Suwako Moriya
Suwako Moriya's Fantasy Rebirth Story
Suwako
...
Suwako
Great. Thanks for the report.
Suwako
It's a relief that there haven't been any unexpected developments. We can't overlook even minor irregularities.
Suwako
All right, I'll leave the village's rice fields to you guys. Keep up the good work.
Suwako
Oh, hello. What brings you here, PLAYER?
Suwako
Ah, don't tell me it's...
Suwako
...the rumored costume-gifting youkai? Is it finally my turn?
Good evening, Miss Suwako. It's just that...
Um... about that youkai...
Suwako
What is it? Why are you being so awkward?
Um... a god is here with me instead of that youkai.
Suwako
Huh? A god?! Who could it be?
Suwako
Is it Tenkyuu? She often consults Kanako about business.
Suwako
Or are you talking about the sister goddesses of autumn? I do need to talk to them about the rice fields.
Suwako
Or maybe it's the misfortune god. I have to talk to her about the misfortune exorcism we need to do at the shrine.
Suwako
...Hm, no, it can't be any of them.
Suwako
None of them would be a surprise.
Suwako
So which god is it?!
Okina
Hello from the back door!
Suwako
YOU?!
Okina
Huh? Don't tell me I'm not welcome here.
Suwako
How can you expect anyone to welcome an eccentric god like you when you show up out of the blue like that?!
Okina
Urk!
Okina
A secret god must keep a low profile. But I cannot gather faith without making an appearance.
Okina
And if I make an appearance, I stand out too much! I don't know what to do!
The back door dilemma...!
(Wouldn't it be better to show up only when required?)
Suwako
Well, I'm also like a hidden enshrined deity.
Suwako
So it's not like I don't empathize with you, Okina Matara.
Oh, the two of you have something in common...
Okina
Hehehe!
Okina
I am Okina Matara. The god of the back door, the god of hindrances, the god of Noh...
Okina
...the god of dance production, the god of work from home, the god of transporting equipment...
(She's such a multifaceted god...!)
Okina
And...
Okina
...I'm also a shukushin!
A... sh-shukushin?!
Okina
Also called shukujin. There are several other names for this type of god. One of them is...
Okina
Shaguji.
Shaguji?
...Wait! You mean you're... a Mishaguji?!
Suwako
Shaguji and Mishaguji are something like distant god relatives. Really distant.
Suwako
Well, for a god as old as I am, it's rare to find a god who isn't at least a little bit related to me.
Okina
We're even related to Lord Jizou in some way.
Suwako
Ah, yes.
The world of gods is surprisingly complicated...!
So are you holding a god assembly today...?
Okina
We gods do hold regular gatherings, but today is like a little private meeting.
Suwako
Even though gods may be somehow linked, the kinds of relations between them are extremely diverse.
Suwako
They may be close to bunrei, a syncretism or derivative of other faiths, or a blood relation from when they were human.
Suwako
...or they might have a similar name.
Like in the case of Shaguji and Mishaguji...?
Okina
It's not just that. A different name also means a difference in authority or how they exist.
Okina
For example...
Okina
Shukushin can be written in more than one way in kanji, but no matter how it is written, the word still denotes a shukushin.
Okina
Shukushin, written with the kanji for "protect" and "court," is a god who takes on the role of guarding the imperial court.
Okina
But a shukushin, written with the kanji for "lord" and "sky," is an invisible god of the sky imbued with classical magic.
Okina
Then there is shukushin written with the kanji for "solemn" and "discretion"...
Okina
These shukushin refer to a clan of humans who lived during the Age of the Gods.
Suwako
"Mishaguji" can be a curse god with a red mouth or a god of war, depending on which kanji are used to spell that name.
Suwako
It could even be a primordial god similar to a dousojin. Or a guardian god of the mountain.
Suwako
Or a god of cultivation and agriculture, or even a mystical red snake god. It all depends on what kanji are used.
God of war and snakes... that's similar to Miss Kanako.
Suwako
Kanako... or rather, a god named Takeminakata. That god lost in sumo wrestling and was turned into a snake-like being.
Suwako
And then there's the inevitable nature of the gods who govern blacksmithing and ironmaking.
It's kind of complicated but very interesting!
So what do you want to talk about today, Miss Okina?
Okina
Ah, well... today I've just come from the back door to hand out a circular.
Okina
No matter how closely related we are, gods are usually rivals competing for faith. But for now, we have a temporary truce.
Okina
Gods like me especially excel at laying the groundwork for times like these. That's because...
You're a fixer for Gensokyo?!
(...Or so I've heard!)
Okina
Hahaha. I like the way you think... or rather, I like your faith in me.
Suwako
OK, Okina Matara. Could you get straight to the point?
Okina
All right.
Suwako
PLAYER, you can have some juice while you wait. This conversation might get too complicated for you.
Thank you!
(Yay, juice!)
Suwako
...So that's how it is.
Suwako
Kanako is not only intelligent but also a powerful god. Kanako alone is enough to handle Moriya Shrine.
Suwako
This means the situation has to be pretty dire if I have to help out.
Suwako
And I'm well aware that I might have to help out soon.
Okina
I'm glad to see that you have an accurate understanding of the situation.
Suwako
Sanae is the one person we'll protect till death. And as long as we can protect Sanae, Kanako and I can start over endlessly.
Suwako
But it's pointless if only Moriya Shrine survives. Everyone knows that Hakurei Shrine is the cornerstone of Gensokyo.
Suwako
Hakurei Shrine might continue to function as an important part of the barrier even without the Hakurei shrine maiden...
Suwako
But Gensokyo needs more than just the barrier. Protecting the Hakurei shrine maiden is the responsibility of all Gensokyo.
Okina
Exactly.
Okina
Humans and youkai are always seeking salvation. And bestowing salvation is the work of gods.
Do gods see things differently from humans and youkai?
Suwako
That's an interesting observation, PLAYER.
Suwako
You know that there are lots of different kinds of gods, don't you?
Suwako
They really are all different. The only thing all gods have in common is that people believe in them.
Okina
I'll avoid explaining each god individually as it's related to the mysteries of gods, but...
Okina
Be it divine spirits who are ghosts tinged with divinity, or the Yaoyorozu no Kami who are forms of natural phenomena...
Okina
All gods, no matter what kind, have a transcendental sense and intuition fundamentally different from humans.
Okina
The gods of our country are omnipresent. But that doesn't mean that each god is individually weak.
Okina
Animals and plants are not the only beings that are diverse in places blessed with abundant resources and good climates.
Okina
Examining the nature of Toyosatomimi no Miko might help you understand better. She was a genius during her lifetime...
Okina
And now, she also houses multiple divine spirits as a shikaisen. She's like a god that provides an opening to the cosmos.
Okina
Gods reveal parts of cosmological principles. They are like terminals that connect to an enormous machine.
Are gods similar even if their origins are different?
Okina
Like celestials and tathagata who live in heaven and hermits revered as gods, there is immense power in being worshiped.
Okina
Think about it.
Okina
You may be at the bottom of an abyss, in complete darkness, or at the end of the universe...
Okina
...but your prayers will still reach their recipient. Instantly and immediately.
Okina
Gods receive prayers wherever they might be. This easily transcends all notions of human common sense and science.
So that's how Aunn warps between shrines and temples!
Suwako
By the way...
Suwako
...curses work in pretty much the same way, so be careful.
*shudder*
So is this a good time for it, Miss Okina?
Okina
Yes, I suppose so.
Suwako
...?
Suwako
Ah, yes! The costume!
Okina
I have a message from Yukari Yakumo...
Okina
"When the time comes, I'd like you to recreate the rivalry from the past."
Suwako
Rivalry? Is she talking about what I had with Kanako in the past? Or...
Suwako
...how I subjugated the ancient gods to become the pinnacle of native gods in the time before myth and legend?
Suwako
Just kidding.
Suwako
But wow... I'm really surprised.
Suwako
I bet wearing this costume will make me as powerful as I was during my prime...!
Okina
Are you joking again? These clothes are adorable.
Suwako
What are you talking about? Strength and fear aren't the only ways a god can gather faith.
Suwako
We can gather faith by remaining in people's hearts forever. That is the kind of god I want to continue being.
Okina
That's one way to put it, I suppose.
I think this outfit is perfectly cute for you, Miss Suwako!
Suwako
Hehe, thanks, PLAYER. And I'm grateful to Yukari Yakumo and Okina Matara too.
Suwako
Now let me just quickly put this on, and then...
Suwako
...I'll go show it off to Kanako and Sanae!
Costume Presentation
Suwako
You seem to have the power to see what's hidden. I'm sure that'll prove helpful here in Gensokyo. Maybe you could even see us from the outside world... Ah, but you've lost your memories. Anyway, we should stay friends, or I might curse you.
