Chapter Summaries

Serf and Rauf discussed the Federation’s failure to send reinforcements as their forces struggled against District 25. Their soldiers’ anger boiled over into an open confrontation, leaving the trench tense and close to violence.

• Serf saved his crumpled cigarette for a time when the war was nearly over or he was about to die.
• Rauf complained to Serf that promised reinforcements had not arrived and that soldiers were being sacrificed to make up for the Federation’s shortage of Tactical Mecha.
• Serf and Rauf questioned why the promised Psionics had not come, while Rauf suspected the Federation had abandoned them.
• Rauf pointed out that District 25 seemed to have more and better Tactical Mecha than the Federation, despite Federation propaganda portraying it as backward.
• Other soldiers demanded reinforcements and answers from their superiors until someone dragged their ringleader away, leaving fingers on triggers and the trench atmosphere tense.

Jonas explained to Rhein how the Alt Conglomerate kept District 25 stable and strengthened public confidence while the war continued. Rhein pressed him to act before Dorothy could turn against their families, and Jonas ended by teasing her about the online doxxing campaign.

• Two District 25 employees discussed the war and doubted whether the published reports could be trusted, while noting that prices had stayed stable.
• Jonas told Rhein that the Alt Conglomerate had kept prices steady, published casualty and battle figures, supplied the front, and compensated soldiers' families.
• Rhein warned Jonas that Dorothy might soon deal with their families because they had withheld reinforcements and sent faulty supplies to the Federation's front.
• Jonas said Dorothy was too occupied by his surprise attack to secure her position at home, and he explained that shared interests and the Alt Conglomerate's quick responses prevented unrest in District 25.
• Jonas teased Rhein about doxxing her online, and Rhein told him to shut up.

Dorothy confronted companies withholding medical supplies to pressure the Misen Family, then learned that Noel had returned to the Federation and was recovering in a hospital. She ordered Noel’s return kept secret and prepared to deal with the companies obstructing the war effort.

• A middle-aged representative warned Dorothy that the companies might stop contributing if the war did not go as they expected.
• Dorothy ordered the companies to provide battlefield supplies for free and threatened to bring them under the Misen Family’s control if they continued profiteering.
• Dorothy reprimanded Lin Gong for allowing the companies to bring their demands to her.
• Lin Gong told Dorothy that Noel had returned and was resting in a hospital with minor injuries and malnutrition.
• Dorothy ordered Noel’s return kept secret, strengthened security at the hospital, and asked Lin Gong for a list of companies causing trouble.

Noel returned to the Federation exhausted and learned that District 25 had declared war, while Zero remained behind at the Alt Conglomerate to help her escape. Dorothy asked Noel to assist with the war effort, and Jonas’s Thought Seal secretly convinced Noel that helping District 25 would help defeat it.

• Noel tested whether she could curse Jonas, then searched for a way to help Dorothy defeat him.
• Dorothy called Noel, who apologized for what happened in District 25 and explained that Zero had gone alone to the Alt Conglomerate to draw fire during her rescue.
• Dorothy promised to rescue Zero and asked Noel to handle battlefield affairs while she dealt with divided loyalties within the Federation.
• Jonas’s Thought Seal activated in Noel’s mind and persuaded her that helping Jonas and District 25 would make them easier to defeat.
• Noel returned to the conversation and told Dorothy she understood.

Jonas used District 25’s military advantage to win free supplies from capitalists and planned to destabilize the Federation’s markets and weaken its soldiers’ morale. After his Thought Seal took hold in Noel, he ordered the media to announce that she had surrendered and become District 25’s inside agent.

• Eiffel told Jonas that companies had offered to provide battlefield necessities for free in exchange for advertising on their supply bags.
• Jonas explained that his early show of military strength had drawn capitalists to District 25 and secured its logistics.
• Jonas instructed Eiffel to let the companies profit by selling in the Federation while disrupting its markets, publicize District 25’s treatment of soldiers, and cut Federation supply lines.
• Jonas sensed that the contingency he had planted in Noel had taken hold after she returned to the Federation.
• Jonas told the media in District 25 and the Federation to publicize that Noel had submitted to District 25 and become its inside agent.

Jonas planned to exploit the Federation’s need for victories by staging a controlled retreat, hoping to lower its guard and prepare the way for propaganda against Noel. He left Eiffel to carry out the plan while waiting to see whether the Federation would take the bait and whether anyone in District 25 would challenge the Alt Conglomerate.

• Jonas ordered Eiffel to publicize comparisons of soldier benefits and the Federation’s past supply shortages, using actors to pose as deserters.
• Jonas delayed publishing claims that Noel was a Federation mole, deciding to publicize only her return to the Federation for now.
• Jonas told Eiffel to have District 25’s forces pull back most Fourth-Generation Tactical Mecha and abandon minor positions while limiting losses.
• Eiffel questioned whether a small Federation victory would make it lower its guard, and Jonas explained that he was counting on the Federation behaving abnormally.
• Jonas told Eiffel to proceed and said the setback would reveal who in District 25 dared challenge the Alt Conglomerate.

Noel resumed directing the Federation’s response to District 25, but Jonas used the Mark and Thought Seal in her mind to take control of her decisions. The chapter ended with Noel obeying Jonas and calling him master.

• Dorothy restored order in the Federation by crushing companies and groups promoting District 25.
• Noel dismissed concerns about reports exposing her past and focused on finding an opening on the Wasteland battlefield.
• As Federation camps came under attack, Jonas ordered Noel to retreat and advance northeast, and the Mark compelled her to obey.
• Noel’s troops captured enemy positions, prompting Jonas to praise her and instruct her to consult him whenever District 25 launched a small-scale attack.
• Noel answered, “I understand, master.”

Noel recognized that the Federation’s victory celebrations were masking a tiny gain and concealed losses, and she remained wary of the propaganda surrounding the battle. Lin Gong resented being assigned to serve Noel and quietly resolved to drive her away from Dorothy while maintaining a flawless public face.

• Noel listened as Lin Gong reported on the Federation’s receptions, victory claims, and media campaign, and she questioned whether the politicians had begun believing their own propaganda.
• Noel told Lin Gong she wanted all information reported because apparently useless details could prove important, despite not wanting to attend the reception.
• After ending the call, Lin Gong reflected on how Dorothy’s order to serve Noel had wounded her pride and intensified her resentment.
• Lin Gong reviewed information and footage about Noel, vowed to prove Noel did not deserve to stand beside Dorothy, and resolved to hide her hostility until she could act safely.

Jonas read the Federation’s implausibly rosy war statistics and asked Iris to uncover its actual losses. He also told her to investigate Lin Gong, Noel’s former secretary.

• Iris quietly enjoyed cake while stealing glances at Jonas, who reminded her to eat more food and not too much cake.
• Jonas read a Federation report claiming minimal casualties, few lost mecha and camps, and plentiful fresh beef.
• Jonas recognized the report’s author as a man sent by District Fifteen to stir up unrest who had gained a following in the Federation.
• Jonas judged the Federation’s published loss figures far too low and asked Iris to hack its network for accurate numbers.
• Jonas also asked Iris to investigate Lin Gong, who had served as Noel’s secretary.

Jonas asked Iris to investigate the Federation’s powerful families for large purchases of everyday necessities before exposing information about the Federation’s losses. Iris agreed after Jonas reassured her and promised her a reward, then sent him the families’ procurement records, leaving Jonas wondering how far he should go in exposing the Federation’s lies.

• Jonas redirected Iris from hacking the Federation’s military network to checking the families’ networks for major purchases of necessities.
• Iris worried Jonas doubted her abilities, but he reassured her and told her he wanted to save some information as a hook.
• Iris said she could crack the families’ firewalls faster if Jonas gave her the same reward as Celine.
• Jonas agreed to Iris’s request to spend more time alone with him, and Iris sent him the families’ procurement records.
• Jonas wondered whether the Federation’s citizens would keep trusting it if he exposed its lies and then exposed an even larger one.

After the Federation’s victory brought relief and stabilized prices, District 25’s emblem appeared on public screens across a busy square. When the countdown ended and the last screen shorted out, Jonas’s voice sounded directly in Dorothy’s ears, suggesting he had reached her in person.

• Federation residents celebrated the victory and complained that businesses had not lowered prices after costs fell.
• Screens in a crowded square displayed District 25’s emblem and a countdown to eight that evening.
• Lin Gong reported the screens to Dorothy, who ordered most of them powered down and the area sealed off while one screen remained on.
• At eight, the remaining screen showed a brief celebration before shorting out.
• Jonas’s voice rang inside Dorothy’s ears, and she realized he was nearby.

Jonas hijacked communications across the Federation and staged a revelation about rising prices, presenting documents that exposed alleged human and organ trafficking hidden behind the Federation’s so-called necessities. Dorothy dismissed his spectacle until she opened the first page and froze at its shocking title.

• Jonas introduced himself to Federation citizens and claimed someone inside the Federation had let him into their communications, naming Dorothy Misen.
• Jonas explained that he had used countdowns on shopping mall screens to attract attention and introduced hooded captives as high-ranking Federation figures.
• The captives claimed Federation capitalists had driven up prices for daily necessities, prompting citizens and Dorothy to dismiss the revelation as unremarkable.
• Jonas told viewers to examine the documents he had sent, and Dorothy opened an email from an unknown sender.
• Dorothy froze when the document’s title revealed alleged human and organ trafficking hidden within the Federation’s so-called necessities.

Jonas exposed evidence of human trafficking, organ trafficking, and supply resale across the Federation, fueling public anger against its leadership. He promised District 25 would only reshuffle the Federation's upper ranks, then vanished from the communications feeds as people began calling for the Federation's downfall.

• Jonas explained how he had targeted media workers, disgruntled employees, and trafficking victims to spread evidence of the Federation's abuses.
• People across the streets found names and photographs of missing acquaintances and relatives in the files, and the evidence spread rapidly online.
• Jonas revealed files about organ trafficking and illicit supply resale, and said the Misen Family had little involvement.
• Jonas told the public not to treat District 25 as their enemy and challenged Federation loyalists to explain why he remained on their communications feeds.
• Jonas vanished, and the crowd erupted into chants demanding an end to the Federation's tyranny and control by District 25.

Jonas’s leaked documents plunged the Federation into unrest, and its attempts to suppress discussion failed to restore public trust. He planned to intensify the crisis by linking the scandal to the Misen Family, then contacted Noel to use the hook he had planted.

• Jonas’s leak triggered protests and widespread media coverage, while the Federation censored posts and called the information fabricated by District 25.
• Jonas told Iris the unrest was part of their success and considered how to keep the Federation’s people dissatisfied.
• Jonas planned to spread claims that the scandal-hit family was colluding with the Misen Family, whether or not the claims were true.
• Jonas connected to Noel’s mental link and began giving him instructions, revealing that the Federation’s supreme front-line commander was one of his people.

Noel warned Lin Gong that Jonas was likely setting a trap and urged the Federation to secure its companies and supplies. Jonas then used Noel’s mental Mark to make her believe that a transport route appearing the next day had to be destroyed, and Noel addressed him as her master.

• Federation broadcasts portrayed District 25’s protests as fraudulent and urged citizens to remain loyal.
• Noel told Lin Gong to warn exposed companies to keep their conduct clean and to double supplies on the Wasteland battlefield.
• Noel suspected Jonas was using apparent battlefield losses as bait for a larger trap.
• Jonas contacted Noel through her mental Mark and made her believe the Federation had to cut off an important route appearing on the map the next day.
• Noel promised Jonas she would fulfill his demands and called him her master.

As protests continued over the deaths tied to powerful families and conglomerates, Dorothy Misen ordered Lin Gong to use a prepared list to hold those responsible accountable. Lin Gong received an unexpected call from someone invoking Jonas, leaving her startled.

• Lin Gong watched the protests and dismissed them as unlikely to force the Federation to act against influential families.
• Dorothy told Lin Gong that Noel’s warning would not be enough and ordered her to find everyone on a list, using Dorothy’s name if challenged.
• Dorothy told Lin Gong to reassure Noel that she would handle the Federation’s internal affairs, then ended the call.
• Lin Gong resented Noel for taking her former position and watched the families she knew distance themselves from her.
• A call connected before Lin Gong could accept it, and the caller said, “Jonas sends his regards.”

Jonas contacted Lin Gong and tried to recruit her against Noel by reminding her that Noel’s return had cost her authority and status. Lin Gong refused to betray Dorothy, but Jonas’s offer left her wavering after the call ended.

• Jonas called Lin Gong and criticized the Federation’s powerful families for leaving the exploited population unprotected.
• Lin Gong dismissed Jonas’s appeal and said she only wanted to serve as Dorothy’s secretary.
• Jonas told Lin Gong that Noel’s return had stripped her of authority and made her a replacement for Noel in Dorothy’s eyes.
• Lin Gong refused to betray Dorothy, but Jonas clarified that he wanted her to act against Noel instead.
• Jonas ended the call and invited Lin Gong to contact him after she had considered his offer, leaving her deep in thought.

The Federation assembled elite Psionic squads for a high-risk operation to destroy District 25’s transport route, with the mission’s importance and cargo kept secret from the soldiers. As the attack approached, the squads prepared for the possibility that they would not return.

• The Federation gained ground and seized several Fourth-Generation Tactical Mechas and supplies from District 25, boosting its soldiers’ morale.
• The captain who had survived the mission to rescue Noel returned to the battlefield and ordered his squad to prioritize destroying the enemy transport route above all else.
• A Psionic questioned why so many squads had been assigned to the route, and the captain warned that it would be heavily guarded and urged everyone to settle their affairs.
• The Psionics joked together, prepared their equipment, ate, and rested before the operation began.
• When the time came, the Psionic squads moved out.

A large force of Federation Psionics prepared to sabotage a heavily guarded transport route, expecting a shipment of Fourth-Generation Tactical Mecha parts and possibly an attack by District 25’s strongest fighters. When they struck the transport vehicle, it revealed itself as an explosive-filled trap arranged by Jonas, who sent Dorothy his regards.

• Two Psionics debated the expendability of soldiers and Psionics as they advanced toward the transport route.
• The two Psionics spotted nearly a hundred Federation Psionics using camouflage, then chose to keep their distance rather than approach them.
• The Psionic captain gathered nearly two hundred fighters and prepared to attack the shipment, fearing that Esnie or other powerful fighters from District 25 might guard it.
• A huge transport vehicle approached, and the Psionics attacked it until its shield failed and its armor plating fell away.
• Screens on the vehicle showed Jonas announcing that the vehicle was packed with explosives and asking them to give Dorothy his regards.

Before the explosion, Jonas explained to Eiffel how his explosive-laden transport was meant to lure Federation Psionics into the Wasteland and inflict a major loss. He also revealed that his call to Lin Gong was intended to make her choose whether to help him, leaving the outcome of the plan still uncertain.

• Eiffel praised Jonas for delegating authority and said Lin Gong might be weighing his proposal.
• Jonas said he wanted to tempt Lin Gong by letting her see Noel suffer a battlefield defeat before Dorothy entrusted Noel with major responsibilities again.
• Jonas described the transport carrying explosives and explained that a Federation mole had leaked false information to draw the enemy's Psionics toward it.
• Eiffel questioned whether the plan could go wrong, but Jonas said the transport would trigger its explosives after powerful psionic attacks and leave the Federation weakened.
• Jonas told Eiffel that he had called Lin Gong to make her choose, and said he would tell her, "There is a choice in everything."