The audience instantly perked up. Their eyes glued to the screen.
Rappa's bizarre origin and the supposedly strange memetic virus made everyone especially curious.
On screen, Rappa did not give any big reaction to Profnana's words.
And Profnana didn't stop speaking:
"Given the Doctor's brilliant mind, his ambitions are lofty and are sure to be realized. But the commoners? Hmph, all they do is lose themselves in unrealistic fantasies, becoming an impediment to a civilization's evolutionary progress."
"Whether imbued with life or not, everything ought to be used to its full potential. Ah, how long has it been now? I'm surprised that lesson hasn't stuck..."
There seemed to be three people in the scene.
Yet, it was obvious that the Dr Primitive's words were directed at Rappa alone.
With a hint of mockery, Profnana spoke slowly:
"Doctor's "failed creation"?"
The moment he said that,
The chat exploded!
...
: Ah???
: Dr Primitive's failed experiment?!
: What the hell, does that mean Rappa was created by the Dr Primitive?!
: No way, no way! Damn it! Is that really Rappa's backstory?!
: Hiss... no wonder he's so similar to the monkeys, they all have the memetic virus!
: That makes perfect sense now!
: No wonder Rappa chose the path of the Hunt, it's because of the Dr Primitive's experiments?!
: Thinking back to Rappa's flashbacks... even though they were abstract, the truth must've been tragic!
...
As the comments flew by, on screen, Rappa looked down.
Profnana didn't care about her.
He simply continued pouring out everything that had been bottled up in his heart.
"Now do you understand why I allowed all of you to run wild on campus?"
"Even went as far as to guide you step by step to this place?"
"Paperfold University is nothing more than an incubator, no great loss if discarded. But if it can eradicate the pests in the lab, then it'd be used to its full potential."
"Bana-Bana! That's all I have for you. Class dismissed."
Profnana had long known that Rappa and the others were stirring up trouble on campus.
But he never cared. Rappa's actions were just another part of the experiment.
This entire operation, initiated by Profnana, had one of its very purposes centered on Rappa herself!
On screen, Profnana's glasses reflected Rappa who was still looking down.
Rappa's hands clenched into fists.
Shee could no longer hold back. In a sudden burst, he raised his head, a curved short sword appeared in her hand, and with all her strength, she threw it!
Profnana didn't even have time to react before the blade pierced through him, pinning him to the wall behind!
But in the next second, Profnana's body exploded with a loud bang!
From within the smoke, several small Slumbernana monkeys leapt out!
As expected! Ordinary attacks had no effect on Profnana!
But the chaos was only just beginning.
The video on screen began to stutter, frame by frame, as if someone was filming it with a shaky camera.
In one of the frozen frames, The monkeys were stepping on everyone's heads, screeching as they scattered in all directions.
No one knew their true nature, so none of the three dared to strike lethally. They could only try to catch them.
In the confusion, Stelle crouched down, shielding her head, as one monkey bounced off the back of her head and fled.
Rappa, furious, chased after them with clenched fists, and Dan Heng followed closely behind.
Amid the absurd chaos,
They soon chased the monkeys into a corridor. At the end stood a door glowing faintly with blue light.
Throughout the chase, the clicking of a camera shutter could be heard, rapid, constant.
"Cut!"
A voice came from off-screen, Reca's.
At his word, all three, except the monkeys, froze in place.
It looked as if they'd been trapped inside a picture frame.
The monkeys took the opportunity to dive into the glowing door, and escaped!
"Brilliant…"
"Absolutely brilliant!"
In the corridor, Reca slowly straightened his back, his expression now twisted, so exaggerated it looked more villainous than an actual villain's.
That scene, had completely reignited his creative passion.
No one knew what he was so happy about, but as they watched this deranged maniac clutch his face and laugh,
"Hehehe… hahahaHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Alright, cast, get ready to switch scenes!"
At his command, strips of film uncoiled from around the screen, sealing every frame inside them.
...
: What a lunatic!
: This Reca guy is insane!
: Is he… helping the monkeys escape on purpose? Adding suspense for drama?
: What's his deal?!
: I've been suspicious of Reca since he first appeared, this guy's totally unhinged. Now he's even laughing like fireworks!
: Could he be a Masked Fool? But his powers don't seem like it... He's too deliberate for that.
...
The audience's confusion was soon answered.
After the monkeys escaped, Reca followed them through the glowing blue door.
On the other side was the plaza at Paperfold University's main gate. Profnana, now in the form of a small monkey, was waiting impatiently.
"Just what do you think you're doing, Memokeeper?" he snapped.
Reca returned to normal, smiling. "I've already met all your demands, dearest producer. Please hold up your end of the deal as we've agreed: Lift this abominable curse that stifles my artistic expression."
"Demands?" Profnana said shaking his head, "I'm afraid not, Mr. Reca. Until you hand over those incorrigible and willful monkeys, you have not met all of my "demands"."
Earlier, Profnanas' plan was to escape, yes. But at the same time, Reca was supposed to trap those three students, turning them into little lab rats inside the incubator.
Yet Reca only brought Profnana out, and left the others behind.
That's why Profnana was furious. But Reca wasn't intimidated. Crossing his arms, he smiled faintly.
"But that's not our deal! I went to great lengths to help you infiltrate the school, disrupted The Family's surveillance, and even dealt with the Ranger who was causing you the most trouble. And now you want me to give up ownership of the actors?"
"We're talking exceptional talents that are incredibly rare to come by! They have so many more stories waiting to be unearthed! I can't allow their journey to end here."
Profnana glared at him, silent for a long time before snapping coldly:
"Mr. Reca, there is no room for negotiation here. I have no need to negotiate with a captive."
"If you don't acquiesce, then in less than three system hours, you'll turn into a Slumbernana Monkey like those students."
"Hand them over now if your directing career even means anything to you."
Reca also put away his smile and said bluntly, "No, I refuse! Profnana, have you ever wondered why I ended up under your control?"
Profnana understood what Reca meant, and sneered, "Tracking down the Doctor's whereabouts shows you have some skill. However, believing you could follow us unnoticed was quite presumptuous, wasn't it?"
Profnana thought Reca was just showing off his skills, like finding the Dr Primitive's trail, or following him secretly.
However, Reca laughed.
"Looks like you rarely deal with Memokeepers."
"You really don't understand what kind of people we are."
"What a pity. I put my life on the line just so I could make this wonderful film a reality. I decided a long time ago that I'd do anything for art, so your threat means nothing to me."
"Every film crew knows full well the risks they run the moment filming begins. And in turn, a dedicated director would never stop rolling the cameras, even if it meant having to insert an obelus (†) next to a crew or cast member's name in the credits!"
Hearing that, for the first time, Profnana's expression faltered.
He hadn't expected that a Memokeeper could be so indifferent to their own life or fate, just for the sake of the memories in their mind?
"Fine. Be prepared to sacrifice yourself then."
Profnana threw down the harsh words and turned to leave.
Not because he didn't want to kill Reca now, but because he couldn't.
The memetic virus was already planted. If Reca didn't even want the antidote, what else could he do? He just had to wait for the virus to take effect.
At this moment, in front of the screen, the audience finally understood Reca's origins.
Many doubts were resolved, like why Profnana could control Paperfold University while the Bloodhounds and The Family were completely unaware.
Now it all made sense, it was thanks to the help of this Memokeeper.
And as for that "pause" earlier, that was also explained.
In a place like Asdana, overflowing with mnemonic matter, a Memokeeper naturally held an innate advantage.
As for Reca being under Profnana's control and still acting against the Nameless, in the audience's eyes, it was completely understandable.
After all, they'd already seen examples before , Memokeepers who would do anything to capture the "perfect scene."
...
: Oh, so he's a Memokeeper. Makes sense now.
: A guy who'd risk his life for a memory, no wonder he'd do something like that.
: All he wanted was to leave behind a memory worth remembering.
: Profnana's too naïve. He should hang out with Memokeepers more often.
: Yeah, tracking down the Dr Primitive isn't even impressive, another Memokeeper, once tried diving straight into the IX's mind!
: These Memokeepers must all have top-tier teachers at home.
: Actually, in a way, Memokeepers are the high-level beings of the Honkai universe.
...
As the comments scrolled by and the truth came to light, the story's final chapter was about to begin.
This time, the scene shifted, to Boothill.
Inside the dark depths of Dreamflux Reef, Boothill was walking together with March 7th.
But this March 7th wasn't what the viewers thought, she wasn't a fake.
It was just the usual storytelling trick used in Honkai: Star Rail.
Apparently, Boothill had entered Dreamflux Reef after the events beneath the Paperfold University.
So, March 7th had wandered off, somehow ended up at Dreamflux Reef, and met Boothill there.
Now that the misunderstanding between them was cleared, the two were traveling together.
"I'm telling you," March 7th muttered, "next time you get caught sneaking around, I won't be able to talk those weirdos down again."
"Appreciate it, Nameless gal," Boothill replied, then added curiously, "You have quite the authority 'round here, eh? Has the Astral Express begun to take on monkeys?"
Earlier, they'd run into several members of the Slumbernana Association.
Only thanks to March 7th's excuses did they escape unharmed.
Scratching her head, March said, "I wasn't expecting that either, but the Assistananas insist I'm a great talent. They even gave me a membership card with a high level of clearance..."
"Pfft~"
"Haha! That means, to those who've abandoned thinking, you're the real genius!" Boothill laughed.
"Are you complimenting me or insulting me?" March squinted suspiciously at him.
Boothill shrugged.
And so, with March 7th's "high level clearance" in hand, the two strode through the Slumbernana Association's territory unhindered.
Along the way, they encountered strange structures and even more monkeys.
More and more clues surfaced.
Ten minutes later, in a secluded area, Boothill reported the findings to March with a serious expression.
"Hey, why'd you scare that girl into crying? I just finished calming her down!" March 7th complained.
"Huh? What else was I supposed to do?"
Boothill's eyes turned serious. "Alright, great Nameless one, drop the act already. What's the deal on your side? When did you guys start layin' eyes on Dr. Primitive?"
"Dr Primitive?"
"Ahem. Oh yeah, that's right. Let's swap intel then. You first!" March said, feigning confidence.
It didn't take much time for Boothill to explain about Dr. Primitive.
"Oh, I see ... Uh-huh, exactly as we suspected." March 7th replied straining to maintain a face saying the everything was as expected.
"As expected of the Nameless," Boothill nodded.
"So, there's only one solution. We've all rid this rodeo, so I reckon I don't need to spell it out."
"Um yes, I totally agree." March 7th's eyes lit up.
"Sweet!" Boothill said. "Alright then..."
"Prepare to tear this place apart!"
"Help me become a high-ranking member!"
They shouted completely different plans in perfect sync.
"Huh?"
Boothill, who was full of battle energy a second ago, stared at her in disbelief.
It felt like he was about to charge into battle, but when he reached for the assault rifle his friend was supposed to hand him, she handed him a pink bubble gun instead.