Devorna watched the humans chosen. Only 5 had the required traits for this to be possibly successful. Of course, at that time the population on Earth was barely 10 millions. 

Devorna herself was one of the many Immortals born to Gherians, beings that humans would label as "demons." Immortals born to them had blue eyes and very lightblond hair, while they srill had dark, sometimes purple-tinted skin and horns like true Gherians. Gherians, being an allied race, did not treat them differently as they knew their coloring was because of their origins. 

The lack of suitable humans was terrible. Even Xeroyians, so similar to humans though both genders way stronger and faster, that had 20 suitable females, successfully birthed only one Immortal. Mitsunari, the said Xeroyia's Devil. Capable of manipulating dark energies. 

This wasn't looking up. Only 5. Speaking of them, Devorna looked at these females. 

One was fair with golden locks and white drapped cloth. She would be perfect. Immortals, being generally dirty blond (with exceptions like Mitsunari, whose hair was black) and with blue or purple colored eyes, would seem perfectly ordinary to fair races, if a bit unnaturally beautiful. Avelon, where people were fair, blond and had pretty eyes, for example, didn't notice anything except violet eyes of their immortals. These immortals were quite lucky as Avalonians had wings. White, feathery wings. Once they joined the alliance, they welcomed purple-eyed ones especially well, as these Immortals were also of their own kind in a way. Most races did.

Second was almost black skinned with black curly hair and had nothing covering her upper part. Something like Balorans. Such cases usually got golden eyes as a trait of being Immortals. Rarely, they had blue eyes.

Third was something in between the previous two. She had brown hair and had covered face. She was picked up from a desert, so it made sense as humans needed to breathe but sand would hadm their lungs. 

Fourth had light skin and flame-like hair. She reminded Devorna of Golians. Their Immortals had dark blue eyes. She had many layers of cloth.

Fifth was quite fair. She had black straight hair, small but elongated eyes, and a flatter nose than the other 4. She was also quite tall for a human. She had big platforms at her feet tied by a small rope and a long pink dress with a big painted belt. Devorna remembered it was called a Kimono. 

Having seen enough, Devorna called the genetic center. "Captain here. Start Project:Eve."

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Chiharu gave birth to a girl. Emperor's daughter, for certain. She wasn't with anyone else. The girl was pure white! She had a few white hairs, her skin was almost white, even her eyelashes were white! Only her eyes, they were Jade green. 

White, the color of death. "Shira. Her name is Shira," Chiharu said before she passed out. The Saburuko (servant, something like a geisha before geishas emerged much later) and emperor Sujin's mistress, unknowingly gave birth to an immortal. 

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Shira, 3 years old, was reading a scroll, Master Gyung watching the child who must have been blessed by gods to be so clever. 

He trained her in martial arts since her 5th month of life, the little miracle was given to him by a dancer too afraid of the child being cursed. After all, she was all white. 

Perhaps, she was to be a stillborn, but the Gods gave her life and this was the mark of this. This child wasn't cursed. Tenjin himself must have blessed the child with knowledge, Izanami bringing her back from the underworld. 

The dancer gave up a true treasure.

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10 years old Shira mastered too many martial arts to be called a "mere girl." That's why she was currently defeating 9 men that foolishly challenged her. In 3 minutes, she beat them all. Strands of silver hair were getting in her eyes the entire time. She could literally take them on blind, but still, it was quite annoying. 

She would have to ask her friend Akane to cut her bangs. 

When Akane was done, Shira had bangs almost right above her jade green eyes and while the rest was still below her waist, it now had cut ends and the strands were symmetrical. "Now, much better. You look beautiful!"

"Thanks. Now it won't get in my eyes."

Gee, you're a girl! You're supposed to do your best to be pretty! Take me! I'm trying to become a beautiful dancer! My feet are growing very little because they are bandaged, so I'll be pretty when I grow up!"

Akane, with her big eyes, brown hair in twin buns and pink lips truly was pretty. And she was only 14. Though, Shira was just as tall as her, being exceptionally tall, taller than even some teenage boys. 

Though, they would have respected her anyway, with her knowing all languages from the empires around. Once, she met a Roman who taught her latin, even. Although he must have been someone very important to be let into Japan. When she asked Master Gyung, he told her that the man had something very precious, so precious that the Emperor decided to trade with him. Purple dust that could color the finest silk, from which he wanted to have a robe made - a gift for the Emperess. 

Shira remarked that she thought the Emperor was very romantic.

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"I have nothing more to teach you. That's why I am giving you the Dragon scroll. Tonight, you may read it. If you are marked worthy, as I am certain you will, there will be no place in this empire where you aren't welcome. This empirenshall be your home. If not, which I doubt would happen, you are still a member of the Sakura clan."

Master Gyung looked at the 14 years old Shira with pride.

That night, Shira read. The scroll contained secret techniques none but those worthy could master. Shira, however, found something else as well. A secret message written by invisible ink, but Shira's alien eyes could see it. The secret to mark self permanently. The secret to create ink that would mark the skin inside, the secret of needles for that ink. 

"I have been found worthy of the journey towards the mark. It is a final test," Shira told master Gyung in the morning. He sent her off to the final journey, knowing she would pass the test.

What he didn't know was that Shira would become so much more than a human ever could.