The 17th Unit manages to defeat the 5th Unit in its second straight victory, apparently because its leader, Golneo Lukens, has a personal grudge against Layfon, excessively concentrating his efforts on him to the exclusion of the rest of the 17th unit, which managed to capture their flag.
The two Units, despite their mutual enmity, are later assigned to investigate a derelict city that Zuellni is approaching. They find that it has been attacked by contaminoids, but there is no trace of any of the former inhabitants. Nina recognises it as the same city that Zuellni had lost to two years ago, destroyed despite their apparently having a well-trained military arts group and a lot of resources. The moulted exoskeleton of a contaminoid nearly falls on Nina and Layfon, and Golneo declares that Layfon will pay for his crimes.
Meanwhile, in Glendan, Lee-lin receives Layfon`s most recent letter, and because of a possible threat to her life is assigned a security detail consisting of two Heaven`s Blades, including Lintens Haaden, and Saavaris Lukens, the elder brother of Golneo. The threat is unspecified but is hinted to be related to Layfon.