[Orange Duke]

Chapter 2: Information

BWAH!"

Haruyuki jerked involuntarily from the pain, causing his chair to fall backwards.

To the others present in the class, it had seemed as though Haruyuki had just snapped out of a horrible nightmare, causing everybody in the room to break into bouts of hysterical laughter.

As Haruyuki picked himself off the floor while rubbing his neck to ease the pain that was still there from his duel against Duke, he caught his teacher's eye.

"Arita-kun, see me after class."

Haruyuki sighed.

"Yes, sensei. I'm sorry."

It was going to be a long day.
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"What was so urgent that you needed everybody to gather, Haruyuki-kun?"

It was Kuroyukihime who spoke first, as usual.

After Haruyuki's encounter with his mysterious challenger, he sent an email to Chiyuri, Takumu and Kuroyukihime, asking to meet urgently. The last thing they needed was another anonymous avatar running around the school network wrecking havoc, especially since they still had to think of ways to return the Suginami territory back into Nega Nebulous' control.

"This morning, I was challenged by a mysterious avatar, Orange Duke," he started.

"We know. We were watching from afar," replied Takumu, who was referring to the spectator system.

"I would have asked to meet if you hadn't. Yesterday, halfway through kendo practice, I was also challenged by that same avatar."

"No way! I was challenged yesterday too! Though it happened outside of school so I thought nothing of it."

"That would mean that all three of us were challenged on separate occasions by the same avatar. That means he has to either be a student here or is using a backdoor program in order to be able to challenge us on the school network. Master, have you been challenged yet?"

Everybody's eyes fell to the Legion Master of Nega Nebulous, controller of the avatar Black Lotus, Kuroyukihime.

"No, I..."

Kuroyukihime didn't manage to finish her sentence. As the four of them accelerated, Kuroyukihime's form changed into Black Lotus while the other three turned into their spectator avatars.
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"He's strong."

"A draw. This avatar must be on par with the kings... But even Kuroyukihime-senpai hasn't heard of him..."

"Also, it seems he can reject challenges."

"But that would mean..."

"That he's a member of the Acceleration Research Group," Takumu finished, confirming everybody's fears.

Haruyuki slumped in his chair. It would be much more difficult to take back the Suginami territory if the ARG had such a powerful ally on their side.

"Anyway, the first thing we should do now is to share everything we know about Duke. This way, we'll have a better chance of defeating him."

Everybody was staring at Chiyuri now.

"What?"

"We didn't expect such a good idea to come from you."

That remark earned Haruyuki a hard kick in the shin. It took all his willpower to stop himself from screaming in pain. Chiyuri could kick harder than a kangaroo.

"I'll start. He has some sort of skill to conceal certain elements in the field. He made me walk right into a wall in the Purgatory stage, before dropping me three floors with a well placed hole. That is all I know as I died soon after."

"My turn! He has these strange machines that he places all over the map. Some shoot projectiles, others self-destruct when something comes near and another type sprays smoke everywhere. I managed to deconstruct most of them with Citron Call but I had too little health left to survive a salvo from the last few."

"I had some time in the opening seconds of the match to check his level. He's level 8."

"That would explain why all three of us lost so easily and even Kuroyukihime-senpai only managed a draw."

"As you saw, he used the skills both of you mentioned, but judging by his level he probably has more tricks up his sleeve. He also seemed very interested in my avatar colour."

"Oh right! I had clean forgotten!"

"Senpai... About that...In our fight he revealed his goal. He wants to erase you and take Nega Nebulous as his own."

Kuroyukihime gave Haruyuki a quizzical look.

"But that's impossible. You can only become Legion Master of an existing legion if you are a member of that legion. Now that we know of his intentions, it is impossible for him to gain membership. He is definitely smart enough that he wouldn't destroy his own plans. No... it must be something else...but what?"

At this moment, the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch.

Kuroyukihime sighed.

"We'll discuss this again after school. For now, keep an eye out for anything suspicious."