Parallel world Manga Artist-Chapter 210: Family
Rei’s announcement detonated fan emotions in record time.
Viewers who missed the live broadcast could always catch reruns on Ion TV Station. Across its four or five sub-channels, Arcane Season 1 was replayed constantly, while works like One-Punch Man and Hikaru no Go were regularly brought out to lure newcomers deeper into Shirogane’s ever-growing pit.
But an official notice from Shirogane himself was an entirely different matter.
The difference between watching live and catching a rerun later was simple:
Unless you stayed completely offline and knew not a single otaku, someone, somewhere, would spoil every major plot twist for you.
Since Shirogane had made that crystal clear...
"Fine, got it, watching tonight’s premiere. Otherwise my fourteen Shirogane fan groups will blow the whole plot wide open."
"Best single episode ever? That’s bold."
"Teacher Shirogane may sound like he’s bragging, but history shows, he’s just stating facts."
"He’s got total confidence in Season 2, Episode 5."
"I was planning to sleep in and watch the rerun tomorrow. Guess I’m staying up now."
"Quick recap, last episode Jinx broke into Piltover’s Stillwater Prison to save her Zaun adoptive kid, Isla. She ran into the bloodthirsty monster Vander had become and fought him."
"Right, and at the end, Vander was about to kill Jinx, but some memory resurfaced. He muttered ’Powder.’"
"So this episode’s the big father–daughter reunion?"
"Looks like it."
"Think Vander can come back to his senses?"
"No idea. It’s about to start, we’ll see."
That evening, Law settled onto the sofa early, scrolling through online theory threads while waiting for the episode to air.
’Strongest episode yet? Of everything broadcast so far?’
The thought barely crossed his mind before the episode began.
It opened with Vi trading bone-cracking blows in an underground fight pit.
After Jinx’s violent attack on Piltover, the sisters had completely fallen out.
Kind-hearted Caitlyn had lost everything because of Jinx’s rampage. Across Zaun, mobs dyed their hair blue in worship of Jinx and mimicked her bombings. After murdering a councilor, Jinx had become Zaun’s icon, pushing both cities to the brink of war.
To Vi, her sister was no longer family.
So when Jinx appeared before her, Vi didn’t ask questions, she threw a punch meant to kill the troublemaker she once called her sister.
But Jinx only said:
"Vander... he’s still alive."
Vi froze, her hands slipping from Jinx’s throat.
"He needs our help."
"You lie like you breathe," Vi snarled.
Yet Jinx didn’t fight back.
That hesitation alone gave Vi pause.
"Just... believe me this once."
In just a few minutes, through sparse dialogue, shifting light and shadow, and the sisters’ expressions and eyes, the episode conveyed Jinx’s heartbreak at Vi’s undisguised murderous intent, Vi’s inner struggle, and the fragile possibility that the mere chance of Vander’s survival could mend their shattered bond.
The story then shifted to Singed, the man who had saved Vander, and to Caitlyn, now Piltover’s acting commander, alongside Ambessa, as they discussed why Singed had rescued Vander and how he had become what he was.
Meanwhile, Mel, abducted by agents of the Black Rose, found herself entangled in developments linked to her brother.
At the same time, Vi and Jinx followed Vander’s trail deep underground, descending into a hidden cavern beneath Zaun.
They brought Isla with them; neither was willing to leave the child alone.
Light and shadow framed a quiet contrast:
Vi was Jinx’s older sister.
And Jinx?
She was no less an older sister to the foundling Isla.
Law was completely immersed.
The two sisters bickered and cursed the entire way, but with the child present, they kept their fists to themselves.
At last, they reached the end of the cavern.
Following Vander’s trail, they found a room.
At its center stood a table. On it lay a dust-covered letter.
From Episode 1, Law knew that Vander and Silco had once led Zaun together against Piltover, until they split over their ideals. In a fit of rage, Vander had nearly killed Silco.
This was the secret hideout known only to the two brothers.
After that incident, unable to find Silco, Vander had left this apology here:
"Silco, I’ve searched everywhere for you, but you’re determined to stay hidden. I’m sorry. I lost my mind the moment she died. I told myself everything I did was for the greater good, that you deserved it. But in the end, I’m not innocent either. You know where to find me: riverbed and bubbles."
Law’s eyes reddened instantly.
Judging from the opened envelope, Silco had never returned after their brotherhood fell apart.
Which meant, Silco never saw this apology.
And because of that, the two brothers had ultimately fought each other to the death.
If Silco had read that letter back then, would the outcome have been different? 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
Just like Jinx and Powder now.
The two sisters were consumed by hatred toward each other, yet neither was willing to take the first step, to confront the other, to untie the knot between them.
If this continued, would they one day, years or decades later, end up just like Silco and Vander?
Mortal enemies.
"This whole show is built on symmetry," Law murmured, taking a deep breath.
"Teacher Shirogane... don’t let them keep blaming each other."
"I’m not a fan of forced reconciliations, but for this series, make an exception."
Just as that thought crossed his mind, the perspective shifted.
A terrifying roar echoed through the cavern.
The bloodthirsty monster Vander had become had found them.
The cave’s unique mushrooms glowed when disturbed by sound, illuminating the surroundings, but when silence fell, they dimmed, plunging everything back into darkness.
A streak of light tore through the gloom, racing toward them at breakneck speed.
Vi activated her hextech gauntlets and barely blocked the lethal strike from the beast that had once been Vander.
Law held his breath, his heart pounding, grief flooding his chest, as werewolf-Vander clashed violently with Vi.
A father and daughter, locked in battle.
"Vi... it’s him. Believe me, just this once," Jinx cried, insisting that the crazed monster before them was Vander.
But Vi could only stare in disbelief at the snarling creature.
She watched as it gathered itself, crouching low on all fours.
Sorrow filled Vi’s face.
Law didn’t dare breathe.
Where would this lead?
Would Vi have to kill her own father?
Then, Vi lowered her guard and faced the charging monster head-on.
She chose to trust her sister.
She chose to believe that even if her father had lost his mind, he would never harm her.
"Vander!"
Vi shouted, tears streaming down her face as the towering wolf lunged toward her.
The scene cut abruptly to a flashback.
Young Vander, Silco, and Vi and Jinx’s mother.
The four of them drinking together in a bar.
Back then, they had been inseparable, the closest of companions.
Their conversation ended with a single line: "You two must win a future for the Undercity, for the children... for me. Don’t fail."
At last, Law understood.
Why Silco, seemingly devoid of humanity in season one, had adopted Jinx, the daughter of his enemy.
It wasn’t merely loyalty to Vander.
The two men and the girls’ mother had once been as close as family.
As the brutal fight raged, warm memories flickered past.
And a question echoed in Law’s mind: What would werewolf-Vander do to Vi, now that she had completely dropped her defenses?
Were these memories flashing through Vander’s shattered consciousness as well?
Softly, the ending song, Invincible, began to play.
In the sudden silence, only Jinx’s anxious breathing could be heard.
With the noise gone, the glowing mushrooms dimmed, plunging the cavern into pitch darkness.
Hands shaking, Jinx flicked on a lighter, staring ahead in terror, afraid that Vander might kill Vi because of her insistence on trusting him.
The tension stretched unbearably thin.
The music softened.
And in the faint glow, the towering wolf-monster did not tear the girl apart.
Instead, with eyes filled with gentleness, he bent down and pulled Vi into a tight embrace.
In that instant, tears streamed uncontrollably down Law’s face.
That was Vander.
That was the bond between him and Vi and Jinx.
The father-daughter love that had been quietly built since the first season.
Jinx rushed forward and threw herself into his arms as well, with little Isla stumbling after her.
Law’s nose burned. His eyes stung.
No wonder Shirogane had called this the best episode since the series began.
Law could no longer hold back.
It was, without question, the most heart-wrenching, and most healing episode of Arcane to date.
