Description / Lore
Main image of Gozuki.
Fighting Gozuki in the mission "Village of the Cursed Blossoms".
Gozuki is a demon with the head of a bull. It can be seen in various picture scrolls depicting images of hell, torturing the wicked alongside the horse - headed demon Mezuki. In Buddhist literature, it is more commonly seen under the name Abo. It is said to appear in our world even when its official underworld duties do not call for it, simply desiring to commit acts of evil.
In the collection of stories known as the Konjaku Monogatari of the late Heian period, there is a tale of a bull-headed demon who attacks two monks and immediately devours the older one. The younger monk clings to a statue of the Buddha and chants a sutra with all his heart, and his prayers are answered when the god Bishamon smites the demon, splitting it into three. It is said that much like Mezuki, Gozuki also fell into hell and was sentenced by Enma to servitude.
Unlike Mezuki, Gozuki is endowed with large horns that protrude forward from its head. It enjoys using these horns to toy with its enemies, charging at them and tossing them repeatedly into the air before dealing a killing blow. It is said that this method of killing shatters its victims' bones, making them easier for Gozuki to eat. The fact that Gozuki is also known to favor blunt instruments as its weapon lends some credence to this unsettling theory. One should be especially wary of its charging attack to avoid becoming its next dinner. While its horns are its biggest wespons, they are also its greatest weakness. A crefully aimed blow at its horns is the key to taking it down.