fullmetal alchemist.

"Boothill, wake up!"

"Ahhh, March 7th, you absolutely cannot be in trouble!"

"Is there anyone kind enough to help? Mikael, Sleepie… anyone at all, please come and save her!"

All the diners watching Celestial Screen in the restaurant were, without exception, captivated by March 7th's life-or-death situation. Even Alphonse excitedly clutched his head, and a series of "Eh, eh, eh" echoed from within his massive tin armor.

"What should we do, Brother? March 7th is going to die! She doesn't have hidden powers like Dan Heng!"

If she really did, she'd have to use them by now, wouldn't she? If she doesn't use them now, she'll only be able to use them in her next life!

"Calm down, Alphonse." Edward stared intently at Boothill's dazed and blank face on the screen. "If it's truly as Banana Aide said, and it's not it controlling Boothill, then that means anyone can give him orders, even March 7th."

"Eh? It seems that's true." Alphonse belatedly realized, "Then how will Mr. Boothill recover? Will we have to take down Dr. Primitive, the real culprit, first?"

"Taking down Dr. Primitive… then I think Boothill won't have a chance to recover. That guy is probably still holed up somewhere."

Edward analyzed, cupping his chin, "Penacony's atavism experiment seems to have been conducted separately by Professor Banana and this Research Ape controlling Banana Aide. If we can find a way to take it down, there should be a chance for recovery, right? It's just, I don't know if these people who have already turned into monkeys can change back."

---

【As she hastily turned around, March 7th had already prepared for the worst. Even if she saw a Slumbernana Monkey pointing a gun at her and pulling the Trigger, she wouldn't be too surprised.】

【However, Boothill's response still far exceeded her imagination—】

【"But, sir, murder is against the law, especially against such a beautiful lady?"】

【Accompanied by a never-before-heard tone, what appeared before March 7th was a bizarre sight that could only exist in the Memory Zone.】

【A young Boothill carefully held a ray of light, his eyes wide with surprise. And on the flip side of his Remembrance, his older self was undergoing physical transformation, turning a part of his body into mechanical alloy.】

【"Uh… I'm not the protagonist now, am I? Because of this gun?" The young Boothill examined the revolver in his hand. "It looks good, but whose life did it take? I didn't mean to."】

【"How about, you two settle your grievances yourselves, and I'll take my leave first?" The young man finished speaking and intended to walk away.】

【"You…"】

【March 7th was about to say something when she suddenly reacted, realizing something: "Wait, is this what you wanted me to witness?"】

【Banana Aide said faintly, "That's right, you must have guessed it. After all, it's just an empty dream. Even if people turn into monkeys in the dream, their bodies in reality will not undergo physiological degeneration. And he, with his incomparably resilient mind, became an even more valuable sample. His mind was not completely destroyed, but rather…"】

【"Standing here is neither a monkey nor a Galaxy Ranger. It is him from many years ago, when his homeland was not yet destroyed, living carefree on the grasslands, a 【Past Boothill】."】

【"【Incomplete Degeneration】… This is very interesting." Banana Aide smiled grimly. "Based on Remembrance calculations, this appearance is at least ten years before he first pulled the Trigger on a bandit."】

---

A Certain Magical Index.

"Homeland destroyed…"

In the stifling student dormitory on a summer night, Index murmured these words repeatedly, then suddenly looked up sharply, "Ah, Touma! I remember! Celestial Screen mentioned before that Boothill deeply resents Oswald Schneider, the head of the Interastral Peace Corporation's Market Development Department! Could it be…"

"Are you saying Oswald destroyed Boothill's homeland?"

"Yes!" Index tightly clenched her small fists, swinging them around the room, looking furious. "How could the company hire such a bastard who destroys other people's homelands to be a supervisor? It's too strange, isn't it? No wonder those people in the Strategic Investment Department also dislike him. God will definitely punish such a villain!"

"Well… but if God really can punish villains, how about trying to punish these Research Apes and Dr. Primitive first?" Touma Kamijou redirected his gaze to Celestial Screen. "Besides, there are so many villains in the universe, if God really had to punish them all, he'd probably have to wait in line, right?"

"No way!" Although many miracles that Index couldn't understand had appeared after Celestial Screen's descent, she was still unwilling to connect the Aeons with her faith.

"By the way, among the 103,000 magic books in your head, are there any records of magic similar to 'evolution' or 'degeneration'?"

Index shook her head. This clearly wasn't something magic could do, was it? Although the effects of the memetic virus resembled some kind of diffuse magic barrier, it ultimately had to be categorized as "technology" or "superpower."

"Alright." Touma sat in the chair, sighing a little dejectedly.

Although he had touched it many times, Touma Kamijou still touched his body with his right hand—as expected, Imagine Breaker was not triggered, everything was calm, and nothing happened.

The memetic virus did not belong to any category of "supernatural power."

"So troublesome…"

---

【"How marvelous it is. Whether it's the Sweet Dreams Troupe or my true self, he can end it with a single shot. But the power to pull the Trigger… comes from the heart, not the flesh. Now, he is just a child, and he simply doesn't know how to fire that shot."】

【"Alright, Mr. Cowboy, please come here. Now we will complete your final assignment—a Galaxy Ranger who stands with Dr. Primitive, a traitor born through cultivation… This is worth a few more papers."】

【Boothill seemed to gradually awaken from his daze, beginning to walk towards Banana Aide: "…A dream?"】

【"Hey, don't go over there!" March 7th tried to stop him.】

【"Quiet, Miss, please mind your etiquette when auditing a class."】

【Boothill held his head, his voice returning to the tender clarity of his childhood, though his eyes still held a hint of confusion: "Am I… dreaming?"】

【"Of course, based on your Remembrance… Where did your last Remembrance stop? Herding, or chopping wood?"】

【"Neither is correct." Boothill retorted, "It was eating hot stew. How strange, how did I fall asleep? There are still many things to do, I'll be kicked awake by Nick in a bit."】

【Banana Aide laughed heartily: "Hahaha, you haven't mentioned that name in a long time. That's right, to you right now, everything the company has done is still a distant future."】