Babylon (バビロン)

The story, names, characters, places, locations, and laws in this work are fictitious.

No identification with actual ideas or beliefs is intended.

Mr. Seizaki, thanks for your hard work.

Well, I was really surprised.

The voting results are in.

Four people voted neutral, 48 in support, and 48 in opposition.

The faction in favor of the suicide law and the one against it both captured the same number of seats.

The vote to decide whether the suicide law is right or wrong...

If you only look at the numbers, the vote looks evenly split.

However, we must admit that this vote is a victory for the faction in favor of the law.

So everyone's been killed, huh?

It's not your fault, Mr. Seizaki.

That's right. There's nothing anyone could have done about it.

Sekuro's death is the only one that the police determined as murder.

Everyone else was determined to be a suicide.

And the police are trying to cover up the group suicide to avoid a scandal.

As a result, they still haven't started a large-scale investigation

into Officer Sekuro's murder... so it seems.

It can't be helped. By the way...

I heard Itsuki made an appearance right after the vote.

Today, Mayor Kaika Itsuki spoke before an audience of staff members at the Shiniki City Hall.

I guess he finally succeeded in making it into Shiniki City Hall.

I wonder what's going to happen now, Mr. Seizaki.

Magase!

Magase.

Prosecutor Seizaki.

Sekuro.

Prosecutor Seizaki.

What does justice mean to you?

Justice?

I... I...

It really is big!

I'm coming!

Zen?

You've received another package.

ZEN SEIZAKI

WHICH ONE IS BAD?

WHICH ONE IS BAD?

There's no way for Nomaru to stop Itsuki now.

Now that he's lost his title after losing the mayoral election,

he has no choice but to grit his teeth while watching Itsuki take off.

Yeah.

Also, as for the group suicide, I can't publish an article about it.

I see.

I believe you, of course.

I tried probing through NHC and the police department.

And even though I was able to confirm that the group suicide really did happen,

you're telling me it was all done by just a single woman.

Without any proof, the article would just sound like I was writing about the occult.

Sorry, Zen.

The Shiniki Suicide General Support Organization,

a center supporting people who have chosen in a correct manner,

was established today in Shiniki.

Approximately three weeks have passed since the enactment of the law,

which happens to coincide with the group suicide that occurred on the 6th.

It's me. Seizaki, can you meet me tomorrow?

Yes.

Then come to the government office in the afternoon.

But I'm not supposed to go out.

I don't care.

We're in front of the Shiniki Suicide General Support

Organization right now. Have a look. There's a long line.

I'm sure you've heard about it through the news.

Shiniki is starting to put the suicide law into effect.

Nyux, the drug for euthanasia, was announced in a highly public manner.

Now all the pharmaceutical companies will be allowed to manufacture generic versions of Nyux.

In other words, the suicide drug is going to spread around the world.

And now they've even opened a center for supporting suicide.

I'm sure that more and more people are going to opt for suicide.

But...

the number of people committing suicide impulsively has decreased.

The times could be changing.

SUICIDE DECREASING TREND

Even though it's different from the ideal vision that Mr. Nomaru and I had.

Seizaki.

I put you through a lot of grief.

Sorry.

I'm resigning as of today.

I'm old already.

Once you're my age, you can't change the way you think.

But you should keep thinking.

Think about what is right.

Think about what justice is.

I am terribly sorry.

Lift your head.

It's nothing to apologize about.

-They were just fulfilling their duties. -But--

I'm the one who consented to the plan to kidnap Itsuki.

I'm the one responsible for it.

Thanks for your hard work on such a hard case.

Can I ask you one last thing?

Are you the one who let Hiasa go alone?

Yes.

I see. You can go.

I heard you were a tomboy when you were a kid. Is that true?

That's right.

Wow. I can't believe you're an actress now.

Asuma. Let's go shopping now.

Okay. I'll go get my hat!

Zen.

Asuma and I are going to be fine.

You should chose the path you believe in.

Hey! Hurry up! Let's go!

Okay!

Dad, see you later!

-Well, we'll be off now. -Yeah.

Let's ask some people from around town for their opinions. Excuse me.

Do you know about the Suicide Support Organization?

CANADA HAS ENACTED THE SUICIDE LAW.

No way.

-I saw it on the news. -What did you think?

Honestly...

Are you Zen?

Who are you?

I'm Samuel Hardy from the FBI. We can speak in Japanese.

FBI AGENT SAMUEL HARDY

What does the FBI want from me?

The group suicide that happened at the NHC center.

You were there.

Tell us what you know about that incident.

I promise I'll give you all the information I have.

But I have one condition.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WASHINGTON D.C.

Hello. Nice to meet you.

My name is Alexander W. Wood.

Everyone calls me Alex.

Forty-seven years ago,

I was born into a normal family in Boston.

I grew up surrounded by my parents' love.

But I was a sickly child.

I was always sick with a cold the whole year.

I always spent my weekends going to the hospital.

When I was a kid,

it was hard not being able to study or play because of my illness.

Then one day, I made up my mind.

If I was going to be stuck living like this my entire life,

then I'm going to try doing everything I'm able to.

I used every method I could think of and I finally conquered it.

That experience was a huge factor in deciding how I live now.

Consider all possibilities and contemplate them to the extent that time permits.

That's how I've lived until now.

When I entered college,

I started living in a dorm.

That's where I found out about Explorer Online.

It's also known as EO.

I got addicted to that game immediately.

Even though no one told me to, I stayed up all night every day...

and became one of the top players in the game.

Then one day, I met a beginner.

Nice to meet you.

I just started playing EO.

Can you teach me how to play?