Nana/Synopsis

History
Nana was originally a girl from an Emishi village who was killed by a soldier of an invading army when she attempted to protect her father, brandishing a stick as a weapon.

After her death as a human, she was summoned as a shinki by Arahabaki, whom she refers to as "Aya-sama."

Some time later, an invading country, flying under Heaven's banner, expanded its borders into Emishi territory and purged anyone who had disobeyed the Heavens. However, when Heaven struck down Nana as an ordinary shinki, she was revived as a Blessed Vessel and returned to strike down their ranks. According to what Iwami tells Kazuma, during one of her attacks, the Hafuru-mono committed the terrible sin of "disavowing the source of all life" - that is, harming the cardinal goddess Amaterasu, ruler of the Heavens and personification of the sun. In response to this grave sin, the Heavens revoked Nana's name, placed a Bell on her, and sealed her inside of a stone box.

Nana remained sealed in the box for thousands of years; the voices she heard in the cave kept her from losing her mind. Although she kept writing the name that had been taken from her in order to remember it, she eventually wrote it so many times that she forgot it.

The Heaven Arc
After being released from the stone box where she had been sealed, the Hafuru-mono recieves the name "Nana" from the goddess Bishamonten, who promised her Heavens' head and a place to die.

Volume 15 (59)
Chapter 59: When Kazuma goes to talk with Iwami, Iwami tells him the story of a shinki who had been struck down by Heaven but revived, tearing heaven and earth asunder, even disavowing the "source of life itself", Amaterasu. This shinki was sealed away by Heaven.

Meanwhile, Bishamonten enters the cave - which had been left unguarded due to Kamuhakari - and inspects the stone box in which the Hafuru-mono is sealed, noting that it has an old curse placed on it. Upon being freed by Bishamon and noting the ten (天, "Heaven") in her name, the shinki attacks the goddess, injuring her head by slamming it against the wall of the cave. She is indignant at the concept that Bishamon "rescued her", accusing Bishamon of being one of the "barbarians that attacked the village."

During the fight, from which Bishamon comes out victorious, her reason for releasing Nana is revealed. Bishamon wishes to eliminate the Crafter without putting any of her own shinki in danger, especially after seeing what Chiki's ability had done to Tsuguha. Therefore, she decides to name the legendary Hafuru-mono, whose extraordinary powers would allow her to kill the Sorcerer without sacrificing any of her own shinki. With the promises of "Heaven's head on a platter" and a final resting place, Bishamon convinces the Hafuru-mono to lend her her power. Bishamonten then names her Nana.

Volume 16 (60)
The two set off. Bishamonten takes her to look around the town and she is taken by the sights though still apprehensive of Bishamonten. When Bishamonten realizes Nana is hungry, she tells her to wait while she gets her food. Nana goes wandering around the town and goes to the fields which remind her of her old home. Bishamonten hands her some onigiri and asks her what she thinks of the town, but Nana simply snatches the food away and eats. Later Bishamonten once again equips her and goes to Hiyori's school to find out who is the sorcerer. She notices only Hiyori's and Fujisaki's heads move to see her, so she deduces correctly that Fujisaki is Father. She asks why he has been creating discord and he says he is sick and tired of Gods and humans and wants to torture them. Before she can kill him, the heavens arrive to punish both her and Nana.

Volume 19 (72)


Chapter 72: When Yato and Hiyori come to visit Bishamon, they find Nana sitting by her bedside with Arahabaki in the room. Before falling unconscious, Bishamon asked Arahabaki to spare her the sentence of unending life, after which Arahabaki destroyed the Bell that was on Nana and "made like [she] was dead."