Mentioned Characters: Mystia, Wriggle

"The Lost Word Incident is finally here. Time to put these clothes to use. But first, I should spread the news... *chitters to her bugs* Good. That should do it. It's not like I wanna lead the charge for the glory, but it'd kinda be nice to get the first hit in. Bug lives are fleeting. We fly into danger without a second thought and burn in the flames. Tell me, little insects, will that be my fate, too?"

Wriggle Nightbug's Fantasy Rebirth Why is it that when children grow into adults, they begin to hate and fear bugs? When some adults see a bug, they grab whatever's close at hand, like a shoe or a newspaper, and start whacking it relentlessly. Others completely freeze at the sight of them, unable to respond. Perhaps it's because children and bugs have a lot in common. Watching and studying them is a great way to learn about life, and they make great friends and pets. Perhaps if human adults didn't lose their love of bugs, human civilization might rely on more types of bugs than just bees and silkworms. They might have even replaced other livestock, such as cows or horses...

"My insect instincts warned me of this. The worst was bound to happen eventually. Fine. Let's do this. Our clash was unavoidable!"

Starry Land There once was an age dominated by insects. Insect youkai roamed the land, and everyone trembled at their passing. Remnants of these youkai can still be seen in the forgotten corners of Gensokyo. However, firefly youkai were never feared. In fact, they were loved. That is how fireflies survived for so long to become youkai. Legends speak of great human heroes vanquishing powerful insect youkai, and Wriggle suspects that the age of insects refers to this time. In the outside world, it is also believed that there was an age long ago when giant insects existed due to a much higher concentration of oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere.

"To know the memories of the universe, you must first know the beings, the living specimens, that inhabit it. Studying strata and fossils isn't enough. The universe is dark, so you need to gather the feeble lights of information. Insects have a very short life cycle that they repeat over and over. But when they become youkai, they live much longer. Studying them can provide great insights into their world and environment." [Torn page of a report written by Mystia Lorelei.]