A large facility located inside Percival University――Research facility building C. Inside one of the room there, an oppressive atmosphere was hanging in the air.
The people here, was the person in charge of this laboratory, Professor Down and Emily, and then the students of Professor Down who like Emily were having homestay at Professor Down's house――Hendricks Wesk and Lizzie Ashton. In addition, there were Rod Hurst and Dennis Litton who were also Professor Down's students.
「Tha, that's just coincidence right? Right? Isn't that so?」
Rod who was handsome but had frivolous air was speaking wishful thinking with unusually stiff expression.
He who was a self-styled feminist had a personality just how his appearance suggested, someone who couldn't help to call out if he saw girl, but at the same time he was also the mood-maker of the class, in a serious mood like this he would be the first one who cracked jokes to melt the atmosphere.
But, even someone like him, when he saw the PC monitor displaying the news of this morning that was picked from internet, as expected even his usual talkativeness was lacking in luster.
「The "cause" that caused this phenomenon, do you think there are that many of them? Furthermore in this kind of timing?」
Dennis tilted up his glasses with his middle finger while rebutting without even hiding his bitter expression. His hair was cut short, his shirt was buttoned properly until his neck, and then his glasses. He who was the most serious in Down's classroom just like his appearance often quarreled tit for tat with Rod, but his rebuttal this times was obviously different with his usual war opening signal.
Because Rod understood it, he too closed his mouth with the same expression like Dennis.
「Rapid muscle swelling, abnormal recovery power, behavior without reasoning in it……I don't know any sickness or medicine that give those kind of symptoms. Except "that"……」Hendricks stiff words caused Emily at the side to twitch and tremble. Hendricks was a senior who had homestay at Down house since before Emily came, an existence that was already like real big brother for Emily who supported her both at home and also at university.
Hendricks himself also didn't understand at first how to approach a young genius girl and only looked at her from afar, but with the homestay as the impetus, he knew that other than her intellect Emily was a girl with really normal emotion, and since then he took care of her like she was his real little sister.
It was a common knowledge between the members of Down classroom and close friends that when Emily simply spoke "senpai" then she was referring to Hendricks.
The words that came from the senior that Emily trusted and loved dearly from her heart caused Emily, the creator of "that" to shake like a kitten. Hendricks immediately noticed that patted Emily's head with gentle motion while saying「Sorry Emily. I didn't mean to blame you.」.
「Hendricks. Pay attention to what you say. After all my little sister is delicate.」
「No, Lizzie. It's not like she is your little si――」
「Shut up! Or rather, you patted her too much already! Come on, Emily, come to big sis here?」
Emily who was obediently receiving the pat of Hendricks was stolen in a flash by Lizzie who hugged her into her breast. She then said「It will be okay you know~, big sis is with you after all~」while consoling her like a little child with 'good girl, good girl'.
As expected, that treatment was embarrassing for a girl who had turned sixteen, that Emily forgot the serious atmosphere and ran away from Lizzie's breast saying「Wait, Lizzie-nee! I told you to stop treating me like a child! It's embarrassing!」.
Lizzie who had long red hair that was tied with scrunchie, dangled from her shoulder to the front loosely, although her attitude was strict, but actually she was an extremely helpful woman with deep emotion. She was in the same year with Hendricks and homestay at Down house from the same period, the truth was she had feeling of love toward Hendricks.
At first with how Hendricks was taking care of Emily, Lizzie's relationship with Emily was strained, but Emily's figure that was chasing her dream with her all gradually moved Lizzie and now she was completely Emily's big sis.
Emily too, she knew about Lizzie's love, so sometimes she teasingly said「You should just marry him already」and so on, but each time Emily teased like that, Lizzie's face would blush bright red and she would be fidgeting, that appearance was that of a lovely woman that even Emily who was the same gender would feel something.
Currently the scrunchie that had also become Emily's trademark just like her lab coat, although she had never said it to anyone but it was something that she imitated from her prayer of wanting to become a kind and lovely woman just like Lizzie. However, it was somewhat embarrassing to imitate exactly the same appearance so Emily didn't dangle her hair to the front from her shoulder but making it into side tail instead.
Inside the room the mood softened slightly from the dialogue of the two sisters. Professor Down who smiled slightly to that made a small cough. Just with that Emily and others immediately focused their attention to him. Even though they had harmonious relationship, but they wouldn't make light of the words of Professor Down that they respected. His cough was the signal for them to switch their relaxing mind.
「Just as Hendricks said, there is only one phenomenon that can turn a human into this. I won't say that there is nothing else that can do this, but even so, this kind of radical transformation――is impossible. In all probability, this is【H3-α4】.」
Professor Down declared that while his gaze turn at the monitor once more. There, the figure of a man with big build covered in armor of muscle was projected, the man was rampaging like a beast without reasoning.
That man didn't even show any reaction at the voice of the police telling him to stop, far from that he slammed his body toward the nearby street lamp and unbelievably broke it, then he swung around the broken street lamp with one hand and turned the two police cars surrounding him into scrap.
That violence made the polices started shooting all at once, but the man roared, and without even paying attention at the bullets gouging his body, he charge toward the police with unbelievable speed and routed them. The struck police was thrown to the air like a joke with parabolic trajectory. That sight was just like a scene in B-movie.
The person who filmed the video was a passerby who was at that place by chance, the video seemed to be taken using smartphone, because the person ran away as fast as his legs could carry him after the police was sent flying, the video was greatly blurry. Before long, the video taker who had taken enough distance was frequently saying「Oh my god-」while directing his smartphone's camera toward the scene once more.
Scream and angry roar were raised from everywhere, the polices were desperately fighting back which was proven by the resounding sound of gunshots, and amidst all that, that time came before long.
Suddenly the rampaging man stood still, right after that it fell on his knees as though it was a machine that had ran out of electricity. And then, at that place which was in uproar, a faint sound of anguish could be hear coming from the large man, it was a sound as though his neck was being strangled.
Right after that, a transformation appeared in the large man. His muscle that could be mistaken as armor was visibly starting to shrink. No, perhaps it would be more appropriate to express the phenomenon as "withering" instead. In the middle of being observed by the dumbfounded people at the surrounding, the large man covered his face with both his hands and moaned in anguish, his body withered until the size of a normal adult male, and then his hands parted from his face while his body was convulsing in small shivers.
The face of the man that became visible from there was completely different from the brutal face without reasoning that he showed until now, it was the face of a young man that looked ordinary which could be found anywhere, no, rather kindness could even be seen from that face. That young man made an expression that almost burst into tear for a moment――at the next moment, he raised an anguished voice once more while he collapsed down with both his hands covering his face.
The body of the collapsed young man withered in the blink of eye, it lost moisture, deep wrinkles were carved onto his skin, skin and bone that lost the flesh were starting to stand out, like that, the young man didn't move anymore.
The polices looked and nodded at each other, and then they carefully approached the young man. And then, when they didn't receive any response even when they called to him, to make sure a police used his foot to move the hand of the young man who was still stiffened, and then the polices screamed and backed away.
That couldn't be helped. The face of the young man that they caught a glimpse of just now, it was completely desiccated like a mummy, reduced into a tragic state.
The news announcer was speaking about this abnormal incident with a grave expression, speculating whether the cause was a new virus, or else a drug.
「But, but teacher. How can that went outside……. In the first place the only one who know about that's existence are only us……even though the data and the deposited part are scattered and managed strictly yet」
Emily's doubt came out with a voice that sounded strangled. Hearing that, the truth that the members of the laboratory tried to not think about reared its head.
――【H3-α4】
That was the name of the byproduct medicine that was created by accident from Emily's research.
Emily's research was to create a specific medicine for Alzheimer's disease. That disease was the cause that was changing Emily's kind and gentle, beloved grandmother little by little, she was the reason that Emily was determined to enroll into a university in the age of eleven years old, it was a problem in the territory that a lot of researchers hadn't reached yet, and it was also the life work of Emily.
That research which obtained the cooperation of Professor Down and Hendricks and co who were research student was something that put its linchpin on the point that was the regeneration of destroyed neuron. It was also a path that a lot of researchers in the past had tried their hand on it.
What was born from that research process was【H3-α4】. If it was used, muscle would break down and regenerate repeatedly and swelled up in the blink of eye, every kind of external injury would instantly recover due to the cells' super activity.
Of course it had demerit. As the compensation for the drastic muscle strengthening, the user would lose their reasoning and life. If someone was injected with small dose, then they might hold out for around a week until ten days, but in the case someone was injected until it was just barely the limit before the cells were self-destructing from being unable to endure too drastic stimulation, they would die in less than an hour in exchange of obtaining regeneration power that couldn't be compared to the former case.
At first Emily and co thought that they might be able to possibly cut open a path of creating a wonder drug after witnessing the dramatic result of this【H3-α4】, but after seeing the lab rats transforming brutally without being able to stop the too drastic stimulation and the breaking down of the reasoning, they thoroughly hid this drug as something that was too dangerous.
They dispersed the data, disguised even the chemicals used, deposited each data at different places, and put them under strict control.
Therefore, it should be impossible for the medicine to be stolen. Because In the first place the people who knew about the existence of【H3-α4】were only the members of Down laboratory. They were all in this place right now, except several people who couldn't assemble here because they couldn't immediately come.
「……Hey, what about Jessica, Sam, and Milo? Even those guys should know about the news right? Why aren't they coming? By any chance, those guys――」
「Stop that Rod. We cannot doubt our friend in this kind of time.」
Rod was about to say "that possibility" that everyone was intentionally avoiding, but Professor Down stopped him. Everyone was looking at Professor Down with anxious expression.
「There is many other possibilities. We are "Down Laboratory" aren't we? Emily's genius is resounding not just in this university but even throughout the scientific society, it is a well-known fact that all of my prided students are really excellent. It's possible that perhaps someone who came here to steal something else accidently realized the existence of【H3-α4】and stole it. A researcher cannot ignore any possibility no matter what situation they are in.」
The words of Professor Down caused Rod to scratch his face awkwardly. When Dennis spoke sarcastically to Rod, he lashed back saying「What did you say」. However their exchange was done with their usual atmosphere without any sign of paranoia against each other.
「Then……teacher. We, what should do from here on……. As expected, is it better if we go to police?」
Hendricks asked for advice from Professor Down to go back to the topic. Professor Down crossed his arms and groaned「Hmm」while pondering for a while, then before long he suddenly lifted up his face.
「This is my suggestion but, for the time being, I think we should keep this matter a secret.」
「We aren't going to talk to police?」
「Yes. No, sooner or later we will have to talk no matter what. However, I believe that right now what we should prioritize is to make the antidote for【H3-α4】even for a second faster. Surely it would take much time if there is investigation about that kind of uncommon drug. It would be a waste of time.」
「Bu, but, teacher. 【H3-α4】is……」
「I guess. Indeed, we haven't finds the way to stop the stimulation……. However, there are still several approaches that we haven't tested yet. We have talked about destroying the research data and also the materials, but it won't be too late to do that even after we tested those approaches. This research has leaked outside already, there is no guarantee that the second or third victim won't appear. At that time, the scope of the damage will change depending on whether there is antidote or not.」
Hearing Professor Down's suggestion made Emily to desperately restrain her impulse that wished to destroy the research data and product as fast as possible. Hendricks and others were also nodding「Certainly even if we do that after trying out those approaches……」
「Emily. I understand really well your feeling that want to make it gone from this world quickly. I also feel the same. But, the responsibility of creating that lie in us. Then, before we succumb to our terror and erase everything, we should do what we can. Am I wrong?」
「……Teacher. Yes, no, you aren't wrong. I think that the possibility is almost none……but, if we are just trying it……」
Seeing Emily's pained expression, Professor Down's expression also distorted slightly, then she caressed Emily's head with his usual gentleness.
In the end, they decided that their policy from now on was to try the approaches for making antidote of the leaked out【H3-α4】, keeping the whole matter secret from the outside, and also forbidding the members of Down Laboratory that weren't here from speaking. With that decided, each members of Down laboratory began to move to do what they could.
Part 3
「And? I want to ask about the detailed story soon though. Can I ask you to talk?」
Two days later after they day where the members of Down laboratory decided to keep quiet about the drug and continued their research, currently there were two suited men in front of Emily and others. Both of them were police that came here to investigate about『Berserk case』――the case that was caused by the person who consumed【H3-α4】was called like that by the news――that happened two days ago.
If it was asked how the police was able to arrive where Emily and others after only two days, then that must be because someone had squealed to the police. For Emily and others this was a sudden visit that was completely unexpected. Just what was the meaning of that decision that even made them felt guilty feeling if it turned out like this……
Emily sent her gaze toward Professor Down looking for help. Professor Down was crossing his arms while making a complicated expression, but then,
「Well, we can also get a warrant and then search the place whether there is really such drug here or not you know? In case we find the drug, well, I think nine out of ten we'll find it though, but as it is perhaps the professor and others here will be arrested as mad scientist that dragged unrelated people into their experiment for the sake of their own research.」
「Give me a break! There is no way we will do something like that!」
Emily finally snapped hearing the words of the police officer and yelled. The eyes of the middle-aged police officer instantly shined fiercely.
「In other words, you are admitting that the drug itself exist?」
「-, tha, that's……」
Emily immediately turned flustered from that. Professor Down who was beside her shook his head seeing that, and feeling that it couldn't be helped he told the police about the existence of【H3-α4】. He also told about how it was stolen and that they didn't contact the police because they were hurrying to make its antidote.
「……Whether that story is the truth or not, well, how about we listen the detail at the police station to make the judgment?」
「We didn't report this because we thought that it would be like that. Detective, I beg you even knowing that it's unreasonable. Can you wait just a week more? At least until the approach we are trying out right now is showing preliminary result. It's possible that perhaps we will be able to make antidote.」
「Please don't say something so unreasonable professor. No matter how high your position or how prestigious of a teacher you are, you are still the most important witness of a case with a lot of casualties you know? As you can see we are not even calling you a suspect here, we are even giving you an option whether you will come with us or not, I hope you can guess just how much consideration we have given you already.」
「That's……」
Professor Down's expression looked like he was chewing up a hundred bitter bugs all at once. Seeing Professor Down like that, for some reason the middle-aged police officer made a faint smile on his lips. And then, that gaze moved toward professor Down's side, at Emily who looked anxious with her gaze wandering around. And then he said it was fine if it was here, but he wanted to speak with just Emily alone.
When Professor Down suspiciously asked why, the middle aged police officer answered that he wanted to hear the story of the girl who was the linchpin of the drug development in a place without her guardian.
「I……what harm there will be even if she is with her guardian?」
「Let me ask you the opposite, what harm there will be even if professor is not with her?」
After getting told that, the side of Professor Down who claimed that they only got the drug stolen from them couldn't even refuse. When Emily also bravely said「It's fine teacher」, Professor Down could only acquiesce even if he was worried.
Emily and the two polices faced each other inside the room Professor Down had exited from.
「Now then, I find it a little hard to believe but, is it true that you young lady is the developer of that monster transforming drug?」
Right after the professor was gone, the attitude until now that more of less paid attention to decorum completely vanished, the middle-aged police officer suddenly took out a shabby cigarette while asking. His appearance of his swept back hair, loose necktie, and kinked suit really made other people felt unpleasant. The man that seemed to be his partner looking a bit younger sitting quietly at the side while taking memo was also sending an appraising gaze at Emily.
Emily was feeling somewhat scared at the two men who suddenly changed their atmosphere, even so she somehow feigned calmness using the bluff she had learned whether she wanted it or not when she first enrolled into the university.
「That's, right. I, developed it. Or rather, perhaps I should say, that it was by accident, that drug got created.」
「H~mm. How shocking. See here, isn't it completely like in movie? For a drug that can make human into that kind of monster to really exist, I have been a detective for a long time, but I've never heard of anything like that.」
「……Just, what do you want to say?」
The middle-aged police officer that was making a broad grin for some reason was causing Emily's discomfort index to rapidly climb up. Perhaps it was because the police officer was having fun reading inside the heart of such Emily, that in the next moment he said something unbelievable.
「The data of that drug, how about you hand it over to us, all of it.」
「Ha?」
Emily's pupil turned into dot, wondering just what this person was saying. Seeing such Emily, the middle-aged police officer whispered「Even though you are called a genius or something but you are really slow huh」as though he found it troublesome while continuing on.
「Surely there will be a lot of people interested in that kind of abnormally lovely drug. It will be good money. That's why, I'm telling you to hand over all the data.」
「Wha-, what are you saying!? You, you are police right!? Do you know what you are saying!?」
「What a noisy missy that can only go 'gyaa gyaa' huh. When you have become a police officer as long as me, you will meet a lot of delicious story by chance. Missy, do you know how much a policeman's salary is? It's laughable y'know? That's why I'll bet my life for something that will make that much money. You've got to treasure connection with money that you meet by chance. Just this much side benefit is forgivable isn't it?」
There was no way that was forgivable. She didn't know how much the salary of a policeman was, but even so there was no way they who were burdened with the mission to safeguard the people and apprehended the criminal would be all the same like the men before her eyes. These guys were the so called dirty cop or immoral cop! Like that, Emily realized their true nature from her knowledge of drama movie.
「There is no way that's forgivable. I, I'll tell, this matter to other police! I absolutely won't hand over the data! Just go away right now!」
Seeing Emily who stood up right away with the corner of her eyes raised like a threatening cat, the middle-aged police officer shrugged as though he was facing a child that couldn't be reasoned with.
「Then, the professor and the other research students, I wonder, perhaps all of them should take on the sin as killer.」
「Eh……」
「I said it before right? I hope you can guess just how much consideration we have given you already, remember?」
「-, yo, you coward-」
Emily yelled angrily when she heard the middle-aged police officer implicitly threatening that if she didn't want Professor Down and Hendricks and the other to be arrested with a false charge then……. There was even an emotion of hatred welling up inside her toward the scoundrels who were putting on the skin of police officer taking hostage of her important people that were like family for her.
The middle-aged police officer shrugged without even caring of Emily's reaction and stood up with the talk ended.
「Decided it quickly okay? Will it be your important family, or else the drug, yeah?」
「……」
Leaving behind Emily who couldn't say anything, the police officers exited the room. In exchange, Professor Down and Hendricks and others entered inside with worried expression.
Professor Down noticed Emily's unusual state and asked her if something happened. Like that, he showed a shocked expression at the answer that Emily gave him.
「What the hell, just what the hell with that! They are police aren't they! Why the hell they had to threaten us! I don't get it!」
「Calm down Rod.」
「You think I can calm down like this! Dennis-, aren't you irritated huh!?」
「Obviously I am you idiot Rod. But, what are we going to do if we don't calm down. Even though our important little sister was threatened, but if we are all shaken up like that then that will be just what they want.」
「-, that's, you are, right, but……」
Rod whose fist was shaking from frustration, and Dennis who was desperately suppressing the rage in his heart even while sighing.
The unbelievable situation with this threat from the police also visibly shaken up Hendricks and others. Amidst that situation, Professor Down who was wracking his brain with his eyes closed opened his mouth.
「There is also the option to report this to other police but……right now we don't know how many comrade they have, so I cannot say that it's a good option. In the worst case, there is also the possibility that they will arrest just us and take Emily away. Right now, we cannot possibly leave Emily alone.」
「That's, right. But, then, what to do……they will soon come back to hear our reply you know?」
Hendricks asked Professor down with tormented feeling. But perhaps it was as expected from an adult with wisdom of age, the professor seemed to have the answer.
「Let's contact the national security bureau. Now that the case this time has been exposed until this far, then it's not the level where we can keep hiding it or anything. Given how dangerous【H3-α4】is, there is high possibility we can make the security bureau move.」
「I see……. Their system is different with police. If we receive protection from security bureau, then police won't be able to meddle.」
Hendricks nodded in understanding. Lizzie and Dennis and others were also nodding to each other, thinking that there was no other way than that. However, only Emily was still looking down with a complicated expression.
「Emily, it's fine. No matter what happened, I, we will absolutely do something about it.」
「Lizzie-nee……yes, thank you.」
Hearing the words of Lizzie who hugged her to give her assurance, Emily buried her face to Lizzie's chest while returning words of gratitude.
However, the anxiety whirling inside Emily's chest, rather than lessening from her trusted big sister's words, it seemed that it was getting thicker instead. She couldn't help but felt something, like a great bad premonition coiling around her heart, as though something fatal was approaching with loud footsteps.
Emily was staring at the back of Professor Down who was going to contact the security bureau without knowing yet that this creeping ominous feeling would become reality.
AN: Thank you very much for reading this every time.
Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling and omitted words.
About the drug’s name, I wanted to check up a bit more and write it properly with a name that sounded likely, but……
It was impossible. There ain’t any time. Seriously. The update for next week is also in a dangerous state.
And so, well, this is spin-off, please pardon the flighty explanation.
PS
At Overlap-sama’s homepage, the first part of the comic’s first chapter was updated.
Really dangerous. Kaori and Shizuku are just too cute.
For those who hasn’t seen it, please take a look without fail.
PS 2
Thank you very much for a lot of ‘don’t mind’ comments.
Thanks to that, I was able to update somehow.
The mysterious sense of unity that the honored readers of Narou showed sometimes, Hakumai loves it.
The next update will be at 6 P.M Saturday if possible, desu.
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