Down With The Gods

The portals open, and the three step onto the ground almost simultaneously – no faceplants this time. The structure of this level is unique, with everything bathed in a dark red hue, including the ground, a stark contrast to the usual white.

“Hello there! Welcome!” booms a deep, echoing male voice.

“General CATOTO?” Yu asks.

“No, no. I am Catato, a distant relative of CATOTO,” replies a cat resembling CATOTO, but with two large black spots on its uneven eyes and normal-sized fangs. He approaches them with a casual gait.

“All caps?” Yu inquires.

“My name? No, no. CATOTO is special in his own way. I am not like him.”

Before them stand what appear to be a number of black booths, lined up like tollway stations. Each booth contains a hollow helmet shaped like a tabby’s head, resting on a chair connected to the booth by a wire.

“So empty,” Wyn remarks, glancing around. They seem to be the only ones here at the moment.

“We do not get many visitors down here,” Catato explains.

“So, what do we do here? Where’s my sister?” Mira presses.

“I do not know about your sister or who you are. Here, your lives are about to change forever.”

Before Catato can elaborate, he directs them to one of the booths and instructs them to line up, with Wyn at the front, force-pushed by Yu and Mira.

“Sit down and place the helmet on your head,” a voice from the booth instructs.

Wyn takes a seat, cradling the helmet in his hands as he inspects it. The helmet resembles an oversized CATOTO head, its insides scooped out clean. The eyeballs have been replaced with black gems, maintaining the shape of cat eyes. The helmet feels heavy and lacks any discernible scent.

“Is this a real head?” Wyn asks.

“No, no. This is a creation by the nerds. The design was inspired by our beloved CATOTO.”

Reluctantly, Wyn places the helmet on his head. It covers him entirely, extending down to his cervical midline. A few moments later, the eyes blink rapidly as the helmet adjusts to fit him. Then, a cute “meow” emanates from inside the booth, and suddenly, the upper two fangs emerge, snapping tight against Wyn’s forehead.

“Motherf…!” Wyn exclaims.

A constant purr from the helmet drowns out his protests. The eyes blink a few more times before changing colors – the left eye is now gray and pulsating, while the right eye is static earth brown.

“Advanced gray and basic brown,” announces the voice from the booth.

The fangs retract, leaving two small holes on his forehead.

“That hurt like a bitch! Now I feel numb up there,” he grumbles, shifting to wait for the other two behind the booth.

Mira is next in line, but she pushes Yu into the chair. While he hesitates, debating whether to sit, Catato jumps onto his chest, forcing him to plop down into the seat.

“OUCH!” Yu exclaims after the “meow.”

The left eye changes to a static blue, while the right returns to black.

“Basic blue,” the voice in the booth announces.

Mira gulps, her heart racing, before she sits down. Instead of exclaiming, she lets out a piercing scream.

“Basic red,” comes another announcement.

“All done. Follow me,” Catato says, guiding them beyond the booths. “I will let my relative, Catito, take care of you in my place. Good luck.”

The squad stands in front of a classic Japp wooden dojo, its open area in the middle obscured from their view. At the entrance, Catito makes his appearance. His most distinctive features are the long, thick white fur under his nose and chin, resembling a mustache and beard, which makes him appear older than CATOTO and Catato. The cat invites the three inside and guides them to the first room to the left of the entrance hall. From within, they can hear a ruckus echoing from the open space. Catito sits down and begins to explain what just happened.

The helmets outside are devices used to determine the innate elements of souls. These elements carry over between lifetimes and never change. They are categorized by colors, representing the usual fire, water, wind, and earth. However, about a century ago, a new yellow element representing electricity was discovered. Given the constant evolution of the human race, more elements may arise in the future. A soul can possess up to two elements at most, though that’s uncommon. Each element has two available forms: basic and advanced. Advanced forms can feature multiple specializations. If an eye on the helmet displays a static color, it means the soul possesses the basic form of that element. If it pulsates, it indicates an advanced form. No soul can specialize in elements of the same color.

Catito begins to elaborate on the elements:

Red Element

Basic Form: Flaming

Specialization: Fire

Advanced Form: Concentrated

Specialization: Laser, Lava

Blue Element

Basic Form: Liquid

Specialization: Water

Advanced Form: Solidified

Specialization: Snow, Ice

Gray Element

Basic Form: Breezy

Specialization: Wind

Advanced Form: Destructive

Specialization: Cyclone

Brown Element

Basic Form: Fortified

Specialization: Earth

Advanced Form: Thriving

Specialization: Plant

Yellow Element

Basic Form: Shocking

Specialization: Electricity

Advanced Form: Discharging

Specialization: Lightning

“Only the thriving form of the brown element has yet to be discovered in human souls.”

The three take a moment to digest the information, identifying their specializations: Wyn with cyclone and earth, Yu with water, and Mira with fire.

“If you find these confusing, you can just remember the specialization and refer to it as ‘type’ instead: fire type, laser type, electric type, cyclone type, and so on.”

“I wish I had gummy powers so I could stretch my body parts!” Yu says.

“Ooh! Stretchy body? I want that too!” Mira chimes in.

“And why are we in a dojo? Do we need to learn how to use our powers? If so, what for?” Wyn asks.

“You are all now part of the Hell Lord’s army! Against whom, you might ask? The Heaven King, of course!”

In ancient times, a dispute erupted between the rulers of Heaven and Hell. Rumors say the Hell Lord wished to consolidate Earth, Heaven, and Hell into one realm, while the Heaven King firmly adhered to their original agreement – to allow humans to strive on their own, abstaining from divine intervention. Thus began a war. Centuries ago, the conflict did not involve souls, but as the two entities were evenly matched, their clashes became endless. New terms were reached: neither side could invade the other’s realm personally; instead, they would send souls to battle until only the final level remained. Only then could they intervene. Fighting alongside an army of souls strong enough to defeat the level moderators “should” be the defining factor for victory.

“So we’re put into a war against our will? And why would your lord want to consolidate the realms? To become the sole ruler?” Wyn presses.

“To your first question, in a way, yes. As for the rest, I implore you to learn more from the Lord himself.”

“When and where do we get to meet your beloved ruler?”

“In due time. You must first prove your worth, which brings me back to where we were.”

The first ten or so rooms on the left and right of the entrance hall are not for training. If they aren’t occupied, souls can relax or hold meetings there.

“To train, seek a room with a robot cat master. He will teach you the basics. Make sure you specify what you want to learn. Some rooms may be in use, so please do not interrupt them. There are plenty of rooms here.”

“So, this is what makes us so special. Why can’t we leave this level?” Wyn asks.

“Only a handful possess these elements. You are valued here, but you cannot leave because you could pose a danger to the level moderators, who are vital to our defenses.”

With that, Catito exits the room, leaving the three of them to discuss their next steps.

“This feels like the second level. Grind to get good. You’re done for, Yu,” Wyn teases.

“Geez. I’ll become so strong I’ll kick your butt. Anyhow, I’m back to being a trainee somehow,” Yu frowns.

“Seems like we can’t leave until we finish our training,” Mira adds.

Most of the rooms near the entrance hall are occupied. With the sliding doors being non-transparent, finding an empty one proves challenging. The team wanders around the square dojo until they finally spot an available room tucked away in a corner. In the center of the room stands an all-metal robot cat, its shape and appearance resembling a typical demon. A prominent button is situated on its chest.

Upon pressing it, the robot comes to life. “Hi there! What would you like to learn?”

Mira instructs the metal cat to teach her team the very basics – whatever that may entail.

“The simplest way to unleash an attack is to focus all your energy into one hand. Look at your hand and concentrate.”

Despite their efforts, no matter how hard they concentrate, they can’t seem to summon an attack.

“It’s not working,” Yu says, pressing the button on the robot’s chest again.

“Do not give up. The first few attempts are the hardest. Before you know it, you will be able to do it without even looking at your hand.”

“YAAA! Come on! Shoot!” Wyn yells.

“To help you focus, maybe stop making noises,” the robot suggests.

Time flies by as the three of them continue their attempts, looking like maniacs staring at their hands – sometimes shaking them furiously, sometimes yelling at them, and occasionally making unintentionally funny faces. Suddenly, an orb of water the size of a tennis ball begins to form in Yu’s palm.

“Hey! There it is! What do I do now?” he exclaims.

“Throw it in any direction, I guess,” Mira suggests.

Yu turns to Wyn, an evil grin spreading across his face, and without warning, hurls the water orb at him. Wyn gets hit square in the face but remains standing.

“What a weak hit. Let me try,” he retorts.

Determined to exact his revenge, Wyn pours all his energy into his palm. A gray, spinning orb begins to take shape in his hand. Not wanting his attack to be weak, he pushes harder, hoping it will grow larger – and it does. The orb swells to the size of a bowling ball, then stops growing, causing Wyn's hand to shake. Instead of throwing it, Wyn keeps pushing for a bigger orb. The orb suddenly bursts, summoning a powerful cyclone that spirals upward around him. The radius is wide enough to catch Yu and Mira, sending them flying. The master, however, remains grounded and inactive despite being caught in the attack.

As the cyclone dissipates, Mira strikes the ceiling before landing hard on the floor. Yu, on the other hand, falls onto Wyn, hitting him in the face with his feet after being propelled upwards. The master has a built-in mechanism that allows him to wake up automatically to protect his students from serious injuries. Fortunately, it seems none of them require his intervention, at least for now. He sighs at the sight of his students sprawled on the floor.

“It is always the cyclone users.”