Licht and the gang come face-to-face with the deadly demon of the abyss—a modern-day military weapon of steel unlike anything they’ve seen before. Trapped by giant, weighty wings of metal and indiscriminate attacks from the sky, the fate of the town rests in the hands of the Ace of Flashing Strikes himself! But just as Licht prepares to subdue the destructive enemy, he’s greeted by a familiar face—a black-haired, trigger-happy soldier who’s also...an Ace?!

In the world of Alcia' where rank is determined by "counts" a young girl named Hina scours the land for the fabled Ace-the legendary hero of the Waste War. With only the last words of her missing mother to guide her search' she wanders from town to town until she meets Licht' a clownish masked vagrant with a count of --999. Girl-crazy and unpredictable' he's the exact opposite of a hero...or at least' that's how he appears...

Tokikaze is alive, and he’s more interested in revenge than reunions. Abducting Hina and stealing the Original Ballots, he and the Abyss launch an all-out war on Alcia! Just what is he planning, and how does Hina fit into the equation? As the three-hundred-year-long peace comes to an end, a wounded Licht must ally with old enemies if he is to have any hope of defeating his old friend!

Captured by Douan and the Special Unit, Hina, Lynn, and Pele are brought face-to-face with Major Schmerman. What happened to the kind teacher of three hundred years ago? What did Douan experience during the war? And is Licht really dead? The gang searches for answers as the battle for Alcia heats up!

As the war for Alcia stretches from the depths of the Abyss to the Wall of Paradise, Licht and Tokikaze meet on the field of battle. The two brothers have been trapped by their love and hate for three hundred years, and their unleashed bloodlust rocks the very heavens. A word from Hina could be all that is needed to decide the match, but will she meet the same tragic end as her mother...?

Finally, the Waste War begins! As outside forces start to obliterate the school, the members of Class A-including Tokikaze and Jail-dive headfirst into an enemy-infested area to protect their friends. Meanwhile, an unconscious Rihito undergoes a risky operation far removed from the chaos outside. Will the blissfully unaware Ace-to-be make it in time to save his comrades?!

To reverse Schmerman’s overwhelming numerical advantage, Jail heads to the royal capital alone, armed with nothing but his beliefs. Even though thousands of soldiers stand in his way, his sights remain fixed on two goals—taking the seat of commander in chief of the royal army, and eliminating Robert, the traitor who currently sits in it. As battle lines are drawn and war approaches once more, a duel unfolds between the two with their lives, their pride, and the future of Alcia hanging in the balance!

Licht and the gang escape from the clones of A-class and Pele, the traitorous Ace of Piercing Strikes! But Lynn stays behind, swearing, "I'm bringing you back with me, no matter what...!!"

Class is in session! As newly enrolled students of Special Military School #13, the gang must plunder stars in order to become soldiers-a title the perpetually hormonal Rihito couldn't care less about. While juggling studies and military training, Jail and the others begin to look for the meaning behind their mysterious time slip, only to come across the school's disturbing connection to the Aces...

For the second time this decade, the U.S. economy id sinking into a recession due to the collapse of a financial bubble. The most recent calamity will lead to a downturn deeper and longer than the stock market crash of 2001. Dean Baker's Plunder and Blunder chronicles the growth and collapse of the stock and housing bubbles and explains how policy blunders and greed led to the catastrophic --but completely predictable --market meltdowns. An expert guide to recent economic history, Baker offers policy prescriptions to help prevent similar financial disasters.