Operation story: IS-10

Operation

Story

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Characters
Croissant Exusiai Lappland Lavinia Leontuzzo Lunacub Sora Texas Alberto Demetri Emperor Giovanna Signora Sicilia Wallach Zaaro Bailiff Bodyguard Calm Technician Rossati Mafioso Saluzzo Mafioso
Backgrounds
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Before operation

“

Texas once rejected everything, but now she chooses to stand firm. There is no place for Lappland in Siracusa, and she doesn't need one anyway.

”

<Background 1>
Exusiai	Recon complete. No hostiles sighted. The route map they gave us sure is nifty. We actually managed to get here first without any real obstacles along the way.
Lavinia	All the tech used in the new city's design comes from Columbia. It has lots of functionality that none of the mafiosi ever understood. For example, the road leading directly to the control tower will be blocked off after we pass through. They've also managed to block other intersections with various methods. Not to mention, what we saw along the way. The conflicts between the famiglie have been spreading. At this point, even if any of them wanted to attack the control tower, another famiglia would get in the way.
Exusiai	Most importantly, they'd never expect us to take it from right under their noses.
Lavinia	That's right. However, it's too soon to rest on our laurels. The Bellones, Rossatis, and Saluzzos. Those three famiglie will never give up the secondary core area. They will definitely make an appearance.
Exusiai	With me and Texas here, you've got nothing to worry about.
Lavinia	Sorry, I wasn't trying to get you dragged into this mess.
Texas	I chose to do this.
Exusiai	Same here! And in exchange, I'll need you to tell me where I can get the best pizza!
Lavinia	Deal.
Texas	...... You said the tech here comes from Columbia.
Lavinia	That's right. Famiglia Rossati laid most of the groundwork, so I'm a little concerned they'll have some way of breaking through.
Texas	If there's one place they have no choice but to pass through, where would that be?
<Background 2>
[Wallach cuts down a mafiosi in his way.]
Wallach	...... Something's not right here.
Demetri	You feel it too?
Wallach	It has something to do with the other famiglie getting in the way, but... While it's possible that big gate over there might've been activated accidentally... We've been taking detours for a while now, and I'm pretty sure these blockades were set here on purpose.
Demetri	In other words... someone's one step ahead of us?
Wallach	Yes, and they also happen to be very familiar with the area. And only the Rossatis fit that bill. The only other possibility would be those who helped in the conversion of the secondary core area.
Demetri	Let's not worry about who it could be for now. How do we break through?
Wallach	I can give it a try. One of my soldiers should know how.
Demetri	We're wasting too much time. And...
Wallach	If someone really set this up on purpose, they'll definitely have a backup plan. I know what you're going to say. Even though we haven't had the most fun partnering here, we're about to the part where our agreement formally ends.
Demetri	Guess so.
Wallach	...... You know, in a sense, we're brothers in misfortune.
Demetri	We have nothing in common.
Wallach	Am I wrong though? I can already tell that you're a guy with a smart look to him, but you're actually a complete idiot, loyal to a fault. Same as me.
Demetri	Don't bother trying to talk yourself up like that. Nobody's buying it.
Wallach	I'm not looking for excuses here. I know what I'm doing, and I don't regret it. But if what you said is true and your boss was the one who set all of this in motion, you're probably gonna find yourself standing against your own fratelli. Are you prepared to do what you've gotta do? Will you really get what you're looking for?
Demetri	How about you? Did you get what you were looking for?
Wallach	No, I've got a guilty conscience, but there's nothing I can do about it.
<Background 1>
Bailiff	Your Honor, I found the control tower technicians hiding in one of the rooms. They want to talk to you.
Lavinia	Deal.
[The technicians are brought before Lavinia.]
Calm Technician	You're... a judge?!
Lavinia	Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you. I'm not here on behalf of any famiglia, or Signora Sicilia.
Calm Technician	Then who are you here for?
Lavinia	Right now, no one.
Calm Technician	Alright... As long as you don't hurt us, we should be able to help you.
Lavinia	I want to ask you something first.
Calm Technician	What?
Lavinia	Who told you to start the separation sequence of the secondary core area? Was it a mafioso from Famiglia Bellone?
Calm Technician	He said he was the don of Famiglia Bellone, Bernardo.
Lavinia	It really was you... Bernardo. Did you have to do this all for the sake of your so-called power?
Calm Technician	He also asked me if I had ever imagined what Siracusa would look like without famiglie.
Lavinia	What did you say...?
<Background 2>
Wallach	Up ahead is the central facility that controls that gate, isn't it?
Rossati Mafioso	Yeah.
Wallach	Then–
[Texas reveals herself before Wallach.]
Wallach	Life keeps bringing us together, doesn't it? Cellinia.
Texas	......
[Both Texas and Wallach drew their swords.]
Wallach	That's right. Only one of us can walk out of this alive.
<Background 3>
Alberto	Lavinia...? The judge?
Saluzzo Mafioso	Yeah. We followed your instructions and not to break through right away. We took some detours and nabbed ourselves a government guy. That's what he told us. She's already taken the control tower.
Alberto	I have to admit, no famiglia would've thought such an insignificant judge could pull off something like that with just a few paper pushers. But, even if she managed to stall those famiglie with her funny business, what good will it do, in the end?
[Another mafioso enters the room.]
Saluzzo Mafioso	Boss, bad news!
Alberto	Out with it.
Saluzzo Mafioso	It's Lappland! She suddenly showed up at the estate and started chopping up our boys! She's making her way over to you!
Alberto	...... Stop her.
<Background 4>
[Lappland easily cuts down the Saluzzo mafiosi in her way.]
<Background 3>
Alberto	Lappland, you sure have gotten good at killing. Back in the day, you would've taken a lot longer and picked up a few more scars on your way here.
Lappland	You haven't changed at all. You don't even bat an eye at your own boys getting killed.
Alberto	What's the point in crying over some incompetent associates?
Lappland	What about an incompetent child? Oh, spiacente, I almost forgot that for you, there's no basically difference between an associate and your own child.
Alberto	You know what I hate more than anything else, ragazza? Incompetent idiots who are also obedient. I've been waiting a long time for you, ever since you came back home. Waiting for you to bare your fangs at me. And now, that time has finally come. Tell me, figlia mia. All these years, what is it that has made you like this? What made you disobey me, rebel against me time and time again? Speak up, so I can discipline you.
Upon hearing Alberto's words, Lappland cracks a smile. However, she lowers the weapons in her hands.
Lappland	For the longest time, I've been thinking if I should try rubbing you out.
Alberto	Oh? Surely, killing your own father isn't something that would give you a moment's hesitation.
Lappland	It's not the act that I'm conflicted over, more the meaning of it.
Alberto	The meaning? A woman like you cares to go searching for meaning in things?
Lappland	Meaning is pretty important to me. Like profit is to you. Padre mio, do you know why I care so much about Texas?
Alberto	You've never explained it to me.
Lappland	From the moment I was born, I grew up a part of this famiglia. You raised me with the most proper Siracusan education, and I met your expectations. As a Siracusan, I am second to none.
Alberto	And here I thought you never acknowledged who you were, ragazza.
Lappland	When do you think I managed to wiggle out of your control? Or I guess, not from your control, but from Siracusa. From the famiglia. From our blood. From the control of our rules. I hated it, all of it. But in the end, I couldn't actually escape any of it. All those things are like the strings of a marionette over my head. No matter how much I rebelled, in the end, I'm still dancing in the palm of your hand. There's no way out.
Alberto	Only you would look at Siracusa and see an inescapable swamp.
Lappland	And everybody–including you, padre–you're all scum, whether you realize it or not. Of course, I didn't realize it, at that age. The old me thought she was crazy enough, rebellious enough. But looking back, I was just in denial. And you thought I'd grow out of it after a few years. Isn't that right?
Alberto	That goes without saying. I was well aware of your rebelliousness, but I never understood where it came from.
Lappland	From you being so totally convinced that your way of life, and your actions, were completely right. You never doubted for a second that I would eventually become you. And that's... when she appeared. At first, it was because there was someone out there, in far-off Columbia, who was better than me. Cellinia Texas, the granddaughter of Salvadore. Cold. Strong. Honorable and loyal. After popping back over here, she quickly became the most famous Siracusan among all the famiglie. Even though she was Columbian.
Alberto	You're just as good as her.
Lappland	Hah, of course. But that's not the important part. The important part is, she clearly was a Siracusan, thoroughly poisoned by the swamp of this city. But in the end, she chose to turn her back on her blood, letting her entire famiglia get liquidated.
Alberto	The blame for that rests only with Giuseppe. Where is Cellinia's sin in the righteous judgment of her kin?
Lappland	Not like betrayal is particularly rare among wolves. But she chose to turn her back. She chose to get out. Can you imagine, padre? That day, when I found out she wanted to leave Siracusa, to leave everything behind, I was so... Exhilarated!
Alberto	You figured it was an act of rebellion, and a successful one?
Lappland	She didn't succeed. I knew from the beginning that the land itself wasn't going to let her go.
Alberto	So, why are you standing here in front of me again, for her?
Lappland	For her? No, padre mio. No. I'm here not because I learned anything in particular from her successes and failures. But because she taught me that the choice exists in the first place. I knew she would eventually return here. And I looked forward to seeing what she would do once she came back.
Alberto	And she did absolutely nothing.
Lappland	No. You don't understand. She made up her mind.
<Background 2>
[Texas and Wallach engage in a duel.]
Wallach	Cellinia, what do you think you're doing?
Texas	You don't need to know. And you're not going to.
Wallach	You ran away from Columbia before, and from Siracusa. You ran from it all. And now, you have the stones to stand on this soil again. Isn't that kind of ridiculous?
[The swords clash.]
Texas	This land isn't a lost cause. So, I'm not running away anymore. Simple as that.
Wallach	You stopped running, so you came back. But what about the people you left behind? Go tell that to them!
Texas	Blame it all on me. You decided you had to kill Giovanna, so you pinned the blame on me.
Wallach	I'm not that shameless yet.
Texas	But, you will pay for it all the same.
[The swordfight becomes more intense...]
Wallach	You're gonna have to die, Cellinia.
Texas	Don't worry, death is where I belong.
[...but Texas overpowers Wallach...]
Wallach	Damn... you...
[...and he collapses.]
<Background 3>
Lappland	Now, it's my turn. This used to keep me up at night. But when I finally stood in front of you, face-to-face, I realized– This was never such a difficult thing in the first place. Turns out, it's not that I wanted to rebel against you, or kill you. All I need to do is say goodbye. To you, my dear father, to this famiglia, to this swamp. That's why I'm here.
Alberto	You want to become an enemy to all of Siracusa.
Lappland	No. Siracusa became my enemy.
Alberto	......
Lappland	Goodbye forever, padre.
Lappland gives her father a deep parting bow.
A vague thought creeps across Alberto's mind–this is his best chance to be rid of this monster. That's right. Monster. A monster he raised with his own two hands. She is by no means invincible, but it seems like nothing is capable of touching her. He is a hundred percent sure that if he strikes now, he would be able to slay his daughter on the spot. She is by no means dauntless, yet she chose to throw away everything she had to throw away. He knows he should act now, to rid himself of future headaches. But... "Padre." She is a monster. And yet, one that he raised with his own two hands. If all she wanted was simple freedom, why would she still come to see him? Lone wolves eventually remember the pack to which they belonged. But after today, his daughter will no longer belong to any pack. Alberto lets out a heavy sigh.
Alberto	The next time I see you, I will kill you. My daughter. My pride. My traitor.
Lappland smiles, but does not answer. She is no longer a lone wolf. Never again will Siracusa have a place for her. And never again will she need one.
Lappland	The only thing left is you, Texas.
<Background 5>
Lavinia	Are you sure letting Cellinia go alone was the right call?
Exusiai	Don't sweat it. She asked to go herself, so she must've had a reason for it.
Lavinia	You don't want to find out what that reason is?
Exusiai	Lemme give you a little tip. One of the prerequisites for being a good partner is to never ask your counterpart about stuff she doesn't wanna share!
Lavinia	You two have a great relationship.
Exusiai	You betcha! What?
Lavinia	What is it?
Exusiai	You've got somebody coming up on you. He's moving really fast.
Lavinia	Just one?
Exusiai	Yeah, just one. Black hair, dressed like a really flamboyant mob boss, holding two pistol-shaped wands.
Lavinia	...Leon?
[Leontuzzo shows up before Lavinia.]
Leontuzzo	Lavinia... I knew it'd be you.
Lavinia	Leontuzzo, why did you come here?
Leontuzzo	I'm looking for you. But you cut all communication with the famiglia, so I haven't been able to get through. While I was looking around, I overheard wise guys from another famiglia talking about how someone had blocked off some passages in the secondary core area, which didn't sound like something any of us would do. Which is why I came here.
Lavinia	That's right... You were with Carracci so long, you must've known this was the best place to break through. But, I have nothing more to say to you, Leon.
Leontuzzo	Wait, Lavinia... I'm here to–
[Demetri and the Bellone mafiosi shows up.]
Demetri	Leon?! Lavinia, and the court guys too... Alright, so you're the one who's been messing around with the secondary core area behind our backs.
Lavinia	......
Demetri	Leon, where the hell did you go after that meeting? Don't tell me you've been with her this whole time.
Leontuzzo	...... No, I went looking for my father.
Demetri	What? Why didn't you tell me?!
Leontuzzo	Because when I was face-to-face with Alberto, when I heard the things that carwash worker had to say about me, I finally realized– I've been wrong my entire life. That's why...
Demetri and Lavinia stand on opposite sides of the wide avenue. Leontuzzo takes a deep breath, and finally walks over to Lavinia's side.
Demetri	That's your answer, huh?
Leontuzzo	Correct. From now on, I am no longer Don Bellone.
Demetri	Leon... you know what this means, don't you?
Leontuzzo	I do.
Demetri	Do you? No matter how grand the Don's ideals were, he still chose to abandon his famiglia! And you, no matter how grand your ideals may be, you're gonna do the same?! We're a famiglia, goddammit, Leontuzzo! Look me in the eye and answer me! We grew up together. We've been through so much together. Does all of that mean nothing to you?!
Leontuzzo	My father saw the famiglia as nothing more than a match to light the fuse of a new era in Siracusa. He was wrong in his ways, but...
Leontuzzo gradually raises his eyes and looks directly at Demetri.
Leontuzzo	In the end, I'll stand against all famiglie. Since it's bound to happen sooner or later– Let's not drag out the suffering, Demetri.
Demetri	......
Just when everything is about to teeter over the edge, a chill engulfs everyone present.
You shall not leave. You will accomplish nothing. Not even your bones will remain.
Leontuzzo	What... is this...?
Lavinia	Urgh... There's a voice... in my head...
A black fog congeals around the area. As the fog condenses, an impalpable coercion gradually presses down on the heads, shoulders, and hearts gathered there. From this coercion they feel a thread of kinship, as if its very existence is entangled with the blood in their veins. No, it is indeed an existence entangled with their blood. But the thread immediately snaps, leaving only bottomless fear behind. Because within this coercion broils bottomless anger. In this moment, all reason is suppressed, as if a voice is screaming out to them– Bow down. Surrender.
Bodyguard	It's freezing cold...
Those unable to bear the pressure fall one by one, until only Leontuzzo, Lavinia, and Demetri remain standing.
Leontuzzo	I remember this feeling...
Leontuzzo turns his gaze towards the entity emerging from the coalesced fog–
[Exusiai rushes towards Leontuzzo and the others.]
Exusiai	Watch out, there's something off about that stuff!
Leontuzzo	...Il Signore dei Lupi.
Before the words leave his lips, a pack of wolves formed from the fog lunges at Leontuzzo and the others.

After operation

“

Seeing the youths in front of her puts a smile on Signora Sicilia's face.

”

<Background 5>
[Leontuzzo and the others attack Zaaro, but their weapons do nothing towards il Signore dei Lupi.]
Leontuzzo	Didn't the Signori dei Lupi agree not to meddle in the affairs of mortals?
Zaaro	I changed my mind. Bernardo ruined my plans! I spent sixty-eight years grooming him. And now he's killed himself just to deny my victory!
Leontuzzo	Wh-What did you say? My father... killed himself?
His father's interpretation of the Signori dei Lupi and the game flash through Leontuzzo's mind. He suddenly understands that the words his father spoke to him in the church were a kind of approval for him... And his last words. His father had planned to take his own life all along.
Zaaro	The price for insulting the Signori dei Lupi is a heavy one. He may dead, but I won't stop until his bloodline is ended. Son of Bernardo, you will pay for the sins of your father! The price is his bloodline and your life!
Leontuzzo	...... Price? Did you say "price?" My father may have been wrong, but his dream was always about bringing change to the times. He wanted a Siracusa without the famiglie, and spent his entire life planning it. I thought his own family was a chip to him. I thought he acted when he did because it was the right time. But now I know. He decided he was out of time. This was his only chance to get revenge on you and achieve his dream.
Zaaro	I taught him everything he knew! He repaid me with betrayal!
Leontuzzo	You wouldn't understand. Signore dei Lupi on high, thinking everything under his control. To father, even his own life was just another chip. He was determined to make his dream come true, even if it meant paying the ultimate price. But you're the one who will pay!
Zaaro	Ignorant whelp!
[The enraged Zaaro lunges at Leontuzzo, but Texas shows up and intercepts il Signore.]
Exusiai	Welcome back, Texas! Are you done over there?
Texas	Yeah. Time to clean up the trouble over here.
Zaaro	The last Texas. Do not forget who permitted you to break from Siracusa. How dare you defy me?!
Texas	I kept my bargain with Bernardo. I owe you nothing.
Zaaro	Fool!
[The group fights Zaaro. Amidst the battle...]
Lavinia	Bernardo killed himself?
<Flashback starts here>
Lavinia	Why?
Bernardo	The game is over, Lavinia.
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 5>
Lavinia	So that's what you really meant... A Siracusa without the famiglie. That was your true dream. Why didn't you tell me?
[Amidst the fight, Lappland joins the fray and snaps Lavinia out of her thoughts.]
Lappland	Try to keep your head in the fight, Judgie.
Lavinia	Lappland–
Lappland	Why didn't you tell me you were throwing a party, Texas?
Texas	You would've come anyway.
Lappland	Yeah, you're right.
Zaaro	Get lost, cub without a pack. There's no place for you here.
Lappland	Let me tell you some good news, Signore dei Lupi, Figlio dei Lupi, whatever you are. Starting now, everything Siracusan is my enemy. Even supernatural beings like you.
Zaaro	Idiot!
Demetri	What about you, boss? If you were there, looking me in the eye, would you tell me without a doubt, that you choose your dreams, like Leon? I mean... I don't know the answer anymore.
[Lunacub shows up and fires at Zaaro, who deflected the arrows.]
Lunacub	Stay focused, if you don't want to die.
Demetri	You're–
Zaaro	The feeble Fang of Agnese. Did you think yourself worthy to stand before me just because you caught a glimpse of the death of my Fang?
Lunacub	I promised Bernardo that I'd help his kin.
Zaaro	Agnese has raised a feeble Fang. It's time to put an end to her part in this game.
[The group continues assaulting Zaaro, but il Signore still stood.]
Zaaro	You cannot destroy me, no matter what you do. You cannot even harm me. Humans built cities, trapped themselves within, and think themselves the masters of the lands beneath them. Do not presume to have risen because you learned to use a few tools. You have never conquered the wastes.
[All of a sudden...]
Emperor	Ladies and gentleman. You stand in the presence of the Emperor, Lungmen's superstar!
Texas	Boss?!
[Emperor himself joins the fray all the way from Lungmen.]
Emperor	Lemme take this chance to remind you your vacation's almost up, Texas.
Texas	Why are you here?
Emperor	You askin' me? Sora and the girls ran off after you. You know what the past month's been like for me? I ain't been this bored in three thousand years! I got nobody to party with!
Texas	......
Zaaro	Emperor–
Emperor	Hold it, Zaaro. You gonna say I got no business in Siracusa. It ain't my right to stick my flipper in here. Honestly, I don't give a shit. But, if I think on it, I'm gonna pass on some dumbass fight with you... Beatin' you at your own game, that'd make me happier. So–
Shadow after shadow emerges from beneath Emperor's feet and takes corporeal form. Zaaro knows them, of course. They are the Signori dei Lupi who have lost in this round. They are here for one reason. He broke the rules. They can accept how he played, but they will not permit the rules to be broken.
Emperor	Look, I brought the other Wolf Lords. They bored too. Lemme give you the good news. You're a loser. In pretty much every way a man can be a loser.
The Signori dei Lupi are immortal, but over the long years, they have long learned how to contain, suppress, even torment each other. Against so many beings of his kind, Zaaro knows that resistance is futile. After a moment of silence, he lowers his proud head.
<Background 5>
Emperor	Tell ya the truth, Zaaro? Your whole thing, the way you talk about power, the way you play with it, gives me the heebie-jeebies. The way you stew in your anger, lookin' to tear everything in your way to pieces... That's what shows you still true to your nature. But all you wolves, don't you get bored playin' a dumbass game like this for thousands of years? You oughta come to Lungmen. I'll teach ya to play poker. Or mahjong. Mahjong ain't bad.
Zaaro ignores Emperor's jabs. He takes one last, long look at Leontuzzo, then his silhouette becomes less and less distinct, until he fades away completely in the wind. It is as though he never existed.
Texas	Thanks, Boss.
Emperor	Don't thank me. Someone woulda done somethin', even if it wasn't me. She just delegated the job. Didn't ya, sexy?
[Il Signora Sicilia herself joins in.]
Signora Sicilia	It's been a long time since anyone called me "sexy." You're welcome to spend some time enjoying Siracusa, if you like.
Emperor	Just call me Emperor.
Signora Sicilia	Interesting name. You're not arrogant or ignorant, like the Signori dei Lupi, Siracusa welcomes you, Emperor.
Emperor	I think Siracusa's gonna like me.
Leontuzzo	Signora Sicilia!
Signora Sicilia	The games of the Signori dei Lupi are archaic and stupid. Leontuzzo, son of Bernardo. Rest assured, he'll never trouble you again.
Leontuzzo	...!
Leontuzzo cannot move an inch. He realizes that everything ended the moment the old woman appeared. Not just the game of the Signori dei Lupi, but their resistance as well. The old woman before him looks kind and cordial, but he knows that he will die in the most painful way possible, if he makes one wrong move. He also knows, however, that to back down now is to see all his effort, all that he believes in, fade into dream. He looks over at Lavinia and sees the same thought in her eyes.
Leontuzzo	Pardon me, Signora Sicilia. I didn't expect to have the honor of your presence in this way. You may already know what happened. You may already have made your decision. But I hope you'll give me and Lavinia a chance.
Signora Sicilia	A chance. What kind of chance?
Lavinia	A chance to talk.
Leontuzzo	Even if we're doomed to die, I hope you'll grant us an audience before that happens.
Signora Sicilia	...... Ah. Agenir always says I should listen to the youths more. I think he overestimates his age. Come with me, children. You have earned the chance.
Lavinia	May I have a moment first?
Signora Sicilia	Hm?
Lavinia	I would like to take one last look at Bernardo.
Signora Sicilia	Alright.
<Background fades out and in>
Sora	Exusiai! Texas!
Croissant	You okay?!
Exusiai	We're fine.
Texas	...Yeah. What are you doing here?
Sora	I was too worried. Giovanna's stable now, so I brought Croissant.
Croissant	Looks like everything's more-or-less hunky-dory over here, though?
Texas	I guess so.
Exusiai	Whew... it still feels like something's missing, but I guess we can throw our party now?
Texas	Yeah. You guys decide what kind of party you want.
Sora	Where are you going, Texas?
Texas	Toilet.
<Background fades out and in>
Lappland	Toilet isn't that way.
Texas	I know.
Lappland	Feel a weight off your shoulders? Like you just got over a hill?
Texas	There's still big trouble waiting, right there.
Lappland	Ha. Shall we go?
Texas	We'll go.
<Background 6>
Lappland	By the way, Texas. I got a letter from Signora Sicilia before you went back to Siracusa.
Texas	Cool.
Lappland	Guess what it said?
Texas	No thanks.
Lappland	Oh, you're no fun. Signora Sicilia invited me to join the Bocca al Lupo.
Texas	Bocca al Lupo...
Lappland	Basically, become one of her wolves. So I burned the letter. I figured I was gonna get some Siracusans giving me trouble for a while. Then you went back to Siracusa, all of a sudden. Do you have any idea how surprised I was when I realized you were gone?
Texas	*sigh*...
Lappland	So you've made up your mind?
Texas	Yes. I'll stay and help Lavinia and Leontuzzo. What about you?
Lappland	I've made up my mind too.
Texas	I heard you made a hell of a scene with your own famiglia.
Lappland	I just went to say goodbye to my father. Texas... Do you really not get what I see in you?
Texas	Sometimes I think I do. Sometimes I think I don't. All I know is that you seem to have gotten over something.
Lappland	Oh? Are you showing concern for me?
Texas	I just think you're kind of annoying.
The pair were walking side-by-side, but now they head to opposite ends of the clearing, as if by some silent agreement.
Lappland	At the end of the day, we have to do this.
Texas	I guess so.
Lappland	Do you remember? Seven years ago, you came to me, in front of the burning mansion, looking to get away from it all. I got hell for it that day. Seven years later, you came to me again, in a rainy park, to issue a silly challenge to Siracusa. I'll kill you today.
Texas	That's my line.
The sound of weapons clashing fills the park. No tricks, no fooling around. Every attack is intended to kill.
Lappland	You could call me your past, Texas. I believed that no one could escape this swamp. You escaped your past, once, and made up your mind to cut all ties with it, after returning to Siracusa. You proved to everyone that you had what it took to escape the swamp. You're staying here of your own accord, to help that young cub change the place.
Texas	You're giving me too much credit. My dream has always been to live a simple life with a few good friends. I'll defend it, if someone threatens to destroy it. There's nothing complicated about it.
<Background 7>
Giovanna	I never truly knew you, Cellinia. I didn't realize how Siracusa exhausted you, or how you resented Columbia. Now that I think about it, I was like my grandma. She spent her entire life hoping that old Salvadore would change his mind. But she never even asked, never tried to fight for it. The same for me. I assumed the good times would last forever. I was so proud, and arrogant. You wouldn't mind me staying with you, and I would love to chat more with Sora. But I don't deserve that. Not yet. And so, let me close the curtains on Act 3 of La Morte di Texas, on Cellinia Texas's story. You're free, Cellinia. No one defines you.
Lappland	So let me put it a different way. You're my nightmare, Texas. You always surprise me. You're always a step ahead of me. You made all the decisions that I couldn't. And now I can finally say this, after finally taking that step, like you did. You're right. There's nothing complicated about it. If I hated everything about Siracusa so much, I should've destroyed it. In the end, you're the one who made me take this step.
Texas	That's why you said goodbye to your father, and why you're standing here in front of me. You want to settle things with your past.
Lappland	Yes. Just like you.
Texas	...... We didn't have to go at each other's throats like this.
Lappland	But it happened. We each decided, on our own, that to kill each other is the way to settle things. The best way to say our goodbyes. The one who survives will become stronger.
Not that Lappland has become stronger than Texas, or that Texas has become weak. Just like how Lappland did not lose to Texas seven years ago because she was weaker. They were evenly matched from the beginning. What determines the outcome is Lady Luck, perhaps... or more importantly, strength of will. Seven years ago, Lappland lost the battle of wills. But now, having said goodbye to the famiglia, her will is no weaker than Texas's. Either may win, and either may lose.
<Background 6>
[Eventually Lappland overpowers Texas...]
Texas	Ugh...
Lappland	It's over.
[...as Sora rushes toward her.]
Sora	Texas!
Texas	Stay back.
Texas takes one look at Sora, then closes her eyes. Lappland thought she knew Texas well enough. What did she not know? She bore witness to Texas's exhaustion with Siracusa, and her decision to declare war on the country. Texas's decisions surprised her each time. But this time, she thought, it would not be so. One lives, the other dies. There would be no other end. But as she saw the unwillingness to let go in Texas's eyes, she once again realized that she was wrong. At the very end, in the ending that Lappland wrote for herself, Texas has surprised her, once again.
Lappland	Ha. Alright.
Lappland sees this battle as a farewell, a liberation. Lose, and she will accept her death. Win, and she will be able to let it all go. When the pin by the name of Texas is pulled from her consciousness, a lunatic by the name of Lappland would be born. But it never happened. Because–
Lappland	Texas. So you were just Texas after all.
Texas	Of course I'm just Texas. What about you?
Lappland	Looks like I'm just Lappland.
Lappland extends a hand to Texas. Texas takes the hand.
Lappland	Texas, am I your friend, or your enemy?
Texas	You're my friend, and my enemy.
Lappland	Then go. Let me do what a friend should.
Texas nods to the others, and walks towards Grey Hall. It is all so natural, as though it was always the way things should be.
<Background 8>
When Lavinia walks into the church and sees the body sitting silently on the pew, she finally accepts the truth– Bernardo is dead.
Lavinia	......
She sits by the man who was both father and brother, the man who had such an impact on her life, and stays silent. In the end, she says nothing. But she holds Bernardo's lifeless hand, as though communicating something, or getting something from him. Then, she turns and leaves. The dead are dead and gone. She must move on.
<Background 9>
Signora Sicilia	I heard my friends talking about what you did. Let me ask you one thing, child. All the nations across these lands are seeking change, trying to move with the times. But the impetus for change is an awareness of inadequacy, or a search for breakthrough. Does Siracusa need that? Does Siracusa really need to change?
Leontuzzo	Do you think... that the famiglia is something that must exist?
Signora Sicilia	Nothing is. But it existed for centuries before I was born. We can't deny our history, or so easily destroy what already exists, can we?
Leontuzzo	That's why you chose to continue the famiglia system when you established Grey Hall, except now all the famiglie have to operate under your control. I don't intend to deny it. In fact, I think it was the correct decision, in its time.
Signora Sicilia	But things are different now?
Leontuzzo	Correct. The return of the Columbian famiglie brought advanced technology and philosophy. The Columbians are exerting an increasing influence on famiglia-style rule, but many haven't realized it. Some of what my father did was overly radical. Our motivations are different, and so are our means. But one thing is the same. We both believe that– Siracusa doesn't need the famiglie anymore.
Signora Sicilia	What are you planning to do, then?
Leontuzzo	The simplest thing would be to kill you here, or die trying. But that's the choice my father would have made. As for me... I would like to borrow a city.
Signora Sicilia	An interesting proposal. A new city needs new blood. But you're on your own, child. How am I supposed to believe that you can reach your goal?
The doors of Grey Hall are pushed open, before Signora Sicilia finished her sentence.
[Texas and Lappland walks into the Grey Hall together.]
Signora Sicilia	Hm? Cellinia. The last Texas. Come here and let me get a good look at you.
[Texas presents herself before il Signora.]
Signora Sicilia	I see your grandfather in you.
Texas	...Thank you.
Signora Sicilia	Looks like Giovanna has given you the necklace that I gave her. What is it you want? If you want to go back to Lungmen, I guarantee that Siracusa will never disturb you again.
Texas	...... I want to ask you to spare Famiglia Rossati.
Signora Sicilia	Oh? That's a surprise. Wallach assassinated Giovanna, and tried to kill you many times. Do you really want to spare him?
Texas	They're only trying to survive, in their own way.
Signora Sicilia	You can keep the necklace. I never intended to do anything to them. Or, you can trade it for the right to leave Siracusa forever.
Texas	......
Texas sits down by Leontuzzo's side.
Texas	Don't need that. I'm extending my vacation.
Signora Sicilia	What about you, Lappland? Lone wolf, Saluzzo's traitor.
Lappland walks to Texas's side with a jesting smirk on her face.
Lappland	Heh. I got a simple dream. I wanna destroy Siracusa, just like them. The difference is that I'm not as civilized.
[Lavinia enters the Grey Hall.]
Signora Sicilia	And you, Judge Lavinia, instrument of my will?
Lavinia stands behind Leontuzzo.
Lavinia	Your will was once Siracusa itself. But now, I'm going to change it.
Signora Sicilia	You believe that I'm wrong?
Lavinia	I believe that no one can be right forever.
Signora Sicilia casts her gaze at the four young people before her. One who came from the strongest famiglia in Siracusa, whose upbringing made him long for a civilized future. Denied by his position, he chose to bury his head in the sand. One who came from modest beginnings, who earned the favor of the famiglie. It filled her with doubt about herself, and so she chose to deceive herself. One who came from the oldest famiglia in Siracusa, who hated everything that it asked of her. It drove her to rebellion, down a path of madness. One who came from the strongest famiglia in Columbia, who became exhausted with the existence of the famiglia itself. She chose to run away in silence. They want to change Siracusa for different reasons, but they all came together, in the end.
Signora Sicilia	I won't live forever, but I have a few decades left. Until the moment that my eyes close forever, Siracusa will continue to enjoy the peace that I bring. What about you, child? You stand on your father's shoulders, seeking to make the system better and fairer. Do you think you chose the correct path? If I gave you Siracusa, could you guarantee that she would walk a better path, and become a better country?
Leontuzzo	...I can't guarantee that. But, just as you're willing to listen to me here today... If someone else comes along, looking to change my ways... I'm willing to sit down and hear him out.
Signora Sicilia smiles.
<Background 5>
[Texas walks out of the Grey Hall with the other P.L. crew waiting.]
Exusiai	You see, I don't hear any fighting. They're fine.
Sora	You're the only one who could be so at ease like this. That's the head of state there, you know?
Texas	Sorry for making you worry.
Sora	It's fine. Huh? Where's Lappland?
Texas	She...
Texas casts her gaze in a certain direction.
Texas	She's fulfilled her duty as a friend. Who knows what form she'll take, when she shows herself next time? The only thing I can be sure is this. We haven't seen the last of her.
Croissant	My head hurts just thinkin' about it.
Sora	Never mind. Let's see how Giovanna's doing.
Texas	Yeah.
<Background 7>
Sora	Giovanna, we're back!
The room is empty. Sora's joy quickly turns to confusion. Then, she sees a stack of paper on the desk. It is a script. Sora flips over the first page. "Dedicated to my dear old friend, Cellinia. And my new friends, Penguin Logistics."
Sora	The part that Giovanna was struggling with in Act 3 of La Morte di Texas... Is this what you left for us? You didn't have to leave.