Chapter Summaries

Shade tracked the weakened Pus of Man to Schneider Psychological Clinic and confronted Doctor Schneider alone. The Doctor confirmed that Pus of Man was with him and revealed that he had eaten it.

• Iluna agreed to study Balance under Miss Galina Cavendish while setting boundaries on their arrangement.
• Shade followed Pus of Man's trail through Tobesk and found that it led to Doctor Schneider's clinic.
• Shade told Iluna and Tifa to wait while he went to speak with the Doctor alone.
• Shade tested Doctor Schneider with the Demon Hunting Seal, and the Doctor recognized what it was.
• Shade asked whether Pus of Man was with him, and Doctor Schneider admitted that he had eaten it.

Shade learned that Doctor Schneider had coexisted with a demon for over ten years and had devoured the Pus of Man to gain strength for rescuing the souls of former companions. As the summer’s events ended, Doctor Schneider asked Shade to kill him if he ever lost control, while Shade gained new power and the story left his future path unresolved.

• Shade confronted Doctor Schneider about tracking the Pus of Man, and Schneider admitted he had captured and devoured it after Miss Feliana appeared in the Darkness Domain.
• Doctor Schneider revealed that he willingly coexisted with a demon to gain the power needed to reclaim the stolen souls of Mr. Shelf Tim and Miss Shana Aya.
• Schneider told Shade that he had devoured six evil spirit demons over more than ten years and asked Shade to kill him if he ever lost control.
• Shade agreed to keep Schneider’s secret but noted that the Pus of Man could eventually appear again as long as intelligent beings existed.
• Shade and Schneider watched the rain clear over Tobesk, and Shade called Schneider the true Devourer of Darkness.
• The Origin glowed in Shade’s pocket, a dark golden robe briefly appeared behind him, and a voice told him he had acquired new power.

The Academy summoned Shade and his companions to answer questions about Miss Feliana’s appearance and demanded the return of the relic Dream. The group gathered at Doctor Schneider’s clinic, where Academy professors began projecting in to question them.

• The Academy ordered Doctor Schneider’s group to assemble within two hours, and Shade set out to retrieve Luvia while the others went to find their companions.
• Shade received a separate notice demanding that he return Saint Byrens Comprehensive College’s Dream within half an hour, so he returned it from Miss Galina’s manor before collecting Luvia.
• On the way to the clinic, Shade told Luvia about the Academy’s suspicion and showed her his ability to control the Origin card; Luvia decided to begin preparing for her advancement to the fourth ring.
• Shade and Luvia arrived at Doctor Schneider’s clinic with Mia, who recognized that Dorothy had exchanged places with Leisha.
• Doctor Schneider began the projection ritual, and Academy vice principal Hames Sanchez and Professor Wiya Mirall arrived to question the group.

Professor Sanchez questioned Shade and the other correspondence Ring Arcanists about their whereabouts during the previous day's incident, then Professor Mirall began divining whether they had been tainted by demonic power. Shade chose a card, leaving its result unrevealed.

• Professor Sanchez questioned Doctor Schneider about rumors surrounding Mana Falianna and announced an investigation into the group's movements.
• Priest Augustus, Doctor Schneider, Dorothy, and Luvia each described where they had been during the previous day.
• Shade said that Miss Galina Cavendish had visited him and that he had stayed at home until traveling to her estate in the evening.
• Professor Sanchez confirmed that Shade had kept the Dice of Destiny with him and asked Professor Mirall to divine whether the group had been tainted by a Demon's power.
• Doctor Schneider drew the Lucky One, Priest Augustus drew Death, Dorothy drew a Red butterfly, and Luvia drew Broken Fate.
• Shade selected a card and wondered whether he would draw the Moon, but its face was not revealed.

Shade and his Study Group discussed their plans to advance and postpone their departure for Saint Byron's, while Miss Danist's letter revealed that she had erased records linking him to the relic. Shade then told Leisha he had already reached the third ring, prompting her to question how he advanced so quickly.

• Professor Sanchez concluded the Academy's inquiry into Miss Mana Falianna, approved Priest Augustus's planned assignment near Sikar Mountain, and gave Shade a letter from Miss Danist.
• The Study Group discussed their advancement rituals and agreed to delay applying to Saint Byron's for several years, though they expected to leave within five years.
• After the meeting, Luvia returned to the Seer Association, while Shade left with Dorothy, who wanted to hear his account of the previous day's events.
• Shade read Miss Danist's letter, which said she had erased records of the relic and warned him to avoid drawing attention to troublesome matters; he learned the Sleeping Spirit Rune relic could no longer be borrowed.
• Leisha offered to help Shade with the Sleeping Spirit Rune, but Shade revealed that he had already reached the third ring, leaving her astonished at his rapid advancement.

Shade recounted his recent adventure to Leisha, then shared a romantic farewell with her while admitting that he also cared for Luvia. Leisha accepted his feelings but warned him not to become involved with Galina, leaving Shade to wonder when his growing romantic entanglements would bring trouble.

• Shade told Leisha about his adventure, including Little Mia's role in the Darkness Domain, and said he planned to ask Mia Goode for the cat next spring.
• Shade lent Leisha a Youthful Immortality Leaf, but she recognized it was not the original and confronted him for deceiving her.
• Shade admitted that he liked other young ladies, and Leisha guessed he meant Luvia and accepted their relationship.
• Leisha told Shade not to sleep with Galina before she permitted it, and Shade agreed to wait until their relationship was settled.
• Leisha departed in Dorothy's body after discussing Shade's future Spirit Rune, and Shade wondered when his romantic luck would turn against him.

After the Darkness Domain operation, Shade, Iluna, and Luvia met to discuss what they had gained from confronting Daknis and the second Chosen One. Iluna revealed a new power tied to her Balance talent, while Luvia described how the experience had strengthened her divination; the group left Luvia’s plans for the third Chosen One for after the Rhodes Cards Tournament.

• Shade healed the marks on his neck, then considered whether Mia could use the Fish Training Ring and Metamorphosis Ring before Iluna’s arrival interrupted him.
• Iluna arrived first and complained about her Church duties, while Luvia arrived later after a Seer Association meeting and praised the success of their operation.
• Shade reported gaining the Enlightenment Spirit Rune, advancing to the Third Ring, and learning another Mystic Lock; Iluna said she had acquired a small amount of Daknis’s Darkness knowledge.
• Iluna revealed her new Miracle—Darkness Vortex Spirit Rune and demonstrated how it could connect to another location, briefly pulling Mia into her lap.
• Luvia said the operation had deepened her sense of the Trajectory of Destiny and improved the accuracy and results of her divinations.

Shade installed a special entrance to the Dark Dungeon in his basement and explained how the space recorded living beings’ shadows and could help Ring Arcanists recover from losing control. When Luvia and Iluna explored their own dungeons, Shade’s door crumbled, and he learned that sacrifices could grant access to the dungeon’s dangerous depths.

• Shade placed Origin against the basement wall and opened a special entrance to the Dark Dungeon with an incantation.
• Shade explained that the dungeon contained recorded versions of living beings, could help Ring Arcanists recover from losing control, and might allow visitors to meet others if they possessed identifying traces.
• Shade tried to open his own trapdoor, but it crumbled into dust; Luvia and Iluna opened their doors and found stairways marked with murals of a woman holding an infant.
• Luvia and Iluna descended into their own dungeons, while Shade learned that sacrificing divinity or a powerful dark-tainted soul could grant access to the dungeon’s depths.
• Shade left the dungeon, wondered whether more doors would appear in his basement, and went upstairs to close the windows as rain began.

Shade enjoyed a quiet day after the events with Daknis, then visited Military Intelligence Section Six to collect his pay and learned that Director Anlos had a tournament-related mission for him. The office suspected the Sete Duchy of secret ties to Kasonlik and introduced Shade to Virgil Cameron, the Grand Duke’s influential lover.

• Iluna and Luvia left together after kissing Shade goodbye, and Shade hoped he could finally enjoy a peaceful period.
• Shade opened God's Gift Box, found air-dried sausages, and learned he had to take a household pet for two walks of at least half an hour each.
• Shade read that Sachs Cavendish had been executed for treason, then spent the morning doing laundry while Mia watched.
• Shade visited the Sixth Office to collect his salary and met Director Dak Anlos, who asked whether he would enter the Great City Player tournament.
• Anlos told Shade that the Sixth Office suspected the Sete Duchy of secret ties to Kasonlik and showed him a photograph of Virgil Cameron, the Grand Duke’s lover.

Shade accepted an assignment to watch Virgil Cameron during the Great City Player tournament and spent time with Dorothy and Mia. A letter from Miss Goode revealed that her illness and family troubles continued, leaving Shade uncertain about Mia’s future.

• Director Anlos asked Shade to monitor Virgil Cameron for suspicious meetings if they both reached the Great City Player finals, and Shade accepted.
• Shade treated Mia to a meal, then met Dorothy at the newspaper office and offered to store her readers’ letters in his attic.
• Dorothy invited Shade to dinner, and he noticed she paid with the name of Leisha’s personal maid.
• Shade received a letter from Miss Goode saying she remained ill and could not come to Tobesk for Mia this year.
• Shade wondered whether he could eventually buy Mia from Miss Goode, then prepared a reply and hoped she would recover.

Shade joined Iluna in investigating the theft of three bodies from Tobesk Public Cemetery, including the body of Peggy Fennel. After reviewing the case file, they visited the cemetery to question the Old Gravedigger and inspect the scene, but found no clear leads yet.

• Iluna asked Shade to help find the body of Peggy Fennel, one of three corpses stolen from Tobesk Public Cemetery.
• Shade reviewed the Ridgewich Field case file and questioned whether Peggy’s husband, Mr. Fennel, might have stolen the body himself.
• Shade and Iluna went to the cemetery, where Shade left flowers at Sparrow Hamilton’s grave.
• Iluna showed her police identification to the Old Gravedigger, who said he had discovered the theft and found unusual footprints but no vehicle tracks or other useful clues.
• The Old Gravedigger told Shade and Iluna that the graves had been left open and that this was only the cemetery’s third grave-robbing case that year.

Shade and Iluna investigated three robbed graves and discovered that two corpses had been buried beneath their coffins, leaving Annie Yulian’s body as the only one missing. They focused the investigation on Annie’s brother, Toby Yulian, and the man who had abandoned her.

• Shade and Iluna inspected the three graves and found a dismembered corpse buried beneath one coffin.
• Iluna lifted the other coffins, revealing another buried body and confirming that Annie Yulian’s grave was empty.
• Shade and Iluna summoned the Old Gravedigger and Detective Mario, who helped identify the buried corpses as Mrs. Fennell and the woman who choked on beans.
• Detective Mario said Annie’s brother, Toby Yulian, had handled her funeral and gave Shade his address.
• Iluna asked about the man who had abandoned Annie, and Detective Mario said he knew the man’s name but not his address.

Shade and Iluna continued investigating Mrs. Fennell’s grave robbery case, visiting the Three Cats Inn to ask about Toby Yulian. They learned that Toby’s sister had died by suicide and that he had recently bought an expensive wedding dress, leaving them with a new lead as they waited for the evening bard.

• Shade and Iluna decided to keep investigating after finding Mrs. Fennell’s body, and Detective Mario agreed to receive their report.
• Shade and Iluna traveled to Saint Song Square and stopped at the Three Cats Inn before visiting Mr. Urian.
• Mrs. Sangmei recognized Toby Yulian’s name and said his sister had hanged herself and that Toby had recently bought an expensive wedding dress.
• Shade and Iluna ordered dinner and stayed at the inn to wait for the bard Asha La while discussing their lives and the investigation.
• Iluna refused Shade’s joking offer to trade her miraculous left eye for Luvia’s violet eyes, saying Shade had given it to her.

Shade and Iluna investigated Mr. Urian about his sister’s stolen corpse and discovered that his veiled fiancée was dead. As they left, a Corpse Bride appeared behind them beneath the moonlight.

• Asha La performed a detailed love ballad at the inn before Shade and Iluna went to Mr. Urian’s home on Losvar Street.
• Iluna checked the household gas meter, and she and Shade were eventually admitted by the cautious Mr. Urian, who introduced his silent, veiled fiancée.
• Shade confirmed that Mr. Urian was an ordinary person, but sensed something wrong with the fiancée and realized she was not breathing and was cold like a corpse.
• Mr. Urian answered their questions about his deceased younger sister and gave them the address of the man she had loved before her suicide.
• After Shade and Iluna left, they suspected Mr. Urian was keeping his sister’s corpse as his fiancée, and a veiled Corpse Bride appeared behind them holding a knife.

Shade and Iluna fought the Corpse Bride, whose face belonged to the missing Annie Yulian, and drove her off after discovering her powers and resilience. Following the ashes to the third floor, they broke into a room to confront Toby Yulian, where someone shouted that no one would stop them.

• Shade and Iluna attacked the Corpse Bride, but she resisted the Sunlight Gun and used Space Movement to strike back.
• Shade identified the bride as Annie Yulian and weakened her with Balance and Feliana's Witch Light while she continued to recover and escape his chains.
• Iluna used Decree to stop the Corpse Bride briefly, allowing Shade to cleave her into pieces with charged moonlight.
• The corpse's ashes slipped beneath the grocery store door, and Shade spotted the bride retreating through a third-floor window.
• Shade and Iluna followed the Whisper Element traces upstairs, broke into a room, and heard someone shout, "No one will stop me! You can all die!"

Shade and Iluna uncovered how Toby Yulian used the Glowenston Marriage Contract to raise his dead sister, the Corpse Bride, and identified the contract as a dangerous Relic. When the Relic’s influence drove Toby to attack himself, Shade stopped him and kept him alive for the Church to judge.

• Iluna caught Toby’s crowbar attack, bent the weapon, and Shade forced him to surrender while they searched his room.
• Iluna found Toby’s diary and an illicit book on marriages of the dead, learning that Toby had driven his sister’s fiancé away and that she later died by suicide.
• The diary revealed that Toby had used the Glowenston Marriage Contract and his sister’s blood to raise her corpse and make her kill the grave robbers who helped him.
• Toby told Shade and Iluna that the contract was in the basement, immersed in blood, and Iluna planned to erase the names and retrieve a memory-wiping Relic.
• Under the contract’s influence, Toby charged at the Corpse Bride, so Shade wounded him and tried to restrain him.
• Toby stabbed himself in the heart, but Shade used False Immortality to stop his injuries from worsening and prevent him from dying.

Shade and Iluna fought the Corpse Bride after she killed Mr. Urian, then stopped her by erasing the names from the ghost-marriage contract and temporarily containing it. As they believed the danger had passed, Iluna saw Annie Yulian’s soul at the entrance.

• Shade restrained Mr. Urian with the Great Sin Chains, but Mr. Urian summoned Annie Yulian, who twisted his head around and killed him.
• Annie Yulian asked Iluna to marry her and attacked Shade in the darkness, growing stronger after Mr. Urian’s death.
• Shade held off Annie Yulian while Iluna went to the basement and erased the two names from the contract.
• Iluna returned with the parchment, and the lights came back on as Annie Yulian collapsed and her phantoms vanished.
• Shade translated the contract, and Iluna used Holy Water No. 3 and a holy emblem to contain it temporarily.
• Iluna looked with her divine left eye and saw Annie Yulian’s soul standing at the entrance.

After Iluna helped Annie Yulian’s soul move on, the tragedy granted Iluna the final Spirit Rune needed to prepare for her fourth ring. On Wednesday, Miss Galina gave Shade a Time Key for 3014 and discussed his next journey to meet Miss Feliana, while a playful exchange left Galina with a vivid new memory.

• Iluna spoke with Annie Yulian’s soul, reassured her that Toby Yulian was responsible for the tragedy, and sent her onward.
• Iluna’s Destiny Ring formed the Spirit Rune Tragedy, completing the four runes for her third ring.
• At 6 Saint Derain Square, Shade told Miss Galina about the Corpse Bride and the Glowenston Marriage Contract, whose effects could extend beyond its apparent uses.
• Miss Galina gave Shade a Time Key for the year 3014 and asked him to bring a question to Miss Feliana if he met her.
• Shade offered to let Miss Galina copy Miss Feliana’s notebook, and their teasing exchange became a cherished memory for Galina Cavendish.

Shade watched Tifa drink an old Cat in a Bottle potion for Miss Galina’s experiment, turning her into a kitten for less than three minutes. After Tifa returned to human form, Galina finished copying Miss Feliana’s notebook and arranged for servants to clean Shade’s house each week.

• Miss Galina showed Shade an expired Cat in a Bottle potion and had Tifa drink it to test whether her spell could affect someone transformed into a cat.
• Tifa transformed into a tiny white kitten, and Shade held her while Mia reacted jealously; the potion wore off within minutes.
• Shade agreed to use the Key of 3014 early Sunday morning and reminded Miss Galina to take Tifa to the bedroom before the potion expired.
• Miss Galina spent the day copying Miss Feliana’s notebook, then arranged for trusted servants to clean Shade’s house on Saturday afternoons.
• Shade gave Tifa the spare house key and, after seeing off Galina’s convoy, encountered the Smith Couple returning from a dog walk.

Shade investigated the mysterious letter Detective Sparrow had arranged to arrive after his death. He revealed a hidden numerical code on the envelope and began testing Sparrow’s books as codebooks, but had not yet deciphered the message.

• Shade waited in Saint Derain Square to see who delivered the letter, then found it among his morning mail alongside an invitation to a Rhodes Cards Tournament.
• Shade read the letter’s visible message, “Same as always,” and took it to Priest Augustus to ask how to reveal invisible writing.
• Priest Augustus gave Shade an expired Revealing Potion, and Shade bought ritual materials from Old John Pawnshop.
• Shade used the potion on the envelope and uncovered groups of numbers, then compared them with three novels Detective Sparrow had left behind.
• Shade deduced that each eight-digit group identified a word and that its final digit selected one of the three books, then began testing the possible book orders.