Down With The Gods

There’s no divider or wall between the two zones. The booths from the gambling zone have been replaced by arenas of various sizes. Demons dressed as gladiators hold an assortment of melee weapons. The layout is as chaotic as the gambling zone. The transportation modes are similar but with minor changes: the cannon has been replaced by a wooden catapult, the cat balloon is now shield-shaped, and the rickshaw, pulled by an imposter tiger, is gladiator-themed with what might be fake gold accents.

“Let’s fight. You’re Tide, you should have an advantage!” Yu challenges.

“I’ve never punched a soul in my entire life.”

They find an arena featuring a boxing ring. As they’re about to enter, Wyn notices two male individuals wearing unfamiliar transparent bands. Wyn points them out to Yu and approaches the pair.

“Why are your bands different?” Wyn asks.

“Hmph. Because we’re special,” the shorter individual, who is about Wyn’s height, replies.

“Are you by any chance the nerds?” Wyn asks.

“By ‘chance’? We ARE members of the nerd army,” the shorter nerd confirms.

The nerds, both wearing glasses, exude a palpable aura of arrogance. The shorter nerd, Keith, is freckled, thin, pale-skinned, with orange hair and a nerdy voice. The taller one, Marcus, is borderline anorexic, dark-skinned, with black hair, a nerdy voice, and a long neck reminiscent of a baby giraffe.

“You live here? How does it work for you all?” Wyn continues.

“We have a special place in Hell,” Marcus explains.

“No doubt,” Yu interjects, earning a few nasty stares from the nerds.

“When we’re on a level, we have to follow its rules just like you, except our bands allow us to create portals anywhere we wish,” Marcus adds.

“That’s so unfair!” Yu protests.

The nerds then flaunt their impressive balances of over nine hundred thousand credits without being asked.

“Why is it that some levels use the bands but this one doesn’t?” Wyn inquires, doing his best not to mention his “Feed and Yeet” technique.

“The cards were in effect long before the bands were developed. Greed didn’t want to adapt,” Keith explains.

“Why do you even wear glasses? I haven’t seen anyone with a physical disability. Glasses included,” Wyn asks.

“How dare you associate glasses with a disability? And FYI, it’s just to keep the nerdy look relevant,” Marcus retorts.

“Where do you even get glasses in Hell?” Yu asks.

“You know, we had our eyes on you earlier. With your analytical thinking, you’d be a great addition to the army. Too bad you’re just a geek,” Keith says, completely ignoring Yu. At this point, Wyn realizes the nerds are aware of the “Feed and Yeet” technique.

During their conversation, a pair of souls holding hands walk by. The female soul exclaims, sobbing, as the male soul gives her one last hug before she disintegrates.

“What’s that about?” Wyn asks.

“First time seeing this? I’ll explain for free since a geek is an inferior cousin of us nerds,” says the baby giraffe.

When a soul has served its time in Hell, it appears to disintegrate and disappear. However, it actually transforms into a tiny orb, detectable only by a sharp-eyed cat. An equally tiny portal transports the orb to a special place where a supercomputer determines its rebirth destination based on the sins committed in its past life – such as species, location, and family status. When an opportunity arises, the orb is sent into a racing sperm that is guaranteed to win. No two souls are sent to the same location at the same time.

The nerds return to their tasks, leaving Wyn and Yu to themselves.

“That’s insane! Don’t you think so?” Wyn says.

“It’s confirmed,” Yu responds, looking serious and unfazed by Wyn’s revelation. “Gingers do have souls.”

Wyn and Yu finally enter the boxing arena. To start, they step onto a black circular spot on each side of the arena’s floor. They are then teleported inside. The rules are simple: make a wager, and points are awarded for clean hits to the face, chest, and abdomen areas. The winner takes all.

Wyn is in blue and Yu is in red. With a total of twenty credits on the line, the two waste no time and start fighting as soon as the bell rings.

“This is for calling me a noob earlier,” Yu says, jabbing Wyn in the face.

“Yeah? Well, this is for all the good luck you had earlier,” Wyn replies, punching Yu directly in the stomach.

Yu takes a couple of steps back but quickly charges at Wyn, landing a critical hit to the face. Wyn staggers back a few steps, reeling from the blow. Yu comes again, aiming for Wyn’s stomach. As Yu swings a right hook, Wyn blocks the attack with his arm, giving him an opening to strike back. Wyn’s punch hits Yu’s face, but it lacks power. Yu retaliates with a series of punches to Wyn’s face, which Wyn blocks. The close proximity makes Yu’s attacks less effective. Wyn pushes Yu away with both fists, creating some distance to form his own attack.

Yu doesn’t relent. He moves backward to build momentum for a powerful dash attack. Wyn sees it coming, dodges to the left, and trips Yu with his foot. As Yu gets up and turns to face Wyn, Wyn kicks him hard on the side of his hip, sending Yu crashing down and struggling in pain. Wyn’s foot also sustains some damage from hitting Yu’s body. While Yu is still on the ground, Wyn approaches him, squats down, and lightly punches him in the face a few times with both fists for points.

“You should just yield, or I’ll kick you harder next time,” Wyn bluffs.

In reality, that was the hardest he could kick. Against a more formidable opponent, his kick would have been too light.

“Fine!” Yu admits defeat, tapping out.

The fight ends within two minutes, well before the five-minute timer. Wyn wins with a score of six to two. They both exit the arena unscathed, thanks to the special green dome covering it that heals combatants as they get teleported out.

“You hate me or something?” Wyn asks.

“Nah. I’ve always wanted to beat someone up. I thought you were weak. Man, was I wrong.”

They share a laugh after the match. They continue to fight each other with swords, guns, and even magic on various terrains. They also team up occasionally to battle other souls. The second level overall isn’t too bad for either of them. They often switch between zones – going to the gaming zone to boost their credits and then returning to other zones for fun. They sometimes revisit the first level for a change of scenery, but the majority of their time is spent in the gaming zone. The grind eventually starts to wear on them.

While playing games – Yu is engrossed in “Donkey Donkey Literature Club” and Wyn in “The Blinding of Isaiah” – Yu asks Wyn an unusual question.

“What do you miss most from your previous life?”

“Hmm? Why ask now?”

“I don’t know. Just curious, I guess.”

“I don’t miss anything in particular, really. What about you?”

“Me? I miss playing the guitar and singing.”

“Ah, your idol life.”

“Actually, I was planning to quit. I had already told the producers, but I hadn’t informed my bandmates yet. I died just one day before I could break the news.”

Yu, a firm nonbeliever in divine power, joined an idol training project at the age of seventeen. Even then, he knew that this path wasn’t meant for him in the long run. Nonetheless, he seized the opportunity to pave the way for his ultimate dream – to sing and release his own singles. With a clean, calming voice, it wasn’t a tough decision for the producers to recruit him at an audition. For over a year, he trained with nine other trainees. During this time, his group was sent to events for exposure and to build a fanbase. Throughout it all, Yu felt out of place, struggling to fit in with the others and the idol life. He enjoyed singing but loathed the dancing.

Then came the day the producers announced the debut date. Yu expressed his desire to resign later that same day. Saddened to see him go, the producers asked him to stay within their record label and promised to find something more suitable for him in the future. Nobody knew that the day would never come. The van carrying him and his nine bandmates back to the studio from an event that night was rammed by an oncoming SUV traveling in the wrong lane. Their van was pushed off the road and flipped over.

“I hope everyone else made it out okay,” Yu says, looking up into nothingness, his voice shaken. “How did you end up here?” He clears his throat.

Wyn looks uncomfortable, contemplating whether to share part or all of his story. He trusts Yu but is reluctant to reveal details he fears might lead to judgment.

But in honor of their friendship, Wyn replies, “I ended my own life.”

Yu’s face shifts from curiosity to guilt. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”

“It’s alright. It’s something I have to live with.”

“Do you regret it?”

“Not one bit.”

“I miss music. Maybe we should check out the sixth level?” Yu suggests, looking upward again.

Wyn doesn’t mind leaving. He knows this day would eventually come.

“Alright. Let's go then.”

And with that, Wyn and Yu let go of their gaming mice. They make their way to their final destination: the sixth floor.