Hive of Darkness

The Hive of Darkness (黒之巣会) or the (Black Sanctum Council in the English dub) are the villainous organization appeared in Sakura Taisen.

Background
The Hive of Darkness are a mysterious organization that first appeared in Tokyo at 1923 (Taisho 12). They control kouma and mechanized drones bringing fear and terror to the Teito citizens with their motives unclear.

Lead by the mysterious Tenkai, the organization is generalized by four executives called the Four Deathlords (死天王) and the Twilight Knights (黄昏の三騎士), three resurrected demons who serve under Satan Aoi.

Leaders

 * Tenkai (天海): The leader of the Hive of Darkness and a demon general who survived the aftermath of the Demon War who serves at the main antagonist of the first part of Sakura Wars.

Four Deathlords

 * Black/Satanaoi (黒き叉丹/葵 叉丹 Kuroki/Aoi Satan): Tenkai's lieutenant and leader of the Deathlords who pilots the Masou Kihei Kamui (神威).


 * Crimson Miroku (紅のミロク Kurenai no Miroku): The lone female appearing as a flowing red geisha who pilots the Masou Kihei Kujaku (孔雀).


 * Jade Setsuna (蒼き刹那 Aoki Setsuna): The youngest-looking lord and older brother of the hulking Rasetsu who pilots the Masou Kihei Soukaku (蒼角).


 * Silver Rasetsu (白銀の羅刹 Hakugin no Rasetsu): Setsuna's younger brother who is tall, muscular, white-skinned and pilots the Masou Kihei Ginkaku (銀角).

Twilight Knights

 * Inoshishi (猪): A boar necrodemon who can manipulate fire, and pilots the Masou Kihei Karin Fudou (火輪不動).
 * Shika (鹿): A deer necrodemon who can manipulate ice, and pilots the Masou Kihei Hyoujin Fudou (氷刃不動).
 * Cho (蝶): A butterfly necrodemon who can manipulate thunder, and pilots the Masou Kihei Shiden Fudou (紫電不動).

Trivia

 * The Deathlords (死天王) are a wordplay of the word, Four Kings (死天王), a term regularly used to rank higher factions in other games.
 * The Twilight Knights' names are derived from the Inoshikachō (猪鹿蝶), a yaku combination in the Hanafuda| card game, Koi-Koi.