{sound f/x zuki: sharp pain}

Noir: Ah... dammit.

Solomon: Florian.

Michel: Laila, are you injured!?

Laila: I'm fine. He just grazed my foot.

Michel: Laila.

Laila: Hmph. You've got to laugh. It's pathetic. One of his followers indeed. I just sprained my ankle... is all I did.

::page::

Michel: You are a truly brave girl. I think it's wonderful thatyou would risk your life for the man you love.

Laila: ------

{sound f/x bota: plopping blood}

::page::

Noir: Hey you. Why are you so interested in the treasure that you would go this far? ----You're not just after the money, are you?

Azura: ---- Hmph... What is it, I...wonder.

Noir: Quit stalling.

Azura: What person does not want "that" more than anything?

Noir: !?

Azura: Those people...cannot go defy it.

Noir: ! What do you mean... what in the world?

::page::

Azura: ---- It's fine, all of that... doesn't matter. We'll----be there...soon. Just ahead we'll find our way to the last seal-----

{sound f/x go go: mechanical clicking}

Noir: !?

Azura: ...to the treasure vault...

Noir: Wh... What the!?

Florian: What----!? The wall is coming down...

Solomon: I'm afraid it's to protect the treasure. When people enter, there is a mechanism that closes it up automatically.

::page::

Solomon: Florian!?

{sound f/x da: Florian rushing forward}

Noir: !?

{sound f/x zuza: Florian's hurried slide}

{sound f/x zu: thunk}

Florian: Just barely made it... [big sigh]

Noir: YOU~~ Why're you so reckless! If you'd missed one step, you'd have been crushed!

::page::

Florian: I can't leave you alone------not when you're injured!

Noir: ------! (Find, do what you want. In return, lend me your shoulder)

Florian: (Um~)

::page::

{sound f/x go go: mechanical clicking}

::page::

Azura: I found it at last. The treasures of the Temple of Jerusalem.

{sound f/x zaku: metallic crunch}

Azura: Hu- Hu...... (HA--HA-HA-HA-HA-HA)

::page::

Noir: ------ I've never seen so many incredible treasures. These are---- the treasures from Jerusalem nearly 2000 years ago.

{sound f/x zun: sound of flowing water}

Florian: Wh... What's that?

::page::

{sound f/x za: rushing water}

Florian: Water's coming frm the cracks in the walls------

{sound f/x do do: thudding heartbeats}

Azura: Rei. ----I've gotten what I wanted. I have no more business here.

::page::

Azura: Before too long, this will be filled with water. In this way, they may exterminate the insolents who are after the treasure. The only------ person who may live is "the one who is worthy of the ring" ----that's how it works.

{sound f/x kacha: click}

Azura: I'll give you one more chance. ----Give up that boy and come with me.

{sound f/x za: rushing water}

Azura: There is no other way for you to live except for this.

::page::

Noir: Then hurry up and go. See ya---- Azura.

Florian: Noir, don't! I'm the one who decided to come after you! No matter what, you... !

::page::

Noir: Shut that noisy mouth of yours!

Florian: !! What're you doing------ all of a sudden!

Noir: Unfortunately, I'm not the kind of stingy guy who's just let him die.

Azura: So you are that much of a fool.

::page::

Azura: If that's so, then I'll do as you wish. I'll leave you and the boy to your double suicide.

Noir: And I hope you won't just die like a dog halfway out there.

Azura: (Hmph)

{sound f/x gata: clatter}

Florian: Ahh... the door.

::page::

Florian: ! Why!! There was at least a chance for you to have lived...! !? Hold on. Hold on, Noir!

Noir: Mm... Ah... sorry. I just blanked out for a minute there...

::page::

Florian: You've lost a lot of blood. Take off your coat and I'll stop the bleeding.

Noir: If this thing floods, we won't have to worry about stopping the bleeding or anything else.

Florian: As long as there's the slightest possibility, I'll do everything that you may think is useless. It's better than having regrets afterwords!

Noir: [chuckling] Moron. If you die, you won't be able to have regrets.

{sound f/x dosha: crash of water}

::page::

Noir: Florian. I knew it. Those amethysts are more beautiful than anything. Even more than all of the treasures---- in here...

::page::

{sound f/x doo: giant crashing}

Solomon: What the hell's going on in there!? Hey, Rei! Florian!

{sound f/x gogo: creaking}

Solomon: Water!?

Azura: [panting]

::page::

Azura: Fu Fu...Ha~ha Ha-ha-ha-ha Ha---ha-ha-ha-ha I finally have it. The cup filled with the blood of Jesus Christ, the symbol of "power". People call this the "Holy Grail"------ Those who have held this can obtain ultimate power.

::page::

Azura: The true treasure of the Temple of Jerusalem------

{sound f/x hyuu: whooshing}

Azura: What do you say to that...! Insignificant...

{sound f/x don: crash}

Azura: Even if it held the power of God, I don't need to borrow your strength. I'll have the world in the palm of my hands--------

::page::

Azura: That is... my---- little act of revenge towards fate.

{sound f/x za: calm sea noises}

{sound f/x gobo: glug}

Florian: Amazing----current. It's like being in a tailspin. Noir... Where's Noir. !

::page::

Florian: Noir!

::page::

Florian: [gasp!] ----Heavy...~ At this rate, I won't be able to pull him up.

{sound f/x za: flowing water}

Florian: WAAH~

{sound f/x gobo: glug}

Florian: I------ won't let you die!

::page::

Florian: Even if it costs me my life------

{sound f/x gooo: gushing water}

Florian: ----Ah... Countless glittering gems shining, it's so beautiful. It's like I'm being sucked into the light...

::page::

Noir: ---- ----~...

{sound f/x za za: ocean noises}

Noir: ------It's...the sound of the ocean. ! Where am I...!?

{sound f/x kaba: light clattering}

Noir: Ow...~ Florian. Florian~ where are you!

{sound f/x za: ocean noises}

Noir: !

::page::

Noir: Florian!

Florian: Uh... Mm......

Noir: Thank goodness, you're alive...! Yo! You awake now?

Florian: Noi...r! We're both alive. But----why...

{sound f/x za: ocean noises}

Noir: Looks like the limestone became fragile and couldn't stand up to the water pressure. The walls crumbled and we washed up along here.

::page::

Noir: ---- Look.

Florian: It's amazing. The water------ it's giving off light just like a giant blue gem...!

::page::

Florian: Why...

Noir: The ocean------ it ate up the treasures from the Temple of Jerusalem, and so now it's fed by God.

Florian: Hu--uh, Wo--w.

Noir: (It's because of the reflection of diffused light.) Hey, don't just believe whatever I say. This gem is a little bit too big for my collection.

::page::

Napoli

(Anyway...)

{sound f/x nyoru: cheese slowly stretching and dripping}

Noir: What're they doing.

Michel: (Now, now.)

Florian: Ah, Laila, you got all the clams!

Laila: It's okay, since I'm injured and all, I need lots of energy!!

Noir: And so, in the end, Azura----

Solomon: Yeah. We completely searched the entire island and couldn't find any sign of him... We couldn't even find the boat that they came on----unfortunately.

::page::

Noir: ----He's alive ----maybe...

Solomon: We can't conclude anything, really.

Noir: ----Where are you going?

Solomon: I've still got lots of other things that I want to investigate. (Thanks for the pizza.) You're pretty complex yourself.

Noir: Huh.

Solomon: Laila, be careful. You called him "Noir". (Continuously.)

Laila: !

::page::

Laila: Eh... No...way!

Solomon: Kid-ding. (Ciao)

[No he's not. Reread it and see for yourself.]

Laila: !! That---- hack detective!

Florian: Laila.

{sound f/x gatan: chair clattering}

Laila: I can't believe him.

Michel: What's "Noir"?

Laila: No...nothing at all.

Michel: Hey, Laila. When your leg has healed, shall we cruise through the Mediterranean Sea? If I were with you, I'm sure it would be wonderful.

Laila: ------ I, I'll think about it...

::page::

Florian: Those two seem to have nice chemistry.

Noir: Let her do what she wants. Now I've got a debt to Michel, and all the treasures are at the bottom of the ocean, and I was stepped on and kicked. (I was drowned. I was attacked.)

Florian: Um... Noir. Could this maybe be some help?

Noir: !

::page::

Noir: This is...?

Florian: Actually... I just took it because I thought it was really pretty. It's...a blue gem, so I guess it's a sapphire? I don't really know all that much about it, though...

Noir: ! That odd thing won't be of any use. It's fine, you can keep it. ----It can be your souvenier.

Florian: I see. So it won't help any...huh. (But it's so pretty.)

::page::

Michel: Rei, just a second.

Noir: !

Michel: That's a blue diamond, isn't it!? One that big doesn't come around very often. From what I can tell, only the Hope Diamond is bigger. In current prices, it's astronomical...

Noir: Don't say anything.

Michel: Huh?

Noir: Don't say anything to Florian. I don't want to have to tell Laila about all of the mistakes that you made in the past.

([pointing to Noir] Villain.)

Michel: (What's that!?) Rei~~~~~~ You bastard!

Noir: ----With that one diamond, Florian could buy his freedom. That's why I can ne~~ver let him know!

::page::

Noir: I'm going to head back to my room.

Laila: (I'm going, too.)

Noir: What're you doing? (Don't show it off so much in front of other people.)

Florian: If you look through it like this, it really looks the same. The color of the glittering blue ocean that we saw from inside the cave----

Noir: The temple's treasures are sleeping down there, too.

Florian: Yes, I'm sure of it.

::page::

Closed up inside of the glitter gem, secretly... secretly lying in a deep sleep------

Part 3m | Part 3n