Synopsis
During the upheaval of the Jinshin-no-Ran civil war in 762, a child was born with a small horn protruding from his forehead. His mother denounced him as an oni and abandoned him. An elderly female shūgenja took the child in and named him Utsunomiko, meaning 'Divine Child of the Heavens,' explaining that his horn represents the union of heaven and earth. Miko grew up in the wild, learning the practices of Shugendō, and eventually began visiting villages out of curiosity. He witnessed the poverty and suffering of the common people and started using his spiritual abilities to aid them. However, his fury toward the selfish rulers and their petty power struggles intensified, leading to open conflict with the Imperial Court and setting Miko on a long journey as a defender of the oppressed.
