Rise of the Monarch

Author: Tenno Hikari

Fandom: Code Geass R2 (Sort of crossover with the webtoon Solo Leveling and the Destiny video game).

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Synopsis: Like shattered pieces of a mosaic falling into place, Lelouch remembers his death during the Black Rebellion and the strange rebirth that followed after. Zero has revived his rebellion against Britannia; fighting on the front lines and armed with terrifying new powers in replacement of his lost Geass. If the strong must conquer the weak for the sake of peace… then so be it.

Chapter Five

Julius almost dropped the black mask in his hands as the whole cavern began to sway.

It was strange; he hadn't recalled the boss actually hitting him in the head. Where had this vertigo come from? Bishop was saying… something to him, but he couldn't make out the words as a series of images started pouring into his brain.

The Guardian didn't even notice that the Dungeon had begun to disappear and his attire had returned to normal. He was once again standing outside in a human-populated city, but he hadn't paid attention to any of it. Instead, his eyes were wide and transfixed on the reel of pictures his brain was now running nonstop for him.

He saw… that he was surrounded by young men and women that were wearing similar uniforms, standing in lines at some indoor assembly. The boys' uniform was all black with gold-trim, save for a white long-sleeved undershirt; the girls' had yellow jackets and short black skirts. Both genders had the same symbol at the neck.

The scenery changes rapidly.

They now sat at tables as an adult lectured at the front or center of a room. From the windows, Julius sees them running around in a field. Sometimes they wear short-sleeved shirts and shorts while running and performing other physical activities. He saw them swimming in some strange indoor facility; diving off boards and into the clear blue waters below. Julius watched, unnoticed, sitting in groups while laughing and eating with one another.

What was this place?

It was large, but not as big as the city he had walked through not too long ago. It seemed much more private, with its iron gates that bordered the perimeter. Still there was plenty of land with many buildings that these young people frequented almost every day. It all looked so… peaceful.

Had this been his life before? Julius couldn't help but wonder. Was this a peaceful time before war had taken his life? He stood up, as many younger people passed him by, wearing casual clothes and chatted excitedly as they pointed to the different buildings. Were they new here as well?

The Hunter scanned around and saw a large banner hung on one of the buildings, he tried to read it, but Bishop kept yelling at him.

[WELCOME TO…]

"Julius, look out!"

Violet-eyes snapped out of their trance as he heard the sound of screaming before something struck him head-on. His world exploded into pain as his body was thrown backward. His body had might as well been a rag doll; limbs flailing as went flying through the air. His health went from full to 2 HP on impact, before he hit the ground head-first, and lost it all.

Then, Julius felt nothing as darkness overtook him.

[GUARDIAN DOWN]

Rivalz never thought he would ever regret not listening to Shirley. While deep down, he knew his friend meant well and was only looking out for him. But she was like the mother he tried to get away from. Shirley would always scold and call him out on his behavior and how he should act his age. She even tried to get Suzaku on her side, when she nagged him to stop cutting classes to go on illegal gambling matches.

He wished for once that he had listened. After the last match that he won, he couldn't help but feel as if someone were watching him while leaving the casino. He thought it was paranoia at first; he hadn't won a whole lot of money to raise the ire of a noble. It may have been just a truancy officer waiting to haul his butt back to school.

Then he caught sight of… something in the parking garage when he tried to leave. It might have been a person, he wasn't sure, but whatever it was had him hopping on his motorbike and taking off. Fear had fueled his desperation to flee and return to the Academy and hide in his room. He didn't care for a speeding ticket, as he turned into an unfamiliar part of town…

'What happened to the street lights? Is there a power out here? Or…' He thought to himself, as he drove straight into a person who was standing in the middle of the street.

The teenager stared in horror, as the body of a male went flying from the impact and colliding onto the ground several feet away. His heart stops as the motorbike came to a screeching halt. The smell of burned rubber coming off his tires filled his nostrils, as well as the sent of encroaching death. The blood drained from his face, and cold sweat poured down his face.

'Oh God!' he thought, wanting to throw up.

He had just killed a human being.

'This… this can't be happening!'

His life of seventeen care-free years was officially over.

His license would be revoked. He would get expelled from the Academy. He would probably go to prison. Milly would never speak to him again…

Rivalz swallowed back the bile in his throat as he buried his face in his shaking hands.

A small dark voice in his head told him to look around for witnesses. No one was screaming. There were no sirens of the police and paramedics coming this way. Maybe… maybe he ought to turn around and flee. He would take all his belongings and flee Area Eleven.

He would live life as a wanted man, and would never see Milly again.

Quickly, he banished those dark and deplorable thoughts, as he shakily got off his bike. Rivalz was going to be a legal adult soon. It was time he started acting like one by taking responsibility.

Rivalz stumbled his way over to the body that turned over on its own. Much to his relief, he saw the rise and fall of the other male's chest.

'H-He's alive!'

"H-Hold on!" he managed to croak before dropping to his knees beside him. The teen began to fumble through his pockets to find his cell phone. "You're going to be okay! I'll call an ambulance and…"

He was cut off by the sound of his horrified scream, as a pale hand should up and grabbed his wrist. Rivalz' wide and terrified brown eyes looked down to see violet irises staring back up at him with complete calm despite the blood covering his face.

"Take me to your school."

There was no way he heard that right. Rivalz stared dumbfounded as the boy – who had been hit by a speeding motorbike and flew several feet in the air – move to sit up. He gaped, as the other wiped some of the blood off his face before staring back at him expectantly.

"Y-You mean hospital right?!" he squeaked.

The hand holding his shaking wrist had released it, and Rivalz felt fingers tap at his throat.

"Wha…?"

"Ashford Academy," the boy said calmly while tapping on the school's symbol that was embroidered onto the neck of his school uniform, "Now."

[Hey pizza girl, don't be a Tamaki and take it easy on our funds. I'll be back in a week.]

C.C. stared from Kallen and wondered if she should have followed the redhead to Kobe. She wasn't worried. The pilot of the Gurren could take care of herself.

Perhaps she would rather be out and about, instead of stuck in their safe house all day. Every now and then she lent a hand to help Urabe, who was temporarily in charge of the Order. But she still felt restless, as Marianne's words haunted her even after blocking the other woman from her mind.

While the remnants of the Black Knights went to work of strengthening their forces, C.C. mulled over her last conversation with her previous contractor. It wasn't like Marianne to ever lie to her. However, she knew more than anyone else how time and desperation could change a person.

Once more, she sought out her connection to Lelouch, and once more felt nothing but bitter disappointment. C.C. hadn't even felt him die, as she was long dead being crushed by the pressure of ocean with her fight against the crazed Jeremiah Gottwald. Still, she hoped to feel something, as she did somehow with the boy's mother, as Marianne herself had been dead for several years.

She thought of returning to Kamine Island; the last place Lelouch had been seen alive. If Charles and Marianne had wanted to spring a trap for her, it would most likely be there. Still, it might be worth the risk if she could have found out the fate of her contractor. Dead or alive, she needed to know the truth.

"Why am I even doubting what could be the obvious truth?" she wondered quietly.

Kallen had been a witness to the standoff between Lelouch and Suzaku before fleeing the cave. Suzaku was promoted to the Knight of Seven for shooting Zero. She couldn't feel a connection with her contractor in several weeks.

Lelouch vi Britannia was dead, and that was that. There was nothing for her here but traps set out by former allies. She couldn't bring herself to have Kallen take Lelouch's place after everything that had happened. But perhaps she should leave Area Eleven and search for another potential contractor who could grant her greatest wish…

Then it hit her.

Not an epiphany of any sort, rather than that familiar motorbike.

'What..?'

Urabe and many of the Black Knights turned in shock to see Zero's aide collapsed from the chair she was leaning on. Immediately, the former was on his feet and was at the seemingly younger woman's side. Golden blinked at him unseeingly and Urabe began to worry when she didn't respond to him calling out to her several times.

He was about to call for a medic when she suddenly sat up – startling everyone in the room - before grabbing at her forehead and groaning.

"C.C.?" Urabe asked with growing concern.

"Ashford," she mumbled under her breath that he almost hadn't heard her. "Ashford Academy."

"So my name's Rivalz. Rivalz Cardemonde. What's yours?"

"That's nice."

"That's not even funny, man."

Julius continued to stare at the passing buildings from beneath the motorbike helmet while lounging in the sidecar. He wished the ride was a quiet one, and every so often his driver would nervously glance back down at him and tried to make friendly conversation. While he wanted to reassure the other boy that he was fine, a part of him was still upset to have died so soon after the dungeon had disappeared.

'It's your own fault for not paying attention, you know.'

Of course, it was. Bishop had tried to warn him, but he hadn't been able to hear her as images poured through his head and dulled his other senses.

'What exactly were you daydreaming about?'

'I wasn't daydreaming. I guess you couldn't see it.'

'See what?'

Julius frowned as he glanced up at the symbol on the other teenager's uniform. His driver's eyes were thankfully on the road. 'I think I saw a place I knew. A place where I might have lived… I think clearing the dungeon had returned some of my past memories to me.'

'Really?' Bishop sounded intrigued. 'What did you see?'

'A school, the one this guy is taking us to. I think I may have been a student there.'

'I see… but wait, Julius. You're dead! At least, you would be dead to the people who knew you.'

She had a point. Julius didn't even know who he really was. Clearing the Dungeon had clearly given him a hint, which provided more questions then they did answers. It would be helpful if someone at the school knew him, but then what? He was dead to the world; he couldn't really go back to that life that was left behind.

Could he?

"Well, here we are," his driver spoke up after a long silence.

Ashford looked every bit a prestigious academy in real life than it did in his visions. It looked like a small town of its own, and mostly the residents he caught glimpses of, wear those familiar uniforms. There weren't too many people around; perhaps classes were still in session?

Julius didn't even wait for Rivalz to turn off the engine as he parked, and he definitely surprised the other boy by jumping out of the sidecar.

"Um…" Rivalz began, following him as he removed his driving gloves. "Maybe we should go see a doctor? There's one on campus."

"What for?"

The shorter boy stared up at him in disbelief.

"What do you mean 'what for'?!" Rivalz squawked before throwing his hands in the air. "Argh, nevermind! Let's just head inside before security guards catch us!"

Julius didn't protest as the other dragged him away from the motorbike and towards one of the large buildings. The mention of guards put him on edge, and he remembered the warning he received not too long ago but drawing the attention of the law enforcement. He had just recently revived, so it wasn't wise to start a fight too soon.

He followed Rivalz without question as they navigated the hallways, hurried up three flights of stairs and finally reached a door at the end of a hallway. His guide hurriedly pushed him inside and locked the door behind them. Now alone, the teen yanked off his helmet and wiped the sweat from his brow, before collapsing onto one of the two beds in the room.

"Do you live here?" he asked while still looking around.

One side of the room, the one that Rivalz occupied, appeared messy with motorbike magazines, clothes, and paper on the floor. While the opposite side of the room looked sparse in comparison. He half-turned to see the other boy swear under his breath before darting towards one of the side doors and retrieving a white case.

"Yeah, this is my door room. Have a seat on the bed over there. You may not want to see a doctor, but we should take a look at your wound."

Julius wordlessly complied before pulling off the bike helmet he had been wearing. He felt fine, even if his black hair was matted with dry blood and it stuck to his face. Rivalz winced as he opened the white case he was carrying with trembling hands and pulled out a strongly scented white cloth.

"This might sting a little," the boy warned.

The Hunter didn't understand how something so small and delicate could hurt him, but braced himself anyway. It didn't feel like the electric shocks coming from a Vandal's long rifle, in fact, it didn't feel unpleasant at all. As Rivalz gently wiped his face he understood why, as the boy stared at him with utter confusion.

"H-How?" he whispered. "I hit you and you went flying… you hit the pavement face first. Your forehead was all cut up… and… and now…W-What are you?!"

Julius tentatively touched his face, feeling only smooth skin that had bled open not too long ago. He sighed quietly, not sure how to explain his whole situation. So he decided to have his Ghost do it instead.

"Gah!" Rivalz's wide eye stare was now torn between Julius and the small robotic drone that appeared out of nowhere.

"Hello, My name is Bishop," his Ghost chirped with a warm and friendly voice, "And this is my Guardian, Julius Kingsly. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

"Eruhuhwah?" was Rivalz's unintelligible response.

"Hmm… this might take a while."

Nodding his head, Julius reached out to take the white cloth from the other boy's slackened grasp and proceed to clean the rest of his face. He half-listened to Bishop's story, watching as Rivalz pinch himself a couple of times throughout. She neglected to tell the other boy of the murderous alien species living in what was another reality. It was hard enough for the normal human boy to accept the whole immortality part coming from a drone.

Once he didn't feel the stickiness of blood over his face, Julius stood up and approached the door they entered from.

"Wait! Where are you going?!"

Julius blinked as Rivalz shot up and rushed over, putting a hand on the door in an attempt to block him.

"Look, I kinda get your whole goal now is to explore Ashford and get your memories back, but you can't just go outside!"

"Why not?"

"Well…" the other young man made a gesture towards Julius' attire. "You're not exactly dressed as a student here. In fact, you look like you just walked away from an accident."

"I did."

"Look, just go use the bathroom. You can use the shower in there and I'll bring you some new clothes."

He didn't have a chance to protest, as his host all but shoved him into a small cramped room before flipping on a light switch.

"Bishop?"

"Yes, Julius?" his Ghost asked as she phased right through the door, outside they could hear their host yelp in surprise.

"How do I use this… shower?"

"You lost sight of him?"

"I apologize, my lady. One of our agents must have gotten too close and scared Cardemonde off."

It had only been thirty-minutes since Baroness Villetta Nu had stepped off the plane and set foot once again in Area Eleven, and she was already irritated. Not even out of the airport yet, she had received a call from one of her OSI subordinates at Ashford.

They had been orders by the Knight of Seven, whom she grudgingly had to accept as her superior, to watch out and protect the members of the Student Council. That included that insufferable girl, Shirley Finette. It was because of that naïve girl, her plans to turn in Zero had failed, and because of her she had lost her memories and ended up… fornicating, with one of Zero's Black Knights of all Elevens.

Thinking of Kaname Ohgi, gave her a headache, so she quickly took some acetaminophen out of her purse and swallowed it quickly. How lucky she was that no one of importance had known how low she had fallen. Soon, Ohgi himself would be executed alongside his terrorist faction, and that would be the end.

Ignoring the ache in her chest, she quickly stepped into the car waiting for her and quickly pulled out her file regarding the Ashford Academy student council.

"According to our records, the primary target has never made contact with Cardemonde. Is that correct?"

"Yes, my lady. While the target resided near the Student Council clubhouse, there seems to be no interaction between her and the students of the Academy."

"None that we are aware of…"

"Yes, Baroness. However, his Majesty himself had questioned them himself before his departure to the homeland."

Villetta suppressed a shudder.

As a high-ranked member within the Office of Secret Intelligence, she had come to discover that Lelouch vi Britannia was not the only member of the Royal Family who possessed a Geass. She wondered if C.C. herself had bestowed such an unholy gift to Charles zi Britannia, as she had done with his son. Or were there other immortals out there?

She really didn't want to think about it as she glanced over Rivalz Cardemonde's profile. The seventeen-year-old was the secretary of the Student Council and worked part-time as a waiter. It seemed even without his partner in crime, Cardemonde still ditched school to gamble illegally… which didn't matter for the OSI. They were there to capture an immortal not to play the role of truant officers.

"Baroness Nu, we've just received a report that Cardemonde has returned to the campus. He's accompanied by another."

So the teenager was picking someone up.

"Is it C.C.?"

Doubtful, but she couldn't help but ask.

"Negative. The newcomer is male. Identity unknown; he's not wearing the Ashford uniform."

He was probably picking up a classmate or a friend from the Settlement.

This whole conversation was pointless.

"Stop tracking Cardemonde. If the Knight of Seven wishes for us to waste resources looking after his little friends, then focus on the Ashford Heir and that Finette girl."

"Understood."

Many scalding and freezing shocks later, Julius was finally clean of the grime, blood, and sweat that he had accumulated from the Dungeon. After toweling himself dry, he stepped out to see clean clothes that had been laid out for him. It was a boy's uniform, and with it, he should be able to walk around campus unnoticed.

Sitting on the adjacent bed, Rivalz had switched on his television and was now flipping anxiously through the News channels. Bishop was hovering beside the blue-haired teen before she turned her attention towards him.

"Rivalz was kind enough to loan you some new clothes. So hurry up and get dressed," she urged him before turning to their host. "Rest assured, there have no news reports of your vehicular manslaughter."

"Geez, when you put it like that, how can I not?" the teen groaned before looking over at Julius. "Those are my roommate's clothes. I think they'll fit you. He isn't coming back to Ashford any time soon. So feel free to wear whatever you like."

Julius blinked; he hadn't been expecting such generosity.

"Thanks, Rivalz…I appreciate what you've done to help me."

When there was no reply, Julius glanced over at the teenager as he finished putting his coat and shoes on.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, "Is there still blood on my face?"

The Hunter was fairly sure his face was clean the last time he checked the bathroom mirror.

Their host seemed to break free from his trance and quickly shook his head.

"For a moment, you just seemed kind of familiar, but I think I would remember you. Maybe you transferred out of the Academy early in your first year?"

Rivalz reached up to rub at his temples as he tried to search for a teenager with black hair and violet eyes in his memory. Violet eyes were a rare trait. Almost no one but royalty possessed them.

"Then do you think there would be a file of me somewhere?"

Rivalz slapped his forehead. "Gah, I'm so dumb! Of course, we should head over to Student Records."

He quickly switched off the TV to put his shoes back on before bounding over to the other boy's side.

"Um, it's probably a good idea if you stay hidden, Bishop," Rivalz advised the little Ghost who trailed along. "You would definitely draw a lot of attention."

If immortals were rare, then so was little flying robotic drones.

"Sure, I'll keep myself hidden. But Julius," Bishop pointedly stare at her Guardian. "Don't let your guard down again! I don't think I'll be able to revive you in public without causing a scene."

After her warning, she vanished from existence, which made Rivalz fan the space she was just in.

"I'm kind of jealous," he admitted. "I want my own Ghost sidekick now."

Julius raised an eyebrow at that remark.

"Are you sure? That would require you dying."

"Ha..ha…ha…" Rivalz laughed humorlessly while rubbing the back of his head while opening the door. "I think I'll pass."

End Chapter 5

Author's Note:

So both in D1 and D2, I have been struck multiple times by Hive Knight Sword Bearers and head-shotted by Hobgoblins, and still lived, but get one-shotted by teammates on their sparrows, even one time in a safe-zone. Go figure.

Thank you all for the follows and the review... please keep them coming!

Review Responses

Vampirelord101 – Thank you so much for your praise, it means a lot! To answer your question: No, Lelouch isn't in a simulation. He is in the Code Geass world (between R1 and R2), so what we could call a pre-Golden Age. However, the Dungeons themselves are not of the Code Geass world and maybe a doorway to any time or place within the Destiny or Solo Leveling worlds

Hamosuke12 – Initially, I planned on making this a Code Geass and only Solo Leveling crossover. However, I didn't want to give him the exact same dungeon enemies and abilities as Sung Jin-Woo. Then I remembered how often Lelouch called himself a 'Warlock' and that's how I decided to include the Destiny universe. Ironically, Lelouch didn't get the Warlock subclass.

Nexusknight2 - I also like the Season of Arrivals hunter armor (even though the cloak looks strange without an ornament), so he will be getting different armor sets and ornaments as he levels up. Because the world of Code Geass would be a pre-Golden Age era, Lelouch won't be working alongside Guardians in it. However, the Dungeons are another matter.

Error404-J – As of now, Lelouch is our lone Guardian in this story. But there will be other note able Guardians in the Destiny Universe that will make appearances.

Dragon Lord Syed – Oh our hero can definitely die, he just refuses to stay dead. The training still isn't done yet and will resume in the next chapter. About Suzaku, he is definitely darker just like was in R2, maybe more so because he actually killed his best friend.

PKD - Nope, sorry. I'm pairing Lelouch up with all the guys, starting with Guilford and ending with a harem of the Glaston Knight brothers… and I'm going to stop there before it becomes a work-in-progress. At this point, I'm not considering any pairings as I want to focus on Lelouch's journey to becoming something more than just a Guardian. Though in the canon, I did find myself liking Lelouch x Kallen more than Lelouch x CC. Of all the ships, I liked Lelouch x Shirley the least.