Глава 8

Is that so?

Is life useful at all?

The black shadows are getting really close.

...Are they here to take my life away?

Just what... is that?

Take a step back, Doctor. Don't get any closer.

We got here too late.

That is an Infected no longer.

It's something else.

...Poor fellow.

Even I have only seen a case like this just once.

The caster and the victims were fused together. Their bodies and Originium formed a mountain, and from it bloomed a kind of really fragile flower.

The dust spread in the wind, and whoever that traveled through that cursed place found themselves infected—

—Not only that, but anyone who was unfortunate enough became new hosts and ended up spreading the suffering and death.

It doesn't sound like you're just talking about the past.

Rhetorics would merely be insults to this tragedy. Everything that I say is the truth.

The source of the infection was as lively as poison. Its effect on life doesn't stop naturally.

At the time, I swore to myself that I would keep something like that from ever happening again.

Yet things rarely turn out the way you want them. I've come to notice that these things will just keep happening over and over right before my eyes.

(Low moans)

...It seems like it's fallen into a deep sleep. It's just venting unconsciously.

That Sarkaz herd was probably not under its control only because it wasn't trying to control them in the first place.

Freedom.

It's ironic. To think that a herd could be free.

(Humming)

I knew it. This is the culprit of the Originium dust superspreader event.

This isn't good. If this is how all the Sarkaz herd are going to turn out, the losses will be beyond measure.

Its dust isn't just some simple Originium Arts anymore. It might even infect normal people.

It wasn't pretty, the Originium clusters blooming across the cities. If I can help it, I don't want to see anything like that ever again.

Dr. {@nickname}. We need to subdue that thing first. Stop the herd from growing, and prevent the infection from spreading.

Is that...?

You know what that is?

Yeah.;Can't say for sure.;No.

Doctor, I don't know what's going on in your mind.

Dr. {@nickname}, I'm a doctor, not a judge.

This world is suffering from a disease. If no one treats it, what do you think will happen?

Of course, living things usually have immune systems, and suppose the world does as well, it might be able to recover from the disease on its own...

But we can't live in an even more barren world. That will only cause it to weaken, and we will die because of that.

As for the Infected before us...

(Hissing sounds)

Let me get this out of the way. Even if a disease is seen as untreatable, to us doctors, death is far from a foregone conclusion.

'Until an effective cure is found, the patient's life is under serious threat.' That's how we see it.

There is one thing that a doctor will never believe—even if it's what the whole world believes—

'The disease is untreatable.'

That's an excuse. And one that should never be used by us doctors.

It doesn't matter what kind of predicaments we find ourselves in. I will never use my medical knowledge in any manner that can be concerned inhumane. From the moment all life is born, they all possess dignity.

No matter how society at large sees them, treating patients with Oripathy will always be my calling.

That is why I will never give up on life, especially those that can be cured.

Yet we as doctors will never deny that there are precautions that must be undertaken to prevent diseases from reaching even more people.

The Infected cannot become the tools of others. No one may control other lives.

...If I don't do anything at all, that will become a goal, a weapon, an excuse. If we leave it be, then we won't be able to take our revenge against Ursus.

On the contrary, Ursus's wounds will become the wounds of others.

We cannot leave a struggle of pain simply be.

There are some diseases that normal medical personnel cannot cure.

All the things that the world imposed on them will only rain down on others several times over every now and then.

—That's about everything a doctor can do.

If we are to save even more lives...

(Whining sounds)

Then we need to make a decision.

Silence.

The operators' breathing can be heard clearly through the filtration systems they are wearing.

Which is why, our goal is without a doubt undeniable.

Dr. {@nickname}, we need to halt the Core City's power supply, but before that, to prevent another Catastrophe from happening, we need to take care of the herd that's growing in numbers by the minute.

Mon3tr, arise!

...We don't have much time left. With how it turned out... we can't even say we are delivering anyone from harm. The Sarkaz herd's fate is sealed.

All Kal'tsit can do is stand there in silence and stare at the white crystalline being that can no longer be called an Infected.

How many scars are there on your body? She asks.

There is no way to tell whether she is asking the trembling creature or herself.

The white creature spread its arms.

What do you want?

It tries to walk forward, but its fragile wings are unable to support its own body.

There are sounds trickling out of its throat, like a river of terror formed of whimpers.

Something really doesn't feel right about this.;What a... beautiful creature.

Your premonition turned out to be correct. That's not a normal Infected creature. It's... the source of this large-scale superspreader.

Creatures of artificial nature can usually be traced back to aesthetics.

Yet don't be fooled by its appearance. No matter how beautiful it may seem, you are looking at the culprit behind the surrounding devastation.

It's singing.

I need to go forward.

Operators, prepare the mist! Eliminate all the dust in the area!

I need to go forward.

Fall back! The mutation has reached its limits! Avoid putting any more pressure on the target!

Someone's talking. Someone's singing.

All dreams sink to the bottom of the lake♪

Life is important. Really important.

My friends lost their lives. They all left me.

They stopped. They won't go on anymore.

'...If you have your own ideas and your own goals now...'

Mon3tr! Prepare to fire!

Where should I go?

I know. I get it now.

But no matter where I go, people are going to beat me up.

It hurts. If I hit them back, then they will hurt.

I don't want it to hurt anymore, but... it really hurts right now.

Is this going to do it?! Are all Infected going to end up like this?!

I can't. I need to keep moving forward. They are worried. I can't keep them worried about me.

...'tis a reality that even time cannot shake♪

I know. They don't like me. But they don't like me because I did something bad.

I don't want to do anything bad anymore.

Dr. {@nickname}! I told you this before. Whether it's the symptoms or the causes that we eliminate, it makes no difference to me whatsoever!

It's dark here. Where will I end up?