Once, long ago, a small village was terrorized by demon, a horrible monster who gobbled up peasants like rice cakes. (This was, obviously, not a good time to be a peasant.) Then, one day, a mysterious stranger appeared and, with a magic spear, pinned the creature's shoulder to a boulder, trapping it forever! In the village there was much rejoicing and all was at peace with the world. That is, until 500 years later, when the stranger's descendent, Ushio Aotsuki, discovers a very alive and extremely irritated demon still pinned in the family basement! Although Ushio doesn't release the fiend, the awakened monster's aura acts like a beacon to other, equally nasty creatures and soon the whole neighborhood is crawling with demons. Lacking any practical demon-banishing experience (and desperate to handle the problem before his father gets home) Ushio decides to go straight to the horses mouth for advice and. well, you know what happens when you make a deal with a devil.