A figure from the tenth to eleventh century. Born as the eldest legitimate son of Minamoto no Mitsunaka, he was the progenitor of the Settsu Genji clan and contributed to the overall development of the Seiwa Genji line.
At the same time, he was the greatest killer of mysteries in the Heian Era – slaying many monsters such as Shuten-douji of Mount Ooe, the Tsuchigumo, the Ushi-Oni of Asakusa-dera, and many more.
…Although obviously historically recorded as male, Raikou was a woman due to some secret from her birth.
Leading her retainers known as the Four Heavenly Kings — Watanabe no Tsuna, Sakata no Kintoki, Urabe no Suetake, and Usui Sadamitsu — she safeguarded the peace of the capital.
While a cool and hardened warrior, she is also a beauty possessing of great patience and tolerance. Truly, an embodiment of motherly love.
A momentary summoning of the oxen (or Ushi-Oni, ox-demons) that are the divine servants of Gozu Ten'nou, the Ox-Headed Divine King – who is the source of Raikou's demonic nature and abnormality. Raikou then sweeps through the enemy ranks alongside them. The weapons which appear with the thunderous force of a god represent the souls of the Four Heavenly Kings who served under her.
An elegant, pure, attractive and youthful woman.
She is a serious-minded career soldier, but can become teary-eyed like a doting and worrying parent when it comes to Kintoki.
Although appearing to be a sensible woman who prizes peace and quiet above all else – as she is not entirely human in nature but somewhat divine, she tends to see things from a higher and broader point of view.
On the other hand, she becomes very emotionally attached to anyone she loves, becoming the embodiment of motherhood in her determination to antagonise the rest of the world for the sake of her son.
The son of Minamoto no Mitsunaka, born as a heaven-sent child of Gozu Ten'nou, was shunned for its abnormal birth (child of an oni) and given to a temple to be raised in secret.
When she turned fifteen, the shunned child was given the name "Ushi-gozen," and created a demonic country in Sunagawa-no-Suzunomori.
Ushi-gozen was slain by a warrior who shared the same father, Minamoto no Raikou. Raikou led the Four Heavenly Kings on this mission.
Ushi-gozen was the avatar of Gozu Ten'nou, and Gozu Ten'nou was an avatar of Indra.
…But who was Ushi-gozen, really?
What was the conclusion of their battle?
Only Minamoto no Raikou and Sakata Kintoki know the truth.
The skill to strengthen physical capacities at the cost of one's reason.
In Raikou's case, she does not lose her reason at all and remains her intellectual self. However, her mentality becomes polluted by her oni blood, leading her to her unnatural expression of motherly love and failure to follow morals. She will fanatically protect those she love, willing to eliminate any obstacle for their sakes.
In short, she becomes mentally ill.
Unlike other Berserkers, this breach in her mind is not made apparent at all in the eyes of outside observers.
Generally, it is impossible to persuade or convince her to improve.
To Raikou, the Master she contracted with is a single ray of hope in the darkness.
Her Master is her destined soul mate, who contracted not only with Kintoki, but herself, in spite of her demonic aspects.
Thus, she dotes on her Master with frightening obsession.
However, her desire to monopolize her Master is so strong that she will immediately weep if her Master pays attention to anyone else, and interrogate her Master in anguish if she suspects adultery.
"Motherly love" would be a charitable way of describing her, but her excessive affection causes her to treat her child as a possession, and robbing it of its future and freedom.
Although Raikou's love has entered the realm of madness, even her deep wisdom and advanced intellect fail to acknowledge the problem (to those around her, never mind herself).