Chapter 8

Guided by village girls, Rin enters a forest hut and finds a ravaged Daji. At knifepoint Rin demands the Seal on her mind be broken. Daji reveals she cannot undo Seals—even her own on the Trifecta—and claims she has tried for decades. Rin’s fury gives way to pity; she spares Daji and takes her back under guard.

In the command office, Daji goads Kitay and assesses their maps. She warns that after the Mugenese, the Republic will turn south with superior dirigibles and firearms. Her solution: raise an army of shamans by restoring faith and training new devotees. Kitay scoffs, insisting one Phoenix-bound Rin is enough and that creating shamans is immoral and catastrophic.

Rin is tempted by Daji’s logic. Kitay attacks the idea on ethical and practical grounds, reminding Rin of the Cike’s fates and his own agony as her anchor. The argument ends in bitterness, with Kitay refusing complicity.

Seeking clarity, Rin visits the infirmary and feeds Zhen Dulin, the boy pulled from the fresh mass grave. He recounts waking beneath piled corpses and dirt as the executioners hurried their work. His testimony rekindles Rin’s thirst for vengeance and strengthens her openness to Daji’s proposal.

That night, Tikany erupts into spontaneous dancing and celebration. Souji urges Rin to enjoy the moment, later drunkenly pressing unwanted advances that she rebuffs. As they argue, a distant drone grows into a roar. Souji shoves Rin down as the first bombs detonate over Tikany.