Donten ni Warau Gaiden

曇天に笑う外伝

18 chapters

3 volumes

2013 – 2017

Set in Japan's Meiji era, the story follows the legendary "Orochi," a destructive serpent spirit that awakens every three hundred years. To counter this menace, an elite fighting force called "Yamainu" is formed. Currently, this group is in conflict with a secret government department conducting human experiments using Orochi cells. The confrontation centers on Sousei Abeno, Yamainu's leader, and the brothers Soramaru and Chuutarou Kumou, who encounter several dying escapees from these experiments. On his travels, Soramaru meets Ageha, a renegade doctor working with Tora, a test subject who wiped out the cell project's researchers using powers from compatible Orochi cells. Despite their dubious actions, Soramaru chooses to side with Ageha and Tora due to his strong opposition to the unethical exploitation of Orochi cells. As Sousei and Soramaru clash over the morality of developing new medicines from the Orochi's immortal essence, the dispute may only be settled through combat—though Soramaru has yet to defeat Yamainu's captain.