Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “A Resounding Victory”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Sifa releases his control over the situation, a Loen military Demigod in a black suit and golden mask appears at the temple.
• The Rose School Demigod, an old Southern Continent man, is expelled from the temple wall before he can unleash a curse.
• The two Demigods engage in a brief pursuit. The Rose School Demigod uses “Mirror Jump” to travel through reflective surfaces, while the Loen Demigod follows using flashes of pale-blue light.
• With the powerful Demigods gone, Lydon attempts to possess and control Sifa. However, the temple’s rule—“This place forbids possession”—prevents him from doing so.
• Sifa’s allies exploit the situation:
  • Sifa uses Mrs. Christie to steal Lydon’s intended thought.
  • Kardashian controls Mr. X and has him enforce additional Decrees, including “Imprisonment.”
  • Lydon is immobilized, allowing a pillar of Holy Light to burn him.
• Sifa follows up with a massive Flame Python, which swallows and explodes around Lydon.
• Although horribly mutilated, Lydon survives due to his Wraith nature and begins regenerating. He attempts to flee.
• Lydon launches two poisonous ice arrows at Sifa after seemingly predicting his movements. Sifa avoids the attack with a Paper Figurine Substitute, then counterattacks with compressed Fireballs and a barrage of flames.
• Sifa destroys both halves of Lydon’s body and stops only when Lydon’s Beyonder characteristics begin separating, confirming his defeat.
• Alfred recognizes that the battle is over. The Loen army has decisively defeated the rebels, driving off approximately a thousand soldiers and eliminating several important Rose School members.
• Alfred and Sifa exchange formal thanks and shake hands, marking the operation’s successful conclusion.

Character Developments

• Sifa demonstrates tactical restraint and intelligence. He deliberately limits his power to Sequence 5 so the Loen Demigod will not suspect his true strength, while still coordinating the defeat of Lydon.
• Sifa also shows adaptability by combining prediction, deception, Paper Figurine Substitute, compressed Fireballs, and sustained flame attacks.
• Lydon is revealed to be extremely dangerous and resilient, capable of possession, regeneration, thought manipulation, and deadly ice attacks. Despite these abilities, he is gradually overwhelmed by the temple’s restrictions and the coordinated assault.
• The Loen military Demigod appears highly mobile and powerful, pursuing the Rose School Demigod without hesitation.
• Mr. X and Kardashian contribute indirectly through the use of Decrees, turning the temple’s supernatural restrictions into weapons against Lydon.
• Alfred shifts from battlefield commander to victor and representative of the army, formally acknowledging Sifa’s contribution.

Significant Themes

• Rules and restrictions as weapons: The temple’s prohibitions against attachment and possession dramatically shape the battle and prevent the Rose School forces from using their strongest abilities.
• Coordination over brute force: Lydon is defeated through the combined efforts of Sifa, Mr. X, Kardashian, and the temple’s powers rather than by a single overwhelming attack.
• Concealed strength and strategic deception: Sifa’s decision to hide his true level reflects the importance of maintaining secrecy and controlling how others perceive him.
• The cost of war and victory: The rebels suffer overwhelming losses, while the Loen army secures a decisive strategic advantage by eliminating key leaders.
• Formal duty and military camaraderie: The closing exchange between Alfred and Sifa emphasizes professionalism, cooperation, and shared responsibility.

Character Interactions

• The Loen and Rose School Demigods briefly confront and pursue one another, establishing a conflict between two powerful factions.
• Lydon tries to turn the temple’s chaos against Sifa, but Sifa’s stolen thought and the enforced Decrees reverse the power dynamic.
• Sifa, Mr. X, and Kardashian work in concert, using different abilities to imprison, burn, and finally destroy Lydon.
• Alfred and Sifa end the chapter with mutual respect, exchanging thanks and a handshake after the successful military operation.

Daly Simone learned that Palenque Tassi had planned to meet Ince Zangwill, prompting the Red Gloves to alert the Church of Evernight and investigate further. Meanwhile, Sifa’s success in the Southern Continent helped advance his potion digestion, and at the Tarot Club Emlyn arranged to buy a Sequence 5 Beyonder characteristic from the World for the Sun.

• Daly Simone learned through spirit channeling that Palenque Tassi had gone to meet Ince Zangwill, but the captive did not know where they would meet.
• Soest decided the Red Gloves would notify the Eye of the Goddess, continue investigating Palenque’s trail, and report any suspicious coincidences; Leonard wondered whether someone presumed dead could evade 0-08.
• Sifa reflected that the battle against the Rose School had advanced his Iron-blooded Knight potion digestion, while Kardashian collected spirits in the jungle.
• At the Tarot Club, Sifa gave Mr. Fool two pages of Roselle’s Diary, and the World confirmed he had received the Mystical Item and thanked the Magician for her information.
• The Sun told Emlyn he had earned enough merit for a Sequence 5 characteristic, and Emlyn arranged to pay the World 5,000 pounds so the Sun could obtain it and Emlyn could claim the artificial vampire characteristic.

Summary of “This Is Just a Small Matter”

Key Plot Points and Events

• During the Tarot Club’s free discussion, Sifa reveals that he recently encountered one of Amon’s avatars and therefore missed the previous gathering.
• The announcement immediately alarms the other members, especially Alger, who fears that Amon may have infiltrated the gathering by parasitizing Sifa.
• The Fool confirms that the incident has already been resolved, calming everyone.
• Sifa explains that the encounter occurred outside Backlund. This alarms the members further, suggesting that Amon has multiple avatars operating in different places.
• Pressed for details, Sifa recounts how he:
  • Encountered Amon’s avatar.
  • Prayed to the Fool and received two possible methods of dealing with the situation.
  • Sought help from the Evernight Goddess.
  • Received the Goddess’s response through the descent of Arianna, an Angel who concealed Sifa’s fate.
  • Caused Amon’s avatar to retreat without a direct confrontation.
• The Fool downplays the incident by calling it “just a small matter,” preserving his mysterious and powerful image.
• The members interpret the incident according to their own assumptions. Emlyn believes the Fool deliberately avoided directly confronting Amon to protect a concealed resurrection plan.
• Alger realizes that Sifa may have become favored by the Evernight Goddess, since the Goddess personally responded to his prayer and sent an Angel to assist him.
• Sifa learns that Amon’s avatar has also appeared in Backlund, causing him to worry about his mother and siblings, though he reassures himself that they are unlikely to have attracted Amon’s attention.
• At the end of the gathering, the World warns Sifa and Cattleya to be cautious of investigations by the Aurora Order and the Numinous Episcopate, both of which are searching for people connected to the Fool. He also tells Cattleya that she may seek assistance from the Moses Ascetic Order if necessary.

Character Developments

• Sifa/Chariot: Demonstrates composure and discretion by withholding his location and adapting the Fool’s wording. His successful appeal to the Evernight Goddess suggests that he has gained divine attention or protection.
• The Fool/Klein: Maintains his authority and mystique by confirming the crisis was resolved while avoiding details that might reveal his inability to intervene directly. He supports Sifa’s account and protects his reputation.
• Alger/Hanged Man: Becomes highly suspicious and vigilant, but afterward analyzes Sifa’s relationship with the Evernight Goddess and concludes that Sifa may be a Blessed.
• Audrey/Justice: Is impressed and excited that the Tarot Club is becoming involved in matters concerning a King of Angels, seeing this as evidence of the organization’s growing influence.
• Fors/Magician: Remains deeply anxious about Amon and has been visiting the Evernight Church more frequently for protection.
• Cattleya/Hermit: Her belief that an “epochal change” is approaching becomes stronger as she realizes Amon’s activities extend beyond Backlund.
• Emlyn/Moon: Feels pleased that his previous interpretation of the Fool’s strategy appears correct.
• The World/Gehrman Sparrow: Acts as the group’s source of urgent intelligence, warning members about hostile organizations investigating the Fool’s connections.

Significant Themes

• The growing threat of Amon: Amon’s presence is no longer confined to one location, suggesting a broad and escalating danger.
• Divine influence and alliances: Sifa’s survival depends on cooperation between the Fool and the Evernight Goddess, emphasizing the complex relationships among powerful beings.
• Maintaining appearances: The Fool’s understated response protects his authority, while Sifa deliberately supports that image.
• The Tarot Club’s growing importance: The members are increasingly involved in conflicts involving Angels, Churches, and major secret organizations.
• Approaching upheaval: Cattleya’s sense of an impending epochal change is reinforced by Amon’s widespread activity and the increasing attention directed at the Tarot Club.
• Protection through secrecy: Sifa, Klein, and the others carefully conceal information about their identities, locations, and true capabilities.

Character Interactions

• Sifa’s disclosure creates immediate tension with Alger, while the Fool’s confirmation restores calm.
• Audrey and Fors react with contrasting curiosity and fear to Sifa’s encounter with Amon.
• Cattleya questions Sifa for practical information that might help the group survive similar encounters.
• Sifa consults the Fool before sharing the details, showing his respect for the Fool’s authority and concern for secrecy.
• The World’s final warning shifts the gathering from discussing a past crisis to preparing for new investigations and threats.

Chapter Summary: Possessed by an Evil Spirit

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the Tarot Club gathering, Gehrman Sparrow warns members to remain vigilant regarding investigations by the Aurora Order and the Numinous Episcopate.
• Klein receives a letter from Leonard reporting that Ince Zangwill has appeared in East Balam and may have met Palenque Tashib of the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death Faction.
• Klein suspects Ince is seeking assistance and may be in an abnormal condition, but he is wary of investigating because the Quill of Alzuhod, or “0-08,” could detect and manipulate events around him.
• Remembering the connection between the Artificial Death Project and the Death pathway, Klein performs a ritual using items associated with Mr. Azik and the Artificial Death Project. He asks for the purpose behind Ince Zangwill’s contact with the Numinous Episcopate.
• The ritual produces a disturbing answer: “Possessed by an Evil Spirit. Requires exorcism.”
• Meanwhile, Sifa is visited by Miss Viri, who reveals that she belongs to the Scaled Folk, a nonhuman race living on isolated islands.
• Viri explains that strange creatures have invaded the Scaled Folk’s archipelago, devouring the islands and its inhabitants. Her descendants’ prayers have reached her, but she has been unable to enter the physical world fully or protect them.
• Fearing that her people may be approaching the Apocalypse, Viri asks Sifa for help. He agrees to accompany her to the archipelago.
• Sifa prepares to leave alone, instructing Nefi and Chik to conceal his absence. He equips himself with powerful items, has Kardashian control Mr. X, and uses the golden harmonica to begin traveling.

Character Developments

• Klein: Demonstrates caution and strategic thinking in dealing with Ince Zangwill and 0-08. He also shows initiative by using a dangerous, indirect ritual to obtain information while minimizing the risk of exposing himself.
• Leonard: Continues investigating Ince Zangwill and relies on Klein for assistance, showing their growing cooperation and trust.
• Ince Zangwill: His movements suggest he is seeking help from the Numinous Episcopate, while the ritual indicates that he is possessed by an evil spirit and requires exorcism.
• Sifa: Displays courage and responsibility by immediately agreeing to help an endangered nonhuman race despite knowing little about the threat. He also acts prudently by going alone to assess the danger before involving Nefi and Chik.
• Miss Viri: Becomes more emotionally vulnerable as she describes the destruction of her people. Her sorrow and desperation reveal her strong connection to the Scaled Folk and her limitations as a spirit unable to fully enter reality.

Significant Themes

• Hidden corruption and possession: Ince’s condition suggests that supernatural forces can infiltrate or control powerful individuals, making appearances and motives unreliable.
• The dangers of investigation: Klein’s concern about 0-08 emphasizes the risks of seeking knowledge in a world where information itself can trigger manipulation or catastrophe.
• Responsibility and protection: Both Klein and Sifa respond to threats affecting others, accepting danger to protect people connected to them.
• Isolation and survival: The Scaled Folk’s remote islands protect them from the outside world but also leave them vulnerable when powerful enemies breach their defenses.
• The boundary between life, death, and the spirit world: Klein’s ritual invokes death-related powers, while Viri’s inability to cross fully into reality highlights the barriers between worlds.

Character Interactions

• Klein and Leonard: Leonard’s letter gives Klein crucial intelligence about Ince Zangwill and asks him to investigate, reinforcing their alliance.
• Klein and the supernatural forces of death: Through the ritual, Klein seeks information from a death-related power connected to Mr. Azik and the Artificial Death Project.
• Sifa and Miss Viri: Viri confides in Sifa about her identity and her people’s crisis. Sifa responds sympathetically and agrees to help, establishing a new alliance.
• Sifa, Nefi, and Chik: Sifa informs them of his temporary absence but deliberately keeps them out of the immediate danger until he understands the situation.
• Sifa and Kardashian/Mr. X: Sifa uses Kardashian’s abilities to control Mr. X as part of his preparations, demonstrating his reliance on companions and supernatural resources.

Sifa crossed the Berserk Sea through the Spirit World with Miss Viri and reached the Scaled Folk Archipelago, where the Scaled Folk welcomed him as their Savior. He answered their doubts by summoning projections of powerful figures, including Amyrius Rieveldt.

• Miss Viri led Sifa, Kardashian, and Mr. X through a safe passage in the Berserk Sea’s dangerous Spirit World region.
• After they reached the archipelago, Sifa brought Kardashian and Mr. X into reality and met Miss Viri’s Scaled Folk.
• The Scaled Folk elder recognized Sifa as the Savior foretold by their First Ancestor, and the people cheered.
• A Scaled Folk warrior questioned whether three visitors could save them, so Sifa summoned Amyrius Rieveldt’s Time Projection and began surrounding himself with more figures.

Chapter Summary: “Invaders”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sifa reveals a powerful reinforcement force through his projections. Among them are:
  • Amyrius
  • Gehrman Sparrow, the Mad Adventurer and Marionettist
  • Edwina, the Iceberg Admiral
  • Numerous projections of Sifa from his Sequence 7 period, all Pyromaniacs
• The display convinces the Scaled Folk that Sifa is truly their prophesied “savior.” Even those who doubted him bow respectfully.
• Sifa is escorted to Red Algae Village by Adarus, one of the four elders of the Scaled Folk and a Sequence 6 Wind-blessed.
• Sifa learns that the Scaled Folk have:
  • Four villages
  • A population exceeding two thousand
  • One Sequence 5 elder, Merinda, and three Sequence 6 elders
  • No Demigods
  • Relatively weak ordinary villagers, many of whom possess only limited supernatural abilities
• Red Algae Village is a primitive fishing settlement built among trees. Its people are deeply devoted to music and worship their First Ancestor, Miss Viri, whom they believe has protected them from extinction.
• Adarus explains that even the First Ancestor could not stop the current Catastrophe, forcing the Scaled Folk to rely on Sifa.
• Before Sifa can learn more about the Catastrophe and the mysterious “Invaders,” news arrives that Watercloud Village—the largest settlement—has been attacked.
• Sifa orders the fastest Scaled Folk guard captain, Bada, to take him there immediately while the others follow.
• At Watercloud Village, Elder Merinda directs an evacuation as explosions and fires consume the settlement.
• Merinda encounters one of the Invaders: a red dragon covered in flames. The creature appears emotionless and driven solely by destructive and predatory instincts.
• Merinda realizes that these Invaders were believed to have gone extinct, making their return especially alarming.

Character Developments

• Sifa strengthens his authority among the Scaled Folk by demonstrating the scale of his supernatural power and taking immediate responsibility for their defense.
• Adarus shifts from evaluating Sifa to openly trusting and supporting him, presenting him as the race’s savior.
• Merinda is established as the Scaled Folk’s strongest living member, a Sequence 5 Ocean Songster and descendant of Miss Viri. Despite the disaster, she remains composed and actively leads the evacuation and defense.
• Bada, initially skeptical of Sifa, becomes his escort and participates in the emergency response.
• The Scaled Folk move from fear and uncertainty to reverence and hope after witnessing Sifa’s projection army.

Significant Themes

• Faith and prophecy: The Scaled Folk’s belief in Miss Viri and the prophesied savior shapes their response to Sifa.
• Power and legitimacy: Sifa’s impressive lineup of projections serves as proof of his authority in a society that measures protection through supernatural strength.
• Cultural survival: The Scaled Folk cling to music, ritual, and ancestral worship while facing extinction.
• The return of ancient threats: The Invaders were thought to be extinct, suggesting that the Catastrophe involves the resurgence of forgotten or supposedly eliminated forces.
• Hope amid extinction: Although the Scaled Folk are severely outmatched and lack a Demigod, Sifa’s arrival gives them renewed hope.

Character Interactions

• Sifa presents his projections to the Scaled Folk, transforming their suspicion into awe and obedience.
• Adarus explains the Scaled Folk’s history, hierarchy, worship, and desperate reliance on Sifa.
• Merinda leads the people of Watercloud Village and orders them to withdraw rather than become trapped in the attack.
• Sifa responds decisively to the emergency, sending Bada to guide him to Watercloud Village ahead of the main reinforcements.
• The chapter ends with Merinda confronting an apparently extinct Invader, setting up the imminent battle and deepening the mystery surrounding the Catastrophe.

A mindless Flame Dragon attacked the Scaled Folk Archipelago, where Merinda and Sifa fought to protect the villagers. Sifa’s allies joined the battle and disrupted the dragon, while Gehrman Sparrow tried to control its Spirituality Threads.

• Merinda struck the Flame Dragon with her lightning-charged trident, but it threw her aside and began building a fiery attack.
• Sifa arrived, slammed the dragon’s head downward, and saved Merinda from its fire.
• Bada identified Sifa as the Savior and brought him together with his followers to aid the Scaled Folk.
• Amyrius’s projection grounded the dragon, and Sifa’s Pyromaniac soldiers bombarded it with fireballs.
• Gehrman Sparrow tried to control the dragon’s Spirituality Threads while Kardashian’s Mr. X projections disrupted it.
• Amyrius’s projection approached through wind and fog and swung his fist at the dragon with Execution.

Sifa and his projections destroyed the Flame Dragon and the other monsters threatening the archipelago, earning the Scaled Folk’s gratitude. Though the villages celebrated their rescue, Sifa remained concerned about the unknown contamination behind the creatures.

• Amyrius struck down the headless Flame Dragon after it violated the prohibition against flight, while Gehrman briefly controlled it.
• Sifa used the Calamity Spear to kill the Flame Dragon before it could contaminate Gehrman’s projection.
• Bada told Adarus and the Scaled Folk from Red Algae Village that the Savior had killed the monster, and they celebrated Sifa’s arrival.
• Sifa and his projections traveled across the archipelago, killing the remaining monsters, including a demigod Feathered Serpent.
• The Scaled Folk celebrated in Red Algae Village, where Merinda and the other elders bowed to Sifa and thanked him for saving their people and homeland.

Sifa helped the Scaled Folk plan for a future Sequence 4 advancement and left an army of projections to protect them. Meanwhile, Klein arranged a way to obtain blood from a Shapeshifter in the City of Sonus, then received a letter from his Messenger.

• Sifa learned that the Scaled Folk lacked Sequence 4 ingredients and could not perform the ritual, which required enduring an earthquake and tsunami while consuming the potion.
• Sifa offered to ask Miss Viri about the ritual, seek the missing ingredients in exchange for the Scaled Folk’s unused ones, and lend them his Calamity Spear to create a tsunami.
• Sifa left Amyrius, Gehrman, Edwina, and thirty Pyromaniac projections in the archipelago to protect the Scaled Folk, then departed with Kardashian's projection and Mr. X.
• Klein saw that the City of Silver chief had organized an expedition to the City of Sonus and told Little Sun that obtaining a Shapeshifter’s blood would be enough for his plan.
• Klein’s Messenger delivered him a letter, and he wondered whether Leonard had replied.

Klein suspected the evil spirit possessing Ince Zangwill was the Red Angel spirit and asked the Hanged Man to investigate Bansy Harbor. In West Balam, Sifa weighed two plans to protect the Scaled Folk and decided to help Merinda advance to demigod first, then noticed three men entering a hotel.

• Klein connected Ince Zangwill's possession to the Red Angel evil spirit but failed to confirm it through divination.
• Klein asked the Hanged Man to investigate Bansy Harbor for evidence about the spirit and the Medici descendants.
• Sifa considered gathering advancement materials for the Scaled Folk or relocating them with Clarence's Door, and chose to help Merinda advance first.
• Sifa read that Gehrman Sparrow had killed Ludwell and that Mirela had taken over his fleet.
• Sifa saw three men, apparently a master and two servants, enter a hotel.

Sifa encountered Will in a dream, where the child Angel briefly touched his finger in response to his wish for better luck. The next day, Sifa met Danitz and Anderson in West Balam, and Anderson suddenly saw a figure in a black clergyman’s robe.

• A mixed-descent gentleman checked into a hotel, watched Sifa and two Hunters, and wrote to report his suspicions about the Evil Spirit possessing Ince Zangwill and enclose a Soul Assurer Beyonder Characteristic for the Church of Evernight.
• Leonard received a letter and the Soul Assurer Beyonder Characteristic from a lady carrying four heads.
• Sifa met Will in the dream tower, explained that Lady Arianna had concealed his fate from Amon, and asked for better luck; Will held his finger before the dream ended.
• The next day, Sifa fed doves at Resurrection Square and encountered Danitz and Anderson in West Balam.
• Danitz said he was investigating something he could not disclose, and Anderson began trembling as he saw a figure in a black clergyman’s robe.

Sifa encountered Ince Zangwill and learned that the priest beside him was Adam, while Klein mobilized allies and sent warnings after spotting the danger. Sifa agreed to help Klein confront Ince, and the chapter ended with Sifa stealing Ince’s Spirit World Traversal ability and trapping him in Resurrection Square.

• Sifa recognized Ince Zangwill and discovered that the priest who appeared beside him was Adam, who confronted Ince by name.
• Klein alerted the Church of Evernight by telegram and sent Leonard a warning through Reinette Tinekerr.
• Adam and Ince vanished, and Klein cleared Resurrection Square before telling Sifa to hide.
• Sifa offered to help Klein deal with Ince, and Klein accepted his assistance.
• When Ince reappeared in Resurrection Square, Sifa used Mrs. Christie’s help to steal his Spirit World Traversal ability.

Chapter Summary: “Revenge Play”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Klein, empowered by the Tyrant Card and the Scepter of the Sea God, appears in papal robes and prepares his revenge against Ince Zangwill.
• He activates a Calamity Talisman made with the blood of Will Auceptin and precious metals. The talisman carries divine power from the Evernight Goddess and places a powerful curse on Ince.
• Ince’s Spirit World Traversal fails, and the Evil Spirit within him begins arguing, revealing its fear of the curse and awareness that a Marauder Demigod is nearby.
• Ince attempts to flee, but Sifa attacks him with a Dark Flame net and Frost Flame, intending to immobilize him.
• Ince counters by plunging the square into darkness and using a soothing, sleep-inducing chant. This weakens Sifa’s flames and briefly incapacitates him, allowing Ince to escape the trap.
• Klein’s Marionette, Ludwell the Admiral of Hell, appears and uses his ability to extract Ince’s spirit body from a distance. His target is the Red Angel Evil Spirit inhabiting Ince.
• Ince summons a Bronze Gate through his former Gatekeeper abilities, resisting the extraction and pulling the Evil Spirit back into himself.
• Sifa attacks the exposed Evil Spirit with a concealed Ash Flame spear, seriously damaging it, though it quickly regenerates.
• Leonard Mitchell and Daly Simone arrive, joining Klein and Sifa as the next participants in the carefully staged “revenge play.”

Character Developments

• Klein is shown as highly prepared, strategic, and emotionally driven by his memories of Dunn Smith, the destruction of the Blackthorn Security Company, and his own death. He structures the confrontation as a theatrical performance designed to dismantle Ince’s power piece by piece.
• Ince Zangwill remains dangerous and composed despite the divine curse and coordinated attacks. However, his growing desperation and reliance on the Evil Spirit reveal the instability of his position.
• Sifa demonstrates increasingly powerful flame abilities and strong battlefield awareness. He quickly understands Klein’s strategy and attacks the Evil Spirit once its weakness is exposed.
• Ludwell serves as a crucial weapon against Ince, using his immunity to Nightwatcher abilities and spirit-extraction power to target the Evil Spirit directly.
• Leonard and Daly enter the battle as additional allies, completing the group of “actors” involved in Klein’s revenge.
• The Evil Spirit is portrayed as internally divided and quarrelsome, yet still powerful enough to heal major injuries and resist removal.

Significant Themes

• Revenge as performance: Klein treats the confrontation like a staged drama, assigning each attack a role and sequence in his “revenge play.”
• Justice and retribution: The divine curse represents punishment for Ince’s past crimes, particularly those connected to Dunn’s death, the destruction of Blackthorn, and Klein’s suffering.
• Strategic dismantling of power: Rather than confronting Ince’s full strength directly, Klein targets its separate components—his own abilities, supernatural assistance, Sealed Artifact, and Evil Spirit.
• The instability of corrupted power: The Evil Spirit’s internal arguments and Ince’s dependence on it suggest that borrowed or forced power creates vulnerability.
• Memory and grief: Klein’s memories of his fallen companions and previous deaths fuel his determination and give the battle strong emotional significance.

Character Interactions

• Klein silently taunts Ince while initiating the curse, emphasizing their personal history.
• The Evil Spirit argues among itself, criticizing Ince and each other while warning him about the divine curse and approaching enemies.
• Sifa and Ludwell coordinate indirectly with Klein’s plan: Sifa restrains Ince while Ludwell attempts to extract the Evil Spirit.
• Sifa recognizes Klein’s objective and attacks the Evil Spirit at the moment it is exposed.
• Leonard and Daly arrive at the end, signaling that the revenge operation is escalating into a full group assault.

Daly Simone opened the Bronze Gate and drew the Red Angel evil spirit out of Ince Zangwill, while Sifa struck the spirit with the Calamity Spear and weakened it enough to be dragged into the underworld. With Ince left immobilized, Leonard turned to face him and invoked fate.

• Daly Simone summoned the Bronze Gate, and its pull separated the Red Angel evil spirit from Ince Zangwill.
• Sifa threw the Calamity Spear, which became a massive lightning bolt and severely damaged the evil spirit while also striking Ince.
• Daly widened the gate, and the underworld's creatures dragged the weakened evil spirit through before the Bronze Gate shut.
• Klein held back the Luck Stealer charm as Ince lay incapacitated and the Red Angel was cut off from the real world.
• Leonard faced Ince, pressed his glove to his forehead, gripped the Luck Stealer charm, and said, "Fate!"

Ince Zangwill used 0-08 to reveal his incomplete mythical creature form and try to escape, while Sifa fought him and lightning struck the square. The chapter ended with Ince writing a new story on his body to summon an unknown helper to carry him away through the Spirit World.

• Leonard realized his apparent use of Lightning Storm had only been a dream created by Ince Zangwill.
• Ince Zangwill wrote that he was in excellent condition and transformed into an eight-legged mythical creature radiating night and death.
• Sifa charged Ince Zangwill, stole the distance to him, and battered him with a barrage of iron fists.
• Ince Zangwill dazed Sifa and tried to flee, but a forest of lightning struck him and woke Sifa, Daly Simone, and Leonard Mitchell.
• Sifa shielded Daly and Leonard from Ince Zangwill's form as Ince wrote that an unknown existence would rescue him through the Spirit World.

Sifa used the River Styx Ring to repel a Spirit World Creature summoned to help Ince Zangwill escape, reassuring Daly Simone before confronting the threat. Reinette Tinekerr then arrived and cleared away nearby Spirit World Creatures, while Ince remained under attack at Resurrection Square.

• Sifa sensed a Spirit World presence approaching Resurrection Square and put on the River Styx Ring, while Daly Simone feared Ince Zangwill would escape.
• Daly remembered the man she had loved and despaired at being unable to help again, but Sifa promised to handle Ince Zangwill and vanished into the Spirit World.
• Sifa commanded the approaching blood-covered Spirit World Creature to leave, and the ring's power forced it to retreat.
• Ince Zangwill's quill recorded that the summoned creature had been driven away by a servant of Death.
• The quill announced Reinette Tinekerr's arrival, and she drove away the surrounding Spirit World Creatures after glancing at Sifa.

Sifa attacked the frenzied Ince Zangwill in Resurrection Square while Leonard, unable to reach Pallez Zoroast, used the Luck Stealer charm to redirect a Lightning Storm onto Ince. The storm engulfed Ince, and Sifa armed himself with his spear as the square filled with blinding lightning.

• Ince Zangwill lost control after the quill wrote “0-08,” then charged at Daly Simone and Leonard Mitchell as lightning struck around him.
• Sifa transformed into a Flame Spear, burned and punched Ince, then battered him with bullets and dark flames.
• Leonard called for Pallez Zoroast, received no answer, and prayed to the Fool for help locating Ince.
• Leonard used the Luck Stealer charm and shouted for Ince to die, exchanging places with him in the Lightning Storm.
• Sifa retrieved his spear and renewed his lightning attacks, but the storm’s bright light obscured Ince.

Sifa and Leonard fought Ince Zangwill, whose mythical creature form survived devastating attacks and threatened Leonard. Klein Moretti arrived just as Sifa prepared to finish Ince, and Klein took the chance to deliver the final blow.

• Ince Zangwill survived the storm but lunged at the weakened Leonard, while Sifa abandoned the quill to protect him.
• Sifa struck Ince with the Calamity Spear and drove him away from Leonard and Daly Simone.
• Sifa stole Ince's Nightwatcher-level power and briefly bound him with threads from darkness and dreams.
• Sifa prepared a Dark Flame Spear to strike Ince's exposed weak point, but tarot cards surrounded the monster and Klein Moretti appeared.
• Sifa lowered his spear, and Klein shot Ince Zangwill with his revolver, bringing him crashing to the ground.

Klein killed Ince Zangwill in a revenge drama that also completed his Marionettist potion digestion and prepared him to advance to demigod. After Adam explained the hidden price behind fate’s gifts and vanished, Klein reunited with Daly Simone and Leonard Mitchell, then drank the potion he had prepared.

• Klein used Flaming Jump and Death Knell to cripple Ince Zangwill, naming those he avenged with each shot, and finally blew apart Ince’s head.
• Klein revealed that his brown eyes were a disguise and placed a reversed The Star card on Ince Zangwill’s corpse.
• Adam retrieved the quill, told Sifa that fate’s gifts carried hidden prices, and revealed that Klein’s revenge had completed his potion digestion and left him ready to attempt advancement.
• Klein greeted Daly Simone and Leonard Mitchell, then told Daly that the captain had loved her, allowing her to grieve with the knowledge of his feelings.
• Klein prepared a potion from the golden grapevine and rubber mask ingredients and drank it.

After helping Klein take revenge on Ince Zangwill, Sifa returned to Cookawa City with no memory of the battle and received the Sequence 3 War Bishop formula and ritual from Mr. Fool. Klein kept the Red Priest Card and discovered a mysterious door beyond the sixth step Above the Gray Fog.

• Sifa left Resurrection Square, lost six hours of memories after removing the River Styx Ring, and summoned Kardashian and Mr. X to bring him back to Cookawa City.
• Klein advanced to Sequence 4, found the Red Priest Card on Ince Zangwill's corpse, and left Resurrection Square after telling Leonard he could not return to the Church.
• Daly Simone and Leonard left the square, and a mysterious woman in the robes of an ordinary cleric arrived and saw the Star Card covering Ince Zangwill's head.
• Above the Gray Fog, Klein studied the Red Priest Card and projected the War Bishop formula and ritual to Chariot before climbing the newly appeared sixth step to a strange door of light.
• Sifa received the Sequence 3 War Bishop formula and ritual from Mr. Fool, regretted not searching Ince Zangwill for the Red Priest Card, and then studied the advancement requirements.