Let Me In
(Captain) and company are manning a city gate as part of a job request when a woman armed with a giant sword attempts to gain entry. Her name is Noire, and she's actually a primal beast with a split personality; her alter ego takes over if she loses contact with the sword. Noire is looking for someone, and the crew agrees to help.
(Captain) and the crew have agreed to lend a helping hand to the city watch of a certain island.
Guardsman: You have no weapons to declare, and the purpose of your visit is to sell wares, correct? All right then, move along.
Vyrn: Yawn... So much for us bein' useful. Gate watchin' is so uneventful that Lyria even went off to go do some shopping.
Guardsman: Your presence alone serves as a valuable deterrent. Organized crime is on the rise, and we're spread thin as it is.
Vyrn: Ah, gotcha. But seriously though, who's crazy enough to waltz up to security lookin' all—
- Next in line, please.
Choose: Next in line, please.???: ...
Vyrn & Guardsman: Shadyyy!
???: Ack!
???: Am I?
Guardsman: Did you honestly think a sword of that enormity would go unnoticed!
Vyrn: And those flappers look too real to be part of a costume!
???: Indeed. Foiled by my own hubris. I was a fool to believe this city would welcome a lowly louse.
Vyrn: Aw, c'mon. I didn't exactly put it like that...
???: Oh, good. Then thank you for letting me through.
Vyrn: Okay, I definitely don't mean that either!
???: And yet, I'm not the only one with wings. So if a flying, talking lizard is afforded a pass, where is mine?
Vyrn: Watch it, lady! I ain't no—
Guardsman: That lizard has already been vetted. But if you want access to the city, then your weapon stays with us.
???: Gasp! Relinquish... my sword?
???: Bad idea... Dangerous, even. Mm-hm... It's for their own good...
Vyrn: Mumblin' just makes ya more suspicious, y'know.
???: ...
???: You should really let me in with my sword. It's not worth the regret if you don't.
Lyria: Vyrn! Everyone! I was on my way back from picking up snacks for us when I sensed a primal beast!
Vyrn: Whoa, for real? Could this lady be a—
Guardsman: Now see here, missy! That blade is coming with me!
???: No! S-stop! You're making a big—
???: Mistake.
Lyria arrives back at the city gate just in time to see the guardsman rip the sword away from the woman's—or rather primal beast's—grasp.
Lyria: The primal's aura! It... changed!
???: You dared to wrest my sword from me, tin man?
Guardsman: I-is that a threat? I'm warning you—
???: Hot damn! Bleh, glad to be free of that headache.
Vyrn: Wha?
???: Sword's all yours! Keep it forever for all I care.
Lyria: Oh my... Why would you give it up like that?
Guardsman: Er, your sudden compliance is appreciated. Anyway, you may return here to claim it upon leaving.
???: Anything else? No? Then step aside.
Guardsman: H-hold it! Not so fast!
???: What now? I have things to do.
Vyrn: Such as? We need to know why you came to this city.
???: I'm here to kick off a mega-supreme big bang quiz bowl of death.
Vyrn: Say that again?
???: The rules are simple! Participants—myself included—duke it out to answer the most questions correctly!
???: And after I cruise to an easy victory, the losers earn a one-way trip to the great beyond! It's the ultimate win-win competition!
The Others: ...
???: There, I told you. Okay, bye.
Vyrn: Red alert! Red alert!
Guardsman: I'll run for reinforcements! Keep her from entering the city at all costs!
???: You wanna piece of me, pup? Hah! Not my job to stop kiddies from making bad life choices!
???: Wasn't in the mood to battle today, but screw it! Let the quizzing begin! The topic is combat!
???: Dun-dun-dun! Question: Do you stand a chance in hell against me, the strongest being in the world?
- Yes.
- No.
Choose: Yes.Choose: No.???: Wrong! It was a trick question meant to trigger your speedy death!
A blur of a fist hurtles in without warning, but (Captain)'s sword intercepts the ambush in the nick of time. The assailant grins hungrily.
???: Nice rebuttal. Guess I'm not the only one taking this test too lightly.
As (Captain) grapples with the real question of what to do next, the captain glances at the giant sword set aside by the guardsman, and an answer suddenly emerges.
Lyria: I-it's that sword! The second it left her hand, I sensed a complete shift in her aura!
Backed by Lyria's testimony, (Captain) immediately grabs the weapon and swings it with full force at the mystery woman.
- Here's a problem for you!
- Answer this!
Choose: Here's a problem for you!Choose: Answer this!Down comes the colossal blade, only to be effortlessly halted by the cocky foe.
???: Gahahaha! Never mind! You are as dumb as I thought! This is how you throw a hard-hitting quest—
???: ...
???: No!
???: Y-you... You little... Hoisted by my own petard!
???: Ngh... Mm...
Lyria: Ah, the aura is shifting again...
???: Um? What was I...
???: Oh... Oh no... Sigh. Now I've gone and done it... In the vicinity of many skydwellers, no less.
???: Let me start by saying that I'm sorry for what I... Well, technically speaking, that wasn't me, so I guess I'm saying sorry for what she did.
Vyrn: What's with this lady? She lost all her bark as soon as she grabbed the sword.
Guardsman: There she is! That woman mustn't be allowed to put people in jeopardy with her quiz scam!
???: Oops, I got myself arrested. What's to become of me now, I wonder? If I grovel, beg, and ugly-cry, will they spare my life?
Lyria: This doesn't look good! They're going to take her away!
The city guards prepare to bring in the winged woman, unaware of the carnage that could ensue should the primal suddenly erupt again.
Fearing the worst case scenario, the crew frantically proposes a compromise.
Watch Captain: You want to interrogate her yourselves? Hm... There's nothing concrete we can charge her with anyway. Simply acting suspicious isn't a crime.
Watch Captain: Fine. I'm releasing her into your custody. Besides, I don't have enough personnel to deal with this at the moment.
Following the successful negotiation, the crew decides to bring the woman away from the populace and back to the ship.
The primal beast is remarkably calm and subdued, in stark contrast to the stormy persona that had clashed with the crew. She introduces herself as Noire.
Noire: So this is how it ends. Packed into a crate to be shipped off to some far-off island where I'll wither away into nothing.
Noire: If that's the way the winds are blowing, could you at least take me for a spin around the world—just once—before sending me away?
Vyrn: Boy, the difference in her attitude is night and day. What exactly made her pop off back then?
Lyria: Noire's aura is so strange... I can't really explain it, but there must be a reason why.
Wary eyes focus on Noire. She sighs, perceiving what her overseers wish to ask, and opens up about herself bit by bit.
Noire: I just woke up not too long ago, and I've been traveling across the skies ever since.
Noire: I'm looking for someone, and I followed a lead to this city. There's supposed to be a clue here.
Vyrn: You were goin' on about some... mega... big bang... quiz bowl thingy? What the heck is that?
Noire: Uggh... Did such mortifying words really escape my mouth? After all these centuries, that's the most humiliating thing anyone could have said I did...
Lyria: You mean you don't remember what happened back at the city gates?
Noire: Well...
For a while the primal beast says nothing. Finally (Captain) gestures to the giant sword Noire is clutching against her body.
Lyria: Oh, that's right! When the guardsman yanked your sword away, the mood around you suddenly changed completely.
Noire: ...
Noire: Have you ever heard of a "split personality"?
Noire: Inside this body there exists another "me." A me who treats everything like a duel. A me who is perhaps... not all there.
Noire: My other half keeps trying to take control. She isn't evil, though she is unhelpful when it comes to finding missing persons.
Lyria: Ah... Now that you mention it, your aura is like... two auras overlapping?
Noire: This sword has the power to restrain her as long as I'm touching it.
Vyrn: Riiight... In other words, without the sword, the scary version of you comes out. Is that the gist?
Noire's story sounds so preposterous—so farfetched. And yet there isn't a hint of deception in her demeanor.
On the contrary, the sword hums with a cryptic vibe not of this world, which seems to implicitly prove that Noire speaks the truth.
Vyrn: If you wanted to get into the city that badly, why didn't you put those wings to good use and fly over the walls?
Noire: Haha, I know for a fact I would've gotten myself caught. So rather than cause a scene, I took a gamble on entering through the gates like a normal person.
Vyrn: Erm... Maybe you shouldn't be so proud about your ability to get caught...
Noire: Not that anything matters anymore. I am at your mercy now—you, my captors.
Noire: Go on then; lock me up for the rest of my life and do... whatever it is you plan to do with me. My only request is that I be confined in the most luxurious room you have.
- We'll help you get into the city.
Choose: We'll help you get into the city.Noire: Oh?
Lyria: Yep! We should be able to do that much for you.
Vyrn: I still think you're trouble waiting to happen, but at least this way we can keep an eye on ya.
Noire: ...
Noire: To think you would accompany this poor soul on her travels throughout the realm...
Vyrn: Nah, that ain't part of the deal.
Noire: Indeed not. Journeying through the skies in everlasting solitude is the most I deserve.
Vyrn: Would ya stop puttin' words in my mouth? Gah, why does she keep makin' things so complicated...
Vyrn: All right, (Captain). Guess we're doin' this, huh?
(Captain) nods and tells the listless primal that if they don't find a clue in the city, she's welcome to come along with the crew.
Lyria: That's a good idea. We visit lots of places!
Noire: A-are you being serious?
Noire: You're offering to... support me?
Lyria: Uh-huh! Happy to help!
Noire: Well in that case, I'll take one of the roomier cabins on the ship!
Vyrn: I wouldn't get carried away if I were you. Remember, this is only if we don't find any—
Lyria: Actually, I know the perfect cabin you can move into. Come on, I'll show you!
Vyrn: Yeesh, that primal's good at weaponizing pity. How do we keep running into these weirdos?
Noire, a primal beast with two personalities, is on a mission to find someone.
For now, no one can say what her future holds.
Mega-Super Gambler of Death
The search for Noire's missing person becomes more like a shopping spree. A dress offered as a casino prize catches Noire's eye, and she's tricked into gambling for it by a casino dealer. All of the casinos in the city are secretly crooked, but despite the dealer's best efforts at cheating, Noire unwittingly keeps racking up chips.
While helping a short-handed city watch, the crew meets a primal beast named Noire who seems to have two distinctive personalities, and the sword she carries acts as the switch between them.
Noire is searching for someone, and she thinks a clue to their whereabouts lies within the city. The crew persuades the guard on duty to let her pass through the gates.
Lyria: Um, Noire? I'm not sure we're going to find any clues here...
Noire: No? And what makes you say that?
Vyrn: Seems pretty obvious to me, but...
Vyrn: Bakeries sell cakes, not clues!
Noire has been dragging the crew to a myriad of places; according to her, each of those locations just happens to be harboring a clue.
Noire: Everyone loves dessert, don't they? These yummy treats could have easily enticed the person I'm looking for.
Lyria: Th-that's a good point! We can't say for sure they didn't come in here!
Vyrn: C'mon, Lyria, don't fall for it. She'll say anything to get us off her back.
Noire: I'll have the fruit tart, (Captain). Ask them to box it up for me.
Vyrn: You're not even tryin' to find whoever it is you're lookin' for! Shoulda just told us you wanted to shop in the first place!
Noire: Indeed you're right. How dare this worthless waste of life have the nerve to ask for a small taste of heaven. Shame on me.
Noire: My future is a bleak one, where everlasting torture at the bottom of a cold, blustery sky awaits, en route to a wretched death.
Lyria: Sniff... That's so sad... Can't we buy her a dessert, (Captain)? Pretty please?
- One fruit tart please...
Choose: One fruit tart please...Noire: Teehee. Thank you.
Vyrn: I'm startin' to think this Noire is just as bad as the other Noire...
A few hours—and many shops—later, the arms of the crew members are heavy with bags and packages of various sizes.
Vyrn: This is the first time I've joined a search party that's all party and no search. We've done nothin' but shop and sightsee...
Noire: Hm? Lyria, what's that gaudy building over there?
Lyria: It's called a casino! People can bet money on games to win prizes and stuff!
Noire: And that?
Lyria: That's another casino.
Noire: That?
Lyria: Same thing. Hm... This city sure has a lot of them, huh?
Noire: Would you look at these prizes... I see candy, toys, and is that... apparel?
An ornately stitched dress sits in the display case of a casino, clearly serving as one of its showpieces.
Lyria: Wow, what a pretty dress! I love the flower pattern, and especially the frills!
Noire: ...
Noire: Why, I do believe there could be a clue there too, (Captain).
Lyria: Gosh... This is completely different from the Jewel Resort. It kind of feels scary...
Casino Owner: Geeheehee... Welcome, welcome! Enjoy your stay, esteemed guests!
Noire: I want that dress.
Casino Owner: Ah! Our crown jewel! Madam has quite the discerning eye. Come! Take a seat at the table, and let's make that desire of yours a reality!
Noire: I don't stand a chance of winning, which is why (Captain) will play—
Dealer: Laaast call, folks! Next round begins in seconds! Stake your claim now or forever hold your rupies!
Noire: Oh no...
Dealer: Guess whether the down card is higher or lower than the revealed card. Keep the win streak alive for bigger payouts!
Noire: Hmm... I'm down to the last thousand rupies I was given.
Spiffy Gambler: First time in a casino, beautiful? I'll let ya in on some words of wisdom—help settle them nerves.
Noire: Oh, surely I'm not worthy of—
Spiffy Gambler: It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, baby! If you think a measly thou is gonna win you anything, society'll chew you up and spit you out! Ahaha!
Vyrn: That guy's got "scoundrel" written all over him...
Lyria: N-Noire?
Noire: ...
Noire: Heh. This game is mine.
Bets are made, hands are dealt, and time ticks by.
Noire: I call high.
Dealer: ...
Dealer: Winner is high. Congratulations.
Vyrn: Holy smokes! She's almost up to a hundred mil!
It's a madhouse inside the casino as word spreads of the incredible gambler who's racking up chips in record time.
Dealer: I've never seen such a skilled gambler. You're one of a kind.
Noire: A-am I? I've just been relying on intuition...
Casino Owner: You. Get over here.
Dealer: Right away, sir.
Excuse me for a moment, miss, while I step away real quick.
Noire: ...
Was I always this gifted?
Noire: It's not a fluke, is it? Can I actually keep this up?
Vyrn: Bring down the house, Miss Big Sword! You got this!
Lyria: Hahaha. Since when did you become a Noire fan, Vyrn?
Casino Owner: How the hell is that blasted woman beating us? At this rate she's gonna break the bank.
Dealer: I'm using every trick and sleight of hand I know, but nothing's working... She ain't bluffing... We're dealing with a monster.
Casino Owner: I molded this city into a haven of underworld casinos through land grabs and threats, and I'll be damned if anybody tarnishes my pride and joy.
The two men shoot daggers at Noire, but their frowns slowly give way to crooked smirks of spite and deception.
Dealer: "That" thing is probably worth a ton more than any of the junk we call prizes.
Casino Owner: Gehehe... You read my mind. We're flopping now, but we gots to turn up that river and reach the showdown.
Casino Owner: Change of plans. String her along some more and let the wins stack up. When the time is right, we'll snatch everything back!
Mega-Super Gambler of Death: Scene 2
Seeking to sell Noire's sword for a fortune, the casino's owner rules that Noire must store the sword with the casino, or leave and forfeit her winnings. Wanting to win the dress, Noire hands over the sword, unleashing her supercompetitive alter ego. Her other self proves to be a shockingly poor gambler who loses everything. While the enraged primal destroys the casino, the crew hunts down the owner to retrieve Noire's sword in order to stop her.
Casino Owner: I'm terribly sorry, madam, but I must insist that you leave your weapon with us.
Noire: What? Why?
Dealer: That huge sword of yours is unnerving the other guests, I'm afraid.
Noire: But you never brought it up before. Why wait until now?
Casino Owner: Gehehe. Guest safety is our highest priority, but sometimes mistakes happen.
Lyria: What if she has a special reason for holding onto the sword? Can she still keep it?
Casino Owner: I'm afraid not. Rules are rules. Noncompliance results in the forfeiture of all winnings, and you'll be escorted off the premises immediately.
Vyrn: What! That's straight-up bullying!
(Captain) steps forward and volunteers to play in Noire's place.
Dealer: Sorry, proxy betting is prohibited at this establishment. So that's the deal: Either leave the sword with us or walk away empty-handed. It's your call.
Noire: ...
Noire: I can't count the number of favors I've already asked of you, (Captain), but will you allow me one more?
Noire: I'm going to put my trust in "her," and I ask that you put your trust in my judgment.
Vyrn: Whoa, whoa, whoa. You're not seriously thinking about—
Noire: This is the only out I have, and I've come too far to give up now.
Noire eyes the dress longingly. She can almost feel it in her hands.
- I trust you.
- Do what you gotta do.
Choose: I trust you.Noire: ...
Thank you.
Choose: Do what you gotta do.Noire: Teehee. Good. If you end up needing to beat the sense back into me, feel free to do so.
Continue 1Vyrn: Are you positive, Miss Big Sword? 'Cause it doesn't seem like you actually wanna go through with this...
Noire: For one reason or another, I feel... compelled to see this through to the end.
Noire: Which is surprising, considering I normally would've thrown in the towel without a second thought.
Noire: So do your best...
Noire: And take care... while I'm gone...
Casino Owner: Gehehe. Your understanding is greatly appreciated. We'll handle your property with the utmost care.
Casino Owner: You two. Take this away.
Noire: Hehe... Hahaha...
Noire: Gahahaha! Finally the showdown I've been craving! The era of my reckoning has come!
Lyria: You're trying to win the dress, Noire! G-good luck!
Noire: Who do you think you're talking to, duckling? She and I are nothing alike!
Noire: Blessed with the face of a goddess!
Noire: Endowed with proportions surpassing the golden ratio!
Noire: Graced with a body of indomitability!
Noire: My almighty flesh shuns pretentious froufrou clothing! This is the real me, and I spit on a rag like that!
Noire: Oh, and another thing! You'll respectfully address me as Noire the Great! Give praise, and watch me jack up my winnings five hundred sextillion times over!
Vyrn: Yeeeah, this was a bad idea...
Noire: Stifle the wisecracks! When I do something, I do it with the fire of a hundred suns!
Noire: My deductive logic is airtight, and you're about to witness it in action. This is how a true gambler rumbles!
Noire: I call high!
Dealer: Hyuk-hyuk... Low. Tough luck.
Noire: ...
Noire: That was a practice round. This next one's going to leave you in tears.
Noire: It's high for sure this time! So high it'll burst through the roof!
Dealer: Once again the winner is low.
Noire: Hiss...
Noire: Okay, this is really pissing me off...
Noire: That's two lows in a row, so logically speaking the chances of three lows in a row is next to nothing! Show me hiiigh!
Dealer: The winner is low.
Noire: Grrr... Aiieee! Raagaghh! Guh! Guh!
Lyria: Sh-she makes strange noises when things go terribly for her?
Vyrn: I thought she liked challenges and competitions...
Vyrn: Boy, she's bad at this game. Like, monumentally bad...
Noire: This is... stupid. Absolutely stupid! It's all gone...
The speed and finality of her crushing defeat shocks Noire to her core, for not a single chip of the once massive pile remains in her coffers.
Lyria: Oh no... Poor Noire...
Dealer: (I wasn't even cheating either. Where'd that killer instinct of hers go? She's like a totally different player...)
Dealer: Hyuk-hyuk, that's gambling for you. Although luck wasn't on your side this time, our tables are always open should you wish to try again.
(Captain) reaches out a hand toward Noire to comfort the primal beast.
Noire: Fie! Who said anything about conceding! Listen up, dealer! The real battle starts here!
Dealer: Sure thing, miss. It's my job to accept challengers, so long as they have the bankroll!
Everyone: Wha?
Noire: A good old-fashioned blood duel it is! I'm talking sudden death, with our lives on the line—no raises from the grave, no new buy-ins! I'm all-in on taking your life!
Everyone: Aaaah!
Vyrn: Yikes! She's lost it! We gotta get that sword back to her pronto!
The crew members desperately search for the casino owner while at the same time avoiding Noire's rage.
Vyrn: What the! He's not here!
Noire's Voice: Your age at death will be my blackjack! And don't even bother life counting! Your chances of winning are zero!
Dealer's Voice: Noooo! But I'm only thirty-three! And I plan to live for another hundred!
Noire's Voice: You busted before we even started! Now die, low roller!
Lyria: The roof is caving in! We need to evacuate these people first!
Just as (Captain) and the others usher the last of the guests outside, the casino collapses in on itself.
Noire: This is the real definition of "no limits."
Dealer: Wh-what the hell's your problem! You've destroyed our business! What'd I ever do to you!
Lyria: Mr. Dealer! Do you know where the owner is? Or at least where the sword went?
Dealer: Eep! D-don't kill me! It was all his idea! He stole the sword and ran!
Vyrn: That no-good thief!
Dealer: I-I know, right? He used me! I was only following orders!
Lyria: We're in big trouble if we don't find him! What should we do?
Noire: Casinos are amazing. I can go head-to-head if I have money and still knock heads even if I don't!
Noire: I've got it! I'll prove I'm the best by using my skills as a mega-super limit-breaking gambler of death!
Vyrn: First we gotta find a way to tie her down or somethin'!
The crew ready their weapons and prepare to restrain Noire.
Guardsman: What in the world happened here!
Watch Captain: You people! And that woman... Is this why you were so adamant about gaining entrance to the city?
Vyrn: Shoot, it's the authorities! If they arrest us, we'll never get the sword back! Guess we gotta find it first after all, but where the heck did that owner go!
Dealer: I-I see him! Over there by that horse-drawn carriage!
Lyria: C-come on!
Noire: Time to hit up the next casino. I smell a jackpot with my name on it!
Mega-Super Gambler of Death: Scene 3
By the time the crew retrieves Noire's sword, Noire has destroyed every casino in the city. Both crew and casino personnel are arrested by the city guards. However, the guards mistakenly believe the crew were on a secret mission to take down the casinos and release them with gratitude. Based on the danger she poses, a remorseful Noire tries to leave the crew, but (Captain) welcomes her to stay.
Noire: This was the last casino.
Noire: The mega-super limit-breaking gambler of death buried her opponents and won the straight bet! She's number one!
Lyria: There's Noire!
The crew has managed to chase down and retrieve Noire's sword from the casino owner and his goons.
They pass casino ruins after casino ruins as they race back in the horse-drawn carriage.
Crooks: Noooo! Our casino empire!
Noire: The pup returns.
Noire: I'm disappointed. These low rollers were the best the world had to offer? Or maybe I've already defeated every worthy opponent there is to defeat.
Noire: That being said, it's lonely being the strongest entity in existence, so I'll keep looking for formidable competitors. For the next challenge, maybe I'll go with a super-uber-ultra rock, paper—
(Captain) interrupts the primal by flinging the giant sword as high as possible into the air and shouting a proclamation.
- Whoever catches it wins!
- Drop it and you lose!
Choose: Whoever catches it wins!Choose: Drop it and you lose!Noire: Challenge accepted!
Noire: Got it!
Noire: Gahahaha! Such a feeble toss could never defeat the likes of me!
Noire: ...
Noire: Curses!
Noire: Unh... Nrrgh... The dress...
Noire: Huh?
Noire: Th-the city!
Noire: But how? Such destruction is unfathomable... What could have possibly...
Lyria: These people have something to tell you, Noire!
The crew members bring out the tied-up casino owner and his conspirators and force them to confess their scheme.
Noire: They stole my sword because I won too much... A fitting punishment for my greedy conceit.
Vyrn: You really go with the flow, don't you? Look, it's pretty clear these punks are the bad guys.
Noire: You are so right. How about this? Let me have the dress, and I'll call it even.
Dealer: What? But all the prizes got trashed along with the casinos...
Noire: I see... Then there's nothing left but for us to meet our doom together.
Casino Owner: You're the one who smashed everything to pieces!
Guardsman: I've found them! This way!
Casino Owner: (Aha! If I play my cards right...)
Casino Owner: Guards! Look at the untold destruction these brutes have caused! Take them away! I'm the victim here! Me!
Vyrn: Hey! That's sneaky!
Noire: Wait! I will accept whatever form of punishment your laws decide to mete!
Noire: But before I'm put up for execution, please listen to me! These casino people are the ones pulling the strings!
Noire: We were swindled! You must believe me! They're the ones that should be taken away!
Watch Captain: Secure them all.
Watch Captain: Don't even think about trying anything funny!
Noire: ...
Ah, hello again, imprisonment. I hope they at least give us a quick death.
Vyrn: S-stop sayin' scary stuff...
Watch Captain: I imagine you thought you were untouchable. Enjoying the change of scenery?
Casino Owner: Damn it... I worked so hard to get the nobles to eat out of my hand!
Watch Captain: As for the rest of you, all I can say is well done. Please bear with us a little longer.
The Crew: ...?
And sure enough...
Vyrn: Gee whiz! I sure am glad that criminal organization boss got caught! E-everything went according to our plan!
Guardsman: No longer must we turn a blind eye to the wicked gambling that openly taunted us! All hail the heroes of the city!
- ...
- Thanks.
Choose: ...Choose: Thanks.Watch Captain: The perpetrators we apprehended colluded with corrupt nobles, who grew fat off illegal gambling. We couldn't lift a finger against those in power.
Guardsman: Using your status as outsiders to break up the dens of villainy was a cunning stratagem! The foresight of veteran skyfarers never ceases to amaze me!
Lyria: H-hahaha... That's right! An operation like this could have only been pulled off by total strangers like us!
Vyrn: Yes siree. We had nothing to do with those nobles whatsoever. E-everything in the name of justice!
Watch Captain: Please forgive the detention. That was merely a formality. Aside from the casinos, no other structures were lost, and no deaths were reported! It's nothing short of a miracle.
Watch Captain: Though I do question the lack of restraint in your methods...
Guardsman: Safe travels, skyfarers!
(Captain) and company proceed down a long corridor lined with saluting guardsmen and exit the castle bearing loads of gifts.
- That was... complicated.
Choose: That was... complicated.Vyrn: Eh, all's well that ends well, right?
Noire: Teehee. Now I have an entire wardrobe of dresses to choose from.
Vyrn: Who knew you were such a fashion head. Things might've worked out this time, but I'm already sick of Noire the Great!
Noire: Indeed...
Noire: It's clear to me that I can't travel with your crew after all, (Captain).
Lyria: Aww! But why!
Noire: What Vyrn said is correct. I had held out some hope that things would be different, but in the end, I'm just not good at anything.
Noire: I would only be a magnet for bad luck. Nothing pleasant can come of associating with this troublesome primal beast.
Noire: So it's okay to sever ties with me. I'll continue my search... Alone...
Vyrn: Sigh... You really know how to get into our heads.
Noire: Huh?
(Captain) faces the downcast primal and emphatically encourages her to stay.
Vyrn: Yeah. Our ship's already home to crazier characters anyway. Addin' a primal beast with multiple personalities won't even raise an eyebrow.
Lyria: Do you think your road is going to get tougher later on? If so, maybe it'd be better for us to stick together!
Noire: ...
Noire: Why though?
Noire: What have I done to warrant your support?
- That's what friends do for each other.
Choose: That's what friends do for each other.Noire: ...
Noire: What strange mortals. Are you ready for the inevitable regret that's on the horizon?
Lyria: We're ready for all the fun that's going to happen on our journey.
Noire: Fair enough.
Noire: So when do we reach the next casino?
Vyrn: You haven't learned a thing!
Noire: Teehee...
Mega-Super Gambler of Death: Scene 4
The city yielded no clues about Noire's missing person, who was an old friend. As Noire watches the sun set from the Grandcypher's deck, her alter ego suddenly speaks up, declaring that the missing person is dead. Noire denies the claim desperately, but she's left with her alter ego's laughter ringing in her ears. Noire stares out into the sky, promising to find her missing friend.
Ultimately, the hunt for clues in the city bears little fruit.
After returning to the Grandcypher, Noire stands on the deck, watching the world dim as the sun sinks below the skyline.
Noire: I came here because I'd heard there were old remains, but what a letdown. Mortals seem to think a hundred years is old.
Noire: Friends, huh...
Noire: Am I... their friend?
Noire: Gahaha! Is this the new direction you've decided to take? Only pretending to be resigned to apathy while secretly clinging to hope?
Noire: Ack!
Noire: Don't surprise me like that. It's bad for the core!
Noire: Listen to what you're saying. Substituting your sense of loss with temporary bonds? It won't make a difference!
Noire: Maybe not, but if there's a chance these people can see me as a—
Noire: Friend? Gahaha! Why would fallen angels befriend squishy fleshbags that die at the drop of a hat!
Noire: Cut the crap! Maybe you should get some more sleep and let me run the show!
Noire: I can't do that. Not until I find them.
Noire: They're dead, you know.
Noire: ...
Noire: You're wrong.
Noire: How many thousands of times have we had this argument before? I got sick of your coping forever ago.
Noire: They're not dead!
Noire: I saw clearly that they were dead. You won't believe it unless you see it with your own two eyes, huh?
Noire: Y-you saw wrong... They're definitely still alive... somewhere...
Noire: Why are you so stubborn! How long do you plan on clinging to that weakling—
Noire: They're not weak!
Noire: Weaklings deserve what they get for being weak!
Noire: ...!
Noire: Fine. Squander your endless life floundering in vain for all I care.
Noire: And when your heart gets broken, give me a holler. I'll come out anytime. I might just do that even when you don't want me to!
The laughter of Noire's other self echoes in her ears until it cedes to the roar of rushing wind.
Noire: You're out there somewhere. And I promise I'll find you.
She silently embraces the giant sword as if to flee from her deepest fear. In a whisper, she utters a subdued plea.
Noire: Wait for me, my partner.
The fallen angel Noire is directionless in this endless expanse of blue, yearning to reunite with a missing friend.
She stares into the rift between fading day and encroaching night, thinking how much it reminds her of the unfillable void in her heart.
