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[DerSteppenwolf]

I was attracted to this manga because I recognized "Dakini" as being originally a Sanskrit word (डाकिनी) which, as it turns out, refers to a real body of Buddhist/Hindu mythology which is quite interesting.

 

Dakini generally refers to a class of female supernatural beings which became a part of Japanese myth via Tantric Buddhism from Tibet.  In the Tibetan tradition they are linked heavily with Tantric practices, representing creative energy and are associated with the sky.  In Japan, the dakinis became entangled in the local myth surrounding foxes (kitsune).  "Dakini-ten", a goddess riding a white fox, became a prominent recipient of worship and offerings, particularly by rulers and those desiring power.  It was thought that her favor or the loss thereof could make or break a state.  At least some of the supernatural character attributed to foxes is derived from this.  The same goddess was also associated with an underground offshoot of Shingon Buddhism called the Tachikawa-ryu (mentioned in the manga) who supposedly carried out sexual rituals and other repugnant activity.  They were stamped out in the late Middle Ages and little remains of their doctrines.

 

As to the origins of the dakini, they first emerge in Hindu mythology as the servants of the goddess Kali.  It's not hard to see some parallels here.  Kali is usually depicted in myth as a terrifying, wrathful deity who devours her foes (typically demons), her long tongue representing her thirst for blood.  On a deeper level, Kali is identified with change, energy, and creative potential.  Her name refers to darkness or time as she is thought to represent the fate of all things.

 

So the conclusion I draw is that "Dakini" in the manga is essentially Kali as seen through the lens of Japanese culture.