Ch. 4 EX6: Islands of 8 - Shion
Angry Angler
Tenshi
Are you sure you want me to drop you off here, Shion? I can take you the whole way if you want.
Shion
No, here's good. Thanks, Miss Tenshi.
Tenshi
Hmm, all right.
Tenshi
Since you insist!
Tenshi
Honestly, I was surprised when you said you wanted to do this by yourself.
Tenshi
But I think I kinda get it now. Part of why I decided to sign up for the sea race on my own was to challenge myself.
Tenshi
It makes sense that you want to try something similar.
Tenshi
I don't wanna step on your toes, so just know that even if I'm not here next to you, I'll still be cheering you on.
Tenshi
Let's both aim for the top!
Shion
Haha, ha...
Shion
(I can't correct her!)
Shion
(I know I should be honest with Miss Tenshi, but...!)
Shion
(She just looks so happy for me!)
Shion
(All I wanted to do was try something different since I can't seem to catch any fish.)
Shion
(I shouldn't have suggested fishing by myself.)
Shion
(But how was I supposed to know that would escalate into me living off the land and sea all alone?!)
Shion
(I'm not cut out for this!)
Shion
*picturing her short and tragic future*
Shion
Heh. I'm done for.
Tenshi
Hm?
Tenshi
Good luck, Shion. Come get me if you need any help, OK?
Tenshi
See ya!
Shion
*trying to process her current situation*
Shion
I give up.
Shion
I feel sad and lonely already. And I'm starting to get hungry...
Shion
Miss Tenshi... Joon...
Shion
...
Shion
No! I have to pull myself together!
Shion
If I can at least make it to the island with the cooking competition, I might be able to find some food.
Shion
I don't know if they'll let me cook with them, though. If only I could catch fish whenever I want...
Shion
But I guess that's too much to ask, huh? By some miracle, I managed to catch one fish, so I should be happy with that...
Shion
Thinking about it now, that's actually pretty amazing for a poverty god like me.
Shion
Y-Yeah, I've done all that I can. I should hurry back to Miss Tenshi.
Shion
OK, that's what I'll do!
Shion
...Seriously?
Shion
Give me a break already!
Red Marisa
It's 'cause we skipped over you last time.
Remilia
We gotta battle every swimsuiter!
Flandre
No exceptions!
Um, guys? Maybe we shouldn't anger her...
Shion
Argh!
Shion
Now, even the weather is against me because of you! How am I meant to fish with all this wind and rain?!
Flandre
How's that our fault?! Besides, it's not like you had much success when it was sunny, either.
Remilia
Yeah, the rain is much more of a nuisance for us vampires! The waves are pretty scary, too!
Red Marisa
This bad weather was obviously caused by your terrible luck. But it's true that we deliberately tried to provoke you.
Red Marisa
So, you can take out your anger on us if you want. It might even make you feel better.
Red Marisa
But are you sure that'll actually resolve your problem?
(You don't have to be so condescending!)
Shion
Shut up! What do you know about my problems?!
(See!)
Shion
(I guess she's right that there's no real point in getting angry at them...)
Shion
(But it's too late to back down now.)
String of Luck
Quite a while earlier, around the time when the red Marisa left the ship―
Kasen
So, how's it going on your end?
Kasen
A lot is riding on PLAYER. We have to do all that we can to safeguard her from an irreversible defeat.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Are you seriously asking me that? I get that being patient is hard, but try to calm down a little, OK?
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
She still hasn't summoned me, so I've got no idea what she's up to.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
You should know that as well as I do.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Or what? Are you really that worried about a human?
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
You seem to care about her, kinda like how you care about the Hakurei shrine maiden. I wonder why.
Kasen
Y-You think? I don't mean to treat her differently...
Kasen
You must be imagining things.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
For your sake, I hope so. You wouldn't want any of the stuff I imagine to be real.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Well, whatever. Just stop worrying, OK?
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
I gave my word that I'll protect her with all I've got, so that's what I'll do. I'm ready to answer her summons whenever.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Not to mention that keeping her safe is in my best interests, too.
Kasen
I'm counting on you, Partner.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Heh, don't rely on me too hard, Hermit. There's only so much one arm can do.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Speaking of... What've you been up to lately?
Kasen
Oh, this and that.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
I get that you'd rather keep me in the dark, but it's not like I'm blind, you know.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
There's obviously something very strange going on in this world.
Kasen
...So you noticed, huh?
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Of course. I may be just the mummified remains, but I'm still your arm.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
I couldn't not notice.
Kasen
...
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
I spent a long time in the outside world, so I'm familiar with how humans view the world through a crude lens of logic.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
They believe everything is controlled by invisible forces. That's how they discovered that stars attract one another.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
And that the Earth is a planet in space. Though I guess that's also common knowledge for the girls who went to the Moon.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Anyway, planets and satellites pull, revolve around, and trap each other. The same goes for planets and stars.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
And that's all caused by invisible forces. They're like the idea of oni but without a physical form.
Kasen
...
Kasen
I had to learn about the outside world to deal with a girl who visits Gensokyo, so I understand what you're talking about.
Kasen
But what's your point?
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
I'm getting to that.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
...
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Several stars are revolving around this exact spot―the spot where the Probability Space Hypervessel crash landed.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
They're revolving slowly but surely, at the pace seasons would usually turn.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
No, maybe calling 'em stars isn't quite right. To me, they feel like lumps of temperament.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
What do you think about 'em?
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Don't you think it's strange that the center of their orbit is here...
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
...and not the Capital?
Kasen
I'd rather keep my conjectures to myself.
Kasen
What you say is true, but I need to know more before sharing anything with Yukari or Okina.
Kasen
I need to investigate. What we lack most right now is information.
Kasen
And I've already taken the first step.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Oh, and what would that be?
Kasen
Isn't it obvious? I can't share this with the other sages, but it's too much for me to handle on my own.
Kasen
So I just have to lean into that.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
What do you mean?
Kasen
Alone, it's too difficult, but if there were two of me...
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Two...?
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Ah! You're talking about this world's you!
Kasen
Exactly. I've already spoken to her.
Kasen
I asked her to team up with someone she could trust to investigate the mysterious temperament.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Hmm...
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
I'm kinda impressed you got someone in this world full of careless fools to actually listen to you.
Kasen
It wasn't as hard as you might think. I just gave her what she wanted most upfront in return for her help.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
What's that?
Kasen
The denizens of this world live in perpetual fear of the strangely powerful lost fairies―the spawn of Levania.
Kasen
If only they had a way to defend themselves, then they could spend every day playing and relaxing on the beach.
Kasen
The first thing I got her was a swimsuit. I had to get the materials and place an order with the tailor...
Kasen
And while I was at it, I decided to train her in bullet battles. With a swimsuit and bullets, she's got nothing to fear.
Kasen
See? Told you it wasn't that hard!
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Yeah, for you, maybe! You've never had to suffer through one of your own training sessions!
I see. So you wanna eat all kinds of seafood, huh?
Shion
No, um, that's kinda blowing it out of proportion.
Shion
I just don't wanna have to worry about starving all the time. That's all really...
Yuyuko
We've got a fisher on our team!
Youmu
Now we can win for sure!
Right... We're back on the cook-off island.
Shion
This is kinda lucky but also kinda not... It looks like I'm about to get dragged into something I really hate...
Shion
I don't wanna work!
Shion
I gotta get away before it's too late.
Shion
Let go!
Shion
My misfortune will spread to you if you get too close! You should let go of me for your own good!
Yuyuko
Teehee, you don't have to worry about us.
Youmu
We wouldn't have grabbed onto you if we didn't think it was safe.
Shion
Huh? What do you mean?
Red Marisa
You just released a big burst of bad luck energy. Enough to turn the weather bad.
Red Marisa
And it looks like that activated a gift from that celestial friend of yours.
Red Marisa
Artifacts from Heaven are powerful enough by themselves, but she made it even more powerful.
Red Marisa
Celestials are crazy like that. They can freely use mighty techniques that hermits and Taoists struggle even to learn.
Red Marisa
Despite everything, Tenshi is still a celestial. She possesses power and skill as well as unbelievable foresight.
Shion
Wh-What are you talking about?!
Remilia
*sigh* You really are dense, huh? Open your eyes, Poverty God.
Remilia
Did you really think that celestial would just leave you on your own without taking any precautions?
Shion
Huh? But, um... Huh?
Remilia
You're like a walking bomb. It would be heartless of her to leave you stranded on an island without any help at all.
Remilia
She left something on that fishing rod that offsets your bad luck, so you'd have at least some chance of success.
Remilia
It's like a charm that activates whenever you have a terrible burst of misfortune.
Shion
I can't see anything that looks like a charm...
Remilia
I'm a master of fate, so it stands out to me like a shining beacon.
Remilia
That fishing line...
Remilia
...is made from Tenshi's hair!
Shion
No way!
Remilia
I'm sure you already know this, but a woman's hair is her life!
Remilia
It's the most spiritual, mysterious, and divine part of the body!
Remilia
And celestial hair is tougher than metal wire! I bet you could even use it to pull an umibouzu up out of the water.
Remilia
Now, do you understand?!
Shion
Ummm...
Remilia
Seriously?!
Red Marisa
Whoa there, vampire. You just overloaded her with info. Give her some time to think.
Remilia
Argh!
Shion
I'm so confused...
Yuyuko
Let's take a break from all this complicated talk.
Yuyuko
Thankfully, your misfortune aura is currently being suppressed, so why don't you try fishing as you are now?
Yuyuko
I'm not sure if you know this, but luck is a form of temperament.
Yuyuko
So, by fishing, you would be assisting our investigation. I'm confident we can eat whatever fish you catch.
Yuyuko
And by "we," I mean me.
Yuyuko
I'm a ghost, so I don't have to worry about food poisoning.
Youmu
Not to mention that even if you catch a toxic fish, I can turn that toxicity into flavor with my cutting skills!
Remilia
(I'm pretty sure it doesn't work like that...)
Yuyuko
Thanks, Youmu. So, how about it? Do you want to try being the fisher for our cooking team?
Yuyuko
I'm sure you can catch something now.
Yuyuko
Go on.
Yuyuko
Give it a try.
It kinda sounds like you just want to eat...
Flandre
Hey, what gives?! How come Remilia got more lines than me?!
Flandre
I wanted to talk more...
Flandre
This isn't fair! Don't you think, Remilia?
Flandre
Remilia...?
Remilia
...
Remilia
Oh, sorry, Flandre. I'm actually pretty worried about that pitiful older sister.
Remilia
Let's watch over her quietly for now.
Flandre
...
Flandre
I can't keep up!
Flandre
Are we meant to be silly or serious right now?!
Fishing for a Solution
...
......
Huh? What happened?
I tried to fish...
And then what...?
...
Oh, right. I caught lots of fish. But everything either tasted bad, had too many little bones, or was toxic.
The ghost princess quietly ate one after the other... but she didn't seem happy about it.
As a poverty god, I don't really care how they taste as long as they fill me up, so I was over the Moon.
But, unfortunately, even though I'm a god, I'm not immune to food poisoning...
I normally wouldn't care about getting a little sick as long as it stopped me from starving...
But that isn't good enough this time.
Miss Tenshi lent me this rod and cheered me on.
But I can't even catch proper fish. Now I'm sure I was only able to catch that fish before because she was with me.
I feel so pathetic. So useless.
Is my luck so bad that it overpowers Miss Tenshi's gifts? No one else seems affected by it, so I doubt it...
Maybe I just suck at fishing. Or maybe this is just what fishing is like...
I dunno. Either way, I can't really call myself self-sufficient if that's the best I can do...
Is it even possible for a poverty god like me to live off the land and sea on my own? What did I do before this...?
...
Oh, right...
I had to rely on Joon.
I'm meant to be the older sister, but I've always had to rely on her for everything.
But I can't help it. I'm a poverty god. Whenever I try to do something, I fail. All I do is cause more trouble for her.
There's not even any point in me worrying about my misfortune. It just makes me more depressed.
And that just makes other people dislike me even more... Not that I really care about that.
That's why I hang out with Joon. It's really fun playing around and causing chaos together.
Yeah. Being with her was fun.
Joon
"Shion, let's split up."
Joon
"It seems that corrupt human fraudster is determined to get back at us for ruining his fortune."
Joon
"I'd like to beat him up, but it's not worth provoking the shrine maiden. We should lie low until this blows over."
Joon
"I'm gonna seek refuge at Myouren Temple. I'm sure Byakuren will let me stay there if I shed a few tears."
Joon
"You can stay at the shrine... Actually, no, that's a bad idea. Hmmm... Why don't you ask that celestial for help?"
Joon
"Uh-oh! They've already caught up!"
Joon
"See ya!"
...
...
Right. Now I remember.
I asked Miss Tenshi for help. But what I really want is to stand on my own two feet without having to rely on anyone...
I have to try.
I can't keep making excuses.
I have to face my problems head-on.
I have to take this seriously.
I can't keep running away.
...
I gotta fish.
Gotta fish gotta fish gotta fish gotta fish gotta fish gotta fish gotta fish gotta fish gotta fish gotta fish gotta fish gotta fish
Fish fish fish fish fish fish fish fish fish fish fish fish fish fish fish fish fish fish fish fish fish fish fish fish fish fish fish fish...
*snap*
Shion
Huh?!
Youmu
Thank goodness! I thought you might never wake up!
Yuyuko
Are you, OK? Are you sure you don't need to stay lying down...?
Shion
Um, what happened?
Red Marisa
The fishing line broke.
Red Marisa
It seems the good luck imbued in the line got canceled out by your misfortune, making it weaker than it should be.
Remilia
I guess we all underestimated the power of your misfortune. Myself included...
Shion
...
Shion
I see.
Shion
That would happen, wouldn't it?
Shion
Heh.
Shion
Haha.
Shion
Hahaha!
Wh-Why are you laughing?
Shion
Nah, I just thought it was fitting.
Shion
Whenever I try something on my own, I never succeed. I always have to rely on someone else.
Shion
And even then... I still fail.
Shion
...
Shion
So, Miss Tenshi's fishing line broke, huh?
Shion
And that's what caused me to black out before I even got the chance to change into my super poverty god form.
Shion
And to think there was a time when I called myself a billionaire god. It seems I'd rather dream than face reality.
Shion
Haha, ha.
Shion
What can I do but laugh?
Shion
...
Shion
Sorry. I didn't mean to kill the mood. But you're better off staying away from me right now.
Shion
Actually, don't worry about it. I'm leaving.
Shion
Bye...
Shion
Oof!
Joon
Hey, Shion! I've come to bring you home!
Joon
I bet you've been miserable all this time, huh? Since it doesn't look like that celestial's around.
Joon
But don't you worry. Byakuren's helping me train my mind, you see...
Joon
And it feels really good!
Joon
Buddhism's great, Shion! It feels like every day of training cleanses my heart and soul.
Joon
If only it wasn't so boring―
Joon
I mean, I've never felt so fulfilled before!
Shion
She's making you say all that, isn't she?
Joon
Anyway, come hang out with us.
Joon
I'm used to your bad luck, and Byakuren's conquered her desires or something, so I bet she's resistant to it, too.
Joon
You might be able to tell from what we're wearing, but we're actually on our way to a tournament.
Joon
See? Look at my cool water gun! We're gonna enter the water gun tournament!
Wow! I've never seen a water gun like that before!
I wonder where that tournament's being held...
Red Marisa
Oh, right. It's being held on the island where you met me.
Remilia
Now it finally makes sense why you're carrying that scary water gun! I knew it couldn't just be for shooting vampires!
Remilia
But how come you never told us about it?!
Red Marisa
I didn't mean to hide it from you. I just didn't want to overload you with too much info all at once.
Remilia
Wow... That's so considerate of you. NOT!
Joon
C'mon, let's go, Shion. You've got nothing to worry about.
Joon
Let's live together again! We might not be able to bask in luxury like when we were oil barons, but it should still be fun!
Shion
...
Joon
Shion?
Shion
I'm not going.
Joon
Huh?
Shion
I'm staying here.
Joon
But why?
Shion
Honestly, I'm sure going with you would be fun...
Shion
But for as long as I've lived, I've never accomplished anything by myself before... And I want that to change.
Shion
Miss Tenshi was really kind to me, and it feels like I would be betraying her... and myself if I just gave up.
Shion
Sorry, Joon. Is that OK?
Joon
Sure. If that's what you want. It's not like I was planning to use you to rob someone again. Not with Byakuren here.
Joon
But, um, how are you planning to stop yourself from starving with that strong aura of misfortune around you?
Shion
Oh, right! Umm...
Shion
I dunno...
Joon
*sigh* So, you've got no plan at all, huh?
Joon
What was that, Byakuren? ...Are you serious?
Joon
...Oh, OK. I-I'll try it.
Joon
Sorry, Shion. You better brace yourself.
Shion
What?
Joon
*deep breath*
Joon
I hope this works!
*sound of a switch flicking*
Shion
Eeeep!
Shion
Wait... What just happened?
What was that sound?
Shion
Hm?
Shion
Oh, there's something different about my fishing rod. Did it finally activate after all this time? How come?
Shion
This is, like, the same feeling I get when I stand next to Miss Tenshi. I think it's negating my bad luck!
Joon
Phew. It seems Byakuren was right.
Joon
That rod wasn't turned on.
Shion
Does that mean I won't have to worry as much about my bad luck now?
Joon
Heh, worry? You know that rod's― ...Actually, never mind.
Joon
You should be fine now, Shion. Congrats.
Shion
I can't believe this...!
Shion
Thanks, Joon!
Joon
Hahaha. You're welcome.
Byakuren
Sorry, Joon, I don't mean to interrupt, but we have to get going soon.
Joon
Oh! You're right.
Joon
I guess we'll be going our separate ways again, but I'm sure you'll manage, Shion.
Joon
Well, for a while, at least.
Joon
The next time we meet might be in a tournament, so let's make it a good match if that happens.
Shion
Yeah...
Shion
Sounds good, Joon!
Joon
Oh, but here's a word of advice before I go...
Joon
You might wanna ask these friends of yours to help you train! Bye-bye!
Wow... I don't think that's ever happened before...
Did things just get resolved without a battle of bullets?!
Remilia
What's wrong, Flan? You're eerily quiet.
Flandre
Yeah... I was thinking of going wild there at the end by challenging someone to a battle or something, but...
Remilia
Why didn't you?
Flandre
It just didn't feel right, you know. Joon is loud and impulsive, has bright hair, and she's also a little sister...
Flandre
It felt like we'd clash too much if I tried to share the spotlight with her.
Remilia
That's actually pretty considerate of you.
Around the same time, on a different island―
??? A
I think we've gathered about as much information as we can here, but things still don't add up. It's all so strange.
??? B
Haha, I'm not saying you're wrong, but if you haven't noticed, you're plenty strange yourself. Well, me too, I suppose.
??? A
I don't mind a bit of levity, but please stay focused on the job, OK?
??? A
I don't want people getting the wrong idea if they see us together...
??? B
You're really that worried, huh? That kinda makes me wanna see how you'll react if that actually happens.
??? A
Seriously, Komachi?! You're joking, right?!
??? B
I thought you didn't want people getting the wrong idea. Are you sure you wanna act so familiar with me?
Kasen
Moving on!
Kasen
The major thing we discovered is that we've both gotten a slight sun tan. This shouldn't happen to beings like us!
Komachi
I know this has never happened before, but Lady Eiki won't be happy if that's all I've got to report.
Komachi
We gotta figure out why. So, I'll help with your investigation as best as I can until we do.
Kasen
I hope you mean that. I'm counting on you, you know?
Komachi
Haha, don't worry. I won't let you down.
Kasen
All right. Let's continue the investigation...
Komachi
Our next stop is―
Kasen & Komachi
The sea race island!
Komachi
(We're already dressed for it, after all.)
