On a silent, outwardly ordinary train traveling from London to Munich, Celia Bowen hides Marco’s leather-bound ledger among her own books and changes out of her bloodstained dress into a moonlight-grey gown with ribbons once favored by Friedrick.

Celia goes to Tsukiko’s compartment and finds Isobel crying with her head in Tsukiko’s lap. Tsukiko invites Celia in and urges Isobel to rest; Isobel leaves after briefly offering Celia condolences for Herr Thiessen.

Tsukiko prepares matcha for them, and Celia confronts Tsukiko for never revealing what she knows. Celia admits she was bound into the challenge decades ago and presses Tsukiko about her own past; Tsukiko reveals a faded ring-shaped scar at her neck and explains she had agreed not to reveal herself unless directly approached.

Tsukiko says she joined the circus from curiosity because challenges like this are rare, and stayed because she liked Monsieur Lefèvre and wanted to observe. She reframes the contest: every action and moment is a move, not just obvious magical changes to the circus.

When Tsukiko asks whether Celia loves Marco and whether Marco loves Celia, Celia’s confidence wavers. Tsukiko warns that love is unreliable in a game and notes Isobel once believed Marco loved her; Tsukiko also suggests Marco is skilled at manipulation, forcing Celia to fear both the game’s deadly end and the possibility she is only being used.

Celia insists the circus could continue after the challenge ends, but Tsukiko points out how dependent everything is on Celia and Marco: if Celia died, even the train would crash, and harming the “bonfire” or its keeper would also be catastrophic. Tsukiko refuses to help directly, saying she will only intervene if Celia cannot manage the situation, and closes by revealing her own opponent’s fate: the opponent is now a pillar of ash in a field in Kyoto.