Malice
Malice is the supernatural corruption that twists Edo-era Kyoto in Onimusha: Way of the Sword. Capcom describes Malice as malevolent clouds that warp the historical city into a dark-fantasy version of itself and that bring the Genma with them.
Role in the Story
The Malice is not just a background aesthetic. It is the ongoing threat the story turns around: Kyoto is not merely haunted, it is being pulled into the underworld, and the Genma that follow the Malice are the enemies Musashi is gifted the Oni Gauntlet to stop.