"Aya..." "Toya..." "Toya!" "Toya?" "!" "Sorry I made you wait..." "Never mind about that." "Just the fact that you're here..." "From Aki..." "He wanted me to... give this to you." "It's a letter from Aki." "Aki stayed behind." "It was his own decision." "Why...?" "Aki..." "I've given you his letter." " Toya!" " I'll convince Aki." "Next time, I promise to bring him back." "Toya?" "!" "Wait!" "It's all right, Toya." "You've done so much already." "I'll bring Aki." "I promise you that." "No!" "Do you want to die, Toya?" "!" "Even if you bring Aki back, you'll die!" "That's okay." "Stupid fool!" "Even if you don't care, Aya does!" "Don't make her more miserable than she is now!" "Dear Aya... how are you?" "How long as it been since we've been apart?" "I'm now trying to recall my past life... during which I supposedly stole Ceres' celestial robe." "If I return the robe, there's a chance that..." "Ceres will leave your body, right?" "Aya... you are you." "And I'm me." "Nothing will ever change between us." "Our bond can't be broken so easily, right?" "I know you'll give it your best and so will I." "You have something very precious to live for." "I know that you can do it, no matter what." "But don't be rash." "You tend to get impatient sometimes." "Give my best to the Aogiri family." "Your brother, Aki." "What's the matter?" "I was reading Aki's letter again..." "This is so silly..." "Every time I read the letter, I start to cry." "When we were together, all we did was fight." "I guess we're siblings, after all." "But what about your injuries?" "I think you should go to the hospital." "I'm fine." "I know my own body best." "But was it all right?" "For me to come here?" "Uh-huh..." "Yuhi is..." "Hey!" "I cooked up something for you." "Oh, I could've done that..." "Hah, I doubt if you know how to make anything... that's balanced and nutritious!" "Just remember!" "This master chef went out of his way... to create a menu just for you!" "Now eat!" "And don't you dare leave a single grain of rice!" "Wait!" "Yuhi!" "I said wait!" "What is it?" "Thank you... for bringing..." "Toya here..." "It wasn't for his sake." "I did it for you." "Yuhi..." "Master Aki... if you remain like this, you'll get sick." "At least eat something." "I'll bet you're part of this C-Project thing... and you've been ordered to watch me." "I won't cooperate with such plans." "I will not give in!" "I won't give in..." "Aya..." "Ummm..." "Yuhi..." "I've been meaning to tell you this for a long time..." "I'm really sorry..." "I..." "Stop!" "It's okay." "You don't have to apologize." "I knew from the start that it was hopeless..." "I just wanted to be true to myself." "Yuhi..." "And at least I know that he's my rival." "I'm really grateful for your feelings..." "But..." "You're free to feel the way you want." "And I intend to take responsibility for my feelings." "But I'm not gonna keep backing off forever." "If he ever hurts you or makes you cry again..." "Well, if that ever happens..." "I'll make you mine even if I have to take you away." "Toya, you shouldn't be up!" "If it's what Aya wants, I'm willing to give all of myself to her." "Toya, go back to your room." "Fine with me!" "Don't overdo it." "You must take better care of yourself." " Aya..." " What is it?" "To be honest, all this time I've been afraid." "I was always wondering where to go... what to do..." "I was never sure." "If I disappeared, the world would still go round." "If I'd never existed, no one would care." "That's why I wanted to find someplace secure." "Even if it was all made up." "But I found you..." "You needed me just as I was." "Right now, I feel as though I've found that secure place." "I can make this appear at will." "My other hand... warm and pulsing within me." "A normal human being can't do this." "What am I?" "His loneliness... his sadness..." "I want to share his burden..." "I want to take it away from him." "Even if it's just a little." "Aya!" "Aya!" "Sorry to interrupt, but the bath is ready." "O-Oh, all right." "Why did Ceres give Toya the choker...?" "But... it's all right..." "I mean, Toya came to me." "He's not going anywhere anymore." "Now, if only Aki were here." "Aki will not return." "Ceres..." " You cannot see Aki." " You really get on my nerves." "I thought you accepted my existence... in order to destroy the Mikage family." "Destroy?" "All I want is to stop my relatives from doing foolish things." "There's no such thing as family bonds." "Haven't you learned that first-hand?" "Each time I was reborn as a Mikage daughter..." "I died at their hand." "But... what's the good of destroying the Mikage family?" "Even the male descendants whom you claim to hate... are your children." "That's why..." "The one I truly despise is the one who stole my robe." "But I did love the children I bore." "Still..." "What has happened to the Mikage family?" "In order to protect themselves, they'll kill their own kin." "Innocent people are used to satisfy the Mikage greed." "Are you going to take responsibility for bearing the children?" "By destroying them?" "It's not too late to make things better." "We can do it!" "It's too late!" "He has already been reincarnated." "If he hadn't stolen my celestial robe..." "I would've killed him immediately." "But that has nothing to do with Aki!" "Aya..." "Right now, I am you." "If you give your physical self to me, all will be settled." "You could sleep until all this is over." "No!" "How's this in exchange for letting you use my body?" "I'll get the robe back for you." "Then you can forget about revenge and... go back to Heaven or wherever you're from." "But you'd better not kill Aki!" "I understand." "Whatever happens to Aki, however, is up to him." "Huh?" "Ceres...?" "Say, Yuhi..." "Is Aya's mother still...?" "Yeah..." "The cause is neurological." "Aya's been visiting her and tries to talk to her... but there's been no reaction." "But don't be rash." "You tend to get impatient sometimes." "And give my best to the Aogiri family." "Your brother, Aki." "See, Mother?" "Aki's trying his best." "And so will I." "I've finally found my mission in life." "My dearest friends, that special someone..." "I'll introduce them to you when all this is over." "So I'll be going now." "I'll come by again, Mother." "Nah... she couldn't have called out." "Huh?" "Something's written inside the envelope." "If I should break down, I want to die... by your hands." "I'm glad you decided to come to the main house, Aki." "Grandfather's condition is worsening." "He'll be glad to see you." "Aki!" "You've returned at last!" "Grandfather..." "Aki, I don't have long to live." "You are a precious child of the Mikage family." "You are my true heir." "So... there's something I want to show you." "Grandfather, is it all right for you to be up?" "Almost there." "Aki, we're almost there." "Isn't this the door that leads to the sealed vault?" "Only Aki is to come with me." "Do you remember the "hand" that I showed you... on your sixteenth birthday?" "The sight of it awakened the celestial being in Aya." "But totally unexpected... were the wounds that appeared on your body." "The progenitor of the Mikage... the man who took the celestial being... was said to have died from countless slashes on his body." "After seeing what happened to you..." "I realized for the first time that the legend was true." "But why?" "The celestial being killed him." "It was probably revenge." "The heavenly being died immediately after." "But only after she had borne a child." "And how do you think this infant survived?" "Its mother, the celestial being!" "The guardian deity of the Mikage family!" "This is the mummified celestial being!" "Our legend has it that for several years after her death... milk still flowed from her breasts." "Ceres!" "Unlike human beings, the body did not completely decay..." "It was well preserved." "The body parts were scattered." "But some remained." "Like that hand." "Aki!" "What's wrong?" "!" "I swore I wouldn't give in...!" "But I can't hang on." "Forgive me..." "Aya!" "Farewell..." "Aki!" "Aki!" "Aki!" "The blood is disappearing!" " Aki!" " What's the matter, Aki?" "!" "This is...?" "I don't understand!" "Perhaps something has awakened inside Aki." "Aki, you are indeed my successor!" "Let me see your face!" "You will become the head of the family and... protect the celestial deity from now on." "With you and this guardian deity... the Mikage family will grow more powerful!" "Yes!" "The curse of the celestial being cannot hurt us!" "Aki!" "I am so overjoyed that you were born!" "Come to...!" "That's enough." "No... this is just the discarded shell of a woman." "Ceres..." "Where is my woman?" "Where are you..." "Ceres?" "This isn't Aki!"