Chapter Summaries

The Sky Screen showed fragmented footage of Columbina, Sandrone, Paimon, and the Traveler before revealing scenes from Snezhnaya, including the Fatui Harbingers’ deliberations and the Tsaritsa’s cryptic words. Sandrone and Columbina were left wondering what the Tsaritsa meant and hoping she would remain safe.

• The Sky Screen showed a Water Phantasm threatening Sandrone, who invoked World Formula: Reversal—Reduction, then ended on a Thousand Spirits Festival poster.
• Xiao Wu and the others worried that Columbina was in danger after the Traveler said she was calling for help.
• The Sky Screen showed Paimon looking ill and apparently fainting, then revealed Pierro warning that war was at hand in Snezhnaya.
• The Traveler arrived in Snezhnaya, fought monsters in a custom combat suit, and said Paimon was waiting for him to return.
• Sandrone and Pantalone argued during a Fatui meeting, while Arlecchino and the other Harbingers debated before Pulcinella called them to order.
• The Tsaritsa said that what began with her should be ended by her, leaving Sandrone and Columbina concerned for her safety.

The Traveler proposed using Apep’s Heart of the Oasis to restore Nahida’s power, while the group planned to revive the Akasha as another way to access Irminsul. They prepared to relocate toward the desert and seek the Temple of Silence’s knowledge, leaving the plan dependent on the Sages’ approval and Apep’s willingness to help.

• The Traveler remembered that Apep’s Heart of the Oasis might replenish Nahida’s elemental power and returned with Paimon to Caravan Ribat.
• Cyno explained that the Akasha could potentially be restored and used to access Irminsul, despite its main system being shut down and the Gnosis no longer powering it.
• Sethos identified the Temple of Silence as a source of Scarlet King civilization knowledge, and the group planned to move scholars there and civilians to Aaru Village.
• The Traveler told the group about how he and Nahida had helped Apep, and Tighnari said Apep might be able to convert her power for Nahida.
• Cyno planned to consult his teacher and the other Sages before the group split into teams to pursue the plan.

Tighnari assigned the groups their tasks, and the Traveler and Paimon set out with Nahida to find Apep. Before leaving, Collei asked for advice and borrowed Paimon’s notes; the chapter ended as they met Apep in the desert.

• Tighnari assigned the scholars to seek a solution at the Temple of Silence, the Eremite Brigade to escort civilians to Aaru Village, and the Traveler and Paimon to take the Grass God to Apep.
• Nafis approved the plan but asked the Traveler and Paimon to leave first with the Grass God while the civilians rested and prepared to travel.
• Collei asked the Traveler and Paimon for advice because she felt unable to contribute, and Paimon lent her a copy of her notes.
• The Traveler and Paimon set off with Nahida, while Paimon wondered whether Neuvillette could help persuade Apep.
• The Traveler, Paimon, and Nahida met Apep in the desert, and Apep said she had known someone would come looking for her.

Apep restored Nahida by giving her life force, then explained that Irminsul predated the Heavenly Principles and once belonged to the Dragon Sovereigns. She left the Traveler with a warning that the dragons intended to reclaim the world and that the distant Hydro Dragon had already regained his authority.

• The Traveler persuaded Apep to help Nahida by appealing to her pride and her debt to Buer.
• Apep transported the Traveler and Paimon to the Heart of the Oasis and protected Nahida with a green barrier, saying she would recover but could not regain her full power until Irminsul was fixed.
• The Traveler and Paimon saw that the reborn elemental lifeforms had lost their memories and no longer recognized them.
• Apep told the Traveler that Irminsul existed before the Heavenly Principles arrived and that they had seized and altered it for humanity.
• Apep declared that the Dragon Sovereigns would reclaim the world and revealed that the distant Hydro Dragon had regained his authority from the usurping god.

Focalors argued with Apep about the risks of opposing the Heavenly Principles, while the Traveler received a cryptic message from Nahida and learned that Jinni were causing sandstorms across the desert. The group connected the crisis to Gurabad and Liloupar, whose return to the city had been foretold.

• On The Moon, Focalors told Apep that rebellion against the Heavenly Principles could leave Teyvat vulnerable to the Abyss, and Sonnet, Aria, and Canon further provoked her.
• Apep told the Traveler that Nahida was safe with her, and Nahida briefly awoke to give the Traveler a device carrying a secret message about the gods’ statues beneath the Sky Screen.
• Layla told Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing a legend that the real sky lay deep underground.
• Apep sent the Traveler and Paimon out of the Heart of the Oasis, and they reunited with Cyno and the others at the Temple of Silence.
• Cyno explained that aggressive Jinni had caused sandstorms across the desert and blocked the road to the Temple of Silence.
• The group discussed the Jinni sealed beneath Gurabad, prompting the Traveler and Paimon to remember Liloupar and her vow to return to the city.

The Traveler and Paimon traveled to the City of Gurabad, where they found Jinni pouring out and the Fatui operating a base around a strange mechanism. After the Traveler stopped the device, Pantalone appeared and spoke with them, while the Traveler suspected that the encounter concealed a trap.

• Alhaitham warned that the Jinni and the Irminsul disorder might be connected to other dangers, and Cyno, Kaveh, and the others stayed behind to fight the approaching monsters.
• The Traveler and Paimon entered the City of Gurabad and fought through growing numbers of Jinni before discovering that the Fatui had established a base there.
• The Traveler defeated the Fatui guarding a strange mechanism and stopped it from releasing Jinni and destroying the city.
• Pantalone appeared after his subordinates failed, dismissed the Traveler's questions about the crisis, and praised his subordinates for holding their ground.
• The Traveler noticed that Pantalone seemed to be provoking him and questioned where the rest of the Fatui forces had gone.
• Pantalone said he had come out of curiosity to observe the Traveler and Paimon, and claimed to admire their adventures despite their opposing goals.

Pantalone stalled the Traveler with talk of power and corruption while his Fatui ambushed them in the City of Gurabad. After defeating the soldiers, the Traveler pursued Pantalone but was trapped behind a barrier as Pantalone revealed that his plan involving Sumeru City and Irminsul had begun.

• Sandrone recognized that Pantalone was stalling the Traveler while arranging an ambush.
• Pantalone questioned whether the Heavenly Principles and the Seven Gods could be corrupted, then left the Traveler to face the hidden Fatui.
• The Traveler and Paimon fought through the Fatui soldiers and chased Pantalone.
• Paimon was stopped by a barrier, and Pantalone said the trap would buy time for the next stage of his plan.
• The Traveler asked why Pantalone followed Dottore, and Pantalone replied that even villains had friends.

Pantalone left Traveler and Paimon as a spreading wall of darkness approached, and the Sky Screen cut away before showing how they escaped. It then showed a witch’s tea turning Varka, Traveler, Paimon, and Flins into frogs, while Nicole failed to recognize them and tried to guess what they were saying.

• Pantalone said he and Dottore were fellow travelers seeking a new order, then left Traveler and Paimon before a wall of darkness reached them.
• The Sky Screen switched to Varka drinking Nicole’s tea and turning into a frog.
• Traveler and Paimon each drank the tea and became frogs without recognizing Varka or each other.
• Flins mistook the frogs’ frantic waving for a greeting, drank the tea, and turned into a frog too.
• Nicole saw the four frogs, mistook their nodding for a greeting, and said, “Konnichi-frog!”
• Traveler tried to communicate with Nicole by drawing Flins’s lamp and Paimon’s headpiece.

The Traveler and Varka’s group became frogs after drinking Alice’s anti-thief magic tea, while Nicole tested several recovery potions on them. The group eventually returned to normal, but the Traveler’s attempt to get a witch’s kiss left Nicole blushing, and the tea’s side effects set up another round of trouble.

• Nicole and Varka struggled to guess the Traveler’s drawings, and Nicole mistook his portrait for a traveling frog.
• Nicole explained that Alice’s anti-thief magic tea had turned the Traveler, Paimon, Flins, and Varka into frogs.
• Varka drank an expired recovery potion and became a giant frog, then another potion turned him red.
• Varka finally returned to normal after drinking a spicy potion, but the heat made him drink the magic tea and become a frog again.
• The Traveler stayed a frog after the others took recovery potions, prompting Nicole to kiss him; he said it was very soft, and Nicole revealed the tea’s side effects could turn them back into frogs.
• Varka and the Traveler made cold jokes, while Tighnari remarked that Cyno had finally met his match.

Tighnari, Collei, and Dori defended Aaru Village from an assault by Jinni while the Traveler and Paimon remained trapped in Gurabad. As the village’s defenses faltered, Tighnari and Dori stayed behind to hold the line, though Dori was running low on supplies.

• Tighnari, Collei, and Dori guarded Aaru Village as large numbers of Jinni gathered outside.
• Dori offered Chubby Little Purple increasing amounts of Mora to negotiate, but the Jinni swatted him back, and Tighnari called him a hired companion.
• Tighnari and Collei fought the Jinni, while Dori recovered from being knocked out and joined the battle with Chubby Little Purple.
• Bairazuri and Firlunas reported that the southern defenses had been breached and residents were being moved north.
• After another defensive line fell, Tighnari told Collei to check on the others while he and Dori held their position.
• Dori realized most of her items were with a merchant caravan, and Nicole’s voice sounded in Collei’s mind.

Collei used an ancient poem by the Goddess of Flowers to quiet the Jinni, while the Traveler and Paimon reunited with Jeht after escaping the City of Gurabad. Jeht revealed that she had formed a mercenary group and began to share some good news.

• Nicole guided Collei through an ancient poem, and the Jinni fell silent when Collei recited it.
• Bairazuri identified the verses as a poem by the Goddess of Flowers, while Firlunas found that reciting it did not work for him.
• The Traveler could not break the barrier in the City of Gurabad, but Jeht arrived with Benben and activated the outside mechanism to free the Traveler and Paimon.
• The Traveler, Paimon, and Jeht left the City of Gurabad and found no trace of the Fatui, who had recently been in the desert.
• Jeht told the Traveler that she had formed a mercenary group and gained a reputation, then said she had good news to share.

Jeht reunited with the Traveler and Paimon after avenging herself on Masseira, and the group found Liloupar in the City of Gurabad to stop the Jinni and sandstorm. They reached the Temple of Silence, where the sages debated a risky plan involving the Akasha Terminal, before the Sky Screen cut off.

• Jeht told the Traveler and Paimon that she had found and killed Masseira, then heard about their journey.
• The Traveler and Paimon explained that they had come to find Liloupar, and Jeht joined them in the search.
• Liloupar awakened and agreed to calm the Jinni and disperse the sandstorm after learning that Sumeru was in danger.
• The Traveler's group left the City of Gurabad after Liloupar stopped the sandstorm and headed to the Temple of Silence.
• Lucid, Shakir, Arkadi, and Firlunas debated a risky plan to replace the Akasha Terminal, while Kaveh and Alhaitham welcomed the returning group.
• Jeht introduced herself and Liloupar to Kaveh and Alhaitham, and Alhaitham recognized Liloupar as a historical figure before the Sky Screen cut off.

The Sky Screen revealed an assassination tied to Snezhnaya’s Winter Project, which faced opposition both inside and outside the country. It ended with the Torch of Keshnik freezing over and the entire city of Snezhnaya being frozen.

• Voyanissa sang onstage as Arosha prepared to assassinate a target, while Odette attacked the target’s protector, Valery, before the scene cut off.
• Focalors learned that the Korolevsky Troupe appeared to be involved in the assassination, while Layla said she knew little about Snezhnaya.
• Pulcinella presented the Winter Project for review, and several people, including Tartaglia, Sandrone, Arlecchino, and Pantalone, appeared as opponents or observers.
• Visna ordered the Winter Pact Army to search an area, and Danika boarded a train to join a secret meeting.
• Noi declared that the present was an era of peace, but the Torch of Keshnik froze over and Snezhnaya’s entire city froze with it.

The Sky Screen showed the Tsaritsa’s grief over her frozen child and her confrontation with Rhonavar, the Archon of Death, before revealing a chess game against Gold Rhinedottir. As Sandrone worried about the Tsaritsa’s chances against the Heavenly Principles, Nahida suggested that Morax and the still-active Geo Archon’s Gnosis might be the key to turning the game around.

• The Sky Screen showed the Tsaritsa’s child calling her Mother, then freezing instantly when she touched him as her power spiraled out of control.
• The Tsaritsa entered a dark space, confronted Rhonavar, and was shown in scenes of Snezhnaya frozen over, with the Torch of Keshnik standing behind Rhonavar.
• The Sky Screen shifted to a chessboard where the Tsaritsa’s Gnosis was pinned by three pawns, several other Archons’ Gnoses had been captured, and Morax’s Gnosis remained active.
• Gold Rhinedottir appeared as the Tsaritsa’s chess opponent, prompting the Snow Empress to consider becoming the Tsaritsa’s follower.
• Sandrone asked Greater Lord Rukkhadevata and Nahida whether the Tsaritsa could win, and Nahida proposed that Morax might be the key because his Gnosis remained on the board.

The Traveler and Paimon returned to the Temple of Silence and learned that the sages planned to modify the Akasha system using a device called Aaru hidden in the Scarlet King's Mausoleum. As Sethos revealed that two women claiming to be the Traveler's friends had contacted the sages, the group prepared to learn who they were and what help they could offer.

• The Traveler and Paimon told the group how Jeht and Liloupar helped resolve the disaster in the City of Gurabad, and Alhaitham questioned Pantalone's motives.
• Jeht met Dehya and introduced Liloupar while Paimon asked about the Temple of Silence's plan.
• The others explained that records described Aaru, a device inside the Scarlet King's Mausoleum that might power modifications to the Akasha system.
• Paimon recalled that Aaru had imprisoned Ibis King Thoth, the Sheep King, and the Crocodile King, and that they needed to answer three questions to escape.
• Sethos told the Traveler that two women claiming to be their friends had contacted the sages and offered help.

Nefer and Nicole arrived in Sumeru to help as Irminsul’s crisis sealed the nation behind an invisible barrier. Nicole recalled persuading Nefer to come, and began sharing her own perspective as Nefer listened.

• Nefer and Nicole reached Sumeru and explained that an invisible barrier had cut off all passage across its borders.
• Nicole said the barrier was likely Irminsul’s defense against its damage, leaving Sumeru isolated while the crisis grew.
• The scene showed Nicole asking Nefer to reconsider her past and her feelings about Sumeru, but Nefer refused to share her history.
• Nefer said she wanted to keep the painful memories and emotions that had become part of her, then agreed to hear Nicole’s perspective.
• Columbina and Sandrone discussed why Nicole had persuaded Nefer, before Nicole began recounting how she had once found angelic life dull and later missed it.

Nefer agreed to return to Sumeru and help the group reach Aaru, while Nicole’s words about memories and emotions made Qian Renxue question her attachment to Bibi Dong. At the Temple of Silence, Collei recognized Nicole as the voice who had guided her, and Nicole introduced herself as an ancient angel.

• Nefer agreed to return to Sumeru in exchange for travel expenses and appointed Jahoda acting curator of the Secret Archive.
• On The Moon, Columbina teased Sandrone and Apep about being tsundere, while Qian Renxue wondered whether her memories and emotions were anchored to Bibi Dong.
• Dehya told Nefer that Candace was away handling matters in Aaru Village, and the group announced plans to find Aaru in the Scarlet King's Mausoleum and use it to modify the Akasha system.
• Nefer revealed that she knew the imprisoned King of Ibis and asked to join the trip to Aaru, which the group welcomed.
• Collei recognized Nicole as the voice who had guided her to report her dreams to the Grass God and taught her poems, and Nicole introduced herself as an ancient angel.

Nicole revealed that Collei carried remnants of the Goddess of Flowers, Nabu Malikata, which were connected to her dreams and her ability to soothe the Jinni. She explained that the Fatui had gathered some of the scattered fragments and injected them into children, leaving the group to consider what the Fatui had intended.

• Nicole asked to speak privately with Collei about her dreams and her poems, but Collei chose to tell her closest friends as well.
• Nicole asked Collei whether she knew she had Archon Residue inside her, and Collei recalled contracting Eleazar and being subjected to injections at a place run by the Fatui.
• Nicole revealed that the Archon Residue came from remnants of Nabu Malikata, the Goddess of Flowers.
• Liloupar questioned Nicole's certainty because she could not sense the Goddess of Flowers' aura in Collei, and Nicole explained that the fragment was too small to detect normally.
• Nicole said the Fatui had gathered some of the Goddess of Flowers' scattered remains and likely used them in experiments.

Collei learned that the fragment of the Goddess of Flowers within her had sent her a warning dream, and the group prepared to head to the Scarlet King's Mausoleum. Before they set off, Nicole demonstrated her sculpting by transforming into a lifelike squirrel statue, which Faruzan interpreted as a heroic figure.

• Cyno reassured Collei that the Goddess of Flowers’ fragment would not change who she was and explained that the fragment had likely sent her a warning dream.
• The group decided to leave for the Scarlet King's Mausoleum, while Kaveh and Alhaitham bickered about the scale of the work ahead.
• On The Moon, Columbina told Sandrone that renovating the moon had been a difficult project, and Sonnet praised her work.
• Firlunas gathered scholars to see Nicole’s sculpting, and Nicole transformed into a squirrel statue.
• Faruzan examined Nicole’s squirrel sculpture and suggested it reflected her ideal hero, recommending a pose with one hand raised toward the sky.

Faruzan and Nicole bonded over sculpture before the group reached the Scarlet King's Mausoleum and asked the three ancient kings for help. Nefer answered that time was the answer to all three riddles, opening the seal and freeing the Scarlet King's three ministers.

• Faruzan and Nicole discussed classical sculptures, and Nicole said she had watched over generations of heroes.
• The group arrived at the Scarlet King's Mausoleum, where Thoth questioned why so many visitors had come.
• Liloupar mocked Thoth, Old Sheep, and Old Crocodile for their lofty airs and asked about their imprisonment.
• Nefer explained that time answered all three questions because it revealed truth and judged what people disputed.
• Thoth recognized time as the Scarlet King's answer, and the seal opened to release the three ministers.