The spray of the shower felt warm against my skin. Goosebumps formed regardless of the heat. I couldn't help it, I was too excited. Last night I finished my sixty sixth book. My mentor, Fujimoto Daichi, told me that he would reveal his research to me if I read a total of sixty six books from his library. Now I will finally see what Daichi has been up to.

After my shower, I quickly dressed in my school uniform. It has a white undershirt with sleeves that reach the mid forearm. Over the undershirt is a brown sugar colored button up shirt with red lining. It has a collar for a standard issue red tie. There is also a knee length dark grey skirt that all girls must wear. Along with the skirt is a pair of black stockings. Finally, there is my favorite, and only, pair of converses.

Of course, I don't have to wear my uniform today. It's the weekend. However, I quite enjoy my school clothes.

I left my apartment in a blurred haste. I remember deciding against grabbing my 6' blade, though. My school doesn't approve of it, but Daichi told me to keep it. Given that the school has done nothing about the bullying problem and the neighborhood is less than secure, I figure I should listen to Daichi. I don't know where he found it, but the blade has an obsidian handle with an ivory cross crafted into both sides. Since the apartment owners don't allow weapons, I have a special hidden place for it in the wall.

The streets of Osaka bristle with constant movement. It always does, but that doesn't necessarily grant me an easy time. I never got used to the buzz of the city. Passing every alley, crossing every street, and avoiding the school yard, I reached the library. As a private library, it is much higher quality and can actually make a profit unlike it's public counterpart.

I stepped up to the library doors. A chill crawled along my spine. I finally get to see Daichi's project. My hand stretched out and pushed open the door. A familiar cool, ancient air rushed out to greet me. Scanning the interior of the library, I deduced that it was an average day in business. The library was massive in length and height. I've been told it's the size of two U.S. football fields placed side by side. It had a second story that casts a shadow upon the left side of the building. A clearing in the center of the library has a bundle of tables and computers for a visitor's leisure. To the right is the checkout depot, where Daichi is. Perhaps fourteen people are spread across the labyrinth of shelves filled with books. A small line of windows run parallel to the ceiling, letting in the only source of light.

"Harumi, my dear!", shouted a friendly voice, "Come and give your Papa a hug!"

What. An. Idiot.

My face ran red with frustration and embarrassment.

"Daichi!", I whispered coldly, "We are in a library!"

Turning towards the checkout depot I saw that old man waving his arm to me while smiling like an idiot. Slicked back grey hair adorns his head. He continues to wear his ridiculous red sweater it would seem.

"Why should I care? It's my library", he retorted innocently.

He had a point, so I failed to conjure any sort of rebuttal. Gathering whatever dignity I had left, I marched over to Daichi. Before I could say a word he pulled me into his arms and gave me a tight squeeze.

"I did tell you to give me a hug", Daichi explained in muffled breath, "Now why doesn't my little girl hug me back?"

I rolled my eyes before wrapping my arms around him and squeezing. Daichi has jokingly dubbed himself my 'Papa' and called me his 'little girl' ever since a man mistook me for Daichi's daughter. It was an easy mistake to make: dark brown hair, near black eyes, glasses. He stopped hugging me after he was certain he had passed the socially defined 'awkward' moment.

"Rin isn't bothering you again, is she?", he inquired.

"No.", I said. I could only stare at the ground. It was obvious I just lied, so why did I? Uzumaki Rin is practically the head bully in my life. Nine years of school with her has done nothing to soften any relations. If anything, it's only made her torments more creative. Daichi never knew about the bullying problem until the middle school play. Rin somehow managed to convince the drama club to let her write an edited version of the story 'Cinderella'. Since I was the best actress at the time, the drama teacher gave me the part as Cinderella. I was excited at first, however, Rin's edited version ends the play in the scene in which the evil sisters tear Cinderella's dress to pieces. Rin took it a step further by having all of Cinderella's clothes virtually removed. It took several onlookers to prevent Daichi from murdering Rin right then and there. Worse yet, complaints from parents about public nudity caused the drama teacher to ban me from the club. Daichi noticed my distaste for that topic and moved on to business.

"So I assume you've finished your sixty sixth book?", he asked with a fascinated smile.

"Yes I have. You know the deal. Now I get to see your project.", I declared haughtily.

"Then let us be off.", he responded while turning around and unlocking the back room door. Before opening the door, he turned his head and said in the most serious voice "Don't tell no one else about my project. Don't touch it either. If anyone were to come in contact with it... Just don't touch it, understand?"

His expression caught me off guard. I nodded my head since I could think of nothing intelligent to say. Satisfied, Daichi recovered his usual look of an intellectual genius with the innocent playfulness of a child. He opened the door and motioned me in. I stepped in what could be called a large, glorified closet. Piles of boxes and rows of cabinets made up the interior. His 'project' was what truly caught my eye. It seemed to be some sort of triangular prism with a bright, blue fire light emitting from it. Daichi looked out the door as though we were being followed. Once he felt it was safe, he quietly closed the door, leaving the two of us with only the ominous prism as a source of light.

"I found this in a trash bin outside the local church. Some pouting kid dumped it there before running off. As soon as I was sure he was gone I scavenged it for myself. This object is a container. Specifically, it's one of seven containers for the physical embodiment of the wrath of God. Anyone without God's mercy would be destroyed just by touching it." Daichi explained in a matter of fact way that I came to doubt. I had many questions.

"Daichi, how do you know someone can be annihilated just by touching it?" I inquired with the suspicion that he has witnessed it before. His response confirmed my suspicions.

"I watched it myself", he stated. His eyes turned down. "Someone else had the same idea I had and they pulled it out first. Poor soul disintegrated right before my eyes." His eyes came back up to meet mine, obviously ashamed he couldn't save the man. "Luckily for me", he began with vigor, "it would seem it doesn't go through handkerchiefs! So I did NOT disintegrate." Daichi pulled on his smug face, satisfied he outwitted a triangular prism of divine spontaneous combustion.

"Anyway, I'm thinking that if I can tap into its power I can unlock unlimited energy", he explained crossing his arms. Daichi closed one eye and looked at me nonchalantly asking, "So what do you think? I'd say people should start calling me Prometheus. Am I right?"

I was confounded. Daichi has essentially declared he found absolute proof that God exists. He found the one thing Christianity has been searching for. What more, he's planning to harvest an infinite energy source for all of mankind. It's beyond any words I'm capable of using. There is only one flaw.

"How are you going to extract the power?" I questioned. Perhaps I should have kept the inquiry to myself. The expression of pride I witnessed degraded into a face that declares "Well damn."

"That's sort-of the issue I'm having", Daichi explained while rubbing his neck, "I haven't the slightest idea."

"I see", I formed a small, knowing smile for Daichi. He let me inspect the strange object. It was lined with a black metal of some kind. Other than the lining it was just a fiery blue prism. It seemed more like a special pet rock than God's wrath. Seeing no openings, I gave up. I made some excuses and thanked him for trusting me with his secret. After pulling me in for a hug, he said his goodbyes. I walked to the doors of the library waving back to Daichi the whole way.

It was a lot to think about. The physical manifestation of God's wrath. My mind was lost in a sea of thoughts and possibilities. Suddenly I was on the ground with my glasses missing.

"Oh! I apologize Miss.", an unknown voice spoke out, "Here, let me help you up."

A slender hand grabbed hold of my upper arm. Before I could interject I was standing on my two feet again.

"I believe these glasses are yours", the fuzzy figure handed me my glasses. Placing them carefully over my eyes, I was greeted by a kindly sight. A man with red hair was before me. He wore a business suit that clearly fit well. All at once I came to the realization that I crashed into him upon leaving the library. That would explain why I was on the ground, but it doesn't explain what truly caught my eye: his eyes were a shade of fire. Orange, red, and yellow overlapped one another in a grim pattern.

"Once again, I sincerely apologize. Please forgive my rudeness", the man recited. Without another word he walked past me and entered the library.

Brushing off the event, I marched on to my apartment. I had time to spend at leisure so I decided to enjoy the sights of the old, buzzing city. Passing an alley way, I took note of a peculiar sight. A crow was dying at the claws of a cat. The feline apparently broke both of the crows wings and was toying with it. How cruel. Not the fact that the crow would die, not the fact that the cat was toying with it. No, what was cruel was the dove flying high above the buildings while this crow could do nothing but watch it and wait for death. How cruel, that another crow flew away from the scene, blissfully ignorant of its brethren's misery. I grimaced. There I was, thinking as depressingly as ever. How many of its brethren had the dying crow abandoned? For all I know, justice was being served.

The sun began its descent into the west when I got home. I jumped back on my bed and thought about Daichi. "Is it wise to harvest wrath? Not just wrath, but God's wrath. I don't recall ever hearing whether this was a sin. Is it blasphemous? Perhaps. Would playing Prometheus be worth the cost? No, wait. I'm getting ahead of myself. His success depends on opening it. I never observed any openings. But what if he tries to break it open? Perhaps he needs to conduct the energy to come out on its own? Is there some unique prayer?", I continued to bury myself with these questions on into the night. Before long, the silent comforts of a warm bed urged me to sleep.

"..."

"..."

"Where'd she put the bloody thing?"

I awoke with a start. The night still dominated the sky as Osaka slept in silence. Only by forcing myself was I able to think. After straining my will it finally came to me, someone else was in my room. It took a while for my drowsiness to fade. When I was sure I was fully awake I scanned the room for the frustrated voice. The search did not last long. A figure in the form of a man in a business suit ravaged through my belongings. No doubt it was the man from earlier today. I tried reaching for my knife's hiding place, but I couldn't move. My hands and feet were both bound tightly. It seemed he covered all the bases. My mouth was gagged with a handkerchief and my arms were tied to a chair. I could tell he tied the two of my legs to only one leg of the chair for I felt my legs rubbing against each other. Looking down, I was humiliated to discover that I was only wearing my undergarments. Whatever he's looking for, he looked everywhere.

I tried shifting my weight to move the chair but ended up nowhere. My shifting must have been loud, for the man turned toward me and produced a wide smile. His fiery eyes pierced the darkness.

"Apologies, Miss. It seems you have what I need", the indifference in his voice to breaking in and binding me was unnerving, "So if it's not too much trouble, would you mind telling me where your knife is? Oh, but I guess you'd have to lose the handkerchief, right? HAHAHA!"

I panicked. How did he know about my knife? I jutted left and right, praying I could find some glimmer of hope in escaping. That's when I saw it. He had brought with him a relic-- the container holding God's wrath. My eyes grew wide in terror. Was it a replica or did he steal it? Most likely the latter.

"I see you recognize my little trophy there.", the man said with a mocking tone. He picked it up and set it before me. "If that's the case, you must've been close with that old geezer. Then you would logically know which knife I'm looking for. So I'll make you a deal: you stare in the direction of where it is and I won't have my way with you. Got it?"

I was terrified. Feral instinct controlled my thoughts. I have to run. I have to get away. No hint of intellect revealed itself in my mind. Even if I wanted to give in, his merciless eyes paralyzed me. It was the same eyes as that of a predator taking amusement from the fear of its prey. His smile persists in a fashion that inspires ever more terror. He knows I am incapable of following his instructions. He knows I'll fail. The man reached down and took a firm grip on the seat of the chair. He licked his lips deviously. He began sliding his hand up my leg. But then, that villainous face I witnessed drooped down into a concerned look. Quickly turning, he cursed under his breath.

"Curse that ba!#$&% to Oblivion!", the man raged. He held out his hand as though he was reaching for something. Suddenly a blast of darkness and ether enveloped his hand. As quickly as it appeared, the shadows vanished and in his hand was a rustic black dagger.

Smashing through the window a white, shining figure appeared. The white figure held a golden bastard sword and had two shimmering wings protruding from his back. Without so much as a word the two began dueling. Pure light and darkness shot out like shrapnel every time their blades made contact. The white figure fought as a knight, using long, powerful strokes before reverting back to a defensive stance. My tormentor leapt around the white figure. He dodged each blow he could while parrying all others. Searching for an opening, he struck out experimentally. Trying to end the fight, the white figure emitted a strong shock wave. Everything in the room shot back, including the dark man, the prism, and me.

The prism launched into my abdomen and began slowly incinerating my flesh. I smashed through the wall still tied to the chair. The force caused me not only to crash through the wall but also through my knife. The blade past through my chest, it's handle lodged in my heart, piercing the surface of the prism. The concentration of God's wrath conducted through the knife and entered into my heart. A surge of pain burnt throughout my nerves in an instant. I blacked out.

I awoke to a grisly scene. The apartment had been leveled completely. Across the rubble and ruin I made out the shape of the fire eyed man searching through the debris. I could not see the white figure nor could I spot the prism. The chair I had been bound to, as well as the bindings, were gone. Whoever the white figure was, he must have came for the prism and decided to cut the bindings as he left. Whatever had occurred, I had to reach Daichi. He has to know what to do. I wobbled onto my feet using whatever strength I had left. Taking one last look around I reassured myself, "Daichi can make this right."

I took a quiet step forward. My body suddenly felt numb.

"And where do you think you're going?', the foul man said. That's right. It makes sense I would feel so numb. He had slashed across my back with his dagger. Pouring out from the gashing wound, a fiery blue aura shot out. The man's flesh burned terribly, incinerating his very being. Excess aura flew overhead and landed into the waters of the port of Osaka. A shade of dark blue blurred into my sight and my fresh scar healed as though my flesh hadn't been hewn.

"What just happened?", I wondered. I felt no pain, the wound healed quickly, yet I still didn't quite understand how. "I should get to Daichi. He should see this." I put on my school uniform (don't know how their not burnt) and started off for the library. "On the positive side, I don't think I'll have to pay rent."