...I've said this before, but holy shit! How the hell could this story have gotten so damn popular, and after only two chapters?! Dafuq?!

That note aside, I've made a slight altercation to the previous chapter, as people made some complaints to Lelouch's new identity. I had a purpose of that change, please do keep that in mind, but after seeing them, I decided to forgo it and left him with his original, public alias, "Lamperouge." Also, for those who think Lelouch is OP, a very Deus Machina thing to do, you OBVIOUSLY have not watched or read The Irregular at Magic High School, whether it's light novels, animes, or even manga. Tatsuya is OP as hell, right to the point where he is a Gary Sue, but that is because of something his mama and aunt did. His only limiter is Miyuki. Lelouch doesn't have that, because he didn't undergo what Tatsuya did.

Also, his original persona will manifest in an original arc I have planned that occurs in between the Enrollment Arc and the Nigh Schools Competition. And also, a special little event shall take place during the Disturbance in Yokohama Ar (I think that's what it's called anyway), which, I state to ALL Code Geass fans, shall make you squeal like high school girls. The reason why? I give you a hint in a riddle style:

"I am nothing, yet everything. I do not exist, yet I am all that exists. I hold nothing, but grasp everything. What am I?"

Anyway, please enjoy the next chapter~

Magic.

This product of fairy-tales was systematized as actual technology at the dawn of the 21st Century. Due to the drastic climate cooling that began around the year 2030, the food supply dwindled. Energy sources were frequently fought over, and in 2045, World War III broke out, lasting for 20 years.

The population plummeted to 3 billion. The fact that this conflict didn't escalate to a thermonuclear war was entirely due to the global solidarity of the world's magic technicians.

And now it's the end of the 21st century.

Under these tenuous circumstances, every nation is competing in the race to develop magicians.

The year is 2050, and now, the world stands at it's very height in developing both magicians and magic technology. In recent years, mystical artifacts, known as Relics, were discovered, being among the mysterious OOParts. Many types of magic have been unveiled to the world, and progress is steadily advancing into the world.

However, two boys, both with magic unseen, will shake the very foundation of the world. One is a boy who had cast aside his humanity to protect the one thing he loves... and the other is a boy without a past to recall.

This... is their story.

ZERO IRREGULARITY

Episode III: Mysterious Transfer, Part III

Miyuki Shiba had often been described to look like her mother. She possessed the same ephemeral beauty, and overflowing grace, along with her brother's icy blue eyes. Her raven-black hair fell down past her shoulders, stopping just above the shoulder blades with ice-flake ornaments in her hair, a gift from her brother on her birthday. She was also quite powerful. In contrast to her older brother, who was born with little to no magic talent, she was positively gifted, and it was not a boast to say that she would succeed Maya when the time came. It was a fact that all members of the Yotsuba family agreed upon.

However, it was because of that fact that she was both irritated and borderline furious.

Tatsuya, her beloved older brother, born several months ahead of her, firstborn child of their mother Miya, was labelled a black sheep of the family because of his lack of magic. He had only been made into a magician, against his will, by their mother and aunt, and even though he had been given a great deal of magical power and prowess as a result, on a scale never seen before, he was still not accepted, while she was unanimously named the heir of the Yotsuba family, and her brother... her caring, gentle brother, made into nothing than her bodyguard. This fact alone was enough to anger her, but it was also the current dilemma that was making her even more angry.

She received a call from her mother that she and Tatsuya would be looking after a new tenant, likely someone of importance to the Yotsuba Family seeing as how they were being entrusted by them. This normally wouldn't leave nothing but confusion and curiosity, but then she learned that they were very important to the clan, and someone they needed. In other words, someone of vital importance. From what she knew, this person was only their age, and he was an excellent magician with a unique talent: he could cast magic without the use of a CAD. The only person she could think of that could perform such a feat would be her brother, but Tatsuya himself confessed that something like that would be impossible, even for someone like himself.

The nail on the coffin was also the fact that the Yostuba Family had openly stated to her, through the words of their patriarch, that the boy they would be looking after was accepted with open arms, even receiving funding and living expenses, all of which paid in full. Even though Miyuki knew nothing about this person, it was clear that they were accepted rather easily... and the first to accept them were her mother and aunt.

'It isn't fair.' she thought bitterly, making a fresh pot of tea for when her brother would return. 'Why are they being so easily accepted, while Onii-sama is ignored... even by Tou-san and that woman?'

Her father, contrary to how he appeared, still cared for them both. It was just that he paid more attention to Miyuki for obvious reasons. Of course she loved him like any daughter would, but that didn't mean she was not irked by that.

Even if her brother told her that she needed to respect whoever he was bringing him, she wouldn't... not unless given probable cause for it.

"...You call this a house?!"

That was Lelouch's reaction when he saw the Yotsuba complex. It was gigantic in size, bearing the traditional form of any Japanese house, spreading out all across the grounds. The front gate was heavily guarded, armed by two men in black clothes, black sunglasses over their eyes and guns at the ready. Earpieces were attached to the lobes of their ears, looking ready to attack at a moment's notice. They simply nodded in respect to the two when they entered, silent like stone and keeping their gaze locked in front of them.

"Yes, it's a house." Tatsuya stated as they walked through the halls of the Yotsuba complex. "In retrospect, this is really nothing but a summer house my mother and my aunt use."

Lelouch's jaw dropped. "THIS is a summer house?" he gawked. "Just how rich are the Ten Master Clans anyhow?!"

"Very. They're not the biggest influence in Japan for nothing, especially since they have close ties with the Kirihara Conglomerate."

"The what?"

"It's a company that was backed by the Kururugi regime back during the events prior to the Britannian invasion of Japan." Tatsuya explained. "Other than Japan, there are a few other major powers. One is the Britannian Empire, which, up until the assassination of the 99th Emperor, was a tyrannical nation, the Great Asian Alliance, and lastly the European Union. Right now, Japan, Britannia, and the EU make up the three greatest superpowers, and have made the greatest leaps in many divisions, being technological, medical, and even magical. That being said, magic is still fairly new, so in a sense, we haven't fully explored much possibilities."

Lelouch nodded in understanding, immediately grasping the concepts. "In other words, everyone's racing to see who can explore and advance magic the first." he surmised. "Like another Cold War."

Tatsuya snapped his fingers. "Exactly."

The walk inside the complex was fairly short in contrast to the grand size, and the two discussed several topics, ranging from the world and the political situation, and even how far magic advancements have progressed. However, there was something that had bothered him greatly.

Britannia... he was sure he had heard that name before. It was there in the back of his head, like an inaudible whisper that nagged at him, leaving behind an uncertainty that plagued him. And this talk of the 99th Emperor... why did he feel this cold feeling gripping at his heart? And the Kururugi regime... dammit, it was there on the tip of his tongue, and unfamiliar word that held a connection to him, so why couldn't he recall why it bore such a connection?

Lelouch scowled in annoyance at his thoughts before resuming his conversation with Tatsuya, deciding to move away to another topic. "So, regarding my stay... are there any rules I should know about?"

The blue-eyed male paused, humming as he put a hand to his chin. "Hm... well, there are a few." he said, turning to Lelouch. "The first is to not cause trouble, nor roughhouse. Outside is fine, and inside to an extent, but use of magic is prohibited. Secondly, do NOT make Miyuki angry. She tends to freeze everything around her when she gets angry."

Lelouch felt a shudder pass down his spine. "W-what do you mean by 'freeze everything around her'?!"

"Thirdly-"

"Hey! Don't ignore me!"

Sadly, he was ignored, much to his chagrin. "-under no circumstances are you allowed inside the basement unless given permission by myself or Miyuki." There was a hanging, tense silence after those words had been spoken as he turned to face Lelouch. His face showed that he was deadly serious about this rule, as if it were the true, golden rule that all things must follow. "Do you understand?"

Lelouch nodded silently.

"Good." Tatsuya regained his smile, as if nothing had happened, and whirled on his foot. "Well, let's go. My aunt is waiting for us." With that, he continued walking. Meanwhile, Lelouch was left behind, standing in place with a look of disbelief, staring at the young man's back. "...how the hell does he do that?" he muttered, wondering how someone could go from serious to aloof in a span of a few seconds. Sighing, he shook his head in resignation, thinking it was just something about Tatsuya that made him who he was, and followed after him. However, he was halfway across from him when he suddenly stopped, catching something odd out of the corner of his eye.

"...what the hell?"

There was a woman hanging outside a window, her arms draped over the edge with her head resting on one of her arms, almost lazily, while her hair, a strange lime-green color, long and bearing a healthy sheen, flowed down, a strand curled around her lips and another gently framed around her cheek. Her eyes were golden, butter yellow, soft yet beneath laid a strange, amusement and mischief with a dull boredom underneath it's rich color. She was out of place in this grandees place, as her outfit was... bizarre, to say the least. It was a white suit with a high collar, resembling some sort of straight jacket with largely exaggerated sleeves with black belts around it and the collar, which were also present along the top of the collar.

However, what made Lelouch stop was the red mark that was well-hidden beneath her bangs. Though it was obscured, he could more or less make out the shape. It was a red sigil in the form of a bird, wings curled up as if about to take flight. He recognized the mark almost immediately, which was the reason why his body was rooted in place. The moment his violet orbs made contact with it, his left eye suddenly began to burn.

"Krhk?!"

He cringed, his hand clasping his eye. beneath the gaps, the violet orbs became a glittering, cold yet soft shade of red, the same mark upon the woman's forehead forming around his pupil. His balance shifted, swaying dangerously before he managed to support himself with the wooden beam next to him. A cold sweat poured down his brow. His body began to shake uncontrollably. 'M-my head...!' he hissed in pain as the pain continued to writhe around like an angry snake, spreading from his eye to his head. 'It-it hurts...!'

The pain had reached the breaking point as it forced him down to his knee, gripping his head as the harsh pounding of sledgehammers continued to rain down upon his skull. His teeth were clenched together so tightly that the gums began to buckle from the strain. The woman, meanwhile, simply watched his suffering with a cold, yet misplaced indifference before she pulled away from the window, her hair flowing after her. As she left, her body fading past the eyesight of the window, the pain in Lelouch's head began to dull. Soon, the change in his eye began to fade away, the glowing red receding into the rich, beautiful purple color.

"Haa... Haa..."

Lelouch found his strength returning to him, pulling himself up. The throbbing in his eye had ceased, but the after effects continued to linger. He pulled his arm to his forehead, wiping the sweat from his skin. 'What... the hell...' he thought, feeling exhausted for some reason. 'Was that...?'

"Lelouch?" Tatsuya called out, appearing from the corner where he had disappeared from. "Are you alright? You look pale." A worried frown marred his features. "Should we head back to my place? I can inform my aunt and mother you don't feel well."

"N-no..." the raven-haired teen waved off his concern. "I'm good... for the most part, anyway." Tatsuya raised an eyebrow, obviously not convinced, but shrugged his shoulders as he waited for him to catch up. Once they turned the corner, Lelouch felt the anxiety and weariness that had plagued him slowly dissolve back into the recess of his heart.

Yet the apprehension and tension still lingered, as well as the memories of that emerald-haired woman.

"I was afraid they would do this." Mayumi sighed in exasperation as she let the papers in her hand fall to the table. "I should have expected them to do it, really. Still... did they have to erase all the student's memories?"

Jyumonji gave a solemn look as he sat across from her, his burly arms folded neatly across his chest. "I can understand their decision, Saegusa." he told her. "After all, that boy is capable of something that is considered practically impossible. Keep in mind that, while it is possible for us to cast spells without the use of a CAD, the Magic Sequence is always a fundamental part of spells. It's always there, no matter how miniscule." His eyes narrowed. "But... what that boy did... was cast spells without so much as a single sign of it." Jyumonji shook his head. "No... it would be more accurate to say that there is no need for a Magic Sequence. And this is not even adding to the fact that he can use the Phalanx, which only a select few outside my clan can use."

"And no one has ever been able to control the Phalanx to such a degree." Mari added, a disturbed look on her face. "At least, outside the Jyumonji Clan, anyway. My question is, how was he able to enter school grounds without anyone noticing? A teleportation spell?"

"I had A-chan check that angle." Mayumi said, sighing again in defeat. "But, there were no Psion traces. And I checked the video feed. It was like someone just dropped them there in a ball of light." The beautiful woman groaned in frustration as she furiously scratched her scalp. "Uwaaaaaah! Why must that boy be so confusing?!"

"Hey, at least we know who he is now." Mari shrugged her shoulders, holding the identification papers in her hand. "Lelouch Lamperouge, age 17. Born 2033."

Jyumonji raised an eyebrow. "...that's it?"

"That's it. Seems like whatever else is just censored." A look of displeasure crossed her face. "Courtesy of one Yotsuba Clan."

At the mention of the name, Jyumonji frowned heavily, a look of scrutiny passing through his eyes. "That clan... They've already begun to amass a great deal of power and influence due to their ties with the Kirihara Conglomerate, and they're starting to obtain more power than the other Master Clans. And now... they've taken an interest in that boy." The face-stoned man turned to Mayumi. "Saegusa... what do you make about all of this?"

Mayumi's face became pensive as she put a hand to her chin. "A lot of things." she said simply. "He was special to begin with. Able to cast spells without a CAD, much less without any Magic Sequence, but the fact that he has knowledge of just about EVERY spell to date... I dare say that he can be, quite easily, the most terrifying magician since back during the war."

It was the truth. Magicians were weapons themselves, humans with the power to turn the tide of battle in mere seconds. Each held their own preferences, but some had tried to learn all the magic in the world, striving to become the ultimate magician. However, this was an impossible dream, for there was some magic that no one could hope to obtain. You could spend nearly all of your lifetimes trying to learn all the magic in the world, and it wouldn't even make a dent in the vast knowledge, nor the limits of your own abilities. This Lelouch, however, was different. Sure, they had used Memory Fragment without the consent of the subject, but what other choice did they have? He was an odd and unique figure who appeared out of nowhere. An enigma and possible danger.

When they saw his memories, they had been left speechless. They were confused, even gobsmacked, and had used it again to make sure. Again, they were left stunned, and used it again. By the fifth time Memory Fragment was used, they had accepted it.

Lelouch Lamperouge, despite all the impossible odds, not only had knowledge of all magic to date, including even the Cardinal Codes, was capable of using even the unique magic spells available to only the Master Clans themselves.

"An unknown individual who is able to cast all manner of magic is highly valued," Mayumi said, her tone becoming serious as her eyes glared into the burly man in front of her. "When you think about it, the Yotsuba Clan made the correct choice in witholding this information. If the Great Asian Alliance, or Kami forbid, even the European Union?"

"It would be a disaster." Mari surmised. "And if they didn't try to kidnap him for their own ends, they would raise quite the stink in saying that Japan was up to something shady, and in turn, Britannia, given the Imperial Ceasefire Treaty that was passed twenty years ago."

"On the subject of Britannia..." Jyumonji spoke up. "Mayumi, what was the name of the 99th Emperor?"

Mayumi blinked, confused as to why he would ask such a thing. "...why do you ask? Is it for a history lesson your planning? I know the Jyumonji Clan is involved with the United Federations, but... As I recall, that man wasn't exactly the most historical of figures."

"You would be surprised. His actions laid the foundation of the peace we have now, believe it or not." Jyumonji told them, only adding to the confusion. Instead of elaborating, the man shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "It's nothing, Saegusa. At any rate, if he's already been enrolled, which course will he be set in?"

"Oddly enough, in the Second Course, despite having been registered as a First Course student." Mari said. "Whatever the case is, it's quite odd."

"Maybe." the head of the Extracurricular Activities said before he stood up. "At any rate, we're going to need to keep a careful eye on this."

When Lelouch was introduced to Maya Yotsuba, he had been expecting some old woman with a stern and cold gaze, and power to go with it. Instead, he was left blinking in surprise. "Welcome, Lamperouge-kun." the young woman said with a smile on her face, sitting atop a velvet sofa. Her eyes were a deep color, almost the same as his own, wearing a dark red dress with blackened frills around the cuffs, hem, and neck, her black hair falling down to her shoulders, and going past it, yet somehow retaining a gentle curve to it. "I trust my nephew has been treating you well?"

"Y-yes, ma'am." Lelouch responded nervously as he took a seat across from her, as she had asked him to. He was still left shocked. This was Tatsuya's aunt? She couldn't be any older than twenty! And yet... he knew for a fact that she indeed led the Yotsuba. He felt her power, overwhelming and terrifying beyond comprehension, yet it paled to the destructive force Tatsuya bore, albeit so carefully placed under heavy lock and key. "U-um, Miss Yostuba-"

"Please," she held up her hand. "Call me Maya."

"M-Miss Maya..." he stuttered over the word. Being near her was rather nerve-racking. God, how was he supposed to act around such a high-ranking figure? More importantly, what did she want with him? And how was she aware of him in the first place? "W-why did you want to meet with me?"

"Isn't that the wrong question, Lamperouge-kun?" Maya retorted playfully, causing him to freeze. "Shouldn't your question be, why am I so interested in you?"

...damn.

"W-well, I wasn't sure where to start." Lelouch answered honestly. "I mean, would you like me to be blunt and ask you straight out how you know me?"

Sadly, his answer was not received. Maya simply giggled into her hand. "I'm afraid that's an answer you must search for yourself, Lamperouge-kun." she told him, wagging a finger. "And to answer your first question... I simply wished to meet the boy who's made such a huge fuss."

"E-eh?"

"You'll have to understand, Lamperouge-kun, that when someone like you suddenly appears, it... well." the head of the Yotsuba smiled wryly as she made a gesture. "It causes quite the uproar." Uproar had been a rather high understatement. His very appearance had all but left the meeting in a state of chaos, ranging from shouts of insecurity to papers flying up in the air. "And besides, I couldn't exactly let such a young boy like yourself get swept up in all of this chaos, now could I?"

Lelouch looked at her, skeptical. "...was that your only reason?"

"No, not really." she replied in honest, much to his surprise. She was still wearing that damnable smile. "Another reason was because I wished to speak with you. Learn more about you..." An unsettling glint passed through her eyes. "Study you."

Shivers ran up Lelouch's spine, squirming in his seat. 'W-what is wrong with this woman?!' he cried out. 'Where's Tatsuya when you need him?!' "I-I...see..."

"So then, what would you like to discuss, Lamperouge-kun?" Maya asked him curiously. "Of course, there are a few questions I won't be able to answer."

"O...kay then." he nodded slowly, carefully forming a list. 'There are so many questions I want to ask her, but, given her position, and her level of power... I'm going to have to ask the careful ones first before delving into deeper territory. The first to ask would be how exactly she knows about me, but she'd likely to dodge the issue. In which case...'

"How exactly did you learn about me? Other than me showing up at First High out of the blue, I mean."

"We've had our eye on you for a while, actually." Maya answered, much to his shock. "Although, we didn't expect you to show up so suddenly like that."

'T-that was easy...' he thought in shock. 'Is she going to be this truthful? ...no, I doubt it. Either way, that's one question down. Let's see... There's the fact that the Yotsuba Family was the one to take an interest in me, but why? What is it about me that makes me so highly valued to them?'

"...why exactly did you take custody over me?"

"That's for me to know," Maya grinned as she wagged her finger at him. "And you to find out, Lamperouge-kun~"

'Tch, figures.'

"Alright then... Let me ask you something, something that's been on my mind ever since I woke up at First High." Lelouch narrowed his eyes at her. "...who or what in the hell am I?"

Once again, Maya gave him a teasing grin. "Sorry, but that's another question I can't-"

"Quit screwing with me!"

The shout didn't even phase her as he shot up from his seat, eyes wild with anger. "Do you know how hard it is?! Not knowing anything about yourself?! How terrifying it is to not know who the hell you are?! To not even remember your own fucking name?! Do you know what's like it?! To not remember anyone, not even you?! No family, no loved ones! No mom or dad, no best friend! No brother or sister...!" He didn't know why, but the last one made his heart ache. "Can you even understanding how terrifying it to not know a single FUCKING THING about you, and someone else does?!"

Maya frowned, reaching out for him. "Lamperouge-kun, I-"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

He swatted her hand away-

Pain.

Agony.

Sadness.

Despair.

Grief.

Pain.

Despair.

Grief.

Sadness.

Agony.

Agony.

Pain.

Sadness.

Despair.

Death.

Death.

Sadness.

Death.

Despair.

Pain.

Grief.

'W...what the hell...?'

Maya's eyes widened when she felt an unknown feeling wash over her completely, overwhelming in nature. It was a variety of emotions rushing through her while something slithered all over her, scowering her for something, searching her for something, as if something she held was valuable. To Lelouch, however, he was left screaming in pain and agony. These emotions, these feelings... God, what the hell was this?! What the hell happened?! Why... who... Who did this?

Then, his eyes flashed red.