Ep. 24: Rena uncovers the nonexistence of Oyashiro and the viral nature of the village murders.

24

While examining Takano's scrapbooks, Rena learns that Oyashiro, the deity revered by the Three Families governing the village, is a fabrication. She identifies the root cause of the violence as a virus that induces berserk behavior in its victims. The narrative explains that specific altitude and temperature conditions are required for the virus to survive, which also accounts for the intense homesickness experienced by those leaving Hinamizawa. This pathogen is responsible for all the murders in the area. Consequently, Rena becomes the target of a relentless pursuit by individuals determined to conceal this dangerous truth at any cost.