Description / Lore
Main image of Mezuki.
A Mezuki is a demon with the head of a horse. It can be seen in various picture scrolls depicting images of hell, torturing the wicked alongside the bull-headed demon Gozuki. However, its appearences in legend have also placed it outside of its underworld domain. Most notably, it is one of the demons on parade in the famous Hyakki Yagyo ("Night Parade of a Hundred Demons") that is written about in the Uji Shui Monogatari of the early 13th century.
One theory postulates that Mezuki came to be when a large number of humans and horses met their deaths, their grudges and hatred intermingling until finally taking form as the horse-headed demon. After slaughtering victims in droves to rid itself of its lingering resentment, Mezuki finally down to hell. It was sentenced by Enma, the judge of the underworld, to work there for as long as it took to make up for the lives it had brutally taken.
Due to the grudge it bears, Mezuki favors wielding weapons that cause pain to its enemies more than those that are effective at ensuring a swift kill. As a counterpart to its more malicious and sadistic side, it also has the tendency to recklessly charge as its enemies, displaying less forethought and more similarity to a rampaging horse. One might attribute its dual nature to its mixed human and horse origins. If you face Mezuki in battle, dodging its charges at attacking it from behind will surely lead you to victory.