Toyokawa Shoko doesn't want to become a witch

Miao Meng's pupils shrank to their smallest size in an instant.

The hazy memories of when I first entered Limbo suddenly surfaced and became clear in my mind.

She looked at Medion in disbelief.

You are important in Medien's story.

Could it be that what I'm seeing is Medien's memory?

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P.S.: Actually, I should have put chapter 634 at the end of this chapter, but I've already set a timed update schedule and I'm too lazy to change it, hehe.

The Tale of Reincarnation: The Path of Fall, the Road of No Return: Chapter 642 The Grammar of Slaughter

“Children who survived the massacre…?” Meow Dream murmured.

Xiangzi turned his head and noticed that Miaomeng's expression was a little off.

"What's wrong, Meow Dream?" she asked in a low voice in her ear.

"I...I don't know either, I just suddenly feel really strange," Miaomeng said softly.

Her eyes suddenly stung when she heard Medion calmly recount that he had survived the massacre.

Sadness, anger, and many other emotions arose unexpectedly from the depths of my heart.

It doesn't make sense.

She wasn't a sentimental person, so why... why did she have this feeling of being there, as if she had experienced it herself?

She covered her face, using her hands to hide the tears welling up in her eyes.

Could it be those scenes she saw when she entered Limbo...? Although she didn't remember them, the emotions from those scenes seemed to have stayed with her.

It turns out that was Medien's memory.

Now I understand.

Xiangzi noticed that Miaomeng was acting strangely, so he gently patted her knee under the table and then picked up where Medien left off.

“Your question about the topic has gone off-topic. We are asking you about the issues you are researching.”

“Sorry, I’m getting off-topic.” Medine put on an exaggerated look of sudden realization. “The reason why the Pentagon was willing to give me this money to fund my research is because they, like me, have noticed that language can be used as a weapon.”

"Language as a weapon?" Xiangzi's eyes widened. "How is that possible? Are you saying that language can be used as an abstract 'weapon' for cultural export?"

"Of course not. Although meme research is related to me, it is not my main focus."

Mei, and another thought H- *'Tien laughed.

"In fact, there was no opportunity to turn to weaponization research at the beginning. My research was directed at publicly available materials: German official documents, radio broadcasts, films, magazines, novels, newspapers, military communications, combat orders, and other materials that were available in the public sphere during World War II."

"I managed to get my hands on all the textual materials that could be collected, and converted these non-digitized paper documents into data through manual input for grammatical analysis."

"The Discourse Study of WWII Germany - A Lecture on the Speaking Style of a National Socialist with a Clear Conscience for Those New to Fascist Society" sounds limited to the fields of social history and language, leaving no room for the Pentagon to intervene.

So how did she get that opportunity?

Of course, it was obtained through "striving".

In a loosely organized Europe, this might just be an ordinary study, but in a place that prides itself on being the world's policeman and maintaining world peace, this study becomes quite intriguing.

“I was invited to the Pentagon. Although I usually live in the UK, I happened to be staying in the US for an extended period when the paper was published, which gave them the opportunity to win me over... Of course, this opportunity was deliberately left for them.”

“They think they’ve struck gold, but actually you’re the one who’s fishing,” Xiangzi said.

"Very smart."

"Once the research involved Pentagon funding, it became classified, which is why you haven't seen the follow-up. I gained access to all Pentagon classified documents and their overseas communications records, including Khmer Rouge wireless communications, Rwandan radio broadcasts... even documents from the other side of the world, research on the influence of witches on human society, and so on."

"So there are official organizations abroad conducting research in this area...?" Xiangzi couldn't help but feel sorrow for his country.

"Yeah, you don't have that where you are, so it feels really strange to hear these things."

It seems they can only rely on themselves, struggling in the mire.

Compared to Rebecca, a "domesticated" magical girl who never has to worry about obtaining Grief Seeds, they are practically "wild dogs".

"What does the witch have to do with your research?"

“There was a study at the same time that was somewhat similar to my project. It studied the amount of magic power in the human body of ordinary people. I talked with the people in that lab for a while when we were looking up information,” Medien explained. “The source of magic power is emotion. Even ordinary humans have a certain amount of emotional energy in their bodies that cannot be converted into magic power. This is what witches consume.”

"They can influence ordinary people through their 'superpowers' and stir up their negative emotions... However, humans themselves also have the same 'organs' and can achieve the same effect."

“Language.” Miao Meng suddenly raised her head and said blankly, “Are you talking about language?”

“You really read my paper carefully.” Medion placed her hand on her chest and gave a slight bow. “I’m honored.”

“Yes, that’s right. The organ that can have the same effect as a witch’s magic is language. The stimuli that enable this organ to work and process information are called grammar,” Medion said. “And grammar exists within the massacre.”

The two still didn't understand.

No, Meow Dream seemed to understand, but she couldn't grasp the exact thought. She could only vaguely sense what Medine could do through language.

"Through the verification of the materials, a fact gradually emerged: regardless of the country, the political environment, or the structure of the language, there exists a common deep grammar that can lead to genocide. In the period leading up to the genocide, the shadow of the genocide began to appear in newspaper reports, radio and television news, published novels, and films.

"Because this deep grammar is not language-specific, it is invisible to people who are using a language, unless you are a linguist."

"...The grammar of slaughter is something that those ruthless creatures called Incubators cannot comprehend at all." Medien paused, a hint of ecstasy in his voice. "Once such a grammar appears in a society, it foreshadows that the country will soon be engulfed in brutal killings."

"But language is a product of learning; it's merely a tool for communication. How could it possibly control a person's soul...?"

"Xiangzi, stop talking." Miaomeng tried to pull Xiangzi away.

However, Xiangzi is now in a state of self-doubt and panic, unable to even control his own emotions.

She has been like this all this time.

When faced with unwanted information, the mind subconsciously seeks grounds for denial; this is the mind's self-protective mechanism.

But when Xiangzi subconsciously used this method to protect herself, she suddenly remembered her conversation with Miaomeng in the restaurant in Casablanca.

Language is an organ, a product of evolution.

Medine's words became increasingly profound, as if etched into his mind, becoming unforgettable.

Don't think about elephants.

The more you tell yourself not to think about it, the more you will think about it; the more you tell yourself that it may not be the correct conclusion, the more you feel that it is correct.

"Do you still believe in the idea that 'everyone is born a blank slate'?" Medine squinted at Xiangzi, her eyes filled with dissatisfaction and deep disappointment. "You don't think that a child's autism is caused by a lack of love during their upbringing, do you?"

"Could it be?!" Xiangzi slammed his fist on the table and stood up excitedly. "Is this wrong?"

"What kind of personality a person has, what kind of defects, disabilities, or even political inclinations they have, are almost all determined by their genes."

"On this basis, the influence of the environment is very limited. Some people blame all changes on the environment and sing praises of the equality of human beings. As a human being, I also acknowledge the equality of human beings and believe that the existence of human beings is enough to prove that we can build an equal society and enjoy 'memes' that transcend our genetic genes."

Medion looked up and calmly looked at Xiangzi.

"Science is used to explain our possibilities and the responsibilities and consequences that come with them, so science must never be confused with 'I want to believe'," she said. "Things that have happened must have their reasons, and there should be reasonable explanations for those reasons from a biological and neurochemical perspective."

"First, you must acknowledge that you are a collection of physical bodies born according to a genetic pattern, a whole composed of countless genes. Your heart, intestines, and kidneys all have the appearance that conforms to the theory of evolution, so the soul can never gain the privilege of freedom from this pattern, not to mention..."

Medion pointed to the Soul Gem on Xiangzi's wrist and said calmly.

"Hasn't there already been a creature that has proven to us that the soul exists and is also an organ?"

The soul is an organ, language is an organ, and emotions are organs. Witches are simply beasts that are fond of hunting these organs.

Miaomeng had said this to herself.

However, she had only mentioned it as a topic of casual conversation, and she was not as shocked as she is now to hear the author of the article personally "deny" her.

“But babies learn to use language, they aren’t born with language ingrained in their heads. Doesn’t that mean language is the result of learning after birth…” Xiangzi spoke without any confidence.

Because she realized halfway through her explanation that walking is also a result of learning.

Elephants learn to use their trunks to grab things, a skill they acquire through learning.

However, the structure of the feet and the trunk of an elephant are determined before birth. They have evolved over millions of years to be able to use their organs as they do today.

Also, there was the "Pichim" language that Miaomeng had talked to her about back then. The first generation of Pichin was a primitive language pieced together by slaves learning snippets of the slave owners' words. However, the second generation of children who grew up in an environment where Pichin was their native language developed a vibrant grammar that the first generation of Pichin did not have, which propelled Pichin into a more mature language.

Native speakers never pay attention to grammar, yet their language is more vivid and dynamic than languages ​​learned later in life.

Just as the stomach secretes gastric acid to digest food, language also produces grammar to facilitate the exchange of information.

Xiangzi's idea of ​​"learning through experience" was already rejected by himself before Medien could even respond.

She sat listlessly on the stool with her head down.

"The Pentagon funded you because they believe that research into the grammar of genocide can help analyze different political environments, ethnic groups, and other diverse situations, allowing for the prediction of wars and the implementation of preventative measures," Miaomeng said. "Is that so?"

"Yes, they're stuck at the level of information warfare, believing that the 'massacre grammar' can provide a considerable information advantage."

Information is also a weapon, a fact that Xiangzi deeply understands.

However, Medine was clearly not satisfied with this.

She used the funding to continue her in-depth research.

"As the research continues, I can gradually see the details of the signs of violence, which are hidden within the language that humans manipulate, that is, grammar, the stimulation that mobilizes the elements of language."

"Of course, it's not that this grammar can be seen in every conversation. It has to be that the corresponding signs are shown in the entire cultural sphere before the existence of the 'genocide grammar' can be found. Even among the victims of the massacre, this structure can be found."

Medine pointed to the brain.

"When one is immersed in a language containing the grammar of slaughter for a long time, the brain begins to change. Brain functions related to value judgments are restricted, and the directional orientation guided by 'positive emotions' is reversed, turning towards a particular tendency..."

In other words, fanaticism.

Frenzied emotions are also the witch's food.

At this point, Xiangzi clearly realized that the conversation was about to take a terrifying turn. She already knew how Medine would continue the discussion and what conclusions she would reach.

She had already figured out the answers to all her questions before Medien even uttered them. Why the magical girls in Yokohama suddenly split up, and why war broke out wherever Medien went.

As mentioned during the initial investigation, after arriving in the United States, Medine was immediately scheduled to attend her next event at the United Nations, where she would meet more people who truly control the world.

Rumble.

In the previous playthrough, nuclear bombs rained down from the sky like raindrops. Nirvana couldn't possibly recreate something it had never seen before out of thin air, so where did the prototypes of these nuclear bombs come from?

The answer is self-evident.

Xiangzi paused for a moment and swallowed.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

In areas where massacres occur, massacre grammar appears locally as an omen, thus predicting war in advance—this is the Pentagon's idea.

Conversely, what would happen if this particular way of speaking were spread in a place without any warning signs of chaos?

What kind of reaction would occur if language capable of driving people mad reached the ears of powerful figures who control the world?

In Xiangzi's eyes, Medine seemed to have become a torch.

When did Medion Hermes come up with this idea? When did she come up with the idea of ​​setting the whole world on fire?

She possessed no magic whatsoever; her physical body was that of an ordinary person, yet she was the most terrifying woman Xiangzi had ever seen.

"You're crazy."

Xiangzi stared blankly at her.

"Are you planning to destroy the world?"

The Tale of Reincarnation: The Path of Fall, the Road of No Return: Chapter 643 The Fall of Heaven

“I didn’t expect you to see through it.” Medine rested her chin on her hand, a hint of interest in Xiangzi in her eyes. “How did you do that? You saw through my ultimate goal so easily.”

"It has nothing to do with you." Xiangzi swallowed, his clenched fist trembling slightly.

She bit her tongue, using the stinging sensation to force herself to calm down.

Even now, she still wanted to keep asking. She wanted to know how Medien had spread the grammar of slaughter, how Kamishima had become like that, and whether... she herself had fallen deeper and deeper because of her.

"If your hope is to provoke the leaders of nuclear-armed countries to launch nuclear missiles through the grammar of massacre, then there is actually no need to spread war in those backward small countries at all," Xiangzi said. "Shenbin, and all the countries you have visited, are they all doing practical experiments?"

"I joined the public relations firm for this very purpose: to infiltrate the central government of poor countries, exert influence on the cultural propaganda departments, and then all I had to do was check the original manuscripts of state broadcasts, speeches by various leaders, government propaganda reports, and so on."

"That little organization in Kamahama called Ode to the End is nothing more than a product of experimentation, helping me test whether grammar can affect magical girls, a special kind of creature, even though they do possess weapons far more terrifying than language."