Dislaimer: I do not own Code Geass, which is propriety of Studio Sunrise, and neither do I own Exalted, which is property of White Wolf Publishing.

This fiction originally appeared as a quest-style story on the forum Sufficient Velocity. As such do not be confused by the strange structure.

Fiendish Advent - Act 3

{●}

"Wow. Maybe I should have talked with those cultists instead of just rushing where you were." Seyrun commented, but Lelouch wasn't listening.

Milly had superpowers.

Milly had superpowers.

Someone put what was probably one of the most dangerous spiritual weapons ever created in the soul of Milly Ashford.

"Nope." He stood up and walked to his closet. "Not doing this." He opened your closet, entered and closed it.

'This isn't happening. Nope. This is just a nightmare born from all of the crap I had to go through today and that visit to Oramus' mad realm.'

"Ohohoh! Don't be silly Lulu. Come out, let's talk." The nightmare tried to open the door.

He pulled back with all his strength. "Noooo! Be gone! You're just an hallucination created by my mind! I will not be tempted!"

"Boss?! You're freaking out, and I don't like what it is doing to this place!"

"Fine. If you put it that way..." Lelouch breathed in relief as the nightmare relented.

Then his blood froze when he heard what sounds suspiciously like clothes being removed. "Milly? What are you doing?"

"Getting naked of course." A part of Lelouch's soul shrieked in terror. "Then I think I will take some selfies while leaning on your bed and post it on my profi-"

"STOP IT!" He half-screamed, half-pleaded as he stormed outside, his mind conjuring horrible images of the upcoming social disaster.

And face-planted when he saw Milly sitting on the bed with her clothes still on, a victorious grin on her lips and sheets crumpled from what was most likely her playing with it. "There. It wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Demon..." He whispered, forced to recognize the whole unbelievable situation as being, sadly, reality.

"No, no Lulu. They are demons." She pet one of the spiders, who just looked confused, before raising on fist in the air. "I'm Green Sun Princess Milly Ashford of the Scourge Caste! What's yours?"

"...Fiend..." He replied dispassionately, dragging his sudden oh-so-tired self up and sitting next to her.

"I knew it! Even if you don't quite fit the 'bad boy' type." She sized him up and down with that look of her that didn't possess an ounce of shame ever since she hit puberty. "And am I seeing things or are you even more handsome than normal? The Exaltation did a very good job."

Lelouch glared at her.

She giggled before a bit of concern entered her expression. "But seriously Lelouch, what happened?"

'It's best to go for truth or elaborate li-too troublesome.' "Today I got caught up in a terrorist incident, drawn into a warzone, my best friend from childhood was killed for refusing an order to kill me and there was nothing I could do to stop it, I made a deal with the world-gods who created the universe in exchange for power, I've learned that everything I thought I knew about the universe is wrong and I've had to scrap my old plans for destroying Britannia..."

She blinked. "You were serious about those?"

He ignored the jab. "...and now I've learned you've got the same bullshit powers I do. It explains so much." He sighed. "I did think your parties got a little wilder in the last few months."

She preened. "Of course they were." Then she smiled sadly and put a hand over Lelouch's, squeezing it lightly. "I'm sorry to hear about your friend. But you're here and alive, so something good had happened today, right?"

"Well, I lead a cell of terrorists to a near victory over Britannia. I also convinced my brother Clovis that it was all the Pureblood's fault and that he needs to purge his government of 'traitors', so the Area Eleven government is going to be quite destabilized soon."

"...Your brother is that gullible?"

"It helped that he was drunk. Which was my doing." He rolled his eyes. "I also created an alter-ego called 'Zero' to lead the terrorists."

Milly smiled widely. "Can I help design you a costume?"

"No, hell no, and absolutely no." Lelouch replied without hesitation. "I'd like to keep my dignity."

She pouted.

"But seriously Milly, how..." He gestured at her. "How did it happen? How did you become an Exalt?"

"Well, it happened two months ago-Oh! Let me present you someone." She clapped her hands. "You can show yourself Zenész."

A figure materialized in the center of the room, and instantly Lelouch's ears were assaulted by a haunting beautiful music. There were no words to it and yet it hit him on a deeply personal level, speaking of sorrow, lost innocence and self recrimination but also streaked through with subtle phrases that evoked a faint hope that the bad days would pass and fond memories of the good times in life.

The demon had the appearance of a stunningly beautiful woman wearing a black dress, long and flowing dark hair in a loose, messy style framing a shapely face with slightly too large green eyes. The defining feature were her hands, each with a dozen long many-jointed fingers constantly moving in time with the music, as though she was playing an invisible harp. She smiled softly before closing her eyes to concentrate on her music.

Seyrun hummed contently, the other spiders imitating him. "Malfeas, I missed this music."

"She is an Angyalkae. Just like my Unwoven Coadjutor, Nassozra." Milly pointed at her head. "She's pleased to meet you."

'Unwoven Coadjutor?'

"The term used for the demon that fused with a Green Sun Prince. Oh, and it's an honor too."

Lelouch resisted the urge to shake his head in exasperation. "They're Anuhles. I hadn't time to get their names yet." He gestured to the spiders. "My Unwoven Coadjutor is called Seyrun. He said it's an honor too."

"Where I was? Oh, yes." Milly's mood suddenly turned somber. She pulled her legs close to her chest and hugged them. "Do you know how my parents are trying to make me marry some noble so the Ashford could rise in status?"

"I know." Lelouch rolled his eyes. "I also know you managed to make any suitor back off through a combination of blackmail, gossip and who knows what else."

"Usually. But I couldn't with the one they found two months ago." Lelouch was startled to see real, pure rage in Milly's eyes. "Baron Ramsley didn't have any weak spot I could use, and he was too well known for my usual methods." She snarled. "He also kept checking me out every time we met. I doubt that pig even remember my face. At one point I decided to talk with my parents, to make them change their minds. That was the first we yelled at each other." Her gaze turned melancholic. "I told them I wanted to be my own person, to be free to make my own decisions. They called me ungrateful, that this was their only chance to regain the prestige that was rightful ours, and how dare I be selfish instead of thinking of the good of the whole family..."

"Milly." Lelouch interrupted her. He put your hand under her chin and gently tilted her head until she was looking at him. "I am going to punch your parents in the face the next time I see them. Don't try to stop me."

"I wouldn't even try." She smiled gently, through her eyes were lucid. But it wasn't tears, not quite. "At this point you probably expect me to say I kept refusing...but I didn't. I don't know why, maybe I was shocked that they weren't even considering my opinion, like I wasn't their daughter but just a useful pawn. So I gave up and told them I would marry the Baron. After that I ran into my room, lock me inside and cried until I fell asleep."

Lelouch didn't know when he hugged Milly, but he hadn't any intention of changing position.

"I was woken up in the middle of the night by the same beautiful music." She smiled at Zenész, who smiled back and kept playing. "It was Nassozra. I suppose your own recruitment speech was also short and vague?"

Lelouch nodded. "We were in the middle of a warzone, so yes it was."

"Well, I accepted. Even if I had known everything I learned later I would have still accepted. I just wanted to keep my freedom." Her lips curved upward as she put a finger over them, her usual mischievousness back in her eyes. "Admittedly waking up naked and with a smashed brass cocoon in my room made the clean-up difficult, but it was worth it because otherwise I would have never met Lady Hegra!"

"Hegra? She is a Chosen of Hegra?" Seyrun muttered. He sounded more surprised that fearful however.

'What kind of Yozi is Hegra?'

"Hegra, the Typhoon of Nightmares. She collects the dreams of Creation and then rains them down on Malfeas. When it happens all demons pour into the streets to dance and bask in the psychedelic weather."

'...Are you saying-' Lelouch mentally gulped. 'That Milly was chosen by what is basically a rain made of drugs?!'

"...Yes?"

This was definitely the work of Hell. Only Hell would have allowed such an unholy union.

"Milly." Lelouch tone was totally emotionless. "Please tell me you can't make drugs with your powers."

She giggled. "Don't be silly Lulu."

'Thank goodness, that was one bullet dod-'

"I can't do that yet."

'Aaand, why is the world so cruel to hope?'

"But I can shoot my emotions in the form of meteorological phenomenon. Do you want to see it?"

"There is no need." Lelouch used all his willpower to avoid pleading. "Hegra is your Patron Yozi?" She nodded. "Alright, so you came out of the..."

"Chrysalis Grotesque."

"Chrysalis Grotesque." Lelouch repeated before realizing just what he said. 'Seriously, seriously? Have you ever heard of bad PR?'

"Nope. What's that? Do you eat it?"

Lelouch ignored him. "And then?"

"Like I said I cleaned up. It wasn't easy, but some of the old maids like me more than my parents and didn't ask questions. After that I talked with Nassozra about my new powers and came up with a plan of action. I waited for Ramsley's next public appearance and went there slowly working up all the hate and disgust I felt towards that filthy pig." She grined savagely. "And then when I saw him I shoved all of my emotions into him."

"What happened?" Lelouch asked, fascinated by the story.

"He started screaming and hitting the person he was talking with." Milly laughed. "Which was a duke."

He grinned. "Stripped of his title?"

"Stripped of his title." She grinned back. "I did the same a few more times, just to hammer down his new reputation, and then stopped."

"Good job." Lelouch hugged her a little tightly before backing off. "Still, the ability to make other feel your same emotions is definitely use-!"

Lelouch stopped, an horrendous suspicion crawling its way up from the back of his mind. "Milly?"

"Yes?"

"Did you use the same trick in your parties? Because I remember enjoying quite a few of them, even the one where we had to come to school in a swimsuit, and I couldn't understand why I was okay with that later..."

Her only answer was a coquettish smile.

"Y-You!" He pointed a finger full of indignation at her. "You raped my mind!"

"Don't be so melodramatic, I just inspired you and a few others. And even if I wanted to rape something, it definitely wouldn't be your mind." Her gaze slowly lowered.

For the sake of his sanity Lelouch ignored all possible implications and stubbornly stick to his point. "Do you have any idea how embarrassed I was? There were even photos of me circulating around!"

"I know: I made and sold them."

"WHAT?!"

"Oh come on Lulu. Relax. Look, I will even repay you." She grabbed his hand-

And pressed it on her breasts. "There. Pretty soft huh? Just say the word and I will remove all the pesky clothes between."

"§# &%$£(!"

"Lulu? Lulu I was joking don't jump out of the window please!"

{●}

A few minutes later Lelouch managed to regain his bearings, if only barely. It was sadly clear that Exalting upgraded Milly's teasing skills too, because they have never been so effective before. "So, you managed to avoid another arranged marriage. And then? Did you go to Malfeas?"

She shook her head. "But I wanted too, so I went to meet the people that summoned Nassozra."

"The cultists?"

"Don't say it as if it is a bad thing." She chided him. "They're very sweet people. It's a community of Elevens and Britannian commoners that live just outside the settlement. I know it sounds strange, but apparently they all got bad deals with the government in favor of the usual privileged, so they sort of banded together before they met an unbound demon." She hummed. "Now they summon demons that can help them with their special abilities, and in exchange they offer prayers and sacrifices, mostly things that can be found only on Earth."

'Why does it sound more like a business agreement than a matter of faith?'

"It works, does it not? A smart demon knows how to keep his cultists happy and willing, while those who don't aren't likely to stay in change for long. It's even more important for cults backed by a Second or Third Circle demon. You don't want to fail them."

"That's how I met Zenész." She gestured at the harpist. "She came bearing a message: it said that my presence wasn't required yet but to stay ready to answer when it is." She shrugged. "So with nothing else to do I continued to go to school while following my Urge."

"Ur...ge?"

"You don't know? It's a task we Infernals are given by our Patron through the connection with our Exaltation. It's the way we receive orders."

'Seyrun!'

"I was going to tell you about it!" He defended himself. "But then your friend pops up and-"

'Spare me and tell me what Oramus wants me to do. And from now on tell me immediately of any change.'

"Yes, yes understood. Blessed Oramus wants you...to create an empire."

'An...empire?'

"Yes, an empire. I quote: 'One greater than Britannia ever was."

"An empire..." He repeated out loud, as if reaching an epiphany before chuckling. "Of course. Merely destroying Britannia would send the world into an even greater chaos. To avoid that, I must also create a government that fits my ideals."

"That fits you Lulu. lady Hegra instead wants me to disrupt the rigid hierarchy here in Area Eleven, to make people loosen up. I'm managing to do that, but I'm not making enough progress." She tilted her head, eyeing him, before breaking into a smile. "But if we join forces I am sure we can reach both of our goals way faster!"

"Milly...Are you sure? I am going to oppose the strongest superpower in the world, it will be dangero-"

She silenced him by pressing a finger on his lips. "Lelouch vi Britannia." She said with utmost seriousness. "I may not have suffered as much as you, but I am too a victim of the callousness of Britannia. I held no love for my homeland. The only ones I care about is this school, its students, my freedom, my grandfather..." She grinned. "And obviously my friends. Plus we're both Heroes of Hell now, we ought to play our parts."

He gaped at her before chuckling. "And here I used to think it was me against the world. What a fool I was."

"You totally were Lulu." She smiled before hugging you. Lelouch returned the hug. For once her hands didn't wander around, and for that he was grateful.

"What do you intend to do now?" Milly asked him afterward.

"I think it's better we talk about what we know about our respective powers, so we can coordinate our efforts. What excuse did you use to skip class?" Even if he already suspected the answer.

"Council business."

'Thought so.' "Then we have time. Are you alright with talking?" She nodded. Pleased with her answer he turned to the spiders. "Go back to search for possible Dragonblooded."

"I don't think they will find any Lelouch." Milly said. At his questioning look she continued. "When I learned Britannia's nobility is full of Dragonblooded I looked at the student's book for any anomaly, and found out there have been some students that were transferred to another school immediately after certain...strange incidents."

"Strange? Like what?"

"A small fire that was attributed to a faulty line, roots that mysteriously grew through the walls, this kind of things. Little oddities with many possible explanations, but after each of them at least one of the students involved would be recalled to the homeland or be transferred to another school."

"Ah, I see."

'See what?'

"Anima Flux. The Anima of Dragonblooded is made of their elemental aspect, and can be quite destructive compared to the Anima of other types of Exalt. When a Dragonblooded exalts it's common for the Anima to flare strongly, damaging their surroundings."

"Ah." Lelouch quickly put the pieces together. "Those students were Dragonblooded that exalted, and the incidents were caused by their out of control Anima. Their transfer was probably their family recalling them for training or to send them to a place to do so."

"Exactly what I thought." Milly agreed. "I spied of the professors, but didn't found anything abnormal. Then again none of them are nobles, so the chances were slim to begin with."

"I see. Still do it anyway." He told the spiders. "I want to be sure."

"Yes Boss." Two of them saluted before dematerializing and leaving.

"So, so!" Milly said, excited like a kid in a candy store. "Tell me what kind of Charms do you have!"

'Charms?'

"Oh, by the sacred Azure..." Seyrun grumbled. "There are some people - degenerates the lot of them - that call any individual power that isn't Sorcery a 'Charm'. Which, if you ask me, is totally idiotic: who the hell would take you seriously if you say you're going to use your Charms on them?"

That...he wasn't wrong, Lelouch reflected. Even if they were greatly reduced he was using some of the powers that were once used to shape the entire world. Maybe 'Charm' was the correct term once, but to him it sounded demeaning.

Still, persuading Milly of his point of view was an exercise in futility. It was way easier to get along with it while in his mind Lelouch thought otherwise.

"Well, I-"

"No wait!" She stoped him with a raised palm. "First tell me who your Patron is! It's the Ebon Dragon? Please tell me it's not!" She tearfully pouted. "I don't want you to become a vampire!"

"What?"

"What?"

For once Lelouch and Seyrun were in complete synchrony.

"You know? Incapable of standing sunlight..." She trailed off before her mouth morphed into a 'O'. "Is that what being a creature of darkness means? They're not tall, dark and broody princes of the night?"

"What it is...with this klutz?"

Lelouch massaged his temples to ward off a headache. Trust Milly to be incredibly intelligent and perceptive at times, and a total airhead in others. "No Milly, I am a Fiend but Ebon Dragon is just the Patron of my Caste." A thought came to him and he internally smirked. "My personal Patron is Oramus."

He watched as she stared, likely conversing with her Unwoven Coadjutor, until an expression of pure astonishment appeared on her face.

*Flash*

Lelouch instantly snapped a photo. As she blinked in surprise he sent a copy to his computer just in case. "You shouldn't lower your guard so easily, Madam President." He told her with a grin.

It fell when he saw her grinning too, eyes sparkling with something he recognized very well.

She took up the challenge.

Gods damn it.

{●}

"What do you intend to do now Lelouch?" Milly asked after they exchanged notes on their respective abilities as Exalts.

"I need to contact the terrorists I commanded. Since I already proved myself to them, they're ideal candidates to start building my own army." Lelouch replied. "Even if most of them turn out to be talentless there was one among them who showed tremendous skills at piloting Knightmares. Just having that one would be satisfactory. Beyond that I really want to go to Malfeas to see exactly how much help I can request." He shrugged. "Until that I need to build up my own base before committing to any long-term strategy, and work to undermine Britannia's efficiency."

"I can help with that!" Milly jumped up. "I don't really want to assassinate people, but I can be a spy and procure all kind of dirty secrets about nobles." She took a dancer-like pose. "I'll be a modern Mata Hari!"

"That...would actually be helpful." He mused.

Any further reflection was cut short when he hears the doorbell rings. "Shoot! It's Nunnally! All of you dematerialize! Tell the others to stay hidden!" He ordered, and the Anuhles obeyed.

"It's time for us to go too Zenész." The Angyalkae vanished too. "See you tomorrow Lulu." Milly said before opening the window and jumping outside. Panicking Lelouch ran to it, only to see the blonde running down the wall in blatant defiance of gravity, jumping down on the ground and vanishing without slowing down.

'Having some of that wouldn't be bad.'

"I want to make clear I am against you having anything to do with Adorjan."

'Yes, yes: murderous wind. I know, I was just saying.'

Lelouch quickly discarded the military uniform and put on one of his spare school uniforms. Once everything was in order he called out. "Nunnally? Is that you?"

"Yes Big Brother." She replied back. "You're here early."

"I didn't have much to do after the lessons." It was the truth, since by the time school ended he was just talking to Milly. He walked down the stairs and saw both Nunnally and Sayoko. "Nunnally, Sayoko: welcome back."

"Hello Big Brother." Nunnally smiled.

"It's good to see you-" Sayoko slightly bowed before she looked up. And blinked. "My Lord?"

"Yes?" Lelouch askd, surprised at the fact she worded that like a question. "Is something wrong?"

She kept staring for more than a dozen of seconds before bowing again. "It's nothing My Lord."

'What was that?'

"Yo Boss. This maidservant of yours, is she truly a maidservant? Because she gives off a very different feeling."

'What do you-'

"Who is there?" Nunnally suddenly asked, moving her head around even as her eyes remain closed. "Is someone else here?"

Lelouch's mouth clamped shut. 'Don't say a word until we're alone!' He ordered. Seyrun didn't reply.

He forced himself to smile. "What are you saying Nunnally? You, myself and Sayoko are the only one there. Isn't that right Sayoko?"

"It's true Lady Nunnally."

"Oh, is that so?" Lelouch's sister replied in slight confusion. "I thought I heard a voice, but maybe I was wrong..."

"Don't worry about it Nunnally. It must have been some random sound carried by the wind." He knelt down and put his hand on top of hers.

"If you say so bi-" By instinct she put her other hand on top of Lelouch's, but when she did it she froze. "...Big Brother?" She whispered, so faintly Lelouch almost didn't hear her.

"Nunnally?" Concern laced his words, his treacherous mind conjuring dozens of possible reasons for her distress against his will.

"Are you really Lelouch, my Big Brother?"

Lelouch's heart nearly shattered at those words. "What are you saying Nunnally?! Of course I am! You know I would never lie to you. Ask Sayoko."

He expected the maid to confirm his words. Instead she walked behind you and began to touch his face. "It's true Lady Nunnally. He isn't wearing a mask. I can confirm he is Lord Lelouch."

'A mask? She thought I was wearing a mask? What the hell?!'

"Oh...Ah ah." Nunnally laughed, but Lelouch could still detect a hint of nervousness. "Sorry, I must be more tired than I thought. Or maybe I am just hungry?"

"Don't worry Nunnally, we will remedy immediately." He looked at Sayoko, who bowed and walked to the kitchen. Meanwhile He began to push Nunnally's wheelchair towards the dining room. "Warm food, a good night of sleep, and everything will be okay."

"...I hope so, Big Brother."

{●}

"I have to say, that sister of you has good senses. I mean, I am just a voice in your head for Malfeas' sake!"

"What?" Lelouch abruptly turned around, coming face to face with the same demon that gave him his Exaltation. "Seyrun? How? Didn't you fuse with me?"

"Look around you." He followed the demon's advice, and was shocked to discover he was not at Ashford Academy or his room, but in the gardens of Aries Villa. "You're dreaming. We are in your dreams."

"My...dreams?" Lelouch held his head with one hand. "Yes, I remember now...I had dinner with Nunnally. We talked a bit before I put her to bed and went to sleep myself." He looked down and realized he was in the body of his ten years old self. "This must be a lucid dream."

"That's a term of you humans, I don't know it." Seyrun moved in front of Lelouch and sit down. "But I know this is the only way we can talk face to face." He took out a cigar and began to smoke. "Uuhm, memories of cigars long gone. It'll do, I suppose."

Lelouch frowned. "You want to talk. Couldn't you have waited tomorrow?"

"Yes, but I wanted to try this feature." He blew out smoke. "And because this is the best place to do it. To sum it up, by the knowledge I was given our fusion turned out well."

"That's a good thing, right?"

"It is. But it also means that I can transfer part of my own knowledge in your mind, to use as you see fit. You only need to decide which one, because there is an upper limit that cannot be raised until you grow in power."

"That..." Lelouch stopped to reflected. "Could be useful. What did you do before becoming my Unwoven Coadjutor?"

"I was a professional assassin. I killed people for money."

"Oh. Then the other Anuhles...?"

"My subordinates. Demands were high, you see?"

"Considering this is Hell we're talking about..." Lelouch thought for a while. "How good are you at detecting an ambush?"

"Very."

"And making poison?"

"I wouldn't be alive if I wasn't."

Lelouch grinned. "Perfect."

{●}

There are some people who have troubles waking up, needing to be constantly stimulated to shake off drowsiness. Others toss and turn during the night, waking up gasping as if reacting to a shock.

Lelouch was neither. One moment he was asleep - the next he was awake, eyes opening smoothly as they stare at the familiar ceiling of his room. Without missing a beat he rose to his feet and walked into the bathroom, stopping in front of the mirror above the sink.

A slight exertion of will, and a black disk so dark that it almost hurts to gaze upon appears above his brows.

'So it was real.'

"Did you really think it was a dream?" Seyrun asked you.

'I considered it a possibility, yes.' Lelouch replied as he started his daily morning ablutions. 'After all, it would be unbelievable without solid proof.'

"Paranoia is all well and good, but you need to relax every now and then. Or get an hobby."

'Like your cigars?'

"That's more like an addition, but let's not nitpick marottes."

He didn't even ask what that last thing was, probably some more demon lore. He had just put on his uniform that two Anuhles appeared. "Reporting Boss!"

"What did you find?"

"There are no Dragonblooded on campus, nor any other suspicious thing. The only presences of note are the Princess and her cohort."

'Very good: it means the Academy is still a safe place for me and Nunnally.'

"Actually, you could have tried recruiting a few. A Dragonblooded as a minion is way better than a mortal."

'Uhm, you aren't entirely wrong.' Lelouch reflected on Seyrun's words. 'But as the scions of noble Britannian houses it would be difficult to sway them into betraying their homeland...' You pause to contemplate a sudden thought. 'Unless, of course, there are families that bear Dragonblooded heritage outside of Britannia?'

"There should be. Sadly I wasn't given any data about that topic. My advice still stand: when you can, recruit Exalts."

He had to admit, it was sound advice. "Good work. You can go." The spiders nodded and left.

There were no traces of the tension of yesterday at breakfast, Nunnally was back to her usual sweet self and everything was right in Lelouch's life...the one restricted to school at least.

The problems began when he left to attend a planned reunion of the Student Council before classes start. As he walked through campus he couldn't help but notice that the stares from other students...were way more numerous than normal. Lelouch knew he had a discrete fame among the female population thanks to his good looks (despite your every attempt to appear as boring as possible at every occasion) but they never stopped what they were currently doing to just follow him with their eyes before.

And then he noticed the male students was doing the same. He rubbed his lips and the skin around them, thinking there were traces of jam left from breakfast, but his hand came back clean. 'What is happening?'

"Sorry Boss, I know nothing about human interaction with each others. You are on your own."

Not that Leluch expected any help from a demonic spider. He barely understood the mentality of highschool students himself.

Entering the Council room he found it empty, meaning he was the first that day. With nothing better to do he began preparing the paperwork for the day's task, which was...inspection on the clubs' budget? With all the amount of work there was everyone should have started on it the day before. 'I suppose there isn't a power to do paperwork faster?'

"That's more like up a Solar's alley."

He hummed. 'But you also said that as a Fiend I can learn the power of other Exalts.'

"Not all of them and it takes more time, but yes. However, you need to see them in action first, and know enough about how Essence works to reverse-engineer the steps leading to them. Or you can go and consult the libraries of Orabilis in Malfeas, which contain a lot of lore accumulated since the First Age."

The door opened and Rivalz, Shirley and Nina walked into the room. Lelouch's partner in illegal betting greeted him jovially. "Lelouch buddy! Finally fo..."

He frowned as the blue-haired boy trailed off, hand still raised in the air as he stared at Lelouch. Even Nina, who normally had eyes only for the computer, and Shirley weredoing the same. Uhm, how come Shirley's cheeks were red? Lelouch hoped it wasn't a cold, missing a member would mean more work. "Alright, now you tell me what is wrong. I've been stared since morning. Why?"

"Uh..." Rivalz stuttered before couching. "Buddy, you look...different?"

"Is that a question?"

"...Maybe?"

"Then the answer is no." He scoffed. "There is nothing different in me today, I am the same as I was yesterday."

One of the biggest lies of his life, but he didn't want to involve the rest of the Council in his secret life.

Milly chose that moment to enter the room, leaning between Shirley and Nina while her hands groped a breast of each young girl. "Morning my dear servants! Ready for another day of righteous work?"

"MADAM PRESIDENT!"

'Finally, some normality.'

"You call this normality?"

{●}

'...Wait, it takes five days to cross Cecelyne, no matter which direction you take or how fast you go? How does that even work?'

"Endless Desert, that's how. Cecelyne represents infinity, If she wants she can trap someone for eternity...but the terms of surrender stated that any travel from Creation to Malfeas can't last more than Calibration, which is made of five days. There are ways to skip that, but they require high-ranked Ar-"

"Lelouch!" The raven-haired boy's conversation with his head-voice was interrupted by Milly smacking him in the head with a rolled-up newspaper. "You were asleep just now, weren't you? Your hand stopped moving."

Lelouch's hand came up and snatched the newspaper away. "I was just lost in thought. You don't need to hit me."

Rivalz grinned. "Served you right for ditching me like that."

"That's right! What were you two doing yesterday?" Shirley asked.

"Nothing worth mentioning." Lelouch replied absentmindedly before a title on the newspaper catches his attention. Opening it He began to read:

"-when the initially announced urban renewal operation turned out to be a cover-up for a large scale military operation against terrorists armed with poison gas. However, it came as a shocking turn of events when in his first official appearance after the fact the Viceroy declared that the whole incident was orchestrated by traitors inside the Pureblood Faction. Ignoring numerous protests His Highness has announced that every member will be put under investigation for allegedly treason against the Crown, suspended from active service until final judgment and all their possessions frozen to allow better scruti-"

"Lelouch...?"

"Yes Rivalz?"

"I don't know what is making you so happy, but could you stop smiling? You're scaring me!"

"Oh, is that so?" He put away the newspaper and turned to look at his fellow Council members, who all looked paler than usual. Except Milly, who was taking a deep breath...oh.

"GUTS!" She shouted.

While everyone else whimpered at the volume Lelouch pointed the pen at her and glared. "Don't you dare."

"Whatever do you mean Lelouch?" She grinned back.

"That 'Guts' spell again?"

'Oh Rivalz, you have no idea what she can make you do.' "Just tell us to work harder, will you?" Lelouch then realized it was the perfect moment to enact the plan he made after Seyrun explained how to increase his abilities. "Actually, I have a proposal."

Every eye turn to him.

"I have no doubt we can get the club budgets balanced today, but how do we know they are spending them wisely? One of us should do surprise inspections on the various clubs during the following week, joining their activities to gauge first-hand."

"Ooh, an interesting proposal." Milly hummed while Shirley and Rivalz offered comments in the background. "You realize that, as the one who came up with it, it's you who will do the inspections?"

"But of course." Lelouch's reply was so shocking that even Nina turned away from the computer to stare at him. "An entire week, during which I will be unable to help with paperwork? Sounds like a deal."

Shock was replaced by groans about the unfairness of life.

'Just as planned.'

{●}

"Geez! I swear the President is an old man on the inside!" Shirley complained with a pout as Lelouch, Rivalz, Nina and her walked to class.

"Milly has always been like that." Nina defended the blonde bombshell.

'Whimsical like the wind? Yes. Her dirty jokes? That is all puberty's fault. And it's likely Exalting made it even worse.'

"Well we got the budget report done on time, so it's all good." Rivalz commented with a grin.

"So it's not because you share Milly's interest in Shirley's breasts?"

Lelouch's grin grew an inch longer as the two victims sputtered and blushed fiercely. 'Man, I'm on a roll today. Since when do I enjoying teasing so much?'

"I think it may be an effect of your recent Exaltation. The world-changing feeling of it is bound to last more than a few hours. You'll surely going back to normal once you're fully acclimatized with it."

'Oh? It makes sense I suppose. In exchange for such power, a few days of highlighted emotional state is nothing.'

When Lelouch reached his desk he noticed a group of girls making a fuss around one of them. A girl with red hair, if he remembered right she was often ab-

His gaze landed on her face.

Lelouch's eyes widened as he recognized her as the pilot of the red Glasgow, who was also the redhead he gave the codename of Q-1.

"Boss, I think we found the way to contact the terrorists." Seyrun announced with smugness.

Oh yes, indeed.

{●}

Kubouin Hidenobu watched the footage on the screen with rapt awe. It was truly terrifying what the new Britannian Knightmare was capable of. The fact that the pilot of the Sutherland that took the footage had managed to hold her own for so long was a testament to her skill. As the video continued, the mysterious 'Zero' showed up in his own Knightmare and coordinated an attack that result in damage to the new model, followed up by a suicide attack in which Zero ejected and allowed the pilot to escape. The video feed ended there.

"My, how bold!" exclaimed the young woman sitting on the opposite side of the table from him.

"Indeed, Kaguya-sama." Hidenobu readily agreed. Kaguya-sama's word was divine, after all. "Quite a brave act, taking such a risk to let Shinjuku group escape. Truly a miracle, given how the situation could have ended in tragedy."

"Yes. I honestly can't imagine what Kirihara was thinking when he gave the information about the poison gas to them." There was venom in her voice, Hidenobu noted. She was still angry with Taizo. Even now, after Hidenobu had realized the truth, Taizo just couldn't see it. He still treated Kaguya-sama, head of the Sumeragi family, as if she was a mere child. Hidenobu knew better. "Without Zero's intervention, all of Shinjuku would have been massacred."

Hidenobu tried to refrain from sighing. He could not do something so unsightly in her presence. "Yes, it would have been terrible. Taizo does what he thinks best, and he must have thought it worth the risk, but still..." He shrugged. Taking a brief moment to think while stroking his beard, he decided to see if he could lighten his lady's mood. "Well, at least it turned out well. Even if they didn't attain their original goal, Britannia suffered terrible losses and the Shinjuku group managed to keep five of the Sutherlands that Zero captured. I still have to wonder how he did that."

Kaguya-sama's frown turned into a bright smile, lighting up the room. "Yes! Such an amazing victory. I don't think the JLF has managed something that spectacular in years." His lady turned introspective for a moment. "Hmmm... I wonder." She began to whisper to herself. "Yes, it seems likely, but... if he's one of ours... should we... I think... really? So then..."

"Kaguya-sama?" He hadn't quite heard what she had said. His lady would sometimes do that. She would seem to space out and quietly talk to herself. He knew the truth of it though. His lady was communing with the divine. He didn't know why he hadn't seen it before, but now he just knew.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Hidenobu-dono."

"Think nothing of it, Kaguya-sama. Nothing you could do could possibly offend me."

"Ara, you flatter me!" She giggled. "Now, who else has the information on what happened in Shinjuku?"

"Ah, yes. Taizo knows the very basics of it, but he has very little in the way of details as of yet. My agents are the ones who are in communication with the Shinjuku cell, after all. I had to tell him something, but I didn't want to let him know everything without your blessing."

Kaguya-sama nodded to him. "Ensure it stays that way. The footage we just watched is something we can use at just the right moment - the pilot who managed to stand against the new Britannian model is an ideal candidate for the Guren. We can use that to delay the decision to give it to the JLF until we've brought enough of the others to my side for the Kyoto House to change leaders."

"Of course, Kaguya-sama." The others would see it soon. They would know that Kaguya was the instrument of the kami, that her word was divine and should be followed. It was through her blessing that the liberation would come, not through the machinations of mere men such as himself or Taizo. The others would realize it. He was eager to tell them his beliefs, but his lady had counseled patience. They would come to understand in time.

"Keep me appraised of the activities of the Shinjuku group. If Zero contacts them again, I want to know as soon as possible." She stated quite firmly. "Oh! Before I forget..." she gestured to a nearby servant, who came bearing a wrapped box for him to take. "You'll be going to visit Tousai-dono in a few days, yes? A gift for him and his wife. Candied locusts."

"Oh! Munakata will be very pleased with this gift, Kaguya-sama. I don't know where you get these delicacies, but he's always had a taste for the exotic. They'll absolutely love them."

His goddess's radiant smile grew. It took all his will to resist the urge to bow down before her divine grace. "Yes, I'm sure they will."

Charms Database:

From Oramus

Beautiful In My Way: you are super pretty! So much so that everyone become fascinated with you, even if you or them don't want to.