The Twelve Kingdoms

Haunted by a recurring nightmare, timid, red-haired Youko feels like an outcast.

Yoko comes through the whirlpool of light, gets attacked by a monster and loses Asano and Sugimoto. She walks around an unfamiliar place, finds a village but the villagers lock her up with Sugimoto. Yoko realizes her face has changed. Asano finds Keiki as a beast under attack by another beast. The villagers take Yoko, Sugimoto and Asano to the district authorities but new monsters attack them.

Attacked on their way for judgement, Youko uses the mystical sword Keiki gave her.

Takki, their apparent saviour, has less innocent plans for Youko and Yuka than getting them work in an inn.

Yuka believes herself to be the chosen one instead of Youko, and takes up with the kirin Kourin.

Sugimoto beats Yoko with the power of a Hinman, and Yoko passes out. Yoko wakes up in the hands of a half-beast, Rakushun. No matter how nicely Rakushun treats Yoko, she refuses to open up to him. Rakushun takes Yoko to En Kingdom where all creatures are treated equally. When Yoko and Rakushun are attacked my monsters on the way, Yoko runs to fight back, now with a smile on her face.