The Virtual Realm

by Daniel Perusko

  A resounding laughter could be heard echoing throughout the large room. Another man taunted in response.

  “He’s an even bigger idiot for walking right through our front door. How dumb can you be?”

  Another guild member chimed into the conversation.

  “So you finally decided you’re done running? After two months you’re finally ready to face us like a man?”

  Dusk pushed his unease to the side for the moment, doing his best to seem confident. He wouldn’t let himself appear weak in front of these guys. He forced his mouth into a smirk, sweating slightly.

  “That’s right, this ends today. All of you are going to the Bermian prison, where you can never fuck with me again.”

  Some of the members had fallen out of their chairs laughing by this point.

  “Ah man, this guy is funny as fuck I’ll give him that. You three are gonna send our entire guild to prison? How many people do you think are in this place? Besides that, the one who should be in prison is you, murderer!”

  Dusk felt like he had just been stabbed. Every time someone called him a murderer, he suffered a blow to his psyche.

  Do I really deserve to be in a prison? Am I no different from these thugs? No! I did what I did in self-defense; these guys... these guys kill for fun. I’m nothing like these guys!

  Another guild member in the room shouted out something that stifled what had been roaring laughter up until then.

  “Hey, but you know, we sent out twenty of our guildies to kill this motherfucker. So why is he here?”

  “That is because we dealt with them. They are all in a Bermian prison now. Soon you all will be too,” Tsuki stated confidently, feeling not even an inkling of fear, even though they were outnumbered five to one.

  “Bullshit! There’s no way that could’ve happened!”

  “Yet here we are.”

  “I don’t suppose there’s a chance you will all surrender peacefully, is there?” Omni implored them, hoping he didn’t have to use his power on them.

  “That’s our line! But even if you did surrender, we’d still kill you anyways. Now, I’ve heard enough of your bullshit. Die!”

  The pangs of disappointment struck the peaceful Phoenix, coming out in a disenchanted sigh.

  “It makes me sad when I witness such a primitive way of thinking, but it also reminds me that we have much work to do.”

  The human weapon stood perfectly still, focusing his mind into a needlelike point. Every enemy in the room immediately fell to the floor, unable to resist against the crushing weight that Omni called forth. Just like the previous group of twenty back at their home, these opponents had all fallen without so much as lifting a finger. Terror, confusion, and anger—they had all been melded into a hammer which had crushed the group of enemies in the room. Curse and struggle as they might, they could not break the invisible chains that bound them to the floor.

  More guild members started pouring into this room from the other rooms in the building, most of them coming to investigate what the disturbance was. They too joined their friends on the floor.

  Suddenly, the door which sat directly opposite from the front door, about thirty feet away, opened. There stood a man who looked to be in his early twenties, possessing blonde hair which parted itself on the side in a golden sea. Though his weight seemed relatively average, his body was engraved with lean muscle through and through. He stood up tall, his aura practically spilling confidence into the room. He rubbed his royal blue eyes groggily as he yawned.

  “Hey, guys, what the fuck is the ruckus here? I’m still trying to sleep you know.”

  Omni immediately gazed in his direction, fully intending to pin him to the ground with the rest of his comrades. Yet something unexpected happened. Something he never could’ve envisioned.

  The man grunted as if there were flies buzzing around him, more annoyed than anything else. While the ability was certainly felt by him, he resisted almost fully. His shoulders barely even slumped from the paralyzing gravity the others were experiencing.

  “Whoa, that’s some heavy shit there. Fuck this, I’m outta here!”

  He slammed the door as he began to make his escape to safety.

  Omni looked at his two friends with urgency.

  “Dusk, Tsuki, I have to stay here and make sure none of the enemies in this room can escape. I cannot leave this place. I need you two to pursue that man, but be vigilant. He does not seem to be an ordinary fighter.”

  Tsuki focused her attention on her guild leader, nodding. “Yes, understood. Let’s go, Drake.”

  “Got it.”

  The two immediately chased after the blonde haired man who by now had gotten quite a lead on them.

  As the two were running, Dusk had a pressing question on his mind that he couldn’t shake no matter how fast he ran.

  “What did Omni mean that man isn’t an ordinary fighter?”

  “You saw it, right Drake? Every other member of this Hand of Blood guild was immobile once Omni focused his mental energies on them. This man, however, was able to move and run away. He was resistant to Omni’s weight ability. This means this man has most likely awakened at least a sliver of his innate telepathic powers.”

  “I see. I can’t believe that there was someone in this guild of thugs that could use telepathy,” Dusk huffed out in disbelief.

  “He’s most likely an officer of some sort, maybe even the leader. Be careful, Drake.”

  “Yeah.”

  The duo ran through door after door in this ostensibly endless vista, like rats in a maze, trying to catch up to this mysterious blonde man. Finally, they opened the correct door, spotting the man they were after. There was another person by his side. This person was literally shadowed under his blonde haired friend, being a dwarf in comparison. What he lacked in height he made up for in muscle mass. His prominent pectorals were visible under his leather shirt. Short locks of syrup draped over his head, acting as a curtain above his chocolate brown eyes.

  Blood and fire had merged in this ring shaped courtyard. Various pillars stretched upward into a shingled rooftop, providing shade from the sweltering sun. The inner circle of the courtyard, however, was completely exposed to the elements. As such, the early desert sun shone down upon the four fighters, resembling a showdown in the old west.

  “Awww, looks like they got us, Jigsaw.” The words came out of the tall one as if he was amused by this deviation of his daily routine.

  “Seems so, Ace.”

  Tsuki eyed her opponents cautiously, assessing the situation.

  So the blonde haired one is Ace and the one with the brown hair is called Jigsaw. I have to make a judgment call here. Ace seems more dangerous; I should deal with him.

  Ace grinned arrogantly. “What do we do, Jigsaw? They have us trapped!”

  “There’s no choice but to fight.”

  “Yeah, I think you’re right bro,” Ace agreed as he equipped his scythe, a mesh of blood red and gleaming gold. The deadly blade curved to about three feet in length. Jigsaw simultaneously equipped his swords.

  “By the way, what happened to the bald one that was with you guys?” Ace questioned.

  “He is preparing to send your friends off to a Bermian prison as we speak,” Tsuki explained, hoping to lower his morale.

  The cocky young man relaxed his shoulders, grinning from ear to ear.

  “Phew, that’s a relief. I didn’t wanna face that guy, he was scary.”

  The corners of Dusk’s mouth curled into a smirk upon hearing this man take comfort in this information. He could not very well deny that Omni had monstrous powers by his own definition. He was not someone Dusk would ever want to fight in a serious match surely. Taking this into account, he could completely understand the reason for this man finding solace in those words. However, he was making one fatal error. Tsuki too was a very skilled opponent: one whom he had never beaten in a duel up until this very day. He had not seen any flashy telepathic abilities from her, but he very much d
oubted that Ace was a match for her.

  The snow princess for her part remained unaffected by this man’s remark. Her eyes were held fast by her unbreakable will. She remained ready for any battle that awaited her.

  “You wouldn’t mind if I was your opponent, would you? I’d like to fight you, alone.”

  Ace seemed startled for a moment before his posture returned to complete calm, an eager twinkle in his eye. This was what he wanted to begin with, and she was offering it! Group battles were all right, but he much preferred the one vs. one fights. To him, they allowed him to focus fully on the opponent at hand, absent of distractions. It was more epic to him, more honorable, and most important of all—more fun. That is, if the opponent was a challenge. He had almost always crushed his enemies with ease. That in itself proved to be its own amusement for him, but the flicker of interest died out quickly in such situations. What he was looking for was an opponent that was his equal. Could this sublime looking woman shrouded in white platinum possibly hope to even come close to succeeding where all others had failed? There was only one way for him to find out.

  “I always do attract the ladies, don’t I bro?” Ace couldn’t help but let out a boisterous chuckle.

  Jigsaw grinned knowingly. His brother was successful in all avenues of life. He could not help but be in awe of the man. Sometimes he wished he possessed his talent. A force nearly unparalleled in battle. A smooth talker that always knew what to say to people; a paragon of human existence. That was his brother Ace. Jigsaw had never known a woman to turn Ace’s advances down either. On top of that he was blessed with incredible intellect and dashing good looks. Jigsaw lacked all of these qualities. He had low confidence; he was short in height, and only average in terms of intellect. He had to make up for everything with sheer tenacity and willpower. At this point, Jigsaw could only agree with Ace’s assessment; he wanted to support his brother.

  “So it seems, bro, but you should be used to that by now, right?”

  “Yeah, just another day.” Ace gazed into Tsuki’s eyes, being shocked by a surge of intrigue. “Well, I’m off to have some alone time with this lovely lady here. I’m sorry to drop this other guy on you bro, but I trust you’ll show him a good time, right?”

  Jigsaw looked straight at the disturbed Phantom. He could discern this dual wielder in black garb was the weaker of the two. Honestly, he hoped that Dusk could give him a good challenge. Weak opponents were no fun. Jigsaw reveled in the thrill of a good fight. A savage grin slowly crossed his face as he gazed upon his “playmate”, sizing him up.

  “Most definitely.”

  Ace lifted his arm up, tauntingly indicating with his fingers for Tsuki to follow him. Tsuki stared at her partner, the concern etched into her face.

  “Are you going to be okay here, Drake?”

  Dusk swiftly turned his head to meet Tsuki’s gaze. He currently had a lot on his mind, but who could blame him? After all, this was the guild that had hunted him down like an animal all over this virtual world. A reminder of a past he wanted to forget. An obstacle he absolutely had to overcome.

  “Yeah, I’ll be okay. Don’t worry about me.”

  His teacher’s lips perked into a warm smile, though the concern was still visible behind those turquoise eyes. She wished she could watch over his battle—that she could protect him under her wing; but right now, this course of action was the best way to accomplish that. She could sense Ace’s power, and so she had to take the fight away from her beloved student so as to free him from the jaws of death. The only thing she could do now was have faith in the pupil that she had put her zeal into training for this past month. She turned her loving gaze away from him, hardening her eyes as she prepared for the fight ahead against this enemy of unknown strength. She followed behind Ace wordlessly.

  Moments later, Ace and Tsuki had vanished further into the structure, leaving Dusk all alone with this low key personality, unlike his absent brother. By all appearances his foe seemed ordinary, save for the bloodthirsty expression on his face. The other obvious thing Dusk noticed was the fact that Jigsaw was dual wielding blades. That meant this would be a match between Phantoms; a mirror matchup. This would all come down to skill level. Jigsaw, sensing the tension, broke the silence.

  “What are you waiting for? Ready your blades, let’s fight.”

  Dusk unsheathed his instruments of death. His weapons had changed at level 50. One of his swords, which was named Harbinger of Undeath— was a blade where white and black skeletal designs interlocked in a deadly mesh: the pommel being a skull design which held gleaming red eyes within. His other sword, Wyvern Fang, was drenched dark purple, two miniaturized dragon wings acting as the guard. The very blade itself seemed to emanate dragon like power. Dusk held both swords at his sides in a relaxed pose. This unguarded stance irritated Jigsaw, who was eagerly anticipating this fight.

  “What’s wrong? If you don’t guard yourself soon, I’ll attack you regardless.”

  Dusk glanced at his opponent with deeply somber eyes.

  “Why? What is all of this pointless violence for? This all started with pointless bloodshed. The reason I killed Menos... was in self-defense. Your guild was about to kill and rape an innocent woman, so my friends and I stepped in. After that it turned into a full out brawl, with me ultimately killing Menos in the heat of battle. For that, your guild has pursued me all through this world for two full months. When does it end? When does this fruitless cycle of violence end?”

  Jigsaw’s mouth dropped open for a moment, processing all of this new information. This was not the way he had understood that the events occurred. As far as he knew, Dusk had initiated a fight with Menos’s group—killing him in the process—sending the rest of his party fleeing back to headquarters. That is what he was told. Here he was hearing a different version of the story. This story of course could very well be a lie, but there was something about him. Something about the heartfelt sadness in his words that told Jigsaw that Dusk was not lying to him. He felt a tinge of sympathy for the troubled Phantom, knowing what he went through for merely acting in self-defense. Even so...

  “I don’t give a damn about any of that,” Jigsaw replied roughly, doing his best to hide his empathy behind thick walls of masculine toughness. They were enemies after all.

  This was partly true. Even if Dusk had acted in self-defense, currently he and two of his friends had attacked their headquarters. Right now, almost everyone in his guild was defeated; all by the hands of the Black Death and his friends. Right now, his guild... the Hand of Blood, was on the defensive. This red star was threatening everything he held dear. For that very reason, he had to fight.

  Jigsaw’s cold reply had unsettled Dusk even further, though this answer was not unexpected in the slightest. He desperately wanted to understand the reasoning behind the behavior of this guild that had caused him so much grief. He wanted to understand the purpose behind all this violence. More immediately, he wanted to understand the person in front of him.

  “Then, why do you fight? Tell me,” Dusk inquired, yearning for a satisfactory response.

  “If I tell you, will you lift up your swords and fight me seriously?”

  “Yes.”

  Despite Jigsaw’s earlier claim that he would cut him down regardless of whether he put his guard up or not, he really didn’t like killing a helpless opponent. He wanted a fair fight at all costs. Jigsaw relaxed his stance, shutting his battle hungry eyes; a calming breath escaping from his lips.

  “Fine. I fight for two reasons. One is because I love fighting.”

  Jigsaw’s face scrunched up into a vicious stare as he continued.

  “It’s a thrill unlike any other.”

  The momentary battle glare he had on his visage transformed as quickly as it had appeared, now replaced by a look of unwavering dedication in his eyes. His voice sunk into earnestness as he continued to talk.

  “The other reason is for my brother. My brother, who your partner is fighting right now—my brothe
r who you disturbed by barging into our home—my brother whose very way of life you threaten with your existence. I would kill for him in a heartbeat. I have no desire to kill you. But if that is the only way, I will gladly sharpen my heart into a blade and end your life.”

  “I see,” Dusk uttered, planting his right foot forward, lifting his blades as he finally prepared himself for combat. “I guess this fight is unavoidable.”

  Jigsaw’s emotions were an exact contrast to what Dusk was feeling. He was trembling with anticipation and excitement, unable to contain the thirst for battle that consumed him. His face slowly widened into a ferocious smile as he stuck his chest out, practically growling at this point.

  “You’re damn right it’s unavoidable. I’m glad you finally understand. Now enough of this pointless chit-chat, let’s fight!”

  With that, Jigsaw quickly disappeared from the visible spectrum, using his . Dusk immediately followed suit, turning into the Phantom for which his class was so aptly named.

  This was how all battles worked when Phantoms faced off against one another. Whoever got the initial strike on the other was given the advantage, and so both fighters would go into stealth mode, slowly slinking around the arena—stalking the area like a lion in the savannah, looking for their target.

  It was a precursor dance before the real battle began. One might say this was the tensest part of the battle. There was no enemy to be seen. No footsteps to be heard. No swords to be crossed. There were only two enemies dancing around one another—unseen, silently. They would continue this standoff until one enemy was close enough in the other’s sight that he could make out his stealthy silhouette. Upon seeing their prey, the hunter would strike at the hunted, taking them by surprise. Then the real fight would begin.

  Dusk stepped slowly and carefully, trying to predict where Jigsaw might be hiding. He tried his utmost to push aside his feelings and doubts for the moment, focusing only on the task at hand. There could be no room for error. No room to blink, his senses had to be sharpened into the finest possible tip. If he dulled for even a moment, he could be killed. He had to get the initial strike. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, a combination of the searing sun and the fact that he was straining his mind’s eye to discover the enemy. His body was hot. His throat was dry. His muscles became rock hard with tension. The suspense was incalculable. Where was he? Just where was his enemy?