The camera focused on Dr. Ratio as he began to lay out his deductions and conclusions.
"First, Adler's disappearance. He must have grasped some critical clue."
Asta furrowed her brow slightly, a trace of worry on her face. "Adler too…"
Screwllum: "You believe Adler's discovery drew the enemy's attention."
Dr. Ratio: "Exactly. And I've already figured out what he found.
Second, the common thread among the victims. Of course, this is a rather unpleasant topic."
"Unpleasant topic?" Asta asked, puzzled.
"On the surface, the missing staff have no obvious connection.
But after investigating their browsing histories, Stelle discovered they were all opinion leaders on the space station's dark web.
You must understand what that implies, Miss Asta."
Asta remained silent, but her heart already knew.
"Lastly, Duke Inferno's ability—the secret behind 'spontaneous human combustion.' This booklet records a flame capable of phase-shifting, said to 'burn through worlds, leaving countless fiery descendants.'"
Screwllum nodded, continuing Dr. Ratio's deduction. "It's the 'Phase Flame,' #29 Silk-Skal's creation.
She was a remarkable genius—intelligent, kind, and humble.
But sadly, by human standards, she lived only a fleeting twenty-nine days."
[What does that mean?]
[Silk-Skal was a spider.]
[???]
[What? You better mean Honkai: Star Rail. A spider?]
[Hidden in the heart of the interactive city, there's a fan-made miHoYo forum app where people discuss and collect clues about the interactive city. It's mentioned there.]
[Holy crap! Really a spider? Can miHoYo get any wilder?]
[They sure can. The Aeon Aha once gave all their divine power to a Sting, just to see if the bug could earn Nous's glance again.]
[???]
[Hehehe.]
"The Phase Flame, upon its birth, shifted to another phase. By the time it returned, Silk-Skal had already passed away. Since then, it has continued to phase-shift, making it nearly impossible to capture."
Dr. Ratio and Screwllum, the two sharpest minds in the room, continued their analysis, trading sentences. "The spark of that flame… must be the oddity Herta lost. And Duke Inferno is its descendant."
"Someone once glimpsed the Phase Flame and captured a wisp of its fire. Herta took it in and lent it to Ruan Mei for research, but the spark was lost in the process."
At this moment, Stelle caught Dr. Ratio's glance. Making a crooked-mouth dragon king expression, she pulled out Adler's booklet.
"As its descendant, Duke Inferno shares abilities similar to the Phase Flame. He likely can't achieve 'phase-shifting,' but he can manage a degraded 'spatial transfer.'
That's the truth behind spontaneous human combustion: the staff didn't disappear—they were 'transferred.'
The victims' whereabouts are still unknown. But at this point, Duke Inferno's plan is clear.
The sudden string of disappearances is the perfect breeding ground for chaos.
Once the seeds of unrest take root, he issues an attack declaration, pushing the brewing crisis into the open, urging it to grow and bear fruit.
And the next step—snap—igniting the spark. Look at these missing staff. If their common thread is discovered, what happens? No need for me to elaborate."
Asta finally grasped the full scope of the incident, clenching her fist tightly. "It's all a carefully laid trap, designed from the start to incite chaos in the space station!"
[Nice, very Phantylia.]
[No, no, Phantylia destroys for destruction's sake—it's just a means.]
[Wow! This part is awesome. Godfather's screen time is so good, I love it.]
[Really great. Dr. Ratio's performance here feels on par with Screwllum.]
[As expected of Godfather—so good-looking, it's practically his solo show!]
[What do I do? I'm liking Godfather more and more!]
As the acting station chief, Asta wanted to quell the unrest internally but was stopped by Dr. Ratio.
"Too late."
Before he finished, Stelle's phone buzzed again with group chat notifications. A document titled "Missing Staff Identities" began spreading rapidly.
The group was filled with an atmosphere of suspicion and distrust, ready to engulf the entire Herta Space Station.
Asta clutched her forehead. "This… this…"
Screwllum propped his chin with one hand. "Not enough yet."
Dr. Ratio looked at Asta gravely. "Correct. It's missing one final spark."
"???" Asta looked confused. "What do you mean?"
Dr. Ratio maintained his serious expression. "If it stops here, you still have a chance to explain. If it were me… I wouldn't give you that chance."
"Could it be?"
All eyes turned to Asta, who looked puzzled. "What's wrong?"
"Huh?"
The next moment, a faint blue flame appeared around Asta.
She frantically patted the flames on her body. "Fire, fire, fire, fire, fire…"
Stelle reacted instantly, reaching for Asta's arm,
but before she could make contact, Asta vanished before their eyes.
[No!!!]
[Don't kill her off!!!]
[How's she gone?!]
[No character deaths, please!]
[If I hadn't rewatched, I'd have believed it.]
[Bro, what's going on? Dr. Ratio said 'add a spark'—what does that mean?]
[It means if Asta doesn't disappear, she, as the acting station chief, could suppress the space station's public opinion. So… Asta had to disappear to let suspicion spread.]
[Got it!]
"Calm down." Screwllum stopped Stelle, who was running around frantically. "Asta was only teleported, not in mortal danger.
Through physical contact, I confirmed Ifrits's flames are merely sparks of the primal flame, lacking phase-shifting ability. Logic: Asta is still within the space station."
Stelle threw up her hands helplessly. "What do we do now?"
Dr. Ratio spoke first. "That flame must still be somewhere in the segment. Find it, and there's a way to bring her back."
Suddenly, an unfamiliar male voice echoed through the room, though it felt vaguely familiar. "Heh, just a spark? The arrogance of a genius feels oddly relatable.
If you think you can, come try."
Then,
Screwllum proposed a plan. He would alter the folding parameters to block the enemy's transfer routes, trapping it within the space station, hoping Dr. Ratio and Stelle could capture Duke Inferno together.
Dr. Ratio nodded, and the two set off.
However,
as Duke Inferno fled, it created strange fire walls. Passing through them caused spatial coordinate shifts.
Dr. Ratio pointed at the fire wall. "Look, it's still in the space station. As Screwllum said, it can't escape.
Do you know what to do with a cornered prey? Chase it to its death."
Through repeated pursuits, though Duke Inferno escaped each time, its energy grew weaker.
Finally, Dr. Ratio and Stelle caught up to it.
"It's over." Dr. Ratio's tone carried an indescribable calm.
"Ignorant fools blindly chase the flame, unaware that Destruction's gift is already at their feet.
No wonder the Sovereign's Legion came in person and still couldn't purify this place. For now, I'll acknowledge my recklessness.
But next time, I'll visit personally, offering your sins' requiem with infernal flames."
[What, is that goat head planning to take revenge on the space station?]
[Probably not. The space station has Herta, and neither the Antimatter Legion nor the Doomsday Beast could take it down.]
[I just sense a massive flag.]
Leaning against the wall, Dr. Ratio opened his eyes. "The faint consciousness within it is gone. Duke Inferno abandoned this flame…"
The next moment, his expression shifted. "Hm? No, wait!"
Stelle, focused on saving Asta, didn't hear Dr. Ratio's warning. The moment she touched the flame, it spread up her arm across her body.
Soon, the flames coalesced into a fireball,
and at the same time, multiple warp fire walls opened on the ceiling, releasing a dazzling array of monsters.
The monsters leaped high toward Stelle and Dr. Ratio.
Dr. Ratio's gaze sharpened. He first warned Stelle to keep her distance, then, within seconds, pointed out the weaknesses of all the monsters, fighting alongside her.
…
Soon, with Dr. Ratio's assistance, Stelle successfully repelled all the monsters.
Duke Inferno's flame reappeared, and to save itself, it released Asta.
Stelle dashed forward, catching Asta as she appeared from the air.
The flame escaped through the wall.
Stelle gritted her teeth, glaring in the direction it fled. "Damn it!"
…
The scene shifted, and Stelle was now before Screwllum.
"How's Asta?"
Screwllum nodded politely. "Rest assured, Asta is only shaken and recovering in the medical bay.
Also, while you were pursuing the enemy, the security department found the missing victims. Conclusion: They are all safe."
"How'd you find them?" Stelle noted that less than half a system hour had passed since she rescued Asta. "That efficient?"
Screwllum nodded. "Thanks to Adler. They were trapped in a spatial oddity, unable to escape, until the species research expert most familiar with oddities unlocked it from within.
When Arlan arrived with help, most of the missing were exhausted from fright but not in mortal danger."
"Uh." Stelle paused. "So, it's over?"
"Yes, it's concluded for now."
Stelle propped her chin with one hand. "Feels like you didn't have much screen time…"
"With this matter settled, I believe the remaining ripples can be calmed internally by the space station. On Herta's behalf, I thank you for your efforts, madam.
However, one lingering question remains unresolved in this incident.
That's something I must handle." Screwllum gave a courteous bow before heading toward the door.
Stelle was left bewildered. "Duke Inferno hasn't been caught yet, and everyone's leaving?"
"Hm?"
Feeling her pocket vibrate, Stelle pulled out her phone. The group chat was buzzing again.
Thankfully, Asta's attack lessened the suspicion around Herta, and the crisis quietly subsided.
However, the person who initially pulled everyone into the group silently left.
The scene transitioned to somewhere in the containment segment.
Duke Inferno's flame quietly emerged from the wall, looking around before attempting to flee.
Suddenly, a suction force came from behind, instantly pulling it into an oddity.
The camera panned up from the oddity, revealing Dr. Ratio.
[High-Energy Alert!]
[High-Energy Alert!]
[It's finally here—the highlight of the whole movie!]
[Godfather, too cool!]
"I've been waiting." Screwllum quietly appeared behind Dr. Ratio.
Dr. Ratio glanced back, then turned to meet Screwllum's gaze.
"The incident's aftermath hasn't settled. You must have plenty to deal with, no? Or is the space station's safety none of your concern?"
Screwllum took two steps forward, closing the distance. "Answer: I'm here precisely for that. After all, the true protagonist of this incident—is here."
Dr. Ratio let out a soft hum, crossing his arms with a faint smile of approval. "When did you start suspecting me?"
"'Those in academic research often find it hard to believe something. Questioning it is much easier.'
From the start, Mr. Ratio. I share the same bad habit as you."
[I love Screwllum's voice—so gentlemanly.]
[Yeah, Screwllum always feels so reliable.]
[He's a machine, yet I can see elegance in him!]
[Screwllum really has a lot of charisma.]
"I'm deeply honored, Mr. Screwllum." Dr. Ratio's smile faded. "But since you saw through me early on, why stay silent?"
"Out of curiosity. Logic: I made the same choice as you—accompany and observe."
"Oh… and when did you become certain?"
The camera adopted a straight-on shot, splitting the frame evenly between Dr. Ratio and Screwllum.
Screwllum: "In terms of results, aside from minor mental distress, no staff suffered substantial harm in this attack. That doesn't align with the Annihilation Gang's style.
Logic: A third party saved them."
Dr. Ratio nodded several times, fully agreeing with Screwllum's deduction. "Had I not coincidentally obtained the Phase Flame spark and interfered with Duke Inferno's transfers, those people would already be space debris floating outside the window."
"You're more forthright than calculated."
"But still within your calculations, no? One last question: Screwllum, as a genius, can you deduce why I did this?"
[Any big shots want to explain?]
[Do we need to? The Annihilation Gang targeted the space station, and Dr. Ratio stepped in to save it. But he didn't fully save it—he only altered the transfer destinations without stopping the incident's progression.]
[So Godfather was covering the bases?]
[You could say that.]
Screwllum: "I can't be certain, only infer: saving the weak shows a doctor's compassion; standing by afterward, letting the situation escalate, reflects a scholar's severity.
And staying behind the scenes, controlling the outcome—is a challenge issued to geniuses."
[The last one who challenged a genius is still crying over their computer!]
[Silver Wolf: What's that supposed to mean?]
[Silver Wolf: Are you being polite, Screwllum?!]
[Hahaha, Silver Wolf's catching strays.]
"Screwllum, the lord of Screwllum's star, truly understands people. Pity, like all geniuses, you're far removed from the masses—you got one thing wrong." Dr. Ratio stepped forward, breaking the balance of the frame.
"Standing by is the true cure: there's a chronic ailment in this world called 'ignorance,' harder to eradicate than any disease."
Dr. Ratio gazed at the giant incubation pod behind the glass. "The Path of Erudition has neither reason nor logic. Geniuses wander among the stars, while the mundane can't even follow a single footprint.
The ordinary must learn to walk alone, stumbling through a mediocre life."
He lowered his arms, turning to Screwllum.
"But a failed life is still a life. They have the right to taste it to the end. Only when they fall, with no one to lift them, can fools learn how to stand."