Nemesis

Pure rage bubbled inside of me. I wanted to kill Takahashi so bad, my body was shaking with unmistakable fury.

I don't remember ever feeling this angry my entire life. No, allow me to rephrase that, I hardly get angry. I rarely do. I could count the number of times I was. But even those few instances, I don't remember being this furious.

My parents were good people, despite the Mafia, my father had raised me and my siblings in a kind of environment where we hardly harbor any hateful feelings towards anything or anyone.

That said, I was struggling to keep my emotions in check. I wasn't even scared despite the fact that Takahashi Ryuji was now pointing the gun at me and could easily pull the trigger, killing me just as he had done with my father.

I had wanted to hold my father's body and cry out the unquenchable sorrow that was crushing my heart but the smirk that was plastered across Takahashi's face held me back.

Around us, a few individuals were able to survive from the onslaught. They were all cowering on the floor, fear evident on their faces. Some of them had injuries, while others had a few blood stains on them.

I had the urge to offer them words of comfort and tell them that all this shall soon come to pass. But, I didn't want to give them false hope nor was I capable of giving them that assurance seeing our current situation.

The men from the balcony held them hostage, their guns steadily pointed towards them.

Takahashi was evidently enjoying this, the mirth on his face was unmistakable. I wanted to ask him why he had done this, why was he doing this, but the answer was quite obvious.

He wanted power.

He wanted to rule the Golden Island himself.

He wanted to eliminate the threat.

To him, my father was an obstacle for his rise to overall dominion.

This was what I realized trying to understand why he had done all of this.

I watched him walk towards me, his gun steadily aimed in my direction.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Antonio's body sprawled on the floor. His semi-automatic pistol protruding on his side belt.

My heart constricted remembering how I had first met Antonio.

He was a great man. People would think that he was always sulking, but that was just how he was. Though he appeared scary and unapproachable, he was a big teddy bear. He always had a soft spot for me and my siblings.

It broke me both metaphorically and literally for the fact that I had done nothing to prevent their deaths.

Antonio, my father, my mother, my sister, and my brother were all dead.

With Takahashi's unwavering aim, I had no place to hide nor run.

At this rate, I was at his mercy. I could see how my death could come down, but I can't die just yet. I had to avenge not only my family but every lifeless body that was lying on the marble floor of the great hall.

But in order for me to be able to do anything, I needed something to distract him.

"You stood no chance, Margaux," his words only added fire to the boiling fury I was already feeling.

"Go to hell Takahashi," I said through gritted teeth. He merely laughed at this.

"Look around you. There's no way you can escape my bullet and live."

He was right, of course, both of us knew that and I hate it. I felt useless, powerless and I knew that this was what he wanted me to feel.

This was what he wanted everyone to see.

"Oh, and hell is only a concept for me. Kindly tell your father a big thank you. I'll be sure to take extra care of his precious Golden Island. Too bad, none of you are alive to see it"

I clenched my hands into fists, bracing myself.

I wasn't scared.

However, I was silently wishing for something to happen. I needed some sort of a leverage, no matter how small.

"Goodbye Margaux."

"No!" Mary's voice suddenly rang out of the blue. It distracted Takahashi enough for him to miss hitting me on the chest which would have pierced right through my heart, ninety percent killing me.

However, the bullet was still able to graze my arms. But, it was the distraction I had been waiting for. It gave me the chance to fall close to where Antonio's body was lying.

Not wanting to waste the opportunity, I pulled Antonio's pistol, getting on my feet in an instant.

I was about to point it towards Takahashi but at the last minute, I realized that it wouldn't make any difference. He has the upper hand and me aiming the weapon towards him would only be a joke to him.

"Shoot and she dies." I said, pointing the gun towards Mary.

"You wouldn't dare do that. Are you sure you can even fire at your very dear friend?"

I pulled the trigger, swerving the gun's direction at the last minute. The bullet narrowly missed grazing her left cheek, causing her to let go of her hold on Takahashi.

Mary looked horrified but she caught my gaze letting me know that she knew it wasn't intentional.

"Try me." I said and watched as the mirth instantly vanished from Takahashi's face.

"You are quite aware that you are surrounded right? I could easily ask my men to shoot you instead."

I smirked trying not to give away Mary's attempt to put a space between her and Takahashi.

"I am also quite aware that I can pull the trigger and not miss before any of your men can shoot me dead." I cocked my head to the side.

"Ah, you have forgotten, you and I had lived in the same world and were raised in the same environment. However, compared to you, I am not a killer."

Takahashi laughed while all I felt was disdain hearing his laugh filling the wide expanse of space of the great hall.

"I hardly forget Margaux," this time, it was him who cocked his head towards me. "You just wasted a bullet trying to prove a point."

I smirked yet again.

"I wasn't trying to prove anything. I was merely making the game fair and square." He was visibly confused.

I wasn't going to shoot Mary. I had no intention of hurting her. However, she was at the exact spot where I had the chance to balance things out.

A few distance behind her, hardly visible at first glance, was a button attached on the wall.

It wasn't going to do much, but I think it would provide the added distraction I needed to save Mary and myself from the Japanese Mafia.

A year ago, after my sister got married, my father thought of enhancing our family date night every Friday.

We often held family date nights in the great hall. Since our father was mostly busy with the Mafia, we hardly had time to have camps or travel far.

To compensate, every friday night, the great hall would turn into a jungle. It will be like we were having a camp with tents and barbecue.

When my sister got married, we felt her absence and our father thought of creating the much needed diversion.

As if on cue, I felt the atmosphere around us dropping to a certain degree.

Despite being at the mercy of the Japanese Mafia, I can't help but feel a little victorious..