Reminiscence Love
Index
Reminiscence Love
Shiva?
Time to dance, lowly god.
Yama?
We shall gift you with weapons.
Kubera?
Arise, god of calamity.
Shion
...
Shion
Hm?
Shion
Wh-What's going on?
Shion
What happened to me?!
Shion
Where am I?! Who are you guys?!
Shiva?
Oh... Have you forgotten us, most despicable and disastrous god of calamity?
Shiva?
We are Moon gods from the East, Hindu gods from India. Same as you.
Shion
What..? I'm getting a headache...
Shion
Nah, I'm not dealing with this. I'm going back to sleep.
Yama?
Please don't. Normally, we'd want nothing more than for you to stay asleep, but things have changed.
Kubera?
I didn't want to do this, but it seems we'll have to force you awake.
Shion
Eep?! Stop!
Shion
I don't wanna wake up!
Shion
Wh-Why do I feel so strong? Where did this power come from?!
Shiva?
It is all our powers combined. But it is yours to command.
Shiva?
With it, you will save the world from a terrible, unprecedented calamity. That is why we have woken you, Alakshmi!
Shion
Huh...? Ala-what?
Shion
Is that some kinda insult?! Enough! I'm tired of talking to you weirdos. I'm going back to sleep.
Shiva?
...
Yama?
I thought she'd at least hear us out.
Kubera?
This probably would've been easier if her twin was here.
Shiva?
...
Shiva?
We'll just have to try convincing her some other way.
Shiva?
This has to succeed... for all our sakes.
???
...
???
...on.
???
Shion.
Shion
Uah!
Shion
Wh-Who's there?!
???
Shion.
???
What is unhappiness?
Shion
What an unhappy question...
Shion
I don't even wanna think about it.
???
Just answer the question, Shion. I'll keep asking until you do.
Shion
Urgh... Fine. Whatever. It's kinda crazy that I'm being pressured into doing something in a dream...
Shion
Some idiots seem to think I'm used to being unhappy. But it's not the kinda thing you can get used to.
Shion
My stomach's tired of rumbling. I don't have the energy to move or think, but the hunger keeps me awake at night.
Shion
No one is as hungry as me.
Shion
No one understands me, and no one trusts me. I can't achieve anything, and I can't catch a lucky break or make a profit.
Shion
No one wants me, and no one feels as lonely as me.
Shion
Unhappiness is all-encompassing. It's fading away, all alone, into nothing but a corpse.
Shion
My unhappiness is mine alone.
???
Hmm...
???
I guess that's a good enough answer. Time for the next question.
???
What is happiness?
Shion
...
Shion
...
Shion
Uah!
Shion
*pant* *pant* How many nightmares did I just have in a row...?
Shion
Sure, the only dreams I ever have are nightmares, but it's still kinda weird.
Shion
...
Shion
My heart's still beating like crazy.
Shion
I should go for a walk.
Shion
Urgh, bad idea. It's way too bright.
Shion
I feel sick. Gotta get back inside.
Shion
I don't get it. It feels like I'm missing something.
Shion
Sure, as a poverty god, I'm missing a lot, but this feels different.
Shion
Hrmmm...
Shion
If I keep this up, I'll live my whole life without anything ever happening.
Shion
...
Shion
Meh, I guess that's fine.
Shion
I might as well sleep again.
Shion
(What's going on?! Do they have to knock so loud...?)
Shion
(Like, who'd be knocking on my door anyway? Bet they got the wrong address...)
Shion
(Wait... it might be a debt collector!)
Shion
(Uh oh! Gotta pretend I'm not here...!)
Shion
(What?! How'd they get in?! They're gonna find me! I'm done for...!)
???
Hey, Calamity God! So you are here!
???
You could've opened the door for me, you know? Was getting out of bed too much of an effort?
Shion
M-Miss Tenshi?! What're you doing here?!
Hanuman?
Miss Tenshi? I'm Hanuman, the god of assertive excellence. Don't tell me you've forgotten.
Hanuman?
And why are you so surprised to see me? You invited me here.
Shion
I did...? H-How could I have been so thoughtless...?!
Hanuman?
It's fine. Don't worry about it.
Hanuman?
You stop thinking straight if you sleep all the time. Play with me today, and we'll call it even.
Shion
Huh? Um, but...
Hanuman?
You don't wanna go outside, right?
Hanuman?
I was thinking we could just play here!
Shion
Oh, um, yeah, that could work!
Hanuman?
The others should be here soon!
Shion
Yay.
Shion
O-Others?!
Shion
Wh-What others?! Umm, err, wh-who else is coming?! I'd kinda rather not, umm, let anyone else into my home...
Shion
Oh, but, um, I don't mean to say you shouldn't have invited them! I wouldn't say that to you! Th-That's not what I meant!
Hanuman?
Calm down! There's nothing to worry about! Deep breaths.
Shion
*inhales* *exhales* I th-think I'm good now...
Hanuman?
You shouldn't jump to conclusions like that. This is your home.
Hanuman?
If you don't like any of them, you can kick them out. I'll even help you if you like.
Hanuman?
But not meeting anyone at all is bad for your mental health. If you like them, I think it'd be a good idea to talk to them.
Hanuman?
What do you say? I'll be here with you.
Shion
Uhh...
Shion
I'll g-give it a go...
Hanuman?
Great.
Hanuman?
Say hello to our first guest!
Shion
(Why is she so excited about this...?)
Persian Serpent God?
Hello, Calamity God. I'm a serpent god from Persia. I'm here 'cause I heard you've been acting strange.
Persian Serpent God?
Do you remember me?
Shion
Umm, maybe... I'm not sure...
Persian Serpent God?
Hmm, this might be worse than I thought... Luckily, I'm quite good at talking to people.
Persian Serpent God?
I'm jealous that you have people looking out for you like this. You probably think you've hit rock bottom, huh?
Persian Serpent God?
But you can go much, much lower in the Underworld.
Shion
Eeep...
Hanuman?
C'mon, there's no need to frighten her.
Hanuman?
Don't let her fool you. She's actually really nice. No one was more worried about you than her.
Persian Serpent God?
Stop saying stuff like that. You're making this awkward.
Persian Serpent God?
Also, I wasn't lying. I am jealous of you. Looking at you now, you don't seem anything like a god of calamity.
Persian Serpent God?
If you don't like what I have to say, you can kick me out. I'd be happy to leave.
Shion
It's strange how you saying that makes me wanna trust you more...
Persian Serpent God?
Trust me, don't trust me―it's up to you. Now, what should we talk about?
Shion
Honestly, I've got no idea what's going on. Where even are we?
Shion
Also, I feel like I'm missing something important. Maybe that's why all I wanna do is sleep...
Persian Serpent God?
Seems like I've suddenly got you in a talking mood. But I can only answer one question at a time.
Persian Serpent God?
And just so we're clear, I cannot answer every question. I only know what you know.
Shion
What does that mean...?
Persian Serpent God?
We're in Sarnath, a sanctuary where gods and deer gather. It's also called Deer Park or Rishipattana.
Hanuman?
Rishipattana means "the place where the divine sages descended." You can basically think of it as an airport for gods.
Shion
(An airport...? But what about the deer?)
Persian Serpent God?
This is the only place left in this world.
Shion
Huh...
Shion
Wait... Seriously?!
Persian Serpent God?
The big incident made everything else disappear. Don't you remember?
Shion
Umm... Not really.
Persian Serpent God?
It's actually a pretty big deal, you know?
Hanuman?
Oh, looks like our next guests are here!
Shion
Wait a sec! I wanna hear more about this disappearing thing!
Hittite Serpent God?
Hey, sorry we're late. I'm the Hittite serpent god.
Moriya Serpent God?
And I'm the Moriya serpent god. We brought some food and drinks.
Hanuman?
Glad you made it! Let's party till sunset.
Shion
H-Hold on!
Hanuman?
What's wrong, Calamity God?
Shion
Um, I'm not really used to parties and stuff.
Shion
So this all feels super strange.
Hanuman?
...
Hanuman?
Sorry. If only I could say what you've lost...
Hanuman?
Then I could put you at ease.
Shion
...
Hanuman?
It's not quite the same, but it might help if we talked about something else.
Shion
About what?
Hanuman?
You're a calamity god―specifically, the calamity of poverty.
Hanuman?
Do you remember what poverty is?
Shion
Y-Yeah...
Hanuman?
Poverty is unrelenting.
Hanuman?
It's generally thought that being in poverty means you have no money or lack food, clothing, and a roof over your head...
Hanuman?
But the greed of humans is limitless. They want better lifestyles, prestige, freedom, and love...
Hanuman?
And they despair when they don't get them. I'd say they want too much, but that's part of what makes humans human.
Hanuman?
As long as humans exist, poverty will persist. No matter how human society flourishes as a whole...
Hanuman?
The distribution of wealth will not be equal. Those on the lower end will feel impoverished.
Hanuman?
Even if they have all they rightfully need to survive, their lives won't feel worthwhile.
Shion
Th-That sounds crazy... but it feels familiar...
Hanuman?
It should. That is what sustains your power and existence.
Hanuman?
Out of all the gods, you're the most resilient.
Hanuman?
Now that the world has ended...
Hanuman?
The other gods have to rely on you to sustain them. They have no other choice.
Shion
...
Persian Serpent God?
Yeah, it's a lot to take in.
Persian Serpent God?
Why don't we eat first? We can talk about all that serious stuff later.
Hanuman?
Sorry. You're absolutely right!
Moriya Serpent God?
Yeah, let's party! That's the main reason I came here!
Moriya Serpent God?
I brought plenty of venison jerky, so eat as much as you like.
Shion's Tummy
*RUMBLE*
Shion
Uhh, I think my tummy agrees!
Hanuman?
Haha! It shook the whole building!
Persian Serpent God?
Hey, don't laugh! She must be really hungry. Don't you feel sorry for her?
Moriya Serpent God?
Help me lay the food out, Hittite god.
Hittite Serpent God?
R-Right. We'd better hurry!
Persian Serpent God?
*sigh* I never thought I'd lose to her.
Moriya Serpent God?
I know, right? I lost to her, too. But if she's good at anything, it's waging war.
Hittite Serpent God?
Sorry, not sorry. You gotta do what you're good at. It was worth making all that high-quality steel.
Hittite Serpent God?
Hahaha!
Persian Serpent God?
It's not fair!
Moriya Serpent God?
Meh, she won, we lost. There's no point complaining about it now.
Shion
Ah...
Shion
It's already getting dark.
Hanuman?
Yeah, it's about time. The park's open to the sky, so you should be able to see the sunset from there.
Shion
Park? What park?
Hanuman?
Hittite and Moriya gods, could you take her there for me?
Hittite Serpent God?
Sure, that's why I'm here.
Moriya Serpent God?
Leave it to us.
Shion
*confused*
Hanuman?
It's goodbye for now, Calamity God. But I promise to protect this place where your heart resides.
Persian Serpent God?
It was fun while it lasted.
Shion
B-But... I wanna stay here.
Hanuman?
Calamity God, did you enjoy the party? Were you happy?
Shion
Yes...
Hanuman?
Then you must leave. You understand, don't you? You're a poverty god.
Shion
...!
Shion
Yes!
Hittite Serpent God?
C'mon, let's go.
Moriya Serpent God?
Follow us.
Hittite Serpent God?
This is the place where lost things gather now. But it's also within your mind.
Hittite Serpent God?
It's an Omega Point where the moment of the world's ending has been stretched out to infinity.
Hittite Serpent God?
As long as you hide here, you won't disappear. But just like Achilles and the tortoise, the world's end is still imminent.
Moriya Serpent God?
We only exist within your mind. So we cannot tell you anything you don't already know.
Moriya Serpent God?
We can only give voice to your own realizations.
Moriya Serpent God?
If you cannot stand to lose the place where lost things originally gathered...
Serpent Gods?
Then you must move forward.
Moriya Serpent God?
Good. We got here just as the Sun is setting. Now it'll be easier to pass through to another world.
Moriya Serpent God?
There's something like a cave behind the stage. It's the entrance to another world.
Shion
Weird... This stage feels familiar.
Moriya Serpent God?
This is the center of pseudo-Sarnath. It's where the festivities take place for this never-ending festival.
Moriya Serpent God?
And it's the launch pad from which you'll set out on your journey.
Hittite Serpent God?
This false paradise, Sarnath, overlaps with another paradise.
Hittite Serpent God?
Perhaps you've heard of it...
Hittite Serpent God?
It's called Yuiman.
Shion
...!
Hittite Serpent God?
If everything was as it should be, beyond Yuiman would lie the land of the dead and 72 other realms, including Sarnath.
Hittite Serpent God?
It's the perfect place to start your journey to reclaim paradise. I was planning to get my old friend to guide you...
Hittite Serpent God?
But it seems she's busy hunting deer. Don't worry. I found a suitable replacement.
Hittite Serpent God?
If you head into the cave, you should meet up with her before long. Now, off you go.
Moriya Serpent God?
See you.
Shion
...
Shion
Th-Thanks...
Shion
Uh oh... I think I might be lost. Where's that guide she talked about?
Shion
How long have I been walking...?
???
Sorry, I'm late. Guess we can chalk that up to your bad luck.
Shion
Wh-Who's there?!
Izumo Serpent God?
It's me. The serpent god of Izumo.
Shion
Izumo...? Seriously, who are you?
Izumo Serpent God?
My old name was Mizuchi Miyadeguchi. But you tend to forget things when you die.
Izumo Serpent God?
You're good at possessing people, too, right? We've got a fair bit in common, but that doesn't make us friends.
Shion
So you're a vengeful spirit, huh? You're no match for a poverty god.
Izumo Serpent God?
Heh, I'd like to prove you wrong, but unfortunately, we don't have the time.
Izumo Serpent God?
I was only chosen as your guide 'cause my last name means "shrine exit."
Izumo Serpent God?
It's a convoluted reason, but I guess someone has to do it. C'mon, follow me.
Izumo Serpent God?
You're surprisingly lucky.
Izumo Serpent God?
Poverty gods are like the ultimate have-nots, so you've got barely anything to reclaim on your journey.
Izumo Serpent God?
The others had treasured possessions, memories they didn't want to forget, a master, or someone they owed their life to.
Izumo Serpent God?
But you never had any of that, did you?
Izumo Serpent God?
That's what makes your return to paradise so simple.
Izumo Serpent God?
You just gotta reclaim one thing first. Once you realize what that is, your journey's practically over.
Izumo Serpent God?
It's my job to guide you to that point. It's a pain, but I'll get you there.
Izumo Serpent God?
I wonder when humans first experienced poverty. By the time I was born, we already had lots of different kinds.
Izumo Serpent God?
Before humans developed a civilization, they tried to increase their numbers in the same way as most animals.
Izumo Serpent God?
Ah, I should mention that this is just stuff I read in a book. I'm not talking from experience or anything.
Izumo Serpent God?
Anyway, as the number of humans increased, they weren't able to gather enough food for everyone.
Izumo Serpent God?
That's why some of them migrated east, believing the promised land lay in the direction of the rising Sun.
Izumo Serpent God?
In that land, they would be free from disease, war, and old age. They could feast on golden crops.
Izumo Serpent God?
Humans eventually gained all of these things, but that did not free them from poverty.
Izumo Serpent God?
In fact, they raised poverty up as a god.
Izumo Serpent God?
Poverty gods are a lot like the gods of fortune.
Izumo Serpent God?
However, they are never thanked or worshipped.
Izumo Serpent God?
Poverty is often described as being dealt a bad hand, right? It has been conflated with misfortune. I know this all too well.
Izumo Serpent God?
Ringing any bells?
Izumo Serpent God?
You're currently lacking as a poverty god.
Izumo Serpent God?
You're too happy. You're too fortunate.
Izumo Serpent God?
Surely you know what you need to get back now, right?
Izumo Serpent God?
You gotta be more despicable, more disastrous.
Izumo Serpent God?
You gotta fall into the bottom-most depths of misfortune.
Izumo Serpent God?
That is where you'll find...
Izumo Serpent God?
What you're missing.
Shion
Urgh...!
Shion
I-It's too bright! I can't see anything...!
???
Of course, you can't see anything! You're facing the wrong way!
Joon
*sigh* You haven't changed at all.
Joon
Seems my big sister will always make a fool of herself.
Shion
Joon...
Joon
That's me. Joon Yorigami. Not Lakshmi or any other kind of goddess of good fortune or prosperity.
Joon
I'm your cute little sister―the most despicable and disastrous pestilence god.
Joon
What's wrong, Shion? Were you expecting a more heartfelt reunion?
Joon
You look like you're about to cry. You can cry if you want. Don't let me stop you.
Shion
Nuh-uh, there's no way I'd cry. That's not like us at all.
Joon
Oh, really? Then what are you gonna do?
Shion
My life was a mess because of you―my most despicable little sister!
Shion
You're the reason for most of my debts! And when people have a grudge against me, it's almost always your fault!
Joon
You're exaggerating a little, but sure. So, where does that leave us?
Shion
Argh...!
Shion
Joon...!
Shion
It's all your fault!
Shion
I'm the most despicable and disastrous poverty god. No one is as poor, unlucky, or as unhappy as me.
Shion
But without you...
Shion
I'll end up being happy.
Joon
Yeah, that'd be really bad. You wouldn't be the most despicable and disastrous anymore.
Joon
You'd just be a weak, pathetic, and perfectly ordinary poverty god who's unable to do anything but disappear.
Joon
Is that what you want?
Shion
Of course not!
Joon
Haha, I knew it! So, what do you need to avoid that fate?
Joon
What do you need to be the most despicable, most disastrous, most unlucky, most unhappy poverty god ever?!
Joon
What do you need to blossom in poverty again?!
Shion
I need you, Joon!
Joon
Wow, you actually said it! There's no take-backs! I'm gonna wring you out for all you're worth!
Shion
Wh-What have I done...?
Joon
But first, I gotta take revenge on all those who dared to cross us.
Joon
You'll have to wait until that's taken care of.
Shion
R-Right... I'll wait for you, Joon.
Kanako
She's finally here... Our secret weapon against the incident!
Suwako
Sure, it's in a negative direction, but this poverty god's influence over fate and fortune rivals a cursed god's!
Okina
Welcome to the 80th provisional Gensokyo. I am the de facto leader here, Okina Matara.
Okina
Everyone you see here was the last survivor of their respective world.
Okina
We've gathered here to try and find a way to bring back our worlds and save other worlds from the same fate.
Okina
Could you lend us your power as the most despicable and disastrous poverty god, Shion Yorigami?
Shion
Sure, I'll be your trump card, your secret weapon, or whatever.
Shion
'Cause now...
Shion
I'm so unlucky that I can even cancel out Daikoku's blessings of good fortune.
