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Chapter 3: Combat and Summits
🕑 Added 2024-10-10 18:47:36 +0000 UTCChapter 3: Combat and Summits
Despite the…embarrassing ploy from C.C., they had other things to discuss. “Leila, what are your thoughts on your people’s capacity as soldiers? My takeover of the throne was largely bloodless, but even as I root out dissenters and keep the rest in line, I have little in the way of true, reliable allies.”
There was still a sizable chunk of the upper crust of society, from business leaders angry with his reforms cutting into profits to the nobility. Already, there have been 17 attempts on his life, one having managed a lucky shot that killed C.C. as they strolled through the gardens.
The bastard was still being tortured in the dungeons, immortal or not; Lelouch could be inhumanly cruel to those who harm his loved ones.
Leila suspected as such. His reforms made him exceptionally popular with the commoners and numbers. Still, Britannia wasn't a democracy, and its true power lay with the nobles and wealthy, two groups he had antagonized dramatically since coming to the throne.
“That would explain why you’re always accompanied by at least one of your knights, with the other off handling rebellions.” She wouldn’t be surprised if either or both were prepping to head out on another hunt.
Looking her old playmate in the eye, she banished whatever feelings she had for him from her mind; she wouldn't let her emotions cloud her judgment as they had done with Smilas. “But what do you intend to do with my answer?”
Lelouch met her gaze; not a single hint of deceit in those purple orbs. He took a sip of his tea before replying. “I just said I need reliable allies, didn’t I? Putting a gun to someone’s head or making them obey through geass isn’t a means to acquire such, only disposable tools.”
"It helps that you can geass rivals and annoyances into admitting to their crimes on the stand, speeds up the entire 'justice' part," C.C. added, almost like it was an afterthought.
“Were those people even guilty?” Leila asked.
"Does it ultimately matter? They were obstacles in the way of change," C.C. asked back, but Leila didn't back down, to which the witch sighed. "Oh, you silly girl. Fine, if it soothes your mind. Yes, they were guilty."
Her worries sated, and for at least now, Leila decided to answer the question. “In terms of skills as knightmare pilots, they’re all well above average and have plenty of experience from our time fighting against Euro Britannia and Kingsley.” She didn’t say Lelouch.
Lelouch nodded at that, but he required more details to work with. "But if I must rank them, then Akito would be at the top, followed by Ashley, as they're analogous to knights of around the skills department. Though I wouldn't say that Akito is as skilled as Kururugi, he has proven capable of holding his own against him on more than one occasion.”
“Is that right? It certainly makes things easier, but can we discuss that in private?" Lelouch eyed the button and earpiece on the table. Having put her concerns to bed and come out of it with nothing but positives, Lelia decided to agree.
“Have her back by 8 sharp, mister." The rest was cut before they could take any more potshots at the two, with Leila's face going red again as she buried it in her hands and let out a loud, irritated groan, but Lelouch, despite his flushed face, let out a chuckle.
"You have good friends, believe me. Friends can only tease one another like that when they truly care. Cherish it while you have it." He gave her a smile, but one tinged with longing and regret.
But she already knew all that. She loved her friends like they were family, no closer than that. Even when they teased her and Akito about some romance, they all believed they shared. “They can be a handful at times…most of the time, but I wouldn’t trade those moments, good or bad, for anything.” She smiled, a scene that made Lelouch feel at ease.
But then his phone rang.
“Excuse me.” He pulled the device from the folds of his clothing. The emperor was glad he hadn't gone with the pretentious white garb he had planned for but instead a more practical, if regal, white, red, black suit and cape. “What is it?”
“Forgive the intrusion, Your Majesty, but it’s the Knights of the Round! They’re approaching the capital, with the Knight of One in the lead.” The caller, a staffer at the city defense network, informed him. “We can confirm four of the Knights of the Round among them. They're accompanied by their personal forces!”
Pulling up the city defense screens on a screen that popped out of the table, he saw them approaching. Their current speed meant that they could land in this very garden in 10 minutes if they booked it. He would have been surprised that they managed to get this far undetected. Still, his brother ran the state for years while Charles spent his time trying to forge weapons for blasphemy, plenty of time to hide or create exploits in the system.
However, Lelouch overhauled the city defense network, replacing staff, upgrading protocol, and ensuring every sensor suite was operational. This was also how Lelouch could see that they were facing a little over 100 units, long-range cameras showing that many were older Sunderland and Gloucesters.
“What is it?” Leila asked, Lelouch having been calm since the phone call.
"It seems my brother is testing me. He's sent four of the traitorous knights of the round to attack, with Lord Waldstein at the helm." He pulled the screen out more, then turned it around to let his guest see it, with Leila’s face whitening.
She was the only one who seemed to understand the severity of the situation as C.C. hardly batted an eye, returning to a meal while Lelouch let out a disappointed sigh. "And to think, I suspected they'll wait at least another day. Perhaps Bismarck has just gotten impatient.”
“There’s a reason he’s Knight of One, Lelouch. Not even Marriane could defeat him.” Leila replied, wondering what the heck he was thinking with how calm he was. More than any other Knight of Round, Bismark was such a terrifying force that even the most formidable E.U commanders chose to retreat
when he was sent out to battlefields.
Britannia could have taken Europe years ago if he hadn't been the emperor's bodyguard!
Lelouch chuckled at that little reminder as he recalled watching one of those sparring matches and how Bismark struggled against a foe as quick as his mother. “Oh, I’m sure that once he was the strongest.” Turning the screen back to himself, he changed it to show the irritated but compliant face of his current Knight of One.
“Kururugi, I trust that you’ve already been informed?” He asked.
“What are my orders?” Suzaku didn't bother with the conversation.
“As expected of someone who hates to think for himself." Lelouch mocked him, Suzaku's brow twitching, but Lelouch hardly cared. Suzaku said he didn't like to think and was merely doing what his 'old friend' wanted. “My orders are simply: Defend the capital and deal with the threat however you see fit.”
"Yes, Your Majesty." Suzaku signed off without saying another word, and Lelouch wondered if he would take his orders and just slaughter the lot of them. After all, he saw the Tristan among them. But then he recalled his time as Kingsley, how the student council's memories were tampered with, and Rolo being sent among them despite his 'murder solves everything approach.'
“Would you like to watch, Leila? The show’s about to begin." Lelouch got up, holding a hand for his queen, which C.C. took as they left.
Line Break
Minutes away from the city they once defended, the Knights of Round swore they'd continue to do so, especially from a threat as unconventional as this. "We swore absolute loyalty to Charles zi Britannia.” Bismarck Waldstein declared from within the cockpit of his personal unit, the Galahad.
“We'll never recognize this damned usurper.” His fellow knight of round, the Knight of four, Dorothea Ernst, fully agreed, piloting the heavy unit, Palomides. It might not have packed as much firepower as the Mordred, but it was a much faster unit. Then her sensors picked up something coming to intercept them. “What, just one unit?”
That made no sense; the capital had an unusually large garrison, and there should be hundreds of machines coming. Did the usurper slaughter those soldiers in his continuous purges? Were they loyal and refused to fight?
She would be wrong on both fronts. Lelouch had arrested and executed many of the personnel within the city's garrison, but this hardly amounted to 5% of the forces, numbers he had easily replenished with compliant replacements. In fact, once the alarms had been sounded, many of them had been seconds away from taking to the field, but they had been halted by an imperial decree.
All but one machine took off, the familiar white and gold color scheme that had earned itself awe and fear worldwide for the victories he brought Britannia and the thousands that had been slain by it. The latest in the family of units that had garnered that infamy, but its pilot remained the same man.
Suzaku thought this was quite ironic for a knight of Britannia, one who achieved the title of Knight of the Round by betraying everything he held dear. He proved himself loyal to the crown all the time, yet here he was, fighting against other knights. But the thought faded, as in the end, it would be more of the same, so whatever happened now wasn't worth considering.
“With Lancelot Albion, one is more than enough.” The 9th generation moved, seemingly to vanish as he dashed around so fast one could hardly track it.
“I can’t track it-!” Dorothea couldn't say more as the Albion quickly closed the distance between them. The Lancelot struck, and her machine's primary weapons, along with her float unit, were destroyed in what felt like less than a second. “Dammit! He got me? Already?” She cried out as alarms blared and her machine fell to earth.
Bismarck wasn’t surprised that a Knight of Round was defeated so fast; she and several other units were wiped out like children. He had suspected that the Albion would have been completed by now.
“The Albion?” Still, he frowned as it was just as deadly as he thought it would be from the date acquired on the Guren from the Tokyo battle.
Suzaku didn’t respond. Instead, his machine's energy wings sprouted out, and he peppered dagger-like projectiles like an angel of death. Many never even saw the attacks coming before they became little more than scrap metal, and many pilots went down with their machines.
It wasn't even 10 seconds into the battle, and half the attackers were already dead. The remaining Knights of Round yelled for their troops to remain calm, the loudest of them being the Knight of Ten, Monica Krushevsky.
The blonde piloted her personal machine, the Florence, from the rear of the lines. Her unit might have been made from the recovered remains of the E.U's Alexander unit, but she wasn't a frontline fighter; now, she was exceptionally skilled in close quarters. Her skills shined most in command and control.
“Switch to battle plan Charlie-7, 4th squad, regroup with the remains of 7th and-Suzaku!” Monica wasn’t able to finish the order before the Lancelot seemed to appear before her like a flash of white lightning. She instinctively moved to attack him, her body moving before she could think.
Suzaku easily dodged a swipe from one of Florence's large MV claws and drew his blade, cleanly cutting the machine in two at the waist before, almost casually, decapitating it and shattering her float unit. Monica could only yell out in rage as her systems nearly completely shut down from the massive damage as her unit plummeted.
Suzaku didn't watch her fall, instead getting back to wiping out the rest, which, with the overwhelming power of the Albion and his own first-class piloting skill, was like cutting grass as he cut his way through them even faster than when he would face off against the clunky and slow Panzel Hummels of the E.U.
“Wake up, Suzaku!" He looked up as an attack from the Tristan came flying, the Knight of 3 having chosen to use his Slash Harken, but the Lancelot quickly caught it. "You can still come back to us!” Gino pleaded with him, but Suzaku’s heart remained unchanged as he gripped the slash harken he already had in both hands and broke it in two before catching the second and the same.
“Charles preached that might made right, that the right to rule belonged to the strongest. Lelouch slew Charles. He is Britannia, so if anyone should be switching sides, it's you.” Suzaku told him.
“That's insanity! Knights of Round swear loyalty to the emperor. You should want him dead as much as the rest of us!” Oh, if only Gino knew how true that statement was.
“So you’ll right, even if that means becoming an enemy of Britannia?” Suzaku asked him, which seemed to make the knight of 3 pause.
“Enemy of Britannia?” Gino asked him, but Suzaku didn’t give him time to sort through his feelings, firing all four of his slash harkens at the Tristan, each hit their mark with perfect precision, critically damaging the Tristan’s limbs at the elbow and knee joints, as he retracted them, Suzaku closed the distance and performed his signature spinning kick, sending the Tristan’s head flying as the unit began to rapidly lose altitude.
"This wasn't a battle you could win, Gino," Suzaku told Gino, feeling if only a little grief over what he had to do towards someone he knew was a good man.
“Suzaku Kururugi!" Suzaku fired his slash harkens again, this time towards the Galahad. Still, Bismark had drawn his blade and quickly blocked the attack. "I heard your goal was to become the Knight of One!" Bismarck declared as the snitches that kept his right eye sealed decayed away, allowing him to open his eye for the first time in years and revealed the red glow of geass.
“You already have, Bismarck, I was bestowed that title by his majesty, Emperor Lelouch.” Suzaku countered.
“A title granted by a usurper means nothing." Bismark rejected his answer as he swung his machine's blade, Excalibur at the Lancelot. Knowing the weapon's power, Suzaku used his machine's speed to dodge it.
“You call it a meaningless title? Wouldn't that apply to you as well? Charles killed the 97th emperor for the throne and then appointed you his Knight of One after you defeated the last man who held the title.” Suzaku said as he darted around the Galahad, testing its defenses and Bismark's reflexes and finding both to be as exceptional as he expected, as not a single attack landed. “So, just like Lelouch, I shall prove that the title of Knight of One is mine by killing you.”
Suzaku finished that statement by gaining distance, sheathing one blade, pulling out one of his Super VARIS, and firing it on 3 blasts of green energy towards the Galahad, which evaded the first two and blocked the third with little effort with its massive blade; Suzaku's eyes narrowing slightly.
“You’re welcome to try, boy. Stronger people have tried and have been felled by my hands.” Bismarck answered his challenge as he had many others over his years as Knight of One.
As the two battled, Lelouch's machinations continued to work, and cameras were also directed toward the fight. Across the world, Britannian screens shifted from the news to this emergency broadcast, with Nina in hiding at Ashford Academy; she turned to the TV when he switched to the live broadcast. Rivalz also looked up from his magazine when he caught a glimpse of Lancelot.
In Cambodia, Schneizel and Cornelia watched the broadcast silently, and a third person listened intently. But the broadcast wasn't just viewed in Britannia territories as Lelouch made the right bet in that upon hearing about it, other news stations would quickly pick it up and air it to their viewers, from Berlin to Oslo, to as far removed from global politics as Libreville.
The broadcast was caught especially fast by governments in UFN states, the Black Knights watching it all play out from the bridge of the Ikaruga, Kallen being present as they looked up at a scene.
“That’s…the Lancelot," Kallen said.
“With Energy Wings?” Rakshata seemed mildly surprised but also intrigued.
“And he’s challenging Bismarck.” Xingke frowned, recalling his battle with the Knight of One. Could the Lancelot hope to defeat such a foe?
Suzaku wondered about something similar: his attack was dodged and countered, forcing him to raise his blade, which absorbed the worst of the impact. “How can he know Lancelot's flight path?” he asked as his machine alerted him that the blade had taken damage from that.
“My geass allows me…to see the future," Bismarck stated. “I used this power only once before. When I battled Lady Marriane.” Suzaku launched an attack with his energy wings. Still, the Galahad danced through the swarm, evading every one of them before he fired his finger slash harkens at the Lancelot, wrapping it up and tossing it aside like an unwanted toy.
Suzaku growled as he moved to cut the cables binding him to pieces, but the Galahad pulled back its fingers before he could.
"He can predict my moves, but still." Even if that was true, Suzaku wouldn't back down.
“Kururugi. Your battle is being broadcast to the world, so ensure they see I am emperor and won't be so easily dethroned. But also prove to them why I chose you as my Knight of One." Suzaku glanced at one of his screens, showing Lelouch seated on his throne, C.C. and Leila at his sides.
"For the sake of the future, I must be victorious." Suzaku tightened his grip on his controls, preparing for what was to come.
"Yes, and that is why I order you to live!" Lelouch ordered, his words triggering the command he placed on him long ago, stronger than when he activated it himself. The power of geass came roaring through his blood, his body feeling lighter and stronger, his mind more focused. He hated the command, but he couldn’t deny the power it gave him.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" With his pupils ringed with the familiar red glow of geass, he charged Bismark.
“My name will always be linked with the title of the mightiest knight of the empire!" Bismarck declared, smiling as he swung at the Lancelot, to which the white and gold machine dodged; when Bismarck turned his gaze back to it, his breath hitched. "What?”
Bismark once described his geass as if his targets were unfinished animations, and the frames represented the path their actions would take. He could plot out how and when to counter attacks from enemies, even swarms of them, though it took considerable concentration to differentiate which path belonged to whom.
But now, the Lancelot wasn't moving as it should; the frames he could see, generally at least a dozen, kept jumping back and forth in number. More than that, the Lancelot was moving too slowly yet too fast, and the frames were not keeping pace with the machine. His shock allowed the Lancelot to zip by him, Bismarck barely avoiding what could have been a killing blow. However, he still got off with the first real damage in years, as a large gash was now in his machine's chest.
'Is it the machine's special functions or Kururugi’s own skill?’ Bismarck asked himself, as he had only ever seen something like this once before…when he battled Marrriane. Was…was this traitor as fast as she was? Was he merely overwhelming him with raw speed as Lady Marriane had done? Impossible! No one was that fast, no one!
Lelouch watched the fight, same as the world, though unlike many, he could predict what Bismark was thinking and smirked. It was true that Bismarck was nigh unbeatable with his geass, as its only counter was to overwhelm him with speed, a feat only achieved by Marriane. That was how she gained the nickname, and Suzaku just wasn’t at that same level of speed as his vile wench of a mother.
'At least, not normally.' If he had to praise Suzaku for one thing, it was the fact he and he alone were able to weaponize the command he placed on him and used it to allow him to push past his limits to reach even greater heights of power.
Watching this, Leila was left in awe at the display, but also her mind worked to understand what she was seeing. It was true that the Lancelot was simply the better machine, but specs didn’t mean success; a pilot in an inferior machine could still snatch victories if they had the skill and a little luck. She also knew that Suzaku was one of the best pilots in the world, but he couldn't be Bismarck's equal either.
'It must be a fusion of both those things and Lelouch's command on him.' She concluded as the Lancelot charged the Bismarck head-on, throwing caution to the wind and deciding to end this the same way jousts of old were settled. Even if she knew what was coming, she was still amazed when, after the two clashed, the Galahad was destroyed, ending the reign of Bismarck as the strongest knight in Britannia.
The world watched in awe as the burning remains of the Galahad fell, leaving only the White Grim Reaper in the air. Its green eye seemingly stared through the screens and into the souls of those who watched. But in what could be seen as mercy or good media skills, the feed was changed to Lelouch, seated on his throne.
The young emperor seemed approaching yet imposing, powerful yet humble at the same time. “To the people of the world. As you all witnessed, the last great remnant of the reign of Charles has been destroyed, which serves as proof that I alone rule as emperor," Lelouch stated.
“With that clear, Britannia is now ready to take another step into the future I envision for it and its people by joining the United Federation of Nations.” His charming smile didn't take away from the shock that fell every listener at such a bold declaration; the UFN was formed to counter Britannia, but to even consider such, Kaguya couldn't tell what Lelouch was thinking.
“The negotiations are to take place in 2 weeks, in a sign of goodwill. I shall respect the rules set forth by the UFN, be without my Knights of Round or my generals, and attend with minimal security. However, I request that the conference site be Area 11, specifically, Ashford Academy.” Cornelia wanted to wring her little brother's neck, but Schneizel was unreadable, silently watching the performance.
Once the broadcast ended, Britannian television went back to regular programming, with Milly slack-jawed as to how she was supposed to get back to stuff about cats now. Leila was just as surprised back in Pendragon, but for another reason: they had watched the broadcast along with Lelouch.
“That was pre-recorded.” She didn’t ask, she knew. But how? Did he write a script for a body double, an exceptional one? But why need one to begin with?
Lelouch chuckled. "Of course it was. I already predicted that Bismarck and other knights of the round would try and attack and that Kurururgi would be triumphant. Still, I didn't know which knights would follow Bismarck." If he was honest, he wouldn’t have imagined someone like Monica wouldn't have been so close to the fighting, but he could not be correct 100% of the time.
Leila blinked. “You saw that all coming?”
Lelouch gave her an amused look, grasping at her hand and kissing her knuckles, leaving her face red. "I've been watching people for years, Leila. Learning and analyzing them down to their very cores. That understanding of humanity is a skill that has served me quite well.”
"Still, you never explained why you chose Ashford. Do you have a sentimental attachment to your old school?” C.C. asked as Lelouch got up from his throne and pulled the immortal into a hug, catching her off guard as he had been rather expressive with his emotions, at least when it came to her.
"I'm not so heartless to not have considered my attachments to it and the people that attend there, my queen." Lelouch softly spoke into her ear, making her buzz as he let go, his hands lingering on her waist. “But other factors were its symbolic and practical purposes.”
"Area 11 has long been a hotbed for tensions for Britannia. It was the territory that the UFN's first official action was aimed to liberate." He explained to the two women.
“So, by choosing it, if the talks go well, and Britannia joins the UFN, along with the reforms you've been forcing through, people would associate the improved treatment of the Japanese people with you and not the Black Knights." Leila surmised from that; Lelouch nodded, pleased she quickly caught on.
C.C. smiled as she looked him over. “It also serves as a subtle slight against the UFN, saying that Japan could only ever be treated better if you allowed it. A petty move, wouldn’t you say, my emperor?”
"You, of all people, know I can be as vindictive as they come." Lelouch didn’t hide that from them. "But the other reason that Ashford, in particular, was chosen is just practical; after the FLEIJA incident, there aren't many places in Tokyo that can hope to host such an internationally important event."
“And the time given?” Leila asked, giving him the means to ignore the pain that came from the reminder of what else the FLEIJA had taken from him.
"To appear both reasonable as it's plenty of time for the UFN to organize a response, but also implies I'm the one in control by selecting the time," Lelouch answered as he looked towards the ceiling, his mind moving 5 miles a minute. “But I already know the outcome: Britannia won’t be joining.”
“And why is that?” Leila asked, as his wording implied that he would reject the UFN and not vice versa.
Looking back at her, he decided to explain things to her. “It’s quite simply-”
Line Break
Those two weeks came and went. During that period, the finer details of the coming summit were hashed out between the two sides before dignitaries began to travel towards the once-sovereign island nation.
Lelouch, who requested this, couldn't arrive late, so he left Pendragon aboard the Avalon early. As promised, he wouldn’t attend with too much security; with the morning sun still rising over the Pacific, he got into a smaller jet, with a few guards managed by René Laurent and Ayano Kosaka, two members of the personal forces to his newly appointed Knights of 3 and 4, respectively.
"You know, I know this isn't a dream and all, but it still feels pretty weird to be guarding you, " René said, looking at the uniform he had thought he wouldn't wear again after they defected from Euro Britannia.
Lelouch sat relaxed as one could be, reading through a book whose title the dark-skinned knight couldn't quite make out. "It's very much reality. Your superiors spoke highly of your skills, not just in knightmares, but in weapons and unarmed combat."
“Was that the only reason you picked us?” Kosaka asked, to which Lelouch turned an eye her way to look her over, though she didn’t get the same disgusting shiver from when perverts ogled her body.
"I rarely move for just one reason." Was all Lelouch gave.
“Just be sure to handle your jobs. Area 11 might be under our control, but the Black Knights have many sympathizers and supporters there.” Suzaku spoke up, both knights shifting to attention. Suzaku wasn't on the job but was back on the Avalon.
Lelouch wouldn't attend with his knights or generals, but he didn't say they'll remain idle. Suzaku was left in charge of the aerial squadron he came with, which comprised the Avalon, 6 Caerleon-class ships, and 2 Logres-class ships. On the water were 2 carriers, escorted by 8 destroyers who met them halfway across the Pacific.
All of whom would remain well outside Area 11 territorial waters but close enough that the UFN would be keenly aware that he wasn't without teeth should they decide to test him.
Leila chimed in from her place on one said Carrier, the Queen Elizabeth. So long as they don't act like fools, things shouldn't require any of our intervention." She didn't like things but agreed that it was their best play. We'll come to a halt in five minutes, the same with the air forces. Good luck.” Lelouch nodded as he closed his book.
Line Break
Even though it was early morning, the area around Ashford was crowded with people eager to glimpse the new emperor. Many of those hundreds, if not thousands, of people numbers, or rather they were soon to be former numbers as it was thanks to Lelouch’s drastic policy changes bringing a precise and fast approaching end to legal discrimination and the hated label of being an 'Eleven'.
Milly thought to herself that it was similar to the excitement that had been seen among the native populace when Euphemia declared her intentions with the SAZ, despite this being the 3rd attempt at some level of reform in Britannia; its architect was someone who had already proven himself through actions, even when the establishment or special interests from his government and nobles stop him.
But Milly was more focused on Lelouch, the person, as she still couldn't believe it. How was he royalty? She had known him for years, and never suspected a thing? Was Rolo a prince as well? Where was he? Did Suzaku know he was a prince? She had so many questions, yet no way to get the answers.
“Ms. Ashford, we’re live.” Her cameraman quietly reminded her as he started filming.
"Oh! Good morning, viewers. This is Milly Ashford coming to you live from Ashford Academy, the site chosen by Emperor Lelouch, from which the UFN will debate whether to allow the Holy Britannia Empire to become a member state." Milly started, keeping her composure as she looked out towards the ocean; she could make out 3 distant shapes and directed her cameraman to turn in the direction, zooming in, and the man could confirm the objects in question.
"And yes, I see it. The emperor's personal transport is in the distance and should be touching down any minute now. Despite the location, Emperor Lelouch handed over all security to the Black Knights, who had already closed the school to students and other unauthorized persons. A spokesperson for the Black Knights has assured us that security is being taken with the utmost severity despite Area 11 notorious reputation for terrorism and rebel activity."
As Milly continued her broadcast, Kallen stood at attention outside the school's main building. Behind her were several lower-ranked Black Knights, who, like everyone else stationed at the school, were wearing their visors. Kallen was alone in the face she went without, so she had to work hard to keep her complicated feelings from showing.
She could do nothing but wait as Lelouch’s transport landed. The first people out were units of the emperor's security, led by a shy-looking, dark-skinned boy who couldn't be any older than her but one who she could immediately recognize as a trained and experienced soldier.
Following him was the source of her issues and mixed feelings. He strutted out of the jet with as much confidence as she expected.
But then she spotted the clearly Japanese girl following after him. She didn't recognize her either, but she also seemed to be around their age and an experienced soldier, incredibly fit as well; as that uniform wasn't as skin tight, but the suit was form-fitting, enough so that even with the blazer, she could see that she was pretty well endo-
Kallen shook her head. She wasn't Shirley or Milly. So, what if Lelouch had another Japanese woman as his bodyguard? He was all about practicality over such lowly things as romance or sex appeal, a gentleman at least with that, both in the shower and babel. When he had a chance to be a pervert, he never stooped to such levels and respected her as a person.
Back on solid ground, Lelouch turned to the crowds gathered to see him and put on an exceptional media-friendly smile as he waved to them, another act that differentiated him from his father. As he waved, people yelled out support for him, from his reforms that benefit numbers to his crackdowns on corruption and incompetence.
“Lelouch!” His and everyone’s attention went towards Rivalz, who had managed to climb the temporary walls. His classmate and friend looked desperate. “I need to know the truth, Lelouch! Why didn’t you ever tell me who you were?” Rivalz couldn't say more as he was pulled down by two of the Black Knights, neither too pleased with him.
“Get down from there! You’re disrespecting the emperor!” They yelled at him as they restrained the high schooler, who fought back but was no match for two.
Still, even as they tried to drag him off, he couldn't stay silent as he looked back towards Lelouch. “Wait, you don’t understand! We’re friends! He was my best friend at school here!” He hoped Lelouch would respond, but the emperor remained still for a moment before he made a decision and signaled René closer.
“Your majesty?” The knight asked as his emperor whispered something before he nodded and stepped back. “Understood.” The knight broke from the group, taking 2 of the 6 guards with him. Looking back at Rivalz, he gave the boy a smile and mouthed 'later' at him like he had done many times before, something Rivalz saw, and in relief, he stopped struggling and left without a fuss.
This didn't escape Kallen's notice, who expected him to ignore Rivalz and pretend like they had never met to keep up his image of the emperor, of a person above common folk like that. But that proved flawed, perhaps because he was just playing up his image as an emperor of the people, as Kaguya explained to her a week prior, and having a commoner friend would help with that.
Either way, it gave her hope as if he was willing to acknowledge Rivalz, then maybe. “Lelouc-”
“Greetings, captain Kozuki Kallen." Kallen's mouth was sealed shut at that opening; it carried a polite tone, even jovial, but it wasn't friendly or familiar in any way.
“Though perhaps I must start with an apology. That interruption was caused by a friend of mine.” He seemed apologetic, shrugging like it was a minor thing that the cameras no doubt ate up.
Wait, the cameras, of course. Rivalz was a…somewhat law-abiding Britannian citizen, so Lelouch could be open with their connection and have little push-back. After all, what did he care about the opinions of the nobility?
But she wasn't like Rivalz; she was half Britannian but had sided with Zero. She was a Black Knight, their ace pilot. He couldn't so quickly brush aside criticism if he acted overly friendly with her.
At least, she hoped that was the reason, but she needed to hang onto something-anything with how much she was fumbling around in the dark. “We prepared for such interruptions.” She replied, playing along.
Lelouch nodded a fake smile on his face. "Then might I ask a favor? I want to clear the air between us, but I have an important meeting to attend. I've already sent one of my knights to get him. Can I rely on the Black Knights to lend some aid?" A bold request, but it fit him perfectly.
"That can be arranged, provided he's not going to be arrested or otherwise mistreated," Kallen replied. However, she hoped he was genuine in merely wanting to clear the air with him, something she desperately wanted from him but didn't know how to get that.
“Not unless he commits a crime, though I highly doubt he would. Rivalz no church boy, but he's not a troublemaker." Lelouch let out an amused chuckle, one that sounded sincere.
Food for thought, but there were things to attend to. "I'm here to escort you to the conference. If you'll follow me."
Lelouch didn't follow her. Instead, he looked towards another path. "Could we take the long way around? I'm feeling a bit nostalgic for my time here, and this might very well be the last time I ever step foot on Ashford school grounds; I would like to savor it while I can." He explained, and Kallen couldn’t deny that she also felt sentimental about her, part of her wondering, hoping that this was some crazy, convoluted means to follow through with what he told her way back when.
“I understand.” She didn't voice any of that but agreed as she started to lead him down that longer path.
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Another chapter is done! This time around, it's not only on a place that shall not be named, but its first chapter has also been uploaded to Ao3 and FF.net, so I'll wait to see how it's received. As for this chapter, there were some changes, but they'll make sense later.
Also, I made a change in the last chapter. Britannia considers its first emperor to be Alwin 1, who fought against Caesar's Roman invasion of Britain. According to their timeline, Britannia only settled in the Americas in the early 1800s. The United States is around 250 years old, and it's only had about 46 presidents. So, the change was made that the imperial burial grounds have only been used since Queen Elizabeth, so they only hold around 20 rulers at most.
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Something I forgot to say in the last chapter, but when I picked the date that Lelouch would declare a holiday to celebrate when he killed his father, I looked at the code geass timeline to figure out when that part of the story took place and then made a reasonable pick of when in June it went down. I learned that Waterloo Day in the UK…go figure, only AFTER I picked it.
