角色故事•三（解鎖條件：角色等級60）
在玉闕太卜司中，她度過了自己一生中最快樂的求學歲月。關於宿命與自由意志，關於陣法演算與人擇權衡…在一切與卜筮之道相關的問題上，少女記得自己與師傅總是爭辯不休。這並非唇槍舌劍的相爭，而是亦師亦友的較勁。儘管在大部分的問題上，少女與師傅最終達成了一致的看法，但兩人卻有一處無論如何繞不開去的死結——

自向博識尊處求取演算經籍以來，玉闕仙舟太卜司傾數百年全力加以解讀實現，營建了聯盟中誇稱第一的占卜陣法。玉闕的卜者們皆以此為傲。但在符玄看來，這不過是將仙舟人的未來鎖死在了陣法劃定的道路上。

當人們相信陣法所示必然成真；選擇便成了徒有其名的擺設。冥冥之中，卜者成了陣法的囚徒，吉時出行、凶時居停、每日所宜所忌、做什麼不做什麼，一應遵照佔卜所示。

「難不成陣法告訴我明日死期將至，我就得自行了斷不成？如此一來，卜與不卜，到底有什麼分別？」

「分別在於，我們知道自己行走在昭昭天命之上。這便是開啟太卜司制度的玄曜祖師所追求的至上道路。」

「在陣法協助下，卜者們只需要虔信相信，順應啟示，做出一個又一個抉擇——即便它們匪夷所思、無比艱難。這一切終將讓仙舟抵達它孜孜以求的偉業——剷除壽瘟禍祖，另世間無復壽瘟之苦。」男人的神色如同蒙受開示的覺悟者，坦然平靜。他看向符玄，「就像我在得知你的命數後，將你收為弟子。」

不是為了我的天資？也不是為了家族人脈？只是為了實現某個預言？這…這太荒謬了！惱怒湧上符玄心頭，令她一時間訥訥無言。

「你知道嗎，在問卜『十方光映法界』，解讀卦象後，我確信我的命運將斷絕在你的手中。但我依然將你收為弟子，等候你取代我，成為玉闕仙舟的太卜。因為，這一切都是命中註定。」

命中註定？他的命運，將會斷絕在我手裏？

說得眼下仙舟好像仍在三劫時代，說得好像她是個渴望登上太卜之位，打算不擇手段弒師的逆徒。這個混蛋師傅！

「而我…我絕不會讓它成真！」

少女尊敬師傅身為卜者的一切：心智、技藝乃至為人。唯獨無法接受他身為窺探命運的卜者，卻自甘墮入宿命論的淵藪，並將此視為理所當然。

於是不顧家族的勸阻，不顧一切阻撓，符玄以近乎自我放逐的方式逃離了玉闕仙舟。她投身風氣更自由的羅浮太卜司，寄情於卜算。她不但要遠離玉闕仙舟，更要身體力行地證明這份預言不過是某人的荒謬妄想。  

Character Story: Part III

• Unlocked at Character Level 60

She spent the happiest time in her life studying in the Yuque's Divination Commission. She learned about predestination versus free-will, about matrix calculations versus human choices... The girl recalled she was always arguing with her teacher on every issue regarding divination and fortune-telling. Those were not aggressive confrontations with sharp words, but heated discussions between peers. And yet, though the two agreed on many topics, there was one issue they could not come to a consensus —

Nous had granted divine volumes outlining the matrix calculations to the Xianzhou centuries ago. The Xianzhou Yuque's Divination Commission had pored over them to interpret and manifest the wisdom within, ultimately constructing the best divination matrix in the entire Alliance. Thought this is a point of pride for Yuque's diviners, Fu Xuan felt it was nothing short of culling the future possibilities of the Xianzhou people within the narrow path set out by the matrix.

When people believe that the predictions of the matrix will always come to pass, then "choice" became an empty concept only for show. The diviners have unwillingly become prisoners of the matrix. They head to work when the hour is fortuitous, and stay home with the hour is ominous. What they do, what they avoid doing — everything was in accordance with the divination results.

"If the matrix tells me that I will die tomorrow, does that mean I should just hurry up and end myself? At that point, what is the difference between performing a divination and not performing one?"

"The difference is that we know we walk on the ordained path set by the heavens. That is the supreme path sought by Grandmaster Xuan Yao, who initiated the Divination Commission system."

"All the diviner has to do is to faithfully believe and obediently follow the guidance of the matrix, and make one choice after another in that way — even though those choices may be ludicrous, incomprehensible, or difficult. All such efforts will ultimately lead the Xianzhou to the great work that it has been seeking throughout its existence — that of eradicating the Plagues Author and rid the world of the agony of Abundance." The man's expression was as placid and calm as an enlightened disciple who had received divine revelation. He looked at Fu Xuan and continued, "just like how I chose to take you in as my student after knowing about your predetermined future."

It wasn't for my talents? And it wasn't for my well-connected family? It was just to fulfill some prediction? This... this was absurd! Rage took over Fu Xuan, and she was at a loss for words.

"Did I ever tell you that after I consulted the Deca-Light Reflection Barrier and interpreted the hexagram, I now firmly believe that my life will end in your hands? However, I still took you in as my student. I'm waiting for you to take over my position and become the Xianzhou Yuque's master diviner, because it has all been predetermined."

Predetermined? His life will end in my hands?

He was talking as if the Xianzhou was still in the Three Sufferings Era! As if she was a treacherous disciple who craved the seat of the master diviner so much, that she would even kill her teacher for it! Her teacher was a scoundrel!

"And I... I will never let that prediction come to pass!"

The girl admired everything about her master as a diviner — his intelligence, skills, and integrity. However, she could not accept how he willingly sank into the blinding abyss of fatalism and regarded it as an acceptable way of life, despite being a diviner who could peek into destiny.

Therefore, Fu Xuan ran away from the Xianzhou Yuque despite her family's dissuasion and the hurdles she had to cross. She ran away like a self-exiled escapee, plunging into the Luofu's Divination Commission with its more unrestricted culture and devoted herself to calculations. Not only did she want to part from the Xianzhou Yuque, she also wanted to prove with her own hands that her teacher's prediction was nothing but his own ludicrous delusions.

角色故事•四（解鎖條件：角色等級80）
如是百年悄然逝去，戰事再起，卜官符玄領命演算不休。豐饒民大軍三度成形，突襲方壺仙舟。玉闕、羅浮同方壺仙舟相去不遠，馳援責無旁貸。卜算結果顯示，若傾全力迎擊，任何參戰的仙舟軍隊都將迎來慘烈的敗局——但堅持守勢，將會有轉圜的餘地。

但卦象並未顯示轉圜之機在何處。符玄反覆推演，再三占算，窮觀陣輸出的結果依舊毫無變化。

「沒有人會選擇失敗。」卜者能做到的，都在這裏了。符玄將利害剖陳紙上，把卜算結果上呈神策府。毫無意外，帝弓天將合議的結果，侵逼方壺的豐饒聯軍兵力龐大，絕不能單純採取守勢。羅浮與玉闕雲騎軍必須迎戰，為曜青部隊爭取趕來的時機。

那一日符玄隔着投影沙盤，見證了聯盟援軍的潰敗。步離人不僅帶來了遮天蔽日的艦隊與器獸，更將古老傳說中的活體星宿「計都蜃樓」召來。這邪物墜向方壺，即將為其上所有的生命帶來滅頂之災，再現蒼城仙舟覆滅的慘劇。而人們只能眼睜睜見證它的降臨。

卜者能做到的，真的只有如此嗎？在焦灼與憤怒中，符玄心中升起一個極其大膽的念頭。「我要見景元將軍！」

在面見將軍後，少女說出了她的想法。以雲騎眼下的力量，想要取勝已不可能。唯一的轉機，是令帝弓垂跡示現。

出乎她預料的，在說出這堪稱褻瀆和荒謬的念頭後，眼前這位略顯疲憊的將軍並未露出任何嗤笑的神情，而是點了點頭。「你想怎麼做？」

「玉闕仙舟擁有聯盟中觀星的第一重器，瞰雲鏡。這座裝置不僅能用來觀察，它也可以向外發射訊息…我的意思是，用天艟將瞰雲鏡運往方壺，向帝弓光矢最後的所在處求救。爭分奪秒的話，在那顆星星落下前，一切還有轉圜的餘地。」

「你很清楚…帝弓降世臨凡的唯一徵兆和可能帶來的後果，對吧？」

「是的。作為方案的提出者，我願意親臨戰場，執行此事。」少女神色嚴肅，她十分明白自己提出的想法有多驚世駭俗。

「多謝你的建言。只是，危機之刻應當由六御勠力赴難。何況，你並無權限操作那器物。若事情因此失控，我作為進言呈辭者，會擔負全部的後果，希望符小姐不必多慮。」

望着將軍離去的背影，符玄突然回過神來，意識到「六御勠力赴難」的意義所在：能全權使用瞰雲鏡，乃至以辨讀帝弓誥諭的方式發出訊號的人——

唯有玉闕太卜本人。

……

「這就是你尋求『眼界』的初衷？我讀到了你的那些夢……」

少女沒有睜開雙眼，卻能看見周遭的世界由煙霧凝成實體，所有可能性褪去，只剩下清晰無誤的唯一選擇。

「那些不是夢，那是我的過去，塑造了我的一切。」
「而他說的沒錯，其實命運從來只有一條道路。」  

Character Story: Part IV

• Unlocked at Character Level 80

Centuries passed thus, and the flames of war descended again. Diviner Fu Xuan calculated ceaselessly at her job. The grand armies of the Denizens of Abundance formed for the third time and launched a surprise attack on the Xianzhou Fanghu. The Yuque and the Luofu were close to the Fanghu, and it was their duty to give assistance. The divination revealed that all Xianzhou armies will meet a devastating defeat if they choose to face the assault head-on — however, should they keep up a defense, then there will be a chance to change the tides of battle.

What a pity that the hexagram did not reveal how this chance will come about! Fu Xuan calculated and divined over and over again, yet the results given by the Matrix of Prescience never changed.

"No one will choose defeat." This was the limit of a diviner's capacities. Fu Xuan outlined the pros and cons in writing and submitted the divination results to the Seat of Divine Foresight. However, as she expected, the outcome of the meeting between the Arbiter-Generals concluded that they must not take on a defensive position, not when such overwhelming numbers of the Abundance Axis were assaulting the Fanghu. The Cloud Knights of the Luofu and the Yuque must rise to face the enemy, buying time before the Yaoqing's army can arrive.

On that day, Fu Xuan bore witness through the Projection Sandpit to the Alliance's army being decimated. Not only did the borisin bring fleets and mechabeasts numerous enough to block out the sky, they even summoned the incarnosphere Ketu Mirage from ancient legends. This evil gravitated toward the Fanghu, hellbent on bringing annihilation to all lives onboard, recreating the tragedy of the fall of the Xianzhou Cangcheng. And the only thing people could do was watch as it neared.

Was this truly the limit of a diviner's capacities!? A bold idea surfaced in Fu Xuan's mind as she drowned in anxiety and anger. "I must see General Jing Yuan!"

The girl spoke her thoughts when brought face-to-face with the general. It was no longer possible to obtain victory with the forces available to the Cloud Knights. The only chance of victory lies in making the Reignbow manifest themselves.

She was not expecting the tired-looking man before her to simply nod after hearing her absurd and borderline blasphemous idea. The general did not even show any hints of ridicule. "How would you want to do it?"

"The Xianzhou Yuque holds the Cloudpeer Telescope, the ultimate astronomical observation device in the Alliance. Not only can it scry into the distance, it can also be used to send out information... I plan to ship the Cloudpeer Telescope to the Fanghu using a Navis Astriger, and send out an SOS signal to the last observed location of the Reignbow's Lux Arrow. If we hurry, we still have a chance to turn everything around before that living planet falls."

"I trust that you are... well aware of the singular sign of the Reignbow's descent onto the physical plane and its consequences, correct?"

"Yes. As the person who voiced this plan, I am willing to be on the front lines and execute it." The girl's expression was solemn. She was keenly aware of how unorthodox her idea was.

"I thank you for your words, but the Six Charioteers should work together to combat such a great crisis. Moreover, you do not have the permission to manipulate that device. Should this plan go awry, I will take all responsibility as the one who made the suggestion. Do not trouble yourself over this, Miss Fu."

As Fu Xuan watched the general's retreating figure, she suddenly realized what he meant by "the Six Charioteers should work together" — the only person who has the permission to use the Cloudpeer Telescope and can send out a signal in the format of the Reignbow's decree...

...was none other than the Yuque's Master Diviner.

... "Is this why you seek "The Eye"? I saw your dreams..."

The girl did not open her eyes, yet she could already see the world around her condense into solid form from nebulous mist, see all possibilities fade and leave behind the solitary, absolute, and faultless "choice."

"Those are not dreams. They are my past. They made me who I am." "And he was right all this time. There is only ever one path in destiny."

砂金

角色詳情
星際和平公司「戰略投資部」的高級幹部，「石心十人」之一，基石為「詭弈砂金」。
個性張揚的風險愛好者，時常面帶笑容，真心卻難以揣測。
靠着同命運的博弈贏得如今的地位，將人生視作一場高風險、高回報的投資，而他向來遊刃有餘。  

Character Details

Senior manager of the Strategic Investment Department at the IPC and one of the Ten Stonehearts. His Cornerstone is the "aventurine of stratagems."
An ostentatious risk-taker, he often wears a smile that masks his true motives.
He won his current position by wagering against fate itself. He views life as a high-stakes, high-return investment, and he plays this particular gamble with masterful ease.

角色故事•一（解鎖條件：角色等級20）
「關於那位新員工，我有一些情況要向您報告。」

「什麼事讓你這麼擔心，埃爾文？」

「關於他的投訴，不管是正式的還是非正式的，像紙片一樣塞滿了我的郵箱，我想…您或許可以重新考慮是否接納他為戰略投資部的一員。」

「他們都寫了什麼？」

「主要是他的身份，那雙眼睛……」
「他曾欺騙市場開拓部，茨岡尼亞貧瘠的黃土藏着尚未被有效開發利用的能源。在他們投入巨額資金進行開採後，才發現根本是無稽之談。」
「還有駭人聽聞的『艾吉哈佐砂金案』，他哄騙博識學會相信那裏埋藏着蟲皇『塔伊茲育羅斯』的屍體——那幫學者謹慎又謹慎，卻還是落入了對方的圈套。」
「還有茨岡尼亞酋長國議員來信，譴責他的部落曾破壞決議，禍亂人心，致使氏族間和平局勢發生重大變化，茨岡尼亞與公司間協議條款的簽訂屢次延期。此人如今入職公司，其影響極為惡劣……」

「如果只是這些的話，就不必說了。」

「…您都知道？」

「每一種寶石都有獨特的價值，而我們的工作就是『投資』。」
「也不用安撫那些來信的老頑固，這些風言風語遲早會傳到——不，應該已經傳到他耳邊了。正好，就看看他到底能給我們帶來多大的驚喜吧。」  

Character Story: Part I

• Unlocked at Character Level 20

"I have something to report to you about the new employee."

"What makes you so worried, Erwin?"

"It's complaints about him, both formal and informal. My mailbox has been flooded with them like countless pieces of paper. I wonder... if it's worth reconsidering his inclusion in the Strategic Investment Department."

"What do these complaints say?"

"Mostly about his origins. Those eyes of his..."
"He once deceived the Marketing Development Department by falsely claiming that there were energy sources hidden in the barren land of Sigonia, not yet effectively developed and utilized. A huge amount of funds was invested into excavating it before we realized it was all a scam."
"And then there's the notorious Egyhazo Aventurine Case. He misled the Intelligentsia Guild into believing that the remains of Tayzzyronth the Imperator Insectorum were buried there. Despite the scholars being extremely cautious, they ultimately still fell into the trap."
"And let's not forget the letters from the councilors of the Sigonian Sovereignty. They denounce his tribe for once breaking agreements and sowing discord, leading to significant changes in the balance of peace between the tribes, resulting in repeated delays in the signing of agreements between Sigonia and IPC. Allowing such an employee to join at the IPC would be a severe detriment to public relations..."

"If these are the extent of the complaints, there's no need to tell me."

"...You already know it all?"

"Each gemstone holds unique value, and our task is to make investments."
"We don't need to appease those stubborn old-timers who sent in complaints, as these rumors will eventually reach... No, they would already have reached his ears. Well, let's take this chance and see how big of a surprise he can bring us."

角色故事•二（解鎖條件：角色等級40）
「小子，你真行啊…用神乎其神的手段搬光了我的產業。但我絕不會投降，大不了，我就把這裏全炸咯…你能怎麼辦？」
伊伊瑪尼喀的「瘋牛」示意手下鬆手，他從桌子上抬起頭來，拍了拍衣領上的灰塵。
「你們，高高在上的公司狗，根本看不起流浪者，對吧？但你現在在我們的地盤，就得按我們的方式。」

「瘋牛」清空彈匣，往槍中裝入一粒子彈，丟在他腳邊。
「六次，最多六次槍響之後，生死由命。你敢不敢？」

他蹲下來，撿起槍。
「用槍指着我的人太多了，甚至有人直接扣下了扳機…但你猜，為什麼我還能站在這兒？」
他站起來，逼視着「瘋牛」的眼睛，舉起槍，抵住自己的心臟。
「因為最後，槍都會來到我手裏。」

「而現在，這個遊戲令我有些厭煩了…六分之一的概率遠遠不夠，要挑釁命運——」
六聲連續的槍響在死寂的星艦中炸開，煙塵過後，他再次舉起槍，朝「瘋牛」走去，而彈匣里有一顆新的子彈。
「就得先學會把自己變成骰子。」
「——你不肯投降，但憑什麼？就憑這拙劣的概率遊戲？還是……」
他調轉槍口，指向黑暗中的某處。
「她？」

槍口所指的方向，一位同樣舉着手槍的女士緩緩出現。看到她的一瞬間，「瘋牛」仿佛抓到了救命稻草。
「翡翠女士，這和說好的不一樣……」
就在同時，兩人開槍，在雙方各自背後的暗處，兩個黑衣人應聲倒下。

「公司的敵人還真是無處不在，對吧？」女士從容地收起手槍，拿出化妝鏡，檢視了一下自己的儀容。
「拿你我的生命作餌，讓他們爭相啄食，誤以為這是一場內訌，卻被一網打盡…不錯的詭計，只不過太驚險了些。」他微笑着歡迎對方的到來，雙手卻微微顫抖。

「詭計？不，只是一場測試罷了。」
優雅的女士攤開手掌，一枚閃爍着奇異色澤的「砂金石」躺在她的手心。
「沒什麼奇怪的，被渴望，被追逐，被切割，被出售…這都是寶石的宿命。」
「但你還是有許多可做的，全憑你怎麼看待自己。」  

Character Story: Part II

• Unlocked at Character Level 40

"You're quite something else, boy... I still can't figure out how you managed to empty out my entire business. But I will never surrender. If push comes to shove, I'll just blow up this whole place... What are you gonna do about it?"
The Mad Bull of Iymanika signals his followers to let go. He raises his head from the table, dusting off his collar.
"You arrogant dogs from the IPC never respected us wanderers, did you? But now that you're in our territory, you'll play by our rules."

Mad Bull empties the cylinder, putting only one bullet in the revolver, and tosses it to the other man's feet.
"Six shots. Fate will decide whether we live or die after a maximum of six shots. Do you have the nerve?"

The other man bends down and picks up the revolver.
"There are too many people who've pointed a gun at me. Some of them even just went ahead and pressed the trigger straight up... Now, guess how come I'm still standing here."
The man stands up, stares into the Mad Bull's eyes, raises the gun, and puts it against his own heart.
"It's because the gun will always end up in my hand."

"And now, this game is making me bored... One in six? That possibly is nowhere near enough. If you want to tempt fate..."
Six consecutive gunshots thunder out in the starship that is wrapped in a deathly silence. After the smoke clears, the man raises the gun again and walks toward Mad Bull. The revolver is now loaded with a fresh bullet.
"You need to learn how to turn yourself into a die first."
"...You won't surrender, but why? Because you have this lousy game of chance? Or..."
He points the gun into the darkness.
"Because of her?"

A woman holding a pistol emerges slowly from the direction the revolver points. The Mad Bull acts as if he found a lifeline when he sees her.
"Madam Jade, this is not what we agreed upon..."
At that moment, both of them opened fire simultaneously, and two figures dressed in black fall from the shadows behind each of them.

"The IPC has enemies everywhere, right?" The woman calmly holsters her pistol, takes out her cosmetic mirror, and inspects her appearance.
"You used our lives as bait, making them believe there was internal strife between us, and then you eliminated them all... A clever trick, although a bit reckless." He greets the woman with a smile, although his hands tremble slightly.

"Trick? No, it was just a test."
The elegant lady opens her palm, revealing a shimmering aventurine of peculiar hues.
"There's nothing strange about it. Gemstones are destined to be... desired, sought, cut, and sold."
"However, there's so much more you can do. It all depends on how you see yourself."

角色故事•三（解鎖條件：角色等級60）
他走入走廊最深處的房間，他還記得上一次來這裏的時候，自己還是個面目可憎的囚犯。現在，他站在這裏，面向立於部門頂點的人們。

他聽金髮的女性念着冗長無趣的報告，那些冰冷的數字既無法傳達他行走在生死邊緣的驚險，亦無法告訴他們過程中他失去了多少，又得到了多少。他只好奇她是人類，還是智械？

而那顆象徵權力與未來的「砂金石」即將被正式交予他手中——豁出性命拿到手的東西，在得到的一剎那，對他而言就失去了誘惑與價值。

「『砂金』，你還有什麼問題嗎？」會議的最後，翡翠——在場的人里，他只認識她——開口問道。

「茨岡尼亞的埃維金人…他們後來怎麼樣了？」

「很遺憾，茨岡尼亞已經沒有埃維金人了。你是最後的幸運兒。」

「那在██星球上幫助過我的那些人呢？我想，現在我可以回報他們了。」

「他們也都不在了。」

……

他木然地回到自己的辦公室。桌上，那顆砂金石閃動着奇異的光，仿佛在恭喜他，又仿佛在嘲弄他。
「在與命運搏鬥的時候，你真的是幸運的那方嗎？」  

Character Story: Part III

• Unlocked at Character Level 60

He walks into the room at the furthest end of the corridor, remembering how he was still a grotesque prisoner the last time he came here. Now, he stands with his back straight and faces those who sit at the very top of the department.

He listens to the blond woman as she reads out the lengthy and boring report. Those cold, unfeeling numbers cannot convey the dangers that accompanied him as he walked on the thin line between life and death, nor can they communicate how much he had lost and gained during the journey. He is simply curious whether she is human or an Intellitron.

The aventurine, that symbol of power and of the future, is about to be officially handed to him — Yet it would have no more allure or value in his eyes as soon he obtains it, even though he had sought it by putting his life on the line.

"Do you have any more questions, Aventurine?" Jade, the only person he knows among the presently gathered, asks at the end of the meeting.

"The Avgins in Sigonia... what happened to them afterward?"

"Unfortunately, there are no more Avgins in Sigonia. You're the last lucky dog."

"What about those people who helped me on planet ██? Now I can finally repay their kindness."

"They are no more, either."

...

He returns to his office in a daze. The aventurine stone emits a peculiar glow on his desk, seemingly congratulating and mocking him at the same time.
"Was luck truly on your side when you wrestled with fate?"

角色故事•四（解鎖條件：角色等級80）
「匹諾康尼…『鑽石』終於打算對它動手了？」
桌上的微縮模型不斷旋轉，晶瑩剔透的憶泡不斷泛出微小的泡沫。

「這是一筆超乎想像的歷史壞賬，所以背後的利益…高得驚人。」
面前的人背對着他，望着庇爾波因特黃昏時紫紅的天空。

「但為什麼是我？」
那人依舊背對着他，他無法用自己善於捕捉的眼睛去揣測這個決定背後的真實用意。

「本該是我。但『鑽石』認為家族還有合作的價值，希望這事至少有和平解決的餘地。」
「思來想去，我覺得你最合適。」

「這甚至只是我們第二次談話，你這麼信任我？」

「錯了，我壓根沒有信過你——也許『翡翠』會，但我不會。」
「沒準這一次，好運不會再站在你這邊了，而你也將為自己一直以來的幸運付出代價。」

面前的人終於轉了過來，遠處的大樓反射出歐泊石般七彩的光芒，而一隻八音盒兀自作響。
「但那不正是你所渴望的東西嗎？」  

Character Story: Part IV

• Unlocked at Character Level 80

"Penacony... Is Diamond finally ready to do something about it?"
The miniature model on the table continues to rotate, the crystalline memory bubble emitting tiny spheres of foam.

"This historic debt is utterly unimaginable. So, the profit involved is also... shockingly high."
The person in front of him has their back turned to him, gazing instead at the purplish-red sky of Pier Point at sunset.

"But why me?"
The person continues to face away from him. Keen though his eyes are, he can not decipher the true intentions behind the decision.

"It should have been me, but Diamond believes that The Family still had some value in cooperation and hopes this affair still has some room for a peaceful resolution."
"So, after some thought, I've concluded that you're the best candidate."

"This is only our second conversation ever. Do you trust me that much?"

"No, I've never trusted you. Perhaps Jade does, but I don't."
"Maybe luck won't be on your side this time, and the bill for all your past good fortune will come due."

Finally, the person in front of him turns around. The distant skyscraper reflects a kaleidoscope of colors like an opal stone, while a music box plays on its own.
"But isn't that what you've been longing for?"