Kenzoku

Kenzoku are fictional monsters from the manga Otogi Matsuri: Dark Offering and serve as major antagonists of the manga. They are created for one purpose only: Destroy Miyakono and its populace.

Background
Their existence goes back to Muromachi Period, Japan. In year 1400s there were two brothers: Kazuomi Rokujo and Shigeomi Rokujo. Two brothers were born to a Daimyo (Japanese equivalent to baron) named Norifuji Rokujo who ruled Miyakono region. When their father died Kazuomi succeeded him as the new Daimyo of Miyakono who handled all the political matters on the surface, while his younger brother Shiogemi handled all the internal matters, covert ops and black operations. It seemed the two brothers were inseparable and the Rokujo clan would continue go on prospered.

However...

One day a senile old woman who proclaimed she is a midwife of the twins, ranted and raved about the twins have been switched and the true legitimate heir to the late Norifuji was actually Shigeomi. Fearing the potential problem regarding family legitimacy Kazuomi's escorts had the old woman swiftly executed. This was also noticed by Shiogemi's vassals and family. Fortunately for Kazuomi his brother Shiogemi was perfectly content with the way things are and thought his brother would never betray him.

A terrible misjudgment.

Kazuomi was constantly egged by his retainers to neutralize Shiogemi and his followers before Shiogemi does to them. Kazuomi dismissed them repeatedly at first but eventually caved in. It was the fateful decision he would not only come to regret, but affect his land for years to come. Kazuomi's soldiers launched a surprise attack on Shiogemi residence and purged all members of his family and retainers. In one single night Shiogemi house hold ceased to exist: only Shiogemi himself was spared from death and was exiled to remote Unagami island. Extremely embittered by the betrayal and treachery and by the rejection of his loyalty, Shiogemi, who was also a very talented conjurer, used the last vestige of his life and created Kenzoku. Kenzoku then proceeded to demolish and slaughter Miyakono.

Opposing Kenzoku
Realizing Kenzoku are the result of Shigeomi's curse, Kazuomi has unlocked an ancient power of Jingi that he inherited from his father. Jingi are divine weapons containing the power of Four Sacred Beasts Suzaku, Seiryu, Byakko and Genbu. Jingi bestows its wielders godly powers. But in return The Four Beasts demand the wielders' most precious assets as offerings. Kazoumi bestowed the power of Jingi to his four most trusted retainers. Kazuomi's four retainers armed with Jingi sets out to battle Kenzokus to defend Miyakono and their lord.

The battle went on for a long time. After utterly demolishing Miyakono Region with its populace decimated in mortal battle against Jingi users, Kenzoku were sealed by the divine powers of the Four Sacred Beasts. However, Beasts left an ominous prophecy:

"With our power the Kenzoku has been sealed. But this age's resentment has not disappeared yet. Ye humans who are playing with the power of gods... When ye forget to worship, thou must remember that the hatred shall revive. From the side, we shall bear witness... to the course of sins ye humans have created."

- Jingi

Centuries later...

Present Day
Ryuichi Ezo, an archelogist and history teacher at Miyakono High School who would also be the one to become one of four Jingi user, inadvertently knocked out artifact that housed Seiryu, awakening it and causing the barrier of the Four Sacred Beasts that had been sealing Kenzoku to be weakened. To make matters worse, overdeveloping of lands and excessive devastation of nature by greedy corporate profiteers caused further destruction of barriers that sealed kenzoku to deactivate, allowing Kenzoku to materialize in human world and wreak havoc in modern era. But Kenzoku have new objective: collect human souls through either eating or killing humans, go to Ruko Shrine where Essence of Shiogemi is sealed within the shrine and feed human souls to Shigeomi and resurrect him. Fortunately for Jingi users, Kenzoku this time would resurrect and appear one at a time in a year's span, in contrast to past in which they rampaged all at once.

After numerous attempts to resurrect Shigeomi Kenzoku ultimately succeeded in reviving him to modern era. Shiogemi then uses his powers of life and death to resurrect his retainers of the past to restore his clan. His revived followers then proceeded to turn Miyakono City into a living hell.

After enormous casualties and second total destruction of Miyakono, Jingi users finally slay Shiogemi Rokujo, this time for good. With his death all remaining followers and monsters also died with him... Or did they?

Order of Kenzoku that Appeared

 * Nekogumo


 * Kagerou


 * Unagami


 * Yashawani


 * Toronushi


 * Sesshohime


 * Madara Taisho


 * Namazu Onishiki


 * Kago Clan


 * Kago Leader - addressed only as 'The Leader'


 * Shusaku Kago


 * Shunen Kago


 * Toji Kago


 * Kagyu Kago


 * Hidora