Lulu's Bizarre Rebellion

by Ezit Meti

Lelouch Lamperouge was a boy with an ambition; To one day bring down the corrupt nation of Britannia and create a peaceful world for his sister. However, a single arrow gifted him a power that will help him reach his ambition. Stands... Ripple... A feud between two bloodlines that transcends time... And that's only the beginning of this bizarre rebellion!

25. With One Stone

Disclaimer: Code Geass belongs to Sunrise. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is property of Hirohiko Araki.

Chapter 25: With One Stone

The Britannian Empire had long felt that their Knightmare Frames gave them a terrifying advantage over the other militaries of the world. Fast. Agile. Overwhelmingly strong and versatile assets on the battlefield which displaced more conventional weaponry from the very first time they were deployed in combat.

And now Stands threaten to displace them. To warriors like Cornelia this was an intolerable fate. She moved to commision Knightmares specifically tailored to match and overcome the unpredictable might and abilities offered by this supernatural power.

Now those Knightmares shall be put to the test. The Black Knights will ride to the defense of the Japan Liberation Front, bringing their terrible powers alongside them. The two sides will clash on Narita mountains. They shall push themselves to the limit in a tremendous battle for dominance.

All the while, a different battle will wage within their hearts. The struggle between their sense of justice versus their own wants and needs. Some birds can't ever be killed by just one stone.

====Kallen====

You never forget your first love. It's one of those moments that gets burned into your mind the instant it happens, a constant permanent reminder of what once was. You sort of gain an appreciation for those sappy love songs that are always on about never wanting to leave your loved one's side, of feeling lonely when they're not around. Sure, lyrically and musically they're still pretty bankrupt attempts at manipulation but at least now you have full context for the emotions they are manipulating. It isn't the same as loving your friends loving your family or loving your nation.

It wasn't even the kind of situation that would usually be associated with that emotion. There they were in the fallout of the meeting with Kyoto, rushing about and trying to arrange the counterattack that would save the JLF main base of operations. Some of Kyoto's operatives had guided them into the basement, led them through into what appeared to be a storage facility combined with a tech lab.

They entered the large dark room, then the lights came on and that was the moment Kallen fell in love. That physique, that stance. Radiating effortless power and command while staying perfectly still. It felt as though there was nobody else in the room, just the two of them staring at each other and both knowing they were meant to be together.

"Beautiful," Kallen whispered, reaching out to touch the love of her life for the very first time. Tall. Powerful. Absolutely gorgeous. Sleek. Clad in red, aside from a silver right arm that should have looked out of place on the design, but somehow made this behemoth seem all the more imposing instead. "Absolutely beautiful."

"Yes, I think so too! Then again, a mother is always biased where her children are concerned."

A tall Indian woman stepped out from behind the bright red Knightmare drawing a long drag from a longer cigarette. "Rakshata," she said by way of introduction. "And you must be the ace pilot Zero and her shadow were talking about."

"That is correct!" Zero's voice boomed around the room. "Even without her Stand, Kallen is our best pilot!"

"W-wait a minute!" Kallen protested, "Shouldn't Zero take this? I mean-"

"My Stand is powerful, but my piloting skills are nonexistant," Zero replied. "This Knightmare suits you better."

"The best Knightmare should go to the best pilot," Painted Black added. "Though we really don't have the time to argue. You had better familiarise yourself with the controls, because you'll be using it very soon. Tamaki, come with us. We need to develop a plan alongside General Katase."

"Hey, no argument here! Man, this is gonna be awesome!"

Right. That seemed to be the end of the conversation. The two of them were already moving on, leaving her alone with this amazing machine and her thoughts. Jumpin' Jack Flash drifted around it, examining the strange silver left arm, which dwarfed the other in size. The Stand flew inside to examine the cockpit, found that the seating arrangements were shaped more like a motorcycle seat than any of the Britannian models they'd stolen.

Which was rather the point in the end. This wasn't some stolen technology, nor was this anything given to them by the mysterious benefactors Zero and Painted Black had somehow acquired. This was made by Kyoto House's engineers and funds, designed by the Indian woman watching her from the side of the room. Not Britannian. Theirs.

"Like what you see?" Rakshata asked. "Hmm… I wonder if you would let me take a look at your Stand one day. I can hardly wait to determine the natural explanation for them."

"... At least you have the courtesy to ask," Kallen said. Rakshata didn't seem to take any notice. Instead, she was more concerned with the way the engineers were packing the Guren for transport. Strange how protective some mothers can be of their children, wasn't it? "You really think there's a natural explanation?"

"Of course," Rakshata replied, eyes never wandering from the red war machine for a second. So protective of her pet project. "Anything that exists in this world can be explained by natural laws. By scientific definition, the supernatural is an impossibility. We simply don't know the explanation for Stands yet, but when we do understand them? Who knows, I might even be able to create something that surpasses the Guren. Good hunting, and be sure to bring my baby back in one piece."

No question about that. Kallen was normally the kind of person to get excited about a battle, but this time it felt different. Bringing something like this with her was going to give them another edge. Their resources were growing, when before it felt like they were constantly diminishing. They had Stands, they had whatever the hell C.C. was, they had Zero's power and Painted Black's tactical ability. Their manpower was growing and now they were gaining technological superiority. What seemed like a battle that would take decades, at a minimum, now felt like it could be over by the end of the year. For the first time in forever, Kallen's heart was swelling with a forgotten emotion; Hope.

"Kallen, are you able to take part in this?" asked the ground beneath her feet. All of a sudden, a shadow reared up off the floor and was standing upright next to her. Sort of like a person had sprouted out of nowhere. "Do you feel that you can fight with all of your strength?"

"If I'm piloting that machine and my Stand, I feel like I could walk right into Pendragon. Where are we taking this bad boy anyway?"

"One day perhaps you will walk that beast into Pendragon," Painted Black replied. "For now; focus on the battle. Fight at your strongest. I know it will be difficult, but try not to think about -"

And that was where the hairs on the back of her neck began to rise a little. She turned her attention towards the shadow that was Painted Black's Stand, she scanned the surrounding area and saw the ink black figure himself engaged in animated discussion with Katase, Tohdoh and Zero. Incredible. Able to hold two conversations at once...

"Where are we fighting?" she asked again. "Where exactly is the JLF base of operations?"

"... Narita mountain."

Kallen glared at the shadow, and her hand reached out to grab him by the lapel, with the intention of demanding he repeat what he'd just said. Of course, her hand went right through and the same would have been the case if she'd tried with JJF. There was nothing else for it but to calm herself down.

"Narita?!" she repeated. "They're based in Narita?! The same place those Britannian bastards are injecting god knows what into my still recovering mother?!"

"I can only guess at their reasons," Painted Black snarled. The effect made him seem… Demonic. Almost frightening, but then again with the mood she was in, Kallen was pretty sure she could scare any demon to death. "But we will not force you to participate in -"

Ernest Hemingway once said "Worry a little bit every day and in a lifetime you will lose a couple of years. If something is wrong, fix it if you can. But train yourself not to worry: Worry never fixes anything." You could say it was for this reason alone that Kallen pulled herself up straight, swallowed her concerns and bade her eyes to shed no tears. Worry never solved a problem by itself. No sign of weakness here. No sign of rightful concern over her mother's proximity to a battle zone they were about to head into, for what good was concern when it would be better for all involved if she were there? For she was the best pilot out of all of them. It is not strong to feel no emotional injury. It is strength to feel it, to embrace it, to weather it and march on regardless.

"To hell with that!" Kallen declared, walking clean through the shadow and storming off towards the truck where the Guren had been packed away, as if nothing had been mentioned at all. "What are we doing wasting time talking like this? We have to go save the last living vein of Japan!"

They were doing it again. Britannia was ruining her life. Again! In the cruelest way possible. Not deliberately. No, no. As a side effect of their other actions. That was the truly cruel part about it. She could almost handle it if there was someone deliberately targeting her, a singular nemesis that she could hunt down with the Guren…

She climbed inside the cockpit and closed her eyes, eager for the battle to begin. If there was anything that could take her mind off this depressing topic, it would have to be familiarising herself with these systems. Focusing her attention on a single fact. This was their chance to capture the Viceroy. This was their chance to do significant damage to Britannia's hold over Japan. People were relying on her. People needed her to be strong. But Kallen had no intention of being strong on this battlefield.

It was her intention to be the very incarnation of death.

====Lelouch====

A short time later and, despite his empathy for Kallen's situation, Lelouch could hardly hold back his smile. Certainly, this was progressing a trifle quicker than expected. But this time he was prepared for the possibility. Oh yes. No getting caught flat footed this time around. Everything was in place already. He had a team in Narita already - and he did quite sincerely hope that Kallen's mother was already safe - the rest of the Black Knights had been informed of the situation, and even now Zero was galvanizing them into action. Their colleague was in the midst of danger. They had to rescue him. C.C. had insisted on attending this mission personally to keep an eye on her new contractor, but she would do quite well at assisting him. Provided that she wasn't recognised. For once the pieces were falling into place and he barely had to give them any push at all. He had assumed the worst case scenario, and what do you know? Here it had arrived, bang on time.

"Man, how much longer is this gonna be?" Tamaki said over their communication device, the adult, and dare he even say military equivalent of a child complaining about the vacation car ride. "Gonna get a cramp waiting for this damn thing to arrive…"

"Have a little patience," Lelouch advised. "When the fighting starts, you'll wish you were back here."

Which is when his phone rang. He recognised the number immediately, because of course he did. He switched off the external comms, cutting himself off from the outside world. A simple shadow message to Shirley told her what she'd need to know. If it were anyone else, he could divide his attention between talking with them and giving instructions through Painted Black. But this person required his utmost attention.

"Hello big brother!"

"Hello, Nunnally!" he replied, shifting into the tone he used at school. The mask of an innocent lazy genius. "I'm sorry, I don't think I'll be home for dinner tonight. Shirley's uncle… Well, it's supposed to be a surprise. I'll have to tell you more about it later on."

"That's alright," Nunnally said, but did he sense a slight waver in her tone? Concern? Well. He had been spending less time with her recently. That much was understandable, but somehow he suspected meeting Joseph would help make up for his lack of attention, though the only thing that could make up fully was his own presence. "I noticed Kallen was sick again as well. Do you think she's alright?"

"I'm not sure it's her this time," Lelouch said. He couldn't ever quite bring himself to lie to his sister, unless one counted lies of omission. "I heard that her mother's sick - Hello? Nunnally?"

"Ah! So sorry! I dropped the phone. I- I was practising Ripple techniques, and my hands are still a little wet."

"I suspect they are," he said, and his tone slipped just slightly. "Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing… Really, big brother!" Nunnally said, but if you listened carefully enough you could hear the resignation in her voice. A good thing too. He'd never had the need to bring out the "disappointed elder brother" tone before. So far as he was concerned it was better sealed away in a concrete safe and hurled to the depths of the ocean. "It's something C.C. mentioned the other day, and it made me a little worried."

"Hm? Worried? What did she tell you?"

"That Stand users attract each other." she sniffed. "I'm - I'm worried you might run into another one out there. Please be careful!"

Ah. Is that what it was? Yes, C.C. had mentioned something similar to him before. Well then. After he'd finished wiping out the Japan Liberation Front for scaring his little sister, he would just have to see about finding some way to torment a certain immortal witch. It might be the most difficult thing he'd ever do, but even an immortal must have levers to pull in their minds.

"Nunnally… Did you forget who your big brother is? There's nothing to worry about at all! Even if a hostile Stand user did appear, I'll stay away from danger."

"You will? Then… What if you can't?"

"Then I'll defeat the enemy with my own two hands! They shall rue the day that they dared to cross paths with… Painted Black! Or something to that effect, at the very least. Please, try not to worry. I'm sure it's just your imagination playing tricks on you."

"Alright. I… I understand. I love you."

"I love you too."

Well. If anything could brighten his spirits more than that he couldn't think of it. His full attention could now return to the battle in progress. The monitor in front of him came to life, illustrating an overlay of the mountain range they were fast approaching: The image obtained not from his own Burai's factsphere, but an image transmitted from the Japan Liberation Front's own base.

Cornelia's forces had approached in, broadly, the formation anticipated. Minor variation to prevent predictability, because at the moment your opponent can predict your next move... Well, that is a move closer to their victory and your humiliation. Still, their options were limited under the circumstances. Wall off the surrounding area in a basic restrict and search pattern. Have reinforcements nearby, ready to pounce into battle at a moment's notice. Wait for the enemy to break the line, then bring the fury of Britannia upon their heads.

Ah! A message from General Katase. "I hope you're sitting comfortably," he said with a rather smug tone to his voice. "The real show is about to start! … Hm? Where is Zero?"

"Co-ordinating with the rest of the Black Knights," Lelouch said. It was amazing the level of multitasking you could accomplish with a Stand. All he had to do was have Painted Black stay by the phone while she relayed coded instructions, listen to the conversation, and shadow-write appropriate responses. "After all, you will almost certainly need our help."

"That might not be necessary after all," Katase said, and the image of his face transformed to show the overlay of Narita mountainside. "We've hardly been idle these last few weeks. Due to recent events we've felt it necessary to update our security."

By which he probably meant "Tohdoh felt it necessary." Lelouch leaned forward, resting his jaw upon his chin. Better to let the fool speak his mind. His pride had allowed him to return to this combat zone to "personally lead" the victory over Cornelia. His ego must have taken a greater strike by the existence of the Black Knights than he originally believed.

"We had our engineering corps quite busy," Katase continued. The image began to shift across the terrain, lighting it up in various degrees of red or blue. "A few carefully positioned explosives across the mountainside changes everything quite drastically, wouldn't you say?"

Oh, how laughable this was. You could easily see it by watching these two in motion. Within the Japan Liberation Front, General Katase was the heart. A word from him and his men would toss themselves off the nearest cliff. His claim to his rank was his passion and charisma… And the fact that he had Tohdoh under his command, for within the Japan Liberation Front Tohdoh was the brain. Neither could function effectively or efficiently without the other.

"It was our original intention to use the Guren to accomplish this effect," Katase continued. "However, the destructive output would have been too unpredictable. We estimate the mudslide would have been two to three times the size though it might have been much larger still."

"Oh? Concern for the settlement?" Now, that was interesting. "No… I would say you were more concerned about your reputation. That is the biggest stumbling block for your organisation, is it not? 'I hate Britannia, but cannot condone terrorism'. I suspect that is the real reason you decided against using the Radiant Wave generator; Because of a concern for recruitment, where the Black Knights have been so successful. Am I wrong, General?"

Katase's face appeared again on the monitor. He glared at Lelouch for a few moments, not saying a word. Staring as if attempting to get a read on a man without being able to see a single feature on his face. There was frustration in the General's eyes, and why shouldn't there be? Here was the Black Knight's tactical officer giving him lip, him, the leader of the Japan Liberation Front. Him, the General holding together the final remains of a culture on its deathbed.

Him, the man keeping Japan from ever having a future. His passion was misplaced. Therefore, he had no place within the Black Knights, even if Katase had not made the foolish decision to twice endanger his dear innocent little sister.

"You are to act as our reserve forces," Katase insisted through grit teeth. "It is my intention to make you see that we do not need your help, no matter what you say! Japanese pride lives on, and this day it shall rise from the ashes! As you can see, the Four Holy Swords are now joining the battle, and before long Tohdoh of Miracles will lead them into - Wh-What? What is this?"

What indeed. Lelouch didn't even need to look to see what was causing the problem. He knew immediately. What else could it be at this time, but that eternal ruiner of plans? Lelouch closed his eyes: He could picture it as clear as day. The rocky mountainside. Burais appearing from concealed cave entrances to ambush advancing Britannian troops -

But even as they cut down the Gloucesters and Sutherlands there would be no time to rest. No time to celebrate. Something would burst through the very earth itself, and before the first of the Burais had the slightest chance to turn to meet the new presence a dazzling kick would have arrived into one of them, probably the side or perhaps from above. In either event the Japanese made Knightmare would be rendered useless, and if the pilot was lucky they might be able to eject.

The second would have the presence of mind to open fire immediately. To no avail. The bullets would be deflected, an arm would be raised and a Slash Harken would leave another monument to inferior technology.

The third might realise their position and attempt to escape, rappelling over the mounds of earth with their own Slash Harken while attempting to keep the terrible beast at bay with sustained fire. However. This failed to account for the enemy's incredible speed as it dashed around the bullets and with a frighteningly speedy leap not only reached the retreating Burai but then proceeded to slice it in two… But this was merely a hypothetical scenario. It might not even be Lancelot. Perhaps one of the other advanced models they'd created to fight Stands...

"What do you mean one Knightmare is doing this? Bring it down! It must have some weakness!"

"Ah, General!" Lelouch coughed. "I'll spare you the taste of your injured pride. It was always the Black Knight's intention to become involved in this battle, whether you asked us to or not. No other routes were ever available to you from the very start."

The top of the truck split open and they rose out on a road overlooking the battle. The chaos caused by the mudslide had caused sufficient chaos for them to slip on inside the defensive perimeter. General Katase, it is unwise to gloat before victory is taken. Cornelia had underestimated his resolve, but what Lelouch had said was true enough. No other routes were available to him. If he refused the assistance of the Black Knights now, Kyoto would cut their funding.

"Now, Black Knights… Japan Liberation Front… Our objective is! To capture Cornelia!"

====Suzaku====

The initial moments after the mudslide were chaos and confusion. In the blink of an eye a significant portion of their forces had been lost. Lives erased without a second thought while he was stuck back here in reserve. A sickening display of reckless power, but the part that terrified Suzaku the most about this battle was how eager he was to join in.

Bloodlust? Far from it. What do you call a man that is good at something he despises doing? What do you call that person if he continues to do it because right there, right then it was the right thing to do? They were here in pursuit of criminals. Hostage takers, saboteurs, murderers and worse. Until the moment that landslide hit he would have been content to sit the battle out in reserve, watching for the moment he was needed and praying it would not come.

"Lloyd, what's going on out there?" he asked the man behind him.

"Another chance has appeared," Lloyd replied. "Looks like you'll be able to play the hero again. All we need is word from the Sub-Viceroy, and with the way these officers are pressuring her… I doubt it will be too much trouble convincing them to give the go ahead. In exchange for an exciting rescue I get more valuable battle data, so in the end everyone wins."

"Pressuring her? What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, you know how it is with the higher ranks. They're trying to push her into giving the order to move the G1 into battle, which quite frankly astounds me. Its ability to move through this altered terrain is much too limited now, all that would happen is we'd get caught up in the mud and dirt. On that note: Cecile? How are the sand panels coming?"

"We've already finished," Cecile replied. Huh? So that was the noise he'd been hearing just now? "They're not quite as efficient movers as Bedivere's landspinners, but you should be able to advance into the battlefield. When the order is given."

"No way to know when that might be. At this point I think she needs a little inspiration from a certain Devicer with whom she is absolutely not developing a romantic entanglement in defiance of their mutual stations in life. Oh dear, clumsy me, I've accidentally connected our comms line to the bridge as of… Now."

You might say that Suzaku missed the subtext of what Lloyd was saying there, but you'd be mistaken. That wasn't subtext, it was outright regular text in a twenty point Times New Roman font. In every other regard, you would have been correct.

"Hello!" Lloyd cheerily called. "Sorry to interrupt, but we were wondering if there's perhaps anything we might do to help. It is rather boring sitting here doing nothing."

"Seeking more glory?" one of the officers said in the background. "How typical. The most practical move is to -"

"Is to send out the Lancelot," Euphemia finished. "I might be wrong, but… The movement of the Japan Liberation Front makes it look like their goal is to isolate and capture my sis - the Viceroy. Please rescue her again, Warrant Officer"

"As you command."

That probably didn't sit too well with the military presence aboard the G1, but none of them would dare contradict a direct order from a member of the Royal family. That was how Suzaku once again found himself being ordered into combat, how he found himself piloting the Lancelot, dashing across the battlefield with sand panels attached to its feet to keep it from succumbing to the uneven ground. He would be upon the Viceroy's position in no time at all, ready to give the support that she needed.

"Assistance required!" a panicked voice stepped into his thoughts. "Repeat! Assistance required, immediately! The enemy has a new Knightmare and it - No! Get back! I can't die like this, not to an Elev-"

There are moments when you can feel the fates weaving their threads around you. It might manifest as a shudder down the spine, or perhaps an ominous headache. Time itself might screech to a halt or merely slow its pace. That didn't matter. The alert had come from a nearby location, and it was only a natural thing for him to turn and look.

And what did he behold? A Gloucester fortunate enough to dodge the landslide, backing away while firing at a red blur that advanced on his position like a ravenous predator. It fell upon the Gloucester in a moment's notice, and then came the stillness before the terror.

It was a Knightmare. Unlike any he'd seen before. True, that was hardly an original observation of late, but this one felt different in a manner he could not find the words to explain. It was as though the unique models developed to fight Stands had all been conceived by the same mind, or at least the same sort of minds. For all their difference, for all their quirks you could perceive a common thread among them. But this… This red behemoth was an entirely alien machine.

As if it was trying to live up to the expectation of an alien nature, its right hand was a massive silver claw. Wrapped around the cockpit of the Gloucester.

A strange energy began to build within that grip. Bright red, like the sort a poisonous animal might use to warn off predators. Suddenly the Gloucester began to swell, the metal expanding in ways that should not have been possible. Red sparks began to fire from the gaps within the frame in a manner that made it seem like someone had filled a balloon with too much water and now it was starting to burst…

And then the Knightmare burst completely, leaving nothing behind but a smouldering wreck.

"Oh my," Lloyd whistled. "A radiant wave surger! Suzaku, you might want to watch out for that one… Or better yet, move in for a closer look. I'm eager to see how Rakshata's latest work operates in comparison to Lancelot."

"I wouldn't bet on Lancelot," Suzaku admitted, because now something else was catching his attention. The modified factspheres were working as intended, it seemed. There was a presence floating behind this red monster. Floating in the air behind it like a dog following its master. "Not if that thing is being piloted by a Stand user."

It was unnerving seeing it like this. Humanoid form, coils for limbs and lightbulbs for hands and feet. Call it instinct if you like, but Suzaku knew who this person was before they even did anything with their Stand. This was the ace of the Black Knights, capable of blinding a person for five seconds, capable of moving at speeds higher than any normal person had the right to… In a Sutherland, in a Gloucester, he could win that fight. In this more advanced model?

In this more advanced model, she was the most dangerous thing on the battlefield. Where others might have said "my orders were to protect the Viceroy" and used it as an excuse to run, no, Suzaku Kururugi was the opposite. If he was to protect the Viceroy, if he was to ensure her safety then he absolutely had to eliminate this threat long before she got anywhere close!

"Sorry about this," Suzaku said. His hands were remarkably steady for someone that understood the risk he was taking. The VARIS rifle was in the Lancelot's hands, and the enemy was dead centre in his sights. "But I won't let you progress any further!"

The shots were fired, and Suzaku was already moving out of the way the next moment. The enemy had instantly dodged and initiated counterattack, leaping over towards his position. Fast. Just as fast as Lancelot… No, her heightened reaction time made it even faster!

"You again?" Q1 said. Another shot from the VARIS, but this time she blocked it with the silver claw's radiating light. "We really have to stop meeting like this. As in, this will be the last time!"

The counterattack came as quickly as he expected, with the enemy rapidly gliding into place with a devastating shoulder tackle. Suzaku attempted to roll with the blow, intending to turn the momentum back against the enemy with a crushing spinkick to the back. But she seemed to anticipate his move and rolled out of the way, pointing an arm mounted cannon directly at his cockpit.

"Was a Stand not enough?" Suzaku yelled, leaping backwards while activating his blaze luminous. "Now that you've had a taste for power, you want more. Am I wrong?"

"Enough to protect what matters. Not that you'd know anything about that, Britannian swine!"

"Protect!" Suzaku retaliated. He fired a Slash Harken while leaping into the air, lashing out with the weapon as though it was a whip. "You call this protection? One wrong move and you might have flattened that settlement! You call yourselves knights for justice in spite of that?"

"Don't you dare talk as if you know anything about justice!" Q1 yelled back, retaliating with her own harken in an attempt to catch him in the middle of the air. A fruitless effort. His own harken latched into the ground with the aid of its booster, and from there he was able to pull himself rapidly downwards into the ground for a corkscrew kick -

Which the enemy caught in its silver claw. That red energy began to spill out of it, but all Suzaku had to do was detach the sand panel and try not to watch as it expanded, melted, was rendered useless in a moment's notice.

"This might be the worst kind of enemy," Cecile observed. "In addition to her Stand, I'd say her Knightmare is of an approximately equal level to the Lancelot -"

"Heresy!"

"Please, Lloyd! As the Lancelot is right now I don't think you can beat her. Retreat, you need assistance to beat her! Suzaku Kururugi, your mission is to protect the Viceroy!"

"And then what?" Suzaku yelled back. "How can we protect the Viceroy from this if we don't act now? At the very least you can use this data to figure out a weak point, am I wrong?"

No. That wasn't the right way to think. He did know of one weak point. The Stand itself. The Blaze Luminous had deflected Zero's attack, which meant that it could, in theory, be used to hurt a Stand. And if he could hurt the Stand, then he could also hurt the pilot in the same motion. But how could he lure her into using her Stand to directly attack him?

"Nothing else to say?" Q1 yelled. "Then take this!"

She was firing her harken again. Alright. It seemed as though she only had the one. That could be another weakness, right? This Knightmare was suited to close range combat. Even with her reaction time, he could work out some sort of trick. Something she couldn't react to no matter what she tried. Perhaps if he fired shots at her, relying on her to dodge while aiming for the ground underneath? He could cause it to collapse underneath her, and it didn't seem likely that her Stand would be strong enough to lift that Knightmare . It would certainly put her in a more vulnerable position than -

And that was when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye coming out of the passing harken. It looked like a giant lightbulb with a coil attached to the end. The spring created an arc, meeting the harken before Suzaku could even think that he should close his eyes. For five seconds he was left completely blind.

Panicked reaction set in. All he could do was back off. Create distance. If he let her get too close then he'd lose! A terrifying combination indeed: That speed, that weapon, the ability to blind your opponents during a careless moment. Absolutely terrifying! The five seconds passed by and he continued rolling backwards.

Because the enemy Knightmare was right in his face, stretching back its clawed right hand. No, no! Have to keep distance. At this range it shouldn't be able to reach - Until it extended its elbow, filling in that distance and seizing hold of Lancelot's cockpit.

"Got you," Q1 said. "Time for payback regarding Shinjuku."

He was finished. Even if he could escape this grip there was no contest at all. Her Stand gave her too much of an edge. Without that factor involved in this battle it might have been on equal footing but with it? He pulled away as hard as he could but the grip was too strong and she reacted almost instantly to his escape attempts. Any moment now the radiant wave surger would cause his Lancelot to explode, but… He wasn't afraid. He hadn't been afraid of death for seven years, and it wasn't his intention to start now.

Except that today was not the day he was destined to die.

For no reason he could see, the silver claw detached from his head before its energies could affect the Lancelot, then whirled around and extended its grip to the wide open air on the other side: There was an explosion! What? A missile? But… Where had that been fired from? There were no units, friends or foe that were anywhere nearby. A guardian angel?

"Don't you forget about me," Villetta said, the Lamorak shimmering in the air ahead of them. "Looks like that's one paid back already, Warrant Officer! Our debt will be paid soon enough!"

"You think the two of you are enough to take me down?" Q1 yelled. "I'll teach you both not to underestimate us. Never again!"

No. Suzaku didn't think that underestimating them was remotely possible anymore. This level of technology blended with this kind of supernatural power… Even with the Lamorak's assistance this could be an uphill struggle. Still. He had to smile a little. He'd just been rescued by a woman that had conspired to have him executed for a crime he hadn't committed. His struggles were absolutely not in vain. That alone was enough of a reason to fight! And enough of a reason to live!

====Ohgi====

He used to be a school teacher. He remembered giving classes on the dangers of illicit substances. He would warn the children of their addictive nature, the irreparable harm they could do to your brain. He tried not to oversell the point. It might make them find him untrustworthy. He tried to speak honestly about it, take their questions onboard and make it clear beyond a shadow of a doubt they would risk ruining their lives if they indulged in that particular vice.

As for now?

"Hey, remember kids! Just say no! It's the clear choice for a brighter future! If you give in to drugs, you're throwing it all away!"

"Tsk, I think that level of irony just made my stomach heave," the security guard at the front door said. "Another Refrain addict? Dumbass Elevens don't even care what they're putting in their bodies."

"Yes, it really is quite shameful," his 'nurse' said. Though of course, this was the mysterious witch C.C. dressed in disguise. The first phase of their infiltration mission. "A futile attempt to escape reality into a world of dreams."

Have you ever tried to look at something without letting your eyes focus on it? Very difficult. Ohgi was having to rely exclusively on his peripheral vision to get a good look at this guard. He did wince just a little bit, internally. Externally he pretended to be marking papers. He was the tall sort. Britannia's version of handsome, carried himself like the sort of man that believed he was a ladykiller. Giving the overall impression of someone Ohgi would hate even if not for his typical Britannian smug superiority.

"Yeah, but enough about the Eleven," the guard said. "He's too far gone to give a crap. Let's talk about you. And me. And what we're doing tomorrow night."

"A gentleman should never comment on his intentions," C.C. advised. "Never mind when he's at work. So, if you wouldn't mind -"

"Fraid it's my job to mind," the guard said. "Never seen your face before, and I have to have your security clearance before I let you -"

"Alright class!" Ohgi suddenly yelled. "Today, we'll be working on trust exercises!"

The change was immediate. For those that knew what to look for, they might see an odd discolouration in the air. A strange sort of expanding red bubble appearing in the air, with Ohgi sitting right in the middle of it. The guard seemed oblivious, though peculiarly dependable. He was staring at C.C. with resignation, a slight hint of mistrust due to the unfamiliar - if pretty - face. Then it hit him. The bubble enveloped him, and his expression changed completely.

"There," C.C. said, pretending to tuck something back into her uniform. "Happy?"

"Sure thing!" The guard pushed the door open, and waved them in without a second thought. And why wouldn't he? "All checks out. Keep yourselves out of trouble."

"We'll try!" C.C. said in a sort of singsong voice which could easily be translated as completing the statement with 'to find trouble at the first opportunity'. The door closed behind them. They were inside. Now was the difficult part.

The inside looked normal enough. A few people in white coats milling around, not particularly paying any attention to the fresh arrivals. As for the patients they were mostly in a variety of stages of Refrain addiction. From the ones ranting about the past pretending as though they were living in it to the catatonic overdosers, sitting there numb. Staring at nothing. Saying nothing. Doing nothing. Not quite in a coma, but emulating the experience. The living dead.

His hatred for Britannia hadn't wavered since the Black Knights were formed. If it had, this room would be a monument to its fiery rebirth. These weren't patients. These weren't criminals. These were victims of a system that had no damns to give, but would sell you a nasty little substitute that would rot your brain. They didn't care. They didn't even pretend to.

In which case, how appropriate considering what his next move would be.

"Apathy."

The room turned to look at him. The red bubble expanded once again. And one by one, they all just sort of shrugged and got back to what they were doing. Not even seeming to give much consideration to it, just sort of doing it because it was something to do. Sort of like the life had drained from the room. They didn't care, and quite frankly Ohgi was having a bit of trouble caring all that much either. The room and the people in it were so drab and dull that it was sucking out his capacity to really give a damn. Ohgi slumped back into his seat.

"Enjoying the gift I gave you?" C.C. asked. Ohgi shrugged, noncommittally. "Oh dear. You forgot it works on you as well, didn't you? How carelessly forgetful."

"I guess," he replied with a weary sigh, leaning on his arm and sighing heavily. "Does it really matter? I don't see the - Ow! Hey, what's the big - Oh. Thank you."

"You're welcome," she said, withdrawing the pen from his leg and slipping it back into her uniform. It was his impression that she rather enjoyed that a little too much. "Try to be more careful with your new power. It does have some weighty limitations. Remember our agreement."

"I remember," Ohgi said. Nobody around to see them. Alright. He pulled out his phone from the inside pocket where he kept it. "I doubt I'll ever forget that experience."

"Oh dear. You didn't tell me… Was it your first time?"

"... Do you enjoy watching men squirm?"

"It depends on the man," said the voice on the other end of the phone. His voice was heavily distorted, but this was effectively the third person on their team. For this mission, codenamed "Devil's Advocate," but in reality? A Britannian journalist called Diethard. Out of all the impossible things he'd seen lately, a man of Diethard's position joining the Black Knights was among the most impossible things he'd encountered yet. "In particular, whether or not they can have me executed at a whim. I take it you're inside the building?"

Ohgi had to turn his attention away from the green haired witch for a moment, unable to believe she'd actually been able to convince him…

"Pizza mozzarella, pizza mozzarella… rella rella rella rella!"

"...Dare I even ask?" Painted Black sighed.

"It's a new song I've written," C.C. replied, inhaling a poor stray slice of pizza that would never again see its family. "What do you think? It could make us some extra money. Hm? Oh dear. Don't tell me you're going to start giving out Stands to just anyone, that would be quite ridiculous."

"Uh…" Ohgi said. Honestly, he was still overwhelmed that the others picked him to receive one, it was just a natural thing for him to be a trifle wary. "Ridiculous? What do you mean ridiculous?"

"What I mean is that you don't need to take a Stand. There is also the Power of Kings…"

"What an interesting idea!" Painted Black said all of a sudden. "Though C.C. I have to wonder. What is it you get out of forming a contract with this man?"

"This man met JOJO and is still alive," C.C. replied, sliding off the couch she was lying on and stalking towards him. Suddenly, Ohgi felt like a live rodent dropped into the lion's den. "That is the reason. No more questions, except the only one that matters; Will you form a contract?"

"Yes," Ohgi said. "We are inside the building. Ground floor, room right of the entrance."

"Good work," Diethard said. He had the plans for the building, and somehow also knew where Mrs Kozuki was being held. "Follow my instructions, and try to keep a low profile."

A low profile, he says. Well, that shouldn't be too difficult. His 'Geass' ability let him manipulate the emotions of anyone that could hear his natural voice, if necessary compelling them to see something that would compel that reaction. However, that ability did have some significant weaknesses. As powerful as it was, he could not control what anyone affected was feeling the emotion towards, nor what they were going to see or how they rationalised feeling it. Their current emotional state would be overwhelmed by an influx of that given emotion, but who could say how it might be expressed or how long it might last? C.C. had been able to bring him out of his apathy by inflicting pain on him, for example. Physical pain seemed sufficient to make the effect wear off, though Ohgi suspected a sufficient emotional impact would have the same effect. Versatile. Powerful. Yet also weak and specific.

Beyond that, it didn't seem like he could use the same emotion twice in the same day. Those were the "rules" of his new power so far as he currently understood them. As much as he felt uncomfortable playing with the feelings of others the world around them was changing, quickly. With that in mind he had little alternative but to make use of this power, but he made himself promise it would never be used for his own gain: Only in the pursuit of justice, in protecting others, and in liberating Japan.

Ah, but if he was to use it effectively then it was essential that he "understand these rules" and manipulate them to his and his friend's own advantage in any given situation. Pay attention to who is around him. Pay attention to what they're focusing on. Where a Stand's influence was obvious, a Geass could behave in a more subtle manner. Subtlety was a power all of its own.

"Director?!" a voice suddenly and excitedly gasped. Someone further down the corridor dropped a folder, and began dashing towards them. "I can't believe it! You've finally come back to -"

"Well, that is interesting," C.C. said. She tapped the man on the forehead, and he fell down completely unconscious. "To think they would become involved in this as well. This complicates matters."

"Director? You worked with these people?"

"Unfortunately that question seems rather poorly timed. For example, I believe that annoying noise is probably an alarm. And those men with guns don't seem particularly impressed with us."

"Men with guns drawn rarely are," Ohgi observed. "If they were impressed, they'd be finding reinforcements." No time for regrets and less for questions. He was already out of his wheelchair, giving it a harsh kick towards the fast approaching guards. Then rushed off after C.C., fleeing down the corridor and ducking around the corner.

If nothing else could be said about this lifestyle, it was absolutely amazing for your health. Until the moment that it killed you. Just say "yes".

====Bartley====

The list of things that General Bartley needed at that particular moment was not especially big, not especially complicated and, for reasons that should be obvious, absolutely did not contain the words "security breach" or "ear splitting alarm". Yet here he was with both words topping his issues of the hour.

"Bartley to the security room!" he barked. "Respond immediately! What is the nature of the breach? Please respond, no rush gentlemen, only your jobs on the line!"

"Intruders have been located," his team replied. "They appear to be heading into the basement. Attempts to capture are being thwarted by unknown means, likely related to special abilities."

Normally he would leave this matter entirely in the hands of his capable security team, but since he apparently didn't have one he might as well get personally involved in the matter. If needs must then he would personally track down the intruders himself and physically throw them into a room with a sturdy lock. Well, he would. If not for his bad back and lousy blood pressure which, by the way, wasn't looking to improve any time soon! Not after that call from Cornelia!

Especially when he considered the possibility that Kewell might get loose. Emperor help them all if that happened! All he'd have was a week, but in that week he would sow untold chaos and they'd never be able to find him. Oh, that was a level of stress he truly did not need!

He stuffed his radio into its holder on his hip and hurried off down the corridor towards the last known location of the intruders, checking his firearm as he went while flanked with some of his own team. Incompetence! It was as though he had been set up to fail. It was a fortunate thing indeed that he had a private lift to take him down to this level, that sort of matter cut down on the time quite significantly when time was such a vital factor to his success.

"This way," a voice called, just a few minutes later. Female. Oddly calm. Bartley silently gestured to the men he was leading. They pressed against the wall and waited with guns drawn. "We appear to have lost them -"

"And found us instead!" Bartley declared as the pair rounded the corner. An Eleven, and - "Well, that's a face I did not expect to see again. How have you been? We were so worried you were cheating on us with another research team. Letting them experiment on you the way we used to. Did our relationship mean nothing to you, in the end?"

"Cute," C.C. replied. "But you'd be more intimidating if you were not sweating like a roasting pig, and even more if you did not look like one."

"Funny thing, isn't it?" the man next to her said, his arms raised in surrender but his eyes showing only defiance. "Here he is pointing all those guns at us, but he's the one that's really… terrified."

Which was about the point that all of the men Bartley had brought with him suddenly dropped their weapons and bolted like they'd just seen some damn fool start to open the gates to hell. You would think they really were in the presence of some terrible force, threatening to rip them asunder like a furious ancient god, or worse yet, an irate Viceroy.

At that particular moment Bartley's team suddenly turned tail and fled screaming down the corridor, but he was not paying much attention to them. Not when the figure of a certain Princess appeared within his peripheral vision.

"General, your failure truly knows no bounds," Cornelia hissed, the flicker of a flame on her breath. Bartley dared not turn further to stare directly at her, for the very concept of the fullest outcome of her rage was too much for his heart to bear. "Allowing those two to escape will lead you to met with a terrible fate!"

Which is why he immediately opened fire with his pistol, even as the Eleven began to adopt the fetal position in the middle of the corridor. C.C. immediately stepped into the shot, because hell, she could take it. She collapsed to the ground in a crumpled heap, leaving the Eleven shaken out of his all consuming, self inflicted terror.

"C.C.!" He cried, inching over to her position, but Bartley wasn't remaining still either. He kicked the man square in the chest and took great satisfaction in seeing the younger Eleven gasping in pain. "You - "

"Not another word," Bartley sneered, again having to mop his brow just like he did whenever he was forced into a situation where he had to exert himself. He pressed his gun right up against the Eleven's temple, and swallowed back the urge to pull the trigger there and then. "Interesting ability you have there. It doesn't fit your Stand ability, so perhaps you have a Geass? In that case! Eyes closed, mouth shut! The witch can stop playing dead and answer my questions instead! And keep your extremities pointed away from me! I might get a little nervous and a terrible accident may happen right before your very eyes!"

Alright. Maybe now his heart rate would go back down a little. Maybe this wouldn't turn out so bad after all? The directorate might well reward him for returning C.C. to the flock. Yes, yes! And it might even give them the opportunity to learn a little more about the Black Knights, who was really behind it. Some clues for Zero's identity! The way this witch was, she absolutely had to know something!

"If you kill him," C.C. said very carefully while rising to her knees with her hands behind her head. "You will regret it. Quickly."

"Will I, now?" Bartley replied. He spat on the Eleven, and toyed with the idea of pistol whipping him. No, that would create an opening for the pair of them to exploit. The best thing for him to do right now was wait for backup, and he was pretty certain it wouldn't be long coming. "Perhaps we should add him to our data group? We can always use more subjects, and that way we wouldn't even need to kill him. We'd simply get him hooked on Refrain, to the point where he'll spend the rest of his life as a vegetable."

"I remember your experiments," she said. "Do you expect me to be afraid of them? Oh dear, you do underestimate me, don't you? You're like a baby with a new toy, trying to figure out how to play with it."

"Ah, but you underestimated us even worse! How else can you explain your decision to infiltrate our facility? Surely you must have thought you might be recognised? Rather foolish for a centuries old witch!"

From what he'd been told of her and from what he'd experienced so far, Bartley expected a sarcastic reply. It didn't come. Instead C.C. simply tilted her head and smiled at him. You know the smile. It's the smile a parent uses upon seeing their child do something utterly stupid, yet the child is so completely proud of it. It's a smile that got him starting to panic again, just as he was starting to regain control over his emotions following being hit by that Geass.

"You think you can escape?" Bartley sneered. "Do you hear that sound outside? Those are our Knightmares! You didn't think we'd leave a facility like this without some sort of protection against conventional measures, did you? I am a little annoyed we don't have the full defensive measures against supernatural abilities yet, but a few Sutherlands should be more than enough to keep you in line."

"Such a shame," C.C. sighed. "Here you were, stalling us while waiting for your backup to arrive…"Just then, the wall next to them exploded, and Bartley found himself at the wrong end of a Knightmare's rifle, which is absolutely never the right place to be no matter what the situation.

"Hey, you two" an Eleven woman called from within the Sutherland. "Is there room for a couple more for this little party?"

"When all along," Ohgi said. "We were doing the exact same thing the entire time."

"In that case," Bartley snarled, pushing Ohgi away, dropping a certain item and diving for cover. Like hell he was giving up that easily. "Eat a flash grenade!"

Well, the sudden burst of bright light and loud noise at least gave him an opportunity to reflect further on his situation. This was going badly. However. The Elevens would soon learn that he had other defensive measures set in place as well. Yes, the Knightmares were… Problematic. But he wouldn't give up without a fight. Not when surrender meant he would have to face Cornelia's wrath, and even that might not compare to what he'd face if his other backers discovered this potential failure!

So on the whole, it seemed to Bartley as though the smarter option for him to take was to go down fighting. Death would be the better fate, given those two options. Though little did he realise that there were other things besides death that might await them all, perhaps even worse than what he already feared so much.

====Katase====

It was the night following Stand Out's defeat. General Katase watched with relief as the Four Holy Swords entered the base, injured and tired but still alive. Their Burai Kai were also retrieved and sent to a repair facility. But in the end those were merely machines. They could be replaced. Soldiers of the same quality as these five, indeed any soldier at all under his command was absolutely not.

"Another victory for the Black Knights," Katase said, sadly shaking his head. "However… It is a relief that our casualties are as minimal as they are under the circumstances. Get some rest. We shall debrief in the morning."

"General," Tohdoh said, looking more tired than the General could remember in the last seven years. "I would prefer to do this now. It might be best if we did not wait."

"A few hours will hardly make any difference," Katase noted. "However… Knowing you, whatever is on your mind will surely keep you awake throughout the night. Very well. It's a little less formal than our usual meetings, but under the circumstances that can't be helped."

"The situation has changed more than we believed," Tohdoh began. "I am convinced that Britannia and the Black Knights will both escalate the conflict, and that we must act immediately if we intend to maintain pace with them. Stands are even more difficult to face in battle than we initially believed."

You could hear a pin drop, even though the room was full. Everyone was paying attention to what was being said. Almost all of them could remember seven years ago, what it was like to try and fight against those invincible seeming machines. And now here was something worse. Not even potentially worse. Measurably, definitely worse. Knightmares were indeed and advanced technology, but at least you could sort of imagine how it might function, believe that a person could manufacture such a thing. This? This was something that none of them understood. Something beyond the natural world. Beyond machinery. Perhaps even beyond miracles.

"Yes, that is the response I was afraid of the most," Katase began, raising his voice so that all could hear. "However! We have faced many trials together in the name of Japan. We have confronted an Empire that controls a third of this planet. We have won. We have lost. But most of all we have survived where others have fallen! This new development changes the nature of our war, and adds a new side that may prove to be ally or enemy, or somewhere in between! It matters not. In the end we will endure!

"No… Japan will endure!"

Even though none of them said anything, you could tell that the atmosphere in the room had changed in an instant. That accomplished, Katase returned his attention fully to his best soldier. "You would not raise this matter if you did not have at least the semblance of a solution. What action do you recommend?"

"First, we review our defences. There are several reasons this may be necessary. If the conflict continues to escalate, Britannia may expend greater resources establishing our location. Secondly, the existence of supernatural powers may mean that one exists that can be used to track us."

"And we will also require the time to build our means to fight back effectively," Katase mused. "Yes, I follow your thinking, but we agreed before. If we tighten our defenses too much it will draw attention, and then Britannia really will bring down the hammer."

"Then we use a defense that does not look like a defense…"

Their engineers had worked tirelessly on the project. They identified the locations best suited for the task, and then under the cover of night they had worked these last few weeks. It seemed insane. Planting explosive devices outside their home base. Powerful explosives at that, not your typical mine. These had three times the power of your typical anti-vehicle weapons, normally used for anti-Knightmare purposes but these ones had a different application entirely.

They would disrupt the natural underground stream that flowed through Narita mountain, and the resulting chain reaction would cause a carefully controlled landslide. Any forces advancing up the mountain would be devastated. A number of his men even volunteered that in the event of an attack that made this necessary they would lay down their lives drawing the enemy into the trap.

Katase had been a veteran for the better portion of two decades. He had seen many men step into battle knowing their lives would be lost. He still felt a tear creep into his eyes against his own expectations…

And now in the present day he saw it unfold before his very eyes while sitting within a truck that had been modified into a temporary command base. The explosives were triggered. The land began to sweep away as an underground stream mixed with the dirt, rapidly pushing it all downhill before pooling into a crater their very first explosion had caused.

This was the only strategy available to them under these conditions. They were surrounded. Outnumbered. Outgunned. The enemy had great depths of experience in fighting on an enemy's home territory. So they had to change the nature of the battle itself by exploiting the only real advantage they had.

That they had more time to prepare a defense than the enemy could possibly use to prepare an attack.

When the landslide ended, Katase allowed himself to sit back down and let out the breath he'd been holding. How many of his own men had he sacrificed to accomplish this goal? It was necessary in the end. Even with the help of the Black Knights - which he would only take under extreme duress - this battle could not be won otherwise.

"An estimated seventy five percent of enemy forces were eliminated in that attack," one of his assistants said from behind him. "Cornelia is towards the bottom of the mountain with only her Royal Guard around her. The other survivors are further up the mountain, with the most survivors located close to the main entrance of our base."

"General, there's no need for you to remain on the battlefield," Tohdoh advised. "I shall lead the Four Holy Swords to capture Cornelia -"

"I appreciate your advice, but I shall not retreat from my responsibilities," Katase interrupted. "Head towards Cornelia's position, I shall send the Four Holy Swords out of our concealed Eastern exit momentarily. In the meantime, Kusakabe! Keep the forces near our base from attempting to rescue her."

"With pleasure."

That bloodthirsty nature had served them all quite well over the years. Kusakabe's recent failure might well be made up for here. The enemy troops were pinned down. They had no hope of escape.

====Guilford====

There was only one thought going through Guilford's mind at that particular moment in time. Panic. Not for his own safety. No, not at all. His only thought was concern for Cornelia, the very moment that the landslide hit. He had been seperated from her side by strategic necessity and her instructions. The very possibility that something like this could occur was outside the reach of imagination, but now? Now…

"We must return to the Viceroy!" he called, turning his Pellinore's back to the enemy guns and rushing off back down the mountain. "If she's taken by those Elevens, then - "

"But sir, the enemy base is right there! If we turn our backs on it -"

"In comparison to losing the Viceroy, our deaths would be nothing!" Darlton quickly interrupted. "If we lose her we're already as good as dead!"

"Spoken by someone that truly is already dead."

Guilford didn't see where they had come from, but in the end that might not be too important. Ten enemy Knightmares were bearing down on them from behind! An interception squad! No wonder their bunker guns had ceased fire.

"Cowards!" Guilford seethed. He pressed a button and Pellinore's two arms became four, each one brandishing a specially modified axe. "Having to rely on underhanded trickery and deceit only shows your weakness!"

"As if Britannians have any concept of honour to begin with," one of the Elevens replied, and then all ten of the Burais surrounding them opened fire. However. Pellinore was by no means any kind of ordinary Knightmare model. While its first incarnation was merely a modified Gloucester, this was an entirely new creation built from the ground up to accommodate its new special features.

It might seem obvious but additional limbs require careful balancing to ensure that a model can still be easily controlled. The added weight issues can become a rapid complication for a large number of reasons. Slowing down the movement of the Knightmare, making it less movable, less quick. The weight might make its fuel requirements higher, or even cause long term damage to various aspects of the model.

With these factors in mind the first fully developed and completely original Pellinore based model was designed, not just around those ideas but to take full advantage of the main cause. That necessary additional weight was translated into armour that completely ignored bullets, even including the assault rifles most Knightmares were equipped with. Even a direct hit to the cockpit might go unnoticed, were the pilot's attention otherwise engaged.

Was the machine slower than it might have been otherwise? Perhaps. But that didn't mean all that much when combined with this level of hitting power and a pilot of Guilford's level. Pellinore whirled around, temporarily breaking off the mad dash back down the mountain to rush back uphill. An axe in each of the four hands wielded by this bizarre Knightmare model. With its upper right hand, it raised an axe into the air and suddenly the head fired off upwards, trailing a cable behind it as it went. With its lower right, it fired forward and used this opportunity to pull itself into the fray of the enemy, shoulder tackling one so hard that the pilot was compelled to eject.

Now surrounded on all sides by Burai the Pellinore's left arms came into immediate effect, with one parrying an enemy sword swipe while the other dug into the enemy's side, and then fired to strike another Burai while tearing out the side of the first.

Simultaneously, the axe-head that had been fired into the air activated its reverse-thrust, propelling it into the top of the cockpit of a nearby Burai. The remaining six all jumped on him at once, expecting this larger and bulkier Knightmare to be too slow to block all of their attacks at once.

Obviously they were making an incorrect assumption that undermined their entire strategy; Namely that they ever stood a remote chance of winning in the first place.

====Katase====

One Knightmare. Just one Knightmare eliminated ten Burai all at once in less than a minute. Nine pilots dead, and only one had escaped. How - How could that happen so quickly? This was what Tohdoh had meant. Britannia were upping their game. The possibility that even a Gloucester piloted by a Knight of Round could defeat ten Burai all at once, that quickly... ? It must be a new model! If it's allowed to join the battle properly their attempt to capture Cornelia would be finished in a moment.

"Ah, General!" that damned arrogant Black Knight representative coughed to get his attention. "I'll spare you the taste of your injured pride. It was always the Black Knight's intention to become involved in this battle, whether you asked us to or not. No other routes were ever available to you from the very start."

"Cocky little… Tohdoh, I'm sending the Four Holy Swords to intercept that Knightmare immediately! If it's able to give Cornelia support, or let her escape then this will have all been for nothing!"

"Then I should move to assist."

"And leave the Viceroy in the hands of the Black Knights? Unthinkable! Stay with them, make sure they don't try to take credit for her capture and leave us high and dry in the process!"

"In that case, I again advise your own retreat. General, the Japan Liberation Front cannot survive without your leadership. You can still provide leadership at a safer distance, and if we should fall you can at least start again without us."

No. He couldn't retreat. Even in the face of this. After everything he'd done? After everything his men had done on his command? All that blood, all those lives, all that suffering and turmoil and sleepless nights… His pride couldn't take it. If Zero was heading into battle, even though she apparently couldn't even pilot a Knightmare then he sure as hell wasn't leaving this battlefield either! If he retreated now it would lose him all trace of respect from his men.

"We retreat with Cornelia in irons," he said. "I have faith in your abilities, Tohdoh of Miracles. I have faith in your judgement, and the judgment of the Four Holy Swords. Your task is to capture Cornelia above all other concerns. I will concentrate on keeping the enemy from providing reinforcements."

He mopped his brow. It was a stress filled life, but some days were worse than others. Perhaps the ones that work out to be the absolute worst of the worst are the ones where you expect to encounter good news, only for it to turn around on you in a moment's notice. But he who laughs last… Yes, on this battlefield, on this day it was Tatewaki Katase that would have the last laugh.

"Watch them carefully Tohdoh," Katase advised. "Ensure they do not abscond with the Princess for their own ends. Good hunting!"

Alright. His commander would be enough to keep the Black Knights on a tight leash for the time being, and while that was happening he would use this opportunity to demonstrate the might of the Four Holy Swords. The elite unit of the Japan Liberation Front would show them no quarter!

====Guilford====

The might of the Stand Interception Taskforce Knightmare models is difficult to overstate. Bedivere's maneuverability. Lamorak's stealth. Bors' all seeing eye. Pellinore's adaptability. Lancelot's raw power. A formidable team, or at the very least the first steps to creating one.

Darlton had worked it out quite quickly. The enemy was anticipating their intention to reach the Princess as quickly as possible, and in the process would establish ambushes en route that would slow them down. Under this assumption the fastest possible route was simply to head straight down the mountain towards the settlement, then at the lower level approach from an entirely different side. Guilford was in no mind to argue; Though it is true that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, is it faster to climb over a tall brick wall or walk around it? True, this did mean they would have to advance through the forest at the bottom of the mountain range but it was child's play to slice through these trees, clearing the route for himself and those following after. They should be at Cornelia's side in no time!

Regardless; Guilford's instincts compelled him to swing his axes to the left to deflect an incoming enemy harken. He scowled at the sight of the enemy Burai that had fired it rushing in to intercept him. Keep him from protecting the Princess. Keep him from fulfilling his duty!

"You dare interfere?!" he yelled, maintaining course and speed but firing both the axe harkens on his left side. He could allow no further distractions to exist. If a meteor were to fall from the sky then he would cut it in two. "Begone, you are not worth my - What?"

Another harken struck his from the side, a single precision shots clearing both of his attacks and clearing the way for the central Burai to draw a sword and begin to leap into the air. There was another enemy moving in several feet to its right, simultaneously drawing in its harken and slicing a Sutherland on their rear flank with its own blade. These units were different compared to the others they had faced thus far. More coordination, more skill and those Burai looked much different as well.

"Blast!" Darlton snarled. "The enemy has anticipated our movement!"

"I see them," Guilford confirmed, observing the final two units moving through the trees. "Four enemies, advancing to intercept. From their course it appears I am their target. Go on ahead, I shall hold them off rather than let them delay all of us."

"Hmph! If only I had taken one of those special new models… Do everything you can to keep them away from the true battlefield ahead. If they're allowed to join the enemy, things will get too complicated for us to be effective protection."

That was hardly any comfort to his bruised conscience. He should have insisted on remaining by Cornelia's side during this battle. He should have been able to push through the enemy much quicker to give her the necessary protection. He was a knight. Honour demanded that he do everything he could to protect Cornelia, not that she usually needed it.

The first of the Burai came down with a deceptively fast strike that even Guilford found difficult to parry. As soon as the enemy felt resistance he withdrew his blade and struck again from a new, fresh angle and repeated this thrice more in as many seconds.

"So this is the Knightmare that defeated Kusakabe team so easily?" an old man asked. "I expected it to be more impressive."

"And you must be the Four Holy Swords," Guilford said in response, drawing back two arms at once to strike the Eleven down. "Tell me, where is your leader? The vaunted Kyoshiro Tohdoh?"

"Don't you dare say his name, Britannian!" a woman's voice called.

His attack was blocked by a second Burai, using its blade to deflect one of his blows into the other before drawing back for another strike. Yes, no question of it. In terms of skill, these pilots were superior to the others. In terms of ability, their Knightmare models were definitely an upgrade. But not nearly enough to catch him off guard.

"What's the matter?" he asked. "Am I not permitted to say his name?"

Pellinore's lower arms swung backwards in time to block two further strikes from the rear, timed to coincide with attacks from the initial Burai at his front. Did they truly believe such an attack would work?

"I think her reasoning is something like 'A Britannian like you saying his name demeans him,' or something like that," said a young man.

"Oh?" said another. "I would have thought of it a little differently. The fact that you know his full name means that deep down, you're a little bit afraid of him."

And so began their whirlwind offensive. You could tell this was a well oiled machine from the manner each member attacked. Relentless unison, attempting to keep him off guard, off balance. Ensuring he had no room to counterattack.

"You're not simply trying to defeat me," he observed, attempting to pull Pellinore out from the middle of their relentless strikes while using his axes to parry them. "You are trying to keep me from joining the ongoing battle. This is not something I can permit."

"Yes, and you're keeping your cool better than anyone else under the same circumstance." The old man chuckled slightly as he spoke. Though it was Guilford's opinion he was being given too much credit. While his own fast reactions had made it possible, the computerised macros were equally responsible for parrying their attacks. "By the way, to answer your earlier question? He's granting the Viceroy his personal attention. She should be our guest shortly, and we will be certain to extend her every courtesy of a prisoner of war."

"How peculiar!" Guilford announced. "I was about to make you a similar offer!"

They had been careful to avoid repeating patterns in their attacks, but you could almost call that a pattern by itself. All four of his axe harkens fired at once, and the Holy Swords were forced to back away with great haste as he whipped the rapidly extending cable, ensuring both it and the head would remain substantial threats as they passed. He could draw the head back to strike them from behind or use the cable to ensnare them, and of course seasoned warriors would attempt to avoid being put into a situation where either could happen.

In truth, that reaction was his intention from the start. Now with a little distance placed between them, he could quickly retreat and prepare his own counterattack. Just as soon as he withdrew his axe heads and -

"What? They're stuck? No… They've -"

"Noticed a little bit too late, hasn't he?" one of the young men said.

"Typical Britannian arrogance," the woman added. "Counting your victories before they're won."

"Let's try not to fall into the same trap ourselves," the other young man finished. "He's a dangerous enough opponent as it is without underestimating him."

What had they done? Why, what else? At the extent of his axe's cable length, the Burai in front of him had interlocked their blades with the beard of their respective axe head. Trapping it in place with the full weight of their frames. Behind him the situation was even worse. One of the Burai was holding a blade vertically, intercepting the two axe heads behind it while its other hand held another blade, thrust down in front of the first and plunged into the ground. Leaving his colleague free to launch an attack at his leisure.

"Was this what you were after?" Guilford asked. "This level of teamwork… Astonishing! In every battle I've been in, no enemy has demonstrated this level of cooperation. However..."

He flicked a switch and tsked at the sight of his power levels rapidly start to drain. He could have easily dropped his axes, drawn a rifle and continued the fight, but that would have prolonged a battle he had no intention of prolonging. Why should he do that when he could end it much sooner in his favour?

It was a natural progression from the same theory that resulted in the Bors' lance. A sonic attack could, in theory be used to harm a Stand. If that was the case then why not other kinds of similar weapons? Lamorak's rifle could generate a burst of light! Bedivere's blades created tremendous heat and Pellinore's axes could easily conduct a high voltage electrical charge, which was even now coursing into the three modified Burai models.

"I couldn't give them all a full jolt," Guilford noted, taking no enjoyment in hearing their screams of pain where others in his position might. He adjusted his glasses and wiped his forehead, revealing absolutely not one single bead of sweat had fallen from his brow. "Having to divide my power like that between three targets and still leave myself enough to join the Viceroy in battle… I doubt they'll be unconscious for long."

There was no time to consider those matters as the last currently active Holy Sword wasted little time opening fire with his harkens in an obvious opening gambit to get him closer, into melee range. Not that he would stand much of a chance without a sword. Unless -

Pellinore leaped to the side just in time to avoid the chest mounted machine gun fire, which could have proven quite problematic at sufficiently close proximity. He aimed two axes at the enemy - keeping the others in reserve in case he missed - and fired for the head and feet at once. As expected, the enemy was quick enough to dodge around his attack and -

"Come on, girl! Fetch the stick! Good girl."

And there was a Britannian citizen walking the path with their pet dog. He must have come up from the settlement. What kind of fool walks their dog in the middle of a battlefield! He had a golden retriever sitting patiently in front of him, wagging its tail while he threw a stick. Did neither of them see the Knightmares fighting ahead of them?

"That's important," his subconscious, his battle instincts insisted. "Why doesn't he see you? There must be a reason. What is it?"

No. What mattered was the others were already shaking off their electrocution. Panic was a funny matter to Guilford. He so often saw other people behave irrationally under stress. They would make mistakes. Become sloppy. For him, it was the opposite. He didn't lose his cool under pressure. If anything, his temperature found ways to drop to newer depths. The civilian would see them soon enough and run away to hide. If he allowed that to distract him now it would cost them all that much more later on.

"I should have given you all a bigger shock," Guilford said. "You barely stayed down for any time at all."

"Of course," said the woman. "A monster like you can't ever understand what it's like to be willing to lay your life down to fight for something you believe in."

"A monster, am I?" Guilford replied. "When you surround me to fight one versus four? Where is the honour? Where is the chivalry? That is what I believe in and I will gladly die for it if needs must!"

This time he made the first move before they could have the chance to reassess their battle plan. He moved on the old man first. He could sort of tell that he was the de facto leader of the four. The experienced soldier. Almost certainly the most tactically capable. He swung for the cockpit, found his axe blocked by their sword. At this range he could hear the grinding of metal against metal, and the only reason he could think of that his axe didn't give way there to the incredible heat and pressure was that it had been specifically reinforced against heat to ensure the boosters themselves didn't destroy the weapon.

The modified Burai leaped away before he could bring his other arms to bear and Guilford had to duck away from incoming slash harkens that his allies had fired, leaving him helpless to watch as the projectile sailed directly into the path of the careless civilian.

It struck him in the torso, and Guilford had the mispleasure of witnessing the moment of impact. It crushed him completely against the ground. His body split into two halves so that his feet lay next to his head, and even then he still had this strangely blissful expression on his face that somehow made the sight even more horrifying, even to a veteran like Guilford.

"You call me a monster?" Guilford snapped, relentlessly lashing out with his axes and finding himself irritated at their expert formation, protecting one another from his every attack. "And yet you kill civilians without remorse! I ask again, where is the honour? Where is the chivalry? Why did he deserve to -"

"Here girl! Be more careful where you run out in future next time, alright?"

What? Impossible.

Yet there he was. Laughing and playing with his dog as though nothing at all had happened. No sign of injury. No blood on his clothes. Nor on the ground. Nor even the dent in the dirt that a slash harken collision should have caused. How had he -

"How is he still alive?" Guilford wondered aloud. "That's not possible. After a hit like that, he should be -"

"Pay more attention to the battlefield," the woman advised, closing in for an attack which he deflected, but then she seemed to almost respond in confusion. "Asahina! That goes for you as well! It's not like you to - "

"But I killed him," 'Asahina' said. "I didn't mean to, but he should be - He should be dead! There's even blood on my slash harken. How did it get there if he's still alive?!"

An excellent question, and the fact that they were even asking it in the first place was telling. The hairs on the back of his neck were beginning to rise. Goosebumps forming under his skin. A completely alien feeling. He had been afraid on the battlefield before, but that had been fear of failure. Fear of death. This fear was something else entirely, and not helped when he saw that the dog had turned around to growl menacingly at them. Until this point all he had seen of it was its back. Until now, he had not seen its face.

Or rather, where its face should have been.

"Tell me," he asked his enemies. A strange thing to do in the heat of battle, but under these conditions they might all be in grave danger. His instincts were telling him this could be a greater threat than anything else on the battlefield, so he pointed an axe towards it and asked his question of them, hoping they would not see fit to lie. "Do you see anything strange about that dog over there?"

"Stop playing games -" the woman began, but was hushed by the old man waving at her. He must have sensed the urgency in Guilford's voice and recognised that he was not the sort to engage in such petty deceit in the midst of battle, much less when he was already pressed for time.

The other young man cleared his throat and his Burai swept its arm out in front of the others before answering that important question. And his answer made Guilford think, why here? Why now? Of all times to encounter such a thing… Why when he was so desperate to rescue his Princess while confronting challenging enemies?

"What dog?"

====Lelouch====

Had he complained earlier about the chaotic nature of recent events? How delicious. Battle was chaos by its very nature, and the winner was the one who tamed it the fastest. The drastic alteration of the battlefield had tipped the scale to their favour in a heartbeat, eliminating the vast majority of enemy forces before they even knew what had hit them.

"Ora!"

And there was a rather solid case in point, with Schizoid Man's fist placing a considerable dent into the side of an enemy Gloucester, providing him the opportunity to finish it off with precision fire on its freshly made weak point. By the markings, Royal Guard, which meant Cornelia was nearby. Trying to escape, or perhaps…?

"Keep your eyes open!" Tohdoh yelled, appearing on his left just at the same instant another Gloucester was leaping for him from the side. His Burai Kai's blade swung thrice, just barely fast enough for the eye to perceive. "This might be the best chance we have to capture someone as important as Cornelia. Don't waste it!"

Before he responded, Lelouch whirled around and shot out the ground beneath yet another Gloucester that was preparing to throw a chaos mine. It tumbled from the ledge, dropping the mine as it went and landed comparatively gracefully. However, the chaos mine had been set to trigger, and suddenly the Knightmare was being shredded by its own shrapnel spewing weapon.

"Likewise," he said, then directed his attention to the overlay of the battlefield. He could see that their relief from Narita was fast on its way, but there was something else catching his attention. There was a concentration of enemy forces much larger than any others nearby, and they seemed to be in a position where it wouldn't be easy for them to escape easily. However…

"So that's her intention," he said. "How utterly infuriating!"

"Yes, I see it as well," Tohdoh said. "But we've done too much to turn back now."

"Oh? Who said anything about turning back?" Zero added. "My feet might be hurting, but my heart aches to see this ended! Cornelia must learn the injustice she brings down upon the innocent, and that lesson cannot wait even one day further!"

Note to self: Have Rakshata build them a multi-seated Knightmare. Added protection, allow him to maintain a closer eye on her, keep her close by for strategic purposes, prevent her from running off like she did in that last battle… Nope, no tactical downside he could see. But before that...

They were hiding in a small crater, formed from the landslide. Right at the end of it. Some of her troops were positioned as lookouts, leaving no angle uncovered, while the main portion was viewing the single simplest route of approach. A narrow pass which perhaps two Knightmares could safely enter at a time. Safely in this instance was a misleading word. It was a transparent killzone. Other possible routes they could use to advance from above simply weren't safe to use because of the mud impeding movement, and here they were without any sand panels.

"You've located her?" Katase said. "Excellent work! Now, bring her in! Use those special abilities of yours to cut her down to size. It's about time Britannia learned what it was like to confront something too terrible to fight against."

How should he handle this? Sneak in using Painted Black? No… The shadows weren't deep enough, big enough to keep a person hidden, never mind anything capable of doing any damage. Sending in someone as a sacrificial piece wouldn't work either, as they'd hinder any further attack wherever they landed.

"Why do you hesitate? Move in immediately! Capture her, now before her reinforcements arrive!"

"Of course General," he said. "We'll initiate our attack in a moment. However, I was concerned for your wellbeing as well. Is your transport safe? Do you think it's safe to remain on this battlefield?"

"I'm not running until this is over! The enemy has no chance of locating my -"

Which is when Lelouch pressed a certain button. Oh, General. How terribly short sighted of you. In all the confusion following their meeting with Kyoto- the ruckus, the planning, the panic, you didn't even notice did you? How easily he had been able to slip away from the conversation they were having, leaving only his Stand in his place? How easy it was for him to duck underneath Katase's vehicle and attach a little something he'd stolen earlier on…

Really now, threatening him and his colleagues with explosives? Then failing to keep track of them and the detonator? Why Katase, you were simply asking, begging to be taken advantage of. How does that pride taste now? Yes, pride. Of scaring defenseless schoolchildren and innocent crippled girls. Of utterly failing to liberate your nation. Of keeping people that might fight for your cause from ever considering it. A legacy of failure, ended by an explosion far off in the distance.

"What?" Shirley exclaimed, dropping out of character in surprise. She tapped the side of her mask, which had a built in microphone and receiver. "What happened? The line disconnected?"

"He must have been located by enemy forces," Lelouch lied. "In that form of transport, a direct hit would have been completely fatal. Such an unfortunate loss. If only he'd taken our advice and fled the battlefield."

"General!" Tohdoh yelled. "General, respond! I have to -"

"No, Colonel! We need you here. Think! Even if he survived what could you possibly do in the time it would take to reach his position? Your talents are better suited here, fighting on our side!"

"I've pledged my life to General Katase! I cannot let him die like this!"

"We understand," Zero said, stepping back into her role with admirable speed. "Better than you might believe. It hurts in a way that might never heal. You feel that if you do something now, you might be able to prevent the inevitable. But the real world is not that kind."

"Consider his last words," Lelouch continued. "Would he want you to cast aside this chance, this only chance you've ever had to capture the Viceroy? Or would he want you to press on! Fight further, and bring Britannia to their knees? For his sake, in his name I say we finish this battle!"

"Cornelia!" Zero yelled, switching modes on the microphone built into the mask's interior to project her voice. "You are surrounded! Your reinforcements are not coming! Surrender now, or we will have no alternative but to destroy you!"

"As a Britannian Princess, I invite you to try! But be warned that others, better than you, have tried and failed!"

Tsk. Stalling for time until her reinforcements arrived. Well. Katase was probably correct on that particular front. Not that Cornelia was the type to sit still and wait to be attacked in the first place: Rockets were being fired in an arc out of their little pit, a blatant attempt to provoke them into attack or retreat. He was about to draw Shirley's attention to it, have her obliterate them with Schizoid Man, except that it turned out he wouldn't need to.

Because Tohdoh had already shot them all out of the sky.

"Zero," Tohdoh said. "We shall have to rely on you to make our attack work."

Next to her, Schizoid Man grinned in anticipation of the carnage it was about to unleash. A can appeared out of nowhere, which it crushed open and somehow made a sort of green slurry flow upwards into its gaping mouth. The Stand flexed its muscles, then dove forward straight through the killzone -

Where Cornelia immediately lunged forward with her sonic lance. Schizoid Man reacted immediately, wheeling away and around the weapon, but Cornelia's reactions were incredible. The lance traced Schizoid Man's movements almost exactly, waving around and threatening to unleash another deafening barrage, until the Stand was left hovering above them, staring down while Cornelia's lance tip pointed directly at it.

She could see it. Just as plainly as he could see the new Knightmare model with the assistance of Painted Black. She could see Stands! This meant two possibilities: The first, that she had acquired one of her own, was dismissed. Backed into a corner like this and not using her new power to fight back? No. That wasn't Cornelia's style. More likely the second possibility, bolstered by the strange design of the new Knightmare. Placing the obviously larger factsphere towards the central of mass… No doubt about it!

"Their factspheres can see Stands," he warned. This was Cornelia's real plan! Not to wait them out, but try to lure them into attacking with their Stands first! However, Lelouch's mind was already rushing on ahead with this new information. "Follow these instructions, and try to keep that lance away from you!"

"...What a nuisance… Alright, let's see how this works out, but I'd rather not be left deaf again."

"Something the matter?" Cornelia said. "Lose your edge? I thought you would have no alternative but to destroy me!"

Schizoid Man descended back into the fray with a tremendous roar, falling like a meteor. However, its target was not Cornelia herself by any means, rather the Knightmares guarding the safest entrance. The lance moved quickly to intercept, jabbing out at the air, being more effective as a deterrent to attack than actually delivering its payload into the air. Schizoid Man was again forced onto the defensive, but this time with direction. Rather than into the air, it continued in approximately the same direction it had been going in previously. Downwards.

As in. Directly into the ground.

"You can't hide there!" Cornelia yelled, preparing to thrust the lance into the ground at her feet. "If anything, the sound will be even more powerful in the ground! You won't… Ah!"

"That's correct," Lelouch said to himself. "The sound based attack really will be far more powerful underground than in the air. A little too powerful, in fact."

"If I unleash as sonic attack here, the shockwaves will -"

"-Cause the ground beneath you all to crumble, bursting the dam holding back the mudflow -"

"- Sweeping us out into their position and inhibiting our motion! I lose if I attack, and yet -"

"Ora!"

One of the Knightmares by the entrance fell over when something powerful struck the underside of its feet. Yes, Cornelia. Under the circumstances this might have been the best possible move available to you, but your Knightmares have yet to catch up to the terrible powers available to a Stand user!

"I offer you again the chance to surrender," Zero warned. "You can't attack me, while we can attack you with impunity!"

"Yes, Cornelia…" Lelouch said aloud entirely for his own benefit, first ensuring that the Knightmare's communications systems were all switched off. "Surrender now! It's time for a proper reunion. I have some questions to ask that I did not get the chance to ask Clovis before, and this time nothing will interfere -"

"Reinforcements incoming!"

Honestly by this point he almost expected to hear those words. Tohdoh, who had given the warning, was already rushing towards the new arrival with a pair of JLF Burais on either side of him. A Knightmare. Tall. Sleek design, longer arms and legs than any other Knightmare model he'd seen before. Its speed was impressive, especially since it was moving across the mud. It appeared to have swords mounted to its hips, one on each side, and its arms had strange protrusions that reminded Lelouch of something, but for the time being he couldn't place it.

"No more Royal blood shall be spilled on this soil!" the voice of Jeremiah Gottwald yelled. "I and Bedivere shall see to this personally!"

A Burai had the misfortune of being much closer to Bedivere's arrival point than anyone else, and the new Knightmare model leaped at it, deflecting the swung blade with one of its own. Then something strange happened. One of the protrusions on the side swung around, revealing a pair of sparking wheels on either side of the arm. Landspinners. The same kind it was using to tear up the ground wherever it went.

The Burai's arm was wrecked in seconds, as though sliced clean through with one of those blades. The pilot, obviously shocked by that attack, withdrew and Bedivere responded with a shoulder tackle, wrapping its free arm around the back where it made rapid work of the rear of the cockpit. An eject attempt failed due to the nature of the damage. By the time the others had arrived, the pilot was probably dead, or at the very least unable to rejoin the battle.

"About time you got here," Cornelia said. "Nice try Zero, but in the end it looks like I was still one step ahead of you! Delta formation!"

As one, the Royal Guard still left standing leaped into the air alongside Cornelia, who thrust her lance towards the ground in a terrible throw. Her intention was obvious in an instant: The banks broke, just as they'd both predicted. But now Cornelia's forces were not in the line of fire! All that would happen now is that their movement, all of them, would be drastically prohibited -

With the exception of the Bedivere, who could pick them off one at a time while they attempted to rally. The situation had taken the worst possible turn!

Which is when he was receiving a poorly timed call from a certain sardonic immortal.

"What's gone wrong now?" he yelled, then listened for a response. For a moment all he heard was shallow breathing and mumbled voices in the background. He very nearly hung up the phone, believing that the witch was playing some sickly timed prank on him. He wouldn't put it past her…

But after listening to that breathing for a few seconds longer, he realised it wasn't intended for some sort of mocking erotic effect. Rather… Pain. C.C. was in pain?

"What's happened?" he yelled. "Answer me, witch! Have you been attacked?"

"Y-Yes," she said. Her voice sounded strained. Each syllable conjured an image of a thousand tiny pins pricking the body all at once. "Beware… Enemy… Stand!"

"What kind of Stand? What can you -"

"Don't… Look it in the eyes. You… Especially because it's you, you'd lose! Ah!"

From what he could tell, the phone must have slipped out of her grip and landed on the ground. That kind of a weakened condition… A Stand which could do that to the immortal witch? So far as he could tell, her recovery time was instant. It couldn't have merely beaten her up. So what -

Which is when a message came through on a strange frequency. Another call from an unknown source? Perhaps Cornelia gloating? No, she'd have used the external speakers on her Knightmare for that purpose. Still, it was peculiar enough that he could at least listen while attempting to develop a counter strategy against Cornelia.

"This is Sub-Viceroy Euphemia li Britannia, broadcasting on all known frequencies!"

Well. That was certainly a surprise.

"We have just received intelligence warning us of a highly dangerous Stand appearing within Narita settlement! Its user has lost all control, and - Please, I beg you! A ceasefire must commence immediately! If this rampaging Stand is not stopped then all life in Area 11 is in danger!"

"Stop fighting?" Lelouch considered. "No… That's something I can't do under these conditions. The second we show weakness, Cornelia will lash out… And she must surely believe that we will do the same if she steps down as well! If we're going to fight this Stand, then one of us has to break this stalemate immediately!"

Imagine a room exemplifies a sterile, unfeeling atmosphere. The kind of room that looks cold and uncomfortable no matter what temperature it really is, that was designed absolutely for purpose to the exclusion of comfort. The walls are white. Padded but otherwise bare. The door is thick steel. Electrified.

And, until a short time ago, had been locked from the outside. For safety reasons, you understand. Protection from what lay within that room, strapped to a bed with all manner of medical equipment attached to their body.

For now, if any hypothetical person were to simply appear out of nowhere to stand in the doorway and peer into that open room they might see a certain young man with his back to the door. Depending on who they were, they might see that he was either an Eleven or a Japanese, but either way they would see the same clothes. A brown shirt. Jeans. A dark red headband could even be visible under his hair, which straddled the border between bright red and dark pink so closely you'd swear the two colours were about to wage war…

There is no such thing as true silence, though the room was comparatively more quiet than the other rooms in the building. The gentle hum of machinery. Breathing. The ticking of a clock. Little noises like that. The sort that fades rapidly into the background, and you don't really notice them unless all of a sudden they stopped. That's the kind of room this was. Which may make anyone wonder what it is about this particular room that keeps our young man within it. Not just that. Why is the door open? Why is this person remaining in the room when the door is already open?

Until your hypothetical person noticed the figure on the bed. Staring at the ceiling with a vacant smile and a glazed over expression in her eyes, with a twinge of something else radiating in the background. Then, you might have some semblance of understanding. She was strapped down, not that it particularly mattered given her obvious mental state. There were machines monitoring her life signs. Heart rate, pulse, rate of breathing.

"Is that you dear?" the woman says, her voice distant and weak. "Come a little closer. Let me see your face."

Then the young man drifts off the ground and floats towards her so that he may protectively rub her cheek with his hand. Suddenly, this hypothetical observer might notice something else amiss about the situation. There is something about this room that makes no sense. The walls are all padded and bare. There is no desk for anything to rest upon. And yet…

The answer comes to this observer in the worst possible way when the young man turns towards the door so that the observer can see him, face to… A complete lack of face. There were no eyes. No nose. No mouth. No cheeks. There was a flat, circular surface in its place, with a prominent malevolent glowing red symbol smack in the middle of it that drew the attention irresistibly like a magnet.

Not that our observer would be able to tell, but that same exact symbol was shining in the eyes of the woman in the bed. Pulsing to the same beat. For, you see, that observer had just that moment befallen a terrible fate. He had the misfortune to encounter a terrible power face to face.

Even though this Stand's user was bound to a bed, even though they had no wicked or selfish intentions, even though they were in no state of mind to deliberately perpetuate any kind of evil to begin with there could be little question that this was a power that threatened the lives of every single person in Area Eleven.

A power had been born of careless experimentation. A power so terrible, that in the face of it even the strongest person would willingly choose their own obliteration.

Remember to let her into your heart…

/To Be Continued

Knightmare Stats

Lancelot

Pilot: Suzaku Kururugi

Stats

Attack Strength: B

Range: B

Defense: B

Speed: A

Terrain-handling: B

Required Pilot Skill: E

Special Powers

Blaze Luminous: Upon activation, creates forcefield around Lancelot. If fully surrounded, Lancelot may not attack. Forcefield can harm and block Stands.

Harken Boosters: All built in Slash Harkens have rockets built in that make them faster and capable of changing direction.

Guren Mk II

Pilot: Kallen Kozuki

Stats

Attack Strength: A

Range: D

Defense: C

Speed: A

Terrain-handling: B

Required Pilot Skill: E

Special Powers

Radiant Wave Surger: Creates a powerful microwave in the right palm. By grabbing an enemy Knightmare, may induce a chain reaction resulting in that Knightmare becoming warped and destroyed.

Extended Reach: Right arm may extend at the elbow for further reach.

Bors

Pilot: Cornelia li Britannia

Stats

Attack Strength: C

Range: B

Defense: C

Speed: C

Terrain-handling: C

Required Pilot Skill: C

Special Powers

All Seeing Factsphere: Greater range of data collection, including energy signatures not normally recorded. In addition may scan across further range, and calculate enemy's trajectory with heightened efficiency.

Sonic Lance: Releases supersonic attack when the tip strikes a target, or on command. Sonic attack can disorient or induce pain in Stands capable of hearing.

Bedivere

Pilot: Jeremiah Gottwald

Stats

Attack Strength: B

Range: C

Defense: C

Speed: B

Terrain-handling: A

Required Pilot Skill: C

Special Powers

All Terrain Landspinners: By activating the secondary landspinners in arms and legs, the Bedivere may travel upon any surface including walls, ceilings or bodies of water. However, the surface behind it will be torn up, often dragging debris behind it. This can be used as a weapon if Bedivere veers sharply to the side. Energy sparks produced by landspinners may be used to harm a Stand.

Lamorak

Pilot: Villetta Nu

Attack Strength: C

Range: A

Defense: B

Speed: B

Terrain-handling: C

Required Pilot Skill: C

Special Power

Cloaking Device: Causes Knightmare to become invisible. Power usage is significant, especially when moving.

Sniper Rifle: Comes with two different ammo types. Armour piercing and flashbang.

Pelinore

Pilot: Gilbert G.P. Guilford

Attack Strength: B

Range: B

Defense: B

Speed: C

Terrain-handling: D

Required Pilot Skill: D

Special Power

Four Arms: Pelinore wields two additional arms which are capable of rotating around to behind. An onboard computer can be programmed using specific macros to attack and defend at the user's discretion using individual arms, making effective piloting an easier - though still difficult - task.

Axe Harkens: Combination of handheld axes with harken based weaponry. Heads are attached to cables within handle, and can be fired in a manner similar to a slash harken. Heads are also equipped with harken boosters, as well as an in built delivery system for electrocuting enemies. However, this can significantly drain energy reserves as this technology is experimental.

Geass Stats

Name: Emotional Outburst

User: Kaname Ohgi

Range B

Control C

Duration C

Stability B

State Emotion: By stating an emotion aloud with Geass active, user compels all capable of hearing and understanding to feel that emotion, including himself.

Illusory Input: Those affected by this power will internally rationalise why they feel this way, if necessary to the point of experiencing sensations that are not congruent with reality.

Emotional Limit: May only use the same emotion once within 24 hour period.