Recaps

Edward Vaughan rose as the Filthy Monarch, freed Medici, and drew the attention of the churches and the Evernight Goddess while Klein survived Edward’s attack and returned to the Tarot Club. The arc left Edward’s real body hidden by the Evernight Goddess and Klein investigating Talim’s death for Prince Edessak.

• Amon and Edward reached the Beria Family’s assassination attempt on Pallas Negan, and Edward fought Gliela Beria as their ritual collapsed.
• Edward consumed Beria’s body and soul, became the Filthy Monarch, and linked the Spirit World regions of five destroyed cities.
• The churches attacked the Aurora Order’s Backlund base, and the True Creator’s followers took refuge at Edward’s manor before he freed Medici.
• Edward visited Klein, then killed him and later invaded Sefirah Castle, where he consumed Klein’s soul and learned about its cocoon branch.
• The True Creator and Edward discussed Amon, Edward’s past with Adela, and the danger surrounding Edward’s chosen honorific name.
• Klein revived after two days, fled Minsk Street, obtained his Sequence 6 ingredients from Emlyn, and anonymously reported Edward to the Evernight Church.
• The Monarch of Decay tried to reach Sefirah Castle during a Tarot Club gathering, but a black veil forced the presence back into darkness.
• The Fool warned the Tarot Club about Edward, and Klein accepted Prince Edessak’s request to investigate Talim’s death.
• 0-17 fought Edward in dream-world Backlund, and the Evernight Goddess destroyed the city while Edward survived by using Gliela Beria’s Second Life.
• Edward told Amon to retrieve a hidden bottle and deliver it to Owl, explaining that the Evernight Goddess had concealed his real body.

Klein investigated Talim’s death while Edward escaped Hidden Town and traced an approaching catastrophe to Ince Zangwill and 0-08. The Backlund Great Smog devastated the city, Richard confronted the Monarch of Decay, and Azik questioned Klein about his identity and Sefirah Castle.

• Klein traced Talim’s death to a woman with a sapphire ring, freed Dunn’s soul, and advanced to Sequence 6 Faceless.
• Edward exchanged information with Zaratul, escaped Hidden Town, and granted powers to followers in the Southern Continent.
• Medici killed Raft Pound and confronted Klein and Sharron, then withdrew after recognizing Azik’s Copper Whistle.
• Derrick reported the expedition’s repeating encounters with Jack to the Tarot Club, and Colin identified the face on Jack’s chest as possibly Ouroboros.
• Edward traced the impending Backlund catastrophe to Ince Zangwill and 0-08, intercepted Azik and Klein, and later told Azik about Klein’s connection to Sefirah Castle.
• Klein escaped an underground confrontation with Ince Zangwill while Lady Despair unleashed poisonous smog and Maria organized rescues in the East Borough.
• Maria turned Panatiya into a wooden puppet, Richard bore the survivors’ illnesses, and the Monarch of Decay delayed his judgment of humanity after confronting Richard.
• Azik questioned Klein about Edward Vaughan’s claim that he was Zhou Mingrui from an ancient era, while Prince Edessak shot himself at Red Rose Manor.

Klein and the Monarch of Decay became entangled in Bayam’s crisis as Kalvetua’s madness unleashed a tsunami and Agalito’s identity was stolen. After the catastrophe, Klein took up the Sea God Scepter while the Monarch of Decay pursued new schemes and left a trail of destruction.

• The Great Smog’s aftermath claimed Daisy’s family and thousands of others, while Leonard escorted Benson and Melissa safely to Backlund after Ince Zangwill attacked their train.
• The Monarch of Decay renewed his bargain with the True Creator, then traveled toward the Rorsted Archipelago and manipulated Kalvetua into unleashing a tsunami on Bayam.
• The Monarch of Decay captured Agalito, extracted his soul, and created a replacement who sailed the Death Announcer toward Bayam as the storm and sea battle escalated.
• Klein lured Kalvetua to an abandoned warehouse and killed it with the Snake-Tailed Demigod, ending the storm while the Sea King held back the waves near Bayam.
• Klein found Kalvetua’s ruins and a mural of Soniathrym, then took the Sea God Scepter and decided to answer some prayers to help digest his potion.
• Agalito escaped aboard the Death Announcer, while Alger helped Bayam’s survivors and Bernadette returned to aid the city.
• The Monarch of Decay continued investigating Agalito and the Tarot Club, while Edward entered a ruined Balam village and gathered the dead into a monster.

Klein learned that his new world was Earth in a distant future and struggled with the loss of his former life, while the True Creator and other powers pursued their own plans around Ouroboros and the coming war. Agalito and Anderson ventured through a deadly ruin toward the Forsaken Land of the Gods, as Edward prepared to ignite unrest in Aldra City.

• Edward devoured the defenders and inhabitants of a city, killing more than eighty-five thousand people, then destroyed its Storm Church.
• Klein intercepted Helene, learned about Tracy’s cruelty and abilities, and sent Helene away before Traynor captured him and brought him to Medici.
• The True Creator questioned Klein about his identity and past deaths, and Edward intervened to insist he would protect him.
• Klein realized he had traveled through time to a distant future Earth and grieved that his family and friends were gone, while Medici and Traynor arranged for Helene to watch over him.
• Traynor and Medici learned that Panatiya had taken part in the Great Smog, then returned Tracy to Katarina Pelle, and Traynor killed Tracy with an Angel-level attack.
• The Angels’ battle engulfed Bayam, which vanished and reappeared beneath dark clouds, while Azik found his daughter’s grave and chose to continue searching for himself.
• Colin Iliad met Stiffer, who claimed he was the Lord’s messenger and intended to take the unborn Angel of Fate Ouroboros after the child’s birth.
• Agalito and his crew entered the Gods’ War Ruins, where Edward explored the Giant King’s Court in a dream and discovered its keyhole marked the entrance to the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
• Agalito and Anderson crossed a deadly darkness and reached a ruined monastery, where Leomaster said the bridge to the Sanctuary had been severed, and Anderson claimed devotion to the True Creator to obtain supplies.
• Edward learned that a route had been found and received the Empress’s order to ignite conflict in Aldra City within the month.