Chapter Summaries

Lanchi and Talia visited Flower Capital Pariel’s festival, reflecting on the fragile coexistence between humans and demons as they made their way to the temple. They ended the night dancing together at the masquerade, with Lanchi reassuring Talia that her identity mattered more to him than the mask she wore.

• Lanchi and Talia watched the festival lights and a priestess’s ceremony from Montmartre Heights, where they discussed the recent violence and growing distrust between humans and demons.
• Lanchi and Talia debated Perlman’s failed ideals and whether humans and demons could truly coexist, and Lanchi said someone had to believe first for a better future to be possible.
• Lanchi and Talia bought a demon mask and a human mask, then drew participation prizes at the raffle center and shared the candies they won.
• Lanchi and Talia reached Pariel Notre Dame Church, where a priest persuaded them to join the masquerade dance for another raffle ticket.
• Lanchi held Talia’s hand and reassured her after she overheard people condemning demons, and the two continued dancing despite their mismatched steps.

Lanchi and Talia successfully made the Orange Epic spell card Overflowing Gentle Land after enduring Kali Yella’s dream-inducing magic. As dawn broke, an alarm announced that the Krui Di Empire had invaded and the Posen government had ordered a general mobilization.

• Lanchi and Talia fused the Poet of Great Love into Talia and began making a card based on Kali Yella’s Shadow Weave Recording.
• Their coordination carried them through the card-making process, but Kali Yella’s magic overwhelmed them and drew them into a dream of a young demon girl meeting a black undead in the Principal’s Office.
• Lanchi and Talia awoke to find their card intact and appraised it as the Rank Eight Orange Epic spell Overflowing Gentle Land.
• Talia accepted the card and planned to use its harmless sleep magic to give Hughberlian pleasant dreams.
• An urgent broadcast announced that the Krui Di Empire had invaded and called for citizens to enlist in the defense of their homeland.

The Krui Di Empire’s War Gods destroyed the Ya Luolan and Bosen defenses and overwhelmed Hutton’s Shadow Blade Squad as the Southern Continent’s war escalated. Stranded in Bosen, Lanchi agreed to support its rear and asked Nigel to help him infiltrate the Krui Di Empire through Aquitan Territory.

• The Krui Di Empire’s Third War God, Geyate, trapped General Leonard and Cortel in an illusion and killed the Urn Star Table Legion at the Zelde Highlands.
• The Seventh War God, Feili, overwhelmed Giovanni and Roland, breached Halgengard Fortress, and oversaw the slaughter of Bosen soldiers and civilians.
• The Eleventh War God, Simon Luo, ambushed the Shadow Blade Squad in Silva Forest, killed most of its members, and subdued Reno.
• Nigel told Lanchi and Talia that the worsening war made a safe return to Hutton impossible, and Lanchi agreed that they would work as Magical Engineers for Bosen.
• After Nigel received word that Feili had attacked again, he explained that several War Gods surpassed Loren; Lanchi then asked him to arrange a merchant identity and route into the Krui Di Empire.

Lanchi told Nigel that vampires had manipulated the Krui Di Empire into unity and prepared to infiltrate its capital, Bulida. Nigel appointed Lanchi a special agent and arranged covert support, while Lanchi confidently set out to enter the enemy empire.

• Lanchi explained that Duke Lasha'er’s influence had helped unify the Krui Di Empire and that the vampires planned to exploit its war.
• Nigel warned Lanchi that the empire’s heartland was dangerous, detailing its powerful allies and the risks of entering Bulida under its Forced Dispel barrier.
• Lanchi said his Beautician vocation made him capable of disguises and confirmed that he intended to reach Bulida.
• Nigel appointed Lanchi a special agent of the Bosen Kingdom Military, made himself Lanchi’s sole contact, and promised intelligence and support through agents in the empire.
• Lanchi declared that the alliance would win and the empire would fall, and Nigel clasped his hand as they agreed to protect their homeland.
• Cat Boss and Talia joked about Lanchi’s unpredictable potential and looked forward to hearing what trouble he caused in the empire.

Juliana fought Geya Te in Valhalla Canyon and learned that he had killed her mentor, Leonard, before Loren arrived to save her. Loren faced Geya Te, Philip, and Simon Luo together, and prepared to fight the three War Gods alone beneath the blood moon.

• Juliana battled Geya Te as she tried to protect the academy students, and he told her that he had killed Leonard and that Farmer wanted Leonard's corpse.
• Geya Te overwhelmed Juliana, but Loren arrived, drove him back, and sent Juliana toward Yarolan with the students.
• Loren fought Geya Te in the canyon while trying to hold him off, but Philip arrived and attacked him alongside Geya Te.
• Simon Luo appeared, healed Philip, and joined the other two War Gods in surrounding Loren.
• Loren realized the War Gods had planned to hunt the alliance's strongest fighters, cast off his priestly robe, and prepared to fight them alone.

The Alliance’s leaders chose to retreat and abandon territory to protect their Tier Eight powerhouses, while the war continued to worsen. After Nigel arranged for Lanchi to enter the Krui Di Empire, news of Loren’s reported death left Lanchi grieving but determined to carry on Loren’s will there.

• The Kingdoms United Council Alliance’s leaders recognized that the War Gods were targeting Tier Eight powerhouses and decided to shorten the front lines, triggering a mass civilian evacuation.
• Nigel met Lanchi by the Serena River and told him he would travel alone to the Krui Di Empire the next day under an arranged identity.
• Nigel gave Lanchi a newspaper containing a way to contact Bosen intelligence agents in Krui Di, then left without looking back.
• Lanchi heard a broadcast reporting heavy Alliance losses and saw Loren’s final photograph in the newspaper, which deeply upset him.
• Cat Boss tried to comfort Lanchi and gave him the Imitation Stone Slab - Wind, while Lanchi vowed to enter Krui Di and carry out Loren’s will.

Lanchi traveled toward Bulida under the identity of Lovia, an elderly publisher, and befriended Landry Washington, a newly appointed professor at Krui Di Royal Magic Academy. Landry revealed a divination rumor about a demon-like figure threatening Bulida, leaving Lanchi and Cat Boss uneasy because the figure might be connected to Lanchi’s ability to resurrect the dead.

• Lanchi boarded the train to Bulida in disguise as Lovia, using a physical mask and his Transformation Art to protect his identity from magic-dispelling barriers.
• Lanchi met Landry Washington, a talented researcher traveling to take a teaching post at Krui Di Royal Magic Academy, and the two began talking about the war.
• Landry told Lanchi that an Astrology Compass divination had produced a Sand Painting showing a demon-like figure harming Bulida, with several possible identities considered.
• Lanchi dismissed the rumor as exaggerated gossip, while Cat Boss panicked because Lanchi could truly resurrect the dead.

Disguised as an old publisher, Lanchi traveled toward Bulida with Landry when an assassin attacked their train. After defeating her and entering her memories, Lanchi discovered that the assassin, Unity, was a kingdom spy, though she believed he was an Imperial officer.

• Lanchi discussed the Krui Di Empire’s recent changes with Landry while they rode toward Bulida, and Talia warned Lanchi not to become too convincing in his Imperial disguise.
• The train stopped after a broadcast warned passengers that a dangerous individual was aboard, and Landry left their compartment to investigate the disturbance.
• An explosion tore through the train, and Lanchi found Landry dead beside the Imperial guards before confronting the masked assassin.
• Lanchi used Cat Boss’s black mist and Talia’s mental magic to subdue the assassin, then entered her dream and learned that her name was Unity and that she was from the Canberra Kingdom.
• Lanchi and Talia woke Unity, who mistook Lanchi for an Imperial officer and accused him of serving the Empire.

Lanchi freed Unity after the fight on the Bulida Magic Energy Rail Train, then persuaded her to take Landry’s body and help him assume Landry’s identity. He returned to his compartment disguised as a young man before Imperial officers arrived.

• Lanchi released Unity from Talia’s mental restraints and told her she could leave, though a Telekinetic Magic barrier still sealed the carriage.
• Unity explained that she had been ordered to kill Landry and steal his research because his Magical Engineering and Demon Magic Text expertise could transform the field.
• Lanchi proposed that Unity take Landry’s body while he used Landry’s identity to infiltrate Saint Krui Di Monastery.
• Unity accepted reluctantly, carried Landry’s corpse away, and warned Lanchi to survive at the monastery.
• Lanchi changed his appearance in Compartment 404, and the arriving Imperial officers found him as a harmless-looking young man with black hair and blue eyes.

Sigrid dreamed that she was trapped in Demon King City during a Blood Race assault and captured by Seventh Progenitor Marquis Heliti'er. She woke aboard a cruise ship, reassured herself that the nightmare was over, and believed the Holy Son would save her even in a dream.

• Sigrid remembered the war’s worsening situation and feared for the people fighting to defend Demon King City.
• A Blood Race attack struck Nekaris, and Sigrid worried that Kali Yella and the Holy Son might be in danger.
• Seventh Progenitor Marquis Heliti'er breached the Palace Restaurant’s barrier and seized Sigrid.
• Sigrid woke aboard a cruise ship and realized she had been dreaming.
• Sigrid watched the moonlit sea and said she believed the Holy Son would come save her.

Lanchi, posing as Landry Washington, arrived in Bulida after defeating an enemy aboard the train and faced questioning from the Capital Garrison. As Lieutenant Colonel Burke escorted him off the train, Imperial Special Operations officer Red Falcon Nikola arrived to conduct a stricter investigation, leaving Talia worried that Lanchi had drawn the Empire’s attention.

• Lanchi told an investigating officer that he had defeated the train’s attackers to defend the Empire, while Talia questioned whether he had defected.
• The train reached Bulida, where Lieutenant Colonel Burke von Arnold questioned Lanchi about the fight and his purpose for coming to the capital.
• Burke offered to escort Lanchi through the crowded station while they continued talking.
• Red Falcon Nikola and his Imperial Special Operations squad stopped the fourth carriage and announced that they suspected an inside-outside conspiracy.
• Nikola requested that everyone connected to the attack, including survivors, undergo further questioning, and Burke agreed.

Red Falcon Nikola investigated Lanchi over the train attack and suspected him of helping the assassin escape. Lanchi redirected suspicion toward Lovia by claiming the old man had spoken with the female assassin in a foreign language, leaving Nikola to investigate while Talia remained wary of Lanchi’s motives.

• Red Falcon Nikola questioned Lanchi and tested his reaction, suspecting him of aiding the assassin and harming Lovia.
• Nikola disclosed that the escaped female assassin was believed to be a major member of the Silver Moon Restoration Society, and Talia confirmed the Empire had identified Young Miss Unity that way.
• Lanchi said the assassin seemed more like an Allied Forces spy and claimed Lovia had spoken with her in a language other than the Empire’s.
• Nikola thanked Lanchi and promised to investigate Lovia, while privately continuing to suspect Lanchi.
• Lanchi told Talia he would secretly report Lovia as a Bosen Kingdom spy, hoping the Empire’s discovery would make Landry appear to be a useful informant.

Lanchi left the train investigation with Red Falcon Nikola and traveled toward the station hall, where he met Naira, secretary to Principal Violet of Saint Krui Di Monastery. Her arrival confirmed the academy knew about the accident, while Lanchi suspected someone inside the school had leaked information about Landry.

• Red Falcon Nikola verified Lanchi's appointment as a professor at Saint Krui Di Monastery and apologized for his earlier suspicion.
• Lanchi agreed to travel with Nikola, who hoped to question him further about the train incident.
• Lanchi and Nikola crossed Bulida First Station, where Lanchi admired the architecture and reflected on his arrival in the capital.
• Secretary Naira introduced herself and said she had been waiting to receive Professor Landry on Principal Violet's behalf.
• Lanchi realized the academy feared information had leaked and suspected someone there had wanted Landry dead, while Talia wondered about the motives behind the attack on Unity.

Lanchi defused a confrontation between Naira and Red Falcon Nikola by suggesting they travel together, then answered Nikola’s questions about Demon Script and its possible warning at Bulida First Station. Naira drove Lanchi to Saint Krui Di Monastery, intending to report his conversation to Principal Violet.

• Naira arrived at Bulida First Station to escort Professor Landry to Saint Krui Di Monastery, but Nikola insisted on continuing to accompany him.
• Lanchi proposed that all three travel together, and Nikola agreed to let Naira take him while asking him one final question.
• Lanchi explained that the Demon Script on the station’s dome was meaningless writing, then told Nikola a legend that suggested it might serve as an omen.
• Nikola considered whether the station’s design concealed a warning and departed after saying he would speak with Lanchi another time.
• Naira drove Lanchi toward Saint Krui Di Monastery and warned that Nikola’s attention could cause trouble; she planned to report their conversation to Principal Violet.

Lanchi arrived at Saint Krui Di Monastery, where Secretary Naira warned him about the empire’s factions and he learned how the nobles and commoners’ conflict had developed. He was about to meet Principal Violet after Naira offered to show him around the monastery.

• Secretary Naira warned Lanchi to avoid the military and explained her hostility toward powerful capital nobles and their agents.
• Lanchi told Talia that abuses by nobles had sparked the Day of Bloodshed, whose surviving descendants and victims’ communities passed hatred between nobles and commoners down to the present.
• Lanchi rejected Talia’s suggestion to intensify the empire’s conflicts and said he wanted to make the Krui Di Empire great again and turn it into a nation without war.
• Lanchi arrived at Saint Krui Di Monastery and learned how its history connected it to the empire’s three predecessor territories and its Royalist, Theocratic, and Democratic factions.
• Secretary Naira led Lanchi from the car and prepared to show him the monastery before taking him to meet Principal Violet.

Lanchi met Principal Violet at Saint Krui Di Monastery and learned that the Silver Moon Restoration Society was infiltrating the school and threatening the empire. Violet tasked him with identifying its members, and Lanchi boldly agreed to show them no mercy.

• Lanchi toured the monastery with Secretary Naira, who discussed his unusual appeal and explained the distinction between Blessed and Calamitous Emperor Fate.
• Naira introduced Lanchi to Principal Violet, who praised his handling of Red Falcon Nikola and mentioned that Landry’s younger sister had spoken to her.
• Violet hired Lanchi on a probationary basis and warned him to report illegal religious activity at the school.
• Violet explained that the Silver Moon Restoration Society was manipulating public opinion and recruiting students, while the Rebirth Church remained a separate threat.
• Violet authorized Lanchi to hand Society members over for execution, and Lanchi declared that he would show no leniency either.

Lanchi settled into Landry Washington’s new home at Saint Krui Di Monastery and discussed how to build a foothold in the Krui Di Empire. He planned to find Duke Mi Gaiya and Ifatia, approach Alexia cautiously, and eventually locate the vampires’ Blood Moon City.

• Secretary Naira drove Lanchi to his new monastery residence, explained how to order supplies, and told him to rest before taking up his post.
• Lanchi explored the villa with Talia and Cat Boss, while Talia planned security measures to protect the residence.
• Lanchi told Talia that he would establish himself as a teacher, find Duke Mi Gaiya and Ifatia, and build a reliable force in the empire.
• Lanchi said he would seek Alexia through a trusted intermediary and find a way to free Sticella through the Rebirth Church.
• Lanchi planned to enter the Blood Moon Ruined World with Hughberlian and said he would eventually find and destroy the vampires’ Blood Moon City.

Lanchi investigated Landry’s background and studied his belongings while preparing to impersonate him at Saint Krui Di Monastery. A mysterious message revealed that Landry had been in contact with someone called Truth, leaving Lanchi and Talia to wonder what secrets his identity concealed.

• Lanchi found that Landry’s younger sister, Elsa Washington, was a first-year student at Saint Krui Di Monastery and planned to keep his distance from her while avoiding questions about their past.
• Talia brought Lanchi freshly pressed juice, and they discussed how she could help assess Elsa’s honesty if they met her.
• Lanchi and Talia examined Landry’s Magic Cards and discovered his Pink Divine card, Ultra-Long Range Communication Program-7, had received a message from Truth asking whether he had arrived in Bulida.
• Lanchi replied to Truth that he had just arrived, and he and Talia realized that Landry’s contacts used titles rather than real names.

Lanchi and Talia studied Landry’s mysterious communication card and decided Lanchi would remain in the secret organization to protect his assumed identity. In Bulida, Geya Te told Lu Jiayede that he had sealed Loren inside the Illusionary Territory, and insisted the seal could not be opened without his help or a stronger sealing master.

• Lanchi and Talia discovered that the secret organization had nine members, and Truth told the group that everyone except No. 4 was in Bulida.
• Lanchi replied briefly to Truth and decided to stay in the organization so he could preserve Landry’s identity and learn its rules.
• Lu Jiayede met Geya Te in the Hall of Divine Descendants and began treating his exhaustion before he traveled to the Eastern District.
• Geya Te explained that Loren had grown stronger during their battle, so he used his sealing art to banish Loren to the Illusionary Territory.
• Lu Jiayede questioned whether Loren was securely sealed, and Geya Te declared that only he or a stronger sealing master could undo the seal.

Landry Washington began teaching the advanced course Demon Realm Magical Engineering Research at Saint Krui Di Monastery, where students wondered whether their new professor would favor nobles or commoners. He avoided taking a position on the empire’s politics and ended by suggesting the Southern Continent might need a balance of terror.

• A noble girl told a blond student that a new professor would take over their Level Four course from Professor Bronk.
• The blond student and the noble girl entered Elliot Hall and joined the divided groups of students waiting in the lecture hall.
• Noble students mocked the new professor’s impoverished northern origins, while others speculated about his magical engineering credentials and whether he would favor a faction.
• Landry Washington introduced himself as the new professor and said the first class would focus on a seminar or course outline.
• When a student asked what he thought of the empire, Landry said political topics did not belong at the monastery and reflected on the suffering caused by the changed world.
• Landry opened the Demon Codex: Old Testament and suggested that the Southern Continent might need a balance of terror.