Yae Sakura

Yae Sakura was a miko of Yae Village. Despite her devotion, hard work, and wishes for the village's well-being, her ill sister was ultimately sacrificed and used in a barbaric ritual to try and bring rain during the droughts. Despite her sister's last wish to not let fate burden her, Sakura gradually began to feel hatred towards the village. Yae Sakura was born in Yae Village, Shinano, Japan, to the Yae family, and had a natural stigmata. She also had a younger sister by the name of Yae Rin who was often sickly—a stark contrast to Sakura herself. Thus, she made it her duty to take care of Rin, and the two were practically inseparable. That was until, a drought plagued the village, prompting her father to choose to sacrifice Rin. Unwilling to part with her sister, the young Sakura made plans to escape with her sister out of the village. However, her father discovers this and has the villagers hamstring Rin prior to the actual ritual. When Sakura was called up to deal the final blow, she cut Rin's bindings and tried to run, only to realize that Rin could no longer use her legs. Her father then grabbed her hand and drove the blade through Rin, while Rin's last wishes of "being a good miko" will haunt Sakura for years. When Sakura was younger, she had an unshakeable will to do everything possible for the sake of her younger sister. At a young age, she was already burdened with the layers of responsibilities and handled them well, finding satisfaction in her duties, especially concerning her sister. However, after Rin died, Sakura's world shattered, and she became cold and detached, performing her newfound duties with diligence and grace as a miko simply because of Rin's dying wish. It was only until she met Kallen, did she start to hope and feel again, for something she wanted to protect in this world.