Nue Houjuu's usual outfit. It features a black skirt and red ribbons.
The White Night's Unidentified Youkai
Nue's Fantasy Rebirth outfit. It was fashioned at Kourindou based on information in the journal.
Possessed By a Red Panda Spirit?!
Nue's terrifying jet-black phantom thief outfit. Once she has you in her special rifle's sights, there's no escape!
Mysterious Youkai Cheerleader
Nue's specialized outfit for generating cheer. She shouts encouragement with a cute and mischievous smile.
The Unidentified Fantastic Flying Girl
Voice Lines
Gacha Pickup
I'm Nue Houjuu, an unidentified being. If you can see me, that means... you're unidentified too, right?
Introduction
I'm an unidentified youkai, Nue Houjuu. You've been able to see me from the beginning, haven't you? Your perception of my appearance should change depending on your knowledge of me. Did you already know what I look like? ...What, you lost your memory?! Then that means you must have no knowledge of me. I guess you're an... unknown like me, aren't you? How interesting!
Purple Heart
I don't know who you are. You don't know who I am either, right?
Blue Heart
I feel so relaxed here since no human in Gensokyo can exterminate me!
Green Heart
Look, look. What do you think this is? It's called a Seed of Unknown Form. I want to do something fun with it to pass the time. Any ideas?
Orange Heart
Seeds of Unknown Form are... cats? I don't know what you're talking about, but I can lend you one if you're interested. You could play a prank on Reimu. But you mustn't break it. Be very careful!
Pink Heart
Are you talking about the bakeneko again? You sure love that story. But I don't feel bad about it, since apparently my head usually looks like a cat's to other people. By the way, is that cat half-dead or half-living? Or is it a zombie cat or a Hourai cat?
Summer
I thought it was too hot, so I secretly pulled one of the ice fairy's wings... Oh, yeah, I put it back.
Login
Let's take a walk today! Very few people have found me. So I can drift along at my leisure, and no one will complain. It's cool, right!
Enhancement
I've gotten more mysterious and scarier. Hey, what do you think? Hey, hey!
Return
That battle of bullets was fun! There's no better game than playing with bullets!
Home 1
Mamizou seems to like sticking her nose into stuff, but I prefer to just relax on my own! Oh, but I'm interested in the bar in the village.
Home 2
Hijiri's generosity is real. I appreciate it and respect it. I want to return the favor, but Hijiri pats me on my head before I do anything. Are you jealous?
Home 3
Murasa and Ichirin were depressed when they were living in the Underworld, but now they're super happy at Myouren Temple. When I look at them from the rafters of the temple, I feel an irresistible urge to play a game of Go with Mamizou.
Reaction 1
I'm proud of these wings and this spear!
Reaction 2
Oh, this snake? It intrigues you, doesn't it?
Reaction 3
...I'm getting sleepy. Let's take a nap together.
Task
A task is unidentified if you don't solve it, right? Can't you leave it like that?
Task Complete
You finished the task! Yay! Then we can go for a walk, right?
Mail
Here, there's a letter for you. Who's it from? I'm a little curious!
Errand Finished
Looks like someone's come home. I wonder if they brought back any souvenirs! I hope they did!
Start of Battle
Be scared of my unidentified bullets!
Mid-Wave
Hey! What do I look like right now?
Victory
We won, congrats! Hopefully, the next one will be more fun!
Defeat
Oh gosh, I've been messing around too much! Should I put in a little more effort?
Spellcard 1 Chant 1
A cat's head, a chicken's body, and
a snake's tail. Fear makes you see things.
Spellcard 1 Chant 2
You don't know me.
That's my weapon.
Spellcard 1 Casted
Nue Sign: Bullet Chimera
Spellcard 2 Chant 1
A monkey's head, a tanuki's body,
a tiger's limbs, and a snake's tail.
Spellcard 2 Chant 2
Fear the nightmares
on a night with strange voices.
Spellcard 2 Casted
Nightmare of Heiankyou
Last Word Chant 1
There's no definite shape to my form.
Last Word Chant 2
Be afraid.
Last Word Casted
Who Goes There?
Boost 1
Hyooo!
Boost 2
Woohoo!
Boost 3
Restraining my strength is hard!
Graze 1
Hmph!
Graze 2
Haiya!
Graze 3
I wonder if you can find my true form?
Command A
That's great!
Command B
Oh, you mean that?
Command C
Let's do it!
Command D
Take my mysterious, unidentified bullets!
Skill A
Imagine that?
Skill B
Fear the night!
Shot A
Can you spot me?
Shot B
Well, how do I look?
Damage
Ugh!
Heavy Damage
Ouch!
Guard
Hmm?
Graze Activated
I see...
Change to Rear
I'll hide my identity.
Change to Front
I'll show myself.
Buff/Heal
Oh, Thanks!
Knocked Out
Wait, don't tell me my identity was revealed?!
Voice Sets
From Space?
VA: Kurosawa Tomoyo
Mysterious Youkai
VA: Takahashi Rie
Terrifying Shrill Cry
VA: Uchida Maaya
Character Information
Temperament: Tasogare
Tasogare (a Touhou LW original) refers to the dim hours of the evening when people are indistinguishable from one another. This is an apt temperament for Nue, who is an unidentified youkai. Her temperament has also lost its identity and may show different characteristics on other occasions.
She is strong against Star Essence, which prefers irregularity, but weak against Sun Essence, as it reveals true identities.
She is strong against Water Phase and Fire Phase, as they flow and change, but weak against Earth Phase and Metal Phase, since they don't change as much.
Ability/Backstory: Capable of making objects unidentifiable
The ability of Nue Houjuu as a nue youkai. The Seeds of Unknown Form may be a physical manifestation of this ability. Due to their strange nature, the youkai known as nue are arguably one of the most famous of all youkai. They have different appearances depending on who sees them, and their cry is said to resemble that of a scaly thrush (However, it is unknown whether the appearance and the cry belong to the same youkai.) There is also a famous story about the slaying of a nue.
When an object is unidentifiable, its true nature will be misidentified as something else, which you could say is the true nature of all youkai. Other countries have similar legends of monsters with the characteristics of multiple beasts, such as the chimera and the manticore. Countless other monsters are exaggerated or synthesized from real animals, including qilin, dragons, phoenixes, and other auspicious beasts. When people see something unfamiliar or frightening, they tend to panic and cannot observe it calmly. They end up perceiving preliminary observations and confusing misinformation as facts. This misinformation is mixed with gossip, which promotes further exaggeration and additions. Similarities in shape, nature, and behavior are all integrated together. This is one aspect of the mechanism of lore that produces oddly shaped and strange youkai.
Nue was one of the youkai that lived in the Underworld. However, it is not clear whether she was exterminated and sealed down there like other Underworld youkai, moved there from somewhere else like the oni, or stayed there on a whim. It is also unclear whether she is the same entity as any of the nue youkai spoken of in folklore and legend. It is not easy to trace her past. She's truly an unidentified youkai.
Attacks
Indefinite Sasarindou
Nue Houjuu's Spread Shot (a Touhou LW original). It is an attack using oddly shaped blue wings. It is not known why these wings are so strangely shaped, but they appear to look like arrowheads or the crest of the Minamoto clan. A legendary creature, nue, is famous for the tale of its defeat by Minamoto no Yorimasa, who shot two arrows, Suiha and Hyouha, with a bow named Raishoudou. It was recorded that Minamoto no Yoshiie used the sound of a released bowstring, called a meigen ritual, to exorcise a disease afflicting the emperor. This led to the request for Minamoto no Yorimasa to exorcise the nue youkai. If the disease exorcised by Yoshiie was also a nue, and if the bow he used in the ritual was the same type as Yorimasa's, this would mean that a total of three arrows were shot at this nue.
Bullets
Oddly Shaped Arrowhead
Oddly Shaped Sasarindou
Hyouha Arrowhead
Suiha Arrowhead
Wavering Sasarindou
Exorcising Kabura Arrow
Unknown Swallowtail Butterfly
Nue Houjuu's Focus Shot (a Touhou LW original). In this attack, she uses her odd red wings. It is not known why these wings are so strangely shaped, but they resemble arrow feathers as well as a swallowtail butterfly crest. The Raishoudou bow and the two arrows, Suiha and Hyouha, used to defeat the nue, are said to have been handed down from Minamoto no Yorimitsu to Yorimasa. Shoukajo, the daughter of Yuuki You (a master of archery in China), gave Yorimitsu the bow and the two arrows in a dream. The Raishoudou is said to be a bow made by Manjushri with the corpse of a monstrous snake from Mount Wutai. Suiha and Hyouha are sacred arrows refined by the two eyes of Manjushri and fletched with black heron and mountain bird feathers, respectively. With such immense spiritual power, they were finally able to defeat the nue's unidentifiable nature.
Bullets
Strange Arrow Feathers
Strange Swallowtail Butterfly
Mountain Bird's Arrow Feathers
Black Heron's Arrow Feathers
Wavering Swallowtail Butterfly
Raishoudou's Bowstring
Nue Sign: Bullet Chimera
Nue Houjuu's Spell Card. In this attack, she shoots out light in an odd pattern. A chimera is an organism composed of cells with more than one distinct genotype. The nue youkai may be chimeras of some sort since they are said to look like a collection of various animal forms.
Bullets
Monkey Face Gene
Synthetic Laser
Tiger Feet Gene
Composite Laser
Snake Tail Gene
Combined Laser
Nightmare of Heiankyou
Nue Houjuu's Spell Card. In this attack, she shoots large lasers to strike an area in a grid pattern. According to a certain sage, this attack manipulates the boundary between continuum and particles. Heian period records often describe youkai appearing in the Kyoto area and the extermination of youkai by warriors. Also, the Heian period lasted for an exceptionally long time of 390 years. This period saw the rise of the samurai class that was formed to quell civil unrest. Therefore, the era can be seen as a period in which peace was maintained through military force. Could there be a connection between these two facts...?
Bullets
QianXun Laser
GenKun Laser
Go Board Laser
Night of Contagion
Night of Youkai Bird Screeches
Night of the Unidentified Beast
Who Goes There?
Nue Houjuu's Last Word (a Touhou LW original). Unidentified bullets that can change their appearance into anything. It is an unknown life form. Did it come here from outer space or was it sealed in polar ice? But it is not the real threat. You need to fear the doubt that makes you think someone is possessed by it.
Bullets
Planetary Substance
Alien Substance
Extraterrestrial Substance
Strange Wings
Oddly Shaped Wings
Shadow Trident
Skills
Skill: Abyssal Water
Everyone fears the water's dark depths. Someone is hiding, something is lurking.
Skill: Fire in the Sky
An unknown light from the heavens. Will it bring wisdom or conflict?
Skill: Unidentified Seed
These mysterious seeds remove the characteristics but retain the actions of what they are planted into. They appear in a form that makes sense to the observer.