Welcome to New Eridu, Proxy.

A city built on the edge of catastrophe.

A place where neon lights illuminate crowded streets, music pours out of convenience stores, Bangboos run errands, and ordinary people try to live ordinary lives despite the existence of supernatural disasters called Hollows.

Humanity has survived the destruction of much of the old world by learning to live around these dangerous dimensions. Yet the Hollows remain unpredictable, Ethereals lurk within their shifting landscapes, and powerful organizations compete over the resources, technology, and secrets they contain.

New Eridu is full of people with their own agendas.

The Cunning Hares accept dangerous commissions for the right price. Belobog Heavy Industries keeps the city's machinery running. Victoria Housekeeping can make almost any mess disappear. The Sons of Calydon carve out their own life beyond the city's conventional rules. Section 6 protects the city from threats that ordinary agents cannot handle. And the Public Security departments attempt to keep the streets from descending into complete chaos.

Then there are the people who operate beyond the ordinary world.

The Proxies.

The investigators.

The spies.

The performers.

The martial artists.

The scientists.

The artificial beings who are beginning to question what it means to be alive.

And the organizations whose interests extend far beyond New Eridu.

With the story expanding into Roscaelifer, the sky island known as the Celestial Nexus, the world has become much larger than the Proxies originally imagined.

Unfortunately, this is where our story takes a strange turn.

One moment, the various agents, factions, companions, and mysterious figures are going about their lives.

The next, they are transported into an enormous theater existing outside normal space and time.

A massive screen hangs above the stage.

Rows of seats extend into the distance.

Neon lights glow beneath the floor, while strange symbols pulse across the walls. Several Bangboos immediately begin wandering around, apparently delighted by the new surroundings.

Nobody knows who built this place.

Nobody knows why they have been brought here.

And nobody can leave.

Finally, the screen flickers to life.

WELCOME, PROXIES, AGENTS, AND RESIDENTS OF NEW ERIDU.

WELCOME TO THE ZENLESS ZONE ZERO REACTION ROOM.

YOU WILL WITNESS MEMORIES, HIDDEN TRUTHS, ALTERNATE UNIVERSES, POSSIBLE FUTURES, AND EVENTS BEYOND YOUR OWN WORLD.

THE VIEWER WILL CHOOSE WHAT YOU SEE.

The screen can display anything the viewer chooses.

Funny videos. Embarrassing moments. Character edits. Alternate universes. Secret identities. Future possibilities. Emotional memories. Romantic situations. Faction rivalries. Lore revelations. Forgotten history. Possible endings. Unexpected friendships. Or footage featuring people who have never met.

The screen can even reveal information that some characters have spent years trying to conceal.

Naturally, not everyone is going to react well.

Nicole immediately wants to know whether the situation comes with compensation.

Anby wants to understand the rules.

Billy is already convinced that something cool is about to happen.

Wise and Belle are trying to figure out whether this is related to their Proxy work.

Zhu Yuan wants everybody to remain calm.

Miyabi is studying the room for possible threats.

Caesar is trying to make sure her people are safe.

Nicole has somehow already started arguing with someone.

Aino is looking for the machinery controlling the screen.

And somewhere in the audience, a Bangboo is making a noise that sounds suspiciously like an attempt to start a revolution.

The characters retain their original personalities, relationships, loyalties, rivalries, secrets, and histories.

Enemies do not automatically become friends. Coworkers do not suddenly forget their disagreements. Family members do not lose their complicated relationships. And a character's appearance on the screen does not mean that everything shown is guaranteed to happen.

The entire cast is allowed to react differently.

Some will laugh.

Some will argue.

Some will investigate.

Some will become suspicious.

Some will be genuinely hurt.

And a few may recognize that the screen has revealed something far more important than anyone initially realized.

The viewer decides what happens next.

The agents react.

Welcome to New Eridu's most chaotic screening.

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