Turn 13: The Narita Sanction, Part 1: Bad Day at JLF Rock

It's a shame CC isn't here. I would have loved to ask her about what this area was like long ago.

Before she left, she asked me if I knew why snow was white. Remembering the original timeline, I had said no.

Her response was, "Because it's forgotten what color it's supposed to be."

At which point, I took her in my arms and whispered in her ear, "As Japanese Zen gardens prove, the absence of something can be just as beautiful as the space filled." She giggled at that and said I was a real sweetheart when I wanted to be.

Ah, there's the checkpoint. The watchman is rather uneasy about the equipment and artillery we're bringing. Honestly, if they haven't already figured out just how screwed they are? Not my fucking problem.

The necessary code words and authentication goes through, and we're on our way.

A few teams are setting up mines, tripwires, motion detectors, and the pressure drills for the avalanche we're going to need. Another group is setting up something else, just in case I need insurance.

The Narita base dates back to before the Second Pacific War. Literally carved out inside a mountain. It was a military marvel for a country Japan's size. Sadly, nowadays? The infrastructure is crumbling, the technology is outdated, and judging by the way the equipment and things like the uniforms look?

The JLF is already beaten. They either just don't want to admit it, or else don't realize it.

Some of the soldiers are giving us dirty looks. Possibly upset that we're stealing their thunder. Or maybe it's because we're using Sutherlands instead of Burais.

Like hell I'm having my troops use cheap knockoffs of the Glasgow. A Knightmare from the previous generation design over 7 years ago, against Sutherlands, let alone Gloucesters or the Lancelot? Fuck that noise.

Over by what I'm guessing is a conference room?

The last general of old Japan, Tatewaki Katase. And with him, Colonel Tohdoh Kyoshiro and his Four Holy Swords.

To be blunt? I kinda don't want any of them except Tohdoh himself.

Katase might be useful behind the scenes, but I can't guarantee he won't become an issue by challenging my authority. And if I have to Geass him, that's a slippery slope to bad shit happening.

As for the Swords? From what I can recall, Senba Ryoga is an elder statesman and the kind of level-headed person whose council will be much appreciated.

Kotetsu Urabe literally died, swearing his loyalty to Lelouch in the original timeline. Respect for the man, if nothing else.

And then there's Asahina Shogo and Chiba Nagisa...

Asahina and Chiba were both always against Lelouch in the original timeline, including pushing for the betrayal. Hell, if I recall correctly, Asahina spilled the beans about the Geass Order attack to discredit Zero.

Still, the Swords are a package deal with Tohdoh, and they do work well together. Pity Rakshata hasn't developed the Gekkas yet.

I turn to Ohgi and Kallen, "Alright, let me do most of the talking. If you have something important to contribute, then by all means. But we present a united front. And that means I need to do one of the things I do best."

"Act like an insane perverted jackass?" Kallen quips with a smirk on her cute lips.

I chuckle as I smile beneath the mask. She's got my number, alright.

"Save that for after they're under my banner. What I meant was, breaking their pride and getting them on our side."

Ohgi rubs the back of his head, "Sir, I still think we should be careful. They have been fighting Britannia for years. We shouldn't disrespect their contributions."

I nod, "It's not their commitment and dedication I'm disrespecting, Ohgi. It's their goals and methods," I whisper as we walk towards the waiting delegation.

Game on. Let's see how self-aware they are.

I give a polite, but moderately low bow. Not enough to show subservience, but enough to show equal respect.

And Chiba already feels slighted, judging by her eyes narrowing at the perceived insult. Uptight bitch.

"General Katase. A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance," I say as I shake his hand.

Katase gives a nod as we walk into the room, "I appreciate your prompt response. I hope we can come to a satisfactory agreement between our two resistance groups."

Strike one. That was a faux pas in my book. We're not a resistance group.

Tohdoh at least picked up that Katase had made a mistake just now. Speaking of which...

"Colonel Tohdoh, it is also a pleasure to meet you," I say as I shake his hand.

"You are a man of unique reputation, Zero. I do not believe I have ever met someone like you."

Oh my, are we that nervous? Seems somebody has an idea what's REALLY going on.

I sit down, Kallen on my left, Ohgi on my right.

Katase is sitting right across from me, Tohdoh on his left, and the Swords on his right.

"First, may I offer your subordinates some tea?"

I press a button in my helmet, causing my induction port to extend.

"I'm capable of liquid intake via this, General."

Tohdoh raises an eyebrow at the device, "An unusual mechanism."

I shrug, "There are times when I must remain masked for extended periods. I installed this induction slash smoking port for greater comfort. Black tea, if you have it, please."

A few minutes later, everyone has a cup in front of them and now Katase is looking where he assumes my eyes are.

"I'll come to the point. We have heard about your organization, your Order of the Black Knights. And we feel that you would be a considerable asset to the JLF's goal of freeing Japan."

Strike two. Japan is dead.

"And what exactly would happen to MY organization, should I consent to this merger?"

Tohdoh's eyes just narrowed. He knows Katase just stepped on a landmine.

The general takes a sip from his tea then answers. "Of course your organization would become a subsidiary and eventually incorporated into the JLF. You yourself would be one of my most trusted advisors."

Jesus Christ, did he NOT read my letter? Or maybe he thinks he can bully me with the weight of his reputation and the JLF's.

"Oh yes, because the JLF has won so many battles in the last seven years...oh wait," Kallen snarks as she stirs her tea.

I have the distinct impression that I'm going to have to break up a cat-fight between her and Chiba at some point, if we get the JLF today.

"You would do well to show proper respect to the general. We've been doing this a lot longer than you have, little girl," Chiba says with a rigid expression on her face.

"Yeah? Last time I checked, the JLF hasn't had a major victory since Itsukushima."

"How dare you," she seethes. "We were gracious enough to invite your upstart organization and offer you the recognition of the JLF. Zero," she turns to me.

I incline my head towards her. I'm half tempted to let Kallen just maul her.

"You should control your subordinates. It's clear your organization is in need of discipline."

Oh wow, did you just try and act condescending to me, you uppity little cunt?

Strike three. I'm done with this shit.

"Chiba. Enough," Tohdoh growls at her.

I lean over to whisper at Kallen, "Nice job. Normally I'd be annoyed that you insulted our hosts like that."

Kallen raises an eyebrow, "Bullshit. You were thinking the exact same thing. You were just going to be more polite about it. And you've said far worse about them."

I'm so glad I have subordinates who actually understand me.

Tohdoh turns to face me after glowering at Chiba a moment. "My apologies for Chiba's conduct."

I wave him off, "I'm used to being insulted. I like to think my results speak for themselves. Did you show General Katase my letter?"

Tohdoh's face twitches, "Yes. I also forwarded it to Kyoto. The general believes the inclusion of your group into the fold would revitalize the JLF."

I set my tea down. He's figured it out. Good. I was chafing at having to waste my time being polite.

"And what is your opinion, Colonel?"

Tohdoh puts down his tea with an obvious clink, loud enough to heard.

"I do not believe that you have any respect for our organization and that you are not here to discuss a merger of our groups of any sort."

I shake my head. Well, he's not wrong. But Ohgi had a point. I need to make them understand their true position.

"I have nothing but respect for your struggle and commitment, Colonel. It is your outdated approach and failing methods that I do not respect," I pronounce, then slurp up some tea.

"If I may, what have we done to so offend you? This seems to be both a professional disagreement and a personal grudge," Senba interjects.

Well played. I do in fact, have a personal grudge.

"Kusakabe," I hiss sinisterly as I loudly put down my tea, crossing my arms.

Katase gets a pained look on his face at that word, Tohdoh's showing similar emotions.

However, one person isn't convinced.

Asahina adjusts his glasses, "And why do Kusakabe's actions reflect on the JLF itself? Obviously we did not sanction his suicidal mission."

Oh but you did. Not directly. But by refusing to curb the same problem I mentioned to Kirihara.

"Let me preface this by explaining something. My younger sister was at that conference, and could have been a potential victim of Kusakabe's. So I'm not in a charitable mood regarding this subject."

I lean forward, looking Asahina in the eyes, "You might wonder, why would I fear him attacking a fellow Japanese? The answer betrays a false assumption on your part."

Saying this, I remove a glove, showing my white skin tone, drawing an intake of breath from the soldiers.

"My sister and I are both pure blooded Britannians."

"Now as to why Kusakabe's actions reflect upon you? Simple. Kusakabe is a symptom of a problem within Japanese culture itself. One that Katase, among others, have refused to clamp down on. Which also explains why Kusakabe was able to leave as easily as he did."

It may be that the grunts just assumed that Kusakabe was acting under orders and didn't forward it up the chain of command. I honestly don't care.

Asahina glares back at me. I signal Q-1 discretely to be ready to intervene.

"That Japan was in large part just as racist and xenophobic as Britannia. And that you brought the Second Pacific War upon yourselves by your own actions and stupidity."

Kallen just facepalmed. And Ohgi? Ohgi is shell-shocked at the brazen insult I just delivered.

Chiba's eyes go wide, "How dare you! You're just a Britannian dog! What gives you the right to insult us, the guardians of Japan fighting to free our nation?!"

Well, since we're all done being polite...

I take out a J from my cigarette case and take a deep toke before exhaling the smoke towards her face.

"Kusakabe said much the same thing before I killed him for threatening to gang-rape Princess Euphemia. I'll tell you roughly what I told him."

I lean forward, smoke clouds circling around my mask from the induction port.

"Japan is dead, fool. You fight for a desiccated corpse and a hollow dream."

Chiba reaches to pull a pistol when...

A strong hand clamps down on her wrist. She looks to see the owner, and it's Tohdoh.

"Zero, my subordinate clearly cannot hold her temper. However, I would ask that you clarify the part about the war being self-inflicted," he says in an even tone.

He's pissed too. But he's smart enough to realize I have a point about the racism.

"The Oriental Incident. As confirmed to me by Kirihara Taizō himself. Not to mention one other fact."

I sigh as I sit back, "I was here before the war. I saw that racism and xenophobia firsthand. And I walked through piles of corpses and ruined cities after the fighting stopped."

I take a puff to calm down. Being an asshole to these guys isn't helping.

However? Judging by the pondering looks on Senba and Urabe's faces? They're considering my words.

"You're assuming Britannia wouldn't have just invaded later. Or that the Kururugi government could see the future," Senba says after a moment.

"Not at all. Britannia likely would have invaded for the Sakuradite at some point. But handing them a cassus belli was a fool's gambit," I say, waving arm dismissively.

Ohgi looks between us, "Sir? What is the Oriental Incident?"

Senba turns to him with an inquiring eye, "What's your name, kid?"

"Kaname Ohgi. Former school teacher, second-in-command of the Black Knights, formerly of the Shinjuku resistance."

Senba rubs his chin at that.

"School teacher? How old are you, son?"

"Twenty-six."

Senba rubs his chin, "Nineteen, then, when the war started. Did you happen to follow politics at all?"

Ohgi shakes his head.

"Long story short, Prime Minister Kururugi decided to embargo Sakuradite from Britannia and worked with the Chinese and the Europeans to do it."

He shrugs at the implied question from the askance looks, "I'm old enough to remember these things. And I'm a soldier. I might not question what's going on, but I try to stay informed."

Senba shakes his head sadly, "Then Britannia pulled out the Knightmare Frame and destroyed us in only one month. And outside of Itsukushima? We haven't won a single fight since."

I clap slowly. Finally, somebody on the JLF side who's actually being honest.

"Well done, Senba Ryoga. I was hoping someone else would figure it out. You know what this is really about then?"

Senba nods, "I have my suspicions."

Tohdoh sighs deeply, "What do you really want, Zero?"

"My counter-offer, then. The JLF formally disbands, and joins the Black Knights."

That struck a nerve. Chiba and Asahina are yelling at me, Kallen is arguing back.

Ohgi looks totally out of his depth.

But Katase? He's pensive. Heh. He was prepared for that possibility.

"You knew I'd say that, didn't you, General?" I loudly exclaim.

The argument dies off in moments. Clearly it's serious time.

"Tohdoh said you would likely make such a proposal. I do not believe we can agree with it though."

I lean my head on my hand, "Out of curiosity, what is your plan beyond the pipe dream of freeing Japan?"

Katase hems and haws before answering. "Well, we would install the Six Houses of Kyoto as our new leaders and transition to a civilian government over time. Perhaps allying with the Chinese Federation or the EU for support. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, after all."

It's just as I feared. They don't have a plan at all.

"Crude. Outdated. Inadequate. I could wax on about your failures in planning. But how much would the new Japan differ from the old?"

Urabe pipes up, "You sound like you don't want the old Japan back."

I chuckle at that apt observation.

"Point of fact? I don't. The Black Knights are NOT a Japanese group, nor do we fight for Japan."

Tohdoh's eyes widen at that remark, "Then what do you fight for? What is your goal?"

I make a grand sweeping gesture with my arm, "Justice. My goal is Justice itself, restored to those it has been stolen from. And that means doing the one thing the JLF will not acknowledge must be done."

I slam my fist on the table. This is the climax of my pitch.

"OBLITERATING BRITANNIA!"

*beep beep*

What's that beeping sound?

"MAZINNNNNNN GOOOO!"

The sound of Mizuki Ichiro's legendary opening for Mazinger Z plays from my pocket.

Oh. Right. That's my ringtone. I pull out my phone and look to see who's calling.

Orange?

This has to be serious. He wouldn't call out of the blue otherwise.

"I unfortunately need to take this. One of my best agents is calling me, presumably with important information," I say as I step outside.

"Go ahead Jeremiah," I say once I'm sure I'm alone.

"My lord, I apologize for not contacting you sooner. But you are in grave danger!"

I raise an eyebrow. That really doesn't narrow it down. "Gonna have to be more specific on that."

"Her Highness Princess Cornelia has outfoxed us! She's called up a flash mobilization. She'll be at Narita in two hours!"

WHAT?! HOW?! IT'S TOO SOON! "How did you not catch it?"

"My lord, I am... ashamed to say I only realized it myself not too long ago. Her Highness has been randomly distributing units to outlying bases as I've been informing you."

I nod. Hence my belief that she wasn't ready yet.

"She informed me that she was deploying to Narita, not 15 minutes ago. I took the time to go over the movements of her soldiers over the last several weeks."

I hear a sound like him hitting something. He's clearly frustrated.

"My lord, she deployed them in areas triangulated around Narita! Or at bases that can link up with her, en-route. Likely with sealed orders to head to Narita upon her signal. I will accept any punishment for this failure!"

GODDAMMIT! That's, that's—!

Absolutely ingenious.

I hit the wall with my fist. Okay, time to improvise. I no longer have time to break the JLF completely. That means pulling rank with the scroll.

FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!

Why is she attacking so soon?! What's changed?!

The only thing that's different is—!

...Oh shit.

I'm the catalyst. My wild success has forced her to move.

She thinks I or the JLF have spies in the government. Thus, the concealed movements to create a pincer, thereby trapping them at Narita without any warning.

By egging her on to attack the JLF, and by removing most of the resistance groups from Kanto, I've changed the timetables.

I slap my forehead, "I pushed her to strike and removed targets of opportunity that would have otherwise delayed her. This is my fault, Jerry. I will not accept you blaming yourself."

"What can I do to aid you, my lord? Should I cause a disturbance at the settlement, forcing Her Highness to withdraw?"

Tempting. But that would blow your cover too soon. And she'd just come back again later.

I shake my head, "No. Your current position is too valuable to waste on this. Do you have the USB flash drive I gave you?"

"Right here, my lord."

"Good. Take that to the server room and plug it in somewhere in the back, somewhere dusty that doesn't look like it's used much. That drive contains a compressed file with a wireless connection program. It will give me backdoor access by direct connection, thereby bypassing their security."

"But my lord, how will that help you at Narita?"

I sigh, "I'll be blunt. I've been hoisted by my own petard. There's nothing to be done except to ride it out and hope I can corral these fools into a victory."

"May I ask a question, my lord?" he asks nervously.

I smile, "Of course, my knight. Ask anything except what happens in my room at night."

"It seems to me that the JLF isn't worth saving, Your Majesty. Why not simply cut your losses and withdraw?"

I grumble, "A question I keep asking myself. Sadly, the PR is too good to ignore. And my men would never let me get away with it. Though, aside from Tohdoh and his Swords? I honestly couldn't care less."

"I understand. Good hunting, my lord."

"You too. I'll tell you what happened over a beer later. Call in an alert to the city nearby, use the Viceroy's authority to have it evacuated. If anyone asks, say it's to deny the JLF the opportunity to escape by hiding among the civilian population."

I hang up and punch the wall. Gods be damned.

Right. My preparation for the Black Knights are mostly done. Just a matter of incorporating the JLF into my plans.

...Except in the original timeline, Lelouch's plans didn't bother to account for the JLF at all, because getting them and their equipment out is impossible within the time frame. Fuck! And I can't be certain they'll actually obey orders! ARGH! IT'S JUST LIKE THE ORIGINAL SAITAMA!

I storm back in and throw the scroll at Tohdoh who catches it with a glare.

"I no longer have time to convince you fools of the necessary actions, so I'm pulling rank. Open the scroll," I seethe.

Katase breaks the seal and gasps at the calligraphy.

"By order of the Six Houses of Kyoto, the JLF is now under the aegis of the Order of the Black Knights and the command of Zero, 大六天魔王。"

I point an accusing finger at them, "My agent has informed me that Cornelia is en-route, ETA two hours. You're out of time and options. Now CHOOSE!"

Katase takes a sharp breath and nods, "A joint command, then. We'll sort out these orders afterwards. "

THAT DELUSIONAL MORON! He thinks I would share command with him?!

...I can't tell him to fuck off. Not if I want Tohdoh.

My hands twitch in suppressed anger under my cloak.

"...Very well. But know this, General. Kusakabe's actions were the public relations equivalent of dumping industrial waste into a public well. It was the death sentence for the JLF. One way or another, you're done. The JLF dies today."

I swirl my cape as I turn around, "Kyoto has cut you off. I'm your only hope. Stay off the southern side of the mountain facing the city if you want to win. Kallen, Ohgi, let's go."

I leave in a huff, my subordinates trailing after me.

"Ohgi, gather the troops at the summit, full combat readiness. Kallen, after I give you your orders, prepare the Guren to sortie."

Ohgi salutes and dashes off.

Kallen and I duck behind a crate.

"How the fuck did this happen?! You said we had days!" she hisses at me.

I shrug my shoulders, "Nelly deployed her troops in areas around Narita, ready to redeploy around the base. It was a masterstroke of tactical maneuvering. Do remember she's Britannia's best general for a reason."

Kallen rubs her forehead, "Damn. Alright, what are my orders?"

I rub my chin. Welp, we're screwed anyway. Might as well just make sure it doesn't all go completely FUBAR.

"The drills on the summit are penetrating electrodes. The Wave Surger will use them to flash-boil the groundwater underneath and cause an avalanche. After that, we launch a full assault to buy time. Once we've bloodied Britannia's nose? We withdraw."

Kallen closes her eyes, "What's my objective during the battle?"

I open my eye slot and wink at her, "Vanguard assault with me. You're getting your shot at Cornelia if we find her."

Her eyes spring open and light up and she kisses the side of my mask.

"Hell. Yes. And Suzaku?"

I grimace. Damn. No choice.

"Go all out if he shows up. Just don't fry him. Suzaku is just as good as you are and the Lancelot is a fucking monster."

We walk back to our respective frames, "By the way, Zero, why does the Guren have a motorcycle style cockpit?"

Huh. That's a good question. "No idea, actually. The Guren's creator will joining us soon. You can ask her yourself then."

Kallen's eyebrow raises on the view screen, "You know her? And how did you get her to join us? And just out of curiosity, what's wrong with her?"

What. "What's 'wrong' with her?"

Kallen taps her head on the side, "I'm smarter than I look, sir. This machine is amazing. The designer could likely have made millions in Britannia. Instead they're working for us. So what's wrong with her by Britannian standards?" she says with a knowing smirk.

"Heh. Clever girl. Doctor Rakshata Chawla is Indian, for one thing. So that's a black mark against her already. And while I don't know her personally, I'm well aware of her reputation. Including her longtime professional and personal rivalry with Earl Lloyd Asplund, lead developer for the Camelot project...and creator of the Lancelot."

Kallen laughs out loud as we approach the summit.

"Hahahaha! So all you had to do was promise her she could break her rival's toys and she came running?"

I nod, "That, and an ace pilot for the Guren. She and Lloyd can't stand each other. It apparently dates back to a rivalry in college."

She gets a pensive look on her face, "Lelouch...tell me the truth. Can we win today?"

I sigh and sag in my seat. Had to ask the hard question, huh?

"Define 'win'. Because what you consider the conditions for victory will determine my answer."

"That bad?"

I shake my head, "Were we just ignoring the JLF, I'd say decent odds. We'd be using them as canon fodder to try and capture Cornelia most likely."

The canon strategy.

"However, thanks to my finagling and behind-the-scenes machinations, we had the opportunity to seize control and turn the mountain into a colossal trap. A roach motel for the Britannian troops," I joke.

That gets a giggle. My optimal scenario, now impossible.

"As it is? The JLF are doomed. We can't buy them enough time to get everything out. General Katase is a dumbshit motherfucker who should have ceded command to Tohdoh years ago."

I facepalm. "The JLF has NO win condition. And I'm not going to waste my troops trying to save them. Our plan is to prove we can challenge Britannia on open ground with near parity after the avalanche adjusts the numbers to better odds."

"Wait, how is using an avalanche to crush their forces open ground or parity? That's the opposite of a straight fight," Kallen says with an incredulous expression.

"My dear Q-1, all's fair in love and war. Pride has no place on the battlefield, contrary to what Cornelia thinks. Aside from endangering civilians deliberately or things like biological weapons, I have very few scruples about shifting the odds to my favor."

I dismount and walk to the center of the formation.

Tamaki is holding up a camera, ready to record this. This speech will be a spark of inspiration for those desiring rebellion and revolution.

"Right. Everyone listening? Good. I won't waste time by telling you things are fine."

I sigh. This is a gamble. And something Lelouch would never do in the original timeline.

"We have been outmaneuvered. The initial plan to use the JLF's Narita base as a deathtrap is now defunct. Cornelia is on the way and will be here within 45 minutes."

There is some shouting at that.

"We have no avenue of retreat without conflict. The mountain will likely be surrounded if it is not already. We're cut off."

And now people are getting mad. That too, is expected. I'll let them vent just this once. But only enough to blow off steam.

"What the hell are you doing, you masked psycho?! How the fuck did we make you leader?! I'm taking over!" a nameless grunt yells as he brandishes a rifle at me.

Only to find three guns pointed at him.

Mine, sure. Kallen's, okay, that's expected.

But TAMAKI? Wow, guess I really did make a good impression on him this time.

"Put that shit down before I shoot yo stupid ass! Boss Man said we were gonna fight. And I ain't no coward!"

I smile under my mask. I should have a smoke with him. He's definitely worth keeping around.

I flip my gun and offer it to the man, "Go ahead. This one time, I'll let you all have a shot at my head. Anyone who wants to do so, can kill me."

I hold up a finger to the air, "BUT! Know that by doing so, you take on responsibility for the lives of everyone here! Including fighting the Witch of Britannia on your own!"

Unsurprisingly, nobody takes the gun.

"No? I am acknowledged as your leader? No complaints?"

The man nods.

"We acknowledge you as our leader, Zero," the blue-haired guy says, Sugiyama I think?

"Good." Saying that, I fire a bullet, grazing the cheek of the man who pulled a gun on me.

"Because the next time one of you is stupid enough to draw a gun on me, I'll just kill you," I hiss.

I flare my arm dramatically, "Yes, the odds are not as good as I would have preferred. But a messiah must perform miracles to be recognized. How much higher the bar, for the King of Hell?"

"You all likely have been wondering, why did I take that title? The long discarded and accursed name of 大六天魔王?"

I hold my hand out in an open palm. "I am not Japanese. Some of you know this. Some were unaware. But I have lived here and enjoyed my time in this land."

I clench that palm into a tight quivering fist. "Until Britannia destroyed it."

I pull something from my coat. A small dagger.

"I claimed the title of 'Demon King of the Sixth Heaven', not only as successor to Nobunaga Oda, but in the name of Mara Himself."

I remove my glove slowly. Tucking in my coat.

"Mara's goal is to destroy, to indulge in the baser appetites of humanity. And although Britannia's rape of Japan is indeed in accordance with these goals, it was not done in His Name. And so the balance has been upset."

I trace the dagger lightly across my palm, just enough to cut the skin and let the blood drip.

"So I ask you, you who have been cast into this hell that is Area 11. Join with me. Rise from the ashes."

I smear the blood on my mask.

"Hell itself shrieks in outrage. Not for the suffering, but because Britannia has stolen its triumph! And Justice cries out in horror at the abject despair and humiliation, not only of Japan, but of all Areas!"

I raise my bloodied fist, dagger in the other hand.

"I, Zero, 大六天魔王, shall lead the charge that destroys and renews this broken world! Let the false rulers of the 'holy' Britannian Empire tremble! For Justice has been joined with Hell's Vengeance, to seek the retribution which the voice of the people cry out for!"

I point the blood-wet dagger at the huddled masses.

"What say ye, Knights Clad in Black? Shall we fight for Justice?!"

The response is an almost deafening cheer.

As the rousing cheer continues, I remount my Knightmare.

"Q-1! Open the path to the gates of Hell! Today, The Black Knights RIDE!"

I hit a few buttons setting up my jamming signal on enemy comms.

There is a rumbling roar as the avalanche begins.

And 'Battlefield' begins playing.

it cannot be seen

but there's blood on the green

Such a sight to behold. The fury of the mountains unleashed via application of applied nuclear radiation.

only god knows I'm innocent

take me, take me home

If Katase did NOT move his troops? I take no responsibility for their commander's idiocy. He made his choice in ignoring me.

a dark seed reigns in me

like the storm rules over the sea

i challenge thee, do not cross

the bridge alone

And...NOW!

"行くぜ!天下布武!" (CHARGE! TENKA FUBU!)

Audentes Fortuna iuvat. Fortune favors the bold.

つつく…