Angely i demony kruzhili nado mnoj, Angels and demons circle above me,
rassykhali ternii i vechnye puti. through the thorns to the stars.
Ne znaet shast'je tol'ko tot, Only those unable to perceive its call...
kto jevo zova ponjat' ne smog. ...do not know happiness.
Naljubuites', naljubuites'. Watch in awe, watch in awe.
Aeria gloris, aeria gloris.
Naljubuites', naljubuites'. Watch in awe, watch in awe.
Aeria gloris, aeria gloris.
I am calling, calling now,
spirits rise and falling.
Soboj ostat'sja dol'she. To remain myself longer.
Calling, calling, in the depths of longing.
Soboj ostat'sja dol'she. To remain myself longer.
Naljubuites', Watch in awe,
aeria gloris.
The static in the regular check-ins was a modular, delayed-action virus!
I was never there in the first place!
He's out there somewhere, peeking through the SIU's eyes!
I'll trace the point of origin!
Send
All right, the job's done...
Now, how to pass the time until the SIU detectives find this place?
Radio signal in violation of Cyberbrain Code of Ethics detected!
There is a possibility of cyberbrain contamination.
All personnel, check cyberbrain activity. Keep a close eye on the people around you.
Chief, I have confirmation of a modular virus.
It probably won't be possible to specify its type until it manifests.
Considering the static in their regular check-in signal,
the target of the infection must be somebody in the security detail.
There's no remote signal. It's probably an autonomous program.
Who's going to manifest symptoms?
This is good, even for a farce...
He's close!
H-Hey, what are you people...
Hey!
It went down just like you said.
If I'd sent out the virus from my own place,
I would've been arrested by those impetuous detectives before the virus could assemble itself.
If that had happened, I would've been a failure as the Laughing Man, wouldn't I?
But didn't you come here a bit too soon?
Wasn't the plan for the detectives to deduce my location from the forwarding...
...records left on the terminals at my place and arrest me as I try to escape?
No, everything is proceeding according to plan.
Hey, you're kidding, right?
If you kill me, who will they arrest as the Laughing Man?
It's all right. Whether you're alive or dead isn't a major issue.
It's enough that they think that you were "most likely" the Laughing Man.
Don't worry, though.
This way, your name will be sure to go down in the history books.
So, it's started...
Superintendent-General, there's a possibility of cyberbrain contamination.
We'll check the cyberbrain activity of everyone in the hall, even the security detail.
Please postpone your speech.
Until we can identify those infected by the virus, all personnel stand by on F2 alert.
Hey!
Who are you people?! Hold it! State your unit and commander's name!
Be quiet.
You people on the security detail are the ones most likely to manifest symptoms.
Considering that it's a delayed-action virus in your regular check-in signal,
there are two possibilities.
It's either a command-class with an encryption conversion key, or everyone else.
- Go! - Yes sir!
He's the one?
Stop them! Don't let them near the Superintendent-General!
Everyone else, form a...
The purge begins!
This is pretty good training for your men!
If you don't want to spend your golden years in an intensive care unit, stay put!
Son of a...
Talk about your true-to-life performances...
Somebody's copying the virus online!
An attack barrier?!
Major!
That was close... Going in through a dummy barrier was a good idea.
A boobytrapped virus?
I'm not sure.
Who the hell was peeking around inside this guy's brain?
- It's open! - He got away?
One shot, pointblank range.
Our boy uses a silencer, too...
What the hell is going on?
Wasn't the idea to have the SIU land this guy...
...and close the curtain on the Laughing Man case?
Hey, don't ask me.
Maybe this is another cover-up.
Maybe, but look at his face.
Yeah.
The son of a bitch is smiling.
Nanao's been killed?!
They got the drop on us...
Once you get as many images as you can of the state of the crime scene,
clear out before the SIU runs over there.
Dead men tell no tales.
Roger that.
Chief, I'm sending a copy of the virus that we think Nanao planted.
It only manifested in a commander with an encryption conversion key,
so I don't think anyone else will manifest, but make a vaccine just to be safe.
Understood. I'll have one made up at once.
Nanao's been killed.
I heard.
This script is awfully complicated.
True.
And as farces go, the performance was pretty impressive, too.
There's one thing that bothers me, though.
When I tried to copy Nanao's virus, somebody...
What's wrong?
Just a second.
Stand back! Please, clear the way!
Stand back!
Get that vaccine made ASAP. I'm getting a funny vibe here.
Paz, tail the Superintendent-General again. Saito, you watch the perimeter.
Roger!
Stand back! Clear the way!
I am the Laughing Man! I will take the Superintendent-General's life!
The virus is manifesting?!
Stand back!
Daido! Tell them the truth!
- Tell them or die! - W-What are you doing?!
Daido!
Requesting immediate backup!
A mob of what seems to be accomplices...
- ... of the Laughing Man has infiltrated the hall! - Looks like he missed anything vital.
- Some are even disguised as policemen! - More might be infected.
Be careful.
I repeat, multiple accomplices of the Laughing Man have infiltrated the hall!
Requesting backup!
What the hell is going on?
Have an ambulance standing by in the underground parking lot.
Chief, how's that vaccine coming along?
It'll be a little longer. What on earth is happening over there?
I can't spare the time to send a visual. Anyway, just hurry up with that vaccine!
- Saito, anything fishy along the perimeter? - Ishikawa!
Scanning!
What about the Tachikomas the Major brought with her?
Aside from Saito's, two are free.
Okay, we'll back up the Major with those!
Borma, we need that vaccine ASAP!
Roger!
- Stand back! - Move back!
The shooter is a policeman! A policeman has fired on Mr. Daido!
Okay, this is a little much for a farce...
Major, I took care of one out here.
There may be more! Don't let your guard down!
Roger.
Major.
I finished the vaccine, but just like you thought,
it looks like it only infects the security detail's encryption conversion key.
It doesn't look like this virus is what's causing this situation.
What is, then?!
Eliminate!
Major, the cavalry's here!
What took you so long?! Keep that guy pinned!
Yes, ma'am!
Daido! Say your prayers!
Shit! How many of these guys are there?!
Laughing Man, you're under arrest for attempted assassination!
Major, I caught the Laughing Man!
Excuse me...
Hello?
How do I get to the hotel that the Superintendent-General...
...will be assassinated at?
Major, are you okay?
I'm fine,
so start gathering data to find out what the hell just happened!
- Yes, ma'am! - Yes, ma'am!
Oh, come on now, officer.
You already know who I am. You don't need to ask that.
I'm the Laughing Man. The Laugh-ing-Man!
All those others are imposters!
I'm the one and only!
It was a message addressed to me from the Laughing Man.
That death threat told me to become the Laughing Man.
But I don't recall there being any mention of assassinating the Superintendent-General.
Would you open your damn mouth?!
Geez, what is it with all these people?
Beats me. They aren't your typical fans, though.
This has clouded the issue, that's for sure.
The cops say that other than that security detail guy who was first hit by Nanao's virus,
everybody's saying that they each voluntarily tried to kill the Superintendent-General...
...when they were set off by that threat on TV.
And some of them say that they're the Laughing Man himself.
All things considered, they're all pretty much the same.
True.
As we suspected, we didn't find any traces...
...of brainwashing or possible viral cyberbrain contamination.
We won't be able to say for sure unless we do a more detailed examination,
but I doubt we'll find any sort of external cause.
I see. Thanks.
I'll let you take it from here. Have fun.
Where are you going?
I've got an errand to run with the Chief.
A date?
It's all a lie...
How's the coffee here at HQ?
I don't care much for it.
You're going to the hospital, right?
You figured it out?
It looks like Superintendent-General Daido is probably going to resign over this...
...while still in the hospital instead of serving out his term in office.
What will the police's official announcement on the incident be?
Multiple simultaneous cyberbrain contamination due to a virus...
...assembled by Nanao=A, the man considered to be the Laughing Man.
The media will probably accept that.
What about Nanao's death?
The Laughing Man case was carried out by multiple individuals,
and Nanao was killed over some sort of trouble within the group.
Although the goal of this recent threat is unclear,
I hear Special Investigations HQ is determined to continue their investigation...
...due to these new developments uncovered in the Laughing Man case.
That's certainly a terrific ending. Far better than your usual farce.
Spare me the irony.
I meant it as a compliment, actually.
Anyway, setting aside the police statement,
what about those... copycats, I guess you should call them?
What do you think they were?
Three called themselves the Laughing Man.
Two said they committed the crime out of admiration for the Laughing Man.
Three said that the death threat was a revelation directed at them.
And besides them, we've rounded up 39 Laughing Man copycats,
if you include the people arrested for suspicious behavior along the perimeter.
Plus, none of them acted together, and there's no religious connection, either.
These people that couldn't possibly be behind the Laughing Man Incident...
...and had no trace of external manipulation by a virus or a brainwashing device...
...all committed an act of terrorism simply because they saw that warning on TV...
...that hinted at the assassination of the Superintendent-General.
How would you even begin to explain that?
In a play, even the audience is simply a part of the performance.
Sorry, but I don't think that's much of an answer.
Like you said, Chief, I do think...
...that there was an internal police cover-up using Nanao=A as a decoy,
but something tells me that the incident caused by the copycats...
...was part of another story entirely.
That set a totally different reality into motion.
Yes, I was surprised, as well.
Well, we have to be prepared for such things.
N o V i s i t o r s
Well, we were ready for the worst, but I didn't expect...
Yes. Yes, you're right.
I'll come to regret having to retire without being able to serve out my term,
but it's best for all related parties to distance themselves from this.
Yes, well, about the arrangements after my retirement...
Yes... Thank you.
Right. No, I look forward to working with you.
Pardon us.
I'm glad to see that you're in such high spirits in spite of the bad luck you've had.
What do you want? I'm recuperating.
Didn't you see the sign on the door?
I thought you might want to say a few words of thanks to my men, but that's all right.
You know, I'm told that the summers in Amsterdam are much more pleasant than ours.
Thanks to this incident, I'm now finally able to reach a decision.
Are you retiring, too?
Public Security Section 9 will hereby begin an independent investigation...
...to get at the truth behind the Laughing Man case.
I came here today to inform you of this, Superintendent-General.
Once the investigation begins, there will be many matters we'll want to ask you about,
such as the flow of money between you and Serano,
so perhaps you should get plenty of rest while you can.
Yeah, yeah. The lines were seriously crowded.
The lag was way too bad to play any games.
Darn it, I was so worried when they said you'd been in an accident that I rushed over here!
Great news, huh, Daddy? It wasn't serious!
I'm sorry for getting you worried over nothing.
I was on my way to my client's, and I got caught in that ruckus...
What's the matter?
Everything's stained the same color...
About your question a while ago...
I think that there may never have been...
...an actual criminal at work in the Laughing Man Incident.
I think that what happened today may have been caused by a seed of some sort...
...that was planted six years ago and sprouted when triggered by the death threat.
And the copycats are a standalone complex brought about by this phenomenon.
Nothing but copies without an original.
You think that the original Laughing Man never existed?
Then what was it that was watching us when I dove into that security cop's brain?
Major.
For now, let's not worry about the pieces that don't fit.
Starting tomorrow, we'll piece together an even bigger puzzle from scratch.
I guess you're right.
Oh, right. Can you pass something along to Togusa for me?
Ask him to put some flowers on Yamaguchi's grave for me.
He was the one who first uncovered this case.
Roger.
She's so cold and human
It's something humans do
She stays so golden solo
She's so number nine
She's incredible math
Just incredible math
And is she really human?
She's just so something new
A waking lithium flower
Just about to bloom
I smell lithium now
Smelling lithium now
How is she when she doesn't surf?
I wonder what she does when she wakes up?
When she wakes up?