Recaps

Audrey realized that the man posing as Cons was an impostor who had used his powers to trap her in terror, but her Beyonder Item helped her recover enough to warn Fors and Xio. She sent them to alert a Church that Duke Negan might be assassinated by a High Sequence Beyonder, then hurried back toward the Earl's villa and prayed to the Fool.

• Audrey recognized that Nois, disguised as Cons, had no affection for her and realized he was an impostor.
• Nois controlled Audrey with terror but let her live to avoid drawing attention to the assassination plan, then entered the House of Lords with Levi.
• Audrey's pendant, a Psychiatrist Beyonder Item, soothed her emotions and let her move again.
• Audrey told Fors and Xio that Duke Negan might be assassinated by a High Sequence Beyonder and urged them to notify a nearby Church.
• Audrey had Fors and Xio leave the carriage, hurried back toward the Earl's villa, and prayed to the Fool.

Audrey asked the Fool to have a Blessed save her friend Cons, whom she believed had been controlled by a High Sequence Beyonder planning to assassinate Duke Negan. Luther learned Audrey’s identity as Justice but refused to intervene, then set out to meet Klein in Cherwood Borough.

• Audrey prayed to the Fool, reporting the threat to Duke Negan and pleading for Cons to be saved.
• Audrey returned to the Hall family villa and went to tell her father what had happened.
• Luther preached to the Lambs about how people were the root cause of suffering, then received Audrey’s prayer through the Gray Fog.
• Luther recognized the praying figure as Audrey Hall and learned she was Justice.
• After the Fool said he did not have to accept the request, Luther decided not to save Cons because he feared provoking the forces behind the assassination.
• Luther left for Cherwood Borough to ask Klein about the strange mural he had seen in Amon’s Tomb.

At a meeting of the House of Lords, Nois the Demon manipulated Levi and Duke Negan’s emotions while preparing to kill the Duke. The councilors’ meeting descended into chaos, and one of them drew a dagger and stabbed a fellow member.

• Levi mocked the nobles in White Hall while Nois the Demon encouraged him to reveal his secrets.
• Nois sensed that a Hall family girl had broken free of his control and decided to hurry and kill Duke Negan before the Church arrived.
• Duke Negan delivered an impassioned speech to the House of Lords and grew angry when opposition members heckled him.
• The councilors began trading insults and brawling in White Hall.
• One opposition councilor drew a dagger and stabbed the person beside them.

A wave of madness erupted in White Hall after an Earl was murdered, and Duke Negan was attacked by his own guard before surviving with a protective doll. The Demon Nois revealed himself as a Demigod and attacked Negan, while the duke’s attempt to summon Ace Snake was turned back.

• An Earl was murdered, and the people in White Hall descended into a violent frenzy that Duke Negan briefly stopped before they turned on him.
• The blond secretary disrupted the crowd’s attack and helped Duke Negan withdraw, but one of Negan’s guards shot him in the back.
• Duke Negan survived by using a strange doll, while Levi discovered that Cons had disappeared from the second floor.
• The Demon Nois descended into White Hall and challenged Duke Negan, prompting the blond secretary to fight him.
• Duke Negan blew a Church of Storms conch to summon Ace Snake, but Nois redirected the tide-like call back toward White Hall.

Demon Nois killed Duke Negan in White Hall and escaped after the Spellsinger of God arrived. In Cherwood Borough, Luther went to find Klein, but as he left, an invisible door began opening above Minsk Street.

• Demon Nois overwhelmed Duke Negan and the blond secretary while guards fell into madness, and Duke Negan died just as the Spellsinger of God arrived.
• The Spellsinger of God tore open White Hall's roof with a storm, but Demon Nois escaped, and the blond secretary secretly said the Duke's death was the choice of the times.
• Luther watched the storm over Empress Borough, decided not to get involved, and went to Klein's home on Minsk Street.
• Luther found Klein out and left without a message, then noticed the storm had stopped.
• An invisible door slowly opened in midair above Minsk Street.

Luther tried to flee unnoticed as Ace Snake pursued Demon Nois through a storm in Cherwood Borough. Nois prepared to attack a couple, but a fallen revolver fired a silver Demon-Hunting Bullet into his side.

• Luther recognized the Demigod as the MI9 member whose body was inhabited by Demon Nois and tried to pass as an ordinary pedestrian.
• Ace Snake appeared and unleashed a violent storm while pursuing Nois, sending panicked pedestrians fleeing through the streets.
• Luther fled with the crowd as the battle drew closer and Nois crashed through the coffeehouse where a couple had taken shelter.
• Nois moved toward the couple, intending to attack them before Ace Snake arrived.
• A revolver beside an ordinary-looking young man accidentally fired a silver Demon-Hunting Bullet into Nois's side.

Luther’s revolver unexpectedly wounded the Devil Demigod Nois, but Nois manipulated Luther’s emotions to expose him to Ace Snake, the Spellsinger of God. As Ace Snake attacked Luther with lightning, Nois began escaping through an illusory door, and Luther tried to stop him.

• Luther watched his Lucky Roulette fall and fire a Demon-Hunting Bullet that struck Nois, the Devil Pathway Demigod.
• Ace Snake arrived overhead, and Nois provoked Luther until his Spirituality surged and revealed him.
• Ace Snake recognized Luther and repeatedly struck at him with lightning as Luther dodged.
• Nois thanked Ace Snake for diverting attention, opened an illusory door, and prepared to escape.
• Luther shouted words of filth and madness beside Nois’s ears to stop him.

Luther used Language of Foulness to disrupt Demon Nois’s escape, then cursed him with Cons Lee’s blood as the Spellsinger of God pursued him. After Nois fled, Luther found a tarot card labeled “Abyss” among the fragments blasted from his body.

• Luther’s Language of Foulness disrupted Nois’s attempt to escape, and he alerted Ace Snake that Nois was fleeing.
• Ace Snake pursued Nois while Luther used Cons Lee’s blood to curse him, causing Nois to burst out in blood before shedding the damage.
• A bolt of lightning struck Nois, and a pregnant woman in the nearby café felt her child move.
• A paper slip fell from Nois, who failed to retrieve it before fleeing from Ace Snake.
• Luther picked up the slip and found a tarot card labeled “Abyss.”

Luther discovered that the tarot card he had taken from the Demon was a Card of Blasphemy showing the Abyss Pathway’s Sequence 0, and he found an unexplained symbol on Lucky Roulette. When a terrifying suit of silver-white armor appeared, Luther escaped through the Spirit World to his bedroom, while the armor continued toward the fighting Demigods.

• Luther recognized the tarot card as a Card of Blasphemy depicting Roselle Gustav and revealing that Sequence 0 of the Devil Pathway was Abyss.
• Luther apologized to Cons’s corpse, then returned to the ruined café and recovered Lucky Roulette.
• Luther discovered a snake-like, looping symbol on Lucky Roulette’s grip and suspected that an unknown being had arranged for the revolver to fall.
• Luther sensed a danger greater than the two Demigods and used Mr. A’s Grazed Scribe ability to Travel away as silver-white armor emerged from the fog.
• Luther arrived in his bedroom beside Luna, while the armor charged toward the Demigods and released a dazzling light through the fog.

Luther examined the Card of Blasphemy and discovered it contained the complete Devil Pathway, while the Nighthawks dealt with the aftermath of the assassination. Audrey learned that Cons and Duke Negan had died, leaving her shaken by the cruelty of the extraordinary world.

• Luther used Spirituality to open the Card of Blasphemy and read the sequences, Potion formulas, and Advancement Rituals of the Devil Pathway.
• The Card of Blasphemy closed, and Luther celebrated obtaining a complete Pathway extending to Sequence 0, Abyss.
• Soest ordered the Nighthawks to switch people, and Leonard Mitchell emerged from the silver-white armor and expelled its silver patterns in a bathtub.
• Leonard told Soest that he had encountered the Blood Bishop.
• Audrey waited for Earl Hall, who told her that Cons had died and that Duke Negan had also failed to escape the assassination.
• Audrey mourned Cons and realized that her efforts and prayer to Mr. Fool had not saved him.

After dreaming of his younger sister Cecilia, Luther woke in his Backlund residence and realized her reminder to eat properly had stayed with him. He ate stale biscuits and decided to buy ingredients, while Luna watched nearby.

• Luther dreamed that Cecilia cared for him in a cramped room and urged him to eat properly.
• Luther woke from the dream in his Backlund bedroom and remembered escaping the battle in Cherwood Borough the day before.
• Luna entered the room and followed Luther as he washed, dressed, and prepared breakfast.
• Luther realized he had barely eaten since killing Mr. A and chose to heed Cecilia’s words.
• Luther found a tin of old biscuits, ate them, and decided to buy ingredients later.

Luther read that Duke Negan had been assassinated and the Aurora Order had claimed responsibility, while Klein questioned the accusation and prepared to investigate Talim’s death for Prince Edessak. The chapter left Klein heading out to continue the investigation after advancing to Faceless.

• Luther read about the Royal Navy’s ironclad Pritz arriving in Backlund and considered how Beyonders might fare against it.
• Luther learned that Duke Negan had been killed in a bombing and the Aurora Order had claimed responsibility, despite his belief that he had eliminated its Backlund members.
• Klein read the report and doubted the Aurora Order’s responsibility, noting the questions it raised about security at the House of Lords.
• Klein used his new Faceless ability to change his appearance after advancing with ingredients supplied by Luther and Emlyn White.
• Klein recalled that Prince Edessak had commissioned him to find the cause of Talim’s death, and he went out to continue the investigation.

Luther visited the sea to store the Card of Blasphemy and Lucky Roulette, and found that its purified seawater had restored Katie’s soul. The mark on Lucky Roulette resembled Ouroboros’s symbol, leading Luther to suspect another Snake of Mercury had been present when the item was marked.

• Luther reviewed his goals and decided the Card of Blasphemy was valuable enough to strengthen his negotiations with the Chief of City of Silver for the Black Knight Potion formula.
• Luther asked M whether the sea could store objects, then placed the Card of Blasphemy and Lucky Roulette inside his body and traveled to the sea.
• Luther found Katie’s soul resting peacefully in the purified seawater and confirmed that the water had repaired damage to her spirit body.
• Luther placed the Card of Blasphemy and Lucky Roulette on a raised platform, then recognized the mark on the roulette’s grip as resembling Ouroboros’s symbol.
• Luther reasoned that the mark might have been left by another Snake of Mercury, since Ouroboros would likely have been hostile to him.

Luther reflected on the suspicious couple and the three dead Angels before returning to the East Borough to tend to his Lambs. Meanwhile, George III revealed that he had orchestrated Duke Negan’s death and ordered Panatiya to begin a plan in the East Borough that would leave many people dead.

• Luther considered whether Einhorn, Sauron, and Medici had died in a ritual to become gods, then set the question aside for lack of evidence.
• Luther checked Katie’s soul and prepared to return to the real world to continue tending to his Lambs in the East Borough.
• Aguesid Negan and Earl Hall reported to George III that the investigation had failed to uncover the mastermind behind Duke Negan’s murder, and George III ordered them to continue investigating and prepare the duke’s eldest son to succeed him.
• After dismissing the officials, George III met Panatiya, who congratulated him on the internal purge and asked when their next plan would begin.
• George III told Panatiya to choose any area in the East Borough and make the death toll high, calling the victims necessary sacrifices.

Luther checked on the Flock and the Lyman Gang’s operations in East Borough, where his guidance had helped the neighborhood prosper. He rejected Ciel’s proposal to expand their territory, found no sign of trouble, and ended the chapter surrounded by children eager to tell him about their lives.

• Luther greeted the people of East Borough and reflected on the Flock’s growth and his progress digesting the Shepherd Potion.
• Luther visited Ciel at the Lyman Gang headquarters and heard that the factories and neighborhood were thriving.
• Ciel proposed expanding the gang’s territory, but Luther refused and reminded him to stay within bounds.
• Luther asked Ciel about street abnormalities and secret investigations, but Ciel reported nothing unusual.
• Children spotted Luther after school, crowded around him, and excitedly shared stories from their lives.

Luther heard Aaron describe a beautiful woman, while Panatiya reported to George III and checked on Trissy Cheek’s transformation into a vessel for the Primordial. Later, Luther received a letter from Sharron revealing that the Queen had returned to Backlund.

• Luther stopped the children from arguing over Aaron’s claim that he had seen a beautiful older sister.
• Panatiya told George III that she had selected target districts, and he dismissed her concerns about their agreement.
• Panatiya learned that Trissy Cheek was being drawn closer to the Primordial and ordered her watcher to continue monitoring her.
• Luther found a letter from Sharron at his home and read that the Queen had returned to Backlund.

Luther learned that the Queen had returned to Backlund and decided to meet her, while trying to reconnect with his humanity by making lunch. At the Tarot Club, Audrey greeted the gathering with subdued spirits after her friend Kance Leerhsen died in the assassination of Duke Negan.

• Luther read Sharron's letter about the Queen's return and agreed to meet her at the Bravehearts Bar.
• Luther cooked and ate dough lump soup, and the warm meal restored some of his humanity.
• Klein entered the space above the gray fog and prepared to host the Tarot Club while avoiding a dangerous investigation for Prince Edessak.
• Klein summoned the Tarot Club, where Audrey greeted Mr. Fool in an unusually subdued voice because Kance Leerhsen had died.

At the Tarot Club, Luther offered the City of Silver’s Chief a Sequence 4 Devil Pathway formula in exchange for a Judge Beyonder Item and asked Mr. Fool to witness the trade. Audrey declined to buy the Judge item, so Luther left Alger to sell it and return 3,500 pounds.

• Sun Derrick told Luther that the Chief wanted a way to change the City of Silver’s condition but would accept an item of equal level or a Sequence 4 Potion formula.
• Luther offered the Demon Potion formula and asked Mr. Fool to witness the trade with the Chief.
• Alger presented the Judge Beyonder Item, a gavel that could impose Prohibitions and punishments but made its holder cold and rule-bound.
• Audrey declined to buy the gavel, partly because she was cautious about money movements and the dangers of the Beyonder world after Cons’s death.
• Luther told Alger to find a buyer and return 3,500 pounds, letting Alger keep any amount earned above that.

At the Tarot Club, Fors arranged to obtain a Spirit Eater's stomach, while Klein sought information about Mermaids for his advancement ritual. The members discussed Duke Negan’s assassination, and Mr. Fool warned them that another major event would soon occur in Backlund.

• Fors asked whether anyone had a Spirit Eater's stomach, and Sun Derrick said he could exchange expedition merits for one and arrange payment through Alger.
• Alger traded Sun information about common monsters near the City of Silver for the Solar High Priest formula and considered how to fund the Wind-blessed Potion.
• World asked where Mermaids could be found, and Alger said sailors sometimes heard them singing near the Gargas Archipelago.
• Audrey said a Devil Pathway Demigod had assassinated Duke Negan before a Storms Church cardinal killed the culprit with help from a Goddess Church Sealed Artifact.
• Alger suspected Audrey had been personally affected by the assassination, but Mr. Fool interrupted and warned that a major event would soon occur in Backlund.

At the Tarot Club, Klein warned that a disaster was coming to Backlund and identified Edessak Augustus as its core. Afterward, Luther considered leaving the city and asked Luna to divine where he might find his next advancement opportunity, and she pointed to the Sonia Sea.

• Klein warned the Tarot Club about a major crisis in Backlund and named Edessak Augustus as its core.
• Audrey resolved to investigate Edessak, while Fors and Alger planned to gather information through their contacts.
• Klein privately worried that Luther was also in danger and ended the Tarot Club meeting without revealing his own connection to it.
• After the gathering, Luther considered leaving Backlund, making arrangements for his Flock, and warning Klein to be cautious.
• Luther asked Luna to divine where his next advancement opportunity lay, and she landed on the Sonia Sea on the map.

Luther learned through Luna’s divination that his next destination was the Sonia Sea and sent Klein a coded warning about an impending crisis. In the City of Silver, Derrick offered a Sequence 4 Devil Pathway formula in exchange for the Black Knight formula, while Chief Colin Iliad and Elder Lovia observed.

• Luna divined that Luther’s destination was the Sonia Sea, and Luther wondered whether he would find Potion ingredients among pirates or in sea ruins.
• Luther failed to get more information from Luna, then wrote Klein a coded letter warning him that something major might happen soon.
• Derrick entered the City of Silver’s Round Tower and found Colin Iliad and Elder Lovia waiting for him.
• Derrick offered the City of Silver a Sequence 4 Devil Pathway formula in exchange for the Black Knight formula, and Colin asked him to submit the formulas for verification.

Luther left Ciel in charge of the Lyman Gang and obtained the Black Knight Potion formula, only to discover that its advancement ritual required the Degeneration of more than ten thousand people. He planned to seek ingredients or another solution at the Queen’s gathering with Sharron that night.

• Luther told Ciel he would be away for months or years, then used M to compel him to treat the residents as before and keep the territory low-profile.
• Luther explained the three principles guiding his Shepherd Acting: feed, guide, and protect the Lambs.
• The Sun relayed that the exchange was complete, and Luther sent the formula through Mr. Fool to the Chief for verification before receiving it.
• Luther read the Black Knight formula and learned that its ritual required inducing the Degeneration of more than ten thousand people without violence.
• Luther memorized and burned the formula, then prepared to meet Sharron and attend the Queen’s gathering at the abandoned botanical garden.

Luther met Sharron in a carriage and learned that the symbol on Lucky Roulette belonged to the Life School of Thought’s missing Councilor, a Sequence 1 Snake of Mercury. He concluded that the Councilor had manipulated the earlier events to protect a pregnant woman and possibly establish a connection with him.

• Luther met Sharron and asked whether the Rose School of Thought’s Demigod was still hunting her; she said he was, but the Scarlet Lunar Corona helped them conceal themselves.
• Luther showed Sharron the symbol he had seen on Lucky Roulette, and she identified it as the mark of the Life School of Thought’s Councilor.
• Sharron explained that the Councilor led the Life School of Thought and that the Rose School of Thought had helped split its factions before seizing its resources.
• Luther told Sharron about the Demigod conflict, omitting the pregnant couple and the Card of Blasphemy, and Sharron said the Councilor was a Sequence 1 Monster who manipulated fate.
• Sharron said the Councilor appeared in different forms, and Luther inferred that the pregnant woman carried a Snake of Mercury who had manipulated his revolver, left him the Abyss card as compensation, and marked the revolver to connect with him.

Luther and Sharron discovered that the Queen’s plant castle had been destroyed, preventing them from attending her gathering. Worried that a larger threat was closing in on Backlund, Luther decided to leave the city before the New Year.

• Luther asked Sharron about the Shadow Knight and Grigel, and she identified Grigel as an almost-extinct Blood Giant.
• Luther and Sharron learned that the ironclad Plitz had returned to Backlund, forcing their carriage to detour around the Harbor District.
• Luther saw that the Queen’s botanical-garden castle had collapsed and its plants had withered, suggesting someone had attacked the gathering place.
• Luther told Sharron to stay cautious, and she hoped the Queen was safe.
• Luther said he planned to leave Backlund before the New Year, then returned to the East Borough and decided to begin preparing the next day.

Luther left Backlund by train with Luna, intending to travel to Pritz Harbor and then the Sonia Sea, but a warning from a kneeling figure told Mr. Fool that a Demoness was about to attack [Temperance]’s parish. Luther’s Spiritual Intuition confirmed the threat as the train departed.

• Luther packed his belongings, took Luna, and left his house for the train station.
• Klein visited Prince Edessak and reported that his investigation found Talim had died of a sudden heart attack, securing his release from the case.
• Trissy, the prince’s attendant and Talim’s killer, entered Klein’s moving carriage and revealed that she knew he recognized her.
• Luther boarded the train to Pritz Harbor and prepared to leave Backlund behind.
• A kneeling figure sent Mr. Fool a warning that [Temperance]’s parish was about to be attacked by a Demoness.
• Luther sensed the threat and saw a snake-haired demoness smiling at him through the iron-black fog.