Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Encounter in the Beautiful Town”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu, a transmigrated Hunter x Hunter fan, has spent three months in Sankara Town trying to complete the final regional achievement connected to the town’s church.
• He possesses an achievement system, spiritual powers resembling Bleach’s Reiatsu and Kidō, and a healing ability called Angel’s Glance. However, he is permanently unable to use Nen due to a forced Zetsu condition.
• While preparing to leave town, Bai Zhu finally triggers a hidden achievement requiring him to retrieve a “shiny” object from the fountain.
• At the fountain, he encounters a chubby boy fishing through the mud: Milluki Zoldyck. The object turns out to be a highly sophisticated mechanical cockroach, apparently used for surveillance.
• Bai Zhu realizes that Milluki and his brother Illumi are likely investigating or preparing to attack the Creation Society’s church, which has placed a bounty on the Zoldyck family.
• By taking the mechanical cockroach, Bai Zhu completes the hidden achievement and unlocks the first stage of a larger hidden achievement series, titled “Ella’s Suffering Holy Infant.”
• Seeing an opportunity to investigate the Creation Society indirectly, Bai Zhu decides to involve himself in the Zoldyck brothers’ operation rather than leave town.
• He deliberately provokes Milluki by asking about the Zoldyck family and their interest in the Creation Society.
• Milluki responds with murderous intent and activates Nen, causing his nails to grow into claws. Bai Zhu counters the pressure with Reiatsu and prepares to use either Byakurai or Hainawa.
• Just before the confrontation begins, an unseen figure reaches from behind Milluki and suppresses his Nen. The figure is strongly implied to be Illumi Zoldyck, whose arrival ends the chapter.

Character Developments

Bai Zhu

Bai Zhu is established as cautious but opportunistic. Although he avoids unnecessary danger, his obsession with completing achievements repeatedly draws him into dangerous situations. He is clever, observant, and skilled at disguising his true motives behind humor and exaggerated foolishness. His encounter with the Zoldycks shows that he is willing to exploit dangerous alliances if they offer access to the Creation Society and the hidden achievement storyline.

Milluki Zoldyck

Milluki is portrayed as an antisocial, technologically gifted shut-in with poor social experience but considerable pride in his family. He builds extremely advanced miniature surveillance devices and reacts violently when he realizes Bai Zhu is probing for information. Despite his childish appearance and easily irritated personality, he possesses dangerous Nen and Zoldyck killing instincts.

Illumi Zoldyck

Illumi does not directly speak or fully appear, but his presence is introduced as silent, intimidating, and highly controlled. His ability to approach unnoticed and instantly suppress Milluki’s murderous aura emphasizes his superior skill and authority.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu initially mistakes Milluki for someone stealing his achievement and rushes to claim the “shiny” object.
• Their first exchange is comedic, with Bai Zhu repeatedly calling Milluki “fatty” and Milluki angrily defending himself.
• Bai Zhu pretends to be casually curious while deliberately extracting information about Milluki’s identity, the Zoldyck family, and the Creation Society.
• Milluki proudly reveals his surname, only to become suspicious when Bai Zhu correctly deduces that he and Illumi are investigating the church.
• The playful conversation abruptly shifts into a life-threatening confrontation when Milluki recognizes Bai Zhu’s probing as a potential threat.
• Bai Zhu and Milluki briefly enter a tense standoff, with Bai Zhu secretly preparing a Kidō attack while Milluki prepares to kill him.
• Illumi’s sudden intervention halts the confrontation, establishing that the brothers’ relationship includes a clear hierarchy and that Illumi can control the situation effortlessly.

Significant Themes

• Risk versus self-preservation: Bai Zhu repeatedly claims that staying alive is his priority, yet his achievement obsession leads him toward increasingly dangerous situations.
• Game-like fate and hidden quests: The achievement system turns the world into a sequence of quests, causing Bai Zhu to interpret major plot events as unlockable objectives while still facing genuine mortal danger.
• Deception and manipulation: Bai Zhu uses humor, feigned stupidity, and casual questioning to disguise his intentions and manipulate Milluki into revealing information.
• Power concealed beneath appearances: Milluki looks like an awkward, overweight child but possesses lethal Nen and advanced technology. Bai Zhu likewise appears harmless while secretly wielding Reiatsu and Kidō.
• The collision of outsiders with established forces: Bai Zhu’s accidental encounter with the Zoldyck brothers pulls him into the larger conflict surrounding the Creation Society and appears to activate the main storyline.
• Curiosity and greed as catalysts: A single-point achievement reward leads Bai Zhu to remain in town, approach the fountain, and become entangled with the Zoldycks, demonstrating how minor goals can trigger major consequences.

Chapter Summary: “Wanted to See the World”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu encounters Illumi and Milluki Zoldyck near the suspicious Creation Society church. Illumi’s presence terrifies him, making Bai Zhu realize he is far weaker and less perceptive than he believed.
• Hoping to trigger the Creation Society achievement and obtain Reiatsu for his inaccessible Zanpakutō, Bai Zhu tries to manipulate Illumi by revealing his observations:
  • The church’s young children are Nen users.
  • Pregnant women, many from outside the town, regularly attend services.
  • The church may be connected to the bounty placed on the Zoldyck family.
• Illumi refuses Bai Zhu’s offer to cooperate and warns Milluki not to engage with strangers, leaving Bai Zhu frustrated after giving away valuable information for nothing.
• Bai Zhu decides not to investigate the church directly. Instead, he focuses on finding “Ella,” whom he suspects is central to the achievement titled [Ella’s Suffering Holy Infant].
• He returns to Aunt Hannah and Uncle Gelo’s home, where he shares a warm meal with them and gives them 200,000 Jenny. He then announces that he plans to leave town and attempt the Hunter Exam so he can travel and see the world.
• Gelo initially reacts emotionally but ultimately supports Bai Zhu’s ambition, comparing it to his own past attempt at the Hunter Exam. He refuses to accept Bai Zhu’s money, interpreting the gift as an unnecessary emotional farewell.
• Bai Zhu asks Hannah about Ella. She does not know anyone by that name from the town but recalls that many outsiders attend the local Creation Society church. Ella may therefore be an outsider connected to the organization.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: Becomes aware of the enormous gap between himself and Illumi, but recovers quickly from his failed manipulation. He demonstrates caution by choosing investigation over reckless infiltration. He also reveals a sincere desire to leave his stagnant life, take the Hunter Exam, and explore the wider world.
• Illumi: Displays his detached, intimidating personality and assassin’s discipline. He ignores Bai Zhu’s attempted alliance and instructs Milluki not to respond to unknown people, emphasizing his caution and superiority.
• Milluki: Is curious and somewhat easily drawn into conversation, but follows Illumi’s orders. His interaction with Bai Zhu exposes his relative inexperience compared with his older brother.
• Uncle Gelo: Initially appears boisterous and physically affectionate, but his reaction to Bai Zhu’s departure reveals genuine attachment and concern. His own history with the Hunter Exam adds emotional weight to his support.
• Aunt Hannah: Continues to act as a caring guardian figure. Her local knowledge provides Bai Zhu with an important lead about Ella and the Creation Society.

Significant Themes

• The desire for freedom and discovery: Bai Zhu’s decision to take the Hunter Exam reflects his longing to escape a limited life and “see the world.”
• Risk versus caution: Bai Zhu is tempted to confront the church for the sake of rewards, but chooses a more careful investigative path after recognizing Illumi’s danger.
• Family and found family: Bai Zhu’s relationship with Hannah and Gelo is affectionate and supportive, making his departure emotionally significant.
• Power and self-awareness: Illumi’s overwhelming presence forces Bai Zhu to acknowledge his limitations and adjust his plans.
• Hidden corruption and mystery: The church’s Nen-using children, pregnant visitors, and connection to Ella suggest a deeper and potentially disturbing secret.

Important Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu attempts to bargain with Illumi by offering information about the church, but Illumi dismisses him and warns Milluki against talking to strangers.
• Bai Zhu shares a heartfelt farewell with Hannah and Gelo, offering them money before announcing his plan to take the Hunter Exam.
• Gelo rejects the money but strongly supports Bai Zhu’s decision to pursue a larger life.
• Hannah’s recollection of outsiders attending the Creation Society gives Bai Zhu his next lead: Ella is likely connected to the church but may not be a local resident.

Chapter Summary: “Pleasure Across Different Genders”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After failing to get more information from Aunt Hannah, Bai Zhu returns to the old house, changes into inconspicuous clothing, and goes to the Creation Society’s church service.
• He hopes that observing the church—or using the system—will reveal the identity of “Ella.”
• At the church, Bai Zhu deliberately sits beside Milluki Zoldyck, teasing him and pretending they are already friends.
• He notices Milluki releasing small metal insects, including a cockroach-shaped device, to scout the church. Bai Zhu recognizes their usefulness and proposes working together.
• Illumi appears beside Milluki in the form of a beautiful young woman. Although disguised, he speaks with his usual male voice and openly rejects Bai Zhu’s offer, calling him too weak.
• Bai Zhu provocatively asks whether Illumi’s ability allows him to experience pleasure through different genders. The inappropriate question creates an extremely tense atmosphere and triggers Illumi’s killing intent.
• Bai Zhu subtly prepares to defend himself with electricity but avoids a fight by reminding Illumi that they are in a church and by revealing that he has important information.
• A group of very young children dressed in white robes enters the hall. Bai Zhu identifies them as the children he previously mentioned.
• Illumi uses Gyo and discovers that every child possesses Nen. Their Nen is chaotic and untrained, yet nearly identical in nature, suggesting an unnatural shared origin.
• Intrigued, Illumi asks what else Bai Zhu knows. Bai Zhu insists that Illumi agree to cooperate first.
• Illumi accepts, and the two agree to discuss the matter at Bai Zhu’s residence after the service.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: Continues to display boldness, shameless humor, and calculated provocation. Despite appearing carefree, he carefully observes Milluki’s abilities, keeps a defensive technique ready, and uses the children as leverage to force Illumi into cooperation.
• Illumi: Initially dismisses Bai Zhu as weak and refuses to cooperate, but his attitude changes sharply after seeing the children’s abnormal Nen. His curiosity and concern override his hostility, leading him to accept Bai Zhu’s proposal.
• Milluki: Remains uncomfortable and frightened by Bai Zhu’s behavior. He is caught between Bai Zhu and Illumi during the confrontation and recognizes that Bai Zhu is far more dangerous—and irrational—than he first appeared.

Significant Themes

• Provocation as strategy: Bai Zhu’s outrageous remarks are not merely comedic; they are used to test Illumi’s temperament, disrupt his control, and gain psychological leverage.
• Hidden strength beneath appearances: Bai Zhu looks relaxed and unserious, but his awareness and concealed electrical ability reveal that he is prepared for violence.
• Abnormality and manufactured identity: The children’s nearly identical Nen suggests experimentation, artificial creation, or a shared supernatural source, challenging the normal individuality of Nen abilities.
• Cooperation among dangerous individuals: The chapter establishes an uneasy alliance built not on trust, but on mutual usefulness and access to valuable information.
• Disguise and perception: Illumi’s female appearance contrasts with his male voice and identity, reinforcing the chapter’s focus on gender, appearance, and the difference between outward form and inner nature.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu annoys Milluki by forcing familiarity and physically draping an arm around him, while secretly inspecting his hand for signs of stress or transformation.
• He compliments Milluki’s mechanical insects and attempts to recruit both brothers.
• Bai Zhu and Illumi engage in a tense verbal duel: Illumi threatens him indirectly through his killing intent, while Bai Zhu counters with insolence, hidden readiness, and information.
• The children’s arrival shifts the balance of the conversation. Illumi becomes genuinely interested, and Bai Zhu successfully turns their confrontation into a negotiated partnership.

Chapter Summary: “Illumi, Your Waist Is So Soft”

Key Plot Points and Events

• During a baptism ceremony in a small chapel, Bai Zhu observes the female believers and notices that several pregnant women carry fetuses with Nen, despite the mothers themselves being ordinary people.
• One particular pregnant woman attracts attention: she has a cross tattoo hidden on her hand, appears deeply conflicted, and carries a fetus whose Nen is far stronger than the others.
• Bai Zhu suspects that the woman is connected to the unusual phenomenon being investigated. Illumi also senses the fetus’s abnormal Nen.
• Bai Zhu, Illumi, and Milluki leave the chapel and wait outside for the woman and her husband. Bai Zhu explains that the woman’s religious background, marriage to a seemingly fanatical man, and the tattoo suggest she may have been deceived or coerced.
• Bai Zhu raises the possibility that the Nen-bearing fetuses are “outsiders,” beings born with unusual origins—an implication that unsettles Illumi because it reminds him of the strange creature hidden within his own family.
• After the couple exits the chapel, the husband forcibly drags the pale and weakened woman into a nearby alley. Bai Zhu and the Zoldyck brothers follow.
• To avoid looking suspicious while pursuing the couple through the narrow alley, Bai Zhu suddenly embraces Illumi’s disguised female body and pretends they are an intimate couple. His action nearly provokes Illumi into attacking him.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu demonstrates sharp observational skills and quickly connects the pregnant women’s Nen to the church’s hidden secrets. He is curious, impulsive, irreverent, and willing to take absurd risks, even using physical intimacy with Illumi as a disguise.
• Illumi remains cold, cautious, and highly suspicious. His interest in the pregnant woman grows once Bai Zhu points out the connection between unborn Nen users and “outsiders.” His restrained reaction shows that the subject touches on personal and potentially dangerous family secrets.
• Milluki acts as comic relief but also contributes through his mechanical inventions. He is easily distracted by food and gadgets, refuses to lend Bai Zhu his dangerous mechanical insect, and relies on Illumi’s strength to deter Bai Zhu.
• The pregnant woman is portrayed as frightened, conflicted, and physically weakened after the baptism, suggesting that she may be a victim rather than a willing participant.
• Her husband appears fanatically devoted to the church, muttering hymns and dragging his wife away by force, making him increasingly suspicious.

Significant Themes

• Hidden abnormality beneath ordinary appearances: The chapel seems conventional, but the unborn children’s Nen reveals an unnatural phenomenon.
• Religious coercion and manipulation: The woman’s cross tattoo, marriage to a supposed heretic, distress, and forced movement suggest deception, indoctrination, or abuse.
• Outsiders and forbidden origins: Bai Zhu’s comments connect the unborn Nen users to beings outside ordinary humanity, echoing secrets within Illumi’s family.
• Disguise and performance: The characters use false appearances and staged behavior to investigate without being detected. Bai Zhu’s improvised “romantic couple” act blurs the line between strategy and provocation.
• Tension between curiosity and caution: Bai Zhu’s reckless curiosity contrasts with Illumi’s controlled vigilance, creating both danger and humor.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu teases Milluki by offering him chocolate and calling him “Chubby,” while Milluki happily accepts the candy but refuses to share his mechanical insect.
• Illumi repeatedly restrains Milluki and watches Bai Zhu closely, clearly distrustful of Bai Zhu’s intentions and methods.
• Bai Zhu deliberately provokes Illumi by discussing “outsiders,” then later places an arm around Illumi’s disguised waist without warning.
• Illumi’s violent Nen aura erupts in response, while Milluki assumes Bai Zhu is about to be killed.
• Bai Zhu urgently explains that the embrace is only a cover for following the couple, but Illumi’s silent, deadly stare suggests that the danger has not passed.

Chapter Summary

Bai Zhu celebrates earning an achievement for teasing Illumi, but his triumph is cut short when the couple he and the Zoldyck brothers were pursuing escapes in a battered Beetle. He immediately gives chase across the snow-covered rooftops, relying on his Reiatsu to move at high speed.
Illumi initially appears ready to pursue him, but Milluki reveals that he secretly planted a tracking device—“Fly No. 1”—on Bai Zhu’s collar. The brothers therefore have no need to follow Bai Zhu directly. Realizing he has been tricked into exhausting himself, Bai Zhu stops on a rooftop and waits angrily for them to catch up.
Hours later, Illumi and Milluki arrive. Bai Zhu, furious at being made to look foolish, grabs and pinches Milluki’s cheeks. Milluki complains that Bai Zhu ran too quickly for him to explain the plan and admits that he and Illumi stopped to eat before coming after him. Illumi silently watches the exchange, apparently allowing Bai Zhu to punish Milluki.
Milluki shows Bai Zhu the tracking device’s location: the fugitives are at a farm in the next town, more than twenty kilometers away. Instead of walking, the group uses an extraordinary black sedan belonging to Milluki. The vehicle has no conventional steering wheel; it is controlled with a game controller, while its windshield functions as a giant screen. Its interior is filled with expensive anime and mecha collectibles.
Bai Zhu is overwhelmed by envy and admiration, recognizing the car as the ultimate otaku dream. The system rewards him with a hidden achievement for riding in a “running collectible figure,” further strengthening his reverence for Milluki, whom he jokingly regards as the “god of otaku culture.”
Milluki drives using the controller while simultaneously playing a racing game displayed on the enormous screen. The car races through the streets at over 300 kilometers per hour, performing dangerous drifts and maneuvers. Bai Zhu is initially terrified but soon becomes exhilarated, even asking whether Milluki would sell the technology. Milluki angrily refuses to be distracted while attempting to beat his racing record. Illumi remains completely calm beside Bai Zhu despite the reckless speed, reinforcing his unnerving, inhuman composure.
The car abruptly stops at the farm, throwing Bai Zhu forward. The racing display changes into numerous surveillance feeds transmitted by the mechanical flies. The screens show the surrounding farm, barns, fields, and snowy landscape, setting up the brothers’ approach toward the tracked targets.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Bai Zhu: Remains impulsive, shameless, and quick-tempered, but also deeply enthusiastic about otaku technology. His embarrassment over being tricked turns into admiration once he sees Milluki’s vehicle and collectibles.
• Illumi: His false identity as a beautiful married woman remains intact, but his cold, dangerous nature is evident. He silently permits Bai Zhu to pinch Milluki and shows complete calm during the high-speed drive.
• Milluki: Demonstrates his planning, technical skill, and mischievous streak by secretly tracking Bai Zhu and enjoying his confusion. His otaku interests and technological genius are emphasized through the customized car.
• Bai Zhu and Milluki: Their relationship is openly antagonistic but playful. Bai Zhu physically teases and reprimands Milluki, while Milluki insults him back and refuses to indulge his requests.
• Bai Zhu and Illumi: Bai Zhu remains fascinated by Illumi’s appearance and intimidated by his aura, while Illumi observes Bai Zhu with detached menace.

Significant Themes

• Otaku culture and technological extravagance: Milluki’s wealth allows him to turn a car into both a gaming system and a mobile collection display, embodying the chapter’s comedic celebration of obsessive fandom.
• Pride and humiliation: Bai Zhu’s reckless pursuit exposes his overconfidence, as the brothers have already outsmarted him with a tracker.
• Danger as entertainment: The high-speed drive transforms a life-threatening situation into an exhilarating thrill ride.
• Power and competence: Milluki’s hidden preparation and advanced technology contrast with Bai Zhu’s impulsive behavior, while Illumi’s calmness highlights his superior control and frightening nature.

Chapter Summary: “A Handsome, Harmless Traveler”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu, Milluki, and Illumi locate a farmhouse in a snowstorm using mechanical surveillance spiders.
• Milluki detects two people inside: a powerful, emotionally unstable male Nen user and a critically weakened individual. His first mechanical spider is destroyed by a Nen-based interference field surrounding the farmhouse.
• Illumi suggests forcing entry and killing the male target quickly, but Bai Zhu objects, arguing that they need information rather than corpses.
• Bai Zhu devises a deception plan: he will pretend to be a stranded, freezing traveler seeking shelter, while Milluki sends an upgraded mechanical spider inside once the door opens. Illumi will remain outside as backup.
• Illumi silently accepts the plan, surprising Milluki and suggesting that he finds Bai Zhu unusually interesting.
• Bai Zhu disguises his appearance and behavior, acting weak, cold, and harmless as he approaches the farmhouse.
• He knocks and claims that his car broke down and that he needs warmth or access to a phone. After a long hesitation, Pige Aaron opens the door and allows him inside.
• Aaron threatens Bai Zhu, but Bai Zhu flatters him and successfully lowers his suspicion.
• Just as Bai Zhu begins preparing to question Aaron, Ella emerges from the inner room. She reacts with sudden fear upon seeing Bai Zhu, avoiding his gaze and implying that she recognizes him or has some significant connection to him.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu demonstrates his preference for manipulation and strategy over direct violence. He is confident in his acting abilities and skillfully adopts the persona of a helpless traveler.
• Milluki remains sarcastic and skeptical of Bai Zhu, but cooperates with his plan by preparing an advanced surveillance spider. His reaction to Bai Zhu ordering Illumi reveals both disbelief and unease.
• Illumi continues to appear emotionless and detached, yet he accepts Bai Zhu’s instructions without protest. His unusual interest in Bai Zhu suggests growing curiosity or amusement.
• Pige Aaron is established as physically powerful, dangerous, and suspicious, but also susceptible to flattery. Bai Zhu’s performance successfully causes him to relax his guard.
• Ella appears frail and frightened. Her immediate reaction to Bai Zhu—shock, avoidance, and anxiety—creates a mystery surrounding her past and her relationship to him.

Significant Themes

• Deception and performance: Bai Zhu treats the encounter like a carefully staged performance, using body language, timing, and flattery to appear harmless.
• Violence versus information-gathering: The contrast between Illumi’s efficient willingness to kill and Bai Zhu’s preference for infiltration emphasizes different approaches to solving problems.
• Control and manipulation: Bai Zhu manipulates Aaron’s perceptions, while the Nen interference field and mechanical spiders represent competing forms of surveillance and control.
• Unexpected alliances and trust: Bai Zhu confidently gives orders to the Zoldyck brothers, and Illumi’s willingness to follow them suggests a developing, unconventional cooperation.
• Hidden identities and recognition: Ella’s fear of Bai Zhu hints that appearances may conceal important connections or past events.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu argues with Milluki over the value of the car and later dismisses his doubts about the infiltration plan.
• He assigns roles to both brothers, boldly instructing Milluki to deploy the surveillance spider and Illumi to intervene if negotiations fail.
• Illumi’s quiet compliance contrasts with Milluki’s disbelief, highlighting the brothers’ differing responses to Bai Zhu.
• Bai Zhu deceives Pige Aaron by presenting himself as weak, helpless, and grateful. Aaron responds to the performance by allowing him inside and lowering his defenses.
• Ella’s appearance abruptly changes the situation: unlike Aaron, she reacts to Bai Zhu with immediate fear, ending the chapter on a significant cliffhanger.

Chapter Summary: “I Believe in Light”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu arrives at Pige Aaron and Ella’s isolated farm during a severe snowstorm, pretending to be a harmless, desperate traveler who only wants warmth and hot water.
• He deliberately exaggerates his shivering, discomfort, and gratitude to lower Pige Aaron’s suspicion. Although Aaron initially refuses to let him inside, Ella hears the exchange and persuades her husband to admit him.
• Bai Zhu enters the inner room, where he notices Ella is visibly ill and pregnant. He also observes her reaction carefully, recognizing that she may be more perceptive—or less committed to the couple’s beliefs—than Aaron.
• Outside, Milluki’s mechanical spider secretly enters through the door and transmits the scene to the car, allowing Milluki and Illumi to monitor Bai Zhu’s infiltration.
• Aaron questions Bai Zhu about his identity and how he became stranded. Bai Zhu claims to have come from Sankara Town while traveling to Percy Town, explaining that his car broke down and the blizzard caused him to become lost.
• Aaron then shifts the conversation to the church in Sankara and the Creation Society. Bai Zhu claims he attended a service that day but left before the baptism, giving a truthful explanation that reassures Aaron because it matches Aaron’s memory.
• When asked whether he believes in the Creation Society, Bai Zhu pretends to be uncertain and claims that he “believes in light,” humorously identifying this as Tiga, the Ultraman from the M78 Nebula.
• Aaron does not understand the reference but assumes Bai Zhu may be considering conversion to the Creation Society. His suspicion fades, and he begins viewing Bai Zhu as a potential recruit.
• Bai Zhu says that a church member named Ahong has already spoken with him about changing his faith, reinforcing the impression that he is spiritually conflicted rather than hostile.
• In the car, Milluki is genuinely confused by the invented “Tiga” mythology and asks Illumi about it. Illumi immediately realizes Bai Zhu is improvising nonsense, leaving Milluki embarrassed.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: Demonstrates strong improvisational ability, emotional control, and skill at manipulating others. He carefully adjusts his performance to appear frightened, grateful, sincere, and spiritually conflicted. He also notices Ella’s subtle physical reaction, suggesting that he is gathering information beyond what he openly reveals.
• Pige Aaron: Begins as highly suspicious and protective, especially because Ella is pregnant. Bai Zhu’s convincing story and apparent familiarity with the church gradually disarm him. Aaron’s fanaticism becomes clear when he eagerly discusses the Creation Society and interprets Bai Zhu’s fabricated beliefs as evidence of possible conversion.
• Ella: Appears physically weak and increasingly haggard, but she remains compassionate enough to insist that Bai Zhu be allowed inside. Her slight stiffening when Bai Zhu mentions attending the church hints at hidden emotions, doubts, or fear.
• Milluki: Provides comic relief through his credulous confusion over Bai Zhu’s invented references. His reaction also highlights the absurdity of Bai Zhu’s deception.
• Illumi: Remains detached and observant, instantly recognizing that “Tiga” is fabricated. His blunt comment exposes Milluki’s gullibility.

Significant Themes

• Deception and performance: Bai Zhu’s survival depends on acting convincingly. His exaggerated helplessness and carefully chosen responses allow him to manipulate Aaron without directly confronting him.
• Faith and fanaticism: Aaron interprets Bai Zhu’s vague spiritual uncertainty through the lens of his own religious obsession, revealing how fanatics can reshape ambiguous information to fit their beliefs.
• Light versus darkness: Bai Zhu’s claim that he believes in “light” is both a joke and a strategic disguise. It contrasts the seemingly sinister or coercive Creation Society with an idealized symbol of heroism.
• Observation and hidden motives: Bai Zhu watches Ella and Aaron for clues while Milluki and Illumi observe him remotely. Nearly every character is assessing someone else, creating layers of surveillance and suspicion.
• Compassion amid danger: Ella’s willingness to help a stranger contrasts with Aaron’s distrust and suggests that she may retain moral independence despite her connection to the church.

Important Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Pige Aaron: Their conversation is a psychological contest. Aaron interrogates Bai Zhu for inconsistencies, while Bai Zhu feeds him carefully constructed answers that turn suspicion into trust.
• Bai Zhu and Ella: Ella’s intervention grants Bai Zhu access to the house. Bai Zhu studies her condition and notices her subtle reaction when the church is mentioned, suggesting future significance.
• Bai Zhu and the Creation Society: Bai Zhu presents himself as a possible convert while secretly using the group’s beliefs to infiltrate the household.
• Milluki and Illumi: Milluki’s confusion over Tiga leads to a humorous exchange in which Illumi dismisses his brother for failing to recognize an obvious lie.

Chapter Summary: “Can Your God Make Me Rich?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu notices Pige Aaron’s interest in the name “Tiga” and launches into an elaborate, improvised-sounding explanation of the “Land of Light,” describing the M78 Nebula, the Giants of Light, the Father and Mother of Ultra, and the Four Mysterious Ultras.
• He dramatically claims that Tiga was the first light to pierce the universe’s primordial chaos. This directly contradicts Pige Aaron’s belief that the Creation God is the universe’s only source of light.
• Pige Aaron reacts violently, denouncing Bai Zhu’s beliefs as heresy and threatening to burn believers in them.
• Bai Zhu deliberately mocks him by asking whether the Creation God can bless him and make him rich, leaving Pige Aaron momentarily speechless.
• Milluki and Illumi monitor the confrontation through a mechanical spider. Milluki is amused and worried by Bai Zhu’s boldness, while Illumi analyzes Bai Zhu’s performance and concludes that he is probably adapting a story from a book rather than truly believing it.
• Pige Aaron’s Nen aura erupts as his anger escalates. His pregnant wife, Ella, begs him not to attack Bai Zhu.
• Bai Zhu shifts his attention to Ella, criticizing Aaron for allowing his pregnant wife to live in poor conditions and claiming that his own “Holy Light Doctrine” teaches devotion to one’s wife and children.
• These words strike at the core of Aaron’s religious convictions. Enraged by what he sees as an attack on his sacred mission, his unborn child, and his faith, Aaron declares that Bai Zhu will die.
• The surveillance device breaks down before the fight begins. Illumi refuses to intervene, wanting to observe Bai Zhu’s abilities and see whether Aaron is strong enough to force him to reveal them.
• Rather than retreat, Bai Zhu steps in front of Ella, protects her, and openly provokes Aaron into fighting, questioning whether the Creation Society welcomes guests by threatening them.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: Demonstrates exceptional confidence, theatrical skill, psychological insight, and control over his emotions and body. He intentionally provokes Aaron to test him while secretly preparing Reiatsu and Kidō. His concern for Ella may be partly strategic, but he also presents himself as a defender of the vulnerable.
• Pige Aaron: Changes from an initially curious listener into a fanatical and unstable aggressor. His identity and purpose are deeply tied to the Creation God, sacred love, and his unborn child, making him especially vulnerable to Bai Zhu’s provocations.
• Ella: Appears physically weak and frightened, but begins to view Bai Zhu with admiration. His independence from the Creation Society makes her see him as spiritually strong and possibly capable of resisting the forces controlling her life.
• Illumi: Remains calm and analytical, treating the confrontation as an experiment. His interest in Bai Zhu grows, and he deliberately allows the fight to proceed so Bai Zhu’s true strength can be exposed.
• Milluki: Provides a humorous, incredulous reaction to Bai Zhu’s recklessness while also recognizing that Bai Zhu’s invented mythology is unusually detailed and convincing.

Significant Themes

• Faith versus mockery: Bai Zhu challenges Aaron’s absolute religious certainty by presenting an alternative mythology and refusing to treat Aaron’s beliefs with reverence.
• Manipulation and psychological warfare: Bai Zhu uses storytelling, sarcasm, and targeted insults to control the emotional atmosphere and provoke Aaron into revealing his strength.
• Religious fanaticism: Aaron’s faith has become inseparable from his identity, causing him to respond to disagreement as though it were a mortal threat.
• Performance and deception: Bai Zhu’s “preaching” is an act, yet he performs it so convincingly that even observers question whether he is inventing it. The chapter emphasizes his ability to disguise his true intentions.
• Protection and moral authority: By standing between Aaron and Ella, Bai Zhu positions himself as a protector and contrasts his claimed doctrine of compassion with Aaron’s violent behavior.
• Testing strength: Illumi and Bai Zhu both treat the confrontation as an opportunity to measure power—Illumi by observing, and Bai Zhu by provoking Aaron into combat.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Pige Aaron: Their conversation escalates from curious religious discussion to open blasphemy, personal insult, and an imminent physical confrontation.
• Bai Zhu and Ella: Bai Zhu speaks directly to Ella about her suffering and pregnancy, gaining her sympathy while using her situation to further anger Aaron.
• Illumi and Milluki: They watch and comment on the encounter. Milluki worries about Bai Zhu’s safety, while Illumi remains detached and interested in the fight’s potential to reveal Bai Zhu’s abilities.
• Illumi and Bai Zhu: Although they do not interact directly in the scene, Illumi’s decision to let Bai Zhu fight shows that he views Bai Zhu as both a dangerous unknown and a subject worthy of investigation.

Chapter Summary: “Bakudo #4”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Pige Aaron suddenly attacks Bai Zhu inside the farmhouse, channeling all of his Nen into a devastating punch aimed at Bai Zhu’s face.
• Ella, terrified, hides behind Bai Zhu as the attack begins.
• Outside, Milluki and Illumi observe the confrontation through a screen. Milluki worries that Aaron may kill Bai Zhu and ruin their agreement, while Illumi remains confident that anyone unable to defeat Aaron deserves to die.
• Illumi is especially intrigued because Bai Zhu gives off absolutely no Nen aura, even under the pressure of an intense battle. This apparent violation of Nen principles makes him curious about Bai Zhu’s fighting method.
• Aaron’s punch stops inches from Bai Zhu’s face, blocked by an invisible force. His aura is completely neutralized, and he is unable to withdraw his arm.
• Bai Zhu mocks Aaron’s strength and the Creation Society that empowered him, revealing that he is utterly unconcerned by the attack.
• Bai Zhu uses a binding spell, Bakudo #4: Hainawa, firing a tracking beam of yellow light that immobilizes Aaron, seals his Nen, and binds him tightly.
• To silence Aaron’s continued shouting, Bai Zhu stuffs one of Aaron’s smelly socks into his mouth.
• With the fight ended in seconds, Bai Zhu turns his attention back to Ella and calmly asks to discuss the “little treasure” inside her belly.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu demonstrates overwhelming power and complete confidence. His abilities operate outside the known rules of Nen, and he defeats Aaron effortlessly without showing any visible movement or aura.
• Pige Aaron shifts from a furious, overconfident attacker to a helpless and terrified prisoner. His faith in the Creation Society’s power is shaken when Bai Zhu neutralizes him with ease.
• Ella is initially paralyzed by fear but remains unharmed behind Bai Zhu. She becomes stunned by how quickly and casually he defeats Aaron.
• Illumi becomes more interested in Bai Zhu because of his inexplicable lack of Nen aura and the possibility that Bai Zhu represents something beyond conventional Nen theory.
• Milluki remains entertained and malicious but is also concerned that Aaron’s defeat could interfere with their arrangement.

Significant Themes

• Power beyond established systems: Bai Zhu’s lack of detectable aura and use of unfamiliar spiritual techniques challenge the fundamental rules of Nen.
• Overconfidence versus true strength: Aaron believes his enhanced Nen makes him formidable, but his confidence collapses when faced with Bai Zhu’s vastly superior abilities.
• Calmness versus brutality: Bai Zhu remains relaxed and even playful during a potentially lethal confrontation, contrasting sharply with Aaron’s rage and panic.
• Curiosity and hidden identity: Illumi’s observations emphasize that Bai Zhu’s origins and abilities remain mysterious, creating suspense about what he truly is.
• Protection amid danger: Bai Zhu shields Ella from harm and immediately returns to the matter of her unborn “treasure” after neutralizing the threat.

Character Interactions

• Aaron attacks Bai Zhu while Ella shelters behind him, establishing Bai Zhu as her protector.
• Illumi and Milluki discuss the fight from outside, revealing their differing attitudes: Milluki is concerned about practical consequences, while Illumi is interested in testing Bai Zhu’s limits.
• Bai Zhu taunts Aaron about his strength and his supposed divine benefactor, undermining Aaron’s faith and authority.
• After defeating Aaron, Bai Zhu reassures Ella with a gentle smile and resumes their earlier conversation, creating a striking contrast between his kindness toward her and his humiliating treatment of Aaron.

Chapter Summary: My Ability Is Called Kidō

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu prepares to deal with the captive Ella when Illumi and Milluki Zoldyck arrive during a snowstorm.
• Milluki notices Bai Zhu’s yellow Light Rope, while Illumi becomes intensely fascinated by the unfamiliar technique and Bai Zhu’s casting ability.
• To demonstrate his power, Bai Zhu binds Ella with another Light Rope despite Illumi’s threatening presence.
• Illumi touches the rope and is shocked by an energy unlike Nen. Bai Zhu explains that he calls this power Reiatsu and its techniques Kidō.
• Bai Zhu claims that his Nen underwent a fundamental transformation through an extreme Restriction and Vow: he sacrificed its limitless potential and flexibility in exchange for a fixed, highly controlled power system.
• Illumi analyzes the explanation and decides that killing Bai Zhu would be too risky. Instead, he chooses to use Bai Zhu’s information to advance their investigation into the Creation Society.
• Bai Zhu hands the interrogation of Pige Aaron over to Illumi.
• Illumi uses a Nen needle to reduce Pige Aaron to a helpless, mind-controlled state.
• Under Illumi’s questioning, Pige Aaron reveals that the “god” worshiped by the group needs children as living “containers” or sacrifices.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu demonstrates confidence, cunning, and a talent for manipulation. He deliberately provokes Illumi and fabricates a convincing explanation for his powers, presenting himself as someone who sacrificed ordinary Nen for a superior, specialized system.
• Illumi shifts from potential hostility to cautious curiosity. His inability to sense Nen from Bai Zhu makes him reassess the situation, and he chooses investigation and exploitation over immediate violence.
• Milluki remains observant but provides comic relief through his bizarre guess that Bai Zhu’s “supreme being” might be Tiga, one of the Giants of Light.
• Pige Aaron is stripped of his autonomy by Illumi’s needle technique and becomes a source of information rather than an active antagonist.
• Ella experiences devastating emotional trauma as she watches her husband become an empty puppet. Her fear and grief contrast sharply with Bai Zhu’s detached pragmatism.

Significant Themes

• Power and sacrifice: Bai Zhu’s fabricated origin story frames power as something gained by surrendering freedom, growth, and potential.
• The unknown beyond Nen: Reiatsu and Kidō challenge the Zoldycks’ established understanding of supernatural abilities and create a new source of uncertainty.
• Manipulation and performance: Bai Zhu controls the room not through force alone, but by constructing a believable narrative and exploiting the others’ assumptions.
• Professional cruelty: Illumi’s interrogation displays the terrifying efficiency of the Zoldyck family, reducing a person’s mind and will to tools.
• Faith and fanaticism: Pige Aaron’s devotion to a supposed god is revealed to be connected to the horrifying use of children as sacrifices or vessels.
• Emotional attachment versus pragmatism: Ella’s love and grief are set against Bai Zhu’s cold dismissal of her feelings and Illumi’s total lack of sympathy.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu openly provokes Illumi by casting a second Light Rope while under his oppressive presence.
• Illumi tests the rope despite Bai Zhu’s warning, confirming that it carries a dangerous energy.
• Bai Zhu presents his false explanation directly to the Zoldyck brothers, successfully influencing Illumi’s assessment of him.
• Milluki’s misunderstanding of the “supreme being” briefly undercuts the tension with humor.
• Bai Zhu and Illumi reach a practical understanding: Bai Zhu provides the captive, while Illumi conducts the interrogation.
• Illumi’s control over Pige Aaron horrifies Ella, while Bai Zhu watches with detached interest and admiration for Illumi’s skill.
• The chapter ends with the revelation that the cult’s god requires children as living containers, raising the stakes of the investigation.

Chapter Summary: “God Loves All People? Shameless!”

Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu’s interrogation of Pige Aaron has effectively become mind control. Aaron is paralyzed by Illumi’s Nen Needle and forced to answer questions mechanically.
• Bai Zhu frees Ella from her restraints and blanket, recognizing that she is frightened rather than fanatically loyal to her husband’s religion.
• Ella suffers severe abdominal pain, likely endangering her pregnancy. To keep her alive and useful to his mission, Bai Zhu uses an unfamiliar healing technique, “Kaidō No. 33: Angel’s Gaze.”
• The healing completely removes Ella’s pain and exhaustion. However, she interprets the green light and Bai Zhu’s Christian-like chant as a miracle from God, unaware that Bai Zhu caused it.
• Milluki is fascinated by Bai Zhu’s hand seals and chanting, while Illumi becomes intensely interested in the mysterious power system behind the technique.
• Illumi questions Pige Aaron about the purpose of abducting women and impregnating them. Aaron reveals that he is trying to resurrect his “Lord” or “Creation God” as a holy infant through a woman’s body.
• Aaron explains that most pregnancies fail because the women cannot withstand the child’s power. Ella is the tenth woman he has used, while his previous “wives” either escaped, were killed, or died during failed pregnancies.
• Aaron coldly admits that his affection for Ella was entirely fake. He and the other men were trained to please women only so they could impregnate them and use them as vessels.
• Once a woman gives birth or becomes physically incapable of carrying the child, she is treated as worthless.
• Ella is emotionally destroyed when she learns the truth, losing the last of her faith in her husband and relationship.
• Bai Zhu receives a major achievement reward for completing part of the “Ella’s Suffering Holy Infant” series: 50 achievement points, increasing his total to 506 and his spiritual pressure to 5060.
• Seeing Ella’s despair, Bai Zhu begins formulating a new plan and approaches her with a deceptively gentle, almost demonic smile.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: Demonstrates healing abilities and deliberately exaggerates the ritualistic presentation of his technique to make himself appear more mysterious and dangerous to Illumi. He remains manipulative and mission-focused, even exploiting Ella’s religious beliefs and suffering for strategic gain.
• Ella: Initially terrified and distrustful, she briefly regains hope after interpreting Bai Zhu’s healing as divine intervention. Aaron’s confession then shatters her faith, love, and emotional stability, leaving her vulnerable to Bai Zhu’s influence.
• Illumi: Becomes fascinated by Bai Zhu’s unfamiliar, seemingly Nen-independent power system. His curiosity develops into an unsettling desire to study Bai Zhu completely, though Bai Zhu’s displays are intended to make Illumi cautious.
• Milluki: Reacts with enthusiastic excitement to the hand seals and chanting, viewing Bai Zhu’s technique as fascinating and stylish.
• Pige Aaron: His humanity and emotional attachment are revealed to be entirely fabricated. Under Illumi’s control, he exposes the horrifying religious breeding operation without remorse.

Significant Themes

• Religious manipulation: Ella mistakes Bai Zhu’s supernatural healing for a divine miracle, showing how desperate faith can reinterpret events to preserve hope.
• Exploitation and objectification: Women are treated as disposable vessels, while pregnancy and motherhood are reduced to tools for producing a “holy” child.
• False love and manufactured devotion: Aaron’s affection was a learned technique used to control women, exposing the relationship as calculated abuse.
• Hope versus despair: Ella briefly regains hope through the perceived miracle, only to have it destroyed by the truth.
• Power and psychological control: Bai Zhu, Illumi, and Aaron each manipulate others in different ways—through healing, Nen needles, religious doctrine, or emotional conditioning.
• Self-interest beneath morality: Bai Zhu saves Ella not out of compassion, but because he needs her alive for his mission, highlighting his pragmatic and morally ambiguous nature.

Important Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu attempts to distinguish Ella from her husband’s fanaticism and urges her to listen to Aaron’s revelations.
• Bai Zhu heals Ella, unintentionally strengthening her belief that God has not abandoned her.
• Milluki excitedly comments on Bai Zhu’s technique, while Illumi silently analyzes it and becomes more intrigued by Bai Zhu.
• Illumi interrogates Aaron about the cult’s objectives, and Bai Zhu follows up by forcing Aaron to detail the deaths of previous women.
• Ella confronts Aaron about whether his love was genuine; Aaron’s emotionless confession destroys her psychologically.
• Bai Zhu approaches the broken Ella at the end, preparing to manipulate her despair for the next stage of his plan.

Chapter Summary: “Women Addled by Love Are the Most Troublesome”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Pige Aaron is exposed as the tenth husband in a scheme run by the Creation Society. He was created to seduce women, impregnate them, and inherit their wealth after their bodies failed.
• Under Illumi’s Nen control, Aaron reveals that Ella’s pregnancy will likely kill her within four months, just as it did his previous nine “wives.”
• Bai Zhu presents Ella with two choices: die while continuing to trust Aaron and the Creation Society, or cooperate with them and survive long enough to seek revenge.
• Bai Zhu challenges Ella’s belief that she betrayed God by marrying Aaron. He argues that her real mistake was surrendering her judgment to a man who manipulated her.
• Ella asks where Aaron’s previous wives were buried, then decisively chooses to live and make those responsible pay for their crimes.
• The group devises a plan to infiltrate the Creation Society. Aaron will be returned as though he is reporting Ella’s medical crisis, while Illumi disguises himself as Ella.
• Milluki equips Aaron and Illumi with surveillance spiders so he can monitor the operation remotely and respond if something goes wrong.
• Ella burns the silver cross necklace she carried from home, symbolically rejecting her former dependence on faith, family expectations, and Aaron. She declares that she will control her own life.
• Bai Zhu activates a system achievement for protecting Ella, uncovering the Creation Society’s resurrection ritual, and gaining her trust. He receives achievement points and unlocks a new Kidō draw.

Character Developments

• Ella: Undergoes the chapter’s major transformation. Her heartbreak and horror initially leave her emotionally shattered, but Bai Zhu’s blunt honesty restores her ability to think independently. She abandons passive devotion, chooses survival, and develops a determined desire for revenge.
• Bai Zhu: Acts as both psychological manipulator and practical strategist. Though his words are cruel, he helps Ella recognize the truth and deliberately redirects her religious guilt into resistance against her abusers. He also takes charge of the infiltration plan.
• Pige Aaron: Is revealed to be a disposable tool rather than a genuine husband. Under Illumi’s control, he provides information and becomes part of the group’s strategy to trace the Creation Society.
• Illumi: Remains cold and efficient, preferring direct elimination, but accepts Bai Zhu’s argument that the mission requires investigation rather than slaughter. He uses his transformation ability to impersonate Ella.
• Milluki: Provides technical support through surveillance devices and contributes comic relief. His concern for the equipment and his absurd threat to blow up the building highlight his eccentric but useful role.

Significant Themes

• Blind faith versus independent judgment: Ella’s religious devotion and belief in “true love” allowed others to exploit her. The chapter argues that faith should not replace reason or self-protection.
• Exploitation and commodification: The Creation Society treats women as reproductive vessels and Aaron as a manufactured instrument, exposing a system built on control, reproduction, and inheritance.
• Rebirth through suffering: Ella’s emotional collapse becomes the beginning of a new identity. Burning the cross represents the death of her old dependence and the birth of self-determination.
• Revenge and justice: Ella moves from victimhood toward active resistance, seeking justice for herself and the nine women who died before her.
• Strategy over violence: Although Illumi favors killing the enemy immediately, Bai Zhu emphasizes infiltration and information-gathering, showing that long-term objectives require restraint.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Ella: Their confrontation is the emotional center of the chapter. Bai Zhu harshly exposes Aaron’s deception and reframes Ella’s guilt, pushing her toward independent thought and cooperation.
• Illumi and Pige Aaron: Illumi controls Aaron with a Nen needle, forcing him to answer questions and later directing his movements for the infiltration.
• Bai Zhu and Illumi: Bai Zhu persuades Illumi not to kill everyone, arguing that the Creation Society is necessary to locate the organization’s “god” and uncover the truth.
• Milluki and Illumi: Milluki jokes about Bai Zhu seeming more villainous than Illumi, while Illumi dryly acknowledges Bai Zhu’s superior skill with words.
• Milluki and Bai Zhu: Their banter provides comic relief, especially when Milluki worries about his surveillance spiders and threatens to destroy the building if communication is lost.
• Ella and Aaron: Their relationship is completely recontextualized. The man she once loved is revealed as a manufactured predator, and Ella’s former affection turns into hatred and determination.

Chapter Summary: “Underground Hospital”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu’s group disguises Illumi as Ella, making him appear heavily pregnant and physically distressed, while Pige Aaron is made to look broken and unstable. Their plan is to infiltrate the Creation Society’s church in Sankara Town.
• Illumi convincingly imitates Ella’s appearance, voice, body language, and even chaotic “pregnancy aura.” The group travels on foot through the snow so their disheveled condition will seem more believable.
• At the church, a Nen-using priest questions them. Illumi’s performance as a frightened, exhausted pregnant woman convinces the priest that they are genuine. The priest even slaps Pige Aaron for allowing the “vessel” to wander.
• The priest leads them through a hidden passage beneath a statue into an elevator descending to a massive underground facility.
• The facility is revealed to be a secret hospital and breeding/processing center containing hundreds of women held in glass compartments. They are treated as numbered “vessels,” connected to medical equipment and subjected to experiments, pregnancies, and baptisms.
• A silver-robed bishop examines Illumi’s disguise and orders “Ella” taken to the purification room for observation and holy-water baptism before the Holy Advent Ritual in three days.
• From the motel, Milluki hacks into the facility’s network and discovers records documenting the women’s ages, pregnancies, baptisms, mental states, and fates. Many are marked “processed” and “recycled as nutrients.”
• Horrified and enraged, the real Ella declares that she wants to kill the cult members herself. Bai Zhu accepts her resolve and begins planning a larger operation—not merely an assassination, but a public disruption of the cult’s sacred ritual.
• Meanwhile, the Creation Society’s mysterious Elder observes surveillance footage of Ella. He senses unusual resilience in her soul and orders that she be brought to him rather than eliminated.

Character Developments

• Illumi: Demonstrates extraordinary control over his body, Nen, voice, and expressions. His performance as Ella is so convincing that even trained cult members are deceived. His ability to imitate vulnerability contrasts sharply with his usual detached personality.
• Bai Zhu: Shifts from playful director and strategist to a serious revolutionary planner after witnessing the facility’s atrocities. He supports Ella’s desire for revenge and decides to challenge the cult publicly by exposing the failure of its supposed “miracle.”
• Milluki: Acts as cameraman, hacker, and technical support while becoming increasingly disturbed by what he discovers. His jokes and professionalism mask genuine horror at the scale of the operation.
• Ella: Moves from traumatized observer to someone openly determined to retaliate. Although she still shows complicated feelings toward Pige Aaron, her anger toward the Creation Society becomes clear and focused.
• Pige Aaron: Remains part of the disguise and is physically abused by the priest, reinforcing his apparent helplessness and the danger of the infiltration.
• The Elder: Is introduced as a powerful and sinister figure connected to a black crystal and a large Nen network. His interest in Ella suggests that she may possess unusual spiritual or Nen-related significance.

Significant Themes

• Dehumanization and exploitation: The women are reduced to numbers, vessels, and resources, revealing the Creation Society’s extreme cruelty.
• Performance and identity: Illumi’s ability to become “Ella” demonstrates how identity can be constructed through appearance, behavior, and Nen.
• Faith versus manipulation: The cult uses religious language—“holy infants,” “purification,” and “blessing”—to disguise medical abuse and mass murder.
• Trauma transformed into resistance: Ella’s suffering and discovery of the hospital turn her from a victim into someone seeking direct revenge.
• Public truth versus hidden power: Bai Zhu plans to attack the cult’s “miracle” in front of its followers, suggesting that exposing corruption may be more damaging than killing individual leaders.
• Scientific horror beneath religious ritual: The underground hospital combines medicine, Nen, and ritualized violence, presenting the cult as both a religious institution and a biological processing system.

Important Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu praises Illumi’s acting, while Milluki complains about his brother’s disturbing realism; their banter provides comic relief amid the increasingly grim situation.
• The priest treats Pige Aaron with contempt and strikes him, while Illumi protects the disguise by acting frightened and dependent.
• The bishop inspects “Ella” as though she were an object, emphasizing the cult’s view of women as containers rather than people.
• Ella silently reacts to Pige Aaron’s abuse, showing that despite everything, her feelings toward him remain complicated.
• Ella tells Bai Zhu she wants to kill the perpetrators. Instead of dismissing her, he validates her determination and incorporates it into his plan.
• The Elder’s decision to claim Ella personally creates a new threat and suggests that her role in the coming ritual may be more important than the group realizes.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Illumi, disguised as “Ella” and posing as a pregnant vessel, is taken into a purification room by the Church’s nurses. He secretly detects a highly dangerous Nen user monitoring him through a thin, compressed Nen thread.
• Illumi sends Milluki a concealed signal warning that a top-tier Nen user is inside the facility.
• At the inn outside Sankara Town, Milluki panics and nearly detonates the Mechanical Spiders planted around the Church. Bai Zhu stops him, reasoning that an explosion would expose and endanger Illumi rather than save him.
• Bai Zhu concludes that the unknown enemy is probably around Silva Zoldyck’s level or slightly weaker, since Illumi has not yet fled. The group realizes Illumi is still investigating because he believes there is room to maneuver.
• The Church’s bishop orders “Ella” to be taken to the facility’s core, despite her incomplete purification. The signal from the hidden surveillance devices begins to be jammed, and Milluki discovers that Illumi is being led toward a sealed Stone Gate where the Church’s mysterious “old monster” resides.
• Bai Zhu reveals his strategy: Illumi’s infiltration will expose the enemy, while the real Ella will act as bait. The Church wants the supposedly perfect vessel, and the old monster will likely realize that Illumi is an impostor once he reaches the core.
• Although Milluki protests that this plan is suicidal, Ella agrees to serve as bait in order to save the other women being held in glass chambers—and possibly herself.
• Bai Zhu takes six miniature explosive reconnaissance devices from Milluki and prepares to enter the Church. Illumi passes through the Stone Gate into the dark core area, while Bai Zhu sets out to create a disturbance at the Church’s entrance.

Character Developments

• Illumi: Maintains his disguise under extreme pressure and demonstrates his skill by detecting the hidden Nen surveillance and communicating through tiny, controlled movements. His decision to remain in place shows confidence that the threat is powerful but not unbeatable.
• Milluki: Initially reacts emotionally, nearly detonating the Mechanical Spiders to save Illumi. Bai Zhu’s reasoning forces him to control his panic and think strategically. Despite his fear, he continues supporting the mission with equipment and technical expertise.
• Bai Zhu: Acts as the group’s calm strategist. He is willing to make morally harsh decisions, including using Ella as bait, but his goal is to maximize the chances of survival and expose the enemy. His own brief panic reveals that his composure is partly an act.
• Ella: Moves from fear and uncertainty to determined resistance. After seeing the imprisoned women treated as experimental subjects, she chooses to risk herself rather than allow them to die. Her hatred of the Church becomes an active source of resolve.
• The Church’s bishop and nurses: Show complete disregard for the vessels’ humanity, treating them as disposable containers for the “master.” Their actions reinforce the institution’s oppressive and ritualistic nature.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and agency: Ella is being used as bait, but she reclaims control of the decision by choosing the role herself.
• Family loyalty versus strategy: Milluki’s instinct is to save Illumi immediately, while Bai Zhu insists that reckless action could kill him. The chapter contrasts emotional loyalty with calculated resistance.
• Dehumanization: The women in the glass chambers are treated as numbered test subjects, emphasizing the Church’s exploitation of human bodies.
• Fear and composure: Nearly everyone is afraid, but survival depends on concealing fear and making rational decisions under pressure.
• Deception and identity: Illumi’s false identity as Ella is central to the plan, while the genuine Ella must eventually be revealed as the “perfect vessel.”
• Risk as resistance: The protagonists can only challenge the Church by entering its most dangerous territory and turning its own expectations against it.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu restrains Milluki from detonating the Mechanical Spiders and argues that panic would put Illumi in greater danger.
• Milluki challenges Bai Zhu’s calm demeanor, correctly noticing that Bai Zhu was also nervous despite pretending otherwise.
• Ella asks Bai Zhu whether he would kill her if she became a monster; his blunt answer is cruel but honest, and his promise to try to keep her alive gives her some reassurance.
• Bai Zhu explains the bait strategy to Ella, leading Milluki to accuse him of sending her to her death.
• Ella interrupts their argument and volunteers, choosing to fight for the imprisoned women.
• Milluki reluctantly equips Bai Zhu with explosives, while Illumi’s movement into the Stone Gate marks the beginning of the final stage of their plan.

Chapter Summary: “Trade Competition”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu infiltrates a church operated by the Creation Society, guided remotely by Milluki through an earpiece and miniature bee-shaped explosive reconnaissance devices.
• Milluki directs Bai Zhu away from patrols, warning him that some guards possess Nen and that the church’s security is highly disciplined despite the guards’ modest strength.
• Bai Zhu knocks out an unguarded believer, steals his robes, and disguises himself as a member of the Creation Society. He mocks the believer’s terrible hygiene but uses the uniform’s implied authority to move through the church.
• Inside the main hall, Bai Zhu joins a prayer gathering filled with townspeople and indoctrinated members. He improvises a false identity when questioned about his district, intimidating a suspicious believer by claiming that the nonexistent “District Thirty-Seven” is restricted to higher-ranking members.
• After the prayer procession ends, Bai Zhu plants five explosive reconnaissance devices throughout strategic locations, including the bell tower, choir platform, statue, underground elevator shaft, and confession booth ventilation.
• To place the sixth device on the high chandelier, Bai Zhu manipulates a young acolyte into providing a ladder. He disguises the act as religious devotion and convinces the acolyte that the Lord has removed the dust himself.
• Milluki jokes that Bai Zhu’s ability to exploit the cult’s hierarchy represents “trade competition,” since both of them are manipulating the Creation Society in different ways.
• As Bai Zhu prepares to continue toward the bell tower, interference from underground intensifies. Milluki says he is switching to his older brother’s visual feed and orders Bai Zhu not to move.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu demonstrates strong improvisational skill, confidence, and social manipulation. Although he lacks detailed knowledge of the Creation Society’s beliefs, he uses authority, vague threats, and religious language to deceive its members.
• His humor remains a key coping mechanism. He complains about the filthy disguise, mocks the cult’s prayers, and treats dangerous infiltration work with sarcastic irreverence.
• Bai Zhu also shows practical competence: he recognizes patrol patterns, exploits an isolated target, plants devices efficiently, and adapts quickly when the chandelier presents a logistical problem.
• Milluki acts as Bai Zhu’s remote handler, providing surveillance, route planning, and tactical support. He is technically skilled but irritable, defensive about his inventions, and openly treats Bai Zhu as expendable.
• Despite their constant insults, Milluki and Bai Zhu function effectively as a team. Their banter conceals mutual reliance and professional coordination.
• The Creation Society’s believers are portrayed as disciplined but heavily indoctrinated. Their unquestioning obedience makes them vulnerable to Bai Zhu’s manipulation.

Significant Themes

• Infiltration and deception: Bai Zhu succeeds not through overwhelming Nen strength but by exploiting uniforms, hierarchy, ritual, and fear.
• Cult indoctrination and institutional control: The church’s religious imagery hides an underground organization that uses prayer, hierarchy, and brainwashing to control its followers.
• Appearance versus reality: The church appears holy and respectable from the outside, while its true activities are sinister. Bai Zhu likewise appears to be an ordinary believer while secretly sabotaging the facility.
• Professional rivalry and cooperation: Milluki’s “trade competition” comment highlights the contrast between his technological methods and Bai Zhu’s improvisational, psychological approach.
• Humor amid danger: Sarcasm and absurdity relieve the tension of the mission while emphasizing Bai Zhu’s unconventional personality.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki: Their communication is marked by insults, complaints, and sarcastic remarks, but Milluki’s guidance is essential to Bai Zhu’s progress. Bai Zhu challenges Milluki’s technology while still relying on it.
• Bai Zhu and the disguised believer: Bai Zhu silently incapacitates him and steals his identity, demonstrating the ruthless practicality of the mission.
• Bai Zhu and the suspicious believer: Bai Zhu fabricates the existence of District Thirty-Seven and threatens the believer with implied institutional punishment, causing the man to retreat in fear.
• Bai Zhu and the young acolyte: Bai Zhu uses the authority of his stolen robes to command the acolyte, then reinforces the deception with invented religious wisdom.
• Milluki and Bai Zhu’s methods: Milluki recognizes that Bai Zhu’s manipulation of the cult’s members is almost as effective as his own surveillance technology, though he expresses this through mockery rather than praise.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Illumi is taken into the church’s underground core, where he observes pregnant women confined in glass chambers. Their bodies are being used as experimental vessels while their fetuses absorb “holy water” containing distorted Post-Mortem Nen.
• At the hotel, Milluki analyzes the footage and confirms that the liquid contains Nen residue likely derived from the dead. Ella realizes she would have suffered the same fate if Bai Zhu had not rescued her.
• Illumi enters the core area alone and is brought before the church’s Elder, a withered man with a black crystal embedded in his chest. The Elder tests Illumi by restraining him and injecting him with highly malignant Nen.
• Pretending to be Ella, Illumi endures the assault without revealing his identity. He secretly uses Nen Needles to isolate the foreign Nen within his body, preventing his mind from collapsing.
• The Elder misinterprets Illumi’s resistance as proof that he has “swallowed” and absorbed the Nen. He declares Illumi—identified as Number Fifteen—the first suitable vessel for the Holy Advent Ritual, replacing Number Seven.
• The Elder also orders that the mother be preserved and placed on the altar along with the “Holy Infant,” revealing that both Illumi and the fetus are intended for the ritual three days later.
• Milluki hears this through the surveillance feed and informs Bai Zhu. Bai Zhu realizes they have three days to rescue Illumi.
• From the church’s bell tower, Bai Zhu begins creating a distraction. Rather than detonating the underground levels, he strikes the massive bell, announcing that he will begin the church’s “death knell.” The chapter ends as someone rushes toward the bell tower.

Character Developments

• Illumi: Demonstrates extreme physical and psychological endurance, maintaining his disguise despite exposure to overwhelming malignant Nen. He uses careful Nen control to conceal his true capabilities and gathers crucial information about the ritual.
• Milluki: Acts as the team’s technical support and surveillance operator. Though blunt and poor at emotional comfort, he becomes visibly distressed when Illumi is threatened and works desperately to preserve the connection and save him.
• Ella: Confronts the reality of her past exploitation. Her fear and guilt begin to transform into awareness and determination, as Milluki reminds her that remaining passive will lead to more deaths.
• Bai Zhu: Shows strategic composure and quick thinking. After learning that Illumi is the chosen vessel, he focuses on the ritual’s timing and immediately begins a calculated diversion rather than recklessly destroying the underground facility.
• The Elder: Reveals himself as fanatical, manipulative, and obsessed with finding a perfect vessel for the Creation Society’s mysterious entity. His interest shifts from merely using the unborn child to exploiting both mother and fetus.

Significant Themes

• Dehumanization and exploitation: The pregnant women are reduced to numbered test subjects, their bodies treated as tools for cultivating vessels.
• Religious corruption: The church’s language of holiness, baptism, and divine will masks horrific experimentation and sacrifice.
• Resistance through self-control: Illumi survives by concealing his strength and controlling his body rather than openly fighting.
• Trauma and awakening: Ella begins to understand that she was not simply deceived romantically but deliberately processed as part of a larger system.
• Ritual versus disruption: The church relies on ceremony and order, while Bai Zhu uses the symbolic church bell to interrupt and challenge that authority.

Character Interactions

• Milluki’s harsh but honest exchange with Ella pushes her to face the situation instead of retreating into guilt.
• The Elder and Illumi engage in a psychological contest: the Elder believes he is testing and controlling Illumi, while Illumi secretly manipulates the situation and deceives him.
• Milluki and Bai Zhu coordinate remotely, with Milluki providing information and Bai Zhu translating it into an immediate rescue strategy.
• The Elder’s decision to use both the mother and fetus raises the stakes for the entire team and forces Bai Zhu to act before the scheduled ritual.

Chapter Summary: “The False Vessel and the Real Bait”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu infiltrates the Church’s bell tower and uses the Creation Society’s religious symbolism to try to deceive two guards. When one sees through him, he incapacitates both with Bakudo #4: Hainawa and close-combat attacks.
• Inside the Church, Illumi is moved from the purification area to a private ward after the elder becomes interested in him as Vessel Number Fifteen. He continues impersonating a frightened pregnant woman while secretly communicating with Milluki.
• Illumi realizes that the black crystal embedded in the elder’s chest is the source of the elder’s horrific Nen. The aura consists of countless corrupted remnants bound together by a powerful will, producing a uniquely filthy and unsettling sensation.
• The Church tests Illumi with a Fetal Breath Resonance Instrument. Since there is no real fetus, Illumi uses Nen Needles to make his abdominal muscles imitate fetal movement. The test appears successful, convincing the elder that the “Holy Infant” is alive and protecting its mother.
• The elder interprets the result as proof that Illumi’s soul remains uncorrupted because the Holy Infant resides within him. He orders the Church to begin the Pre-Sanctification Descent that same night instead of waiting three days, placing Illumi in immediate danger.
• At the hotel, Ella finally understands that she is merely a vessel and that the being inside her is not truly her child but the Church’s intended “Holy Infant.” She volunteers to reveal herself in order to draw Church personnel away and help rescue the imprisoned women.
• Milluki objects because Ella lacks Nen, combat training, and the physical ability to escape. Ella nevertheless insists that doing nothing would make her hate herself more than risking death.
• Bai Zhu proposes a double-bait strategy: Illumi acts as the false, seemingly perfect vessel inside the Church, while Ella appears at a controlled location as the supposed real source of the Holy Infant’s reaction. The Church will hopefully send forces after Ella, weakening security around the core area and creating an escape route for Illumi.
• The plan is disrupted when the elder moves the ritual forward. Bai Zhu responds by escalating his distraction: he cuts the bell’s support, detonates Exploding Mosquitoes, and causes the massive bell and the collapsing bell tower to crash toward the Church’s main hall while leaping to safety.

Character Developments

• Illumi demonstrates exceptional composure and adaptability. Despite his disgust toward the elder’s corrupted Nen, he maintains his disguise and uses precise bodily control and Nen Needles to fool the Church’s diagnostic equipment.
• Bai Zhu remains irreverent and theatrical but proves highly effective under pressure. He shifts quickly from deception to combat and chooses a deliberately destructive diversion when the Church changes its timetable.
• Milluki acts as the mission’s planner and technical coordinator. His concern for Illumi and frustration with Bai Zhu’s recklessness reveal both his loyalty and his growing anxiety as the plan deteriorates.
• Ella undergoes the chapter’s clearest emotional transformation. She moves from confusion and passive fear to accepting the truth about her pregnancy and choosing to act despite knowing she may die.
• The elder is revealed as a fanatical guardian rather than the true source of the Church’s power. He believes himself to be a “wick” preserving the Lord’s flame and becomes increasingly convinced that Illumi is the chosen vessel.
• The silver-robed bishop remains obedient and fearful, accepting the elder’s interpretations without question and reinforcing the Church’s submissive hierarchy.

Significant Themes

• False identity and manufactured belief: Illumi’s fake pregnancy and the Church’s willingness to interpret minimal evidence as divine confirmation show how belief can transform deception into “truth.”
• Sacrifice and moral responsibility: Ella understands that she cannot save everyone, but chooses action because passive survival would be morally unbearable to her.
• Control versus corruption: Illumi’s disciplined body and mind oppose the chaotic, polluted Nen contained in the elder’s crystal.
• Faith as manipulation: The Church uses religious language—“vessel,” “Holy Infant,” “Lord,” and “descent”—to justify experimentation, imprisonment, and ritual sacrifice.
• Improvisation under pressure: The protagonists’ carefully designed operation repeatedly changes as the Church reacts, forcing them to rely on quick thinking rather than a fixed plan.
• The cost of recklessness: Bai Zhu’s explosive solution highlights both his confidence and the danger his unpredictable methods pose to the entire team.

Important Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki trade sarcastic remarks, but their exchanges reveal strong operational trust and mutual concern.
• Ella and Milluki clash over her willingness to serve as bait; his anger comes from fear that she will sacrifice herself needlessly.
• Ella’s appeal to the imprisoned women forces Milluki to confront the moral stakes of their plan.
• Illumi silently communicates with Milluki through coded finger taps, showing their coordination even while separated.
• The elder and bishop embody the Church’s hierarchy: the elder interprets events with fanatical certainty, while the bishop obeys and spreads his conclusions.
• The chapter ends with Bai Zhu’s massive diversion and Milluki’s furious disbelief, leaving the rescue operation in immediate crisis as the premature ritual approaches.

Chapter Summary: “Nozarashi”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu leaps from the exploding bell tower after completing his objective inside the church. Milluki monitors the situation remotely and warns him that the fall and the enemies below could seriously injure him.
• A silver-robed bishop with powerful Nen intercepts Bai Zhu in midair, while guards surround the landing area. Bai Zhu continues joking with Milluki despite the danger.
• The system confirms that Bai Zhu has completed the mission stage “Ella’s Suffering (2/?) · Cradle of the Holy Infant.” He successfully protected Ella’s mother, uncovered part of the Creation Society’s resurrection ritual, and gained Ella’s trust.
• Bai Zhu receives Achievement Points and unlocks a new Kidō draw. He then channels Reiatsu into his Zanpakutō and dramatically shouts “Nozarashi!” while striking downward.
• The attack sends the surrounding guards flying and creates a powerful impact, establishing Bai Zhu as a serious threat. He later knocks the falling bronze bell aside, accidentally destroying a statue of the Creation Society.
• The system awards Bai Zhu a hidden achievement for using the Zanpakutō publicly and receiving a spectator’s approval. The “spectator” is revealed to be Milluki, who secretly admired the attack despite pretending otherwise.
• The bishop regroups the guards and orders the underground levels to be notified of the invasion. Milluki confirms that several people are moving upward from the elevator, while the core area and its leader remain inactive.
• Bai Zhu and Milluki decide that the bishop should be injured but not killed, since a living enemy can summon reinforcements and provide useful information.
• The bishop attacks with his staff and Nen. Bai Zhu counters with Bakudō #4: Hainawa, but the bishop dodges, causing the spell to bind another guard instead. The confrontation remains unresolved.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu demonstrates increasing confidence and creativity in battle. Though he is physically strained and lacks complete knowledge of the Zanpakutō, he effectively uses Reiatsu and theatrical intimidation to overwhelm the guards.
• His sense of humor remains central to his behavior. He jokes during a dangerous fall, invents the false identity of an “inspector from District Thirty-Seven,” and uses exaggerated protagonist-like declarations to unsettle his opponents.
• Bai Zhu also shows tactical awareness. He deliberately avoids killing the bishop, recognizing that a living enemy is more useful for drawing out information and reinforcements.
• Milluki continues acting as Bai Zhu’s remote support, tracking enemy movements and identifying threats. Although he insults Bai Zhu and denies admiration, his reaction to “Nozarashi” reveals genuine excitement and reluctant respect.
• The silver-robed bishop is established as a capable and authoritative opponent. Unlike the ordinary guards, he can evade Kidō and wield substantial Nen, making him a credible challenge.
• Ella remains mostly an observer in this section, watching the battle from the inn and representing the emotional stakes behind Bai Zhu’s mission.

Significant Themes

• Performance and perception: Bai Zhu’s dramatic sword cry and confident posture are as important psychologically as the attack itself. His enemies interpret his ordinary-looking sword as something mysterious and powerful.
• Humor amid danger: Jokes and banter contrast with the violent situation, reinforcing Bai Zhu’s irreverent personality and his partnership with Milluki.
• Trust and mission progress: The completed mission reflects Bai Zhu’s success in protecting Ella’s mother and earning Ella’s trust, showing that emotional relationships are tied directly to his larger objectives.
• Subversion of religious authority: The destruction of the Creation Society’s statue and Bai Zhu’s accusations of hypocrisy challenge the organization’s supposed holiness.
• Power through improvisation: Bai Zhu does not fully understand the Zanpakutō or his abilities, but he compensates through experimentation, Reiatsu control, bluffing, and rapid tactical decisions.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki maintain a hostile but cooperative dynamic. They trade insults constantly, yet Milluki carefully monitors Bai Zhu’s safety and provides essential battlefield intelligence.
• Bai Zhu teases Milluki after discovering that his reaction triggered the hidden achievement, calling attention to Milluki’s concealed admiration.
• Bai Zhu and the bishop engage in ideological and verbal opposition as well as combat. The bishop condemns Bai Zhu’s abilities as “heretical sorcery,” while Bai Zhu mocks the Creation Society’s own moral corruption.
• The bishop’s orders and Bai Zhu’s conversation with Milluki reveal the broader tactical situation: the fight is being used to draw out underground forces while the true leader remains hidden.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu fights a silver-robed bishop inside the church. He realizes the bishop’s strength is moderate but his Nen-enhanced technique is highly refined, so Bai Zhu relies on unconventional tactics rather than direct combat.
• Using Hado #1: Sho, rubble, and Bakudo #4: Hainawa, Bai Zhu disrupts the bishop and scatters the surrounding guards.
• Four priests coordinate a Nen-based attack through their “Holy Rings.” Bai Zhu blocks the combined assault with Byakurai, then uses the same technique to paralyze the bishop’s arm and confiscate his silver staff.
• Bai Zhu’s battle creates widespread chaos: guards are thrown into confusion, the bell tower catches fire, a statue collapses, and the church’s main hall is damaged.
• At Milluki’s suggestion—or despite his objections—Bai Zhu detonates an Exploding Mosquito beneath the choir stand. The resulting blast panics the believers and forces the church’s forces to respond to the growing emergency.
• Underground, Illumi remains disguised as Ella in a private ward. Through coded movements from Milluki’s Mechanical Spider, he learns that:
  • The surface operation is in chaos.
  • The real Ella is waiting at the hotel.
  • The Holy Advent Ritual has been moved forward to that night.
  • Illumi must escape once the core area deploys its personnel.
• The elders order Illumi’s disguised “Ella” to be transferred for the Pre-Sanctification Descent in half an hour.
• Milluki later warns Bai Zhu that the core area is mobilizing people to retrieve Illumi. He also reports that Ella’s stomach has moved, while the black crystal in the underground core pulses in response—suggesting that the crystal may have detected or sensed her.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu demonstrates tactical creativity and adaptability. Rather than overpowering the bishop, he exploits openings, uses the environment, combines Reiatsu techniques with trickery, and deliberately escalates the disturbance to draw out the church’s personnel.
• He remains irreverent under pressure, joking about being a “helpful citizen” and a specialist in stopping “unlicensed medical practice.” His confidence and unpredictability frustrate the bishop.
• The silver-robed bishop shifts from attempting to capture Bai Zhu alive to ordering his execution. He recognizes Bai Zhu as an unusually dangerous opponent because of his unconventional methods and ability to destabilize the battlefield.
• Illumi remains calm and disciplined while undercover. He carefully maintains Ella’s appearance and performs fear convincingly, while secretly receiving and responding to Milluki’s coded messages.
• Illumi shows interest—and some amusement—when he learns that Bai Zhu has attacked the church alone. His brief reaction to the name “Nozarashi” also suggests that Bai Zhu’s actions have caught his attention.
• Milluki serves as the mission’s remote coordinator, monitoring Nen activity, relaying information, and transmitting messages through the Mechanical Spider. However, he becomes nervous when Illumi demands an explanation for Bai Zhu’s dramatic “Nozarashi” declaration.
• Ella becomes increasingly endangered as the underground crystal appears to react to her condition or presence.

Significant Themes

• Improvisation versus rigid authority: Bai Zhu defeats organized church forces through flexibility, deception, and environmental manipulation rather than superior strength.
• Surveillance and secret communication: Illumi and Milluki communicate through coded tactile signals, emphasizing the need for secrecy inside a monitored medical facility.
• Performance and disguise: Illumi’s survival depends on convincingly acting as Ella, while Bai Zhu also uses humor and false explanations to conceal his true motives.
• Escalating chaos as strategy: Bai Zhu’s destruction of the church is not random; the disorder is intended to draw out the core organization and create an opportunity for Illumi’s escape.
• Uncontrolled supernatural forces: The pulsing black crystal introduces a new threat, implying that Ella may be connected to the ritual or that the crystal can detect her presence.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and the bishop engage in a tactical duel marked by feints, environmental attacks, and verbal provocation. The bishop grows increasingly frustrated by Bai Zhu’s refusal to fight conventionally.
• Bai Zhu and Milluki coordinate remotely, though their conversation is comedic and argumentative. Bai Zhu blames Milluki for revealing the “Nozarashi” incident to Illumi, while Milluki fears Illumi’s reaction.
• Illumi and the medical staff interact under the cover of his disguise. He pretends to be frightened and physically uncomfortable while secretly communicating beneath the blanket.
• Illumi and Milluki exchange coded messages through the Mechanical Spider, allowing the mission to continue despite surveillance.
• Milluki and Ella monitor the underground core from the hotel. Their concern intensifies when Ella’s stomach moves in synchronization with the black crystal, suggesting a dangerous connection between her and the ritual site.

Chapter Summary: “The Fifteenth Vessel Was Actually Above Ground”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After learning of the emergency, Milluki quickly prepares Ella to leave the inn through the back alley. He attaches a tracking device to her and equips himself with medical supplies and an anesthetic in case she collapses or acts recklessly.
• Bai Zhu’s task is to draw the church’s forces toward the side entrance while Milluki guides Ella through the snow using surveillance cameras and tactical instructions.
• Bai Zhu fights the silver-robed bishop and numerous guards and deacons, using spells such as Bakudo #4: Hainawa and Hado #1: Sho. He creates a diversion by destroying part of the church’s entrance and triggering a small explosion.
• Ella is deliberately exposed to the church’s followers. When they recognize her as Number Fifteen, panic spreads because everyone believed she was still inside the underground facility.
• The church’s leaders conclude that the situation may indicate a supernatural event called “Pre-Sanctification Descent,” believing the Holy Infant or divine entity is beginning to separate from its mother. The Elder orders the capture of both Ellas—the real Ella aboveground and Illumi, who is impersonating her below.
• Ella is pursued by deacons carrying restraints and a syringe. The church uses the controlled Pige Aaron to lure her back, exploiting her emotional attachment to him.
• Ella initially freezes when Pige Aaron tells her to return, but Bai Zhu reminds her that the puppet in front of her is not the husband she once loved. She remembers the previous wives listed in the underground records and realizes that they were manipulated in the same way.
• Instead of surrendering, Ella cuts her own palm and smears blood onto a church pillar, challenging the pursuers to take her. This briefly disrupts their advance, since they fear harming the vessel.
• The blood causes an unexpected reaction from the Black Crystal. The Elder realizes that Ella—not the duplicate underground—is the “true Cradle” and that the Crystal can sense her.
• A team emerges from the underground carrying a Black Crystal Fragment toward Ella. Bai Zhu recognizes the danger and urges Milluki to make Illumi hurry.

Character Developments

• Ella changes from a frightened, physically weakened escapee into someone capable of making her own tactical decisions. Though still afraid and traumatized, she refuses to return to the church and uses her own blood as bait to regain control of the situation.
• Milluki acts as Ella’s protector and tactical coordinator. His crude, insulting manner hides genuine concern; he constantly monitors her health and prepares to sedate her if necessary. He becomes increasingly alarmed as the plan attracts more enemies than expected.
• Bai Zhu combines combat skill, improvisation, and emotional insight. He keeps the church’s forces occupied while recognizing exactly how to break Ella’s emotional paralysis. His joking exchanges with Milluki conceal growing concern about the escalating threat.
• Pige Aaron is shown as a weapon rather than an active character. Controlled by the Nen Needle, he mechanically repeats the words that once comforted Ella, demonstrating how the church has turned her former relationship into psychological manipulation.
• The Elder becomes increasingly obsessed with Ella once the Black Crystal reacts to her blood. His religious interpretation gives way to greed and possessiveness as he identifies her as the true vessel.
• The silver-robed bishop remains focused on capturing Ella alive and protecting the church’s ritual, but his confidence deteriorates as the situation becomes more chaotic.

Significant Themes

• Agency versus exploitation: Ella has been treated as a vessel, experiment, and religious object, but she begins reclaiming control by choosing how to use her own body and blood.
• Trauma and resistance: Her encounter with Pige Aaron forces Ella to confront the abuse and manipulation associated with her former marriage. Remembering the previous wives helps her break free from the emotional hold of the past.
• The danger of false identity: The presence of both Ella and Illumi exposes the church’s dependence on appearances and incomplete information. The supposed “vessel” is not necessarily the person the authorities believe it to be.
• Religion masking greed: The church’s language of holiness and divine will conceals experimentation, coercion, and the Elder’s personal hunger for power.
• Improvisation under pressure: The original plan uses Ella as bait, but she ultimately improvises more effectively than expected, turning an act of desperation into a tactical move.
• Human relationships versus dehumanization: Milluki and Bai Zhu treat Ella as a person worth protecting, contrasting with the church, which sees her only as a vessel or “Cradle.”

Important Character Interactions

• Milluki and Ella: Milluki gives Ella strict instructions and monitors her condition, while Ella quietly accepts his protection but insists that she will not retreat.
• Milluki and Bai Zhu: Their sarcastic radio exchanges provide humor amid the crisis, but also reveal mutual trust and mounting concern as the enemy numbers increase.
• Bai Zhu and the church forces: Bai Zhu taunts the bishop and deacons while deliberately drawing them away from Ella, using both combat and provocation to control the battlefield.
• Bai Zhu and Ella: Bai Zhu breaks through Ella’s emotional paralysis by reminding her that Pige Aaron is not truly her husband and that she should not sacrifice herself for the church’s manipulation.
• Ella and Pige Aaron: Their encounter pits her painful memories of love and betrayal against the reality of his current mind-controlled state. His familiar words nearly pull her back, but ultimately strengthen her resolve.
• The Elder and Ella: The Elder has never valued Ella as an individual, but the Crystal’s reaction transforms her into a coveted object—the true source of the ritual’s power.