I just wanted you to make a movie: You made a Honkai Star Rail movie

: Will Stelle fight against the Grand Duke Inferno?

: The fire demon of destruction and Stelle of destruction, I wonder if Stelle will gain new power.

: Xianzhou didn't get a new destiny, is he waiting here? Before going to Penacony, upgrade Stelle's power of destruction?

: I'm looking forward to the Grand Duke Inferno's attack method, such a handsome posture, I wonder how shocking it will be when fighting.

...

The audience is very excited. Everyone wants to know how the space station and Stelle will solve the problem when facing such a strong enemy.

---------------------------

The mastermind has surfaced.

However, the trouble brought by the Duke Inferno is far more complex than what is apparent on the surface.

Inside a room within the space station, the four pieced together the clues left behind by Adler and uncovered the truth.

First came the phenomenon that caused panic: spontaneous human combustion.

From the clues Stelle collected, keywords such as "Heliobi" and "phase-shifting flame" were mentioned.

But in reality, it referred to a "phase," a misunderstanding caused by Wen Shiqi's careless words and Stelle's misinterpretation.

"It's the Phase Flame, a creation of Genius Club member #29, Sserkal."

"She was an incredible genius—intelligent, kind, and humble."

"But sadly, by the measure of human time, her life was but a fleeting moment."

Screwllum recounted the long-forgotten history and analyzed it further, "The Phase Flame traversed between realms as soon as it was born. By the time it returned, Sserkal had already passed away, and it has been nearly impossible to trace it since."

"There are records showing that the Phase Flame 'burned through many realms' and left behind countless other flames. The Duke Inferno is also born from the Phase Flame."

"The missing flame within the space station is also a fragment of the Phase Flame."

The close connection between the two Phase Flame made the truth undeniable.

"Ifrit is a being born from the Phase Flame. As such, the Duke Inferno likely has abilities similar to those of the Phase Flame."

"However, he probably cannot achieve full phase-shifting but can perform a degraded form of spatial transfer."

"This explains the phenomenon of human spontaneous combustion: the staff didn't vanish but were 'transferred' instead."

Professor Ratio calmly explained.

"Thank goodness, as long as the celestial phenomena are intact," Asta sighed in relief.

"Don't relax just yet. This is merely the beginning."

"The critical issue of the missing persons has already occurred, and we cannot locate those who were transferred."

"Moreover, did you see the missing persons list Stelle brought back?" Ratio spoke coldly.

Asta, confused, quickly fetched the list from Stelle.

On the list, beyond the visible connections, Stelle had also investigated their hidden identities.

Each person was secretly a critic and deeply resented the management.

The appendix contained extensive evidence.

Among them were speculations and slander about Asta herself, making her hands tremble slightly as she held the paper.

Even so, Asta's reaction wasn't due to those rumors but rather the safety of the space station.

"The Archduke of the Everflame Mansion, is his ultimate goal to incite chaos within the space station!?"

All the missing staff members are people who hold negative opinion towards the space station leaders.

If these commonalities are made public, all those rumors will be proven true.

This would make it look like the management staged this drama themselves to deal with dissenters.

"A sudden disappearance is undoubtedly the best breeding ground for chaos."

"When seeds of unease take root and sprout, the attackers announce their statement, bringing the hidden crisis to light."

"And the next step is to ignite it, directing the spearhead toward you and the other members of management."

"After that, the goal would be to seize control of the space station and create complete chaos."

After hearing this, Asta took two deep breaths. She could never sit idly by and watch the space station fall into such chaos, heading toward destruction.

But for the moment, she couldn't think of a solution.

Seeing how anxious Asta was, Professor Ratio comforted her warmly, saying, "Don't worry too much. The issue is no longer significant—because it's already too late."

...

: "Wow, how could Ratio comfort someone like this?"

: "Is this even considered comforting?"

: "I feel like the professor has been strict and cold from the very start."

: "At least Ruan Mei has a gentle demeanor, even on the surface."

...

By the time everyone pieced together the truth, the darknet of the space station was already abuzz with related discussions.

The identities of the missing staff members had been exposed.

"Did you see that? All the missing staff are critics of the management!"

"I can smell the stench of conspiracy."

"A self-directed drama to eliminate dissent—what a clever move! But justice, though delayed, has arrived. The management must resign!"

"Agreed!"

Reading the messages on her phone, Asta clenched her fists and said, "I can step forward to explain."

"Conclusion: That is an option."

"Question: Duke Inferno's plan is missing one final step."

Screwllum suddenly stroked his chin and said, "That's right. It still needs one last spark."

"Stopping here, and you still have a chance to defend yourself. But if it were me... I wouldn't give you that opportunity." Ratio smirked coldly.

As soon as he finished speaking, a sudden flame ignited on Asta's body.

"This is...?" She looked at her hands, momentarily unable to react.

"Asta!" The next second, the head of the space station vanished into thin air.

As expected, it was the work of the Ifrit, Duke Inferno.

Although his true form hadn't arrived, he had been secretly observing the changes in the space station through a wisp of his Phase Flame.

And he allowed the staff to be transported away, fueling panic.

If the Duke's scheme stopped here, Asta might have been able to quell the turmoil herself.

Therefore, he needed Asta to disappear.

The only good news for now might be that the staff members who were transported away are not in any life-threatening danger.

...

: The means used by the Duke Inferno feel somewhat similar to Phantylia's. Both involve inciting internal chaos and causing self-destruction from within.

: It's also about instigating internal strife to make the space station self-destruct.

: By teleporting Asta away, she can't come forward to explain anything, leaving no one to stop the turmoil.

: Now that Asta is gone, who will these scapegoat seekers complain about?

: Can this leaderless group of people really solve the problem?

: Does it mean we have to rely on Screwllum?

...

On the screen, the plot continues to unfold.

Screwllum made his first move, modifying the spatial parameters of the space station.

By anchoring and locking the space, the Phase Flame fire seeds influenced by Duke Inferno could no longer allow the opponent warp freely.

Meanwhile, Ratio and Stelle worked together to pursue and capture him.

While the three worked hard, the ordinary staff members of the space station also experienced a major transformation.

Upon discovering that even Asta had disappeared, they were shocked to realize there wasn't a single capable leader among them.

Panic and despair spread throughout.

Fortunately, many others, led by Alan, stepped up.

The previously neglected investigation report by Adler also gained attention.

During Stelle's investigation, it was clear that the departments of the space station were far from united.

Finger-pointing, shirking responsibility, and even ridicule were all on full display.

This sudden change, however, caught the audience by surprise.

The scattered flames of the Duke Inferno were sealed completely under the hands of Stelle and Screwllum.

The consciousness of the Duke Inferno attached to the Phase Flame was also dispelled.

Another piece of good news arrived.

During Stelle's pursuit of the Phase Flame, the missing people were found.

They had been teleported into a peculiar spatial curio, which the experts from the Curios department managed to unlock.

Everyone inside was safe, and Asta was among them.

...

: Seriously? This is it? Compared to the clone of the propagation mess created by Ruan Mei, this is far less impactful.

: Damn it, what a waste of expectations. I thought Duke Inferno would actually show up, but it was just an avatar.

: The Antimatter Legion's efforts feel half-baked. Damn, after all this, not a single person died.

: Although that's a good thing… but honestly, when Ifrit appeared, I was actually quite excited, only for it to end differently from what I imagined.

: Phantylia nearly overturned an entire Xianzhou, after all.

: As for the mundane and the divine crown, Ruan Mei's brilliance was evident, but what about the mundane part?

: I trust MiHoYo won't disappoint. Maybe there's more to come?

...

What the audience anticipated was the appearance of the Antimatter Legion as villains and a dramatic confrontation.

However, Duke Inferno only sent an avatar, which was resolved too easily.

Even the people who were teleported away didn't suffer any substantial harm.

This stark contrast with the destructive impact typically associated with the Antimatter Legion was too jarring for fans.

Just when everyone thought this farce was coming to an end, Screwllum, having collected the flames, politely bid Stelle farewell.

"With this matter resolved, I believe the remaining issues can be handled internally by the space station. On behalf of Ms. Herta, I thank you for your contributions."

"However, one question remains unanswered in this entire incident."

"And that is something I must address."

After saying this, Screwllum left the scene.

The screen shifted to a wall on the space station, where human-shaped ash seemed to come to life.

It cautiously moved through the air, furtively scanning its surroundings.

Suddenly! It saw something, its eyes widened in fear, and it began to flee frantically.

But an enormous force of attraction behind it held it firmly and dragged it into a certain container.

The camera zoomed out.

A man controlling the container revealed his true face.

It was Ratio!

As the professor revealed a faint smile, Screwllum's calm voice rang out behind him: "I've been expecting you, Professor."

"Hmph… Don't you have many matters to deal with? Or does the safety of the space station no longer concern you?" Ratio sneered and turned his head.

"The answer: I came precisely for this reason. After all, the true protagonist of the incident is right here." Screwllum calmly replied.

...

: Huh?

: As expected, MiHoYo never lets us down. What kind of plot twist is this?

: Damn! Ratio is the villain? Ratio is the mastermind!?

: But why? What's in it for Ratio? And did Duke Inferno really show up?

: Could Ratio have defected to the Antimatter Legion?

: That doesn't make sense. What's the motive? What's the goal?

: I've always felt that Ratio seemed like a behind-the-scenes villain, pulling the strings! And now it's confirmed!

: No way. Maybe Screwllum made a mistake?

...

The audience was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information.

They couldn't believe the professor would do such a thing.

However, on the screen, Ratio offered no defense, even directly asking, "...When did you start suspecting me?"

This single line confirmed the true mastermind behind everything.

"Researchers tend to find it hard to believe in anything. On the contrary, doubting it is much easier."

"At first, Mr. Ratio, I shared the same bad habit as you."

Screwllum remained calm and replied.

In other words, Screwllum had suspected Ratio from the very beginning.

The logic and reasoning behind this, Screwllum didn't explain, and the audience couldn't figure it out either.

Yet, with such an absurd situation, he actually managed to suspect correctly!

Is this what genius looks like?

The fans were deeply shaken.

"I am honored, Mr. Screwllum, but since you had already seen through it, why did you remain silent, and how were you so certain?"

Ratio asked with one hand on his hip, his posture relaxed, showing no sign of panic even after the truth was uncovered.

"The reason I didn't expose it was out of curiosity. Logic: I made the same decision as you, to follow along and observe."

"Question: When did I confirm that Mr. Ratio was the mastermind?"

"Conclusion: Judging by the final results, aside from minor mental distress, no personnel who were attacked sustained any substantial harm, which does not align with the Annihilation Gang's Style."

"Logic: It was a third party that saved them."

Screwllum finished sharing his perspective.

Ratio nodded and said, "If I hadn't accidentally obtained the seed of Phase Flame and intervened in the transmission of Phase Flame, those people would have long become drifting garbage in space."

"You're more honest than anticipated," Screwllum remarked.

Only at this point did the audience fully understand the whole story

...

: Duke Inferno truly intended to overthrow the space station, and trying to capture people using the Phase Flame was indeed real!

: But Ratio had already noticed this early on. He even managed to gain control of one flame seed and could interfere with the Phase Flames' transmission.

: In other words, this farce unfolded under the professor's watchful gaze.

: If the professor had spoken up at the time, wouldn't everything that followed have been avoided?

: But not only did the professor remain silent, he even tacitly allowed it all to happen.

Ratio's actions made him appear even more mysterious and unpredictable in the eyes of the audience.

At that moment, Ratio, who had already been seen through, posed a question of his own to Screwllum.

'One final question: Screwllum, a genius like you—can you guess the reason I did this?'

From the very beginning, Screwllum had suspected Ratio.

But now, he couldn't provide a definitive answer.

"I cannot be certain. I can only speculate: helping the weak was an act of compassion; what followed, a choice to stand aside…"

"Observing from the sidelines and allowing events to unfold—this is the scholar's severity."

And orchestrating from behind the scenes is a challenge issued to geniuses."

Both emotionally and rationally, this seemed like the most accurate answer.

It also perfectly aligned with Ratio's background and experiences.

Unable to join the Genius Club, he used this opportunity to prove himself.

Hearing this explanation, Ratio turned around.

"This is the pride of a scholar."

The audience found this argument quite convincing.

After all, it was the most reasonable explanation.

However,

"The Ruler of Planet Screwllum truly understands human nature. But, like all geniuses, you remain distant from the common people—you are still slightly mistaken."

"Standing by and doing nothing is the true cure. There is an affliction in this world called 'dumbness,' harder to eradicate than any disease…"

Ratio walked to the window, gazing at the star-filled sky with arms crossed.

"The path of intellect is neither logical nor reasonable. The true geniuses wander among the stars, while the mundane cannot even follow a single footprint of theirs."

"The ordinary must learn to walk alone, spending a life of mediocrity stumbling and rising again."

"Yet, a failed life is still a life. They have the right to savor it until the end. Only when they fall to the ground with no one to lift them can they truly understand when to stand again."

"I have a cleanliness obsession. I cannot stand idiots, fools, or imbeciles. Seeing them makes me want to die."

"Unfortunately, this space station is no different from the Academy of Knowledge—no genuises, only mediocrity everywhere."

Screwllum understood Ratio's heart, "What you wish to eradicate is the staff's blind faith in the 'Herta.'"

Ratio spread his hands. "I merely voiced my doubts. As for the answers, they will figure them out. If a group of ordinary people seeks enlightenment, this is a necessary step."

"Compared to a scholar, you truly resemble a doctor," Screwllum said sincerely.

In his sight, Ratio, who had finished his explanation, took out the seed of the Phase Flame he had just put away and let it fall to the ground.

As the phase flames engulfed him, Ratio gracefully made a bow, waved his hand, and left.

"A farce—an idiot's dilemma."

"In the end, it's merely the self-inflicted troubles of the mundane."

As his words faded, the flames suddenly flared up. Ratio's figure disappeared entirely from the space station.

At that moment, Ratio's image, in this conclusion, achieved ultimate sublimation.

Both his cold demeanor and his life experiences merged perfectly with the impactful words of his fading silhouette.

The audience finally understood why this episode was titled The Crown of the Mundane and Divine!