Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward Part #109

Part 109: [continued]

VLR OST: [Eeriness]

Listen in: [English/Japanese]

Wh-Why did you and Phi d-do that...?

All we had to do was choose "ally" three times, and we could all escape together...
After this we only would have n-needed two more rounds and we would have all had 9 points...
But now we...

I hung my head.
There was no way I could look her in the eye and try to explain what I'd done.

What...?

There's a way to get out faster.
If you're successful twice with "betray", you'll get 3 points each time, which gives you 6.

That means you'll have 9 BP after the 2nd AB game.

I know that.
Is that why you chose "betray"? So you can escape before the rest of us?

Hey, don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to get out first or anything.

Just wanted to have a little leverage.

How is leverage supposed to help you?

Well, I was planning on getting out of here with everybody else any--

Listen in: [English/Japanese]

What were you thinking?!

I'm sorry Alice...
I didn't think you'd choose "ally"...

What?! You really think I'd betray you?!

Well, no, that's what I thought at first...

But K told you to choose "betray", didn't he?

Yes, I did. I was sure you would vote similarly.

Is that so? You never considered that we might choose to betray you?

What...?

Clover would never choose that, of course.

But what if I was your sole opponent?
I understand it might seem... strange of me to say this, but who would trust a man who hides his face?
If I were in your position, I would be quite certain my masked opponent would choose "betray".

Yes she was, but if I'd chosen to end an argument by force, do you think she would have had any chance?
I was certain you'd choose "betray" for that very reason.

So that was why you did it?

Yes.

After he explained his thinking to me, I thought he had a good point...

...
It's all right. I understand.

I'm so sorry...

I apologize. This is very unfortunate.

The past is the past, there's no point complaining about it.
I'll just have to try and get those points back in the next AB Game...

Of note: While the outcomes for the other six players don't change in this path, what does change is the order in which Sigma pays attention to their arguments. We only caught the resolution of this one last time because Sigma was distracted by Dio, Quark and Tenmyouji, while this time, it's the other way around.

That was when I finally noticed Dio, Quark and Tenmyouji.

This group of lines is identical to before.

It looked like things hadn't gone as planned for the other teams either.
Nonetheless, we all seemed to have reached some sort of truce.

And so we sit through this spiel for the fifth time. On this go-round, it's of course Alice, Tenmyouji and Luna who get called out as being maybe about to die - plus of course Zero pokes Phi about knowing the rules in advance.

As was the case with the ally/betray branches on the cyan path, the groups colours remain the same. So, Sigma and Alice are the Cyan Pair, Clover is the Cyan Solo, Tenmyouji and Quark are the Magenta Pair, K is the Magenta Solo, Dio and Phi are the Yellow Pair and Luna is the Yellow Solo.

Anyway, lectures are given, Sigma mopes, and then we do the rounds for the second time for the second time. Or is it the first time for the fifth time? Depends how you categorize, I suppose.

999 OST: [Riddle and Puzzle]

In the Lounge, Dio and Alice discover the astronomy magazine and the Radical-6 article and realize that no one knows the date.

Listen in: [English/Japanese]

Okay. I think I'll go look around a bit more, then. I've already spent plenty of time here anyway.

Alice and I are going to stick around. You know, just in case you missed something.
_{Don't really feel like I can trust your eyes...}

Whatever.

In the Infirmary, K, Quark and Phi wonder about the old woman, and K shows them the lock in his armour.

VLR OST: [Anxiousness]

In the Crew Quarters, Sigma wonders what the deal is with Quark and Tenmyouji, then Luna and Clover comes in and Clover tells them about how she totally isn't a secret agent.

Listen in: [English/Japanese]

What...? Time to...

It's past time! We gotta go!

Ya think?

Oh...
I guess we'll just have to continue this later. We need to get back to the doors!

Shit... I guess you're right. Let's go!

VLR OST: [Strain]

Cut to the group arriving just as the doors open.

Listen in: [English/Japanese]

S-Sorry.

An apology is not going to cut it! I can't go through that door without you!
Zero said we'd get penalized if we didn't go through the primary door before it closed.
Are you trying to kill me?

N-No! Of course not.
I thought you didn't need a partner to get through the primary doors, though...

Are you kidding me?! Think it through, Sigma!

Now what?!
Now you're stuck is what!
Without the right number of bracelets, the secondary door won't open! Do you understand?!

There'd be no way to open either door, huh?
_{Man, that sounds even worse than getting your lungs turned off...}

...

As you can see, the primary doors have already opened.
We must hurry and decide who will be going through which door, and with whom.

We're almost out of time. I'll just explain it as fast as I can.
Just like before, there are only three possible combinations.

The options Phi laid out for us were the following:

Listen in: [English/Japanese]

I'm not going with K. I had enough of that last time, thank you very much.

Oh dear... Seems I'm not wanted.

Huh? M-Me...?

Need someone gullible for the next round?

_{Hey. Shut up. Aren't you my partner?}

Maybe, but I don't want her to think that means I agree with you.

And Dio, you betrayed Tenmyouji...

Oh, come on! Didn't I tell you?
It was Quark who--

Anyway, Phi and I won't be choosing "betray" this time.
Your BP's 1 right now, isn't it?
If you choose "ally" and we choose "betray", what would it be?

...-1...
I'd die.

I didn't want to say it straight out, but... yeah.
We're not gonna go that far just to get out of here.
Right, Phi?

...Yeah.

...

Then I'm going to take a chance on you.

Luna... Are you sure about this?

Yes. I've made up my mind.

Since it looks like Alice is pretty determined...

Yes I am.

I'm totally good with that.

What I did to Alice last time was really bad...
I want to try and make up for it.

That means each group is going through a complementary door.

Sigma, Alice and Clover are going through the red door.
Tenmyouji, Quark and K are going through the green door.
And finally, Dio, Luna and I are going through the blue door.

Any objections?

If there were any objections, there was no time for them.

The announcer's voice filled the room as we ran for our doors.

[Music fades out]

Three... Two... One...
Zero.
Chromatic Doors closing.

VLR OST: [Placidity]

Listen in: [English/Japanese]

There are three doors...
But it looks like they're all locked.

Well, it's got a lever...

Could you pull that, Sigma?

Sure.

It opened the door on the right.

Hmm. That seems kind of weird.
I mean, why just that one?
What about the other two?

...

Details, details. Hardly seems important to me.
They gave us a way forward, I say we take it.
Come along now.

Without waiting for a response, Alice strode off toward the open door.
Clover and I hurried to follow.

What, no comedy routine this time?