Chapter Summaries

Shana reached the Starry Sky Palace by recreating the transfer Formula, then rescued Fang Li and tried to escape with him. Surrounded by Black Catty, Shudenan, and Belphegor, she followed Fang Li’s command to unleash her flames and heard him ask whether she believed him.

• Shana used a fragment of Belphegor’s transfer Formula and Margery Daw’s help to reach the Starry Sky Palace after Fang Li exposed its coordinates.
• Shana grabbed Fang Li and flew toward the exit, but Black Catty attacked with beams and Shudenan blocked her path with a powerful spear strike.
• Belphegor’s chains surrounded Shana and Fang Li as Shudenan charged again.
• Fang Li told Shana to detonate her flames, and she unleashed an Explosive Flame while the azure fireproof ring shielded them.
• Fang Li asked Shana whether she believed him.

Fang Li pressed the Happiness Trigger to Shana’s forehead and fired, awakening the terrifying power of Alastor. Alastor manifested as a colossal flame giant and engulfed the Starry Sky Palace in Crimson Karma Fire.

• Fang Li aimed the Happiness Trigger at Shana, and Shana told him to shoot rather than answer his question.
• Fang Li pulled the trigger, and the Three Pillars sensed a terrifying presence awakening within the flames.
• Belphegor warned the apostles to run as Black Catty and Shudenan fled from the spreading fire.
• Crimson Karma Fire swept through the Starry Sky Palace, burning apostles and Rinne to ash and consuming its buildings.
• Alastor manifested as a giant of fire, and the Crimson Flame swallowed the entire Starry Sky Palace.

The Starry Sky Palace crashed into the desert and burned after Alastor manifested his power, killing nearly everyone inside. Black Catty and the surviving members of Bal Masqué realized Fang Li and the Flame Haze Warrior had escaped, while Shudenan’s grave injuries left the group unable to continue fighting.

• The Starry Sky Palace fell from the sky and burned, and Black Catty, Shudenan, Belphegor, Sabrac, and Fekir escaped while the rest of its occupants perished.
• Sabrac asked whether the flames showed the power of a god, and Black Catty explained that Alastor had manifested only a portion of his power.
• Belphegor wondered whether Fang Li and the Flame Haze Warrior had died, but Black Catty insisted Fang Li would survive a disaster of that magnitude.
• Shudenan revealed that Fang Li’s attack had left him gravely injured and unable to recover the pieces of his body that had been cut apart.
• Belphegor vowed that Fang Li and the Flame Haze Warrior would not be so lucky next time, while Black Catty silently watched the Starry Sky Palace burn.

Shana woke in a desert beside the unconscious Fang Li after they escaped the burning Starry Sky Palace. Alastor explained how Fang Li had awakened him to save them, then urged Shana to find Fang Li a place to recover.

• Shana woke naked in the desert beside the unconscious Fang Li and covered herself with a black coat.
• Alastor told Shana that his incomplete manifestation had burned the Starry Sky Palace and that Fang Li had escaped with her after surviving his flames.
• Alastor explained that Shana survived the Happiness Trigger because she could contain his power as a person of greatness.
• Alastor said Fang Li had used the Holy Mark to withstand the flames and had likely used it before to escape Bal Masqué, leaving his soul in agony.
• Alastor judged that Fang Li might be a person of greatness whose existence equaled or surpassed Shana's, and Shana felt pleased by the comparison.
• Shana picked up Fang Li, spread the Crimson Lotus Wings, and flew toward the horizon to find him a place to recover.

Fang Li realized that his soul’s Sea of Death recorded every death he witnessed, but the growing number of records had begun to crack the space within him. He faced the possibility that his unique power would overwhelm his soul and set out to see what lay at the sea’s end.

• Fang Li saw a droplet record Black Catty sacrificing herself to return to her creator and fulfill a command.
• Fang Li reflected on how his soul recorded deaths and enabled his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, Holy Mark, and exceptional aptitude for assassination.
• Fang Li noticed that accumulating deaths had overloaded his soul, and a fissure appeared in the space containing the Sea of Death.
• Fang Li asked to see his own death and what lay at the ocean’s end, and the surrounding sea surged.

Fang Li encountered Ryougi Shiki as the human form of his Sea of Death and learned why she embodied the essence he was seeking. She offered no instruction and attacked him, forcing him to draw Moon Blade.

• The Sea of Death rose and took the form of Ryougi Shiki, whom Fang Li recognized from his training simulations.
• Ryougi Shiki explained that Fang Li's soul image had shaped the ocean's human form because she was closest to the essence of death he pursued.
• Fang Li understood how Ryougi Shiki's origin of “nothing” connected her to the Root and made her understanding of death resemble his own.
• Ryougi Shiki said she would not teach Fang Li and drew her dagger, declaring that all she could do was kill.
• Ryougi Shiki's eyes became Ice-Blue Demon Eyes, and she charged as Fang Li gripped Moon Blade.

Fang Li fought Ryougi Shiki across the ocean but struggled to predict her attacks, despite their equal abilities and shared Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. Ryougi explained that he relied too heavily on targeting individual Death Lines, then knocked his Moon Blade aside and struck at him.

• Fang Li and Ryougi Shiki exchanged rapid dagger blows across the sea, with Fang Li forced onto the defensive.
• Fang Li realized he could not read Ryougi’s attack trajectories, and that her attacks were faster even though their abilities and weapons were equal.
• Ryougi told Fang Li that he took too long to focus on individual Death Lines and revealed his attacks through his gaze and intent.
• Ryougi urged Fang Li to perceive an opponent’s death as a whole and trust his instincts to choose where to strike.
• Ryougi knocked Moon Blade aside and reversed her grip, bringing her dagger down toward Fang Li.

Fang Li fought Ryougi Shiki in his soul ocean, but she struck the Death Line of his body temperature and left him dying. As he lost consciousness, Ryougi Shiki warned that he needed to understand the ocean’s essence to use his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception fully.

• Fang Li dodged Ryougi Shiki’s blade flash, believing he had avoided her attack.
• Ryougi Shiki stopped fighting and told Fang Li he had not noticed what had happened.
• Fang Li realized his body temperature and life force were draining away, then understood that Ryougi Shiki had cut the Death Line of his body temperature.
• Ryougi Shiki explained that Fang Li’s understanding limited what his Mystic Eyes could perceive and kill, even though his soul ocean recorded all kinds of death.
• Ryougi Shiki warned Fang Li that he needed to comprehend the ocean’s essence or he might die, and Fang Li’s consciousness began to fade.

After waking in a wooden room, Fang Li reflected on Ryougi Shiki’s lesson about the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception and learned that the Holy Mark’s side effects had grown stronger. Shana told him he had been unconscious for a week, while the Main God Space set his return for three days later.

• Fang Li received the Main God Space’s notice that he had completed the quests and would return in three days after it randomly chose for him to remain.
• Fang Li recalled how Ryougi Shiki had used the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception and realized he needed a broader understanding of what he could kill.
• Fang Li noticed that he was weak and in pain from the Holy Mark’s side effects, which had worsened after his battle with the Three Pillars.
• Shana entered the room, found Fang Li awake, and told him he had been unconscious for a week.

Fang Li and Shana woke at an Outermost Dwelling Key Point in the desert after the Starry Sky Palace battle and learned that Alastor’s manifestation had destroyed most of the Denizens there. Fang Li warned that Bal Masqué remained a threat and said he should prepare to leave.

• Shana asked Fang Li what power had left him unconscious for a week, and he learned they were at an Outermost Dwelling Key Point in the desert.
• Fang Li and Shana admitted they did not know Bal Masqué’s fate because both had lost consciousness during Alastor’s manifestation.
• Alastor explained that his flames had sunk the Starry Sky Palace and likely killed most of the Denizens there.
• Fang Li told Shana that Bal Masqué had members scattered across the world and could regroup while the Serpent of the Festival remained alive.
• Fang Li warned that Bal Masqué would pursue him for the Reiji Maigo and said he planned to prepare to leave.

Fang Li told Shana he planned to leave alone, but Shana reacted with intense distress and could not accept their parting. After she failed to give him a reason to stay, she fled the Outermost Dwelling's base into the desert.

• Fang Li told Shana he would leave on his own and that they would part ways in a few days.
• Shana insisted that she would leave with Fang Li, then erupted and told him he could not go.
• Fang Li asked Shana why he could not leave, but she could not explain her feelings.
• Shana shouted at Fang Li, turned away, and ran from the Outermost Dwelling's base into the desert.

Shana ran through the desert to escape the unbearable feelings she could not understand, until Alastor stopped her and suggested she did not want to leave Fang Li because he was important to her. A familiar voice then asked whether she had run enough.

• Shana fled across the desert, overwhelmed by heat, fear, and inexplicable distress.
• Alastor told Shana to stop, and she halted, confused by her own behavior.
• Shana admitted to Alastor that she did not know why she felt so unpleasant.
• Alastor asked whether Shana hated leaving Fang Li's side and said Fang Li mattered enough to her that she did not want to part from him.
• A familiar voice asked Shana, "Have you run enough already?"

Fang Li caught up with Shana and explained that Bal Masqué’s coming operation would force them to grow stronger and eventually go their separate ways. Shana was left silent as she faced the possibility that they would part forever.

• Fang Li descended before Shana despite his weakened condition, and she asked why he had chased after her.
• Fang Li told Shana that the world was about to undergo tremendous changes, and Alastor identified Bal Masqué as the likely cause.
• Fang Li reminded Shana that they had barely escaped the Three Pillars at the Starry Sky Palace and could not withstand Bal Masqué as they were.
• Fang Li said he needed to leave and grow stronger, while Shana needed to awaken the God of Heavenly Punishment’s power and become the true Crimson-Eyed Flame-Haired Killer.
• Fang Li warned that if they remained as they were, they would eventually part forever, and Shana lowered her head without answering as night fell.

Shana reflected on her immature fighting style and decided she needed to develop her own strength before facing Bal Masqué’s coming changes. The next morning, Fang Li found her farewell note and watched her walk into the desert to train.

• Alastor explained that Shana had not yet fused her own understanding of power with his flames to form a true fighting style.
• Shana considered Alastor’s advice and recalled Fang Li’s words before deciding to leave and strengthen herself.
• Fang Li found a pineapple bun and a note from Shana promising to become stronger than him.
• Fang Li saw Shana walking away through the desert.

Fang Li returned to the Main God Space, received an S-Class completion evaluation and rewards, and considered his gains and missed chance to reach S+. He activated the Holy Mark to exhaust his soul and fell asleep, waking beside a boundless black ocean as a voice greeted him.

• The system evaluated Fang Li’s Shakugan no Shana missions and awarded him an S-Class rating, 50,000 Exchange Points, and 20 Free Attribute Points.
• Fang Li reflected on his mission results, his total of 180,000 Exchange Points, and his progress toward the Fourth Level attribute limit.
• Fang Li entered his bedroom, activated the Holy Mark, and let its power consume his soul until he fell asleep.
• Fang Li woke beside a boundless black ocean, where a voice greeted him.

Fang Li entered his soul space to ask Ryougi Shiki to teach him how to use the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. She refused to teach him directly, but pointed him toward a way to understand his soul before the space’s spreading cracks became fatal.

• Fang Li learned from Ryougi Shiki that he could enter his soul space more easily once he grew accustomed to it.
• Ryougi Shiki described her fascination with death and explained that Fang Li’s soul space held memories of every death he had experienced.
• Fang Li asked Ryougi Shiki to teach him how to use his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, and she said she did not teach people.
• Fang Li suggested that they fight to the death, but Ryougi Shiki pointed out that cracks were spreading through his soul space and warned he would eventually die if he ignored them.
• Ryougi Shiki advised Fang Li to observe someone with the same nature as him, someone who often kept company with death.

Over ten days, Fang Li trained against Ryougi Shiki in his soul space to improve his use of the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. He selected Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World as his next Instance World and arranged to enter alone, leaving him with three dangerous missions.

• Fang Li spent ten days fighting Ryougi Shiki in his soul space and learned that he still had much to understand about perceiving and killing different kinds of death.
• Fang Li used an Instance Selection Order to search for a world suited to finding someone often accompanied by death, rejecting his first three options.
• Fang Li selected Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World from his second set of possible worlds.
• Fang Li used an Instance Group Order to reduce the participant count for the mission to one.
• Main God Space matched Fang Li with a solo Fourth Level mission requiring him to kill an Archbishop of Sin, obtain a Witch Factor, and earn 30000 Exchange Points.

Fang Li arrived in a fantasy city and immediately encountered Subaru Natsuki, the person he had deliberately entered the world to find. After Subaru mistook them both for protagonists summoned to another world, Fang Li punched him.

• Fang Li was transported to a fantasy city after receiving an Instance World mission.
• Fang Li recognized Subaru Natsuki as his target when they met in a plaza.
• Subaru imagined a story about two summoned protagonists and introduced himself to Fang Li.
• Fang Li punched Subaru in the face after Subaru edged closer and tried to get his attention.

Fang Li met Subaru Natsuki just after Subaru transmigrated into the Other World, and explained that neither of them had any guaranteed benefits or protection. When a girl raced across the rooftops, Fang Li carried Subaru after her, leaving Subaru to realize he was not the one leaping through the air.

• Subaru Natsuki complained after Fang Li punched him, and Fang Li acknowledged that they were both transmigrators with no established identities in the Other World.
• Fang Li warned Subaru that they would need to understand their situation to survive, but Subaru insisted they would soon meet a beautiful girl and enjoy a protagonist's life.
• Fang Li spotted a petite girl sprinting across the rooftops and pointed her out to Subaru.
• Subaru leapt into the air, believing transmigration had made him super strong, but discovered Fang Li was holding him by the collar.
• Fang Li landed on a rooftop with Subaru and leapt onward after the girl, while Subaru realized he had no protagonist treatment.

A young thief stole a dragon-shaped badge and tried to escape, only to be confronted by two youths who claimed it belonged to them. One of them ended the encounter holding the badge, leaving the girl facing an unexpected demand.

• A blonde girl stole a glowing, gem-set dragon badge and ducked into an alley.
• A rustic youth appeared on a rooftop, accused the girl of summoning him to the Other World, and demanded she take responsibility for him.
• Another youth kicked the rustic youth off the rooftop and apologized to the girl for his behavior.
• The second youth revealed that he had recovered the stolen badge and held it out, telling the girl it belonged to him.