Chapter 23 : The awakening of the demonic emperor.
Both Harley and Ashley did not believe their eyes. In front of them stood, in a box, the now former emperor Lelouch vi Britannia, the man who 12 years ago had conquered the world, uniting him under his scepter and especially under his geass. He had reigned uncontested on Earth for 9 years, only to be reduced to a stone statue and replaced on the throne by his half-sister Cornelia, still on the throne.
"Would he be the strategist?" He asked, surprised.
"Exact. His strategic gifts will be very useful in the war against Gerel. "
"But it's stone!"
"Not for long…"
At that moment the door behind them opened and Jeremiah appeared. Ashley looked first at him and then at Evergreen.
"Do you want to free him from the geass?" He asked, incredulous.
"The idea does not excite me, but it's the only way to win the war," the man said.
The pilot shook his head.
"That's a monster! You cannot free it! "
"We have to, or the invaders will tear us apart."
"He will cut us to pieces. He will make us slaves again with his geass! "
"With my geass eraser I can neutralize the effects of geass, and I am immune to it." Jeremiah explained.
"To fight an enemy should we awaken another?"
"Now the enemy is Gerel."
"I am against it! Too long the bastard enslaved me! And I do not care about getting the leash back! "Harley said, sweating cold.
"If the aliens win you'll have to bring their leash! And it will not be pleasant, I fear ..." She said, adjusting her glasses.
"He is not a saint, but he is a very skilled strategist. He has shown it both as Zero and as Lelouch. He possesses qualities that only Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great had. We need it. "Orange said, even if reluctantly.
"Then go ahead." He ordered the spectacles.
Jeremiah activated his geass canceller, freeing Lelouch from the geass. Everyone held their breath. The boy clapped his eyelids a few times, stood up, looked around confused and asked:
"Where I am?"
"In Weiswolf's fortress in Europe." Evergreen replied.
"How long have I been ... Petrified?"
"It's been three years since your exclusion, we're in December 2030."
"Who sits on the throne in my place?"
"Cornelia li Britannia."
"My dear sister ..." He said mockingly.
"Exact. And do not make any illusions, humanity is free from your geass! "Ashley warned.
Lelouch turned to him, then to Jeremiah.
"It was you, was not it?"
"Obvious."
"So you sided with my enemies ... Why?"
"Because you have attempted the life of your mother, empress Marianne."
"Attempted? Would you say it's still alive? "He asked, incredulous.
"Not thanks to you!"
"Okay ... I'll investigate later. Why did you wake me up? Certainly not for goodness. "
"We need your help, even if it disgusts me to admit it."
"For what?"
"The Earth is under attack by an alien civilization. Driven by it is a certain Gerel, who claims to have created the geass. Half of the world has fallen into their hands and at this rate the other half will do the same thing. "
"And you want me to lead you to victory, right?" He asked, haughty.
"If you will be able, yes."
"Very well ... Lead me to the empress."
"Okay ... Follow me."
At the same time, Cornelia, Leila, Nina, Marianne, Esdeath, CC, Ajatar, Shiho and Yaeko were gathered in a meeting room. The first 6 were sitting around a rectangular table, the other two standing.
"The situation on the various fronts does not show signs of untangling, rather it becomes more and more gangrenous. Today an enemy army has tried to cross the Pyrenees and has been rejected, even if at the cost of serious losses. At the same time, the Knights of St. Raphael led by Andrea Farnese tried unsuccessfully to free Sicily. In Eastern Europe, a City Destroyer razed Krakow, before being damaged and falling near the Oder. In Russia and Siberia the situation is a patchy leopard, our forces and the alien ones are fighting relentlessly. "Explained Esdeath.
"And in the rest of the world?" Leila asked.
"Lhasa has risen against the alien occupation but the revolt has been repressed in the blood; The rebellions in Seoul and in Aleppo were similar. Africa and Australia are firmly in the hands of the invaders. In the Americas there are bloody clashes along the Big River (Rio Grande, AN). "
"Now that I think about it ... Have you noticed that the enemy armies are composed entirely of cyborgs, frames and automated aircrafts? We have not yet seen any living beings besides Gerel. "Marianne said.
"Moreover, the appearance of that woman, Gerel, is terrestrial. It does not look like the bodies found on the moon at all. "Shiho said.
"In fact that is Ellie Pratt, one of the first astronauts to set foot on the surface of Mars, three years ago." Nina stated.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, your majesty."
"This is absurd, identified as Gerel!"
"I assure you it's Ellie Pratt."
That said, he took a picture from his bag: it depicted five astronauts in blue overalls. She was the only woman; she had long blond hair, blue eyes and stared at the smiling lens.
"It was taken before departure to the red planet."
Cornelia took the picture and looked at it. The woman portrayed in the picture was the same woman who had appeared on television screens three weeks earlier, launching her warlike proclamation. The only difference was the blue eyes instead of the red ones.
"Yes it's her. But why does he say he is Gerel? And where did that army get?"
"Ajatar, you met her more than once. Can you tell us what it looks like? "CC asked.
"She had long black hair, yellow eyes and red skin."
"Like one of the two bodies found on the moon!" Nina exclaimed.
"Exact. I think it's a case of possession, and maybe I even understood how the facts took place. "
"Tell us everything, Leila." Esdeath urged her.
"In a remote time, on a distant planet, a civilization is born that over time gives life to an intergalactic empire, whose extreme offshoots are Mars and the Moon. The empire, called Rathúnas, is strong and prosperous. Gerel reigns over it. One day her brother, Bölcs, comes to Earth on a civilizing mission, as did European missionaries at the time of the great explorations in Africa and even before in the New World. The Terrans however, perhaps because frightened by his appearance, kill him. Gerel gets angry and swears revenge, beginning the preparations for the conquest of the Earth. At that point, however, her opponents (there are always, in every society) take the initiative and imprison it ... Or better seal her spirit who knows where. "
"Now that I think of it, Ellie found a mysterious cube in the ruins of an ancient Martian city. Later, while examining him, she lost consciousness and remained unconscious for three days. Then they transferred it to the Lunar Eowyn base for investigation. "
"Are you sure, Nina?"
"Yes, Leila. I received daily reports from both Mars and the Moon. "
"So it's clear ... Gerel took over Ellie's body, destroyed the moon base and spent the last three years weaving her plans for conquest." Esdeath said.
"And where did that army get?"
"Here, your majesty ... Evidently it dates back to 2 millennia ago. Surely it was placed in a region of the Moon or Mars not yet explored. "The bespectaled explained.
"But it's not possible that after 2000 years the devices will work!"
"It's a deity. She can do whatever she wants. "The prime minister reminded her.
"Also, being a geass creator, I guess it's immune to any kind of geass."
"If I am and CC herself is too." Ajatar stated.
"So in this situation the geass holders are powerless."
"Exactly, they would not do us any good."
Cornelia snorted, demoralized.
"The only positive note is that we have not seen each other for three weeks." Nina commented.
"Of course, it is on the mother ship to coordinate its troops! And to be honest, I'm afraid I can take the field personally ... Already now we're on the ropes, figured with her in the middle! "Shiho stated, shivering.
Suddenly someone knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" The empress demanded, annoyed.
"Desolate, your majesty, but there's a person who wants to talk to you." Cecile informed her, pale as if she were dead.
"We are in a meeting, and do not tolerate interruptions! Tell him to wait! "
"It cannot, it's urgent."
"Who is it?"
Initially the woman did not answer.
"Can you tell me who it is?"
"Look at her."
She stepped aside, letting Lelouch enter. As soon as everyone saw him, his eyes widened.
"Hello, girls ... I'm back!" He greeted them.