"I'll... be... wa..iti..ng. My friends.....will.....defi...nite...ly....come. I believe in them, that is why, I'M NOT GIVING UP!."
Markus tried to stand on his ground though his body feels so heavy like he was carrying the weight of the sky. He cannot see clearly because his blood is blocking his sight. He knew his body is suffering real pain. He tightened his grip on his sword but it gradually falls from his fingers. He's losing his strength and his consciousness.
"Ma..ma... that won't happen" Kirk stepped towards him and said "..in forever!" he kicked him again in the groin and Markus roll over the steep ground. He almost fell to the abyss but he managed to hold and grip on the edge of the cliff.
"Why won't you just fall there, Markus?" he leaned to get close to Markus' face that was hanging from the edge of the cliff. "Because, you know, you can die here in the VR. It will lessen your suffering in the real world because you will experience it like a dream but of course, your body will stop functioning considered being dead." He stomped on Markus' fingers that were holding on the edge." What do other books call this? " he walked back and forth parallel to the edge. "Ahh, I know. It's what they called Apathy syndrome."
"Why are you doing this?" Markus tried to ask, trying to buy some time. He knows somewhere, his friends were already there. He can feel it.
"WHAT WAS THAT?, ma... many things happen but the worst thing is when you humiliate me in front of the crowd. Showing your cockiness and all that pisses me big time!" he kicked Markus' right hand. He almost let go of his grip because of the pain. "Na, Marky, have you ever been to the ground without any means of starting again?"
"What are you saying?" Markus said grasping his breath and his grip. "You're talking nonsense."
"This is not nonsense." Kirk took a deep breath and started to share his past. "My mom died in a car accident when I was 7. Dad said it was because of an engine failure but I know it was something deeper. I was 10 when I learned the truth. Mom had insurance that can pay part of my Dad's debt. And that's what the companies were after." Kirk sat on the ground, still facing Markus, hanging on the edge of the cliff.
"Then why are you blaming me for ruining your life when your Dad had started it all?" Markus said
"Shut up!! What do you know? My Dad,,, our life was ruined by your dad and it is just the right thing to do to get revenge, through you, to destroy ORION!" Kirk exclaimed
"Orion? How---" Markus said
"My Dad worked as a programmer at ORION 9 years ago. He was given a project financed by the department my dad was in. The Boss was urging him to finish it ahead of time but my dad cannot meet the deadline. He was exhausted every day, no sleep no eat, just to meet the expectations of the department and his superiors. They were jealous of my dad's success throughout the year, he's an employee of the year back then. His co-workers and superiors got green-eyed that's why they plotted on destroying him." He raised his sword to see his reflection on the blade "To meet their expectations," he continued "...my dad loaned for an additional computer and other additional materials for the program. He got workers of his own with computers and stuff just to meet the deadline, in the end, he was scammed." Kirk gritted his teeth and punched Markus' left fingers.
Markus screamed in pain.
"If he was just given enough time, if the department was just considerate, he could have done a better job and finished the program. The ORION ruined my dad, Orion is the one who killed Johan Chester! He was a great programmer and yet the fault of the department and his superiors were brought only on him. Since they have found malicious controversies on the program since it posed discrimination, they chose to rub all the sin on him and fired him. Because of them, my dad went blank. He jumped from the rooftop of our apartment and dropped dead. I saw it with my own eyes. I was 10 back then..." Kirk was engulfed with silence for a few moments.
"Is that the reason why you targeted HistoBANK and the other 6 companies that were immediately overcome by the Perses?" Markus asked
"Don't give MY virus a Name!! Its name is TERA! I am the only one who can give it one." Kirk pulled one of Markus' fingers "But, you were right. They were the ones who initiated my dad's fall to depravity. That damn bank did not let my dad loan money, money to spare a little time for him to recover. And the companies that were connected on my mom's death, they went after him day by day sending him notices and even blackmails and assassination notes."
Markus looked up and tried to see Kirk's expression, hoping that he was just making that story up. "Though Perses is much nicer than that of Tera..." he thought.
But to his surprise, he saw the grief in Kirk's sea-green eyes, engulfed with contempt.
"...they wanted the insurance and I found out they were the ones who plotted my mom's car accident though it's not really an accident, because of them it was a clear Murder! Now, I'm just getting the due amount for my parents' death...and that is through you because you are the only obstacle for me to move forward, you son of a bitch, Hahahaha!"
"Why did Louige-ni-san was caught up with all of this?" Markus asked.
"Louige, you said? He was just collateral damage. He was blackmailed by my patron." Kirk replied
"Patron?? Who was that? What did he do to make Nii-san do all of these?" Markus exclaimed.
"Well, apparently, it was, I guess an exploding device or something. I was told that he will be a useful tool as long as I get hold of the trigger. Apparently, he was trying to save You." Kirk grinned.
"...Save me?" Markus was shocked to hear what Kirk said.
"Ahh... I have the trigger on the bomb my patron implanted on your laptop."
"I don't have my laptop with me!"
"Oh please, you do." Kirk gave him a smirk "...the bomb was implanted on the laptop you got from the mall, idiot."
"What?"
"Ahh,, it was all planned. Do you think it was fate who gave you that laptop similar to the one you owned ready to be used in that store? Haha, are you an idiot? We have predicted your moves, it was like Game Theory. My accomplices work behind the scenes, you know. I know what you are doing. I got access from the ORION tower you see and Louige is the one who loosens the security. He is also the one who blocked the Masons from deciphering the code I gave you. You think the Masons were so lame to not solve a mere simple old-fashioned puzzle? Huh! And the Virus, the TERA (Greek word for Monster), was made from the ORION's program. This means the ORION made its own weapon to destroy itself. My patron gave me the liberty to do these things, haha!" Kirk exclaimed. He laughed like an old villain would.
"You're saying you're a step ahead, huh? And you dragged Ni-san with you? Pathetic. I will not forgive you." he tightened his grip on the edge of the cliff. "You're just going to ruin your life with all of these, Kirk..." Markus said "...do you think this is what your mom wants you to do?" he tried to negotiate with reason, appealing to his conscience.
"It was ruined a long time ago, I have nothing to lose anymore. Besides, I've got to see my dad's final masterpiece. This game is the unfinished Project that the ORION subjected as a failure because it did not meet the deadline. CURSES TO ORION AND ALL ITS SUBORDINATES!" Kirk stood and raised his feet gesturing to stomp on Markus' fingers and make him fall on the abyss.
"It's your time now to say farewell, Markus..."
Apparently, Reiko was running towards them and he kicked Kirk before he can stomp on Markus' hand and make him fall into the cliff's abyss. Kirk flew straight to the edge of the cliff but a lamp post saved him from falling.
Reiko reached his hand to Markus and dragged him up "Are you alright, Marky?" he hugged his son before he knew it.
"Dad?? Why are you here?" he coughed and spit out blood.
"Why not? I am your dad,... And I came to give you this one." He handed Markus a bow and a couple of arrows.
"What's this?" Markus asked
"I dunno, but, I know you know what it is. These are what Dave and Cassandra came to get in your room." He gave a confident smile. "Your weapon."
"I see... I never knew it will appear like this in this game..." Markus slowly muttered,
"I never thought of it as well, it just happens to take form when I entered the VR." Reiko explained, "And another thing, I brought with me a present for the enemy." Reiko snapped his fingers and a massive earthquake hit the city, shaking all the ground.
"What was that?" Markus gripped stronger on his dad's shoulders.
"Present as I've said. I've just launched the Hellsing cannon from the ROA-RPG connecting it using the server from ORION, just cheating through hacking, you know." he gave his son a smirk. "...ja, make sure to use your PA wisely, I'm still in awe, you know, can you let me use it sometimes?"
"Ahh,, I was still awed by its wonders as well." He gave his dad a grin "But, thanks a lot, Dad. Now, I'm going to save my friends." He managed to stand on his feet, Reiko helped him do so. "this city.... And even ORION." He stood firm and pointed his bow towards the enemy.
On the other side, Kirk stood on his feet with his sword drawn.
"You cannot win this game, I'm still here and I will crush your brain, Markus!" Kirk dashed towards Markus and hit keys on his way. Immediately, Reiko's avatar vanished in the arena and all was left there were Markus and Kirk, starting to fight again.
...
When Reiko reached Markus' spot, he saw his son taped on the chair, bathed in blood. Markus is breathing fairly, unconscious, and is turning pale and cold.
"Markus, hang in there,,," Reiko is talking to Markus to make him stay conscious at least. He is pressing on the wound on his son's shoulder. He untaped him from his chair. "Dad is here. Hey, wake up. Don't leave me like this."
Reiko saw Markus' stats on the monitor getting lower to the red zone. He was shacking on the fact that his son sitting next to him is in a dire situation. The only thing he can manage for the time being is to lessen the blood flow as he put pressure on the wound. He was turning pale as well, lost in the moment when he heard Dave's cry from the corner of the café. He then realized that they were battling at the moment and his son needs his help. He reached into his pocket and he got the flash drive out. He inserted it on the port on Markus' headgear and hit keys on the monitor to activate it.
He wore an eyeglass the same thing that the Androids were wearing on the battlefield, the one Louige handed him when they happen to talk a while ago. He connected it to the program and entered the VR himself.
He was able to get to his son right on time and he was able to give the Phantom Algorithm but as soon as Markus got his weapon, Reiko was forced to get out from the VR by Markus' command. He thought about helping his son but instead, his son helped him out. He realized if he stayed there any longer, he would become a burden on Markus and hurt himself. He thought if he gets hurt, he could not save his son anymore.
Thinking of the things his son has done instead of him, his tears kept falling.
"Is that okay, Marky?" he brought Markus on his lap and they sit on the chair as one, carrying his son in his arms "Then, I will leave the VR in your care and leave the rest on Otto-san."
...
Kirk charged at Markus again. He kept on losing his balance, but he kept on charging, swinging his sword desperately.
Markus put the arrow on his bow, aimed carefully at Kirk even if he is having a hard time getting himself to focus. His hand is shaking, getting overwhelmed by the tension of the bow, as he pulls the string to launch the arrow.
Kirk is avoiding the debris on the arena as he is coming straight to Markus but he is waiting for the last second to release the arrow at the right moment. The ground shook and he slipped his balance on his left foot making him sway his aim. Kirk found it as an opportunity so he jumped on Markus raising his sword. Markus turned his body and aimed at the jumping Kirk's opening on his torso. He launched the arrow and hit Kirk's heart directly before he fell on his back.
"Damn you..." Kirk mumbled as he is spitting blood, crawling on the ground.
"It's the end,,, It's your loss, Kirk." Markus got on his feet and shooting his remaining arrows in far directions of the arena. "It's your defeat. All of this is for me, for Louige-ni-san, my friends, my mom, and my dad. You'll pay for everything you've done wrong."
He released his eight arrows and it suddenly created a pattern encircling the whole city.
EIGHT FOLD SEAL OF THE PHANTOM: achtfache Dichtung!
"What...is this...?" Kirk asked
"It was created to sell something without any means of releasing it. In other words, in the simplest sense, it's a mode of deleting, PERMANENTLY." Markus fell on his knees. "You can wave goodbye with your petty revenge."
"Curse you Markus Lockwood!" the ground broke and Kirk falls on the abyss.
"I'm surprised you even know my Real name."
Markus dodged the debris falling above and below him but he slipped on his footing making himself fall to the abyss as well.
"Oh crap..."