Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Saving Them Is on Me”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu learns from Milluki that the church is transporting another group of pregnant women through an underground supply network. The women’s medical details—including blood types, pregnancy stages, and drug reactions—have been recorded.
• He realizes that Ella is not the only “mother” involved in the ritual. The church maintains a larger system: women at the altar are used as consumables, others are kept in underground medical facilities, and new victims are continually brought in from outside.
• Bai Zhu decides to intercept the incoming convoy rather than risk infiltrating the heavily secured underground core, where doing so could expose Illumi and endanger Ella.
• Milluki warns him that stopping the vehicles will be extremely dangerous. The convoy may include escorts, drugs, and powerful Nen users, while the pregnant women could be harmed by a chaotic attack.
• Despite having fought all night and nearly exhausting his Reiatsu, Bai Zhu uses Kaidō #33: Angel’s Glance to treat his most serious injuries. He insists that he can still fight and is determined to rescue the women.
• Illumi confirms the information from inside the church. The records reveal more than fifteen women underground:
  • Seven in medical bays
  • Four in isolation rooms
  • Three at backup transfer points
  • Eight newly arrived at the North Warehouse outside town
• The North Warehouse is identified as a church-controlled logistics center connected to an old mine tunnel and the underground passage system. The convoy represents a rare opportunity to rescue victims before they disappear underground.
• Bai Zhu, Milluki, and Illumi establish a three-part plan:
  1. Illumi will remain underground and gather the convoy’s exact route and transfer details.
  2. Milluki will disrupt traffic, tracking, and communications using his remaining bugs.
  3. Bai Zhu will intercept the convoy on its way to the North Warehouse.
• Bai Zhu emphasizes that the vehicles cannot be destroyed or violently attacked because the pregnant women must survive. The caretakers should also be kept alive so the group can learn how to administer the women’s drugs. The chapter ends as the rescue operation is being prepared.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu becomes more openly committed to protecting the pregnant women. Although he recognizes the risks and understands that the mission may not be strategically worthwhile, he accepts personal responsibility, promising to save Milluki’s brother if necessary.
• His physical condition shows the cost of the previous battle: he is badly injured and nearly out of Reiatsu, but his determination allows him to continue.
• Bai Zhu’s usual humor remains present, but his anger toward the church becomes more serious and personal. He views the women as victims of an organized exploitation system rather than isolated sacrifices.
• Milluki initially acts as the practical voice of caution, listing the tactical and political dangers of the rescue. Nevertheless, he agrees to help and adapts his skills to support Bai Zhu’s plan.
• Milluki’s concern for Illumi and frustration with Bai Zhu’s recklessness reveal his loyalty beneath his sarcasm.
• Illumi remains calm and methodical while operating undercover. He provides crucial intelligence from the church and continues protecting the investigation without showing emotional distress.
• Bai Zhu, Milluki, and Illumi function increasingly as a coordinated team, balancing Bai Zhu’s direct action, Milluki’s technological and logistical support, and Illumi’s infiltration.

Significant Themes

• Responsibility and sacrifice: Bai Zhu chooses to place the rescue on himself, accepting that saving the women may cost him his life.
• Human beings treated as resources: The church’s system reduces pregnant women to “materials,” medical statistics, and replaceable components of a ritual.
• The hidden infrastructure of evil: The chapter expands the threat beyond the altar, revealing a supply chain involving laboratories, wards, warehouses, transfers, and backup routes.
• Practical heroism versus reckless idealism: Milluki stresses that rescuing people requires more than stopping a convoy; the victims must be protected during the operation, and the church’s network must not be alerted prematurely.
• Trust and cooperation: The rescue depends on the three characters trusting one another and combining their different abilities.
• Moral urgency versus strategic caution: Bai Zhu wants immediate action, while Milluki and Illumi must ensure the operation does not expose their allies or worsen the women’s situation.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki argue over the danger of the rescue, with Milluki criticizing Bai Zhu’s tendency to “play hero” and Bai Zhu responding with humor and a promise to repay the favor.
• Their banter—especially about Bai Zhu’s injuries and healing—lightens the tension while also showing their familiarity and mutual trust.
• Milluki consults Illumi to verify the records, creating a three-way information network between the underground church, the communications system, and the outside world.
• Bai Zhu jokes about the church’s “cult logic,” while Illumi calmly explains why the records room was left undefended: the church never imagined anyone would care enough to steal information about the pregnant women.
• The chapter closes with the group negotiating the details of the interception, particularly the need to preserve the lives of both the pregnant women and the caretakers.

Chapter Summary: Barefoot Girl

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu follows Milluki’s planned route through the snow toward the North Warehouse, avoiding the town and the recently destroyed Holy Knights’ position.
• Milluki warns that his supply of explosive insects has been greatly depleted after the previous attack. Most of his remaining Mechanical Bees are limited to reconnaissance and interference, leaving Bai Zhu with few heavy weapons.
• From a snowy ridge, Bai Zhu observes the North Warehouse, where gray-robed caretakers load pregnant women into buses and trucks. The women are restrained, drugged, and treated like trafficking victims rather than protected patients.
• Mechanical Spiders are sent forward to scout the warehouse. The caretakers wear glowing Black Crystal Collars and carry medical cases, but no Holy Knights or bishops are present.
• Illumi reports that the “Pre-Sanctification Descent” has been scheduled. A pregnant woman identified as Number Nineteen is among those being transported, and Ella reacts strongly because she previously underwent baptism with her.
• Ella secretly begins rubbing her restrained wrist against the restraint after Illumi weakens it. Bai Zhu warns her not to act recklessly, and she appears to understand the message through Milluki’s surveillance equipment.
• The group confirms that at least eight pregnant women will be moved underground within twenty minutes. Bai Zhu and Milluki plan an ambush at an old drainage channel before the convoy reaches the abandoned mine tunnel.
• Before the rescue can begin, Milluki detects an unknown and powerful presence at the warehouse. A reconnaissance bug captures the image of a barefoot young woman in white ceremonial robes standing on the roof.
• The gray-robed caretakers immediately prostrate themselves before the woman. Black crystalline syringes float behind her without visible support.
• Neither Milluki nor Illumi recognizes her. Illumi warns Bai Zhu to stay away, sensing that the woman does not feel fully alive.
• The woman suddenly raises her head and looks directly toward Bai Zhu’s hiding place, ending the chapter on a threatening revelation.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu remains sarcastic and outwardly composed, but his anger becomes evident when he witnesses the pregnant women being forcibly injected and restrained. His protective instincts override his usual caution, though he still prioritizes avoiding harm to the victims.
• Milluki is shown as both argumentative and highly competent. Despite complaining about depleted supplies, he rapidly provides reconnaissance, surveillance, and an ambush strategy. His concern for the pregnant women also reveals a moral boundary beneath his irritation.
• Illumi demonstrates unexpected initiative by weakening Ella’s restraint, technically violating the group’s rules. His warning about the mysterious woman suggests unusual sensitivity or prior knowledge of her nature.
• Ella quietly begins trying to free herself after recognizing that Number Nineteen is in danger. Her restrained movements show growing agency and determination despite her vulnerability.
• Number Nineteen is established as someone connected to Ella’s past, creating an emotional reason for Ella and the others to intervene.

Significant Themes

• Exploitation and dehumanization: The pregnant women are handled as objects in a ritualistic trafficking system, emphasizing the cruelty of the organization behind the warehouse.
• Moral restraint versus violent action: Bai Zhu wants to intervene but must avoid endangering the captives. The planned rescue depends on precision rather than brute force.
• Hidden resistance: Ella’s tiny attempts to weaken her restraint symbolize resistance under oppression, while the surveillance network allows the characters to coordinate covertly.
• The uncanny and the inhuman: The barefoot woman’s unnatural stillness, floating syringes, and seemingly lifeless presence introduce a supernatural or deeply disturbing threat beyond the known Holy Knights and bishops.
• Trust and cooperation: Although Bai Zhu and Milluki constantly insult each other, their banter masks effective teamwork. Illumi’s independent actions further complicate the group’s rules and loyalties.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki exchange sarcastic arguments about equipment, risk-taking, and responsibility, but rely heavily on each other’s abilities.
• Illumi’s report about Number Nineteen connects Ella’s past to the immediate rescue mission.
• Bai Zhu shows concern for Ella and instructs her not to endanger herself; Ella silently acknowledges him.
• Milluki and Bai Zhu coordinate a nonlethal ambush designed to disable the convoy while protecting the pregnant women.
• Illumi’s final warning creates tension between Bai Zhu’s desire to act and the danger posed by the mysterious barefoot woman, who directly identifies his hiding place.

Chapter Summary: “The System Finally Acted Human”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu observes a mysterious woman in white standing on the roof of the North Warehouse. Despite being hundreds of meters away and hidden under Forced Zetsu, she appears to detect him directly.
• Milluki deploys surveillance Mechanical Spiders to investigate her, but every device that comes within twenty meters of her suddenly stops functioning. The cause is unclear; Milluki suspects some kind of invisible force, possibly “needles.”
• Illumi joins the communication and confirms that the woman is abnormal: she does not breathe normally, has unusually low body temperature, emits no ordinary Nen aura, and causes nearby people to instinctively avoid looking at her.
• Milluki searches his database but finds no record of the woman among the Creation Society’s known members.
• Because the woman is too dangerous to confront, Milluki orders Bai Zhu to avoid direct contact and intercept only the convoy’s rear vehicles once it moves. If the woman does not follow the convoy, Bai Zhu is instructed to wait and potentially die rather than engage her.
• In response to the extreme danger, Bai Zhu’s system unlocks the previously unavailable Body Enhancement function. He spends nearly all of his 306 achievement points on physical stats:
  • Strength: 80 → 100
  • Stamina: 60 → 100
  • Agility: 90 → 266
• The enhancement dramatically alters his physical abilities. His body undergoes painful internal changes, he cracks the frozen ground with his fingers, and his increased speed nearly exposes him from cover.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: Initially panicked and sarcastic, Bai Zhu recognizes that the woman represents a level of danger beyond his usual stealth tactics. Rather than conserve resources for future abilities, he prioritizes immediate survival and invests almost all of his points into physical enhancement. His humor remains intact, but his decision shows practical judgment and a willingness to sacrifice long-term plans to stay alive.
• Milluki: Milluki becomes increasingly serious and protective. He urgently warns Bai Zhu not to approach the woman and even tells him to abandon the rescue mission if necessary to survive. His concern causes Bai Zhu to notice that Milluki has begun “acting more like a human,” suggesting growing emotional investment in their partnership.
• Illumi: Illumi contributes a cold, unsettling assessment of the woman’s abnormal biological and Nen-related traits. Although he does not know her identity, his warning carries authority and reinforces the severity of the threat.
• The woman in white: She is established as an enigmatic, highly perceptive, and possibly supernatural figure. Her ability to detect Bai Zhu through Forced Zetsu and disable surveillance devices makes her a major threat.

Significant Themes

• Survival versus long-term ambition: Bai Zhu sacrifices points meant for future Kidō abilities because immediate survival takes priority over planned growth.
• The limits of stealth and preparation: Forced Zetsu, surveillance bugs, and careful positioning usually give Bai Zhu an advantage, but the woman bypasses all of these defenses.
• Humanization through relationships: Milluki’s emotional concern contrasts with his usual detached, eccentric personality. Bai Zhu notices this change and teases him about it, highlighting their developing bond.
• Power and uncertainty: The woman’s abilities are not clearly explained, making her more frightening than a known opponent. The chapter emphasizes how dangerous an enemy can be when their methods cannot even be identified.
• Comedy amid danger: Bai Zhu’s jokes about customer service, poorly designed system interfaces, and Milluki’s “toys” relieve tension while also showing how he copes with fear.

Important Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki maintain their sarcastic banter even while coordinating a dangerous operation. Their exchange reveals both familiarity and increasing mutual concern.
• Milluki gives Bai Zhu increasingly urgent survival orders, while Bai Zhu acknowledges that Milluki’s warnings now sound genuinely human.
• Illumi briefly intervenes with a clinical warning, adding credibility to Milluki’s fears and confirming that the woman’s abnormality is not merely Bai Zhu’s imagination.
• Bai Zhu’s conversation with the system is treated almost like an interaction with a long-awaited ally: he humorously celebrates its sudden “humanity” when it finally provides a useful power-up.

Chapter Summary — Queen’s Game

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu realizes that his recent stamina enhancement greatly improves his physical endurance and allows his Reiatsu to recover almost as quickly as he spends it during close combat.
• While hiding in the snow, he is unexpectedly confronted by the mysterious woman in white. She attacks without warning using floating Black Crystal Needle Tubes capable of piercing the frozen ground and creating explosive cracks.
• Bai Zhu narrowly dodges the first attack and deflects the second with his sword, but the impact numbs his arm. He immediately recognizes that he cannot defeat her in a direct fight.
• The woman uses her influence over the gray-robed attendants to accelerate the transport of the pregnant prisoners into the mine tunnels. Illumi and Milluki confirm that Number Nineteen is being loaded early because the enemy has detected the interference.
• Faced with the choice between retreating or attempting a nearly suicidal rescue, Bai Zhu devises a plan: Milluki will disrupt the attendants’ communications for three seconds while Bai Zhu attacks the convoy.
• Bai Zhu deliberately avoids charging the woman in white and instead races toward the buses. His improved agility allows him to evade multiple homing needle tubes and reach North Warehouse.
• During the communications blackout, Bai Zhu knocks out several attendants, steals a medical kit, and boards the bus containing the pregnant women.
• He frees Number Nineteen and orders her to discard the sedatives and other suspicious medicines from the medical kit while he begins freeing the other prisoners.
• The woman in white arrives at the bus and uses three needle tubes to threaten the pregnant women directly. Bai Zhu is forced to lower his weapon and pretend to surrender.
• Just as she orders him to leave, Bai Zhu reveals that he has been relying on his teammates, implying that the rescue operation is not over and that another coordinated move is about to occur.

2. Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: Gains confidence in his enhanced physical abilities, especially his stamina, Reiatsu recovery, speed, and agility. However, he also demonstrates practical judgment by refusing to fight an overwhelmingly powerful opponent head-on. His protective instincts and willingness to risk himself for the prisoners become more prominent, while his humor and irreverence remain intact even under extreme danger.
• The woman in white: Establishes herself as an extremely dangerous and controlled opponent. She shows little emotion, speaks minimally, and relies on precise, nearly effortless attacks. Rather than pursuing Bai Zhu directly, she strategically manipulates the convoy and later uses the pregnant women as hostages.
• Milluki: Despite panicking and protesting Bai Zhu’s reckless plan, he cooperates immediately and successfully disables the enemy’s communications. His loyalty to Bai Zhu and concern for his own brother are evident.
• Illumi: Provides crucial intelligence through the underground communication channel, tracking changes in the prisoner transfer and confirming that the enemy has detected the team’s interference.
• Number Nineteen: Initially terrified and restrained, she quickly responds to Bai Zhu’s instructions and begins helping with the medical supplies, showing survival instinct and the potential to contribute actively to the escape.

3. Significant Themes

• Courage versus recklessness: Bai Zhu knows the rescue attempt may be suicidal, but chooses calculated risk over passive retreat.
• Strength as adaptability: The chapter emphasizes that strength is not merely power. Bai Zhu’s improved endurance, quick reactions, tactical thinking, and use of allies allow him to challenge a stronger enemy.
• Teamwork and interdependence: Bai Zhu’s plan only works because Milluki and Illumi provide technical support and intelligence. His final statement suggests that coordinated teamwork may overcome the woman in white’s advantage.
• Protective resistance: The pregnant prisoners are treated as expendable by the enemy, while Bai Zhu risks his life to reclaim their agency and prevent them from being used in the mine tunnels.
• Psychological warfare and control: The woman in white exerts power by remaining calm and emotionless, using the prisoners as leverage. Bai Zhu counters with unpredictability, humor, and deception.
• Hope amid oppression: Even though Bai Zhu is outmatched, his willingness to act creates a possibility of escape and resistance.

4. Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu communicates with Milluki throughout the confrontation, joking about his dangerous situation before persuading Milluki to support the rescue operation.
• Illumi and Milluki provide tactical information and logistical assistance, forming the remote support structure behind Bai Zhu’s attack.
• Bai Zhu fights the woman in white indirectly: he avoids a direct battle, exploits the convoy’s vulnerability, and forces her to divide her attention.
• Bai Zhu confronts the gray-robed attendants, quickly incapacitating them and seizing their medical supplies.
• He speaks directly to Number Nineteen, freeing her and giving her a role in the rescue rather than treating her merely as a victim.
• The chapter ends with a tense standoff between Bai Zhu and the woman in white, as she threatens the prisoners and orders him to surrender. Bai Zhu’s confidence returns when he reminds her that he has teammates supporting him.

Chapter Summary: That Girl Was Standing Too Close

Plot Points and Key Events

• Bai Zhu uses a trick with his Zanpakuto—lowering its tip until the blade vanishes—to distract the mysterious woman in white.
• He then uses Shunpo to tackle and drag her away from the bus carrying pregnant women, preventing her Black Crystal Needle Tubes from immediately attacking them.
• The woman in white proves unnaturally cold and apparently does not breathe. Her body and presence suggest she may not be fully human.
• Bai Zhu secretly plants two Exploding Beetles on her ceremonial robes, but they malfunction near her. She crushes both without triggering an explosion, confirming that her presence disrupts or neutralizes Milluki’s insects.
• The woman attacks Bai Zhu with seven Black Crystal Needle Tubes. The weapons can:
  • Change direction in midair
  • Return after being deflected
  • Drain vitality from anything they pierce
  • Absorb life energy, Nen, and Reiatsu through contact
• Bai Zhu learns that even the ground is dangerous: Black Crystal formations beneath North Warehouse activate and create spikes that restrict his movement.
• While Bai Zhu keeps the woman occupied, Number Nineteen begins freeing the restrained pregnant women inside the bus. Bai Zhu orders her to ignore the black syringes and continue rescuing the others.
• Gray-robed attendants awaken and attempt to interfere, but Bai Zhu knocks several of them away. One is accidentally struck by a syringe and rapidly withers.
• Illumi reports that the woman does not appear in the Church’s records. He suggests she either has clearance above the available archives or is a recent, highly important arrival. Milluki considers the latter unlikely.
• Bai Zhu becomes trapped near the bus, with a syringe poised inches from his forehead and the Black Crystal formation pinning his escape routes. He considers using a Random Bankai Trial Ticket or having Illumi create a diversion, though that could expose Ella’s position.
• When the woman redirects a syringe toward Number Nineteen, Bai Zhu prepares to gamble on the Bankai trial.
• Before he can act, explosions collapse the mine entrance behind North Warehouse, blocking the transport route and throwing the gray-robed attendants into confusion. Milluki confirms he did not cause the explosion, leaving its source unknown.

Character Development

• Bai Zhu: Demonstrates quick thinking, reckless courage, and a willingness to physically endanger himself to protect the pregnant women. His humor and flirtatious banter mask growing pressure and fear as the woman’s abilities overwhelm his defenses. He is forced to consider using a dangerous, unpredictable Bankai trial.
• The woman in white: Remains calm, emotionless, and almost completely unreadable. Her brief confusion when Bai Zhu grabs her is one of the few signs of human-like reaction. Her immunity to the Exploding Beetles and control over the Black Crystal weapons establish her as an exceptionally powerful and abnormal threat.
• Milluki: Acts as Bai Zhu’s tactical support through the earpiece but becomes increasingly panicked by Bai Zhu’s reckless decisions. He provides crucial information about the needles’ life-draining effects and the failure of his insects.
• Number Nineteen: Shifts from a frightened captive into an active rescuer. Despite the danger, she follows Bai Zhu’s orders and continues freeing the pregnant women.
• Illumi: Contributes analytical information by investigating the woman’s identity through Church records. His calm, detached manner contrasts with Bai Zhu’s immediate struggle for survival.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and protection: Bai Zhu repeatedly places himself between the woman in white and the vulnerable passengers, accepting personal danger to keep the pregnant women alive.
• Improvisation under pressure: The battle is shaped by split-second decisions, improvised weapons, tactical distractions, and incomplete information.
• The limits of power and preparation: Bai Zhu’s usual tools—Exploding Beetles, Reiatsu, Shunpo, and his Zanpakuto—are only partially effective against the woman and her weapons.
• Mystery and inhumanity: The woman’s lack of breathing, unnatural coldness, immunity to technology, and absence from official records deepen the mystery surrounding her identity.
• Humor as emotional defense: Bai Zhu’s jokes and banter provide comic relief but also conceal his anxiety as the situation approaches certain death.
• Competing battlefronts: Bai Zhu must balance fighting the woman, defending the bus, protecting Number Nineteen, and considering the danger posed to Ella and the underground operation.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki maintain a sarcastic but essential tactical exchange. Milluki criticizes Bai Zhu’s “tactical tackle,” while Bai Zhu uses humor to keep control of the situation.
• Bai Zhu directly confronts and physically restrains the woman in white, creating a brief moment of unsettling closeness. Her confusion at his touch contrasts with her otherwise emotionless behavior.
• Bai Zhu coordinates with Number Nineteen, telling her to continue freeing the women even while he is nearly trapped outside the bus.
• Bai Zhu consults Illumi and Milluki about the woman’s identity and possible weaknesses, but neither can provide a reliable solution.
• The chapter ends with the unexpected mine collapse disrupting everyone’s plans, creating a new mystery and temporarily shifting the battlefield.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Milluki triggers a planned collapse of the mine tunnel, sealing the main escape route and trapping the gray-robed attendants.
• Bai Zhu escapes the Black Crystal Needle Tubes after one grazes his foot, weakening him but leaving him mobile.
• Taking advantage of the woman in white’s distraction, Bai Zhu attacks the guards at the bus and rescues Number Nineteen, telling her that Ella is still alive.
• Bai Zhu hesitates when he sees several pregnant women still tied up inside the bus. He gives them medical scissors and instructs those who can move to free themselves, but he cannot rescue them all.
• The woman in white kills the pregnant women with her Black Crystal Needle Tubes, draining and withering their bodies. She coldly explains that “uncontrolled materials cannot be recovered.”
• Furious but forced to prioritize Number Nineteen and the larger rescue mission, Bai Zhu suppresses his desire to attack and flees toward an old water channel.
• The woman in white pursues him, using the seven Needle Tubes as deadly projectiles. Bai Zhu narrowly dodges and deflects them while carrying Number Nineteen.
• Milluki arrives in a heavily modified vehicle just in time, ramming aside three Needle Tubes and rescuing them.
• The woman in white combines the Needle Tubes into a powerful Black Crystal Spear and prepares to pursue or attack the escaping vehicle. Milluki accelerates, warning Bai Zhu that the vehicle may be bulletproof but not “spearproof.”

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: Demonstrates speed, combat skill, and resourcefulness while injured and carrying Number Nineteen. His willingness to help the pregnant women reveals his compassion, but their deaths intensify his rage. He shows maturity by restraining his killing instinct and prioritizing the survivors and mission.
• Milluki: Reveals the extent of his preparations and technical ingenuity. Despite his anxious, irreverent manner, he provides crucial tactical support by collapsing the tunnel and arriving with a specialized rescue vehicle.
• Number Nineteen: Changes from a frightened captive into an emotionally active participant, reacting strongly to the deaths of the pregnant women and clinging to Bai Zhu for protection. Her connection to Ella establishes her importance to the rescue effort.
• The woman in white: Becomes even more threatening and inhuman. She treats the pregnant women as disposable “materials,” showing no emotional response to their deaths and using increasingly powerful attacks against Bai Zhu.
• Ella: Though absent, her survival remains a key motivation and is confirmed to Number Nineteen.

Significant Themes

• Humanity versus dehumanization: Bai Zhu treats the captives as people, while the woman in white refers to them as materials, emphasizing the brutality of the enemy.
• Moral choice under pressure: Bai Zhu must choose between trying to save everyone and escaping with Number Nineteen before he is killed.
• Rage versus responsibility: Although the women’s deaths provoke Bai Zhu’s fury, he suppresses revenge because others still depend on him.
• Ingenuity and preparation: Milluki’s traps, communications, escape route, and modified vehicle demonstrate how planning can counter overwhelming power.
• Survival and sacrifice: The escape succeeds, but only after the captives are sacrificed and Bai Zhu is forced to accept the limits of what he can save.

Important Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki coordinate constantly through the earpiece, with Milluki providing tactical instructions and Bai Zhu executing the rescue.
• Bai Zhu reassures Number Nineteen by telling her Ella is alive and physically protects her throughout the chase.
• Bai Zhu briefly attempts to help the pregnant women by directing them toward the scissors, but their fate creates a painful contrast between his compassion and the enemy’s cruelty.
• The woman in white directly confronts Bai Zhu, pursuing him with the Needle Tubes and forcing him into a desperate defensive escape.
• Milluki’s dramatic vehicle rescue allows Bai Zhu and Number Nineteen to escape, though the newly formed Black Crystal Spear leaves the danger unresolved.

Chapter Summary: Speed and Passion 11

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu, Milluki, and Number Nineteen flee through the forest in Milluki’s modified vehicle while the white-clothed woman pursues them.
• The woman attacks with a Black Crystal Spear that can identify and strike weak points in the car’s armor. When the spear fails to stop them, it divides into seven Black Crystal Needle Tubes, which target the vehicle’s axles, windows, and vents.
• Milluki deploys his remaining Interference Bees to create an electromagnetic smokescreen, temporarily disrupting the woman’s tracking.
• Bai Zhu leaves the vehicle and fights from its roof, using his Zanpakuto, Shunpo, and Hado #4: Byakurai to deflect and destroy the needle tubes. His lightning is weak but useful for interfering with their trajectories.
• During the chase, Number Nineteen reveals that she and Ella were “Holy Infant Incubators,” former sacrifices taken to the White Room. The woman pursuing them is a completed vessel, while a similar-looking man called the Holy Son was identified as the Pope’s child.
• Underground, Illumi finishes copying important records and ritual diagrams and begins withdrawing after the rescue operation fails. He has controlled several medical workers and guards with Nen Needles to sabotage the facility.
• Illumi encounters the pale man in white, who resembles the pursuing woman and wields Black Crystal Surgical Knives. Their brief confrontation confirms that the underground facility is entering a crisis.
• Illumi triggers widespread chaos by disrupting the drug pipeline, damaging the Black Crystal transfer valve, and locking out reinforcements. However, the white-clothed man reveals that the ritual—“Sanctification Descent”—has already begun.
• Controlled children are brought before the altar to pray, while Black Crystal patterns spread through the facility.
• Ella, still restrained on a bed, is caught in the ritual as the markings crawl over her abdomen. Illumi realizes the plan has failed and orders Milluki to call their family for help, specifically requesting their grandfather, while urging the others to retreat if possible.

Character Development

• Bai Zhu becomes noticeably more serious as the danger escalates. He continues protecting Number Nineteen despite his injuries and uses himself as a shield, fighting directly from the car’s roof.
• Milluki displays exceptional driving and technical skill, maneuvering the heavily modified car under constant attack. His usual concern over the vehicle’s expensive armor provides comic relief, but he becomes increasingly alarmed as his defenses and Interference Bees are depleted.
• Number Nineteen begins revealing the truth about the cult and her past. Her information identifies the pursuer as a completed vessel and exposes the existence of the Holy Son, making her a crucial source of knowledge.
• Illumi remains pragmatic and calculating. He abandons the original rescue plan once it becomes untenable, prioritizing valuable intelligence and survival. Even while retreating, he deliberately creates chaos to improve his chances and assist Ella.
• The white-clothed siblings—or sibling-like beings—are established as major threats. The woman is emotionless and relentless, while the man is calm, confident, and apparently certain that a greater ritualistic entity or “Father” is awakening.
• Ella’s situation worsens dramatically, shifting from a rescue target to the apparent focus of the Sanctification Descent ritual.

Significant Themes

• Survival versus rescue: The characters must decide whether to continue saving others or withdraw before the operation becomes fatal.
• Hidden horrors of institutional abuse: Number Nineteen’s revelation exposes the cult’s use of pregnant women and children as vessels and ritual components.
• Transformation and artificial life: The white-clothed figures do not appear conventionally alive, suggesting themes of manufactured bodies, vessels, and unnatural rebirth.
• Escalating helplessness: The heroes’ weapons, armor, technology, and sabotage only slow the enemy. Their growing knowledge of the situation comes too late to prevent the ritual.
• Chaos as strategy: Illumi weaponizes disorder, demonstrating that confusion and infrastructure sabotage can be as valuable as direct combat.
• The birth or arrival of a new entity: The repeated references to a “new brother” and the awakening of “Father” suggest that the ritual will produce or summon another powerful being.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki argue throughout the chase, balancing sarcastic humor with genuine cooperation. Milluki criticizes Bai Zhu for damaging the car, while Bai Zhu mocks Milluki’s supposedly “top-grade” armor.
• Bai Zhu protects Number Nineteen physically and emotionally, keeping her shielded during the attacks and pressing her for information when she identifies the pursuer.
• Number Nineteen’s revelation changes the dynamic between the three travelers, transforming her from a frightened passenger into an essential witness to the cult’s secrets.
• Illumi and the white-clothed man briefly confront one another. Illumi attacks first but immediately retreats after realizing the man can identify him and may be far more dangerous than expected.
• Illumi communicates with Milluki during the crisis, abandoning any pretense of confidence and openly admitting that the operation has failed.

Chapter Summary: “Peace of Mind”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Illumi informs Milluki that the ritual has begun, the man in white is underground, and Ella has been sealed by the Black Crystal Circuit. He urges Milluki to contact the Zoldyck family while retreating.
• Bai Zhu, Milluki, and Number Nineteen flee through the snowy forest while seven Black Crystal Needle Tubes relentlessly pursue them. The tubes cannot be destroyed, evade ordinary countermeasures, and drain Reiatsu on contact.
• Haunted by the deaths of the pregnant women he failed to protect, Bai Zhu resolves to repay the enemy “by the head.” He considers using the system’s Random Bankai Trial Ticket, realizing that his physical enhancements are likely meant to prepare his body for Bankai’s strain.
• Rather than continue fleeing, Bai Zhu orders Milluki to turn toward the Church and attack the enemy’s base. Milluki protests, but Bai Zhu insists that he possesses a temporary ultimate move and must act before Illumi and Ella are lost.
• The woman in white intercepts the vehicle. Bai Zhu uses White Lightning against one of her needle tubes, cracking it for the first time. Although the attack does not truly injure her, it forces her to reassess his strength.
• Milluki deploys Interference Bugs, thermal decoys, and a pre-weakened bridge to temporarily shake off the woman in white. Bai Zhu contributes by misleading the pursuing needles with false footprints and Shunpo.
• Illumi reveals that the enemy does not track Nen or aura, but something connected to life or the soul. His disguises and decoy routes therefore fail to hide his true position.
• Milluki discovers that Ella’s ritual is accelerating because the children’s prayers are stabilizing it. Ella will be permanently locked into the ritual’s core in ten minutes, making rescue nearly impossible.
• Bai Zhu prevents Milluki from contacting the family, choosing instead to charge directly toward the Church. He accepts the risk of failure and declares that he will use his ultimate technique.
• As they approach the Church, they encounter the first formation of black-armored Holy Knights. Bai Zhu activates the Random Bankai Trial Ticket, beginning the process of drawing a Temporary Bankai.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu shifts from defensive survival to deliberate, sacrificial offense. His grief and guilt over the massacre drive him to confront the Church despite overwhelming odds.
• He gains a deeper understanding of his enhancement system: Strength supports Reiatsu output, Agility improves Shunpo and reflexes, and Stamina stabilizes Reiatsu circulation and recovery. He recognizes that these abilities were preparation for Bankai rather than simple power increases.
• Bai Zhu demonstrates growing tactical awareness by exploiting the woman in white’s reactions, using decoys, movement tricks, and the terrain to buy time.
• Milluki moves from panic and resistance to reluctant commitment. Though he believes Bai Zhu’s plan may be suicidal, he ultimately abandons the idea of calling for help and drives toward the Church.
• Illumi remains composed under attack but begins showing signs of strain. His usual deception methods prove ineffective, emphasizing how dangerous the man in white is.
• Number Nineteen becomes more emotionally affected by the unfolding tragedy. Her question about Ella’s fate highlights her fear and innocence amid the conflict.

Significant Themes

• Guilt and responsibility: Bai Zhu feels responsible for those who trusted him and were killed, transforming his grief into a desire for vengeance and rescue.
• Sacrifice versus survival: The group must choose between retreating to safety and risking everything to save Ella and Illumi before the ten-minute deadline.
• Trust and loyalty: Milluki’s decision to follow Bai Zhu reflects a growing, if reluctant, trust between them.
• Limits of conventional power: Nen concealment, decoys, and ordinary tactics are ineffective against an enemy that senses life or the soul directly.
• Determination and moral courage: Bai Zhu’s willingness to confront an entire Church force reflects his belief that peace of mind can only come from acting on his convictions, even if failure is likely.
• Power and bodily cost: The chapter emphasizes that extraordinary abilities, especially Bankai, require the body to withstand their consequences.

Important Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki: They argue repeatedly over whether to flee or attack. Bai Zhu’s resolve eventually persuades Milluki to follow his plan, despite Milluki’s fear for Illumi’s life.
• Bai Zhu and Number Nineteen: Her frightened presence reinforces Bai Zhu’s protective instincts and reminds him of the civilians he failed to save.
• Bai Zhu and Illumi: Illumi’s warning about the enemy’s ability to detect life or souls gives Bai Zhu crucial information about the threat. Bai Zhu then promises to hold out for ten minutes while preparing his ultimate move.
• Bai Zhu and the woman in white: Their brief clash establishes that White Lightning can damage her weapons, though not defeat her. Their confrontation becomes a battle of adaptation and pursuit.
• The group and Ella: Though Ella is not physically present, her impending transformation provides the chapter’s central deadline and motivates the decision to attack the Church.

Ending

The chapter ends with Bai Zhu and the others charging toward the Church, where Holy Knights await. Standing on the vehicle with his Zanpakuto ready, Bai Zhu activates the Temporary Bankai system, leaving the nature of the drawn Bankai—and the outcome of the assault—as the next major uncertainty.

Chapter Summary: “Don’t Make a Fuss—Watch Me Show Off...”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Milluki drives Bai Zhu, Illumi, and Number Nineteen toward the Church while the ritual has less than ten minutes remaining. Holy Knights block the road with shield formations and Black Crystal barriers, while the white-robed saintess pursues them.
• Bai Zhu’s Bankai draw completes, granting him Minazuki, associated with Retsu Unohana. The system temporarily boosts his attributes dramatically: especially his agility, stamina, and Reiatsu, giving him roughly ten minutes of overwhelming power.
• Rather than immediately activating Bankai, Bai Zhu theatrically prepares a speaker and selects music from a playlist titled “Exclusive to Unohana.” His absurd focus on making a dramatic entrance contrasts with the urgency of the situation.
• Bai Zhu defeats the first formation of Holy Knights without even drawing his sword. Using only the sheath and his physical speed, he breaks their joints and armor, opening a path for Milluki’s vehicle.
• The saintess attacks him with a Black Crystal spear. Bai Zhu casually dodges, causing the attack to impale several Holy Knights instead. He mocks her poor aim and continues toward the Church without engaging her directly.
• Near the Church, controlled congregants gather under the ritual’s influence. Bai Zhu uses Bakudō #4: Hainawa to trip and restrain dozens of them, prioritizing nonlethal crowd control.
• Illumi reports that the white-clad man is pursuing him and urges Bai Zhu and Milluki to retreat. He also reveals that Ella remains inside the Church, with the Black Crystal Patterns already reaching her chest.
• Number Nineteen panics over Ella’s imminent death, but Bai Zhu refuses to retreat. At the Church entrance, he finally prepares to reveal his true power, with just over nine minutes remaining on his temporary enhancement.
• The chapter ends as Bai Zhu draws his sword slightly, tells Milluki to stay close, and announces that he is about to show “the coolest moment” of his life. Someone inside the Church declares them heretics, setting up the coming confrontation.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: Gains confidence from the temporary Bankai enhancement and shifts from someone who once avoided danger to someone willing to confront it directly. He remains theatrical, irreverent, and obsessed with dramatic presentation, but his actions show genuine courage and restraint. Despite his power, he deliberately avoids killing the Holy Knights and congregants.
• Milluki: Continues acting as the frantic, practical counterbalance to Bai Zhu’s absurdity. He worries about the vehicle, the timing, and Bai Zhu’s unstable power levels, but ultimately follows Bai Zhu’s commands and supports his performance.
• Number Nineteen: Becomes increasingly frightened and emotionally overwhelmed, especially when she learns that Ella may die. Her concern reveals her attachment to Ella and underscores the human cost of the ritual.
• Illumi: Takes on a protective and strategic role, attempting to hold off the white-clad pursuer so the others can reach safety. His warning demonstrates his awareness of the danger and his willingness to put himself at risk.
• The white-robed saintess: Is shown to be powerful and relentless, but her attack is redirected into her own allies. Her hesitation afterward suggests that Bai Zhu’s sudden increase in power has made her reassess him.

Significant Themes

• Courage versus fear: Bai Zhu reflects on how fear once caused him to avoid trouble, but his temporary power gives him the freedom to act decisively and protect others.
• Heroism and performance: The chapter humorously explores Bai Zhu’s belief that a hero needs an impressive entrance, complete with music and ceremony. His flamboyance is ridiculous, but it also becomes a source of morale and confidence.
• Power and responsibility: Although Bai Zhu possesses overwhelming strength, he uses it carefully, disabling rather than killing the Holy Knights and congregants whenever possible.
• Urgency and sacrifice: The dwindling ritual timer, Ella’s worsening condition, and Illumi’s decision to hold off an enemy emphasize the cost of delay and the risks the characters are taking.
• Comedic relief amid danger: Banter about speakers, tires, payment, and “friendly fire” repeatedly interrupts the tense action, highlighting the group’s unconventional dynamic.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki argue constantly, with Milluki reacting in panic to Bai Zhu’s reckless theatrics while Bai Zhu treats the battle like a staged performance.
• Bai Zhu reassures Number Nineteen in his own inappropriate but protective way, using jokes to ease tension while acknowledging the danger.
• Bai Zhu taunts the white-robed saintess after dodging her spear, turning a deadly attack into another opportunity to show off.
• Illumi tries to command Bai Zhu to retreat, but Bai Zhu rejects the order because Ella remains in danger.
• The chapter closes on Bai Zhu, Milluki, and the unseen enemy inside the Church, with Bai Zhu poised to activate his Bankai and begin the promised “coolest moment” of his life.

Chapter Summary: “Bankai, Minazuki”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu fully draws his sword outside the Church, revealing that the weapon he usually calls a “fire poker” possesses a terrifying true ability. Its presence causes the Church’s Black Crystal formations to recoil.
• Surrounded by Holy Knights, guards, believers, and the white-clad saintess, Bai Zhu cuts his palm and floods the Church entrance with an unnatural amount of blood.
• He activates his Bankai, Minazuki, transforming the blood into a vast, living pool that spreads across the square, through the streets, and along the underground Black Crystal Circuit. The blood corrodes the Church’s formations and weakens the Holy Knights’ armor.
• With Milluki playing dramatic music through the speakers, Bai Zhu overwhelms the Church’s forces. He knocks aside several Holy Knights, uses blood threads to restrain and drag down others, and destroys the saintess’s Black Crystal spear.
• Bai Zhu’s blood also protects Number Nineteen and the vehicle, allowing him and Milluki to enter the Church. He avoids harming the white-robed children connected to the ritual, instead immobilizing them with Bakudō #4: Hainawa.
• Inside, Bai Zhu senses a deeper, corrupt presence beneath the Church. He and Milluki proceed underground while Milluki attempts to contact Illumi.
• Meanwhile, Illumi is trapped beneath the Church and engaged in a losing battle with the white-clad holy son. His puppets have been defeated, his Nen is being eroded, and every escape route is blocked by Black Crystal formations.
• The holy son explains that Black Crystal can track a living person’s “direction” through their Life Circuit, making concealment nearly impossible. He also reveals that pregnant women and children are used as ritual materials and containers.
• The underground altar activates. A coffin rises, and the Church’s “Father”—the Pope—awakens, apparently formed from the remnants and post-mortem Nen of many people. His overwhelming presence immobilizes Illumi by crushing his Life Circuit.
• Trapped with the holy son and the newly awakened Pope, Illumi calculates that escaping, saving Ella, or preserving the stolen intelligence is almost impossible. The chapter ends as he reflects on his family and the possibility of death.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu reveals the full scale of his power. His Bankai is not merely an offensive technique but an area-controlling ability capable of corrupting and dismantling the Church’s entire Black Crystal network.
• Bai Zhu remains irreverent and theatrical even during a deadly confrontation, joking with Milluki while demonstrating overwhelming confidence. However, he also shows restraint by immobilizing the ritual-bound children instead of killing them.
• Milluki shifts from sarcastic observer to active accomplice. Although he complains constantly, he faithfully operates the speakers, protects the equipment, follows Bai Zhu underground, and even instinctively cheers when Bai Zhu destroys the saintess’s weapon.
• Illumi is pushed into a rare position of helplessness. His usual manipulation, misdirection, puppets, and escape tactics fail against the holy son’s ability to track him. Despite this, he remains analytical and attempts to damage the Black Crystal system and protect the stolen documents.
• The holy son is established as calm, methodical, and deeply invested in the Church’s experiments. His excitement grows as the Pope’s resurrection nears, exposing a fanatical devotion beneath his clinical manner.
• The white-clad saintess displays fear for the first time when Bai Zhu’s blood spreads, signaling that his power is beyond what she expected.
• The Pope/Father emerges as a powerful, unnatural entity composed of accumulated post-mortem Nen and the remnants of many people.

Significant Themes

• Power versus faith: Bai Zhu’s Bankai destroys the Church’s holy formations, contrasting overwhelming individual power with institutional religious authority.
• The corruption of life and death: The Church treats people as “materials” and “containers,” while the Pope is created from fused remnants of the dead. The chapter presents post-mortem Nen as both powerful and grotesquely unnatural.
• Individuality versus dehumanization: The children, pregnant women, and ritual victims are reduced to components of a system, while Bai Zhu’s decision to restrain rather than kill the children preserves their humanity.
• Confidence and performance: Bai Zhu uses music, jokes, and exaggerated declarations to turn battle into a spectacle, yet the performance masks genuine danger and lethal skill.
• Family and emotional restraint: Illumi’s thoughts turn toward his family as death approaches, suggesting buried attachment beneath his normally detached and calculating personality.
• Countdown and urgency: With only minutes remaining, Bai Zhu’s assault and Illumi’s entrapment unfold simultaneously, heightening the sense that the ritual may complete before the protagonists can stop it.

Important Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki: Their constant insults create comic relief, but also establish practical trust. Milluki complains about being treated like stage crew while continuing to support Bai Zhu.
• Bai Zhu and the saintess: Bai Zhu taunts her hesitation and effortlessly breaks her weapon, reversing the power dynamic established in their earlier confrontation.
• Bai Zhu and the Holy Knights: He initially offers them a chance to move aside, but defeats them once they continue attacking. His respect for their faith is expressed sarcastically but reflects his willingness to acknowledge their conviction.
• Bai Zhu and the children: Instead of attacking them, he uses a nonlethal binding spell, demonstrating a more careful side of his character.
• Illumi and the holy son: Their exchange is an ideological and tactical confrontation. The holy son boasts that Black Crystal and post-mortem forces surpass Nen, while Illumi responds with detached criticism of the Church’s inefficient use of human sacrifices.
• Illumi and the Pope: The Pope’s awakening transforms Illumi’s situation from a difficult battle into near-certain entrapment. Its aura is powerful enough to suppress his body and Nen directly.
  The chapter ends on a major cliffhanger: Bai Zhu and Milluki are entering the Church while the Pope has awakened underground, and Illumi is trapped with almost no chance of escape.

Chapter Summary: “Today, I’m Tearing This Place Down”

Key Plot Points and Events

• As Illumi is about to be killed by the Holy Son, Bai Zhu’s blood suddenly erupts from underground and covers him. It heals Illumi’s severe wounds, restores his blood, repairs damaged tendons, and purifies the corrosive force attacking his Nen pathways.
• Bai Zhu’s blood spreads through the church’s core area, treating the injured medical staff and protecting Ella from the Black Crystal ritual. Although the Black Crystal Conduits continue draining Ella’s life force, the blood restores exactly what is lost, causing the ritual to stall rather than kill her.
• The same life-preserving effect stabilizes the life-force readings of the pregnant women being sacrificed underground.
• Outside the church, Bai Zhu advances through waves of Holy Knights while Milluki supports him with a large speaker and records data on the strange properties of Bai Zhu’s blood. The blood restrains and corrodes the Knights’ Black Crystal Armor, allowing Bai Zhu to cut through them with ease.
• The white-robed saintess reappears beneath the church statue and attacks Bai Zhu with a Black Crystal spear formed from needle tubes. His blood creates a barrier that corrodes the spear, forcing her to retreat and transform the weapon into numerous needle-like projectiles.
• The saintess’s renewed attack pierces Bai Zhu several times, but his blood immediately expels the weapons and heals the wounds. Enraged by her earlier description of him as “uncontrolled material,” Bai Zhu attacks decisively, destroying many of the needle tubes and severing her right arm.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: Demonstrates overwhelming healing, defensive, and offensive control over blood. He shifts from casually advancing through the church to becoming openly hostile after recognizing the saintess’s dehumanizing attitude toward him.
• Illumi: Recovers from what appeared to be a fatal attack and quickly analyzes the situation. He remains calm and perceptive, using the Pope’s weakened condition to provoke the Holy Son.
• Milluki: Acts as Bai Zhu’s observer and technical support, monitoring the ritual and collecting data. Despite his usual comic behavior, he recognizes that Bai Zhu’s healing ability is extraordinarily powerful and becomes increasingly impressed by him.
• Ella: Survives the ritual’s life drain because Bai Zhu’s blood continuously replenishes her vitality, though she remains physically strained and vulnerable.
• The Pope and Holy Son: Their confidence is shaken when Bai Zhu’s blood neutralizes the ritual and heals its victims. The Holy Son realizes that Bai Zhu’s power is not Nen, while the Pope struggles to maintain control.
• The Saintess: Reveals a more unstable and violent side when her attacks fail. Her calm, controlled appearance gives way to a berserk assault, ending with Bai Zhu cutting off her arm.

Significant Themes

• Life versus exploitation: Bai Zhu’s blood directly counters the church’s system of draining life force, turning the ritual’s victims’ suffering into a source of resistance.
• Power beyond established systems: The blood’s effects cannot be explained through Nen, emphasizing Bai Zhu as an abnormal force outside the church’s understanding.
• Dehumanization and rebellion: The saintess’s classification of Bai Zhu as “uncontrolled material” provokes his anger, highlighting the conflict between treating people as living beings and treating them as experimental resources.
• Overwhelming protection and retaliation: Bai Zhu’s blood heals allies and shields the vulnerable while brutally destroying those who continue the church’s violence.
• Humor amid danger: Milluki’s music, data collection, and banter with Bai Zhu provide comic relief while also reinforcing their growing battlefield partnership.

Character Interactions

• Illumi contacts Milluki to ask about Bai Zhu’s ability, but Milluki admits he does not understand it either.
• Illumi taunts the Holy Son about the Pope’s deteriorating position, prompting the Holy Son to show rare alarm.
• Milluki warns Bai Zhu of attacks and gathers information, while Bai Zhu protects him with the blood pool and jokes about sharing the resulting reward.
• Bai Zhu and Milluki develop an informal, humorous partnership, with Milluki treating the battle music as a “religion” and Bai Zhu demanding that he keep the music—and therefore the “buff”—going.
• Bai Zhu confronts the saintess after recognizing her contemptuous view of him, responding not with further conversation but with a direct and devastating attack.

Chapter Summary: “The Whole Family Lines Up”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The saintess transforms into a monstrous mass of Black Crystal threads and attacks, but Bai Zhu rapidly cuts her apart. He destroys the remaining Black Crystal Needle Tube, claiming he is helping her “recover.”
• Milluki supports Bai Zhu by turning the chapel’s music up to maximum volume, creating a chaotic and darkly comic backdrop.
• In the underground ritual chamber, the ceremony collapses:
  • The children surrounding the altar fall unconscious.
  • The pregnant women are overwhelmed by blood and Black Crystal backlash.
  • Monitoring equipment and Black Crystal lamps explode.
• The pope and holy son attempt to eliminate Illumi while the ritual disintegrates. Illumi uses Nen Needles to manipulate weakened puppets and briefly delay the pope’s attack.
• Bai Zhu and Milluki arrive through the abandoned elevator. Milluki carries the speakers and loudly announces that they have come to save Illumi.
• Bai Zhu demonstrates a powerful temporary ability, sending the Black Crystal Cross Blade flying and blasting the pope through several pillars. He reveals that the ability is a “trial card” lasting only ten minutes, with less than six minutes remaining.
• The holy son tries to ambush Bai Zhu, but the blood pool restrains him. Bai Zhu cuts him in half and threatens to finish off the entire family, having already destroyed the saintess.
• As Bai Zhu confronts the pope, the pope’s ruined coffin cracks open. A gigantic Black Crystal hand emerges, and an ancient voice announces that recovery has failed and that “Father Body Descent” is beginning.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu remains ruthlessly efficient and openly confident. He treats the saintess, holy son, and pope as a single hostile family to be dismantled one by one. His fighting ability is overwhelming, though his temporary power has a strict time limit.
• Milluki acts as Bai Zhu’s support and comic foil. Despite his fear and exhaustion, he contributes meaningfully by supplying the music and warning Bai Zhu about the shrinking time limit.
• Illumi stays calm under pressure, using his Nen Needles strategically to delay the altar’s attack. His interaction with Bai Zhu and Milluki shows surprise at their bizarre but effective rescue operation.
• The holy son proves dangerous and opportunistic, attempting to exploit Bai Zhu’s distraction, but he is quickly overwhelmed once the blood pool immobilizes him.
• The pope is badly damaged but becomes more closely linked to the Black Crystal system, suggesting that his defeat may trigger an even more powerful entity.
• The saintess is completely destroyed, establishing the severity of Bai Zhu’s assault on the ritual’s ruling figures.

Significant Themes

• Collapse of corrupted authority: The religious ritual and its leaders disintegrate together, showing the failure of the institution’s control over the Black Crystal.
• Violence and dark humor: Bai Zhu’s brutal attacks are repeatedly contrasted with Milluki’s loud music, timing announcements, and awkward commentary.
• Temporary power and urgency: Bai Zhu’s limited ten-minute ability creates constant pressure, especially as the countdown drops below six minutes.
• Family and inheritance: Bai Zhu’s taunt that the pope’s “whole family” is lined up foreshadows the emergence of a deeper ancestral or “Father” body.
• Escalation beyond the original villains: Even after the saintess and holy son are defeated, the destruction of the ritual activates a far older and more powerful threat.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki share a comedic partnership: Bai Zhu provides overwhelming force, while Milluki manages the music and countdown.
• Illumi questions Bai Zhu’s unconventional “ultimate move,” while Milluki jokes about the speakers, highlighting the absurdity of the rescue.
• Bai Zhu verbally taunts the holy son and pope, framing their confrontation as the execution of an entire family.
• Illumi, Bai Zhu, and Milluki briefly unite against the ritual’s leaders, but their victory is interrupted when the coffin reveals the emerging “Father Body.”

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Black Crystal system initiates “Father Body Descent,” forcibly draining life force and Nen from the entire Church, including the maternity ward, children’s altar, Holy Knights, attendants, and medical staff.
• Illumi realizes that the Pope, Holy Son, and Holy Maiden are not independent beings but vessels or organs connected to a larger entity through the Black Crystal Circuits.
• Bai Zhu abandons his earlier goal of merely destroying the Church and brutally kills the Holy Son, cutting him apart until nothing remains.
• The Pope’s body begins transforming into a grotesque mass of flesh and Black Crystal while attempting to summon or merge with the “Father Body.”
• Bai Zhu attacks before the transformation is complete, repeatedly damaging the Pope and interrupting the activation of the Black Crystal Magic Array.
• Although Black Crystal spikes impale Bai Zhu and drain his life force and Reiatsu, Minazuki’s blood continuously restores him. This allows him to fight recklessly without defending himself.
• The Father Body’s giant hand breaks out of the stone coffin and reaches toward Ella, apparently intending to reclaim her as its final vessel.
• Illumi disrupts the altar’s Black Crystal nodes while Milluki hacks the Church’s systems to shut the ward door. Bai Zhu’s blood pushes the hand back, and the door severs two of its fingers, protecting Ella.
• The Pope attempts to merge with the Father Body. Bai Zhu prevents the fusion by driving his sword through the Pope’s skull while Minazuki’s blood engulfs the Pope, the coffin, and the Father Body’s hand.
• The entire Black Crystal network collapses. The altar is destroyed, leaving only fragments, crystal dust, and a red-and-black core.
• Bai Zhu picks up the core and receives a system notification identifying it as a “Post-Mortem Nen Contamination Core.” Before he can read the full achievement message, the core whispers that “the door” lies across the sea.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu becomes significantly more ruthless and decisive. His anger at the Church and its hierarchy leads him to shift from sabotage to total extermination, attacking enemies before they can complete their transformations.
• His combat style is shown to be extremely aggressive and dependent on Minazuki’s regenerative blood. He willingly allows himself to be impaled because his healing outpaces the Black Crystal’s ability to drain him.
• Illumi demonstrates his analytical abilities, correctly identifying the Pope and the holy figures as vessels connected to a larger organism. He also acts quickly to disrupt the Father Body’s movements and protect Ella.
• Milluki provides crucial technical support by monitoring the Life Circuit, uncovering the Church’s exploitation of its followers, and hacking the security system. Though frightened and overwhelmed, he contributes effectively.
• Ella remains unconscious and calm throughout the catastrophe, unknowingly becoming the Father Body’s intended final vessel.
• The Pope and Holy Son are revealed not as true leaders but as expendable components or “reserve food” within the Church’s larger parasitic system.

Significant Themes

• Religious authority as exploitation: The Church’s “gifts” to the Holy Knights are exposed as stored resources meant to be reclaimed, revealing a system built on manipulation and sacrifice.
• Bodies as vessels and resources: The Pope, Holy Son, Holy Maiden, Knights, and children are all treated as interchangeable components in the Father Body’s biological network.
• Preemptive violence versus passive observation: Bai Zhu repeatedly refuses to let enemies complete transformations or attacks, emphasizing the danger of allowing powerful opponents to “charge up.”
• Found family and chosen loyalty: Despite their bickering, Bai Zhu, Illumi, and Milluki cooperate effectively to protect Ella and defeat the Church.
• Hidden larger mysteries: The contaminated core’s message about a door across the sea suggests that the destruction of the Father Body is only one part of a much larger supernatural or interdimensional threat.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu dismisses Milluki’s warnings and orders him to stop talking, while Milluki continues providing vital tactical information.
• Illumi explains the true nature of the Pope and the holy figures to Milluki, deepening the group’s understanding of their enemy.
• Bai Zhu taunts and humiliates the Holy Son and Pope while killing them, treating their grand titles as meaningless.
• Illumi and Milluki work together to stop the Father Body from reaching Ella: Illumi disables the Black Crystal nodes, while Milluki forces the ward door shut.
• Bai Zhu praises their teamwork only briefly, maintaining his usual blunt and domineering attitude.
• Their exchanges combine horror and absurd humor, especially Milluki’s panic over Bai Zhu’s recklessness and Illumi’s calm responses to the possible collapse of the Church.

Chapter Summary: “That Felt Good”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu discovers that the red-and-black core contains an ominous message: “The door… is on the other side of the sea…” The voice suggests a connection to the Dark Continent, though the core immediately becomes inert.
• After the underground sanctuary is destroyed, Bai Zhu’s wounds heal completely through Minazuki’s power. The altar is shattered, the pope is gone, the holy son is destroyed, and the holy maiden has been killed.
• Bai Zhu reflects on the women he failed to save on the bus, but takes grim satisfaction in destroying the people responsible, remarking that it “felt good.”
• Illumi and Milluki confront Bai Zhu over the contamination core. Illumi explains that retrieving it is part of the Zoldyck family’s commission and offers to pay for it.
• The system confirms that Bai Zhu completed two mission objectives:
  • He rescued 23 pregnant women, earning 230 achievement points.
  • He cleansed the underground facility, earning 200 points.
• The final mission objective is revealed: Bai Zhu must give the malice within the core to Illumi. Completing it will grant 30 achievement points and the Zoldyck family’s friendship.
• Bai Zhu realizes that the core, the Father Body, and the religious figures likely originated from the Dark Continent. He regards the location as extremely dangerous and has no immediate desire to investigate it.
• Rather than surrendering the core immediately, Bai Zhu stores it in his card case and agrees to hand it over once they escape, using it as leverage to secure a favorable deal.
• The mission settlement raises Bai Zhu’s total achievement points to 1,176, with 430 spendable points, and his Reiatsu reaches 11,760.
• Since he has surpassed 10,000 Reiatsu, Bai Zhu unlocks the ability to draw the name of his own Zanpakutō, leaving him delighted.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu demonstrates increasing power and confidence. He casually survives severe injuries, destroys the underground enemies, and negotiates with the Zoldycks without intimidation.
• His attitude toward the Dark Continent is cautious and pragmatic. Although curious about its significance, he refuses to risk his life for an unknown reward.
• Bai Zhu’s moral perspective remains ruthless but purposeful: he feels regret over the people he failed to save, yet believes eliminating their tormentors was justified.
• Illumi remains calm, direct, and emotionally unreadable. He treats the core as a mission objective and accepts Bai Zhu’s suspicion and bargaining as reasonable.
• Milluki acts as comic relief and an anxious mediator. He tries to prevent Bai Zhu and Illumi from fighting, but is repeatedly embarrassed by Bai Zhu’s blunt remarks about the Zoldyck family.
• Bai Zhu’s relationship with the Zoldycks shifts from potential hostility toward a transactional alliance, with the possibility of gaining their formal friendship.

Significant Themes

• Power and escalation: Bai Zhu’s growing Reiatsu marks a major advancement, culminating in his qualification to name his Zanpakutō.
• Pragmatism versus curiosity: The Dark Continent represents immense mystery and opportunity, but Bai Zhu prioritizes survival over exploration.
• Justice and vengeance: Bai Zhu’s satisfaction after destroying the cult reflects the blurred line between righteous rescue and personal revenge.
• Trust and negotiation: Bai Zhu refuses to trust Illumi blindly, insisting on retaining possession of the core until terms are settled.
• The unknown threat of the Dark Continent: The core and its message expand the story’s scope, suggesting that the underground cult was only a small manifestation of a much larger danger.

Character Interactions

• Milluki jokingly assumes Bai Zhu was speaking to a god or religious figure, while Bai Zhu mocks the idea and claims to be the Holy Light Church’s only saint.
• Illumi and Bai Zhu engage in a tense negotiation over the core. Illumi calmly demands it, while Bai Zhu questions his motives and calls him simply “a killer.”
• Milluki repeatedly attempts to mediate between them and defend his family, though Bai Zhu’s remarks leave him flustered.
• Illumi’s willingness to acknowledge Bai Zhu’s reasoning prevents the dispute from escalating into a fight.
• The chapter ends with Bai Zhu privately celebrating his system rewards and imminent chance to name his Zanpakutō, contrasting with the dangerous implications of the Dark Continent revelation.

Chapter Summary: “The Gate to a New World”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu considers revealing his Zanpakutō’s true blade name, which would open a powerful “gate to a new world.” However, he decides the cult’s filthy underground lair is an inappropriate place for such a milestone and postpones it.
• With less than a minute remaining on his Bankai trial, Bai Zhu, Illumi, and Milluki hunt down the final elder. They discover that the pope has already killed and drained his own followers, reclaiming the power he had granted them.
• The elder is also dead, reduced to a dried corpse while attempting to send a distress signal. Documents in his office reveal that the cult has outside support and intends to transfer another group of sacrificial “vessels.”
• Bai Zhu destroys the remaining Black Crystal traces but cannot pursue the external collaborators before the trial ends.
• The group returns to the core area, where the children used as prayer circuits have been freed from their collars and Black Crystal patterns. They are alive but have lost their Nen and are now ordinary, physically weakened people.
• In the maternity ward, the women regain consciousness, and the Black Crystal patterns disappear. However, the fetal readings are gone, confirming that the supposed pregnancies were part of the cult’s ritual and that the unborn lives have been lost.
• Bai Zhu reflects bitterly that although twenty-three people were saved, the number cannot erase the tragedy of those who died.
• When the Bankai trial expires, the blood pool disappears and Bai Zhu’s powerful blade reverts to an ordinary fire poker. The sudden loss of power leaves him physically weak, though he pretends to maintain his dignity. Illumi then asks him for the core.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: Shows both theatrical humor and growing emotional maturity. He jokes about needing an auspicious ceremony to reveal his blade name, but becomes grim when confronted with the cult’s cruelty and the loss of the unborn children. He admits he is “not okay,” though better than before, revealing a rare moment of honest vulnerability.
• Milluki: Continues to act as the comic counterpoint, carrying the speaker and mocking Bai Zhu, but also displays genuine concern. He checks the children, monitors the maternity ward, and asks Bai Zhu whether he is all right.
• Illumi: Remains calm, observant, and practical. He rescues an unconscious medical worker, investigates the elder’s communicator and documents, identifies the cult’s outside support, and warns the others to evacuate.
• The cult’s pope and elder: Their deaths expose the organization’s hypocrisy and collapse. The pope consumes his own followers for power, while the elder dies trying—and failing—to summon outside assistance.

Significant Themes

• Cult hypocrisy and exploitation: The cult’s claims of familial unity are exposed as lies when the pope treats his followers as disposable sources of power.
• The cost of victory: Bai Zhu and the others save many people, but the rescue cannot undo the deaths or emotional damage caused by the ritual.
• Power and its consequences: Bai Zhu’s Bankai grants overwhelming strength but leaves him drained when it ends, emphasizing both its temporary nature and its physical cost.
• Humanity versus dehumanization: The children lose their Nen but regain their ordinary human lives, while the cult reduces people to sacrifices, vessels, and “emergency rations.”
• Humor as emotional defense: Bai Zhu and Milluki use jokes and insults to cope with horror, grief, and exhaustion, while still acknowledging the seriousness beneath their banter.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu’s dramatic behavior prompts Milluki to question his sanity, while Illumi responds with detached uncertainty.
• The three work together efficiently: Bai Zhu leads the assault, Milluki handles monitoring and medical checks, and Illumi gathers information and protects survivors.
• Milluki and Bai Zhu briefly share an unusually sincere exchange about Bai Zhu’s emotional state, though Milluki quickly returns to teasing him.
• Illumi’s final request for the core shifts the group’s attention from the immediate rescue toward securing the aftermath of the ritual.

Chapter Summary: “Five Billion”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu hands the contaminated red-and-black core from the Dark Continent to Illumi after joking that its hardness makes it suitable for cracking walnuts.
• Milluki accidentally reveals that the Zoldycks suspected such a core might be present, prompting Bai Zhu to realize they had withheld information.
• Bai Zhu demands five billion Jenny for the core, along with three free services from the Zoldyck family.
• Milluki protests the price, but Bai Zhu justifies it by reminding him that he protected both brothers, saved Illumi from nearly dying, and prevented Milluki from being turned into a “porcupine.”
• Illumi accepts the deal, reasoning that the core is valuable, Bai Zhu saved them, and forcibly taking it would be too risky and ungrateful.
• The conditions are negotiated: the three services must follow Zoldyck rules, cannot be suicide missions, do not include unannounced extra requests, and cannot be deliberately neglected.
• Once Illumi receives the core, Bai Zhu’s system confirms that the mission involving Ella’s Suffering Holy Infant is complete. He gains achievement points, increased Reiatsu, money, and the friendship of the Zoldyck family.
• Illumi questions Bai Zhu about his devastating ultimate technique, which Bai Zhu had claimed could only be used once in his life. Bai Zhu maintains the impression that he paid an extreme price to unleash the ability.
• Illumi offers to help Bai Zhu contact an exorcist, likely because of the contamination associated with the core and the aftermath of the battle.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu displays his usual shameless confidence, opportunism, and sharp bargaining skills. Despite being injured and exhausted, he quickly regains his energy when money and rewards are involved.
• Bai Zhu deliberately cultivates a misleading image of himself as someone who uses powerful abilities under severe restrictions, allowing others to overestimate both his danger and his limitations.
• Illumi shows practical judgment and a growing degree of respect for Bai Zhu. He recognizes Bai Zhu’s value, acknowledges the debt created by being saved, and willingly authorizes an enormous payment.
• Illumi also begins reassessing Bai Zhu as a dangerous and unpredictable individual whose abilities may involve severe vows or restrictions.
• Milluki serves as the anxious and financially distressed counterbalance to Bai Zhu. He repeatedly objects to the price but is unable to deny Bai Zhu’s contributions. His frustration also emphasizes his lower influence compared with Illumi.

Significant Themes

• Value and compensation: Bai Zhu treats danger, protection, and rare resources as commodities, insisting that his contributions be properly paid for.
• Trust and reciprocity: Although the negotiation is highly transactional, Illumi accepts that the Zoldycks owe Bai Zhu for saving their lives.
• Misunderstanding as strategy: Bai Zhu allows Illumi to believe that his ultimate attack required a permanent sacrifice, using the Hunter world’s logic of restrictions and vows to enhance his perceived threat.
• Power and risk: The core is valuable but dangerous, and both sides recognize that its unknown properties make violence an unreliable alternative to negotiation.
• Alliance through business: The agreement transforms a tense partnership into a formal relationship, granting Bai Zhu access to Zoldyck services and establishing mutual respect.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu repeatedly taunts Milluki, exploiting his fear and reminding him of the protection he received.
• Milluki complains about Bai Zhu’s outrageous demands but ultimately cannot challenge the logic behind them.
• Illumi remains calm and emotionally unreadable while judging the core’s value and Bai Zhu’s usefulness.
• Bai Zhu and Illumi negotiate almost casually, treating a massive payment and three assassination services like an ordinary marketplace transaction.
• Illumi’s final offer to find an exorcist suggests a more cooperative relationship and acknowledges Bai Zhu’s ongoing problems with contamination or supernatural consequences.

Chapter Summary: Who Said I Only Had One Ultimate Move?

Key Plot Points and Events

• Illumi offers to have the Zoldyck family pay for an exorcist to remove Bai Zhu’s restriction, but Bai Zhu claims the restriction is too special to be removed. In reality, he is hiding the existence of his system and future abilities.
• Bai Zhu hints that his devastating “ultimate move” was not his only trump card. He still possesses an unreleased Zanpakutō, numerous Kidō spells, and the possibility of obtaining more powerful trial cards and system rewards.
• The destruction of the underground facility accelerates, forcing the group to stop arguing and prioritize rescue operations.
• Milluki regains control of the Creation Society’s systems, discovers that victim records were deleted, and begins tracing the organization’s money. He freezes the accounts for the Zoldyck family to handle later, frustrating Bai Zhu, who immediately wants to claim the money.
• Illumi captures two surviving Church members for interrogation and destroys their communication equipment.
• Bai Zhu and the others evacuate the surviving victims, including pregnant women and children who were weakened after having their Nen and stamina drained.
• Bai Zhu awkwardly tries to comfort an injured child but frightens him further because of his sword and intimidating demeanor.
• Ella is reunited with Number Nineteen. Number Nineteen breaks down in relief, while Ella reveals that she heard Number Nineteen calling for her during the crisis.
• Bai Zhu avoids the emotional reunion, instead giving Milluki his coat to pass to the two girls. He tells them to live well, then flees because he cannot tolerate their crying.
• Just as the group begins to leave, Milluki receives a recovered encrypted transmission: the Church has fallen, the Father Core transfer failed, and the Meteor City branch must be notified.
• The revelation confirms that the destroyed Church was only one part of a larger operation. Bai Zhu realizes another branch exists, setting up the next volume.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: Continues cultivating an exaggeratedly mysterious persona, concealing the true limits of his abilities. Despite his greed, sarcasm, and reluctance to show affection, he repeatedly acts to save victims and protect Ella and Number Nineteen. His discomfort with emotional displays reveals a softer, awkwardly compassionate side.
• Illumi: Remains calm and practical, securing the core, eliminating enemy personnel, and preserving captives for interrogation. He recognizes Bai Zhu as an increasingly serious threat and intends to update the Zoldyck family’s assessment of him.
• Milluki: Provides technological and logistical support, restores system control, traces the Church’s finances, and assists with evacuation. His constant arguments with Bai Zhu continue, but he also shows responsibility by managing the rescue and resisting reckless financial action.
• Ella and Number Nineteen: Their reunion emphasizes their emotional bond and the trauma they endured. Number Nineteen’s fear of losing Ella and Ella’s awareness of her calls demonstrate their mutual attachment.
• The Zoldyck family: Their willingness to pay for an exorcist and later handle the seized funds shows their resources and influence, while their threat assessment of Bai Zhu is clearly being revised upward.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and misdirection: Bai Zhu deliberately encourages others to speculate about his abilities, using ambiguity as a form of protection and psychological leverage.
• Compassion beneath detachment: Bai Zhu pretends not to care about others, yet consistently prioritizes rescue efforts and quietly provides emotional and material support.
• Comedy amid destruction: Financial disputes, awkward exchanges, and Bai Zhu’s absurd “low-key” claims contrast with the facility’s collapse and the victims’ suffering.
• The cost of survival: The rescued victims, especially the children and pregnant women, show the human consequences of the Church’s experiments.
• A larger conspiracy: The discovery of a Meteor City branch expands the conflict beyond the defeated Church and promises a broader threat in the next volume.

Important Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki continue their antagonistic but increasingly cooperative partnership, trading insults while relying on each other during the rescue.
• Bai Zhu and Illumi interact through mutual suspicion and strategic assessment, with Illumi trying to understand Bai Zhu’s true capabilities.
• Bai Zhu’s failed attempt to comfort a child highlights the gap between his intentions and his intimidating behavior.
• Number Nineteen and Ella share an emotional reunion that reveals their strong bond and shared trauma.
• Bai Zhu avoids directly receiving their thanks, but his gift of the coat and final advice show that he cares more deeply than he admits.
  The chapter ends Volume One with the Church defeated but its wider organization still active, leading into the next volume, Raging Sea, Roaring Whale!.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Church’s destruction and failed Father Core transfer are confirmed, but an emergency message reveals that the Meteor City branch has been notified.
• As the underground facility continues collapsing, Illumi warns that Kakin authorities, V5, and the Hunter Association will soon investigate. The rescued civilians could be silenced, reclaimed, or interrogated if they remain exposed.
• Bai Zhu orders Milluki to erase the survivors’ official records, forge death certificates, remove biometric data, and create new identities. Milluki complains but begins hacking the Church and government systems.
• The rescued group is identified as twenty-three pregnant women, thirty-one children, and six medical workers. Milluki registers them as dead in an accident and arranges temporary identities, with further assistance promised through Zoldyck connections.
• Bai Zhu gives Ella an anonymous bank card containing 500 million Jenny to fund relocation, medical care, new identities, and their future survival. Illumi later gives Bai Zhu access to the remaining 4.5 billion Jenny owed from the Zoldyck family.
• Bai Zhu refuses Illumi’s invitation to investigate the Meteor City branch, recognizing it as extremely dangerous. Instead, he announces his intention to take the Hunter License exam for legal income, access to information, and cheaper travel.
• Illumi departs for Meteor City with the captives, while Milluki gives Bai Zhu an encrypted communicator so Bai Zhu can repay his alleged assistant fees. Their farewell remains hostile but reveals mutual concern.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu continues to act crude, opportunistic, and money-minded, but his actions show a strong commitment to protecting the survivors. He takes responsibility for their long-term welfare rather than merely rescuing them from immediate danger.
• Milluki proves far more capable and compassionate than his complaints suggest. He hacks official systems, creates new identities, and helps protect the children despite insisting that he is only working for payment.
• Illumi remains calm and pragmatic, focusing on the wider consequences of the Church’s collapse. He recognizes the need to erase evidence and protect the survivors, while also pursuing the Meteor City lead.
• Feng Xia, formerly called Number Nineteen, reclaims her real name, marking a small but important recovery of identity and humanity.
• Ella expresses gratitude and emotional attachment to Bai Zhu, asking whether he will return. Her dependence on his reassurance highlights the bond formed during the rescue.
• Bai Zhu’s interactions with the women reveal that he is uncomfortable with emotional vulnerability. He uses sarcasm and threats of “handling fees” to prevent them—and himself—from openly crying.

Significant Themes

• Protection beyond immediate rescue: Saving people requires money, forged identities, relocation, and psychological and medical support.
• Identity and freedom: Changing names, erasing records, and escaping national systems allow the survivors to reclaim control over their lives.
• Moral ambiguity and practicality: Bai Zhu uses stolen or questionable funds for humanitarian purposes, framing criminal wealth as necessary “life-saving money.”
• Hidden compassion: Milluki and Bai Zhu both disguise concern with insults, greed, and sarcasm, suggesting that affection and morality can exist beneath abrasive behavior.
• The cost of survival: The survivors must abandon their pasts and remain hidden, while Bai Zhu and Illumi move toward further danger rather than safety.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki trade constant insults, with Bai Zhu exploiting Milluki’s skills and Milluki accusing him of being a heartless capitalist. Their hostility gradually develops into a functional, begrudging partnership.
• Illumi quietly exposes Milluki’s compassion by noting that he dislikes seeing children die, embarrassing Milluki but confirming his softer side.
• Bai Zhu’s farewell with Feng Xia and Ella is emotionally restrained. He gives them money and orders them to live under new identities, while Ella’s request that he return reveals how much she has come to rely on him.
• Bai Zhu and Illumi negotiate money and responsibilities in a practical, businesslike manner, splitting the Church’s remaining funds while pursuing separate objectives.
• Milluki’s final warning—framed as concern about unpaid fees—acts as an indirect expression of worry for Bai Zhu’s survival.

Chapter Summary: “A New Journey”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the Zoldyck family departs by airship, Bai Zhu begins evacuating the Creation Society’s surviving captives.
• Using buses arranged by Milluki under the absurdly named “Green Leaf International Medical Transfer Company,” he transports 23 pregnant women and 31 children toward a neighboring country.
• Milluki has prepared temporary identities, medicine, cash cards, and contact information, demonstrating that despite his complaints, he is extremely thorough and useful.
• Bai Zhu says goodbye to Feng Xia and Ella. Ella, still weak, leaves the bus to embrace him and tells him to survive. Bai Zhu responds with his usual humor, though his gentle actions reveal genuine concern.
• Once the buses depart, Bai Zhu feels unexpectedly lonely but dismisses his emotions as sentimentality.
• The system reveals that Bai Zhu has accumulated 1,206 achievement points, with 460 disposable points, and enough Reiatsu to draw the name of his own Zanpakuto. He hesitates but postpones the choice, deciding he needs to bathe, eat, and prepare properly before making such an important decision.
• He travels by train to Kik Port, reluctantly paying for an expensive luxury compartment because all cheaper tickets are sold out.
• Exhausted from his recent ordeal, Bai Zhu falls asleep and dreams of the Red-Black Core, a blood pool, and enormous entities moving across a black sea. A voice repeatedly warns him that “the door is on the other side of the sea,” hinting at the Dark Continent and future danger.
• A mysterious note is delivered to him on the train from Lippo. It warns that the Hunter Exam ship departed early.
• As the train arrives at Kik Port, Bai Zhu realizes that he has not even taken the Hunter License Exam, yet a new “dungeon” or major challenge is already beginning.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: Shows increasing responsibility and compassion by personally overseeing the evacuation, protecting vulnerable survivors, and comforting Ella and Feng Xia. Although he masks emotion with sarcasm, their departure affects him deeply. He also displays caution and maturity by delaying the Zanpakuto-name selection rather than making an impulsive choice.
• Ella: Recovers enough strength to walk off the bus and personally say goodbye. Her embrace and warning that Bai Zhu must survive reveal strong gratitude and emotional attachment.
• Feng Xia: Remains emotionally affected by the separation, nearly crying but controlling herself after Bai Zhu’s teasing warning.
• Milluki: Though absent, his preparations establish him as a reliable and meticulous ally despite his greed and constant complaints.
• Lippo: Acts as an informed guide or contact, using Hunter Association information to warn Bai Zhu about the accelerated exam schedule.

Significant Themes

• Responsibility beneath cynicism: Bai Zhu constantly jokes, complains, and pretends to be indifferent, yet repeatedly acts selflessly to protect others.
• Parting and loneliness: The evacuation marks the end of Bai Zhu’s connection to the rescued group, leaving him unexpectedly isolated.
• Preparation versus impulse: His refusal to immediately draw his Zanpakuto name reflects his growing awareness that major choices require careful preparation.
• The unknown and looming danger: The dream of the black sea and the mysterious “door” foreshadow the Dark Continent and suggest that Bai Zhu’s future challenges extend far beyond the recent conflict.
• A transition into a new adventure: The chapter moves Bai Zhu from the aftermath of the Creation Society incident into the next stage of his journey—the Hunter Exam.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu manages the medical personnel and survivors with blunt authority, though he tries unsuccessfully to reassure a frightened child.
• He exchanges an emotional farewell with Ella, responding to her embrace with awkward tenderness and giving her his jacket.
• He teases Feng Xia about crying while quietly acknowledging the emotional weight of the separation.
• His interaction with the train clerk emphasizes his humorous resentment toward spending money.
• He briefly banters with a fellow passenger and discreetly tips the train attendant who delivers Lippo’s message.

Chapter Summary: “Dog-Skin Plaster”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu arrives at Kik Port carrying his sword and discovers that the ferry from Dolle Harbor will not arrive for another half month because of route changes.
• He registers for the Hunter Exam and receives a waiting certificate, fulfilling a regional system achievement.
• The system reveals numerous exploration and food-related achievements around Kik Port, giving Bai Zhu a way to spend the waiting period while earning achievement points.
• Over the next ten days, he completes nearly every safe achievement available:
  • Hearing harbor announcements
  • Trying local fish cakes
  • Visiting the tide-viewing platform and lighthouse ruins
  • Performing temporary dock work
  • Completing most of the local food check-ins
• Bai Zhu refuses the more dangerous or unpleasant tasks, including fermented sea urchin sauce noodles and ocean diving. He considers the sea too dangerous to risk his life for a small reward.
• He accumulates 1,426 total achievement points, with 680 available for use. Although he qualifies to name his Zanpakutō, he postpones the draw because his body may not yet be strong enough to withstand the power.
• Instead, he spends all 680 points on physical enhancement, raising his Strength and Stamina to 350 while continuing to improve his already high Agility.
• The enhancement is unexpectedly powerful. Bai Zhu accidentally cracks a table and the inn floor, forcing him to start relearning how to control his increased strength.
• On the day before the ferry arrives, Bai Zhu goes to the crowded waiting hall and notices the strange variety of Hunter Exam applicants.
• He then hears a familiar voice angrily shouting at someone playing a handheld game and realizes that the person nearby is likely someone he already knows.

Character Development

• Bai Zhu becomes more pragmatic and strategic. Rather than impulsively naming his Zanpakutō, he recognizes the danger of having immense spiritual power without a sufficiently durable body.
• His cautious nature is emphasized through his refusal to attempt the diving achievement or eat the fermented sea urchin noodles. He prioritizes survival over rewards.
• He also displays a humorous, opportunistic side, treating the system’s minor achievements as valuable resources and turning the waiting period into an efficient “point-farming” vacation.
• The physical enhancement marks a major increase in his combat potential, but it also introduces a new challenge: controlling his own strength.
• Bai Zhu’s encounter with the familiar gamer suggests that his past companions or troublesome acquaintances may be catching up with him as the Hunter Exam begins.

Significant Themes

• Preparation over recklessness: Bai Zhu understands that power must be supported by a strong body and chooses preparation before unlocking his Zanpakutō.
• Survival and risk management: He repeatedly rejects dangerous or unpleasant options when the reward is not worth the risk.
• Humor in ordinary life: The chapter contrasts Bai Zhu’s previous experiences with cults and supernatural danger against mundane problems such as tourism, bad food, property damage, and noisy neighbors.
• The value of small gains: The achievement system turns trivial activities into meaningful progress, reinforcing Bai Zhu’s willingness to accumulate even minor rewards.
• Power and control: His enhanced strength gives him greater potential but also demonstrates that new power can create practical difficulties if it is not properly controlled.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu has a brief, amusing exchange with the registration employee, who doubts his stated age of seventeen.
• His blunt criticism of the fish cakes nearly provokes the vendor, though Bai Zhu tries awkwardly to reassure him.
• A tourist questions Bai Zhu’s rushed visit to the tide-viewing platform, leading to Bai Zhu’s deadpan claim that he had already “seen” the ocean after only three seconds.
• The innkeeper angrily complains about the noise and damage caused by Bai Zhu’s enhancement, while Bai Zhu disguises the incident as a fallen chair.
• At the chapter’s end, Bai Zhu recognizes a familiar, foul-mouthed voice coming from a chubby figure playing a handheld game, setting up a reunion or confrontation in the next chapter.