Allen races into the heart of the empire, drawn by a summons from the Hero herself. But when he arrives, the world’s mightiest girl seems in no hurry to explain her business with him. As she sleeps the days away, Allen and his students are left to grapple with her jealous would-be heir while the wily emperor schemes to fit them all into his games of intrigue. Meanwhile, Io “Black Blossom” Lockfield bides his time in the palace dungeons. Allen and company need all the information they can get out of their defeated foe. But even at death’s door, Io is a force to be reckoned with, and the rogue sorcerer’s last gambit might prove more than anyone bargained for—himself included.