Momoyo Himemushi

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Onyx Dragon-Eater

Momoyo Himemushi's usual outfit. It features a black shirt and skirt with lots of orange ribbons on her arms and legs.

Worm Moon Centipede

An outfit perfect for exercise made for Momoyo. "This outfit is as beautiful as a gemstone. It's what I'll compete in!"

Onyx Dragon-Eater
Voice Lines

Voice Sets

Dragon-Eating Oomukade
VA: Fairouz Ai
Deep Digger
VA: Matsuzaki Rei
Youkai Miner
VA: Tanaka Takako

Character Information

Temperament: Sanseiu

Sanseiu (a Touhou LW original) refers to acid rain, rain that became unusually acidic from absorbing acidic gasses in the atmosphere. This is an apt temperament for Momoyo, who is a giant, dragon-eating, venomous arthropod. Oomukade, who dwell deep within the Youkai Mountain in places like the Rainbow Dragon Cave, lack the three celestial Essences. Apparently, they are hated by everyone, just like the youkai of the Underworld. However, it seems Momoyo continues to dig holes because she enjoys it, which distances herself even further from all celestial phenomena. Momoyo is endowed with Metal Phase, because she likes mining, and Earth Phase, since she deals with ore. The cold and silent Metal Phase resists Earth Phase, because earth bears metal, but it is weak to Fire Phase, because fire refines metal. The encompassing and regenerative Earth Phase resists Fire Phase, because fire produces earth, but it is weak to Wood Phase, because wood parts earth. The combination of Metal Phase and Earth Phase cancels out any resistance or weakness to Fire Phase.

Ability/Backstory: Capable of eating dragons

Momoyo Himemushi's ability as a oomukade. It is rumored, predominantly by the youkai at the base of the mountain, that Momoyo's ability lets her eat the allegedly strongest creatures―dragons. It is unknown whether she can actually eat a dragon or not, but she must be an incredibly powerful youkai if there are even rumors that she can. Oomukade and dragon-serpent gods have a vicious rivalry, as is shown with the oomukade of Senjougahara and Mount Mikami. Incidentally, both of these oomukade were slain with arrows. The oomukade of Mount Mikami, written about in the Otogi-zoushi (an ancient collection of folktales), is particularly famous for terrorizing a clan of giant serpents. One of these giant serpents happened to meet a human hero, so the serpent took the form of a dragon girl to beseech the hero for aid. The hero agreed to this request and successfully exterminated the oomukade, for which he was rewarded with many treasures by the Dragon Palace. This story is obviously a variant of the dragonslayer trope that has been used in myths and legends the world over. These stories are usually a type of coming-of-age adventure where a hero defeats a dragon, saves a high-class female character, and is rewarded with treasure. Perhaps the most famous dragon-slaying tale in Japan is the story where the god Susanoo slays Yamato no Orochi. There are also variants of this tale where the dragon is replaced with a giant or an oni, as is the case with the tale of Issun-Boushi and Momotarou... On that note, the hero who slew the oomukade of Mount Mikami received an inexhaustible bag of rice as one of his rewards from the Dragon Palace. This is the same as the Miracle Mallet, a magical item symbolizing wealth and riches. In the tale of the oomukade's extermination, the dragon is replaced with a centipede, and the high-class girl is replaced with a dragon. The tale was most likely created this way because of the Japanese people's perspective on dragons. In Japan, dragons are revered and worshipped. The origin of dragon worship in Japan is complicated, but it probably has its roots in the Dragon Palace legends based on Taoist philosophy and the dragon-serpent dharmapala that act as envoys for the Buddha. Dragon-serpents are being of light, so it makes sense that an oomukade was chosen as the representative of the bug youkai―beings of darkness that are hostile to these dragons. In the past, the bug youkai were so powerful that they reigned supreme for an age. This may be due to the fact that dragons became superior beings to youkai. It is probably hard for a person of this modern age to imagine a dragon losing to a bug. However, in the past, it was even believed that snakes defeated frogs but lost to slugs in a type of rock-paper-scissors situation, so it wasn't much of a stretch to think that dragon-serpents were weak to bugs. Bugs, in turn, were believed to be weak against frogs. However, dragon-serpents, centipedes, and slugs can also be grouped into a single category for beings that move by wriggling their body―worms. This is why the kanji characters for "snake," "centipede," and "slug all incorporate the radical that means "bug" or "worm." This connection may have also played a part in the formation of these legends. Momoyo, who lives in Gensokyo, is one of these legendary oomukade. Her relationship with Megumu is highly peculiar, considering that Momoyo is an oomukade greater youkai. Megumu has a connection with dragons since her name is written with the kanji for "dragon," so it would be interesting if Momoyo wanted to eat her... However, crow tengu, in part, originated from karura, which in turn derived from garuda. Garuda are inhuman beings that devour naga, and the dharmapala dragons originated from naga. Therefore it is possible that Megumu, as the boss of the crow tengu, is also a dragon-eater same as Momoyo.

Attacks

Golden Shovel

Momoyo Himemushi's Spread Shot (a Touhou LW original). This is a good attack for a digger. The shovel would probably be more durable and do more damage if it was made out of iron or diamond, but perhaps Momoyo uses a golden shovel because she is just that confident in her skills as a fighter. No, this shovel might actually let her mine really fast... This must be why there are holes all over the Youkai Mountain.

Bullets
  • Gold Shovel
  • Gold Snow Shovel
  • Gold Spade
  • Gold Construction Shovel
  • Gold Coal Shovel
  • Gold Trench Shovel
Golden Pickax

Momoyo Himemushi's Focus Shot (a Touhou LW original). This is a suitable attack for a digger. This pickax is also an efficient item for digging holes. However, if she digs all the way down to Former Hell, she might find some ore that would let her create even better equipment, like cherry crystals or even the malignant Hell gold ore.

Bullets
  • Gold Pickax
  • Gold Portable Pickax
  • Gold Pick
  • Gold Double-Spike Pick
  • Gold Pick Hammer
  • Gold Pick Mattock
Kodoku: Cannibalistic Insect

Momoyo Himemushi's Spell Card. An attack performed by insects that survived a kodoku curse ritual. This ritual involves mixing several insects in a container and letting them consume one another until only a single insect is left. These insects are foul gluttons that even ate the weak members of their own species. They don't care if others insult them by saying that they should have died rather than live through such filthy and vile means. However, they didn't necessarily eat just to survive. Kodoku is a type of curse that stores an exorbitant amount of magical power within a barrier. However, the only one who gets to claim this power is the sole insect that survives... Does Momoyo or any of her opponents realize that this is a microcosmic example of an economic society? Also, Momoyo herself is not technically an insect.

Bullets
  • Cannibalistic Insect Revelry
  • Cannibalistic Assassin Bug
  • Cannibalistic Fire Ant
  • Cannibalistic False Blister Beetle
  • Cannibalistic Japanese Browntail Moth
  • Cannibalistic Wasp
Kodoku: Cave Swarmer

Momoyo Himemushi's Spell Card. An attack performed by insects that writhe within a cave. Momoyo is the foreman of countless hole-digging youkai. And these youkai are probably bug youkai like herself that prefer to dwell in deep, dark burrows rather than under the light of the sun. Gensokyo is the perfect place for such eccentric youkai.

Bullets
  • Cave Creature Revelry
  • Cave Earwig
  • Cave Glowworm
  • Cave Huntsman Spider
  • Cave Millipede
  • Cave House Centipede
Chikushi Centipede-Cutter

Momoyo Himemushi's Last Word (a Touhou LW original). She recreates a weapon closely connected with herself, which is an arrow yet also a sword. An oomukade (giant centipede) greater youkai was defeated by a legendary hero in the past. This was accomplished with an arrow imbued with the blessing of the Hachiman deity. However, the finishing blow was dealt with a sword, just like in the legend where the nue was exterminated. But how did this hero obtain a weapon capable of defeating a greater youkai? It was bestowed to him by the dragons of the Dragon Palace, who were under attack by the oomukade. Of course, this hero could only properly wield this legendary weapon thanks to his mighty skills. There are differing accounts as to when the Dragon Palace gave this weapon to the hero. Some tales say it was before he defeated the oomukade, and some say it was after. This is probably because he was given a weapon or a blessing before the fight and received a reward afterward. It is particularly interesting how the sword, Chikushi, and the armor, Hiraishi, said to have been gifted to the hero by the Dragon Palace, both have the kanji character for "arrow" in their names. This surely indicates that they were created by either embedding, reforging, or recasting the arrowhead imbued with the blessing from Hachiman. That would explain how Chikushi later became known as Mukade-Kiri, the Centipede-Cutter. In the end, it is still unclear whether the Dragon Palace interfered before the youkai extermination or after... That place is ever mysterious.

Bullets
  • Centipede-Cutter Slice
  • Dragon Palace Sword Slice
  • Hachiman-Blessed Slice
  • Centipede-Cutter Slash
  • Dragon Palace Sword Slash
  • Hachiman-Blessed Slash

Skills

Skill: Dig Up & Pick Up

Why do I dig? 'Cause there's a mountain. C'mon bugs! It's time to feast!

Skill: Combat Mania

I'm always itchin' for a fight. That's when I feel alive! I know you feel the same way, don't ya, Iizunamaru?

Skill: Eccentric Gourmand

They say there's no accountin' for taste, and I have to agree. Gensokyo's full of folks who eat weird food.

Passive: Ominous Youkai Aura
Passive: Durable Exoskeleton
Passive: Mine Snack (Dragon Gems)