Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Kurumi realizes that the sleepless woman in front of her is Rinne Sonogami, whose Angel, Eden, was partially devoured by Huanyue while the remaining portion was sealed inside Shiori. Rinne’s current body was also largely constructed through Featherheal Sovereign.
• Rinne is physically comfortable in her new form but must readjust to living with everyone again. She also remembers that she has not yet given Kurumi the carefully wrapped Polaroid she prepared.
• Huanyue explains the situation to Kurumi, who calmly accepts the presence of what she views as essentially a child and begins planning how to arrange an extra room and bed.
• Huanyue reveals that she has brought several mixed alcoholic drinks stored inside her Angel, Seraph of Thousand Blades, hoping to share them with Kurumi.
• The conversation turns teasing and flirtatious. Kurumi playfully suggests that Huanyue is cute enough to “eat,” prompting Huanyue to bite Kurumi’s hand in retaliation.
• Kurumi pretends to be offended and claims that Huanyue will be embarrassed the next day, but Huanyue insists she is sober.
• Prompted by her own mischievous “inner voice,” Huanyue kisses Kurumi briefly to prove that she is not drunk. The unexpected kiss leaves Kurumi speechless and visibly flustered.

Character Developments

• Rinne Sonogami: Her altered condition and connection to Eden are clarified. Although she has lost the ability to sense Eden, she is adapting to her new body and preparing to reintegrate with the others.
• Huanyue: She displays a more childish, carefree, and openly affectionate side while slightly tipsy. She is playful and naïve about the romantic implications of her actions, treating the kiss as a logical demonstration of sobriety.
• First-Meeting Kurumi: She remains elegant, composed, and theatrically flirtatious, but Huanyue’s uninhibited behavior repeatedly overwhelms her. Her embarrassment is shown through blushing, hesitation, laughter, and the uncontrolled movement of her shadow.

Significant Themes

• Adaptation and identity: Rinne’s new body and lost connection to Eden highlight the difficulty of adjusting to a changed self and rebuilding relationships.
• Playful intimacy: The chapter focuses on teasing, physical closeness, and affection expressed through banter, biting, drinking, and kissing.
• Contrast between appearance and behavior: Kurumi maintains a sophisticated, noble façade while becoming increasingly flustered, whereas Huanyue appears innocent and childish despite initiating unexpectedly bold actions.
• Trust and domestic familiarity: The relaxed setting, shared drinks, and discussion of arranging living space suggest the characters are becoming more comfortable as a household.

Character Interactions

• Kurumi calmly tidies up after Huanyue and accepts the need to accommodate Rinne.
• Huanyue offers Kurumi drinks and deliberately teases her, while Kurumi responds with flirtatious remarks about wanting to “eat” her.
• Huanyue bites Kurumi’s hand after Kurumi threatens to bite her, turning the exchange into mutual playful aggression.
• Kurumi mockingly complains about Huanyue’s behavior, but Huanyue innocently invites her to drink together.
• Huanyue unexpectedly kisses Kurumi, leaving Kurumi embarrassed and momentarily speechless while her shadow visibly reacts to her emotional turmoil.

Chapter Summary: “Shiori (Sweating)”

Plot and key events

• Huanyue is preparing to drink when Origami arrives at her door, claiming she left her “computer parts” behind. Huanyue immediately suspects Origami is joking or using the excuse for another reason.
• Shiori is with Origami and admits she came because she was worried about Huanyue. Huanyue teasingly insists that she is not drunk and playfully challenges Shiori’s concern.
• Huanyue offers to share her sweets with Shiori in exchange for resting on Shiori’s lap. Shiori happily agrees and confesses that simply being with Huanyue makes her happy.
• Encouraged by the flirtatious mood, Shiori imitates Huanyue’s style, blows her a kiss, and openly declares her love. She says she wants to stay with Huanyue forever.
• Shiori then adds that she will raise “the child” as her own. Huanyue initially responds affectionately, but becomes furious when she realizes Shiori is apparently referring to Rino.
• Huanyue addresses Shiori by her full name, frightening her, and summons the Angel Seraph of Thousand Blades at her. Origami attempts to restrain or calm Huanyue while Shiori desperately tries to explain herself.

Character developments

• Huanyue remains playful, flirtatious, and theatrically affectionate, but her mood shifts instantly when she believes Shiori is making an inappropriate claim regarding Rino. Her protective and possessive side becomes clear.
• Shiori grows more emotionally open and confident. She sincerely confesses her love and commitment to Huanyue, but her impulsive mention of raising Rino causes her confidence to collapse into panic.
• Origami acts as a quiet instigator and observer. She brings Shiori to Huanyue’s room, encourages the romantic situation indirectly, applauds Shiori’s kiss, and then tries to prevent the misunderstanding from escalating.

Significant themes

• Romantic affection and emotional honesty: Shiori’s declarations show that her feelings for Huanyue have deepened beyond simple admiration.
• Playful teasing and misunderstandings: The scene’s flirtation repeatedly blurs the line between jokes and sincere declarations, culminating in Shiori’s disastrous comment.
• Possessiveness and protectiveness: Huanyue’s anger reveals how seriously she regards her relationship with Rino and how fiercely she guards her place in the child’s life.
• Comedy through emotional contrast: Shiori’s sincere romantic confidence contrasts sharply with her immediate terror when Huanyue becomes angry.

Character interactions

• Huanyue and Shiori exchange affectionate teasing, with Huanyue inviting physical closeness and Shiori responding with increasingly direct declarations of love.
• Origami silently supports and enjoys the flirtation, even applauding Shiori’s kiss, while also warning her when Huanyue’s mood turns dangerous.
• The chapter ends on a comedic cliffhanger: Shiori is sweating and scrambling for an explanation as Huanyue aims her Angel at her.

Chapter Summary: “I Really Like This World, and I Like You Too”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shiori tells Huanyue that, if the matter concerns little Rino, she will take responsibility. Huanyue is unsettled by the statement, especially because she has not yet understood Rino’s background and privately prefers being treated as the girl’s older sister.
• Huanyue’s subconscious—or a darker reflection of herself—tempts her to surrender authority in exchange for the result she wants. It suggests that her forgotten memories and desires are connected to her anxiety about Shiori.
• Influenced by these buried emotions, Huanyue summons her Angel, Seraph of Thousand Blades, and attacks Shiori.
• Although Huanyue claims she is not trying to kill Shiori, she relentlessly forces her to dodge the Angel’s attacks, exhausting her and refusing to give her time to recover or explain herself.
• Origami realizes that Huanyue may be pushing Shiori to the point of danger and considers intervening. Huanyue restrains Origami and places her unconscious on a sofa so she cannot secretly assist Shiori.
• Huanyue reminds Shiori that she possesses the Reiryoku of several Spirits and should be capable of summoning an Angel. However, Shiori refuses to do so, unwilling to fight Huanyue seriously or create a memory of being afraid of her.
• As Shiori’s stamina runs out, Huanyue grows increasingly excited and cruel, urging her to “resist” and criticizing her weakness. Shiori is wounded several times, though the injuries heal quickly through Healing Flame.
• Huanyue finally reveals the emotional reason behind her attack: she likes Shiori and this world, but fears Shiori will die again. She also fears that Shiori will fail to remember the previous occasion when she died—and that, eventually, Huanyue herself will forget it.

Character Developments

• Huanyue: Her normally controlled and affectionate personality fractures under the pressure of forgotten memories and buried desire. She becomes unpredictable, sadistic, and emotionally unstable, using violence as a way to force Shiori to take her own power and safety seriously. Beneath her cruelty is profound fear, grief, and attachment.
• Shiori: She remains unwilling to seriously oppose Huanyue, even while being attacked. Her priority is preserving their emotional bond and avoiding a lasting memory of fear between them. Her refusal to summon her Angel leaves her vulnerable, though she continues relying on her supernatural healing.
• Origami: She becomes suspicious and concerned about Huanyue’s intentions. Origami recognizes that Huanyue’s behavior may be more dangerous than simple anger and prepares to protect Shiori, but Huanyue neutralizes her before she can interfere.
• Rino: Though absent from the confrontation, her uncertain background and Huanyue’s desire to act as her “big sister” remain an important emotional concern for Huanyue.

Significant Themes

• Love expressed through violence and control: Huanyue insists that she is attacking Shiori because she cares about her, revealing how fear can distort affection into cruelty.
• Memory, death, and forgetting: The chapter centers on Huanyue’s forgotten past and her terror that Shiori’s previous death will disappear from both of their memories.
• Fear of loss: Huanyue’s actions are driven less by hatred than by panic that Shiori will die again because she cannot control her power.
• Identity and subconscious desire: The internal voice represents a hidden part of Huanyue’s mind, suggesting that her forgotten self and suppressed desires are beginning to influence her behavior.
• Emotional trust: Shiori’s refusal to fight back reflects her determination to preserve her relationship with Huanyue, even at significant personal risk.

Important Character Interactions

• Huanyue and Shiori: Their confrontation is both a battle and an emotional appeal. Huanyue pushes Shiori to use her full strength, while Shiori begs her to stop and tries to preserve their closeness.
• Huanyue and Origami: Origami challenges Huanyue’s intentions and considers protecting Shiori. Huanyue responds by restraining and knocking her unconscious, demonstrating her dominance and unwillingness to tolerate interference.
• Huanyue and her inner self: The subconscious voice manipulates her unresolved pain, encouraging her to seek control and act on desires she does not consciously understand.

Chapter Summary: Melancholy Huanyue if (1)

Key Plot Points and Events

• Huanyue has lost her memories and become emotionally blank, listless, and disconnected from the world. She remains in a ruined, desert-like city, apparently unable or unwilling to leave.
• Shiori continues visiting her despite being repeatedly teleported away by Huanyue’s Angel. Rather than giving up, Shiori resolves to return as many times as necessary to restore Huanyue’s memories and affection.
• Huanyue briefly considers permanently eliminating Shiori to stop her persistent visits, but her own body instinctively prevents her from attacking.
• Shiori brings Huanyue drinks and attempts to care for her, even though Huanyue insists that Shiori, as an ordinary human, needs them more.
• During a later visit, Shiori finds a sweet soda among the ruins and tries to feed it to Huanyue. When Huanyue cannot drink it herself, Shiori pours it into her mouth and kisses her.
• The kiss produces the first visible emotional reaction from Huanyue. She vaguely recalls having once liked sweet flavors, suggesting that Shiori’s efforts may be beginning to awaken fragments of Huanyue’s lost memories.

Character Developments

• Huanyue: Now almost entirely emotionless and detached, she struggles to understand Shiori’s devotion. Although she has forgotten their relationship, traces of her former caring nature remain: she worries that Shiori needs the drink more than she does, and her body refuses to harm Shiori. The memory of liking sweet drinks marks the first small crack in her emotional emptiness.
• Shiori: Becomes increasingly determined and resilient. She no longer breaks down when teleported away and treats each rejection as motivation to try again. Her actions show deep love, patience, and desperation as she searches for any method that might reconnect Huanyue with her past.

Significant Themes

• Persistence and devotion: Shiori refuses to abandon Huanyue, even after repeated rejection and physical separation.
• Memory and identity: The chapter explores whether emotional bonds can survive the loss of memory and whether forgotten feelings can be recovered through familiar experiences.
• Love as instinct: Even without conscious memories, Huanyue’s body and habits still protect and consider Shiori, implying that their bond remains buried beneath her amnesia.
• Melancholy and hope: The ruined city and Huanyue’s emptiness create a bleak atmosphere, but the faint response to sweetness offers a small sign that recovery may still be possible.
• Emotional sacrifice: Shiori endures loneliness, danger, and humiliation in the hope of restoring someone she loves.

Character Interactions

• Shiori repeatedly approaches Huanyue with drinks and affectionate conversation, while Huanyue responds with silence or teleports her away.
• Huanyue briefly shows concern for Shiori by urging her to keep the alcohol for herself.
• Shiori interprets Huanyue’s teleportation of her to supply-filled areas as a possible unconscious act of concern.
• Shiori feeds Huanyue sweet soda and kisses her, prompting Huanyue’s first subtle emotional reaction and a fleeting recollection of their shared past.

Chapter Summary — Melancholy Huanyue IF (2)

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shiori returns to the familiar place where she once met Huanyue, but Huanyue is nowhere to be found.
• Exhausted and severely malnourished, Shiori collapses while searching. As she loses consciousness, she hears Huanyue’s voice encouraging her to keep going.
• Huanyue discovers Shiori in critical condition and uses the angelic ability [Featherheal Sovereign] to restore her strength.
• Although Huanyue attempts to leave, she repeatedly stops and returns to Shiori. She later uses [Seraph of Thousand Blades] and remains nearby.
• Shiori begs Huanyue not to leave but soon loses consciousness again from hunger and exhaustion.
• Huanyue rests Shiori’s head on her lap, examines her neglected condition, and retrieves the teddy bear Shiori had been guarding for her.
• Memories connected to the teddy bear and the other angels briefly surface in Huanyue’s mind, but they remain incomplete and emotionally inaccessible.
• Huanyue finds a drink, feeds it to Shiori mouthful by mouthful, and wipes the liquid from her face.
• Before leaving, Huanyue places clean water and supplies beside the sleeping Shiori, taking the teddy bear with her.

Character Developments

• Shiori is shown to be physically and emotionally near collapse, yet her determination to find and save Huanyue keeps her moving. Despite her suffering, she still trusts Huanyue and interprets her rescue as proof that their bond remains.
• Huanyue appears detached and lacking clear memories, but her actions reveal persistent, instinctive concern for Shiori. She heals her, returns to her repeatedly, feeds her, stays beside her, and leaves supplies despite claiming no attachment.
• Huanyue’s relationship with the teddy bear suggests that fragments of her former identity and memories remain buried beneath her current emotional numbness.

Significant Themes

• Memory and identity: Huanyue has forgotten important people, objects, and abilities, yet emotional habits survive even when conscious memories do not.
• Care beneath detachment: Huanyue insists through her behavior that leaving would be easy, but repeatedly chooses to help Shiori.
• Survival and dependence: Shiori’s physical weakness contrasts with her emotional resolve, while Huanyue’s supernatural power allows her to preserve Shiori’s life.
• Loss and helplessness: Shiori’s thoughts recall the spirits’ suffering and the destruction of the clues connecting her to Huanyue, reinforcing the chapter’s atmosphere of grief and uncertainty.
• Fragile hope: Even small acts—healing, feeding, or leaving water—become meaningful signs that their connection has not entirely disappeared.

Character Interactions

• Shiori hears Huanyue’s imagined or remembered encouragement while collapsing, showing how deeply Huanyue remains embedded in her thoughts.
• Huanyue rescues Shiori despite her emotionally distant attitude, healing her and returning whenever she tries to leave.
• Shiori weakly asks Huanyue not to go, but cannot physically stop her.
• Huanyue cares for Shiori in an almost clinical yet intimate manner by supporting her head, feeding her, and wiping her mouth.
• Their interaction demonstrates a painful contrast: Shiori openly longs for Huanyue, while Huanyue appears not to remember their bond but continues to act as though she cannot abandon Shiori.

Chapter Summary — Melancholic Huanyue If (3)

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shiori returns to the familiar building to visit Huanyue again, physically leaning against her just before being teleported away.
• For the first time, Huanyue initiates a conversation by asking Shiori’s name. Shiori introduces herself as the person who will save her and asks Huanyue to remember her.
• Huanyue repeats Shiori’s name and asks permission to call her “Shiori,” which deeply moves Shiori despite Huanyue’s otherwise emotionless demeanor.
• Shiori prepares soup using water and Angel, trying to make it richer and sweeter in hopes of easing Huanyue’s emotional emptiness.
• As Shiori comforts and touches her, Huanyue begins to crave the warmth, reassurance, and emotional connection. Her suppressed feelings gradually awaken.
• Huanyue discovers that physical contact allows her to transfer and draw Spiritual Power from Shiori. She repeatedly leans against and embraces Shiori, draining some of her power while temporarily easing the emptiness in her own chest.
• The interaction becomes increasingly intimate. Shiori confesses that she likes and loves Huanyue, calling her cute after they fall to the ground together.
• Huanyue reacts with visible embarrassment and, seemingly wanting more contact, knocks Shiori down again to continue absorbing her Spiritual Power.
• The chapter ends with Shiori weakly reminding Huanyue that the soup is burning while Huanyue remains focused on their physical and emotional connection.

Character Developments

• Huanyue: Begins to show the first signs of emotional revival. She remembers and uses Shiori’s name, seeks physical closeness, displays embarrassment, and develops a clear craving for affection and Spiritual Power. Although she remains quiet and emotionally restrained, her actions reveal dependency and emerging romantic or possessive feelings.
• Shiori: Continues to approach Huanyue with patience, warmth, and determination. She tries to nurture her through cooking, touch, reassurance, and direct declarations of love. Despite recognizing Huanyue’s emotional instability and the danger of Spiritual Power loss, Shiori willingly gives Huanyue everything she can.
• Their relationship: Shifts from one-sided rescue to mutual attachment. Shiori gives Huanyue emotional support, while Huanyue begins actively seeking Shiori’s presence and strength.

Significant Themes

• The restoration of emotion: Huanyue’s feelings return gradually through repeated contact with Shiori, suggesting that love and companionship can penetrate even deep emotional numbness.
• Love as both salvation and sacrifice: Shiori believes love can save Huanyue, but helping her requires surrendering Spiritual Power and risking her own well-being.
• Emotional hunger and dependency: Huanyue’s need for Shiori resembles both affection and consumption; her emptiness is relieved by closeness, but only temporarily, encouraging her to seek more.
• Hope amid melancholy: Ordinary domestic actions—cooking soup, holding hands, and teasing—create moments of warmth within an otherwise tragic and isolated situation.
• Memory versus instinct: Even without fully restored memories, Huanyue’s subconscious recognizes Shiori’s importance and responds to her with trust, desire, and attachment.

Character Interactions

• Shiori holds Huanyue’s hand and gently comforts her while Huanyue accepts the contact without resistance.
• Shiori cooks for Huanyue and tries to adjust the soup to her imagined preferences.
• Huanyue leans against Shiori, interlaces their fingers, and draws Spiritual Power from her through physical contact.
• After they fall together, Shiori protects Huanyue from the impact and calls her cute, then openly confesses her love.
• Huanyue becomes visibly flustered but responds by knocking Shiori down again, prioritizing continued closeness and Spiritual Power transfer over the nearly ruined soup.

Plot points and events

• Mio’s Angel, Ain, attacks Qian Huanyue. Though the Seraph of Thousand Blades cannot help her escape, Ain cannot erase Huanyue completely: their shared origin in the Spirit Formula causes its power to turn aside and erase her memories instead.
• Huanyue loses her identity and past, retaining only a deep, wordless rage and an instinct to recover what was taken. The destruction around her leaves her believing she has failed to protect people, though she cannot remember who they were or what happened.
• The narrative shifts to Huanyue with Shiori. Shiori is now an ordinary human, having lost all her Spiritual Power, while Huanyue repeatedly asks her to seal or take away Huanyue’s own power.
• Shiori comforts Huanyue, who is emotionally numb and withdrawn. When Shiori says she could not go on living without Huanyue, Huanyue panics at the thought of death and losing Shiori.
• Using the Seraph of Thousand Blades, now under her control, Shiori reaches Huanyue and reassures her. She promises they will go on a daytime date when the sky grows light.

Character developments and interactions

• Huanyue is devastated by memory loss and guilt, reduced to questions about who she is and whether she caused the devastation. In the present, she remains fragile and fixated on giving up her power, but her fear of Shiori’s death reveals a powerful attachment beneath her numbness.
• Shiori has become powerless but remains Huanyue’s emotional anchor. She responds to Huanyue’s distress with physical affection, gentle reassurance, and a concrete promise of time together.
• Their relationship is intimate and mutually dependent: Shiori cherishes caring for Huanyue, while Huanyue accepts her closeness and is terrified of losing her.

Significant themes

• Memory and identity: Even when Huanyue’s memories are erased, something primal—rage and attachment—remains.
• Guilt and helplessness: Huanyue assumes responsibility for destruction she cannot remember and cannot make amends for.
• Loss and dependence: Both characters have lost something essential, and each represents what the other still has to hold on to.
• Hope through connection: Shiori’s promise of a date offers Huanyue a small, immediate reason to imagine a future.

Chapter Summary

• Huanyue’s spiritual power continues to deteriorate, leaking into Shiori while [Ain] repeatedly erases the emotions and memories that define her. Her feelings—such as the desire for affection and recognition—briefly return only to be erased again, leaving her emotionally fragmented and increasingly detached from reality.
• Huanyue hears a final, lucid voice that reveals itself as the collective embodiment of her past selves and wills. This manifestation explains that Huanyue’s subconscious desire to save herself is what has allowed her current actions to continue. As Huanyue’s spiritual power diminishes, the voice’s own existence also fades, and it bids her farewell before disappearing completely.
• Immediately afterward, Huanyue realizes that she has been fatally wounded through the abdomen, with the injury having been inflicted by her own hand. Shiori reacts in horror and instinctively summons [Featherheal Sovereign], but Huanyue tells her not to approach.
• Huanyue’s spiritual power has fallen by at least half, and the emotions unleashed by the injury—guilt, pain, and anguish—are rapidly erased by [Ain]. She recognizes that she is psychologically “broken”: unable to fully experience rage, joy, grief, or even fear. The only emotion remaining is a muted melancholy that repeatedly sinks back into emptiness.
• Despite this emotional collapse, Huanyue insists that she cannot give up or break down. She is trapped between two conflicting states: one part of her is collapsing, while another continues to reason and endure. She questions whether she can still change anything in her damaged condition.
• Shiori confronts Huanyue fiercely, condemning her self-destructive behavior and refusing to let her withdraw or abandon herself. When Huanyue tries to retreat, Shiori grabs her hand and insists that, because she possesses Huanyue’s spiritual power, she will not allow Huanyue to disappear from her sight.
• Huanyue calls Shiori cruel, but Shiori rejects this, arguing that Huanyue’s suffering is not something she must bear alone. She reminds Huanyue that, even when Huanyue pushes her away and Shiori cannot directly feel her emotions, Huanyue has always been silently crying out for help.
• Shiori’s affirmation gives Huanyue a brief sense of reassurance amid her fractured emotions. Huanyue admits that she should be unbearably sad and fears becoming empty again, while Shiori reassures her that she understands Huanyue’s weakness and tendency to force herself to endure.

Character Development and Themes

• Huanyue: Her identity and emotional capacity are being steadily erased, leaving her aware of her own fragmentation but unable to fully feel or express it. Her self-inflicted injury reflects both despair and a desperate attempt to save herself.
• Shiori: She becomes more assertive and emotionally steadfast, taking responsibility for keeping Huanyue alive and refusing to accept Huanyue’s self-abandonment.
• Themes: The chapter emphasizes identity loss, emotional numbness, self-destruction, the struggle to preserve oneself, and the importance of connection and support. The interaction between Huanyue’s fading self and Shiori’s determination suggests that salvation may come not from Huanyue enduring alone, but from allowing another person to recognize and answer her unspoken plea for help.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• After Huanyue is gravely wounded, Shiori holds and comforts her as she breaks down over everything she has lost and the choices she made. Shiori assures her that she does not have to face despair alone.
• Huanyue admits that she cannot live without Shiori, but says she no longer has the strength to continue and rejects the world, despite loving her.
• Recalling Kurumi’s dying instruction, Huanyue uses her Angel, [Zafkiel] [Vav], to send Shiori’s consciousness far back in time. She asks Shiori to save the version of Huanyue who has not endured their suffering.
• Huanyue explains that she cannot accept a world where only she is happy: to her, true happiness means everyone being together. Shiori is sent back, leaving Huanyue behind.
• Shiori wakes in an earlier moment, overwhelmed by tears but relieved that everyone is still alive. She finds Huanyue and clings to her. Huanyue comforts her, recognizes that Shiori has been through much, and welcomes her back.

Character developments

• Huanyue finally acknowledges the depth of her love for Shiori and the feelings she had tried to bury or forget. Though she longs for a life with Shiori, she chooses to sacrifice her own chance at happiness to give Shiori an opportunity to save an earlier Huanyue and reunite everyone.
• Shiori is devastated by Huanyue’s decision but is given a chance to act differently in the past. Her tearful reunion with Huanyue suggests that she returns with the emotional memory of what they endured.
• Kurumi’s earlier trust in Huanyue remains crucial: her instruction becomes the means by which Huanyue sends Shiori back.

Significant themes

• Love as self-sacrifice: Huanyue’s final act is driven by love, even though it separates her from Shiori.
• Shared happiness and belonging: Huanyue rejects individual happiness in favor of a world where everyone can be together.
• Grief, memory, and second chances: Shiori’s tears carry the weight of the lost timeline, while her return offers hope for a different beginning.
• Accepting vulnerability: Shiori gives Huanyue permission to lean on her, and Huanyue finally lets herself grieve and admit her dependence.

Character interactions

• Shiori holds, kisses, and reassures Huanyue as she sobs, helping her acknowledge that she does not have to remain strong.
• Huanyue confesses her love through a farewell kiss and sends Shiori back despite Shiori’s desperate protests.
• In the new timeline, Shiori embraces Huanyue without explanation. Huanyue responds with gentle teasing, then senses the pain behind Shiori’s tears and comforts her, marking their reunion as a possible new beginning.

Chapter Summary: “Yan-san”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shiori attempts to approach Huanyue despite being overwhelmed by her spiritual power and repeatedly injured by flames and flying swords. Her wounds heal instantly through Healing Flame, but she realizes that reckless attacks will only worsen Huanyue’s emotional state.
• Believing that her own weakness and past failures contributed to Huanyue’s current condition, Shiori vows, “I will definitely save you.” This determination brings her close to awakening a new power.
• Huanyue encourages Shiori to discover an ability beyond Healing Flame. She tells Shiori to claim her wishes and desires as her own, focus completely, and learn to control spiritual energy.
• Huanyue unleashes the devastating Seraph of Thousand Blades, nearly cutting apart the vegetation around Homi Island. Although she claims to be helping Shiori, her attack is excessive and increasingly driven by unstable emotions.
• Eyepatch Kurumi appears and interrupts Huanyue’s training. She warns Huanyue indirectly that her actions are becoming too extreme and urges her to rest or assist the other Kurumis.
• Several Phantom Beast Bandersnatches suddenly attack. Huanyue effortlessly destroys one and then detects five more, prompting her to complain about DEM’s repeated use of the same enemies.
• The chapter ends with Huanyue and Eyepatch Kurumi preparing to deal with the continuing Phantom Beast assault.

Character Developments

• Shiori: Despite her memory loss and physical weakness, Shiori demonstrates strong determination and self-sacrificial instincts. She blames herself for Huanyue’s distress and begins to sense the possibility of accessing a new power.
• Huanyue: She appears protective of Shiori but expresses that concern through harsh, dangerous training. Her frustration and guilt over changes caused by her actions are beginning to overwhelm her judgment. She wants Shiori to become strong enough to survive, yet her methods risk seriously hurting her.
• Eyepatch Kurumi: She acts as a stabilizing and perceptive presence. Having noticed Huanyue’s emotional instability, she intervenes with teasing, physical affection, and a practical distraction before Huanyue can go too far.
• The Kurumis: Their exhaustion from tracking the Phantom Beasts emphasizes that the threat is persistent and that they have been working continuously to protect the area.

Significant Themes

• Responsibility and guilt: Shiori assumes blame for Huanyue’s state, while Huanyue carries guilt over the changes she believes she caused.
• Power and self-discovery: Huanyue urges Shiori to treat her desires as her own and awaken a power beyond healing, suggesting that strength comes from personal will and identity.
• Protection versus harm: Huanyue’s desire to protect Shiori becomes nearly indistinguishable from recklessness, showing how excessive protection can endanger the person being protected.
• Emotional instability and restraint: Huanyue repeatedly suppresses her feelings, while Eyepatch Kurumi recognizes that continued suppression could lead to irreversible consequences.
• Identity and individuality: The exchange about “Tokisaki Yan-san” and Kurumi’s statement that “‘I’ am not ‘me’” highlights the distinctions among Kurumi’s clones and their separate personalities.

Character Interactions

• Shiori and Huanyue share a tense mentor-student dynamic: Shiori wants to save Huanyue, while Huanyue challenges her to grow stronger and escape danger.
• Huanyue and Eyepatch Kurumi trade playful, sarcastic remarks, but their banter conceals genuine concern.
• Eyepatch Kurumi subtly confronts Huanyue’s recklessness by calling attention to the need to help the other Kurumis and by redirecting her toward the Phantom Beast threat.
• The arrival of the Bandersnatches shifts the scene from emotional confrontation and training to immediate combat.

Chapter Summary: “Ellen: So”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ellen wakes after an exhausting pillow fight and an upset stomach caused by unfamiliar British cuisine. She is humiliated by losing to Shiori, Princess, and the other women, but internally vows to remember Shiori’s name.
• Though she is the world’s strongest wizard, Ellen is reduced to sleeping curled up beneath a blanket after being pelted unconscious by pillows.
• Her rest is interrupted when DEM informs her that the Phantom Beast Bandersnatch has lost contact and that several Spirit-level power fluctuations have appeared nearby.
• Despite lacking her usual equipment, [Pendragon], Ellen deploys a powerful Territory and heads to investigate.
• At the battlefield, Huanyue has already destroyed Bandersnatch and several other Phantom Beasts. She notices that Shiori has disappeared and becomes suspicious and frustrated.
• Eyepatch Kurumi secretly signals that Shiori is hiding nearby. Huanyue confronts Kurumi, pressing her for information while teasing and intimidating her with flirtatious closeness.
• Huanyue briefly pretends to become tearful, claiming she only wanted Shiori to master Angel’s power so she would not remain helpless in future crises.
• When Ellen appears, Huanyue immediately drops the act and summons [Seraph of Thousand Blades], placing herself protectively in front of Kurumi.
• Ellen recognizes Huanyue as the Spirit who previously defeated and humiliated her. Her confidence collapses, and she realizes that Westcott’s mission has placed her in an extremely dangerous situation.

Character Developments

• Ellen is shown in a rare state of vulnerability. Her pride as the world’s strongest wizard is undermined by the pillow-fight defeat, exhaustion, and her fear of Huanyue. Her reaction reveals that there are opponents she genuinely cannot overcome.
• Huanyue displays a playful but dangerous personality. She shifts effortlessly between childish frustration, flirtatious teasing, fake vulnerability, and overwhelming battle readiness. Her concern for Shiori also suggests that she wants Shiori to become stronger and more self-reliant.
• Eyepatch Kurumi remains deceptive and composed, concealing Shiori’s location while trying to avoid Huanyue’s scrutiny. However, Huanyue’s proximity makes her visibly nervous, revealing a rare loss of control.
• Shiori is absent from most of the chapter’s action, but her hidden presence and Huanyue’s desire to train her establish her growing importance.
• Princess and the other women are indirectly responsible for Ellen’s humiliating exhaustion, reinforcing the comedic contrast between Ellen’s reputation and her current condition.

Significant Themes

• Humiliation versus reputation: Ellen’s title as the world’s strongest wizard contrasts sharply with her helplessness, exhaustion, and fear.
• Power and psychological dominance: Huanyue defeats Ellen psychologically before the battle even begins, simply by reminding her of their previous confrontation.
• Playfulness masking danger: Huanyue’s teasing, fake tears, and flirtation conceal her immense power and ruthless combat instincts.
• The need for growth: Huanyue’s stated wish for Shiori to master Angel’s power emphasizes the importance of becoming capable rather than remaining dependent on others.
• Unreliable appearances: Characters repeatedly disguise their true feelings or intentions—Kurumi hides Shiori, Huanyue fakes distress, and Ellen’s proud exterior conceals panic.

Important Character Interactions

• Ellen and Shiori: Ellen blames Shiori for joining the pillow attack and privately marks her as someone she will remember, creating a humorous grudge.
• Huanyue and Shiori: Huanyue is irritated that Shiori has vanished but claims she wants Shiori to become stronger and less helpless.
• Huanyue and Kurumi: Their exchange combines flirtation, intimidation, deception, and mutual caution. Kurumi tries to mislead Huanyue, while Huanyue deliberately invades her personal space to pressure her.
• Huanyue and Ellen: Their reunion exposes Ellen’s deep fear and humiliation from their previous battle. Huanyue taunts her, while Ellen recognizes that this opponent is far more dangerous than the official classifications suggest.
• Huanyue and Kurumi in battle: When Ellen appears, Huanyue instinctively shields Kurumi and prepares to fight, indicating a protective relationship beneath their teasing interaction.

Chapter Summary: “Kurumi Is Not Allowed”

Key plot points and events

While escaping the [Seraph of Thousand Blades] and Huanyue, Shiori is suddenly captured by pale arms emerging from Kurumi’s shadow. Unlike Kurumi’s restrained sword attacks, the shadow arms drag Shiori away and transport her to a dark crimson space filled with countless Kurumi clones. The clones explain that Kurumi rescued Shiori and moved her somewhere safe, but they refuse to release her. Instead, they gossip extensively about Huanyue’s behavior—especially how alcohol makes her reckless, gluttonous, and prone to embarrassing blackouts. When Shiori asks to return to the dormitory, the clones impose a condition: she must pass a test given by Bandage Kurumi.

Character developments

Shiori begins the chapter terrified of Kurumi, but her fear gradually disappears as she realizes the clones are more mischievous than threatening. She becomes increasingly embarrassed and alarmed by their gossip about Huanyue, then tries to negotiate her escape. Despite her reluctance, Shiori agrees to Bandage Kurumi’s demand and expertly wraps bandages around both hands, revealing an old familiarity with chuunibyou-style behavior. She immediately denies having such a past when teased.
Kurumi’s many clones are portrayed as playful, intrusive, and united in their protectiveness of Shiori and Huanyue. Bandage Kurumi in particular acts like an eccentric examiner, taking pride in her appearance and testing Shiori.

Significant themes

The chapter contrasts apparent horror with comedic intimacy: Kurumi’s shadows and countless identical clones initially seem terrifying, but the scene becomes a humorous display of friendship and teasing. It also highlights the theme of different sides of a person—Huanyue’s dangerous drunken behavior versus her cute, embarrassing everyday habits, and Shiori’s serious present self versus her concealed chuunibyou past. The Kurumi clones’ refusal to let Shiori leave also suggests affection expressed through control, pranks, and playful trials.

Character interactions

Shiori thanks Kurumi and repeatedly asks to be released, but the clones mock her gratitude and reject her requests. They enthusiastically reveal embarrassing stories about Huanyue, drawing increasingly dramatic reactions from Shiori. When Shiori invokes the lateness of the hour as an excuse to leave, the atmosphere turns ominous and the clones gather around the “Four Heavenly Kings” formation, minus Eyepatch Kurumi. Bandage Kurumi then offers Shiori freedom only if she wears bandages. Shiori complies, and Bandage Kurumi teasingly identifies her as an experienced participant in chuunibyou behavior, prompting Shiori’s immediate, embarrassed denial.

Plot points and events

• Sweet Loli Kurumi and the other Kurumis dress Shiori in a flamboyant, chuunibyou-style outfit, hoping it will stir Huanyue’s memories and prevent her from attacking.
• Mortified but urgently seeking help, Shiori goes to Reine’s room. Reine freezes at the sight of her and takes several photos before Shiori stops her.
• Shiori encounters the Yamai sisters, who are visiting Reine for what they call school physicals—actually Ratatoskr testing. They immediately volunteer to help Shiori and grab one of her arms each, nearly pulling her apart.

Character developments and interactions

• Shiori is deeply embarrassed by her outfit, which recalls her old chuunibyou phase and the blackmail material Kotori once collected. Her anxiety about Huanyue ultimately outweighs that embarrassment.
• The Kurumis tease Shiori but believe the costume could help reach Huanyue.
• Reine remains sleepy and unflappable, though she takes advantage of Shiori’s appearance for photographs. Shiori trusts her and asks for her help.
• Kaguya and Yuzuru have grown closer now that they no longer need to fight over becoming the sole Yamai. Their rivalry remains, but Reine has redirected it toward competing to help Shiori. The sisters enthusiastically vie to be the more useful one—and to claim the role of elder sister.

Significant themes

• Embarrassment and vulnerability: Shiori must endure public exposure of a side of herself she would rather forget.
• Rivalry redirected into cooperation: The Yamai sisters retain their competitive instincts, but their bond turns that energy toward helping someone else.
• Trust and support: Shiori’s friends rally around her, though their help comes with plenty of teasing.

Chapter Summary: “Ellen: Rice Ball, I Hate You”

Plot Points and Events

• Ellen, the world’s strongest wizard, is defeated by Huanyue despite her formidable reputation. Ellen only has a Small Realizer, lacks her usual weapon Pendragon, and is supported only by the Phantom Beast Bandersnatch. Huanyue, meanwhile, is a fully powered Spirit with seemingly limitless spiritual energy and an Angel capable of overwhelming attacks.
• Ellen internally protests that the battle is fundamentally unfair, repeatedly questioning how she could possibly win against such a superior opponent. Her Phantom Beast allies are defeated one after another.
• Realizing that continuing to fight would only make matters worse, Ellen abandons resistance and performs a formal French military salute. Huanyue mocks her for failing to live up to the image of the “world’s strongest wizard.”
• Ellen chooses silence to preserve what remains of her dignity, but Huanyue binds her with Seraph of Thousand Blades and knocks her unconscious. Huanyue takes obvious satisfaction in humiliating her.
• After dealing with Ellen, Huanyue turns her attention to Eyepatch Kurumi, whom she knows is concealing information. Huanyue reveals that she has already recognized Kurumi’s true intentions and is not fooled by her act.
• Huanyue deduces that Shiori is either hiding nearby or has returned to the dormitory. Both Huanyue and Kurumi become embarrassed because of what has happened, especially because Huanyue fears facing Shiori afterward.
• Huanyue explains that her embarrassment and anger stem from Shiori’s previous death. The current version of Huanyue remembers that traumatic event, but the ordinary “Qian Huanyue” will forget it upon awakening.
• Kurumi interprets Huanyue’s actions as emotional venting and wonders whether this trauma led to the birth of Featherheal Sovereign, Huanyue’s second Angel.

Character Developments

• Ellen: Her confidence collapses under the overwhelming mismatch in power. Rather than recklessly continuing, she recognizes the hopelessness of the situation and prioritizes dignity and survival. Her defeated salute and refusal to speak emphasize both her pride and humiliation.
• Huanyue: She displays a cruel, playful side while defeating Ellen, enjoying the opportunity to mock and restrain the supposedly strongest wizard. However, her confidence gives way to shame and vulnerability when discussing Shiori. Her anger is revealed to be rooted in fear, grief, and unresolved trauma.
• Eyepatch Kurumi: Kurumi remains evasive and playful, but Huanyue’s insight exposes her deception. She responds with embarrassment and then shifts into a more sympathetic, analytical role, helping identify the emotional origins of Huanyue’s second Angel.
• Shiori: Though absent from the scene, Shiori is central to Huanyue’s emotional conflict. Her past death profoundly affected Huanyue and continues to shape Huanyue’s behavior.

Significant Themes

• Power imbalance and the limits of reputation: Ellen’s title as the world’s strongest wizard is meaningless against an opponent with vastly superior equipment and spiritual power.
• Pride and humiliation: Ellen’s surrender reflects the tension between maintaining dignity and acknowledging defeat, while Huanyue’s mockery reveals how power can turn victory into personal humiliation.
• Trauma and emotional repression: Huanyue’s anger toward Shiori is tied to the terror of losing her. Since only this temporary version of Huanyue remembers the event, her emotions are destined to disappear, making her distress more complicated.
• Identity and memory: The distinction between Huanyue and the ordinary Qian Huanyue raises questions about which self owns particular memories, emotions, and experiences.
• Hidden vulnerability beneath aggression: Huanyue’s merciless behavior toward Ellen contrasts sharply with her embarrassment and sadness when confronted with her feelings for Shiori.

Character Interactions

• Ellen and Huanyue engage in an antagonistic exchange defined by Huanyue’s teasing and Ellen’s silent resistance. Huanyue’s binding and knockout turn the battle into an intentional humiliation.
• Huanyue and Eyepatch Kurumi move from confrontation and suspicion into an uneasy, almost intimate conversation. Huanyue calls out Kurumi’s deception, while Kurumi responds with teasing, embarrassment, and eventual concern.
• Kurumi’s interpretation of Huanyue’s emotional outburst connects Huanyue’s trauma to the mysterious Featherheal Sovereign, suggesting that her Angels may reflect different aspects of her psychological state.

Chapter Summary: “Okay, I Was Actually Angry”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Huanyue explains that [Featherheal Sovereign] was originally part of her own being and belonged to the “past” version of herself.
• During a conversation with Eyepatch Kurumi, Huanyue reveals that her current personality is only one aspect of the original Huanyue. Several “shallow consciousnesses” can emerge when the surface self is emotionally overwhelmed, pressured, troubled, or intoxicated.
• Huanyue clarifies that these aspects do not argue internally or function as completely separate people. She has always considered herself Huanyue, though she has unconsciously divided her emotions and burdens to cope with her past.
• She admits that her former bonds, experiences, and accumulated negative emotions were too heavy to face directly. Her reputation as a Spirit associated with deception reflects how thoroughly she has deceived others—and nearly deceived herself.
• Kurumi teases Huanyue about her behavior, especially her tsundere-like embarrassment and the implications of her previous drunken actions. Huanyue reacts with flustered anger, using [Seraph of Thousand Blades] to bind Kurumi and later pounding her chest harmlessly in embarrassment.
• The Yamai sisters, Kaguya and Yuzuru, arrive competitively, arguing over who reached the battlefield first.
• Shiori Itsuka follows them in an exaggerated, middle-school-style outfit and manner, apparently determined to proclaim her resolve to save someone. Huanyue is startled by her appearance but then greets her with a cruel-looking smile, clearly preparing to test or train her.

Character Developments

• Huanyue: Becomes more emotionally transparent, revealing that her apparent composure and deception conceal a fragmented coping mechanism. She is easily affected by happiness, anger, embarrassment, and sadness, unlike the more restrained image she presents. Her teasing cruelty toward Ellen and Shiori also suggests that her anger remains close beneath the surface, even when she is amused.
• Eyepatch Kurumi: Continues acting as a playful interrogator and observer. She deliberately provokes Huanyue to learn more about her nature, but her teasing is also affectionate. Kurumi recognizes Huanyue’s embarrassed reactions as endearing and compares her to a cat pretending to be fierce.
• Shiori: Reappears in an exaggerated “heroic” persona, openly declaring that she will not abandon those she wants to save. Her dramatic presentation suggests renewed confidence—or at least a willingness to embrace her adolescent delusions—in pursuit of her ideals.
• Kaguya and Yuzuru: Maintain their playful rivalry, turning even their arrival at the battlefield into a contest.

Significant Themes

• Identity and fragmentation: Huanyue’s multiple consciousnesses represent different emotional responses and coping mechanisms rather than entirely separate identities.
• Emotional repression and release: The chapter explores the cost of suppressing grief, anger, guilt, and past trauma. Huanyue’s alternate aspects emerge when those emotions become impossible to contain.
• Deception as self-protection: Huanyue’s ability to deceive others extends inward; she has constructed a version of herself capable of functioning in a new world while avoiding the full weight of her past.
• Teasing, vulnerability, and intimacy: Kurumi’s mockery encourages Huanyue to reveal her true feelings. Their banter transforms potentially painful revelations into playful, emotionally intimate exchanges.
• The contrast between appearance and reality: Huanyue looks elegant and dignified while behaving like an embarrassed, irritable cat; Shiori looks absurdly theatrical while expressing a sincere desire to save others.

Character Interactions

• Huanyue and Kurumi: Their conversation combines interrogation, teasing, and reluctant trust. Kurumi repeatedly pushes Huanyue into revealing personal information, while Huanyue responds with embarrassment, irritation, and playful retaliation.
• Huanyue and Ellen: Huanyue views Ellen’s situation with amusement and lingering anger, taking pleasure in mocking the magician’s misfortune.
• Huanyue and Shiori: Their reunion begins with Huanyue incredulously questioning Shiori’s appearance, followed by a sharp, ominous greeting. The exchange establishes Huanyue as both amused by and possibly hostile toward Shiori, while hinting that Shiori will soon be subjected to training or a trial.
• Kaguya and Yuzuru: Their competitive entrance reinforces their familiar sisterly rivalry and adds comic energy before the focus shifts to Huanyue and Shiori.

Chapter Summary: “Fine, I’m Not Mad Anymore”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A massive magical cannon blast suddenly descends toward Miu Island, threatening to destroy everything in its path.
• Huanyue deliberately remains in the blast’s path and taunts Shiori, revealing that she is still angry about something Shiori did in the past—something Shiori no longer remembers.
• With only seconds before impact, Shiori panics but refuses to let Huanyue die. Her determination allows her to awaken and actively access the healing power previously associated with her.
• At the last moment, Shiori protects Huanyue by grasping the warmth in her hands. Huanyue reveals that the attack was carefully arranged so that only she would be harmed; the island itself remains safe.
• The two girls are transported high into the sky, where Huanyue creates a spiritual barrier to help Shiori breathe.
• Huanyue encourages Shiori to fully feel and use her power. Shiori summons the Seraph of Thousand Blades, and the two join forces to fight back against the attack.
• Shiori apologizes for forgetting what happened between them. Huanyue accepts the apology, though jokingly says she will forget the conversation as well, postponing the rest of their discussion.
• Afterward, Kaguya and Yuzuru argue over which of them contributed more to defeating the enemy warship. They mischievously recreate the battle for Huanyue, who is horrified to learn what happened because she had apparently forgotten it.
• First-Meeting Kurumi asks Huanyue what she wants for breakfast. Exhausted and traumatized by the previous night, Huanyue jokingly requests an uninhabited planet where spirits could live.
• Rinne reflects happily that Shiori and Huanyue are growing closer, while also taking comfort in the possibility that Huanyue may eventually remember her.

Character Developments

• Shiori overcomes her fear and helplessness. Rather than freezing in the face of danger, she acts decisively to protect Huanyue. She also regains more conscious control over her healing power and can summon the Seraph of Thousand Blades.
• Huanyue continues to hide her vulnerability behind teasing and playful cruelty. Although she claims to be seeking revenge, her actions reveal that she carefully protects Shiori and the island. She acknowledges Shiori’s growth and accepts her apology.
• Kurumi recognizes the seriousness of the situation and withdraws rather than interfering, though her tension shows that she remains deeply concerned.
• Kaguya and Yuzuru demonstrate their usual competitive relationship, turning the aftermath of the battle into an argument over credit.
• Rinne remains emotionally invested in Huanyue and Shiori’s relationship, finding hope in the possibility that Huanyue may one day remember her.
• First-Meeting Kurumi provides a lighthearted contrast to the tense battle by treating Huanyue’s exhausted response as an ordinary breakfast conversation.

Significant Themes

• Overcoming helplessness: Shiori’s greatest victory is psychological. She rejects her belief that she is useless and proves that determination can unlock abilities she previously could not access.
• Memory and identity: Shiori has forgotten her past actions toward Huanyue, while Huanyue’s feelings remain intact. The chapter explores how forgotten memories can still shape relationships.
• Protection disguised as hostility: Huanyue pretends to punish Shiori, but her attack is controlled so that no one except herself is endangered. Her anger conceals affection and trust.
• Reconciliation: Shiori’s apology marks the beginning of healing between the two characters, even though the details of their conflict remain unresolved.
• Humor after danger: The comedic aftermath—especially Huanyue’s confusion and Kaguya and Yuzuru’s argument—relieves the tension and emphasizes the group’s close, chaotic bonds.

Important Character Interactions

• Shiori and Huanyue: Their central confrontation evolves into mutual trust. Huanyue challenges Shiori to act, while Shiori risks herself to save her. Their relationship moves from resentment and confusion toward tentative reconciliation.
• Kaguya and Yuzuru: Their rivalry continues as they compete over who helped defeat the warship more decisively.
• Shiori and Kurumi: Kurumi silently acknowledges Shiori’s crisis and allows her to face it herself, showing confidence in Shiori’s ability to respond.
• Rinne and Huanyue: Rinne remains hopeful that Huanyue will remember her, highlighting her enduring attachment despite Huanyue’s current lack of memory.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Westcott reveals that Ellen has been captured by DEM. His detached attitude suggests either that he no longer values her or that her capture is part of a larger strategy.
• Westcott becomes fascinated by an unusual spiritual-power reaction and erupts into manic laughter, implying that Ellen may have been deliberately exposed to distract attention from DEM’s true operation.
• The hidden operation centers on “Material A,” identified as Sister—Artemisia Ashcroft. Westcott orders the operation to begin, and Artemisia obediently agrees.
• Nia confronts the attacking magicians while accompanied by [General]. Because Ratziel can reveal future events, Nia anticipated the attack and easily destroys the initial mechanical assault.
• Artemisia attacks Nia with Arondight, forcing Nia into a desperate defensive maneuver. Nia then uses Ratziel to create duplicates and counter the enemy.
• [General] appears and criticizes Nia for being treated as more than an accessory. Nia teases her about previously having her body destroyed, but [General] explains that the main personality has allowed her to continue using Mad Mad Emperor.
• Nia focuses on eliminating weaker enemies while [General] battles Artemisia directly. Although [General] is powerful, Artemisia’s superior physical ability and magical strength allow her to drive [General] backward.
• The chapter ends with the confrontation escalating as [General] prepares to continue fighting.

Character Developments

• Westcott is portrayed as increasingly obsessive, cruel, and manipulative. His indifference toward Ellen’s capture shows how completely he prioritizes his plans over personal loyalty.
• Artemisia appears emotionally vacant and almost puppet-like, suggesting that Westcott has stripped away or suppressed her independent will. Despite this, she remains an exceptionally powerful combatant.
• Nia demonstrates confidence in Ratziel’s predictive abilities, but her foresight does not make her invulnerable. She is forced to rely on improvisation, humor, and defensive tactics when Artemisia closes in.
• [General] displays fierce pride and resilience. Even after her previous body was destroyed, she immediately returns to combat and refuses to be diminished by Nia’s teasing.
• Ellen’s capture establishes her as a pawn—or possible bait—in DEM’s broader scheme.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and sacrifice: Westcott treats Ellen and Artemisia as tools, emphasizing how individuals are expendable within his plans.
• Control versus individuality: Artemisia’s hollow obedience contrasts with [General]’s strong personality and resistance to being reduced to an accessory.
• The burden of foreknowledge: Nia’s omniscience gives her a tactical advantage but also makes life feel empty and predictable. Her knowledge does not eliminate danger or emotional complications.
• Performance and deception: Westcott’s laughter and apparent reaction to Ellen’s capture may itself be part of a calculated distraction, while the battle hides deeper strategic movements.
• Resilience and companionship: Despite their banter, Nia and [General] cooperate effectively, supporting one another in the fight.

Character Interactions

• Westcott and Artemisia: Westcott commands her with cold authority, while Artemisia responds mechanically, reinforcing their master-and-instrument relationship.
• Nia and Artemisia: Their encounter is immediately hostile. Nia recognizes Artemisia’s strength, while Artemisia attacks without visible emotion.
• Nia and [General]: Their exchanges are sarcastic and playful, but they reveal familiarity and mutual reliance. Nia provokes [General], then assists her by clearing lesser enemies.
• [General] and Artemisia: Their battle forms the chapter’s main action sequence, with [General] fighting skillfully but struggling against Artemisia’s overwhelming abilities.
• Nia and Qian Huanyue: Nia thinks of Huanyue as a heroic rescuer, though she expects him to be displeased with her after the battle, highlighting their complicated but meaningful relationship.

Chapter Summary: Origami the Mortal

Key Plot Points and Events

• After being transported back to her room by Angel, Origami wakes up and discovers that her classmates—whom she drugged earlier—are still unconscious. She removes the hidden computer components from her body, arms herself with a military dagger, and leaves.
• While traveling through the city, Origami encounters a mechanical Phantom Beast. Without a Realizer, she recognizes that she is badly outmatched but uses her intelligence, physical ability, and the surrounding terrain to fight it.
• Origami manages to destroy the Phantom Beast, but suffers a dislocated or severely injured arm and a strained leg.
• Kurumi Tokisaki appears and teases Origami about her recklessness. Although Kurumi implies that she could use Origami as “nourishment,” she decides not to harm her because of someone else’s influence.
• Kurumi shoots Origami with a mysterious ability, causing her to lose consciousness. When Origami awakens the next morning, all of her injuries have been completely healed.
• Origami finds Huanyue and Shiori caring for her. They explain that a Spirit repaired her body and offer her food and reassurance.

Character Developments

• Origami: Demonstrates extraordinary determination, combat ability, and resourcefulness despite being an ordinary human without a Realizer. Her willingness to confront an overwhelming enemy reveals both her courage and self-destructive recklessness. After waking healed, she is visibly irritated by her helplessness and by Kurumi’s interference, but she also shows subtle emotional growth through small signs of gratitude and softened expressions.
• Kurumi: Remains playful, threatening, and unpredictable. She mocks Origami while also choosing to spare her and ultimately heals her through her mysterious power. Her behavior suggests that, beneath her cruelty, she is influenced by her connection to others.
• Huanyue: Acts teasingly but also compassionately, apologizing for her earlier behavior and taking care of Origami. She notices Origami’s tiny emotional changes, showing how familiar and attentive she has become toward her.
• Shiori: Shows concern by bringing Origami breakfast and worrying that she may react negatively to Spirits. Her relief at Origami’s recovery highlights their growing friendship.
• Rinne: Although she does not appear directly, she helps Shiori prepare Origami’s breakfast, indicating her supportive relationship with the group.

Significant Themes

• Human determination versus overwhelming power: Origami’s battle emphasizes the contrast between an ordinary human body and supernatural or mechanical forces. Her victory comes through intelligence, endurance, and exploiting the environment rather than superior equipment.
• Recklessness and vulnerability: Origami’s refusal to retreat demonstrates her strength but also exposes her tendency to push herself beyond reasonable limits.
• Trust and changing relationships: Kurumi, Huanyue, and Shiori all interact with Origami in ways that complicate her view of Spirits. Despite her distrust and hostility, she accepts their help.
• Subtle emotional growth: Origami’s small reactions—anger, gratitude, and a nearly imperceptible smile—suggest that her normally rigid emotional control is beginning to loosen.

Character Interactions

• Origami confronts Kurumi after destroying the Phantom Beast. Their exchange is tense, with Kurumi treating Origami as both a potential threat and a source of amusement.
• Kurumi’s decision to heal rather than kill Origami creates an uneasy form of cooperation between them.
• Huanyue apologizes to Origami and gently teases her, while Origami responds curtly but tolerates the care.
• Shiori and Huanyue privately celebrate Origami’s slight smile, recognizing it as evidence of her developing emotional openness.
• The chapter ends with Huanyue and Shiori reassuring Origami and encouraging her to rest.

Chapter Summary: “Getting Angry Won’t Help Either”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shiori confronts Huanyue about her recent reckless behavior, especially the moment when Huanyue endangered herself without seeming to value her own life.
• Although Shiori initially denies being angry, she admits that she was frightened and upset because she worried she might have failed to save Huanyue.
• Huanyue reassures Shiori that she would have succeeded, explaining that she has always believed Shiori was capable of doing so.
• To ensure their conversation remains private, Huanyue destroys Ratatoskr’s surveillance devices and creates a barrier that even Nia’s Angel cannot penetrate.
• The conversation shifts into playful “secrets between girls,” with Huanyue teasing Shiori about embarrassing videotapes from her chuunibyou years.
• Huanyue then reveals that, before meeting Shiori, she already knew about Shiori and many aspects of her life through an incomplete form of future knowledge or foresight.
• According to Huanyue’s previous knowledge, Shiori should have awakened an Angel by this point, but reality has diverged from what she expected.
• Huanyue admits that this prior knowledge was one reason she initially wanted to become close to Shiori.
• Shiori accepts Huanyue’s motives without resentment, offering anything Huanyue might need in exchange for Huanyue taking better care of herself.

Character Developments

• Shiori moves from suppressed anger and anxiety to honest emotional expression. Her anger is revealed to come from fear, affection, and concern for Huanyue’s safety rather than resentment.
• Shiori also shows increased confidence in her relationship with Huanyue by accepting the revelation about Huanyue’s foreknowledge and refusing to view it as manipulation.
• Huanyue demonstrates both her extraordinary abilities and her tendency to act recklessly because of her confidence in the future. However, her gentle reassurance and emotional reaction to Shiori’s acceptance reveal how deeply she values Shiori’s opinion.
• Huanyue becomes more open about her past knowledge and possible motives, strengthening the trust between them.
• Their playful teasing shows that their relationship has become more intimate and comfortable despite the serious issues between them.

Significant Themes

• Communication and emotional honesty: Shiori’s unspoken frustration is resolved only when she admits the fear beneath it.
• Self-worth and sacrifice: The chapter questions Huanyue’s disregard for her own safety and emphasizes that caring for someone also means valuing oneself.
• Trust and acceptance: Shiori accepts that Huanyue initially approached her because of prior knowledge, choosing to focus on their present bond rather than suspecting ulterior motives.
• Fate versus changing reality: Huanyue’s expectations about Shiori’s future no longer perfectly match reality, suggesting that the characters’ choices are altering the course of events.
• Intimacy through teasing: Humor, embarrassment, and private conversation help soften difficult topics and deepen their emotional connection.

Character Interactions

• Shiori and Huanyue hold hands throughout much of the conversation, reinforcing their closeness.
• Huanyue alternates between sincere reassurance and playful teasing, while Shiori responds with embarrassment, protests, and affectionate concern.
• Huanyue’s teasing about Shiori’s old videos lightens the mood after the serious discussion.
• Their exchange ends on a warm, flirtatious note, with Shiori embarrassed but reassured and Huanyue openly pleased by her acceptance.