Weeks later in the United States of Japan

She had never been so frightened before in her entire life. The green haired girl huddled against the wall in the dark dank cell which was patrolled by scary men in black with snarling faces.

She was suddenly not in France in this strange new world with moving paintings, lanterns that burn on forever, and doors that open with a mere touch.

But that was it. Everything else was just the same. The world looked scary and was filled with cruel ogres and she saw on the paintings the monsters fighting and people dying.

Master was the only one who had been kind to her. In fact the only one in her entire life to treat her in such a way. Everyone else treated her like the dirt she was.

And now that he was gone, she had no choice but to hide again and those men in black came and dragged her to the dungeon where they tried to question her about the master. She was scared and she didn't know much about him anyway but they still didn't believe her and tortured her.

The pale emerald stress woman cuddled against the wall at the memories she suffered at their hands.

Then suddenly the door opened again and she let out a yelp and covered her body.

"Please don't hurt me!" A young slim-muscular woman with black hair and a purple visor entered the room with a grim face. She walked to her and the green haired woman shouted.

"Shh..." The newcomer murmured. "Quiet. I'm here to get you out of here." The green haired girl quieted at once. She recognised the voice. The woman knelt and took of her visor.

"Don't worry, C.C. You'll be alright." She assured. That's...that's what the master called her. And this woman...she was the one who came into the room too before Master disappeared.

"Lelouch sent me." She said

"Master?" C.C asked.

"Yeah," The woman helped her stand up. "Come on." But C.C. pulled back. "No! If I go, those men..."

"Don't worry," She assured her. "I'll take care of you. Now come."

With hesitation, C.C followed the woman out.

"Mistress?" She asked. "Is the Master alright?"

The woman was surprised by the question but nodded. "Yeah, he is. At least I hope he is. And please, call me Kallen."

They made their way to the elevator and after shoving C.C inside, a dark and violet figure appeared down the way.

"Hey you!" A Black Knight shouted. Kallen quickly pressed the close button but the guard reached the elevator before it closed.

"Baka!" Kallen cried and threw a kick into the man's face and C.C cried out as the man's face bloodied. The half-Britannian woman pulled off her hat and loosed her fake black hair.

"Now they know we're here." They reached the fourth floor but instead met a group of black uniforms.

"Crap." Kallen quickly closed the door and head for the next floor. Unfortunately, the Black Knights must have already deactivated the elevator as it refused to respond to her.

"Baka!" Kallen cursed again and snapped at C.C. "Follow me and keep running."

With that Lelouch's lover charged into the Black knights with a snarl. The soldiers were shocked to see one of their own suddenly attacking and that was enough for her to finish them. She threw in a flying kick into the first one then tripped the second one in a brief second. A female Black knight tried to draw her pistol but Kallen knocked it off and smashed a palm strike into her nose breaking it. Two other Black knights tried to grab her arms.

"What the heck are you doing?" One of them asked and received an elbow to his chin for his confusion. His companion fared better trying to fight back but Kallen easily went through his defences and threw the man into the dazed soldier. The female soldier got back up and threw in a round house kick at Kallen which went wide and blocked a second kick. Kallen wanted to end this fast so she thrust a punch into the other woman's stomach then tried to move away but the Black knight still insisted on fighting, this time grabbing her hair where the fake black wig dropped.

"Huh?" The soldier was confused. "Captain Kouzki?" Kallen did not answer and punched her square in the face. The fight barely lasted a minute and C.C thankfully despite her fear continued running along the corridor. As Kallen joined her, she heard shouting and knew that there were squads of armed guards heading their way. They had to go to the second elevator.

"This way!" Kallen called to her frightened companion. They ran into trio of Black Knights and the red-haired woman charged into the group barrelling into them before they get a chance to move.

"What's goin...Agaraah!" The first soldier met the heel of Kallen's foot into his lungs. Kallen twisted around and broke the neck of a bellowing officer then snapped the neck of the last one. They made a second turn and the elevator opened up with a full squad of Black knights with rifles.

Kallen grabbed a screaming C.C and ran into the next room as a volley of lead rained on them. She bared the door and was stunned to see another squad in the room though the guards seemed more surprised to see them as they were of them. Kallen recovered first and shot the officer through his head then blew the brains out of another one as she pushed C.C to the ground.

"Stay here." She said then moved forward as she drew her knife. The soldiers did not recognise her due to her purple visor and aimed to maim her. They were good marksmen but Kallen had been too fast and they were too cramped to use their rifles in the room with all the desks and laptops. She kicked a laptop towards the gun fire and it scattered in the stream of bullets. Kallen used the distraction to plant another bullet into another Black knight. Then she was among them and Kallen slit the throat of the first Black knight then stunned a second one with the butt of her pistol.

"C.C, come on!" Kallen shouted to the green haired girl and weeping at the same time, Zero's former right hand made her way to her when the bared door broke open.

"Down!" She grabbed an assault rifle and emptied the clip into the door. The first two soldiers were caught in the stream of fire and the others dove in for cover. Kallen did not relent, firing the rifle by the hip on her left hand and blasting the scattering Black Knights with her pistol. To C.C she was like a warrior woman from the stories. This woman was every bit of worthy to be the Master's queen. She wanted to help her so she fought her fear and struggled to reach the woman's side. Kallen lobbed a grenade as C.C gotten through and the two women made their way to the next door into the hall.

Shit, where's that goddamn hanger? Kallen cursed as she flipped through her memory.

"Mistress, I don't think I can go on any longer."

"Don't give me that talk! We're almost there." Finally, Kallen managed to direct them to the right path when all of a sudden a squad of ebony armoured soldiers dressed in the Chinese Federation styled uniform blocked their way. Their commanding officer in the green-olive Japanese army uniform with a sheathed katana at her side marched up and barked.

"That's as far as you go!" Kallen's eyes widened. It was Chiba, one of Todoh's Holy Swords.

The former Japanese army officer froze when she met her gaze. "Kouzki?"

In response, Kallen tossed a flash bang and then fired her rifle and pistol into them. She took out an NCO with a well aimed pistol shot and rained bullets on the others. Their armour was too thick to pierce with mere spraying but at least that would wound them or keep them down.

Chiba however was too fast. In her lighter clothing she zoomed pass the fire and lunged at Kallen with a drawn sword. The former Black knight blocked the slash with her rifle.

"C.C get inside!" The red-haired woman barked as she shoved her opponent off. Chiba backed off then dove in with multiple slashes and thrusts. Kallen block and parry each and every strike then hurled the rifle at her former comrade in arms. Chiba swiftly parried the rifle aside with her sword and Kallen used the distraction to jump into the hanger and closed the door.

"Come back you traitor!" Chiba snarled and lunged into the gap, tackling into Kallen as the doors shut.

"Mistress!" C.C shouted as the two women slammed into the floor. The fall bruised Kallen's back but she managed to recover first and threw a kick at Chiba's chin. The Holy Sword cried out as she fell back.

"C.C, get to the red machine!" Kallen tried to get up but instead she received a blow to her back.

"Ah!" Kallen cried out in pain but she managed to land properly. Her opponent was already charging forward with her sword. She narrowly avoided a cut above her bosom but that gave her time to grab Chiba's wrist. The two fighters struggled.

"Why did you do it?" The Japanese woman asked. "Why did you betray Japan to that bastard?"

Kallen gritting her teeth as Chiba used her superior height and experience to her advantage.

"You were Japanese." She continued. "You abandoned a luxurious life to fight for a nation that would otherwise abandon you and you threw it all away in a moment. You were not like Kururugi, so why did you do it?"

"You very well know why I did what I did!" Kallen snarled, pulled hard then drove her knee into the other woman's stomach. "You of all people would understand!" She gave an upper-cut that dazed the other woman. Before she could finish her opponent off however, Chiba swung her sword and Kallen had to jump a step back to avoid being cut into half. Drawing her two knives, Kallen readied in combat stance as the two circled one another.

"Don't be naive, girl!" The older woman shouted swinging her sword which Kallen managed to block with her duel knives. "That bastard is using you like he used everyone else!"

"I wouldn't be surprised if Ohgi had asked but how could you question that?" Kallen avoided another thrust. She replied with slashes of her own though too care not let it be too wild as Chiba was wielding a longer blade. They traded blows, throwing punches and kicks each time they got close but still unable to draw first blood.

"I don't want to fight you." Kallen said as they clashed again.

"Neither do I." Chiba replied. While they were not close, both women had a great deal of respect for each other. "We should be fighting side by side for Japan."

"The Japan I believed doesn't exist anymore!" Kallen said. "I fight for someone who had sacrificed so much for us. I know you don't like him but think properly!"

"I lost many comrades because of him! He treated us like tools! Chess pieces! Why can't you see that?"

"I can see that. I can see that it tore him with pain that you can't imagine!" Chiba swung again.

"You are a fool!"

"No, you are!" Kallen replied with a thrust. "Todoh-sama would understand that!" The other woman's face twisted with contempt. "How...dare you compare that demon to him!"

Chiba's next swing took one of Kallen's daggers from her hand.

"He's NOT a demon!" Kallen shouted back and with a swift kick disarmed her opponent. But that did not leave her undangerous and Chiba returned with a palm strike into Kallen's face. Chiba proceeded to disarm her younger opponent then knocked the air out of her with a knee strike.

"You lose." The Japanese woman declared and she stumbled to the alarm panel. As Kallen struggled to recover then lunged at the other woman but she was ready and threw Kallen off with a judo throw.

"You're blinded by your love!" Chiba shouted as she brought her leg back to kick Kallen's face but the younger woman caught the booted foot and grinned.

"Look who's talking!" That comment finally broke all barriers of the other woman's martial discipline and she proceeded to beat her anger on the other female. Chiba was one of the Black knights' finest fighters and while the two women never sparred before Kallen had heard of her prowess and only now she faced it. She was hard pressed by the raining blows. Chiba grabbed a fist full of Kallen's hair then proceeded to knee her former comrade breaking one of Kallen's ribs but the half-Japanese woman managed to bring herself up and hook a leg around the other woman's back then kneed Chiba's jaw.

The vicious duel left both women dazed but Kallen knew it had to end fast so she lunged herself on the older woman and both fell to the ground in a frail of wild blows. Both received punishing blows from the other and their bodies were covered with sweat, blood and bruises. Then Chiba gained the upper hand and proceeded to beat the sense out of Kallen raining blow after blow. Kallen barely managed to block as fists rained on her face and one particularly hard one almost knocked her out and left her nose bleeding. Chiba's face now red with bruises, scratches and blood on her mouth raised her hand for the finishing blow when a pair of pale hands grabbed her hair.

"Mistress, run!" C.C shouted, trying to pull Chiba's brown hair from her skullcap. The soldier turned and knocked the green haired immortal off with a single elbow strike. That gave Kallen time to throw both her feet and kicked Chiba off her. The two women coughed as they struggled to regain their feet.

"You're as good as they say," Chiba muttered.

"I don't need to hear that from you." Kallen replied with venom.

"But it's time to end this little dispute." Chiba said, taking off her tunic leaving the woman with her green army singlet. Kallen did the same taking off her once prized but now disgusted Black knight uniform and readied in her yellow top with black straps. The two women regarded each other in a moment then charged at each other with a feral cry. They fought in a series of graceful blows that would have those watching thinking it was choreographed. Punches and kicks rained down on another like in a fighting game leaving each other bruises and anger. Chiba finally held her younger opponent in a head lock ignoring the pain from Kallen's nails that bit into her bare arms.

"Sur...ren...der," She hissed. Blood and bruises covered both women's faces.

"Ne..ver..." Kallen replied as she suddenly lunged forward and bit into the other woman's arm. With a cry of pain, Chiba let go and received a head-butt in the face. Kallen fought for her breath as a dazed Chiba lunged on to her. The two women fell to the ground again. Blows became slower and soon it turned into a deadly grapple. Suddenly the door started banging.

"You're...not getting out of here..." The Black knight muttered wrapping her legs around Kallen in a deadlock to prevent her from going. Desperate, Kallen started punching into her opponent's face but Chiba pulled her so close that their faces were touching. A bruised C.C came back trying to pry the two wrestling women off each other.

"Damn...bitch..." Chiba muttered, gritting her teeth. Kallen squeezed in a hand and try to push Chiba's face off. C.C took the idea and pulled Chiba's hair and chin. Slowly, Kallen managed to pull out of Chiba's deadly grip.

"No." Chiba shouted and resumed her grip and wrestled with Kallen's attempts to break free. Finally Kallen broke a hand free and scratched the other woman's face.

"Ah!" Chiba cried out and her frailing hands managed to strike Kallen's cheek leaving a scar on hers as well but ignoring it, Kallen brought her fists down on the other woman.

One. Two. And on the third, Chiba's body was still.

An exhausted Kallen fell back almost joining her opponent.

"Mistress!" C.C helped Kallen up and they headed towards the Guren.

"We're getting out of here."


Slowly the world returned to Rolo as he slowly opened his eyes. He was lying on a bed and was staring at the ceiling wondering how he had arrived here.

"Is this heaven?" He wondered.

Then suddenly he remembered and as if to prove the fact that he was still alive, Rolo started to cough violently. He felt like vomiting and turned to the bowel beside him and threw his guts out. It felt as if all of his organs would come spilling out of his mouth and as reeled, his head start to throb and his shoulders straining and sore from terrible bruises. His left arm hurt likes never before and he could barely even move it and intense pain course through his body each time he moved. Blood splattered in the metallic dish but Rolo did not care.

Suddenly gentle hands touched his bare shoulders and massaged him, easing his sore muscles. Slowly they moved through his neck and back and spine to comfort him and slowly Rolo stopped and felt exhaustion overcoming him. "

Rest..." A soft gentle voice told him and Rolo fell back to his bed. The hands guided his head towards the pillow and tenderly laid him there. A hand brushed through his hair comforting him.

"There, there. You will be alright." A female voice said as the hand caressed his cheek. Rolo did not know who it was but had never felt so reassured before by someone else other than Lelouch and he felt his body relax. He opened his eyes to look at his companion.

A blurry image of a young girl with long sandy coloured hair much like his own watched him with closed eyes. He thought he had seen her before.

"Good." She said gently. "Would you like a drink?" Rolo nodded and while she did not seem to see it, the girl must have sensed it as she reached for the side for a cup and brought it towards him. The former assassin drank from it gratefully and as he tried to put the cup back, Rolo finally recognised who the girl was.

The cup dropped to the ground with a clang.

"Oh..." She gasped lightly. "Did something just happen? Are you alright?"

Rolo could not make a single sound.

"Hello?" Nunnally Vi Britannia asked.

With a gagged snarl, Rolo reached his working hand out to crush the throat of the Princess but could not reach her and his body would not obey. Pain coursed his body as he struggled to grasp her throat. Here was someone who had once been a background knowledge that Rolo needed to complete his mission.

Someone who he had been sent to replace. Someone who held the place in Lelouch Vi Britannia's heart that no one would have a place that Rolo desperately wanted to take. Someone who Rolo wanted to bury his knife into...

"Please, calm down. You're safe." Lelouch's sister told him.

But you're not.Rolo mentally sneered.

But suddenly his lost his will as gentle hands grabbed his outstretch hand.

"There's no need to tense up. No one would hurt you." She spoke again gently. At this range, he could pull her to him and squeeze the life out of this girl and he would have the place he so desired. Rolo froze. There was nothing she could do to stop him from killing her...and yet she was worried about him being hurt. He was actually wounded, weakened and not in the right state of mind but she was blind, crippled and what could she do to stop him from tearing her apart and yet...yet Nunnally was trying to help him. He wanted to tear those hands off him, break every bone it had then rip her tiny head from that feeble body.

But he didn't. No, he couldn't.

"Please. Relax." And despite his efforts, Nunnally touched his cheek softly. Rolo could have bitten it off, every single finger but he didn't.

Rolo did nothing. He did nothing as his mind was filled with images of ways to coldly murder this female while she was trying to ease him.

She did not know he was going to kill her. How could she? She was blind, crippled and could do nothing. Nothing! Nothing of use to help Lelouch. Her gentle hand caressed his face. They were soft and smooth to touch. And most of all they were comforting...so very comforting that he wished the feeling would not end... Rolo stopped all efforts of struggle and stared at the young girl who smiled at him and watched him despite not being able to actually see him...

And all of a sudden Rolo's heart was filled with shame.

Shame of what he had done before. Ashamed of being unable help Lelouch when he needed help most. Shame for killing so many people heartlessly and mindlessly. And above all shame for thinking such thoughts... How much he envied those of his own age that did not need to feel such things. How they were able to live happily and enjoy the comforts of life. How when they feel pain, they could go to their love ones for comfort.

As if feeling his sudden emotional turmoil, Nunnally edge her wheel-chair closer to the bed and brought both of her hands to feel his face and head. She lifted them and brought them to her shoulder although a bit clumsily.

"Forgive me for that." She said as she tried to lay Rolo's head on her shoulder and rest it there while her hands rubbed his back soothingly. "It's ok. It's ok. I cannot do much but I promise I will be here to help you."

Then...Rolo finally broke and cried...his humanity finally breaking free of the cold hard assassin's shell.


"It's been one month since the destruction caused by the FLEIA warhead." Milly Ashford started.

"Agrah!" A soldier fell as his chest was split open by a golden blade. A Britannian army helmet rolled down trailing blood on the floor as it did and stopped as it met a pile of redden armoured corpses. Jeremiah withdrew his blade.

"Sector 6 cleared."

"Today, His Majesty Emperor Charles will make an important announcement to the entire nation."

"Halt you, stop!" The Guard officer shouted. The grey-coated soldiers turned their rifles around at the dark clad intruder. The newcomer charged at the squad as the soldiers opened fired. The figure darted left then right easily avoiding the streams of bullets as if they were nothing. The soldiers trail after their target but he was too fast then as he closed the distance, the figure leapt up spinning. The officer tried to draw his pistol as the figure's leg extended out and swept across the troopers, sending them flying against the wall with shattered bones and broken rifles.

"Sector 7 cleared."

"We will be bringing you live international coverage of this from Pendragon Imperial Palace.

"I thought I heard something." A Royal Guardsman muttered to his companion then gasped to find a sword blade pouting out from his chest.

"Sector 8 cleared."

"Even though His Majesty has not made any public appearances in the past month."

"Sector 9 cleared."

Lelouch nodded in grim satisfaction watching all entrances of the Palace cleared of Imperial troops. He idly brought his bishop and knocked a white rook off the table.

The former prince had complete control of all entrances into the Palace and no one could get in or out with him knowing.

The Emperor's Royal Guard was too busy attending to the hundreds of guests to greet the return of the Emperor including most of the royal family and highest ranking nobles. It was a shame that Cornelia, Schneizel and the remaining Knights of the Round were not there but he would deal with them later. The fake message of Bismarck reporting Charles' return had worked perfectly.

With the Guard distracted to make sure that no power hungry prince or noble would try anything on the newly return Emperor, Lelouch's own "Royal Guard" would make sure they stayed that way until the rest of his plan follows through. The former Zero stared at his chessboard where a black knight, rook, bishop and king surrounded the white king and a pair of pawns. Without realising it, Lelouch searched for the black queen on the board which was held at the corner of the board flanked by two rooks and a knight.

Two Weeks ago...

"I'm going to the Homelands and I'm taking Jeremiah and Suzaku with me." Lelouch told Kallen as they stood over a skyscraper.

"So when are we leaving?" Kallen asked, at once.

"We'll be leaving tomorrow morning." Lelouch said quickly. "But you will stay here."

"What?" The red-haired woman shouted. "You're joking." The black prince gave her a serious look.

Kallen barked a laugh. "I can't do that."

"Kallen."

"I can't do that!" She shouted. "You've just barely recovered. We just got those bullets out a week ago. You need me."

"You're right." Lelouch agreed. "But..."

"But nothing!" She snapped. "I'm going whether you like it or not."

Lelouch sighed in frustration. "Look, Kallen."

"I told you I'm going to follow you wherever you go."

"This is only for a while." Lelouch protested. "I need to do something in the Homelands."

"And I can help!" Kallen argued. "With the three of us, there'll be a better chance for you do whatever you're going to do."

"Kallen, don't take it the wrong way. I'm asking you not come because I need you here."

"And what do you need me here for?" She protested. "I'm your best knight. My place is at your side."

"Be reasonable." Lelouch said. In response, Kallen wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder. The former prince froze not expecting the reaction.

"Why are you pushing me away?" She whispered, holding him closer. "You know how I feel. You know I'm willing to go to hell if you just give me the word."

Lelouch returned her hug. "I know. You're my most valuable piece. I can't bear to lose you."

"Then why?" They stood in silence trying to understand each other's purpose."You know that you can trust me right?" Kallen asked meekly, her fear that the answer would be otherwise obvious.

"Yes," Lelouch decided to try another tactic. "But do you trust me?" Kallen hesitated.

"I want you to trust me," He whispered into her ear. "Like you've always have before."

"I...I just can't bear to lose you." Kallen whimpered.

"You won't." Lelouch assured her. "Stay here with your mother. I know you're very worry about her. With your time with me, you haven't been able to be with her. I can't have that. I lost my mother. I want you to be with yours." Kallen stared into his eyes, her azure orbs looking at him uncertainly.

"Trust me. When I'm done, I'll come back for you."

To convince her, Lelouch lean forward and kissed her. She responded passionately, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Back to the present

Lelouch touched his lips. In an instant, he regretted that move. He had given in into his emotions. He knew that his growing feelings for this brave beautiful woman were something that could endanger her. He had to be more careful.

Kallen deserved a better man. That man was certainly not him.

"Presenting His Imperial Majesty!" The Guard captain shouted and the trumpets roared.

Lelouch would have to think about that later. With a confidence that made him into the man he was now, Lelouch calmly walked onto the stage ignoring the startled faces of the audience.

"What?"

"That's not His Majesty."

"What the hell is this?"

All over the world, people murmured their puzzlement. Kallen among them in Japan.

"What...Lelouch...?"

Lelouch took his seat on the Imperial throne.

"Greetings. I am Lelouch Vi Britannia of the Royal Family, 99th Emperor of the Realm."

"It's really you?" Princess Karine le Britannia blurted the youngest of the assembled group.

"You're alive?" Princess Guinevere su Britannia asked.

"Yes, sister." Lelouch replied. "I've returned from the depths of hell intact."

My god...Lelouch what are you trying to do? Kallen asked herself watching the Television.

"Kallen? Is there something wrong?" Her mother asked, sitting up on her bed.

"Mistress, please." C.C called. "You're still hurt."

Kallen couldn't hear anything around her.

A man in a rich grey uniform stepped forward despite the tension. "Lelouch, how good to see you!" Prince Odysseus said nicely.

"When Nunnally was located, I figured you would be found alive as well." He laughed a little. "But now, aren't you carrying this joke a bit too far?" The First Prince spoke as if it was all a minor incident. "That's the throne of our fath..."

"Charles zi Britannia, the 98th Emperor no longer lives." Lelouch interrupted him with a sneer. "And I was the one who took his life." Gasps and sounds of shock and disbelief filled the entire court. "Therefore," The black prince continued as if nothing had happened. "That makes me the next Emperor!"

"What are you saying? Are you nuts?" Karine shouted in disbelief, disregarding Britannian protocol. Guinevere however was not going to let this go without a fight.

"Guards!" The silver haired princess called. "Take that fool and execute him!" Grey-coated guards with flowing red capes stormed in with rifled pole arms.

"He's guilty of murdering our Emperor!" The blood red blades lunged forward towards Lelouch who just grinned at the entire spectacle he was creating with grim amusement.

"No!" Kallen shouted back in Japan as the blades closed distance when a dark figure dropped from the ceiling spinning. Suddenly the Royal Guards were tossed off the stage like toys, their weapons and bodies shattered. A young man with brown hair and green eyes stood up.

"Suzaku?" Kaguya blurted.

Lelouch gestured to his companion.

"May I introduce Sir Suzaku Kururugi, my knight. A Knight of the Round above all others, I grant him the title Knight of Zero."

"Knight of Zero?" Gino Weinburg shouted. "Is that what you want Suzaku?"

"Knight of Zero?" Kallen murmured. "But...I thought...I was..."

"Suzaku...and Lelouch...they're working together?" Kaguya wondered.

The kind-hearted Odysseus tried to stop the scene again. "Lelouch, Sir Kururugi. This just will not do." He talked as if he was scolding a naughty child.

"Pulling a stunt like this on an international broadcast..." He was again interrupted by Lelouch's dark chuckle.

"Do you think so?" The former Zero asked. "Then let me make this easy for you all to understand..."

He stood up and took of his contact lenses.

His eyes glowed crimson with the Geass symbol.

"Acknowledge me as Emperor!" He shouted to the assembled nobles.

Kallen gasped. "Oh...no..."

Odysseus looked up at his younger brother with a new face. "We hear and obey, Your Majesty!"

"All hail Emperor Lelouch!" Karine and Guinevere shouted in unison.

"All hail Lelouch! All hail Lelouch! All hail Lelouch!" The court began chanting. The chanting spread to the loudspeakers and even the breaking down of the door by the Royal Guards and the knights of Britannia's various knight orders attending the arrival. The warriors stood shock as their entire ruling class had acknowledged a young boy in a school uniform as their new Emperor. Lelouch spotted them and grinned. These men were not blindly loyal to the Empire. He had been right to have some of the Empire's greatest warriors summoned to Pendragon. He would take all that he could.

But as he thought of the words, Kallen's shock face filled his mind. She was no doubt watching him now with not a little surprise and confusion. While keeping her away from him would protect her, Lelouch could not feel the chill that flowed down his spine at the thought and what would come. He closed his eyes. Lelouch went through his plan again.

He would start the Zero Requiem which would bring the ultimate peace and create the world which Kallen so desired. If he did that, he would become the Demon that will conquer the world and in turn throw Kallen away from his side and turn her into his enemy at least until his death and soon both would get what they wanted.

Kallen her peaceful world and him his own death...

Lelouch...I can't live without you... Kallen's face filled with tears stared at him.

She would be heart-broken...broken at his death.

"Lulu, don't do this." Shirley's voice came.

"Brother, please." Euphie pleaded.

"Don't torture yourself over this! You still owe her!" Shirley reminded him. "You owe that to all of us!"

"Lelouch! You have to live!"

The new Emperor of Britannia stood motionless as if lost in his victory. People from all over the globe watched in puzzlement as the most powerful man on earth froze. Then without warning, he raised his hand for silence. The gesture surprised even his personal knight who stared at his liege as if he had done something incredible horrible. Then Lelouch opened his eyes. But there was something different in them. The proud and arrogant royal who defiantly took the throne of Britannia right in front of the world was gone suddenly. Instead in the hazy violet eyes was an idealistic young man who had thought to have died so long ago.

"Eleven Years ago," Lelouch began his voice quiet but clear. "I watched haplessly as my mother died right in front of my eyes and my sister blinded and crippled to be discarded like an object because she did not fit into the system. Then we were sent to Japan to be political hostages and only to face a brutal invasion by our own people. I have seen nothing but death and war in my childhood.

"Britannia was my enemy. Britannia was the one who brought the pain. I swear to myself that I will have nothing...nothing to do with the Empire again! As years progressed, I watched from the sidelines with contempt in my heart and choosing to ignore what had to be done. And for that I lost the only people I loved." Suzaku now faced his former friend completely like everyone else in the world and flinched visibly as Lelouch spoke again.

"Princess Euphemia," He said it clearly. "My dear half-sister was drugged by her political enemies into going berserk. I could have stopped them yet I didn't. And for that, it wasn't her...but I, Lelouch vi Britannia killed all those people."

Tears poured down his eyes as the memory of what really happened played in his mind again. There were now gasps and surprises at this transformation. The Japanese knight was now giving him a death glare and unable to decide whether to kill Lelouch or to listen. How dare he? How dare he mention her name after all he has done? This was not part of the plan!

"I will never forgive myself for my lapses. Then I lost...friends...many friends...and yet I still hide in the shadows. Then Nunnally..." It took everything he had to compose himself.

"But..." He started, gasping for a breath and drying his tears.

"But..." No one moved. Everyone watched anxiously to see what the Emperor had to say. "But now...I realise that the only way to make sure those lives...all the blood spilled..."

"Blood spilt..." Kallen remembered the words. "Did not spill in vain...was to create a better world for those left. Charles revived the past legacies of glory and evolution. I do not care for the past. What I want to give is the future!" Lelouch spoke passionately waving his hand like he had always done as Zero.

"A future where there will be cooperation and peace where no one needs to raise their swords to settle their differences. Not just for Britannia but for the world...a peaceful world...a world for the sake of those who had died.

"What Zero started, I want to finish it!" Todoh absently nodded in approval of the speech despite his doubts.

Kaguya gasped in shock. "He really is Zero." She whispered.

"Could he really be telling the truth?" Ohgi wondered.

Tamaki cheered. "So he really is my best buddy! I told you!"

"A world where there will be no more discrimination! No more classes. No more tools. Every man, woman and child would be counted for regardless of their background."

"Regardless of their background?" Gino murmured in deep thought. "Charles thinks that human evolution is through struggle but he thinks that struggle means to destroy each other! No, the greatest victory is the battle that was not fought! We humans are better than this! We can create such a world." Lelouch paused in his speech letting his words hang in the atmosphere.

"That is why I have taken this throne." Lelouch looked to the group of Royal Guards and Knights who had broken through the door. "You, soldiers. Would you help me create this world?" The men looked at each other embarrassingly as the world's population suddenly looked at them. Finally a knight with grey hair and wearing a red and blue uniform walked up with his sword drawn.

"I...I was led to believe that only through strength we could gain our dreams." He said. "I have betrayed, deceived, murdered and manipulated to gain this rank...and I hated every moment I live now." He paused. "I believe in the world you speak of." The knight said. "I want to redeem myselfIt would be an honour, Your Majesty." He saluted. "All hail Lelouch!"

Slowly the warriors and nobles began to murmur amongst themselves.

"All hail Lelouch!" Another shouted.

"Yes, a new gentler world. All hail Lelouch!" Soon the voices grew and grew. Some scowled especially the higher ranking nobles but with most of the voices shouting for support and the Imperial family opening supporting the Emperor, they remained quiet. Lelouch knew they will be trouble but he'll deal with them later.

"All hail Emperor Lelouch! All hail the New World!"

"All hail Lelouch! All hail Lelouch! All hail Lelouch!" Lelouch looked to Suzaku who stood still captivated by the speech and met his gaze. After a moment, the Japanese knight's eyes narrowed and he bowed low to hide his expression.

"Then help me build this new Britannia! Let it be the beacon of light for the world! For Britannia! For the New World!"

"All hail Lelouch! All hail Britannia! All hail the New World!"

"A new world..." Suzaku murmured. "Euphie...do you want this?"

I think the ending of THIS chapter was a bit lame but I wasn't sure on how to end it. How was it guys? Read and Review!