Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Ghosts (鬼物) 20 |
| Alias(es) | Spirits, evil spirits, soul bodies 20 23 47 |
| Species/Race | Non-human entities formed from the soul bodies of the deceased 108 |
| First Appearance | Chapter 1 1 |
Background
Ghosts coexist with humans throughout Yotsuya Miko's world. Most people cannot see them, although they may unknowingly pass through one or become possessed. Unlike ghosts in the Xuanhui Realm, these ghosts can linger on the surface without Spiritual Qi and do not fear sunlight 8 35. This world originally has no true underworld to separate them from the living 144.
Miko initially avoids acknowledging ghosts because some become dangerous when they realize a person can see them. After learning the Nine Nether Profound Soul Treasure Record, she begins destroying ghosts and refining their soul bodies into Soul Extract, which she can convert into Profound Nether Qi 7 8 35. She later learns that ghosts are not uniformly malevolent: some retain rationality, including her father and the Bakeneko she encounters 12.
Miko eventually discovers that her world was formed from fragments of the Xuanhui Realm's Nine Nether, making it particularly suited to ghosts. Its living inhabitants lose life energy at death and transform into ghosts; without intervention, those ghosts eventually dissipate or are destroyed 147. She develops a cultivation-based system intended to purify ghosts and establish a cycle of reincarnation, separating them from the human world 144 147.
Appearance
Ghosts vary widely in form. Many have distorted human features and are surrounded by gray-black mist; stronger examples can be far less recognizably human 7 54.
- Humanlike disguises — Some appear to be ordinary people; one intelligent ghost disguises itself as a child 12 33.
- Grotesque forms — Encountered ghosts include one with four elongated heads and a kimono-clad ghost with four eyes, sewn-shut upper eyelids, and long claws 9 20.
- Soul-body remains — Destroyed ghosts can break into fragments or gray-black particles, which Miko can collect or refine 8 18.
Divine Gate Threat Classes
The Divine Gate classifies spirits by the danger they pose. These are threat classes, not documented stages of cultivation 53.
| Class | Threat |
|---|---|
| Insect | Can threaten infants 53 |
| Wolf | Can make people who cannot see spirits ill through prolonged exposure 53 |
| Tiger | Causes discomfort after brief contact and can interfere with people through their surroundings 53 |
| Dragon | Powerful enough to overcome the limits of psychic perception; psychics with even slight spirituality can glimpse its full form 53 |
Abilities & Behavior
Perception and contact
- Most ghosts are invisible to ordinary people. Miko can see them clearly, while Yuria initially sees only weak spirits 2 53.
- Ghosts may approach a person who appears able to see them, sometimes repeatedly asking, “Can you see me?” 2 8.
- High-level intangible beings can interfere with physical matter and corrode or contaminate it through their aura 77.
Effects on humans
- A gathering of ghosts can weaken people and cause illness even when the ghosts remain unseen. Strong human life energy can repel or neutralize some of their effects 24.
- Possession can leave a person physically unwell; people freed by Miko's talisman pellets experience improved physical and mental condition 25 30.
- Being able to see spirits increases the danger they pose. Exorcists consequently avoid informing the public about them 53.
Growth and vulnerability
- Ghosts can consume other ghosts. Miko fears that the Kimono Ghost would become much stronger if it devoured the ghosts in the Cursed Building 5 22.
- Prayer beads repel weak ghosts, but strong ones can overwhelm or break them 12 18.
- Miko's spells and talismans can destroy or contain ghost soul bodies. Her Nine Nether Profound Soul Treasure Record can refine those bodies into cultivation resources 8 18 24.
- Yang Thunder is particularly effective against ghosts; a countrywide thunderstorm causes ghosts across multiple threat classes to perish 113 119.
Notable Encounters
- The Kimono Ghost — Pursues Yurikawa Hana, breaches the protection of her talisman, and follows her into the Cursed Building before Miko destroys it 20 21 22.
- Tunnel ghosts — A congregation of ghosts is exterminated when Miko tests talisman dolls carried by Yuria and Hana 24.
- Kamikakushi Mountain ghosts — Ghosts exposed to Spiritual Qi develop resistance to the Spiritual Power used by exorcists. Miko subsequently clears them from the mountain 81 84 86.
- Ghosts of the Xuanhui Realm — Unlike those in Miko's world, they are generally gathered in Ghost Domains or the Netherworld, where they eventually dissipate and return energy to the world 8 159.
Trivia
- The author notes that “ghosts” is used for convenience; “spirits” or “evil spirits” would better distinguish these beings from oni 20.