Part 87: [continued]

VLR OST: [Eeriness]

Listen in: [English/Japanese]






You chose "betray" last time!
So I... chose "betray" too...
No... Why...


W-Wait a minute.
Last time?


What on Earth are you talking about?


...


...


Um... Can you tell me one thing?


What?




Five minutes before the deadline.
There's that announcement, right? I pressed it right after that.


Why?


What...? No, that can't...






The best way to minimize risk and maximize reward in this situation is to choose "betray".


Anyone who thinks otherwise is... well... An idiot.



But this time I chose "betray", and her vote changed to "ally".
Why...? What was different?
Had history somehow changed because of my choice?

No, that was insane.
If Alice had somehow known that I had chosen "betray" and chosen "ally" in response, at least that would have followed the principle of cause and effect.

But what had just happened was something entirely different.
There was no way Alice could have known what we would choose when she made her decision.
Besides, if she had known we intended to betray her, there's no way she would have chosen "ally".
In other words, she must have made her decision without any knowledge of ours.

Let's say we're talking about a game of rock, paper, scissors.



I throw out a rock.



Right after that, Alice throws down paper.

Obviously, I lose.
So I go back in time and decide to whip out the scissors this time.



This time Alice chooses rock.

I lose again.
But that's fine 'cause it still makes sense.
My actions in the past caused Alice's actions in the future.
Easy.

But what had just happened in the AB Game wasn't like that.

Let's go back to that innocent game of rock, paper, scissors.



This time, Alice is the one who threw out her hand first.
But in this situation, there's no way for me to know what it is.
So I decide to go with rock.



Now Alice's choice is revealed.
Turns out she went with...



...Paper.

Damnit! I lose, and I'm pissed off.
So once again I go back in time to try and change history and erase my loss.



What will I choose this time? That's not even a question.
Scissors, obviously.
After all, last time Alice went with paper...

Here's the important part: When I make this choice, Alice has already made her choice.

Sure of my victory, I throw out a pair of scissors.

But...



What the hell?! My rage would be white-hot.

How could this have happened?! Why?!
Alice's hand had been paper before--how did it change to rock?!

Obviously there's no cause and effect here.
Since Alice's choice was in the past, and mine was in the "future".

How could that even happen? How could the future influence the past?

But...



It wasn't theoretical now.
This had actually happened.
What the hell was going on?

...No, wait... wait!
Wait wait wait wait wait!



Right... of course.
Time travel is impossible.
There is absolutely, positively, no way to travel through time...

But...
If that was true...






Anyone who thinks otherwise is... well... An idiot.



Listen in: [English/Japanese]




O-Oh... Sorry...


Besides, why do I have to answer your questions?!
I should be the one yelling at you!
Because of you two, I've only got 1 BP left!


Yeah... You're right.


"You're right"?
What in God's name is wrong with you?!


I'm sorry...
Really, I seriously feel terrible about this...


Forget it.
I'm never going to trust you or Phi again. You'll pay for this...





Listen in: [English/Japanese]




We had no idea you would choose "ally"...


No way I'd choose "betray".
_{Not with Clover on the other side...}


What...? What do you mean?


Do you have an... interest in Clover?


Wh-What?! No! That's not--no!


What is it then?


Well... um...


You'd have to be crazy to pick "ally".
The only way it'd make any sense to do that is if you really, really trusted the other person.


So you're saying you don't trust me, then?




Why the hell would I trust some old geezer I just met a few hours ago?!


...
Ah. I see. Say no more.
_{Didn't think it'd hurt this much...}


Huh? What's that supposed to mean?
You're starting to get kinda creepy.


_{Heh. Creepy, huh...}


I understand.
I guess I just haven't had enough time to earn your trust?


Um... I suppose you could say that.
_{I just... didn't really expect you to be so... nice about it.}


Well, it looks like those guys managed to get through this all right.
Figure that means the fault here's gotta be mine.


Huh...?




Don't worry about it.
We only did what anybody else would do.
Right Mr. Dio?


Y-Yeah... Exactly.







And then Alice asks about the next round and all that stuff happens.

We don't get a pause in the middle this time because we've already had a version of this scene with Alice and Tenmyouji on 1BP.

Sigma has his flashback and mopes a bit...



...And prepares to wander around.