roller said arrogantly. "Get ready to eat my dust."

"Sorry, but I'm gonna have to decline your offer. This Duel's about to end, and not the way you think."

What he was about to do was risky. His timing had to be perfect. No more distractions. If he was off by even a second, then the demon might not be able to recover this Duel.

Bracing himself for what's coming, he tightened his grip on his swords and adjusted his footing ever so slightly. He made no other movements, no indication that he'll make the first move.

Instead, it was Ash Roller, laughing to himself in anticipation as he roared his bike engine before charging again at full speed. As he got closer and closer, Ashen Wolf gave no hints that he would dodge. Instead, it looked like he was going to take the attack head-on. Had he been listening, Marth would have heard those in the Gallery calling him an idiot, but he was too focused on the battle to notice.

The motorcycle was nearly on top of him. Right as soon as the front tire was about to make contact with his front leg, Marth made his move. With impossible speed, he twirled to the side, letting the bike soar past him. As it continued the bike continued down its failed path, Lunara ignited with green light as Marth activated the one-hit Sword Skill, Sonic Leap.

Letting out a fierce battle cry, he delivered a powerful upward slash on the back of the bike, severing its rear wheel and sending the vehicle flying.

"Gaaaah!" Ash Roller screamed in shock as he was thrown off his ride. Miraculously, he managed to stay on the roof, but the front of his bike wasn't so lucky. It ended up falling towards the street and exploded in flames the moment it hit the ground. "My bike!" he cried out in agony as he picked himself back up. "You trashed my bike!"

"No way," one of the spectators said in shock. "How did that new player move so fast?"

"Interesting," another of the spectators said. Their avatar was a small tin robot that wore glasses and carried a laptop that matched their size. Their name was Tin Writer. "A Burst Linker's speed tends to vary depending on the person, but this one seems accustomed to combat. A rare sight, but how did he acquire that kind of experience?"

"Well regardless," yet another Burst Linker commented. "He just made it on my list."

Meanwhile the mysterious figure lurking in the shadows smiled ever so slightly. Perhaps this Ashen Wolf was worth observing after all. They could already tell that this Duel has been decided upon.

In a blind fury, Ash Roller ran at the dual swordsman, fists raised. However, the demon easily evaded every attack before blocking the final punch with the flat of his right sword. "If you're worried about your bike, it should be restored by the end of the Duel," Marth commented calmly. "But you're not winning this time."

A flash of red light ignited from Solaris, his left sword. He had activated the three-hit skill, Sharp Nail. Before Ash Roller could even say a retort, though his eyes made it clear that he knew he had lost, Marth unleashed the combo attack upon his opponent, taking out the last of the biker's HP.

Soon afterward, the demon prince found himself back in the real world. His hands were a little sweaty, but other than that, totally fine. To avoid another ambush, he disconnected from the global net, before he suddenly felt something hit his back.

"Nice work, Ashen Wolf. You had even me worried back there. I almost thought you were done for."

Turning back around, he saw Kuroyukihime right behind him with a rare bright smile on her face. How interesting that despite them both accelerating from the same location, her avatar was incredibly far away. One could interpret that as the real distance between the two of them, but it didn't really matter either way.

"Eh, it was alright," Marth said with half-interest, shrugging as he did so. "Better fight than I expected. I managed to get my points back, plus ten more. Must have been because he was a level 2."

Kuroyukihime blinked in surprise before her smile widened. "Oh, so that's why he could run up the wall like that. But that was a great win. You were a natural out there. It's like you've been fighting with a sword your whole life."

Oh how little did she know how on the nose she was with that statement. If by some miracle she manages to earn his trust, he might have to tell her the truth about him.

"Anyway," the veteran Burst Linker continued, totally oblivious to her protégé's thoughts. "We should go celebrate. There's a café nearby. Let's go there."

"Hold it!"

Both Burst Linkers perked up and noticed that they were no longer alone. Standing right behind them was a familiar teenage girl with pale white hair and bloodred eyes. Marth's younger sister, Kisara Umbris. She did not look happy one bit. Her body language was fierce and her eyes narrow on the student vice-president.

"What exactly are you planning with my brother?" she asked, no demanded, in a cold tone. "That whole fight with Araya yesterday was because of you, and here you are, drawing more attention to Marth thanks to that stunt you pulled earlier today. Just what do you want with him?"

If Marth was anyone else, he might have tried to dissuade his little sister, but given their past, he couldn't really blame her for being protective. He was the same way with her after all. It might be best to simply stay silent and observe.

Kuroyukihime, of course, was totally unfazed by the younger girl's accusation and even dared to have a coy smile on her face. "I don't quite understand. Are you trying to say that I'm simply using Marth for my own benefit?"

"Wouldn't be the first time he's been in that situation," Kisara said bitterly. "I'm sure my brother told you all about the girls that tried to take advantage of him. It's because of people like you that he doesn't trust hu…others that much."

Marth inwardly sighed in relief. His sister in her emotional rant nearly let out a dangerous slip of the tongue. Thankfully she was able to catch herself in time. Hopefully Kuroyukihime wouldn't notice.

"Oh I'm quite aware of Marth's distrust in people," the female Burst Linker replied, her composure not faltering in the slightest. "Well since you seem so well informed, you should know that I confessed my crush to him and am waiting for his reply. We were just about to go on a short date."

That caught both demons, and the nearby students by surprise. Before either sibling could even say anything, Kuroyukihime hooked her arm tightly through his right elbow, bid the whitette goodbye, dragging Marth away in the process.

Kisara looked ready to summon her rapier and attack the student vice-president, but the male demon stopped her with a look. In just that brief moment, he gave her a message that he'll explain later. That seemed to relax his only blood sibling before she was lost to the crowd of outgoing students.

As soon as they left the main road, Marth immediately used a part of his demon strength to free his arm from Kuroyukihime's grasp. His eyes made it quite clear he didn't approve of her actions. "You are not doing yourself any favors, Hime," he said coldly. "You're already on a thin line with me. This isn't going to make me trust you. You can't accelerate out of every situation."

"Very true," Kuroyukihime said with a hearty laugh, not even flinching at the cold glare she was getting from the male teen. "That's a critical lesson all Burst Linkers must know. It's good that you understand that."

Marth rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Honestly. Sometimes I wonder if you're even human with how you react to everything."

Hime simply laughed at that before eventually calming down. "I'm a little concerned. Or rather, there's something I need to confirm."

"What? Are you talking about Kisara?"

"Yes. I've been paying attention to her for different reasons than I have been for you."

"What?"

"I can't explain it in just a few words. It's directly connected to why I invited you to the accelerated world. We'll discuss it over tea. My treat," Kuroyukihime said as she spun around towards a coffee shop, likely her intended destination.

The shop wasn't very busy, it being the early afternoon and all. Already Marth noticed a few gazes locked onto him and his "accomplice" the moment he entered. This is why he preferred Dicey's over other cafés and coffee shops. Compared to other cafés, Dicey's was pretty isolated, but still made enough money for Andrew to sustain it with his wife. Students at Umesato don't really know about it, making the café a sort of escape (aside from his apartment of course) for Marth whenever he didn't want to go to Eternus.

The two Burst Linkers sat in a booth near the window, where Marth ordered an earl gray tea and allowed Kuroyukihime pay for it. The duo then cable linked, allowing them to have a private conversation without being overheard.

"So why did you invite me to Brain Burst?"

"So impatient. It's…a long story." She elegantly took a sip from her own drink before resting her chin on her hand with a short sigh.

In the warm afternoon light, her beauty seemed to amplify. Her very presence, one of grace and ethereal. She was definitely no ordinary schoolgirl. That narrowed down the possibilities of what she is, but it was still too soon to reach any conclusions. More information will be needed for that.

"Anyway," Kuroyukihime continued. "You did great back there. Congratulations on your victory, Marth."

"Thanks," the demon said passively. "Your advice came in handy in that Duel."

"It would seem so, but your own skills did the heavy lifting. That lightning attack of yours, your speed, your attacks. You have definitely surpassed my expectations. I couldn't be more proud as your guardian. If you keep this up, you'll be level 2 in no time. Maybe even level 3."

Marth let out a rare chuckle and faint grin cracked on his lips before taking a sip of his tea. He was no stranger to fighting after all. If he kept up a good enough momentum, he should be able to level up fairly quickly. It might even help him regain his missing memories, the secret reason as to why he agreed to keep playing Brain Burst.

Kuroyukihime's smile then faded. "Of course, the road ahead is unimaginably long. Of the estimated thousand Burst Linkers, the ones who managed to become level 4 is pretty limited. Getting to 5 and 6 is nearly impossible in solo play. As for level 7 and 8 Burst Linkers, they'll all be commanders of Legions."

"Legions?"

"They're basically the guilds or teams of Brain Burst. The current accelerated world is split into and ruled by six enormous Legions. Commanding these factions are the only six Burst Linkers who have reached level 9. Their colors are Blue, Red, Yellow, Green, Purple, and White. They are called the Six Kings of Pure Color!"

"Interesting. I never heard of a game where so few players have maxed out their level."

"I never said that level 9 was the max level."

"Hm?" Marth mused, raising an eyebrow. "Okay, has anyone reached level 10 then?"

Kuroyukihime's answer was a dismissive shake of the head. She took another sip of her coffee. "Brain Burst, formally known as Brain Burst 2039, is a program that was released seven years ago by two unknown makers and has already been updated several times. However, despite this long time span, no one has managed to reach level 10. The reason for this issue is all because of the severity of the rules."

"What, do you have to win a thousand fights or something?"

"No, just five is enough. However, those wins must be against other level 9 players. To make matters worse, if you lose in a level 9 battle, then you lose all your burst points and Brain Burst automatically uninstalls." Her amber eyes narrowed on her stunned companion. "Marth, do you know how Brain Burst managed to stay a secret from the general public these past seven years?"

That was a good point. If there really were a thousand Burst Linkers, word about Brain Burst should have been leaked out to the world. He could easily see how the program would affect the planet as a whole. But despite this, he never heard of Brain Burst until yesterday when Kuroyukihime recruited him.

"It's all because of the strict requirements for compatibility with Brain Burst," the female Burst Linker answered. "It's nothing ambiguous like being good at games. No, the requirement is having worn a Neurolinker shortly after birth. The first generation Neurolinkers only became available on the market around eighteen years ago. That means there are hardly any adult Burst Linkers. They're mostly all just children and teenagers, who would want to keep this privilege to themselves. And after the program uninstalls, no one would ever believe them."

"Anyway," she continued. "Two years ago in the summer, these kings all reached level 9 at around the same time. A system message then informed them of the brutal requirements to reach level 10. Did they enter a bloody dispute over who will reach the highest level? No. Instead they chose eternal stagnation. Rather than moving forward, they decided to maintain their own territories. They chose to become the rulers of the accelerated world and agreed not to invade their territories. Honestly it's a farce. After fighting countless Burst Linkers to reach level 9, they chose then to stop fighting."

Marth raised an eyebrow at that. "Okay, so are you planning to challenge the Six Kings or something?"

"No, I've already done that."

"Wait, what?!"

"There are actually Seven Kings of Pure Color. Seven boys and girls, who while they were rivals, had strong bonds with each other. They fought each other countless times, having around the same wins and losses, but never resenting each other. But then the Black King betrayed them all and tried to hunt them on that fateful night two years ago."

Black King? Marth's eyes widened in realization. It couldn't be, could it?

As if reading his mind, Kuroyukihime nodded slowly. "Yes, I'm the Black King, Black Lotus. I was the only king who spoke against choosing peace. I threw away everything, ties, friendship, respect, all that and insisted we should throw ourselves into fighting, wagering our accumulated points. When they refused to listen to me, I dyed our round table with fresh blood."

The demon's gaze narrowed in suspicion. He didn't like where this was going. "What…did you…do?" he asked in accusation.

"The last night the Seven Kings met in one building, though obviously not in the real world. Burst Linkers must do their best to keep their real names and faces hidden."

That made sense. If other Burst Linkers found out your name or your real life appearance, then they could very likely attack you in the real world. Players desperate for points, wishing to acquire more regardless of the means, would keep attacking no matter what.

"The meeting took place in Battle Royale mode, connecting all seven of us as fighters on the same field. I…" She abruptly paused and lowered her head, her bangs covering her amber eyes. After a brief moment of silence, she continued, but it sounded mechanical. "The Red King appeared before me, preaching friendship and insisted we stopped fighting. He caught me off guard. I cut off his head, a perfect critical hit. He lost all of his health, and because of the new rules, also lost all of his points and Brain Burst. The current Red King is the second one. All hell broke loose after that. The Purple King, who was in love with Red, screamed in anguish and wept. Blue went crazy with rage, and we all began to try to kill one another. We struggled so desperately to take the other five heads. However, despite my best efforts, I was unable to defeat the other kings. Before I knew it, thirty minutes had passed, and I was linked out. For these past two years I've been in hiding, branded as the greatest traitor in the accelerated world. Naturally that means I have the largest bounty on my head."

Marth didn't know what to say. He knew from experience that Kuroyukihime could be reckless at times, but he didn't think she would go that far. He was half tempted to call her out for her behavior, especially in regard to her execution of the first Red King. While he himself may be a demon, a race infamous for their deception and cruelty, even he had a code of honor. He would never do something as cowardly as that. As his mother has said, a true demon must understand a balance between being feared and being respected. They were not interchangeable. A pity that the Darkfallen do not share that ideology.

However, he was acutely aware of that brief pause of hesitation Kuroyukihime had done before she revealed the first Red King's fate. If she was being truthful, perhaps she had realized the stupidity behind that act and regretted doing it.

"Why?" Marth asked firmly. "Why did you do that?"

"Because I was obsessed with reaching level 10. I put it above friendship, honor, everything. There was more the system message told us. Any Burst Linkers who managed to reach level 10 could meet the game's creators and learn the true purpose behind it. I…want to know. Even now, no matter what it takes, I have to learn it." She propped her elbows on the table and hid her face behind her tightly clasped hands. "Accelerating your thoughts, you can get money, high grades, and fame. That can't be what Brain Burst is all about. There has to be more to it. The real reason why it was created."

In a way, Marth could sympathize with Kuroyukihime's plight. He too felt something similar, mainly regarding his own fate. He is the cowardly prince who abandoned his people when they needed him the most. Almost all of his kind hate and revile him. And yet, by some cruel twist of fate, he had ended up getting reincarnated on Earth. Was this all divine punishment for that sin he committed so long ago or was there a real purpose behind it all? He had to find out why, even if takes him all his immortal life.

As if she could read his thoughts, Kuroyukihime lifted her face and stared at Marth, her eyes illuminated by the sunlight. She smiled dryly and murmured, "So? Are you shocked? Do you hate me, Marth? Perhaps I may end up sacrificing you for my objective at some point. If you don't want to help me anymore, it's fine. I won't try to stop you, or take Brain Burst from you."

In all honesty, it was kinda tempting to just walk out on the Black King after learning about her bloody past. However, he couldn't bring himself to go through with it. Perhaps because it reminded him of the stories of his past life that Rias had told him. Dark stories where death and despair lied in every corner.

"There's no denying that there are people who never fully finish a game," Marth said suddenly. "Personally, I find myself agreeing with the first Red King. Violence isn't always the answer. Sometimes its something that you wouldn't expect." He twirled around a spoon within his tea, mixing in some sugar that he had put in. "I too am curious about the true purpose behind Brain Burst. Maybe it can help me with my own predicament. There had to be a reason the program allowed me to use it. After all, I didn't actually qualify for its installation requirement."

Once again, Kuroyukihime looked shocked, her amber eyes as wide as dinner plates. "Wait, what?! What are you saying?"

Marth chuckled in amusement as he cracked a sly grin. "Come now, surely you should now this about me by now," he said with some bravado. "The earliest records of me date back to only eight years ago. There's no record of my birth or anything from before I was ten years old. You said that Brain Burst only allowed those who had a Neurolinker since birth to install it. That never happened for me. I only got a Neurolinker a few months after my current mother adopted me and my sister. My whole lack of existence is another reason people resent me. They see me as abnormal, something that shouldn't exist."

"No way," the Black King replied, her voice shaken and unsteady. "Then could that mean that the creators allowed you to install Brain Burst. That's never happened before. Never. But why would they break their own rules like that?"

The demon prince simply shrugged at that. "Who knows? I guess I can always just reach level 10 and ask them myself. Anyway, I think it's time we start talking about why you invited me into the accelerated world."

Kuroyukihime let out a quiet sigh. "Agreed. That went on longer than expected. It's time you learn why I invited you." She paused for a moment. "Brace yourself. What I'm about to say may not be easy for you to accept."

That was certainly ominous. It couldn't be that bad right? Actually, knowing Marth's luck, it probably was. Trouble had a habit of following him around.

A file came into his field of vision, sent directly from Kuroyukihime's Neurolinker. Tossing her a curious look, the Black King gave him a nod to open it. Although hesitant at first, Marth clicked on it. The very first thing that popped up from the file was a photograph. It was someone that he knew very well. One of the few people he cared deeply about.

It was his little sister, Kisara Umbris.

To be continued

Wow this got longer than I anticipated, but it's about where I wanted to end it. It's interesting to see how I'm four chapters in and yet I'm still in the beginning arc. That's obviously because of the change in my writing style, mimicking that of a real light novel and my (hopefully) improved writing abilities. Anyway Marth managed to win his first real Duel. I was tempted to reveal his unique Dual Blade attacks, but I think I'll save them for later. Next chapter we'll be seeing a new character, one that had gotten replaced by a filler villain in the original Black Wolf's beginning arc. I wonder who it could be. See you guys next time!