Disclaimer: I don't own anything belonging to Code: Geass or Naruto.
"Recovery of all remaining Knightmares now confirmed!" Hinata declared, watching as four top Knightmares of the Black Knights pulled into the mausoleum of the eighty-eight emperors, which had been the designated rendezvous point for the Ikaruga .
"The enemy will think twice before attacking us here." Diethard insisted as the Ikaruga backed into the mountain mausoleum. "The greatest emperors from Chinese history are buried here."
"And since they can only approach us from head on, it means we can deploy the bow mounted Hadron Cannons." Ohgi reasoned, nodding in approval.
"So all we gotta do is wait for the Indian forces, right?" Tamaki asked, disembarking from his personal Akatsuki.
"I doubt they'll come." Chiba pointed out grimly. "Even if they do, who's willing to bet they'll be flying Britannian colors?"
"Besieged with no reinforcements…" Shougo muttered, smirking up at the grinning Urabe as they walked up alongside their female comrade. "Just like old times."
"If that's the case, there could still have been room for negotiations." Kaguya pointed out, looking up at Ohgi in concern with a nervous Tianzi clinging to her friend's side.
"I would agree with you, Miss Kaguya. However I know enough of the High Eunuchs to know that they wouldn't negotiate, even for their Empress." Euphie sighed sadly.
"I have to agree with Miss Euphemia. Something tells me the high Eunuchs would never even consider that option." Ohgi muttered, grimacing at the sound of cannon-fire ahead.
"What?" Xingke yelled, over his shoulder in outrage as a mortar shell exploded dangerously close to the rear of his troops, his eyes narrowing.
" Did you REALLY think we would forgive you after you betrayed us ?" Xian Ho asked rhetorically, sneering over the intercom as their own troops swooped in on Xingke's forces, battering them from all sides.
"This is not the time for revenge!" Xianglin protested, Xingke's eyes narrowing at the sound of his aide's voice, as she was no doubt being betrayed as well. "Or perhaps you don't care about the empress?"
"You've become obsolete." Xian Ho stated. "We have more powerful forces to serve us now."
'They can't mean?' Xingke wondered, his eyes narrowing as he spied two familiar Knightmares hovering in the air behind the Pyramid fortress. "You fools! Bringing the forces of a foreign empire into our territory? Aid from Britannia? From Avalon?"
He scowled at the floating transport behind the Tristan and Mordred, the same airship that was the Lancelot's mode of transportation. "Don't the High Eunuch's know who they're dealing with? Who do they think conquered half of the EU?"
"I never thought the Knights of the Round would get involved with this." Ohgi muttered.
"Well…" Cera noted with intrigue. "It seems the High Eunuchs are intent on wiping out Xingke along with us."
"Those old farts are cruel, even by Britannian standards." Naruto mumbled, scowling at the screen as the enemy approached.
"OUR REINFORCEMENTS AREN'T COMING?" Tamaki yelled. "WHAT THE F-!"
"Calm down Tamaki!" Ohgi barked, his own features grim as he watched the incoming enemy forces advance on the mausoleum. "We still have the Chinese empress as a captive, they can't just start shooting at us-!"
But it seemed he was wrong as the amassed Chinese forces promptly began a full-scale bombardment.
"What is it?!" Deithard demanded.
"Full scale bombardment." Zero answered grimly.
"But that means-"
"Yes." Zero nodded. "The Chinese Federation intends to bombard the mausoleum of eighty eight emperors and us along with it. As for the Empress, they want her to die."
"The High Eunuchs…" Xingke growled, his eyes narrowing in anger as he watched the Mausoleum of Eighty-Eight emperors undergo bombing from aerial forces. "They'd violate this sacred Mausoleum for their petty ambitions-!"
He glared as he fired up his radio, hailing all allied forces. "All forces cease fire! Her Imperial Empress is inside!"
" You still don't understand, do you Xingke ?" Xiao Ho mocked. " Generations upon generations of emperors are buried there…"
" In short, it's a grave ." The dark skinned Eunuch pointed out. " As good a place as any to bury our current empress ."
"We've already arranged for a new empress to replace her." Xiao Ho admitted, smirking at the general's face, a bound and gagged Xianglin kneeling off to the side, scowling angry at them. "A puppet bride that will nicely match prince Odysseus on their wedding photo."
"YOU DAMN DECEIVERS!?" Xingke roared, the Shen Hu lunging towards the Pyramid fortress, only to be blocked and forced back by the Tristan.
" You're the one who started the coup de ta ?" Gino asked.
"Stand aside Britannian!" He fired a Harken to warn the advanced frame off. "This concerns my country alone!"
" Be glad to," Gino replied over the radio, transforming the Tristan to jet mode " But you see, those guys represent your country… internationally speaking ."
Xingke scowled, driving the Shen Hu back before shifting back to Knightmare mode, pulling up alongside the Mordred . Xingke grimaced, only to look up in surprise as the aerial assault crafts that had been sent in as part of the second wave were wiped out by Todoh and the Four Holy Swords, the Zangetsu wiping out countless numbers with its shoulder mounted guns.
"Well what'd you know…" Gino muttered, the blonde Knight of three eyeing the newly arrived black Knightmare warily as it wiped out their forces. "Looks like they brought in someone good besides the Gurren after all. Good for me since I have a score to settle with that pilot and Zero's knights."
"Remember, our air power is limited." Todoh said as the Zangetsu led the Four Holy Swords, the Gurren, Seizen and Shinyroku into battle. "Fight with honor and strike like steel!"
"Right!" The Holy Swords complied.
Gino watched as Todoh tore through several units. "Well what do you know? They brought someone as good as that Gurren girl and those two."
"Gino." Suzaku called out, the emerald eyed Knight of Seven launching from the Avalon, the newly restored Lancelot Conquista leading a flight of Vincents in its wake as they swooped onto the battle field "Leave them to me!"
Todoh spotted the white knightmare. "Kururugi."
"I got him!" Kallen shouted, shooting up towards the Lancelot. "Suzaku!"
Suzaku narrowed his eyes at the approaching Gurren. "I'd rather be fighting Naruto but I'll settle for you at the moment, Kallen!"
Cera smirked at the screen showing the advanced Knightmares. "How interesting. They have the Lancelot and those next generation units. Someone must have stepped up to replace Asplund after his capture."
"Show off." Gino scoffed, only to smirk as he watched Anya wipe out Xingke's rebel forces with the Mordred's built in Missile launchers, the Dragon Cavalry's shells impacting harmlessly against the Assault Frame's shields.
"Oh no you don't!" Gino called out, grinning as he interfered with Xingke's attempts to slip inside the Mordred's shields, the two high-speed frames crashing in the air in a flurry of sparks. "I'm leading the dance at this party!"
"Are you?"
Gino looked up just as the Seizan aimed a kick at the Tristan's head. "Whoa?!"
He managed to block the kick and flew back. "Well, we meet again Seizan! Let's see if you dance in the sky as you do on the ground!"
Naruto grinned. "Like I need to prove it."
"So you admit you're outmatched?" Xiao Ho asked, the fat eunuch smirking up at the screen, which depicted a grim faced Zero, the revolutionary having initiated the call "Well we won't accept your surrender, it's too late now!"
" So you insist on fighting? " Zero demanded. " Even knowing your own Empress will die in the attack ?"
"The 'Empress' is merely a system." The pompous ball of blubber simpered, shaking his head dismissively at Zero's apparent naïveté, "There are plenty of others to replace her, so you can't use her as a bargaining chip."
" But you used her to gain noble titles for yourselves in the Britannian court ." Zero pointed out coldly, earning a round of simpering chuckles from the eunuchs, even as Xianglin glared at them heatedly from the floor.
"You have sharp ears, don't you?" The dark skinned Eunuch noted."A cheap price to pay for power, I assure you."
" Cheap… A false treaty that gives China's land to a foreign nation ?"
"Oh please…" Xiao Ho simpered. "Land is just dirt after all, isn't it?"
"Yes." The dark skinned Eunuch agreed, smiling smugly. "We're Britannian Noblemen now, that's what counts."
" And what about the lives of the common people you've sworn to protect ?"
"Oh come now Zero…" Xiao Ho simpered. "When you walk down the street, do you worry about stepping on the ants?"
"You throw away the paper you use to clean your bottom don't you?" The midget Eunuch piped up, an equally disgusting smirk adorning his withered features as he cackled. "It's the same thing really."
" You sell out your country, abandon your empress, betray your own people and all for what? " Zero asked, his voice slowly rising.
"An idealist. I never thought you were so naive." Xiao Ho chuckled. "Masters and commoners will always breed."
"Like insects!" The midget Eunuch said, causing them to laugh.
"Radiant Shield Generators Two and Five are nearing their limits."
"That'll leave the deck exposed!" Ohgi realized.
"Stop it!" Tianzi called out, the distressed Chinese empress tearing herself from Kaguya's embrace, despite her friend's protests, and racing out of the room they'd hidden in, having had enough of the fighting going on around her.
"Your Highness!" Kaguya and Euphie raced after the Empress.
Zero stood up from his chair. "Noblemen? You're bureaucrats! Paper-pushers! You know nothing of nobility!"
Shoving past the guards on duty, the empress clambered onto the main deck, heedless of the constant stream of gunfire as she ran to the prow.
"Please stop it!" she called out, desperately trying to make her voice reach the fighting. "You have to stop all this fighting!"
A round impacting against the deck was her reply, the empress crying out as she was knocked off her feet by the explosion.
"Your Majesty!" Xingke called out, the pilot of the Shen Hu racing in, barely holding on as the Tristan's Harken knocked out one of his wings. "Dammit!"
His eyes went wide in desperation as he powered the damaged frame downwards, even as the High Eunuchs gave the order to finish his lady off.
"Shen Hu! My life is yours!" He pleaded, pushing the frame for all it was worth. "Take it if you must, but please save the empress!"
The sibling frame to the Gurren, Seizan, Shinryoku, and Arashikage charged downwards, coming in and gracefully landing as it deployed its slash harkens as propellers to deflect the oncoming assault from the fragile girl before it.
"Guh!" Xingke grunted, the cockpit of his Knightmare sparking as several rounds made it past his defensive wall."Run away your majesty!"
He looked down at the stunned empress as she got to her knees.
"Go now! You've finally made it outside of the city, but you haven't seen any of the world yet!" He grimaced as another assault crashed into his back. "Go now! I will defend you here!"
"But…" Tianzi insisted, tears streaming down the empress' cheeks as she gazed up at her protector and friend. "Without you there's no point! It has to be the two of us together! It has to!"
Xingke stopped but a smiled a second later. "Your words are wasted on me your majesty… Someone… I don't care who it is… but please…" He bowed his head as the right arm of Shen Hu was damaged, the frame leaning forward from the impact. "SOMEONE SAVE HER!"
"Very well. I understand. Your wish is granted."
Xingke blinked, looking back over his shoulder, his eyes wide with disbelief at the sight of the Arashikage, the Knightmare of Zero hovering before the Ikaruga, having deactivated its Mirage system its shoulder panels open as it unleashed a hail of death on the enemy forces.
"I ask this of the Chinese Federation and of Britannia." The pilot spoke. "If you want to keep fighting, are you prepared for the consequences?"
"Zero? He's come to the front line himself?" Suzaku wondered, hovering above.
"Zero!" Xingke whispered.
The Empress looked at the black knightmare. "But why would he-"
"Why are you stopping?" Xiao ho demanded, the sack of lard slamming his pudgy fist into the command table with a snarl. "WIPE THEM OUT!"
"So be it." Zero declared, activating the Arashikage's PROVIDENCE system along with the elemental weapons as the enemy opened fire.
The Arashikage held out its hand and activated its IDF system, repelling the incoming motor shells and sending them straight back to the enemy. Lelouch then activated the Elemental cannons, switching them to Cryo mode and setting it to full power.
"Now to turn the land you fight against you!" Lelouch declared, firing the cannons, unleashing the cryo-beams.
The beams froze the enemy units, the land and even the air surrounding them, rendering the units and their artillery useless.
The Mordred activated its shield, blocking the beam from freezing it as Anya looked on calmly. "This could… Be a problem."
"What are your orders, Prince Schneizel?" Gino asked, contacting Schneizel for instructions.
Kanon leaned over to whisper to Schneizel. "We could just evacuate."
"There's something strange about this." Schneizel said, watching the battle. "Why did Zero choose this time to show up on the front?"
"How pathetic Xingke." Lelouch addressed Shen Hu behind him. "You are betrayed by your own countrymen and you couldn't even save one little girl. You get it now? You need me. I am the only ally you can rely on."
"I'll never be subordinate to you, Zero." Xingke said defiantly.
"Subordinate? No. You have the potential to lead your entire nation." Lelouch replied, turning the Arashikage around. "They need deliverance, your Empress and all the helpless people of the Chinese Federation. They are crying out for it."
Xingke managed to get the Shen Hu to stand to face Zero. "You think you can turn the tide of this battle?"
Lelouch grinned. "Not at all. The tide of war is determined by strategy, not tactics."
Xingke stared at Arashikage in confusion.
"Emergency alert! Riots have broken out in Shanghai!"
"Street Riots?" The dark skinned Eunuch gaped, paling in horror at the images of countless civilians storming the imperial palace.
"It's not just Shanghai!" Markers popped up all over the map. "Shusha, Beijing, Burma, Jakarta, Islamabad and fourteen other areas that we're still confirming, people are rising up everywhere!"
"Riots breaking out simultaneously?" Nina gaped watching on the monitors as the news reports came in.
"Yes, they're broadcasting a communication between Zero and the High Eunuchs."
"Communication?" Kanon repeated, turning to stare at the woman, his features narrowed in suspicion. "So they were conspiring without informing us."
"Can you run it?" Schniezel asked, looking on with interest as an image of the Arashikage and Zero standing between the kneeling Shen Hu and the Empress, the Eunuchs denouncing the Empress as a mere puppet.
"Dumbasses. They bragged openly and didn't even bother to think we'd be recording it or using it against them." Naruto grinned at the recording. "A prank worthy of any Uzumaki."
"So now the people are rising up against them." Kallen caught on with a grin. "And without the people supporting them the High Eunuchs can't be considered representatives of the Chinese Federation anymore."
"Better than that. Britannia will have to leave them high and dry or risk starting a war with the Chinese who will want them off their land immediately." Naruto chuckled.
"He couldn't have planned this…" Kanon stated. "It's happening too fast…"
"Unless he's making use of someone else's plan…" Schniezel countered with a smirk.
"The Black Knights are to be annihilated…" Anya muttered, looking around in interest as Shougo and Chiba pushed the Mordred's shields to their limit, only to flinch as the Shinyroku launched itself at her, the other two frames breaking away as the green frame pressed the advantage, the Shen Hu bringing up the rear.
'She's just as tough as I'd heard…' Cera muttered, the Geass crest in her Rinnegan flashing. 'No doubt thanks to you Marianne.'
"What is this?" Anya gasped, the pink haired Knight of Six clapping her hands over her ears in desperation as strange images and screams overloaded her senses as she looked on in shock, her eyes clenching shut as her head threatened to split open.
"GOTCHA!" Urabe yelled, bringing his blade down on the Mordred's unprotected flight unit, sending the large frame crashing towards the ground, Anya looking up in shock as the images receded.
"ANYA! NO!" Suzaku yelled, looking on in desperation as the Heavy Assault Frame crashed headfirst into the ground, while deadlocked against his former master and just barely dodging a swipe from the Gurren while a hoard of Akatsuki's were streaming out of the mausoleum, even as Gino swooped in to cover their comrade.
"WHOO-HOO!"An ecstatic Tamaki shouted while leading the pack, his wild yells motivating the pilots as they rushed forwards, swords at the ready.
"Suzaku, we're withdrawing." Prince Schniezel declared with a mild form of distaste in his voice. "Nations are not built on 'dirt' nor 'systems'. They're built on people, the High Eunuchs have lost the peoples' support, they're no longer qualified to join us as representatives of the Chinese Federation."
"Yes… You're Highness." Suzaku acknowledged the Lancelot backing away from the Mausoleum, features grim. 'This is not over, Lelouch, Naruto…'
"Tell me… what do you think the Emperor would have done Kanon?" Schniezel asked, a small smile on his face as he watched the Black Knights round up the stragglers, only to shake his head at Kanon's look of confusion. "Never mind… it's irrelevant."