Chapter 413: Awoken

"#h$%'# *i*$@"

"How's he#$%,"

"h$#'* him…"

In an empty void of absolute darkness, Rupert found himself suspended. The space felt like an odd liquid, wrapping its cold, unforgiving claws upon his naked frame. His mind and body were numb, he was unsure where he was, nor what he should even think. 

His soul was a blank sheet as he stared up at the sky. He was but a mere aimless soul residing in a barren husk. 

He had been like that for what felt like an eternity, and only now did he hear sound for the first time within this endless darkness. So it drew his interest. The sound was muffled, its origin unclear. But that was when the darkness of the sky began to form cracks. 

"The... sky…. The sky is … cracking?" He murmured.

A single shard escaped, one made of pure darkness falling by him, narrowly missing his head. And from its remains shined a blinding light, piercing his gaze. The cracks began to increase, and with it, so did the light and voices from the outside… 

"Hey! Hey! He's movi*$%"

Slowly, the shards began to crumble and drop one by one. And only when it became too damaged to maintain its uniform shape did it explode, and like pouring rain, those shards of darkness sped towards his face with a blinding yellow light overcasting the previously pitch-black sky.

"HWWWAHHHH!!"

As though out of instinct, his eyes went wide, his hands flung towards his heart with no thinking as heavy sweat dripped down his face. There was pain encompassing his entire system, yet he did not know for what reason. His stomach twitched, his muscles felt tense, and his cloudy mind began to thump as though it was begging to burst out his skull. 

Light once again entered his sighs, yet this time it was no superficial yellow. It was physical and more real than ever, yet still rather unclear. White, that was the only colour he saw as he panned his eyes. His clothes were white, the blanket enveloping him was white, and the walls were an even purer white.

'Where… Where am I? What's going on?' He thought to himself, before a familiar voice entered his static-filled ears, the same one he had heard in that dark space.

"He's awake! He's awake!"

"It's about time he woke up…" Another voice sighed. 

"Huh…" Rupert coughed, finding the energy to rub his eyes. 

"I was so worried about you mister Kai! Welcome back!"

"Wh… huh… Wel— Welcome back?" He turned his head, and there sat next to him was a familiar smile he would have a hard time ever forgetting. Her brilliant white hair blended well with the walls, and her child-like innocence brightened the room even more and instilled a sense of needed calmness within his uneasy heart. "Girl, you say that like I was dead," He chuckled. 

"Oh wow, you seem to be taking this better than I expected you to," A different voice spoke, and that was when he noticed the other figure stood beside Hikari, Elizabeth Eleonora. However, beyond her, there was none present— Moby, nor Regrit and Artorias were anywhere to be found.

"Taking what better? What do you mean by that?"

"Hmmm?" She raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were gonna be all sad and mopey like: 'I'm a disgrace… how can I ever look him in the eyes?'"

"Huh? Now, why would I ever do that?

"Do you not remember what happened? Look around you, what kind of room do you think this is?"

"Hell if I know! I've never been to a place like this! It's all white, full of machines and needles."

"Agghhh… I should have expected this knowing who you are…" She shook her head. "This, this is a hospital room!"

"A hospital room?" His face widened. 

"Yes, you were taken here after you lost your match against the supreme general's grandson, Adam Walker…"

"L-Lost…" He leant back onto his pillow, his voice was sombre, and the wait it carried put the room in uncanny stillness.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"AHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAH!!" Rupert clenched his stomach, from pain, and tears began to fall down his eyes as he rolled back from mass hysteria. "Lost? Do you have any idea who you're saying that to!? In a place like this!? Now now, can you really tell me the real reason why I'm here, no stupid answers please!"

His laughter only continued to increase, but as he looked back towards those next to him, they did not seem to be as amused… 

"B-but… Mister Kai… It is true… You did lose…" Hikari scooted closer and showed him her watch, the news on its screen written in large, bold-font clear as day. "You went unconscious then you were sent here… We might be in VR, but it was your mind that was injured, not your body… You've been here now for hours not responding at all… We were so worried about you…"

"I… L-Lost?"

"..."

"..."

He uttered those words again, only this time did he realize its true impact…

His pupils dilated, his right hand clenched his heart while his left grasped his guts. The world was suddenly enveloped in a layer of haze as his stomach sank from pure anguish. It was a similar pain that he felt before, only this was far more intense and was not induced by maddening laughter but a maddening realization. 

Sudden bursts of bright light flashed within his dizzy eyes of memories, memories of what had happened past… Those shards in that dream, they were no mere illusion… They had truly stabbed him prior. He was winning, winning with ease, until for one instant, he suddenly wasn't…

'This… This can't be real… No… but it is real…' His mind ran rampant. More than anyone, Rupert knew what was dream, illusion, and reality, especially now that his mind was cleared— He was a greater demon after all. But that was the same problem… Even if he was holding back immensely, He was still a greater demon, so how…