Tatsuma no Chichi

Tatsuma's father is conservative, stern and deeply committed to the traditions entrusted to the head priest. He expects the rules surrounding the Myōō Dharani's sacred objects to be obeyed even when his son questions whether those rules still serve the people they are supposed to protect.

His rigid attitude creates tension with Tatsuma, who increasingly places individual lives above institutional secrecy. Their disagreement becomes especially clear when Shiro arrives at the temple and demonstrates both suspicious intentions and genuine concern for the sick.

His behavior is nevertheless tied to a burden that Tatsuma does not initially understand. As head priest, he carries secrets concerning the Impure King, Karura and Kurikara that cannot simply be disclosed to ordinary members of the sect.

As head priest of the Myōō Dharani, Tatsuma's father possesses authority over the sect's religious practices and its most important supernatural relics. He is connected to Karura, the fire demon traditionally contracted to the sect's head priest.

His role also places him in the chain of guardianship surrounding Kurikara and the sealed Impure King. The position requires maintaining barriers, rituals and secrets passed down through the Suguro line.

Unlike several younger Kyoto exorcists, his significance is not established through named offensive techniques. His supernatural responsibilities are primarily shown through the inherited duties of the head priest.

Tatsuma's father appears primarily in flashbacks explaining the history of the Myōō Dharani, Kurikara and the Blue Night. When Shiro arrives seeking Kurikara, the head priest orders him restrained rather than allowing an outsider to take one of the sect's most important relics.

Tatsuma disagrees with his father's priorities after witnessing Shiro treat people suffering from the Impure King's miasma. Their conflict helps shape Tatsuma's later conviction that protecting people matters more than preserving traditions for their own sake.

During the Blue Night, Satan possesses Tatsuma's father as the catastrophe spreads through the exorcist community. His final moments allow the hidden responsibilities of the Myōō Dharani head priest to pass to Tatsuma, including the truth surrounding Karura and the Impure King.

Tatsuma Suguro is his son and eventual successor. Their differing attitudes toward tradition cause conflict, but Tatsuma ultimately inherits the secrets his father guarded.

Ryuji Suguro is his grandson, born into the same Suguro line that carries the Myōō Dharani's responsibilities.

Torako Suguro is his daughter-in-law and Tatsuma's wife.

Fukaku is his ancestor and the founder of the Myōō Dharani.

Karura is the fire demon connected to the office of the head priest and passes its contract to Tatsuma after the Blue Night.

Shiro Fujimoto comes into conflict with him while attempting to obtain Kurikara.