Radical-9

CHAPTER 32: The Battle of Life

February 25^th, 2022

7:14 am

The world is all dark, but then it turns into an all bright white, and then I see a huge object rotating slowly in the distance. It's the moon. In back of me is the Earth in the distance, and all around me is the void of space amongst the stars. I look down, and I'm standing on what looks to be a thin and long platform of glass. I can see right through it to the depths of space.

“What is...this?” I ask.

Gaiser is standing about ten feet across from me, his sword drawn in one hand.

“This is space, my boy. Of course, it is only a representation of space, as it would be quite a problem since we need air and the like,” he says. “We shall fight to see who comes out on top, literally. If you fall, then it is one long trip for you,” he says slowly.

“You...”

“And for an added bonus, I’ll even rack up the damage multiplier for our fight. We’ll cut out the middle man of health bars and keep this as real as possible, shall we?”

“What?!”

Jack grins, “I had always told Benjamin that the health bars were unnecessary, but he insisted. I warned you that you didn’t know what you were getting in to,” he says.

I raise Flintlocke up and fire off once.

“Heh, predictable,” Gaiser snorts.

Gaiser raises his left arm and all of a sudden I feel my body being lifted. I see the bullet stop in the air and it flies back at me. It catches in my arm and I grit my teeth as it digs through me.

“Wh-What the hell is this?” I ask, wailing my legs around.

“There’s a lot to me that you don’t know, Andrew. Those tests that were performed on you? Only a fraction of what I’ve experienced. You believe your talent is so amazing? You don’t know the half of it,” he says.

He brings his arm down forcefully and I’m thrown downward. I smash through a section of the glass pane and I’m free falling towards a black eternity.

Is this really how it ends? Do I lose that easily? My mind brings images of Athena. Flashbacks of our time in Elysium speed along faster than anything imaginable. Then it turns to a thought of Jay.

The world around me skips, I look down and can see a green fire at the base of my shoes, they aren't burning or hot or anything. I instinctively kick out my legs to put them out, and it sends me skyrocketing upwards, almost like a rocket.

Thank you for the last minute save.

I'm shooting upwards and I aim myself right under Jack. I brace for impact and slam through the glass, all I hear out of him is an “Urghhf.” We're flying up as our momentum begins to slow, we've long left the platform and now float. I push him off of me and we both continue floating. I can taste blood, actual blood. I spit it out and it floats off in the distance.

It seems he’s also cut pixels from the equation.

I grip Flintlocke and switch it back to a blade. I kick off and launch myself towards him, rearing back as I do. A minute later I feel a weight being lifted off of my body and then I notice that my armor is gone. My momentum is lost, and I’m back in the shirt and jeans I’d been wearing in the real world.

I turn my head and stare at Jack.

“W-What...?”

“Now, now. You may have surprised me, but that doesn’t mean you get to have all of the fun. Plus, you're not the only one who can tamper with data,” he laughs.

I steady myself in the air, behind him I can see the Earth. Flintlocke is still clutched in my hand. I begin heading towards him, the blade held over my shoulder for support. I almost reach him, but then the sword dissipates as well and I swing nothing but empty air at him. My eyes are wide and I am staring directly at him. He’s still fully armored and he still has Mitsurugi.

“You’re nothing in this world Andrew. You can’t defeat me using my own weapons, my own technology.”

He raises Mitsurugi and it glistens in the bright sunlight. He brings it down swiftly and I raise my arms in front of my face instinctively, but nothing happens. Then I see time begin to slow down. The world turns black and white and Jack had completely stopped moving mid-swing.

“What...is going on?”

My head begins pounding and I hear a voice penetrating my mind.

“Hello, Andrew, we really have to stop with these close calls.”

I wait a moment in complete silence. Thinking maybe I had just imagined it.

“You have minimal time, I don't think lazing about is in your best interest.”

“Is this...Jay?” I call out.

“It sure is. I’m finally gaining some headway here with the server control and I’ve made my way into the audio controls. I’ll need some time, but I can get this server override to work if you stall him for me,” Jay says.

“I’m not really in any fighting condition at the moment. He’s using his power as GM to undermine any chance I have of winning,” I say.

“I’ll take care of that. I've found out how he is shutting me out and now I can do the same back to him. I have to go now. He’s pushing against my control here. You need to finish him here and now,” the voice says.

I see color beginning to return to the world, so I step out of the way of Jack's attack. He returns in full force and trips over himself, spinning in the weightlessness. He turns around in confusion and looks at me weird.

“How the...” he then looks upward, “Damn it, Jay,” he mutters. “I am done with this anti-gravity bullshit,” he says, slamming his right arm downward, and we begin falling like stones. I am screaming.

Jack sends out his hand once more and he lands down on a newly created platform. “Now, I'm going to send your ass out of this world,” he says.

I look at the sky as well. It is glitching and showing various different textures at once. It is more like a laser light show than a sky. Jack stops and looks up once more.

“No! This isn't how it is supposed to be! Leave my work ALONE! Stay out of this!” He looks right at me, “No, how are you getting in contact with him? HOW?” And then a flash of realization crosses his face. “You...you’re developing telepathy, that’s how. I should’ve used you. You would have been perfect,” he says more to himself than me. Jack Adata lets out a small cry and doubles over. It is as if he’s being shocked by something. His armor begins to crack. Light begins to shine out of the cracks and it breaks apart.

Just then I see a glowing white aura take a hold of me and then a familiar black shroud coats me in remembrance. On my back I also feel a familiar weight.

It’s the Shroud of Darkness and Elcor.

Jack Adata looks down at his now armor-less body. Mitsurugi vanishes from his hand as well. His surprise only lasts a few seconds, though. He begins to laugh maniacally now.

“You think this is going to change anything?! You don't even know the half of it!” He reaches his arm out again, but only this time I can see his range of attack. It is like a large purple fist reaching out to grab me. I roll under it and activate the shroud’s effect. I go completely invisible and I begin running around Jack.

“Your weak tricks won’t work on me Andrew.”

I run and jump into the air. I whip out Elcor and swing the blade, the familiar weight feels just right in my arms. I manage to cut his arm and he barks out, but he regains himself quickly and efficiently. “Cheap parlor tricks are not ones to be proud of,” he growls out.

“Says you.”

I whip Elcor up and it instantly glows golden. I transfer the light to my right hand and the silver blade of energy joins the golden blade of metal.

I rush him, but he raises his arms, both of them this time and the two giant fists slam into me. I’m sent flying back about twenty feet.

I struggle to my feet. I’m breathing heavy now, but I can't let it stop me. I'm going to keep on fighting until there is no fight left. I continue running back at him.

“Persistent little fucker, aren’t you? Well, I’m glad to know we did something right in those tests,” he says.

“I’m going to make you eat those words!” I yell.

I jump at him once more, but he slams me down with another swing of his arm.

“Don’t you get tired of trying the same thing over and over? I’d hope that persistence wasn’t the only trait you’ve received all of these years.” He raises both of his arms out in front of him. I get to my feet slowly and see that a green plasma goop is coating his right hand. It drops onto the glass pane below him and begins to spread all about. In his left hand I can see the formation of static.

“You may have tricked away my armor and my sword, but this trick is here to stay,”

“I'm going to assume that is Radical-9?” I ask.

“A representation of it, of sorts.”

“You love that explanation, don't you?”

“Let's just say it's going to burn like a bitch when it melds to your skin,” Jack says. A nasty smile passes over his face and then he turns his hand over. A small spark falls onto the glass.

I am a spark. That’s what I had said to Lindsey. I’d be the change of this world. I’d be the spark to light the fuse of reconstruction. What if...this is my purpose?

The whole world grows silent as the spark falls to the ground. I slash out my sword, the energy from the aura sword launches out towards the spark. It shimmers once before it makes contact with the plasma and then the world is replaced by a single loud crash and tons of oranges and yellows. I think I hear a scream, but I’m not sure.

My mind goes blank.