Chapter Summaries

Duanmu Huai activated the Directional Radiation Device, destroying the Iym Substance and its infected creatures but leaving the planet facing an energy crisis. After recruiting Sherry into the Inquisition and arranging for Rebecca to help import renewable-energy equipment, he prepared to move on to another battlefield.

• Duanmu Huai ordered Mia to activate the Directional Radiation Device, which turned the Iym Substance and infected creatures into ash across the planet.
• Duanmu Huai explained that the planet now faced an energy crisis because its Iym Energy and conventional reserves were gone, and he received an unremarkable quest evaluation.
• Duanmu Huai told the group he planned to train the Astra Militarum in a new battle against extraterrestrial invaders.
• Sherry asked to join the Inquisition, and Duanmu Huai accepted her after testing her reluctance to sacrifice innocents casually.
• Rebecca chose to return to her world and continue anti-biochemical-terrorism work, while agreeing to discuss importing renewable-energy equipment for the planet in exchange for gold bars.

Duanmu Huai obtained a Skeleton Revival card and rested while Sherry began settling in with the Inquisition. After Ann and the other girls questioned Sherry about a reproductive health book, Duanmu Huai departed for the space battlefield at Reach.

• Duanmu Huai opened his random gift box and received the Skeleton Revival spell card, which could resurrect cards up to level seven.
• Ann and several other girls visited Sherry and asked her to explain a book about reproductive health, leaving Sherry flustered as she taught them.
• The next morning, Duanmu Huai noticed the girls acting strangely around him but could not figure out why.
• Duanmu Huai went to the Tactical Command Room and ordered Mia to open the Webway to Z14 Area, targeting Reach.

Duanmu Huai brought his fleet to Reach to fight the Covenant and discovered the Battle of Reach was underway. Using the Webway, he ambushed the Long Night of Solace at close range and ordered his fleet to fire.

• Duanmu Huai explained that he intended to crush the Covenant, destroy the Forerunners' Halo Rings, and execute the imprisoned Didact.
• Duanmu Huai chose Reach as a landmark and arrived to find an emergency mission requiring him to prevent the planet's fall and destroy the Covenant fleet.
• Duanmu Huai ordered his fleet to locate the Long Night of Solace and planned to use the Webway to ambush it with the Glory Queen-class.
• Duanmu Huai's fleet jumped directly in front of the Long Night of Solace and opened fire, engulfing the Covenant supercarrier in explosions.

Duanmu Huai and the Inquisition fleet destroyed the Covenant supercarrier and overwhelmed the Fleet of Particular Justice. After outmaneuvering Vadami’s flagship, Duanmu Huai launched a boarding torpedo and emerged to confront the Covenant commander in person.

• The Glory Queen-class crippled the Long Night of Solace, and Duanmu Huai’s BFG10000 split the Covenant carrier in half.
• Covenant reinforcements attacked, and Duanmu Huai ordered his fleet to destroy them and launch boarding actions against their warships.
• The Inquisition fleet shattered the Covenant defenses, while boarding torpedoes carried Astra Militarum forces into enemy vessels.
• Vadami ordered the fleet to withdraw, but Duanmu Huai’s flagship vanished, reappeared behind Vadami’s ship, and disabled it.
• Duanmu Huai’s boarding torpedo struck Vadami’s flagship, and Duanmu Huai emerged in black armor with a warhammer as Vadami raised his energy sword.

Duanmu Huai pursued the Covenant survivors and ordered the destruction of 04 Ring after explaining that it was a weapon capable of killing all life within several star systems. Back on Reach, Colonel Holland and Captain Keyes learned the mysterious fleet had returned and prepared to meet it.

• Duanmu Huai ordered his fleet to chase the five Covenant warships that had escaped the battle.
• Duanmu Huai identified 04 Ring as a weapon that could kill all living things across several star systems and ordered the fleet to destroy it.
• The Covenant warships turned back to defend the ring, but Duanmu Huai's fleet destroyed them and blasted the ring into fragments.
• Duanmu Huai ordered the fleet to return to Reach after confirming the ring was destroyed.
• Colonel Holland and Captain Keyes discussed the unfamiliar fleet that had defeated the Covenant and learned it had returned to Reach.
• Colonel Holland and Captain Keyes decided to go meet the returning fleet.

Colonel Erben Holland met Duanmu Huai aboard the Inquisition flagship, Pink Little Rabbit, after its fleet helped defend Reach. Duanmu Huai explained that the Inquisition would destroy the Covenant completely, leaving future cooperation with the UNSC uncertain.

• Colonel Holland boarded the Inquisition flagship, Pink Little Rabbit, and followed a maid to meet Duanmu Huai.
• Duanmu Huai welcomed Holland and said the Inquisition protected humanity, but revealed little about the force’s origins.
• Holland returned to Reach with enough information to make the UNSC take the Inquisition seriously.
• Gureiya, Ann, and Sherry questioned the flagship’s name, but Duanmu Huai refused to change it.
• Duanmu Huai told Lorena and the others that the Inquisition would annihilate the Covenant and might not cooperate with the UNSC if it sought peace.

The Covenant leaders debated the destruction of the Sacred Ring and Fleet of Particular Justice, while Prophet of Truth insisted that the Great Journey remained their priority. At Cairo Space Station, Duanmu Huai met UNSC Supreme Commander Terrence Hood, explained the Inquisition’s origins and mission, and left Hood considering whether the Inquisition could destroy the Covenant.

• Prophet of Truth calmed the Covenant assembly after the Sacred Ring and Fleet of Particular Justice were destroyed, then told Prophet of Mercy that the Great Journey mattered more than investigating the enemy fleet.
• Supreme Commander Terrence Hood decided to welcome the Inquisition delegation to Earth, despite other UNSC officers’ concerns about its goal of destroying every threat to humanity.
• Duanmu Huai arrived at Cairo Space Station with Okegis, Ann, Odel, and Lorena, and Hood greeted him on behalf of the UNSC.
• Duanmu Huai met privately with Hood and openly explained the Inquisition’s history, humanity’s origins, the threats to the galaxy, and the Inquisition’s mission.
• Hood accepted that Duanmu Huai had not come to reunite humanity under an empire and wondered whether the Inquisition could truly destroy the Covenant.

Duanmu Huai and Admiral Hood discussed humanity’s future before a small Covenant fleet attacked the UNSC Homeworld. The Inquisition destroyed the fleet, and Duanmu Huai then invited Hood to join a retaliatory strike into Covenant territory.

• Admiral Hood thanked Duanmu Huai for revealing the Inquisition’s history and prepared to announce its role while honoring Noble Team.
• Alarms reported fifteen Covenant capital ships near the Homeworld, and Hood ordered the Guardian Fleet to hold position while Duanmu Huai took the Inquisition Fleet to engage.
• The Prophet of Pathos revealed that its fleet had come to Aed-Terrani seeking a device that would open a gate to the Ark, then ordered an attack to seize the planet.
• The Inquisition Fleet ambushed and annihilated the Covenant fleet, killing the Prophet of Pathos.
• Duanmu Huai told Hood that the Inquisition would retaliate by destroying a Covenant star system and asked whether Hood wanted to come along.

Duanmu Huai issued the Inquisition’s first Extermination Order against the Covenant’s Urs System and used the Myriad Eagle Battleship to detonate its star. The Urs System and its Covenant fleets were destroyed in the resulting explosion.

• Duanmu Huai stamped the Extermination Order and ordered the Myriad Eagle Battleship deployed against the Urs System.
• Commander Hood and the UNSC officers witnessed the Inquisition Fleet arrive undetected in the Elite home system.
• The Myriad Eagle Battleship fired into the star, and Duanmu Huai warned the Covenant that their destruction was imminent.
• Duanmu Huai ordered the Inquisition Fleet to evacuate as the star reached its critical point.
• The star exploded, destroying the planets and Covenant fleets throughout the Urs System.

After destroying two Covenant systems and the 05 Ring, Duanmu Huai planned to kill the Forerunner imprisoned on Soul's Rest and seize the Mantle's Approach. The Covenant chose to gather its fleets and go there, hoping the Forerunner could help it defeat the Inquisition.

• Duanmu Huai returned to Earth after destroying the Urs System, the Domsak System, and the 05 Ring, then refined the alien souls into Experience Points and reached God of Destruction Level 6.
• Duanmu Huai told Commander Hood that the Inquisition would keep fighting the Covenant but would otherwise avoid interfering in human factions' disputes.
• Duanmu Huai told Ann they would visit Soul's Rest, where he intended to kill the imprisoned Didact and take the Mantle's Approach in front of the Covenant.
• Prophet of Mercy demanded that the Covenant save the Forerunner, while an Elite fleet captain warned that Duanmu Huai's message could be a trap.
• Prophet of Truth ordered the Covenant fleets to gather and travel to Soul's Rest, hoping to awaken the Forerunner and use its power against the Inquisition.

Duanmu Huai brought the girls into Soul's Rest through the Webway and explained the Forerunners’ history and the different kinds of gods they might encounter. After they reached an underground control chamber, they fought off the strange metal guards and hounds, and Duanmu Huai revealed that the enemies had once been human.

• Duanmu Huai teleported his companions into Soul's Rest while the Covenant fleet searched outside, then described the Forerunners’ conflict with the Human Empire.
• Duanmu Huai explained that civilizations could regard powerful beings as gods, while Ranni cautioned that they were insignificant before the structure ahead.
• Duanmu Huai led the girls to an underground control chamber and activated its console, causing metal guards to appear.
• Duanmu Huai and the girls fought the teleporting Metal Guards and Metal Hounds, with each companion using her own abilities to defeat them.
• Duanmu Huai told the shocked girls that the metal enemies had once been humans.

Duanmu Huai explained humanity’s history with the Forerunners and the Prophet Clan, then lured the Covenant fleet into Soul’s Rest. After the Covenant awakened the Didact, Duanmu Huai confronted them and began fighting the Forerunner.

• Duanmu Huai explained that the Forerunners had betrayed humanity’s alliance with the Prophet Clan and used Reassembly Machines to turn captured humans into Metal Monsters.
• Duanmu Huai opened Soul’s Rest, and its Gravity Well dragged the Covenant fleet into the planet.
• The Prophet of Truth ordered the Covenant to find and awaken the Great Forerunner, and it and the Prophet of Mercy led the elite forces to the core.
• The Didact emerged from its black sphere, and the Covenant warriors and Prophets knelt before it.
• Duanmu Huai arrived and vowed to destroy the Didact and punish the Covenant for their crimes against humanity.
• The Didact attacked Duanmu Huai, who met its power with Psychic Power and swung his Thunder Warhammer at it.

Duanmu Huai and his allies defeated the Covenant forces after he killed the Didact and the Prophets. Afterward, Duanmu Huai worried about Ann’s defense and began planning to find her armor she would actually wear.

• The Covenant charged to protect the Didact, but Gureiya, Ann, Ranni, Okegis, and Banbi’s forces stopped them while Duanmu Huai attacked him.
• Duanmu Huai crippled and killed the Didact in front of the Covenant soldiers, then led the assault that annihilated their army.
• Duanmu Huai killed the Prophet of Truth after telling it that the Covenant race had been destroyed for betraying humanity.
• Duanmu Huai learned that Ann had been hit by stray fire and complained that she needed armor, but Ann refused to wear anything ugly or bulky.
• Duanmu Huai recorded Ann agreeing to wear armor if it was pretty, light, and floaty, and silently planned to hold her to that promise.

After defeating the Didact, Duanmu Huai claimed Mantle's Approach and began refitting it into a more powerful battleship. He then entered Duel City to fulfill Ann's wish, preparing to fight with two Soul Cards.

• Duanmu Huai decided against installing the Reassembly Machine on Mantle's Approach and converted its space into a giant BFG particle cannon.
• Duanmu Huai returned his fleet to the War Planet and began upgrading Mantle's Approach with Kukulu and the others, including plans to embed the Glory Queen-class in it.
• Duanmu Huai opened the Dream Crystal and found the Duel City dungeon, which he chose to fulfill Ann's wish for attractive equipment.
• Duanmu Huai entered Duel City and recalled how his small female character had once concealed his real strength, which the dungeon's stat rules now made impossible.
• Duanmu Huai prepared to summon two combat-skilled Soul Cards for the required three-person team battles.

Duanmu Huai brought Okegis and Lorena to Duel City so they could enter the tournament, but first they had to pass qualification matches. Duanmu Huai defeated two opponents and qualified for the Duel Tournament.

• Duanmu Huai explained that he, Okegis, and Lorena needed to win qualification matches before they could compete as a team.
• Duanmu Huai registered and was led to an arena, where he faced the Iron Ball Giant.
• Duanmu Huai countered the Iron Ball Giant's attacks, slammed him into the ground, and knocked him out.
• Duanmu Huai faced a muscular wrestler who failed to lift or throw him.
• Duanmu Huai caught the wrestler's spinning attack, threw him to the ground, and knocked him out, earning qualification for the Duel Tournament.

After Okegis lost repeatedly to Ayane in Duel City, Duanmu Huai identified her weakness in close combat and paid a Puppet Master to train her. With Okegis sent away for ten days, Duanmu Huai and Lorena set out to raise their reputation by challenging other fighters.

• Duanmu Huai watched Okegis's recorded matches and learned that Ayane had countered her thread attacks with ninjutsu and close-combat techniques.
• Duanmu Huai encouraged Okegis not to give up, and she agreed to train so she would not lose again.
• Duanmu Huai took Okegis to a mansion outside Duel City and paid a blond Puppet Master 3,000 points to train her for ten days.
• Duanmu Huai left Okegis with the Puppet Master and promised to return for her in ten days.
• Duanmu Huai told Lorena they would challenge fighters around Duel City to build their reputation and earn Duel Points.

Duanmu Huai challenged fighters around Duel City and fought Honoka, a promising copycat who could learn other fighters’ techniques. He defeated her and left her eager to challenge him again as his new rival.

• Duanmu Huai defeated a boxer and continued challenging gyms around Duel City to earn Duel Points.
• Honoka introduced herself and challenged Duanmu Huai to a match.
• Honoka tried grappling and kicking attacks, but Duanmu Huai overpowered her and knocked her out of the ring.
• Honoka promised to challenge Duanmu Huai again, and the system marked her as his rival and raised their relationship to Friendly.
• Duanmu Huai collected his Duel Points and decided to get some rest.

Duanmu Huai bought and learned the Platinum Star finishing move while Lorena chose a skill of her own. Before they could return to training, Mary Rose challenged Duanmu Huai to prove he could fight, and he accepted.

• Duanmu Huai tested a homemade finishing move on a sandbag but decided it lacked power and flair.
• Duanmu Huai spent 2,300 Duel Points to learn Platinum Star, while Lorena selected a more expensive skill book.
• Honoka appeared with her friend Mary Rose and asked Duanmu Huai for another fight.
• Mary Rose called Duanmu Huai a monster and insisted Honoka could beat him, prompting him to challenge her.
• Mary Rose took a fighting stance, and Duanmu Huai prepared to test his new moves against her.

Duanmu Huai defeated Mary Rose in Duel City after countering her evasive tactics with an area attack and a barrage of punches. Mary Rose fled with Honoka, and Duanmu Huai resumed training with Lorena.

• Mary Rose dodged Duanmu Huai’s attacks and taunted him, frustrating him with her speed.
• Duanmu Huai stomped the ground, sending dust and debris toward Mary Rose, then struck her with a series of punches.
• Duanmu Huai used Platinum Star’s Ora barrage to knock Mary Rose down and win the duel.
• Honoka rushed to Mary Rose, who pretended to cry before realizing her damaged dress had torn open and hiding behind her friend.
• Honoka apologized and left with Mary Rose, who vowed to return and challenge Duanmu Huai again.
• Duanmu Huai dismissed Mary Rose and continued his training with Lorena.

Okegis reflected on her new ability to create puppets while Duanmu Huai met Ryo Sakazaki and Robert Garcia at a bathhouse. Ryo and Robert challenged Duanmu Huai to fight at the Kyokugenryu Dojo the next day, unaware that he accepted without realizing how terrified they were.

• Okegis stroked the puppet she was carving and wondered if her feelings resembled those her Master had when creating her, while the blonde girl urged her to consider how to use her new creative talent.
• After spending nearly all their Duel Points, Duanmu Huai and Lorena rented shabby apartments, and Duanmu Huai went to a bathhouse to bathe.
• Ryo Sakazaki and Robert Garcia arrived at the bathhouse after damaging the Kyokugenryu Dojo's pipes and wiring, and customers warned them that a frightening man had driven everyone away.
• Ryo and Robert entered the empty bathing area, saw Duanmu Huai, and became overwhelmed by his intimidating presence.
• Ryo challenged Duanmu Huai to meet them at the Kyokugenryu Dojo the next day, and Duanmu Huai accepted.
• After Duanmu Huai's towel slipped and he bent to retrieve it, Ryo and Robert fled to the washing area, then encouraged each other to face him in the coming fight.