Chapter 9: Duel of Fates Part One

When one pillar of the temple topples over, the entire roof will tumble down.

-Old Britannian Saying

Part 17: Phase 1

An international broadcast was played on 0645 hours Japan's time zone. This was obtained by Diethard's clever working on infiltrating Hi-TV networks, the Britannian central broadcasting channel.

Attention people of tomorrow, citizens of independent factions, citizens of the empire and vassal slaves! All of you live under one sun and one moon but some are controlled by the iron tyranny of Britannia, while some live in peace. Why such a disparity among deserving populations? The answer is Britannia's cruelty. Behold a world where the spirits of many cultures are free from the grip of one Empire's tyranny. Behold a world where children of non-Britannian descent receive proper education, not working in the mines and factories of this inhumane Kingdom. Join us and such a world will be realized; support the Black Knights Revolution for a world of everlasting equality! Join us, for liberty is what we all seek! Today is the final day we the Black Knights will gather. This is the final hour of our slumber and the first minute of our awakening! Fall Holy Britannia! Fall for the others' independence! Fall for the welfare of every person on Earth!

The blazing evening sun shone its sharp rays of red light across the horizon. A large shadow was casted behind a crumbling edifice in the Shinjuku ghettoes. As the final burst of light shone over the mountain peaks from afar, a battalion of Knightmare Frames stood in four aligned x-shaped formation on dust and rubble. They were mentally and physically prepared to take on a daunting task: to wipe out a force five times their size until twilight hour. Their purpose: to rid the world of Imperialism, but these hours will only be square one if they survive. The final hour struck at seven p.m. sharp and a showdown will begin with the enemy across the horizon, cloaked under the darkness of dusk.

This is our final hour, to pray, to cry and to bless. For fate will decide whose will is stronger: the stars' or god. Let time and cause yield effect, enough for one side to prevail and another loss.

These were Lelouch's final words before the Britannian forces fired their first shot. Within five minutes, the area where Tohdoh's formations held their positions became a bloodbath of burning Knightmares and human corpses. Paratroopers descended the skies and began to take formations. Shrill screams of extreme pain filled the air as many infantrymen had their limbs torn from their torsos. Cries for 'mama' echoed as they struggled to move without any arms and legs to push themselves. Bodies laid stationary on the hot surface as fire engulfed the entire ghetto, some fried in explosions, others had their heads blown off of their bodies and intestines ripped out of their abdomens. What was once dried dust became drenched in blood and cured by heaps of ash and soot. The terror continued as Lelouch contacted Tohdoh through his communicator and informed him on when to take on stage two, to set a trap against Britannian forces.

"Fight on men! We have to nullify all these Imperialist bastards! Kill them all! Kill them all!" Tohdoh declared with his warrior spirit.

Diethard was heavily occupied on his share of the settlement's structural deconstruction.

"The power is down except for the main control room," Diethard informed Lelouch.

"Excellent work, now begin the hacking program," Lelouch ordered.

"On my honour master Zero," said Diethard.

Lelouch was on the Gawain, awaiting Britannian airborne troops to descend into the battlefield. He was in charge of the weaponry, while C.C. was the pilot. Their pairing proved most efficient when in practice. The Britannian air forces appeared before them, hovering like a flock of seagulls. Lelouch directed the awesome Hadron cannons and pinpointed where the effective area was. He pressed the activation key and two bursts of immeasurable power fired from the Neosteel corpuscle, obliterating an entire flank of Britannian fighter planes BR-15 RAPTORS in light speed. Lelouch fired the Gawain's cannons like there was no tomorrow, consequently slaying groups and groups of skilled pilots.

"Die you Britannian dogs! Godspeed! "Lelouch exclaimed with an engrossed look.

"You are enjoying this, my love," C.C. commented.

"Why victory is sweet, even if the price is staining one's hands with blood!" Lelouch stated hastily.

"I think it is over," C.C. said, "I think you did it."

"Don't be so sure, the Britannians are crafty and I expect they have more tricks up their sleeve!"

"You speak like an eccentric warlock," C.C. commented on his response.

"Then you must be my accomplice witch," Lelouch replied.

"I am your 'partner in crime'," C.C. said, trying to act oblivious.

Lelouch messaged Diethard on his progress and asked, "How are the systems hacking coming along."

"Very well, the base of the settlement will be purged in five, four, three, two, one," Diethard informed.

A massive shock underwent at that very moment as buildings in the city's perimeter collapsed like toppling blocks. The entire city platform on its outer radius unlocked, rendering the base unstable. The ground shook violently like a grand seismic shock, as plants and factories fell. The plan was to protect all the residential areas, including schools and public facilities while blocking any land entrances for Britannian troops to get in between.

"Operation is a success master Zero!" Diethard exclaimed with joy over his communicator.

"Everything has gone smoothly as planned," Lelouch announced over his communicator, "Ougi, how are the statistics piling."

"Everything is heading towards our advantage, we estimate that we have sixty-five percent to our lead," Ougi informed.

"Beautiful," Lelouch responded, "Just marvellous as we have planned."

"Cornelia and her troops have landed and are heading our way," Tohdoh informed.

"Hide and use a series of guerrilla strategies," Lelouch ordered.

"Understood master Zero," Tohdoh replied.

Kallen was one of the surviving pilots who fought until every Britannian soldier fell. She thought to herself, "For Zero, I will not die. For Japan, I will liberate!"

"Fall back deeper into the ghetto! We must use a series of surprise attacks on Cornelia's troops, formation K-29!" Tohdoh announced.

The twenty or so remaining Knightmares are expected to defend against fifty enemy troops and they are among the elite. Lelouch put a lot of faith on Tohdoh's hands and trusted his leadership. Cornelia's division separated into two box formations, gliding effortlessly on the Shinjuku rubble.

"Take down all of these worthless rebels, the Japanese belongs to us!" Cornelia commanded.

"Yes your royal highness viceroy Cornelia," her troops responded.

Lord Gilford asked the Princess, "Viceroy, are we heading straight in their?"

"No Gilford, we will launch ourselves on top of the buildings and fire on high ground," the strategic war-princess informed him.

"Yes your royal highness," Gilford replied.

"Troops we will have to launch ourselves onto the high ground, tactic A-23," Cornelia ordered her highly trained and disciplined group.

"We are going up against the elite!" Kallen said.

"And we will crush them by pulling them down," Tohdoh said.

"Pulling them down?" Kallen inquired.

"Troops, we will use our Slash Harkens to immobilise and slice them to pieces!" Tohdoh commanded.

Cornelia's troops flew on their well-equipped jets to where their biometric sensors displayed signs of Tohdoh's men.

"Fire," she ordered. The ghetto glowed as high energy particle beams showered from the skies. Tohdoh's men managed to strip away one sixth of Cornelia's regiment through anchoring them down to the ground but a number of casualties was the bitter remuneration.

"Fall back! Into the Tokyo settlement," Tohdoh instructed with his intuition. "Zero would have done the same in this disadvantaged position," he thought. They fled speedily on rugged terrain and dodged the heat of side opposition's firepower.

"Those cowards! And I thought the miracle maker would challenge up a better fight! Those ingrates are no match for Holy Britannia, unworthy for our fight," Cornelia cursed boastfully.

Tohdoh's men made their way to the city's perimeter, where many buildings were laid waste. Cornelia's troops continued to fire their high energy particle beam cannons. Tohdoh's strategy was to waste their energy based weapons supply until the enemy submits into melee combat, which was his specialty.

"Master Zero, we are down to fourteen men plus Kallen," Tohdoh said.

"I will be there with my Hadron Cannons," Lelouch replied, "After I destroy this last plane."

Lelouch fired the Gawain's ten fingered Slash Harkens and shredded through Britannia's final aerial support. C.C. piloted the Gawain out of the place and asked, "Where to?"

Lelouch called Tohdoh, "Where are you?"

"We are at the outside perimeter of the city closest to Shinjuku ghettoes," Tohdoh informed, "You cannot miss us."

"I am coming," Lelouch replied.

C.C. flew the Gawain until they could see the flashes of rapid firing rounds streaming out of Britannian rifles. These rifles fired bullets five times a standard bullet's weight using a rail-gun principle.

"Come out of all that rubble you Japanese cowards!" Cornelia shouted in annoyance. A couple of the Black Knight's Knightmares took critical damage as the bullets pierced through the armour of older generation vehicles. Just then Lelouch and C.C. arrived at the scene, firing both Hadron Cannons around Cornelia's Knightmare, which was distinguished apart the rest by her golden tipped lance. The particle beam travelled at light speeds so it was impossible to dodge but he did not wipe out her vehicle; he only removed the limbs. The Gawain descended in between all of the Britannian battle units at the perfect time, when all ammunition was exhausted. Lelouch fired his ten fingered Slash Harkens simultaneously and decimated every standing enemy Knightmare in a round. A light show of multiple explosions brightened the scene as he concluded the final confrontation before his victory with an elegant move. Cornelia stared in disbelief and thought, "How did he?" She gaped at the death of all her subordinates, including her trusted Sir Gilford.

Lelouch called Tohdoh, "You must leave with your troops now. Tell Ougi and Diethard of the good news. I will deal with her in private."

"Agreed," Tohdoh replied. He ordered Kallen and the remaining troops to retreat, "The fight is over. We have won and master Zero wants us in a safer place."

The remaining Knightmare frames, including the Guren left the site entirely to Lelouch and Cornelia.

Lelouch came out of the Gawain to make a final declaration of victory, "Princess Cornelia, I am afraid you have lost."

Cornelia looked appalled by her defeat and continued to dissent his statement.

"You shall come out of there at once or I will kill you, you dog!" Lelouch ordered vaingloriously, showing no respect towards his elder half-sister.

Cornelia stepped out of her half-shredded vehicle and said, "I surrender now let me go. I am not a threat to you, I swear."

"Not so fast, you are our prized prisoner of war; I cannot let you get away with this! Besides, I have a couple of questions for you."

"Like what."

"Do you know why I am doing this?"

"You are one of those filthy Japanese rebels."

"No! I am a Britannian who possesses a deep hatred towards its inhumane dictatorship!"

"Inhumane? We are doing this to bring the world into order! What you did today for your vain ambitions was inhumane!"

"Lies! This settlement lost all of its former integrity. It no longer belongs to the Japanese and they want a new one in place. Now I know you do not even have a clue who I am!"

"Reveal yourself!"

Lelouch removed his mask as the mechanical parts retracted gradually until they lacked into a compact film. Lelouch looked at his sister Cornelia with an austere glare. His venomous eyes showed a deep sense of indignation.

"So you… you are a person who holds a strong grudge against the Empire!"

"I used to respect you as an older sister; you look up to my mother and wished to be just like her. Now you are nothing but another Britannian scum," Lelouch looked at her with condescendingly.

"I had always thought you were dead! Father always said you were dead! And your sister disappeared as well."

"Yes, because you know who killed the person whom you respected so dearly, my mother Lady Marianne! The Lelouch vi Britannia you once loved as a younger brother was killed by father. I am Lelouch Lamperouge, the exiled prince turned commoner!"

"But why all this chaos? Why would you go through all this cruelty, shedding pain and ire, causing an abundance of unnecessary deaths?"

"To get father to realize how weak Britannia really is and end his lust for conquest!"

"You know your little rebellion isn't enough to destroy Britannia."

"Shut up Cornelia, my ambitions are none of your business!"

Lelouch covered his right eye and looked upon the viceroy with eyes of hatred. He seized her with his deathly stare, ready to interrogate without mercy.

"Now tell me, do you know who killed my mother!" Lelouch demanded for answers to support his case with evidence.

"I do not know," said the demoralized warrior-princess.

The flames of hatred burned ever hotter around the two siblings, now sworn nemesis.

"Lies! You were issued to protect my mother with your life!"

"But I was told to leave. Why won't you believe in me, I am your sister!"

Lelouch had enough of what he was hearing and activated his Geass, "I, Lelouch vi Britannia command you to answer all my questions!" The spell controlled her mind, altering all of her mental symmetries to his tuning.

"Who killed my mother, Lady Marianne?"

"I don't know."

Lelouch stared in shock; he couldn't believe she was telling the truth.

"Were you there on the day she died?"

"Yes."

"Did you escort her to the place she was murdered?"

"No."

Lelouch gaped in shock.

"Then who did?" he demanded evidence.

"I don't know. She ordered me to leave at once. My orders were to escort her to her villa and that was it."

Lelouch could not believe what he just heard. From the clues given to him, he pieced an inconvenient truth of his mother's death. The clues revealed a side of the tale where his mother ordered all of her private escorts to leave the inevitable death zone, dictated under her own commands.

"That is all. Dear sister, I am sorry but I have to do this. You leave me no choice," Lelouch said.

He climbed back into the Gawain and ordered C.C. to fly the mobile suit. "I am sorry that I doubted you. I salute you for believing in my mother," Lelouch whispered to himself.

C.C. looked back at Lelouch's face and thought, "This boy does not enjoy killing others, especially family members but he does it for his sister's safety." Lelouch pressed one button which directed a Hadron Cannon beam at the Princess lying on the floor which vaporized her existence off of this cruel world.

C.C. felt a strong pulse of discomfort in her chest. She saw Lelouch's sister in grave danger and said, "Lelouch… your sister has been kidnapped and is being transported to Kamine Island."

"What?" Lelouch couldn't believe this ill news after what was his glorious victory.

"We must go to Kamine Island at once!"

"Make it so!"

C.C. stepped on it and fired up the Gawain's engines towards the mysterious island.

Meanwhile

"Suzaku Kururugi, the girl Nunnally Lamperouge has been kidnapped by the Black Knights and carried to Kamine Island. I will send you the coordinates," the voice sounded rather childish but sinister at the same time. It was a mysterious voice, one that Suzaku was unfamiliar with.

"I will do so," Suzaku replied, "Who am I speaking to?"

"The name is none of your concern, I am an advisor of Emperor Charles and your new mission is an imperative," the mysterious character ordered.

Suzaku was bored from nothing to do at Ashford Academy. He was stationed at the west wing and was away from Ougi's squad, aboard the Knightmare he tested, the white Knightmare of Albion: Lancelot, fifth generation prototype. Lord Gilford left him to fight with Princess Cornelia and he had not received any notice since then. Suzaku left the school under his new assignment and spoke to himself, "I wonder what happened to Sir Gilford?" He was totally unaware the war ended minutes ago.

Part 18: My Friend, be my Ally

"Suzaku, you were my first real friend outside of the country, and the first I could trust for the rest of my life without turning my back," Lelouch thought about the meaning of their friendship.

C.C. flew the Gawain to Kamine Island and the two got out of the vehicle.

"This is one of those holy sites of Geass isn't it?" Lelouch asked C.C. if he was right.

"Yes it is, but I am not associated with this one," C.C. replied honestly.

The two ran into a cave, where a large Geass marked door lie just ahead. The cave was surprisingly well lit as if it were some beacon or sanctuary for passing ships. Lelouch and C.C. walked to the large gates and tried to open the sealed doors.

"How is this activated?" Lelouch wondered.

"Only the one with the correct Code possess the power to open this door," C.C. replied.

"No problem, I can probably hack into the system."

"It is not a numeric code used in computers. This code is very complex and the only holder is another one like me," she said.

"Talk about divine privacy," Lelouch said.

"Perhaps we should make love in the one I am in charge of," C.C. said with a naughty simper.

Lelouch stuttered at that remark, "You…you take things too far C.C.!"

She turned around with her hands clasped together behind her back and said, "You know how I would really love that to happen but I have promised you, we will only do that when the time is appropriate."

Lelouch heard the sound of running footsteps.

"Who's there?" he said as he scrambled to get his mask on.

Suzaku entered the scene and saw Zero with the green haired girl.

"Wait, you are the green hair…and that is Zero!" Suzaku exclaimed.

"Zero, you have gone too far! Why did you take my friend's sister and lock her in there?" Suzaku questioned.

"I do not understand what you are talking about?" Lelouch said in a calm voice.

"You promised you would take care of the people!"

"I think you have mistaken the kidnapping for somebody else."

"Impossible, I was given instructions by some Britannian advisor to rescue that girl."

"Do you know who you were speaking to? How do you not know that person didn't set this up?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The war is over."

"What?"

"Britannia lost and I killed Princess Cornelia and all her Knights!"

"Lies!"

"I am here to rescue that girl as well."

"Lies!"

Suzaku pointed a Britannian pistol at Lelouch.

"I wouldn't use that instrument of violence if I were you!"

"Show yourself, you coward!"

"Gladly Suzaku Kururugi," Lelouch exclaimed. Suzaku was surprised that this terrorist knew of his name. He was only a middle rank soldier. Lelouch slowly removed his mask to show his friend the true identity of Zero and Suzaku couldn't believe what he saw.

"No! This can't be happening!" Suzaku said as he shivered on spot, denying the troublesome truth before him.

"Yes and I would never harm my sister! I am here to rescue her as well!"

Suzaku began to laugh and his laughing intensified.

"What do you find so amusing my friend?" Lelouch asked.

"Lelouch Lamperouge, you have changed. You have changed a lot!"

"People change. That is how it is."

"I can't imagine this happening. Tell me Lelouch, am I dreaming?"

"No. This is real and Britannia lost to the Black Knights."

"And that girl right there. She is your real girlfriend, not that ugly snob you described."

"You caught me red-handed," Lelouch said with a chuckle.

"Lelouch, you are no longer that innocent friend I once had, but why?"

"I guess my promise to you must have forced me to be perverted by environmental conditions."

"But why do you have to cause all this fear? Do you know how many families you have torn apart tonight?"

"Fear is the strongest of primal instinct. It is responsible for all the turmoil in this world, what inhibited the Japanese from independence, what brought you and me here. The families of Britannian soldiers feel equal sorrow to an entire generation of Japanese people. You were Japanese yourself but you abandoned that identity!"

"I can't let you do this Lelouch. You will die one day from something this dangerous."

"Now Suzaku, you have no hope serving Britannia anymore. Their heydays have disintegrated as the heavens no longer favour them. Their dreams of world domination and exploitation of the weak are now shattered under my work. My grand scheme will deplete all of their resources and end their hegemony!"

"And I can capture you dead or alive, save Nunnally and be promoted to the highest of honours!"

"Capture me for what, personal power? Is power what you crave and that matters more than our friendship? Suzaku, you have changed and your motive sickens me!"

"I want Britannia to win and you will pay for all the lives that suffered because of you."

"If you are not with me, then you are against me!"

"I have lost all respects for you Lelouch Lamperouge as only a coward would say something like that!"

Lelouch pulled out a standard Britannian pistol and pointed at Suzaku's head. Suzaku did the same to him.

"We are evenly matched but only one of us will survive," Lelouch said, "Let fate decide."

"Hah, like you will survive!" Suzaku said.

"NO!" C.C. got in front of Lelouch as Suzaku pulled the trigger. The bullet shot C.C. in the abdomen as she flew for a second in midair.

"C.C.!" Lelouch said. He fired two bullets at Suzaku's right arm and got Suzaku's pistol flying out of his hands.

"AHHHH! You fucking bastard!" Suzaku yelled in pain while blood stained the sleeves of his shirt.

He attended by her side and said, "C.C. can you hear me? Respond my love. Damn!" Lelouch gazed at the nymph and held her hand firmly. He turned his head towards his old friend, enraged and ready to inflict unimaginable pain.

"Look who is the hypocrite," Lelouch commented, "Luckily, this woman would do anything to protect me."

"You cruel coward! You would use that beautiful girl as your buffer!" Suzaku scolded as he suffered.

Lelouch shot another round at his leg and said, "She is immortal, a supernatural beauty."

"That is bullshit!" Suzaku swore as he yelled in excruciating pain.

"Watch her recover," Lelouch said with a pernicious smile.

"You bloody son of a bitch, I will end you before that happens!" Suzaku cried.

"Just watch me as I am supernatural as well," Lelouch cackled with his Geass activated in his right eye.

Lelouch walked over to Suzaku's pistol, picked it up and threw it far into a corner away from his reach. Suzaku couldn't move as he was shot three times at the limbs. Lelouch returned to Suzaku's agonizing body and used his Geass, "I, Lelouch vi Britannia command you to serve me, obey all my commands without hesitation and never touch a green haired female!" His power altered Suzaku's mind, permanently transforming the pathways in his brain to Lelouch's liking. Suzaku, now too fatigued to even open his eyes responded with a shutdown. Lelouch wore a malicious smile and laughed until he choked.

"Now you cannot stop me my friend, I am invincible," he boasted vaingloriously.

Lelouch tore a bit of his cape and bandaged the wounds to clot the blood from flowing out of his friend. C.C. woke up from her rapid regeneration and said, "Lelouch what happened, did you kill him?"

Lelouch replied, "No he is not dead, but I quelled his plans to overthrow me. Now he rests with my Geass forever etched in his mind!"

"We should take him to a hospital," C.C. suggested after she awoke from her short period of death.

"Yes we should, but not in the Tokyo Settlement," Lelouch responded, "I will take responsibility for restoring that place after we get support from other nations."

"How are we going to do that?" C.C. asked.

"Kaguya is friends with the Chinese Federation's Empress; perhaps we can negotiate terms of alliance with them to do our bidding."

"I see."

"I will get Suzaku to the Lancelot and pilot that damned Knightmare. You wait for me in Ashford Academy."

"What about your sister?"

"It seems we cannot get pass these accursed gates! Now we must leave until an appropriate time comes," Lelouch said calmly, "Promise me one thing. Promise me you will help me save my sister."

"I will my love," C.C. replied, "I will."

C.C. left Suzaku and Lelouch and made her way to the Gawain. Lelouch carried Suzaku's semi-conscious body and turned his head around, "I will save you Nunnally, just you wait. Stay strong and out of trouble." He left with Suzaku and placed the body on the Lancelot's hand. Lelouch secured Suzaku in the Lancelot's hand and flew the vehicle gently. This day was the day the demon triumphed. The battle for Japan's liberation has ended but the war against Holy Britannia has just begun.