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Chapter Five

The pool of water became distorted once more when Tenkou brought his fist into the small sink. His lip curled into a hard sneer as he saw the priestess of Seiryuu reunite with that man she loved. If he was right beside her, then his plans would be harder to carry out…
Yuri, the priestess of Seiryuu, she was the one he wanted to suffer the most. Even after all these centuries he recollected what had happened with great anger, how she had caused his perfect plan to collapse. (1)
She had been the perfect prey because of the depression she was in, having sinned just because she loved another, and had to leave him because of that, then the two dearest to her next to him had been killed because of her own action of loving another.
“You will cure me of this curse and let me be with him?” she had whispered as she touched the bruises and scales that covered half of her body, they were her punishment for loving another physically from the deity she was forced to serve. “And you will also bring them to life once again somehow?”
Because she was in that state of mental confusion she had taken his bait most eagerly, promising to bring what he required to him. She had signed her own doom as soon as she agreed.
His miscalculation was that she would kill herself instead in this deal when she had no way of going back.
“This time…I will not fail.” He stated flatly, in a tone that left no room for doubt. He had learnt from his mistake and he knew that in order to destroy the priestess of Seiryuu, he must first destroy the celestial warrior of suzaku that she loved so much.
Because she was dead, he had been able to manipulate the one known as Hotohori. In the same way he was also wise enough to know that he must not completely limit his focus on one group of people, he must be careful about the priestess of Suzaku and the rest of her warriors as well.
Clicking his fingers he summoned Miiru and Rin, they were amongst his finest servants but he still had to prevent himself from openly sneering as he watched the two siblings that knelt down in front of his throne. Like the priestess of Seiryuu, they had fallen because of their consumption of forbidden love. The same petty emotion that was so important to all these humans.
“You two must destroy the priestess of Seiryuu and the priestess of Suzaku.” he began, masking the contempt he had for them with what appeared to be genuine friendship toward his two subordinates.
His plan was simply but very effective, to simply break them by shattering their emotional barrier. A person become nothing more then a machine when they lost all their strength and will of carrying on. He wanted the two priestesses to be like that so they would lack the strength of living, let along summoning the four gods- which required a tremendous amount of will.
He preferred them to be broken instead of being killed, even though the end would be the same, as the first method would give him much more entertainment.
“The priestess of Suzaku is deeply loved by all of her warriors and it is this love that you must use against them.” He instructed.
All are fool because they don’t realize that too much love is dangerous, he added inside his head as he matched the two in front of them with this statement.
“Likewise, the priestess of Seiryuu’s deep love for that man is what you must use to break her. I am confident,” he declared with what seemed like true trust for the two that he would carelessly discard once they served his purpose. “That you two’s powers will be able to manipulate them.”
Miiru and Rin nodded before they stood up and prepared to depart, their hands joined together despite all the harm that had came to them ever since the day when they first rejoined their hand once more. It was ironic at what changed with one’s growth.
As children they would hold their hands all the time, and people had even praised them for being such a pair of loving siblings. These same people would hurl stones at them when the two teenagers held their hand once more after many years of staying away from the other to prevent what still happened.
“One more word of warning,” Tenkou was almost tempted to not tell them this, but then decided against it. The greatest amusement would not be seeing these two suffering, but it would be to see the priestess of Seiryuu reduced to a broken doll as soon as possible.
“The priestess of Seiryuu is the more dangerous one due to her love. It is true that the priestess of Suzaku loves as much as her, but unlike the priestess of Seiryuu, she would not do everything just for the sake of her loved ones. Remember the story of the Seiryuu priestess, she had killed for the sake of the man she love, and some of these people were innocent, and she knew it. She will do literally anything for him.”
Once again he recollected what had happened so long ago, what she would have done just to be with the man that she love, as well as what she did to make him live. She had sacrificed the life of others in order to have his life continuing- the one who was like a brother to her!
When they left he turned to that pool of water again and once more, he began to observe her as she began to make her way toward the shinzaho of Kutou. It was probably too late for him to prevent her from taking it but he was certain that there would be an amusing show for him to see. (2)

Kutou finally managed to give her people the peace and stability that had long been absent with the reign of the new ruler. Due to this, the people of Kutou began to believe in their guardian, Seiryuu, once again.
They also regard Houkigou, Seiryuu’s priestess with a very strong reverence, as Seiryuu would never have appeared and heal their long corrupted country without her. That was why she almost became a goddess to the people of Kutou.
While she was only ever spoken as the priestess, instead of a goddess, the people of Kutou would pray to her as well Seiryuu. It was clear that their new emperor felt the same way about her, as he erected a statue of her in the temple of Seiryuu when he rebuilt it. There would always be a group of people in the temple praying to Seiryuu or his priestess, some even travelled from the other end of the country just to visit the temple. Sometimes it was even possible to have visitors from Konan. (3)
That was why the two strangers making their inquiries about the temple was not an usual sight, since the man and woman who held the other’s hand so tightly as if there was a fear for the other disappearing, the warden thought of them as lovers who were celebrating their marriage by going to see the statue of Houkigou. This was rather common, as Houkigou and Saihitei’s story was regarded as a very beautiful love legend by many.
The man appeared as unusually beautiful, and using the word beautiful to describe him was not strange at all, as he truly was that fair to look upon. Even though he was dressed very plainly, there was a strange air of authority around him, when he asked a question, they felt that they had to answer it.
His companion was a woman, this was distinguished from the figure that was barely visible due to the rather thick cloak she had on her, the cowl was pulled down to hid her face completely- although her long hair was still visible, and tresses of her curly hair managed to escape from the cloak’s bound.
“There had been a miracle here in this temple!” one of the temple wardens declared out proudly.
“A miracle?” the woman asked rather sharply, her hand tightening on her companion’s even more. “What sort of miracle?”
The statue had been based on one of the paintings done by the emperor, and it was said to bore a deep resemblance to Houkigou, the priestess of Seiryuu. Even though the people of Kutou managed to discover her real name: Houki Yuri, they still preferred to call her by her title if they must call her by something other then the priestess of Seiryuu, as they felt that she deserved to be addressed in such a respectful fashion.
Both the emperor and his guards recollected that the priestess of Seiryuu had rather short hair, they remembered this as they thought that it was a bit too short, rather unusual for a woman even if she was from a completely different world. (4)
So the statue was modelled with short hair, but the morning after it was erected in the temple, the priestess’ hair became long and flowing, reaching up to her waist.
There was no way that someone could have sneaked in the temple and changed the statue in this fashion, although anyone could enter the temple at anytime. It was because the statue was made in a way that any more attempt of moulding it, would break completely.
“It must be a sign from Seiryuu,” the warden ended, “it was said that Houkigou actually had very long hair, probably as long as your hair.”
“Is that so?” the woman said with a slight amusement and wonder in her voice, automatically, she tugged her hood down even further.
It was good that she did so because she would have caused a great chaos due to being recognized immediately, the statue of her was almost like a photograph. She had seen pictures of many famous Greek statues before but she had never appreciated sculpturing as much as painting until now. This work truly captured that fragment of memory the emperor of Kutou had of her from their very brief meeting.
The statue was a china statue that allowed the artists to paint colours onto it, and the artist had done the paintings so carefully that the statue became even more real. The blue dress was darker at bits, and the hem of her skirt even seemed be rippling slightly. (5)
“I am smiling…” Yuri, as that was the identity of the strange woman, said in wonder. “Have they even seen me smile before?”
Hotohori was naturally her companion, he too, marvelled at the lifelikeness of the statue. Upon seeing the peaceful smile of the statue, he couldn’t help but to smile tenderly at both the woman and her reflection.
Suddenly, they both gasped. Resting around the hair of the statue at the crown was that jade headdress. Hotohori could sense the power that was coming from it as easily as Yuri.
“The shinzaho of Seiryuu.” Yuri whispered, her hand touched the part of her head that once had the headdress around. “I know that I am meant to get this.”
“Should we go to the palace and find the emperor then?” Hotohori suggested.
She nodded. “I know almost nothing of him but I believe that he would help us. I think he will remember me, even though many years had passed.” (6)
Unknown to both Yuri and Hotohori, they arrived at the time when the emperor would be making one of his long customary visit. Even now, the wardens outside were beginning to clear the temple for their ruler.

The new emperor of Kutou was a very different emperor from most of his ancestors, technically he was not the new emperor as he was the emperor even before his brother died, because he was the rightful heir.
He was a strange emperor for Kutou as he was so idealistic, many other men who suffered what he suffered would often turn to the opposite way of thinking, to inflict the same pain onto the rest of the world, so that they would suffer what they had to.
Nakago was like that.
The emperor of Kutou was now in his late thirties, his thirty ninth year. He had elected no empress and many suspected that he no longer had any interest in women since his accident, although he did do his duty by providing Kutou with an heir that was now fifteen year old, a rather sombre boy who took his duties of helping his father very seriously.
It was said that the boy had been born from a maid in the palace before the emperor’s accident happened. Since the emperor never selected any concubines due to the civil war that marked his first shorter reign, this bastard boy naturally became the heir. It was not unusual for such a thing to happen, although it was more preferable that the emperor to be was borne from an elected concubine, but since the boy’s mother was not a prostitute, there were little objections.
The young boy had been beside his father when Yuri first came, liked the rest of the people of Kutou he saw her as a saviour. He would pray in front of the statue faithfully, recollection how the woman who had appeared in front of them was truly identical to this statue, as she seemed equally immobile.
His childish eyes judged her to be rather pretty, but it was not a beauty that appealed to him. The difference between the statue in the temple and the real woman was that the real pair of eyes had been too cold and distant, instead of staring at those who knelt in the temple with that peaceful smile that reached to her eyes.
As he grew older he learnt more about the legends and even travelled to the famous temple of Suzaku in the capital of Konan. Much to his disappointment he found nothing that could show him the humanity of the priestess of Seiryuu, that she had been a human being like him. (7)
Maybe that was why it was so easy for him to believe in her powers.
“Father, you are shaking. Are you unwell?” he asked in great concern as he guided his father to the door way.
“I have a very strange feeling, it was identical to what I felt before she came to my hideout and delivered her news.” Was the strange reply. Turning to a warden, the emperor asked: “Who is in the temple right now?”
“Only a man and a woman, I was just going to get them out…”
“No.” the emperor of Kutou said, waving his hand in a gesture of dismissal at all the wardens. “Leave them be.”

Instead of following Hotohori and turning away from the statue, Yuri found herself taking another step toward it, and even stretched out her hand. It was not as if she had lost command over her body’s actions, it was only that she could not force her mind to be rational.
The shinzaho was calling out to her, just as the book had called her to it all these years ago. She wanted to grasp that headdress into her own hands right now, and she knew that it wanted her to claim it.
She could no longer remember who had first twirled the jewellery around her hair, she had been like a corpse as she prepared to summon Seiryuu, because she must be the living sacrifice. She was only aware of the decoration in her hair when she peered into the water to see her self one last time.
Seiryuu did devour her, and this headdress was the only thing that he had left. Later on, the emperor of Konan, Kotsuki, sent this back to Kutou along with his agreement of the peace treaty. (8)
Without any one telling her Yuri knew that the headdress was the shinzaho of Seiryuu. Since she was the priestess of Seiryuu, it could be said to be her possession.
Hotohori was wise in suggesting going to the emperor first, and that would be the most logical thing to do. The emperor of Kutou would help her, but she was ignoring any logic.
Yuri closed her hand over the headdress and slid it off the statue. The moment her flesh came to contact with the jade, a soft blue light began to illuminate around the headdress.
“Yuri…” Hotohori began again.
“I do not know why or how, but I have to take this right now.” Yuri explained.
The emperor of Kutou choose to enter at this moment with his son, the first thing they both noticed was that the sacred headdress was no longer resting on the statue, but in the woman’s hand instead.
To them, the jade headdress was sacred, not just because it had been deemed as holy items left by Seiryuu along with the ceremonial robe since a the stories were first told, but because like the robe, it was one of the only physical things they had to remember their priestess by.
At the sight of the emperor Yuri was shocked, as she could actually recognize him, although she did not even know his name. As for the equally well dressed young man beside him, that must be the little boy who had stared at her rather fearfully from behind the throne.
“How dare you!” the emperor hissed, he was angry but somehow he could not convey the anger fully.
Yuri raised her hand to push the cowl of her cloak down, and at the same time pulled the white hair ribbon off, her long hair immediately fell down in a thick abundance of curls.
“Do you recognize me now?” she asked softly.
The crown prince literally chocked as he saw the priestess of Seiryuu again with her statue right behind her. It was as if the reflection of the mirror had decided to play a trick by appearing as well, as the likeness of the priestess had been caught down so well.
He was so shocked that he almost tripped when he felt his father pulling him down to kneel beside him.

Meanwhile in Konan, Miaka and the rest of her celestial warriors had arrived. With the exception of her and Taka, whom she knew that she must call Tamahome, as that is who he is now, everyone else was not reacting well to all that had happened.
Some of them still had great difficulty in believing that they actually travelled through a scroll, while for those who managed to suspend their believes about how they got there, they were now trying to work out where they were- which was another great shock.
“But where is this place?” Dokun chocked out once more. “It seems like ancient china but yet I have never seen these names in any encyclopaedia.”
“Well…” Miaka began nervously, unsure of how to explain this. Even though some of the reincarnated celestial warriors believe in the concept of past lives this was still a very hard thing to explain.
“The thing is…” she began.
“Did we fall into a time portal or something?” Genro mumbled, eying everything with suspension, especially the two girls who stood a few pace away from them, and pointing at him, giggling. “Keisuke would love this place.” (9)
“I’ll go and ask someone.” Hojun decided practically after he exchanged a glance with Ju-An, after all, the two of them were the oldest.
“Ryoen, your brother and Yuri at least seem to know about what is happening.” Ju-An said softly, as they all waited for Hojun. The two of them decided that it would be best for them to hide here for a while, until they knew what kind of situation they had stumbled into.
Ryoen could only nod. Like the others he was deeply confused at what happened last night, why Yuri was able to be disappeared into a scroll with his brother, and the strange conversation that she had with Seishuku.
Once more, it sounded as if something had happened to them a few years ago, before that fateful meeting in the hospital, but he knew full well that the first time Seishuku left the village had been with him.
“I don’t know anything anymore.” Ryoen whispered.
“Who does?” Genro said good naturedly. “After all we fell into a scroll, as crazy as that sound.”
“Their cloths…” Ju-An was just going to make some remark about the familiarity of the peasant’s clothes when they were suddenly approached by two fully armed man.
“You, what is your name!?” one of them barked to Ju-An, clearly because he seemed the oldest in the group.”
“My name? It is Ju-An.” (10)
“What is your trade?”
“Why are you asking him this?” Genro butted in, waving his fist in a rather threat-like fashion.
At this blunt threat the two guards, as that was what the two men were, scoffed and took out their imperial orders.
“YOU WANT ME TO GO TO THE PALACE WITH YOU AS A POSSIBLE CONCUBINE FOR THE EMPEROR!!!” Miaka’s screeches were three time sharper as usual as she read the words on the imperial document.
“Don’t make such a fuss!” one of the guards snapped, grabbing her hand. “You might not even be deemed suitable.”
Somehow this seemed so much more offensive then her being seen as a possible candidate.
“Don’t you dare lay a hand on her!” Tamahome yelled, pulling Miaka back to him. “Don’t you know who she is?”
Meanwhile Hojun had made his way discreetly back the moment he saw this chaos. Even though he was very confused at the information that he just heard, including this kingdom’s mere existence, he was wise enough to accept the facts first and try to get out of this mess, then debate about the reality.
“But we are foreign to this place…” he began with what he hoped as a natural laugh.
“Yes, we are from…” Ju-An quickly caught on.
“Your origin does not matter, we were ordered to take any virgin girls who seem beautiful enough.” The other guard explained, stepping up to take Miaka by the wrist again. “Beside, the last empress of Konan was actually foreign.”
“But she is not a virgin!” Ju-An suddenly burst out.
“Yes, yes, she already…” Hojun began.
In a way it was almost funny, this took them to the night before Seishuku’s wedding with Yuri when the soon to be groom had asked the two of them why they were still not married, when they both knew who they wanted to marry.
“Because I feel that I want to see more of the world.” Hojun had replied, quickly followed by Ju-An’s: “Yes, I want to learn more.”
“Why don’t you marry Shoka then and take her with you, you know she will follow you.” Seishuku demanded to Ju-An, then turned to Hojun. “And you, you are worse, you know you want to marry her so why don’t you at least tell her?”
“But that’ll be unfair because I am not ready to be spend enough time wit her, as I will need for a marriage.” Ju-An finally said.
“Yes, yes, I am not ready to settle down yet.” Hojun added.
Like last time, the first part was true while the second bit was a lie.
Miaka had to ruin the two men’s hard work.
“How dare you say that I am not a virgin? I am a virgin!” she snapped back at them. (11)
“Miaka…” Ryoen muttered in exasperation. “You can be so…”
“Hand her over!” the guards said together. “Or…”
“She is the priestess of Suzaku, how dare you treat her like this?” Tamahome finally screamed out.
For the first time the two guards realized the strange clothing all these seven people were wearing underneath their cloak, the clothes were queer both in the style and the material. Now that they thought about it, the cloth on the girl does seem rather like the description they had heard.
“Then please come to the palace with us.” Immediately, the two changed to tones of the utmost respect. “There will be many in the palace who have seen you before.”
Miaka nodded. “So, how long has it been?”
“Priestess of Suzaku, it has been four years since Suzaku and Seiryuu were called out, and four years since the death of Saihitei and Houkigou.”
“Wait wait wait! What did you just call her, and what is all this?” Genro burst out.
Miaka and Tamahome exchanged glances again before they nodded. It was time to tell them what had happened.
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