Chapter 11: Annihilation and Protection.
AN: A nice little chapter before having the Holidays, the exams and maybe a lack of inspiration.
To The Black Ranger : Well, since Suzaku didn't enter the Knights of the Round, the Knight of Seven is someone else. So why not Gino?
Chapter 11, in the first part and in the second part, is under the banner of epicness.
Lelouch was on the monorail that went from Tokyo to Fuji. He looked at the sight though the window, lost in his thoughts.
'And we're now leaving the settlement.' He thought boringly. 'The Grey modern infrastructures are now being replaced by buildings under construction. The Tokyo Settlement and the Ghettoes, the American territory that uses the former Area 11's infrastructures and the Japanese territory who rebuild their country… in the end the sight has not really changed. Not only the sight, but also the condition of the people here hasn't really changed. Last year I was controlling the Area from the shadow with the help of Jeremiah, and Euphemia served as a ruler of the light while Zero controlled the whole resistance groups. Now, I'm still controlling the Area but from the lights. Zero is now ruling Japan and Britannia lost their influence in Area 11. Still, life doesn't really change here. The people will start seeing that their lives were similar when Euphie was Viceroy and, while some of the former Britannians might change their point of views towards our rule, the Japanese might want to regain the control of Tokyo, Osaka, Kagoshima, the industrial areas of Kanto, Kansai, Tohoku and Kyushu and the Sakuradite the USJ is offering to the USA.'
Suddenly, all the screens in the train changed program and showed the Emperor's face.
Lelouch sighed.
"The insurrection instigated by four of my children is only showing one thing." He declared. "They only succeed in their victories because of the superiority of their blood. When they'll install this foolishness they call democracy, their imaginary country will crumble by itself because my son Lelouch and my daughter Cornelia are born to be rulers of an absolute monarchy and nothing else!"
"Shut up." He mumbled, and inserted the earphones into his ears in order to listen to some music.
"They can't escape the universal truth of the weak devouring the strong …"
"What is Love? Baby, don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more …"
When the train arrived in the Fuji station, Lelouch got up and descended.
'It's funny how a blonde wig and sunglasses can turn me into a completely unknown person from the other people's perspective.' He mused.
Lelouch descended the stairs and was being pushed by some Japanese.
"Gaijin." He muttered.
Lelouch frowned and turned to the Japanese guy, a teenager who was wearing the Japanese Imperial Army's flag as an armband, who showed his membership of the Nationalist party.
"I speak Japanese fluently, you know." He replied in Japanese, to the guy's astonishment. "And I've been under the same bombs as the Japanese's, whether it was last month or eight years ago. I'm not really a stranger."
Lelouch seemed to have earned the Nationalist's respect. He bowed to him and said quickly. "Gomenasai!"
Lelouch kept on descending the stairs. 'It's funny' He mused 'I'm starting to act like Suzaku now. But should I use his methods in order to make the World give up his militarist logic? That's a new problem I'll have to face, because even though I manage to defeat Britannia, it would show the World that war IS the Answer. Last time I killed myself in order to solve that problem, and I've always told to myself that these problems were secondary there, but sooner or later I will be obliged to work on it seriously.'
Alfred G. Darlton was a Glaston Knight who participated in the conquest of Yemen and Saudi Arabia under Cornelia's orders. After the establishment of Area 18 and Cornelia's defeat at Saitama, he and his four brothers had joined her Royal Guard in Area 11. But during the battle of Narita, three of his brothers were killed and his father died a couple of days later. The only responsible for it was Zero. Alfred's adoptive father, Andreas Darlton, had found Zero's identity and gave to Claudio and Alfred a clue. Soon after, he had been assigned to Euphemia's safety and later on to Jeremiah's. Area 11 seceded from Britannia and Alfred was still under Cornelia's orders, but under Zero's banner, and not Britannia's. This was something he couldn't hold any longer.
Alfred G. Darlton composed a number. He found it in the registers of the Government Bureau in Tokyo. It was the number of the OSI branch in Pendragon.
"Lelouch prepares an invasion in Area 9 with the intention of capturing Prime Minister Guinevere."
Alfred could be considered a traitor from the two sides of the war, but he didn't care, since his action would avenge his father and his three brothers killed by Zero, or rather Lelouch.
Lelouch entered Zero's quarters, a pizza box on his hands.
"I'm making my offerings to the Goddess." He said while closing the door and activating the electronic lock.
Zero turned to him and removed her mask.
C.C grinned. "I'm a Goddess now? I thought I was a witch."
Lelouch posed the pizza box on the table. "You're a true knight for Justice and truth, you can't be a witch."
She shrugged and approached the table. "Whatever you say. So, what's the news?"
"The Emperor is entering the war." Lelouch replied.
"It doesn't really surprise me." C.C said boringly while eating a slice. "Charles has always been stubborn, just like you I may add. What are your directives?"
"Zero's priority is to federate a coalition of nations on the basis of Japan, China and America."
She raised an eyebrow. "Why not Europe?"
Lelouch chuckled. "Europe will soon be dissolved. Whether it is because of my father's offensive or the sudden ultra-militaristic attitude they will have in retaliation, the people of the EU will want to abandon the ship in the incoming months."
"And they'll want to be protected by a true knight for Justice and truth." C.C stated musingly.
He nodded and went to the door. "Exactly. See you at the meeting."
Lelouch entered the meeting room, and noticed there were only three persons. Kaguya, Ohgi and Chiba.
"Good morning, Lelouch." Ohgi greeted the former Prince, in Japanese.
The USJ officials only spoke in Japanese, even during their meetings where one of the American representatives went there to assist. Since Lelouch was the only one to speak Japanese fluently, he volunteered to assist the meeting. It was a subtle way to appease the Nationalists while giving Lelouch a justifiable mean to assist the Japanese meetings. Besides, Lelouch's popularity rate was high among the Japanese people thanks to him speaking their language.
"Morning, Ohgi." He replied, and then turned to the others. "Morning, ladies."
"You could be a little bit more polite." Chiba snapped while Lelouch sat down.
"Oh, it doesn't really matter." Kaguya replied cheerfully. "He's a friend of my cousin."
"It does matter." Chiba pointed out, and then turned to Lelouch. "Don't forget you're only residents here."
Lelouch rolled his eyes. "We have no place to go, Britannia didn't give us a chance to flee Japan, you know. Besides, Zero accepted the creation of our country." He grinned. "But I'm sure you're just angry at something and you want to unleash my frustration upon me, am I right, Nagisa-chan?"
Ohgi repressed a laugh.
"It's because Todoh is not there." Kaguya explained.
"He's in Sapporo." Chiba added, slightly annoyed by Lelouch's behavior. "The others are with him and Katase is in the Bering Sea."
"And you're here to hold the fort." Lelouch said, and then noticed a brown-skinned woman entering the meeting room. "Hello Rakshata, how's the Guren?"
The head of the R&D branch of the Black Knights shrugged before sitting. "I know you want the SEITEN for the end of the month, that's what you told me the other day?"
"Yeah, it's for Kallen's birthday." Lelouch replied.
Rakshata sighed. "I'll cooperate with Cecile, but there's no way I'm letting Pudding touch my Guren a second time."
"A second time?" Chiba asked confusingly.
"Forget it, Nagisa." Lelouch said dismissively.
Suddenly, Sawasaki, Suzaku, Kirihara and the other members of the Kyoto group entered the meeting room.
"So, what's today's topic?" Suzaku asked once everyone was sat down.
"We're going to talk about the Chinese Federation." A voice boomed on the assembly.
The masked messiah entered the meeting room and sat down at the center of the half-circle table.
"What's up with them?" Ohgi asked.
"Our main priority is to formalize our alliance with China." Zero declared.
"But I heard them being neutral was helping to determine Britannia's position in the Pacific thanks to the radar surveillance they give us." Chiba said, turning to Lelouch.
"If the Chinese Federation officially allies with us, they'll declare war on Britannia." Kaguya pointed out.
"And if the Chinese Federation allies with Britannia, what do you think will happen to us?" Lelouch asked rhetorically. "Right now, the Chinese can taunt Britannia whenever they want, because Britannia can't declare war on them. But if Britannia manages to win the war against Europe, then…"
"Then what?" Chiba snapped. "Europe is winning the war against Britannia."
Lelouch rolled his eyes. "The powers can be balanced at any moment, you know. I see things you don't see."
Ohgi narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by that?"
He sighed. "Britannia accelerated its Knightmares production. It means they will be ready for a counteroffensive soon."
Stanley Stadtfeld was on the waiting room of the immigration bureau in Tokyo. Ironically, this place was once the Honorary citizenship bureau under the Britannian rule. Stanley remembered it, because he had accompanied Shihobu when he had proposed her the compromise of her staying in the Mansion.
He chuckled bitterly. "And now it's my turn."
Soon after what the declaration of independence, Stanley had discovered that his daughter was fighting with the Black Knights from the very beginning. He should have guessed that Kallen would follow Naoto's path after his death, but he hadn't see it, because he was far away from home. That was why he decided to come back, even if he would be depicted as a traitor by the Britannians.
Suddenly a young girl wearing an officer uniform entered the office. Stan instantly recognized her.
"Kallen!" He exclaimed.
His daughter seemed to have heard him, and walked in his direction with a straight face.
"It's been a while." She said casually. "But I think I'd be better if we talk elsewhere, I don't like eavesdroppers."
Kallen led her father to a room.
"This room is freed from audio & video surveillance." She said while letting her father entering the room. "But we are few to know that. Some thinks that big brother Lelouch is watching you there, and some thinks that he doesn't want to concentrate on a full-scale surveillance of the building because he has other preoccupations." Kallen shrugged. "I know it's both."
Mr. Stadtfeld sat down. "Are you under Lelouch's orders?"
"Yeah." She replied while going to the coffee machine. "Coffee?"
"Yes, please." He replied diplomatically.
"I'm Colonel." Kallen declared while making the coffee. Then she shook her head. "It's mostly for jurisdiction problems: I don't really want too much people to tell me what I should do."
"But, what is your work, exactly?" Kallen's father asked weakly.
She stared at him with a stern look. "What do you think I'm doing?" Kallen chuckled. "Knitting?"
He gritted his teeth. "No but…"
"I kill." She interrupted him coldly. "I destroy, I annihilate."
Stanley gulped.
"But I'm also protecting my family from the Britannians." Kallen continued.
Her father was left speechless for a few instants. She gave him his cup of coffee.
"But are you part of my family?" She asked absently. "It is the million dollar question."
"I know we haven't spoken for years." He began weakly. "But we're on the same boat now."
Kallen raised an eyebrow. "Lelouch told me you gave up everything in Pendragon in order to see your wife and your daughter."
Stanley nodded.
"What is … the nature of your relation with Prince Lelouch?" He asked finally.
"Do I need to draw you a picture?" Kallen retorted.
He flinched.
After a moment of awkward silence, Kallen's father spoke. "He reminds me of Naoto."
Kallen took a slip of her coffee. "Because he's idealistic?"
The former Earl shook his head. "No. Because he seems to enjoy reminding the adults that he's the one in control. Naoto was like this when we had our arguments."
"What do you think of him?" She asked. "You can talk frankly."
He lowered his eyes. "I think he has the same superiority complex the other members of the Imperial Family have."
Kallen chuckled. "Is that so?" Then her gaze darkened. "Let me tell you a story, then. It is a state secret, a Britannian state secret, I mean."
Stanley narrowed his eyes.
"Lelouch, along with most of his siblings, are the results of genetic experiments based on Eugenics."
"What?" He snapped.
"With the progress of genetics." Kallen continued. "Our beloved Emperor Charles began to think that he could literally create a superior breed of rulers. No, in fact it was a project his father had begun."
"But, it's nonsense!" Stanley shouted.
"You see?" She said coldly. "You keep on having faith on your old country. Why do you think The Emperor elevated a commoner to the rank of consort, huh? For love?" Kallen chuckled again. "No. It's because the tests showed that the great Lady Marianne was compatible to Emperor Charlie. Some of the children showed interesting results, like Schneizel, Lelouch, and maybe Cornelia, but the other children didn't show much of a supposedly superiority. In the end, the most perfect being of the family would ascend to the throne and would lead the Empire to an era of prosperity by conquering the World. That was Lelouch's grandfather plan. Emperor Charles found it amusing and put it on practice."
Her father digested her words and finally said. "Britannian ideology to its fullest … But something went wrong, right?"
"Yeah." Kallen nodded nonchalantly. "Schneizel's dead while Lelouch and Cornelia have renounced to their claim to the throne. And the younger children who might have showed a superior mind didn't have the time to show it. The Empire's projects to unify the World are far from being possible now."
Stanley massaged his sinuses. "Why did you want me to know about this?"
Kallen sighed. "Lelouch may have a superior mind, but he has an indestructible desire to be normal and to live a normal life. It is one of the reasons of why I fell in love with him. Or did I really need a reason?"
"I see…" He said slowly.
"You know." She began. "You had said that you welcomed us in your house because you needed an heir and because the other was sterile."
Stanley winced.
"I hated you a lot for that." Kallen admitted, and then grinned. "But, by spending time trying to understand Lelouch, I've been able to detect these kinds of lie."
Lelouch vi Britannia was on his office in Tokyo, thinking at his future plans.
'If I want to win against my father, I must analyze his personality and predict his strategies.'
Meanwhile, Charles Zi Britannia was sitting on his throne, doing the same thing.
'Lelouch made everything in order to keep the war into his advantage.' Charles thought. 'He's advertizing his victories in order to give the Britannians soldiers an illusion of security if they put themselves under his banner.'
'My father is accustomed to delegate the wars to Schneizel and Bismarck.' Lelouch thought. 'But it doesn't mean he isn't a military genius. When he was my age he conquered Chile and Argentina with only one army corps. His main strategy is to give the enemy a force demonstration and then he strikes fear in them through intimidation.'
'Lelouch won all of his battles, which means he is overconfident.' The Emperor thought. 'But he surely knows about me entering the war considering the leak of the Atlantic offensive, so he'll be more precautious.'
'His tactics lack precision; they are based on domination alone. But it doesn't mean he won't adopt some of Schneizel's tactics in order to win the war. After all, his only preoccupation is the capture of C.C.'
'Lelouch placed civil and military ships of the Chinese Federation in the International waters near Area 11 in order to taunt me, knowing that I won't touch them. He has now the advantage of knowing our troops' positions in the Pacific thanks to China's neutrality. Any attempt of a surprise assault in Area 11 is impossible.'
'My father's priority is to push the Chinese Federation into stopping them from cooperating with me, since they are our main support. But the well-known fact that the Akatsuki Knightmare Frames have been constructed by India makes Britannia reluctant to try to intimidate the Chinese Federation.'
'But my son won't stay on the defensive for long. He will deploy some of its troops in Area 2, Area 9 or Area 12 because he can't stand the status quo. Still, any defeat on his side could break the illusion of the separatist' mighty power, but any defeat on my side could provoke another major insurrection in the Empire. This is why I have to determine his next offensive with extreme attention.'
Lelouch opened a map of the area and placed chess pieces in it.
'Cornelia, one of the Black Queens, is going to Alaska with Suzaku, a Black Knight.' Lelouch thought, moving two pieces on the map. 'Todoh, the other Black Knight, is staying in Sapporo in order to protect the north of the country. Still, I can move him…'
'Lelouch will probably leave the insurrection in Area 2 to Cornelia, and our intelligence goes in this way. We also received information of an enemy offensive in the Okhotsk littoral. He will probably try to score another victory there, but it might me a false piece of information.'
Lelouch had finished putting the pieces on the map. Most of the black pieces were in Japan and he was holding the Black King on his hand.
'And now.' Lelouch thought. 'I need to move the Black King…'
He widened his eyes.
'I've analyzed his battles.' Charles thought. 'He's concentrating on cutting the head of the enemy himself. Lelouch knows that Guinevere is in Area 9, and the piece of information concerning Bismarck's deployment will surely leak. It is not something that will give fear to him, since he had faced Cornelia straight on in the past. No, I think he'll attack Area 9 with most of his forces in order to kill Bismarck and capture Guinevere.'
'That's it!' Lelouch thought with amazement. 'I'm not the Black King! Zero is C.C and it's her, the Black King! The game will stop when she's captured. And me, I'm the player who holds the role of a chess piece sometimes.'
'Lelouch is persuaded that his perfect World and his War has to be led by him.' Charles thought. 'The fact that he isn't Zero anymore is just a decoy and also because he fears mutiny.'
'I understand why C.C wanted me to stop being Zero.' Lelouch thought with a smile. 'It is in order to not bear the entire World's fate on my shoulders. Right now, I'm only part of the people who will change the World. I've completely forgot what my main role was.'
'It only needs Lelouch's death to stop the edification of his foolish utopia.' Charles thought with a smirk.
'It is where my second Geass helps. I've brought back people in my timeline who desire the same things as I, a peaceful World. This is God's Reward: I'm not the only one who will work in the creation of a World without militarist logic, there is also C.C, Suzaku, Euphie, Xingke, Cornelia … Me, I'm only there to destroy Britannia. Or is it really my exact role?'
'Lelouch's modus operandi during his battles reflects his true intentions.' Charles thought. 'Every time, he obliterates the enemy's forces. His main priority is Annihilation.'
'My priority is not exactly the destruction of Britannia.' Lelouch thought. 'I'm not fighting against Britannia for revenge; I'm doing it because it's necessary in order to finally live a peaceful life and in order to create a better World. My soldiers have the same ideology than I, and our real duty is to protect the free World from Britannia. That's right, my main priority is Protection. Which is why…'
'… His next offensive will be in Area 9.' Charles thought finally, before being interrupted by The Knight of Four's entrance in the palace.
Villetta entered Lelouch's office and gave him a document.
"Here are the transcripts of the conversations of today with the continent, Master." She said absently.
"The OSI bureau has received an interesting piece of information from Tokyo today, your Majesty." Dorothea Ernst said while bowing at Charles.
Lelouch read the paper and smirked.
Akito and Leila were in a warehouse in Kanazawa, preparing themselves for the next operation.
"So, this is the Knightmare I'll pilot." Akito said casually, referring to the blue unit in front of him. "The Black Knights have offered this Akatsuki Commander Model to America, and they have upgraded it a bit."
"Is it a hadron blaster?" Leila asked.
Akito nodded.
"It suits your hair color." She pointed out.
He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm glad to finally pilot a Japanese Knightmare, instead of the usual Alexander or the St. Exupery."
"Indian." Leila corrected.
Akito shrugged. "Whatever."
"By the way, have you heard the news?" She asked suddenly.
He raised an eyebrow. "No, what happened?"
"The EU federal Government has ordered the general mobilization." Leila declared.
"And?"
"Some state members might decide to leave." She explained.
"But what about the war?" Akito asked.
"It has been stipulated in the Britannian declaration of war that the Empire only holds against the federal Government." Leila said. "If the people of the EU don't want the war anymore, they'll just have to denounce the Government and secede from the Euro Universe. Their parliament just has to vote Article 50 of the UE treaty they signed."
"What will happen to us?" The former exiled Japanese asked. "I mean, I just have been granted of the Japanese citizenship again so …"
She shrugged. "I don't know. General Smilas or Field Marshall Van De Voorde will decide of our fate. I have the German nationality, thanks to my adoptive family, so if they secede from Europe they'll have no choice but to free me."
Takeshi and Katerina were supervising the boarding of the Knightmares to the ships in the Kagoshima harbor. The Liberation Army would attack in a few days and they were already preparing the equipment. The Knightmares were Vincent Wards and Vincent Commander Models, all painted in Black and Gold: Lelouch's colors.
"Tell me Takeshi." Katerina said suddenly. "Why are you following Lelouch's orders? I mean, Kallen's crazy and Akito had spent too much time in Europe to have that Japanese pride, but you, what is your motivation?"
He lowered his eyes. "I want to destroy Britannia."
"I want to destroy Britannia too." She retorted. "It's not a satisfying answer."
Takeshi blinked. "Zero created this country as an outpost to destroy Britannia; I hope you're conscious about it. A knight for Justice isn't expected to wage a war against a people, so he created America to destroy Britannia from within. Besides, it opens another front and Japan doesn't dirty his hands."
Katerina burst out laughing. "You really think Zero is the mastermind behind all of this, right?"
He smirked. "I'm sure of it."
'And it's highly probable that he controls at least Cornelia and Lelouch with his power.' Takeshi thought for himself. 'He's probably supervising the battles through them, which is why an unknown teenager suddenly turns out to be a military genius.'
Katerina's voice snapped his thoughts. "Personally, I think Lelouch is the one who created all of this, which is why I'm here."
Takeshi rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say. The Japanese idolize their masked messiah and the Britannians …"
He noticed the cold glare coming from his teammate.
"Sorry, the Americans." Takeshi said quickly. "They idolize the former members of the royal family."
"The people needs to be led by a greater authority, am I right?" Katerina asked rhetorically.
"Well…"
"Shut up, I've been raised with that shitty sentence."
Anchorage, Area 2 of the Holy Britannian Empire and provisory capital of the Free State of Alaska
General Thomas Beckett was a rather pragmatic man who prioritized dignity over honor. He was a smart military officer and knew exactly who to join if even Cornelia had renounced to Britannia. Two weeks after the declaration of independence, he broadcasted a speech on the military bases he had the charge on in Area 2, and with the help of his trusted subordinates, Beckett managed to convince his soldiers to rebel against Britannia. They had taken tactical places and kept on recruiting soldiers and gathering equipment. Beckett wasn't a fool; he knew the four former royals had the ambition to conquer the whole mainland. That was why he had decided to create an outpost in the continent to help them succeed in their task. After all, it was way better for their publicity to help allied separatists rather than plan a brutal offensive on the Britannians' comfort place.
He looked at the screen in front of him, showing the battles going on. Michele Manfredi, the Knight of Two, was leading an offensive from the north and Nonette Enneagram, the Knight of Nine, was advancing her troops at the south-East. And the Britannian Navy was doing their barrage fire to the city of Anchorage. Even if General Beckett managed to repel their countless offensives since a week, he wouldn't hold any longer.
Suddenly he saw something approaching the Britannian ships.
A white flash.
In less than one minute, the fifty enemy ships were obliterated.
"You bastard!" A Britannian pilot shouted on the open channel.
"I gave them the choice to surrender." Suzaku retorted.
Fifteen Britannian flight-enabled Gloucesters encircled the Lancelot.
Suzaku activated the Energy Wings.
Then he disappeared from the enemy's sight.
Only to obliterate them all.
"You are free to land." Suzaku said to Cornelia on the radio.
"Good." Cornelia replied. She was on a furtive submarine they had 'stolen' to a Navy Base located in the former Area 11.
She turned to her three subordinates. "Prepare your Vincents, we're going to open the way to the landing troops."
"Yes, Ma'am." Claudio, Liliana and Marika chorused while making the military salute.
"Uhm, excuse me, Chief General." Claudio said.
"Yes?"
"May I know where Alfred is?" He asked.
Cornelia's eye twitched. "Captain Alfred Darlton has been affected to another mission."
Suddenly, something caught their eye on the screen.
Suzaku noticed Knightmares approaching from the south-East. There were thirty Vincents led by a too much familiar Knightmare. The Percival.
"I'm taking care of them." He said on the radio.
Suzaku looked at his energy indicator. He had 70% energy left.
"Good."
He drew his VARIS and shot to the Knightmares in the vanguard.
"Suzaku Kururugi." Luciano's annoying voice resonated on the cockpit. "It will be a pleasure for me to stain your cockpit with your filthy Eleven blood."
Luciano fired the hadron blaster to the Lancelot but Suzaku avoided it easily.
Ten Vincents tried to encircle him, so he went on contact and drew his MVS.
Luciano activated his luminous lance and fired some missiles from his shield in direction of the Lancelot.
Suzaku avoided the hits and the missiles landed on a Vincent.
"Tell me, Kururugi." He said while approaching the Lancelot. "What do people value the most?"
Suzaku grinned. 'I guess I won't need your help for this one, Lelouch.'
"I'm not found of riddles." He replied simply. "But I guess the answer is : their desire to live a peaceful life."
Suzaku feigned immobilization in order to make Luciano approached. Then, he slashed his MVS in order to neutralize his lance.
Luciano gritted his teeth. "Why you little…"
Suzaku fired a slash harken in direction of the Percival's shield. Then he drew his other MVS and sliced the Knight of Ten's Knightmare in two.
The fifteen remaining Vincent pilots relaxed their sphincters and ejected.
Okhotsk Littoral, Far East of Area 12 of the Holy Britannian Empire and 50 kilometers away from the Manchurian border
Duke Alexis Ivanov was leading the defense forces of Area 12 massed on the Okhotsk littoral. They were waiting for an offensive coming from the separatists, the Black Knights, or both. Ivanov didn't know exactly why they would attack there, was it for the resources? Was it to shut down the Russian Front in order to help their European allies? The last option seemed to be the most logical one. After all, these fools promoted equality…
The Viceroy of Area 12 widened his eyes.
Hundreds of Knightmares appeared above the Sea of Okhotsk. The one leading them was a black Knightmare Frame, the Zangetsu. Todoh's Knightmare.
Ivanov smirked. The Holy Britannian Empire expected their offensive. More than twenty thousand units were gathered on the littoral. Duke Ivanov let the Russian front to the Knight of Three, Lord Fellanny, and gathered all of the remaining units stationed in the Area in order to give these fools a nice reception committee.
'And then, the first to score a victory against them shall be me!'
Above the Naval base of Pearl Harbor, Area 9 of the Holy Britannian Empire
Bismarck Waldstein and Guinevere su Britannia were on the command center of the Avalon. The Emperor's deductions and the intelligence in Area 11 said that the former Prince Lelouch would be leading an offensive on Area 9 in order to capture the Prime Minister and probably to kill the Knight of One. At first, Bismarck thought that him being there would push Lelouch not to come, but by analyzing his battles the Knight of One started to think that he would come even if he knew that the piece of information had leaked. Lelouch was Zero, and he had a Geass that could control people; it was something Emperor Charles revealed to Bismarck before departing to Area 9.
"I don't see why he would come." Guinevere said, slightly annoyed. "We should negotiate with the High Eunuchs instead of holding this position."
"His Majesty's orders were clear." Bismarck replied simply.
Suddenly, the screen in the Avalon showed that they had a call coming from the Imperial canal.
The staff accepted the call.
Lelouch appeared on the screen.
Guinevere widened her eyes.
"Stubborn minions of an outdated Empire, I salute you!" He exclaimed. Lelouch was wearing his officer uniform and seemed to be on his cockpit.
"Are you there to negotiate your surrender?" Guinevere sneered.
Lelouch smirked. "Yes. But I'm not surrendering to you."
"What?" She snapped.
"What does this mean?" Bismarck asked prudently. Contrary to Schneizel, Lelouch was a mystery. He was hard to understand and his ambitions were hard to discern, even for the Emperor.
Lelouch's grin became even wider. "I'm surrendering to something even Britannia can't fight."
Guinevere scoffed. "Nonsense."
Lelouch ignored his half-sister and continued. "I'm surrendering to something that has been able to kill me once."
Bismarck was taken aback for a moment, but regained his senses when a person of the staff spoke.
"We've located the signal!" He shouted. "It … it comes from below our ships location, two kilometers away from our position!"
'A furtive submarine!' Bismarck thought quickly. 'But he's crazy!'
"I, Lelouch vi Britannia, former 99th Ruler of the Britannian Empire, surrender to the people's desire for a better future!"
In the submarine below the Britannian ships in Pearl Harbor, Alfred G. Darlton cut down the transmission with the Avalon.
"Yes, your Majesty!" He shouted while activating the detonator he held on his hands.
The liquid Sakuradite in the submarine exploded.
Manchurian Border, Chinese Federation
The Britannian border posts had just been all destroyed by Lelouch's forces.
The Liberation Army entered Area 12.
"To all forces!" Lelouch shouted in his Gawain's radio. "Annihilate all the Britannian troops located in Russia!"
Then he said to himself. "It is time to create a buffer Zone to protect the free World I'll help to edificate, the United Federation of Nations!"
AN: In first part, Area 11 has been conquered by Lelouch in Chapter 11, in the second part Area 12 will be freed on chapter 12.
But it was purely unintentional.
Until next time. Don't forget to leave a comment on the review section if you appreciated the chapter, the story, or both :D