Chapter Summaries

Xio returned home with a new Decoy power and delivered a commission to Fors, while Sno arranged for Lily to continue acting before sensing Bernadette’s arrival. Bernadette questioned Sno about Cattleya and the organization collecting Roselle’s Diary, leaving Sno to criticize a noble’s forged heirlooms.

• Xio told Fors that Mr. Panredax’s arrow had awakened her Decoy powers, then gave her a letter from Mr. Sno.
• Fors read the commission and burned the letter, while Xio decided to keep a closer eye on her.
• Sno urged Lily to finish her acting and promised to take her to sea in ten days if she succeeded.
• After returning home, Sno sensed an Angel nearby and met Bernadette, who had arrived to ask him questions.
• Bernadette asked whether Sno belonged to the organization collecting Roselle’s Diary, and Sno connected her question to Cattleya.

Sno spoke with Bernadette about Cattleya’s encounter and reassured her that the being involved was not her father and would not harm Huang Jiajia unless she sought danger. Bernadette read deeper meaning into Sno’s riddling remarks and began considering the secrets of the Perrdax family, while Sno steered her toward returning the Beyonder Characteristic she owed him.

• Sno stopped himself from getting lost in the scripts produced by Shakespeare's Ape and invited Bernadette to sit and talk.
• Sno refused to reveal details about Cattleya’s encounter but told Bernadette that the being involved was not her father.
• Sno reassured Bernadette that Huang Jiajia would be safe unless she sought danger and suggested she could ask the Fool about Roselle in exchange for Roselle’s Diary.
• Bernadette interpreted Sno’s cryptic remarks as evidence that he might know Roselle and resolved to investigate the Perrdax family.
• Sno recognized that Bernadette was overthinking and asked her to return the Beyonder Characteristic she owed him.

Sno considered the danger of advancing to Sequence IV and decided to ask Miss Justice for help. Meanwhile, the Red Gloves investigated unusual Sanguine activity in Backlund, and Audrey recovered from nightmares before Susie eagerly asked when they would visit Mr. Devil’s home again.

• Sno judged the Paradox Path’s Sequence IV potion and ritual too dangerous to attempt without preparation, then decided to enlist Miss Justice’s help.
• The Red Gloves returned to St. Samuel's Cathedral after a Devil worship incident and learned that prominent Sanguine families were acting unusually in Backlund.
• Leonard wondered whether the Sanguine activity was connected to the Fool, while Pallez gave no direct answer.
• Audrey woke from nightmares caused by Beware of Spectators, prayed to Mr. Fool, and relaxed after receiving confirmation that she was safe.
• Susie eagerly asked Audrey when they would visit Mr. Devil’s home, prompting Audrey to suspect that Susie had become attached to its pet facilities.

Audrey visited Sno’s castle, where they discussed her borrowed mysticism book and Sno asked her to provide psychological intervention. Audrey agreed to try, though she was uncertain about the unusual ritual he needed help with.

• Audrey arrived at Sno’s castle with Susie and admired its well-kept lawn and bright interior.
• Sebastian greeted Audrey and confirmed that Sno had returned; Sno came down from the study and welcomed her.
• Sno’s servants took Susie to be cleaned up after she rolled in the grass.
• Audrey apologized for borrowing Sno’s book, and he offered to copy it for her while warning her to keep its mysticism knowledge from ordinary people.
• Sno explained that his next advancement ritual conflicted with his beliefs and asked Audrey for psychological intervention.
• Audrey questioned whether Sno had a mental illness, then agreed to try helping him.

At a Tarot Club gathering, Klein read a page from Roselle’s Diary that revealed Senior Perrdax’s dangerous discoveries and unusual dealings in Backlund. The meeting ended with Klein asking Sno about buying Corrupted Extraordinary Characteristics, while his urgency to stop Ince Zangwill remained.

• Audrey continued psychological intervention for Sno, while the Tarot Club members advanced in succession.
• Klein recalled Mr. Azk’s warning about Destiny interference and resolved to advance quickly and deal with Ince Zangwill.
• Sno submitted a Roselle’s Diary page describing Backlund’s poor air, hidden dangers, and the capture of a Sun Pathway Extraordinary whom Perrdax made sign a housekeeper agreement.
• Klein connected the diary’s references to Tudor’s underground palace and Jacob’s legacy with the dangers beneath Backlund and worried about Melissa and Benson.
• Klein asked Sno whether he would buy Corrupted Extraordinary Characteristics, and Sno offered market price for Low Sequence, a premium for Mid Sequence, and double price for High Sequence characteristics.

Klein bought Sno’s processed Marionettist Characteristic and arranged to commission a Reaper-based weapon, despite his limited funds. He also asked Fors to watch Williams Street for anything unusual, leaving her with a new task tied to Perrdax’s Diary.

• Klein accepted Sno’s offer to trade the processed Marionettist Characteristic for a 1,000-pound handling fee.
• Klein asked the Tarot Club for a powerful offensive Mysterious Item, and Sno offered three weapons with different prices and abilities.
• Klein chose a firearm made from a Sequence V Reaper Characteristic and agreed to pay a deposit soon.
• After the trading session, Klein asked Fors to visit Williams Street every two or three days and report anything unusual.

Melissa and Benson met Leonard after Benson's government examination, and Leonard left them an address and messenger incantation for help while he was away. Meanwhile, Fors set out to complete one of her tasks, and Klein received Mr. Devil's unexpectedly swift sacrifice: an ornate revolver named Azure Rose.

• Melissa waited in a Backlund café while Leonard reassured her that Benson would pass his examination.
• Benson arrived, told Melissa the exam had gone well, and asked Leonard why he had come to see them.
• Leonard gave Melissa and Benson an address and messenger incantation, explaining that Klein's friend there would help them while Leonard was away.
• Fors left home to complete either Mr. World's or Mr. Devil's task, troubled by her conscience.
• Klein accepted Mr. Devil's sacrifice Above the Gray Fog and admired the revolver named Azure Rose.

Klein tested Azure Rose, a powerful custom revolver whose reloading poses could taunt nearby enemies. Meanwhile, Ince Zangwill woke to find 0-08 had written a disturbing account of the previous night, and three eerie dolls had appeared in his room.

• Klein admired Azure Rose’s abilities and decided to learn to fire it with his left hand and maintain it.
• When Klein swung out Azure Rose’s cylinder, it forced him through a flamboyant reload that transmitted twelve standard poses to him.
• Klein decided to practice the poses but planned to rely on supernatural bullets whenever possible.
• Ince Zangwill woke, checked his condition, and found 0-08 outside its locked box and more worn than before.
• Ince read 0-08’s account of his forgotten actions and discovered three dolls whose eyes reflected his sinister smile.
• Ince wanted to destroy the dolls, but his Nightwatcher instincts warned him against damaging them.

Sno watched Lily drink the Witch potion, which transformed her from a cat into a human girl. He sent her to the cave to practice walking and fighting, giving her two days to adapt before she could go out with him.

• Sno checked that Lily was ready to drink the Witch potion and watched closely for signs of danger.
• Lily drank the potion, transformed into a human girl, and woke up eager to make dried fish with her new hands.
• Sno helped Lily learn to use her human voice and examined her transformation, while Lily wondered if he wanted kittens.
• Maria dressed Lily in a maid outfit, but Lily struggled to walk upright without her tail.
• Sno sent Lily to the cave to practice moving and fighting in her human body, giving her two days to adapt.

Integra Belmont, a wealthy bounty hunter, searched Damir Island for arrogant red-eyed people and paid Woody for information. Woody sent her toward Bayram with a vague story, and her departure prompted much of the bar to scatter.

• Integra Belmont asked the bartender whether he had seen a group of arrogant red-eyed people, but he denied knowing them.
• Woody stopped Integra at the door and offered information about the group, claiming they were dangerous.
• Integra offered Woody five hundred pounds, startling him into asking for only five soli.
• Woody said the group had put to sea a few days earlier and might be heading toward Bayram or another colonial island.
• Integra left the bar with her maids, and many patrons and the bartender hurried away.

Integra and her maids reached Damir Island, where she killed the thugs blocking their way and bought passage on the Maryvis. Integra was actually Sno, using an Extraordinary Item and a carefully constructed persona to digest his Demigod potion in advance, and he prepared to sail toward Bayram.

• Integra shot the thug who threatened her, while the black-haired maid killed his seven or eight accomplices.
• Integra questioned Woody about the dead men and where to find pirates, then continued to the docks.
• The red-haired maid bought first-class tickets for the Maryvis, which would depart the next afternoon.
• At a hotel, Sno revealed that Integra was his disguise and that he had used cross-dressing to help digest his Demigod potion in advance.
• Sno considered the pirate routes and compared the seas and islands to locations from pirate stories.

Integra prepared for the Maryvis’s departure while Lily sampled seasonings and explained her intermittent meowing. As passengers boarded, Integra watched a growing number of suspicious people arrive, while a group investigating her decided to board and learn what she wanted with the Sanguine.

• Integra reassembled her pistols and learned that Lily was eating seasonings to find flavors that suited dried fish.
• Lily told Integra that her meowing sometimes happened when she inhaled while speaking, and Integra invited her and Helene to eat on the promenade deck.
• A group at the dock confirmed that Integra, Helene, and Lily had boarded the Maryvis, speculated about Integra’s interest in the Sanguine, and prepared to board themselves.
• Integra watched the suspicious passengers gather and wondered whether the Sanguine had another objective, while Lily and Helene bickered over Lily’s behavior.

Integra Belmont met Russ aboard the Maryvis and discussed Southern Continent collectibles while probing the ship’s passengers and factions. Russ later reported his impressions to Viscount Ones and Earnest, who ordered him to keep gathering information and warned the group about Red Gloves aboard the ship.

• Integra boarded the Maryvis with Lily and encountered Russ, who introduced himself as a collector traveling to Loen.
• Integra invited Russ to buy her a drink and questioned him about his trip while discussing pirates and Southern Continent handicrafts.
• Russ returned to his room, where the others questioned him about Integra and he admitted being attracted to her before reporting what he had learned.
• Earnest warned Russ to stay in contact with Integra and gather more intelligence, and cautioned everyone about Red Gloves aboard the ship.

Aboard the Maryvis, Integra and her companions prepared to set their plan in motion while Klein kept watch over a dangerous dice artifact. Several groups performed competing rituals that sent the ship speeding out of control, leaving the passengers facing a storm and the conspirators scrambling to react.

• Klein returned from Above the Gray Fog and checked that the dice artifact had not rolled, then stayed alert to its danger.
• Integra ordered Lily another ice cream, then played the piano with Heavenly Punishment and declared that the curtain was rising.
• Earnest led Russ and their companions in a ritual using a crimson crystal to guide the Maryvis toward a legacy linked to His Highness Ol'nya.
• The Maryvis lurched as the ritual altered its course, and the captain announced that the ship had encountered a storm.
• Several groups discovered that their competing rituals had driven the ship far faster than expected and that their attempts to stop or control it had failed.

The Maryvis unexpectedly lifted into the air and sped across the sea, leaving its passengers and the Beyonders aboard confused about who was behind it. The chapter ended with the passengers splitting into wary groups while the ship continued flying.

• Malak and Michel saw the ship flying and rushed onto the crowded deck with the other passengers.
• Passengers spotted Nature Spirits, ice beneath the ship, a force deflecting wind, and jet devices propelling it.
• Russ and Cosmi wondered whether the major Churches had caused the ship’s sudden change of course, but could not explain why it kept accelerating.
• A pirate scout jumped overboard in a lifeboat, which shattered against the sea as the ship raced past.
• Soest warned his teammates to distrust everyone aboard, while Leonard worried that Old Man had stopped responding.
• Passengers divided into small groups, and Malak and Michel wondered how to alert their boss without sending a message overboard.

A passenger ship was driven through a storm at extreme speed by mysterious forces, leaving its passengers and crew scrambling to understand or stop it. Sno woke aboard the ship, prayed to Mr. Fool, and asked Helene to find out where they were.

• Pirates aboard the ship realized that its speed made it impossible to send messengers and gathered to discuss the strange events.
• Pilar told his master that the ship was flying at incredible speed, someone had died trying to jump overboard, and pirates seemed to be aboard.
• Deacon and his companions failed to unlock the remote controls for the propellers, while Deacon ordered a young man to study the ship's mechanics.
• Sno woke during the storm, prayed to Mr. Fool, and reshaped her face with the Faceless characteristic.
• Integra brought out breakfast through the Gate of Light, and Lily emerged naked before heading to the bathroom.
• Integra asked where the ship was, and Helene agreed to go find out.

A runaway storm ritual drove the Maryvis beyond its safe route, and mechanical failures caused the ship to break apart at sea. Klein heard the captain announce a rescue for the shipwrecked passengers, while most of those aboard the Maryvis remained unaccounted for.

• The captain and the Storm Church’s Mandated Punishers realized the ship was still racing toward the Beluga Whale Sea despite the ritual being stopped.
• The Machinery Hivemind’s propellers failed, and the Maryvis plunged through the ice into rough water as its storm-deflecting force faltered.
• Beyonder powers broke the ship apart to reduce the impact, leaving survivors clinging to fragments of wreckage.
• The captain and a Machinery Hivemind deacon counted only seventy or eighty survivors, far fewer than the roughly thousand passengers and crew aboard.
• Klein put away The All-Black Eye after worrying that the True Creator might trace it, then heard the captain announce that the ship would rescue the shipwrecked people.

Klein’s ship rescued eighty-seven survivors from a wreck, but the Dice of Probability reacted with fear and then went spiritually dormant. Klein spotted Leonard among the passengers and grew wary of the rescued group, while the Maryvis’s captain warned the crew to watch them closely.

• The passenger ship lowered lifeboats and rescued survivors from the wreckage left by the storm.
• Klein saw the Dice of Probability trembling, asked whether something it feared had boarded the ship, and got a six before the die lost its spirituality.
• Klein went onto the deck and recognized Leonard among the rescued passengers, suspecting the Angel accompanying him might have frightened the die.
• Leonard sensed someone watching him, and Soest’s team became more vigilant, prompting the rescued survivors to grow wary as well.
• The captain told the Maryvis’s captain that only eighty-seven people had been rescued, and the latter warned him to keep a close watch on the survivors.

The Scylla appeared beside the Grey Amber, and the Sanguines and other survivors launched an assault on the pirate ship. As battle began, Klein recognized the piano melody played by a man in a white suit, while the chapter ended with an unrelated argument about whether a bird could survive a 500 km/h storm.

• The Grey Amber’s captain kept the survivors under watch and provided dry clothes while forbidding them from entering the cabins.
• Earnest tossed a red crystal to Russ, and the Ghost Ship Scylla surfaced near the Grey Amber.
• Howl Constantine arrived aboard the Scylla, and two survivors swam toward the pirate ship.
• A piano melody rang out, prompting the Sanguines and more survivors to fly toward the Scylla and begin boarding it.
• Leonard discussed the Sanguines’ actions with Soest, while Cindy offered to join the fight and Soest chose to wait.
• Klein recognized the melody played by the man in the white formal suit, then continued an argument about the physics of birds flying in extreme winds.

A battle erupted aboard the Scylla as the Sanguine overwhelmed its pirates and Beyonders from several factions joined the fray. Klein sensed a catastrophic threat when a monocled gentleman among the rescued passengers met his gaze and said, “Interesting.”

• The Sanguine used the Blood Moon, potions, and Blood Servants to suppress Vice Admiral Deep Sea and defeat the pirates aboard the Scylla.
• Several cloaked figures, Storm Church Beyonders, and Machinery Church members boarded the Scylla while Klein and Darkwill watched from the Grey Amber.
• A piano-playing girl finished her performance as Klein sensed a powerful danger approaching through the rippling Gray Fog.
• A brown-haired middle-aged man emerged from a symbol-covered doorway and walked toward the piano player.
• Klein noticed a monocled gentleman among the rescued passengers, met his gaze, and heard him say, “Interesting.”
• The chapter ended with an author’s note arguing that a bird could not survive teleporting from a ship into a storm at high relative speed.