act42side

Huh?

You are my distant relative. And that does not impede me from exercising oversight over you.

Before I brought you back to Laterano, on the outskirts of Zwillingstürme, I warned you—

I will increase my vigilance over you in order to determine the subjective motivations and possible objective consequences of your actions.

And I will shoot to kill if I find anything suspicious.

I remember the sunset that day.

So hardheaded he's fun, isn't he, Sister Hildegard?

You were always cooperative, Arturia. That's why Landen Monastery gave you a degree of leeway.

You deceived us!

I apologize, Sister.

I hope my impertinence will not be detrimental to you or to Landen Monastery.

Why did you leave Landen Monastery without permission, Arturia?

Look at this shrine, Fede.

So vast, so full of vitality. It reaches into the clouds, surpassing even the eponymous twin towers of Zwillingstürme in Leithanien...

Is this the 'grace' and 'authority' that Laterano wants to build?

Look at the haloless outsiders being guided inside.

What are Laterano's plans for them?

What have you found, Arturia?

Do you remember our short stay at Rhodes Island before returning to Laterano?

I met a mysterious guest there, who told me that there may come a day when Laterano is no longer a warm, cozy little cottage for the Sanktas.

Fede, Sister Hildegard. Look at what lies before you. Do you not suspect that the day has come?

What has become of the Holy City that we were so proud of?

Wh-What do you mean?

You are ever vigilant, Fede. You must have noticed something, no?

Otherwise, you would have greeted me with the barrel of your gun.

Are those bombs?

They look pretty powerful.

Sis! You're walking again?!

Uh-huh.

Hooray!

Was it you that I saw on Via Jovita, and that Amos saw outside the firearms workshop?

How did you manage to make so many bombs despite the Curia's strict control of explosive materials...? You're as good at this as ever.

Hehe.

Alright. Spit it out, El. What are you trying to do?

Blow up the shrine?

Stop the Nativity?

Or sabotage the whole Summit of Nations?

Stay back, sis.

A massive pillar cuts the light and shadow open. Lemuen stops in her tracks, keeping her distance from Exusiai.

That's a cardinal's cassock you're wearing, isn't it?

Does it look good on me?

Totally! It's so cool!

It was a little loose around the waist when I got it the day before my creation. I had to stay up all night fixing it.

Ugh, I wish I wasn't wearing this for our reunion.

Did you come back by yourself, or do you have friends with you?

Hah, you're pumping me for information now?

You're a simple girl, after all. You're not in a school, and this isn't a graduation ceremony. Did you really just decide to liven things up like this on your own?

Who's behind you, and why did they put you up to this?

I...

Hey, let's try this—'Apple pie with mayonnaise!'

'Had a slice, want another.'

You remembered!

When we had a fight that wasn't going anywhere or a secret we didn't want to share, that's our password to set things aside.

I can feel your emotions, El. Agitation, impatience, worry, not even knowing how to explain...

But my job is to capture the culprits who are trying to sabotage the Summit of Nations. I will file a request with the Curia to personally handle the follow-up to this case.

The Sankta sisters stand off against one another, neither making a single move, nor speaking a single word. It is Lemuen who finally breaks the silence with a sigh.

*sigh*...

In that instant, Exusiai flies toward her and hugs her tightly.

Now that's the reaction I know from an El in trouble.

I missed you, sis!

It's been a while. Have you grown?

Of course not! I was almost an adult when I left Laterano!

You don't have to talk like you're my mom, sis.

Is that what I sound like?

Did you tie your hair yourself? It's coming loose.

Let me tie it for you... still careless as ever.

Of course, I'm not as good as you at that.

What are you doing here, anyway? Don't tell me you knew I would show up?

Just reviewing the shrine's security measures... I thought it was remarkable enough to see the Matriarch praying for a pregnant Sarkaz...

And then I ran into you.

(Matriarch... pregnant Sarkaz... praying...?)

(Could the Nativity be...?)

So you don't know what's in this shrine either?

Oh, is it <i>your</i> turn to pump <i>me</i> for information?

Who taught you to do that?

I didn't turn bad, I promise! The people who're supporting me now—they're a good influence, I promise!

I'm not alone, and I'm not being used.

There's a lot that's wrong here, but it's hard to explain... I need more time.

I'll come home after I've done what I have to!

Lemuen ties one last knot with the string, then pushes up slightly so the strand of hair on the side of her sister's head will not come loose so easily.

The next instant, she finds that her arms are empty.

I'll leave the disarming of the bombs to you, sis—I mean, Your Eminence!

Lemuen hears the ticking of bomb countdowns in all directions. She looks in the direction where her sister disappeared, but is in no position to give chase.

She never changes, does she?

Citizen, if you are here to view the Nativity, please queue up at the security check line in the plaza.

You've been dawdling here for a while.

Oh, I'm sorry!

I'm just waiting for someone...

Oh?

There is a large amount of traffic going in and out of the shrine today. We ask for your cooperation and to refrain from loitering.

S-Sorry.

El's been in there all day.

The plan was to blow up important structural elements in the shrine to prevent the ceremony... whatever it's called... from being held as scheduled.

She should have been out by now... don't tell me she's been caught?

But I've been here all this time, and there's been no movement inside...

But El must have ran into some kind of trouble that's holding her up...

Come on, Vani, think... what can you do?

I have two small Originium powder tubes that I could turn into an improvised bomb.

It won't be very powerful, but it should cause enough commotion to distract the guards and allow El to...

Let's set it here.