Its Name Was "Corruption"

"God granted me a holy grail, filled resentment into fine wine, swept all before me, fallen king."

Thus did he chant.

A pair of indescribable hands held the holy grail. It tipped slightly, and golden liquid enveloped him, gradually weaving itself into a cocoon.

Then, a pair of hands broke through the cocoon first, golden patterns flashing across their backs. (Just imagine the patterns from Finality in Honkai 2.)

The hands tore the cocoon apart, revealing his complete form.

Six pitch-black wings extended from his back, the upper pair arching around his cheeks. The middle pair spread out fully, while the lower pair covered his thighs.

A long black formal gown wrapped around his body, elegant and mysterious. (Sera: Why a dress?! Cocoon: I don't know.)

His long hair was white, fading to light purple at the tips. His once-deep-blue eyes had turned golden, with pupils shaped like crosshairs. A golden ring floated above his head, and golden patterns could faintly be seen on his legs.

(Hmm... a six-winged seraph, but the fallen version.)

"Feel honored and rejoice, monkey. You are the first to witness this form of mine and stand against it."

"I do not belong to any narrow Path, nor am I a creation of the Tree of Existence. This authority is the primordial, the creator, the master of this world's great dream.

"I am the Herrscher of Corruption-Seraphis."

Seraphis floated barefoot in midair, his golden eyes gazing indifferently at the beast Dr. Primitive had become.

The information in his words shocked the geniuses watching the livestream, and filled them with joy.

"Hahahahaha..." Dr. Primitive's voice grew fervent. "So that's how it is, so that's how it is!"

"Zandar was truly lucky to have picked up a being like you as a student."

Seraphis ignored Dr. Primitive and raised a hand.

"What is 'corruption'?"

He snapped his fingers.

"Snap!"

"Answer: nothing is beyond its corruption."

Sera pulled up Dr. Primitive's personal panel.

"As expected, how would a petty man like you attend the banquet in person? You are merely a copied clone."

Sera sighed and brought up the delete button on Dr. Primitive's panel.

"Delete."

The instant the beast that Dr. Primitive's clone had transformed into lunged at him, Sera calmly pressed the delete button.

"As your colleague, though you are an uncivilized monkey, I shall give you a dignified death. Sorry for the trouble, Sister Polka."

Eight seconds after he finished speaking, Polka Kakamond appeared beside Sera and threw out a monkey.

Sera glanced at the monkey.

"You reap what you sow. You should celebrate my mercy in letting you die at the hands of the Genius Killer."

Sera looked at Busitu.

"Busitu, he's yours. Don't worry, that's the original."

Busitu tightened his grip on his cane.

"Thank you..."

"The detective did not know how to express his gratitude, but he knew he could finally bring solace to the stars."

Busitu walked slowly over to the monkey, Dr. Primitive.

He held out his arm, and the Shadow of Voracity appeared and devoured it.

He tilted his head back to keep his tears from falling.

"I've finally obtained justice for you."

Polka Kakamond and Sera looked toward the entrance of the World-Painting Academy.

"Come out, geniuses," Polka Kakamond said coldly.

Seraphis looked toward the livestream.

"Phantasmoon Games' first battle of the Emanators is over. Genius Society #64, Emanator Dr. Primitive, confirmed dead.

"It's time to end the livestream. What follows is private."

Sera ignored the livestream's reaction and shut it off, then looked into the distance.

The Herta walked in the middle, with Ruan Mei and Screwllum on either side of her.

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Seraphis. I am your colleague, Genius Society #76-Screwllum," the elegant Intellitron king said politely.

"Hello, I'm Ruan Mei." The genius in the field of life, dressed in a qipao with a distinctly Xianzhou style, stared at Sera without blinking.

"I'm Herta, the one ranked just before you." The witch folded her arms, her eyes looking as though they were about to glow as she gazed at Sera.

Polka Kakamond said nothing, stepping back and looking at Sera.

Sera slowly descended from the air to the ground, but remained a little distance above it because he had no shoes.

"Herrscher of Corruption, Embracer of the Primordial, Genius Society #84, Feather of the Eclipsed Moon, Sera. Call me whichever you like."

"Then I'll call you Sera. Enough small talk, we're very curious." Herta's curiosity surged wildly.

"Curious? About this authority, or about Nous?" Seraphis tilted his head and looked at Herta.

"I'm very curious about you." Ruan Mei walked up to Sera, only to be stopped by Polka Kakamond's scalpel.

Ruan Mei paid it no mind, but stopped nonetheless. "May I touch you? In exchange, I'll offer you everything I have." Ruan Mei's eyes shone with uncontainable joy; she was very curious about Sera's body.

"Huh?" Herta struggled to keep her composure.

"..." Screwllum simply waited quietly for Sera's answer.

"?" Sera's previously divine and indifferent expression turned to one of confusion.

"Sigh... this isn't the place to talk."

Sera looked at Busitu, who was watching the show from the side.

"You, yes, you, Busitu. Stop looking around."

Busitu pointed at himself in confusion. He had just been chatting with Old Bai and watching the show.

"Mr. Detective was very confused. He didn't understand how the geniuses' conversation had come around to him."

"Huh? Me?"

"Where's a coffee shop around here? We have things to discuss."

"There is one."

"Lead the way."

"All right."

Sera activated a cognitive filter and tossed one to everyone except Polka Kakamond.

"I don't want to be surrounded."

"I understand your concern," Screwllum said in agreement.

Herta put hers on without hesitation, while Ruan Mei was still gazing eagerly at Sera.

Herta sighed, walked over, and put it on Ruan Mei.

Sera looked at Polka Kakamond beside him and asked, "Do you want to come and listen?"

Polka Kakamond hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded. She couldn't wrestle her curiosity into submission. In the past, to prevent the future from heading toward the unknowable abyss of Finality, she had always suppressed her curiosity and suspended a sword of Damocles over the geniuses.

But now, as long as Sera was around, no Finality could descend. So Polka Kakamond set her curiosity free.

Busitu studied the cognitive filter on his body with interest, then looked at the narrator.

"Hey, Old Bai, I didn't expect we'd get one too."

"Mr. Detective had probably forgotten that we both appeared on the livestream, so he foolishly shared his surprise with Mr. Assistant. But Mr. Assistant was very happy to see Mr. Detective like this."

"All right, you two, stop chatting and lead the way. You can go back to chatting after you've shown us the way."

"Once I've shown you the way, you won't need us anymore?" Busitu asked in confusion.

"What? Does our famous Wolf with Broken Legs, La Mancha, want to be the geniuses' guinea pig?"

"No, no." Busitu hurriedly waved his hands.

"Then hurry up and lead the way."