"I didn't expect you to leave me to occupy the center so easily," his opponent said curiously, gazing at him through her emerald green mask. "Most, with only an amateur knowledge of the game, would assume right now that you don't know what you're doing. Everyone knows that controlling the center is fundamental to chess strategy. But you don't need to occupy the center to control it. You're using a hypermodern approach, aren't you? You want to let me overextend myself, so that you can then undermine my position."
Lelouch didn't answer her, leaving his opponent only with the ticking of the chess clock, counting down the time that he had to make his next move. She was simply trying to unnerve him.
Of course, she had analyzed his strategy correctly. 'Hypermodern' was a bit of a misnomer these days, since that school of chess had originated nearly forty years ago, but it had largely developed in Europia, while Britannian nobles, stagnant and as self-assured in their own misplaced sense of superiority as always had largely ignored it. He usually preferred a more aggressive style, but he could still appreciate the hypermodern school and put its principles into effective practice. The mass of white pieces in the center of the board reminded him of Britannia's juggernaut, but it would soon fall to attacks from his black pieces on all sides.
There was another reason he had chosen a hypermodern opening to his game. One of hypermodernism's key strategies was prophylaxis, the positioning of one's pieces so that the moves an opponent could make without exposing themselves to a counterattack would be sharply restricted. From what he had glimpsed of his opponent's last match, she had employed an aggressive but orthodox approach, so his strategy was sure to frustrate her. If she was frustrated, she might make mistakes, and then her pride would demand a rematch.
But his opponent continued to play methodically. She actually was quite good. She wasn't quite at Schneizel's level, but she was at least as skilled as Leila.
"I hope you don't mind, but there's something I've been wondering about," the emerald-masked woman said as she considered her next move. "I just arrived from the Homeland a few days ago, but are these 'Black Knights' really enough of an issue here for His Highness to mention them in his speech? I know that they were involved in Prince Clovis' change of heart, but back in Pendragon, it seems that all anyone can talk about these days is the Glinda Knights."
Why would she just ask that out of the blue? The emerald-masked woman's tone was carefully managed to sound nonchalant, but Lelouch sensed that the question was carefully calculated, with a deeper motive behind it than the mere upper-class ennui than she would like him to believe it was. It was a trick his was intimately familiar with in his mask as Lelouch Lamperouge back at Ashford Academy, and so he picked up on it far more easily than others would.
She would likely lose interest in him if his answer was too safe, insofar as mainstream Britannian politics went, so he decided to make a calculated gamble of his own.
"Of course that's all they're talking about back in Pendragon. You saw what they did after Prince Schneizel's speech, when it was the Consul-General's turn to speak. All the cameras stopped rolling, because they didn't want the public to hear it. I would bet that the government has placed media restrictions on what can be reported on the Black Knights back in the Homeland. That alone shows that they consider the Black Knights to be a threat. But the stories manage to get out here, through unofficial channels." He had Diethard to thank for that.
"Like KnightWatch," the woman supplied.
"You're well-informed."
"I try to be. The truth is in short supply these days. It makes your honesty refreshing."
Lelouch laughed. "You would trust a man in a mask? I'm anything but honest."
The emerald-masked woman made her move. "Man is least himself when he talks in his own person..."
"Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth," Lelouch said, completing the quote. Oscar Wilde?
"It seemed fitting for the occasion and the company."
Lelouch chuckled in wry amusement. "Touché."
The match continued, but eventually it became clear that with the current state of the board, a stalemate would be the inevitable conclusion.
"Shall we call it a draw?" Lelouch asked.
His opponent frowned. "You were holding back, weren't you? That match didn't have to end in a stalemate. There was a point where, if you had gone on the offensive, you could have claimed victory. You had to have known that. So why didn't you?"
Lelouch smirked under his mask. He had her intrigued. Another objective was cleared.
"I admit it. Sometimes when one of my opponents thinks that they could have won, they'll be eager to agree to another match, thinking that they can win back their wager and then some. But I doubt you'd be interested in such a thing. Besides, you're too young to be gambling, are you? You said that you recently came over from the Homeland, didn't you. Judging from that, and your appearance, I'd guess that you're a student."
Annoyance flashed across the emerald-masked woman's eyes.
"Don't let him goad you," the blonde bodyguard said behind her.
"It's fine, Oz," the emerald-masked woman said. She returned her attention to Lelouch. "You've taken particular pains to hide your identity, moreso than most of the other guests here. You have something that you're trying to hide. Perhaps you're not old enough to be gambling either."
She was perceptive, and that made her dangerous, but she had let slip that her blonde bodyguard was called "Oz." He doubted that it was the blonde's real name, but it was at the very least a nickname. The emerald-masked had shown herself to be intelligent enough that it could have been a nickname she made up on the fly, but given that 'Oz' did not react with any sort of confusion, it was clearly one that she recognized.
"Still, nothing says that we have to bet money," the emerald-masked woman continued, a wicked tone entering her voice. "You want to play again? Fine. But if I win, you need to show me who you are underneath that mask. You remind me of someone, and I'm finding myself rather curious to see who you really are."
"I'll accept that challenge," Lelouch said smoothly, "if you're willing to do the same." The sense that he knew her was growing stronger by the moment.
"Deal," the emerald-masked woman replied.
"But why should those who didn't earn it share in the prize?" Lelouch added, glancing at the other nobles around them. He lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Why don't we find a place where just the two of us can have our match? Besides, isn't it harder to focus on the game with so many people around?"
"Oh my, I think he's hitting on you!" the blonde, Oz, said, raising a hand to her mouth.
"It's nothing of the sort," Lelouch replied, shaking his head.
"We'll see about that," the emerald-masked woman replied. "So where do you propose that we have our private match?"
"There should be some empty offices in the back where we won't be disturbed. It's common for deals to be made behind closed doors, so there must be a comfortable room or two for negotiations requiring a certain level privacy that will suit our purposes just fine." He neglected to say exactly whose office they would be breaking into.
"How will we get in?" she asked.
"Leave that to me," he replied, grinning under his mask.
"You sound so confident in yourself," the emerald-masked woman said. "Almost as if this is second nature to you."
"You might say that."
"Just don't try anything funny around Mar-," Oz started. She paused, and quickly corrected herself. "I mean, My Lady. I'll be keeping an eye on you."
The three of them took their leave of the chess tables and began to make their way further back, to a passage on the side that would lead around to the Consul-General's offices. At one point, Lelouch noticed that Suzaku starting to wander in their direction with Euphemia, but then Kaguya made a timely appearance, overwhelming her cousin with a show of exuberant delight at being able to see him again. Knowing Kaguya, Lelouch doubted that it was entirely an act, but from a slight glance that she made over her shoulder, he was sure that she knew exactly what she was doing.
On Lelouch's part, he used the Third Eye, one of his few gifts to work both in the real world and the Metaverse, narrowing his perception to focus only on pertinent aspects of his surroundings so that he would not be distracted by the constant swirls of colors and the sounds of the party as he made his way forward. Those who might take undue notice of his group stood out to him with the preternatural awareness of a thief, and he moved to avoid them without seeming that he was doing so.
Lelouch sensed that someone was rapidly approaching him from behind, their footsteps standing out to him over the noise of the dance floor. After a moment, he recognized the gait as one familiar to him. At the same time he felt hostile intent radiating from the approaching person, but it was not directed at him.
"Don't tell me that this is your 'Plan B'," he heard Kallen's voice hiss into his ear as she came up to his side, quietly enough so that the other two women wouldn't be able to hear her clearly. He could tell that she was glaring at the emerald-masked woman and Oz.
"It's not," he hissed back, keeping his voice low as well.
"Well don't think that you're going off on your own again. Haven't we talked about this before?"
"Did you forget your date while you were trying to have a fling with My Lady?" Oz asked innocently, though there was a slight smirk on her face as if to say, "Serves you right."
But at the same time, Oz's eyes were busy, moving to assess Kallen and if she posed a threat to her lady. While that would be a standard procedure for any bodyguard when faced with an unknown person in proximity to their principal, Lelouch sensed that something about Kallen had put Oz on guard. If Lelouch had to guess, it must have been subtle cues in the way that Kallen carried herself, which would appear innocuous to a casual observer but would signal to someone of a similar martial background that the redhead was not the harmless socialite that she was currently pretending to be.
"I already said, it's not like that at all," Lelouch replied. He was vaguely irritated that Oz was casting aspersions on his character, and she was more perceptive than he liked, but she wasn't wrong about his relationship with Kallen, the fact that he had technically come as Mrs. Stadtfeld's date notwithstanding. On the other hand, the misconception was an advantageous one, if it would keep Oz and the emerald-masked woman from suspecting his true motives.
The emerald-masked woman looked amused, and let out a light laugh. "You can relax, Oz. He's not going to be putting any moves on me... especially not with his girlfriend around." She turned back to Lelouch. "Is our chess match still on? I'll understand if you have to go, though I must say that I was looking forward to it."
When she spoke like how she had just addressed him, the emerald-masked women seemed to have much the same gentle demeanor that Euphemia did. She would merely appear to be a lovely young noble lady to the casual onlooker, but Lelouch had already caught glimpses of the sharp and devious mind that hid beneath her mask. Still, that she continued to remind him so much of Euphy was unsettling to Lelouch, and heightened his feeling of déjà vu, but he couldn't let it get to him.
Lelouch glanced at Kallen as if to seek her approval, though he knew that she would defer to him.
Kallen nodded. "Fine. But I'm going with you."
"I trust you have no objections?" Lelouch asked the emerald-masked woman.
"None at all," she replied. A devilish smile spread on her face, and for a moment Lelouch was sure that her eyes were lingering on Kallen. "This should be fun."
The four of them continued back toward the Consul-General's chambers, leaving the party behind them. The path was long and winding, reminding Lelouch very much of the labyrinthine nature of the Palaces. Just as that was a defense mechanism for Palace Rulers, he suspected that the corridors in the consulate had been deliberately constructed in that way, so as to confuse any intruders. It was a common design feature for restricted areas.
Still, thanks to Sayoko's infiltration and Nina's hacking, he had been able to obtain a complete blueprint of the consulate, which he had taken care to memorize before departing on his mission. They didn't have to worry about cameras, as Nina was in control of the consulate's security systems, which left premature discovery by guards as the main threat to their mission. There were fewer on patrol than one might expect, suggesting that his allies had continued to work behind the scenes to clear a path for them.
This wasn't to say that Sayoko was engaging in overt action. It would be problematic to say the least if someone was to discover a group of incapacitated guards tied up in a storeroom somewhere, as they would immediately raise the alert. Likewise, while Sayoko was highly skilled in silent methods of assassination for when she was behind enemy lines, she was under strict orders to only kill as a last result. There were times that killing couldn't be avoided, as in the case of Mao, Lelouch was aware that indiscriminate murder would very rapidly strain his relationships with his allies and further turn the public against the Black Knights.
No, the guards would be off investigating false, low-level alerts elsewhere in the consulate, as well as a number of inexplicable mechanical failures. It was the high-tech equivalent of tossing a stone to divert the guards' attention as one slipped by them.
None of that was to say that path was completely unguarded, but the patrols that remained could easily be avoided through judicious use of the Third Eye. With any luck, Sayoko would have succeeded unlocking Gao Hai's chambers for them as well.
"You seem to know where you're going," the emerald-masked woman remarked softly. "Have you been here before?"
"No," he replied smoothly. "I just have good intuition."
They didn't have much further to go before they reached Gao Hai's chambers, marked by a pair of large, ornate wooden doors, more richly decorated than the rest.
"I think this one will do," Lelouch said. "If its decoration is any indication, its amenities will be up to a higher standard than those of the other rooms."
He approached the doors. Just as he had planned, they had been unlocked. It would have been awkward, to say the least, if he was forced to pick the lock in front of the emerald-masked woman and her bodyguard. He did have a small, easily concealed lock pick on his person, plastic so that it could beat the metal detectors, but that came of the cost of being less durable and flexible, and really had been intended only as a last resort. But as always, Sayoko had done her job well.
With a grin, Lelouch pushed the doors open.
"I trust this will be a sufficiently secluded spot for our match?" he asked the emerald-masked woman.
"Yes, I believe it will," she replied.
The room was indeed lavishly furnished, decorated with artifacts from across the Chinese Federation, much like those that the Black Knights had seen in Gao Hai's Palace, though they didn't seem to be as haphazardly thrown about. That being said, the effect was still garish. Gao Hai was far more concerned with showcasing his wealth and power than the aesthetics or cultural value of the items he had displayed, as was to be expected of the Ruler of Greed. Gao Hai had obviously spared no expense in ensuring his own comfort. While that came at the expense of the Chinese people, Lelouch wasn't going to feel particularly guilty if he availed himself of the accommodations that Gao Hai had so generously, if unwittingly, provided.
Gao Hai conveniently had a chess table and set of his own, doubtlessly for entertaining Britannian officials, as Lelouch had suspected would be the case. Sayoko had been prepared to plant a chess set in Gao Hai's office for them, but clearly that hadn't been necessary. Gao Hai's chess table seemed especially well-crafted, and Lelouch had a sneaking suspicion that the High Eunuch may have had it commissioned specifically in a vain attempt to impress Prince Schneizel. In any case, it would do for his purposes as he sat down for a rematch with the emerald-masked woman.
The game was more intense than the last. His opponent had gotten a taste of his tactics, so he purposefully switched them and held nothing back this time. The emerald-masked woman wasn't as talkative as before, focused intently on the game. Meanwhile, Kallen stood behind him, keeping close watch on Oz, who did the same on the opposite side of the table, her eyes seeming to dare Kallen to make any sudden moves.
Still, everything was progressing well. Though his opponent was formidable, Lelouch was sure that he would be able to attain victory. He might even be able to conclude the game before anyone could find them. He supposed that any evidence of someone trespassing in the restricted area might change Gao Hai's cognition, but if Gao Hai could convince himself that the area was completely secure again, the path would close as quickly as it had opened. They needed a strong and lasting change to the High Eunuch's cognition.
At that moment, the door was thrown open as the High Eunuch and his guards barged into the room. It was a larger reception than Lelouch had expected. Something must have happened to put Gao Hai and his men on high alert.
Lelouch saw that Li Xingke was among the guards, standing just behind Gao Hai. Xingke's hand rested on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. Outwardly, the bodyguard was stone-faced, but Lelouch nonetheless had the impression that Xingke would have liked nothing better than to find an excuse to cut down Gao Hai where he stood. On the other hand, Xingke would likely do the same to them just as quickly if he became convinced that they were acting against the interests of the Chinese Federation.
"My, what is this?" Gao Hai asked, sounding scandalized as he raised a hand to his mouth. But as before, everything about the High Eunuch's manner was affected. Unsaid was the demand that they explain themselves quickly.
To Lelouch's surprise, the emerald-masked woman managed to speak up before him. "Is there something wrong with us playing chess?" she asked innocently.
"This is a restricted area!" Gao Hai huffed, though his high-pitched voice made him seem petulant. "My office in fact."
"Our apologies for the intrusion," Lelouch replied with all of the fake politeness that he could muster. "But the way here wasn't closed off in any way. How were we supposed to know that this was an off-limits area when not a single sign marked it as such? Even the door was unlocked when we got here." Inducing a little paranoia that he or his staff were carelessly leaving his office unlocked would prevent Gao Hai from too quickly convincing himself that he had secured his chambers once again. "We just wanted some privacy for our match, but we'll return to the party at once if your men would be kind enough to escort us back there."
There was no possibility that Xingke would recognize his voice, as he hadn't spoken back in their earlier encounter in the alleyway outside of the consulate. Xingke might recognize Kallen, but so far the Chinese bodyguard had remained silent.
"We received an anonymous tip that someone would be trying to break into my office," Gao Hai said, crossing his arms. "Are you thieves? Spies? Perhaps both? How unfortunate to have such an incident mar the occasion." Gao Hai made a restrained laugh, though it sounded more like he was giggling. "Of course, by treaty, this consulate is considered part of the sovereign territory of the Chinese Federation, so everyone here is subject to our - to the Empress's laws." Gao Hai giggled again. "Which means that you are all under arrest until we can figure out what you may or may not have been up to."
Damn! Lelouch had known that being arrested was a risk, but he had originally counted on Leila's rank and status helping him avoid such entanglements. It would only take him a moment to use the MetNav to escape into the Palace, where he and Kallen would have the advantage as Persona-users, but doing so in such a confined space would mean sucking everyone else in the room into the Metaverse with them. They'd have to kill Gao Hai and his guards to prevent them from spilling their identities. While Gao Hai definitely deserved to die for his crimes, that would also mean the failure of their mission, since they wouldn't be able to get close enough to change the heart another High Eunuch.
"Don't forget the emerald-masked woman and her bodyguard," Arsene's voice growled within him. "Though I cannot say I approve of murdering women in cold blood if it can be avoided... especially if they have done nothing wrong."
"Don't tell me that you're my conscience now, Arsene," Lelouch thought back. But he couldn't really argue with his other self. Deep down, he didn't really want to harm either of them. Come to think of it, the literary Arsene Lupin had made a point never to kill anyone. But his own Arsene was normally unrepentantly bloodthirsty. Had his desire for revenge twisted Arsene into the demon that he was now?
Lelouch dismissed that thought. It was no time for self-reflection. He could see that Kallen had reached the same conclusion as him, but from how she had adjusted her stance, she was still ready to fight. Oz was also ready, and had taken a step forward to place herself between the guards and her lady.
"That won't be necessary, Consul-General," the emerald-masked woman said, suddenly rising to everyone's surprise.
"Why would that be?" Gao Hai asked, sounding faintly amused, but he raised his hand, and his guards halted for a moment.
The emerald-masked woman glanced down at the chess board. "While I would like it if we could continue playing, I know when I've lost," she murmured. "The result is inevitable." With a graceful flick of her fingers, she deliberately tipped her king over, signaling her resignation from the game. "And so..."
The woman then raised her hands, first undoing her bun and letting her rosy hair fall, before removing her mask.
Lelouch felt himself go rigid. Once again, he was glad that no one could see his face beneath his mask.
"I am Princess Marrybell mel Britannia," the woman said firmly, "88th in line to the throne of the Holy Britannian Empire."
It had been years, but how had he not recognized her? Marrybell had grown of course, but so had Euphy, and he had immediately recognized his favorite half-sister. Euphy and Marrybell had been close to each other back in Pendragon, and even though they had different mothers, they almost could have passed as twins at a glance. It was only upon a closer look that the differences between them became obvious. Euphy's hair was a more vivid pink than Marrybell's, and Marrybell had a somewhat more rounded face and was slightly taller than Euphemia. He couldn't reasonably be expected to recognize all of his legions of half-siblings after so long, but besides Euphy and Cornelia, Marrybell had been one of the few to give a damn when he and Nunnally were exiled to Japan. He had more than enough reason to remember her, but it hadn't been enough.
Something else stood out to Lelouch in what his half-sister had just said, that she was 88th in line to the throne. Marrybell had once been of a much higher rank in the royal family, one near his own former rank as 17th in line to the throne. Now, she was just behind Nunnally's old position as the 87th in line. Such a large demotion in the standing of a member of the royal family only occurred as a punishment for a severe transgression, and the Emperor was the only person who could exact such a penalty upon them.
What exactly had Marrybell done to incur their father's displeasure?
Marrybell's voice returned him to their present situation.
"This is my knight, Oldrin Zevon," she said, gesturing to the blonde Knight whom she had previously called 'Oz'. She then turned to Lelouch and Kallen. "These two are under my protection as well. I invited them to join me for a match, so I'll see them out as well." She smiled sweetly. "If you still want to arrest them, I can't stop you, but please make sure that you arrest me as well. It wouldn't be fair if I was set free solely because of my position, when I'm the one responsible for them being here."
Marrybell was lying to protect them, despite not knowing who they really were. Lelouch was glad to see that she still seemed to be a good person at heart. And the way she had just put Gao Hai in a bind was not only brilliant, but a far surer guarantee that they would not be arrested after all than if Leila had been the one to accompany him. Disgraced as Marrybell may have been, she was still a Britannian princess. Arresting her would immediately create an international incident.
That would inevitably involve Schneizel, who was just rooms away, in his capacity as Britannia's Prime Minister, which would in turn lead to their discovery. But Gao Hai, who must have gone to great lengths to curry Schniezel's favor, would not risk jeopardizing that relationship by arresting the Second Prince's half-sister. If word of the incident got out, it would also incense the Britannian population, who, fed a regular media diet of racist propaganda as they were, would react violently to reports that a Chinese man had dared to lay hands on a royal princess. Even if Gao Hai were to let Marrybell and Oldrin go and arrest them anyway, there had to be doubt in the High Eunuch's mind. What if Princess Marrybell were to speak unfavorably about him to Prince Schneizel? It wouldn't be enough to stop the union of the Chinese Federation and Britannia, but it might just be enough to compromise Gao Hai's own position in the new order. Lelouch doubted it was a risk that Gao Hai would be willing to take.
"You..." Gao Hai said, his voice trembling with poorly concealed anger. The High Eunuch knew that he had been outmaneuvered.
"Is there a problem, Consul-General?" Marrybell asked, outwardly sweet as ever.
Gao Hai let out a giggle, plastering over his anger with an obsequious expression. "You should have said that you were coming to Area 11, Princess! We would have been all too happy to put you on the guest list! And if you want a private room, it would be my pleasure to set one aside for you. But we should talk first. I'm eager to know what brings you to Area 11, and if there is anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable. I may be a mere emissary of the Empress, but there are plenty of favors that I can call in across the Tokyo Settlement." He turned, and gave a nod to his guards. "Li Xingke will take care of your friends and see to it that they find their way back to where they belong. Do I make myself clear?" He asked, now speaking directly to Xingke.
Xingke nodded. "As you wish." Gao Hai's intent was all too clear, but his words were vague enough that Xingke could deliberately misinterpret them if he so wished, just as Gao Hai would be able to claim plausible deniability if something unfortunate were to happen to them in Xingke's care. Lelouch believed that Xingke had no real loyalty to Gao Hai, but how Xingke carried out his orders would show Lelouch if he had judged the man correctly, or if he had gravely erred.
"We thank you for your hospitality and understanding, Consul-General," Lelouch heard Marrybell say. But Lelouch also saw her give him a glance as if to tell him, "Good luck."
Just what was she playing at?
Lelouch let Xingke escort himself out of Gao Hai's office. Kallen hesitated, and Lelouch could tell that she too had grasped Gao Hai's intent. But she trusted him, and so after a moment, she followed his lead.
"Return to your posts," Xingke told the other guards soon after they had left Gao Hai's office. "I can deal with these two on my own."
"But sir-!," one of them protested.
"Do it," Xingke said. "I will take full responsibility for this."
Nodding quietly, the other guards dispersed.
"I thought I warned you and your friends earlier," Xingke said quietly to Kallen when the other guards were out of sight, still leading them through the consulate. He looked over to Lelouch. "And you may be masked now, but you were the young man who was with her there in that alleyway, were you not?. So what exactly are you trying to do?" He sounded genuinely curious.
At the same time, Lelouch could see that Xingke was busy reassessing the level of threat that they posed... but also, perhaps, how their plans might intersect with his own. Lelouch had spent too much time growing up in Pendragon and around Schneizel in particular not to recognize the carefully calculating nature of a skilled strategist in another. Alas, the nature of an opposing strategist's plans was not always readily apparent, sometimes until it was too late to counter them effectively, but in Xingke's case, Lelouch thought he could hazard a good guess as to what the man's likely motives were.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he heard Kallen say brusquely.
"Don't lie to me," Xingke replied, unamused. "You have a very distinctive look, young lady. But to compromise our security, send my men chasing after ghosts, and have not one but two imperial princesses in league with you... It appears that your group's influence knows no bounds... I underestimated it, honestly."
His eyes narrowed. "So I'll ask again: who exactly are you, and what are you trying to do?"
Kallen hesitated, and wordlessly glanced to Lelouch, waiting for him to take the lead.
Xingke's grip on his sword tightened. "I will have answers from you." Xingke turned back to Lelouch, looking directly into his colored contacts."
"But I should be asking you, shouldn't I? I can see how she defers to you. You're their leader, are you not?"
As in their earlier encounter, Xingke was quite perceptive, and with that, Lelouch found that, at the very least, he had to respect the man as a worthy adversary.
But perhaps Xingke didn't have to be their enemy.
Seeing how Xingke reacted to Gao Hai's distorted Cognition within the Palace would tell him all he needed to know if his impression of Xingke, as someone on the inside who might be willing to work with them to bring down the corrupt Consul-General, was correct. And if it wasn't, Xingke wouldn't be any match for them there without a Persona of his own.
With that in mind, Lelouch smirked. "Ask and you shall receive."
He activated the Metaverse Navigator, pulling Kallen and Xingke into the Palace with him. They appeared in an unfamiliar part of the Palace, but judging from the fact that it was more richly decorated than anything they had seen so far, Lelouch was certain that they had made it behind the Cognitive barrier.
At once, Kallen and himself were garbed in their thief attire instead of party wear. Xingke was of course startled by their transformation and that of the scenery around them, but he recovered quickly, recognizing that they had tricked him, and swiftly drew his blade.
Kallen may have been surprised by his decision to bring Xingke into the Metaverse with them, and he was sure that she would give him an earful about it later, but her reflexes were just as fast as Xingke's. "Persona!" she shouted, grasping her mask. Guren Jigoku appeared and intercepted Xingke's blade in its golden claws.
"Demon!" Xingke gasped. He freed his blade from Guren Jigoku's grip and leapt back, putting space between him and Kallen's Persona.
"Zero!" Lelouch heard Nunnally's voice call out. Turning, he saw the Irregulars and Arthur running over to help.
"Zero?" Xingke asked. "You mean that you're the Black Knights?!"
"And the Irregulars!" Dalque cheerfully piped up. "Go ahead and smash him, Queen!"
"Hmm hmm hmm!" a giggling, high-pitched voice suddenly echoed around them, one that Lelouch had already heard too many times for his liking. "It seems we have quite a party in here!"
Shadow Gao Hai appeared. He was wearing yellow robes, as before, but now they seemed to be shimmering gold. His headdress had been replaced with that of a Han emperor, resembling a mortarboard cap with twelve strands dangling from it, but instead of the traditional jade beads, there were golden coins. Like all Shadow selves, his eyes were a malevolent, glowing supernatural gold.
Following him was Cognitive Xingke, still a terracotta solider, and between them there was what appeared to be an animate porcelain doll. It was the size of a child, not even five feet tall, and wore an elaborate dress, painted mostly purple but with a light green blouse, with red trim and yellow straps. Its white hair was gathered into four strands that framed its face, two shorter ones in front and two longer ones in the back. The face was doll-like as well, with large, red eyes that made it look endearing, but also gave it the appearance of an albino.
"You!" Xingke snarled, seeing Shadow Gao Hai. "What is this place? And why are you wearing that? You dare mock her Highness by styling yourself as an Emperor?!" Xingke then noticed his Cognitive double. "Who-"
Shadow Gao Hai laughed again. "That's rude, Xingke! And what are you doing, waving a sword around like that in the presence of our guests? Or perhaps you're going to take care of them for me? Then by all means, please proceed."
Lelouch spoke up. "You're not in the 'real' world anymore, Xingke. We call this world the Metaverse. It's a place where the content of the human heart takes material form, allowing distorted desires to be stolen. That's why no one on the outside has been able to come up with a satisfactory explanation of how the Black Knights steal the hearts of their targets - the method has been supernatural from the start, and almost completely untraceable." He pointed at Shadow Gao Hai. "That's not the real Gao Hai either, but it is his Shadow, the living embodiment of all of his distorted desires, the ugly truth that he tries to hide from others. He sees himself as an Emperor, and the consulate as his Palace! That crumbling terracotta solider is what he thinks you are, Xingke!"
"Well of course," Shadow Gao Hai giggled. "Xingke's job is to serve me until the grave. He is quite skilled... but ultimately replaceable. It's not like he has much time left in this world anyway," Shadow Gao Hai said, frowning in mock sadness. "Such a dreadful disease," the Shadow continued, shaking its head. "I'm honestly surprised he's held on for so long."
As if to punctuate Shadow Gao Hai's remarks, Cognitive Xingke let out a loud cough, bits of terracotta violently breaking off of him.
"I serve the Empress, not you," Xingke said, glaring at Shadow Gao Hai. "That's true no matter what world I'm in!"
"But the Empress does whatever we, the High Eunuchs, tell her," Shadow Gao Hai said with a self-satisfied smile. "And so in turn, you serve us." He reached down to patronizingly pat the porcelain doll on its head. "Isn't she such a pretty, obedient little doll? She'll make for a lovely wedding photo with Crown Prince Odysseus, with all of China as a wedding present."
"Why, you traitor!" Xingke rushed at Shadow Gao Hai with his sword, but Cognitive Xingke moved just as quickly, blocking the strike.
"Oh, I'd be careful if I were you," Shadow Gao Hai said, having suddenly taken hold of the Cognitive Empress, tilting her to a side, as if threatening to drop and shatter her. "Like you, the Empress herself is expendable in the end. We can always arrange to find a new Empress if something were to happen to her, or if she isn't a good little doll for us. My Xingke here knows this. Don't you, Xingke?"
"Yes," Cognitive Xingke growled. His voice was filled with resentment, but also resignation.
"Still, I can't help but feel a bit sorry for her," Shadow Gao Hai said, affecting a pout. "To lose her parents at such a young age... the only ones there for her, protecting her from the horrors of the world outside, were her trusted advisors. Don't cry, little one. Don't worry your little head about affairs of state. It's all too much for one so young. We will take care of everything for you. Now just stay here, where it is safe, and know that the people love you."
"What a slime ball," Arthur grimaced.
"You took advantage of a young, grieving girl, manipulating her, all so you could pillage her country," Kallen seethed. "But that wasn't enough for you, was it? You just had to sell it out to Britannia too!"
"Well, we wouldn't have done away with her parents if we weren't planning to manipulate her," Shadow Gao Hai shrugged.
"What?!" Xingke asked, aghast.
"Really, Xingke, you're supposed to be quite smart, but you really come off as a bit dim sometimes," Shadow Gao Hai laughed. "Didn't it ever seem a bit too convenient that her parents died when they did? It's amazing how well the right drugs can mimic a wasting illness, or even death from a broken heart."
Xingke was trembling with fury, straining to force his way past his Cognitive double. "You swine! You murdered-"
"No Xingke, I didn't do it," Shadow Gao Hai said. "You wound me. Have you learned nothing from working under me? Do you really think I would dirty my own hands like that? It's so uncivilized. Besides, I was the most junior of the High Eunuchs, certainly not the one that our old Emperor and Empress would trust above all others. But I was rather proud of the idea." The Shadow's demeanor changed. "And what did I get for it?" the Shadow raged. "I was posted out here for my trouble! They wanted me out of the way. I was too smart for all of them. But they'll have to acknowledge me now. In just a little over two short weeks, I'll be a real Britannian nobleman, able to leave this worthless land behind!"
"You're absolutely despicable!" Nunnally shouted.
"What of the people you've been letting traffickers smuggle into your country?" Alice demanded. "The ones that are being sold to a group in the Taklamakan Desert?"
Shadow Gao Hai gave her a quizzical look. "Why would I know that?"
"What?" Alice asked in disbelief.
"Who cares about a few people who go missing here and there?" Shadow Gao Hai replied. "People are like ants, busy, multitudinous, and utterly insignificant when you happen to step on a few and grind them into the dirt. What matters is what they can do for me, and I do get a good cut of the profits from them." He giggled maniacally. "But perhaps you could think of them like the paper you wipe your bottoms with! Something that makes you more comfortable, but nothing that you would really care about, especially when it's dirty. Then it's only good for being thrown away!"
"You..." Alice was incensed, as were the other Irregulars, even Lucretia, who was normally quiet but now looked as if she could barely contain her anger.
"In any case, what are you going to do about it?" Shadow Gao Hai asked. "I know about that little coup you've been planning behind my back, Xingke. I've let you carry on with planning it since it keeps you busy, and it will make it so much easier so round up your co-conspirators in one swoop. I really should thank you, Xingke. And even if you were to succeed in killing me, then what? The other High Eunuchs will just deny everything, and you'll be executed as the traitor that you are. So it really is pointless to oppose me."
Lelouch laughed, starting softly but quickly gaining volume.
"What's so funny?" Shadow Gao Hai asked.
"You want to be a Britannian nobleman? You'd fit right in. A parasite, who knows nothing of noblesse oblige! We've dealt with your kind before, and we'll keep dealing with it until the current world has been destroyed and created anew. We, the Black Knights, and the Irregulars, will take your heart!"
"You're only thieves. There is no way that you could destroy the world, let alone topple a nation!"
Lelouch ignored him. "But what of you, Xingke? What are you going to do? If you act alone, your efforts are doomed to failure. You need allies. You need us. Otherwise, you'll never be able to save even one little girl, let alone your nation."
"Are you asking me to throw in my lot with thieves, and throw away my honor?"
"Xingke, let me ask you a question. What do you do when faced with an evil that you cannot defeat by just means? Do you stain your hands with evil to destroy evil? Or do you remain steadfastly just and righteous even if it means surrendering to evil?"
"It's a paradox. In any case, evil will remain. Do you merely offer wordplay?"
"Not at all. We commit evil to destroy the greater evil! So make your choice! Stand with us as an ally, an equal, and lead your people to freedom! Or surrender to evil and watch as the Empress, the Chinese Federation, and everyone it in are sold to and despoiled by Britannia!"
"That's right..." Xingke murmured. "I have a promise to keep..."
Suddenly, there was a pulse in the air and a gust of wind that threw Cognitive Xingke back, while the real Xingke fell to his knees, clutching his head in pain.
"Yes, you remember that promise that you made to her," a male voice echoed around him. "For what purpose was your life spared if you fail to act now? No matter what it takes, will you see that promise through?"
"Yes..." Xingke gasped.
"Then make this promise to me: I am thou... Thou art I... Fight with strength and strategy, and carve your way through the stars themselves if that is what it takes to steal back the Child of Heaven!"
Xingke let out a cry, and ripped off the mask that had appeared on his face, spraying blood over the Palace's floor.
Blue flames wrapped themselves around Xingke, and his clothes were replaced by a black uniform, consisting of robes embroidered in gold and armor that seemed to be made of a dragon's scales around the waist, lower arms, and shoulders. Above Xingke and bound to him by phantasmal blue chains was a bearded Chinese sage, holding a fan made of crane feathers.
"Zhuge Liang!" Xingke shouted. Lightning flashed from nowhere, smiting his double and shattering it into countless terracotta fragments.
"How uncouth!" Shadow Gao Hai gasped. But then a look of recognition crossed the Shadow's face. That uniform... Jinyiwei! How fitting of the murderous lapdog you are!" The Shadow giggled. "I think you need to think hard on your sins, Xingke! And perhaps you'd like a little sneak preview of our Empress' wedding? We can accomplish both at once! Priest, come here! Grant these thieves a merciful death!"
A horrible mockery of a clergyman appeared, a book in each of too many arms. Its mouth was stitched shut, its lower half emerged from a coffin, and a chained collar was around its neck, uncomfortably reminding Lelouch of Shirley's Shadow. A number of smaller coffins surrounded the Merciful Clergyman, acting like shields.
"Time for the Empress to say her vows!" It declared, its drawling voice sounding all too joyous at the prospect. "In sickness? Splendid! In health? Maaaagnificient! But first, thieves, prepare to meet your maker, for now you shall die!"
"The only thing meeting your maker is you!" Kallen shouted back. "Guren Jigoku!" Her Persona rushed forward, blasting the Merciful Clergyman with nuclear energy.
"Little sheep who flout God! I'll make you take your vows!" The Merciful Clergyman bellowed. "Vow to me that you won't strike!"
"I will not make that vow!" Kallen retorted as Guren Jigoku followed up with a slash to swat away one of the coffins.
"I will lead you, little sheep!" the Merciful Clergyman shouted. "Your divine punishment is death!"
The coffins rose and plummeted down, driving themselves into Kallen. She withstood the attack, but seemed dazed.
"Ugh! That took a lot out of me!"
"Glorious!" the Merciful Clergyman cried as it unleashed fierce winds to buffet the Black Knights and Irregulars. Arthur and Alice darted through the winds, even as they cut into them, and unleashed their own attacks against the Merciful Clergyman.
"Master Cat!"
"Bradamante!"
The Merciful Clergyman was damaged, but it still had plenty of fight left in it.
"Now it's time for repentance!" the Merciful Clergyman shouted over the din. Once again, the coffins surrounding it rose up, dive-bombing Arthur and Alice.
"Tama and Speed are down!" Lucretia cried.
"Don't you dare hurt them!" Nunnally shouted, her eyes turning yellow. "Get him, Zero!" Nunnally blinked, and her eyes were back to normal. "Don't worry! I'll take care of Speed and Tama!"
Nunnally pulled off her mask. "Unicorn!"
A brilliant creature, pure white except for its red eyes and its golden horn appeared over his little sister.
"Samarecarm!"
Healing energy converged on Alice. Despite taking what should have been a crippling, if not fatal blow from blunt force trauma just moments ago, she opened her eyes and seemed little worse for wear, ready to jump back into the fight. Hurriedly, Nunnally summoned her Persona again to revive Arthur.
Lelouch was relieved. It had been frightening enough when they had briefly lost Milly back in the Black King's Palace, but it seemed his little sister had Euphy's healing talents as well.
"It will counterattack if you don't abide by its vow!" He called out. "Try using magic!"
Ice crystals from Sancia struck the Merciful Clergyman, followed by fire from Dalque and lightning from Xingke. The Merciful Clergyman spasmed as the electricity ran through it, and collapsed in a heap on the floor.
"Its vow no longer holds any power!" Lucretia called.
"Commence an all-out attack!" Lelouch ordered.
The Black Knights and Irregulars rushed forward, pummeling the Merciful Clergyman.
Eventually rising above the fray, the Merciful Clergyman shouted, "Men! Women! Amen! You do not believe in the word of God? That is a SIN! Lost sheep, I tie you up! More vows! More penance!"
Unfortunately for the Merciful Clergyman, if it thought that the assembled thieves were going to stand there dumbly while it finished its speech and bound them against their will with more vows, it was dead wrong.
"Take-Minakata!" Lelouch called.
"Ame-no-Uzume!" Nunnally cried.
"Zhuge Liang!" Xingke shouted.
Three lightning bolts struck the Merciful Clergyman simultaneously, hobbling it once more.
"Did you hear the voice of God!?" The Merciful Clergyman begged. "Believe and you will be saved! If not, the sin is thine! It's too early to go to His side! Mercy is a virtue! Welcome the salvation of-"
The Merciful Clergyman was cut off as Xingke slashed through him, and vanished into dark wisps.
"Impossible..." Shadow Gao Hai gasped.
Xingke advanced, his blade still drawn. Now that his Persona was no longer active, Lelouch could see that Xingke's mask took on the visage of a black dragon.
"Xingke, there's no need to be so unfriendly," Shadow Gao Hai said, while backing up. "We can talk this through..."
"You can talk all you want in hell!" Xingke snarled, raising his blade.
"Wait! Stop!" Lelouch shouted in alarm. If Xingke killed Gao Hai's Shadow now...
Xingke hesitated for a fraction of a second, and that was all that Shadow Gao Hai needed, instantly teleporting elsewhere in his Palace.
"I've had enough of you crashing my party," Shadow Gao Hai's voice whined. "Guards, seize them!" At once, a flashing red ambience filled the Palace, signaling that it was on high alert.
"Why did you stop me?" Xingke asked.
"I don't have time to explain the details," Lelouch replied, "but suffice to say that killing the Shadow kills the real person. Changing Gao Hai's heart is pointless if he's dead, and simply killing him won't solve anything. Now we have to get out of here! Any minute now, this whole place will be swarming with more Shadows."
"So you know when to issue a tactical retreat," Xingke murmured. "You're an interesting one... Zero." He shook his head. "This could all well be some sort of psychotic break on my part. Another world... Shadows... magic... Personas... It's almost too incredible to believe." He reached up and felt his mask. "But it feels real enough." He gave Lelouch a piercing look. "You still owe me answers."
"You'll get them."
"Where shall I find you then?"
"Same place as last time."
"Very well." Xingke coughed several times, small flecks of blood staining the sides of his mouth. The fight had clearly taken its toll on him. "I will hold you to that, Zero, and to your promise of assistance. For as long as you continue to oppose Gao Hai, we shall have an alliance."
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 Emperor Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
shall lead to freedom and new power…
The Emperor... That Arcana referred to an established male authority figure, like a father, whose presence provided structure and discipline, while protecting those who depended on them. Xingke was just a soldier, rather than an Emperor himself, but his sincere desire to protect the young Empress of the Chinese Federation could not be denied, and he embodied many of the traits of a good leader.
Indeed, Lelouch found it a stark contrast to his own father. He supposed that Charles zi Britannia might represent the Reversed Emperor, a domineering figure who abused his power, was utterly inflexible, and remained emotionally distant from his offspring, even thinking nothing of abandoning them.
Fighting back the urge to scowl, Lelouch forced those thoughts from his mind. It was time to get back to the others, and make an exit from the consulate before the real Gao Hai could find them again.
xXx
When Lelouch returned to the real world, pandemonium was not what he expected to find in the consulate. Had Nina been forced to set off false alarms to cover his friends as they made their escape?
"Go!" Xingke told him. "I'll deal with this! And don't forget what you promised, Zero!"
Lelouch didn't need Xingke to tell him twice.
Pressing through the panicking crowd in the main hall, Lelouch heard fragments of fearful whispers from the other party-goers.
"Prince Schneizel was right!"
"A Black Knight here..."
"...Princess Euphemia..."
"What are they..."
"...Rounds are..."
"I hope she's..."
Lelouch felt a sudden dread grip him. Something had happened her, and it wasn't good. If anyone had harmed Euphy...!
"Everyone, calm down, and hear my words!" Schneizel's voice suddenly cut through the chaos, and the crowd fell silent.
"Thank you," the Second Prince said. "A few minutes ago, the unthinkable almost happened. Having scorned my offer to work together for a brighter future, a terrorist, believed to be a member of the Black Knights appeared and abducted my dear sister, Princess Euphemia. I, like many of you, feared the worst. However, I can now confirm that through the quick thinking and bravery of Sir Suzaku Kururugi, Princess Euphemia has been safely returned to us."
The crowd released a collective sigh of relief around them.
"Unfortunately, the cowardly thief who took her has escaped," Schneizel continued. "I scarcely have the words for this contemptible crime." Indeed, Schneizel, who rarely displayed emotional extremes, seemed to radiate cold, quiet fury. Whether it was real or affected for the benefit of the crowd, it seemed to have the desired effect, drawing them further into his spell. "My sister, Princess Euphemia, is one of the most kindest and most generous souls that you will ever meet, tirelessly working for all of the people of Area 11 in her capacities as the Sub-Viceroy. In targeting her, the Black Knights have put the lie once and for all to any claim that they are knights for justice. They are simply terrorists, and must be dealt with as such."
The crowd of nobles was now little more than a mob, roused and eager for blood, held in place only by Schneizel's silver tongue.
"But if we give into the base passions of mankind, that will only lead us to ruin," Schneizel said. "That is exactly what the Black Knights want. So while I hate to cut the festivities short, I'm sure that the Consul-General will agree that safety and security must take precedence. If you would please leave in an orderly manner, it will help us get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible. And know that no matter what they may try, nothing will stop us from realizing our destiny of a new and better world."
xXx
"You certainly took your time getting out of there," Mrs. Stadtfeld said, back at her manor. Shortly after Schneizel's announcement, she had seen him among the crowd, grabbed him by the arm, and dragged him away from the party with her. From how Kallen had reacted to her stepmother before and during the party, he knew that she wouldn't be happy with it, but the priority at the time had been getting out of the consulate. Besides, he had been so busy trying to work out the ramifications of what had just happened that he hadn't been able to mount any sort of effective resistance.
Mrs. Stadtfeld gave him a strange look. "That was a way to end the evening. I didn't expect that you would be trying to-"
"We weren't," Lelouch sighed. He likely wouldn't know the fully story until he had a chance to talk to his teammates, but none of it could mean anything good. "Whether it was Schneizel or another party, someone wanted to frame the Black Knights... and they succeeded."
Are the Black Knights Just?
Yes: 24.3%
Days Until the Empress is Married: 15
A/N:
Zhuge Liang, the famed military strategist and scholar of the Three Kingdoms period (which the depiction of the Chinese Federation in Code Geass is largely based on), reflecting Xingke's mix of strong martial abilities with great intelligence. Also known as the "Sleeping Dragon", which is reflected in Xingke's Thief suit. While anachronistic to the Three Kingdoms period, Jinyiwei were members of the Ming Dynasty's secret police, also known as the embroidered uniform guard. I think someone else used Zhuge Liang in another Code Geass x Persona 5 fan fiction, but for a different character, and I had already been planning to use Zhuge Liang for Xingke long before I ever came across that story.
Xingke's rebellion is somewhat different from the others in that he seeks to restore the rightful authority of his country, rather than trying to tear it down, as Lelouch wishes to do to Britannia. However, he nonetheless rebels against the High Eunuch's corruption.
Xingke is of the Emperor Arcana, as he is a male authority figure, who Lelouch canonically thought had the potential to become a leader for his country, and has a quite stern personality as well. His element defaulted to lightning, as Kallen was already the team's nuke user, but I felt that it can still work, as lightning often is associated with the divine, which connects in turn to Xingke's loyalty to the "Child of Heaven". As has been the pattern for other Persona users, Zhuge Liang resists its own element. As for it's weakness, Nuclear. Let's just say that the radiation isn't good for Xingke's already fragile health and leave it at that.
As several readers correctly predicted in the last chapter, the emerald-masked woman was none other than Princess Marrybell mel Britannia, accompanied by her Knight, Oldrin Zevon. Fans of Code Geass's spinoffs will remember which organization they both belonged to... But why is she in Area 11?
As a final note about the chapter, the Merciful Clergyman is originally a boss from Persona Q. While the context of its appearance is quite different here, I figured it was a good way for Shadow Gao Hai to twist the knife while taunting Xingke, and it coincidentally happened to be weak to electricity, which was a bonus.
Looking forward, the innermost Cognitive barrier has been breached. The Black Knights simply need to confirm the location of Gao Hai's Treasure within the Palace and then send a calling card at this point, but I do have a certain Confidant scene in mind before that happens. That said, I have been looking forward to writing the battle against Gao Hai's Shadow for quite some time... But of course, the Black Knights have plenty to deal with, especially as their enemies start to close in around them...