I Hope You Can Grow Up (Continued)

Judging from the current situation, the problems have clearly exceeded their expectations.

They must stall... stall until reinforcements from Siracusa arrive!

Fortunately, they weren't completely destitute in Columbia.

"Get lost!"

With another powerful kick, Lappland sent the thugs blocking her path flying. Looking at the pursuers rushing towards her, she gritted her teeth and plunged headlong into an area she shouldn't have gone...

Sarkaz Settlement...

She knew that given the trouble she had caused before, entering this place would likely be extremely dangerous for her, but without a doubt, with the conflict erupting between the Sarkaz and Columbia, this was the most likely place to protect Celinina!

And things turned out exactly as she had predicted.

Her arrival attracted the attention of many Sarkaz.

However, the arrival of the Texas Family members from afar prompted them to unite against a common enemy.

The two sides stood locked in a stalemate, using the intersection as the boundary, neither daring to make a move.

It was at this moment that Lappland managed to gain a brief respite.

They are safe...

Temporary.

Lappland dragged Celinina to a corner before collapsing down, panting heavily.

But she still struggled to ask Celinina, who was standing beside her.

"How are you?"

"I... I..."

At this moment, Celinina's mind was in complete chaos... She thought her worst fears were already true, but she never imagined that her father would actually kill her grandfather...

I never imagined things would turn out this way...

"I'm... I'm sorry..."

Celinina didn't know what to say.

She simply pursed her lips, lowered her head, and painfully apologized to Lappland beside her.

"You didn't need to get involved in this..."

She knew that Lappland had come with her in the first place because she was worried about her.

And it is also I who have led everyone to this complicated situation step by step...

"..."

Lappland didn't speak; she simply turned her head to look at the girl in pain, her chest heaving, and after a moment, she scoffed in annoyance.

"You're still saying this at a time like this..."

"But... I..."

Celinina was truly confused.

But time gave her no chance to catch her breath.

Almost instantly, the figure, both familiar and unfamiliar to the girl, slowly emerged.

Leonardo.

"My poor little Celinina, why are you so sad?"

The man stepped out, followed by the Swarm of Sarkaz mercenaries whose faces were obscured.

Perhaps because his plan was finally about to succeed, he no longer had the gentle demeanor of a father; instead, he wore the cold face of a businessman.

Upon seeing the other party's appearance, Celinina gritted her teeth.

Why... did you kill Grandpa?

"Me? No, you're mistaken, Celinina. The one who killed the legendary Salvadore wasn't me, it was you."

The man shook his head and continued in a slow, but irritating tone.

"Because of your existence, the person who should have inherited Texas is no longer me... Do you know how much I've sacrificed over the decades to become the rightful heir in his eyes?"

"My little Celinina, you don't know...you live in the best of times, you receive the best education and love...you don't have to worry about being killed by your family's rivals every day...because you know, Texas is the only voice in Columbia."

"You don't need to worry about being kidnapped and murdered... because you know, no one in Columbia dares to lay a hand on the Texas Family."

"You don't need to feel lost about your future, because you know you've always been loved and cared for..."

"And all of this, I've spent thirty years trying, and I still haven't achieved it..."

The man spoke softly, raising his hand.

The girls noticed the ring on his hand... it was something they had brought back from Siracusa.

And that's how he raised his arm.

Countless writhing monsters appeared nearby... Many of them seemed to have already completed their first stage of growth, and gray fur was now growing on parts of their bodies.

At that moment, a familiar yet unfamiliar shadow slowly emerged from the darkness.

"You'd better hurry, Leonardo."

Rottish!

It's still alive?!

The two girls were stunned for a moment, their eyes wide with disbelief.

Leonardo, however, simply smiled.

"Salvadore always thought I was a businessman, that I looked down on Siracusa like other Columbia ... In reality, I never thought that way. I knew that many secrets were buried in that land, and I also knew that many terrible things happened at the banquet targeting the Gray Hall three years ago."

"The Lord of Beasts... the Great Beast... I think even Salvadore never imagined that the merchant he despised most would one day wield this power that he feared."

As he spoke, a mocking smile crept onto his lips.

Meanwhile, Celinina couldn't hold back any longer.

"Why?"

"Um?"

"Why did you kill Grandpa? Grandpa told me... He had long discovered your treasonous intentions, which would have been punishable by death in any other family! But Grandpa spared you time and time again, never harming you... Why did you do this!"

"Let me go? My poor Celinina, do you really think that old man is letting me go?" Leonardo's expression twisted with rage at the mention of this. "He's letting me go not because he wants me to live, but for Texas's sake!"

"That old man only had Texas in his eyes, no family... The reason he didn't kill me was because he knew I was the main force for the future growth of the Texas Family... The reason he didn't kill me was because you hadn't appeared yet at that time!"

"Why do you think he brought Sarkaz into Columbia?"

"Because of you, his dear granddaughter, he knew you would return to Columbia sooner or later, so he set a trap... He brought in the Sarkaz, intending to use their power to kill me. Then you would become the savior, banish these demons, take control of Texas, and gain the prestige of a hero... Do you really think he's a good person? Perhaps he is to the Texas Family, but to me and my companions, he is not!"

As he spoke, his voice gradually took on a wild, howling quality.

Although he still looked refined, everyone could see that Siracusa's blood flowed in his veins.

After a moment, he calmed down.

"However, I discovered his plan... and then I shared it with my companions..."

As he spoke, he revealed the Sarkaz mercenaries behind him.

Their faces were filled with indignation, and they all seemed to agree with Leonardo's statement. Looking at Celinina, who was clearly Salvadore supporter, their anger burst from their eyes.

Guided by them, more and more clumps of flesh began to approach, coalescing together like worms, devouring and biting each other to form an even more terrifying monster.

Meanwhile, Rottish in the shadows, was ready to pounce.

Although Leonardo saw through the plan, it was clear that he couldn't possibly contend with this family that had been operating for nearly fifty years with just a single Sarkaz mercenary force.

So he took the initiative to contact Rottish.

Rottish knew that within that terrifying domain, he couldn't reveal any trace of his presence. He couldn't take any initiative and could only passively rely on others to bring his fragments out of Siracusa.

And that so-called jeweler was also part of Leonardo's plan.

There's a one in a million chance of something going wrong if we try to bring Siracusa out of the country using other methods.

But having the girls lead the way would not only be safe, but also allow them to bypass that person's watchful eye.

She knew her disciple well... and therefore let her guard down.

This was her biggest failure.

She bound herself to the human body, which also destined that her way of thinking would one day reveal flaws just like a human's.

As for his deal with Leonardo, it was actually quite simple.

Leonardo uses the ancient secrets of the Banshees to try and resurrect a body for it... Although it certainly won't have the same power as before, at least it will allow him to escape the other's surveillance.

And it was there to rid Leonardo of his enemies.

The deal is now nearing completion.

"Celinina, my child, to be honest, I feel a little sorry for you... I promised your mother I would take good care of you, but that promise didn't include giving you control of the Texas family."

The man continued speaking, his gaze gradually sharpening.

He didn't waste any more time and waved decisively.

Behind him, the restless Sarkaz mercenaries practically swarmed forward!

An attack by more than a dozen people at the same time was difficult even for the two of them to handle!

But...

"Da da da!"

The flashes of light and sound erupted rapidly, instantly killing several Sarkaz mercenaries and forcing the others to retreat.

"What?"

Leonardo stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

Behind the girls, Mu Lisi, grinning, led a large group of Angels in, forming a standoff with the Sarkaz mercenaries.

"Hey... it's really not easy to pry open the back door of this community, but luckily I took a lock-picking elective in college. Back then, the teachers would hold a gun to our heads and count to three."

As the girl spoke, she also took out her own Guardian Gun and aimed it at the Sarkaz over there.

"How was it? Did I arrive in time?"

"It's getting late."

Lappland smiled, then lifted Celinina up and whispered in her ear.

"There's no time for hesitation or questioning now..."

"..."

Celinina didn't reply, but when she looked into Lappland's eyes, she gradually grew stronger after the pain.

Indeed, there's no time for her to dwell on it now.

His own father wanted to kill him... that was a fact.

It is now a fact that Rottish is about to be resurrected in a different form.

She had no time to suffer.

Regardless, there's only one thing she needs to do now...

To stop... or even kill one's own father!

The girl gritted her teeth, facing her closest relatives whom she had never known before, and silently raised her weapon.

There was no word spoken.

As everyone knows, this battle will determine the course of events for both sides.

In just a moment, everyone began to move!

"Da da da da da--!"

"Bang bang bang bang bang bang--!"

Flames began to pour forth wildly, and Originium Arts began to unleash their fury within the small warehouse as both sides exerted all their strength to annihilate their opponent!