A prequel for the next arc. And the man who everyone's waiting for is here.
"I see darkness...nothing but darkness...surrounding me...but it is to be expected...
The day I took over Britannia...the day I took over the world...it has finally been over...I have created...peace...
"The Demon Lelouch is dead!" Were the last cries he heard and smiled.
Heheh...it is rather ironic seeing that the Demon Emperor had created peace...but through their hatred of me...there will be peace...I can finally rest now..."
"LELOUCH VI BRITANNIA!"
Pain spread from the sword blow in his chest, even as he passed into death's grips. A huge dark shadow loomed over him. He guessed it must be the grim reaper, prepared to tear his soul apart. Lelouch chuckled. He was fine with that. He had been successful in his goal.
"You, who committed so many sins...you who killed countless innocents...you who manipulate so many pure souls..., must now pay for all you've done..."
Lelouch nodded. "I accept..."
The figure snorted and backhanded him. The blow struck Lelouch in the cheek and sent him staggering back and slammed into a spiked wall where his body was impaled by a hundred spikes piercing his body.
"Agrah!" He screamed in pain. At once, the darkness had dispersed. Slowly, revealing a fiery dungeon filled with various forms of hell. Black shadowy wraiths in ragged clothes wonder about torturing their victims. Some were being boiled alive. Others relived what they had done in the past: a former serial killer which he once seen on TV, who had tortured, killed and eaten six victims now pass through cutting devices which cleave through all his flesh, leaving scratches and deep gashes all across his body. The horribly mutilated man screamed in agony as the body was dumped across a huge where the black shadowy figures feasted upon him, tearing limb from limb.
Lelouch vomited at the sight, vomiting blood which strain across his already bloodied robes and left him in a terrible odour.
"Yes...this is how sinners pay for their crime...but yours would be far worse."
The shadowy figure looked more gruesome than any book, video game or any other form of fantasy could picture the reaper.
"Do what you want..." He replied. "As long as those dear to me are safe, I will accept anything..."
The reaper laughed. He laughed and laughed finding his comment extremely humorous.
"Hahaha...you have damned their fates the moment you knew them...they will suffer for what you have done as well..."
"What!" Lelouch looked up in horror, a horror that not even the terrible sights around him could muster. "They've done nothing wrong! I did! I caused the massacre! I was the one who killed Euphie! I was the one who manipulate her into doing them! I was the one who cause the millions in Tokoyo Settlement! They had nothing to do with them!"
In response, the reaper laughed and grabbed his throat with his fiery claws and pulled him out of the spikes.
"Their lives were forfeit thanks to you."Images flowed through Lelouch's mind.
A green haired woman stood tied to a pole in a dark hall, screaming as her body was slowly burnt away...
"They will suffer because of your sins..."
A burning city with the torn banners of Britannia, surrounded by the corpses of thousands appeared in his mind. Broken Knightmares and tanks were all over the place burning. The Imperial Keep itself was in ruins and filled with holes and dents. Soldiers in red uniform of the Royal guard littered the palace entrance dead. Inside was a tomb surrounded by broken Knightmares belonging to the Knights of the Round. The Zero mask lay on the ground, shattered and broken while a few metres away from it a browned haired man dressed in violet and black lay on the ground in a pool of blood with a broken wheel chair stood by his side.
"Because of what you led them to..."
Amongst the dead knights, a young woman with red haired dressed in a crimson jumpsuit lay in a bloody pool beside the tomb near a broken red Knightmare. Written on it was:
"Nunnally Vi Britannia, the 100th Empress of the Empire. She will be greatly missed."
The woman's body was heavily mutilated but her chest was still moving. With a great deal of pain she turned over. Her eyes, deep sea blue looked around her and they rested on a crumpled piece of paper that lied on the bloodied ground. Groaning in pain, the woman crawled desperately to it. She held it and gently unfolded the crumpled paper. A brief smile crossed her mouth as she gave the picture one last look, her eyes glittered in tears.
'Lelouch...I will...finally...be...with you...' With that the light in her eyes disappeared...
"NO!" Lelouch's scream deafened everything around him that even the reaper seemed startled by it. The former Emperor glared and his eyes suddenly glowed crimson and they flared brightly. The death bringer so startled by it, released his captive. Lelouch fell back in a thud. He quickly stood up.
"I...will...not allow those who I love suffer for MY sins..."
He shrugged off all of his bloodied wounds and reached for a sword on a nearby stand where various torture weapons were held.
Recovering from his surprise, the grim reaper instead laughed and pulled itself up to its full height which was about five feet taller than the former Britannian Emperor.
"Foolish mortal. You know it clear from the beginning that you are doomed! You can barely carry that blade at your fittest! Ahahahaha!" The reaper raised his hand. It sparked in a ball of flame where it slowly twisted into a lean narrow shape and turned into a massive flaming claymore.
He was right. The blade was very heavy and he knew the chances he had against death itself assuming that he was a skilled swordsman were slim. That he was not, meant that he stood almost no chance. However, the dark haired royal shook away all such thoughts and readied in a fighting stance. As a prince, Lelouch had some knowledge in fencing as a youth but that so long ago.
But he couldn't allow this! Lelouch Vi Britannia was willing to suffer but he will not allow others to suffer for HIS crimes!
Against all odds, he would need to create a miracle.
"Agrah!" He charged.
"Hahaha, as you wish." Lelouch lunged forward and thrust. His blade went right through the reaper as if it wasn't even there.
"What?"
The reaper laughed and swung his blazing sword, creating an arc of fire. Lelouch ducked at once, managing to avoid the blow by inches with the flame burning part of his cheeks. Before he could move again, the reaper brought the blade back and sliced his chest open. The former Emperor fell back hard on the ground, coughing. The wound felt like as if someone had set fire in his chest and that's just without the bloody wounds. Images of everyone he ever loved, or cared for appeared burning and screaming in pain, shouting his name over and over again. Lelouch felt his body giving away but nevertheless struggled to get up. He reached for his fallen sword and fight back to carry it, knowing his weak strength was in no condition to use it well. The raven haired figure charged again swinging it in a wide arc which passed through the figure again and the force of his own blow sent him staggering on the ground.
"So weak...So very weak...even in my time here, I've never seen such a worthless and pathetic being like you...I don't think even hell wants you here..."
"Damn..." Lelouch stood lying on the ground, defeated, weak and pitiful in a pool of blood. His chest and body was all but crying out for him to rest but Lelouch ignored it. He could not allow...He CAN NOT allow that to happen. Slowly and painfully, he gathered himself up and gripped the sword handle and pulled himself together.
The devil chuckled as the former Emperor struggled to balance himself, blood dripping around him. "Still willing to fight are you?"
In response, Lelouch charged again, sword in both hands albeit falling several times on the ground. This time, the demonic figure laughed hard and swung his great fiery blade with a great blow. Their blades contacted and his blow not only knocked Lelouch's sword out of his grip but the wielder himself was sent flying. Lelouch collapsed with a great thud on the hard ground, all the energy in his body knocked out. He tried to move up and fight but his body refused to obey him anymore. For not the first time Lelouch cursed his arrogance and laziness in the past. He needed to get out of here. He must prevent that from happening...
"Pitiful...You knew the outcome of this..." The reaper loomed over the pathetic figure. "You know that you could never defeat me. Not even with your great tactical mind. You are outmatched, alone in the halls of hell...yet you fight on...
"Your body is suffering from wounds that not even the most harden warrior could endure...yet you endure...you know you had damned everyone you love...you know that they all hate and despise you more than anything...yet you still care for them..."
"I..." Lelouch coughed out a stream of blood. "It...is...all...for...them...I'd...I...will...suffer...their sins..." He paused to take a breath. "Just...save...them...ensure...they...live..."
The devil laughed and laughed hard over and over again at his confession.
"Then..."
The dark figure stopped, he took his flaming sword and raised it high.
"You..."
"...have..."
The sword came down on his face. Lelouch closed his eyes imagining the faces of all he had left behind. Nunnally...my dear sister...how I wish to be by your side again...Suzaku...please protect her...CC...Please enjoy life and thank you for your gifts...Kallen...Kallen...I wish I had more time to know you...
"...just..."
"...Pass the test."
"What?"
Suddenly the world spanned around and darkness consumed him again...Images flowed again but nothing he had seen... a burning city...Roman Legions marching...a rain of arrows showering on a group of armoured knights...a wedding scene...strange creatures locked in combat...and finally everything went black.
The next time Lelouch opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a carpeted floor, staring into the clouds. The skies were orange-yellow as if it was at dusk. It...it was beautiful...as if he was in heaven...heaven? That startled Lelouch. What did he do to deserve this? Was this another part of a nightmare from hell?
He struggled up and looked around. He recognised the place. It...He was in the C's World! What was he doing here? Maybe he wasn't alive anymore. Was this where all those who die finally end up? He didn't know. But remembering the devil's words, he started to look around and end up staring at a full armoured medieval knight with a dark blue cloak.
"I must admit. You surprise one that is rarely surprised." The Knight spoke.
"Who are you? Where am I? What is going on here?" Lelouch demanded.
"You are in technically in the C's World but I guess you must have figured it out by now." The Knight replied and walked towards him. "My identity at this moment is not important right now..."
Lelouch had to look up to face the armoured figure moved closer to him who was proven to be a full head taller than he was. His helm hid his face or any part of his head and the knight's chest plate bore a golden dragon which seems oddly familiar and a jewelled long sword stood on his hip. He truly was an intimidating figure, physically and mentally.
"What is important," The warrior continued. "Is that are you willing to do it?"
"What?"
"Are you willing to fight tooth and nail for your love ones? Or was it all but an act?"
Fury touched Lelouch and he resisted the urge to strike the armoured figure or use his Geass on the arrogant knight.
"As long as they stay safe, I'm willing to do anything..." Then Lelouch remembered the nightmare. "What I saw...is...is not real...is it?"
The knight turned away.
"It could be real...but I'm willing to give you a chance to prevent that from happening..." The warrior stopped in front of a shelf and picked up a book. "Although...it would mean you will need to come back to this world...and face your sins..."
Lelouch dreaded that. He had made sure that no one like the Demon Emperor would ever appear in the world. And of course, his own personal problems...But if it means to protect Nunnally and the others...
"I am."
"Then I will give you this chance...Do you accept?"
Lelouch pulled himself to his full height. "I accept...but on a few conditions..."
With that the Knight laughed but unlike the Devil's, this one was full of good humour.
"Somethings never change...of course. But you will need a new sword." The knight handed him the book he was holding and opened a few pages. Lelouch looked into the book and jumped in surprise.
"Is that..."
"Yes. It is as you see it."
Lelouch took a few more moments to study it then shook his head.
"Then my sword will be...called...Arthur Peregrine..."
The next chapter would take some time to come as the new chapter for My Queen is half way working. This is just a short sneakpeak. I hope you enjoy reading it. Read and Review!