Infinite Dendrogram - Volume 12 - Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: The ■■■■■■■■ of Figaro 
Nex Plains 
How long had it been since F had shot Figaro back down to the surface? 
His injuries were starting to slow Figaro down, and Sandalphon continued to attack him, not letting the opportunity go to waste. 
Even so, Figaro kept on climbing. 
His coat and many other pieces of his gear were torn, he was the only one on the battlefield who had been wounded, and Cor Leonis had taken a toll on his HP... yet he continued to climb upwards. 
In fact, he hadn’t attacked even once so far. 
Hannya looked down at him, silently but intently. 
Influenced by Last Berserk, her body was moving to kill Figaro, but her mind was still her own and her eyes were fixed upon him and only him. 
Figaro was doing nothing but climbing. He hadn’t equipped a weapon or argued with her — he was simply trying to reach Hannya, ignoring all the painful wounds inflicted upon his avatar. 
Though her body was overcome by bloodlust, Hannya’s mind couldn’t help but wonder why he was so persistent in trying to get close to her. If he wanted to fight and defeat Hannya, he had many options available to him. As these thoughts went through her mind, her heart was slowly starting to be at odds with her body. 
Figaro was thrown off, only to cling and keep crawling to try and make it to the top. He was the duel champion and the pride and joy of Gideon, yet he made no effort to hide his beaten and bloodied frame from the masses as he struggled to reach her. 
Hannya’s body wouldn’t stop until Figaro was dead. 
Sandalphon wouldn’t stop as long as his Master needed protection. 
And Figaro wouldn’t stop as long as his soul kept telling him that he couldn’t. 
No one would stop... and the climax was drawing ever closer. 
“Kh! You’re still...!” Sandalphon sensed the threat approaching his Master and tried to throw Figaro off again. 
The moment the cooldown on Downfall Screamer ended, he used it one more time. Figaro couldn’t hold on to the spinning tower, and since he couldn’t use his barrier-platforms yet, he was about to start falling back down to the surface again. 
However, the Over Gladiator denied that fate. 
He clung to the tower with not just his legs, but arms as well, which allowed him to continue reaching for the top despite the whole thing spinning like a tornado. 
That had slowed him down, of course, but it wasn’t enough to stop him. 
“Gh...! You’re too persistent!” Sandalphon then clashed the towers together. 
They were spinning in opposite directions, and their meeting threw out an absurd amount of sparks. Figaro was caught up in the devastation between... and the sound of something soft and hard shattering resounded throughout the plains. 
Blood thrown off by the centrifugal force dissipated into a lingering mist, while the shattered fragments falling to the ground had to be the remains of Figaro’s boots. 
“I did it! Lady Hannya, I did it!” Sandalphon was overjoyed that he’d fulfilled his Master’s will and turned to face her. He was completely confident that he had ground Figaro into dust and given him the death penalty. 
“...Eh?” 
But when he looked at Hannya’s face, he realized that she was still under the influence of Last Berserk. 
“H-He’s still alive...?!” He then realized that there was a chain wrapped around one of the jewels that acted as his eyes. 
A moment later, its owner pulled himself up. 
He was barefoot and covered in wounds, his left arm was completely gone and the power of his ult was boiling the blood straight off his skin, turning it into steam. The only gear he still had equipped was his AGI-focused lower body armor and a single chain. 
But despite it all, he... Figaro was still alive. 
“What...?! Did he actually...?!” Just seeing Figaro’s current state was enough for Sandalphon to understand what Figaro had done. 
When the towers were about to clash, Figaro realized that climbing any higher was impossible. 
First, he’d quickly removed his Climbing boots and used them to jump into the air. 
At the same time, he severed his left arm and threw it between the drills, creating a spray of blood that briefly distracted Sandalphon. 
He then focused his equipment enhancement into his chain, giving it enough range to quickly reach Sandalphon’s top and pull himself up. If it hadn’t reached, Figaro would’ve died when he hit the ground, but his gamble proved successful. Finally, he managed to reach the top. 
“Are you even human...?! Lady Hannya!” As Sandalphon shouted, Figaro — or what was left of him — approached Hannya. 
Silence. Even now that her defeat was certain, Hannya was still looking right at Figaro. She looked as terrifying as her namesake — the Noh mask of Hannya. It was impossible to tell if the expression was the result of Last Berserk or an honest representation of her feelings, but looking deep into her eyes, you could see that Figaro coming all the way up to her in spite of the extreme difficulty was making her feel something other than rage. 
Their eyes met, and the silence continued until... 
“Hannya... I have something for you.” 
...Figaro removed something from his inventory. 
For a brief moment, Sandalphon thought that it was a weapon. That exact thought ran through the heads of everyone watching the fight from a distance, too. 
However, they were far off the mark. 
What Figaro offered to Hannya wasn’t a weapon... 
 

...But a bouquet of blossoms that looked much like real-life sunflowers. Figaro had bought them from the plant shop he visited before he ran into Tsukuyo. 
“...Huh?” Hannya was so astonished that the rage vanished from her expression. Her heart had been shaken so badly that one might think the effects of Last Berserk had disappeared for a second. 
After all, she knew what sunflowers signified in the language of flowers. 
They meant “I only have eyes for you,” and were often used for marriage proposals. 
The offering was so sudden and unexpected that she, still dumbfounded and absentminded, just took it without saying anything, as if Last Berserk had stopped working completely. 
“...There’s also this,” Figaro said as he took out a small box and opened it. 
There was a gemmed ring inside. 
That was what he’d bought at the accessory shop. 
The day he’d found out when Hannya would be released, he immediately went to order the best engagement ring his money could buy. 
“Fi...garo?” she called his name despite still being under the influence of Last Berserk. 
“Fuyuko,” he called her by her real name as he presented the ring to her. “Will you marry me... Here in Infinite Dendrogram... as well as reality?” 
This was his first and final marriage proposal. 
 
Vincent Myers 
What was she to me? 
That was a question that even I had trouble answering. 
At first, all I felt about her was curiosity. 
She was above me, Shu, and Foltesla, which caught my interest enough to make me want to duel her. I was just hoping that we could become good dueling partners. 
That was why I was only thinking of dueling in our early exchanges. 
After that, she made me feel at peace. 
Though we couldn’t meet in Infinite Dendrogram, we talked over email basically every single day. She was actually the one person I could talk to naturally. She wasn’t like my parents, my brother Keith, my first friend Shu, fellow duelists like Foltesla, or old enemies like Sechs Würfel and Tsukuyo Fuso. 
My time with her was pleasant. We spent our time talking about our lives, day in and day out. My bland daily life that rarely ever changed took on a different hue when I shared it with her. 
We occasionally shared our joy, comforted each other when one of us was down... The volume of the feelings we exchanged was vast. 
This pleasant relationship we had eventually became a source of peace in my life. 
The third thing I felt regarding her... was worry. 
As we communicated day in and day out, I developed a desire to meet her. And not just as an avatar, but as myself in real life. 
However, that meant facing a major worry of mine. 
She only knew me as I was in Infinite Dendrogram. Figaro was my avatar and the perfect picture of health, while the real me was a sickly young man living on the verge of death. 
I wasn’t able to bring myself to tell her of my circumstances or how I was in real life. I had little trouble telling it to Shu, Foltesla, and a number of others, but the idea of telling her was so scary that I always ended up deleting the emails before sending them. 
The fear that I would disappoint her made me unable to tell her the truth. I couldn’t even begin to understand why I was so worried about letting her down, but the answer came to me seemingly out of nowhere. 
While the question lingered in my mind and the worry took up residence in my heart, one day my parents invited me to drink tea with them, and my mother, looking at me with a smile on her face, asked, “Vincent... Are you in love?” 
At first, I didn’t understand what she just said and just tilted my head in confusion, parroting back at her, “Love?” 
I then went on to digest the word, truly remembered what it meant... and the pieces all fell into place. 
That was the final thing she made me feel — a strong love for her. 
At first, I only wanted to duel her; then I found peace in our exchanges until eventually I became attracted to her. 
I, Vincent Myers, was now painfully aware that I loved her... and wanted to be with her forever. 
I then told my parents about the woman I loved and wanted to marry. I told them how she supported me, how gentle she was... I told them all I could to the best of my ability. 
At first they were surprised that I was thinking as far ahead as marriage, but they were understanding of my feelings and said that they would like to meet her, as well. They also said that I should keep quiet about this with Keith. He was really busy at that time, so I could understand that. 
After the talk with my parents, I logged in to Infinite Dendrogram and used its tripled time to think about how to confess my feelings to her. 
First and foremost, I couldn’t do it by email. It was how we usually communicated, but even I knew that it wasn’t something you used for a confession of love. 
Next, I considered meeting her in person. It was totally possible. We’d exchanged postcards before, so I knew her address and I could send her plane tickets that suited her schedule. 
Normally, I should’ve been the one to go visit her, but the disease I was born with made that impossible, so having her come to me was the only option. 
But then... I felt like it would’ve been weird to bring her to me so I could confess. 
The only way left... or more accurately, the only way I’d ever had open to me... was to confess to her in Infinite Dendrogram. 
Thankfully, her prison term was about to expire. I could use our promised meeting to express how I felt. 

“But... Can I really do that?” 
It would be the first time I proposed to someone. Well, that much was obvious, seeing as this was the first time I had ever fallen in love. 
I was so worried about whether or not I was going to do it right that the tension and unease put a lot of stress on my heart. 
It got so bad that it could’ve caused a heart attack if I thought about it too much in reality. 
If only there was a way I could defuse the tension... 
“Wait... I’ve got it.” When we’d first met, I wanted to duel her — to fight someone who was ahead of me. 
I decided to start with exactly that. 
Duels were great. Through them, I met Foltesla and gained so many other friends. Dueling linked the two combatants through their intense feelings. 
That was why I decided to duel her first, then propose to her afterwards... even though I had no idea if she would accept. 
 
The day we reunited, I didn’t tell her how I felt. ...I was simply unable to do it. 
Meeting her made me more nervous than I’d expected. It was partially because I ran into her by chance while getting ready, but I was so overwhelmed that the most I could do was invite her to duel me. 
Neither she nor Ray seemed to realize it, but I was really, really tense. 
The fact that she accepted my duel made me very happy and relieved. 
Even so, I was still tense. As it stood, I wasn’t sure if I could confess even after the duel. 
Oh, if only this was as easy and enticing as a battle. I can start fights and keep on fighting even if I bleed or lose a limb, but the very thought of rejection paralyzed me from head to toe. 
I was shocked that love could make me so weak. 
“I hope I have the strength to take the next step tomorrow.” With that thought, I logged out. 
 
The fated day had arrived. 
I saw Hannya rampaging around Gideon after reading the article. I had an idea why she was doing it — I’d refused to dine with her and went on to be caught in a photo with Tsukuyo Fuso, destroying her trust in me. 
Maybe she felt betrayed again, just like she had when her previous man had left her. 
For all I knew, she might’ve been so disappointed in me that she would never accept my confession. 
Even so, I had to tell her how I felt... so I stepped forward. 
 
Nex Plains 
Everyone who heard Figaro’s confession felt as if time had stopped. 
The closest listener — Sandalphon — was absolutely dumbfounded. Rook, who was lip-reading from a distance using a long sight item, felt the same as the angel. 
Ray had ridden the skies and returned from his battle against F, and the shock of this sight combined with the wounds all over his body, almost made him fall off of Silver. 
Those who were watching through various means felt about the same. 
The only exceptions were Xunyu, who saw this coming, and a certain control AI. 
However, this was to be expected from the moment Figaro had used Burn, My Soul — Cor Leonis. 
He never used his ultimate skill in duels. 
After all, he kept that skill in reserve for the duel against the friend he’d promised to face with all his power. He hadn’t even used it against Xunyu, and the reason why he so readily used it now was simple — this wasn’t a duel to him, but his way of proposing to Hannya. Nothing more, nothing less. 
Hannya was at a complete loss for words. 
Figaro’s words resounded within her as the feelings welling up in her heart were rushing through her mind. Last Berserk was still very much active, but just looking at Hannya it seemed to have ended. 
“I... I don’t think I’m normal.” Figaro continued speaking. 
“I was born with a heart condition that makes it difficult for me to lead even an ordinary life.” He opened up to her, saying what he’d been hiding all this time. 
“I don’t have much of a life or social experience, so I often say and do weird things.” He revealed to her what he’d been silent about because he didn’t want to disappoint her. 
“All I have to be proud of is my family and what I’ve built here in Infinite Dendrogram.” Tense to the limit and with a heart beating so fast it hurt... 
“I’m honestly pretty pathetic... Would you choose me despite that, Fuyuko?” ...He confessed his love to her to the best of his ability. 
“Ahh...” Figaro’s sincerity instantly drove away Hannya’s doubts. 
Her love was no illusion. 
He truly cherished her. 
She was finally able to believe. 
Ohh... I knew it. He really is a wonderful... and adorable person, she thought as tears welled up in her eyes, a charming smile appeared on her face, and... 
“Yes. Gladly.” 
...She accepted his proposal. 
“...Thank you,” Figaro replied, sounding like he was about to start crying — something not even his closest friends ever heard. 
Shaking from his own powerful emotions, he put the engagement ring on her left ring finger. 
Then, he brought his face close to hers... “I love you, Fuyuko.” ...And declared his love before kissing her on the lips. 
Thus, their love was finally realized... and a moment later, the side effect of Cor Leonis and damage from debuffs like Bleeding took their toll. Figaro took the death penalty 
 
Following the kiss, Hannya was left alone with a bouquet in her hands, a ring on her finger, and rosy cheeks. She wasn’t saying a word. 
“L-Lady Hannya?” Sandalphon called out to her in worry. 
Last Berserk had ended, meaning that Figaro had definitely received the death penalty this time. Sandalphon wanted to congratulate his Master, but her now-fiancé disappeared right before he could. 
The angel was also the one responsible for the damage that had killed Figaro; his stomping and drilling had quickly whittled away Figaro’s HP, after all. Why did he have to disappear now, of all times...?! he thought, but thinking logically, it actually was a miracle that he’d even survived long enough to put the ring on Hannya’s finger. 
However, there was no telling what his Master felt about all this. 
He and all the other Masters watching them gulped... 
“Heheheh...” 
...Only for Hannya to beam with her cheeks still rosy. 
“Sandalphon,” she said. 
“Y-Yes?!” 
“I’m logging out to send him an e... no... I’ll go meet him in real life.” 
“L-Lady Hannya?!” 
“I know where he lives.” Vincent knew where Fuyuko lived, so there was no reason why the reverse wouldn’t be true. She hadn’t visited him yet because she was afraid of finding out that her love was an illusion, but now that she knew it was real, she had nothing to fear. 
“Oh. Before I go...” 
She wrote something on a piece of paper, put it in an envelope and tossed it to the ground. 
“All right, Sandalphon, I’m logging out. And I might not be back here for a little while.” 
“Understood. I wish you good health and great happiness!” 
“Thank you. I’ll be going now.” 
Sandalphon saw her off as Hannya logged out of Infinite Dendrogram. 
Thus concluded the Sandalphon incident, and in spite of all the panic caused and buildings destroyed... miraculously, there were no tian casualties. 
 
Earth, Myers Mansion 
“...Oh no. I forgot to check my HP,” Vincent said once he’d logged out. 
It was a mistake he would never make under normal circumstances, which spoke volumes about how focused he’d been on his proposal. 
However, he had lived long enough for her to accept his love, and that filled him with relief. 
“Vince. You’re offline,” Keith — Vincent’s little brother — said as he entered the room. 
“Hey, Keith. What is it?” 
“Mother’s birthday is coming up, so I wanted to talk to you about it... What’s wrong?” 
“What do you mean?” 
“I don’t see you make that face very often. Your cheeks are red and you just look so... happy. Did something good happen?” 
Vincent touched his face and noticed that it was warm. He was smiling without realizing it, too. “Yeah. I just proposed and she said yes.” 
“Ohh, I see. That’s great... Hold on, what?” 
“Heheh. I was so nervous. The confession, putting the ring on her, the kiss... Just remembering it is making my heart... beat... fa...” 
With a blissful smile on his face, Vincent collapsed back on his bed. 
It was an attack caused by his chronic heart disease. 
“Huh?! Vince?! Heal him, Sapphine...! Wait, she doesn’t exist here! Hey! Someone call Dr. Winston!” Keith started to panic, and called the resident maids and the attending physician. Vincent was unconscious throughout all of this, but his face was still full of happiness. 
And so, just by remembering their proposal, Vincent Myers suffered a heart attack that landed him in the hospital.