< Encyclopedia: Oni | Back to Title of Contents | Dragon > History-Eating Half-Beast Suika Ibuki Ability: Manipulation of density Threat level: Very High Human friendship level: Normal Main place of activity: Mountain of Youkai A long time has passed since the oni disappeared from Gensokyo. However, there have been recent confirmed reports of oni sightings. Those are of Suika Ibuki. She suddenly appeared in and settled down in Gensokyo for some reason (*1). Her body is small, and the two long horns on her head stand out in contrast to her short stature. She may not look terribly frightening compared to other youkai, but she is an oni. She possesses enormous strength, and boasts that if she wanted to, she could tear down the Youkai Mountain by herself (*2). A drinker without peer, she always carries around a gourd (*3) filled with sake, from which she constantly imbibes. As a result, there are no reports of her behavior when sober. 1: This is particularly problematic given that no one knows how to exterminate oni. 2: This isn't entirely impossible, given that she's an oni. And after all, oni don't lie. 3: A bottomless gourd of sake. Ability to Manipulate Density This is the power to alter the density and thickness of anything. All things become a fine mist if their density lowers. Conversely, when objects are made more dense, their temperature increases so they melt. Because she loves the bustle of festivals and parties, she has the humans and youkai assemble and hold festivals. This ability to cause humans and youkai to assemble is a manifestation of her power over density. Eyewitness Reports "She can do physical work, she collects the garbage, so I guess she is useful in a sense." (Reimu Hakurei) Just like certain tools, oni can be very useful if skillfully handled. If you can build a relationship of mutual trust with them, oni are not that fearsome. "I wonder if she could help me gather unusual things." (Sakuya Izayoi) It may be dangerous to be overly frank about your desires, though. Countermeasures As knowledge about oni and methods of their extermination have been lost in modern times, it's best not to even attempt to destroy them. There is absolutely no chance of succeeding. However, tentatively, there are a few methods of protecting yourself from an oni. For example, you can run a holly branch through a sardine head and place it in front of the entrance to your house. It's said this will prevent an oni from coming near you, but it's effectiveness is unknown (*4). 4: With faith, even the head of a sardine can be a charm. < Encyclopedia: Oni | Back to Title of Contents | Dragon >