Yokai Rental Shop

For Hiiragi, the sudden revelation that he has a half-brother upends his ordinary existence. Compelled by a mix of curiosity and the faint hope of forging a new family connection, he ventures to meet the stranger. But the reunion is nothing like he imagined. His elder sibling is a disquieting figure, his entire body hidden beneath layers of bandages, and he presides over a dim, cluttered shop that peddles rare and exotic animals. The very air within feels thick with unspoken secrets, and Hiiragi soon realizes that this is no ordinary pet store. Behind the weathered counter lurks an even more staggering truth. For a select clientele who know what to ask for, the shop offers something far more extraordinary than fauna: the rental of yokai, mystical beings of Japanese folklore, each capable of performing supernatural feats beyond human ken. Whether seeking vengeance, protection, or forbidden knowledge, patrons can procure these creatures' services, but the arrangement demands an irrevocable commitment. Every deal must be cemented with a contract written in the customer's own blood—a macabre ritual that binds both parties to terms that are as dangerous as they are mysterious. As Hiiragi uncovers the chilling scope of his brother's enterprise and the shadowy underworld it serves, he finds himself caught between the dread of what his sibling has become and an undeniable fascination that may drag him into the very same darkness.