The neon skyline of the map generated, stretched endlessly, tinted with electric blues and magentas.
Virtual streetlights flickered in slow motion, shadows stretching and twisting across cobblestone streets.
Haru's pulse raced; the air hummed with digital tension.
Across the virtual courtyard, a pink humanoid avatar waited, her sniper absurdly massive almost comically so, larger than her own body.
She tilted her head slightly, the neon glow of her eyes scanning him, clearly assessing her prey.
Level 7.
Level 1.
Haru swallowed hard.
"Okay… okay… keep calm… it's just like a game… except if I lose, I lose points …
oh, who am I kidding, I've never done anything like this."
Haru crouched behind a nearby pillar, peering around the edge. He analyzed the pink sniper: long-range weapon, enormous firepower, most likely weak at close quarters.
Advantage: Haru was fast, strong, and his reflexes had been honed to near perfection after months of morning runs, AR games, and neurolinker training.
"Alright… keep your distance, observe, learn the rhythm… then strike."
Just as he was formulating a plan, a system notification pinged in his vision:
[Warning: Opponent has added 200 BP betting pool. Loss = Immediate Burst Link deletion.]
Haru's stomach dropped.
"What…? If I lose, I literally cease to exist in this world?!"
"You can't bully noobs like this" he tried to say
But he just saw the pink avatar look into his direction and start to look at him directly.
Instantly, the system triggered an emergency protocol. A rush of adrenaline coursed through his neural pathways:
[Emergency Adrenal Trigger Activated — Damage +200% / Reflex +2 / Agility +2]
Every fiber of his virtual avatar was now sharpened, every movement faster, stronger, more precise.
"Okay… one step at a time. Don't panic. Don't die. Don't die. Don't—"
Haru darted to the left, ducking behind a digital crate.
The sniper whirred, scanning rapidly.
He crouched, calculating her reload speed, swing arcs, and line of sight.
Then, misfortune struck.
His legs caught a pebble in the terrain.
He stumbled, almost toppling forward.
The system pinged:
[Left Arm Temporarily Offline — Minor Damage]
Haru groaned.
"Perfect… one arm… and you're hiding behind a crate…. Of course."
He took a deep breath, focusing. "Short-range combat… she's a sniper. That's my angle. Just close the distance and force her hand."
Observing her, he noticed that she switched weapons mid-stride her sniper melted into dual scissor blades, each gleaming crimson and silver.
Her stance shifted into a melee-ready posture.
Her voice echoed across the digital space:
"I'm not bad at physical confrontations myself."
Haru froze for a split second, then muttered: "Fantastic. One arm, giant scissors, no problem."
He sprinted forward, dodging debris and environmental hazards.
The Emergency Adrenal Trigger enhanced his speed and reflexes, every motion feeling instinctive.
He focused entirely on her movement patterns, ready for the perfect opening.
The pink avatar lunged, swinging the dual scissors in a flurry.
Haru jumped, narrowly dodging, feeling the digital wind from the blade's path.
He studied her timing, there were tiny pauses between attacks, almost imperceptible to anyone without ungodly reflexes.
"Observe… predict… wait for the moment when she overextends."
He crouched behind a virtual pillar again, breathless but focused.
Each heartbeat felt like a countdown timer. His system pinged: [Micro-Quest: Observation & Counter — Reward: Minor Reflex / Agility Boost]
Haru whispered: "Okay… one opening… one chance."
The pink sniper lunged forward for a third time, expecting him to react.
Haru timed his movement precisely: a single sprint diagonally, dodging past her left scissor, closing the distance.
His stubby pig-avatar arm transformed in the Accelerated World into the obsidian-shadow amalgamation.
With one powerful overhead slash, he connected with her side.
Sparks of virtual energy erupted as her HP bar dropped.
Her pink humanoid form staggered, unable to maintain balance.
HP remaining: 10%.
"Yes… yes! Got her!"
The system pinged: [Victory: Minor Adaptive Counter Reward: +200 Burst Points]
The arena scoreboard updated: pink sniper's points dropped from 1800 to 1600. Haru's points surged by 200.
Spectators avatars scattered across digital rooftops gasped and whispered.
"Level 1… beating a Level 7?"
"Impossible…"
"This is insane."
Haru flexed in his avatar, grinning.
"I can save people, jog 4 km, AND beat a Level 7…."
Haru's thoughts ran wild:
"Okay… now I'm basically a local celebrity in this virtual world.
Teen girls, mature women… even burst linkers are noticing me.
Fantastic."
"A/N: Bro is delulu"
System notifications pinged his HUD: [Confidence +2 / Reflex +1 / Stamina +1]
He caught glimpses of onlookers' reactions, avatars turning pink-green, indicating admiration or crush.
Haru's face flushed. "Even virtual girls are impressed… and I thought I was just a joke in the old AR games."
Haru slumped against the digital wall, catching his breath.
Despite the adrenaline, despite the high stakes, a sense of accomplishment filled him.
He thought of Chiyuri lecturing him, Takumu's polite encouragement, Fuuko's quiet trust, his senpais teaching, and even his mom's unwavering support.
Each bond had shaped him into someone capable of this moment.
"If I can survive this… maybe I can survive anything."
From the shadows of the Accelerated World, other duelists observed the fight. Whispered chatter spread across AR overlays:
"Did you see that? Level 1… defeating a Level 7!"
"She's going to come back for him."
System pinged: [Bond Status: Observed — Unknown / Potential Rivals Noted]
Haru smirked beneath his pig avatar's digital snout. "Bring it on. Let them watch… and let them try to beat me next."
Haru crouched, examining the battlefield. The pink sniper, at 10% HP, backed off into a distant alley. Her avatar flickered briefly before vanishing. Haru let out a long breath he didn't realize he was holding.
"I survived. I actually survived. And I didn't even die once… mostly."
System pinged: [Burst Points: 200 → Current 289]
[Confidence +2 / Stamina +1 / Reflex +1]
He glanced around the spectators again, avatars gawking. The energy, the virtual cheers, the adrenaline—it all blended into one surreal, satisfying moment.
Haru muttered, grinning: "Yeah… I can live with this. Sparta. Definitely Sparta."
As Haru stood amidst the neon-lit cityscape, the pink sniper's avatar gone but her presence lingering in digital memory, he realized something important:
"This… this isn't just about AR games, or running, or stats. This is about knowing what you're capable of. Protecting others. Learning. And maybe… just maybe… being ready for anything that comes next."
He adjusted his arm, still glowing faintly with residual energy.
His obsidian-shadow avatar's form pulsed, reminding him of both his potential and responsibility.
Somewhere in the distance, he sensed watchers duelists noting him, rivals preparing, friends cheering silently.
The Accelerated World stretched infinitely ahead, full of unknowns and challenges.
After defeating the pink sniper with just 10% HP remaining, the digital world around Haru started to shimmer slightly.
[Victory Achieved]
[Burst Points Earned: +200 → Current 289]
[Level Up available — Level 1 → Level 3]
Haru exhaled heavily, letting his avatar slump slightly, unaware that the system was quietly updating his abilities in the background.
[New Ability Unlockable (lvl 2 ability package): Obsidian Wings — Flight / Mobility Boost]
But he didn't notice.
His attention was still on catching his breath and the awed avatars of the spectators, some whispering about the rookie who had defeated a level 7 Burst Linker with just 1 arm.
As the logout prompt appeared and Haru returned to the real world, the wings remained in his system, silently waiting for him to discover their potential.
"Wings…? Huh, I guess I'll check that later," Haru muttered, oblivious, rubbing his shoulder and logging out, still buzzing from the fight.
The Accelerated World faded behind him, leaving only the sensation that he had grown stronger, without fully understanding just how much
Haru took a deep virtual breath, heart racing:
"One fight down… countless more to come. But I'll be ready. I'll be stronger. And next time, I won't just survive, I'll dominate."
System Summary After Victory:
Burst Points: +200 → Total: 289
Confidence: +2
Stamina: +1
Reflex/Agility: +1
Physical Transformation: Complete
Observed Rivals: Noted
Onlookers Impressed: Yes
Lessons Learned: Observation, Timing, Close-Range Combat
Haru jogged off into the virtual street, ducking under neon-lit archways, the city humming around him. The stakes had been high, but he'd survived. His mind raced ahead, imagining the next duel, the next challenge, and the countless hours of training still to come.
"I can save people, I can run, and yes… I can even beat a Level 7 as a rookie. Let's see who's next."
The Accelerated World awaited, full of infinite possibilities and untold dangers. Haru felt ready.