Phantasmoon opening ceremony

Sera looked at the mask in his hand and thought for a moment. He put it on, and the mask transformed into a white cat.

"So my soul's defining feature is a white cat?" Sera toyed with the mask.

Just moments ago, eight streaks of light had flown out from the Phantasmoon in different directions. One of them had flown into Sera's hand, and Sera had put the mask on without the slightest hesitation.

The Emissary Mask could change shape according to the wearer's intrinsic soul traits, but Sera hadn't expected his to be a white cat.

Sera couldn't help wondering what it would look like if Cyrene wore one. A little pink sea hare?

Beep, beep!

Sera's phone made a sound, and he opened the chat.

[Just a Passing Detective]: Need a mask? One flew over to me.

Sera smiled and sent a picture of the white cat mask in his hand.

[Feather of the Eclipsed Moon]: (Image)

[Feather of the Eclipsed Moon]: I've got one. Just put yours on. Once you have, come to the World-Painting Academy. We'll clear the memetic contamination there and declare war on Dr. Primitive.

[Feather of the Eclipsed Moon]: Remember to bring the contaminated Ranger, and keep your mask hidden. Don't show it yet.

[Just a Passing Detective]: (Image)

[Just a Passing Detective]: Got it.

Sera opened the image. Sure enough, it was the one that looked like a wolf's fang.

Sera put on the mask. It was a half-mask that covered only parts of the upper half of his face. The eyeholes were open, revealing Sera's azure-blue eyes, and lively cat ears sat atop the mask.

Sera strolled leisurely toward the World-Painting Academy. As for Cyrene, she had mysteriously told him today that she would wait in her room for him to come back.

When he reached the entrance to the World-Painting Academy, Sera raised a hand and dispersed the crowd outside in an orderly fashion, then laid down a simple suggestion. That way, ordinary people wouldn't be able to enter the World-Painting Academy, preventing them from getting caught in the crossfire.

Sera quietly watched the World-Covering Azure Waves Painting, waiting for Busitu to arrive. While he waited, Sera took the opportunity to turn off his own cognitive filter. After all, he would be calling out his name later.

Sera had already thought of what to say.

"I'm here." Busitu walked over to Sera.

"At this very moment, the detective forcibly restrained his excitement. He finally had hope."

"Old Bai, why are you undermining me?"

"This is our first time meeting, isn't it?" Sera looked up and sized Busitu up, while Busitu looked down at Sera.

"Uh... if I may ask, Mr... Sera, how old are you?"

"I just turned eighteen today." Sera folded his arms, unconcerned.

"..."

"The detective could not express the shock in his heart. He..."

"Stop, stop, stop." Busitu raised a hand to interrupt Old Bai.

"All right, the sooner we start, the sooner we finish," Sera said impatiently. He wanted to get this done and go back to keep Cyrene company sooner.

"Okay." Busitu's voice trembled slightly. He then stepped aside, leaving the stage to Seraphis and Narrator.

Sera activated his authority in an instant, once again hacking into the phones of everyone in the galaxy and opening a livestream.

Your little assistant reminds you that [Feather of the Eclipsed Moon], whom you follow, has started streaming.

"Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening, everyone~

I'm Genius Society #84, Feather of the Eclipsed Moon-Seraphis. I'm currently participating in Phantasmoon Games at Dual-Phase Paradise."

Sera tapped the mask.

"This right here is the Emissary Mask. Some of you might not understand why a genius would take part in a game of 'Elation.'

I don't really want to either~"

Sera spread his hands helplessly.

"But this is a research assignment my teacher gave me, so an ordinary student like me has no choice but to do it."

"Ahem, now for the main event.

This is a Galaxy Ranger who was severely poisoned by Dr. Primitive's memetic virus and turned into a Sleepy Banana Monkey."

Sera pointed at Narrator and gave him a close-up.

"Hello, everyone. If you have a case that needs investigating, please call the Undying Detective Agency," Narrator said calmly in greeting.

"Hey, hey, hey, no advertising allowed. I'll let it slide this once. All right, this is an antidote I made along the way." Sera took out a green potion and handed it to Narrator.

Narrator drank it without hesitation.

The moment he drank it, he turned back into a young man.

"I... I'm back to normal?" Narrator stared blankly at his hands.

Busitu looked at Narrator, restored to his original form, and turned his face away. Was he crying?

Was crying any use... Boss, it was useful too!

"All right." Sera waved Narrator off to the side.

"Now, it's time to start Phantasmoon Games. The Emissaries' first battle: Feather of the Eclipsed Moon versus..."

Busitu tightened his grip on his cane, forcing down his anger.

A person wearing a Sleepy Banana Monkey mask? He slowly appeared not far in front of Sera.

"Dr. Primitive."

"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!" Dr. Primitive clapped vigorously, then spread his arms.

"Is this a welcoming ceremony for your new colleague?"

"Hahaha! But isn't something so bland unworthy of this land of Elation?"

Dr. Primitive clapped his hands, and a memetic virus spread across Dual-Phase Paradise.

"As the student of Zandar, the most failed genius, I hope you won't disappoint me."

"Hahaha!" Sera felt like laughing.

The moment he raised his hand, the virus that had been spreading in every direction instantly gathered in his palm.

"That's, all, you've got? Senior~" Sera closed his hand and annihilated the memetic virus.

"Interesting. You're much more interesting than Zandar! Let me show you this supreme form."

A gigantic cocoon appeared where Dr. Primitive stood.

Busitu was just about to rush forward when Sera raised a hand to stop him.

"Leave it to me."

The gigantic cocoon slowly melted, and an ancient beast incorporating the style of Voracity appeared before them.

"Hahaha! This life-form, born of the ancient past, the most primitive and perfect of all life-the ancient beast. How will you deal with it now, junior?" the giant beast's voice rang out.

"An ancient beast fused with Voracity, Permanence, Propagation, and Abundance?" Seraphis studied Dr. Primitive with interest. "I have to say, there's a saying that was absolutely right. When someone joins the Genius Society, it means Nous has marked a dangerous entity."

"Look at Nanook the Destruction. How could he possibly destroy the galaxy as easily as us geniuses?"

"Take my teacher, for example. His conscience couldn't overpower his curiosity, so he created Nous and projected a version of himself stripped of humanity onto him.

But that only made Nous my teacher as well."

With a perfectly calm expression, Sera revealed a huge bombshell to the galaxy.

The galaxy's inhabitants: What do you mean, Nous is Zandar with his humanity stripped away?

"And you, a madman who keeps company with beasts. What right do you have to call my teacher the most failed genius?

Hahahahahaha! Zandar wandered among the stars, yet the geniuses can hardly follow even a single one of his footsteps.

My teacher said this: in my view, creating a Path is no more difficult than creating a civilization."

"Your time to die has come, Dr. Primitive."

Seraphis began calling out his name and assumed his Herrscher form for the first time.

"God granted me the holy grail, to hold resentment as fine wine. Sweeping all before me, the king of depravity."