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.
Current Faith-Protector (chief priest) of the Himuka cult founded by Ikeda Katsuya, his mentor. He lives in Hakata, but is reported missing. His parents died in an accident while he was in high school.
He formed the bird-people subgroup of the Himuka, nine young people with ages ranging from 18 to 31 who gain the ability to fly after performing an ancient Himuka ritual called the Method of Bird-Flight. He himself can't fly without help, however.
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.
One of the three bird-people who remains with Yasuo after Enoki's murder. He sustains serious injuries in an earlier fight against Katou Kiyomasa and later dies when Yasuo tries to use Kihachi's head and loses control.
Son of Asara and Mikenu-no-mikoto, his name means "Stalwart of the Himuka". Distant ancestor of the Miike family.
Also written as: 一万田 鑑実
Head of the Ichimata Clan, which was descended from the third son of Ootomo Yoshinao. He initially served Ootomo Yoshiaki, and after his death in 1550, his son Ootomo Sourin.
Sourin ordered the deaths of Akizane's father Ichimata Akisuke and uncle in 1553, at which point Akizane succeeded as head of the family. He continued to serve Sourin without rancor, and won several battles, making his military reputation. He put down a rebellion by another uncle in 1568 and fought against the Mouri in 1569 at the Battle of Tatarahama. He spent much of his life fighting for Ootomo but was ordered commit suicide in 1588 by Ootomo Yoshimune due to a rebellion of the Ichimata Clan.
Note: Mirage gives the reading of his name as Ichimanda Akizane; "Ichimanda" appears to have replaced "Ichimata" as the favored reading in modern times.
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.
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.
Twin sister of Miike Tetsuya who went missing a year ago. She was the Bonfire Maiden five years ago, when strange things happened during the festival. Afterwards the Miike family began calling her Asara and treated her like royalty.
Miike Tetsuya's granduncle, who took him and his sister Miike Hokage in after their father died and their mother left. He lives in Yakuin Field with his wife, Tetsuya's (unnamed) grandaunt.
He is a Miike Celebrant.
After leaving to live by himself in Kumamoto, Tetsuya never contacts them unless necessary.
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'.
Son of Takachiho's 'Tomb-Protector' who hid Miike Hokage.
He later becomes one of the Miike bird-people and joins the fight for the Middle Peak.
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'.
Cousin of Yasuo who introduced him to the Himuka cult. He was not chosen to be one of the bird-people. Yasuo dislikes his father, who likes to boast about how much money his makes.
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.
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'.
Vocalist of popular rock band SEEVA, he is described as a tall man with red hair and golden-brown skin.
One of the ninjas under Fuuma Kotarou's command. He appears to be somewhat outspoken, given that he ventures to express concern for Kotarou.
Son of Miike Tatsuya, brother of Norihiko, and cousin of Miike Haruya. Appears to be somewhat high-ranking in the Miike family.
One of the three bird-people who remains with Yasuo after Enoki's murder. He dies when Yasuo tries to use Kihachi's head and loses control.
A monk of Rokugou Manzan and subordinate of Ootomo chief retainer Tawara Chikakata who proposed the idea of the Ritual of the Great Fire Wheel. In actuality, Toutetsu is an undercover Uesugi monk who infiltrated Ootomo for intelligence operations at Naoe's instruction.
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.
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".
