Youkai

A Youkai is a custom-made hybrid Cyborg, whose body is only available in Nippon, and to a limited set of customers due to its prohibitive price.

Designed to emulate traditional Japanese monsters,Youkai bodies are limited only by the size of the human brain. They can be as large as a dragon, or as small as a dwarf. After transplantation is done, a special ceremony is performed by a Shinshoku, or Shinto priest, to invoke the Youkai's spirit, asking it to protect the user and share with them its supernatural powers, in exchange for spiritual fidelity. The ceremony culminates with the priest's declaration that the user's possession of the Youkai is complete.

Most Youkai bodies are equipped with cloaking technology. Combined with their Japanese martial arts training, cloaking technology makes Youkai formidable enemies. This has given rise to a variety of Youkai-related proverbs, like "Strong as a Youkai", "Hiding like a Youkai", and the curse "hoping someone upsets a Youkai", often said as an insult.

A Youkai can choose a favorite weapon or sets of weapons to deal with ranged enemies, but all Youkai must carry a melee weapon or specialized biomechanical implant for close combat.

Renja
Due to the fact that Youkai bodies are immune to most forms of poison, Youkai can be assigned by the Shogun to become Renja and dispose of the most dangerous lifeforms (both plants and animals) present in the Nippon forest and jungles, allowing only milder beasts to inhabit it. These hunters are called Renja, and they organize themselves in a hierarchy whose top is always the Dragon Youkai, or Mushi.

Shikigami
Youkai which are hired as bodyguards are called Shikigami, Japanese word for "familiar". Rarely seen in other parts of the world, Shikigami are mostly present in Nippon and in the commercial zone of Hong Kong, protecting their masters both reactively and proactively.