Chapter 17: The Power of Obscurum

Amarterasu stood still, shocked into silence for the first time in his life. Never before had he been at such a complete loss of how to salvage the situation. He had been completely overshadowed by that arrogant Feros who could somehow see right through him, and now his prized assassin had finally slipped out of his control. He brushed his hand against his device that connected him to Kaneda. He always had an unnecessary amount of backup plans. Surely together they could regain control of the night. However, he was too late. Oscar had got to him first, and had destroyed the device in his jacket pocket with the swift throw of a knife, narrowly saving Kaneda from being pierced through the heart. His trusted secretary was attempting to lead Oscar away from the guests, pursued by that madman who was practically dancing for joy. From behind him, Feros laughed.

"Kneel, Amarterasu Cybers. Know your place and fall before me." Everyone was now kneeling before Feros except the old man who lay on the floor, blood slowly pooling around him. "This is a sign of my mercy. It is more than you had planned for those gathered here tonight." He pointed to the dead man. 

Amarterasu remembered the promise that he had made so many years ago. He had sworn that he would never again grovel before someone. He would not fall down before this infuriatingly godlike man. He slowly reached his hand into his coat and fastened his hand around his solid gold handgun. "My apologies," he said, slowly making his way towards Feros, "But I cannot recognize a leader who has not been democratically elected." 

Amarterasu drew his gun and pointed it directly at Feros's head. Feros' eyes narrowed and he extended his hand towards him. "If this is the end," Amarterasu thought in a split second, "I'd better look good." He steadied his gun and pulled the trigger, bracing himself for the impact of Feros' blast. But it never came. 

Instead, a girl threw herself between the young men. Amarterasu's sister lay collapsed on the ground before him, black sparks emitting faintly from her body. He stood frozen to the ground, straining to process exactly why his sister who he had always ignored would try to save his life. Feros' eyes hardened and he coldly prepared to shoot another blast when an anguished scream interrupted him. Just before he could incinerate Amarterasu, a scruffy young man dressed in a red leather jacket ran at Feros, knocking him off balance. 

"You fools!" Feros screamed, "Why can you not simply kneel and save yourselves?" He stretched out his arms and a shockwave hurled through the room, knocking the man in the leather jacket to the ground. Drink glasses shattered and Amaerterasu fell to the floor. Pain flooded his body, but he shrugged it off and ran to his sister's side. Blood was seeping through her purple dress, and her eyes were closed. He heard a wail as the woman impersonating Izanami ran to his side. Amarterasu's heart was pounding.

He'd been prepared for losses. Yet his calculated readiness had not prepared him for the real thing. He still remembered the day she had learned to walk, all those years ago in that tiny apartment in the shadow of Gringa Bridge…

Faintly, Himiko's chest was rising and falling. White-hot rage clenched Amarterasu's heart. He wanted to kill Feros Obscurum, shoot him straight in the head. Why? Why could he order an influential CEO killed in a heartbeat, yet he was powerless to stop one man? 

"Himiko…" the young man in the red jacket moaned, but Amarterasu ignored him, for he was entirely irrelevant. 

What should he do? He could not bow down before Feros in hopes that he would spare Himiko's life? Such a weak action might as well be stepping down from office! He would not…could not sacrifice everything he'd spent his life working towards all because of this accursed moment! 

Amarterasu heard a step next to him, and he looked up to see Feros looming over Himiko's motionless body, white hair shining in the chandelier-light. He stared down at her with unaffected eyes, and never in his whole life did Amarterasu Cybers want someone to suffer so badly. 

"She…she's getting weaker…" Izanami's body double sobbed.

Amarterasu met Feros' eyes. For a moment the two were locked in a gaze, and Amarterasu saw him for who he was…a man who walked with the confidence of one who held true power, a man who's heart was cold as ice and who's fist was hard as iron. 

  He stood up. "I admire your power, Feros. However, even you must follow the law, and you are currently breaking and entering into my property. Leave now, and you shall only be forced to pay back the cost of what you have damaged."

All of this excitement had made him lose his focus. He had a country to run, and sitting and crying over Himiko wasn't going to change anything. 

Feros laughed. "I have heard of your greed, yet even the tales fall short of the truth. You care more about money than avenging your own dear sister."

"To be a proper ruler, you should not put personal matters above your country," Amartarasu said, staring at Feros.

"You words speak a certain degree of truth, however a leader needs higher qualities than just power and wealth, does he not?" Feros said contemplatively.

Amartarasu's cold glare broke into a grin, "And you think you have those higher qualities? You twist your words so they sound smarter than they are. You are incapable of understanding what it takes to be a leader. You are truly foolish." 

Feros flicked his hand lazily, "Enough. Don't you know your place yet?" his piercing blue eyes shone, "Let me give you a taste of my power, yet again." 

Amartarasu had barely a second to realize what was happening before he was flung out of one of the banquet hall's windows. As the air rushed around him he held his hands out, feeling the wind pass by his fingertips. He would die when he reached the ground, but in that short amount of time he realized what a fool Feros truly was. He believed he could take everything Amartarasu had spent years earning in the space of a few hours. He believed himself to be a god, and he believed that was all it took to rule an entire country. 

Amartarasu closed his eyes thoughtfully. He was sure that the entire hall was in utter chaos by now, yet he was peacefully drifting through the air, knowing that he had still won. Amartarasu heard a soft hum in the distance, and he vaguely wondered what it could be.