Three days have passed since Gai announced his return to the world. Shu and Inori are hiding from GHQ and Da’ath. The Phantom Remnants fight off western variants of the Cryptical Nue. Gai and Akechi have their one-on-one duel, both are rivals to their respective protagonists (Shu and Ren), but Akechi loses and is driven off.
Inori steps outside to hold off Endlaves till Gai captures her. Shu is found by the Reigizan and sets off to reunite their friends.
In Sakai, Hifumi is overwhelmed by grief of her worries of her children in Loop 7 and has a fever before recovering. During her dreams, Hifumi overcomes her inner darkness with a war between cognitions of crossovers. Upon waking up, Hifumi is determined to make things right.
Meanwhile back in Tokyo, Ayase offers to use the final Void Genome from Haruka when the GHQ scientist escapes from the government’s clutches, but Heath and the others are concerned and refuse. Before the decision is made, Segai and Arisa’s forces attack the hideout. Okina is forcefully revived by the villains as a serpentine monster called Shokuin. A fight occurs, while the final Void Genome is retrieved by Shu. Heath and Akiko learn to fuse their own Voids in also turning the tide. Okina is given a mercy kill, and Segai is killed, yet Arisa escapes.
In the ship of Shu and the group regrouping, Shibungi arrives and gives them Kurosu’s diary to show. There it tells the origins of Kurosu and Keido’s relationship to become enemies when the latter murdered Shu’s father, the Apocalypse Virus meteorite, and Da’ath’s involvement that ties Lost Christmas. Afterwards, Shu and his friends make their resolve to stop GHQ and Da’ath.
Tropes in this chapter:
- A Day in the Limelight: This chapter majorly focuses on Hifumi overcoming her grief and is making things right of reconciling.
- Mental Health Recovery Arc: The meaning of the chapter title, such as the protagonists rebound, and Hifumi’s recovery of her old persona reemerges.
- Precision F-Strike: Hifumi delivers one to her inner darkness when the cognition threatens her children.
