Code Geass: The White Devil R2

Act 1: The Vermillion City

Stage 5: The Forbidden City

Normal POV

The Chinese Federation, a country that was a Superpower that had the hugest population in the world. The country was ruled not by a empress, but the High Eunuchs, which have gone tyrannical over the years past. The Empress played the mere role of mere symbolism, a puppet empress if you will. The empress was called Jiang Lihua, or commonly known as Tianzi. She was to be married off to Odysseus Eu Britannia to make an alliance.

For the Chinese, the Eunuchs would be representatives of the Chinese Federation while most of people would continue to suffer due to famine and disease. For the Britannians, it is the only excuse they have at attacking the United States of Japan. Both sides don't even know that behind the wedding bells is a coup et'tat that will spark the country in flames. And the one who would spark such a thing?

His name was Li Xingke.

Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan

Government Bureau

Nunnally POV

"An arranged marriage between the Empress and Odysseus?" I asked.

"That's right. We got word from Li Xingke. He told us himself." Milly said.

To think that my older half brother would actually go through with this… No. Could this be Schneizel's doing? If that marriage is made into reality, Britannia would have the hugest excuse for invading Japan. That mustn't happen.

"What about Lelouch?" I asked.

"I told him as well. He'll be at the Ikaruga." Milly said.

"I'll make for my Seikatsu. You make sure nothing happens while I'm out." I said to Milly.

I make my way to where the Seikatsu was. The Blue Knights were already on their way to the Chinese Federation. The Blue Knights had built a large fleet of Landships and have set up a temporary HQ there. Shiro is already inside the Forbidden City.

I go to my quarters and got a weapon I had left there. It was Cornelia's old Rifle Sword. I had shortened the weapon so I could use it without having problems. I know that it will come in handy, so I may have to bring it with me.

Vermillion Forbidden City, Chinese Federation

Cornelia POV

To think the Vermillion City was as beautiful as Pendragon….. I couldn't bring myself to accept the fact that the city itself was a equal to Pendragon on the fact that despite the architecture, it retains some of the beauty that Pendragon possesses.

I was walking out of the ship and went to where the dining party was going to be held just before the wedding began. Odysseus looked like he was having motion sickness, swaying left and right, walking a little disoriented, and felt a little sluggish. I caught him before he hit the floor.

"You'll get used to it Odysseus. Trust me." I said to my brother as I carried him out of the ship.

"Are you sure about that? I feel like my legs just turned into pancakes." Odysseus said.

"And soon enough you'll feel invigorated after this." I said to my brother.

I got him in a car so he could rest. We got to the palace, where the ceremonial dinner would take place. We got to see the Empress, and you know what, I found myself questioning whether or not my brother and the Empress make a cute couple. Even more suspicious, why in the world would you have a ruler, who is 13 but still looks like a child, be married to a 34 year-old man, who just happens to have almost no experience in any area, that mostly the entire Royal Family now possesses after the Aftermath of the Black Rebellion, seems like a good idea. I was told that she was as beautiful as Guinevere was, not someone who looks and acts like Nunnally before anything after 2009 happened. The eyes and hair seem to be catchy, but aside from that, I think I'll have to find a woman more suiting than this.

"Ouch. you look like you hit a brick wall your highness." Gino said. "No offense."

"No. No. I'm….. just shocked is all." I said regaining my composure.

We go inside the Palace, and then we dined and enjoyed every last bit of it.

Normal POV

"A Secret arrangement has been made with the High Eunuchs and Prince Schneizel." A brown haired lady said.

It was none other than Zhou Xianglin, Li Xingke's military aide. She had harboured the same feelings as Xingke concerning the People themselves. She wants to help them as badly as Xingke wants to. But to do that, The High Eunuchs must be cast aside.

"Once she's married, they'll cede our territory for Nobility." Xianglin said.

"Nobility." Xingke said with disgust. "They would throw our people away for something like that?"

"Death to the Eunuchs!" a rebel said.

This was a Coup et'tat Xingke is staging. What he doesn't know now is that Zero himself is also trying to dethrow the High Eunuchs.

Vermillion Palace, Louyang

"At any rate, I'm glad this arrangement has turned out to be working alright." Odysseus said. "I'm not good at fighting or anything."

"The Emperor," Zhao Hao said. "Do you think he will attend the meeting?"

"Well he did say he had a banquet waiting for me back in the Homeland once I get back." Odysseus said.

"Miss Kaguya Sumeragi, Representative of the United States of Japan." A man in red armor announced.

"Well looks like your cousin's come to see you. It's not everyday a family member comes to visit you once in awhile." Rai said.

Tianzi looked rather excited to see an old friend of hers.

'Kaguya!' Tianzi thought as her friend came into the room.

'What part of 'secret wedding' do they never understand?' Cornelia thought when she remembered what Guinevere told her on that subject.

To Kaguya's sides was Zero, Kallen, Naoto and Nunnally. Just when the guards were gonna get their weapons out, their weapons disappeared, then reappeared on the floor in pieces. Standing in front of Kaguya was none other than Shiro.

(Play Ace Combat 0 - Morgan)

'Shiro?!' Cornelia thought as her eyes widened.

'Shiro?' Odysseus thought. 'He's alive. And is that Nunnally? But why? Lelouch wouldn't let this slip by unless he's… with her.'

'So you come back into the field of battle, haven't you Shiro?' Schneizel thought.

'Shiro?! But why?' Suzaku and Rai thought.

'The White Demon emerges from the Darkness.' Gino thought.

'I…. I remember him. But where?' Anya thought as she looked back at her phone camera as she looks at a picture with Shiro and Nunnally in it.

'It's him. The one from 5 years ago…' Tianzi thought as she remembered the last time she had seen him.

Flashback

A Gun-Ru gets shredded with bullets. The Gun-Ru explodes. The shooter was a White Zagi, an early type Zagi. (AN: think of the MS-04 Bugu or the YMS-03 Waff.) The Cockpit opened up and revealed Shiro, who was only 10 when piloting the Zagi.

Flashback over

"Well that seemed like a little too much." Isaac said phasing out of Shiro's consciousness.

"Hey what do you know, he has a little robot with him." Gino said.

"I resent that." Isaac coldly said.

The Guards quickly straightened themselves knowing just what Shiro might do if any of them try anything. Everything calmed down at that point.

"Kaguya!" Tianzi exclaimed. Before she could get any further from her chair though, Xia Wang put his arm in front of her.

"Well if it isn't the White Demon from before. How nice." Xia Wang said.

"But he didn't do anything wrong. He was-"

"Just a hired gun that tried to kill you?" Xia Wang finishes the thought.

"Don't look at me. Say something." Isaac quietly said to his partner.

"His crimes against almost EVERY country deserves nothing but the death sentence." Gao Hai said.

It was true, almost everything Shiro had done in the name of finding the truth about his origins, the world, even the scattered memories and dreams that had plagued his thoughts got him the death sentence in every country. Shiro was much more famous than that of the 98th Emperor of Britannia, Charles Zi Britannia. He went by almost any name anyone could come up with. The Japanese saw him as the Shiroi Akuma, the Britannians referred to him as the White Devil, The Chinese called him the White Demon, and the Europeans had called him The Devil in White. The Knights of the Round however, they called him "The White Demon Lord of the Round Table" for not only killing so much as a ¼ of humanity, he had skills that would make him the Lord of the Round Table.

He won not only the admiration of many individuals, including Bismarck Waldstein, he also gave fear to many people. He was called the White Devil for being a cold-hearted soldier that had been responsible for the deaths of even Nobility and Government Officials. It did not matter if he had became a traitor to the Empire now, what mattered here was his actions in the past.

"Every country? Don't you think death seems a little bit too much for a boy of at least Nunnally's age?" Odysseus said.

'I guess he wants the Demon to knock on his door.' Zhao Hao thought.

"I know now that most of my actions killed many people, but all I wanted was the truth about everything, even myself. Even if it meant becoming a Demon, I will find the truth, and when I do, I know that my journey has ended." Shiro said.

"Today is a celebration is it not? How about we all settle down first." Schneizel said.

"But sir." Kanon said.

"I know Kanon, but let's not kill him." Schneizel said to Kanon.

"If it's the wish of the Minister of Britannia…. Withdraw!" Cheng Zhong said.

The guards dispersed as Schneizel walked forward.

"Though for now, I'd be thankful if you leave out Zero and Shiro in the wedding." Schneizel said. "Speaking of which, now that we meet again, how about a little game of chess?"

'Chess?' Shiro thought.

"Fine. But I'll have you know that I played poker with a man in a bar, He couldn't stand a minute with me." Shiro said.

The 2 men sat, and began playing their chess game. Almost everyone aside from Nunnally and Zero thought that Schneizel would win. As the chess match progressed, the 2 had been knocking most of each other's pieces down.

"I can't believe it. I just want to know who's going to win." Odysseus said.

"Alright. We just need to box him in." Isaac said.

Shiro picks up the black king chess piece.

(Play the Kakero the Bluff or Stardust Crusaders Theme)

'No. he can't be serious…..' Lelouch thought.

"Checkmate." Shiro calls out as he places it right next to the white king piece.

One of his pawns is already so close to the last block to the other side, if his pawn makes it, it can be promoted to a bishop or all the way to the queen, he gets his queen behind his king, the match is over. Shiro is trying to see just how much Schneizel has changed.

"Woah! Dude! Are you trying to lose?!" Isaac said. "Huh?"

Schneizel looked terrified, like he had seen the true face of the devil himself. Shiro was looking at the 2nd Prince with a blank expression.

"Go ahead, take it. I know you won't hesitate." Shiro said.

"Oh you cannot be serious right now!" Gino exclaimed.

"Is that even legal?! Pretty sure it isn't it!" Naoto exclaimed.

'Is he trying to humiliate him?!' Lelouch thought.

'Shiro-kun…..' Nunnally thought with mere shock.

'D-Damn! I can't believe I had to make the first move. Now he's trying to make me look like an opportunist! What kind of man is he?!' Schneizel thought as he began to pant.

"That's-! But why?! Why would he make a move like that?!" Odysseus exclaimed.

'The hell is he thinking?! Making such a drastic move?!' Cornelia thought.

'This is not good, if he doesn't take the king now, its over the moment that pawn is promoted.' Kanon thought as he watched.

"Well?!" Shiro said as he slammed his hand on the table getting up from his seat with fire in his eyes. "Are you going to claim victory like you used to during your little war with the EU?! Or are you just going to accept defeat?! Say it out loud so I can damn as hell hear you! SCHNEIZEL!"

The 2nd prince fell off his chair with fright in his eyes. Shiro was willing on trying to deliberately lose just so he could see if he was like the emperor, even putting him into a situation that only gives him 2 choices, Victory at the cost of being seen as a despicable man, or defeat at the cost of having the most traumatic experience possible.

'If I take his king…. NO! I may want victory, but to be seen as an animal?! NO! I won't! But if I don't get his pawn before it reaches the other side completely…. NO! He'll just use his king to land the killing blow! What if….. What if-!' Schneizel tried to gather his thoughts as he begins to breathe faster than what he should be breathing at.

The Devil just stares at the pathetic prince, he gave him the look of a man who would gladly drag anybody to hell with him. His unrelenting demonic crimson red eyes were the reasons he was called a Demon, an Akuma, a Devil! He cared not for how much blood had to be spilled until his rage and sorrow is quelled, he only cared about the truth, the truth of his existence, the truth to all the mysteries that surround him, the truth about the most important truth to him, the truth of happiness! the Truth of Peace and War are but 2 sides of the same coin, only with 2 different meanings, something only he would care about other than someone he loves!

'He's…. He's like a goddamn demon! How in the hell could anyone, even my father hope to not be scared of him?!' Schneizel thought as he began to breathe even faster.

Almost everyone was on the hot seat of a chess match that demonstrated the Devil's ability to surpass even someone like Schneizel. No one could take their eyes of him. Schneizel gets back on his feet and back to the table. He reaches for a chess piece.

'Don't do it Schneizel! He'll make you look as bad as our father!' Cornelia thought as she clenched her teeth.

'He attends to finish it?! Is he just as bad as our father was?!' Lelouch thought.

'Just how did Shiro manage to pull something like this off?' Nunnally wondered in her head.

'I have never seen Schneizel looked so terrified ever since the Aries Villa.' Marianne thought hiding her soul in Anya Alstreim. 'Did Charles turn this boy into a complete monster in comparison to my Lelouch?!'

Schneizel tried to pick a chess piece, but he knows that if he makes one wrong move, it's over for him. All he could think about was ending this without immediate consequence.

'Checkmate. Checkmate. Checkmate. Checkmate. Checkmate. Checkmate. Checkmate. Checkmate. Checkmate. Checkmate. Checkmate. Checkmate. Checkmate. Checkmate. Checkmate. Checkmate. Checkmate. Checkmate.' was all Schneizel could think about.

His breathing became erratic. He couldn't stop breathing, even if he could. He reached for his king.

'Don't!' Cornelia thought as it was the one thing she wanted to scream.

'He's not actually going to make that move right?!' Naoto thought.

'I pity you Schneizel, I really do right now. If that was me, I'd give up now than be seen as an opportunistic monster.' Lelouch thought.

'He lost the moment he made the first move.' Shiro thought.

"Ch-Ch-Check-Check-" Schneizel begins to stutters as he tried to move it.

Schneizel couldn't breathe anymore, he begins to faint, falling on the table. Scattering all the chess pieces as he slumped on the table. Almost everyone was shocked by the sudden turn of events. Cornelia got Schneizel off the table and got him to a private room. Everyone stood there like stone. Shiro stood as if nothing happened. all that were there were left struck with shock at the mere merciless image that was the Devil in White.

"Yeah how about you and the Masked dude stay AWAY from the ceremony." Gino said.

"Well I guess we should have nothing to fear." Odysseus said holding Tianzi's hand.

'That's right. I'll be going to the outside world, just like I wanted. Once were married that is.' Tianzi thought.

Everyone had gathered at the reception for the ceremony of the wedding of Empress Tianzi and Odysseus eu Britannia.

Kaguya watched from the distance as she saw the wedding take place.

'Tianzi…' she thought as she looked at the girl in white.

'I never thought this would be how I would go to the outside world. Will I ever return here? I….. I…..'

"Wait!" a voice came through as the door of the reception opened.

Everyone took their gazes and looked at the scene. It was Li Xingke. Out in the front door with his sword unsheathed.

"We ask this question! By the voice of Heaven, the Roar of the land and the hearts of the people!" he points his sword at the couple. "How does this marriage represent the will of the Chinese Federation?!"

'A Coup et'tat?!' Nunnally thought in shock.

"Xingke what are you doing?!" Zhao Hao said.

"Be silent Zhao Hao! In the name of my countrymen, I challenge the legality of this wedding!" Xingke said as he charged forth with his blade ready.

"Hold him back!" a soldier exclaimed as he rushed to meet Xingke head-on.

Xingke deflected them like swatting flies in mere ease.

'Its strange.' Xingke thought as he held his sword at 4 other opponents. 'As much as I pray to save my starving people, I could only think about her majesty's welfare.' "Right now I must…."

Xingke deflected the blades and shot something at a soldier, making him fall to the ground.

"Cut off the broadcast!" Chen Zhong said thrusting his arm forward.

Kanon and Gino run towards Odysseus so they could protect him.

"Lady Kaguya, let's make our leave." Kallen said taking Kaguya away from the chaos.

"Traitor!" a soldier exclaimed. "You think the Empress belongs to you and no other!"

'That's right.' Xingke thought. 'My actions may not be in accordance with her majesty's wishes. She could barely recall what promised we made 6 years ago. But what I made was a vow in my heart! I will take her to the outside world!'

Xingke deflects more attacks and then turns to hear someone chant.

"Xingke!" Tianzi shouted, tears running down her eyes as she held her right pinkie out. "Xingke! Xingke! Xingke!"

'She does.' Xingke thought. 'She remembers!'

He deflects more attacks.

"I know that in my heart, there is no doubt!" Xingke said as he charges.

"Xingke!" Tianzi exclaimed as she reached her arms out for a hug.

(Play Ace Combat 0 - Morgan)

"Stop right there!" Cornelia said as she rushed forth to stop Xingke.

Xingke blocks the attack and steps back.

"What? Does the Witch of Britannia have no recollection of love?!" Xingke exclaimed.

"I will not allow you to get the Empress. No matter what you do." Cornelia said drawing her Rifle Sword.

"That's far enough Cornelia!" a voice shouted as the Chinese Federation and Britannia flag fell in front of Tianzi.

As the flags fell Nunnally was right behind Cornelia.

"Do you really think you can stop this wedding?" Cornelia asked.

"Question is dear sister," Nunnally said with a pause as she drew her custom Rifle Sword. "Can you stop me?"

(Play Bayonetta - OST - Let's Hit The Climax!)

The wall behind Tianzi fell apart. Todoh's new personal Knightmare Frame, the Zangetsu, revealed itself from the smoke.

"Can't believe the first time this has to be used is in the middle of a wedding." Todoh said.

"Impossible! This is your plan?! Do you really think something like this will ever be accomplished?!" Cornelia exclaimed.

"That's right dear sister, in the name of a man's love for his empress, I, Nunnally Vi Britannia will take her to the outside world, along with my brother and leader of the Black Knights, Zero- No. Lelouch Vi Britannia!" Nunnally proclaims.

"Lelouch Vi WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Gino said.

'Where have I heard that name before?' Anya asked in her head.

'Lelouch?! Alive?!' Odysseus and Schneizel thought.

'The Black Prince?!' Xingke thought.

"Wait, back up a minute! You mean to tell me all this time-!"

"That is right!" Lelouch said as he appeared without his mask. "I will be taking the bride to the outside world. just as Xingke wanted!"

He snatches Tianzi and gets out immediately as he puts on his mask.

"Lelouch no! Come back! Lelouch! BROTHER!" Odysseus said.

The actions of a man can be orchestrated by one's desire. The many are engulfed in the flames of a New Rebellion, the 2nd Black Rebellion Begins here and now!

Who will survive?

AN: by the grace of the musical gods, we go as mortals. Nuff said.