Chapter Summaries

The Ice Maiden reported that Riezel Brihaut had defeated her and that Reinayl’s Princess had awakened the Holy Sword, making them dangerous new variables for Sky Hunter’s group. Sky Hunter kept the group’s plans in motion and prepared to provoke Riezel and the Princess while they rushed to complete their preparations for next year.

• The Fire Princess and Giant Soldier confirmed that Riezel had defeated veteran Sword Saints and injured a Sacred Beast with Strategic Class Magic.
• The Ice Maiden admitted that Riezel had defeated her and revealed that Reinayl’s Princess had appeared with the Holy Sword, whose seal and the Princess’s bloodline seemed to have awakened.
• Sky Hunter ordered the group to continue gathering Magic Doll technology and asked the Fire Princess to contact someone in the Ginas Kingdom Royal Family to stir up trouble for Riezel and the Princess.
• The Ice Maiden said she would return to Tistis and implied she expected Riezel to come there, while Gigabyte questioned why the group had cooperated with Sglanto Bayard.
• Sky Hunter explained that cooperating with Sglanto had only been a test, rejected the Ice Maiden’s suggestion that Riezel join them, and called on the group to finish preparations before next year.

King Hermulin Ginas read reports on the Ancient Magic Civilization and considered how Liz’s connection to Riezel might help him. A mysterious voice claimed Liz was not his daughter and urged him to verify her royal bloodline, leaving Hermulin ordering her return to the palace.

• Hermulin read the Court Mages’ reports and discussed with Rom the possibility of sending people back to the ancient city with Riezel Brihaut’s help.
• Rom reported that Liz and Riezel had grown close, and Hermulin was pleased that his daughter had won Riezel’s favor.
• Hermulin reflected on his inability to remember Liz’s mother and his concerns about Moslo’s Sword, which he had returned to Liz.
• A mysterious voice told Hermulin that Liz Reinayl was not his daughter and that his perception had been altered to make him overlook the possibility.
• After the voice vanished, Hermulin ordered someone to contact the Franzer Family and summon the Ninth Princess to the palace.

In the Royal Palace, a mysterious faction turned a bloodied man into a Magic-Enhanced Human and plotted to draw the Hidden World into conflict over the Princess. At Franzer Villa, Liz demonstrated a startling transformation after awakening her bloodline, and her opening attack surprised Riezel.

• A seductive voice offered the blood-eyed man revenge, and he drank an enhancement potion that transformed him into a Magic-Enhanced Human.
• Fire Princess revealed that Sky Hunter’s plan aimed to provoke the Hidden World, while Gigabyte decided to send a puppet to Yeluf instead of going himself.
• Fire Princess worried that the conflict might entangle the Franzer Family and a child she cared about.
• Riezel and Liz began sparring at Franzer Villa so he could assess the changes in her after her bloodline awakened.
• Liz used a new breathing rhythm that surrounded her with peculiar magic power and made her seem like a transcendent being, then launched herself at Riezel.
• Riezel drew his black blade to counter Liz, but her attack did something that surprised him.

Riezel sparred with Liz and discovered that her unchanged physical abilities were now backed by vastly enhanced Spiritual Power, instincts, reactions, and swordsmanship. The battle left him suspecting that her transformation had revealed the true potential of Reinayl's bloodline.

• Liz overwhelmed Riezel with Spiritual Power and attacked with Moslo's Sword, forcing him to struggle against his slowed body and parry her strikes.
• Riezel and Liz used Clear World to read each other's movements as their battle intensified, and Liz drove him back with Spiritual Power and Love Breathing.
• Riezel countered Liz's Love Cat Drizzle with Moon Breathing's Moonlight Calamity Vortex, deflecting her slashes and sending her flying.
• Liz charged again and pressed Riezel with increasingly fierce attacks, making him use his Thunder and Moon Breathing techniques to their limits.
• Riezel realized that Liz's basic abilities had not increased, but her reactions, combat instincts, and Spiritual Power had transformed dramatically, leading him to wonder if this was the true nature of Reinayl's bloodline.

Riezel asked Liz to draw Moslo's Sword and discovered that its awakened power transformed her into a cold, detached state capable of breaking his Time Stop. He stopped Liz before she could strike, and she explained that drawing the sword made her feel detached from the world, though she remained aware of her actions.

• Riezel and Liz ended their sparring match as Franzer Family members gathered and recognized Riezel.
• Riezel asked Liz to draw Moslo's Sword, and its ancient aura overwhelmed the spectators as it joined with Liz's magic power.
• Liz entered a cold, elevated state, shattered Riezel's Time Stop with a sword swing, and raised Moslo's Sword for another strike.
• Riezel stopped Liz and urged her to sheath Moslo's Sword, ending the aura and returning her to normal.
• Liz told Riezel that she could control herself while wielding the sword, but felt detached and as if anything she did was acceptable.

Riezel confirmed that Liz could use Moslo's Sword without losing her loyalty and judged that her power could rival a Sword Saint. He returned with Liz to the Franzer Villa, where he learned that Eulalie was still asleep during the day.

• Liz offered to stop using Moslo's Sword if Riezel disliked her detached state, but Riezel allowed her to decide when to use it after she assured him she would still obey him.
• Riezel assessed Liz's abilities and concluded that her Spiritual Power could let her challenge even a Sword Saint, while drawing Moslo's Sword could make her stronger still.
• Liz said she hoped her new strength would let her protect Riezel, and he recognized how important she had become to him.
• Riezel took Liz back to the Franzer Villa, leaving the courtyard damaged, and the Franzer Family spread news of his return to the royal capital.
• Riezel asked Liz about Eulalie, and Liz said Eulalie was asleep and difficult to wake during the day.

Riezel reflected on Eulalie’s vampire abilities and her unusual attraction to his spiritual blood, then found her asleep naked in Liz’s room. He left Liz to wake Eulalie and planned to ask Yuri to help conceal her identity and discuss the ruins.

• Riezel reviewed Eulalie’s vampire strengths and weaknesses and concluded she remained safe to keep around as long as she did not lose control.
• Riezel speculated that the spirituality in his blood explained why Eulalie had attacked him and seemed to favor his blood.
• Riezel and Liz entered their room and found Eulalie sleeping naked, prompting Liz to cover her with a blanket.
• Liz admitted Eulalie disliked clothes and sometimes stripped Liz while they slept, so Riezel decided to restrict access to their room.
• Riezel told Liz to wake Eulalie and went to wait for Yuri, planning to discuss the ruins and arrange a public identity for Eulalie.

Riezel let Liz return to the Royal Palace after King Hermulin personally summoned her, despite suspecting a hidden motive. Liz left with the royal envoy and did not return, while Yuri came back to Franzer Villa and saw Eulalie with Riezel.

• Riezel tried to communicate with Eulalie Reinayl, but the Vampire Queen remained unable to speak or explain herself.
• A royal envoy told Riezel that Hermulin had summoned Liz alone, using her old title of Ninth Princess.
• Liz hoped Hermulin might tell her about her origins and asked Riezel for permission to enter the palace by herself.
• Riezel agreed and sent Liz with the envoy, while Eulalie stayed behind with him.
• Yuri returned to Franzer Villa at noon, and she and Marilyn mistook Eulalie for Liz when they saw her beside Riezel.

Riezel explained that he had resurrected Eulalie, the final queen of the Ancient Magic Civilization and Liz’s ancestor, and asked Yuri to help conceal her identity. They agreed to change Eulalie’s appearance before arranging a new identity for her, while Yuri warned Riezel to keep his Resurrection Magic secret.

• Riezel told Yuri and Marilyn that Eulalie had been resurrected after he awakened her in her tomb near Sinyele.
• Yuri struggled to believe Riezel could revive the dead and warned that Eulalie’s resemblance to Liz would make a false identity difficult to maintain.
• Riezel asked Yuri to arrange an identity for Eulalie, and Yuri proposed presenting her as a persecuted foreigner whom Riezel had taken on as an attendant.
• Riezel decided to summon a Faceless Shadow to change Eulalie’s appearance, and Yuri agreed that this would make the identity easier to arrange.
• Yuri warned Riezel to hide his Resurrection Magic, and then asked what he planned to do next.

After the failed investigation in Sinyele, Riezel learned about Queen Tistis's Kingdom and its deepening political crisis in the north. He considered traveling there to investigate the Tistis Family’s possible connection to its First Queen and planned to use Gate rather than make the long journey by land.

• Riezel asked Yuri about Queen Tistis's Kingdom after the Sinyele trip failed to reveal information about the Hidden World or the Dimensional Cube.
• Marilyn explained that Queen Tistis's Kingdom had grown from Zinia under a powerful First Queen, but now faced succession disputes, rebellious nobles, and pressure from neighboring nations.
• Marilyn and Yuri described the continent's political balance and warned that the northern nations might form an alliance to invade Queen Tistis's Kingdom.
• Riezel wondered whether the First Queen had descended from the Tistis Family and considered visiting Queen Tistis's Kingdom despite its distance and instability.
• Riezel decided he could use Gate to reach the kingdom by sending a flying summon to establish its coordinates or contacting someone there with Message.

Riezel planned to locate Queen Tistis's Kingdom with a summon before opening a Gate, while Yuri agreed to gather intelligence and investigate the mysterious faction behind Ice Maiden and the Magic Dolls. The chapter ended with Riezel agreeing to stay home and share tea with Yuri as she prepared to investigate the National Divine Artifact.

• Riezel decided to send a flying summon to find Queen Tistis's Kingdom's coordinates before traveling there with Gate, and Yuri agreed to arrange a meeting with the Queen.
• Riezel asked Yuri to investigate Ice Maiden, the Magic Dolls, and the mysterious faction, and Yuri suspected they had support from one or more nations.
• Yuri proposed identifying the nation that regarded Ice Maiden's weapon as a National Divine Artifact, and she agreed to investigate its origins and current holder.
• Riezel told Yuri he would stay home while preparing for his trip, and they settled down to drink tea together.

While choosing an Ancient Secret Treasure to give Yuri, Riezel received a warning from Sharia that King Hermulin had placed Princess Liz under house arrest. Riezel dismissed the offer to investigate and decided to go to the palace himself to bring Liz out.

• Riezel sorted through his Ancient Secret Treasures, narrowing Yuri's possible gifts to rings and bracelets.
• Sharia contacted Riezel and revealed that Saint Nidor had been keeping track of his travels.
• Sharia reported that Hermulin had summoned Liz to the palace, dismissed his attendants, and placed her under house arrest.
• Riezel thanked Sharia for the warning and said he would bring Liz out himself.

Riezel and Yuri entered the Royal Palace to demand an explanation for Liz’s house arrest, aware that challenging Hermulin could bring them into conflict with the Kingdom’s powerful defenders and restrictive magic barrier. Riezel remained prepared to resist if necessary, while Yuri hoped they could secure Liz’s release without turning the Kingdom against them.

• Yuri told Riezel that Hermulin had agreed to receive them after she insisted, and warned that the king’s sudden decision to detain Liz suggested a deeper cause.
• Yuri described the Royal Palace’s Sword Saints and Heavenly Pillar Light, which would suppress magic and special sword skills, while Riezel told her to watch from the side if a confrontation began.
• Yuri suspected the Duke Corderion Family had encouraged Riezel to confront the royal family so they could observe Hermulin’s response and possibly recruit Riezel.
• Yuri questioned why Eulalie’s disguise remained so beautiful, and Riezel explained that Faceless Shadow could only mimic a face with the same level of beauty as the original.
• Riezel, Yuri, Eulalie, and Marilyn arrived at the Royal Palace, bringing an unseen uproar with them.

Riezel and Yuri entered the Throne Room and found the Re-Estize Kingdom’s most powerful knights and mages assembled before King Hermulin. Yuri realized the audience was unusually serious and feared that the matter would be difficult to resolve.

• Riezel and Yuri arrived before the Throne Room, where armed knights staged a formal display that unsettled Yuri and Marilyn.
• Riezel and Yuri left Eulalie and Marilyn outside, then entered the Throne Room together.
• Yuri saw Sword Saint Floren Borlei and ten Knight Captains gathered with their swordsmen.
• Yuri recognized twenty-one Court Mages, including the influential scholar Fellas Yakremis, and grew worried about the audience.

Riezel confronted Hermulin in the Throne Room and demanded that the king return Liz and explain why she had been confined. Hermulin admitted he was keeping her and challenged Riezel to prove he could take her back.

• Hermulin welcomed Riezel before an audience that included Floren Borlei and Fellas Yakremis, praising him for defeating Raven Maples.
• Riezel rejected Hermulin’s formalities and warned that the assembled guards and officials would not stop him if he chose to act.
• Riezel listed his past reckless actions, including confronting Marquis Maypros, entering the Ancient Ruins with Liz, burning Sglanto Bayard’s City Lord’s Mansion, and injuring Hermulin’s third son.
• Riezel demanded that Hermulin return Liz and explain himself, while Hermulin revealed that Liz was a member of his family and that he had kept her by his side.
• Hermulin admitted he had confined Liz and challenged Riezel to show whether he had the qualifications to take her back.

Hermulin activated the Heavenly Pillar Light to suppress Riezel and contain him in the Throne Room, hoping to force him to submit. Riezel resisted the pressure, charged through the knights with Thunder Breathing, and left them bleeding as he stood with his blade sheathed.

• Hermulin used the Sword of Power to turn the Throne Room into a cage that suppressed Riezel’s magic and isolated Yuri’s voice.
• Hermulin pressured Riezel and offered to give him another princess as a retainer, hoping to gain his allegiance.
• Riezel drew his blade slightly and released an aura that startled Hermulin, Ferras Yakremis, and Floren Borlei.
• Riezel advanced toward the throne as Bartos Regein and the other knights drew their weapons and warned him to stop.
• Riezel used Thunder Breathing First Form: Thunderclap and Flash to rush past the knights, and blood burst forth as he stood with his blade sheathed.

Riezel used his Breathing Techniques to overwhelm the knights and Court Mages in the Throne Room despite Heavenly Pillar Light suppressing magic. When he attacked Hermulin, Rom appeared to defend the king, and the royal Assassination Unit surrounded Riezel.

• Riezel unleashed a new area-wide Thunderclap and Flash, cutting down the knights around him.
• Riezel used Moon Breathing forms to sweep away the knights guarding the throne and the Court Mages.
• Riezel launched two crescent-shaped Blade Winds at Hermulin, prompting Rom to appear and shatter them with his Shadow Sword.
• Rom accused Riezel of treason and declared that he would pay for attacking the king.
• The royal Assassination Unit, Shadow, appeared around Riezel, who welcomed the challenge.

Riezel fought Rom and the Shadow Knights in the Throne Room, using his speed and perception to withstand their coordinated attacks despite the Heavenly Pillar Light suppressing him. As the battle raged on, Fellas reassured Yuri that Riezel would not be defeated easily.

• Riezel overwhelmed Rom in their clash of auras, prompting Rom to order the Shadow Knights to attack.
• Riezel used Thunderclap and Flash against the Shadow Knights, but Rom intervened with the Shadow Sword and sent him flying into the ceiling.
• Riezel deflected the Shadow Knights' follow-up attacks while evading Rom's concealed strikes and sword light.
• Rom used his assassination skills and the Shadow Knights' support to keep Riezel occupied, explaining that even a Sword Saint could not defy a nation's power.
• Riezel continued battling Rom and the Shadow Knights throughout the Throne Room as Yuri watched with concern and Fellas reassured her.

Ferras watched Riezel’s battle and admitted he had misjudged the young man, while assuring Yuri he would not interfere. The fight suddenly shifted when Riezel prepared the technique that had defeated Rom before, leaving the hall facing his Godspeed attack.

• Yuri asked Ferras whether he intended to intervene, and Ferras said he would leave the conflict to the young people.
• Ferras recalled that he had once dismissed Riezel as a talented but self-serving student, then acknowledged Riezel’s achievements as a seventeen-year-old Sword Saint and Tactical Class Mage.
• Ferras told Yuri he had come only to see what Riezel was like and said she could remain by Riezel’s side without worry.
• Ferras warned Yuri that a clash was unavoidable and told her to stay with him as they watched.
• Riezel halted in midair, sheathed his black blade, gathered lightning around himself, and assumed an iaijutsu stance.
• Rom recognized the technique that had defeated him before as Riezel announced Thunder Breathing First Form: Thunderclap and Flash—Godspeed.

Riezel unleashed a red lightning Godspeed slash that overwhelmed Rom’s Shadow Slash, but Floren Borlei intervened and blocked the killing blow. The two swordsmen ended the chapter facing each other after being knocked apart.

• Rom gathered the Shadow Knights’ magic power and used it to launch a powerful Shadow Slash at Riezel.
• Hermulin strengthened Heavenly Pillar Light while Ferras protected himself and Yuri with a barrier as the attack threatened the Throne Room.
• Riezel blended Sun Breathing with Thunder Breathing, turned his lightning red, and used Godspeed to tear through Rom’s sword attack.
• Riezel’s red lightning slash nearly killed Rom, but Floren Borlei appeared and blocked it with his black sword.
• Riezel and Floren met each other’s gaze, then knocked each other back and widened the distance between them.