The Lady Miaka fell into Nakago’s trap.
Burning with rage, Tamahome let loose a blast of his life force…
…so powerful even he couldn’t believe it…
…wounding Nakago in the process.
Tamahome kindly cares for the Lady Miaka…
…whose heart is now deeply scarred.
I can’t tell him…
This is it!
I found it! Tetsuya! We’re headed out!
A-Are we going somewhere?
To Tokyo station!
Better this way.
I can keep a lid on this for a while.
I can’t marry you now, Tamahome.
What are you talking about…?
I’m sorry. After you proposed and everything.
You can laugh if you want.
Go on and call me an idiot, seeing how I really am one now.
Go on and laugh.
None of this was your fault!
If I’d just been more careful before…!
I knew what was going to happen!
I thought if I made love to Nakago…
…I could weaken his life force and steal back the Shinzaho.
I believed that fake Taiitsukun’s lies…
…tricked everyone, and intentionally went there!
But…!
You reap what you sow, right?
I’m so pathetic, all I can do is cry!
I never… meant to betray you…
Forgive me, Tamahome. Forgive me…
Show me your body.
Tamahome?
Beautiful.
Nothing changed since the day of the purification ceremony.
No one could ever spoil you!
So, please, don’t cry! I’m here for you.
Even if you can’t summon Suzaku now…
…I swore we’d never, ever be apart again!
I promised I’d make you the happiest bride in the world, didn’t I ?
I’ll say it as many times as you want to hear it!
You’re all that I have. You’re everything to me!
Tamahome…!
I may not have Mitsukake’s powers, but…
Tamahome.
Please stop…
Stop being so kind…
It hurts so much.
I can’t be with Tamahome anymore.
After this, how can I face everyone?
I let the Shinzaho be stolen, let my self be tricked…
I don’t deserve Tamahome now!
Miaka…
No matter what, don’t lose. I want you to be happy.
Nuriko… Forgive me, Nuriko.
Everyone… Everyone, forgive me!
Miaka…?
Miaka! Why?
Didn’t we swear we’d never be apart again?!
Ow!
It hurts!
It hurts…
My heart hurts, like it’s been ripped out of me…
I finally found you.
Don’t move.
S-Suboshi?!
I’m going to die!
Get down!
You all right?
It’s a giant weasel.
If you’d made any sudden moves, it would have attacked.
Suboshi…?
Need a hand?
Why are you…?
Huh? Miss! Miss, speak to me!
I did some emergency treatment for it on the way here…
…but he’s still badly hurt.
Then let’s rest here for a while!
We mustn’t do that. We must get to Sairou quickly.
No! Not while you’re this badly hurt! That’s an order!
As you wish.
It’s practically melted! Who could have done that?
Although it really serves him right!
Miaka!
Miaka! Miaka!
Miaka…
Where did you go? Why did you leave me?!
I can’t marry you now, Tamahome.
How much?! How much pain does he have to cause us?!
My family…
My friends…
And now…
How much of what’s important to me…
…do you have to steal till you’re satisfied, Nakago?!
Miaka?!
Her eyes aren’t that squinty! They’re not! They’re not!
Miaka…
Miaka!
I love you, Miaka.
Tamahome.
No… Stop it…
NO!!!
Miss!
Are you all right?
Thank goodness! You’re finally awake.
Don’t worry. This is my home.
Makan village in Sairou.
You slept for three days after you fainted.
Your body must have been very weak.
That’s right. I…
You aren’t Suboshi, are you? Why did you…?
Huh? Well, I—
What’s wrong, Kai-Ka?
Oh, you’re awake now, Miss?
Do those wounds still hurt?
Now that you mention it, not a bit.
Thought so.
That’s thanks to the juice of these Forgetfulness leaves.
It’s a potion made by the best spell caster in the village.
It made you forget how much you hurt.
The wrong dosage can make this a pretty dangerous medicine to use…
…but it packs a powerful punch!
You should just relax and get some rest.
Oh, yes. Kai-Ka, play a song on your favorite flute for her.
Sure.
Flute…?
Amiboshi… It’s Amiboshi!
This song… It has to be!
Amiboshi! Suboshi’s twin brother!
One of the Seiryu Seven who tricked us.
The one we thought had been swept away and drowned in the river…
But he’s alive. And they call him Kai-Ka now.
Amnesia…?
How could I have met one of the Seiryu Seven here?
One of THAT MAN’S friends?
What happened, Nakago?
It’s very rare for you to get wounded.
Tomo?
Everything is falling into place.
The Priestess of Suzaku is no longer a virgin.
Now all that remains is to get the Shinzaho in Sairou.
The Priestess of Suzaku remains a virgin.
Oh, she’s still a…!
What did you say?
I wasn’t able to couple with the Priestess of Suzaku.
When I tried, a red-colored life force leapt from the Priestess’s body.
It formed a shield that kept me from touching her.
The power hidden in that girl completely isolated me from her.
Surely YOU could have smashed a young girl’s defenses easily!
Despite appearances, she’s a formidable priestess.
Besides, making love to unconscious women holds no interest for me.
What are you saying? A chance like that, and…!
The girl is now convinced that I raped her.
Just as Lady Yui believes she was raped.
In the end, I have achieved the same goal.
I see. Then leave the Priestess of Suzaku to me.
But before that, I should take care of Tamahome.
I need Soi’s powers.
As you wish.
Put those two crippled sparrows out of their misery once and for all!
Well, Miaka, eat up so you can recover quickly.
I guess you’re right.
Let’s eat!
I really should eat a little, don’t you think?
I think maybe you shouldn’t eat so MUCH so fast. Yeah!
Oh, you think so?
By the way, Miaka, were you traveling somewhere?
Are you going somewhere once your leg heals?
I’d love it if you’d stay here and become Kai-Ka’s bride.
Father! Mother!
But you’re almost the right age for it.
And now that you’ve killed that giant weasel…
Bride?
I’ll make you the happiest bride in the world.
Let’s go outside.
The weather’s really nice today.
And staying cooped up in the house isn’t healthy.
Sorry for carrying you out like that.
I’m not going to ask what happened to you…
…but you shouldn’t keep it locked up inside yourself.
After one little thing goes wrong for them…
…people tend to think that everything about them is bad.
They do that and pretty soon they really are bad.
And then they lose all hope.
So I don’t want that happening to you.
That’s fine for you, Amiboshi!
Saying that to me isn’t fair after…
…you’ve forgotten everything that happened to you!
I’ve lost the person I love…
…my friends, my companions, everyone!
And despite all the pain and sadness, I still can’t forget it!
It hurts too much! It’s not fair!
You live in a peaceful village with nice people…
…to be your family now and you’re happy!
You don’t remember any of what you did to us before you came here!
It was all because of you that so many bad things happened to us!
And you just FORGOT…?!
I’m sorry!
I’m sorry for yelling at you. I mistook you.
You aren’t Amiboshi.
After all this, I don’t know what to do.
I’m so confused inside.
So don’t worry about any of what I just said.
That song…!
May it give you strength and courage.
Thank you.
Oh! Chichiri! Check it out! Another feast!
Where are Mitsukake and Chiriko?
Oh, those two?
Chiriko’s cooped up in the library downstairs.
And Mitsukake’s wrapped up in studying all sorts of great herbs.
Sir, would you like some more sake ?
Sorry to bother you. Yes, please!
Man, that lady’s the best! Putting us up in this great house!
I didn’t think Sairou was this nice a place!
Yeah, maybe…
Miaka and Tamahome still haven’t arrived.
I want to update His Highness about this…
…but something’s interfering with my spells.
I’m worried, you know?
Elephant ears!
Dragonfly!
That’s the last time I try talking seriously to you.
Breasts! Wubba-wubba-wubba!
Whoops, can’t drink anymore.
Miaka’s dumpling hair!
What’s that?
My shell Shin is showing the Suzaku Seven an illusion of Sairou.
By day the sky above scorches them…
…and at night the temperature drops quickly.
They’re all drying out and dying in this desert.
Well? What do you need me for?
Soi, you are familiar with bou-chuujutsu.
You can control an opponent by using sexual intercourse.
You said that Nakago’s wound was caused by Tamahome, didn’t you?
He’s definitely grown stronger.
Therefore, I want you to weaken his life force with your skills.
Welcome back, Miaka.
Oh, hello, ma’am.
Sorry I started crying like that before.
That’s all right. Here, drink this soup.
It’ll make you feel better.
Oh, thank you!
This is really good!
What… the…?
I feel… strange…
Miaka!
You gave her the Forgetfulness leaves?!
Why would you do that?!
I wanted her to forget about Kai-Ka’s past!
I thought that, if she helped you remember it…
…you might go away and leave us!
I didn’t realize I’d gotten the dosage wrong!
I swear! Please, forgive me!
Mother, don’t be silly!
You both rescued me from the river when I was half-dead.
I wouldn’t leave the ones who saved me.
I’ll stay with her. Father, you try to calm Mother down.
Right. Come, Dear…
Not good. She’s burning up. If I don’t do something…
Tamahome…
I thought someone called to me.
Maybe the heat’s getting to me.
You again? I told you, stop making yourself look like her!
The horse dropped from exhaustion, but you’re still pretty lively—
Miaka?!
Tamahome…
Mi-Miaka!
You’re all right! I’ve been looking for you!
I don’t know if this’ll lower her fever or not, but…
Don’t ever do this to me again.
Soi… Tamahome is now under my spell’s control.
He sees you only as the Priestess of Suzaku.
At least I’m kind enough to let him think you’re the woman he loves.
So warm…
I feel it flowing into my whole body.
Is this…life force?
Give me two tickets on the fastest Yamabiko to Morioka.
Yeah. Um, hold on…
Tetsuya! Pay him!
WHAT?!
I told you! I haven’t been home since last night!
And he still owes me 10,000 for the pachinko slot machines…
Here! Thanks! Come on! Move it!
Wha…?! Green car?!
Why are we going to Morioka?
You find out where Okuda lives?
There’s a page in this!
Criminal records? Late Taisho period?
About the Takiko Okuda murder investigation!
Can’t you just stay here with me?
Because the Lady Miaka and Tamahome care deeply for each other…
…each is doomed to feel the other’s pain.
Their hearts trembling with suffering…
…unsteady feelings, and creeping unease.
But while still unable to share their feelings…
…the bond they share is put to the test.
Next time, “Dawn of the Heart.”
Within the deep darkness, a faint glimmer of hope.