The man who used to call himself Suzaku Kururugi walked at a steady pace down the corridor, almost as if he had all the time in the world. Which, he reflected, he did, in a way. After the 'Demon Emperor' had been murdered it was as if a global catharsis had begun suddenly, resulting in general peace throughout the world.
And everyone, everywhere, celebrated the death of the tyrant, Lelouch vi Britannia.
Suzaku was more than grateful for the mask concealing his face. He didn't think he could hide the tears rapidly forming in the corners of his eyes otherwise as he silently grieved for his best friend and ally. And he knew he wasn't the only one.
He recalled Nunnally's traumatised wails as Lelouch's last words slipped out of his mouth before he had died. Suzaku couldn't have pulled his eyes away from the heart-wrenching scene even if he'd wanted to.
In the immediate aftermath, Nunnally had looked at him with an uncanny familiarity in her violet eyes - so much like her brother's - and whispered something. Suzaku hadn't been able to hear over the thunderous cheers which had echoed through the city, but he'd been able to tell what she'd been saying.
Suzaku, you did it...
Her expression had been melancholic as the realisation dawned upon her. The Honorary Britannian hadn't been sure whether she'd meant killed her brother or freed the world. Both of which were true, but equally very different ways of looking at the situation.
Kallen Kozuki had also known. It had been evident the moment Suzaku had leapt onto the platform, sword drawn, as the redhead had begun screaming for him to stop; that he didn't have to do this. She hadn't seemed to realise - or didn't want to realise - that yes, he had to, for the good of the world. He'd heard muffled thuds from behind him and knew she was straining against her bonds with every ounce of strength she possessed, and she'd finally stopped once Suzaku's sword had pierced Lelouch's body.
Jeremiah Gottwald had known too. It would have been much harder to defeat the former noble otherwise. It had been necessary for the Zero Requiem. It had all been necessary.
But that didn't explain why tears were rolling freely down his face. It didn't explain why his breaths were becoming ragged as he remembered the man who had killed Suzaku's one love and alienated himself from all those who were dearest to him.
No. That man had never existed. But that perception was the one he'd wanted to build up in everyone's minds, wasn't it? He'd succeeded in doing so, that Suzaku was certain of. The smiles on people's faces when they talked about the death of the Demon Emperor was proof enough of that.
But smiles were what Lelouch had wanted. Lelouch, Euphemia, Shirley and Nunnally. Suzaku had no doubt any of them, including Lelouch himself, could have ever guessed the price of the world's happiness.
And Lelouch was now... only a memory.