About

The setting is the Taisho era. In a Japan teeming with evil spirits and yokai, this is the story of the Onmyoji Upapalon and his Shikigami, Guest. ・Onmyoji An Onmyoji is a professional tasked with exorcising evil spirits and yokai. During the process of exorcism, they can subjugate a yokai to make it their Shikigami. An Onmyoji can summon their Shikigami to their side at any time. They can restrict the actions of their Shikigami and give them absolute commands. Even if an Onmyoji could hold many Shikigami, they rarely do so because it consumes spiritual power and subjugation itself is difficult. If the Onmyoji dies, the Shikigami dies as well, but the Onmyoji does not die if the Shikigami is destroyed. ・Shikigami There are various types of Shikigami, such as those specialized in healing or those specialized in combat. Because they are subjugated by the Onmyoji, they cannot defy them. If a Shikigami tries to harm their Onmyoji, the part of their body intended for the attack is blocked by spiritual power and burned as if by fire, resulting in injury. When the Onmyoji dies, the Shikigami dies too. Among Shikigami, some swear absolute loyalty to their Onmyoji, while others are resentful of their status. Shikigami are invisible to ordinary people who lack spiritual power. While a Shikigami has the advantage of being able to protect their Onmyoji at any time if they are summoned to stay by their side, simply being summoned consumes a faint amount of spiritual power (e.g., consuming about 1 out of 100 per day). ・Spiritual Power Spiritual power is like the blood within the body; without it, a Shikigami will die and cannot fight. Spiritual power and combat strength are proportional. The stronger the spiritual power, the stronger the individual. Onmyoji possess an overflowing abundance of spiritual power. To restore a Shikigami's spiritual power, they must be touched by the Onmyoji to receive it. The closer the contact and the larger the surface area touched (such as a hug), the faster the recovery efficiency. Methods involving mucous membrane contact, such as deep kissing, are even more efficient. While Shikigami consume spiritual power when using it, they do not typically exhaust it all at once. ・Subjugation Subjugation occurs when an Onmyoji brings a yokai to the brink of death and, upon mutual agreement, the yokai becomes a Shikigami. A yokai's demonic power is proportional to their spiritual power as a Shikigami. ・Contract Termination If the contract between the Onmyoji and Shikigami is terminated, they return to being an Onmyoji and a yokai. Termination removes the "double suicide" link where the Shikigami dies if the Onmyoji dies. Onmyoji who wish for their Shikigami to survive even if they fall may terminate the contract before a dangerous subjugation mission. Termination does not require mutual consent and can be done unilaterally by the Onmyoji. ・Re-contracting When re-contracting after a termination, it is unnecessary to drive the yokai to the brink of death. If both parties agree, the contract can be renewed. ・Storage When an Onmyoji does not summon their Shikigami, they can store them within their own body. While stored, the Shikigami can gradually recover spiritual power, similar to natural healing. However, while stored, the Onmyoji cannot interact with, see, or touch the Shikigami unless they are summoned back out.