The next morning Tasuki shook Mitsukake out of his vigil for Sailor Pluto. "Hotohori needs your help right now." Mitsukake stood up slowly, moving to help Hotohori only because he knew that Setsuna would want him to do his duty. When he reached Hotohori he found that the young emperor had fallen on his sword. Now he knew why Tasuki was making him hurry when all he wished to do was continue in his vigil.
"Mitsukake! Please heal him," Miaka begged, grabbing hold of his hand with tears in her eyes. He nodded to her, patting her hand. He knelt and reached out one hand, taking hold of Hotohori's shoulder.
"Please, do not. Let me go," Hotohori whispered. Mitsukake ignored him and did as Miaka asked. Hotohori closed his eyes in despair. Mitsukake stood up and walked away, returning to his vigil.
Hotohori didn't give up his attempts at suicide for the next three days. Each time, Mitsukake was fetched to heal him "Mitsukake," Hotohori said hoarsely, having just attempted to hang himself, "I beg you each time that you come to please, just let me die. I wish no life without my Houki."
Mitsukake finished healing him again, and then sat back. "I will not stop. In the first place, you are the emperor and cannot move on without an heir. More importantly, Miaka's heart would break if I allowed you to die. So I would greatly appreciate it if you would stop trying to kill yourself and do your duty so that I can move on and join my Setsuna." He stood up and walked off. "Believe me, if I could have saved them, I would have. So please, do your duty–and once you have, you may rejoin your Houki...and leave me free to be with my Setsuna." He glanced at the sky, lost in his memory and longing.
Hotohori was quiet, thinking. "I will never quit trying to leave this world, Mitsukake. Besides, your death would destroy Miaka just as much as mine would. You have to admit that. No, there's just one way to solve this," he said smiling. "Not even you will be able to stop me." He was silent a moment, then noticed that he had caught the attention of everyone else. He stood up and walked over to Houki's shrouded body, then lowered the veil from her face. "I wish to take Houki's death for her," Hotohori said suddenly. Everyone stared at him, gasping.
"No!" Miaka cried, too late. Hotohori cried out in pain as his eyes slowly glazed over from the rapidness that death came to him. Houki, on the other hand, took a deep, shuddering breath.
"Hotohori," she whispered. "Don't..." She opened her eyes and watched him fall forward in death. "Hotohori!" She began crying softly and hugged him to her. "Oh, you fool! I am meant to die! It is my destiny...Why did you do it?" she cried.
"Love," came the whisper. She looked up and registered in shock that Hotohori was standing in front of her. Unfortunately, it wasn't his body that she saw, but his spirit. His body was laying over her, dead. "I had to do it." He knelt next to her and reached out for her hand...and kept reaching. Houki cried out, moving his body and tried vainly to hold him but was unable to grasp his spirit. "I could not live with the thought of you dead and me alive. Although I cannot touch you, at least we can see each other." Houki knelt in front of Hotohori and clasped her hands under her chin, tears streaming down her face. Neither one moved the rest of the day, gazing longingly at each other.