Chapter 109: Nightmares.
Holy Britannian Empire, 3:30 am
That night Lelouch's sleep was disturbed by a series of nightmares, one worse than the other: in one of them his followers turned against him, accusing him of having maneuvered them with the geass; in another he relived the death of his mother; in yet another he was stabbed to death by Zero (although he was Zero). At one point his eyes widened, jumping up and sitting on the bed. He was sweaty and panting. He looked around, as if he was afraid of seeing who knows who. But the only other person present was Rakshata, his lover, who lay beside him asleep.
I envy her ... At least her sleep is peaceful.
He thought, snorting.
As sleep was over, he decided to take a walk around the base.
When he went outside he took a few steps, then looked up at the sky. What he saw left him enchanted: the celestial vault was covered with stars, a splendid vision, which he had not seen for years, since the time before his exile in Japan, when he lived happily with his family in Pendragon, the capital of the empire of Britannia.
It's like when, in the evening, I walked through the gardens of the imperial palace ...
He think.
"Lelouch ..." A familiar voice called him.
He turned, making eye contact with Cornelia, his half-sister.
"Cornelia ... Can't sleep?"
"I'm awake, see for yourself ..."
"Yeah ... Excuse the obvious question."
For a few minutes neither of them spoke. To break that silence was Cornelia, who said:
"Would you like to take a walk?"
"Agree."
At the same time, Emperor Charles was chatting with his wife.
Is Lelouch still there with you?
That's right, he sleeps.
I guess he asked for an explanation of what happened eight years ago.
Exact.
And did you give them to him?
I did better ... I rewrote his memory thanks to my geass, as well as that of Cornelia and Rakshata.
Rakshata… Would that be?
A scientist in the service of the black knights.
Ah… Anyway it was a wise decision. Better than having to reveal our plan to him… And VV?
Dead.
Excellent news.
Now I have to say goodbye, I have several hours of sleep to catch up.
Blessed are you who are able to sleep ... I am close to the front, and I fear that the enemy air force may bomb the area where I am.
You can always move to a safe area.
I already have the right place in mind.
Better this way ... Good night.
Night.
Weiswolf, 12:45 pm
Arrived in a kind of locker room, Leila and Esdeath stripped naked and took karate uniforms, white with black belt.
"What's up?" The blonde asked, noting that her opponent was watching every inch of her body with lustful eyes.
She licked her lips before replying:
"I don't know whether to fight or fuck you ... In a literal sense!"
"You can always give up."
"Ah, surrender was never an option for me."
"In that case we will have to postpone the match until after ... You too are splendid."
And it was true, the blue-haired woman had sinuous and breathtaking shapes, comparable to those of Ayano if not better.
"Thanks for the compliment ... Now let's go."
Wearing their uniforms, they entered the gym, a large room with a blue-painted stone floor with a red rectangle that separated the actual ring from its edges. At the center of it stood Captain Hammel, while a small crowd had gathered to watch the duel: there were Akito, Shin, Ayano, Sophie, Ryo, Yukiya, Jean, Ashley and Anna, plus representatives of the general staff of Europia. The two girls positioned themselves facing each other while Hammel addressed a few words to them:
"You know the rules, I want a fair fight!"
Both Leila and Esdeath nodded. The bespectacled backward as they posed. They studied each other for a few seconds, then Esdeath threw a series of punches at Leila, who parried them all. This replied with a series of kicks, which however all failed, indeed was thrown to the ground by her opponent.
"Well ... Adaptability, improvisation ... Your weakness is not the technique!" The latter complimented her.
Leila got up and the fight resumed. The two fighters exchanged a series of punches and kicks, but neither of them scored. This situation lasted for a few minutes, then Leila, hit by a kick from Esdeath, fell back to the ground. She got up and started fighting again, but the situation didn't seem to be able to unblock.
"They are equals..." Akito stated.
"You say?" Ayano asked him.
He nodded.
"Their strength and skill are practically equal, it's hard to imagine how this fight will end."
The fight continued for a few minutes, then Leila punched Esdeath's face and she fell to the ground. Getting up, she put two fingers to her mouth and pulling them back noticed that they were stained with blood. Suddenly she burst out laughing.
"What's up?" Leila asked, bewildered.
"I congratulate you, you are a worthy opponent! And I am sure you will also be a very good leader for Europia!"
"What?"
"You have earned my respect and my support. With you leading the nation, I know a bright future awaits us! "
"So ... Did I pass the test?"
"Exact."
The blonde, though incredulous, nodded.
I am proud of you, Leila.
Shin thought, smiling.
"She did it!" Ayano exclaimed enthusiastically.
"Did you doubt it, Ayano?" Yuki asked her.
"Of course not, baka!" She retorted, upset.
"So we should take orders from her?" General Bach asked, a man with short blonde hair and blue eyes.
"Exactly, colleague." General Ricardos answered him.
"I hope she is up to the task ahead of her."
"Esdeath is convinced so, and it is better not to contradict her." General Revil intervened, recalling how once, in a fit of anger, she had killed one of his officers because he had disobeyed her orders, ordering a retreat instead of attacking a British post to the bitter end.
