Chapter Summaries

Lianye met Yuzuriha Inori in the old school building, stopped her mechanical pet from attacking him, and gave her rice balls. He realized someone had arranged their meeting and learned that Tsukishima Gōda had told her to deliver a message to him.

• Yuzuriha Inori's mechanical pet attacked Lianye, and he slammed it into a wall, destroying it.
• Yuzuriha Inori's stomach growled, so Lianye gave her several bags of rice balls.
• Yuzuriha Inori recited a line about trying even when success was uncertain, and Lianye said someone had scripted it and arranged their meeting.
• Lianye told Yuzuriha Inori she knew nothing, and she admitted Tsukishima Gōda had told her to pass that message on to him.

Lianye rejected Yuzuriha Inori’s cryptic message for Tsukishima Gōda as a failed contact mission. When GHQ troops arrived to capture her, Lianye declared that both Undertakers and GHQ were his enemies.

• Yuzuriha Inori asked Lianye to convey her warning to Tsukishima Gōda, but he mocked the message and said it was not a proper answer.
• Yuzuriha Inori planned to report that her contact mission had failed and give the Void Genome hidden inside Final to Tsukishima Gōda.
• GHQ troops tracked Yuzuriha Inori’s blood to the old school building and entered with their guns aimed at her and Lianye.
• A GHQ officer threatened to treat Lianye as a terrorist if he shielded Yuzuriha Inori.
• Lianye denied being aligned with Undertakers and told the officer that both GHQ and Undertakers were his enemies.

Lianye confronted GHQ soldiers who were firing on him during their mission to capture EGOIST. He stopped their bullets with his Void power and appeared at the clubroom doorway, leaving the soldiers unable to regroup.

• Lianye rejected the idea that his enemies’ enemies were automatically his friends and condemned the Undertakers and GHQ for spreading the Void calamity.
• A GHQ sergeant ordered his soldiers to fire on Lianye while they pursued EGOIST and planned to use her as a hostage.
• The bullets vanished before reaching Lianye, and the soldiers were stunned by his apparent immunity.
• Lianye declared the confrontation over and warped from inside the clubroom to the doorway.
• The GHQ soldiers panicked as Lianye appeared at close range, leaving them no time to regroup or fire.

Lianye destroyed GHQ’s squad by unleashing the Void Lord’s leaking psionic energy and told Yuzuriha Inori that he was already involved in the Void’s affairs. The story then shifted to midnight in Akihabara, where the streets were still lit by neon and late-night businesses.

• The Void Lord’s disappearance caused leaking psionic energy to sweep through GHQ’s squad, detonating the Apocalypse Virus in some and turning others into crystals that exploded.
• Lianye told Yuzuriha Inori that GHQ’s people had received the punishment they deserved.
• Yuzuriha Inori said GHQ had been pursuing her and asked why Lianye had intervened, since he had refused to join the Undertakers.
• Lianye joked that he might join if the Undertakers changed their name, then said he had already become involved in the Void’s affairs.
• The scene shifted to nighttime Akihabara as midnight and the change of date approached.

Akihabara’s young people traded rumors about the Light Butler, a mysterious figure who ran The Eighth Pawnshop and granted wishes through Equivalent Exchange. Lianye, the rumored Light Butler, hurried home before Rui Mengmeng worried and used Arcane Leap to travel faster.

• A young man described the Light Butler’s appearance, powers, and supposed pawnshop to a disinterested woman in Akihabara.
• Lianye walked through an alley carrying shopping bags and worried that he would return to the tavern late.
• Lianye remembered that Rui Mengmeng would complain if he kept her waiting and cast Arcane Leap.

Lianye used Arcane Leap to return to his bar with the goods he had bought, where Riven scolded him for showing off a Hero Ability in public. After declaring that he would sleep separately as punishment, Riven shut herself in the bedroom and left Lianye alone on the sofa.

• Lianye teleported away from the woman who had heard him called the Light Butler, leaving her shocked by his disappearance.
• Lianye used Arcane Leap to return to his bar and greeted Riven, who pointed out that it was already past midnight.
• Riven criticized Lianye for casually using Hero Abilities after he had told her not to reveal hers in public.
• Riven declared that Lianye would sleep in a separate room as punishment and locked herself in the bedroom.
• Lianye put away the shopping and sat alone on the sofa, unable to join Riven.

Lianye used Arcane Leap to bypass the locked entrances, then caught Rui Mengmeng changing out of her bunny girl outfit and fled before her wind battle aura. The story shifted to Otonokizaka Academy, which faced closure as Japan’s declining birthrate reduced its pool of potential students.

• Lianye used Arcane Leap to teleport past Rui Mengmeng’s locked doors.
• Lianye saw Rui Mengmeng changing and hurried away, saying he would return later.
• The narration introduced Otonokizaka Academy as a girls’ school near Akihabara, Kanda, and Jimbocho.
• Otonokizaka Academy faced a closure crisis because Japan’s declining birthrate left it with fewer potential students.

Otonokizaka Academy faced closure because it lacked incoming students, and Kotori Minami wondered how its students could save it. Meanwhile, Lianye woke after a night with Riven, admired himself, and dodged a pillow that Riven threw hard enough to smash a mirror.

• Otonokizaka Academy faced the prospect of closing because too few students were enrolling.
• Kotori Minami thought that neither Honoka nor Umi would want the academy to shut down, but she did not know how to save it.
• Lianye dressed as the Light Butler and reflected on his bar’s work helping girls fulfill their wishes.
• Lianye admired his appearance in the mirror until Riven threw a pillow at him.
• Lianye used Arcane Leap to dodge the pillow, which smashed the mirror, and Riven apologized for her reflexive attack.

Riven worried that her reflexive attacks had damaged another mirror, and Lianye reassured her before telling her to prepare for customers. At Otonokizaka Academy, Kotori Minami learned about the Light Butler urban legend while fretting over the school’s possible closure.

• Riven explained that she attacked at the slightest sound while asleep and had already smashed several mirrors.
• Lianye comforted Riven and told her to get ready to welcome any customers who might arrive.
• Otonokizaka Academy announced that it might close because too few new students had enrolled.
• Kotori Minami worried that she, Honoka Kousaka, and Umi Sonoda had no way to save their school.
• Kotori Minami heard people discussing the Light Butler, a figure rumored to grant wishes.

Kotori Minami searched Akihabara for the Light Butler’s hidden tavern because she hoped he could save her school. As she was harassed by punks nearby, Lianye noticed and prepared to intervene.

• Kotori Minami asked two customers where to find the Light Butler’s Canyon Tenderness bar, then hurried out to search Akihabara.
• Kotori searched the district for hours but failed to find the hidden tavern.
• Lianye relaxed at his tavern with Riven Rui Mengmeng and watched the sunset from the rooftop.
• Lianye sensed punks harassing a girl near the tavern and realized they were pestering Kotori Minami under the pretense of helping her.
• Lianye transformed his hand ornament into a giant crossbow and unleashed his True Shot Barrage toward the troublemakers.

Lianye rescued Kotori Minami from a group of hooligans in an alley by knocking them unconscious with True Shot Barrage. He introduced himself to her, while the chapter ended with a brief explanation of the saying “the bird that sticks its head out gets shot.”

• Kotori Minami searched the alleys near Akihabara for Light Butler and was cornered by five or six hooligans.
• The hooligans closed in on Kotori Minami, who had no clear way to escape.
• Lianye struck the hooligans with True Shot Barrage, knocking them all unconscious.
• Lianye used Arcane Leap to appear beside Kotori Minami and began introducing himself.
• The narration explained how the saying about the bird that sticks its head out came to be associated with Kotori Minami.

Lianye introduced himself to Kotori Minami as the Light Butler after she witnessed his extraordinary abilities. He recognized that she had sought him out with a wish, but she hesitated to explain it.

• Lianye and Kotori Minami introduced themselves to each other as the Light Butler.
• Lianye explained that people had turned his wish-granting work into an urban legend.
• Lianye asked Kotori Minami what she needed, while privately judging whether her wish was worth granting by his own standards.
• Kotori Minami became shy and struggled to explain what was troubling her.
• Lianye realized that Kotori Minami had sought him out to ask him to fulfill a wish.

Lianye brought Kotori Minami to his mysterious tavern with Arcane Leap and offered her a chance to explain what she wanted to say. As Kotori struggled to speak, Lianye tried to put her at ease and began describing his beer.

• Lianye invited Kotori Minami to his tavern and carried her there with Arcane Leap.
• Kotori Minami found the clean, quiet tavern reassuring and admired Lianye’s mysterious abilities and manners.
• Lianye ordered green beer for himself and fruit juice for Kotori, while Riven encouraged her to speak confidently.
• Kotori remained too shy to say what she wanted, so Lianye opened the conversation by describing the taste of beer.

Kotori Minami asked the Light Butler, Lianye, to save Otonokizaka Academy from closure due to insufficient new enrollment. Lianye considered the difficult request and prepared to help her fulfill it.

• Lianye impressed Kotori Minami with his wine-tasting talk and his refined appearance at the bar.
• Lianye offered his hand to help Kotori Minami speak about her troubles.
• Kotori Minami explained that Otonokizaka Academy was at risk of closing because it lacked new students.
• Kotori Minami asked Lianye to save the academy, which held many happy memories for her, Honoka Kousaka, and Umi Sonoda.
• Lianye considered how he could help fulfill Kotori Minami's wish.

Lianye agreed to help Kotori Minami keep Otonokizaka Academy open and began investigating its situation. He visited UTX High School to learn why it attracted so many students.

• Kotori Minami asked Lianye to help Otonokizaka Academy survive, and he accepted her wish.
• Lianye sent Kotori Minami home and planned to inspect the academy the next day.
• Lianye traveled to Otonokizaka Academy without using Arcane Leap and stopped to observe nearby UTX High School.
• Lianye noted that UTX High School was thriving and that most local middle school students wanted to attend it.
• Lianye began considering the reasons behind UTX High School's popularity.

Lianye visited UTX High School and Otonokizaka Academy to compare the schools, then secretly entered the girls' school using Arcane Leap. He arrived near two alpacas and a short-haired brunette girl, leaving his exploration of the campus underway.

• Lianye observed UTX High School's modern campus from a nearby high-rise before leaving with Arcane Leap.
• Lianye compared Otonokizaka Academy's traditional buildings with UTX High School and reflected on its long history.
• Lianye used Arcane Leap to pass through a wall into a quiet, green area of Otonokizaka Academy.
• Lianye spotted two alpacas and a short-haired brunette girl after arriving on campus.

Lianye arrived at Otonokizaka Academy to investigate its struggles and find a lasting way to save it, but his sudden teleportation brought him near the alpaca shed. Hanayo Koizumi noticed him after the alpacas spotted him.

• Lianye teleported into Otonokizaka Academy and worried that being seen in the all-girls school would make him look like a pervert.
• Lianye decided he should openly explore the academy as The Explorer rather than sneak around, since funding alone would not prevent the school from closing.
• Hanayo Koizumi fed the two alpacas during the lunch break while they bleated contentedly.
• The alpacas noticed Lianye, and Hanayo followed their gaze and spotted him near the shed.

Lianye questioned Hanayo Koizumi about whether she liked Otonokizaka Academy and wanted it to stay open, then continued exploring the campus. He heard arrows flying near an old dojo and headed toward it.

• Lianye approached Hanayo Koizumi and asked whether she liked Otonokizaka Academy.
• Hanayo Koizumi said she liked everything at the school and did not want it to close.
• Lianye complimented Hanayo Koizumi, then vanished with Arcane Leap, leaving her to wonder if she had imagined him.
• Lianye used Arcane Leap to reach a wooded path near an old dojo and continued observing the academy.
• Lianye heard arrows cutting through the air as he approached the dojo.

Lianye watched Umi Sonoda practice kyudo at Otonokizaka Academy and wondered how she felt about the school’s threatened closure. After Umi sensed someone nearby but failed to locate him, Lianye left the range.

• Lianye saw Umi Sonoda hit the center of a target with an arrow during kyudo practice.
• Lianye recognized Umi by her blue hair and her fondness for archery, and wondered whether she cared about Otonokizaka Academy closing.
• Umi lowered her bow after several accurate shots and sensed someone nearby.
• Lianye, hidden behind a wall, realized Umi was less calm about the school’s fate than she appeared to be.
• Lianye vanished from the vicinity of the kyudo range.

Lianye explored Otonokizaka Academy and planned to save it from closure by attracting students through an idol club that could rival UTX High School. At lunch, Honoka Kousaka tried to get the distracted Kotori Minami’s attention, but Kotori failed to follow their conversation.

• Lianye considered Otonokizaka Academy’s weak selling points and concluded it needed to attract more new students before it closed in a year.
• Lianye proposed establishing an idol club and planned to support the students with dance training and other help.
• Honoka Kousaka repeatedly called out to Kotori Minami, who had been spacing out during lunch.
• Honoka asked Kotori what she had been talking about, and Kotori guessed that Honoka had said she liked sweets.