The Spread Shot of Sanae Kochiya from the world of overly greedy beasts (a Touhou LW original). A mysterious, sky-crawling insect attacks. There is no definitive evidence that Sanae's ancestors had associations with ninjas. However, the name "Moriya" pops up in the first known record of alleged ninja activity. This person is also said to be connected to the origin of Moriya Shrine. That said, shrines' origin stories are seldom simple. The nature of faith has changed time and again throughout history.

The Focus Shot of Sanae Kochiya from the world of overly greedy beasts (a Touhou LW original). She prays for the success of her next hunt. Shrine origin stories that read like grand myths were mostly established in ancient times. By the medieval period, those stories became filled with far more human-like characters. It was an era when a certain level of realism was expected in such tales. Youkai and even gods struggled to survive.

A Spell Card of Sanae Kochiya from the world of overly greedy beasts. She rides the wind in this attack. Unlike Hakurei Shrine, which has existed in Gensokyo for at least a thousand years, Moriya Shrine was located in the outside world until quite recently. In other words, it held out in its fight for survival for a remarkably long time. There are many old shrines that have managed to preserve local faith by repeatedly changing the name of their deity or rewriting their origin story. But the big question... is whether there really is a connection between Moriya Shrine and ninjas! Sanae is simply dying to know.

A Spell Card of Sanae Kochiya from the world of overly greedy beasts (a Touhou LW original). She summons summons mysterious flying creatures. Sanae was deeply moved by a story she read that featured a protagonist who wandered into the Underworld and transformed into a serpent. To her, it had an unmistakable connection to Moriya Shrine. But predictably, neither Kanako nor Suwako offered any confirmation. After all, faith is shaped by those who keep it, and what a single shrine maiden chooses to believe carries very little weight.

The Last Word of Sanae Kochiya from the world of overly greedy beasts (a Touhou LW original). An angelic flying slug attacks. Sanae was stunned. She didn't know if it was the influence of the animal spirits, but an unknown power was surging through her body. Kanako and Suwako seemed flustered, but that didn't stop her. With this power, she should be able to stand her ground against the human-oni in Hell, Zanmu Nippaku. That meant she would get the chance to question her. Using what little knowledge of history she had and researching as best she could, Sanae had concluded that Zanmu was likely familiar with the era of ninjas. And if she did, then maybe she knew something about the ninja origin story of Moriya Shrine. Sanae couldn't wait to finally learn the truth!