Q&A:

Faraway-R:

(You used some kind of paperwork charm?): Nope. This version:

THE SEVENFOLD SCRIPTURE
Oramus is a being unto itself, but needs must when he has to ensure others know and understand him. However, the Galleon Atop the Waves of Madness values his secrets greatly, and only gives them to the worthy. Upon activating this Charm the Infernal chooses a medium of communication: writing, dancing and singing are all valid examples. For the remaining of the scene, each time the Infernal performs the chosen medium she may select part of it, like a phrase or an image, and assign to it seven different meanings. Of those only one is true, while the others are false. The false ones are assumed to be completely innocuous by the Storyteller if the Infernal doesn't set them or specify what general type of false meaning is present. Only after going through the six false meanings and realizing they are untrue can someone reach the true seventh meaning.
Those that attempt to decode the hidden meanings must roll (Perception + Investigation) for each of them against a difficulty of 1 for the first meaning, 2 for the second meaning, 3 for the third meaning and so on. On failure they must roll also (Wits + Integrity) at a difficulty of (Infernal's Essence) against receiving a Delusion Derangement that the false meaning is true. It is said that a book written by such an Infernal is truly a Sevenfold Scripture, revealing the truths of the world piecemeal to the worthy ones.
A repurchase at Essence 4 allows the Green Sun Prince to embed the message itself into a living being. The Infernal touches the target as per the Touch keyword, rolling (Dexterity+Martial Arts) if the target is unwilling: upon contact the recipient of the seven hidden meanings is seared into the target's mind as a special six-points Derangement. Until the Derangement is removed the target can never forget the recipient and is forced to repeat or reproduce the recipient in some way that can be perceived by others at least once a day. This is considered Unnatural Mental Influence and costs 2 wp to resist.

Leez:

(Are these all canon or?): They're canon, yes. Sorry, I used the word omakes because they were made by players.

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.

Black As Night - Act 1

{●}

"Suzaku..." Lelouch resisted the urge to stare in shock. It took a great deal of his will to keep up his carefully crafted mask. The ravenette's Essence Sight didn't show Suzaku to be someone else magically disguised, so he was pretty damn sure it really was his old friend. Of course, it also begged the question of why he was there, and wearing an Ashford Academy's uniform which made him a student!

"Friend of yours Boss?"

'Yes. I'll explain later.'

Seyrun took the hint and quieted down. Lelouch didn't know how Suzaku survived, but he could catch up with him later. For now he needed to make sure neither of them reveal anything that might link the Japanese boy to the ex-Prince's secret past. "Well, I have to say I'm surprised, Suzaku. I would never have expected to see you here, but it's good to see you again." Lelouch said, smiling honestly. He turned to Rivalz, pushing his internal Essence to strengthen the lie. "Rivalz, have you met Suzaku? He helped me out after that idiot driver in the truck accident drove off with me inside."

"Really? You never told me how it ended." Rivalz grinned and playfully slapped Suzaku's back. "Thanks for helping my buddy. I would have followed them, but the police cordoned off the streets."

"Ah...ah..." Suzaku hesitated. He looked to the side with a nervous smile, idly scratching the hair above his ear. "I did nothing special. It was just the right thing to do."

"Still more than those other 'spectators' did." Lelouch shrugged. "It turned out the driver had an urgent delivery, and missing the timeline would have meant losing his job. They apologized and all that, but if it was not for Suzaku giving me a ride I would had to walk back from the other side of the city. My phone's battery was lost in the commotion, so I couldn't even call Sayoko."

"What a story!" Rivalz crossed his arms and nodded, no trace of doubt in his expression. "And here I was afraid you ended up trapped in Shinjuku during the incident."

Suzaku froze up. Lelouch made a dismissive gesture. "Absolutely not. The driver was in a hurry, but not so much so to ignore the warning: he changed roads and that's all."

Shirley let out a breath of relief.

"Hold on." One of Lelouch's classmates - what was his name again? Pompous Asshole-something? - stood up and stared at Suzaku with barely repressed hostility. The ravenette's own gaze hardened. "Do you really know this Ele-"

A girl slammed down her heel into his foot, eliciting a yelp of pain. While she kept grinding she looked at Suzaku and smiled. "Don't mind George, he's always grumpy in the morning. Any positive acquaintance of Lord Le-I mean Lamperouge is welcome here." She looked around. "Right?"

All the girls nodded vigorously. One boy tried to say something before he was pinned down by the collective sharp glare of the class's female population. Meekly he just nodded silently, soon followed by the others.

Lelouch blinked in confusion. 'What just happened? I expected racism, not a complete 180° after I said I know Suzaku!'

"Suzaku Kururugi, right? I'm Rivalz Cardemonde! I'm with Lelouch on the Student Council." Your blue-haired friend grabbed a stunned Suzaku's hand and shook it.

"Shirley Fenette." The orangette greeted him with a smile. "Also on the Student Council. Nice to meet you!"

Lelouch smiled and nodded in approval, making sure everyone saw him. From some reason the girls in his class supported his opinions, so he would take advantage of it to make Suzaku's school life easier.

"Uh, Boss? Have you considered that they follow your words because they're part of your Fan Club?"

Ah well, in that case he needed to use Oramus's powers until they redirected their obsession to something else, like birdwatching.

Once the lesson ended Lelouch walked out of the room, stopping briefly on the doorframe. At the edge of his vision he could see Suzaku looking at him. His hand reached up and tugged at the collar of his uniform. Hopefully he would remember this old signal.

Suzaku's eyes widened. Aha, he remembered!

Five minutes later Suzaku opened the door leading to the building's roof and stepped out onto it. Movement behind made him turns around, only to blink in confusion at the sight of Lelouch's standing on the door frame, wildly looking around. "Lelouch?"

"Sssshh!" He hissed. After making sure no-one was around (he already checked the roof) he closed the door and locked it with the key. "I need to make sure we're really alone. The last thing I want is to give my fan club ideas."

"Your what?"

"My nothing." Lelouch replied curtly before walking up to Suzaku and hugging him. "I'm glad that you're alive."

The brunette seemed surprised before he returned the hug. "I'm glad you're okay too." The two stepped back and smiled at each other. On an unspoken agreement they both leaned on the safety-rail. "And you still use the same signals from seven years ago."

"They work, don't they?" Lelouch smirked before it turned into a frown. "How did you survive? I mean I am glad, but it was a point-blank shot."

"I wore a bulletproof vest. Plus I had..." He hesitated. "A family heirloom under it. It's made of thick metal, it soaked the blow. Ah! What about that girl? The one in the capsule?"

"Oh, her." Considering he wanted to bring Suzaku to meet Nunnally, hiding C.C. was pointless. "She's currently living in my house."

"L-Lelouch!" Suzaku shouted, cheeks reddening. Now why would he-Oh hell no!

Lelouch slapped him upside the head. "Stop whatever thought you're having! Nunnally and our maid are also living there, so nothing happened." He put his hands in his pants' pockets. "After we managed to sneak out of Shinjuku I discovered she's the daughter of minor nobility that knew my mother. I already checked, it's the truth. She's having some troubles, so I agreed to hide her until the waters calm down."

His eyes lighted up. "Nunnally is-?"

"Yes. We both go by the surname Lamperouge these days. The Ashfords are in the know and are helping us." Lelouch hummed. "So, mind telling me how did you got enrolled in a Britannian school?"

"I'm just as surprised! I had no idea you were here. You see..." Suzaku looked at the campus' scenery. "I met someone who helped me a lot. They said that a 17 year old should be in school."

"Suzaku..." The ex-Prince began. "You haven't become the boytoy of some middle-aged noblewoman, have you?"

The sight of Suzaku's face crashing into the pavement was, truthfully, absolutely hilarious. "Lelouch!" He shouted, his face more purple than red. "I'm not! W-What are you saying?!"

Lelouch couldn't help it: he laughed. "Ahahaha! Sorry Suzaku, I couldn't resist!" He smirked. "Payback's only fair."

"That was mean..." He whined, trying to salvage the tatters of his dignity. "Say, Lelouch. Can I ask you something? Did...something happen to you since we last met?"

'I have become a Prince of Hell, transcended my humanity, and now I plan to wage war on both Earth and Heaven.' "No. Why?"

The Japanese boy tilted his head, frowning in thought. "There is...something different about you. I'm not sure what, but..."

"Ah, that? I just changed beauty parlor." Right index and middle finger pressed on the check, while the left hand kept up the right elbow. Lelouch made a cheeky smile. "They do much better work."

Suzaku stared at him unamused.

That evening Lelouch brought Suzaku to meet with Nunnally. As expected she was as happy like her brother to see him again. The three of them had dinner, enjoying each other's company like in the old times. C.C. just made a brief appearance to take something from the fridge before going back in her room: she just greeted them politely but shortly, not even batting an eye at Suzaku's presence. By how his friend followed her with his eyes, Lelouch was sure he had a lot of questions.

At the end, as he saw him to the door, Suzaku finally voices them. "Lelouch, are you sure it's safe to shelter that girl?"

"Considering the alternative is risking those who put her into a capsule finding her again-" Suzaku winched. "Yes, it is. Beside, she's a family friend: this is something I have to do."

"If you're sure..."

"I am." Lelouch leaned forward to whisper. "Also, the guards employed by the Ashfords to protect the students, a lot of them being nobility, are keeping this place under watch 24 hours a day."

"What?!" Suzaku looked around wildly. "Are you joking?!"

He held out your open hand to the side. "Apple, please."

There was a rustling from a nearby tree before something was tossed at Lelouch. He catched the apple in the air and took a bite.

The ravenette resisted the urge to laugh at Suzaku's shocked expression. "See you tomorrow Suzaku. Come visit again: Nunnally will like that."

He just nodded and mumbled a 'sure' before walking away. Lelouch closed the door, went up the stairs, walked into your room and closed the door.

"That man is the Britannian soldier from Shinjuku, isn't he?" C.C. asked. "Is this wise?"

"It's alright. He's a friend." He put the apple on the desk and opened the wardrobe to take out the hidden Zero costume. "Beside, things are going to be pretty hectic from now on." He looked at her and frowned. "I need to change."

C.C. didn't move a muscle.

"...I need to take off my clothes."

Nothing. He gritted his teeth. "Look, can you just get out until I'm done?!"

"Now why didn't you say it from the start, boya?" She smirked before leaving the room, taking the apple with her in the process.

"She needs a lesson in respect, Boss. Cocky subordinates are bad news."

"She is not my subordinate. Not yet." Once the costume and the mask were donned Lelouch took the Hellcaster and channeled his Essence, attuning it. Satisfied he put it into the holster. Shadows covered his form before retreating, leaving behind his unmasked self. "Beside, now it's the time to attend my real subordinates."

"Listen, Ohgi." Tamaki grumbled while serving the curry to his friend. "When is Zero coming back? It's been two weeks since we last saw him!"

"Why, did you miss me Tamaki?"

"HOLY SHIT!" The redhead jumped up in fright. Ohgi barely managed to dodge the ladle full of hot curry aimed at his head.

"Zero!" Kallen greeted her masked leader, obviously happy to see him again. "When did you get back?"

"Just now." He replied with a polite nod before taking a seat in front of Ohgi. "I had a look around. This is a good base, you did well. I trust my man was of help?"

"Yamashita-san? He had everything we needed, and provided it without strings attached. He also gave us a list of corrupt nobles and criminals, saying you requested it." Ohgi explained. "But he said he can't introduce the rest of the organization until you say so."

"That cannot be helped. They all have families who managed to get a respectable life by staying under Britannia's radar. We mustn't endanger them carelessly." The others said 'Aah' in understanding. Zero leaned forward on the table, chin resting on his left hand. "That aside: Ohgi, I heard you sent a video of me and Kallen defeating the White Knightmare to your contact."

Ohgi had the decency to look embarrassed. "Yeah, I did. I thought everyone needed to know about it, to not be blindsided..."

"Hm, good thinking." He mused. "Still, next time please inform me beforehand."

"I will. But, where exactly did you hear that?"

"A member of Kyoto told me."

"Ah."

Silence.

"EEEEHH?!"

Zero laughed. "I told you I left to find help, didn't I? Well I found it." He folded his fingers under his chin. "Let me explain from the beginning. After meeting my old backers, I found a member of the higher echelons of Kyoto was also present. They personally viewed the video, and were most impressed." He looked at Kallen. "Especially at Kallen's piloting skills."

The redhead's face became as red as her hair.

"As such, they have sworn to provide their personal support. Money mostly, equipment and contacts as well. But the real treasure is something else. This member of Kyoto is currently in a negotiation with a high official of the European Union." Murmurs started to come up. "I will spare the boring political reasons: if the negotiation goes well, said official will send a secret unit of the EU army here as support for us. A unit of Knightmare pilots."

"That's all well and good, but wouldn't the presence of a bunch of Europeans be suspicious?" Yoshita questioned.

"No, because all the pilots are Japanese." There were gasps. "More specifically, they were recruited from the Japanese that emigrated to the EU before and during the war. Only some of the officials are Europeans, and so are the engineers: this unit makes use of Prototype Knightmares." Zero's tone turned deadly serious. "I hope it doesn't need to be said, but the members of this unit, both Japanese and Europeans, are taking a great risk by helping us. The smallest indiscretion, and the EU will declare they went rogue and leave them to Britannia's vengeance. The Japanese pilots were chosen exactly to make collaboration easier. I hope you will extend the same courtesy to the Europeans."

"We will." Ohgi looked at everyone, deadly serious. Even Tamaki shut up. "We can't afford to turn away any helping hand."

Lelouch was right: Ohgi may not have the raw talent, but he was a decent leader. Exactly what he needed. "Good, good. Now, let's talk about my backers. They, too, have a certain interest in seeing Britannia toppled. As such they are ready to provide help: most of all information, but also special items. Like this one."

Zero took out the Hellcaster and pointed it at Tamaki, who squealed in fright. "While it is true that Britannia was at the head of technological research worldwide, this is not so anymore." He moved the gun, aiming at a Knightmare's metal plate someone left resting on the wall, and shot.

The bullet punched straight through it.

"And this is only the beginning." He said smugly before putting away the gun. "In a matter of days a scientist from India will join us. Among other things, she has built a Frame that can stand up to the White Knightmare. Kallen: you'll pilot it."

"M-Me?" She pointed at herself. "But Zero, wouldn't it better if you were to use it?"

"While that would, normally, be true-" He thought back to what Rakshata told him about the Guren MK-II and shrugged. "That Knightmare is completely specced for close-ranged combat. While I only use guns. For me it would be more of a hindrance than an advantage. But don't worry, I'll ask her to make one more fitting for my abilities."

Sugiyama whistled. "Wow Zero! Just who are those backers of yours?"

The masked rebel just looked at him without saying anything. Luckily he got the hint. "I mean, I understand Kyoto, but those guys are helping us for free?"

"Of course not." Lelouch snorted. "Fighting Britannia is the first reason. They'll benefit greatly from Japan being liberated. Also..." He made a pause, choosing his next words carefully. "There is a certain 'favor' that I need to do for them. This organization tends to recruit members from all over the world: soldiers, scientists, spies and so on. If someone has talent, they take it. As such, they are going to periodically send me new recruits to help our operations, and in doing so gaining experience, before they go back to their duties." He sighed. "What I am saying is, don't be surprised if you see a new face occasionally pop up and help for a while before disappearing. Some may decide to remain though."

All Black Knights started to talk among themselves. There didn't seem to be malcontent in the air, so hopefully Lelouch's fellow Infernals wouldl not be a problem. "Is this what you meant when you said the Black Knights will be an international organization?" Ohgi asked.

"No. This is just something I hadn't predicted. But it's not unwelcome." He stood up. "Ohgi. The list of possible targets."

"Yes." He followed Ohgi to a makeshift office, where the Japanese man gave him a list.

Zero gave it a cursory glance: it was perfect. "For today rest. Starting tomorrow night we'll begin going after these targets. We may start with a small seed instead of a bang-" With a flourish he turned around and walked away, the cape flapping behind him. "But we will get results. In time the seed will grow to become a sturdy tree, which nobody will be able to root out." He raised a hand and made a small gesture of salute. "Stay sharp Ohgi."

Lelouch said it already, but it bore repeating: he totally loved this job!

Sadly, his plan to spend the night plotting his fan club's demise was railroaded when he returned home and found Milly in his room, together with two new demons.

"So you said you have orders from the Conclave? That was fast, considering I left only five days ago." Lelouch commented, taking the time to observe the two new arrivals.

The first was a massive greyhound demon, its maw and spiky black fur showing sparks of green fire. Seyrun told him it was a Chernobaalim, a demon renowned for its hunting prowess just like a scent hound. "That is correct Lord Marshal. My name is Jikhs." He bowed his head.

"Hi!" The puddle of grey and red ooze raised a tentacle with a mouth and an eye on the top. "I'm Kasr!" Seyrun identified it as a Peronelle, a demon created to serve as living, and if needed invisible, armor.

Jikhs' tail slapped the tentacle. "Show respect Kasr. We're in front of a Peer."

"What? But all I did was imitate you Jikhs!"

"You call that imita-"

"Yes, yes." Lelouch coughed to catch their attention. "So, those orders?"

"They came from Unquestionable Sagarduia, who is of She Who Lives in Her Name. There is a Peer here in Japan who belongs to her Mistress, but who has thus far failed to report in and even attacked the messengers sent to fetch him."

"Totally crazy!" Kasr tapped another tentacle on the eye before Jikhs slapped him again. "He even attacked me and Jikhs, yelled something about a 'tentacle monster', whatever that is."

'He totally meant you.' "And I need to make him see reason?" They nodded. "Very well." He stood up and picked up his mask, but before donning it he looked at his blonde friend. "Milly, do you have something to hide your identity?"

"Sure thing!" She took out from a bag an elaborate domino mask. Of course, a leftover from a past party. Milly put it before stopping, likely thinking of something or conversing with her Coadjutor. Eyes lighting up she turned to the Peronelle. "Listen, listen. You're a suit of living armor, right?"

"The very best!" Kasr shouted proudly.

"Can I wear you?"

Lelouch's eyebrow twitched. "Milly, I don't think it's a-"

"Sure thing!" Many more tentacles appeared, all quivering in joy. "What a honor! Right now?"

"One moment." Before he could stop her Milly began to take off her uniform. Luckily for his mental health under it she had a gym shirt and bloomers. "Now you can."

Melting back into ooze the Peronelle slided up and across Milly's body, who didn't show any sign of discomfort. Once it had covered all important part the demon solidified to assume the consistency of metal, many eyes spread across it surface[1].

"That's so cool!" Milly's smile was radiant. "What do you think Lelouch? Don't I look like a super-heroine?"

'No, you look like the wet dream of a monstergirls fetishist.'

It was what he wanted to say. But he also knew that saying it would lead Milly to assume...untrue things about him, so he shut up and just nodded with a false smile.

Half an hour later Lelouch and his merry band of demons (plus Milly) were running across the city covered by the darkness of the almost New Moon. Milly was a literal missile, running as fast as a motorcycle with the effortless grace of the wind. He suspected she could go even faster, but that she was holding back to keep the general pace. The Anuhles weren't very fast but didn't let any type of terrain slow them down. Finally, Lelouch was riding on top of Jikhs.

Keeping a firm hold of the dog's collar he leaned forward to speak near the demon's ear. "How far away is the place?"

"Almost there." He grunted. Taking the lead he used a parched car as a springboard (crushing the roof) to take a sharp turn to the left. With that they left the Settlement and entered the ghetto of Ginza.

"There." Jikhs pointed with a claw. All of them were at the top of a ruined apartment complex, the Chernobaalim pointing down at a rather smaller building to the side. With only two floors, only a single window was illuminated. "We approached him a few days ago at this hour, but he ignored everything we said and attacked us with a steel bar."

"Did you say you're from Malfeas? Mentioned the Yozi?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll assume he's willingly skipping his responsibilities." Lelouch took out the Hellcaster and made sure it was fully loaded before hiding it with his mantle. "Hide around the area. If it comes to blows me and Milly will wear him down. Once he's down ambush him. Subdue, don't kill."

""We hear and obey!"" The Anuhles shouted before scattering away. Lelouch had the Chernobaalim bring him down to the street before the demon went into hiding himself.

Zero was thinking of the best approach to take when the door of the apartment opened and someone came out, a trash-bag on his shoulders. It was dark, but thanks to the Ebon Dragon's gifts he could see the target perfectly.

The target was a Japanese young man, though his grey hair and eyes made the Fiend thought he had some foreign ancestry. Or that was something he acquired from his Exaltation. Nonetheless the ravenette signaled Milly and, when the target reached a trashcan to toss away the bag, they stepped out of their hiding place.

"Lovely night we have, don't you think so?"

To his credit he didn't react excessively: he just paused in his motion and turned his head to look in their direction. He blinked at the sight, but considering the two's appearance it was a natural reaction. Zero spread his left arm to the side, making sure to keep the right part of his mantle near the body to cover the gun. "Though, I am afraid it is not the time for pleasantries. Chosen of the Yozi, we are here to remind you of your duties!"

He didn't reply. He kept looking, putting down the trashbag to hold his chin as if in contemplation.

"But we have not come to fight. If you-"

"I get it!" He put one fist on the other hand's palm, as if he just made a great discovery. "That vampire sent you! Which means you're vampires too!"

That declaration was so random it managed to give Lelouch pause. "...Pardon?"

"To by fair Lulu." Milly whispered to his ear. "You're tall, dark and broody enough to fit the pa-"

"Not now!" He hissed before trying to salvage the situation. "We're not vampires! We're fellow Infer-"

"I've prepared for this!" The grey haired man shouted, interrupting him again, before turning around and running back into his apartment. He came out a few seconds later, jumping up to land in a dramatic pose.

Wielding a large wooden stake in each hand.

Zero resisted the urge to facepalm. At Milly's giggle he failed and facepalmed. "This is not possible."

"I even prepared a suitable battle-cry!" He pointed the stakes forward like knives before changing at them. "Prepare yourself vampire! Your un-life ends tonight!"

"Boss, I think we are dealing with a complete idiot."

'Thanks for stating the obvious Seyrun!'

Well, the idiot thought Zero was a vampire and he was attacking him because of that. The masked rebel was not sure if this was better or worse than him shirking his duties. Still, since he was a moron it should be easy to deceive him. Lelouch decided to play into his delusion.

And ham it up.

"Vampire!? Where? Reveal yourself, foul abomination!" He drew his Stormwand, glad that he had the foresight to bring it. But rather than pointing at his opponent he turned and pointed into the dark of the night, twisting his Essence and warping space itself. "Aha!" Taking aim through the impossible angles he had created Lelouch fired. The charge hit the gray-haired man square in the back, making him stumble. Lelouch gasped in apparent shock. "Foul creature of death, how dare you strike at my ally from behind?" He turned to the target, hoping his stunned state will make him even easier to fool. "Are you alright, friend? Quickly, we should go inside! It's known that vampires can't come into one's home without an invitation!"

He stopped and, instead of being paralyzed, looked puzzled for a moment. Sticking out a finger from his grip on one stake he began repeatedly turning and pointing it between Lelouch and the direction he'd been hit, before a look of dawning comprehension appeared on his face. Looking back at Lelouch he pointed an accusatory finger and yelled: "Liar! Vampires don't shoot people, they cut them in half with swords and eat them!" before resuming his charge.

'What the-'

"Fucking-"

"Shitty logic is that?!" Lelouch and Seyrun yelled at the same time, too stunned at the total stupidity displayed before them to really care.

Milly put a hand over his mouth to cover another burst of giggling. Whatever this guy did, if he could make the normally unflappable Lulu flip out then she wanted him around.

"I told you: totally crazy!" Kasr whispered in her ear.

"I am glad you're enjoying this Milly, but you should really pay attention to the battle." Nassozra added. "While he is a fellow Peer, allowing harm to befall upon the Althing Marshal is even more unforgivable."

'I wouldn't allow it even if Lelouch wasn't chosen.'

"Of course Milly. I am just saying there are extra reasons to do that."

Well, it was a real shame that Lelouch's amusing deception didn't work, but life is always exciting and unpredictable. So it was Milly's turn to play the game now. She would become a catastrophic storm to strike at this foe! To provide support to Lelouch from a distance, keeping away from the enemy. Like an unstoppable wind her form blurred as she dashed up the nearby wall, defying gravity itself. "Have at thee, traitor!" Milly yelled out dramatically, flamboyantly gesturing as a bolt of prismatic lightning shoots from her hand.

The guy's eyes widened and he tried to dodge. Tried being the key word. Lady Hegra's lightning hit and lighted him up like a light bulb. Surprisingly, he didn't scream. Instead the wooden stakes bursted into flames and he was pushed backwards by the force of the blow.

And yet, miraculously, he kept standing. His clothing were totally ruined, his whole body was smoking and there was...a terrible smell of cooked meat...

Oh by the Yozi, she was going to be sick. But! A little expenditure of Essence and-Tadah! Now she was completely fine and totally happy she was of help!

'Oh come on!' Lelouch lamented. 'We just shot the guy twice! Once with actual bullets and once with freaking lightning! What does it take to bring this moron down?'

Said moron opened his mouth, probably to gloat-

And then Jikhs rammed into him, sending him straight into a pack of Anuhles with a large web in their forepaws. What followed was 21 demons ganging up on him, trying to pin him down while they tie the web around him.

Lelouch also found out this moron had telekinesis: it was hard to miss an Anuhle flying through the air and smashing into its companions. What was more, it looked suspiciously similar to the trick used by Rakshata. Even the Essence flow was the same.

"I think that's an ability from She Who Lives in Her Name. Mind over matter is kinda her stick."

'Considering this moron belongs to her, it makes sense. Even if it doesn't really explain the lack of grey matter.'

Danger averted he released the tension in his muscles, allowing his body to relax. When Milly jumped back to his side Zero gave her an appreciative look. "Seeing it in action is very different from being merely told about. The power of the wind and the storm...is a powerful combination."

"And I can do so much more!" Milly thrust a fist in the air. "Well, I will. Eventually. It's just that most of Adorjan's Charms are weird, and those that enhance attacks only work when I attack up close." She put a finger over her smiling lips. "I'm thinking about learning Martial Arts. Or maybe how to use a weapon."

"That makes two of us." Indeed, Malfeas' abilities were too good to be passed on. And if they made that idiot so much more durable even without instructions, then obviously Lelouch would do better! Speaking of which... "They're done."

There were a lot of contusions and broken bones among Lelouch's minions, but the wayward Peer was completely bound within a strong-as-steel cocoon.

He was still trying to cut through it with an essence blade. Stubborn moron. At least any progress on his part was very, very slow. "Keep reinforcing the cocoon as needed." Zero ordered before looking around. "Also, let's get inside his place before someone sees us."

The apartment itself was what one would expect from someone living in a ghetto: pretty bare, with the basic necessities like TV, couch, table, closet, etc.

And various metal, stone, and metal and stone statues of Britannian soldiers with terrified expressions scattered around the apartment.

Thinking about it again, Lelouch didn't think there was anything even remotely 'basic' about the latter.

'What do you think?' He asked Seyrun while tapping a finger over a statue's face.

"Too realistic. There are artists in Malfeas that can achieve the same with the poorest materials, but there is no way the idiot can do the same. I think those were once living guys, before he changed them. Probably another power from She Who Lives in Her Name."

'At least he chose valid targets.' If, as he suspected, this guy spent his time hunting down Britannian soldiers (in active duty, because they were all wearing uniforms) then there must be news about it. Not of public channels of course, because that would stink of weakness. He will need to hack into the military network at the first opportunity to see about this and the repercussions of his little stunt with Clovis.

Zero took out his phone and dialed the number Rakshata gave him, hoping she was on Earth already.

Luckily she answered. "Hello? Who's this?"

"It's me, Zero."

"Oho, if it isn't our young Marshal. Sorry, but I'm still packing everything up for transoceanic travel. That reminds me, I'll need a large space suitable both as a laboratory and as Knightmare production line."

"I'll see what I can do." Maybe Ruben still had some abandoned but still usable installations. "But I haven't called about that. Do you remember when we first met, and Akito asked you if I was telling the truth? I assume that means you have the ability to tell if someone is lying or not?"

"Yes, it's the Charm 'Factual Determination Analysis'. It's one of the most basic Charms of She Who Lives in Her Name."

'They have names?!'

"To better categorize them, yes. Again, I think it's quite silly but do you want to say that to the Yozi's face?"

Now he really wanted to learn how his own powers were called. Later. "And to use your telekinesis, one needs to know it first?"

"Name's Mind-Hand Manipulation, but yes. Want me to teach you? As a Fiend you should be able to do it even without formal approval from the respective Yozi."

"Tempting. Maybe when you come here I can find the time. Thank you, Rakshata, that helps immensely." He ducked as a toaster flied in his direction. "Hopefully, anyways." Ending the call Lelouch turned towards the prisoner, who appears to finally be calming down, going by what his Essence sight was telling the Fiend.

Going over to the cheap coffee table that the Anuhles have bound his prisoner to, Zero looked at him as he glared back. "So it's to be torture then, vampire? I'll never crack!" Lelouch resisted the urge to just shoot him and be done with it.

"I am hoping very much that among your powers you have the one that lets you discern if someone is lying to you. If you do, I strongly suggest you use it now. Let me make something very clear." He made a small pause to give the man time to process his words. "I am not a vampire. I am here regarding the deal you made with our masters. You aren't following through, and they aren't happy about it."

He looked at Lelouch suspiciously, then suddenly his expression turned to one of surprise, then to a smile.

"The deal where you agreed to-"

"Finally you guys came!" He interrupts him, making a 180° from angry to happy. "Do you have any idea how long I waited?"

"You have it. Great." Lelouch breathed a sigh of relief. "But didn't your Un-"

"Listen to me man: you and the chick should come with me! Together we can find and kill that vampire no problem!"

"What are yo-!"

"A real vampire, with fangs, drinking blood and everything! Your big-ass spiders too should come too! Where can I get some too?"

'Aaah...what a conundrum. I really can't decide what to do next.'

"I'll need a new set of stakes of course. You guys should get one too."

'Do I facepalm or do I shoot him in the fucking head?'

"Boss. While I fully agree, losing a Green Sun Prince in your first official mission as Marshal would reflect badly on your reputation, no matter how justified."

'Damn, you're right.' Drawing upon his full will Lelouch suppressed the bubbling anger. "Of course, if there are really vampires out there then this is a matter that must be addressed. But first we should talk about a few things." He looked him in the eyes. "If I let you free, can we sit down and talk like civilized people instead of fighting?"

"Sure! My name is Murakami Akio by the way."

"A...pleasure. Call me Zero."

Milly took a pose. "And I am Storm-Passion!"

"No you're not!"

Once Akio was free, and Milly was brought out of her delusions, they all sit down at the kitchen table. The demons were positioned inside and around the house to keep guard. "So, let's start with the most important issue: why you failed to report. You have made a deal to serve the Yozis and then woke up about an hour later, naked and with superpowers, right?"

"Yep!" Akio grinned. "There was this big-ass spider-thingy that suddenly popped up and said I'll get the power to do anything I want if I agreed to serve something called the Yozi." He crossed his arms and tilted his head. "Then I had the strangest dream about green fire and crystal balls before waking up. And I was on fire - green fire! - but I didn't burn!"

"It's called Anima, and it's perfectly natural." Lelouch folded his fingers. "And then what happened? You should have received instructions about what to do?"

"By who man?" Akio looked at himstrangely. "The spider-thingy was nowhere to be found when I woke up! I heard nothing about it afterwards, so after a while I forgot. What took you guys so long?"

"Didn't your Unwoven Coadjutor tell you anything?"

"My what?"

"Your-" Zero paused, trying to not sound like a loon with his next words. "That spider, it talked with you right? Was that the only time you heard its voice? Did you ever hear it in your head without being visible?"

"Hearing voices in my head? Come on, that only happens to crazy people."

"Oooh, I think I know what happened. Poor bastard." Seyrun winced. "The demon that held his Exaltation, I mean. Even if the process went well, the supermote has likely damaged or severely weakened him."

'So his Unwoven Coadjutor is dead?'

"No. Its soul should still be there, or the process wouldn't have worked. But its mind is likely damaged and cannot interact with his Prince."

'Damn. Can this be cured?'

"I have no idea."

Damn. It meant he had to basically tell Akio everything. He sighed in exasperation. "I see I need to start from the beginning. What I am going to say will likely sound crazy, but please don't interrupt me until I am done. You can tell if I am lying or not anyways."

And so Lelouch told Akio of the Yozis, how they created the world before being betrayed by the gods. How the supernatural was real, what kind of deal he made and what was expected of him. He also tell him of his plans for Japan. "Any questions?"

"You had me at 'destroying the Britannian empire' and 'my own personal palace'!" Akio took Zero's hand and shook it vigorously. "I'm on it Zero! let's kick some Brit's ass!"

'Don't shoot him, don't shoot him, don't shoot him.' "I'm glad you're taking this extremely well. Welcome, new Peer of the Althing." He returned the handshake. "Now, let's talk about this 'vampire' you meet."

"Okay! Well, a few days ago I was in the middle of one of my anti-Britannian raids: all patrols have started to bring Knightmares along, so I decided for a change to target a bar Britannian soldiers frequent."

Lelouch nodded. A crude method, but it worked.

"Then I heard screams coming from an alley. I went to see what was going on, and saw a lot of soldiers killed and mutilated by oversized swords. And there was this woman wreathed in black flames, with long fangs, who was biting down on a guy's neck and sucking his blood!" Akio gesticulated wildly. "That was a vampire alright! So I made some woken stakes on the fly and attacked her! We fought for a while but then she suddenly escaped. I've been searching for her since then!"

He hummed in understanding. "This woman, what did she look like? Completely human save for the fangs? Or did she have another strange characteristic?"

"Strange characteristic? Uhm..." Akio's eyebrow narrowed in concentration. He licked his lips. "Now that I think about it she had something strange on her forehead: there was a black ring there, and it was bleeding! It didn't look like a tattoo."

A black ring on the forehead? A...Caste Mark?

"A perfect golden ring is the Mark of the Solar Night Caste, while Adorjan's red one slowly rotates." Seyrun mused. "And...Cecelyne's Law, now I remember! Ghosts and other creatures of death cannot breathe Essence while in Creation, but one of their alternate methods to regain it is...by drinking the blood of living beings!"

'You mean-?!'

"That we found the Exalts of the Neverborn? It could be!"

Lord Ligier must be informed immediately. "I believe you're right Akio." Zero stood up. "Whatever this woman is, if a true vampire or just a creature from the Underworld that resembles one, it's obvious she's a threat. It's also possible she's not alone. Soon more of our fellow Peers will come here: once we've amassed enough members we'll go on a massive hunt. To kill her, or capture her if our masters so wish."

"Sweet!" He grinned, doing a fist-bump. "Do we go to Malfeas now?"

"You will need to do it, if only to find out what your current mission is. But first, as I was tasked to, I will need to instruct you on everything you need to know as a Peer." Lelouch paused. "Also, how to speak Old Realm, the language spoken in Malfeas."

"Eeeh? Come on Zero, do I really need to? It will take me months to learn a whole different language!"

He stared at Akio for a few seconds before raising two fingers. "Akio, you're an Exalt. There is more to the package than superpowers." He lowered one finger. "One of the extra benefits is this: that there are some abilities you can learn immediately like you practice them your whole live."

He lowered the second finger. "Another, that all other abilities that aren't raised immediately only need at most a week to do so."

Akio stared at Zero with a blank expression before his lips split into the bigger, happier grin ever seen. "Being an Exalt rocks!" He did another fist-bump.

"So you fully accept your role as an Infernal Exalted?" Akio nodded. "In that case..."

Llouch reached to the mask and activated the mechanism, making the back slide open. With a flourish he removed it, exposing his face. "I am Zero, Marshal of the Althing Infernal. But in the human world I go by the name of Lelouch Lamperouge."

Milly removed her mask. "And I'm Milly Ashford! Both here and in Malfeas! Nice to meet you!"

Akio blinked. "You're Britannians?"

"Yes. And with no love for our former homeland." Lelouch 's eyes narrowed. "Is there a problem with that?"

Akio seemed to contemplate something for a few seconds before suddenly snapping his fingers. "But of course! Between fighting for Britannia and for Hell, the second is obviously the better deal! You wouldn't get that much even by becoming a Prince!"

'Oh, if only you knew.' The ex-Prince rolled his eyes. "Sure. I joined Malfeas because Britannia is full of backstabbing, treacherous misers while in Hell, instead, I have my own personal palace and all the drugs and demon hookers I want."

"Unlimited drugs and hookers?! Why did you mention the best bits only now man?"

Lelouch's face smashed into the table.

"Ahahahahah!" C.C. rolled over the bed, holding her belly. "Ahahahaha!"

"I am happy to see you find my misery amusing." Lelouch deadpanned.

"Ahaha-That guy! Ahaha." She snickered loudly before calming down and sitting up, the plushie of some weird blob-like thing in her arms. "That guy, is a real piece of work. I heard the Yozis are incredibly evil, but I think they meant 'crazy' if this is the type of servants they attract."

He stared back with a blank expression.

C.C. kept smiling. "Where is he now?"

"There was the risk the 'vampire'-" He air-quoted. "Could track him back to his house, so I made him transfer to a decent apartment close to Ashford Academy. It will be useful to keep a safehouse and a place for other Infernals to stay that is close."

"Is that wise?" She asked.

"It will be when I can send him to Malfeas and he becomes the Yozis' problem." He sat at his desk and started the computer. "This reminds me..."

Accessing the web Lelouch put to use every skill he has refined during the past few years, and the power of Ebon Dragon, to find out everything relevant to three topics: the repercussion of the Pureblood's falling, Akio's activities as vigilante, and the first mission of the Black Knights.

The results were astounding, his own program managing to hack into military-grade networks with them none the wiser.

As predicted Clovis' investigations didn't find any concrete proof of the Pureblood's supposed treason. It didn't stop Lelouch's half-brother from twisting the truth to his complete advantage. Those that were most close to Villetta Nu has been accused of complicity, even if unwillingly, and demoted to simple pilots. Since this included the Pureblood's leader, an ex-Margrave called Jeremiah Gottwald, it meant the Pureblood faction was virtually no more. The media has been fed a version of the whole story that painted Clovis in a favorable light. His reputation in Japan received a hard blow but was still standing.

The same could not be said of his reputation in the homeland: both his senseless massacre of Shinjuku and the Pureblood Incident lowered it greatly. If not among the commoners, among the nobility. Still, even if not toppled Clovis has been shaken badly: the whole Area has gone back to sleep, but its wounds had yet to heal.

It was time to tear them open.

Finding info on Akio's activities was slightly more difficult since it was a minor topic, but soon he found many reports about Britannian soldiers and sympathizers being found brutally murdered. The coroner declared that the most likely hypothesis was that they were killed by a large and hard object, either metal or stone, being used by an incredibly strong person. Who should have been dead several times over, because there was a lot of blood and fired bullets at each scene.

'Okay. On one hand, this guy is a butcher.' Lelouch closed the window. 'On the other, this is exactly the type of talent the Reclamation needs. I can't use him in the Black Knights, but as an autonomous agent he's perfect. Paired with someone with brains of course.'

He took out Ohgi's list and resumed his work, cross-referencing all the listed names. It was easier than his earlier hacking and soon he had the ideal target for the first official mission of the Black Knights.

[1] To get an idea of what it looks like, check the anime of "Witchblade".

Charms Database:

From Oramus

Calculating Dho-Hna Angles: You can attack from angles that don't exist, surprising your enemies every time!