YATAGARASU: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master

Deep within the inner palace lives a special consort who does not serve the emperor despite her position as a consort. She is known as the Raven Consort. People who have seen her say she looks like an old woman, while others say she looks like a young girl. Stories tell of her use of mysterious arts, and how she can take on any request, be it death curses or finding lost things. Koushun, the current emperor, goes to visit the Raven Consort with that intention. Without knowing that their fated meeting will become a taboo that will overturn history.

The world of the humans and the world of the demons (yōkai) have overlapped one another, leaving humans to walk the streets of life as they normally would, while demons walk, hidden from the naked eye, down the very same streets. A seemingly young woman named Yurine and her servant, the Karas (from the Japanese word for "Crow"), have long maintained order and balance between the overlapped worlds, ultimately keeping the demons from interrupting the lives of humans. However, humans have come to forget and jest at the existence of demons, and no longer understand the privilege it is to live without fear. Disgusted by this arrogance, an old Karas turns his back on the laws he had once upheld, and in his human form, named Eko, he creates an army of Mikura, or mechanized demons, to ready an attack on the human race. A young man named Otoha inherits the powers of the Karas and takes his place at the side of Yurine, who claims that his soul called out for her while he lived the life of a human. They live in the world of the demons. It is now up to Otoha to prove himself as a Karas, and restore the balance that Eko threatens to upset. Meanwhile, a superstitious police officer named Sagisaka and his rational new recruit, Kure, follow the trail of the murders dealt by Eko's Mikura, as well as the trail of a rogue Mikura named Nue. The prophecy unfolds from here into a grave revelation for all in the city.

In a remote mountain village under the watchful eyes of two stone guardians, the young Yuru contentedly lives off the land while staying close to the only family he has left—Asa, his precious twin sister. Asa, meanwhile, carries out a mysterious “duty” on behalf of the village while locked in a cage. Why is Asa a prisoner? And what other secrets does Yuru’s otherwise idyllic home hide?

The story takes place in an age of swords, heroes, and myths. Giant beasts created the land, but then humans stole that land. This angered the beasts, who then started eating humans. In order to fight back, humans called upon the gods. The Kyojuu beasts started spreading around the world, causing great damage, but humans fought back by hunting the Kyojuu. Humanity also prospered by to using the dissected parts of the beasts. Jiiro is "a man who has escaped death," and he hunts Kyojuu to earn a living. He meets "Twenty and Second Kuumi," who is being chased by someone. Jiiro and his friends then start to uncover the secrets of this world.