#castle of shikigami

[itsfantasticac]

Illustration for Gunsmoke Witch, a light novel spinoff of the Castle of Shikigami series, by Miku Sonoda.

Shikigami no Shiro 2 - Official Materials Collection (Nov. 26, '03), pg. 14

[satoshi-mochida]

Castle of Shikigami 2 releases today digitally for the Switch. Physical copies from Red Art Games TBA. It is also available on Steam.

[obscurevideogames]

Castle Shikigami 2 (Alfa System - PS2 - 2004)

[ino-takumas-baggy-sweater]

A Second Chance, A Father's Curse - Part 1 (Ryomen Sukuna X Reader)

This is part of my Royal AU, the first I'm writing for it, there may be inconsistencies between each different fic set within the universe including but not limited to which damn clan does Sukuna belong to, but I'm sure it'll be fine :))

also i hope the family tree kinda makes sense, i can make a separate post showing the different clans and their family trees if needed

Warnings: mentions of an affair, brief mentions of abuse but nothing explicit

Word count: 3.1k

When the boy first showed up everything had been good, a new son had been born into the Itadori clan, the royal family was stronger than ever. This boy threatened to bring all of that down simply by existing. Jin Itadori was not known for his mercy, often ruthlessly leading swathes of knights into battles and leaving none alive, but this boy was no ordinary enemy. His own son, illegitimate, but still his flesh and blood. His wife said nothing when he brought the screaming baby into the nursery that was only meant for one, placing him beside Yuji in his large crib.

Kaori Itadori simply accepted what had been given to her and raised the boy as her own, despite the neglect and clear favoritism shown from Jin to his alleged twin sons. The two were almost identical despite the fact they had different mothers, which was how the lie was able to be carried so easily through their lives. Ryomen knew, he had always known, and he’d hated almost everyone for it. The only people he couldn’t truly even pretend to hate were his adopted brothers, and he let everyone know this vehemently, shirking his duties and often hiding away from elaborate dinner parties or balls he did not want to attend.

Yuji’s heart broke for his brother, and of the five Itadori boys, only the eldest Choso knew of the predicament underlying the twins. The youngest, Eso and Kechizu, were born one after the other, three years apart, with significant health complications and therefore rarely appeared in public. The elder three were fiercely protective, especially Ryomen who’d had a taste of his father’s neglect and despised that Jin had turned it on his youngest sons. None of the three wanted to burden their younger brothers, they’d been told that the pair might not live to become adults, so they had always made sure the boys were well fed and happy.

Ryomen suffered in silence. His teachers could not quell his anger, the best sorcerers warned of his growing cursed energy levels, but nothing was ever done. Nothing really could be done. By the time he turned nineteen he was undoubtedly the strongest of the Itadori boys, and his father was adamantly trying to wed him off to a different kingdom. Ryomen didn’t care, the faster he got out of Khoccadia the better in his opinion. He spent his days training in combat with the knights, including the captains of both the Shadow and Blood units, Megumi Fushiguro, and Takuma Ino.

Megumi Fushiguro interested him, the man was his age, his twin brother’s personal bodyguard, and he had the inherited cursed technique of the Zenin clan, the royal family of a neighbouring kingdom. His unit, aptly named the Shadows, were a small close knit group of Shikigami summoners, led by a wielder of the undisputed king of Shikigami techniques. This made him both an outsider and a refugee, having been forced to prove his loyalty a thousand times over, including regaining the trust of the royal family after his technique was revealed during an attack on the kingdom where he had to unleash his power to protect Yuji.

The other captain, Takuma Ino, wasn’t as interesting or close to him, but still a formidable ally and opponent, having first trained under the royal sorcerer Kento Nanami, before his technique proved to be more useful on a battlefield than overseeing curses. Ryomen often found himself sitting with the pair post-sparring, looking out over the training grounds within the castle walls, and asking himself where he would go if he decided to run. He knew he wouldn’t get far, his cursed energy was much too unique, Nanami would be able to find him with no trouble. His only way out would be this arranged marriage, and he had to be sure it was far far away from here.

This is what eventually lead to Jin Itadori hosting a ball and inviting many of the leaders of nearby nations to attend with their daughters, royal, political, and otherwise. Few invites were sent out past the neighbouring nations, but Ryomen had to be sure, so he had insisted under the cover of lies that his father’s orders had the invitations sent further. When the day of the ball arrived, Ryomen was reluctantly dolled up in a luxurious maroon suit, his hair styled with earrings and cufflinks to match. When he met up with Choso and Yuji, he saw they were dressed similarly to him, but Yuji’s suit is a deep pink and Choso’s a dark purple.

“Don’t we just look a treat,” Ryomen huffed, reaching up and adjusting Yuji’s collar slightly. “They were chosen by mother,” Choso looks away and Ryomen finds himself almost apologising. It wasn’t her fault, she was a victim of the system just as he was, but he shakes it off. “You okay?” Yuji mumbles, giving his brother the same outfit once over. The twins had always known what would make each other look the best, Ryomen let him fuss with his hair a little before swatting his hands away. “I don’t think I’ve ever been okay, I can’t wait to get the hell out of here so I never have to see him again,” He growls. Choso checks his watch as they approach the upstairs entry to the ballroom, the laughter and chatter behind it dying down as someone announces their arrival.

“I hope you find someone,” Yuji squeezes his hand for a brief moment before Ryomen can pull away or protest, dropping his hand before the door swings open and the three of them are revealed to the eyes below. Choso in the centre with his brothers flanking, there are smiles of all kinds as they descend the stairs. Some genuine, some scheming, others that don’t quite reach the eyes of their owners.

Ryomen Itadori doesn’t get nervous, but in this moment he finds his eyes searching for Kaori Itadori. She returns his gaze from her place on the ballroom throne and nods once. This party is for him, it’s his ticket out of here, and it almost feels to him like she’s lending him her strength. The strength to do what she never could. When the three of them reach the bottom of the stairs, his brothers disperse into the crowd to find dance partners, and Ryomen finds himself alone surveying what he can see. The only clan tattoos he recognises around the edges are those belonging to the Zenin clan, the Gojo clan, the Kamo clan and that of the Creyarean district, which is a political power and not run by a royal or empirical clan.

There are a few tattoos he does not recognise, he assumes from further out on the continent, and one in particular draws his gaze. A kindly looking couple, king and queen, with matching filagree tattoos over their facial features, most prominent on their jawline, cheeks, across the nose and in the centre of their foreheads. No other family has tattoos that bold, the closest in comparison is the Kamo clan with a jagged X over the right eye, and he finds himself curious as to their origins. “Brother! I’d like you to meet someone,” Yuji’s voice suddenly cuts into his wandering thoughts and he scoffs, “Leave me alone Yuji,” He grunts, but his brother barges into his space, his mouth right next to his ear as he utters the words that could be Ryomen’s salvation.

“Her family comes from miles away, three kingdoms over!” Yuji hisses. His gaze flits to the girl who stands holding Yuji’s hand, looking like she’s just been dragged at a brisk Itadori walk across half the ballroom (Which she had been). His brother drops her hand as he steps back and presents her, “Allow me to introduce Y/n L/n, of the Iqorian Empire,” Unmarried, she does not bear her parents tattoos, but there are two thick black bands around both her wrists which could be a hint at early clan tattoos that don’t decorate the face.

She curtseys and he feels his demeanour soften slightly, taking her hand which still hovers unsure before her to press a light kiss to the back of it. He keeps his face painfully neutral as he studies her features, her e/c eyes traveling back up to meet his. “Lovely to meet you, Miss L/n, Ryomen Itadori,” He introduces himself politely, though he knows that she must already know who he is, given his brother has a tendency to babble. She uses her free hand to fix her h/c hair before giving him a polite smile, “Some party your parents cooked up, is the potential marriage for diplomatic purposes?” She asks. He clenches his jaw slightly, his gaze scanning the crowd as he instinctively pulls her slightly closer.

His father’s face is dark and sinister, his eyes locked on Ryomen but his mind elsewhere, “You could say that,” He replies, “But I would say it’s freedom,” Her eyes widen and he steels himself, she must be able to sense the years of neglect and abuse on him, he knows he reeks of it, but if she does she doesn’t mention it, “I see,” She murmurs, “Well, would you like to dance?” He looks at her like she’s grown an extra head for a moment, but Yuji punches his side and he blinks, “Yes yes, of course, that would be nice,” His words drift away and he becomes eternally grateful for the dancing lessons Kaori forced him to endure as he leads the girl out into the centre of the dance floor.

The night passes by quicker than he would have liked it to, despite stepping into the ballroom like a caged wolf with the taste of freedom on his tongue. He comes to learn from the girl his brother introduced to him that the royal couple he didn’t recognise, with the outlandish filagree tattoos, are her parents, and he is hooked from that moment on. You of course know there is something he is hiding, but his sudden interest in your clan tattoos brings a soft smile to your face as you look over to your parents. They seem to be overjoyed that you’ve caught the attention of the Itadori son up for grabs, but you know there’s more to it considering the fact that he should be the second in line, and yet is being married out of his family into another.

“I am certain we will be seeing one another again, Miss Y/n,” He murmurs as he presses one last kiss to the back of your hand, his fingers tracing one of the black lines on your wrist. You grab his arm before he can turn away, “Ryomen,” You murmur in response, “Sir, are you in trouble here?” He does not reply, his gaze is hard, but you feel a lack of response is enough for you to fill in the gaps.

He’s not welcome in his family, and you’re determined to get him out and then find out why, even if it means ruining any diplomatic relationship Iqoria could have with Khoccadia. You omit the fears you hold close to your chest when your parents demand to know how your night went, they were watching and already knew you were the only one Ryomen Itadori spent his night with. This is a golden opportunity, he is already well known throughout the continent as the strongest Itadori son, he would be a priceless addition to any family, and nobody else seems to be questioning the fact his father doesn’t seem to want him to stay.

A foolish decision, considering the fact his cursed energy swamped the entire ball from the moment he entered the room, just barely discernible from that of your parent’s royal sorcerer, Satoru Gojo, who came to meet with other royal sorcerers in attendance. You are reunited with Suguru Geto, your personal guard and the Captain of the Iqorian Guards, after conversing with your parents. He escorts you back to the room provided to you within the Itadori’s castle for the night, “I take it the night went well, your highness?” He asks as he follows you in.

You find yourself unable to respond, chewing on your thumbnail as you sit at the dresser, leaning your head on your free hand. Lost in thought you don’t hear him approach until his hand is on your shoulder, “What ails you my lady?” “He’s tormented,” You murmur, “Prince Ryomen, he’s trapped, and something is very wrong with this family,” His face reflected in the mirror is one of soft confusion, and you find you can’t hide anything from him. He’s trained you your whole life, and you trust him sometimes more than you trust your parents, he’s like a second brother to you, “I asked if he was in trouble, and I fear a lack of response or denial is enough to ascertain the danger, I must marry him if he is to survive with his humanity intact,”

Geto frowns and grips your shoulder slightly, “I will call for your maids, this stays between us,” He announces, “Sleep well your highness,” “Where are you going?” “To let your parents know I am in full support of this marriage, he’s incredibly strong after all,” His face is sly as a fox and you find yourself speechless, “He’ll be a great asset if we give him the chance,” Once he is gone you find comfort in the knowledge of his support, thus allowing you to slumber in peace.

When the morning arrives, you find yourself swept up in preparations for the wedding, which you find after questioning the closest maid is to be held that very day. His father must be desperate to get rid of him before he becomes a problem, and you’re more than willing to let Kaori Itadori and her maids along with yours fawn over you and dress you in the finest white dress you’ve ever seen. You’re understandably nervous, your parents dropped by only once that morning to tell you what you already knew about the conversation they shared with Ryomen’s parents, but they also said once the wedding was over you’d be leaving for home almost immediately.

This was, surprisingly, not the most shocking thing you’d heard all morning. It fell just behind the fact that it would be Geto and not your father who would be walking you down the aisle, a few of your closest maids acting as bridesmaids. This is to go along with a Khoccadian custom involving the parents of both spouses, while also incorporating the ‘giving away’ portion from Iqorian marriages. Ryomen’s mother wraps her arms around you quickly outside the throne room before she pushes a bouquet of red roses into your hands, tears in her eyes, “Take care of him,” She whispers, her eyes intense and so full of sadness you think you may cry too. You nod, words escaping you as you turn to the throne room, the music floating out at you different to the wedding music back home.

It dawns on you as the doors open to reveal you to the crowd that you don’t know Ryomen Itadori. You don’t know his favourite food, you don’t know his favourite hobbies, you don’t know what he likes in a partner, you don’t even know what his relationship with his brothers is like. It’s too late to wonder, as you clutch the bouquet in your hand and link your other arm with Geto who has just appeared at your side. His presence helps to calm your nerves, but you’re still antsy as you approach the front of the room where Ryomen waits for you, looking equally antsy but for a different reason.

You know he wants out, and you’re his ticket, you just have to get through the next hour of formalities. The crowd is never truly silent during your ceremony, there’s always a low hum of chatter, but it doesn’t disturb or deter the continuance of the ceremony. You can feel Jin Itadori’s eyes on you almost the entire time and you endeavour to ignore him as best you can, focusing on the feeling of Ryomen’s hands in yours. You take the time before and during vows to study his face, the way he scrunches his nose sometimes or crosses his eyes to make you smile. It works, and he squeezes your hands to add reassurance to the moment, until finally you’re pronounced as husband and wife, and without even a second thought or hesitation he pulls you into him, pressing his lips to yours.

You’re breathless, your hands clutching his biceps, barely hanging onto the threads of your discipline before he pulls you into him for a hug, “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” He mutters against your ear, kissing the side of your head as the crowd cheers and his words are lost in the cacophony of sounds. You let your eyes speak a thousand words as you meet his gaze, smiling softly before finally speaking, “You’re safe now,” His shoulders relax as the two of you turn to walk back down the aisle. Once out of the throne room, his brothers are there to greet him, and Yuji hugs him tightly, “Brother…” He murmurs, “Don’t forget us, you understand?” He grips the back of Ryomen’s head and presses his forehead to his twins, “Promise me?”

Ryomen blinks sadly, “I’ll come back for you,” He whispers. The two younger boys crowd between the twins and Ryomen holds them, the taller one seems quite physically weak, and the shorter one has not opened his eyes, but he holds them close. “How does Ryomen L/n sound?” He asks softly, “Fitting?” Yuji smiles, “For you? It’s perfect,” Just before the two of you can be whisked away by your maids, he grabs his elder brother’s hand, “Choso,” He forces the man to look him in the eyes, “Look after them, don’t let them end up like him, or me for that matter,” He growls, “Swear on your life,”

Choso nods, “I swear on my life,” Ryomen nods one final time, “I hope we’re all better people when we see each other again,” He says, words meant only for his brothers that you catch while ushering your maids away from the moment. His hand on your back is the only warning you get before he’s nudging you along the tidal wave of people who head to the main entrance.

A grand exit, the staircase long, carriages await at the bottom, and Ryomen’s freedom. A price paid a thousand times over, a dream finally allowed to come true, and a man desperately clinging to the bare threads of his humanity. The world gives him a lifeline in the form of a girl second in line to her kingdom’s throne, and he finds he remembers why he endured staying alive all those years. His real family, his only family, his brothers - and maybe even revenge.

twins sukuna/itadori lives rent free in my head because of this app so here's my royal spin on it :) I hope you enjoyed

part 2 here!

[sukimas]

fundamentally the whole concept of shikigami aya is yukari conceptually murdering* aya shameimaru for less than morally untarnished reasons. there’s not really anything more you can get out of the concept than that; the shikigami itself is a castle in the sky that one paints from one’s own ideas (and i’ve not seen it executed interestingly, unfortunately.) i have seen nothing here more interesting conceptually than just the canonical idea of Ran Existing

*see the way that possession by vengeful spirits affects youkai as referenced in SoPM

[singular-yike]

Len'en Stuff Masterpost

Here's a more organized collection of every Len'en post that I've, hopefully this makes things easier to look through.

Overall Explanations

Introduction to Len'en

Getting into Len'en Lore (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

Len'en Relationship Charts

Character Analyses

First-person Pronouns Used in Len'en

Second-person Pronouns Used in Len'en

Overall Shitodo Siblings Analysis

Evanescent Existence

Kurohebi

Aoji Shitodo

Tsubakura Enraku

Yabusame Houlen

Hooaka Shitodo

Kuroji Shitodo

Wilhelm von Clausewitz Halcyon HISUIMARU

Tsurubami Senri

Earthen Miraculous Sword

Jun Amanomiya

Shou Amanomori

Lumen Celeritas

Sukune Katano: 1 2 (Speech Quirks)

Adagumo no Yaorochi and Saragimaru (Saragimaru's Name)

The Tasouken

Reactivate Majestical Imperial

Sese Kitsugai

Fujiwara no Iyozane

Taira no Fumikado

Shion

Tenkai Zuifeng (Also see the Azumaterasu analysis!)

Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle: Haze Route

Kujiru Kesa

Kaisen Azuma (Also has a small theory)

Taira no Chouki

Para: 1 2

Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle: Brilliant Route

Mitsumo

Medias Moritake

Kunimitsu Ooya

Fujiwara no Shirogane no Sanra (Sanra's Speech Style)

Ooama no Ake no Mitori

Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle: Extra Stage

Yago Ametsukana (1st Version)

Haiji Senri

Other Characters

Hoojiro Shitodo

NiLU

Other Analyses & Theories

On JynX's Inspiration and Creative Process

Locations & Organisations

The Outside World

On the Sanctuary

Barrier Shop "Azumaterasu"

Buddhism and Devanagaran Court Culture

The Devanagaran Fujiwara Dynasty and the Historical Fujiwara

Ponderer of the Ivory Cup

Concepts & Terms

Barriers: From History to Len'en

Shikigami: From History to Len'en

Spell Cards & the Spell Card System

On Bird's Names

On the Name "Len'en"

"Lily Pad Ice" Dimensions (Relies on a fair bit of theory)

Theories

Holy Sites of the Len'en Series (also has 2 little theories)

Outsider Senri Priests

The Earthly Gods and Mugenri (Follow-up)

2 Tsurubami Theories (Eye of Senri + Rei)

On Iyozane's Revival

The Tale of Genji and Len'en (has analyses but is mostly theory)

A Pair of Mysterious Kuroji Spells

Musing on Ancient Mugenri History

Other Len'en Asks

Favourite Characters

Favourite Facet of Iyozane

Funniest Translation Moment

Character Most Likely to Make it as an Idol

My Wish For A Future Len'en Game

Speculation: The Orochi Myth in Len'en

BotC Release Version: First Impressions

Thoughts on Iyozane's Theme

How I Understand EmEv in Relation to Modern Len'en

Non-Len'en Stuff

My 2023 Japan Trip

The Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine

The Shirakawa Yoshimi Shrine

Other Asks

"Warrior Shinto Priests"

Ask: Japanese Translation Tips

[avionvadion]

Out of curiosity, where is Anastasia from? Just due to early InuYasha episode with the toad and Amari Nobunaga, we know that Kagome traveled between 1534-1551 because Oda Nobunaga is alive, but still has the reputation of being a fool and idiot given Amari Nobunaga’s reaction when Kagome mentions Oda Nobunaga and given the use of matchlock guns isn’t known by Jakotsu at first, this is probably soon after the Portuguese come to trade in 1943. I’m just really curious what type of settlement Anastasia hails from because this a couple decades is before England started colonizing so I’m going, “Well, if she’s not British settler does that make her from a Spanish colony? a failed French settlement? Maybe a Dutch one?” I mean I know Inuyasha implied Anastasia is from America, but it’s not like he knows since the European trade with Japan would be relatively new. Sorry if this is a lot, I’m really sorry, I just listen to stuff while doing art and I recently listened to the first episode of Blue-Eye Samurai which is set in Sakoku (post-1603), and the biracial (half-white/half-Japanese) main character was bullied as a child by being told they had “round eyes, like a dog’s”, which made me think of Forest Deep and the bullying Inuyasha and Irene went through, particularly at the castle with the servants, which made me wonder since Irene looks so much like Anastasia, just exactly where, if she or Anastasia run into any foreign traders, who don’t know them, might associate them with. Again, I’m sorry, this is probably a lot of info dumping.

I don’t know that much about history, so I actually appreciate these little info dumps, lol. I research what I can, but it doesn’t always work.

I have it written in my notes that’s it 1553.

Anastasia’s backstory was supposed to be revealed fairy soon in the fic since we’re nearing the end of the first half of the fic, but basically my plan for her was-

Massive Fic Spoilers below!

A recently made pregnant Anastasia was forced overseas and became terribly ill while on the ship. Once arriving in Japan her captors left her to die, but through some unlikely means she survived. This was because of her finding an injured cat and nursing it back to health.

This cat was actually a deity in disguise- one who had shown mercy for humans and wound up being tricked, and the fellow gods punished the deity for his foolishness by trapping him inside the body of a calico cat. It could not use powers to heal any injuries, as per the curse set upon him, but it’s blood could bestow a gift.

And in thanking Anastasia for mending his wounds, once again convincing him that certain humans could be kind, he granted her his blood.

This allowed her to birth two healthy twins and travel throughout the lands, protecting herself with Shikigami. Due to her harsh experiences, these Shikigami were fierce and aggressive. Anastasia did not have the power to heal. But then she met Kakuju, and they married shortly after her (21st) birthday. She still travels as a priestess, but dies shortly after becoming bedridden from another illness.

One of the twins went back across the sea after their mother’s death, and Irene and Maria are descendants of that child, while his sibling fell in love with a Japanese person and had a daughter- Diana. Diana marries a Japanese lord, but eventually dies when birthing a stillborn.

The cat deity has been mourning Anastasia’s death and his failure, knowing full well she had been revived by Kakuju as a soulless Hitogata. The cat deity was actually the one who had given Kakuju’s ancestors the knowledge on how to cast this spell, as he had been fooled by their fake kindness and tricked into telling them how to do so, leading to the course of time being altered. This caused the gods to punish him, forcing him to live forever in the body of a cat with the curse-

The curse that could only be broken if someone- a person from a bloodline he had tainted- could truly be kind. If they could share that kindness and extend it even to the spirits they commanded, so much so that the spirits become protective, will the curse break.

Uhhhhh, and I guess Anastasia could be Dutch??? Also, hey! I know exactly which chapter you’re talking about! Only you, Sango where Inuyasha snapped at the servants for bullying Irene.

[shadwife]

I found a thread complaining about castle shikigami 2’s localization. All the typical weebs who complain about things not being “just translated.” There’s even a post complaining that even using a synonym instead of the original word is bad. Like BRO

Castle Shikigami 2 is literally translated. It is translated word-by-word as if the translator only had a dictionary. It is exactly what you’re asking for and yeah! It’s bad! That’s why some localizing is still important.

The game is full of incomplete sentences because that’s how people speak in Japanese. The speech sounds so unnatural because Japanese speech doesn’t cleanly translate to English. Language doesn’t work like that.

Also fuck you castle shikigami 2 is a masterpiece. Literally one of the greatest games of all time. The weird translation makes it. why? MIGHT!

[classic-games]

Thundercade

Developer: Micronics    Publisher:American Sammy    Release: 08/89    Genre: Shooter I like shooters. Be it fantasy shooters, space shooters, or even the weird supernatural ones like Castle of Shikigami. I will even dabble with the occasional bullet hell game although I am a fan of that style. I am not particularly enthusiastic about military themed shooters however. Make no mistake I will still…

[archoneddzs15]

Sega Dreamcast - Shikigami no Shiro 2 Deluxe Edition (Castle Shikigami II)

Title: Shikigami no Shiro 2 Deluxe Edition / 式神の城 II

Developer/Publisher: Alfa System

Release date: 25 March 2004

Catalogue No.: T-47701M

Genre: Shooting Action

THANK YOU, ALFA SYSTEM!! Alfa System listened to their loyal Dreamcast fans and brought us Shikigami no Shiro 2 (The Demon God Castle 2 in English) on the 25th of March 2004. From what I can tell, the Dreamcast version seems to have all the same options as the Game Cube version (the first console version) including the gallery mode which is a great sign. There are loads of play modes plus a remixed soundtrack option, full speech for each character that can be switched on or off and a very convenient practice mode. Each player has a variety of two different attack styles to choose from which can be accessed by pushing left or right on the character select screen. A great point about Shikigami no Shiro II is that every one of the characters has their own unique way of shooting just like characters of a fighting game have their own unique fighting style. Personally, I haven't tried out every character much yet but it's going to be fun finding out.

I can imagine that a lot of you out there are asking "Is Shikigami no Shiro II better than Psyvariar 2?" Well, that's a tuff one to answer. They are both shooters played in a 2D style over 3D backgrounds, but I'd say Psyvariar 2 is more of a pattern shooter than Shikigami no Shiro II. I love both of them, but I'd have to say Shikigami no Shiro 2 would be my favorite due to the style of the characters appealing more to me. As far as game play goes, I'd say Psyvariar 2 will have you on the edge of your seats more.

The Dreamcast Limited Deluxe edition comes with a free CD Soundtrack (pictured above) of all the music and character voices featured in Shikigami no Shiro II plus a cool set of 4-character trading cards which you can see below.

But that's not the end of the goodies. Not only do you get the game, OST and trading cards presented in a beautiful card sleeve, but you can also get a very limited Shikigami no Shiro II NTT phone card for use in Japan. These were only available if you ordered the game directly from Sega Japan.

[itsfantasticac]

Reika design reference, for Castle of Shikigami 3.

Arcadia magazine No. 70 (Mar. 1, '06), pg. 173

[satoshi-mochida]

Castle of Shikigami 2 Switch physical edition launches in Q2 2024 in the west

Gematsu Source

Red Art Games will release a physical edition for the Switch version of shoot ’em up Castle of Shikigami 2 in Q2 2024 in North America and Europe, the publisher announced. The western physical release will feature new French, Italian, and Spanish localizations.

In North America, the physical release of Castle of Shikigami 2 will be handled by Video Games Plus and is limited to the standard edition.

In Europe, the physical release of Castle of Shikigami 2 will be handled by Red Art Games and includes the standard edition, Deluxe Edition, and Dream Edition. Here are the details:

In addition to the game’s Standard Edition which will be available everywhere once it launches, two special editions can also be pre-ordered from Red Art Games’ official online store. Red Art Games’ Castle of Shikigami 2 special editions were created using assets coming straight from Alfa System‘s archives. Those assets were initially used for Japan-only releases of the game in the early 2000s.

Castle of Shikigami 2 Deluxe Edition (300 PEGI-rated copies) (€39.99)

A copy of the game featuring reversible cover art

An exclusive sleeve inspired by one of Castle of Shikigami 2‘s 128-bit Japanese versions

A set of three Castle of Shikigami 2 tokens inspired by those in use in Japanese arcades

Castle of Shikigami 2 Dream Edition (500 PEGI-rated copies) (€69.99)

A retro style box

A copy of the game featuring reversible cover art

An exclusive sleeve inspired by one of Castle of Shikigami 2‘s 128-bit Japanese versions

A double-sided poster featuring art inspired by Castle of Shikigami 2‘s original Arcade flyer

The Castle of Shikigami 2 original soundtrack CD

An acrylic stand

Watch a new trailer below.

Physical Edition Trailer

[kotarohitokiri]

Castle Morihisa - Roguelike deck De Cartas Shikigami !!!

[coolmika745]

Hyakki Yagyo: Ashiya Doman and Osakabehime

It seems my theory was right that Doman is no longer human and it make since as the story seems to take place centuries after the Heian Period and he couldn't still be alive unless he found a way or something happened to him to prolong his life. Anyway, I translated some of the dialogue between Doman and Osakabehime. The princess that Doman is referring to is Osakabehime.

​Doman: ``The Giant Centipede is not a monster that the Princess and I can fight head-on. That's why I erected multiple barriers in Feng Shui Village and the castle to hide the Princess from the Giant Centipede.''

Osakabehime: Doman! Didn't you call me to Feng Shui Village out of goodwill to protect Hyakkirou? Did you... lie to me!?

Doman: Is there something good or bad about a former human who turned into a yokai? It's all my ego that wanted the princess. I don't care what happens to the others as long as the princess is safe.

Osakabehime: Doman...I missed it! It's time for us to get out of here, then, let's get out of here!...Hey, Ohikari. Take me to the giant centipede... It's a funeral battle at Hyakkiro!

Narrator: ``At that moment when Doman froze up at the words of Princess Osakabehime,... Doman's shikigami for scouting appeared, and even more surprised, he uttered the words. A giant centipede appears off the coast of Urashima! After hearing the news from the shikigami, Doman takes out a paper doll from Osakabehime's pocket while restraining Osakabehime, who is shouting.

Doman: ``Heading to the Ura Island!''. He's my shikigami. If you want to go to the Giant Centipede... follow him. He'll guide you to the giant centipede!

So Doman is in love with a fox woman and has a lot of fox shikigami.

​

[kinfraught]

kamei family & shikigami

; the kamei have traditionally been known as a family of shikigami-users. a select few members of the family have possessed a separate, stand-alone innate technique but this is considered to be exceedingly rare. as such, most sorcerers within the family rely on the use of shikigami summoning.

this tradition dates back to the heian era; wherein the kamei clan's progenitor, kamei isshin, allegedly had the ability to utilize 300 shikigami at his disposal. isshin specifically specialized in the summoning of malevolent spirits; such as yurei and yokai. legends states that he had hoped his cruelty in battle would itself produce stronger shikigami for his family to inherit from his victims souls.

unfortunately, isshin's mastery of shikigami summoning came at a high cost. he had acquired this power from a spirit within himeji castle known as, osakabe hime. of course, this was not given freely. isshin, in teaching his family techniques learned by malevolent spirits, had cursed his lineage to be followed by vengeful spirits and the despair that was attached to them.

spirits seeking revenge gravitated to kamei sorcerers; viewing their summoning as shikigami as a reliable conduit to exact their revenge on the world of the living. many sorcerers at the time viewed this as a boon, as they would not fully grasp the cost of this curse until isshin's death.

isshin would be slain, as many sorcerers full of hubris had during the era, by sukuna. after isshin's death his collection of shikigami were no longer bound; and wreaked havoc on the kyoto country side. the kamei would be charged with gathering these spirits; forgoing their orders to exorcise them in order to tame them once again as shikigami. from these 're-tamed' shikigami were born the original generation of the kamei clan's inherited shikigami.

[singular-yike]

I wasn't asking for Chouki last time, but you know it IS a good idea, so gimme Chokey Dokey Literature Club (Cheaky Breaky Heart?)

This isn't related to Chouki but I just thought you'd like to know that that's the first nickname(?) you gave that really made me do a double-take, conjures up an indescribable feeling it does.

In any case, we can certainly talk about Chouki:

The New Emperor Amidst the Heat Haze — Taira no Chouki

Chouki's Story

A good chunk of Chouki's story takes part alongside Fumikado', and a good part of their character revolves around them as well, I'll be a lot briefer in this one, so go check out Fumikado's post if you want more context as to the why some of this stuff happens.

Chouki's Origins

Unlike Fumikado's origins, which are written in their profile from an omniscient narrator's view, what we have on Chouki's origins apparently come from Taira no Iwakado, who is frankly a rather fishy character. So we might need to take it with a grain of salt.

According to Iwakado, Chouki was born to a branch family of the Mugenri Taira. Much like Fumikado, they used to live in the imperial capital Devanagara with their own parents.

However, Chouki's parents would pass away in a political dispute (likely the same one that orphaned Fumikado), leaving Iwakado to take them in.

Iwakado raised Chouki to be Fumikado's servant, telling them to "always obey Fumikado, be by their side and aid them". That was their entire existence.

The Saeda

To that end, Chouki volunteered to play the magical Saeda flute in order to gather the souls needed for the revival plot. However, the flute could only be played by a "being closer to death", so they resolved to take their own life and become a ghost.

So Chouki made a deal with the master of the Spirit World in order to go against the world's natural order and remain the in the world of the living as a ghost.

However, the master played a nasty trick on them, taking their legs and breath from them when returning them to the living world. This left them incapable of playing the flute, and not long after, Fumikado cut them off from the plan.

Revenge

What Fumikado's intentions were, only they know, but Chouki felt betrayed, like they were tossed aside once they became useless. This feeling turned into hatred, and then a desire for vengeance.

In order to take down Fumikado, they trained under Garaiiya Ogata, Kaisen Azuma, Kujiru Kesa, as well as Gariaya's other shikigami, becoming proficient in both youkai arts and swordfighting.

It was when they began to match Fumikado's power that the Dragonfly Castle revealed itself to them, and welcomed them within. Thus they rose to the throne as the New Emperor of the Dragonfly Castle, and the rest is history.

Name: Taira no Chouki

There's not much to go over with Taira (平), but in Chouki (蝶鬼), "chou" (蝶) means "butterfly" and "ki" (鬼) refers to the youkai oni.

Notably, while it rarely takes this meaning in Japanese (not never though), it almost always means "ghost" in Chinese.

Inspiration: Nyozou-ni

Chouki lightly references Taira no Masakado's 3rd daughter, the Buddhist nun Nyozou-ni, whose birth name is lost to history.

The best historical sources we have on her are the Konjaku Monogatarishū (今昔物語集), a collection of various tales written during the late Heian period, and the Genkō Shakusho (元亨釈書), Japan's first Buddhist history text.

Both tell the same general tale, that to punish Masakado's family for his crimes, his 3rd daughter was exiled to live alone next to an Enichi Temple where she eventually died of illness. (There are two likely candidates that Enichi Temple in the texts refer to, but it is unclear which one it is.)

Depicted below: Enichi Temple's main hall.

She then fell to hell but was rescued by the Buddha Jizou and came back to life, after which she converted to Bhuddism and became a nun known as Nyozou-ni (如蔵尼) or Jizou-ni (地蔵尼).

Nyozou-ni's gravestone at the Enichi Temple in Bandai Town, Fukushima Prefecture reads:

"Takiyasha-hime tried to restore [the clan/her position] after Masakado's death, but failed and became a nun"

It's not exactly clear what she is said to have tried to restore, but this is where we get the name "Takiyasha-hime" from, as well as the idea that she tried to change the outcome of Masakado's rebellion in some sense.

Depicted below: Nyozou-ni's gravestone at the Enichi Temple

While Chouki's story doesn't rely on Nyozou-ni that heavily, it's possible that their visit to and return from the Spirit World is based on Nyozou-ni's own death and revival story.

Inspiration: Takiyasha-hime

Chouki is more heavily based on a mythologized version of Nyozou-ni, Takiyasha-hime (滝夜叉姫).

Her mythologization is believed to date back only to the 17th century, in the 1806 yomihon novel series "The Tale of Utou Yasutaka's Loyalty" (善知安方忠義伝) by Santō Kyōden. (Yep this book again lol)

The books are an attempt to combine the Noh play "Utoh" (善知鳥 Auklets) and the Masakado legends, which is notable because one of Chouki's spells, "The Auklet's Cry, and the Response Thereto", actually reference Utoh directly.

In the novels, she is instead initially known as Kisaragi-ni (如月尼). A Buddhist nun who lives on Mount Tsukuba raising her younger half-brother Taira no Yoshikado (平 良門), something the historical Nyozou-ni is also said to have done (although its veracity is unclear).

Depicted below: Kisaragi-ni (left page) and Yoshikado (right page)

After Masakado indeed failed and was executed, a powerful toad spirit that lived on the mountain, Nikushi-sen (肉芝仙), revealed himself to the siblings and told them the truth of their origins.

He taught them both toad magic, convinced them to restart their father's rebellion, and possessed Kisaragi-ni, transforming her into Takiyasha-hime.

Depicted below: Takiyasha-hime in one of the books (left), Nikushisen (as a toad) and Yoshikado (above the toad)

Takiyasha-hime's paring here with Yoshikado may have inspired Chouki's initial collaboration with Fumikado, while their learning magic from Nikushi-sen may be inspired Chouki's later training with Garaiya, Kaisen, Kujiru and co.

At the climax of the story, Ooya Tarou Mitsukuni (大宅太郎光圀) was sent to seek out any remnants of Masakado's rebellion, and tracked them all the way to Soma's old imperial palace (相馬の古内裏), an old palace modeled after the Emperor's that used to be Masakado's base of operations, where the siblings have been recruiting people still loyal to Masakado's cause.

In a desperate attempt to fight back, the siblings summon and control an army of skeletons to fight back against Mitsukuni and his men but ultimately lose.

Depicted below: Ooya Tarou Mitsukuni fighting off the skeletons.

The end of the story is unknown as the series was never completed, although one could assume that Takiyasha-hime will eventually go to Enichi Temple and become a nun there, reconciling this tale with history.

So that's the general story of Takiyasha-hime in the myths: Masakado's daughter awakens to magic and becomes Takiyasha-hime, hides out at Soma's old imperial palace, summons skeletal monster(s) that Ooya Tarou Mitsukuni defeat.

But the legends would continue to evolve and change, leading to some further references:

Exclusion of Yoshikado and Nikushi-sen

As the Takiyasha-hime myths evolved, she began to be divorced from the characters of Yoshikado and Nikushi-sen, becoming the only central character of the story.

This is potentially referenced in how Chouki would eventually part ways with Fumikado, although I admit I'm not 100% sure about this.

Identification with Masakado's 1st daughter, Satsuki-hime

As the legends evolve, Tskiyasha-hime would sometimes be identified with Masakado's first daughter instead, Satsuki-hime (五月姫 may princess/lady). Here "satsuki" probably is meant to refer to the Rhododendron indicum, and not the actual month of May.

This is referenced in the spell Tearing Card "May Flowering".

Depicted below: A satsuki blossom.

The Ox-hour Shrine Visit

In the tales where Takiyasha-hime was Satsuki-hime, she is often given a very different story regarding her transformation into Tskiyasha-hime.

After Maskado's defeat and subsequent death, all his family and servants were executed as well, but Satsuki-hime somehow survived.

Harbouring extreme hatred for her enemies, she started performing a fearsome curse ritual called the "ox-hour shrine visit" at the Kifune Shrine (貴船神社).

On her 21st night performing the curse, she hears the voice of the rough and violent spirit of the shrine's god, Takaokami-no-Kami, who teachers her sorcery, transforming her into Takiyasha-hime.

This was referenced in the spell "Ox-Hour Visit to Kifune Shrine".

Additionally, this was a popular subject for artists of the time, like in the following woodblock print by Utagawa Toyokuni, which was referenced in Chouki's design as well.

Summoning the Gashadokuro

Based on the climactic scene in the original "The Tale of Utou Yasutaka's Loyalty", Utagawa Kuniyoshi made the woodblock print "Soma's old imperial palace" (相馬の古内裏), where a single giant skeleton is summoned instead of multiple normal-sized ones.

While the gashadokuro is a modern invention from the 1960s, it has been identified with the skeleton in this piece, and the idea that Takiyasha-hime summoned a gashadokuro to fight her enemies was firmly solidified in the public imagination.

This was referenced in the spells Summoning "Gashadokuro" and "Soma's Old Imperial Palace".

And I think that's all! I would say let's look forward to what else they do but they're not showing up in Golden Chapter and almost certainly not MW, so uhh, let's hope BotC at least gives us something more~! :)