Was that meant to be a barricade?
You've only cut off your escape route.
Just give up!
Without total control over that body, you cannot win.
Parasyte
The Maxim
Aside from your right hand,
Disheveled Hair
your entire body is useless, terrified of any pain.
If you become flustered and hold me back,
we will lose.
Flustered?
Is he trying to get me flustered?
Migi...
No, I can't just stay scared.
They're so fast, I can't see anything.
Can I really do this?
We delegate roles.
I'll pretend to attack, but I'll focus on defense.
That'll make my defense practically impenetrable.
Then who's going to attack?
That'll have to be you, of course.
Me?
What A's actions thus far have told me
is that he underestimates human ability.
A will be cautious toward me,
but he most likely will not have factored in your abilities at all.
That is our advantage.
I will be defense and you will be offense.
That is the most effective delegation of roles.
Slowly approach him...
Slowly, as if I'm being dragged toward him by Migi.
Trust Migi.
His defense is impeccable.
That's right, Shinichi.
What we can do that A cannot
is division of labor.
It's just like Migi said.
A doesn't think I'm capable of doing anything.
All right!
I'm going to do this.
But he's still human from the neck down, right?
It's either him or us.
What is this pipe?
A t-table leg?
We did it.
That much blood means it's fatal.
Impossible...
The weak, cowardly human attacked?
Wait.
Let's see what he'll do.
He seems to be in turmoil.
He got an artery close to the heart.
I must stop the bleeding.
I see.
Pushing the pipe through his back gets rid of the "spout."
All right.
Go after him.
Let's finish him.
N-No!
I've had enough!
But we shouldn't leave him like that.
If we take this any further, I'll become a murderer!
That is not a person.
I'm going to be killed by a human?
Me?
It can't be...
It makes no sense.
It's over...
This body is useless now.
I have to relocate.
I don't know if it'll work, but...
Tamiya Ryoko...
I will share her host.
Where is she?
The police are here!
Science Lab
Five more meters...
Oxygen
Killer Invades High School
How is Shinichi?
He still won't get out of bed.
Well, I'm just glad he wasn't hurt.
I can still remember what it felt like to stab him.
As time passed and life settled down again,
Identity of Suspect "A" in Murder Spree Remains Unknown
the school reopened and classes resumed.
Tamiya Ryoko, who most likely killed A,
continues to teach as though nothing's changed.
I haven't heard any reports of murders in her vicinity,
but she must still be killing.
We can't just let her keep doing whatever she wants.
Staff Conference Room
Well, how should I put this?
Tamiya-sensei.
Regarding the fact that you are... uh, expecting...
While that is a joyous occasion in itself...
You're a teacher!
And you're unmarried,
and you can't even say who the father is?
I hope it's not that you don't know who the father is,
rather than being unable to tell us.
This was unexpected.
I didn't think it would end this way.
I don't want to attract attention over something like this.
I'm done being Tamiya Ryoko.
W-Wait, Tamiya-sensei.
Let's kill Tamiya Ryoko.
I doubt we can win.
Besides, the child within her
is undeniably a human.
Would you be able to kill that baby?
Tamiya Ryoko is no more.
Now there is no particular reason to keep the humans around me,
including you, alive.
Why do you kill people?
My right hand is being kept alive by my blood.
That means it's surviving on normal food for humans.
Shouldn't the rest of you be able to live without eating humans, too?
It's possible, I suppose.
Th-Then...
Flies know how to fly without being taught.
Spiders know how to spin webs without being taught.
Why is that?
That's...
Here's what I think:
Flies and spiders are simply following a directive.
I believe all life on Earth has received a directive of some kind.
What are you talking about?
Do you get it?
So humans have no directive?
Like I said, what are you talking about?
You mean, like, from a god?
When I took over this human's brain,
I received a directive.
It said, "Devour this species."
T-Tell me one thing.
The child you're carrying...
What will you do with it?
I'll give birth to it.
I'm sure I can use it in some experiment.
If I have no use for it, I'll eat it.
Calm down, Shinichi!
We should not engage at this distance.
You're getting on my nerves.
Die.
Shit!
As I thought, she has at least two morph patterns.
Not good.
Although it's minimal, you're no longer pure.
Interesting...
I won't kill you, after all.
H-Hey!
Ryoko!
What's going on with you?
I got a call from your school, so I rushed over!
She must be Tamiya Ryoko's mother.
Sorry, but I have somewhere I need to be.
Can we talk about this later?
Ryoko...
It's nearby, so I'll be back soon.
Wait!
Turn around!
Wh-Who...
Who are you?
It...
It can't be...
No!
Ryoko.
Where is Ryoko?!
Where is she?!
Where'd you put her?!
Oh, no!
I h-have to call the police!
She saw through me in mere moments.
My face and voice should be practically indistinguishable from Tamiya Ryoko, yet...
I don't understand.
I doubt this woman had any special ability, but...
Migi?
Don't scare me, Shinichi.
What? Y-You...
What's the matter?!
Why did you yell?
Oh, um, a dream! I had a dream!
Man, it was horrible.
Go splash some water on your face.
What are you doing?!
Well, at most it's only three minutes
that I can separate from you.
What was that, a morning walk?
Not a walk.
It was a mobility experiment.
Mobility?
Wait a minute, are you going to take over my head?
I told you, I can't do that.
Now that I've matured without eating a brain,
I don't know how to control the entire body.
But perhaps I should give it a try, regardless?
I... I was just joking.
Hey, hang on.
So those of you who've taken over the brain
can technically swap heads?
In theory, yes.
But there can be rejection,
and besides, swapping heads is too dangerous.
I doubt anyone would bother.
A trip?
Yeah, I can finally take some time off.
You'll be holding down the fort for a while.
Your father's such a workaholic.
We've barely gone on any trips together.
But isn't that risky?
You mean because of the Mincemeat Murders?
There haven't been as many recently,
so I don't think there's any need to worry.
That's just what it looks like on the surface.
Why wander around somewhere you've never been in times like these?
Are you against it?
Yeah.
Don't tell me you think you'll be too lonely staying home
even though you're in twelfth grade.
That's not it!
That's not the reason! It's that they...
"They"?
N-Never mind.
Shinichi, if you're really against it,
we can cancel.
Come now, Honey.
But...
There's something that's been bothering me for a while.
Is there something troubling you?
N-No, nothing really.
One of your friends, maybe? Or...
There's nothing, okay?
I have to go to school.
Shinichi.
I shouldn't need to remind you, but...
I know.
If I told my parents about my right hand,
there's no telling what Migi might do.
He only tries to protect me
because I am his lifeline.
But my parents are a different story.
He'll get rid of them without a moment's hesitation.
Migi is not capable of affection.
When it comes down to it,
Migi is no different from A or Tamiya Ryoko.
He's hiding something.
Of course he is.
He's in twelfth grade.
It would only be natural for him to be keeping a few secrets from us.
Hell, I'd say he's been too good of a kid until now.
He didn't even really have a rebellious phase.
Really?
It could be because of that scar, actually.
What?
Surely not.
That was so long ago.
Hey, Mom!
Give me a silver plate!
Silver plate?
I'm gonna use it for a science experiment in class tomorrow!
Oh, by silver,
you mean the aluminum foil plates?
Yeah, those!
Well, they're up on top of that,
but I'm making tempura right now,
so wait until I'm done—
I can get it!
H-Hang on, Shinichi.
Watch out!
Ow!
Are you all right, Shinichi?!
Did any oil get on you?!
Nothing hot hit you?
Did you get burned?!
N-No.
Nobuko, your hand...
Huh?
Ouch.
Your mom's hurting more.
Huh?
So I shouldn't be that worried?
Yes. Consider the probability.
My kind tends to congregate in urban areas where food is plentiful.
Not to mention, they tend to target solitary individuals.
If the two of them are taking a trip to the countryside,
they should be even safer than they are now.
I see.
Then I guess I shouldn't have been so against it.
Shinichi.
Wh-Wh-What?
Were you talking to someone just now?
J-Just to myself!
What'd you need, anyway?
Um, well, dinner's almost ready.
Oh, okay.
I'll be down in a bit.
Oh, and Mom?
Please knock before you open the door next time!
Don't forget, okay?
Okay...
Excuse me.
I thought I was gonna have a heart attack.
A heart attack?
That would be inconvenient.
Shinichi yelled at me.
What, was he spanking the monkey or something?
Um, I said this morning that I was against your trip,
but I take that back.
I think it's good to get away from the crowd sometimes
and go relax somewhere with fresh air.
So, when do you leave?
I don't get it.
I don't get you, Shinichi.
What's going on with you?
You were so against it this morning.
What was that about?
And now, you've done a total 180!
So now you don't even care about your parents?
Th-That's not true.
Mom, what's up with you?
I just don't get it.
I don't get what's going on with you!
Something's... Something's changed.
It's like...
It's like you're not my son...
Nobuko.
Please tell me!
What's happened to you?
Shinichi.
I... I thought I'd be lonely.
At least, I did this morning.
But when I talked to my friends about it, they laughed at me.
So I thought things over.
That's why I'm fine now.
If I get lonely, I can just invite a friend over.
That's really all it was.
Th-That's enough, right?
They said it'd be a while before the taxi arrives.
You know, this might be the first time we've been gone for so long.
Back when we lived in an apartment, we didn't have that luxury.
Things were tough back then.
Come to think of it, I also got this burn back then.
All right, take care.
Oh, I will!
Don't forget to turn off the stove and lock the door.
Right.
And don't worry about us.
Okay.
See you!
It moved...
The Stranger
Next time:
"The Stranger."