"Behold, I send you forth like a sheep into a pit of serpents."
-The Holy Bible, 4 a.t.b.
Chapter 4:-The power of the Lords
At the opening of the Zone
"Greetings everyone, this is Milly Ashford reporting live from the grand opening ceremony of the Ebisu-Jude society."
"Hello there and welcome on this warm sunny day of April the 24th. I am Bob Cadillac, co-reporter to the broadcast of this grand event. We will covering this ceremony in detail for you our dear viewers."
"As we can see, the dignitaries are still arriving as we speak. The crowds have been pouring in since 3 in the morning and the atmosphere is just indescribable. Bob, could you give our viewers the background for leading up to this day?"
The reason for this however was that even the strong-hearted Milly couldn`t stand remembering the great massacre.
"With pleasure Milly. As you know, 3 years ago, the then sub-viceroy princess Euphemia li Britannia had announced a SAZ where the Japanese and Britanians could co-exist in harmony. It was a pretty revolutionary move, considering the empire`s earlier reputation. It is said she even renounced her title and claim to the throne. Her reasons to do this, however remain unknown."
Then Bob`s voice turned a somber as he continued "But we all know what happened next. The demon who was well versed in 'dark magic' it seems, forced a one on audience with the princess and 'geassed' or in lay man terms hypnotized the princess for a mass genocide of the people. As we know, his plan was successful thus leading to the worst known modern holocaust. The reason was so that he could reign in the mass public towards him and twist the will of the people. This was made known during his last days, as video leaks were being circulated." The last part came out in a bitter tone.
Milly seeing this quickly took over the telecast "Then we saw the miracle of the 'million zeroes' which was done by the current one who tried to lead the people away from the demon`s charisma as he rose among their ranks. Apparently, he couldn`t mitigate him and curtail him and was forced to exile during the power struggle only to return more triumphantly." Here, the last part cam a bit too cheerfully and forced.
"Anyway, this society-as it is being called-is being resurrected in honour of these incidents and in a special way to pay respect and thank the late princess Euphemia, for being a spark in the times of darkness. The society is supposed to be an independent undertaking of Japan and Britannia as a sign of friendship and good will."
"We now have our correspondent, Allen Feyman on the ground reporting for us. Allen could you give a sense of what is the atmosphere there?"
"Thanks Milly, as you can see thousands of people across all nationalities have gathered here and signed up for this historic moment which has taken sweat and literally, blood of many people to become a reality. Notice the date of its inauguration co-incides with that of the original one. This is being done to thank princess Euphemia, as Bob pointed out earlier.
Also, Notice the naming. It is combination of the Japanese god of luck and the Christian saint of hopeless cases. As we know from our sources, the zone will be allowing accommodation and basic facilities to the downtrodden of society without bias. Also, they will be given to do honest jobs and equality will be particularly enforced here.
"Whatever be the outcome of this 'society', we can be sure it will make a large impact on the global scene. Back to you, Milly."
"Thank you, Allen for bringing us up to speed with the events."
"As we speak, dignitaries from the UFN and Britannia are arriving. We shall take a short break and then continue with our live coverage."
As they went off air, Bob stretched out and gulped in some water. "Thanks Milly, you saved my back. I was about to breakdown back there."
"No problem, I have experience with such cases." She said with a small smile.
"Still, why did Advisor Schnitzel have to give us an outline for this event? It curtails the freedom of the press. There must be some foul play involved" He said in an irritated voice.
"Whatever, Bob. It is not like we our reporting anything contrary to the truth. He probably wanted the telecast to be perfect." Milly said with an air of optimism.
"You are right. It may be so-"
"Guys you all are on air in 30 seconds." Came the voice of an irritated Rivalz.
All they did was take a deep breath and go back to show their masks…
At the grand ceremonial hall.
As the dignitaries were assembling to the venue, Ohgi was backstage, doing all the co-ordination and overall management of the event as well as greeting and entertaining guest ( which he was failing miserably). All in all he had his hands full.
"Yuki, ask Kallen to review the security arrangements. Make sure the knightmares are positioned as per her and Tohdoh`s instruction along the route."
"Ohgi-sama, the sound system has developed a problem."
"Call for backup. On second thoughts, ask the technicians to look into it..."
In all this hustle bustle, Ohgi did not notice Kaguya entering the hall. In fact, he was so busy, she managed to sneak up behind him and grab his attention in her not so subtle way.
"Chairwoman Kaguya! I am so sorry for not being able to welcome you formerly." He said while bowing down low in apology.
"It`s okay prime minister. I can see your hands our full and it is not like I would get lost now would it?"
"Of…Of course not. You have been working here since the UFN was brought into existence. But still, it is a matter of code of conduct."
Kaguya grasped his hand and spoke to him while looking in his eyes.
"Ohgi, let not red tapes dictate the relationship of leaders. Besides, we are all comrades here. There is no need to be formal around me, understood."
"Yes ma`am."
"Good, now please excuse me. I will try to see how I can be a bit useful. You can take a breather of 10 minutes."
"But-"
"No buts. Besides, your son is feeling a bit neglected."
All he could do was just smile at that. There was no way you could argue with her. He took his leave and left her in charge…for a while. It was good that leaders were helping around like comrades. Besides, all the slack workers would be dealt with nicely with Kaguya around…
Out back on the main stage.
"Welcome back, dear viewers to the grand opening of the SAZ memorial society. I am Allen Feyman and we are reporting live from the ceremony held here in Tokyo. As we can see, all the main dignitaries of the Japanese government are here. The response and attendance for the event has overshadowed the previous attempts to revive the said project.
Now we see the Chairwomen of the UFN and member of the first family of japan, Kaguya Sumeragi making way through her escort….
….She is now being greeted by PM Kaname Ohgi and Gen. Kyoshiro Tohdoh, defense minister of Japan and chief advisor of the black knights-
And here comes the moment we are all waiting for. The black S –class Pullman has been spotted by are camera- There it has come into view. Ladies and gentleman, the rumors are true. Her Excellency, Nunnally vi Britannia and Zero have arrived and are accompanying the Britannian representatives today."
"Her Excellency is being helped out by Zero out of the car. She is now being greeted by all the dignitaries who also graciously greet zero."
Down Below at the Ceremony.
"Greetings, lady Nunnally. I trust you had a good trip?"
"Yes thanks for your concern prime minister. I see that your hard work has paid off."
"That`s ….that`s too much praise for me, your highness." Ohgi said nervously while projecting a confident stance.
"You are too modest for your own good Ohgi- san." Kaguya said cheerfully. "Perhaps I need to give you some more coaching on leadership qualities?"
Ohgi sweat dropped. "That… won`t be necessary, Lady Kaguya."
They all shared this little small talk until a polite cough was heard.
"Excuse me ladies Nunnally and Kaguya, but don`t you think we do this later on? We shouldn`t keep the crowds waiting."
Kaguya answered him enthusiastically "Of course, we should make haste in that case."
It was here that Tohdoh spoke up "Speaking of haste, where are the Representatives?"
"I don`t know but they said they would arrive before us, Tohdoh- Sama." Nunnally replied.
As if on cue, an envoy smaller than the empress`s but with more security made its way through the entrance route. At the heart of the convoy, were 2 Phantom lwb limos carrying the majestic presence of Fredric Laurus and Hugo Cullum. The manner of their arrival raised the eyebrows of the war veteran and even Zero. Kaguya and Nunnally may have decided not to visibly react to it. On a day like this, it was an unwritten rule that lower down officers and reps not to upstage head of countries. By this display, the 2 of them were showing defiance albeit in a subtle way. This was however, balanced out so to speak, by their simple attire they had both worn.
"Greetings your highness, lord zero and lady Kaguya. I hope we haven`t been to long?" Fredric enquired.
"No, But we were just commenting on the tardiness you two have displayed."
At this, Hugo bowed "I assure you, it was a matter of utmost urgency that kept us behind schedule. Rest assured, it won`t happen again."
"It`s good to hear. Also, I think I had made my stand on the manner my officials spend their wealth." She said pointedly while gesturing at their chariots.
"We deeply apologize for that, empress but these are some gift both have received from an old friend of ours who resides here in japan. He was …. Quite persuasive… for us to ride in them today."
"I see, I would love to meet this friend of yours." The empress said sweetly (?)
"Anytime your highness-"
Getting fed up with the mind games the two were playing (?), Zero interrupted them again "We must hurry to start the inauguration ceremony, your highness. The people have been waiting for a long time."
The small party made its way to the stage where they were greeted by other dignitaries from the UFN. They proceeded along with the crowds to the sacred lake Ohoyamatsumi, named after the kami of Mt. Fuji, to set a flower blossom in it to honour the dead. There was a 10 minute silence, followed by the prayers for the dead. During this time, the atmosphere was peppered with wailing and crying from among those in the congregation. After paying their respects to the dead, they all made their way in respectable silence back to the stadium for the ceremonies to continue.
It was here that Nunnally was asked to address the crowds. This was a strategic move made by the organizers and the UFN. Even though the empress had managed to change the external image of Britannia, their allies were still vary of it. In particular the Japanese populace. Having been subjugated to such a horrendous rule, it was but natural for them to feel uncomfortable. This was a make or break for moment for the young empress as well as a judge of her intentions by her fellow heads of state.
As the mike was handed over to her, she took a deep breath and….
"Konnichiwa nihonkokumin, it gives me great pleasure to be back to this wonderful country that has harbored and been my home for a greater part of my life. The sight of all the people irrespective of their nationality and any such labels, gathered here today as a united people is truly a sight to behold. This gathering, beyond doubt indeed shows how far we have come from the modern dark ages. You all here today also prove that we, together will grasp the future
We, however have assembled here for two purposes. One, for the inauguration of this zone which has been sabotaged time and again but yet lived on in essence. This place has been built to be a haven of hope and a symbol of our freedom from tyranny. In short, it was and is a spark of everyone`s dreams. However, while we move and grasp the new age of corporation, we must not forget the martyrs and sacrifices the people have made to give us this chance to make amends and be at peace.
Never forget the blood shed for this dream and this place to be a reality. It was in the age where children were forced to kill due to desperation or other circumstances. These people willingly gave their lives for their ideals. Though the power which ran free consumed them, they bravely went forward despite their solitude. But the costs were heavy and high. No one was immune to it. The most innocent were tainted by it and at the face of power. Even princess Euphemia…."
She faltered here only to come back strongly.
"Evil indeed is a terrible thing, and many succumbed to it. We honour all those people who fell for it, yet returned back and righted their wrongs. We must learn from the good princess, who tried to the very last to resist to evil till her death. Fight the good fight against all the injustices of the world.
Even in this constant crusade against darkness, cherish each and every moment of your lives and your loved ones. It is in these ideals, of hope co…co-operation….hope…an-and love that the zone has lived through.
I would love to conclude by begging you to forgive my family and me for all the atrocities we have committed to you. We had taken your homes, worked for slaves and treated you all as trash. I know it is difficult, but give me a chance…"
At this the empress finally broke down. She could no longer control her emotions. Zero came and ushered her back to her place while Fredric took over the stage to fill in.
"It is with this passion, we have come to work for progress and prosperity of all. It is our desire to fulfill the dream of this young women shared by countless others that we are here. As her highness has said, we know it will be difficult for you all to trust us. But we intend to win your hearts by our actions. Thus, I ask of you, not to judge us in haste.
Thank you."
Fredric was met with a roaring round of applause as he made his way back to his seat. Tohdoh was however suspicious of his promises. The subtle hints, the body language and the way he spoke showed total disagreement. Looks like he would have to speak to Zero in private about it.
"Ladies and gentlemen, before we open the doors of this society, we would like Lady Kaguya, chairwomen of the UFN and her highness Empress Nunnally vi Britannia to unveil the Statue of reconciliation."
The said duo made their way to a 20 feet tall veiled statue. The two then pressed the auto lift button together so as to unveil the said monument. What was revealed was the most unexpected thing ever leaving everyone stunned and for some, in not a good way.
There in the middle of the stone carved garden stood a statue of Euphemia wearing a kimono. She standing under a cherry blossom in full bloom while shown releasing a phoenix which takes flight towards it freedom. The monument was indeed a masterpiece for its beauty and rich symbolism.
'For the gentle queen who taught the Japanese to dream in the face of hopelessness, whose beauty and innocence was tarnished by the evil demon who dared walk on the same soil as her.' Read the plague at the bottom.
The two young women, turned to the crowd and proclaimed for all to hear.
"I, Kaguya Sumeragi."
"And I, Nunnally vi Britannia,"
"Together hereby declare that the gates of the Ebisu-Jude society are open to one and all." They said in a loud, clear voice which made the atmosphere electric and one full of joy. This made the girls smile and bask in this happy moment. The zone indeed would be a grand success.
Back at the news room.
"There you have it folks. The grand Ebisu- Jude society has been officially thrown open to the public. Our news analysts will later fill you all in with the implications of this event. For now this Milly Ashford."
"And Bob Cadillac signing off. Have a great evening folks."
They were put of air and the anchors were relaxing for their next telecast.
"Well, good work as usual Milly."
"You flatter me too much Bob. I hope you are coming for the boss`s little get to gather."
Bob stood up while dusting his coat.
"Sorry, I need to be with my family this evening. Rain check on the party?"
"Fine, you spoil sport."
Bob just chuckled and left.
"I don`t like that guy." Rivalz said with a bit of anger.
"Oh! Someone is jealous…?"
"Milly!" he exclaimed which ended with both of them laughing. As they left the studio hall, they started talking about the good old days.
"She has grown up into a fine girl." Rivalz commented in a sad tone all of a sudden.
"Yeah… she really has."
Meanwhile…
"Hello, Could you get me in touch with His highness Fredric? This is Squire Bob Cadillac…"
Back at the Imperial palace, Japan
Zero had just put Nunnally in bed and set up the security around her room. He was certainly was proud of how she conducted herself today (He was having this train of thought a lot lately, like some old man) and was walking back with a smile gracing his face…
"Lord Zero!"
He turned around to see his former teacher. Despite all this time, he still needed to catch himself from bowing his head in respect to his sensei. Zero was now the superior here.
"Tohdoh, did you have some urgent business."
"Yes Zero, could we talk in private in the conference hall?"
Zero nodded his head in acknowledgment, proceeded to the said place and secured it down.
"Now what it is you wanted to talk about?"
"It is about Fredric and Hugo. The subtle messages they were hinting and projecting and what they spoke in what they believe in were of different wavelengths."
"I agree with you on that front. The intentions clearly show defiance, and most likely it is not a onetime act."
"If that is the case, don`t you think we should act? the society may be in danger-"
"Tohdoh, you know we may be reading too much into this. Just a flashy display may not lead to some disaster." Suzaku mostly said this to lighten his own fears.
Tohdoh`s eyes widened by just a fraction, but he later bowed down. "My apologies, Zero. I will take my leave now. Any further orders?" He couldn`t believe the meticulous miracle maker was belittling the matter
This reaction was noticed by Suzaku and unsettled him even further. The very thought of another disaster left a terrible gut feeling.
"Actually, just to be sure, create a small group to monitor everything the two of them do. They will only be answerable to you, Kallen and me. Understood?"
"Very well Zero, I shall see into it." He bowed once more and left the hall with a stone face.
As soon as he was alone, he hastily made way to his room. All the while, the images of the slaughter of people, of holding a dying Euphie in his hand… the day and corresponding events were too much for him to handle.
As soon as he entered his chambers and locked it down, he dumped the mask on the table, walked up to the armchair and tried to make himself comfortable in it. As soon as he found a relatively relaxed posture, he closed his eyes. In this this meditative state, he was distracted when his hands accidently brushed on a miniature replica of the statue of reconciliation.
Euphie….
No matter how many times it was said, these words described her best. Pure and innocent. She was indeed the incarnation of all good and beauty. Among the only people he knew who judged a person for what he/she is. Ever the optimist, she was a person to protect and be protected. Anyone she met was a receiver of her warm, happy smile. Her death was unfortunate, undeserving and unjustifiable.
At least she died in peace, would know her crimes were not her own and had her honour restored.
It was however, the black (white?) prince whose memories seemed to be haunting his mind more often these days. While Euphie was the sweetheart whom he loved only for less than 2 months, Lelouch was the constant he had known for years. If you didn`t know him better, these words described him. Proud, bitter and the epitome of what not to be. But to those who did know, the most wonderful person hid below it all. So wonderful, he took all the faults and himself. He was to be despised by all and died a lonely, ugly death. His name would never be redeemed and was to be spat on for generations to come.
The night was spent this way, remembering the lost friends and in self-loathing. it was however only to be broken once more, like all other such days when the wind wiped away his anguish and tears…
Ebisu- Jude Society, Mt Fuji.
Housing for the representatives was modest compared to what Fredric and Hugo were used to. It was a 3 room mansion with a medium size kitchen and a study in each bedroom. As they entered their new accommodations, Hugo flopped down on the sofa.
"Well, this is a decent start for the league`s new headquarters-"
"Decent?! This is downright hideous! Look at are rooms, the kitchen. Hell, they haven`t even provided us with maids."
He walked over to inspect the computers and related devices in the study and banged the table on inspection.
"Just look at the specs of this junk! The RAM rates at just 10 GB! Even the interface is antiquated-"
At this Hugo just pushed him aside and went over the system. "Geez, you won`t allow your servants to rest, your highness."
As Fredric was left spluttering, Hugo went over the systems and it`s OS as well as other such specs.
"Give me a day and I will give you a system which may rivalling that of Camelot." He said proudly.
"And how will you do that?"
"Easy, I connect all the processers along with the motherboards in combinations of series and parallel to may multiply it`s computing power. I estimate about 100-170 GB of RAM while the processors with this little signal generator enhancer, will be operating at around 90.8 GHz. After that… I will download and configure a new OS for our needs."
"Talk English Hugo! Will it have the necessary functions without compromise?"
"Trust me, I am the genius in this department. Let`s say, it will be easy to sync with research division-"
"English!"
Hugo cringed at that "Yes, the system will work without compromise."
"Good, now that wasn`t hard." Fredric then proceeded to sit down on the only armchair there. "I got a call from a squire. It seems he has done his half of the job. Bismarck said, he knows someone within the palace to do the other half"
Hugo hummed in agreement as he sank in the sofa once more. He took out his tablet and went through the progress of their army and their toys "Our little army are all getting ready into position. An estimated time frame of 6-8 months is necessary. Then we can initiate our weaponry and slowly establish our empire. We however must be wary of Zeus."
Fredric just crossed his legs and regarded the now serious scientist. "Now there, I told you Bismarck would take care of him. And since we are on the topic, could you update me on 'the toys'?"
A smirk graced the face of the scientist "Of course, you can read through it right now."
He passed the tablet to Fredric who read it with interest
Frames of the rounds- completed
Agravain –completed
Griffith- 80% progress
Kelpie-85% progress
Sakura bloom- research stage
Sun beam canon, Basilisk- production phase, 56%
Arcadia-completed.
"Wonderful, everything seems to be on schedule. But what`s taking so long for the Sakura bloom?" Fredric enquired.
"It is not easy to tame that thing. As you know, getting the right ratios has taken a year. Now we have to study and channelize it`s movement and reach."
Hearing this, Fredric sank back in his chair "And when that happens, our task will be a whole lot easier."
Hugo had a knowing smile on his face, "Ever the impatient one, your highness,"
"What can you say, I have been stifled by a pathetic excuse of a ruler and a masked unknown for too long. Did you hear that… that speech. No charisma and full of lies."
Knowing that a rant was about to begin, Hugo changed the topic "Hmm… maybe you would like to plan about the other things?"
Fredric glared at him for not lending him his ear, but decided that to go along with it. "Get the map of this… ridiculous piece of land." He grumbled
"Why do you need a map? I have a holographic view of the place." Hugo interjected cheekily.
Fredric groaned at that, "Technically, it is a map. Whatever, brief me about this 'holy and hope filled' place."
Smirking at his handiworks, he synced the tab the projector (remember, they are in an ill- equipped room) giving the topology of the land "It is a 14 square miles of land surrounded…"
In all this, Fredric wished he gave some of this task to Bismarck. Still, being the Emperor is a lucrative prospect when it is laid just for you. All that he needed to do was wait and watch.
A week later.
Tohdoh had just assembled a reconnaissance team to look into the daily routine of the 2 errant representatives. The team consisted of 3 Britanians and 2 Japanese nationals. As soon as they were briefed and given orders, they were huddled into their control centre where they could track down their targets to the tee. Work began as soon as they entered.
It was late at night when the Japanese went out to take in some fresh air. One of the Britannian`s went out with them to 'share common interests'. No sooner they left than the two who remained behind fed the system with some other data and false records. This also allowed the planting of fake GPS positions and a whole lot of things. When the deed was done, a phone call was made.
"Squire to knight commander. The gift has been delivered and unpacked."
When their compatriots returned, they all shared a cup of sake, shared their stories, had a small talk and returned to their work. Indeed, the Japanese were so gullible to believe in them so easily. Now, wait till the fruits are ripe…
2 months later.
"This is Bob Cadillac reporting live from the blast scene here in the Ebisu-Jude Society. Reports suggest that it was a low intensity blast and that the damages were at a minimum. No deaths have been reported. The Black knights are currently-"
Fredric switched off the live feed and went over to the bar counter.
"Well Hugo, it seems are schedule we made over in Britannia is being followed rather diligently and squire there has informed the task was done with utmost efficiency."
With an elegant twirl he faced the hard at work scientist.
"Geez, and you say I am the worry wart. Unwind a bit, laddie. Now, what would you like to drink?"
Looking from the array of 2 monitors and related hardware, Hugo replied "Some whiskey if you please. And this is no time to slack of. The schedules are in disarray. The robins are taking too much development money…"
"Oh be quiet for once. Here take your drink. Now tell me what`s the problem?"
An exasperated reply me him as soon as he handed the drink to its owner "The robins, as I mentioned earlier are taking too much time and money. The necessary materials are difficult to manufacture and in battle, we will have losses of parts. This is due to the on use e-arrows which will be their main weapon. They are trying to make reusable versions of these arrows. But, as a consequence R&D has barely any people on Sakura Bloom and the other projects. Thus, the time table is being revised."
Fredric twirled his rum in the glass, observing the way light from the small chandelier reflected from the crystal and ice.
"Suspend the project." He said simply
"…excuse me?" Hugo asked in a shrill voice.
"Suspend the robins. We can manage with the old retro-fitted Liverpool. Besides Basilisk more than makes up for it. The priority is Sakura Bloom. Besides…" He looked at him directly in the eye "I am tired of waiting. Now, are my orders clear?" he slurred out
Hugo went down on his right knee with the right hand over his chest. "I understand, your highness. I will inform them right away."
"That`s my boy." Fredric said in a drunken amused voice having down 3 glasses. He stood up, petted Hugo on his head and proceeded to his chambers to retire.
As soon as he was out of sight, Hugo snapped out his cellphone.
"My lord, it would seem that Agamemnon is now coming to his hopeless senses."
He snapped shut his phone and redirected the material meant for the robin to the warehouse, via the official route. It was then he contacted his own, personal skunk works team to recover the said necessities and carry out their design.
The power has been unleashed and the sheep is indeed sent into a pit of vile snakes and beast. Who will lose themselves and who will retain it? Also, what is this 'it'?
Hey there guys. I hope you all are enjoying the story so far. First of some clarifications
-Robins were supposed to be an archer frame. But thinking realistically, giving so much advantage to the enemy isn`t fair. Also, where would you get unlimited minerals..?
-I love cars. So you will to bear with my car selection. It has been well thought out with the world`s perspective on them taken into consideration.
That` all for now
Please read and review, constructive criticism is always welcome.
Once again, Enjoy!