Manchuria (満州 Manshuu) is the tenth chapter of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Oni.
Summary[]
At the Manchurian battlefront provisions and fodder depot XX branch office auxiliary clinic, Doctor Hifumi Takano is called to report to the colonel's office. There, Dr. Takano thanks the colonel for supplying the facilities and his salary. The colonel demands to see results from him now that he's been stationed here for 2 years, and shows him a newspaper. Dr. Takano is shocked to see the headline talking about an incident in north China, and the colonel says they're calling it the Marco Polo Incident inland. The colonel says a "native" was stationed in that northern garrison unit, and was noticed by his subordinate, the same lieutenant colonel who first looked after Dr. Takano. The colonel tells Dr. Takano to keep this matter a secret even from him, and says they still don't know what caused the incident, but any Hinamizawa natives seen acting erratically will be sent to Dr. Takano for research.
The colonel adds that Dr. Takano may dispose of the natives should they become too much, and that even if they die, they were "sick" and so casualties were unavoidable. Dr. Takano is shaken at this thought, and the colonel says it's important that they stop losing troops; they also need to watch out for this incident causing even more hostilities and opening them to international criticism. The colonel assures the doctor that he's thinking about his people and country. He ends by saying that any subjects unfit for study may be repatriated and sent back to the mainland. Dr. Takano resolves to do his best, and the colonel says he's got a healthy native ready for him to use.
After the doctor leaves, the chief asks the colonel if it was really right to entrust this project to a coward like him. The colonel justifies that Dr. Takano has a sense of justice and will do everything in this power if you give him purpose; the doctor also understands that society will never appreciate his research, and so he won't ever betray the colonel. The colonel then asks the chief about his own desires; he 's happy to know the funding he provided is useful, but he doesn't appreciate the chief trying to get close to upper management behind his back. The chief shrinks back at this accusation.
The colonel says he's taking a patient here and making them work at the cannery next door, and that the person who authorized it was the factory director, his wife's brother. The colonel expects the worker to report anything out of the ordinary. The colonel mentions that the chief's daughter's birthday is next month, and will send her something nice since he wishes those loyal to him to have happy family lives. The chief nervously thanks the colonel and bows. The colonel reminds the chief of who gave him his place here, and says Hifumi's research will affect how he's treated here as well. Alone, the colonel smokes and takes delight in how people who've lost their sanity will still depend upon faith.
Dr. Takano considers the outbreaks of Hinamizawa patients and wonders what could cause them, but can't find a conclusion. A nurse finally gets his attention and takes him to meet Souhei. Souhei introduces himself, confused since he thought he was being deployed to the frontlines, yet he's at a clinic. Dr. Takano introduces himself as well.
Souhei asks why he's stationed here if he has no medical training, but Dr. Takano doesn't answer and takes him to the lab. Dr. Takano confirms he's a Hinamizawa native, and asks if it has a curse. Souhei begins to say it doesn't, but the doctor affirms that there is indeed no curse. Souhei says Oyashiro-sama shouldn't be doubted, and Dr. Takano ominously says that it's really an illness. He explains that it's an illness whose symptoms only appear in Hinamizawa natives, and Souhei begins to worry about why he's doubting Oyashiro-sama. Dr. Takano explains how he wants to find a treatment for that illness and needs Souhei's help, but Souhei starts losing his mind as he remembers past events, including his friends blaming him for telling them to enter the ritual storehouse and Seiji getting angry for marrying Oryou behind his back.
Souhei wakes up in a hospital bed and is greeted by a nurse, whom he mistakes for Oryou. The nurse says he fainted while speaking to Dr. Takano and goes to fetch him.
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