Music Recommendation: Jigoku Shoujo/Hell Girl OST - Ake ni Somaru

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Belle couldn't believe that there were pre-existing stars before her and the other two girls which Rower confirmed it now.

"Why were they not informed? Wait, how long has it been since the black witch's powers have been curbed down?" asked Belle as until now, she had never heard or tried to understand it. All her goal was to keep the stars alive and make sure that the black witches would not be successful in accessing the black magic which was hidden away on the other side of the gates.

The boat they were in continued to move by itself, taking a direction which didn't need the grim reaper's interference, "Let me think," drawled Rower in thoughtfully, "Must be two hundred centuries ago. It isn't that long."

But it was long for Belle. It was hard to figure out the timeline because almost everything coincided with each other. Would that also mean that, that was when the existence of the black witches was at peek?

"I don't know all of it as I live here in the river. Don't expect me to answer everything," came the whispered voice from Rower and Belle nodded her head.

"Have you met the other three stars?" she asked him.

"Just two. The girl you mentioned, and the boy. I don't think the other one made it safely in here. They were not here in the river," answered Rower. That would mean that one of the souls had been lost on the other side of the land of the dead. Was it corrupted?

"Do you know who they were? I mean human, witch, vampire?" Belle couldn't keep her curiosity to herself and wanted to know more about them, "But if they got killed, doesn't it mean the black witches would succeed?"

"So many questions on questions," murmured the Rower, "Where are those shiny coins?"

Bell pulled out another coin and threw it at him. She wondered if he would be able to catch the coin in time if she were to throw it slightly away from his arm length. Would he stretch himself to get it?

"I don't think you did your homework well. The black witches have a series of rituals to complete if they want to be able to open the portal of gates. When they found the existence of the first stars they got them killed. Ophelia was a pureblooded vampire."

The other one, hmm…" drawled Rower.

Belle was still trying hard to wrap her head around one what could have happened if the stars knew that their lives were in danger and they could protect the land before it was passed on to her and the other two girls of her generation.

"The boy's name was Hector."

"What?" Belle had heard the name, but she was surprised.

"Hector. He was a witch, a white witch."

Belle took a few seconds to let the information sink in her mind. She wanted to lay down and let her head rest because, for some strange reason, the lack of rest and overload of information was making her head go dizzy.

"It looks like your body is not able to handle itself in the land of the dead, but you are doing well so far. You should thank that soul sister of yours," commented Rower and Belle tried to manage a smile on her lips, "There's no blood in the land of the dead, so you will not be able to survive too long in here."

"Earlier when you said you threw a boy, was it Hector?" asked Belle.

Rower gave a thoughtful look, tilting his boney head to the side and then said, "I think so yes. But I have thrown so many of the souls for being over smart. People don't come out that easily. I don't wait here for them to come back," what a heartless Grim, thought Belle to herself and heard him say, "Maybe if you go down again you might find his skeleton of the soul in there."

"That won't be necessary," answered Belle, "He's out in the land. Near the reflection of the living."

"Oh, he made out," came the dull response, "Lucky soul."

Rower had said that Ophelia was a pureblooded vampire, and Hector was a white witch, and if she tried to match it with the current existing stars, it would be Vivian who was the successor of Ophelia, and Penelope was Hector's who was a white witch too, that would leave her. An average vampire, her previous star who had turned corrupted. She didn't know why but she didn't have a good feeling knowing about this. Somewhere it felt like out of the three stars, she had ended up with the shortest stick of luck.

"The black witches had been finishing the rituals faster and their time isn't too far from now," said Rower who finally stood up and brought his staff forward where Belle finally noticed that it was not just used to row the boat, but it was a scythe that was disguised, "I was waiting to catch the next star. Where is she?"

Belle wondered if she should tell the truth or lie. It was because though the man claimed to be on the neutral side where he preferred his time here, rowing, she didn't know how much he could be trusted.

"She's somewhere safe," answered Belle to see the Grim reaper smile, the bones on his face moving to a smile.

Rower didn't say anything and continued to row the boat now, humming a song which sounded familiar, "What song is that? The one you are singing."

"It is the song of oncoming death on the poor souls. Would you like to hear the lines?" he asked.

"No, I think I am fine," replied Belle, hearing him continue to hum, the water splashing softly as he rowed the boat, "How long is the way until we reach the land?" she inquired.

"I don't know. We don't measure time in here and let the world continue to flow but it shouldn't be too long."

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