Chapter Summaries

Sia Palenque Eggers used the Spirit Dance to open the Gate of the Dead, killing residents across the White City before Sifa’s Red Sun interrupted her ritual. Sifa confronted the Pale Empress at Resurrection Square and revealed that he had come to investigate her plan to resurrect the Underworld Emperor.

• Sia Palenque Eggers led the Spirit Dance, causing residents across the capital to die in a frenzy as their death aura flowed into the Gate of the Dead.
• The Gate of the Dead began opening, but the Red Sun rose over the White City and restored the residents’ senses.
• Sia Palenque Eggers appeared above the gate and used illusory bone walls and undead forces to block the Red Sun and fight off its Flame Spears.
• An invisible voice blamed the empress for the deaths while the Dream Weaver’s Virtual Personalities urged residents to flee, and Harij and the empire’s demigods searched for infiltrators.
• Sifa appeared in the Red Sun wearing the River Styx Ring and holding Death’s Scepter, then challenged Sia Palenque Eggers about her plan to resurrect the Underworld Emperor.

Chapter Summary: “Battle Flags Everywhere”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Sifa Army launches a massive offensive across the Pale Empire, using blitzkrieg tactics to advance along the River of Life’s tributaries. Counties including Kiena, Amarna, Benivev, Semalut, Bayviti, Kuz, and others are simultaneously engulfed in war.
• Because the Empire lacks sufficient troops, each county gathers its remaining soldiers and reserves to defend its capital. The defenders largely abandon the outer areas and concentrate their forces in fortified inner cities.
• In Kiena County, the Black Cloud tribe and grassland cavalry attack Gasa City. The city’s outer district quickly falls, leaving the heavily defended inner city as the final stronghold.
• Nefi, a powerful warrior wearing the Crown of Thorns, leads the assault on the inner city. She uses her Dawn Armor, Dawn Round Shield, and Dawn Greatsword to withstand rifle and artillery fire.
• Nefi breaks through the five-meter wall with a devastating storm of light, allowing the grassland cavalry to flood into the inner city.
• She prevents the city’s commander from escaping through the Spirit World by binding the surrounding space, then kills him with a winged spear of light.
• With their commander dead, the defenders lose organization. The city lord is captured and orders the remaining soldiers to surrender, ending the battle.
• Similar victories occur throughout the other counties. By the end of the chapter, nearly every county capital has raised the Church of War’s battle flags. Only White City, the royal capital of the Pale Empire, remains unconquered.
• Meanwhile, within White City, the great noble Harij searches for a hidden Spectator while commanding undead creatures. The Spectator distracts him with a Virtual Personality while the Dream Weaver infiltrates his Mind World.
• The Dream Weaver reaches the island of Harij’s Mental Body, where she encounters an elderly version of Harij. In the real world, Harij’s thoughts suddenly become confused, implying that the Dream Weaver’s mental attack has begun.

Character Developments

• Nefi demonstrates a major increase in power at Sequence 4. Her Dawn Armor is strong enough to shrug off bullets, while her mobile Dawn Light Curtain protects her from artillery. She acts as the decisive force in Kiena’s defeat.
• The city commander of Kiena is shown to be capable of using a Bronze Gate and attempting Spirit World escape, but he is outmatched when Nefi restricts the surrounding space. His death causes the defenders’ collapse.
• The city lord chooses surrender after the commander’s death, prioritizing the end of the battle over continued resistance.
• Harij displays considerable control over undead forces and his own Mind World, but he is vulnerable to the Spectator Pathway’s deceptive constructs and the Dream Weaver’s infiltration.
• The Dream Weaver reveals increasingly inhuman traits, including gray-white scales and golden, vertical pupils. Her ability to penetrate Harij’s subconscious and reach his Mental Body establishes her as a serious threat.

Significant Themes

• The overwhelming spread of war: The conflict is no longer localized; nearly the entire Southern Continent is consumed by simultaneous battles.
• The collapse of imperial authority: The Empire’s shortage of troops forces cities to abandon ordinary citizens and focus only on elite defensive positions. Once commanders fall, the remaining military structure disintegrates quickly.
• Class division and social inequality: Kiena’s outer city, occupied by commoners and slaves, is abandoned from the beginning, while the wealthy inner city receives the strongest defenses.
• Power versus technology: Rifles and cannons are dangerous but insufficient against high-level Beyonders such as Nefi, whose supernatural abilities determine the outcome.
• Psychological warfare and deception: The battle in Harij’s Mind World contrasts with the physical battles outside. The Spectator uses illusions to misdirect him, while the Dream Weaver attacks from within his own consciousness.
• The symbolism of battle flags: The Church of War’s flags appearing across the counties represent the rapid replacement of imperial rule and foreshadow the looming confrontation over White City.

Character Interactions

• Nefi and the Kiena defenders: Nefi advances directly through their artillery barrage, destroys their wall, kills their commander, and effectively dismantles their resistance.
• The city commander and Nefi: He attempts to escape through the Spirit World, but Nefi binds the surrounding space and kills him before he can flee.
• The city lord and the surviving soldiers: After the commander’s death, the city lord orders surrender, ending the chaos and preventing further resistance.
• Harij and the Virtual Personality: Harij repeatedly commands his undead to attack what appears to be the Dream Weaver, only to discover that the target is an illusion.
• The Dream Weaver and Harij: She bypasses Harij’s physical defenses by entering his Mind World and approaching his Mental Body. The chapter ends as her influence begins to disrupt his thoughts.

Sifa learned that Sia Palenque Eggers planned to borrow power from the dangerous Artificial Death through the Gate of the Dead. Sifa attacked the gate, and the resulting blast devastated the area around Resurrection Square while the empress protected it.

• A voice manipulated Harij into disrupting the ritual, then directed him to a building where he could think clearly about the empress's plan.
• Harij recalled that Sia Palenque Eggers had created Artificial Death from the Death Uniqueness, and that the entity had become dangerous by gathering characteristics from Beyonders who lost control.
• Through the Dream Weaver, Sifa learned that Sia Palenque Eggers intended to use the Gate of the Dead to channel part of Artificial Death's power.
• Sifa transformed into a giant and sent a crimson fireball plunging toward the Gate of the Dead, while Sia Palenque Eggers became a feathered serpent and countered with pale flames.
• Sia Palenque Eggers tried to bring Sifa into her line of sight, but dense fog concealed him from her gaze.
• The crimson fireball detonated like a sun, toppling buildings around Resurrection Square while the square remained intact under the empress's power.

Sia Palenque Eggers redirected Artificial Death's power through her small underworld and drew vitality from her anchors, becoming half a Death and escaping Sifa's Death Coffin. The Lord of Storms struck her with lightning, but she summoned Death's Divine Kingdom and began draining even the demigods and angels in the royal city to withstand the corruption.

• Sia Palenque Eggers transferred the rift for summoning Artificial Death from the Gate of the Dead into her small underworld, accepting its direct corruption to resist Sifa's Death Coffin.
• Sia Palenque Eggers drew vitality and spirituality from her anchors across the empire, weakening them and halting her transformation into a monster.
• Sia Palenque Eggers used her strengthened authority over death to escape Death Coffin and send it after Sifa, who used Mist to weaken its pull and tossed Death's Scepter and the River Styx Ring into the fog.
• Sifa prayed to the Lord of Storms, whose lightning struck Sia Palenque Eggers until she summoned Death's Divine Kingdom to shield herself.
• Sia Palenque Eggers's corruption worsened, so she began draining the vitality of the demigods and angels in the royal city as well.

Harij realized the empress’s second life-draining ritual was killing the empire’s people and demigods, while Sifa battled Sia Palenque Eggers in the White City. As Sifa’s attacks threatened the death divine kingdom, Klein suspected the Goddess was secretly helping Sia through Artificial Death and went to the Astral World.

• Harij saw the empress drain life across the empire, killing everyone over sixty and weakening the survivors, and decided she had to be stopped.
• Sifa gathered power from his anchors, armed himself with a flame-forged spear, and used Dawnlight and Endless Warfare against the Pale Empress and her death divine kingdom.
• Sia Palenque Eggers summoned pale troops and horrors from Bronze Gates, but Sifa’s spear swept through them and unleashed a sea of fire.
• Sifa summoned countless crimson war spears and hurled them at the decaying death divine kingdom.
• Klein watched the battle through a marionette, wondered whether the Goddess was supporting Sia through Artificial Death, and entered the Astral World.

Chapter Summary: “A Little Light”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In the Astral World, Klein, now fully in control of Sefirah Castle, visits the Evernight Goddess.
• The Goddess warns him not to rush into advancing to the level of a Great Old One, telling him that the Wheel of Fortune will indicate the proper opportunity and that she will grant him a blessing when the time comes.
• Klein reveals that the Artificial Death remains active and continues influencing reality. He explains that he supports the Conqueror’s advancement and the possible emergence of a Red Priest because the coming battle against the beings outside the world will require powerful allies.
• The Evernight Goddess questions whether the Conqueror can remain trustworthy after becoming a Great Old One by accommodating the Demoness’s Uniqueness. Klein acknowledges the danger of corruption but argues that all of them risk losing themselves through advancement.
• Klein declares that they must pursue advancement because they need “a sliver of hope” and “a little light.” The Goddess agrees with his reasoning but refuses to provide further assistance, treating the situation as a test of the Conqueror’s resolve.
• Klein realizes that the Goddess had intended to conduct this test regardless of his involvement. She confirms that she mainly wanted to understand his position.
• In the Pale Empire’s White City, the entire city has taken on the colors of dusk and is rapidly decaying, suggesting the catastrophic effects of the ongoing crisis.
• Noble Harij attempts to reach the Empress’s bedroom to stop her from using Death’s power. He confronts Death Consul Abugal, who blocks his way.
• Harij argues that the Empress has already drained the life from her people twice and may do so again, potentially leaving the Empire with only corpses. Abugal insists that he trusts the Empress and refuses to interfere with her battle against the invaders.
• Unable to resolve the disagreement, Abugal concludes that they must settle the matter by force.

Character Developments

• Klein: Demonstrates greater confidence and strategic maturity now that he has mastered Sefirah Castle. He accepts the risks of corruption and advancement, choosing hope and the survival of the world over absolute safety. He also shows growing trust in the Conqueror while recognizing the danger she may face.
• Evernight Goddess: Remains cautious, calculating, and unwilling to intervene directly. She agrees with Klein’s reasoning but deliberately withholds support to test the Conqueror’s strength and suitability for future advancement.
• Harij: Emerges as a pragmatic and desperate figure who prioritizes the survival of the Empire’s population over loyalty to the Empress. His fear of total annihilation drives him toward confrontation.
• Abugal: Displays unwavering loyalty and faith in the Empress. He values personal trust and his knowledge of her character more than Harij’s calculations about the Empire’s dwindling population.

Significant Themes

• Hope amid corruption: Advancement toward godhood carries the risk of madness, distortion, and moral collapse, yet the characters continue because even a small possibility of salvation is worth pursuing.
• Trust versus certainty: Klein trusts the Conqueror, while Abugal trusts the Empress. Both must act without guarantees, whereas Harij rejects such risks and demands immediate control.
• Sacrifice and survival: The chapter questions how much sacrifice is acceptable in the struggle against overwhelming enemies, especially when saving the world may require sacrificing individuals or entire populations.
• Tests of character: The Evernight Goddess’s refusal to help frames the Conqueror’s crisis as a test of whether she can overcome adversity without relying on external support.
• The danger of power: Death’s power and the pathways to higher existence offer salvation but threaten to consume those who wield them.

Character Interactions

• Klein and the Evernight Goddess: Their conversation is respectful but layered with challenge and mutual assessment. Klein seeks acknowledgment of his strategy, while the Goddess tests his understanding and indirectly tests the Conqueror.
• Harij and Abugal: Their confrontation pits pragmatic calculation against loyalty and faith. Harij sees the Empress as an existential danger to her own people, while Abugal views interference as betrayal during a crucial battle.
• Klein and the Conqueror: Though they do not meet directly, Klein’s decision to support her reflects his trust in her potential and his willingness to accept the risks of her transformation.

Sifa entered the death divine kingdom and fought Sia Palenque Eggers, using flames and frost to wound and temporarily restrain her. As Sifa prepared to strike her frozen head, the Scholar of Yore brought Azik Eggers and Reinette Tinekerr to assist Harij and Abugal.

• The Scholar of Yore told Harij and Abugal that his Lord had sent him to help, then brought forth Azik Eggers and Reinette Tinekerr.
• Sifa coated himself in pale flames taken from Sia Palenque Eggers and used them to pass into the death divine kingdom.
• Sifa blasted through Sia Palenque Eggers with crimson beams and pinned her to the ground with a flaming spear.
• Sia Palenque Eggers drained Sifa's life and attacked his spirit and humanity, but Sifa froze her body and silenced her powers temporarily.
• Sifa turned into a giant of steel and punched Sia Palenque Eggers's frozen head.

Harij sent the Golden Skull into the Underworld, severing Sia Palenque Eggers’s connection to Artificial Death and allowing Sifa to defeat and imprison her. After taking the White City, Sifa incorporated the Pale Empire into the Crimson Empire as Sia Province and appointed Harij its first consul.

• Harij used a bronze doorway to pull the Golden Skull toward the Underworld, while Sia Palenque Eggers confronted him and condemned his betrayal.
• A Mysticologist emerged from the Spirit World and attacked Sia Palenque Eggers, giving Harij time to cast the Golden Skull into the Underworld.
• The death divine kingdom vanished, and Sifa demanded that Sia Palenque Eggers surrender; she relinquished her mythical creature form and allowed herself to be drawn into a coffin.
• At dawn, Sifa took control of the White City and announced that the Pale Empire would become Sia Province of the Crimson Empire.
• Sifa gave Harij the Beyonder characteristic of a Sequence 2 Death Consul and appointed him the first consul of Sia Province.

Loen King Winton II received a delegation from the newly founded Crimson Empire and negotiated terms concerning Loen’s Southern Continent colonies. Loen and the empire established diplomatic relations, drawing the attention of other Northern Continent nations.

• Winton II agreed to receive the Crimson Empire’s delegation, led by the Church of War high priestess Katarina.
• Winton II was captivated by Katarina, while Aguesid and Amyrius recognized that she was a Demoness and noted an angel and a demigod among the delegation.
• Katarina proposed that Loen retain its colonies for now but withdraw from occupied cities in seven years, and offered diplomatic, commercial, and maritime cooperation.
• Loen’s ministers negotiated the withdrawal deadline to ten years and agreed to let the Crimson Empire establish offices and help fight the Resistance Army.
• After several days of talks, Loen formally announced diplomatic relations with the Crimson Empire one week later.

Chapter Summary: “Beginning the Advancement”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the war ends, Sifa arrives in the Loen Kingdom and stands atop the Starfall Mountains with Klein, who appears as both Gehrman Sparrow and Klein Moretti.
• Klein asks whether Sifa is ready to begin his advancement. Sifa reflects that war is not inherently just or evil; it is defined by success and failure.
• Klein transports Sifa to an uninhabited island and seals it within the Realm of Mysteries to prevent outside interference.
• Sifa begins advancing to Sequence 0 by combining:
  • Two Sequence 1 Beyonder Characteristics
  • The Crimson War Banner, representing the Red Priest Uniqueness
• As the ritual begins, Sifa’s transformation sends ripples through reality. Entities beyond the world barrier sense the birth of a new powerful existence.
• The Primordial Demoness attacks, recognizing Sifa’s advancement as a threat because of the connection between her pathway and the Red Priest pathway.
• The Mother Tree of Desire projects power through the Chained God, attempting to overwhelm Sifa with the suffering of the Rose School and prevent his advancement.
• Klein, acting as the Fool, intercepts both forces. With a snap of his fingers, he disrupts their thoughts and temporarily halts their attacks, allowing Sifa to continue undisturbed.
• Within the Realm of Mysteries, Sifa experiences countless lives connected to war: grieving mothers, frightened soldiers, dying warriors, and desperate believers praying for protection and salvation.
• These overlapping identities nearly erase Sifa’s sense of self. However, he rises above the visions and observes the entire continental war from a higher perspective.
• He realizes that every battlefield and war banner is an Anchor recording the war’s history. Through this understanding, he reunites his fragmented consciousness and declares his identity as the Lord of War, Sifa, and the first king of the Crimson Empire.

Character Development

• Sifa moves from being a victorious war leader toward becoming a divine embodiment of war. His advancement forces him to experience war through the perspectives of ordinary people rather than merely as a commander.
• He develops a deeper understanding of the human cost of war, including grief, fear, love, faith, and death.
• His identity is nearly consumed by the countless lives and prayers flowing through the ritual, but he ultimately reasserts himself by uniting his personal identity with his divine role.
• Klein demonstrates his continued loyalty and support toward Sifa. He protects the advancement ritual personally and confidently confronts two powerful divine enemies.
• Klein’s behavior also emphasizes his mastery as the Fool: he treats the apocalyptic crisis with humor and theatricality, presenting the ritual as an event under his protection.
• The Primordial Demoness and Mother Tree of Desire are portrayed as active threats who recognize Sifa’s rise as dangerous to their interests.

Significant Themes

• The nature of war: War is presented as neither purely righteous nor evil. Its consequences are experienced differently by rulers, soldiers, families, and victims.
• Identity and unity: Sifa must retain his individuality while becoming connected to countless people and experiences. His declaration shows that divinity does not erase his human identity.
• The human cost of power: Sifa’s ascension is fueled by the prayers, suffering, and deaths of countless individuals, suggesting that divine authority is inseparable from the lives affected by it.
• Memory and history: The war banners function as Anchors and records, preserving the countless details of the conflict. Sifa’s understanding of these records helps him regain awareness.
• Loyalty and protection: Klein’s intervention reflects his willingness to shield Sifa during the most dangerous stage of his advancement.
• Conflict among higher powers: Sifa’s ascension threatens neighboring pathways and Outer Deity influences, showing that the birth of a new god can destabilize the entire world.

Important Character Interactions

• Sifa and Klein: Their opening conversation establishes mutual trust. Klein acts as Sifa’s guide and protector, while Sifa accepts the responsibility of beginning his transformation.
• Klein and the hostile deities: Klein sarcastically welcomes the Primordial Demoness and the Chained God before suppressing their interference with the Fool’s power.
• Sifa and humanity: Through the ritual’s visions, Sifa interacts symbolically with mothers, soldiers, lovers, and believers, experiencing war from their perspectives.
• Sifa and his divine identity: His final declaration—“I am the Lord of War! I am Sifa! I am the first king of the Crimson Empire!”—marks the successful recovery of his selfhood and the consolidation of his emerging godhood.

Summary of “Meeting Again”

Key Plot Points and Events

• During his advancement to the Red Priest, Sifa’s fragmented flames merge to reconstruct his body. A crimson, bloodstained banner and a flame-formed humanoid riding a chariot then envelop him.
• The flames force Sifa to relive vast, terrifying battles across land, sea, the void, and the Starry Sky against incomprehensible entities. The visions push him close to complete Loss of Control.
• Sifa uses his Anchors—especially his conquest of the Southern Continent, the war banners spread across it, and the influence of the Lord of War—to recover his awareness and stabilize himself.
• The potion’s divinity continues eroding his humanity, making him feel omnipotent and increasingly indifferent to all life. He risks becoming a cold monster ruled by accumulated mental imprints.
• Memories of his ongoing war against the Pale Empire, including his army’s victories and the widespread “imprint” of his authority on both armies, help him regain focus. He gathers his scattered consciousness and guides the potion into merging with him.
• Outside the Concealed Realm, Klein battles the Primordial Demoness and another Sequence 0 True God. He uses Fooling and Grafting to disrupt their intentions, lower their intelligence, redirect attacks, and even make them attack or influence each other.
• Sifa eventually regains consciousness in what appears to be his former life as Li Zexi: a hot, impoverished room where his mother angrily demands that he find work. He begins to question whether his transmigration and life in the supernatural world were merely a dream.
• Road, Sifa’s alternate personality, reveals that he created this mental scenario. He removes the illusion, leaving only endless flames, and confronts Sifa directly.
• Sifa recognizes that their conflict must be settled before he completes his advancement; otherwise, Road’s influence could cause him to lose control. Road demands the chance to take over, while Sifa refuses to let him become dominant and implies that they may need to fight—or that Road may have to be erased.

Character Developments

• Sifa: Demonstrates strong willpower by using his Anchors and memories of war to resist divine erosion and maintain his identity. However, his growing sense of omnipotence and emotional detachment reveals how close he is to becoming a true monster. He also accepts that his inner conflict with Road must be resolved before his advancement can be completed.
• Road: Becomes more assertive and openly antagonistic. He manipulates Sifa’s perceptions, mocks his fear of the Fool, and insists that it is his turn to control their shared body. His purple flames suggest the growing strength of his influence.
• Klein: Continues to display tactical mastery while fighting two True Gods. Rather than relying only on force, he uses deception and reality-altering abilities to turn his enemies’ powers and actions against one another.
• Sifa’s family/“Li Zexi” identity: The apparent return to his former life evokes the powerless, rejected version of Sifa before transmigration, reinforcing the psychological pressure surrounding his identity.

Significant Themes

• Humanity versus divinity: Sifa’s advancement is portrayed as a constant struggle between retaining emotion and individuality and being consumed by indifferent divine power.
• Identity and memory: The illusion of returning to Li Zexi’s former life makes Sifa question which existence is real and whether his current self is genuine.
• Inner conflict and self-division: Road represents a competing personality or mental imprint within Sifa. Their confrontation reflects the need to reconcile or eliminate parts of oneself before achieving transformation.
• Anchors and purpose: Sifa’s armies, wars, and influence across the Southern Continent give him emotional and conceptual ties to humanity, helping him resist Loss of Control.
• Power and dehumanization: Both Sifa’s overwhelming authority and Klein’s manipulation of gods show how great power can distort perception, reduce others to tools, and threaten the user’s own identity.

Character Interactions

• Sifa’s connection to his armies and the war against the Pale Empire helps restore his consciousness during the advancement.
• Klein directly manipulates and pits the two enemy True Gods against each other, using their conflict to survive.
• Sifa and Road engage in a tense psychological confrontation. Road urges Sifa to surrender control, while Sifa rejects Road’s dominance and prepares to settle their struggle permanently.

Key plot points and events

• Klein’s “Grafting” turns the Primordial Demoness and the Chained God against each other, but the Demoness still launches a wave at him.
• A newly advanced Red Priest appears. His crimson flames destroy the Demoness’s searching eyes and burn through her tentacles; a barrage of crimson spears then drives back her remaining attack. The Demoness retreats, and the Chained God withdraws.
• Left alone with the Red Priest, Klein congratulates him and advises him to spend time with old friends to strengthen his humanity against the erosion of divinity.
• The Red Priest reveals that he is the result of Sifa and Road merging, with Sifa’s personality dominant, and chooses the name Lucifer.
• Back in the Star Highlands, Sifa reflects on his unstable new divinity and his authority of Destruction, which can annihilate anything from matter and beings to concepts and divine kingdoms. He recognizes that losing control could make him destroy himself.
• Sifa discovers that his command over fire has become near-total “Fire Domination,” allowing him to travel instantly to places connected to flame. He uses it to appear before Katarina in the royal palace.

Character developments

• Sifa/Lucifer has become a deity, but his humanity and identity remain precarious: Road’s traits have joined Sifa’s, and divinity threatens to overwhelm him.
• His new power is immense but dangerous. He gains absolute destructive authority and enhanced command over fire, including flame-based instantaneous travel.
• Klein acts as an experienced ally, offering practical guidance on resisting divine corruption.

Character interactions

• Klein and the Red Priest share a brief, respectful exchange: Klein welcomes his advancement, warns him about divinity’s effects, and congratulates him.
• Lucifer’s arrival forces the Demoness and Chained God to retreat, leaving him and Klein as the only deities present.
• Katarina recognizes Sifa’s transformation, welcomes him with tears, and kneels in reverence, addressing him as the Lord of War.

Significant themes

• The cost of godhood: Becoming a deity brings power alongside an ongoing threat to one’s humanity and self-control.
• Identity and merging: Lucifer is a fusion of Sifa and Road, with Sifa dominant but altered by Road’s influence.
• Power and self-destruction: The authority to annihilate anything makes Lucifer powerful enough to threaten even himself.
• Human connection as an anchor: Klein’s advice suggests that old relationships and familiar actions can help preserve humanity against divine erosion.

Summary

• Sifa and Katarina: After meeting with the King of Loen, Sifa tells Katarina that the negotiations went smoothly and that Loen has agreed to trade and diplomatic cooperation with the Crimson Empire. He praises her work and assigns her responsibility for the empire’s diplomatic affairs, while warning that he will keep watch over her. His unsettling aura leaves Katarina trembling, though she is also excited by his confidence in her. When Sifa disappears, she feels both relieved and faintly disappointed.
• Cromwell’s investigation: In Backlund, MI9 Judge Cromwell Monroe leads an operation against an Intis Pyromaniac suspected of stirring up anti-government unrest. Relations between Loen, Intis, and Feysac are tense after the recent war, and foreign spies are trying to destabilize Loen—especially now that it has allied with the Crimson Empire. Cromwell and his team evacuate nearby residents and prepare to arrest the suspect.
• The ambush and rescue: An explosion interrupts the operation. Cromwell pursues the Pyromaniac through the sewers and traps him with his Confinement ability, but a hidden Marionettist paralyzes Cromwell and reveals that the Pyromaniac was merely bait. Before the conspirators can take control of him, the Pyromaniac’s flames turn crimson and consume him. Sifa emerges through the fire, destroys the Marionettist with a snap, and frees Cromwell—though his excessive force leaves Cromwell’s clothes spattered with blood.

Character developments and interactions

• Sifa acts as both an intimidating ruler and a decisive protector. He rewards Katarina’s competence with authority, then abruptly intervenes to save Cromwell. His casual complaint about the sewer and his shrug after the violent rescue contrast with the severity of his power.
• Katarina shows loyalty and ambition, but remains deeply frightened by Sifa’s supernatural presence.
• Cromwell proves diligent and resourceful, pursuing the suspect despite danger. His confidence gives way to helplessness when the Marionettist controls him, before Sifa’s arrival restores him.
• The chapter contrasts Sifa’s commanding, fear-inducing presence with the loyalty and dependence he inspires in those around him. It also highlights espionage, political instability, and the use of subversion as a substitute for open war, while ending on a darkly comic note about Sifa’s lack of restraint.

Chapter Summary: “Brave Bar”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sifa and Cromwell visit a crowded bar on Iron Gate Street, where boxing matches, gambling, drinking, and ordinary social life are in full swing.
• Sifa subtly uses his abilities to clear the bar’s foul smells and effortlessly stops a pickpocket from stealing from him.
• Over drinks, Cromwell confirms that he has advanced to Sequence 6 and asks whether Sifa has become a Demigod. Sifa admits that he is only “a little higher in Sequence,” concealing the true extent of his power.
• Sifa warns Cromwell not to advance beyond Sequence 6, explaining that higher Sequences bring increasing madness, Distortion, and the danger of losing control.
• They discuss their mutual friend Lynn, who is now married and prospering in Trier through his wife’s noble connections. They toast to Lynn’s happiness and to their friendship.
• Cromwell encourages Sifa to remain in Backlund, suggesting that he might gain the Royal Family’s favor or join MI9. Sifa explains that he must eventually travel far away for an important purpose, though he promises to share Cromwell’s wine before leaving.
• Cromwell later wakes at home and discovers that Sifa has left after drinking one glass of the red wine. Sifa’s note promises that they will enjoy the rest together when he returns.
• The chapter then shifts to Backlund Technical University, where Melissa Moretti works as Principal Mormont’s assistant and helps oversee the mechanical laboratory.
• The university has recovered from wartime destruction and expanded its enrollment. Melissa learns that the school and laboratory have received a huge donation of £100,000 from the Crimson Empire, a newly emerging nation in the Southern Continent.

Character Developments

• Sifa: Demonstrates immense power and refined control, while remaining humble and deliberately vague about his true Sequence. His warning to Cromwell shows his awareness of the dangers of advancement and his genuine concern for his friend. His impending journey suggests an important future mission.
• Cromwell: Has advanced to Sequence 6 and appears to have built a stable life in Backlund. He is friendly, nostalgic, and concerned about Sifa’s future, hoping he will settle down or join MI9. His attachment to their friendship is emphasized by his regret that Sifa may soon leave.
• Lynn: Though absent, he is shown to be doing well in Trier, married, and advancing professionally.
• Melissa: Has grown from a student into an important figure in the university’s mechanical research efforts. Her position reflects both her personal development and Backlund’s postwar recovery.

Significant Themes

• Friendship and reunion: Sifa and Cromwell’s meeting emphasizes enduring bonds despite separation, danger, and changing circumstances.
• The cost of power: Sifa’s warning about madness and Loss of Control highlights the risks accompanying supernatural advancement.
• Normal human life: The lively bar and university represent ordinary society recovering after war, contrasting with the hidden dangers and supernatural conflicts surrounding Sifa.
• Recovery and progress: Backlund is rebuilding, its university is expanding, and technological research is receiving major investment.
• Farewell and uncertainty: Sifa’s planned departure gives the reunion a bittersweet quality, while his promise to return preserves hope.

Character Interactions

• Sifa and Cromwell share drinks and exchange updates about their lives, using humor and nostalgia to strengthen their friendship.
• Cromwell expresses concern by advising Sifa to remain in Backlund; Sifa responds appreciatively but makes clear that he cannot stay.
• Their toast to Lynn and their promise to share the remaining wine symbolize loyalty and affection.
• Sifa’s final note transforms the farewell into a promise of future reunion.
• Melissa’s interaction is primarily with the recovering university environment, where her new responsibilities connect her to Backlund’s technological and educational future.

Katarina delivered Melissa a message from an unnamed friend, encouraging her to keep studying. Elsewhere, Sifa rejoined Oswald on the road and revealed that he had already dealt with the men who might have stopped the carriage.

• At Backlund Technical University, Melissa saw the Crimson Empire delegation, including its leader, Katarina, and Mr. Reg.
• Katarina approached Melissa and passed on a friend's message praising her hands and urging her to keep learning.
• As Oswald escorted a recovered object that might point to an Ancient God's tomb, Sifa stopped his carriage on the road.
• Oswald welcomed Sifa into the carriage, and Sifa said he had already delivered his gift.
• Seven or eight burned corpses lay scattered through a nearby grove.

Chapter Summary: “Missing”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Oswald is pleased when knights discover charred corpses in the woods, believing they were the enemies who tried to steal his wooden box. He assumes “Duke” was responsible.
• Sifa explains that he spent much of his time on the Southern Continent, where the newly founded Crimson Empire has helped bring the colonial era toward an end.
• Sifa senses a disturbing aura from Oswald’s wooden box, describing it as ancient, marked, and tainted by decay. He advises Oswald not to return to the city and examines it beside a river.
• Inside the box is a finely engraved white finger bone. When Sifa commands the spirit within it to emerge, a terrifying Evil Spirit appears.
• Instead of attacking, the spirit recognizes or senses Sifa’s true nature and is overwhelmed with fear. Crimson flames consume it, causing it to vanish completely.
• Sifa admits he had intended to question the spirit but could not identify its Pathway. Oswald realizes that Sifa has become vastly more powerful than the Hunter he once knew.
• Oswald reveals that the finger bone came from ruins associated with the ancient Tamara Family and might contain clues to the tomb of an Ancient God. Sifa warns him not to pursue it because such ruins may contain unimaginable dangers.
• After spending the day with Sifa at an Intis restaurant, Oswald parts from him safely.
• Later, Sifa notices that the box has disappeared from a secret collection room of the Antiquities Protection Association. A mysterious woman retrieves it, sensing that its aura has been touched by a god, and escapes using a Wall of Spirituality.
• When the theft is discovered the following day, Oswald simply orders the authorities not to worry, implying that he either expected the theft or deliberately allowed it.

Character Developments

• Sifa: Demonstrates overwhelming supernatural power. His mere presence terrifies and destroys the Evil Spirit, suggesting that his true identity or status is far beyond what Oswald understands. He remains secretive about his transformation and appears to have anticipated the finger bone’s eventual disappearance.
• Oswald: Shows trust in Sifa and openly acknowledges that Sifa is no longer the Hunter he first met. He is also revealed to possess knowledge of ancient history and artifacts, though he wisely accepts Sifa’s warning about the Tamara ruins.
• The mysterious woman: Introduced as a capable and cautious supernatural figure. Her ability to enter the collection room, establish a spiritual barrier, and disappear suggests considerable power and specialized knowledge. She immediately recognizes the finger bone’s divine connection.

Significant Themes

• Hidden identities and growing power: Sifa’s true nature remains concealed, but his ability to annihilate the Evil Spirit reveals the immense gap between his apparent identity and his actual strength.
• Dangerous ancient relics: The finger bone is not merely an artifact but a vessel for an Evil Spirit, connected to the Tamara Family and possibly an Ancient God.
• Fear before superior authority: The Evil Spirit’s destruction through terror emphasizes the hierarchy of supernatural beings and the overwhelming presence of higher powers.
• Trust and secrecy: Oswald and Sifa call each other friends, yet both withhold important information. Their relationship is based on mutual confidence despite incomplete understanding.
• The limits of human knowledge: Divination and spirit appraisal failed to detect the danger in the bone, showing that ancient or divine artifacts can evade ordinary supernatural methods.

Character Interactions

• Sifa and Oswald: Their conversation combines friendly familiarity with unequal knowledge. Oswald seeks Sifa’s judgment, while Sifa protects him by removing the Evil Spirit and warning him against investigating the Tamara ruins.
• Sifa and the Evil Spirit: Sifa summons it directly, but the spirit immediately recognizes his terrifying nature and is destroyed without a conventional battle.
• Oswald and the mysterious woman: They never meet directly, but her theft of the artifact and Oswald’s unconcerned response suggest an unseen connection or prior understanding.
• Sifa and the mysterious woman: Sifa appears aware that the artifact has been taken and accepts its disappearance, implying that he either allowed her to steal it or believes it is better off in her possession.

Chapter Summary: “From the Starry Sky”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sifa discovers a note from Caven stating that Harry has gone to the Golden Wutong District to find an “Astronomer.” Caven warns that the situation is dangerous and asks anyone who finds the note to report the matter to the police and the Church of the Evernight Goddess.
• Sifa and Reg investigate the address in the wealthy district and find the house abandoned and filled with an evil, corrupted aura.
• Inside, Sifa encounters several monstrous entities, including a rotting woman and a bloated old man covered in eyeballs. His phantom dark crimson flames eradicate the creatures, the corpses, and the supernatural contamination throughout the house.
• The old man’s powers attract the attention of a terrifying presence connected to the Starry Sky. Sifa’s gaze clashes with this distant entity, causing a disturbance in the night sky and forcing the presence to withdraw.
• Sifa discovers a hidden spatial chamber where Caven and Harry have been trapped. They are rescued after the Astronomer’s influence is destroyed.
• Harry explains that the Astronomer possessed advanced mystical knowledge and tried to persuade him to use an astronomical telescope to observe the night sky. Harry resisted, but the Astronomer imprisoned him and transformed into a monstrous being.
• Caven reveals that he located Harry through divination and used a Talisman Spell brought by Harry to isolate and conceal their space. Without it, they would not have survived.
• Sifa concludes that the Astronomer likely became corrupted after witnessing something forbidden in the Starry Sky, eventually turning into a Monster and endangering Harry and Caven.
• He orders Harry and Caven to return with him and report the incident indirectly to the Evernight Church the following day.

Character Developments

• Sifa demonstrates overwhelming power, decisiveness, and caution. He destroys the supernatural contamination without wasting time investigating it and directly confronts the dangerous entity connected to the Starry Sky.
• Harry shows both curiosity and growing caution. Although initially persuaded by the Astronomer’s knowledge, he ultimately distrusts the telescope and refuses to use it, which saves him from further corruption.
• Caven proves resourceful and loyal. He searches for Harry through divination and survives by using the Talisman Spell, though he admits that he was powerless against the Astronomer’s transformed state.
• Reg continues to serve as a reliable assistant, helping investigate the house and restoring a sense of normalcy after the rescue.
• Sifa begins to suspect that the Astronomer may be someone he encountered previously at a mysterious gathering, linking this incident to a broader supernatural threat.

Significant Themes

• Forbidden knowledge and cosmic horror: The Starry Sky contains truths too dangerous for humans to perceive. Seeking knowledge without understanding its consequences leads to madness, corruption, and monstrosity.
• The limits of curiosity: Harry’s desire for a potion formula and the Astronomer’s obsession with observation show how curiosity can become a path to destruction.
• Friendship and responsibility: Caven risks himself to rescue Harry, while Sifa intervenes because of his relationship with them and ensures the Church is informed.
• Protection versus understanding: Sifa chooses to destroy the corrupted environment rather than investigate it, emphasizing that some mysteries are safer left unknown.
• Hidden supernatural dangers: The seemingly abandoned house conceals spatial distortions, monsters, and a connection to entities beyond the physical world.

Character Interactions

• Sifa and Reg work together to inspect the abandoned house, with Reg confirming its long-term vacancy and Sifa taking command of the investigation.
• Sifa confronts and destroys the supernatural entities before finding Caven and Harry.
• After the rescue, Caven and Harry explain their ordeal to Sifa while Reg provides them with tea, creating a brief moment of calm after the danger.
• Caven thanks Sifa for saving them, and Sifa responds by warning them against investigating the Starry Sky further.
• Sifa instructs both men to report the incident to the Evernight Church, reinforcing his role as protector and guide.

Summary: “Aftereffects of War”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The morning after the previous events, Sifa disguises himself and accompanies Reg to visit Kyle Garden, the Hunter who once helped him obtain the Provoker potion.
• Because Sifa is officially believed to have died heroically in the war, he changes his appearance and claims to be a friend of the deceased General Sifa.
• Kyle’s wife, Lancy, explains that Kyle is volunteering at a Poorhouse, where many more children have been sent after the war. Several children have recently gone missing, including one the previous night.
• Sifa and Reg travel through the impoverished Iron Cross Street district, observing the social damage caused by the war: unemployment, homelessness, theft, overcrowded relief centers, and growing desperation.
• At the Poorhouse, they witness a large crowd being turned away because the facility is full. They gain entry by pretending to be wealthy donors, contributing 100 pounds.
• Sifa finally meets Kyle, who is investigating the missing children. Sifa presents himself as a friend of the supposedly deceased General Sifa and successfully earns Kyle’s trust.
• Kyle mourns the general, praising his potential and achievements while expressing disbelief that he died in the war. Sifa feels uncomfortable and guilty because he is deceiving Kyle about his own death.

Character Developments

• Sifa: Demonstrates his ability to disguise himself effortlessly after becoming a True God. Despite his immense power and status, he remains connected to ordinary people and concerned about the consequences of war. His discomfort at hearing Kyle mourn him reveals his lingering humility, emotional attachment, and guilt over the deception.
• Reg: Acts as Sifa’s companion and assistant. Though initially ready to force his way into the Poorhouse, he restrains himself and follows Sifa’s plan, even pretending to be a donor.
• Kyle: Is shown to be compassionate and socially responsible. Rather than focusing only on his own security, he volunteers regularly at the Poorhouse to help war orphans and investigate the disappearances.
• Lancy: Remains cautious because of the worsening crime and instability after the war, but she trusts the memory of Sifa and explains Kyle’s charitable activities.
• The Poorhouse workers and residents: Reflect the strain placed on public institutions, which are overwhelmed by the number of displaced and impoverished people.

Significant Themes

• The social aftereffects of war: The war has produced unemployment, homelessness, crime, poverty, and a surge in orphaned children, even in areas not directly affected by fighting.
• The limits of charity and public institutions: The overcrowded Poorhouse cannot accommodate everyone, showing how relief systems are overwhelmed by widespread suffering.
• Identity and mourning: Sifa is forced to hear others grieve for a dead version of himself, creating an emotional conflict between his true identity and the public legend surrounding him.
• Responsibility toward the vulnerable: Kyle’s volunteer work and Sifa’s willingness to investigate the Poorhouse’s problems emphasize moral responsibility in the aftermath of disaster.
• Class division: Sifa and Reg’s formal clothing sharply contrasts with the poverty of Iron Cross Street, highlighting the gap between wealthy districts and the desperate lower-class population.

Character Interactions

• Sifa and Reg work together discreetly, with Sifa directing their actions and Reg handling practical matters.
• Lancy cautiously questions Sifa before allowing him into the home, but her respect for the deceased general leads her to trust him.
• Sifa and the Poorhouse staff interact through a misunderstanding: the staff assume they are seeking aid, but Reg’s donation allows them entry.
• Sifa meets Kyle under a false identity and carefully answers his questions to preserve the deception.
• Kyle’s heartfelt praise and mourning of General Sifa creates an especially poignant interaction, since the “dead” general is standing before him without being recognized.

Summary of “So-Called Ghosts”

Plot and key events

Sifa visits a poorhouse where Kyle Garden is investigating rumors of a haunting. The children believe in “Mother,” the ghost of Mary Cronin, a bereaved woman from Tingen whose children died after eating poisonous plants during the postwar shortages. According to the legend, Mary’s restless spirit wanders at night and abducts children to fill the emptiness caused by her loss. A child named Ross has recently disappeared, apparently after following a woman in white.
Sifa doubts the supernatural explanation, noting that he would have sensed any genuine haunting and that his presence as the Red Priest should repel evil spirits. He and Kyle arrange a trap, with Reg hiding nearby to confront the supposed ghost. That night, a seven-year-old boy named Alpha sees a crying woman in white outside the poorhouse. When the figure presses a grotesque face against the window, Alpha screams. Reg attacks the figure, and Kyle reveals that “Mother” is merely a man dressed in women’s clothing. The police arrest him and discover that he has been exploiting the ghost story to abduct children and sell them elsewhere.

Character developments

• Sifa demonstrates skepticism, intelligence, and practical reasoning. Rather than accepting the haunting, he recognizes that the legend is likely being used to conceal a human crime and devises a method to expose the culprit.
• Kyle is compassionate and concerned for the children, but initially uncertain how to investigate supernatural-seeming events. He cooperates with Sifa’s plan and helps reveal the truth.
• Reg acts decisively and physically subdues the impostor.
• Alpha represents the children’s vulnerability and fear, especially in a harsh environment where superstition can easily take hold.
• The alleged ghost is exposed as a criminal exploiting grief, poverty, and fear.

Character interactions

Sifa questions Kyle about the incident and challenges the assumption that the disappearance proves a haunting. Kyle recounts Mary Cronin’s tragic history and explains how the story spread among the children. Sifa, Kyle, and Reg then work together to catch the culprit. The children’s belief in “Mother,” contrasted with the adults’ investigation, drives the mystery toward its mundane explanation.

Significant themes

• Superstition versus rational investigation: Apparent supernatural events are ultimately explained through evidence and human manipulation.
• The exploitation of suffering: The criminal uses Mary’s tragic story and the children’s fears to conceal child trafficking.
• War’s indirect consequences: Even though Tingen was not a battlefield, shortages, inflation, and the lack of medicine caused devastating deaths.
• Poverty and vulnerability: The poorhouse’s freezing conditions and lack of resources emphasize how easily disadvantaged children can be endangered.
• Grief and storytelling: Mary’s real tragedy becomes a ghost legend, showing how communal stories can preserve suffering but also be twisted into tools of terror.

Chapter Summary: “Farewell as a Human”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter opens with Lancy preparing and serving a modest but meaningful breakfast for Sifa, Kyle, Reg, and herself. Sifa values the meal because it represents friendship and care rather than wealth.
• Kyle asks how Sifa realized that “Mother” was actually a human rather than a spirit. Sifa explains that ordinary people usually cannot see spirit bodies, making the large number of eyewitnesses unusual. The mystery has now been resolved, and the children at the Poorhouse will no longer be afraid.
• Sifa orders Reg to donate 1,000 pounds to the Poorhouse, specifically requesting that the money improve the children’s living conditions and provide education and survival skills. Kyle agrees to oversee the donation and prevent corruption.
• Sifa reveals that a deceased general asked him to visit the general’s family. He invites Kyle to accompany him to Enqi Town, and Kyle agrees to arrange their travel.
• That evening, Sifa discusses the future with Caven and Harry:
  • Caven considers returning to Intis but decides against it because his family is gone and the Secret Order could pose a danger. Sifa informs him that the Secret Order’s Angel-level leader has fallen.
  • Although Sifa offers Caven a chance to obtain the Sequence 4 advancement formula and ritual, Caven chooses to remain a Sequence 5 Marionettist. He prefers a stable, comfortable life with limited danger and responsibility.
  • Sifa supports Caven’s decision and offers help if he later wants to travel, move, or visit the Crimson Empire, where Nefi lives.
  • Harry chooses to continue following Sifa, believing that advancing under Sifa’s guidance will help him overcome his weaknesses and protect his friends. Sifa plans to bring him to the newly established Crimson Empire, where his skills as an Artisan will be valuable.
• The next day, Sifa, Reg, and Harry board a ship to Enqi Town with Kyle. Although Sifa could reach the destination instantly, he deliberately chooses ordinary human travel.

Character Developments

• Sifa: Demonstrates compassion and responsibility through his donation to the Poorhouse and concern for the children’s future. He respects his friends’ choices rather than imposing his own ambitions on them. His decision to travel normally reflects his desire to preserve his human identity and complete his personal farewells before beginning a new stage of life.
• Kyle: Shows trust in Sifa and remains willing to help him, both by accompanying him to Enqi Town and overseeing the Poorhouse donation. His surprise at Sifa’s knowledge hints at growing awareness of Sifa’s extraordinary connections and abilities.
• Caven: Consciously rejects further advancement, choosing safety, independence, and an ordinary life over power and responsibility. His decision reflects maturity and a clear understanding of his own desires and limits.
• Harry: Recognizes his shortcomings and decides to remain with Sifa in order to grow stronger and become more useful. His choice marks a renewed commitment to Sifa and to protecting their group.
• Lancy and Reg: Lancy’s act of preparing breakfast reinforces her warmth and closeness with the group, while Reg continues to serve Sifa faithfully and attentively.

Significant Themes

• Human connection over wealth: The simple breakfast is valuable because it is made with care and shared among friends, emphasizing that affection and companionship cannot be purchased.
• Responsibility and service: Sifa’s donation demonstrates that power and wealth should be used to help vulnerable people, especially children.
• Freedom to choose one’s path: Caven’s decision to stop advancing is respected, showing that personal fulfillment does not require pursuing greater power or status.
• The burden of power: Caven recognizes that higher advancement brings greater dangers, negative effects, and responsibilities, making a quieter life preferable.
• Farewell and transition: Sifa is preparing to leave behind his life and relationships as a human. His journey to Enqi Town symbolizes the completion of unfinished farewells before he begins a new chapter.
• Choosing humanity: Despite possessing the ability to travel instantly, Sifa chooses a slow, ordinary voyage because he wants to experience life through a human identity and bring emotional closure to his past.

Important Character Interactions

• Sifa and Lancy share a warm breakfast with their companions, highlighting the group’s sense of family.
• Sifa and Kyle discuss the “Mother” incident, the Poorhouse donation, and the trip to Enqi Town, strengthening their trust and cooperation.
• Sifa gives Caven practical information about the Secret Order and offers him future opportunities, but accepts Caven’s refusal to pursue greater advancement.
• Sifa invites both Caven and Harry to the Crimson Empire in different ways: Caven is offered freedom and future companionship, while Harry is invited to join Sifa’s developing plans.
• The final voyage with Reg, Harry, and Kyle brings several relationships together and marks the beginning of Sifa’s deliberate farewell journey.