Four Gods/Haruka 5

The Four Gods (四神, Shishin) in Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 5 are currently irregularities to the series's canon. Everything seen on this page has no bearing to the Four Gods seen in other titles.

Restore the four locations within the modern world and complete the default route (new game) once to gain the base for other character routes. Players who have save data from the previous Haruka PSP port can gain the Four Gods whenever the main party returns to the modern world. Those playing without it are required to complete the Eight Guardians' personal routes to gain the same event.

Gods and their divine aides are voiced by the former voice actor mainstays for the Eight Guardians in previous entries. The divine aides speak in a single scene in the canon ending and a drama CD track dedicated to them.

Background Story
The Four Gods protected the parallel world peacefully for centuries. When tensions rose for Sekigahara, each god was approached by generals from the Western armies. Seiryu and Suzaku swore loyalty to unnamed families; Byakko served a Shimazu general and Genbu made a pact with a Mōri retainer. Gods weren't enough to prevent their defeat to the Eastern Army, as Seiryu and Suzaku were directly cursed by Nankoubou into corrupted talismans. The spiritual link shared between the gods caused Byakko and Genbu to suffer from the same curse. Nankoubou used the four cursed gods to subdue the captured Amami, binding his divine powers to the Four Gods' curse.

Seiryu was passed down to a loyal shogunate family before being stationed in Tosa for generations. It was eventually given to the Sakamoto clan. Suzaku was given to Yorifusa Tokugawa and stayed within Mito, getting passed down to its branch of trusted retainers in the Fujita clan. Byakko remained within Satsuma. Genbu was hidden in Choushu by the surrendering Mōri with hopes of someday using it stand against the shogunate. It was kept within a trusted treasury until the current setting.

Ordinarily, it would be impossible for a person to summon one of the gods without a White Dragon Priestess's pillar of elemental stability. Nankoubou's curses bypasses her necessity by substituting her presence with a costly exchange. Whenever a person summons a god from his talismans, their life force is drained to fuel the god's powers. The berserk gods are in constant pain when they emerge and often lack self-restraint to hold themselves back. Users gain incredible powers at the cost of shorter lifespans. Even guardians risk great self-harm by summoning a god without a priestess's aid.

Story Events
Amami instructs Yuki to collect the four corrupted gods and purify them with her priestess powers. By doing so, she believes she can implement the means of restoring her desolate home world. She experiences close calls with Suzaku and Genbu, but the first talisman she is able to personally procure is Seiryu. Ryouma gives it to Yuki after confirming her kindness and will to stop conflict.

Suzaku is the first god Yuki witnesses in the parallel world. It is used by Makoto to fight against the shogunate forces. Wishing to save the wailing god and prodded by Amami to act, Yuki and her childhood friends defeat it. Makoto's control weakens, and Yuki's party is magically transported back to the modern world. Amami uses his authority to confiscate the talisman and permit the Shinsengumi to use it. During the Ikedaya incident, Kondou orders Souji to use it, resulting in a great fire around the block. Yuki arrives to calm and purify it.

Byakko is within Komatsu's possession, but he is too busy with his normal schedule to think of using it. It becomes feral during its centuries of dormancy, forgetting its divine duty to protect humanity. When Komatsu is away, the beast god somehow breaks free of its seal to terrorize the locals in Choushu. The samurai noble becomes aware of it and works with Yuki to investigate it. She and her comrades subdue the deity to return to its purified talisman.

Genbu is entrusted to Takasugi before the main story and is summoned by him for his revolts. He uses the god to hunt down foreigners, getting obstructed by his encounter with Ernest. Takasugi uses it again within the capital in an attempt to overthrow the shogunate directly. He summons it again during the first punitive war in Choushu. Yuki and company succeed stopping him and purifying the deity in their third encounter.

While the cursed gods are being purified, they attempt to warn their priestess to not trust Amami. Each god is too weak to be coherent for her, so she obligingly collects them and visits the minister after each sealing. During her visits to him, Ouchi replaces them with lookalikes. Yuki and company place these fake talismans in pedestals within the modern world, gradually restoring locations with each accomplishment. They are unaware that they were placing the Four Fiends until Sou later reveals the truth during Yinglong's destruction. Yuki and company are immediately sent to the parallel world and meet Amami within Nikko Toshogu Shrine. He obliterates the real gods to fuel his own divine powers.

The Four Gods' destruction would have signaled the next generation's birth, but the resurrections are obstructed by the Four Fiends' stigmata of spiritual pestilence in the modern world. Once the Four Fiends are slain, the Four Gods are reborn into pure if weakened states. They can emerge into select areas of the parallel world using a humanoid form. Each time they use their human form, they erect a barrier to speak with the priestess and his set of guardians. Divine aides adhere to the Four Gods' rebirth, resonating with the priestess after she grows with her guardians.

Whether the player pays attention to them or not, the Four Gods and divine aides eventually combine their powers to send their priestess and her companions back to the Warring States period so they can save Amami of the past. After Yuki and company defeat Nankoubou, the monk loses the power to rely on curses. His curses on the Four Gods dispel, freeing them to their proper designations within the heavens. Kazahanaki Yuki and her guardians can therefore conjure their powers unchallenged within Edo.

Personal Routes
Yuki and her guardians are expected to strengthen the Four God talismans by summoning each god at least fifteen times. Their events can be seen throughout Yuki's story and all events from all gods must be seen for either god's ending. Avoid other character paths and proceed to the last chapter in Yuki's story for their ending path.

Seiryu= When Seiryu first emerges, his opinions of his guardians are abysmal. He is not amused by Shun's reproachfulness nor by Ryouma's apparent incompetence. As a god, he has every qualification for protecting the priestess. The dragon is on the verge of demoting them until their protectiveness for Yuki impresses him enough to reconsider. He orders the trio to continue working hard for him. Despite his rudeness, Yuki promises to make him stronger and keep purifying vengeful spirits for him.

Their next meeting takes place at Fushimi in the capital, an eastern shrine with enough Wood energy to borrow for his human form. Ryouma bluntly surmises the god is still deficient if he cannot take his real form by himself, earning him a baneful reprimand from Seiryu. The dragon god does complement the rebel for never summoning his predecessor as it allowed his current incarnation to retain a fragment of its powers. Shun's smarmy remark and departure causes Ryouma to chase after him.

Seiryu shares his belief that humans can't be entrusted to Yuki. He privately requests for her to seek for his attention. Yuki is confused by his offer, but the god doesn't expect an immediate answer since he has all eternity to wait for her. Before his power runs out, he declares for her to keep eradicating specters with him as her blade.

In due time Seiryu has regained enough strength to morph into his real form without their support. He calls for Yuki's answer to his prior inquiry, explaining to his prying guardians that it is a promise between lovers. Their protests breaks Seiryu's tolerance for their company. He places Yuki onto his back and flies away to a safe undisclosed location.

The dragon morphs into his human form after Yuki safely regains her footing. Now without intrusions, Seiryu expresses his heartfelt gratitude to the priestess for staying true to her word. She thanks him for always coming when summoned. The god already knows her answer and motions for her to keep it to herself, gesturing instead for her lone smile. Yuki notes his selfishness is strange for a god for humanity. Seiryu admits his duty is meddlesome. If he were able, he desires to spend eternity by her side. He relents to her second smile to give up for now, returning her to her comrades and half-threatening them to keep Yuki safe for him. The new Suzaku addresses his two guardians politely and rejoices their respect towards him. When Chinami criticizes Souji's mild indifference to the god, Suzaku hushes him with forgiveness. He implores the young men to never bicker with each other. When he pays attention to Yuki, the avian god suddenly pales. Apologizing for his discourtesy, the deity assures them he will always help when they call for him.
 * -| Suzaku =

He emerges again at Bisha no Hana with an appeal to talk to Yuki in private. Chinami and Souji oblige, letting the avian god address her knowledge of summoning gods. When Yuki replies that she can support the energies needed for summoning, Suzaku touches upon her dwindling life force. Not wanting to upset him with the truth, she tries to lie about it. Her lie was done as an act of kindness, an act that the god of kindness can instantly see through.

Suzaku promises not to tell anyone about his knowledge but decides it would be best for Yuki to no longer summon him, imploring her to consider his inquiry before reverting into a talisman. The guardians return once they no longer feel their god's presence, clarifying for Yuki that they did not overhear their conversation. She ponders telling them the truth about her frail state but doesn't have the courage. She apologizes to the god.

The priestess and her guardians keep summoning him, developing him to a state which can resume his divine duties. He thanks the trio whilst in his beast god form. Wishing to talk to Yuki in private, he changes into human form and shares a walk with her. Yuki wonders if Suzaku's earlier announcement to duty was made her sake. The god explains he has decided to distance himself from her in an effort to protect what little of her life remains.

Yuki declines his notions, expressing her belief that she can only be strong with the comfort of knowing he is watching over them. She wants Suzaku to stay beside them. The god is moved by her resolve to comply. He voices his desire to never again see her hurt as he embraces her, hoping that she will promise to never sacrifice herself for him. After she bashfully accepts, the god returns to his talisman. Byakko starts his introduction joking that he wants to be fed, fresh meat being his preferable menu. He senses his guardians are good with words and invites them to entertain him in a game of wits. Komatsu and Ouchi agree to do so in their leisure, although they are caught off guard by his sly and unbecoming behavior. Byakko notices Yuki and lazily swears to do his part, as long as it amuses him.
 * -| Byakko=

The tiger god has pestered his guardians far too many times for word games. When he emerges again at Tenjogatake, they immediately take their leave and drop the load onto Yuki. She decides to play in their stead, and the god accepts. He introduces her to Dandara, a poetry game which asks for a creative five-seven-five syllable poem. The goal for both participants is to create a composition with dual and contrasting meanings.

He starts a poem for the upper half. When read literally, it states a white tiger is laying down underneath a cold sky. Yuki plays up the particular pun for he uses for laying and replaces it with yearning in her reply. Byakko warmly accepts her reply, gesturing for her to act upon her infatuation for him and to lay within his arms. Yuki refuses by calling quits. Amused by her rejection, Byakko withdraws with a promise to play another game with her.

When he appears again, his guardians don't bother to be present. Byakko wishes to continue from their game, insisting that words have the power to become reality. He presents a hypothetical question to Yuki, wishing to know her last thoughts for accepting a premature death. Regardless of her answer, Byakko can't comprehend her opinion nor can he accept an inevitable fate. Remembering his berserk predecessor and its mindless rampage, Byakko feels he may someday succumb to the same demise upon regaining his powers.

The priestess assures him that she will not let it happen. Her strong words soothe his grievances enough to trust his fate to her. Byakko adds they are now bound to one another, their destinies forever intertwined. Yuki tries to remind him that his divine duties won't permit his selfishness, so he counters that he will wish for a human life. If his words are permitted by the gods, he looks forward to playing another word game with her. As the new god of dexterity, Genbu seeks to learn as much as possible. He commands Ernest to teach him English and for Takasugi to teach him horseback riding. Ernest sarcastically states he might consider it if the god can bow his head to him. Genbu insists the gesture is unnecessary and expects immediate compliance. His arrogance leads to both guardians leaving in disgust. When the tortoise god asks the priestess for an opinion, Yuki advises trying to humor them with humility and understanding.
 * -| Genbu=

Both guardians expect to be treated with the same presumptuousness when Genbu appears at Mount Funaoka. Instead, the god requests Yuki to be his official witness as he politely bows his head. Genbu has reflected upon his behavior, imploring his guardians to help him understand humans better. Though surprised by his change of heart, they agree to stay true to their word. Excited by the good news, Genbu thanks the priestess. He states he wants to learn love from her, hoping she can teach it to him.

In between his second and third appearances, his guardians have been teaching him in areas where water energy is plentiful. He asks Ernest and Takasugi to observe him from afar, riding a horse to greet Yuki. The god gives her a horseback ride and is pleased when she is impressed by his expertise. Genbu is worried that his English is not up to par and asks Yuki to listen to it. She asks him to display a few examples for her, all of which are hit-ons. Ignoring their meanings, she confirms the phrases' legitimacy for the god.

Genbu expresses his mixed feelings for relying on humanity as he thinks it may be unbecoming for a god. Yuki encourages it, feeling that anyone can benefit by opening their hearts to another. She thinks Genbu can shine by knowing so much unknown to their native lands, bolstering his self-esteem. The tortoise god wishes to proclaim his growing intimacy for her and swears what would normally be a wedding oath to her in English. He feels his face being flushed, wondering if the sensation is the love he sought. He has no regrets when he turns back into a talisman.

Once the Satchou Alliance weakens Amami's influences, the main party heads towards his headquarters in Nikko. The restored Four Gods materialize before her to congratulate her progress and express their gratitude. They ask her to believe in them with her words and convictions. Every god laments his inability to join her to the modern world, each expressing his fondness for her company alone.

Amami's defeat sends him back to the Loophole of Time and the gods praise the group again for their efforts. After Yuki bids her farewells to her parallel world friends, she is magically intercepted in the gap between worlds. Somehow, the Four Gods' desire to join their priestess allows them to become human. Each god comes to her side, and she gets to choose who among them will return home with her.

Development
Ruby Party wanted the gods to resemble their real forms with Chinese themed clothing. Seiryu was based on an Asian dragon's back, Suzaku's highlights are his feather earrings, Byakko was designed to have feline facial features, and Genbu's daopao includes a tortoise shell print. Their creation was meant to cater to fans of previous Haruka titles with a set of "different beautiful men". The deities were originally planned to not have stories, but members of the development team volunteered to write them since they liked the roughs that Tohko Mizuno had created too much to abandon them.

Developers wanted to keep the first set of regular voice actors to ease the transition for the newer voice cast. The veteran voice actors expressed amusement for voicing deities, remarking that they have finally "ascended" to a different existence within the series. Every voice actor hopes their successors will fare well with their new responsibilities.

Personality
As a whole, the gods value the White Dragon Priestess. They admire Yuki's altruism and her resolve to stay true to a happy future. The deities believe she has a penetrating charm and radiance unique to her, feeling compelled to answer and protect it. Their obligations to her eventually shape into mortal intimacy for every god. Each god struggles to deal with their departure from one another.

Seiryu relishes his authority as a deity. Proud of his existence, he makes no attempts to hide his displeasures nor does he feel the need to submit to anyone besides the White Dragon. He is confident in his capabilities and tends to brag about his greatness. If possible, he seeks to swear his undying loyalty to Yuki alone.

Suzaku uses benign acquiescence as his guide. He rules like a babying mother, encouraging humanity to improve while watching gently and worrying from afar. Many mistake him to be a tame avian beast yet he is the scariest of the four gods if he is angered. Suzaku treasures Yuki for her generosity to others.

Byakko acts as a suave gentleman yet he is rather playful. The tiger is rarely direct with his thoughts and is quite wordy, always using puns to express himself. He enjoys toying with his audience in order to pin them with another game. Byakko desires to chase the priestess and continue their game of wits.

Genbu is like an inquisitive child: he asks questions without end and seeks to know everything. New to human emotions, he seeks to learn them from a scholarly perspective. The tortoise god feels he can be the master to everything with time, seeking to follow the footsteps of his predecessor. He appreciates the priestess's company and understanding.

Character Symbolism
Their symbolic colors correspond with each god's namesake. Seiryu is blue, Suzaku is vermilion, Byakko is white, and Genbu is black. Their symbolic items represent the emotion ruled by each god.

Seiryu's symbolic item is the borage or star flower, so named because of its blossom's shape and prickly stem. Japanese may know it better as blue lettuce, an edible flower accompaniment for salads. Its Celtic name is barrach. Crusaders reportedly drank concoctions with the flower, and warriors in the Middle East kept it underneath their scarves or clothing. It was believed by these cultures to give one the courage to overcome hardship. Another ancient belief tied to the flower is that it was born from the seed of love, specifically from a once happy pair of lovers. Their thoughts foster the seeds to blossom. This legend associates the flower with protection.

Suzaku is tied to the clivia miniata, a flower native to forests in South Africa. According to English legend, the flower was named after a wedded couple of aristocrats as representation of their acceptance for one another. Its Latin name is named nobility, so its often associated with a noble image. The vibrant, dropping red-orange blossoms which was passed down by word of mouth and brought to Japan during the Heian period. It is not known to be particularly popular in the east, but it symbolizes feelings of kindness within the Japanese flower language.

The queen of the night is associated with Byakko. Within Japan, the cactus flower is celebrated as an ephemeral beauty that blooms only once during a single night. It is a popular misconception which has led to stories of it blooming for misbegotten love affairs or for a lovely midnight tryst with a beautiful maiden. An urban legend states that the flower was first named on a whim by Emperor Showa when he was prince-regent; he blurted the name when asked to identify it to the Governor-General of Taiwan and the name stuck. The stories particularly prefer to celebrate the plant's striking white blossoms for a romantic moonlit image, although it can bloom during the day in a variety of colors.

The Japanese beautyberry is the signal for Genbu. The plant's violet berries are inedible for humans but adored for centuries, usually being treasured over its white blossoms. According to legend, the berries served as the partial namesake for Murasaki Shikibu and several other Heian women. The plant was frequently seen within the author's garden and was said to have been her favorite spot to sit and contemplate her next composition. Her association with it ties into implications of sagacity and elegance in the Japanese flower language.

Quotes
Brackets ([]) distinguishes original English script from Japanese dialogue.


 * "Of course Seiryu wouldn't make our lady cry, not after he swore on his word to help us. So you can promise to never do this again. Right, Seiryu?"
 * "Naturally. So long as you guardians do your jobs and protect her."
 * "No worries. We'll be so good at it that we'll never need to call for you. You can sit back and watch us."
 * "Remember those words."
 * Ryouma and Seiryu


 * "Priestess, is your body suffering from a burden?"
 * "A burden? ...I don't know what you're talking about. I don't feel tired or exhausted after I summon you."
 * "Your gaze sparks with such dignified beauty. As though your eyes could burn into me, the bearer of flames. Perhaps your bravery shall not soften with my warnings, yet they must be spoken."
 * Suzaku and Yuki


 * "Ah, this feeling is Byakko."
 * "I see my guardians have left me. Heartless as always."
 * "(Now that I think about it, I don't see Ouchi or Komatsu anywhere.)"
 * Yuki and Byakko


 * "My studies are vexing. I asked him to teach me these so-called-healing words favored by foreigners. I don't believe I am doing well and I can't tell if I am mistaken. It's difficult."
 * "Repeating from memory is one form of learning. What are some of the phrases he taught you?"
 * "[Do you believe in love at first sight?]"
 * "... What else?"
 * "[Sweet Little Princess, would you go out with me?]"
 * "Did I say something wrong?"
 * "Ah, no, of course not. It sounded very pretty."
 * Genbu and Yuki
 * Genbu and Yuki

Summons
Spells can become available during repeated playthroughs of Yuki's story.
 * Seiryu: Modern world, amusement park
 * Suzaku: Modern world, public park
 * Byakko: Modern world, botanical garden
 * Genbu: Modern world, aquarium
 * Kōzanze Myō-Oh: chapter 7, Komatsu Manor
 * Gundari Myō-Oh: chapter 8, Mount Hanao
 * Dai'itoku Myō-Oh: chapter 9, Kawatana Hotsprings
 * Kongōyasha Myō-Oh: chapter 10, Komatsu Manor