The Kagami family guards a sacred scroll that's been passed down through generations—supposedly a source of the family's centuries-long prosperity. Thing is, nobody in the family actually knows the scroll was stolen from the onmyodo temple where Mao and his friends trained. The scroll grants the eldest son the ability to merge with a powerful beast.
When Soma's older brother can't control the creature, the responsibility falls to Soma instead. His brother, a former cop, ends up using the beast to murder people indiscriminately—including their own grandmother—before dying. Rather than reject the power, Soma accepts the beast and lets it consume him. That's when Hakubi shows up, sees potential in the kid, and starts grooming him to go after Mao.
But here's the thing: Soma's smart enough to recognize that Mao actually gives a damn. The guy tried to help him break free from the beast's grip, not use him as a weapon. Still, Soma's driven by something deeper—he wants to master the creature and reclaim his family's honor, even if it means standing against Mao to do it.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
