Aomame, a Japanese killer, takes a cab to go to a hotel in Shibuye. The cab is stuck in a traffic jam and the driver advises her to use escape stairs to reach her destination. However, the driver warns her that such a move may change the nature of reality. Aomame is known for assassinating men who abuse women. She works for Dowager, a woman who takes care of victims of domestic violence. After Aomame carries out killing in a hotel, she starts experiencing a change of realities. For instance, she observes Tokyo police officers holding automatic guns when in real sense are revolvers.
The book also introduces readers to Tengo. Tengo is a controversial school teacher who is Aomame’s childhood friend. An editor by the name of Komatsu has given him the assignment to rewrite a manuscript called Air Chrysalis. The manuscript was originally suspected to have been written by a seventeen-year-old dyslexic girl called Fuka-Eri. However, it is later discovered that she did not write it on her own. When Tengo visits Fuka-Eri’s guardian, professor Ebisuno-sensei, he learns that Fuka-Eri’s parents were members of a cult group. Ge captures all the details in the manuscript.
The story shifts again to Aomame. Aomame is on a mission to rescue Tsubasa, a ten-year-old girl, whose parents have joined a new cult called Sakigake. One day, Tsubasa disappears mysteriously from the safe house. Aomame gets furious and kills the leader of Sakigake. Later, it is discovered that the leader of the Sakigake is Fuka-Eri’s father. Finally, Tengo and Aomame reconnect and it is revealed that they have been in a romantic relationship for twenty years.
