VR WARS Volume II - Coalition Army

ANNOUNCEMENT

The lights went off, and darkness settled in. The entire room fell into a deep silence as awe and wonder overtook everyone. I had no idea what that event was about, and I’m guessing the same was true for most of us, but the feeling that those questions were about to be answered was strong. So, Vera and I did the only thing we could and contemplated the anticipation with delight, all the while still in each other’s warm embrace. Then, just as the clock hit midnight moments later, a bright yellow light focused on the far end of the hall where hidden underground stairs rose, guarded by twin marble lion statues on either side, each twice our size. They were the guardians that stood watch over the gateway to the massive golden throne that stood high and mighty overlooking the entire hall. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, rings of light surrounded the whole of the colossal stage like those of Saturn. However, a closer look indicated that the surrounding rings were not light but thousands of small fireflies giving off every color imaginable. Just as everybody looked mesmerized by the enchanting spectacle that left them without words, the digital insects soon began grouping up and transforming into something. Thus it was from their light that a man was born; Von Kluge.

His sparkling grey tuxedo fit him so perfectly, I hardly recognized him, it looked like he had lost some weight since the last time I saw him on TV, but that could’ve been an illusion depicted by the device itself—an older myth. Whatever the case, for a man in his mid-forties, he looked astonishing.

“Greetings, you all are familiar with me, I hope, but for those in doubt, let me clarify. Ladies and gentlemen, I am Henrich Von Kluge, the creator of this world.”

Everyone applauded in a distinguishing manner, for which he deserved no less.

The person to give my life a proper meaning, it was only by his creation that I had come this far, not only in giving me more confidence and belief in myself; it had also made me a reliable person, someone that others could put their trust in. No matter how many enemies I had made on this journey, the friendships acquired surpassed them tenfold. I even managed to turn some of those enemies into friends. Vera and Marco stood amongst their ranks, but Pedro and Rui could not say the same. I wanted to beat them because they, although skilled, were not the right people to ensure our victory. Vlad and Schneider are more pressing matters. I can’t be engaged in a two-front war with my allies on one side and those two on the other. Some dilemma, this is…

“I’m sure all of you have hundreds of questions, and I would like nothing more than to answer them. However, I’m afraid I have little time for that,” Von Kluge’s speech continued as he stroked his hand up against the vast golden throne next to him that had caught my eyes when we first entered the hall. “When I made this arrangement with the European governments, I was only thinking of a way to get my vision in motion, and when a part of that vision came true, I thought about you, the students enrolling in this competition, and how stressful this must be to all of you. As a parent, I couldn’t let that slide…Winning the Scandinavian Collector's Rescue Fund is an award for your countries, but not for the individuals doing the dirty work.”

He was undoubtedly right; besides getting some extra university credit, our award was close to nothing. I wondered about that myself, but seeing as we were getting our hands on the most recent piece of hardware free of cost, I thought it was payment enough. From the looks of it, I was wrong.

“…This event is in your honor,” a cristal glass with some green-colored liquid materialized in his hand, and he gave us a toast. “I’m sure you have already figured out the reason for so many empty frames in the hallway, but for those who haven’t reached the answer, here goes. When the final game is concluded, the Bermuda System will choose the rightful winner, and his portrait will be forever engraved in the Hall of Legends. Only he or she will be allowed under the System’s supervision to sit on this chair, the Legend’s Throne.”

That seems legit. I thought with excitement. Then Von Kluge descended from the throne to walk amongst us and get a good look as he examined each competitor with his sharp eyes. “This is my reward for all of you. The winner of the 1st Virtual Reality Wars Competition will be granted immortality inside this castle. But that’s not all. Every AWP user to reach the quarter-finals will be offered a chance to be a part of my project, my dream. No doubt, a healthy sum will be paid to them for their collaboration, ha-ha-ha,” he expressed, eyeballing his almost future employees.

A chance to work under the guidance of this century’s most influential mind?! Forget about scrounging up some shitty job after finishing up my degree; if I get to work for this man, then I can actually take control of my life! Working for Von Kluge’s company, Nautilus Enterprises, is a dream come true, and the life-changing possibilities that come with that are unfathomable.

“Godspeed. I expect great things from all of you,” his body dematerialized into the sparkling fireflies before vanishing entirely from sight within moments. His last remark brought back the illumination that had faded from the room before the announcement. The same music to which we danced continued to play as if nothing had happened.

But everybody stood paralyzed, not from fear but wonder. That gold-coated throne that barely anyone had paid any notice to since entering the room was now the center of an incredible and undisputed fight for supremacy. It was as if a multitude of presences were crashing down on one another, and everybody looked at each other, testing their nerves, questioning who would be the first to fall. The nerve-wracking atmosphere was so intense it made my body unconsciously seek comfort in Vera’s hand. She seemed to understand the reason for it, droppings of sweat were leaving my face like water coming out of a wrongly closed faucet. The delicate touch evolved into a tighter squeeze, as did my determination. My mind was certain of one thing, neither the first nor last were going to be us. The one to sit on that throne would be me, no matter what it took.

That prize will be mine.

“…Yo-you’re squeezing me too tight.”

“!”

At the urgency of her words, my over-the-top reaction speed suddenly kicked in, making me release the grip we had altogether. The surprised look on our faces was an embarrassing reminder of what had happened mere moments ago. Unsure whether to hold onto her or not, I stumbled, and so did she. Her face was the color of a tomato, but mine didn’t fare much better.

“…I-I need to use the restroom,” she squicked out, almost in a whisper, taking off as the words had left her mouth. The timing of her evasion couldn’t be better, she took off as everyone’s paralysis faded, and the mood from before slowly returned. Yet, her speed in retreating from the dance hall surpassed all possible boundaries, and it almost seemed like she was flying and not running. Smoothly zigzagging each pair that stood in her way, Vera left them no chance whatsoever to react. They could only feel the gust of wind trailing behind them from her lightspeed movement as it reached their cheeks. Even if I were to utilize my AWP, I didn’t think I could catch her, not when she had already faded from sight.

“Can you even do that here?” I asked no one in particular, thinking if the possibility of relieving ourselves was a functionality. Did I do something wrong? I mean, she was the one who practically shoved her face to me, so I don’t think I’m in the wrong here…I guess she was even more nervous than I thought. God, I hope this won’t come back to bite me…yeah, it most likely will.

For the second time that night, I turned to the tables holding beverages. Standing a few meters to my right side, pleasantly having a conversation were Rui and Mariam with a group of what looked to be Polish students, according to the colors on their pins. The same people who had beaten us in Okinawa during one of the battles of the group stage. I tried to focus my senses on them but could barely make out what they were discussing. Through this time, my hearing senses weren’t glitching out as they had done at Bunker Hill, much to my dissatisfaction.