A/N: Thank you to Greatkingrat88 for his work on the chapter, and to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed it.
I have finished chapter four, but I should note next week its release will be delayed since Greatkingrat88 might not be able to get to it in time. Rest assured I do have chapter five finished, and I am going to use the time to get some of my other stories updated including my Fate/Grand Order story and my Sunrider story.
Now we'll see Lelouch making steady progress towards training his body on the path to master his Keyblade while he learns more about the world he is on.
At the same time a certain tragedy will befall a certain set of islands.
Before moving onto the chapter, I have some reviews I couldn't respond to address.
Captain Imaginat: I know nothing of Re: Zero and from this moment on I will allow only one of your reviews to be posted and I'll delete any other ones because I am tried of the review spamming. I would like to see reviews and feedback from other people, thank you. I always appreciate reviews, but the ones you have left on the previous chapters and the number of them were excessive.
Chapter 3
Growth
Just over a week later, Lelouch was walking alongside some of Jeralt's mercenaries. He had traded his Ashford Academy uniform for new attire, given to him by Solus. The exiled prince now wore black pants, matching boots, a black tunic with chain mail underneath, complete with black gloves. On top of that, he was carrying a large and heavy backpack. The group had left just before being drawn to make the trek to their destination. It was now late afternoon, and Lelouch was exhausted from the day's march. Nevertheless, he kept pushing forward. It was all part of his training to improve his endurance.
Despite his ragged breathing and sweat-covered brow, Solus' training had given Lelouch impressive progress in the short time they had been working. In a month or two, Lelouch expected he would begin seeing good results.
It's colder and wetter here, Lelouch thought as he saw their destination. After clearing the winding pass through the Oghma Mountains, a densely forested area was before them, fog blanketing the area.
"Welcome to Magdred Way, an area of forest famous for its ancient ruins here and there," Solus rode up next to Lelouch, mounted on a black steed. "Most of the time, it's cold, wet, and miserable. That's not even talking about the fog."
"Are there any villages in this area?" Lelouch asked.
"None," Solus shook his head. "No one wants to deal with the fog. However, I wouldn't be shocked if bandits or the like made their hideouts here."
"I can imagine. The fog would be an ideal cover. Not to mention it provides good ambush opportunities for unsuspecting targets."
"Indeed. Which is why it's not surprising that few traders go through this area."
"So, where are we heading, then?"
"We are going to Gaspard, a region ruled by Lord Lonato Gildas Gaspard. He is with the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and the land he governs over borders with the Adrestian Empire."
"I see. Do you know why the man has mercenaries?"
"I can't be sure, but it's safe to assume it probably has something to do with bandits or rebels."
"Rebels?"
"Ah, that's right, I forgot you're not from these parts," Solus said. "I should give you an overview of the internal troubles plaguing the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, much of which began as a result of the Tragedy of Duscur, which happened about four years ago."
"What happened?"
"Well, Duscur is a peninsula on the northern coast of Fódlan, a small country with nothing standing out except for being rich with valuable minerals. Every city and town specialized in a single trade, and unlike Fódlan, they worshipped a variety of different gods and goddesses."
"How does the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus fit into this?"
Ever since his training had begun, Solus had set time aside to educate Lelouch on the three kingdoms on the continent of Fódlan. The first and oldest kingdom was the Adrestian Empire, dating back over a thousand years. It had at one time had ruled over all of Fódlan, but its power and size diminished over the years. First was a rebellion that formed the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus following the war of the Eagle and the Lion. A few decades later, the Empire lost more territory following a rebellion in the Leicester region, which the Faerghus seized and annexed for itself.
Then a hundred years later, another rebellion led to the Leicester region gaining independence. But instead of becoming another kingdom, the newly formed Leicester Alliance was instead ruled by a round table of powerful noble families as a confederacy, led by House Riegan, the most influential of the noble houses.
Lelouch had wondered if the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus had been plotting to invade Duscur, given how they had taken advantage of the rebellion in Leicester.
"Contrary to what you might be thinking," Solus said, "the tragedy was caused by the deaths of members of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus' royal family and other numbers of its noble families. They had been traveling through Duscar on a diplomatic mission to forge trading relations with them. Tragically, they were ambushed while en route, with King Lambert and Queen-consort Patricia among the victims. The sole survivor of that tragedy was the Crown Prince Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd."
"I see," Lelouch said. He felt a pang of sympathy for Prince Dimitri, remembering what had happened to his mother. Lelouch could only imagine what kind of scene Dimitri must have been born to witness.
"I take it the Kingdom retaliated against the Duscar people?"
"Yes," Solus nodded in confirmation. "They even went as far as to exterminate them, in a near-genocidal campaign nearly."
Lelouch's eyes widened in shock.
"Even before the tragedy, Faerghus discriminated against those of Duscar for isolationist stances that the Church encouraged. It was because church tenets preached against open relations with foreign nations, which probably as an unintended side-effect led to the three nations generally looking down on those beyond the borders of Fódlan. There was never any evidence the people of Duscar were responsible. They even lacked a proper military, making it impossible for them to have attacked a heavy-armed royal escort."
"So they nearly wiped out an entire country of people for something they might not even have done?"
"That's right," Solus said, nodding grimly. Lelouch shook his head with disdain. "Such are the prejudices against foreigners in this land. They easily believed the Duscar people were responsible, despite evidence suggesting otherwise. The prince was even convinced of their innocence."
"I take it they ignored him, despite being the prince."
"Yes, and because he was too young to assume the throne at the time. The kingdom is ruled by the king's brother, Rufus Blaiddyd until Dimitri is ready to assume the throne. However, a fair number of nobles were revealed to had been involved in the assassination. Naturally, they were all put to death."
"I understand now," Lelouch said as the picture of the kingdom's state became apparent. "The rebels likely consisted of those Duscar seeking retributions for the unjust retaliation against them. And then some lost family because of their involvement in the assassination, likely bitter over their losses."
"Exactly, my boy," Solus exclaimed, clearly pleased with Lelouch's deduction. "Of course, adding to the fires of unrest in the kingdom is the fact that the regent has been a poor ruler. The kingdom has been in a state of decline ever since he assumed control, which has led to a rise in crime among other problems."
Solus gestured for Lelouch to bring his ear closer, whispering,
"But between us, Rufus can't keep his hands off of the women if you catch my drift."
"I see. But why are you whispering?"
"This conversation was getting a little too serious, so I was trying to lighten things up a little."
"Okay," Lelouch said as he withdrew his ear. "So basically, the problem could be bandits, members of the Duscar people looking to settle the score, and others dissatisfied with the kingdom in one way or another."
"That is right. It could be any one of those."
"Then we'll have to wait and see."
"Correct. And it's going to be a while still till we reach Castle Gaspard. But I should mention Lord Lonato saw his son executed for taking part in the king's death. With that in mind, I would avoid any mention of Duscar or his son in any fashion," Solus cautioned.
"I'll bear that in mind."
This world sounds like it has similarities to Britannia as far as discrimination goes, doesn't it?
If nothing else, the anger and horror Lelouch felt upon learning the details of the Tragedy of Duscar had made him forget his exhaustion for a short time.
It was late when Sora saw the thunderstorm brewing over the islands. The unusual purple lightning and increasingly stronger winds alerted him that their raft was in danger of being destroyed.
"Oh no, the raft!"
Those words drove Sora to risk rowing out to the small island in his rowboat, even as the winds reached hurricane strength.
"Riku and Kairi's boats are here!" he cried.
Upon arriving, Sora had discovered the rowboats used by his friends. He assumed the two had come to the island to ensure the raft would be safe during the storm.
However, what Sora found instead chilled him to the core. Upon stepping off the dock, Sora was met by a dozen Heartless.
Grabbing a nearby wooden sword left by the dock, Sora tried to fight back. One of the monsters leaped at him, but Sora managed to deflect the attack, shoving the creature back. Unfortunately, when Sora attempted a counterattack, the wooden sword didn't faze them. He could fend off their attacks, but he couldn't do anything else beyond that. Even worse, the number of Heartless continued to grow around Sora.
With no real weapon to fight back with, facing the possibility of being overwhelmed and questioning if he was experiencing another dream, Sora fled to a tiny island connected to the main island by a bridge. There, he saw Riku. The Heartless thankfully didn't follow, it seemed. He noticed Riku's gaze was fixed skyward.
"What's that!?"
Sora saw a sphere of black energy hovering in the skies directly above the island. It was ominous, but Riku didn't seem the least bit intimidated by its presence.
"I am glad you're here, Sora. The door has opened."
"What are you talking about? Where's Kairi? Wasn't she with you?"
Riku seemed confused by the question. It seemed he didn't know.
"Don't worry, Kairi is coming with us. We can't miss this chance. With the door opened, we can travel to other worlds beyond our own," Riku declared, making a fist with his right hand. "Once we step through, we might not be able to come back. We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back, but I am not afraid… I am not afraid of the darkness."
As Riku turned around, extending a hand towards Sora. A pool of darkness appeared at his feet. Dark tendrils began slowly wrapping around Riku, who didn't even seem to notice them slowly envelop him.
"No, Riku!"
Sora, in what would be a vain effort, tried to save his friend. However, the same darkness enveloping Riku suddenly grew, threatening to consume Sora as well. Riku was shockingly passive to Sora's struggles. As the darkness engulfed them, a light within Sora erupted, banishing the darkness.
The light had momentarily blinded the young man, but when Sora regained his wits, he didn't see any sign of Riku. But in place of the wooden sword, Sora saw an unusual weapon having taken its place.
"Keyblade," a voice within his mind spoke as he gazed upon the weapon.
"A Keyblade?"
The unusual key-shaped weapon had teeth shaped like a crown, with a golden handle and silver shaft. Sora didn't have time to understand the nature of his new blade because the Heartless had begun surrounding him, finally reaching the tiny island with him.
One of the Heartless leaped at him, intending to seize on an opening while the boy was distracted, but Sora saw it coming. Reacting quickly, he swung the Kingdom Key. Where his old weapon had done nothing, this new, strange blade cleaved the creature in half. Knowing his new weapon could hurt the Heartless surrounding him, Sora fought back, cutting down another of them before it could attack.
He spun around just in time to cut down another Heartless leaping at him. Sora hurried across the bridge after fighting his way through the monsters, but they were already in hot pursuit. Along the way, more of them began to appear on the breach, but Sora was determined to cut through them all if he had to.
"KAIRI!" Sora shouted as he ran across the breach, calling out to his friend, his arms coming up and down in one forceful strike after another. He heard no reply, nor did he see anyone else. Had they…
No, I can't think like that, Sora thought, continuing his desperate search.
Unseen by Sora, hiding in the shadows of the wooden shack overlooking a portion of the island, Ardyn was observing him. Behind him stood two mechanical soldiers with black, green, and gray armor and a distinctive helmet. They had glowing red eyes and metallic human faces. One of the machines carried Kairi. Her eyes were open, staring blankly into the distance. She was alive but completely unresponsive.
"You are too late, hero," Ardyn remarked as he glanced back at Kairi, held by one of his Magitek Troopers. "Still, I am intrigued. I knew when someone loses their heart to the Heartless, the body vanishes. However, when someone so pure of heart have theirs taken, the Heartless cannot consume it, so the body remains, yet…."
Ardyn stepped closer, waving his hand over Kairi's empty eyes before snapping his fingers in front of it. Kairi remained unresponsive, her eyes continuing to stare lifelessly towards the ceiling of the shack.
"No one is home," Ardyn said, gesturing for a corridor of darkness to open. "Time to watch the finale from a better vantage point." He and his mechanical entourage departed, with Kairi in tow.
Unaware of Kairi's capture, Sora searched the island, but all he kept finding was a frighteningly growing number of Heartless. The storm raging had grown worse, the winds picking up broken branches and small debris. The Heartless were uncaring the storm, but the winds forced Sora towards the tunnel leading to the island's heart.
But upon reaching the tunnel, Sora saw something he had never seen before: a pair of ornate doors blocking the entrance to the cave. He was confused, unable to understand how a couple of doors suddenly appeared, but a hopeful thought did come to mind.
Did Kairi maybe hide in there?
With the area outside the cave becoming more inhospitable by the second, Sora- much to his surprise- quickly opened the doors. After passing through, he slammed the doors shut as the Heartless closed in. To his relief, the Heartless were not following him, giving him a chance to breathe. After taking a moment of rest, he continued down the tunnel until he reached its end.
"Kairi!" Sora called out, seeing her standing in front of the wooden door at the very end of the cave.
But Sora paused as he approached Kairi. Something was wrong. His relief turned into worry as he saw Kairi's eyes were empty, the girl very unwell. Her movements were slow, even as she turned around. She looked faint.
"Sora…"
The door behind Sora opened with a violent slam as a surge of darkness-infused wind came out, and Kairi was sent flying towards Sora. On impulse, Sora tried to catch her, but Kairi seemed to pass right through Sora. Stunned and confused by her disappearance, Sora was soon caught in the unleashed winds flooding the cave before he was carried out through the way he came from.
After a rough landing, after he was expelled from the cave, Sora recovered. Remarkably, he had not hit the tunnel walls on his way out, or he would be worse off. As he rose back up to his feet, Sora saw what had become of the island since he entered the cave.
This… this has to be a dream.
The entire small island was now floating in the sky, and it was in the process of breaking apart. Much of it was now in ruin. The make-shift treehouses were reduced to splinters while the docks and platform floated alongside broken island fragments in the air.
Horror washed through Sora's mind. He could barely even grasp the destruction unfolding around him, and he didn't have much time. There was something behind him, a towering shadow looming over him, making its presence known by its heavy footsteps. Sora's eyes widened upon seeing the same giant creature he had faced in his dreams, a Darkside Heartless. The humanoid giant advanced slowly yet menacingly towards him.
With no place to run, Sora stood his ground with his Keyblade in hand. The Darkside raised its enormous fist, attempting to punch Sora, but he evaded the attack. Its movements were predictable, and its vast size made it relatively slow, allowing Sora to dodge its attacks. He turned around, striking at it, but the beast didn't even react. Was it even hurt?
The weapon did bite into its form, but its wounds closed up almost as fast as Sora could strike it.
He didn't know if he just wasn't doing enough damage or if there was something he was overlooking. He retreated as the Darkside unleashed a sphere of dark energy from the heart-shaped hole in its chest. Hurrying away before the spheres could hit him, Sora instead went for the feet of the giant monster. It began moving back as Sora attacked its smaller legs. Using some unseen power, it began calling for Shadow Heartless to help it. Six appeared near Sora, attacking from behind, but he turned to face them upon hearing their approach. The Darkside used this opportunity to put some distance between itself and Sora.
Sora cut down one that rushed him before jumping back to evade another monster attempting to scratch his eyes out. He put it down before deflecting an attack from a third opponent. Sora followed up his deflection by turning around to cut down the fourth Heartless with a horizontal slash. The last two were defeated within moments of each other after Sora cut them down.
By the time Sora had finished them, the Darkside had moved away just enough to attack Sora with its fists. Sora dodged the first hit again, only narrowly managing to evade the second. The shockwave from the fist's impact knocked Sora off his feet.
But before it could finish off the boy, the Darkside found itself pulled into the sky. During the entire battle, fragments of the small island drew closer and closer to the black sphere in the sky. The Darkside vanished into the globe of darkness while Sora grabbed onto a tree branch, desperately trying to avoid being pulled in. But he could only hold on for so long before he was pulled into the sphere, crying out as he sailed through the air.
Meanwhile, as the world of Destiny Islands was in its final moments, a crimson battleship hovered in orbit near the land as it collapsed in on itself.
The dagger-shaped warship was crimson, with black lines. It was an enormous vessel, seven hundred and fifty meters in length, with three-barrel railguns and other weapon placements adorning its armored hull. Two men stood before the holographic tactical screens with a live video feed from the planet below.
Hundreds of Heartless were being observed on the other islands. With no weapons or even any walls to protect themselves, the people of the Destiny Islands could only run- but beyond their shores, there was no place to run. Others likely tried to barricade themselves within their homes, but the hastily made barricades would not hold for long.
"Of all the weapons man can make, who would've thought creatures like the Heartless could end worlds?"
In his late forties, the man who had spoken appeared to be the older of the two, with auburn hair and purple eyes. He was dressed in a red uniform with black boots and a white cravat. His calculating eyes examined the Heartless as their numbers quickly caught up and overwhelmed the island inhabitants, who desperately tried to flee to the sea to escape.
"Reading about the Heartless is one thing, but seeing their fury unleashed upon a helpless world demonstrates how truly destructive they can be. Even more so given how easily they can multiply." Said the younger man.
"Indeed, Supreme Commander," the older man turned his head to address his superior.
"Had this world been one with a proper military, they might've lasted a little longer, but even a well-equipped army can only do so much against an endless tide."
"As long as the Heartless have victims, they can attack to keep replenishing their numbers. Not including any enemy soldiers, they did succeed in overwhelming them with their numbers."
"That is true, Count Saazbaum."
"There you two are," Ardyn said, approaching the pair.
Ardyn walked toward them, passing by various consoles and tactical displays in the pit below the elevated platform. There, he joined Count Saazbaum and the Supreme Commander.
The Supreme Commander seemed young compared to Count Saazbaum, being in his mid-twenties with light blue hair, green eyes, and pale skin. His immaculate white full-length military coat covered the matching slacks and black boots he wore. Medals of different shapes and designs decorated his uniform, as did gold rankings on his shoulders.
"I take it you have returned with the girl?" The Supreme Commander inquired.
"Of course. The girl was unconscious, as you said she would be."
"Unconscious?" Saazbaum asked.
"Yes. As the door to the world's heart was opened by the boy wishing to escape, the darkness flooded it," The Supreme Commander explained. "Invited, the Heartless attacked the girl, but she couldn't become a Heartless due to the lack of darkness in her heart. Proof she is a Princess of Heart."
"I thought our friend in the robe was going to consume that world's heart?" Ardyn asked.
"He did. The opening of the door just made it more convenient for him."
"So what do we do with the girl? Without her heart, she is no good to us, is she?" said Saazbaum.
"For now. But it also means we don't need to hand the girl over to Maleficent as per our deal," The Supreme Commander said, with Ardyn realizing what he was planning. "She can't be a Princess of Heart without her heart."
"Allowing us to control when the Princesses gather," Ardyn said with a smile. "I assume you know where her heart is?"
"Yes, the Keyblade's second choice has it. If separated from her body, the girl's heart had to find refuge even if the Heartless couldn't consume it. Seeing that two boys were on the island when it happened, one got whisked away by darkness to another world. Narrowing it down to one, but the boy will not realize it for a long time that he carries the heart of the one he has a crush on within him," The Supreme Commander said.
"Ah, I see. Talk about winning the fair maiden heart," Ardyn mused.
"You mentioned the boy was the Keyblade's second choice," Saazbaum asked.
"Yes. Originally the boy called Riku was granted the power to wield the Keyblade long ago, during a time he cannot remember clearly. However, upon embracing the darkness before properly awakening it, the Keyblade skipped him and went to his friend Sora. Of course, for him, there was an unknown factor to him that ensured he would inherit the Keyblade in turn," The Supreme Commander said with a knowing smile.
"I feel there is more to that story," Saazbaum inquired.
"There is, but the details are not important now. I'll tell you about it later since the story behind it is a long one. Now, I trust you handed the girl over to the doctor in the medical bay?" The Supreme Commander said, turning to Ardyn.
"Of course, Ieyasu. The girl is in the care of the ship's doctor. She is fine physically, yet he cannot find anything to explain her current state, which he found intriguing. As a precaution to keep her health from deteriorating, she is being placed into cryogenic storage."
Ieyasu Partas seemed pleased with the news.
"Pardon me, Chancellor Izunia, Supreme Commander, Count Saazbaum," a crew member in black uniform said, respectfully approaching the trio and saluting. "The planet is about to vanish, and its remaining people are about to be overrun. Shall we intervene?"
"No, we've seen enough. Warm up the dimensional jump engines," Ieyasu commanded. "We're done here."
"Yes, sir," the crew member replied, saluting crisply again and relaying his orders.
The crimson ship departed, preparing its engines to make the transition into dimensional space. In its wake, the darkness of space engulfed the planet before snuffing it out like a candle.
"On a pleasant note, I assume maiden voyage of the Socrates is a resounding success?" said Saazbaum.
"Yes, and the prototype has exceeded expectations," Ieyasu announced with pride. "Once we have conducted proper combat testing, we will use the data to begin mass production along with the new machines."
"All we have to do is sit out the coming war to the worlds. I estimate by the time we decide to allow Maleficent to have the last Princess of Heart, Britannia will have conquered their world and will be preparing its first invasion fleets."
"Are you certain the emperor will be driven to invade other worlds?" Saazbaum asked.
"Yes. If the man wants to achieve his Ragnarök Connection, he'll have no choice but to invade other worlds. Thanks to us capturing the girl he needs without his knowledge and the breadcrumbs the Architect had left, he'll be driven to seek an alternate," Ardyn replied with a devious smirk. "It was a clever plan, and I must compliment him on the advanced preparations."
"It sounds like the Architect had expected the emperor to betray him?" Saazbaum said, studying Ardyn's reaction.
"Not really, but he was smart enough to ensure our plans for Britannia could continue one way or another," Ardyn replied. "Now, with the darling vengeful prince in the mix, I think we will see the worlds plunged into chaos."
"Thereby creating conditions for more Keyblade Wielders to rise as the equilibrium of the worlds and the forces of light and darkness is thrown into chaos," Ieyasu said.
"For now, we wait until the time is right," Saazbaum said, putting a hand to his chin.
"Yes… for now. Let Maleficent and Ansem have their fun on stage. We'll have our turn in good time," Ieyasu said.
"I trust your forces will aid me on my world as well?" said Saazbaum.
"Yes. When the time is right, of course, as everyone else fights to contain the Heartless threat, we'll be busy making our preparations. Should Maleficent and Britannia fall, we'll know who to eliminate and soon remove all potential threats to our grand plan."
The moon shone in the sky when Lelouch, alongside Solus, Jeralt, Byleth, and his mercenaries, arrived at Castle Gaspard. The mercenaries were staying at the local inns. Lelouch was currently seated at a table near a corner of the dining hall of just such a place. He was exhausted from such a long trek across the countryside, but even as tired as he was, he had been far wearier when he had first started doing this. It was the price of progress.
Despite his concern for Nunnally, Lelouch could eat the meal he was given, which was delicious and filling. Solus was nowhere to be seen; Lelouch assumed he might've been with Jeralt, speaking to Lord Lonato to learn the job details. Suddenly, Byleth joined Lelouch at his table, shaking the young man from his thoughts.
"Have you eaten?" she asked.
"Yes, I have."
"How about a game?" Byleth suggested, pointing to a chessboard, its pieces abandoned on a nearby empty table.
"Alright."
It didn't take the two long to claim the board and its pieces before setting it up. Lelouch studied Byleth's expression, and not a single emotion could be seen. He was unsure if she was just a natural stoic or just had trouble expressing herself.
She is so difficult to read.
The two played in silence, and the game continued for some time. Lelouch was naturally skilled at chess, but it seemed Byleth was a capable strategist in her own right. Unlike the nobles he had enjoyed crushing chess games where he gambled for easy money, Byleth was a different story. Lelouch found himself hard-pressed, forced to give it his best, which only made the game more enjoyable.
"Have you heard anything about the job your father is being given?"
Byleth looked at him, contemplating an answer.
"We are to track down and eliminate a group of bandits harassing merchants traveling through Magdred Way. The fog has made efforts to pursue them difficult, so Lord Lonato hired us."
"He believes you could make a difference. Could the fog be navigated?"
"It is possible, and magic could be used to manipulate it from what I've been told."
"I see," Lelouch said, moving a chess piece.
"You'll ride with my father and me. I think it will do you some good to learn how to command forces during a battle."
"Really?" Lelouch said, intrigued by the opportunity
"Yes. I think you'll benefit from it. According to Solus, you are a natural strategist."
"I see…"
Lelouch tried to gain better insight into Byleth, but her lack of outward emotion made her hard to approach. He wondered if she suffered from some trauma, but nothing Lelouch saw could prove it.
Maybe I'll learn in due time.
A/N: Ieyasu Partas is a character and villain of my design, but I alone did not contribute to him. I had help from fellow authors draconichero21, Jameyofthemegacosmos, and others pitch in the hopes I could create a villain who would be interesting, but could provide the set up for everything I can while helping some world building.
I would say more, but I don't want to give away spoilers.
Of course, I did design him to be a final boss level of threat, but he and his allies will keep to the background and allow other villains like "Ansem" and Maleficent to make their moves. At the same time preparing the stage when Britannia enters the stage later on. However, Ieyasu's tendency to be a benevolent boss to his allies and followers does give him an edge over other villains seen in KH so far because he is better in inspiring loyalty.
Speaking of which for those curious I am planning on checking in on Earth and Britannia in the coming chapters. And what happened to those living on Destiny Islands should be warning of what be coming later in the story, especially when Britannia gets more involved in the plot. I only revealed what I did between Ieyasu and his allies was to give readers a clear indication of what became of C.C. since given her importance to Charles's plan and Lelouch likely to be away for long time, but I admit I was uncertain still with the scene.
The poll on my profile is still ongoing and over the half way mark with a lot of ties that need tie breaking.
Speaking of polls, at the request of a reader I have decided to post a list of potential love interest candidates for Lelouch. It ended up being too big to post in the chapter, but its only so big because I was going to wait until after Lelouch rescued Nunnally to begin narrowing down some choices. At his insistence I compiled a list of potential candidates which can be found in my Forum titled Code Geass Crossover R&D under the topic Kingdom Hearts War of Hearts reboot and restructuring to see the list/poll. It cannot be voted upon now, but I'll put it up after Nunnally is saved which by then I hope the lesser known characters on it will have appeared to give them a fair shot. I doubt its going to be harem, but it does make me curious who will win in the end, which one out of them will win.
Chapter four should be more action packed than the previous chapters so far while Sora is going to meet some unexpected new friends. Lelouch taking part in his first battle, and he has Byleth with him to keep an eye on him while further teaching him on the "job".
Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.