In the wake of the Third Poppy War, Rin, traumatized by her destruction of Mugen and haunted by the Phoenix god, leads the remnants of the Cike in exile. Branded as war criminals and hunted by the Empire, they become assassins for the Pirate Queen Moag, trading kills for resources and a chance at revenge against Empress Su Daji, who betrayed them to the Federation. Rin's addiction to opium grows as she struggles to control the Phoenix's rage and her own guilt, while the Cike's unity frays under the weight of trauma and leadership disputes.