In Gyrixë, an "underland" realm, a traveling huntress named Myra enters a hair salon that specializes in healing coiffery, a unique form of hair magic. Omani's mother, who runs the salon, uses her magic skill of Sight to style hair. Omani mastered coif magery with her Sight, which grants wishes to clients. As Myra speaks to Omani’s mother about styling her hair and tending her bad back, Omani reads her college acceptance letter for the Imperial College's Coif Magery department. When Myra discusses her upcoming fight in the Dragonscale Melee, Omani offers to do her hair if she takes her as her personal coif mage for the melee. Omani wants to find a patron who can pay for her tuition. Her mother disapproves and tells her to leave and not return when she fails. Myra agrees to Omani’s proposition to twist wishes into her hair every day of the melee. They leave Gyrixë and head “upland” to take the cloud ferries to the melee.

On the ferry, Myra reveals that in her realm, a dragon exodus recently occurred. Although dragons were demonized in the upland realms, Omani knows they have always lived in harmony with the underland people. Omani begins to develop feelings for Myra. When they enter the amphitheater the next day, Omani worries about Empress Troxsin spectating the upcoming fight. She recommends Myra wish away her back pain, and Myra becomes upset at Omani's doubt and dismisses her services. In despair, Omani flees the theater. Seeking to impress Professor Ames, the coif magery professor at the nearby Imperial College, she heads to her office. Ames remembers Omani's impressive application and tells her to return the following day. Omani returns to the fight to see Myra defeat her opponent. Myra tells her that her bad back hasn’t diminished her ambitions in fighting. Omani apologizes for doubting her, and they reconcile.

Omani and Professor Aimes enter her salon of coif magery students the next day, where a student used his Sight magic to break another student’s arm. Ames explains that college patrons don’t fund stylists, but ruthless diplomats, politicians, and assassins. She tells Omani to prove herself in front of Ames and potential patrons in the melee grounds. The next day, Omani resolves to help Myra win her final match using her Sight. She plans to discreetly interject the fights by manipulating the competitors' body and facial hairs against them. However, Empress Troxrin abruptly announces the changed rules of the fight, releasing a captured dragon from the exodus to fight. Myra pleads to the Empress that the dragon, Murinien, had protected her underland realm against the wolf wraiths and watched over its people for thousands of years, but the Empress says the dragon falsely deserted her realm.

As the other finalists fight Murinien, Omani uses her Sight to unshackle her and fight the airship that brought her. The entire amphitheater is lit on fire, killing all except the Empress, Omani, and Myra. Omani says that it was the "College's coiffery" that caused the destruction. Murinien expresses her gratitude to Omani. She feels guilty for escaping against the empire’s orders but wanted a life of peaceful freedom. The girls encourage Murinien to make a wish as the emergency siren of the realm wailed. Murinien wishes for the dragons’ freedom, and for Myra and Omani’s safety.