C103's implementation on Satoko is going well so far.

It wouldn't make any difference to me if the experiment failed.

However, Irie's extraordinary focus and attention to the experiment has avoided Satoko Houjou hallucinating or turning into a vegetable during the experiment

...and surprisingly, we see prospects of her returning to normal life despite reaching L5.

C103 still has many issues, but this experiment proved that even a person who has reached L5 can be cured.

I didn't believe in it at first, but I guess I have to acknowledge Irie's hard work.

Only Irie could have done this.

He was tormented by naive humanism and didn't want to make mistakes, and that is why he felt obligated to cure Satoko Houjou.

The reason why I dislike Irie isn't because of his achievements or abilities, but because of that weakness...

But this time, I had to praise him for it.

"I saw your report...

...I must tip my hat to you."

"No,

I only did my job as a researcher.

...If that means fulfilling my duty as a doctor as well, then nothing could please me more."

"It's hardly an exaggeration to say that Satoko is now our most valuable specimen.

After all, she's the first human to reach L5 and live."

"...That's true.

We'll let her go back to her life and keep our eyes on her.

I'm going to tell her to come here every Sunday for a check up."

"But how are you going to explain to her that she has to give herself a C103 shot three times a day, and also that she has to come here every Sunday?

She has no subjective symptoms."

"I'm still trying to come up with a good excuse...

I think I'll tell her that I want her to help me with my research.

She has to give herself shots daily and to come here every Sunday for a check up.

I'll pay her for helping me. Or something like that."

...I guess Irie is determined to cure Satoko Houjou no matter what.

...He seems determined to keep her off the dissection table.

He and I are in different positions, but I don't have any complaints about his naive ideals so long as they translate directly into passion for our research.

If his plans can be put into effect and produce a different result than the dissection would, then they'll still be useful to the overall understanding of the Hinamizawa Syndrome.

I have nothing against Satoko Houjou.

It's only that I see her as a research specimen.

If she can be useful in that capacity without being dissected, that's perfectly fine with me.

"We have to get permission from her guardian to give her shots three times a day.

After her parents died, her aunt and uncle have been taking care of her, right?

Maybe I'll go talk to them.

I hope they agree to her involvement in such suspicious research..."

"Oh, don't worry.

I'm sure they'll be happy to, once they realize they'll receive 100,000 to 200,000 yen every month for it."

"Do we have enough money?"

"Sure.

As long as we can produce documents that'll convince Jirou-san."

"Okay, then I'll work on that.

Also, we'll need to take action to prevent stressing Satoko-chan.

We don't want her to return to L5.

...I hear her aunt and uncle are very mercenary.

Perhaps we can handle them with cash.

I plan to provide my help with their guidance too."

I've heard Satoko-chan isn't getting along with her aunt and uncle.

I never thought that'd affect us in any way.

But now, Irie has to deal with them.

Maybe he's developed some kind of sense of responsibility or duty as her guardian.

I don't really care.

The more responsible he feels, the more progress our research makes.

That'll be a plus for me.

"...By the way,

I saw the report on H170."

"Oh,

compared to your success, it's nothing. But I guess it was some kind of accomplishment."

"...It's honestly ironic.

This same research center that's produced the remedy to save her from derangement has developed a dangerous drug that could instantly induce it."

Irie wasn't involved in the H170 research.

That was my work.

In fact, even if I asked him, he wouldn't have agreed to be involved.

This dangerous reagent was developed during the process of uncovering the mechanisms behind how the pathogens controlling Satoko Houjou's brain could induce derangement or paranoia in their host.

To put it bluntly, injecting H170 into a patient with Hinamizawa Syndrome forced them to express terminal symptoms.

It threw the brain into a simulated state of agitation, intentionally forcing the pathogen to grow unstable.

If we continue researching this, it will be possible to drive anyone with Hinamizawa Syndrome violently insane at any time.

Studying the mechanism behind that will help to solve the syndrome's mysteries.

So this study on H170 will be extremely important to future research.

Also, this medicine has military applications, as the client requested.

At this point, there's absolutely no use for it.

But once our research progresses a bit further, this H170 could be spread at the right moment to cause a certain type of reaction.

Compared to a killer virus, it seems like a useless pathogen.

But there's no way to detect it in a dead body, and it makes it look as though the person just went insane spontaneously, so it must have some useful applications.

The Marco Polo Bridge Incident threatened to end research on Hinamizawa Syndrome before.

A historically important incident like that couldn't have been created by a killer virus.

But it's possible with Hinamizawa Syndrome.

The elders of the Alphabet Project, the sponsor for our research, can think whatever they want about that.

I don't care how they use what I've learned.

My purpose is to solve the mysteries of Hinamizawa Syndrome and to make people realize how important this research is.

Also, to make people acknowledge my grandfather's accomplishments and achievements.

...Any military applications were just byproducts of the process that I didn't care about.

"The clients will appreciate your accomplishment.

Maybe our budget will increase for next term."

"Hee hee.

Passion alone can't keep research going.

We need money."

"...We must thank the sponsor for giving us so much funding...

...For this much money to come from public expenses..."

"Maybe Japan is richer than I thought.

They're public expenses, but they're expenses that can't be made public.

Hee hee..."

Irie has no idea what I had to go through to get that money.

Anyway, our research is going extremely well.

We don't know what we'll find out about Hinamizawa Syndrome,

but I'm sure every mystery will eventually be solved. I can hardly wait.

What the syndrome indicates is that humans are simply empty containers, and what we believe to be our will is simply the actions of parasites that live in our brains.

If that mystery was solved... it would have a greater impact than anything else in history.

That is a truth which nobody wants to believe.

This is an achievement my grandfather predicted back during his time.

Ah, I know now.

I know the reason why my grandfather was so fascinated by his work.