The latest manga installment unveils a grim side story that diverges significantly from the preceding Read or Die tales. Its setting takes place in a universe where books have ceased to exist following the closure of the final printing press. Nonetheless, a group of passionate book-lovers, known as bibliophiles, rebuff this epoch and create their own sovereign territory titled "Bibliopolis." The protagonist, whose name is Yomiko, is portrayed with an altered character spelling, 読魅子, and a more ominous disposition.