Return to Eternity (永遠への帰還, Eien e no Kikan) is a side story written by Kawahara Reki. It was released in the Accel World: Infinite∞Burst limited edition Blu-ray on September 28, 2016[1] and is the sequel to the events of the movie.
Plot[]
Chapter 1[]
After visiting Risa in the hospital, Haruyuki went home and fell asleep. In his dreams, he was summoned by the Archangel Metatron, and the two talked with each other, with Haruyuki resting his head on Metatron’s lap. Haruyuki was perplexed by why Nyx had tried so hard to fulfill Risa’s wish, and decided to consult with the archangel. After thinking for a moment, Metatron replied that she had a vague idea why.
All of the Saints, despite varying greatly in their abilities, appearances, and personalities, possessed one common trait: they had a deep desire to find out why they existed in the Accelerated World. For the first couple hundred years, they had thought that their purpose was to guard the Arcs stored deep within their fortresses. However, after all of the stored Arcs had been taken, Linkers stopped coming to their fortresses, and the Saints were left in solitude. Continuing to exist, yet having no concrete drive, they began to rethink their purpose: why were they there? Why did they exist?
Each of the Saints approached this conundrum in their own ways, with some choosing to watch the world from the Highest Level and with others choosing to isolate themselves from the rest of the world. However, Metatron chose to seek out and interact with the Burst Linkers. She explained that, before Haruyuki, there had been one other Burst Linker with whom she had established a strong bond.
At this, Haruyuki became deeply curious and sought to question Metatron a bit more. However, seeing the expression of sadness and longing on her face, he refrained from doing so. Pushing down his curiosity, he redirected the conversation back to Risa and Nyx, asking whether Nyx had been pursuing the question of her existence in trying to help Risa. Metatron replied that she may have been doing that, but she may have also been trying to merge with her. After talking a bit more, Haruyuki fell asleep, exiting the dream.
Chapter 2[]
After Risa had been visited by Nega Nebulus, she spent some time with Nozomi in her hospital room. Eating the fruit-jelly cups that Nozomi had brought, the two talked about the events that had transpired recently—namely, the infamous black-cloud incident. Risa could not understand why Nyx had done so much to help her. After all, she was a Super-Class Enemy with power on par with that of the Four Gods; why had she gone to such great lengths for someone as insignificant as Risa?
Harboring unresolved confusion, Risa explained to Nozomi that she had unfinished business in the Unlimited Neutral Field. Without dealing with it, she would not be able to return to gymnastics. Nozomi, expecting this, agreed under one condition: she was coming with her. After a bit of argument, Risa agreed for Nozomi to come with her to the Unlimited Neutral Field. Realizing that they may encounter powerful Enemies in the Field, the two decided to invite Comet Squeaker and members of the Black Legion to come with them. Agreeing to meet at half past ten at Shimotakaido Station in the Unlimited Neutral Field, Nozomi left the hospital. After she left, Risa sent an email to Haruyuki requesting a dive call.
Chapter 3[]
Haruyuki, who had just woken up, received the email and accepted the request, initiating a dive call with Risa. After a brief greeting, Risa began sharing what had been troubling her recently. Prefacing that what she would say was very strange, she explained that, throughout her life, she felt that only Nyx had been able to truly reach her deep down. However, contrary to her expectations, Haruyuki was not surprised. He understood immediately what she was trying to say—after all, he himself had ties with Metatron. Guessing the purpose of the meeting, he asked if Risa wanted to see Nyx again. A bit shaken, Risa confirmed that that was indeed correct. Haruyuki agreed to help her and explained that he would contact his Nega Nebulus comrades to assist them.
Chapter 4[]
At half past ten, Risa dived into the Unlimited Neutral Field, which was currently in the spooky “Sabbath” stage. Immediately, she was greeted by Nozomi and Comet, who began to banter. Suddenly, a silvery light shot down from the sky, and Haruyuki arrived, carrying Ardor Maiden and Black Lotus. Shocked by the appearance of the famed “World End” and “Testarossa,” Nozomi and Comet stood motionless. Meanwhile, Boleri, Comet’s rabbit-squirrel-monkey accessory, took advantage of the moment of shock and introduced himself. In response, Metatron commented that the accessory had a rather functional language module, which only added to the shock once Nozomi and Comet realized who she was.
Work in Progress
Gallery[]
