Hīragi Family

"There is never anything 'correct' when you're dealing with the Hīragi family."

- Mitsuba to Mika about the family

The Hīragi Family (柊家) is the most powerful family in Japan and are the current leaders of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army. They manage to control the JIDA through nepotism and having its family members be skilled and powerful fighters and magic users. As a consequence, this leads to power struggles which causes discomfort among its members, particularly Guren and Shinoa. The family is noted as "scary" by many, including Mitsuba and even Shinoa, who is a Hīragi herself.

History
The Hīragis have a pedigree of 1,200 years. They became the top religious organization known as the Order of the Imperial Demon and one of the centers of Japan's magical society.

Several centuries ago, the Hīragi family developed impressive spell-casting abilities and were successful enough to create branch families that would continue to serve them over the centuries. These branch families would also have lesser families serving them.

The Hīragi themselves have absolute status and privilege. With the exception of Shinoa, they all have high-ranking military positions regardless of whether they earned them or not.

By the start of Catastrophe, they have ten branch families, but the number has decreased by the time Vampire Reign begins.

It is later revealed that the H ī ragi family has been manipulated by the former first progenitor of the vampires, Shikama Dōji, where he would possess every head of the H ī ragi Family in order to have the Imperial Demons to develop the Seraph of the End project and was the true reason as to how they monopolized power in Japans Underground for so long unbeaten.

Jūjō Clan
One of the oldest and most powerful families supporting the Hīragi family.

The members of this family are recognized for their red hair. According to legend, an ancestor of the family, Tohito Jūjō, single-handedly defeated a powerful demon. However, a curse was placed on the bloodline. Since then, all Jūjō descendants were born with red hair.

The Jūjō use magic to power themselves up physically and push their bodies to their limits. They are famed as warriors and soldiers because of this. Many of them serve as guards or assassins.

Members

 * Mito Jūjō

Sangū Clan
The Sangū's blond hair is rumored to be because of the influence of a curse their ancestor was afflicted with.

Members

 * Aoi Sangū
 * Mitsuba Sangū

Members

 * Norito Goshi
 * Norito Goshi's younger brother

Shijin Clan
Lacking information.

Rikudō Clan
Lacking information.

Shichikai Clan
Lacking information.

Hakke Clan
Lacking information.

Ichinose Clan
500 years prior to the series, the Ichinose family served as the top family under the Hīragi. However, both the first and second sons of the Hīragi family fell in love with the daughter of the Ichinose family. The second son won her love. In retaliation, the first son castrated the second son and raped the Ichinose daughter, impregnating her with his child. Splitting off from the main family, they formed the Order of the Imperial Moon.

Although the first son could have annihilated the Ichinose at any time, he chose to let them live on and suffer humiliation. This maltreatment continues into the Catastrophe light novels and even the Vampire Reign manga.

Members

 * Sakae Ichinose (deceased)
 * Guren Ichinose

Serving families

 * Iwasaki (see Shūsaku Iwasaki)
 * Narumi (see Makoto Narumi)
 * Hanayori (see Sayuri Hanayori)
 * Yukimi (see Shigure Yukimi)

Nii Clan
The Hīragi brand them as traitors in Catastrophe book 6.

Kuki Clan
The Hīragi brand them as traitors in Catastrophe book 6.

In Resurrection book 2, it is revealed that Kuro Kuki is the only member left of the Kuki Clan whom the Hīragis took him in.

Trivia

 * Hīragi (柊) means "holly."
 * Each Hīragi family member carries around a family crest, which grants them access to restricted military facilities.
 * The branch family names include Kanji one through ten in their names.