The Twelve Kingdoms

When high school student Youko Nakajima is approached by an enigmatic, blonde-haired stranger named Keiki, her life is turned upside down. Whisked away into the perilous world of the Twelve Kingdoms--a realm teeming with mythical beasts, ancient prophecies, and political intrigue--Youko finds herself alone and hunted. With danger at every corner, she must fight to survive, all while grappling with shocking revelations about her true identity that could shatter everything she thought she knew.

Thrown into the mysterious kingdom of Kou, high schooler Youko Nakajima faces a world brimming with mythical beasts, political turmoil, and unrelenting trials. Yet, in this land where trust is scarce, an unexpected ally—a scholarly half-beast named Rakushun—refuses to abandon her. Together, they journey toward the kingdom of En and the powerful ruler who may hold answers to her purpose in these strange realms.

Taiki, the young black-haired Kirin of the kingdom of Tai is presented with an impossible task. A noble beast shouldered with the duty of selecting the next ruler, he was stolen away by a storm and sent to Japan, where he would be born to a human mother. It's now taken ten years to return Taiki to the land he should've been calling home, but can he truly take up the mantle of Kirin and choose the kingdom's next ruler?

When Rokuta, the Kirin of the En Kingdom, discovered Shouryuu was to become its ruler, he'd hoped the new king would be able to prevent all war. But twenty years later, and the young Kirin is having doubts. Can Shouryuu really protect the common people? Or will the burden of his conflicts end up resting upon the shoulders of the innocent once more, with villages set aflame and children left to starve? Rokuta is at a crossroads—should he support the king's enemies to keep the peace or trust that nobody is better to serve as ruler than Shouryuu?

THREE WOMEN. THREE TRIALS. Despite ascending to the throne of the kingdom of Kei, Youko Nakajima's troubles are still not at an end. As queen, she relies on her many advisors to make up for her lack of experience, but when all they do is squabble with each other, the only thing left to do is descend the mountain and come face-to-face with her subjects themselves. Meanwhile, the king of Hou has been killed by insurgents, and his daughter, Shoukei, is forced to live as a peasant to survive. At the same time, Suzu, a girl from Japan, suddenly finds herself whisked away to the kingdom of Sai.

BRINGING HOPE TO A KINGDOM A queen blind to the hardships of her subjects, a princess ashamed to discover her father's corrupt deeds, and a girl seeking vengeance for the loss of a new friend. Youko, Shoukei, and Suzu continue following their separate paths toward a fairer and more peaceful...