The Virtual Realm

by Daniel Perusko

  Dusk said, not in the mood to deal with more opposition in the form of bounty hunters as of this moment.

  Omni nodded, although he was intrigued as to what this important thing was that Dusk needed to tell them.

  “All right, peace.”

  Finally... in a little bit I’ll find out more about the connection between Raven and Drake, Tsuki mused to herself eagerly.

  Dusk meanwhile, gazed sympathetically at Jigsaw, for what was likely to be his last time.

  Jigsaw... it really is a shame. I feel like in another lifetime, we might have even been friends. I understand your reason for fighting completely. I truly hope you escape from your brother’s shadow, and find the confidence to believe in yourself and stand on your own two feet. So long, my friend.

  !

  With that, he disappeared in a blinding radiance, truly leaving the Hand of Blood behind after two months.

  Chapter 9

  Dusk slouched on the black leather sofa, fighting the exhaustion that was threatening to wrap him up completely in its slumbering embrace. Normally he would have loved to give in to this temptation and take his repose, but he still had something important he must do. It was time that the rest of Phoenix knew about Raven’s role in everything—the danger he posed. He would leave the part about his friends and Kevlar out, however. To him this was a personal matter that had to be resolved by his own hands and no one else’s. Resolving not to let bitter memories flood into him, he decided to occupy his mind for a bit with some idle stimulation. He chose to open the forums and read the Phantom section. This held his curiosity for the next hour or so, until the other members of Phoenix had finally made their way back; the outside elements making their way into the room when they opened the door.

  Dusk turned his head, smiling warmly on seeing his guild return, as if he had just reunited with his long lost friends.

  “Hey, guys, how’d it go?”

  Omni crossed his arms, smiling back at the recharged Phantom. “The matter has been taken care of. Every last one of them is in prison now.”

  Dusk leaned his head back and closed his eyes, letting himself release a great wind of relief. A wave of solace washed over him, cleansing away any apprehensions he previously held within their comforting tides. No matter what else happened in the past or from this point forward, he could enjoy himself in this moment. He let it all go, letting the tranquility whisk him away. One huge wall that stood in his way had now been torn down; one less thing to worry about. Though he enjoyed the brief moment of peace that came with these good tidings, there were other walls he had to deal with. Right now, he had to tell the others about one of those walls... Raven. He turned his head back towards the group and opened his eyes, now fully prepared to explain everything they needed to know about Raven.

  “I’m so glad that’s over and done with. However, Raven is probably... my biggest problem. Not just mine either, he is everyone’s problem.”

  Omni raised his hand up, indicating for Dusk to stop speaking at this moment.

  “Not here, we go to the meeting room for matters like this.”

  Dusk nodded, getting up from the comfortable couch slowly, fighting back against the fatigue that throbbed through his entire body.

  A few minutes later, they had arrived in their meeting room. The room where that winged deity of pure flame was watching over them, affixed to the wall, its gaze ever vigilant. The noon sun glared through, magnified by the glass, summoning dancing shadows on their forms. The Phoenixes sat around the sleek ebony table, staring expectantly at Dusk, who stood on the opposite end of the room, wondering just where to begin.

  Omni rested both hands over his face, deep in contemplation.

  “Now is the time. You said you would tell us everything there is to know about this Raven. If this matter is so important, speak plainly. Leave nothing out.”

  “Raven is responsible for this situation; all of us not being able to go back to the real world. He’s the reason for all of it.”

  The entire room was submersed in a murky silence for a few moments as they took in this information, with unique sculptures of thoughts being molded within the consciousness of each of them.

  “If this is true then the objective seems clear to me. We must find Raven.”

  Scarlet mashed her fist into her hand, the fury pouring out from her voice like a faucet.

  “Damn right! We’ve been looking for the bastard responsible for this situation for months! If Raven’s the reason behind all this, we just kick his ass until he releases everyone from this hellhole.”

  These words sparked a glimmer of doubt within Reaper. He did not think it would be so simple.

  “If he is the one responsible for this situation, then that means he is probably more powerful than anyone within this world. He most likely has access to hacks in the game that no one else possesses. I’m all for kicking his ass, but I think we should be careful in how we approach him.”

  Dusk immediately responded in order to clarify the situation even further.

  “He definitely has hacked the game all right. The first and only time I met him, he thrust his arm forward at me. Once he did that I couldn’t move even a muscle. After that he threw me into a rock without touching me. I honestly don’t know how we’ll defeat such a person.”

  These words painted Tsuki with splotches of worry.

  “That... isn’t a game hack. Paralyzing your opponent and throwing them around are both things you can do with creational power. If he is able to do those things, however... it would mean he is quite good with telepathy.”

  She lulled for a moment to shake off the emotions that were attempting to engulf her, making sure to compose herself before continuing.

  “Ace said Raven paralyzed him. I personally fought Ace, and I couldn’t use my creational power on him directly, or read his thoughts. This means that Ace was at least moderately skilled in the use of telepathy. J couldn’t pin him to the ground either. Yet Raven was able to immobilize him. So that would mean...Raven is possibly even stronger than J or myself...”

  The whole room was overcome by a dreadful stillness. They had never heard of such a person before, they didn’t even think one existed. The creational power which Omni was able to harness was monstrous. This was something all the members of Phoenix knew. They couldn’t imagine someone more powerful than him. Omni himself had kept his hands folded in front of his face, his gaze intensifying like a hawk.

  “That is disconcerting information indeed. Regardless, we cannot shrivel up in fear. The objective remains the same. If we are to have a hope of returning to the real world and resuming our main mission, Raven must be defeated at all costs. The first step is finding him.”

  Dusk interjected, shedding more light onto the situation.

  “I don’t know if finding him will be that much of a problem. When I first saw him, he had saved me. I was fighting mobs all day without rest, and I eventually collapsed in the middle of one of my battles. Anyways, when I came to, I heard his voice. He told me he saved me. Fact is he came to save me in the nick of the time. That seems too damn convenient for me. If I were to guess, I’d say he’s been watching me from afar this whole time.”

  “So that bastard could be watching us right now for all we know,” Scarlet mused out loud, cringing at the thought.

  “That’s right.”

  “In that case...”

  Scarlet raised both her hands up, showcasing her middle fingers boldly.

  “Fuck you, Raven! You better enjoy the show while you can, because it’s only a matter of time before I find you and beat the ever living shit out of you!”

  The other members of Phoenix couldn’t help but laugh. Even Dusk managed a chuckle. If only it were that simple to just find him and kick his ass.

  After a few moments, the feline’s curiosity sunk its fangs into Tsuki. There was a question that she needed answered above all others.

  “We now know Raven is most likely responsible for everyone b
eing trapped in this world; but there’s one thing I don’t understand. Why is he so interested in you, Drake? He even saved your life. I find it hard to believe someone who would trap everyone in this world is a pure soul, so why would he be watching you? Why would he go so far as to intervene in your life alone?”

  A grim seriousness clouded over Dusk’s face. He wished he knew the answer to that himself.

  “The reason he gave was that he sensed a hint of the timelessness within me. I have no idea what that means.”

  Everyone’s eyes instantly darted open upon hearing this reply, as if the bombshell of a lifetime had just been dropped upon them. Even Omni, who had always been composed, couldn’t completely contain the astonishment from taking over his expression; though after a few moments he regained his calm demeanor.

  Dusk, who had seen the reactions of everyone there, was completely confused, like a child lost in the city without a parent to guide him.

  “What did I say? I’ve never seen that look on any of you before. Do you understand what Raven was talking about?”

  “There’s no way...” Reaper muttered in disbelief.

  “That’s absolute bullshit!” Scarlet cried out. “Obviously Raven was fucking with him. There has to be another reason for this.”

  Tsuki’s mind was reeling uncontrollably, like a ball rolling down a hill with no end in sight.

  If he does indeed possess the potential to harness that power that would explain the hidden strength I felt within him. But I always thought that inner strength of his which lay dormant deep inside him was something else. Though I would have never told him this, I never thought it was within his capabilities to be able to access that kind of strength... But why would Raven be able to sense that?

  The irritation was snowballing within Dusk, finally releasing itself through his white washed avalanche of words.

  “Anyone wanna tell me what's going on here? You guys keep talking to one another as if I’m not here; mind filling me in?”

  Omni answered him calmly without a moment’s hesitation.

  “The Eon Blade; the timelessness he refers to is the Eon Blade.”

  This answer did little to ease Dusk’s mind. The name struck a familiar chord with him, somehow. His entire body burned inside at the mention of those words, as if awakening something long dormant. He thought he had a dream that had something to do with this recently, but memories of his dreams always swiftly faded, so he wasn't completely sure...

  “What is this Eon Blade exactly?” He had to know. He had a feeling this matter was of paramount importance.

  “A powerful weapon that is everything and nothing at the same time. With it, it is said you can wield the very power of nature itself. If someone were to attain this weapon, their understanding of nature and the universe would go beyond what humans are capable of in this stage of our evolution. Hence, their power would be beyond that of humans, but of a higher being.”

  “When you say power of nature, it is like using the elements; so magic then?”

  Tsuki swiftly rebuked Dusk, seeking to bring him to correctness on the workings of this legendary armament.

  “It’s not magic. Even most magic blades that are written about in fairy tales aren’t magic at all, but merely technology. The Excalibur is an example of one such weapon. So too is the Eon Blade, the most powerful of all weapons.”

  Dusk’s lingering cloud of confusion about Raven was finally dispersed.

  “So his interest in me is because he thinks I have the potential to wield the Eon Blade?”

  “He probably wants to use that power for some greater purpose. Maybe he wants to take the power for himself. I guess there’s no point in just throwing out wild guesses all day. It could be anything.”

  Scarlet responded calmly, her hot frustrations and doubts presently locked in ice.

  Reaper, however, could not shake his skepticism about Raven’s motives. Why oh why would that blade pick him?

  “If you really do have the power to wield the Eon Blade, you’re a very lucky man. We all aspire to reach such a level of enlightenment someday. Looking on you now though, you’ll have to forgive me if I find this hard to believe.”

  Dusk, having had his pride directly assaulted from Reaper, could not contain his agitation, having it spew out directly from his lips instead.

  “Hey, what the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “Just what it sounds like. You’re still weaker than all of us, and haven’t won a duel against Tsuki yet. I’m just telling it like it is.”

  “You asshole! Let’s duel right now and I’ll show you if I’m still weak.”

  Reaper let the disgust flow out freely, sighing deeply.

  “That would be such a waste of my time.”

  “I’ll duel you if you want. I can prove Reaper’s still right about this,” Scarlet boasted while glaring at Dusk with a savage gusto.

  “Enough!” Omni’s voice boomed powerfully, rerouting this train of conversation that had momentarily been derailed from its tracks.

  “Is there anything else we need to know about Raven that would help us, Dusk?”

  “No, I think that is everything that I know for now.”

  “Understood. Then, this meeting is adjourned. Tsuki, Dusk, I advise you both take a rest. After that battle, I imagine it is needed.”

  Tsuki simply nodded in agreement, while Dusk spoke his thoughts for all to hear.

  “That’s true, I’m about to drop dead from exhaustion actually.”

  The snow shrouded woman fixed her studious gaze on the night clad Phantom, attempting to decipher the riddle within his mind.

  Was he telling the full truth just now? Certainly, the fact that Raven is responsible for all the deaths taking place in this world is quite a good reason to hate him. Yet I can’t help feeling like there is more to it. You didn’t mention Kevlar or Shark at all, even though you lumped those two in with him when we first spoke. There is still something else you’re hiding from us. What is it, Drake?

  Dusk turned to face Tsuki with a nervous smile before leaving the room.

  He arrived at his room a few minutes later, giving in to his long awaited temptation: letting the ferryman called slumber take him away to the world of dreams, falling asleep instantly. Despite what the future may hold, at that moment in time he had not a care in the world. He would need all the rest he could get to take advantage of this calm before the storm.

  The next week or so went by rather uneventfully. Dusk preferred it this way. After what had happened in this world so far, he no longer liked surprises. He was carefree like an innocent child, cherishing every moment.

  November 30, 2018

  Dusk was currently training with his teacher. The one thing that always amazed him when he fought her was how she managed to look like a celestial being; so pure and elegant. He figured that anyone would lose their grace and become more rugged during their fighting. He was wrong. Tsuki managed to not lose even an ounce of her dignified manner during combat, instead looking more as if she were dancing with Dusk rather than fighting him.

  Even so... he had no time to marvel at his teacher’s nimble movements, as he was determined to win this time. He lost the first two duels, but then on the third try, he succeeded where he had failed countless times.

  Tsuki was still standing, but the Phantom’s blade was at the tip of her throat, preventing her from taking more action. His victory was finally in hand.

  Not wanting to feel like he was rubbing it in, he refrained from cheering out, though he could not deny what he was feeling right now. His very blood ignited aflame with the excitement of his first victory. His heart pounded so loud and fast it rushed through his temples like an army of drums. He gazed at Tsuki in order to gauge her reaction. Would she be mad or?

  When he looked upon her, he noticed that she wore a satisfied smile on her face. She was not upset at all over this loss; rather, she was never more proud of her student and friend than at this very moment. A single tear of
pride nearly ran down her majestic visage. This was the proof. After little over a month of training, Dusk had finally defeated her in one on one combat. The tree of her labors had borne fruit, and it tasted deliciously satisfying.

  For a precious few moments neither of them spoke a word. The stare shared between student and teacher was understood. This was a victory for the both of them. They both took a moment to mentally photograph this image into their memories, forever.

  “Again?” Tsuki inquired, seeking to test her student’s talents further.

  “Sure,” Dusk replied, unable to peel the smile off his face.

  He had been patient, and now he was rewarded for that with results. Maybe in another few months, he could even become stronger than Raven and put an end to all of this personally.

  Ten duels had passed between the two fighters who wore opposite colored clothing; black and white, light and dark, yin and yang, graceful and untamed. Yet the tally remained a five to five split. Both ends of the spectrum had won five times. Normally they dueled ten times every day. The graceful dancer who embodied light itself was not content to leave this as a draw.

  “One more, we have to decide a winner.”

  Dusk, feeling exceptionally confident today, couldn’t back down from this challenge.

  “I’ll take you up on that offer. Let’s finish this, teacher.”

  He had readied his blades, looking increasingly composed as a duelist as time had gone on. That rough nature hadn’t left him completely, but he had definitely made progress. The fires of his rage that used to burn uncontrollably, consuming everything, were now contained within a furnace, creating a more intense and controlled flame than before.

  Tsuki merely stood there, like an angelic statue. Her rapier was in the center of her being, blade pointed towards the dense firmament above, which looked as though it would cry at any moment. Dusk had never seen her in this type of pose before. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this duel was going to be different to the others.

  As soon as the duel timer counted down, Dusk was going to activate his stealth mode, in order to sneak up on Tsuki to get the initial strike. That was his plan anyway.