Recaps

Mr. Fool confronted Cattleya for revealing information about the Tarot Club to Bernadette, and she accepted responsibility without protest. He punished her by using the Gray Fog to inflict extreme mental torment, leaving the Tarot Club members watching in silence.

• Mr. Fool told Cattleya that she had revealed information about the Tarot Club to Bernadette, the owner of the Dawn.
• Cattleya admitted she had asked Bernadette for a Sequence 3 Secrets Suppliant Potion formula despite knowing it could expose the truth.
• Luther realized Bernadette had asked him to protect Cattleya because she feared Mr. Fool's punishment.
• Mr. Fool unleashed the Gray Fog on Cattleya, causing severe mental torment as the Tarot Club members watched.

Klein punished Cattleya for exceeding his instructions, then allowed her to trade for answers about Roselle and conduct business at the Tarot Club. In Backlund, Leonard killed a Devil after a lengthy pursuit, still resentful that the hunt had delayed his trip to Tingen.

• Klein tortured Cattleya nearly to the point of death, then told her to tell Bernadette she could trade Roselle-related items for answers.
• Emlyn bought the Baron characteristic from Alger for 4,500 pounds, while Alger asked the gathering for the Ocean Songster Potion formula.
• Cattleya offered Fors ingredients for her Astrologer Potion and helped Audrey obtain materials for her Hypnotist Potion.
• Leonard chased a Devil through the East Borough, using a moment of sleep and silence to bring it down and shoot it dead.
• Leonard cursed the Devil for delaying his plan to go to Tingen and check whether two of his teammates were alive.

At the Tarot Club meeting, Luther sought Low Sequence Potions and materials to strengthen his fleet, while Emlyn requested help finding believers of the Primordial Moon. The members shared updates on Backlund and Feysac, and Alger began reporting on a new Pirate Assembly.

• Luther asked the Hermit to keep searching for a Sequence 3 Potion formula and revealed that he already had an Angel's blood.
• Luther offered to pay extra for consecutive combat-focused Low Sequence Potion sets, and the Tarot Club members agreed to gather them.
• Emlyn asked the members to locate believers of the Primordial Moon, offering rewards for clues and confirmed targets.
• Luther told Fors he would return to Loen and contact her so she could look for clues about Mr. X.
• Audrey reported that Backlund had calmed and that the Feysac emperor might be critically ill, while Alger began describing a Pirate Assembly convened by Nast.

At the Tarot Club, Luther learned that Lovia was rumored to have eaten her husband, triggering a painful memory of Cecilia. The meeting ended, and Luther and Klein began their private gathering.

• Alger told the Tarot Club that the King of Immortality had died, the King of Blood had emerged, and Suah had been severely wounded at the Pirate Assembly.
• Derrick told Luther that Lovia had not advanced to Sequence 4 and that people in the exploration team rumored she had eaten her husband.
• The rumor reminded Luther of Cecilia's death, and Mr. Fool used his authority to help him regain his composure.
• Luther asked Derrick to investigate Lovia's past and offered Warrior Pathway High Sequence Potion formulas as an incentive for the Chief to cooperate.
• After the Tarot Club meeting ended, Luther and Klein remained behind to begin their Transmigrators' Gathering.

Luther asked the Fool whether he could borrow the power behind an artifact that restored its user’s past self, and Klein evaded the request with a mysterious answer. The two discussed the possible connection between the God War Ruins’ dream palace and the Giant King’s Court, then planned their returns to Loen and a future confrontation with Ince Zangwill.

• Luther manifested the staff-head-like artifact and asked whether the Fool’s power enabled its ability to borrow strength from a past self.
• Klein confirmed the power came from him but ambiguously told Luther that the time had not yet come to make another artifact.
• Klein and Luther discussed whether the palace in the God War Ruins’ dream resembled the Giant King’s Court and agreed to compare it with the City of Silver’s exploration findings.
• Luther said he would return to Loen to seek revenge on Ince Zangwill and the Aurora Order, and Klein said he would return there to pursue his next advancement.
• Klein declined Luther’s offer of a ride and said he would travel by ship, while Luther urged him to get in touch if anything happened.

Luther learned that Sophia Einhorn wanted to return to Feysac to visit her critically ill father, and he agreed to let her leave under strict conditions. Medici offered Luther the Sequence 3 Secrets Suppliant formula, Trinity Templar, in exchange for Sophia’s blood, leaving Luther to consider the bargain cautiously.

• Sophia Einhorn told Luther that her father was critically ill and asked to return to Feysac to see him.
• Luther agreed to let Sophia leave after she promised not to reveal information about him or his fleet, and he said he would erase her relevant memories.
• Medici demanded a vial of Sophia’s blood, claiming it would help His resurrection.
• Medici offered Luther the Sequence 3 Secrets Suppliant formula, Trinity Templar, in exchange for Sophia’s blood.
• Luther decided to keep the blood as a possible bargaining chip rather than immediately give it to Medici.

Luther’s fleet grew as his crew advanced and his reputation as the King of Blood spread. When Sophia disembarked at Nas, she recognized M as Ivanova Einhorn, a member of the Feysac royal family, revealing a mysterious connection Luther had not expected.

• Walter advanced to Sequence 7 as a Briber, Rube reached Sequence 8 as a Raging Berserker, and Anderson gathered thirty crew members for his Sequence 4 advancement ritual.
• Tales of Alexander Gascoigne Grazing the King of Immortality and routing the Abomination spread, helping Luther recruit more crew while he turned away pirate groups seeking to join him.
• At Nas, Luther told Sophia he would seal her memories of her time aboard, while M began the procedure and Luther kept Sophia’s blood as insurance for a possible trade with Medici.
• During the procedure, Sophia called M Ivanova, prompting Luther to show her Ivanova’s other appearance and question her about their connection.
• Sophia identified Ivanova Einhorn as her younger aunt, but found that she could not recall details about her aunt; Luther then told her to forget their conversation.

Luther failed to uncover the connection between Sophia’s memories and Ms. M, then searched M’s mind and found no link between them. Suspecting Ivanova Einhorn might be tied to his enemy, he decided to pursue his existing plans first and left Anderson in charge of the fleet as he departed for Loen.

• Luther sealed away Sophia’s memories of the ship and sent her back to an island belonging to Feysac.
• Luther attacked M and had Antiya amplify his powers so he could search her mind, but found only confirmation that she was a personality split from himself.
• Luther destroyed M and told Luna and Antiya that one of his enemies might still be alive, but he would deal with his other enemies first.
• Luther ordered Anderson to take charge of the fleet and left with the Black Throne through the Spirit World.

Luther visited the Bansy Harbor Telegraph Office to find Medici’s closest living descendant and prepare for a possible resurrection ritual. He found the telegraph operators feeding on a corpse, and Medici’s shadows overwhelmed them.

• Luther arrived on Bansy Island and followed Medici’s Spirituality through the fog to the Bansy Harbor Telegraph Office.
• Luther and Medici discussed using a blood relative as a means of resurrection, though Luther had not agreed to provide Einhorn’s blood.
• Melanie Dimy and Pavo Court refused to open the telegraph office door, claiming they were normal and that no one could enter in the weather.
• Luther split the door open and found Melanie Dimy and Pavo Court standing beside a mutilated body and picked-clean bones.
• Living shadows flooded the office and devoured Melanie Dimy and Pavo Court, leaving them unable to resist.

Luther helped Medici perform a partial resurrection ritual on Bansy Island, but Ouroboros appeared before he could leave. Ouroboros reversed Luther’s desperate attack, leaving him facing a King of Angels.

• Luther learned that Melanie Dimy had the purer bloodline and used Hypnosis to control her.
• Luther brought Melanie to the altar, where Medici used Helene Sauron's blood to begin a partial ritual that swallowed her and cleared the island’s fog.
• Luther refused to provide the remaining blood and prepared to leave Bansy Island for Loen.
• Ouroboros arrived on the mountaintop, and Luther unleashed his Blood River and lambs in an attempt to survive.
• Ouroboros froze time and reversed Luther’s attack, restoring him and his lambs to their original state.

Ouroboros trapped Luther in a cycle of Fate and overwhelmed his attempts to resist, leaving him on the verge of being taken to the True Creator. As Luther struggled to finish a prayer to the Fool, an unknown intruder appeared behind Ouroboros.

• Ouroboros used his power over Fate to keep Luther's blood sea from spreading and repeatedly disrupted Luther as he summoned the Phantom Tide.
• Antiya appeared and reached for Luther, but Ouroboros's step blasted her away before she could take him into the Spirit World.
• Medici told Luther that he could not escape Ouroboros, while the other Conqueror evil spirits quarreled inside Luther's mind.
• Luther began praying to the Fool in Hermes Script as Ouroboros wrapped him in his wings.
• A portion of Ouroboros's wings vanished, revealing a black-robed intruder standing behind him.

Luther survived an encounter with Ouroboros, a King of Angel, after a mysterious black-haired woman drove Ouroboros away with overwhelming power. Antiya rejoined Luther, and as he hesitated to explain what had happened, an unknown visitor appeared to greet them.

• A mysterious woman in a black hood appeared and erased Ouroboros's time-repeating rings, forcing him to flee.
• The woman looked at Luther, winked, and vanished, leaving him alone on the mountain.
• Antiya rushed to Luther and prepared to use Spirit World Traversal, then stopped when he told her the danger had passed.
• Antiya questioned Luther about the King of Angel, and he hesitated to reveal the mysterious woman's involvement.
• A calm voice said, "Good afternoon," and its owner appeared before Luther and Antiya.

Arianna, the Evernight Church’s Servant of Concealment, met Luther after the Goddess drove Ouroboros away and offered him a way back into the Church. She presented him with a Sequence 3 Trinity Templar characteristic and its potion formula, leaving Luther with the advancement materials he had long sought.

• Arianna appeared before Luther and Antiya, identified herself as the Servant of Concealment, and received Luther’s thanks for the Goddess’s protection.
• Arianna recognized Luther as a former Nighthawk and offered him a vacant deacon position if he returned to the Church under another identity.
• Arianna revealed a Sequence 3 Trinity Templar Beyonder characteristic and its corresponding potion formula.
• Luther recognized the characteristic as the one he had been searching for, and his spirituality reacted strongly to it.

Luther learned from Antiya that Beyonders needed Anchors to resist the influence of their characteristics, and discovered that her Anchor had weakened because she had overused her abilities. Antiya agreed to recover and bound herself to Luther as an anchor mark, asking him to spread legends about her and take her along to Backlund.

• Arianna offered Luther a path back to the Church through earning merits and gave him a Deep Sleep Flower to summon her.
• Before vanishing, Arianna warned Antiya to stop abusing her abilities because her Anchor was unstable.
• Antiya explained that Anchors were spiritual imprints formed through people's knowledge and praise, which helped Beyonders resist the potion's influence.
• Antiya said her Anchors came from Roselle's legacy and ghost-ship tales, but her recent exertion had caused the potion's influence to resurface.
• Antiya decided to stop using her abilities while she recovered, and asked Luther to spread legends about her.
• Antiya bound herself to Luther as a black anchor mark and asked him to take her with him to Backlund.

Luther contacted the Life School of Thought’s chairman, but received no Potion formula and was warned that Ouroboros might still be watching him, leaving Luther inclined to accept the Church of Evernight’s conditions. He traveled to Tingen to revisit his old home as Leonard also returned to the city.

• Luther performed a ritual to contact the Life School of Thought’s chairman and asked about the Foolish Snake and his Sequence 3 Potion formula.
• The chairman replied through Tarot cards that they would warn their followers about the Foolish Snake, admitted they did not know the formula, suggested the Aurora Order or Iron and Blood Cross Order, and advised Luther not to contact them unless necessary.
• Luther decided the Church of Evernight seemed more reliable than Medici and planned to accept its conditions after taking care of one last matter.
• Leonard arrived at Tingen’s train station and left after recalling his past there.
• Luther used Spirit World Traversal to reach Tingen, then visited No. 2 and No. 6 Daffodil Street and watched the homes where he and Cecilia had once lived.

Leonard returned to Blackthorn Security Company and secretly checked whether his former teammates were safe, while Luther revisited his abandoned home and found the belongings he and Cecilia had left behind. The chapter ended with Luther noticing a battered box among their things.

• Leonard visited Blackthorn Security Company, reunited with Royale, Siga, Frye, and the others, and heard that they had found no trace of Cecilia.
• Leonard asked the aged voice in his mind to check his former teammates, then bought a shovel and headed out under the moonlight.
• Luther wandered through Tingen and entered the empty house Old Neil had transferred to him.
• Luther found his and Cecilia's belongings stored in the house, along with documents showing that the property had been transferred to Cecilia Rondal.
• Luther read Cecilia's handwritten notes in a textbook and remembered the small details that proved she had lived.
• Luther went to inspect more of Cecilia's belongings and stumbled against a battered box.

Luther revisited the keepsakes of his sister Cecilia and the graves of Klein and Dunn before approaching his own grave. Leonard arrived at the cemetery with a shovel and froze when he noticed something.

• Luther found Cecilia’s sewing tools, household accounts, and matchbox brush, and remembered how she had sacrificed herself to save him.
• Luther tore open his chest to inspect the heart that had survived by consuming Cecilia, then put it back after M urged him to stay calm.
• Luther entered Raphael Cemetery and visited Klein’s grave, where he saw the epitaph and a wildflower left there.
• Luther stood at Dunn Smith’s grave, reflected on his transformation and his pursuit of revenge, then hurried toward his own grave.
• Leonard put the cemetery keeper to sleep and searched the grounds with a shovel before freezing when he spotted something.

Luther burned the Deep Sleep Flower at his own grave and agreed to return to the Church of Evernight under a new identity. Leonard discovered that Luther’s and another person’s coffins were empty, then turned toward Dunn Smith’s grave before stopping himself.

• Luther removed his photograph from his tombstone and burned the Deep Sleep Flower Arianna had given him.
• Leonard found the flower’s ashes at Luther’s grave, dug up Luther’s coffin, and discovered it was empty and scored with bloody scratch marks.
• Leonard dug up another grave and found its coffin empty too, then nearly went to open Dunn Smith’s grave before stopping himself.
• Arianna met Luther in the cemetery and asked whether he would return to the Church of Evernight.
• Luther agreed to return and chose Ahab Ishmael as his new identity.

Leonard returned to Saint Samuel Cathedral and attended a major Church meeting, where Archbishop Saint Anthony announced a new high-ranking deacon for the Backlund Diocese. The newcomer, Ahab Ishmael, introduced himself to the assembled Church personnel.

• Leonard returned to the Red Gloves' lounge and read a newspaper report about the Blood Bishop becoming a new sea king, wondering whether Klein was serving in Luther's fleet.
• Soest gathered the Red Gloves for a meeting after learning that Archbishop Saint Anthony and high-ranking deacons Crestet and Isabella had been notified.
• Leonard joined the Church personnel in the third conference room, where he noticed Miss Daly among the attendees.
• Saint Anthony announced that the Church had promoted a new high-ranking deacon to oversee affairs in the Backlund Diocese.
• Ahab Ishmael entered the conference room, took the empty seat beside Isabella, and introduced himself.

Luther took up the vacant Senior Deacon post at Saint Samuel Cathedral and learned that its previous holder had been murdered in a way that suggested an insider’s involvement. He left the cathedral to find a place to live and began planning how to earn Church merit while searching for the traitor.

• Saint Anthony welcomed Luther, agreed to cooperate, and explained that Luther’s Senior Deacon duties would involve the Red Gloves.
• Luther recalled that the previous Senior Deacon had apparently died by suicide in his cathedral bedroom, though investigators found signs of an unknown killer.
• Luther remembered Arianna’s suspicion that someone inside the Church had helped the murderer and her promise that finding the traitor would count as merit.
• Luther declined to live at the cathedral or use the Church’s housing benefits, saying he would rent a place himself.
• Luther decided to find lodging and pursue both his Senior Deacon duties and the search for the traitor as he returned to Backlund.

After returning to Backlund, Luther asked Audrey whether any of the properties he had entrusted to her remained available, hoping to find a place to live. Audrey received his message during a lesson and prepared to answer after discovering that the properties had all been sold.

• Luther prayed to the Fool and asked Audrey to reserve one of his former properties if any were still available.
• Antiya delivered a letter from Anderson, and Luther replied that future reports should focus on important matters, expenses, and the crew.
• After Antiya left, Luna sprang from the bench and scattered the pigeons Luther had been feeding.
• Audrey received Luther's request while Escalante taught her, then realized that all the properties had already been sold.
• After Escalante left, Audrey sent Susie to stand guard and began praying to the Fool.

Luther visited Sharron and Maric at Bravehearts Bar after returning to Backlund, reconnected with them, and left his messenger’s contact details. Before he departed, Sharron returned the proceeds from selling his Beyonder items, and Justice offered him an empty house in North Borough.

• Luther entered Bravehearts Bar under Psychological Invisibility and found Sharron and Maric in the card room.
• Sharron recognized Luther as Kafka Anderson, and Maric greeted him as the King of Blood and praised his attack on Suah.
• Luther told Sharron and Maric he would be staying in Backlund and left them his messenger’s contact details.
• Sharron reminded Luther that she had sold some of his Beyonder items and Characteristics, and Maric handed him the remaining money.
• Sharron asked about Sherlock, and Luther said he was still at sea.
• Justice prayed to Mr. Fool and offered Luther one of her empty North Borough houses; Luther later asked Mr. Fool to pass on his thanks.

Ahab Ishmael settled into the house Audrey had arranged and planned his work as the new senior deacon of the Backlund Diocese, balancing Church duties with his search for revenge. He met the Red Gloves teams he would manage, including Leonard and Madam Daly, and introduced himself as their new leader.

• Ahab Ishmael visited Isengard Stanton, then went to his new house and reflected on the people he had left behind in the East Borough.
• Ahab Ishmael resolved to earn merit for the Church, investigate the mole behind Senior Deacon Silvestre's death, and pursue his enemies.
• Ahab Ishmael asked Cecimir Crestet about Silvestre's duties, but Crestet only confirmed that he had managed and trained the Red Gloves.
• Cecimir Crestet took Ahab Ishmael to meet the three Red Gloves teams present in Backlund and said he would soon leave the city.
• Ahab Ishmael recognized Leonard and Madam Daly among the Red Gloves and introduced himself as their new leader.

Luther criticized the Red Gloves’ poor results and announced that he would train and lead them in a campaign against cultists in Backlund. Meanwhile, Aurora Order Saints Botis and Kisma continued searching for the Blood Bishop and prepared bait to draw him out.

• Luther told the Red Gloves, including Leonard and Soest, that their investigations had achieved little and blamed their shallow understanding of evil powers.
• Luther promised to teach the Red Gloves about cultists and their rituals, then lead them in clearing the Aurora Order from Backlund.
• Lewis Wien reported to Saint Botis that the Aurora Order had found no trace of the Blood Bishop.
• Botis told Saint Tenebrous Kisma that his divination had revealed a dangerous blood-red warning, not the Blood Bishop’s location.
• Botis revealed that he had set bait and showed a jewel box he planned to use to stall the Blood Bishop until Ouroboros could intervene.

Luther taught the Red Gloves about the Cathedral Descent sacrificial ritual, then took Sandro's team to investigate a suspected cult case in Backlund Bridge Borough. Elsewhere, Fors read about Gehrman Sparrow's latest victory and considered turning his adventures into a novel, while worrying about increasingly hostile public opinion toward Feysac.

• Luther explained the Cathedral Descent ritual and warned the Red Gloves not to record or spread the information.
• Luther questioned Nelson Sandro about distinguishing evil god cults, but a telegram interrupted the lesson with news of a suspected sacrifice in Backlund Bridge Borough.
• Luther assigned Sandro's team to accompany him to the scene, and Soest accepted on the team's behalf.
• Fors read that Gehrman Sparrow had killed the Admiral of Blood and considered writing a novel based on his adventures.
• Fors saw a newspaper article claiming Feysac people were inherently inferior and grew concerned about the rise of extreme public opinion.