Chapter Summaries

Xia Xiu completed Old Henry’s commission, obtained the bloodied watch that transformed into a Yellow Card, and reviewed the coming performances. He recognized that winning either “Dragon Slayer” or “Alice Game” was necessary for his plan to claim the Great Deed in “The Impaler,” while “The Fall of Icarus” was driving Terra toward war.

• Xia Xiu led Old Henry away as Jam drove a stolen dump truck into the shelter and killed Hughes Robin.
• Xia Xiu accepted Old Henry’s watch as payment and vanished before Old Henry could speak further.
• Xia Xiu recited a phrase that turned the anomalous watch into a Yellow Card bound to him, and he queried its list of performances.
• Xia Xiu determined that he needed to win “Dragon Slayer” or “Alice Game” before attempting to obtain the Great Deed in “The Impaler.”
• Xia Xiu considered how “The Fall of Icarus” was fueling rebellions, repression, and mounting tensions between the Diva Empire, the Oletin Empire, and Heaven.

After returning to plague-stricken Fog City, Xia Xiu joined the White Card faction as its Savior and learned the performance’s objectives and restrictions. He discovered that his unawakened liege was somewhere in Westminster and would need the Balmung Holy Sword, while the plague was helping the Evil Dragon; Xia Xiu set out to find the White Card’s precise location.

• At the Fog City Stock Exchange, Xia Xiu learned that a plague had spread from Florence across Youyang and reached Fog City, killing thousands each day, and he ordered one million invested in the Ouroboros Railway.
• Xia Xiu returned to his residence and chose the White Card · Savior faction, causing the Crimson King’s performance to block his lineage connections to Heaven and the Flesh Supremacy Lineage.
• Xia Xiu examined the performance information and learned that the Evil Dragon needed to be released from confinement, while the ordinary White Card needed the Balmung Holy Sword and a special attack against the dragon.
• The Yellow Card disclosed that the plague was the Evil Dragon’s breeding ground and that Xia Xiu’s unawakened liege was in the Westminster region of Fog City.
• Xia Xiu considered the restrictions on defection and concluded that the Crimson King would not allow participants to exploit loopholes in the performance.

Xia Xiu learned the rules of the Holy Sword Contest and rushed to claim the Balmung Holy Sword, attacking the red-side contestants in Hyde Park. After defeating Daisy’s companions and capturing Daisy, he left the white side with the sword contest underway and a prisoner he intended to use as bait.

• God’s-eye View announced that the Balmung Holy Sword had appeared in Hyde Park and explained the contest rules; Xia Xiu activated his Holy Sword Mark and sent Jam to work.
• Price Daisy fled Hyde Park with the Balmung Holy Sword, but Jam attacked her and held her off as Nick and Bernard approached.
• Xia Xiu killed Nick, severed Bernard’s arm, learned that many of the red side’s powerful yellow cards were in Farlan, and killed Bernard.
• Jam dragged Daisy to Xia Xiu, who offered her a chance to live and began healing her face so she would make attractive bait.

Sharon Euliphis led Fog City's red-side Yellow Cards aboard a frigate to meet Price Daisy, only to discover that Daisy had been used as bait by Xia Xiu. After Xia Xiu's light giant destroyed the frigate and killed Daisy, Sharon faced him on shore and offered to defect to save her life.

• Sharon Euliphis gathered Fog City's red-side Yellow Cards and sailed aboard a frigate to meet Price Daisy.
• Doves that were Familiars bombed the frigate, and Sharon realized the meeting was a trap.
• A giant formed from Light Particles rose from the sea, split the frigate apart, and killed Daisy with a wheel of light.
• Sharon escaped the destruction on her griffin, but a red energy beam wounded it and forced her down on shore.
• Xia Xiu approached Sharon with Daisy's bag, and Sharon screamed that she would use [Defection] if he spared her.

After securing the [Balmung Holy Sword], Xia Xiu used it to prepare for the Holy Sword Contest and questioned Sharon Euliphis about the plague ravaging Youyang. He learned that only the destined [Dragon Slayer] could create a vaccine that would stop the conceptual virus, and tasked Sharon with finding the plague’s source.

• Xia Xiu and Sharon Euliphis spent time at Stokeley Park’s golf course while Jam killed and disposed of red-side pursuers.
• Xia Xiu burned the corpses, reassured Sharon that they were companions, and invited her to dinner.
• The [God's-Eye View] countdown ended, confirming that the white side had fulfilled its prerequisite and that the [Balmung Holy Sword] could locate the [Dragon Slayer].
• At dinner, Sharon told Xia Xiu that the plague spread through mosquitoes and that only a vaccine created by the [Dragon Slayer] could eradicate its concept.
• Xia Xiu agreed to find the [Dragon Slayer] and ordered Sharon to investigate who was spreading the plague.

Valente Bernard attended a ball despite his contempt for aristocratic society, where Xia Xiu revealed knowledge of the hidden world and led him to a holy sword. After drawing it and learning he was destined to become the Dragon Slayer, Valente declared he would resist fate.

• Valente wrote in his notebook about the plague’s mysterious origins, then prepared to attend a ball before leaving for the epidemic’s front lines.
• Valente rejected Sawyer Demi’s invitation to dance and watched her approach Charlie Bathermelo.
• Xia Xiu appeared beside Valente, exposed Charlie’s infidelity, and discussed Valente’s plans to protect his reputation by leaving for the epidemic front.
• Xia Xiu invited Valente outside, where Valente drew a greatsword that chose him and received a pure white card and knowledge of his destiny.
• Valente learned Xia Xiu’s name and declared that he would not submit to fate.

Xia Xiu and Valente agreed to save Youyang from the plague and pursue Night, while Xia Xiu arranged publicity for Valente’s future vaccine and sought information about the plague’s source. The chapter left Xia Xiu investigating the Hand of Pestilence, a group likely responsible for creating the outbreak.

• Xia Xiu defeated Valente in a sword-training bout, and Valente explained that he planned to develop a plague vaccine within a week.
• Valente chose to save Youyang despite the risk of revealing himself, and Xia Xiu proposed that they confront Night in Farlan and kill him.
• Valente agreed to go with Xia Xiu, trusting him despite the risk that Xiu Abraham might defect.
• Xia Xiu asked Sharon Euliphis to publicize Valente’s role in curing the plague and warned her to prevent family interference.
• Sharon told Xia Xiu that the plague likely originated in Florence and was created by the Hand of Pestilence, which operated in old virus laboratories.

Xia Xiu entered Carmignano in search of the [Hand of Pestilence] and encountered Alec and Wende experimenting with a zombie virus. After defeating them, he forced Wende to guide him to the underground black market, where he learned a virus sale was three days away and asked about attending.

• Xia Xiu arrived in Florence with Jam and headed for Carmignano to find the [Hand of Pestilence].
• Alec explained his controllable zombie prion to Wende, revealing that he had infected a family of four and turned them into aberrant corpses.
• Xia Xiu made the corpses attack Alec instead, while Jam injured Wende as he tried to flee; Xia Xiu destroyed the corpses and began questioning Wende.
• Wende led Xia Xiu to Carmignano's underground black market and told him that members of the [Hand of Pestilence] sold viruses there.
• Wende said the next virus sale was in three days and described the first requirement for attending; Xia Xiu claimed he sincerely believed in the Plague Evolution Theory and asked about the second requirement.

Xia Xiu prepared to trade Jam at Carmignano’s underground gathering, secretly planning to use the fake Familiar transfer to fleece a buyer. After passing the gathering’s screening and hearing several members request virus samples, Xia Xiu offered Jam in exchange for rare materials, setting up his scheme.

• Wende explained Carmignano’s barter-only gathering and led Xia Xiu and Jam to the mushroom houses, where Xia Xiu chose a red-capped dwelling.
• Xia Xiu created two symbiotic protozoa, made Jam swallow one, and planned to fake a [Contract Transfer] so he could cheat a buyer.
• Three days later, Xia Xiu passed the [Grid-Exclusion Stone] screening and followed the beak-masked man and the other attendees to the gathering’s altar.
• Xia Xiu identified four [Hand of Pestilence] members buying virus samples in bulk and decided to kill all four rather than determine which one was spreading the plague.
• Xia Xiu requested four portions each of [Bipolar Nanoflake], [D32 Steel], and [Polymerizing Agent], plus four [Crystal Electronic Units], and offered Jam as the Familiar in exchange.

At the Carmignano underground gathering, Xia Xiu traded a forged Familiar contract to Hansa for materials and identified sixteen people who had traded large quantities of virus samples. He upgraded [Gorgon] to Adaptive Stage Two and, as the fog began to recede, prepared to start his assassination operation.

• Xia Xiu demonstrated Jam's [Aetherization] and traded Hansa a forged [Contract Transfer] for four restricted materials, while Jam pretended to be docile.
• Xia Xiu observed sixteen people making large-scale trades in virus samples and decided to spare none of them.
• Back at his mushroom house, Xia Xiu used the materials to upgrade [Gorgon], unlocking shotgun and sniper modes and full Meme Contamination release.
• Xia Xiu tested [Gorgon]'s new forms, then learned through the Familiar contract that Jam had already left the caverns.
• Xia Xiu crushed a red protozoan and set his assassination operation in motion.

Jam fought Hansa at the cavern exit while Xia Xiu pursued Gunther Jason through Carmignano’s underground passages. Xia Xiu blasted through a cavern wall to unleash a nearby river on Jason’s mosquito-filled lair.

• Hansa transformed into a plague-ridden monster and attacked Jam, who countered with crystal spikes and fireballs before retreating from the spreading black mist.
• Jam summoned Xia Xiu’s Flesh Module Chimera as backup, and Chimera attacked Hansa while Jam waited for a chance to strike.
• Xia Xiu sensed Chimera’s activation, followed Gunther Jason into a cavern, and was discovered when Jason used mosquitoes and Floaters to locate and blind him.
• Xia Xiu used Hat Trick to become intangible and Smyrna to clear his vision, then transformed Gorgon into sniper mode.
• Xia Xiu fired through a weak spot in the cavern wall, causing nearby river water to rush into Jason’s mosquito breeding ground.

Xia Xiu killed Gunther Jason, then arrived in Fog City after Jam defeated Hansa. At St. James's Palace, Valente managed patients after a vaccine showed promise and discussed the limits of kindness with Xia Xiu.

• Xia Xiu shot Gunther Jason dead beside the river before Gunther could use [Defection].
• Hansa defeated Chimera but was ambushed and killed by Jam, who used an indigo crystal and [Adorai Explosion].
• Valente learned that the vaccine had improved patients in ward 303, then calmed the patients in ward 110 and warned Lina to speak carefully.
• Valente reassigned ward 110 to other doctors and headed to ward 303, where he met Xia Xiu.
• Xia Xiu accompanied Valente and remarked that kindness and generosity needed limits.

Xia Xiu brought Valente to the Louvre, where a Yellow Card prompt revealed cats secretly living there and meows coming from the paintings. They discovered a white cat moving between paintings, and Xia Xiu identified it as an Earthbound Spirit before sending Jam to calm it.

• Xia Xiu drove Valente to Farlan ahead of their planned fight with Night, hoping to find a secondary condition that could lower their risk.
• Near the Louvre, Xia Xiu's secondary-condition detector led him and Valente to the glass pyramid, where [God's-Eye View] prompted them to visit the Painting Gallery.
• Xia Xiu and Valente entered the Painting Gallery and saw a white cat meow from a painting, flee into neighboring paintings, and remain unnoticed by other visitors.
• Xia Xiu determined that the cat was likely an Earthbound Spirit rather than an Anomalous Art or a Clock Tower manifestation.
• Xia Xiu asked Jam to calm the white cat, then reminded the barking dog that his mimesis concealed him from sight but not sound.

Xia Xiu and Valente learned that Snow Child, a fading Earthbound Spirit cat in the Louvre, wished to see The Eternal Smile, so they planned to bring the painting to her. After midnight, as they prepared to enter the Louvre, Xia Xiu reminded Valente that Snow Child would be free to choose whether to leave with them.

• Jam caught Snow Child after Xia Xiu identified the pattern in her jumps through the paintings.
• Xia Xiu learned from [God's-Eye View] that Snow Child had lived in the Louvre for six years and could be freed from her bonds with her consent.
• Snow Child began speaking to Xia Xiu and Valente, and told them she dreamed of seeing The Eternal Smile.
• Xia Xiu and Valente decided to take The Eternal Smile from the second floor and bring it to Snow Child after midnight.
• At 00:02, Valente asked whether Snow Child would leave with them, and Xia Xiu said they were giving her the right to choose.

Xia Xiu and Valente retrieved The Eternal Smile for Snow Child, but she chose to remain in the Louvre and faded away, unlocking Valente’s Compassion. After returning the painting, they discussed choice and fate; the next day, Professor Laugen received an email about returning Mr. Night’s Familiar Xiu Ke.

• Xia Xiu disabled the Louvre’s surveillance while Valente handled the alarms, and the two retrieved The Eternal Smile.
• Snow Child admired the painting as Valente urged her to consider the wider world and the choices beyond the Louvre.
• Snow Child chose to stay in the Painting Gallery and dissolve rather than leave; Valente respected her decision, unlocking Compassion.
• Xia Xiu and Valente returned the painting, then discussed whether choices could be made without regret and what fate meant to Xia Xiu.
• Professor Laugen received an email from a former student with instructions for returning Mr. Night’s Familiar Xiu Ke.

Night met with Fafnir, the surviving dragon turned Evil Dragon, and explained how Farlan’s betrayal and the slaughter of the dragons had fueled his hatred. Night revealed that he had prepared the means for Fafnir to control fifty thousand artificial draconic creations and unleash the second performance, Dragon Roar, across Farlan.

• A black-robed figure reported to Night that contact with the Yellow Card in the Fog City region and Gunther Jason in Carmignano had been lost.
• Night explained that he had joined the Red Card side because he believed only one Dominion could participate in Dragon Slayer, then recounted how Heaven and Farlan had betrayed and hunted down the dragons.
• Fafnir told Night that he would need another week before he could unleash Dragon Roar and recalled that the Crimson King had given him the name and form of Fafnir.
• Night described how the Knight Guard used dragon remains to create artificial draconic mounts and revealed that five legendary dragons were in the Farlan Government’s hands.
• Night told Fafnir that he had placed the necessary tools throughout Farlan and that Fafnir’s name would let him control the nation’s fifty thousand artificial draconic creations.
• Night declared that Fafnir would plunge Farlan into a Dragon Calamity while Heaven watched, leaving Fafnir to regard him with hatred and fury.

Xia Xiu arranged to use Parc Saint-Nicolas and its dragon-slaying suppression device, [Eternity], to trap and kill Night. Night received a notice from Deer College arranging the handover of his Familiar, Xiu Ke, at the park the next morning.

• Xia Xiu pressured Ross King Lowry into renting Parc Saint-Nicolas by invoking Heaven's rights and offering 100,000 in Youyang banknotes.
• Xia Xiu explained to Valente Bernard that [Eternity] could restrict powerful beings' EVE particle output, and said they would activate it and kill Night quickly.
• Xia Xiu told Valente that Night would come to the park to retrieve his dog, Jam, and that his teacher had likely received Xia Xiu's email.
• Night received a notice from Deer College arranging the handover of Xiu Ke at Parc Saint-Nicolas the next morning.

Night was ambushed at Parc Saint-Nicolas by Valente Bernard while Xia Xiu activated [Eternity] from the lake bed. Night nearly overwhelmed Valente with poisonous smog, but the suppression of [Eternity] ended the fight’s momentum, and the Blond Young Man appeared and stabbed Valente to get him back to work.

• Night used [Shifeile] to blanket Angers and Parc Saint-Nicolas in dense fog before heading to meet the people returning Xiu Ke.
• Night realized the yacht carried only a false trace of Xiu Ke and attacked it, while Xia Xiu shot at Night with [Gorgon] and Valente Bernard charged in with [Siegfried].
• Valente used [True Touch] to cut Night even in Mist Form, but Night filled the park with mist troops and converted the fog into poisonous, heavy-metal-bearing smog.
• Valente blocked further particles from entering his lungs and charged Night again, but Night’s growing smog tornado knocked him into the bushes.
• [Eternity] activated and suppressed the tornado, after which the Blond Young Man emerged and stabbed Valente, telling him to get up and return to work.

Xia Xiu and Valente used their transformed powers and coordinated attacks to overwhelm Night. They left Night wounded, with his Dominion Avatar destroyed and Xia Xiu blocking his escape.

• Xia Xiu healed himself and Valente with [Sword of Redemption], and Valente activated [Dragon Slayer Siegfried].
• Valente and Xia Xiu attacked Night while the [Holy Spirit Doves] detonated against his mist form and Light Body Giants fought his smog giants.
• Xia Xiu used [Magic Hour: Skill] to disrupt Night’s smog giants through an Entry conflict, then bombarded Night with the [Gorgon].
• Night trapped Valente in [Shifeile]’s cage and rushed Xia Xiu, but Xia Xiu used [Substitute Swap] to bring Valente in for a counterattack that severed Night’s right hand.
• Night tried to flee after Valente destroyed [Shifeile], but Xia Xiu pierced him with [Gáe Bolg] and a [Sword of Redemption], blocking his escape.

Xia Xiu and Valente defeated Mr. Night, burned his body to ashes, and escaped Parc Saint-Nicolas while the Knight Guard investigated the destruction. The next day, Xia Xiu learned that Valente had unlocked two more secondary conditions and could use another Dragon-Slaying Skill, so they planned to prepare for slaying the Evil Dragon.

• Xia Xiu and Valente finished killing Mr. Night by attacking his revived body and burning his remains to ashes.
• The Knight Guard let Xia Xiu and Valente leave Parc Saint-Nicolas, then identified Xia Xiu as the Heaven Angel who had rented the park and reported Mr. Night's death.
• The next day, Xia Xiu read reports about the park explosion and Valente's heroic reputation while Valente described protests in District Nine.
• Xia Xiu told Valente that Honesty and Honor had unlocked, bringing their total to four secondary conditions.
• Valente said he could now use Sword Dance and Sky Rend but still could not perform Daybreak, and Xia Xiu urged them to prepare to slay the Evil Dragon soon.