Inyōuroushi-Gumi

"Demon-blade Samurai"

**The** **Anti-Magic Special Force Inyōuroushi-Gumi** **(対魔術特殊部隊 陰妖浪士組)** , or Inyōuroushi-Gumi for short, is one of the organizations commissioned by the Japanese government as an enforcer of magical law and security. The Inyōuroushi-Gumi is the elite group of swordsmen and women that take direct orders from the Japanese Prime Minister. They specialized in the way of the blade and their signature weapons are the yokai-possesed weapons that they had been using since the Heian period. They work in tandem with the Bureau of Mystics and the Awataguchigumi to ensure that the Japanese laws for magic is followed as well as stop any supernatural or magical threats in Japan. They are known for their iconic katanas and white haori.

## History

The Inyōuroushi-Gumi was originally a small group of poor mercenaries back in the Heian Period. They collected old weapons that no one wanted but they didn’t know they were possessed by spirits. It was only sometime later that they were shocked by the fact some of their weapons could move by themselves. The tsukumogami revealed themselves after the swordsmen calmed down. The yokai proposed they should join forces together because they were impressed by their swordsmanship and found the group to be good people. The leader of the swordsmen agreed and together they formed a pact.

After some time, the group’s fame quickly soared as more influential figures would hire them for jobs. During the late Heian period, the Emperor of Japan’s army of men eventually defeated the small group of swordsmen when one of their missions intervened with the Emperor’s goal. But despite their small number, they were capable of defeating more men than what is capable of a small army of swordsmen. The Emperor gave them an offer to join forces with him or be killed. The group of swordsmen agreed to serve the Emperor of Japan and followed the traditional code of honor for samurai ever since then and the organization was given the name Inyōuroushi-Gumi.

During the decline of the samurai, the organization was one of the exceptions to Emperor Meiji’s orders of abolishing samurai’s rights. The reason why there are exceptions is due to the swords that the organization possessed and hated to make the power go to waste. The Inyōuroushi-Gumi gradually grew in number and they could no longer rely on a single person to be the only one to command all members. They decided to reorganize themselves based on the hierarchy of Shinsengumi, a police-force in Kyoto. When the Prime Minister became the head of the government and the commander-in-chief of the Japanese Armed Forces, they turned their loyalty to them and continued to serve as a secret peace reinforcement organization.

The bonds between the yokai and human members of Inyōuroushi-Gumi still remain strong even after centuries of fighting together however that relationship grew shaky when World War II came around. The organization was ordered to invade multiple countries like China, Korea, India, the Philippines, etc. Countless swordsmen and yokai died during the war however the Inyōuroushi-Gumi continued to send more numbers to fight. Some of the Yokai questioned why they were doing this when their duty was to protect the peace of the country.

One of the Yokai stepped up as the leader and demanded the human members to stop fighting however the humans saw the Yokai betraying their own homeland. This began a series of infighting between the spirits and humans. Many Inyōuroushi-Gumi members thought this was the end of their organization because the organization’s number had been reduced to a quarter of what it once was. After the war, all the Japanese military was dismantled which also put a hiatus on the Inyōuroushi-Gumi as well.  During the time of Japan’s military ban, the remaining survivors wanted to reconnect with the yokai.  It took several years and much effort for the yokai and humans to reconnect. After the U.S. officially ended its occupation with Japan,  the Prime Minister commissioned them once again and became officially part of the government commissioned groups for magical enforcement and security.

Up to present day, they continued to carry out orders from the Prime Minister. The exact location of their main base of operations is unknown to the public but it is believed to be in the outskirts of Tokyo. They also have bases scattered throughout the country. They operate only within the country unless there are orders from the Prime Minister that say otherwise, as operations are mostly handled by their sister organization, the Awataguchi.

## Organizational Structure

The Inyōuroushi-Gumi is led by the commander and the body of the organization is made up of twelve units, with several divisions having certain specializations. Like any military organization, they have ranks. The vice commander has the second highest authority while the general secretary is the person with 3rd most authority. Each captain has the same amount of authority in the group and the lieutenants are their second in command. In each unit, there are ten ranked officers. The lower the number is, the higher your rank and authority in the unit. Every unit has its own organizational structure on how they decide the rankings of their division. The unranked officers make up the largest part of the organization. Those who betrayed the organization are punished by committing seppuku or being killed by another member of the organization.

### Ranks

Listed from the highest to lowest position of the organization.

#### Commander

The strongest member in the organization that is in charge of the whole organization. No one else in the organization questions their order. All important final decisions are made by them. The commander is the one who receives orders from the Prime Minister and they assign missions to certain units.

#### Vice Commander

The member with the second highest authority is the commander's right-hand person. They are the ones who will lead the organization during the commander’s absence. If anything happens to the commander, the vice commander will step in as the commander.

#### General Secretary

The member with the third highest authority is the one who helps the vice commander. They are the ones that watch over the captains and keep them in order. All reports will go through them so they are in charge of the data archive and the general secretary will give a report to the vice commander. If this spot is open, the commander would promote a captain to this position.

#### Captain

The captains are generally the most respected position in the organization. Their duties are: keeping their unit in order, carrying out orders assigned to them by the commander, handing mission reports to the general secretary, and setting the rules on how the ranked officers are decided. Captains have the power to add or remove anyone from the ranks of their unit. In rare cases, when a new captain takes over, all ranked officers are replaced by non-ranked officers that the captain finds more suitable. All captains are considered equal and determine the course of their individual unit unless ordered otherwise by the other three higher-ranking members.

In order to be a captain, there are several methods. They could either have personal recommendations from six of the unit captains or three of the highest-ranking positions in the organization or challenge the current captain to an honorable one-on-one duel with at least 200 people as witnesses. If the current captain retires or no longer feels they deserve the position, they have the right to step down and pick a successor within the unit that doesn’t necessarily need to be the lieutenant.

#### Lieutenant

Each of the units has a second-in-command who is appointed by the captain. They lead the unit if their unit captain has died or any other circumstances make them unable to perform their duties, the second-in-command will act as the "substitute captain" until another can be assigned. The lieutenant oversees the ranked officers and reports the information given by the ranked officers to the captain.

#### Ranked Officer

The ranks are decided and appointed by the captains. The first seat is the highest while the tenth seat is the lowest-ranked position. They generally report what is happening within the unit to the lieutenant and lead the unranked officers on missions. They also need to attend the entrance exam for the new recruits and pick who is suitable for the unit. The ranked officer’s position can be challenged by lower ranks or unranked members in an honorable duel with at least 25 people as witnesses.

#### Unranked Officer

The most common and lowest rank in the organization. They go on assigned missions led by the ranked officer in groups and generally report to ranked officers.

### Recruitment

Most members are recruited by a member who is already in the organization, however, they must pass a background check first before going through an exam that tests their physical, magical ability, and intelligence before they are allowed to join. During the exam, one ranked officer from each unit would oversee it and pick who they found suitable for their unit. If a recruit doesn’t get picked despite passing the exam, they will automatically be assigned to unit 4.

### Units

Each unit has its own animal motif that is based on the Japanese zodiac animals and represents the unit’s primary role. Within a unit, every member has the respective animal motif on their uniform somewhere. Officers aren’t assigned to a unit for life and it is possible to be transferred to another unit after gaining some experience as long as a ranked officer or higher-positioned person approves.

#### Unit 1: Tatsu (Dragon)

Although all units have equal authority, the first unit is always regarded as the strongest and best among the twelve units. It is almost every new recruit’s wish to be selected into the first unit.  The members of this unit are considered to be the model officers within the Inyōuroushi-Gumi. They do not have a specific role but they are able to ascertain a situation and mobilize quickly even before an order is issued. Only those who are deemed very talented and skillful are picked to join this division. Due to the unit’s reputation, they look down on people in other units.

#### Unit 2: Hebi (Snake)

This is the unit that specializes in magical research and developing new technology. They are the ones who input new data into the data archive and protect intruders from accessing the data archive. Although they are specialized in research, they are capable of fighting as well. This division is usually made up of more mages than swordsmen. Thirst for knowledge is their core value in this division.

#### Unit 3: Uma (Horse)

Unit 3 is generally positioned as the vanguard in battles due to the unit specializes in quick movements and attacks. They believe striking first in battle will have a higher chance of winning.

#### Unit 4: Hitsuji (Sheep)

They are the largest unit due to them being the ones accepting any new members that other units did not want. It is often regarded as the weakest unit because of that but it is the most welcoming unit. Their ranked officers and higher members are experienced in training new recruits and getting them used to the organization.

* Captain: Akiko Unohana

#### Unit 5: Saru (Monkey)

The members of Unit 5 prefer fighting physiologically and using tricks to defeat their enemies rather than fighting their opponents head-on. They are a tricky bunch to deal with and their fighting style is often frowned upon by other units.

#### Unit 6: Tori (Rooster)

They have no specialized role or fighting style but they treasure courage, kindness, and confidence among their members. Those three virtues were what the rooster symbolized in the Shinto religion and the unit chose to follow that.

#### Unit 7: Inu (Dog)

The 7th unit prided itself on being the most loyal unit in the organization. As records show, they have the least amount of traitors. Because of their immense loyalty, one of their responsibilities is to hunt and kill traitors of the organization.

#### Unit 8: Inoshishi (Boar)

They have no specialized role or fighting style. They strive to go for an all-round rather than training themselves to only specialize in one thing. They seek courage and honesty among their members.

#### Unit 9: Nezumi (Rat)

The stealth and intelligence gathering unit. They are the ones who silently and efficiently take out threats without leaving a trace behind and protect the secrecy of the organization by any means. One must be trained in ninjutsu, any school being accepted, espionage, martial arts, and assassination. Members who want to join also need to know how to suppress their emotions. One other important requirement for joining is the willingness to do whatever it takes to succeed in your mission. This has led some members in this unit to subject themselves to various procedures to increase their odds.

#### Unit 10: Ushi (Ox)

In contrast to Unit 3’s fast-paced fighting style, unit 10 specializes in fighting defensively to eventually tire out their enemies and win the battle. They are also the ones who make armor and equipment with Unit 2.

#### Unit 11: Tora (Tiger)

A unit that specializes completely in physical abilities and forgoing magic. Their unit members are always seen carrying a weapon with them and asking others for a duel. Becoming the strongest is their main doctrine and dying in battle is considered to be honorable and glorious. They are always claiming themselves as the “strongest unit” and have a rivalry with Unit 1.

* Joshu Hoshiguma - Captain
* Kenshin Uesugi - Lieutenant

#### Unit 12: Usagi (Rabbit)

The medical unit. They are responsible for treating the injured and transporting them to the infirmaries. In order to join this unit, a member must possess medical knowledge or healing abilities.

## Abilities

Inyōuroushi-Gumi is an organization made of elite swordsmen and samurai. It is expected of everyone to be skilled in wielding the blade even if their unit is not specialized in swordsmanship. When they joined the organization, they were taught how to use **Kotodama**. It is the Sound Vibrations of life and creation and the hidden energy source that creates the form and function of a universal spirit. It is also known as ki, chi, prana, magnetism, vital life force, etc. Each vibration, whether spoken thoughts or expressed through movement or form, influences us physically and spiritually. In the world religions, it is experienced through chanting, prayer, and singing.

Kotodama also serves as a basic principle for some Japanese martial arts. Most of the members who joined were already knowledgeable of some form of Japanese magic. They were also given a haori the uniform of the organization that is enhanced with Reinforcement spells that will make their physical abilities superior to a normal human. Members who join the organization will be given a chance to see if they are compatible with any available tsukumogami yokai. If they are not compatible with any of the spirits, they can try again another time. If it works, they are responsible for treating the tsukumogami well like a partner.

Each of the swords is at least a hundred years old and has a different ability. The sword does not necessarily need to be 100 years old to have a tsukumogami born in it however the tools need to be significantly old enough in order to have a yokai to be born in it. Usually, the older yokai have more experience in battle and are stronger.