Chapter Summaries

Qiji prepared to enter the anime’s story as the mysterious five-star genius Thousand Faces, using the Popularity System to build his abilities and persona. Wearing the Mask of Miracles, he connected to his personal channel as the livestream countdown began.

• Qiji recalled that the system had warned him to become a five-star character or risk being corrected as an outsider.
• Qiji chose the unfinished Thousand Faces card and learned he would need to portray a masked, all-rounder genius.
• Qiji pledged himself to the system in twenty-seven parts, gaining five million popularity points and taking on an enormous debt.
• Qiji used popularity points and system items to raise his strength, speed, and constitution to the human limit and acquire plot information and performance props.
• Qiji obtained the Mask of Miracles and activated its attention effect as his personal channel connected and the livestream countdown reached fifty-nine seconds.

Qiji avoided Echo Academy’s aptitude test and used his encounter with Liuli to draw viewers to his personal livestream. After Liuli’s stream ended at lunch, viewers moved to Qiji’s channel, hoping to see more of her.

• Qiji watched Huomu receive an F rating on the main camera feed and saw that his own channel had very few viewers.
• Qiji found Liuli’s stream popular and waited for her to visit him on the rooftop.
• Liuli urged Qiji to take his aptitude test, but he claimed he was a genius beyond definition and refused to go.
• Qiji explained to himself that he had no Echo aptitude and feared an F rating would expose his carefully crafted genius persona.
• Viewers arrived from Liuli’s stream, and Qiji decided to seek more attention by appearing alongside Huomu.
• At lunch, Liuli’s stream ended, and viewers moved to Qiji’s channel to see whether he would interact with her again.

Viewers flooded Qiji’s stream to play his guessing game about who stole the Echo Crystal, while most of them voted for Qiji himself. Back in the classroom, Qiji silenced the students who were bullying Huomu, and the story left the crowd quiet in the presence of the City of Kindling’s celebrated genius.

• Viewers found Qiji’s guessing game and argued over which streamer or unstreamed character had stolen the Echo Crystal.
• Although viewers suspected several people, Qiji received far more votes than the other candidates.
• Qiji returned to the classroom, where students were still accusing and bullying Huomu.
• Qiji told the crowd they were too loud, and the students fell silent because of his reputation as the Miracle of Kindling.

Qiji refused to join the class in accusing Huomu and challenged the rumors about him, while Liuli manipulated Huomu into nearing a suicide attempt. The chapter ended with Huomu confronting Qiji on the rooftop and hearing him dismiss the accusations as unverified rumors.

• Qiji left the noisy classroom and returned to the rooftop to sleep, while Liuli's stream drew viewers away from his channel.
• Liuli revealed her sinister thoughts about Huomu and secretly used her Echo to intensify his feelings of grievance and despair.
• Provoked by his classmates and Liuli's influence, Huomu ran to the rooftop intending to jump to prove his innocence.
• Huomu asked Qiji to leave the rooftop, but Qiji refused and questioned why the accusations against Huomu should matter to him.
• Qiji told Huomu that rumors did not justify attacking someone without checking whether they were true.

Qiji saved Huomu from another attempt to jump from the rooftop and helped him recognize that suicide would not prove his innocence. When Liuli tried to control Huomu again, his mind resisted her Echo, and Qiji confronted her directly.

• Qiji told Huomu that accusations based on guesswork were unjust, and Huomu's urge to jump gradually faded.
• Liuli used her Echo to make Huomu approach the rooftop edge and leap, but Qiji caught him and hauled him back.
• Qiji warned Huomu that dying would only make others call him a guilty coward and thief, and Huomu promised not to try again.
• Liuli tried to overwhelm Huomu with her Echo, but his mind repelled it, so she prepared to use her full strength.
• Qiji appeared behind Liuli and told her to know when to stop, then said he had come to find her.

Qiji confronted Liuli about her hidden mind-type lineage and her connection to the Kamishiro Family, then warned her to stop targeting Huomu. Liuli challenged him to kill her, but Qiji’s bizarre threat to beat her until she wet her pants left her bewildered.

• Qiji revealed that he suspected Liuli had a rare mind-type lineage and asked about her connection to the Kamishiro Family.
• Liuli snapped a nail while reacting to Qiji’s accusation, then asked what he wanted.
• Qiji warned Liuli to stop targeting Huomu and shattered both lenses of her glasses with a finger flick.
• Liuli discarded her glasses, revealed her identity as Kamishiro Ruri, and challenged Qiji to kill her.
• Qiji threatened to beat Liuli until she wet her pants in front of everyone, leaving her wondering if he was a devil.

Qiji left Liuli stunned with an audacious but wind-obscured explanation, then refused to pay for the glasses he had broken and walked away. At school, Teacher Yuejian ignored the missing echo crystal and began the afternoon entrance exams, leaving the students shocked by his carelessness.

• Qiji told Liuli he would help her kill the Kamishiro Family, but a sudden gust swallowed his carefully planned words and left her speechless.
• Liuli called Qiji back and tried to make him pay for her broken glasses, but he dismissed her plea and left.
• Qiji watched his livestream popularity rise after his encounter with Liuli.
• Teacher Yuejian entered class, saw the broken instrument, and said its failure meant they could skip the echo potential test.
• Teacher Yuejian sent Liuli to fetch the theory exam papers and refused to investigate the missing echo crystal, shocking the students.

Qiji researched how to awaken an Echo and developed a plan to create an ability uniquely his own. On the stairs, Liuli tried to unmask him, but her feigned fall turned into an awkward accident that left her clinging to his thigh.

• Qiji finished his test early, ended his livestream, and went to the library to study Echoes.
• Qiji reasoned that his outsider status and accumulated Miracle could help him awaken a new ability based on his own existence.
• Qiji planned to leverage the concepts of an impossible existence, a falsehood believed to be true, and a blind spot in full view.
• Qiji ran into Liuli on the stairs as she livestreamed and deliberately faked a fall to try to remove his mask.
• Qiji dodged Liuli, then stopped her fall with his foot; after he withdrew it, she grabbed his thigh to keep from falling down the stairs.

Qiji and Liuli shared a tense, flirtatious exchange as he promised to protect her from the Kamishiro Family, while Liuli recalled the painful childhood that had turned her into the family’s tool. The chapter then began the freshmen’s practical combat assessment, with Classes Eight and One preparing to enter a D-rank rift.

• Qiji caught Liuli reaching for his mask, teased her, and turned back toward the classroom.
• Qiji promised Liuli that he would help kill everyone in the Kamishiro Family and told her she would be safest by his side.
• Liuli’s livestream showed how her parents had bound her with a curse and sealed her heart when she was five.
• Liuli warned herself not to drag Qiji into her misfortune, then asked him to let his guard down.
• Class Eight and the special-grade Class One gathered for their practical combat assessment, and Teacher Kijika began explaining rifts.

Class Eight encountered a powerful pack of Rock-Armored Venomous Scorpions during the D-rank rift assessment, including an upper-grade second-order leader. Qiji volunteered to fight the leader as the students prepared to battle, while the teachers watched the dangerous situation through their recorders.

• The students entered the rift, and Qiji approached Suyo to propose teaming up, but Suyo rejected him.
• Bai Lili greeted Suyo and invited him to her house, while Class One's monitor Panyan proposed that the classes split up and clear separate districts.
• Class Eight moved into the west district, where Liuli's scouting butterflies detected a large group of Rock-Armored Venomous Scorpions.
• The scorpion pack revealed an upper-grade second-order leader and two lower-grade second-order beasts, making the encounter far more dangerous than expected.
• Qiji volunteered to take on the largest scorpion, and the other students claimed targets while teachers debated whether to stop the assessment.

Qiji led Class Eight against the Rock-Armored Venomous Scorpions, assigning Huomu and Setsuna to hold off second-tier beasts while he fought the scorpion king. Huomu killed his opponent and Setsuna earned an A-plus by surviving thirteen minutes, before Qiji defeated her scorpion with a single kick.

• Setsuna volunteered to face a second-tier venomous scorpion, and Qiji assigned the other one to Huomu after pointing out its injured left hind leg.
• Qiji charged the scorpion swarm and fought the scorpion king while Class Eight attacked their assigned targets.
• Huomu used Qiji’s advice to wound the scorpion’s injured leg, then killed it with repeated gunfire.
• Qiji praised Huomu from atop the defeated scorpion king and told Setsuna she needed to hold out for ten minutes to earn an A.
• Setsuna endured thirteen minutes against her scorpion, earning an A-plus before collapsing from exhaustion.
• Qiji repelled the scorpion’s pincer with a finger flick, then killed it with a kick that drove it into a rock wall.

Qiji’s class won the battle without casualties, but Liuli disappeared and was found meeting her half-brother, Kamishiro Seigen, who planned to drive the Void Beasts mad and destroy the City of Kindling’s next generation. Qiji interrupted them and positioned himself between the siblings, and Kamishiro Seigen ordered Liuli to attack.

• Qiji checked that the students were safe, then rushed off to find Liuli when Bai Lili noticed she was missing.
• Liuli told Kamishiro Seigen that her mission had failed, and he claimed he would help her break her curse and gain freedom.
• Kamishiro Seigen revealed that he planned to use Red-Hot Incense and a prepared circuit to drive nearby Void Beasts mad and kill the City of Kindling’s students.
• Qiji appeared nearby and claimed he had recorded Kamishiro Seigen’s plan, though the recorder had stopped working in the area.
• Qiji discarded the recorder, landed between Liuli and Kamishiro Seigen, and Kamishiro Seigen ordered Liuli to attack.

Liuli turned her Mind Echo against Kamishiro Seigen, allowing Qiji to attack while she defied her brother’s control. Qiji fought Seigen to a standstill, and the chapter ended as Seigen prepared to escalate the battle.

• Liuli used her Mind Echo on Kamishiro Seigen, disrupting his sword attack and exposing his resentment toward his sister.
• Qiji struck Seigen and learned from Liuli that the scabbard’s vibrations could disrupt his mind, though his mask quickly cleared the effect.
• Seigen threatened Liuli with her curse, but she refused to obey and told him she had never been happy to be alive.
• Qiji kicked the curse-sound box from Seigen’s hand and promised Liuli she would feel happy to be alive.
• Seigen activated the restriction in Liuli’s body and fought Qiji with his sword and mind-disrupting scabbard; after Qiji held his own, Seigen leaped back and began preparing a more serious attack.

Qiji evaded Kamishiro Seigen’s ultimate sword strike with the Mask of Miracles and killed him with a single elbow blow. Kamishiro Seigen died acknowledging that Qiji had defeated his prized Final Form: One Sword.

• Kamishiro Seigen broke the sheath of his Sword of No Thought and unleashed his Final Form: One Sword against Qiji.
• Qiji revealed that he had been holding back and used Blurring of Illusion and Reality to evade Kamishiro Seigen’s full-powered strike.
• Qiji struck Kamishiro Seigen in the abdomen with his elbow, mortally wounding him and sending him crashing into a tree.
• Qiji mocked Kamishiro Seigen as he lay dying, and Kamishiro Seigen admitted that he had lost and lamented bringing shame to Final Form: One Sword.
• Viewers praised Qiji’s one-hit victory in the bullet comments.

After Liuli avenged her mother by mutilating Kamishiro Seigen's corpse, Qiji comforted her and led Class Eight safely out of the rift. The practical assessment results revealed Qiji in first place, Suyo in second, and Setsuna tied for third, leaving Suyo stunned and Setsuna seeking out Qiji to thank him.

• Liuli repeatedly stabbed Kamishiro Seigen's corpse, explaining that he had killed her mother and mailed her pieces of her flesh; Qiji reassured her and gave her water to clean herself.
• Qiji and Liuli rejoined Class Eight, and Liuli hid her grief behind her model-student persona as the class completed the sweep and met Class One.
• Suyo mocked Qiji for arriving late, then became flustered when Bai Lili eagerly asked to go home from school with her.
• Kijika confirmed that Class One's students were safe and told Class Eight that Teacher Yuejian had already left; the assessment rankings were posted soon after.
• Suyo assumed she had placed first and celebrated until Bai Lili revealed that Qiji had won first and Suyo had come second; Bai Lili described Qiji's feats in the rift.
• Setsuna found that she had tied for third with Wuma Ling, rejected being called Aya, and went to thank Qiji with Huomu beside her.

After helping Setsuna and Huomu place in the top ten, Qiji accepted Huomu’s offer of ramen and used dinner to share a cafeteria discount tip. He claimed he wore his mask because he was too handsome, then ordered another bowl to take away, leaving Huomu wondering who it was for.

• Setsuna hesitated to offer Qiji dinner, while Huomu suggested ramen and Qiji eagerly agreed.
• Qiji told Huomu to wait until seven so they could buy discounted ramen, and Huomu admired his money-saving knowledge.
• Qiji’s mask lowered as he ate, and Huomu admitted he had wondered whether Qiji hid an injured or unattractive face.
• Qiji said he wore the mask because his looks attracted unwanted attention, and Huomu believed him and praised his dedication to training.
• After they finished eating, Qiji ordered another bowl to go and refused Huomu’s offer to pay because it was not for him.

Qiji brought ramen to his younger sister Xiao Xi, who lived with Echo Erosion Syndrome, and shared a warm evening with her at their modest home. After his livestream drew strong viewership and his fight clips spread online, Qiji collected his first Popularity Points and prepared to leave his role behind for the next performance.

• Qiji carried ramen through the outskirts of the City of Kindling and found Xiao Xi waiting for him in her wheelchair.
• Xiao Xi protested that he kept spending money on her, while Qiji teased her about her cooking and wheeled her home.
• Viewers praised the characters and rushed to Qiji’s channel to watch his polished fight clips, then promoted the anime across social media.
• Qiji ended his first livestream with 2,333 average viewers and 11,217 peak viewers, earning 9,191 Popularity Points.
• Qiji checked the growing engagement on his uploaded clips, liked the positive comments, and prepared to take on his next role.

Qiji trained through the night and concluded that D-rank rifts no longer challenged him, while his strength still fell short of the third tier without awakening his Echo. A week later, the Echo anime premiered to excited viewers, whose reactions shifted from praise for its visuals to frustration with Huomu’s mistreatment.

• Qiji beat a Dreadclaw Ape in a D-rank rift and decided the beasts there were no longer useful for training.
• Qiji considered entering a C-rank rift but rejected the hassle and recognized that he needed to awaken his Echo to advance beyond his current limits.
• Qiji sold the materials he collected, paid part of his younger sister’s overdue clinic bills, and continued training while livestreaming at the academy over the following week.
• The first episode of Echo premiered, opening with scenes of young Huomu being bullied and blamed before he woke up late and ran to the academy.
• Viewers praised the episode’s production, then complained as Huomu faced false accusations and bullying during the aptitude test.

The first episode of Echo introduced Qiji as a powerful, sharp-tongued ally to Huomu and revealed that Liuli had been manipulating the bullying. Viewers were left wanting more when the episode ended, then discovered that Episodes 2 and 3 were already available.

• Qiji silenced the classroom bullies with a single remark and left, drawing excited recommendations from viewers.
• Liuli appeared and used Mind Echo, revealing that she had secretly fueled the bullying of Huomu.
• When Liuli controlled Huomu into leaping from the rooftop, Qiji caught him effortlessly and confronted Liuli, shattering her Echo Crystal lens with a finger flick.
• The episode showed Liuli's painful childhood memories, shifting viewers' sympathy toward her, while Qiji nearly choked laughing at an outrageous viewer comment during dinner with his younger sister.
• Viewers complained when the ending cut off, then erupted with excitement when the screen revealed that Episodes 2 and 3 were available.

Qiji earned 23,333 Popularity Points after the first episode of "Echo" aired, and the next two episodes showcased his memorable lines and fighting prowess while revealing Huomu’s painful past and determination. The third episode introduced Kamishiro Seigen as he effortlessly slaughtered a pack of Void Beasts, leaving viewers convinced he was terrifyingly strong.

• Qiji received 23,333 Popularity Points for his contribution to the first episode of "Echo" and anticipated more earnings as the anime gained viewers.
• The second episode featured Qiji’s viral lines and polished fight scenes, while Huomu defeated a second-tier Rock-Armored Venomous Scorpion.
• Flashbacks revealed that Huomu worked relentlessly to overcome the stigma of being the fire thief’s son and prove that he was not guilty of his father’s crimes.
• Qiji praised Huomu after the battle, and viewers began to appreciate the protagonist’s pain, perseverance, and character.
• Kamishiro Seigen appeared and effortlessly cut a rampaging pack of Void Beasts in half, prompting viewers to judge him terrifyingly strong.