Chapter Summaries

Jonas returned to replenish Yushua’s depleted psionic energy, interrupting a tense discussion between her and Afanisi about whether Yushua would leave. Yushua’s hesitation about Jonas and Afanisi’s path faded as she knelt beside Afanisi, and Jonas prepared to restore them both.

• Jonas worried that Yushua’s psionic energy was recovering too slowly after she exhausted it trapping Zero, so he went to replenish it.
• Afanisi asked Yushua when she planned to leave, while Yushua said she would stay until everything was over and Jonas no longer needed her help.
• Jonas entered and explained that he had come to restore Yushua’s psionic energy; Afanisi asked to join them.
• Afanisi said she and Yushua would offer Jonas everything he needed, and Yushua’s final hesitation faded as she nuzzled Jonas’s hand.
• Jonas scratched Afanisi beneath the chin and asked the two women to roll over.

After recovering completely through the Lord of the Void Realm, Zero reunited with the Psionic squad in District 25 and prepared to rescue Noel. Unable to contact Dorothy, she chose to proceed with the original plan.

• Zero confirmed that her body and Psionic Energy had fully recovered and set out to complete Dorothy’s mission to rescue Noel.
• Zero reached the agreed meeting place and hid while she inspected the surroundings for traps.
• The Psionic squad arrived and explained that searches across District 25 were intensifying, making it urgent to rescue Noel.
• Zero told the squad that she had recovered, improving their chances of rescuing Noel.
• The squad leader said District 25 had blocked communications with Dorothy, so Zero decided to proceed with the original plan.

Noel planned to escape Jonas’s hospital lockdown using coded messages hidden in District 25 advertisements and the help of Dr. Gale. Gale betrayed her plan, and Jonas arrived at her bedside after discovering the coded advertisements.

• Noel learned from a coded flicker in an advertisement that her rescuers planned to split into two groups, create a disturbance, and meet at the parking lot that night.
• Noel had recruited Dr. Gale to plant explosives and smoke bombs in exchange for wealth and a position with the Misen Family’s medical business.
• Gale arrived at Noel’s room and revealed that Jonas was behind him.
• Jonas sat beside Noel, peeled an apple with psionic energy, and remarked that District 25’s advertisements seemed more interesting than the Federation’s.

Jonas revealed that he had uncovered Noel’s rescue plan and allowed it to proceed as part of his own trap. He silenced Noel with a Thought Seal and left her in the parking garage as the Federation’s rescuers arrived.

• Jonas questioned Noel while feeding her apple and told her he knew everything about her plan.
• Jonas explained that her repeated looks out the window had led him to investigate the shopping malls and discover the hacking attacks.
• Jonas said Doctor Gale would provide genuine leads to help the Federation’s reinforcements rescue Noel, then placed a Thought Seal on her that left her unable to speak.
• Jonas wheeled Noel to a conspicuous spot in the parking garage and received Esnie’s message that Zero had infiltrated the Alt Conglomerate and preparations were complete.
• After an explosion sounded above the garage, Jonas said the actors and audience were in position and that he would give Noel to the Federation.

Zero entered the Alt Conglomerate Tower as bait so the others could rescue Noel, but she found the building strangely empty. After Nightingale, Celine, and Esnie attacked her together, Zero began to suspect Jonas had anticipated the plan and was using the tower to trap her.

• Zero recovered her strength, ate a final snack, and entered the Alt Conglomerate Tower to draw its Psionics away from the rescue of Noel.
• Nightingale ambushed Zero, but Zero blocked her attack and tried to pursue her before Celine's telekinetic Plasma Cutter Sword intervened.
• Zero realized that Nightingale and Celine lacked a main attacker, then faced Esnie, head of the Alt Conglomerate's Security Department.
• Nightingale and Celine harassed Zero while Esnie fought her, turning the duel into a three-on-one battle that helped Zero prolong the fight and buy time for the others.
• When no one else came to investigate the commotion, Zero grew uneasy and wondered whether Jonas was using the tower to lure her into a trap.

Jonas used Noel’s rescue as a trap to manipulate the Psionic squad and drive the Arbitration Bureau into conflict with the Federation. Noel, controlled by Jonas’s Thought Seal, helped the squad reach the parking garage before Jonas and Yushua trapped them in a dream.

• Jonas monitored the Psionic squad’s advance and directed Alt Conglomerate Psionics to delay them without revealing that the hospital was bait.
• Jonas showed Noel the squad’s progress and forced her to answer that she loved watching it, deepening her despair over his control of her.
• Jonas arranged for the squad to clash with Arbitration Bureau personnel, intending to make the Bureau and the Federation irreconcilable enemies.
• After the squad found Noel, she falsely assured them Jonas had not harmed her and urged them to escape before the Alt Conglomerate noticed.
• The squad reached the parking garage exit but found themselves back where they had started, as Jonas and Yushua revealed that they had trapped them in a dream.

Jonas manipulated the Psionic squad into believing they were fighting their way out of a real encirclement while secretly helping Noel escape. After Zero was captured by Celine, Jonas drove back to Alt Tower to see her.

• Jonas revealed that the Psionic squad had to evade both the Arbitration Bureau and the Alt Conglomerate, then ended Yushua's dream and exposed the forces surrounding them.
• The Psionic squad fought through attacks that distorted their senses, while Yushua secretly eased the pressure to help them escort Noel out.
• Jonas called Celine, who reported that her group had injured Zero and was close to defeating her.
• The Psionic squad escaped with Noel, though only one member remained, and Yushua helped them get away.
• Esnie reported that Zero had been captured, and Jonas drove to Alt Tower to see her.

Jonas used the dreamlike powers of his abilities to confront the captured Zero, who accused him of causing her earlier dreams. He left her bound and announced that he would punish her by increasing her sensitivity fiftyfold.

• News reports blamed Federation personnel for the attack on an Alt Conglomerate hospital, and Jonas noted that public opinion had turned against the Federation.
• Jonas learned that Esnie and the others had captured Zero, while Celine and Nightingale guarded her.
• Jonas entered Zero’s sleep and placed her in a familiar bedroom from her earlier dream.
• Zero attacked Jonas, but he subdued her and bound her to the bed.
• Zero accused Jonas of causing her dreams and insisted she would not betray Dorothy Misen.
• Jonas said he would use another method to punish Zero, then snapped his fingers and declared, “Sensitivity, fiftyfold.”

Jonas called Esnie after waking from his Dream, and they shared a playful conversation while she rested in a hot spring. Esnie asked him to help choose from the clothes she had bought and hinted that she would wear a battle-damaged combat suit for him.

• After restoring Zero's strength in the Dream, Jonas returned to his body and found Esnie's worried messages on his communicator.
• Jonas called Esnie, who teased him for falling asleep without telling her and shutting the Office door.
• Esnie and Jonas joked about Celine's clothing advice and how much time Celine had been spending with Jonas.
• Esnie asked for a reward for her hard work fighting Zero, and Jonas offered her a small request.
• Esnie asked Jonas to advise her on which of her new clothes looked best and told him that her battle-damaged combat suit was in her room.

Jonas missed Celine’s calls while spending the night with Esnie, then spoke with Celine and agreed to save her promised reward for later. He went to the Office, where Eiffel remarked on how tired he looked.

• Jonas remembered that he had missed Celine’s calls while playing Love Nikki and roleplaying with Esnie.
• Jonas called Celine and apologized for overlooking her calls and promised reward.
• Celine complained that Esnie had cut in line, rejected Jonas’s offer of new games, and chose to save her reward for next time.
• Jonas went to the Office, where Eiffel said Esnie looked well and Jonas looked exhausted.

Eiffel confronted Jonas for spending time with Esnie while she worked through an exhausting pile of Alt Conglomerate business, then sought a reward of her own. Meanwhile, Jonas followed reports that his staged hospital incident was turning the Federation against the Arbitration Bureau and pushing it closer to the Alt Conglomerate.

• Eiffel chided Jonas for being with Esnie while she worked through the night and called Esnie's flushed appearance proof of what had happened.
• Jonas defended his reward for Esnie and praised Eiffel, who settled on his lap and read documents while he held her.
• Jonas read news reports about the Alt Conglomerate's hospital incident, which fueled outrage and speculation about cooperation between the Alt Conglomerate and the Arbitration Bureau.
• Eiffel put away her documents, reminded Jonas that she had handled his affairs, and demanded that he reward her.
• Eiffel pinned Jonas's hands and tugged at his tie with her lips.

After Eiffel left Jonas’s office, Nightingale revealed she had been waiting for a chance to ask him for a reward but decided to wait until he recovered. Yushua then arrived to report that she had handled the previous night’s matter.

• Eiffel rested with Jonas, admired the marks she had left on him, and then returned to get some sleep.
• Jonas wondered whether anyone else would ask him for a reward, and Nightingale revealed she had been hiding in the office since Eiffel left.
• Nightingale teased Jonas about Eiffel’s approach but said she would postpone asking for her own reward because he seemed tired.
• Yushua entered the office and told Jonas she had taken care of last night’s matter, while Nightingale turned invisible.

Jonas kept up appearances while Nightingale provoked him from beneath his desk, then discussed his plan to escort Noel back toward the Federation. After Yushua asked for an advance reward and kissed him, Nightingale vanished, leaving Jonas alone in the Office.

• Nightingale hid beneath Jonas's desk and teased him while Yushua visited, and Jonas covered for the strange smell by blaming spilled coffee.
• Yushua reported that she had guided Noel and her escort onto a route where Jonas's agents and the Arbitration Bureau could pursue them without making the escape seem staged.
• Jonas explained that the Federation would likely send reinforcements for Noel and that he intended to lure it into his plans over time.
• Yushua asked Jonas for an advance reward and briefly kissed him after he agreed.
• Nightingale warned Jonas to show restraint, vanished from the Office, and left Jonas gritting his teeth.

Jonas rested at the Office, reassured Esnie about the imprisoned Zero, and discussed with Yucas why the Peacekeeping Forces had stayed out of the Alt Conglomerate incident. Yucas invited Jonas to dinner that evening, insisting it was just dinner.

• Jonas found that Eiffel had already handled the Alt Conglomerate's affairs and settled down to rest at the Office.
• Esnie told Jonas that Zero seemed mentally unwell, and Jonas ordered her to keep Zero fed and monitored without interfering.
• Jonas told himself the Federation was unlikely to act before Noel returned.
• Yucas complained that the Peacekeeping Forces had taken a reputational hit by staying out of the incident, and Jonas explained that their absence helped make the Arbitration Bureau's partnership with the Alt Conglomerate seem convincing.
• Yucas invited Jonas to dinner that evening, and when he asked if it was just dinner, she said it was.

Yucas arrived late to dinner with Jonas after handling trouble in the Peacekeeping Forces, and they shared a flirtatious meal while discussing Federation-backed sabotage in District 25. Yucas then suggested leaving for the main course, hinting that she wanted more than dinner.

• Yucas called Jonas to explain that an urgent Peacekeeping Forces problem had delayed her, and she asked him not to leave.
• Jonas met Yucas outside the restaurant, and they exchanged flirtatious remarks before going inside together.
• Yucas and Jonas ate appetizers and discussed the Federation paying people to stir up trouble and carry out terrorist attacks in District 25.
• Yucas asked Jonas why she had finished her documents before dinner, but he tried to avoid answering and said he was still hungry.
• Yucas rested her chin on Jonas's shoulder and asked to go for the main course.

Jonas woke after spending the night with Yucas, then returned to the Alt Conglomerate and received a call from Iris, who wanted to see him. Iris arrived at his office moments after he agreed, revealing she had already been waiting nearby.

• Jonas woke in the hotel room and learned that Yucas had finished her work and planned to rest before they had breakfast together.
• Jonas woke again in the afternoon, answered messages from Eiffel, Esnie, and Celine, and drove back to the Alt Conglomerate.
• Jonas answered Iris's call and told her she could visit whenever she wanted.
• Iris entered Jonas's office moments after their call and admitted she had already been waiting nearby.

Iris spent the afternoon with Jonas and, after her other self urged her to be bolder, told him she wanted to do it all afternoon. Jonas was left bewildered by her request.

• Iris sat on Jonas's lap and asked if he was free to spend the afternoon with her.
• Jonas reassured Iris that she could stay with him all day, and she admitted she did not know what to do with the time.
• Iris silently argued with her other self, who mocked her for being too timid to pursue Jonas.
• Iris followed her other self's advice, put her arms around Jonas's neck, and told him she wanted to do it all afternoon.
• Jonas stared at Iris in confusion.

Iris spent the afternoon with Jonas, using her two personalities to take turns enduring their intimate encounter before falling asleep in his arms. After dinner, she returned to her room satisfied, while Jonas wondered why managing his employees had become so exhausting.

• Iris switched between her frail and assertive selves to take turns enduring the afternoon with Jonas.
• Iris fell asleep clinging to Jonas, then woke and told him the day had been the best she had had lately.
• Iris asked Jonas to have dinner with her, but her weak legs made walking difficult, so Jonas arranged for food to be brought to the office.
• Iris ate dinner with Jonas, hugged him, and returned to her room to rest.
• Jonas sighed over how tiring his employees were and hoped nothing else would go wrong the next day.

Jonas rested, reviewed Eiffel’s reports, and agreed to have dinner with Chelsea. He then entered Zero’s dream, where he removed her extreme sensitivity before leaving her with a breathing-triggered version that would double without limit.

• Jonas read Eiffel’s work reports and found nothing major to worry about.
• Jonas accepted Chelsea’s invitation to dinner and arranged to meet her that evening.
• Jonas entered Zero’s dream and ended the fiftyfold sensitivity that had affected her.
• Jonas told Zero he had to attend to other matters and introduced a new sensitivity effect that doubled every time she breathed, with no upper limit.
• Jonas disappeared from the dream, leaving Zero to face the escalating effect alone.

Jonas continued tormenting Zero in Dream before returning to reality and meeting Chelsea for dinner at the restaurant where they first got to know each other. Chelsea hinted that she had heard Jonas was seen with the leader of the Peacekeeping Forces and wondered whether he had found someone new.

• Jonas teased Zero about making her breathe and promised to bring her ice cream, then left her alone in Dream.
• Jonas rested until his appointment approached, then drove to meet Chelsea in District 25.
• Chelsea called Jonas and reminisced about the place where they first got to know each other.
• Jonas arrived at the cleared restaurant and joined Chelsea for dinner, recognizing the clothes she had worn when they first discussed business.
• Chelsea told Jonas that a subordinate had seen him entering and leaving the same restaurant as the leader of the Peacekeeping Forces, and asked whether he had forgotten her for someone new.