Interlude 13: The Goddess and the Demon King
I turn to Guilford and Darlton as they, Euphie, and Schneizel are gathered in my office shortly after the battle. Though, to call it a battle would be giving it far too much credit.
Zero was as good as his word. It was a slaughter.
"Sister, I would ask why you decided to agree to a deal with Zero. I find myself curious."
I light up a cigar, taking a few puffs before answering. I'm rather annoyed at Schneizel right now, so I feel a bit of pettiness is in order.
"Simple. It costs me nothing and gives me time to set the board for the next stage."
Schneizel smiles and gestures at me to continue.
I pace slowly back and forth, puffing on the tobacco, "It's rather obvious. Zero's phantom campaign is sapping our morale, supplies, and manpower. We can't force him to commit to a decisive battle, and he knows it."
Darlton starts smiling as he realizes where I'm going with this. I'm going to be depending on him and Gilly to handle the logistics, while I have to publicly play nice with the masked lunatic.
"But ten days? That's ten days of rest and being able to stand down from high alert and give the men a breather. More importantly, it allows me time to deal with the fallout from this fiasco in Kyushu. And lastly?"
I tap the ash out into a tray on my desk, smacking my lips as I taste the Cuban tobacco. I can never thank my lady Marianne enough for introducing me to the joy of a good cigar.
"Reinforcements. By now, Area 18 will have been pacified, and the local garrison largely on peacekeeping and holding the territory."
Well, aside from a few suicide-bombing lunatics and guerrillas. But they don't have any industrial base or large-scale weaponry, so they're mostly just a nuisance at this point. And the MEF remnants are too scattered and directionless to do anything.
"Thus, I can cycle troops from the homeland who aren't needed, and get the rest of my army group to Area 11."
Darlton nods with a grim smile, "And with two battalions worth of combat veterans, we'll have a lot more leeway to act when hostilities resume. Well played, Cornelia."
Schneizel gives a slow, but meaningful clap as he stands up, "Indeed. I will gladly suppress any news coming out of Area 11 that would endanger your stratagem. I'll also see if I can free up a few green units to be sent to Area 18."
I nod at his satisfied expression. I do have an ulterior motive, though. I want to see this man face to face. Because gods be damned, I actually find him enticing. Part of me regrets the fact that I'm almost certainly going to have to kill him.
"There's just one thing I find curious. Why agree to the executions?"
I give a vicious smile as I ash the cigar onto the tray, "That, is personal satisfaction for everyone who died during this SNAFU. As well as a message to the bloody Chinese and the Europeans to stay out of Area 11."
Credit where credit is due, Zero knows how to put the fear of God into people. And I'm going to let him scare those stuffed-shirt cowards in Beijing for us.
"Guilford, Darlton. I'm going to be depending on you boys to keep an eye on the logistics. I'm going to be busy clearing up Kyushu for awhile."
They both salute, "You can rely on me, Cornelia." "As my Princess commands."
As we all start to leave, a sound of heels clicking catches my ears, causing me to turn around, only to be startled at the look on my sister's face.
"Viceroy. I have a question."
I've never seen her look this...this...cold...
"Who was it that sent Suzaku to Kyushu as the vanguard?"
I blink. Come to think of it, did someone do that? I was under the impression he had volunteered for that mission.
"Did he not volunteer for that mission?"
Euphie's dainty hands clench into fists, "I have not spoken to him yet. But I have the sinking suspicion that he was volun-told to do this. And I would have the person responsible identify themselves."
Volun-told? Oh. Volunteering, but it's really closer to doing so without having a choice in the matter. But who could have...?
"There's no need to berate your sister for this, dear Euphemia. The plan to use Suzaku was mine."
Everyone turns to Schneizel, who's standing there smirking as he holds his arms behind his back.
"Brother, this was your doing?" I ask with a raised eyebrow. This is going to end badly, I can just tell. But bluntly? Schneizel is a arrogant popinjay and he's asked for this.
Euphie walks up to Schneizel, her face cross and nose scrunched up.
"You sent my knight on an assault that was practically a suicide mission?" she demands bluntly, her fists trembling, though from what emotion I know not.
Schneizel brushes a lock of hair from his face, nodding with a serene smile, "I calculated that the return-on-investment was extraordinarily high and that the propaganda value would be useful for containing Zero. Politically, it was a trifecta and a maneuver worthy of Otto von Bismarck himself. All for a negligible risk to a single person."
Euphie looks down, her hands going limp and body seeming to lose the energy she had mere moments ago.
"I see."
Schneizel's smile widens, "And since Sir Kururugi returned safely unharmed, the situation was resolved entirely in our fa—"
*SLAP!*
My eyes widen at the sharp sound of flesh striking flesh as Schneizel for once, is caught off guard and looking surprised.
"HOW DARE YOU USE MY KNIGHT FOR YOUR PETTY POLITICS?!"
"Sister, it was for the greater good. Surely you can see tha—"
*SLAP!*
"Don't you dare patronize me, Brother Schneizel! You tried to sacrifice my knight like one of your chess pieces!"
I'm somewhat in awe of this transformation. Where is the sweet little girl who I grew up with and raised? And why do I find this...enticing?
"Euphemia, please try to understand," the Prime Minister says, rubbing his sore cheek, still smiling. "This action was sanctioned by the generals under your sister and by my authority as Prime Minister. Moreover, Sir Kururugi volunteered to lead the charge because he agreed with my rationale."
She glares at the blonde with fire in her eyes, "A rationale you likely convinced him was the proper course, no doubt! Suzaku is a selfless individual, always willing to do whatever will save people. And you selfishly manipulated that for your scheming!"
Part of me is wondering if I should stop this. The rest? Laughing at sweet, innocent little Euphemia chastising Schneizel el Britannia like a spoiled brat. And a small part of me is somewhat aroused...
"I agree with what you are aiming for, Euphie. But you need to understand that sometimes sacrifices must be—"
*SLAP!*
"You tried to use MY Suzaku as a bludgeon against Zero! I don't want to even speak to you, Brother Schneizel!" she screams at him and then storms off.
I turn to Schneizel with a bemused smirk, "Brother, you cannot say you didn't have that coming."
He smiles and shakes his head, "I suppose not. It is rather easy to forget just how headstrong and stubborn Euphie can be sometimes."
I narrow my eyes at him, "For the sake of mending fences, it would be best if you were to leave Area 11 for awhile and to avoid Sir Kururugi."
It's not something I'm going to say out loud... but what he did to that boy did not sit right with me. Goddammit, I'm actually defending an Eleven again.
He raises an eyebrow, "Very well, if you think it best. I saw what I needed to see from that battle."
My lips turn into a frown as he walks out, his aide trailing behind him, "And what was that?"
"A measure of Zero's character," he calls out as he leaves the room.
I let out a sigh once the door is shut and I'm sure he's out of earshot.
"My Princess, don't take this as an insult...but...the Prime Minister..." Gilly trails off.
I nod, "Yes, he's a blackguard and a scoundrel. Never lower your guard around that man, Guilford."
Gah! This has been a long day and I just want to sleep for eight hours after this. But first?
"I'm going to go talk to Euphie, and then Asplund, and then I'm sleeping because I'll be damned if I'm going to deal with Zero without a good night's sleep," I grouse.
I march off after my wayward sister. Knowing her, there's only a few places she could be. And my second guess turns out to be right.
I listen for the sniffling as I slowly walk along the grass atop the palace. She always did love the gardens at Aries Villa.
"I didn't expect you to go so far for...your knight," I say, stopping myself from saying the word 'Eleven'.
Euphie looks up, tears coming down her face. "How could he do such a horrible thing? I know Schneizel has to bear the weight of running the Empire, but that was simply cruel."
I kneel, stroking her hair as I take my sister in my arms.
"Our older brother is not a good man, Euphie."
She blinks in confusion. It's best she learn this now.
"Schneizel...is a great man, yes. But he is not a good one. He's extraordinarily capable, and likely the man who will succeed our father. But...he is utterly ruthless and capable of capricious cruelty, if it suits his purposes."
She shakes her head slowly, "But... he's always been kind to me. To you, as well."
"Euphie..." I say hesitantly. "Schneizel loves his family, but he's not above manipulating even us at times. I love the man, but I'm not blind to his faults."
She clutches me tightly, her bosom pressing against mine, "Suzaku...Suzaku killed his father."
What?
"Suzaku killed his father, Prime Minister Kururugi. He did it...to stop the war."
My eyes widen in shock. My god...No wonder he's so off-kilter.
"Big Sister, if he was willing to do that to save his people...how can I stand by while Brother Schneizel uses him as a chess piece?"
Gods be damned, I actually feel sorry for the poor bastard. He's been carrying THAT for seven years? Wait a minute...
"He told you this?"
She nods, her tears staining my uniform top.
Damnation. Part of me wants to confront him about this and ask how dare he think he is worthy of being Euphie's knight. But...he told her himself. He didn't hide it. And from what I've seen, he has a massive inferiority complex.
What does it say about our empire, about our standards of honor, that a damned Honorary Britannian is one of the best examples of knighthood I have ever seen?
I stroke her rose-pink hair, sighing to myself at how complicated everything has gotten since we came to these godforsaken islands.
"Why did you choose him as a Knight, Euphie?"
She sits up, looking me in the eyes as she wipes her tears away.
"Because he was kind."
That's...so...you. That's the kind of answer I should have expected, I suppose.
"Part of it was to spite you, I admit it," she whispers. Not surprising, that was something I figured out at the time.
"But it was because he was someone who believed in what I want to fight for. He was kind, brave, self-sacrificing, humble. Everything you taught me made a man worthy of being a knight. All that stood in my way, was that he was born a Number."
I laugh softly to myself. "Ha, ha, ha. I never thought I'd see the day. The day that an Honorary Britannian proved worthy of the title, Knight of Honor."
Her eyes widen, lilac orbs glistening, "Sister?"
I snort in an un-ladylike fashion, "Euphie, I'm willing to admit I've been rather pigheaded about your knight. That young man has earned my respect."
She looks away with a forlorn look, "I love him, Nelly. I know he's horribly broken inside, but I love him even so."
Thrice dammit. I had hoped that wasn't the case, either. I clutch my fist on the grass, then let it go with a sigh.
"I can't change your mind on this, can I?"
She pokes me in the breast, causing me to blush as she unintentionally flicks my nipple, frowning at me, "As I said to Suzaku, you of all people cannot cast stones in this affair, given your relationship with Guilford."
I feel the sweat on the back of my neck as that accusation strikes true. More perceptive than I gave credit to, little sister.
"I...just want to protect you, Euphie."
She nuzzles my cheek as she hugs me, "I know. And you know I'll always love you, big sister."
It's rather amazing how she doesn't seem to realize just how...sexy she is at times.
"I love you too, sweet Euphie," I whisper as I pull her to my lap, lips capturing hers.
Her eyes widen briefly and then close as she returns the kiss.
This isn't the first time we've done this. She's cutely innocent, even as her breath warms my face as we part lips.
"I've missed doing that with you, Big Sister," she says with a flush on her face.
I stroke her hair, smiling beatifically, "And I with you, dear Euphie. I'm sorry I've been so busy."
She sucks at my neck, drawing a gasp from me. We may not have gone that far beyond heavy petting, but she's a sly little minx when she wants to be.
"I don't blame you. It's Zero, isn't it?"
I rub her back as I nod. Zero, the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven. And at this point...something I'm going to have to handle soon. He's proving more dangerous than anyone expected.
"I'll probably be able to tell you more about him after the...meeting."
She runs her fingers through my deep purple mane, "You mean the executions. I'm not deaf, Nelly. I heard his terms."
I sag against her as we both lie back on the grass, looking up at the night sky.
"I wish to god we weren't here, Euphie, and that we were back in Pendragon."
She rubs her face against my chest, humming in pleasure and agreement.
"I wish...that the Empire wasn't so cruel, Big Sister."
I kiss her softly, holding her heart-shaped arse with one hand as I rub her back.
"Maybe someday, dear Euphie. Maybe someday, the world will be a better place..."
We speak no more words for the remainder of our time together. Merely sounds of pleasure and love. I might have to share her with Kururugi eventually, but I'm resigned to that possibility at this point.
And...bluntly? Conservative outcry and Imperial court hemming and hawing aside? She's chosen well.
I sigh on the communicator as my transport plane heads to the agreed upon rendezvous point with Zero.
"Alright, Earl Asplund, what have you figured out about the Black Knights jamming signal?"
A sound that can only be a laugh is suddenly stifled by a yelp of pain. Probably his long-suffering assistant. Whatever Schneizel pays that woman, it clearly isn't enough.
"Ahem. As I was about to say, the frequency scans revealed something fascinating about the system."
"Your Highness, you mentioned that all available channels were being jammed, correct?" Cecile says, muting the Earl's commentary.
I nod, "Yes, that blasted music was scrambling our comms."
It would be easier to take it wasn't so damned loud and obnoxious. Though, I think the Darlton boys like that kind of music. They called it heavy alloy, or something like that. Edgar actually congratulated Zero on his good taste. His brother Bart had smacked him in the back of the head for mouthing off.
It's good having them around again. It's taken the years off Andreas' face.
"So we figured out why it was so powerful. Their signal is actually being relayed through and amplified by their Knightmare's transceivers. Thus, it has no single point of origin, and therefore cannot be countered by conventional ECCM."
I stare gobsmacked out the window. That's a feat of military genius. How the hell did he manage to come up with that?
"So how can we stop it?"
"Ah, but this is where I come in! Their Knightmares likely have a filter system built into their comms so they aren't affected by it. Unfortunately, our esteemed armed forces haven't able to acquire an intact Knightmare for me to dissect. Or has someone actually managed to do so?" the Earl's mocking voice intones.
I grind my teeth at his obnoxious voice, "No, Earl. That has not happened. So what the blazes have you come up with, then?" I growl at him.
"With Cecile's help, we have created a system to filter the signals by polarization and embed an authenticator into our signal. Thus, we can restore communications, so you can get back to yelling 'All Hail Britannia!' as much as you please!"
I'll refrain from saying anything this time, because this actually gives us the chance to fight back on even ground. Though, he still doesn't know how to deal with those bloody grenades. The damned things seem to scramble Factspheres and he STILL can't tell me how!
"So this has been tested then? It's proven to work?"
There's a pregnant pause before his assistant responds. "It does work to a degree, but without a working model of their jamming equipment, it's imperfect."
"You'll still hear the music in the background, but it won't be as overpowering and you'll be able to talk regardless. Contrary to popular belief, I am not a miracle worker with science. A unparalleled genius, yes. But not a saint."
I smile viciously. Imperfect, he says. It's still a huge step up from where we were previously, stumbling in the dark.
"Well done, Earl, Miss Croomy. I shall forward my appreciation to my brother. You have done a great service to the armed forces."
"Oh, I'd much rather prefer a check than your thanks, Your Highness. SCIENCE costs money, after all!"
"Lloyd!"
I chuckle to myself at the sounds of the Earl crying out in pain. Those two are rather amusing. Perhaps I should throw them a bone.
"I'll speak to my brother about your budget. Cornelia out. All Hail Britannia."
"All Hail Britannia. Thank you, Your Highness."
I switch off the comms and lie back in the seat. Given Zero's penchant for...creative executions, this will likely be attention-grabbing.
As I and five royal guardsmen march into the warehouse area where the execution was arranged, I give a nod of approval. Studio-quality broadcasting equipment, cleaned areas, and what appears to be an assortment of weapons on a rack.
One thing puzzles me, though. There seems to be something covered off to the side.
"No doubt you are wondering what is under the tarp, General."
I turn to the side to see Zero, leaning against a wall, puffing away on something. Is that a cigarette?
"Indeed. Some deranged contraption for mutilation and death, perhaps?"
He breathes out a cloud of smoke from a vent on the side of his mask, tapping the ash on his cigarette out.
"Something like that. Don't worry. As I said, the General is yours. That item is for Sawazaki."
I smirk at his nonchalance. I rather like a man who can deal in death so easily and have such grace under pressure.
"You're taller than I expected."
He's only a inch or two taller than me, which is impressive given that I'm 5'11".
He strolls over, smoke wafting around his mask.
"Part of it is the heels on this suit, I admit. I happen to like women taller than me," he says cheekily.
Now that is a refreshing change of pace. Most men feel intimidated or that their masculinity is slighted by my domineering presence and height. The nobles are the worst, damn misogynist pigs.
"I have kept my word, Zero. As of today, we are operating on a ten-day ceasefire. Our forces will work on humanitarian aid for Kyushu together. At a safe distance, of course."
I trust him to hold to his word. I'm less certain that trigger-happy idiots on both sides wouldn't be tempted.
"Understandable. I've had to deal with traitors in my own ranks as well."
I bristle at the reminder of how the damn Chinese got in. Although...
"YOU, had traitors in your ranks?" I say with a raised eyebrow. So he's not infallible.
He blows a smoke ring into the air, and I finally catch the scent of what he's smoking. Marijuana? Huh. Didn't take him for a drug user.
"Idiot Japanese supremacists stuck in the past and unwilling to acknowledge the reality on the ground. They have since been dealt with."
Ah, that explains the 'No Prisoners' order he gave. He was cleaning house.
"And what makes them different from you, a rebel yourself?"
He marches up to me, face to face. My guard tenses, but I raise a hand to steady them. If he wanted me dead, he's had plenty of opportunity. And we are here under a ceasefire. I'll not be the one to break my word first.
Though if he does try something, I have aircraft ready to firebomb this place and drop 'Darcy', my custom Gloucester, in for me.
"Two things. One: I am a warlord, not a rebel. 'Rebel' implies that I'm fighting for a fallen cause. My cause is my own."
Hahahahaha! A warlord? By our flag, the cheek on this rascal!
I smile briefly at him, "And the second?"
His presence changes then, some sort of weight descending on us from him. And I suddenly begin to understand why men would follow him.
"Japan is dead. And I will not see it reborn."
Well now. Small wonder he had treachery in the ranks. I'm surprised he's able to maintain control with such a belief.
I look at where I think his eyes are behind that mask, it's quite disconcerting trying to figure out where he's looking.
"You're a right pain in the arse to figure out, Zero. How does a Britannian manage to maintain control over the Eleven resistance, when he has no intention of giving them back their country?"
He moves his arm to the side, black cape flaring outward. On most people, his gestures would be comical, bad acting, even. But on him? They carry a power that I've only ever seen in my father.
"Japan is dead, yes. But I am not here to perform a resurrection. For one thing, I'm not Christian."
I laugh despite myself at that joke.
"No, General. What I am here to do is to CREATE a new country. One without the faults and flaws of Old Japan. And then?"
He holds a hand up palm face up, and slowly compresses it into a fist.
"Use that country as the hammer with which to obliterate Britannia," he says with a deep and coldblooded voice unlike the earlier jovial airs he was portraying with most of his words earlier.
I stare at him trying to see if he was joking. But after a moment, it becomes obvious that, no, he is not kidding in the slightest.
Anyone else, I'd mock them. Laugh in their face for their insanity in thinking they can defeat the most powerful empire the world has ever seen.
But him? The most frightening thing about him is that he might actually be able to do it...
And damned if that doesn't jumpstart my motor. It's such a waste that he's fighting against us. He's exactly the kind of man I wished I could run into more often. Besides, Gilly wouldn't care about sharing me. We're Britannians, after all. Hedonism is just part of our culture.
"Your ambitions aside, where is General Cao?"
He snaps his fingers in the air, and two of his subordinates bring out the general, who is in decent shape, albeit handcuffed. Though one of them has the most peculiar shade of red hair...
"So you showed up face-to-face, Bitch of Britannia," she says.
Bitch of Britannia?! It must be—!
"YOU! THE RED QUEEN!" I growl at her, moving to draw my sword, only for Zero to swiftly put his hand over mine and hold out a palm at his ace.
"Q-1, you will act with proper decorum and cease antagonizing General Cornelia immediately!"
She stiffens, and bows shallowly. "Yes sir."
He turns back to me, removing his hand, "I do not care about your rivalry on the battlefield, but I will not have this ceasefire broken because she provoked you and you allowed your anger to get the better of you."
I slowly retract my hand from my gunblade, nodding. He's right, of course. I should not have let my anger control me there.
"Very well. But do not think to treat me as one of your subordinates, Zero."
He bows mockingly, "As I said, I'd enjoy serving at your feet, Your Highness," he says, mimicking kissing my hand.
I try not to flush at that. He has to be Britannian. There's no way he could know so much of our culture otherwise.
"Very well, let's get on with this, shall we?"
He stands and nods, gesturing to the rack of weapons, "I offer you a selection of methods for the General."
"You aren't going to offer information or anything else?" I say, looking at the proud man out of the corner of my eye.
He shakes his head in response, "General Cao refused to cooperate, citing loyalty to his empire. And I do not endorse torture. As a soldier, I can respect his dedication. And he was, after all, only following the orders of his superiors."
That's a cleaner attitude towards warfare than I expected given the kind of bloodlust he seems to display at times.
I direct my guardsmen to the racks with a wave of my hands, "Take the battle rifles. We'll give him a proper military execution by firing squad."
"Heh."
I turn to Zero, who I have the strangest feeling is smiling at me for doing that.
"Something amusing, Demon King?"
He walks over to another masked man with a clipboard and says a few words to him, before turning back to me.
"Just nice to see a soldier with honor for once. My media consultant says we're ready to broadcast whenever you are."
I tap my communicator, "The execution will be proceeding shortly, when I give the signal, broadcast this on the general public announcement network and stream it across the world."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
I raise an eyebrow as I spot something nearby. Something unexpected.
"Why do you have a wall-sized copy of the Imperial flag?"
He shrugs, "You never know when you'll need to burn something dramatically."
My hand twitches as I resist the urge to hit the masked idiot.
The camera goes red, and we are now live, broadcasting around the world.
"Greetings. I am Cornelia li Britannia, Third Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire, General in his Majesty's armed forces, and Viceroy of Area 11."
The camera pans to the man standing next to me, his joint discarded, cloak wrapped around his frame.
"And I am Zero, Demon King of the Sixth Heaven, and Grandmaster of the Order of the Black Knights."
I gesture to the world, my white cloak swirling backwards, "And we are here today to render judgement on upon two men who orchestrated an invasion of this colony."
The camera pans to General Cao, standing at attention, his hands cuffed in front of him.
"General Cao, along with a former member of this country's previous government, attempted an invasion under a false flag of humanitarian aid. For this action, his punishment is to be death by firing squad."
I turn to the man, his mustache bristling as he frowns.
"Do you have any last words, General Cao?"
The man stiffens, then closes his eyes, letting a breath out.
"I have served the Federation and the High Eunuchs for over twenty years of my life as a faithful soldier."
"And yet now, facing death in the line of duty?"
He opens his eyes, glaring at the camera directly. "I cannot help but recoil in horror at what has become of my country! The High Eunuchs have pillaged and raped our land and those lands under our stewardship!"
He spits to the side, "They have disgraced their oaths of loyalty to the Empress and overstepped their bounds as advisors! They claim to rule in her name, but the Empress is sheltered, a prisoner of the Forbidden City! Helpless even in the heart of her own empire!"
He raises his hands together, making a fist with his right hand, his other hand forming a flat palm atop it at an angle. I think I remember reading about this, it's some kind of Chinese salute?
"I have no regrets in this life, save that I have failed my empress and my people! So let these be my last words in this world!"
He raises his hands over his head, screaming out words in Chinese, "天子萬歲!"
His loud cry is silenced by the roar of rifle fire as he dies on his feet. I cannot help but salute his valor in the face of death.
Lowering my hand from my forehead, I turn to whisper to Zero, "What was that last thing he said?"
Zero rubs where his chin would be, "My Chinese is rusty, but I believe he was declaring his loyalty to the Empress of the Chinese Federation."
I tilt my head at the non sequitur. What the blue blazes does that have to do with the invasion?
Seeing my confusion, Zero shrugs, "I suspect it was a final fuck-you to the High Eunuchs running the Federation. It may have more repercussions on the Chinese domestic stage."
I snort, "If it keeps them out of my hair, then I'm all for it. The damn Federation is a black hole of corruption, anyway." Any place run by men who willingly cut off their testicles deserves to go to hell.
"Et tu, Brute? Do you really want to cast stones given how many of your nobles Princess Euphemia has busted for the Refrain trade?" he says mockingly.
I poke him in the chest, glaring at him, "Do not tempt me to break your skinny little neck, you obnoxious clown."
He chuckles to himself, "I'd like to see you try. I like a woman with fire."
Alright, I admit it. Him being so nonchalant about that is a turn-on.
"Yo, boss man! I got the pencil-neck dipshit right here!"
A redheaded man wearing a mask pulls an Eleven older man in a dirty business suit into the room. Atsushi Sawazaki, former defense minister under the Kururugi government. And according to Zero, the mastermind behind this invasion.
"Thank you, P-5. Please ready the ceremonial implements...and the other thing if required."
He salutes, "No problem, boss. We got people all over the country waiting to watch this asshole pay!"
I look Sawazaki in the eyes, his black eyes glaring back at my violet ones.
"Here to gloat at my defeat, Britannian?" he sneers.
Before I can respond, Zero moves to stand in my line of sight.
He snaps his fingers, and the camera starts broadcasting.
"You have greater dangers to fear, Sawazaki Atsushi. Your account is not with the General, but with me, the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven; your judge, jury, and executioner."
The man bristles in outrage, "Preposterous! I am a prisoner of war! I am to be accorded the full rights and privileges due to a noncombatant!"
I look incredulously at the man as I slowly move out of the camera's view. Is he insane? He claims to be a noncombatant after the invasion of Area 11 and broadcasting himself at the head of the Chinese fleet?
Zero backhands him, sending him to the ground, shaking his head.
"I have a confession from your collaborator with the renegade parts of the Japanese resistance, naming you as the mastermind behind this affair," he says with an air of annoyance, as if wanting to be done with this rubbish.
"You'll be happy to know I executed the man myself, for high treason. And now? Yomi calls, Sawazaki. Wash your neck."
He drops a dagger on the ground, one of those single-edged Eleven blades.
"In recognition of your former service to your country, I'm willing to offer you an honorable death by seppuku. It is more than you deserve, so be grateful and finish yourself quickly."
I smile at that wordplay. Death by cutting yourself open is slow and painful. There's nothing quick about it. He's giving this oaf a chance to suffer and expunge the taint on his honor.
He gazes at the dagger eyes moving slowly from it, to Zero, and back again.
"何?!" (What?!)
Zero taps the blade by his side, "You heard me. Hurry up and kill yourself so we can be done with this."
He sneers, standing up, "I refuse to be a party to this barbarism!"
Zero shakes his shoulders in mirth, "Ha, ha, ha, ha. Oh I was so hoping you'd say something like that."
He grabs Sawazaki by the neck, squeezing firmly, "You have been judged guilty not only of treason, but theft as well."
He turns to the redhead, who's standing by the tarp, "P-5, is it ready?"
The man gives a thumbs up, "All set, boss!" he yells out as he pulls the tarp off.
I rub my chin in thought. Something unexpected, indeed.
A cauldron filled with boiling oil.
Sawazaki freezes in fear, eyes going wide.
"No! You can't do this! I am a prisoner of war!"
Zero laughs coldly, "No, Sawazaki, you are a thief. And as such, you deserve a thief's death."
He then pitches the man over his shoulder into the cauldron, causing a splash of oil.
"AIIIIYYYEEEEE!"
Zero whirls his cape around him as he points, "You have stolen hope from the Japanese people! And so you shall die as the wretched thief you are!"
I move to stand next to Zero, watching the man he had named thief writhe in the burning liquid.
"AAAAAHHH! OH GOD! IT BURNS!"
His skin turning grimy, red, and bloody. His flesh melting as he struggles to try and escape the cauldron. Blood, muscle sinew, hair, all are burning away and melting off his body. His face a rictus of pain as his eyeballs melt, the empty bleeding sockets wide with horror.
I turn to the masked man, "Why this particular execution? It seems excessive?"
He tilts his mask to look me in the eye, "Partly to send a message to the Chinese not to try this shit again. Partly to curb any more idiots trying to pull a coup on me like his collaborators tried to do. And lastly? Poetic justice."
I wrinkle my nose at the smell of burning flesh and bone and the sulfurous smell of the oil. It's a gruesome sight, to be sure, watching a man be boiled alive like this.
But? It's not like I haven't seen terrible things on all the battlefields I've been on.
"Poetic?"
He holds his palm out towards the now silent cauldron as Sawazaki's body floats on the top, what's left of his face frozen in a silent death mask of screaming.
"There was once a thief named Ishikawa Goemon. A ninja, by some accounts of the tale, or else a Japanese version of Sir Robin of Locksley. He attempted to assassinate Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the man who succeeded my predecessor, Oda Nobunaga."
He makes a cutting gesture with his hand and the flame under the cauldron is slowly tamped down.
"Hideyoshi sentenced Goemon to death by boiling in oil. For you see, had Goemon succeeded in killing him? The civil wars engulfing Japan previously would have restarted."
Interesting, but that doesn't quite explain the poetic justice.
"So what does this have to do with Sawazaki?"
He chuckles to himself, "Because Sawazaki stole hope by bringing a false promise of peace. So I thought, why not kill him in the same manner as Hideyoshi killed another thief?"
He points to the cauldron, "Do you know what this, ha ha ha, is called in Japanese?"
I raise an eyebrow at him for the non-sequitur.
"A goemon-buro, or Goemon bathtub."
Oh. Ohhhh. That's...actually funny. I see what he meant about poetic justice now.
"Ha ha ha ha ha. Well played, Demon King. It's a damned shame I'm going to have to kill you. You're a man after my own heart," I say as I laugh at the black humor of this execution.
Funny thing about being a soldier, you gain an appreciation for black comedy that civilians don't understand. And Zero? Zero knows exactly what that means.
"Hahahahahahaha! General, I have considerable respect for you, but don't think I would not hit that ass like an air-strike."
I burst out laughing at the sheer balls of him to say that to my face. Especially considering I almost did drop an air-strike on him.
"You cheeky git! I look forward to taking you prisoner! Hahahahahhaha!"
His shoulders shake in mirth, as everyone else is appears to be looking queasy at Sawazaki's death. Pah! This is war, people die in terrible ways. It's rare that they actually deserve it like this worm Sawazaki did.
This has been refreshingly entertaining.
