Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit

* Anime
* Manga

**Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit** (対異特務小隊, *Tai i tokumu shōtai*?) is an elite squad within the Imperial Army that specifically deals with Grotesqueries.

## Known Members

* Masashi Ookaito: Commanding general
* Kiyoka Kudou: Commanding officer
* Yoshito Godou: Soldier
* Kaoruko Jinnouchi: Soldier
* Mukadeyama: Squad leader

## Description

The unit had been formed to deal with supernatural incidents. One of their key responsibilities is to investigate bizarre and peculiar phenomena of unknown origin. "Bizarre" refers to something strange and inconceivable, and "peculiar" describes occurrences that are unforeseen and not part of any established local folklore. Typically, when a bizarre phenomenon aligns with the local folktales of an area, the residents can rely on their oral traditions to manage it. However, when a phenomenon can't be verified in line with folklore, it means there's no historical record of such an incident. In some cases, these unexplained events can even give rise to new Grotesqueries. That's when the Unit steps in to investigate and prevent the emergence of Grotesqueries. If the cause is something else entirely, they work to dispel harmless rumors before they gain enough power to create a Grotesquerie themselves.

The unit ends up getting sent out of the Imperial Capital a lot, and is typically assigned to missions in mountain hamlets or small farming villages, places where many folktales had been passed down through the ages.

Other than dealing with Grotesqueries, the unit also exists to give military the authority to order Gift-users as they saw fit. Should a war ever break out, the unit's Gift-user members would serve as powerful antipersonnel weapons.

### Members

The unit operates under a meritocratic system. Every member of the unit possesses Spirit-Sight and often other supernatural abilities. Given the extreme rarity of any form of supernatural power and the fact that those with the Gift are typically of noble lineage, very few aristocrats are willing to risk their lives in military service. As a result, those who chose to join the unit tends to be eccentric individuals.

Due to its specialized focus, the unit consistently faces a shortage of personnel and remains relatively obscure. However, those who showcased exceptional skills could ascend to leadership positions within the unit. For instance, Kiyoka Kudou had risen through the ranks after passing the elite military induction exam and now hold the position of commanding officer of his own unit.

Typically, only men could join the army, as society generally understands the military to be an all-male institution. The stations, including the one in the imperial capital, has washrooms and locker room that are meant for men only. They aren't very suited to the needs of a female soldier. Normally women can’t join the military. The Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit, on the other hand, is a bit unique. There are actually other female soldiers besides Kaoruko Jinnouchi in the old capital. there aren’t a lot of Gift-users to begin with, right? That’s why woman can join as long as they have the necessary combat skills. A female Gift-user is more powerful than a man who can’t use his supernatural powers very well, and that on its own means more military strength for the nation to freely utilize. Incidentally, while they aren’t treated as regular soldiers, even students can work in the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit.

While female Gift-users are allowed to join the unit to bolster their fighting power, there is also the hope they would get married and give birth to the next generation of Gift-users. Since this was taken as the default, there ultimately aren't many female soldiers after all. Due to the low number of women, it isn't a particular great environment for women to be in, as is evident when Kaoruko spars with a young unit member, the other soldiers yell that if he loses to a woman, he will never live it down. After she wins, her opponent glares maliciously at her and the spectators spits foul curses at her. Mukadeyama admits that Kaoruko far outclasses her opponent on a technical level, but she couldn't rise right up the ranks because she was a woman. When Miyo walks about in the station, it caused rude, cagey stares at her. A civilian woman who can’t even put up a fight is considered nothing but a nuisance around there, compared to all of them who earned our positions in the unit.

### Location

As the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit is quite different from the other armed forces in the Imperial Army, they have their own station in the city centre of the imperial capital, not in the military headquarters, the Imperial Army base in the capital, that is located a bit far off from the city centre. There is also a Second Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit (対異特務第二小隊, *Tai i tokumu dai ni shōtai*?) in the old capital.

## Trivia

* In the anime the unit is named Special Anti-Grotesquerie Forces (対異特殊部隊, *Tai i tokushu butai*?).

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4  Novel, Volume 1 Chapter 1
2. ↑  Novel, Volume 2 Chapter 1
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2  Novel, Volume 4 Chapter 1
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1  Novel, Volume 3 Chapter 2
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2  Novel, Volume 4 Chapter 2
6. ↑  Novel, Volume 1 Chapter 2
7. ↑  Novel, Volume 4 Chapter 4
8. ↑  Anime, Episode 2