The Twelve Kingdoms: The Shore in Twilight

failing of Gyousou's deserved such a fate? Of course, no king can be said to rule without making mistakes. Perhaps Heaven has a reason for turning its back. But then why condone Asen's existence? He rains death and destruction on the people. Why not help the true king and strike down the pretender?"
    "Risai--"
    "What are we--what are kings and empresses--to Heaven?"
    The Garden of the Gods, Youko suddenly thought with a start. Maybe that's what this was all about. Tentei was the overseer of the realm of this world. Tentei sat upon his throne in Heaven. Youko chose the Rikkan. By entering the name of the officials and ministers upon the Registry of Wizards, she raised them to the status of the divine. She appointed the wizardesses.
    Struck by the thought, she felt her mind reel. In which case, Risai's cry was the cry of the people. Youko had once heard a similar cry in a town in Kei.
    "Risai, I don't know how to answer your questions. But there is one thing that I do know."
    "One thing you do know?"
    "If there is a Heaven, it is not infallible. A Heaven that does not exist cannot err. But a Heaven that does most certainly can."
    A surprised and curious look came to Risai's face.
    "If Heaven has no concrete existence, then there could be no expectation that it could do anything to save us. But if it was up to Heaven alone to save us, then it would certainly err."
    "What do you mean by that?"
    "I mean that only we can save ourselves, Risai."

Chapter 41
    S aid the woman who dwelt in the space between the human and the divine, "I think Taiki has likely lost his horn."
    "What does that mean?" asked Rokuta. "What are the implications?"
    Gyoukuyou drew her brows together. "Think of the horn as that which makes a kirin a kirin. A kirin is a Janus creature. Kirin do not change into people, and people do not become kirin. Rather, they possess both attributes within themselves. However, Taiki no longer possesses a horn. He's lost that attribute of himself. It would not be incorrect to say that it is now sealed inside him."
    "And the human aspect that remains?"
    "As the En Taihou has observed, he could be said to be a mere human. He cannot change, trigger shoku, and hear the will of Heaven. Because some shirei had already attached themselves to him, they will not be lost. However, he won't be able to subdue new shirei."
    "Can he be brought back with us?"
    "An ordinary human cannot be brought back through an ordinary shoku. There are times when humans are caught up in a shoku and swept here. But those are unpredictable events and cannot be willed to occur. If nearby, the odds of being caught up are high, but there's no guarantee that the person involved will be transported across the Kyokai."
    "Is there no sure method then?"
    "No," Gyoukuyou answered in a subdued voice. "Shoku are not within the control of Divine Providence. Heaven cannot cause shoku to occur, and Heaven cannot prevent them from happening. If Heaven could, then Taiki's taika would not have been swept away to Yamato in the first place."
    "That is indeed true," Rokuta sighed. "But what about this? A king crosses the Kyokai and inducts Taiki into the Registry of Wizards."
    "Even if he is appointed a wizard, only a wizard above the rank of count can cross the Kyokai. As I explained previously, there is no provision for creating new positions at that level."
    "Then what? Taiki is over there! The lives of the people of Tai depend on Taiki, and the King being at his side. Are you telling us to simply cast him aside?"
    Gyokuyou sighed deeply. "Taiki does not have his horn. That instrument has already been sealed inside him. Cut off from the psychic streams that carry the life force of the universe, a kirin cannot be expected to live long. That is the opinion of my superiors. They will wait while the situation corrects itself."
    Risai had remained quiet up to that point. She leapt to her feet. "You mean you're going to wait for him to die!"
    Gyoukuyou averted her eyes.
    "Who are these 'superiors' of yours in the first place?"
    "Well--"
    "Are you talking about Tentei and the rest of the gods? These same gods telling us to govern our kingdoms with humanity and according to the Way are telling us to wait for Taiki to die and a new taika to grow and choose a new king?"
    Gyokuyou didn't answer.
    "And what becomes of Taiki? What sin did he ever commit? What about the Royal Tai? Isn't he the king that Taiki sat upon the throne, according to the very will of Tentei? You charge