Chapter Summaries

Isabel comforted Aleister by revealing how she came to understand Iver’s hidden vulnerabilities and love him, helping Aleister voice her fear of disappearing. As Aleister sobbed in Isabel’s arms, Isabel promised she would be remembered and vowed to heal the wounded heart she shared with Iver.

• Isabel told Aleister how awe, trust, and curiosity toward Iver grew into love when she glimpsed his hidden melancholy and fear.
• Isabel recalled breaking down in Iver’s arms and realizing that he, too, was silently weeping beneath his perfect image.
• Isabel held Aleister and urged her to cry, promising to name and love her first child Aleister and assuring the girl that she would not be forgotten.
• Aleister admitted she had lied about not caring and confessed that she did not want to disappear or be forgotten.
• Aleister’s restrained tears became loud, unrestrained sobs as Isabel held and comforted her.

Aleister and Isabel discussed how the trolls’ Construction Teams had rapidly transformed Midsummer County into a developing port city. Aleister explained that the trolls’ kneeling was likely a sign of fear, not gratitude, as their work promised to make the county prosperous.

• Aleister insisted that Isabel tell her the important news before she rested, and Isabel asked about Midsummer County’s port.
• Aleister described the county’s empty streets, warehouses, and impressive roads, while Isabel explained that troll Construction Teams had built thirty-three high-rise residences in just over ten days.
• Isabel recounted how the trolls cleared the forest, built roads and warehouses, and used mysterious construction methods that frightened locals and drew reports to the authorities.
• Isabel said residents eventually befriended the trolls and asked them for blessings, believing their presence brought good fortune.
• Aleister predicted that Midsummer County would prosper thanks to its port, railways, roads, and housing, then said the trolls had probably knelt out of fear rather than gratitude.

Aleister explained how Avalon could use the railway contract’s bishop requirement to connect important cities and discussed the benefits of relocating clergy and residents. After Isabel woke from their shared dream, Aleister felt comforted and went to sleep, while considering how she might bring Stibnite’s clergy to Avalon.

• Aleister told Isabel that the trolls’ bows and blessings came from fear of violating their slave rules, and Isabel promised to stop residents from asking them for blessings.
• Aleister advised Isabel to inspect the railway work, choose its routes strategically, and station three bishops in each important city to meet the contract’s terms.
• Aleister explained how bishops, railway access, migration, and affordable housing could help cities grow, and she considered bringing Stibnite’s clergy to Avalon if her plans there failed.
• Isabel interrupted Aleister’s advice with a playful bite before waking from the dream, leaving Aleister comforted and calmer.
• Aleister settled into the warm spot Isabel had left behind, wished her good night, and fell asleep.

Earl Leipzig, also known as Prince Heinrich, confronted General Leo Karl, who had lost his Demon Avatar and condemned Heinrich’s transformation as a Child of the Moon. Heinrich defended his living collection of human artworks and revealed that he survived by sharing himself with the people who loved him.

• Earl Leipzig returned to his residence and found General Karl waiting in his study.
• General Karl accused Heinrich of losing his humanity, and Heinrich realized Karl had lost his Demon Avatar when Starry Night descended.
• Heinrich showed Karl his living collection of human artworks and claimed their owners had come to him willingly.
• Karl challenged Heinrich’s claim and accused him of using a damage-transfer ritual to survive.
• Heinrich denied using deception or enchantment and said he had shared himself with the people in his collection.

Earl Leipzig told General Karl that the Children of the Moon had killed their critics and intended to rule Stibnite under their newly born god, Banquet Angel. He also said the Red Minister would personally deal with Alphons, declaring that even the Headmaster could not stop him.

• Earl Leipzig explained that the sculptures were people who had willingly merged their souls with his, and General Karl revealed that he had become a Fire Holder.
• Earl Leipzig told General Karl that the Ouroboros Ring Ritual required a Fifth Level Transcender as a sacrifice, a role that had originally been assigned to Karl.
• General Karl reported that the Rosy Cross Society opposed the Red Minister and had begun publicly condemning him and the Child of the Moon.
• Earl Leipzig revealed that the Children of the Moon had killed and drained the blood of their critics, and that Leipzig would become Stibnite's new capital.
• Earl Leipzig said the Red Minister would personally deal with Alphons, and that even the Headmaster would not be able to stop him.

Fenrir warned Prince Siya Erduo that his vision showed Red Phase leading the Children of the Moon into a civil war that would engulf Star Antimony and kill the king. Aleister realized that her own actions may have triggered the sudden change in the future and left Red Phase with a decisive advantage.

• Fenrir summoned Prince Siya Erduo, Aleister, and Honey Badger before dawn to report an omen of war.
• Fenrir described a future in which Red Phase killed Earl Dawn, raised the Banquet Lord, killed the king, and rallied the Children of the Moon to seize power across Star Antimony.
• Prince Siya Erduo considered the threat and concluded that outside powers, including the Theocracy, would not intervene in the country's internal struggle.
• Fenrir admitted that his earlier visions had shown different dangers and that he had not foreseen the sudden change.
• Aleister traced the altered future to her own chain of killings and the Banquet Lord's unexpected ascension, then feared that she had inadvertently helped Red Phase gain the upper hand.

Aleister rejected Fenrir’s suggestion to let a ritual destroy Astyn and agreed to rescue Inspector Vena after Children of the Moon began killing Rosy Cross Society members. She left with Prince Siya Erduo and the others to storm the Police Department, while her unexplained violent urges continued.

• Honey Badger and Fenrir debated how to stop the Children of the Moon from uniting the four nations under their rule.
• Aleister revealed her Child of the Moon traits and declared that she would kill anyone who tried to cause trouble.
• Fenrir suggested helping the Demon Scholars complete a ritual that would destroy most of Astyn, but Aleister refused.
• Fenrir learned that drained corpses, including Mr. Frank Schumacher and other Rosy Cross Society members, had been found in City Hall Square.
• Fenrir reported that Inspector Vena was confined in his office by armed police, and Aleister deduced that Red Prime’s forces were watching to see who would come to his aid.
• Prince Siya Erduo asked Aleister to save his friend, and she agreed before leading the group to storm the Police Department.

After Inspector Frank Schumacher was found hanged in City Hall Square, the security police sealed off their department as Prince Siya Erduo arrived. A woman in the car used her charm to make a middle-aged inspector reveal the Earl Leipzig’s plans and the rewards he had been promised.

• Leipzig residents discovered Inspector Frank Schumacher and other prominent people hanged in City Hall Square, while guards blocked access to the Security Police Department.
• Prince Siya Erduo arrived at the sealed department, and a middle-aged inspector claimed Royal Alchemy Association alchemists were defusing a bomb inside.
• The woman in the car asked where the Earl Leipzig was, and the charmed inspector said the Earl was at his mansion but would soon go to the Police Department.
• At Prince Siya Erduo’s prompting, the woman asked what benefits the inspector had received from the Earl Leipzig.
• The inspector revealed that the Earl had promised to promote him three ranks to Second-Class Police Supervisor and give him property, and said Stibium would soon change completely.

Aleister used her enhanced Bewitching Aura to make the police force turn on itself as she escorted Prince Siya Erduo through the Police Department to reach Inspector Vena. At Vena’s office, she gave Siya a pistol and challenged him to prove he had the resolve to act.

• Aleister enchanted the inspectors, made one shoot his colleague, and survived gunfire with protective rituals and a shield.
• The Bewitching Aura spread through the Guard Line, turning its operators against one another and triggering a savage battle among the police.
• Aleister led Prince Siya Erduo into the Police Department, where enthralled officers offered little resistance and stronger defenders were made to attack their comrades or kill themselves.
• Siya asked if Aleister was the Witch Who Brings War, and she admitted she would use any means necessary to achieve her goals.
• At Inspector Vena’s office, Aleister handed Siya a pistol and asked whether he had the resolve to use it.

Aleister pushed Prince Siya Erduo to confront the rebels, and his first attempt to kill one nearly ended in disaster before he survived with the help of his alchemy potions. After Siya Erduo went to save his imprisoned friend, Aleister struggled against the Child of the Moon’s bloodlust and resolved to overcome its corruption.

• Aleister pressured Prince Siya Erduo to shoot a guard, and his first shots wounded the man without killing him.
• The wounded guard transformed into a demonkin, knocked Siya Erduo against a wall, and nearly struck him again before Siya Erduo used a Petrification Potion to stop it.
• Siya Erduo healed himself with potions, admitted his mistake to Lady Aleister, and destroyed the petrified demonkin with another potion.
• Siya Erduo said killing the demonkin gave him confidence that he could overcome his fear, and Aleister sent him to rescue his imprisoned friend.
• Aleister fought the Child of the Moon’s urges to drink blood, have sex, and kill, then bit through her thumb to bone and vowed to overcome its evil instinct.

Iver investigated why his emotions and connection with Aleister were fading during the division of their powers, and discovered that remnants of the Tenth Source River were causing the disturbance. He regained his clarity and connection with Aleister, but learned that her Path Urge had reached the Sixth Level.

• Iver noticed that his connection with Aleister had been severed and that his emotions were fading as Dedication grew stronger.
• Lord of Scales and Feathers explained that the Gap of Dualities divided power evenly, but Iver’s choice to sever the Child of the Moon vessel had made the process a dangerous trial.
• Iver connected the mysterious Sacred Number Eleven and the Path of Love to a hidden Tenth Source River, realizing its remnants were affecting him and Aleister.
• Iver’s thoughts cleared as he recognized that Candle Holder had drawn power from the Tenth Source River, and his connection with Aleister returned.
• Lord of Scales and Feathers told Iver that Aleister’s Path Urge had reached the Sixth Level.

Pengbo Naqi confronted Valentine VII in the Triumphal Palace and killed him after allowing the old King one chance to strike. Pengbo Naqi took control of Stibium and named Lucian Valentine its future King.

• Pengbo Naqi visited Valentine VII and demanded the King's scepter key to open the Herasul Secret Treasure.
• Valentine VII asked Pengbo Naqi to spare his children, then challenged him with his Goldstone Knight power.
• Pengbo Naqi survived Valentine VII's attack, emerged reborn from the old King's body, and killed him by draining his Blood Energy.
• Pengbo Naqi ordered the palace servants to dispose of Valentine VII's remains and bring him to the King's bedroom.
• Pengbo Naqi told the gathered court that he would not become King and that Lucian Valentine would be Stibium's new King.

Albert and Aurora reunited at the Spirit Tower, where their awkward closeness led to a macabre exchange of heads. Aurora then told Albert that the King had died and the Red Queen had killed him.

• Albert enjoyed returning to the Spirit Tower and drank its three potions before meeting Aurora, who had not slept.
• Albert worried about Aurora’s revealing pajamas, lent her his robe, and tried to look after her.
• Aurora removed her head to watch Albert experiment, and Albert removed his own head so Aurora could hold it.
• Aurora told Albert that the King had died and the Red Queen had killed him.

Albert learned that the Red Prime Minister had removed King Valentine VII and backed Lucian as the new King. In his laboratory, Albert showed Aurora a creature that grew transplantable arms and described his plan to develop sources of organs to save lives, before Aurora’s new junior schoolmate Christina fainted at the sight of the lab.

• Albert heard Aurora report that Pengbo Naqi had deposed Valentine VII, arrested those involved, and supported Lucian as the new King.
• Albert returned to his laboratory with Aurora and showed her the Thousand Hands God-117, which grew arms for transplants by consuming small living creatures.
• Albert explained that he hoped to create creatures that generated organs such as livers, reducing the need to kill people for ritual materials.
• Aurora brought her new junior schoolmate Christina to meet Albert, and Christina fainted after seeing Albert’s severed head, the headless body, and the laboratory full of limbs and organs.

Christina woke in Aurora’s bedroom after fainting at the Spirit Tower, where she met the renowned necromancer Albert Lore. She learned that Alice had brought her there while she was unconscious, and Albert recognized her connection to Aleister, leaving Christina astonished by her mentor’s influence.

• Christina woke in Aurora’s bedroom, where Aurora had removed a giant teddy bear covering her.
• Christina spoke with Albert Lore, who apologized for the frightening undead experiment she had seen and described his unusual research.
• Christina recognized Albert as Stibium’s celebrated young necromancer and wondered how he knew Aurora and why he was at the Spirit Tower.
• Albert asked whether Christina belonged to Aleister, and Christina was surprised that he knew her mentor.
• Alice took control of Christina’s body, explained that she had brought Christina to Albert and Aurora, and recognized Albert from his association with the Stranger.
• Albert bowed to Christina and said it was an honor to see her again, leaving Christina stunned by Aleister’s clout.

Christina learned that Aleister was an ancient Child of the Moon and the lover of Eternal Pope Iver, while Albert recounted his past arrogance and later dedication to perfecting the Armored Gargoyle. His experiments ended with a troubling discovery: the gargoyles seemed afraid of lightning.

• Alice asked Albert and Aurora to explain Aleister's identity to Christina, and Albert described Aleister's power and her connection to Pope Iver.
• Albert recalled his childhood as a gifted necromancer and his desperate attempts to gain recognition from older experts.
• Albert admitted he had once claimed a master's invention as his own, then regretted it when the master responded with generosity rather than rivalry.
• After apologizing and changing his ways, Albert earned respect through his work on the Armored Gargoyle and devoted himself to improving it.
• Albert's tests against Lightning Strike Walking Corpses revealed that the Armored Gargoyles seemed afraid of lightning.

Albert recalled how his Armored Gargoyles had become instruments of slaughter and how their flaws could bring Stibium to disaster. Trapped under house arrest at the Spirit Tower, he asked Christina to contact Aleister and bring her to them.

• Albert remembered leaving the gargoyle's lightning vulnerability unsolved and hiding the flaw rather than asking the masters for help.
• During his Promotion Ritual, Albert saw Stibium use the gargoyles for raids without their intended logistical support, and realized they had massacred civilians and remained vulnerable to lightning.
• Albert became depressed and decided he wanted to defect to Avalon, but the Chamber and the Spirit Tower elders opposed his resignation and placed him under house arrest.
• Albert realized he needed Iver's help to protect himself, Aurora, the Spirit Tower, and Stibium, but he could not contact the sleeping Eternal Pope directly.
• Albert bowed to Christina and pleaded with her to ask Aleister to come to the Spirit Tower, offering to pay a great price.

On March 21, Selene performed a moonlit ritual to create a monster, while Aleister considered the possibility of a Tenth Path. The ritual’s ingredients and moon-derived power stirred the blood in the basin, and something began crawling out.

• Selene washed her hands, cut her palms, and chanted over a silver basin as Aleister tried to interpret the ritual.
• Aleister connected Constant Self’s ten acts of casting off to Aristotle’s Categories and wondered whether a Tenth Path existed; Fenrir shared his own theory about a hidden path.
• Selene circled the basin and added Alphons’s Child of the Moon bone powder, Aleister’s blood, the corrupted Offer Mercy’s Eye, and the Fool’s Liver.
• Selene drew Imperial Flowing Paste from the moonlight and used it to animate the basin’s contents.
• A piercing cry left Prince Siya Erduo clutching his ears and Fenrir vomiting, while the blood churned and formed pale-pink films until something crawled out.

Aleister and Selene created a Shark Dragon from Alphons's remains, and Aleister named her Leviathan, with the nickname Sha Sha. As Leviathan began recounting Alphons and Anna Kingsford's story, the Night Demon sensed that her former colleague Alice was calling her true name.

• Selene's ritual produced a blood-red Shark Dragon that grew under the moonlight and retained fragments of Alphons's memories.
• Aleister welcomed the newborn dragon, checked that she was female, and chose the name Leviathan and the nickname Sha Sha.
• Aleister nearly succumbed to the Path of Love's instincts but regained control and asked Leviathan about Alphons and Anna Kingsford.
• Leviathan began recounting memories from her previous life in a childish voice.
• The Night Demon sensed a summons from her former colleague, the Earthbound Spirit Alice.

Professor Lasimi visited the royal palace, where Blood Diamond questioned him about her sister, Blood Coral, and revealed her jealousy. He entered the study and found the Red Prime Minister in an intimate scene with Valentine VIII and Louise, then said he had something to report.

• Blood Diamond greeted Professor Lasimi outside the study and asked about his relationship with Blood Coral.
• Blood Diamond asked how Blood Coral was in bed, and Lasimi answered briefly while sensing her jealousy.
• Lasimi asked whether Blood Diamond regretted her past choice, and she reacted angrily.
• Blood Diamond led Lasimi into the study, where he saw the Red Prime Minister with Valentine VIII and Louise.
• The Red Prime Minister praised Lasimi's understanding of human nature and offered him a place beside Blood Diamond, but Lasimi declined and said he had something to report.