The fearsome yōkai known usually appears at night on the roads of the island of Shikoku. In the dark, they are indistinguishable from ordinary young women, unusual only for their loose, disheveled hair but the tip of each hair is fitted with a needle-like, barbed hook - although if you are close enough to notice these hooks, it is probably already too late.
Hari-Onago usually wander the streets searching for victims - usually young, single men walking alone. When a Hari-Onago comes across a suitable man, she smiles coyly at him. If the smile is returned, she attacks: she releases her hair, and the barbed ends lash out with blinding speed and a will of their own, sinking deep into her victim’s flesh. A Hari-Onago’s strength is so great that even the strongest man can be overpowered by her hooks. Once her victim is ensnared and rendered helpless, she rips him into pieces with her hooks and devours the remains.
If it is enough fast, he can escape a Hari-Onago. If he can get himself safely indoors before her hooks catch him, he may be able to survive until sunrise - when yōkai vanish. The scars and gouges she leaves in the wooden door frame remain as a testament to her viciousness.
📚 Explore more of the Mystical Creatures series here: Dive into the Enchanted Realms of Mythology
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