Chapter Forty-Eight:
No One Is Safe
Inside the VR world, the Spike had just finished admiring the anime girl posters on a wall in a dorm he'd found, and was now wandering the lush grounds of a lovely Japanese school. Boopkins saw a virtual NPC near the fountain, a guy in a uniform with glasses, and approached him, hoping he would be able to make a new friend.
The student turned to the anime lover, and Boopkins waved with the kindest smile ever.
"Hi, my name is Fishy Boopkins." The green Spike introduced.
"I'm Kanekii." Kanekii replied.
"Do you know where the anime girls are at?"
"I have no idea, dude."
Boopkins shrugged, "Well, you look like anime yourself. I'm just looking for some friends to make. You want to be my friend?"
"Yes." Kanekii nodded.
It felt right to make another friend, even in a virtual world, and Boopkins was glad to hang out with Kanekii, as well as another guy named NeOx, until they parted for the time being and the Spike continued exploring the many settings beyond the Japanese school grounds within this anime-inspired world that filled the weeb's heart with happiness.
The curious Boopkins' exploration led him to a temple-like area with a bridge over a lake. One look at the place around him, and the aquatic anime-loving fish remarked with glee, "Oooh, this place looks really peaceful..."
Boopkins couldn't have been more right. Every garden was always peaceful, and the green Spike gladly took the time to explore the shrine past the bridge, interacting with people in a nearby bazar, and made his way to the temple at the top of the small hill as he saw the many Buddha statues around him.
When he set foot in the virtual temple, Boopkins was filled with the desire to get out a camera and snap a picture. That one feminine Buddhist statue that stood in the temple's inner circle was astounding to look at, even some of the characters visiting the place seemed to agree.
Despite the fact this was a virtual world, the environment felt so real, and Boopkins was feeling as though he'd actually gone to the real Japan. He had to visit that nation someday.
"Hey, how are you?" The Spike said to an anime-looking man in tourist clothes, "My name is Fishy Boopkins. You want to be friiieeeeeends? I like making friends, and this is a cool place to visit here."
"Oh, sure. No problem, man." The tourist avatar replied, and Boopkins' heart skipped a beat.
Rows upon rows of T-Posing Toads, Gorons, and humans glided ominously across the lush field towards Peach's Castle, their eyes blank and faces expressionless like the other zombies. Ahead of them, the healthy yet uncertain unit of Toad guards were taking their positions near the entrance to the castle, with every available weapon they had at their disposal.
"Hold the line! Hold the line!" A yellow Toad captain yelled, "Don't let a single poser enter this castle, we must protect our princess!"
A couple of guards loaded up the cannons that had been rolled out, and the smell of gunpowder filled the air as fuses ignited with the roar of cannon fire following suit. Debris flew everywhere, and gunshots rang out. Guards rushed forward with blades held high, and spears pointed steadily, and screams carried across the castle grounds.
The defensive efforts were of no use. The T-Pose virus victims continued advancing, inching closer towards the castle, and the guards who attempted to battle them became one with the zombies, slowly cornering their fellow citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom by the moment.
One guard positioned near the door drew a service pistol and opened fire on the zombies, attempting to stop the advance in their tracks. His finger shook as he tapped the trigger repeatedly, and his eardrums rattled until all he could hear was a ringing noise with the faint sound of screaming.
He felt the gun become empty, and the Toad gasped as he dropped the pistol. The zombies were inches from his throat, and the almost distant sound of his own scream entered his ears as the guard felt the T-Posers grab him.
A dazed sensation fell upon the helpless fungus, and his vision blackened as bones cracked and the Toad felt his feet freezing up. His lungs became constricted, and the very last thing the guard ever saw was the face of a comrade before the virus took complete hold.
With nobody to stop them, the zombies broke into the castle, all intent on infecting the princess and taking control of the place in the name of their great and godlike master.
VRChat felt like a surreal dream, a dream that Boopkins liked.
He found happiness interacting with the other people in the virtual world, making new friends, and exploring the many environments the simulation had to offer. Boopkins would casually chat with whomever he met, and often experienced moments of sadness when a character vanished or if he was antagonized.
The anime-looking females he encountered were lovely to interact with, especially when their beauty mesmerized the Spike. Even with the moments of sudden disappearances or bullying, even when nobody wished to be his friend, Boopkins continued on with the breathtaking VR experience.
Luckily, the headset's battery never ran low, which meant the anime-obsessed fish could play for as long as he wanted. He continued exploring and interacting, then he retired to a comfortable bedroom with anime-themed decorations in a luxurious Japanese apartment.
One could say this was a good stopping point, even as Boopkins remained logged into the simulation. The Spike closed the bedroom door behind himself, and picked up an anime body pillow, one of his favorites, before placing it gently on the bed.
"Nothing beats this..." Boopkins said, "That was a lot of fun. But I think it's time to go to bed now. Maybe I'll make more friends tomorrow."
His thoughts were cut short as the Spike heard a knock on the door, and, in a moment of absent mindedness, he didn't bother to log out and power off the VR as he went to answer the knock. It sounded like it was coming from the game, but it was actually a real world knock, which could have sounded like it was in the VR as well.
"Someone is at the door..." Boopkins remarked, 'Perhaps he's back already.'
The little Spike hummed as he strolled down the hallway, right before another knocking sound filled his ears. The outdoors weren't safe with the T-Posers running around, but it was possible that someone was trying to find shelter and had managed to avoid getting the virus so far.
Boopkins grabbed a stool and pulled it into the hallway, then he hopped up to the doorknob and turned it, allowing the door to open. However, the new house visitor was not as friendly as one hoped it would be.
Menacing laughter resonated in the anime weeb's ears and Boopkins yelped with horror as he realized what was happening and recognized the muscular demigod known as Waluigi in seconds.
"OH NO!" He wailed, "NO! NO! NO! NOT YOU!"
Waluigi floated into the house with a maniacal smile and cackled maliciously, holding his Staff of Rejection as it gleamed with power. Boopkins backed away slowly, noticing the T-Posing Toads and Koopas that were accompanying the Wah-Man, and his heart pounded with ever-intensifying dread.
"Greetings, Boopkins." Waluigi hissed and he raised his staff with a laugh.
"WH... NO! DON'T DO THAT?!" Boopkins protested.
It was far too late. Waluigi brought down his staff, and a purple light filled the house. Boopkins screamed and bones cracked as he felt his body stiffening up, with his arm becoming rigid as it stood out to the side. Waluigi laughed maniacally, filled with satisfaction to have another helpless sucker under his control…
TO BE CONCLUDED
IN WAH-POCALYPSE NOW