07 Fushigi Yuugi Gaiden 7- Eikou Den 1 [Sequel 2 Fushigi Yuugi Part II]

Fushigi Yuugi Gaiden 7 Eikou Den 1[The Legend of Eternal Light]

Written by Nishizaki MegumiCreated and illustrated by Watase Yuu

Translated by: Tetris no MikoCompiled by Annz ‘n’ Dipz

The Main Characters

PrefaceChapter 1 - Their MiracleChapter 2 - Decayed HeartChapter 3 - A New Miko

Chapter 4 - Stolen TreasureChapter 5 - Jealous of MiakaChapter 6 - Suzaku's Tears

Chapter 7 - Taiitsukun's RevelationChapter 8 - Evil Black Bird

AfterwardAuthor Profiles

Translation Notes

The Main Characters

Sukunami TakaThe reincarnation of the Suzaku Seishi Tamahome.

He has happily reached his goal in attaining love with Miaka......

Yuuki MiakaFormally Suzaku no Miko.

Has joined with Taka in this world but in the 3rd month of her pregnancy, a terrible thing has happened!

ChichiriOne of the surviving Suzaku Seishi.

He continues to travel as a Buddhist monk.

TasukiOne of the surviving Suzaku Seishi. Leader of the Mt. Leikaku bandits.

Youtaikou (Houki)Kounan Country's Empress dowager.

The wife of the late Saihitei (Hotohori) and the mother of Reizeitei.

ReizeiteiKounan Country's Emperor who is only 12 years old.

Beautiful and wise like his mother and father.

Yuuki KeisukeMiaka's older brother. Knowing about the crisis of Kounan Country's collapse, he

endeavors to repair the Universe of the Four Gods.

TaiitsukunAn old sage living on top of Mt. Taikyouku.

Sakaki Mayo

16 years old. With her parents' estrangement and the marriage of Taka, her unrequited love for the past 3 years, she succumbs to her desperate tendencies and goes into The

Universe of the Four Gods with a dangerous scheme......!?

(From the preface of the book of The Universe of the Four Gods)

This is the story of one girl who having gathered the Seven Seishi of "Suzaku"

acquired the power to make any wishes come true...

The story itself is a spell.

One who finishes the book shall acquire the same power as the heroine and her wishes will come true.

As soon as the page is turned

the story will become the truth and begin......

Their Miracle

"Sukunami Taka---------. Do you take Yuuki Miaka to be your wife, in sickness and in health, to have and to hold, 'til death do you part?"

"I do."

"Yuuki Miaka----------. Do you take Sukunami Taka to be your husband, in sickness and in health, to have and to hold, 'til death do you part?"

"I do."

Exchanging their vows of love, the 2 completed their ring exchange and slowly looked out over the faces of those attending.

Their parents, siblings, relatives, and then their teachers and friends... They engraved in their hearts the warm looks of the assembled people who filled the seats of the small church.

But why was there a row of empty seats only in the very front row?

Miaka's best friend, Hongo Yui. Her older brother, Yuuki Keisuke, and his friend, Kajiwara Tetsuya. Taka and Miaka exchanged looks with those 3 and nodded silently. Among those in attendance, only those 3 knew the meaning of those empty seats. Of course, for Taka and Miaka, they weren't empty seats.

They could see them now.

Sitting there were the 6 people dearest to them who more than anyone else would wish them well on their new life.

The 2 faced those seats and softly murmured.

"Hotohori..."

"Tasuki..."

"Chichiri..."

"Chiriko..."

"Mitsukake..."

"Nuriko..."

And lastly Miaka said. "We'll be happy." The groom lightly raised the bride's veil and softly kissed her lips.

A single teardrop fell from Miaka's eye.

Sukunami Taka was 21 years old. And Sukunami Miaka was 18 years old.

On an early spring afternoon, the 2 opened the door to a new story------.

Cla--ng, Cla--ng, Cla--ng.

The church bells resounded clearly and white doves flew up in the cloudless sky.

There was an uproar of cheers upon seeing the bride and groom at the entrance.

"Miaka! She's beautiful!"

"Taka's cool!"

"The most ideal couple in the world!"

A rice shower rained on the couple's heads as a blessing.

"Miaka... Congratulations." Yui said, her eyes welling up with tears. Her lover, Tetsuya, was beside her rubbing his eyes with a finger from behind his sunglasses. "Thank you..."

"...Taka... Take care...of Miaka..." Keisuke's shoulders shook in emotion.

Taka answered clearly. "I will."

2 girls squeezed their way in.

"An interview assault!"

"What are your future family plans?"

"Why you~! Mourin and Fuu-chan!"

Miaka glared at her former classmates and Taka answered without hesitation.

"4 kids! We'll make a basketball team out of the family with Miaka as the manager!"

There was another cheer.

"Well then, you'll have to begin working on it starting tonight! Why you~."

They were enveloped in laughing voices full of cheerful anticipation.

Bathed in the spring sunlight, the white wedding dress Miaka wore sparkled blindingly. And not to be outdone by that, their smiling faces were full of happy brilliance.

They looked at each other and smiled.

"......Taka...I'm so...happy..." Taka silently nodded back at Miaka's words.

Then the bride threw the bouquet high in the air.

The bridal bouquet that names the next one to become happy... The girls competed for it, their hands extended out into the air.

The bouquet, beautifully arranged with white flowers, rotated once in the air and landed in the hands of a girl beyond them.

The girl, who had been looking down for some time, raised her bob cut head in surprise.

"Wa~h! Mayo, way to go! How great!"

Her friends beside her powerfully slapped the slender girl's shoulders.

"Well, it's still a little early to get married but I'm sure you'll get yourself a boyfriend with this!"

The girl holding the bouquet looked over at the bride and groom.

The bride gave the girl a small smile. The groom, in the midst of being teased by his friends, was scratching his head.

"That girl... isn't she a 1st year member of the basketball team?" Miaka whispered to Taka.

"...Uh-huh. Right, um, I think...her name is...Sakaki..."

"How terrible. You're so irresponsible. And when you've been the basketball coach for a year."

"Yeah but, it's not everyday and I don't remember all their names in detail."

Miaka smiled. "But everyone right down to the members of the basketball team came." "Yeah. I'm glad. All these people came for us..."

"Uh-huh...!" The bride squeezed the groom's arm that entwined hers.

And then they turned to their parents who quietly looked over them seeming to be hiding in the shadows of the many young people, and silently bowed their heads.

*

"Hey, Taka. Do you remember?"

That night-------.

Miaka, sitting on a bench in the hotel courtyard, looked into Taka's face who sat beside her.

"Remember what?"

"What you said before. Girls are all buds waiting to bloom into flowers at their most beautiful before the one they love the most... Girls prepare for that day by sustaining themselves with various things both enjoyable and difficult. Miaka is still blooming so the year when she's the most beautiful I'll be there. I'll definitely be there......"

Taka put his arm around Miaka's shoulders. "Then you said. Of course. When I'm at my most beautiful will be when I'll be wearing a wedding dress at your side..."

"Taka... You'll always be at my side, won't you?" Miaka lay her head on Taka's shoulder. "...You in your wedding dress...was the most beautiful thing in the world......"

"......Taka..."

They lightly clasped hands. Each of their wedding rings that shone on their left ring fingers sparkled more and more as if beaming with their love.

"It's quiet isn't it?..."

"Yeah..."

It was hard to believe the fuss of the wedding garden party took place here only an hour earlier.

"It was like being in a dream..."

Taka waved a finger with a tsk tsk at Miaka's faraway expression.

"No. That was definitely reality. It was the first time I saw a bride stuff her face like that."

Miaka pouted and responded. "How mea~n! I was hungry!"

"That's why you pounced on top of the wedding cake?"

"But, it was made for us by my friends from the cooking club. Wouldn't it have been rude not to eat it all?" Miaka glared at Taka. "And how about how you were. Saying it'd be more profitable to invite a bunch of people to the wedding ceremony. Trying to use a sacred ceremony to earn money! Because of that there were a lot of people I've never even seen before." "Wasn't that OK? We should share our happiness with everyone."

Friends invited friends so that their wedding party became an extremely grand and crowed affair.

"Besides, we definitely made some money! This'll help with the newlywed expenses."

"Taka...!"

Miaka and Taka looked at each other and giggled.

They looked up at the night sky as they snuggled.

"The stars are pretty..."

The sky was beautifully clear and so many stars twinkled that it didn't seem to be a city sky.

Miaka raised a finger. "Hey. That area... is our stars...isn't it?"

"Yeah..." Taka answered.

The area that Miaka pointed to was the region where the constellations of Cancer and Gemini shone.

"......The 7 Southern Suzaku constellations. The constellations...of our friends..." "I wonder if everyone is alright..."

"Yeah. I'm sure they are."

"Chichiri and Tasuki... I wonder what they're doing now..."

Taka embraced Miaka's head.

"...Hotohori and Nuriko, Chiriko...Mitsukake, I wonder if they've already been reincarnated..."

"Yeah..." Taka said. "They're all alright and watching over us. Like those stars..."

"......Uh-huh." Miaka muttered. "The brightest constellation in there is Taka's constellation......Tamahomeboshi..."

"......Yeah."

"It's true, isn't it?... You've been reborn in this world and are now with me..."

"...Miaka..."

"I'm kind of scared that this is all too happy... I wonder if you'll really be with me like this always..."

"I will. I'll always, always be with you..." Taka hugged Miaka. "When I lost my memories, when it seemed my own existence would disappear, I was with you, wasn't I?..."

"......Uh-huh."

"That's because you've always been at my side... Because I had your love..."

"......Taka."

"So, as long as you're with me I'll never leave your side."

"............Um-hm..."

Softly wiping away Miaka's tears that trickled down her cheeks again, Taka gently kissed her lips.

Meeting 3 years ago in this world, their love grew and today, the same time as Miaka's graduation, they publicly celebrated the ceremony.

"...I'm so happy. From now on I can make you dinner every day!"

"......Huh...?" Taka's voice instantly got fearful. "Yeah. Right, ha ha ha ha. That'll be great..."

"Won't it~? I've improved my skills in the cooking club these past 3 years."

"......But, e-even if...you don't keep at it, it's OK..." And then Taka changed the subject nonchalantly. "Anyway, we have something more important to keep at, right?"

"Huh, what? What is it?" Taka faced Miaka and said with a straight face. "To hurry up...and make some kids..."

"Huh...?" Miaka instantly spaced out and her cheeks reddened.

"A...ah...oh no! Taka you super ultra pervert!!" Miaka pounded Taka's shoulders.

"Ow! Ya didn't get Nuriko's superhuman strength, did ya?"

"Oh no--. That's Tasuki's Kansai accent!"

"That's right no da! Keep at it no da!"

"Kya-- It's Chichiri." Miaka still continued to pound Taka.

"Please stop~ If you do that my character will disappear. It's alright, in that circumstance I shall have Mitsukake heal you."

Miaka stopped hitting him and smiled with a hmf.

Then they looked at each other again.

"Miaka...Let's become even happier..."

"Um-hm..."

"Because that was everyone's wish..." "Um-hm!"

Taka hugged Miaka tightly.

Then they looked up at the night sky filled with twinkling stars again.

At that time, there was a rustling sound nearby.

"Huh?" Miaka looked over her shoulder. "Did you hear something just now?"

"Oh? It couldn't be a professional newlywed peeping Tom could it?" Taka looked around.

"Maybe it's Oniichan again..."

"It couldn't be... Didn't Keisuke-san drink too much at the party so Tetsuya-san took him home?"

"Yeah..." Miaka remembered her older brother Keisuke who had been like a father losing his daughter to marriage and shook her head. "Just my imagination I guess."

Then Miaka buried her head in Taka's shoulder and looked up at the starry sky again. A spring night breeze gently touched their cheeks.

"Going into that world seems like a long time ago, but, strangely feels like it was yesterday..." Miaka gave a small mutter. "I was in the middle of 9th grade

exams, I opened the Universe of the Four Gods in the library and when I went inside what was Taka...no...Tamahome doing?"

"Me...?" Taka answered trying to recover old memories. "I had set out to work away from home near the capitol."

"There you saved me and Yui when we got mixed up with some men." Miaka looked up at Taka. "That was the first time...we met."

"Yeah..."

"Taka, you said, without money, being saved by me is a luxury! I hate poor people. And then you quickly went off somewhere."

"I did~?"

"You did. At that time... I fell in love with you at first sight..."

Taka scratched his forehead.

Miaka lightly touched Taka's forehead with her finger. "Right here...was...that character..."

"......Yeah..."

Miaka said. "Our story..." "Yeah. Our story..."

Then----------, they continued narrating the events that happened after that as if slowly spinning a beautiful silk thread.

The capitol of Kounan Country, Eiyou.

The bright and beautiful palace.

Suzaku no Miko.

The legend of the 7 Seishi.

The journey to find them.

Fighting the Kutou Country Seiryuu Seishi.

The days in Hokkan Country and Sairou Country looking for the Shinzahou.

Their sad farewell.

The appearance of Suzaku.

And then, the deep love of Suzaku no Miko, Miaka, and the Seishi Tamahome.

The story continued forever. Miaka entered high school and after the 2 met again, that wondrous story continued on and on forever.

The miraculous story that gave birth to their love continued, like the immortal bird Suzaku, a symbol of destined love that can never be separated no matter how many times reincarnated, having been joined inside the flames as their bodies burned-------------.

*

Having heard the full details of that story, Sakaki Mayo lost track of time and was still standing rooted to the spot.

Her body was inflexible as if it was under a spell. She became worried she'd accidentally make a sound like she did earlier.

"......It can't...be true......" Under a tree several meters away from the small bench that Miaka and Taka sat on, a girl gave a small moan. "......Something like that......happening......"

Mayo shook her head and looked at the bouquet dangling from her right hand with watery eyes.

She then slowly turned her eyes to the cheerful night sky.

There, the Suzaku constellations blindingly shone, the light seeming to have increased even more than before.

Decayed Heart

Sakaki Mayo opened her eyes. The bright springtime light shone through the lace curtains.

She restlessly got up and looked at the alarm clock at her bedside. It read Monday 10:00 a.m.

But, she wasn't in a hurry from oversleeping. She sat on top of the bed with her feet dangling.

She hadn't overslept.

Because she hadn't slept-----------.

Her head was still pretty jumbled.

Mayo roughly pinched her cheeks. ".........Ow..."

That...wasn't a dream after all...

And he...was now out of her reach forever.

Yesterday she was on the verge of throwing away the bouquet of flowers several times... Mayo looked at those white flowers arranged in a short vase on her study desk with watery eyes.

Mayo changed into her school uniform and then slowly walked down the stairs.

Her mother was doing the dishes in the kitchen and said to Mayo with her back still to her. "It's spring break so why don't you sleep in a little longer?"

"......I have club so I'm going." Mayo took out a carton of milk from the refrigerator and gulped it down right there.

Glimpsing that, her mother instantly frowned but continued doing the dishes in silence.

"Why aren't you getting angry mom?" Mayo asked.

Her mother shook her head as she sighed. "If you know it's wrong then please don't do it..."

"It's OK to do as I like..."

"......Mayo..." Her mother stopped what she was doing.

"Go ahead and get angry like you used to. What, are you going to let me get away with it? Yesterday you didn't say anything about me coming home so late and today even though I get up at such a time you tell me to sleep some more. Before you would've come to wake me up at 7:00 even on a day off." "............" Turning off the sink, her mother raised her drooping head and looked at her daughter. "......Mayo. Mothers..."

"Why don't you hurry up and get a divorce already..." Mayo said. "Because I don't need you to defer to me!"

She crossed the kitchen, pushing away her mother, and headed for the front door at a quick pace.

*

Mayo rushed out of the house and suddenly stopped.

She was in no mood to go to school like this.

She then walked toward the subway station opposite the bus stop bound for Yotsubadai High School.

She got off at the 3rd station. The building was about a 10 minute walk away. Now that she thought of it, she had come there when she was studying for high school entrance exams.

Mayo stood before the automatic door of the Toritsu Chuuou library.

"The...Universe of the Four Gods?" The female clerk in charge of visitors verified with Mayo.

"Yes. I believe...that was it's name but..."

The clerk did a number of searches on her computer but shook her head. "We don't have a book by that name."

"Uhh. That book seems to be in a room that the general public can't enter but..."

"Oh the valuable books reading room prohibited to the general public. But it's not there either." The clerk informed the high school student pushing up the frames of her glasses. "You wanted to research something in that book?"

"No...it's not that..." The high school student mumbled an explanation and turned her back on the clerk.

That story...wasn't true after all.

Those 2 just made up a story about themselves.

People can't go into books in the first place, can they?

And that person becoming the heroine and the story of that book being rewritten.

On top of that, characters of a book coming to this world... And finally one of those people being reincarnated in this world...... That...

That kind of ridiculous story couldn't exist, could it?

If it wasn't made up, then she must've misheard. She had been tired lately--------.

Now that she thought of it, she did feel a bit light headed. Mayo faced the library entrance and then heard a voice breaking the silence of the library.

"A~h! Miss! Miss!"

Mayo suddenly turned around at the voice of the clerk who did the searches.

The clerk looked intently at Mayo, who she had beckoned back to the counter, and said in a very hushed voice. "The Universe of the Four Gods. We had it..."

"Huh...!?" Mayo's heart made a strange thump sound.

"It's on the missing books list."

"Missing books..."

"Right. It was confirmed missing during the book collection inspection 2 years ago. The general public isn't allowed in that room but... probably someone took off with it......"

"......I...see..."

Mayo thanked her with a stiff face and walked toward the entrance again.

No one stopped her this time. Something gloomy remained inside her.

The Universe of the Four Gods did exist.

She couldn't confirm it with her own eyes because someone took it from the library 2 years ago but the book did exist.

So, did that miraculous story also exist?...

As soon as Mayo left the library, the light of the noon sun shone directly in her eyes. Between that glare and being tired from not getting any sleep since yesterday, she suddenly was hit with a dizzy spell.

Mayo put a hand to her forehead, steadied herself, and shook her head.

*

"Mayo where have you been!?" Popping her head in the room, Kawai Saori made an angry face and headed Mayo's way with long strides. "Mayo, this

isn't like you. You're always the first to show up for club. When I called your home your mom said you left home around 10:30. She's worried about you."

"......Sigh."

At Mayo's response that sounded like a balloon deflating, Saori peered into her friend's face who was both her classmate and teammate. Saori was the only friend Mayo could really tell anything to.

"Hey, Mayo... So... you haven't been able to shake off what happened yesterday...have you?......"

"..............." Mayo silently turned her back on Saori and began to take off her uniform.

"I thought it'd be alright so I invited you...to the wedding ceremony but..." Saori went around to face Mayo. "And look, you got the wedding bouquet... Hey, what is it?..."

"........."

"I guess it was quite a shock after all..."

"...Not really."

"Hey, cheer up. That bouquet means you'll get a boyfriend soon." Saori comforted her friend a bit faltering.

Mayo finished undressing and said taken aback. "What are you saying? My life will now and always be only basketball! Come on, if we don't hurry we'll be late for practice." And then she patted Saori's shoulder.

"......Mayo." Even though her words were a bit forced, even so, Mayo did come to club. In the meantime, Saori let out a huge sigh and as if

remembering something, called out to Mayo's back. "Ah. We're gonna have another new coach from Keimei University starting today..."

Mayo stopped suddenly at that. She then quietly replied. "...Right..."

Before the 12 girls sitting in the corner of the gym, the senior captain, Sekiya, said. "Well, for some time we had gotten someone from the neighboring Keimei University's basketball team as a temporary coach for occasional guidance. But as everyone knows, yesterday Coach Sukunami Taka happily reached his goal and since it's a special time for newlyweds he can't come."

Cheers of "kya~" irrupted with the absence of those mention.

The members behind Mayo began to whisper. "It's because yesterday was Coach Sukunami and Yuuki-senpai's wedding night...right? Kya~."

"Idiot. They've been seeing each other for 3 years... They did it long ago."

"Oh..."

"And Coach Sukunami was so cool. But I guess we're no match for Yuuki-senpai..."

"Right right. She seems ordinary at first sight but she's not. When you really look at her she gives off an amazing aura..."

Captain Sekiya clapped her hands. "Alright, be quiet! I'll introduce the person who will be our new coach starting today. Come on out!"

At that, a young man walked towards them from the athletic ready room with a tense look.

Mayo tilted her head. She felt like she'd seen him somewhere before.

Saori was also tilting her head beside her.

"I'll introduce hi~m. This is Yuuki Keisuke-san. He's Miaka-senpai's older brother!"

At the captain's words, there was another irruption from all of the girls.

Miaka's older brother...!? I see, I saw his face many times at yesterday's wedding party. Somehow she felt like he had been dead drunk but...

But today, Yuuki Keisuke appeared to be a sincere nice young man. He bowed his head before everyone and after a small pause opened his mouth. "We-ll, I'm majoring in Chinese literature in college but because I don't really like studying I'm entering my 5th year of college."

At his first speech there was another outburst of loud cheers of "No way~, he had to go a 5th year~" from among the high school girls.

Feeling really good from their response, the new coach continued. "We--ll, I may seem like quite an ojisan to you but I can at least take pride in my experience in basketball. Nice to meet you all." Keisuke greeted them with a smile.

The welcome clapping of the members resounded.

Captain Sekiya followed with. "Until the Kantou tournament in 3 months we'll be under rigorous training by Coach Yuuki. Everyone keep at it so we aren't left with game results that will bring shame upon the name of the Yotsubadai High School girls basketball team!"

"Right!"

Oblivious to the members' cheerful replies, Mayo was the only one who made a stiff face and continued to hang her head.

*

"Excuse me. Is this seat empty?" A voice said from above her head. Mayo answered mechanically. "Go ahead."

"Here we go!" The bus started suddenly.

Mayo eyes widened when she saw the person who stumbled down into the seat beside her.

"Huh? What a coincidence." Yuuki Keisuke gave a friendly smile and asked Mayo. "You ride this bus too?"

"......Yeah, I guess."

"Really~? Nice to meet you~. But, we~ll being able to practice basketball with all of the high school girls today was really... hmf hmf hmf hmf hmf hmf..." Seeing Mayo's eyes that fell into distrust glaring at him, Keisuke suddenly held his tongue.

"......ld......rt..."

"Huh?" Keisuke titled his head at the words that slipped from Sakaki Mayo's lips. "What did you say just now?"

"Nothing."

Keisuke suspiciously felt like he heard "old".

This girl is maybe 6, no, 7 years younger than me. I may already seem old to these girls...

Keisuke hung his head dejectedly. But, he immediately recovered with determination.

Didn't he hear that the former coach, Sukunami Taka, was really popular with the girls?

Taka, who began playing basketball in college, took up the prime role thinking that he could see Miaka since it was her high school.

He was only 2 years older than Taka.

And unlike Taka, I'm free. Didn't he hit it off with all of the young high school girls today?

"Hmf hmf hmf hmf hmf..." Keisuke hastily suppressed the weird laugh that came out of his mouth.

Mayo glared at Yuuki Keisuke who got off the bus and was following behind her. "Isn't your home at the next stop!?"

"Huh? How'd you know that?"

Mayo faltered. "Because...I heard it from Miaka-senpai..."

"H~m. But, I can go home from here too."

Mayo turned her face away from Keisuke who walked beside her.

"I heard about you from the captain, Sekiya." At that, Mayo suddenly turned to face Keisuke.

"She said that you're the most talented among the members."

"Talented......" Mayo said.

"Yeah. And she said it'd be a shame if that talent doesn't blossom..."

"............"

"I thought so too when I saw today's practice. You have hidden talent sleeping in you. But there's something that's not letting it awaken..."

"..............."

Mayo herself didn't even think she had that kind of talent.

She had no interest whatsoever in practice and for a long time she had felt irritated with herself.

And she knew better than anyone the cause of that.

Keisuke said with a cheerful smile. "I want to see you reborn by the Kantou tournament in 3 months. I'll do as much as I can to help too."

Mayo stopped there and faced Keisuke. "Don't butt in where you don't belong."

Keisuke silently smiled. "If you have any troubles it's better to talk about them with someone. Of course it's OK to talk to me about them too." Mayo raised an eyebrow.

Seeing that, Keisuke stepped back.

But, the words that came out of Mayo's slightly crooked mouth were this. "Coach Yuuki... you said you're majoring in Chinese literature, didn't you?"

"Yeah...that's right but"

"Then do you know The Universe of the Four Gods?"

Keisuke's eyes went wide. Mayo stood right before him staring at him.

"......How do you know that book's name...?" Keisuke questioned instead.

Mayo answered. " I came across it some time ago at the library. I thought it looked like an interesting book."

"S-so then, you opened the book!?" Keisuke's voice was shaken.

Mayo shook her head slowly

He said in panic. "Th-that book is a really boring book. It's definitely not worth reading."

Then Keisuke looked over at Mayo's doubtful face and waved a finger twice. "Miss, you'll quickly forget about that book. Ah ha ha ha ha." Keisuke said and changed the subject. "So then, getting back to discussing your troubles."

Mayo immediately answered. "Even if I had troubles I wouldn't discuss them with an old fart in his 5th year of college who for the past 6 years hasn't had a girlfriend ever since he held hands with the girl he was seeing in his junior year of high school. Well then, good-bye."

Keisuke's arms shook as he watched the 16 year old girl walk away and disappear into the evening.

"I knew it, I knew it, she did say it before......She said old...old fart......" And then he suddenly tilted his head. "By the way, how does she know about......my lonely life......??"

*

"Sakaki! Catch!"

"Right..."

Having missed Coach Sukunami's pass, she lay on the floor.

Her whole body was covered in sweat. Even though she tried her hardest, her body wouldn't listen to what she told it.

"You're slacking off!" The strict coach, partial to no one, yelled out.

Practice ended with her exhausted.

Yuuki Miaka could be seen at the gym entrance.

Turning to Coach Sukunami, she waved a hand. He waved back.

His face changed from the stern face he had during practice to a completely kind face.

Coach Sukunami ran to Yuuki Miaka.

The 2 began to walk side by side.

They went across the campus and kept right on walking.

Where are they going? I'll follow them.

Something fog like began to roll in the area.

She lost sight of them.

Quickly catching up to her, the fog all of a sudden cleared.

Where am I?

She was in a place she had never seen before. But she knew it from somewhere.

Right. This is the capitol. Then the 2 looked her way----------

It wasn't Yuuki Miaka and Sukunami Taka.

Suzaku no Miko, wearing her ceremonial garb, and the Suzaku Seishi, Tamahome, turned to her and smiled.

Mayo woke up then.

Her body was drenched in cold sweat.

Lately, it was always the same dream.

She knew the cause. It was after she heard about that book from Yuuki Keisuke who became the basketball coach one month ago.

The only people, other than Miaka and Taka, who knew about that world were Miaka's older brother Keisuke, his friend Kajiwara Tetsuya, and Miaka's best friend Hongo Yui.

When asked about The Universe of the Four Gods, one of them, Keisuke, got flustered...

There was no mistake.

That story did exist. Mayo remembered the first time she met Sukunami Taka.

It was the spring of 8th grade.

It was at the time when she had fallen in love with basketball, having started playing it in jr. high.

Mayo had caught a glimpse of a young man working part time in a parlor.

It was Sukunami Taka who was a freshman in college at that time. He was Mayo's first love.

But back then Taka already had a lover named Miaka.

Even so, Mayo didn't give up on him.

The 2 of them talking intimately, the 2 of them walking shoulder to shoulder...

For a long time she continued to watch Taka merely from the shadows.

She couldn't tell him her feelings at all.

Then after 2 years...Mayo thought she had gotten over him. She was determined to replace her first love never realized with basketball.

But ironically, the high school she got into was Yotsubadai High School where Miaka went to school.

And then Sukunami Taka appeared before Mayo as the basketball team's coach. Mayo's unrequited love was again ardently and painfully resuscitated.

And then a year later, he married Miaka.

Mayo got up from her bed and gently opened the curtains.

Stars twinkled in the sky just like they did on the night of the wedding ceremony.

"......The Southern Suzaku constellations..." Mayo muttered. "If I had gone into that book, I may be the one together with Taka now......" She slightly narrowed her eyes. "Yeah. It could have been anyone. Not Yuuki Miaka, but the girl who went in the book became Suzaku no Miko...then, found love with Tamahome..."

Mayo continued mumbling to herself. "Those 2 don't really love each other..."

*

"Mayo......"

Her named having been called at the breakfast table, Mayo slowly raised her face. Before her, her parents were staring at her.

"What's wrong? You haven't had an appetite lately?" "Mayo...You've been acting strange these past 3 months. You're always looking spaced out..."

"Not really..." The girl retorted.

Her parents exchanged glances in front of her. "Mayo, we have something we need to talk to you about today."

"..............."

"We've both taken some time to really think it over..."

"............"

"And we've finally come to a conclusion."

Mayo stood up and pounded the table. "You're getting a divorce, right?! I'm OK with it. You both have new lovers, right?! I knew that much. You've been talking in whispers about...what will happen with me. So I knew about it!"

".........Mayo..."

She violently shook off the hand her mother extended.

"Don't worry! Cause I won't go with either of you. I won't be a bother to either mom or dad. Just give me some money and I'll live on my own!" The 16 year old girl told her parents, her lips trembling. "You 2 never loved each other, did you?! That's how it came to this. Why did you have me?! How cruel... How unfair..." Tears slid down Mayo's cheeks. Her parents were speechless at seeing their daughter like that.

"......I don't want to ever again see the faces of a mother and father who married when they didn't love each other!!"

*

"Mayo!"

The ball Saori threw hit Mayo, who was paying absolutely no attention, in the chest and fell.

Frowning, Saori looked at Mayo.

Then the whistle that ended the practice match blew, ending at the same time today's team practice.

Captain Sekiya stood before the gathered members. "Well then, I'll announce the members who will participate in the Kantou tournament."

There was a slight commotion.

The participating regular members would be decided on ability not grade.

"Sekiya, Watanabe, Kitani, Sakurai......"

The members whose names were called stood up one by one and received applause.

When there was one name left, there was another commotion among the members. "What? Sakaki-san didn't make it?..."

"But she isn't well motivated... It's not enough just having a lot of ability."

Hearing the candid voices behind her, Mayo vacantly looked at the captain's lips.

"And finally...Kawai."

Mayo looked at Saori.

Her named called, Saori instantly looked embarrassed and exchanged glances with Mayo. She replied "Here." and proudly stood up.

Mayo's name wasn't even among the semi-regulars.

In the four years since she started playing basketball, this was the first time Mayo suffered the disgrace of being completely left off of a game.

Keisuke lightly patted Mayo's shoulder as she walked back to the locker room. "Hey..."

"........." Stopping, Mayo slowly looked up at Keisuke.

"A lot happens in life. Life isn't easy. But when people overcome hardships, they're able to grow even more."

Mayo said. "Stop butting in already." "I can't do that. All the girls here are like my little sisters."

"Little sister......" Mayo muttered.

Keisuke hit his hand as if he remembered something. "That's right. Speaking of little sisters, I have some great news! I just heard yesterday. It looks like my little sister, Miaka, is expecting a baby."

"............!"

"She says she's in her 3rd month. If you count backward that means it's a honeymoon baby~ Ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha."

Then Keisuke had his hand pulled from behind by Kawai Saori.

"Coach Yuuki! How could you!"

And then, Saori whispered in Keisuke's ear.

He frowned and cried out. "Wh...whaat~~~~?!"

Keisuke hastily looked around but Mayo had already disappeared from his sight.

*

She got off the bus and headed toward her home. Her legs became as heavy as lead. I don't want to go back to that house.

I don't want to see mom or dad's faces.

And I don't want to go to school anymore.

I don't want to be on the team. I don't want to see Saori's face.

She didn't have anywhere to go.

No matter where she went, she was unwanted.

And what she heard earlier from Keisuke hit her more than anything else.

Taka and Miaka having a baby......

It can't be true.

But, anyone should be able to become Suzaku no Miko. So, it shouldn't be because those 2 really love each other.

How could they have a baby?

There's no reason such a thing could be. Mayo continued to shake her head, tears endlessly streaming from her eyes.

Then her gaze fell on a corner of a trash dump.

She approached as if drawn to it. She then gently picked up something that had been casually thrown away in that corner. "............What's this?..."

It was covered with dirt and the binding was falling apart but the title could just barely be read. "The Universe of the Four Gods..."

Mayo continued to stare at the book not knowing why it was in this shape or why it had been thrown away here.

"Mayo-chan!!"

Mayo turned around at the voice that called her and hugged the book to her chest.

Gasping, Keisuke ran in front of Mayo. "......Sorry about before... I heard about you from Kawai-san... I...was a blockhead... I had no idea..."

"........."

Keisuke saw her slowly shake her head, her face wet with tears, and he hastily took out a handkerchief from his pocket and pushed it on Mayo.

Then he noticed that she hugged something to her chest.

"What's that book?" Mayo took a step back and said. "The Universe of the Four Gods..."

".........!!" Keisuke didn't know what to say. "Why is that here?! Did you steal it from the library?"

"No. It was thrown away here."

"What!?"

Why did Mayo smile when her face was wet with tears?

"Hey. Miaka-san met Taka in this book, didn't she?"

"......Mayo-chan..."

"I know everything about Taka... Cause I heard everything about the story of those 2 in this book."

"........."

Mayo said to Keisuke as he vacantly stood motionless. "So, I'm going to rewrite the story again. And then Taka will get together with me this time."

"No! You shouldn't be able to do that. The stories of the Mikos are all over already. All of the Shinjuu have been summoned and that world is at peace..." Keisuke shook his head. "So, you can't go in the book anymore!"

"You don't know that." Mayo gave a hollow laugh and lightly patted the cover of the dirty book. Her eyes wavered between hope and despair. "That book is dangerous... You... probably don't know about the tragedy... of Genbu no Miko and Byakko no Miko."

"Tragedy...?" Mayo tilted her head.

"Right. When it seemed Genbu no Miko would be consumed by the Shinjuu in return for granting her wishes, she was killed by her father who couldn't

stand by and watch. And Byakko no Miko, in the end...couldn't get together with the man she loved who she met inside the book..."

Mayo frowned instantly at Keisuke's words but retorted. "But, Suzaku no Miko wasn't a tragedy, was she?..."

"That...was because of Miaka and Taka's...love......" Keisuke hesitated. "At any rate, don't think such foolish things. Come on, give me the book."

Keisuke took a step forward. Mayo shook her head and took 2 steps back.

Why did Keisuke have a bad feeling about telling her that the story ended? He extended a hand to Mayo trying not to provoke her.

"Nothing good... will come of me being here."

"That's not true... I'll help you so..."

Mayo shook her head. She put her hand on the book.

"Stop! Don't open the book!"

Like seeing a mirage, the area appeared to haze up and distort.

"Don't!!" Sakaki Mayo gently opened the cover of The Universe of the Four Gods.

"Mayo-chan!"

A fierce cloud of dust whirled up in that spot.

Keisuke's vision was plunged into grey.

"Mayo-chan! Don't go!"

Keisuke's hand, desperately outstretched, grasped something.

There was a sound as if something was ripping.

"Mayo-chan!!"

In a moment, the cloud of dust became funnel shaped and pulled Mayo's body into the book like an ant lion.

Then the cloud of dust suddenly vanished as if it was never there.

Opened to the first page, The Universe of the Four Gods floated to the ground.

"............Oh...god..." Keisuke looked at his own hand.

What he held in his hand was a scrap of the handkerchief that he had given to Mayo earlier.

A New Miko

Thud.

Falling on her butt, Mayo put a hand to her back as she slowly stood up. The skirt of her uniform fluttered in the wind. "..............." She gulped. "...This...is the book world..."

It looked like the cloud of dust that had engulfed her earlier brought her to this world.

"Where am I?..." In the midst of swirling dust that had been stirred up by a strong wind, Mayo looked around with an uneasy expression.

It seemed to be the main street of a city. Various shops were lined up on both sides of her but all of them were very old and looked about to fall in decay.

The desolate feeling was due more than anything to the fact that there was absolutely no sign of people.

Was this a city in ruins?

And what country was this? Kounan Country? Sairou Country? Hokkan Country? Or Kutou Country......?

Mayo trembled slightly.

The place where Miaka originally showed up was a Kounan Country village. There she was rescued by Tamahome from a run-in with some men. Mayo came here on impulse without a single thought about what would happen. She felt as if her chest was being crushed by helplessness.

As far as she could see there wasn't a single person in the city. Mayo looked up at the sky.

The thick dull grey clouds were hanging so low that it seemed she could reach up and touch them with her hand.

Then a strong wind blew making a whistling sound.

A building hit by that wind collapsed before Mayo's eyes as if it were made of paper. It then turned into a pile of dust as she watched.

".........What is this..." Stunned, Mayo stood rooted to the spot. Then she heard a voice from somewhere.

"Mayo-chan!"

"............!?"

"Mayo-chan! Can you hear me?! It's me, Yuuki Keisuke."

Mayo's body stiffened.

"Hurry, come back here! You can do it if you really wish for it. You can do it if you try it now!"

Then Mayo's gaze fell on something she held in her hand.

It was a scrap of the handkerchief that Keisuke had pushed on her earlier by the trash dump.

"Mayo-chan!"

"........." Mayo bit her lip and without responding, casually stuffed the scrap in the breast pocket of her uniform.

She then glimpsed a figure a bit up the road. Mayo's body stiffened again.

She thought of being attacked by ruffians like Yui had been... and her legs trembled.

"......You have to be strong." She told herself.

Whatever happens, I won't go back. --------I won't go back.

Because I will rewrite this story.

Because I'll rewrite the story so I get together with Taka.

The figure is coming this way. It's OK. If it comes to it, I have legs trained by basketball. Not like Miaka who apparently wasn't good at anything but dodge ball.

Mayo stood ready and then gasped as she looked all around her.

It wasn't one figure. From behind her and to her sides, they slowly approached her. They gradually appeared from within a cloud of dust.

Men. Shabbily dressed, they all looked at her with vacant eyes. "...............!"

Four zombie-like men surrounded Mayo.

"Wh-what?! Who are you!?"

The men silently scrutinized Mayo.

Little light seemed to shine in their eyes.

"Wh-whatever you're gonna do to me it won't work! Someone will come and you'll meet a painful fate! Right, Tamahome or Nakago will come and beat you guys up!"

Mayo continued to shout. Before her, the 4 men slightly nodded to each other and gently lifted her body up high.

"Kyaaaaa!" Mayo waved her arms and legs about as much as she could. "What are you doing?! Put me down! Stop~!"

*

"Shit! What the hell?!" Crouched down, Keisuke yelled at the book as he held the handkerchief. "If it's come to this then...!" He closed his eyes and concentrated for awhile but then hung his head. "It's no use. I can't go there..." Keisuke tore at his head as he read another new story that was written down on the page of the book soiled with finger marks and stains. "What's going on?... Why was she able to go there?..."

Out of the whole Yotsubadai High School girls basketball team, why'd it have to be Sakaki Mayo who he liked.

From the first time Keisuke saw Mayo, who didn't realize the extraordinary talent she had, he wanted to do something for her. If something bound her heart, then whatever it took, he wanted to release her from that spell.

It went beyond the bounds of a fellow person who loved basketball. He felt like an older brother worrying over his little sister.

That girl who was like a little sister went into the book world, just like Miaka all over again.

He had heard from Saori about Mayo's family problems and her failure with the team. She probably had good reason to feel that she wanted to escape from the real world.

But behind all that...was her first love never realized.

Keisuke buried his face in his hands.

What's with that? Sakaki Mayo's unrequited love was Sukunami Taka. The man who was now...his own sister's husband.

And then he callously tells her about Miaka expecting a baby. "What...a fool I was..."

Even if Mayo had gotten The Universe of the Four Gods by accident, telling her that instantly lit a fire to her determination.

And then Sakaki Mayo declared that she'd try to rewrite the story and make Taka hers.

"What the hell will happen?" Keisuke pushed the open book against his chest and unsteadily stood up from the trash dump.

*

"Put me down! Let me go! Hel~p! Tamahome~, Taka~~~~~~!!" No matter how much she screamed and struggled no one came to rescue Mayo who had been grabbed by both her arms and legs and raised up.

The 4 men began walking in the ruins of the city as they firmly held their catch who continued to make a fuss.

After a while they slowly lowered Mayo to the ground.

"Huff huff huff huff..." Mayo adjusted her disheveled uniform and her eyes widen as she looked up at the building that towered before her. "......This is..."

It was rather faded but the building was so extravagant that it was overwhelming... This had to be the palace that the Emperor of the country lived in...

Mayo gulped again. Having had something whispered in their ears by one of the zombie men, the 2 gate soldiers nodded slightly and walked to Mayo's side. "Come this way."

".........Huh?..."

And then holding Mayo's sides, the gate soldiers walked quickly suspending her in the air.

"H...hey... What are you doing?..."

Even with the girl's protests that were somewhat reserved this time, the soldiers remained silent as they went through a central square and brought Mayo to the heart of the palace.

*

Unlike the outside, the inside of the palace still had plenty of sparkle left.

Her eyes stolen by the dazzle, Mayo's mouth gaped open as she was soon lowered to the floor at the entrance of a hall-like place.

"Just now, the townspeople caught a suspicious person and brought her to the castle." The gate soldiers informed and departed.

Left to stand alone, Mayo looked around the inside of the hall as she stiffened her body.

Dozens of people were inside the room that was adorn with magnificent decorations. A small commotion arose from those people. Everyone looked at Mayo unable to conceal their expressions of surprise.

"Come closer..." A beautifully clear voice said to Mayo from a chair in the center that appeared to be the throne.

The one who sat on that throne was still a young boy.

".........Ye...s..." Mayo slowly stepped forward.

Approaching the thrown, she could clearly see the face of a boy who looked like the Emperor.

This is the Emperor...? What......a beautiful......child...

He couldn't be much more than 10 years old. As if crafted out of delicate glass, he was such a bishounen that he could even pass for a girl.

The boy said to Mayo who stopped before him. "From where have you come?"

After considering it a bit, Mayo asked instead. "Where am I...?"

"This is Kounan Country." A young beautiful woman sitting right beside the Emperor answered for him.

"Kounan Country..." She felt drained of strength as she sighed in relief.

She had been preoccupied when she came here but, what would she have done if this had been that Kutou Country? That was a thought that froze her blood. "So then, uh...His...Majesty......wouldn't happen to be..." Mayo didn't really know how time passed in the book world but, the Emperor of Kounan Country had to be...

"The fifth Emperor of Kounan Country, Reizeitei."

Mayo's mouth gaped open at the woman's reply. "Re-Re-Re...Reizeitei~?" Mayo tilted her head and said. "Strange. Not Boushin-chan?"

There was a great commotion at that.

"You know His Majesty's childhood name." The woman leaned forward looking surprised.

At the same time, Mayo hemmed and hawed as she looked at the Emperor.

So then that bishounen was Boushin after all. Mayo nodded her head.

The woman asked Mayo. "Then, you also know about me, Boushin's mother...?"

"What~!?" Mayo was surprised again and looked at the women's face. "Y-you're his mother? You're so young, I had no idea." She said and her face broke into a smile. "Of course I know. You're Houki-san, right?!"

The commotion increased again.

"When Boushin ascended to the throne I became Youtaikou. I am aiding Reizeitei, though in secret..."

"Wow-- you 2 are still hanging in there." Mayo, a bit elated, stuck her chest out. "Well, I kind of know about this country but."

"You heard from Miaka-san and the others..." Youtaikou said.

"............" A shadow suddenly appeared on Mayo's face.

She had eavesdropped on Miaka and Taka's conversation about this world...

"Yeah......well..." She answered vaguely.

Her cheeks blushing, Youtaikou asked Mayo. "Miaka-san and Tamahome...I mean, Sukunami Taka-san are well?"

".........Yeah..."

It was a cold reply but Youtaikou didn't seem to mind and was genuinely happy.

"Is that so? I'm...glad." And then she turned to her son and lightly nodded.

Reizeitei looked at Mayo, his eyes as clear as his voice. And then he said with his speech a bit broken. "I too have heard the full details of the Suzaku legend from my mother. Suzaku no Miko wore the some clothes as you. You have come from the world the former Suzaku no Miko lives in, have you not?" The young Emperor verified with Mayo in a firm tone.

"Y-yeah. That's right but..."

"What is your name?" "...It's...Mayo."

Reizeitei nodded slowly. "Mayo-------. You have seen the state this country is in, have you not?..."

He looked at her with eyes that concealed worries that made him look terribly grown up. Mayo was shocked.

"Y-yeah. What...happened?... The capitol of Kounan Country that I heard of should have been prosperous and bustling but..."

The Emperor replied with downcast eyes. "The days in Kounan Country these past 2 years have continued to be shadowed by thick clouds and devastated by dust storms. Crops have wasted away and even buildings fell in ruins before our eyes. As if the country is being destroyed...Such is the situation..."

"Destroyed~!?" Mayo abruptly cried out.

But, remembering the scene of the city in ruins that she saw with her own eyes just a little earlier, she put a hand to her mouth with a gasp.

She showed up in a place in such a state?...

Mayo's mind was in tumult.

Reizeitei asked her. "Have you come from another world to help our country in this crisis?"

".........Huh?..." Just as Mayo was about to shake her head with a "don't be silly", the bishounen said. "The former Suzaku no Miko did that and saved our country...our world."

"........." Mayo forgot what she was going to say and stood straight up.

Oh my god......

She hadn't even considered that.

She just wanted to run away from the real world and she thought if she came here she might be able to take Taka back from Miaka......

"That is why you came here, is it not?" Reizeitei verified with Mayo with a calm expression. "All of the Shinjuu of this world have been summoned, and we should have returned to peace. But, I have no idea why it has come to this. The people of the country, including myself, can only wait for a new saviour...a new Miko to appear......"

"Hold...on......" Mayo put a hand to her forehead and quickly thought over Miaka and Taka's story.

Until Yuuki Miaka got together with Taka, she overcame many ordeals as Suzaku no Miko. It wasn't just meeting Tamahome in the book and being all lovey dovey...

So as the new Miko, wouldn't she have to experience those hardships too?...

Mayo shook her head. "But, how would I save the country?..."

Youtaikou also shook her head slightly. "I do not know... But, Mayo...san, you came here for us, didn't you?" Mayo looked around her.

The aides assembled in the hall were looking intently at Mayo again, their eyes conveying the same feelings as Reizeitei and his mother's.

The pressuring gaze of the people seeking help mercilessly pierced Mayo's entire body.

Stop! Stop! Don't look at me like that! Mayo continued to shout in her mind.

Miaka's time wasn't like this.

First, she met Taka...Tamahome, then she met the wonderful Hotohori at the palace, then she gladly took up the role of Miko who got any wish granted, didn't she?

In order to have such a boring wish granted as getting into her desired high school with her best friend Hongo Yui.

And Kounan Country hadn't been in that terrible of a state.

So then, why?

Why do I suddenly have to save a country on the brink of destruction?

And when I have no idea how to do it.

It's not funny.

I...I just wanted to see Taka......I only came...to see Taka who was born from this book world. There's no way I could do such a thing.

"Mayo......"

"Mayo-san..."

"Mayo-sama......!" The voices of the Emperor, Youtaikou, and the surrounding people calling Mayo, echoed inside her head.

Mayo held her head and crouched down.

Help! Heelp! Heeelp!!!! She silently screamed. Taka-------------!!!! "Uhn......!" Mayo then felt an intense heat in her abdomen and moaned.

She unconsciously put her hand there.

"......Ohh..." The astonished voices of the people shook the air of the hall.

Mayo was more surprised than anyone. A light, burning red, shone so much that it passed through the hand she had on her abdomen.

"............!" Mayo stared at the red light streaming from her own body.

And then she felt a great force residing in her.

Though not knowing the identity of that force, Mayo promptly confirmed that she could do anything guided by it.

She abruptly stood up.

And then she took a step toward Reizeitei and told him clearly. "Yuuki Miaka didn't completely save Kounan Country. But it's OK now. Because I, Sakaki Mayo, as the new Suzaku no Miko, will protect this country."

A great commotion irrupted in the hall. And then, Mayo gently patted her abdomen as a satisfied smile surfaced.

Stolen Treasure

"Can I help?" Taka entered the kitchen. Miaka pushed him back out. "I'm fine! You have a report to finish so go to it."

"But, it's not good for you to be walking around like that, is it?"

Miaka laughed. "Stupid. I'm not sick. And it's better for me to move about a lot. Besides, it is our baby. It's not as if I'm gonna get worn out so easily."

"That's true too."

They looked at each other and smiled.

And then as he watched the young wife coming and going in the small apartment's kitchen as she prepared dinner, Taka said. "......So...this...is happiness..."

"Huh? Did you say something?"

"No, not really." Taka slightly shook his head as his face relaxed.

And then he looked on top of the sideboard. A photo of Miaka and their friends from when he was still Tamahome was displayed there.

"It's ready!" Taka gaped open his mouth at all the food crowded on top of the small table. "Miaka, this..."

"I made a bit much. My stomach is so so empty."

"Th-that's right. You're no longer eating for just one anymore. Ha ha ha ha ha ha."

"Yep!"

As he cast an upward look at the beaming face of his wife who nodded, the husband, still a college student, was typing away on a calculator in his head.

The appetite of his wife, a glutton even under normal circumstances, increased more and more with her pregnancy... If he was unlucky, the baby might be born a glutton like its mother... Taka felt dizzy when he considered countermeasures for future food bills.

"I'm sorry... Taka... And when we don't have that much money..."

"What are you saying? Stupid." Taka suddenly raised his face and poked Miaka's forehead. "Today, I started looking for another new part time job. Since I got Keisuke-san to take over as basketball coach I have some extra time. I plan on our ship coming in so eat all you want!"

"Really!? Taka, thank you!" Miaka surveyed the top of the table. "But, don't they say when you get pregnant that your sense of taste is supposed to change? I was going to properly taste test but as I was about to I wasn't really sure~."

"Huh......" Taka's face suddenly stiffened. Just when he was confident that the possibility was high that the taste would be good rather than bad.

Miaka muttered. "Taka......" "Yeah?"

"I'm happy...At peace and happy... It makes me scared."

They looked at each other.

"Because too much has happened, right?... We've had enough hardships up until now so I'm sure it's meant for us to live uneventful ordinary lives."

"......Right."

"Miaka... Give birth to a healthy baby..."

"I will."

Taka lightly put his hand on his wife's stomach.

"Hmf hmf, it's not moving yet. It's still just an itty bitty embryo."

"I see..."

Miaka lightly patted Taka's hair who put his ear on her stomach. "But, if you really listen closely you might be able to hear its heartbeat. Taka..."

"He--y. Are you OK?" Taka said to his wife's stomach that carried the new life.

Then Taka heard something. What he heard wasn't the baby's heartbeat.

It was a sound like a cold wind that passed through with a swish.

".........!?"

Taka tilted his head and at the same time Miaka's body shook with a jolt. Miaka collapsed on the dinner table. The salad and miso soup on the table scattered everywhere. From the vibration, the photo on top of the sideboard fell to the floor making a loud noise.

"Miaka! What's wrong!?"

Miaka's body that he held was bent back.

Holding in his arms his wife who had suddenly lost consciousness, Taka continued to call her name. "Miaka, Miaka--------! Miaka-----------------!!!!"

*

Walking while engrossed in the Universe of the Four Gods, Yuuki Keisuke suddenly stopped. "Whaa~t?!! A red light from Mayo's abdomen~!?"

A passing housewife returning from shopping glanced at Keisuke with a weird look and quickly passed by.

Keisuke put a hand to his forehead for awhile and then suddenly turned back and ran to the street. "Taxi!" He flagged down a car and told the driver the destination. "Please hurry! I...I'm worried about my little sister..." "Right!" Putting the pedal to the metal, the friendly downtown driver promptly started conversing with the young male customer. "Your little sister, huh?..."

"Yeah. She's 3 months pregnant."

"Oh, I see. That's the most important time."

"That's, that's right..."

The driver looked at the customer in the back seat in the rearview mirror and suddenly tilted his head.

The older brother, who should have been worrying over the state of his pregnant little sister, was instead engrossed in some old book.

He would occasionally tear at his head and cry out "Aah" and "Ohh".

Finally the customer shouted at the book. "Mayo--------!! Come back."

"..............."

The driver glanced at an evening row of lush cherry trees through the windshield.

Sigh, poor thing. This young man must've been through a lot too.

The driver concluded that he was probably now in a state of mixing reality with the contents of a book and said nonchalantly. "...Your little sister is named Mayo-san, right?" "No! My sister is Miaka, Mayo is a member of the basketball team."

"............??"

The taxi stopped at the destination.

"I'm sorry. I don't have any money on me. I'll borrow some from my sister's and come right back so please wait here."

"Hey, hold on"

The customer had already rushed out when the driver looked back with a frown.

".........Hm?"

He then saw an ambulance stop right next to him. The young man ran up to it with a desperate look, talked with another young man, and rushed back to the taxi again.

"I'm-I'm sorry! Please follow that ambulance this time! Hurry!"

"Huh?"

"Hurry!!!!"

"Ah, OK OK..." The driver made a quick start and swiftly followed close behind the ambulance that took off with its siren blaring. "...Did something happen to your sister?" "Yeah! She all of sudden collapsed."

"......I...see."

The driver looked at the man, who began engrossing himself in the book again, and shook his head. Though the ambulance in front of him carried his sick little sister named Miaka (?), the customer was totally gone on the heroine of a book, a basketball team member named Mayo??

"......I hope the baby's alright."

"Yeah. Really... But I have a bad feeling." The passenger said and then in a rather excited state shouted at the book again. "Mayo! What the hell are you doing......?!"

"............" The driver slightly shook his head.

It would be better to drive in silence but his talkative tongue insisted on moving. "It may not seem like it but I like to read books too. But nowadays, even books are expensive. So I often make use of the local library. But you know, the library's books have torn pages and a lot of them are really bad. It makes it so you can't follow the story. When I see a book damaged by a thoughtless reader, it makes my heart go cold. Dammit."

"Driver!"

"Yes."

He looked in the rearview mirror and for the first time the customer looked up from the book. "Th-that's it! That's the cause!"

"Huh...?"

"The cause of Mayo going into the book!"

"............"

The taxi followed the ambulance that went around to the back of the University hospital.

"We're here."

The young man rushed out of the car and said. "Please hang on a bit. I'm gonna go borrow some money from my sister's husband."

As he watched the customer run into the hospital the driver shrugged his shoulders. That young man must have been through a lot after all...

The taxi did a U-turn and was silently swallowed up inside the flow of traffic on the street it had originally come from.

*

"Doctor! Miaka didn't have a miscarriage, did she?!" Taka approached the hospital's physician.

"N-no. Of course not..."

"Ah, thank god. Keisuke-san." The husband of the female brought by the ambulance just earlier clasp the hands of his wife's older brother. "What is this dirty book? Keisuke-san, reading a book at this time!" "...Ta-Taka... Listen..."

Taka pushed aside Keisuke who tried to talk to him and questioned the physician again. "Doctor. Then Miaka...my wife will regain consciousness soon, right?"

"That's...right... In the first place, there's nothing wrong with her..."

"I see." Taka relaxed and muttered to Miaka quietly sleeping on top of the bed. "Thank god...Miaka. Our child is safe..."

The physician said. "Uh. Excuse me but, your wife isn't pregnant."

"...............Huh......?" Taka's mouth gaped open.

"Even in an ultra sound examination, we couldn't get any picture of a fetus. I don't know what hospital gave the diagnosis but could there have been some mistake about being pregnant?"

"Th...there shouldn't have been!" Taka turned upon the physician. "Miaka even got a maternity passbook already!! It's amazing how her appetite has increased from usual, and even her tastes have changed so that her seasoning of food has become perfect."

"Even so..." The physician said with an annoyed face. "......At any rate, all we can do now is observe the patient for awhile..." He informed and left the room.

As Taka lowered his arms limply, he moaned. "What's with this?... There's no child... What's with this?" And then he said to Keisuke. "Keisuke-san, was Miaka's pregnancy a lie?..."

"............"

"Has our child......cease...to exist?..."

Keisuke said to his brother-in-law, Sukunami Taka, who looked at him with vacant eyes. "Taka...... Miaka was pregnant, and your child didn't cease to exist. It was probably......stolen."

".........Hu...h!?"

Keisuke continued. "By a girl named Mayo who secretly has had feelings for you these past 3 years..." And then Keisuke presented Taka with the book that he had held against his chest. "So things turned out like this and this book is that good old Universe of the Four Gods..."

*

Having heard Keisuke's story, Taka all of a sudden shook his head unbelievingly. "Kounan Country is being destroyed?"

"Yeah. The story of Suzaku no Miko should be written in this book. But I think Kounan Country in the story has become strange due to being damaged so much by thoughtless people's hands after being taken from the library. And if Kounan Country disappears, the book world will probably also disappear at the same time..." Keisuke remembered the conversation with the taxi driver earlier and said. "Ah, oh yeah. Taka could you lend me about 3000 yen?"

"Keisuke-san!" Taka raised his voice in anger. "What are you saying at such a terrible time?!"

"......R-right...Oh well, I guess I'll just have to stiff him........."

Taka approached a mumbling Keisuke. "So then, our child was stolen by Sakaki Mayo......" Keisuke pointed to a page of the book. "See, it says that a red light streamed from her abdomen. Then Miaka lost consciousness and collapsed. There's no mistake. I think having been begged by everyone to save their country as a Miko, Mayo was at her wit's end and her strong wish to be saved by you probably crossed dimensions and transferred your child there. And I wonder if

Mayo being able to go into the book wasn't because her distorted state of mind that wanted a reality escape got completely caught in the warp of the collapsed book world..." Keisuke remembered seeing the area distort when Mayo went into the book.

"............Sakaki...Mayo..." Taka gave a slight groan.

How Mayo must've felt when she caught the bouquet Miaka threw.

And now that he thought of it, it had to be on the night of their wedding ceremony that Sakaki Mayo eavesdropped on them.

"Taka...You didn't realize Sakaki Mayo's feelings at all?"

Taka shook his head slightly.

"Well, nothing can be done. Because you were devoted to Miaka..."

"I still am!" Taka glared at his brother-in-law and said. "Keisuke-san. Could it be that Miaka won't wake up if she doesn't get our child back..."

Keisuke gave a slight nod. "I thought so too..."

"......What should we do?..." Keisuke said to Taka who held his head. "I'll try to repair this book as much as I can. I think that will to some extent prevent the destruction of Kounan Country...no, the book world."

Taka raised his head at Keisuke's words. "...Right..."

"Then there's just your child......"

Taka said flatly. "I'll go there and bring it back."

"Taka......" Keisuke clasped his brother-in-law's hands. "Only you, the former Tamahome, can go into the book now..."

Taka nodded.

Keisuke said as his eyes fell on the page of the book. "You mustn't view your opponent as easy because she's a high school girl. She has completely turned away from the real world and is trying to make her own desired story in the book world. She's actually convinced that she has acquired a great force and is beginning to take on a totally cocky attitude..."

"......I see..." Taka bit his lip and looked at Miaka who continued to sleep on top of the bed.

And then, quietly pulling up the blanket, Taka gently held the hand of his beloved wife.

"............!" His face instantly stiffened.

"What's wrong?...Taka." Keisuke peered into Taka's face.

"......The ring...the wedding ring...is gone."

"What?..."

The wedding ring that should have been shinning on the ring finger of Miaka's left hand that Taka held had vanished without a trace.

Keisuke said to his brother-in-law whose lips trembled. "...Taka. Please! Save Miaka... And then, the fruit of your love too..."

".........Right."

"And then, if you can..." Keisuke added with a distressed look. "I want you to...save Sakaki Mayo too..."

Taka nodded as he looked down.

"The scrap of handkerchief she has is a mediation so."

"......I understand." Taka looked at Keisuke. "Keisuke-san. Please look after Miaka..."

Bowing his head to Keisuke, who gave a huge nod, Sukunami Taka muttered to Miaka. "I'm sorry. And when I said I'd always be with you... But when you wake up I'll definitely...definitely be with you so..."

Miaka slept peacefully.

She had a calm sleeping face as if she understood that.

Around her neck a silver chain shone. Gently extending his hand to it, Taka confirmed that another ring was attached to that chain.

And then he looked at the photo of their friends, now placed on Miaka's bedside, that he had brought from the apartment on a spur of the moment decision.

".........Taka." Keisuke's voice shook. The clock in the room Miaka continued to sleep in slowly pointed to 8:00 p.m.

Jealous of Miaka

The night that Sakaki Mayo pronounced herself as the new Suzaku no Miko--------.

"Mayo-sama, excuse us-------." Several maids slowly brought a dinner tray into her room.

"Kounan Country is now experiencing a terrible shortage of things so we can't prepare much food...Please forgive us." The middle-aged maid in the middle said apologetically. She was fat like a hippo and had gentle eyes.

"Wow..." Mayo let her eyes run over all the food lined up before her and replied in admiration. "Even under these circumstances, this is truly palace food. Last year I went with my family to Yokohama's Chinatown and ate a full course but..." The new Miko paused and her gaze fell down to her lap.

Come to think of it, that was the last time her family went out together... Both her mother and father became cold to each other after that time. Mayo had tried to act very well behaved and fix things between the 2.

But both her mother and father already had other lovers. Their relationship wouldn't go back to how it was.

"...Yes?" The maid timidly urged her on.

Mayo suddenly raised her head. "Right, this is way better than that full course!"

That kind of mask family... deserves to fall apart. Mayo shook off the real world that made her sick.

The fat maid gave a courteous smile. "Is it to your liking?"

"Uh-huh!" The maid gave a sigh of relief.

The maid said to Mayo who promptly picked up her chopsticks and began to eat. "I've been appointed to serve you from today on, Mayo-sama. I am Mumin."

"Moomin?"

"Mu-mi-n!"

Mayo stared at Mumin and burst out laughing. "You are Moomin. Definitely."

"............" Mumin hung her head and slightly twitched her large mouth.

"Thanks for the food." Mayo said.

"Huh?" Moomin looked at the face of the uniformed girl. "W-w-was something not to your liking?..."

Mayo said to the bewildered maid. "Not at all. It was delicious. But I'm full."

"A-ah, I see..." Moomin then tilted her head. "I thought that people from the other world ate a lot of food..."

Mayo frowned at that. "......Because of the previous Miko...Yuuki Miaka...?"

"Yes..." Mayo flatly said. "Listen, she was the abnormal one. To think that gluttonous crude person could be Suzaku no Miko."

"............" The maid bowed her head looking troubled but after awhile raised her head and said to Mayo. "You must be exhausted. After this I think you should have a leisurely bath and get in bed early. I'll do everything to take care of our important Mayo-sama's body and to protect you so please don't worry..."

".........OK..." Mayo blushed and nodded.

*

In a large bed enclosed by beautiful silk curtains, Mayo was unable to sleep and let her thoughts wander.

Although she had wondered what would happened when she came to this world, she managed to calm down when she had to.

Right. I've become a Miko.

Remembering that pleasant feeling she got when she pronounced herself Miko before Reizeitei, Mayo was once again elated by the excitement she had felt back then.

The people had prostrated themselves before her going "Yes yes~"

The bishounen Emperor, eyes shining, tightly clasped Mayo's hand.

Youtaikou, with a tearful expression, gave a great nod to her. Everyone needed Sakaki Mayo.

And that's how it should be.

Because only her, the Miko, could save Kounan Country.

A satisfied smile played on her lips. "If I remember correctly, Yuuki Miaka got homesick in the beginning. What a fool." She chuckled.

Then she accidentally envisioned the real world.

Her heart went cold when she thought... wouldn't her parents secretly be relieved if she's not around? Because without her in the way they can feel free to remarry.

The basketball team wouldn't have any trouble even without her. Saori, picked as a regular, should be happy that she can attend the tournament without feeling constrained.

Then Mayo suddenly remembered Coach Yuuki Keisuke.

He saw her go into this world. Then he persistently called out from over there for her to come back. His voice quickly became so faint that it didn't bother her and so she ignored it. And she'd probably continued to ignore it from now on too.

Because she didn't have a single attachment to that world.

As if she would be at Miaka's older brother's beck and call?!

And then she finally thought of Taka. About Taka and Miaka who should be living a happy newlywed life in the real world.

Mayo shook her head at that.

A faint smile appeared on her face.

"This time I'm the one who became Miko. In order to rewrite the book......"

She hadn't thought of becoming Miko in the beginning.

And then when Reizeitei requested that she become Miko it only flustered her.

But the book is the story of the Miko. A story where a girl becomes Miko and gets wishes granted.

Concentrating, Mayo put a hand to her abdomen. She confirmed that it was the same red light that streamed out from there earlier and her self confidence deepened even more.

A great force resided in her as Miko.

She could do anything as long as she had this. "And then I'll have my wishes granted..." Mayo muttered to herself.

*

Nearby, the court musicians' pleasant lute performance could be heard.

"A~h, this feels so good. " Lying on her stomach, Mayo was getting a special oil massage on her back from the maid, Mumin. Mayo said in a absent minded voice. "This is just like an esthetic salon."

"Huh~? What is an erotic marron?"

"Never mind, Moomin." Mayo giggled. "Hey, Moomin."

"Yes?"

"Come here."

"Huh?"

Seeing the maid suddenly turn her huge face toward her, Mayo burst into laughter. "Kya ha ha ha."

Come to think of it, it had been a really long time since she had laughed this cheerfully.

She had been playing with Saori and was in high spirits but her unbearable love for Taka always lay buried at the bottom of her heart. Since then, Mayo continued to be treated politely with the utmost care day after day and she fully enjoyed the princess feeling. She imagined the conclusion of the story which should come true in the future and gave a satisfied smile.

"What would you like to wear today?"

"Let's see. How about a sexy number with slits up the sides?"

"A taxi number?"

"Oh you, Moomin. Ah ha ha ha ha."

"Mayo-sama. Incidentally, when and how are you going to save Kounan Country?" The maid nonchalantly inquired Mayo who was completely relaxed from the massage.

"......Right. One of these days."

"One of these days? ...But if you don't do it quickly the country will soon be destroyed..."

"I know. I'll do it somehow." Mayo's tone of voice slightly rose in anger.

But even though she said she'd do it somehow, Mayo had no idea how she should do it.

"Miaka-sama didn't get to relax at the palace like this..." Mayo raised her head at the maid's words and glared at her. "Moomin. Did you take care of her?"

Mumin nodded slightly. "Yes. That was almost 10 years ago..."

"10 years ago..." Mayo instantly forgot what she was going to say. When she thought of it, Boushin, who had been a baby back then, has now grown to a handsome bishounen admirably ruling the country.

"Miaka-sama came here, became Miko, and desperately endeavored to summon Suzaku for Kounan Country."

"........."

"That much power must've been due to eating so much food."

"That's ironic."

Moomin shook her head at the words that an irritated Mayo flung out. "But that is it, isn't it? Miaka-sama had a mission to find the Suzaku Seishi... But in your case..."

Mayo averted her eyes from the maid who glanced at her as she massaged her arm.

That's right.

Miaka's time had a clear goal of gathering the Seishi and summoning Suzaku.

When Mayo thought of that she got vexed and felt like grinding her teeth. She was sure a great force resided in her but she had no idea how she should use it.

How unfair.

"And there are only 2 Seishi in this world anymore who could try to call Suzaku again..." The maid mumbled as if to herself.

"Chichiri and Tasuki, right?"

Mayo suddenly thought. Should I try asking if there's a good way to dig up those 2?

But she shuddered when she thought of leaving the palace and wandering the eerie world of swirling dust. She thought it would be better if they sensed the Miko's chi and came to her like the Seiryuu Seishi did.

She had no intention of leaving this cozy comfortable palace. She had always had more bad experiences in the real world than Miaka did.

Wouldn't it be better to savor this heavenly feeling a little longer?

As if reading Mayo's mind, Moomin said. "At any rate, Miaka-sama was a person of action."

"That was just thoughtless recklessness."

"Whatever hardships she had, she wouldn't be discouraged and always looked forward."

"She was a blockhead."

"It was because Miaka-sama put her all in everything that Tamahome-sama and Hotohori-sama... and the people of the country...all loved Miaka-sama." "What?!" Mayo rose up. "Miaka, Miaka, Miaka. I'm the Miko now!"

".........Yes..." Mumin stopped massaging and hung her head. "It's just that I miss her very much..."

Mayo remembered what the basketball team members were saying about Miaka having an aura. That...it was because they were no match for her.

But wasn't that because she became Suzaku no Miko?

And even though she had now became the new Miko, why did they have to compare her to Miaka?

"What? Miaka didn't bring eternal peace to this country in the end, did she? She didn't make that wish to Suzaku. And yet she cunningly asked to be together with Tamahome. That's how it came to this!"

"............Mayo-sama..."

"Forget it, please continue the massage." Mayo lay on her back in a huff. "And don't talk about her in front of me ever again! Do you understand, Moomin?"

"......Yes..." The maid again extended a hand to the body of the new arrogant Suzaku no Miko. And then she remembered she had also wondered what the heck "Moomin" was 10 years ago. She shook her head. Will she from now on be called "Moomin" whenever another Miko comes from the other world?

The Miko then violently slapped the hand that Moomin extended on Mayo's abdomen. "Don't touch me there!!"

The maid shrunk back again. "I...I am sorry..." Bowing her head to the floor, she begged for forgiveness but got no reply. Slowly raising her head, she looked at the Miko. The girl's gaze fell on her own abdomen that was faintly shining red.

Was this the new Miko's power she had heard of?... Moomin's eyes went wide and she stared at the light.

Mayo raised her face and said to the maid. "I'm sorry I frighten you." Her voice was much gentler than usual. The earlier irritation had completely vanished from her face.

And then she gently rubbed her abdomen with her left hand and the Miko gave a cheerful expression as if she had solved a puzzle.

The maid looked at Mayo's left ring finger and opened her eyes wide again.

When did she put that on? A silver ring shone that hadn't been there until today.

"Something very very special to me...is in here..." As her gaze fell on her stomach, Mayo narrowed her eyes and smiled.

Then another maid appeared. "Mayo-sama, the Emperor has called for you." "Alright. Tell him I'll come right away." Mayo put on a long silk robe and stood up with a swish.

Moomin asked Mayo. "Do you want to wear that taxi number you were talking about earlier?"

Mayo shook her head. "My school uniform of course. I am Suzaku no Miko after all."

*

Mayo was admitted into the Emperor's room. There was only one other person besides Reizeitei there. Youtaikou was waiting on him at his side.

Reizeitei looked at Mayo and said. "I had not planned on summoning you all the way here but..."

His expression seemed to carry even more worry than it did the other day.

Even Mayo felt a great pang in her heart looking at this beautiful boy who took on the responsibility of the Emperor of Kounan Country at a mere 12 years old.

"We do not mean to press." Youtaikou said, her face completely haggard.

She forgot about enjoying the princess feeling. It seemed that Kounan Country's situation was rather grave after all.

Mayo said to them. "I am very grateful of how well you have treated me... I very much want to take on the country's salvation but... I'm sorry, please wait a little longer." "A little longer?" Houki and Boushin leaned forward.

"Because if we wait a little longer, Taka will come."

Hearing that, Youtaikou cried out. "Taka, Tamahome...will come?"

"Yes."

"But he's been reincarnated in Miaka's world, and there the 2 of them......"

Mayo shook her head. "Please think of the story of the Miko, Yuuki Miaka, as having been undone already."

"Huh...!?" At his mother's side, the 12 year old Emperor also stared at Mayo's face as he tilted his head a bit.

"I believe Taka is sure to come here, help me, and then save Kounan Country." Mayo declared.

Youtaikou asked as she knit her brow. "Are you certain of that...?"

A bit displeased, Mayo answered. "I told you before. Miaka's story is over already. Don't you understand that? Those 2 are no longer seeing each other in that world."

"What?..."

Looking at Youtaikou, who put a hand to her mouth, Mayo said triumphantly. "Because I'm the one Taka loves." And then Mayo showed off her left hand, holding it up high.

As they looked in fascination at what shone on her ring finger, Mayo said. "This is called a wedding ring in the other world. They're exchanged as proof of each other's love during the wedding ceremony."

"............" The Emperor and Empress Dowager kept completely silent.

"And..." Mayo then put a hand to her stomach. "Our baby is in here so."

"...Baby...!?"

The son gently put a hand on his mother's shoulder whose lips began to tremble.

"So Taka should be coming here very soon. Shouldn't he? He wouldn't leave his child and his wife he loves in such a place, would he?"

"Mayo-san......"

Mayo turned to Youtaikou and smiled. "Carrying the child of the person you love makes you feel so happy, doesn't it?" And then, Mayo murmured to the red light that began to come from her stomach. "Just wait. Your Papa will come soon~. "

Suzaku's Tears

"H~m, so this is the Suzaku shrine?" Mayo looked up at the golden Suzaku statue that seemed to flap its wings toward the heavens. At her side, Reizeitei and Youtaikou looked at Mayo with a perplexed expression.

Having had a bombshell dropped on them earlier by this girl, they had been pressed by her and so they brought "the new Miko" to the Suzaku shrine.

"Wha~t? It's smaller than I imagined." Mayo snorted.

*

Keisuke read the Universe of the Four Gods out loud. "H~m, so this is the Suzaku shrine?...Mayo looked up at the golden Suzaku statue that seemed to flap its wings toward the heavens."

Then Keisuke raised his head. "Taka now. The 3 of them are gathered together in the Suzaku shrine. If you go in the book now, wouldn't you come out there?"

"Yeah..." Taka nodded. "Well then, I'm off..." He stood right next to Keisuke.

*

Youtaikou asked Mayo. "Is what you said earlier true...?"

Mayo turned around. "You doubt me?" "No but..." Youtaikou said as she lowered her eyes. "...It's just that we always believed in...the deep bond between Miaka-san and Taka-san......"

Mayo raised an eyebrow. "Youtaikou-sama. People's hearts change, don't they? ...You should know that well."

"............"

Reizeitei looked in surprise at his mother's face suddenly clouding over at the Miko's words.

"At any rate, you'll know when Taka comes." Mayo said and gave a triumphant smile.

*

"Aah, she's saying such terrible things to the Empress Dowager. Mayoo~." Keisuke said holding his head. He looked at Taka, who was concentrating intently by his side, and held his tongue.

Taka closed his eyes and squeezed both his fists.

"......Taka..."

Then a cloud of dust rose up from inside the opened Universe of the Four Gods.

"......!"

What followed was the same as the time with Sakaki Mayo.

Gradually the large dust storm became funnel like and instantly sucked Sukunami Taka's body into the book. "......He's gone..." Send-off specialist Keisuke looked at his little sister who continued to sleep in the room where Taka had disappeared.

Miaka's face suddenly distorted in pain.

"Miaka... It's alright. Taka will come back OK." And then Keisuke returned his gaze to The Universe of the Four Gods that had swallowed up Taka.

"I have to repair the book quick. Miaka, I'll be back in 5 minutes. Taka, I'm gonna borrow some money." Keisuke quickly stood up, borrowed the wallet Taka had left behind, and ran to a convenience store.

*

Somewhere in the Suzaku shrine there was a loud noise as if something had fallen.

"A thief!?" Reizeitei boldly raised his voice. His hand reached for the sword at his waist.

They sensed something stand up from where the sound came from.

"........." The 3 held their breath and looked in that direction.

A figure slowly headed their way. Mayo strained her eyes and was the first to cry out. "Taka!"

"........." Youtaikou put a hand to her mouth. Reizeitei merely stared at Sukunami Taka seeing him for the first time.

Approaching the 3, Taka turned to Youtaikou first and bowed his head. "It's been awhile...Houki-sama..." Youtaikou nodded with a stiff expression.

"You too Boushin-sama. You've become a fine Emperor..." And then Taka bowed his head deeply to Reizeitei.

"I have heard a great deal about you from my mother." Reizeitei told Taka in a clear voice and calmly smiled. "And I also remember well...my father's warmth when he held me through your body."

"......Boushin...sama..." Taka looked at the 12 year old bishounen who had Hotohori's looks.

Putting aside the circumstances, the 3 got emotional as they had a reunion after 3 years for one and 10 years for the others. Mayo abruptly stood before them.

"See, just as I said!" Then she stuck out her chest in way of saying I told you so. "Taka has come in order to protect me, the Miko, and save the country."

Mayo said to Taka in a lively voice. "Our baby is well. Don't worry!"

"........." Taka said to the high school girl that he had only been a basketball coach to up until now and whose given name he hadn't been able to remember. "......It's Sakaki Mayo-san, right?..."

"Wha~t? Oh Taka, don't be bashful." Mayo clung tightly to Taka. "I'm so glad. I knew you would come!"

"........." Taka bit back the impulse to cry out in a loud voice.

"Taka... Is the baby inside Mayo-sama's stomach yours?..." Youtaikou said and looked deeply into Taka's eyes.

Taka gave a slight nod. "......Yes... It's...mine and......" "My baby! Right?" Mayo said in a proud voice. "I'm in my 3rd month now. That's the most important time, isn't it?..." Mayo said and looked up at Taka.

"............"

Mayo exchanged a look with Taka and calmly grinned.

Taka said to the girl. "I'm sure your mother and father are worried about you being late coming home..."

Mayo burst out laughing at that. "What are you saying? Didn't we just get married 3 months ago? We're now living in a small apartment, right?!" Then Mayo said. "My parents got a divorce soon after that and you said that we'd live together as whole other people... So my family is now only you, Taka. Did you forget?"

"............" Sukunami Taka looked into the face of the 16 year old girl, Sakaki Mayo, again.

She was an ordinary high school girl wherever she was...

He somehow felt that she had great possibility hidden inside her just like Keisuke did.

But he was the cause of it being buried......

Just like Keisuke had been, Taka was shocked by that fact which he had never given any thought to.

And Sakaki Mayo's unrealized love gradually grew until, having gone into this world, she was now substituting the story with her fantasy... "Keisuke-san is worried too..."

"Keisuke-san? Who is that?"

"What are you saying?... He was with you...when you came here, right?..." Taka glanced at the scrap of handkerchief peeking out from the breast pocket of Mayo's uniform.

"Aah, is that the person who became the new basketball coach? Come to think of it, didn't I hear about him from Saori?" Mayo hit her hand as if she had suddenly remembered. "But he has nothing to do with me. After all, I quit the basketball team after I got pregnant."

Taka bit his lip.

Just as Keisuke said, this girl was growing so arrogant that she was becoming a bit incorrigible.

The girl entwined her arm around his. "Hey, Houki-san, Boushin-kun." Mayo said to Kounan Country's Emperor and Empress Dowager as if conversing with friends. "Shall I tell you how we fell in love~?"

Reizeitei and his mother, having been quiet for some time, lowered their eyes.

Unaffected, Mayo continued. "Well, Taka was a freshman in college and I was still in 8th grade. I fell in love at first sight with Taka who was working part time at a parlor."

Taka gasped and looked at Mayo.

He hadn't heard that much even from Keisuke. "Taka is really cool, right? And so Taka had a lot of girls after him... Taka of course didn't even notice me..."

"............"

Mayo went on with the rest as if muttering to herself. "But I always always loved Taka. Even though Taka didn't know I existed, I still continued to always love Taka..." And then the girl suddenly looked up at Taka. "God had been looking out for my feelings. ......When I entered high school and joined the basketball team, Taka become the coach."

Her eyes downcast, Youtaikou shifted her gaze to Sukunami Taka.

Taka quickly averted his eyes from the Empress Dowager in reflex. Of course, he didn't have a single thing to feel guilty about. It was just that he felt a small pang deep in his heart at... Mayo's story of "how they fell in love" that he knew nothing about.

Mayo's way of talking suddenly got cheerful. "Then I went to a senpai's wedding and caught the bouquet that the bride threw."

Shocked by those words, Taka looked at the girl next to him.

Mayo calmly continued her story. "You know, in our world it's said that the girl who catches the bride's bouquet will be the next to become a happy bride... It was after that when Taka realized my feelings and......picked me over Miaka-san." And then as if remembering the truth, the girl covered her blushing cheeks with both hands. "When I became 16 years old Taka said 'let's get married!' and 'let's hurry up and have a baby.'" Mayo continued with a far-off expression. "The church wedding ceremony was wonderful. I was moved to tears when we exchanged these rings..."

Youtaikou's eyes remained on Taka's ring. Mayo edged up closer to Taka. "But I very soon got pregnant. ...Even though I'm still a high school student..." Then Mayo put a hand to her stomach. "But it's OK. It's Taka's child. So I won't go to school anymore... I know... let's live in this country. Well, Taka?"

The false pregnant woman lovingly rubbed her stomach over and over.

*

"But, how dare they damage it this much. And someone even used it in place of a pickling stone? Hey." While carefully wiping away the stains on the

cover of the book with a wet tissue, Keisuke continued to complain. "Ah-ah, the binding thread is coming loose."

And then holding a thread and needle, Keisuke licked the tip of the thread seeming to be rather experienced with it.

"Geez. There's a hole from a cigarette burn, the page is torn, there's coffee and soy sauce stains, there's doodles... How sad. Is there anyone who seriously read this moving story of love?" As he grumbled, Keisuke pulled out white correction fluid and scotch tape from inside the the convenience store plastic bag.

The time was already 1:00 in the middle of the night.

*

It became quiet for a moment after Mayo's story of how they fell in love.

"Taka..." Youtaikou finally faced the new visitor from the other world. "Is what Mayo-san says true?..."

"............" Taka hung his head. "Taka...?" Youtaikou pressed.

Then Mayo suddenly cried out. "Ow ow. My stomach... it... hurts..." She then squatted down.

"What's wrong!?" A flustered Taka crouched down at Mayo's side and put his hand around her back. "Are you OK? ...Mayo-chan..."

Then Taka raised his face and cried out to Youtaikou with a pale face. "Excuse me. Would...would you call for a doctor?!"

"Alright." Youtaikou answered.

"Hmf hmf hmf hmf hmf hmf hmf." Laughter escaped from the mouth of the squatting Mayo.

Then suddenly raising her face, a beaming Mayo said. "I'm kidding~! Just making you worry a bit."

With a serious face this time, Mayo told Taka whose face had stiffened. "But the next time Taka's cold to me my stomach will really hurt..."

"............"

Mayo gave a slight smile with her eyes so that only Taka would understand. Alright? I have a trump card. You better not oppose me. Her eyes said.

Taka slowly stood up and then said to Reizeitei and Youtaikou. "What... Mayo... said is... true..."

"......Taka..." Youtaikou silently shook her head.

"Things... didn't go well with Miaka... and I started... seeing this girl......" "I do not want to hear any more than that." Youtaikou turned her face away from Taka and turned her eyes to Suzaku. ".........!" Her eyes went wide...

"......Suzaku..." Youtaikou quietly pointed to the the golden bird's head.

Looking over to where she pointed, Taka gasped. Beside him, Mayo raised an eyebrow with a bored expression.

"......Suzaku is crying..."

Sure enough there was a stain as if a tear had fallen down from Suzaku's right eye.

Seeing that, the young Emperor slightly shook his head. He then turned to faced Taka and Mayo again and asked. "In any case, did you 2 come here in order to save Kounan Country?"

"Of course we did!" Mayo answered without hesitation. "Because Taka was originally the Suzaku Seishi Tamahome in this world."

An aide then rushed into the Suzaku shrine. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty! It's terrible."

Reizeitei's expression became tense. "What's wrong!?"

"The...the castle gate is falling down..."

"What...?..." Everyone inside the shrine quickly went outside.

"......Aah." A sad moan escaped from Youtaikou's lips.

Seeing Kounan Country's reality for the first time, Taka stood motionless in blank surprise.

He didn't realize it while he was inside the Suzaku shrine but Kounan Country's pitiful state was just as Keisuke had said. And that unmistakable fact weighed heavily over Taka.

Under the thick low hanging clouds, dust swirled here and there.

The outside wall of the palace was completely faded and also seemed about ready to fall in decay even now.

Then part of the castle gate, which the aide had hurriedly reported to them about, mercilessly fell down. Dry dust piled up there.

Part of the city of Eiyou could be seen from that opening.

It must've been the capitol's main street. But now it was desolated as if the former bustle had been an illusion.

Even as Taka vacantly look at the city, one of the shops fell down and turned to dust.

"What the..." Taka gave a low moan.

"It's Miaka-san's fault..." Mayo muttered next to him. "Because Miaka-san didn't ask Suzaku for peace for Kounan Country. Because in the end she asked for her own happiness." "That's not it..." Taka denied.

"What isn't!?" Mayo turned on Taka.

"This is......" Taka held his tongue about it being the fault of the Universe of the Four Gods having been damaged by the hands of people of the real world.

He couldn't say that. He couldn't say that Kounan Country, including the Emperor and Empress Dowager, and this world itself are all nothing more than a story in a book.

Taka thought about the real world as he felt Mayo's suspicious gaze.

"......Keisuke-san..."

Time probably passed much quicker in this world than in that world.

He's probably earnestly repairing the book now but it may take quite awhile before it's successful.

Kounan Country may not be able to wait until then.

Taka stepped before Reizeitei. "Your Majesty..."

The Emperor looked up at Taka with sad eyes. "This place is the same as my hometown where I was born. ...I can't just sit by silently and watch the country be destroyed like this... We probably can no longer call Suzaku. And I don't have any of my former powers. ...But allow me to do all that I can..."

The Emperor gave a great nod to Taka's request.

And then Taka nodded to the Empress Dowager and ran out of the place.

"Where are you going!? I'm going with you!" Mayo shouted at his back.

Taka turned around and said to Mayo. "I can't let you do something bad for your health... You understand, right?..."

"......Taka."

Taka then looked at the faintly shining red light from her abdomen.

Will he be in time?

If Kounan Country is destroyed then he, Mayo, and his child... would disappear at the same time.

If he could somehow persuade Mayo.

But Taka couldn't just abandon Kounan Country and return to the real world just the 2 of them.

At any rate, all there was now was to find a way to hold off this destruction.

Not having a moment to spare, he rushed out through the large main gate of the palace. Immediately afterward, a great swirling cloud of dust erased without a trace the large magnificent main gate that was also a symbol of the country.

Taiitsukun's Revelation

Taka rushed out of the palace and continued running blindly down the capitol's main street. His legs felt heavy as if he were running on top of a sand dune. Taka lost his balance and clumsily fell down.

"Huff huff huff huff..."

He grasped the dust in front of him with his hand. The dust soundlessly slipped through his fingers.

What are you doing?

If you don't hurry up, Kounan Country, this world, and yourself...all existence will futilely crumble away like this dust. Taka told himself.

But I'm powerless. What can I do? He bit his lip in frustration.

He struck the ground vehemently with his fist. But his hand, not even bleeding, only buried itself in the dust.

It was as if a formless monster, a nothingness with no happiness nor sadness... nothing, was mocking Taka's powerless opposition.

"Shit... What should I do?..." He moaned.

Hang in there... A single voice reached Taka's mind.

"Miaka..." You're not alone Taka. I'm here. And there's our friends, right?

".........!!" Taka stood up. That's right. Our friends are here. Don't give up.

And then he closed his eyes and intensely thought of his name. Please! Come! Come here! Inside his heart that thought grew twice as large and twice as large again.

Throughout his body, Taka felt the power of love of the person dearest to him who always encouraged him and gave him courage.

Please! Help! Come here! Chichiri!!

"Come! Chichiri--------!" Taka and Miaka continued to desperately cry out together.

*

How long had he continued to call out?...

Finally a kasa popped out before Taka's eyes.

The person who slipped out from inside it said smoothly to Taka. "You called no da!?"

"Chi...Chichiriii~!!" Taka clasped his companion's hand and, in a bit of a dishearten state, fell to his knees. "You came..."

Chichiri, in his usual wandering monk form, took off his fox face mask and smiled at Taka. "I heard you and Miaka no da." With a look filled with emotion, Taka gave a great nod to his former friend.

"You look well no da. But why have you come here...?" As he said that, Chichiri surveyed the area and frowned. "And what's with this... I've been traveling in Kutou Country no da but..." And then he asked as if suddenly noticing. "By the way, where's Miaka no da?"

"Chichiri... listen." Turning to Chichiri, Taka began to tell his friend in a great hurry everything that happened up until now.

Chichiri's expression gradually grew serious. "I see no da... This is terrible..."

According to Chichiri, there was nothing extraordinary going on in the other nations and all the countries had maintained peace after Tenkou had been sealed.

"Chichiri... What should we do?" Taka held his head and moaned.

"What's with you talking so timidly no da? At any rate, let's go no da."

"Go where?"

The staff Chichiri held rang with a jingle.

"Mt. Taikyoku."

Taka raised his head with a gasp. "I see. We're going to tell Taiitsukun about this, right?"

Chichiri nodded. "Chichiri, can you still use your spells?"

Chichiri gave a slight smile at Taka's question. "I didn't train for all those years for nothing no da. It's different from when I was a Suzaku Seishi but, it's still OK no da."

"I see... So you heard our voices just now and came here, right?" With an encouraging ally beside him, Taka felt courage gradually filling inside him.

"You see, you have self-confidence too no da. You called me with your thoughts. You haven't become powerless. Even without Suzaku Seishi powers, a strong mind can call for power no da."

"Right!" Taka said to Chichiri. "You haven't changed at all. I'm...really glad..."

"Since I'm traveling around various countries alone as usual, I'm always young and fresh no da." Chichiri answered and calmly smiled. "Now grab hold of this, Taka."

He stuck out his staff. Taka took it in his hand.

"Well then" Chichiri said. "Before we go to Mt. Taikyoku, we're going to make a bit of a stopover no da."

"A stopover?" Taka tilted his head.

Chichiri smiled at him. "There'll be one angry guy if we left him out no da." "Ah..."

Just as Taka gave out a small cry, Chichiri's kasa swirled in the air and the 2 of them were sucked into it.

*

Thud.

"Ow!" Taka cried out, his back heavily hitting the ground.

"Sorry no da. My spell's not working well no da..." Chichiri apologized beside him as he also rubbed his back.

Taka looked around. "Where are we? Chichiri, did you miss the mark?"

Whiz.

Just then something flew over their heads.

"Wah..."

Taka and Chichiri didn't even have time to run away as they were captured by a large net like thing.

"Knock knock, excuse me. Who is it? I am the leader of the mountain. Oh how wonderful, please come in. Thank you." A voice said from nearby.

"Oh, it's been awhile since we had visitors." A man then appeared from the shadow of a nearby rock as he hauled in the net that captured the 2. "Well now, I'll just take all that you have." The man looked at his prey as he said that and suddenly titled his head.

The 3 looked at each other closely. "You wouldn't happen to be... Kouji...?"

He drew closer at Taka's voice.

"......Hu~h! So then would you happen to be, u~h, Tamahome? And...that weird monk... um..."

"Chichiri no da..."

"Oo~ps!" Kouji hurriedly got rid of the net and scratched his head embarrassedly.

"See. My spells are still OK no da. Taka." Chichiri said.

Taka looked around again. "Then, this is Mt. Leikaku? It was such a low mountain?"

Kouji shook his head. "No. Half the mountain disappeared."

"Oh..." Taka frowned.

Beside Taka, Chichiri asked Kouji. "By the way, earlier you said you were the leader of the mountain no da but... when did you become leader no da...? Does that mean..."

"Huh?... Oh that..." Just as Kouji was mumbling that.

"What're ya saying~~~~~!!!! I'm the Mt. Leikaku leader~~~~~~~!!!!" Shouting, someone came down with a thud from a branch of a large withering tree right above them.

He turned to Kouji and grabbed his neck. "I'll fire ya if you're gonna say such crap!" "You're one to talk. When you've been snoozing up in a tree just now."

"What was that~? And what're ya doing peacefully gabbing with our prey? You didn't take everything they had? Blockhead! It's been a long time since we had prey, we should suck them to the marrow of their bones..."

"Weren't you guys bandits who help the weak and fight the strong no da...?" A voice said from behind the quarreling pair.

"Shuddup! How can you say such a thing in these times? Idiot!"

Amazed, Kouji silently pointed behind him.

"What~?" Turning around, the man looked at the 2 prey and blankly opened his mouth.

"Tasuki!" Taka called his name. Beside him the fox masked Chichiri grinned.

".........Huh???" The Mt. Leikaku leader finally said. "Who's Tasuki?"

"Idiot! You are, Genrou." Kouji told him.

Genrou cried out in a loud voice. "Ohhh~! I forgot, I'm Tasuki! So then you guys are...Oh-- oh-- oh--, Taka and Chichiri, right-------?!" Then he took a good long look at the 2 and said. "Has it been 10 years? Chichiri hasn't changed but, Taka, you look really young. Have you had plastic surgery?"

"Time passes differently in that world no da, Tasuki." "Oh, really?"

"Tasuki's the same as always too."

At Taka's words, Tasuki showed off his crooked teeth with a grin. "That's cause I'm still a bachelor in his prime. As the leader here, I'm constantly striving hard so I'm always young."

Beside him, Kouji looked at his partner with an amazed expression.

"What~!? Taka, you dumped Miaka and switched to that young nubile kogyaru, Mayo, and then had a baby with her~!?"

Kouji held back Tasuki who tried to grab Taka.

"Listen properly no da. Their baby moved to the body of that girl. She was in love with Taka and then appeared in this world no da..."

"Ya think I believe... such a ridiculous thing could happen?" Tasuki gave Taka a suspicious look.

"I don't want to believe it..." Taka said and hung his head.

Tasuki said to him. "Whenever you guys come here, everything goes wrong. Dammit."

Tasuki remembered the time when Tenkou planned to take over not just this world but all worlds.

"I'm sorry..." Taka hung his head even more.

"But you really haven't laid a hand on that girl~? Cause ever since your time as Tamahome you were always being seduced by enemy women."

"Don't be stupid! I've never even had a private conversation with Sakaki Mayo."

"Fry bed? What's that? It's getting more and more suspicious." Tasuki stared at Taka with his beady eyes.

"That's enough no da." Chichiri raised his voice in anger. "There isn't a moment to lose no da. If we don't hurry, Kounan Country will be destroyed no da." Hearing that, Tasuki uncharacteristically frowned. "Yeah... With my family right now, Neechan lost her home and is living in her 3rd family... Cause it's so special I wanted to invite them to dinner or something but, there'd be no place to even move. Ma's breasts are even bigger, and I have no idea where Pop is but..."

Chichiri shook his fists. "In any case, we don't time for this no da. Tasuki, we have to leave right away."

"Oh, gotcha." Tasuki stood up and then turned to Kouji. "You're the leader while I'm gone."

"Right."

And then Tasuki patted the tessen that was at his waist with the top of his hand. "I don't know what kind of enemy we're up against this time but just watch, I'll take it out with this Lekka Shinen."

Kouji shrugged his shoulders. "Will it work? Lately it hasn't been very good at emitting fire, and I know that mahariku maharita incantation is weak sometimes..."

"What~!? Why you."

Grabbed by Tasuki, Kouji chuckled. "Go on. I'll protect this place so you go protect Kounan Country."

"......Kouji." Tasuki gave his life long partner who was more than just his right arm man a warm look. Then he cleared his throat and said. "Oh. But don't forget our honor. We are kizoku after all."

Kouji gave a slight nod. "Alright Genrou. But the word is gizoku..."

Chichiri stuck out his staff before his 2 friends. Taka and Tasuki grabbed hold of either end of it. Chichiri, holding the middle section, held up 2 fingers of his left hand in front of his forehead and concentrated his chi.

"Good luck!!!!" Kouji saw them off.

The 3 were sucked into Chichiri's kasa with a poof.

*

"Waaaaaa~~~~~~~h!!"

Immediately after they left Mt. Leikaku, the 3 were suddenly engulfed in a dust storm. Their bodies continued to be bounced about as they cried out.

"He~y! Chichiri, Tasuki, where are you!?"

Chichiri answered Taka's call. "I'm right beside you no da!"

"There's too much dust, I can't see anything."

It was a totally different scale than the clouds of dust that swirled in the Kounan Country main street.

"Heey. I'm right next to ya too." Tasuki said. "By the way, where are we?! Chichiri, get us out of this dust hell place. Did ya drop a spell level!?"

"......I shouldn't have no da but..." Chichiri said seeming to have lost a bit of self-confidence.

"Right. Mt. Taikyoku wasn't this kind of place..." Taka said and frowned. "But, it couldn't be..." Then the dust storm swirled to a point that it blinded their eyes.

"Waaaahh!"

The 3 automatically covered their faces, but even so they coughed out dust that mercilessly got into their mouths.

"It is!"

The dust storm suddenly stopped at that voice. Their vision cleared just in the small space that the 3 occupied.

Before their eyes was Taiitsukun riding on a cloud. "This is that Mt. Taikyoku..."

"Taiitsukun..." Taka slightly shook his head.

"Long time no see no da..."

Looking at Chichiri, Taiitsukun nodded.

"Oh, Sunakake-babaa! So then this is all your doing? And that cat girl, Nyan Nyan, is your accomplice, right?" Tasuki said and pointed at Taiitsukun.

"Idiot!!!!!! You've gotten older but you haven't grown up at all!" Sunakake-babaa pointed back at Tasuki.

In front of Taka, Chichiri, and Tasuki, Taiitsukun said. "I used as much power as I could to hold off the destruction... Because of that, Mt. Taikyoku has come to this..." "............"

"Even my powers have limits."

"Taiitsukun..."

Taiitsukun laughed weakly. "Have you come here looking for instructions?"

The 3 nodded silently.

Taiitsukun said. "...Summon Suzaku..."

"Suzaku!?" Taka cried out. "But Suzaku was already summoned..."

Taiitsukun nodded. "That's correct. But you still have a wish left."

"A wish!?" The 3 Seishi cried out all together.

Taiitsukun said. "After Genbu and Byakko no Miko summoned the Shinjuu they each left behind a Shinzahou. If you had them...you'll be granted a summoning of Suzaku again.

"I see no da..." Chichiri hit his hand.

Taiitsukun told them. "The Shinzahou hold as much divine power as the Shinjuu."

"Right! Then Miaka should have left behind a Shinzahou too, right? Taka, hurry up and bring it out. We could fix everything right now with it." Taka shook his head at Tasuki's words. "I don't know. I never heard of anything like that."

"What?! You're gonna be modest and not bring it out?" Tasuki shook Taka.

"Argh." Taiitsukun raised her voice in anger. "Miaka's Shinzahou wasn't something that could be seen by the eye."

"...What was it no da?" Chichiri asked.

Taiitsukun slowly looked at Taka. "It's...her love for you, Taka..."

The 3 of them became perfectly quiet.

Taiitsukun continued. "But it's now small in size... Taka, you understand, right...?"

"......Yes..." Taka answered as he hung his head.

Taiitsukun was talking about the fruit of their love that resided in Miaka's body.

"It's not your fault that it was stolen by another girl." Taiitsukun said to Taka. "It's all the fault of an incredible negative power that radiates from this warped space."

And then she said. "To summon Suzaku, first you need that Shinzahou. Then you have to gather Suzaku no Miko and the Suzaku Seishi..."

"That's impossible. There's only the 3 of us Seishi." Tasuki shook his head.

"No. The souls of the other 4 live." "Souls......" Chichiri muttered. "They...have been reincarnated no da!?"

Taiitsukun nodded. "That's correct. Hotohori, Nuriko, Mitsukake, and Chiriko... The 4 of them should now be reborn in each of their desired forms..."

"Then we should find them, right?"

At Taka's cheerful voice Tasuki also stood up with a "yeah".

"But just finding them isn't enough..."

"What? You're annoying, Sunakake-babaa..."

"What was that?"

Tasuki fled just as he was about to receive an uppercut by Taiitsukun.

"They have to recover their memories of their previous lives. Memories of being honorable Suzaku Seishi in their previous lives..." Chichiri took off his mask and nodded.

"It may not be easy... You'll be fighting against time..." Taiitsukun said and looked over at the 3 Seishi.

"We'll do it." Taka said.

Chichiri and Tasuki gave a great nod.

Taiitsukun added. "And the reincarnated must not come in contact with anyone they knew from their previous life. That is a law of Heaven. If you go against the law, that person will lose their life. You Suzaku Seishi are the only exception."

The 3 looked at each other with solemn faces.

And then Taka asked Taiitsukun. "Taiitsukun... Please tell me one last thing. Suzaku no Miko is..."

"Miaka of course." Taiitsukun promptly answered.

Taka closed his eyes.

"Right. Now, bringing back the Shinzahou from the fake Miko in the palace may be asking too much of you 3..."

Taka opened his eyes. They were filled with great determination. "We'll do it. Whatever it takes! We'll look for our Suzaku friends, awaken their memories of their previous lives, and then bring back my and Miaka's treasure... Kounan Country's treasure...... and summon Suzaku...!"

Taiitsukun gave a great nod. "Now go quickly. The sphere to find the Seishi should be in the Suzaku shrine in the palace. Use it. The destruction will continue to expand. It will expand from every direction, both inside and out." Taiitsukun had a sad expression. The wrinkles of her face were engraved deeper than before. The dust began to swirl again in the cleared up place.

It gradually got stronger.

"Go on, hurry..." Taiitsukun's words disappeared in the violent dust storm.

"Grab hold no da!" Chichiri said.

Taka and Tasuki desperately gripped the staff.

*

"No way..." After doing all he could to repair it, Keisuke opened the Universe of the Four Gods again and was stunned as he continued to read it. "It didn't work?..."

If he had carefully repaired the book, Kounan Country should have gone back to how it was. Keisuke hung his head.

If it had come to this then, the only way was to overcome the difficult task that Taiitsukun had asked of them and summon Suzaku again?...

And if they can't do that, Kounan Country and the book world, everything will be destroyed.

"Taka... Please. Chichiri and Tasuki......Please..." Keisuke spoke to the book, his eyes watering up. "Miaka..." And then he imagined if Taka was destroyed along with the book world and didn't come back. "Will you become a widow at 18 years old?... And continue sleeping like this forever?..." His body trembled and Keisuke thought of one other girl and shook his head. "How can I get you to wake up?......"

The sky outside the room's window faintly grew light.

"I can't just sit here and watch." Keisuke's eyes held determination just like Taka's. He stood up and took out a cel phone from his pocket.

"......Hello... Who's calling in the morning on my day off?..." Kajiwara Tetsuya grabbed the cel phone that continued to ring and said in a displeased voice.

"Oh. Keisuke?... Sigh~, come there with Yui~? Hey, don't be ridiculous. I'm not like you, I'm already an upstanding member of society~. I don't have time to meet with a 5th year college student... Huh~? What was that...?" Tetsuya said in a sleepyhead voice as he pulled the covers over his head. After awhile he kicked up the covers and got up like a spring. "Whaaaaaa~t!? The Universe of the Four Gods has been reviiiii~ved!?" And then before doing anything else, he grabbed his sunglasses.

Evil Black Bird

Right after they left Mt. Taikyoku, the 3 appeared in another new place. "Ohh~! Way to go Chichiri!" Tasuki surveyed the room looking satisfied. "It's been awhile since I've been in the Kounan palace."

The Emperor's subordinates were rooted to the spot as they comically pointed at the 3 who had suddenly appeared.

Taka exchanged glances with Tasuki and Chichiri and stepped forward toward the throne with the 2 following him.

"Your majesty, these 2 are the Suzaku Seishi, Chichiri and Tasuki."

"......Those 2 are?"

Chichiri and Tasuki came before Reizeitei and squinted their eyes in admiration.

"You look a lot like Hotohori-sama no da..."

"Oh? This is that Boushin brat... mff mff mff mff." Tasuki struggled as Chichiri covered his mouth.

"I learned that the only way to save the country is to summon Suzaku again. We're going to set out on a journey to find the remaining Suzaku Seishi now."

Reizeitei tilted his head at Taka's words. "But, the rest of them should all be dead..."

"Yes. We'll be looking for their reincarnations." "Reincarnations..." The young Emperor's gaze suddenly wandered far away. "Then, I could see my father?..."

Taka looked down and shook his head. "Unfortunately, except for Seishi, the reincarnated cannot come in contact with those they had a relationship with in their previous life, including family."

"I see... Then my mother cannot see either my father or Nuriko..." Reizeitei lowered his eyes sadly.

Taka sympathized with the Emperor's feelings and bowed his head. Then he said. "In order to find their reincarnations we need the hint sphere we got from Taiitsukun long ago. We returned here to get it. It should be in the Suzaku shrine."

The Emperor nodded. "Alright. You may take it." And then he silently exchanged glances with the aides at his side. "Though we are fighting against time, it is already too late to set out this evening. We will have to supply you with equipment for the journey and it would be advisable for you to prepare and rest for the night."

"......Yes." The 3 Suzaku Seishi exchanged glances and nodded.

"Boushin-sama is level-headed no da..."

"Kounan Country'll be at peace now! ...Won't it?..."

A maid kneeled before Taka, Chichiri, and Tasuki.

The hippo-like maid said in an extremely businesslike voice. "Well then, I will show you to your rooms. This way please."

*

As they followed the maid, Taka said. "Uhh, you also took care of us before, didn't you?..." "Yes, I did." The fat maid spat out. "When Miaka-sama was Miko."

"What? This woman's pissed. What's wrong?"

At Tasuki's voice the maid turned around and said to Taka. "You should ask your heart that."

Taka hung his head. Chichiri and Tasuki shrugged their shoulders.

Now that he thought of it, Reizeitei's attitude earlier wasn't all that friendly either. And the eyes of the aides that surrounded the Emperor were somehow cold.

Chichiri and Tasuki decided that it must be because of Taka dumping Miaka and being with another girl.

The maid, walking quickly, suddenly stopped and told the guests behind her. "This is the room of our new Suzaku no Miko. Sukunami Taka-sama, please stay in this room."

"W-wait a minute." Taka waved his hands about frantically. "If it's possible, could I have another room?..."

"What are you saying?! Aren't you married to Mayo-sama!?"

"Huh?... Well, yeah but ...actually we've already lost interest..."

The maid voraciously finished off the faltering Taka. "Please don't say such foolishness! And when she's with child. How irresponsible!" Steaming and scolding, the maid gave Taka a threatening glance.

Tasuki chuckled. "Taka, give in already."

"Give up no da." Chichiri also muttered sympathetically.

Youtaikou quietly came out of Mayo's room at that moment. When she saw the 3 who had been brought by the maid, her eyes widened. "Oh... Chichiri and Tasuki...! You have been well?" "Yes. Houki-san, you haven't changed either no da." Chichiri squinted his eyes.

Tasuki said nostalgically. "Whenever I see ya Houki-sama, ya look just like Nuriko." He said and hit his hand. "Oh yeah. Why don't we have ya take Nuriko's place?... One less person to look for."

Taka's elbow slammed on top of Tasuki's head.

After hearing from Taka what had happened up until now, Youtaikou gave a slight nod.

"I see..." She said. "So, if you find the other 4 Suzaku Seishi and recover their memories then you can summon Suzaku again, right?"

"No, no, we can't. The problem is Mayo in there... mff mff."

Chichiri covered Tasuki's mouth and grinned.

Youtaikou gave a sad smile. "There's no need to worry about Mayo-san's baby."

".........I see." Taka replied as he looked down. Youtaikou said to Taka. "I will pray for the birth of a healthy baby." And then turning to Chichiri and Tasuki she said. "Please, go on and greet the new Suzaku no Miko."

*

Sakaki Mayo was lying on top of the bed using her elbow as a pillow. When she saw Taka enter the room she jumped out of bed. "Waah, Taka. You've come back!" She then boldly wrapped her arms around Taka's neck. "Hey, listen. Do you know what that Youtaikou woman came here to ask me just now? She wanted me to explain why you dumped Miaka and picked me."

"........."

"How rude. So I told her all kinds of things. What an indecent glutton Miaka is, and that even though she's been in the cooking club for 3 years she can't make anything right..." Then after hearing several clearing of throats, Mayo finally let go of Taka. "Huh? Could they be?"

She came before Chichiri first. "A~h, you're Chichiri, right?! Oh--, the real thing is even better."

"...Nice to meet you, no da..."

Mayo clapped her hands in delight. "That's it. That no da! Hey, could you take off your mask?"

Seeing Chichiri obediently comply, Mayo crossed her arms. "Ye~p, your real face is quite nice."

Then the girl came before Tasuki. "Uwah. Your fangs and beady eyes are more than I imagined. Scary~."

"Wha..." Tasuki faltered. "Oh, where is it, where is it? Is this the halisen?" She took the tessen from his back with a swish.

After a moment, Tasuki returned to his senses. "Son of a bitch! What're ya doing~?"

"Ohh! There it is! Your thick Kansai accent."

"Shuddup." Tasuki snatched the tessen away and turned the other way sulkily.

"By the way" Mayo asked Taka. "Have you found a solution? Will the country be OK now?"

Taka shook his head. "We'll talk about that when we're alone."

The maid called out then. "Well then, Chichiri-sama and Tasuki-sama, I will take you to your rooms. This way please."

"Hey Moomin." Mayo called to the maid. "Don't let anyone in this room tonight. The 2 of us want to be alone. We're newlyweds in love. Alright?"

".........Yes." Moomin sulkily said and left the Miko's room taking the 2 guests who said good-bye to Taka.

*

The palace chimes announced it was midnight. "Taka...... why won't you come here...?" Lying on the bed wearing a long sexy silk robe, Mayo said to Sukunami Taka, who sat in a chair a little bit away

from her with his arms crossed. "Hey. Aren't we husband and wife?" Mayo said and got up.

Taka asked her. "Do you really believe that...?"

"............"

"You're just trying to believe that, aren't you?"

"......No..."

"You know everything so all you're doing is making up a story..."

Mayo frowned then glared at Taka. "Well then, what's this baby inside my stomach...?"

"That's probably...the work of the negative energy that you have..."

"Negative energy?" Mayo raised an eyebrow. "How is my loving you negative energy?!"

Taka hurried over to the agitated Mayo. "Listen. You came here because you wanted to escape from your difficult reality. Your feelings of wanting to escape that reality and your feelings of wanting to deny Miaka's existence..."

"..............."

"Mayo-chan..." "I have always loved you..." Mayo muttered as she looked down. "You don't remember, do you? Everyday I came to the parlor you worked at and I always ordered a chocolate parfait..."

"........."

"Though I was always looking at you, you were only looking at someone else." Mayo laughed. "When I entered Yotsubadai High School and you became the basketball coach, even though you looked at my face, you didn't realize anything."

"........."

"When you were Tamahome and when you were Taka, Miaka-san was always with you... Though I loved you, you never knew I existed... You never knew how I felt..."

"...Mayo-chan..."

"If I had been the one to go into the book back then I probably would have been the one to get together with you... It could have been anyone. That girl was destined to fall in love with Tamahome."

"That's not so." Taka shook his head. "I fell in love because it was Miaka... If it had been another girl who had become Miko it would have become a whole other story..."

"If so, then I'll create this story." Mayo took Taka's hand. "The story of you and me getting together--------" Then Mayo threw herself at Taka. "Taka... ...I love you... to death..."

"Ohh... Wh-what're we gonna do? Taka... can't resist the seduction of a nubile girl..."

"Shh-- Be quiet no da..."

Listening carefully in front of Mr. and Mrs. (?) Sukunami's room, Tasuki and Chichiri looked at each other.

"All we can do is believe in Taka no da..."

"Yeah but, it'll be really bad if he makes her angry."

Chichiri said to Tasuki. "I believe it was...about 2 years ago. ...I heard Taka and Miaka exchange vows of eternal love no da."

Tasuki hit his hand slightly. "I heard it too... Miaka said 'We'll be happy'..."

"That was the wedding ceremony of that world no da."

Tasuki silently nodded.

"It's OK no da. There's nothing that can destroy Taka and Miaka's love no da..."

And then the 2 put their ears to the wall again.

Taka gently untangled himself from Mayo and said. "We have to summon Suzaku in order to save the country. We were told by Taiitsukun that to do that we need Suzaku no Miko, the child, and the Suzaku Seishi. Tomorrow the 3 of us are going out to look for the remaining 4 reincarnated Seishi. And then when we've gathered all the Seishi and recovered their memories, we'll come back here. Until then, I want you to think things over."

".........Taka..."

"Even if we gather the Seishi you can't summon Suzaku..."

"............"

Taka looked at Mayo. "Please, won't you give Miaka back our child?... If you don't..."

"No!" Mayo turned her body sideways. "Why do I have to give it back?! This is our baby!"

Taka put a hand to his forehead and looked down. "Kounan Country will disappear. You'll disappear, Mayo-chan. Do you want that?"

Mayo got silent.

"You have the scrap of handkerchief that Keisuke-san gave you, right? That's a mediation. So you can use it and return to the real world. At any rate, think it over..."

Mayo raised her face. "I told you what will happen if you upset me, didn't I?" And then her eyes went down to her stomach.

The life that resided there emitted a slight red light as if emphasizing its existence.

Mayo suddenly raised a hand. Taka grabbed hold of her arm. ".........Stop..." Then Taka moaned. "If... anything happens to our child. Miaka and I probably won't survive..."

"......Taka..." Mayo's shoulders shook.

"And Kounan Country will disappear too..."

There was a long silence between the 2.

"If..." Mayo said gravely. "If I give back the child and save the country then would you listen to what I have to say?"

Taka answered. "Alright."

"Really...?"

"Yeah."

Mayo's face suddenly lit up. "Then would you stay with me forever?"

Taka nodded.

"Really!?" Mayo grabbed hold of Taka. "I'm so happy..."

"I will if you tell me to. I'll stay with you my whole life." Taka said. "But I'll leave you with just this. The only person I'll love... is Miaka."

At those words, the strength in Mayo's arms weakened.

Her eyes vacantly looked at Taka's neck. "This... this chain..." Taka gently took out the chain from his chest and held the ring that was on it. "You heard about this too, right...? A cheap ring bought at a street stand... Before the final battle with Nakago... when we were truly bound together from the bottom of our hearts...... This is my real wedding ring..."

"............"

Mayo's arms dangled as she leaned her body against Taka's chest. Taka quietly withdrew from her. On his left hand the platinum wedding ring emitted an empty light.

"...Sukunami-kun, what a sinful man you are, senor..." Tasuki sighed outside the room.

"I hope Mayo-chan reconsiders no da but..." Chichiri also gave a similar sigh.

*

The next morning, Taka, Chichiri, and Tasuki gave their farewells to the Emperor in the hall. "We'll be going now."

"Um-hm..." Reizeitei nodded with a solemn expression. "I want to help the country in this crisis somehow..." And then the Emperor extended a sword before the 3. "Take this."

"This is...!?" Taka said in a surprised voice. "Hotohori-sama's divine sword..."

Reizeitei nodded. "I am sure it will be of some use."

Taka reverently took the sword.

"Thank you." The 3 thanked the Emperor for his thoughtfulness.

Then Taka looked at Youtaikou who lingered at the side of the Emperor.

When she met Taka's eyes she suddenly averted her eyes.

Taka said. "Empress. We'll be going now but please take care of Mayo. Because the Shinzahou that Suzaku no Miko left behind is in her body..."

Hearing that, Youtaikou looked back at Taka with a gasp.

Taka silently gave a slight smile and bowed his head deeply.

And then the 3 quietly set out on their journey as the people in the palace watched over them.

*

Sakaki Mayo stayed in her room all by herself. She thought of the 3 setting out on their journey and took out the scrap of Keisuke's handkerchief from her uniform pocket.

"Mayo-chan, can you hear me?!"

Suddenly hearing a voice from somewhere, Mayo wrinkled her forehead.

"Won't you think over what Taka said? Please, come back here and return the child to Miaka~. Please." Keisuke said in a tearful voice. "Hey, why would you want that kind of man~? He has a wife and kid~. Adultery is no good. Right? So come back here and live a cheerful high school life~."

Another voice said. "I'm Hongo Yui! Can you hear me?" Mayo raised her head.

"I also hated Miaka for a long time. Why did everything go Miaka's way? I was jealous of her for a long time. But having seen me like that, Miaka was hurt and wounded more than me. She's that kind of girl. Hey, did Miaka do anything to you Mayo-chan? Those 2 love each other with all their hearts. Please understand! Taking their baby is too much."

"I'm Tetsuya. At any rate, what you need to do now is to calm down a little more and think things through. Listen, you being able to go there in itself is extraordinary..."

Not letting Tetsuya finish, Mayo turned to the mediation and said.

*

"There isn't anything there for me anymore..."

The 3 in the real world gasped when they first heard the voice from the book.

Woken by a call from Keisuke first thing in the morning, Tetsuya had run to the hospital with Yui, not even taking anything with them.

"Mayo-chan." The 3 shouted at the book at the same time.

A voice replied again. "There isn't anything there for me anymore. So I won't go back there. I won't... I won't let those 2 be happy..."

*

Then she grabbed the handkerchief and roughly stuffed it in her pocket. "Letting those 2... be happy?... Happy?..." Mayo muttered the same words over and over again. A dark mass that seemed to boil began to reside inside Mayo. As if it disagreed with that, the faint red light that colored Mayo's abdomen disappeared.

Mayo twisted her face a bit.

She slanted her eyebrows and deep wrinkles etched her forehead.

A low ominous voice resounded inside her mind. New Suzaku no Miko------- The voice called Mayo.

Who are you?... Mayo asked.

I am------- Suzaku.

Suzaku...!?

Yes. Your master.

Mayo gulped.

You wish to win the heart of that young man named Sukunami Taka, do you not? The voice said to Mayo. If so then you must not let go of that child. That is your trump card. Do you understand that?

Mayo gave a small nod.

But if the Suzaku Seishi are gathered, that child will return to Miaka no matter how much you resist.

What?... The voice continued. For you to win Taka's love, you must give birth to the child here.

......If I do then Taka will accept my feelings?...

Yes. The voice answered. Now you understand what you must do?

But before that, the destruction of the country...

Do not worry. I will hold that off.

Mayo stood up.

She narrowed her eyes and muttered in a low voice. "Think I'll allow the Suzaku Seishi to get together?..."

A black shadow towered over Mayo's back.

It had the form of a bird with it's wings spread wide.

To be precise, it had the form of Suzaku that it professed to be.

But anyone who saw it should know that the shadow of the evil thing was completely different from Suzaku.

Of course, Mayo wouldn't know that.

Why? Because that bird had been born of Sakaki Mayo's heart--------.

*

"It's... a fake Suzaku... This is bad..." Keisuke held his head. "No wonder repairing the book didn't stop the destruction... That girl's impure twisted heart gave birth to a fake Suzaku and the destruction... is continuing to expand..." Keisuke's eyes fell on the Universe of the Four Gods that had returned again to its original form.

"What will happen?..." Yui said in an anxious voice. "Keisuke. You wouldn't happen to like that Mayo girl?..." Tetsuya asked him.

Keisuke shook his head. "......Don't be ridiculous. I'm an old fart to her, and I'm just her basketball coach..."

Tetsuya tilted his head.

Keisuke hung his head. "She's like a little sister......"

Tetsuya chuckled. "Don't strain yourself..." And then he muttered. "But this time...... Kounan Country may be in its biggest crisis..." He narrowed his eyes behind his sunglasses.

At a loss, the 3 stood motionless in the hospital room.

"Everyone. Please..." Yui called out to the picture of the Suzaku Seishi smiling together.

And then she took Miaka's hand. "Miaka... Help Taka..."

But Miaka just slept on peacefully, unresponsive to Yui.

*

The 3 left the palace on their horses and quickly went down the road of swirling dust.

Taka was in the lead. His left hand held Taiitsukun's sphere and at his waist was the divine sword that Reizeitei had given him. At that moment, a small black cloud was born high over the palace.

But upon a closer look, it wasn't a cloud.

"Caw caw caw..." A large flock of ravens continued to circle as they gave ominous cries.

Sakaki Mayo spread open both arms.

At the same time, the huge black shadow of the fake Suzaku behind her spread open its large wings.

"Now, my children. Go."

With that voice the large flock of birds simultaneously flew away from high above the palace toward the direction of Taka, Chichiri, and Tasuki.

"I can't allow what those people are thinking. I can't allow anyone to interfere. I am the one who is creating the story." Sakaki Mayo verified that the ominous envoy flew away.

"I am the one who is Suzaku no Miko----------------"

----- To be continued -----

Afterward

Hello! It's Nishizaki Megumi. Aah, finally, at last, after so long, the time has come.

The last "Fushigi Yuugi" novel.

Various characters' pasts have been introduced in Gaiden 1~6 up until now but, this time in a last special plan, we set it in the near future... about 3 years after the conclusion of the "FY" manga.

And it will be 2 volumes long~.

Now if you're like most FY fans then you've definitely thought "I want to go in The Universe of the Four Gods and have an adventure too!" (Of course I do too! To be rescued by nice boys when I get in trouble with men, to fall in love, to do all kinds of things, and make all kinds of wishes, and eat a lot of yummy food, and, and............ the rest omitted.)

The one making all those wishes come true is the key person in this story, Sakaki Mayo. An ordinary 16 year old high school student. Having an unrequited love for 3 years, problems at home, failing in club life...... With all these things piling up, she accidentally goes into the book but what happens after that is amazing. Exactly the opposite of Miaka, she becomes an insolent arrogant Miko, probably because she had such unhappiness in the real world. (I kind of understand that feeling!)

The fate of Kounan Country...of the world of The Universe of the Four Gods is in the hands of one such high school girl. Now the beloved Suzaku Seishi will show up. In the first volume, the 21 year old Sukunami Taka and the 10 years older Chichiri and Tasuki appear. Oh yeah, and Miaka's older brother also had a big role! In volume 2, Hotohori, Nuriko, Mitsukake, and Chiriko will show up, each reincarnated in another person.

What will everyone be reborn like?!

And will they be able to regain their memories and summon Suzaku again? Will Taka and Miaka's baby return to them safely? And will they be able to protect the Universe of the Four Gods?

The story will continue in the next half with both thrills and chills.

Enjoy it. Watase-sensei, editor O-sama, I'll look to your help in Vol.2 as well.

Ciao for now~! Nishizaki Megumi

Afterward Watase Yuu

Hello! At long last the very end of the novel version of "FY"! ...But since it's split into 2 volumes, farewells will come a little later... So are there a lot of readers who are also breathing a sigh of relief at that!? Editor O said in a discussion "Let's end it in the future." I consulted with Nishizaki-sensei but if it's in the future it would be a story of "children"... and Miaka and the others would be middle-aged, etc. So we decided on it being the "near future". Yes, it's the story of what happened to everyone right after the last 2 pages of Vol.18 of the manga.

Lots of hope was put in the story this time too but, what's interesting is the existence of "Mayo"!?

From how I see it, she's actually the closest to the readers!... Were there a lot of people who also agree?... Since it was first serialized, I got a lot of letters saying "I envy Miaka." "I want to be Suzaku no Miko!" (...Well, the main character was supposed to do that but) Mayo could be one of those readers. She may seem a bit bad but yep yep, you probably understand her.

I'm sure what the readers are happy about more than anything is Chichiri and Tasuki's appearance!!

After about 10 years...the 2 have aged (Well... it's OK not to think about it) but of course they haven't changed. (Laugh) In volume 2, the other

reincarnated Seishi will also show up!!... You'll only read it if they are, right?! (Personally I'm glad Boushin was written in it too...)

I've also gotten letters surprised about it ending, saying "Please continue it!".

But if there's a meeting, then there's a parting. I have gone and created another new world and don't want to always cling to "FY".

There are also people who say "Then how about a Byakko or Genbu story!?". (Laugh) There's only about a 1% chance of that. If it happens, it would probably be a manga... But it may not come true. Frankly there was talk of it being in this novel version but personally I want to take the bet on that small chance, so I refused. If I do it here, then I'd lose the chance to do it there... It's quite a bet, isn't it? If it's no good there then it probably won't see the light of day. If so then I'm truly sorry. But if I do write it, then please read it! ...It probably wouldn't be Shocomi related. It would be in another publication. ...I want to write it. (Laugh) I'll take everyone's support!

It seems there's a "Make the FY novel version an anime video petition" on a friend's home page. I don't have any space so those interested, "Ayashi no Ceres 14" will have the address so... please get it!

Well, until Vol.2 then! Nishizaki-sensei and editor-sama I'll look for your help again. See you!!

about "Fushigi Yuugi Gaiden - Eikou Den - "

Send to

For Nishizaki Megumi-sensei: Nishizaki Megumi-sensei

Shogakukan Palette Bunko 2-3-1 Hitotsubashi, Chiyoda-ku

101-8001 TokyoFor Watase Yuu-sensei:

Watase Yuu-sensei (At the same address)

Author Profiles

Watase YuuA Picses born on March 5th, born and raised in Osaka. Blood type B. Her

interests are music appreciation and games. The kind of games she likes are RPG and puzzles. As for music she likes techno, ethnic, and classical. She

likes listening to stuff that matches her work. Presently very busy working as a manga artist for "Shoujo Comics" and others!

Nishizaki Megumi

An O type Picses born on February 29th. Either because she is cursed with an ultra capricious personality or merely the fault of not having any talent, she's become a (self proclaimed) multi part timer making a living as she likes. She finds it difficult to get excited and easy to lose interest. And yet, she's a free

person with a romantic side and she loves a simple life. She has written "Shousetsu Shishunki Miman Okotowari Vols. 1-4" and "Fushigi Yuugi

Gaiden 1~8" for Palette Bunko.

Eikou Den 1 Translation Notes

Eikou Den = Eternal Light Legend Chapter 4

A maternity passbook records things such as a child's growth, illnesses, vaccinations, etc. from pregnancy until age 6.

Chapter 5

Moomin©Tove Jansson

Chapter 7"Kogyaru" is a fairly recent term that refers to trendy materialistic high school

girls.

"Fry bed" (which was a play on words with "private") could also be read as "fly bed"

Kizoku=nobility

Gizoku=chivalous robber