Chapter Summaries

Angel visited Nausicaa, who was considering joining Reynolds on an expedition, then checked the top sixteen matchups and went to watch Xiliu’s opening match. Xiliu faced Shining New Star as the group-stage bouts began.

• Reynolds asked Nausicaa to join forces with him, and she hesitated because their shared destination held something she wanted.
• Angel offered to help Nausicaa if she encountered difficulties, then reassured Serum about Black Codex and learned that Xiliu was still competing.
• Angel checked the top sixteen groups and saw that Xiliu would face Shining New Star while Qili would face Domenico.
• The eight group-stage matches began amid a huge crowd at the Infinite Battle Tower, and Angel attended as a specially appointed judge.
• Angel chose to watch Xiliu’s match against Shining New Star.

After Xiliu defeated Izmi, Angel learned that Fingernail Granny would travel to the Ancient Ya Realm to establish a station while the search for Ivo began. She departed with a Shadow of the Cage from Angel and left Fingernail Alchemy House in Niha’s care.

• Xiliu defeated Izmi after a grueling match, and Angel admired the sunny necromancer despite his loss.
• Angel checked the tournament results and saw Qili, Jiebo, Kafolian, and Onassis advance while Sini Cui Ze, Xi Li, and Shali were eliminated.
• Antonio told Angel that Muse and Rosen had agreed to send people to the Ancient Ya Realm to search for Ivo and the Casket of the Undead's Reincarnation.
• Angel met Fingernail Granny at the Research Institute, where she explained she was going to establish a station so she could be closer to Ivo.
• Angel gave Fingernail Granny a Shadow of the Cage, and she left Fingernail Alchemy House under Niha’s management before departing by airship.

After Fingernail Granny departed, Angel agreed to look after Shali while Falina entered seclusion. Gloria's training left Toby exhausted, and when Angel returned, he brought a reluctant-looking female magician with him.

• Midora explained how Ivo's decision to send Fingernail Granny away had become an obsession for her, then invited Angel to taste Yeliya's soup, which Angel declined.
• Falina told Angel she planned to enter seclusion and asked him to look after Shali; Angel agreed to use Shali's help before leaving Sky Mechanical City.
• Gloria watched Toby train in griffin form until it crashed into a flowerbed and fell asleep from exhaustion.
• Gloria woke Toby before the Extreme Grudge Intent could tempt it in a dream, and Toby waited for Angel to return so it could sleep safely.
• Angel returned with a female magician in a black gentleman's suit, whose face showed a forced smile despite her resistance.

Angel brought Shali to Gloria to investigate whether Shali’s unusual sensitivity to emotional force fields could help Toby resist the Extreme Grudge Intent. Gloria agreed to experiment with Shali, while a test suggested Angel’s spell kept Toby’s emotional force field unchanged as he fell asleep.

• Gloria recognized Shali as the Water-Pattern Witch Falina’s disciple, and Shali eagerly greeted the famous food wizard.
• Angel asked Shali to sense Toby’s emotional force field, and she detected malice, viciousness, madness, fury, and jealousy that intensified when Toby closed his eyes.
• Gloria startled Toby awake and confirmed that Shali sensed the negative emotions weaken when he opened his eyes.
• Angel told Gloria why he had brought Shali, and they agreed that Gloria would investigate whether Shali’s ability could help Toby.
• Angel sent Toby into the Dream Wilderness with Nightmare Illusion Dream Entry, then left to continue testing his transformation spell.
• Gloria privately learned from Shali that Toby’s emotional force field had not changed after Angel put him to sleep, and she decided to focus on using Shali’s ability to help him.

Angel returned to the Sin Demon Laboratory and joined its researchers in testing Sin Demon No. 7, whose defensive abilities might suit Knight Sabel. He discussed Rabu’s possible inheritance of Sin Mist authority with Frod, then Frod offered to show him design drafts for the new city.

• Angel arrived at the Sin Demon Laboratory and learned that Tulas had taken an airship back to Firstheart City.
• Angel reviewed the research on Sin Demon No. 7 and replaced Tulas in its simulated combat test.
• Angel tested No. 7, which stayed in place and attacked with its tentacles, and Frod suggested it might suit Knight Sabel.
• Angel and Frod discussed Rabu’s assessment as a candidate to inherit Sin Mist authority and agreed to keep the truth beyond Firstheart City from him for now.
• Frod offered to show Angel a batch of design drafts for the new city.

Angel and Frod chose Jon’s colorful, steam-punk-inspired design as the blueprint for the new city planned for the Dream Wilderness. After leaving the Dream Wilderness, Angel found Gloria and Shali together and learned they had been discussing the New Star Tournament.

• Frod showed Angel a collection of proposed designs for the new city, and Angel found them impressive but lacking the impact he wanted.
• Angel recognized Jon’s colorful design as a blend of Eastern details, steam-fantasy punk, and the Wizarding World’s mainstream style.
• Angel and Frod agreed to use Jon’s design as the blueprint, with transcendents expected to develop the city beyond its initial framework.
• After leaving the Dream Wilderness the next morning, Angel saw Shali teasing Butler No. 1 while Gloria encouraged her.
• Angel stopped Shali, spoke with Gloria, and heard that she and Shali had been discussing the New Star Tournament.

Gloria became curious about Azaz, the Gourmet Apprentice who had defeated Shali, and learned that he was facing Kafolian in the quarterfinals. Angel also revealed that Jiebo had already lost his first match to Xiliu, leaving Azaz and Kafolian's match underway with its result still unknown.

• Shali recounted how Azaz, the "Devil Gourmet," had defeated her in the New Star Tournament, prompting Gloria to wonder about his background.
• Gloria explained that two gourmet contestants had reached the top sixteen, including Sini Cui Ze, and asked when Azaz would compete again.
• Angel told Gloria that Azaz was already facing Kafolian, the Armored Goddess and heir of the Shepherd God Family.
• Gloria remarked that Jiebo would struggle against Kafolian, and Angel corrected her by revealing that Jiebo had already lost to Xiliu.
• Angel said Azaz and Kafolian's match had been underway for over half an hour, and a new message appeared on his communicator as they awaited the result.

Angel learned that Azaz had defeated Kafolian, while Qili had lost to Trom, the Phantom Deer, before he could reach her match. He suspected Qili had conceded to pursue her chance of facing Jiebo and went to Kihara Bar, where patrons were buzzing over the tournament’s upsets.

• Angel told Gloria and Shali that Devil Gourmet had defeated Kafolian, and Shali accepted that her earlier loss to Azaz had not been unfair.
• Angel and Shali described Philosopher’s mysterious victories, and Gloria decided to watch his afternoon match.
• Angel set out to watch Qili’s match but learned that she had already lost to Trom, the Phantom Deer.
• Angel suspected Qili had voluntarily conceded so she might still face Jiebo, whose defeat had disrupted her goal.
• Angel went to Kihara Bar and found its patrons engrossed in discussions of Jiebo and Kafolian’s surprising losses.

Angel heard apprentices speculate about Xiliu’s victory over Jiebo before finding Alan waiting outside the Youthful Grace Hall. Alan came seeking Angel, who brought him inside and asked what he needed.

• Apprentices discussed Xiliu defeating Jiebo and imagined that the two had shared a tragic romance.
• Angel found Alan pacing outside the Youthful Grace Hall and revealed his identity after Alan failed to recognize him.
• Alan explained that he had come to find Angel and followed him into the hall.
• Shan and Leon greeted Angel and questioned why Alan was there, while Shan explained that Nausicaa was caring for the weakened Xiliu.
• Angel asked Alan what he had come to find him about.

Shan served Angel and Alan her roast meat, but Alan revealed his superior skills as a food apprentice from the Butterfly Tavern. After tasting his roast, Angel helped Alan contact Gloria, who agreed to examine the unconscious Kafolian and investigate whether Azaz had caused her condition.

• Shan offered Alan some of her roast meat, and he bluntly called it terrible before revealing his Sweet Fire and Cream Wind cooking technique.
• Alan prepared a roast that amazed Shan and the others, then asked Angel to contact Gloria on Kafolian's behalf.
• Gloria arrived with Shali and asked Alan to explain why he had sought her help.
• Alan said Kafolian had fallen unconscious after her match with Azaz, and Sini Cui Ze suspected a food-branch ability was responsible.
• Gloria considered Azaz a possible cause and asked Alan to bring Kafolian so she could examine her.

Gloria examined the unconscious Kafolian at Youthful Grace Hall and discovered that someone had been preparing to turn her into a “live ingredient.” The chapter ended with the group learning the cause of Kafolian’s condition, but not who had done it or how she could be saved.

• Alan brought Kafolian to Youthful Grace Hall, where Gloria agreed to examine her, and Sini Cui Ze came along.
• Kafolian’s Shepherd God's Outer Garment bristled defensively until Sini Cui Ze persuaded it to withdraw.
• Gloria examined Kafolian, whose body reacted painfully and began emitting a rich fragrance.
• Angel recognized the scent and Gloria’s movements as signs that Kafolian was being treated like food.
• Gloria told Sini Cui Ze and Alan that someone had been preparing to turn Kafolian into a live ingredient.

Gloria agreed to stabilize Kafolian, who was being transformed into a living ingredient, in exchange for a price Sini Cui Ze would pay on her behalf. After learning that a demonic shadow had attacked Kafolian during a spatial traversal in her match against Azaz, Gloria planned to examine the shadow at Azaz’s competition the next day.

• Sini Cui Ze blamed Azaz for turning Kafolian into a living ingredient, and Gloria confirmed that Kafolian could still be saved because the transformation was incomplete.
• Sini Cui Ze agreed to pay Gloria’s price for saving Kafolian, and Gloria explained that she needed to remove the Gourmet Wizard’s handling of her.
• Sini Cui Ze recounted how Kafolian had been overwhelmed after encountering Azaz’s enormous demonic shadow inside a spatial passage and briefly losing her memories.
• Gloria identified the demonic shadow as the likely cause, said she could stabilize Kafolian but needed to identify the shadow for a full cure, and planned to observe Azaz’s competition the next day.

Angel and Gloria left Kafolian stabilized at Youthful Grace Hall, where Alan agreed to provide meals while she recovered. They then went to the Infinite Battle Tower for the quarterfinal between Su Yatutai and Onassis, whose rivalry drew a packed crowd because of their ties to Uto Academy.

• Gloria stabilized Kafolian and warned everyone not to touch her because culinary magic barriers surrounded her.
• Shali claimed Kafolian’s arrogance might have caused Azaz to make her lose her memory, prompting Sini Cui Ze to argue with her.
• Gloria said Kafolian had to remain at Youthful Grace Hall for a day or two, and Alan agreed to cook for the group.
• Angel asked Gloria about Azaz, and she said she had a theory but needed to confirm it.
• Angel, Gloria, and Shali arrived at the Infinite Battle Tower for the quarterfinal between Su Yatutai and Onassis.
• Shali explained that Su Yatutai had defected from Uto Academy to Deep Sea Song after his fish-scale tattoo was exposed at the Purification Garden, while Onassis remained a rising Uto Academy contender.

Angel recognized Onassis, the Philosopher, as the youth he had once seen reading philosophy, while Onassis and Su Yatutai discussed their past at Uto Academy and their opposing views on philosophy. When their match began, Su Yatutai unleashed a massive ocean spell, but Onassis stood untouched as the waves passed through him.

• Angel recalled meeting Onassis in the Infinite Battle Tower, where the youth had been reading Lies of Nidbergen.
• Onassis told Su Yatutai that Angel had reminded him of the person who approved of his book at Uto Academy five years earlier.
• Su Yatutai dismissed philosophy as false and said he had chosen his title only to seem like an academy type, while Onassis said he still believed Su Yatutai had not abandoned his old convictions.
• Onassis said he would show Su Yatutai the road ahead, and the match began.
• Su Yatutai cast a powerful ocean-type cantrip that flooded the arena with waves.
• Onassis closed his eyes and entered a strange state that let the waves pass through him without touching him.

Onassis defeated Su Yatutai by drawing him into a philosophical debate about the self, while Angel and Gloria worked out how his ideas affected the battle. Su Yatutai conceded after his body began turning virtual, and the match ended with the medical team rushing to treat him.

• Shali explained that Onassis could draw opponents into confusion by transmitting information, even when he could not speak.
• Angel recognized Onassis's words as a quotation from The World Within the Mind and explained how he shifted the importance from his physical body to his consciousness.
• Gloria realized that Onassis had drawn Su Yatutai into debating the meaning of “I,” leaving him lost in thought.
• Su Yatutai's body began turning virtual, and he spat blood before the pain jolted him out of his contemplation.
• Su Yatutai admitted defeat, and the judges ended the match and sent the medical team to treat him.

Angel explained the meaning behind Onassis’s cryptic words and considered how his philosophy might make him a formidable opponent. After returning to Youthful Grace Hall, Angel warned Shan that Xiliu’s chances in the semifinals were slim because she would face Onassis.

• Onassis watched Su Yatutai being carried away, then quoted a line from The Sound That Cannot Be Heard to Angel before leaving.
• Angel told Gloria the story behind Tegra’s quote and explained how Onassis had turned it into a question of whether unseen things existed.
• Angel and Gloria remained unable to understand Onassis’s methods but agreed that he was the New Star Tournament’s biggest dark horse after Jiebo’s defeat.
• Angel visited Youthful Grace Hall, where Ganke had been training Leon and Sini Cui Ze was caring for Kafolian.
• Shan asked Angel about Xiliu’s prospective semifinal opponent, and Angel said Xiliu’s chances of winning were small because she would face Onassis.

Angel explained why Onassis was difficult to counter and discussed how Xiliu might face him in the New Star Tournament semifinals. The group wondered whether Xiliu could defeat him through philosophical debate, then Shan went to check on Xiliu and prepare her for the battle.

• Nausicaa asked Angel about Onassis's strength, and Angel speculated that Onassis's ability might use philosophy as its medium.
• Angel explained that opponents who acknowledged Onassis could be drawn into his philosophical rhythm, while Xiliu could counter him only under difficult circumstances.
• Nausicaa and Shan concluded that Xiliu might need to challenge Onassis through thought and debate, but worried that she lacked the necessary preparation.
• Shan praised Angel's accomplishments, and the group discussed how far he might advance as the others grew stronger.
• Nausicaa said Xiliu had awakened, and Shan went inside to analyze the semifinal battle with her.

Angel asked Glen to investigate Irene after Alan revealed that he had come to Sky Mechanical City to find his missing sister. Back at the manor, Angel arranged for Shali to help Gloria study Toby’s Extreme Grudge Intent, leaving Shali’s promised reward dependent on whether she could be useful.

• Angel contacted Antonio to reach Glen, who arrived by flying vehicle despite the Magic-Energy Eye’s no-fly warning, and Angel dismissed the pursuing eyes.
• Angel asked Glen to inquire about Irene, and Glen promised to report back by the following morning.
• Angel’s search for Irene stemmed from Alan telling Leon that he had traveled to Sky Mechanical City after hearing Irene would enter the New Star Tournament but had been unable to find her.
• Angel returned to the manor and watched Gloria train Toby while Shali sensed and recorded Toby’s Extreme Grudge Intent.
• Shali joked about wanting a reward and demonstrated her hidden doves, but Angel said they would discuss it later if she proved helpful with Toby’s problem.

Angel attended the New Star Tournament semifinals and helped Alan find a way to contact White Coral Floating Island Academy about Irene. Before Xiliu’s match against Onassis could be shown, the arena’s light screen announced that the match was over.

• Angel learned that Irene had not competed in Sky Mechanical City’s tournament and gave Alan an address where he could pay to use a signal tower and contact Moro.
• Alan hurried away to seek news of Irene, while Angel and the others from Youthful Grace Hall went to the Infinite Battle Tower for Xiliu’s semifinal.
• Angel joined the judging panel and spoke with Sabo, who said the judges suspected Onassis attacked opponents through philosophy but could not confirm how his ability worked.
• Sabo explained that Bismarck had faced Onassis, experienced an urge to cast off his body and brain, and later remembered little of the match.
• Angel looked toward Hydra for insight into Onassis, but the arena’s light screen announced that the match was over.

After Xiliu unexpectedly fell asleep during her match against Onassis, Angel entered her dream to discover what had happened. Xiliu regained vivid memories and opened her eyes to a sunlit wilderness, unsure where she was.

• Onassis won the match after Xiliu collapsed asleep, and Nausicaa and Shan confirmed she had no injuries despite taking a potion.
• Angel decided to enter Xiliu's dream, surprising Serum and the others with his Dream Entry Technique.
• Xiliu reflected in her lucid dream on why she had fallen asleep and pieced together that her opponent had been Onassis.
• Xiliu recalled the match in vivid detail and wondered if she had learned to think deeply in her dreams or had awakened.
• Xiliu opened her eyes expecting to find her friends but discovered she was in a vast wilderness beneath the sunlight.