Noel stood alone in his room, finishing the last of the preparations. Several things were already inside his Dimensional Pouch, healing items, communication artifacts, spare weapons, and a few practical things he preferred to carry himself rather than entrust to anyone else. His movements were calm and efficient. He had packed for danger many times before.
What occupied his mind now was not the pouch. The girls would want to come. He already knew that much. There was almost no chance he would convince them to remain in the mansion with the children, no matter how reasonable his argument sounded. Elena, Elyra, Charlotte, Selene. None of them were the kind of people who would quietly stay behind while the final battle unfolded elsewhere.
Noel slid another item into the pouch and exhaled slowly.
Then the system window appeared before him.
[Noir has finished evolving.]
