Cursed Gear (鬼呪装備, Kiju Sōbi?) are weapons used by the Japanese Imperial Demon Army. Anyone using Cursed Gear risks getting possessed at best or becoming a namanari at worse. The Demon Army's standard routine is to kill those who lose control on sight.
It is developed during the Guren Ichinose: Catastrophe at Sixteen light novel series and plays an important role in Vampire Reign manga series.
Creation
Cursed gear is created by directly calling on demons and sealing them directly into sacred items using a demon curse (鬼呪, Kiju?) so that they could serve the wielder.
The items used to seal demons are almost exclusively weapons: swords, axes, and even bows. The weapons need to be consecrated and purified - a process that takes years before a demon can be trapped inside.
These weapons are so powerful that they revolutionized the world and forced traditional magics to fall into disuse. It can increase a normal person's standard ability by seven fold. The top rank of cursed gear is the Black Demon Series, and anyone bearing one of them is capable of killing multiple vampires armed with second-class weapons. With lesser cursed gear series, the bearer can have an even one-on-one match against a vampire armed with a second-class weapon.
Enchanted Gear
Mass-produced cursed gear, which Yūichirō Hyakuya uses in Vampire Reign chapter 2, is a much weaker form of cursed gear, usually a yaksha- or myo-o- class weapon. These can increase a regular human's strength by three to four times. Seven humans with these weapons should be able to kill one unarmed vampire, but an entire unit of them would have a difficult time against even one vampire with a second-class weapon.
Types
Manifestation
Manifestation is the state in which the user lets his or her contracted demon come out and be able to use its special power. This drastically reduces the defensive abilities of the host since the demon moves elsewhere. These types of demons work best at different ranges, and the type of ability varies. They also have the ability to disappear and reappear at their user's command.
Manifestation-type demons include Akahebi, Byakkomaru, Gekkōin, Shikama Dōji, Genbushin, Kuronagi, Kakuze, Sankoujitsu, and Tenjiryū.
Possession
These demons have malice that is too strong, which makes them mean, aggressive, and ferocious, hence they refuse to submit so easily. This is the type hell-bent on possessing its user, and it is common for them to engage in close combat to display their might. The high malice of these demons also make it difficult to disappear and reappear like manifestation types.
Possession-type demons are not supposed to have the special abilities seen with manifestation-type demons; however, special cases have been seen with Asuramaru and Kiseki-o.
Possession-type demons include Asuramaru, Kiseki-o, Mahiru-no-yo, Noya, Kukuri, Kagutsuchi, and Raimeiki.
Series
Black Demons
The strongest cursed gear because they contain first-rank demons. There are very few people capable of wielding a Black Demon weapon, and anyone capable of doing so has been experimented on previously. Anyone bearing this rank of weapon can easily kill multiple vampires armed with second-class weapons.
The death rate of those who challenge Black Demons is exceedingly high compared to other Demon Weapons. Only those with strong willpower and resolution are able to challenge them.
The users must undergo operations to significantly alter their minds and bodies. The must also understand the demon's curse, have a strong ability to control magic, and have the right disposition for controlling a demon. Even so, the success rate is less than 20% in the Catastrophe light novels. Guren catches Kureto Hīragi's attention when he has three teenagers successfully wield black demons in the manga.
Bodhisattva
No information. Known demons: Kakuze
Rakshasa
No information. Known demons: Genbushin, Kagutsuchi, Kuronagi
Dakini
No information. Known demons: Tenjiryū, Kukuri
Fiends
No information. Known demons: Akahebi
Wisdom Kings
Cursed gear from the Wisdom Kings Series and above are used by the Vampire Extermination Unit.
Yaksha
Weapons from the yaksha series and below are considered Enchanted Gear.
Myo-o
A myo-o demon inhabiting an ax posses a trespassing student named Yūji in the Vampire Reign manga.
Story: Guren Ichinose: Catastrophe at Sixteen
Cursed gear is something many magical organizations have tried for years to develop for its great power with little success. It wasn't until Mahiru Hīragi, who sought to research the demon curse to save her sister and herself from becoming demons, teamed up with the Thousand Nights, and combined their magic with the Imperial Demon's to successfully produce usable cursed gear. Eventually, they were able to bind and make contracts with demons that are at the level of Black Demons.
Once the Imperial Demons get their hands on cursed gear, they begin to develop hundreds upon hundreds of them for their followers. However, they put restrictions on cursed gear to prevent the users from becoming demons right away.
By the end of Book 6, the Imperial Demons are confident enough to use their cursed gear and destroy the Thousand Nights, but the vampires beat them to it. With this technology, they believe themselves to be the strongest humans.
Trivia
- Aside from their possession or manifestation abilities, cursed gear can also be summoned from across the room directly to its contractor's hands. Mahiru was able to summon Asuramaru to her hand like a manifestation type demon in Catastrophe Book 3 and Catastrophe Book 5.
- Mahiru and Byakkomaru were able to manifest outside and away from their weapons, but only their hosts can see them.