Okami: A Thousand Suns

Evil in Plain Sight

Sei'an City, the peaceful western capital, and the beating heart of the Empire. Considered to be the mother of all cities in the whole world, as well as the epicenter that houses the highest of all society. The amount of infrastructure planted was so vast that one wouldn't be able spot a spec of nature out over the horizon if located at the center of the city. However, there are two attractions that stood out amid the urban marvel. The feudal Commoner and Aristocratic quarters, which Amaterasu set afoot centuries ago, still stand to this day. Albeit, for symbolic and historical purposes. The second location buried in the colossal metropolis is the Imperial Shrine, dedicated specifically to Amaterasu. Both unique sites are shrouded by skyscrapers; so tall that they block a decent portion of the sun's light. But the most notable of all structures would be the Sei'an Citadel. The tallest complex ever built. Its height surpassed that of Catcall Tower, and it just barely touched the stratosphere. It housed the whole government of Nippon, as well as the residence of The Emperor and his office for his operations, which was unusually located at the highest level of the tower.

The city, along with the whole world since the accident, had been plunged into darkness. Sei'an City however, took the most brunt of it, as it now had become the epicenter as well. A vortex of thick, black, and purplish clouds hovered and swirled above The Emperor's office. The Emperor himself had changed significantly since the incident a year prior. He was no longer the man who once loved and cared for his people. In fact, he was no longer a man at all, but rather a vessel housed by the evil spirit which Amaterasu had allegedly defeated before. It fragmented itself and hid among other artifacts and waited to be released once more. It merely hijacking the body of a leader was enough for it to hold on to all the cards and proceeded to completely toss human society under the bus to fulfil its sadistic desires and lust for humanity's suffering.

Since then, even though the Emperor hadn't left the citadel, ate, drank, or slept for a whole year straight, as well as had pale-blue markings appear on his bald forehead after his possession; his underlings still obeyed orders that he had directed, regardless of how tyrannical or irrational they had been. He spent his days meditating in his chamber, collecting the dark energy caused by the suffering of his human subjects.

At this moment, the intercom on his desk went off.

"Yes! What do you want now?" he asked with a miffed tone.

"Your excellency sir, the Secretary of Defense, Mr. Koga Daichi, wishes to speak to you urgently." The voice on the other side of the intercom responded.

"UGH. Fine! Bring him in!" The Emperor groaned, who had become even more bothered by the sudden interruption.

A few moments later, the tall doors in the Emperor's chamber swung open, Mr. Daichi stepped inside. He then walked towards the Emperor and bowed respectfully.

"What do you want? Every time I am in peace, YOU simpleton must intrude into my personal space!"

Mr. Daichi was the first to step forward and deliver his report.

"Your majesty, we have received an influx of reports citing a sharp rise of insurgency within the Kamiki city limits. In addition, an unauthorized launch of an allegedly commandeered FS-43 fighter was detected and intercepted. It had been successfully neutralized, albeit with two friendly losses..."

"So, what does this have to do with me, exactly? Are you implying that you came all this way to give me a sob story about current quandaries that YOU don't know how to resolve despite YOUR POSITION? HOW CAN YOU BE SO USELESS AND PATHETIC THAT YOU CANNOT EVEN MAKE YOUR OWN DAMN SOLUTIONS!" The Emperor raised his voice out of spite, now angered by the perceived incompetence of the secretary.

"Your excellency, we need your approval as quantified by law to carry out appropriate measures to curb the threats we face."

"THAT IS MY POINT! YOU IDIOTS DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO ANYTHING YOURSELVES. But fine! Kill them! Kill them all! Men, women, children, anybody ASSOCIATED with them! Double the guards, triple them! How many times must I tell you! Send all the reserve military forces into the cities to hunt them all down like the rats they are! Level the cities or whatever their bases are located if you have to! It's nothing but common sense! How do you not have the intellect to come up with this kind of solution yourself?" The Emperor shouted at the secretary, as he grew more upset merely with his presence and inquiries.