Irotoutoshi-hen Chapter 5

Irotoutoshi-hen Chapter 5 (第5話, Dai Go-wa) is the fifth chapter of Irotoutoshi-hen.

Summary[]

Keitarou is asked by his grandmother if he knows about Oyashiro-sama actually being an alien, and he asks how she got that idea. Aiko shows that she's been watching videos explaining Oyashiro-sama's origins, and Keitarou explains that not everything on the Internet is real, and that it's a collection of opinions and fake news mixed together to seem real. Keitarou shows her that there are other videos explaining Oyashiro-sama's origins, claiming that he's a dragon, a parasite and virus, and an animal. Keitarou expresses that she needs to see things from multiple angles to get the truth.

Keitarou thinks that he needs to take his own advice, having heard from Marutake about Polaris being a scary cult. Keitarou also found a bunch of positive opinions about Polaris, and after seeing their members at school, is convinced that they're just regular people. Keitarou watches a new anti-Polaris video and recognizes the scenery in it as being Hinamizawa. He wonders if there are actually anti-Polaris people living in the village, and wonders what he can do to convince the villagers to be more understanding of Polaris. Keitarou scratches his head in frustration.

On Saturday, June 15th, Irie visits Rika in the hospital. Rika complains about being bored and wants to have a picture of Satoko working next time Irie visits, and also wants her being hospitalized to be kept secret from the villagers. Irie asks her why she wanted him to visit anyway, and Rika asks if Hinamizawa Syndrome is still stable. Irie explains that the virus became stable 30 years ago and so the villagers can live their lives without medication, and there were no other high-level onset cases after Satoshi. However, Irie says the virus has become unstable lately, and that Polaris members are showing symptoms of Hinamizawa Syndrome.

Though people get infected with Hinamizawa Syndrome the second they move to Hinamizawa, Irie has noticed that Polaris members who come to the clinic have been developing symptoms consistent with Hinamizawa Syndrome, like audiovisual hallucinations, strange behavior, a persecution complex, fear over the village's past incidents, and a belief that Hinamizawans are trying to get rid of them. Rika is shocked at the mention that several Polaris members are infected, and Irie says that over the last 2 years, people have been complaining of itching of the neck, and so he's concluded these symptoms range from L4 to L5 Minus. Rika sees that L5 Minus means they're just a step away from terminal symptoms, remembering moments in the past where her friends went crazy. With several Polaris members at terminal stages, it wouldn't be weird for them to attack someone after a misstep, and they'll end up killing themselves by scratching their throats. Irie says there are differences in how people display symptoms: some have violent and aggressive impulses while others look calm but have a deep paranoia inside, like Satoko did when she was young.

Rika asks about the state of Hinamizawa residents, and Irie says that Hinamizawans have also been showing similar symptoms: they complain about Polaris's lifestyle and want to sacrifice themselves to get rid of them, which Irie's attributed to being a spirit of martyrdom that goes against the spirit of Hinamizawa. Other symptoms include scratching at their head and pulling out and losing hair. Rika realizes that Keitarou must have been suffering from these symptoms in the first world, remembering Kihiro's phone call then. Rika wonders about this new disease as Irie explains that the Irie Institute was disbanded years ago so the secret lab and equipment is gone, but he believes that this new disease can be called Polaris Syndrome.

Polaris Syndrome symptoms started appearing 2 years ago, and Irie believes the people of Polaris brought it with them when they came to Hinamizawa. Involving people in murder-suicides to prove their beliefs are correct is a common trend in cults around the world, especially those suspected to also have brain parasites. Irie asks Rika to recall the arson incident from years ago, and believes the spirit of martyrdom symptom can explain it. Rika asks if it's possible for a Hinamizawan to develop Polaris Syndrome and get people caught up in a suicide attack to alleviate a bad situation, and Irie affirms it. He adds that the two diseases are possibly intermingling and affecting one another.

Irie says that he's observed that people with Polaris Syndrome are very stressed from dealing with opposing forces at roadside altercations and town council meetings. One time, a Polaris member and Hinamizawa villager had an argument in the Irie Clinic waiting room, and both of their symptoms noticeably worsened; the waiting room was divided in 2 later. People from the Polaris side claimed they were facing harassment from Hinamizawans and were terrified of the past incidents, and had a persecution complex.

Rika asks how the people of Polaris even know about these stories. Irie explains that a visitor coming and going to the settlement is telling them all sorts of things. Last year a Polaris member went missing and someone in Hinamizawa died of illness, and so the villagers believed it was the curse of Oyashiro-sama, and Polaris must have overheard it. Anything can also be looked up on the Internet. Rika wonders about this visitor increasing Polaris's anxiety.

Irie says that Hinamizawans with Polaris Syndrome are complaining about Polaris and their unwillingness to communicate; Hinamizawans getting angry are developing a stronger sense of justice and further getting involved with Polaris members, causing them to become even more paranoid in a vicious cycle. Irie says that Polaris Syndrome appears to spread through contact, and believes that everyone in the village is now at L2 or L3, with the strongest patients at L4 or L5 Minus. Though Hinamizawa Syndrome and Polaris Syndrome have grown weaker in their original hosts, the heavy stress may be causing them to develop symptoms they're not used to. Rika thinks back to the Maebara house burning in the first Fragment and that if what Keitarou said was true, then the Polaris members should've been paranoid because of Hinamizawa Syndrome. Rika asks what could happen if the villagers reached L5 in either syndrome, and Irie replies that the other parasite the body had grown used to would be thrown off balance by the mental load, and so both syndromes would reach L5 at the same time. Rika wonders just what they can do about mass murderers being created through Hinamizawa Syndrome's aggression and persecution complex combined with Polaris Syndrome's sense of purpose and self-destruction.

Irotoutoshi-hen Chapter 5

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