Corpse Princess (Shikabane Hime)
After being murdered, Makina Hoshimura turns into a "living shikabane (corpse)". Armed with dual MAC-11 submachine guns, she must kill 108 other shikabane in order to gain entry into heaven. She is assisted in this task by Keisei Tagami, a Buddhist monk with links to an anti-corpse group known as the Kougun Sect. Her ultimate goal is to avenge the death of her family, by destroying the group of menacing shikabane known as the Seven Stars, with Hokuto as the leader.
Terminology
Shikabane
Sometimes referred to as corpses. When a person dies with an intense regret or obsession that occurs just seconds before they die, they may become a Shikabane. As Shikabane, they can use their regrets and obsessions and turn that into power, thus becoming monsters. As a Shikabane, they are undead and though they retain some human consicousness, they have a hatred towards the living and don't hesitate to kill them. The Shikabane created are given superhuman strength and occasionally, a unique ability or attribute called a curse. Shikabane also have an attribute that they can regenerate their body where they had been wounded. A Shikabane can be killed by being ripped apart into many pieces so they can't regenerate or otherwise severing their brains.
Shikabane Hime
Shikabane Hime are Shikabane that follow the Kōgon Sect doctrine. They are the only ones that can destroy Shikabane, because since Shikabane have superhuman power, normal humans can't fight them; so it is only fair to fight fire with fire: Shikabane Hime with Shikabane. So far only girls of a certain age group can become a Shikabane Hime. Each of them is partnered with a monk, who provides them with life energy called Rune. In exchange, the Shikabane Hime act as shields for their monk. They are used to hunt and kill rogue Shikabane- in fact, once they kill 108 Shikabane, they receive the reward of going to Heaven. They need to kill 108 Shikabane because it is necessary to gain access to heaven for one who couldn't accept death and became defiled to be purified. Shikabane Hime keep their human form but do still have their own curses that occasionally manifest, and unlike rogue Shikabane, Shikabane Hime are not driven by their regrets or obsessions to the same degree of madness. If their partner monk dies and a replacement is not forthcoming, however, the Shikabane Hime usually die or become normal Shikabane. Despite their contribution to the fight against the rogue Shikabane, they are shunned by most of the Kōgon Sect followers due to their nature as Shikabane.
Contracted Monks
Each Shikabane Hime is accompanied by a soldier monk called contracted monks, who are the partner monks of the Shikabane Hime. They are to provide their Shikabane Hime with support and a life energy that they live off of called a Rune. At the same time, he also supports his Shikabane Hime during their battles. They are also linked by via a bond, which is provided by the body of the first Shikabane Hime. If the contracted monk dies, their Shikabane Hime usually die, or in certain cases, they become normal Shikabane if they develop a new regret that is strong enough for them to become Shikabane.
Curse
A curse is a unique power that a Shikabane possess. Generally, the power of the curse usually comes from a powerful regret or obssession that a person had held on for a long time. The greater the regret or obssession, the greater the power of the Shikabane's curse.
Investigator
A monk who acts as support for Contracted Monks. They usually do not have a contract of their own with a Shikabane Hime.
Sometimes referred to as corpses. When a person dies with an intense regret or obsession that occurs just seconds before they die, they may become a Shikabane. As Shikabane, they can use their regrets and obsessions and turn that into power, thus becoming monsters. As a Shikabane, they are undead and though they retain some human consicousness, they have a hatred towards the living and don't hesitate to kill them. The Shikabane created are given superhuman strength and occasionally, a unique ability or attribute called a curse. Shikabane also have an attribute that they can regenerate their body where they had been wounded. A Shikabane can be killed by being ripped apart into many pieces so they can't regenerate or otherwise severing their brains.
Shikabane Hime
Shikabane Hime are Shikabane that follow the Kōgon Sect doctrine. They are the only ones that can destroy Shikabane, because since Shikabane have superhuman power, normal humans can't fight them; so it is only fair to fight fire with fire: Shikabane Hime with Shikabane. So far only girls of a certain age group can become a Shikabane Hime. Each of them is partnered with a monk, who provides them with life energy called Rune. In exchange, the Shikabane Hime act as shields for their monk. They are used to hunt and kill rogue Shikabane- in fact, once they kill 108 Shikabane, they receive the reward of going to Heaven. They need to kill 108 Shikabane because it is necessary to gain access to heaven for one who couldn't accept death and became defiled to be purified. Shikabane Hime keep their human form but do still have their own curses that occasionally manifest, and unlike rogue Shikabane, Shikabane Hime are not driven by their regrets or obsessions to the same degree of madness. If their partner monk dies and a replacement is not forthcoming, however, the Shikabane Hime usually die or become normal Shikabane. Despite their contribution to the fight against the rogue Shikabane, they are shunned by most of the Kōgon Sect followers due to their nature as Shikabane.
Contracted Monks
Each Shikabane Hime is accompanied by a soldier monk called contracted monks, who are the partner monks of the Shikabane Hime. They are to provide their Shikabane Hime with support and a life energy that they live off of called a Rune. At the same time, he also supports his Shikabane Hime during their battles. They are also linked by via a bond, which is provided by the body of the first Shikabane Hime. If the contracted monk dies, their Shikabane Hime usually die, or in certain cases, they become normal Shikabane if they develop a new regret that is strong enough for them to become Shikabane.
Curse
A curse is a unique power that a Shikabane possess. Generally, the power of the curse usually comes from a powerful regret or obssession that a person had held on for a long time. The greater the regret or obssession, the greater the power of the Shikabane's curse.
Investigator
A monk who acts as support for Contracted Monks. They usually do not have a contract of their own with a Shikabane Hime.