Chapter Summaries

Ash used the sports car’s Refraction Curtain and Poison Gas Surge to trap the Heroic Soul Legion in a cave and poison most of its Thousand Feather Bird Dragons. After the barrier broke, he turned back toward the cave and faced Demilo, setting up a second round.

• Sonia and Diya urged Ash to flee as the Scorpion Dragons and Thousand Feather Bird Dragons attacked the sports car.
• Ash drove into the Scorpion Dragon pack, using the Poison Gas Surge to fill the cave with poisonous mist while the Refraction Curtain protected the car from ranged attacks.
• The poisonous mist killed the Thousand Feather Bird Dragons, and Ash escaped the cave with roughly half the Scorpion Dragons still alive.
• Ash turned the car around and drove back into the cave, where the remaining Scorpion Dragons shattered the Refraction Curtain.
• Demilo rode a Scorpion Dragon out of the cave, met Ash’s gaze, and Ash announced the second round.

Demilo chose to enter the Poison Mist Cave and deployed his Star Swordsmen, but the spellcasters defeated them through coordinated attacks and the Steel Monster’s maneuvering. Demilo then faced the Crimson Coat spellcaster directly, and Ash realized the battle would end when either the car or Demilo was destroyed.

• Demilo decided to fight and transformed eight Scorpion Dragons into Star Swordsmen, sending them into the Poison Mist Cave.
• The Steel Monster and the spellcasters broke through Demilo’s encirclement and destroyed all eight Star Swordsmen.
• Demilo acknowledged that the Crimson Coat spellcaster had outcommanded him, then armored himself and fired Radiant Arrows at the sports car.
• Ash shielded Sonia and Diya as the car charged Demilo, whose armor withstood its blade.
• Ash calculated that four more hits would destroy the car and declared the final round had begun.

Demilo used his stacked Star Shooter armor and bow to fight the steel behemoth, but the Spellcasters outmaneuvered him with poison fog and binding threads. As the behemoth pushed him toward the cavern wall, Demilo realized he had been lured into a trap.

• Demilo explained how he stacked Star Shooter forces onto himself, giving him sixteen layers of armor and powerful damage reduction.
• Demilo tried to shoot the charging steel behemoth, but its erratic driving and a Spellcaster's feint made him waste an arrow.
• The steel behemoth circled through the open area and spread poison fog, reducing Demilo's shooting accuracy.
• Demilo waited for the behemoth to charge out of the fog and fired at close range, but water-like threads caught him and held him against the Evil Blade.
• The threads pulled Demilo out of the fog and toward the cavern wall, where he realized the Spellcasters had maneuvered him into danger.

Ash, Sonia, Diya, and the Witch fought Demilo, the Star Shepherd, and Sonia killed him with her Ripple Sword after his memories made him hesitate. The group survived but felt drained, and they rested together before collecting the spoils.

• Ash and the others drove Demilo into the wall with their sports car while he fired arrows and wore down its health.
• Ash, the Witch, and Sonia followed their plan: the Witch restrained Demilo, Ash distracted him with Sword Painting, and Sonia prepared to strike.
• Demilo hesitated when Sonia unleashed a Ripple Sword, allowing her to shatter his armor and sever both his hands.
• Sonia delivered a second Evil Light Slash, severing Demilo's head and causing his body to fade into starlike specks.
• Ash, Sonia, and the Witch sat down to rest after the battle, while Diya held her breath.

After defeating the Heroic Soul Legion, Ash, Sonia, and Diya recovered and found a Commander's Handbook among the spoils. Sonia claimed it to strengthen herself and resolved to become a sunk cost the Watcher could not abandon; the handbook's final page showed a Star Map that Ash suspected contained clues about a murderer.

• Ash and Sonia waited quietly while Diya rested, and Diya fell asleep before waking to celebrate their victory over the Heroic Soul Legion.
• The group searched the battlefield and found three pieces of loot, including Demilo's Commander's Handbook, which offered a choice of command skills and faction experience.
• Sonia took the handbook to improve her Sword Art Faction and decided to invest herself deeply in the Watcher so he would not abandon her.
• Sonia examined the handbook's final page and showed the others a Star Map with three connected Stars, one labeled Demilo.
• Ash said the Star Map looked like information a victim had left about a murderer.

Ash and his companions examined a map of the Void Realm, then discovered that Ash’s own map could record its information and reveal the Star Hall Main Cities. Their third spoil was a Spell Spirit that let them absorb soldiers’ Soul Power and summon Star Hall units in the Void Realm.

• Ash and his companions found no information about the Seven-Colored Tail on Demilo’s map, but learned it marked Resource Points, Special Areas, and four distant Star Hall Main Cities.
• Sonia suggested that Ash combine the map with his Void Realm Map, and Ash discovered that his map had recorded the new information and could reveal explored regions.
• Ash and his companions discussed the map’s clues about the Star Hall and joked about how they should behave toward one another.
• Ash suspected that the Prophecy School could absorb maps, then picked up the third spoil and recognized it as a Spell Spirit.
• Ash read that Soul Summoning could absorb soldiers’ Soul Power and grant him or his followers Star Hall Swordsman and Shooter unit types.

Ash and his companions identified the Soul Summoning Spell Spirit as a powerful, sealed fused Spell Spirit and decided Ash would take it for their team. After he used it to turn Diya into a Star Sword Witch, Ash, Sonia, and Diya sat down for tea and asked Diya to explain the strange changes she had shown during the battle.

• Sonia explained that the Zero-Wing Soul Summoning Spell Spirit might be a downgraded fused Spell Spirit with a complete system for collecting Soul Power and granting unit types.
• Ash took the Soul Summoning Spell Spirit, and it absorbed the remaining Soul Power of the Star Swordsmen they had defeated.
• Ash spent Soul Power to transform Diya into a Star Sword Witch, and Diya confirmed she could still use her Spell Spirits while wearing the unit armor.
• Ash and Sonia teased each other over who should have tried the unit form, then ended the Void Realm Exploration as the sports car was about to explode.
• Ash and Sonia brought Diya aside for tea and asked her to talk about her changing hair color and strange chorus-like voice during the battle.

Mifa, a devoted Sonia fan working at Sword Flower University's Harvest Orchard, watched Sonia sell Spell Spirits and shop for a way to calm someone mentally. The chapter ended with Sonia learning she would fight Trajectory University's strongest student in the Chief Battle at midnight, likely keeping her awake until the fellowship ended around 3 a.m.

• Mifa greeted Sonia at Harvest Orchard and bought four One-Winged Spell Spirits from her.
• Sonia considered buying the 15-gold-coin Heart Pen Miracle for Watcher but decided it cost too much, then bought a Miracle containing the Sincerity Spell Spirit to help calm someone.
• Mifa wished Sonia luck at the fellowship with Trajectory University, revealing that Sonia had been assigned the Chief Battle after Senior Leonie gave up the slot.
• Mifa told Sonia that the Chief Battle began at midnight and that the fellowship could continue until 3 a.m., worrying Sonia because of her plans for the night.

Igula studied Gospel Country’s popular Shadow Dramas to understand the desires and social pressures reflected in their stories, while Ash spent the morning playing virtual games. The chapter ended with Ash asking how to calm a woman he described, and Igula wondering when Ash had met her.

• Igula finished a popular Shadow Drama and analyzed how Gospel Country’s dramas reflected the Gospel Chart, family inheritance, and the public’s fears and ambitions.
• Igula wondered why Gospel Country had no palace dramas about the Imperial Royal Family.
• Ash admitted he had spent the morning grinding levels in a virtual game and complained that he lacked money for a better experience.
• Igula suggested Ash create a female character and solicit gifts from male players, then joked about how Ash could calm someone down.
• Ash described a nineteen-year-old woman with a lively, dignified, aloof, and sly personality, clarified that she was not Annan, and left Igula stunned.

Ash and Igula learned that Annan had taken Harvey on a secret mission and bought him a gift, while Liss’s online shopping unleashed a swarm of delivery drones into the living room.

• Ash told Igula that he had met a woman through an online game, and Igula suspected Ash had found a way to contact the outside world.
• Ash and Igula joined Bange and Liss for breakfast and heard a Floating Car approach the balcony.
• Annan arrived with Harvey, explained that she had bought him after a mission, and said she would reveal the details later.
• Ash teased Liss about Harvey’s gift, while Annan left Igula wondering what she and Harvey had done together.
• Liss’s Veil purchases began arriving, and more than a dozen cargo drones swarmed into the living room.

Liss distributed gifts she had bought for Ash, Annan, Bange, Igula, and Harvey, then revealed she had spent all her money on presents for herself. The chapter ended with the White Queen confronting Liss about her spending, even as Liss tried to appease her with a gift.

• Liss handed Bange a sapphire earring, Annan a fox hairpin, Igula a pocketed skirt jacket, and Harvey a thoughtography notebook.
• Ash wrestled Harvey over a piece of candy, then apologized to Liss for cheating during their game so she would give him his gift.
• Liss gave Ash a Purgatory Windbreaker with an Epic top-up card, and he enthusiastically declared her his daughter.
• Liss revealed that the remaining delivery boxes held gifts she had bought for herself and hurried to her room when Bange asked whether she had money left.
• The White Queen confronted Liss for spending all her money, and Liss held out a gift she had picked for her.

Liss's sisters confronted her for secretly spending their 10,000 Copper Coins on gifts, and White Queen explained how to make gift-giving thoughtful while addressing Liss's lack of trust. Liss cried, promised to consult her sisters in the future, and revealed she had kept the best purchases for herself.

• Red Death and Black Butler thanked Liss for their gifts, while White Queen warned her that she should have discussed the purchases with her sisters.
• White Queen explained that the sisters' 10,000 Copper Coins were valuable assets and that private, personal gifts could make recipients feel more appreciated.
• White Queen told Liss that buying the gifts without telling her sisters showed she had expected them to cancel the order and had not trusted them.
• Liss cried and said she had been afraid of being scolded; White Queen reassured her, and Liss promised to wait for her sisters or tell them about urgent decisions afterward.
• Diya, Black Butler, and Red Death forgave Liss, and Liss revealed that she had bought many gifts for herself and saved the best ones.

Sonia struggled with jealousy and fear that the Watcher and the Witch would grow closer without her, but chose to prioritize her real-life commitments. She agreed to attend the Fellowship Gala and fight in the final Chief Battle, declaring that the Void Realm should yield to reality.

• Tello Zan told Sonia she had been appointed to the Swordsmanship Department fellowship and the final Chief Battle without being consulted.
• Tello Zan offered to change Sonia's battle order or replace her so she could enter the Void Realm on schedule.
• Sonia reflected on her fear that the Watcher and the Witch would form memories and a bond that excluded her.
• Sonia rejected the chance to put the Void Realm first and agreed to follow Tello Zan's arrangements and attend the fellowship through the end.

Sonia admitted to Adele that she claimed to practice Sword Art for fame and success, though Adele insisted her actions showed she genuinely loved it. Her friends prepared her for the Fellowship Gala’s Chief Battle, where Lois began styling her with a limited-edition miracle perfume and makeup.

• Sonia trained before the Fellowship Gala, and Adele questioned whether she truly disliked Sword Art.
• Adele argued that Sonia’s dedication to training, Sound Art, and performance revealed what she genuinely enjoyed.
• Sonia returned to the dormitory, where Lois and the other girls gathered clothes and accessories to prepare her for the gala.
• The girls discussed using Lois’s rare Tears of the Meteor perfume, which could draw attention and inspire favorable feelings.
• Lois and the others dressed Sonia in a Battle Suit, and Sonia summoned the Fixed Sun Spell Spirit to help with her makeup.

Sonia prepared for the Fellowship Gala’s Chief Battle in a Battle Suit Lois brought from her family, determined to use her success to pursue a lavish life on her own terms. She left for the contest believing in herself, unaware that the Watcher and Sword Maiden had been listening and agreed to let her make her own choice.

• Lois and Sonia’s dormmates dressed and made up Sonia in a Battle Suit, while Lois hoped Sonia’s performance would win her family a supplier deal with Sword Flower University.
• Sonia said she wanted to become famous and enjoy a life more splendid than Legends, and resolved to pursue opportunities in reality without letting her mother or the Watcher dictate her decisions.
• Sonia left for the Fellowship Gala’s Chief Battle, teasing Lois and telling her she was taking leave for the night.
• Sonia thought she heard the Watcher wish her luck, but found no one in the dormitory and left without realizing the Watcher was hidden there.
• After Sonia departed, the Watcher and Sword Maiden decided not to interfere with her choice, and the Sword Maiden said she was glad Sonia shared her attitude toward romance: no dating.

After losing repeatedly to Diya in Sorcerer Duel 14, Ash switched to a racing game, where he and Diya ended their match in a quarrel. Ash later discussed Harvey’s renewed drive and the collapse of their alliance with Igula, then found a leave slip from Sword Maiden in the Game System.

• Ash lost ten matches to Diya using simple Spear Move tactics, then suggested they play another game.
• Ash and Diya played Sorcerer Kart 5, fought over the race, and left the game room in a huff.
• Igula told Ash that Harvey’s Icy Blazing Fire was reigniting and speculated about Harvey’s loneliness and dedication to the Necromancy Faction.
• Igula warned Ash that Harvey had other plans and that their alliance was over, but Ash laughed and went to prepare for the Void Realm.
• Ash opened the Game System and found a notice that he had received “Sword Maiden’s Leave Slip.”

Ash realized Sword Maiden had a life outside the Void Realm and took leave to compete in a match, leaving him to explore with Diya instead. After Diya entered the Void Realm, the two drove into unknown territory, awkwardly adjusting to being alone together.

• Sword Maiden sent Ash a leave slip explaining that she had a match and would share some exploration rewards while absent.
• Ash reflected on Sword Maiden's separate life, then formed a Void Realm team with Witch for the night.
• Liss received a mirror message from Watcher telling her to open the Gate of Truth, and Diya used the Mask Spell Spirit to enter the Void Realm.
• Diya found the sports car restored and learned that Sword Maiden was absent because of her match.
• Ash and Diya drove through unmapped territory, struggled to make conversation without Sword Maiden, and spotted an Artificer Projection ahead.

At the friendly match between Sword Flower University and Trajectory University, Sonia’s precise tactical comments exposed openings in a match she had barely watched and surprised both schools. As the next battle began, Sonia noticed Leonie reading a horoscope book and asked what she was looking at.

• At the exchange match in Shining Track Auditorium, Trajectory University’s Kathy McIntosh defeated Sword Flower University’s vanguard with her Mechanism Staff.
• Tello Zan unexpectedly made Sonia comment on the battle, and Sonia listed eight openings the losing student could have used to win.
• Belgrade demanded a replay, which confirmed Sonia’s analysis and left both vanguards shaken.
• Tello Zan said she would handle future comments herself, while Sonia reflected on how the Sword Command Art could improve others’ fighting.
• Sonia lost interest in the next match and found Leonie reading 1668 Seventy-Two Constellation Fate.

Sonia found clues in a horoscope book that connected Demilo, Star Hall, and the Star Law Master, while Ash and Diya explored a mysterious Library in the Void Realm. The chapter left them inside the Library, unsure where they were or how to investigate it without the Sword Maiden.

• Leonie showed Sonia her Moth Constellation horoscope, and Sonia noticed that its stars matched those in Demilo's Commander's Handbook.
• Sonia recognized the names Loda and Vos and wondered whether Demilo was connected to the Vosrodar Family and Star Hall.
• Sonia worried that killing someone from Star Hall might draw the Star Law Master's attention and decided to discuss it with the Watcher and the Witch.
• Ash and Diya finished a battle at a timber Resource Point, gathered materials, and traveled onward in awkward silence.
• Ash and Diya discovered a strange three-story Library filled with ancient and advanced bookshelves.
• Ash and Diya realized that neither knew what the building was and wished the Sword Maiden would return.

Ash and Diya explored the Legendary Library, whose books could grant rewards in exchange for memories. Ash stopped on the second floor to read a book whose blacksmithing sounds reminded him of home, while Diya continued upward alone.

• Ash and Diya read the Library Guide and learned its rules, including that each Spellcaster could read one book and had to leave memories behind.
• Ash and Diya discussed why the builder’s name had been erased, then entered the Library’s maze together.
• Ash and Diya ignored the tempting books on the first floor and moved to the second floor, where the books’ auras distorted reality.
• Diya noticed Ash had stopped, and Ash chose a book on the second floor while telling her to continue to the third.
• Ash opened the book because its blacksmithing sounds reminded him of his father and stirred his homesickness.