Qi lässt sich leicht weitergeben

Kapitel 97

Kyogoku-do threatened me.

"You're a hundred years too early to be trying to peek into the box! Do you want to go to the other side like Kubo and Amamiya?!"

The other side of the world—happiness is there—

"If that's truly your wish, I don't care. Everyone here seems to yearn for the other side of the world. Listen carefully, that's fantasy, something that shouldn't be opened up!"

I lost all strength.

He slumped limply to the ground.

Just like Lai Zi after the passing demon left.

"What exactly are Kyoto, Kyogoku-do, and the spirits/monsters?"

"The pass, the demons, are the boundary line. Approaching it rashly could lead you to the other side."

"I...I..."

Without realizing it, I, like Kubo, became a collector. After peering into the hearts of many. After learning too many secrets.

Kyogoku looked at me with sharp eyes, then at Mimasaka and Yoko who were standing still.

"As for science, it's also a boundary. Mr. Mimasaka, if we leave it alone, you'll end up on the other side too! Go wherever you want, but at least leave Yoko here! You just heard Yoko's confession; she's on this side. This is your responsibility as her parent—"

"Chuzenji, thank you for your repeated but unpleasant advice, but I simply cannot heed your warnings."

Mimasaka seems to have come to terms with it.

"What?"

"I want to go to hell with Yoko."

"dad--"

Mimasaka faces Kyogoku-do.

"Yoko, that's enough. I understand how you feel perfectly well."

"dad!"

"It's not your fault that things have turned out this way; it's because I lacked rationality and couldn't resist your temptations. Chuzenji is right; I have to apologize to Kinuko. Because—"

Mimasaka said without looking at Yoko:

"—Because, I've fallen in love with you too."

Kyogoku-do's expression was very sad.

"Therefore, I cannot stop this research. Because it is for my own research and for Yoko's research."

Yoko was excited, and Kiba approached her.

Mimasaka and Kyogoku-do are locked in a standoff.

"Chuzenji, you say I infiltrated the cracks in other people's lives, disrupting their existence. If that's the case, then the one who intruded into and disrupted my life without permission is Chuzenji Akihiko—"

Mimasaka slammed his chin down and pointed at Kyogoku-do.

"You."

"Heh, that's interesting."

Surprisingly, Kyogoku-do actually smiled.

"Do you know how much your sophistry troubles me as a scientist? I am a scientist, living and thinking in a world where the laws of physics are absolute. You—you've disrupted those rules. I don't deal with atoms or neutrons; I deal with humans. Medicine must treat humans as objects. If we don't treat them because surgery is painful or medicine is bitter, then injuries and illnesses will never heal. You know this perfectly well, yet you carelessly opened the door to my spiritual world. You're not oblivious; you knowingly violated it. How I long to teach you a lesson! For me, a scientist, the eyes are not the windows to the soul, but the eyeball and optic nerve. They are the sclera, choroid, retina, lens, ciliary body, vitreous body, and cornea. I see neither the darkness of the heart nor the light of hope deep within the pupil. So you see! This artificial human body is my creation. No matter what you say, you can't create eternal life! But I've created it, and it will be completed soon. Science is a boundary? Don't look down on science; science is truth, it's essence!"

“Mr. Mimasaka, that was just an illusion.”

Why was Kyogoku-do able to act as if nothing had happened?

"You've already seen it, haven't you?"

"What have you seen!"

"Of course, it's the light and darkness deep within the pupil. That's why you can't transplant a cornea that reflects the darkness of the heart—no, it's become impossible! That's why you've encountered setbacks in your research on living transplants, and that's why you've completely abandoned your original parallel research into immunology, gene manipulation, and life sciences, and can only devote yourself wholeheartedly to the research of such ugly artificial bodies!"

"Chuzenji, shut up!"

Mimasaka began to descend into chaos. After hearing Yoko's confession, Jun's seemingly impenetrable defenses finally began to crumble.

Did Kyogoku-do feel nothing as darkness was glimpsed through its gaps?

Why wasn't the man in black taken to the other side?

But Mimasaka remains resilient.

"But Chuzenji, you also gave me a hint. The world isn't just the external world; there exists another internal world within the brain. It's a world beyond all physical laws. And the organ that perceives the external world is also the brain. By stimulating certain parts of the brain, one can have the same sensations even without having experienced them. We can create memories identical to actual experiences using electrical signals. In other words, the entire external world can be replaced by electrical signals. Therefore, as long as the brain can live forever, it's equivalent to immortality. That's why I want to abandon the human body, this impure and incomplete vessel, and create a complete vessel for the brain!"

"So your box is the complete container?"

Kyogoku-do took a step closer to Mimasaka.

“Exactly. It will be completed soon. Although you said there is no device that can replace the human body’s receptors, such a thing is unnecessary. I have designed a device that can obtain the same stimulation even if one has never seen, heard, or smelled it. This experiment requires a test subject that can correctly express will, so it cannot be replaced by an ape.”

"Are you planning to use Kubo for the experiment?"

"Open the skull, implant electrodes, and even if the optic nerve is severed, you can still see and hear music without needing a tympanic membrane, a snail, or Corti's organ. How about that! Perfect, isn't it? Here, you'll find unparalleled happiness that will never fade!"

His voice was completely extraordinary.

"He's gone mad—"

After saying this, Bird Mouth took a few steps back.

Masuoka looked at Mimasaka with an expression as if she were looking at a monster.

Aoki stood up.

Kyogoku-do said:

“Toriguchi, he’s perfectly mentally sound. He’s thinking about it very seriously.”

I can't see Mimasaka's expression from here.

Kyogoku-do took another step forward.

“Mr. Mimasaka, you can’t do it. Your theory is wrong, and there’s no such device here! It’s just wishful thinking on your part!”

"Chuzenji, you must be very resentful. Those religious figures who spout nonsense about the salvation of the soul and eternal truth, in the end, they all just die! You're the same, all you have is a mouth and all you can do is sophistry."

“Mimazaka, do you know? Consciousness isn’t something created solely by the brain. What makes a human being human is that they possess a complete human body; the brain is just an organ. If something is missing, it can certainly be compensated for, but if only the brain remains, nothing will be left. The body and soul are inseparable.”

Kyogoku-do has taken another step closer.

"The brain is only one part. To regard the brain as the essence of a person is as ridiculous as to think that the soul is hidden inside the body. Without the present world, there is naturally no other shore; without the body, there is naturally no mind."

"You're just a sore loser."

Kyogoku-do approached so close that his face was almost touching Mimasaka's. Overwhelmed by his imposing presence, Mimasaka retreated and slumped back into his chair.

“Mr. Mimasaka, since you still refuse to accept it, let me tell you something interesting.”

His voice was low, almost a whisper. Kyogoku leaned closer, Mimasaka's nose almost touching Kyogoku's shoulder. He whispered in Mimasaka's ear in that extremely deep voice:

"—The brain is merely a mirror. The brain connected to machinery doesn't generate the original owner's consciousness, but rather the consciousness of the connected machine. Well, you won't know until you experiment. But if you discover this is true after you've done it, what will you do?"

Mimasaka, like a slow-motion image played by a broken projector, turned her head to look at Kyogoku-do with extremely slow and unnatural movements.

His eyes were wide open, as wide as they could possibly be.

"You're lying; that's absolutely impossible."

“It’s not a lie, I said it myself.”

During this brief interval, time stood still.

At least the deafening roar of the machines disappeared from my ears.

“If you believed me for even a moment, Mr. Mimasaka, you have lost. This is the curse, the only weapon of mine that cannot be used in your domain.”

Mimasaka was in a state of confusion and bewilderment.

"Alright, let's leave it at that. Let's consider Ms. Yoko's painful confession as the closing act. Unlike Kanako, Kubo is a healthy person who doesn't need surgery, so you will inevitably be held accountable. As long as you live in this world, you must atone for your sins."

Kiba and Aoki approached him.

"Alright, let's go, Mr. Mimasaka. Kubo—is he still alive?"

"Of course, but—in fact, the fuel in this building can only last for a few more minutes; it will eventually die. I am the killer."

Has the one from Mimasaka been expelled? Kiba approaches Kubo's box.

"But there's nowhere else for him to survive except here."

After finishing speaking, Mimasaka looked at the box.

Kiba reached out to take the box.

No, it hasn't been expelled yet.

At that moment, Yoko crashed into Kiba.

"no!"

"do what?"

Kiba grabbed Yoko's shoulders and subdued her.

Mimasaka stood up.

"Yangzi!"

As expected, Mimasaka also...

"Come on, Yoko."

"No! Don't go over there."

"Let me go."

No, Mimasaka's gaze is perfectly normal.

"Yoko! Chuzenji was lying! My research is flawless! You've suffered so much all this time, but now it's finally over. Once this experiment succeeds, it'll be your turn. Go to a world where there's no slander, no defamation, no hardship, no crime, where morality and ethics no longer matter. Don't worry, I'll go with you. There's nothing to be afraid of. I'll give you wonderful memories every day. There, the relationship between father and daughter will no longer matter. There, anyone can love! I also want Kanako to experience that world; that's my only regret. Oh, and here's Kanako's memories for you. In that case..."

“Mr. Mimasaka! You…”

"Chūzenji, you'll stay there alone, Yoko! Come here, I love you!"