Chapter Summaries

Fang Li dodged the wind-powered girl’s attempts to reclaim the insignia, then briefly restrained her before she escaped with a curved blade. The girl ended the confrontation on a rooftop, holding up a white Activation Body.

• The girl realized Fang Li had swapped her insignia and charged at him with wind-enhanced speed.
• Fang Li repeatedly evaded the girl while Subaru Natsuki complained about their extraordinary chase.
• Fang Li caught the girl’s hand and pinned her against a wall, but Subaru’s comments disrupted the tense moment.
• The girl revealed a curved blade, forced Fang Li to release her, and leaped onto a rooftop.
• The girl grinned and raised a pure white Activation Body.

Fang Li confronted the thief Felt over Bō Xié and the stolen insignia, but their dispute was interrupted by its owner, a silver-haired girl who demanded it back. Felt escaped after setting a meeting in the slums, while the silver-haired girl stopped Fang Li from pursuing her with an icicle.

• Fang Li discovered that Felt had stolen Bō Xié from his sheath and challenged her to return it.
• Felt argued that she could escape him using her knowledge of the Royal Capital and demanded the insignia Fang Li held.
• Subaru Natsuki tried to get the pair's attention, but Fang Li and Felt both told him to get lost.
• A silver-haired girl entered the alley and asked Felt to return her insignia.
• Felt told Fang Li to bring the insignia to the slums before the day ended in exchange for their belongings, then fled over the rooftops.
• Fang Li tried to pursue Felt, but the silver-haired girl fired an icicle in front of him and kept her gaze on the insignia.

Fang Li refused to return the silver-haired girl's insignia until he recovered the belongings Felt had stolen from him. After the girl's spirit appeared, Fang Li kept the insignia and challenged them to take it by force.

• Subaru Natsuki wondered whether Fang Li's ice magic came from another world, while the silver-haired girl warned him not to mistake reality for fantasy.
• The silver-haired girl asked Fang Li to return her important insignia, but he refused until he got his stolen belongings back from Felt.
• Subaru Natsuki tried to persuade Fang Li to return the insignia, but Fang Li explained that it was meant to be exchanged for his belongings.
• The silver-haired girl worried Fang Li might trade away the insignia, and Fang Li argued that she now knew where it was and who had taken it.
• A palm-sized gray cat spirit emerged from the silver-haired girl's hair and greeted Subaru Natsuki.
• Fang Li said he would keep the insignia and told the silver-haired girl and the gray cat they could take it by force.

Fang Li, Subaru Natsuki, and the silver-haired girl traveled through the city while Subaru complained about his lack of a beautiful-girl encounter. The girl continued following Fang Li to reclaim her insignia from Felt and introduced herself as Satella.

• Fang Li and Subaru Natsuki walked through the city, and the silver-haired girl and her gray kitten discussed their impressions of the two men.
• Subaru complained that Fang Li was attracting attention and shouted for a chance to meet a beautiful girl, so Fang Li slapped him down.
• The silver-haired girl advised Subaru to solve unfair situations instead of merely complaining about them.
• Fang Li asked why the silver-haired girl was following them, and she said she would accompany him to trade with Felt and get her insignia back.
• Subaru asked the silver-haired girl her name, and she told them to call her Satella.

Emilia gave Subaru the forbidden name Satella, then felt guilty and resolved to apologize as she followed Fang Li and Subaru into the slums. There, Fang Li teased Subaru about who might have summoned him, and Subaru quickly forgot his discomfort after admiring Emilia.

• Subaru tried to make Emilia feel comfortable with the name Satella, but Fang Li stopped him and said that having a name was fortunate.
• Emilia asked Puck if she had done something wrong, learned that using Satella was mean-spirited, and decided to apologize to Subaru.
• Emilia accidentally stepped on Subaru as she hurried after Fang Li, drawing a howl and an apology.
• Fang Li, Subaru, and Emilia entered the slums, where residents regarded Subaru more warmly than Emilia because of their clothing and status.
• Fang Li suggested that Subaru’s summoner might be among the slum residents, making Subaru feel sick until he looked at Emilia and became captivated by her again.
• Puck told Subaru not to walk with them after his embarrassing reaction.

Fang Li's group reached the Thieves' Den, where a Giant race elder allowed only Fang Li inside because another customer was there to buy Emilia's badge. When the elder revealed the badge was at stake, Fang Li's eyes flashed blue and the wall beside the entrance suddenly exploded.

• Fang Li led Emilia and Subaru Natsuki to the Thieves' Den, where a Giant race elder came out to meet them.
• The elder recognized Fang Li as the person Felt had mentioned and barred Emilia, Subaru Natsuki, and Puck from entering.
• Subaru Natsuki boasted about his grip strength, then knelt after the elder crushed a thick wooden stick in his hand.
• The elder said another customer inside planned to buy Emilia's badge, so Emilia could not enter.
• Fang Li's eyes flashed icy blue, and the wall beside the Thieves' Den's doors suddenly shattered.

A ruthless armed woman attacked the Thieves' Den, wounded Felt and Old Man Rom, and killed Subaru Natsuki. The chapter ended as the world changed after Subaru's death.

• A woman burst through the Thieves' Den wall, and Emilia caught the injured Felt as Old Man Rom reacted in alarm.
• Felt accused the woman of breaking their bargain, and the woman announced she would kill everyone, beginning with Emilia.
• Old Man Rom charged the woman, but she severed his hand with her blades.
• Subaru Natsuki saw Old Man Rom's bloody arm and, overwhelmed by fear, screamed.
• The woman threw a blade into Subaru Natsuki's heart while Fang Li watched, and the world changed.

Fang Li entered the death of Subaru Natsuki to examine death itself and understand the hidden danger in his soul. As the contradiction overwhelmed his Mystic Eyes and soul, mysterious female arms embraced him from behind and the black fog swallowed him.

• Fang Li realized he was inside the death of Subaru Natsuki and used Reiji Maigo to preserve his consciousness during the rewind.
• Fang Li activated his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception and found that the Death Lines of death itself flickered indistinctly, causing pain in his mind and soul.
• Fang Li understood that Ryougi Shiki had wanted him to observe death itself and the soul that recorded it, rather than individual deaths.
• Fang Li searched the black mist for what lay within it as the contradiction threatened to overwhelm him.
• A pair of female arms wrapped around Fang Li's neck, a voice whispered, "Death," and the black mist swallowed him.

Fang Li explained that Subaru Natsuki’s Return by Death had rewound them to the moment they first arrived in the Other World. He revealed that he had watched Subaru die to study his ability and said he would neither kill nor help him.

• Subaru Natsuki woke before the fountain, remembering that he had been killed, and realized he was alive again.
• Fang Li told Subaru that Return by Death rewound time after his death and brought them back to their arrival in the Other World.
• Fang Li explained that he had chosen Subaru as a subject because he wanted to observe people who frequently encountered death.
• Subaru grew frightened when Fang Li admitted he had watched him die without intervening.
• Fang Li told Subaru that he would not kill him, but would not help him either.

Fang Li explained that Subaru Natsuki’s ability prevented him from speaking about it, then confronted him with the danger facing the girl whose badge Felt had stolen. Subaru resisted getting involved and lashed out at Fang Li, but a voice interrupted them.

• Subaru tried to ask Fang Li how he knew about Return by Death, but an unseen force stopped him from saying its name.
• Fang Li said the person who gave Subaru the ability did not want him to talk about it and suggested she wanted him to survive.
• Fang Li pointed out Felt racing across the rooftops with the stolen badge, and Subaru decided not to chase her.
• Fang Li warned that the girl would pursue Felt to the Thieves' Den and challenged Subaru to help her despite the risk.
• Subaru accused Fang Li of wanting to watch him die and raised his fist, but a voice told them to stop.

Reinhard, the legendary Sword Saint, intervened in Fang Li and Subaru Natsuki’s street argument and persuaded them to calm down. As he tried to bring them together for a handshake, Reinhard’s Knight Sword and the Activation Body at Fang Li’s waist began trembling.

• Reinhard arrived and silenced the crowd as he stepped between Fang Li and Subaru Natsuki.
• The pedestrians recognized Reinhard as the legendary Sword Saint, and Fang Li sensed that he was overwhelmingly powerful.
• Reinhard detected a trace of danger in Fang Li and urged both men to end their argument.
• Subaru Natsuki calmed down, and Reinhard tried to guide Fang Li’s hand toward his for a handshake.
• Reinhard’s Knight Sword and the Activation Body at Fang Li’s waist began to tremble.

Fang Li and Reinhard discovered that their self-aware swords wanted to clash, but Fang Li persuaded Bō Xié to wait until he became stronger. Reinhard left with Subaru Natsuki to prevent a conflict, while Fang Li turned his attention toward the slums.

• Bō Xié conveyed its desire to fight Reinhard’s sword, surprising Fang Li.
• Fang Li and Reinhard discussed their weapons’ personalities and agreed neither wanted to fight while Reinhard was on vacation.
• Fang Li promised Bō Xié that they would wait until he became stronger, and it stopped trembling.
• Reinhard’s Knight Sword sprang partly from its sheath, so Reinhard took Subaru Natsuki with him to avoid a conflict.
• Fang Li stayed behind and looked toward the slums.

Fang Li entered the Thieves' Den and confronted Felt, claiming she owed him a debt and questioning her unusual origins. The Giant race elder attacked him with his mace, and the chapter ended as the blow landed.

• Fang Li answered the Thieves' Den's password questions and persuaded the Giant race elder to open the door.
• Fang Li entered the den and told Felt he had come because she owed him a debt.
• Felt drew her blade and challenged Fang Li, suspecting he had come to settle a grudge.
• Fang Li ignored Felt's provocation and asked whether she cared about her origins as a slum child blessed with Wind's Blessing.
• The Giant race elder angrily swung his mace at Fang Li, and a dull impact rang out.

Fang Li demonstrated his overwhelming strength to Felt and Old Man Rom, defeating Rom without seriously injuring him. He asked Felt if she was ready to talk, leaving her to respond.

• Old Man Rom and Felt were stunned when Fang Li caught Rom’s club strike with one hand.
• Old Man Rom wondered whether Fang Li had used magic or possessed a blessing, but Fang Li explained that his strength came from his own efforts.
• Fang Li crushed Rom’s club, then used Flash Sheath - Flower Mirror to knock Rom to his knees while holding back enough to avoid serious injury.
• Fang Li asked Felt if they could talk, and Felt looked displeased.

Fang Li explained that the badge Felt stole was a Royal Selection badge marking one of five Dragon Priestesses eligible to become Lugnica’s next ruler. He revealed that Felt had likely been drawn into a scheme to eliminate a rival candidate, just as someone knocked on the door of the thieves’ den.

• Fang Li told Felt and Old Man Rom that the badge was tied to Lugnica’s royal succession, not his original reason for coming.
• Fang Li explained that only five Dragon Priestesses acknowledged by the dragon could participate in the Royal Selection, and that the badge identified one of them.
• Felt admitted that a client had hired her to steal the badge in exchange for ten Saint Gold Coins.
• Fang Li and Old Man Rom concluded that the client might be using Felt as a scapegoat in a plot against a rival candidate and might silence her afterward.
• Someone knocked on the door while Felt and Old Man Rom sat in silence.

Fang Li freed Old Man Rom and let Emilia enter the Thieves' Den to reclaim her insignia. Emilia caught it when Fang Li returned it, leaving her stunned.

• Fang Li threw Old Man Rom a fruit knife that cut through his bindings, then told him to open the door.
• Old Man Rom opened the door, and Emilia entered with Puck after finding Felt in the Thieves' Den.
• Felt recognized Emilia as a Royal Selection candidate and told her that Fang Li had the insignia.
• Puck warned Emilia that Fang Li was difficult to sense, and Emilia politely asked him to return the insignia.
• Fang Li tossed the insignia to Emilia, who caught it and stared in surprise.

After Fang Li returned Emilia’s insignia, he warned that the client behind the theft might still target her and tied her up beside Felt to keep her from leaving. The expected client had not arrived when Subaru Natsuki entered the Thieves’ Den and was dragged inside by Old Man Rom.

• Emilia thanked Fang Li for returning her insignia, and he suggested she might owe him for saving her life later.
• Fang Li reasoned that the hunter might pursue Emilia if she left, then tied her up beside Felt.
• Puck joked about Emilia’s predicament but warned Fang Li not to treat the situation as a joke.
• Old Man Rom opened the door to find Subaru Natsuki, who tried to leave after seeing the tied-up Emilia and Felt.
• Old Man Rom grabbed Subaru Natsuki by the collar and dragged him into the Thieves’ Den.

Subaru Natsuki, Emilia, Felt, Old Man Rom, and Reinhard were bound in the Thieves' Den as Fang Li gathered everyone for a confrontation. When the seductive hunter appeared, Fang Li asked her where the Witch Cult was.

• Subaru Natsuki recalled how Reinhard had encouraged him to help others, then complained that he had ended up tied beside Emilia.
• Subaru learned that Reinhard had followed him to the den and allowed him to make his own decision before stepping in.
• Emilia, Felt, and Old Man Rom recognized Reinhard as the current Sword Saint, while Fang Li reflected on Reinhard's overwhelming strength and many Divine Protections.
• Fang Li noticed the seductive hunter arrive with her weapons and asked whether she knew where the Witch Cult was.

Fang Li questioned the Assassin Elsa Granhiert about the Witch Cult, and she revealed that the cult was secretly active nearby. Elsa then turned on the gathered group and demanded their intestines as payment for more information.

• Fang Li asked Elsa whether her underworld connections had revealed the Witch Cult's whereabouts.
• Fang Li identified Elsa as the notorious Gut Slicer and explained why he had sought her out.
• Elsa said the Witch Cult appeared to be secretly planning something in the area.
• Puck and Reinhard warned that the cult's activity could endanger the Royal Selection candidates.
• Elsa revealed her bloodlust and threatened to kill the group in exchange for more information.

Fang Li confronted Elsa Granhiert in the Thieves' Den and overwhelmed her with his first strike, thrilling the assassin and startling the witnesses. Elsa launched a rapid series of attacks, and Fang Li continued to block them as their fight intensified.

• Elsa Granhiert filled the Thieves' Den with killing intent, making Subaru Natsuki, Felt, and Old Man Rom realize her danger.
• Puck stopped Emilia from intervening, while Reinhard freed himself and assured her Fang Li could handle Elsa.
• Fang Li vanished in a flash and struck Elsa, forcing her back and numbing the arm holding her weapon.
• Elsa delighted in finding worthy prey, and Fang Li invited her to stay with him until the end.
• Elsa attacked Fang Li with a flurry of slashes, and he blocked her strikes with Moon Blade and his dagger.