Recaps

The Poet of Great Love confirmed that he had allied with Sigrid of the Ba Tian Sect, reassuring Planai that their bond was built on shared life-and-death struggles. After arranging Planai’s escape, he prepared to remain behind briefly while Antanas and Sinora escorted him to the teleportation point.

• The Poet of Great Love returned to Planai’s cell with a Ba Tian Priest who would impersonate Planai.
• The Poet of Great Love admitted that Sigrid of the Ba Tian Sect was his companion, shocking Planai, Antanas, and Sinora.
• The Poet of Great Love said that he and Sigrid had faced life and death together twice and would soon do so a third time, easing Planai’s fears of betrayal.
• Planai apologized to the Ba Tian Priest and took hope from the alliance between the Ba Tian Branch and the Demon Realm.
• The Poet of Great Love ordered Antanas and Sinora to protect Planai and escort him to the teleportation point while he stayed behind.

Hughberlian reunited with Antanas, Sinora, and the rescued Planai at the Negative Sixth Floor Teleportation Hall. Watching from afar, the Ice Witch grew convinced that Loren was secretly orchestrating the demons’ plans, while Loren could only hope the ordeal would soon end.

• Hughberlian waited at the teleportation hall, passing the time with sunflower seeds and Snowy Plains Liquor.
• Antanas, Sinora, and the wounded Planai arrived, and Planai said he feared disappointing the New King more than death.
• Antanas introduced Hughberlian as the Second Princess and the New King's closest friend, and Planai bowed to her.
• The Ice Witch connected Loren to several demon leaders and suspected he was the mastermind behind their plans.
• The Ice Witch resolved to investigate Loren if someone suspected to be him appeared at the Protos Empire's archbishop election to help the Rebirth Church.
• Loren, overwhelmed by the confusion inside Helrom Prison, hoped his ordeal was nearly over.

Lanqi led Antanas, Sinora, Planai, and Hughberlian through the final stretch of Helrom Prison and back to the imperial capital. They left the prison without encountering Warden Bakas, and Lanqi guided the three demons toward Protos Royal Magic Academy with plans for them to meet him later.

• The Poet of Great Love arrived unharmed at the Negative Sixth Floor, where Antanas, Sinora, Planai, and Hughberlian waited by the Void Gate.
• Lanqi told the group that Warden Bakas was on official leave, so they could leave Helrom Prison without facing his inspection.
• Lanqi instructed Antanas, Sinora, and Planai to rest at home before meeting him at the Redmond Building around three in the afternoon.
• The group crossed the Void Gate, completed the Basic Level's security checks and registration, and left Helrom Prison.
• Lanqi led the three demons toward Protos Royal Magic Academy and told them he had prepared formal outfits for them at the estate.

Lanqi planned a packed day of school work, meetings, and welcoming the three rescued Great Demon Race members, while Hughberlian offered to help him with the academy’s administration. The group learned about Lanqi’s rare Demon Realm Moon Shadow Fox, and Antanas, Sinora, and Planai became eager to see it.

• Sinora worried that resting after returning to Helrom would make the New King think she was lazy, so the Poet of Great Love arranged to meet her between three and three-thirty.
• Lanqi planned to finish his contract with Warden Bakas, handle schoolwork and hiring procedures, tell Sigrid about the rescue, welcome the three Great Demon Race members, and meet Duke Berenhard.
• Hughberlian offered to assist Lanqi with the academy’s administrative work, and Lanqi agreed to meet her at the Redmond Building that afternoon.
• Lanqi told Hughberlian that his Demon Realm Moon Shadow Fox was staying with Zestira and suggested that she visit it.
• Antanas and Sinora were astonished to learn that a Moon Shadow Fox had survived in the Protos Empire, and Antanas explained that the fox was beloved for its looks and cuteness.

Lanchi visited Gloria’s residence to see Sigrid after rescuing the Great Demon Race and explained that his black-haired disguise was the only appearance he could currently use. He left Cat Boss with Sigrid and promised to find staff for Cat Boss Restaurant, revealing that the new hires were Tata’s childhood friends.

• Lanchi returned to Gloria’s residence in disguise and reunited with Sigrid, who understood that he had successfully rescued the Great Demon Race.
• Sigrid asked why Lanchi kept using the black-haired, green-eyed disguise, and he explained that he had no other transformation cards available.
• Lanchi and Sigrid joked about their ages, while Gloria listened nervously to their casual conversation.
• Lanchi summoned Cat Boss and asked it to spend the afternoon with Sigrid for her safety.
• Lanchi promised Cat Boss new restaurant staff and reassured it that they were all Tata’s childhood friends.

Lanchi spent a quiet midday visit with Sigrid, explaining that Cat Boss’s “Tata” was a character from Holy War Romance. He stayed beside her while she napped, then left at 2:40 to return to work.

• Sigrid asked who Tata was, and Lanchi explained that the name came from a food-loving character in Holy War Romance.
• Sigrid said she had only asked because she worried Lanchi might have been deceived by a bad woman.
• Lanchi told Sigrid he had to return to the Redmond Building before three to meet visitors and later meet with a duke.
• Lanchi said he would keep making cards for the next three days and visit Sigrid at Gloria's House.
• Sigrid fell asleep on the sofa, and Lanchi waited beside her until 2:40 before saying goodbye to Gloria and Cat Boss and leaving.

Antanas, Sinora, and Planai went to the Redmond Administration Building to meet the New King, discussing their expectations and concerns on the way. Xia Ya greeted them and explained his background and why he was serving as an assistant there.

• Antanas reassured Sinora that the New King was kind and approachable, easing her worries about making a good impression.
• Planai cautioned Antanas and Sinora to stop discussing the New King as they neared the Redmond Administration Building.
• The three Great Demons entered the building, where Xia Ya, a first-year student, came to escort them upstairs.
• Planai asked Xia Ya about his origins, and Xia Ya said he was a fallen noble who planned to marry into a family in Snowfield Province.
• Xia Ya explained that his teacher's guidance had helped him rebuild his life and that he was working at the Redmond Administration Building for academic credits.

Lanchi waited in the Redmond Building office while three Great Demon Race members arrived, believing they were meeting the New King. He introduced himself as Luo Qi McCarthy, leaving them stunned and unsure what the New King intended.

• Antanas agreed with Xia Ya that the three visitors and Xia Ya were fellow countrymen because they revered the New King.
• Xia Ya escorted Planai, Antanas, and Sinora to the office, then left after his teacher told him to accompany Lilith and call it a day.
• Planai and Antanas suspected the man in the office might be another guest, so Antanas sealed the room with a barrier before Planai asked his identity.
• Lanchi explained that people there called him Luo Qi McCarthy, and the three Great Demon Race members were shocked to find him waiting for them.
• Planai considered the New King's intentions, while Sinora nervously resolved not to open her eyes in front of Luo Qi.

Lanchi revealed that he was the New King and that Luo Qi McCarthy was his true form, leaving Planai and Antanas stunned. Sinora saw his face and fainted, and Antanas rushed to treat her.

• Planai cautiously asked whether Luo Qi McCarthy knew the three Great Demon Race members were coming.
• Lanchi turned around and revealed his black-haired, green-eyed appearance, leaving Planai and Antanas struggling to understand who he was.
• Lanchi used the Transformation Art: Demon to reveal his Six-Imprint Great Demon Race aura, and Planai, Antanas, and Sinora recognized him as their New King.
• Antanas warned Sinora not to open her eyes, but Sinora looked at Lanchi and fainted.
• Antanas rushed to save Sinora while Lanchi stood confused about why his appearance had frightened her.

Lanchi stabilized the situation after Sinora fainted from seeing him, then reassured her as she recovered. He appointed Sinora, Antanas, and Planai as his aides in the Redmond Building, while Antanas became excited by the imagined romantic complications around him.

• Antanas treated Sinora after she fainted, and Lanchi waited for her to recover.
• Sinora woke, realized Lanchi had seen her collapse, and became overwhelmed with embarrassment until Lanchi reassured her.
• Antanas asked whether Lanchi was related to Talia, and Lanchi explained that she was his teacher.
• Antanas imagined a rivalry among the Second Princess, the bishop, and Talia over Lanchi.
• Lanchi appointed Sinora, Antanas, and Planai as his left and right hands and said he would take them with him wherever he went.

Lanchi met Duke Morodian in his office, where the duke explained that Associate Professor Xi Duo had deceived his daughter Chloris and that he had been unable to protect her. While they spoke, Planai and Antanas secretly watched and debated whether the duke was probing Lanchi about his past meeting with Chloris and Xi Duo.

• Lanchi stayed late at the Redmond Building to meet Duke Morodian during a heavy rainstorm.
• Duke Morodian arrived, and he and Lanchi exchanged formal greetings before discussing the recent upheavals in the empire.
• Duke Morodian said he had been searching for Associate Professor Xi Duo, who had deceived Chloris, and insisted that Lanchi was not to blame.
• Planai and Antanas secretly observed the conversation through Antanas's barrier, and Planai suspected Duke Morodian was testing what Lanchi knew about his past meeting with Chloris and Xi Duo.

Duke Morodian visited Lanchi before the Bishop Election and probed his intentions, but their cryptic exchange ended without open conflict. After the duke left, Lanchi explained that he would not turn the academy into a battlefield, leaving the larger confrontation for another day.

• Duke Morodian asked Lanchi who he intended to vote for, and Lanchi named Askesang while Morodian said he would vote for Sigrid if she dared to appear.
• Morodian suggested Sigrid might be waiting until election day to avoid Imperial Army interference, while Lanchi said he simply hoped Askesang would choose the right path.
• Morodian questioned why Lanchi took risks for matters that seemed unrelated to him, and Lanchi replied that those matters were related to him.
• Planai, Antanas, and Sinora monitored Morodian's departure and then confronted Lanchi about why he had not detained the suspicious duke.
• Lanchi said the school was not a place for fighting and that the Final Battle was not that day.

On the eve of the Bishop Election, Lanchi and Sigrid walked by the lake after he finished preparing his cards, and they discussed the uncertain contest and his future. The chapter ended with Lanchi reaffirming that, despite his ties to the Protos Empire, he wanted to retire in his Southern Continent hometown.

• Lanchi quickly selected Protos antiquities and finished making his cards at Gloria's residence before the Bishop Election.
• After a week indoors, Sigrid asked Lanchi to take her for a walk, and they rested by a lake beneath the night sky.
• Sigrid asked how confident Lanchi was about the coming clash, and he admitted he could not predict what would happen.
• Sigrid suggested Lanchi might become a Cardinal Bishop and urged him to settle in the Northern Continent, where she would protect him.
• Lanchi said he loved both the Protos Empire and the Hutton Kingdom but still wanted to retire in his hometown.

Lanchi declined Sigrid’s offer to become a Cardinal Bishop, explaining that he wanted to keep his Southern Continent identity. After learning about the Bishop’s Certificate and the authority it granted, he told Sigrid he would still help her pursue the papacy.

• Lanchi told Sigrid he would pass on becoming a Cardinal Bishop because he did not want to bind himself to the Bishop’s Certificate.
• Sigrid warned Lanchi that the Certificate was an indestructible Epic-tier item and explained its powers, including creating and identifying Rebirth Proofs and locating clergy.
• Sigrid described how Cardinal Bishops could meet in the Bishop Council Hall, hold votes, and challenge one another in the Deathmatch Arena.
• Lanchi learned that electing a new Pope required the Bishop Vote Ceremony and that a new Pope could purge hostile bishops and their branches.
• Lanchi refused to join the Rebirth Church as a Cardinal Bishop, but offered to help Sigrid become Pope.

By the lake, Lanchi promised to help Sigrid become Pope, and she revealed that the Pope's Authority might help her reach Tier 9 and become the world's strongest woman. As dawn approached, they turned their attention to the decisive trial ahead, which would bring Lanchi's journey across the Northern Continent to an end.

• Lanchi told Sigrid he would help her become Pope, and she promised to work toward that goal to protect him.
• Sigrid explained that the Pope's Authority might let her break through to Tier 9 and become the strongest woman in the world.
• Sigrid teased Lanchi by getting him to ask her on a date, then said her high favorability made her accept.
• Lanchi and Sigrid agreed that winning the next day's trial mattered most as they watched the night sky.

On the day of the Bishop Election, Hughberlian escorted Sigrid into the Parliament Building, where Sigrid tested her with an offer to become the Overlord Saintess. Hughberlian joined the crowded Franklin Hall and saw Lanchi mingling with powerful Imperial politicians as the historic proceedings approached.

• Hughberlian rode the Mana Elevator with Sigrid and wondered why Lanchi had assigned her to keep the Ba Tian Sect's leader from acting.
• Sigrid asked Hughberlian to become her Saintess and promised to protect and care for her, but Hughberlian refused and asked Sigrid not to trouble her after the day's work.
• Sigrid praised Hughberlian's bravery and hinted that she would understand someday, then led her out of the elevator.
• Hughberlian entered Franklin Hall on the Parliament Building's thirty-third floor, where nobles, ministers, and senators had gathered for the Bishop Election.
• Hughberlian spotted Earl Milford and Lanchi, who was chatting with influential figures in the Imperial political sphere.

The Protos Empire assembled in Franklin Hall to begin the election for the Rebirth Church’s Cardinal Bishop, with Isis overseeing the proceedings. As the candidates prepared to present their records, Sigrid chose Gloria to speak for the Ba Tian Branch because Lanchi had declared he would remain neutral.

• Earl Milford spoke with Luo Qi McCarthy, then gained the attention and respect of nearby northern nobles because of Luo Qi’s connection to his daughter.
• Hughberlian, disguised among the Ba Tian Branch’s high priests, watched Lanchi and Earl Milford talk and felt embarrassed.
• At nine o’clock, the Parliament Building’s clock rang, and the hall fell silent for the start of the election.
• Isis explained that the three Cardinal Bishops would present their philosophies and accomplishments, then yielded the floor to them.
• Sigrid declined to speak and called on her Direct subordinate Gloria to represent the Ba Tian Branch.
• Sigrid recalled that Lanchi had promised to remain neutral and would not favor her during the proceedings.

At Franklin Hall, Sander interrupted Gloria’s speech to accuse Sigrid of harming northern residents and concealing that her injuries had permanently reduced her to the eighth tier. The hall erupted at the claim, leaving Sigrid’s position in the bishop election uncertain.

• As Gloria prepared to present the Ba Tian Branch’s achievements, Sander of the Nirvana Branch asked Isis to let him report an important matter.
• Sander accused Sigrid of harming residents in the north, but Sigrid refused to engage with his provocation.
• Sander claimed Sigrid had suffered incurable injuries and permanently fallen to the eighth tier, making her an unfit ally for the Protos Empire.
• The nobles and ministers erupted into an uproar after hearing Sander’s accusation.

At the Franklin Council Hall, Sander accused Sigrid of concealing a decline in her strength, prompting her to explain that her cultivation was near a breakthrough and that fighting would disrupt it. Askesang challenged her in Sander’s place, and Sigrid deferred their fight for one month, leaving their confrontation looming over the Bishop Election.

• Sander accused Sigrid of hiding a weakness and challenged her to prove she could still kill him instantly.
• Sigrid said her cultivation was nearing a breakthrough, making a full-strength fight unsuitable, and offered to demonstrate her power with a single strike against someone durable enough.
• Askesang stopped Sander and offered to fight Sigrid himself, while Yamiles gave him permission to proceed.
• Sigrid refused to fight immediately and promised to settle her grudge with Askesang in one month, accusing him of having run away before.
• Askesang mocked Sigrid’s restraint and implied that the Bishop Election was a trap prepared for her.

Sigrid faced Askesang’s escalating provocations as he tried to undermine her standing before the Protos Empire. She finally agreed to prove her strength in a fair contest, leaving Great Sage Isis to decide how and where the dangerous fight could take place.

• Askesang accused Sigrid of avoiding a challenge and blamed her for the Saintess’s death, making the nobles and ministers doubt her strength.
• Sigrid’s supporters recognized that Askesang’s pressure threatened her chances in the upcoming Bishop Election.
• Sigrid told Askesang she would show the empire her strength if he insisted, then asked Isis to witness a fair contest between them.
• Askesang’s expression changed as he prepared to fight Sigrid, while Isis weighed the risks of holding the battle in or near Helrom.

Sigrid and Askesang confronted each other in Franklin Hall as Isis considered whether to allow them to settle their dispute through a death duel. Sigrid remained silent while the nobles began to doubt her strength, leaving her facing a final choice between accepting the duel and risking the Bishop Election.

• Askesang urged Sigrid to fight him to the death and accused her of waiting for Isis to rescue her.
• The assembly recognized that a Deathmatch Arena between Cardinal Bishops would continue until one participant died, and Yamiles withheld her objection.
• Sigrid said the decision in the Protos Empire belonged to Isis, while Askesang argued the Empire should not interfere in the Church's internal matter.
• Isis stated that she would not interfere as long as the duel did not endanger the Empire's people.
• Sigrid lowered her head without answering, and southern nobles began to waver as they interpreted her hesitation as a sign of weakness.

In the Helrom Parliament Hall, Sigrid accepted Askesang’s deathmatch challenge, and the two Bishops’ certificates created an isolated Deathmatch Arena. As they were sealed inside, Askesang prepared to use a clone outside the arena to locate and capture the Ba Tian Holy Son.

• Lanchi sat motionless while Cat Boss anxiously hoped he would help Sigrid.
• Sigrid challenged Askesang to a fight to the death, and he accepted.
• Sigrid and Askesang brought out their Bishop’s Certificates, which resonated with each other.
• Askesang planned to use his eighth-tier clone outside the arena to find the Ba Tian Holy Son and take him hostage if needed.
• The certificates opened the Deathmatch Arena and sealed Sigrid and Askesang inside.

Sigrid faced Askesang in a Deathmatch Arena, where he tried to trap and overwhelm her with a contracting barrier. She answered with three eighth-tier epic demons, leaving Askesang stunned and cursing the Ba Tian Holy Son.

• Askesang and Sigrid entered the Deathmatch Arena as the countdown ended and their battle began.
• Askesang cast dark-gray vines that enclosed Sigrid in a shrinking barrier, expecting her to rely on her wolf or lose.
• Sigrid threw three Golden Orange Magic Cards instead of using her usual strength or summoning the wolf.
• Three epic demons emerged from the cards and shattered Askesang's sealing spell.
• Askesang realized he was injured and unprepared to face the demons, then cursed the Ba Tian Holy Son.

Sigrid revealed that she had three powerful demon summons, which Lanchi had created by turning them into her familiars, and sent them to attack Askesang. As the demons advanced, Askesang sensed their connection to Lanchi and planned to use his hidden clone to locate and threaten the Holy Son.

• Askesang questioned how Sigrid had obtained three Tier 8 Epic summons despite his seal locking her attributes.
• The demons Guardian of Antanas, Law-Breaking Sinora, and Truth-Seeking Planai protected Sigrid and declared their support for her.
• The chapter explained how Lanchi and Poet of Great Love created the Didi Hitman spell, allowing Sigrid to form contracts with the disguised demons and seal them into cards.
• Sigrid sent the three demons after Askesang and said she would help Lanchi obtain Askesang's Slab.
• The demons advanced while Askesang prepared to fight, then he sensed traces of the Northern Snowy Plains wolf's Mana in them and resolved to find Lanchi in Franklin Hall and use him to force Sigrid to surrender.

Askesang fought Sigrid’s three demons in the Deathmatch Arena while secretly searching Franklin Hall for the Ba Tian Holy Son. He finally detected the Holy Son observing him, only to discover that the person behind him was Luo Qi McCarthy.

• Sigrid watched from a chair as her three demons relentlessly attacked Askesang, while spectators discussed the battle.
• Askesang used a defensive Sealing Art to hold off the demons and give his clone time to search the nobles’ seats for the Ba Tian Holy Son.
• Askesang’s clone failed to find the Holy Son among the southern and eastern nobles and suspected he might be seated among the northern nobles.
• Askesang detected the Ba Tian Holy Son’s Mana observing him from nearby and turned toward the source.
• Askesang’s clone saw Luo Qi McCarthy watching him with a concerned expression.