Soul: Time for Part 2 as I turn 32. Let's do it!
Naruto: Foxsky Harem Emperor also came out with a new chaper of Reading Evolution Geass. Check that out too!
-Review Responses:
REVANOFSITHLORD: *evil laugh*
elkenn: Heh heh heh
Raidentensho: Wait… wat o.O
InfiniteParadigmShifts: I have the app, but I haven't played past the tutorial. I am looking into playing the game regularly as I'm doing with Duel Links.
XenoBlaze: Gilles as one of Mao's Servants does make sense…
"We're completely surrounded and all of our underground reverse forces were captured all at once!"
"Word from our soldiers down in the town. They're evacuating everyone at gunpoint there!"
"General Katase, we've received a message from Cornelia's forces demanding our immediate surrender!"
Katase looked insulted. "Imbecile! If we lose here, then the whole resistance and the dreams of old Japan die with us!"
"Then General, do we engage the enemy in battle? Or do we dig in?"
Katase grimaced in thought. "What about Todoh? Where is he?"
"He's gone to Kyoto to get the custom Burais. The Four Holy Swords are traveling with him too."
"Then we're on schedule. He should be returning soon, that is if the blockades don't slow him down." Katase murmured with a hint of relief. "Sortie the Burai! We break the encirclement on one side and evacuate with brute force! We'll show them the Japanese Pride and Spirit! This is our moment of truth!"
Things were now moving ahead of schedule. The only silver lining was the Six Houses of Kyoto giving the JLF the Custom Burai to the Four Holy Swords, as well as one more chance.
"Evacuation is going well. And the Lancelot has just launched into the town. Hopefully, a fellow Japanese will ease the other Japanese living there." Euphemia noted before returning to the main screen. "Any engagements on the field yet?"
"Not yet, but soon. We believe the JLF's main headquarters is here, but we can't pinpoint it exactly until we find where their Burais' and artillery are deployed and focused." said the top-rank Royal Guard member. "However, until we obtain a list of their collaborators, we can't burn down everything without aerial bombing."
'Not if B.B. has anything to say about it, if you all even managed to get that far…' Euphemia mentally mused. "One has to wonder how they managed to do it." Upon looks of confusion, Euphemia elaborated. "The JLF has turned an entire mountain into a base with everything they need for weapons, supplies, and logistics; all without disrupting the town below, or tipping off aerial surveillance. I recall reports of the most valuable surviving members of the Japanese government being under heavy surveillance as well."
"Well, uh…" the Royal Guard leader looked unsure. "It's just…Clovis never expected them to get this far…"
"Clovis, of course. I love all my siblings, but even Clovis took the might of the Britannian military too much for granted." Euphemia's eye twitched, remembering the reports on Clovis's governing style that drove Cornelia straight to multiple bottles.
Along with banging her head on the nearest walls, and possibly crying in the shower, the last part Euphemia would neither confirm nor deny.
"No matter. Cornelia was saving them for last after what Joker and his friends did to her in Saitama, until the hotel jacking." Euphemia murmured as red dots popped up on the map. "And right on cue. They're attempting to break the encirclement and flee."
"Er, right." the man said, clearing his throat and gesturing to the map. "Our forces are divided into three fronts: the units led by General Darlton here," The man pointed at the east side of the mountain. "General Alex here." He pointed to the middle. "And Viceroy Cornelia here." He pointed to the west. "As for our flanking forces…"
The generals and Euphemia were suddenly greeted with an alarm and the map's image suddenly became warped and static.
"Enemy Electronic Countermeasure," Euphemia noted.
"ECM, Princess," the Royal Guard corrected her gently, "Deploy Counter-ECM!"
"The main enemy force should be coming out anytime now. We're switching to ECCN mode on Channel Alpha-4," Darlton informed his squad. "The enemy, what are we calling them again?"
"Burai, sir!" one of his adopted sons informed him. "They were created out of abandoned Glasgows!"
"Well, that's a damn shame. And here I was expecting a challenge, but they're using pseudo-3rd-Gen Knightmares. Nevertheless, watch out for them. There was that Glasgow from Shinjuku who managed to last the whole battle against Sutherlands, so expect the unexpected!"
"Yes, my Lord!" his troops yelled.
Near Cornelia's squad, Burai emerged from a hidden elevator covered by trees that moved to the sides thanks to the platform doors.
"How clever, they turned this mountain into a fortress," Cornelia commented in amusement, not fazed in the slightest.
"Your Highness, please fall back." Guilford requested, slightly overtaking her.
"Guilford, please don't treat me as if I'm another one of your women," Cornelia said warily, her eye twitching before shooting forward toward the Burai.
"It's… Cornelia!"
"Don't panic! Take her out and we win!"
The JLF soldiers opened fire, but the bullets did nothing to deter her advance as they bounced off her Frame.
"Insolent worms!" Cornelia shouted as she swung her lance, knocking two of them to the side and one back.
She then plunged her lance into the Burai in front of it, lifting it above her head, and watched as it exploded, the pilot yelling in pain. Cornelia snorted in disgust at how pathetic the pilots were performing, shooting a Slash Harken at a tank above her, exploding it into hot metal and bits of burnt flesh.
"Right, well then I'll cover you from the rear." Guilford relented, being reminded how mighty a warrior his charge is.
Cornelia smirked as she glanced back at her knight before looking up at the mountain. "Well?! The Witch of Britannia, Cornelia li Britannia, is here! Is there no one who will challenge me? WELL?!"
Her booming voice echoed through the forest, with the JLF soldiers shaking in their weaponry at her sheer power.
Stage 15: Battle of Narita - Part 2
Back in the town, the evacuation was halfway done with hundreds of people carted out in cargo trucks. Buses also arrived to assist, carrying more people out. Some were forced out at gunpoint, no bullet was fired. The Japanese and Honorary Britannian were hesitant, but Suzaku and the Lancelot were integral in getting them out as well. He couldn't reveal his identity to them for security reasons, but his perfect Japanese helped things along.
"This sector is clear! Let's move on to the next!" Jeremiah said, leading a squad down the street.
Nearby, a man in a suit and trenchcoat came out of the shadows of an alleyway. Making sure the coast was clear, he made a mad dash towards the building he was heading to, his destination being underground.
The hidden location of a Code-R fallback location.
"Why did they choose this place?!" the man said, wiping sweat from his brow. "If Cornelia, Bourne, or the military should find the experimental data on Code R, it's all over!"
"Oh, my. Being inside the terrorist-controlled area, we thought it would be difficult for them to discover us."
"It was all General Bartley's decision, so there's no use in complaining about it." the lead scientist relented in resignation.
The group just had to wait until everything died down so they can move out with all the valuable equipment.
Odin sat in his chair in the rear of the cab of the Armored Special Carrier vehicle, looking over several monitors displaying all the incoming data that the drones, satellites, and radio transmissions were feeding the battle network. Frigga and Freya were sitting at their own terminals helping with the data flow.
"Alright! The drill has reached the desired depth. Extract the drill and insert the Transmission Pole into the hole."
"Odin. Status of Cornelia's progress." Rei asked over the radio.
"Her forces have reached the second line of defense. Sixty-two percent of the enemy is currently in the kill zone. They are approximately two kilometers from the operational launch point. Estimating twenty-two minutes before they make contact with the Red Line."
"Understood. Keep an eye out for any surprises."
"Affirmative," Odin replied and changed channels. "You guys ready?"
"We're ready to fly!" Milly confirmed from the bunker.
"I got my puke bucket next to me!" Rivalz added, who had finally chosen a codename for himself: Rio.
"Oh shut it, you!" Claire snapped at him. "Let's do this!"
Odin sweatdropped and laughed. "Right then! Panther, Rio, Ravel, now launching!"
From the roof of the ASC, three specialized drones with different colors were launched. Orange for Panther, blue for Rio, and red for Ravel. All three were controlling them from the bunker with motion controls, seeing the battlefield from the eyes of their drones.
"Holy- This is amazing! Way better than looking at screens!" Rivalz (Rio) cheered, flying around before stopping. "Oof, gotta get used to this! Might puke!"
"This is why you have to take it easy, dummy." Milly (Panther) scolded him. "This is WAY different from a Knightmare sim that you treat like an arcade machine."
"Focus up, we have a job to do," Claire (Ravel) said. "Panther, you and I will keep an eye out for any unpleasant surprises for our allies. Rio…just continue to do you."
"Outside and enemy radio transmissions that B.B. keeps to herself. On it." Rio nodded and floated off. "Slow and steady, slow and steady."
"So far, so good, Ni-Odin." Panther said, looking at the ASC.
"Our allies on the inside have been kind enough to provide the radio frequency the Britannians are using for this Op, Rio. Tune in and listen for anything strange… and get ready to hear a lot of screaming." Odin informed the boy with humor in his voice.
"Yeah, I'm kinda used to that after Shinjuku…" Rio grumbled and brightened up. "On the other hand, I hope today isn't Cornelia's time of-"
"Finish that sentence and Miss Onigawara will be paying you a nighttime visit and not the fun kind of nighttime visit." Ravel cut across him.
"Zipping lip now!"
"Everyone, meet Panther, Rio, and Ravel. They'll be working as our logistics force in the field." Odin announced to the Crimson Suns, who all noticed the flying drones.
The JLF were having a really bad time with their defense. Even surprise attacks didn't do anything as Cornelia's forces steamrolled over them.
"Too fragile…" Cornelia murmured in disappointment after skewering a Burai.
No matter what area was being defended, the JLF's Burai were mere nuisances to the Britannia's Sutherlands and Gloucasters. And soon, they were exposed.
"The enemy seems to be concentrated over here!" Darlton said after noticing his sector had an awfully large cluster of enemy forces. "This may be the target! Split up now!"
Odin's terminal began beeping loudly, signaling the 'Proximity Alert' as the enemy units were approaching the Red Line.
"The enemy is three-hundred meters from the Red Line! It's almost time, everyone!" Odin suddenly called out over the radio.
"Just in time! The rod is in and capped with the electrode! Kallen, you're up!" Ohgi said as the group inserting the rod moved aside.
"Right. Moving to Penetrating Electrode #3!" Kallen rolled her Guren to said node and placed the specialized silver hand on top of the cylinder. "Output confirmed! Wave Surger levels ready and holding! Standing by!"
"Good girl, Kallen!" Cypher cheered before noticing Joker with a finger on his helmet. "Any word from you-know-who?"
"Not yet. I'm having B.B. make me a collect call."
"Our second attack wave had no effect!" said a JLF soldier fearfully.
"Their sheer dominance is…insurmountable," Katase whispered and grit his teeth. "How is our evacuation going?!"
"We're all loaded up, but we still have no way out!" another soldier replied.
"Dammit!"
"Uh, sir? We have a call coming through our systems!" one of the command center members said. "Patching it through!"
"Ring, Ring~! Collect call for the lead piggy~! For your sake, you better accept it!" A very cheerful and familiar voice rang over the speaker.
"Is that the Crimson Suns' B.B.?!"
"This is Joker. Pull your forces back or they will die. This is the only olive branch you're getting. Live or die, make your choice."
"Joker? Wait!" Katase called out before hearing the line going dead. "Can it be?"
"Could…the Crimson Suns be here to help?" a soldier wondered with hope in his voice.
"...Do what he says." Katase relented. "Informed all forces to pull back! And do not tell them that it's the Crimson Suns in case of interception! Do it!"
"Y-Yes, General!"
"General Darlton, based on the analyses of the enemy's movements, I've determined that the entrance to the JLF's main base is that lodge located up the mountain!" another one of Darlton's adopted sons informed him.
"I believe that the correct term for this is 'Bingo!'" Darlton declared with a winning grin.
"Well sir, to be more precise-"
Darlton chuckled. "Oh just humor me. Call it in, Mr. Literal!"
A flash of light shot up above the forest and exploded, sending out a booming sound and a bright flash that could be seen from the other side of the mountain.
"Darlton. Looks like he found the entrance first." Cornelia noted with pride in her subordinate.
"Damn, we owe him drinks for another month now," Guilford grumbled.
"He is that good. We'll be securing our position here." Cornelia instructed.
"Are you sure about this?" asked a grinning Guilford.
"I am a fair woman. With my track record, I see no reason to steal achievements from my subordinates. Send the reserve force to back up Darlton. Looks like he'll be getting another medal." Cornelia remarked with satisfaction. "I swear he'll also need another jacket…"
Guilford smirked. "It's been a few years. It'll be his fifth one."
"Bravo, sister. Bra-fucking-vo." Lucienne said from inside her Ashigaru, helmetless and clapping mockingly. "We've played chess a few times, so I'm not surprised about this deployment. But like a typical Britannian, you all love to go in loud. Seriously, if I were running this operation, going quiet would be way more preferable in this scenario. So easy to read."
"Lucy, have you seen those Burai? They really are the worst." Milly said through the private channel as she floated next to Rei's Ashigaru. "I mean, we knew they were bad, but this?"
"Put them in the bin." Kallen piped in.
Aki shrugged. "I doubt repurposed Sutherlands were going to help them either. Cornelia and her Gloucasters are too good."
"It's fun to roast those Burai, but at the end of the day, the JLF were doing their best. If their leaders were on better terms with Kushina-san, their luck would turn out for the better. But alas," Lucienne put her helmet back on. "The old Japan has no place in the future…"
"Any word from Eliza-?" Ravel inquired.
"Stop. She's almost done, and just in time. Naruto's Plan B won't be needed after all." Rei said, clicking her tongue. "Also, Naruto? Why did you throw the JLF a bone?"
"So that people won't say that we abandoned them completely," he replied. "They're toothless dragons, but still have a bit of fame. We might get more recruits as a result…"
"Uh guys, I think I'm lost," Rio said, looking around, "Where am I?"
"Use the map, dummy." Naruto chided him over the private line.
Rio chuckled. "Just fuckin' with ya, good buddy-"
"Wait, I thought the reserve units were supposed to be assigned to General Darlton!"
"Huh?"
Rio turned towards the source of the voice, seeing five Sutherlands grouped together, with one familiar face talking to the group.
"That's Kewell!"
"The Purebloods? Why are they not on the front lines? Or even near the G1 protecting it." Ravel wondered as Rio ascended and moved closer from above, seeing Kewell looking fanatic.
"Well after what Kewell did, I bet Cornelia didn't want the Purebloods anywhere near Euphemia." Rio guessed as Kewell suddenly started shouting in despair.
"You mean this is the rear line?! You can't get any further away from the battlefield?! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO REDEEM MY REPUTATION OUT HERE IF I'M NOT EVEN NEAR THE FIGHTING?!"
"Oh, dear. I'll keep an eye on this one. He's gonna try something." Rio said, retreating into the trees.
"We've lost contact with Nakamura's unit!"
"No response from Sector Three!"
"Major Tamata has been killed!"
"Kuroda and Kurata!"
"What about Nagai!"
"This isn't happening fast enough! Get them all out of there!" Katase yelled in desperation and gritted his teeth. "Where is Todoh? If only he were here, the divine winds would blow once more. We'd have another Miracle of Itsukushima!" Regrets of his mistakes began to seep into his mind.
Putting the hopes of the rebellion on one man like Todoh only got them so far, with such pressure making him into an unwilling messiah. He was a great pilot and general, but he was no leader. That Battle of Itsukushima was one of luck and skill thanks to him. But no such miracle came again when Britannia put the squeeze on Japan and its resistance. Their army was still too big, the numbers overwhelming, with Todoh only taking fights he knew he could win; and over the years, there was none of them, leading to the JLF's decline.
And none of them would've happened if the leaders could've put aside their petty differences with Uzushio, who had more luck than they ever could.
They had a chance to work with Uzushio, the small Japanese island nation that single-handedly kept Britannia off their shores. In fact, they had offered their support and were willing to work with them despite their involvement in their meaningless banishment and exile. But the old heads absolutely refused to get along to the point of insulting Uzu. Seeing that they were unwilling to relinquish their dreams of returning Japan to the way it was before the invasion, Uzu left the JLF high and dry to continue doing their own thing.
'And now here we are, paying the price for our hubris.' Katase thought with regret.
At one of the blockades, two large trucks carrying the Four Holy Swords and their Custom Burais barreled their way through the checkpoint.
"Sir, don't you think this is a little extreme?" Asahina asked as he drove.
"Asahina, Chiba, prep the custom Burai ASAP!" Todoh ordered, ignoring the question. "Tell Urabe and Senba behind us to do the same. Traffic is blocked off all around Narita, and they've already begun to attack. I can only pray that we're on time."
"I just finished my final sweep! That's everyone!" Villetta yelled as she rolled to the town entrance where the last of the buses and transports were waiting.
"Excellent. This town is completely evac'ed!" Jeremiah confirmed. "Escort the remaining evacuees to the Narita border! I'll inform the Princess! Go!"
The last word was directed more towards the Servants as they whisked away towards the battlefield.
"Private Kururugi, head back to Camelot and await further orders!" Jeremiah ordered as the Lancelot pulled up.
"But what about the fighting-" Suzaku protested, wanting to do more.
"You've been given an order Warrant Officer, now follow it!" Villetta snapped at him.
"Err, yes, my Lord, my Lady." Suzaku relented and headed back.
Jeremiah frowned after him. "Hmm. You won't get to be Knight of One if you can't follow orders. Not that you have a chance to anyway."
Darlton watched his monitor as the Britannian army climbed to the top of the peak with no remaining resistance forces stopping them. "Now any resistance remaining in Area 11-"
"Will soon be finished." Cornelia finished with a grin, feeling victory was close.
"Princess Euphemia. All citizens in the Narita town have been evacuated, per your instructions." Jeremiah informed her.
"Good work, Jeremiah. That leaves me to oversee the medical team," Euphemia said with a smile.
All while sending a message through her iDroid underneath her sleeve.
Operation: Sundering
The leader's iDroids buzzed with Euphemia's message coming through, signaling the evacuation's completion.
"Just in the nick of time," Joker said and looked at Ginkaku as he said it. "Eh, Samurai?"
"At least we don't have to go through your Plan B." Ginkaku drawled back as he rose up from his sitting position.
"All right everyone, one last time! Welcome to your final interview, Operation: Sundering!" Joker roared as he shifted Raiser to Mobile Suit Mode. "Our overall objective? Launching a surprise attack on the Britannians from the summit of the mountain, and shoving our foot up their asses! Our primary objective is the capture of the Vicreory of Japan, Second Princess Cornelia li Britannia! Optional objective…is secret and will be carried out by Athena!" Athena nodded, knowing her task. "Once Kallen opens our breakthrough route, raise hell!"
The Crimson Suns roared in unison, ready for battle as Panther and Ravel's drones flew above them.
"Remember, everyone. Should you be forced to abandon your Frames, set the Auto-Destruct to destroy the unit. The last thing we need is for Britannia to get their hands on our tech!" Odin informed the pilots, getting confirmations in return.
With that, everyone prepared for battle.
"On your signal, Odin!" Cypher called out to the ASC.
"Wait for it…wait…wait…" he muttered, until his terminal buzzed, showing the enemy Sutherlands breaching the Red Line, "Now! Hit it, Kallen!"
"Activating Gauntlet!" she yelled, pressing the trigger. "Radiant Wave Surger!"
The claw released a blast of red electricity that surged down through the seismic charge and into the mountain, where the groundwater was located, causing it to bubble. Kallen sighed as the Guren's arm powered down, ejecting a canister, and everyone waited in silence…
Until the ground suddenly began to tremble as sensors around the rod began to trigger alarms in the ASC.
"It worked!" Kallen cheered.
"Blow out! Get clear, Kallen!" Odin ordered.
"Kallen, move!" Aki screamed
Kallen jerked hard on her controls, throwing the Guren out of the way as the giant rod began to violently shake before the entire 75-meter pole was ejected from the hole by the colossal steam pressure built up inside the mountain. The Crimson Suns stared in awe as the rod flipped end over end over their heads and flew off the mountain and came crashing down into a grove of trees down below.
"Wow! That thing popped out like a cork!"
"What the hell kinda weapon is that?!"
"Kallen, that was amazing!"
Aki moved the Kokuren over to the Guren and spoke to her sister. "You alright, Kallen?"
"Yeah, I'm fine! Holy-!"
A column of steam exploded from the hole as rock began to crack under the pressure. The fissures started spreading as the entire mountain started to split open and rock, dirt, and water erupted out like a volcano, creating a wall of debris that soon became an avalanche flowing down the mountain.
…
The last of the JLF's forces got into the base and sealed the openings, just as the avalanche of earth flowed down. Inside, the base violently shook as everyone inside held onto something.
"What's happening?!"
"Gah!"
Those hiding in the bathroom were suddenly drenched with water and filth, much to their displeasure, with the smell making them wish they were dead.
…
"What the?!"
"An earthquake? At a time like this?!"
The nearby Sutherlands couldn't wheel away in time as they were swallowed up by the earth.
…
"What in the world?!" Euphemia gasped, seeing multiple units getting LOST signals at a rapid pace. 'What in the world did you guys do?!'
She knew that she was to evacuate the town, but she was never told exactly what the others were planning for plausible deniability. She was told that it was going to be big, but she never imagined it would be on this scale.
"Impossible! How could a landslide come out of nowhere?!"
"Alex and Darlton's units are getting wiped out!"
'A landslide?! …A BLOODY LANDSLIDE?! Seriously! If they hadn't told me to evacuate the town, the citizens would've gotten swallowed up! I'm so glad they had me evacuate the town, but they are so going to hear it from me after this!' Euphemia raged in her mind.
…
"Climb! Get to higher ground!" Darlton shouted to his surviving men and sons as he struggled to roll up the cable of his slash harken.
…
"Sitrep, now!" Cornelia shouted, looking on in horror as the landslide continued down the mountain that barely missed her and her unit.
"We're still trying to confirm!"
"Your Highness, pull back! You're in danger there!" Guilford begged his charge.
"I don't care! Forget about me! Find out about Darlton!" Cornelia commanded. "And where's Alex?"
…
"Will this base hold?!" Katase questioned as he held on for dear life.
"The Central Area should make it through! Let's hope the tunnel systems hold up!" his aide shouted.
…
"Oh, my! At this rate, they will be swept all the way to the bottom." Lloyd mused as he watched the landslide from his terminal.
"Those readings are extremely abnormal. Do you believe a volcanic artificial eruption was induced?" Cecile wondered with a frown.
"Impossible…unless someone has used Rakshata's Radiant Wave Surger," Lloyd guessed, looking momentarily troubled.
"Did something happen?" Suzaku asked as he pulled up to Camelot.
"Ah~" Lloyd decided it would be wise not to continue his train of thought out loud. "Whatever it is, it has nothing to do with us, so just relax and remain on standby. Something tells me you'll be heading out again."
"I'll prep the Sand Panels. Just in case." Cecile said as Suzaku looked on in confusion.
…
The avalanche continued down the mountain, dragging earth, rocks, and trees that buried any Knightmare that was not fast enough to get out of the way. It fell all the way down to the mountain, stopping on the outskirts of the city that would have been buried alive. However, even if the city had been buried there was no one in the city.
Except for a certain dozen of scientists, who didn't secure the doors properly as the avalanche flowed into their secret lab and buried them alive, muffling their cries and screams.
…
The lead Crusaders just switched to their private Codec channel when Claire screamed. "HOLY SHIT!"
"You're telling me!" Kallen agreed.
"It's even more destructive than I anticipated…" Lucienne whispered in shock.
"NO SHIT!" Naruko and Milly yelled.
"Nines, Nina, I'm going to ask once more," Aki growled out slowly. "Did one of you mistype an equation, because this looks very different from the model you showed us!"
"I swear, we didn't! I was up all night adjusting all the values and variables!" Nina wailed shrilly. "This is even worse than the simulation predicted!"
"We tried to make it as accurate as possible, but in the end, it is just a simulation based on mathematical variables. What happens in reality can still come out differently. Those are the rules of physics."Nines admitted grimly.
"At least this managed to isolate Cornelia's unit from her forces," Nick noted, stroking his chin.
"What's done is done. We can't change the outcome." Nines said.
"At least Euphemia came through for us?" Rivalz said meekly.
"I know she did. She had to." Naruto said and shook his head. "And now…it's time to fight! Believe it! Now move out!"
…
"New enemy force confirmed moving in from the summit! Carius unit is moving to engage them!"
"Hoping to take advantage of all the confusion, are they?" Cornelia guessed with a slight smirk. "Fine then. At least this won't be too boring-"
"Emergency communication from Carius unit!"
Cornelia frowned. "What's wrong?" she inquired with dread in her heart.
"It's not the Japanese Liberation Front! We have visual confirmation! The Crimson Suns are here! They're storming the battlefield!"
Cornelia's eyes widened and she slammed her fist onto her console. "Dammit! I was careless! They caught us just when victory was in our grasp, again!"
"Viceroy! Carius's unit reports that the enemy is not using Sutherlands! Units are of a completely unknown type!"
"What?!"
…
"It's them! Joker! Cypher! Rei!" Kewell snarled with a mad look on his face. "How dare you show your masks here! All Purebloods! TO ME!"
"But, sir! Our orders are-"
"This requires drastic measures!" Kewell declared, ignoring his fellow Pureblood's protests. "If you want to reobtain your glory, then follow! We shall get back what is ours!"
"Y-Yes, sir!" the Pureblood begrudgingly agreed as they followed.
…
"Cornelia has limited reinforcements heading her way! Smash through them, then get to your assigned points to cut off her escape routes!" Joker ordered everyone. A chorus of confirmations came though as the Crimson Suns engaged the Britannians.
The Britannians were shocked to see Knightmare Frames they had never seen before barring down on them, along with two new types of machines completely foreign to them, but were known to the Crimson Suns as the Gekko and the D-Walker, which were introduced alongside the Ashigaru.
The infantry was supported by the Gekkos, large, unmanned, autonomous fighting vehicles. They had mechanical, turret-esque heads that resembled a face and a snout, connected to a small mechanical body and supported by two more organic-looking legs. They were part of the blueprints Nines had on him before becoming reality, along with the new D-Walkers, small personal weapons platforms that vaguely looked like miniature Knightmare Frames. Unlike the Gekkos, the Walkers could be manned.
The Infantry unit gunned down the other side's infantry and used launchers to take down tanks and opposing aerial surveillance. The Britannian Infantry ran about like chickens when the Gekkos bared down on them, kicking them into rocks and ledges to turn them into bloody smears, and gunning down those that got too close, letting out the occasional loud 'Moo' before going on the attack again. Those in the D-Walkers covered ground quickly, running over other infantry units and bouncing around tanks and Sutherlands, damaging them with high-caliber bullets and rockets that heavily damaged the Britannian's artillery.
And the Ashigaru were proving why they were better than Burai. Of course, they wielded rifles and knives, but when they were disarmed, they fought like humans, alarming the pilots of the Sutherlands. The strong cybernetic muscles aided in ripping the limbs out of the Sutherlands' sockets, forcing the latter's pilot to eject. However, some weren't lucky, as the Ashigaru caught some of them due to the alerts, and would toss the pilots aside to be killed or grievously injured. For the Britannian pilots, they weren't built to deal with such an enemy that was giving them such a thrashing.
…
"What? We're losing too many surviving units! How is this possible?! Could it be that kamikaze tactic I heard so much about?" Kewell wondered and shook his head. "No matter! Once I take out those three terrorists, the Purebloods will be back on top! …There!"
He spotted Raiser along with his escort and opened fire, but his bullets merely bounced off the Gun-Frame and the Ashigaru, who spotted him.
"That must be you, Joker! You'll be the first to pay for what you've done!" Kewell declared as he and his unit surrounded them.
"Just like you Purebloods. Always doing whatever you want as if you're the Emperor of Britannia." Joker drawled as Rio arrived next to him. "He really wants me dead, doesn't he?"
"Not that he had a snowball's chance in hell to begin with," Rio replied. "What are you gonna do with him? You can easily take him out."
"Of course, but he's a proud Pureblood. So it's only natural that scum like him gets what he deserves in an ironic fashion." Joker chuckled darkly.
"Like a bitch?"
"Like a bitch."
"You…DARE MOCK YOUR BETTERS?!" Kewell roared with foam frothing from his mouth.
"Yes, I dare," Joker stated before grinning at his next out-of-pocket statement. "So much so that…I'll be sure to tell Marika about how honorably you died…in the bedroom that is."
Rio gasped at that. "BRUH."
"Just go with it!" Naruto growled through the codec.
"O-o-o-oh-oh-oh-GAAAAAA!" If Kewell didn't go mad already, he definitely is now thanks to Joker uttering the name of his dear sister, and what he planned to do. "YOU BASTARRRRRRRRRRRD! YOU FILTHY ELEVEN SCUM FUCKER!"
"Damn, Joker! You just made a Britannian pureblood noble lose his shit! Props to you!"
"We sure came in at the worst time, but whatever!"
Kewell was wheeling forward until the Guren and Kokuren dropped down and landed in front of him, with Guren knocking Kewell's rifle off his Knightmare with her clawed hand.
"Lord Kewell!" one of the Purebloods shouted.
"No! Back the fuck off! They're mine!" Kewell declared, deploying his dual tonfa.
"But look at them, dammit! We've never seen Knightmares like those! Is it possible that these Elevens have-"
"Bah! These monkeys are incapable of such technology!" Kewell countered dismissively.
"...Well that was rude. Red Queen, terminate Kewell Soresi. Black Rose, eliminate the rest of the Purebloods." Joker ordered the sisters. "They've overstayed their welcome."
"Yes, Boss!" they confirmed and engaged.
Kallen engaged Kewell, determined to end him. While she had her Geass, she doubted she needed it for a sad opponent like Kewell. Even without Geass, she could see his attacks coming from a mile away and evaded them appropriately.
"It's fast!" Kewell gaped as his tonfa then broke off the Guren's armor. "And durable?! What the hell is this?!"
"What this is Pureblood, is your doom! Say hello to my baby, the Guren Ni- no, Sankishi! That's right, we can finally go up against you on equal footing head-on," Kallen declared and activated her claw. "Our counterattack begins now!"
"This can't be happening- Oh hell, that right hand!" Kewell yelped and backpedaled. "Bah! Nothing special! I keep my distance- wha!" The Guren's clawed arm extended forward and grabbed him by the front of his mech. "What's this?! Let go, you bitch!"
"Hey, Pureblood. Just for the record, my sister and I? We're both Japanese and Britannian. We're half-breeds." Kallen revealed, striking Kewell dumb as she activated a Progrise Key, and grinned. "Like the Boss said, we'll take care of your dear sister." she said and activated the Wave Surger, enhanced by the Progrise Key. "Like a bitch."
[PROGRISE KEY CONFIRMED, READY TO UTILIZE: LION'S ABILITY]
Kewell gasped in horror as his Sutherland was filled with red radiation, causing the Frame to bulge at an alarmingly fast rate. "What the hell is this?! What's happening to me?!"
"Lord Kewell, eject!" one of the Purebloods cried out before getting stabbed by Aki. "GAH!"
"Damn you! Joker was right there! I'll make sure to get you back for this! I swear!" Kewell yelled as his Frame was ravaged and activated his ejector…only for it to fail. "What?! Come on, move! Eject, dammit! Not like this! NOT LIKE THIS! I CAN'T LOSE TO THESE ELEVENS AND HALF-BREEDS! I AM A PUREBLOODED BRITANNIANNNNNNNNNNNNNNN-!"
"Now, please die!" Kallen said and turned the Key.
[BURST]
A surge of energy traveled through the metal arm and into the Frame, causing a massive explosion that engulfed the mech with Kewell inside, putting an end to the Pureblood fanatic.
"I won't lose, ever again. Guren Sankishi!" Kallen declared, raising her Guren's claw.
"Lord Kewell- GAH!" another pureblood cried out before getting sliced down the middle by Aki.
"It's time for you all to join him. Now burn in Hell, Purebloods!" Aki hissed, separating her double-bladed lance into two dual blades. "Raijin Javelin, dual long-ranged mode, activate!"
Energy protruded from her lance weapons, arcing with electricity. Aki stared down the final four disgraced Purebloods with malice, her dark sadistic nature showing in her eyes. A few swipes from her blade and it would all be over. But no… let them come. Let them experience the same hopelessness they inflict on other Numbers.
"It's…It's three of us and just one of her! Avenge Lord Kewell!"
"RRAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
They opened fire, peppering the Kokuren with bullets. The Knightmare barely moved, only looking around as the bullets bounced off its frame. The guns then clicked, out of ammo, with Kokuren tilting its head. The Purebloods yelled, unsheathing their tonfas and charged at Kokuren, bashing it with their tonfas, but they barely made a dent, much less a scratch. Inside, Aki continued looking on in sadistic amusement, tapping an orange Progrise Key against her console.
Finally the assault ended, the Purebloods stepping back to see their attacks did absolutely nothing.
"It can't be."
"Not even a scratch."
"Time for the Phantom Thieves' treasure," Aki murmured and inserted the Key.
[PROGRISE KEY CONFIRMED. READY TO UTILIZE CHEETAH'S ABILITY]
"Die."
[DASH]
Kokuren disappeared, with orange-yellow streaking flashing around the Purebloods. With each pass, a sharp line appeared on the Sutherlands. The Frames twisted and turned, trying to track the Kokuren, but to no avail. The Kokuren reappeared behind them, reattaching its weapons and twirling them around.
The Sutherlands then fell apart with blood leaking from its openings, with the pilots diced up and dead. Once metal and flesh hit the ground, the dismembered Frames exploded.
"Fatality." Rio noted, amazed at the power of the Progrise Keys.
"...Thus ends the story of The Purebloods." Joker declared over the cheers of his comrades.
…
The sun gleamed off of Ginkaku's golden armor as he stalked along the mountainside. In one hand he held a long, slender sword, normally meant for two-handed use, yet he showed no sign of difficulty in wielding it.
Wherever he encountered groups of infantry or lone Sutherlands, he would spring into action, pouncing into their midst and cleaving clear through their bodies with broad, elegant yet brutal slashes. For the Knightmares, he would jump onto the back of their cockpit, and stab efficiently and precisely through the steel, before kicking off the casing into the air, leaving the mech to go limp, the pilot inside stabbed through the top of their skulls.
Not even tanks were safe from him, as he would leap down silently upon them, hacking off the ends of their barrels, carving open holes in their armor plating, and slashing through everyone inside.
"Pathetic. Not even worth using any skills on," he muttered to himself, his owl helmet providing a haunting last sight for the Britannian soldiers.
…
"Yee-haw, bay-bay!" Cypher cheered, using Artorias in Hoverbike Mode, and came upon a legion of recovering Britannian soldiers with Sutherlands and tanks. "Well, will you look at that? More Blood for the Blood God! Hiya, fuckers!"
She jetted off a ledge, switching to Mobile Suit mode, and landed upon the legion. She let out a chuckle as the Britannians opened fire on her Frame, and they barely did anything. As she walked forward, Cypher readied a Progrise Key and activated it.
[PROGRISE KEY CONFIRMED, READY TO UTILIZE: GIRAFFE'S ABILITY: ELECTRIC]
"Time to fry~!" Cypher squealed. She slammed Artorias's hand down and unleashed an electrical current along the wet ground, electrocuting and short-circuiting everything in her line of sight. Then she leapt forward, grabbed a Sutherland, kicked a tank away, and swung the Knightmare around to wipe out the infantry units before smashing the machine into a tree. She then unleashed her high-frequency Blades and sliced through several units, Frame, pilots and all, causing them to explode in a fiery blast.
"That was a bit much," Panther said as she floated towards the carnage.
"Well, you know what they say, kitty-cat: Can't make an omelet without smashing a few Britannians." Cypher chuckled darkly.
"That's terrible, this is terrible, and you're terrible," Panther replied flatly, "But please…continue. And incoming."
A grenade landed beneath Artorias and exploded, but it took no damage as it turned towards the source: a lone soldier now charging desperately at her. A sigh sounded from Artorias as she reared back her finger and flicked the soldier away to who knows where.
"...I could've sold him a cheap Knightmare."
"That's an even more terrible fate."
…
Several Sutherlands exploded from random areas of the battlefield, sending the Britannian forces scrambling in confusion.
Yoko was hanging from a tree, whistling as she used her new and improved anti-Knightmare rifle to eliminate more hostile Frames to further demoralize the enemy. After a few shots, she leaped from tree to tree so she wouldn't be tracked, but stopped when she heard some strange sounds.
"Oh, my stomach!"
"What the?" she murmured before spotting the source of the noises coming from a port-a-potty. "Huh?"
She jumped towards the single port-a-potty and hid in the branches. The redhead winced when the groans became apparent that the occupant wasn't having a fun time inside. She sweatdropped when a Britannian soldier ran towards the lone port-a-potty and tried to open it. With no success, he banged on the door, pleading to be let in.
"Dammit Johnny, let me in!"
"Hold on! More is coming out- Oooooooooooooooooooooo!"
"Talk about a shitty day." Yoko cringed, opting to leave them alone and jumped away.
…Didn't Nines have some weird recording of a soldier with a stomach ache?
…
"What are our losses?!" Darltron asked, helping his squadmates climb out of the mudslide.
"I'm reading twenty percent of our forces!"
"Twenty percent?!" Darlton repeated in horror. "Our command structure can't sustain this! We need to regroup, now!"
…
"Lloyd, what's going on?" Suzaku demanded from his cockpit, hearing a lot of chatter on the radio.
"It's very unnatural." Lloyd hummed in thought and interest.
"Unnatural?" Suzaku questioned.
"There seem to be confirmed visual reports that the Crimson Suns have appeared."
Suzaku's eyes widened. "Joker. Cypher. Rei." he whispered, gritting his teeth as the memory of his first battle against Joker and his advanced Knightmare Raiser was fresh in his mind.
"Congratulations, Warrant Officer!" Lloyd remarked with a giggle as he looked up at Suzaku with a grin. "This is our chance!"
"Lloyd!" Suzaku shouted indignantly.
"You're so rash!" Cecile scolded.
"Uh?" Lloyd looked over at Cecile. "Why is that?"
"Would you like a detailed explanation?" Cecile smiled sweetly with a dangerous closed-eye look.
"Uh… No, I'll pass." Lloyd relented, knowing what happen if he put his foot in his mouth. "Anyway, while the High Command is still gathering data all we can do is play by ear until the Princess deploys you again, right?"
…
"Status report!" Euphemia barked, taking initiative from the useless Royal Guard. "Is the Viceroy safe?!"
"Yes, she was outside the mudflow but the units guarding her flank were lost!" one of them reported.
"That means she's totally isolated!" another said. "Where the hell are those Purebloods?!"
"I just got confirmation! The Purebloods rushed into the battlefield without authorization and were wiped out by the Crimson Suns!" one of the operators shouted. "All of them are KIA!"
"How is this possible?! All our other units are getting wiped out one by one! At this rate, there will be no one to protect the Viceroy!"
Euphie bit her lip. Her dear childhood friends and sisters were doing well, and that was to be expected. Right now, she was waiting for the perfect chance to send Suzaku out again.
"Send all available units to rendezvous with the Viceroy! Once that happens, they are to retreat!" Euphemia ordered, playing her part.
"Yes, My Lady!"
…
"How are we looking, everyone?!" Joker asked through the Crimson Suns' public channel.
"We are kicking all kinds of ass, Boss!" Aki replied.
"That's cool and all, but we have wounded on our end. Pinging my location!" Panther said.
"Hey, who said they could fight back?!" Cypher complained, with Ginkaku snorting.
"Calm down. We expected this. It won't change the outcome. Just continue punching through their lines. I want no reinforcements joining Cornelia!" Rei commanded the troops.
"Got more wounded here- Shit!" Ravel yelled out. "Activating shields! Gimme some weapons next time! Preferably non-lethal!"
"I'll take it under advisement." Odin drawled. "Don't worry, Joker is close to where you're at. Right, good buddy?"
"You know it."
Raiser rolled up, covering Ravel and his infantry. He unsheathed his HF-Katana, electricity sparking off of it, and walked towards the offenders: a few Sutherlands and infantry soldiers.
"How about you guys surrender-"
Cue desperate cries and gunfire peppering his mech.
"Or I can do this."
Joker shifted Raiser into Hoverbike Mode and flew towards them. He hit the brakes and swung his bike around, using the backend to send the infantry flying and tripping up the Sutherland units. Shifting back to Mobile Suit Mode, he lashed out with his sword with Battojutsu, the force creating air blades that sliced into the Britannians, turning them into bloody smears.
"Get the wounded back to base, Ravel." he ordered and zoomed off.
"Yes, Boss! C'mon, let's go!"
…
"Princess Euphemia, the situation is getting dire! You must deploy an airstrike!" a Royal Guard suggested.
"That will only happen once everyone rendezvous and is accounted for!" Euphemia bit back. "If I authorize it now, our surviving forces will get caught in the crossfire- What the?" she noticed new signals on the map. "Something's approaching the Viceroy from behind-! Wait."
"What is it, Princess?"
"How was it that the JLF's resistance was so easy to punch through in the beginning? They have aces themselves. The Four Holy Swords, right?"
"Yes. They are the JLF's most formidable fighters."
Euphemia smacked her head. "...Then that explains why our forces had it so easy! The Four Holy Swords have just arrived!"
…
On the highway, the two trucks were now driving by themselves with the members of the Four Holy Swords in their new Knightmares.
"All units, are you ready?"
"Yes sir!"
"All right. Deploy the Custom Burai!"
"Deploying!"
The top of the trucks opened up and five Knightmare Frames resembling Burai rose up, all in kneeling position.
"Listen carefully, if this landslide was man-made it should allow us to hit Cornelia from behind. Capture Cornelia now, take revenge for what happened seven years ago!" Lieutenant Colonel Tohdoh commanded.
"YES SIR! BY THE HONOR OF THE FOUR HOLY SWORDS!" the other four soldiers shouted as they charged up the mountain.
…
"Oi, Odin! The Four Holy Swords have just arrived in the operation zone and are headed for Cornelia!" Frigga reported.
"Took them long enough," Odin mused, looking through Rio's feed as the latter's drone floated in for a closer look. "You hear that, guys?"
"Loud and clear. Tohdoh-sensei may not know it, but he and his mates are helping us. They'll keep the rest of Cornelia's guard busy while we move in for the kill." Rei said as her escort dealt with the Britannian forces.
…
Cornelia had just finished eliminating a Burai when another leaped up from the trees. She was alarmed by the difference in appearance: this one was white, with longer antennae sticking out and slanting downward. Worse, it instantly cut through a Gloucester and just as quickly attacked another as the first Gloucester exploded.
"Surround them!" Tohdoh ordered his fellow Swords.
"More Crimson Suns- no, this is the Japan Liberation Front…" Cornelia whispered in shock.
"Slash and encircle!"
"Right!"
Todoh slashed through one Sutherland frame, shooting past it like a blur and not looking back as it split in two.
"These are not just any Burai," Todoh noted, feeling how the Frame was an extension of his body.
"This reminds me of seven years ago," Asahina Shogo mused.
"But it's different now." Chiba Nagisa smiled. "This time we have Knightmares as well!"
"Your Highness, please leave them to us. Please, you have to withdraw for now!" Guilford pleaded as he intercepted Todoh's Burai and clashed with his chain sword.
"Very well." Cornelia reluctantly conceded. "I know a way to turn this around. Guilford, after driving them back, meet me at Point Nine!"
"Nine?" Guilford questioned but acknowledged. "I understand."
"Cornelia!"
Two Custom Burais launched their Slash Harkens but Cornelia batted them away and broke through them. "You weaklings!"
She took off at full speed after she evaded them, leaving her knight to deal with the JLF forces behind her.
'I guess there is some life left in these Elevens, but they might not be the most pressing matter at the moment.' Cornelia thought. 'After all, if the Crimson Suns are behind the landslide then Joker and his little friends and that damn Samurai are already ready for me. But this time I won't let them get the drop on me!'
This would not end like Saitama.
Or so she thought, as two familiar purple-haired kunoichi-esque individuals stalked her from the trees.
The Britannian forces were losing by the minute. It was supposed to be an operation to finish off the Japan Liberation Front. Now the surviving soldiers were fighting for their lives against the Crimson Suns. The Pureblood Faction were all but wiped out with both a bang and a whimper, and Cornelia may be next…
What were supposed to be top-of-the-line Knightmare Frames were getting shredded and pulled apart by mysterious machines that moved and reacted like humans, not to mention the golden-armored figure hacking them to pieces. Sure the Britannians took some of them down, but they were losing more to the point that their command structure was about to be dead in the water.
Some of the remaining Britannian troops tried to use the Crimson Suns' own abandoned D-Walkers and wrecked Ashigaru against them but to no avail. The Gears' unique self-destruct system ate away at the CNT fibers while the GN-Drives self-destructed and turned to rust. All that would remain after the battle would be limbless empty shells that offered nothing for Brittania to steal and reverse engineer.
The battle was proving to be one of the most costly ones in the history of Brittania.
Sutherlands. Gloucesters. Tanks. None were successful in making a dent in this new resistance force. And to make things worse, the Four Holy Swords had engaged Cornelia's personal guard, the latter holding them off as she retreated.
It was only a matter of time.
Euphemia's eyes were twitching, her ear bleeding at the Royal Guard acting as her advisors telling her what to do. God, they were so annoying to a point that it explained how Clovis barely did anything. Hell, they weren't acting as advisors, but puppet masters trying to break down her will to do what they wanted her to do.
But Euphemia li Britannia was anything but weak of mind.
"Enough! We are not moving the G1 and that's final! We have the medical brigade and civilians from the evacuation! And even if I wanted to, the Viceroy told me not to move the G1, no matter what!" Euphemia snapped, her fury shutting them up. "I'm sending in the Lancelot to escort the Viceroy back! No matter how you look at it, the battle is lost!"
"But Princess! The Lancelot's pilot is an Eleven! We don't send him out there! He'll want all the glory!" the Royal Guard protested.
"..." Euphemia just stared at him with anger in her eyes which made the man look small. "Then it's a good thing it's not up to you." she hissed before pressing a button. "Camelot!"
"Ah, Princess! I assume you'll be needing our services again?" Lloyd asked knowingly and excitedly.
"Please deploy Warrant Officer Kururugi to the battlefield. He is to rescue my sister immediately!" she requested, "He is our only chance."
"Right away, ma'am! Waiting was getting boring, so we just finished outfitting the Lancelot with the sand-panels. We shall deploy Suzaku within minutes!" Lloyd assured her. "You hear that, Suzaku?"
"I'm ready to go! I promise, I'll rescue the Viceroy!" Suzaku called over from the cockpit. "I won't fail you!"
"I know you won't. Thank you, Suzaku…" Euphemia murmured with a smile, but inwardly, her relief was tinged with pity. 'But I'm sorry, for this will not go the way you think…'
"Princess, please reconsider!" the Royal Guard begged her, but she ignored him. "Guilford, please stop her!" they called out, having contracted him.
"If it is Princess Euphemia's decision, it must be done. Besides," he grunted as he was locked in battle with Tohdoh. "We could use all the help we can get, an Eleven pilot be damned!"
"One of our remaining infantry units found Joker and is tracking him," Euphemia said and pointed at the screen. "You now see why I'm sending the Lancelot?"
"If Joker or any of those advanced machines come here, I fear we're finished!" Guilford said.
"No. He's not coming for you." Euphemia said, typing some buttons. "This is his projected course- oh no!"
Guilford's eyes widened in horror when he saw the data. "...No! The Princess was trying to trap Tohdoh before the Crimson Suns could launch a piercer assault. Now there's a Knightmare waiting for her!"
…
"PRINCESS CORNELIA!"
"...I got the message, Guilford," Cornelia said in resignation at her situation and cursed for jinxing herself.
Not only was she in a gorge with walls on either side of her, but in front of her was the advanced Knightmare known as Raiser in its' Hoverbike Mode. And casually sitting on the seat was Joker, who was nonchalantly pressing down on the button of a Progrise Key.
"Good to see you again…Cornelia li Britannia." he greeted her, looking up at her.
"You!"
"Yeah. Me."
Cornelia backed up a bit before she felt her Gloucester hit something. Looking back, she saw a wall of chains blocking her way, with two purple-haired females standing on top of them.
"Them?!"
"Yes. Us." Medusa replied, raising her "blindfold" while her Alter licked her lips.
…
Suzaku inserted the activation key and listened to the humming sound of the Lancelot activating.
"Advanced weapon system Z-01 Lancelot, utilize sand panels to climb the liquefied slope at full combat speed and rescue the Viceroy," Cecile instructed.
"Understood," Suzaku answered with determination.
"Suzaku…" Lloyd drawled, watching on the screen as the Warrant Officer moved the Lancelot Frame into launch position. "There's one thing I want to ask you… More than anything, you hate when people die." He raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "Yet you're in the military, why is that?"
"I'm in the military to stop people from dying," Suzaku replied, his features disciplined as he prepared to engage the enemy and rescue Cornelia, and perhaps capture the heads of the Crimson Suns.
The vigilantes had to be brought to justice before their actions grew too far out of control.
"That self-contradiction will get you killed someday…GAH!" Lloyd pointed out with a bemused smile, only to yelp as Cecile grabbed him by the collar, dragging the man off-screen as the Sakuradite powered up, Lloyd's pleas for mercy falling on deaf ears. "Oh come on, you know it's true- OW MY EYE!"
"Lancelot… now launching." Suzaku declared, the white Knightmare tearing off the launch pad and making its way toward Cornelia's last reported location.
…
A few moments before…
"JOKER! This will not end like last time! DIE!" Cornelia shouted, charging forward.
She was trapped with nowhere to run, but that wouldn't stop her from fighting.
"Keh, come on then, Goddess of Victory," Joker invited her, revving his engine.
Cornelia charged forward and thrust her lance forward. Joker waited until the last second before leaning back, dodging the golden lance by millimeters. He flipped on top of it, ran across it, and struck with a chakra-enhanced kick to the Gloucester, square in the chest area, forcing it to skid back and Cornelia to yell out as her cockpit rattled.
"What the hell?!" Cornelia cried, not expecting such a maneuver.
Joker then flipped back and landed back onto his Raiser, and drove forward. He swerved his Frame around to hit Cornelia with the backside, but Cornelia used her chest-mounted Slash Harkins to latch onto the ravine wall and pull herself up.
"What's this? Did I just make the Goddess of Victory retreat from my attack? I didn't even draw my sword- oh." He saw Cornelia detach herself from the cliffside and dropped down on him. "So straight-forward…"
[PROGRISE KEY CONFIRMED, READY TO UTILIZE: GRASSHOPPER'S ABILITY]
"And easy to read," he murmured, shifting Raiser to Mobile Suit Mode.
[JUMP]
Light green energy traveled along Raiser's body before the Frame jumped with precision and speed, meeting Cornelia's Gloucester in the air as it shifted to Mobile Suit mode. Cornelia gasped and raised her lance in defense, but Raiser grabbed her lance and flipped over her. He planted his feet on her back and fell with him on top. They landed with a crash, with Raiser rolling away.
"Ah, you cur!"
"If it wasn't obvious since Saitama, Cornelia, I'm not your average opponent." Joker drawled as the Gloucester managed to get to its feet. "All these years, fighting footsoldiers can make you slow to react to something new. If you don't adapt, you will perish, and Japan will be ours."
"Who do you think you are? A runaway from Uzu?" Cornelia snapped back and fired her Slash Harkins at him. Raiser caught them and used his HF-Katana to cut them free from the Gloucester. "Shit!"
"If that's what you suspect, then you should start taking this seriously. Not that it matters since we've danced for long enough…"
"Wha-" Cornelia started to say before getting alerts. "AH!"
Bullet's riddled the back of Cornelia's Gloucester, causing massive dents to its back. Its cape shredded from the sudden projectiles, and alarms rang throughout her cockpit. The Raiser suddenly jetted forward, its blade radiating and sparking with electricity, and in one fluid motion, sliced off all four limbs of the Viceroy's Gloucester like a hot knife through butter, causing the Frame to land on its stumps.
"Checkmate, Cornelia."
Cornelia looked up to see the mechs, Frames, drones, and Servants of the Crimson Suns looking down at her from above, with Rei speaking from her Ashigaru.
"Lovely to see you again, my dear," Rei greeted her mockingly. "How was that serving of humble pie and hubris?"
"You cowards! Attacking me from behind!" Cornelia snarled.
"All is fair in love and war, Viceroy. I'll be more than happy to have B.B. pull up your after-action reports where you and yours engaged in said cowardly tactics." Rei smoothly countered. "Not that you had the moral high ground to begin with. You didn't get your Witch of Britannia and Goddess of Victory titles by being honorable."
"Oh, and if you're wondering, your reinforcements won't get here in time. Both your Knight and General are caught in pincer bombardments." Cypher informed her, her Artorias in Hoverbike mode and a smug emote on her helmet. "All that's left to do is to sweep you away!"
Cornelia gritted her teeth before sending a message. "Guilford. Guilford, my Knight. You and Darlton protect Euphie." she murmured, taking out her sword. "I won't surrender. As an Imperial Princess, I'll fight to the last!"
"PRINCESS CORNELIA-!" Guilford shouted before Cornelia cut the communication.
"Woah, Joker, everyone! You got incoming!" Odin called out over the radio as the ground started to rumble.
"Heh, she sent him over quite late." Nick chuckled through the Codec while sitting crosslegged over the edge.
Right on cue, the Lancelot blasted through the rocks, kicking up dust everywhere with a large rifle in front. While everyone and the Ashigaru instinctively covered their faces, the superhumans and the Servants simply stood and waited, not minding the dust.
…
"Oh my!" Cecile gasped, watching from the Camelot unit's base.
"As reckless as ever, hey?" Lloyd commented with an excited look on his bruised face. "He used the VARIS to clear the obstacles in his path and blast through the landslide!"
…
The Crimson Suns watched as the Lancelot jumped and landed next to Cornelia. The Raiser, who was a mere six meters away, did not move, only opting to tilt its head.
"Viceroy, are you all right?" Suzaku asked. "I came to help, you Highness!"
"Special Corps? Who authorized you?" a bewildered Cornelia asked.
"The Sub-Viceroy. She tasked me with getting you out of here." Suzaku replied and turned to glare at the Raiser. "That might prove impossible at the moment."
"Cool entrance, White Knight. Very flashy. And they called me reckless." Joker chuckled darkly. "I suppose a rematch will suffice? I doubt you'll let us leave with Cornelia peacefully."
"Peace was off the table the moment you caused that landslide," Suzaku said as he faced the Raiser. "You and the rest of the Crimson Suns are all under arrest for terrorism and murder!"
"Terrorism? Murder? Sure we totaled a town, but everyone in there got out when Cornelia started blasting. Unless you can produce a dead body, those charges are false," Joker countered, making Raiser fold its arms.
"You disrupted an ongoing operation! You Crimson Suns murdered Cornelia's soldiers here and at Saitama!" Suzaku snapped at him.
"You cannot be serious. This is a military operation where murder is practically legalized. Cornelia's forces were killing JLF soldiers before we struck. But go ahead, call your commanding officer there a murderer. I bloody dare you." Joker hissed at him.
"T-That's- You!" Suzaku tried to retort, but Joker figuratively put him in between a rock and a hard place, and in front of Cornelia no less. "N-No! It doesn't matter at this point!"
"You're right. It doesn't." Joker agreed as he readied a Progrise Key. "Stand back everyone. No cheapshots. I got him-"
"Oh no, ya don't!" Artorias dropped down from the top, landing between the Raiser and the Lancelot. "You already got a lick in back in Shinjuku. Now I want a taste!"
"You sure? You're not exactly restrained when fighting. Besides, our Samurai friend there called dibs-"
"Gimme two minutes with this bozo, Joker! Tops! Then he can have him, Ginkaku!" Cypher resorted, revving her GN-Drive engine.
Joker looked up at the gold-armored Ginkaku, who just shrugged. "...Fine. For two minutes, he's all yours," he said, backing away as the Medusa twins landed on his Frame to sit.
"Fuck yeah!" Cypher cheered and composed herself. "Besides, there's something I wanna do. En garde, cucklord!"
"C-Cucklord?" asked a baffled Suzaku.
"Your machine's name is Lancelot, you moron. Take a hint." Cypher drawled as she activated a Progrise Key.
[PROGRISE KEY CONFIRMED. READY TO UTILIZE: CROWDING HOPPER'S ABILITY]
Suzaku quickly raised his VARIS rifle at the Artorias and started blasting to try and end the battle early. However, Artorias easily maneuvered around the energy blasts as its tron lines glowed a brownish-green. She rolled forward and clashed with the Lancelot, who held her back using the VARIS rifle as support.
"Damn, it's fast, and strong!" Suzaku growled to himself, trying to keep the Artorias back.
"Oh come on. That's a strong Knightmare, right? Surely you can do so much more than a dynamic entry?!" Cypher taunted, pushing the Lancelot back.
"Seems like she's more of a close-ranged fighter. If I can just-"
[HIT]
Artorias lashed out, punching the Lancelot across the face. She got into a boxing stance and pummeled away at the Lancelot with quick jabs and strikes. The Lancelot tried to roll back and away, but the Artorias followed him, not letting up on the assault. The Lancelot was back into a wall and was now experiencing what it was like getting pounded like a punching bag. But Suzaku was fast himself, spotting an opening and dodging an uppercut. He jumped onto the wall and planted both feet into the chest area of the Artorias.
"Gah, my boobies!" Cypher yelped as she was forced back.
Suzaku ignored that distracting quip and jumped off the wall, spinning multiple revolutions before planting a kick onto the Artorias. But he was not fast enough since the Artorias quickly got her hands up, dodging the kick.
"What are you, a Beyblade?! THIS is how you throw a kick!" Cypher yelled, leaping and spinning one time before delivering a kick of her own to the Lancelot's face. The force sent the Lancelot careening into the other wall.
"Dammit!" Suzaku cried before realizing that he didn't have the VARIS anymore. Looking forward, he saw the rifle in Cypher's hands.
"It's friggin' blue!" Cypher said, moving to break it over her mech's knee. "...Wait, on second thought!" she shifted the Artorias into Hoverbike mode and tied a FULTON unit to it. "Up we go!" she cheered.
"Oh! Very nice! Thank you!" Odin said over the radio, already sending a retrieval vehicle to collect. "...one step closer to Beam Rifles."
"No, not again!" Suzaku yelled and made a mad leap towards his now floating rifle attached to a ballon.
"Down, boy." Cypher drawled, a slot opening up in her helmet to reveal her eye, and activated her Geass; the Lancelot's systems began to malfunction and it faceplanted onto the ground.
"What the hell?!" Suzaku asked in confusion, just as the VARIS rifle shot up into the sky. "No!"
"Another gift for the Crimson Suns! Don't worry, your successors to that machine are gonna be awesome, just like my Artorias!" Cypher boasted while readying another Key.
[PROGRISE KEY CONFIRMED. READY TO UTILIZE: HERCULES BEETLE'S ABILITY]
"Gah, damn you!" Suzaku shouted, now pulling out his MVS swords.
"Whoa now! You're gonna need those swords later!" Cypher chided him.
[STRONG]
The Lancelot zoomed towards the Artorias and beared its swords down on the opposing machine. The Artorias raised its hands and caught the wrists of the Lancelot, stopping it from slashing it. The Progrise Key strengthened the Gun-Frames, allowing it to push back the swords and hold them at bay.
"You might wanna be careful with those things." Cypher warned him playfully. "Double-bladed weapons can always turn against you~" she said as she forced the other end of the blades towards the Lancelot. "Like this!" She pressed the MVS blades against the Lancelot's chest, causing them to slice into the cockpit.
"Are you kidding?! How strong is this Knightmare?!" Suzaku cried out, seeing the blades of his MVS up close and personal.
"Suzaku, disengage the MVS, now!" Cecile screamed at him over the sounds of Lloyd freaking out.
Suzaku did so, but when he did, the Artorias slipped behind him, grabbed him around the Lancelot's torso from behind, and lifted him up for a German Suplex. The Lancelot shot out its Slash Harkins towards the walls to try and pull free, but was too late, and slammed into the ground. The Lancelot managed to roll away with its Slash Harkins connected to the wall. Still, the Artorias brought its hands together and delivered a sledgehammer uppercut, sending the Lancelot flying and crashing down.
"Ding ding ding! Crimson Suns: 2, Lancelot: 0!" Cypher yelled, pumping Artorias' arm up.
…
"Oh come on! How?! How are these machines beating my Lancelot?!" Lloyd wailed in despair. "Who was the designer?! It can't be Rakshata! Just whoooooooooooooooooooo?!"
"Not again…" Cecile murmured with a frown as she examined the Lancelot's output and damage.
So far, the Lancelot was still operational, but the cockpit was compromised, and Suzaku was exposed…
…
'Dammit! I can't fall here!' Suzaku thought as he willed the Lancelot up with support from his Slash Harkins. 'If I fall, the Crimson Suns will take Cornelia, and then I'll never be able to face Euphemia after she put her faith in me!'
As those thoughts swirled through his head, the chest area from the Artorias' assault fell apart, finally revealing the identity of the Lancelot's pilot to the Crimson Suns.
"Hey, isn't that-?" Ohgi started to say as B.B. started snickering over the comms.
"Huh?" Joker gaped, his jaw dropping.
"EH?!" Cypher squeaked with a shocked emote.
Kallen and Aki were frozen in complete shock, trying to find words. 'Wat.'
"Whoa, you're kidding…right?" Rio asked, sounding baffled.
"SUZAKU?!" Nina screamed, looking terrified.
"No! No fucking way!" Panther yelled angrily.
"You have Got to be shitting me…." Odin grounded out.
"This…this is a joke, right?" Ravel yelped, looking around.
Suzaku struggled to get the Lancelot to move again, turning it towards Cornelia and looking like he was preparing to grab her and flee.
"Don't think you can run away just yet, Kururugi Suzaku!" barked Ginkaku, who had of course already known his identity, as he leaped into the air, brandishing his greatsword.
Suzaku raised one of his MVS, but Ginkaku cleaved clean through it with said greatsword, sending the majority of the deactivated blade spinning away, just as the Raiser pulled up in Hoverbike Mode, blocking his way.
"So…it was you…all this time." Joker growled out, his helmet turning from blue to red. "You are the one piloting the Lancelot…Honorary Britannian, SUZAKU KURURUGI!" he roared in fury.
"In hindsight, it makes sense if you listened to his preaching while he fought, not to mention his fighting style. I'm surprised nobody noticed. You're usually quicker on the uptake, Rei," Odin remarked to the strategist, whose Ashigaru stood still.
Rei was pale under her helmet, not moving a muscle. "I… I kinda called it as a joke… But I never imagined…" she stammered as B.B.'s laughter continued to echo. "WHAT THE F-?!"
END OF CHAPTER 15
Castle: "Whew! That was a slog and a half!"
Soul: Through two months and 130 hours of overtime at work on my end, we did it!
B.B.: About fucking time! Now you deserve a break!
Soul: Nope. I got a bit more in me.
NSG: Just don't burn out. Then it'll be the wrong kinda break, the kind that never ends.
Naruto: Yeah. Enjoy your birthday, Soul. I need a break too. Give me time with my children.
Naruko: Kawaki and Himawari, right?
Naruto: Boruto and Himawari. Kawaki's jutsu didn't affect me.
Naruko: …Just checking.
?: Well, considering how many of Soul's fics you show up in, I could probably babysit if you need it.
Soul: Hey, aren't you…
Naruto and Naruko: Who the hell is this guy?
?: Don't worry, I won't be butting in here, Nick's doing a fine enough job of that already. I'll see you over at Rias's place.
Kallen and Aki: Who's Rias?
Soul: A sexy-redhead like you two…I believe I know what the next major update shall be! But first…reading time!
[References and Explantions]
More smart Euphemia! Seriously, she was named the sub-Viceroy but she was pretty much window dressing in canon.
Milly, Rivalz, and Claire's drones are modeled after the drone Spider-Man Miles' friend piloted in the Spider-Man 2 PS5 gameplay showcase.
Rivalz's codename 'Rio' originates from the name 'Radio Intercept Officer', the co-pilot of the famed F-14 Tomcat jet.
"Live or die, make your choice" Can't wait for the new SAW movie!
Loud and quiet. I'm going to be playing Payday 2 on the PS4 soon.
The Gekkos and D-Walkers are from the Metal Gear series of course.
"Like a bitch." Lord Freeza after stomping out Vegeta in DBZA.
Kewell has a sister named Marika, who appears in Code Geass R2 as a member of the Valkyria Squadron. Sadly she gets zeroed after one episode.
Progrise Keys from the prologue are in action!
Ginkaku's weapon and fighting style is Alucard from the Castlevania Netflix series.
Cypher and Panther's quips about omeletes and terrible was inspired from the greatest kids movie of this year, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
Johnny from the Metal Gear series' "Johnny Joke" also exists in the world of Code Geass. We're going to be using the Johnny Joke from Metal Gear whenever we can. And that recording Yoko was wondering about is an easter eggs from the MGSV game that you can use a certain way.
"You!" - Shirou. "Yeah. Me." - Actually Satan.
"It's friggin' blue!" - I got back into Angry Joe's videos thanks to his AEW Fight Forever gameplay videos.
The German Suplex and Double-Sledgehammer Uppercut cobo is from Red vs Blue Season 12 episode 18 with the mercenaries vs. the former Freelancers.
The "who~" gag returns.
Suzaku gets revealed early like in Six Paths of Rebellion. Even before reading the story, I had it planned anyway.
Released: Friday, June 30, 2023 (Birthday~)
C.C. had her helmet under her arm as she had eyes on the G-1. She grinned and licked her lips, as Jeanne and Jalter rose from her shadow.
"Jeanne, protect the civilians that were bought to the G-1. Jeanne Alter...eliminate anyone that gets in my way..."
"Cornelia is going to be pissed, you know," Jalter said with a grin. "Even more pissed than usual."
"Her point standing, is this really necessary?" Jeanne asked with concern. "It is optional as your new friends put it."
"My dear Servants, that's what makes this little excursion fun. After all, " C.C. mused, putting on her mask. "Cornelia isn't the Witch in town."