This Dōshi is a subordinate of Lord Tensen and was ordered to check to see if Aza Chōbē and Tōma were still in the pit becoming Tan.
Appearance
The Dōshi's head is made entirely of finger-like tentacles. He wears ceremonial Chinese clothing along with a crown. His lower body was then destroyed by Chōbē and had his wardrobe stolen by the bandit.
Personality
The Tentacle Dōshi is polite and non-violent, preferring to use peaceful solutions rather than using force. However if this were to fail he will have no choice but to fight back. He has great pride in his status and looks down on the low class such as the Sōshin and Mōnshin, viewing them as trash for their lack of intelligence and found it insulting when Chōbē thought he was one of them.
He is somewhat overconfident in his abilities, believing that Chōbē's defeat was imminent because of his intelligence. This caused him to let his guard down and allowed Chōbē to strike back and injure him.
Though he keeps himself calm and compose, he can be pressured when he is put in a difficult situation. After Chōbē managed to inflict damage to him and sensed that his Tao was continuing to grow, he feared for his life and even resorted to call on the Sōshin for support, the beings he looks down on. The pressure later overwhelmed him when he could not comprehend how Chōbē managed to master Tao.
He is loyal towards Lord Tensen, however, after being enslaved by Chōbē and Tōma, he was forced to guide them to Hōrai.
The Tentacle Dōshi also has a speech disorder where he stutters at the beginning of his sentences.
Plot
Lord Tensen Arc
The Tentacle Dōshi ripping out Chōbē's throat.
The Tentacle Dōshi departed to the pit after being ordered by Lord Tensen to assure that Aza Chōbē and Tōma were in the process of becoming Tan. After arriving, he finds that the two brothers have escaped from the pit and asked for them to return. However, Chōbē attacks in responds. The Dōshi becomes furious with Chōbē's actions and summons the Sōshin. He continues to defend himself against Chōbē while Tōma fights the Sōshin. Seeing as how Chōbē's attacks are having no effect on him due to his Tao being imbalance, he finds an opening and rips out Chōbē's throat.
The Tentacle Dōshi defeated by Chōbē.
As he was about to return him to the pit, Chōbē gains consciousness and injures him. The Dōshi sees that his neck has regenerated and believes that the vines have affected him. Chōbē states that he is able to see his aura but finds it hard to believe that a human could achieve such a feat. After sensing how strong his Tao has grown, the Dōshi believes that Chōbē is a threat to Lord Tensen and comes to the conclusion that he must be killed. He manages to break his arms but Chōbē manages to instantly regenerate them. He then senses that his Tao continues to grow and questions whether Chōbē was in acceptance with losing his humanity after his transformation. Chōbē states he was but also states that there was one thing that would never change. The Dōshi believes that he was referring to ones sense of self but Chōbē denies this statement, saying that someone like him would not understand. The Dōshi continues to defend himself from Chōbē's assault with Tao. However, Chōbē manages to sense his attacks and dodges them. He strikes a blow to the Dōshi's navel, causing him to suffer damage. Seeing as how Chōbē's Tao continued to grow, the Dōshi calls on the Sōshin for support but witnesses that they were all slaughtered by Tōma. He prepares to strike back with Tao once again but has his hand crushed by Chōbē. After seeing how he gathered Tao in his hand, Chōbē does the same and causes the Dōshi to panic. He is then struck by Chōbē's enhanced punch and has his body crushed by his foot. After being enslaved to the brothers, the Dōshi explains to Chōbē about his Tao and agrees to guide them to Hōrai.
Upon entering Hōrai, the three run into Gabimaru, Tamiya Gantetsusai, Yamada Asaemon Fuchi, and Mei and attack their group. While Chōbē fights Gabimaru and Tōma fights Gantetsusai, Tōma orders the Dōshi to attack the other two. The Dōshi follows his orders and recognizes the girl as Mei. After Fuchi manages to ward off his assault, the Dōshi witnesses the fight between Gabimaru and Chōbē come to an end after Mei unleashes her Tao. He is then forced to accompany the group to the Hōrai gate where they encounter Yamada Asaemon Sagiri, Yamada Asaemon Shion, Yuzuriha, Nurugai, and Hōko. The Dōshi is then set free by Fuchiwho is in no mood to examine him.
Abilities
As one of Lord Tensen's disciples and right-hand men, the Tentacle Dōshi can be seen as being very powerful compared to the other beings on the island. Because he is of higher class, he has authority over the Sōshin and can summon them to his beckon call.
Physical Abilities
The Dōshi is able to match Aza Chōbē in speed and strength and was able to easily defeat him (before he had awaken his Tao) by ripping out his throat.
Tao
- Further information: Tao
The Dōshi using Tao.
The Dōshi has mastery over Tao. He can cloak his body in it to augment his physical strength, being able to break Chōbē's arms with a single blow. He can also manifest it in his palm to launch an invisible attack strong enough to destroy a pillar.
Regeneration
Like Lord Tensen, the Dōshi is able to regenerate any damage he might take in an instant. However, his weakness lies within his tanden and if it were to be struck or destroyed by a strong Tao user, he will suffer a great deal of damage and will be unable to heal himself.