Visqux, or most popularly known as the system, was a virtual reality point gaining battle system that was only found in exclusive schools such as its founder, Vox Academy, and three other well known schools who had implemented it soon after. Its purpose was a mystery, but from what the staff told their students it was to gain points or extra credits to unlock more incentives in the school, of course exemption from handwritten nor verbal tests were forbidden, it was just to enhance their school life inside the premises to the fullest.
It only works inside the academy, each battle was held in a holographic cube that expands depending on the amount of people inside and generates a random or selected terrain as their battlefield. There were three type of cubes—or mostly addressed as matches—, one was a normal match cube, it was green in color and open to all spectators. Another was a private match which was self explanatory and gray in color. The third one was a tournament match, it was different in hues with no linear color, it was a match that was broadcasted to all of the school and of course spectators can watch themselves inside if they wish.
Despite being in a match, spectators cannot be harmed, for it would lead to immediate loss to the perpetrator, the victim will still feel the pain though until the system declares defeat. However if they were to be hit by a stray debris, the system deletes them before it could even touch anyone. Spectators could also not physically intervene with the battle, or else they will be kicked out and get their points deducted.
Anything goes in a match, the combatants can beat the crap out of each other and get away with it. Their main goal to win was to destroy a musical note that was attached to their body, the indicator can be moved before battle but hiding it was not allowed and would lead to immediate disqualification. Wiser players place them in spots where it was hard to hit while idiots leave them wide open for the world to see for no reason, having a strategy with just the placement was an advantage.
Winning in normal or private matches gives a player ten points, which was enough to buy a normal drink in lunch, being defeated deducts a doubled amount. Points can be used to purchase items in its own unique marketplace, luxurious food, clothes and even upgrade their own boarding rooms. Some also gain special access to certain rooms in the premises once they reach a certain amount of points required which was usually a lot.
Four kinds of tournaments were also held every year, one was the individual tournament where players battle other students to rise to the top, the other was the club tournament where various school clubs compete against other clubs. The last two were both the most important tournaments of all, for the top five winners from the normal tournaments were sent to compete with other schools to see which was better. The prizes were usually a large sum of points by thousands, but fame and power were also inevitably gained.
Joining the system wasn't compulsory so there were also non-players living a normal life in the premises, some might still be scared, for although battles would never injure a combatant outside the cube, pain was still there. Some however, were just simply satisfied living a normal life, being able to even study in such a school was more than enough already. It was the very gateway for a secured successful future.
Of course for the academy was extremely exclusive the entrance exams was a chaos itself that could as well be the final exams of a whole school year, not only the wits was measured, but also the strength of the examinee was tested. The school was not for the weak, the frail wouldn't stand a chance, it was an extremely competitive school that only those with burning passion, endurance and determination could pass.
Once a player joins in the system, they gain some kind of weapon to accompany them in battles which could take in any shape and kind. The weapon was randomly generated based on the player's personality, likes and dominant emotions. Their powers evolve depending on the amount of wins they get, but it was more on their sheer raw strength and wits. They were to discover their own powers much like learning a new language.
In such a competitive system bullying and oppression was hard to miss, it usually happens inside matches for doing so outside it would deduct significant amount of points and suspend the bully once spotted which was a hard feat for specialized cameras were all over the place. It fortunately wasn't often since people knew how to stand up for themselves.
There was also a ranking system, when a players reaches a thousand points they become a G cleff, the default rank was F cleff. People with more than ten thousand points don't use cleffs as an indicator anymore but instead, uses a symbol that represented their power.
It was a fun system at first, until some players started greeding for more power and fame to the point that they would do anything to win. While some players loved the thrill of the battle, a few were blinded by a newfound sadism and loved torturing their enemies more than anything. These people were most feared among players, even more so than the champions since they trick innocent players to challenge them just to cause grueling pain. One could say that the school were full of geniuses and prodigies, but students inside the campus liked to address themselves as freaks.
Since they sort of indeed were, if one were to go in the academy without much knowledge about the students inside, they would probably think that they were in some kind of weird carnival. It wasn't that peculiar to see a student holding a steaming chemical in an apparatus, or some students tinkering on a large contraption at lunch, or someone looking like they just murdered someone, a person with frizzy hair as if they'd been electrocuted, or even someone who hoots loudly like an owl for no reason. It was like the gathering of oddballs.
Still, it was definitely an amusing sight.
MIKU
Consecutive explosions quaked the area, it was an absolute bloody mess, the sand was everywhere and if it weren't for the system deleting the particles from getting into our eyes I would be probably crying with sand in my eyes right now. We could barely see a thing, just sounds of war, which was pretty amazing. I was somehow starting to understand why Gumi was so fascinated with war stuff for some reason, it was overwhelming and gets your blood pumping adrenaline.
I heard Rin squeal from a mile away and I could only make an exasperated face in return, she sounded like a pig getting butchered, but with utter joy. I scowled at the thought, oh my god that sounded so gruesome. Anyway I tried to make sense of what was happening and saw a few warplanes flying up the sky dropping bombs, some war tanks exploded afterwards, but I couldn't really tell since it seemed like everything was exploding at this point.
"WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING," Len shouted beside me with his severely confused face.
"SHIT I DON'T KNOW," I shrugged my shoulders intensely for some reason, probably to prove my point of mutual confusion.
We both stood there dumbly with sands blasting in different directions and our hairs getting whipped in the air back and forth for a while until the system made its robotic voice known once again.
"End of battle," the system declared, "Match won by; Gumi Megpoid."
Rin cheered loudly across us while we just looked around the dissipating mist of sand, stupefied. Soon we saw Gumi panting heavily who was way closer to the dude now, while the dude was on his back with the same state as her, countless of destroyed vehicles littered the area. It was suddenly like the aftermath of a war.
"Disengaging cube," then everything started reducing into green code ashes until the place went black, with a blink of an eye, we were back on the school grounds again. The guy was still on the ground, but he and Gumi weren't panting anymore, as if nothing happened. A second of silence later a floating screen appeared next to Gumi saying that she recieved ten points to her previously 3,180 points.
So all in all she won for over a hundred matches now, which was really a lot. It takes a lot of time to get there, well except if she had spent some of it or had participated in the tournaments. Those who make it to top ten get a thousand of points when they lose, and well she happened to have been there from what Rin told me, she lost halfway though.
To a girl named Meiko I think.
I walked over to Gumi and slung an arm over her shoulders, "Congrats Gumibear," I gave her a cheeky grin, she just pushed me away playfully after thanking me.
She then turned to the dude who was now dusting himself off some dirt and held out a hand, "That waa a great match.. uhm.."
"Jake, my name's Jake Burton," he introduced himself with that thick accent of his before shaking Gumi's hand, "It was a pleasure to have fought with you too."
They both gave each other smiles, until Len intervened, "Uhm.. I think we should go now, we're about to be late," he pointed to the tall beacon in the middle of the school which had a huge clock attached to it.
We all nodded and proceeded to walk to classes, when we were about to reach the school's large oak doors, I heard rapid foot steps behind us making me turn around curiously.
It was Luka and Miki panting like crazy as they practically limped towards us, the group of people beside me looking equally confused as we stared at them.
"Shu.. Shut up, I'll win this," Luka breathed after taking a step forward, an agitated yet determined look on her face.
"Ha..! You can barely even.." Miki huffed, "..walk!" she also took a step, her expression mirroring Luka's.
"Says the ugly girl," she countered with a step.
"Say that when you've won," Miki made a face and a step.
We just all looked at them incredulously.
I turned to my friends.
They shrugged.
Well shit yolo.
I walked over to them with a hand up, an awkward smile on my face, "Heyyy.."
I stopped when they landed their irritated gazes on me, I exhaled through my nose under the pressure of their piercing stares, "..you guys okay?"
"Do we look okay?" Luka squinted her eyes at me, I blinked. I knew she was a snarky person, she wasn't called the 'Ice Queen' for no reason. Though I can't believe that someone with such a gentle face could be so cold sometimes, but that was a fact that intrigued me even more. She was a mystery, I wanted to know more about her.
I simply shrugged at her crankiness, unfazed.
She frowned, as if taken a back by my nonchalance, I tried to bite back a grin at her reaction. After doing an intense mini staring match that we both unintentionally started, she broke first before shaking her head in exasperation.
"Whatever," she clicked her tongue and strode past me, giving me a brief waft of her cherry blossom scent which sent strange tingles down my spine.
It reminded me so much of that random kiss.
Miki once again apologized for her rudeness before quickly trailing behind Luka, a slightly confused yet greatly amused look on her features.
"..what was that?" Rin croaked out in awe, breaking the silence that had transpired ever since we started walking when the two left, "I swear I felt something between you two back there."
I looked at her weirdly, now realizing that everyone was looking at me the same way, "What?"
"Did something happen?" Gumi asked, her brows furrowed in contemplation.
"Nothing."
I guess?
AN: Sorry for the wait ahhhh