Hand in Hand With a Miracle

"""Is there someone who gives you courage when everything seems hopeless? Who gives you hope when all you want to do is cry? Who creates a miracle for you when you can't go on any longer?""

Sanae Kochiya is the shrine maiden and wind priestess of Moriya Shrine. She is a human yet also a god, in other words, a living god.

Did you know that the Lost Word Incident has also begun to affect the outside world?"

"Living Gods

Living gods are beings who are gods yet also living, breathing humans at the same time. They're alive, so they aren't divine spirits, and they do not embody any natural phenomenon, so neither are they one of the Yaoyorozu no Kami.

Since gods aren't generally living humans, they can be categorized as youkai under the broadest meaning of the term (non-human entities). There are a few human-youkai hybrids in Gensokyo, namely, the half-human half-youkai Rinnosuke Morichika, the half-human half-phantom Youmu Konpaku, and Keine Kamishirasawa, who is half-youkai on account of being a therianthrope. These three are basically fifty percent human and fifty percent youkai, with Rinnosuke and Youmu exhibiting half the traits of both and Keine switching between halves depending on the phase of the moon. However, Sanae is unique in that she is always fully human and fully a god. It's like how light always has the properties of particles and waves simultaneously."

"Wind Priestesses

Wind priestess is a religious profession unique to Moriya Shrine. They manipulate the wind to quell even the most violent tempests. Some debate that wind priestesses aren't shrine maidens, but since Sanae calls herself a shrine maiden, it's possible that the two vocations have merged into one out of necessity.

People have begun to forget how dangerous the wind can be. Unlike excessive rain, it's not easy to preemptively reduce the damage caused by strong winds swirling in the sky. Wind priestesses garnered faith because they could do this―they could still the wind. On top of that, they could also manipulate the wind to blast away outside threats, so you'd think the people's faith in them would never waver. However, the sturdy buildings of the modern era have provided a logical reason for people to stop fearing strong winds. This solution is scientific, meaning that it doesn't require faith, and it can be replicated as long as the conditions are the same and the cost is paid. People don't have to fear natural disasters anymore, and they don't have to believe in gods. Humanity has been set free."

"Izanagi Objects

What are Izanagi Objects? Apparently, they appeared during the Age of the Gods―a time before recorded history. One theory states that all the sacred and divine treasures in Japan were made from Izanagi Objects. However, this has yet to be proven due to a lack of substantial evidence.

Some people believe that Izanagi Objects came from the Izanagi Plate (a tectonic plate that no longer exists) and that the sacred treasures crafted from them hold exorbitant amounts of data. This data is said to be videos of the past that can be viewed if you know the correct way to unlock them. This sounds absurd, but it could very well be true. That's because the dragon gems mined out of the Youkai Mountain are a type of Izanagi Object, and they can record small packets of data. Magatama carved from dragon gems are supposedly magic items capable of storing a living creature's soul, along with their ability, temperament, and memories."

"Moriya's Greatest Treasure

Both Kanako and Suwako consider the Bells of Infinite Prosperity and the Perfectly Clear Mirror to be pretty lousy treasures. They're only truly valued by their human worshippers. Relics like these are only good for reinforcing the faith of weak-willed humans. The true treasure of Moriya Shrine is Sanae Kochiya. This isn't because of her bloodline that has continued unbroken for untold generations but because of the secret spells and rituals passed down to her. That said, these rituals aren't anything special. They are things that everybody used to do long ago. Sanae merely plays, works, and laughs with the gods. She lives with them as a family."