Side Character DxD

Chapter 22: Haunted Apartment (4)

Yokai and Spirits aren't the same thing. That is something Susanoo made sure I understood early on.

Yokai, are like People, made of flesh and blood, they sleep and they eat, they have hopes and fears.

Spirits are different. They do not have Flesh or Blood, at least not in the same way Humans and Yokai do. They are creatures born of Magical Energy, Lingering emotions, Or even pure feelings.

Despair, Anger, Joy, All these emotions, when pushed to the absolute extreme, can magically alter a creature, turning it monstrous.

"Have you ever heard of Shuten-Douji? Of how he came to be?" It was during my second meeting with Susanoo-No-Mikoto, after we already discovered who my Inherited Spirit was, that he asked me that question.

We were sitting in the Shin-Corp gardens, where we always held our meetings. Me sitting cross-legged in what I hoped was a meditative position, while the God of the Seas leaned his back on the grass as he held the back of his head in his arms, not bothering to sit.

"Shuten-Douji was the Leader of the Oni in Mount Oe, the one defeated by Minamoto no Yorimitsu and his four retainers, which included my Inherited Spirit," I said, my eyes closed as I struggled to keep the Moth Tattoo on my chest glowing without turning it off.

"That's true, but that's not what I meant," Susanoo said as he looked at me from the corner of his eyes, his Bamboo hat still on his head.
"Shuten-Douji wasn't always an Oni, Many powerful Yokai weren't born as Yokai," He started to elaborate.

"While nowadays, most Yokai are born to Yokai parents, that wasn't always the case. It used to be that Creatures, or sometimes objects, that lived long enough could awaken a magical connection to Nature, to the world around them, and turn into a Yokai." He said, "From Foxes gaining the intelligence of Humans to Teapots gaining sentience, Yokai come in many different shapes and forms."

I hummed to signal I understood, sweat pooling over my brow as my chest ached from the Magical Pressure I was putting on my Sacred Gear to keep it active.

"Shuten-Douji was one such case, A man so vile and selfish, greedy and lustful, that he somehow managed to connect to the magic of nature and transform into an Oni. The act of a Human turning into a Yokai is one we call Spiritualization, Such beings are not true Yokai, but a mixture of Yokai and Spirits. Still following?" I nodded my head.

"Good, because now we get to the important distinction here. Yokai are considered Spirits, but Spirits are not considered Yokai, let me explain," The God of storms tapped a finger on the soft grass he was laying upon, the dirt stood up and turned into a chair for him to sit on as he looked down at me on the ground.

"Spirits, are being connected to Nature, as long as their main source of magic is the world around them, they are Spirits. Yokai, use the Youjutsu to do their magic, a connection to Spirituality and Nature is required for Youjutsu to happen. In other words, if you are a Spirit, you can do Youjutsu, on the other hand of the nature magic, we have Senjutsu, now Senjutsu is different from Youjutsu, still listening?"

"Yes," I groaned out as the Light from the Moth on my chest flickered, "I'm still listening," My breath hitched for a moment before I managed to stabilize the light and return it to a steady glow.

"Good. Senjutsu, is Spirit Magic that comes from the Inside, from the Ki and Chakra of the caster, While Youjutsu is Spirit Magic that comes from the outside, from the natural world that surrounds them. That's a simplified explanation, So let's go back to Spirits and Yokai for a moment-" Susanoo tapped his fingers on his dirt chair, the grass he was leaning against bending and twisting into a net that extended before him, a pair of clouds appearing to grab hold of the net as Susanoo stepped off his chair as it crumbled back into the soil before sitting on the net, the improvised grass hammock he created.