Recaps

Hughberlian prepared to meet McCarthy at the Royal Palace, confident he would win the contest for her. As the nobles gathered in the Regent Hall, Kali Yella watched McCarthy socialize and wondered why he still had not looked her way.

• Hughberlian told Lisandra she believed McCarthy would win against Ulysses, though she admitted she had never seen him paint.
• Lisandra teased Hughberlian about being ready to marry McCarthy, and Hughberlian blushed before insisting she would say yes if he proposed.
• Hughberlian and Lisandra descended to the Regent Hall, where witnesses and Demon Realm nobles had gathered for the occasion.
• Hughberlian saw Kali Yella beside her throne while Kali Yella watched McCarthy chatting with powerful nobles and muttered that he had ignored her again.

As the Royal Ceremony began, Lanchi and Lei Mingqing discussed the Blood Race Progenitors Ulysses and Eduardo while Hughberlian prepared to choose a consort. Kali Yella opened the Sealed Golden Cabinet, and the first painting was revealed for the princess to judge.

• Hughberlian sat beside Kali Yella as demons gathered for the Royal Ceremony, while Lanchi drew a crowd of admirers.
• Lei Mingqing joined Lanchi and warned him about Ulysses’s Blood Creation authority, unusual eyes, and Eduardo’s mysterious power.
• Kali Yella asked Hughberlian who she thought would win, and Hughberlian remained silent as the ceremony approached.
• At nine o’clock, Kali Yella announced that Hughberlian would choose from the highest-grade paintings and that contestants would be disqualified if they failed the requirements.
• Kali Yella opened the Sealed Golden Cabinet, released the canvases, and unveiled the first painting.

At the princess’s art contest, Mist Lord Orion and Midnight Lord Esmod unveiled divine-grade paintings that impressed the demons, while Lanchi offered casual appraisals and speculated that Midnight Lord might be a woman. Just as the hall assumed the delayed Tenth Progenitor Ulysses could not compete with their masterpieces, a dazzling golden light appeared.

• Kali Yella revealed the submitted paintings, and the demons discussed their grades and guessed who had made them.
• Lei Mingqing explained that he had submitted an ordinary painting and described Mist Lord Orion and Midnight Lord Esmod’s rivalry to Lanchi.
• Mist Lord Orion’s divine-grade painting, Throne Hall of the Nekaris Palace, was revealed and praised for its depiction of the princess and her ministers.
• Midnight Lord Esmod’s divine-grade painting, Bird in a Cage, appeared, prompting the demons to discuss its emotional portrayal of the princess’s longing.
• Lanchi asked Lei Mingqing whether Midnight Lord might be a woman, and Lei Mingqing was baffled by his friend’s speculation.
• As the demons expected Ulysses’s delayed painting to be unremarkable, golden light suddenly descended upon the palace.

At the Regent Hall, Marquis Ulysses’s Epic painting left the Demon Race facing humiliation and the apparent loss of their princess. Hughberlian insisted they continue to the final painting, which also proved to be Epic and revealed a hopeful turning point.

• Ulysses unveiled his Epic painting, On the Night the Stars Fell, and the Blood Race nobles taunted the silent Demon Race.
• Eduardo pressured Hughberlian to evaluate the painting, but McCarthy spoke in her place and praised her through his description of the artwork.
• Hughberlian urged Kali Yella to proceed with the final painting, and Kali Yella agreed despite the Blood Race’s confidence that the Demon Race had lost.
• Kali Yella drew Her Golden Moment from the Golden Cabinet, revealing another Epic painting that sparked a thunderous cheer among the Demon Race.
• The Demon Race followed Hughberlian’s gaze and realized the mysterious wealthy merchant and the princess had created the painting together.

McCarthy’s epic painting won over Ulysses’s, and Hughberlian chose it in the royal contest. She overcame her embarrassment and declared that she would marry its author, McCarthy.

• The Demon Race celebrated McCarthy’s painting, while Ulysses judged it outstanding among mortals and Giovanni dismissed its advantage as home-field conditions.
• Lisandra realized that the princess’s painting choice had been a signal to McCarthy, who watched Hughberlian calmly from the audience.
• Kali Yella asked Hughberlian to name the painting’s author she wished to marry, and Hughberlian struggled to speak as she considered what her answer could change.
• Hughberlian pointed to Painting: Her Golden Moment and shouted that she would marry McCarthy, prompting the Demon Race nobles to cheer.

Viscount Giovanni objected to McCarthy’s victory and challenged his claim to be a Great Demon Race member, escalating the ceremony into a confrontation with the Blood Race. Kali Yella vowed to decide the matter herself and insisted Hughberlian’s marriage to McCarthy would proceed, even if it meant fighting.

• Viscount Giovanni interrupted the ceremony and challenged whether McCarthy was truly a Great Demon Race member.
• Kali Yella defended McCarthy’s identity, while Giovanni accused her of favoring the demons and demanded that McCarthy prove himself.
• Giovanni insisted McCarthy endure a strike from Fourth Progenitor Eduardo to demonstrate that he possessed at least Tier 8 strength.
• Kali Yella recognized that McCarthy was only Tier 4, but declared that Hughberlian belonged to him and vowed to proceed with the wedding despite the Blood Race’s opposition.

Fallen Lord Kali Yella stopped Fourth Progenitor Eduardo from detonating himself in the royal palace by trapping him and the Regent Hall in Fallen Gentle Land. The Tenth Progenitor Ulysses proved he had escaped the illusion, leaving Kali Yella facing a new threat.

• Kali Yella confronted the Blood Race over its provocations, but Ulysses stopped Giovanni and told Eduardo he was ready.
• Eduardo began casting the Blood Destruction self-detonation spell, and the Great Demon Race's attacks could not stop him.
• Kali Yella unleashed her full-powered Fallen Gentle Land, freezing the Regent Hall and trapping Eduardo in an illusion.
• Kali Yella struggled to maintain Eduardo's illusion and silently called on Esmod for help, but Esmod remained trapped in a dream.
• Ulysses revealed that Fallen Gentle Land had no effect on him and calmly addressed Kali Yella.

Lanchi broke free of Kali Yella’s illusion and confronted Marquis Ulysses as the Blood Race Progenitor approached the sleeping Hughberlian. He stood between Ulysses and the princess, determined to protect her dream.

• Kali Yella struggled to control Duke Eduardo while Ulysses dismantled the palace barrier and advanced toward Hughberlian.
• Ulysses revealed that the Blood Race had planned to exploit Kali Yella’s illusion and take the princess, even at the cost of the Demon Race forces gathered in the hall.
• Kali Yella failed to awaken Hughberlian or the other demons, and despaired as Ulysses drew close to the throne.
• Lanchi broke free of the illusion, stopped Ulysses, and revealed the quasi-king aura hidden within him.
• Ulysses questioned why Lanchi would stand in his way, and Lanchi declared that he would protect Hughberlian’s dream.

Lanchi faced the Tier 8 vampire Marquis Ulysses alone while the demons remained trapped in Kali Yella’s dream spell. He unleashed the Purgatory Choir to torment the hall and hasten their awakening, but Ulysses dismissed the attack and prepared to strike back.

• Lanchi told Kali Yella he would handle Ulysses and urged her to keep Eduardo under control while he tried to awaken the Midnight Lord.
• Lanchi entered the Midnight Lord’s dream to leave her clues, while Ulysses paused his assault to discuss their rival painting techniques.
• Lanchi used the Purgatory Choir’s Wonderful Notes and had Cat Boss confine the sound to the central Regent Hall.
• The choir’s sound distorted the demons’ dreams, but Ulysses said it could not restrain a Tier 8 mage and mocked Lanchi.
• Ulysses stopped stalling and condensed his blood into a giant eagle to attack Lanchi.

Lanchi overwhelmed Marquis Ulysses with a summoned giant wolf, blinding sunlight, and Poet of Great Love, then trapped him in Fallen Gentle Land by breaking his composure. With Ulysses incapacitated and the celestial barrier lifted, the Great Demon Race members began to awaken in Regent Hall.

• Marquis Ulysses sent his Crimson Blood Giant Eagle at Lanchi, but Lanchi summoned an Epic Giant Wolf that swallowed it.
• Lanchi summoned blazing sunlight that weakened Ulysses and interrupted his attempt to paint more Blood Kin.
• Ulysses threatened to outlast Lanchi and let Midnight Lord's soul dissolve, but Lanchi summoned Poet of Great Love, whose royal blood and Demonic Voice further unsettled him.
• Lanchi's taunts and Fallen Gentle Land shattered Ulysses's composure, leaving him frozen in the unreal world.
• The celestial barrier lifted, and the Great Demon Race members began to awaken as Lanchi headed to the throne platform.

Loren faced a high-profile hearing over the ongoing Tier 7 Shadow World and the risk of a disaster, accepting responsibility while defending his student Lanchi Wilford. Afterward, the Ice Witch pitied Loren but began to suspect that his apparent helplessness might be part of a larger plan.

• Reporters and officials gathered at the Old Buri Tribunal as Loren stood before the hearing over the Shadow World.
• Duke Akares questioned Loren about the expired three-week deadline, the threat of disaster, and his possible connection to Duke Migaiya and the Rebirth Church.
• Loren defended Lanchi Wilford's abilities and promised to take responsibility if Lanchi caused an incident.
• The hearing adjourned, leaving Loren exhausted as he descended from the platform.
• The Ice Witch reconsidered Loren's apparent sincerity and feared that he might have anticipated the crisis and its eventual reversal.

Hughberlian dreamed that she married Lanchi in Ikelite Cathedral, then woke at the seaside villa where Lanchi had been watching over her. She hid her embarrassment when he asked what she had dreamed about.

• Hughberlian dreamed that Duke Migaiya escorted her through Ikelite Cathedral, where Ifatia, Talia, and her childhood friends welcomed her.
• Hughberlian reached Lanchi beneath the cross and prepared to seal their wedding vows with a kiss before waking suddenly.
• Hughberlian woke at the seaside villa and saw Lanchi reading nearby.
• Lanchi explained that he had brought Hughberlian back after the Fallen Gentle Land barrier ended and had let her rest while watching over her.
• Hughberlian blushed when Lanchi asked about her dream and hid beneath the quilt.

After Hughberlian woke from the Fallen Lord’s healing dream, Lanchi reassured her and they talked about her recognition as a princess. He took her downstairs for dinner and revealed that their mansion was on Lees Island, a place prepared for her.

• Hughberlian emerged from the blankets and asked Lanchi if he had stayed by her while she slept.
• Lanchi explained that the Fallen Lord’s spell had let Hughberlian finish a healing dream, and he had watched over her.
• Hughberlian thanked Lanchi and said she had no way to repay him except by becoming a duchess and supporting him in old age.
• Lanchi told Hughberlian that she was a princess recognized by the demons, but she said she would rather return to the Plant Empire as an ordinary woman.
• After Hughberlian rested, Lanchi invited her downstairs to dinner and told her they were on Lees Island, which had been prepared for her.

Lanchi reunited with Hughberlian in Nekaris and showed her the villa he had bought for her, then reassured her that he would help make her dreams come true. Hughberlian kissed his cheek, only to learn that Lanchi had been livestreaming their reunion to Iketerite Academy.

• Lanchi showed Hughberlian around his villa and told her she could stay with him before they returned to the Plant Empire.
• Hughberlian explored the mansion with Lanchi and reminisced about their time at Purgatory Corridor Academy.
• Lanchi took Hughberlian to the terrace, where she realized he had bought the mansion to watch the palace across the bay.
• Hughberlian asked Lanchi about her changing dreams, and he promised to help make any dream of hers come true.
• Hughberlian kissed Lanchi's cheek, and Lanchi revealed that he had started a livestream that showed their moment to Iketerite Academy.

Lanchi and Hughberlian recovered from their awkward moment by opening up about how their feelings for each other had changed. Cat Boss prepared a candlelit dinner for them on the terrace, where Hughberlian recognized the dishes as Demon Realm cuisine.

• Hughberlian told Lanchi that he was the reason she had begun blushing and losing her composure.
• Lanchi admitted he had grown used to having Hughberlian beside him and could no longer imagine her being absent.
• Cat Boss noticed them chatting closely on the terrace and chose not to interrupt, deciding to serve dinner outside instead.
• Cat Boss set a candlelit dinner on the terrace and presented the menu to Lanchi and Hughberlian.
• Hughberlian recognized the dinner as the meal from the Demon King's Awarded Restaurant and asked when Cat Boss had learned to cook Demon Realm cuisine.

Lanchi and Hughberlian shared dinner in the Shadow World while Cat Boss tracked their improving odds and celebrated the prospect of a powerful reward. They worried about the pressure Loren was facing in the Real World, but Lanchi hoped Loren could hold out until they broke through the Shadow World and proved their case.

• Cat Boss served Lanchi and Hughberlian Demon Realm-style dishes, and they continued their dinner after discussing their livestream.
• Cat Boss checked the scoreboard and saw the Plant Empire’s overall odds rise from 0.0013% to 0.0074% after Lanchi’s actions at the Demon King’s Palace.
• Lanchi told Cat Boss that he planned to help it earn contribution points, potentially gaining it a powerful Wind spell as a Shadow World reward.
• Cat Boss asked to borrow Lanchi’s prime minister account, prompting Lanchi to shut off the livestream when Hughberlian recognized how the remark might sound to viewers.
• Hughberlian worried about Loren enduring public pressure, but Lanchi said they should wait until they broke through the Shadow World and could answer their critics with results.

Loren reassured Almirs that Lanchi would keep Hughberlian safe in the Tier 7 Shadow World, but their conversation ended when the academy’s livestream showed Hughberlian kissing Lanchi. As Loren silently broke down under the crowd’s cheers, Almirs suspected he had planned everything and vowed to expose him.

• Loren met Almirs at Iketerite Academy, and she thanked him for handling the church’s affairs.
• Loren assured Almirs that Lanchi was reliable and had no romantic interests, and she grew reassured about his character.
• Loren and Almirs arrived at Jella Memorial Square, where students cheered while watching the Shadow World livestream.
• The screen showed Hughberlian kissing Lanchi on the cheek, prompting the crowd to accuse Loren of disguising their romance as a mission.
• Loren covered his face and smiled without speaking, while Almirs suspected a conspiracy and resolved to expose him.

Lanchi introduced Sigrid to Hughberlian over breakfast in Nekaris, and the two girls bonded over their hatred of vampires and the losses they had suffered. Hughberlian began explaining the Demon Realm’s war to Sigrid, while reflecting that their actions in this Shadow World could shape the next one.

• Lanchi introduced Sigrid as their companion, and Hughberlian recognized that she was a human using Transformation Art.
• Sigrid admired Hughberlian’s appearance and learned that she was a Demon Realm princess; Hughberlian offered to help teach her.
• Lanchi told Sigrid that Hughberlian hated vampires, prompting Sigrid to ask about her father and share that vampires had also taken someone from her.
• Hughberlian comforted Sigrid and told her the Demon Realm had decided to declare war on the vampires.
• Hughberlian fetched the Nekaris Morning News and began explaining the Demon Realm’s situation to Sigrid, while considering how this Shadow World could affect the next one.

Lanchi visited the Midnight Magic Engineering Research Institute, where the team had failed to make Fourth Progenitor Eduardo submit through torture. He enlisted Fallen Lord Kali Yella to trap Eduardo in a dream and entered the Fallen Gentle Land himself to carry out his plan.

• Lanchi arrived at the institute and learned from Midnight Lord Esmod that their experiments had not broken Eduardo's mental defenses.
• Lanchi questioned Mist Lord Orion about his ideal wife, then encouraged him to rest and eat at his restaurant.
• Orion told Lanchi that Fallen Lord Kali Yella was ready, and Lanchi joined her in the Experiment Field with Eduardo.
• Lanchi asked Kali Yella to control Eduardo's dreams, and she wove the requested Fallen Gentle Land illusion despite doubting its quality.
• Lanchi entered Eduardo's dream while Kali Yella watched to see how he would use her Talent Magic.

Lanchi used a gentle therapy session to convince Eduardo that his memories of a fantasy world were only a dream and that he could recover by letting it go. Kali Yella watched him sink further into Lanchi’s fabricated world and began to suspect something was wrong with Nameless Qing’s brain.

• Eduardo woke in a hospital and struggled to distinguish his memories as the Fourth Progenitor of the blood clan from his life as a sick student.
• Doctor Lan told Eduardo that his illness was worsening and that his parents were running out of money to care for him.
• Doctor Lan soothed Eduardo and asked him to recall whether his dream world had become more complete.
• Eduardo admitted he was tired of struggling, and Doctor Lan assured him that his suffering meant recovery was near.
• Doctor Lan urged Eduardo to let go of his burdens and choose the life he wanted, bringing him to tears.
• Kali Yella watched Lanchi draw Eduardo deeper into the fabricated world of the Gentle Land and questioned Nameless Qing’s mental state.

Lanchi and Kali Yella discussed the Trinity Experiment and its name before Kali Yella proposed that Lanchi travel to the Plant Empire as her envoy. She left the decision to him after noticing his uncertain expression.

• Lanchi told Midnight Lord Esmod that the Fourth Progenitor's treatment was complete and the Trinity Experiment could continue.
• Kali Yella asked why Lanchi had named the project the Trinity Experiment, and he explained the Holy Rite Church's doctrine of the Trinity.
• Kali Yella spoke with Lanchi about the Demon Realm's next visit to the Plant Empire and the difficulty of reaching the person she wanted to meet.
• Kali Yella suggested that Lanchi go to the Plant Empire instead of Hughberlian, while she accompanied him as his bodyguard.
• Kali Yella asked whether Lanchi had concerns about the mission.

Lanchi revealed to Kali Yella that he was Prime Minister Wilford, then agreed to travel with her to the Plant Empire under his human identity. As the shadow world neared its end, he watched Hughberlian and Sigrid play on a speedboat and reflected on how long they might be apart.

• Kali Yella explained that she wanted to meet Wilford and considered using treatment to make him their slave.
• Lanchi told Kali Yella that he was the Plant Empire’s prime minister, but she dismissed his claim because her spies reported Wilford was in Jerusalem.
• Lanchi agreed to travel to the Plant Empire with Hughberlian as the envoy and Kali Yella as her accompanying bodyguard.
• Kali Yella said she had arranged their itinerary and that they could leave the next day.
• Lanchi returned to Lees Island and watched Hughberlian drive Sigrid and a little black cat around the bay in a speedboat.
• Lanchi reflected that the shadow world was nearing its end and that he and Hughberlian might not see Sigrid again for years.

Hughberlian, Kali Yella, and Sigrid traveled to Chikel Manor in the Porant Empire for negotiations, while Hughberlian reflected on their recent mission in the Demon Race Ancestral Land. As they approached the manor, Sigrid asked about Luo Qi, who had left the delegation to handle his own business.

• Hughberlian and Kali Yella discussed the upcoming negotiations with the Porant Empire, with Kali Yella agreeing to handle them.
• Hughberlian recalled how Lanchi helped complete the mission objective at the Demon Race Ancestral Land and left the Poet of Great Love there to study it.
• Sigrid woke in the carriage, and Kali Yella told her to stay with Hughberlian.
• Sigrid asked where Luo Qi had gone, and Hughberlian explained that he would meet them later after handling his own work.
• Kali Yella dismissed the idea that Luo Qi was distinguished in the Porant Empire, while Hughberlian remained unsurprised by his identity.

Kali Yella’s negotiations with the Porant Empire were sabotaged by Duke Moretti, who favored peace talks with the Honing Empire, until Prime Minister Wilford arrived and revealed that he was Lanchi in disguise. Lanchi left the negotiations on track and prepared to return to the Shadow World to face Dean Loren.

• Princess Hughberlian and Kali Yella arrived at Chikel Manor to negotiate an alliance with the Porant Empire.
• Duke Moretti promoted peace with the Honing Empire, blocked Kali Yella from contacting Prime Minister Wilford, and provoked her into ending the discussion.
• Hughberlian challenged Moretti, and Kali Yella condemned him before he declared the negotiations over.
• Lanchi entered the meeting, exposed Moretti’s efforts to keep Wilford uninformed, and prompted Moretti to resign.
• Lanchi revealed to Kali Yella that he knew about her plan to brainwash him, and she realized he was Nameless Qing.
• Lanchi concluded that the demon negotiations were essentially settled and prepared to resume his live broadcast and confront Dean Loren.

As Loren faced a hearing in the Real World over Lanchi’s failing Shadow World mission, Lanchi prepared to address Porant’s Lower House as Parliament’s support for him collapsed. The hearing paused when Lanchi’s final speech began airing, leaving the outcome of both crises uncertain.

• Cat Boss reported that Porant was losing the war and Lanchi faced impeachment, then Lanchi had it press a restricted communications device’s button.
• The Shadow World broadcast showed Porant’s odds at 0.0007 percent and Parliament support at 32, putting the mission near collapse.
• Loren accepted blame for Lanchi’s actions during his hearing, while the Holy Knight Captain watched but did not defend him.
• An emergency Shadow World broadcast interrupted the hearing and showed Lanchi preparing to give what the media called his possible final speech.