Chapter Summaries

Yunyi brought Mayumi Saegusa, Kasumi Saegusa, Izumi Saegusa, and Lina to Shen Yi’s research ship in the Pacific, where a fleet of warships surrounded them. Shen Yi arranged for them to stay aboard and told Yunyi that Girl Snow might need help managing unrest in the United.

• Yunyi told the group they were aboard his mother’s research ship and that they could not return to Japan for now.
• Shen Yi arrived with Chen Mei, greeted Mayumi Saegusa and her sisters, and questioned Yunyi about bringing Lina, the young Sirius.
• Yunyi explained that Kasumi Saegusa and Izumi Saegusa had chosen not to return to the Saegusa Family, and Shen Yi assured them they would be safe aboard the ship.
• Shen Yi told the group to pass their plans through Chen Mei and said the fleet would sail the next day.
• Shen Yi said Girl Snow faced greater-than-expected unrest in the United and suggested Yunyi go help her, while Lina would stay with him for now.

After Yunyi escaped Japan through spatial transfer magic, Retsu Kudou and the other clan heads debated the failed operation and their next steps. Retsu decided to ask Mio Itsuwa to hold the front line, despite Isami Itsuwa's fears for her health and safety.

• News that Yunyi and the others had left Japan reached the Ten Master Clans, and Maya Yotsuba felt relieved.
• Retsu Kudou learned that surveillance footage showed no trace of Yunyi and that Katsuto Jumonji had identified spatial transfer magic.
• Shingon Kudou questioned the Jumonji Family's refusal to support the operation, and Retsu suspected Katsuto had noticed something and acted to protect Yunyi.
• Retsu told the clan heads to contact the military and avoid major moves against the Union without certainty of success.
• When Isami Itsuwa warned that the military's leaders would not heed advice, Retsu decided they would have to send Mio Itsuwa to the front lines.

Shen Yi told Mayumi Saegusa that Yunyi had been born with a Kotodama Curse that could unconsciously influence people’s thoughts. She suggested that the curse might have shaped Mayumi’s love for him, leaving Mayumi shaken and uncertain about whether her feelings were truly her own.

• Shen Yi asked Mayumi whether Kasumi and Izumi planned to stay with her and whether they had feelings for Yunyi beyond those of siblings.
• Shen Yi explained that she had left Yunyi when he was young because his innate Kotodama Curse could influence the people around him.
• Shen Yi said Yunyi’s curse grew stronger after his artificial magician modification and became more apparent after his Domain Magic awakened.
• Shen Yi proposed that Yunyi’s curse may have influenced Mayumi’s feelings for him, and Mayumi struggled to accept the possibility.

Shen Yi told Mayumi Saegusa that the Kotodama Curse could subtly interfere with people’s feelings, leaving Mayumi to consider what it meant for her and her younger sisters. Mayumi went to speak with Kasumi Saegusa and Izumi Saegusa, but the chapter ended before she began.

• Shen Yi explained that the Kotodama Curse could influence feelings without causing physical harm, and that Yunyi’s Domain Magic protected his body.
• Mayumi Saegusa worried about the effects on her younger sisters and asked Shen Yi whether the interference could harm Yunyi.
• Shen Yi advised Mayumi to talk with Kasumi Saegusa and Izumi Saegusa, then gave her two Engraving Types that Yunyi had prepared for them.
• Mayumi left the archives room and went to the cabin where Kasumi Saegusa and Izumi Saegusa were unpacking.
• Kasumi Saegusa and Izumi Saegusa noticed Mayumi’s serious expression as she entered their cabin.

Mayumi Saegusa asked Kasumi and Izumi whether they had fallen for Yunyi, and both admitted they had feelings for him. She explained that unconscious Kotodama Interference might be affecting their judgment and asked them to consider whether they should remain close to him, leaving the twins to weigh their choices.

• Mayumi Saegusa asked Kasumi and Izumi Saegusa whether they had started falling for Yunyi.
• Izumi admitted her feelings with a nod, and Kasumi reluctantly acknowledged that she felt the same.
• Izumi told Mayumi they would not compete with her for Yunyi, but admitted she could not be sure they would find someone else like him.
• Mayumi told the twins what Shen Yi had explained about Kotodama Interference and warned that staying near Yunyi could affect their judgment.
• Mayumi asked Kasumi and Izumi to think carefully about their future, and the twins were left considering whether to stay close to Yunyi.

Mayumi Saegusa gave Kasumi Saegusa and Izumi Saegusa their Engraving Type CADs and urged them to consider their answer while Yunyi was busy. After Mayumi and Yunyi spent the afternoon together, the twins acted nervously around him, leaving him confused about the reason.

• Mayumi Saegusa gave Kasumi Saegusa and Izumi Saegusa their Engraving Type CADs and told them to think seriously about their answer.
• Mayumi Saegusa returned to Yunyi, tugged his ear in frustration, and then kissed him when he said his work was finished.
• Yunyi and Mayumi Saegusa woke in the evening, and Mayumi muttered that she would show him once she had help.
• Yunyi saw Kasumi Saegusa and Izumi Saegusa in the dining hall, but they nervously collected their meals and hurried away.
• Yunyi asked Mayumi Saegusa why the twins seemed nervous, and Mayumi said it was not because they were in a new place.

Katsuto Jumonji argued that the Jumonji Family should avoid making Yunyi an enemy and instead seek conditions to restrict or expel him, while Kazuki weighed the family’s response. The Yotsuba and Saegusa families had both chosen neutrality, leaving Kazuki to seek answers from the Yotsuba head as Katsuto went to school.

• Kazuki Jumonji asked Katsuto what stance the Jumonji Family should take after staying out of the hunt, and how the matter should end.
• Katsuto showed Kazuki a video of Yunyi using unfamiliar magic and explained that Yunyi appeared proficient in kotodama, ancient, spatial, and modern magic.
• Katsuto advised against fighting Yunyi and proposed seeking favorable terms to restrict or expel him, while keeping conventional weapons as a possible option in future clashes.
• Kazuki agreed that the other families had acted rashly and learned that Hayama had sent the video on behalf of the Yotsuba Family.
• Katsuto told Kazuki that the Yotsuba Family would remain neutral alongside the Saegusa Family, puzzling Kazuki and prompting him to contact the Yotsuba head.
• Katsuto left for school, thinking about whether Mayumi Saegusa had considered the turmoil her choice might cause.

Yunyi, Xiaoxue, and Chen Mei planned how to exploit a possible American-Japanese conflict while preparing to eliminate the Stick Faction’s remaining influence at home. Meanwhile, Mayumi Saegusa struggled with her sisters’ feelings for Yunyi, and Izumi asked her to send them back.

• Yunyi agreed to stay aboard the research ship so his return would not warn the people behind the unrest, and he discussed plans with Xiaoxue and Chen Mei.
• Yunyi explained that Gu Jie’s intelligence network and Parasites could persuade the American military to cooperate with him and possibly wage an all-out war against Japan.
• Yunyi said they would wait for an opportunity to secure their home, and would try to provoke a larger conflict if America and Japan only engaged in minor skirmishes.
• Mayumi Saegusa admitted she did not know how to explain her sisters’ feelings for Yunyi, and Izumi Saegusa asked her to send Kasumi and her back.

Mayumi Saegusa discussed Kasumi Saegusa and Izumi Saegusa’s feelings for Yunyi and let them decide whether to stay with him. After realizing Izumi had pretended to consider returning to Japan, Mayumi wondered how Yunyi would react and began telling him what had happened.

• Kasumi Saegusa and Izumi Saegusa said they should return to Japan because they were not allowed to love Yunyi.
• Mayumi Saegusa told her sisters she would not send them back and would let them choose whether to stay and continue loving Yunyi.
• After Mayumi left, Izumi Saegusa admitted to Kasumi that she had deliberately pretended to want to return and had already decided to stay.
• Mayumi realized Izumi had tricked her and worried about how Yunyi would respond to the sisters’ feelings.
• Yunyi returned to the cabin, and Mayumi said Kasumi and Izumi had upset her before beginning to explain why.

Mayumi Saegusa told Yunyi that Kasumi and Izumi had fallen in love with him, but an urgent alert cut short their conversation. Japan launched an attack against Jinhae Naval Port, and Yunyi prepared to enter the battle himself as the Great Asian Alliance planned to strike Tsushima Fortress.

• Mayumi Saegusa told Yunyi that Kasumi and Izumi loved him, and he struggled to believe her.
• Liu Yunde called Yunyi to report that Japan's fleet had gathered at Tsushima and that Mio Itsuwa's Abyss threatened his forces.
• Yunyi learned that Japan had ordered a direct strike on Jinhae Naval Port, with Mio Itsuwa as its strategic core.
• Yunyi told Liu Yunde to mobilize the garrison without waiting for government approval and to advance on Tsushima Fortress after the incoming fleet was dealt with.
• Mayumi Saegusa warned Yunyi to be careful and embraced him before he headed into battle.

Katsuto Jumonji and the others discussed the Ten Master Clans’ support for the military’s operation and tried to determine where Yunyi and Mayumi Saegusa had gone. Tatsuya rejected the theory that Yunyi had fled to America, leaving their destination uncertain.

• Katsuto Jumonji gathered Tatsuya Shiba, Miyuki Shiba, and the others to discuss the impact of Mayumi Saegusa leaving Japan with Yunyi.
• Tatsuya said the military likely moved against Yunyi because his power could strengthen the Great Asian Alliance, and suspected someone had revealed Yunyi’s identity.
• Miyuki questioned whether Yunyi would return to the Great Asian Alliance, given his dissatisfaction with its treatment of magicians.
• Katsuto considered whether Yunyi and Mayumi might have gone to America, and Miyuki noted that Lina had not come to school or answered anyone’s attempts to contact her.
• Tatsuya argued that Yunyi would avoid America because his magic and foreign origins would draw attention from the American government and the Association.

Tatsuya Shiba and the others discussed the escalating crisis between Japan and the Great Asian Alliance, which had begun through mutual misunderstandings, and divided up efforts to prevent war. At school, Shizuku Kitayama learned that Yunyi had left and tried to hide her disappointment.

• Katsuto Jumonji warned that Yunyi might be connected to a powerful organization and said the crisis could threaten the global balance of power.
• Katsuto Jumonji assigned Miyuki Shiba and Tatsuya Shiba to contact Mayumi Saegusa, while he planned to consult the Ten Master Clans and Mari Watanabe and Gyoubu Hattori took responsibility for school matters.
• Tatsuya Shiba and the others left the Student Council room to handle their separate tasks.
• Shizuku Kitayama asked Miyuki Shiba whether Yunyi had left, and Miyuki told her that he had probably gone with Mayumi Saegusa.
• Shizuku Kitayama briefly showed disappointment, while Miyuki Shiba remained unaware that Yunyi had also taken three Saegusa family daughters with him.

The Great Asian Alliance and Japan’s fleets advanced toward a naval battle near Jinhae, while Yunyi prepared to face the Japanese fleet himself. As the Itsuwa Family’s Abyss activated, Yunyi appeared between the opposing forces and used Domain Expansion-Fool’s World, prompting Katsuto Jumonji to warn the Ten Master Clans of the fleet’s impending annihilation.

• The Japanese fleet left Tsushima Fortress for Jinhae Naval Port, and Yunyi told Liu Yunde to handle Tsushima Fortress while he faced the fleet.
• Liu Yunde ordered the Great Asian Alliance fleet to sail out and meet the Japanese forces.
• Tatsuya Shiba and Katsuto Jumonji concluded that Mayumi Saegusa was unreachable and that the naval battle could no longer be avoided.
• Katsuto Jumonji obtained a satellite feed, and the Great Asian Alliance and Japanese fleets faced each other across the sea.
• The Itsuwa Family’s Abyss began forming near the Great Asian Alliance flagship, and Yunyi appeared between the fleets and activated Domain Expansion-Fool’s World.
• Katsuto Jumonji was urged to notify the Ten Master Clans to prepare for the complete annihilation of the fleet on the front line.

Yunyi stopped Mio Itsuwa’s Abyss with Gravity Magic, then sank the Japanese fleet with his forbidden spell, Serpent That Devours the World. As Liu Yunde advanced toward Tsushima Fortress, Yunyi sent Tatsuya Shiba a silent message and attacked a military satellite.

• Yunyi used Fool’s World and Gravity Magic to interrupt Mio Itsuwa’s Abyss and calm the sea.
• Mio Itsuwa collapsed from exhaustion, and the Japanese commander ordered his fleet to rely on its firepower.
• Yunyi cast the thirteenth-tier forbidden spell Serpent That Devours the World, and its water serpents dragged the Japanese fleet underwater in under five minutes.
• Liu Yunde ordered the Great Asian Alliance fleet to advance on Tsushima Fortress.
• Yunyi mouthed a message to Tatsuya Shiba, then fired Light Phosphorus at a military satellite in low Earth orbit.

After Yunyi destroyed the satellite feed and declared his intention to dye Japan in his color, Tatsuya and the Ten Master Clans confronted the consequences of the advancing Great Asian Alliance fleet. Yunyi planned to hold Tsushima Fortress and wait for someone else to create an opportunity to advance.

• Tatsuya Shiba realized Yunyi’s words meant the conflict could force him to fight as Special Lieutenant Ryuya Oguro, unless Miyuki Shiba took control of the Yotsuba Clan first.
• As the Great Asian Alliance fleet advanced toward Tsushima Fortress, the Ten Master Clans convened an online meeting, and Miyuki joined as Maya Yotsuba’s chosen successor.
• Isami Itsuwa questioned whether the clan heads would change their positions, while Koichi Saegusa said the Saegusa Family would remain neutral.
• Yunyi told Liu Yunde that the fleet would stay near Tsushima Fortress after its capture and wait for an opportunity created by someone else.
• When Liu Yunde asked about his ultimate goal, Yunyi said his current objective was to dye all of Japan in his color.

Yunyi warned Liu Yunde that the Great Asian Alliance’s corruption and forced conscription could destroy the country, then left him to handle the attack on the fortress. Aboard the research ship, Mayumi Saegusa struggled with the destruction of Japan’s fleet and asked Yunyi to let her be alone.

• Yunyi told Liu Yunde that officials had secretly enabled the Stick Faction to return and that he was waiting for a chance to purge the administration.
• Liu Yunde realized that forced conscription had left many young magicians resentful of the Alliance’s leaders.
• Yunyi declined to join the attack on the fortress and wondered how Tatsuya would respond if Japan deployed its other Strategic-Class Magician.
• After Mayumi Saegusa watched Japan’s fleet sink, Chen Mei warned her to leave if she could not bear the pain or stay and hide it from Yunyi.
• Mayumi returned to her cabin in tears, answered Yunyi’s call, and asked him to give her some time alone.

Yunyi asked Lina to pass news of Japan’s naval losses to the American military, hoping to influence what happened next. Lina questioned his motives, but Yunyi refused to bargain over her captivity and left her choice unresolved.

• Yunyi considered how Japan’s destroyed fleet and Mio Itsuwa’s death might invite an American attack, then decided to ask Lina to relay the news to American leaders.
• Lina challenged Yunyi about calling through the research ship’s signal jammers, and he changed the subject to his request for help.
• Yunyi told Lina that Japan had lost naval combat strength and that Mio Itsuwa had died when he destroyed the fleet; Lina was shocked and asked if he had done it.
• Yunyi admitted destroying the fleet and said passing the intelligence would help his plans, while Lina questioned what he hoped to gain from a war.
• Lina asked what she would receive for helping, and Yunyi told her she could not negotiate her release and would remain aboard the ship whether she helped or not.

Yunyi persuaded Lina to pass his intelligence to the American military, retrieving the belongings of her fallen STARS teammates from Japan as her condition. Meanwhile, Japan’s military and the Ten Master Clans prepared for a response to the fleet’s destruction and Tsushima Fortress’s likely fall, while the Yotsuba Clan stayed out of the operation.

• Lina agreed to pass Yunyi’s intelligence along if he recovered her fallen STARS teammates’ belongings from her residence in Japan.
• Yunyi used the Gate of Transfer to retrieve the box and send it to Lina, who then went to find Chen Mei to transmit the message by special means.
• Colonel Sakai urged Japan’s military to form a temporary force and retake Tsushima Fortress, but Hiromi Saeki doubted ordinary magicians could succeed without Ryuya Oguro.
• The Yotsuba Clan asked Hiromi Saeki and Harunobu Kazama to sever ties with Tatsuya Shiba for the coming operation, while the other eight Ten Master Clans agreed to assist the military.
• Masaki Ichijo and Katsuto Jumonji led teams toward Fukuoka, and Tatsuya Shiba advised Katsuto to stay calm; Katsuto feared his force would fare poorly against Yunyi.

The Ten Master Clans debated Mayumi’s warning that an American fleet was mobilizing, and Maya Yotsuba confirmed the threat while challenging Retsu Kudou’s judgment. Maya proposed that the Yotsuba and Saegusa families coordinate Tokyo’s defenses, and the chapter ended with Koichi Saegusa asking her why she had intervened.

• Mai Futatsugi asked the Ten Master Clan heads whether they could trust the information Katsuto Jumonji had received from Mayumi and Yunyi, and Atsuko Mutsuzuka urged them to take it seriously.
• Isami Itsuwa questioned whether America would send a fleet without warning, but Gouki Ichijo cited the earlier Okinawa incident, and Maya Yotsuba confirmed that her agents had observed large-scale American military mobilization.
• Raizo Yatsushiro warned that Japan faced threats from both the Great Asian Alliance and America, and Maya Yotsuba told Retsu Kudou to step back from the discussion because his prior decisions had brought losses.
• Maya Yotsuba proposed that the Yotsuba and Saegusa families handle defenses against America while the other families monitored the Great Asian Alliance, and Koichi Saegusa agreed to put his forces under her command.
• Koichi Saegusa asked Maya Yotsuba why she had done this.

Yunyi’s growing military power deterred opposition within the Great Asian Alliance, while reports of Indian mobilization prompted him to reinforce the border. As the assault on Tsushima Fortress stalled against its defenders’ magicians, Yunyi decided to enter the battle himself.

• After the Great Asian Alliance’s executive government saw Yunyi during a call, its officials backed Liu Yunde’s occupation of Tsushima Fortress rather than hold him accountable.
• A coup attempt by former Stick Faction troops was crushed by Yunyi’s previously unknown Special Operations Force Seventh Detachment, strengthening his hold over the Alliance’s military.
• The Qiao Family tried to restore ties with Xiaoxue, but she rejected their invitations and the family’s engagement plans.
• Chen Xiangshan reported that India was mobilizing, so Yunyi ordered two strategic-class magicians to the border while Chen Xiangshan and Lü Ganghu remained undercover.
• Liu Yunde estimated that the battle for Tsushima Fortress would take another hour because Japanese magicians were slowing the assault, and Yunyi ordered a retreat so he could enter the fight himself.