Glossary

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Asara (阿佐羅)

Also known as: 鵜ノ目姫 (Unome-hime)

According to legend, she was the daughter of Inari Ookami, or alternatively the incarnation of a dragon from the sacred pool of Mitai, forcibly taken by Kihachi as his wife.

In Mirage of Blaze: A distant ancestor of the Miike family.

Chiaki Shuuhei (千秋修平)

Birthday: Apr. 1
Height: 6'
Weight: 150 lbs
Blood type: B
Possessed by: Yasuda Nagahide.

The current incarnation of Yasuda Nagahide who shows up in Takaya's class one day after hypnotizing everyone into believing that he's been one of Takaya's best friends for ages. He is described as being a prodigy at Jouhoku High who is popular both with the teachers and the girls. He wears glasses, has a well-proportioned body, and gives the impression of cool maturity. He is around two years older than Takaya and lives alone. He appears to have cut off all ties with his family.

Notes: He appears as 'Chiaki' in narration. Naoe and Haruie call him 'Nagahide', and Takaya calls him Chiaki. Most of the students at Jouhoku High call him Chiaki-kun.

Fuuma Kotarou (風魔小太郎)

Historically: The name Fuuma Kotarou was given to each leader of the Fuuma Clan/organization of ninjas which served the Later Houjou Clan, starting with its first leader. The clan started information-gathering and espionage activities in the time of Houjou Souun, the founder of the Later Houjou Clan. The clan name began as 風間, composed of the characters for "wind" and "space", but was changed to its present form, a homophone composed of the characters for "wind" and "evil/demonic/magical."

In its 100 years of service to the Houjou Clan, the most renowned Fuuma Kotarou was the fifth, who served Houjou Ujimasa and his son Houjou Ujinao (unknown - 1603). Stories say that he was 7'1". One of his most famous exploits was in 1580 and the Battle of Kise-gawa, during which he slipped into the enemy camp at night and caused mass chaos. Another famous ninja, Ninokuruwa Isuke, also belonged to the Fuuma Clan.

After the destruction of the Houjou Clan, Kotarou and the Fuuma Clan became thieves near Edo. Kotarou was captured and executed in 1603 from information given by Kousaka Jinai, another ninja-turned-thief who formerly served the Takeda Clan.

In Mirage of Blaze: Fuuma Kotarou leads the Fuuma ninjas in service to the Houjou Clan. He is described as a tall, slender man with broad shoulders and a muscular but supple body. He wears his hair long, tied in a long tail that reaches to his waist.

Hakkai (八海)

One of the Meikai Uesugi Army and leader of the «Nokizaru», described as a man in his mid-thirties with a square, expressionless face and piercing, somewhat gloomy eyes. He operates under Kagetora's direct command.

Ikeda Katsuya (池田克哉)

Founder and former chief priest of the Himuka cult, the 'Faith-Protector' who recently passed away at the age of 80. He was a close mentor to his hand-picked successor, Enoki Masamichi.

He is described as gentle and kind, and looked like a 'neighborhood uncle' or 'good-natured retiree'.

Inaba Akemi (稲葉朱実)

One of Takaya's classmates at Old Castle High School in junior class B who is known as a celebrity-chaser. She's a superfan of Shiba Eiji and was very excited to see him live on tour. She's described as having shoulder-length hair. She has a sister who lives in Fukuoka.

She's known Miike Tetsuya, whom she calls Te-chan, since she was in primary school and seems to take being shoved to the ground and dismissiveness from him as a matter of course.

She is also friends with Koganezawa Kyouko and Satou Emi (a fellow SEEVA fan) in junior class C and a girl in her own class she calls Ma-chan.

Kaizaki Makoto (開崎誠)

An employee of Keibu Real Estate, said to be a distant relative of its CEO Tatsumi Yoshitsugu. A descendant of the Satomi Clan with psychic powers of his own.

Described as looking like a young industrialist with flawless poise, he wears silver thin-rimmed glasses and is around 30. He has almond-shaped black eyes and black hair he usually wears slicked back.

Kihachi (鬼八)

Also known as: 金八 (Kinpachi), Onhachi, Buddhist Priest Kihachi, Kihachifushi, 走建 (Hashiritakeru, Hasetakeru)

Kihachi is mentioned in the Asahi Daijin (1189) at Takachiho Shrine.

There are many legends about Kihachi, including:

- He served Takeiwatatsu-no-mikoto and ran to retrieve his arrows during the god's target practice. He retrieved 99 arrows, but grew so tired that he retrieved the 100th with his foot. Displeased, Takeiwatatsu-no-mikoto cut off his head. The head rose into the sky and brought frost on the land until it was warmed by a bonfire.

- Onihachi lived in Chichi Cave at the foot of Mt. Nijou. He forcibly took Unome-hime (also known as Asara-hime), daughter of Inari-hime, as his wife and hid her.

- (From the Miyazaki Legends) Similar to the Takeiwatatsu-no-mikoto story, he angered Aso-myoujin of Higo by picking an arrow up with his foot. His wife Asara-hime, an incarnation of a dragon from Mitai, rebelled against him at the behest of Mikeirino-no-mikoto (Mikenu-no-mikoto), whereupon Tabe Shigetaka and others subjugated him, cut him into pieces, and buried the parts in three separate places.

- (From Takachiho) He was a demon who lived in a cave until he was killed by a son of Emperor Jimmu, who cut him to pieces and buried him in three separate places.

- (Also from Takachiho) His real name was Hashiritakeru, a giant spider. He ruled Takachiho, harried the people, and violently carried off beautiful women. He was exterminated by Mikeirino-no-mikoto, his body cut up, and buried in several places. He was described as a god who could make frost at will.

Kitazato Minako (北里美奈子)

Kagetora's beloved in the age before he became Ougi Takaya.

Koganezawa Kyouko (金沢今日子)

A student at Old Castle High School in junior class C who has been friends with Inaba Akemi since junior high.

She has something of a reputation for going through boyfriends quickly and decides to seduce Chiaki Shuuhei, her Math teacher. She is manager of the rugby team and gets Chiaki to agree to be the team's advisor in Kobayashi's place.

Kousaka Masanobu (高坂昌信)
1527 - 1578

Also called: Kousaka Danjou Masanobu (高坂弾正昌信), Kousaka Danjou Nosuke Masanobu (高坂弾正忠昌信), Kasuga Toratsuna (春日虎綱), Kasuga Gensuke (春日源助)
Title: Danjou Nosuke/Faithful True-Shot (弾正忠)

Historically: One of Takeda Shingen's most loyal retainers who was one of his Twenty-Four Generals and played a key part in the fourth battle of Kawanakajima.

Kousaka was born in Kai to a wealthy farmer, Kasuga Ookuma (?) (春日大隈). His father died when he was 16, and he lost a lawsuit against his elder sister's husband for ownership of his father's lands. He then enrolled in the service of Takeda Shingen.

Kousaka first served as a messenger for Shingen. He distinguished himself in battle, and rose swiftly through the ranks of Shingen's trusted retainers. He participated in most of Shingen's battles. He did not hesitate to retreat when required, which earned him the nickname of "Escaping Danjou". However, he was calm and logical in the midst of battle, and was perhaps the best of Shingen's generals.

There are anecdotes that in his younger days, Kousaka and Shingen were engaged in a shudo relationship, and Kousaka rose so quickly in Shingen's service because of Shingen's affection.

After Shingen's death in 1573, Kousaka continued on to serve Takeda Katsuyori. He sought an alliance between the Takeda clan and their old enemy, the Uesugi clan, in order to unite against the threat of Oda Nobunaga.

Kousaka died in 1578 of illness at the age of 52. He was succeeded by his second son, Kousaka Masamoto (高坂昌元), his first son, Kousaka Masazumi (高坂昌澄) having died in the Battle of Nagashino in 1575.

In Mirage of Blaze: A kanshousha who, along with Sanjou-no-Kata, breaks the barrier over Takeda Shingen's tomb, the Maenduka, in an attempt to resurrect Shingen by using Narita Yuzuru as a vessel for his spirit.

According to Haruie, Kousaka has a high level of spiritual sensing ability (reisa), such that he is able to recognize someone he had met before even after their soul has undergone purification. He warns Naoe that Narita Yuzuru's existence is a threat to the Roku Dou Sekai.

Miike Haruya (三池春哉)

Miike Tetsuya's uncle (older brother of Tetsuya's father), who is current head of the Miike family, the Spirit-Protector.

He is in his mid-forties. Chiaki describes him as looking like an intellectual who is endowed with a special kind of dignity and looks stylish in a kimono.

Miike Hideya (三池英哉)

Miike Tetsuya's father and the Miike Spirit-Protector before Miike Haruya. He was murdered nine years ago.

Miike Tetsuya (三池哲哉)

One of Takaya's classmates at Old Castle High School in junior class B who is something of a loner and delinquent. He's known Inaba Akemi since they were children and lives on his own. He has short hair with the front sticking up, which Akemi calls a 'hedgehog head'.

Narita Yuzuru (成田譲)

Possessed by: Takeda Shingen (temporarily)

Ougi Takaya's best friend and an honor student at his school.

Notes: He appears as 'Yuzuru' in narration. Takaya calls him 'Yuzuru'. Naoe calls him 'Yuzuru-san', and Chiaki calls him 'Narita'.

Nezu Kouichi (根津耕)

One of Takaya's classmates at Old Castle High School in junior class B who leads a group of students opposed to the Mikuriya Juri-led student council. He seems particularly antagonistic towards Takaya. Described as not large or handsome, but imbued with a certain presence.

Osamu (治)

One of the three bird-people who remains with Yasuo after Enoki's murder. He dies in a helicopter chase trying to protect Asara from Oda Nobunaga.

Ougi Takaya (仰木高耶)

Birthday: July 23
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 134 lbs
Blood type: O
Possessed by: Uesugi Kagetora

At the beginning of the story Takaya is a seventeen-year-old high school delinquent with no memory of his past. His parents divorced when he was a first-year junior high school student, probably because his father started drinking when his business failed. His mother remarried and lives in Sendai.

He was born and raised in Matsumoto and lives there with his sister, Miya. He attends Jouhoku High and is in the same class (Year Two Group Three) as his best friend, Narita Yuzuru.

Notes: He appears as 'Takaya' in narration. Nagahide and Haruie call him 'Kagetora', and Naoe calls him 'Kagetora-sama' and 'Takaya-san'. Most of the students at Jouhoku High call him 'Ougi-kun' (Chiaki calls him 'Ougi' at school). Miya calls him 'Onii-chan', and Yuzuru calls him 'Takaya'.

Saeki Ryouko (佐伯遼子)

Ryouko is second-in-command to Enoki Masamichi, Faith-Protector of the Himuka Cult. She has the strongest flying ability among them.

She appears to be older than most of the other Bird-people and was studying medicine before she joining the cult.

Saruwatari Nobumitsu (猿渡信光)
1534 - 1587-05-24

Saruwatari Nobumitsu was son of Saruwatari Nobusuke and a retainer of the Shimazu Clan. He held Kaseda and Hazuki as his fiefdoms and was extolled as a brave warrior. He fought in the invasion of Higo and led 1,000 soldiers (out of 6,000 - 8,000) in the Battle of Okitanawate of May 3, 1584 against the Ryuuzouji army. His heir Yajirou was killed in the battle.

He was killed in 1587 during the Battle of Nejirozaka during Toyotomi Hideyoshi's pacification of Kyuushuu.

Sassa Narimasa (佐々成政)
Feb. 2, 1536 - July 7, 1588

Also known as: Kuranosuke—nickname (内蔵助)
Titles: Mutsu no Kami, Ecchuu no Kami, Chamberlain

A daimyo of the Sengoku, born in Owari. His father was Sassa Morimasa. His two older brothers, Sassa Masatsugu and Sassa Magosuke, died in battle, so Narimasa became head of the clan and master of Hira Castle in 1560. He distinguished himself in the loyal service of Oda Nobunaga and fought in many of Nobunaga's battles. His name was first on a list for the Kurohoro-gumi, an elite group of Nobunaga's bodyguards.

In 1580, he backed Jinbou Nagazumi against both the Uesugi Clan and the Ikkou-ikki in Ecchuu, and was given half the province. The following year, he was named governor (Kami) of the entire province when Jinbou Nagazumi lost his standing. He made Toyama Castle his main castle and performed extensive repairs and renovations on it.

After Nobunaga's death in 1582, Narimasa continued to engage in fierce battles with Uesugi Kagekatsu. He took the side of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobukatsu against Toyotomi Hideyoshi, but later surrendered to him in 1585 when Hideyoshi laid siege to Toyama Castle with 10,000 troops. He lost Ecchuu, but was given a fief in Higo in 1587 for merits in the suppression of Kyuushuu, along with instructions on refraining from hasty reforms. Ignoring those instructions because of illness or perhaps misunderstanding, Narimasa immediately set out on Hideyoshi's nationwide land survey, resulting in rebellion of the province. He was charged with misgovernment and committed ritual suicide.

He wrote the following as his death-poem: "The shell of my begging bowl in which I have placed the evil delusions of these recent days now breaks" (この頃の 厄妄想を 入れ置きし 鉄鉢袋 今破るなり).

Narimasa is said to have brutally killed his concubine, Sayuri, along with her family for a rumor of infidelity. The legend goes that Sayuri cursed him before she died, and the curse was responsible for his death at the hand of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

In Mirage of Blaze: He is kanshousha who has entered the «Yami-Sengoku» as one of the Oda's commanders, described as a tanned, fearless-looking young man, a "mountain cat in human skin." He and Mori Ranmaru don't appear to be on the best of terms. He later seeks his death at Sayuri's hands in remorse for the way he brutally tortured and killed her in their previous lives.

Takenomata Yoshitsuna (竹俣慶綱)
1524 - 1582

Titles: Mikawa no Kami

A vassal of Uesugi Kenshin who fought in the Battle of Kawanakajima in 1561. He was commended for his bravery when he continued fighting even after losing both his horse and his armor. He supported Uesugi Kagekatsu in the Otate no Ran. Later, he committed suicide in the Battle of Uozu Castle along with twelve other Uesugi commanders.

Yagami (八神)

Formerly Hakkai's lieutenant, appointed head of the Uesugi «Nokizaru» by Kagetora after Hakkai went missing.

Yasuo (康夫)

At 18, the youngest of the Bird-people of the Himuka cult. His flying ability is only second to Saeki Ryouko's.

He worked as a mechanic and was a loner until he entered the Himuka cult, and developed a hatred for all 'Yamato', believing the Himuka to be a superior race. He becomes the head (Faith-Protector) of the Himuka cult.

Yokote no Gorou (横手五郎)

Orphaned son of courageous general Kiyama Masachika of Higo, he was a giant of a man recognized as a person of unrivaled physical strength, said to possess the strength of 75 men. He was one of the coolie workers who built Kumamoto Castle.

"Yokote no" is not a family name; it means "side/beside", so Yokote no Gorou is something like "Gorou at the side".