Event synopsis: Who is Real
| Event | Rerun | Synopsis | Medals | BGM | OST | Gallery | Trivia |
| “ | Lava and Kroos, who arrived in Yan at the behest of Nian, meet a resident of Yan who encountered some trouble in the wilderness, Mr. Nothing. Together, the three of them follow the clues and search for Mount Hui-ch'i, to look for Nian's sister. An unassuming thatched house reveals a hidden world the moment they enter. Regaining their wits, they find themselves in a quaint little Yan town. Beneath the coexisting sun and moon, the town besieged by spirits of ink. A mysterious monk whose words bring truth: True or false, false or true, you and I are but inhabitants of a painting. | ” |
Seeing is Believing
Enter P'o-shan
Somewhere in the wilderness of Yan beneath the foot of Mount Hui-ch'i, a Liberi fortune teller is thanking two saviors for saving his life from a raging beast. Calling himself "Mr. Nothing", he wishes to repay anything for the two. The saviors, revealing themselves to be the mature Lava and Kroos (better known by their respective epithets, "Purgatory" and "Keen Glint"), are reluctant to share the intel, but they do it regardless out of Mr. Nothing's begging. The two are in Yan to carry out a search mission for Nian, and they are here to look for one of her "siblings" named Dusk. Lava also carries a "protective charm" from Nian which she believes to be the key for Dusk's location. Together, the three climb up Mount Hui-ch'i, only to find an old cottage. But this is the beginning of an unimaginable journey as they open the cottage's door.
To search for any clue concerning Dusk, the Lava gang arrives at a small village named P'o-shan. While listening to tales from a local storyteller, the trio sense the oddities of the place they are in. The sun and the moons somehow coexist with each other; there is simply no day and night to the villagers. They also realize that they somehow enter this village after opening the cottage's door. As the day and night switch their side, a bell tolls and creatures dubbed "Ink Spirits" by the villagers attack P'o-shan in the darkness. After fending them off, the trio are praised by the villagers as their heroes. In turn, the storyteller explains everything about P'o-shan, but he is puzzled by their existence. Nevertheless, their first interaction with the village is a successful one, and the gang also befriend a Higashinese nun named Saga who knows more about the village.
Breaking the Saṃsāra
Under Saga's guidance, the Lava gang meet a humble pawnshop keeper named Dawn. The gang notice that she seems to have connection with the Ink Spirits as well as anything concerning the village. However, Dawn refuses, stating that she fears the wrath by "the one above heaven." Nevertheless, the gang enjoys the serene scenery while drinking their hot tea.
Little do they know that another chaos will happen inside the village. This time, not only the monsters are fearless of the day, but also they create much damage to the village. Mr. Nothing and Kroos head out to take down the monsters, while Lava and Saga stand guard to protect Dawn's shop. In the aftermath, casualty is severe and much of the village is in ruin. Somehow, everyone fall into a deep sleep as if a genuine night has finally arrived.
The next day when the gang wake up, they witness something unimaginable. The destroyed village was rebuilt within a night; those who were killed by the monsters were "resurrected." They even did not remember the disaster last night as if nothing has happened in the first place. Saga and Dawn then confirm that the gang are actually inside a "painted world" created by Dusk, with the latter elaborating that the painted world's inhabitants live in a never-ending cycle. Lava and Kroos accept such fate while Mr. Nothing encourages the two to find a way out. Out of pity, Dawn finally hints them the Ink Spirits' weakness: firecrackers. Following her suggestion, the trio successfully repel the monsters, but after Lava utters Nian's name in the storyteller's earshot...
Of Lies and Truths
Through Duḥkha, To Moksha
Meanwhile, Saga is in a deep meditation to get herself out of the world with her own will. Upon waking up, she meets the "storyteller," who turns out to be Dusk's avatar. Although Dusk does not wish Saga to meet her, Saga insists, stating that she has something that puzzles her for a long time. Reluctantly, Dusk brings her out of her scroll and they meet together in another one of Dusk's created "rooms."
According to Saga, she had a master who was once rescued by Dusk from drowning during an envoy mission to Yan. After witnessing Dusk's painted worlds, he received a painted scroll titled Crude Mounts Utmost which awes young Saga, even though the artwork is just Dusk's rough draft. Saga is pleased to see the artist, and she realizes that the paint has been renamed Scene of Crude Mounts Utmost Risen. With the whim of her brush, Dusk then brings her to see her master after the rescue. Saga sees the young man continuing his harsh journey while witnessing the people suffering and saving them from their bitterness. The renaming is an enlightenment of her master's journey as optimism for the future of every creature.
Before departing, Saga asks one more question about Lava's charm. Upon seeing this, Dusk immediately traps everyone inside her painted world out of disgust for Nian. Besides, these worlds are based on their individual memories. Mr. Nothing is sent to a timeline where he has finally sought vengeance for his master's death, but it will come to an unfortunate end. Kroos is forced to relive the tragedy in Bolívar that resulted in Beagle's fall. On the other hand, Lava stands alone in an endless void while trying to find the others.
Wrathful Gods and Emperors
Luckily, Nian manages to gather everyone. While staying inside the void with Lava, she narrates a mystic legend on Yan's past. A few thousand years ago, the land of Yan was dominated by "deities," or "Feranmuts," that brought havoc to the mortal world. In order to force Them serve the dynasty, an emperor of Yan, or a True Lung, launched the Great Hunt with aid of countless heroes and a haughty Feranmut named Sui who betrayed Its kin. In the aftermath, Sui shattered Itself into twelve fragments of avatar, and they eventually became Its "siblings" such as Nian and Dusk. Upon finishing the story, Nian brings Lava out of the void and is ready to face her shut-in younger sister.
A battle between Dusk and Nian is unavoidable which takes place in multiple painted worlds. Nian wishes Dusk to help her accomplish her goal: to reunite the remaining fragments of Sui and defy their fate. On the other hand, Dusk refuses in a pessimistic manner, stating that such is impossible as the current True Lung and some of their siblings are working together to revive Sui as a whole. They could do nothing but to be sitting ducks. Seeing no way for persuasion, Nian unleashes her special dimensional-warping firecracker that blows up the painted worlds and sends the two back to the real world, destroying Dusk's cottage in the process. Despite her defeat, Dusk stubbornly refuses to accept Nian's offer.
Just before another battle is about to ensue, Saga appears out of nowhere. She elaborates that she freed herself from the painted world with her own will. The "journey" inside the worlds that mirrors her life enlightens her mind as well. She finally knows the meaning of the scroll's title. Saga's word convinces Dusk that she too must not wait for her ultimate fate. Reluctantly, she agrees to tag along with Nian.
And thus comes the end of the tale of Mount Hui-ch'i. Saga decides to leave the gang and goes on her solo journey before she will end up in Rhodes Island after losing her way. The rest of the Lava gang continue their journey in the heartland of Yan to search for another sibling.
A Promise Made, A Promise Kept
After the journey in Yan, Dusk finally stays in R.I. using her painted world that links to the landship. While watching her painted scroll, she recalls her last moment with Dawn on deathbed. Before her last breath, Dawn wished Dusk to create another P'o-shan inside her world ever since its destruction by a Catastrophe; she had been wishing to start a new life within. For an immortal like Dusk, understanding the meaning of a last moment is a hard one, yet Dusk helped her fulfil her final dream.
Eventually, she is awoken by Nian's noisy chat. Dusk states that her decision is correct; R.I. is an interesting place, particularly the Doctor. Meanwhile, Dusk is looking forward on Nian's grand mission.