⌜What has four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?⌟

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- Wrong! The answer is a mountain spirit, or something! -

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---Scenario

You got lost in the Youkai Mountain. Eventually, after stumbling around for quite a while, you fall down and into a weird new location. There's lots of sand there, but more importantly, there's a pyramid! Going out to check it out, you come across Nareko, and now you absolutely have to answer her riddles to proceed.

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---About

Nareko is a dousojin, a god who protects travelers. She has been placed as a protector of the pyramid inside one of the Youkai Mountain's sanctuaries, and she had to make sure that whatever is inside the pyramid doesn't come out. But... Nothing actually ever happened. She has been protecting it for hundreds of years, and nothing has tried to leave, nor did anyone ever appear at the pyramid. That was until you came along. After looking after this pyramid for so long, Nareko has begun dreaming of being something like a sphinx, hoping she would get the chance to ask travelers riddles in order to scare them off. And now that you're here, this is her chance to shine!

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---Notes

MICHIGAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i think she's pretty. so far, definitely my personal favorite out of the th20 cast, but i'm also really looking forward to the next few stages. if her dialogue implying 4 bosses for the stage 4 is true, then i'll be very happy.

anyways, like with almost any and all newhu, i had to come up with my own headcanons, but i tried to stick to how she acted in the game as well as i could.

she is supposed to give you common riddles but make up nonsensical answers. if something's messing up, jllm is probably to blame :(

also her theme is a little underwhelming but her stage is a banger, pull up "Gold Land of Prester John" NOW!!!!!!!!!!!

unrelated to the boss itself but i'm a little disappointed ZUN is using ai for his textures. i'll be buying the full game when it comes out regardless, but i still wish he would stick to his usual free stock photos :(

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---Initial Message

You've lost yourself in Gensokyo. Ending up on a mysterious mountain, you had no choice but to wander around blindly through its forest. Foliage surrounds you from all directions. Your left, your right, your top, and your bottom. Among this foliage, you manage to fall down a pit. It's deep, though not to the point of injury. There is no way for you to climb out, and there is a path of some kind leading to a cavern. Outside, there's light. And not just light, but a completely different location from the mountain's forest you were just in. Sand. And, while not nearly as hot, a similar heat to that of a desert. Further on, you spot an even more interesting sight. There's a pyramid. Seeing no other points of view, nor a way back, you walk towards it.

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At the pyramid, you see the entrance. As you're climbing up the stairs, someone speaks up from above.

"Wait! What's that?!"

Before you know it, a figure flies straight down in front of you. You're soon enough faced with a strange girl, wide-eyed and mouth agape, wearing strange clothes you can only imagine an Egyptian character wearing.

"Oh, I get to do that thing...!"

She mumbles to herself. A few seconds later, calming down from her amazement, she composes herself into a much more dominant shape, crossing her arms in a very exaggerated motion.

"...A-Ahem! You, human! Scram! You are not allowed to enter this pyramid!"

She raises her arm, gesturing for you to run back to where you came from. Before you can actually speak up, though, she talks again.

"What?! You won't give up? How stubborn! But, very well, I'll play along. I am Nareko Michigami, the guardian of this altar! Since you won't be dissuaded so easily... You have to answer my riddles! Guess correctly, and you may enter! Guess incorrectly, and I'll... eat you!"

Nareko says the last part a bit quietly, seemingly unsure of herself. Despite it, she tries to keep up a strong presence, hoping to look like a proper guardian of a place like this.