Chapter 181: Awakening
[Day 45]
"This is quite the angle..."
After another brief battle, which would have constituted his 649th straight defeat, Vahn, situated in the basin of a large crater formed from his body impacting the ground like a meteor, was prepared for Jack-O to crush his throat beneath her red-and-black heel when, to his surprise, she removed it.
"Hmm...?"
With his wounds rapidly regenerating, Vahn was able to force himself to a seated position as Jack-O moved away from him by balancing herself and effortlessly moonwalking atop a jack-o-lantern-themed ball and chain. He couldn't make out her expression behind her mask, but it was evident that something had changed, considering she had slaughtered him mercilessly and efficiently 648 times.
"I remember..." stated Jack-O, her voice pleasant and feminine but given a ghostly warble due to her mask.
"Our previous matches...?" asked Vahn, massaging his throat with his right hand and staring at Jack-O curiously. Given the circumstances that led to the creation of Invirtua, he would be lying if he said he hadn't anticipated the red-and-white-haired woman gaining awareness. It was at least part of why he kept choosing her as his opponent despite forty-nine additional options being available.
"This isn't real..." muttered Jack-O, the eye holes of her mask somehow narrowing as she reached up to cup her face, ostensibly doing her best to recall who and what she was.
"You're right," confirmed Vahn, nodding slowly before revealing, "This is a virtual reality that recreates the setting and characters of a fighting game franchise called Guilty Gear. You're a character within that world, but our frequent clashes and your exposure to my power have either allowed you to gain awareness or placed you in a position to do so."
"Why...why give me life...why force me to kill you over and over again...?" asked Jack-O, lowering her hand slightly to stare at Vahn with the green flames that veiled her situationally red or green eyes.
Shaking his head, Vahn's expression became apologetic as he explained, "I entered this place to gain combat experience and increase my strength battling against a powerful foe. I was aware that something like this might happen, but it was never my intent to force you to do anything. I'm sorry if I have caused you to suffer..."