Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden continues its run through the Fall 2026 anime season, with Episode 3 set to arrive on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. Titled “After the Curtain Falls” (舞台の幕が下りた後), the new episode picks up directly after Nia’s triumphant stage performance in the royal capital, placing her on a collision course with the mafia boss who has now marked her as a target. The series streams internationally on HIDIVE as a same-day simulcast, with new episodes arriving weekly.
Episode 3 Worldwide Release Times for Every Major Region
The release schedule below is anchored to the Japanese broadcast on TOKYO MX at 9:25 PM JST and the HIDIVE simulcast at 8:55 AM EDT / 12:55 PM UTC. Note that daylight saving time ends in many regions on October 25, 2026, which may shift local times for later episodes.
- Japan: Tuesday, October 20, 9:25 PM JST (TOKYO MX); ABEMA offers the earliest advance stream at 9:55 PM JST
- United States (Eastern Time): Tuesday, October 20, 8:55 AM EDT
- United States (Pacific Time): Tuesday, October 20, 5:55 AM PDT
- Canada (Eastern Time): Tuesday, October 20, 8:55 AM EDT
- United Kingdom and Ireland: Tuesday, October 20, 1:55 PM BST
- Central Europe, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland: Tuesday, October 20, 2:55 PM CEST
- Japan and South Korea: Tuesday, October 20, 9:55 PM JST / KST
- India: Tuesday, October 20, 6:25 PM IST
- Australia (Eastern Standard Time): Tuesday, October 20, 10:55 PM AEST
These timings follow the pattern established for Episode 2, which launched at 8:55 AM EDT on HIDIVE for international viewers.
Where to Watch Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden
HIDIVE is the exclusive international streaming home for the series in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. The platform secured the series as part of a multi-year output deal with Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS), making it the primary legal option for English-subtitled viewers outside Japan.
In France and parts of Europe, the anime is available on ADN (Animation Digital Network), with new episodes streaming weekly. Japanese audiences have multiple options, including ABEMA, d Anime Store, and U-NEXT.
At the time of writing, Crunchyroll, Netflix, and Hulu are not carrying the series in the United States. No official streaming partner has been confirmed for viewers in India, Southeast Asia, or other parts of Asia outside Japan.
Episode 2 Recap: Nia’s Stage Debut and the Mafia Beatdown
Episode 2, titled “A Job in the Royal Capital” (王都での仕事), aired on October 13, 2026, and delivered the first real showcase of Nia’s combat abilities in her new life.
The episode opens with Nia Liston arriving in the royal capital after being chosen to play opposite Sharro White (voiced by Maaya Uchida), a rookie actress from the theater troupe “Ice Rose.” Sharro is overwhelmed by nerves ahead of her first leading role and initially treats Nia like an amateur, but Nia calmly practices and even soothes her irritated maid, Rinokis Funk (voiced by Fūka Izumi), who is frustrated by the disruption to her routine.
The turning point arrives when Nia and Sharro film a promotional program for Magic Vision near the performance venue. A group of mafia members confronts them, and Nia seizes the opportunity. Claiming self-defense, she cheerfully and methodically overwhelms the mobsters with overwhelming combat skill, a sequence that became the episode’s standout moment.
Anime Evo noted that the episode highlighted “the pure joy dripping from her voice when she was ‘dragged into it’ and had ‘self-defense’ as an excuse,” adding that “the show just takes things up to 11 when Nia gets lost in her battle lust”.
Character Progress: Who Moved Forward in Episode 2
Nia Liston (Honoka Inoue) moved from a recovering patient into a public-facing talent and a fighter who can no longer hide her true nature. The stage performance in the royal capital was a success, and her decision to dismantle the mafia group—however justified—made her a known quantity in the capital’s underworld.
Sharro White (Maaya Uchida) began the episode as a nervous, defensive newcomer but gradually warmed to Nia. By the end of the episode, she is worried enough about Nia’s safety to stay over at Nia’s residence, a sign that the professional partnership is becoming a genuine friendship.
Rinokis Funk (Fūka Izumi) remained the fiercely devoted maid whose obsessive affection for Nia drives much of the episode’s comedy. Her frustration at sharing Nia’s attention with Sharro is played for laughs, but her determination to keep Nia “all to herself” becomes a recurring thread heading into Episode 3.
What Happened in Episode 1: The Hero’s Rebirth
Episode 1, titled “Rising from the Darkness,” established the core premise. A legendary warrior who had once killed a god lay on her deathbed, her only regret being that she never found an opponent strong enough to give her the battle death she craved.
A hooded mage performed a forbidden ritual called the “Law of Return,” transplanting the warrior’s soul into the body of Nia Liston, a four-year-old noble girl dying of a respiratory illness. The mage expected Nia to survive only a day longer.
Awakening in the frail body, the warrior discovered that the power of “Ki” — a force etched into her very soul — allowed her to fight off the illness. Nia recovered to the astonishment of everyone around her and demonstrated combat prowess strong enough to split a wooden sword with a single blow. She chose to keep the original Nia’s snow-white hair as a sign of respect for the girl who had fought so desperately to live.
To repay her family for the fortune they spent trying to save her, Nia began working as a talent on their Magic Vision network, promoting the new broadcast technology while secretly chasing the strong opponents she has always craved.
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The Mafia Boss Moves: What to Expect in Episode 3
Episode 3, “After the Curtain Falls,” picks up with Nia having completed her successful stage performance in the capital. Rinokis is determined to finally have her young mistress all to herself, but Sharro arrives to stay the night, worried about Nia’s planned rematch with the mafia members she previously beat down.
Meanwhile, the mafia boss has officially marked Nia as a target and is moving against her. Nia persuades Sharro to let her go, slips past Rinokis, and enters the mafia hideout on her own. Waiting inside is Anzel (voiced by Taku Yashiro), the boss’s bodyguard who wields a mysterious weapon.
The episode is directed by Motoki Nakanishi, with KONAMI Animation handling production and Gigaemon Ichikawa on series composition. A special opening video for Episode 3 featuring the song “Deux Livres” performed by Honoka Inoue (Nia) and Maaya Uchida (Sharro) was released on October 20, 2026.
Stay with VvipTimes for weekly worldwide release guides, episode recaps, and streaming updates on Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden and the rest of the Fall 2026 anime slate.
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