Buddha's Memory

Here are Su's Recollections.

### 1 - Honkai Infection

His consciousness sank into endless darkness. The ominous patterns spread throughout every inch of his skin, the rampant infection corroding every cell in his body. It was almost as if his body no longer belonged to him, as if everything that was him was being torn apart. It was endless pain, consuming his entire consciousness.

Then, like a comet, a flash of light whizzed by, scattering the darkness. It was a warm and familiar light, bright and burning. Yet strangly, it made him want to weep. What a lovely radiance...

Su opened his eyes, the whitewashed hospital walls and all-too-familiar smell of disinfectant bringing him swiftly back to reality. He checked his hands in a panic. The purple lines that had spread across them before he fell unconscious were completely gone. It was as if they have never existed.

"This cannot be. Honkai infection... there isn't any cure for it. Unless... Unless...!"

The one-armed man beside the bed swirled his wine flask, lifting his head up with a small smile.

"You're recovering quite well, Dr. Su. As you might have guessed, I've come up with a cure for Honkai Infection."

"Professor?! Then... why haven't you given it to others? Why watch so many people die?"

"The answer is simple. It's too expensive."

"Expensive? People's lives are priceless!"

The one-armed man's smile vanished. He lowered his head, fingers tapping the flask.

"Let me tell you how this medication is made. This antibody-drug comes from a serum made from the bodies of the infected. Statistically speaking, we need the bodies of around a thousand Honkai Infection patients to produce the serum needed to save one person. One of the people who provided the serum that cured you is someone very important to you."

The man paused and did not continue, but Su had already guessed the answer.

"Senior...!"

The man nodded and turned to look outside the window. His voice was hushed now. "Chief Physician Fall donated his body to the MOTHs. He persisted for a long time after being infected, and so the antibodies within his body were far greater in number than those of most people. It was thanks to him that we were able to finish this vial of serum. I think he'll continue to watch over you, even from the hereafter."

The man turned again to look Su in the eyes, his expression calm but stern.

"There are no miracles in this world, and magic does not exist. There are only countless people whose lives were taken by Honkai Infection, and doctors who have trodden upon their corpses on the path to progress. Dr. Su, those precious antibodies flow through your veins now. The dreams of those thousand who died, which would never come to fruition, now rest on your shoulders. Do not grieve. Do not sigh. Stand up and fight against Honkai and save thousands, tens of thousands of people."

Su gripped the bed's railings until the whites of his knuckles shows. The churning agony in his heart threatened to drown him, but he knew that the man was correct. There was no time for him to waste wallowing in grief.

After some time, he finally gritted his teeth and raised his head. The man gave him a small smile before extending his sole remaining arm. "Your application has been accepted, Dr. Su. Welcome to the MOTHs."

### 2 - It

"Observer 27 is ready. When the Observation Hub is activated, I will release the Cognition Cage and attempt to enter 'its' dreamscape and locate 'it'. The Observation Hub will pull my consciousness back before memetic pollution can set in... Professor?"

Su looked at the one-armed man outside the Refining Cabin, somewhat troubled. This was his teacher and also the founder of the 5th Science Department and a veteran scientist of this organization. The one-armed man with countless titles under his belt lowered his head and swirled the wine canteen in his hand, self-derision and sorrow plain on his face.

"...I really am becoming more of a fool the older I get. Can't believe I let Mobius turn my own student into a MANTIS... and now I'm sending hi, straight into hell with my own hands. Su. If you do come back, I'll treat you to a drink."

"Professor, I chose this myself."

Su did his best to make a relaxed expression, before waving a hand at this teacher and sending his consciousness diving into the depths.

In this dream world, Su cut through illusions, broke free from bonds, and at last, he found 'it'.

—But when he opened his eyes again, he was greeted by a bloodstained canteen and the frozen ground. An unexpected betrayal and attack had fatally wounded the one-armed man, but this obstinate gentleman still had enough strength at his life's ebbing to reactivate the Observation Hub. It was thanks to this that Su had been able to return to the present, and the MOTHs could now locate and capture "it". In the present, now free from memetic pollution, the MOTHs could at last call it by its proper name—the 8th Herrscher.

But that person would never see all this.

Su sat paralyzed on the ground, looking at the now-cold wine canteen in his hand. He recalled the days and nights he had spent looking for a cure for those afflicted with Honkai Infection. He recalled his joy when his teacher invited him to join the MOTHs and research the Honkai Infection together.

But Su, at last, realized that this was an incurable disease, for Honkai would never vanish. Honkai, the Herrschers, once such foreign terms... Now, they were the devouring scrouge of this era's civilizations.

"Drinking isn't a particularly healthy habit."

A familiar voice rang out, and the canteen was plucked from his hands. Su raised his head, and he beheld a cold expression that he had never before seen on his old friend's face.

"We haven't much time to be depressed. 'They' will continue to appear and threaten our civilization."

"Kevin..."

"Su, MEI hopes that you can replace Professor Speirs as the head of the Fifth Science Department and head to MOTH headquarters to continue your previous research."

"I'm... going to replace... my teacher?"

"If you don't want his sacrifice to be in vain, stand up and continue the fight. Humanity will defeat the Honkai... no matter what the cost might be."

Su opened his eyes wide and looked at his friend, whom he had not seen in five years. He wanted to ask questions... But he realized that he already knew the answers.

And so, he said nothing in the end. He simply took up the slightly warped wine canteen, before following Kevin outside.

### 3 - Narrow Gate

He could not see anything. Say anything. Do anything. Was this death? Could something like that exist for him? Perhaps no one would believe that before this. Only one voice pierced this dead silence. One he did not wish to answer.

"Kalpas? Can you hear me? It's me... Su. Due to the 11th Herrscher's influence, no reconnaissance drones can reach any of you... So I had no choice but to link up with your consciousness without prior permission. It seems like the situation is unbelievably dire, considering that even you have been pushed to this point." His communicator had been lost some time prior. Clearly, this voice was directly speaking into his mind. "But you must return to the battle. Kevin needs your help. It can only be you. Must be you. I can help you move again, just like I did by accident during that mission. However... I need your consent. Kalpas, lend me your body."

Consent... Did he really have a choice, though? After a moment, the masked man would burst through the earth and slaughter all the Honkai Beasts in his path. Yet those who knew him well enough would know that he fought differently from usual. At this time, in the light blue sea of his consciousness, a different, thinner man was directing his every move.

"Such a vast sea of consciousness... Kalpas, you're a more profound person than most people think. ...Wait. What is that?"

A narrow door hovered amidst the windless ocean, and the light that shone through its crevices filled the man with an unknowable fear.

"He has been suppressing himself all this time? ...He has a different power that he has never used. Why?" Now, this man was not driven by his curiosity by any means, but this power might yet give them a chance of survival. After pondering for a time, he finally opened that door.

"This is—!? But how!?"

### 4 - The Plan

"Project Stigma?"

It was likely the tone of surprise in his voice that drew Dr. MEI's attention from behind the screen. The dim light reflected in her glasses rendered her expression unreadable.

"Yes. We must prepare for the worst before our decisive battle with the Final Herrscher. If we lose, we retreat to the shelters until the next civilization sprouts. Every Pioneer will take charge of a different project to exhaust all possibilities. This is the last resistance our civilization can manage."

"Could this Project Stigma be..."

"Yes, it's the project I'm assigning to you. It agrees with your research field, so I believe you're the best candidate."

"But according to its forecasts, we'll sacrifice far more people than we can save..."

"I know, Su. This is the worst kind of project, so it's strictly a last resort."

"..."

"I know your conscience as a doctor disapproves of this project. Forcing you to execute it is essentially torturing..."

He shook his head and let out a sigh. There was a brief silence, followed by the crinkling of the papers.

"...I understand. I'll do it. After all... we have no other choice."

### 5 - Friends

"Kevin, what's going on!?"

He dashed into his friend's room without knocking. His friend only put down his greatsword and looked at him in contrasting calmness.

"Su."

"Kevin, Project Stigma was supposed to be entrusted to me, not you. Why?"

"I volunteered. Project Stigma... is a research led by MEI and Mobius, and the cruelest and the most destructive of all projects. Though it coincides with your research field, but in this sense... it's the least compatible with you."

"But it's also the same for you! You always blame yourself for irreparable sacrifices and shoulder everything alone... I know it's tormenting you. You don't want the sacrifices to happen either."

"Even so, I must go on. I've chosen this path. There's on reason for you to let your heart die as well. This path only needs one to walk it."

He stared at his friend's eyes blankly. Beneath those calm eyes, a strange emotion that stuck him as resolute and sorrowful rippled. He saw a shadow too familiar in his eyes. His heart shuddered.

"...No. I won't let you do it alone. MEI has assigned a new project to me—Project: VALUKA. I'll observe parallel universes to find solutions. If I can find the solution through such means, you won't need to implement Project Stigma. It's the last resort, not a requisite. I won't allow you to do something so cruel. I'll stay with you till the end."

His friend looked up at him in astonishment, and he looked back firmly. A moment later, his friend blinked, looked away, and whispered his thanks. His voice, however, sounded warmer.

"... Thank you, Su. Thank you."

### 6 - Tomorrow and Yesterday

"Kevin... why..."

He couldn't believe what he saw.

He couldn't believe his close friend would pierce his chest with the blazing greatsword.

He couldn't believe despite having done everything he could, he still didn't manage to dodge the blade.

"..." He friend clenched the greatsword and said nothing.

"You still won't answer me, Kevin?" Kevin, Judgement of Shamash, and the shrouding flames... the illusion dispersed. "Maybe... the one who won't answer is me." A dead leaf drifted away from his palm and perished before reaching the ground. Sumeru has been restored.

"Ah, never mind..." As he sighed heavily, a lance of black and white formed in his hand. "Since I made a promise to Dr. MEI, and I foresaw the possibility..." Another leaf fell down and millions of light dots converged to form the image of his close friend. "I have to find a way to stop you, Kevin. Even though..."

"Are you going to stop me, Su?"

"...!"

The voice sounded young, warm, and friendly. The voice in his memory. His eyes widened, which almost never happened. Before him, the Kevin in the school uniform was standing there, with a smile as warm as sunshine. Kevin wasn't holding the destructive greatsword, or carrying the daunting responsibilities on his shoulders.

"If you're going to stop me, Su... Just say it. We..."

The illusion's words stopped abruptly. He waved his hand and the illusion vanished.

The illusion wasn't created by him. He knew his mind was in disarray, but he had no idea what started it. He had witnessed the rise and fall of numerous worlds through Cosmic Juggernaut, and "disarray" was an oversimplified description. His knowledge had gone beyond the dimensions of mountains and oceans, but... why would it still bother him?

### 7 - Rumor: Dharmakāya

"Elvin, do you know why Dr. Su joined the MOTHs?"

"Huh? Why don't you ask your teacher? I think she's pretty close with Dr. Su?"

"He-he, you're the most well-informed one in the base. Besides, you know Fuxi and I rarely get to see Dr. Mobius. Without Klein teaching us patiently, Dr. Mobius would have expelled us long ago. If I go and ask Dr. Mobius directly and it upsets her... Elvin, maybe you'd see me behind the experiment pod tomorrow."

"Alright, you're just being dramatic..."

"But there's a reason why I can't ask Dr. Mobius. Yes, Dr. Su and she are work partners, but I feel like their relationship is kind of... delicate. How do I put it, Dr. Su is a nice person, but when Dr. Mobius is around, there is huge tension in the room..."

"So... you'd better ask Dr. Mobius yourself. No one knows what's on her mind. But it is kind of weird. I remember, when Dr. Su first joined the MOTHs, he respected Dr. Mobius a lot and they were often seen together sharing ideas. And then..."

"Then what? Elvin, come on, don't leave me hanging in the air!"

"Oh, I remember now, things changed between them after the 8th Herrscher, but I don't think they are as bad as you said. I can't say for sure. After all, I don't get to see them together a lot."

"The 8th Herrscher... seemes Dr. Su played a key part in solving the incident?"

"Yeah, without him, maybe there wouldn't be the MOTHs anymore. At the time, he just joined the MOTHs and his Meta-Morph surgery happened at a clutch moment... Fortunately, it worked out just fine. Ah, right, it seems to be just Dr. Mobius who performed the surgery for him."

"Huh? Was it her? Maybe... something happened during the surgery that made them enemies?"

"I don't know about that. Meta-Morph surgeries and MANTIS soldiers are way above my pay grade."

"Yeah... indeed. Even in the lab, Dr. Mobius rarely speaks of anything about Meta-Morph surgeries."

"So I guess that's the case then. Even without knowing the details, people know the surgery can't be a good thing. The changes on the MANTIS soldiers... if they get more noticeable, people would even fear them more."

"After all, it came from research on Honkai Beasts. It's natural to be afraid. But personally, I find SAKURA's ears pretty adorable. A lot better than the horrible Honkai Beasts. These Honkai Beasts are so frightening."

"Eh... not all of them, I guess. I saw at least one exception."

"Exception?"

"Right before Dr. Su took the surgery, I took a sneak peek into the prep room. I didn't even realize what it was at the beginning—golden feathers, green tail plumes, and soft glow all over... it looked like a beautiful bird. Later, it took me a lot of asking round to know it was born together with the 8th Herrscher. A unique Honkai Beast. It uses Honkai energy like a neural toxin to attack human brains. It can't hurt anything other than humans, but it's just as dangerous. Oh, right... I remember the MOTHs rated and named it like this... Emperor-class Honkai Beast, Mahāmāyūrī."

### 8 - Sanctuary in the Shadow

"Sounds like you aren't getting along."

"..."

"Ah, right, SAKURA, Kalpas... they prefer to work alone. Teaming up with them must be hard for you, Su." The woman raised the golden goblet and shook the amber-colored wine within. "Better not dwell on it. Want a sip?"

"I don't drink, Eden."

"Ah, I almost forgot. But you always take that empty flash with you. Believe me, Su, for the mission this time, alcohol can be your friend. Especially in such an uncomfortable place."

Surrounding them was nothing but boundless darkness, and the lamp over their heads was the only source of light. In the overwhelming darkness, the light seemed pale and weak.

"I've been meaning to ask this, Eden. The mission brief says it's just a regular recon mission, and it's weird that it requires three MANTIS soldiers. I believe the real purpose is to enhance our teamwork in the new squad of three. But before the mission starts, we were asked to stand by at the Deep End. What are we waiting for?"

"The answer is simple, Su, and you've said it yourself. We're building a team of three."

"... That's why I can't jump to conclusions. The mission shouldn't be hard, but before meeting our new teammate, you've drunk a few cups to calm yourself down, which is untypical of you at all."

"Hmm, it's indeed untypical of me. But Su, compared to the usual you, you also seem different today."

"Different?" Su suddenly realized something. He seemed to feel a much stronger urge of curiosity and thirst for knowledge than usual. Clearly, he was under psychic influence. But could this happen on a psychic MANTIS?

Su didn't realize the usual thirst for knowledge... was a natural reaction of humans before witnessing something divine.

Rhythmic footsteps approached them from the darkness along with crisp clanks of shackles. Su finally remembered the myths about the Deep End and the one who stood out the most there.

"You're Aponia?"

"Hmm, that's me." A soft female voiced answered. Meanwhile, a sublime and heavenly tune began to sound in Su and Eden's heads. It was gentle and soothing, but the two fought it with all their spiritual strength.

"Sorry, Su. I think our mission is not about teamwork. Maybe... the more important thing is to evaluate the possibility of her joining the fight."

### 9 - Bodhi: Eyes Open

The situation at hand couldn't afford him any hesitation.

The dark green serpent still held its head high in the shadow, and he was badly wounded. Not far away near the lab entrance, Hua was lying on the ground unconscious. If left unchecked, the serpent would claim many more lives. He had to stop it right there no matter the cost... Su told himself that.

"Hahaha..."

The serpent's laughter was harsh and cold. That was Mobius's voice, but without her consciousness. What was left was a mindless Honkai Beast following the natural instinct to devour everything in its sight.

The Karma Wheels domain was still effective, and to stop Mobius, he had to delve deeper into her spiritual space and connect to her unconscious mind. He had to fully remove the shackles on Mahāmāyūrī—what he had previously been trying to hard to keep, and he knew the risk it involved. But the situation didn't give him any choice.

Su took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

...

...

...

His mind kept falling in the bottomless abyss. The infinite loop rendered time ineffective.

Then he saw. Before his eyes was a swamp in dense smoke, and at the center of the swamp stood a dead tree, where Mobius was surrounded by twisted branches.

"This is Mobius's unconscious mind?"

In the white lab coat, Mobius looked much older than in reality and the strange patterns on her arms were not to be found. Somehow, Su believed this was the human Mobius before receiving the surgery, though he had never seen her before the surgery.

Su threw himself into the swamp and struggled to move forward as an ocean of memory pieces, screeches, and wails flooded into his head through the black mud in contact. Prying into someone else's mind was never his intention, and it was one of his personal principles not to invade any consciousness without consent, despite being laughed at by Mobius over and over again.

...

...

...

Su finally approached the dead tree, and the black mud was about to drown him. He labored to lift his arm and got hold of a corner of Mobius's dress... At that moment, a familiar short-haired figure emerged in his mind.

"...Klein? Mobius, I knew you..."

Of course, at the root of the dead tree was the most cherished thing in her heart. Darkness came from every side, shrouding, devouring, and shredding him. "I have to stop her here... I have to suppress Mobius before my strength runs out... I must find a way..."

\*snap\*

The sound of a thread torn apart was deafening in Su's ears.

Yeah, for a MANTIS, it was the easiest and most natural step to make. So easy that he had to suppress it with all his reason and human side. So easy that... with the tiniest slip, he would involuntarily reach out his hand for that power. And take the forbidden step. Towards Active Honkai Reaction.

After that, he sank into the swamp. His last memory was the scream of the serpent, the jade feathers, and a clear bird chirp.

### 10 - Enlightenment

Su is running. His mission has been completed, but he does not intend to evacuate.

Just 10 minutes ago, he reported the location of the 8th Herrscher to his companions. And now, he is rushing to the coordinates he sent to find her before the other guardians. ...and then end things by his own hands.

Su's hands are shaking. He holds a well-used flask, its outside rubbed smooth from repeated use. He clutches it tightly, but couldn't make it any warmer.

If only he'd discovered the Herrscher's location earlier.

If only he could've detected his infected comrades in advance.

If only the teacher could've evacuated in time, instead of using the last ounce of strength the Observation Hub for him.

If only...

But now all the hypotheticals were fading among the scarlet before his eyes. His blood became restless, now, almost bursting through his veins. There was a voice in his heart screaming repeatedly.

Yes!

Kill!

Kill her!

Kill the Herrscher!

Kill the non-human who destroyed the world.

Terror is like the whistle of death, shrill like the songs of birds. Su realized that it was his own thoughts gradually escaping his control, rushing towards the abyss of slaughter. But he isn't going to get involved now. If this can afford some power, why stop it? —If this can afford some vengeance, why get in the way?

The mind is delusional, and the heart is obstructed.

Only the thought of killing was able to bring him here. The Herrscher was there. ... but bound by invisible forces, unable to resist, unable to escape.

Suddenly, a wave of peace and tranquility bloomed from the heart. Like the first kneel of an ancient bell; like the first verse of the birth of language, his killing intent was replaced by all kinds of tranquility.

He saw the invisible chains emerging from the light, sweeping everything away, along with him and the Herrscher— Along with the holy hymn sounding in the distance.

**Irrelevant Files**:
**Chapter 1 -** Mission Report Kv10297 • St. Fountain Tour Guide • Golden Fountain • Fountain of Blood • From Sint Fontein to St. Fountain • Unsent Letter • A Flyer • A Resident's Diary • A Scrap of Paper • Duino Elegies