NOISZ STΔRLIVHT/Story/Chapter 6.IV

Chapter 6.IV
Level Requirements
49 49 49 49 49
Release date: January 03, 2025

(After my last breath, I take control of my fate.)

Characters

Story

Continuing from the last chapter, Producer fires the Final Burst at Gaius, to his shock. With the power of STΔRLIVHT's bonds, the Final Burst is able to overcome the vast amount of souls Gaius has stored, completely obliterating him.

Producer asks Arietta to tell her who she really is, as since she's going to die, the information shouldn't be dangerous anymore. She agrees, and starts with the day the two first met.

Gaius gives Arietta a copy of Antiphon's newest AI, Joker, for her birthday. The two quickly become friends, with Joker developing a personality similar to Arietta's at the time. After the incident with the portal, Arietta has a chip installed in her so she can communicate with Joker after she runs away with Beyond and Remora. This would mean that Joker herself is not stored inside the chip, and Arietta reveals that her "brain", the computer she is stored on, is actually inside the wheelchair she had been using during her time as a human. She assures her, though, that in this moment, she is a human being, as only a human could use the Final Burst. Arietta says she'll be sad to watch her die, and Joker thanks her for telling her.

To her surprise, Joker wakes up in the basement. Arietta says she installed several subroutines to slow down her death, though says she is still dying regardless, and has about four hours left. As Joker gets up, Gaius suddenly stands again as well. Confused, Joker attacks him again, but he simply shrugs it off as black wings and chains emerge from his back. Arietta realizes he's been possessed by the fragment of Alpha within the NOISZ. Unable to use the Final Burst again, Joker realizes they need the sword she'd seen in her visions.

In an unknown place, Grace realizes she's dead, but resolves to find a way back to Sera as she promised. As she was pierced by the endless rain of swords, she sees a glimpse of something far beyond her own world, infinite and utterly incomprehensible. Grace manages to steal a portion of this power and uses it to reanimate herself. Her RS unit addresses her as the NOISZ Beast Genbu, but she refutes this, declaring she's still entirely herself.

Grace suddenly awakens in Sera's arms, to her joy and surprise. Sera helps her pull the blades from her chest, and as she does, they reshape themselves in a form of Grace's power; the Binary Black Hole. Once they finish, Hakuno interrupts with the reveal that Gaius is somehow still alive after being taken down by Joker's attack, and Joker herself reveals he's been possessed by Alpha. Hearing the attack Hakuno describes makes Grace realize Joker used the Final Burst, and she decides to fight him alongside her. The others also resolve to help them using the RS, though Joker warns them that since Grace has become a NOISZ Beast, the connection will increase the toxicity of her power to other NOISZ users. They resolve to help anyways, and the five of them perform the group chant together as they resolve to defeat Gaius once and for all.

As the fight ends, Joker and Grace drive the Binary Black Hole into Gaius'. His armament returns to the green color it held before as the wings and chains crumble away. Still clinging to life, Gaius wonders what he'd been doing for so long, as Grace realizes that Gaius hadn't always been like this. Regardless, she refuses to forgive him, driving the sword in deeper. He accepts this outcome, telling Arisa to tell her sister he's proud of them both. She says she'll consider it as she says goodbye, and Grace removes the sword as Arietta kicks his body into the void. Grace asks to confirm she isn't Joker, which she agrees, saying she'd wanted to be there for his last moments. She returns control to Joker, saying this moment belongs to her.

Back in control, Joker congratulates the group, but reveals her memories have returned, and with them horrible news; Alpha will return in the future after faking her death, and to defeat her the group will have to hide for the next two years to save the world from her plans. The group agrees, though Sera questions how killing Gaius ties into this. Joker reveals they plan to fake their deaths in the fight against Gaius, having prepared fake NOISZ Beasts beforehand to ensure the illusion against Alpha. Joker tells STΔRLIVHT they'll be hidden in a lab outside of town, where they'll be placed in stasis to heal off any contamination from Grace's NOISZ Beast interference and ensure they'll be in perfect shape for the final fight, certain they'll also be able to return Grace to her normal self as well. Grace offers to stay awake, however, having become a NOISZ Beast, and Joker agrees, saying if something were to go wrong she can awake the others. The group head out to an autocar to the lab prepared ahead of time, where they each inform their friends and family of their disappearance for the next two years.

As they arrive, they recognize the lab as the one they'd been to beforehand for Beyond to checkup on them, though none of them remember the events that happened afterward. As the four arrive to the stasis room, Sera says she wants to have her wedding here, wanting Grace to have something to hold onto for the next two years. Joker agrees, and the group hold an impromptu wedding, with Sera and Grace manifesting wedding dresses using the NOISZ. Ultimately, the moment ends, and the group is put to sleep. Joker thanks them for everything, and promises to see them again.

Alone, Grace notes that Joker didn't tell them about her own death. Joker explains there will be "another her" when they wake up, who will have her memories and personality, and will be real in every way that matters. She, however, will be gone, which Grace says isn't "every way that matters". Joker agrees, but doesn't want her next self to be disconnected from the friends she remembers, and asks Grace to treat her the same as well. Grace apologizes for not being the one to use the Final Burst, but Joker tells her they each made their own choices. Joker then asks her how she returned from death, which Grace answers by calling it magic; she'd stolen the concept of magic from another world and brought it to the human world to resurrect herself with, Joker then tells Grace that Arietta will reinhabit her body once she dies, and that while she is a good person at heart, Alpha is sealed in the eye under her bandage; Grace cannot let Alpha find out about STΔRLIVHT, no matter what. Grace agrees, saying she'll act as a regular NOISZ Beast until the time comes.

With around a minute left, Grace asks Joker if there's anything she still wants to do. Possibly due to music returning to the world, Joker wants to sing, and Grace promises to listen. Joker begins:

Born to serve a purpose

Born to die a hero

But with my last breath I'll speak only of

Drops

• Song: with my (last+1) breath

Joker Trial can be attempted in Queen's Ascension (if the prerequisites are fulfilled; see Joker Trial for more information.)

Clearing this chapter also grants access to Forge of Antiphon.

Song

Chapter 6.IV's song is with my (last+1) breath as the unique style CLOVERJOKER; see the song's page for more details.

NOISZ STΔRLIVHT Story Navigation
Chapter 6.III	Chapter 6.IV
False Timeline Ch 0 Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 5 Ch 6 0.I 1.I 2.I 3.I 4.I 5.I 6.I 0.II 1.II 2.II 3.II 4.II 5.II 6.II 0.III 1.III 2.III 3.III 4.III 5.III DE 0.IV 1.IV 2.IV 3.IV 4.IV 5.IV
True Heroes Ch 5 Ch VS Ch 6 5.I VS Prelude 6.I -1.I VS.1 6.II 5.II VS.2 6.III -1.II VS.3 6.IV 5.III VS.4 -1.III VS Postlude 5.IV -1.IV