Chapter Summaries

• Nito invites Ritsuka, Mashu, and Da Vinci to her temple, the Grand Temple of the Shining Composite, explaining that entry requires passing a trial. Ritsuka and the others eagerly agree.
• Xiu Er detects an unknown presence nearby and decides to investigate alone, promising to rejoin the group. Her blunt description of the others’ conversation as “chatting” annoys Nito, while Ritsuka’s awkward response reflects his familiarity with Xiu Er’s difficult manner.
• Xiu Er emerges from a golden vortex and confronts a silver-armed knight in the desert. He introduces himself as Lucius, but Xiu Er recognizes him as Bedivere and warns him that lying could provoke an attack.
• Bedivere draws his sword after she reveals his identity, though he remains cautious rather than striking first. Xiu Er explains that she intercepted him to determine whether he posed a threat, then identifies herself as an agent involved in repairing the world. She recognizes that Bedivere may be important to restoring the Singularity and therefore has reason not to antagonize him.
  Character developments and interactions: Xiu Er remains guarded, direct, and intimidating, but her practical aim is to assess Bedivere rather than attack him outright. Bedivere’s courteous composure gives way to alarm when his identity is exposed, yet he still seeks an explanation before escalating. Ritsuka trusts Xiu Er’s abilities but worries about her social approach; Nito’s irritation is mostly unspoken.
  Themes: The chapter emphasizes mistrust and concealed identities, the tension between force and diplomacy, and the contrast between Xiu Er’s solitary methods and the group’s cooperative mission.

Plot points and events

• Bedivere initially doubts Xiu Er’s account, since he has only her word for it. Xiu Er, impatient with his skepticism, warns him against trying to save his king alone and turns to leave.
• Bedivere stops her, admits he concealed why he was in the desert, and explains that he came to investigate signs of battle. Xiu Er verifies his story and stays to hear his questions.
• Bedivere asks how she plans to repair the world’s departure from history. Xiu Er says she will find the error and either recover or destroy it, whether it is living or not.
• Bedivere insists that Xiu Er needs his help to oppose “Her,” whom he believes cannot be defeated by numbers alone. Xiu Er challenges his confidence in his own usefulness. He prepares to explain, but Xiu Er asks him to keep it brief because her companions are waiting.
• Elsewhere, Nito leads Fujimaru Ritsuka, Mashu, and Da Vinci toward a temple at the desert’s center. Mashu and Da Vinci identify its owner as the famous Pharaoh Ozymandias. Da Vinci says she has already prepared equipment to investigate the world’s altered history, but wants to wait until Xiu Er returns.
• Nito asks Ritsuka about Xiu Er’s powers and unusual puppet body. He admits he knows little about her, despite being close to her. He suggests asking Xiu Er directly, but Nito declines, unconvinced by his reassurance that she is kind beneath her cold exterior.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiu Er remains blunt, controlled, and impatient, but she verifies Bedivere’s account and gives him a chance to speak. Her stated plan to eliminate historical “errors” reveals her ruthless approach.
• Bedivere shifts from distrust to openness, revealing his reason for being in the desert and his determination to help save his king. His sorrow and pessimism suggest painful knowledge of the situation.
• Ritsuka is easygoing and candid, but his lack of knowledge about Xiu Er surprises and frustrates Nito.
• Nito is both wary of and curious about Xiu Er; her reverence for Ozymandias also makes Da Vinci and Mashu’s casual use of his name seem disrespectful to her.
• Da Vinci and Mashu recognize the historical anomaly and intend to investigate it, while showing consideration for Xiu Er by waiting for her return.

Significant themes

• Repairing distorted history: The characters are trying to understand and correct a world that has departed from its proper course.
• Trust and disclosure: Bedivere and Xiu Er cautiously test one another, with honesty gradually replacing suspicion.
• The cost of correcting an “error”: Xiu Er’s willingness to destroy a living being raises questions about whether restoring history justifies ruthless action.
• Isolation and companionship: Bedivere believes he must face the threat alone, while Xiu Er counters that he has allies—though he doubts they can prevail.

Plot points and events

• With Xiu Er gone, Fujimaru Ritsuka, Mashu, Da Vinci, and Nitocris continue through the desert. Mashu and Da Vinci fend off several Magic Beasts summoned by the Holy Grail.
• Nitocris gains more respect for Mashu and Da Vinci after seeing them fight effectively without Xiu Er’s support.
• A winged sphinx charges the group. Mashu prepares to defend them, and Ritsuka nearly activates a beacon to call in Xiu Er’s fire support. Nitocris stops them, explaining that the sphinx is her divine beast, entrusted to her by Ozymandias.
• Nitocris learns that the beacon triggers a devastating attack on everything near it when it touches the ground. She realizes how close her intervention came to causing a catastrophe.
• Nitocris offers the sphinx’s protection for the remainder of the journey but warns that the group must still pass a trial before entering the temple. They must demonstrate their strength to Ozymandias’s messenger, as required by the Pharaoh’s rules.

Character development and interactions

• Nitocris becomes more comfortable speaking with the group once Xiu Er has left, and her view of Mashu and Da Vinci improves. Her pride in her sphinx reveals a softer, more girlish side beneath her formal demeanor. She also becomes embarrassed when the group’s past encounter with a sphinx is apparent.
• Ritsuka reassures Nitocris that his team can protect her, though he remains wary of upsetting her. He is startled to learn the beacon’s danger nearly became real and is frustrated that another fight will be required.
• Mashu and Da Vinci demonstrate that they can handle threats independently, though the group still considers calling on Xiu Er when danger escalates.
• Nitocris and Ritsuka share a humorous exchange over the beacon and the upcoming trial; Ritsuka questions why a supposed invitation requires yet another test.

Significant themes

• Strength and recognition: The group’s progress depends not only on reaching the temple but also on proving its worth to Ozymandias’s representative.
• Trust and mistaken impressions: Nitocris reassesses the team after witnessing its abilities, while the group must conceal that it previously fought and defeated a sphinx.
• Power and risk: Xiu Er’s fire support is so destructive that a small accident with the beacon could endanger everyone nearby.
• Rules versus circumstances: Nitocris feels bound by Ozymandias’s decree, even when the group’s unusual situation makes the trial seem unnecessary.

Key plot points

• Nito explains that Pharaoh Ozymandias is an anomalous figure summoned into this era. Using his immense power, he transformed part of Jerusalem into the surrounding desert, making him a likely cause of the Singularity.
• Before returning to Ritsuka’s group, Xiu Er learns about the holy city from Bedivere and concludes that the situation threatens humanity. Bedivere had planned to enter the city alone, but accepts that joining forces may offer a better chance.
• Xiu Er brings Bedivere through a Space Gate to rejoin Ritsuka, Da Vinci, and Nito. Bedivere introduces himself under the name Lucius, and Da Vinci recognizes the name as belonging to a Roman emperor from Arthurian history.
• Xiu Er notices the sphinx’s hostility and questions why Ritsuka activated his beacon. She infers that the creature frightened him and that he triggered the signal before canceling it.
• The chapter ends with Da Vinci asking why “Lucius” chose to accompany Xiu Er, leaving his identity and motives open.

Character developments and interactions

• Bedivere shifts from accepting a likely solitary death to considering cooperation. His resolve to reach the holy city remains, but he is willing to pursue a more viable plan.
• Xiu Er acts as the group’s practical leader: she returns as promised, brings Bedivere with her, and quickly assesses the new situation. Her concern for Ritsuka is evident in her monitoring of his beacon—and in how close she came to responding aggressively when it activated.
• Ritsuka is delighted by Xiu Er’s return and relies on her competence, though he is embarrassed when Bedivere knows his name. His startled beacon activation reveals how threatening the sphinx seemed to him.
• Da Vinci remains inquisitive and socially tactful, greeting Bedivere warmly while probing the significance of his chosen name.
• Nito is briefly caught off guard by Xiu Er’s sudden arrival, while her sphinx becomes wary of the newcomer.

Significant themes

• Cooperation versus isolation: Bedivere recognizes that facing the holy city alone is nearly hopeless.
• A distorted history and looming danger: The desert, Ozymandias, and the holy city signal that this Singularity has radically altered the expected course of events.
• Trust and reliance: Ritsuka’s confidence in Xiu Er and Bedivere’s willingness to follow her suggest the beginnings of a broader alliance.
• Uncertain identity: Bedivere’s use of “Lucius” raises questions about who he is and how he relates to the historical figure Da Vinci recognizes.

Key plot points and events

• Da Vinci suspects Bedivere is concealing his identity, but is more curious about why Xiu Er brought him through the Space Gate.
• Bedivere introduces himself to Da Vinci under a false name. Nitocris recognizes his armor as belonging to a knight of the Holy City, making him more guarded.
• Nitocris is nervous around Xiu Er, though she insists she is not. Xiu Er notices and teases her until the Sphinx’s growling draws everyone’s attention.
• Nitocris clarifies that the Sphinx—not she herself—was meant to test the group in battle. It has already acknowledged Xiu Er’s strength, so he does not need to take the test.
• Xiu Er proposes splitting up: he and Bedivere will investigate the Holy City, while Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others accompany Nitocris to the desert temple and seek the Pharaoh King. Da Vinci and Ritsuka approve, and the groups depart.
• On the way to the Holy City, Bedivere asks why Xiu Er went to meet the others when he could have communicated remotely. Xiu Er explains that he did it because of their agreement.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiu Er remains blunt, difficult to read, and intensely interested in formidable opponents. He also shows that he takes agreements seriously, even when another option would be more convenient.
• Bedivere continues to hide his identity and grows curious about Xiu Er’s motives and unusual abilities. He is impressed by Xiu Er’s spatial magic and direct manner.
• Nitocris struggles to conceal her nervousness around Xiu Er, then regains her composure and asserts her authority. Her relief at his departure suggests his presence unsettles her.
• Da Vinci carefully observes both Bedivere’s evasiveness and the group’s dynamics, while approving Xiu Er’s practical plan.
• Ritsuka recognizes Xiu Er’s habit of acting independently and checks where he intends to go, but ultimately accepts his proposal.

Significant themes

• Trust and concealed identity: Bedivere’s false introduction raises questions about what he is hiding.
• Duty and agreements: Xiu Er’s explanation suggests that keeping his word matters to him, even when it is not strictly necessary.
• Efficiency and cooperation: The party divides its efforts to investigate two anomalies at once, balancing Xiu Er’s independence with the group’s needs.

Plot points and events

• Bedivere knows the Holy City’s direction but not its exact coordinates. Xiu Er uses her unusual information-gathering ability to locate it and opens a Space Gate directly to the city.
• Bedivere hesitates at the prospect of entering. Though he longs to return, he is unsure how to face the altered King and Round Table, whose actions have helped ruin the land. Xiu Er gives him time to compose himself.
• Fou suddenly appears, overjoyed to find Xiu Er. He explains that he became separated from the Chaldea group—and from Xiu Er—during Spiritron Transfer, then wandered across the desert.
• Xiu Er reassures Fou that Mashu and the others are safe and explains their current plan: Ritsuka’s group is investigating the temple and its master, Ozymandias, while she and Bedivere will approach the Holy City. Fou will accompany them.

Character developments

• Bedivere remains courteous and guarded, but his hesitation reveals the pain and uncertainty behind his wish to return to the Holy City. He also continues to respect Xiu Er’s privacy despite being startled by her abilities.
• Xiu Er shows both formidable capabilities—finding coordinates, opening a portal, and understanding Fou—and quiet compassion, patiently waiting for Bedivere and comforting Fou. She is also careful to monitor Fou’s safety.
• Fou is reunited with Xiu Er after a frightening, lonely journey. He is relieved to learn the others are safe and accepts traveling with her.

Significant themes

• Homecoming and alienation: Bedivere longs to return, but the Holy City and its people have changed, making “home” difficult to face.
• Trust and privacy: Bedivere chooses not to pry into Xiu Er’s mysterious powers, while she shares only what is needed.
• Companionship amid danger: Fou’s reunion with Xiu Er offers warmth and relief in the hostile desert.
• The uncanny becoming familiar: Bedivere’s exposure to Xiu Er’s abilities makes him increasingly less surprised by the extraordinary.

Character interactions

• Xiu Er respects Bedivere’s emotional pause rather than pushing him through the portal.
• Bedivere watches Xiu Er communicate with Fou and is astonished by her ability to understand him.
• Xiu Er comforts Fou, introduces him to Bedivere, and explains the group’s split mission; Bedivere voices some concern about bringing Fou along but does not object.
• With Fou’s situation settled, Xiu Er asks Bedivere if he is ready to proceed to the Holy City, and he steels himself to enter.

Plot points

• Xiu Er enters the Golden Passage first, warning of enemy contact. Bedivere follows her into the Holy City, where they are immediately surrounded by armored knights.
• Xiu Er swiftly defeats the guards, using a shield, her purple greatsword, and a sweeping sword wave. The knights dissolve into Magic Power particles.
• She reveals that she has enclosed the area in a private Boundary—a reconstructed copy of the Holy City—so their arrival and fighting won’t alert the Lion King directly or endanger civilians. She can control who enters and leaves it.
• Xiu Er gives Bedivere a miniature transporter that lets him move between the Boundary and corresponding locations in the real city. After confirming he knows the truth about the Holy City, she lets him continue alone toward the palace.
• Xiu Er heads off through the Boundary’s empty streets, whose realistic scenery and sounds of unseen townspeople make the replica feel both prosperous and eerie.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiu Er demonstrates tactical foresight and concern for civilians, while also showing her confidence and considerable control over space. She respects Bedivere’s decision to fulfill his mission alone and provides him with a means to proceed.
• Bedivere is initially bewildered by the sudden attack and Xiu Er’s abilities. Though grateful for her help, he chooses to separate from her and face his responsibility himself, gripping the transporter as he goes.
• Their partnership shifts from working together toward their shared destination to pursuing separate tasks. Xiu Er also knows from the Codex of the Whispers that Bedivere will die once he completes his duty, though she does not tell him.

Significant themes

• Protection amid conflict: Xiu Er’s plan is designed to keep civilians out of the danger, even while she infiltrates a hostile city.
• Duty and sacrifice: Bedivere presses on alone despite the apparent cost of fulfilling his responsibility.
• Reality and illusion: The Boundary perfectly mirrors the Holy City, but its unseen inhabitants and artificial surroundings blur the line between a living city and an empty construct.

Plot points and events

• After parting from Bedivere, Xiu Er tracks his movements and sees that he has gone directly to the royal palace. She believes his chances against the Lion King are poor, but respects his sense of duty and does not stop him.
• Xiu Er and Fou head toward the Holy City’s gates. From within the overlapping Boundary, she can observe conditions in the city outside.
• She detects someone entering the Boundary and pulls a large blond knight through. He attacks her, but her defenses repeatedly repel him, hurling him into a building and then a wall.
• The knight, still unharmed, apologizes for underestimating her and prepares to fight seriously. Xiu Er answers his questions with silence and a sudden laser attack.
• Using the Codex of the Whispers, Xiu Er identifies him as Gawain, a Knight of the Round Table and one of Bedivere’s colleagues. She also learns that his sword is the Sacred Sword of the Sun, sister to Excalibur.
• Gawain’s daylight blessing grants him great all-around strength during set hours. In this singularity, he also possesses the Lion King’s additional blessing, Unsleeping Charm.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiu Er shows respect for Bedivere’s agency despite fearing for his safety. In combat, she remains calm and observant, treating the encounter as both a threat and an opportunity to gather information.
• Fou reacts sadly to Bedivere’s likely fate and accompanies Xiu Er, though it contributes little to the confrontation.
• Gawain begins arrogant and assumes Xiu Er is an intruder he can easily capture. After being thrown back twice, he acknowledges his mistake and becomes more cautious and serious.
• The confrontation is marked by a contrast in styles: Gawain relies on direct force and questioning, while Xiu Er responds with silence, concealed defenses, ranged attacks, and analysis.

Significant themes

• Duty and free will: Xiu Er allows Bedivere to pursue his dangerous mission because it is his chosen responsibility.
• Appearance versus capability: Gawain initially misjudges Xiu Er by her unarmed appearance, while her hidden technology and magic-like abilities overturn his assumptions.
• Knowledge as power: Both combatants observe one another, but Xiu Er’s Codex gives her a decisive advantage by rapidly revealing Gawain’s identity and abilities.
• Escalating danger: By drawing one of the Lion King’s senior knights into the Boundary, Xiu Er risks exposing her presence to the ruler of the Holy City.

Plot points and events

• Gawain’s presence keeps the area around him in perpetual “noon,” leaving his time-limited strength-enhancing blessing constantly active. Xiu Er is not interested in that blessing; she wants to obtain and reproduce his Noble Phantasm, the sacred sword Galatine.
• Xiu Er exploits a sudden collapse in the ground to catch Gawain off guard. She touches Galatine and transfers golden energy into it, then kicks away as Gawain retaliates. The energy detonates, causing a huge explosion that destroys nearby buildings and street.
• Gawain emerges unharmed thanks to his blessing and counters with a sword wave. Xiu Er dodges and reveals that the blast was meant to analyze Galatine, not damage it.
• She removes her hairpin and invokes “Codex Opening—Fake Demoness,” forming a new weapon. Gawain charges to interrupt her, but she meets his descending strike with an upward slash.
• In a parallel earlier scene, Ritsuka, Mashu, Roman, and Da Vinci reach the temple after passing Nitocris’s trial. Nitocris has left them, embarrassed by her conflicted feelings toward Xiu Er, who both frustrated and rescued her. At the temple, Nitocris checks whether Xiu Er has returned, tells the group Ozymandias is waiting, and departs.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiu Er displays tactical resourcefulness, using environmental manipulation, a brief touch, and a decoy-like explosion to gather data on Galatine. Her larger aim is to reproduce the sword.
• Gawain remains confident and aggressive, trusting his blessing to protect him, but recognizes that Xiu Er is an unusual and dangerous opponent.
• Nitocris is grateful to Xiu Er yet still embarrassed and irritated by her, so she avoids meeting her directly while nevertheless asking after her.
• Ritsuka lightly complains that Xiu Er has separated from the group again, while Roman and Da Vinci share the teasing criticism. Mashu remains quiet after the trial.

Significant themes

• Adaptation and ingenuity: Xiu Er turns an opponent’s strength and environment into opportunities for analysis.
• Power versus vulnerability: Gawain’s blessing makes him exceptionally hard to harm, but it does not prevent Xiu Er from studying his weapon or controlling the encounter.
• Conflicted gratitude: Nitocris’s response to Xiu Er combines resentment, embarrassment, and genuine appreciation.
• Reliance and connection: Chaldea must stay in contact with Ritsuka to affirm his existence in the Singularity, underscoring the importance of maintaining ties across time and worlds.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Xiu Er surprises Gawain by producing a huge silver greatsword. Though it resembles his treasured sword, it is only a counterfeit.
• She uses the momentary distraction to attack, but Gawain’s daytime blessing lets him withstand her strikes and counter. He catches her fist, disarms her, and lifts her off the ground.
• Gawain notices that, despite the surrounding noise, no one else is present. When he demands to know what happened, Xiu Er remains silent, then announces that her analysis is complete and she is beginning “Mimicry.”
• A flash of golden light transforms Xiu Er into a near-perfect copy of Gawain. The copy matches his strength, weapon, appearance, and swordsmanship, and quickly gains the advantage in their close-quarters fight.
• Gawain recognizes flaws in the imitation and rejects it as an insult to his identity. He kicks its sword away to create distance and begins channeling magical power into his own sword, preparing a stronger attack.

Character developments

• Xiu Er remains unnervingly calm and expressionless, even while captured. Rather than relying only on speed, she uses analysis and transformation to adapt to Gawain.
• Gawain shifts from treating Xiu Er as a troublesome intruder to recognizing her as a serious opponent. His confidence and anger grow as she copies his form, though he begins to identify weaknesses in the mimic.

Significant themes

• Adaptation and imitation: Xiu Er studies her opponent and reproduces his abilities, turning his own strengths against him.
• Identity and authenticity: Gawain is deeply offended when Xiu Er copies his appearance and weapon, distinguishing between a genuine original and an imitation.
• Composure versus emotion: Xiu Er’s detachment contrasts with Gawain’s rising frustration, which affects how each responds to the fight.

Character interactions

• The chapter centers on a rapidly escalating duel: Xiu Er exploits Gawain’s brief surprise, while he uses his blessing, physical power, and combat experience to restrain and counter her.
• Their exchange changes when Xiu Er transforms into Gawain’s double. The copy mirrors his techniques but acts with cold precision, provoking the original into an angry response.

Chapter summary

• The duel escalates: Gawain invokes his Noble Phantasm, Galatine, creating a blazing sun overhead and unleashing a wave of fire that devastates the false city. Xiu Er, still wearing Gawain’s appearance, survives the attack and counters with Clarent Blood Arthur, a crimson-gold pillar of immense magical power.
• Gawain fights back: Recognizing that the attack cannot be avoided—and realizing the city is an illusion created by his opponent—Gawain meets it with a second, full-strength Galatine. Xiu Er’s attack suddenly grows more than tenfold in power, slices through his flames, and engulfs him.
• The battle remains unresolved: The blast leaves Gawain badly burned and his armor damaged, but he remains standing and has enough strength to continue fighting. Xiu Er does not press her advantage, instead calmly assessing the damage.

Character developments and interactions

• Gawain begins furious at what he sees as an insult and blasphemy, but his confidence gives way to shock and fear when Xiu Er’s attack overwhelms Galatine. Despite his injuries, he remains proud and composed. He acknowledges the strength of his opponent and asks for their name.
• Xiu Er stays controlled and silent throughout the confrontation. She uses Gawain’s form and a weapon that feels oversized to her, but adapts quickly. Her restraint after defeating Gawain earns his respect, though she still refuses to speak.
• Their exchange shifts from contemptuous challenge to grudging respect: Gawain now recognizes Xiu Er as a formidable opponent rather than a mere intruder, while Xiu Er offers him no explanation or personal response.

Significant themes

• Appearances versus reality: Xiu Er looks like Gawain but is an entirely different opponent; the city itself is also a constructed illusion.
• Power and resilience: Gawain’s immense strength and blessing let him endure devastating damage, but Xiu Er’s attack surpasses even his powerful Noble Phantasm.
• Respect earned through combat: Gawain’s judgment changes as he witnesses Xiu Er’s strength and restraint.
• Silence and mystery: Xiu Er’s refusal to identify herself leaves both her motives and the familiar presence Gawain senses in her attack unexplained.

Key plot points and events

• Gawain realizes that Xiu Er carries Mordred’s crimson sword, though her replication ability had disguised its familiar aura.
• He refuses to abandon his loyalty to the King, even when Xiu Er questions whether an honorable knight should serve a ruler who has strayed. He recovers his armor and strength, then resumes the fight.
• Xiu Er decides the battle has served its purpose and opens the Codex of Michael, producing a Golden Key.
• Gawain demands to know what happened to Mordred. Xiu Er gives no explanation, then suddenly reappears at close range.
• The key pierces Gawain’s chest and suppresses his magic, disabling both his power and the blessing that makes him formidable in daylight. Xiu Er follows with brutal punches, breaking his armor and injuring him badly.
• Xiu Er draws Mordred’s sword, channels Gawain’s own power through it, and raises a towering pillar of fire—preparing to strike him with a version of his own Sun Holy Sword.

Character developments

• Gawain remains unwaveringly loyal to the King, even while showing a trace of regret when challenged about that loyalty. His confidence and power collapse once his blessing and magic are suppressed, leaving him confused and physically vulnerable.
• Xiu Er is analytical and unsentimental: once she has learned what she wanted, she ends the fight efficiently. Her ability to suppress Gawain’s powers and reproduce his Noble Phantasm demonstrates the extent of her threat.

Significant themes

• Loyalty versus conscience: Xiu Er’s question suggests that service to a king may conflict with a knight’s moral judgment; Gawain chooses loyalty regardless.
• Power and vulnerability: Gawain’s reputation and strength depend heavily on external blessings, and their removal exposes his limits.
• Imitation and identity: Xiu Er uses replicated weapons and powers, turning Gawain’s own abilities against him.
• Efficiency over honor: Xiu Er treats the battle as a problem to solve, while Gawain’s knightly convictions keep him engaged.

Character interactions

• Xiu Er challenges Gawain’s loyalty; he answers with a renewed declaration of service and labels her an obstacle.
• Gawain confronts her about Mordred, whom he regards as a fellow knight, but she remains silent.
• Their fight shifts sharply when Xiu Er disables his blessing, overwhelms him physically, and prepares to finish him with power that Gawain recognizes as his own.

Plot and events

• Gawain, badly injured and unable to draw on enough mana to match Xiu Er’s attack, refuses to surrender and makes a final stand. Xiu Er prepares to finish him with a devastating golden-flame strike.
• A brief breach in the false space around the holy city allows reinforcements to enter. Mordred fires Clarent Blood Arthur to save Gawain, but Xiu Er’s attack overwhelms it. Lancelot then engages Xiu Er directly, while Tristan attacks from a distance with crimson projectiles.
• Xiu Er drives her sword into the ground, unleashing a vast golden blast that destroys nearly the entire city and exposes the three reinforcements: Mordred, Lancelot, and Tristan. The central tower remains intact.
• Mordred charges Xiu Er, accusing her of impersonating Gawain and deceiving the king. She fires Clarent Blood Arthur at close range, but Xiu Er survives and counters. Mordred uses her instincts to block the incoming strike, and their swords clash.

Character developments and interactions

• Gawain is gravely wounded but remains determined to fight for his convictions and loyalty to his king. Xiu Er recognizes his resolve, though it does not change her intention to defeat him.
• Xiu Er remains composed and overwhelmingly powerful, treating the knights’ attacks as manageable threats. She recognizes Mordred’s familiar temperament and impatience.
• Mordred is fiercely protective of the king and quick to attack, letting anger override her taunts. Her combat instincts save her from Xiu Er’s counterattack.
• Lancelot fights with restraint and discipline, while Tristan supports the others from a distance.
• The king sends three Knights of the Round Table rather than lesser troops, suggesting the defenders understand that ordinary forces would be ineffective against Xiu Er.

Significant themes

• Conviction and perseverance: Gawain continues fighting despite knowing defeat is unavoidable.
• Loyalty and protection: The three knights risk themselves to defend their king and city.
• Power and deception: Xiu Er’s counterfeit appearance and overwhelming strength unsettle the defenders, while the destruction of the false city reveals the scale of the conflict.

Plot and key events

• Mordred fights Xiu Er, whose borrowed strength proves greater than even Gawain’s. Mordred repeatedly unleashes her Noble Phantasm, Clarent Blood Arthur, sustained by her King-given blessing, Rampage.
• Xiu Er redirects one blast into Tristan and uses a binding spell to prevent him from escaping. Tristan is struck, while Mordred’s rage drives her to prepare another attack.
• Knowing Mordred’s combat data and the limits of her Instinct, Xiu Er tricks her into making contact, then uses Ain Soph to exile her into a separate gap world. The Knights do not know whether Mordred is dead or merely gone.
• Lancelot and Tristan recognize the danger of approaching Xiu Er, but Lancelot prepares to fight as she turns her attention to him.
• Meanwhile, Ritsuka’s group learns that Ozymandias, the Sun King, possesses Solomon’s Holy Grail. He refuses to hand it over until they have witnessed the world’s abnormalities and visited Camelot.
• The group waits at an oasis for Xiu Er to return from gathering intelligence in the Holy City.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiu Er fights pragmatically, using opponents’ attacks and her knowledge of their abilities to control the battle. She sees little reason to prolong the fight with Mordred.
• Mordred displays her usual aggression and defiance, but her anger at Tristan being caught in her attack leaves her vulnerable to Xiu Er’s trap.
• Tristan is injured by Mordred’s redirected Noble Phantasm; Lancelot, previously unable to intervene, becomes wary and braces for combat.
• Ritsuka is briefly disappointed and confused by Ozymandias’s demand, but quickly regains composure, trusting that Xiu Er will soon provide information.
• Mash reflects on her unusual connection to the Knights of the Round Table through the nameless Heroic Spirit fused with her. She also feels gratitude and affection toward Xiu Er, whose care has helped delay Mash’s condition.

Significant themes

• Power through knowledge and control: Xiu Er’s advantage comes not just from strength, but from collected data, tactical deception, and mastery over the Boundary.
• Trust and care: Mash recognizes that Xiu Er’s battle-focused nature coexists with genuine concern for her companions.
• Uncertainty and revelation: Ozymandias insists the group must see the truth of the world before receiving the Grail, while the Knights are left uncertain about Mordred’s fate.

Plot points and events

• Fujimaru Ritsuka, Mashu, and Da Vinci discuss whether to contact Xiu Er. Ritsuka decides against it, knowing she dislikes being interrupted during serious work.
• With no other leads, the group plans to visit the holy city and discover the “truth” the Sun King wants Ritsuka to see.
• Da Vinci unveils a homemade golden desert vehicle, assembled from materials taken—with permission—from the temple. Though she admits she has no driver’s license, she insists her genius and familiarity with her invention make driving no problem.
• Da Vinci accelerates abruptly, sending the vehicle racing away from the oasis while Ritsuka screams.
• In a separate scene, Mordred is struck by an apparently harmless punch. In the same instant, the enemy and her companions vanish, leaving her alone in the false city.
• Realizing she has likely been trapped in another layer of illusion, Mordred attacks the city with her Noble Phantasm. She destroys its buildings but cannot damage the illusion itself.

Character developments and interactions

• Ritsuka remains determined and optimistic about pursuing the mystery, though he is wary of interrupting Xiu Er. His concern about Da Vinci’s driving turns into nervous disbelief and then reluctant trust.
• Da Vinci is playful and proud of her engineering, enjoying her companions’ praise. Her confidence in her driving quickly proves unnerving to the passengers.
• Mashu shares Ritsuka’s admiration for Da Vinci, but also recognizes the danger of an unlicensed driver.
• Mordred reacts to isolation with anger and defiance. Rather than wait helplessly, she immediately tries to escape by force, only to find the illusion impervious.

Significant themes

• Persistence in uncertainty: Ritsuka chooses to keep moving toward answers, while Mordred fights an unknown trap rather than surrender.
• Knowledge and illusion: Mordred’s predicament highlights how powerful and layered the enemy’s illusion can be, and how brute force may not overcome it.
• Comedy amid danger: The group’s lighthearted banter and Da Vinci’s reckless drive contrast with the tense, threatening situation surrounding Mordred.

Plot points and events

• Mordred refuses to surrender to the enemy’s bizarre power and prepares to fight back, but her fate remains unknown.
• A false Gawain overwhelms Lancelot with immense strength, Gawain-like swordsmanship, and other powers. Tristan supports Lancelot with harp-fired energy, but his attacks barely affect the enemy.
• Lancelot recognizes that the opponent is not truly Gawain and that the tactics that once worked against the real knight will not help. After Tristan’s attack distracts the enemy, Lancelot unleashes Aroundight Overload, striking it with a powerful slash. The scene cuts off as Tristan warns him to watch out, leaving the outcome unclear.
• Elsewhere, Da Vinci drives a golden vehicle across the desert. Her fast driving leaves Ritsuka nauseated, while Mashu comforts him and offers him water.

Character developments and interactions

• Lancelot stays cautious after seeing Mordred disappear, adapts when ordinary swordsmanship proves ineffective, and risks a powerful Noble Phantasm against the false Gawain.
• Tristan continues fighting despite his attacks having little effect, using his precise, curving shots to create an opening for Lancelot. His melancholy commentary goes unnoticed amid the battle.
• Mordred’s defiant resolve is emphasized, though she remains missing.
• Da Vinci is playful and unapologetic about her reckless driving; Mashu acts as Ritsuka’s caretaker, while Ritsuka recovers from motion sickness.

Significant themes

• Imitation versus identity: The false Gawain resembles the real knight but differs enough that Lancelot cannot rely on past experience.
• Adaptation and teamwork: Lancelot changes tactics, and Tristan’s support gives him a chance to strike.
• Uncertainty and danger: The enemy’s abilities and Mordred’s fate remain unclear, and even Lancelot’s powerful attack may not be enough.

Key plot points and events

• Da Vinci drives Ritsuka and Mash toward the holy city in a magically created vehicle. She teases Ritsuka by driving recklessly, then reveals she has switched on its automatic-driving function.
• As they travel, Ritsuka wonders what Xiu Er is doing after separating from them. Da Vinci suspects she is probably picking a fight, based on her past behavior.
• They leave the vehicle well short of the city to avoid being spotted and continue on foot. Da Vinci stores the vehicle and their supplies—including a small emergency shelter—in her item-storage ability.
• The group enters a devastated region of cracked, scorched earth and huge fissures. Da Vinci suspects the destruction may be man-made, noting that magical energy still lingers, but cannot confirm its cause.
• At dusk, they approach the holy city and see a crowd gathered at its gates, including refugees and merchants. The few guards appear to be sealing the area.
• Da Vinci cannot spot Xiu Er but concludes she is probably already inside the city and may have caused the guards’ unusual activity. Ritsuka worries that she could antagonize the city’s authorities, though the group decides to approach the gate rather than speculate.
• Before they can move, a brilliant flash erupts from the city’s central tower. A dark object bursts through the city wall and hurtles toward them.

Character developments and interactions

• Ritsuka remains the ordinary, vulnerable human among powerful companions. He is anxious about Da Vinci’s reckless driving and later about Xiu Er’s tendency to provoke trouble, but he steadies himself and resolves to act on evidence rather than worry.
• Da Vinci displays her playful, teasing nature while also demonstrating practical ingenuity: she provides transport, storage, and emergency supplies. She takes the lead in assessing the city and its surroundings.
• Mash is protective of Ritsuka and shares his concern about the ruined land. She also helps assess the distant crowd and recalls Xiu Er’s ability to bypass conventional defenses.
• Xiu Er, though absent, shapes the group’s expectations. Her unpredictable, confrontational reputation leads Da Vinci to suspect she is behind the city’s heightened security.
• The group’s concern for Xiu Er is mixed with apprehension about the consequences of her actions; they ultimately agree to investigate together.

Significant themes

• Uncertainty and judgment: The party encounters a mysterious wasteland and unexplained security measures, but Da Vinci distinguishes speculation from confirmed facts.
• Power and vulnerability: Ritsuka depends on his Servant companions for protection, while their abilities and technology make the journey possible.
• Contrast and foreboding: The holy city’s grandeur stands against the devastation surrounding it, suggesting that its prosperity may coexist with—or conceal—catastrophe.
• Disruption and consequence: Xiu Er’s freedom to bypass barriers may be useful, but her impulsiveness could create conflict before the group can negotiate.

Summary

Key plot points and events

• The Chaldea group spots a person falling from the sky and rushes toward the crash. Da Vinci pauses to observe the Holy City’s tower and senses someone watching her from above, making her suspect that trouble lies ahead.
• In the battle, Xiu Er’s counterfeit Gawain survives Lancelot’s Noble Phantasm. Her shell is damaged, but she repairs it with magical energy and completes an analysis of his attack.
• Xiu Er launches a surprise counterattack with a golden sword. Lancelot blocks the initial strike, but is blinded by a flash and then stabbed through the chest by Aroundight Overload. He is gravely wounded and can barely stand.
• Xiu Er turns to Tristan. Their fight is overwhelmingly one-sided: she deploys Mordred’s crimson Noble Phantasm, Clarent, whose lightning devastates much of the Holy City and badly burns Tristan.
• Lancelot realizes the three knights have been defeated one by one, yet is puzzled that Xiu Er spared his life rather than killing him outright.
• Xiu Er then invokes Gawain’s sword, Galatine, transforming it into a blazing, sun-like weapon. The chapter ends as she catches the returning sword, its heat scorching the battlefield.

Character developments

• Xiu Er demonstrates that she can withstand and analyze enemy Noble Phantasms, then reproduce or wield weapons associated with different knights. Her calculated restraint toward Lancelot hints at an unknown purpose.
• Lancelot is pushed to the brink despite his discipline and skill. His exhaustion leaves him vulnerable, but his instincts allow him to survive the first counterattack.
• Tristan abandons his usual composure and elegant style to urgently warn Lancelot. He fights on despite being badly injured.
• Da Vinci becomes serious after sensing the gaze from the tower, recognizing a looming threat.
• Fujimaru and Mash respond to the falling figure with immediate concern and hurry toward the crash.

Significant themes

• Adaptation and imitation: Xiu Er analyzes attacks and shifts between the powers and weapons of different knights.
• The limits of individual strength: The Round Table knights are separated and overwhelmed despite their combined experience.
• Uncertainty and hidden motives: Xiu Er’s decision not to kill Lancelot raises questions about her intentions.
• Destruction beneath false appearances: The artificial Holy City’s grandeur is rapidly erased by the battle’s power.

Character interactions

• Fujimaru urges Da Vinci and Mash to investigate the fallen figure; Mash follows him, while Da Vinci first watches the tower.
• Tristan’s warning and covering attack briefly support Lancelot, though they cannot stop Xiu Er.
• Lancelot and Tristan are forced to face Xiu Er separately as she shifts her attention between them, leaving both badly wounded.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• While disguised as Gawain, Xiu Er prepares to strike the badly wounded Tristan with a counterfeit version of Gawain’s Noble Phantasm, Shifuru. She has already demonstrated imitations of three Round Table knights and their powers, with seemingly enormous reserves of Magic Power.
• Lancelot realizes Xiu Er may be the “Outsider” foretold to bring down royal authority. He tries to warn his companions, but his injuries leave him nearly unable to speak or move.
• Before attacking, Xiu Er asks Tristan whether a knight should follow a king who has strayed from the right path. Tristan admits that the Lion King has departed from her original course, but insists that a knight must obey her—even if that means attacking former comrades and innocent people.
• Xiu Er explains that Tristan’s cold, ruthless personality is the result of the Lion King’s “Reversal” blessing, which reverses his traits rather than enhancing his physical abilities.
• Tristan calls Xiu Er a fake who cannot understand the Round Table’s faith. Xiu Er then turns the same question on Lancelot, who hesitates and cannot bring himself to answer. Tristan recognizes that Lancelot’s silence contradicts his own declaration of absolute loyalty.
• Before Xiu Er can continue, a powerful golden strike erupts from the tower. A figure inside a golden sphere—Bedivere—is hurled beyond the city gates. The blow tears open the false sky over Xiu Er’s Boundary, revealing the real crimson sunset.

Character developments

• Xiu Er remains calm and inquisitive even while holding a potentially lethal attack ready. She uses the confrontation to test the knights’ loyalty and assess their differences.
• Tristan openly embraces obedience to the Lion King, despite knowing she has strayed. His “Reversal” blessing explains his departure from his traditionally sorrowful, emotional nature.
• Lancelot reveals inner conflict through his silence and visible remorse. Though badly injured, his reluctance to endorse the king’s actions sets him apart from Tristan and Gawain.
• Bedivere is shown confronting the Lion King alone inside the tower and is violently struck back, though the golden sphere protects or contains him.

Significant themes

• Loyalty versus conscience: The chapter contrasts unquestioning obedience with the moral burden of recognizing a ruler’s wrongdoing.
• Identity and imitation: Xiu Er’s copies of the knights’ appearances and Noble Phantasms provoke questions about what makes someone genuine—power, appearance, or belief.
• Corruption and reversal: The Lion King’s blessings alter her knights, with Tristan’s blessing transforming his personality and complicating his responsibility for his actions.
• Prophecy and outsiderhood: Lancelot connects Xiu Er’s unprecedented power and arrival to the prophecy warning of the collapse of royal authority.

Character interactions

• Xiu Er interrogates Tristan about loyalty, prompting him to defend obedience even at the cost of harming allies and innocents.
• Tristan’s certainty clashes with Lancelot’s hesitation, exposing a divide between the two knights and stirring mutual discomfort.
• Xiu Er observes their differing reactions but is interrupted before she can question Lancelot further.
• The Lion King’s attack on Bedivere abruptly shifts attention from the knights’ moral debate to the conflict at the tower.

Key plot points and events

• Xiu Er’s attack tears open the false Holy City’s sky, revealing the real world and blasting Bedivere back through the city gate. Her defensive device protects him from injury, though it has used too much energy to defend him again.
• The breach quickly closes, but a third, stronger burst of light from the tower rips the sky open once more. Golden light floods the heavens, and an immense magical-energy presence gathers over the false city.
• Tristan and Lancelot recognize the phenomenon as the King’s judgment and react with terror.
• In the real world, Ritsuka and Mashu reach Bedivere, who has crashed into a crater among the crowd. They help him up and avoid revealing his identity as Bedivere.
• Bedivere recognizes the pair and urges them to leave rather than discuss what happened. Before they can get answers, the golden sky appears overhead.
• Da Vinci arrives, visibly grave, while Dr. Roman reports a rapid rise in magical energy and warns of the danger.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiu Er confirms Bedivere is safe, then refocuses on the threat unfolding above the false city.
• Bedivere is dazed but unharmed. His urgency suggests he understands the danger and wants Ritsuka and Mashu clear of it.
• Ritsuka and Mashu act quickly and cooperatively to rescue Bedivere, showing concern for him and awareness that his identity should remain concealed.
• Tristan and Lancelot shift from surprise at the King’s power to fear as the golden phenomenon intensifies.
• Da Vinci and Roman reinforce the seriousness of the crisis, with Da Vinci’s solemnity and Roman’s warning signaling that the danger is escalating.

Significant themes

• Power and judgment: The King’s intervention is so overwhelming that even seasoned knights fear its consequences.
• Fragile boundaries between worlds: The repeated tears in the sky expose the connection between the false Holy City and reality.
• Urgency over explanation: As danger mounts, the characters must act before they can understand what is happening.