<DIV><P>Inukami: a mystical being with a doglike appearance that forges a contract with a powerful human tamer to eliminate monsters and demons that prey on the innocent.<BR><BR>In a mansion high above the city, the life of Shindo Kei, the last remaining heiress of the Shindo family, hangs in the balance. Centuries ago, a Grim Reaper placed a curse on the Shindo family: none of its heirs would live beyond their twentieth birthday.<BR><BR>With Kei's final birthday just hours away, Kawahira Keita and his plucky Inukami partner, Yoko, have challenged the Grim Reaper to a duel. If Keita wins, the Shindo curse will be broken forever, Kei's life will be saved, and Keita and Yoko's financial troubles will be a thing of the past. But the Grim Reaper isn't known for playing fair, and has some dirty tricks up his tattered sleeve.</P></DIV>