The Youkai Mountain is home to many man-eating youkai who capture and either immediately devour or kill any humans who wander in. An ordinary human stands no chance of defeating a youkai; the power gap is overwhelming, and attempt at resistance will only lead to death. Besides feral youkai, the mountain is home to the Three Gods of Moriya, White Wolf Tengu, Crow Tengu, and Kappa. However, there is no chance of reaching the Moriya Shrine without knowing the way. If found by Tengu, one is either killed or ignored; if found by Kappa, one might be turned into an experimental subject.

Located at the center of Gensokyo, the Human Village is densely populated. While residents aren't killed or eaten by youkai within its borders, the social reality is cruel. Human trafficking, lies, fraud, and theft are rampant, and public order is poor. While the surface world believes humans and youkai coexist peacefully, in this reality, humans are merely livestock kept for the youkai's survival. Youkai must be feared by humans to exist, so they keep humans confined in the cage known as the Human Village. The villagers understand this grim fact all too well. There is a strict rule that youkai cannot eat humans while they are inside the village.