In Konan, Lady Miaka, the Priestess of Suzaku…
…and the Suzaku Seven have all gathered together.
The Emperor Hotohori…
…is unable to ignore his feelings for the Lady Miaka.
Even though he knows she loves Tamahome.
We’re holding the ceremony to summon Suzaku!
Make preparations immediately!
And now, the ceremony to summon Suzaku…
…is about to be performed in the palace’s shrine to Suzaku.
“Hoping to prevent the ceremony to summon Suzaku from failing…”
“…the mysterious boy stood before Konan palace…”
All of you, do you understand?
Once the Priestess of Suzaku begins to recite the spell…
…we Suzaku Seven must lower our life force to nothing.
But that would leave us all defenseless, wouldn’t it?
If we were attacked, there’d be nothing we could do about it.
It’s okay, Miaka, you know? Just repeat everything I say.
Now pray!
Soon, Suzaku will appear out of this fire.
There’s no reason to hesitate now.
Yui… Tamahome… I love them both!
I’m not lying to myself about that!
First, I wish for Konan to be saved…
…and for its people and the Suzaku Seven to be made happy.
Second, I wish to have Yui back…
…and that we be given the power to pass the entrance exam.
Third, no matter how it’s done, I want to always be with Tamahome.
And I especially wish for that first wish to make Nuriko happy…
… ‘cuz I’m scared of what’ll happen if he isn’t…
Miaka, we’re starting, you know?
The four palaces of the heavens, the four corners of the earth.
In the name of sacred law, belief, and goodness…
…I summon thee, Suzaku, lord of the south.
I now say these words to thee.
Appear on earth from the seven palaces of heaven…
…for the sake of those here who adore you.
Come to us here. With thy holy power…
…smash the evil which threatens us.
Save us! And hear our wishes to thee!
Descend to us now from heaven!
Nothing’s happening…
What’s wrong?! Nothing came out!
Chiriko?
It hurts! My head…!
My head’s splitting apart!
It hurts, you know?!
You’ve all failed. You cannot summon Suzaku now!
Chiriko! You…!
Do you understand now why I played my flute so much, Miaka?
Your bodies now react to the flute’s sounds.
I had you listening to it constantly so as to prepare for this moment.
Bit by bit, I introduced my life force into you.
You mean… You mean…! The one controlling those bats…!
Yes. It was me.
The man I killed there had come with me from Kutou for that very purpose.
I regret killing him, but I had to win your trust.
And then… Those other times…
Everything I did until today was done so that…
…I could cast this spell upon you.
You’ve been deceived by my Chiriko tattoo.
Your weakness is that you’re too trusting of people.
However, all that is over now.
Why, you…! You’re one of the Seiryu…!
REKKA SHINEN!!!
I am Amiboshi, one of the Seiryu Seven!
This song will split your souls apart!
We can’t defend ourselves against the sound! He’s killing us!
My head…!
Miaka!
Miaka, stop!
Damn it! Isn’t there some way to defend against this sound?!
Chiri…ko… Stop it… Chiri…ko…
What?! I can faintly hear another flute.
What is this sound? It’s disrupting the sound waves.
Impossible! Those sounds have broken my spell!
Stop!
I’m going, too!
Tamahome! Tasuki!
Highness! What’s happened?!
He’s gotten out into the city!
He won’t get away!
Wait! Both of you!
Chichiri! Take me and follow those three!
Gotcha!
Stop right now!
REKKA SHINEN!
You…stupid…!
Sorry, Tama. I had to do that.
Launch your boat! Hurry! Launch your boat!
Can’t do it today.
The river’s swollen from all the rain we’ve had lately.
A few people have been swept away since yesterday.
You can’t escape now!
Amiboshi, right? How many of the Seiryu Seven…
…besides you and Nakago have been gathered so far?
We don’t need to ask this bastard anything!
After we took you in as a friend…
How dare you trick us!
Tamahome! Tasuki! Don’t fight!
MIAKA!!!
Stop it, Chiriko! Don’t hurt any more people!
That’s not the reason for playing such pretty music on your flute!
It’s to give people strength! To comfort them!
I don’t think even you want to play your flute to hurt people!
CHIRIKO!
Chiriko…
CHIRIKO!!!
CHIRIKO!
Chiriko…
CHIRIKO!!!
Miaka!
Brother!
Brother!!
My brother’s life force has vanished!
I don’t feel anything… He’s been killed…
By the Suzaku Seven! No…
Brother… BROTHER!!!
Miaka! What happened? Is that boy…?
He fell in the river.
There was no way we could save him from the current.
I see… So, he was one of the Seiryu Seven, huh?
I can’t say that I’m happy he’s dead.
We were naive not to realize he was an imposter.
What’re you talkin’ about?!
I’m sure as hell glad that guy’s dead!
You reap what you sow, right?! It’s only right that he died!
Don’t talk that way!
He may have been our enemy, but deep down he wasn’t evil!
Someone evil…
Someone evil could never have played such beautiful music.
I agree.
Hey! Who are you?!
Wait!
We can’t defend against this sound!
My head…!
Then, you…!
Yes. I disrupted the sound of his song with this leaf whistle.
And then I was able to partially confuse his own life force.
What is this sound? It’s disrupting the sound waves.
Impossible! Those sounds have broken my spell!
What’s your name?
What?!
You mean, YOU’RE…?!
Yes. I am Ou Doukun, but my celestial warrior name is Chiriko.
The real Chiriko?! What are you doing here?!
I was studying for the kakyo exam, but then…
Huh?! An… An exam?
And, for the kakyo exam, which is…
…what?
It’s a test that chooses high- level government officials.
You were trying to become a government official at such a young age?
Yes.
Oh! Now that you mention it, it was the shoushi part, right?
Huh? What’s a “shoushi” ?
The secondary exam of the kakyo.
It has a secondary part, too?!
This kakyo thing sounds really tough to pass.
Like I care?!
I heard from some religious pilgrims…
…that there was a 13-year-old boy genius…
…who was taking the test. Was that you they mentioned?
Yes. Your stars appeared disturbingly to me in a vision.
What’s this?!
The seven stars of Suzaku are moving so chaotically!
Of course! The ceremony!
The fire’s still burning! If we try now, we may still have a chance!
Amiboshi… Farewell…
Everyone, this is our last chance! Start praying!
Please, Suzaku. Come out to us. Please…
Suzaku?
What do you idiots think you’re doing?!
Oh, what’s your problem now? Cowards…
Taiitsukun!
Why did Taiitsukun appear instead of Suzaku?!
What are you saying?
Because you failed to perform the ceremony…
…to summon Suzaku, Priestess of Suzaku, that’s why!
R-Right…
Even though you gathered all of the Suzaku Seven, it’s too late now!
It’s too late…?
Suzaku can never be summoned now!
Never be summoned…?
Even after I gave you the mirror to help you search for the Suzaku Seven!
I failed… It’s too late…
Now that the “Universe of the Four Gods” has been burned…
…that method is impossible for you to use! You fool!
Hey, Grandma! You don’t have to be that rough on her!
Miaka really gave this her best shot, you know!
Who are you calling grandma, huh?! WHO?!
Uh… Well, what I meant was…
No, Tamahome. I…
I hate myself now!
Miaka?
It’s not just because I can’t have my wishes granted.
But how many people had to get hurt for the sake of this moment?
For the sake of summoning Suzaku?!
Yui… Miss Shoka… Amiboshi…
You, Tamahome… And Hotohori!
And Nuriko! And Chichiri! And Mitsukake!
And Tasuki!
So many people suffered so much for this…
And yet, as the priestess, I still wasn’t able to summon Suzaku!
I didn’t carry out my final responsibility!
That’s why I hate myself…!
Miaka…
Miaka! It seems you’ve matured a bit.
I didn’t say that there weren’t OTHER ways to summon Suzaku.
Really?!
Well, why didn’t you say so earlier, you old hag?!
OLD HAG, HUH?!!!!
S-Sorry, Taiitsukun!
Priestess of Suzaku!
Things will no longer be as easy for you as they have been!
This will become a difficult test for you. Do you accept this?
I do.
The bond between you and the Suzaku Seven must grow…
…beyond what it is now if you’re to be successful!
You must be even more resolute in your search!
Do you accept this? Can you handle this?
I’ll do it!
For all the people who’ve been hurt.
For all those who have encouraged us!
Because I am the Priestess of Suzaku!
“The Priestess of Suzaku made a mighty pledge to Taiitsukun…”
“…with not a single bit of doubt in her mind.”
“The Suzaku Seven looked on, transfixed by the beauty of her strength.”
Very well! Then I will tell you.
First, you must travel to the Hokkan Empire, to the north!
To the land of Genbu!
There, you must gain possession of a holy relic known as the Shinzaho!
To the land of Genbu…?!
With strong resolve in her heart…
…the Lady Miaka decides to travel to the Hokkan Empire.
That decision will impact the Lady Yui and Tamahome as well.
The Lady Miaka has finally accepted…
…her destiny as the Priestess of Suzaku.
Next time, “Love and Sorrow.”
Destiny tossed on love and friendship…