Chapter 17: The Star

Toki's mind started to become blurred with concern, "Quietus-san, why don't we go and steal the other sutra in advance?"

"Toki-san, you're being a bit reckless… Why don't we wait until everyone else is here?" Quietus' eyes looked at him with worry, but as he looked into the other immortal's eyes, he found that they were filled with the strong urge to protect Hakkai. Quietus sighed and got up from the bench, "I understand now… Let's go before the sun rises."

Toki nodded as they both began to fly all to the point where Toki had known the presence of a sutra.

Meanwhile, on Hoshizora Hill, Hibiemi finally finished digging up the corpse of her deceased father. Brushing away the final layer of dirt upon the corpse, she found her father just the way he was on the day he was buried. His long dark brown hair held in a neat ponytail, his slightly tanned skin as soft as it was when he was still alive. Thinking fast, she remembered what happened during the car crash a hundred years ago.

As the young Hibiemi looked at the horrible death of her family, she felt something burning under her right eye. She looked at the rear-view mirror and saw what had happened. The branches of the tree had pierced through bone, muscle veins and nerves but even if she was supposed to be dead or at least paralyzed, her hands and feet could still function. Praying hard, she wished that her family wouldn't fall into this gruesome death but even if she tried, all she could do was erase all the wounds on their bodies. The branch impaling her brother shriveled up and left a gruesome hole in his body, but the wound was quickly healed. Her father's face slowly mended and was restored to its former radiance. She heard a gentle voice whispering, "The flesh will live on as the soul descends…" Then a strange force seemed to pull all of them out of the burning wreck but unfortunately, she fainted before she could look for the one who had saved her.

The immortal knew that by the words "The flesh will live on as the soul descends…" meant that even if the wounds of her relatives were healed, they were still dead and no one could bring them back to life. She shook herself out of her reminiscing and went back to her job. She searched around the corpse for something worth finding and as she searched inside the clothes of her father, she found a piece of paper in the pocket of his suit. On the paper was a name she only had heard in mythology.

"Astraea." She whispered and written on the back of the paper was another name, "Asura." She then decided to go into her father's room to look for more information about the names, but before she could reach the mansion, she heard a moan. The immortal turned to see that her father had become a zombie and the hands of the others buried on Hoshizora Hill were pushing out of the ground.

Kouryuu shook his head. It had been the eleventh time he couldn't get to sleep that night.

"Kuso… Why is this infernal insomnia keeping me up?" He growled as he tossed in bed. Then, he finally gave up and looked around the room. Strangely, Quietus was not in his bed.

"The damn immortal's out of his bed. He must be up to something…" Remembering that the immortals once plotted to kill Hakkai, his suspicions were aroused and he decided to fly back to the temple.

Midnight came and Kouryuu finally reached the temple. Looking around he saw Hakkai asleep on the porch. He sat beside his sleeping lover and brushed his cheek with his thumb.

"Hakkai… I'm happy you're still safe."

"Kouryuu? What are you doing here?" Hakkai slowly awoke smiling.

Taking Hakkai in his arms, the immortal slowly levitated into the air, "Let me take you flying…"

Hakkai looked at Kouryuu with a surprised face. He would have never imagined someone like Kouryuu taking him flying. But something seemed to invade his mind at that time.

An eerie song seemed to pierce his mind and cause him pain. He tried to shake off the thought, but it was no use, the song was hurting him.

"Hakkai! What's happening?" Kouryuu asked the brunette in his arms.

"Kouryuu… Do you hear that song?" Hakkai winced in pain.

"I don't hear anything…" Kouryuu replied.

"I hear it… And it's hurting me!" Hakkai wailed as the voice seemed to pierce his body. A bright blast of ki blew Kouryuu away from him. Kouryuu continued to levitate and watch Hakkai, expecting him to fall but unnaturally, he was still in the air, struggling to fight the piercing song. Unfortunately, the song seemed to finally shock him and his body started to fall back to earth. Kouryuu quickly swooped down to catch him. As the immortal put Hakkai back on the ground safely, he looked at him with worry.

"Am I too late?"