Disclaimer: The legend of Asura and Astraea is based on the original myth of Astraea or the constellation "Virgo". Mind you that the version of the myth I wrote is not the original myth. It is only modified for the story.
Kouryuu tucked Hakkai into his bed. Worried with what would happen, he watched over Hakkai and prayed that the Silver Apocalypse wouldn't happen yet.
Meanwhile, in the town where Toki said the sutra would be, the two immortals found the shrine untouched by anyone. Dust was abundant and the shrine was uncared for, rotted by time and disfigured by abusing graffiti. Toki went in to retrieve the sutra. Fortunately, no one was there to stop them.
"Well then, that was easy." Quietus smiled as he took the sutra from his companion.
They were about to leave the town when Toki stopped in his tracks. Quietus looked behind him curiously, wondering why Toki didn't want to continue walking.
"What's the matter, Toki-san?"
"Ne, Quietus-san…" Toki began.
"Doushite, Toki-san?" Quietus beamed at his companion.
"Could you do me a favor?"
"Sure."
"Please tell Hakkai that I still love him. I'll just stay here. I don't think he'd like to see me again since onii-san has already given him happiness."
Quietus showed a gentle smile. He nodded his head and started to turn away.
"I will…" He murmured and smiled before taking to the air, "I bet he still loves you, too…"
But that was a lie.
I'm not completely sure if he still has memories of him.
I know it's wrong to be lying but I can't break his heart…
Toki… If only I could be your Hakkai… If only I could fill that empty hole that yearns for him.
His warm touch.
His warm eyes.
I so envy him…
Meanwhile, the zombies crowded around Hibiemi. Their bodies were disfigured and rotten. Their burial clothes were larva-eaten, decomposed and soiled with earth. Most of the older zombies were mere skeletons. On the other hand, the younger undead were horrifying. Their skin was stretched over their bones, their eyeballs literarily popping out of their sockets. Fortunately, Hibiemi's father, Tenshin, was still intact. She need not fear the appearance of her hundred-year-dead father.
"Destroy… Mirror… Astraea…" They murmured in chorus as they continued to approach the immortal. The brunette slashed away the ones who came too close, but they recovered from being smashed against steel and continued to crawl towards the disgusted one.
"We… heed… Asura… Destroy… mirror… Astraea…" They moaned again. Hibiemi's eyes darted left and right looking for a way to destroy them. But due to the pressure around her, she decided to drive the zombies away while she formulated a plan. The wind spun around her in a powerful whirlwind knocking away all the zombies who dared to come near her. Her eyes continued to dart around for an answer. Then something caught her eye: A single zombie had smashed against the lit gas lamp Hibiemi left near Tenshin's grave. The zombie screamed in horror as the flames engulfed him, turning him into ashes.
"Exactly what I need… A little light." Hibiemi smiled, "Now if only I had a lighter…"
"Oi! Looking for this?" She heard Nii's voice from the roof. Looking at him, she saw him throw a lighter down to her.
"Arigatou, Nii-hakase! Are you sure you can handle your share of the zombies?" Hibiemi asked as Nii jumped down from the roof to join the battle.
"I may not be as adept in magic as Quietus is, but I'm a sorcerer. I can handle this good enough without a lighter." Nii smiled as a ball of flame materialized in his right hand, "Iku yo, puppet…"
While Nii helped the younger immortal with zombie extermination, Komyo and Quietus appeared in the lobby of Hoshizora Manor.
"So all we have to find now is the Muten Kyoumon, right?" Komyo asked the brunette immortal.
"Hai. Judging by the amount of trouble Hibiemi is in now, I believe she's already found something related to the sutra." Quietus smiled, "Perhaps after the zombie eradicating task, we'll have more leads to where the sutra is."
"Then, why don't we help them out if we need the sutra right away?"
"Good idea."
But as the two immortals reached the base of Hoshizora Hill, they found Hibiemi trying to squeeze information out of the final zombie, her father, Tenshin Hoshizora.
"Tell me, 'tou-san… Tell me what do you mean by the 'mirror'…" Hibiemi pleaded.
"We heed Asura… Must destroy the mirror of Astraea…" Tenshin stared emotionlessly at his daughter, "We must not go against Asura…"
"Asura…" Komyo tapped his chin, "Isn't he the evil deity?"
"But what does he mean by the 'mirror of Astraea'?" Quietus asked.
"We won't be able to squeeze answers out of this zombie here… Let's go to Tenshin's room." Nii said as he set fire to the final zombie.
As the flames died down and all that was left were ashes, Hibiemi waited until all the others were away. Kneeling close to the ashes, she murmured a mourning prayer and closed her eyes. The wind carried the ashes of all the dead away from the hill. As the wind finished its job, the young immortal opened her eyes.
"Rest in peace, 'tou-san… I won't forget you. Although I may be immortal, your memory will always be engraved in my mind…"
But something seemed to bother her. Upstairs, in Tenshin's room, the three older immortals checked the room for any clues on the Muten Kyoumon. Fortunately, Nii found something of interest.
"Hora. I think I've found it. It's a page torn out from an old book." Nii announced to the other two, "It's an old myth about the Golden Age. The gods sent Astraea, goddess of innocence and daughter of Themis, to bless men with abundance. Unfortunately, a dark deity was in her way. The dark deity of the east, Asura, wanted men to grow with dark knowledge, not with blissful innocence. The goddess banished the deity into a stone and buried it underground.
"Unfortunately, a curious traveler from the farther east found the stone underground and fell prey to Asura. He grew with dark knowledge and resented the age of innocence men were living in. Soon, darkness spread and the Bronze Age came. Astraea couldn't bless a world tainted with darkness so she fled to the skies and became the constellation 'Virgo'.
"The race that was born out of the traveler carried Asura's stone. Dark knowledge was passed from generation to generation until the first daughter of the race did not find Asura's dark knowledge; instead, she was blessed with everything Astraea had. It seemed as if although Asura maybe sealed in the stone, Astraea's spirit was still there to protect the race, like hope in the bottom of Pandora's box.
"The race expanded and Asura's power grew weaker with the number of daughters being born with Astraea's innocence. He needed mortal blood to live and to gain that; he secretly toyed with destiny from afar. So he set up destiny in away that every daughter born to the race beginning that day would die of suicide."
"But it was foretold one day that someday, someone with Astraea's spirit will overthrow Asura." Komyo finished for Nii, "Maybe this time is now since you, Hakkai and Hibiemi are part of the legacy and you know what the legend said. Asura's knowledge was passed down to the males holding the stone while the females holding the stone inherited Astraea's innocence. Perhaps one of you has Asura's complete dark knowledge and Astraea's complete innocence…"
"But something is wrong…" Quietus shook his head, "I don't think Hakkai really inherited Asura's complete dark knowledge… Perhaps someone else has… Maybe destiny mixed up our inheritance… I wasn't born with complete dark knowledge. Come to think of it, both Hakkai and me inherited half of each. Half of Astraea's innocence and half of Asura's darkness. I don't know what was born on Hibiemi's side but all I know is, it's not completely Astraea."
"Does the word 'mirror' ring a bell?" Everyone turned their heads to see Hibiemi standing in the doorway, "They said 'Mirror of Astraea' when they were attacking me. Perhaps I am the mirror. A complete opposite of Astraea."
"Or maybe a reflection." Komyo said as he thought, "If you are the mirror then there should be a stronger one. Less powerful than Astraea but more powerful than you are."
"Maybe it's Hakkai…" Nii said in thought.
"Minna! I think I've just found something better…" Quietus smiled, "I've found the Muten Kyoumon."
