Chapter Summaries

Michael learned how the first Anash was connected to Roa and how the current Primate Murder came into being. Merlin revealed that he had allowed the blood-drinking plant to escape and grow until it became too powerful to handle.

• Merlin explained that the first Anash was a Dead Apostle who used hypnosis to hide his existence until Arcueid killed him eight hundred years earlier.
• Merlin recounted how Roa tricked Arcueid into drinking his blood, causing her to destroy many True Ancestors before she began pursuing him across the world.
• Roa had Anash alter Arcueid's memories, but she found Anash with a magus's help and killed him.
• Merlin revealed that Arcueid left Anash's Principle Blood Ring on his corpse, where a nearby tree absorbed it and became a blood-drinking Phantasmal Species.
• Merlin admitted he let the transformed tree escape, and it spread into Primate Murder, which grew strong enough to match him.

Lorelei’s force fortified a castle within Primate Murder’s domain and prepared for a decisive battle, while Bader warned that Primate Murder had likely concentrated its true power elsewhere. A colossal giant made of Magic Trees attacked the barrier, and Lorelei realized the missing mana was being used for something beyond the blow.

• Lorelei ordered the group to rest inside a fortified castle before advancing toward Primate Murder’s center.
• Bader warned Lorelei that Primate Murder’s Magic Tree attacks seemed too weak to represent its full strength, and Lorelei agreed.
• Lorelei discussed Animusphere’s presence and expressed her intention to subjugate Primate Murder before them, possibly taking on another Progenitor as well.
• A towering giant formed from Magic Trees appeared and struck the castle barrier, forcing Lorelei and the magi to pour mana into its defense.
• Lorelei noticed the giant’s fist was weaker than its mana suggested, then understood the missing mana’s purpose as the ground began to quake.

Lorelei unleashed the replica Divine Construct Levantine to burn a path through Primate Murder’s Black Forest, then hurried with her surviving magi toward its core. Michael and Merlin watched the attack from afar and decided to follow the path and meet Lorelei.

• Primate Murder’s roots overwhelmed the clone squad, killing most of its magi, while Bader and the survivors fought their way to Lorelei.
• Lorelei poured her mana into her glove and summoned a replica of Surtr’s flame sword, Levantine.
• Lorelei’s strike burned away the Magic Trees and mist but only depleted some of Primate Murder’s mana; after replenishing herself with a potion, she led the group toward its core.
• Merlin used the King of the Sky to observe the burning sky and identified Lorelei as Bartholomew’s heir.
• Michael rejected Merlin’s suggestion that Lorelei should die and decided to follow the cleared path to meet her.

Michael and Merlin manipulated the battle against Primate Murder Anash, hoping to pressure Lorelei into cooperating while pursuing its fruit. After Michael’s attack wiped out Lorelei’s clone unit, a vast assault from the stars burned the forest’s vine humanoids to ash.

• Michael, Merlin, and Dawn reached Primate Murder Anash while Lorelei and her allies were struggling to hold it back.
• Michael and Merlin withdrew into another space as Primate Murder Anash attacked, then watched Lorelei’s group fight while waiting for her to break.
• Michael seized part of the Inherent Domain’s control and sent vine humanoids against Lorelei and Bader.
• Lorelei attacked the humanoid, but it pierced her defenses, and Bader took the blow to save her.
• Bader crushed the humanoid’s head, while Michael killed the remaining members of Lorelei’s clone unit.
• A sea of stars appeared above the Black Forest, and falling stars burned the vine humanoids and the surrounding vines to ash.

Michael formed a temporary alliance with Lorelei to pursue Primate Murder, while Merlin offered Michael information about a theft connected to the Fatui. The chapter ended as Merlin summoned the King of the Continent into the Eternal Recess to confront Primate Murder.

• Michael approached Lorelei and Bader after the magical energy subsided, claiming he and Lorelei shared a goal concerning Primate Murder’s fruit.
• Lorelei weighed the political risks to Bartholomew and accepted Michael’s help, and they agreed to cooperate.
• Merlin told Michael that Anash had regrown the Magic Tree and asked him to finish dealing with Primate Murder.
• Merlin offered information about the Mystic Eyes Collection Train theft and said the culprit had ties to the Fatui.
• Michael demanded double payment for handling the fight alone, so Merlin summoned the King of the Continent into the Eternal Recess.

Michael defeated Primate Murder Anach and secured the fruit Merlin had sought. After Michael offered Lorelei the honor of killing the weakened Progenitor as a gift, she accepted and destroyed it.

• Primate Murder Anach devoured Merlin’s King of the Continent and grew stronger, while Merlin injured his foot and could no longer support the fight.
• Lorelei and Bader defended the group as Anach’s trees attacked, and Dawn stayed near the injured Merlin.
• Michael made a three-kilometer area a domain of death, withered Anach’s spawned trees, and trapped the Progenitor in its own forest.
• Michael took the living crimson fruit from Anach’s throne and tossed it to Merlin, who caught it with a carpet of summoned rats.
• Michael offered Lorelei the honor of killing Anach as a gift, and she shattered the weakened Progenitor with a Vacuum Air Blade.

After Primate Murder Anach’s death destroyed the Black Forest, Michael and Lorelei agreed that Bartholomew would work with Animusphere. Merlin then offered Michael information about the Mystic Eyes Collection Train sabotage and suggested he join the Burial Agency, leaving Michael considering taking control of it by dealing with Narbalek.

• Michael and Lorelei shook hands on cooperation between Bartholomew and Animusphere, and Lorelei left with Bader.
• Michael explained to Merlin that Bartholomew could work with Animusphere despite its hatred of Dead Apostles.
• Merlin told Michael that he had obtained information about who sabotaged the Mystic Eyes Collection Train.
• Michael joked that he would join the Burial Agency only if he could become its Director, and Merlin said he could take the position if he dealt with Narbalek.
• Michael considered taking control of the Burial Agency, and he and Merlin exchanged knowing smiles.

Michael traveled to Kanbōzi City and met Ryougi Shiki, a girl connected to the Root who was curious about his origin. Their conversation was interrupted by a black-haired boy, whom Michael stopped with a glance, and Michael left open the possibility of Shiki meeting another person connected to the Root.

• Michael arrived in Kanbōzi City, where he was seeking the person who had caused trouble on the Mystic Eyes Collection Train.
• Michael noticed Ryougi Shiki watching the snow and introduced himself as a traveler from beyond the world.
• Ryougi Shiki said her name was Ryougi Shiki and agreed that Michael could call her Ryougi.
• A black-haired boy approached them, but Alpha blocked his path and Michael’s gaze left him frozen in place.
• Ryougi Shiki offered to help Michael obtain anything in the world, but he said he needed nothing and mentioned another person connected to the Root.

Michael drove Ryougi Shiki home after they spent the evening talking, then visited Tōko Aozaki’s workshop in Kanbōzi City. He learned that Tōko was designing the lobby of the east building of Ogawa Apartments for Souren Araya, who planned to build a Magecraft Workshop.

• Michael offered Ryougi Shiki a ride home, and she accepted, telling Alpha where to go.
• Suzuriaki Akiryu met Ryougi Shiki outside her family estate and questioned her about the man who had driven her home.
• Ryougi Shiki called Michael an interesting friend and went inside, leaving Suzuriaki Akiryu unsettled by her presence.
• Michael followed the invitation’s magecraft mark to Tōko Aozaki’s workshop and entered through its barrier.
• Tōko Aozaki told Michael that she was tired from a rushed design commission for her old classmate Souren Araya.
• Michael examined the architectural blueprint for the lobby of the east building of Ogawa Apartments, and Tōko explained how architecture informed her puppet designs.

Michael discussed Souren Araya’s approach to reaching the Root with Tōko Aozaki, who recalled her former attraction to the gloomy magus. She showed Michael a photograph of herself, Araya, and Cornelius Alba from their Clock Tower days, leaving Michael impressed by her younger self and her mentor Inolai’s disciple.

• Michael examined Tōko Aozaki’s design drawing and discussed how she and Souren Araya pursued the Root through different approaches.
• Tōko explained Araya’s grim resolve and admitted she had once been attracted to him, though their relationship ended without a conclusion.
• Tōko found and gave Michael a photograph of herself, Souren Araya, and Cornelius Alba at the Clock Tower.
• Michael teased Tōko about her beauty in the photograph, then said he envied Inolai for having such an outstanding disciple.

Tōko Aozaki told Michael that the strange attacker from the Mystic Eyes Collection Train was hiding in Kanbōzi City, and Michael revealed he had already turned the city into a hunting ground. Meanwhile, the attacker killed a man, took his identity, and selected a girl as his next target.

• Tōko Aozaki told Michael she had fought the attacker but he escaped and remained in Kanbōzi City.
• Tōko Aozaki described the attacker as creepy and abnormal, while Michael said his citywide net would trap him.
• A young man in a baseball uniform immobilized a middle-aged man in his apartment and tore out his heart.
• The young man burned the man’s body, reshaped himself to look like him, and rehearsed his mannerisms.
• The young man studied a student roster, fixed on a girl's photograph, and said he wanted to eat her.

Ryougi Shiki attended the new term at Miki Middle School, where Teacher Sakamoto summoned her to his office after class. There, an impostor calling himself Sakamoto restrained her and reached for her, intending to absorb her in pursuit of becoming a god.

• Ryougi Shiki spent math class staring out the window and ignoring the lesson.
• Teacher Sakamoto called Ryougi Shiki to his office after the dismissal bell.
• Ryougi Shiki entered the office and found that the man claiming to be Sakamoto behaved unlike the teacher she knew.
• The impostor restrained Ryougi Shiki and said he would make her part of himself as he pursued the Root and godhood.

Ryougi Shiki’s other personality fought “Sakamoto,” escaped from the school, and headed to find Akihiro so she could retrieve her weapon. Outside, Tōko Aozaki and Michael arrived to hunt the creature, and Michael called out to Shiki, who felt strangely familiar with him.

• “Sakamoto” attacked Ryougi Shiki, but a more aggressive personality took over and fought back.
• “Sakamoto” overpowered Shiki, so she dislocated her arm to escape his grip and jumped through a third-floor window.
• Shiki landed safely, reset her arm, and ran toward the school gates to find Akihiro and retrieve her weapon.
• Tōko Aozaki and Michael arrived at Miki Middle School to hunt the magical presence inside.
• Michael recognized Shiki and called to her, and she looked back while wondering why the white-haired stranger seemed familiar.

Michael stopped Ryougi Shiki at the school gates with a barrier, while Tōko Aozaki recognized her connection to the Root. Tōko summoned her Shadow Familiar to attack Teacher Sakamoto, who chose not to resist as the familiar closed in.

• Michael's barrier stopped Ryougi Shiki from leaving the school, and he realized she was a different personality from the Shiki he had met before.
• Tōko Aozaki recognized that Ryougi Shiki was connected to the Root, while Michael kept Teacher Sakamoto from seeing him.
• Teacher Sakamoto sensed the barrier but believed he could escape it, and he decided to abandon his current identity.
• Tōko Aozaki summoned her cat-shaped Shadow Familiar from an orange suitcase and ordered it to eat the enemy.
• The Shadow Familiar raced toward Teacher Sakamoto, who spread his arms and accepted the attack rather than waste strength resisting.

Michael trapped Dimitri Stachira at the school and repeatedly had the cat-shaped Shadow Familiar kill him, while Ryōgi Ori watched and learned his identity. Dimitri’s past revealed how his information-devouring magecraft made him an immortal Dead Apostle, and he had come seeking Ryōgi Shiki’s connection to the Root.

• The cat-shaped Shadow Familiar devoured Sakamoto Ryuichi, but a streak of light escaped his body before Michael’s barrier stopped it.
• Dimitri re-formed as a young man in a baseball uniform, and Michael introduced himself to Ryougi Shiki, who gave her name as Ori.
• Michael explained that he was hunting Dimitri, while Ori watched with excitement; Dimitri tried to flee underground but the barrier trapped him on campus.
• The Shadow Familiar killed Dimitri again, and he reappeared in the form of a high school girl before Tōko Aozaki, terrified that she intended to destroy him.
• Dimitri’s history revealed that his family’s magecraft let him devour and reproduce information, and a gift had turned him into an immortal Dead Apostle with limited storage and beacon-based transfers.
• Dimitri had sought Rojyan and Absolute Future Sight, but after encountering Ryougi Shiki he recognized her as a body connected to the Root.

Michael stopped Dimitri from attacking Ryōgi Ori, defeated him, and exposed his attempt to survive as a speck of black dust. Dimitri tried to tempt Michael with the Fatui’s secrets, but Michael annihilated him.

• Dimitri shot at Tōko Aozaki, but her cat-shaped Shadow Familiar swallowed the bullet before he rushed toward Ryōgi Ori.
• Michael restrained Dimitri’s arm and revealed that he could control the materialized information making up Dimitri’s body.
• Dimitri transformed to fight Michael, but Michael shattered his body and reduced him to flowing light.
• Tōko Aozaki confirmed that Dimitri appeared to be dead, but Michael discovered a speck of black dust on his sleeve.
• Dimitri reappeared in his original form and offered to reveal the Fatui’s goals, but Michael struck and annihilated him.

Michael began teaching mathematics at Miki Middle School, where Ryougi Shiki recognized him and Ori stayed behind to meet him. After agreeing to spar, Ori took Michael to Kanbōzi City's commercial district, where she became interested in a red jacket but denied wanting it.

• Michael started work as Miki Middle School's new mathematics teacher after Teacher Sakamoto resigned.
• Ryougi Shiki stayed after class, and Ori spoke with Michael and challenged him to spar.
• Michael agreed on the condition that Ori show him around Kanbōzi City.
• Michael and Ori went to the commercial district after narrowly avoiding Suzuriaki Akiryu at the school gate.
• Ori browsed shops, lingered over a red jacket, then denied being interested and grabbed Michael's wrist when he stopped behind her.

Ori and Michael ate at a fast-food restaurant, where Ori explained her relationship with Shiki and questioned whether she was an abnormality. After Michael challenged her assumptions, they ended their city tour and discovered neither had brought money.

• Ori and Michael ordered burgers and cola after wandering around the city for more than four hours.
• Ori explained that she and Shiki were one person with different priorities, and said the Ryougi family believed its members were prone to split personalities.
• Ori asked whether other beings like them existed, and Michael told her about the Mage's world beyond Kanbōzi City.
• Michael questioned whether Ori's impulse to kill made her abnormal, and she realized she had never actually killed anything.
• Ori announced that their city tour was over and proposed a sparring session, but she and Michael discovered they had no money and Akihiro was not with them.

Michael and Ori sparred in a forest clearing, where Michael easily disarmed and knocked her unconscious. Ori returned to the Ryōgi Residence and found that Michael had left her a red jacket.

• Michael used a napkin to replace a blond young man's Fukuzawa Yukichi bill, then paid the restaurant bill with it and left with Ori.
• Michael and Ori went to a forest park clearing, where Ori attacked him with a dagger and he deflected her strike with a branch.
• Ori used Shukuchi to attack from Michael's blind spot, but he broke her blade and knocked her unconscious with a flick to her forehead.
• Michael took a picture of the unconscious Ori and turned a fallen leaf into a butterfly before leaving.
• Suzuriaki Akiryu followed the butterfly to find Ori, who woke up and described the encounter as a failed sparring match.
• Back at the Ryōgi Residence, Ori received a gift box Michael had delivered and found a red jacket inside.

At the end of the sports meet, Michael found the injured Asagami Fujino and discovered that she could not feel pain and possessed developing Mystic Eyes. He healed her ankle but chose not to restore her sense of pain, leaving her to wonder at his insight and his words about her hidden gift.

• Michael watched the sports meet and saw teacher Saito Daisuke celebrate his victory with his girlfriend, who was also his student.
• After the sports meet ended, Michael headed out to meet Ori for their kendo lesson.
• Michael found Asagami Fujino sitting alone with a badly twisted ankle and caught her when she tried to stand.
• Michael healed Asagami Fujino’s ankle with magic and realized that she could not feel pain and that her Mystic Eyes were developing abnormally.
• Michael left Asagami Fujino’s sense of pain unchanged and told her that her inability to feel pain might conceal a gift.