Mikos (巫女 lit. Shrine Priestesses?) are young girls whose role is to aid the Heroes in their fight against the Vertex by receiving oracles from the Shinju-sama.
Abilities[]
Although Mikos do not possess special features that would be useful in combat, they are able to receive messages from the Shinju-sama in the form of visions of the future called oracles. Oracles usually occur in the form of dreams about stars, and that can be used to infer the strength and approximate quantity of Vertex in approaching invasions. Mikos can also remove blight inflicted by the Vertex on the Shinju-sama.
In Bouquet of Brilliance, the Yuusha System is given a new feature, Kagamibune, a teleportation feature that can be used when both the destination and departure areas are liberated and a Miko is present at the time of departure.
Fire Offering Festival[]
Since humans cannot speak to gods, they must communicate their sorrow through grand gestures; thus, in times of great peril, the Taisha will prepare an offering for the heavenly gods to beg them for forgiveness. This ritual, called the Fire Offering Festival (奉火祭 Houka-sai?), requires the sacrifice of six Mikos. They are then taken outside the barrier (although the exact methods for this are unclear), and allow themselves to fall into the flames, where their bodies and souls burn for years.
The Fire Offering Festival has been performed only twice: once in the first year of the Divine Era, as a plea for an armistice; and again in year 300 of the Divine Era, to beg for forgiveness for breaking the agreement of the truce.
List of known Mikos[]
Shinju[]
- Uesato Hinata
- Fujimori Mito
- Aki Masuzu
- Kokudo Aya
- Kiryuu Shizuka
- Hanamoto Yoshika
- Yokote Matsuri
- Tougou Mimori/Washio Sumi (Candidate)
Neutral God (Bouquet of Brilliance Exclusives)[]
Trivia[]
- Sometime during the first 300 years of the Divine Era, all the miko were gathered into the Taisha.
- Despite her title, Karasuma Kumiko is not actually a Miko, and never was.
- Sometimes, a hero with the powers of a miko (called a "Messiah") may take the place of six miko in the Fire Offering Festival. This is extremely rare, however, as Messiahs are not common.
- Yuuki Yuuna is completely unaware that Tougou Mimori is a Miko candidate.
Flower motif[]
With the exception of Kiryuu Shizuka, mikos are associated with Cleyera japonica. The Japanese word sakaki is written with the kanji character 榊, which combines 木 (ki, "tree; wood") and 神 (kami, "spirit; god") to form the meaning "sacred tree; divine tree; Shinju". Wands of Sakaki are used in Shinto ritual.
Gallery[]
