When a lonely, inquisitive boy in 1944 recognizes a startling secret in a kitchen doorway, he begins a search that will change the world. Charles Xavier wants to know whether he is the only one. Raven is a runaway shape-shifter who only ever wanted food and safety. Lincoln Grey has survived a century of war and plague, refusing to age. And Erik Lensherr carries a fury shaped by a world that taught him to fight for survival. As Charles gathers them-outcasts, survivors, and the extraordinary-the government notices, old enemies stir, and a violent clash at sea proves that the next step in human evolution will not go quietly into the night.

Ozpin summons Lincoln Grey to his office and assigns him a secret mission: track down Raven Branwen-Yang Xiao Long's estranged mother-who saved Yang during the Mountain Glenn incident. Ozpin believes Raven holds critical information about Salem and an impending war but refuses to explain more. Though skeptical and sarcastic, Lincoln agrees, knowing he's being sent into dangerous bandit territory near Kuroyuri in Anima. He leaves uneasy but committed, already messaging Yang and preparing for a messy, high-stakes journey.

Ichigo wakes up badly injured after fighting Kenpachi to a draw and passing out from a stomach wound. Yoruichi has rescued him, forces him to rest, and then reveals a long-kept secret about her true identity, which completely throws Ichigo off. A massive burst of spiritual pressure alerts them that Byakuya is moving, so Ichigo rushes out despite his condition to protect Hanataro and Rukia-but the attempt goes poorly. Yoruichi intervenes, prevents Byakuya from finishing them, and knocks Ichigo out to carry him to safety. Afterward, Yoruichi offers Ichigo a way to get stronger in just three days and begins training him toward Bankai. The excerpt ends with Ichigo recovering in a hot spring during training, only to be startled when Yoruichi joins him, reigniting his embarrassment and tension.