"And now he's lost it."
With a grand sigh, Evan looked with even further disappointment to the pathetic state that the gambler had been reduced to.
"I can't accept this."
However Eclaire had something to say about it.
"This is wrong. This is unacceptable. You should have let me stop him."
"And if he had said no?"
"I don't care! You should have let me do something!!!", Eclaire shouted. "Why didn't you let me help him!?!?"
Faced with the rage of the woman, Evan merely looked up to her as she stood.
"I... I'm going to save him.", she said.
"How do you plan on doing that?"
"I'm... going to talk to that old man-"
"And if he refuses to listen?"
Just before Eclaire barged out of the room, Evan stood up himself, grabbing the shoulder of the woman.
"There is only one way that you can force the old man to listen to you."
And with these words, Eclaire turned around looking at the man as he reached into his coat pocket.
"You earned 800,000 Sin today, correct?"
"I... did."
Pulling out a pen and a piece of paper, the man scribbled up a contract.
"The only way you can save him is by putting your own funds on the line."
As he finished writing up the contract, the man marked a place for Eclaire to sign as he handed it over.
"His assets are worth 2 million Sin. If you wish, I will loan you the remaining 1.2 million, and you yourself can attempt to earn it back for that man - IF you are willing to put that burden on yourself."
As the girl was presented with this contract, she knew not what to do.
No - she knew what to do.
Reject this offer.
Run away from this place.
She had already obtained all the evidence she could get for the police. Surely they would let her off with this much footage of the internal workings of this place.
That was - logically - what Eclaire needed to do.
"Alright."
However, she found her hand moving on its own as she signed the contract.
"What will happen to me if I lose and owe you this debt?"
Only after she had signed it did she ask this question, hanging her head low in defeat.
"You will be sent to a place where you will earn that money back with your body. Don't worry, though."
Taking the contract, the man pointed to a particular section with a slightly compassionate smile.
"I still consider you to be wife material - so I'll take you back as soon as your debt has been repaid - even if no other man will."
Pointing to it, Eclaire found herself gazing upon the interest rate.
0%.
"Gee... thanks a bunch."
And with this sarcastic statement, she left the room defeated.
"I'll do my best to save him... and hope that I win."
----
"I... want to give him a chance to retry."
As Eclaire now stood before this old man, she pulled out a stack of money, throwing it upon the table without averting her gaze.
"2 Million. That's the worth of his assets. We play one more round. If I win, you don't take his assets. If you win, you leave with the cash."
Without hesitation, the girl now threw herself onto the skittle, risking everything for the sake of a man she did not know.
This wasn't the first time she had done this, now was it?
"You..."
The pathetic man who was on the floor dropped his jaw in awe, a grateful smile overcoming him as he crawled over to her, grabbing Eclaire's arms as he bawled.
"Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you so much! I... I didn't know what I was going to do... my wife... my children... they... I..."
"Don't thank me yet. This man hasn't even agreed yet. And I haven't won, so save that for later."
Chastising the crying man, Eclaire turned her gaze once more to the old man, who merely crackled to himself in amusement.
"And what would you do if I didn't accept that offer?"
Looking directly at the woman, the man beamed down upon her, getting far too close for comfort.
"Why don't you just hand over that money and pay it off if you're so concerned for this piece of trash? Or are you as certain in your victory as he is?"
As the man presented Eclaire with this question, the dealer merely stood by, not making a sound as she watched the scene unfold, shuffling the cards quietly as if to prepare for another battle.
"I... can't do that."
Closing her eyes just for a moment, Eclaire made her declaration with confidence.
"I've borrowed some of this money from the casino, and I'm going to give it back to them if I win."
"And if you don't, then you'll be shackled with debt."
Turning around, the man returned to his seat, beckoning for Eclaire to take a seat as well.
"I admire your resolve, girl. You're not just throwing extra money around to save him. You're putting your own life on the line as well. Therefore... I'll accept your gamble."
Turning to the dealer, the man bellowed an order.
"Hurry up and deal us out. I have an appointment I need to be at soon."
"Of course."
With haste, the woman dealt each three cards, at which Eclaire picked up her hand.
This was the hand that would determine her fate.
The young man crept up behind her, gazing with a hopeful expression as the two set their eyes on her hand, to witness the three cards.
An ace, a queen, and a four.
'This... is looking good.'
As Eclaire gazed upon her cards, she realized that she had been given a relatively good hand - as a matter of fact, it was a stellar hand.
With the four aside, the Ace and the Queen were enough to win almost any game. So long as it didn't come down to the third card, she would almost certainly win.
As Eclaire placed her cards in their respective order, the two held their breath as they awaited the results.
"I will be revealing the first pair."
And with this, the dealer flipped both of the two cards to reveal two aces.
"Well... looks like we tied there. Looks like we've gotta wait on the next ones."
'It's... alright. If we can win with this Queen, then even if we lose - this whole thing will be a draw and we'll have to play another round.', Eclaire thought as the dealer placed her hands on the second pair.
"I'm now going to reveal the second pair."
And with these words - two Queens were revealed.
With this revelation, the expression of both Eclaire and the young man went pale, and the older man seemed to grin in response to such a thing.
"What's wrong? You're looking a bit nervous. There's still one more card to go."
'Please... be a two or a three... or even a four...'
Eclaire and the young man both thought this, however the confidence of the old man denied the likelihood of such a thing.
"I will now reveal the final pair."
And with this next flip, it was determined.
A four and a seven - the old man had won.
'Shit.'
Eclaire heard a thud from behind her as the man fell to his knees once more, the life in his eyes having been ripped from him even after a glimmer of hope had appeared.
"Useless..."
He whispered this word, loud enough for Eclaire to hear as she turned around, gulping as she realized her situation.
"You're... fucking useless!!!"
And at this, the man wrapped his hands around the neck of Eclaire.
"You useless fucking woman!!! You come in here so confident, claiming you're going to save me, and THIS is what I get!?!? Did you come in here just to give me hope so you could let me down!?!?"
As the man began to scream, he rattled the head of Eclaire, who struggled to get him off.
"I... I didn't mean to do that!!! I was just trying to help, and I even risked my own life for you! You could at least be grateful!!"
Ripping the hands of the man from her neck, the girl backed off as she panted, at which she saw the older man take his leave in the corner of his eye.
"Heh... pathetic."
With this statement, the door closed, and the two were now left in the room with the dealer, who didn't interfere as the two yelled at one another.
"And what the hell do I have to be grateful for!?!? All you did is make your own situation worse!!! You should never have even bothered! You said it yourself, didn't you!?! That I should only thank you once you've won!"
"I did all I could! It's not my fault that I lost at a game of chance!"
"IF YOU WERE COMPETENT AT ALL, THEN YOU WOULD HAVE WON!!!"
As the man shouted these words, Eclaire's expression changed from fearful to cold in an instant.
"Then why did you lose?"
Suddenly, the girl stood up, shaking the man off as she left him in the corner.
"If you can't even realize that you don't have any control over a game of chance... then you really don't understand how any of this works."
"Hey... get back here."
"Why? So you can choke me again? I'm going to pay back my debts. Unlike you, I can't leave this place so easily."
However, just as Eclaire was about to exit, the door opened, and a man entered the room.
He walked in with grace, glancing back and forth to the two as he assessed the situation, then looked to the dealer.
"I've seen the results."
Confirming this, the dealer nodded, at which the man stood in front of the two.
This man was the owner - Evan Stirling.
"Young man. You agreed upon this gamble, did you not? You understood well that you were risking your own assets, yet you participated in the gamble regardless - and yet you blame the one who stepped in to assist you once you had lost everything?"
Slam!
Suddenly, a thud was heard as the man was kicked into the wall.
"Urgh!"
The man spit up blood upon impact, at which he found a terrifying existence standing above him.
"Know your place."
At this point, the owner wrapped his hands around the neck of the young man, lifting the man up before backing him into the wall.
"You understand nothing of this world, and yet you still choose to play its games?"
Throwing the man to the side, disgust filled the voice of the owner as he looked down upon the man as if he were human garbage.
"Then don't complain when you lose."
Bending over now as he looked upon the beaten man, Evan continued to speak without a shred of sympathy.
"However... that woman did offer to save you. So how about this? I'll let you decide."
Suddenly, Eclaire's head perked up as she watched the man, who spoke with all the power in the world as he arbitrarily made such a decision.
"She took on a debt of 1.2 million to play this game, and she lost it. If she were to take on another 2 million, then she could easily pay for your assets. So?"
And with the smile of a devil, Evan presented the man with an option.
"Will you sell your soul and place that burden upon the one who stepped up to save you - or will you accept your losses and leave without a thing?"
"Wait just a minute!"
At this, Eclaire spoke up, however she was met with the glare of that man, which silenced her in that instant.
"You have no power to decide here, Eclaire. The young man is speaking... and I would like to hear his decision."
"That isn't fair! How can you place more debt on me that I didn't agree to!!! That-"
"You agreed to save him, did you not?"
Eclaire found herself silenced at the words of the man, who slaughtered her with facts.
Indeed - she had risked herself to help him.
But now that she had lost, she no longer had the ability to worry about someone else.
Wasn't it enough that she had already ruined herself for him?
Why did she have to take on his portion of the debt as well?
"So? What is your decision?"
"Put it on her."
With this effortless response, the man immediately decided.
"She... she said she would save me... it's only right that she inherits my debt! She shouldn't go around telling people she'll help them if she can't do it! This is her punishment! This is the result of her actions!!!"
The man shouted this out, justifying his shameless actions in front of all.
"I see... that is the result... of HER actions. Is it now?"
With a grin, the man waved to the dealer.
"Please guide him out. I will take care of the girl from here."
"Understood. His debts?"
"Do not be concerned about them."
With these words, the man immediately shifted his tune.
"Thank you, Sir! Thank you so much! Thank you!!!"
"Get out of my sight."
Yet Evan could only voice his disgust as the man showed him with gratitude.
"I never want to see the likes of you again at my casino."
"I'll never return! Thank you! Thank you!!!"
With this, the dealer forced the man out, at which the door was closed.
Eclaire and Evan were left together in the room, and the girl could do nothing more than look down with despair on the realization of her situation.
"I guess... I lost... didn't I?"
Her hair covering her eyes, she spoke with a quivering tone, terrified about what would happen to her.
"I guess you were right... I shouldn't have bothered. But... I wanted to save him."
As she uttered these words, the girl wanted desperately to ask what would become of her, yet the man instead took a seat, placing one leg over another in a regal manner.
"Eclaire.", he scolded.
"What?", she queaked.
"The reason you are here is because you consider people to have such high worth. However, unfortunately, few humans actually hold any such worth."
Taking a deep breath, the man closed his eyes, laying his chin on his hand as he spoke with disappointment.
"If I were to lay a price on the average person... then I would consider them to be worthless."
As the man said these things, Eclaire slowly stood up, not daring to raise her head as she stood in defeat.
"I do hope you don't resent me for this decision. But this was what you wanted, no?"
With this question, Eclaire could say nothing in response, but the man continued to bombard her with words.
"You wanted to save that man - and he has been saved."
Without any shred of sugarcoating, the man told the situation exactly as it was, at which Eclaire sat down in the seat in front of him.
"Shouldn't you be happy that you weren't both ruined?"
And with this question, Eclaire looked up, her eyes meeting his.
"Or was your resolve to save him so shallow?"
"I... I didn't think... he would be so ungrateful..."
"All humans are like that. We like to write stories about humans who aren't like that. We like to tell tales about good people to inspire those around us. But in reality... there is no such thing."
Gazing upon the cracked wall, the man spoke with resentment in his voice.
"When it comes down to it, we will always choose ourselves over others - no matter what they have done for us."
With another deep breath, the man stood as he folded his hands behind his back.
"But now that he is gone... I suppose it's time to retract my previous offer."
And suddenly, Eclaire perked up as the man said such a thing, confused by the man's words.
"The contract you signed - it was for exactly 1.2 Million. No more, and no less."
As the man said this, Eclaire widened her eyes, realizing the implications of his words.
"Whether his assets will be converted to your own debt - he has no say in this. I merely wanted to find out what his response would be if I were to make him such an offer. No… I wanted to show you what his response would be."
Presented with a new decision, a hundred thoughts rushed through the mind of the girl.
"And now that you've seen his response - I will ask YOU, Eclaire - as the one who will be inheriting this debt."
She recalled her stupid decision to save a worker from this casino.
She recalled her second stupid decision to save this man.
Every time she had tried to save a person - she had only dug herself into a corner.
"Are you willing to take on an extra 2 million in debt so that man can live his life without worry?"
Was there anything wrong with trying to save herself - at the cost of one man who held not a shred of gratitude for her sacrifice?
"Or do you wish to place his own debt back upon him... and leave with only the 1.2 million?"
With this decision, everything seemed to halt for Eclaire.
She already owed the casino 1.2 million.
2 million was a ton more, but either way she was shackled with debt.
By placing the debt on him, all she would truly accomplish would be ruining the man who she had tried to save.
'I've already been ruined... after all.'
However, as she recalled the wicked expression of the man who had choked her and abused her even after she did everything she could, she couldn't accept saving such a person anymore.
"He... will just end up betting everything again."
As she recalled how he had called her incompetent - unable to realize his own flaws, Eclaire knew this for certain.
Even if she ended up with his debt, he would never learn.
He would continue to put himself in other's debt, and even if more heroes were to appear and save him, he would only ensnare all the more into a debt that should have been his.
He needed to be stopped.
"I have no intention to shoulder that burden."
Looking up to the man with fierce eyes, Eclaire made her decision.
"I was willing to save him."
And with these words, she made her declaration to the owner of this casino without any further hesitation.
"But what I didn't realize was that he wasn't worth saving."
----
As Marcus and Sylvia awoke from the influx of memories, they found themselves once more at the conference room, sitting across from Eclaire.
"You... were quite an idiot, weren't you?"
This was the first statement that Sylvia made.
"You went out of your way not once, but twice to help people at the cost of your life. I mean... that's a bit much, isn't it?"
"I know. And I know that I was foolish to do so."
With a bitter response, Eclaire smiled lightly as she reflected upon her past.
"I wanted to help. I really did. I just wanted to do what I thought was right, and I was willing to throw myself away... just for that."
"So that's our first opponent."
Taking control of the conversation, Marcus spoke aloud as he organized his thoughts.
"I don't think we should kill him."
Looking up to Eclaire, Marcus questioned her.
"Let me ask you, Eclaire. Do you hate Evan for what he did to you?"
Nodding her head 'no', Eclaire denied the notion.
"No... as a matter of fact, I understand it all the better now. I was stupid. I was naive. I did agree to sign that contract. And I understood the consequences well, and still chose to try and save that man. I lost in that game, and this was the result."
"So if you were given the chance to kill him, you wouldn't?"
"No."
Nodding in agreement, Marcus then spoke up again.
"I believe he is someone that we can negotiate with. He may be a strange person, and he has no mercy, but his philosophy... I agree with it, for the most part."
Indeed - he was merciless.
Marcus knew this well after having been shot by this man.
But at the same time, he always enforced the results of his gambles - no matter who won.
"He would never favor one party over the other. That is what I see in him. A strange quality for a casino owner."
"So we're going to try and convince him over to our side?"
"We... will see about that."
Holding off on the thought, Marcus returned to the information in front of him.
"The next and final target is this man - Maximilian Stirling."
Gazing at the other two, their expressions stiffened as the document of an older man was pulled - yet another man who carried the last name of Stirling.
"This man... is the father of Evan, Sheldon, and Donovan - and the brother of Gerard."
Looking at the two with a stern expression, Marcus spoke in a low tone.
"Based on what I have been told from Valerie, he is the founder of the Street Rats - and the most dangerous man in this gang."