Dirty Backyard

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## Sources

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**Dirty Backyard** is the 27th story event in *Goddess of Victory: Nikke*.

The event centers around Moran trying to clear her name after being framed for murder.

## Synopsis

Charged with a murder she didn't commit, Moran has suddenly become the pariah of the Outer Rim, to the point where her position as an Underworld Queen is jeopardized. In a bid to clear her name, Moran cooperates with Sugar to seek out the truth.

## Story

### Prologue - Initial False Accusations

All seems to be fine in the Outer Rim, or at least as fine as it can get for one Moran and her Peony Association subordinates. Out on a routine patrol, their last destination for the day is Fog Hollow, one of outlying parts of their turf.

Entering Fog Hollow, Moran finds the eponymous fog blinding and choking, giving her a coughing fit as she tries to breathe. One of the Peony Association men explains that this area is home to a factory whose production leads to roiling smog that blends with the usual vapors. Then one of the locals approaches Moran, spouting something about "not calling beforehand" and acting suspiciously jittery...

Moran immediately smells something fishy, but is willing to believe the man when he claims it's just post-work fatigue. She also notices a smaller factory somewhat obscured by the fog, which the man claims is an add-on to the main facility. Supposedly, the factory is producing pharmaceuticals, but before the conversation goes any further, a woman's scream comes from one of the warehouses...

Moran's group comes up to the warehouse and finds a gristly sight. Several people are hung in the air at the end of various ropes, and on the wall, scrawled in dark-red liquid no one can distinguish from blood or paint is a message; *"Moran did this."*

The Peony Association leader is taken aback by the proclamation. Who's saying that she's the one behind this...?

### Urgent Request for Aid

At Peony Association HQ, Moran wracks her brain over the who, how, and why behind this latest slaughter. Deciding that sitting around isn't doing any good, she pulls out her phone to contact the rest of Underworld Queen. Much to her dismay, Sakura and Rosanna seem indisposed to her plight, simply stating they have other business to attend to.

As Moran bangs her head on the table, Jin comes in with some more bad news. Death and chaos are spreading across the Outer Rim, and all evidence and even *witness testimony* is pinning it on Moran herself. He doesn't believe it, given how he's been near her this whole time, but the rumors have spread so far that even the *Ark* has caught wind of it. This is far too big to be dealt with in-house, and with the rest of Underworld Queen wrapped in their own messes, there's only person the Peony Association can turn to; Moran's precious "Cadet"...

Said "Cadet" is none other than the protagonist, who is quite exasperated by the latest mess dropped on his lap. Moran beseeches Cadet, going so far as to kneel and plead with her forehead to the floor. It'd be one thing if this incident was just something targeting her, but she'd never abide if her Peony Association subordinates or those living in her territory suffered from the fallout. So she's come all the way here to beg for assistance however she can to protect her charges. The protagonist takes Moran's hands and lifts her up, promising to assist her in this matter.

With assistance secured, the two now need to discuss their next move. Moran was planning to head back to Fog Hollow to dig up clues, but failed to account for the idea of Underworld Queen being preoccupied when all this occurred. Just one Nikke and a commander seems risky to traverse the Outer Rim, however, so the protagonist suggests getting assistance from some freelancers like the Scavengers...

Heading to the Outpost Cafe, the two find Sugar of Cafe Sweety kicking back. Frima is asleep as ever, and Milk just stepped out for a job, so she's the only free person right now. Hearing news about a job, Sugar asks the protagonist for details, and he fills her in on the situation...

Some time later, Sugar asks Moran if she really *wasn't* behind the murder. The Peony Association leader insists she isn't the culprit. The protectees under her organization are practically family to her with how she visits them every month or so, so she has no reason to kill them. As for those *outside* of PA's sphere of influence, Moran has little to no inclination to start trouble unless provoked, so all the talk that she's going around axing random people is unsubstantiated. Convinced that an investigation is in order, Sugar accepts the job of accompanying the two to the Outer Rim. The fixer asserts she alone is enough for the job, so she doesn't need to call the others. Going around in a bigger group would draw more eyes and ears, and would risk someone sniffing out what they're doing. ~~It's definitely not because she wants to hog the money for herself and get snazzy new parts for Black Typhoon.~~

Ignoring Moran's plea that the Peony Association isn't rolling in credits, Sugar arranges to rendezvous at the Outer Rim later...

### Inferno

The investigation group meets at the edge of the Outer Rim, with Sugar decked out in different attire for this job. Moran recognizes the outfit as something she's seen Sugar wearing before, which turns out to have been the fixer's usual dressings when she lived in the Outer Rim. Sugar *claims* it's something that's comfortable to move around in, but going by Moran's comments and Sugar's response, it seems the two have history together, and one of them doesn't look back on it fondly...

Almost as soon as the trio nears the entrance to the Outer Rim, they find a pile of corpses piled up. Clambering over the corpses are people clawing at the walls separating the Rim from the Ark. Others who aren't climbing the pile are instead kneeling like they're praying, only they're muttering about their desire for something called "Mist." The trio are dumbstruck by this gruesome sight, but remembering what they came here for, they try to get more information.

The first man Moran asks seems to ignore her questions, biting his nails as he mutters about needing more "Mist." Suddenly, he jerks upright and asks the trio if they have any "Mist" to spare. He ignores the protagonist asking about what this "Mist" is, muttering that apparently *Moran* is the supplier and his key to getting more. As the man runs off like he's possessed, the trio are only left with more questions. What's this "Mist" they're all clamoring about, and how is Moran's name connected to all this? They need more information...

The protagonist tries asking a man who seems normal, only for the latter to turn and show he's anything *but*. Even with a *gaping laceration* on his stomach, the man's face is stuck in a blissful rictus. Sugar tries to see to the man's wounds, but then he notices Moran. The Peony Association leader confirms her identities, prompting the man to holler about her presence to *everyone* before coughing up blood and collapsing.

A swarm of people bulrush Moran all at once, soliciting her for "Mist" and claiming they'll die if they don't get any. Caught in the mob, the protagonist can feel hands grasping and clawing at his body as much as they are at Moran's. Their imminent dismemberment is only stopped when Sugar disperses the crowd with gunfire and grabs the two before speeding off on Black Typhoon...

In a nearby alley, Moran thanks Sugar for the timely save. In response, the fixer grabs the protagonist and holds him close, leveling her gun in Moran's direction. Something about this whole job stank, but Moran standing idle as the mob clawed at her and Partner was the nail in the coffin. Those people were clamoring for "Mist" and were clearly calling Moran to source it for them...

Moran claims that she knows nothing about Mist and turns the suspicion on Sugar instead. The fixer *knew* that the Peony Association wasn't affluent for the price she asked but still took the job, and was the only one who wasn't startled when the mob began acting up. *Almost as if she expected this to happen.* As group cohesion further breaks down and verges on violence, a hand comes up and stops Sugar from opening fire.

Jin suddenly arrives, also recognizing Sugar and waxing nostalgia about her attire. The man asserts that tracking Moran was easy given how he does most of the heavy thinking of the Peony Association. That's also why he knows that Moran is completely in the dark about Mist. In fact, it's *more* suspicious that Sugar knows about its existence, plus the fact she refuses to divulge *how* she knows.

The protagonist final has enough, and asks just *what* exactly is Mist. Jin shows a small object in a wrapper that almost looks like candy. Yet the man assures that this is no ordinary candy...

### Mist

"Mist" is the name of a new narcotic that's taking the Outer Rim by storm, named as such for how it makes your mind hazy, as if it were fogged up. Side effects of excessive Mist consumption include loss of pain sense, hallucinations, and increased aggression, *exactly* like the mob they'd previously fled from. Seeing the dumbfounded look on Moran's finally, Sugar finally concedes that *maybe* Moran isn't directly responsible for this whole mess and stands down. But she still isn't *completely* convinced, not with all the other fires that Moran is apparently linked to.

Jin admits he's seen and heard much the same. All over the Rim, people are cradling their dead friends and loved ones, screaming for all to hear about how Moran supposedly was the culprit. Others are huffing down Mist and claiming Moran was the one who hooked them up. Either way, each and every person looked and talked like they believed 100% of everything they were saying.

Obviously, none of this would hold up to actual scrutiny. Even disregarding the fact that Moran has been with the protagonist this whole morning, she's had an alibi for each and every incident that occurred. Even the scrawled message fingering her out as the murderer of Fog Hollow is circumstantial evidence at best. It practically reeks of someone puppeteering these people around, trying to discredit Moran...

Moran asks where exactly this Mist is coming from so they can find the root of this incident. Jin reveals it to be none other than *Fog Hollow*, the very place where Moran was first framed...

The unsurprised look on Sugar's face says it all to Jin; she knew about Mist and where it was coming from, and that's why she suspected Moran to be the culprit. The pieces all lined up in her head, too. Fog Hollow is Peony Association territory, and the Mist comes from there, with recent production figures skyrocketing. Who would believe that the head honcho of an underworld group wouldn't know about some drug production going on in her turf? Moran swears that she didn't know, what with Fog Hollow's infamous fog making it hard to see far, and her own disinclination to pry too hard into the lives of locals.

Continuing on, Jin explains that while Fog Hollow is the main production nexus for Mist, it's not being sold there. Black market dealers like the Dark Net have been the go-to place for Mist, making tracing a pain. As for actual production, Jin has yet to see it with his own eyes. For Moran, that's not enough information to indict Fog Hollow, so she plans to see for herself what's going on.

It's an absurd idea to Sugar, but Moran is dead-set on going through with this. As far as Moran knows, the people of Fog Hollow are hardworking loyal folk. They're not afraid to break their backs and muddy their hands to get scraps for their friends and families, and they'd give the coat on their back to a stranger if they felt they had to, even if it'd mean they have nothing. For all anyone knows, those villagers could be getting framed for this *exactly* like Moran is. So she has to go and see for herself if Fog Hollow really is behind this Mist epidemic and framing her. If they're innocent, she'll fight to protect them, even if nobody else will. If they're guilty...*she'll tear it all down herself, with her own hands*. Sugar goes silent at the resolve in Moran's words...

The protagonist declares their plans to investigate Fog Hollow, but Sugar first requests he go back to the Outpost. He nearly got literally shredded by a mob because Moran froze up, and only scraped by because Sugar kept a cool head. So the fixer wants him to stay out of this and keep safe until the storm blows over. Moran apologizes for freezing up earlier and promises to protect him with her life if need be. The protagonist states his trust in Moran and steps towards her, only for Sugar to pull him back. The fixer is keen on keeping Partner safe, so she'll keep him in her custody until all this is settled.

Jin states his nonparticipation, at least in regards to directly going to Fog Hollow. He's a thinker, not a fighter, so his forte is supporting from the background. Though before he darts off, he does promise to send some men Moran's way ~~when~~ if trouble arrives. Moran sighs exasperatedly as Jin goes, and the trio heads off to Fog Hollow.

### Sugar's Dilemma

On the way to Fog Hollow, the protagonist decides to ask Sugar a few questions. Like why she distrusts Moran so much. In fact, this entire trip, Sugar has been acting like a completely different person. Compared to the calm, analytical, occasionally nonsense-spewing, kiss-soliciting Cafe Sweety fixer he usually knows, she's all edges, emotion, and business. Plus, she already knew about Fog Hollow and the Mist situation, yet kept mum on her knowledge and sources until now, and is *still* not saying a word about her sources. Given all this information, the protagonist can only come to one conclusion; Sugar has already been in Fog Hollow before. Sugar admits that yes, she was there previously on a job whose details must remain confidential. While there, she talked with a few villagers and discovered something...

Back then, Sugar discovered the existence of Mist and tried to coerce the villagers to cease production. Unfortunately, said villagers are being coerced by *other parties* into producing Mist, and even ramping up production. They *know* that this stuff can ruin a person, but the higher-ups threatened to execute them all if they stopped entirely or didn't make quota. In fact, the villager she interrogated told her the *Peony Association itself* was forcing them to make Mist...

In the end, Sugar's hands were tied and she couldn't force a stop to production. If she did, she'd have consigned the villagers to die for no reason other than being unlucky enough to be blackmailed into drug production. That's why she took the job with Moran and the protagonist, so she could keep the latter safe and find out if the Peony Association really was in on the Mist racket. Having said that, Sugar is still high-strung from the protagonist's near-death experience, so she's not letting Moran off the hook just yet.

The protagonist then notices something else Sugar said. In fact, she told him that she saw the production of Mist with her own eyes. Why didn't she tell Moran about it? Sugar states that even if the earlier incident didn't happen, it's unlikely Moran would've believed her right out of the gate. For better or for worse, Moran is the kind of person who will ~~stubbornly~~ steadfastly stand by anyone she believes is a good person in her books until she sees proof to the contrary with her own eyes.

### Sixo

Nearing the edge of Fog Hollow, the trio are accosted by an Outlaw who begs Moran for some Mist. She pulls out a wrapper that Jin gave her earlier and is about hand it over, with Sugar keeping the protagonist from intervening so they can see what happens. Moran offers a trade; this one Mist for a question answered. The Outlaw agrees and guides her to an alley where there are less eyes and ears to pry.

In the alleyway, Moran tosses the Mist to the Outlaw...and then immediately calls him out on *not* being a Mist junkie. She's seen the dead, empty eyes of those hooked on the stuff, and the man before her looks nothing like those wastrels. Punching the wall next to the man gets a yelp for mercy from him. Another red flag, since those hooked on Mist cared for nothing beyond their next fix, not even their personal safety. All that points to one conclusion for Moran; This man is in cahoots with whoever is leading the Mist racket, and she. Wants. *Answers*.

Suddenly, the Outlaw's phone begins ringing. Moran and Sugar confiscate it before handing it over to the protagonist. He checks the Blabla feed to find someone called "#000000" berating the Outlaw in text and claiming his life is forfeit, threatening to exploit his son before logging out...

Reclaiming his phone, the Outlaw begins to laugh sardonically, cursing out "Sixo" as he reads the messages. Suddenly a beeping is heard, and Moran and Sugar just barely manage to grab the protagonist before an explosion rocks the alley...

Having barely survived the explosion, the trio does a lookover before discussing the situation. Sugar guesses the man was a suicide bomber, but that doesn't add up for Moran. That man was too afraid for his own life to rig himself up with explosives. While mulling over this, the protagonist's phone start buzzing.

It's more messages from Sixo, cursing the Outlaw for his incompetence and not bothering to directly answer any messages. The protagonist shows his messages to Sugar, and they deduce this is the same Sixo who popped up on the bomber's phone. Moran has a vague feeling of deja vu from the name "Sixo" but can't recall, so Sugar fills in the blanks.

Sixo is the name of a leading figure of the Dark Net, with some even saying she may be the shot-caller for the entire site. No one knows why such an "illustrious" person decided to try and kill them, but Moran has a gut feeling she's trying to stop them from reaching Fog Hollow. Whatever the case, they have no time to lose once they actually reach the village. Even with the fog obscuring everything, the sounds of *gunfire* and *screams* ring all too clearly...

### Divergent Justice

Armed residents are going around shooting everything that moves, pillaging the corpses for Mist. They even turn their guns on Moran when she shows up to confiscate the Mist. Though a villager tries to pin this whole affair on Moran and the Peony Association, Sugar calls him out on the village's connection to Sixo. Cornered, the man decides to tell the truth...

Sixo found out about Fog Hollow's Mist production, and blackmailed them to make more of it for her. As for requesting help from the Peony Association or anyone else, they didn't see that as a viable option, no matter how much Moran may insist otherwise. Those strung-up corpses Moran found during her patrol that started this? An example from Sixo warning the villagers what would happen if they blew the whistle or didn't make quota. The villager pleads for Moran to leave the Mist and pretend this never happened, but she's keen on seeing this through. This Mist is causing chaos across the Outer Rim, and it happening right under her nose is Fog Hollow betraying the loyalty of the Peony Association. Plus, she'd made a promise earlier to tear Fog Hollow down if they were complicit in the Mist epidemic.

Villagers swarm and cling to Moran in an ironic echo of the addicted mob. The people plead for Moran to let the Mist production slide, as Sixo planted bombs across the village as a final leverage. Moran wonders *why*. If these people are willing to beg and scrape for her like this, why didn't they ask for help *sooner*? Why now, after so many people have suffered and died already? As she moves to throw the people off her and confiscate the Mist, a hand grabs Moran's as a voice tells her she can't take it away. The person intervening is...Sugar?

Sugar echoes Moran's promise, that she'd destroy Fog Hollow if they were really producing Mist. But the fixer isn't keen on letting that happen, even if it means butting heads with Moran and the Peony Association. To Moran, the people of Fog Hollow have committed unforgiveable wrongs. They've produced this Mist that's caused so much damage to the Outer Rim and its people, and are complicit in a scheme to discredit Moran. The Peony Association gave them their trust and protection, and these people repaid in treachery. Fog Hollow is beyond salvation, only judgement can be given to it now.

Sugar is of a different opinion. It's not as though these people *wanted* to spread a ruinous drug and smear Moran's reputation. They were being forced to do it by someone who had far more power than them, someone they could never oppose even if they all banded together and screamed. They had no other choice but to keep their heads down if they wanted to keep their lives, friends, and families. If Moran goes through with her word and destroys Fog Hollow, then these people will truly have *nothing* left. Discarded by Sixo, branded traitors by the Peony Association, and likely to be blackmarked by any other group in the Outer Rim? Moran may as well tie a noose on their necks and throw them off a cliff.

Moran and Sugar are locked in a standoff, each of them beckoning the protagonist to their side. Looking at each Nikke, the protagonist sides with...

#### Moran

The protagonist reiterates his trust in Moran. The Peony Association leader thanks him for his trust as Sugar apologizes for what's about to occur. The two Nikkes engage in fisticuffs as the villagers grab the scattered Mist and flee to the factory...

After some time, both Moran and Sugar are bloodied, but unbroken. As the protagonist moves to break up the fight, the factory explodes, prompting Sugar to curse and speed off on Black Typhoon. Unfortunately, Moran is a little immobilized after suffering a leg injury. After taking a moment to tend to Moran's wounds, the protagonist wonders if Moran is really set on purging Fog Hollow. She claims in no uncertain terms that she *has* to. She's bound by oath and duty, both as Peony Association's leader and as Underworld Queen. She can empathize with how the villager's were trapped and coerced into doing things against their will, but she cannot forgive them for what they did. Even under duress, there's no excusing that their Mist has been another blight on the strife-plagued Outer Rim, nor the fact that they exploited and betrayed the goodwill and loyalty of Moran and her organization. If they'd told her about this sooner, *maybe* something could have been done. But now, everything is past the point of no-return, and there is undoubtedly no other choice.

With that said, Moran has one final favor to ask Cadet before she regroups with her men to storm the factory. She wants him to go on ahead and talk to Sugar, and figure out her connection to Sixo. There has to be a reason why Sugar kept digging her heels in the sand. No matter how grateful Moran is to Sugar for saving Cadet from the mob, neither of them would want or try to understand one another as two opposing sides emotionally-invested in the situation. The protagonist promises to do so, speeding off after Sugar...

At the factory, the protagonist finds Sugar talking with some injured villagers. Just as described earlier, Sixo put bombs all over the place, and one in this very factory got set off, resulting in the earlier explosion and the current injuries.

#### Sugar

The protagonist tells Sugar to do what she thinks is right. The fixer thanks him for his trust as Moran simply closes her eyes. The two Nikkes engage in fisticuffs as the villagers grab the scattered Mist and flee to the factory...

After some time, both Moran and Sugar are bloodied, but unbroken. As the protagonist moves to break up the fight, the factory explodes, prompting Sugar to grab the protagonist and speed off on Black Typhoon.

At the factory, the two find rubble and injured villagers. One man tells them Sixo set off the explosives planted in the factory, even though she said she wouldn't do so. Sugar simply remarks that Sixo is the kind of scum whose word is as good as dirt. With casualties everywhere and fire spreading, Sugar and the protagonist gets to work putting out the blaze and helping people where they can.

Noticing a scratch from her earlier scrap with Moran, the protagonist starts tending to Sugar's wounds as well. While doing so, the protagonist asks Sugar about her connection to Sixo, and why she's so opposed to the purge of Fog Hollow. The reason being...that Sugar was given a job. To *protect* Fog Hollow.

Sugar explains that during her life in the Outer Rim, she did a lot of dangerous work for Sixo. This was back when she was part of a different squad, and had a reputation in the Rim as one of the biggest, meanest ne'er-do-wells around. People actively avoided her in the streets, whispering rumors about how disaster and ruin always followed in her footsteps...

It's baffling to the protagonist, trying to juxtapose the idea of Sugar being a big bad gangster and her current status as a ~~goofball~~ fixer of Cafe Sweety, but the Nikke in question chalks that up to her previous behavior, where she just followed orders and questioned nothing. That all changed when an incident occurred, one that forced her to see the consequence of her actions. A person was screaming at Sugar, calling her a monster for promising that she'd protect them like family, and then turning around and doing what she did...

After that, Sugar completely cut ties with Sixo and tried to avoid anything that would bring up memories like that last one. But even with that, Sugar tried to dig up information on Sixo and keep tabs on her. This job was *supposed* to be a part of that, but instead got her wrapped up in another mess. She should've *known* something was up when Sixo gave her this job and asked her to wear these old clothes after all. She explains to the protagonist that these clothes were her go-to outfit during her time in the Outer Rim. Anyone from the bad old days would see that outfit and know who she was, and just how much mud and blood was on her hands. Even Sugar herself can't forget what she's done while wearing these clothes, which was likely a calculated move on Sixo' s part.

It's the reason why Sugar wants to stop Moran from destroying Fog Hollow, and doing something she can never take back. Sins can be regretted and repented, but not forgotten, and the one can't go back to who they were before. A villager comes in warning Sugar of Moran's approach, and the fixer urges the protagonist to take cover. This fight is definitely going to be ugly...

## Gameplay

Event Tickets (Red Peonies) are spent to play stages and earn currency (Golden Dragon Emblems) which can be traded in the shop for rewards. Peonies regenerate to a maximum of 5 per day, and additional Peonies can be bought in the shop for Gems.

### Challenge Missions

One-time missions that can be completed to earn extra Dragon Emblems. Clearing Stage 12-N earns the CG "Dirty Backyard" to decorate the Lobby and a Memory Film to unlock an event in the Archives.

### Challenge Mode

Spend Challenge Chips to take on high-difficulty battles against Storm Bringer. Chips regenerate to a maximum of 1 per day

## List of Bonus Nikkes

Complete stages using the following Nikkes for a chance to earn extra Gold Dragon Emblems. Bonus stacks at 100%

## Version Updates

### New SSR Nikke: Moran

Moran will be on rate-up in the Special Recruit gacha for the duration of the event. Molds to directly purchase her will also be available in the Mileage Shop.

*\*Moran will be added into the Standard pool in a later update, including Mold and Friend Recruit*

### 7-day Login Event - Passionate Peony

Additional rewards will be given with every login to celebrate the new version update

### Archives Update

The event D-Outsiders will be permanently added to the Archives.

### Coordinated Operation

Duration: 12:00 February 2nd to 5:00 February 4th (UTC+9)

Players team up to take on the boss Chatterbox and earn Broken Cores, which can be traded for rewards in the shop.

### February Mission Pass Update

The Mission Pass will be refreshed on the first day of February (UTC+9). The premium track will offer the costume Wild Backyard for Sugar.

## Trivia

* Like Dazzling Cupid, this event's assets seem to be pre-downloaded in a previous update, meaning no maintenance was required.
* Unlike most events, Dirty Backyard doesn't use a battle theme on the event stages.

## References

Notes

References
1. ↑ https://twitter.com/NIKKE\_en/status/1748888168206594059