An unidentified point in time

  A distilled void… a pitch black space of pure emptiness… floating around seemingly for eternity. This must be what hell feels like… right?

  “I’m afraid you’re not correct, Waldo. This place is not hell.”

  Waldo’s vision suddenly becomes clear. He sees that his surroundings are like that of a not so ordinary space and void. But this void is of a crystal white color and quite beautiful as well. There are a few patches of cerulean veins across the sky and body of the void. They look out of place and chaotic but also majestic and unique in their own way. Just like a winding river. But then there’s that voice. Waldo swears that he has heard that voice before. Somewhere, sometime, somehow, Waldo has heard this voice. However, he isn’t able to quite put his finger on it.

  “You’re confused… are you suggesting that you don’t even recognize me? I must say, I didn’t expect you to forget about me, Waldo.”

  Waldo hears the voice echo throughout the entire void. He frantically looks around in search of a source for the voice. He opens his mouth to speak, but no sound is coming out. He tries to speak once more, shouting louder than before. No sound is produced from his mouth.

  (What the hell? I can’t… I can’t hear my voice! Is it an effect of this place? Or is it some kind of trick?)

  “Sorry, dear, but I won’t allow you to do that just yet. You haven’t earned my respect, and you won’t be able to do anything until you earn it with your own two hands.”

  (You won’t allow me? What a prick. I have to do something to be able to speak again?)

  Suddenly, Waldo gets the urge to look behind him. He complies with his instinct and turns around. He then comes face to face with a figure, a woman. The woman is dressed in a long and elegant black and blue kimono. Her long jet black hair nearly reaches her hips. And she gives Waldo a small, sinister smile.

  “We have finally come face to face with other, Waldo. I’ve been waiting for this moment for quite a bit of time. Ever since you have been conceived into this world, you’ve been nothing short of interesting. But it seems your road has a chance to end right here.”

  Waldo stares at this woman speaking to him. She speaks to him as if they’re familiar with each other. He doesn’t have a single clue as to who she is, yet she’s acting all buddy buddy in an instant.

  (I don’t have time to play these games. If I am to return to where I am meant to be, I’ll just have to go through you!)

  Waldo’s eye instantly gets more intense and he steels his leg into position. His hands tighten up and he curls them into fists. The woman sees this and raises an eyebrow at this behavior. She can’t help but laugh at this situation.

  “You suddenly turned hostile. Are you planning on fighting me, Waldo? The gloves are off rather quickly, don’t you think? That makes things even easier for me.”

  The woman licks her lips and fully faces Waldo, readjusting her hair. A small shiver runs down Waldo’s spine as he watches the woman. Now that he’s taking a further look at her, not only is she a little unsettling, but she’s starting to look a bit familiar now. Could he have actually known her? But how is that possible? He’s only been alive for about a month or so.

  (Enough about that! If defeating this woman is my ticket out of this void, then I’m going to show no mercy! Here I come!)

  Waldo launches himself forward by shooting shockwaves from the soles of his feet and taking a giant leap across. He continues to move forward at maximum speed and build up his momentum using his shockwaves. He comes around in an unexpected manner and lands a kick on the woman’s head. The woman, however, didn’t budge a single inch from the kick. Waldo’s eye widens at this and proceeds to put more power into his kick using shockwaves to further increase the force. The woman still stays the same and then glances at Waldo.

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  “An attack such as this wouldn’t need to be dodged. You are severely lacking in willingness and understanding of your ability.”

  Waldo attempts to move himself away from the woman in order to plan out a counterattack, but he’s suddenly bound by some kind of power. It has a terrifyingly strong grip and Waldo can’t even move a centimeter from his position. He looks at his bound arms and legs and his eyes widen. He comes a conclusion that doesn’t seem to make sense, but he’s facing the reality.

  (These are my shockwaves! They’re just like them, but even more powerful! Who the hell is this devilish woman, and why can she use my technique? Agh… If only I could speak my mind at her! This no speaking thing is annoying!)

  The woman takes her steps towards Waldo, her stride full of authority and pride. She gets close to him and puts a hand on his chin, making him stare her in the eye. She still has that sinister smile on her face. This time, however, it seems to be more sadistic than before.

  “You cannot hope to best me in combat with your mimicry. Your technique is only a mere shadow, only a fragment, of what it is capable of. And let me take a small guess… you still don’t recognize me do you?”

  Waldo continues to struggle in his binds. When he sees that it’s all pointless he resorts to trying to bite the woman. The woman grabs Waldo’s jaw before it closes down on her hand and she rips it right off his skull. Blood falls from his head and he tries to hold in his pain.

  “What a naughty child you are, acting like that in front of yourself. I am Rāj, the War Spirit. Just like you, Waldo, I am a being that craves for the best power in the world and to pursue a life full of invigorating experiences. You are me… and I am you. It’s interesting, isn’t it? It’s not everyday that a curse manages to meet their former self. You should have chosen your actions more carefully instead of charging at me, you know.”

  Waldo’s eye shifts and churns at this sudden revelation. This woman right in front of him is him from the past? A past incarnation of the War Spirit? Then, how the hell is she here? How are any of the two of them in this place? Is this some kind of afterlife? Is this the other side of the beyond? Has he been exorcised and is seeing hallucinations? All of these questions and more start to spiral throughout Waldo’s mind. He can’t seem to come to a clear consensus with himself on which situation is true. Rāj notices this confused demeanor and begins to chuckle to herself.

  “You must be quite dumbfounded. You’re asking yourself so many questions aren’t you…? Well, I believe all of them are wrong as can be. You are not dead… this is not the afterlife… and you have not been exorcised by your abnormal little enemy. You are simply stuck inside of your soul, the subconscious within your very core. It’s all due to my abilities, so don’t twist yourself in a knot over it, alright boy?”

  Waldo continues to stare into Rāj’s eyes. Her sadistic smile and prideful behavior isn’t making Waldo feel any better about his situation. If he really is alive, and this woman is the reason why he is still here, he has to beat her up quickly and get back into the real world. He tries to convey his message through body language and gestures, but the shockwave binds restrict him from moving freely. So instead of conveying a message through gestures, Waldo tries to mouth out the words and hope that Rāj knows how to read lips. And so, he glared at Rāj and mouths out the following words:

  “If you’re the one keeping me here, and if it’s true that I am alive, then I’m going to make you wake me up. I do not have the leisure of sitting here and listening to your ramblings. Either you get me out of here, or I’ll kill you and force my way out.”

  Rāj watches as Waldo mouths out his little remark towards her. Halfway through, Rāj smiles again and then proceeds to puncture Waldo’s chest with her arm. Waldo gasps and coughs out blood onto her arm. He quickly looks up at Rāj, wondering what the hell she could be thinking.

  “You’re barking orders at me despite being put in this position? I’m wondering whether you are prideful or just plain foolish. I’m beginning to think it’s the latter. Your pathetic strength doesn’t give you the right to give anyone orders.”

  Now, Rāj’s smile becomes even more hostile and condescending. She looks as if she truly enjoyed putting Waldo under her foot like this.

  “Only those who are strong can sit on the throne built from the weak. If you’re part of the weak, you’ll only serve as a stepping stone for those that will stand above you. As I see you now, you’re not strong at all. You’re pitiful, weak, pathetic, and downright embarrassing. You… have no right to call yourself the War Spirit. I’ll be nice, and let you have a chance to speak. Just for a few seconds. If you admit that you are pathetic, weak, and not worthy of the title of War Spirit, I might just consider letting this fragile child in front of me leave. If you refuse to comply with my demands, I’ll put you back in hell, understood?”

  In that moment, Waldo suddenly feels his ability to speak returning to him. Rāj releases her binds on Waldo and allows him to move again. After listening to Rāj‘s speech, he recollects his thoughts again.

  (She’s right… I’ve known since that day that my power is laughable. I pride myself, calling myself the War Spirit and acting arrogant in front of my opponents. Really, I was only doing that to distract myself from my own personal struggle. If I acted as if I were strong, then I wouldn’t have to deal with my own thoughts and fight a two sided battle. But… it’s time to end it all. If I am to come out on top and keep my own promise, I cannot be sulking like this!)

  “I’ll admit it, woman. I’m pathetic. I can’t call myself the War Spirit.”

  “Is that so? Very well the-“

  “But so what? That just means I’ll have to prove it. Prove to you that I am not someone that will be ridiculed anymore. I’m staying here, and I’m going to make you acknowledge me, War Spirit.”

  Waldo clenches his fist and his eye begins to turn and shift from its regular blue color to a fiery purple.

  “I, Waldo, hereby challenge you, Rāj, to a duel! The winner gets to keep their title as the War Spirit!”

  “Hm… fine. I like the way you think, Waldo.”