Houjou

**Houjou** (宝上, *Hōjō*?) is Naoshi Usui's right-hand man.

## Appearance

Houjou has the physique of a man and a low voice. As a Gift-user, he is surrounded with the unique signs of the Gift. He mostly wears a black cloak, the signature clothing of the Gifted Communion.

## History

Houjou is born in the Houjou family. Despite the Houjous being one of the Gifted families, which are strictly surveilled by the government on their whereabouts, he and his family had evaded the watchful eyes of the government. All records of the Hojous stopped a while ago, which no one found suspicious, because there are cracks in the surveillance of Gift-users, because the Gifted Communion’s influence was already spreading within the government.

## Abilities

* **Hydrokinesis**: Houjou possesses the psychic ability to manipulate or control water. He used this to transform the water in the earth into a swamp. He later used his ability to create water projectiles to attack the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit.

## Plot

### Volume 3

After a fiend attacked several villagers, Kiyoka Kudou heads to the deserted shack at the outskirts of the Farming village where he found a cloak with the emblem of the Gifted Communion earlier. There, Houjou warns him not to come any closer. Houjou was crunching over the fallen leaves in front of the shack. Kiyoka asks him if he is the one leading the Gifted Communion, and Houjou asks him what would make him say that. Kiyoka answers that he is different from the man he captured before and believes Houjou is a true Gift-user. Houjou praises Kiyoka for being sharp and that he'd expected nothing less of the commander of the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit. Houjou then holds out his hand and uses hydrokinesis to start to thicken the ground with mud, while proposing to make a deal with Kiyoka, who declines. He then makes the muddy ground gain even more moisture, transforming the earth into a swamp to get Kiyoka's feet stuck. Kiyoka instantly uses telekinesis to manipulate the earth and then make the water freeze. Houjou is impressed by Kiyoka's abilities and then expresses that it is the will of the Founder. He explains how the Gift runs the risk of being exterminated by science and that the Founder is trying to create a whole new world where every human is given the chance to receive supernatural abilities. Houjou then invites Kiyoka to join them. However, Kiyoka declines and announces he will arrest him. Houjou is disappointed that Kiyoka is incompatible with their vision, just as the Founder said. As he had safely carried out his role by informing him of his teachings, he announces it's time for his retreat. He raises his hand and sets the fiend-possessed man on Kiyoka, while he himself quickly made his getaway.

### Volume 4

During Naoshi's raid at the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit station, a group of large balls of water appeared from out of
nowhere and flew toward the soldiers in the dojo. Kiyoka and the rest of the soldiers scattered each and every one of the projectiles; none of them hit their marks. Houjou immediately suspects Houjou being the one who attacked. Naoshi quickly escaped during this diversion created by Houjou.

### Volume 5

While Naoshi is talking to Hasebe after the Imperial Army fell into their hands, Houjou waited for him outside the VIP room of the Imperial Army headquarters. When Naoshi left the room, Houjou reports to him that everything is going according to plan, including the unit's discovery of their Grotesquerie creation method, and the arrest of the Secretary of Education and Hasebe's relative. When Naoshi asks about the conditions of the Emperor, Houjou reports that since the man is ill, so they have to take care of him to keep him barely alive. Naoshi orders him to keep torturing him, but not let him die, as he wants to personally kill him when it's time. Naoshi then tells Houjou to let's go liberate their comrades. They head to a special detention center in the headquarters. The detained Gifted Communion members eagerly welcome their arrival, as Naoshi had informed them in advance of their impending release. After Naoshi breaks a wooden altar used to hinder Gift usage, Houjou opens all cell doors.

### Volume 6

After the unit attacked the concentrated combat power at the military headquarters with their Gifts, the ordinary soldiers of the Imperial Army retreated, while Houjou leads his group of more than eighty artificially created Gift-users and hundred of Grotesqueries to counter the attack. The battle continued from morning till noon, when reinforcements led by Tadakiyo Kudou arrived, overwhelming Houjou's group with their superior abilities. When Kiyoka freezes the water all the water on the ground throughout the headquarters grounds, after which an army general orders to stop fighting, and a government loyalist force led by Masashi Ookaito enter through the main gate, Houjou still orders his subordinates to continue fighting, but no one obeys, leading to the end of the conflict. Afterwards, Houjou and the rest of the Gifted Communion members, as well as government collaborators, are all arrested.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1  Novel, Volume 6 Chapter 4
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2  Novel, Volume 3 Chapter 5
3. ↑  Novel, Volume 4 Chapter 1
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2  Novel, Volume 4 Chapter 5
5. ↑  Novel, Volume 5 Chapter 4
6. ↑  Novel, Volume 6 Chapter 3