A/N: Here is another chapter, sorry if it's a bit on the short side, but I really just wanted to focus on a good old battle.

Also, I have something to ask, in the future, a lot of plans Lelouch comes up with will be with the help of Wing Zero, so when I have him think back to the plans, should I have him go like "Just as Zero predicated", "Just as I predicted", or "Just as we predicted, Zero"? See the difference? I don't want to take away the credit for planning completely away from Lelouch, but I also want to acknowledge that it was because of Zero that he came up with such precise and ingenious plans. I'm gonna do a little experimenting with it in this chapter, let me know what you guys think.

Also, I decided to do something with the ZERO System. I don't know if you guys will like what I did so read till the end for the Author's Note if you don't.

Hope you guys enjoy it.

I do not own Code Geass or Gundam Wing. They are works of Sunrise.

The World's Strongest

"99th Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia, who ascend the throne just days ago has ordered the destruction of the Imperial Mausoleum, which held the remains of past Britannian Emperors. This occurred after his abolishment of the Aristocracy, dismantling the financial conglomerates, and liberating the numbers. The members of the Royal family seem to be expressing approval of these actions, despite them going against some of Britannia's longest-standing traditions."

Horai Island

"I told you all didn't I!" Tamaki shouted in glee as they watched the news broadcasting Lelouch's latest act. "I knew he was still on our side."

Despite his optimistic view, not any of the Black Knights in the command center seemed to share it. They all looked at the screen in confusion. Was this really happening before their eyes? Was Zero, no Lelouch, the man they followed as they waged war against Britannia, really leading the nation they hated. And this happened after the massacre at Mt. Fuji. What was going on?

His actions were causing such tension in the UFN. Many people saw Emperor Lelouch as a hero for his radical changes to the Empire. Others were still cautious, due to their long-seated hatred for Britannia despite it having a new leader.

"So anyway, what do we do now?" Tamaki asked after a moment of silence.

"What do you mean?" Rakashata asked as she lay lazily on the couch in the room.

"I mean, everything's different now." Tamaki pointed out as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "The Emperor's actually doing some good-"

"No!" The whole bridge turned to Ohgi, who sat in the command chair, the same one that Zero himself once sat in.

"That's right," Tohdoh said, sitting in the chair on his right, as he looked up at his commander.

Ohgi's eyes narrowed as he stared at the screen. "Lelouch, no Zero, only has one goal in mind."

Imperial Palace - Pendragon

The entire throne room was filled with an army of soldiers, all wearing the new garments of the Imperial Army. They all stood ready as they faced their Emperor, who was wearing a white robe with gold accents and a matching hat; both sported a red eye motif, referencing his now diminishing Geass power.

"Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia commands you all," He began as his eyes began to shine with the red glow of Geass, "become my slaves!" He ordered as the command took effect, rewriting their brain to become absolutely loyal to him.

Soon, the audience of the whole chamber was enthralled by the power of Geass, their iris having a red ring around them.

"ALL HAIL LELOUCH!" They shouted in unison as they placed a hand over their hearts as their visors went down.

Lelouch smiled as he then deactivated his power. 'Three more times.' He thought.

"I must say, that power is intriguing." A voice said from the side, being out of Lelouch's visual when he used his Geass. Lelouch turned to see possibly the five most important people in this room, and arguably the world. They all wore lab coats, indicating their identity as scientists.

Doctor J. An eccentric individual who is known for making unusual remarks. He was an old man with white hair and wrinkles, but his most distinguishing features included eye lenses, leg braces, and a prosthetic left arm.

Professor G. He was distinguished by his long nose, mushroom-shaped hair, and a long scar on his left cheek. He was sardonic and, like Doctor J, rather eccentric.

Doctor S. A little more humane than the others, but other than that, fairly quiet. He was distinguished by his prosthetic nose and spiked gray hair. A ballistic expert.

Professor H. A rather fat man, with a receding black hairline and a thin, dark mustache that stands straight out at each end. He was an expert on cockpit systems.

And finally Master O. A man of imposing stature and spear-bald, unlike his fellow scientist, he was powerful and athletic and is an expert in many forms of martial arts. He was also more of an actions-speaks-louder-than-words, and even less humane than his fellow scientist.

These five were the original scientists that worked with Ruben Ashford to create the Wing Gundam Zero. As such, they were now Lelouch's greatest, and most dangerous, allies. Dangerous cause they knew everything about Wing Zero, and that could prove to be a double-edged sword if not used wisely.

It didn't take long to find them. After his actions at Mt. Fuji, they sent out a transponder signal that lead Lelouch to them. After meeting them, he commissioned them to work on several projects for him, some of which they seemed very hesitant to work on.

However, Ruben trusted this boy to give him the Wing Zero, and judging that he wasn't acting like a cold-hearted machine (most of the time) they decided to trust him and work on his requests. And with the resources and funds of the entire Britannian Empire at their disposal, they were quick to get to work.

The one who spoke up was Doctor J, walking to Lelouch. "If you could be so kind as to let me examine that power, I will be sure to find a use for it in any new Gundams we bui-"

"Do you wish to die, Doctor?" A voice interrupted the Doctor as they all turned to see Jeremiah approaching the throne. The scientist all flinched at the cyborg's entrance, even Master O. Lelouch smiled. Leave it to Jeremiah to keep these five in line.

After they expressed interest in the cyborg when they first met him, the loyal tinman allowed them to tinker with him, but warned them should they ever disobey His Majesty, they would beg to program him themselves to make sure their deaths are swift.

The Knight of Orange soon approach the throne and bowed before his Emperor. "Jeremiah Gottwald returns from whipping out the insurrection caused by former Earl Rosenkreuz."

"Well done." Lelouch genuinely praised.

"I am honored, your Majesty!" Jeremiah said, his heart and soul elevated by simply hearing those words from his Emperor.

"Still," Lelouch said with a disappointed smile, "It seems I'm not very popular with the nobles, am I? There seem to be rebellious nobles rising every hour."

That was actually a fairly accurate analysis of the situation. Many of the nobles, if not all, were not pleased with the New Emperor's actions and sought to do whatever they could to keep their home nation from changing.

However, it was a fruitless effort. Thanks to Wing Zero, Lelouch was able to pinpoint who, where, and when the traitorous nobles would strike and swiftly put down any rebellion before it started.

He almost laughed out loud at the irony. For so long he wanted to rebel against this very nation ruled by his disgusting father. Now here he is, Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia, moving to eliminate rebellions before they even started. If only his father was as effective as Lelouch was, the former Emperor might still be alive. But he was distracted, too busy living in the past. Lelouch refused to make that same mistake.

But it seems the rest of Britannia was making that mistake for him. They desperately tried to cling to all their past glories, hoping that it will give them safety. It was time for Lelouch to make them understand how foolish and pathetic it was to cling to the past when they could be embracing the future.

But it wouldn't be easy. It was only gonna get harder from here on out. But he had to do it. If he had any hope of creating the world both Euphie and Nunnally wanted, he couldn't afford to turn back.

Not now. Not ever.

Ashford Academy - Evening

Deep within the confines of Ashford Academy, in a secret panic room only a select number of family members knew about, Nina Einstein typed away on her computer, with Milly Ashford looking over a railing down at her.

After the destruction of the Tokyo Settlement, Nina had sought refuge at Ashford Academy, now that numerous countries were after her for her part in creating the F.L.E.I.J.A. Thankfully when that mess happened over a month ago, armed soldiers entered the school looking for Lelouch, Nina was safely tucked away in this panic room, so no one spotted her.

"I won't be back until tonight," Milly said.

"Covering something?" Nina asked, not even bothering to look up from her computer, or even showing signs of slowing down.

"A conference."

At that, Nina stopped typing as she looked to the side. "About whether or not we support Lelouch, I mean, the Emperor?"

"Kinda," Milly said as she turned and leaned over the railing. "It's more about whether or not we should go back to the homeland, now that Area-I mean Japan isn't part of the Empire anymore."

"But?" Nina asked when she noticed Milly pause.

"Well, not even my family is nobility anymore, and besides, with my grandfather now… dead," Milly struggled to say, "Someone has to keep an eye on things here."

"But Lelouch is the one-"

"Stop!" Milly interrupted Nina as the bespectacled girl looked up at the former student council president. "Why don't we talk about something else, huh?"

At that moment, Rivalz, who had been let in on the secret by Milly, entered the room with a pizza hut box in his hands. "Hey, guys! I brought some food!" He said cheerfully as he made his way down to Nina.

"Thank you Rivalz. Sorry to make you do this." Nina apologized.

"Ah, no worries. It's no biggie." Rivalz said with a smile. Milly took that as her cue to leave, smiling as she looked down at her old subordinates.

He set the box on the table and began to cut several slices for her.

"You know when I invented the F.L.E.I.J.A. I had no idea all those countries would target me." She said, looking down with a painful expression of guilt and regret. "They're relentless."

Rivalz frowned, feeling bad that his friend was hurting, and he had no idea how to help.

Britannia Imperial Palace, Exelica Garden - The Next Day

Lelouch sat alone on the white steps looking at the pond before him. He had to admit, despite his hate for his father, Charles zi Britannia did have good taste when constructing this garden. It was calming, and peaceful. So much so that Lelouch was tempted to stay here forever.

But no. He couldn't allow himself to give in to that temptation. There was still work to be done.

He then glanced across the water again and thought about the impact he made on history these past few days. Soon after ascending the throne, he made his mark on history, mainly by destroying Britannia's culture. And that was only the beginning.

"The real work is yet to come." He said aloud as he brought his hands together. "I'm about to spill a sea of blood. A sea so vast and crimson that it will wipe away all memory of the Massacre Princess from people's minds. It wasn't just Euphie though, I've lost Shirley as well as C.C. I've lost too much. Far, far too much."

He looked down as his clenched hands began to tighten as the pain of his losses flashed through his mind and heart. He soon steeled himself as he looked back over the water, a determined frown on his face.

"But in order to advance humanity into the future, I first need to take over the entire world." He smiled humorously at his own words. "It almost made me laugh, saying that out loud."

"But your determined to do it, aren't you."

Lelouch turned to the voice to see Sayoko and Jeremiah pull up to him on their horses.

"Yes. I am." He affirmed as he stood to his feet. "To accomplish this, I'll need all your help. For the sake of the Zero Requiem."

At the same, the two most loyal people in his life placed their hands over their hearts and cried as one, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Jeremiah then spoke up and asked a question. "With this goal in mind, what do you plan on doing about the problem at hand, Your Majesty?"

"Hmm." Lelouch thought about it for a moment before explaining. "I took over Britannia with that in mind. However…"

"Is it true then? What Schneizel is planning?" Sayoko asked.

Lelouch looked back out over the water as he explained. "Yes, it's just as Zero and I predicted. According to the intelligence reports and given that the Toromo Agency has effectively cut all ties with Britannia, it leads to only one outcome. Schneizel is making his move. We'll need to move onto Phase 2 before Schneizel can have a chance to react."

RING! RING!

Lelouch blinked as he then pulled his phone from his pocket and held it up to his ear. "Yes, what is it?"

"Your Majesty! It's the Knights of the Round!" A panicked voice came from the other end of the line. "They're approaching with the Knight of One in the lead! We can only confirm five Rounds along with their personal forces!"

Despite the fear in the voice on the other end of the call, Lelouch smirked as he snorted in amusement. 'Right on Schedule. Just as Zero predicted.' He then spoke with a calming voice as he asked several questions. "Are you sure it's only the Rounds and their personal forces? No sign of any other faction? And which of the Rounds can you make out?"

"No, your Majesty, it's just them! As for who it is, I'd have to say, going by their Knightmares, it's the Knights of One, Three, Four, Seven, and Twelve!"

Lelouch blinked in surprise at one of the numbers. "The Knight of Seven? Can you confirm?" He asked, hoping he misheard. Zero didn't predict Suzaku would be here.

"Yes sir. I have a positive ID on the Lancelot Albion."

Lelouch gritted his teeth. If Suzaku was here, it would ruin the plan. However, Lelouch took a moment to step back and think. Just because it was the Lancelot, doesn't mean that Suzaku's the one piloting it. If that's the case, this could still work.

"Your Majesty! I can have the army mobilized in moments, ready to meet the threat at your command!" The caller said with enthusiasm.

"No." Lelouch cut him off. His one word shocked both the caller and his two bodyguards.

"Y-Your Majesty?"

"Tell the soldiers and guards to be on standby. Contact the Gundam Scientist. Tell them to prep Wing Zero for launch. Oh, and contact the media as well, let them know that history is about to be made in the homeland. Am I understood?"

"Y-Yes, Your Majesty! I'll get on it right away!" And with that, the call ended.

Lelouch sighed as he put the phone back into his robes. "So much for a relaxing afternoon," Lelouch said as he hopped on his black stallion.

"Your Majesty," Jeremiah said as he and Sayoko stepped up to Lelouch. "Are planning on-"

"Yes, Jeremiah, I am." Lelouch cut him off. "And I would appreciate it if you both would not interfere in this."

Both seemed hesitant at first before placing a hand on their hearts and bowing. "Understood. Your Majesty!"

Lelouch smiled at their loyalty before becoming focused. "Hiya!" He shouted as he whipped the stallion rain as the horse took off.

The time has come, to show why he, the Emperor of Britannia, was the strongest man in the world.

Flying across the ocean and closing in on the Britannian Palace were the familiar Knightmares belonging to the Knights of the Round, as well as their personal forces. There were at least a dozen Knightmares under each of the Knights.

"We swore absolute loyalty to Charles zi Britannia!" Bismarck Waldstein, the Knight of One, said from his personal Knightmare, the Galahad. When he first felt of his Emperor and Empress's death, he was furious! He wanted to be a part of the original army to try and capture Lelouch, but Schneizel assured him the forces he had were enough. He was wrong.

If the entirety of the Knights had been there instead of just that traitor Kururugi, then they could have easily destroyed Lelouch as well as that mysterious machine. While he did admit that the level of destruction one boy could cause was concerning, it didn't matter to a man such as Bismarck. Cause he had a secret weapon that would allow him to see through any plan or strategy that boy could come up with.

"We will never recognize this usurper!" Dorothea Ernst, the Knight of Four, agreed with her Knightmare, the Palomides. The alarms in her Knightmare went off as she zoomed in. "An interceptor!?" She cried out, then looked in confusion. "But there's only one?"

This couldn't be right. Was there really only one? Did this usurper look down on them so much that he only sent out one soldier to face them?! She gritted her teeth and clenched the controls of her Knightmare so hard her knuckles turned white. The nerve! He would pay for underestimating them!

As the cockpit of Wing Zero lit up in activation, Lelouch had a frown of, what could possibly be, boredom as he stared out at the forces attacking him. Wing Zero's wings spread out wide, giving it a majestic appearance as some of the invaders looked in awe.

Too bad for them, it would be the last thing they would see.

"One is enough with Wing Zero!" Lelouch declared as if hearing her question. Wing Zero then blasted off higher into the air.

Dorothea tried to track the Gundam with her Knightmare, but it was moving too fast to get a target lock. When she finally did, it was too late as she saw a beam heading straight for her.

"He got me, already?!" She cried out before her Knightmare was engulfed in the beam.

BOOM!

Bismarck looked at the place where the Palomides once was before looking back up at the culprit. So this was it. The White Devil known as the Gundam. Bismarck thought the reports he read and the whispers of rumors from survivors of that massacre were exaggerated. But it seems there was some truth in those rumors.

He didn't have much time to dwell on that, as Wing Zero brought together its two beam canons and fired a massive blast of energy. Bismarck was able to dodge out of the way, but a majority of their forces were too slow and destroyed.

Monica Krushevsky, the Knight of Twelve and captain of the previous Emperor's Royal Guard looked in shocked awe at the destruction caused. She, like Bismarck, also doubted the claims she heard concerning the Gundam but seeing it lay waste to more than half their forces in less than a minute shattered those doubts.

"So this is the power of a machine that can surpass even a 9th Generation Knightmare Frame." She said before the Gundam suddenly appeared in front of her. Before she could react, her Knightmare was cut in half by Wing Zero's beam saber and exploded.

As more and more lost signals appeared on his Gundam's hud, Lelouch still bore that unimpressed frown. While he knew he would achieve victory with Wing Zero, he didn't expect it to be this easy.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when two slash harkens came charging toward him. He easily dodged and looked up to see the Tristan. His frown deepened as he then transformed Wing Zero into Neo Bird mode and dived down to the ocean with the Tristan, transforming into fortress mode, in pursuit, firing its guns at the Gundam.

As he chased after his quarry, flying above the ocean surface, Gino Weinberg, the Knight of Three, had a conflicted look on his face. He was more shocked at who the pilot was than the feats of the actual machine. He had gotten to know Lelouch a bit during his brief time at Ashford, and he could say that Lelouch was a good guy, albeit a bit mysterious, but that made him even cooler.

Imagine his surprise when he turned out to be the supposedly deceased Prince, as well as declared he killed the previous Emperor and ascended the throne. Gino was incredibly confused. He thought it was Schneizel's plan to kill the emperor and ascend the throne himself. He was even surprised that Suzaku, who the Second Prince, gave the task, returned without receiving any noticeable punishment.

There were so many questions that Gino had. But they would have to wait. Right now, he was a Knight of Britannia, and it was his duty to stand and fight for his country!

"You truly believe you're fighting for Britannia?" Lelouch's voice shocked Gino out of his thoughts. How did he know what he was thinking?! "Look at what you're doing Gino. Invading the capital, seeking to kill the one who has rightfully taken the throne? You're actions, no matter how you look at it, show that you are standing against Britannia."

Gino was shocked! Was it true? Was he really standing against the country he loved and fought for all his life?

He was pulled out of his thoughts when his Knightmare's collusion alarms went up. He looked up to see Wing Zero transform back into its humanoid form and come to a halt. Gino gave a sharp turn to move out of the way, but he was too slow.

Wing Zero spread its wings out wide, the large white wings tore through the Tristan's left wing. The Gundam's not even damaged thanks to its superior armor. Gino began spinning out of control as his Knightmare began tumbling in the water before he eventually came to a halt.

Lelouch looked at the wreck with an emotionless expression. While he wasn't exactly a fan of Gino, he did hear that he did what he could to protect Kallen while she was kidnapped. For that, he'd spare Gino. This time anyway.

Still, this battle was progressing smoothly. Thanks to his and Zero's calculations, they knew who to target first and where to strike from. They quickly broke through the enemy formation and now the whole invasion force was in disarray.

But despite the success, Lelouch couldn't afford to take it easy. Cause there was still one wildcard in all this.

His proximity alarms went off as he then drew a beam saber to block a strike from said wildcard, the Lancelot Albion. Lelouch frowned as he glared up at the machine that was piloted by one of the two people he couldn't afford to fight. If Suzaku was here, and if he'd have to kill him…

He shook his head Still, he had a mission to accomplish. And even if Suzaku was here, he couldn't allow him to interfere. He pushed back, easily winning with the Gundam's superior strength. He then flew to reengage, but the Lancelot Albion fired off emerald energy bolts from its wings, forcing Wing Zero to bring up its shield and wings to defend.

When the hailstorm concluded, the Lancelot charged once again, firing off all its slash harkens. Wing Zero quickly destroyed them with both its beam saber and Wing Vulcans. But this proved to be a distraction as the Lancelot suddenly charged in to attack. Wing Zero managed to bring up its beam saber to block just in time.

As the two machines were locked in a blade lock, Lelouch, with the assistance of Zero, was now able to confirm something. Despite only fighting for less than 30 seconds, Lelouch was able to completely analyze the fighting style, and it was not the one that belonged to his worst enemy.

This confirmed it, "You're not Suzaku Kururugi."

"Took you long enough!" A chippy female voice said. "Sorry that your BFF isn't here right now. He supposedly had better things to do. So lucky you, you get to play with me today! Nonette Enneagram, the Knight of Nine! At your service, Your Majesty!" She introduced herself, sarcastically.

Nonette Enneagram. She attended the same military academy as Cornelia, being her senior. Despite being an upbeat and cheerful person, she was actually someone Cornelia herself was afraid of, being the one person Cornelia could never defeat.

However, this revelation did not intimidate Lelouch, in fact, he was almost relieved. "That's good." He said, much to Nonette's confusion. "That means I don't have to hold back."

And with that, he pushed further with the beam saber, the green blade actually cutting into the MVS, much to Nonette's surprise. The saber then cut completely through the MVS, forcing Nonette to retreat.

She then drew the V.A.R.I.S. Rifles and began firing. Wing Zero dodged and weaved its way around the blast of energy, quickly closing the distance. In no time at all, the Gundam was in front of the white Knightmare, its beam saber pulled back.

"Sorry, but you're not a part of my plans. So I need you to die." He said before jabbing the Beam Saber straight through the Lancelot's chest, the green beam coming out from the cockpit block. The Knightmare's fastspheres went dark as the Knightmare exploded.

BOOM!

Emerging from the smoke was Wing Zero, completely unscathed. Lelouch had to admit. To finally rid himself of the white Knightmare that was responsible for ruining so many of his plans, even if it wasn't the same person piloting it, felt very cathartic.

He smirked as he imagined the face Llyod Asplund made.

"Is Dr. Asplund okay, Ms. Croomy?" A technician asked at Llyod's frozen expression.

"Oh yeah, he's fine." She said without a care. "He's just experiencing a mental and psychological breakdown from seeing his greatest creation destroyed in less than a minute. No biggie."

"That's doesn't like a 'no biggie'."

Now with all the Knight's forces, as well as most of the Knights themselves, destroyed, that only left one last obstacle to Lelouch and Wing Zero.

"Lelouch vi Britannia!"

Lelouch looked over to see his final obstacle, Bismarck Waldstein, the Knight of One, pulling out the Galahad's Excaliber MVS.

"I, Bismarck Waldstein, the Knight of One, and the Holy Britannian Empire's strongest knight, challenge you, the False Emperor, to a duel!" Bismarck declared as the stitch around his left eye broke to reveal a Geass symbol in them. His Knightmare, the Galahad, held the massive MVS in En Garde!

"You dare raise your sword against your Emperor?" Lelouch said, a mocking smile forming on his lips. "My, my, my. Who would've thought the Empire's "Strongest Knight" would become a traitor?"

"The only traitor here is you, boy!" Bismarck cried in righteous fury, swinging the massive sword down at the Gundam. Wing Zero managed to move out of the way, but the blade managed to knick the armor, causing a small cut to form on the frame.

Lelouch's eyes narrowed at his opponent. It looks like this wasn't going to be as easy as he predicted.

Within the confines of Ashford Academy, Rivalz and Nina were just minding their own business, listening to some random nature documentary as background noise. Suddenly, the program changed to the news.

"We interrupted this program for this live broadcast from the Holy Britannian Empire." That caused both of them to stop what they were doing and look toward the screen to see what was going on. And what they saw was a shock.

The same could be said for those on Horai Island. The Black Knights all looked in surprise at the image of the Galahad, the personal Knightmare of the Knight of One, fighting against–

"That's the Gundam! Lelouch!" Kallen cried in surprise. Was Lelouch really out there fighting by himself?

"And he's challenging Bismarck?" Ohgi said in surprise. Even when they had Zero as a leader, the Black Knights would never think of challenging the Knight of One to a straight-up fight. And right there in front of them on live TV, was their former leader doing just that!

What was he trying to accomplish?

In a hidden base belonging to the Toromo Agency, Schneizel el Britannia sat on a chair with his assistant Kanon and Suzaku Kururugi standing beside him, watching on as the Knight of One under the former Emperor battled the current Emperor.

"Now, let's see how Sir Bismarck does against you, little brother." Schneizel said as he put his hands under his chin.

Wing Zero brought its Twin Buster Rifle up and fired at the Galahad. The Knight of One avoid the beam and fired the five-finger slash harkens from its right hand at the Gundam. The slash harkens knocked the rifle out of Wing Zero's hands before wrapping around the frame. Reeling in the harkens, the Galahad managed to send the Gundam spinning out of control away from the Knightmare.

As Lelouch stabilized Wing Zero, he looked back in shock. "How did he know Wing Zero's firing line and flight path?!" He shouldn't have been able to do that! The calculations showed that he wouldn't have been able to dodge and counterattack so fast.

Seeing the boy's confusion expressed through his control of the machine, Bismarck decided to explain, if only to let that boy know why today would be the day he falls. "My Geass gives me the power to see the future!"

And indeed, he did see the future. As Wing Zero charged him with a beam saber in hand, a red outline of the Gundam appeared to be moving only seconds ahead in time compared to real-time. This gave Bismarck, a master combatant and Knightmare pilot, plenty of time to counter at just the right moment.

The Galahad raised its MVS to block a strike from Wing Zero at just the right moment, and when they broke apart, Wing Zero was again spiraling out of control.

"Again!?" Lelouch cried in anger.

"Only once before, I used this power when I battled Lady Marianne!" Bismarck revealed as the two continued to clash, ascending higher into the air as they did so, Wing Zero firing off its Wing Vulcans, only for the Galahad to either evade or block with its Blaze Luminous system. "So I see it fitting that I use it now! To end the life of both her son and murderer!"

They went back and forth, firing off bullets, slash harkens, and clashing blades. But despite it, Lelouch couldn't overcome Bismarck. Being able to predict the future allowed him to thwart any attack strategy Lelouch could come up with.

"He can predict my moves?" Lelouch asked himself before gritting his teeth. "But still–"

He was interrupted when a notification went off on his board. He took a quick look and saw that, as planned, this battle was being broadcast to the entire world. Seeing that, Lelouch released a breath as he calmed down.

"Yes." He said as his eyes steeled with a burning resolve. "For the sake of the Zero Requiem, I must be victorious! Which means," His hands tightened on the controls, "I can't afford to hold back!"

Deciding to risk it, he quickly changed the ZERO System's operating output from 75 to 100%. After meeting the Gundam Scientist, he was able to work with them to come up with a limiter that he can use to control how much power the ZERO System operates at. He didn't want to risk him being consumed by the system, so he wanted to make sure he could take it as slowly as he could.

But doing this caused a decrease in the Gundam's performance level. If he was operating at 100% from the beginning, he would have ended this whole invasion force in less than a minute, but also had a high risk of losing himself completely to Zero. He wanted to win this battle without entirely relying on the power of the ZERO System. But seeing how he couldn't overcome Bismarck and his Geass with only 75%, he had to take a gamble. For the sake of the Zero Requiem, and the future, he couldn't afford to hold back.

He could feel it. As Zero began to be fully awakened, he could feel the Gundam try and take his mind, but Lelouch would not falter. Never again would he allow himself to be consumed by power! He fought off the control by staying focused on his goal. The goal of a better tomorrow.

"Zero," He said, his hands tightening further on the controls, "show me the future!"

Seeing that his opponent made no move, Bismarck charged and swung his massive sword at the Gundam. Wing Zero suddenly moved and ascended above the Knightmare. "My name will always be linked with the title of the strongest knight of the Empire!" He declared, a giant grin on his face as he stared up at the Gundam.

However…

"Wh-what? What is this?!" He asked no one as his grin faltered and his pupils shrank in shock, and even horror. The reason being, when Wing Zero charged him, the red outline that showed its future action, was constantly changing! An upward slash, a jab to the head, Wing Vulcans firing, a kick to the Galahad's chest, etc. It was constantly changing attacks, all faster in the blink of an eye. The information was too much for a human like Bismarck, so much that the only thing that saved him when the Gundam did finally attack was his instincts. Though a cut had been made on his Knightmare.

"What was that?! How could that be possible?!" Bismarck asked fear evident in his tone. There was no way there could be that many possible futures in the span of only a few seconds! "Was it the machine?! Or was it… the boy himself?!"

To answer Bismarck's unasked question: it was both.

By using the ZERO System, Lelouch was able to narrow exactly how far into the future Bismarck could see with his Geass. This left him with a window for 72 possible attacks. The number of possibilities, along with the number of times he had to execute, would be too much for a normal person to use correctly.

But Lelouch was anything but a normal person.

He was able to keep up with the system's calculations, having had much experience running through multiple possibilities on how a battle could turn out. Also using the Shinkiro's Absolute Defense System was good practice.

The Lelouch vi Britannia and Wing Gundam Zero. Separate, the two were a force to be reckoned with. But together, no force or army on Earth could possibly stand against them.

And the whole world was going to learn that, right now.

"It's over. Bismarck just lost."

The ones spectating the battle looked in surprise at the sudden statement. Not because of what was said, but rather who said it.

"What makes you so sure?" Kanon asked.

"He may have had a chance after using his Geass, but that only forced Lelouch to stop holding back," Suzaku explained, still glaring at the screen. "Now it's over. Bismarck has no chance of winning."

While Kanon was doubtful, Schneizel was intrigued at the insight Suzaku had. He too predicted that Bismarck would lose this battle. He knew the whole invasion was going to be a failure.

However, he wanted to see more of what Lelouch was capable of with that Gundam. So he allowed the Knights to attack, except Suzaku. Nonette would take the Lancelot Albion, but Suzaku was adamant he stay behind. He must've known this would be the result. It makes sense, considering the boy had firsthand experience fighting the Gundam. He must've known it was a losing battle.

Schneizel then turned back to the screen, eager to see how Lelouch would finish this.

'Factoring in several variables including wind speed, weight, weapon strength, etc. There's only one way to conclude this battle for it to have the desired effect.' Lelouch thought.

Wing Zero ascended higher into the air, backflipping. Then it charged at the Galahad, full speed.

"Head on!?" Bismarck cried in shock at the sudden act of foolishness. Spinning the Galahad around as if winding itself up and holding the MVS at the ready. "You insult me!"

Wing Zero continued charging, gripping its beam saber in a two-handed grip.

As the Gundam came upon the Knightmare, the two swung their respective blades at full strength.

SLASH!

The two continued moving after the clash, no damage appearing on either of their machines.

At least at first.

"Bismarck Waldstein," Lelouch suddenly spoke in that cold and emotionless tone, one that sent shivers down the Knight of One's spine, "You pride yourself on being the Empire's strongest knight."

Bismarck frowned in confusion. What was the boy getting at?

At that moment, he felt it.

The Excalibur class MVS, gifted to him by His Majesty Charles zi Britannia himself, was cut in half. His Knightmare's fingers soon followed, as well as the rest of his Knightmare.

"But I am the Emperor of Britannia itself. Do you know what that means?" Lelouch asked, knowing full well Bismarck couldn't answer.

And there, at that moment, in front of the entire world, on live television, Lelouch declared:

"I am the World's Strongest man!"

The Galahad was then completely cut in two, diagonally. Before his death, Bismarck uttered his final words. "I failed you, Lady Marianne…"

BOOM

The Galahad's destruction served as the perfect backdrop for Wing Zero, the Gundam's magnificent wings spread wide open and Beam Saber held at the side.

And the camera caught it all.

Throughout the world, everyone stared in shock at what had just transpired. All of them asked the same question: What just happened?

For decades, maybe even close to centuries, the Knights of the Round were recognized as the strongest group of warriors in the world. It was just a common fact everyone accepted as the truth. They were always seen as the pinnacle of strength and skill, an ideal one hoped to attain, and a fear to those who wished to rebel against the Empire.

But this boy, this scrawny young man, who had been sitting on the throne for less than a week, destroyed this group of warriors. All by himself and in less than an hour.

It was unbelievable. But they couldn't deny it, for they had just witnessed it happening in front of their eyes.

On Horai Island, the Black Knights were in the same state of shock as they saw what just transpired.

"The Knight of One… has fallen…" Tohdoh managed to say, still not over his shock. The Black Knights, who had people like him, Kallen, and Xinge among their ranks, even exercised caution when it came to the Rounds. But they had now just witnessed their former leader, the one they betrayed, wipe out that group of soldiers, single-handily.

Ohgi himself seemed to be feeling the most scared out of the group watching. He was the one who proposed the idea, all so that they could get Japan back. At the time, after learning about what kind of person Lelouch is, he held no regrets.

But now… now as he's witnessing the demon he may have unwittingly unleashed upon the world, he starting to wonder, did he make the wrong choice?

The Galahad bisected sword fell to the ground beside the downed Tristan. Gino had somehow managed to make it to shore after his encounter with Wing Zero, enough to witness the final battle between Bismarck and Lelouch. Even he was shocked at the outcome.

But that wasn't what was at the forefront of his mind. Rather, he was thinking back to Lelouch's words.

"Invading the capital, seeking to kill the one who has rightfully taken the throne? You're actions, no matter how you look at it, show that you are standing against Britannia."

Gino gritted his teeth while clenching his fists as he recalled those words. "If I'm fighting against Britannia," He began before slamming his fist against the side of his cockpit, "Then what am I even fighting these battles for?!"

He then looked up to the sky and glared at the Gundam.

Within the cockpit of Wing Zero, Lelouch's shoulders heaved as he panted, out of breath from the experience he just went through. Operating Wing Zero at 100% was an exhausting endeavor enough as it is, but having to do so while fighting against a Geass that could allow his opponent to see the future, forced him into overdrive.

There were several times when he almost lost himself to the Gundam, but he held firm. His goal, his dream for the future, kept him focused. Focused enough to keep him in control.

His body was covered in sweat. Usually, when using the ZERO System, he wouldn't be, thanks to the nutrients and stimulus the cockpit was pumping into his body to allow him to keep up with the System. But after that left his body when the system was deactivated, the exhaustion hit him tenfold.

It would just be something he'd have to work on. Thankfully, doing that intensive strength and stamina training with Jeremiah and Sayoko over the past month helped immensely, even if it was the most painful experience of his life up to that point. At least now he didn't pass out when he came out of the Gundam like the first few times.

What he wanted to do now was to go home and sleep. But not yet, he still had one more thing to do. He then turned on his radio.

"Contact the press. Let them know I want to make a statement."

"We've just received a request from the Emperor himself. He wishes to make a statement regarding the recent incident." The Anchorman said as the video then changed to show Lelouch inside his Gundam's cockpit, his hands locked together, a smug smirk on his face.

The entire world thought one thing:

'He looks like a classic supervillain.'

Lelouch almost sneezed, but held back, best not to ruin the mood he was setting.

"Greetings! As I'm sure you have all witnessed, the cowardly traitors, known as the Knights of the Round, have launched an unprovoked invasion upon the Britannian Homeland, seeking to take my life. For their crimes, they have been eliminated, by my hands."

As if sensing the shock and surprise on all the people of the world, Lelouch's smirk widened. "Yes, it is as you heard. I, Lelouch vi Britannia, 99th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, am the pilot of the machine that just destroy the Empire's old guard. The machine is known as Gundam!"

Now feeling that he has their attention, he drops another bomb on them. "And yes, this is the same machine with which the Black Knights did battle a month ago, the same one which destroyed Mt. Fuji mines, which at the time, was also piloted by me!"

The Black Knights who were in the know looked at each in shock and confusion. What purpose did he have in revealing this? He would only make an enemy out of the UFN and possibly other nations. A lot of their soldiers, and even some civilians, were lost in that man-made eruption.

"As for why I chose to engage these cretins, well the answer is more of a question: Why wouldn't I?" Lelouch said.

His questions caused many soldiers in the secret base to look at each other in confusion, wondering if anyone knew what he meant. Only those like Tohdoh, Ohgi, and Kallen remained focused on the TV.

"I am the Emperor of Britannia, thereby making me the strongest person in the world. By that logic, then wouldn't it make sense that I of all people would be the one to engage the enemy?"

'He isn't wrong.' Is what Schneizel thought as he watched his brother on the news. 'For generations, since the founding of the Empire and the time of the First Emperor, the title of Emperor was always looked at with a sense of power and strength. In those early days, the title was decided by having a duel to determine who was the strongest, thereby the most worthy, to lead. All in line with the Social Darwinist theory the Empire staked its whole existence on. How–'

"–ever in recent generations of Emperors, including the rule of my late father, Charles zi Britannia, those who have held the title of Emperor have done nothing but sit on the thrones and do nothing as their people, even their children fight their battles for them," Lelouch stated Schneizel's thought exactly, almost as if he knew what he was thinking, and decided to say it out loud.

The act caused Schneizel to grip his hands until his knuckles turned white with anger. Again, he somehow managed to predict Schneizel's thought pattern perfectly, even from far away.

"Well, that all ends today!" Schneizel then looked up at the image of his brother. Gone was the smug smirk, now replaced with a determined frown. "From this day forth, I will embody what it means to be the Emperor of Britannia!"

His statement caused Schneizel to look in shock. Was he serious? Lelouch hated everything about Britannia, especially its beliefs about the Emperor. And now here he was declaring he was going to become the perfect embodiment of what it means to be the Emperor?!

What was going on?! What was he planning?!

"I won't be like my predecessors, resting on my laurels as others fight my battles for me. No, I promise you that I will be there, on the front lines of any war, any conflict, any battle against those who were foolish to believe they could challenge Britannia! And if you want to find me, and dare to challenge me, then look no further than this machine itself! If a King does not lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow!"

He paused as let his words sink in with the populace of the world. No doubt those who knew him would be turning heads at his words. His younger self wouldn't believe he would ever say what he just said. But again, he had to do this.

"Now then on to my second announcement." He could feel the attention focused back on him again. "I would like to announce Britannia's desire to join UFN!"

Schneizel abruptly turned the TV off as he stood from his seat following that declaration.

"Prince Schneizel! Are you alright?" Kanon asked, stupidly. Of course, he wasn't alright! His little brother, who he always believed he knew like the back of his hand, just continued to do the most unexpected things. Nothing he did makes sense. His confession that he was responsible for the destruction of Mt. Fuji, killing countless Black Knights, then he expresses a desire to join the UFN.

None of it made sense to Schneizel!

Quickly though he calmed down as he remembered a very special project that was going on. One that hopefully, Lelouch wouldn't see coming.

"How goes Project: Dragon?" He asked.

Kanon snapped to attention as he looked over the details on his tablet. "Were making steady process. Thanks to the blueprints we were able to require, the frame is built, and the weapons nearing completion. The only issue so far is cracking the mystery that is that strange system. But we should have it ready in about a week."

"You have two days."

Kanon looked up in shock at his lord's statement, wondering if he misheard him. By the look on his face, Kanon did not. "Understood, Your Highness!" Kanon bowed as he walked out of the room.

Suzaku followed after him, hoping to get some more training in. After seeing Lelouch so easily destroy the Knight of One, a position Suzaku had been struggling to achieve for the past year, it only fueled the fire more. The fire that wanted to burn Lelouch and that Gundam down.

As they left, Schneizel then turned and looked out at the hanger that was holding two out of three of his most important trump cards against Lelouch. The tallest and arguably most powerful one was already complete and would be ready to fly by tomorrow. If it wasn't for that Gundam, Schneizel held no doubt he would only need this and one other to achieve victory. But now, with Wing Zero, that victory may not be so certain.

Schneizel then smirked. That's where the most recent trump card came into play. He couldn't see it clearly due to the shadow of the larger trump card, but he knew, just as Kanon said, its frame was complete. And he was greatly pleased with how it turned out.

"You wanted to be Emperor little brother, then you best be prepared to face the Dragons at your door."

A/N: And done! Have to say, that was a longer chapter than I thought. But hey, I'm not complaining. And I hope you guys aren't either.

I know I've done this a lot. Lelouch single-handily beat the Knights of the Round. I know it's a repeated thing I do, but I feel it's important for the story. Much like how in canon, where Suzaku eliminated the Knights of the Round, one of my favorite scenes in the series actually, it shows that Lelouch has power that can not only match, but surpass that of the old Britannia, and having him do it himself shows just how much of a threat he is. I hope that explains it.

Now as regards the whole percentage thing that I added to Wing Zero. What do you guys think? Do you like it? Hate it? I kinda like it because I always love it when the protagonist has to work to fully control a powerful tool or superpower without any consequences to them, it shows growth, and means they earn it, at least to me. Plus, I didn't want to make Lelouch too OP. That's never fun. But if you guys hate it, that's fine, I won't tell you how to feel.

Schneizel's got his plans and ways to counter Lelouch behind the scenes. You can probably guess what it is.

Now, let's move on to the preview:

His Democracy:

The UFN must decide whether or not to accept Lelouch's invitation to join them. But little do they know, he has plans of his own.

See you all soon! Love you all!