Chapter Summaries

Cosmo rejected Vill-V’s offer of Mental Partition after considering a different way to handle his Hypermutation Overload, possibly using Vishnu’s devouring ability and the memory bodies’ resurrection. After choosing the wrong answer to a quiz about his response to the Herrscher of Corruption, he received a challenge against Kevin Kaslana at his peak as punishment.

• Vill-V explained that Mental Partition could preserve a backup of Cosmo’s mind but would cost him all experiences after the partition, and Cosmo withdrew his request.
• Cosmo told Vill-V he had thought of another way to get the best of both worlds, but the footage ended before he explained it.
• Su reasoned that Cosmo’s idea likely drew on Vill-V’s theories, and Cosmo suggested devouring the part of himself responsible for Hypermutation Overload’s side effects.
• Cosmo chose that he would remain silent and attack when the Herrscher of Corruption called herself a villain, but the answer was marked incorrect.
• The system assigned Cosmo a mandatory challenge instance against Kevin Kaslana at his peak, prompting Durandal and Pardofelis to recall Kevin’s overwhelming attacks.

Cosmo was thrown into a challenge against a full-strength Kevin, then appeared in the Elysian Realm story to confront the Herrscher of Corruption and block her pursuit of Mei. He rejected her attempt to unsettle him with memories of Hen, insisting that Hen’s choice had been the best of both worlds.

• Kevin sent Cosmo into the challenge dungeon, where a fully charged An-Utu struck him before he could prepare.
• Cosmo returned unharmed but stunned, while Kevin was bewildered that the others blamed him for the challenge dungeon beating.
• The Herrscher of Corruption trapped Sakura in a peaceful illusion, erased the Elysian Realm’s defenses, and pursued Su until Cosmo trapped her in a birdcage.
• Cosmo told the Herrscher of Corruption he would stop her from going farther, while the others discussed her omniscience and its limits.
• The Herrscher of Corruption recalled how Hen sacrificed himself on the Mu Continent and warned Cosmo that repeating the choice would bring pain to others.
• Cosmo rejected her account and insisted that Hen’s choice had been the best of both worlds.

Cosmo transformed into a Honkai Beast to hold off the Herrscher of Corruption, who deleted him before a second Cosmo appeared and was destroyed. The Flame-Chasers suspected Mobius had left a resurrection contingency, but the chapter ended before they confirmed who had brought him back.

• Cosmo transformed into a Honkai Beast and fought the Herrscher of Corruption, devouring corrupted parts of himself to delay her.
• The Herrscher of Corruption deleted Cosmo, but another Cosmo appeared and attacked her from behind.
• The Herrscher of Corruption recognized the second Cosmo as different from the first and destroyed him with one arrow.
• Cosmo accepted his death as a way to buy time for his companions, while the others worried about his permanent deletion.
• Raiden Mei and Pardofelis suspected Mobius had arranged Cosmo's return, and Mobius teased Vill-V about being right.

The group realized that Griseo’s lifelike painting had allowed Cosmo to return after the Herrscher of Corruption deleted him, and Cosmo admitted that carrying out his plan had meant asking Griseo to kill him. The quiz revealed that he had asked Hua to persuade Griseo, and Cosmo gave Griseo his reward: a Concept Card that summoned him in Hypermutation Overload state.

• Elysia suggested that the second Cosmo might have been a lifelike copy, leading the group to suspect Griseo’s painting had brought him back.
• Cosmo told Griseo that her part in his plan had given him a chance, and Griseo panicked at the thought of killing him.
• A quiz asked whom Cosmo had sought to persuade Griseo, and Cosmo correctly chose Hua after Eden declined.
• Hua identified Fenghuang Down as the means she could have used to change Griseo’s mind, and she accepted Cosmo’s apology.
• Cosmo received a Concept Card that could summon him in Hypermutation Overload state for a day and handed it to Griseo.

Cosmo proposed using Griseo’s painting and the Eighth Divine Key to create a new version of himself that could delay the Herrscher of Corruption without involving Griseo in his sacrifice. The chapter left Fu Hua facing Cosmo’s request to deceive Griseo, while Mei and the Flame-Chasers considered who truly benefited from their sacrifices.

• Griseo realized Cosmo had lied to her, and the others left him to explain himself.
• Cosmo told Fu Hua that Vishnu’s ability could remove corruption from him, then refused the plan to sacrifice himself and Griseo to buy time.
• Cosmo asked Fu Hua to use the Eighth Divine Key to deceive Griseo’s perception so Griseo would paint a new Cosmo from all his data.
• Mei wondered whether she was the beneficiary of the Flame-Chasers’ sacrifices, but Su said the real beneficiaries were people in the real world who would never know about the Herrscher of Corruption.
• Cosmo explained that becoming Griseo’s painting could let him unleash his full power while preserving his heroic heart, and Fu Hua warned that Griseo would see the process as killing him.

Cosmo tried to use Griseo’s painting to evade the Herrscher of Corruption, but the plan failed when she deleted his data. He answered the group’s question about what he had asked Griseo to paint, received a Growth Potion, and traded it away before the footage began showing him and Hua visiting Griseo.

• Cosmo explained that becoming one of Griseo’s paintings could let him avoid Hypermutation Overload, and Hua went to find Griseo.
• Griseo offered to paint Cosmo, but he said it would not work in reality because she could only absorb his colors.
• Vill-V and Cosmo discussed how the Herrscher of Corruption had deleted his data, while Su noted that she gained no information from him.
• Cosmo correctly chose that he had asked Griseo for a more mature image and received a Growth Potion as a reward.
• Cosmo offered the potion to the group, and Pardofelis traded him Whopperflower Nectar for it.
• The footage showed Cosmo and Hua finding Griseo painting, and Griseo asked whether they had finished discussing grown-up things.

Cosmo asked Griseo to paint a more mature version of the boy he had once been, explaining how his wish to save everyone had led to tragedy. He revealed that the Ark Project was not truly a search for a new home but a plan for one survivor to return after the disaster and reseed civilization, then asked Hua to deceive Griseo about what came next.

• Cosmo asked Griseo to paint his younger self and described how the boy’s attempt to prevent his mentor’s sacrifice had made the tragedy worse.
• Elysia, Su, and the others reassured Cosmo that hoping for the best of both worlds was not itself wrong, while Vill-V suggested that the Ark Project troubled him more deeply.
• Cosmo explained that he had been chosen for the Ark Project, which would send him away from Earth as humanity faced destruction.
• Cosmo revealed that the project’s spacecraft could not find a new home and was meant to return after the disaster to spread the seeds of civilization.
• Cosmo asked Griseo to paint the boy as mature enough to accept reality, then quietly asked Hua to deceive her; Hua eventually nodded.

Cosmo realized he had chosen to sacrifice himself without considering what Griseo wanted, while Griseo said she only wanted him not to be alone. Kiana wrongly guessed that Griseo wanted to become a hero and was punished; the chapter ended with Griseo facing the Herrscher of Corruption because she said she could not leave.

• Cosmo admitted he had considered abandoning his responsibilities selfish, and Griseo told him he was a hero.
• Himeko Murata pointed out that Cosmo had failed to consider Griseo’s wishes when planning to take her place, prompting Cosmo to realize Griseo might have wanted to become a hero, too.
• Griseo said she did not know whether she wanted to be a hero, but she did not want Cosmo to be alone.
• Kiana chose answer C, claiming Griseo wanted to become a hero, but the system marked her answer incorrect and sentenced her to go hungry for three days.
• The Herrscher of Corruption reflected that Cosmo had already become a hero through his devotion to others, then asked Griseo why she had come to face her.
• Griseo answered that she could not leave, while the Herrscher of Corruption observed that Cosmo’s Morning Light had been passed on.

Griseo painted herself into the painting with Cosmo so he would not be alone, sacrificing herself to keep him company. After the footage ended, the Flame-Chasers questioned Griseo, who said she understood she would disappear and remain with Cosmo in the painting forever.

• The Herrscher of Corruption attacked Griseo, prompting Cosmo and the others to condemn her for targeting the child.
• Vill-V helped Cosmo realize that Griseo had stayed because she could not leave the painting, not because she wanted to be a hero.
• The Herrscher of Corruption discovered that Griseo had painted herself into the picture, leaving her with no useful data to corrupt.
• Griseo explained that she joined Cosmo in the painting because he feared being alone, and the Herrscher of Corruption destroyed the painting in anger.
• After the footage ended, Elysia reassured Griseo, who told Cosmo she knew she would disappear and stay with him in the painting forever.

The group discussed Cosmo and Griseo’s sacrifices and answered a quiz about who brought their painting before the Herrscher of Corruption. Su correctly identified Hua, and the scene showed Hua admitting she had brought the painting after witnessing the pair disappear.

• Cosmo realized that Griseo had twice become his hero, while Griseo thanked him and said she had disappointed him.
• Elysia prompted Griseo to call Cosmo her little brother, making the Chat Group laugh.
• The quiz asked who brought Griseo’s painting before the Herrscher of Corruption, and the group debated whether Cosmo or Hua had done it.
• Herrscher of Reason argued that the Flame-Chasers should not have to sacrifice themselves for the Current Era, while Apponia said their sacrifices should be remembered and honored.
• Su realized that Hua had brought the painting because Cosmo did not know Griseo had painted herself into it, and the system awarded Su a Life Coin for the correct answer.
• The screen showed Hua admitting to the Herrscher of Corruption that she had brought the painting after witnessing Cosmo and Griseo disappear.

Hua refused to let the Herrscher of Corruption reach Raiden Mei, while the Flame-Chasers discussed Hua’s regrets and stubbornness. The Herrscher of Corruption challenged Hua’s sense of purpose, leaving their confrontation unresolved.

• Hua described Griseo’s ruined painting as beyond words and told the Herrscher of Corruption that she was not the viewer Griseo had hoped for.
• The Herrscher of Corruption sent monsters to delay Hua and rushed toward Raiden Mei, but Hua caught up and blocked her path.
• The Herrscher of Corruption argued that Hua had spent her life following missions imposed by others, prompting Fu Hua to reflect on her past failures and regrets.
• The Herrscher of Reason called Fu Hua stubborn, and Fu Hua struck her before the others teased her about being a blockhead.
• The Herrscher of Corruption dismissed Hua’s view of meaning and said Hua had forgotten something.

The Herrscher of Corruption let Hua resist her, then revealed overwhelming power while continuing to spare her. The observers debated why Hua received special treatment, and Vill-V suggested the Herrscher was doting on her.

• Hua kept the Herrscher of Corruption talking to buy time, and the Herrscher promised not to use enough power to defeat her.
• Hua entered a monster's consciousness with Fenghuang Down but found her original body still standing, then pursued the Herrscher of Corruption.
• The Herrscher of Corruption struck Hua down effortlessly and left her alive, saying she would let her rest before continuing to search for the culprit behind the abnormal change.
• Fu Hua and the others discussed why the Herrscher of Corruption spared Hua, while Su and Bronya suggested empathy and Griseo's fate had affected her.
• Vill-V told Hua that the Herrscher of Corruption appeared to be doting on her.

The group discussed whether the Herrscher of Corruption cared for the Flame-Chasers and identified Mobius as the likely force behind a hidden attack on the Herrscher. A quiz revealed that Vill-V had destroyed Mobius’s virus replica, leaving Mobius furious.

• Fu Hua and Elysia considered whether the Herrscher of Corruption’s actions came from love, while Mobius suggested she had grown attached to the Previous Era Elysian Realm.
• Bronya, Theresa, and Su reasoned that someone had taken control of the monsters that attacked the Herrscher of Corruption, and Mobius hinted that she had a plan to kill her.
• Mobius claimed she had a seventy percent chance of killing the Herrscher of Corruption if Apponia transported her to the right place, then demanded to know who had destroyed her virus replica.
• The quiz asked who had deleted Mobius’s replica, and Kevin, Elysia, Vill-V, and Pardofelis each responded to the accusation.
• The system confirmed Vill-V as the culprit, and Mobius erupted in anger.

Vill-V and Mobius blamed each other for sabotage and escalated their feud into a destructive fight between their laboratories in the Death Space. Their attacks left the area in chaos, while the other Flame-Chasers watched and Elysia admitted the situation was troublesome.

• Vill-V argued that she could have defeated the Herrscher of Corruption, while Mobius accused her of deleting the virus she had prepared to fight it.
• Mobius sent green biological viruses into Vill-V's Spiral Workshop, causing its circuits to burn out and setting the workshop on fire.
• Vill-V identified Mobius as the culprit, and Mobius taunted her by offering to eliminate the viruses if she backed down.
• Vill-V refused and sent a swarm of drones to attack Mobius's laboratory, destroying part of the building.
• Mobius and Vill-V exchanged accusations as drones and viruses tore through both landmark buildings, plunging the Death Space into chaos.
• Pardofelis asked Elysia whether they should intervene, and Elysia said the situation was troublesome.

Mobius pursued an experiment to become and surpass the Herrscher of Corruption, and Klein ultimately chose to support her despite the risks. In the present, Mobius and Vill-V continued their costly battle as Bronya grew suspicious that Mobius’s ambition to create and trample a god might involve the Honkai Consciousness.

• Mobius told Klein that she intended to understand, create, and ultimately trample a god, and Klein decided to stand by her.
• Mobius and Vill-V continued their fight with viruses and drones, while Cang Xuan and Danzhu joined Mobius’s side to help replicate viruses.
• Welt and Su worried about the resources being wasted and the possible impact on their shared Honkai Energy Serum project.
• Bronya warned that Mobius’s words about creating and trampling a god might be serious, and wondered whether Mobius had contacted the Honkai Consciousness.

Bronya and the others questioned Mobius about her possible connection to the Will of Honkai, while the screen showed Klein considering Mobius’s dangerous plan to fight the Herrscher of Corruption. Mobius remained confident Klein would help her, though Bronya and Vill-V doubted her motives and prospects.

• Theresa challenged Mobius to reveal her conspiracy, but Mobius and Elysia denied knowing about the Will of Honkai, and Fu Hua said she could not recall the relevant memories.
• Klein questioned Mobius about implanting herself into the Herrscher of Corruption’s data, and Mobius explained that Vill-V’s earlier deletion of her viruses had left her unable to act alone.
• Mobius asked Klein to use the Previous Era Elysian Realm’s hardware to multiply her viruses and pit them against the current Herrscher of Corruption, while Klein suspected the plan might let Mobius return to reality.
• Klein hesitated over whether to help Mobius, knowing that dismantling the Elysian Realm would destroy everything inside it, including Raiden Mei.
• Vill-V mocked Mobius’s dwindling viruses and questioned whether Klein trusted her, while Mobius insisted Klein understood her and would support her.
• Bronya admitted she also doubted Mobius’s claims, while Danzhu defended Klein’s loyalty and Vill-V taunted Mobius about the possibility of her plan failing.

Mobius revived half her biological-virus army by sacrificing some viruses, while Vill-V revealed a powerful tactical mech and the two scientists paused their standoff for a meal. A quiz then questioned whether Mobius’s plan to defeat the Herrscher of Corruption succeeded, and the Flame-Chasers began considering how it could have failed.

• Mobius used newly developed Sacrificial Virus to revive half her fallen biological viruses, and Su recognized the process as a sacrifice.
• Mobius explained that she had transplanted Panacea genetic modules into viruses to help repair Klein’s body, though the samples were scarce and difficult to cultivate.
• Vill-V revealed her Anti-Kevin Armament, Model 250, and challenged Mobius to continue their fight.
• Elysia offered a feast, and Mobius and Vill-V agreed to pause while Danzhu and Cang Xuan were told to clean up.
• A quiz asked whether Mobius completed her plan to defeat the Herrscher of Corruption, and Mobius considered possible reasons for failure.
• Danzhu suggested that the replicated virus might have been inferior to the original.

Mobius failed to predict that the Herrscher of Corruption would be defeated and had her research budget halved. As Klein kept replicating viruses despite the danger, Mobius realized the puppet had endured the infection as a gift for her.

• Mobius chose the wrong answer about the Herrscher of Corruption and received a penalty that halved her research budget.
• Klein followed Mobius's instructions and began replicating viruses, but the Herrscher of Corruption detected her and attacked through the equipment.
• Mobius urged Klein to stop and destroy the Previous Era Elysian Realm, but Klein continued because she trusted the doctor to solve the problem.
• Klein collapsed after producing viruses, then struggled to keep working when Mobius's projection appeared and demanded to know why she had not destroyed the equipment.
• Klein said she may have wanted to give Mobius a return gift, and Mobius became furious and promised to punish her disobedient assistant.

The footage showed Mobius sacrificing her escape from the Previous Era Elysian Realm to save Klein, prompting the group to question the memory body's motives. Mobius then used a Life Coin to spend a day with Klein and gave her a green crystal, before presenting her with alarming laboratory finances.

• Klein tried to destroy her puppet core, but Mobius immobilized her with the virus replicas and took the corruption into herself.
• Mobius lost her chance to escape the Previous Era Elysian Realm, watched Klein fall asleep, and said goodbye before the corruption consumed her consciousness.
• Raiden Mei, Kiana, and the others discussed Mobius's sacrifice, while Mobius insisted she had always treated Klein well.
• Mobius used a Life Coin, visited Klein in the laboratory, and gave her a green crystal as a supposed anniversary gift.
• Mobius handed Klein the financial statements, and Klein discovered that the laboratory's funding had been cut in half.

Mobius secretly gave Klein a safeguard made from powerful therapeutic viruses, while Su entered the Herrscher of Corruption to find Kevin and encountered Pardofelis instead. Pardofelis won the Life Coin reward, but she did not recognize Su when he found her running a shop inside the corrupted space.

• Mobius kept the Sacrificial Virus Sequence II hidden in the gem around Klein’s neck as a safeguard against fatal injuries.
• Vill-V questioned Mobius’s motives in their previous contest, but Mobius denied having any ulterior purpose.
• The Flame-Chasers discussed who Su would meet inside the Herrscher of Corruption, and Pardofelis guessed correctly that she would be there.
• Pardofelis received a Life Coin reward, and Su reasoned that she could help him find Kevin.
• Su entered the Herrscher of Corruption’s interior and found Pardofelis selling goods beneath a church’s eaves, but she did not recognize him.