The Tokyo Concession was the vibrant heart of the Tokyo Settlement, itself a clean and efficient modern city. It offered the Britannian residents every amenity they could desire at malls, restaurants, boutiques, museums, theaters, or from countless vendors hawking their wares along tree-lined boulevards and small parks adjoining them. There was even the recently opened Clovisland amusement park, built as part of the Viceroy's ambitious and ongoing program to bring new recreation opportunities to the Tokyo Settlement and transform it into a showcase for Britannian culture, though the more cynical would say it was simply a campaign of self-aggrandizement.

But calling the Tokyo Settlement merely a city was an understatement. It was a gigantic structure constructed atop a tiered series of interlocking plates, designed for earthquake resistance. Monorail lines encircled the Settlement in concentric rings, offering cheap and rapid transit from district to district, while highways cut across and under the city through a network of tunnels built into the Settlement's structure. All of it was powered by large solar arrays, and the Settlement was further surrounded by a series of imposing towers, outside of the main structure, which nonetheless housed vast commercial complexes.

Mount Fuji stood in the distance to the southwest, its encased by metal plating on a side, reaching up past the snow line. It was only the surface of the extensive Sakuradite mining operations that dug deep into the mountain once revered by the Japanese, an act of desecration symbolic of Britannia's conquest of the island nation.

While the Tokyo Settlement only occupied a fraction of Tokyo's total area, most Britannians living in the Tokyo Settlement would find no reason to ever leave it, save on business trips, tourist outings, or to return to the Britannian homeland. Even when they did leave it, they would do so by high-speed train across the countryside or by airplane. Of course, this was entirely by design. Not only was the Tokyo Settlement built atop the old Tokyo, it was a fortress, with numerous defensive perimeters designed to withstand any assault that rebellious Japanese could muster. Moreover, it wouldn't do for ordinary Britannians to mingle with the 'Elevens' in the squalid and crumbling ghettos surrounding the settlement.

Britannia required the 'Elevens', and all of the 'Numbers' living within its Areas to remain the Other to its citizens, but if Britannians spent any significant time among or seeing the ghettos, they might start to feel complicit in the heavy-handed exploitation that made their comfortable lifestyles possible. The only Japanese officially allowed to live or work in the Tokyo Settlement were Honorary Britannians, like Suzaku, who had pledged their loyalty to Britannia in exchange for basic rights and citizenship. But Honorary Britannians were still treated as second-class citizens, and the Purists wanted to strip them of even those privileges.

If Purist power continued to grow in Area 11, they might very well succeed in that goal.

Lelouch, Kallen, Milly, and Arthur had headed to the Tokyo Concession together after meeting up outside Ashford Academy. They were currently seated at a table outside the Omotesandō Mall in Shibuya.

Before the war, Omotesandō had been an avenue known for the zelkova trees that grew alongside it, and as a center of fashion, home to many flagship stores, international boutiques, and a host of smaller shops and cafes. Most of the zelkova trees had been destroyed when Tokyo was bombed, or torn down during Britannia's subsequent construction of the Tokyo Settlement, but a handful had been preserved and transplanted into the Britannian shopping center that had replaced the old Omotesandō. The architect must have recognized their ornamental value, and that they were one of the first things that visitors expected to see while visiting Omotesandō.

That decision seemed to have paid off, as the Omotesandō Mall had become one of the most popular shopping destinations in the Tokyo Settlement, though it still seemed a pale imitation of the original. Lelouch hadn't actually had the chance to visit the old Omotesandō, as he had been under constantly under the watchful eyes of his Japanese hosts, but he had seen it on TV and in pictures, and the street's reputation had been known throughout Japan.

They would handle their shopping later, but for now Lelouch and his allies were putting together a list of the items they wanted to procure in preparation for their next infiltration of Villetta's Palace. Passerby would ignore Arthur, or believe he was Milly's pet, given how he was comfortably curled up on Milly's lap as she stroked his fur. Instead onlookers would assume that the conversation, which they would pay little attention to anyway, was between handsome guy and two attractive girls on a threesome date, or so Milly had put it. Indeed, Lelouch noticed that a few shoppers had shot him jealous glares, but they invariably continued to go about their business, and moved on before long.

Of course, if there were other Ashford students among the crowd, Lelouch knew that it would only fuel more rumors, but at this point he didn't really care. Let them think he was dating Kallen, or even Milly at the same time. Such rumors would circulate anyway, and with his plan to have Kallen join the Student Council falling through for now, it offered them a sufficient pretext to meet regularly.

"Traitor," Kallen muttered as she glared at Arthur.

"I think its just purr-fect over here."

"Can we stay on topic?" Lelouch asked wearily. Though they were united by their common interest in stealing Coach Nu's Treasure, he could tell that Kallen didn't like Milly very much. It was understandable. Kallen still hadn't spent enough time around Milly to really know her as more than an overprivileged ex-noble, who threw lavish efforts into the most frivolous things and bossed everyone at the school around because she was the headmaster's granddaughter. If Milly hadn't followed them and been unwittingly pulled into the Metaverse, she may have never awakened to her Persona, and Kallen wouldn't have found herself working with the blonde, in what was more of an alliance of convenience than anything else at the moment.

Lelouch knew that Milly's antics were driven more by the force personality than any sense of entitlement. Her grandfather may have once given her a free rein around the school, but that alone wouldn't have been enough to pull the entire Student Council and most of the school into the wacky events she loved planning. Simply put, Milly made things fun around Ashford, and always kept people on their toes.

"Fine," Kallen said. She would want to get back to the Palace as soon as possible, and so Lelouch had correctly calculated that she wouldn't have any objections to him moving the conversation along.

"So we've agreed that first aid kits are a must," Lelouch said quietly. "As I'm sure you've all noticed by now, summoning your Persona takes quite a bit out of you; repeated use results in physical or mental fatigue, reducing your overall effectiveness, which could ultimately prove quite costly."

Arthur and Kallen nodded.

"I could barely stand at first after summoning Medea," Milly added in agreement.

"That seems to happen to everyone when they first awaken their Persona," Arthur said.

"It's kind of like exercising a muscle that hasn't been used in a long time," Kallen nodded. "Of course it's going to hurt at first. But soon, when you've built up some strength, you can use it and barely break a sweat."

"It makes me wonder about what sort of exercise routine you maintain at home, Kallen," Milly said, a mischievous look appearing on her face. "You wouldn't be able to keep that supple body of yours without working out. Perhaps one day we should get together for a private workout…"

"P-Pervert! I don't swing that way!"

"Relax, Kallen… I just can't help but tease a cute girl… Besides, your reactions are adorable!"

"Ahem," Lelouch said, giving Milly a stern look.

"Aw, fine!" she pouted. "For my Vice President, you can be no fun sometimes!"

"With all due respect, this isn't an official meeting of the Student Council, Madam President. But as I was saying, we'll want to use the first aid kits to treat any superficial injuries we might sustain in the Metaverse so we can save our Personas for the event that we might need to heal more serious wounds."

"So bandages, antibiotics… what else?" Milly asked.

"Don't forget to make sure that they have burn ointments or cooling pads," Kallen said. "A lot of Shadows seem to like flinging fire around. And considering yesterday, some hand warmers might help get blood flowing again if a Shadow tries to freeze us."

"That's all innocuous enough."

"We should get some rope," Arthur said. "It's something a proper thief should never be without."

"And maybe something as a distraction?" Milly asked. "I bet we could find could find something in a joke shop…"

Kallen shook her head. "If you're thinking about smoke or stink bombs, you'll have a hard time finding them in stores these days. The Viceroy believes they could be used by rebels, so he's placed restrictions on their sale." She lowered her voice. "In our case, he's not wrong, but he focuses on all of the wrong stuff, just so that it can look like he's being an effective leader." She let out a harsh laugh. "He'd be such a joke if he didn't have Britannia's military backing him up."

Lelouch nodded. Clovis' talents had always been in the arts, and he recalled his surprise when it was first announced that his half-brother had been named the Viceroy of Area 11. The Clovis he had known back in Pendragon had been sentimental to a fault, and the strain of ruling an Area as important as Japan, which still had multiple active resistance groups, had never seemed like something that Clovis was suited for.

"If only we could make our own…" Arthur murmured… "But don't look at me… I'm a cat… I can't exactly mix chemicals together."

"If only someone didn't spend half of his time sleeping through chemistry class…" Kallen said, turning to Lelouch. "Don't try to deny it. I saw you dozing off earlier."

It was true. He already found little interest in most of his classes, especially now with the discovery of the Metaverse and the deadline that they were up against. It wasn't like he was failing though. He had solid Bs in most subjects, and the occasional C in those subjects that he found particularly boring. Historically, he had even skirted by with Ds in gym, putting in the minimum amount of effort needed to avoid an outright failure, as that would be a blow to his pride. But he suspected that Coach Nu would award him an F this term simply out of spite, no matter what he did at this point, barring a change of heart on her part.

"I guess we'll have to table that idea for now then," Milly said, frowning.

"I think... I can pick something up from… some friends of mine…" Kallen said carefully.

Milly looked at her curiously, and it seemed like she was about to ask Kallen exactly who she meant, before thinking better of it.

"Let's meet back in an hour then," Lelouch said, breaking the awkward silence. "Is that enough time for everyone?" He knew it certainly would be in Milly's case, but he wasn't sure how long it would take Kallen to meet with her 'friends', and so he wanted to be clear that he could accomodate her.

Milly nodded.

"Yeah, that will be enough," Kallen replied after a moment. "I'll see you then... Lelouch."

xXx

As Lelouch went about his shopping, he caught a blue glow in the corner of his eye. Turning, he saw that it was coming from a nearby alleyway. Walking closer to investigate, he saw that the light was emanating from a ghostly cell door… and standing beside it was Tsu.

"It's you, Inmate," she said between munching on a slice of pizza, her tone still unfriendly. "I don't like to be kept waiting."

"You were waiting for me?"

"It's my Master's orders… guard this door to the Velvet Room, and escort you inside should you arrive. I'd be bored out of my mind if I couldn't get delivery."

"How does that even work?"

"There's a Pizza Hut in the mall nearby. Ordinary people can't see me or this door, but they also tend not to ask questions when money is involved, and I can make my presence known when I need to."

"Why does Igor have you guard the door then? Didn't he say that only those with a contract could freely enter the Velvet Room? No random passerby would be able to do so, let alone perceive it in the first place." He chuckled. "It seems rather pointless if you ask me."

"What's it to you, Inmate?"

"Doesn't it make you curious as to what he's playing at?"

"It's clear that you don't trust our Master."

"Not at all. But we'll use each other for now…"

Tsu's eyes narrowed. "I'd hold my tongue, if I were you, Inmate. Our Master is not one you want to see angry. As you saw last night, he does not like being crossed. If you think my sister is scared of you, then you should see when she upsets him."

"So you're his slaves."

She glared at him. "Not a word of that in front of our Master. Our destiny is bound to that room, and there's nothing that can change it."

Hearing that just rubbed Lelouch the wrong way. "Didn't your sister say that the Trickster could realize infinite possibilities?"

"Get inside," she said, raising her baton threateningly. "There's something we want to discuss with you."

"As you wish," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, Inmate."

He stepped through the cell door, and found himself inside the Velvet Room, once more in a straitjacket. Lelouch could see Shi sitting on a side, happily eating pizza, oblivious to his presence. There was a Pizza Hut box resting nearby.

"Welcome, Trickster," Igor said. "I see you have already found the door in the real world. It shall serve as a permanent portal to this place. Other doorways may be opened to you in the future so that you may pursue your rehabilitation at your convenience." He paused. "Shi! Are you listening?"

"I'm - I'm sorry, Master!" Shi stammered, quickly gulping down the rest of the slice and scrambling to her feet.

"My assistants have devised a plan for furthering your rehabilitation," Igor said. "I would like you to listen to it.

"W-we want you bring us powerful masks!" Shi started.

"You're being too vague, Shi," Tsu said. "We should make this a contract… that way we'll get nothing more or less out of it than specified. It's something you'll learn as you get older."

"Okay…" Shi said, deflating. She paused to think. "I want to see Jack Frost!" she said after a moment.

"Make sure it has Mabufu," Tsu added. "Of course, Jack Frost is really just a low-level Persona… but it's more than you can handle at the moment, Inmate." She smirked. "Bringing it to us will be proof of your progress in your rehabilitation."

"And… if we have other requests from time to time… would you listen to them, Mr. Inmate?" Shi asked nervously.

Lelouch didn't like Tsu very much, as she had rarely been anything but antagonistic toward him, but he was finding that he had a soft spot for Shi. She really did seem to be kind, in a way that only innocent children could be, and in spite of whatever powers she might hold as an inhabitant of the Velvet Room, she seemed all too vulnerable. If Igor was mistreating her, as her older sister had suggested, Lelouch knew that he couldn't ignore that. Otherwise, his goal of creating a kinder and gentler world, where the weak would not be crushed by the strong, would be little else but self-righteous hypocrisy. While that world was first and foremost for Nunnally's sake, he couldn't help but see some of his little sister in the younger warden.

"Of course," he replied disarmingly. "How could I say no when you ask so earnestly?"

"Really, Mr. Inmate?!" Shi's eyes lit up. "Do you mean it?"

"Don't get too excited, Shi," Tsu interrupted. "He hasn't done anything yet... But I suppose that we have now made the contract official at least."

I am thou… thou art I

Thou hast acquired a new vow

It shall become the wings of rebellion

that breaketh thy chains of captivity

With the birth of the Death Persona,

I have obtained the winds of blessing that

shall lead to freedom and new power…

These girls represented Death? It was ominous… but also for some reason sad. Was their Arcana Death because they were responsible for executing his Personas? No, that seemed a far too literal interpretation... But then... What could it mean?

"Honestly, I don't expect much from you," Tsu said. "But I might be surprised…"

xXx

After departing from the Velvet Room, Lelouch completed is shopping and regrouped with his allies nearby Ashford Academy. Milly had brought her share of supplies, and Kallen had a shopping bag with her, which appeared to be from an upscale clothing store, though he doubted that anything innocent was inside. After all, she was the girl who kept a knife disguised as a cute pink pouch on her person at all times. Still, as long as whatever Kallen had brought with her was useful to them, there was little sense in worrying about it.

"Is everyone ready?" he asked.

"Yeah… just be sure that no one follows us into the Metaverse this time," Kallen replied. She glanced at Milly. "It's not that I have anything against having some extra help in there, but things could have turned out a lot worse, you know."

Indeed, if Milly had stumbled into the Metaverse back when only Kallen and Arthur knew of it, Kallen may well have killed Milly herself in order to protect her secrets. Even as events had actually unfolded, if they had taken just a little longer in the dungeons, Shadow Villetta's captain may well have already carried out Milly's execution by the time they arrived, or they may not have heard her scream at all.

"I understand," Milly nodded.

"The coast seems to be clear," Arthur announced. "If we're going in, we should do so now."

Lelouch nodded, accessing his search history on the Metaverse Navigator and selecting Villetta's Palace. "Beginning Navigation," the app intoned.

They world twisted around them, and they found themselves just outside Villeta's distorted Ashford Academy.

"Okay, so before we start our infiltration in earnest, what should we call you in the Metaverse?" Arthur said, looking up at Milly, who was once again in her cat costume. "With that lustrous black coat, I'm thinking 'Panther' would be perfect for you!"

"That makes it sound like I want to eat everyone up," Milly said suggestively. She shook her head. "It's not a bad codename, but I had another one in mind."

"Oh? What would that be?" Arthur asked.

Milly raised a hand to her mask, her pawed gloves brushing against the gems embedded in it. "I was thinking Diamond. I mean, this costume is just the sort of thing a sexy jewel thief would wear in the movies and comics!" She posed, running a hand through her hair and placing the other on her side as she bent over, beaming at Lelouch with a kittenish smile. "See what I mean, Zero? Aren't diamonds a girl's best friend? Meow meow!"

"I have no objections to that name," Lelouch said, deadpanning even as he felt his cheeks betraying him, suddenly getting warm.

Milly was always like that. Even when she had first greeted him at Ashford Academy, sent by her grandfather to give him a tour of the facilities, she had tried to get him to relax his uptight and aloof front by flaunting her developing bust and curves in front of him. More than that, she had openly encouraged him to ogle them - even though she was still in middle school at the time!

Milly had of course only grown more beautiful over the years. Lelouch wasn't completely asexual; he was capable of feeling attraction to a woman in that sort of way. But as goal-oriented as he was, he had made a habit of regularly repressing such urges when they presented themselves. He didn't need his hormones clouding his judgment or compromising his focus.

The inevitable consequence of all this was that he wasn't quite sure of what to make of situations like this, when he couldn't perfectly maintain his disinterested mask, which somehow felt more difficult now than it had in the past. Did it have something to with becoming a Persona-user? In any case, it wasn't helped by the fact that while Milly had become something of a big sister figure, not just to him, but to the rest of the student council, she also loved to tease her friends. Sometimes it was hard to tell if she was being serious or just messing with him.

In contrast, Kallen may have been a skilled enough actress back at Ashford Academy, when she was pretending to be sickly and meek. But once she revealed her true personality, it seemed like it was far harder for her to keep her feelings in check. Thus, it was Kallen who reacted most to Milly's display, becoming visibly flustered.

"What are you doing?! We're supposed to be on a mission, stealing Coach Nu's Treasure! All you can think of right now is flirting with him? And shouldn't it be 'Nyan nyan' anyway?" Her face only got redder as she realized what she had said.

"Ooh, someone doesn't like me putting the moves on her boyfriend!" Milly grinned. "But I'll keep that in mind."

"I've already told you, we aren't dating!"

"Oh well…" Milly returned to a normal posture, and faced Lelouch again. "I'll get a nosebleed out of you one day, Zero."

"Can we stay focused?" he sighed.

"That's right, Zero!" Kallen quickly agreed as she composed herself once more.

"I guess the discussion of her codename is over then," Arthur said. "Diamond it is."

"Wait… there's more thing before we get going," Kallen said, reaching into the shopping bag she had brought with them into the Metaverse, rustling through the layer of clothing that hid the bag's true contents.

She pulled out a handgun.

"It's not loaded yet," she said. "Take it."

She handed it to Lelouch, and gave another gun to Milly, before taking out a third gun for herself. She then passed out a loaded magazine to each of them.

"Are these…" Milly asked.

"Yes, they're real firearms," Kallen said. "I figure that with me being expelled in twelve days and you two in similar trouble, there's no sense in being too cautious about it anymore."

"You… certainly have interesting friends…" Milly murmured.

"Say a word of them to anyone else, and I'll kill you. Zero knows the drill."

He nodded.

"But really, you shouldn't want to, if you at all know what's good for you," Kallen said. "By acting against a Britannian spy, you should realize it could be considered treason against Britannia too, so we're all in the same boat here. Really, they'll label pretty much any crime against a Britannian agent or official of any sort as 'treason' or 'terrorism', even if it doesn't fit the proper definition of such. It's easier for them that way."

Milly nodded, her cheery attitude gone as the true severity of the crime they had plotted together weighed upon her.

"We still have to go through with it," Milly said after a moment. "Things can't continue like this."

"I'm glad that we agree," Kallen replied. Her tone became more business-like. "I assume neither of you have fired a gun before, so I guess I've got to give you the short version of the usual safety lecture. Steady yourself, aim for the chest if you can, and pull the trigger." She modeled the proper stance for Milly. "Make sure the safety's off and that we're not downrange of you before you fire. Never point your weapon at something you do not wish to destroy, and treat it as if it's loaded at all times."

"I'd never pictured you having a hobby like this, Kallen," Milly said as she tested the feel of the weapon in her hand.

"It's not just a hobby for her," Lelouch murmured darkly.

"I'm full of surprises like that, so you'd better get used to them," Kallen retorted. "Anyway, there are eight rounds in each magazine." Kallen reached into her bag again. "Here's a second magazine for each of you. That's all I've got for now. My friends don't exactly have a lot to spare, but they pack a good punch. Of course, that means there's also a fair amount of recoil, so don't let that catch you by surprise"

xXx

The matter settled, the four thieves resumed their infiltration of Villetta's Palace. They had already thoroughly explored the dungeons, so it was time for them to begin investigating the keep. Unfortunately, they quickly learned from her guards that Shadow Villetta's throne room, and the Treasure vault adjoining it, was at the keep's highest level, information the lesser Shadows were all too willing to provide when held at gunpoint.

"It figures," Lelouch said. "She thinks she lords over Ashford, so of course she's in the uppermost chamber."

It quickly became clear that the castle was not set up as a space that was actually meant to be lived in. There were familiar rooms, like a larder, kitchen, and a banquet hall, which Milly identified as a distorted version of the cafeteria, but the corridors between each room were far more circuitous than necessary, to the point that they seemed maze-like.

"To the Palace's Ruler, the whole point must be to keep intruders away from her Treasure," Arthur offered. "The more time we spend chasing our own tails, the weaker we become and the easier for her guards to dispose of."

Indeed, as they continued through the castle, the thieves met increasingly stiff resistance. New and more powerful varieties of Shadows appeared, and in greater numbers than before.

"The Palace is just crawling with Shadows…" Milly said after they finished dispatching another patrol. "Is anyone hurt?"

"Just some scratches and burns," Lelouch said. "Nothing major."

"Good thing we thought ahead to get those first aid kits," Milly murmured. She pulled off a glove for greater finesse, and started daubing some ointment on Lelouch's cuts. At once, they started to scab over, and then the wounds themselves faded, as if they hadn't been there at all.

"Um… it's not supposed to do that, is it?" she asked, her eyes widening. "I mean, I'm not complaining, but…"

"I'd chalk it up to cognition, Diamond," Arthur said.

"What do you mean, Tama?" she asked in confusion.

"Well, that ointment's marketed as providing 'Instant Relief', isn't it? That's what people remember when they go shopping for it. In the real world, it takes time to work, but here in the Metaverse, it really is instant!"

"That's awfully convenient," Kallen muttered.

"But to your earlier remark, I'm not surprised that there are so many enemies here, Diamond," Arthur continued. "This is the third consecutive day we've been inside Villetta's Palace, and we've defeated two of her captains back to back. The castle is on high alert, and her Shadow will continue tightening its security as long as it feels threatened."

"The key is for us to move as stealthily as possible through her Palace," Lelouch said. "We have to make it seem like we're not even here, slipping though her halls like phantoms. Failing that, we could simply wait a few days, until she subconsciously lowers her guard, confident that she has us beaten. Then, her castle's security would certainly weaken in turn. But we don't want to wait too long if we can help it. We don't know how long it will take us to get through the Palace."

And so they did, darting from one hiding place to the next, sneaking past guards, cloaking themselves in the cover of darkness, and generally making sure that their sudden appearance would be their foes' last surprise.

Still, they didn't kill all of the Shadows that they encountered. When they had a Shadow surrounded and at their mercy, Lelouch would sometimes attempt to persuade it to become one of his masks. He also soon discovered that he could convince them to part with their belongings, threatening them if necessary to do so.

Such bullying tactics may have seemed like they clashed with his stated ideal of protecting the weak, and there was perhaps the slightest moment of hesitation on his part. But sometimes one had to commit evil to defeat the greater evil. Besides, whether out of fear or temperament, the Shadows served the oppressive Baroness, so they were hardly innocent victims. In a sense, they weren't even fully real, figments of the human mind given form, just like the Personas they could become. And so Lelouch ruthlessly crushed any misplaced pity he might feel for them.

Often the Shadows only had small trinkets, but sometimes they offered useful items, like stones that seemed to faintly glow with vital energy, or what the Shadows called "soul drops" which, when consumed, would relieve some of the mental fatigue accumulated by summoning their Personas. He also found that Silkies, serving as Shadow Villetta's maids, were particularly easy to exploit, even eager to help him, once they realized that he housed one of their sisters within himself. However, like most Shadows, they were hostile and usually unwilling to listen him in the first place unless he had them at his mercy.

As they continued their infiltration, Lelouch made sure to put the power of the Third Eye that Igor had granted him to the test. It was a double-edged technique, as it would sharply narrow his field of perception when used, but what he could see he saw with unmatched clarity. It also gave him unparalleled intuition as to where valuables might be hidden. While using the Third Eye, they even seemed to call out to him, causing the objects that concealed them to seem to glow with a golden color.

"How did you know that was there, Zero?" Milly said, her eyes widening as he produced a shimmering pearl from it's hiding spot within a drawer in a side room.

"Yeah..." Kallen said. "'I've been paying attention. That may be the most valuable thing you've nabbed so far, but it's not the first time you just walked over to some inconspicuous-looking object and found something worth taking inside. I could believe that it was just luck the first few times, but it's getting more than a little uncanny."

"It just came to me," he said with a smirk, which seemed to annoy Kallen.

"I'm not complaining," Arthur chimed in. "However he's doing it, having a knack for finding valuables like that is a useful skill."

"Indeed," Lelouch replied, his smile growing wider.

Dire as their situation was, he was starting to enjoy himself.

But he wouldn't let himself forget why he was there.

xXx

Soon, they came to the castle's library. It appeared to be a dead end. Lelouch paused, using the Third Eye to scan the immediate area for threats.

"I don't sense any Shadows here… Spread out and look for clues."

"I'm betting there's some sort of mechanism hidden among the books," Milly said. "It's like that in stories all the time. Maybe it's like that here too. You know, cognition, like Tama said earlier."

"Yes, I'd imagine so too, Diamond."

And so they spread out, each examining a different section of the library.

"Genealogy… Geography… Heraldry… Heredity… History… Honorary Britannians…," Kallen murmured as she scanned over the spines of the books on one of the shelves.

"Areas… Academy… Ancestry… Britannia… Commoners… Discrimination…" Milly read from another.

"Lineage.. Military Training…. Nobility… Numbers…." Arthur said as he clambered from shelf to shelf. "What does it all mean?"

Leouch looked up from the book he was inspecting, 'Valedictorian.'

"These books are all part of Coach Nu's psyche. We can assume that they're subjects that are important to her. Keeping that in mind, a clearer picture of our target emerges!"

"I know you like your theatrics, but don't just keep us waiting, Zero," Kallen said impatiently.

"It means that despite working with the Purists, Coach Nu is not a full-blooded Britannian herself. Though I'm sure you already knew that, Queen. Darker skin like Villetta's is quite rare among the Britannian nobility. Most of our current nobles are descended from the remnants of the old nobility of the British Islands, as well the noble families from Europe who fled from Napoleon's conquests. They generally had fairly light skin, as did their retainers, soldiers, and the other loyalists who came with them to the New World.

"Of course," Lelouch continued, "there were some who immigrated to Britannia later, or whose ancestors had been forcibly brought into it through conquest, who managed to distinguish themselves and earn full Britannian citizenship, not just the second-class citizenship of Honorary Brittanians. That was more common early in the reborn Empire's history, when its numbers were still relatively small, and there were vast areas across the new homeland still waiting to be colonized. They needed talented individuals, though that's a part of Britannian history that gets glossed over these days in schools.

He paused. "I'm guessing that Coach Nu's family became Britannians in such a manner. But after Darwin published the Origin of the Species, Britannian nobles latched upon and perverted his theories to provide a 'scientific' justification for oppressing everyone they saw as weaker than them. They became obsessed with Britannian ethnic purity, and that trend continues to this day."

"You seem awfully knowledgeable about Brittanian history for someone who slacks off all the time," Kallen said.

"I told you, Queen, I'm ex-nobility," Lelouch replied. "A working knowledge of history is essential to avoid repeating the same mistakes as one's predecessors."

"Aw, Zero, there's no need to be modest," Milly said. "You could just tell her that you're a prince."

Wait, why was Milly bringing that up now?!

"A prince?!" Kallen went rigid, and once again she was wary of him, a sudden hostility entering her gaze. "But that would mean… your father is… the Emperor!"

In an instant, she had crossed the distance between them, and was grasping the collar of his trenchcoat, her metal claws uncomfortably close to his neck. "What are you playing at, Zero?! You lied to me!" Without relinquishing her powerful grip, she turned to face Milly. "And now I see why you're so intent on seducing him! If he were to overthrow Britannia and the Emperor, you would become his empress!"

"What?!" Milly gasped. "I like teasing him, but being an empress... No, that's besides the point! Let go of him, Queen! It's not like that at all!"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you the full truth, Queen," Lelouch said calmly, realizing that was his only chance to remain alive. "I was afraid of this sort of reaction, but I guess I only have myself to blame."

"Go on," Kallen growled, glaring at him.

"Everything I told you earlier was true, except that instead of merely being an ex-noble, I'm an ex-prince, as Diamond said. Suzaku's the only other student at Ashford who knows. He happens to be the friend that I mentioned before, though I'll admit, I was as surprised as anyone to see him when he enrolled here. I hadn't heard from him in years, and I'd assumed we'd never see each other again."

"So that's what you two were talking about earlier," Kallen said. She narrowed her eyes. "But that's not what I care about right now, and don't think you can change the subject like that again. You're a prince of Britannia!"

"I wouldn't dream of it, Queen." He shook his head slightly. "My real name is Lelouch vi Britannia. But as I said, I'm an ex-prince. When I confronted my father, Emperor Charles zi Britannia, about the murder of my mother, the Empress Marianne, and he refused to do anything about it, I renounced my claim to the throne. For daring to speak up to him, he then disowned me and sentenced by sister and I to exile on the spot." Shaking his head more, let out a wry laugh. "Rest assured, Queen, I have no interest in taking back my claim. Why would I want Britannia's throne, when I plan to tear it all down anyway for what it did to my mother and my sister?"

His laughter rose sharply, echoing through the library. It was good that the walls were thick, or else a patrol may have heard it.

Kallen just stared at him, as did Milly.

"Am I just a pawn then, in a scheme for revenge against your father?" Kallen asked, her hands trembling as she continued to grip his collar.

"Under different circumstances, you might have been," Lelouch admitted. "You're clearly part of the Japanese resistance, with your skill at fighting, your ability to conceal and secure weapons, and your hatred of Britannia."

Kallen tensed, and her metal claws inched closer.

"Don't worry," he told her. "I'm not telling anyone who isn't already in on our plans. But let me finish what I was saying."

He paused. "Had I the means to do so, it would be natural for me me to seek out the resistance and unify it into single, cohesive fighting force. Unlike most conquered Areas, Japan's military strength was never fully exhausted, so it would practically be a ready-made army with which to strike back against Britannia and my father." He shook his head. "But the Japanese resistance would never knowingly accept a Britannian, especially a former royal, as its leader, and save for my wits, I was powerless on my own. So I ruled out that possibility.

Lelouch chuckled. "And then, when I met you, my first real contact with the resistance, and I actually had the power of a Persona, you discovered who I was almost immediately. More than that, your powers far exceeded my own. Under those circumstances, you wouldn't have accepted anything less than an equal partnership. It was only a stroke of luck, discovering that I could use multiple Personas, that led to you accepting me as our group's leader in battle.

"But I'm fine with that," Lelouch said, allowing himself to grin. "I've said it before, but both of us hate Britannia, just as much as each other, and all four us have an interest in taking down Coach Nu."

"That's right!" Milly interrupted.

Lelouch and Kallen looked at her, as if to demand further explanation.

"I mean..." Milly started anxiously, "there's a lot I don't like about how Britannia runs either, and I knew that you hated it for what it did to your family, Zero, even if... I didn't fully appreciate just how deep that hatred really went for you. If I'm completely honest, I'm not sure that I want to tear it all down myself... but I don't blame you at all for feeling that way. Things aren't just going to change by themselves. I'm totally on board with stealing Coach Nu's Treasure now, and if you, Queen, and Arthur choose to go further than that... I won't get in your way, or say a word about you. I mean, Queen said it earlier... we're all in the same boat now."

"That's good enough for now," Lelouch nodded. "Besides, we have a power that few others do. We only stand to gain by working together." He turned his attention back to Kallen. "You've proven yourself to be dependable, Queen, and it's a good feeling to actually have allies that I can rely on." He chuckled again. "I suppose with how much I've already told you about who I really am, I could even safely call you a confidant now, Queen, or perhaps an accomplice, if you prefer." He paused. "Besides, I think that a Queen, acting according to her own formidable will, is far more valuable than any mere pawn."

"Le-Zero..." Kallen said, taken aback, her grip loosening for a moment. She sounded quite flustered.

That was all Lelouch needed to know that he would live through this.

"Ooh, you really are a charmer, Zero!" Milly grinned.

"N-no one asked you!" Kallen stammered.

"Let me fill you in on the rest of my story," Lelouch said, bringing Kallen's attention back to him. "You know now that I was a prince, and my father is the Emperor. You also know that Suzaku was the friend who I met when I came to Japan. That's because when my father exiled my sister and I, to Japan, we were sent there to be political hostages of the Japanese Prime Minister, Genbu Kururugi."

"You said your father sent him to a business associate in Japan," Kallen cut in. "That's another place where you lied to me, Zero."

Lelouch shook his head and smirked. "What was their business but international politics and control of the distribution of sakuradite?" His expression changed to a scowl. "The Prime Minister thought that he could use us in political marriages, symbolizing bonds of goodwill between Japan and Britannia. He even wanted to marry my little sister himself."

Thankfully, it seemed that the others shared his disgust.

"Ugh.. what a creep," Arthur groaned.

"We all know that didn't happen in the end," Lelouch said. He had managed to persuade Genbu to call off his plans, but the details of that weren't important. "And Britannia invaded soon afterward. My sister and I traveled with Suzaku for a time, before he became separated from us, and eventually we made contact with the Ashford family, soon after they arrived in Japan. They had been allies of my mother, but they had been stripped of their nobility after her death for daring to support the commoner who became an Empress of Britannia.

"And that brings us to Diamond over there," he said, gesturing to Milly. "I mean no offense, but I think we both know that your family didn't just take us in simply out of the kindness of their hearts."

"Maybe my grandfather did, but I honestly can't say the same of the rest of my family," Milly frowned. "So there's none taken."

He turned back to Kallen. "I'm sure her family at one point thought to have me marry her when I was older, so that if I ever reclaimed my status as a prince they would not only be restored to nobility, but have their daughter elevated to royalty, ensuring even greater influence for them. Even if I didn't marry her, sheltering me over all these years would mean that I'd owe them some favors, and they hoped to be handsomely rewarded."

"But as the years went on, it became clear to my family that trying to reinstall you as a prince would be too dangerous," Milly said.

"For Nunnally most of all," Lelouch agreed. "Not only were we already hated by many in the Imperial court for having commoner blood, my little sister was now disabled as well." His face contorted in anger. "They'd say a weakling like her had no right living, let alone as a princess."

"And... What does Diamond think of all of this?" Kallen asked slowly.

"Knowing her, I doubt that she'd have agreed to marry me just because her parents wanted her to. She's very much her own person," Lelouch cut in before Milly could respond. "Every since that plan fell through, they've been trying to marry her off, but do you have any idea how many suitors she's purposefully upset to break off those plans? I believe it's over two dozen now…"

"Thirty and counting," Milly said with a nervous chuckle that sounded slightly painful. "Do you have any idea how tiring all those marriage interviews are?"

Lelouch shook his head. He didn't know if that was the actual number, or if Milly was exaggerating it to emphasize her frustration, but either way, it was high. "I don't want to imagine it. Your parents must be at their wits' end with you, though it seems your grandfather spoils you all the same."

"I just want to be free and have some fun in life," Milly said. "Still, you have to admit Zero, if I was your wife, you'd be the envy of guys everywhere." A Cheshire grin formed on her face.

Lelouch and Kallen just stared at her.

"I'm just kidding! Loosen up, you two lovebirds! Jeez!"

Kallen went rigid again, as if only now realizing just how close she had put herself to Lelouch. Throughout his entire story, she hadn't let go of him once, even after her anger at his deception had passed. Recovering after a moment, she shook her head and quickly stepped back as she released him, as if to pre-empt further teasing from Milly.

""If being your Vice President is any indication of what a married life with you would be like, then I would have to tell guys everywhere their envy is sorely misplaced," Lelouch replied, his mind finally working enough after his initial embarrassment to devise a witty comeback.

"Hey!" Milly pouted indignantly, but after a moment she was laughing it off. "Though I suppose you got me there, Zero."

"Where were we before we got onto this?" Arthur asked, uncomfortably trying to change the subject.

"We were discussing the significance of these books to Coach," Lelouch said, easily returning to his earlier train of thought. "The point was that even though she was officially a full Britannian, effectively grandfathered into the system, she still felt looked down on because she wasn't pure-blooded or nobility, with all of the social and economic privileges thereof. And in spite of her aptitude, she may have been passed over for promotion, on account of her bloodline and gender.

"There are a number of female commanders in the Britannian military these days, including my half-sister Cornelia, better known as the 'Witch of Britannia' to its enemies, or the 'Goddess of Victory' to fellow Britannians. Cornelia is fearsome in her own right, but they usually got their officer ranks to start with from being nobles. If you don't have a noble title, getting promoted in the first place can be much more difficult if you're a woman. A lot of those barriers have been broken in recent years, but large parts of the military are still the old boys' club."

"So... Coach Nu decided that becoming a noble herself was the only way that she could get the respect that she felt that she deserved... Do I have that right?" Milly asked.

"You do indeed, Diamond," Lelouch replied. "That began to twist her thoughts until she was single-mindedly focused on her own advancement, no matter the cost, providing the Distortion that would spawn this Palace. Allying herself with the Purist Faction, which appeared to be ascendant in Area 11 seemed to be the quickest route toward achieving her goal."

"There's one thing I don't get about this," Kallen said. "How did she even manage to join the Purists, if she's obviously not a pureblooded Britannian herself? That should have been impossible for her."

Lelouch shrugged. "That's one question that I actually don't have an answer for. I can only assume that she was able to convince an existing Purist, whether through blackmail, or from simply being less ideologically committed than his compatriots, to vouch for her."

"I have one other question," Kallen said testily. "We know understand why her Palace appears as it does, but how does any of that help us find a way past this room?"

"It's simple," Lelouch replied. He walked over to the shelves Arthur had been examining. "For Villetta, nobility is the only way forward."

Reaching out, he pulled the book labeled "Nobility" forward. A mechanism clicked, and the bookcase slid back and to the side, revealing a staircase behind it.

Lelouch grinned. "And so it must be for us, if we are to find our way to the center of her distortion, and hence her Treasure."

"Wow! That's amazing, Zero!" Milly grinned.

"Couldn't you have told us that from the start?" Kallen frowned.

"It's not just brawn and reflexes that brings victory, Queen," Lelouch grinned. "Understanding how your opponent thinks is just as, if not more important."

"Hey, look, I found something else!" Arthur called. He came over, holding a fragment of folded parchment in his mouth by the edges.

"It's a map of the castle!" Arthur grinned. "It's not complete, but it should help us plan out our infiltration!"

xXx

They found another at the top of the stairs beyond the bookcase passage. They took the opportunity to rest there, and unfurled the map that Arthur had found to find where exactly they were in the castle.

"It seems like we're about a third of the way to our target," Lelouch said. "We're here…." He moved his finger. "And the throne room is over there. How is everyone feeling?"

The thrill of the infiltration, of outsmarting his enemies, and knowing that each moment in battle could mean life or death, had filled him with adrenaline, and his Personas had supernaturally enhanced his once pitiful endurance, but even that had its limits. Though he tried not to show it in front of his team, fatigue had been slowly creeping up on him, and even the lengthy talk in the library hadn't fully relieved that sensation. If they fought too many more battles, it would certainly be followed by exhaustion.

"I can go further, if the rest of you are okay," Kallen replied.

"I could take a cat nap," Arthur yawned as he stretched out.

"If we push ourselves too hard, we could find ourselves at a disadvantage," Milly cautioned Kallen. "I think we've made good progress for today."

"It seems that we're directly above a courtyard," Lelouch said, pointing it out on his map. "Now that we know we won't be ambushed by Shadows here and sent plummeting to our deaths, we can run a rope through that window over there, and use it to scale the walls. That will let us bypass much of the castle and keep us from tiring ourselves fighting Shadows on the way here next time. It will also let us make a quick escape from the Metaverse now."

"Ooh, a shortcut! I like that," Milly smiled.

Lelouch nodded. "We'll make faster progress through the castle if we can avoid entanglements with Shadow Villetta's guards, so why don't we wait two days for our next infiltration and let Villetta settle into a false sense of security? I think that maintains a good balance between progressing through her Palace before our deadline, and making sure that she doesn't have so many guards on the upper levels that we get wiped out."

"That sounds reasonable…" Kallen murmured.

"Makes sense," Arthur said sleepily.

"I agree," Milly nodded.

"It appears to be a unanimous decision then," Lelouch announced. "Very well. We'll depart when everyone is ready."

xXx

The four thieves withdrew from the Metaverse, tired, but with their pockets, or a pouch in Arthur's case, filled with whatever loot they could easily carry and conceal. It was getting late as they emerged back in the real world, but fortunately there didn't seem to be any SSDF members on night watch nearby.

"Everyone, keep a low profile while you wait for our next infiltration," Lelouch told his allies. "Don't draw unwanted attention to yourselves, especially from Coach Nu."

They all nodded.

"Good. We'll meet in the same place next time. I'll see you all then."

xXx

"You're home late again, big brother," Nunnally said as he came back to his quarters in the Student Council Clubhouse. She frowned. "I heard Suzaku and Kallen are in trouble. They're saying Suzaku stole things, and that Kallen hit someone. It's not true, is it, Lelouch?"

So she knew about Suzaku and Kallen, but she didn't know of Coach Nu's plans to expose the 'Lamperouges' as legal fictions. That was a relief. He didn't want Nunnnally to have to worry about such things.

"I'm sure everything will be all right in the end," he told her. "The truth will come out." He would make sure that it did.

"You're not getting into trouble yourself again, are you?" she asked.

"Of course not, Nunnally," he lied.

He helped Nunnally into bed, and then retired to his own room. He didn't have the energy to do anything else today. But once again, he thought back to Igor's words.

If he was going to enhance his powers, the fastest way to do so would be strengthening his existing bonds, and finding new confidants corresponding to those Major Arcana that he was currently lacking.

That meant he was going to need to have more of a social life.

Somehow, that seemed far more difficult than infiltrating a Palace and fighting the hordes of Shadows within.

Days Until Kallen and Suzaku are Expelled: 11

A/N: The story still keeps flowing!

The incident Lelouch refers to of Milly trying to show herself off at their first meeting originates from one of the supplementary Code Geass Sound Episodes, "Meeting Milly."

"Nyan nyan" is the Japanese onomatopoeia for the sound cats make.

I thought I recalled reading somewhere that Milly had managed to break up with 31 suitors before Lloyd in Code Geass, somewhere in supplementary materials. I'm having trouble finding the source of this now, so maybe I'm remembering incorrectly, but we can be sure it's a high number, given that she's done it frequently enough that Clovisland has gained a bad reputation in canon for being a place where couples break up with each other.

The second half of the chapter had a lot of Lelouch talking. It is in his character to give grandiose speeches, though I've tried to break it up a bit more in the revisions to this chapter. Also, earlier I fixed some parts so that Kallen observes better gun safety.

Villetta specifically tells Jeremiah in one of the Sound Episodes that her lineage is different than his (e.g. not pure-blooded Britannian herself).

This is the first major chapter not to be directly named in a way that references an episode of Code Geass. I do not imagine that it will be the last, but most chapters will continue either to reference Code Geass or Persona 5 in their titles when possible.

But next up, some Confidants! As several reviewers have noted, having to build his bonds with others distinctly places Lelouch outside of his comfort zone. In spite of all of his similarities with P5's Joker, this is one of the key differences between them. But Lelouch will have to rise to the challenge if he is to defeat Britannia...