Blight (ヤスミ Yasumi?), also known as Impurities, is a term used to describe an affliction that corrupts gods, shinki, and loose spirits. It is identified by a visible purplish-red mark on the affected area of the body. The term "impure" (ヤスム yasumu?) is used when an individual is affected by blight.
Causes and Effects
A god, shinki, or loose spirit can become impure through three methods:
- Being attacked by ayakashi.[1]
- Touching another individual's blight.[2]
- A shinki committing a sin.[2]
Blight in general will cause the victim to go through a phase called "defilement" or "corruption" (
- The blight mark for a god is shown as a purplish-red mark.[1] If left untreated, the blight will continue to spread all over their body, causing the god to degrade and eventually die.[3]
- For a loose spirit or shinki, in addition to the purpling mark, the wound may also develop characteristics of an ayakashi: for example, eyes, heads, feathers, or other animal characteristics. If left untreated, the blight will spread and eventually turn them into an ayakashi.[4][5]
- If a spirit or shinki touches a blight mark on a wounded god, the blight will infect them. The blight mark has no ayakashi eyes but if left untreated the eyes will appear, and the effect is similar to one directly attacked by ayakashi.[6]
- If a shinki commits a wrongdoing that they feel guilty over, the blight appears on both the owner god’s nape and the shinki’s back. The shinki appears not to feel any pain, but the god(s) who named them feels stabbing pain as the shinki’s name is linked with the god’s life. If left untreated or no action is taken, the shinki will turn into an ayakashi and the god will die from the blight.[3][5]
Yukine realizes he's blighted after committing wrongdoings.
Mineha's blight has ayakashi parts after being attacked.
Treatment
Blight can be treated using the following methods:
- If the blight is caused by a shinki committing sins, it must be purified by conducting an Ablution ritual for the offending shinki. This method is considered dangerous, but is the only way to cleanse both the shinki and the god who named them.[3]
- In the former scenario, releasing the offending shinki’s name or killing it will cure the owner god, but doesn’t save the shinki. When the name is released the shinki will turn into an ayakashi.[3]
- Otherwise, blight can be cleansed by washing it away using purifying water obtained from shrines[1] or natural springs,[3] so long as no ayakashi eyes or body parts are present.
- This method works for those who become infected by another individual's blight (even when that individual obtained the blight through a shinki's sin[3]), and those who become blighted through an ayakashi attack.[1]
- If ayakashi eyes or other body parts are present, then the impurities must be cleansed by surgically removing the affected areas.[4]
Trivia
- In the manga, blight is written in katakana[3] as opposed to its actual word,
休 み. This is probably because the word is used for a different context than the original meaning, which is "suspension" or "rest".