Chapter 504: Worldview Collapse! You're Telling Me This Is the City of Ninjas?!
"A plot twist?"
"Heh… when you lot see the truth, I'm real curious to see how you'll react!"
Boothill sat in his seat with his arms crossed.
If nothing went sideways, Rappa's past would soon be fully exposed.
Initially, he was a little worried about whether the truth would shatter her worldview or something…
He glanced sideways at Rappa.
To his surprise, this gal actually had a dead-serious, eager look on her face!
Alright then.
He'd overthought it.
No gal who became a Galaxy Ranger was ever that fragile.
Boothill turned his attention back to the big screen.
Regarding what had happened back then, he was actually quite curious himself!
Though he had heard bits and pieces, when it came to the specifics, even Rappa couldn't give a straight, coherent answer.
That Master Kurucha seemed to hold a pretty high place in her heart, didn't he?
What exactly did she go through in the past?
The answer was about to be revealed.
...
Mr. Reca was very satisfied with Rappa's answer.
He continued, "Professor Primo once referred to you as—a failure of Dr. Primitive."
"Regarding this, I am deeply curious. What drove you to persistently use this wondrous ninja worldview to construct your narrative?"
"Connecting this to the previous BananAdvisor lectures, I gradually realized that this might be the reason you are immune to the Slumbernana Monkey's contamination. And the Professor's lines pointed to a possibility that ties everything together—"
"Is this another of Dr. Primitive's experiments? Actress Rappa, you were already infected by another meme virus long ago."
Rappa raised her head and said in a deep voice, "As recorded in the Galactic Ninja Scrolls: 'Scorpion venom wisely used dispels the viper's sting; poisoned wine may sometimes serve as sweet nectar.'"
"Your words ring true, my good sir. This humble one once fell into the clutches of the Ape Clan, suffering deeply from the wicked sorcery of evil ninjas. After enduring thousands of trials and tribulations, I broke through their sinister craft and finally escaped."
"Those bygone days have drifted away like floating clouds into the distant past. But today, if Penacony's morrow requires it, let us part the clouds and mist to reveal the light of day once more."
Mr. Reca chuckled. "Fascinating, truly fascinating. Memes overwrite one another, and viruses are no exception. If we can edit out the virus residing in the ninja actress's memories, we will have a way to dismantle the monkeys' Synesthesia Dreamscape."
"As the third act of a film goes, this can be considered a splendid development."
"And to advance the plot, Actress Stelle, it seems you must once again play a pivotal role."
"Regardless of the type of meme virus, the effect on Memokeepers is virtually fatal. But you are different. As the protagonist, you will surely uncover the truth hidden behind the film's layers of foreshadowing."
"Please take my film reel and turn her memories into the MacGuffin that breaks this deadlock."
As this dialogue played out, the livestream chat scrolled rapidly!
...
"Huh?"
"So it really is like that?"
"Wait, what?! When you guys said Rappa was infected by a meme virus, I thought it was a joke! It's actually true?!"
"No wonder Rappa interprets everything through a ninja lens."
"So it wasn't just being chuunibyou all along?"
"Does that mean her homeland doesn't have any ninjas, nor is there any Ninjutsu Capital? It's all just her own delusion?"
"No way! If that's the case, how do you explain Master Kucha and her training…?!"
...
At the Paperfold University venue, behind Rappa.
Her three little ninja fangirls were completely dumbfounded!
They kept glancing back and forth between the chat and Rappa!
They wondered if something had gone terribly wrong!
They wanted to ask Rappa, but didn't even know how to begin!
The three of them stood there utterly at a loss!
Fortunately, the plot continued!
Next, through Honkai: Star Rail, they would directly witness what had really happened!
Stelle began to use Clockwork.
"Baseball bat Ninja, are you ready to bear witness to my past? In the face of a bygone history fraught with blood, tears, and heartlessness, your spirit may tremble and faint. You must brace yourself completely."
[ Ninjutsu Clockwork, Open! ]
The screen slowly faded to black.
Immediately after, a deafening voice rang out!
"I ask you: What makes a Ninja Hero? How does one become a Ninja Hero?"
"Talent? Bloodline? Legacy? Possession by a ninja soul?"
"NONE OF THE ABOVE!!!"
"Across the boundless ocean of the Cosmos Ninja Realm, ninjas are as common as flying fish roe, but a Ninja Hero is as rare as a golden pufferfish."
"Now, the legendary scroll of the Ninja Hero unfolds. Before this dazzling Ninja Hero's chronicle of past shadows, do your utmost to retain your sanity—"
[ Galactic Ninja Scrolls, Past Shadows, Tale of Bygone Days ]
[ Part One: Threefold Penance Attains Ultimate Enlightenment ]
The players in the audience held their breath in unison!
Stretching their necks, they watched intently as the screen prepared to display the scene!
Would it be a vibrant metropolis, or a picturesque, scenic village?
In any case, it had to be an open landscape of some sort, right?
So, when a sterile, laboratory-style scene appeared, everyone was struck dumb!
"??????"
"What's going on here?"
"Does Rappa's hometown have places that look like the Herta Space Station too?"
"Holy crap, a terrifying thought just crossed my mind…"
"No way, that shouldn't be possible!"
"Keep watching and we'll see."
"Suddenly feeling anxious, like something is stuck in my throat…"
"Not good! I smell angst coming!"
...
[ Request to open capsule—Insufficient authorization. Please enter the passcode. ]
A synthesized mechanical voice rang out.
"A secret mantra? Child's play to me," Rappa muttered indifferently.
"Rin, Pyo, Toh, Sha… Break."
[ Passcode correct. Living gene-editing deactivated. Opening capsule door. ]
Rappa leaped out of a test capsule.
Crossing her arms, she warily scanned her surroundings while muttering to herself, "The Ape Clan's seal… is merely this."
"Even if my senses are clouded by evil sorcery, this humble one can still see the wickedness unfolding here… lamentable, detestable."
"With this, the trial has concluded… Time to return and pay audience to the Master, to continue my ascetic training."
...
"This is the Ninja Capital?"
"Ah?"
"Wait, I thought it would be at least a village or a town, but you're telling me it's actually a laboratory!?"
"Impossible! This must just be a lab inside the Ninja Capital, it can't be the whole thing!"
"Holy crap, isn't this insane?!"
"Damn…"
"Quest description here: The Dazzling Ninja's past unfolds slowly like a ukiyo-e scroll. Behind her cool demeanor and smile, what unknown blood, tears, and secrets are hidden… You have completed the trial of Ninjutsu Grandmaster, Master Sensei. According to what the Master said earlier, you now possess the qualification to become a Ninja Disciple."
"There's another line of text below: AK-A- 3, is the ninja game fun?"
"F*ck, seeing this sentence made my back go cold instantly!"
"In the middle of the night, it gives me chills just looking at it!"
…
Now players could move around freely in this scene.
Clearly, this was a highly advanced laboratory.
What first drew attention was a row of experimental containers displayed on the left.
Inside lay test subjects quietly.
And all the test subjects here were living human beings!
Even Rappa couldn't help but sigh, "Terrifying, truly terrifying. Mortals displayed like specimens in transparent water prisons, suffering under evil arts—this is undoubtedly one facet of the Dharma-Ending Age."
Further ahead, there was a strange robot.
"Bana-bana-bana—Atavism target: Catarrhini; Genetic regression progress: 7%; Vital signs: Stable."
Rappa marveled again, "This is the Ape Realm's evil ninja scout. It is monitoring the sufferers in the cage… O Great Lan, the villain's eyes covet the mortal realm, how can you continue to sleep with your eyes closed?"
…
"We're done for!"
"Waaaaah…"
"It's actually like this…"
"AAAAAAAAAAGH!!!"
"I suddenly smile with relief."
"What the heck kind of training is this!"
"So there were no ninjas or Ninja Capital at all—it was all because of the memetic virus that she imagined it this way!"
"My worldview has collapsed…"