The Lady Miaka, acting as the Priestess of Suzaku…
…met the family of her beloved Tamahome, one of the Suzaku Seven.
His family was then attacked by a Kutou assassin…
…who was trying to kill the Priestess of Suzaku.
They were saved by Chichiri, a wandering traveller.
Chichiri was revealed to be another member of the Suzaku Seven.
Hoping to cause no further trouble to Tamahome…
Forgive me, everyone…
…the Lady Miaka set out for Kutou on her own…
…to look for her schoolmate, Yui.
“Hotohori, the emperor of Konan…”
“…prayed for the safety of the Priestess of Suzaku…”
I have a terrible sense of foreboding. I hope Miaka is all right.
Suzaku, great god of our land.
Protect us, as well as the Priestess of Suzaku…
…who shall gain your power to save this land.
Miaka…
If I were free, as Tamahome and Nuriko are…
…I would never leave your side.
I would protect you at the risk of my own life…
Please be safe…
She’s taking too long! Where did Miaka go?!
I said it was probably THAT.
“That?”
You know, girls’ problems.
Girls’ problems?
Hold it!
Before she left, Miaka said “Yui,” right?
Yui?
Now that you mention it, she seemed to start acting…
…really strangely when she heard us talking, you know?
Yui… She was with Miaka when I first met her.
Wait, does that mean that girl came to this world, too…?
Is she trying to…?!
Tamahome!
Nuriko, take care of my family!
Hey! What’s going on here?
Well, then, I think I’d better check out the situation.
The land of Kutou?
Yes.
It’s that way. There’s a shortcut if you cut through those woods.
I have to get as far as I can before Tamahome realizes.
Thanks!
Miaka!
What?! You told her to go through the forest?!
Yeah.
That forest is…!
Jeez, this place is creepy.
TIGER!
What should I do?! Oh, yeah! Play dead!
No, wait. That’s what you do when you run into bears!
Pantomime! I am a tree, in body and mind!
It’s not working!
T-Tamahome…
Stop that! You decided you wouldn’t cause anymore trouble for him, right?
Come and get me!
You look pretty nutritious. Well, I’ll end up eating you instead!
Agh, I was kidding! Forgive me!
You all right, Miaka?
Stop it. Stop putting yourself in danger for me!
What are you talking about?
You’re the one person I CAN’T leave alone!
Look what almost happened just now!
If I hadn’t been here…!
People will suffer on your account.
I don’t want you to. It’s too painful for me!
Just leave me alone, please.
The laughter of the lovers that I pass by…
…chokes my heart.
Can’t I stay with you? …chokes my heart.
Here it is, a rain-soaked…
In the three months you were gone… I missed you so much! Here it is, a rain-soaked…
In the three months you were gone… I missed you so much! …weekend afternoon, but…
That was when I first realized how I really felt about you. …I’m walking the streets alone…
…though I want to be with you.
Now I can’t imagine a world without you. …though I want to be with you.
I will protect you, no matter what! …though I want to be with you.
I thought I understood before.
No matter what happens, don’t leave my side again. How falling in love…
Tamahome… I’d also just like to stay here with you like this. …would hurt so much.
Tamahome… I’d also just like to stay here with you like this. I understand, but it still hurts.
To feel safe here in your arms. I understand, but it still hurts.
I know you’d fight to protect me, that you’d die to protect me, but… I understand, but it still hurts.
Even now, when we’re apart…
But, you have… You have a family! Even now, when we’re apart…
…all I can think of…
…is you.
If any thing happened to you, what would happen to your family? …is you.
I don’t want to cause trouble for someone I love…
What’s wrong, Miaka? Are you all right?
Oh, I’m fine, but I’m so hungry I can’t move.
Miaka…
I won’t go anywhere. I’d be too scared to go by myself.
Honestly?
Yeah. So can you do me a favor?
I left a bag with some candy with the horse Nuriko and I rode here on.
Can you bring it to me?
Oh, come on! I’ll wait right here. You know what a pig I am!
Okay? I’ll wait right here.
All right, I’ll bring it to you soon. Just wait there, okay?
I have to find Yui.
This is a problem between Yui and I.
Forgive me, Tamahome.
Damn it, there’s no bag of candy here!
That little idiot! She’s headed for Kutou by herself!.
I have to bring her back!
Tamahome! What about your brothers and sisters?
Big Brother…
Big Brother, see you later!
Tamahome!
Nuriko, go back to the capital and tell His Highness about this.
You’re going by yourself?
Up till now, I’ve lived only to help my family.
Until everyone in my family was happy…
…I decided I’d deny myself everything I wanted.
That’s why I never let myself get interested in any girls.
But then Miaka suddenly appeared in my life… And now, she’s…
Miaka’s worked herself deeper and deeper into me.
I love her. That’s why I’ll risk my life to protect her.
T-Tama…
And stop calling me “Tama”! That’s a cat’s name!
I lied to him and ran off…
Tamahome is probably so mad now.
But, no matter what, I have to find Yui.
Whoa! Whoa!
May I have some more, please?
You’ve got some appetite! Are you really the Priestess of Suzaku?
Yeah, basically. See?
I have Suzaku’s “Universe of the Four Gods.”
It’s all right, dear.
Well, if you say so.
You get along so well.
We’ve been married TWO months now!
Tamahome…
Take care of her, okay?
Sure thing.
It was lucky for us we found someone headed for the border.
Yeah. Thanks for all your hospitality.
Take care now.
Excuse me, but could I ask you for one more favor?
Please.
If a boy named Tamahome comes looking for me…
…there’s something I’d like you to tell him.
What?! Miaka’s gone to Kutou on her own?!
Yes. Forgive me, Your Highness. We were with her, but…
Bring me a horse at once!
Highness, what are you planning to do?!
I’m going to bring Miaka back!
Out of the question! The emperor can’t go into an enemy nation by himself!.
But if anything happens to Miaka…!
Please calm yourself!. Do you want US to start this war?!
I understand… I don’t know what possessed me.
Give orders to the soldiers and give them fast horses!
They must retrieve the Priestess of Suzaku!
You’re Tamahome, aren’t you?
A girl gave me a message for you two days ago.
A girl… You mean Miaka?!
She said “I’ll be fine by myself. Don’t follow me.”
I’ll be fine by myself. Don’t follow me.
Why, Miaka? Why are you trying to run away from me?!
Here’s the border.
Through that gate is Kutou.
Really? Thanks, mister.
I’m finally here.
I don’t know if Yui’s in Kutou…
…but now that I’ve come this far, I have to go through with it.
Hi, guys. Keep up the good work.
Hey! Where’s your passport?!
Do I need one?
Of course you do!
Hey! Those clothes!
Huh?
Yeah, now that you mention it, the commanders did mention that.
About a girl from another world.
Do you suppose she could be the Priestess of Seiryu?!
I see. They still haven’t found Yui yet.
Yeah, I’m the Priestess of Seiryu.
So let me through, okay?
Hold it! Where’s your proof?!
Hey, look! It’s Nakai, from the hit group SMAP!
Don’t shout nonsense at us!
Can’t…move…!
Now’s my chance!
Blue eyes… Who is this guy?
G-General!
General?
We… We can’t move!
A spell? How weak!
Hm, not bad.
By the way, who is this girl?
Well, sir, she claims to be the Priestess of Seiryu.
The Priestess of…?
Our prayers have been answered. We’ve found you at last.
You! Return to the capital and inform His Highness!
Tell him we are returning with the Priestess of Seiryu.
Yikes! I’m in trouble!
I… I’m afraid I can’t! I’m here looking for someone!
Maybe some other time…!!!
Hey! Where’s your passport?!
I don’t have one! Lemme through!
Tamahome…
Lemme through, damn it!
You travelled this far to find me, Tamahome…?
Take me to him! Quickly!
If I yelled out now, if I called to him, I know he’d run to me.
But then I’d only be causing more trouble for him. That’s why…
Lemme through! I’m just looking for someone!
Excuse me, folks! He’s just had a little too much to drink, you know?
Sorry about this!
Chichiri! You…!
Shh! It looks like Miaka’s…
…being taken to see the Kutou emperor, you know?
What?!
It’s too dangerous for you to just go straight in.
Leave this to me.
Oh, I’ve REALLY gone and done it now.
Ah, so you are the Priestess of Seiryu…
…who is written of in “The Universe of the Four Gods.”
Yeesh! He maybe an emperor…
…but he’s totally different from Hotohori!
Is this really the Priestess of Seiryu?
She would appear to be, Highness.
Yow! A blond-haired ultra-hunk!
I found her at the border gate having a bit of trouble…
…and then brought her here.
I see. Well done! Now we have nothing to fear…
…from Konan’s Priestess of Suzaku!
That young fool who rules Konan…
…will soon be crying and kneeling at my feet!
Hey, hold it, mister! You’d better not underestimate…
…the emperor of Konan just because he’s your enemy!
You don’t know anything about Hotohori!
Hotohori?
Ho… Ho…
Ho, come, little fireflies…
Highness, there’s someone else I’d like you to meet.
Yu—
Yui…
Miaka…
Yui! Is it really…?
YUI!!! You’re all right!
Miaka… You went back to our world.
I came back to look for you!
I made it home thanks to you, but you weren’t there…
That’s when I figured you must have come here.
But I’m just so happy now.
You came back here to look for me?
We’re friends, aren’t we?
I see… I’m glad I believed in you. Thank you, Miaka.
Which one of them is the Priestess of Seiryu?
This is… Suzaku’s “Universe of the Four Gods.”
What?!
“The handsome, blue-eyed general opened the scroll…”
The Lady Yui is a kind person inside.
That’s why she believed in the Lady Miaka from the bottom of her heart.
Or, rather, why she WANTED to believe in her.
For the Lady Miaka’s sake as well as for her own.
But that was only until she saw the Lady Miaka embrace Tamahome…
…for whom Yui held strong feelings.
Next time, “Priestess of Seiryu”.
The story of the separation of light from shadow…