DELTAREI: A Deltarune AU. [16+] (NOW COMPLETED)

Chapter 163: VIRTUOUS.EXE

-TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3RD, 2023-
I was woken up in the early hours of the morning, feeling groggy and disoriented. I looked at the clock and saw that it was just past six in the morning, hours before school was set to start. I groaned as I heard Virt's voice pleading for me to wake up.
Virtuous, in his usual ALL-CAPS enthusiastic tone, exclaimed, "WAKE UP, REI! WE MUST GO! THERE IS SOMETHING I NEED TO SHOW YOU!"
I groaned, still half-asleep, and replied, "But it's so early! Can I at least have my lemon tea to wake up first? I feel so groggy."
Virtuous chuckled and snapped his fingers, spawning a cup of hot tea and a kettle for me to pour it into. I quickly drank it, thankful for the extra burst of energy. Then, Virtuous quickly picked me up, effortlessly carrying me in his arms as he began running towards the center of Hometown Park. It was a chilly morning, the temperature at a mere 41 degrees Fahrenheit. The wind was blowing, and the sky was covered in clouds. I was glad I hadn't bothered to change out of my clothes from yesterday. I adjusted my ushanka over my head to shield me from the cold breeze. As we moved closer to the center of the park, I clutched the purple gem necklace Virtuous had given me the previous night. Virtuous then placed me down, gently, as we arrived at the center of the park, where a stone pillar stood tall, dedicated to the town's first mayor. The park was mostly empty, given the early hour. As we approached, a figure came into view - a being that looked exactly like Virtuous, only with one significant difference. Its eyes glowed red, its teeth were sharp, and it had a red body with an upside down question mark on its face. It wore a brown fedora like Virtuous, but unlike his friendly appearance, this figure was distinctly ominous. I then got up, and asked the figure a question.

Rei- "Who are you?!??!?!"

Virtuous.exe- "I AM VIRTUOUS.EXE," the figure exclaimed, revealing its name. "AND I HAVE COME FOR YOU AND YOUR LITTLE FRIEND."

Virtuous- "WHAT DO YOU WANT???"

Virtuous.exe- "I WANT REVENGE, AND I WANT YOU TO SUFFER."

i then looked at Virtuous.

Rei- "What did you do to upset him so much???"

Virtuous.exe intervened, stamping his foot on the concrete, causing a ripple through the surface. Both me and Virtuous stumbled, falling to the ground but quickly regaining their balance. Virtuous.exe, growing impatient, interrupted their conversation, "CEASE YOUR CHATTERING AND FACE ME LIKE A MAN."

Rei- "Hey! I'm a woman, you know."

Then, we both got up, and Virtuous stepped forward.

Virtuous- "I WON'T LET YOU HURT HER."

Virtuous.exe- "WELL LET US TEST THAT THEORY."

He snapped his fingers, firing a powerful laser that slammed into me, sending me crashing into a nearby tree, knocking it over. Virtous watched, horrified, as I layed there, bleeding profusely and struggling to stay conscious. As Virtuous.exe drew his glowing red crystal sword, Virtuous, uncharacteristically serious, pledged:

"I'LL DEFEND HER TO MY LAST BREATH."

He braced himself for the coming battle, ready to fight to protect me. As soon as their swords clashed, an intense fight broke out. Both Virtuous and Virtuous.exe were evenly matched, their blades meeting in quick, calculated movements. With each strike, the ground around them trembled, and the air filled with the sound of their swords hitting against each other. The two fought in the air, each one attempting to land a hit while also trying to prevent the other from causing collateral damage by hitting the nearby statue. They tackled each other to the ground, only to jump back up and resume the fast-paced battle. The fight had taken its toll, leaving both Virtuous and Virtuous.exe battered and bruised. When Virtuous finally tackled his counterpart to the ground, he shattered Virtuous.exe's red sword, plunging his own blue crystal blade through Virtuous.exe's face, causing him to disappear into nothingness.
Breathing heavily, Virtuous immediately turned and ran over to me, as I had STILL been badly injured during the battle but still somehow concious and alive, although I wished I was dead already by this point. Zipping open my black puffer jacket, he revealed the deep diagonal cut that ran from my left shoulder to my hips, my black bra exposed as I bled heavily. Virtuous quickly knelt down beside me, holding my left hand with his right as I grabbed his right shoulder with MY right hand as well. He looked down at my injury, concern etched on his face.

Virtuous- "EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT, I MADE SURE THE EVIL GUY VIRTUOUS.EXE IS GONE, NOBODY WILL EVER HURT YOU ANYMORE. I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT."

With a gentle movement, Virtuous lifted my bra, applying a mystical, glowing white essence along the length of my cut. As the healing energy spread across my injury, both Virtuous and myself began to glow, our bodies radiating a soothing light.
When the healing process was complete, Virtuous gently picked me up while I was now unconcious, cradling me firmly in his arms. There was still blood on my face from the previous fight, but I was now free from pain, finally. Virtuous tightly hugged me, his embrace protecting me from any further harm. Without another glance back, he left the park. I felt safe in his arms. ★