Recaps

Durandal misunderstood how Zhao Bai had redirected Moonlit Embrace's affection toward video games, while Yue Xia and Durandal both grew hungry. Zhao Bai took Durandal to the hotel kitchen and began preparing grilled beef ribs on the Jie Mie Greatsword.

• Yue Xia quietly drank from a bag of blood as Durandal pulled Zhao Bai aside and asked how Moonlit Embrace had changed.
• Zhao Bai explained that Moonlit Embrace was now addicted to video games, and Durandal praised him for redirecting her affection.
• Durandal's stomach growled, so Zhao Bai offered to treat her to a meal.
• Zhao Bai found beef ribs in the hotel kitchen and used the Jie Mie Greatsword to thaw them.
• Zhao Bai spread garlic butter across the sword, filling the kitchen with a rich aroma that caught Durandal's attention.

Zhao Bai cooked grilled ribs and beef for Durandal, who eagerly devoured the meal. Durandal left full and satisfied, while imagining using a Godfall Sword to cook steak someday.

• Zhao Bai grilled ribs on the Jie Mie Greatsword and pan-fried beef for Durandal.
• Durandal complained that the proper method for preparing the beef would take too long.
• Zhao Bai removed the bones and cut the meat into pieces as Durandal ate them eagerly.
• Durandal finished the rack of ribs and declared herself full and content.

After sharing a meal with Zhao Bai, Durandal decided to spend her time off defeating Bloodborne Curse and asked Otto for gaming equipment. Back at Yue Xia’s side, Zhao Bai noticed her growing anxiety as she continued playing.

• Durandal thanked Zhao Bai for dinner and declared that they were friends.
• Durandal resolved to defeat Bloodborne Curse during her three and a half days off.
• Durandal asked Otto for a PS4 Pro, an Xbox One X Scorpio Edition, and a high-end gaming PC, and Otto agreed to pay for the consoles.
• Zhao Bai returned to Yue Xia and watched her continue playing Bloodborne Curse.
• Yue Xia looked at Zhao Bai with helplessness and a trace of resolve after her character died.

Zhao Bai reassured Moonlit Embrace that she would not die and explained Bloodborne’s three endings, while she continued to mistake the game’s world for history. Meanwhile, Otto prepared for Moonlit Embrace’s staged death at St. Freya, intending to use it to provoke Zhao Bai.

• Moonlit Embrace feared that she would die like the blood-changed creatures in Bloodborne, and Zhao Bai comforted her.
• Moonlit Embrace asked about the game’s ending, so Zhao Bai contacted Bronya and relayed its three possible outcomes.
• Otto reflected that Durandal had become foolish and recognized that he himself had caused the awkward situation.
• Otto prepared priestly robes and planned to stage Moonlit Embrace’s death beneath the Valkyrie statue at St. Freya on the thirteenth dawn.

Durandal tracked down the record-setting gamer Metal Gear Blonja and mistakenly connected the name to Zhao Bai, who denied that the account was his. Moonlit Embrace then sought out the legendary gamer, but Zhao Bai denied being Blonja as her health continued to deteriorate.

• Durandal added Zhao Bai as a game friend after identifying him as the speedrun record holder Metal Gear Blonja.
• Durandal asked Zhao Bai why his ID was Blonja, and he said it belonged to a friend.
• Durandal accepted Zhao Bai’s explanation as a familiar “I have a friend” story and ended the conversation.
• Moonlit Embrace asked Zhao Bai if he was Blonja, and he denied it.
• Moonlit Embrace continued playing difficult games despite worsening weakness, fainting several times.

Otto used a Soul Steel clone to reach St. Freya, retrieve the Gem of Stillness from Zhao Bai’s motorcycle, and stage a rainy funeral scene as Zhao Bai arrived with Yue Xia. The events were recorded, leaving Otto’s scheme exposed to whoever watched the footage.

• Zhao Bai believed Yue Xia’s wish to meet Metal Gear Blonja and carried her back toward St. Freya as night fell.
• Otto watched Zhao Bai, dressed for a funeral, and decided to go to St. Freya to recover the Gem of Stillness.
• Otto transmitted his Soul Steel clone to the academy and prepared rain and musicians for his staged entrance.
• Otto pried open Zhao Bai’s motorcycle, recovered the Gem of Stillness, and replaced it with a Honkai energy crystal.
• Otto held roses beneath a black umbrella as rain began, while someone confirmed that the scene had been recorded.

Zhao Bai and Bronya confronted Otto in the rain and pressured him to save Yue Xia. Bronya showed Otto a newspaper exposing him as a battery thief, leaving him speechless and disgraced.

• Zhao Bai stopped in the rain when Bronya warned him that Otto was approaching.
• Otto recited a mournful verse, and Zhao Bai asked him to save Yue Xia.
• Zhao Bai waited while Bronya emerged with Heavy Cannon Rabbit and handed Otto a freshly printed newspaper.
• Otto read the headline accusing him of sneaking into St. Freya to steal batteries, along with a clear photograph of him.
• Otto's bouquet fell into the mud as he fell silent, and Zhao Bai laughed.

Otto tore up his blood-written script and praised Zhao Bai’s play before using the Gem of Stillness, restrained by Soul Steel, to save Yue Xia from death. He left her alive but unconscious and insisted that she could not remain in Zhao Bai’s care without powerful supervision.

• Otto tore apart his script and explained that it was a tragic love story written for Moonlit Embrace.
• Otto praised Zhao Bai’s absurdist play and Moonlit Embrace closed her eyes as she began to die.
• Otto crushed the Gem of Stillness and used Soul Steel to place it in Yue Xia, restoring her breathing and color while keeping her from becoming a Herrscher.
• Otto warned Zhao Bai that the dangerous Yue Xia could not stay by his side, and Zhao Bai suggested assigning Durandal to watch her and using a game console to calm her.

After a three-day break, Durandal tried to copy Zhao Bai’s weapon-based cooking with Rita, but accidentally burned the beef and scorched the testing ground. The Archbishop then called to tell Durandal that he was sending her a new attendant.

• Durandal told Rita that Zhao Bai had used a flaming greatsword to grill a rack of ribs, and Rita recalled hearing about it from Theresa.
• Rita prepared marinated beef for Durandal to cook with the Godfall Sword: Surtr.
• Durandal unleashed the sword’s power, turning the beef to charcoal and scorching the ground.
• The Archbishop called Durandal and told her to receive a new attendant.

Durandal searched the Quantum Sea for Moonlit Embrace’s target while Cocolia presented Anti-Entropy’s Executors with satellite images of a battle in Canghai City. The chapter ended with Cocolia asking whether they recognized the mysterious man whose eyes resembled a lion’s.

• Moonlit Embrace became a popular Chinese game streamer, and Durandal took on the task of finding her target in the Quantum Sea.
• Cocolia convened the twentieth Anti-Entropy Executor Assembly and explained that the Canghai City explosion had a deeper cause than an offshore oil fire.
• Cocolia showed satellite images of Durandal facing a mysterious man across an ice field.
• Tesla recognized the man in the images and angrily struck the table.
• Cocolia asked the Executors to identify the man, drawing attention to his lion-like eyes.

Einstein and Cocolia argued over what could be inferred from a censored image before a woman's hand emerged from a crack in quantum space. Cocolia fled, and Tesla urged Einstein to run as well.

• Einstein said the censored image did not prove Zhao Bai had fought Durandal, while Cocolia cursed her for ignoring the evidence.
• Cocolia concluded that Schicksal Headquarters and the Far East Branch were at odds and that Theresa's faction could be won over.
• Einstein decided the meeting should end before Cocolia's speculative military strategy gave her a headache.
• Quantum space trembled, a crack opened, and a woman's hand emerged from the void.
• Einstein teased Cocolia that the blonde knight had come for her, and Cocolia fled while asking why Zhao Bai was not protecting her.
• Tesla grabbed Einstein's hand and told her to run.

Durandal tracked down Einstein and Tesla, inviting them to appear on Moonlit Embrace Official because Yue Xia admired their old game, Mecha Azazel. Einstein and Tesla waited at a harbor for a ship to take them to the channel’s office, with Einstein watching Yue Xia’s livestreams and recalling their past as band idols.

• Durandal broke through the quantum space and stopped Einstein and Tesla from leaving.
• Durandal invited Einstein and Tesla to join Moonlit Embrace Official for a chat about Mecha Azazel, which they had developed.
• Einstein accepted the invitation, believing Durandal would force them to go if they refused.
• Einstein and Tesla waited at a harbor for a ship while Einstein watched Yue Xia’s livestream recordings.
• Tesla asked Einstein why she was not wearing makeup, prompting Einstein to recall their unsuccessful band days.

Einstein and Tesla prepared to meet Schicksal after being invited to a game interview, joking about their age and past performances. Durandal escorted them by battleship and helicopter to Schicksal’s lavish offshore platform, where Einstein was struck by its expense.

• Einstein and Tesla discussed rumors about their age and how to explain their connection to an old game interview.
• Einstein applied mature makeup and presented herself as a scientist who was forever twenty-six.
• Durandal arrived by battleship and brought the dressed-up Einstein and Tesla aboard a helicopter.
• Einstein and Tesla traveled across the sea to a newly built offshore platform that served as a private residence.
• Durandal urged Einstein and Tesla to go inside, while Einstein marveled at Schicksal’s wealth.

Rita fed and cared for Moonlit Embrace while Einstein and Tesla were brought in as guests for an upcoming livestream. The chapter then shifted to Zhao Bai’s quiet life, where Mei kept Kiana and the Rosaliya sisters working and Liliya wrote reports that secured funding from Cocolia.

• Rita fed Moonlit Embrace sushi and cared for her with growing affection.
• Rita tied Moonlit Embrace’s hair into twin tails as Einstein and Tesla were ushered into the soundproof room for the livestream.
• Zhao Bai enjoyed a quiet month as students prepared for final assessments and his restaurant grew less busy.
• Mei kept Kiana and the Rosaliya sisters under control, with their labor earning them money.
• Liliya wrote reports praising Zhao Bai and Bronya, and Cocolia provided funding for the orphanage.

Rosaliya took Liliya to Zhao Bai and Bronya’s shop, where they met Kiana and watched Moonlit Embrace’s livestream countdown. Bronya recognized the streamer’s name and went to find Zhao Bai after the others left.

• Rosaliya brought Liliya to Zhao Bai and Bronya’s shop to spend Liliya’s manuscript fees, and they encountered Kiana eating omurice.
• Rosaliya and Liliya ordered oversized non-alcoholic cocktails instead of food, while Kiana questioned their meal choice.
• Rosaliya excitedly told Kiana that her favorite streamer, Moonlit Embrace, was about to go live and hoped to recruit her into Vodka Girls.
• Kiana thought Moonlit Embrace resembled Theresa, but Rosaliya insisted that their different eye colors made them look completely different.
• Bronya recognized Moonlit Embrace’s name and, after the trio left, dragged Zhao Bai from the kitchen to open the video website and find the streamer’s official page.

Zhao Bai and Bronya watched Moonlit Embrace’s livestream, which celebrated Yue Xia’s first month as a streamer and featured the developers of Heavy Mech Ararararato. The stream introduced two unexpected Anti-Entropy executives as guests, leaving Zhao Bai imagining how Durandal had brought them there.

• Zhao Bai noticed Moonlit Embrace had reached 720,000 followers and followed her alongside Bronya, raising the count to 730,000.
• Moonlit Embrace began her livestream with Durandal and Rita standing behind her as viewers called them a family of three.
• Yue Xia celebrated the thirtieth day of her debut and explained that she had invited the developers of Heavy Mech Ararararato after introducing the game in her previous stream.
• The camera revealed two Anti-Entropy executives as guests, and Zhao Bai imagined Durandal storming their headquarters and abducting them for the broadcast.

Einstein and Tesla entertained viewers with stories about developing games as children, while Zhao Bai and Bronya browsed the channel’s other videos. The chapter left them realizing that Roswita’s cooking videos drew views because of her alluring maid outfit and presentation.

• Yue Xia asked Einstein how old she was and how old she had been when she developed the game, and Einstein claimed she was forever twenty-six and had started at five.
• Einstein joked that Tesla had only assisted her with simple debugging, and Tesla protested.
• Einstein explained that she and Tesla made games because animation did not earn money, and their first release failed because computers lacked the power and storage to run it.
• Zhao Bai and Bronya watched the talk show and laughed at the scientists’ banter.
• Bronya checked the account’s recordings and noted its three sections: Durandal’s first-play videos, Moonlit Embrace’s gaming streams, and Roswita’s cooking lessons.
• Zhao Bai and Bronya concluded that Roswita’s revealing maid outfit helped explain the popularity of her cooking videos.

Zhao Bai and Bronya explored the Valkyries’ gaming channels, comparing their videos and skills. They found Moonlit Embrace’s horror-game recordings unusually uncensored and learned she remained calm while playing.

• Zhao Bai scrolled through Roswita’s channel and discovered she also posted ASMR videos, while Bronya told him not to watch them.
• Bronya watched Durandal’s gaming videos and found that she repeatedly died, got lost, and struggled with simple games.
• Zhao Bai and Bronya visited Yue Xia’s channel and noticed that she uploaded uncensored playthroughs of games banned from streaming.
• Bronya observed that Moonlit Embrace stayed calm when horror games showed corpses and concluded her gaming skills made her a suitable online partner.

Moonlit Embrace’s livestream climbed to the top of the hourly rankings as she demonstrated Heavy Mech Ararararato and thanked her growing audience. She credited Metal Gear Blonja for inspiring her to become a streamer, then revealed that Blonja was an alliance made up of a married couple.

• Moonlit Embrace’s livestream reached first place on the hourly rankings, and Einstein explained that she had created the game’s concept art.
• Moonlit Embrace thanked her more than 750,000 followers and said she owed her streaming career to Metal Gear Blonja.
• Zhao Bai felt overlooked, but Bronya said Moonlit Embrace had hidden her real reason out of embarrassment.
• Moonlit Embrace told the chat that Blonja was an alliance made up of a married couple, two people with one heart and body.

Bronya tracked Yue Xia's livestream and took Zhao Bai's first kiss before broadcasting his voice to Moonlit Embrace's audience. Zhao Bai introduced himself as Blonja, while Durandal nearly revealed his identity.

• Zhao Bai realized Yue Xia had mistaken him for Blonja because he had formed a quantum link with Bronya and helped Yue Xia play games.
• Bronya traced Yue Xia's encrypted livestream and took control of the drilling platform's loudspeaker.
• Bronya kissed Zhao Bai and declared that she had taken his first kiss.
• Zhao Bai spoke through the livestream microphone, and Durandal nearly said his real name before Rita stopped her.
• Zhao Bai introduced himself to the audience as Blonja.

Bronya and Zhao Bai turned Moonlit Embrace’s livestream into a public display of affection before Zhao Bai gave her advice about living for herself. The firewall was about to react, and he ended by promising to find her if she took on burdens that were not hers.

• Moonlit Embrace and Zhao Bai waved at the speaker, then joked about their kiss and their relationship during the livestream.
• Bronya explained that she handled game records, hacking, and finances while Zhao Bai protected her and cooked for her.
• Zhao Bai said Bronya had acquired his small business so he would hold her and call her Boss Lady, and he mentioned that he had given her a cannon.
• Rita and Durandal reacted to the couple’s public affection, with Durandal wishing them a happy marriage.
• Bronya warned that the firewall was about to react and told them to say what they needed to quickly.
• Zhao Bai told Moonlit Embrace to live according to her own wishes and warned that he would find her and give her a Chunibyo Correction Fist if she took on burdens that were not hers.

Zhao Bai asked Durandal to protect her, then shared a long kiss with Bronya. The volume ended, and a new volume began with Zhao Bai complaining about final exams.

• Zhao Bai asked Durandal to protect her, and Durandal promised she would.
• Bronya urged Zhao Bai not to spoil the mood with domestic trivia, then asked him for a kiss.
• Zhao Bai closed his eyes, and Bronya gave him the long kiss he wanted.
• The author announced that the volume had ended and teased a married-couple adventure in the next volume.
• Zhao Bai complained that he still had to take final exams despite being a student entrepreneur.

Zhao Bai learned that his practical exam involved investigating people studying zombie corpses in Sky City, and Theresa paired him with Bronya for the mission. Bronya was unimpressed by the assignment, while Zhao Bai prepared to go with her.

• Zhao Bai told Theresa about his unusual practical exam assignment concerning a dissected zombie corpse found in Sky City.
• Theresa insisted that Zhao Bai complete practical training like every other student.
• Zhao Bai asked to bring someone along, and Theresa said she had paired him with Bronya for the same mission.
• Bronya received the mission notification and complained that practical training was a hassle.

Zhao Bai persuaded Bronya to join him on an investigation mission to Sky City, and she agreed to wear her Detective Girl outfit. As they traveled by motorcycle, Zhao Bai admired her while Heavy Cannon Rabbit silently fumed behind them.

• Zhao Bai convinced Bronya to accompany him on the investigation and asked her to wear the Detective Girl outfit.
• Zhao Bai and Bronya received a difficult field assignment and set off for Sky City the next morning.
• Bronya wore the Detective Girl outfit as Zhao Bai drove through the sky on his motorcycle.
• Zhao Bai glanced at Bronya, who told him to watch where he was going.
• Heavy Cannon Rabbit followed their motorcycle, unable to voice its anger because it lacked a language module.

Bronya and Zhao Bai arrived at Sky City Police Headquarters for a practical mission, surprising Superintendent Zhou with their appearance and partnership. They reviewed evidence of a dissected Honkai beast and questioned whether a cult was involved.

• Superintendent Zhou waited at the police headquarters to receive the Schicksal trainees.
• Bronya arrived with Zhao Bai, and Superintendent Zhou was startled to learn that a man was one of the two mission participants.
• Zhao Bai handled discussions with the police because Bronya struggled to deal with people.
• Bronya and Zhao Bai reviewed detailed files and body-camera footage of a dissected Honkai beast found in the sewers.
• Zhao Bai asked whether the strange handling of the Honkai beast pointed to a cult.