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Born on the same day and at the same time as Prince Ousu of Yamato, Oto Tachibana was granted life due to the influence of Amano Shiratori, for her destiny was a journey beyond what her meager fate would have expected. Among the many shrines dedicated to the goddess Amaterasu, Oto lived to protect the White Bird Mirror alongside her older sister. She was a fine martial artist and learned powerful fire spells during her tutelage as a protector of the sacred mirror. Yet one day, all that came to a head when the White Bird Mirror vanished.
Upon noticing strangers in the shrine, Oto jumped right into action. With her proficient skill, she utilized her throwing daggers and boomerang blade to the best of her ability. Incredible agility allowed her to bounce atop Genbu and Seiryu to get to the treetops, then bombarded them with her searing fire spells. But the elder wizard was quick to bind her with his magic, and only through the intervention of Oto’s sister did they stop fighting. As Oto mended to Ousu’s wounds, they felt a connection, as if she was destined to be with him. Even with the frightening revelation regarding the prince's destination, she donned her battle outfit and joined Ousu on his journey to the Kingdom of Kumaso.
When they encountered a man desperate to save his daughter from being sacrificed, Oto took the position and went disguised, attempting to infiltrate the Kumaso palace. As Kumaso Takeru began the selection process, Oto improvised with ash and candle wax to deter the war chief, successfully avoiding selection. After Kumaso Takeru chose the sacrifices to their god, Oto ventured deep into the palace chamber, finding one of the girls behind bars and the cavern where the Kumaso deity resided. However, Kumaso Takeru found her stalking the halls and sought to have Oto to be the sacrifice to their savage god. After a brief scuffle of slashing blades and magic spells, Oto was surrounded by the war chief’s soldiers. She was quickly restrained and bound, keeping her from escaping her sacrificial death.
 With the swift aide of her allies, Oto was freed, and she provided assists against the ruthless lava golem Kumasogami with her magic prowess. Though ultimately futile, Ousu - now named Yamato Takeru after defeating Kumaso's war chief - ultimately came in with the save, blasting Kumasogami apart by the power of his wild spirit. As proof of Amaterasu’s guidance, the sacred mirror was delivered unto them. They split ways, with Oto returning to the shrine she defended as Takeru went back to the Emperor’s palace.
As she continued her daily prayers and mending of leaves, she sensed something amiss. Called by fate, she looked upon the battle attire that was said to have been worn by Amaterasu herself. She found Yamato Takeru on the run, and the two escaped the kingdom’s perimeters atop a cliffside. Takeru lamented over the loss of his mother and brother because of the power he possessed, but Oto was certain there was good to the power, as it had saved her life from Kumasogami. Oto suggested taking a longer path to get to Ise, but Takeru questioned why she would want to follow him. She expressed that it was her destiny, and the two embraced over the blazing sun.
They trekked the rocky shores on the way to Ise until a raging storm spurred from nothingness, oblivious of the evil sorcerer Tsukinowa’s presence. The horrific Kaishin Muba emerged from the ocean, and before they knew it, Yamato Takeru was yanked by one of the monster’s many tentacles. Oto tried to free him with her fire spells, but they did little to deter the sea giant. Kaishin Muba retaliated with its Water Mirror Ray, missing Oto, and submerged Takeru beneath the waves. Oto was at first distraught, calling out to him. But in that moment, she recalled what she had said, and that she would die for him. Diving into the ocean, she swam through the chaotic waters until she found Takeru, passed out in the beast’s clutches. Using her fire magic on the creature’s tentacle did the trick, freeing Takeru and allowing her to pull him up. However, even she knew the both of them couldn’t make it together. With a kiss, she gave Takeru the air he needed to float to the top, with her trying to follow suit. Fate rebuffed her chance when Kaishin Muba wrapped her with its lithe appendage, taking her as its sacrifice instead. Accepting her fate, Oto willingly gave herself to the monster, and died in its grip. Both beauty and the beast faded from reality in spiritual particles, all for the man she was destined to be with.
Not all was as it seemed, as Yamato Takeru had to undergo a trial against the ruler of Yomi to prove his worth. But once he had pulled the Sword of Snake Karasai from the altar, and had been informed of the power needed to stop Tsukuyomi, he tapped the coffin and the lid flung off. From the mist within, Oto was pulled from the casket and gently repositioned onto her feet. When she finally realized that she had been revived, Susanoo informed her that the spirit of Amaterasu rested in her, and that she had to help Takeru save the world from the evils of Tsukuyomi. Understanding the task ahead, she was teleported with Takeru to the temple on the moon.
They were quick to encounter Tsukuyomi, even quicker to engage in combat. While Yamato Takeru staved off the immortal powerhouse, Oto tried to the best of her ability to provide assistance. She first used her double-bladed boomerang, which did little to deter Tsukuyomi in his battle against the Yamato warrior. However, her fireballs proved a helpful asset, allowing Takeru to slice the dark lord’s abdominal armor. Enraged but composed, Tsukuyomi began to fire destructive light rays from his eyes, letting Takeru take the brunt of it. Oto rushed to his side, but the two quickly split apart when Tsukuyomi discharged another volley. His eyes tracked that of Oto’s path, only obstructed by the decor that filled his temple. Takeru used this chance to harness the power of the Wild Spirit, but to little avail, as he was still overpowered by Tsukuyomi’s wrath. To bring an end to this, Takeru combined the sword and the mirror and bested the corrupted deity, only for the fortress to collapse on itself. Oto ran, with Takeru by her side, as they now had to contend with the greatest threat to all life: the eight-headed serpent, Orochi.
 At first, it seemed like an uphill battle against a reckoning force of utter destruction. However, Amaterasu’s divine messenger came to the fight, prepared for combat. Teleporting her and Takeru onto its back, they charged into battle against the devil-beast. Once Takeru was knocked off, Oto took the reins and pulled out the White Bird Mirror, channeling its power and bombarding the mighty hydra with divine light. After Takeru plunged the Sword of Snake Karasai into one of Orochi’s many heads, Oto guided Amano Shiratori and caught Takeru when he fell off Orochi's head. Yet just as quickly, the dragon breathed its hellish flames at them, with the explosive blast casting Oto and Takeru into space.
As her and Yamato Takeru came out of a brief state of unconsciousness, Oto felt like she would faint and requested him to take her hand. Her mind faded as her body began to break down into spiritual light, which wrapped Takeru in a warm embrace. The light particles converged into his crystal magatama and shined with brilliant illumination, Takeru realizing that this was the Third Light. As the Sword of Snake Karasai and White Bird Mirror flashed in tandem, her power helped Takeru to merge with the white bird of heaven and finally achieve the power needed to stop the eight-headed dragon: the warrior of the gods, Utsuno Ikusagami.
Orochi's reign was quickly ended. Reformed after merging with the Three Lights, Oto regained her body as they flew down to the crater where Tsukuyomi laid. As Susanoo requested Tsukuyomi to be locked up on the gemstone, Yamato Takeru did as he was told and tossed the evil warlord into space, with sunlight returning to the Earth. Oto questioned as to why he should be allowed to live. Susanoo was firm that Tsukuyomi could return to the world as a god that could bring happiness, as was the nature of the gods. Admiring its beauty from afar, Oto and Takeru made the long voyage home on the back of Amano Shiratori, for a future where the two of them continued their many adventures together. |
