It was like a battlefield. Shouts and roars from the crowd echoed throughout the arena. The arena's size was astonishing. More than five thousand capacity, Kato thought.
He was in the arena, on the 'playground', at least, that wa what it was called. His heart was beating fast. He couldn't even think, and just sat at corner trembling. The roars of the crowd making him to feel more anxious. He looked up, as his face expressed the state he was in. The crowd was full of high class society. These were people who sat in power and manipulated those below. They were a few normal class, but the percentage of high class was absurd. Kato felt his teeth clanking against themselves. He was shivering. He thought about it. His coffin was here, there is no way he would survive. As he notice earlier, you have to rip off the head of your opponent to ascertain your victory. And victory was sure, not for him of course, he pondered deeply. He placed his palms on his scalp. It was sore and full of holes alright, but it's not the only thing that will be full of holes today. He ignore the shouts of the spectators, and surveyed his surroundings. The playground was a white clean floor which looked and felt like cement to him, surrounded by steel cages taller at least ten to 15 feet, he thought. He heaved a deep sigh. He looks up and saw that the arena had large bulbs and crystals for lighting. It did the job of exposing every single corner of the arena despite its size. Kato couldn't breathe well, his heart beating badly against the chest cage. He could feel it, even without touching his chest. He remembered all events that led him here, and began sobbing softly.
Earlier on, when his name was announced. He was carried by the Nozeh's men to the arena, Kato didn't even struggle, he was too worried to do so. Before their room was locked, he turned to back only to see Nozeh beating Jax and the others who had supported and not given him away, and he eventually cut off the head of a man from Xu Li's group. Kato just sighed at the foolish man trying to assert dominance, and was glad he was dying.
A sound jerked Kato back to life. The sound from a door, the door that led to the veterans. It opened, silence filled the air. The lingering scent of blood and sweat was evident. Kato knew it was time, and forced a smile. He stood up, waiting for his opponent's entrance.
A figure emerged from the dark area, and later on, two more. The crowed was thrown to an uproar. What a cheer, they were chanting his name. Kato forced his smile again. He looked at his opponent. He was a tall, black haired Korean guy, not too ripped but he still kept his neat skin. Typa guy, everyone will fall for. Kato chuckled at his thought. It might be his last time on earth. Might as well chuckle. Kato's gaze fell on the other two figures. He recognized the first one immediately. It was the leader of the veterans, a big black man, bald man. Then he looked at the person and was surprised. It was a female kid, his age.. A caramel tanned female, maybe a bit older than him but she is in his age range. He wondered who she was to them,.
". Maybe she's the leader's daughter? ". Kati couldn't help but think what kind of psycho would sell a man and his kid. He noticed all the veterans were dressed like them too. Orange knickers that had gone through times, and the female kid had a piece of cloth to cover new growing boobs. His gaze shifted back to his opponent.
".Heng Tae Sung". He said to himself. Heng advanced towards the playground, and Kato could now see some scars on his smooth skin. The crowd was still shouting his name,
". Kill that kid, Heng". Someone shouted, silence immediately fell. Everyone turned to the person. Even the captive fighters. Kato once again, was reminded of his fate. Suddenly the crowd, repeated the man's words, chanting for Kato's death. Kato looked at them, surprised. He opened his mouth in shock and fear, and collapsed on his knees. The crowd was still chanting, and Kato closed his eyes.
". Yeah, Alright". He said to himself. He made up his mind, and stood up again. A western looking man, middle aged with white hair, suddenly appeared from thin air in the middle of the playground.
". Alright, the game is simple. Last man standing, no weapons are allowed. Magic, martial arts or whatever power you possess can be used.". The referee looked at Kato, and apparently was disgusted by Kato's looks.
Kato shrugged, apparently he was disgusted by the redness and holes on his head, his dark circles or the devilish scars Yonikaharu gave to him. His back was facing the crowd so the referee cannot see the holes on it. The referee turned to Tae Sung. "Understood? ". He asked. They both nodded. The referee smiled.
"Begin! ". The referee vanished. Tae Sung apparently did the same. Instantly, Kato felt a hand pierce through his chest. His eyes widened and he smiled.
". Wow, you actually gave me a quick one". Kato said, blood began seeping through his mouth. He held the hand and looked at his opponent. No emotions visible on the face of his opponent.
". Thank you, Senior". Kato could feel his heart ripped out, Tae Sung removed his hand from Kato's chest. He had bore a hole through it, he had Kato's thumping heart in his chest. His hands covered in blood, he squashed the heart. Blood splashed over him, and the playground was full with it. Kato's vision began on blur, blood streaming out his body. The hole in his chest had blood dripping out. He knelt down, taking one last look at Tae Sung before he descended into darkness. His body slumped face down to the ground, the white floors had now been muddied with red. The leader of the veterans smiled, and tapped the female kid. She nodded. The crowd exiled the silence immediately, and the arena was filled with life and vigour. The spectators cheered. Some shouting how could the kid not lose, and others excited they placed their bets on Tae Sung.
". Rip his head off, we need to be sure. That kid got lots of holes on his back, who knows his plans". Someone shouted from the crowd, and soon everyone followed him, urging Tae Sung to do as they said. Tae Sung walked towards Kato....
* * * * * * * *
Kato felt something hard against him, like a stone. It was hot as hell. He jerked up immediately, and opened his eyes. He looked around in awe. His surroundings, he was sure of it. He checked his chest, a hole was evident, with Yonikaharu's given scars. He was alive, he turned around again to survey his clothes, it was the orange knickers. He threw his gaze to his surroundings, his lips curved to express his fear and emotions. He knew where he was and that means, his sister was right. Right there he woke up on a cliff, in the underworld. He was dumbfounded, he couldn't do anything. If he was sent here, it must have been because of his disbelief but what layer of hell was in.
". Yuki said something about hell, having return gates and reincarnation gates, they are very big and are visible all throughout... ". Kato thought, then he surveyed his surroundings again. He didnt see anything except a few large creatures in chains, a blackish yellow like lava soup acting as a river, and few little creatures bound in chains. They chained to something invisible, the air had dark black fog with roars of those creatures being very audible, his reality hit him.
". Yuki said, the gates are in the 1st layer of hell, and only the deepest layer has the most few number of souls. The air is said to have a black fog, and blackish lava river". He knelt down, bowing down to the ground. He began weeping badly. " No, no, just what sin did I commit, for me to be here. The deepest layer of hell". He cried, striking his fists to the ground. He heard a rumble, and he quickly wiped his tears about to stand and run, but the cliff broke apart and Kato fell immediately.
". Dammit". He echoed his cry. He was tumbling in the air and he saw his landing spot. It was the blackish lava. His face immediately squeezed.
". This will hurt a lot.! ". He exclaimed and fell in it immediately. The immediately searing pain made Kato scream out, trying to swim back up, but the lava entered his throat, and he could feel himself dying or at least he expected himself to. He could feel his whole body melting away, but somehow he didn't die.
". This is worse, dammit. I have to... ". Kato tried as hard as he could to get back outside the lava, but he sank in it more. Writhing in pain, he stopped struggling. Although the pain was unbearable, he stopped.
". Why should I struggle?. This is my reality now, I'm dead. I don't even know the way back to the 1st layer. Why should I go back?. " he thought. The lava was burning his innards. He could feel it, but yet he didn't die. He remembered something.
". Sis, so what you mean is the deepest layer isn't meant for humans. ". Six year old Kato looked curious, he had no dark circles and his hair gleamed black in the early morning sun. Yuki admired her brother, and smiled. She embraced him.
". According to the ancient text, Yes. Because the human soul will be extinguished immediately from existence. The limit for a human soul is the 3rd layer.". She kissed her brother on the cheek, she noticed his red cheeks. ". It's not written how many layers the underworld has, but the deepest layer is for beings who has been given divine punishment. That is why there are very few beings in the deepest layer, the ones there are all chained. "...
Kato sighed, he immediately took in lava into his body and it caused him to writhe in pain again.
". So that means I have been given divine punishment for not believing.". He thought, ". But why given divine punishment by gods I don't even know". Kato began to feel rage. ". For what reason must I be sent down here, because I will evidently be erased from existence here. These damn gods, ". Kato roared, more lava entered his body but he didn't mind. ". Curse you all, I swear. My sister was separated from me and you never even helped her. If I get out of here. ... ". He mumbled in the lava, and shouted in pain again. His eyes were burning but he could still see, the blackish lava was now covering the light, making under it very dark. ". I swear... ". Kato began to feel strange, and he looked at his body. It wasn't melting away but the lava was sticking to him. He cocked his hairless brow. His brows had been stripped of by lava. Kato realized he could swim in it and that he wasn't dying.
"What? ". He could now breathe, breathe lava. "How, I was clearly melting away just now". Kato was still feeling burns from the lava, he swam towards the surface. He broke through the blackish river. Roars of the beings could be heard. ". Divine punishment, I survived it". Kato gulped down hard as he looked up, it was a complete black sky with dense fog. He was amazed at what was happening. He was swimming in death. He looked at his body, and found out the hole in his chest, was filled up now with some black thick substance, replacing his heart and filling the hole.
". What?." He was lost for words. ". He turned around, ". Because the beings are changed, everyone is facing their own problems, no ruler here it seems. So no one has the time to look after another". Kato pondered. ". But why I'm I still alive though? ". Then he got his answer.
He grit his teeth and smirked.
". If I don't know the reason, let me use this chance and go back home. Since I'm alive, let's get to the 1st layer.... ". He was interrupted, by a black gate, opening above him. This alerted other beings and the hell began shaking. Kato could here the chains tearing open. " Wait, what's that? ". The chains were loud now, and hell's terrain was being broken. Kato then saw something in the distance flying, getting closer. He saw it, it wasn't a creature, it was an axe being thrown.
The bcalk river began vibrating, and rumbling. The grounds split apart, Kato began swimming towards the black gate, and swam just far away not be split by the axe. Kato turned to look at it. It wasn't small at all. The cliff the axe smashed into was far more smaller than it.
". Yo, that axe is.... Its a freaking skyscraper. ". Kato looked back at the gate. ". Sis said the return gate is blue and reincarnation gate is purple". He started swimming towards it. " Just what gate is this, that even the monsters here are rushing after. ". He swam faster. Clashing echoed everywhere and roars reached Kato's ears.
". I'll try my luck, the lava I entered suddenly stopped burning me, it gave me a heart back and now a gate. I'll go through it. It might be a return gate after all". Kato was almost near it, swimming all he could, but his expectations came true. He heard a large thud, this caused the river to form a wave. Kato was swept by the wave and turned to see what caused the thud, he immediately regretted it. A three headed dragon, was in a visible range. The dragon spotted him and started flying towards him.
".Dammit, ".he began to struggle through the wave ripples. The dragon roared, flying to him at an astonishing speed. The gate was shrinking now, other beings were visible. Kato could see them. Indescribable creatures, capable of destroying earth in a single footstep. Horror filled his mind, but he never lost focus. The gate was smaller, and there was a rush for who would reach first. At last, one last effort, the wave ripples whipped Kato up flung him through the gate and it immediately closed before the dragon could reach him.
* * * * *
Tae Sung, stepped on Kato's body with his left foot. The crowd was still cheering him on. He held Kato's head, about to rip it off. He felt something strange, glancing to his right side to ascertain nothing was a threat to him, he was wrong. Before he could think of dodging, Kato's right elbow smashed into Tae Sung's skull sending him flying hitting the steel cage. Everyone in the arena was in shock, the veteran leader exclaimed, and so did the crowd.
". Shit". Tae Sung cursed. ". How is he still alive? ". Blood was streaming down his ears to his cheek. Everyone was amazed. Kato used his arms to support himself, and he knelt down, spreading his arms wide, he smiled whilst tears flowed from his cheeks. His body still had the hole in his chest. No heart. His blood was on his face, his body sullied by it.
". I'm back, I'm alive". He exclaimed. He began laughing.
" I made it". He looked at the artificial lighting. "I made it".