章 110: Chapter 110: Welcome to...
Chapter 110: Welcome to...
The bus drove off into the distance as Alex set down his travel bag and looked around. The scene before him revealed a small, rural Japanese town. The bus stop was old and worn, just a simple wooden shelter. The nearby signpost had faded due to years of exposure, to the point that even the name was illegible.
"Ah, you finally made it, Alex."
A voice called out from behind him. Turning, Alex saw a woman with short blue hair smiling and waving at him.
"Chie-senpai, long time no see."
The moment he saw her, memories flooded his mind, much like in the world of souls. This woman was named Chie Rumiko, someone he'd gone to school with. After graduation, she came here to work as a teacher and was struggling due to a lack of staff. Thinking of her close friend from school, she wrote to Alex, inviting him to come and help as a "rural teacher."
"It's truly been a while. This place is so remote; it must have been tough for you to get here."
"It's no trouble."
Hearing Chie's words, Alex shook his head with a smile.
"I'm just glad I could help you, Senpai."
"Ah, you've always been like this…"
Chie looked at him with a complicated expression, quietly watching him before extending her hand with a smile.
"Anyway, Alex, welcome to Hinamizawa."
Hinamizawa.
Alex had a feeling, but hearing the name from Chie's lips sent a shiver down his spine. He finally understood which world he had arrived in—Higurashi: When They Cry.
Alex was very familiar with this work. It told the story of young boys and girls living in a village called Hinamizawa. If it had been made ten years later, it might have been just another cute slice-of-life anime. But When They Cry was different because of a horrifying disease present in Hinamizawa—Hinamizawa Syndrome.
This was an unusual pathogen transmitted through human contact, meaning that almost anyone exposed would be infected. The pathogen had five stages, designated in the games and anime as L1 through L5.
L1 was the latent stage, where the person showed no symptoms and had no idea they were infected; they were indistinguishable from ordinary people. In fact, most people never showed symptoms until death.
If someone left Hinamizawa, however, they'd progress to L2, the warning stage. During this phase, they wouldn't experience symptoms, but the pathogen could be detected in their blood. If they returned to Hinamizawa, the symptoms would stabilize. But if they stayed away, they would progress to L3.
At L3, symptoms like auditory hallucinations and throat irritation would appear, along with mental anxiety. This meant the individual was beginning to succumb to the syndrome.
By L4, the symptoms became even more severe. The individual would develop hostility and suspicion toward those around them, eventually experiencing intense agitation and paranoia.
At the peak, L5, they would suffer from hallucinations, compulsive behavior, and extreme anxiety, with violent tendencies. Unable to bear the persistent throat irritation, many would end their lives by clawing their throats, tearing open their carotid artery and dying from blood loss.
In modern terms, "Hinamizawa Syndrome" was essentially a virus that drove people into madness. In When They Cry, nearly every main character succumbed to this syndrome, turning them into bloodthirsty killers.
This anime shocked many viewers at the time. While death in anime was not uncommon, cute characters turning into killers was something that only a few niche shows, like Elfen Lied, had explored. But When They Cry took it further, making every main character go mad and murder others in gruesome ways, terrifying audiences.
Yet, to be honest, Alex had always been skeptical of this interpretation.
Although the main characters, Keiichi Maebara, Rena Ryuuguu, Shion Sonozaki, and Satoko Houjou, each experienced symptoms of the syndrome, Alex had always questioned whether it was truly due to Hinamizawa Syndrome. The reason was simple: a closer look showed that each afflicted character had been under significant mental stress before their symptoms appeared.
Keiichi Maebara, the story's main character, had a history of violence against children. Rena Ryuuguu lost her family's entire fortune and even their home after her father fell victim to a scam. Shion Sonozaki's beloved Satoshi disappeared, his fate unknown, and as for Satoko Houjou—if she hadn't developed psychological issues given her abusive family environment, that would have been the bigger psychological anomaly.
Even Satoshi's case was suspect, as his family was ostracized by the village for supporting the construction of the dam. After his parents' deaths, he was left to fend for himself alongside Satoko. With no parental guidance and constant rejection by the villagers, the two young children were naturally under extreme psychological strain. Satoshi, being a teenager in a rebellious phase, could hardly be blamed for acting out under such circumstances.
Alex had majored in psychology during college, so out of curiosity, he'd analyzed the behavior of these main characters. Even without the so-called "virus" influencing them, human beings under immense mental pressure could resort to extreme actions. Let's not forget, these main characters were just high school and middle school students, whose emotional maturity was still in development. Without proper guidance, they were naturally prone to breakdowns.
A closer look revealed a common thread among the characters who went on murderous rampages—they all bore immense psychological pressure with no outlet for resolution, leading them to drastic measures. There were numerous clinical cases like this in psychology. To Alex, Hinamizawa was simply a setting that concentrated such extreme cases of psychological distress.
Of course, this was just Alex's theory. But now, he had the chance to test it firsthand. Why? Because this time, Alex had arrived in Hinamizawa not only at Chie Rumiko's invitation but with an additional role…
"So, you're Alex? Welcome to Hinamizawa!"
A bald-headed principal, dressed in a black suit and looking every bit like a mob boss, strode over and extended his hand to Alex.
"Glad to have you here. Chie-sensei has already told me about you and your idea of 'addressing the psychological health of rural children.' I didn't expect someone to be thinking along those lines, but it's true—as educators, we must care not only for students' physical well-being but also their mental health. Truthfully, between me and Chie-sensei, it's been hard to keep up, hahaha…"
"That's precisely why I'm here."
Shaking the principal's hand, Alex replied with a slight smile. Indeed, within the setup of the Map of Myriad Dimensions, Alex's visit to Hinamizawa was arranged at Chie Rumiko's invitation to work as a teacher at the Hinamizawa branch school, while also serving as a school nurse and psychological counselor. According to Chie, she was inspired to invite him after reading his paper on the psychological health of rural children.
But could this world really provide him the answers he sought?
The Free World didn't assign tasks like the quest worlds did, leaving Alex to find his own way. However, based on the role given to him by the Map of Myriad Dimensions, Alex had a good idea of what his purpose in this world might be.
To strengthen his own will while protecting these young individuals fated for tragedy, helping them break free from an otherwise fatal destiny.
In short, he was here to turn everything upside down!
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