Sorry for the long wait folks but my beta reader had issues in real life that severely delayed the chapter.
Here's the newest chapter of Arthur of the Restoration!
Please read and review!
"A wave of resignation as occurred within the UFN and the Order of the Black Knights ever since the attempted assassination of the Kozuki-Stadtfeld family that resulted in the deaths of Naho Kozuki and several BK and Principality operatives."
- United Federation Broadcast news report, 2037 ATB
"We lost 20 soldiers in that disastrous attempt to storm the BK outpost. Despite our inferior position, we could have simply starved out the defenders by encircling them if it hadn't been for that idiotic baron ordering us to push forward turning what should have been a moderate siege into a bloody meatgrinder. And that poor lad who dared to point out the flaws in his order was executed on the spot with the baron and his cronies threatening to fire upon us or worse if we didn't press forward.
- 16th Journal Entry of Sergeant Bobby McColles, 2036 ATB
July 18th 2037 ATB
Unknown Location, Britannia
"Well this is quite the development, isn't it brother?" A voice spoke out within a darken room with a TV somewhere at the front wall.
"Our dear wayward nephews show themselves at last to the world to regain their rightful glory." A another voice spoke out with tints of snark. "Still the opening shot was quite adept I have to admit."
"The Black Knights are scrambling now to defend their rear end, now exposed to Neo-Britannia. Deploying less force against the Darwinists, which I now heard Grand Duke Marcel is planning a major offensive against the Principality and the Black Knights."
"Certainty a boon and a curse: our enemies now have a second front to worry about, and yet a new enemy to worry about soon."
"At the least with the new player entering the game, we have some distractions to give us some time."
"Speaking of which, let us talk of prawns now brother, how goes agent Clarent and our other agents? As well as the current status of our project?"
"He's completing his mission as expected, though some have expressed bit of concern on his mental stability. Our other agents have so far made progress in their respective missions and role. And on the project itself, we're encountering delays since we're working with scraps we managed to salvage. Even so progress is still being made."
"Excellent brother, we have made this far for our progress to fail." The voice replied. "It would be a shame if much of the work was for nothing."
"Agreed."
Duchy of Colorado, Britannia
"You have to do better than that." C.C muttered with a bored voice as she ran through a Gang Lou with her MVS sword, bisecting it across the torso as the top fell over and the ruptured Yggdrasil drive detonated.
C.C slightly sidestepped her pink Vincent Conquista to allow a charging Akatsuki Kai to overshoot by her, which she fired her C8 VARIS rifle at its rear. She spun her knightmare around she brought up her right arm to project a blaze luminous shield to deflect a slash harken attack and few bursts of gunfire directed at her. She then retaliated by firing back several more 30mm rounds from her VARIS rifle at her attackers, nailing two more Akatsuki while the other two managed to dodge her shots and close the distance between her and them.
The green-haired witch simply sped towards them and easily dodged their melee and range attacks with mobility that was enhanced even for a Vincent before decapitating its head causing its cockpit to eject from the dead frame. The second foe she simply dispatched with a harken to its torso, disabling the machine before blasting it with her VARIS.
So far C.C wasn't impressed with the opposition from the Black Knights. Then again, she wasn't too impressed with them for the longest time considering how much they were reliant on Zero even with Xingke, Tohdoh, and new officers when becoming the military arm of the UFN. She did suppose the extreme losses they inflicted on them during the Damocles War might have been a major factor as well as Suzaku's leadership aggravating their incompetence.
"Well, I shouldn't have been surprised with Suzaku's lack of leadership skills despite training from Lelouch, and how the former Black Knight command staff were bunch of toads." C.C remarked as cutting through the turret of a Type-33A armoured vehicle before spinning around to fire her VARIS rifle at the rear of an old Chinese Federation Type-11 artillery tank, the resulting explosion sending a turret in the air. The others destroyed by long-range bombardment fire from Crusader assault guns giving vital fire support for her unit.
'After all if they hadn't thoughtlessly betrayed him then things wouldn't been this bad… Then again, I share much blame as much as they do it not more.' C.C thought out loud while launching her harkens at a Skylark VTOL, tearing apart one of the engines as it spiraled out of control to the ground.
Her mind briefly occupied by the smiling faces of Arthur and Naoto over the decade greeting their new 'aunt' every time she visited – which was a lot. How long would it be until they find out about the truth? Why their lives are the way it is and likely the knowledge of Geass? She supposed if she ended up being hated by them then it would be something she deserved from them.
She then glanced over to her left to see witness three heavily customized Gloucesters colored in dark grey and turquoise on its shoulders – the leader of the trio sporting a pair of spiked knuckle duster shields around its arms – charged at a trio of Akatsuki who expected easy kill against the 5th-gen units only to gravely underestimate their foes. The lead dark grey and turquoise Gloucester narrowly ducked beneath the swipe of the RBS baton before brutally punched at the Akatsuki's chest, the sheer force lurching the devicer within and forcing it back with a large dent and gnash on its chest. The BK machine tried to avenge its damage by launching its still functioning slash harken at the Gloucester. Which it deflected by raising its dual knuckle duster shields before quickly grabbing onto the wire to force Akatsuki to come closer, nearly causing it to fall onto its side. The Neo-Britannia KMF proceeded to decapitate the Akatsuki's monoeye head away with a brutal uppercut. Followed up by smashing the frame apart into scrap metal as the devicer ejected to safety.
The rest of the custom Gloucester managed to skillfully sidestep their respective foes' gunfire relying on their instincts, experience, and predictions to keep up with the more advanced machines. Knowing a single mishap would lead to the fate many other Neo-Britannian devicers who used 5th-gen units ended up when confronting a 7th-generation unit. One of the custom Gloucester dual-yielding two assault rifles ducked beneath a radiant rocket fire while firing its weapons shooting down another radiant rocket flying to his comrade, surprising the Akatsuki which fired it. The custom Gloucester reorienting its aim to riddle a bazooka-yielding Akaksuki apart with high-velocity rounds and finishing it off with a grenade round to the chest.
The other Gloucester pushed itself beyond its limit rolling forward and dodging even as it groaned out in protest, barely avoiding being shredded as small pieces of armor and frame were shot off by the lone Akatsuki. The 5th-gen unit raised its right arm grenade launcher and fired at the 7th-gen model, who easily evaded the shot before charging in to slash off the right arm of the custom Gloucester. Yet the custom Gloucester launched its slash harkens at the black-colored knightmare to pull itself closer to the Akatsuki, deploying a pile diver from its sole remaining arm and with a mighty shove thrust its EM-accelerated pile driver through its chest. The Gloucester kicked the dead Akatsuki off its pile driver as the unstable power core of the BK machine detonated, showering the Gloucester with metal fragments and sparks.
"Hmm, the Anvil triplets are certainty proving their worth, even with Gloucesters." C.C observed as they continued to engage the Black Knights despite their current battered state. She eyed closely on the dark grey and turquoise Gloucester armed with knuckle duster shields after it managed to maneuver around a Panzer-Hirsch to smash apart the cockpit bloc.
Then she saw one of the few original Vincent Wards of Winkie squadron she was leading was snuffed out a pair of Gang Lou, one launching its arm harkens that tore its leg while 73mm cannons obliterated the torso. A Vincent Ward III avenged its comrade's death by obliterating said attacker with its bazooka, drawing the attention of few more Gang Lou which then swarmed after the retreating knightmare carefully firing on the move.
C.C pushed her pink Vincent Conquista jump in the air, enhanced by her hip harkens launched to the ground, before bringing up her VARIS and nailed the pursing Gang Lou knightmares. Each fire from her weapon was followed by the detonation of each Gang Lou until there was none left. Once the pseudo 10th-gen command/ace model landed she found herself on the ground, she immediately brought up her MVS sword to lock blades with an Alexander knightmare attempting to strike her down with its RBS katana.
"Hmmm, an Alexander, well I can expect some fight from you." C.C muttered boredly as she parried off the blade lock and attacked the EU KMF model with a fury of thrusts and slashes.
The black-colored Alexander was a gracefully rolled, flipped, and banked from her attack, and striking from different vectors at her flank or rear as expected of its design lineage. Even as C.C fired a VARIS round at it, the enemy devicer was skilled enough to evade spinning around to launch a slash harken at her, which she fired her own to intercept. Despite its mobility and its devicer the Alexander Type-03 was a simple high-mobility production unit going up against a more fearsome foe roughly equal to the Lancelot. Evident with C.C expertly evading around the Alexander's assault and parrying back its attack with equally powerful force.
C.C found herself becoming bored with the duel that she decided to end it now, launching her hip harkens that knock out her opposition's chainsword from its grasp and the forearm that yielded it. Undeterred by the damage, the Alexander Type-03 brought out its bladed tonfa and attempted to flank her to strike at the cockpit bloc; only for the Vincent Conquista to slightly bank away from the attack before circling to her opponent's side in a blink of an eye to impale its MVS sword through KMF's cockpit.
C.C pulled out the blade as the Alexander lifelessly fell. She looked around to see the rest of the Black Knights retreating from the battle, witnessing a fleeing pair of Akatsuki and a Type-33A IFV cutdown by a Gloucester and a Mouse MT.
'How much fighting can this world take before it breaks? I wonder Lelouch what you would've done in this situation…'
Duchy of Colorado
The Mordred Buildup brought up its handheld shield, generating a blaze luminous shield large enough to cover a G1 MCV to deflect enemy fire from striking her forces.
"Targeting enemy." Anya muttered as she raised and charged Stark Hadron cannon Mk2 before firing a sweeping fire across the enemy line above and below her, which was immediately followed up by multiple explosions and a former EU Medium Type-class land battleship reduced to a pyre of death and fire.
Neo-Britannia VTOL gunships and bazooka armed KMFs fired upon another nearby Medium-class land battleship as it returned fire with its own defenses. While Black Knight ground and air units scattered apart to reduce the damage from the Mordred Buildup's Stark Hadron cannon Mk2; but left them vulnerable to enemy action as other Neo-Britannian assets fired upon them. The Mordred deciding to switch to her proximity micro-missiles raining barrages of small yet deadly hails of death.
Few Hangetsu transformable KMF, plus some Akatsuki, flew towards the enemy forces at high-speed in their fortress mode, swiftly banking through enemy fire faster like that of the Tristan. A Vincent Ward tried to intercept one of the Hangetsu but it launched both its harkens that decapitated its head and tore off its left arm, before transforming into KMF mode to deploy its wrist blade to deliver a slash through the Ward's chest. While a another black-colored transformable KMF shifted into knightmare mode as it aimed both its arm grenade launcher to nail down a float-equipped Sutherland and a Vincent Ward.
Anya launched a barrage of micro-proximity missiles from her KMF taking out a pair of Hangetsu while forcing the others to pull out their assault. The pink-haired woman was half-surprised to see some number of the Black Knight's relatively new transformable production KMF deployed at this front. As far as what limited intelligence they gathered so far, all the Hangetsu in Britannia were solely stationed at the Darwinist front. It appeared their intel was either incomplete or the Black Knights were rerouting their deployment against Neo-Britannia.
Two hadron beams appeared from different directions that vaporized one Hangetsu while crippling an Akatsuki. A modified RPI-V4L Gareth appeared, colored in maroon red, hovering in the air as it redirected its shoulder launched hadron harkens to attack from a different angle and altitude. It retracted its arm hadron cannons to draw out its MVS blades with its manipulators for potential melee combat.
It seems either Cecile let the Feirefiz to go into battle or its devicer decided to disobey his mother to do some live combat test. Probably the latter from what interaction she had with her son.
Anya saw the hadron harkens fire two more beams resulting in two more enemy knightmares destroyed. The remaining enemy forces concentrated fire while spacing apart but left them vulnerable to other Neo-Britannian forces. The Hangetsu managing to dance out of the fire as the standard high-mobility aerial models, but even they had limits with the firepower directed against them.
One Hangetsu managed to break through the barrage and shot itself towards the Feirefiz intending to take down one of the major threats in the battle in one final act of defiance. The modified Gareth experimental model redirected one of its hadron harkens to intercept the transformable KMF, but it transformed to KMF to disable the weapon with its chest autocannons. The transformed KMF charged at full speed at the custom Gareth, blades retracting from its wrist followed by missile barrages fired at it. The Feirefiz dodged several of the missiles and used its gatling guns to shoot down the rest as it could, along with managing to slice apart one or two missiles with its blade.
Then a pair of Akatsuki that flew from the other combat zone came in to lend their support firing at the modified Gareth. 20mm rounds harmlessly impacted against the LRP armor while the Feirefiz zoomed in close and flanked around the two hostiles at speeds faster than any Gareths. Who then cut down the two Akatsuki before they could respond to Uther's attack.
The last Hangetsu enraged at the sight flew towards the Feirefiz's flank aiming both its grenade launchers at the cockpit. Though the modified Gareth unit managed to bring its front forward in time to avoid having its cockpit breached, the grenade rounds harmlessly detonating upon its LRP armor. The Feirefiz flew forward, its float system pushing the KMF full speed, readying its melee weapon as did the Hangetsu for a duel, their respective camera eyes glaring before their blades clashed against one another.
Kansas City Palace, Principality of Britannia
Nunnally wheeled herself into Zero's office with a disapproving countenance plastered on her face as she quickly smelled the faint presence of alcohol permeating throughout the room. And empty glass bottles of some of the finest wine scattered around though keenly hidden that gave the illusion of a pristine office when the reality was the opposite of it. She supposes that it reflected the current owner of the office and the reality of their world.
Purple eyes stared into the reflective opaque mask that was seen in awe and hatred by many over the world. A mask worn by a faceless individual that challenged and forever changed the world and represented for many the living incarnation of justice and hope. Yet the symbol could do so much when its wearer was only human and the world seeing it. She knew behind the mask was a man who was broken by the burden imposed on his shoulder and his past.
"Suzaku…" She spoke to the man himself, not the mask he presented to anyone.
"Your majesty, you're obviously mistaking a dead man for me. I am Zero, the Knight of Zero to the Demon Empe–." He was interrupted by a harsh snarl from Nunnally Vi Britannia.
"You would do to tread carefully when speaking of that epithet when we're alone, Suzaku Kururugi." Her eyes coldly stared at him. The title her brother undeservedly earned made enraged all kinds of buttons within her which she barely restrained.
Unfazed by her glare Zero shrugged as he took of his mask. "As you say oh Empress Nunnally of the Principality of Britannia." Revealing a dishevel brown hair with green eyes and messy stubbles, and a face of someone who never had proper sleep for years and aged by several years from stress.
Suzaku and Nunnally looked at one another silently, still taken aback how much everything changed around them and themselves ever since they reunited in the years since the 2nd Pacific War. For Suzaku Kururugi, it was nothing but one bitter memory after another in his entire existence at this point, the culmination of the choices he made and the path he walked without any hesitation. Looking at Nunnally he observed it was like seeing a shattered mosaic that was somehow shattered in the inside also and barely held together. For Nunnally Vi Britannia, it was a haunting reminder that she was blind for many years in more ways than just her eyes, and how that blindness led to the demise of her beloved brother. Seeing her beloved friend yet her brother's killer brought within her mixed feelings of whether she should see his state as a suitable punishment and hate him or pity and sadness on what has happened to him.
"I always dreamed of the moment where I could meet my nephews, holding their hands, touching their face, or hugging them for over a decade." A hollowed voice came out of Nunnally.
"I wanted to see them grow, see what TV shows they liked and what food they hate, see them smile whenever something joyful happens, and see them go to sleep…" Tears started to form up in Nunnally's eyes. "I-I wanted to see the last living legacies of my brother… Yet I can't be there for Arthur and Naoto's life!"
Tears flowed down her eyes as she continued. "And because of my weakness and fear, they barely survived being killed twice. And now… They're fighting a war for their right to live, and all I can see every time I see them is my brother's corpse!" She cried out as traumatic memories of that day entered the forefront of her mind.
Nunnally was upset that she couldn't do much for Kallen and her sons, and how her nephews had little choice but to take up arms against the world to survive. She was angry against Suzaku, Schneizel, Cornelia, the Black Knight, the UFN, and the world for taking away her brother; the suffering her people was forced into that resulted in a violent civil war; and the greatest injustice was the world trying to deny her nephews a right to live for the great crime of being related to their father. She hated the UFN for preventing her from see the last living memories of her brother grow up from toddlers to adults, who no doubt resented their absent aunt that seemed to show little concern for them.
This fallacy of a world wasn't the peaceful world she desired to live with her brother. Oh why did she had to make that wish all those years ago? If she didn't make that wish, then maybe Lelouch wouldn't have gone all through that for her. Thrice she had lost family: her mother many years ago, her brother who sacrificed his own life, and finally cut off from her own blood-related nephews.
Nunnally found a gloved hands wiping out her tears and lifting her chin to see Suzaku's mournful face. She saw the tired expression on his face that showed all the regrets and despair he was forced to experience every day. It was harder to hate him without the mask to conceal his face even as half of her forgave him; she still vividly remembered how he leveraged her brother's guilt for his agenda or talked him into throw away his life.
"We have our regrets and mistakes we can't take back. I took part in Zero Requiem not because of the desire to bring about peace, but so that I could kill Lelouch in the end…" Suzaku started off. "And all of this is the result, my rage and short-sightedness damning this world and your nephews, and another crime I have to answer for."
Nunnally was partially tempted to blurt how obvious that was but held that part in her out of respect and finish hearing what Suzaku was saying.
His mind shifted to a familiar yet strange face. "I have many things to answer for. And there are two people who have the biggest and justifiable reason to kill me…" He giggled to himself. "Wouldn't that be a way to go down, dying at the hands of my former friend's children… Who I failed to protect and their source of misery."
It was hilariously ironic now that Suzaku thought about it seeing the sons of Lelouch Vi Britannia rallying a rag-tag group of soldiers, militias, and civilians to restore Britannia in their own imagine. Unknowingly waging war against the very organizations their father had founded who became Emperor not for the reason they thought of. A very Shakesphere-level worthy of tragedy that Lelouch's work would end up be undone by his own sons he wasn't aware of.
The moment he saw Arthur Vi Britannia's face on the TV leading Neo-Britannia Suzaku finally found his possible future executioner. The face that that haunted his nightmare, appearing so similar yet different to his father's with several traits Arthur took from his mother. He saw a boy defiant against the fate the world tried to unfairly impose on him and his twin, refusing to bow down like his father and fight against the injustice. There was a good chance he, Suzaku Kururugi, was likely to be dead at the end of this war.
A fate he didn't mind at all and one that was fitting yet somehow funny at the same time. But before that time came, he had much work to complete before the Grim Reaper came to his door. Even if he failed his role as Zero to the world, there was at least one thing he could atone for…
Kansas City, Principality of Britannia
"This disaster is the last thing we need at our hand!" High General Cornelia Li Britannia slammed her fist on the table. Making Gino Weinburg, Oldrin Zevon, and several Glinda Knights and Principality officers wince at the blow.
"Desertion and defection rates has increased to 30%, and several rebellions erupting from some of our forces. Which I need to remind you all that one group managed to hijack the Avalon and deflect to Neo-Britannia." Cornelia growled out. "All of this happening when we have a major Darwinist and Neo-Britannia offensive occuring!"
"Several of our more promising and quality soldiers and officers jumped ship after that announcement. So we have a manpower problem at our hands as well as declining operational effectiveness." Oldrin Zevon, grandmaster of the Glinda Knights added in, the 37-year old woman tired from countless work and lack of sleep. "Some of our best – soldiers and support staff – in the Glinda Knights took part in the hijacking of the Avalon, taking with them some of our remaining ace units."
She laid out several files at the table showing dossier of some of their defected soldiers.
"Morale is low among our forces between our losses, inferior equipment, and simply a lack of motivation to fight for the Principality for many." Sir Gino Weinburg stated. "Though not counting in our more loyal units, but what doesn't exactly help is our current tenuous relations with the Black Knights. Much less our already severe financial troubles after Australia froze our account and others after that assassination attempt."
It was the perks of being the sole neutral country in the world where almost everybody trusts you with their money. There was a reason why Australia was the banking center of the world which not even the Britannian empire bothered invading.
"The Black Knights don't trust us to carry on the fight, considering all the restrictions they laid down us prior and during the war." Claudio Dalton spoke out with great disdain.
"Thanks to the foolishness and the weakness of those above, this is what we have to work with." Cornelia spat. "Damn the Black Knights and my brother. It's because of them we're left to bow our heads towards the Elevens and their lackeys."
It was an unspoken secret among both the Principality and the Black Knights that some of their leadership would've allied themselves with the Darwinists right off the bad if it weren't for family matters. For many in the Black Knights, they hoped something like that would occur just for the catharsis of killing the Witch of Britannia. A sentiment that was barely hidden and prevented from being carried out, no thanks to their superiors and some influential members for whatever reason.
"Overall, we have around less then 70,000 combat-capable personnel, and less than a thousand and a half knightmare frames, including stocks from both the Glinda Knights and the Principality Home Guard. As well as two squadron of old airships and a small fleet of naval vessels that's not doing much." One of the staff officers reported.
A majority of which were refitted 5th-generation machines and equipment that were barely refitted or modernized, thus relying largely on the Order of the Black Knights for the heavy lifting. The punishing disarmament treaty, economic crisis, and the UFN's harsh punitive measures upon the Principality didn't do wonders for its military power being reduced to merely the Glinda Knights and later the Prinicpality Home Guard militia. Leaving them as a pale self of the once powerful Imperial Armed Force of the Holy Britannian Empire.
"Forgetting to mention that much of said combat-capable personnel are nothing more than glorified penal units whose only use is being glorified bullet sponges or glorified guards." Gino spat out in disgust. "Discipline is barely a thing and less said of their competence the better."
Sir Gilbert G. Guilford sent a glare at the blond knight. "This is what we have to work with Sir Weinberg, and with Neo-Britannia under Lelouch's spawns' control. It is more paramount that desperate measures are needed to be taken."
'Least we have another June massacre…' Oldrin frowned at Cornelia Li Britannia at the reminder of that horrid incident that shattered any trust left between the Principality and the people, and one that sparked the Great Civil War.
"Then I hope we'll never get to that Sir Guilford." Gino responded back as a tired demeanor entering his face.
He looked at a photograph showing the new incarnation of the Mordred. Showing the maroon-colored KMF spraying micro-missiles and firing hadron beam at those who foolishly faced against the juggernaut. He never heard from Anya ever since she strangely moved in with Gottwald all those years ago, and the reports came of her seen alongside the Vi Britannia twins… He wasn't sure how to feel about her attachment with Lelouch's sons, but he wished her a happy life now that she apparently recovered her memories. But now she is fighting under the banner of Neo-Britannia, and the next they reunite together it would be as enemies…
'I guess the twins became practically family for you, huh Anya.' Gino thought looking at an old photo showing the twins and their mother. 'Pity he somehow got to her heart first, she was quite the woman.' He remarked on a certain Guren devicer with some envy.
The blond man glanced at General Cornelia Li Britannia, staring at the image of her nephew with a hard look that sent shivers down his spine. Wondering how she felt towards her nephew as she made clear her vehement distaste for Lelouch Vi Britannia and many things related to him. Course the conclusion would be obvious when looking back at the results of previous succession crisis that plagued Britannia. It made him wonder what Arthur Vi Britannia diabolical plan he was forming if he was anything like his father.
Blue Base, Duchy of Colorado
"Arty, there's no way the veggie omelet MRE is actually adequate!" Naoto Vi Britannia exclaimed in shock.
He and his brother were in their private quarters having a meal together and relaxing after a day of managing a massive military organization and leading the war effort. All in the daily life of two 18-year old boys whom formerly lived as nobodies at Australia.
"It's not that bad." Arthur defended himself to the deadpan reaction of his twin brother.
"Arthur, there was a reason the Britannian military stopped the production of the veggie omelet MRE in 2018 and why it was considered a very demoralizing meal." Naoto pointed to the demoralizing appearance of the omelet
"It's that bad?"
"Starvation is preferable to eating that." Naoto's eyes twitched. "Honestly, I shouldn't be surprised. You are the only person in our family who thought aunt CC's cucumber pizza wasn't too bad…" Internally shuddering the memory several years ago when aunt CC decided cooked for them the first and only time, and forever banned from cooking anything else.
While he and Arthur have roughly, good cooking skills, sometimes he questioned his twin's sense of taste time to time.
"How did the meeting go with the Governor of Colorado?" Arthur then asked Naoto.
"The governor doesn't like the Black Knights and the Principality. So its not surprising he threw his support behind us and declared the Duchy of Colorado was part of Neo-Britannia." One of the many defections that were happening when they introduced themselves to the world few days ago. "Course we still have to take and clear out the rest of Colorado of Principality loyalists and Black Knights holdouts."
"That's good, the more people and territories deflect to us, the higher the chances of Neo-Britannia's grand victory becomes especially when we're seeing many deflectors from the Principality coming over." Arthur looked pleased at the news. "The HMAS Avalon and some of the best soldiers from the Glinda Knights as well as some useful tech joined us not too long ago."
"And we have to make sure those defectors are vetted if some of them happen to be spies, as well as making sure our logistics can handle them all." Naoto reminded him.
"That too." Arthur recognized with concern. "I can see some of our forces not being receptive to some of them…" The last thing they need was infighting to occur in Neo-Britannia between those who stayed since the beginning and those defecting after he and Naoto announced themselves – which some might see them as people trying to save their own skin.
He couldn't blame those who didn't joined Neo-Britannia right away considering the state it was prior to him and Naoto's arrival.
"On the Darwinist side, that's much trickier between paranoid nobles and the Purity League of Britannia looking out like hawks limiting how many informants we have. Though at the same time, their paranoia and heavy-handed approach is bound to create more spies or defectors." Naoto commented. "But for now, we can worry about the Darwinists later."
Arthur leaned back onto his seat contemplating. "I guess for now we should consolidate on our holdings we have at the frontlines."
"Operation Rising Phoenix is proceeding well so far, but it doesn't hurt to be cautious." Naoto agreed.
Naoto's eyes then slightly widen remembering something. "Oh, forgot to mention this but high command and Camelot are seriously suggested you have a custom KMF to replace your current one."
"Why would I need to? The Vincent Ward III is doing good enough for me, and besides I do see myself not going into battle all the time." Arthur didn't look as he leaned against his chair.
"Considering you're their leader and the rightful Emperor, they want to ensure you have the best KMF that can protect you." Naoto reminded him. "You're going to have every single Black Knight with a weapon trying to kill you at every opportunity."
"Putting it that way, they have a point…" Arthur thought on it, wondering what kind of custom KMF he could have if he ordered one.
"And as a potential ace and the Emperor-to-be, we're going to need to have a symbol people can look to."
Something like his mom's Guren? Or his father's brief usage of the Shinkiro? Scratch the first one since his mother's fighting style and the radiant surger claw wasn't a match for him. But his father's Shinkiro could be a possible one, albeit modified with a general-purpose combat in mind because there was no way he could use its legendary defensive system.
At the least Layla, Miss Croomy, and Mr. Lloyd would give him one heck of a knightmare frame to use. He was curious of the kind of KMF design the engineering team would suggest.
"I'll talk to Miss Cecile to see if there is some prototype lying around or something."
The two brothers then finished the rest of their meal in silence. Enjoying this moment of silence that distracted them from the realities of their life for something they had no control over.
'I miss you grandma… Mom, I hope you get better soon and be with us soon.' Naoto sighed internally, wishing for the peace that once was in their family yet forever taken from them.
'I swear… Our family will never be threatened again!' Arthur raged within his mind, the years of shimmering anger and desire to right the wrongs finally answered.
The Vi Britannia family had been hounded by the world for decades since his paternal grandmother's death and the injustices that followed. Perhaps it was destiny that their long-waited final retribution would come through him right at Britannia's greatest moment of need from the Darwinists and the Black Knights. That the Vi Britannia family would rise again to regain what was rightfully theirs.
Whatever it takes to protect his family from the world.
Vehicles/KMFs/etc
RPI-V6C/Z1 Feirefiz
- An experimental Garth unit modified with arms that of the Agravain KMF. Color scheme is entirely maroon red.
- Interior is streamlined and lesser usage yet highly efficient design due to incorporating lithium, resulting in overall improved energy efficiency, survivability, and performance. Simultaneously used in newer energy fillar design to be more energy efficient and much higher recharge rate than than the standard EF.
- Equipped with an upgraded Yggdrasil drive system, improved float system, and LRP armor.
- Armed with 8x hip-mounted slash harkens, 2x MVS blades, 2x arm Hadron cannons, 12-tube missile launchers, and 2x shoulder-mounted hadron harkens.
UPI-28 Hangetsu
- 7th-gen transformable production knightmare visually a hybrid of the Shinkiro and Akatsuki: cockpit design that of the Shinkiro while head taking after the Gekka. Colored in standard black.
- The Black Knight's new transformable knightmare frame designed for high-speed aerial warfare supplementing float-equipped KMFs and escorting airships.
- 4.57m tall and 6.61 tons.
- Equipped with an integrated air glide system.
- Armed with 2x knee-mounted slash harkens, 2x chest autocannons, 2x wrist-mounted retractable composite blades, 2x arm grenade launchers, and cockpit-mounted 18-tube missile launcher.
RZA-6DGX1 Mordred Buildup
• Basically the Resurrection Mordred Buildup and retains its canon colors.
• Anya Alsterim's improved Mordred KMF with improved energy efficiency and flight mobility.
• 4.71m tall and 14.42 tons
• Interior is streamlined and lesser usage yet highly efficient design due to incorporating lithium, resulting in overall improved energy efficiency, survivability, and performance. Simultaneously used in newer energy filler design to be more energy efficient and much higher recharge rate than than the standard EF. First machine to incorporate Graphene construction into the frame, allowing it to be lightweight, better durability and strength, and better reaction speed/signal.
• Equipped with an integrated float system and heavy LRP armor.
Armed with 1x hand-held Stark Hadron cannon Mk2, 90x micromissile proximity launchers, 2x chest slash harkens, and 1x Heavy Combat Shield w/ heavy BL emitter and 30x micromissile proximity launchers.