At the time of Creation, gods ruled over everything between heaven and earth. So begins a time of chaos and strife.
For three hundred years, Kuyo, seeress to the late Tentei, had been imprisoned in the dungeons below Zenmi-jou; a punishment for her steadfast refusal to place her powers in service of Taishakuten. There she had languished, no more than a name whispered in legends, until the news of her escape spread through the palace. Yasha-ou, the strongest Bushinshou in Tenkai and a close friend to Kuyo, was summoned to the palace by Taishakuten. In spite of the bond between Kuyo and Yasha-ou, or because of it, the emperor assigned Yasha the task of finding and killing the recaltrint seeress.
Find Kuyo was not a difficult task for Yasha, who discovering the seeress at her old retreat-- a place she had once used for meditation and divination. Amidst the fallen pillars and the crumbling walls, Kuyo once again raised her wound to cast a prophecy for someone about to be caught in the whirl of fate.
The seeress could not, or would not explain the crptic words of the prophecy that she had risked her life to reveal to Yasha-ou. One thing, however, she did tell him: The child spokening of is fated to kill him. Yasha was undaunted. Following the directions pointed out by Kuyo, he set out to retrieve the child and bring her back.
Three hundred years ago, a strange forest appeared in the north, a labyrinth of tangled roots and treachrous paths that none could enter... and none had, until Yasha. The twisted boughs unfurled before the glow of Yasha's magical sword, Yamato. Path appeared where there had been none, leading him toward the thing that slept for three centuries at its heart: A giant tree stump resonated with a pulse. Yasha raised Yamato to strike, and in midst of the flood of light that followed appeared a babe. Or is it another creature -- an ephmeral figure with hairs like flame and eyes of molten gold? Ashura, it called itself, and with a gleam in its eyes and madness in its voice it warned Yasha of the terrible consequences of his deeds: His foolhardyness in awakening Ashura will cause the world to become a blazing infernal.
Yasha's village:
That day seemed to be one for strange events. Leaving the forest,
soldiers informed Yasha that his village was under attack by
demons of unusual size and ferocity. But they proved to be no
match for Yasha's skill and strength. The monster vanquished, he
returned to find another marvelous happening at the village. In
the presence of danger, a mass of vines and roots, not unlike the
nest that contained Ashura, had grown around the child in a
cocoon. And once again it parted before the glow of Yamato,
revealing the sleeping child, now much older.
Ashura's parentage is now clear to anyone who cast eyes upon him. The golden eyes and the pointed ears are mark any descendent of the Ashura clan, though no one wearing such features had walked the earth for three centuries. Taishakuten had ordered the entire Ashura clan destroyed during his bloody revolt three hundred years ago. Now to harbor a child of that clan is tantalmont to open rebellion, a crime that would bring to the offender and his clan the same fate that met the Ashura clan. But Yasha, inspite of the Elder's warnings and pleadings, adamantly refused to throw away the child.
Ashura himself remained happily unaware of his precarious strait. He was the pet of the women in the village, who found the wide-eyed tot irresistable, and happily did his hair and sewed his tunic. He ambled happily about the village, discovering in a tree a strange movement. A second later someone fell out of that tree in question; a stranger with violet eyes and the curious name of Kujaku. He claimed to be an itinerant performer, down on his luck and faint from hunger. And under Yasha's suspicious eyes he proceeded to demonished a large amount of food, with help from Ashura. But Kujaku seems to be remarkable knowledgable about Ashura's ancestry and Kuyo's prophecy.
Discontent against Ashura was growthing among the men of the village. A breach in the western kekkai required Yasha's presence, and he no longer dared to live the child in the village. Riding into battle seated before Yasha, Ashura was remarkable blase. The heritage of the warriors was in his blood. In middle of the battle Yasha dropped Ashura accidentally, but a young boy picked him up before any harm was done. In fact, this turned out to be a stroke of luck for the boy. Turning around, he saw a demon just about to attack. But before it had a chance, Ashura had let loose a ball of flame which seared the creature to a cinder. Now in a village of hostile people Ashura has acquired at least one friend beside Yasha. The boy told Ashura that he'll never believe that anyone who saved his life could be a curse.
The demons succesfully repelled, Yasha remembered his promise to take Ashura to see Kuyo. But when they arrived at Kuyo's retreat, he found that he has been too late. Kuyo was dead, impaled by her own stargazing wand. Kujaku reappeared, and told Yasha that Northern general Bishamonten, his overlord, had killed her. If he insist on holding on to Ashura, more misfortune will follow. Shocked by the unexpected event, Yasha did not noticed that Ashura seems fasinated by Kuyo's corpes and the still warm blood flowing from it. Now he has dipped his fingers in the blood and licked them blissfully. He is now Black Ashura, whose reveled in blood and death. With madness in his eyes he mocked Yasha -- Does Yasha think he could afford the price of awakening Ashura from hsi slumber? Now he pays the price of his foolhardyness.
Even as Yasha was discovering kuyo's corpse, Bishamonten and his army had surrounded Yasha village, and with their characteristic efficiency proceeded to wipe out its entire population. From the slaughter only one person survived -- the young boy Ashura had saved in the battle. He had lose both arms, and when Yasha and Ashura encountered him he was obviously dying. But now still had enough strength to shove Ashura aside and curse him. Because of Ashura all his people had died, what right did Ashura have to remain alive? He could not understand why Yasha would allow his entire clan to be destroyed for the life of a single child, and Yasha had no answer. But he knew who was the true culprit, not Ashura, but Taisahkuten. At that moment he came to a decision-- he will unite the six stars, and defeat the emperor.
Rite of Stars
Once a year, a ceremony is held in honor of Kishoten, who could
forsee fate in the mirror of heaven. But this year Kisshoten
could not summon up any interest in the prospect. Once the
ceremony had been a celabration of hope and joy. But under the
reign of Taishakuten, Kisshoten, the daughter of the former
Tentai, is a virtual prisioner, kept alive to pacify the people,
and the rite of the stars a mere mockery.
For a troup of itinerant performers, and in particular their dancer, the ceremony is still to be taken very seriously. Only the best dancers could have the honor of performing at the rite. So Ashura, camped not far from the home of Kisshouten, caught sight of a lovely dancer practising in a green clearing in the woods. Gigei somehow know that she was being watched, and the next thing they know, she had a sword pointed at Yasha's throat. Apparently Yasha and Ashura had taken her sleeping place. Yasha tried to apologize, but Gigei had a punishment in mind. He has to promise to stay with the dance troup, and especially her, for as long as she wants him to. Ashura was very excited, and Yasha could not refuse.
There was a reason for this, as Gigei soon explained. Six years ago, Gigei's mother had danced at the Rite of Stars. Still a little girl, Gigei had seen Yasha, and had decided then and there that he's the man she wants. Six years has passed, and Gigei has not changed her mind. If anything, she had become even more determined that she'll follow the man she loves. She did not care that Yasha is a hunted man, and anyone found associating with him is guarranteed a terrible death. In her experience it is better to die than to deny that love. Her mother, not able to married the man she loved, chose the man she loved second best instead. He forced her to dance til she died of overwork and a broken heart. Gigei does not intend to repeat her mother's fate.
Ashura quickly became very good friends with Gigei, who pulled her ears and called her a little fox, but also made her a new dress, gave her a pretty hair clasp, and promised Ashura that they'll be together always. But imperial soldiers have found Yasha and Ashura's track again. Gigei and Ashura, picking flowers for the Rite of Stars, encountered one. This time Ashura and Gigei escaped, but the areas was becoming dangerous, and Yasha and Ashura must leave. To Ashura's delight Gigei promised to join them. But before that she had another promise to keep. She wanted to fulfill her mother's last wish -- to have her daughter dance at the Rite of Stars. Sending Yasha and Ashura ahead, Gigei told Ashura that she'll join them as soon as the ceremony is over.
Even though she called the Rite of Stars meaningless, Kisshouten found her spirit rising as the ceremony proceeded. The halls were beautifully decorated, and the dancer this year, a young girl with hair of gold, was the best she has ever seen. Then a band of imperial soldiers forced their way into the ceremonial hall where the dancer performered. Undaunted by their threat, Gigei refused to tell them the whereabout of Yasha and Ashura. Before Kisshouten's horrified eyes the soldiers left Gigei's lifeless body on the floor, as the Rite of Stars came to a sudden end.