A few days later, Ariadne is noted as missing from her regular duties.  Soon, Philip too disappears.  At first, it's thought that they've gone off together, but then Aden and Tranns vanish.  By the end of the week, every Phoenix Fighter with the mysterious tattoo has vanished without a trace, including Amorette, who has just discovered that she is pregnant. Valero, Casey, and Lucien are reluctantly left in charge of the House.  A meeting is called and both Joey and Cammie reveal that while reading the futures of the twelve tattooed fighters, they saw only the victims' pasts.

 

Casey demands that Joey summon a representative of the PTB.  Reluctantly, Joey calls forth Calla, an oracle, who explains that the Purists stand for the purity of the timeline and that they view illegal time travel and time alteration as a very serious offense.  All of the tattooed Phoenix Fighters have been accused of illegal time travel and are to stand trial.  Should they be found guilty, they will be returned to their respective timelines and all the work they've done will cease to exist.  She further explains that the Purists send mortal minions into reality to tattoo people who have traveled through time, so they can be brought to trial.  Giving Kazuo a mystical amber stone, she explains that he can use it to locate a minion.  She adds that the Purists can fall prey to the mortal vice of bribery.

 

The Phoenix Fighters try to determine how they'll handle the Purists, considering every possibility from offering them a hostage exchange in the form of Joey to time traveling themselves to prevent the minion's initial actions.  On edge and growing desperate, Lucien mentions a ritual which might allow them to enter the Purist Realm.  They make an attempt at the ritual and it succeeds, as quickly shown by the amber that melts in Kazuo's hand.

 

The group confront Cressida, a Purist leader who explains that their friends have already been tried and found guilty.  Sentencing is about to be carried out.  Valero demands the right to an appeal, which Cressida grants, in the form of mortal combat.  If Valero defeats her minion Barym, the hostages will be released.  Valero falters at first, but then Lucien decides to anger him, waking a more aggressive personality inside of the doctor.  Fighting valiantly, Valero defeats Barym.  Angrily, Cressida sends the Phoenix Fighters back to the House with a cryptic warning, that she hopes they'll be happy with a murderer in their midst.  The hostages are returned to the House.