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Cazzo! I said, on my order, you idiot!

I-It wasn't me! I only just pulled the safety on my gun—

And it's not them, either. See that shocked look on their faces, they're checking themselves for holes...

Did someone's weapon go off?

No, nobody's hurt... but where did that gunshot come from?

I thought I knew what to do just now, but... w-what do we do now?

I can see the head of the first float already...

...Hey, you over there.

<p=2>Three minutes ago</>

*Cough*—Gah—

Two hundred meters... just two hundred...

Haven't lost your touch, Ingrid... not one bit...

Merda, it hurts... I can feel my blood flow out of me... but that means I still have time...

Get out of this alley, get back to the square, and I can still bring things under control...

We have the courthouse and the port...

Maybe I'll die, but... *cough*... before I die, I'll sit in the judge's chair, and deliver the final judgment of... *cough*... this ridiculous testing ground...

Antonio leans against the wall and does his best to stay upright, wobbling towards the exit.

The alley is dark, and every step takes massive effort.

For some reason, he thinks back to how the guerillas crept through the jungle of Bolívar by night, escaping from the Singas government.

Antonio thinks back to the circles that the noble drunkenly drew on the list, and his severed head when the guerillas cut it off.

He thinks back to Ingrid, Venezia Senior, Leontuzzo, Alberto, Signora Sicilia... all the people he hates.

He will take everything from them. He will draw a big, bloody cross on their names.

It's not over yet—

He stops.

He feels the cold metal of gun muzzle pressed to his forehead.

A-Antonio.

Carle?

I ordered you to get out—

W-Who do you think you are to kick me out?!

You're just the Don's guard tuskbeast, Antonio!

No matter how hard you try to disguise your ears and tail, you—

You want to kill me?

YOU?

Your hands are shaking!

You don't know who my enemies are! You don't know what I'm building! You stupid, worthless coglione—

Carle stares blankly at the lifeless body on the ground. He has never seen such fury as that which is on Antonio's face, even unto death.

It almost seems like it was not the bullet that took Antonio's life, but the fact that it was he, Carle, who fired the bullet.

Antonio's blood seeps through the cracks on the ground, in the shape of a massive, bloody cross.

Hey, you over there.

Eirene?

It's okay.

Before everybody's eyes, Eirene leaves the drivers' line and takes two steps forward, standing in the middle of the road.

Facing off the tense crowd of mafiosi, she takes a deep breath, and lowers her crossbow.

What is the meaning of this?

Look. The first float has rounded the corner...

The parade is here. Are we really going to fight to the death in front of hundreds of thousands of Nuova Volsinii citizens?

Whatever your plan was, it's too late, isn't it?

You want us to lower the weapons?

You think we're stupid?

We're doing the same thing.

The White Wolf scattered this stuff on the plaza. We, as conscientious citizens of Nuova Volsinii, volunteered to clean up the square so that the parade can pass through.

That's what happened, no more, no less. All of you Signori and Signore are witnesses for me and all the drivers behind me.

They, in turn, are your witnesses.

It's Carnevale, after all. Let's give the parade a warm, proper welcome.

*Pant*—*pant*—

Get in, Carle.

The parade is almost here. We can't park here for long.

There's a Carnevale mask on the driver's seat. Put it on and hide that blood on your face.

D-Don Venezia.

Move.

The car starts moving, and the parade crowd passes through behind.

Music and cheering mingle under the bright lights. It has been a good four or five hours since the revelry started, but Nuova Volsinii's excitement shows no sign of abating.

From the expansion plate, through all of Nuova Volsinii's major districts, the procession is about to arrive at its destination. Nobody notices a lone car driving in the opposite direction.

I'm sorry, D-Don Venezia, I didn't get the job done.

You gave me a chance after Antonio ran me out, ordered me to take him out quietly, but I...

If Ingrid didn't already mortally wound him before I got there...

No, Antonio died by your hand.

The Don's permission is required for the execution of a formal associate of the familglia. At minimum, a proper explanation should be given to important members of the famiglia.

Ingrid's methods were not... decent.

Understood, sir.

But now, Antonio is dead... he was your son-in-law, the famiglia's—

Nuova Volsinii has its rules. So does Venezia.

What Anton did was wrong. This is an act of kindness. He is with Bella now.

Besides, his death will not be meaningless.

What next, sir?

We go home and clean the house.

The first thing that City Hall and the courts will see when they get up in the morning tomorrow is Venezia's good faith. We will sit down together, and we will talk like decent people.

It will be a busy night.

Keep up, keep up! Court Square is just ahead! We got to get ahead of that float to get a good place—

Well, don't squeeze!

You're not joining them, Signorina?

Your plain outfit stands out in a crowd of colorful costumes and masks! What an idea, to turn things on its head.

May I take a few photos? I can mail them to you if you give me an address.

Hey, are you listening?

Agnese?

Why don't you say anything, Agnese?

You've never left me before... where are you?

The Lupo girl's eyes harden.

The photographer gazes across the street. The red hood stands out in the crowd, even in this revelry.

A trap? How did you—

You got distracted.

Is Agnese your grandma? You can't find your grandma too?

You're the last one. The last true wolf.

Kill you, and I will know the answer.

Grandma?

I'm here, child.

I won, grandma.

I saw it.

I saw how the entire battle played out. How you zeroed in onto the Fang of Agnese, lured her into a trap, and struck her down with a single blow.

You can see? Have your eyes healed, Grandma?

Have your arms grown back? Is your heart whole again? Why... why can't I see you? Why can't I get close to you?

My sweet child, would you have hunted with such fervor if I didn't say that?

Red killed the true wolf and earned an insipid victory for grandma. Finally.

Now I go off to find another sweet child.

You lied to me?

Why? I don't understand.

Oh, bother.

Alright, let me put it another way. Maybe then you'll know what to do.

You're like the ones you killed, my child.

You're both huntress and true wolf.

Not all the true wolves have been slain. Grandma hasn't been saved yet.

(Claps)

Look at the coordination of the two groups! Truly impressive, isn't it?

In the space of a few minutes, they've hidden all the weapons in the trucks, and stand side-by-side to welcome the parade procession. It's almost like they rehearsed it.

Who would believe me if I said they were pointing weapons at each other just a few minutes ago?

You win again, Texas!

Once again, justice and conscience have taken your side!

Texas does not answer. The White Wolf claps even harder, an ink-black mask on her face.

Actually, I'm more curious why you suddenly put that mask on.

It's Carnevale, after all!

Why the long face, Texas? You won. You should be more cheerful than that.

Look! The parade enters Court Square. That little intermezzo just now never turns into a full-scale riot. Peace and love for all.

Or is it because you just can't help thinking that the only reason it turned out this way was because of a single gunshot out of nowhere, which gave one of the wolves the chance to cool its head?

And Carnevale is nothing but a red carpet laid out on a swamp?

What are you trying to say, Lappland?

What happened tonight is not the same as the civil disorder that happened in the other cities of Siracusa.

...The only difference being the involvement of a bunch of ordinary people, who were pushed to desperation by the mafia's turf wars.

Well... you're not wrong.

But they really did put on a remarkable show.

Especially that driver lady that we saw in court, who seems to have understood a lot of things without having to be taught...

Nuova Volsinii is not a vineyard where you just sow the seeds and wait for the fruits to grow.

Don't forget that it sits right in the middle of this swamp by the name of Siracusa.

The famiglie have never been the only ones who had to crawl through mud and water. Don't underestimate the power of this bog, Texas. It turns everyone into hungry, ravenous wolves.

It has ingrained into the genes of the Siracusans the instinct to turn any new turf into the same swamp.

This endless cycle is what Siracusa is.

Don't try to escape it or change it. The easiest thing to do is to learn to enjoy the swim.

This is what the old man, Signora Sicilia, and you... what all of you have taught me.

Leontuzzo and Lavinia have taken radical measures in order to validate an order that exists outside the mafia... there is a long way to go.

But this is why Nuova Volsinii exists. It offers a new possibility.

But really, did you do all this in order to give this speech?

I didn't know you were so concerned about the future of Siracusa.

Took the words right out of my mouth, didn't you? I was going to ask you that.

Otherwise, why would you have come here all the way from Lungmen the moment you got my invitation?

I know, you're gonna say—

The White Wolf pauses, clears her throat, and imitates Texas' way of speaking.

Calm and even, yet emotion-filled.

Ahem. 'All those lofty ideals are none of my business. I just work for a logistics company.'

'I'm just here because I care about my friend, and because my conscience wouldn't let me turn a blind eye to certain things... just like in Volsinii...'

No, Texas, I haven't forgotten the time that we first met...

You had just came to Siracusa. You were standing at the edge of the mobile platform, holding your Nonno Salvatore's hand, watching my family's workers trim the grapevines.

Your nonno and my father were talking about how Columbia was turning into a dump, about Siracusa's good weather, the new year's harvest, and how you'll be staying a while at our place.

Your eyes were BRIGHT back then, and your expressions were much more interesting than they are now—

That's because the grapes you picked were so sour they almost burned a hole in my tongue.

Everyone on the square is wearing a mask tonight, but none could compare to the one you wear.

Nobody sees things clearer than you. You were the first one to realize that this is a swamp that you needed to get out of.

But it was your disappointment that made you see, Texas. You once had such high hopes for this swamp.

Forget about my speech. You, Texas, are a true blue idealist!

I don't deny it.

Or rather, whether I am or am not makes no difference.

It doesn't change what I have to do at the end of the day.

A very Texas answer. Almost boringly so.

Is that a LANDSHIP?!

Wow, City Hall brought a landship to the show and turned it into a stage?

Wait, look who's on deck...

Is that the Last Texas?

I'm sure, I've seen her in the courts of Volsinii—and the one opposite her...

Lappland? The White Wolf who was disowned by the Don of Saluzzo eight years ago?

Why are they here at the Carnevale?

Must be City Hall's special guests! Think about it, representatives of two major famiglie here at the climax of Carnevale...

It sends an even more powerful message than Signor Bellone's promotional video!

Damn right!

Lappland takes off her mask and gives it to Texas.

What?

You won the bet, didn't you?

In the old days, the famiglie murdered each other on Carnevale, the last surviving wolf taking the masks of the vanquished.

I suppose we need to give the old customs new meaning in this new city... a new life, that kind of stuff, I guess.

As for the question just now, it doesn't matter what your answer is.

Siracusa makes all of us wear masks, after all.

We're part of Carnevale's main event, Texas.

Regardless of why you're here, here and now, you represent part of Siracusa, whether it's the part that's new, or the part that's broken and needs to be thrown out.

Mafiosi and truck driver, city officials and judges, and all the Siracusans on the square, will see in us the meaning that they want to see.

You may, of course, choose to turn around and leave.

Come on, Texas, don't just stand there. All of Nuova Volsinii is watching!

Silence.

Texas gazes at her old friend, and old enemy, for a long time... and finally extends her hand.

A dozen beast floats drive into Court Square, as though it had been previously rehearsed, and the reveling crowd continues to gush in like the tide.

The sound of music and the cheers of the crowd keeps growing louder. The bright lights and fireworks in the sky provide the perfect backdrop for the duo on stage.

Do you hear that? They would not let the good night go gently.

They're cheering for you and me, for this new city, for a new life.

You're still really good at making me feel sick.

I'll take that as a compliment.

But I don't mind being part of the event. I don't mind these people seeing some sort of 'meaning' in me.

Without hope, there would never be disappointment. Whether in Columbia or Siracusa, I do, in fact, hope to see a truly vibrant city emerge from the swamp.

If the challenge and complexity of building it are beyond what I can imagine, then I will face the challenge with my friends, not run away from it.

Alright, I've made up my mind. I'll take care of one more trouble for you and Siracusa!

I'm bringing those stupid wolves back to the wilderness, so that Siracusa won't be affected by their dumb game.

No need to thank me. But when the obstacles have all been pushed out of the way, how will they—you—change this swamp?

There's something I suddenly wanted to ask you, Texas.

What?

Are you disappointed that I didn't come to Nuova Volsinii for you?

No.

Another very Texas answer.

Break a leg, Texas.

Mm-hm.

Texas takes the mask.

The White Wolf lets go, without warning, without hesitation. She turns around and walks into the landship's hold.

Oh, and Texas?

You were fun while it lasted.

<p=2>November 9th, 1100 11:57 P.M.</>

Well...

Landship, the White Wolf of Saluzzo and Texas, and the Truckers' Union...

What else did we miss?

S-Signor Bellone...

Hello, Eirene. Haven't seen you in a while.

Perhaps we should have a little chat once the festivities are over.

Go on, Mayor Leontuzzo.

The duo's performance has come to an end. Time to deliver the closing speech for Carnevale.

Thanks for bringing me here, Demetri. And sorry I couldn't give you a satisfactory answer even at the very end.

Since when have you been the type to say useless crap like that?

...I suppose you're right.

Good evening, folks. I'm Leontuzzo.

As you can see, I was a little dinged up, but I'm out of the woods now.

I was actually there in the middle of the parade on the way to Court Square, experiencing this city that we live in together.

I'm sure little needs to be said about the impressive performance of Signorine Lappland and Texas.

But I wanted to see your faces, say a few things, and spend the night together with you guys.

Many things have changed in Nuova Volsinii over the past year, not least the completion of the Nuova Volsinii Port, the biggest cargo port in Siracusa.

Every connection it makes is like a pulse of the city, demonstrating healthy, robust vitality, supporting thousands of enterprises and hundreds of thousands of livelihoods.

We founded the country's first police academy, a new code of laws, and people are increasingly identifying with Nuova Volsinii.

This makes me glad and anxious in equal measure.

The city continues to face many problems that cannot be ignored. For example, the citizen credit system remains inconvenient, and there are many cases where it doesn't achieve its intentions.

We also understand that the uniqueness of New Urban Management Act makes it difficult for our citizens to receive the support they need for cases that span jurisdictions.

A year is a very short period of time. City Hall and the courts still have much to do.

What I want to ask is this: What is Nuova Volsinii to you?

That's also the question that I want to ask other Siracusans in Volsinii, Sicilia, Montelupe... what is Nuova Volsinii to them?

And what is this young city to neighboring Leithanien, distant Ursus, and all the other countries in Terra, for which change is a constant?

Are we a new possibility to them? Not just a different kind of violence, but something stronger, firmer, more close-knit, something worth talking to?

Will they understand that our strength comes from our most earnest desires, that we, and all the others gathered here today, can safeguard our hard-earned new lives?

That's what we have been trying to achieve over the past year.

There is no famiglia in Nuova Volsinii. The reforms associated with this saying doesn't rely on 'Siracusan' methods, as Siracusans know it—

A secret negotiation, an assasination in the dark, a purge of the city, a deadly struggle between famiglie...

All that has happened here, and all that will happen, will be viewed through the lens of the law.

We're giving a new order to our new life. The swamp that Siracusans used to take for granted will no longer faze us.

A friend once said to me that I'm walking down a thorny path.

He's right. But all the challenges that we have faced is exactly why Nuova Volsinii must continue to move forward.

For everyone who has been hurt on this path, for everyone who may be hurt in the future, I'm sorry.

But at the same time, I continue to extend an invitation to all the friends who have something to ask of Nuova Volsinii.

We shall trample the thorns together and make this brand-new, one-of-a-kind city better, little by little, until it's ready to usher in a new era.

As a matter of fact, a new era for Siracusa has already begun, a future filled with infinite possibilities.

Demetri gazes forward silently, at the silhouette of Leontuzzo outlined by the countless lights.

What can I say, Leon?

Saluzzo's wine isn't bad, but I prefer my own.

Bellone will find its way into this city, in my way, by your rules.

I promise that to you.

Demetri turns around.

The mayor's speech continues, but he has received the answer he was looking for. Demetri has accepted the invitation, or perhaps, the declaration of a very long war.

Enjoy the rest of the night!

And, the dawn of a new day.