The Body of Hate

–Shiro.

A voice in the darkness calls out a familiar name.

–Shiro.. 

It's just pure darkness, with the slightest noise of cracking and sparking. 

The raspy breath that was saying my name has gone completely silent. 

–Shiro! 

All of a sudden, I wake up immediately, completely drenched in sweat, feeling my heart beat out of my chest. 

I let out a sigh as I get out of bed and start to assume my daily tasks. 

I threw on some clothes I found on the floor and went to the kitchen where I make a bowl of cheap cereal. 

–That's the fifth time this week I've had that dream.

It was a very sudden thought before I had to head to my work at a fast-food place. 

As I flip the burger patties I reflect on who I am.

–My name is Shiro Tatsuya, and I'm a complete utter failure! With the sudden disappearance of my mother, I had to start working a full-time job to make ends meet and earn enough to live in an apartment, which also meant I had to drop out of school.. 

Pondering on all this pisses me off.

When I get pissed off I have this sudden urge to bite down on my lip. There are certain people out there without even having much thought, but I can't help it when I get angry.

–No friends. No family. Just endless shifts at my fast-food job.

I can't be described any other way than a reanimated corpse. Each day I presume my mundane tasks of getting up, going to work, going to the shops then heading back home to sleep.

My body feels numb from doing this daily. 

It's an infinite cycle of despair!

I finally get home from my shift and lay in bed. 

–Will I ever escape from this infinite loop? 

I just let out a sigh and start to fall asleep 

It's dark again. So dark. A feeling of unease consumes me as I stare into the black, empty void.

A loud cracking and electric buzz fill the void as a blue speck of light appears and hovers towards me. 

–What are you?

I go and put my hand under it and go to close my fist on it, but as soon as I do that I'm snapped back to reality by the sound of my alarm clock.

–I really wish I'd stop having these shitty dreams. 

I'm at work working per usual but something is different.

I start hearing the sound of multiple soft whispers in my ear, but I'm not able to distinguish what they are saying. 

Hearing this I quickly turned around to see if anyone was there, but there was nothing. 

–Huh? 

My boss notices, and walks up to me to start scolding me. 

–Get back to work you lazy slob, your here to work not to daydream so get your head in the fucking game kid.

After work I decided that I'd go to the shop to grab some groceries, but the whispering noises in my head started to become louder. And louder. It was beginning irritating me.

I start biting on my lip.

Once I finally leave, I hear a loud blood-curdling scream coming from another block nearby, followed up by yelling and crying. 

And I know this sounds weird, but it felt like the whispers were guiding me to that area. I felt as if I was obliged to go over there and figure out what was happening.

–Oh what the hell. 

I drop my groceries and start running over. 

Once I finally get there I see a horrific scene. Bodies have been cut up and there's blood splattered all over the place. The area is completely devoid of people, and the whispers have finally stopped. 

I almost threw up looking at the lifeless corpses.

–W-what the hell. 

In the middle of the street I see a figure, about 170cm tall wearing a roughed up jacket with torn pants. He's wielding two blades in each hand, dripping with what is clear to be blood.

But the thing I could clearly distinguish was that he didn't have skin, it was a full black colour completely embodying him. An inhuman appearance. 

–Well what do we have here, fresh meat? 

His voice is gigglish, he laughs after saying that. 

–What the hell have you done to these people?!

He grins.

–Are you really that clueless boy? I killed them! 

He says this as if he's proud of himself, licking his dagger while talking.

I almost vomited seeing him do such a grotesque thing. I quickly swallow it back down though. 

–So what exactly are you?

He reveals a very devilish smile that stretches the sides of his face as his eyes light up.

–I am Judgement! And I've come here to judge and execute these sinners, but because you can see me I guess that would make you a Void Hunter, wouldn't it?

I give him a confused look.

–What's a Void Hunter? Look I don't know who or what the hell you are and I couldn't care less, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm gonna stop you from hurting more people!

Judgement looks up and bursts into a loud laughter before abruptly stopping and darting his eyes back at me.

–Take the first hit.

I grit my teeth and bite down on my lip. I clench my fist, close my eyes, run up to him and throw my strongest punch.

As it lands, I feel a cool breeze. I go to open my eyes to see that he was still standing there, and I hadn't even moved him an inch.

–Have it your way.

Then he disappeared, follow by a zipping sound.

Suddenly, my right arm fell from my body, a clean cut. Blood quickly started pouring out.

My eyes widen as I let out a loud scream and drop to the ground, squeezing my shoulder trying to minimise the blood loss as I scream, toss and cry. 

–Oh you poor thing.

Judgement gets on all fours and starts licking up the blood.

–Yes, this taste... This is the taste of a true sinner!

He quickly stands back up and picks me up by the throat, holding me high.

As he holds me there I use my other hand to hit down on the hand he's using to hold me, but it's no use.

–I do-. I don't want to die...

I say, gasping for air.

Judgement's expression quickly turns angry.

–You are a sinner! And I am Judgement, it is my job to cleanse this world of you filthy pigs!

In his other hand he holds the twisted blade tightly with a firm grip and drives it through my chest.

It's dark again. It's cold and so dark. I'm inside of the black void. 

–Is this death?

In the void I see that blue light again, it speaks to me.

–Tell me, do you want to live?

I reach my arm out and touch it.

Suddenly this blue light bursts into a giant blue flame, lighting up the black void and completely incinerating me turning my vision white. 

Judgement holds my body proud and high by the neck, still with an unearthly grin.

–He's dead! He's dead he's dead he's dead he's dead he's dead! This sinner has been judged! 

–Hands off of me, bastard. 

My sudden voice makes judgement let go of me and jump back a bit, making distance.

–What the hell? I killed you but you're still standing?! Absurd!

As I fix my posture and stand up straight to see that my right arm has been fully regenerated. I test it by turning it both sides, and trying my hand. 

I put my right foot in front, and take the posture of a fighter while keeping my guard up. 

As soon as I go to clench my fists, they both erupt into a blue flame.

Judgement faces towards me with a very worried look in his eyes.

–This changes nothing. Whether you have this power now or before I'm still going to kill you! Pig! 

I feel powerful, it's as if something that's been resting dormant inside of me has finally been awakened.

–I don't know how I got this power, but I do know one thing.

I point my thumb at myself.

–I am Shiro Tatsuya, and I'm gonna kick your ass!

I start running towards Judgement, charging up my fist once again. This time they make an energetic cracking sound.

I drive my fist deep into his stomach, the look on his face goes from a sadistic smile to a very worried face. 

As the fist impacts him, a giant blue shockwave spreads from all directions. He goes flying into a 5 story building, causing it crumble from the recoil of the impact.

-Ouch, ouch.

My first loses its blue flame as I get on my knees and start gripping it.

–It burns!

I see Judgment walking outside the rubble of the destroyed building, with bloodlusted eyes.

In an instant he appears directly in front of me and we start instantly engage into hand combat. 

*I can't charge up my fists! Maybe I just need to get enraged like before.

I let out a sigh as I grit my teeth while clenching my fists as hard as I can. The air goes quiet as my whole body starts slowly gaining a blue aura that gradually grows brighter. 

All of a sudden my whole body is fully coated in a flaming blue aura. I feel as if I'm going to explode.

Just as I feel like I've hit my limit, I let out a loud scream as I let out a giant explosion that levels the whole city block. 

As the smoke clears I see that the only thing left of Judgement are his shoes, the rest of him has been completely blown away

Feeling completely burnt out, I collapse to my knees. 

My whole body is covered in black ash as I pant loudly.

I hear the faint sound of footsteps slowly approaching me. 

-Who's there?

I look up to see a very beautiful woman with white hair, and a nice slender body walking towards me, with two people on either side of her wearing black suits. 

As they stand in front of me, the white haired woman kneels down and lifts my head up by the chin so that our faces are looking at each other. 

–Aren't you just the cutest thing?

Her beautiful, brown-black eyes stare deep into my soul. 

–I've finally found you, the Body of Hate. 

She grins at me as her eyes get narrow.

–You don't know me, but I know you. So, allow me to introduce myself, I am the Avatar of Lust.

Who is this mysterious woman?