Chapter Summaries

Zhao Si tracked Adam to Gatefront Town, where he subdued the runaway Fire Monk and recovered the pages containing [Flame of the Fell God]. He left Adam for the Fire Monks and set out with Malenia and Helena toward Caelid, where the Combat Festival and Black Flame monks awaited.

• Zhao Si concluded that Adam was an arrogant show-off and followed scorch marks while searching for him with Helena.
• Helena reasoned that Adam would head to a large town to display his stolen power, so Zhao Si went alone to Gatefront Town.
• Adam recalled stealing pages from Aghanti's Giant's Prayerbook and planned to show off his fire Incantation in Gatefront Town.
• Zhao Si identified Adam by his Fire Monk armor, knocked him unconscious, and found a Fire Monk Prayerbook containing pages of [Flame of the Fell God].
• Zhao Si tied up Adam with a note identifying him as the arsonist, then left to reunite with Malenia and Helena and travel to Caelid.

Radahn prepared to host the Combat Festival in Caelid, entrusting Jerren with its planning and tournament rules. After rejecting weapons and Leonard as prizes, Radahn decided to find a renowned horse for the champion, while Jerren returned to sorting the festival paperwork.

• Radahn chose Caelid for the Combat Festival, hoping to discover and recruit skilled warriors into the Redmane Army.
• Radahn gave Jerren responsibility for the festival's paperwork, applicant screening, and tournament format.
• Jerren planned an opening melee to select fourteen fighters, followed by eliminations until one champion remained, who would advance to a tournament in Leyndell.
• Radahn insisted the festival needed a fine prize, but he refused to offer either his Starscourge Greatsword or his beloved horse Leonard.
• Radahn ordered his people to search for a renowned horse, preferably one from outside the Lands Between, as the prize.
• Jerren sighed at the pile of documents in his office and resumed his work.

Jerren reviewed applications for Radahn’s Combat Festival, rejecting entrants whose claims seemed false while discussing possible fighters with Radahn. Radahn welcomed the prospect of facing Alexander the Iron Fist, though the elimination rounds had already begun.

• Jerren finished purchasing paperwork and reviewed Combat Festival applications, discarding those that claimed to have slain a dragon or a Giant.
• Radahn entered Jerren’s office and asked whether any promising fighters had registered, mentioning Bagralim and Old Man.
• Jerren showed Radahn Zhao Si’s application, which Godrick had submitted and recommended, but Radahn doubted Zhao Si’s ability.
• Radahn asked about Blaidd, and Jerren said the Princess’s personal guard would not enter the festival.
• Jerren told Radahn that Alexander the Iron Fist had registered and that he had already spoken with the Great Jar about the festival.
• Radahn tossed some applications toward the fireplace as Jerren noted that the elimination rounds had begun.

Zhao Si, Malenia, and Helena arrived at the Great-Jar Arena on the eve of Radahn’s Combat Festival, where Jerren had organized camps and accommodations for the crowds. After registering, Zhao Si learned that 236 contestants would enter the Grand Melee and went to the gambling house to inspect the favored contenders.

• Zhao Si, Malenia, and Helena followed the crowd to the Great-Jar Arena, where the Great Jar blocked entry while preparations continued.
• Jerren’s festival camps offered contestants and spectators lodging, food, and entertainment, and Zhao Si’s party received comfortable tents.
• Zhao Si registered with a Redmane soldier and learned that the first day’s Grand Melee had 236 participants, with only fourteen advancing.
• Zhao Si searched the gambling house’s contender board but could not find his own name.
• Gamblers discussed absent fighter Blaidd, House Hoslow heir Juno Hoslow, and the Sword Saint called Old Man as possible champions.

Zhao Si prepared for the Combat Festival while considering its strongest contestants and learning that Fortissax might attend to watch. At the ceremony, Radahn welcomed the gathered warriors and Jerren began the free-for-all.

• Zhao Si studied the contestant list and heard gamblers discuss Old Man, Juno Hoslow, Alexander, and Vyke.
• Zhao Si received Godrick’s letter, which said Fortissax might appear at the festival, and resolved to win despite being unable to use his flame powers openly.
• Zhao Si spent the night mentally practicing Flowing Swordsmanship against the contestants, especially Juno Hoslow and his whips.
• Zhao Si entered the arena with more than two hundred contestants as the Redmane Legion arrived with Jerren.
• Radahn flew into the arena, delivered the opening address, and promised the champion a personal prize.
• Jerren struck the gong and announced the start of the free-for-all.

Zhao Si tried to survive the Grand Melee by avoiding fights and using the chaos to his advantage. After Great Horned Theodoric struck him with the Giant-Crusher, Zhao Si flew into a crowd and pretended to be dead while Theodoric pursued other contestants.

• Jerren began the Grand Melee, and Zhao Si stayed near the arena wall, conserving his strength and preparing to use throwing knives.
• Several duelists approached Zhao Si, so he hid behind an ordinary knight and helped him defeat one of them before slipping away.
• Zhao Si joined a group fleeing Great Horned Theodoric, who pursued them with the Giant-Crusher.
• Theodoric swung at Zhao Si, who blocked the blow with his Knight's Greatsword and was hurled into a crowd, where the collision killed and injured several contestants.
• Zhao Si lay among the bodies and pretended to be dead after Theodoric turned to pursue other fighters.

Zhao Si survived the Combat Festival by playing dead until only nineteen fighters remained, then knocked out one more to secure the final spot among the fourteen qualifiers. He left the arena smiling while Helena celebrated his victory.

• Radahn watched the Combat Festival and spotted Zhao Si lying among the fallen fighters, recognizing him as Godrick's recommendation.
• Thops sat beside Helena and Malenia in the stands and described the battle, reassuring Helena when Malenia said Zhao Si was still alive.
• Zhao Si watched formidable fighters including Vyke, Theodoric, Juno Hoslow, Old Man, Alexander, and two magic users battle across the Colosseum.
• As the sun set, Zhao Si counted nineteen fighters still standing, including himself, and sprang up from the pile where he had been playing dead.
• Zhao Si knocked out an unlucky fighter with the flat of his greatsword, leaving exactly fourteen competitors and claiming the last qualifying spot.
• Helena waved excitedly after Thops confirmed Zhao Si had won a place in the final fourteen.

After the Grand Melee, Radahn ordered the fourteen survivors to fight another round without rest. Zhao Si killed Bessa and provoked the others into continuing the battle, which erupted into multiple clashes across the arena.

• Jerren named the fourteen survivors, including Juno Hoslow, Old Man, Vyke, Darian, and Zhao Si.
• Radahn announced an immediate melee to reduce the contestants to eight, and Zhao Si drew the others' attention because he was still fresh.
• Bessa charged Zhao Si, who used a feint and a close-range strike to kill him.
• The Redmane Army lit the arena, and Radahn started the next round without a rest period.
• Juno, Theodoric, and Rogier attacked Zhao Si as the other contestants fought across the arena.
• Vyke summoned Ancient Dragon Dragonbolt, while Zhao Si continued trying to wear down his exhausted opponents.

Zhao Si fought Yuno and Theodoric during the Combat Festival, surviving their attacks by using tricks and the Flowing Sword before helping bring Theodoric down. With Theodoric eliminated, Zhao Si left Yuno and went looking for another target.

• Zhao Si baited Yuno with a Lannister quip, but Yuno dodged his throwing knife and attacked with his whips.
• Zhao Si evaded Yuno and Theodoric's attacks, using the Flowing Sword to turn Theodoric's hammer strike into a launch that let him escape Yuno's whips.
• Yuno held Theodoric in place and struck him with a whip, while Zhao Si fell back toward the fight and his greatsword broke against Theodoric's armor.
• Alexander helped Zhao Si up after he collided with a Troll warrior, and Zhao Si picked up a mace to rejoin the fight.
• Yuno tripped Theodoric with his whip, and Zhao Si struck Theodoric's head with the mace, leaving him motionless and eliminated.
• Zhao Si left Yuno behind and went searching for another opponent.

Zhao Si eliminated the Troll Warrior by exploiting his ankle weakness and then used the other contestants to escape Yuno’s pursuit. The chapter left Zhao Si charging at Rogier while Yuno continued chasing him and Vyke had intervened on his behalf.

• Yuno discovered Zhao Si had escaped, and Zhao Si chose the Troll Warrior as his next target.
• Zhao Si struck the Troll Warrior’s ankle, allowing Alexander to break the Troll Warrior’s spine and eliminate him.
• Yuno pursued Zhao Si, who used Alexander as cover before calling for Vyke’s help.
• Vyke intercepted Yuno’s whip, and Zhao Si used Darian and Kristoff to evade another attack.
• Zhao Si spotted Rogier pursuing Ogha and charged at Rogier for help.

The fourteen-contestant melee ended with six eliminations, leaving eight fighters to advance. Radahn stopped Old Man from killing Eleonora after Yura surrendered, and Jerren announced the end of the day’s fighting.

• Zhao Si kicked Rogier into Ogha’s attack, eliminating Rogier, then chased Ogha as he fled.
• Vyke and Yuno remained evenly matched, while Darian and Kristoff paused their fight and Alexander watched over the unconscious Theodoric.
• Old Man nearly killed Eleonora, but Yura surrendered, prompting Radahn to use Gravity Sorcery to separate the fighters.
• Radahn confirmed that the surrendering Yura and Eleonora would forfeit, completing the reduction from fourteen contestants to eight.
• Jerren announced the six eliminated contestants and ended the day’s fighting, while Zhao Si and Ogha exchanged praise for their efforts.

After recovering from his fight with Theodoric, Zhao Si received a secret invention from Sellen and prepared for the next day’s Combat Festival matches. Vyke told him he would prioritize Lansseax’s mission to find Fortissax, and Zhao Si led several suspicious followers toward a dark, deserted place.

• Helena healed Zhao Si, and Thops gave him a sealed box containing Sellen’s secret invention.
• Malenia urged Zhao Si to gather information about the next day’s matchups, so he went to the tavern instead of approaching gambling houses first.
• Vyke told Zhao Si that he had been ordered by the Two Fingers to help him win the championship and by Lansseax to find Fortissax, but he would prioritize Lansseax’s mission and fight Zhao Si fairly.
• As Zhao Si left the tavern, he heard several people following him and deliberately headed toward a dark, deserted area.

Zhao Si killed five fighters who had been hired to maim him, then fought Blaidd when the wolf attacked him without warning. After they talked, Zhao Si misled Blaidd about the Volcano Manor incident by claiming the culprit had come from across the sea.

• Five fighters confronted Zhao Si in a canyon and said someone had paid them to take off his arms and legs.
• Zhao Si tested his glintstone machine gun on the fighters and killed them all, then searched their bodies but found no clues.
• Blaidd attacked Zhao Si, but Zhao Si countered and briefly threw him off balance before they stopped fighting.
• Blaidd asked why Zhao Si had joined the Combat Festival, and Zhao Si claimed he had entered because he had nothing to do at the Two Fingers.
• Blaidd asked who was responsible for the Volcano Manor incident, and Zhao Si said rumors blamed someone from across the sea who might have fled by ship.

Blaidd tracked the Black Knife Assassins to a canyon near the Colosseum while searching for information about Volcano Manor. He found an Assassin using invisibility and prepared to fight, confirming he had reached the right place.

• Ranni sent Blaidd to find the Black Knife Assassins after they vanished and she lost contact with them.
• Blaidd followed the Assassins' scent to Caelid, where the Combat Festival crowds disrupted his tracking.
• Blaidd encountered Zhao Si among the corpses, learned nothing about Volcano Manor, and sent him away.
• Blaidd returned to the canyon and followed an unusual scent to an empty stone clearing.
• A Black Knife Assassin attacked Blaidd, vanished from sight, and Blaidd readied his Royal Greatsword while tracking the Assassin by scent.

Blaidd defeated a Black Knife Assassin and confronted Alecto, who revealed that the Black Knives worked for themselves but now supported Lunar Princess Ranni. He left with their pledge to help Ranni become a God, while remaining suspicious of their fanaticism.

• Blaidd sensed and defeated an invisible Black Knife Assassin, then captured her as six more revealed themselves.
• Alecto identified herself as the daughter of the Black Knives' leader and asked Blaidd to release her sister.
• Alecto told Blaidd that the Black Knives worked for themselves and now served the Lunar Princess.
• Alecto explained that her people hoped Ranni would become a God and usher in the Age of the Stars, and said they also needed a king.
• Alecto and the other Black Knife Assassins pledged their support for Ranni, leaving Blaidd doubtful of their motives.

Blaidd pretended to accept the Black Knife Assassins’ offer of allegiance, then secretly tracked them to a hidden elevator beneath the canyon. He descended into a star-lit underground city he suspected was the legendary Eternal City and began searching for the assassins.

• Blaidd told Alecto he would report the Black Knife Assassins’ loyalty to Ranni and arranged for them to keep in contact with Caria.
• Blaidd left the canyon, watched the Black Knife Assassins vanish, and tracked their lingering scents back to a concealed section of the rock wall.
• Blaidd found a disguised lever and opened a hidden elevator shaft beneath the canyon floor.
• Blaidd rode the elevator down and discovered a vast underground city beneath a ceiling that resembled the night sky.
• Blaidd suspected the city was the legendary Eternal City and began exploring it to find the Black Knife Assassins.

Zhao Si learned that Combat Festival participants had been attacked across the camp during the night, while Radahn prepared to decide the next matches himself. The chapter left Zhao Si wondering whether Radahn intended to drop a meteorite on the contestants.

• Zhao Si returned to camp, found Helena and Malenia safe, and learned that contestants throughout the camp had been attacked, including Thops.
• Vyke fought off about twenty attackers in a tavern with a fork, while Yuno left Diallos in their tent and killed the assailants outside.
• Old Man, Yura, Eleonora, Rogier, and other contestants were attacked, and Malenia promised Zhao Si she would protect Helena.
• The next morning, Radahn announced that he had rejected Jerren's match list and would personally decide the Combat Festival matches.
• Radahn summoned a meteorite in purple light, prompting Zhao Si to wonder if it would strike the contestants.

Radahn used Gravity Sorcery to arrange the Combat Festival quarterfinals, and Yuno and Old Man began the first match. Yuno gained the upper hand by trapping Old Man with his whips and slamming him into the ground.

• Radahn dragged Zhao Si and the other seven contestants to the arena, then used magic to list the four quarterfinal matchups.
• Radahn separated Yuno and Old Man from the other contestants behind a barrier, and Jerren announced the start of their match.
• Yuno and Old Man exchanged dozens of blows, and Yuno questioned Old Man about his past losses to Bagralim to provoke him.
• Old Man attacked with his two blades, but Yuno used his movement to loop his whips around Old Man's waist and calf.
• Yuno tightened the whips, lifted Old Man into the air, and slammed him hard into the ground.

Yuno and Old Man fought fiercely, and Yuno seemed to defeat him with a brutal barrage of punches. Old Man rose for one last attack but collapsed into Yuno’s arms, leaving the arena silent.

• Old Man deflected Yuno’s whips and endured his aerial barrage, then countered when Yuno closed in to throw him.
• Old Man slammed Yuno to the ground, but Yuno deflected the blade aimed at his throat and struck Old Man’s knee.
• Yuno pinned Old Man and repeatedly punched his masked face until Old Man appeared unconscious and badly injured.
• Yuno removed Old Man’s shattered mask and checked that he would not move before standing and raising his fists.
• Old Man stood up with his face mangled and charged Yuno, but his blades flew from his hands and he collapsed into Yuno’s arms.

After Yuno killed Old Man, Radahn arranged an honorable burial and Zhao Si resolved to take out his anger on Yuno. Zhao Si began his semifinal match against Darian and used protective crests to deflect Darian’s Golden Order sword attacks as he closed in.

• Yuno confirmed Old Man was dead, and Radahn ordered his body restored, placed in a jar, and buried in the Heroic Spirit Underground Catacombs.
• Zhao Si grew angry over Old Man’s death and hoped to thrash Yuno in the semifinals.
• Jerren announced Zhao Si’s match against Darian, and Zhao Si asked whether Darian had a younger brother before the fight began.
• Darian attacked with waves of golden sword energy, forcing Zhao Si to dodge until one of his wooden sticks was cut apart.
• Zhao Si activated [Thops's Force Field] and then the Academy Crest to deflect Darian’s attacks, allowing him to charge into close range.