Dislaimer: I do not own Code Geass, which is propriety of Studio Sunrise, and neither do I own Exalted, which is property of White Wolf Publishing.

This fiction originally appeared as a quest-style story on the forum Sufficient Velocity. As such do not be confused by the strange structure.

Fiendish Advent - Act 2

{●}

"You can call me Zero."

"Zero? As in, nothing?"

Lelouch chuckled. "You really think it's prudent to use real names on a line that could be monitored? That's why I am going to give all of you code names."

Once everyone has memorized their chosen designation the youth lead them to the other Sutherlands before driving off. Reaching what must have once been a multi-story parking lot he used the Slash Harkens to reach the highest level. Once there he smashed the Knightmare's fists through a section of wall and pulled in, creating the perfect vantage point to observe the combat.

Checking the IFF sensor display Lelouch found the nearest enemy units and directed seven of the terrorist to a good ambush point. "Be ready to shoot through the wall on your left in twenty-three seconds." Watching the map in the Sutherland's cockpit he saw the Britannian Knightmares following the predicted route. The fire from six of the captured Sutherlands' guns blew through the wall and slammed into to the enemy Knightmare Frames, destroying them in one swift move.

The sole survivor had the good fortune to only lose an arm. "What!? You dare attack your own? Jeremiah Gottwald of the Purebloods demands you answer for this!"

'A Pureblood uh? Just the kind of noble I hate the most.' As he brought his gun to bear on his attackers Lelouch grinned. "Q-1, oblige the man."

"Gladly!" your seventh ambusher responded, quickly turning a corner in her Sutherland and charging the enemy. "Nippon, BANZAI!"

"Terrorists!?" The enemy barely managed to eject before a stun tonfa crushed the head of his Knightmare.

'The identification signal is truly a double-edged sword'. Twirling the black king chess piece he found earlier Lelouch couldn't help but grin at how easy this was turning out to be.

"Don't get distracted Boss." Seyrun warned him. "The battle doesn't end until all the enemies are dead, chained down or routed."

'Mh, you're right.' A failure caused by overconfidence would be extremely irritating. Lelouch contacted the terrorists again. "I hope that was enough to remove all remaining doubts. P1, P4, P7: move an hundred meters to the right and fire the Slash Harkens on three o'clock. Q-1, R-1 I want you two to..."

{●}

Either Clovis was used to employ utterly incompetent military advisors, or he was commanding the troops himself. Lelouch propended for the second.

"Q-1, is your map accurate?"

"Yes, the one for the old city." The redhead girl replied. Lelouch reminded himself to keep an eye on her, the skills to pilot a Knightmare Frame she displayed before will be useful in the future. "But it's one based on how it looked originally."

"Good enough." You grinned, a plan already formulating in your mind.

You guided her through the underground tunnels, right under where all the remaining enemy units were gathering. "Bring down the central pillar."

Q-1 followed your order before retreating into safety. You saw both on the screen and through the Factsphere how the concrete cracked and the ground above crumbled under the combined weight of so many Knightmares, tanks, and APCs.

Lelouch let out a short, cruel laugh. "I can do it! I can really do it! I can destroy Britannia!"

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but you will need a bigger army first. A much, much bigger army."

'That's obvious. Now hush, I need to concentrate.' By this point Clovis was bound to be desperate, and desperate men can react in unexpected ways.

"This is B group. Enemy sighted!"

'Here it is.' He answered the call. "What's the situation?"

"Everyone escaped, but four frames were lost!"

"Number of enemies?"

"Only one!" The hand fidgeting with the chess piece stopped moving. "It looks like a new model. I never saw that type bef-Aaargh!"

"Hey! What happened?" But no one answered. The pilot must have been defeated. Still, only one machine destroyed five of his frames when an entire army couldn't?

"Quality over quantity Boss. It's possible they are facing someone much stronger than the rest, and I'm betting a cigar those guys you recruited don't have the necessary training to efficiently react to an incognita."

That is sadly the truth. Lelouch acknowledged his troops were likely kept going only by enthusiasm and his tactics. He couldn't expect them to be competent. Not yet at least.

He raised a hand and gestured forward with the index finger. "Go kill the pilot of that new model."

A faint feeling of something ethereal brushing against his arm was the sole signal that one of his really competent subordinates heard his command. Lelouch then directed three Sutherlands to ambush the new model, so that they can keep it busy when the spider does your job.

It didn't take long for the trap to spring up. Sadly, it also didn't go as he wished.

"What? It can blocks bullets?" The raven-haired boy replied in response to the latest report.

"Yeah, some kind of energy shield. What should we do? No, Ishidaaa-!"

"Tch!" He scowled as more of the Sutherlands went down. "Just how useless are those guys? Whatever, it should be almost done by now."

But the mysterious Knightmare didn't stop. It kept going, taking down three more frames.

'Seyrun!'

"Something's not right." The spider mumbled.

Just then someone knocked desperately outside the cockpit. Opening it he saw it was one of the spiders, probably the one he sent. "Boss we have a problem! I couldn't enter!"

"What. Happened?"

"I waited for the target to show up, and when it stopped to defend I jumped straight where the pilot is! I didn't miss and I was dematerialized, but I bounced off the surface!"

'What? He couldn't pass through?'

Seyrun hissed. "Ask him if he recognized what material was. Quick!"

"Did you recognize what material it was?"

"I don't know, it was under the surface." He scratched his head. "I think I smelled crispy air, so maybe...Jade?"

"Boss! You need to run! Now!" Seyrun screamed.

'Right when victory is almost mine? Never! What does he meant with Jade?'

"Jade is one of the five Magical Materials. They're used to make magical tools, and stronger than any other material in the world, even diamonds. Furthermore, spirits can't pass through them!"

'Wait. Are you saying-'

"That the one who build that thing know magic? Yes. That's why you need to retreat: it isn't wise to fight an enemy you know nothing about. That way lies death!"

Retreating. Just when victory is so close?

On the radio R-1 yelled two more have fallen.

'No!' Lelouch thought resolutely. 'I have not been defeated yet. If I can't win in a direct battle, then all I have to do is change the rules of engagement!'

If he can't defeat Clovis' forces, he will aim directly at his brother instead!

"All units! Retreat!" Lelouch shouted in the radio. "The enemy is too strong!"

"We can't!" R-1 said. "Kal- I mean Q-1 is fighting the white Knightmare! We can't let her alone!"

'Is she?' He switched to Q-1's channel. "Q-1, how are you doing?"

"Just barely!" She shot back. "This bastard is strong! Never saw a Knightmare move like that...If I still were in the Glasgow I wouldn't last a second!"

Lelouch checked his Frame remaining equipment and smiles at what he found. "Keep up Q-1, I'm coming!" Then he switched to the others, while searching on the radar for a safe escape route. "I repeat: disengage and retreat. Follow this path." He transmitted them the coordinates. "I'll help Q-1 personally. If you can stow the Knightmares somewhere safe for later use do it, but if not don't hesitate to just abandon them. No matter what, you need to get out of Shinjuku!"

"A-Alright! But how are we going to meet again?"

"I'll contact you myself. Until then, lay down!"

After that he closed the connection and put away the radio. For what he was going to do next, he would need all his wits and abilities. "All of you, get off the Knightmare! Follow me, but stay away! When you see the cockpit ejects, follow it: I'll be there!"

Once all spiders get off he used the Slash Harkens to lower his Sutherland back to the ground before moving to Q-1's last position.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing Boss?"

'I hope so!'

"That doesn't reassure me!"

When he finally saw the enemy Lelouch's first thought was that the difference is staggering: most Knightmares are basically tanks in a vague human shaped form, but this unknown model was more like a knight in white armor, flawlessly performing maneuvers that his, admittedly only passable, knowledge on the subject said they should be impossible. Is this the future of Knightmare engineering?

"Q-1! Disengage! Then attack with Slash Harkens!"

The redhead obeyed almost immediately. Just as the white Knightmare turned to face him Lelouch aimed his rifle and opened fire. But the enemy blocked the first volley with those fabled energy shields before speeding towards him.

It abruptly stopped when Lelouch pulled out a Chaos Mine. He activated and tossed it in the Frame's direction. The white robot once again activated its shields, but it needed to crouch down to cover all of its body so it was ill prepared to react when Q-1's Slash Harkens slammed into it from the side.

"Good work Q-1! Now join the others!" Lelouch did a last transmission before taking out the second Chaos Mine and speed up at full throttle towards the staggering white frame. He activated the Mine before ejecting immediately.

"A suicide attack? Clever, even more if you don't have to die. Would have sucked, for both of us, otherwise." Seyrun commented.

'As if I would die so easily, especially in a place like this.'

When the cockpit landed he didn't lose time to get out and ran away from the hot zone as fast as he could. Once he was far away enough he hid inside an old building.

The Anuhles appeared around Lelouch, either from thin air or by skittering out of the darkness. "You alright boss?"

"Yes." He replied curtly. "One of you: go and recall those sent to investigate the enemy base."

"Right away!" A spider confirmed before skittering off.

"And now?"

'Now we wait.' He answered Seyrun. 'And while we're waiting I want you to give me a rundown of the abilities I can use. I need to know exactly what I can do to plan my next move.'

"Ah. Alright. The whole story is pretty long and contains details that could compromise your concentrations so can I give you the juice of the matter?"

'Acceptable.' "Keep guard." He ordered the spiders before sitting down on the ground. 'Begin.'

"Okay, first thing you need to know is this: you're an Exalt. That's the definition for those like you. You had a piece of divine essence put into your soul: it lets you transcend your limits as a human and grow indefinitely."

'Again, sounds too good to be true.'

"I was told that's why the Yozi lost." Seyrun replied in a bland tone. "As an Exalt, your most basic power is to make yourself better at certain task. You do a task, channel Essence while doing it and the end result turn phenomenally well. Either by luck or because you had a moment of brilliance, you can make the improbable into probable and then almost certain."

Lelouch's eyes widened. 'Amazing! Any task?'

"No. You need to, for a lack of better words, follow the theme of the Yozi you're been empowered from. Since all your powers are minuscule fractions of the titanic might they used to shape the world. You should be able to 'feel' if a certain method or the way you're approaching it resonate with the powers at your disposals. This is all instinctual, so I can't help you much."

He hummed. 'I kind of get what you're saying. What else?'

"You already know about the trick to change appearance - by the way, I suggest finding real clothes - but there are more. The first lets you make someone else fail, inflicting bad luck and lapses in competence. Another helps you escape physical restraints or physical confinement, but it supports only your own personal efforts. With me so far?"

'Yes. Keep going.'

"Let's see...Uh. This part is not very clear. Who wrote this thing? There is something about a passive bonus to help you fascinate people, a technique to stop someone from correctly guessing your true intentions through observation, and another passive bonus that cause others to guess everything about you but the correct choice."

'Please explain the last part more clearly.'

"I'll try...Okay, by what I understand this ability makes it so that, when someone use an ability or skill to discover something about you, it will always succeed but it only reveal you aren't something else. And they can't find the correct answer by elimination, because even that is influenced."

'Range of action?'

"Everything and everywhere in existence. Those with magical abilities may bypass this ability, but it will be difficult."

'I guess most of my previous concerns are now useless.' He replied in wonder. 'Continue.'

"Another power lets you, after speaking with the target and managing to convince him of something or to do a task, inflict a momentary form of mental illness or insanity on him. You can make him paranoid, amnesiac, cause hallucinations and even make so he develops cannibalistic tendencies."

'I can make people mad just by speaking with them?!'

"Yep. Like I said it's only temporary. Another power lets you...peep into an otherworldly realm to gain inspiration for your actions? Moving on...ah, finally the good stuff. You have a power that make so the enemy cannot perceive or react to your attacks until they hit him. Always catch them unaware, that's my motto. Finally, another power make so, after successfully hitting a target, you 'mark' him somehow: if he dies his body and soul shatter, becoming a trace of Essence you can then use as a material to make stuff."

'Material...to make stuff?'

"Sure. Like gemstones made of tears, or the dreams of a newlywed bride. That kind of stuff."

'...I'll pretend I understand what you're talking about.' Lelouch deadpanned. 'But I am ready to admit those powers are very useful. Are they the only ones I have?'

"For now yes. But the more you use them, the more you grow in power and unlock new ones. Like I said those things are mostly instinctual, like a new limb you learn how to move. Give it time...Oh right, I almost forgot: there is a special power specific of the Fiend Caste. You can sanctify oaths."

'Sanctify oaths?'

"When you are party or witness to an oath, you may use Essence to sanctify it. You must shake hands to seal the agreement or touch the hands of those who are party to it. Those who break the oath, yourself included, will suffer terrible luck at the worst possible moment."

'So I can force someone to make a promise, and if he breaks it he will suffer? How much?'

"From losing all his money to losing his life. I said worst possible moment, I meant it. You can also use this power to protect someone else who made a similar oath from the effects of breaking it, but only as long as you want. Perfect for blackmail. You can also learn powers that don't come from the Yozi, with limitations, and enjoy diplomatic immunity everywhere but the domains of the Gods."

That's when the spider Lelouch sent returns with the reconnaissance team. "Boss." One of them began. "The enemy base has very few men. We looked around carefully and found nothing suspicious." He paused briefly. "Apart for one thing, but it was far away from the base so we keep scouting."

"What it is?"

"Two humans inside a metal box with wheels, working on a machine. The female smells normal, but the male-" He clicked his mandibles. "It's a Dragonblooded. I think Air Aspect."

Seyrun hissed. "I knew it!"

'What's a Dragonblooded?'

"Another type of Exalt. Weaker overall, but they make it up with numbers. It's gotta be the one who build the machine with the Jade. You must avoid him at all costs Boss, you have no training fighting other Exalts yet!"

'I have the Anuhles.'

"And if we are lucky he is merely strong enough to hold them off until reinforcements arrives." He snaped back. "Never underestimate an Exalt Boss. Just look at what you did today if you want an example."

That was also true. In the end it doesn't matter: his goal was Clovis, not whoever made the white Knightmare. Lelouch addressed the spiders. "How many of you have the Essence to materialize?"

"Four."

Insufficient. "Follow me."

Finding a troop of Britannians didn't turn out to be difficult. It seemed that with the terrorist's thread resolved Clovis resumed the ghetto's destruction. Not that there were many people left, but it was still something his brother will need to answer to.

While his minions eat Lelouch stripped a relatively clean soldier of his gear, dropped the illusion and then put the gear on. It was a bit bigger than his size, but it would do. "How many now?"

"Fourteen."

"Good enough." He concentrated and his shadow raised again. When it lowered it left behind a middle aged Britannian of sharp features, dressed in expensive military uniform. Lelouch even managed to make an ID card: all the data was made up, but at first glance it was just like the real thing.

"Let's go." Lelouch Vi Britannia said in a voice that wasn't his own.

{●}

Approaching the G-1 base was pathetically easy. He just had to walk around like he owe the place and everyone just saluted and let him pass.

Once the base was in sight Lelouch began his act. "You there!" He said in the most authoritative tone he can muster, grabbing the attention of the posted guards. He quickly flashed your ID card and put it away before they could inspect it closely. "I am with Internal Affairs, and I must speak privately with His Highness immediately. I have vital information about what the terrorists have stolen, as well as regarding possible traitors in our ranks."

The guards looked at each other, their uncertainty clear. "But, sir, I..."

"No buts! I will not have it! Go now and be back in the next seven minutes or I swear you won't like the consequences!"

The guards' terror was evident on their faces, and two of them rushed to get approval after a quick "Yes, My Lord!"

Not long after they returned. "His Highness will see you in his private chambers, my lord. Right this way." Lelouch moved to follow, his invisible minions in tow and no one the wiser.

On the way to the royal chambers Lelouch contemplated what to do with Clovis, from just threatening him at gun point were he foolish enough to let the two of them alone, from making him see an hallucination of Marianne's ghost, the horror of such a sight likely to make him blabber the truth without realizing it.

Then just before stepping into the room Lelouch had a great vision: for a nanosecond the world disappeared in the same unreality of when he met Oramus, reflections of timelines that could be endlessly shifting in a kaleidoscope that wasn't. One timeline in particular inspired him, a great idea that pulled him back into the normal reality when he chose it. Everything else was forgotten.

'Now I have uses for you, dear half-brother.' Lelouch thought malevolently.

Clovis was exactly as he appeared on TV a few hours ago. Only, instead of acting like a primadonna he was clearly agitated, even if he tried to hide it. With a gesture he dismissed the guard. Once the doors closed, leaving them alone in the lavish room, he turns to stare at the disguised Lelouch. 'Hm? How strange.' Now that he could see it close Clovis' hair had a strange green tint, while in his memories it was dirty blonde. 'Does he dye it?'

"What's your name?" Clovis demanded.

Lelouch ignored the bitter taste on his mouth and bowed in a manner fitting for addressing Royalty. "Eric Granfield Your Highness. I work for His Majesty the Emperor's Internal Affairs department, and was sent here to Area Eleven a few months ago incognito."

"So that's why I'm learning of this only now." He clicked his tongue. "Does my father have so little faith in me?"

"Forgive me, my prince, but I don't know if my orders came from the Emperor himself. It's beyond my authorization. I only obey."

"Of course you do." He seemed to ponder on something for a few seconds before walking to a cabinet, where he took out glasses and a bottle of liquor. "Whisky?"

"Just a little. I am still on duty." Lelouch replied with no intention to drink even a drop of the stuff.

Clovis poured himself a glass almost half-full before gulping it down. He must have been very nervous. "So, mister Granfield." Clovis began while filling another glass. "I was told you have vital information about what the terrorists have stolen, and also about possible traitors?"

"Yes." Lelouch began, the script almost writing itself in his mind. "It began when my superior ordered me to come to Area Eleven to investigate. There were rumors that members of the Pureblood faction, or at least people associated with them, were asking questions and dig up facts about an old case, the assassination of a member of the Royal Family that happened eight years ago."

"An assassination? Who-!" Clovis froze for a moment before turning around to stare at Lelouch with wide eyes, the bottle in one hand and the glass with the whisky in the other. "You don't mean, Queen Marianne?" He asked in what sounded like real melancholy. "The Emperor called back the investigation."

"That is what I said to my superior, but he replied my orders were fully sanctioned-" By who, he would let Clovis guess. "And so there wasn't any problem. He also added that the murder of an honorable woman like the Queen can't be left unsolved, a sentiment I fully share." The tips of Lelouch's lips slightly turned upward.

Clovis nodded, a sign to continue.

"I've then spend the last few months quietly gathering information and building up a network of informants. One such network was right here in the Shinjuku ghetto. By pure coincidence my men were able to learn that the Pureblood I was investigating were making some kind of deal with the terrorists belonging to a cell hidden within the ghetto. Despite not being part of my mission I couldn't very well let traitors get away with their machinations so I fully devoted myself to learn the truth. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to learn the details until it was too late to stop it." He looked down in fake shame.

"Never mind that!" Clovis barked. "What did you find?"

"I finally learnt the truth about the exchange not too long ago by an informant who managed to eavesdrop on it: the stolen capsule and its contents in exchange for a number of Sutherlands. The deal went through, but not before Your Highness's forces arrived in Shinjuku."

"You mean...but of course!" Clovis gritted his teeth in anger. "There is no other way a bunch of primitive Elevens would have been able to bypass the security! They must have received help from those bloody traitors!"

"My thoughts exactly. Going back to my report, the traitors were put into a bad spot by Your Highness' swift response, and knowing they couldn't get away without losing the capsule they made a second deal with the terrorists: if the Elevens would cover their escape, the traitors would leave one of their number behind in a Knightmare and provide up to date information on the location of our forces using the Frame's IFF system."

A spark of recognition lighted up in Clovis' eyes. 'Yes. Make the only logical conclusion and choke on it.'

"That's how they routed our forces. They knew every move Your Highness' generals were making, and used the Sutherlands they were given to maximum effect by following a true soldier's orders. I am afraid to say the traitors are almost certainly long gone with their ill gotten goods. The remaining terrorists also seem to have retreated by this point, so they're likely to be gone as well."

Clovis looked down before showering the half-full glass in Lelouch's hands. Then he stomped back to the cabinet to get another glass. "Continue."

"There isn't much, but I have some information that may be helpful in tracking down the capsule, or at least rooting out any other agents of the conspiracy. My informant wasn't able to get any names of those involved in the exchange as the traitors were apparently quite cautious, wearing face and body concealment, but in a stroke of luck he did note one person with teal hair when one of them had to quickly re-apply part of their disguise that fell off. Also, since the enemy used the IFF system and I have a good idea of where the exchange took place, if Your Highness can have the records of the battle brought in I should be able to point out exactly which Knightmare belonged to that particular traitor, and from that piece of data we should be able to determine who it was from record. At this point I humbly suggest a full top to bottom investigation of the Purebloods: not every member is likely to be corrupt, but there's enough evidence to show that a purge is needed." Lelouch paused for a second. "Also, if I can make a suggestion I would advise Your Highness to cease hostilities in the ghetto. With both objectives gone it'll only serve to stir up the malcontents among the Elevens further, something that I believe is simply not worth the effort to suppress it later; also, I'd be out of remaining informants."

By the look on his face Lelouch could tell that Clovis believed he. He had turned the Pureblood heroes into villains in his eyes. He could almost see the shadow of a great serpentine figure coiling on the blonde prince's back and whispering to his ear lies mixed with horrid truths. Well, Clovis looked like he could use another drink, and a small part of Lelouch was feeling magnanimous. So why not oblige his vice? Twisting his Essence, Lelouch shoved it into Clovis.

The effects manifested immediately: again Clovis looked down at his glass, and once more downed the entire thing in one go without hesitation. He then pushed the button on the intercom. "Bartley, call off the operation. We've got traitors in the ranks. Bring me copies of the IFF records with maps, and do it quickly. Also bring in every Pureblood you can for questioning."

"But, Your..."

"DO IT NOW!"

"Yes! Of course, Your Highness."

Clovis stared his glass. It was empty. "FUCK!" He threw it across the room, then sit down and cupped his face into his hands.

Lelouch chuckled internally, pushing his own untouched glass over to Clovis. "Would you like some more? It calms the nerves, and Your Highness looks like he needs it."

By the time Bartley, a fat and bald man, arrived Clovis has already worked his way through half of the bottle. When he expressed concern Clovis ripped the records out of his hands and kicks him out of the room.

Together the two brothers went through most of the records, even if Lelouch did most of the work, until he 'casually' found the pilot of the Sutherland he used: a woman called Villetta Nu, the teal hair confirming it. Looking at her photo he briefly reflected it was almost a pity she ended up as food for hungry giant spiders before pushing the matter out of his mind: she was an enemy, she was dead, she didn't matter anymore. The fact that the signal from her personal Knightmare kept transmitting from the same place while the rest of the Britannian Army was systematically demolished was the driving nail for Clovis, who recalled Bartley and told him to put under arrest for treason Villetta and every person even loosely associated with her.

"You did a great savace...I mean service to Britannia." Lelouch had to suppress a snicker at the slur in Clovis' voice. With all the alcohol he chucked down Lelouch was honestly afraid that Clovis was going to drop down every moment, but the blonde prince was holding himself up much better than he expected. Even though his eyes were still unfocused and the only reason he was not wagging was because he was sitting down. He squinted his eyes at you. "...What was your name again?"

"Eric Granfield Your Highness."

"Oh, yeah. Ricky Goryfie. You did a great service to me. You deserve...a reward! Yes a reward.." That's when he realized his glass was empty. "Where is my whisky?!" He shouted in anger.

"Here Your Highness." Lelouch filled Clovis' glass to the brim and waited until he calmed down. "I thank you for your generosity but I need no reward to do my duty." He said stoically. "Instead, could you perhaps tell me anything you knows about Queen Marianne's assassination? My superiors are being very tight-lipped, and any lead, any name of a person I could talk to, would be a godsend."

"Marianne! Such a great woman!" Clovis suddenly shouted while raising the glass in the air. "I admired her. My mother instead hated her." He giggled. "But my mother is a brainless old hag so fuck her!"

Lelouch briefly wondered what kind of face Gabrielle would make hearing that. Or how Laila would react seeing her precious brother in his current state.

"After the investigation was called off I tried to hire private detectives to keep looking, but those idiots didn't find a damn thing." He slumped down on his seat, now sad.

Lelouch didn't need to feign disappointment. "So Your Highness doesn't know anything? Not even a small lead?"

"Yep!"

"Not even who might know more?"

"That..." Clovis paused, taking another drink before continuing. "I always thought Schneizel and Cornelia know more, but I never asked."

"The Second Prince and the Second Princess?"

"Yeah. It was Schneizel who carried out Marianne's body under the Emperor's orders. That's not a job for a Prince. And Cornelia was the head of the Queen's security. She idolized that woman, there is no way..." He hiccupped. "There is no way she didn't do everything in her power to find those filthy assassins!"

'Interesting, very interesting. Now that I think about it Cornelia was the head of security at Aries Villa...It's not much, and reaching a point where I can interrogate both her and Schneizel is going to be a nightmare, but it will suffice for now.' He planted the seeds, now all that remain was watching what would bloom.

"Thank you for helping a simple servant such as myself, My Lord." He bowed deeply. "With your permission I will go now. More work for the glory of Britannia awaits me." The glory of Britannia's funeral pyre. "All hail Britannia."

"Yeah yeah. All hail Britannia." Clovis dismissed Lelouch with a vague gesture, too interested in the whisky than him now that he didn't have anything more to say.

While leaving Lelouch heard Clovis screaming for someone to bring him another bottle, and the yelp of a guard, and couldn't help a smirk to worm its way on his face.

The Chaos, will be magnificent.

{●}

Outside the G-1 Base Lelouch ordered someone to fetch him a car. He gave simple directions to the driver until he drop off a few blocks from Ashford Academy. Lelouch walked around for a bit, mixing with the crowd to foil possible pursuers. Then he entered a shopping center and walked into the public restroom before dropping his disguise. He removed the armor until he waswearing just a black shirt and gray pants and walked away, with none the wiser.

When he returned home the house was empty. Judging by the time Nunnally was still at school, while Sayoko must be out for some chore. Lelouch reached his room and closed himself inside.

Then he laughed. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" He fell down supine on the bed and kept laughing, even as four spiders materialized and took position near the door and the window. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Feeling better?" Seyrun asked.

"Totally." He replied with a maniac smile. "This is even better than just killing Clovis. That imbecile will destroy this country, and I'll be there to collect the pieces."

"Politics like those aren't my forte, so I trust you."

"...Talking about trust." His smile vanishing Lelouch sit up. "It's time you tell me everything. And I mean everything."

"I agree, now it's an ideal time. Got any specific question before that?"

"No, I want to hear the whole story before. I'll make my question at the end."

"Very well. Then there is one piece of info you need to know first. Us Anuhles?"

"Yes?"

"We're demons."

That, gave Lelouch pause. "Demons. Demons, as beings from hell?"

"The correct name is Malfeas, which is also one of the Yozi, but yeah."

He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before he settled for just facepalming and falling down on the bed again. "I thought I was ready to even sell my soul to the devil for my ambitions, but I never expected it to be literal!"

"Nah Boss, you didn't sell your soul: those are the Akuma, and nowadays nobody is stupid enough to accept that bargain." Seyrun replied. "And 'devil' isn't even a real being. In the old days you called a truly energetic, mischievous, daring, or clever person a 'devil', and that was a compliment."

"Glad to know I struck the better deal." He grumbled

"You totally did Boss. Where I was? Oh yeah, the beginning. In the beginning there was the Wyld, formless and chaotic…."

{●}

"...And then they finally managed to slay all Solars. After losing thousands of troops and destroying most of Meru trying to subdue 300 unarmed, drunk guys. Which say a lot about how outmatched they were, don't you think so?"

He was gaping. He hasn't done anything else in the last half hour, listening to a creation myth that wouldn't have sounded out of place coming from a new-age movement. Except fuck science and fuck faith, because he now worked for those who were there to see and make it happen. "The Big Bang is called Cytherea?"

"Dunno what a Big Bang is, except for the literal sense, but blessed Cytherea is the Mother of Creation, The Divine Ignition, she who woke up the other Primordials and made Creation out of the Wyld."

"And here I have been an agnostic most of my life." Lelouch cradled his head in his hands.

"Don't worry Boss, you will grow out of it quickly."

"Splendid." He sarcastically replied. He stood silent for few minutes to put his thoughts in order. Once he was sufficiently calm he continued. "That's not the end of the story, isn't it?"

"Nope. The Sidereals managed to capture all 300 Solar Exaltations and seal them in a secret place, but they committed so many crimes that death penalty was a given...so they sought to conceal every proof of their involvement. They did some of their Fate mumbo-jumbo, but...things didn't go as planned. Creation partially broke. By the time the gods fixed it, the Sidereals got what they wanted...and more: it's called the Arcane Fate."

"What is it?"

"The source of the masquerade regarding magic. People tend to overlook most blatant uses of Essence and clearly supernatural beings, and once they aren't exposed to it anymore memories of it slip away, their minds rationalizing them with plausible but mundane alternative events unless they have very strong wills. Only beings incapable of using Essence are affected, but it has resulted in most of humanity forgetting about gods and magic. Which would have ended badly for most of them...except, it wasn't the end."

"It wasn't?"

"Nope. Then a super-plague killed 90% of all existing life in Creation."

Lelouch cringed.

"And then the Fair Folks invaded and destroyed 90% of Creation."

His cringe deepened.

"Yeah, shit after shit after shit. Someone managed to activate an ancient superweapon and beat back the invading tides, but the damage was enormous. But then, something truly strange happened. With so many dead the Underworld was floored, but many more souls entered Lethe. I believe no one know how or why it happened, but what was initially just a mechanism to handle reincarnation gained a self-awareness of sort. A sort of hive mind of all the souls that enter Lethe and stay there before being reincarnated. Honestly, I have no idea how it works. And before everyone could react...well, that thing did something. I think nobody know exactly what. Some sort of change into reality. Fact is, Creation ceased to be flat and became a sphere, suspended in the void of space instead of the Wyld. The Wyld and the Raksha are still there, but there is a barrier, similar to what the Solars once made. Malfeas, Yu-shan and the Underworld are still there, but the rest...maybe the Yozi know, but if they do they aren't telling."

Lelouch tried to wrap his head around so many facts, and only partially succeed. "When did this happen?"

"More than 5000 years ago. Since then history was mostly as you humans recorded it, with some editing here and there, and the various magical beings adapting to this new world. They even managed to seal the Underworld away, installing eight great magical foci around the world."

"And no more Solars."

"No more Solars. Until five years ago, when the servants of the Neverborn finally managed to open tiny cracks in the barrier sealing the Underworld, allowing for Shadowlands to appear again. Then the Yozi, who knew where the Exaltations were hidden, managed a deal with the Neverborn. The prison was found and cracked, but 150 of them flew away. Of the rest 100 went to the Neverborn and 50 to the Yozi, as per the pacts. And so were the Green Sun Princes, or Infernal Exalt, born. Got any questions?"

"Too many to count!" He shouted, bolting up in a sitting position. "Do you realize you just destroyed my whole worldview?!"

"Would you have preferred to live in a lie?"

...He wasn't wrong. Given a choice, Lelouch would still have done the same. "Very well. First, I need some pertinent details about who I'm working for now. Since Oramus showed up during my Exaltation, is he my boss?"

"If he spoke with you, then yes. More accurately he's your Patron, meaning you can expect special support from the demons under him. But it's strange."

"What it is?"

"Oramus is...well, he hasn't made any signal of being interested in the Reclamation until now. What with being bound even worse than Malfeas."

"What can you tell me of him?"

"Oramus is the Eldest of the Primordials, existing even before Cytherea as a being of paradox and chaos. Not much else is know about him, save that his unusual harsh captivity is because the Exalts feared he was the only Yozi able to eventually escape Malfeas. I think that as his Chosen you're going to receive a lot of attention."

"I see. You said I am a Peer, where do I fit in among the ranks?"

"The position of Peer is unique among the hierarchy of the Demon City. You are not obligated to follow Cecelyne's laws, but you are still protected by them. Your status is considered to be equal with other citizens and Second Circle Demons, but the amount of respect you can expect or must show varies on who's stronger. All Third Circle Demons may give you orders, but you are considered first and foremost subordinate of your Yozi Patron and his Third Circle Demons, so you can defy orders if you have their backing. Actually you can defy any and all orders, but I don't think I need to tell you why that is a bad idea."

Lelouch nodded. "I understand. It's similar to being a vassal under a king. There is a pact of mutual exchange."

"If you say so. Orders that don't advance the Reclamation's goals are to be considered secondary to goals that do, and the latter take precedence. For the minutiae, you need to go to Malfeas yourself."

"About the Reclamation. I know I'm expected to help the Yozis escape their prison and reclaim Creation. What does that entail? What is my specific role, how often can I expect my marching orders to be updated, and how will it be communicated? Also, what do the Yozis intend to do once they've won?"

"The answer is 'I don't know' for all of them."

"What?!"

"No Yozi has a specific plan, because nobody know what works. It is generally believed that you Green Sun Princes would do as all Exalts do and devise a method nobody else thought before, and made it works against impossible odds. Though I heard the demons under Malfeas think re-shaping Creation until it's a copy of Malfeas will work, but that's probably just Ligier being his usual narcissistic self."

So he was given an obstacle and being told to just find a solution, the only reason for it faith in the shard of super-divine essence in his soul to solve all problems?

That was so stupid.

"Your role and other info will be given to you once you reach Malfeas. I think you're going to receive a formal invitation soon. And, for what the Yozi will do once they're won...possibly, vengeance on the gods. Beyond that, what do I know?" Lelouch could imagine Seyrun shrugging. "The Yozi do what the Yozi are."

"What does that even mean?"

"You will see, you will see. Do you have other questions?"

"This isn't over." He warned the spider. "I have a Caste. You said it's called Fiend. And since the Yozi got 50 Exaltations, I suppose there are 49 other people gifted with the modified Solar Exaltations. What are the other castes, how many others like me are there, and will I be expected to work directly with them or is every agent independent? Also, do you know the identities of any other agents of the Reclamation in the area?"

"Yes, there are five different Caste: Slayer, Malefactor, Defiler, Scourge and Fiend."

"...Who is the dim-witted idiot that made up those names? It's like something a supervillains from a saturday morning cartoon would use!"

"No idea. A lot of demons find them cool. Anyway, there are 10 Exalt for every Caste. Slayers are warriors and generals, Malefactors are priests and leaders, Defilers are creators and sorcerers, Scourges are spies and assassins and, finally, Fiends are diplomats and administrators. That's just a rough representation through. Infernals are usually gathered into Covens, groups of five Infernals each with a different Caste, but those are made only when there is a goal that a single Exalt can't do alone, otherwise everyone is independent. And the only other agents of the Reclamation in the area I know of are the cultists that summoned me and my boys."

"...Cultists?"

"Yozi worshippers. You should go and meet them someday: as one of the Living Avatars of the Yozi I think you must give them a speech or something."

"...I have cultists?"

"You can ask to be included in their prayers, yes. It makes gaining spent Essence faster and gives other benefits, so I recommend it."

"Give me one moment." Lelouch pinched his nose's bridge. "I just never expected to become a religious figure. That is so outside my experience zone it's not even funny."

Luckily Seyrun shut up. Lelouch took the time to shove more thoughts into the 'things to freak about later' mental list. "Next question: the Exalted. I know there are Solars, Lunars, Sidereals, Dragonblooded and now Infernals. I need a rundown of every type of Exalted, what kind of powers they have, if they also have their own castes, how many of each kind I can expect to exist, if the other types work for anyone in the same manner I do or have unified goals, what the conditions for receiving an Exaltation is and everything else you know."

"That's a lot Boss. Unfortunately I wasn't give much on the subject, but I will share what I have.

Solars are supposed to be good at everything, with various degrees. Their powers are all about succeeding and being perfect at what they do, from fighting to running an empire. They have five Caste, which fulfill more or less the same roles as the Infernal's. There are still 150 free Exaltations out there, and they generally choose people who have a great destiny but lack the power to reach it. I think their Chosens just receive their powers one day, without idea of what happened to them. Some may be contacted by a supernatural faction willing to assist the reborn Solars, but it's more probable they just do their own things alone.

Lunars are shapeshifters. They hunt animals and other creatures to drink their blood, which give them the ability to assume their shape. They only have three Castes and more general abilities. There are 300 Lunar Exaltations, and they choose survivors and people who make protecting something or someone their life missions. There is an organization of Elder Lunars called the Silver Pact to teach the newly Chosen, but they are divided into many factions with different agendas.

Sidereals are the Chosens of Fate, they make sure than the law of cause and effect is followed everywhere. They have five Caste based on the Five Maidens. They work for Heaven, but beside that they are divided into those against the Solars, those pro-Solars and those indifferent to both.

Dragonblooded embody the power of the five elements: Fire, Water, Air, Earth and Wood. They are weaker than the rest but have the ability to pass their powers to their children, increasing their numbers. Exalting for them occurs during puberty, but it may or may not happen depending on many factors. After Creation was changed the different lines scattered around the world. Currently, Britannia's nobility and royal family are the greatest concentration of Dragonblooded in the world."

"What?!" Lelouch jumped up on your feet. "Britannia is-"

"Why do you think they are a superpower?" Seyrun interrupted. "Every great empire in history had one or more Exalts behind it. This mean that, yes, you have Dragonblooded blood in you. It may have awakened in one or two years, and it may have not. You have a much better deal now, so it's a moot point. And the Dragon's blood have thinned with continuous interbreeding with mortals, so Exaltations are less common...even if I heard Britannia started some kind of genetic program to strengthen the bloodline, but not even the Yozi know much at this point."

"This...Did I even have a chance at my revenge?"

"No unless you Exalted too. Which you did. Don't worry about it, only people that Exalt themselves are told the truth."

"But this mean..." Lelouch looked out of the window, at the school, eyes narrowed. "That every Britannia's noble is a possible Dragonblooded?"

"Yes."

"Then I must take precautions. You!" The Anuhles gathered at his command. "Can you smell any Exalted types other than Dragonblooded?"

"Exalts, gods, demons, spirits. You name it, we can smell it." One spider boasted. "Unless they are using a power to mask their nature, like a transformed Lunar."

"Then I want two of you to discreetly scout the school to see if any of the students or staff are Exalted or other non-humans. Avoid interactions with them, just report back after slipping away if they're noticed."

"Yes Boss!" Two spiders vanished. Two more appeared to take their place.

"Paranoid much? I approve."

"Yes, you told me already. So, you said. Shinjuku was halfway to being a Shadowland. That doesn't sound good. What does that mean? Also, are there any similar concepts I should be aware of?"

"Shadowlands are patches of land that stand on the border between Creation and the Underworld. When inside one during the day you're in Creation, but during the night you're in the Underworld, which like I said is a dark mirror of Creation where the ghosts of those who don't enter Lethe because they are still attached to their mortal lives linger. They are more likely to pop up in places where a lot of violent deaths happen, like a battlefield. Ghosts themselves are not a real problem, some even work in Malfeas, but those are only the majority. The rest is composed of hungry ghosts, mad ghost thirsting for the blood of the living; war ghosts, the spirits of dead soldiers that want to keep fighting; nemissaries, ghosts that can possess dead bodies; and nephwracks, who are even madder ghosts who want to feed everything to Oblivion. And then there are the Deathlords."

"Deathlords?"

"Supposedly, they are the ghosts of thirteen Solars who died during the Usurpation. They made some kind of deal with the Neverborn for power, and now they fight for control over the Underworld. Since they kept 100 Exaltations, it's the opinion of many demons that soon we will see a new type of Exalt appear, one at the service of death itself. It doesn't need to be said, but all of Hell is opposed to the end goals of the Neverborn. Every effort to destroy Creation must be stopped, even if it pushes back the Reclamation."

"Oh joy, more impossible enemies." Lelouch groaned. "Is there a way to destroy a Shadowland?"

"That's high-end Sorcery, something you aren't capable yet. However Dragonblooded, Sidereals and Lunars hate them too, so it's likely they will do the work for us. Just keep an eye on them so you can spot any possible army of the dead coming out of them."

He groaned again. "And now there is a danger of zombie apocalypse. What happened to my normal life?"

"...Boss, I don't think normal is a concept that fit into an Exalt's life. Power always has a price."

"Yes. Yes, it does." The raven-haired youth frowned. "I hope the other Infernals are competent, because I can't deal with all of this alone!"

"Don't worry Boss, you have the whole might of Hell supporting you. There are millions of demons ready for a great battle anytime! You just need to summon them, which is the real problem."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." He deadpanned before remembering a certain detail. "Say, Seyrun. Clovis had a green tint to his hair, but I remember otherwise. Given everything else that's happened, an oddity like that shouldn't be ignored. Do you have any idea what that might signify?"

"Green hair, but not always so? Then it could be he is a Dragonblooded. Maybe Wood aspected, since green is their color."

"But shouldn't the Anuhles have smelled that if he was?"

"No if he was wearing an artifact to conceal his nature. Given his background, it's something he may possesses. It doesn't make him invincible, since you manipulated him quite easily."

Lelouch hummed, thinking of a way to bypass it before remembering something. "In the warehouse, while I was out, did you eat the corpse of the green haired girl?" He asked the demons.

The spiders looked at each other. They confabulated for a while before one of them shook his head. "Nobody did Boss. Some of us remember her, but didn't touch her body: they assumed others ate her first."

'What? What could that possibly mea-'

Someone tapped at the window: it was one of the spiders Lelouch sent in perlustration, the other behind him. Once the window was open they skittered inside and bowed in evident panic. "We're sorry Boss! We try to stop her, but she didn't listen."

That's when the door of Lleouch's room slammed open, a far-too-cheerful Milly Ashford rushing inside like the wind. "Lulu! It's true you're part of the gang too?" She asked with a huge grin and a blood red circle glowing on her forehead.

'What.'

{●}

Before the invasion of Britannia the tallest building in the district of Shinjuku was the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, with a height of 797 feet. Then the One Month War happened and the Government Building was demolished by Britannian airstrikes. In the ruins of what would later become one of many metropolitan ghettos Shinjuku was left with the Shinjuku Park Tower, standing 771 feet high, as its tallest structure.

Leaning on the parapet, in the point most structurally integral, was a young man clad entirely in black leather save for a long purple scarf over his mouth and nose. He was of medium height, with pale skin and short, spiky black hair. Two long objects covered in cloth were resting at his feet. From his vantage point the mysterious stranger looked down at the movement of Britannia's forces, his keen eyes taking up every details and memorizing the most important ones.

"Brooding at the top of an high place? How like you."

The young man groaned. "Gods, not you."

"Now that's just mean." The second person leaned against the parapet next to the first one, giving her back to the city so she could look him in the eyes. A girl of average height with long, almost waist-length light green hair and golden eyes, she as wearing a white straitjacket with various straps and zippers, a high collar and long sleeves that flare outwards closer to the cuffs. "Aren't you glad to meet an old friend?"

"We aren't friend and you know it." He answered brusquely, before giving her a quick up and down glance. "White doesn't suit you."

"What, no comments about how it shows my curves?" She lamented in a mocking tone before she showed a sultry smile. "Bondage is all the rage those days. Want to have a try?"

He looked the other way.

"Oooh, so adorable." The girl cooed.

"Shove it Witch." He snaped back, still giving her his back. "Go back to your little cult."

"I left it. It was getting boring."

At those words he turned halfway, still not looking at her. "Just like that?"

"Just like that."

He stood silent for a few seconds before shrugging. "Not my problem."

She leaned forward. "And what are you doing there, among the livings?"

"Another one of those demonic cocoons, and shortage in men." He gestured at the city below. "And it will be a miracle if this place isn't a complete Shadowland in the next 24 hours. Even by forcing that moron of Clovis to collaborate this will take months of work. Unless..." He peeked at her.

"Don't look at me. The one in Area Eleven isn't mine. Go find the legitimate owner."

"Thanks for nothing then." He spat before turning the other way again.

"Anytime Blacky." She giggled before walking away. "It was a pleasure meeting you again but-"

"Still looking for a replacement?"

She stopped. "And if I am?" She replied, expression and tone totally blank.

"Nothing." He shrugged. "Just remember you need to present a proper request and wait for approval first."

"Because it worked for me?!" Her tone was frosty, her hands clenched enough for the nails to draw blood.

"That, as far I know, was a mistake. We don't need to repeat it. Have you tried to...C.C.?" He looked behind, only to discover the girl already left.

The man stared in silence at the empty space for a few minutes before looking back to the city.

"What is life good for, I wonder, if there is no death?"

Charms Database:

From Ebon Dragon

Loom-Snarling Deception: using you shadow as disguise you can take any shape you want. It even comes with a fake personal Destiny for the duration.

From Oramus

What Is And What Should Never Be: stare at the mad realms beyond reality to learn how to do more awesome things!

Words That Twist Like Daggers: when you talk to people they go mad. Nothing beats making your hated enemy sexually attracted to his bike.