Nine-Night Tales/Story

Overview • Story

The Nine-Night Tales event is the story of Nikki being sent back in time by Xiao Zong to compete in the Nine Day War. It directly succeeds when Xiao Zong asks Nikki to return to the Nine-Day War at the end of V2: Chapter 4 Silent Forest. It is unclear whether most of the events depicted in it actually occurred, as Xiao Zong reveals at the end that it was all an illusion.

Darkness[]

Nikki and Momo find themselves in a strange place after defeating Xiao Zong, who had asked them to go back to the Nine-Day War. While Nikki seems to recall fragments of some vision, a strange voice challenges Nikki and they are enveloped in a bright light...

(Pitch dark.)
(Those bamboo leaves in the moonlight are nowhere to be found now as if they are all devoured.)

(Only pitch black darkness is left. It devoured everything.)
Nikki: ...
(Seemingly the sound of the sea, but when Nikki tries to catch it, it is gone.)
Nikki: (What's it... Where is this place?)
(Some bright pictures flash but quickly vanish, leaving only the vision of waves.)
(Like what has been forgotten but suddenly remembered again, strong but blur.)
Nikki: (...Was it... sea?)
Momo: Nikki! Are you alright, Nikki?
Nikki: Momo? I'm fine...
Momo: But you didn't respond no matter how I called you. It's scary!
Nikki: I seem to have had a strange dream...
Momo: Is it that we were lost in a bamboo forest, then some bad guy came out and asked you to go back to the Nine-Day War?
Momo: After you managed to defeat him, you were devoured by something very dark?
Nikki: Eh? How can you know everything...
Momo: Because it's not a dream! After we were devoured by the dark thing summoned by the guy, we ended up here!
Nikki: What!? So we are still in its belly now?
Momo: I guess not... It's not like any living thing!
Momo: We must be moved to another place! I knew it. That bad guy won't let us go even if we have defeated him.
Nikki: But why does he want us back to Nine-Day War? Why does he want the relic of King Sayet?
Momo: Does he want to research the Blood Curse with King Sayet's relics?
Nikki: Maybe, or maybe there is something more...
Momo: Something more... Anyway, Momo doesn't like that man!
Nikki: No matter what he is after, I won't let him get it! I'll-

'Stop the war. Save the world?'

(Suddenly, a voice resonates in the dark zone.)
Momo: Who?! Who's talking?
Nikki: This voice...

'Come on.'

(The voice doesn't come from somewhere else. It's inside Nikki's mind!)

'Even if I give you the chance. What can you do?'

Nikki: ... What?
(A dazzling light suddenly rises and fills the whole place in an instant.)
(Nikki closes her eyes.)

Opportunity[]

Nikki finds herself on a stage in front of a huge crowd. Although disoriented, she joins the styling battle and wins the match, but sees illusions. She and Momo exit the building and ask around, realizing they are eight years in the past in Rolterdan, during the Nine-Day War. That night, Nikki decides she will win the Nine-Day War to prevent the relics from falling into the wrong hands, and to find Bobo...

(When she opens her eyes again, it's like a morning after a long long dream.)
(Feels unreal and tiresome.)
Momo: What now! Have we been moved to somewhere else again?
(Nikki and another strange girl are standing on the narrow glass stage. Around them are a great number of audience. Some of them show expectation, others bear complicated spite.)
(In the warm spotlight, the waves of discussion are getting Nikki anxious.)
???: Let's begin! The theme is--
Nikki: ...A contest?
Momo: Are we in some kind of match? This bad guy just doesn't stop.
???: [School Ball] !
(After it's announced, the opponent girl starts dressing, but Nikki is standing still.)
Nikki: What's happening...
???: This player, please dress up before the time is up.
(The discussion is getting louder and louder, seemingly taunting Nikki's weakness.)
Momo: Nikki, just dress up! It's such a weird place. Do what others do and cause no more attention!
Nikki: ...Fine.

Concluding Dialogue[]

Momo: Nikki, you are so great!
Momo: Though we have no idea why we are doing this...
Nikki: I seemed to have an illusion when I was competing with her...
Momo: Illusion? What illusion?
Nikki: Feels like some old photos... They just flash and I only remember in the picture, the people are all frowning angrily.
Momo: ...Nikki?
Nikki: Eh?
Momo: You are not going crazy, right? Though we are terribly framed by the guy, you gotta hang on!
Nikki: I think I'm fine... But those... I don't know. Maybe I was a bit dizzy.
(Nikki takes a little card and leaves the strange place with Momo.)
Nikki: This is... Promotion Token? The person who gave me the card told me to come back tomorrow...
Momo: Yeah, like we want to. Nikki, let's find how to get back now!
(Nikki looks back at the tall building behind, then she puts the card into the pocket.)
(Nikki and Momo ask people around when they walk, but they only get more confused.)
Momo: Year 672, New Era? Rolterdan? King Sayet's death? Are we going back to the past!
Nikki: No wonder we feel this place familiar...
Nikki: We came here before!
Momo: If it's true... Then the competition just now is...
Nikki: ...The Nine-Day War.
(As night paves the streets, Nikki and Momo find a tavern to rest.)
Momo: Xiao Zong really got us back to the Nine-Day War! There is such an incredible person in Miraland? Momo just doesn't buy it. This whole place must be an illusion!
Nikki: But it doesn't seem so... Momo, do you still remember this tavern?
Momo: Feels a little familiar... Eh? This bed- Is it the tavern we lived in when we came to Rolterdan with Ace?
Nikki: Yes...
Momo: Look at its age, it does feel like reality... Such detail...
Momo: So we really came to the past? Rolterdan eight years ago?! But if he can send us here, why doesn't he come back?
Nikki: He said, only I can do it...
Momo: You mean winning the Rose Chest? But didn't Queen Elle and some Hostess win the relics? What's in it for Nikki?
Nikki: I have no idea either...
Xiao Zong: Go back to Nine-Day War and win Rose Chests for me, then I will set your partners in the illusion free and heal that elf.
Nikki: No, he won't get what he wants!
Momo: Nikki, that's right. Now let's find a way to go back!
Nikki: No, I'll join the Nine-Day War!
Momo: ...Ah?! What are you talking about, Nikki? Wouldn't that be what the man wants exactly?
Nikki: Momo, you remember that I saw King Sayet's illusion in the chest? He told me to seek the 3 paths lost in the land and complete the poem in the rosebud.
Nikki: All the answers are there! So I have to go! I will get the relics before anyone else! So no bad guys will lay their hands on it! And, I will find Bobo...
Nikki: I will find Bobo...
Momo: Nikki...
(On that night, Nikki finds it very hard to fall asleep. She thinks over and over and only sleeps when day breaks.)

Fall[]

Nikki decides to join despite the risks involved, but sees more sad illusions after winning. The venue is thrust into darkness as they deal with an unknown intruder, and Nikki and Momo realize how different and how much darker the Miraland of the past is compared to the one they knew...

(The next day)
Momo: Nikki, are you sure?
(Nikki is standing where she was yesterday, right under the light, her forehead coated with a thin layer of sweat.)
Nikki: Hmm.
(The breathing is getting heavier. The coarse discussion rises again and tortures the eardrum.)
Momo: But Nikki, do you remember what happened to the participants of the Nine-Day War?
Nikki: Lose sense and important memory.
Momo: So we won't do it! There must be some other methods! Momo doesn't want to see you become a robot like those people!
(Nikki clutches her fists.)
Nikki: Momo, there might be other ways to save Bobo. But here is the chance, if I get the relics, I could know the secret inside and I would be able to help many many people!
Nikki: Rest assured. My memories are my treasures. I will never forget.
Nikki: And I will return all the memories and dreams to those people in Miraland... I won't forget it!
Momo: Alright... Nikki, go! Momo believes you can do it!
Host: Let's begin! Theme is [Fashion Show] !
Nikki: I will win.

Concluding Dialogue[]

Momo: Great! You won! Nikki, we--
Momo: Eh? Nikki, what happened?
Nikki: I seemed to have illusions again...
Momo: During the contest?
Nikki: Yes, those old photos are moving...
Nikki: It's a woman. More and more people came to her. Some left and some came. In the end, fewer people were there.
Nikki: She changed from a little girl to a granny. Many places are changed.
Nikki: The last photo, the granny full of wrinkles was sitting in a wheelchair. She was caressing a jade bracelet. She was all alone...
Momo: That's a sad story... But what is it? A second time? It didn't happen before, right?
Nikki: Um, yes. I think this could be the reason for people losing memory during the Nine-Day War.
Momo: Highly possible! Nikki, when you were competing, Momo seemed to see something too...
Nikki: Eh?
Momo: It looks like a beach and sea, and two blur figures.
Nikki: Beach and sea? I saw it too before we came to that dark place...
(Suddenly the doors of the venue were closed and the lights on the stage went dim.)
Host: Ladies and gentlemen, please stay where you are. Rolterdan is invaded by an unknown party. The venue is temporarily shut down and will be open again when the crisis ends.
(The lights go dimmer and dimmer until it's pitch dark. But the players and audience don't seem surprised by at all.)
Nikki: It seems that all the stories were true. Nine-Day War is not only a war of styling contests for King Sayet's relics. The whole land is in chaos.
Momo: These people are so disgusting! To get the relics, they don't hesitate to use force, wage wars! Even Blood Curse cannot stop them. It's no different from our world.
Nikki: The greatest designer of this age has fallen, yet people only care about what he left behind. Such an irony...
(Nikki and Momo both fall into a silent depression.)
(But people around are still talking like nothing happens. They talk about the war in various places, the crime committed in broad daylight, the crowded train to Rolterdan.)
(Then, the gate of the venue opens again.)
(The noisy crowd soon gets quiet. They all raise their hands to block the dazzling light.
(Light embraces everyone, but some of them just get more used to the darkness.)

Window[]

Momo tells Nikki about the rules and they are confused, as the event would take eight days rather than the nine like the name says. When the battle starts, Nikki sees another vision. A sickly girl is arguing with a woman, and Nikki feels like it is a memory rather than an illusion. After the battle, Nikki deduces that the memories are terrible ones that people lost during the Nine-Day War, but even so, those memories should not be forgotten. She resolves to help the others who seem troubled by their past...

(Third day)
(Under the familiar incandescent light, Nikki and her opponent are waiting for the theme to be announced.)
Momo: Nikki, Momo just went to check the rules. There are many players at the beginning, but the levels are low on average. With some luck, we can pass smoothly!
Momo: After the knockout stage, there is a score race. Every player will have 3 opponents and every time you compete twice. After 6 matches, the player with the highest total scores wins!
Momo: Sounds simple, right?
Nikki: It sounds clear, but without enough power, you can never get the first place in the point race. Actually, I'm wondering, 5 days plus 3 days, that's 8 days right?
Momo: Hey! Right! Why there are 8 days in the Nine-Day War?
Nikki: Except for us, nobody knows this match will be named the Nine-Day War. But if it lasts 8 days, it wouldn't be named Nine-Day War, right?
Momo: A bit complicated... But it's correct. Something must be wrong!
Host: Let's begin! The theme is [Elegant Date] !
Momo: Ah, time to compete! Nikki, focus!
(When Nikki prepares to get started, she suddenly smells a strong smell of disinfectant.)
(Wind somehow rises in the closed venue. Fluttering white curtain blocks her view and when it falls, Nikki finds herself in a white room.)
Nikki: This feeling again...
(There are only a bed and a little table in the room. On the bed lies a little girl wearing a hat, her face pale like the wall behind her.)
(She is staring at the window with white curtain. There is a bird there. She seems indifferent.)
(The picture lasts for several seconds, then a middle-aged woman comes.)
???: It's just several days! You won't die!
(She angrily roars to the girl. The girl becomes agitated too.)
Girl: Several days? I believed in you. But now it's been a whole month! It's not your life or my brother's life, so you don't care at all!
???: Aren't you alright now? Why all the drama? Ya, your little brother will need much more than you. Cannot you be more considerate? You are the elder sister!
Ya: Considerate? Who would consider my life?!
(The quarrel gets louder and louder. It floods into Nikki's ears like the tide.)
Nikki: Please stop...
(The whole walls and ground are shaking. The whole room rumbles with the quarrel.)
(The sound of slapping is loud, but it is soon submerged in the rumble. The whole room is breaking apart in the violent shaking.)
(Nikki falls to the ground. When she looks up, she sees Ya's hands on the throat of the woman.)
Nikki: Stop! Ya!
(*Rumble)
(The walls and floor split open in an instant. From the seams of the bricks, Nikki sees ya's hand reaching out of the window.
(Then everything collapses, then vanishes. Ya and the woman are gone.)
(Nikki opens her eyes.)
Momo: Nikki, is everything okay? The match is going on. Why are you in a daze?
Nikki: I...
Momo: You are having illusions again?
Nikki: No, it's no illusion! It feels like someone's memory...
Momo: Memory? So these strange things are really related to the memory loss!
Host: This player, please dress up before the time is up.
Host: Hey? You again?
Momo: Darn, Nikki, enough of talking! Hurry up!

Concluding Dialogue[]

Momo: Nikki, why do you look unhappy? You are the winner!
Nikki: Because I feel the girl who was competing with me looks like the girl name Ya in the memory... Is she...
Momo: Is she Ya?
Nikki: Am I seeing the memories of my opponents?
Momo: It could be. Hey! Is it the memory they lost during the Nine-Day War?
Nikki: Actually, all those memories I saw seem to be bad... depressing. Ya did something terrible in the memory.
Momo: Really? If the Nine-Day War helps people forget some terrible memories, it could be a good things?
Nikki: But I think, good or bad, memories are a part of life.
Nikki: It's not like that these memories should be forgotten. Instead, those who have painful memories should be helped when they are in need!
Nikki: If someone had helped them, those bad things would have not happened. And they could be better people!
Nikki: That I can see these memories is proof that they are troubled by these memories. Maybe I can help them!
Momo: Nikki, I know you are trying to make things right, but this could be risky.
Nikki: When I was trying to talk with Ya today, my memory was interrupted. But in the end, I saw something...
Nikki: I hope Ya could find herself. I'll try no matter what risk is out there!
Momo: Now that you say so... Let's give it a try!
Nikki: Um! I'll try tomorrow!

Friendship[]

Nikki sees a vision of two young men on a beach, vowing to be the greatest designer. In this round, when Nikki enters the memory, she tries to help her opponent find her dog, but is too late. After remembering what it felt like when she nearly lost Momo, Nikki breaks down into tears...

(Fourth Day)
(Seawater tirelessly pats the beach, leaving patches of brilliant sunshine.)
(Two young men, bare-footed, are lying on the beach, enjoying the sunshine and seawater. They look drowsy.)
Nikki: Beach... Seawater...
(The two young men are holding something tightly in their hands.)
(When Nikki tries to approach to see clearly, a wave of hot wind blows over.)
('Tick Tick')
(The music box plays and it gradually covers the sound of seawater.)
(The sea becomes blurry like an oil painting, the faces of the two young men too.)

'To be the greatest designer? That sounds cool.'

'Then let's compete to see who can be there first!'

Momo: Nikki! Don't zone out! Style a suit for the theme now!
Momo: The theme is [Wind of Grace] . The host is staring at you again!
Nikki: Fine...

Concluding Dialogue[]

Momo: Nikki, do you see anything this time?
Nikki: ...Momo, do you still remember when you first left my home?
Momo: That's years ago! Why are you suddenly talking about those embarrassing things!
Nikki: You were not mine at that time. You were a little wild cat who hanged around my yard.
Nikki: But I talked with you every day. You are the one I can tell anything I want to. We became good friends.
Nikki: So when you disappeared, I was so worried.
Nikki: I searched and searched and when I finally found you in a corner, I was so happy... Your breath was so weak but luckily I didn't lose you.
Momo: Haha, then you put on this cape for me! You said so you would not mistake me for other cats!
Momo: But Nikki, why did you become so sentimental all of a sudden?
Nikki: Because I saw Mulberry's memory... Her beloved dog went lost. We searched everywhere in the town to find it...
Momo: Nikki, you can actually join in their memory?!
Nikki: Hmm.
Momo: What happened later?
Nikki: We found her dog. It's named Yoyo, a lovely yellow dog...
Momo: That's great!
Nikki: But... at that time, Yoyo was already...
Momo: ...
Nikki: When Mulberry took Yoyo up from the sewer, she caressed its head and said, 'Yoyo, let's go home.'
Nikki: But she froze after taking several steps and said, 'I'm homeless now.'
Momo: How could this happen... Mulberry lost her home and Yoyo at the same time?
Nikki: No, they were wandering in the town when she was little. They are each other's 'home'...
Momo: ...Poor little Mulberry! It's not fair!
Nikki: I really feel for her. When we were looking for Yoyo, I kept telling Mulberry that everything would be alright and we would find it...
Nikki: I know the feeling of finding a lost loved one. You feel really lucky and grateful. I thought Mulberry would feel the same thing.
Nikki: I thought... I could help.
Nikki: But I cannot do anything... You know, Momo, she didn't cry but her tears kept flowing...
Momo: Nikki...
Nikki: I cannot imagine what it would be like if I lose Momo. I cannot imagine what kind of pain Mulberry is suffering... I cannot do anything...
(Nikki covers her eyes with her hands. Tears flow down through her fingers.)

Oath of Cangwu[]

Nikki joins her opponent to find her brother, who is away defending a city. Her opponent sends her away on horseback when it is too dangerous to continue, but Nikki falls off and hurts her leg, prompting her opponent to stop and take care of her overnight. When they arrive on the front lines, they learn her brother died just last night and Nikki is crushed by guilt...

(Day 5)
Nikki: ...Yaozan, are you sure about this?
Qi Yaozan: Yes, I've decided.
(The roaring wind in the mountains blows Qi's clothes and her hair ornament. The rising sun coats her with a golden layer.)
(She is looking into remote mountains. She seems to be thinking of what's beyond.)
Nikki: But... Even if you can reach Cangwu City safely. The front extends thousands of miles. It's literally impossible to find your brother.
Qi Yaozan: Nikki, I have to go.
(Qi Yaozan looks back, her eyes so firm that they don't seem to belong to a girl who led a refined lifestyle.)
Qi Yaozan: Family Qi has been the loyal guardian of the Empire for generations. My father was a general that protected Luoyan City for 30 years. He was a good friend of respected General Yue.
Qi Yaozan: My second elder brother was guarding the country's border. He died in defending the enemy's invasion.
Qi Yaozan: One month ago, Cangwu City was invaded and my elder brother was dispatched to reinforce. But the situation went south. The city fell and my brother was out of contact.
Qi Yaozan: Family Qi will not avoid the duty to fight, even die, for the country, but he's been gone for 10 years and the whole family misses him so much.
Qi Yaozan: His favorite food is braised pork with brown sauce made by mom. He loves fighting in the martial hall. He made the swing for me. At least... I have to take his body back.
Nikki: Ok... I see. Let me go with you. I can help you!
Qi Yaozan: Thank you Nikki. The horses are ready. Let's go.
(Nikki and Qi go along the Tyr Mountains and by sunset, they see the camp on the front.)
Qi Yaozan: Nikki, It'll be fine here. It will be too dangerous ahead. I cannot let you take the risk with me.
Nikki: No! You know it's dangerous. How can I let you go alone?
(Qi doesn't respond. She blows a whistle and the horse taking Nikki turns back and starts trotting.)
Nikki: What's happening?! Yaozan!
(Nikki cannot stop the running horse. She can only try hard to pull back the bridle.)
(After a loud horse roar, Nikki falls onto the ground and rolls to the foot of the mountain.)
(Qi, who was heading toward, turns around after hearing the sound. She rides back to NIkki.)
Qi Yaozan: Nikki! Are you alright!?
Nikki: I... I'm fine. But I don't think I can walk anymore...
Qi Yaozan: You hurt your leg. Let me give you a hand. We will find you a doctor.
(Qi Yaozan helps Nikki onto the horseback, then she steps on her horse too.)
Nikki: Yaozan, sorry, I didn't expect things to go like this. I can find a doc myself. You shouldn't waste your time here.
Qi Yaozan: We'll find a doctor first. If it's not for me, you wouldn't hurt.
(The war has made many citizens in Cangwu City become refugees. When they find a doctor, it's already midnight.)
(The two spend the night in the clinic.)
(Though suggested by the doctor to rest, the two step on the way to Cangwu city in the early morning.)
Nikki: The front should be very near. Why are there so few soldiers?
Qi Yaozan: There were not many troops garrisoned here. Even with reinforcement, it would still be difficult to resist the attack.
Qi Yaozan: Most soldiers should be at the front at the moment. And taking back the city yesterday must have cost a lot. So very few are left.
Nikki: Let's go check out the front.
(The two go to the supply base behind the front and ask about Qi's brother.)
(His name seems well known among the soldiers, but when they know it's his sister asking, they stop talking.)
(But a very thin soldier leads them to a tent.)
(A person was lying there. Before Nikki could see his face, Qi is running over.)
Qi Yaozan: Brother!!!
Soldier: This is his sister...
(After the soldier taking them here introduced Qi Yaozan, the tent went all silent. Then the surgeon spoke.)
Military Surgeon: Dear, Mr. Qi... just left us last night.
(Nikki's heart suddenly misses a beat. She sees Qi Yaozan's body freezes.)
Nikki: Last night....
Military Surgeon: He swore to guard the city with his life. He kept his word and took the city back. He's a real man, a real hero!
Military Surgeon: I'm sorry for your loss...
Qi Yaozan: Brother, it's been ten years, and I cannot be there for you even for a second...
Qi Yaozan: I don't want you to be a hero. I just want you to be safe...
(Qi Yaozan holds the cold hands, eyes red and tears flowing down constantly.
Nikki: Yaozan... Sorry, it's my fault...
Momo: Nikki? Nikki!
Nikki: Momo...
(The hazy light reminds Nikki of where she is, but the suffocating feeling is telling her what happened was not merely a dream.)
Momo: Nikki, you don't look very well... But let's finish the contest first! The theme is [Naughty Princess] , hurry!

Short Hair I[]

Nikki is depressed after feeling like she made things worse yesterday, but with Momo's encouragement she presses on. However, she is unable to enter the memories of her opponent for the next match...

(Day 6)
Momo: Nikki, you have not been yourself since the match yesterday. What did you see in your opponent's memory?
Nikki: I really want to help Yaozan... But in the end, I didn't help and I made things even worse...
Momo: ...It's okay, Nikki. It's just memories, things that happened in the past. It won't change anything if you help or not. Don't worry about it.
Nikki: Momo, do you remember? The memories I saw probably are those lost during the Nine-Day War. If I can change their impression of these memories, maybe I can...
Momo: ...prevent them from disappearing?
Nikki: Hm, I think so. I really want to be the one to help them! But I...
Momo: Nikki, don't give up! We still have a chance!
Momo: Today's the sixth day of the contest, the first day of the score race, so we got 4, no, 3 days based on the current rule!
Momo: We can try out, Nikki! Momo may not be able to see those memories, but I will stand behind you all the time!
Nikki: Momo...
(Nikki pats her face then shakes her head to get herself cheered up.)
Nikki: Yes, I will try my best!
(The light on the stage suddenly brightens up. Nikki now sees clearly the one standing before her.
(A very young short-hair girl who is answering Nikki's smile with coldness.)
Host: The first round begins. The theme is [Unique Elegance] !
(The short hair is starting picking clothes while Nikki is still staring at her.)
Nikki: Momo, don't you think she is a bit like me?
Momo: What? I cannot see that...
Momo: But... Her hairstyle does look a bit like yours when you were a kid.
Nikki: ...
(The white fog rises and dissipates. The vision shifts between clear and dim.)
('Stay away!')
('I don't want this!')
Nikki: Momo...
Momo: What is it?
Nikki: I cannot enter her memory...
Momo: Ah? That's strange. You went in so smoothly before. I couldn't wake you up at all!
Momo: Let's start styling first! Maybe we can try again while we dress up. And we got the second match too. Don't push yourself!
Nikki: Fine.

Short Hair II[]

On the second round, Nikki seizes the opportunity to enter the memory. She encourages her opponent to try accepting a new family and to believe in her self-worth. But after the time skip, Nikki finds out things have not gone well for her opponent...

Momo: How's it going?
Nikki: No good, but I can feel the memory that bothers her.
Host: The second match is [Intellectual Lady] !
Momo: Now?! No time to rest at all!
('Don't go...')
Nikki: I can see her memory now, this I guess I can do it!
Momo: Maybe she's dropping her guard while she dresses up! Nikki, now!
Nikki: Yes!
(For the first time, the thick fog makes Nikki feel relaxed. A voice passes over.)
???: Beka, from today, you are the family of theirs.
???: This is your new mom and dad.
(A little girl is standing before Nikki with her back to her. Her long hair is soft and glossy. She looks like a pretty doll.)
(A couple is squatting before her. They look at her tenderly and reach out for her.)
???: Beka, sweet girl. Come, let's go home!
Beka: You are not mom and dad.
(The woman's smile turns stiff for a moment, but she soon regains herself and looks at Beka in a merciful look.)
Beka: Why don't they want me anymore?
???: Beka, be a nice girl.
Beka: Why!
(Beka pushes away the hand reaching for her and runs outside the house. Nikki chases up.
Nikki: Beka!

Concluding Dialogue[]

Nikki: Beka, what are you doing?
Beka: None of your business.
Nikki: Your hair is so beautiful. You don't have to cut it.
Beka: I said, none of your business!
Nikki: Fine, let me cut it for you. As an exchange, can you share your story with me?
(Nikki takes over Beka's scissors and sits behind her.)
Beka: ...You saw it. My parents don't want me anymore.
Nikki: Maybe they encountered... some kind of problem?
(Nikki manages a smile to Beka.)
Beka: No! They just don't want me! Why should I be with others? I'm not their family!
Nikki: Maybe you should try to accept them. They could be very nice people.
Beka: How can I know if they will not dump me again?
(Nikki cannot answer the question of Beka. Like those questions when she asked herself at down times.)
Beka: Am I... that annoying?
(Beka's voice almost coincides with the voice inside Nikki's heart, stirring the waves and conceiving a storm.)
Nikki: Not at all... Beka, you are a good girl. Don't doubt yourself.
(Beka looks back at Nikki, her eyes very complicated.)
(Nikki looks at her eyes, suddenly cornered by diffidence.)
(Nikki closes her eyes and shakes her head. When she opens her eyes again, she finds herself in the center of the street.)
(Beautiful houses along the street. Women in couples walk by chatting casually. Kids mess around.)
(Nikki walks forward, searching for Beka.)
Boy A: A kid nobody wants!
Boy B: Yeah! A kid of trash!
Beka: No...
(Beka's coarse voice passes over from behind a house. Nikki hurries over.)
Beka: No... I...
(Nikki splits aside two kids in front of her and finds Beka in messy short hair.)
(Her originally white face is painted with strange funny patterns, which were muddled with tears. Her clothes were in a mess and one of her shoes is gone.)
(Beka looks at Nikki in a trance, seemingly lost that bold spirit.)
Beka: Am I... that annoying?
(Nikki sees, in her beautiful eyes, abyss again.)
(When white fog rises, Nikki wants to say something to Beka, but ends up saying nothing.)
('How did you get yourself so dirty? Bathroom, now! Don't come back if you get so dirty again!')
('Stay away!')

Fate I[]

Nikki is feeling despondent after failing to help others, but her next opponent surprises her by telling her she knows why Nikki is in her memories, and proceeds to show her...

(Day 7)
Momo: Nikki, don't be sad. It's not your fault...
Nikki: No... It's me who told Beka to try to accept them, but I actually have no idea myself...
Momo: But nobody can see the future!
Nikki: Momo... Maybe I can never help others. Maybe I think too highly of myself. I shouldn't have thought that way at all?
Momo: Nikki, what are you talking about?
Host: The first round begins. The theme is [Cute Childhood] !
(Under the light, a girl in Wasteland clothing is smiling.)
(When she smiles, Nikki hears the sound of the wind blowing gently upon her ears.
(An unknown emotion surges. Nikki closes her eyes.)
(When she opens her eyes again, it's a vast grassland, like a sea of green. A rustling sound comes from behind. Nikki turns back and sees the girl on the border of the forest.)
Nikki: Hello, I'm Nikki.
(The girl points to her ears, then her mouth, and shakes her head.)
Nikki: Sorry, I-
(But then Nikki understands that she cannot hear the words. She stands there, having no idea what she should do.)
(The girl, in a smile of light sorrow, walks over to Nikki. She takes Nikki's hand and take her into the deep of the forest.)
(In a natural round empty area, a crystal shining faintly sits in the center.)
(They sit down and the girl puts Nikki's hand on the crystal ball, then her own hand.)
(Nikki hears a faint wind, someone seems to be talking.)
('Hi, I'm Fatumah.')
(Nikki raises her head and looks at the girl in a surprise. The girl nods at her.)
('Sorry that I can only communicate with you in such a way. I lost my hearing and speaking ability when I was born, but God gave me something else.')
('Don't pity me. This is my fate.')
(Fate.)
(The word again.)
('I know why you are here.')
Nikki: ('...You know why I came to Miraland?')
('No... The sounds are too obscure. I cannot hear clearly.')
('But I... know why you are in my memory.')
Nikki: ('...You know? You know I from outside your memory?')
('I know what you want.')
('Relax, let me show you my memory.')

Fate II[]

Nikki sees her opponent's memories and is given encouragement to succeed in her goals...

Archpriest: A saint doesn't need family, friends, lover. Saints should convey the ideas of God. Saint is destined to be lonely.
Archpriest: This is your fate.
Archpriest: Fatumah cannot hear any sound! So how can she deliver God's messages?!
Archrpriest: Perhaps... God made a mistake this time.
Archrpriest: Send her to fight for King Sayet's relics! This is the only way to save our tribe!
Chief: But it's warring everywhere. It's too dangerous for her to go alone...
Archpriest: She is a saint! If she dies saving our tribe, it would be the idea of God.
(Starry light casts on the leaves and gets blown away by the wind in the forest.)
(Fatumah sits by the crystal ball, repeatedly rubbing the yellowed letter in her hand.)
('I like you! I'll take you away!')
('Even if we are homeless, I don't care. I just want to be with you.')
('Wait for me.')
(Fatumah lets go the quivering hand. The letter is soon taken away by the wind.)
('My memory... maybe a little boring. Thank you for watching these things patiently.')
('I hope it helps. I wish you can succeed in what you want to do.')
Host: The second round begins. The theme is [Energetic Field] !

Concluding Dialogue[]

('Glad to meet you. Your voice is very beautiful.')
('Like what the wind told me, I lost.')
('Finally... I'm relieved.)

Snow I[]

Nikki questions herself and Miraland's decision to bring her, but Momo tells her she can't give up on Bobo. The next match begins...

(Day 8)
Nikki: Momo, do you remember the poem in the tower of Pigeon Palace?
Momo: Eh... Something about star and elf?
Nikki: ...The war lasting for nine days is finally ended by the destined girl...
Momo: Is this the last sentence?
Nikki: If Ace was right, I... I'm that one...
Nikki: But I cannot help anybody. It's even not my place to comfort them... I can only watch all this happening, watch everything end up in suffering...
Nikki: Perhaps, I can never save Bobo, lest ending the fate...
Nikki: Perhaps... Miraland made a mistake?
Momo: Nikki! Bobo must have been waiting for us! We cannot give up! You cannot, and I cannot!
Nikki: I...
Host: The first round begins. The theme is [Shining Debut] !

Snow II[]

Nikki's opponent lies wounded in a cold snowfield. Nikki caresses her tightly as her opponent cries about her fate, and finally Nikki speaks the words she was afraid to say. As the matches are over, Nikki is considering giving up, but the host announces that there will be one more day to the event because two people have won all 12 matches. Nikki's final opponent is Elle, the future queen of Pigeon...

(Snow.)
(A snowfield that stretches beyond the vision.)
(Larisa sits on the ground, gazing emptily into the distance. The path she came along was full of deep footprints.)
(This is a wasteland. She looks up and only sees withered woods. Like a fish stranded on the beach, she cannot do anything.)
(Her wounds have stopped bleeding, but large red patches are left on her clothes.)
(Snow falls onto her body, dyeing her hair and eyelashes white.)
(The warm touch on her face makes her reach out her numb hands. It's her tears.)
Nikki: Larisa...
(Nikki squats down and holds Larisa though she feels just as tired.)
(Nikki patches up her wounds, but she cannot do anything for those inside.)
(Larisa clutches her fist and shouts angrily toward the sky, shaking Nikki to her core.)
(Then the cry stops. Larisa seems to regain her sense and bursts into tears.)
Larisa: Why! Why do I have to go through all this!
Larisa: I've always tried to be a nice person!
Larisa: Why must all of my hopes be crushed?
Larisa: Why am I living...
(Nikki holds Larisa tightly. This is the only thing she can do.)
Larisa: If only nothing had happened... If only I could forget everything...
Nikki: Forget it.
(Nikki caresses the frozen hair of Larisa, speaking out what she refused to say.)
Nikki: Forget it.
(The cold wind takes away Nikki's tears and Larisa in her embrace.)
Host: The second round begins. The theme is [Swift Chase] !

Concluding Dialogue[]

Nikki: Perhaps forgetting the pain could be a good thing...
Nikki: Momo, am I doing the right thing? Maybe I should really give up...
Momo: Nikki-
(Someone walks onto the stage before Nikki. The light that went dim now shines brightly on them again.)
Host: According to the rule, the one with the highest total score will earn the three relics of King Sayet.
Host: But this time, there are two participants who won all the 12 matches and collected 12 scores.
Host: After the discussion by the committee, there will be an extra match tomorrow for them to find out who will be the final winner of the relics.
(The discussion under the stage reaches a climax. Nikki looks at her opponent. Her long purple hair reaches her waist and the gem in her crown shines brilliantly.)
Elle: You are the other one? Great, I won't go easy with you.

Day 9[]

On the last day, Nikki feels dizzy and sees many visions, feeling the underlying negative emotions. Nikki loses the first two rounds and sees Elle walk into the abyss she just fell into, failing to stop her...

(Day 9)
Momo: Nikki, today's the last day...
Momo: So, that's how it lasts for 9 days... But Momo remembers that the winner will be Queen Elle...
Nikki: Queen Elle...
(Elle in front of Nikki shows not much expression. The orb and staff in her hands are proclaiming dignity. Nikki feels something is not right, but cannot tell.)
Nikki: Right after the Nine-Day War, which is now, Queen Elle lost her memory...
(Nikki remembers what Ace told her about Elle. But when she looks at the girl in front of her, she can hardly match them together.)
Host: Today's match consists of 3 rounds. Every round determines the owner of one relic.
Host: The first round is Thorny Tree!
Momo: Thorny Tree?! What kind of thing is that?
Elle: Are you ready? Show me your power.
Momo: What?! She has got it?
Nikki: ...I'm ready.
(A beam lights up the back area of the stage where the 3 treasure boxes are placed. The silence rarely seen in the venue falls.)
(The duel starts after Nikki and Elle finished dressing up.)
(When models walk on the stage, the Giftys under the stage raise their scoreboards. Nikki's eyes go a bit hazy, the things in the past 8 days skimming past like a movie.)
(Everything gets dragged into the abyss by darkness out of a sudden.)
(Black flowers grow there. There are many pictures Nikki has never seen before.)
(Outside the window is the city's neon and the sad shadow on the window.)
(Above the emerald-like surface of Lake Bovaly, the boy's long hair is delicate like the fluttering wings of Dazzle Butterflies.)
(A fine jade wrapped in plain silk is completely gone in the snow.)
(Nikki's voices become so weak that, like blocked by an invisible wall, they cannot enter those hazy memories. Though she can still feel the undulation of the emotions.)
(Pain and hatred intertwine and spread downward, forming a black stair to the deeper abyss.)
(Bottomless abyss.)
Momo: Nikki!
(Nikki startles and sees the scores on the screen.)
(Nikki lost.)
(Like walking out from the sea in the winter morning, cold and damp into the bone, Nikki shivers.)
NIkki: ...
Momo: ...
Nikki: I, I failed... I failed Bobo...
Momo: Nikki, you don't look well. Are you alright?
Nikki: Hmm...
Momo: Don't give up! There are 2 rounds more!
Host: The second round is Wild Lily!
(Nikki doesn't even know how the match ended.)
(She only sees flowers growing wildly under the night castle.)
(She sees Elle walks by and into that pit she just fell into.)
('This is not you.')
(The last defying noise rises but she just ignores it. It seems that something is burning in her eyes, but it also seems that there is nothing at all.)
Nikki: No!
Nikki: Stop!
('Pigeon is really powerful now.')
(She whisks away the persistence she was proud of and chooses to forget. She covers her eyes and walks into the abyss.)
(Nikki cannot stop Elle. Her hands miss her.)
(At that moment, Nikki hears only one voice.)

'Even if I give you the chance. What can you do?'

('I can do nothing...')

Rose Fate[]

Nikki doubts her decision to try and save everyone and a voice calls out to her during the third round. Xiao Zong appears saying that she does not have the ability to shoulder the burden of the Rose Chest, and Nikki seems to believe him, when she sees another memory. She sees the two men at the beach, one of them being Xiao Zong, and then the same people parting ways and breaking ties, burning and forgetting two designs they had made for each other. Nikki picks up one of the designs and gains conviction, winning the last round and the Rose Chest.

When the match finishes, she is in the rose garden of Pigeon Palace with Elle. Nikki shows the contents of the chest to Elle, helping her remember the promises and dreams she had before. When that vision fades, Nikki, Momo, and Xiao Zong are back at the place they were before the Nine-Day War. Xiao Zong says Nikki made a mistake and reveals it was all an illusion. He tells Nikki to hand over the Rose Chest as she cannot even handle a small taste of the pain she will face, but Nikki refuses, saying she will stay true to her words to bring back everyone's dreams, never regretting or giving up. She opens the chest and the illusion dissipates...

(The final score comes out on the screen. The result is the same.)
(Nikki cannot hear anything at all. Her forehead sweats profusely. Her clenching fists are quivering.)
Momo: Nikki...
Nikki: I'm wrong...
Momo: Nikki?
Nikki: I'm wrong...
Nikki: Though we can try to feel for others, everyone has a unique life, you can never know how they feel...
Nikki: All the painful memories have a reason. Temporary help can never solve the problem... It's not wrong for them to choose to forget, and nobody should blame them for being weak...
Nikki: I wanted to be the light for others who are in the darkness. It's too hard. I thought too highly of myself...
Momo: Nikki, you cannot fall back now! These themes are weird, they indeed are. But the relics of King Sayet is the key for us to find Bobo. It's our hope!
Momo: ...Are you going to quit now?
Nikki: I...
Elle: Quite? Hmm, escape is a correct choice when you face a powerful opponent.
(The sound of high heels, slow but clear, comes close. Elle walks over to Nikki.)
Elle: Whatever you do, the result will be the same.
(The staff is holding the two chests she has one, and the last one is waiting on the stage quietly.)
(The roses on the chests look exactly the same with the roses growing around Elle.)
Host: The third round begins. The theme is Night Rose !
('Do you know what does Rose Chest stand for?')
Nikki: Rose Chest... What is it?
('The Token of God. The key to another world.)
('Winning it means you will shoulder the fate of entire Miraland instead of God, including the pain of everyone. What you saw is just a drop of water of an ocean.')
('It's a beautiful dream that everyone can live happily equally, but it's only a dream.')
('Unless you are there to feel the despair for the whole world.')
Nikki: I...
('Maybe Miraland chose you, but I don't think it's a good choice.')
('A good choice should be a real savior who can shoulder everything, including desperation, and save the world, including your friends.')
('Nobody will be harmed, and you, can rid of the censure of morality and conscience.')
('Token of God belongs to the one who has the power of God.)
Nikki: ...The one with the power of God?
(The speaker shows up from behind the fog, tall figure, familiar face.)
Xiao Zong: Like me.
Nikki: ...Can you save the world?
Xiao Zong: Any moment I want.
Nikki: Nobody will be harmed. Nobody will be suffering?
Xiao Zong: Of course.
(*Pit Pat)
(Suddenly the sound of seawater rushing onto rock fills the ear. Nikki can see Xiao Zong is talking, but cannot hear anything more.)
(The sun is great. The two boys by the sea seem to be holding two designs.)
('To be the greatest designer? That sounds cool.')
('Then let's compete to see who can be there first!')
(The sea rises then ebbs away. The pictures shift to a morning street where two men are confronting.)
('...Even if another world is there, how can you go there? Senior, don't be silly!')
('You cannot understand! No... No one can understand!')
('No, I don't. And I don't know why you become this...')
('It's because you are too ordinary/ The people in this world are too ordinary! Nobody can be a worthy opponent for me. If it goes on, I can never reach the other world...')
('Senior...')
('I'll be off tomorrow.')
('...What?')
('Staying with you here will only narrow down my vision and drain my inspiration. I will leave tomorrow.')
('But... Before today, we were doing fine. Why do you have to leave? Aren't we best friends? Are you... kidding?')
('Friends? Not anymore.')
(The night falls. A fire is kindled. It engulfs the design but cannot light up the eyes of the boy.)
(Nikki, before the design is destroyed, sees a blue dress, fish in the water, and dessert of summer, a tea party in the sea.)
(At the bottom area, it writes 'Marvelous Tea Party - To Sayet.')
(The fire goes down and in the night, the moon shines from the top of the mountain, just like the night when she first came to this bamboo forest.)
(Nikki looks up and sees Xiao Zong drinking on the mountaintop. A boy's figure comes out from behind, seemingly the one who was calling the other 'Senior' by the sea.)
(Xiao Zong takes another quaff. The boy disappeared, and a design falls down from the mountaintop to Nikki.)
(Nikki picks it up and rubs away the dust. It's a girl drinking black tea on the cloud in the afternoon, a tea party in the sky.)
(On the right bottom area, it writes 'Marvelous Tea Party - To Senior.')
(At that moment, Nikki seems to understand something.)
Nikki: Why...
Nikki: That design should not be burnt. This design should not be forgotten. They are so beautiful...
Nikki: I...
(Nikki puts away the design and wipes off the tears in the eyes.)
Nikki: I won't give up. Bobo, I won't!

Concluding Dialogue[]

(For the first time, Nikki didn't return to that tense venue after winning the match. She came to a palace.)
(She knows this place.)
Nikki: ...Pigeon Palace.
(There is a fragrance in the wind. Like being summoned, Nikki walks toward the Rose Garden in the palace.)
(Elle is sitting in the garden. She looks very tired and it seems that she has been waiting for very long.)
Nikki: Queen Elle...
Elle: Do you know why I build a Rose Garden in the palace and I come here every day?
(The sudden question pins Nikki where she is. She doesn't know if she should answer it.)
Elle: Not because I love rose. I keep it as a reminder of the shame I suffered in the Nine-Day War. I will take back the Rose Chest for Pigeon and pay back what I underwent.
(Elle's voice seems not that regal like before. It's almost like saying to herself.)
Nikki: Do you know what's inside Rose Chest?
Elle: ...It doesn't matter. As long as it gives me power-
Nikki: No! It matters.
(Before Elle, Nikki opens the chest with rose patterns.)
(The shadow of a purple-hair girl appears.)
(Like a movie, the scenes shift from little orphanage to barren town Keleka, from the dim high tower to the two girls beside the Old King's bed. The scenes Elle has long forgotten.)
('One day, I will be powerful enough to erase tears and inequality from the earty of Pigeon.)
Elle: One day, I will be powerful...
(Elle's eyes are full of tears. She reaches out to touch the image of the little girl, but it disappears upon the touching.)
Elle: ...to erase tears and inequality from the earth of Pigeon.)
(However, what hits the ground is not her tear but the staff.)
Elle: I... failed my oath and forgot the dream of mine and Ace's... I don't deserve this power...
(Nikki gathers her courage and holds Elle's hands gently.)
Nikki: It's ok, it's ok.
Nikki: Now that the mistakes cannot be undone, then make them your motivation. Find your original dream and use all the time left to make up.
Nikki: Sloth and escape may fool the others but not yourself. This is your life, you should do better to make it worthy.
(Nikki puts the Rose Chest into the hands of Elle. Elle looks at the empty chest, laughing out.)
(She holds the chest and disappears into the roses.)
(Gone with her is the entire palace.)
Nikki: These words are also for you, Nikki.
Momo: Nikki! You are back!
Nikki: This place...
Momo: You forgot? It's the place we came to when we traveled back to the time of the Nine-Day War!
Nikki: Nine-Day War... Yeah, I won the last round! I earned a Rose Chest-
Xiao Zong: Yeah, you won, but pity that you made the wrong choice.
Momo: You again! What do you want!
Xiao Zong: Little girl, to be a savior is not as fun as you think. Without the power of God, you will only get yourself, and everyone else in this land killed.
Nikki: At least I helped Elle, she will remember the past and find who she is! And I will help-
Xiao Zong: Hmm, help?
Xiao Zong: You think you are really in the Nine-Day War?
Momo: What?! That's fake?
Nikki: ...This is a trap?!
Xiao Zong: Not a trap, just an illusion. If you cannot go through such a bit of pain, the reality will only destroy you. Now, hand over the Rose Chest to me before it's too late.
Momo: What are you talking about, bad guy?! Nikki won't give it to you!
(Nikki takes out the design she picked up in the bamboo night.)
Nikki: Is this yours?
Xiao Zong: ...Mine? I'm far beyond this.
Nikki: But I picked it up in your illusion. This must be yours. It's your memory. You think you have forgotten it, right? The sound of the sea too. Are you trying to forget them all?
Nikki: It's a painful start, but it's also the witness of a beautiful memory. I don't think it should be forgotten.
Xiao Zong: Worthless things should be discarded, and worthless people should be given up.
Xiao Zong: Little girl, you don't understand, that's why you talk big here.
Nikki: No, I don't, but I know pain is a part of me. Accept it or not, it's there and it drives me forward.
Nikki: Only when I truly grow up can I walk out from the pain. To forget it or avoid it won't help.
Nikki: Now that pain should not be forgotten, let alone beautiful memories. I said I would return the memories and dreams to the people of this land and I'm true to my words!
Nikki: I won't give the Rose Chest to you. It's the hope to find Bobo, the hope of Miraland's dream, and my fate. If this is what I have to take, I will accept it.
Xiao Zong: Is that so? When you are crushed by fate, there is no chance to regret.
Nikki: I won't. If I'm beaten down, I will stand up. I won't regret.
(The moment Nikki opens the chest, light shines from within, and the illusion breaks apart instantly-)
(Choose to embrace the pain, choose the opportunity of one of a million, a trillion, a zillion...)
(Hack a way out on the road of thorns.)