Accel World - Episode 4

Haruyuki x Kuroyukihime~

Both the expected and the unexpected happened in this episode. First off, it was already clear that Kuroyukihime had special feelings for Haruyuki; whether they were feelings of "pity" or "love" was the only question. But now, it's becoming hard to question whether her feelings are just an act in order to deceive Haruyuki. Her facial expressions and strong emotions could hardly be called fake; those tears streaming down her face from when she realized that it might be time for her and Haruyuki to part ways seemed so real. The knockout blow came in the form of self-sacrifice and an unexpected confession. For one to go that far in order to try and protect someone, the possibility of those actions being fake is near zero. On one hand, I'm glad that Kuroyukihime has been genuinely caring for Haruyuki thus far, but at the same time, it's disappointing to see her have to go to such lengths in order to prove it (although I fully understand why Haruyuki had doubts; I would've probably done the same).

With Kuroyukihime possibly out of the picture for good, Haruyuki then set his sights on returning the favour by protecting her from a possible ambush by Cyan Pile. The supposedly suspenseful lead up to the revelation of Cyan Pile's identity was anything but that. There was hardly any doubt in my mind that the culprit was Taku. There is just no other person introduced thus far that fits the requirement of the suspect (i.e someone close enough to Chiyu and whom she wouldn't mind cabling with). Luckily, Haruyuki was able to catch on quickly and realize who Taku really was. Unfortunately, whether he made in in time to challenge Taku to a duel before Kuroyukihime was challenged is yet to be seen. But judging from the preview, he succeeds.

Furthermore, the preview foreshadows a kind of "awakening" for Haruyuki's character. With the one who has supported him all this time now on the brink of death, the words she spoke now resound loudly in his heart and mind. With that, I believe Haruyuki will become much stronger both physically and mentally. While he is still a weakling, I'm sure his determination and emotions will be able to help him overcome this new obstacle and allow himself to prove that he is more than just a "pawn" or "tool" to be used. Personally, I just hope he gets rid of his self-loathing thoughts soon as they are really annoying and pitiful to listen to.