Lilith: Daemonissa

Winner takes all—that's what a true gamble should be... Are you prepared to risk everything, Honorable Commandant?

Some properly applied violence is the best insurance for a fair game of chance.

A compliment is more worthless than a debtor's promise... Have you prepared my reward, Honorable Commandant?

Humans were on top of the food chain for so long until the Punishing Virus came along and changed the natural hierarchy. That said, if there were a human that the Ascension-Network would find alluring, it would be you—I was just kidding. Relax.

Cheating requires practice and experience, and so does the ability to perceive it.

Was I telling the truth when I said the umbrella was only a distraction and my cards were a magician's true weapon? Of course. A true player always delivers the final blow with the most harmless diversion.

Some properly applied violence is the best insurance for a fair game of chance.

A compliment is more worthless than a debtor's promise... Have you prepared my reward, Honorable Commandant?

Humans were on top of the food chain for so long until the Punishing Virus came along and changed the natural hierarchy. That said, if there were a human that the Ascension-Network would find alluring, it would be you—I was just kidding. Relax.

Cheating requires practice and experience, and so does the ability to perceive it.

Was I telling the truth when I said the umbrella was only a distraction and my cards were a magician's true weapon? Of course. A true player always delivers the final blow with the most harmless diversion.

Which poker variant do you know best? It doesn't matter. I'm game.

I'll see you and raise you.

Jackpot! This isn't luck. It's probability.

Even a boring material like steel can become fashionable when given an industrial twist. Do you want to make some changes to the interior here, Honorable Commandant?

Different Ascendants have different goals—their capriciousness seems to be the only thing they have in common. Obviously, being "eccentric" is simply me following the rules. I hope my little pleasures... don't freak you out too much, Honorable Commandant.

I like it when it rains. The tears of angels washing the dust away and exposing everything filthy in the ground, and there's no escape... Meanwhile, I just need to hold up my umbrella to avoid the gods' judgment.

At first, my disappointed parents called me a venomous snake. As Las Prados grew, I became a so-called opportunist. Eventually, I gambled with my stupid aunt's life's work and won the recognition of the Ascension-Network... Now, people call me an "Ascendant" in fear. The funny thing is, you know, I've always been doing the same thing.

Las Prados' philosophy of success is dreadfully boring... The Punishing Virus' purity, on the other hand, is endlessly compelling. It filters out the ordinary and reveals true ambitions.

Pick a card, Honorable Commandant. If it's Clotho, you just might survive your next mission. If it's Lachesis, you might have a difficult battle ahead. If it's Atropos, well... Hahaha, this isn't a Tarot reading. These gods have no power without their mysterious stories... Well, the devil does.

Peace? Why live a peaceful life when you can live riskily? Don't you think that's more fun? If I wanted to merely survive, I could've stayed working as a croupier for my aunt. But those players' tricks were pedestrian at best. Since the day I started dealing cards, I've been waiting... for a game that excites me. A game that makes me go all in.

Commanders seem to be natural risk-takers, assessing resources and predicting outcomes before issuing orders. It's such a shame then that these cowards wouldn't risk their own lives on the battlefield. Players who keep their aces up their sleeves make the most boring games. Luckily, you play differently.

You want to have dinner with me? Are you some cyborg with a synthetic stomach that can neutralize poison? Well... I'd like to witness how advanced Babylonia's biotechnology is. I'll accept your invitation.

Las Prados was different from this place. It was always loud and lively as if it was a bottomless pit of lust... Don't feel sorry, Commandant. Are you prepared to create a new paradise with me?

I've seen many gamblers' collaterals, but most of them were pretty boring. The things they were willing to let go of were mostly mundane items like watches, jewelry, and gold teeth. As for me... Hah. What I would like is a peach made of heart valves, ligaments, and muscle tissues. It should weigh exactly 250 grams and not a gram more.

I don't like games where you can tell who the winner is beforehand, because the angst and the nervousness before the results come in is the most delicious thing... How long will you make me enjoy this excruciating wait, Commandant?

Let me share a secret with you... I've been spicing up your drinks with a secret ingredient, Commandant. They were added in small doses, so the taste of your drinks wouldn't be ruined. How can I not share what I love with someone I like?

Humans are such irrational creatures... There are no benefits to gambling. It's a pit waiting for them to fall in. But the thrill of taking risks is so irresistible... Why don't you wager on your darkest desires before you're exposed to their judgment, Commandant?

Lilith was a self-exiled witch who consumed human desires and toyed with justice... Don't you worry about getting cursed if you keep whispering that name? For your sake, Commandant, why don't you call me... "Eleanor" from now on? In exchange... may I have my snack now?

Life is a mystery. It's dreadful most of the time, but occasionally there are moments of delightful surprises... like a game of chance.

Las Prados was a holiday destination, but none of its visitors could relax for a single moment when they were there. Meanwhile, this colony ship is humanity's last fortress, but it bears the name of a paradise... Will I find the same irony in you, Honorable Commandant?

Don't you want to study me for a bit when I'm standing right here? That said, the composition of an Ascendant is no different than a regular Construct's. It's our minds that Babylonia's been struggling to understand... Quick question—what am I craving right now, Honorable Commandant?

I didn't learn how to make cocktails because I like to drink. I learned to make them to empty a fool's wallet. Speaking of which—what's your favorite drink, Honorable Commandant? Don't worry. The most interesting thing about you... isn't your bank account.

My card tricks and my hat tricks are distracting? Oh, I'm no magician, Commandant. Those charlatans deal in lies, while I deal in the truth... which happens to hide behind delightful illusions.

Collaborations, team training... This place disgusts me. No matter what fancy names they give to their asylum, the weak are just burying their heads in the sand. This garden should be my plaything! Make your choice, Commandant... This game of ours should've begun long ago.

Love without boundaries can easily become possessiveness... You're doing well, Commandant. Let the rewards amass. The joy of devouring them all at once... is enough to make me take the risk.

Ten thousand taste buds make the tongue the most sensitive organ. Unfortunately, humans can't stand the taste of the raw and the rotten, so they come up with all these flavors to cover the stench. Meanwhile, my frame lets me savor the true nature... The taste of the surging Red Tide, rotting corpses—and human pheromones.

Bribing the dealer? Are you testing me... or are you trying to take me out? Whatever. It's all the same to me. Do your worst, Honorable Commandant. The answer will reveal itself.

Are you sure I can take this? What if I leave this place someday... and a Babylonia Construct finds it on a battlefield? Once they retrieve your gift, people will find my fingerprints... on something that belongs to you.

A quid pro quo is the basis of winning the game... I can tell you can do even better than this. Continue to impress me, Honorable Commandant.

I must admit that your taste isn't as bad as I imagined. The F.O.S. Military Command College... Is that what it's called? It appears that they give etiquette lessons there as well. The elites can't be cheap bastards, after all.

I like your pistol. Can you give it to me? Thank you. How generous of you... Oops, I missed. What a shame. It seems that your luck is better than my aim, Commandant, but I've never been someone who bets on luck. Now, let's try again...

Different metals taste different, and my tongue sensor is very sensitive. You're quite generous to offer such an expensive present again and again... In exchange, I'll tell you a "chilling" tale next time.

Have you heard of this Golden Age legend, Commandant? Bounty hunters would combine liquid carbonite and high-pressure gas to flash-freeze and encase their targets... You've heard of it? I can't wait for my next gift, then.

Cease your futile efforts... You've seen everything I can show you, haven't you?

Ugh, you've passed out. How annoying... Let me drag you back to your bed...

The Ascension-Network is not that different from Babylonia... Data courses through their veins, leaving behind an anxious pulse. Your terminal is ringing again, Honorable Commandant. Do you want to make a wager? Is it a mail, another mission... or a series of cryptic numbers? 0100000101110011...

You're leaving yourself this exposed to me? Suspicion often dilates one's pupils and makes one shiver. The tension always excites me. And yet you breathe so calmly while you sleep. This scent of trust... I can't say I'm familiar.

"Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream. Make them the cutest that I've ever seen. Give them the word that I'm not a rover. Then tell them that their lonesome nights are over..." These are just lyrics of a popular song from Las Prados back then. Don't mind it.

You were smiling while you were asleep. I heard that Lilith would visit people in their dreams and comfort their anxious hearts, and those people would smile as you did afterward... Perhaps she doesn't just visit people in their dreams, then?

Don't you know when to quit? Back where I'm from... this was a major taboo.

Have you heard of the longest poker game in history, Honorable Commandant? That man played for 120 hours non-stop, staying awake for 5 days and nights. What happened next? Hah. You know the answer already, don't you?

I've always believed that the concept of buffets originated from casinos instead of restaurants... the way gamblers keep stuffing their stomachs and trying to satiate their hunger until they can no longer perceive time. But strangely enough... I can't sense your appetite, Commandant.

How fierce, how bright... Such focused gazes were only found in zealous gamblers. So people this devoted to their missions also give off the same intriguing fragrance! What a rare scent for a candle... Don't you burn out that quickly, Commandant.

What a waste to pour your heart into paperwork. Are you really willing to let these pointless tasks suck you dry? It's not too late to change your mind. I can show you... something more worthwhile, Commandant.

Investing is a way to buy wishes by overdrawing the present. What are you wishing for today, Honorable Commandant?

Poker chips, snacks, and unlimited drinks... Ready to make all your dreams come true, Honorable Commandant?

You remember correctly. I did lose 80 chips in our little game yesterday. How many Black Cards would that be... Do you accept other ways of payment, Honorable Commandant?

Ah, you're here. I've prepared your energy drink. A Babylonia commandant never seems to be able to stop working... Do you want to try this rejuvenating shot instead? Don't worry. See? I injected myself and I'm still fine. Hm? What's that expression?

Patience is necessary when hunting for prey... A sleepless night is merely a small price.

You don't care about temporary losses, do you? Indeed, being able to keep your eye on the future is essential to winners. But to win that prize you're after... you better raise your bet some more.

Sit, Commandant. What's today's mission? Maybe I can help you... There's no need to reject me this quickly, hah. I can do much more than just assist you in battles.

Of course I miss the fervor underneath that dome, but Babylonia isn't that bad. Every morning, I wake up to see... someone who's game to play with me forever.

Las Prados was a sleepless city, and I've gotten used to working the night shift long ago... so there's no need to apologize, Honorable Commandant. I know a few ways to entertain myself while I wait for you—such as planting a few surprises in this room.

Finding balance in passionate moments is the key to flamenco. Do you want to dance, Honorable Commandant?

A clear mind is a poker player's tool... Obviously, for me, two spiked knees as well. Want to test them out, Commandant?

You remind me of the sidewinders in the Las Prados desert... They were so energetic when they shook their tails. Their cuteness can send shivers down your spine.

Asking people to suppress their desires is impossible. Not to mention that it's a croupier's job to provoke it... So I suppose I'm the real winner here, right?

All old hands have deft fingers. After all, every decision on a poker table happens in a split second. Yours, Honorable Commandant... aren't quite there yet.

Ascendants are beings that are enveloped in the Punishing Virus. If you're willing to take the risk... I'm happy to assist in your exploration.

I don't think you can drink this much energy away... Are you ready for a special treat, then, Honorable Commandant?

At your service, Honorable Commandant.

You lost the bet!

It's up to you. Go all in or fold.

You're the lucky customer!

C'mon, Commandant...

Hahahaha.

Watch them drown in their desires!

If you aren't willing to bleed for it... you can't fool anyone.

It's just beginner's luck!

I don't believe in luck, because it's... fickle.

What weapon do you expect me to use? A revolver with only one bullet in it?

I'll offer you the chance to die by your own mistakes!

Let's see how big the winner's pot is, Honorable Commandant.