(A/N: You know last chapter was so good I feel like doing another one. Here's to the next part in the Ultimate Paradox saga.)
Disclaimer: Code Geass and Mirai Nikki © their respective owners
Schneizel's pov
I watched from the safety of the sidelines as the Glaston Knights headed off into battle. According to my organizer it was only a matter of time before they were forced to retreat and Yuno headed my way. When she did I would merge my Knightmare with the Lagann and become powerful enough to take on the weakened Pelleas. My diary also told me that Zero would come and have Minene Uryu, now a member of the Black Knights, attempt to hijack the Lagann and kill me when I merged with it. To stop that, I set up a bunch of soldiers around the Lagann and the surrounding perimeter. She'll never get to me alive.
3rd Person pov
The Lancelot and the Pelleas continued to clash away at each other in heated combat, blade to blade. Suzaku made to use a spin kick, but the Pelleas was so well defended that he didn't send it very far. He rolled back and fired off a machine gun, but the Pelleas' shields were just as powerful, if not more, as the Lancelot's.
"Damn it!" Suzaku cursed.
Yuno looked over to the controls and pressed a button. "Extend!" she shouted. The Pelleas' laser blade extended forward, but the Lancelot's shields protected it from damage. Yuno fired off the hookshot blade, but it was deflected by Suzaku's shields. Suzaku then unleashed the lancelot's other blade and made to attack with a double strike. The first slash was blocked, but the second slash cut into the Pelleas' left arm, damaging it slightly.
Only a scratch, Suzaku grit his teeth. That thing is tough.
"Yuki why aren't you firing the lasers?" Yuno turned towards her partner.
"I can't…I can't do it Yuno. That's Suzaku in there."
"Suzaku is the enemy Yuki. He sold us out to the Britannians," Yuno was smiling, "he was never really Yuki's friend. He was always working for the 4th and wants to kill us because of it. Suzaku and Yuki can never really be friends." Yukiteru seemed depressed at hearing this, and Yuno was not about to let her partner's inaction keep them from surviving. She communicated to Suzaku's Knightmare. "Suzaku! Are we your friends?"
Suzaku fired off a slash harken at the Pelleas, which Yuno deflected with one of her own. "Friendship has no bearing on the law. You two killed the Viceroy. Even if you were innocent in attempting to murder Euphie, even if you weren't diary holders, murdering Euphie's sister is something I cannot overlook!" Suzaku leapt high into the air and brought both swords down towards the Pelleas. Yuno skidded the thing back to avoid being hit. While Yukiteru's diary had helped them learn the Pelleas' functions, and while the Pelleas was much more advanced than the Lancelot the difference came from Suzaku's military training and high level reflexes, and Yuno was just an ordinary student. Physical goddess or no, her reflexes were not on par with that of a trained military official. Also, Suzaku could handle more strain on her body then she or Yukiteru. Not to mention Suzaku wasn't afraid to get hurt. Yuno was scared to let just one drop of blood leave Yukiteru's body.
"Yuki come on already! Fire those cannons! We can win this if you do!" she told Yukiteru.
Yukiteru didn't hear Yuno he was deep in thought. He was thinking about the survival game and his involvement in it…and also Yuno's. Yes she said she would never betray him. Yes she said he could trust her. Yes she said she would always protect him, but did he need that? He wondered about that for a moment. He thought about when he was almost going to be killed by the 3rd. With the exception of that one incident, and the incident with Minene, Yukiteru realized that he had been in so much more danger and in much less ok condition by being with Yuno.
"That girl is dangerous"
Tsubaki's words rang through Yukiteru's head. Dangerous she was indeed. By sticking with Yuno he had been accused of conspiracy to murder, been labeled a vigilante and the enemy of Britannia and both he and he wasn't even going to get a chance to join the Black Knights because Yuno wanted him all to herself. He wondered how things may have been different if he had abandoned Yuno and taken allegiance with Lelouch. He wondered what things would be like if he ejected from the Pelleas right now and abandoned Yuno to save his own skin. No, I'd never be able to live with myself, he chastised. But why? That was the really big question. Why couldn't he just leave Yuno? Because she was his friend? So was everyone else at school. Kallen, Milly, Rivalz, Shirley, Lelouch, Nunnally, Suzaku…he even wanted Nina to grow to accept him. So why is it he was helping Yuno and not them? He was fighting Britannia he was a vigilante on the run and against the law with nothing for survival other than this giant green hunk of metal.
"Yuki! Do something!" Yuno shouted.
He snapped out of his thoughts and took notice of what was going on around him. The Pelleas was taking a beating from the Lancelot. Inside the cockpit of a Knightmare Yuno's powers were about as effective as Lelouch's Geass. The only thing she could do was keep the Pelleas at optimum efficiency at all times, but even that wasn't enough to keep Suzaku from using the Pelleas as a hacky sack. The Pelleas was built as a two person Knightmare for a reason.
"Yuki, I've protected you so many times," Yuno was tearing up, "Even if you don't like me, even if you consider Suzaku your friend, won't you protect me?"
Yukiteru manned up, "I don't dislike you Yuno," Yukiteru stated. He grabbed hold of the controls. He had his answer. He stuck with Yuno because no matter how he acted or no matter what he was she would always accept him. Yuno embraced him and everything he was and the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he was starting to feel the same way about her. He put on a serious face. He was ready to fight. "I'll protect you. Let's fight Suzaku!" He pressed a button and a powerful laser blasted forward. Suzaku projected one of his shields, but even that couldn't protect him as the laser ripped right through it and blasted a hole in the white mech, just left and below the cockpit. Yukiteru let out a fierce battle cry and set the overclock drive in gear, supercharging the Pelleas.
Yuno put her own psychotic smirk on her face. We're gonna win this! Yuno charged the Pelleas forward using its extra vamped boosters, thanks to Yukiteru to charge towards the Lancelot and ran it though with the Pelleas' blade before slashing it out of the high powered Knightmare frame and nearly shredding the Yggdrasil energy core. Suzaku promptly ejected and got out of there fast. Yuno giggled a satanic little chortle, "I don't think so," she fired the solar powered head cannon to get rid of Suzaku for good, but she was stopped by a dark mauve colored Knightmare with a lance. A similar one came to ram her from behind, but Yuno took to the skies to avoid getting hit.
"Captain Kururugi, are you ok sir?" Darlton asked him.
Suzaku spoke into his headmounted radio, "I'm fine, but the Lancelot's seen better days."
"Darlton take Kururgi back to the rendezvous point," Guilford stated.
"Lieutenant Guilford are you crazy? If the Lancelot couldn't destroy the Pelleas what chance does a simple Gloucester have?"
"Captain, please…allow me to face against the monster who robbed this world of Princess Cornelia and her wonderful ladyship. You must live Suzaku Kururugi. You are Princess Euphimia's hope. Your survival is imperative. Please allow me to make up for and atone for my failure to protect Second Princess Cornelia."
"Guilford that's suicide!" Suzaku shouted, "I won't have it!"
"We're all dead if we try to run," Darlton stated, "Best one of us stay behind. Allow a man with more experience to speak on your behalf as tactician captain. He lowered one of the Gloucester's arms to let Suzaku climb onto it.
Suzaku growled got on top of Darlton's Gloucester and then looked towards Guilford as he prepared to face off against the damaged, but still very well-functioning Pelleas. He put one hand on the side of the Gloucester's head and the other on his radio. "When you see Cornelia on the other side be sure to let her know that Euphie still lives and if you see my father tell him…I'm sorry."
"Very well," Guilford said, not caring what Suzaku could be apologizing to his father for, not that he cared much. He readied his lance. "Now get going!" Darlton, with Suzaku in tow, drove off. Yuno fired a blast of energy, but Guilford deflected it away from the fleeing soldiers with his lance, damaging it severely in the process. "Your opponent is me Yuno Gasai!" he shouted. "I shall have Vengeance for Princess Cornelia's death!"
Black Knight Underground Base
Lelouch woke up the next morning and turned over only to roll on top of something soft. He saw the back of Tsubaki's head and subsequently freaked out before jolting backwards before nearly tumbling off the mattress. He got up and rubbed his sore spot that he fell on and C.C, who was in the room, laughed.
"So I see you've taken notice of your bed guest," the green haired immortal chuckled.
"Why is she in here?" Lelouch scowled.
"She said she couldn't sleep and almost begged me to let her in. It was quite cute. She cuddled up right next to you," C.C held up an 8 ½ by 11 paper. "I even took a picture and scanned it."
"What the…" Lelouch made a swipe at it, but C.C kept it out of his clutches. "You better not have taken that with my phone."
"Of course not," she said. Lelouch sighed. "I used your web cam."
His anxiety picked up again, "That's even worse! Give me that!"
"Why? I thought you liked the Kasugano girl," C.C teased.
Lelouch's serious attitude grew sorrowful and looked to the side, "It's not that I don't like her, but if that falls into the wrong hands…"
C.C understood what he was alluding to, "I see. Fear not," She unbuttoned her jacket a bit and folded the paper into a quarter fold before stuffing it into her cleavage and then rebuttoned her jacket. "There, now it's safe."
"Isn't that uncomfortable?" Lelouch asked.
"It's rather minor compared to being shot in the head," C.C responded. Lelouch could only agree. Suddenly there was a noise from the back of the room. It was soft and calm, like the coo of a dove. It was Tsubaki, yawning as she woke up. Lelouch checked his phone for the time and for an update
The Pelleas has taken damage. Suzaku's Knightmare has been disabled. Cornelia's right hand, Guilford is on the verge of death.
Show time, Lelouch snapped his phone shut. Tsubaki watched him from afar as he grabbed his helmet and cape, having slept in his uniform.
"Are you leaving?" Tsubaki asked him.
"Indeed I am. It is time for great Zero to take the stage. Stay safe Miss Kasugano and await my return," Lelouch told her.
Tsubaki nodded in understanding. Lelouch went upstairs and as he did checked his phone for changes from last night. He had gotten into the habit of marking entries he had gone over. Anything that was unmarked meant that something had changed. He did an experiment once in order to deduce that such a thing was possible.
Something indeed had changed. Originally Minene was going to infiltrate without an issue, but it seemed that now that Schneizel had surrounded the Lagann Ex-Pro with soldiers. Did he anticipate my entering into the battlefield? Is he a holder too? Or is this just Schneizel's craft at work? No matter, I can work around this.
Shinjiku Ruins
Guilford, like Suzaku, was compensating with his years of experience as a Knightmare Frame pilot for the fact that he had a much less advanced type. Guilford's lance proved sufficient enough to parry Yuno's Laser Blade. However, the weapon was becoming brittle with all the laser shots fired off. The problem with the laser cannons was their cool down time and Yuno didn't have the perfect concentration right now to keep deheating them so she and Yuki had only managed nine strikes with the lasers, 3 per cannon, including the head cannon. Only two of which Guilford had parried. He actually managed to reflect one, forcing Yuno and Yukiteru to use another shot to counter it. He dodged 3 and got hit by the other two.
"Yuki how much longer on the cannon recharges?" Yuno asked.
"Just a little more time," Yukiteru told her.
Guilford realized that his time was running short. His fuel cell was running low on power, his lance was singed and badly damaged thanks to the Pelleas' lasers and his own swords had been slashed apart by the Pelleas' single sword. It was the most advanced vibration sword ever. It seemed to be made purely out of energy, the blade was anyway. Guilford's time was just about up and he knew it. This really was going to be his last stand. Hopefully, he thought, hopefully my sacrifice will not be in vain. I can only hope Captain Kururugi and Viceroy Schneizel have had time to calculate another plan. An image of Cornelia shot through his head. Princess Cornelia…Guilford shed a tear, please forgive this failure of a knight. In the end I was unable to protect you. I don't know for what purpose you died for or what the heart of the matter is with these two elevens, but…I will..."I WILL DIE WITH HONOR!" he rushed towards the Pelleas with ramming speed. Jousting lance prepared to strike.
"Fire," Yuno commanded. All three laser cannons were launched at the exact same time, blasting Guilford straight through. As they approached he threw his lance.
Princess Cornelia…I did all I could…I hope…this is enough. Guilford's Gloucester was destroyed and his lance sailed towards the Pelleas only to be sliced part way in half by the green Knightmare's blade before it landed on the ground looking like an aluminum can that had been broken open by an internal explosion.
Yuno started breathing hard.
"Are you all right Yuno?" Yukiteru asked her.
"I'm fine Yuki," she turned back and smiled. She concentrated and cooled off the laser cannons. "Shall we finish off those who seek to kill us?"
"I…" Yukiteru was hesitant.
"If we don't make a move they'll just regroup and attack us again. Doesn't Yuki want to be safe?" Yuno asked. Safe? Yes he wanted to be safe. "If Yuki wants to be safe then it means getting dangerous now. We must kill Prince Schneizel, Suzaku and Princess Euphimia. No, we'll destroy all of Britannia. We'll eliminate any who won't let us be. That's how it will be Yuki. And when it's all over we'll create a new future where we can live how we want. Isn't that the future Yuki desires? A future for the two of us?"
Yukiteru was speechless. Everything Yuno said was unflawed. Yes Britannia was the enemy. Anyone who tried to kill him was an enemy. This was a survival game. He gripped the controls, "Let's go, Yuno."
"Hai!"
Schneizel's pov
Everything was going according to plan. The Pelleas was damaged, I lost a lot of men. If my understanding of Zero's character is accurate he'll come charging in here with the attempt to destroy the Pelleas. Of course who needs understanding when I have data? I thought to myself and looked down at my organizer. I gasped.
The Lagann Ex-Pro merges with the Gloucester. The 9th is inside the 2nd pod.
But that's impossible! I looked outside the window. All my men were stationed outside.
Damn thing must be glitching, I growled.
"Prince Schneizel sir," Kanon radioed, "the Pelleas has been spotted on the radar."
Damn. What to do? I looked down at my organizer for options. If I didn't merge with the Lagann Ex-Pro I was certain to be killed, but there was no DEAD END flag if I merged. That meant one of two things. Either the 9th was going to let me live, or Zero planned to form a temporary allegiance to dispose of Yuno Gasai. Either way, merging with the Lagann Ex-Pro was my only choice.
Lelouch's pov
I sat here, in my Zero outfit in a stolen perimeter tank, a soldier's disguise in the passenger's seat. I had Geassed a bunch of soldiers upon my arrival and told Minene that the coast was clear, that I had persuaded the soldiers to defect. She bought it and successfully took the Lagann Ex-Pro. Schneizel wouldn't suspect a thing. Even if he did, even if he was a diary holder, merging was his only option. He'd die otherwise. Losing Cornelia's revamped Gloucester was no major loss. The Lagann Ex-Pro was essential to the plan. If we lost Cornelia's Gloucester I could always have the Lagann merge with the Guren MK II. I watched and waited as the Pelleas came up over the horizon and I saw it first-hand. It had taken quite a bit of damage, but repairs could be done if I could claim it, besides it wasn't my primary objective. I sat here and waited for Minene to be merged with Schneizel…the Knightmares they were piloting anyway.
3rd Person pov
Schneizel held out on merging with the Lagann Ex-Pro until he could do so longer with a loud shout of "DAMMIT!" the pods fused and there was a flash of light. Cornelia's Gloucester increased in mass and density. A coating of white panels covered its outer arms, legs, chest and the back of the head. Also, instead of a lance, it now wielded a large, powerfully charged, and very finely crafted, vibration sword. Only Lelouch and the Britannian soldiers could Marvel at the sight.
"Yuno halt!" Yukiteru told her. Yuno stopped on a dime
"What is it Yuki?" Yuno asked him.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," he told her. Let's maintain distance and attack defensively. "We've taken a bit of damage."
"Oh don't worry about that," Yuno smiled. She concentrated and a glow covered the Pelleas, repairing the damage that had been done to it.
"I still think we should maintain a distance and attack defensively," Yukiteru told Yuno.
"If that's what Yuki wants us to do, then that's what we'll do," Yuno said and obeyed.
Inside the merged form of the Gloucester and the Lagann Schneizel drew a weapon on Minene, who also had one drawn on him.
"My, my, were you expecting company?" Minene asked.
"Maybe I was," he said, "9th."
"So, the 4th has you doing her work for you too does she?" Minene asked.
"What concern is that of yours?" Schneizel asked her.
"None, but if you want to live I suggest you eject. This Knightmare now belongs to the Black Knights. Zero knows all about you Schneizel: your reflexes, your tactics and even your motivations. He's not Britannia's number one enemy for no good reason and I'm not his ace for no good reason either. Get lost and retreat and I won't shoot. We're here for Yuno Gasai, nothing more."
Schneizel chuckled, "I suppose that makes us the losers then."
"You have until the count of 9," Minene loaded her gun.
"Very well, but know this the Second Prince Schneizel is not so easily defeated," Schneizel ejected from his pod. He knew better than to set off a firearm on the inside of a Knightmare Frame, besides upon hitting the ground he would encounter…
"So, Schneizel," Zero pointed a gun at him, "How good to see you?" The soldiers around Zero also pointed their rifles as Schneizel.
"What is the meaning of this?" Schneizel growled.
"These men know that Britannia, and you, will only lead them to ruin. They have chosen to pick the winning side. You have a choice now Viceroy Schneizel, you can run with your tail between your legs like the dog you are or you can die," Zero told him.
"You think I'm afraid to die for my country? You don't know what you're dealing with Zero!" Schneizel shouted.
"I do most certainly know what I'm up against Viceroy. I'll ask you again to make a decision. If you don't, I'll make one for you," Zero told him.
"Zero, quit fooling around, we need to finish the mission!" Minene shouted at him, through his radio.
"That's my cue," Zero put away his gun and the men lowered their weapons. "Get out of here Viceroy."
"What?" Schneizel was angered.
"You're the losers here. We are here to stop Yuno Gasai from wreaking havoc. As much as I hate the guts of Britannian nobility the Black Knights would be hypocrites if we did not stop a slaughter, but then again, you anticipated us to show up didn't you. If all else failed you were hoping we'd show up. Isn't that right?"
"How do you know so much," Schneizel snarled, "Who are you?"
"Who am I? I think you know that. I am the Noble Demon. I am the Dark Mastermind. I am the Black King." Zero flung out his cape. "With my allies I shall do justice and punish the unjust. I am Zero!" He walked briskly past Schneizel grabbed the gun from the Viceroy, decked him across the face and stepped into the dual-operated Knightmare pod in order to re-enter it, "Now get lost!" he entered the Gloucester.
Schneizel began to laugh maniacally, "Interesting. Mark my words Zero. You will regret to have let me live. I will kill you in the most painful way possible for making a fool out of me!"
Lelouch's pov
I entered the dual-frame with Minene and sat in the front, controlling the main output. I waited for the Britannians to pull back and then contacted Yuno. "Attention Yuno Gasai, this is Zero, I have taken control of Britannia's most advanced Knightmare. Surrender the Pelleas and I won't rescind your right to live. Or better yet, join me, the choice is yours."
"That's quite the ultimatum," Minene commented.
"Let's see if she takes it," I said.
Yukiteru's pov
"Yuno we should join Zero. At least then we'll have allies," I told her.
"Yuki doesn't need allies. Yuki has me," she smiled. "We'll be ok, as long as we're together."
"Yuno please think about this. Zero has the Black Knights, Britannia has their entire army. We're just two people. If we're going to survive we need to pick a side."
"And both sides have diary holders," Yuno reminded me, "The Sub-Viceroy is the 4th and Minene Uryu is the 9th and she's a Black Knight. We'd be enemies to someone no matter which side we're on. Everyone's better off just disappearing. Besides we have the Pelleas and my powers. We're invincible."
"Yuno please don't do this. Please don't turn us against the Black Knights. Let's just retreat," I told her.
"We can't retreat. You heard Zero, we either hand over the Pelleas or we fight," Yuno told me.
"Then let's give up the Pelleas. We don't need it as long as we have each other Yuno," I told her.
"No…we need the Pelleas," she looked down and gripped the motion controls, "I…I can't protect Yuki on my own. We need the Pelleas Yuki."
"Yuno please, I don't want to see you die or die myself. Please let's just get out of here with our lives," I told her.
"Yuki," she looked at me with a tearful smile, "Please forgive me. The next thing I knew I blacked out."
Yuno's pov
I wasn't going to hand over Yuki. I would protect him and protect him I shall. I knocked him out temporarily using my powers and was prepared to use extra, astral arms to operate the rest of the Pelleas on my own.
"Zero!" I grabbed the radio wire, "I will not comply with your request. I will not allow you to take Yuki, the Pelleas and I will not allow you to kill me either. I'll kill you instead!" In all the hysteria Yuki failed to notice that he been referred to by Zero at all. This was personal. Zero was a diary holder and he knew Yuki and I were ones. He was here to kill me and Deus probably asked him to. "Die!"
Lelouch's pov
"So that's her choice," I sighed. "M-9, prepare for battle."
"You got it Zero," she declared. "Let's see what this powered up Knightmare can do."
"Before we do that. We should name it," I said.
"Name it?" she questioned.
"Look at its framework, its completion, the mighty sword it wields. Such a magnificent Knightmare can only go by one name: The Arthur."
"I like the sound of that. Now are we ready," Minene asked me.
"We are," I said. "Yuno Gasai. Prepare to die!"
To be continued…
(A/N: Damn, and I thought for sure I'd get to the end of this saga in this chapter. Oh well, guess that'll wait till next time. So yeah Guilford dies, Yuno knocks out Yuki, Schneizel retreats and Lelouch and Minene create the Arthur. Who will win in the battle between the Arthur and the Pelleas? Did Lelouch make the right move in letting Schneizel retreat? What will happen with the Lancelot damaged to such an extent that it was. Will a new model be built? What does the loss of Guilford mean for the Glaston Knights? What about the rest of the Black Knights? Will they help Zero or will this be a one on one duel? Answers to this and more, next time on Ultimate Paradox)