Chapter Summaries

Mahiro explained the research facility’s history, revealing how the Cult experimented on children with Diabolos’s blood and created the Three Heroes and Aurora. The group learned that Olivier was Alpha’s ancestor and that Aurora was the specimen the Cult considered closest to success.

• Delta killed Nelson, but Mahiro exposed that he had survived by splitting into two copies and let Delta fight him.
• Beta explained that an Executioner had cut off Epsilon’s slime breasts, leaving her embarrassed and upset.
• Mahiro asked Alpha about Olivier, and Alpha confirmed that Olivier was nearby and was her direct ancestor.
• Olivier transformed into a child and entered a cell as other child test subjects appeared around them.
• Mahiro described the Cult’s experiments with Diabolos’s blood, Olivier’s success in gaining Diabolos’s power, and the creation of Lilim and Freya.
• Mahiro revealed that the Cult had considered Aurora, the Calamity Witch known as Diabolos, its closest successful specimen.

Mahiro and his companions followed Olivier to Sanctuary’s center, where she sacrificed herself to the sacred sword. Alpha drew it and gained immense power, while Est explained that Olivier’s memories and consciousness had become the sword’s power.

• Aurora and the others reacted to Mahiro’s account of Diabolos and the Cult’s experiments as they viewed the memory corridor.
• Mahiro ended Nelson’s fight with Delta by throwing Nihility at him, then followed Olivier with Alpha and Delta.
• Olivier led them to Sanctuary’s center, where she merged into the sacred sword and pleaded with them to end what lay beyond the chained gate.
• Beta translated the inscription stating that only a direct blood relative of the Hero could draw the sword, and Mahiro urged Alpha to try.
• Alpha pulled the sacred sword from its pedestal and unleashed a storm of magical power.
• Est told Mahiro that Olivier had become the sword by sacrificing her consciousness and memories, though the sword was still powerful.

Mahiro destroyed the Sanctuary and used its secrets to keep Aurora from disappearing, though she survived only by attaching herself to Claire. Back in Midgar, Mahiro prepared for the new Bushin Festival while the Holy Church sought the culprit behind the destruction of Sacred Land Lindwurm.

• Alpha shattered the crystal sealing the Sanctuary, revealing the ruins beneath the Memory Corridor and prompting Shadow Garden, Alexia, and Rose to leave.
• Mahiro stayed behind with Aurora and destroyed the Sanctuary with Material Burst, unleashing a blast that devastated the area beneath Sacred Land Lindwurm.
• As Aurora faded, Mahiro used his knowledge of the Sanctuary to restore her existence with magic power and offered her a chance to live freely again.
• The Holy Church announced a hunt for the culprit after the destruction of Sacred Land Lindwurm and the deaths of Archbishop Durek and Acting Bishop Nelson.
• Mahiro returned to Midgar and prepared for the new Bushin Festival, while Aurora took refuge inside Claire and agreed to teach her to use her latent power.

Mahiro visited Ita’s laboratory to see her research on integrating the Night Demon’s magic formula into slime, then tested her new weapon in combat. He broke free of Ita’s trap, while Sherry’s dejected state remained unexplained.

• Mahiro learned that Alexia’s attempt to investigate the truth with Beta and Rose had failed because they both refused to join her.
• Mahiro visited the crowded Arcadia Trading Company during the Bushin Festival and followed Nu to Ita’s laboratory.
• Mahiro found Ita preparing a weapon test and saw that Sherry was there looking gloomy, though Ita pulled him away before Sherry could explain.
• Ita used mist and a dry-ice hailstorm to lower the oxygen around Mahiro, then trapped him inside a voice-activated Neutron Barrier.
• Mahiro stomped the metal floor and unleashed magic inside the barrier, creating turbulent currents within the cube.

Mahiro fought Ita as she tested new slime-based weapons, but he defeated her and stopped her attempt to use Nihility. Alpha knocked Ita unconscious and reprimanded Mahiro, leaving him to obey her warning.

• Mahiro broke Ita’s barrier and clashed with her magic-absorbing slime shield.
• Ita fired her Charged Particle Cannon, but Mahiro blocked it and caught her before she escaped as mist.
• Ita used Nihility, which stripped the Shadow Garden girls’ clothes, but Mahiro’s Phalanx blocked the spell.
• Alpha struck Ita twice, knocked her unconscious, and had Gamma’s subordinates drag her away.
• Alpha warned Mahiro to stop fooling around with Ita, and he agreed.

Mahiro comforted Sherry after she learned Lutheran had murdered her mother, and Sherry kissed him before falling asleep in his arms. Alpha agreed to pursue Lutheran and told Mahiro that Elizabeth and the Snow Woman had arrived in the royal capital to watch him compete in the Bushin Festival.

• Mahiro reassured Sherry after she revealed that Lutheran had confessed to murdering Lucrezia and abandoning her.
• Sherry cried in Mahiro's arms, kissed him, and fell asleep after declining his offer to help avenge her mother.
• Mahiro promised Sherry he would not abandon her, then left her resting in the reception room.
• Alpha told Mahiro that Lutheran had left the royal capital and restored his strength with the Eye of Avarice.
• Mahiro asked Alpha to deal with Lutheran in his place, honoring his agreement not to act himself.
• Alpha confirmed Mahiro would enter the Bushin Festival and revealed that Elizabeth and the Snow Woman had come to watch him.

A gray-robed elf woman encountered Elizabeth and the Snow Woman in the capital, then questioned Mahiro about elves at the Bushin Festival. Mahiro confirmed he knew many elves, and the woman explained she was searching for a cute girl who looked like her.

• Elizabeth and the Snow Woman spotted a gray-robed woman with pale gold hair as their carriages passed through the capital.
• Doem Ketsuhat told Lord Mordred that he had obtained the Ring of Succession and learned he would receive a First-Class Child of Diablos and a place as the Twelfth Seat if he completed his mission.
• Mahiro entered the Bushin Festival main tournament and noticed the arena had only a sparse crowd.
• A gray-robed woman stopped Mahiro and asked whether he knew any elves.
• The woman revealed her elven features, and Mahiro said he knew many elves.
• The woman said she was looking for a cute girl who looked a lot like her.

Yotsuba Mahiro met Beatrice, Alpha’s aunt, and challenged her to enter the Bushin Festival in exchange for learning where Alpha was. Mahiro then began his next match against Goldoh Kinmeki, whose gathering magic power alarmed the audience.

• Mahiro refused to tell Beatrice where Alpha was unless she entered the Bushin Festival and defeated him, and Beatrice agreed.
• Beatrice drew her sword at Mahiro, but he stopped its blade between his fingers and introduced himself as Yotsuba Mahiro.
• Annerose told Quinton that Mahiro had summoned the Witch of Calamity Aurora and other powerful ancient warriors during the Goddess’s Trial.
• Mahiro faced Goldoh Kinmeki in the fourth round and impatiently urged the boastful fighter to begin.
• Goldoh Kinmeki raised his golden greatsword and amassed a huge amount of magic power, drawing an uproar from the spectators.

Mahiro effortlessly defeated Gode in the arena, then told Elizabeth and Snow Woman that he had already met Beatrice, Alpha’s aunt. After Alpha arrived, Mahiro revealed his wager with Beatrice: she could compete in the Bushin Festival, and if she beat him, he would tell her what he knew about Alpha.

• Mahiro punched through Gode’s golden dragon attack and hurled him into the arena wall, winning the match without a weapon.
• Claire watched Mahiro’s victory with admiration and resolved to work harder.
• Elizabeth and Snow Woman visited Mahiro and told him they had met a woman who resembled Alpha; Mahiro identified her as Beatrice, the elven Sword Saint known as the War God.
• Alpha and Beta arrived, and Mahiro explained that Beatrice was Alpha’s aunt; Alpha admitted she had chosen not to tell him about their connection.
• Mahiro revealed that he had wagered with Beatrice that she could enter the Bushin Festival and learn what he knew about Alpha if she defeated him.
• Alpha said she would attend the tournament, and Mahiro invited her to bring everyone and take a break.

Rose told Mahiro that she was being forced to marry Duke Doem, and he urged her to follow her own wishes. After Rose wounded Doem and fled, Mahiro sent Zeta to find her before entering the Bushin Festival arena to face Beatrice.

• Rose visited Mahiro and revealed that her family had arranged her marriage to Duke Doem Ketsuhat.
• Rose explained how her parents had informed her of the engagement, and Mahiro encouraged her to follow her heart and seek his help if needed.
• News spread that Rose had wounded Doem and fled, leaving Alexia distressed and unable to intervene.
• Mahiro ordered Zeta to investigate Rose's whereabouts and said he would handle the matter after his match with Beatrice.
• Mahiro and Beatrice entered the Bushin Festival arena, where Mahiro explained that he could not use a weapon.

Yotsuba Mahiro fought Beatrice in the Bushin Festival, overwhelming her with hardened fists and then revealing a harder-to-sense fighting state. Beatrice recognized his perfect naturalness but remained locked in battle with him.

• Beatrice revealed her elven appearance and began her match against Mahiro.
• Mahiro blocked Beatrice’s sword with his hardened fist, seized her blade, and struck her with Short-Range Force.
• Beatrice recovered and repeatedly charged Mahiro, but he knocked her back throughout their exchanges.
• Mahiro shifted into a state that made his presence difficult to sense and delivered a much heavier strike that Beatrice barely blocked.
• Beatrice recognized that Mahiro had achieved perfect naturalness and become one with his surroundings.

Yotsuba Mahiro defeated Beatrice in the Bushin Festival, and she finally saw her niece among the spectators before collapsing. Beatrice later awoke with only a hazy memory of the match and the certainty that she had spotted her niece.

• Yotsuba Mahiro overwhelmed Beatrice with his bare hands and offered to tell her where her niece was if she endured one final blow.
• Yotsuba Mahiro hurled Beatrice into the arena wall and struck her with a whip kick, but Beatrice survived and declared that she had won.
• Yotsuba Mahiro told Beatrice to look toward the stands, where she saw a golden-haired girl who looked almost identical to her before fainting.
• The announcer declared Yotsuba Mahiro the winner, while Alpha and the others defended his conduct and the Snow Woman teased them.
• Yotsuba Mahiro carried the unconscious Beatrice into the competitors' tunnel, and Beatrice later awoke remembering that she had seen her niece in the stands.

After Mahiro healed Beatrice, she reunited with her niece Alpha and chose to join Shadow Garden rather than take her home. Mahiro assigned Beatrice the position of Omega and left Alpha to train her after the Bushin Festival, while Zeta reported that Princess Rose had been found.

• Mahiro healed Beatrice while she was unconscious, then left her with Alpha and the other elf members of Shadow Garden to talk.
• Alpha told Beatrice she would not return home, and Beatrice accepted her choice and asked to join Shadow Garden so she could care for her niece.
• Mahiro approved Beatrice's membership and gave her Omega's position, with Alpha responsible for teaching her to use slime after the Bushin Festival.
• Zeta told Mahiro that Princess Rose had been found.

Mahiro learned that a large group of suspected Cult members had infiltrated the royal capital and ordered Shadow Garden to prepare for battle. In the sewers, he found the wounded Rose after she uncovered Queen Reina and Duke Doem’s conspiracy against her father, and he began treating her as signs of Demonic Possession appeared.

• Zeta told Mahiro that unidentified people had infiltrated the royal capital, and he ordered his forces to watch them and prepare for battle.
• Rose discovered Queen Reina and Duke Doem embracing and learned they had poisoned the king and planned to kill her.
• Rose found her father helpless and unresponsive, then tried to assassinate Duke Doem but was wounded and framed for attacking the king.
• While fleeing through the sewers, Rose rejected the idea of involving Mahiro and broke down in tears as she longed for her teacher.
• Mahiro found Rose in the sewers, and when black spots appeared on her chest, he placed his hand over the signs of Demonic Possession.

Mahiro healed Rose’s Demonic Possession and gave her the power to pursue revenge against Duke Doem and the Order. Rose defeated the Order’s pursuers in the sewers and set out to complete her revenge before returning to repay Mahiro; the next morning, Mahiro slept in while Claire prepared for her match.

• Rose asked Mahiro to leave her behind because she believed Demonic Possession could not be cured, but Mahiro assured her it could be.
• Mahiro asked Rose whether she wanted power to change her situation, and Rose accepted any price if it let her take revenge on Duke Doem and the cult.
• Mahiro poured pure white magic into Rose, calming her magic, healing her wound, and granting her immense power.
• Rose cut down the Order’s pursuers when they appeared in the sewer, then told Mahiro she would return after completing her revenge.
• Rose secretly returned to the dormitory during the Bushin Festival and thought about how to repay Mahiro as she washed away the blood.
• The next morning, Mahiro slept in because he had no match, while Claire was scheduled to fight.

After Claire was defeated by John Smith, Mahiro vowed revenge and warned Alexia to stay out of what was coming. As the Bushin Festival continued, Alice considered entering the competition herself, and Beatrice arrived in the VIP box.

• Mahiro learned that John Smith had beaten Claire, promised to avenge her, and had Alpha arrange for Beta and Epsilon to guard her.
• Mahiro warned Alexia not to interfere in what was coming, or she would lose her life.
• News of Claire's defeat spread through the festival, and Alice told an academy official she would enter the competition if necessary.
• Beatrice arrived at Alice's VIP box, but someone took the seat she was about to use.

At the Bushin Festival finals, Beatrice bluntly called Duke Doem Ketsuhat’s king foul-smelling and predicted Yotsuba Mahiro would win against John Smith. Mahiro entered the arena surrounded by a terrifying magical aura, leaving the crowd in stunned silence as the match was about to begin.

• Beatrice told Doem that he stank, alarming him because he had used addictive herbs to control the King of Oriana and mask the king’s odor.
• Beatrice joined Princess Alice in the VIP seats and said she had found her niece and would not lose her again.
• When Alice asked who would win the finals, Beatrice chose Yotsuba Mahiro and explained that he was on a different level from other fighters.
• John Smith appeared in the arena, and Snow Woman and Delta recognized him as an impostor.
• Yotsuba Mahiro appeared opposite John Smith after an immense magical aura swept through the arena, leaving the spectators silent.

Yotsuba Mahiro confronted John Smith, revealed as Cid Kagenou, and learned that Cid considered Claire someone he could discard. As Mahiro unleashed a night sky over the arena, Rose attempted to assassinate Duke Doem but was stopped by a mysterious red-haired man.

• John Smith and Yotsuba Mahiro fought with magical threads while the spectators struggled to see their hidden clash.
• Mahiro asked whether Cid had injured Claire, and Cid admitted that he had placed his sister among the things he could discard.
• Mahiro declared that Cid had chosen his own death and spread darkness across the arena, transforming the sky into a starry night.
• Rose entered the VIP section and thrust her rapier at Duke Doem, but an unseen force knocked her blade aside and cut off a strand of her hair.
• A red-haired man emerged behind Doem, praised Rose's performance, and drew her attention as she demanded to know who he was.

Mordred, a Ninth Seat of the Knights of the Rounds, confronted Rose and Shadow Garden at the Bushin Festival. As Shadow Garden and Mordred’s faction fought, Princess Alice charged at Mordred and was beheaded, leaving Alexia devastated.

• Mordred identified himself as a Ninth Seat of the Knights of the Rounds and demanded Rose surrender, but she refused.
• Beatrice intervened to protect her niece, and Alpha and Shadow Garden appeared to confront Mordred.
• Mordred summoned his faction, and its Children of Diablos clashed with Shadow Garden inside the VIP room.
• Alice broke free from Rose and charged at Mordred, who beheaded her with an invisible slash.
• Alexia entered the blood-soaked room, found Alice’s head, and blamed the opposing group in her grief and rage.

Yotsuba Mahiro split the arena with a devastating sword strike, then resumed his battle with Shadow as Mordred opened the Black Rose and summoned the Demon King Diablos. With the arena under attack and Claire still in the infirmary, Aurora offered to protect her so Beta and Epsilon could help Mahiro.

• Yotsuba Mahiro unleashed Moon Assault on Heaven's Gate, tearing apart the sky and cutting through the arena.
• Shadow reappeared and clashed with Mahiro, while their sword energy wrecked the arena and sent spectators fleeing.
• Mordred used the Ring of Succession on Oriana's old king to open the Black Rose, but Alpha crushed Mordred's head before he lost consciousness.
• The Demon King Diablos emerged from the Black Rose with an army of monsters as Alpha, Rose, and the others faced the catastrophe.
• Dark Smile John attacked Beta and Epsilon in the infirmary, but Epsilon sliced him apart.
• Aurora appeared beside Claire and offered to protect her while Beta and Epsilon went to help Mr. Mahiro.