Today is a special day, it was Halloween. Where Astrea lived, she didn't celebrate it. But it didn't seem to be the case here, it was a day off. She was about to go out for a jog when Cecilia entered her room.
"Don't go out!"
"Hmm? Why?"
"There are zombies walking on the street!"
"Oh."
"Don't 'Oh'! If you get bit, it's the end!"
"I'm not afraid you know?"
Cecilia hugged Astrea by her waist. She looked at her with her big eyes full of tears.
"J- Just stay! I'm afraid!"
"Just lock yourself in your room or ask your fan club for protection."
"But I don't know how to call them..."
"Easy."Astrea left her room. In the hallways, she yelled.
"Cecilia's Fanclub! Your idol is asking for protection! Where are you!?"
"What are you doing! You will bother the others!"
"Nah. Look." From the end of the hallway, a group of women ran toward them.
"Miss Cecilia! We are here to help!"
"Heh!? Miss Ilma! Why did you come?"
"Of course, it's to protect you!"
"Ah! But..."
"Well, you aren't alone anymore. I'm leaving!"
"Hey! Wait!"
Astrea didn't listen to her and got out of the mansion. She looked around and only saw Aodh. He seemed to step into the forest path but he kept hesitating and shook like a leaf.
"Hello, Aodh! What's wrong?"
"Aaah!" He jumped in surprise.
"Ah... It's y- you Ms. Elysium."
"Just call me Astrea."
"B- but..."
"Astrea."
"... okay, Astrea."
"Good. So why did you stop here?"
"You don't know? It's Halloween today."
"Yes? So what?"
"It's the day where there is no difference between the realm of the living and the dead. The outside is really dangerous."
"I didn't know that. However, why did you go out?"
"I want to go to the cemetery to see a friend this year. But it's also the most the most dangerous place as evil ghosts wander there."
"Can't you ask someone?"
"They are all busy pacifying the ghost and protect the cities. I can't bother them..."
"Then why don't I accompany you there? When you are done, I will bring you back."
"Didn't you go out to jog?"
"I will do that after I bring you back."
"It's not safe."
"Did you forget who my teacher is? As his disciple, it's easy to purify some ghost."
"You will really accompany me? Thanks!" he exclaimed with a big smile. Even though he was a little dirty, he was still a cute child. Astrea patted his head. His body stiffened but quickly relaxed.
'Strange... it feels comfortable... it's like when I bath under the sunlight...'
Astrea stopped patting him. He felt slightly regretful.
"Let's go."
"Okay!"
***
"UUAARGH!!"
"Hiii!" screamed Aodh as a zombie jumped on him.
Astrea gave it a high kick in the face and its head separated from its body. It fell down and stopped moving. Around them, there were around 10 more nearing them. Some ran fast and others crawled. She first crippled the fast one by breaking their knees, then stomped their head one by one.
"I didn't think there was this much. I don't think I will need to jog today."
"I'm sorry for being a burden."
"It's nothing. Is it like this every year?"
"Yeah. It's one of the busiest time for the school. They even made an event to see who killed the most zombies."
"How would they even count them?"
"Zombies appear when a corpse is in contact with the miasma from the underworld. Inside the corpse, a crystal is formed in the head. The competitor takes those crystals and the one who has the most is the winner."
"Oh. I see. It seems fun to watch. I may go take a look. Where does it happen?"
"In the same cemetery, I'm going to visit my friend. We are going to watch another event though."
"There are other events?"
"Yeah, there are the best-carved jack o'lantern, a competition of who has the best disguise, a witch race, and many others!" he said with sparkly eyes.
Hearing him mention all these contest, she felt like they were much better than the zombie hunt. They continued on the path to the Westhill cemetery while she killed walking corpses and ghosts.
On the hill, there were even more undead walking around. They walked orderly like in the army to a certain direction. The two neared the entrance while keeping their distance from the large group. As they walked further in, the number increased. At a certain point, the zombies separated and stayed immobile.
"The necromancers are positioning them around the cemetery. When the event begins, they will be freed from their controls and will randomly move around. You don't need to worry about them going outside, there will be a barrier to block the place."
"Mm... then we won't be able to get out at the start of the event. How long does it last?"
"Around... 1 or 2 hours I think."
"It's short."
"Well, the participants are really quick to hunt them. And the prizes in the event are incredible."
"What do they give?"
"For the winner, they offer 5 animae and a ticket for two for a visit in the underworld for a day with a guide included. The second gets 2 animae and the third place 1 anima."
"What are animae?"
"Animae is the plural of anima which means soul. I- It's not real souls! It's more like nourishment for the soul to strengthen it. It's a very precious material for everyone even the dead! If you absorb a certain quantity, your soul will become stable and will not be affected by mental manipulation. As you live, your soul get worn down from the emotions and memories you get. At a certain point, it will cease to function and you die. Then you are sent to the underworld to rest and prepare for the next reincarnation. You can reincarnate faster if you absorb animae!"
"Oh! I see. But is 5 considered a lot?"
"Ah! The currency on earth is in credit now. I believe that right now, 1 anima is equal to... 1 000 000 credits."
"Eh...?"
"So 5 animae is 5 000 000 credits. Hey? Are you okay?" asked worriedly Aodh. He saw Astrea not moving for a while. She got out of her stupor when he shook her hand.
"Ah, I'm fine. I think. Do you use animae for everyday use."
"Of course not! It's way too precious. The animae they give for the tournament have the forms of shiny white pearls. They are the highest grade of animae. Five are enough to revitalize the most battered up soul which should take it around millions of years to fully rest. We usually use liquid animae. 1 drop is equal to 100 credits."
"...I think I will register for the contest."