Chapter Summaries

The National Security Service launched an operation to capture Karen, known as Black Nightmare, and the Phoenix Organization warned him of the threat. Karen rejected help from other members and prepared to play hide-and-seek with the officers.

• The National Security Service director ordered officers to find and destroy Phoenix bases so they could capture Black Nightmare.
• The director considered asking Garden for help but doubted its director would agree to intervene.
• A Phoenix spy informed the organization’s leader that the National Security Service was moving against Karen, and the leader warned Karen by phone.
• Karen dismissed offers of assistance from other Phoenix members and said he would handle the National Security Service alone.
• Karen planned to begin his game of hide-and-seek with the National Security Service the next day.

Karen began his game by luring National Security Service officers into a Phoenix hideout, where he incapacitated Lieutenant Kasaf and defeated Yuri Black in the dark. Karen escaped, leaving Yuri eager to catch him another time.

• Karen took over a Phoenix hideout bar and posed as its bartender when Kasaf and Yuri arrived to investigate.
• Kasaf entered the bar alone and drank Karen’s house specialty, which put him to sleep after a minute and ten seconds.
• Yuri confronted Karen at gunpoint, but Karen plunged the bar and street into darkness and overpowered Yuri and his subordinate.
• Karen taunted Yuri about his predictable attacks and his wish to protect his sister, then struck him into the liquor shelves.
• Karen left the bar after telling the injured Yuri they could play again sometime.

Karen continued tormenting the National Security Service before deciding to make the aquarium his final target. After resting, Yuri connected Karen’s appearances to the Phoenix Organization’s emblem, deduced the aquarium was the next location, and rushed there to catch him.

• Yuri and the lieutenant discussed Karen’s daily attacks, and the lieutenant ordered Yuri to rest before resuming the pursuit.
• After teaching PE, Karen decided to lead the National Security Service to believe he had withdrawn and planned to appear at the aquarium on Saturday.
• Yuri returned from a full day of sleep and learned the lieutenant had broken his arm after slipping on lubricant Karen had spread on the stairs.
• Yuri noticed that Karen’s disguises all included a mole and connected the locations of his appearances to the Phoenix Organization’s emblem.
• Yuri deduced that Karen would appear at the aquarium and rushed there, leaving the lieutenant to report the plan to the director.

Yuri Briar sensed his sister nearby at the aquarium but stayed hidden to pursue Black Nightmare, whom he confronted after the Forger family left. Karen overpowered Yuri in their fight, and Yuri drew a dagger as he prepared to use a new tactic.

• Yuri heard Anya nearby and realized Yor was close, but chose to keep searching for Black Nightmare rather than approach his sister.
• Yor told Twilight she felt Yuri was nearby, and Anya silently laughed at her mother's explanation for why he had never met her husband.
• After the Forger family left, Yuri emerged and realized Yor's companion was likely his sister's husband.
• Karen appeared and revealed that the mole on his neck was a fake clue Yuri had followed to find him.
• Karen dodged Yuri's shots, disarmed him, and knocked him down with a series of attacks.
• Yuri discarded his pistol, drew a dagger, and decided to rely on his ability to learn and improve.

Yuri fought Karen and tried to incapacitate him with a hidden syringe, but Karen was immune and defeated him. Yor arrived, mistook Karen for Yuri’s attacker, and knocked him flying while Yuri lay unconscious.

• Yuri attacked Karen with a dagger and then tried to trade blows, but Karen repeatedly overpowered him.
• Yuri revealed a syringe of anesthetic hidden on his dagger and injected Karen, but Karen said he was immune and crushed the syringe.
• Karen battered Yuri until he collapsed, then urged him to surrender.
• Yor rushed into the parking lot and kicked Karen into a wall while he was holding the unconscious Yuri as a shield.
• Yor demanded to know what Karen had done to her brother, and Karen pointed out that she had knocked Yuri unconscious herself.

Yor fought Karen in the parking lot to avenge Yuri, while Karen tried to escape without revealing Yuri’s Secret Police identity. After Twilight and Anya arrived, Karen used Anya to distract Yor and Twilight and fled, leaving Anya dazed.

• Yor attacked Karen after finding him with Yuri, and Karen dodged her while claiming to be an ordinary assassin.
• Karen fought Yor with his Cane Sword, which cracked under her blows, and then continued the fight hand to hand.
• Twilight and Anya entered the parking lot, and Karen threw darts at them before Yor knocked the darts aside.
• Karen kicked Twilight down and grabbed Anya, threatening her so Yor and Twilight would let him go.
• Karen tossed Anya toward Yor and Twilight and escaped while they caught her, leaving Anya dizzy.

After Karen planned a school dodgeball tournament that could award a star, Yuri recovered from his injuries and went to meet his sister’s husband, Loid Forger. Loid prepared for Yuri’s arrival, wary that the secret policeman might uncover his identity, and their first meeting began.

• Karen discussed Henry’s interclass dodgeball tournament and decided he would give the possible star to the younger son.
• Yuri woke in the hospital, learned the Black Nightmare had left Ostania, and heard that his sister had brought him there.
• After three days of recovery, Yuri insisted on leaving the hospital and went to visit his sister with a bouquet.
• Yuri resolved to judge whether Loid Forger threatened his sister, while keeping his National Security Service identity secret.
• Twilight prepared to meet Yuri, and Yuri and Loid greeted each other at the Forger Family apartment.

Yuri Briar visited Yor and Loid, demanding an explanation for their secret marriage, while both he and Yor hid their secret occupations. Loid recognized Yuri as an Ostania intelligence agent and decided to keep his discovery to himself.

• Yuri met Loid and questioned Yor about why she had hidden her marriage from him.
• Yor claimed she had forgotten to tell Yuri she was married, and he accepted her explanation without suspicion.
• Yuri grilled the couple about their relationship over dinner, then recounted a prepared story about his diplomatic trip to Hugalia.
• Loid tested Yuri's story and concluded that he was a member of Ostania's secret intelligence organization.
• Loid chose not to expose Yuri, hoping to use his knowledge of Yuri's identity to his advantage.

Yuri confronted Loid over his marriage to Yor, but after a chaotic test of their relationship, he accepted Loid as someone who would protect her. Loid and Yor saw Yuri off and returned to their separate beds, while Loid struggled with thoughts of family and happiness before reminding himself of his mission.

• Yuri accused Loid of taking Yor away and demanded proof that he could protect her.
• Loid declared his love for Yor and said he would protect her, prompting Yuri to demand that they kiss.
• Yor drank the remaining wine, pushed Loid down, and accidentally knocked Yuri into the bookcase when he tried to stop them.
• Yuri interpreted Yor's resistance as proof that she wanted to be close to Loid, then warned Loid not to make her cry before leaving.
• Loid and Yor cleaned the wrecked living room, returned to their bedroom, and agreed to sleep separately.
• After Yor fell asleep, Loid thought about her bond with Yuri and reminded himself to focus on his mission.

Anya hoped to earn a star in the dodgeball competition, while Karen and Henry made a bet about who would be the last Class Three student standing. The competition began with Anya and Damian both determined to win MVP.

• Anya learned that the dodgeball competition's winning-team MVP would earn a star, and she promised Twilight and Yor she would try to get one.
• Henry rejected Karen's offer to bet on the star winner, but agreed to bet on who would be the last Class Three student on the court; Karen chose Anya, and Henry chose Damian.
• Anya and Becky encountered Damian, Emile, and Ewen, who mocked them, while Damian blushed at Anya and resolved to earn a star to gain his father's attention.
• Karen discovered that Class Four's Bill Watkins was a hulking six-year-old and remembered him from the original story.
• Karen and Henry lined up Classes Three and Four, and Karen declared the dodgeball competition underway.