Chapter Summaries

Qiji reassured Huomu that he could face Suyo’s Armament and returned to the arena as Suyo forcibly manifested her [Person in the Mirror]. Teacher Jing explained the Imagery Forgery behind Suyo’s early Armament, then challenged its fairness before Kijika defended its legality; the chapter ended with Suyo standing confidently in the arena.

• Qiji told Huomu not to blink because he would demonstrate the Flame Fist, and Huomu became tearfully grateful.
• Suyo shattered the prism and drew its shards into a violent, unstable [Person in the Mirror] Armament, which she had forcibly activated at the second tier.
• Teacher Jing explained that an Imagery Forgery implanted an artificial imagery to let an Echoer manifest an Armament before reaching the third tier, and noted that such devices were privileges of great clans and families.
• Teacher Jing objected to Suyo using an Imagery Forgery, but Kijika said it was an approved tool and that using it was part of Suyo’s strength.
• Yuejian told Teacher Jing to watch as Suyo, having completed her Armament, held her head high in the arena.

Qiji and Suyo began the final minute and a half of their duel after both vowed to win. Suyo used her Armament to read Qiji’s movements and gain the upper hand, but Qiji then revealed the lightning power he had developed through a month of training.

• Suyo asked how much time remained, and Qiji told her about a minute and a half.
• Suyo and Qiji traded boasts before launching into battle as the commentator introduced them to the crowd.
• Suyo sensed Qiji’s movement through her mirror fragments and Heart Essence, then countered his attack with a powerful kick.
• Suyo taunted Qiji after he retreated, and Qiji said he would use thirty percent of his strength.
• Qiji unleashed blue-violet electricity across his body, revealing the power he had gained through arduous training.

Qiji revealed his lightning power and attacked Suyo, who released her Armament’s true name to summon four mirror doubles and overwhelm him with combined attacks. Qiji used Blurring of Illusion and Reality to counter her assault, leaving the fight unresolved.

• Qiji’s lightning revealed his real Echo, surprising the spectators and Huomu, who had expected to see Flame Fist.
• Suyo called the true name of her Armament, Thousand Faces, Myriad Forms, and formed four mirror doubles with different elemental powers.
• Suyo sent the mirror doubles to defend against Qiji’s Thunder Fist and attack him with fire, ice, and wind.
• Qiji used Blurring of Illusion and Reality to respond to Suyo’s coordinated assault.

Qiji overwhelmed Suyo in the arena, countering her mirror doubles with rapidly changing elemental attacks and seemingly impossible Echoes. He broke her mirror and her brother’s mask, leaving her tearful face exposed as the fight ended.

• Qiji shifted between elemental lineages, countering Suyo’s attacks and smashing through her defenses while she struggled to understand his Echo.
• Suyo used Double Deconstruction to exchange places with a mirror double, then overactivated her remaining selves to barrage Qiji with elemental attacks.
• Qiji used the exchange to test his newly mastered techniques while watching his wrist, then located Suyo’s real body in the southeast mirror.
• Suyo drew on her remaining Heart Essence and attacked, but Qiji evaded her Echoes and struck the mirror with Flame Fist.
• Suyo’s headbutt hit Qiji’s knuckles, cracking and splitting her brother’s mask and exposing her tear-streaked face.

Qiji saw Suyo’s face when her mask cracked and realized she was a girl, not the boy he had assumed he understood. He hid her from the crowd, repaired her mask, and left the match with Suyo still crying silently.

• Qiji’s punch cracked Suyo’s mask, and the sight of her face stunned him and extinguished the flames on his fist.
• Qiji realized Suyo was a girl and understood that her identity had been a secret she wanted to keep.
• Qiji raised walls of fire around them to hide Suyo from the spectators, then repaired her mask with frost.
• Qiji returned the mask and tried to comfort Suyo, but she cried harder without making a sound.
• Qiji removed Suyo’s mask again to check on her and found her wailing silently through tears.

Qiji defeated Suyo after his alarm triggered an instinctive kick, leaving her devastated despite the crowd celebrating his victory. After seeing the sympathy for Suyo in the livestream and watching her “Brother and Sister” video, Qiji learned about her painful childhood and reflected on his own decision to treat his sister as more than a way to gain popularity.

• Suyo wiped her tears, put her mask back on, and launched a sneak attack on Qiji, believing his hesitation gave her a chance to win.
• Qiji’s alarm rang, and his body instinctively kicked Suyo through the wall of fire and out of the arena.
• Teacher Kijika declared Qiji the winner, while Suyo sat crying and blamed herself for failing to live up to her brother.
• The crowd cheered for Qiji, but livestream viewers defended Suyo and condemned him for making her cry.
• Qiji watched Suyo’s “Brother and Sister” video and learned that her public life of privilege hid a bleak childhood.
• Qiji thought about his former plan to use his sick little sister to gain popularity and concluded that his sister was not a tool.

After defeating Suyo, Qiji was selected as the candidate for the five-star “Thousand Faces” card and received an Armament-related reward. He took the devastated Suyo to the rooftop, challenged her despair over losing, and left her with a reason to put her mask back on.

• Teacher Kijika praised Qiji’s victory over Suyo and analyzed their match for the first-year students.
• The system selected Qiji as the candidate for the “Thousand Faces” card, began creating the five-star card, and granted him an Armament-related reward.
• Qiji saw Suyo still crying after the match and took her to the rooftop before his classmates could reach him.
• Qiji removed Suyo’s mask, tried to draw her out by invoking her brother, and argued that her defeat did not make her worthless.
• Suyo attacked Qiji in grief, then stopped when he told her to put on her mask and claimed she had nearly beaten him.

Qiji encouraged Suyo to keep fighting and then waited for Yuejian to demonstrate his Echo so he could copy it with a Replication Crystal. Yuejian began his duel with Kijika, eager to win a month off from teaching, and attacked before Kijika finished explaining.

• Qiji told Suyo that one failure did not mean she should give up, and invited her to face him at next month's grand competition.
• Suyo asked how Qiji knew about her brother, and Qiji claimed he and her brother were close friends before leaving the rooftop.
• Qiji hid near the training ground, planning to use his Replication Crystal to copy Yuejian's third-tier Echo, [One Night's Moonfall].
• Kijika deployed his Armament, [Peach and Plum Trees Do Not Speak], and explained its first true name, [Blackboard Writing], to the students.
• Teacher Jing offered to cover Yuejian's classes for a month if he defeated Kijika in one move, and Yuejian immediately accepted.
• Yuejian attacked Kijika before he could finish speaking, tearing a page from the novel in his hand.

Yuejian demonstrated his Echo, One Night's Moonfall, and defeated Teacher Kijika by putting him to sleep. Qiji secretly recorded the move and looked forward to using it himself, while Yuejian prepared to leave for vacation.

• Yuejian covered his eyes with a page and transformed the training ground into a moonlit night, using his Echo to read everyone under the moonlight.
• Yuejian triggered [Final Chapter] and put Teacher Kijika, who had activated [Blackboard Writing], to sleep with a single page turn.
• Qiji completed a recording of One Night's Moonfall with his replication crystal and planned to socket it into Silver Wish.
• Setsuna remembered Qiji's confidence in Yuejian and wondered how much Qiji already knew.
• Yuejian restored daylight, asked Teacher Jing to handle substitute teaching, and stepped down from the arena before spotting Qiji among the Class Eight students.

Qiji celebrated his winnings and new watch after the matches, then shared lunch with Class Eight as they relished their victories. Their meal was interrupted when Tian Hao approached with Panyan and Cao E, who wanted him to introduce them to Qiji.

• Qiji showed Yuejian the watch he had won, and Yuejian accepted that Qiji had earned it after making money on his own bet.
• Teacher Tsukimi gave Qiji the rest of his winnings before leaving, and Qiji offered to pay for Class Eight’s lunch.
• Class Eight students insisted on paying for their own meals as they celebrated Qiji’s and Yuejian’s victories over Class One.
• Tian Hao approached Class Eight with Panyan and Cao E, who had pressured him to introduce them to Qiji.

Qiji invited Tian Hao, Cao E, and Panyan to eat with him, surprising them with his kindness and revealing that he had beaten Suyo without using his right hand. After lunch, Qiji went to the rooftop for a nap and discovered that most of the ice cream in the vending machine was gone, while Suyo was eating the bars she had bought with money.

• Qiji called Tian Hao “Brother Hao,” steadied his tray, and invited him to sit with him.
• Qiji welcomed Cao E and Panyan to the table and told them he had not needed to use his right hand against Suyo.
• Tian Hao left lunch feeling honored, Cao E became lovestruck, and Panyan resolved to grow strong enough to fight alongside Qiji.
• Qiji went to the rooftop with Huomu and Setsuna and found only three ice creams left in the vending machine.
• Suyo ate a large pile of ice cream outside the academy after paying for it, unaware that Qiji had not seen the money she put in the machine.

Suyo mourned her brother as Qiji shared ice cream with Huomu, Setsuna, Liuli, and Bai Lili on the rooftop. Liuli proposed that the group use Bai Lili’s returned money for an outing during their three-day break before next month’s academy tournament, while Qiji quietly planned to avoid going so he could train.

• Suyo remembered how her brother had called her his favorite and cried while eating ice cream.
• Qiji pretended the vending machine was empty, but Huomu spotted the remaining bars and shared his with Qiji.
• Setsuna offered her leftover ice cream to Liuli and Bai Lili, but Liuli passed hers to Qiji, earning his gratitude and making Setsuna suspect Liuli had a clever side.
• Qiji mistook Bai Lili’s visit for a request to repay her, so he tried to return her money, but Bai Lili refused to take it back.
• Liuli pocketed the money and suggested the group go out during their three-day break before the academy tournament, while Qiji decided he would rather train and planned to find an excuse to skip.

Qiji fell asleep between Liuli and Bai Lili, leaving both girls flustered before Liuli pulled Bai Lili to class. After learning of Suyo’s defeat, her family decided to send her into the Sea of Consciousness despite the danger, while Suyo went to her brother’s grave and admitted she had failed to become him.

• Qiji fell asleep against Liuli’s shoulder, but she pushed him away, and he ended up resting on Bai Lili’s shoulder.
• Liuli hurried Bai Lili to class when the bell rang, despite Bai Lili wanting to stay beside the sleeping Qiji.
• Thousand Faces Zhengxing and Xiangyun learned that Suyo had lost to Qiji, and Zhengxing decided to send her into the Sea of Consciousness before she reached the third tier.
• Suyo visited her older brother’s grave, left him half her ice cream, and confessed that she had given up her own wishes trying to become him.
• Suyo concluded that her hard work was futile compared with a true genius.

Suyo recommitted herself to training despite her exhaustion, while Qiji and Xiwang shared an affectionate moment at home. Yuejian was visited by his wanted senior brother Yanyi, who appeared to have made a consequential decision.

• Suyo chose to try again after her fox mask landed face down, then returned home and faced her parents’ anger over losing.
• Suyo learned that her father expected her to enter the Sea of Consciousness despite being only a second-tier Echoer, and Thousand Faces Zhengxing forced her to go along with it.
• Qiji brought Xiwang an ice cream bar, and the siblings exchanged loving words about being each other’s only brother and sister.
• Yuejian turned off the television when he sensed someone on the balcony and greeted his senior brother.
• Yanyi removed his mask and revealed himself as the Fire Thief; Yuejian warned that he would regret his choice, but Yanyi asked him a question instead.

Yuejian abandoned his plan to kill Liuli after recognizing the romance novel she was reading, and instead decided to teach Huomu Flame Fist. When Yuejian began training Huomu, Huomu quickly understood the lesson and demonstrated that he had already mastered the technique.

• Yanyi asked Yuejian to look after Huomu before leaving, and Yuejian agreed to help his senior brother.
• Yuejian prepared to kill Liuli but stopped after recognizing her copy of The Flower Love series and remembering Qiji had chosen to save her.
• Yuejian decided to teach Huomu Flame Fist so Huomu could protect himself.
• Qiji watched Yuejian's livestream from home and realized that Yuejian was giving Huomu extra lessons.
• Huomu recognized the feeling behind his Heart Essence, then shattered a tier-two training dummy with Flame Fist and left Yuejian speechless.

Yuejian tried to teach Huomu a powerful technique, but Huomu had already learned [Instant Bloom] from Qiji, so Yuejian demonstrated its advanced form, [Mirror Break], instead. Qiji studied the explanation through the livestream replay, then learned that his five-star character card "Thousand Faces" was complete and could deploy his Armament or let him enter the Sea of Consciousness.

• Huomu told Yuejian that Qiji had taught him [Flame Fist], and Yuejian insisted the technique was called [Instant Bloom].
• Yuejian demonstrated [Mirror Break] for Huomu, repeatedly using his Armament to erase his failed attempts from Huomu's memory before finally landing the technique.
• Yuejian explained [Mirror Break]'s principles to Huomu while Qiji listened and planned to study the livestream replay.
• Yuejian ended the livestream to leave for an appointment with a travel agency, and Qiji switched screens to watch the replay.
• Qiji received a notification that his five-star character card "Thousand Faces" was complete, allowing him to deploy his Armament or enter the Sea of Consciousness.

Qiji entered the Sea of Consciousness and discovered that his system provided a boat, a map, and protection from damage, letting him explore and strengthen his unawakened Echo Core. He became excited by the opportunity to build its initial power, but the chapter ended as he realized the Sea of Consciousness was terrifying.

• Qiji used [Thousand Faces] to enter the Sea of Consciousness and found himself aboard a system-provided boat.
• Qiji checked the system and discovered that the boat prevented Heart Essence loss while [Thousand Faces] absorbed damage to his spirit body.
• Qiji found a map marking nearby treasures, quests, and dangers throughout the Sea of Consciousness.
• Qiji examined his unawakened Echo Core and learned that he could strengthen it with Echo Fragments before awakening.
• Qiji celebrated the Sea of Consciousness as a chance to gain power, then realized it was terrifying.

Qiji found Suyo near death in the Sea of Consciousness and rushed to rescue her. He manifested his [Thousand Faces] Armament as [Person in the Mirror], preparing to face the Afterimages pursuing her.

• Suyo reached an island with almost none of her Heart Essence left, then fled when swarms of Afterimages attacked her.
• Qiji spotted Suyo’s health bar dropping on his map and used automatic pathfinding to head toward her.
• Qiji arrived just as an Afterimage attacked Suyo, and he threw [Thousand Faces] to destroy it.
• Qiji summoned [Thousand Faces] and manifested it as the silver mirror armor [Person in the Mirror].

Qiji used his [Person in the Mirror] Armament to rescue Suyo and destroy more than thirty Remnants, including a tier-three leader. Afterward, Suyo clung to him and called him her brother, leaving Qiji bewildered as she begged him not to leave.

• Qiji rushed to Suyo, shielded her from the Remnants, and killed them with mirror shards from his Armament.
• Qiji found only a few Echo Fragments and no [Circuit Book] among the Remnants’ drops.
• Qiji put Suyo down to collect the spoils, but she clung to his ankle and dragged across the sand with him.
• Suyo crawled toward Qiji calling him “brother,” and Qiji wondered why she mistook him for her brother.
• Suyo grabbed Qiji’s hand, was cut by his Armament’s defensive shards, and begged him not to leave her again.

Qiji realized that wearing Thousand Faces’s mask had made Suyo believe he was her dead brother, and he decided to play along to raise his compatibility with the card. He left Suyo convinced he was her Guardian Spirit, but accidentally called her the wrong name and saw his compatibility drop.

• Qiji connected the Thousand Faces card’s compatibility to playing Suyo’s older brother and decided to act as her brother in the Sea of Consciousness.
• Qiji noticed that his mask had changed into Thousand Faces’s fox mask and pulled Suyo to her feet despite her wounded hand clinging to him.
• Suyo believed Qiji was her dead brother returned as a Guardian Spirit, based on a legend about lingering consciousness in the Sea of Consciousness.
• Suyo told Qiji he did not need to explain himself, and Qiji decided to maintain the deception rather than risk making things more complicated.
• Qiji called Suyo “Xiao Xi,” then quickly changed the subject by pointing out four Echo fragments; his compatibility dropped when he used the wrong name.