Chapter 9: Shirley's Grief, Discovery, and Confusion
After the battle at the Narita Mountains, a catastrophe occurred at a nearby city south of the mountains. When the Black Knights and Zero caused a rigged landslide, not only did it decimated most of Darlton's and Alex's Britannian soldiers, it also caused the death of over a thousand people in that city.
As for Suzaku, he was standing outside of the morgue tent while drinking a bottle of water while his Lancelot was being resupplied and repaired from his recent fight with the Guren. Before he knew it, Lloyd comes up to Suzaku to check up on him while the rest of the medical staff are scrambling for orders in recovering the bodies from the landslide.
"Digging up bodies from the landslide, are we?!"
"I'm here to carry out this recovery operation here in Narita!" Suzaku said, answering Lloyd's question.
"Well, be my guest and consider it to be Cornelia's pleasure to indulge you!" Lloyd smirked.
"Lloyd, I can't help but wonder what are the Magic Knights and the Black Knights are trying to achieve here after sacrificing so many harmless civilians?" Suzaku asked, concerning over their reckless actions.
"I thought for sure that both knightly groups fight for justice!" Lloyd assumed.
"How can this be justice?!" Suzaku growled, realizing that his enemies caused a huge mistake during their assault at Narita.
"This is a war after all and they happened to be enemy soldiers that shouldn't be underestimated on the battlefield!" Lloyd informed the Honorary Britannian.
As Suzaku looked up, he sees Shirley Fennette, Mrs. Fennette, and Viletta Nu march forward across from where he was standing. When the two women entered in one of the medical tents, they came up to one of the bodies wrapped up inside a body bag. As one of the Britannian Marines approached the body in front of Shirley and her mother, the body revealed to be none other than Joseph Fennette, Shirley's Father. Upon seeing him totally lifeless, Shirley and her mother could not help but cry their hearts out. For a long time, Shirley's father usually goes to work in a place far away from where Shirley is at. Throughout her younger years, Shirley receives stuff from her father so that she'll know that he is doing fine. For most of his time, Joseph works as a research scientist that is working on a project called Code-R which is strictly classified. Because of his work, Joseph never had the chance to evacuate Narita before the assault occurred, along with the landslide that the Black Knights have caused. Despite being away, Joseph always cared about Shirley and her mother for a very long time.
For Viletta, she was still carrying out her investigation revolving around Lelouch Lamperouge and Hikaru Shidou. Ever since she ran into Lelouch at the Shinjuku Getto, Viletta could not remember what happened there after she got off her Sutherland before investigating the area around the young Britannian student. However, Viletta is still having a probable cause that Lelouch might have a connection with the Black Knights. For Hikaru, Viletta still had a bit of a dislike towards the young female Eleven ever since she was transferred to the Ashford Academy, much to the dismay of the rest of the Britannian students. However, ever since Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu were forced to see their parents get sent away to slavery under the Britannian Empire, their family wealth and their private educational background was still enough to have them get accepted into the Britannian School, so that they won't be put to slavery as well. Unfortunately, Viletta is still finding Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu acting very suspicious due to the fact that their is still walking around fearlessly and putting up quite a fight thanks to the training they have from Kendo, Archery, and Fencing by relying on their instincts and their makeshift weaponry they find on the streets. She even heard rumors that those three female Elevens have been cursed from the inside by a mysterious force not of this world. Ever since Viletta ran into the Magic Knights' Rune Gods and lost twice, she may also have a good reason that Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu might have a connection to the Magic Knights. So, by the order of Princess Cornelia, Viletta is sent to investigate Hikaru's background, along with Lelouch's background, prompting her to disengage from using her Knightmare with useless efforts.
As Viletta snapped out of her thoughts, she sees Mrs. Fennette sobbing on top Mr. Fennette's chest uncontrollably while Shirley placed her hand on her mother's shoulder to comfort her during her grieving.
Meanwhile outside of the music theater, Lelouch shows up with an umbrella over his head. While exiting the theater, Lelouch is wondering why would Shirley would be so late to meet up with him at the concert. After making a failed attempt of calling Shirley over the cellphone, Lelouch walks his way through the courtyard and going over the operations that he made with the Black Knights and Cephiro's Magic Knights. Suddenly, in front of him, Lelouch spots Shirley Fennette drenched in the rain, looking down on herself in behind a clock post. As Lelouch came up to her and offered his umbrella, he apologized for the delay, when all of a sudden, Shirley looks up only to show tears coming out of her eyes.
"I'm sorry, I thought you'd be back home by now," Lelouch apologized calmly. "Never mind that. Let's go to someplace safe and out of the rain."
"Lulu tell me, did Zero and Magic Knights really fight for the weak and for the people they care about?" Shirley asked, faintly.
"Yes, why?!" Lelouch asked confusingly.
"Then why? Why did they kill my father?" Shirley whimpered.
"W-What?" Lelouch muttered in horror.
"My father, Jospeh Fennette!" Shirley sobbed. "He was so gentle; HE NEVER DID ANYTHING WRONG! They said he was buried alive back at Narita. H-He couldn't breathe! WHY? WHY DID MY FATHER HAVE TO DIE?"
As Shirley sobbed, she dropped her purse and embraced Lelouch while letting her tears continue to flow endlessly. Little did she know that Lelouch was Zero. Despite that, she ended up kissing him out of sorrow. Upon hearing what Shirley just said, Lelouch stood there in shock not even thinking that his landslide plan as Zero actually backfired, killing not just Cornelia's soldiers, but also innocent lives at Narita. After realizing that Shirley's father was accidentally made a perfect example of, Lelouch wasn't able to come up with any words to say at Shirley anymore other than just one sentence in his head.
"What have I done?!" Lelouch thought.
"Please Lulu, help me!" Shirley whimpered.
The next day, at Joseph's funeral, the Magic Knights and Kallen heard about the news of Shirley's father's untimely demise from both Lelouch and from Shirley. Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu could not believe that their actions of attacking Cornelia and her forces came with massive consequences. They may have been able to save most of the people in Cephiro from getting killed, despite losing Eagle and Presea. Unfortunately, since they're not fighting their enemies in Cephiro this time, it's going to be a lot more harder to avoid killing innocent lives.
As a matter of fact, the Magic Knights are facing an even more different battlefield experience in Japan than in Cephiro. A part of Hikaru ended up blaming herself again for killing an person that was related to another. The last time when she killed a person unaware that he had a younger sibling was when Hikaru faced Zagato in battle at Cephiro, not knowing that Lantis was his brother until her second visit; the same thing goes for Prince Ferio and his elder sister Princess Emeraude. Lantis and Ferio may have forgave Hikaru due to the fact that Zagato brought this sin upon himself and that he just wanted to be with Princess Emeraude, but with Shirley and her father is a very different matter. Hikaru feared that if Shirely found out that Lelouch was Zero and that she was one of the Magic Knights, the people that caused this accidental tragedy, things will get even more nastier than just getting plunged into another fight with Britannia's forces. It might be possible that Shirely may turn her and Zero over to the authorities for her father's murder or that she might find a way to get revenge on both of them, despite not being a good fighter.
As they continued with Joseph's funeral, the eulogy announces his partings towards Shirley's father while several men and women dressed in black, along with Shirley and her mother. For Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, Kallen, Lelouch, Rivalz, and Suzaku, they were still wearing school uniforms at the funeral. After the eulogy finishes his speech, they buried Joseph's coffin with their shovels. For Shirley's mother, she started grieving even more after her husband was buried.
"NO STOP! DON'T BURY HIM AGAIN, PLEASE!" Mrs. Fenette wailed as she placed both of her hands on her husband's grave. "HE'S SUFFERED ENOUGH! PLEASE, DON'T LEAVE ME, JOSEPH!"
As they see Shirley comfort her somber mother, the three Elevens, Milly, Nina, Kallen, Suzaku, and Lelouch stood there with shadows over their faces in depression. They all went silent until Shirley left her mother and walked up to them.
"We're so sorry to hear what happened to your father, Shirley," Hikaru said, sympathizing with the female Britannian. "We didn't know he was at Narita when that landslide occurred."
"There's no need to apologize, Hikaru," Shirley calmly said in denial.
"Ever since I saw you on TV during that Hotel Jacking, I thought for sure that the Black Knights are heroes fighting for justice!" Rivalz thought. "If those Magic Knights were defending the inhabitants of the New World, then why would they let those Black Knights and Zero get away with causing such a catastrophe? I thought for what those knightly groups did at Narita was really cool, except for the aftermath."
"Don't be silly, Rivalz!" Shirley said as she walked up to her classmates. "There's no need to get all worked up with the previous news out there."
"Shirley, please!" Milly said as she put her hand onto Shirley's shoulder. "Seriously, I know you're still sad from the inside. I mean, you're starting to worry the lot of us and that you're still crying from the inside, right?!"
"Yeah, I already cried a lot last night!" Shirley said truthfully.
"I can't believe those two knightly groups!" Suzaku hissed. "They all act like a bunch of cowards! Zero, his people, and Cephiro's Magic Knights! How could they pull off such crazy methods as this?"
In Suzaku's speech, he is still referring them during the battle back at Narita.
"I bet Zero is doing this to get their hands dirty; he stirs people into a frenzy and drives both worlds into chaos! While they unleash hell, Zero just sits back and laughs his head off as if he's just using them all. I think all their efforts are meaningless."
Upon hearing what Suzaku just said, Kallen and the disguised Magic Knights couldn't help but feel bad for letting an entire city suffer because of the landslide that they unleashed upon the Britannians at Narita. As they all stared at Suzaku speechless, Milly continues her conversation with Shirley before moving on.
"I'm pretty sure that it's time to head back to school everyone. Shirley, we'll be waiting for you at the student council okay?!"
As everyone but Shirley left the grave, the Magic Knights met up with Zazu, Lantis, Lafarga, and Ferio at the Bakery. After Hikaru told them about the aftermath, the three Cephirian warriors and Autozamian were all shocked that the Black Knight's negligence has caused unnecessary losses upon innocent people. As Zazu appeared before Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu, the two swordsman and the Cephirian Prince are all disguised in regular civilian clothing to hide their identities from the rest of the Elevens and the Britannians. Lantis is wearing a normal black long sleeve shirt, black pants, and grey tennis shoes, only this time he doesn't have his golden circlet around his head. Lafarga is wearing a green tank top with urban camo pants and brown combat boots. As for Ferio, he is wearing a brown leather jacket with a green T-shirt, white khaki pants, and white sneakers. Zazu is now seen wearing a small green cap, a blue jacket with a white T-shirt, green pants, and brown, grey shoes. As they all sit down across from Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu, they started to discuss the aftermath of the battle at Narita.
"Man, I can't believe that we let those Black Knights committed such reckless actions as this!" Zazu muttered as he referred it to the battle back at Narita.
"Well, you're going to have to face the facts, Zazu Torque!" Lantis told the young mechanic. "We're in a whole new world right now and we're facing a new kind of war; a war that takes place in the Magic Knights' homeland. It's no different than what happened to Eagle three years ago in Cephiro."
"Lantis is right, kiddo!" Lafarga added in. "I've been in the Cephirian Military for over 5 years. Because of that, I've seen worse than just a landslide that claimed the lives of more than a thousand people. What I learned from being in the military is this: if you want to survive out there, you have to follow orders whether it is kill or be killed. There can be no alternatives, just grim risks!"
"I know what you're getting at Lafarga, they forced our parents to work for the Britannian Imperial Family in exchange for the lives and freedom of me and my friends, as well as keeping our education at our other private schools. If it weren't for that, Umi, Fuu, and I would all be slaves instead of warriors fighting for our lives and for our happiness." Hikaru said, elaborating over what Lafarga is summarizing. "I did felt guilty for killing Shirley's father though..."
"Think nothing of it, Hikaru!" Lafarga told the knight of fire. "I joined Cephiro's Army because it was the only way to free myself from living under a life of poverty and slavery."
"Hold that thought, Mr. Lafarga!" Fuu exclaimed. "You mean, you were actually a slave back then before all of this?!"
"Before Princess Emeraude became the pillar of Cephiro, there was disorder and harsh, forced labor throughout the country and my family was no exception." Lafarga continued with his personal story. "When I was a ten-year old lad, before Emeraude was born, I was dragged out of my family to spent most of my life being forced by this one cruel noble family to tend to their household with no food, water, or any rest. Just when I was about to break down out of exhaustion and starvation, I was eventually rescued by another noble family that had a political quarrel with the very same family that was abusing me. After that, they gave me food, water, and luxury. They were really nice people. To make matters even better, they taught me swordsmanship and military tactics. It turns out that the noble family that rescued me and nurtured me back to health is actually a group of honorable soldiers and field commanders in the Cephirian Army. When I turned 20, they sent me to the Army to fulfill my destiny as a Guard Captain in Cephiro. The rest of the story you already know."
"I hope we'll be able to see our parents again as soon as we bring Britannia down to their knees," Hikaru muttered as she looked down, with tears coming out of her eyes. "I miss my mother and father so much; even my three brothers could stop thinking about them both!"
As Hikaru started crying in silent while holding her arm up to her face to hide her tears, Lantis came up to her and embraced Hikaru in his arms.
"It's alright, Hikaru, I'm sure we'll find your parents out there!" Lantis told his girlfriend. "Since you hadn't gave up on me when Nova captured me back at Cephiro, then you should not give up on them either. That's why we came to your world with you, so that we'll help you and the Magic Knights save the rest of your loved ones in Area 11."
"The same goes for me and Fuu too!" Umi added in with a smile on her face.
"I glad you came to our homeland with me and my friends, Lantis!" Hikaru said as she looked up towards Lantis with a tearful smile on her face.
"Say Zazu, did you receive any reports from Geo and Rakshata, yet?!" Ferio asked.
"I received word that Rakshata is developing a supercharged upgrade to make the Magic Knight's Rune Gods stronger to face against the higher generation Knightmares, but it may take a couple of months before it would occur," Zazu reported after he read through Geo's email in his laptop. "Well, Rakshata will be returning to Area 11 to check up on the Black Knights' Knightmares very soon."
"What about the Black Knights, are they still going to continue their campaign against Britannia, despite those unnecessary casualties at Narita?" Ferio asked, concerning their trust in the Black Knights.
"They may have made quite a mess at Narita, Ferio!" Lantis informed the disguised Cephirian Prince. "But their fight with Britannia is just the beginning!"
"So, where should we go next to aid the Black Knights?" Fuu asked.
"Only time will tell, Fuu!" Lafarga assumed. "Well, we still have yet to find your parents at Area 11 without drawing too much attention from the Britannians!"
"Actually, during my reconnaissance while you guys were fighting the Britannians at Narita, I did found a prison area stationed at the Britannian government bureau; they might be where they're holding Hikaru's, Umi's, and Fuu's parents. Again, we still need a plan to keep Cornelia's forces and the Darlton's Glaston Knights at bay while several of us move in and rescue the Eleven Prisoners there." Zazu reported.
"Very well! You guys leave Darlton to me!" Lafarga said, feeling confident in taking down the Britannian General.
"I'll take care of Cornelia, since she was the one who took my mother and father away, leaving me and my brothers fend for ourselves!" Hikaru spoke with determination.
At the college dorm, Lelouch could not help but feel a bit of pity for letting Shirley suffer unwillingly.
"Shirley, I'm sorry," Lelouch muttered to himself. "I didn't know your father would get involved with the incident at Narita!"
Flashback:
After everyone left Joseph's grave, Lelouch stands in front of Shirely speechless just like last night. Only this time, Shirley had an apology to make in front of him.
"Lulu, please forgive me! It was pretty stupid of me to kiss you like that last night. Please, just forget about it, okay?! I can't even be happy after you kissed me!"
Before Lelouch could say anything, he sees Shirley turn around and ran off in tears again. Upon hearing what Shirley said, Lelouch couldn't be even more helpless in not comforting her like last time. In his mind, Lelouch should've tried different things to take down Britannia without wasting so many innocent people like Shirley's father. But now that he has to move on, Lelouch had to bear with the sins he committed as Zero for the rest of his life.
End of Flashback.
While he continued to sulk on his couch, Lelouch snapped out of his past thoughts when C.C starts her conversation with him while holding onto a yellow bear and sitting on top of his bed.
"So, did you regret killing her father?!" C.C asked, mentioning Shirley's father. "You did accuse Kirihara of being too soft! Didn't he asked you if you're heading to the 'path of blood?' Let's face it, you're the one who's being soft!"
"Shut up!" Lelouch hissed.
"Did you think this is just a game? The three female Elevens did regret killing some people in Cephiro because they weren't prepared for what will they be dealing with after they became Magic Knights. What happened to them in Cephiro will be no different than what will happen during the battles that will lie ahead in their own home world. You already killed your fair share of people. Even though you were prepared when forming the Black Knights and offering your allegiance with the Magic Knights, you failed to kill Prince Clovis when he was called back to the Government Bureau for another assignment."
"Just shut up!" Lelouch snarled in annoyance.
"They were all forced to leave their family behind. Even Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu were forced to leave their family behind when they got taken away from them seven years ago, before they became Magic Knights. There's no exception for all of this. It's hard to believe that you weren't prepared to face the consequences of your actions."
"JUST SHUT UP!" Lelouch shouted. "I AM PREPARED! Even though I failed to killed Prince Clovis, I'll still find a way to go after him, along with the rest of the Britannian Royal Family."
"Even though you are, are you still traumatized after learning of the death of Shirley's father? Do you think the Magic Knights and their Cephirian friends would trust you completely if they found out what a demon you'll become in the end?! If so, despite all the charisma and posturing, you're likely just acting like a spoiled little boy with a swollen, thick head!"
In an instant, Lelouch pinned C.C with her back on the bed mattress out of anger and annoyance. However, C.C still continued with her speech without showing any sign of startled emotions.
"You already dug in too deep with the Japanese and the Magic Knights to hold back anything right now. They all have a reason to fight in order to live another day. I'm sure you need to have a reason to live on, don't you?! Therefore, it's too late to turn back now!"
Not being able to say anymore, Lelouch started grunted in frustration before he gets off C.C and went into the showers while going over what the other people said to him recently.
"Are you really going through with this?!"
"Us allying ourselves with a group of terrorists?! I don't know about that! It may affect our honor back in Cephiro with negative results."
"You may have a power that might become your undoing if you don't handle it properly. I feel that its properties may show a series of curses that will affect not just to the Britannians but also to us as well."
"I just wish the world was a gentler place!" Nunnally said in Lelouch's past memories.
"By obliterating Britannia, are you heading towards the path of blood?!"
Meanwhile at the hangar where the Lancelot is, Suzaku stood right next to it when all of a sudden, Lloyd appears to inform him with another mission from Cornelia and Clovis!
"I have some bad news, Suzaku! We just received word from Prince Clovis that we'll be assigned for the next operation with Princess Cornelia!"
As Suzaku went with Lloyd to discuss his next mission with the Viceroy of Area 11, Zero requested the aid with the Magic Knights, Ferio, Kallen, Lafarga, Lantis, Tamaki, and Ohgi in a warehouse down by the docks at sunset. As the warriors from both Japan and Cephiro have assembled, with their Knightmares stationed behind them, they formed up in a row and stood for attention by Zero himself. Before Zero can announce his mission at the docks, Ohgi steps in to clarify on what is going on between them and the JLF.
"Zero, this maybe a request from Kyoto! We might be able to handle it if the JLF works together with us and Cephiro's warriors, if we let the JLF join up with us instead of fleeing to a different country!"
"Diethard was the one who gave us information about Cornelia and her Royal Marines, right?!" Zero asked, ignoring Ohgi's suggestions.
"That's right!" The journalist acknowledged.
"The Princess will be deploying the Royal Marines when General Katase attempts to flee this dock!" Zero announced. "Isn't that right, Diethard?!"
"Yes Zero. In fact, this night raid upon the JLF will be all over the broadcast!" Diethard explained.
"So, this time Tohdoh won't be able to save Katase!" Zero concluded.
"Tohdoh..." Hikaru muttered.
Flashback: After Hikaru dropped off C.C and Zero at their Black Knight HQ...
Hikaru and Rayearth attempted to make their way back to Ashford when all of a sudden, they unwillingly stumbled into Four Holy Swords in the forest. Before Rayearth could do anything, Tohdoh's Burai confronted them from behind with his sword held next to Hikaru's neck.
"Japanese, eh?!" Tohdoh said while still inside his Burai. "Or should I say, Lady Hikaru? Well, I didn't think I'd see you again seven years later after Suzaku joined the Britannian Army! If you tell me why are you facing Guilford and Cornelia at Narita, then I might be able to make a pact with you. First, I want to see your face outside of that strange Knightmare of yours!"
"Well, don't be surprised, Lord Tohdoh!" Hikaru spoke as she came out of her Rune God, with the Burai lowering his revolving sword away from Rayearth's neck.
As Hikaru landed on her two feet in front of Rayearth, the Four Holy Swords were all shocked that the one who faced off Guilford and Cornelia is actually a young teenage girl.
"It looks like that another group of Elevens started their own rebellion directly against Cornelia as well!" Tohdoh muttered to himself as he came out of his Burai.
"I know you!" Hikaru said with her eyes widened upon seeing the Lt. Colonel approached her. "You used to be Suzaku's sensei seven years ago. What are you doing here?!"
"I was about to ask you the same thing!" Tohdoh grinned.
"Well, ever since Cornelia took my parents away from me and my brothers, we had no choice but to live out on the street until Kirihara and Kururgi brought us in." Hikaru said.
"Yeah, I remembered, you were gaining an equal footing with Suzaku during sparring with our swords back then!" Tohdoh said, giving Hikaru a positive smirk on his face.
"Wait a moment, sir!" Urabe said as he got out of his Burai Kai and went in-between Hikaru and Tohdoh. "You know this young lady?!"
"She was one of the students who was almost on the same level with Suzaku when she was attending Kendo with her brothers!" Tohdoh acknowledged. "Though, I didn't think she was able to get a Knightmare of her own unexpectedly!"
"Well the thing is, sir Tohdoh, he's not really a Knightmare; he's my Rune God!" Hikaru said truthfully.
"Rune God?" Urabe said in shock. "Never heard of it! If so, then how did you..."
"I always fight be Hikaru's side when being donned out onto the battlefield!" Rayearth bellowed, surprising Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords. "It's always been like that after she revived me back in the New World of Cephiro. After saving the Cephiro from thou destruction, it is our turn to save hers from thine enemies from thine world."
"No way!" The Four Holy Swords exclaimed in unison. "That that thing actually talks?!"
"You heard what he said guys!" Hikaru added in. "Needless to say, I've got a score to settle with Viceroy Cornelia. I plan to capture her and use her to free my parents from the Britannian Empire!"
"How is it that you're able to gain all of this power at such a young age?" Lady Nagisa Chiba asked.
"It's a long story!" Hikaru said.
"Man kid, you sure have a lot of surprises to show Cornelia, huh?!" Urabe cackled. "You should join us and fight for the JLF!"
"Not yet, sir!" Hikaru denied. "I need approval from Zero and my friends first!"
"Your friends, you say?" Senba asked out of curiosity.
"Umi and Fuu, they have the similar weapons like I do!" Hikaru continued. "What are you guys going to do then?!"
"Well, we're going to distract the Britannia while General Katase and his men make their way to the docks." Tohdoh explained. "However, since half of our Knightmares are badly damaged by Cornelia, we need time to recover. So, we won't be able to meet up with Katase at the docks in time. He'll be on his own from here on out!""
"I understand!" Hikaru said in disappointment. "Well, I do need to meet up with Umi and Fuu at Ashford Academy after I drop Zero off at their Black Knight HQ!"
"So, if you see Zero out there, give him our regards, Hikaru!" Tohdoh told the knight of Fire.
"We'll I hope we meet again very soon before Cornelia catches up to us!" Hikaru said as she embarked into her Rune God once more. "Until then, farewell!"
As Hikaru went back into her Rune God, Rayearth took off in a silent flash leaving Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords staring at it from below before moving on.
Back to the present...
As Zero continued with the plan for the second mission, Hikaru snapped out of her thoughts from her encounter with Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords.
"This can only mean that the JLF no longer has any military strength! Their only chance of escape is their sakuradite."
"We should at least try to rescue General Katase!" Hikaru suggested to Zero. "They're also fighting for Japan as well. So, why can't we do that first before going after Cornelia?!"
"Hikaru, what is your place among Cephiro?!" Zero asked, ignoring Hikaru's suggestions.
"I'm a Magic Knight!" Hikaru said.
"Then, your objective is the same as ours. Again, we are to destroy Cornelia's troops then, we rescue the JLF. Do I make myself clear?!" Zero announced towards the Magic Knights and Cephiro's warriors.
"Yes sir!" Hikaru said as she saluted Zero.
"Good! We'll strike tonight!" Zero continued.
After Zero finished with his mission briefing, Ferio, Lantis, Lafarga, Kallen, and Tamaki left to prep their customized Knightmares for their nighttime battle. As for Hikaru and the Magic Knights, Diethard asked them for a private meeting in another dock warehouse.
"So ladies, how did it feel when you were helping our Zero at Narita?!" Diethard smirked.
"I still think Zero's planning is a bit reckless and sloppy!" Umi retorted. "I mean, we didn't want to see innocent people get hurt during battle. Ever since we learned of what happened to Shirley's father, it's almost like the tragic tale of Emeraude all over again."
"Well, if you're hesitant of becoming a Magic Knight Umi, then why did you go along with it anyway?" Diethard asked the Knight of Water.
"Clef looked up to me, despite how we're forced to kill Princess Emeraurde!" Umi said as she looked down on herself. "I just wanted to protect our friends from dying, even though they attempted to sacrifice their lives just to save others."
"You mean like Eagle Vision, the late Commander of Autozam?!" Diethard asked, much to Umi's surprise.
"Well, Eagle was close friends with Lantis way before we ran into him at Cephiro." Hikaru said, in a depressing tone of voice. "He maybe an invader, but he wasn't what I thought he was. When he helped us rescue Lantis from one of Cephiro's enemies, he already got killed in the end. Either way, Eagle was already heading towards death's door even before he arrived in Cephiro."
"I see! Nova, isn't it?! She was the shadow version of yourself who relentlessly tried to come after you and Lantis, wasn't it?!" Diethard blurted in serious tone towards Hikaru.
"Wait! How did you know about that, Mr. Diethard?!" Fuu asked, shockingly.
"Geo told me all of that back in Cephiro!" Diethard explained. "He was contemplating on trying to intercept Nova in Eagle's place but was refused because Eagle ran out of time and, therefore, it was Eagle's burden to bear. If you girls want to change the world, like what you did to Cephiro, now will be the time!"
"I see. We'll there's no going back anymore!" Hikaru said, with a determined voice. "We already came a long way as Magic Knights of Cephiro. I will not rest until I get to see my parents again, even if I were to see their remains at the end of this war."
"I'm with Ms. Hikaru!" Fuu said, confidently.
"So am I!" Umi acknowledged. "No matter what happens, we Magic Knights will fight to the bitter end!"
"You girls are even more amazing than you all look!" Diethard smiled in a positive tone. "Anyway, see you all on the battlefield."
As Diethard left the warehouse, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu conducted their plan to drive the transport ship carrying Kallen's Guren, Lantis' Sutherland, Lafarga's Gloucester, Ferio's Burai Kai, and Zero's and Tamaki's Burais out onto the battlefield as soon as Zero raises the signal. When their ship moves into Cornelia's position, the Magic Knights will bail out into the shadows and bring forth their Rune Gods before heading out into battle.
Meanwhile on the other side of the docks, right where the Britannians are stationed at, Suzaku has been given orders by General Darlton and Cornelia to give supporting fire for the Royal Marines while they attack and eliminate General Katase from the docks. Also, Suzaku was ordered to annihilate any JLF stragglers that'll try to escape with their lives. Feeling hesitant for one moment, Suzaku couldn't help if he was doing the right thing while changing the world from the inside as an Honorary Britannian. However, since he killed his father unknown to most of the Britannians, Suzaku felt that he cannot hold anything back after joining the Britannian Army. After all, Darlton is expecting Suzaku to display his loyalty to the Britannian Crown, no matter the costs.
As Darlton left to prep his Gloucester, Lloyd approaches Suzaku from his right.
"Conflicting morals, eh?!" The Earl grinned sheepishly.
"Well, I just hope Zero and the Magic Knights don't show up during our attack on the JLF again," Suzaku muttered to himself while clutching onto his locket. "They're probably the last people that I would ever want to see; especially when they caused the deaths of the people at Narita!"
"If you ever find out who those Magic Knights and Zero are, how do you think you're going to react when seeing their true faces out on the battlefield, huh?!" Lloyd asked, pressurizing Suzaku further. "Will you hesitate to kill them or will you continue carrying out your duties as a Briannian Soldier?"
"I-I don't know!" Suzaku said, nervously.
"It will be a matter of time when that happens. So, you might as well make up an answer very quick before they strike back at you down and front!" Lloyd smirked.
As the night sky appears from above, Shirley appears walking aimlessly around the dock warehouses unable to think straight about what Viletta told her earlier this morning.
"Lulu! Hikaru! They can't really have anything to do with the Black Knights and the Magic Knights, can they?! There has to be a mistake with them getting tangled with those terrorist attacks upon Britannia."
In her flashback, Shirley couldn't stop thinking about Viletta's suspicions around the Britannian Student and the Eleven Student.
"There may be a possibility that Hikaru and Lelouch may have a duo connection with the two Knightly groups!" Viletta told Shirley.
"You mean they're somehow involved with this terrorism?" Shirley sobbed as she looked at the pictures of Lelouch and Hikaru on the clipboard. "I-I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!"
"Lulu, Hikaru! I'm sorry I have to spy on both of you during this night. But I have to find out the truth of what you two were up to." Shirley muttered to herself as she went back to her present.
While Shirley continued to walk around the warehouses, Viletta was hiding in a nearby shadowy corner somewhere behind the female Britannian student.
"I should've grabbed Lelouch Lamperouge when I had the chance!" Viletta thought, remembering that Lelouch was there when she tried to investigate the massacre of a group of Britannian Royal Guards in front of him. "I need some evidence first. If Shirley could at least talk to him, I might be able to learn what his roles are between the Magic Knights and the Black Knight terrorists! I might risk losing my position in the Britannia military, but it is a risk I'm willing to take just to learn who the Magic Knights and Zero really are."
As the Royal Marines are prepped up inside their Portman Knightmares, the Lancelot and several Sutherlands are stationed up front with their guns drawn and standing by. The Portmans happened to be an amphibious type of Knightmare that is used by the Britannian Navy and the Royal Marines. It is armed with should-mounted torpedo launchers and is equipped with a hydro jet pack, used to move while underwater. As of now, the Portmans are all lying on their torsos on top of their ramps, leaning directly towards the water.
Cornelia is seen standing behind her customized Gloucester awaiting for Darlton to give out the signal, who is right next to her. After several more minutes, Darlton announces his approval to carry out the mission.
"Princess Cornelia, it is time!"
"Commence Operation!" Cornelia ordered.
"Underwater units, Dive! Dive! Dive!" The sergeant spoke from inside his Portman Knightmare.
As the Portmans submerged underwater, they proceeded forward towards the JLF Tanker.
"As planned Suzaku, we are to give suppressive fire from our team while our Portmans secure that Tanker in one piece." The Sergeant spoke through one of the Lancelot's screens inside the cockpit.
"Understood, my lord!" Suzaku acknowledged as he drove the Lancelot to the firing point.
As one of the Portmans fired their torpedoes at one of the docks, it spewed out an explosion of water that can be seen from a mile away. On the other side of the warehouses, Shirley could see the huge sprout of water appear in a distance, making her worry about what is happening out there.
In another section of the docks, Ohgi was on top of the balcony of a ship crane while holding onto his radio for status reports. Upon seeing the attack by the Britannians once again with his binoculars, Ohgi makes contact with Zero through his radio.
"It's starting! Zero, what are your orders?! They're attacking the JLF!"
"We have to hold!" Zero responded through Ohgi's radio. "Cornelia attacks with faster procedures. If we move in now, we'll face death along with the JLF."
"Soldiers, shoot only with micro round ordinances!" One of the Officers ordered. "Try not to shoot at that liquid Sakuradite!"
As the Lancelot and the Sutherlands took their positions at the pier, they opened fire at the JLF soldiers appearing on the Tanker's main deck. Unfortunately, for Suzaku, he is seeing that his orders are revolving around wholesale slaughtering. Despite his inner protesting, Cecil appears on Suzaku's screen reminding him that soldiers are always meant to follow orders regardless of their killings.
When Katase started hearing gunfire coming from outside of the bridge, he started pounding his fist on the table out of frustration due to the fact that he is unable to make contact with anymore reinforcements, especially from Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords. To make matters worse, the Britannians are not accepting any terms of surrender from the JLF. As the JLF tanker started to departure, the Portmans unleashed their Slasher Harkens and hoisted themselves up on the moving ship from the water. Unknown to both the JLF and the Britannian Portmans, a Sakuradite sea mine is right below the tanker, which is rigged by Zero's detonator that he is holding onto while inside his Burai.
"Zero, if we don't hurry..." Ohgi told the masked hero before his speech was interrupted.
"Very well, go on ahead!" Zero responded as he activated his remote detonator with his right hand.
In just one second, the sea mine started lighting up right underneath the JLF tanker. Before anyone could see what was going on, an explosion erupted from underwater, lifting the JLF tanker up and disappeared into a massive sea eruption, taking General Katase with it. As a result, the impeding explosion left behind a gale force that made Lancelot and the Sutherlands struggle to stand their ground against it. Upon seeing this, Cornelia was left shocked and confused at what the JLF are thinking, the same thing goes for Ohgi from the other side of the docks.
"Such idiocy! They blew themselves up, along with the liquid Sakuradite?!"
As Ohgi peaked from behind the corner and looked at the destruction from the sea, he hears Zero speaking through his radio, summarizing what the JLF did, even though it was lie, unknown to them.
"Just as expected, the JLF choose to take the Britannians out with them!"
"Suicide? But that's not..." Ohgi asked in denial.
"We're going to avenge the JLF and declare a rush-in attack upon Cornelia's position!" Zero announced as the Fuu steered the transport ship straight into enemy territory, fighting their way through the sea current while Hikaru and Umi held onto the hand rails inside the ship's bridge. "Then again, we go in and capture Cornelia! By doing so, we will show them our strength and determination!"
"Understood sir!" Kallen and the Magic Knights acknowledged in unison.
"Why do I get the feeling that Zero made it happen?" Lantis said inside his mind while holding onto the controls from inside his Sutherland.
Back at the crane that Ohgi and Diethard are standing on top of, the journalist finds this twisted turn of events more than just exciting.
"This is so outstanding!"
As Diethard ran down the ladder from the crane, he assumed that Zero was just using the JLF as living bait to lure the Britannian Marines into a trap before they swoop in and take their prize red-handed!
"Now that the Magic Knights are paving way for Zero, it's time for them to show their fellow Japanese and the Black Knights more of their glory, their honor, and their dire vengeance to protect their loved ones!" Diethard laughed with encouragement.
Back at the docks where the remaining Britannian Sutherlands are at, they were met by a barrage of Selece's Icicle Blades, crippling several of them in the process. As soon as the ship got closer, Umi went up to the stern and unleashed her Sapphire Whirlwind, aiming the spell at the water behind them. In a blue tornado of water, Umi's spell lifted the ship up above the pier and crash landed in the middle of the enemy Sutherlands. While the ship's bottom is scratching through the pier, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu jumped off from the stern and summoned their Rune Gods. In just in a nick of time, the Rune Gods appeared and grabbed the Magic Knights before they hit the pavement. The next thing they knew, is that the Magic Knights are now inside their Rune Gods. Without any delay, the Rune Gods charged forward to catch up with their allies who went on ahead.
"ENEMY ATTACK!" One of the Sutherland pilots shouted before he was smashed by the ship's mass.
On the other side where Suzaku was, he was confused over why would the JLF blew themselves up after the Portmans reached the tanker. Before he had the chance to say anymore, Suzaku spotted several more explosions coming from where Cornelia and Darlton are at.
"Everyone, attack now! Knock their Knightmares into the sea before they had the chance to mount up!" Zero ordered.
As soon as the transport ship stopped, the Guren and the customized Cephirian Knightmares popped out of the cargo hold when it opened up wide and attacked the enemy Sutherlands in all directions. For Lantis, he activated his Sutherland's Harkens and hoisted himself up on top of the ship's starboard side and opened fire with his Giant Cannon. Lafarga came down from the ship's port side and drew out two Maser Swords before cutting down every enemy Knightmare in his sights. As for Ferio, he had his Burai Kai leap down from the ship's stern and kicked one of the Sutherlands in the face simultaneously, knocking him down. Just when Ferio's Burai landed on his two feet, the prince drew out his revolving blade and charged forward.
While the Cephirians continued their fight, General Darlton and Guilford were the first to get inside their Gloucesters before heading out to confront the warriors engaging their men. As soon as Darlton and Guilford are at the frontlines, the Britannian General gets confronted by Lafarga's Gloucester while Guilford runs into Selece who landed right in front of him after disengaging from his flight.
"Hello, Lord Guilford!" Umi smirked as she drew out her rapier.
The moment Umi's Rune God landed, she lunged at Guilford and made repetitive jabs at his Knightmare with her rapier, making him unable to do any counter-attacking. Instead, Guilford was forced to block every overwhelming jab from Selece as he made his attempt to back away from the aggressive Rune God.
"Damn you, Magic Knight!" Guilford grunted while trying to keep his guard up.
For Darlton and Lafarga, Darlton drew out his Maser Sword and charged at Lafarga's Gloucester head on. In an instant, Lafarga slashed at Darlton with both of his swords in a cross before he was met with the Britannian General holding his sword in between while holding his ground. While struggling with his fight with one of the enemies, Darlton pulled up one of his screens his eyes widened with shock, revealing a rough-skinned, muscular warrior with a sarge-like hair style.
"Who are you, trying to aid the Magic Knights and Zero?!" Darlton spoke, in a shocked tone.
"I am Fenrir August Lafarga! Captain of Cephiro's Royal Guard!" Lafarga spoke in a angry tone. "Your people have declared war upon my country and destroyed innocent lives in Cephiro. So now that I have the Magic Knights aiding me on the battlefield, I shall have my revenge!"
"Captain Lafarga?!" Darlton spoke in surprising tone while backing away from the enemy Gloucester. "Why are you helping the Magic Knight Elevens here?!"
"They saved my life when I was cursed by an evil spell back in Cephrio three years ago!" Lafarga replied out loud. "In return, I owe them all a huge debt in saving this place that the Magic Knights call their home! So, don't even think that I'm just here for tourism!"
"We'll just see about that, Lafarga!" Darlton growled as he pulled out his lance with the Gloucester's left hand.
In an instant, Darlton charged forward at Lafarga with his lance raised up to his hip before thrusting it into Lafarga's Gloucester.
Fuu and Windam met up with Ferio who is still engaging several more Sutherlands with his Burai Kai. The moment Fuu went up to her boyfriend, she fired up her Winds of Admonishment and restrained 4 Sutherlands all at once.
"Ferio, are you okay?!" Fuu asked in a worried tone after seeing Ferio's Burai holding himself up with his Revolving Sword.
"Yeah, I'm fine!" Ferio replied as he smiled at Windam. "Let's get e'm!"
"You got it!" Fuu acknowledged as she drew out her sword and went right next to Ferio's Burai Kai.
Meanwhile inside the hangar that Cornelia was in, she was prepping her Knightmare when Guilford's channel started kicking in.
"Princess, we can handle this!"
"Silence! How many times do you think I'll allow them to mock me?!" Cornelia shouted back, angrily.
Before Cornelia had to power on her Knightmare and press forward, she was met with a shield bash in the stomach by none other than Rayearth.
"Dammit! Not that Magic Knight Eleven again! Do you think you can best me at Knightmare combat?!" Cornelia snarled as she had her Knightmare shoved Rayearth back with a thrust kick.
As Rayearth backed away, Cornelia had enough time to open fire with her Assault Rifle only to be met with Rayearth throwing her sword at it. Just like that, Cornelia's Rifle was slammed into one of the large storage containers with Hikaru's sword lodged into its barrel. Behind Hikaru, Kallen's Guren and Zero's Burai appeared amazed by how the Knight of Fire was able to disarm Cornelia immediately. Just before Hikaru was about to unleash one of her spells at Cornelia, Zero ordered her to stop at once so that he'll deal with her instead.
"I'll smash your hatch and drag you out, Cornelia!" Zero hissed as he aimed the Burai's Assault Rifle at the Viceroy's Gloucester.
But before he could open fire, Zero spotted another person in the shadows watching him from a distance. It was Shirley, unknown to Hikaru, Cornelia, and Kallen.
"Shirley?" Zero muttered.
Suddenly, without warning, the Lancelot jumped off from a storage container and smash Zero's Burai in the face, pinning him to the ground, and jumped off before turning around to face Zero, Rayearth, and the Guren.
"Zero, your methods are not going to change anything!" Suzaku presumed. "Because you're obsessed with goals, you don't even know how much pain people are suffering from!"
As the Lancelot started pummeling Zero's Burai, Kallen attempted to intercept but was met with a rush attack by Cornelia with her Jousting Lance.
"This is payback from Narita!" Cornelia shouted from her Gloucester.
"CORNELIA STOP!" Hikaru shouted as she made an attempted to grab the Viceroy's Knightmare from behind.
However, before she got any closer, Hikaru was met with a rear kick to the stomach by the Gloucester's left landspinner.
"You stay out of this, you dammed Eleven!" Cornelia shouted back while holding her ground against the Guren.
While the Lancelot smashed Zero's Burai to the ground, Zero was pondering on why does the white Knight in shinning armor keep getting in the way. As for Suzaku, he keeps wondering why would Zero ended up spilling innocent blood. Just when the Lancelot was about to shoot at the Burai with his Assault Rifle, Rayearth rammed at him and knocked the white Knightmare's gun away while pinning him to the ground. However, the Lancelot wasn't done yet as he struggled with Rayearth, trading blows between each other while wrestling over the ground with their bare hands.
"You leave Zero alone!" Hikaru shouted while inside Rayearth holding the Lancelot down with her shield.
"Get off of me, Magic Knight!" Suzaku growled while being pinned by Rayearth. "This is between me and him!"
During the tussle, Hikaru was able to buy Zero enough time for him to escape as he shot out his Harken up into the air, pulling him away from Suzaku. As the Burai was up in mid-air, Suzaku was finally able break free by kneeing Rayearth in her exposed lower ribs and pushed the Rune God away from him. After taking the full brunt of Lancelot's knee, Hikaru coughed up blood while clutching her stomach on the ground next to the Lancelot. As soon as he got up, Suzaku sees Zero's Burai crash in a distance. However, before Suzaku could approach Zero for capture, he started hearing Cornelia's alarming voice from his channel.
"LANCELOT, BEHIND YOU!"
The moment Lancelot turned around, he sees the Guren flew at him with full fury after breaking away from Cornelia's Gloucester.
"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HIM!" Kallen roared as she and the Lancelot fought each other on top of the large containers.
As for Rayearth, when she attempted to get back up while clutching her stomach with her right hand, Hikaru be met with a jousting lance held up to her neck.
"This is the end, Magic Knight Eleven!" Cornelia hissed. "If you come out of that Rune God so that I can see who you really are and surrender peacefully, I might make this easier for you!"
"I have no intention of surrendering, Princess Cornelia!" Hikaru spoke while inside her Rune God. "Well, I'll give you a hint. You probably don't remember me at all, your highness. We've already met before seven years ago. You were there during the time that me and my brothers were forced to see our parents get taken away by your men after you took over Japan!"
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about!" Cornelia jeered.
"You'll see very soon!" Hikaru added as she placed her left hand on the ground.
Before Cornelia could say anymore, Rayearth casted another spell on the ground with her left hand as it started glowing bright yellow at an alarming rate. The next thing that happened is when Rayearth engulfed by a yellow flash, startling Cornelia as she covered her eyes with her right elbow. After the flash disappeared, Rayearth was nowhere to be seen.
"Ugh! That Magic Knight vanished!" Cornelia hissed in frustration. "You can run, Magic Knight! But you cannot hide! I will find you!"
As Cornelia's voice was heard from her Knightmare from a mile away, Rayearth reappeared behind one of the storage containers, away from her line of sight. After taking a few deep breaths, Hikaru moved on to rescue Zero.
Meanwhile, after Zero crash landed away from the battlefield, he fell unconscious after getting banged up from inside his ejector cockpit. While Zero was out cold, Shirley approached towards him cautiously. Before she stepped any closer, Shirley spotted Zero's handgun lying right where her right foot was at.
"Zero's handgun, isn't it?!" Shirley thought as she picked it up with her right hand. "Then with this, I'll avenge my father!"
As Shirley aimed the gun at Zero's face, she was preparing to kill Zero for the sake of her father. However, before Shirley could even pull the trigger, Zero's mask slowly came off. Not a moment too soon, Shirley was shocked after realizing that Zero's true identity was none other than Lelouch Lamperouge. Again, Lelouch is still unconscious after barely escaping the Lancelot. This time, Lelouch's head started bleeding.
"L-Lelouch? I-It can't be! H-How could he...?" Shirley stammered in confusion and horror.
"Is that Zero?!" Viletta asked as she appeared from the shadows.
As Viletta approached the unconscious Zero, she grabbed his head only to realize that Lelouch was actually Zero himself, a Britannian Student from the Ashford Academy.
"Well, if it isn't the student from the Ashford Academy!" Viletta cackled. "A young Britannian, eh?! Well, no matter, once I bring him into custody, I'll finally earn my place as part of the Britannian Nobles!"
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" Hikaru shouted as she and Rayearth landed roughly behind both Viletta and Shirley, leaving behind a huge crack on the ground.
As the two Britannians turned around, they see Rayearth drew out her Escudo Broadsword and pointed at both of them.
"STAY AWAY FROM ZERO...er," Hikaru ordered before seeing two familiar faces not too long ago.
"What the?" Shirley gasped in shock. "I know that voice!"
"Shirley?! I know you!" Hikaru gasped after seeing one of her Britannian friends at school.
"Oh my god! Hikaru, is that really you in there?!" Shirley asked in shock. "This isn't some sort of trick is it?"
"Shirley, what are you doing here?" Hikaru asked in confusion.
"So, you actually know about Hikaru, eh?!" Viletta laughed further before turning her attention towards Hikaru. "I never thought that one of the Magic Knights is also one of the students at the Ashford Academy. You really think you can oppose us with a contraption like this, do you?!"
Upon seeing that Hikaru is actually one of the Magic Knights protecting Cephiro, Shirley felt even more confused on what happened to Lelouch and Hikaru. In her mind, Shirley couldn't really tell if those two are really fighting for Japan or making things worse for both Japan and Britannia. Either way, Shirley could not come up with any words to start off with.
"I knew it was a bad idea for Princess Cornelia to send you to that school, in exchange for your parents being put to slavery!" Viletta thought, referring to Hikaru, as she stealthily took out a EMP grenade from her pocket. "You're just waiting until we let our guard down so that you could strike back at us from behind, weren't you?!"
"Actually, ever since you attack Cephiro, I had no choice but to move in to stop you and your men from ripping that world apart," Hikaru clarified briefly.
"Why do you even care about those Cephirian filth? You're not even born from there anyway!" Viletta glared.
"I met some really good friends in Cephiro and they've known me for over three years. So, I have no regrets in fighting against people like you just to protect them all!" Hikaru hissed. "Some of them even lend a hand to help me save Japan in return from you."
"Is that a fact?!" Viletta snarled as she hurled her EMP grenade at Rayearth.
Before Rayearth could raise her shield up, Hikaru was struck by Viletta's grenade. As a result, Hikaru started screaming while an electrical surge was zapping her body from the inside. After getting struck, Rayearth collapsed on his knees and fell over to his side. In just seconds later, Hikaru finally came out of her Rune God but in an unconscious state. While out Hikaru was out cold, Shirley couldn't think straight after seeing how much kindness her transfer student friend has displayed during the time she spent at school; not after seeing Hikaru wearing strange knightly armor, a red diadem, and a red cape flowing behind her back. As her armor disappeared, Hikaru is now seen wearing a regular red and black tank-top and a medium-sized skirt.
"I-I don't believe it; Hikaru is actually one of the Magic Knights, hiding right under our noses from the start!" Shirley muttered in horror. "H-How could she do this to us?! Is she just pretending to be my friend so that she can get close to the Britannians before striking them from the shadows?!"
"Heh! Heh! Heh!" Viletta smirked as she approach Hikaru while grabbing her by the hair. "She may be strong in ways that mattered, but I've got other plans in taking down enemies with cunning than rather just using force! Now then, were are we?! Oh yes, as soon as I bring those two to Viceroy Cornelia, she is going to rethink her methods when dealing with the Shidou Family. Not only will I become a Knight of Honor, I'll ascend towards real nobility in the Britannian Empire. I do want to thank you for your cooperation, Shirley Fennette."
However, as soon as Viletta turned around to face the female Britannian student, she was met with a gun pointing at her by Shirley Fennette. It turns out that Shirley couldn't decide what to do anymore, after feeling confused and traumatized by what Lelouch and Hikaru had done recently.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Viletta gasped in shock. "You're not really friends with these two traitors are you?!"
"NOOOOOOO!" Shirley shrieked.
Just as Viletta made one step forward to where Shirley was at, the gun Shirley was holding let out a loud gunshot that echoed throughout the night!
