The Lady Miaka set out on a ship for the Hokkan Empire.
At the same time, the Lady Miaka’s brother, Keisuke…
…learned the secret of “The Universe of the Four Gods”…
…while in the National Library and urged her to come back.
However, the Lady Miaka decided not to return…
…burning the hair which connected her to her old world…
…and breaking the contact she had with it.
Soon after, the Lady Miaka’s journey was beset…
…with an ominous lightning storm.
“Tamahome, having saved the priestess, was struck by lightning.”
“Nuriko grabbed Tamahome’s arm and lifted him onto the rocks…”
Forget about me! Help Miaka—
TAMAHOME!
You idiot!
Tamahome!
Tamahome, speak to me!
Don’t worry. He’s alive.
God, he gets so reckless where you’re concerned!
When he wakes up, I’m gonna yell at him a little about that!
It looks like this cave is usually used by fishermen.
Guess we’ll just have to wait here for a while.
C’mon, the fire’s going now. Take off your clothes.
Take ‘em off!. If you stay in those wet things, you’ll catch a cold!
B-B-But, I can’t…!
Oh, what’s got you so shy all of a sudden?
Hurry up and get undressed!
B-But…!
God, you can be so irritating!
Molester! Freak! Pervert!
Right, right…
Th-That’s right. Nuriko’s a boy, isn’t he?
It just seems so…strange…
What’s up, Miaka? You thinking about me?
Now that I know I have no chance with His Highness, maybe now…
…I should go back to being a boy and try chasing girls, instead.
You bought it! You actually bought it!
Nuriko…!
Tamahome!
You total idiot!
Wh-What’s with you?!
Never mind what’s with me!
Why do you always have to be so reckless?!
What happened to you would’ve killed a normal person!
I don’t care if you did it for Miaka!
If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t do anyone any good!
But… I’ve lost my parents, my brothers, my sisters… I…!
I don’t want to lose the only thing left that I care about.
I know what you mean.
Everyone’s afraid of losing what’s special to them.
Even I have things like that!
Chichiri! We’re drifting further and further…
…off the course to Hokkan!
Nothing we can do about it!
Saving Miaka and the others comes first, you know?
It’s no use! Those storm clouds are acting like a barrier!
They’re blocking me from sensing where Miaka and the others are!
So, how should I tell you about this…?
Tamahome, don’t look at me!
I know, okay?!
Hold it. You want to hear this or not?
It’s about when I was only 10 years old.
I had a little sister named Korin.
Everything about us, our faces, everything, was exactly alike.
We were like brother and sister twins.
We loved each other. Korin was so special to me.
But then…
Big Brother!
Korin…
Korin…?
KORIN!!!
Ryuen… Korin is dead.
It’s best to forget her. Forget her!
She’s gone now.
How can I just forget about her?!
We’ll always, always be together.
Because I’ll become you and live on in your place.
I’m you now, Korin…
From this day on, I’m you!
So… That’s why you turned gay?
Can’t you at least call me a “new half” or something?
I didn’t want to accept that Korin had died.
I thought that by acting like a girl, she could still be with me.
Sorry to get so serious like this.
I think it’s time to give it up…
Look out!
You two! Get your clothes on and get outside!
We have to hold out here as long as we can!
What’ll we do?! It’s all falling apart!
I’ll try to stop it as much as I can!
Try to concentrate on Chichiri and the others!
I’m sure they’ll find us!
R-Right!
MIAKA!!!
Nuriko!
Even someone as strong as you can’t beat this current!
Let us go! Nuriko!
You idiot! I can’t just abandon you two!
If the lightning strikes this time, you won’t have a chance!
Nuriko…
You have to survive! Bad things may happen…
…but the day will come when you can laugh at them!
My arm…
But…
Until that day comes, I can’t let either of you die!
What happened, Nuriko?! You were great!
These bracelets Taiitsukun gave me…
They turned into these arm bands and I suddenly got a lot stronger.
Oh, they changed back.
Look!
It’s the ship!
Thank goodness! You three are all okay!
Even with the life force of all three of you…
…finding you was hard, you know?
Yo! You still alive?
This was all your fault! You started it!
Thank you.
Thank you, Nuriko. You really impressed me.
You have to survive! Bad things may happen…
…but the day will come when you can laugh at them!
O-Oh, that? I just said that to keep Tamahome’s spirits up.
No big deal.
You’re sure we’ll get there before the others?
We’ve already struck them.
Right now, the Priestess of Suzaku is in our power…
What is it?! What’s happening?!
It looks like the ship’s been struck by lightning!
Yikes… So, what happens to us, then?
Everyone! Get down! The cliffs are dead ahead!
I wonder what happened.
You think we’re dead already?!
Would you quit screaming about everything?!
We’d better check out the situation, you know?
Who are you?!
You actually made it this far. I congratulate you!
But now your journey ends!
MIAKA!!!
THAT was close…
You dodged that well, Priestess of Suzaku!
That lightning just now… Did you really…?
I am one of the Seiryu Seven!
Soi!
Priestess of Suzaku! You will never reach the Hokkan Empire!
S-Soi? You’re a woman?!
I will defeat all of the Suzaku Seven with one blow!
Miaka! Look out!
Dammit…!
Can’t move…!
Now watch as I reduce your precious priestess to a charred cinder!
HAKUJIN-RAIHOH!
You nimble little…!
What’ Ill do? She’ll kill me! Besides that…
…Tamahome and the others are in danger!
That’s right! The sword Hotohori gave me!
Just you watch! I’ll fight you by myself!.
Miaka, don’t be an idiot! Get back!
HAKUJIN-RAIHOH!
She’s aiming the lightning at…!
Miaka!!!
What the…?!
Miaka!
Very clever! But my attacks can be even stronger!
Hotohori’s sword…!
Miaka… Please be safe.
Impudent Priestess of Suzaku! Now you die!
Wha…?!
No matter what, I can’t lose!
Hey, wait!
Miaka!
Tamahome! Did you just see that?!
My first fight—
You little idiot! I thought you were dead for sure!
I was so worried about you!
Tamahome… Forgive me.
That was some lady!
Still, Miaka, you fought really well.
I don’t really know what I did, but when the lightning struck…
…the sword started flashing, so…
This is a holy sword! It absorbed the lightning’s power…
…and then released it back at her, you know?
A holy sword…
Hotohori told me to defend myself with it when he lent it to me.
Thank you, Hotohori…
Look at that!
That’s Hokkan there!
You sure, Chiriko?!
All that lightning before just opened the path for us!
That’s great! Now we can get into Hokkan!
We’re finally here!
The land of Genbu, where the Shinzaho is!
Miaka, are you all right?
Yeah! I’m fine!
It’s a prairie!
Wow! Look at all the sheep!
Yeah, but it’s really cold, too!
Tasuki, use that fan of yours to light us a fire!
I don’t use it for stupid things like that, you moron!
Anyway, how do we proceed from here?
I’m pretty sure this country’s three times larger than Konan.
Three times?!
So how are we supposed to find the Shinzaho?!
A little boy?!
Uh-oh! He’s gonna get thrown off!.
You’re safe now, kid!
Tamahome!
T-Tamahome… Are you alive?
Are you okay, Mister?
Uh, fine. Just fine!
So, you saved my son’s life… How can I ever repay you?
With fifty gold taels!
If you put us up for the night, that’d be a big help, you know?
Yes, by all means! I’d also like to hear news from the other lands.
Please, make yourselves at home.
Wow! This is great! It tastes just like yogurt!
I’ve never tasted anything like this! Is this sheep meat?
Travelers.
We’ve brought our elder to meet you.
Oh! Sure!
I am Tomoru, elder of the northern tribe.
H-How do you do?
Where are his eyes?
Big Brother!
So, you’ve come from Konan in search of the Shinzaho…
Yes, sir. Do you know any details about it?
Perhaps I do… Please remember, though that…
…this is a legend I heard from my grandfather.
Supposedly, 200 years ago…
…the Priestess of Genbu came here from a foreign land.
At that time, Kutou began to expand violently…
…and targeted this country for attack.
But the Priestess and the Genbu Seven saved Hokkan for all time.
The Priestess of Genbu and the Genbu Seven…
They already appeared in this world 200 years ago…?!
Does that mean someone opened the “Universe of the Four Gods”…
…and came to this world before Yui and I did?
So, you’re saying the Priestess summoned the beast god Genbu?
Supposedly. Genbu created a treasure given to us…
…and that treasure is called the Shinzaho.
Elder, that’s not right.
I heard that the Shinzaho is a small jewel that Genbu is sealed into.
What?!
No, I heard from my mother’s brother’s friend that…
…the Priestess of Genbu made it from the hair of the Genbu Seven…
…and that it has great magical power!
Oh, so you’re saying my grandfather was a liar?!
I think the Shinzaho’s a piece of Genbu’s shell that he left behind.
That’s not what you just said!
In any case, I’m sure that if you go to…
…the central region of Touran, you’ll learn where the Shinzaho is.
I see. Great. Maybe this will work out after all.
You see, Big Brother?
That other priestess summoned the beast god safely.
Don’t summon Suzaku, Miaka! Would you rather die?!
Can I just ask one thing?
The Priestess of Genbu…
After she summoned Genbu, did she go back to her world?
Tamahome?
Well, that’s what they say, but I don’t know any details.
I see…
It’s cold.
Lady Yui! Good morning.
Thank you. It really gets cold up here in the north, doesn’t it?
It looks like it’s getting colder as we move into the center.
Where’s Nakago?
Dunno. Although I heard Soi came back yesterday.
Looks like she failed to kill the Suzaku party.
I’d like to speak with Nakago. About how to proceed from here.
I see. I’ll call him for you.
Forgive me, Nakago…
I didn’t expect the girl to have a holy sword.
Never mind. I’ll give you another chance.
But the weather in this land…
It doesn’t work to the advantage of a westerner, like me.
Forgive me… For not being more useful…
“That the Priestess of Suzaku…”
“…had entered Hokkan vexed the Seiryu Seven.”
“Nakago set loose his next plot against them…”
Sheesh… All Lady Yui talks about is Nakago!
I can be useful, too, you know!
Nakago, I’m coming in!
S-S-Sorry, sir!
L-L-Lady Yui said she wanted to speak with you!
Tell her that I’ll be there shortly.
Soi isn’t feeling well. We’ll be using Ashitare instead.
Ashitare…?
The Lady Miaka’s love for Tamahome only grows more passionate.
But no matter how strong her love is for him…
…misgivings within her grow.
Can Tamahome only exist within the book?
Next time, “Whirlpool of Doubt.”
The closer they embrace, the further they slip apart…