Chapter 1

The Immortality of the 'Universe of the Four Gods'

"Rei, over here!" Sho Sakura, a tall beauty with emerald eyes framed by a mane of brown hair, called over to her darker, mirror image; her twin sister, a girl with parallel features who possessed black hair rather than brown. Sakura dodged left to avoid being blocked by a member of the other team, and waved a hand in the air as she ran to catch up with the other players of the game.

Rei's eyes darted over to her sister, their eyes gleaming like emeralds as they stared into each other's, sending a quiet, understood message to the other.

The twin sisters performed their usual strategy at the end of every soccer game: Rei would race towards the goal, expecting the other team to catch up and block her, then a moment just before she's blocked, Sakura, who has purposely fallen behind hers and the enemy's teams, would remain open, and Rei would pass the ball to Sakura, who would have a clear shot, due to the opposing team surrounding Rei, all who are gathered to one side of the field.

As expected, everything fell into place. Yotsubadai High's girl soccer team won against Jonan Academy.

The entire field fired up into a celebrating roar, while Jonan's losing team scowled and mourned off to the side of the field.

"Rei, Rei!" Sakura called, meeting her sister in the middle of the field.

"Sakura!" Rei gleamed at her younger twin sister. The sisters embraced each other in pride and victory, and the rest of their team reached their arms out to engulf them in cheers and gratitude.

"What do you mean, Miaka?" Big blue eyes stared across the table in utter horror and shock. Her face paled as her heart jumped. "What are you saying, that the 'Shi Jin Tenchi Sho' can't be destroyed?" She thought of the burn marks, the soiled pages…

Miaka bowed her head and dropped her shoulders, as if a heavy weight burdened them. Her brown hair covered her face, which she was thankful for, so that Yui would not see the fear on her face as well. "Tetsuya hadn't told you? The book can't be burned, or destroyed."

Then, in an angry tone, "Haven't you noticed, Yui? The book is a spell! Sorcery!" Miaka quickly stood up and slammed her hand onto the table, her head jotting up so her eyes bore directly into Yui's eyes, a sea of blue, the color of Seiryu. The Seiryu no Miko stared directly back at her best friend, no longer horrified, but yearning to learn more. Miaka's brows furrowed together, and then realizing that other students in the school library were looking at her and Yui, she dropped back down into her chair, overcome with sadness. "Despite all our friends… the memories, the bad, and even the good… the book is sorcery."

Miaka gazed out the library window which overlooked Yotsubadai's soccer field. Girls in uniforms with the school's colors were hugging and rejoicing, congratulating each other in their victory.

'Remain innocent,' Miaka silently prayed. 'There are bigger things than you know, and remain innocent from knowing what those bigger things are.'

Yui looked down at her wrists, her eyes habitually falling onto the lone scar. Images flashed in her mind, memories of the men in the alleyway, of Nakago, of Suboshi, of the tears and pain on Miaka's face when Yui betrayed her, and of Miaka's sweet Tamahome.

'Tamahome,' Yui thought, then quickly turned her head to the right, watching the body, face, and figure of Tamahome examine the library books on a shelf in an aisle. She still doesn't know how, she thought it would be impossible for a story book character to come into real life… But she knows Tamahome is still a story book character, and the boy standing in the library aisle is Taka, a real life man. Taka, who, in every way, looks and acts like Tamahome, but is not him.

"I tried destroying it that one time, remember?" Yui said, quietly. "We went back into the book, together, and the legends of the Gods started over again. Two of Genbu's shichiseishi were there, and Genbu was summoned for the second time, by me, and-"

"Yui," Miaka quietly exclaimed.

Yui looked up and saw that Miaka's face became pale. Realizing the words that just came out of her mouth, she felt a new dread in her stomach.

"Yui, that means the 'Shi Jin Tenchi Sho' is never going to stop," Miaka's voice shook while her body trembled. With each word spoken, her voice became quieter. "Every time another girl goes into the book, new shichiseishi are born, and the Gods are summoned again.