I do not own Code Geass. I only own any original characters created by me.

~ ~ ~ AVE IMPERATOR ~ ~ ~

~ Chapter 5: War Anthem ~

[Mount Fuji (Sakuradite Mines) – 23rd August 2018 a.t.b.]

Kaguya was silent as she watched the huge tanks filled with a bright pink liquid in front of her. Each of those tanks could hold several hundred liters, and they were all full to the brim. In military terms, all that fuel could have powered all Black Knights machines for many months. There was only one problem.

The liquid contained in the tanks was not Sakuradite.

"What am I looking at?"

A man wearing a white coat approached her, nervously observing the documents in his hand "About that...this is...um...jelly, Lady Sumeragi."

"Jelly."

"Y-Yes, jelly...from the tests we have conducted it seems to be jelly to which colorants and strong chemical reagents have been added to make it shine like Sakuradite." explained the man, reading again the documents "All the tanks are full of jelly and it seems that all the veins of Sakuradite in the mines have been looted recently...those known and functional at least."

"I see."

Her voice was not filled with anger or disappointment, nor sadness or surprise. She was completely calm and this frightened the scientist who took a few steps back, returning to the various Black Knights that had accompanied Kaguya. Among them, Kallen was doing everything not to burst out laughing.

They had devised an 'ingenious' plan to liberate Japan, the plan had been a success and in the end they were left without a drop of Sakuradite, because Lelouch had always been one step ahead of them. The increasingly less frequent patrols in the city, the repatriation of all those wounded soldiers, the fact that all the soldiers remaining in Japan had taken so little time to leave without even trying to fight...it was all clear.

'Lelouch was waiting for us...' thought the redhead 'Hell, he probably also predicted that Schneizel would give us that information...'

"Lady Sumeragi." Tohdoh took a step toward her "This is a great crisis for the whole of Japan. It will take several days, perhaps weeks, to find other veins so loaded with Sakuradite. In addition, the Black Knights stocks can last a month or more if we don't fight with Britannia...otherwise I think it could last for a couple of weeks."

The young politician remained silent for several seconds before sighing "Guess we have no choice..."

Everyone was confused to see her walking towards the exit, until it was Tohdoh who asked her "Lady Sumeragi, where are you going?"

"Right now, the U.F.N. doesn't have stocks of Sakuradite large enough to sustain a war. The mines in China are large, but even those pale in comparison with the size of the Japanese mines and, as you said, it will take time before new veins are discovered." said Kaguya, slowing down just to look at him "I don't like it, but I'll try to make a ceasefire pact with Britannia since we're still at war with them."

"That's exactly what Lelouch wants!" said Ohgi stepping forward "Certainly he will ask for something in exchange for the ceasefire and, just to free Japan, he wanted all our Knightmare plus the Ikaruga!"

"I know, but if Lelouch were to decide to wage a friction war, it would be a sure defeat for us." replied Kaguya with a calm voice "The only alternative would be that his attention was directed elsewhere."

"What about Schneizel?" everyone turned to Kallen as she spoke those words "I mean...what was the reason for Schneizel to free Japan? Perhaps he will also want something in return, but right now I don't see a big advantage for him in leaving Japan to us, especially when Lelouch hasn't lost a single soldier."

The other Black Knights seemed to think of her words until Xingke said "Schneizel always has a goal in mind, and he would never do anything without a reason. The fact that he gave us that information could mean he wanted to draw Lelouch's attention to us, perhaps with a new conflict here in Japan."

"But why?" asked Tamaki with a confused face "That bastard is not here in Japan so why would he want a new conflict here?"

"Because, as Xingke said, he wants to get Lelouch's attention away from him...most likely to gain precious time." said Kaguya with narrowed eyes "He is plotting something, and if Lelouch decides to start looking for him, Schneizel's plans would risk being ruined."

"If that was his real reason then he is likely to have a contingency plan." added Tohdoh "Lelouch knows the military power of the Black Knights well and could even win if he used all available resources, but he managed to withdraw all his troops from Japan, effectively leaving the victory to us, but taking away a great amount of Sakuradite. Schneizel must have foreseen such a result and therefore must have another trick up his sleeve."

"The E.U." whispered Kaguya, catching their attention "I was able to talk to the representatives of different nations who broke away from the E.U. to join the U.F.N. and they told me that there are many who want revenge against Britannia, even at the cost of a new war. With Charles dead and a new, young and inexperienced emperor on the throne, many politicians could try to start a new war in Europia to win it back."

"And someone like Schneizel could use their wishes to his advantage..." said Xingke "He could reach the point of supporting them from the shadows in order to make the new war last, so that he can then act undisturbed."

"You are telling me that blond bastard would start a war here in Japan and in Europia so as not to be discovered by Lelouch?!" shouted Tamaki looking at all of them "What the hell is plotting?!"

"And that's our million pounds question." said Rakshata with an amused voice.

None of the others seemed to second her amusement, because none of them had an answer to that question.

[Toromo Agency's Base (Argentine) – 23rd August 2018 a.t.b.]

"I see. Lelouch has chosen the lesser of two evils but still managed to take something away." said Schneizel while reading a report.

At his side, Kanon nodded "Apparently he took advantage of the 'calm' moment in Japan to boost Sakuradite's excavation on all the islands before loading as much as he could on the various Britannian oil-tankers he had available."

"A very smart move. If the numbers I read here are not an exaggeration, Britannia will not end its supply of Sakuradite for a long time, even with a new war about to start." to be honest, Schneizel was a little disappointed with his little brother's choice. The idea of taking Sakuradite and leaving Japan had been excellent, but the White King would have preferred Lelouch to have tried to hold out a little "Now Japan will probably become part of the U.F.N. and I doubt they will try to fight against Britannia, especially now that they don't have much Sakuradite."

"This leaves the E.U. as the only way to distract Lelouch." said Kanon while serving him a cup of tea.

"Pretty much. Obviously we will also do something to make this war on more fronts last as long as possible, but if I know my brother well, he will be able to win in Europia within a year." Schneizel looked at the map displayed on his computer "Even at the cost of letting us keep the south of the motherland, Lelouch will try to suppress what's left of the E.U. and then focus on us."

"What about the Knights of the Round?" asked Kanon with a raised eyebrow "Once he receives reports of their battles, Lelouch will try to stop them too. Leaving the central zone of the motherland without defenses would be a grave error on his part."

Schneizel showed a small smile "Oh no, on the contrary, he will use the central area to build an unprecedented defense." he pointed at the screen "Costa Rica, a place like any other but not very big, perfect for placing large numbers of soldiers to stop all kinds of invasion by land. In addition, there are several ports that could counter an invasion by sea, and I am aware of many anti-aircraft defenses that would also cause problems for our airships."

"So...a war of attrition?"

"More or less. Once conquered the southern area of the motherland, we will stop conquering territories, or at least we will advance very slowly, without even committing ourselves to duty, giving Lelouch the feeling that his defense is working." explained Schneizel "I will also leave some of the Rounds on the front lines so as to force him to leave his troops in defense, when in reality the real plan will be to complete Damocles while he is busy playing the war."

"I see, an ingenious plan." nodded Kanon with a smile.

After sipping his tea, Schneizel looked at his subordinate "What about Nunnally?"

Kanon sighed "She refuses to eat as usual. Only when Cornelia is with her does she eat something, otherwise we must sedate her and nourish her through an intravenous injection."

"Mh...after Lelouch and Euphemia, Cornelia is the sister to whom she cares most, but unfortunately Cornelia has already left for her mission and will not return for several days. Keep Nunnally under sedation and observation until my sister returns." ordered Schneizel and, after a brief nod, Kanon left the room.

The blond prince pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment. When they had recovered Nunnally, who had miraculously escaped the explosion of the F.L.E.I.J.A., Schneizel had hoped to be able to use her against Lelouch as a last resort, however the young vi Britannia refused to betray her blood brother and continued to hope that he would come to save her.

'After talking to her about the Geass I was hoping she had changed her mind, but it seems that mine was a way too optimistic wish, and when Cornelia gave her a chance to listen to the radio, Nunnally learned about the good works performed by Lelouch.' he looked back at the computer 'A small mistake on our side, but I hope this will not cause problems later. I really want to avoid having to use her as a hostage.'

Unbeknownst to him, a small mechanical spider with a bright red eye moved away from the grid that covered the air duct.

A satisfied grin on the face of the person who was controlling it.

[Pendragon (Royal Palace) – 23rd August 2018 a.t.b.]

Lelouch smiled as the various commanders he had called from Japan were kneeling in front of him in the throne room, head down in respect. They had recently returned to Pendragon after successfully escorting all the oil-tankers loaded with Sakuradite. It was one of those moments when he was particularly happy that his plan had been successful.

"You have all done well, all that Sakuradite is now safe in our hands and we can use it to the fullest to ensure that our army does not remain without resources." said Lelouch before raising one hand "You are all dismissed, you deserve a week's leave to be with your families. Should the situation degenerate, you will be called back into service, but until then you can enjoy the deserved rest."

The various commanders thanked him before getting up and move towards the door, but Lelouch asked Bianca to stay.

"Your Majesty?" asked the girl looking at him.

"I'd like to talk to you in private, Lady Frost." said Lelouch gesturing toward a side door "Please, follow me."

Bianca remained silent but then followed him as requested, and within seconds they found themselves walking down a corridor with Jeremiah just behind them.

"Do you know why I only asked you to stay behind?" asked Lelouch without looking at her.

"The only thing that comes to mind, Your Majesty, is because I did or said something that caught your interest."

"Precisely. You were not the only one to be contacted before the Black Knights attack. I personally called all the commanders who were with you in the throne room, but only you asked why." he sighed for a moment "The others simply accepted my orders and executed them to the letter. Don't get me wrong, I love when orders run smoothly, but I don't need soldiers with no will...I've seen too many of them." after a few seconds of silence, he added "Especially for the new Knights of the Round."

Now that made her lose her calm and controlled expression for a moment. Bianca stared at him with incredulous eyes "Your Majesty...?"

"I've read your file, Lady Frost. You are one of the few who enrolled in the academy for Knights of the Round designed by my father. If I remember correctly, only the former Knight of Twelve became one after having enrolled in that academy." he looked back at her with an amused face "The Rounds should not be something that come out of a school, but soldiers who have shown themselves valiant and worthy of that honor, and you fit into these parameters."

"Your Majesty, I am not-!"

"Although I don't like yes-men..." Lelouch interrupted her "...I don't even like those who deny the truth. You earned your position, Lady Frost. Of course, you are not perfect but perfection is not of this world and none of the soldiers at my service is perfect, nor am I perfect." he pointed at her with one hand "You match the profile for a possible Knight of the Round, as well as other soldiers I have already recruited or recalled here in Pendragon."

They walked a few more meters before stopping at a double wooden door, which Lelouch opened without even knocking. Bianca looked into the huge room that was equipped with all the necessary comforts and immediately noticed the few occupants.

Sitting on a sofa there was an albino boy and a girl with dark purple hair, both intent on drinking tea, while in the far corner of the room, sitting in front of a chessboard, there was a child with brown hair intent on playing against a black-haired boy who looked like he wanted to be somewhere else.

Lelouch looked at the two players with an amused face "Did Azalen manage to convince Lucifer to play?"

"I think he led him to exasperation." giggled Angelique while sipping her tea "Sometimes he's really a child."

"This child beat you at chess in just five minutes." said Azalen without taking his eyes off the chessboard.

Angelique looked at him with a frown but a chuckle drew Bianca's attention to the right where, hidden by the open door, there was an armchair on which a blond-haired boy was sitting. The aforementioned boy stood up and then approached Lelouch and Bianca "After playing against me and Ash, Angelique wanted to challenge that child and it was a very fun game." he then bowed in front of them "Greetings, You Majesty, it's been a while."

"Casval." Lelouch nodded at him "So you decided to consider my request."

"But of course!" Casval grinned at the Emperor "It's not every day that you can become a Knight of the Round." his eyes then shifted toward Bianca "Hello, I guess you're an addition to our team?"

"Yes, she's just arrived from Japan and is currently on the list to become one of the next Knights of the Round like you." said Lelouch with a small smile before looking at Bianca "Like you, these people are excellent Knightmare pilots but they also have other skills that have led them to be selected as possible Knights of the Round."

"I understand, Your Majesty." said Bianca with a bow before walking into the room, only to be stopped by Lelouch.

"Before leaving you, I'd like to ask you if you know soldiers who could live up to the title of Knight of the Round. I have read a large number of files but maybe you know someone who can meet my expectations."

She seemed to think about it for a few seconds, until she let out a soft sigh "There is a soldier who was on duty in Japan, he should have arrived here with my group. His name is Yami Long, and as far as we've never worked together, I know he's one of the best soldiers we had over there."

'Yami Long? Interesting name.' thought Lelouch before thanking her. After a brief exchange of goodbyes, the Emperor left his future Rounds alone as he headed back to the throne room.

"Jeremiah?"

"Already on it, Your Majesty." nodded the cyborg while tapping something on a small tablet, observing the images of countless soldiers until he stopped on the face of a dark-skinned young boy with cold and uninterested, dark brown eyes "Ah, found him. Yami Long, half-Britannian, half-Japanese. Born in Japan, raised in Britannia. Unknown parents, but was raised by the retired Colonel Galde Long. Above average marks at the military academy where he graduated before being shipped to Japan where, however, he received more than one demerit note for insubordination, brawls with his fellow soldiers and other minor reasons."

'Nothing striking so far, although I am surprised to know that he is a half-blood. I guess not everyone went in the same way as Kallen.' thought the black haired boy with a small smile, before hearing something that caught his attention.

"Apparently, when he was close to being summoned before the Martial Court, he and his squad were attacked by the JLF while on a fortified base. The commander was killed in the first few minutes of the conflict, however the then Private Long continued to hold the line with a few other soldiers until reinforcements arrived. For his valor in battle he was forgiven of his crimes and promoted to Lance Corporal." finished Jeremiah, handing his tablet to Lelouch, who looked at the screen with a raised eyebrow.

"If they really fought against the Japan Liberation Front, it means I had just made my appearance as Zero." said the Emperor, receiving confirmation of his assumptions when he saw the date of the report "About a week after my appearance, when Cornelia had not yet arrived in Japan. But it's strange...a soldier like that has never had the opportunity to stand out in battle during the whole conflict with the Black Knights?"

"I think it's because of your sister, Your Majesty. She did not tolerate the Japanese people in the army, but even the half-bloods had no way of acting under her command." said Jeremiah, thinking back at those days.

"Fair point." hummed Lelouch before handing back the tablet "Summon him then. I want to see what he's capable of."

"It shall be done, Your Majesty!" nodded Jeremiah before bowing with a hand over his chest.

"What about the other two I requested?" asked then the Emperor, looking at the cyborg who showed him a little smile.

"One of them is already heading here, the other should be contact in moments. Both will be present by the end of the day."

Lelouch seemed pleased with his words "Excellent. Make sure that they are immediately led into the throne room as soon as they get here."

The cyborg nodded once more and, after successfully escorting the Emperor to the throne room, he left, so that he could carry out his orders.

[Britannia (countryside around Pendragon) – 23rd August 2018 a.t.b.]

An arrow stuck in the center of a target positioned in a large green lawn and, after that, four more followed, which all stuck in the same spot. A series of applause went up in the air and two twelve year old children, a boy and a girl, ran towards the archer who had just shot the arrows as he placed his bow on a wooden table.

"Big brother! That was awesome!"

"Yeah! How did you do that?!"

The archer, who was a very tall and tanned young boy, looked at them with his bright green eyes before chuckling "Practice. A lot of healthy practice, like the one that would serve you with math and geometry."

The twins pouted after hearing his words.

"But they are so boring! We want to learn how to fight like you!" said the little boy pointing at the target, while his sister nodded.

"When will you teach us how to use a bow?"

"Soon, very soon." promised the older brother with the smile still in his face "For now, let's get inside. I'm sure our mother wants you to go back to your homework!"

"That's exactly what I want." said a firm female voice behind the twins, making them freeze. Slowly, very slowly, they turned around just to see a young woman with long brown hair and green eyes staring at them with a raised eyebrow "May I know why are you here?"

The two children began to sweat in front of their mother's gaze and, deciding to help them, the older boy ruffled their hair "They just wanted to take a break, mother. They arrived a few minutes ago, just long enough to see me shoot some arrows."

The woman looked away from him but after a few seconds she let out an exasperated sigh "Okay, then the break is over. Get back to your homework."

The two twins nodded in unison "Yes mom!" before running away, leaving their big brother alone with the woman, who looked immediately at him "Will you ever stop protecting them, Rohose?"

"Of course not! They are my little brother and little sister after all!" said Rohose with a huge smile, getting a smile in return. His mother then ran a hand through his short brown hair, looking at them with a frowning look since his hairstyle was anything but normal, with his right side shaved and a braid that fell on his left side.

"With hair like this you will never find a girl." said the woman with another sigh, making him chuckle again, but then, both of them heard a faint noise in the air and, in a matter of seconds, they saw a helicopter used to transport troops appear on the horizon, approaching at great speed the Hanbreak family castle. The large aircraft then landed about fifty meters from the castle, in a large grassy area and about ten soldiers came down from it together with a young girl with short orange hair in a Britannia knight uniform.

The young girl approached Rohose and her mother before asking "Oi, are you Rohose Hanbreak?"

"Yes, that's me." nodded the boy, noting how the girl seemed completely against the idea of being there.

She groaned for a moment "Oh God thank you, I could not bear the idea of having to look for you all over the castle. Name's Clementine, and I'm Lord Jeremiah's Second in Command." she noted the slightly confused look on their faces "Duh, he's the Emperor's royal guard's captain..."

Those words seemed to wake the two from their confusion and hurriedly bowed their heads.

"How can we serve you, Lady Clementine?" asked Rohose's mother with worried tone of voice. After all, the previous Emperor had taken everything he could from them and only by pure miracle had they kept the family castle, but for years now they had been tied to living as commoners just slightly superior to the others.

"Enough with that 'Lady' bullshit, the Emperor asked for this guy to join him in Pendragon. He wants to talk to him." said Clementine waving a hand toward Rohose who looked at her with surprised eyes.

"The Emperor...wants to meet me?"

Clementine glared at him "Are you deaf? Yes, he wants to meet you, now get to the choppa!"

Rohose looked at his mother, his smile no longer present on his face, knowing the story that his family had had with the previous Emperor, yet his mother seemed to want to give the new ruler a chance. She looked at him with a firm face "You should go. If anything, It wouldn't do us any good if you were to refuse."

He nodded at his mother before looking at Clementine who was tapping her foot on the ground "Can I go and get a jacket at least?" he then asked while gesturing to his simple shirt and pants.

The orange haired girl rolled her pink eyes "Be fast, I don't have the whole day..."

He nodded thanking her and, a few minutes later, was on the helicopter, traveling to Pendragon, without knowing that the trip would completely change his life.

[Britannia (road to Pendragon) – 23rd August 2018 a.t.b.]

"I hope you understand how extremely important this meeting is, Charlotte." said Lucien Barentheim while sitting inside his luxury car, his cold blue eyes focused on the shape of his daughter sitting in front of him.

The young girl with long, straight light ash-brown hair nodded, without any trace of doubt in her amber-colored eyes. The knight uniform was perfect on her slender and athletic body, without even a bend. She had spent two hours looking in the mirror before being summoned by her father, who had requested the utmost elegance and seriousness on her part.

Ever since the new Emperor ascended the throne, her father had done everything to ensure that Charlotte was noticed by Lelouch, as this would certainly have benefited his noble status and, being somewhat adaptable, Lucien had managed to escape the harvest conducted by the new Emperor, which had caused the loss of countless noble titles throughout Britannia. The throne room was tremendously empty compared to when Charles was still Emperor.

When the car finally stopped, the driver got out first to open the door for Charlotte and her father. When they got off, the girl stood still for a few moments to admire the majesty of the royal palace, having had the opportunity to see it only on rare occasions. Then she hurried to follow her father, walking calmly and precisely, without letting any emotion transpire on her face except for a small smile.

After what seemed like hours, they finally arrived at the throne room, and when two guards opened the huge doors for them, even the stoic Lucien was surprised to see that the room was completely empty, except for Lelouch, Sebas and four members of the royal guard positioned near the Emperor.

When they were at an optimal distance from the throne, they bowed in front of Lelouch while Sebas simply said "Lucien Barentheim and his daughter, Charlotte Barentheim, Your Majesty. As you requested."

Lelouch nodded before raising a hand "Lord Barentheim, you may go."

The man seemed to stiffen upon hearing his voice before looking up at the Emperor "Your Majesty...?"

"As Sebas said, I requested Charlotte Barentheim's presence, but I don't remember asking for your presence too." said Lelouch looking at Lucien with cold and firm eyes "So, you may return home. I will make sure your daughter comes home safely."

The man seemed to consider for a moment the idea of replying, however Lelouch's eyes were an all too eloquent invitation to leave, so he bowed again before standing up and leave the room. During this small exchange, Charlotte never raised her head, however if you looked closely, it was clear that the girl was now nervous to be alone in the throne room.

"You can raise your head." said Lelouch and, almost immediately, she did so, looking at his smiling face "Now that we're alone, we can start. I guess you're curious about why I requested your presence."

"I am, Your Majesty." no reason to hide the truth. Even though she had some ideas as to why this call was made, she had no certainty about it.

"To be very vague...it's about your father." Charlotte seemed alarmed to hear that her father was involved, but Lelouch reassured her immediately by raising a hand "From what I can understand from yours and his file, your father did everything he could to make you a perfect daughter. Piano lessons, military training, Knightmare piloting lessons...and all this since you were just eight years old. He didn't send you to an academy but he did get you private teachers and, once you were deemed fit for military life, he made you join the army collecting old favors." he paused for a moment, almost trying to remember something "As a first assignment, where have you been sent?"

"The former Area Sixteen, Your Majesty." answered Charlotte without missing a beat "G.G.D.C.F. 7th Regiment "J" Powered Task Company, Knightmare "A" Platoon, Squad #102."

'Same group as Jeremiah, just a different regiment.' thought Lelouch without losing his smile "And from that point?"

"I was sent to two other Areas when they were being conquered, and then to Area Eleven a few weeks before the attack by the Chinese Federation." explained Charlotte, having guessed that Lelouch already knew everything. He had read her file after all, but perhaps he wanted to have further proof.

"Where you received a medal of valor as many others. Your job was to defend a hospital near the port and you succeeded in the task despite having few soldiers under your command...and you also received a positive comment from the then Knight of One. However, despite all these achievements, you have not been chosen as a possible candidate to become a Knight of the Round...and do you know why?" asked Lelouch with calm eyes and the smile still on his face.

"I...do not, Your Majesty." admitted Charlotte looking down at the floor for a moment.

"For a variety of reasons actually." Lelouch raised a finger "First of all, your father simply made a mistake in getting you sent to those areas where there was no noteworthy enemy. My sister Cornelia would have been enough to conquer them all. He should have requested that you were moved to Japan when it was now clear that Zero and the Black Knights were a real threat." a second finger joined the first "My father never really worried about the Knights of the Round. If he really cared about the group, why didn't he replace Sir Luciano Bradley after his death?"

Charlotte seemed to think about that notion, wondering why the loss of a Round had not led the Emperor to choose another to replace the previous one. Besides, she knew that when Charles was still alive, there were three positions within the Rounds without any knight.

Lelouch raised a third finger "Finally...why should you have been chosen as Knight of the Round?"

The girl looked at him with confused eyes "Your Majesty...?"

"You're good at piloting a Knightmare, but there are scores of good pilots out there. You have been placed in certain positions thanks to your father's political connections, but now 'knights' who have received a title thanks to these methods are something more than common, indeed even nauseating. You received a medal during your military service, but there are thousands of soldiers who received one. So...why you?"

At that precise moment, Charlotte did not know what to answer. What Lelouch had said was true, every single word. Despite being an excellent pilot, her old teachers knew how to stand up to her (in a Gloucester at least) and the only thing in which she was truly superior to the others was her close combat skills. All those who had fought in Japan with her deserved the same medal, some more and some less. As far as she knew, at least half of the previous Rounds had come to that point thanks to various connections. So...why her?

"I'll tell you why." said Lelouch catching again her attention "You have something more than many others who have come to your same point. Unlike them, you have always worked hard to achieve your goal and go even further, or at least that's what I understood after personally asking those who took care of your training." and that was true. Together with Sebas and Celesta, Lelouch had viewed the files of at least two hundred soldiers and it was thanks to those documents that he had become aware of Ash, Bianca, Angelique, Charlotte and Rohose. Obviously, only a few had moved on to the initial ballot, since most of the knights had been made to stand out by some connections, but at the end of the day they were simple men with no particular skill or talent.

"For this reason, I want to give you a chance."

"You mean...?!"

Lelouch did not give her an answer, rather he rose from the throne "Please, follow me." before walking toward a side door with Sebas. That gesture surprised Charlotte, which took a few seconds before recovering and following the Emperor inside the building.

"You will not be alone, I have two other possible candidates with whom you will take a test."

"I understand. Will it be a test where only one of us can pass?" asked Charlotte while looking around with curious eyes.

"No no, you can all pass if you are considered eligible." said Lelouch "Oh and...Charlotte?"

She looked back at him with serious eyes, almost getting to attention "Yes, Your Majesty?"

The Emperor smiled at her "Whenever you want, you can drop your mask."

The girl looked at him confused eyes before lowering slightly her shoulders "Is something wrong?"

"Not really, but I myself have worn several masks in my life, so I know what it means to wear one." his eyes seemed to see right through her, but Charlotte managed not to look away.

"I'll keep that in mind, You Majesty. Thank you."

He nodded at her before resuming the walk with Charlotte right behind him. After about ten minutes, the three arrived in a wing of the building that seemed much more technologically advanced and, after entering a room, Charlotte was surprised to see Knightmare simulators along with a lot of other machinery.

"Reaching the Camelot Facility every time could be stressful, so I had some stuff installed in here, so I could keep training every day." explained Lelouch gesturing toward the simulators before pointing at a small group of persons.

Looking in that way, Charlotte immediately recognized the famous Earl Lloyd Asplund and his assistant, Cécile Croomy, however she had never seen the two boys who were talking to them. The first one was dressed quite casual, with a particular hairstyle and green eyes, as well as being quite tall, while the second was a soldier, judging by his uniform, with dark complexion, long black hair tied in a ponytail and eyes brown.

Lelouch approached them "Lloyd, I brought you the third candidate."

The mad scientist immediately shifted his gaze to Charlotte and showed her broad smile "Excellent! Excellent! We can start right away!" he looked back at his assistant "Cécile, please start the main generator, I will immediately start preparing for data collection!"

Without saying anything else, Lloyd approached some computers while Lelouch, Sebas and Cécile left, leaving the three candidates alone. The tallest of them then approached Charlotte with a smile, holding out a hand "You too aboard this strange adventure? Name's Rohose Hanbreak, nice to meet you."

"Likewise." nodded Charlotte smiling in return "I'm Charlotte Barentheim."

Rohose looked at her with surprised eyes without losing his smile "One of the big one, huh? I would never have said that I would meet someone of the nobility again."

"What do you mean?" asked Charlotte tilting her head to the side.

"Years ago the Hanbreak family belonged to the nobility, but we had problems with the previous Emperor and therefore we lost our titles." explained Rohose before shrugging "In the end it's not that bad, we still have our castle and I don't have to participate in all those boring court dances!"

Charlotte giggled for a moment "I understand well what you mean. I am an only child, so I have a duty to participate in all those meetings." she then looked behind Rohose "What about him?"

Rohose looked back, where the soldier had remained from the beginning, merely observing them with his bored eyes. With the smile not leaving his face, Rohose gestured toward him and then Charlotte "Come on Yami, come say hi!"

Yami kept looking at them for a few seconds without moving and then it was Rohose who went to him before putting his arm around the soldier's shoulders "This is Yami Long, a soldier who has just returned from Japan!"

Charlotte nodded toward him "Nice to meet you, Yami."

"Same."

"Don't mind him, he's a nice guy but doesn't speak much!" said Rohose looking at her and Charlotte, at that moment, noticed how Yami was trying to push the other boy away with one hand without success "Also with me and him you will have a Britannian by your side!"

Charlotte looked at him with a confused face "Uh?"

Rohose chuckled a bit before pointing at himself and Yami "We are both half-blood, so if we put our half-Britannian parts together, we get a pure blood Britannian!"

"I see..." that was a very strange joke and Charlotte couldn't help but feel a bit unconformable.

"When you are ready..." the three of them turned to look at Lloyd who was smiling "...we can start!"

They nodded and went inside the simulators, settling down to be comfortable inside. After a few seconds, the screens came on and in front of them a vast rocky expanse materialized with occasional rocks and dry trees scattered here and there. After a few seconds, Lloyd's voice echoed inside the simulators "Very well, now we can finally begin! The goal of this test is simple! There is a G-1 base on the other side of this wasteland, your goal is to destroy it!"

As soon as he had said that words, videos in the distance materialize the massive armored vehicle known as G-1, but then the scientist went back to talking "You'll all use my dear Lancelot for this test, equipment is at your discretion!"

"The Lancelot? This will be interesting!" asked Rohose with a surprised voice and Charlotte had to admit she was just as surprised. The best she had ever used was a Gloucester after all.

"Now, your enemies! For this test we decided to make you face particular opponents!" said Lloyd with the same happy voice.

Rohose's smile, as well as Charlotte and Yami's calm, were brutally crushed when a series of purple Gloucester began to materialize in front of the G-1.

"Say hello to the Witch of Britannia, also known as Cornelia li Britannia!"

"My sister and her knights huh?" asked Lelouch with a small smile on his face.

"We have enough data on them to make perfect digital copies." explained Cécile while sitting at his side in a small room with Sebas standing at his right.

"And we've collected hundreds of terabytes of data about her thanks to all the fights in Japan!" added Lloyd after joining them with his usual smile "That conflict with the Black Knights was a godsend from the point of view of the data collected."

Lelouch had to hide a smirk upon hearing those words. Lloyd was probably the only one who saw conflicts from that point of view, while people like Cornelia instead preferred facts rather than simple data. Shaking his head, Lelouch returned to focus on the screens in front of him, just in time to see the first wave of Gloucester about to collide with the three Lancelot.

"So...a sword and a sniper rifle for Rohose while the other two went with simple swords and rifles?"

"From what we know about them, Yami and Charlotte prefer melee combat, while Rohose is more practical from distance." said Cécile while reading from a small tablet.

The Emperor nodded and concentrated on Charlotte who was the one ahead of the three, now close to colliding with the first spear-armed Gloucester and, to the surprise of all present, took a side step at the last second, avoiding the tip of the spear, before rotating on herself, hitting the body of the spear with the right forearm and, at the same time, striking with a violent right kick, destroying the opponent's left leg. Before the Gloucester could even collapse, Charlotte used the left landspinner to rotate her Lancelot in the opposite direction from before, hitting the Gloucester's head with her left fist, destroying it. In the next instant, the enemy Knightmare exploded into a cloud of smoke and pink flames.

Lelouch stared at the scene with wide open eyes "What the...?"

"That was wing chun, a form of kung fu very famous in the former Chinese Federation." said Sebas with an impressed voice "That was a really good move on her part, despite being inside a Knightmare."

"And she seems like a natural!" said Lloyd with glee in his voice "Sync rate around 90%! And she's not the only one!"

Lelouch looked at the other two and he was not disappointed to see what they were doing.

Yami jumped over a Gloucester, impaling the one that was behind it, before turning on himself and cutting cleanly the first enemy who had tried to turn around to react. Without wasting time, he quickly approached another group of three opponents who started shooting him with their rifles, but he activated the Blaze Luminous in his left arm and managed to block all the bullets before clearing the distance and decapitating all three machines.

With a rapid series of slashes, he also destroyed those three machines before taking up his rifle and starting to shoot another enemy, lurking on a large rock. The Gloucester immediately took shelter and Yami took advantage of it to quickly approach his enemy before using the Lancelot's slash harkens to climb the rock. When the enemy machine came out of the shelter to fire again, it found itself face to face with Yami, who stuck a sword inside the chest of the Gloucester, which exploded a few moments later.

A single shot more powerful than the others echoed in the air and, looking to the right, Yami saw Rohose fighting with four Gloucester that had surrounded him, however one of them exploded at that moment after being hit by the Lancelot's anti-Knightmare rifle. The Gloucester behind him then attempted to hit him with its spear, but Rohose jumped forward doing a somersault and, when he was upside down, fired another shot destroying his opponent's right arm.

The struck machine staggered before grabbing its rifle with one hand, as did the other two Gloucester, but Rohose shot one of the slash harkens mounted on the Lancelot's wrist and stuck it in the center of the enemy to which he had blown the arm. Before the other two machines could fire, Rohose jumped high and used the slash harken's rewind to move quickly forward, slamming both knees against the already damaged Gloucester, then firing with the anti-Knightmare rifle, using only one hand, to the enemy on his right, destroying it with one blow.

The only machine that remained working did not have time to turn around that Rohose fired the slash harken again, destroying its rifle, before clearing the distance and cutting the Knightmare in two with a sword, while behind him, the Gloucester without an arm exploded before it even fell to the ground.

"Well, that was the last one!" said Rohose with a happy voice, turning his machine to face the others "This is pretty cool, right?"

Yami remained silent, checking the parameters of her car, but Charlotte immediately put an end to their companion's liveliness "Prepare for the second wave, they're coming." she maximized the zoom of her Lancelot's factsphere sensor "And Cornelia li Britannia is leading the group."

"Well better face her now and get it over with. If we defeat her now, there will be no more obstacles." said Rohose before raising his rifle, firing a shot at Cornelia's Gloucester, but she avoided it with ease. The young pilot whistled "Looks like this A.I. is better than the others."

"Brace yourself! Here they come!" shouted Charlotte already dodging several bullets while Yami and Rohose used their Blaze Luminous to protect their Knightmares. When they were within range, the various Gloucester tried to pierce the three Lancelot, with Cornelia immediately aiming at Charlotte, but the girl managed to avoid the spear using the agility of her Knightmare.

'My teachers have told me a lot about the Goddess of Victory. If only she had wanted to, she could have had a seventh generation Knightmare and her skills were at a level that put her on the same level as the old Knight of Rounds.' thought Charlotte trying to hit Cornelia's Gloucester with a kick but, much to her surprise, the enemy machine parried the blow with the spear before pushing her to the side 'Right, special Gloucester and all, it's clearly superior to the other machines from the same generation.'

She tried to exploit her agility to get behind her opponent, but was forced to avoid several bullets fired by the Gloucester which had followed Cornelia. Using the wrist-mounted slash harkens as whips, she managed to destroy three of the four enemy rifles, but then Cornelia was immediately on her and Charlotte managed to jump backwards at the last second, however the spear of her enemy managed to hit her left landspinner, destroying it.

Cornelia tried to pierce her again with her spear, but this time Charlotte activated her Blaze Luminous and stopped the blow. In that moment of stall, she saw Yami approaching quickly Cornelia in order to hit her with his swords, however three Gloucester came between them and he too was forced to use his shield to defend himself.

"Okay, I'll admit it. Their teamwork is really good." said Rohose dodging another spear before using his rifle at point-blank, destroying one of the Gloucester. He quickly aimed at the machines that were pinning down Yami, firing a couple of shots, forcing them to move away. That gave way to his partner to shoot forward while firing with his rifle, managing to disturb the stall between Charlotte and Cornelia, with the latter trying to move away but her opponent did not give her time and began to hit her with a rapid series of punches that were all blocked or deflected.

Yami then cut the legs of a Gloucester who had come too close while Cornelia managed to respond to Charlotte's assault now that the other was busy. The horned Gloucester tried another lunge with its spear, but Charlotte hit the weapon from below with a punch, destroying the left hand of her machine, before hitting Cornelia in the chest of her machine with a palm strike, sending her back.

Charlotte then tried to continue with her assault but Cornelia raised the rifle in the left hand of her Knightmare, however a precise shot by Rohose managed to destroy her weapon, giving Charlotte time to hit their opponent with a series of punches that brought the purple Gloucester to the ground. Despite not having fought for a long time, Charlotte was already feeling tired and she was sure that the other two were not much better.

'Even if it is a simulator, the effort to move such a machine is much higher than with a Gloucester. We have to defeat Cornelia now!'

Aiming for the decisive blow, Charlotte moved her Lancelot to finish off Cornelia, who was still intent on getting up, but another Gloucester approached them from her right, ready to stab the white Knightmare with its sword. The girl was then forced to turn to that opponent and use the shield of her left arm to defend herself before Rohose could shoot and destroy that enemy. Ignoring the ball of smoke and pink flames, Charlotte turned back to Cornelia but had to refrain from cursing when she saw her ready for another lunge, only this time she would not have had time to defend herself and just took a step back to try to reduce the damages.

That damage, however, was never dealt, because Yami jumped in front of her at the last second with both shields active, managing to block Cornelia's spear. Seeing a new opportunity, Charlotte jumped over Yami's Knightmare, ready to destroy their enemy who, however, was about to disengage and retreat.

"No, you don't!"

Another shot from Rohose's anti-Knightmare rifle and the left leg of Cornelia's Knightmare was destroyed, with Yami pushing her back, making her lose the balance and thus, Charlotte managed to punch the Gloucester's head with enough force to destroy it and the Lancelot right hand. The two machines then fell to the ground but, while Charlotte managed to get up, Cornelia remained motionless on the ground and the world around them slowly began to dissolve.

"Did...did we win?"

"A very good fight." said Lelouch while clapping his hands "The battle ended earlier than you thought because Cornelia was now defeated, so a G-1 base wouldn't have been a problem for you."

The three candidates, tired and covered in sweat, were smiling in front of him, except for Yami who still had the same listless expression as before. The Emperor looked at each of them before moving his gaze to Lloyd "What do you say?"

"I have collected a lot of data that will certainly be useful to me! I think their personal machines will be ready within a week!" said the scientist, surprising Rohose, Charlotte and even Yami.

"Our...personal machines?" repeated Charlotte looking the mad scientist and then Lelouch, who merely smiled.

"Go take a shower and then relax. The next few days will be very demanding for all of us." he then looked at Sebas "Please, accompany them."

"At once, Your Majesty." the old butler bowed before moving toward the door with three still confused and surprised pilots behind him. Once they were gone, Cécile looked at the Emperor.

"With the three of them, we got to nine, right Your Majesty?"

"Yes." he looked at monitors still showing the fight just ended. From what Lloyd had said, Suzaku had had a better sync rate the first time he used the Lancelot, but the situations were distinctly different. However, all three had exceeded his expectations and with machines made to measure for them, he was certain that they would improve dramatically.

"Only three spots left."

"I may have a solution for one of them, Your Majesty." said the Earl of Pudding, surprising the other two "An old colleague who contributed in part to the construction of Lancelot and Gawain has a son decorated in battle. He is a young boy, a few years older than you, Your Majesty, highly skilled in battle and an excellent Knightmare pilot."

Cécile looked at her boss with a confused face before widening her eyes in shock "Are you talking about Joseph Poitier?"

"Poitier?" repeated Lelouch before remembering something about that family "If I am not mistaken, they are a noble family originally from France but for many years they have been in Britannia and are even related to the royal family, albeit very distantly."

"Yes, that's correct." nodded Lloyd with the usual smile "Joseph contributed to the construction of many Knightmare as his family owns one of the most famous companies for the production of Knightmare components. He himself does not understand anything about electronics and computer science, but is a genius when it comes to metal alloys. The material used for the MVS was his idea, for example." he then shrugged "From what I remember he was unhappy that his son had opted for military life but it seems that he distinguished himself in battle for a long time even if then a certain accident made him lose his whole team."

"So what?" asked Lelouch with a raised eyebrow "I didn't see any files on a possible member of that family when I requested them."

Lloyd took out a small USB key from his white coat "That is because Joseph cashed in several favors to have his son temporarily removed from the archives. After the accident he joined the special forces and only recently decided to return to his usual military life, however his father imposed a rest period on him." he handed the USB key to Lelouch "I was the one who removed him from the archives and here are all his data. I don't know if he will be a good candidate, Your Majesty, but since we need new knights..."

Lelouch had to massage his temples to avoid getting a severe headache "I won't say anything...let's just hope that he's a good candidate." and after taking the USB key, we left the two scientists, returning to the throne room.

After a couple of seconds, Cécile looked at her boss with suspicious eyes "You just want to build more Knightmares for the Rounds..."

"But of course! Some trauma has never killed anyone, has it? I already have dozens of designs ready to be created!" said Lloyd with a joyful voice "Now let's go back to work on the data we just collected! I think I already have something in the database for those three!"

Sighing to herself, Cécile merely nodded and went back to work.

"I think His Majesty has told the truth...the next few days will be really busy for us..."

Cécile still didn't know, but those words would turn out to be true in a matter of hours, and in the worst possible way.

[Berlin (Reichstag) – 24th August 2018 a.t.b.]

General Gene Smilas walked with a calm and determined step inside the Reichstag. All those who met him immediately stood aside and stood at attention. His long white coat swayed to the rhythm of his steps and the visor of his cap cast a shadow over his cold, focused eyes.

The time had finally come.

Today, the world would finally understand that E.U. was not dead, but was stronger than ever.

Finally, he came in front of two heavy, finely crafted oak doors. The two soldiers guarding it greeted him immediately before opening the doors, and Smilas passed by, thanking them with a nod. When he was inside that huge room, Smilas took a moment to admire the imposing iron and glass dome that guaranteed him a vision of the sky as it cleared with the arrival of dawn.

With a deep breath, he climbed onto the small stage built for the occasion, going to stand behind a simple wooden podium where there were several microphones, but no sheet of paper. Of course, he didn't need a script. A single light came on above him and in those few moments of peace, he was pleased to see that there was only one large camera to frame him, with only the staff necessary to use it.

It had been a tough fight, but in the end he had convinced those idiots of the Council to convert to military life all those who had at least some useful knowledge. Radio and television technicians? Transferred to communication teams. Martial arts masters and hunters? Assigned to infantry teams or training groups for new recruits. 'Excess' nurses and doctors? Sent to various field hospitals.

Everyone had to contribute to the great victory of the E.U. against Britannia.

"General Smilas, ten seconds!" said one of the few technicians left to work there.

The man nodded almost imperceptibly and then, a few seconds later, the light above the camera turned green, but he said nothing, remaining motionless with his eyes closed. Just when the technician was about to warn him that they had already started, Smilas reopened his eyes, staring at the camera lens with a burning fury in his eyes that made everyone present step back.

"To all the soldiers of the United Republic of Europia... no, to all the inhabitants of Europia!" he shouted with a firm and powerful voice "The day you've all been waiting for has finally come! The moment of our rebirth is near!"

His strong words were transmitted through all the territories of the E.U., old and new. Thousands of soldiers were now ready for the day that would forever change their fate; all of them were ready to fight once again.

"Our history is full of victories, but today's one will be the most significant victory of all! The one that will change the world forever! Because today, we will defeat the tyrannical invaders and reconquer our land!"

Near Sankt Petersburg, inside his titanic Agravain, Wizard watched the city with a grin as the citizens awoke from the torpor of the night and, with a simple signal, hundreds of black and purple Knightmares launched themselves to the assault of the capital of Euro Britannia...

"Britannia brought ruin to our home...our proud people became refugees...and yet, they could not shatter our unity!"

Spain, Portugal, Poland...thanks to a long series of tactical information received by the White King, Schneizel, all the major cities were attacked with precise and violent assaults by the armed forces of the E.U.

The defense forces of Paris did not even have time to devote themselves to the enemy forces that appeared around their city, because dozens of large metal capsules rained down from the sky and crashed throughout the city. When the Britannian Knightmares managed to get closer to these capsules, these opened in four revealing as many Knightmares completely different from what they had ever seen before.

In the chaos that now reigned supreme within the former capital of Europia, a purple and white machine and one completely red began to sow death like merciless grim reapers...

"MAY THIS WAR ANTHEM BE HEARD ALL OVER THE WORLD!"

Smilas raised a fist to the heavens, pouring all the emotions he was capable of into his words.

"TODAY, WE RETAKE OUR HOMELAND, AND WITH IT, OUR LEGACY!"

All over the world his words echoed like powerful thunders, giving a clear message to all who could hear them.

A new war had begun...

~ Next Chapter: Twelve Swords ~

A.N: Hi everyone! I start immediately by saying that I am terribly sorry for being missing for so many months! Unfortunately (or fortunately) I found a job at Amazon and it was really difficult to get used to certain work rhythms. I was hoping to be able to publish earlier, but under Christmas, with Black Friday, Cyber Monday, etc...I didn't have a moment of rest...

However, here we are with a new chapter! I really hope you enjoyed it! We have finally reached the decisive moment for the outbreak of a new war and we got to know new OCs, but don't worry, in the next chapters they will all be analyzed better and, in the very next chapter (which will be full of fights), we will see the last three main OC!

I am only sorry that those who wanted to send an OC no longer responded to my messages...I had several ideas for them...

I hope to see your opinions on the chapter in the reviews and see you in the next chapter (which I am already writing)!

That's all for now, may your day be perfect!

P.S: A cookie to those who guess what I was inspired by (in large part) for Smilas' speech!