I don't own Code Geass

...

Black Knight Mobile Headquarters, Tokyo Settlement, Area Eleven, Early Morning, 2017

"Check this out!" Tamaki exclaimed, sliding his arms into the black and silver lined coats that formed a part of their new uniforms. "Fits me like a glove! This new swag of ours is just the right size!"

"How'd you get our measurements Zero?" Inoue asked as she buttoned up her own uniform, turning to the sitting masked man.

Zero shrugged. "It hardly matters, but I guessed your sizes when I met you on the train. Truthfully I was somewhat concerned they would be too big, but it seems I chose correctly."

"You figured we would join that far back?" Minami asked, eying the remaining boxes of clothing. Zero merely nodded. "There's more here than we need, even accounting for multiple sets."

"I expect us to have more recruits in the future," Zero replied to his unspoken question. "If you're all finished inspecting your new equipment," he said, addressing the nascent Black Knight leadership, "then we need to discuss the details of our first mission."

The other Black Knights perked up, set the clothing they held onto the empty seats and took their places around him. When they were all still, Zero pulled a manila envelope out from under his coat. He unlatched the top and pulled out a stack of papers and photos, setting them on the table in the center of the group. The top photograph was of a tall building situated on a lake, a long bridge its only connection to the mainland.

"This," Zero said, pointing to the picture, "is the Lake Kawaguchi Hotel. A popular vacation destination for Britannians and Japanese alike, this year it will host the international trade meetings for Sakuradite allocation to the major world powers. In addition to diplomats and traders, there are likely to be as many as a hundred tourists in attendance." He slid the photo off the small stack, replacing it with a picture of a Japanese man in his forties in a green military uniform.

"This man is Major Kusakabe, a former officer in the Japanese military and now a high-ranking officer of the Japan Liberation Front. Tonight, he will be taking everyone in Lake Kawaguchi as his hostages, to be slaughtered at his whim."

There was a collective gasp all around him. Zero turned his head and studied their reactions. To no great surprise, Kallen and Ohgi looked outraged at Kusakabe's ruthlessness, while the others registered between horror and disgust.

"What's this guy hoping to accomplish?" Yoshida asked Zero.

"At the most ludicrous, Japan's freedom," Zero scoffed, "at the most practical, the trading of political and military prisoners to boost the JLF's numbers. Either way, I doubt the fool's planned that far in advance. In the end, this is most likely a publicity stunt."

"Publicity stunt?" Kallen asked.

Zero nodded. "The JLF has not performed any major attacks recently," he explained, "and their past battles nearly always ended in failure. Kusakabe is likely trying to put the JLF back on Britannia's radar."

"I can't believe the JLF is resorting to this," Ohgi whispered disgustedly. "Ambushes and raids are one thing, but this is bald faced murder."

"Katase and Tohdoh are men of honor," Zero said comfortingly. "They probably didn't approve this idiocy, so Kusakabe is likely acting on his own."

"You say that like you know them," Yoshida said, voice laced with suspicion.

"In a manner of speaking, I do," Zero confirmed. "I have multiple contacts within the JLF that have been feeding me information. That is also, incidentally, where I obtained the data on this mission."

"How the Hell did you manage that?" Tamaki asked loudly after a stunned moment.

Zero relaxed in his seat. "I am very well connected," was all he said smugly.

"While this is all very interesting Zero," Inoue brought them back on topic, "what does any of this have to do with us?"

"Everything," Zero said, his metallic voice echoing through the room. "We cannot allow Kusakabe to commit mass murder. Our agenda tonight is simple: rescue the hostages and execute Kusakabe and his followers."

They gaped at him. Sugiyama was the first to regain his voice. "Why are we helping the Britannians, Zero?" he asked heatedly, his eyes wide. "I don't support the methods the JLF is using but that's a lot different from openly siding with the enemy!"

"Who is the enemy, then?" Zero asked forcefully. "Is it unarmed traders and diplomats, with families waiting for them at home? Or perhaps it is the children who accompany their parents to swim in the lake and eat fine food? Be careful how you answer that question Sugiyama, because those are the "enemies" that Kusakabe is targeting."

Sugiyama bowed his head, chastened. Minami glanced at his friend and asked, "Why don't we warn the hotel staff about the impending crisis?"

Zero was shaking his head before Minami had finished. "If we warn them and they evacuate, Kusakabe will just find another target, and we may not be able to discern which one in time. He has to be stopped, permanently."

"But why not just let the Britannians handle this?" Tamaki asked exasperatedly. "It's their own people, let them do it!"

"Viceroy Cornelia is not the type of person to sit idly by while terrorists make a mockery of the Empire," Zero answered smoothly. "She's as likely to launch an attack to try to rescue the hostages, and that will result in civilian fatalities, which will be as much our fault for failing to act when we had the knowledge and opportunity to prevent it. I find that scenario unacceptable."

Zero stood up suddenly, causing them to jerk back. "And just as important," he said, his voice suddenly turning passionate, "tonight we reveal ourselves to the entire world. By rescuing the hostages we prove that we are more than just another terrorist cell or resistance group. From now on," he raised his arm, "we are," he curled his fingers sharply upward, "Knights for Justice!" He leaned down, spreading out a set of the hotel's blue prints. "With that said," he began, his commanding tone enrapturing them, "here's the plan."

…..

Tokyo Settlement Mass Transit En Route to Lake Kawaguchi, Area Eleven, Several Hours Later

Shirley took great pains to try not to stare at Lelouch's profile as he gazed out the train window. The steel skyscrapers and paved streets of the Settlement proper had receded into the distance in the ten minutes since the rail departed, and it seemed that Lelouch was intent on watching the spectacle of Britannian influence fade away. Under normal circumstances this would have been the perfect opportunity for Shirley to study her crush's aristocratic demeanor and icy complexion, wondering how it was that eyes so cold in relaxation could turn so warm in the company of his friends. Sadly, however, they were not alone: Nina Einstein sat to Shirley's right and Milly was parallel to her, chatting politely with the male attendant who'd come in to check on them.

Inevitably it seemed, her green eyes were once more drawn back to him: the stylishly ruffled silky black hair that framed his ivory skin and fell over his violet eyes; the sharp point of his chin held loosely in his long elegant fingers; even the detached, bored expression perpetually slackening his face, the ennui of the wealthy noble forced to suffer the presence of his inferiors. It was one of the many complexities that suffused the young man, like how his handsome features drew the attention of his peers while his cool disposition repelled them.

What's he really like underneath all that? Shirley wondered as she gawked at him, transfixed. What are your thoughts like in these quiet moments, Lelouch? She was almost certain that if she could just find the answer to that question, she'd have found the key to his heart.

"See something you like?" Milly asked, jolting Shirley out of her reverie, her knowing smirk bringing a pink blush to Shirley's cheeks.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Shirley spluttered, snapping her eyes from Lelouch and directing an embarrassed, but heated, glare at Milly. "I-I was just," her brain scrambled for an excuse, "watching the scenery go by, that's all."

"It's a little hard to do that when Lelouch's big head is in the way, isn't it?" Milly lilted at her friend, smiling mischievously at Shirley's indignation. "Then again, considering how empty our dear Lulu's head is, you could probably look in one ear and see out the other."

"Such a low blow, Madame President," Lelouch remarked, the left corner of his lip tilted into a small smile. "After all that paperwork, I would hope that you'd think a little more highly of me."

"Any drone can sign papers, Lulu," Milly retorted good-naturedly, grinning broadly. "It takes real brilliance to head up an operation as complex as ours." She raised her hands to encompass their compartment. "Take this trip as an example: I had it all set up to be a girl's night out, sharing stories, pillow fights, talking about our not-so-secret-crushes-"

"Milly!"

"-and then you come in last minute and ruin all my careful planning," Milly finished, ignoring Shirley and settling back into her seat.

"I wouldn't be here if Nunnaly hadn't guilt-tripped me into it," Lelouch retorted, crossing his arms and leaning back. "She says I've been too stressed out lately and needed to rest. And besides, I'm the one who scoped this place out and inspected the staff personally- shouldn't I enjoy the fruits of my labor?"

"It's too bad the others couldn't come," Shirley remarked softly. "Rivalz got called in to barkeep, Suzaku's on duty, Kallen's sick, and poor Nunna can't make the trip."

"Just think of this as a chance to bond together," Milly told her warmly, smiling reassuringly. "We'll have plenty of other experiences before our time in school is done."

"We'll be arriving at Lake Kawaguchi Hotel in five minutes," the intercom suddenly blared, startling the group of friends. "Please have your luggage ready and disembark in an orderly manner."

Nina, who so far had been tensely silent during the ride, squeaked in fear at the announcement, curling a little more in on herself. Milly rested a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Nina, you're doing great, we're almost there."

Nina looked up at her friend and whispered, "But I've never been outside of the settlement before today. What if there are Elevens in the hotel?"

"Don't worry about them," Milly admonished her gently. "We're here to have a good time. Just focus on us, alright?"

Nina nodded uncertainly, prompting Shirley to say, "Relax Nina. Nothing bad is going to happen."

Shirley failed to see the pained grimace that crossed Lelouch's face.

…..

Lake Kawaguchi Hotel, Area Eleven

"I've just arrived at Lake Kawaguchi Your Highness. The conference doesn't start until tomorrow so I'm going to go ahead and grab a room," Jeremiah said into his phone as he made his way to the front desk.

"I'm glad to hear that Lord Jeremiah. Please, again, accept my apologies for sending you in my stead," Princess Euphemia li Britannia replied. "I'd go myself, or at least with you, but after General Darlton's death…" she trailed off.

Jeremiah shook his head, though she couldn't see it, saying, "There's no need to apologize My Lady. I understand completely. Has she made arrangements for his funeral?"

"Not yet," he could practically see her shaking her own head. "She's waiting for his sons to arrive, but they've been tied up in Area Eighteen dealing with rioters. We'll have the funeral as soon as they can get here."

"General Darlton won't be buried on Britannian soil?" Jeremiah asked, shocked.

"No, nothing like that!" the Princess quickly assured him. "The ceremony will be here and then they'll fly his body, and the other bodies, back to Pendragon."

Jeremiah nodded in understanding. He glanced up and said, "I hate to cut this short, Your Highness, but I'm about to be at the front desk. I'll speak with you after the first day ends."

"Thank you Lord Jeremiah, I'll talk to you then." There was a click on the line and Jeremiah closed his phone.

Jeremiah claimed his room at the front desk and made his way to the elevator, nodding to several dignitaries as he passed. He refused the bellhop's hand when he tried to take his luggage, which consisted of a pair of large briefcases that contained enough clothing for three days. He exited the elevator at a brisk walk, and as he rounded a bend to the left, collided with a young man in a red-orange coat, their bags falling to the floor.

"Watch where you're going, fool child," he snarled, reaching down to grab one of two identical bags.

"Sorry My Lord, I'll stay out of your way," the teen replied sheepishly, grabbing the other bag before hurrying down the hallway.

Jeremiah walked quickly to his room, slid the card down through the slider, and stepped inside his room. Once he was inside, the Margrave couldn't help but grin.

Phase One-Complete.

…

Lake Kawaguchi Hotel, Area Eleven

"Excuse me, but what are you doing in my room?" Milly turned around from her bags to the inquisitive voice, coming face-to-face with a woman about her age, her dark hair spilling out from beneath a ball cap positioned low on her head, amber eyes glittering with annoyance.

Milly brushed a few strands of blond hair out of her eyes as she turned, resting her hands on her hips and saying, "I don't know what you're talking about. This room has already been booked to me and a couple of friends. Perhaps you're mistaken?"

"Is this room five-zero-nine?" the girl asked.

"Yes."

"Then it's mine," the girl declared. "My boyfriend booked this room two weeks ago. I don't know who you are, but you and your friends need to vacate this room now."

Milly huffed angrily. "Now look Miss?" she asked.

"Rena Russo," the girl answered, "but everyone calls me R-Two."

"Okay then Miss R-Two," Milly said, putting air quotes around the girl's nickname, "my friend Lelouch reserved this room three days ago and they said it was unoccupied-"

"Clearly they were mistaken," R-Two said, pulling out a slip of paper. "Here's the receipt from the transaction my boyfriend made. Check for yourself if you like."

Milly took the paper from her, glaring down harshly at the plain truth before her: the jerk had paid in cash. Frustrated Milly grunted out, "This was the room we rented for the weekend. Where are we supposed to stay?"

R-Two shrugged. "Speak with the front desk for all I care, just get your stuff out of here." She threw her own bags down on the bed, then glared pointedly at Milly.

Milly huffed in exasperation and stormed out of the room. Halfway down the hall she met the others, who had been exploring the hotel at Shirley's insistence. "Shirley! Nina! You're with me," she ordered, turning the two girls toward the elevator.

"Wh-What's going on?" Nina stammered.

"We need a new room," Milly replied, not going any further into detail. "Lelouch, grab our things."

Lelouch, immediately cowed by her anger, simply murmured, "Yes ma'am," and hurried back to the vacated room.

Time to cuss out a manager.

…..

JLF Kawaguchi Headquarters, Lake Kawaguchi Hotel, Area Eleven

They had stormed the hotel at four in the afternoon, gunning down anyone who dared to resist and locking the rest up in a storage room under heavy guard. Among the hostages was a group of Japanese civilians who had quickly been rooted out of the group. They now stood before Kusakabe, nervous and sweating, shifting uneasily and glancing around at the armed guards that surrounded them.

"There's no need to be afraid," Kusakabe said as reassuringly as possible, his hands resting on the grip of his katana. "I have no intention of hurting my fellow Japanese. Please, relax." It irked him somewhat that they didn't seem to believe him but he let that slide. "As I understand it, the five of you were here on a weekend trip of sorts. If so, I apologize for this intrusion but it was necessary. If I might ask, how did you get the money to buy service here?"

"I work for a Britannian contractor," the lead man, identified as Kaname Ohgi, replied, clearly the spokesman for the group. "When pooling cash we could afford one of the cheaper rooms. This was the only free time any of us could get off together for some off time."

Kusakabe shrugged. "Fair enough, though I wonder if you didn't have ulterior motives." Ohgi stiffened slightly and Kusakabe grinned. "Were you hoping to contact the Japan Liberation Front?"

To his surprise, the young man shook his head furiously. "I'm sorry sir, but with all due respect, none of us have any intention of becoming resistance fighters."

"And why not?" Kusakabe asked angrily, now glaring at the quivering group. "Are you not prepared to fight for your homeland? Or all you all just a bunch of cowards!"

"I have family in the Settlement!" the only woman of the group retorted, stepping forward. "What do you think will happen if I become a resistance fighter, or if any of us do for that matter?"

"That's right," a bespectacled man said, joining her side. "We've all got people we care about who live in the Tokyo Settlement, and we don't want to see them get hurt."

"They are hurt every day!" Kusakabe shouted, incensed. "Every day your fellow Japanese are beaten, robbed, and murdered! Do you feel nothing for them? Do you have no compassion for the suffering of your brothers and sisters?"

"We have every bit of concern for our fellow Japanese!" the red-haired man of the group yelled back. "But we don't want our kin to be killed because of what we might do!"

"Surely you can see that?" Ohgi said, holding out his arm to reign in his friends. "There are too many people who depend on us in the here and now to worry about abstract things like "country" and "fellowship.""

"And what would you have me do with you then?" Kusakabe asked, trying to calm himself down.

Ohgi moved closer to him, mindful of the machine pistols slowly raising his way. "Just let us return to our rooms. If the other hostages see us, they'll probably blame us for all this when this is over, and I'd rather they not know our faces."

Now that he was calm again, Kusakabe found himself nodding. "I can't force you to be patriots," he said, "nor do I want you in jail because of our actions tonight. You'll be returned to your rooms. I trust I won't have to assign a guard detail?"

Ohgi nodded. "That will not be necessary. None of us are going to try any hero nonsense."
"Good!" Kusakabe exclaimed, once more in good humor. "It would be a shame if you had to die for a few Britannians."

…

G-1 Mobile Command Center, Lake Kawaguchi mainland, Area Eleven

"Absolutely not, Euphie! I will not negotiate with terrorists!"

"Lives hang in the balance Cornelia! If we don't give these people something, they'll kill everyone in there!"

"Those hostages are as good as dead anyway, Euphie. These cowards have no intention of letting them go."

"You can't know that! Even if the chance is slim, that's reason enough to not let them murder those people!"

"If we give in to their demands we set a dangerous precedent. We give scum like Kusakabe the legitimacy they need and empower their followers."
"And letting them get away with murder doesn't?"

Cornelia stepped away from her, turning to the tactical map. "I have no intention of letting them get away with this Euphie. Preparations are already under way to retake the hotel."

"At the expense of the lives of the hostages, sister?" Euphemia rebuked angrily, grabbing her sister's arm. "And what of our own men? We've already lost a team to the weapon they have in the service tunnels. How many more people have to die needlessly tonight?"

"If I may interject My Lady," Guilford set, moving to interrupt the volatile clash, "it will take some time for us to come up with a suitable plan to make up for their entrenched position. Giving into some, but not all of their demands, might buy us and the hostages more time."

Euphemia waited nervously as she watched her sister think it over. "Sister, please," she whispered, "if not for their sake, for mine at least. I sent Lord Jeremiah in my place to these talks, and now he's trapped in there. I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to him because of me."

That seemed to have done it. Cornelia nodded slowly, bringing her hard eyes onto Guilford. "Send word to the JLF that we'll agree to their demands, but tell them it will take time. Release whoever they want into their custody for the time being. Use the time it takes us to form a better plan."

Euphemia sighed in relief, then shifted her gaze to a monitor that showed footage of the hostages.

Don't worry, Lord Jeremiah. Help is on the way.

…..

Lake Kawaguchi Hotel Rear Dock, Area Eleven

Kallen screwed the silencer on tightly, eyeing her fellow rescuers with suspicion. Zero had introduced the Britannian soldiers as double agents within Imperial lines that would be loaning their services for tonight before returning to their posts, but Kallen didn't trust them as far as she could throw them. They weren't allowed to know the soldier's names, their leader going by the code name "Ace of Spades", with their code numbers going forth in descending order. Still, it was obvious they were elite, sitting with in a silence so complete that Kallen felt a little unnerved by it.

It didn't help that they'd been sitting there since early that morning, checking and re-checking their weapons and waiting, in her case impatiently, for Zero to give the word. All of her attempts to engage them in conversation had ended in frustrating failure as they refused to respond, sitting together in a cluster that seemed to exclude her.

Kallen checked her wristwatch. 11:45, she noted, sliding a magazine into her submachine gun and cocking it. Ohgi and the others should be ready. Zero's plan was deceptively simple: posing as tourists, Ohgi and the others would claim weapons smuggled into the hotel, and carry out the rescue of the hostages, eliminating all of the JLF members that they encountered. Once the hostages were secured, the mission would shift to search and destroy. That was Zero's maxim for this mission: no survivors. The cowards would die choking on their own blood.

She thought about the Student Council, the real friends she had made, the ones now trapped in this awful situation. If only I'd known about that damned trip I could have stopped them somehow. Kallen had to get them out of there, alive and whole.

Her radio suddenly barked in her ear. "Knight Rider."

The heads of the Britannians shot up, faces hidden by their visors. "Understood." They turned to her. She nodded. Time to move.

As they made their way into the hotel, one thought ran through Kallen's mind.

Milly. Shirley. Nina. Lelouch.

I'm coming.

…

Room 509, Lake Kawaguchi Hotel, Area Eleven

He hadn't wanted to get them involved, but he'd had little choice: it was the only way to get him and the Black Knights inside now that he'd killed Darlton. It was, frankly, amazing that Cornelia had let him in the first time around, a decision he couldn't help but question to this day. Not that it mattered in the end. This mission would still be a success. More importantly, it would be a success without any civilian casualties.

Last time, several people had been murdered while he and the others prepared for combat. He would not allow that to happen this time.

He gave the command phrase, then slid his silencer attached gun from its holster.

Show time.

…..

Ninth Floor, Lake Kawaguchi Hotel, Area Eleven

They streamed out of their rooms, clad in their black and silver uniforms, silenced machine pistols in hand. After eliminating the guards on the staircases, they linked up with Kallen and the Ace of Spades outside the elevator, and ascended to the tenth floor where the hostages were being held.

…

Lake Kawaguchi Storage Room, Lake Kawaguchi Hotel, Area Eleven

Eleven.

It was the name she knew them by, the only name that mattered.

Eleven.

An epithet for a dead, worthless people, maggots who even now wormed away at the foundations of their glorious Empire.

Eleven.

Cowards and murderers who would not face their brave warriors in a stand up fight, traitors to the natural order of things.

"Eleven."

"What was that?" the Eleven shouted, whirling around furiously.

"It was nothing," Milly said quickly, "She just sne-"

"She just called me an "Eleven"," the Eleven roared. "I'm not an Eleven, you witch, I'm Japanese!"

"Okay she gets it!" Shirley cried, trying to force herself between the Eleven and Nina, only to have the Eleven backhand her for her trouble.

"She'll get alright!" the Eleven shouted. "I'll make sure she gets it!"

There was no time to scream. The door smashed open, the quiet sounds of thumping noises filling the air. The Eleven collapsed next to Nina, dead. Black boots filled Nina's vision. Nina looked up.

A red haired woman in black and silver coat and skirt, hair thrown back and a visor obscuring her face, stood in front of her, submachine gun in her right hand, her left hand held out. In awe, Nina took the woman's outstretched hand, and was surprised at the easy strength the woman held when she hauled her up. The woman jerked her head to the side, motioning to the door. Nina nodded, following her and nearly a dozen others out the door

….

JLF Kawaguchi Headquarters, Lake Kawaguchi Hotel, Area Eleven

"We have to move quickly if we're to get you there without suspicion," C.C. said as she pulled on Zero's coat.

"The voice changer still works, doesn't it?" Lelouch asked, tucking a Japanese pistol into the back of his pants.

C.C. held the mask up to her face. "How does this sound?" Zero's metallic voice greeted him and Lelouch had to shake off the feeling of weirdness he had when he heard it.

"Perfect," he said, stumbling slightly when he felt the building shudder. "That should be Suzaku taking out the hotel's supports. We better get moving."

"Right," Zero's voice agreed, the cape curling around C.C.'s shoulders. "Let's go."

They left the blood soaked bodies of the JLF behind.

…..

Lake Kawaguchi Hotel Rear Dock, Area Eleven

"Please, you have to tell us where Lulu is!" Shirley cried, but as before, their red-haired rescuer refused to answer. She tried again. "At least let us go look for him!"

"Do you mean this boy right here?" Shirley gasped at the sound of the metallic voice. That could only be one person.

Zero marched up to them, Lelouch in front of him, his gait hard and purposeful. "I found him in the hallways, trying to find his way to you. I think he intended to take on the whole JLF himself." He sounded amused, and for a second Shirley felt like slapping him.

Instead she sprinted forward, throwing her arms around Lelouch's neck, sobbing out his name. "I was so scared for you," she cried. "We had no idea where you were, or if you were okay."

"I'm fine Shirley," the young man assured her as Milly came forward to hug him too. "I was in our old room when it happened, and waited for the chance to find you guys."

Milly grinned through tears. "Let's just go home." Lelouch returned her grin and nodded, making to set foot on board the yacht that would carry them to safety.

"Before you leave, Lelouch," Zero called out, "I need something from you: the pistol in the back of your pants." Lelouch froze. Zero added knowingly, "I saw the bulge in the back of your pants. Where did you get the weapon, if I might ask?"

Lelouch pulled the pistol out slowly and handed it to the masked vigilante. "There was a dead officer on the staircase," he replied. "I took it from his holster."

Zero chuckled lightly. "Awful brave of you, boy, but also foolish. All you would have done is gotten yourself killed." Lelouch's fists clenched. Zero jerked his head. "Get on board, boy," he told him, "and get ready to go home." Lelouch nodded, and followed the others on board.

…

G-1 Mobile Command Center, Lake Kawaguchi Mainland, Area Eleven

"My dear Britannians, have no fear: all of the hostages have been secured. I, Zero, return them to you unharmed."

"What the Hell is he doing here?" Cornelia screeched, her teeth bared and round together. "How did he get there? And just what is he doing with those hostages?"

Euphemia paid no attention to her sister, instead searching the crowd of boats for Lord Jeremiah. She sighed in relief when she saw him, staring hatefully at the masked assassin. I'm glad to know you're safe, she thought, Lord Jeremiah.

A field of flood lights suddenly illuminated the stage Zero stood, revealing four men and women in black and silver uniforms to his either side, the leaders of the two lines bowing to the camera, Zero in their center.

"People, fear us, or rally behind us as you see fit. We are the Order of the Black Knights."

"You dare to call yourself a knight you filthy murderer," Cornelia snarled, leaning low against her tactical display.

"We of the Black Knights stand for all those who have no weapons to wield, regardless of whether they be Japanese or Britannian.

"The Japan Liberation Front took innocent civilians hostage, and if not for our intervention, would have mercilessly executed them. It was a wanton and meaningless act, and so they have been punished.

"So too was Viceroy Clovis punished for the slaughter of countless unarmed Japanese."
What? Euphemia thought, horrified. What is he talking about? Slaughter?

"I will not repudiate battle on a fair and even field, but nor will I tolerate a one sided massacre of the weak by the strong. The only ones who should be allowed to kill are those who are prepared to be killed!

"Wherever oppressors abuse their power, we shall appear again, no matter how mighty or how formidable they might seem."

He flung out his right arm. "Those of you with power, fear us!"

He flung out his left arm. "Those of you without it, rally behind us!

"We, the Black Knights, shall be the ones who stand in righteous judgment of this world."