Perfect Memento: Wriggle Nightbug

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闇に蠢く光の蟲	A Bug of Light Wriggling in the Dark
リグル・ナイトバグ	Wriggle Nightbug
能力：　蟲を操る程度の能力	Ability: Manipulation of insects
危険度：　中	Threat level: Medium
人間友好度：　普通	Human friendship level: Normal
主な活動場所：　草むらなど	Main place of activity: Bushes, clumps of grass, etc.
人間にとって気持ちの悪い妖怪と言えば、やはりこのリグル・ナイトバグである。	If you want to talk about a youkai that humans find unpleasant, Wriggle Nightbug is a good example.
何故気持ちが悪いかというと、蟲の大群と共に現れ蟲を思い通りに操る事に尽きる。	As to why she's considered unpleasant, she always appears with a large number of bugs and can control bugs at will.
例えば百足、毛虫、蛾、蜘蛛、竈馬が一斉に襲ってくる事を想像してみればよい。	Just imagine being simultaneously attacked by centipedes, caterpillars, moths, spiders, and cave crickets.
身の毛が弥立つ。	It makes your hair stand on end.
この妖怪の姿は、人間の子供位ある。	This youkai appears similar to a human child.
幸いな事に、完全な蟲の形をしている訳ではなく、触角と羽が見える程度で、他は人間と変わらない（＊１）。	Fortunately, she doesn't look completely like a bug; she has antennae and wings, but other than that doesn't look any different from a human (*1).
リグルは蟲の妖怪であるが、正確に言うと蛍の妖怪である。	Wriggle is a bug youkai, but to be exact she's a firefly youkai.
蛍は、蟲の中では珍しく、人間に人気のある蟲である。	Fireflies, unlike most bugs, are popular with humans.
こういった蟲は人間に退治されにくく、妖怪まで成長しやすい。	Since this type of bug can avoid extermination by humans, it's easy for them to mature into youkai.
蛍の他には、蝶も同様に人気が高く、妖怪になりやすい。	In addition to fireflies, butterflies are similarly quite popular with humans, so it's easy for them to become youkai.
古来、蟲の妖怪と言えば、鬼や天狗と並ぶ恐怖の対象だったが、最近はその威厳を失って久しい。	Since long ago, bug youkai have been the equal of oni and tengu in terms of inspiring fear, but lately they've lost that feeling of dignity.
蟲たちのリーダーとも言える蟲の妖怪が、幼い少女の姿をしているのも、それを象徴していると言える。	The fact that this bug youkai, who could be called the bugs' leader, has the appearance of a young girl could be considered a symbol of this.
何故、急激に蟲の力が弱まっていったのかは、調査が必要である。	The reason why the bugs' power has suddenly declined needs to be investigated.
目撃報告例	Eyewitness Reports
・大きな石を持ち上げたら蟲がびっしり居た。気持ち悪い （匿名）	"I lifted up a big stone and there were a whole bunch of bugs under it. It was disgusting." (Anonymous)
余りこの妖怪と関係ないかも知れないが、一応蟲の報告という事で。	This may not have much to do with this youkai, but it's technically a report regarding bugs.
・軒下に百足がびっしり居た。勘弁して欲しい （匿名）	"There were a whole bunch of centipedes under the overhang of my roof. Give me a break." (Anonymous)
余りこの妖怪と関係ないかも知れない。	This may not have much to do with this youkai.
・お勝手口に竈馬が居た。呪いたい （匿名）	"There was a cave cricket at my back door. I hate those things." (Anonymous)
この妖怪と関係ないです。	This has nothing to do with this youkai.
対策	Countermeasures
蟲の恐怖は、なんと言ってもその数にある。	The thing that makes bugs frightening is their numbers.
一匹当たりの力は低いが、大量に来ると対処は難しい。	Individually they don't have much power, but when they come in large groups they're hard to deal with.
特に、一匹や二匹退治した所で、何の意味も無いと言うのに、スズメバチなど人間には一発で致命傷を与える蟲も居る。	This is particularly true for bugs such as hornets; while killing one or two means nothing, if they land one sting it can kill a human.
最も有効な対策は、火を焚いたり、燻したりして広範囲に虫を寄せ付けないようにする事である（＊２）。	The most effective countermeasure is building a fire and using fumigation in order to keep bugs away from a large area (*2).
また、総じて寒さに弱い。	Also, they're generally weak to the cold.
春から秋にかけて活動するが、冬は殆ど出てこない。	They're active from spring through fall, but they almost never show up during winter.
ただ、蟲を操る事が恐怖なだけで、リグル・ナイトバグ単体と対峙してもさほど恐くはないだろう。	While her ability to control bugs is frightening, there isn't much to fear in facing Wriggle Nightbug on her own.
もし妖怪退治をするのなら、冬、この妖怪が一人で居る時を狙うと良いだろう。	If you're trying to exterminate youkai, your best bet is to go after this youkai during winter when she's alone.
また、この妖怪が遣う蟲の中で最も気をつけなければいけないのが、恙虫である。	Also, among the bugs that this youkai controls, the ones you need to be most careful of are the harvest mites.
恙虫は人間の目に映らない悪魔の蟲であり、剌された事にも気付かない。	Harvest mites are devil bugs that can't be seen by the human eye, and you don't even notice that you've been bitten.
後日、小さな黒い刺された跡が出るが時は既に遅し、高熱を出して倒れてしまい、かなりの確率で死に至る。	Later, small black bite marks will appear, but by then it's too late; you'll get a high fever and collapse, and there is a high probability of death.
有効な治療法は無い。	There is no effective treatment.
リグルが蟲を携えて居ないのに自信たっぷりで居たとしたら、その時が一番危険である。	If Wriggle doesn't seem to have any bugs with her and yet looks really confident, that's the most dangerous time.
周りに恙虫を集めているかも知れない（＊３）。	She could be gathering harvest mites (*3).
＊１　人間の形を取る事が、退治されにくくする事には必要なのだろう。	1: She needs to take on human shape in order to make it more difficult for humans to exterminate her.
＊２　最近は殺虫剤と言う便利な薬もある。	2: Recently, there's also a convenient chemical known as insecticide.
＊３　蚤かも知れないが。	3: Or maybe fleas.

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• Previous: pg. 35-36 Letty Whiterock
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