Evolution Geass: Uzumaki of the Retribution

by SoulEmbrace2010

Naruto, Naruko, and Lucienne aim to destroy Britannia, in memory of their departed loved ones. The trio trained and prepared for the future war, but their hands are forced when they got caught up in the Shinjuku incident. In response, they start their campaign early to free Japan, only to find that there's more going on, and the world is at stake. AU, OOC, Naru/Harem, Xovers

7. STAGE 06: Princesses - Final Heist

Lelouch: You all really wanted Euphie in school. I wonder how things would be different in my story? Oi, Soul! The people have spoken!

BB: Soul, get off of FGO! Kama can wait.

Soul: Oi, she's not going to be around for long.

BB: You got her! Now off off off!

Soul: Okay fine, you little harpy.

Naruto: I think it was a mistake to bring her on…

Naruko: Ditto.

BB: I'm not that bad!

Everyone: Sure~

BB: Mou! Just get to the reviews!

calderoneric758 - Those are some good suggestions to file away. Don't know about Shinji though.

Storylover213 - Good guess but nope.

XenoBlaze - Give Medaka Box a chance. Naruko's Servant is revealed, but sorry, it's not one of the Servants you suggested. Nope, Nick doesn't have Shaman King powers. Watch Black Lagoon and you'll see exactly why Roberta is more than qualified to protect Nunnally. Nines' is Castle's Metal Gear OC.

Raidentensho - We've received many suggestions to use G-Gundam elements, so we might do it.

Spiral-Voltron-Zero0Q1 - It's how he's written, both in canon and here.

Patriot-112 - He'll be a better man from Huey than will ever be.

Neo Infinity - I haven't forgotten Laila, and she might appear much earlier depending on what happens. Also, watch Black Lagoon, preferably dub.

DarkDurim - BB is 100% on Uzu's side, though she might do some things to make things more interesting. I'm currently watching Merrydawg play Persona 5 Strikers. I might get the game myself, but I don't know which system yet.

GunBlade2021 - Castle wrote all of that. He hasn't told me who the mother is yet.

Guest - Revy and Roberta tearing the Geass Order apart sounds like a fun time!

Lucienne: No, it doesn't! Just start the chapter already!

---

Good tidings- you know what…?

BB! Channel!

There! Much better!

As Arc I: Genesis of the Crusaders closes, another begins! Arc II: The Rise of- Oh-no! Their little group may or may not be called that! We shall see!

Thanks to yours truly, now the entire world knows of Britannia's murder boners for those that are not like them! When you're Britannian, you're number one…until last night.

The world has undergone a metamorphosis, and it's only going to get better or worse, depending on who you are. Britannia's in full damage control, mysterious players are roused from their slumber, and the Phantom Thieves, well…

They got one last heist in them…

---

[Sword of Akasha]

Charles zi Britannia, the 98th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, looked up at the construction of the Sword of Akasha, within the Thought Elevator located beneath the Imperial Palace of Pendragon. He frowned, not liking the feelings he got from focusing on C's World. He's been at it for days since Clovis's death, and still had no results. The incident with that 'circus' from the day before didn't help matters, as his kingdom was now swamped with fear and uncertainty from what had been revealed in Shinjuku.

"Hmm, so that's what's wrong…" Charles murmured in annoyance. "Now how did this happen to you, Clovis?"

"Still nothing from dear Clovis?"

Charles didn't turn around to see a girl skipping towards him. She was young and beautiful, with light pink hair tied into a fluffy ponytail, red irises and a pale complexion. Her build was petite, slender and small-chested. She wore a black crop-top, emblazoned with a gold Britannian military logo under a white vest, along with a pink and gold cloak. She also had on black gloves, white shorts, and mid-thigh high magenta colored boots

However, what was unnatural about her was the voice coming from her was different from the girl's normal voicebox, there were red rings around her irises, and a slightly amused expression on her face.

"I've found out why." Charles said grimly. "I thought what I sensed was Clovis's soul, but it was not. It's merely an echo of his soul."

"How is that possible? All souls go into C's World after death." the girl said, standing next to him.

"We both know that's not the case, especially with a Geass like yours, Marianne," Charles said and sighed. "But this has never happened before. He's just…gone."

"Well, does his echo say anything?" Marianne asked with a tilt of 'her' head.

Charles shook his head. "There's nothing from it. Everything's a jumbled mess; like his mind's been broken…"

"...Damn. C.C. was serious then," Marianne said, dropping her amused expression.

"What about C.C.?" Charles inquired. "You've located her, haven't you?"

"I have, but…" Marianne trailed off. "She severed her connection with me. I can't talk or track her down anymore."

"I see. Anything else?"

"Anything else?! Charles, we- no, you sold her out to Clovis, and now that she's free, she's going against us!" Marianne said angrily. "I told you as long as we left her alone, she'll follow the plan through with us! She was an ally, dammit! But you-"

"It was necessary. After your death, she became as unpredictable as an Uzumaki. I had to find a way to keep her close at hand, and Clovis's Code-R research provided an excuse to do so. Besides, she was too much of a risk to keep out in the open."

"Only if we made her an enemy, which you did! This wouldn't have happened if you just punished that little shit V.V., but no, not only did you let him off scot-free, but you dragged poor Minato-san into it! You may have fooled the Uzumaki to prevent a full-blown war, but they're going to find out eventually, especially after what happened in Area 11 yesterday!" Marianne yelled at him, beating on his arm.

"I understand your anger my dear, but V.V. is still needed. Rest assured that there will come a time where even my older brother is no longer needed." Charles said softly.

Marianne gaped at him in disbelief. "Did you change the plan or something without my knowing?! Charles, your brother killing me may have endangered the shared dream we all have together! And now there's a bunch of vigilantes in Area 11 who just practically ruined the reputation of Britannia in one night because Clovis couldn't clean up after himself properly! You need to take action!"

"I will. But not now. For now, we observe. We do that, and we'll find out who those foolish vigilantes are and respond accordingly," continued the emperor, picking up the Holy Grail sitting on the pedestal beside him. "Right now, we need to watch the movements of the Uzumaki clan. They are the only ones who could put a damper on everything we worked for."

"Grr, fine! But what about Area 11? With Clovis gone, Schneizal on business here, and those stupid Purebloods in disgrace, who will you send to handle that?" Marianne asked, crossing her arms.

"Cornelia. No doubt Euphemia will go with her as well," Charles informed her, "I trust Cornelia to deal with those resistance cells before that Joker and his friends recruit them for a foolhardy rebellion."

"Nelly and Euphie, huh? Are you sure, since Clovis and our children lost their lives there?" Marianne asked him. "And there's still C.C. to deal with. Now that the Holy Grail is unsealed, her Servants will return."

Charles smirked. "That's exactly the reason. And in the confusion of the chaos, my brother's Geass Assassins will track down and capture C.C. If she resists with her Servants, then what better way than to have the Geass Order gain more Servants for our cause?"

"…Fine then, I'll leave you to it. And if things go tits up, then I reserve the right to say 'I told you so'!" she huffed and stomped off.

'Marianne…'

No one could blame Marianne for acting the way she did, not even him. She was right that V.V. needed to be punished for what he did. On top of that, he lied about assassinating her, made it look like the work of terrorists, and resulted in him sending her children off to Japan as political prisoners, where they perished along with the Uzumaki children. Thankfully it wasn't tied back to Britannia due to the OSI leading the charge, but as Marianne said, it was only a matter of time.

'Victor…you lied. You lied about Marianne's death. Ironically you didn't know about her Geass, which saved her own soul. I will complete our plan, but I won't let you enjoy the fruits of your labor…not after what you did.' Charles mused while gazing at the Grail in his hand. 'Such is the consequences of breaking our oath.'

"Your Majesty."

Charles turned to see Julius Kingsley, who dropped to one knee and bowed to him.

"Ah, Julius. The fact you've returned means that the other matter is done?" Charles said with a proud smile.

"Indeed. And in addition, I've found another Piece of Eden." Julius said, holding up a golden orb.

"I see, excellent. Take it to Area 18. Cornelia should be finishing up there. Once she departs for Area 11, you shall take command and search for the Thought Elevator we located here." Charles commanded.

"Your will shall be done, Your Majesty," Julius said and stood up. "But what of those flashy terrorists will those superhumans skills? One of them managed to stop bullets from a Knightmare and the other two threw them around. Should I be on hand to deal with them before they gain momentum?"

"No. Cornelia is the Witch of Britannia and the Goddess of Victory. She will be more than enough to deal with them," Charles told him confidently, "Once you're done in Area 18, I'll have you and your forces deal with the movements of Uzu. They are the ones to watch out for."

"I understand…" Julius answered, with another bow and a smirk.

Nearby, Marianne looked back and sighed. She was close to crying but held back the tears for the sake of the girl she was possessing. Her son, the survivor of the assassination attempt, was right there, but she couldn't talk to them because of what had happened afterward. And now, he was a different person, thanks to Charles.

Because it was necessary.

Shaking her head, she walked away as a towering robed figure rose from her shadow and walked in stride with her.

"Thou canst still walk away from all of this. Thy hast betrayed thy friend and thy trust." the figure said as they walked through the Thought Elevator.

"No. I am too deep into this to back off. Once Ragnarök is done, I'll see Lucienne and Nunnally. We and Lelouch can be a family again." Marianne said softly and exited the Thought Elevator.

"It may not go the way thou think-" the robed figure said.

"Silence, Great Founder Hassan," Marianne interrupted sharply with narrowed eyes. "You and my other Servants' only concern is to protect this girl from all threats and V.V. Nothing else until the promised time. Am I clear?"

"...Very well, my Master." the FirstHassan said before sinking into her shadow.

'I'm sorry Old Man of the Mountain. Ragnarök must be done…but…' she looked back at the Thought Elevator. 'What is this uneasy feeling I'm getting…from that Holy Grail?'

---

Stage 06: The Princesses and the Final Heist

---

[Middle Eastern Federation]

"Fight! Fight to the last man! If you don't, then our glorious nation will become just another Area, where the Britannians will slaughter our people like cattle! Do you want that to happen?!"

"NO!"

"THEN FIGHT! GIVE THEM HELL! DON'T LET THEM WIN, NO MATTER WHAT! FIGHT!"

In the desert of the Middle Eastern Federation, a battle was waging between the Federation and the invading forces of the Holy Britannian Empire. For the remainder of the military of the Middle Eastern Federation, they were fighting like it was their final battle. Their lives as well as the wellbeing of their subjects were on the line, and even more so after yesterday. Images of the Shinjuku Massacre were fresh on their minds as they fought, giving them the motivation to keep fighting back against their invaders.

"Open fire!"

The MEF forces rolled forward in their large tank-like Bamides Knightmare Frames, unusual 4th-gen Knightmare Frames that were larger than average ones. Unlike most Knightmares, the Bamides required a crew to run it. They fired upon a cluster of tanks that were approaching and annihilated them.

But out of the smoke came purple Knightmares that were not Sutherlands. Using specialized Landspinners made for sand, they rushed out of the smoke and weaved in and out of formation.

"Those are…Gloucasters?!"

"They're supposed to be in Serupham!"

The Gloucasters are 5th-generation Knightmare Frames that are remodeled Sutherlands that specialize in close-quarters combat. They had a dark purple paint job with black trim and black capes flapping in the winds. They also wield golden jousting lances, showing that they were part of the Royal Guard.

The Bamides open fire on the Gloucasters with machine-gun and cannon fire, but they were unable to land a hit on them.

"Shoddy, oversized imitation Knightmares!" General Andreas Darlton of the Glaston Knights growled.

"They would have been wise to surrender from the start!" his comrade, Gilbert J.P. Guilford, agreed.

As soon as they got in range, they proceeded to get the joints and weak points of the Bamides. Plus, the bigger the target, the easier it is to hit, especially when it comes to a 4th-generation Knightmare.

"Dammit, we have to-!" the Bamides commander started to say before hearing an explosion behind him.

The base that the Bamides were protecting exploded behind him and his army. They looked in horror to see a single Gloucaster standing in the flames menacingly. The Gloucaster was different however, as it had two horn-like arrays on its head, a lighter shade of purple, a white cape, and core the crest of the Britannian Imperial Family.

"A pincer assault thanks to a single unit! So Cornelia…curses!" the commander yelled out as the Bamides burst into flames, vaporizing everyone inside them.

After doing their work, the Gloucasters skated away, leaving the Bamides to explode where they fell.

"And with that, the Middle Eastern Federation is no more!" Andreas declared over the sounds of his comrades cheering.

"Yes…indeed it is…" a soft voice spoke over the comms. "And from the ashes…Area 20?"

"Uh, actually 18, My Lady." Darlton corrected her, his superior's listless voice bringing down the mood.

"Area 18. Right…"

"Princess…" Guilford murmured, knowing what ails the woman in the Gloucaster. "About…our next course of action."

"Sorry about that, Darlton, Guilford. Just thinking about the mess my foolish younger brother left for us to clean up, among other things…"

"Y-yeah." Darlton agreed, knowing that Cornelia was not looking forward to the next assignment.

How could they after the footage of the Shinjuku Massacre played over the airwaves all over the world? It was the reason that their forces sustained heavy losses from sneak attacks and suicide bombers since then. Hell, it was actually a miracle that they all made it out alive.

"No matter what, we're with you to the end, my Princess!" Guilford said with pride in his voice, trying to lift her spirits.

"Yes. Thank you, Guilford." Princess Cornelia li Britannia said and looked out over the horizon. 'Clovis…what happened to you? What secret was so bad that you ordered the deaths of innocent Elevens?' she thought to herself with a frown. 'And because of yesterday, war is coming, and Kushina-sensei will stay silent no longer…'

---

[Uzu R&D Department, Nines' Office]

Nines sat at his terminal, scrolling through the information recovered from Prince Clovis's Command G-1, thanks to the Phantom Thieves. His eyes scanned line after line of data almost haphazardly like he was skimming through it. The speed at which it scrolled by wouldn't allow an average person even to comprehend a single sentence, but Nines's eyes seem to vibrate, flickering back and forth.

He noticed a pair of arms circling his neck and the sensation of two soft and firm objects press against the back of his head. A smile appeared on his face as a curtain of purple hair fell around him.

"Speed reading again?" A soft, feminine voice spoke from above as he felt the girl behind him lay her chin atop his head.

"Just looking over the stuff Naruto and the others got from Clovis, Emmie. I'm trying to see if I can find anything on Code-R. The rest of this we can analyze at a later time, but it's what they were doing with C.C. that's got my curiosity." Nines said as he turned his head and looked into a pair of whiskey red eyes.

Medaka smiled back before leaning in to steal a quick kiss from her lover. Giggling, she turned her attention to the screen. "I'm not sure he would keep anything on the military server. He would've kept that data secured on a private computer, under a ridiculous amount of security."

"That's my thought too, and the lack of files regarding it confirms it. Still, there might be something in here that can point us in a direction to where Code-R might be," Nines replied, going back to reading the data.

Medaka hummed. "We can write off the facility she was taken from. Given the secrecy, anything not nailed down has been relocated, and any servers left have been wiped and destroyed. Clovis' men will not leave anything that can be traced."

"No doubt. The only place left to look is in here, and even then, it's extremely vague even if it is present. Clovis was a cautious man with his secrets if nothing else."

After a few more minutes of reading, Nines' eyes widened as he paused the screen. "Hello. What do we have here?"

"Found something on Code-R?" Medaka asked, leaning forward.

"Not on that, but something else caught my eye." Nines answered as he typed on the keyboard, bringing the file he found up.

Medaka read the file with narrowing eyes. "Kōzuki Naoto...isn't that…?"

"The founder of the Kōzuki Resistance Group, and elder brother to Kōzuki Kallen and Akiza. He was captured two years ago, interrogated, and executed as a terrorist under Clovis's orders. They didn't get anything they could use out of him, though. He wasn't high profile enough to have connections with the JLF, so he wasn't interrogated for long." Nines said as he scanned the files.

Medaka frowned. "Does it say what happened to him, like where he was buried?"

"Britannia doesn't bury those they deem as 'Trash'. They just dispose of the remains. Still, there is a chance…" Nines began to carefully search the files until, "Bingo. His body is being held in a secure facility with a cryo-storage system."

"Cryo-storage? So they froze him?"

"He was a minor resistance fighter, but he was still a leader of a rebel group. Britannia protocol states they preserve the remains for a set period of time in case they need to collect DNA to compare it to any suspects for probable cause or if they need to perform an investigative autopsy. There is a time limit to how long they hold the body before they destroy it."

"How long before they destroy Naoto's remains?"

Nines looked at the last file. "Two years after freezing…he's scheduled for disposal...tomorrow evening." Nines looked back at his assistant/lover. "They're going to throw him in an incinerator like refuse."

"No respect for the dead, no last rights, nothing showing he was even human to them," Medaka growled out through gritted teeth. "We can't let them do this."

"We won't. Not while we can do something. Not while the Phantom Thieves are around." Nines replied as he saved the file on Naoto to a separate drive.

Medaka smirked. "Giving the gang one last job before they move on to commanding the resistance?"

"You know it! Let's give Britannia one more black eye before the main event begins."

---

[Ashford Academy]

After the Shinjuku Massacre footage, social media was set ablaze with reactions. Those that were recording the public spectacle uploaded the footage to all social media platforms and the tubes. The programmers were working overtime to take down the clips and videos, but for every one deleted, several more popped up in their places. It didn't help that BB installed a program in the servers that made tracking down unlisted videos a pain. But it didn't matter as everyone has seen it; and from the homeland to Area 11, no one was proud to be a Britannian...except for the rich, wealthy, and noble socialites who just didn't care.

In Ashford Academy, there was nothing but an aura of misery and depression on every student in the school. They were running into each other in the hallways, staring at a random spot in the classroom during lectures, and were generally unfocused with bags under their eyes from lack of sleep. Some burst into tears when remembering what happened, and some even projectile vomited their breakfast from remembering the blood and lifeless eyes from the innocent Ele- Japanese.

And for empaths like Naruto and Naruko, it was starting to affect them big time. Thankfully, Reuben Ashford ended school early during lunch and gave the students a week off to recover from the visceral imagery. Everyone's focus was shot, as they just wanted to talk about what they just saw, and the mysterious terrorist that showed it.

In the Student Council room, almost everyone was in attendance. Nathan and Natalia were looking downtrodden to look the part of suffering the same reactions as everyone else. Then again, they were still miserable about Roberta sharing a house with them. Milly and Lucienne were leaning against the wall looking out the window, while Rivalz was just staring up at the ceiling, balancing on his chair.

As for the ones not part of the group, they were suffering the worse. Shirley was in a chair, still crying softly while hugging her knees close to her face. Nina was just staring ahead at her computer screen, unable to complete a sentence on her project. Claire was sitting on the floor against the wall with a dead look on her face, and Nick was nowhere to be found, having been missing since that morning.

Kallen and Akiza were there as well, observing the others' reactions.

"I just can't believe this. How could Prince Clovis do this?" Shirley said before blowing her nose into a tissue. "He was so kind and gentle, and his art…"

"I…don't know what to tell you, Shirley," Milly said softly, looking over to her, "But it's obvious that Clovis had another side to him that he hid from the public. That, or something else was going on. Either way, it's still no excuse for what Clovis has done. And now that his greatest shame is out…"

"People will question everything about Clovis, from his character, his actions regarding counter-terrorism, and the Royal Family." Rivalz finished for her while sitting properly. "No matter how much they try to bury it, it's never going away. I feel sorry for the royal family's PR department."

"...All this time, after what happened to me, I was afraid of the Elevens…doing what we saw. But now…" Nina was shaking in her seat. "I don't know who to be afraid of anymore! They even tried to kill those Britannian students too! No one is safe!"

"That's…!" Claire tried to refute, but failed as the protest died in her mouth. "I…"

"Nina, no matter what race, there are people that are capable of evil. A Britannian is no exception," Lucienne said shortly and looked at her, "The reason people can live their happy lives is that they do not know about it."

"So, what's going to happen now?" Shirley wondered, with Milly shrugging.

"There's going to be a new Viceroy, but even they'll be under a lot of scrutiny under the public eye due to being a part of the royal family," Milly replied and pushed herself off the wall. "The next few months are going to be hectic, especially with the upcoming School Festival."

"The one where everyone from Britannians and Japanese will be in attendance, right?" Natalia guessed with a grimace, while Nina shivered.

"We'll have to make sure everyone's safe with no fights breaking out. Hell, we should postpone the thing until the heat dies down." Natalia advised, raising his hand. "One incident and the entire festival implodes."

"Make sure to put a warning label then," Nathan said as his iDroid rang. "Yeah?"

"Vacation's over. Nines acquires your presence in the bunker. Except for Miss Kallen and Miss Akiza. You'll know why soon, so chop chop." Bagley said before hanging up.

Nathan put the phone down and tugged on his collar, with Natalia, Lucienne, Milly, and Rivalz noticing and all gave the tiniest of nods of confirmation; but failed to see Claire noticing as well and frowning.

"All right, it's obvious that we're not going to get anything done today or the next few days. We'll reconvene when school is open again." Milly said and walked to the door. "We could all use the week, off like Grandpa says."

Everyone agreed and left the room, with Claire leaving last.

"Hey guys, we're going to leave the grounds," Akiza told Naruto and the others. "If you need us, we'll be at the usual place."

"All right. Give Ohgi and the idiot our best." Naruto replied, making the redheads giggle.

The crusaders continue walking towards the elevator, with Kallen and Akiza heading downstairs. Unknownst to them, Claire peeked from around the corner.

'They must be going down to that place again.' she thought, heading in the direction of the elevator.

Sure enough, she saw the suspect group going into the elevator, and walked over to hear it going down. She put her hand on the doors, before resting her head on them.

Claire Harvey was a proud Britannian, the first daughter and second child of the prestigious Harvey Family. Alongside the Ashford Family, they also dabbled in Knightmare development, having made the part necessary for Knightmares like the Glasgows and the Sutherlands to be a success.

However, unlike the Ashfords, the Harvey family had not been allied with Marianne vi Britannia, so they avoided the wrath of the Emperor's Consorts. Her brother was set to take over the family business, so Claire decided to pursue a military career. While she did not discriminate against the numbers, she didn't hold them in high regard either; as long as they didn't get in her way or business.

And now, she was questioning what it meant to be a Britannian, as the Shinjuku Massacre instigated by Britannians violated her values. Like her fellow students, she was not proud of being Britannian today.

"Nathan. Natalia. Lucienne. Milly. Rivalz. I thought you nothing but a secret group of terrorists trying to disrupt the peace. Now I see that you all were fighting the injustice that plagues our society. What happened in Shinjuku should not happen anywhere else…" Claire murmured and took a step back. "Noblesse Oblige. I hope you all don't mind another ally to your cause…"

As Claire was mulling over her decision, she didn't see C.C. who was watching her across the hallway with a sucker in her mouth.

---

[Military Courtroom]

"Case No.107 against Private Suzaku Kururugi, Area 11 Military Forces. In the murder of His Highness, Third Prince Clovis la Britannia, you are no longer a suspect, and are hereby set free due to lack of evidence."

"What? I'm free?" asked Suzaku from the stand.

The judge raised an eyebrow. "Yes? Don't tell me you actually believed that you were going to be convicted after what happened yesterday?"

"But…the Purebloods-" Suzaku started to say.

"Seriously, son? Those disgraces should be the ones on the hot seat for the stunt that happened yesterday, not you," the judge scoffed and leaned in. "But if you want to sleep the night in a jail cell, that can be arranged."

"Uh, no sir!"

"Then get out of here. Enjoy your freedom. Something tells me they'll need you for those new terrorists that popped up. Next case!" the judge said and bang the hammer.

Suzaku quickly bowed and rushed out of there.

---

[Outside the Military Compound]

Nick Ward was walking down the road towards the military base, wearing a long coat and a baseball cap over his casual clothing, and he carried with him a notepad. He'd aimed to have a little chat with Kururugi Suzaku, to get his perspective on what happened in Shinjuku. That and get some information as a housewarming gift to the vigilantes on the Student Council. Sure, he could take the fight to Britannia by himself (and make a terrifying amount of headway even if they managed to somehow stop him), but it was obvious that those troublemakers Nathan, Natalia, Lucienne, Milly had had their crusade in the works for years. Rivalz? It was after the incident with the pinball machine that he'd started hanging around the others a lot.

'I can understand why the others aren't in their little group. Nina is xenophobic and a scary-cat, Shirley's too much of a lovestruck stalker, and Claire is too much of a stickler for the rules,' Nick thought, 'I do have to hand it to Milly. For once, her nepotism is actually being used for good-'

"Out of the way please!"

"Look out below!"

Nick looked up to see two people falling from a third-story window above him. He didn't move as he stopped directly below them and caught them with each arm, but ended up toppling to the ground with them.

"Ow…well, this was unexpected," he grunted in amusement, snorting, "You two aren't hurt, are you?" he asked while helping them to their feet.

The first that landed on him was a beautiful young woman with long pink hair, two buns on the sides of her head, and swirls at the ends; bluish-violet irises, a slender figure with D-cup breasts, and wearing a white blouse with a corset, and a long orange skirt with red heels.

The second was a young girl with lemon-blonde hair, tied in pigtails with black ribbons, blue irises, and a shapely, petite figure with E-cup breasts that stood out on her smaller frame, and a plump, round, flaring ass. She wore a white blouse with a pink crop jacket over it, a red corset with a black frilly miniskirt, thigh-high black stocking, and red shoes.

"I told you jumping out from that high was a bad idea," the blonde shortstack groaned, rubbing her sizable backside.

"But we couldn't do anything with the guards roaming around," the pinkette replied and noticed Nick. "Oh, sorry about that! We didn't know there was anyone below us before we jumped!"

"I'll say, though I suppose it's a good thing I was. I wasn't expecting anyone above me when I walked out too. The forecast didn't call for raining girls." Nick mused, making them flustered, "Still, you could've really sprained something if I hadn't caught you, y'know?" Even as he spoke, he eyed the blonde girl speculatively. Something about her caused a mysterious, substantial tingling in his chest. 'What the…? This feeling…is it her? Here and now, of all places?'

"Hey, are you all alright?!"

The three looked to see a young man wearing casual clothes with a cap and a pair of sunglasses stopping in front of them with a duffle bag over his shoulder.

'That's…Kururugi Suzaku. They must have thrown that evidence the Pureblood had on him in the bin.' Nick thought as he looked up at him. 'What luck.'

"Oh, you're…" the pinkette started before trailing off.

"Is there something wrong?" Suzaku inquired as he helped the three up.

"Uh, well…" the blonde was unsure as he looked around.

Nick looked up to see a makeshift rope tied with bedsheets hanging out the window.

'That doesn't look like a prison cell of any kind.' he mused before noticing the pinkette's bright smile. "I'm fine, but-"

"Yes, something is wrong! The truth is…there's some bad guys chasing us!" the blonde said while looking at the pinkette.

"Um, yes! So considering the circumstances, can you help us?" the pinkette asked.

Nick and Suzaku looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

---

[Viceroy's Palace]

In the Pureblood's main office within the Government Bureau, the disgraced faction were having a private meeting. On the monitors near them was an image of Jeremiah, leading a fleet of Sutherlands and coordinating something with the troops in front of him.

"Damn Jeremiah, he completely embarrassed us!" Kewell growled, banging his feet on the table in front of him. Years of work was ruined by a bunch of damn terrorists, followed by Jeremiah going over his head with emergency powers. "We must deal with him before Cornelia assumes her post as Viceroy!"

"Now the loyalty of us Purebloods has been called into question." a member added.

"But can we really? Jeremiah's been praised for the handling of the situation yesterday. And now they're planning an audit into our affairs," an aide said from the monitors, "It would only make us look worse to do something about him now."

"We could throw rumors around that Jeremiah was bribed," another member suggested. "That he and Villetta are hiding something. She's the only one who supported him."

"No. We will handle them swiftly. Jeremiah may have saved hundreds of Britannian citizens, but at the cost of our integrity!" Kewell snapped at them, "Once we deal with them, we'll make those three upstart terrorists pay!"

"But what about the footage from the Shinjuku Massacre?!" another protested. "That's not going away! And Princess Cornelia's nothing like Clovis!"

"The people are horrified, but they'll come around to it! They're Britannian after all, and culling the lessers is the Britannian way of life! As for Cornelia, we'll cross that bridge when we get there." Kewell snarled, a hint of insanity in his eyes. "Right now, we deal with that ungrateful fool who dares rise above his station!"

---

[With Jeremiah]

Jeremiah sneezed and rubbed his nose. 'Kewell's going to try something. I know it.'

'Everything went off without a hitch,' Villetta thought while in her Sutherland. 'Now it's Kewell's turn to dig himself a grave…'

---

[Ashford Underground Bunker]

"-And that's what's going on." Nines said as the others suited up. "Any questions?"

"None." Naruto said as he zipped up his inner suit, "It's a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one at that, dattebayo."

"Are you sure you all are going to be alright? You've all been pale as ghosts since this morning." Milly said while Naruko came out of the armory. "And I don't think it was from yesterday."

"Roberta is now baby-sitting Nunnally while Sayoko is out in the field," Lucienne supplied, trying not to laugh.

"...Oh. Dear," uttered Milly before laughing herself, "Well, that makes sense! Anyway, what's the intel on our target?"

"Naoto's body is currently being held in a pre-disposal room. They're raising the body's core temperature in order to make the incineration more efficient. After all, it's hard to burn something that has a block of ice for its core." Nines reported as a 3-D image of the facility appeared on the war table and a room on the south side near several large silos began to blink. "There is a service garage located on the southeast corner of the facility. It's large enough to get a truck inside, so if you can drive one in, you won't have to worry about being spotted outside carrying a corpse." Said service area flashed as well. "You'll need to get in and make your way to Pre-Disposal, locate the body, verify that it's Naoto, and then get out without tripping any alarms."

Naruko hummed while examining the blueprints. "I see. Instead of a truck, why not use our Hum-Vee?"

"That's a good idea, but I don't think we should drive it into the facility itself," Lucienne said, using the war table to expand the map. "Tell you what; I'll park the Hum-Vee a ways out, and you two drive the truck to my location where we'll switch the vehicles."

"Bonus points if we use it as a distraction in case we're followed. Sounds like a plan." Naruto said while armoring up. "We should use simple gadgets for the job instead of our signature weapons. Keeps them guessing as to who did it-ttebayo."

"Speaking of your signature weapons, shoot them here to Uzu. One of my assistants has an idea on how to use those trinkets you found a few months back. She has a bright mind and is even helping with developing new weapons for the Gun-Frames," Nines suddenly spoke up, "It shouldn't take no more than a few days. But your Gun-Frames will need a bit more work before they're ready to ship out for a campaign against Britannia."

Naruto shrugged. "I don't mind. I look forward to seeing what you guys have in mind."

"About time too. I was wondering if they were gathering dust." Naruko joked and put her helmet on. "Hope you have more surprises in store!"

"Oh, we do. Sadly, we don't have a Gun-Frame for you yet Lucienne, so you'll have to make do with a Para-mail." Nine informed her.

"That's fine, so take your time." Lucienne put her helmet on. "I'm still working on what I want for it."

"We'll be watching from Mission Control as usual," Rivalz said while spinning in the chair. "I'm gonna cherish every bit of this mission before we move up to grander roles."

"You and me both." Milly nodded and put her hand out. "Here's to the Phantom Thieves' final heist!"

"Hell yeah!"

They all put their hands together before breaking.

"Right then," Naruto put his helmet on. "Let's ride!"

---

[Tokyo Settlement]

"Thank you for helping us out back there!" the pinkette said brightly. "Oh, we haven't introduced ourselves yet, have we? My name is…Euphie!" she introduced herself after a pause.

"And I'm Laila! Nice to meet you both." the blonde introduced herself with a smile.

'Hmm, I get the feeling that there's more to these two…' Nick thought before introducing himself. "Nick. Nick Ward. All the best."

Suzaku adjusted his glasses. "My name is-"

"We already know," Euphie cut across him. "Private Kururugi Suzaku, son of former Prime Minister Kururugi Genbu. You're a celebrity!"

Nick already knew but decided to act surprised as well. "Uh-huh. I thought you looked familiar. Guess they had better things to do than to keep you on false charges."

"...Right," Suzaku murmured and looked behind him. "You lied before. There's no one after you at all, is there?"

"Kitty!" Laila suddenly squealed, suddenly catching sight of a dark-furred cat and chasing after it.

"Well there's a sight you don't see every day," commented Nick, watching idly as he watched her go bounding after the cute critter.

"Meow, meow! Aww, does the kitty's paw hurt?" Euphie asked, with the cat hissing at them. "Meow, meow, meow!"

Soon enough, the cat seemed to calm down enough to rub its face on their outstretched fingers. Euphie giggled and picked the cat up, with Laila petting it as the boys walked towards them. Euphie presented the cat to Suzaku, who reached out, only to get bitten.

"Ku ku ku," Laila giggled with her mouth in front of her mouth. "Cats don't like you much, huh Suzaku-san?"

"I like 'em fine," Suzaku grunted, trying to pull his finger away. "The attraction isn't mutual."

Nick tried his luck, with the cat sniffing him for a moment, jerking its head back with dilated pupils, and then tentatively let him pet it.

"Maybe it's just you." Nick mused.

…

Nearby, Lloyd and Cecile were in their mobile Camelot trailer that housed the Lancelot.

"We're running late. I hope he's still waiting for us." Lloyd said while relaxing in his seat.

"Considering the charge, did they really release him?" Cecile wondered as she stopped at the stoplight.

"Of course they did, they had no evidence. I'm sure they put him through the third-degree because of the 'Joker Cypher Rei' incident." Lloyd said, looking to the side before spotting Suzaku and- "Huh? Why is he…?"

Suzaku was walking with a group, with two very familiar figures.

"What do you mean?" Cecile asked as she followed his gaze.

"This has gotten interesting," Lloyd noted in amusement.

…

They stopped at some steps to rest, where Euphie put a bandage on the cat's paw.

"There you go. All better!" Laila said and fed it treats she brought from the nearby shop.

"Did you ever have trouble with cats?" the pinkette asked Suzaku.

"Not really," Suzaku said as the cat looked at him and hissed.

"Think you might have done something in the past life to warrant such repulsion?" Nick asked him.

Suzaku shrugged. "Maybe. But it is what it is."

"I think unrequited love is the mark of a kind person."

As Euphie said that, the cat stretched before bounding away.

"Aww, the kitty ran away." Lalia said, pouting.

"Well, kind or not, unrequited love is also the mark of self-inflicted misery. Speaking of self-inflicted," Nick turned his attention to the girls, missing Suzaku's flinching. "We've been hanging for the past ten minutes, and I don't see any suits or police coming at us. Are you really in trouble?"

"Why? Are you that concerned over us?" Laila asked, poking at his cheek.

"I think anyone would," Suzaku replied.

"Eh? Then you can accompany us some more!" Euphie said and dragged Suzaku with her.

"Indeed! Be honored that you're escorting my sister and a perfect lady like myself!" Lalia added, taking Nick's arm and dragging him along as well.

From there, the boys and girls were exploring the Tokyo Settlement, with Nick being somewhat of an unofficial guide since he's been in the area for so long. They window-shopped and went into stores that caught the girls' fancy. Surprisingly, they didn't buy much, or subject the boys to the stereotype of carrying all the bags. No, the girls just bought charms and had them on their person. All the while, Nick observed Suzaku, noticing that despite his sunny facade, there was something else eating at him.

"Hmm? What's up, Nick?" Suzaku asked as they were eating at a table.

"You seem like you're trying to seem happy," he noted aloud, "What's up? Was your exoneration not what it was cracked up to be? You're a free man, now."

"Ah well, despite what was shown yesterday, I thought it was an open and shut case," Suzaku admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's not like I wanted to be in jail for something I didn't do, but if it was for the good of all, I have no regrets."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "For the good of all, huh? To be frank, I don't think they would've just stopped at just prison for you. After all, they had you up in front of everyone for the murder of Prince Clovis." He noticed the two girls across from them flinch. "Ah, sorry. I suppose it's a little soon to bring it up so…cavalierly."

"It's…it's alright," murmured Euphie, looking down and putting a hand on Laila's under the table as the blonde girl's fist clenched in frustration, "In some cases, talking about such things can lead to them becoming less painful."

"Oh yes, I agree," he said amiably, nodding slowly, "I 100% agree. But where was I…"

"They wouldn't have stopped at prison?" supplied Suzaku dryly.

"Aha, yeah. See, those guys up there, putting that collar on you, chaining you up and parading you up and down the street…I don't mean to keep bringing up all this morbid stuff, you understand, but you gotta know that those guys were planning on executing you. It's plain as day. If it weren't for those masked fellows, you'd be in front of the firing squad."

"Well…it's a good thing they came forward," Laila said with a strained smile. "It was…so obvious that they were moving quickly to finish the case. Everyone should know that an…Honorary Britannian is too easy to pin down for a…a murder like that. Still…they could've…you know…left the Prince alive…t-to face judgment…" she continued, her voice cracking a little. Euphie squeezed her hand.

Nick frowned. "Yes…yes, they certainly could have, you're absolutely right, Laila. But, given their occupation and the actions they took, it seems to me, if you don't mind my speculation…they probably didn't trust that a judgment like that would come." Even as Laila opened her mouth to protest, he held up a hand to forestall her. "Firstly, Laila, can you tell me whether there's ever been a huge scandal where a member of the Royal Family was punished under Britannian law? And I mean really punished, for something as bad as, well…" He grimaced. "As bad as that video we were subjected to."

"There's nothing to suggest that something that bad has happened before!" Suzaku pointed out.

"Suzaku…while you might be 'honorary,' we are all-" he indicated the four of them, "-Citizens of a globe-spanning empire, which has frequently claimed territory from many countries by military occupation. The fact that a group of terrorists resorted to showing us such things means that, if they hadn't, we would never know about it."

"Th-That would be for the best, wouldn't it?"

He shrugged. "Who can say? But my point is, if there was one massacre of civilians that happened under Britannian rule, who's to say there aren't more? Ones that the media made sure we never knew about, like this one?"

The two girls looked very uncomfortable.

"But-"

"But what really gets me," continued Nick, steamrolling casually over Suzaku's protest, "Is that you clearly knew what was going on."

The former Japanese boy froze. "H-huh?"

"Yeah…in the report on the whole incident, it mentioned that you were in Shinjuku, piloting a Knightmare. That's a hell of a thing, by the way; never thought I'd see the day an Honorary Britannian allowed to pilot a Frame."

"You're getting off-topic," Laila pointed out, her discomfort fading to be replaced by fascination.

He blinked. "Ah. Yeah. Sorry, I haven't really had an opportunity to talk like this in a long time. Let's see here…yeah, so you were out in a Knightmare during that whole tragedy. Now, I don't mean to imply that you were ever involved in all those atrocities- never crossed my mind for a moment. But, you had to know what was being done there. And yet, you were willing to be wrongly accused and sentenced for…what was it? The good of all?" He kept his face and tone casual and amiable, but there was no hiding the biting edge in his words.

Suzaku gritted his teeth under his mouth before responding. "I had…no idea. When I was first deployed, we were ordered to find poison gas, but…" he bit his tongue, unable to say what was really in the capsule. "As soon as I found it, along with those students, I was shot by my superior," he revealed, causing Euphie to gasp in shock. "Luckily the charm I had on my person saved me, but I was knocked out for most of…what was happening. When I was deployed again, I had no idea what was happening. All I knew is that terrorists were on the attack, and it was my job to stop them! I had no time to notice my surroundings, only to hunt down the terrorists."

Nick hummed, raising his eyebrows. "Hmm. I see. So you honestly didn't know. But really, you've got some steel in you, don't you? Managing to walk off a bullet wound and get into a Knightmare? That takes some real grit; the kind you hear about in war heroes! I'd even bet that's something Princess Cornelia would do herself." He gave a small laugh, pretending not to notice how Euphie gave a squeak of surprise. "I bet it was a real shock to you as well," he continued, somberly, "To see that footage."

Suzaku gritted his teeth, his fists shaking in rage. "What are you? Some kind of reporter? Or private detective?"

"Hm?" Nick glanced down at his clothes. "Ah, I suppose I do look the part. No, I'm a student. One who's very eager to get all the perspectives on this whole ordeal. We got the government's perspective already…but what I want to know is your perspective, and that of the terrorists. After all, they exchanged that canister of poison gas for you, then carried you off. Now, I don't expect you to tell me anything that's been deemed confidential or that you haven't told your superiors already." He shrugged. "I just want to hear what they had to say to you, when they were off-camera. You, who they went out of their way to rescue."

"Well, if you want to do that, then I know a place where we can do it," Laila interjected, standing up from her chair. "The place that's all the rage right now…Shinjuku."

"Shinjuku? But…" Suzaku protested, standing up as well.

"I don't think Britannians would be especially welcome there right now," Nick pointed out grimly, "But if it's all the rage, we wouldn't be noticed as being too out of place."

Suzaku gave him a searching look. 'For a student, he's very well-versed in being secretive,' he thought.

"Laila is right. We can continue this in Shinjuku," Euphie said in a sudden authoritative tone of voice as she stood up. "Kururugi Suzaku, escort us there, please."

---

[Tokyo Settlement Highway]

Naruto, Naruko, and Lucienne were in their Humvee, with Naruto at the wheel. The sun was starting to set, and their final operation as the Phantom Thieves was set to begin in a few hours. They weren't alone in the car, as they bought their Servants out to check out the scenery. Medusa was sitting in the passenger seat, Scáthach was sitting right next to Lucienne, and Naruko was leaning against her own Servant.

Her Servant was the spitting image of Medusa with her blindfold off, with a paler complexion, yellow irises with slits, and the same body build as the regular Medusa; albeit with a bigger bust. She had on a black dress with detached sleeves, red tattoos on her exposed sides and legs, and black and red high-heels. She usually had her hood up, ever since she'd been summoned [how long ago], but she had it down, and was grimacing at her Master being so close to her.

"I have to say, your Geass is perfect for high-speed chases." Lucienne praised Naruko, who had hers.

"Yep! It's like playing Watch Dogs!" Naruko said as they passed through a green light. "There's so much I can do, dattebane!"

"Do everything you can to test out your Geass. There have to be drawbacks like mine." Naruto told her quite toying with his Geass.

"All I know is that there's a moderate cooldown if I try to influence the same electronics twice. When I hack a camera, I see its footage through my Geass eye. If I get runaway Geass, it may involve both my eyes, which will suck. When we go out on the town, imma see if I can hack the bank accounts of the nobles." Naruko said with a mischievous giggle. "It'll take over for gambling all the time. And also," she looked at her Servant with pride. "I got us a cool new Servant for the team!"

"I'll only take orders from you, Master. No one else," her Servant growled out.

"I never would've imagined you would summon an Alter version of me," Medusa said softly, looking back at her other self in wonder. "May I ask the divergence point?"

"...It's best that you don't know." Medusa Alter replied and looked away.

"A bundle of joy to be around. I dig it, lass," Scáthach said, relaxed against her Master. "But since we're on the same side, why don't you oblige her?"

"...I'll consider it."

"Don't you worry," Naruko said, pulling on a blushing Medusa Alter's cheek. "I'll melt that cold heart of yours. Believe it."

"What about you, Master? Any drawbacks?" Scáthach asked.

"Eh, I need calories to recharge my batteries. And if I maintain my Geass for a really long time, I…well…I'll need a sickbag." Lucienne admitted with a nervous laugh. "It's going to suck if I have to hurl inside my helmet."

"That's why I'm here, lass," Scáthach said, wrapping her arm around her Master. "Whenever your Geass incapacitates you, I'll be there to bail ye out."

"Thank you," Lucienne replied meekly.

"Sorry to interrupt, but you have a call from Jeremiah," Bagley said from the Humvee's computer.

"Put him through," Naruto commanded.

"My Lady, it's Jeremiah. It looks like the Purebloods aim to get rid of me. They sent me to Shinjuku because they claimed you were all spotted there."

"We are nowhere near Shinjuku!" Lucienne said in alarm. "We're currently out on one last heist!"

"One last heist, you say?"

"Yeah. You remember the Kōzuki sisters, right? The cryo facility is about to dispose of their brother's body and we're going to get it so the sisters can have a proper burial." Lucienne explained.

"I see. Then I will spring their trap and put all eyes here. It should make it easier for you to move around."

"Jerry, if you're sure about them then you better come back alive!" Lucienne ordered him.

"Of course, Your Majesty! I wish you all luck!"

"Let's make sure his efforts don't go to waste," Naruto said with everyone nodding in agreement and sped up.

---

[Shinjuku]

The group of four arrived at the ruined Ghetto, just as the sun began setting. Sure enough, there were people gathered around a makeshift memorial. It bore crosses, candles, pictures of the deceased, flowers, and toys. It wasn't just the Japanese turned Honorary Britannians who were there, but full Britannians too; all talking amongst each other and sharing their sadness.

"The Shinjuku Ghetto…ruined once more. The people were just starting to return to it too." Suzaku said quietly. "It's finished…"

Nick frowned at that as he looked around. As a Japanophile, he'd gotten and read all the text and picture books concerning Japan. Before the invasion, Shinjuku had been a special ward that had functioned as a major urban transit hub, as well as a major economic hub in Tokyo, Japan. It was also a major commercial and administrative center that houses numerous companies. It also had a striving nightlife with lots of clubs, karaoke rooms, and upscale hotel bars and restaurants.

Now it had the makings of a post-apocalyptic warzone, home to Japanese that either refused to become Honorary Britannians or were otherwise outright rejected by the system. The buildings were heavily damaged, and there were holes in the roads; but the people managed a lifestyle where every homeless/unemployed Japanese was welcomed. In fact, they were more civilized than some of the other Ghettos, which were notorious for adopting a similar Darwinist lifestyle to Britannia.

It was a haunted place now after the Shinjuku Incident. Buildings were close to falling over after being bombed, roads close to caving in, but the most damning of all were the spots of blood all over the place. Worse, there were bodies still being moved in the distance.

"It says a lot when the military and police are still doing the clean-up," Nick said, "Though I suppose it'd look bad if they gave up now. They'll probably still be at it for a long time."

Meanwhile, the girls were kneeling in front of the memorial, setting down their flowers and candles they'd bought on the way.

"When I saw the footage, I thought it was fake, that it was some kind of trailer like that BB woman said it was. But what was in it…wouldn't be found in even the greatest war flicks." Laila whispered and stood up, her eyes watering upon spotting bodies of children being moved out of a building. "But this isn't war. The Ele- Japanese were just living peacefully there, making do with what resources they had. And my b- the Prince…he…" she sniffed, her body shaking uncontrollably. "Why…?"

"Laila…" Euphie murmured before the blonde latched onto her.

"WHY?! WHY WOULD HE DO THIS?!" Laila wailed, her tears finally falling. "HE WAS…SO KIND!"

"I…" Euphie hugged her close. "I don't…I really don't know," she admitted over the girl's sobbing. "I can only think that something happened to make him that way."

'She knew him,' thought Nick, eyeing her speculatively but keeping silent out of respect, 'Prince Clovis meant something to her personally.'

"Leaving the ladies to their mourning," he said quietly to Suzaku, "I would still like to hear what those people said to you."

"Nothing that's worth any value. They are enemies of the state that refuse to work with the system. All they care about is the result of their actions." Suzaku said, looking to the horizon. "The footage of the incident…they and that BB girl should never have released it. It'll only keep the flames of resistance going longer than necessary. They plan on disrupting the peace, so it's my duty to fight them!"

"That may be so," Nick replied neutrally, "But even if you didn't like what they had to say- and of course that's your right -I'm wondering what specifically they told you. Given your, well, heritage, they probably thought that they could convince you to join them, didn't they?"

"They expected me to, but I disappointed them. I would never join them since any ends gained through contemptible means are worth nothing. But if you really want to know what they said, they claim that their target was Britannia's corruption. But there's another way without bloodshed," Suzaku said, turning to Nick. "And that's to change the system from within. That is where I differ from those terrorists."

Nick hummed. "From within, huh? You don't say? Well, I wish you and whoever you're working with luck with that."

"Whoever I'm…?"

"Oh yeah. I mean, you can't honestly expect to make any significant change in a three-decade-old system of government that spans a majority of the world all by yourself, now can you?"

Suzaku gritted his teeth. "Those three didn't have such kind words for me when I told them either."

"No," murmured the other boy, "No, I suppose they wouldn't. But it's not like their grievances are without weight, are they? If that footage they showed us made one thing clear, it's that the corruption they speak of is very real-"

"Get out of here, you damn Britannian pigs!"

"Tamaki, stop!"

The four jumped and looked over to see a couple of Britannian students with cameras being shouted down by a Japanese man, who was being held back by his comrades.

'Wait a minute. Those guys are from that meeting with that masked trio.' Nick thought with a frown. 'And those kids are from the Newspaper Club. Better step in.'

"Stay here!" Suzaku said and ran towards the commotion.

"Wait, please! We don't want any trouble! We're with Ashford's Newspaper Club. We're only documenting everything we can before they take it all away!" one of the students protested, his hands raised.

"That's right!" his partner said. "We understand you're upset, but we're on your side!"

"Like hell you're on our side!" Tamaki shouted at them. "You're only sorry for us because of yesterday's footage of what happened! You never gave a damn or cared about us! Why start now, huh?!"

"Stop, please! No violence!" Suzaku yelled, trying to get between them.

"Stay outta this!"

Takami swung his hand out at him. Suzaku stopped just in time as the offender caught his sunglasses, knocking them away.

"What the?! Kururugi Suzaku?" Tamaki exclaimed as the surrounding crowd gasped.

"Is that the guy who killed Clovis?"

"No idiot, it was those vigilantes!"

"Tsk, this guy is nothing more than a slave," Tamaki scoffed, looking at Suzaku in disgust. "You're an Honorary Britannian, big deal, nobody cares. You happily sold your pride, your people, your own soul, and you dare call yourself Japanese?!"

"You're wrong, I…" Suzaku protested, taking a step forward but regretted it.

"I am not wrong!" Tamaki snapped back and charged forward. "You stinkin' Britannian lapdog-!"

Tamaki threw a punch, but Suzaku ducked under it, grabbed his clothes, and hoisted him over his shoulder. Tamaki yelled as the momentum caused him to slam to the ground.

"Stop, please!" Suzaku pleaded as Tamaki struggled to get to his feet. "I'm warning you that I've been trained for military combat. Don't make me fight against my own people."

"Like hell we're your people-!" Tamaki rared up to him.

"Hey!" an irate voice yelled, causing the crowd to part.

"Gah! Yoko!" Yoshida said as she stomped over to them.

"I was wondering why you idiots were running late! What the hell is going on here?!" the redheaded sniper demanded. "Yoshida! Minami!"

"I'm sorry Yoko. We told him not to, but he insisted." Minami said.

"Godammit," Yoko said while holding her nose, and turned to the students. "My apologies for the idiot here," she said and grabbed said idiot's ear, making him yelp. "I'll be giving them a thorough dressing down for disturbing the peace."

"Well, it's not like he doesn't have a legit grievance," sighed Nick, ambling up behind Suzaku, "It's true that most of us probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for that footage. Though I fail to see why it's wrong for us to feel terrible about such an atrocity." His placid gaze suddenly sharpened as he stared at Tamaki. "Or is your pride as a Japanese so fragile that even sympathy from Britannian civilians is enough to enrage you?"

"DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME…!" started the man, before suddenly pausing. "Wait…did you…?"

Nick blinked politely at him. "Hm? Were you hoping I'd call you an Eleven so that you could hate me more easily? Sorry, but I've got no intention of demonizing myself in your eyes." He nodded to Yoko. "Those blokes are from my school. I'll tell 'em to stop being a nuisance."

"You- Gah!" yelled Tamaki before his ear was pulled again.

"Thank you, kind sir," Yoko said with a quick bow. "Just know that he doesn't speak for all of us Japanese. There's a lot of us who are glad you all came around. Now then," she started dragging Tamaki away. "Let's go, guys!"

Nick watched them go for a moment, his expression heavy. Then, turning, he marched over to the camera-holding students and lightly whacked them over the heads. "Fookin' come off it!" he hissed irritably at them, "Takin' pictures an' actin' like a buncha rowdy tourists in the ghetto of all places? A fine way to represent Ashford, don't you think?!"

"Ack!" yelped one of them, "Wait, you're the Treasurer from the Student Council! What're you doing here?!"

"Giving you a lecture on having some common sense and tact, by the looks of it!" he huffed.

"Wait, it wasn't like that! We were just snapping pictures of what we can! We can't let the government try to hide what happened!" the other said as he picked up his now broken camera. "I hope the film's safe."

"It's quite the risk," Laila noted. "Yet you'll still publish the story on what happened here?"

"Of course," the first student said. "That footage truly opened our eyes to the injustice of the Ele-"

"Japanese," Nick cut across him sharply.

"Err yes, Ja-Japanese," the student nodded quickly, "And we're going to do what we can to help them out."

"Hm. As long as it's out of the goodness of your heart," he grunted, his accent fading away as he calmed down, "However, you'd better put those cameras away. They're school property and they're not needed here."

"Urk!"

Nick gave them another severe look. "Is there a problem?"

"N-no!"

"J-Jeez, who knew the Student Council President kept a guy like him around…?"

As the students walked away, Euphie came forward and handed Suzaku his bag.

"Thank you," he said and turned to Nick. "So you really are a student. Are you part of a Student Council? They called you a Treasurer."

"Sure am." Nick grunted, "I might not run the whole circus, but I at least keep them from spending everything. Mostly. Fuckin' rich bastards haven't the faintest clue in their heads."

'...Ashford, huh?' Euphie thought as she looked out at the Britannian city, which was a stark contrast to the ghetto they were in.

---

[Cryo-Storage Facility]

Naruto and Naruko were standing on top of a building that was facing the Cryo-Storage Facility, scouting the area around the building. They watched as people and vehicles moved in and out of the facility like busy bees. Of course, Naruto had his Geass active to help them with the scouting, seeing red and blue among the people. Naruko didn't use her Geass, opting to look at the footage of a Spider-bot that Rivalz was controlling to scout the inside.

"Everything is going according to Nines' projections. And here we go." Naruko said as the Spider-bot was directed to the targeted room. "Got eyes on Kōzuki Naoto. They're still thawing out his body for disposal. By the time we get down there, he'll be completely thawed out."

"Which will make his body easy to move," Naruto said and looked behind him. "Looks like Medusa and her twin got us a ride. When Medusa said she can drive anything, even a modern vehicle, I thought she was joking. But nope, she's coming up right now. Come on."

The two ran to the side and jumped down into an alleyway. As the truck passed, they zipped on into the cab through the open window, where Medusa and her Alter were waiting.

"So the Rider class is really made of Riders." Naruto mused as he wrote a Genjutsu seal to fool anyone looking inside.

"In more ways than one, Master," Medusa said in a flirtatious manner.

"Somehow, I feel that I walked right into that one." he mused with a smirk as they entered the compound.

"If Milly ever gets a Geass, I fear for her Servants." Naruko giggled, sending a sly smile towards Medusa Alter.

"If anything, I'm more afraid of you, Master." Medusa Alter mumbled, looking away bashfully.

…

"Tell me, Nick Ward. Is it good to be strong? Is it bad to be weak?" Suzaku asked the member of the Student Council.

"Hmm?"

…

The truck passed through the checkpoint with no issues.

…

"Back when I was ten, the world seemed like such a terribly sad place. A world without any hope at all."

…

With the crew still in the truck, they drove the truck to the assigned elevator and went down from there.

…

"Starvation, disease, filth, corruption, decay, racism, constant war and terrorism, the never-ending cycle of hatred."

…

While the truck went down, Naruko used her wrist device to control the Spider-bot, while Naruto was receiving intel from Bagley.

…

"Rats running in a wheel. Repeating the same stupidity, again and again. The cycle must be broken. Someone has to do it."

…

As soon as the truck arrived at the desired floor, Naruto and Naruko put their masks on, with their Servants sinking into their shadows.

…

"Of course, it's doubtful if the one who does it will make all the bad things go away. I'm not that arrogant, and so… no one should lose more of the people they love. At the very least, a world without war…"

…

"There!" Naruto said, taking the wheel and driving over to the pre-disposal room where Naoto's body had been nearly thawed out.

…

"And to have this utopia…?" Laila trailed off.

"How would you do it?" Euphie asked for the both of them.

…

"Hurry! They have the incinerator primed and ready!" Milly shouted, with Naruto increasing the speed a tad.

…

"It's simple. When somebody wins, the fighting will end. At least…that's what I hope." Suzaku continued while gazing at his trinket that had saved his life: a broken watch.

…

"Bagley, loop the feeds!" Milly commanded as Naruto and Naruko zipped out of the truck and to the ceiling.

"Done."

"Remember, no tripping the alarms!" Naruko whispered to him.

"And no kills. Only knockouts." Naruto agreed as they used the scaffolding above to get to the pre-disposal room.

---

[Shinjuku]

"I don't know how you'll do it, but if I stopped fighting, my father's death would've been in vain," Suzaku said grimly, gazing at a neutral-looking Nick. "My own father died because he had to sacrifice his life in that war!"

Nick cocked his head at him. 'Strange. He was honest…up until that point. Kururugi Genbu committed seppuku in order to prevent an all-out war against Britannia…at least that's what the media reported. But even someone like him could have simply surrendered, rather than going so far as to commit suicide.'

Putting that musing aside, he finally spoke up. "Is it good to be strong, or bad to be weak…well, from a personal standpoint, pretty much anyone would want to be strong, and very few would embrace being weak. Whether that's good or bad is impossible to say, objectively. Life is full of hardships and obstacles, so some strength is needed to overcome them, no matter what. But even then…no matter who you are, sometimes achieving your goals means denying someone else's. Your father died to stop an all-out war, but the Japanese people resent that decision."

"It's better than fighting and dying for nothing!" Suzaku protested.

Nick merely gazed speculatively at him. "...Is it? The people who lived in this country before Britannia, they called this place home. I've never been particularly attached to my home, but I know this: when a foreign invader challenges a country, challenges its right to be called a nation, it lights a fire in the hearts of the people. It awakens in them a desire to make a stand and tell the attackers, 'I will not let you do as you please. I will not obey.'"

Laila and Euphie remained silent, listening to his words in awe. Although Nick was the same age as them, as he spoke, his words carried with them a feeling of a much greater age.

'He sounds…almost like Father.'

"But they would have died!"

"Probably, yeah. Death happens. But to people like that, dying for the sake of one's home, one's family and loved ones, is a very different beast from dying for nothing." Nick sighed. "But then, your father surrendered to Britannia, and the Japanese had no chance to truly fight. Thus, the fires inside them kept on burning, even to this day." Then he shrugged. "I mean, if you think about it in terms like that, then it's no wonder you get so many terrorists and rebel groups in this country, eh?"

"What those terrorists do isn't for the benefit of anyone. It's all just for selfish desires." Suzaku replied bitterly while looking away. "It's for that reason that they should just let it go. Britannia invaded, and the people fought back, only to lose. Their resistance breeds unwarranted conflict, regardless of what anyone else wants, so they should just let it go and work with the system…"

Nick shook his head, sighing. "Sounds like your own fire doesn't burn as strongly as your fellow Japanese, wouldn't you say? It's more…smoldering. And of course, their desires are selfish. Anyone who claims to be 100% unselfish is deluding themselves."

"What's that supposed to-!" Suzaku started to say.

Before he could continue, an explosion rumbled in the distance, making everyone look to see a plume of smoke rising a couple of miles out.

"An explosion?" Laila asked in fright. "Why here of all places?!"

…

"Like clockwork," Jeremiah mused, finding himself surrounded by four Purist Faction Sutherlands, and activated his PA system. "What is the meaning of this, Kewell? I was expecting those upstart terrorists, not my own people turning on me!"

"Guess you're not as smart as you think you are, Jeremiah Gottwald! You're going to pay for letting Prince Clovis's murderers go free!" Kewell snarled through the speakers.

"You were always a dirty coward, Kewell. I should've expected that. I can only assume that the sightings of Joker, Cypher, and Rei were an outright lie. What a waste of resources." Jeremiah said, inwardly smirking. "I did what I had to do to save the hundreds of people you had lined up along the street! We couldn't risk them releasing the poison gas among the populous!"

"There was never any poison gas! When we had it opened, it was nothing but a foul odored colored smoke! They fooled all of us!" Kewell said angrily.

"Regardless, we still couldn't take that risk, and the eyes of the world were upon us. You were in no state of mind to continue negotiations after that footage was released, so I had to take action for the good of the Purebloods and Britannia!" Jeremiah shot back, unlocking the safety on his assault rifle. "I said I'd take responsibility, but not if it means death by a coward like you, Margrave Kewell!"

"You have no choice Jeremiah, or have you forgotten how I saved yours and Villetta's careers after the Aries Villa fiasco; out of respect for our friendship?! But you turned against me and the faction, and because of you, we all have a black mark against our names! As long as you live, the Pureblood will always be nothing but a disgrace to the homeland, so we must deal with you appropriately before Princess Cornelia takes up her post!" Kewell declared and readied his jousting lance. "And I wouldn't count on Villetta coming to bail you out! She's being dealt with another way for supporting you!"

"Heh. You underestimate her, just as you underestimate me!" Jeremiah shouted, readying himself for the fight of his life.

…

The Lancelot trailer suddenly came out from the main street and stopped in front of Nick and the others.

"Suzaku!" Cecile called to him after opening the door.

Suzaku was surprised to see her and Lloyd. "Miss Cecile? Lloyd?"

"It's dangerous here. Get in!" she commanded as they ran up to the trailer.

"Seems like the Purebloods are having a petty squabble. Better get out of here," Lloyd nonchalantly noted before smirking at Suzaku. "A shame about your acquittal though! Looks like you're stuck working for me again."

"Please, wait!" Suzaku said before Lloyd could go back into the trailer. "Isn't this a good opportunity to gather battle data for the Lancelot?"

'Lancelot?' Nick's eyebrows shot up, interest piqued.

"Oh ho?" Lloyd mused, clearly liking the suggestion.

"Suzaku? What are you-" Euphie started to ask.

"I'm sorry everyone, but we're going to have to say goodbye for now," Suzaku said, looking at them. "I need to do this. I think I can stop them with the Lancelot. I have to try…I must!"

With that, Suzaku left with the Camelot, leaving Euphie and Laila with Nick.

"For a guy who dislikes fighting, he's clearly ready to jump headlong into it," Nick commented dryly, "Want me to walk you girls home?"

"No, it's fine. There's something I- no, we have to do. Come, Laila!" Euphie said and ran towards the direction of the prior explosion.

"Okay. It was nice meeting you, Nick. See ya later!" Laila called to him as she ran to catch up with her companion.

'And they're gone. Still…' he glanced up casually to see his golden owl Kotane flying high in the sky, high enough that no one would really notice it. 'This is a good chance for me to gather some data of my own…'

---

[Cryo-Storage Facility]

"This one is ready to go." a man said after thawing the corpse of Kōzuki Naoto.

"All night. Transferring to the incinerator- What the?"

The other guy saw some kind of mechanical spider crawling up his body. Before he could react, the spider-bot pounced onto his face and electrocuted him. He made a gurgling sound while being zapped and fell to the floor in a heap.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" the other guy asked, before feeling a little prick in the side of his neck. He brought his hand up to the spot, before falling to the ground, unconscious.

A moment later, Naruto landed in the room like a spider and looked around.

"Hmm, unconscious, exactly as we planned~" he said, before setting out a weird laugh. "Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh!"

"Oh stop it, nii-san," Naruko said as she landed next to him. "Come on, let's confirm the body."

They went over to the coffin-like container to check the body. Surprisingly, it wasn't naked; Naoto still had his roughed-up clothes on. Naruto then pulled out his iDroid and held it up to the face. Pressing a button, beams of green light shot out of the back of the device and began scanning back and forth over the face. After a few passes, the iDroid beeped and displayed the message 'Match!' on the screen, along with the name Kōzuki Naoto and the man's picture.

"Confirmed! It's him, alright," he said with a nod. "Let's get him into the truck."

The twins lifted the coffin and carried it to the truck, loading it inside. Naruko then suddenly whipped around and tossed a metal orb at an upcoming lab worker. The ball instantly attached to his body and zapped him into unconsciousness. The two quickly got into the truck and backed into the elevator, with Naruko activating her Geass to force the elevator upwards.

When they arrived on the world floor, Naruto directed the truck outside and exited the compound, with the people inside none the wiser.

Except for the calling card they left behind in place of the coffin.

---

[Shinjuku]

'So that's the Lancelot.' Nick mused, in front of a coliseum structure in time to see the white and gold Knightmare Frame rolling up the wall. 'That looks nothing like a Sutherland from this angle. An experimental Knightmare Frame? If so, it's surprising that they let him pilot the thing.'

He saw Lloyd and Cecile rushing into the structure. He then walked slowly to the Lancelot trailer and squinted at the side. "Hm…no one inside."

He put his hands onto the trailer and focused, frowning as something clicked and tingled in his brain. They were then disabled, allowing the young man to open the door and walk in easily. Looking around, he spotted a console and went over to tinker with it.

'Lancelot specs? MVS? I think I found a housewarming gift for Milly and her gang.' he thought with a grin, reaching up to rub his neck. A series of invisible panels slid back from his flesh, allowing several cables to emerge. They slithered out and snaked into the open ports, easily plugging in. The screens responded by showing different pop-ups at a rapid pace, and within moments, the information on them was being downloaded directly into Nick's brain.

'Of course, the information's subject to change, especially with each defeat that will be dealt to it in the future. But there's a difference in reading the information and seeing it in action.'

Once all data had been downloaded, he straightened up and retracted the cables, letting them banish back into his neck. Looking around, he saw the coast was still clear, before spotting Euphie and Laila running into the coliseum. Frowning, he closed one eye and connected himself mentally to Kotane, looking out through his Key Holder's eyes. Gazing down on Shinjuku from above, he saw four Sutherlands facing down others, which were being protected by the Lancelot.

"Oh boy, that's not good!" he hissed and took off after them.

When he arrived inside, he heard, "I'm using a Chaos Mine!" and cleared the hallways to see Euphie shouting at them with Laila by her side.

"No, stop it! Stop it right now!" Euphie screamed as a mech-sized grenade was thrown into the air.

"What?! It can't be!" Kewell yelled in horror, noticing and recognizing the girls. "No!"

The Lancelot activated its Blaze Luminous, deploying its shields to protect the girls.

"Euphie! Laila!"

Nick rushed forward and jumped in front of the girls, covering their bodies with his own while keeping this back to the hostile Knightmares. 'Damnit. I can't give away my abilities like this! I need to be subtle…!'

'Gundari Style: Configuration, [Carapace!]'

The Chaos Mine opened up and unleashed a barrage of shrapnel from its ports, showering down upon its targets. But thanks to the Lancelot's Blaze Luminous shield, the shrapnel bounced harmlessly off the shield. Some of the shrapnel however made it through, one of them hitting the Lancelot's foot, and the other striking Nick's body. While he grunted with pain, the shrapnel failed to penetrate his body beyond his skin. "Fuck…!" he hissed.

"Nick!" Laila yelled as he was hit. 'Oh no! He's protecting us as well as Suzaku! But…how is he still okay after getting hit by a Chaos Mine?!'

After what seemed like a long time, the barrage finally ended, with the Chaos Mine dropping harmlessly to the ground.

"So that was a Chaos Mine. I'll certainly have a story to tell the others." Nick grunted, holding his shoulder as he stepped back from the girls. "Are you two okay?"

"We're fine!" Laila said while looking at him in amazement. "But after taking a hit like that, are you okay?"

"Oh yeah, I barely feel anything," he said truthfully, shrugging.

Euphie nodded gratefully to Nick, before adopting a hardened look at her face. As she passed Nick, the latter sensed a different aura coming off her.

'So that is the power of the Lancelot!' Villetta thought in amazement. 'Thankfully it's just an experimental unit, but if Britannia were to start mass-production of them…'

"Everyone, lower your weapons at once. NOW!" Euphie yelled out as she walked in front of the Lancelot. "In my name, I command you!"

"It…can't…be…" Kewell gasped, shaking in his boots.

"I am Euphemia li Britannia, Third Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire!" Euphie declared. "I am assuming command here. Fall back, immediately!"

"Princess Euphemia. If she is here, then Captain Cornelia isn't far behind, just as we projected." Jeremiah murmured and looked at the other girl who was also walking forward. "And she's…!"

"I am also assuming command as well!" Laila declared, now standing next to Euphemia. "I am Laila la Britannia, also a Princess of the Empire, and 21st in line to the Imperial Throne!"

"La Britannia? Then she's…" Nick said in realization, "Well…imagine that."

"Prince Clovis's…younger sister…!" Kewell mumbled in shock and horror, knowing it was the end for him. His career was practically over.

"Did you know?" Cecile asked from behind her police shield.

"Uh-huh. I know Euphemia's been a student up until now and hasn't made her public debut yet." Lloyd said while lazily leaning against the wall. "As for Laila, I can only imagine that she managed to sneak out of the homeland to be part of the hunt for her brother's murderers."

"We're… truly… we're truly sorry, Your Highnesses!" Kewell cried as he and his fellow Purebloods (sans Jeremiah and Villetta) assumed the Knight's kneeling pose with their Sutherlands.

"My Ladies!" Suzaku yelled, coming up to them and saluted. "I had no idea who you were! Please forgive me!"

"Why are you apologizing to them?" Nick drawled at him, "If they were bothered by it, they'd have said something back then, wouldn't they?" He glanced at them. "Wouldn't you?"

Laila gave a huff of laughter and nodded in confirmation. "It was nice being treated like normal girls for a time. I cherished every bit of it." she then turned her attention to the Purebloods. "All of you, get out of your Knightmares! Now!"

At her command, Kewell and his co-conspirators disembarked from their Knightmares and assumed the Knight's pose themselves.

"I don't know what you all think you're doing, but you'd better have a good explanation for my Big Sister Cornelia when she arrives tonight!" Laila raged at them with a big head and sharp teeth.

"Suzaku," Euphemia said, turning to look at him. "You and us share the same pain. Just as you lost your father, Laila and I have lost our brother, Clovis."

"Yes," Suzaku agreed sadly. "Because those three murdered him-"

"It's not about them! They said that they were responsible for his murder, not that they committed it. After what we all saw, I don't…I don't know if we truly knew Clovis. None of us can excuse what he did, but there has to be a reason why he did what he did." Euphemia said, holding back tears while looking at Suzaku. "And I would like your help in finding out the truth. For Laila's sake."

"Of course! You can count on me, Your Highness! I'm unworthy of your kindness!" Suzaku said with a bow, with Euphemia sighing at that.

After Laila finished chewing out the Purebloods, she turned and frowned. "Hey, where did Nick go?"

Euphemia and Suzaku looked to see where Nick had gotten to, but he wasn't there with them anymore.

"That's odd," Jeremiah said as he and Villetta walked over to them. "He was here a second ago."

"Hmm," Laila hummed. 'He's an Ashford student, so I'll sneak over there to meet with him again. I still have yet to thank him properly…'

…

Nick was walking in the shadows of Shinjuku, where Kotane flew down and landed on his shoulder.

'Sorry, but the last thing I need is for them to take me to a hospital. I got what I needed anyway, but that Suzaku guy,' Nick thought and shook his head. 'He sounds like a man that has truly sold his soul to his oppressors. And speaking of oppressors…'

He grinned. 'The Witch of Britannia is coming, so that means that things were about to pick up. The only question is what is the gang's next move…'

---

[Kōzuki Group HQ, later that night]

"Why is it when something happens, it's always you?" Ohgi growled at a cowering Tamaki, who was surrounded by three redheaded demons with glowing red eyes. "Causing trouble in Shinjuku of all places! I may excuse your behavior, but I will not excuse this! There are Britannians actually starting to help the less fortunate Japanese, and you were close to ruining that good fortune!"

"But Ohgi-!" Tamaki protested.

"NO BUTS!" Kallen, Akiza, and Yoko yelled at him.

"Uh, is this a bad time?"

Everyone jumped at the electronic voice and saw Cypher standing inside their headquarters, resulting in more yelps and cries of shocks.

"How did you find-" Inoue started to ask before stopping herself. "Right, stupid question. Can we help you?"

Cypher had a smiling emote. "Yeah. Me and my mates just got back from the Cryo-Storage Facility and got someone for you. Joker and Rei just finished setting up a bonfire in the back."

"A bonfire?" Ohgi repeated as Cypher led everyone to the back area.

When they arrived, they saw logs stacked up to chest height level, long enough for a body to fit in the grass bed in the middle. Next to it is a coffin-like box that Joker and Rei just finished moving.

"You got this from the Cryo-Storage facility?" Tamaki asked, rubbing his head. "Is this funeral a test or somethin'?"

Joker snorted. "Call it a gift of goodwill towards us and you lot. Besides," he reached over and opened the coffin. "We thought you all would like to say your final goodbyes."

All curiosity turned to shock as the lid to the box was pulled away, revealing the body of Naoto inside, signature red headband and all. Many found their voices caught in their throat, their minds whirling with emotion as they gazed at their former leader, long-buried grief returning at the sight. All they could do was stand silently, save for Kallen and Akiza, who both slowly walked towards their late brother's body.

"N-N-Naoto-nii-san…?" Kallen whispered as she reached a shaking hand to her brother's face, unable to believe what she was seeing. Tears welled up in her eyes as she gently stroked his cold cheek.

"W-Why was he…there at the facility?" Akiza asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"We got intel from Nines that his body was being kept there, though only for identification purposes. Seems that he was taking up space, because his body was scheduled for disposal, so we sprung him, as you can see." Joker explained while putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Nines? As in the notorious hacker? He's working for you as well?" Ohgi asked in shock.

"Always has been. He's one of the backbones of our operations." Rei replied. "This…was pretty much our final heist as Phantom Thieves, retrieving his body for you all, to lay to rest properly."

"I can't believe it...We thought his body was dumped in a landfill like all the others, but he's here now…you brought onii-chan home to us." Akiza said before breaking down, clutching her sister, who also began to weep along with her sister.

"We'll…be over there if you need us," Joker said, motioning for Cypher and Rei to walk with him.

"Wait!" Yoko yelled, catching up to them. "Thanks for doing that for them. They're sure to put their trust in you now. To them, he was more than just a leader. He was family."

"It's not just about that," Joker said, looking back to see the others comforting the sisters. "We did it…because it was the right thing to do. It'll also give the sisters and everyone else closure."

"Hopefully it'll keep the others from getting at each other's throats as well. This group is good, and I'm glad you chose them for the genesis of Japan's liberation." Yoko said and smirked at them. "By the way, Yoko Littner, Uzu's Intelligence Division."

Joker chuckled at that. "We figured."

"Indeed. Are there any others spying on the other resistance groups?" Rei inquired.

"None," Yoko shook her head. "All they care about is fighting. Nothing else."

After several minutes, they all went back to the group, who said their final goodbyes. Joker and Cypher then took the body and laid it in the bed of grass. They stepped back as Rei walked forward, and set a bundle of flowers on top of Naoto's body. She then walked over to Joker and Cypher as Kallen, Akiza, Ohgi, and Tamaki stepped forward.

"You rest easy, man. We'll get those Britannian bastards. You have my word!" said Tamaki, hiding a sniff.

"I'll continue to be the best leader I can be, for all of us. For the ones you gave your life to protect." Ohgi said with a determined look on his face.

"As the eldest sister, I'll protect kaa-san and Kallen, and make Britannia pay for taking you from us," murmured Akiza, tears still streaming down.

"I swear that I will obliterate Britannia, so no one else will have to lose their family again!" Kallen declared, wiping away her tears.

With that, the four lit the bonfire with signal flares, the flames roaring up, rising high and slowly consuming Naoto's body. Everyone could feel the heat as they stood and watched the funeral pyre burn. No words were spoken. None needed to be spoken. The only sounds filling the air were the roar of the fire and the soft sobs of the grieving. Most of the group simply watched the fire burn. Ohgi held a silently crying Inoue, while Tamaki tried not to let his tears run. Kallen and Akiza wept as they took comfort in each other's company.

Joker, Cypher, and Rei simply stood in the back, silently watching and praying for the soul of Kōzuki Naoto, hoping he could finally find peace.

But to them, the fire also marked the end of their careers as The Phantom Thieves. From that moment on, they were Crusaders, and they would not stop until they brought peace to the world and justice to Britannia. They would fight with all they had to stop the ambitions of Charles zi Britannia and end the system he had instilled.

So sworn was the oath.

---

[Viceroy's Palace, at the same time]

"Welcome to Area 11, Elder Sister." Euphemia greeted her sister, who was strolling down the plane ramp towards her. The younger li Britannia sister was now wearing a pink and white royal dress, with a rose choker.

"You will address me as Viceroy here, Sub-Viceroy Euphemia. Because we're sisters, we need to follow a strict protocol." Cornelia li Britannia chided her sister gently as her Knight and Glaston Knights lined up behind her.

Cornelia was 11 years apart from Euphemia but remained as beautiful as she was ruthless on the battlefield. She had long, fuchsia hair, lavender-purple irises, and a tall, slender frame with G-cup breasts and a perky butt. She also wore magenta lipstick, and her attire was a wine-colored suit and slack with gold accents, white heels, and a white royal cape.

"Yes, I understand," Euphemia replied humbly, giving a slight bow.

"By the way, I heard what you and Laila did. You shouldn't be so reckless!" Cornelia scolded her, before spotting Laila. "And speaking of recklessness, you know you shouldn't be here, Laila."

Laila, who was now wearing a red and pink royal dress, huffed. "I won't let you send me away, Viceroy. I have a right and a duty to see this through for my mother, and confront the ones responsible for my brother's death!"

"...Very well, if you insist." Cornelia sighed and turned towards an aide. "Now then, give me your report."

"Yes, my Lady," he said, crossing his arm over his chest. "The first order of business is a welcome party we've arranged for your Highness, and-" He was stopped dead thanks to a pistol being pointed at his face. "M-My Lady?"

"Sloppy. Senile. Corrupt. Just like clockwork," she growled. "You all think of me, the Witch of Britannia, like Clovis or any paper-pushing bureaucracy that wants a damn welcoming party after what happened the other day?!"

"My Lady, I don't understand-"

"I want Joker, Cypher, and Rei! I want to know what Clovis was hiding! And why has this Area 11 become a hotbed for terrorists?! Have any of you even managed to track down that damn AI BB?!" Cornelia snarled at the surrounding (yes)-men. "Just what…in the bloody hell…were you all doing?!"

---

[Kōzuki Group HQ]

After the impromptu funeral, the Crusaders got into their Humvee and prepared to head out. Akiza and Kallen joined them so they could drop them off back home.

"Bagley, initiate auto-drive," Naruto commanded.

"Understood. Rest easy." Bagley said as he took the wheel. "I'll get you all home safely, as long as I don't go over the speed limit."

Naruto then climbed to the middle row, allowing a projection of a butler-like figure to appear in his place. As soon as they were away from the resistance group's hideout, Naruto, Naruko, and Lucienne took off their helmets. It was then that Kallen, who was in the back row of the Humvee with Lucienne, leaned forward and pecked the blonde on his cheek.

"Kallen," Naruto said in surprise, rubbing his cheek.

"That's my thank you, to you, Naruto," Kallen said while looking away bashfully. "Aside from giving you my trust, that's the only thing I could think of doing."

"Uh, thanks. But it wasn't just me. Naruko, Lucienne, and Nines all chipped in." Naruto admitted and smiled at her.

"But you no doubt lead the charge. Also, you're humble. I like that, in a man." Akiza spoke, leaning really close to a wide-eyed Naruto. "So here's my thanks as well…"

Before Naruto could comprehend or react, Akiza captured Naruto's lips with her own.

"Nee-san, what are you doing?!" Kallen squeaked, looking mortified.

"Oh my, you're going to be a treat to Milly-chan!" Naruko noted as Akiza pushed Naruto down so she'll be the one on top.

"Just accept it, Kallen." Lucienne drawled with Kallen looking at her like she had grown another head.

The thumbs-ups Naruto managed to stick up while still kissing Akiza did not help.

---

And there we have it! The final Heist of the Phantom Thieves, and we got to meet the Princesses of Britannia!

And I know you're all wondering: is Laila just another OC that the boys created? Well…bzzt, wrong! She exists! Laila la Britannia is from the defunct mobile game Code Geass: Maelstrom of Libra! Sadly, its service ended before the story was completed, so they're just winging it with her inclusion.

From there on out, no more heists, only war! Cornelia's in town, and she means business! But it's nothing the kids can't handle!

So what will Cornelia do first, and how will the Crusaders respond? And really, what the hecky is that Nick guy up to?! And what's a Key Holder? Tune in next time to find out!

BB out~!

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STAGE 06 COMPLETE

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Cornelia li Britannia proves that he's no Clovis as she starts cleaning house, not just within the Government Bureau, but Area 11 itself as she targets resistance cells all over the land.

As for Naruto and the others…well, they have a few unexpected guests coming to Ashford…

Next time: Stage 07: Royal Pains (tentative title)

Naruto: C'mon Soul, when are we gonna get some more action?

Naruko: And sex! Don't forget the sex!

Soul: Hey! Character work and character development is important! And this isn't a smut story, Naruko! The sex will come later. Right now, taking Britannian down a peg is high on the priority list.

Nick: I couldn't agree more. It's time to show them just how fucked they are.

Lelouch: Just don't make the same mistake I did. The rebels there were cowards and Cornelia played me like a damn fiddle.

Nick: Where I'm going, I won't need any rebels.

Milly: My, what confidence!

Nines: Don't worry, I've got their backs. No one's going to be pulling a fast one on my watch.

Lucienne: Yeah! Plus, you were coming off your high from kicking Clovis and Jerry in the dick, hence the overconfidence.

Soul: It won't be the same. Cornelia may be the Goddess of Victory, but what's a Goddess to an Uzumaki?

Kushina: This guy gets it!

Nick: I've had that question answered in a lot of different ways…

Soul: Besides, you guys will have more pressing concerns before Saitama.

Milly: That's…ominous…

Euphemia: *peeks around the corner*

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[New Crossover Characters]

Fate Grand Order ] First Hassan, Medusa Alter

…

[Geass and Servants]

User: Marianne vi Britannia

Type: Geass (Power of Absolute Soul Transference)

Servant(s): Old Man of the Mountain/Grandpa Hassan (Assassin)

…

User: Naruko Uzumaki

Type: Geass (Ward of Absolute Disruption)

Servant(s): Medusa Alter

…

[References and Explanations]

I know Marianne is pure evil in Code Geass (as well as Super Robot War), but let's just say that Kushina's had a bit of an influence on her.

V.V.'s real name is confirmed to be Victor zi Britannia in the Extra Materials. Personally I prefer Vincent. Can you believe he's actually in his 60s?!

Some of you are shocked that I gave a powerful Servant like Grandpa Hassan to Marianne of all people, but trust me, there's a reason I did so.

I find it funny that we never ever see those Bamides ever again.

Special thanks to Castle for coming up with the idea of the Phantom Thieves' last heist in the form of Kōzuki Naoto's body.

As BB says, Laila la Britannia is an official character from the defunct mobile game Code Geass Maelstrom of Libra. However, she has a bit of a different appearance from her canon part due to her being an oppai loli/shortstack here.

NSG wrote most of Nick's dialogue when talking to Suzaku. He's channeling Colombo, a show that I've never watched, but I'm enjoying the clips on YouTube. 'Framed by fingerprints' is my favorite one so far.

It's a crime that Medusa Lancer Alter was never made a Servant in Fate Grand Order.

Still waiting on that "Rider class is made of Riders" video, Mata Hari's #1 Master-san.

I've merged Lelouch's and Suzaku's monologuing from episode 5 together.

"Hmm, unconscious, exactly as we planned~ Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh!" Please don't suck, Ace Ventura 3. Let Jim Carrey do his thing. And no I do not acknowledge that Jr. movie.

MVS is the 'Maser Vibration Sword' in Code Geass.

With the things in the back of his neck and his Key Holders, Nick Ward is a Samurai who has the powers from Samurai 8: The Tale of Hachimaru, a short-lived manga written by Kishimoto after Naruto. Of course, there's a little more to him than that, but these abilities will be the most prominent. Their full extent (for those who have not read that series) will be revealed in time.

I don't know if Laila is the 21st in line for the Throne since it was never said, so I just went with that number.

Laila uses Big Head Jutsu. It's super effective!

Special thanks to Castle for helping me write the funeral scene.

New poll!: What Geass should Milly get? Empathy? Puppetry? 'GUT'S' Motivation? (I've seen these in other stories) Or Other? If you chose 'Other', please tell me what Geass Milly should get in the review section or DM, since some of you prefer DMs.

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Released: Saturday, April 10, 2021

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A week later, classes resumed at Ashford.

Lucienne, with a piece of buttered toast in her mouth, was running like the Devil himself was chasing her down as she tried to make it to class. She had overslept while drawing up plans to handle Cornelia, and fell asleep at her desk.

Thanks to Roberta, who'd loomed over her like the Shinigami when she woke up, Lucienne zoomed around to make herself not so late. That and she rather be anywhere else than to be alone with Roberta, Kushina's personal Hellhound who she tamed somehow.

"Safe!" she declared, sliding into class. "Whew!"

"Miss Lamperogue, you're five minutes late!" the teacher scolded her while tapping his watch. "Since you find the class so boring, you can escort your relative around the campus to show her around."

"Sorry Mr.-" Lucienne panted, before catching what he said. "Wait, relative?"

"Lucy, we didn't know you and Nunna had another sister!" Shirley said from her seat.

"Sister?" a baffled Lucienne asked before finally looking up.

"Lucienne?" A soft, shocked voice called out.

Lucienne blinked before the toast in her mouth fell to the floor. Euphemia li Britannia was standing in front of the class along with Suzaku, both dressed in Ashford Academy uniform.

"Oh…fuck…"