I don't own Code Geass.

…..

Kawagoe

"Kallen, for God's sake, kill the bastard!" Zero shouted, firing a burst of antipersonnel fire into an enemy rocket team.

"I'm trying, dammit!" Kallen fired back, spinning to the side to dodge a thrust. "He's pretty damn tenacious!"

"We need to keep moving!"

"Then move! I'll hold him off while you attack!"

"I am not leaving you!"

Zero lifted his gun, trying to find a firing solution, but clicked his tongue with frustration. He had thought to shoot out Asahina's landspinners, thereby crippling his Gekka, but the two Knightmares were moving far too quickly, their figures blurring a mixed red-green. He was more likely to kill Kallen than to save her.

"Zero, just go!" Kallen yelled, aiming and missing a punch to the Gekka's chassis. "We don't have time for this! I can finish him off, it'll just take time! GO!"

Xingke wrapped the Guren in Shinkiro's binding.

I will rescue you! I promise!

Zero's eyes narrowed into a death glare. "I'm not going anywhere," he said. "I will never leave you behind." Never again.

"Zero?" Kallen asked.

"Disengage, Kallen," he ordered. He switched over to the frequency for his units. "Units B-3 through B-8, concentrate firepower on the Gekka. All other units, fall in behind me. Any Sakuradite you find in enemy hands, destroy it."

Kallen leaped back from the Gekka just before the barrage of gunfire opened up. The Gekka bobbed and weaved, evading the incoming fire with ease, but the unceasing fusillade kept it from going back on the offense.

Kallen rolled into place next to him. "Zero, what's-"

"We're moving north, around this fool," Zero interjected. Among the units he had with him, he began dividing his forces over the electronic map, organizing them along three separate routes.

"He'll run out of fuel at some point, it's only a matter of time. As we move, we'll destroy the enemy's ability to refuel." Speed will be key. We need to take out each depot in fast succession. He smirked. "It's not exactly romantic, but it'll get the job done. What's your Sakuradite level?"

"Forty-six percent," she answered.

"Perfect. We'll hit the nearest depot, refuel, and destroy it. You ready?"

"Yes, Zero!"

Zero opened the frequency to the Palace. "Ohgi, do you read me?"

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" someone not named Ohgi shouted. Zero heard the rattling of gunfire. "What is it?"

"Minami, where the Hell is Ohgi?" Zero demanded.

"Prepping the Gawain for battle," Minami answered.

"Why is he- Never mind. Has the garrison returned to the Palace?"

"No. We sent the word out, but they're pinned in place. They try pulling back, the whole front collapses in a general rout. That's why Ohgi's going for the Gawain."

Not a terrible idea, all things considered. Would have been nice if he'd done that before. "Change of plans," Zero said. "Order the technicians manning the earthquake safety systems to collapse all of the streets captured by the enemy."

"Are you insane?" Minami demanded. "Do you have any idea how many civies will be in the line of fire? They'll get slaughtered!"

"Can you imagine how many are going to die once Tohdoh takes over and the Empire returns? Do it."

"But-"

"Do it, Minami!" Zero snapped. "If you want to survive this, do it!"

"Just...ah! Goddammit! Alright!"

Zero cut the transmission. Time to die, Tohdoh.

….

Hallway, Presidential Palace

"I knew you would try to escape this way," Villetta said as she slowly approached Oghi. "Storming the Throne Room would have been too costly in lives, but flushing out you yellow bastards is much more cost effective. What? Did you really think you would know this Palace better than the ones that built it?" She smirked ferociously. "We trained for years to defend this building. We know it inside and out."

"Villetta, you..."

"It's Major, Second Consul," Villetta interjected furiously. "What kind of title is 'Second Consul,' anyway? It sounds Roman, maybe even French. Is that what you are, Ohgi? Are you a Frenchman?" She gestured to his hands. "You certainly use the national salute."

Ohgi shrugged sheepishly. "It was Zero's idea," he admitted. "He really likes France for some reason."

"Shut up," Villetta commanded, her grip tightening on the gun. "No one said speak."

"You asked me a question!"

"It was rhetorical!"

"Well, how was I supposed to know? I can't read minds!"

"I'm holding a gun on you, it should have been obvious!"

"You holding a gun bears no relation to what you're saying!"

"How the- The gun is the most important thing here!"

"No it isn't, not even close!"

"What could possibly be more important?"

Ohgi smiled warmly. "You," he said. "It's good to see you again, Villetta."

Villetta flushed. "It's Major," Villetta said, scowling, but the way her eyes turned to the side shyly took the edge out of her words.

"Uh, Major," a sergeant spoke up, "maybe this isn't the best place to have this conversation?"

"He's right, Villetta," Ohgi said. "This has to end. Please. Just hand over your gun and surrender."

"Surrender?" Villetta asked incredulously. "Seriously? I have the gun, Kaname, not you. Face it. You lost."

Ohgi shook his head. "It may seem that way, but we've won this battle. Even with me as your prisoner. No one else is coming."

Villetta narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Ohgi lowered his hands. "I didn't come here to run," he said. "I came this way to fight."

"Fight?"

Ohgi began to draw nearer to her, his expression gentle. "Please, Villetta, just quit. There's been enough bloodshed, hasn't there?"

Villetta took a step back. "Hold your position, Kaname," she ordered. "Don't take another step."

Ohgi kept coming, a smile on his face. "You're not going to shoot me, Villetta. Let's put an end to all this."

A corporal lifted his rifle. "Back down, Eleven," he said.

Ohgi looked at him. "Eleven? We're a free people, now- Wait!" His eyes shot open with surprise. "You're Japanese, too!"

"I'm Britannian," the corporal retorted, shifting his gun.

"No, I can tell by your eyes," Ohgi said. "You're Japanese! Why are you-"

A gunshot rang out. Ohgi collapsed to the floor, his hands clutching at his belly.

Villetta screamed.

…

Niiza

"General, Zero's withdrawing! He's moving north!"

"Are you in a position to pursue?"

"Negative, he has me swarmed! It's taking everything I've got just to hold on!"

"What's your current Sakuradite level?"

"Hang o- SHIT, drop dead!- I'm down to eight percent!"

Tohdoh scowled. "Maintain your position. Sir Bart and I are bringing reinforcements."

"Negative, sir! Don't worry about me, take out Zero!"

Tohdoh gripped his yoke tightly. "Asahina, if I do that, you'll-"

"Taking out Zero is the only thing that matters!" Asahina interrupted him. "If you catch him, you can end this war!"

Tohdoh ground his teeth. "Asahina..." He squeezed his eyes shut, just for a moment. "It's been an honor, Asahina."

"The honor is mine, General," Asahina replied. "LONG LIVE JAPAN!"

Tohdoh jerked a nod, not trusting his voice. He shook his head, giving a quick breath. "With me!" he called out, diverting down a side road away from Asahina's stand.

The roads and buildings were in pieces, shattered by the renewed fighting in the capitol. He could see civilians in the streets, those not cowering within their homes or the businesses they frequented, wandering absently down the sidewalks. A few were in the middle of the road, and while Tohdoh took great steps to not run them over, he couldn't be sure of his success.

Frustration mounted within him.

This isn't how it was supposed to be.

The Britannians were gone, finally banished from the Land of the Rising Sun. No longer would the back of the Japanese be bowed by the opressor's boot. This should be a time of rebuilding and renewal, when grudges both old and new should have been swept aside.

"General, we're nearing one of the fuel depots," Sir Bart reported.

"Refuel, we'll need every drop we can get," he ordered.

As they rounded the corner, he felt his stomach drop.

The depot was ablaze, the few men left behind to guard it dead.

"Dammit!" Sir Bart cursed. "We need to-"

Gunfire erupted from the other side of the depot. Two of the Sutherlands with them exploded as the bullets found their mark. Tohdoh and the others dived into cover, returning fire as best they could.

"How many do you count?" Tohdoh asked.

"Two that I can see," Sir Bart replied. "But there may be more."

We don't have time to speculate. "Badgers Four, Five, and Seven- Advance! Covering fire!" Tohdoh directed.

Three Burai's broke from cover, firing as they went. A stream of gunfire poured around them, but two of them still toppled over, the second of them bursting into flames as it hit the ground. The third made it to the other side, opening fire upon the ambushers.

"Only two hostiles!" Badger Five reported. "Both down!"

"Secure the area!" Tohdoh ordered. "Check to see if any of the Sakuradite made it."

"General Tohdoh, come in General!" Chiba's voice said.

"This is Tohdoh, what is it?"

"All assaults have been ineffective! The enemy is pushing us back! We're nearing the bridges over the Arakawa. Average Sakuradite reserve is at twenty-two percent."

Tohdoh bit his cheek. "What's yours?" he asked.

"Fifteen. It's been hard fighting." She sounded sheepish. "We need a Sakuradite resupply. Can you assist?"

Tohdoh looked around at the smoking ruins of the depot. "Negative, not from this position," he replied. "I'll contact the troops at Kasukabe, we're do for a resupply ourselves. How's our ammo?"

"About as good as the Sakuradite," Chiba answered. "Dammit!" He could hear the roar of steel on the other end. "They just keep coming! We outnumber them by a wide margin, but they won't quit attacking!"

Tohdoh's chest tightened. He looked back around the depot. No, he can't be…

He switched over the frequency to Kasukabe's depot. "Kasukabe depot, do you read me?"

He heard only static on the other end.

"Kasukabe depot, report!"

Static was his only answer.

"We move, now!" Tohdoh shouted, speeding off immediately. He switched back over to Chiba. "Nagisa, fall back, now! Get as far back to the rear as you can!"

"Ky-Kyoshiro?"

"Now! GO!"

Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn!

"General!" Sir Bart called out. "What's going on?"

Tohdoh gritted his teeth. "Zero knows we're low on fuel," he answered. "That's why he broke off from Asahina. He's ordered a full scale attack against Chiba and her forces, forcing them to use up their fuel." He scowled viciously. "He's sacrificing his armor to drain ours. We have to catch up to him before he destroys the remaining depots!"

"Kyoshiro!" Chiba shouted. "Kyoshiro, the ground is-" The transmission cut out in a storm of static.

"Nagisa!" Tohdoh barked. "Nagisa!" He went to spin around. "Nagisa, I'm-"

"Tohdoh!" Sir Bart called out. "Tohdoh, we have to go! We need to catch Zero!"

Zero? Zero? What the Hell did Zero matter at the moment? Nagisa was-

"Wheel around!" Tohdoh ordered. "We have to get back to the main column!"

"NO!"

The Glaston sped in front of him, holding his arm out before him. "Tohdoh, we have to go!"

"To Hell with you!" Tohdoh shouted. "I need to get back to my men." Back to her.

"Don't let your personal feelings cloud your judgment! Keep your eye on the prize! Zero!"

"My personal feelings?" Tohdoh queried incredulously. "I won't be lectured about my feelings by a man pursuing a vendetta!"

"That has nothing to do with this!" Sir Bart objected. "How many men have been killed in this assault? Do you think either of us can just walk this off? We have to win here or all is lost!"

As Tohdoh went to make a scathing retort, the knight said, "You were already willing to abandon one of your Holy Swords. Will you make his sacrifice a mockery by going after her?"

Tohdoh squeezed his yoke tightly, anger and worry mixing with guilt and shame. He looked past the Glaston's shoulder to where Chiba should be, somewhere beyond the skeletal skyscrapers and burning homes. He closed his eyes tightly, struggling to get himself back under control.

He wheeled his Knightmare around. "Let's go," was all he said.

…

Satte

"Burn it all! Every last bit!" Lelouch shouted, firing a burst into a Sakuradite tank. The resulting explosion wiped out the warehouse it was in as each tank was punctured, sending flaming debris through the air.

Kallen kept on the lookout, straining to detect any signs of movement from their rear. The friendly signals they had left behind at their last three locations had already winked out, their absence carving out an anxious morbidity. Her palms were clammy inside her suit, perspiration glistening on her forehead.

"J's Five, Seven, and Eight," Lelouch called out, "you're rolling out the welcome wagon. Keep slowing Tohdoh down."

"Yes, sir!"

"Form up on me," Lelouch said. "Let's go, Q-1."

"Copy, K-1," Kallen confirmed, rolling in beside him. She scowled as they drove.

The streets were in ruins, the rubble of destroyed buildings overflowing the sidewalks onto the pockmarked asphalt. Bodies lay scattered, some out in the open, others peeking out from beneath the masonry and rubble.

Among the bodies, she could hear voices.

"Momma...Momma..."

"Help! Help me please! Oh God, oh God it hurts!"

"Medic! Medic!"

Kallen grimaced, her lips trembling. She opened her private channel with Lelouch.

"Couldn't we stop for-"

"We haven't the time," Lelouch interjected. "Tohdoh's right on our backs. We can't slow down for anything." His voice was tight, as if he was barely controlling himself. "The only way we can help them is by ending this battle quickly."

Kallen ground her teeth. "Right," she said bitterly.

Damn you, Tohdoh! Damn you for this! All of this is your fault!

She scowled with disgust. To think I ever looked up to you!

They were five blocks away from the next depot when they ran out of time.

"Enemy at our six!" one of the rearguard units cried. "Enemy at our six! We-AAAGH-"

"Wheel around!" Lelouch commanded. "We'll take them head on!"

They ended up at the back of the column by virtue of having formerly been at its head, a fact that very likely was the only reason either of them were still alive. At what was now the vanguard, pieces of Black Knight Burais were flying all over the place as Kyoshiro Tohdoh hacked his way through their dwindling detachment, red explosions lighting up the night streets.

"K-1! Get behind- SHIT!"

Kallen had just enough time to raise the silver claw to block Tohdoh's incoming blade, the sword grinding against the radiation field Kallen summoned to block the slash. Tohdoh pulled back immediately, bringing the blade in for an upward slash that Kallen ducked beneath, only to be met with the heel of the Gekka's foot in her factsphere.

She used the backward momentum to backflip the Guren, pirouetting to the side as she dodged the thrust of Tohdoh's blade. Tohdoh overextended, and Kallen thrust forward with the Radiant Wave, aiming for the Gekka's right shoulder. Tohdoh somersaulted forward, kicking her wrist as he went, swinging around his wrist mounted gun. Kallen raised her own wrist gun, firing as she dodged away between the bursts of gunfire.

Tohdoh slashed in half a Burai that had wandered too close to the melee, the ensuing flash dazzling Kallen's instruments. By instinct, she jumped straight up in the air, spinning like a top, her right landspinner touching down gracefully while she thrust her left hand forward, firing as she went. She reversed the yoke, rolling backwards into a crouch.

The camera feed returned as soon as she stopped, revealing a similarly crouched Tohdoh, his right hand ripping away his useless, ruined left.

Kallen's console beeped, indicating she was receiving a hail.

She could guess from whom.

"You have improved," Tohdoh said. To Kallen's ears, it sounded like approval.

"I've had a lot of practice," she replied, scowling.

"Would it be asking too much that you lay down your arms and surrender?" Tohdoh asked.

She narrowed her eyes. "Far too much," she confirmed. She remembered crawling out of the rubble of Ashford with her rescuers, in the ruins of the only real home she'd ever had. "You tried to kill my friends."

"And you have killed mine. A pity. You are a fine warrior, Kozuki." Tohdoh raised his sword. "You will die well."

Kallen leveled the Radiant Wave. "Rot in Hell, you son of a bitch!"

…..

Zero squeezed the trigger on his gun, frowning mechanically as the stream of bullets tore a Glasgow to shreds. "I thought we all phased these out over the course of the war?" Zero mused.

He shifted his aim, the next burst striking a Sutherland across its chassis, dark satisfaction welling within him as the Knightmare exploded.

"There's a large number of Britannian Knightmares," he said. "Did they find some armory somewhere on the island?"

He kept his mind occupied, trying to focus on analyzing the battle before him rather than fidget over Kallen's duel with Tohdoh.

Does she have enough Sakuradite? Is he low? How much ammunition does he have left? Should I try to-

"No," he told himself sternly. "You'll just get in the way. Let her do her job while you do yours."

Another Sutherland exploded, only to be replaced with yet another one, this one missing its right arm.

"Where are all these Britannian units coming from?" Zero asked aloud. "Was Tohdoh stamping out his own Britannian resistance? No, if that were the case, there wouldn't be so many functioning units. But then, where did he get them?"

He allowed himself a glance over to where Kallen and Tohdoh were fighting. The two were moving at a blur, each blow faster than the other, at speeds which Zero could only dream of glimpsing. The fact that Kallen, a woman with only half the experience of Tohdoh in such pitched battles, was holding her own was mind boggling.

Zero smirked, a pleasant feeling rising in his chest.

Stone masonry exploded next to his head.

"Get your head on straight, fool!" he cursed himself.

He rolled backward as a particularly tenacious Sutherland attacked, waving its machine gun around like a club. Zero might have thought the man was out of ammunition, but there was a clumsy fury to his attacks, almost as if the pilot was flying into a rage.

"ZERO!" he heard someone shout. "DAMN YOU, ZERO! DIE!"

Zero fired a burst at the Sutherland before him, but gaped in astonishment when the Sutherland leapt over the deadly projectiles, a stun tonfa appearing in its hand. Zero raised a hand to defend himself, only to gawk as the tonfa bashed right through it.

"Damn it!" he shouted, throwing his Burai fully in reverse, his machine pistol firing on full-auto as he fled.

"YOU WON'T ESCAPE ME, YOU MONSTER!"

The Sutherland slipped past every bullet fired as if they weren't there.

Zero clicked his tongue. "Who the Hell are you?" he demanded, firing a slash harken while he recharged his magazine.

"I AM SIR BART DARLTON, SON OF ANDREAS DARLTON!" the Sutherland pilot shouted. "BROTHER OF DAVID DARLTON! KNIGHT OF CORNELIA! FOR MY FATHER, FOR MY BROTHER, FOR MY PRINCESS, I WILL KILL YOU!"

"Well," Zero commented, a trickle of sweat running down his back, "that does complicate matters."

….

Kallen sidestepped a swing of Tohdoh's sword. Her brow shone with perspiration. She took great heaving breaths. The only other time she had fought so deadly an opponent was against Cornelia, at the Battle of Mount Fuji, a duel she had lost. Exhaustion was starting to creep in.

I don't think I can keep going like this.

Her console beeped. She grimaced. Only eleven percent left!

That was enough fuel for thirty-two minutes, under the best circumstances. Given the frenetic pace of their duel, she doubted it would last half that long.

How much Sakuradite does he have left? Is he as low as I am, perhaps more? How much longer can he keep this up?

"Looks like you're in trouble, Kozuki," Tohdoh suddenly stated.

Kallen scowled. She leaned harder into her bike mount. "I can do this all day," she said, taking the momentary reprieve to wipe her face of sweat.

"I do not doubt it," Tohdoh replied agreeably. "But what samurai can continue after their lord has been slain?"

"What?" Kallen looked through her camera. Her lips parted in horror.

Lelouch's Burai was missing an arm, while his other was firing panic shots at a Sutherland.

"Lelouch," she whispered.

She wheeled around, Radiant Wave at the ready, but leapt to the side, just barely avoiding the jab of Tohdoh's sword. Several more thrusts came in, scraping at the shoulders, arms, even sinking a half inch into the chassis above her Yggsdrasil Drive.

"D-Dammit!" Kallen gasped.

"You would be wise to keep your attention on me, Kozuki," Tohdoh said. "One wrong step and I'll have you."

"You son of a bitch!" Kallen shouted.

She didn't bother with the Radiant Wave, instead firing her slash harken at point-blank range. Tohdoh sidestepped it with ease, his sword sliding along the tether. He grabbed it with his free hand, twisting the cable around his blade, and thrusting it down into the concrete.

The Guren was jerked to the ground, Kallen's teeth clacking painfully as the chassis struck the pavement. The Gekka was on her in an instant, fist and feet colliding with the Guren in hard body blows that left impact craters where they landed. Kallen charged the Radiant Wave, swinging blindly for Tohdoh's head, but the older soldier pinned it in place beneath his left arm. With his remaining hand he grabbed the wrist at the base of the claw, and pulled.

The screech of steel was loud in Kallen's ears as the metal split apart. Tohdoh tossed the metal hand away and grabbed the base of Kallen's factsphere. He pulled, metallic fingers digging beneath the Guren's chin, exposing sparking wires.

Kallen had just a moment to stare into the cold eyes of Tohdoh's factsphere before her feed went dark.

…

Infirmary, Presidential Palace, Tokyo

Villetta taped the bandages over Ohgi's belly. She smiled weakly at him. "There, good as new," she said.

Ohgi tried to smile, but only managed a tight grimace. "I feel better already," he joked tightly, his teeth crushed together as he fought the pain.

Villetta ran a comforting hand hesitantly over his shoulder, unsure of precisely what to do. Whatever anger or sense of betrayal that she had nursed over the past few months fled quickly in the face of his pained groans after she shot him. In a panic, she had reassigned a squad of her men to help her storm the Palace's makeshift infirmary.

That had proved to be a mistake.

One of the paratroopers fired a burst from the doorway.

Villetta glanced nervously at the door. Commandeering her squad had fatally weakened the attempt to storm the throne room. She had already lost eight men when the assault began. Taking away the six men she needed to capture the infirmary had further diminished them. When enemy reinforcements struck them from the rear, the bulk of her troopers became trapped in a front-back fire lane from which there was no escape. The infirmary had become a jail cell.

Villetta looked around. Infirmary was, perhaps, too strong a word to be using to describe the place. The actual infirmary had been destroyed during the Black Rebellion. The makeshift infirmary they were in now had, in fact, been one of multiple conference rooms. Steel cots had been rolled in at some point, likely from the remains of the Tokyo General Hospital, but there was precious little medical equipment.

Ohgi groaned.

Villetta caressed his brow gently. "You're going to be alright," she reassured him, her tone thick with guilt.

Ohgi gripped her hands in his own. "It's...It's not..." His jaw locked tightly. "It's not me...I'm worried...a-about." He looked up at her, and Villetta was both elated and grief-stricken that his pained eyes were filled with love. "You-You c-c-can't h-hold this room fo-re-v-v-ver."

Villetta smiled wanly. She brushed her fingers through his hair. "You're just saying that because you want to win," she joked weakly. "You just can't stand losing."

"Villetta!" Ohgi gasped, his white teeth clenched painfully.

Villetta whipped around to the team's medic. "Goddamn you! Give him some morphine!"

The medic scowled at her. "I'm not wasting morphine on the enemy!" he denied. The medic turned his attention back to the man he was helping, a sergeant in his late twenties whose guts had spilled out. The man was silent, whether from the drugs or shock, Villetta couldn't tell. As the medic went back to sewing him up, he said, "That Eleven's lucky he got what he did!"

"You bastard!" Villetta reached for her pistol, intent on enforcing her will with the barrel of a gun, but was stopped when a hand grabbed her wrist.

Ohgi gripped her wrist in a bloody hand. Her mouth parted in shock at just how strong his grip was.

"It's...It's okay...Villetta," he said. "I-" he grimaced painfully. "I'll b-be...al-alright."

Villetta's cheeks grew wet.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so, so sorry. I never should have pointed my gun at you. I should have told him to stand down."

"I'll…live."

He let go of her wrist, bringing up his shaking hand to cup her cheek. She turned into it, holding it against her face and kissing his bloody palm.

"Major!"

She didn't look at the soldier. "What is it?" she asked.

"I just lost contact with Squad Four," the soldier replied. "We're overrun. If we don't evacuate, we're certain to be killed or captured."

Gunfire rattled from outside the doorway.

"Major, what are your orders?"

Villetta looked up at him. He was pale, his expression calm, but his body was tense and his eyes were on edge.

"Evacuate," she answered. "Leave the wounded here and get out of the palace. You should be able to blend in with the civilians."

"We can't leave the wounded behind, ma'am," the soldier protested. "We don't leave anyone behind."

"I'm sure the Black Knights will treat us fairly," Villetta lied through her teeth. "They will certainly abide by the rules of war."

"The Empire turned Area Eleven into a barbecue!" the soldier retorted. "They won't-hold on." He looked at her askance. "What do you mean by 'us,' Major?"

"I'm staying," Villetta answered. "I won't abandon my comrades. I won't ask them to do something I wouldn't do."

"Vi-Villetta!" Ohgi croaked. "N-No! S...Sa…Save..."

Villetta pinned her finger against his lips. "I'm not leaving you, Kaname," she reproved him gently. "Never again."

"But, Major-"

"This is General Kyoshiro Tohdoh. Zero has surrendered," the radio suddenly squawked. Villetta's head snapped to it.

"No, way," one of the soldiers breathed, dumbfounded.

"Zero's forces have surrendered to me," the voice on the radio continued. "Zero is in my custody. All remaining Black Knights are to immediately lay down their arms and surrender."

A sense of profound relief filled Villetta. As the survivors around her whooped and cheered, Villetta only smiled.

Finally, it's over.

...

"KALLEN!" Lelouch shouted.

The head of the Guren lay next to the wrecked machine. Tohdoh, battered but victorious, stood over the defeated Knightmare. The Guren was moving, barely, but it was clear it was spent.

"PAY ATTENTION, ZERO!" his Glaston opponent shouted. His stun tonfa knocked the empty machine pistol from the Burai's hands. "I WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE WHEN YOU DIE!"

Lelouch backpedaled, whipping out his own stun tonfa. His eyes kept flicking over to where the Guren lay.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Lelouch bellowed, rolling away from the Britannian towards Tohdoh.

"I'M YOUR OPPONENT, ZERO!"

A steel foot slammed into Lelouch's shoulder, sending him reeling back. Lelouch brought up his stun tonfa, connecting twice with the Glaston's own, before his defense crumbled. The left side of his factsphere was smashed in, the left camera feed splintering as the camera lenses cracked. The image of the Sutherland became fractured, disappearing periodically into the warped fixtures of the broken glass.

Lelouch ducked beneath a savage thrust to the chest, his teeth grinding.

"Lelouch!" Kallen called out. "Lelouch, get out of here!"

His eyes bulged. "I'm not leaving you behind!" he rejected. He swung his stun tonfa for the Sutherland's head, but the Glaston batted it away with contemptuous ease.

"I've had it," Kallen retorted. "The Guren's wrecked. Rakshata's probably going to kill me," she joked.

Lelouch dodged drunkenly from a series of jabs, grimacing tightly when a hard fist collided with the chassis.

"Run, Lelouch, please!" Kallen yelled. "If you die, then all of this was for nothing!"

Lelouch ground his teeth. "Kallen..."

"You have to live!" Kallen said. "Do you hear me? You have to live!"

Lelouch froze, his breath stilling in his chest.

Kallen, you have to live.

He had said those exact words to her a long time ago, or perhaps a long time yet to come, when the Black Knights betrayed him. She would have died with him in that moment, if he hadn't broken her heart. Everything he had done from that point forward, as he climbed the steps of a gallows of his own making, had been to protect her, so that she would not share his fate.

What did that matter? Leaving her behind resulted in her death. No matter his designs or intentions, she had ended up dead anyway. Her, and everyone else.

"Run, Lelouch!"

Lelouch glanced over at her, ducking beneath a sweep of the Glaston's tonfa. He looked around.

His troops were in disarray, their cohesion shattered by Tohdoh's sudden assault. Tohdoh himself was still standing over Kallen, his sword now in his hand. He did nothing but stand there, looming over the Guren, an almost quizzical gleam in the eyes of his factsphere. The threat was there, unspoken but present all the same.

I can't run. They'd run me down in seconds. Even if I did, Tohdoh might- He flashed his eyes to the Guren again. No. Never.

He was not going to abandon her.

"Tohdoh!" Lelouch called out over an open channel. "Tohdoh, can you hear me?"

"I read you loud and clear, Zero," Tohdoh responded coldly.

"What price must I pay for her life?"

"Zero, no!" Kallen cried out. "Run! Save-"

"Silence!" Lelouch barked. He kept his eyes on Tohdoh's Gekka. "Well?"

"Your surrender," Tohdoh answered. "Here and now. No schemes. No tricks."

"NO!" the Glaston shouted, turning on Tohdoh. "NO, DAMN YOU, HE'S MINE!"

"Half my army is dead or dying," Tohdoh retorted. "I won't let more be killed while you play with your food. Zero, those are my terms."

"Then I accept," Lelouch said. He pulled his scarf up, keeping his left eye closed as he did so. "Under these terms, I submit my surrender."