Chapter 9

Schneizel had to admit the new Order had some impressive weapons at their disposal. He now stood in the bridge of the command ship, which Lars said was called the Dreadnought, and gave out his orders to the rest of the crew and the Knightmare pilots. The Knightmares in particular where impressive, being able to fight on par with Knightmares such as the Lancelot Albion.

However there was that incident with Suzaku Schneizel remembered where a Knightmare was actually destroyed by the combined efforts of Suzaku and an unknown pilot.

Schneizel sneered a little now he remembered that he forgot to tell Lars or anyone else that Zero was actually Suzaku but he had his reasons. During his conversation with him he noticed that he wasn't told the whole truth to every question and the one that bugged him the most was his question about the Lelouch copies;

"They are the results of research conducted by VV and Charles zi Britannia."

When he had asked for a more detailed answer than that Lars told him he wasn't ready yet for the real truth behind their existence.

Keep your secrets then and I'll keep mine Perhaps Lars already knew about Zero's identity and even if he didn't it probably wouldn't make any difference in his plans.

"Roman you and your squad will continue on to the settlement and take out the incoming Knightmares." Schneizel ordered through the radio.

"Yes sir." Roman replied, sarcasm heavy in his reply.

Schneizel sighed, he got on well so far with everyone on the ship but Roman had gotten into a big argument with Linda about letting an unknown have such a crucial role. Schneizel didn't mind though, Roman seemed like a war loving maniac who only cared about fighting and his kind where always easy to deal with even if they did act like imbeciles.

Schneizel then looked up at the screen that displayed the Japanese settlement and the friendly and enemy Knightmares. Even if there was peace the Japanese still had hundreds of Knightmares that they where deploying now to encage the unknown force but only two out of those hundreds interested him.

Guren and ZangetsuThose Knightmares where the only ones that had any possible chance of beating Roman though Schneizel had his doubts about that. Roman was a pilot on a whole other level to what he had seen before and he was given the best Knghtmare in Lars's whole army.

"Perhaps after this I might have a better opinion of you." Schneizel said to no one in particular as he sat down in his chair, content on enjoying the battle.

XXX

"No please don't!" The Burai pilot begged.

"Ha, you Japanese soldiers are a joke." Roman said in disgust as he bisected the Burai with his axe and watched it explode, ending the Japanese pilot's pitiful screams.

Fifteen Knightmares and not one of them where able to put a scratch on me Roman thought but it didn't make him feel good. His been in countless battles searching for a pilot that would be able to give him a satisfying fight.

"Sir the first wave of enemy Knightmares are destroyed what are our orders?" A voice from his intercom asked, one of his squad members.

"Schneizel wants us to continue on to the settlement and take out their remaining Knightmares."

"Yes Sir!"

The intercom crackled and the voice was gone as Roman stared at the Japanese Settlement just ahead of him. The surrounding area around mount Fuji, which they where in now, was still mostly farm land and dock lands but the settlement was the unofficial capital of Japan. After Lelouch died the Britannians and the Japanese had rebuilt the settle destroyed by the F.L.E.I.J.A. warhead and it looked mostly like it did before expect with the addition of Japanese architecture and there was no more big gap between the wealthy and the poor.

Two bad it all has to come down Lars wanted to use one of the F.L.E.I.J.A. warheads and Roman had a suspicion that Japan could be the first target; they had more than enough to spare.

Roman piloted his Knightmare towards the settlement where his squad was he had decided to hang back, why bother to waste his time killing weakling when his subordinates where more than enough.

"Sir we've encountered the second wave of Knightmares but there's a different model with them. Not a Burai or Sutherland." A voice over the intercom said again.

"Is it a Vincent or Gekka?" Roman asked interested.

"It looks like a Gekka sir but its so fast it WHA………..?"

The transmission was suddenly cut off in a wave of static and several explosions that he could hear from his Knightmare and as he stared at the settlement he saw a new wave of Knightmares headed towards him.

"Ha ha so I finally found one of you!" Roman exclaimed.

Leading the squad of twenty Akatsuki Knightmares was the Zangetsu unit he wanted to fight so badly looking exactly how he remembered it. Even though it was destroyed by the Lancelot, Roman heard it was rebuilt shortly after by Rakshata Chawla and was given several enhancements so it could even be considered an Eighth Generation Knightmare Frame.

"Your must be the legendary warrior I've heard so much about," Roman said as he readied his double bladed axe, "Kyoshiro Tohdoh"

Roman then sped up his Knightmare his axe raised and just as he swung it down towards the Zangetsu it drews it's sword, the Seidoutou, and blocked his attack.

"So it seems I have a fan," Tohdoh voice replied from the Zangetsu, "Who are you and what is that Knightmare your piloting?"

Roman took his axe away from Zangetsu's sword and flew several feet high, staring down at his opponent. His been waiting for a challenge for ages and he finally had one. He didn't even care that several Knightmares where flying past him, his squad will deal with those small fry.

"I am Roman; general of Master Lars's army and my Knightmare is called the Lamorak given only to the most skilful pilot in the Order."

"The Order, do you mean the Geass Order?" Tohdoh asked.

"I've said too much, come let us enjoy this fight!" Roman shouted as he sped down toward the Zangetsu again.

Tohdoh seemed to have been ready for the attack as he parried to the left and quickly brought his sword down, slashing it across his Lamorak.

"Your fast it's been awhile since anyone's been able to scratch my Knightmare." Roman said as he inspected the damage.

Ha, he maybe good but it really was just a scratch Lamorak only had a small scar across the chest plate; no where near enough to cause any real damage.

"This is just the beginning!" Tohdoh shouted as his Knightmare sped backwards.

Roman dodged his Knightmare out of the way as the slash harken on the butt of the Zangetsu's sword shot towards him, missing him be inches. Roman then retaliated by firing his own wrist – mounted slash harken back at him.

"You have to try something better than that!" Tohdoh said as his slashed the slash harkens away.

Roman grinned as he sped towards the Zangetsu, reading his axe and slashed it with all of his Knghtmare's strength across the left arm and chest of Tohdoh's Zangetsu.

"Damn I didn't think your Knightmare was that fast" Tohdoh stated as he broke away from his axe.

Roman stared at his handwork; the Zangetsu's left arm was completely mangled, hanging on by a thread, and the chest area was several damaged. Roman guessed he broke through several of it protective layers making its cockpit area more vulnerable to attack.

I was foolish to judge my Knightmare by its looks and you shouldn't have been too distracted by the slash harkens Roman thought as Tohdoh used his Zangetsu's sword to cut off it's left arm.

Roman was about to go in for a second strike until he sensed something behind him and, being a man who trusted his instincts dodged to the left.

Who do we have here? An Akatsuki Command Model Jikisanshiyō unit had slashed down with it's sword at the place where he and his Knightmare had been only seconds before. As Roman got himself a bit of distance the Akatsuki Jikisanshiyō stood between him and the Zangetsu.

"Sorry I'm late Kyoshiro, are you alright?" A female voice had asked from the Akatsuki Jikisanshiyō.

"Chiba! Thanks for the help." Tohoh replied sounding surprised and relived.

"My day just keeps getting better and better." Roman said with delight as he stared at his two opponents.