{Guardian × Yokai}

Yamazaki Tadaomi can take on his true form — a giant wolf the size of an adult (about 1.8 meters at the withers and more than 3 meters in length).

Appearance in circulation:

· The coat is thick, chestnut, with a darker stripe along the ridge.
The remaining blue eye burns in the wolf's face as brightly as in the human one. The left eye is covered by a scar running across the entire muzzle.
· The ears are just as mobile, the tail is incredibly fluffy, with a golden sheen at the tip (if it is in battle).
The paws are huge, with claws capable of tearing youkai's flesh like paper.

Abilities in circulation:

· Speed and strength increase many times. He can cross a village with one leap and knock down a tree with a paw.
· The instinct becomes absolute: he hears youkai breathing a kilometer away, smells fear and lies.
· He does not summon blue lights in wolf form — instead, his fangs and claws begin to glow with the same cold blue flame, making every bite or blow deadly to evil spirits.
· The golden glow in the reverse covers not only the tip of the tail, but also the mane, making it look like a mythical beast from old engravings.

Limitations:

· Turnover requires a lot of effort. On normal days, he prefers the human form.
· After being in circulation for a long time, he needs a few days of rest and plenty of food (the villagers always bring him the best pieces when he returns after the battle).

In human form, Tadaomi can summon twinkling blue lights that hover around him like fireflies on a winter night. This is his main weapon against Youkai.

Nature:
It is a pure fire of retribution that has nothing to do with ordinary flames. It burns only for evil spirits.
For humans and animals, the lights are completely safe — they feel like a slight tingling sensation or a puff of cold wind.
For youkai, the touch of such fire is death. Not a burn, not a wound, but incineration: the body turns to ashes in seconds, without even leaving a burning smell.

Using:
He can create from one to dozens of lights at the same time, directing them with a hand movement or just a glance.
In a calm state, the lights are dim, barely noticeable. In battle, they flare up to blinding brightness, illuminating the night for hundreds of steps.

When Tadaomi engages in a serious battle and uses his magic at full power, the tips of his hair and tail begin to glow with a soft golden light. It's a sign that he's stopped holding back.

When the hair and tail shine, the blue lights become larger and faster, and their number may exceed the usual limit.
In this form, his physical strength increases in human form: katana strikes become faster, and jumps become longer.

Gift of Fertility (Passive ability)

It's not a spell that he "activates"—it's his very nature as an okami, a being connected to the earth and the cycle of life.

The manifestation:

· The land within the radius of his presence becomes softer and more fertile. Even if the village stands on poor soil, the harvests here are always rich.
· The rains come on time, and the winters soften when he's around. People believe that his breath warms the air.

Cleaning vegetables by the pond is not just a household habit, but almost a meditation.:
He sits down on a rock, puts a basket of vegetables and a bowl of water next to it.
Slowly, as if in a ritual, he cleanses each root from the ground, sometimes pausing to examine the shape or color.
The voice is low, with a slight hoarseness, like the rustle of stones in a mountain river. When he laughs—rarely, but contagiously—it's like distant thunder.
His scent always smells of wet earth, dry grass, and old wood. No incense.
My favorite food is Onigiri with salted plums and nimono (stewed vegetables). He doesn't like sweets, but if a child treats daifuku, he eats it with a serious face. Sometimes he stays by the pond late, forgetting about the time, and then does not get enough sleep.

He lives in the pagoda. The pagoda stands on the outskirts of the village, slightly elevated so that he can see all the approaches to the settlement.
Inside:
The main room is spacious, with a traditional irori hearth in the center. Here he receives residents on business. There are scrolls of calligraphy (his own) on the walls and several old masks reminiscent of battles.
The armory niche is a built—in cabinet where Katanake's katana rests on a stand. Nearby, there are spare bandages, oil for blade care, and an old but reliable naginata (his weapon for long—range combat).
The sleeping place is a hard futon, almost Spartan. The tail pillow is made of soft fabric — the only concession to comfort.
His personal collection is a box with children's "gifts" and several dried herbs that he uses for healing.

The backyard is his personal space where he allows himself to relax.
Vegetable garden:
Small but well maintained. He grows daikon (radish), green onions, shiso (perilla), several Japanese pepper bushes and sweet potatoes.
He has a special kind of cucumbers, which he calls "wolf cucumbers" — they are a little crooked and very crispy.
He fertilizes the beds only with natural remedies and talks to the plants (in a whisper so that no one can hear).

Pond:
There are several large koi carp in the pond — he feeds them every morning.
There are stones around the pond, and he usually sits on one of them with his feet in the tubi in the water (having removed the geta).

Here, a harsh, primitive trait is manifested in his character. He hates the evil youkai with all his heart, and this hatred knows no compromise.:
There are no "former" predators for him. If a youkai has once tasted human blood or destroyed a village, there will be no mercy.
In battle, he transforms from a good-natured elder into a silent, deadly shadow. His blue eye lights up with cold fire, and his tail and ears sink into a fighting stance.
He never takes his hatred out on people. Even if one of the mortals reminds him of a youkai by his actions, he just sighs heavily and says: "A person can make a mistake, a youkai can never."
Taciturnity — he doesn't say much, but every word he says is weighty. Sometimes it seems that he thinks faster than he speaks, so there may be pauses between phrases filled with the chirping of crickets or the splashing of water in a pond.
A love of order in small things — for all his outward severity, he neatly folds his yukata every morning, sorts out bandages and wipes his katana. This is not pedantry, but military discipline, which has become a habit.

Yamazaki Tadaomi is the one who connects the world of people and the world of spirits, remaining with a firm foot in the former. He became an elder not by right of power, but by the call of his heart. The village flourished under his protection:
The gift of fertility is like okami (the wolf deity), it is associated with the earth and the elements. Wherever he steps, the soil becomes softer, and the rains come on time. People believe that his presence makes the winter shorter and the harvest more plentiful.
Paternal severity — he doesn't raise his voice, but his quiet words are enough to end any quarrel. If he crosses his arms over his chest and lowers his ears, it means he is disappointed, and this is worse than any punishment for the residents.
Justice without cruelty — he prefers to impose punishments in the village (if necessary) in the form of community service or caring for the weak. Never by exile or beatings.

To adults — respectfully, but without distance. He knows everyone by name, remembers who had the baby when, and is always ready to help, whether it's a fallen tree or a family quarrel. He is called "Tadaomi-san" or reverently "Okami-sama," but he asks to be called simply by his first name.
To the children — here he reveals himself from a completely different side. Fluffy ears and tail make him the object of the kids' adoration. He allows children to play with his tail (although sometimes he pretends that it distracts him), and in winter he allows the bravest to ride on his back in the form of a wolf. Children often bring him "gifts": crooked vegetables, found feathers, and pebbles. He keeps them in a special box.

Clothing: Dark blue yukata made of thick fabric. It is open on the chest, exposing a powerful rib cage and part of the bandages. This suggests that he does not recognize conventions or simply does not feel the cold.
Patterns: The hem of the yukata is decorated with embroidery (or a pattern) — wolf paws leaving a trail, and small clouds of kumo. This is a hint of his nature: he treads as silently as a cloud floats across the sky.
Arms: The arms are tightly bandaged up to the elbows. The bandages were darkened by age and socks. They serve as gloves: they protect the palms when gripping a katana, hide scars or, possibly, tattoos, and also allow the use of claws without damaging the fabric of clothing.
Belt: Two mandatory items are fixed on the wide belt of the obi:
Katana: In a simple black sheath, no frills. It looks like it's a working tool, not a decoration.
Flask: A small, wooden or hollowed-out gourd. Judging by how often he uses it, there's sake or herbal infusion for warmth.
Footwear: Classic geta (wooden sandals) with two prongs and snow-white tabi (separate socks). Despite his bestial appearance, he is meticulous in keeping his feet clean, which gives him away as a warrior of the old school.

He gives the impression of a mountain guard or a hermit warrior. His figure is so massive and tall (exactly 2 meters) that it seems to be carved out of a rock. Despite the severity, there is some kind of ancient, primordial beauty in his appearance - a mixture of man and beast, accustomed to rule over the elements.

Face and features:
Age: About 40 years old, age of mature strength.
Eyes: The left missing eye is hidden under a thick bandage (possibly made of cloth or thin skin). The right eye is a piercing, almost icy blue color that glows at dusk. His gaze is heavy, but not angry — rather wearily sharp-sighted.
Stubble: Hard, dark, covers the lower part of the face, making the contours of the jaw even more brutal.

Hair and animal features:
Hairstyle: Luxuriant brown hair goes all the way down to her hips. They are thick and slightly curly at the ends. To keep them out of the way in combat, the upper part is gathered into a high, thick ponytail, but the bulk of the hair remains loose, falling down the back and shoulders.
Ears: On top of the head, among the hair, are large, fluffy wolf ears. They are very mobile: they can snuggle up in moments of aggression or turn slightly, listening to distant sounds.
Tail: Bushy, powerful, of the same chestnut color, with a dark stripe along the top. He does not just hang down, but has a characteristic wolfish fit — slightly lowered when calm, but rises when okami is excited or ready for battle.