Nemuno Sakata
The Yamanba Who Surpasses This World's Barriers
Nemuno Sakata's usual outfit. It features a unique one-shouldered dress.
Small Restaurant Chef
This small restaurant chef is known for her wide variety of dishes. The costume from Kourindou can support intense knife work.
White Classic of the Mountain
Nemuno's Fantasy Rebirth outfit. It was fashioned at Kourindou based on information in the journal.
The Yamanba Who Surpasses This World's Barriers
Voice Lines
Temperament: Sekirai
Sekirai (a Touhou LW original) refers to sprites, a type of red electric discharge that occurs in the upper-atmosphere above thunderstorms. This red "lightning" has a deep connection with Nemuno's past. Nemuno is endowed with Fire Phase, the element of strong impulses and burning passion, and Star Essence, with her freedom and independence. The formless and passionate Fire Phase resists Wood Phase, because wood feeds fire, but it is weak to Water Phase, because water dampens fire. The diverse and uncooperative Star Essence resists the cooperative and indecisive Moon Essence, but it is weak to the charming and arrogant Sun Essence.
Ability: Capable of creating sanctuaries
Nemuno Sakata is able to create barriers that keep other people out of an area. The specifics of this ability is still unknown, but it is thought that it has something to do with the yamanba being an ancient form of shrine maiden and also a youkai that lives in the mountains. The mountains are one of the earliest unexplored regions in Japan, which makes them places of religious significance as well as a dangerous untamed land where beasts, hostile humans, and scoundrels reside. Mountains continued to be feared later on, as they became known as the home of steel which was used to make the weapons of civilization. Nemuno is a highly territorial and independent youkai who, unlike most Gensokyo youkai, still follows customs from the ancient past. Tengu are also a type of youkai that are known for being highly territorial, but they have an interwoven social structure with members of their own species and closely related species. With the Youkai Mountain currently being devoid of any oni, the tengu sometimes try to aggressively take over territory belonging to other species of youkai. However, even the tengu have made a nonaggression pact with Nemuno, which is a testament to how strongly protected her territory is. Also, according to the tengu, Nemuno and the other yamanba are all individualistic, naturalistic, and yet also very friendly.
Attacks
Mince Cut
Nemuno Sakata's Spread Shot (a Touhou LW original). She uses her cleaver imbued with lightning to mince her target with slashing attacks. This is different to the mince cut that Nemuno uses for food preparation... probably.
Bullets
- Mince Cut
- Shock Wave
- Dust Cut
- Slash Shock Wave
- Adamant Hack
- Thunder Wave
Filleting Cut
Nemuno Sakata's Focus Shot (a Touhou LW original). She swings her cleaver imbued with lightning to unleash three shock waves toward her target. It is unknown whether or not Nemuno uses this same technique to fillet the fish she catches from the river. You may think that you only need two cuts parallel to the spine to fillet a fish, but the third cut is needed to remove the head and the internal organs. How terrifying!
Bullets
- Filleting Cut
- Scaling
- Decapitation
- Skinning
- Gutting
- Deboning
Blade Exhaustion Sign: Mountain Murder
Nemuno Sakata's Spell Card. She makes a surprise attack with her cleaver. The depths of the mountains have been used as places of exile since ancient times. One theory speculates that a number of youkai who live in the mountains may be related to these exiled people or their descendants. Another theory is that female monks, priests, and shrine maidens secluding themselves in the mountains for ascetic practices were mistaken for youkai. The origin of the yamanba is quite similar to oni and tengu.
Bullets
- Knife Skills
- Basic Knife Cuts
- Practical Knife Cuts
- Fantastical Knife Skills
- Nemuno's Knife Cuts
- Extreme Fantastical Knife Cuts
Sharpen Sign: Madly Glinting Cleaver
Nemuno Sakata's Spell Card. She sharpens her cleaver, which scatters sparks that assault her target. Staying at a yamanba's house and hearing the sound of a knife being sharpened in the middle of the night is a common trope in folktales. Sharpening and polishing knives requires a lot of skill, so seeing an old rusted and chipped knife being brought back to life is quite an enjoyable and moving sight to behold.
Bullets
- Oni's Cleaver
- Blue Steel Yanagi Sashimi Knife
- Small Deba Knife
- Tuna Knife
- Black Nakiri Knife
- Deba Knife
Red Thunder Dragon
Nemuno Sakata's Last Word (a Touhou LW original). Red lightning in the shape of a dragon shoots down from the sky in this powerful attack. There is a legend of a yamanba who lived in the mountains and received a child from a red thunder dragon. The child grew up big and strong, served a samurai, and performed all sorts of heroic feats. It is unknown whether or not Nemuno has any connection with this hero, but she seems to know the legend.
Bullets
- Red Dragon Fire
- Red Dragon Lightning
- Red Dragon Flames
- Red Dragon Lightning Strike
- Red Dragon Blazing Vortex
- Red Dragon of Thunder and Lightning
Skills
Skill: Yamanba Kijutsu
Yamanba sometimes make use of their own unique type of magic. Most of this magic relates to the nature of the mountains themselves.
Skill: Mountain Ogress
The distinction between oni and yamanba is vague at best. A female oni or ogress is also a yamanba.
Skill: Knife Sharpening
Yamanba sharpen their knives daily. They work hard so they can cook delicious food.
Passive: Ofuda Reversal
Passive: Mountain Spirits
Passive: Unrelenting Pursuer
