Soul: First update of the new year. Let's go~ Also, I am no longer Two-Jobs Soul. I have one full-time job, and I feel more relaxed than ever. So there might be more release, and the might is for real life never stops.
Anywho, on with the finale of the Battle of Narita!
[Uzu]
The door to the Command Center opened to reveal Kushina, who was greeted with screens of the ongoing battle in Narita. Every single area of Narita and surrounding the town was being visually observed as the battles were finishing. Cornelia's troops were either being routed or pincered, forcing a retreat to avoid any more loss of life.
"Director Uzumaki." Motoko greeted the Clan Head, saluting.
"My children and their friends are doing well," the redhead noted with a smirk. "Cornelia's forces are dropping like flies and they have her cornered. All she has to defend her is that Lancelot unit."
"Indeed, piloted by the Honorary Britannian and friend of the twins, " Motoko said with a sly grin. "Suzaku Kururugi."
"…Pardon?" Kushina asked, staring at the Military Commander. "Genbu's son pilots the Lancelot?"
"The very same," Motoko said as Suzaku's information came up on the holo-screen. "And he does do willingly. His status as an Honorary Britannian helps, as a test bunny for Britannia's new machine."
"Well, I'll be damned. The turtle's rolling in his grave now." Kushina chuckled, seeing the Crimson Suns' mechs standing over Cornelia and Suzaku, who were frozen in place, while the golden Samurai Ginkaku faced down the latter. "I wonder…"
"I know he's your children's friend-" Motoko started to say.
"How my children handle Suzaku is up to their discretion," Kushina said as her eyes skirted over Suzaku's file. "It does raise a few questions, but another time. How goes the other operation?"
"We've finished taking over and occupying Iwo Jima and all of the smaller islands around Japan. We've maintained the Britannian bases so the mainland will be none the wiser." Motoko reported, showing holo-screens of her report.
"Good work," Kushina said as she walked towards the screens. "Slowly but surely, everything is falling into place. The Crimson Suns just need to continue what they're doing…"
STAGE 16 - Dying Wings Black
"Ya know…there's some twisted irony in this situation," Joker said, his eyebrow twitching behind his helmet. "You piloted the Lancelot in Shinjuku, with the perfect alibi, only to be accused of murdering Clovis and nearly executed. We save your ass, and you're back to piloting the Lancelot in service to the Britannian Empire, against your own people no less. That won't be winning you any points."
Inwardly, Naruto/Joker was seething at the sudden revelation. While it would not derail their friendship in the slightest, Suzaku piloting the Lancelot was a shock to him and the others not in the know. He used his Geass, seeing Suzaku's colors fluctuating between golden-yellow and enemy-red.
"I WAS JOKING BACK THEN~!" Lucienne wailed through the codec. "Why?! Why him of all people?! Has he really changed that much after we separated?! WHAT THE FU-?!"
"Hey, keep calm, Lucy! We can figure it out later-!" Milly tried to calm her down.
"Calm down?! How could he support them?! They took from him just as much as they took from his people!" Lucienne raged, slamming her fist down on her console in rage.
'The better question is 'Why?'' Odin thought as he drummed his fingers together in front of his masked face. 'This goes well beyond simply wanting to rise up the ranks of the Britanian military. Something is compelling him to go to such lengths as to pilot a machine that can put down most resistance groups with ease, especially when it makes him a traitor to his people's struggles. He knows how he will be perceived by the Japanese, even if he succeeds in his goals.'
Odin thought back to all of his interactions with Suzaku before, and his fervent support of using the system established by Britainia.
'Just what are you trying to prove, Kururugi? And who are you proving it to?'
He knew one thing, when this was all over, he was going to dig extra deep to find out what was making Suzaku tick.
"Man, this is just rich. This is one hell of a way to inspire all Honorary Britannians, isn't it? By selling your soul to your conquerors! I honestly should've suspected this, when you first refused to join us after we saved your ass." Joker growled in contempt. "If I told you the grass isn't greener on that side of the fence, would you listen?"
"Why would I listen to you murderers?! I'm protecting my people by serving the Britannian Empire! It's a better path than raining anarchy all over Area 11!" Suzaku snapped at him, with the Samurai in front of him twitching.
"My god, get a damn dictionary, you tool. If we were going full anarchy, Japan would be a sea of flames by now, which is exactly what we're actively avoiding." Cypher drawled out lazily.
"Suzaku Kururugi, this is a fool's errand you're embarking on. The people that you work for have taken everything from you and the Japanese people. The Knight of One position does not equate to the sacrifices of those who gave their lives to keeping Britannia off Japan's soils seven years ago," Rei said evenly, doing her back to keep the anger out of her voice.
"The war seven years ago was a pointless struggle that only resulted in the inevitable! Men, women, and children died under my father for nothing! Britannia won, Japan lost! All we can do is to do our best under their rule!" Suzaku retorted, levering the Lancelot up.
"DO OUR BEST?!" an enraged Red Queen shrieked. "Do you have any idea how much our people suffered under the Britannian Nobles?! Racism is practically an unwritten law they follow just to get their kicks in! Until Shinjuku, they strived off our suffering!"
"Kallen, calm down!" Aki snapped at her through the codec.
"Calm down?! Do you hear him, sis? Why aren't you angry?!"
"Because I'm thinking of all the ways to make Suzaku's life miserable at school," Aki eerily responded as Ginkaku twitched again. "It calms me."
"What Clovis did was horrible, but now there's a chance to make things better! But it has to be done the right way, without bloodshed! Acting outside the law will get the Elevens nowhere!" Suzaku said and pointed toward the direction of the town. "That landslide you caused proved that everything you said to the people is a lie!"
"...Didn't you and your friends evacuate the town before we stuck? We were counting on that, you dumbass." Joker sighed and revved his Raiser.
"If we're done entertaining this disgrace, then allow me to conduct my business with him," Ginkaku grunted, flicking his sword in and out of its sheath. "His naivete is starting to irk me."
"Of course. We're at the finish line after all. Go and have your fun with the White Knight." Joker said, casually waving his hand and backing up his Raiser. "We're off to whisk the Princess away. Have fun!"
"You're not going anywhere!" Suzaku shouted, shooting forward and swinging the Lancelot's remaining MVS. "You're under arrest-!" A human-sized shape sprang up from the ground, and there was a loud, metallic clash that sent the white and gold mech stumbling back. "What?!" Suzaku gasped.
"Don't make me laugh, boy," scoffed Ginkaku, dropping back onto the ground with his sword slung over his shoulder, "This is a battlefield, not a police raid. You've no authority to arrest anyone. If you wish to stop us…" he pumped his legs and leaped upwards again, swinging his longsword at the Lancelot, "THEN DO SO WITH ACTIONS!"
Working the controls, Suzaku cursed as he bent his Knightmare back, bringing around his sword to intercept. Outwardly, the golden samurai's sword had no visible enhancements and compared to the MVS, it might as well have been a toothpick…
And yet, blocking his swing sent a powerful jolt through the Lancelot, making Suzaku fight to stay upright. With the top of his cockpit slashed off, he felt dimly aware of how exposed he was."What is this strength?" he asked aloud, "How can a human jump around and cross swords with a Knightmare Frame? For that matter, how can you cut through the MVS so easily? You're not human, are you?!"
"I'm far more than human, and certainly far above you, Kururugi Suzaku," Ginkaku answered loftily, pointing his sword at him. "Engarde."
Meanwhile, Joker and Cypher had driven over to where Cornelia was downed. The latter unsheathed her Slash Harkins as a show of defiance, only to be sliced apart by Naruto's blade. Grinning, he twirled it around before jamming it into the cockpit, with Cornelia, who gasped in shock.
"Behave, Cornelia, or you will be cut," Joker warned her. "Don't expect Kururugi to save you. Get out of there, now."
"Gah, move it!" Suzaku growled, seeing what was happening to Cornelia's cockpit and trying to get past the golden-armored Samurai. It was almost comical, watching the large mecha be stymied by something that it by all rights should have been able to step over.
Suzaku charged forward, intending to jump over Ginkaku to get to Joker. His agility was second to none, and a simple leap would render Ginkaku's interference moot. So imagine his surprise that when he jumped, Ginkaku met him in the air, using the flat of his longsword to bat the Lancelot away, sending him careening into a wall.
"What?!" Suzaku growled, using his Slash Harkins to stick to the wall. "No way-!" he started to say before seeing Ginkaku shooting towards him. "Dammit!"
Suzaku managed to drop down to avoid a sword stab that grazed his cheek and retaliated with a kick. The Samurai swiftly leaned back to dodge and dropped Suzaku with a Pele Kick, knocking him and the Lancelot back to the ground. Suzaku yelled out in pain, looking up to see Ginkaku now standing on the handle of his sword that was now impaled in the wall.
Back with the twins, Joker successfully cut a circle into Cornelia's cockpit and pried it open. The Boss then promptly moved his head to the side then Cornelia tried to stab him with her sword.
"Hey, knock it off!" Cypher yelled, throwing a red and yellow Pow Hammer inside that squeaked when it hit the Princess's head.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Cornelia shrieked, quickly stabbing upwards in quick succession, but got another Pow Hammer for her troubles.
"Bad Cornelia. Naughty girl." Cypher chided her, with Joker sweatdropping. "Gimme that sword or you get another Pow Hammer!"
"Fuck you- GAH!"
"Hmm, that wasn't part of the plan." Ginkaku noted and chuckled, "Then again, they are pranksters."
"What are you doing to her-?" Suzaku snapped before getting kicked back by Ginkaku. "Gah!"
"Something that won't get you that seat on the Round, that's for sure," Ginkaku said before rushing at him in a golden streak. "Now, have at you!"
…
Meanwhile, as chaos reigned where the Crimson Suns discovered the Lancelot pilot's identity, C.C. rose from her position in the trees, flanked by her Servants.
"Jeanne, secure my escape route. Jalter, lay siege to the G-1." C.C. said as she put on her mask. "I have a young maiden to retrieve."
"Yes, Master," the two sides of the Maid of Orleans confirmed before jumping down towards the G-1.
Athena jumped down from her perch and started to walk towards the massive purple vehicle. She was no stranger to it, as it is the personal machine of Britannian royalty and higher-ups. She's been on a few of them, so she knew her way around, and how to get into the central command center.
Her daring adventures and activities with Marianne helped with that mental map.
As she cleared the forest, Jalter was doing her job, summoning dragons out of thin air and stacks from the ground. The dragons flew about, raining down dragonfire that targeted the soldiers who shot at them and Jalter. The soldiers were all scrambling from the sudden attack, with the ones guarding the evacuated civilians spared from the attack. Some tried to attack Jalter head-on, only to be slashed by her sword and skewered by her flag.
"If you yearn for death, come forward!" Jalter called out, flicking her sword of blood. "You shall feel the dragon's fire on the way to hell!"
'Kushina was right. You are not beating the chuunibyou allegations.' Athena mused as she entered the G-1 from the back. 'Still the same halls, the same rooms, the same boring decorum…and…'
"Don't move!" one of the guards guarding the command center shouted, he and his partner aiming their guns at her. "Stay right where you are, or I'll shoot!" Athena grinned from behind her mask, flicking her wrist to summon two kunai. "I said I'll shoot! Last warning!"
Athena suddenly dashed at them, causing the two guards to open fire. To their horror, the woman was running on and jumping off the walls, completely dodging their bullets. She threw the kunai at them that embedded in their necks, causing them to grasp at them in a fruitless attempt to stem the bleeding. Athena then shot towards the dying two, unleashing her Hidden Blades, and plunged them into the remaining guards, ending their lives.
Getting back into fighting shape with the help of the twins proved fruitful.
"Standards are slipping…" Athena noted, attaching a Breaching Charge onto the door before using a grappling gun to zip to the ceiling. She then grabbed a trigger and pressed it. "Boom."
With a loud BANG, the door was blasted inward, followed by a hail of bullets that zoomed past her. "Itchy trigger fingers," Athena giggled before dropping a smoke bomb at the doorframe.
As for the ones inside the G1 control center, they were on guard when Jalter started attacking from the outside. The shockwaves from the attack rocked the G1, with everyone inside running around for cover. Jeremiah and Viletta, both in the dark about this plan, were guarding a shocked Euphemia until smoke from a smoke bomb filled the room.
"Stay close, Princess," Villetta whispered to her charge.
Euphemia nodded and whispered back. "Do you know if…"
"Maybe. We're in the dark as well for plausible deniability, same as you." Jeremiah said and looked around. "They already have Cornelia, so why?"
"I- ah!"
"Euphie?!" Villetta suddenly shouted, with Jeremiah turning to find Euphemia gone.
"What? But how!?" Jeremiah started to wonder before a huge explosion shook the G-1, followed by a sudden gust.
"We meet again, Princess Euphemia li Britannia."
When the smoke cleared, the Britannia saw Euphemia in the arms of Athena, with Jeanne and Jalter right next to them, the latter's hair, weapons, and armor dripping with blood.
"Princess!" Jeremiah called out, he and Villetta pointing their guns at Athena, but Jalter pointed her flag spear at the two, keeping them back.
"Back at Lake Kawaguchi, Euphemia here was just a private citizen. But now, she's a legitimate military target, just like her sister." Athena said, holding Euphemia close, with the Princess utterly baffled at what was happening. "With that in mind, I shall be taking the Princess here for a little…chat."
"As if you will-!" one of the advisors called out, pointing his gun. "For Prince Clovis-!"
Athena whipped out her arm at the man, silencing him with a kunai that embedded itself between his eyes. "So noisy. Come at me in the name of that disgraceful Prince, and you'll end up like him. Now come, Princess. We have much to discuss, you and I, along with your sister." she said, stroking Euphemia's chin.
'What the hell! Naruto, Naruko, Lucienne, what are you all up to now?!' a blushing Euphemia wondered as Athena leapt away with her in her arms, followed by Jeanne and Jalter who summoned a dragon to take them away.
"Seriously, is that a fucking dragon?! HOW?!" shouted one of the soldiers in fright as he and the others were about to open fire. "WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?!"
"Hold your fire and keep it together, soldier! We must rescue the Princess now!" Jeremiah yelled and grabbed a radio. "Attention all remaining forces! The G-1 has been attacked and Princess Euphemia has been captured by Athena!"
"Those that can still fight, pick yourselves up! Do not lose sight of that dragon!" Villetta commanded, with several shakingly rising and following her and Villetta out of the G-1.
…
"Gah!"
Suzaku and the Lancelot were slammed against the wall and slid down to the ground. The Lancelot was somehow failing against the Golden Samurai, who flicked his sword of imaginary blood. The machine's gears were whining in protest at Suzaku's commands due to the extensive damage and sounded as if it'd fall apart at any moment.
'Dammit, I can't take any more hits like that, or Lloyd will never let me hear the end of it!' Suzaku groaned, not knowing that Lloyd was currently howling with despair back at the Camelot vehicle. "I won't fall here! I will take you down first, Ginkaku!"
"'Tis but a century too soon to declare such things, Kururugi!" scoffed the golden knight. As the white Knightmare ducked low and swept its sword across the ground, he leaped up high into the air, backflipping easily in his armor. As he did so, another, larger golden shape swooped in out of nowhere, snatching him up.
"What?!" gasped Suzaku, "What is that thing?"
The 'what' was a giant, mechanical bird of some sort, which Ginkaku had grabbed onto with expert coordination. Now, what had been a frustrating fight with a tiny figure on the ground, turned into a downright infuriating fight against a relatively small target in the air. It was all Suzaku could do to not just swing his sword wildly through the air as the knight swooped about agilely, occasionally rolling to narrowly dodge a slash, which only increased his frustration.
"Hup! Forward, Kotane!" With a grunt, Ginkaku suddenly kicked off his bird and shot towards him like a bullet. With the angle and speed he was flying at, Suzaku only realized too late that he was heading straight for his open cockpit!
"Dammit!" Suzaku cried out, moving to the side to avoid the sword skewer, and retaliated with a swing of his legs for a kick. Unfortunately, his desperation counter strike bounced off the armor, leaving a stinging pain in his shin. "Ahhh!"
"...Really?" Ginkaku sighed as Suzaku fell out of the Knightmare.
"Ah, got her!" Cypher yelled out, pulling out a struggling Cornelia who was clawing at her mask. "Geez, she's like a cat! Help!"
Naruto produced some duct tape and wrapped the Princess up from mouth to feet, making Cornelia scream in rage when she realized what he was using. "Problem solved. Let's get the hell outta here-!"
"Attention all remaining forces! The G-1 has been attacked and Princess Euphemia has been captured by Athena!" Jeremiah called over the radio.
'WHAT?!' Cornelia screamed in her mind, her heart skipping a beat.
"WHAT?!" Suzaku cried out, struggling to get to his feet.
"Athena's done it. Time to go!" Joker yelled, hefting Cornelia on the back of his Knightmare and snapping his fingers.
"Understood! All Crimson Suns, mission accomplished! Retreat to your exit points!" Rei commanded into the comms. "Repeat, all Crimson Suns, retreat!"
"Roger!" the Crimson Suns chorused.
"Stop this madness!" Suzaku yelled out at them. "Prince Clovis was bad enough, and now you threaten the Princesses?! Let them go now, you cowards!"
"Sorry, but your princesses are going to another castle. Better luck next time, Paisano! Buh-bye~!" Joker cackled as he and Cypher dragged the screaming and cursing Cornelia away.
"No! Princess Cornelia! Euphie!" Suzaku cried, pulling out his sidearm, only for it to be knocked out of his hand by Ginkaku's blade. "Gah!"
"You have lost, Kururugi Suzaku. Take your loss with dignity." Ginkaku advised him and pointed his sword at his throat.
"Never!" Suzaku yelled defiantly and jumped back into his damaged Lancelot. "I won't let you kill any more of the royal family!"
"Enough dramatics. We never said we'd kill them," scoffed his opponent, even as the Knightmare began slowly, jerkily rising again, "Well…not Princess Euphemia, at any rate. Gundari Style: Wing Wave!"
Before Suzaku could move again, Ginkaku gave a mighty upward swing, smashing the Lancelot from underneath with a wing-shaped pressure wave. Suzaku yelled out as the Lancelot flew back, the former attempting to use his Slash Harkins to save himself. Unfortunately, he crashed into the wall, rocking the mech and his body as the hunk of expensive metal slid down the wall.
"I'm…not…finished…you cowards-" Suzaku groaned as Kotane flew from the side, clipping his head with a gold wing and knocking him out. "Guh."
"Thank you, Kotane," Ginkaku said, before looking up and seeing Britannian airships incoming. "Let's make sure that everyone else gets out alive, shall we?"
…
"Wha-?! You have got to be kidding me! That Samurai guy doesn't even have a Knightmare, yet he beat my Lancelot! How?!" Lloyd wailed in disbelief.
"I'm…not sure. Suzaku was using the Lancelot to its fullest capacity, yet Ginkaku managed to beat it." Cecile said and looked at Lloyd. "In all fairness, the Lancelot only has experience in fighting a fellow Knightmare. We never accounted for a small, superpowered individual…"
"How troublesome. That'll be fun to explain to the Viceroy and her groupies." Lloyd sighed, unable to continue to make sense of the outcome. "Changes will need to be made once we look over the data…"
…
"This is Joker. Cornelia and Euphemia have been secured. Now we just gotta work our magic." Joker called over the radio.
"Understood. We'll keep the Brits in the dark with our Electronic Warfare." Odin responded before silencing the broad radio and switching to private comms. "And with that, Operation 'Princess Peach' is a success. Now it's up to you guys to deal with Cornelia."
"You up to it, Lucienne?" Naruko asked over the codec. "Given the circumstances?"
"I am. We'll deal with my sister first, and then we can address the elephant in the room." Lucienne grumbled as she yanked off her helmet. "God, I want to scream right now."
"You want to scream? I want to go back there and slit his throat! Like, what the hell! Him, Kururugi Suzaku, of all people! What the hell did he go through to spit on his family name like that?!" Kallen growled, banging her fist on her console.
"We'll find out later. Just focus for now. Cover your fellow Crimson Suns' escape routes!" Milly advised her. "Nina?"
"Already on it," Nina replied, her hands dancing around her holo-screens. "Rivalz, there are wounded pinned down near your position."
"I'm actually near that position. I'll be right there!" Claire called out.
"I see them. I'll cover them until they get help." Rivalz said and chuckled. "Never a dull moment…"
"When is there ever a dull moment?" Odin agreed, getting up to drive the Command Vehicle out of the operation zone.
Raiser and Artorias rolled into a dark, damp cave outside of the operation zone. Powering down the Knightmares, Joker and Cypher hopped off their mechs and took the time to admire the natural formations and small puddles, that is until the muffled sounds of Cornelia interrupted them.
"Calm down, Cornelia. We shall get to you in a second when our other guest arrives," Joker assured her, but it did nothing to cease her struggling. "In fact, I hear them coming now."
On cue, Rei arrived on her personalized Ashigaru with Athena and Euphemia in tow, with the princess in the witch's arms. "Present," Rei drawled and hopped off, followed by Athena.
"Uuffie!" Cornelia called out from behind her gag. "Le' 'r go!"
"Relax Cornelia. We're not looking to fight. We just want to talk." Joker said, sitting on a stone. "And don't worry. We're not going to hurt Euphemia. She's one of the good ones, unlike your brother Clovis, and we all know why."
"Grrumph, hmm mphh!" Cornelia mumbled out, glaring at him.
"Can you please untie her?" Euphemia requested, wincing at Cornelia nearly flopping around like a fish.
"Of course. But if she tries anything, it's Shibari-style for her." Joker said and noticed that Cornelia suddenly stopped, looking terrified. "Huh, so you know what that is. Good, that makes things quicker. Now hold still."
'Dammit! I'll play along for now since I'm outnumbered and they have Euphie. Anything to prevent that from happening!' Cornelia thought, not wanting to go through something like a Shibari. Kushina's Drill Sergeant-esque training had left quite the impact; and the punishments… Cornelia inwardly shivered.
She kept still as Rei used a kunai to cut her bindings, and was relieved to finally be free.
"And don't get any ideas. One wrong move and our Servants will be here in a second…after we kick your ass. Like I said, we just want to talk. To both of you, in fact." Joker gestured to them. "So please, sit. Let's discuss."
Cornelia bit her lip, wondering if those 'Servants' were those strange people and that one Samurai that helped defeat her in Saitama. "Discuss what? You have nothing I want to hear, but I shall humor you," Cornelia grunted, making sure to sit near Euphemia, and was inwardly surprised that it was allowed, "Not like I have a choice…"
"This is a…strange way to treat your hostages." Euphemia piped up, not wanting to be silent in this matter.
"Considering we intend no ill will against you two, is it really that hard to believe?"
Cornelia and Euphie turned to see a small drone fly into view before a three-dimensional projection of Odin appeared before the group, emitted by the device.
"Mind if I sit in on this meeting?"
"Not at all, Odin," Rei said smoothly. "How's everything outside?"
"Everything is going smoothly. We're getting things wrapped up. I'll let you know if something goes pear-shaped."
"Great, another masked weirdo," Cornelia grumbled. "Do any of you not wear masks? Who are you people?"
"Who? 'Who' is but the form following the function of 'what,' and what I am is a man in a mask."
"Yes, I already said that."
"Evidently. I am not doubting the powers of your observation. I am merely remarking on the paradox of asking a masked man who he is."
The cave was silent for a few moments as the two sisters glanced at each other.
"Ha, I understood that reference. As for who we are, you'll find out in due time." Joker said and looked out towards the cave opening. "And our dear Samurai…"
"I'm here. Just standing guard." Ginkaku said from the cave entrance. "We're still in the clear."
Cornelia grunted. "No way out for us, then," she noted, casting a sour look at where Ginkaku was.
"Come now, Cornelia. You of all people should know that you and Euphemia have no value as hostages. Sure, it might warrant an airstrike, but the Emperor himself? He doesn't care. We send you back dead, he'll speak at your funerals, and then go to sleep like a baby." Rei said with a bit of chill in her filtered voice.
Cornelia wanted to refute that, but couldn't find the words. Because deep in her heart, she knew it was true, with Euphemia silently nodding in agreement. After all, Clovis's death had proven that very fact and more.
"So, you are not hostages. Far from it. You are our guests, whom we wish to talk to. We have questions, you have questions. Hell, we can help each other!" Cypher said brightly with a smiling emote on her mask.
"...Tch, fine then," Cornelia said, now sitting regally. 'If I can stall them, then-'
"If you're thinking of stalling, it won't work. The remainder of your troops will find you only when we want them to."
'DAMMIT!'
"How about this? We ask you a question, and then you ask yours, and vice versa." Euphemia offered, playing along.
"Agreed. We'll go first since Cornelia already asked who we were." Joker said, Cornelia's eye twitching. "Cornelia, how did the Witch of Britannia, the Goddess of Victory, come to be?"
Cornelia blinked at that. "Pardon, but what do you mean by that?" she asked, thrown off by the unexpected question.
"How did you earn your accolades?" Joker clarified. "We want to hear it from you, in your own words."
"It's simple, by protecting the Britannian Empire from all who threaten it; from people like you fools who dare oppose us," Cornelia answered, folding her arms, missing Euphemia's frown.
"A clever bit of wordplay. No, we both know that's not the full story. Sure, that's probably what they said when they gave you the title, but that's not what they were thinking," scoffed Rei, who sucked her tongue, "You bring victory to Britannia, by crushing whoever you're pointed at, no more, no less. I mean really, can you say with a straight face that the Middle Eastern Federation was a threat to your empire?"
Cornelia's derisive huff was enough of a grudging agreement.
"Virtue to the victorious, and vilification for the defeated. A tale as old as civilization," Ginkaku commented reminiscently.
"Goddess of Victory…more like Britannia's flashiest blunt instrument." Cypher chuckled with a smug emote.
"My turn!" Cornelia snapped at the jab at her pride and pointed at Athena. "You, Athena! What did my brother do that was so bad that you took him away from us?!"
"Oh, not much," said the woman, shrugging lazily, "Only had his goons torture me for months on end in a pathetic attempt to pick apart how my abilities work and reverse engineer my inability to die. Yes, I suppose now that you ask, it might have been the tiniest bit of an overreaction in hindsight."
The purple-haired princess bristled at the scathing sarcasm hurled directly into her face. "If you're going to lie to my face, at least try to be sane about it! You can't die? You expect me to believe that my little brother Clovis died because of something so ridiculous?!"
Ginkaku snorted. "You were in the presence of my brother when he bisected your headquarters with his own hands, weren't you? Is there sanity in further attempts to deny the supernatural?"
"It sounds to me like you haven't cracked Clovis's secure files yet. You should try harder,"Odin said in a scolding fashion. "And you'll know that we speak the truth."
"...You still seem unconvinced. Maybe a quick demonstration-" Athena started to say, but Joker raised his hand.
"Another time, Athena. Behave and I'll get you a Meat Supreme," Joker chided the immortal, who pouted under her helmet but sat back down obediently. "Our turn, and it's a two-parter depending on the answer to the first. Tell me, Cornelia. Are you truly loyal to Britannia, such that you'll follow any order or decision to the letter, no matter what?"
"A wasted question. I am Cornelia li Britannia, the Second Princess of the Imperial Family. My loyalty to my country and my family is second to none," Cornelia declared and sneered. "All of those powers you possess and you sacrifice your intelligence for them. You are truly greenhorns who got lucky today."
"Sister…" Euphemia groaned, knowing that Cornelia was digging a hole for herself.
"Ah, is that right? Are you sure that is your final answer?" Joker inquired with a hint of disappointment in his voice.
"Nothing you say will change my mind," Cornelia said confidently.
Rei sighed. "Is that so…if tomorrow the Emperor were to declare that Euphemia here is to be wed to the Duke of York for the good of Britannia, would you stand back and accept him as your brother-in-law?"
"Now wait, just a minute!" Euphemia said reproachfully, standing up.
"God damn, talk about going for the jugular…" Odin whispered.
Cypher scoffed. "A bit much, but it was planned before, wasn't it?"
"...Yeah, it was," Lucienne murmured through the codec.
"..." Cornelia's face spasmed, going through expressions of absolute revulsion and fury, alongside the look of one who was suddenly trapped between a rock and a hard place.
She felt sick and about to vomit, her stomach clenching at the thought of that vile, obese Duke putting his disgusting hands on her sister. Worse, this had nearly happened before, as her late sister Lucienne was nearly offered up in an arranged marriage to that pig. Thankfully, it never came to pass, albeit in a twisted manner due to Marianne's assassination. The Duke did try to go after Euphemia, which was one of the reasons that Cornelia dragged Euphemia around on her campaigns, to keep something like that from happening again.
"You…you…" Cornelia seethed, her regal look nonexistent and now looking feral, her hand reaching for her gun rapier.
"Look like that. All that boasting about loyalty, and one possible, yet probable scenario makes it all come tumbling down." Athena chuckled in a taunting manner. "I'm sure you're thinking that your father wouldn't try it. He would, because he's the Emperor, and he's capable of anything."
"Not. Another. Word. From you!" Cornelia whipped out her gun-rapier and pointed it at Athena. "What the hell do you know?!"
"Sister, please calm yourself!" Euphemia yelled, trying to intervene but Cypher kept her back. "Athena, please!"
"To answer your question, I know more than you could ever know. I know how Britannia was first formed. I was there when your father ascended the throne. I know what motivates him, what pulls him, what guides, what drives him, and the things he truly cares for." Athena said, walking over and standing directly in front of Cornelia's weapon. "You don't believe me? That's too bad."
"How are you not afraid of my blade, that I will kill you where you stand?!"
"Didn't I just say that I'm immortal? No, of course I'm not afraid. My body might be immortal, but my fear died a long time ago. Such a tragedy." Athena sang, slowly cutting her hand across the tip of Cornelia's blade, much to the latter's shock.
'What the-?! No way! She has a healing factor just like Kushina-sensei!' Cornelia thought, her eyes widening at seeing Athena's hand healing. "What the hell are you?!"
"Ah, ah, ah," Joker clicked his tongue, waving his finger. "You already asked your question. Our turn."
"What?! But I didn't-!" Cornelia started to say, but realized her altercation with C.C. counted as a question. "Why you-!"
"How is the young lady doing?" Ginkaku suddenly called from the entrance. "Laila la Britannia, I mean."
Cornelia gaped at the question. "Gah, seriously?! It's none of your business! You may have helped save her back at Lake Kawaguchi, but it does not mean that you just inquire about her well-being!"
"Sister, just stop," Euphemia said calmly and addressed the Samurai. "She is fine, though she had to be locked in her room so she wouldn't sneak aboard the G-1," she answered with a nervous laugh, drawing chuckles from the Crimson Suns.
"That's good to hear," Ginkaku said softly, nodding in acknowledgement.
"Now for a question of my own. How does attacking our army fit into vigilantism?"
"Well for one…the hotel incident was orchestrated by one man who went rogue. The rest of the group didn't need to suffer, no matter how much they're a bunch of toothless dragons." Joker answered. "You guys were kicking them while they were down, so we intervened."
"What a joke," Cornelia muttered.
"Well, my name is Joker."
"Fuck you."
"Sounds like you need a session." Joker snickered, drawing a tickmark from Cornelia.
"Not if you were the last man on Earth."
"I bet you one hundred grand you will end up in his bed before this year is out."
All eyes turned to Odin.
"What?!" Euphemia squeaked, her face red.
"Excuse me?!" Cornelia all but shouted incredulously.
"Odin, dude, what are you doing?" a baffled Joker inquired, all while trying not to laugh.
"It is as I said. I wager that you, Cornelia li Britannia, will end up in Joker's bed before the end of this year, for a sum of one hundred thousand dollars!" Odin declared, pointing dramatically at the stunned Princess.
"Now this is entertaining," Athena giggled, highly amused by the mood whiplash.
"You are insane! You are suggesting that I would bed the man who has caused me such a headache as well as an accomplice to my brother's murder!" Cornelia shrieked, pointing a shaking finger at the masked leader.
"I've seen stranger things happen."
"Absolutely not! It will never happen!"
"Then you will have no trouble accepting what should be a sure bet then."
Cornelia was pissed. It would be a cold day in hell before she lay in bed with a terrorist. It was unthinkable and she had no reason to take the deal or even entertain the prospect…and yet…
It was so ridiculous that…
"…Fine. Deal," she muttered, making Euphemia's jaw drop.
What did she have to lose? It wasn't like it was going to happen anyway. It'd just be something to rub in their faces when they inevitably lost the next campaign to her. It'd be something to rub in their faces once she crushed them under her heel. It was such a shame since it looked like Joker didn't have a bad figure-
Wait, what? Where did that come from?
"What the hell just happened?" Rei asked dryly.
"Not the conversation I was leaning towards…but I'll take it…" Joker muttered, shaking his head as both Milly and C.C. howled with laughter through the codec. He sighed and looked at his watch, just as some rumbling shook the area. "We got time for one more question between us. Any volunteers?"
"Enough with the cryptic and oversimplified shit! Why are you doing this?" Cornelia suddenly blurted out, shooting up. "What happened in Shinjuku was tragic and unnecessary, but Britannia has brought stability to places like Area 11! If it weren't for terrorists like you-!"
"Oh, the lack of self-awareness is truly a trait shared by most of the high-class of Britannia's royalty, huh? The resistance fighters you label as terrorists exist because of Britannia's open policy of being complete assholes to those they conquer. " Rei laughed, getting up and getting in Cornelia's face. "You guys come in, you win, you take over, and you treat those who live in these lands like crap. Hell, even those who opt to become Honorary Britannians get the short end of the stick. That's why there's major resistance to your rule and expansion. If you didn't want such resistance, you should've done better by the natives, proving to them that Britannia was the better option than whatever government came before. But you didn't, no thanks to the Emperor, and look where that got your family. Clovis is dead and you, Cornelia, got your ass kicked twice, and now you and your sister are at our mercy." Rei jerked his head towards Euphemia. "Euphemia asked if there was a point to the vigilantism. There is, and that's just another point."
"We will not stop until Britannia is sent back to the homeland. And guess what," Joker pulled Rei slightly back. "You two will help do that," he said. Cornelia looked scandalized at his declaration as the rumblings continued. "Don't look at me like that, Princess. You're the one dragging Euphemia around out of fear of leaving her behind with Charles. You know fully well what he's capable of…after what happened with the vi Britannias. Oh, come on now," he laughed at her shocked expression. "You thought we wouldn't know about that? Your greatest failure… the tragedy of Marianne vi Britannia and her children… and what came after. Everything you've done for your father, for Britannia, was only to protect your little sister here, which means you're not working with him willingly-"
"Stop."
"You could've gone to Uzu but didn't want to bring trouble to your teacher. Instead, you hardened your heart and became a Witch, sacrificing innocent lives and Areas so that you wouldn't lose anyone else you care about."
"Shut up!" Cornelia yelled, her hand on her hilt, but Joker kept it sheathed.
"And that's why, in the end, you will join our crusade," he said, "Like Lucienne Lamperogue said you would."
"...What?!" Cornelia yelped as all eyes turned to Joker in shock. "What do you just say?"
"Joker, what are you doing?!" Rei hissed, baffled at Joker's choice of words.
"Relax, she said it was okay, remember?"
"The fuck I did!"Lucienne screeched through the codec.
"Hold up, let him cook,"Naruko suggested through her laughter.
'There he goes again, being unpredictable and all,' Euphemia thought with a sweatdrop.
"Lucienne and Nunnally vi Britannia still live. And no, we will not tell you where they are, as Lucienne wants to keep herself and her only sibling away from the conflict. She did put in a good word for you, hence why you're not six feet in the ground like Clovis, among other things. That and I owe her one," Joker revealed smoothly with a glance at Euphemia, before seeing the time on the HUD. "And, time's up. I suggest you focus more on Code R than us and the JLF."
"Now you wait just a minute-!" Cornelia protested before Cypher zipped in front of her, clamping her mouth shut, and placed a device in her hand.
"A beacon for your troops to track you and Euphemia," she said, just as the area shook violently. "You know, I can hardly wait for us to play again. Just imagine all the more fun we'll have when you and Euphie join us for real!"
Cornelia just gaped at her. "You're mad! All of you are insane!"
"Yet that insanity resulted in your loss…twice I might add, Princess." Athena said lazily.
"As fun as this was, your ride's here, guys. Time to move." Odin informed them before his hologram flickered out and the drone whizzed away.
"Until we meet again, Princesses. We'll bring a picnic basket next time." Joker quipped as he, Cypher, and Athena sped out.
Ginkaku just cast a glance at the sisters before following suit.
"Um, sister, are you alright?" Euphemia asked after a while.
"...I don't know, Euphie. I'm just trying to piece together how we even got into this situation. I didn't expect to need a strong drink after this! I should be celebrating getting revenge on the JLF for what they have done to you! Not getting ambushed and suffering another loss to those terrorists again!" Cornelia growled before unknowingly pressing the beacon in anger. "And how do I know that they're even telling the truth about Lucienne and Nunnally?!"
"I don't know…but what they said wasn't wrong…about you taking me with you everywhere," Euphemia said softly. "I doubt they could be lying about this."
"I'd rather not get my hopes up. If Clovis couldn't find them, what chance could I…..if those masked fools were telling the truth?" Cornelia muttered and shook her head, "No, continue the course. We need to assess the damage to Narita and see if we can find any possible survivors. We'll then find out what Clovis has been hiding in those Code-R files. And then, and only then, will we deal with those Crimson Suns for good. They think they know me?! I will pay them all back a hundredfold for this humiliation!"
'Yes, you do that, Sister.' Euphemia thought as the sounds of the troops approaching were heard. 'While I find out why they thought a landslide was a good idea!' she thought angrily with a tickmark on the back of her head.
Operation: Sundering (and Princess Peach) Complete
While the li Britannia sisters rendezvoused with the remains of the Britannian army, the Crimson Suns convened in Narita station of Uzu's secret electromagnetic railway.
"Let's double-time it, people! We need to egress before the Brits stumble on this location!" Odin barked as he oversaw the rapid loading of the Crimson Suns' hardware into container cars. He watched as the Ashigaru folded in on themselves to maximize space, the machines almost rolling into balls as the arms and legs tucked in as they settled into positions in the cars. He had already loaded up his ASC onto a specialized car that could lift and slide the vehicle onto a flatbed that held the oversized vehicle.
"It still amazes me you have access to this train," Ohgi commented as the Kozuki Group members watched the loading alongside the inventor/Intelligence operative.
"It's nice to have deep pockets and friends in high places. You guys are the lucky ones who get to enjoy the perks of those benefits."
"I'll say. A year ago, I never imagined in my wildest dreams we would be here today. We were just a rag-tag group with only two beat-up Glasgows and a vendetta against Brittania. Now, we're a legitimate fighting force with our own hardware and the backing of the last influential Japanese clan that can resist the Brits. It's amazing."
"Well, don't blink, or you will miss our next big surprise. Speaking of surprises, we have one for you guys."
That got everyone's attention. "Oh? What'cha got for us?" Tamaki asked with some excitement in his voice.
Odin looked over his shoulder at the group. "You'll see."
Kallen and Akiza, who had their helmets off, gave each other a questioning look.
Just then, the leaders of the Crimson Suns rolled into the bunker, allowing the camouflaged doors to close and seal behind them.
"Mission complete, ladies and gentlemen. The JLF has successfully evacuated and Cornelia's forces were cut down to size. Be proud, everyone! We've dealt a severe blow to Britannia on this day." Joker declared as he and the others hopped off the Knightmares to cheers.
"Um, that sounds good and all, but didn't you get Cornelia and Euphemia both?" Tamaki asked, looking around. "Where are they?"
"Well, let's just say that we sent them back…conflicted about a great many things," Joker replied, with the Knightmares auto-piloting themselves into the train. Seeing the signs of protest, he raised his hand. "There's something you all need to learn about the Imperial Family. It's all one big battle royale among the siblings, and their father, the Emperor, wouldn't care if any of them was taken hostage. No matter who it is, he'll leave them to the wolves. Worse, if he has no use for them, he'll use them as bargaining tools, just like the vi Britannia children when they were sent here to Japan before the war."
"Then what was the point of kidnapping the Viceroy and her sister?" Inoue questioned.
"Ku ku ku, have you ever seen a goddess's wings turned black when she's fallen?" Cypher asked, seeing many shaking heads. "That's the aim, dearie. We want to turn the wings of the Goddess of Victory from white to crimson," she revealed, now seeing looks of shock and disbelief. "Oh yeah, it is what you're thinking. Soon Cornelia will take her talents from Britannia to the Crimson Suns!"
"What?!"
"That's nuts!"
"No way that's possible!"
"You're all mad!"
"Oh, for shame! Ye of little faith after what happened today, comrades!" Rei declared, flourishing her arm to silence the protests. "It is as much a possibility as our victory just minutes ago! We made the blueprints, and you all helped execute it to perfection! Your survival made you all true Crimson Suns, and there's still much to be done to free Japan!"
"It takes more than brute strength and clever tactics to crush a nation like Britannia. Now if there are those of influence on the inside helping in its destruction…it'll never recover." Athena added. "Trust in the plan and you will be rewarded."
"I gotta say, you guys are crazy…and you know what," Tamaki raised his favorite auto-shotgun. "Your brand of craziness is just what we need to take back Japan! So I'm with you to the end!"
"He's right. Ever since these Phantom Thieves came into our lives, we've had victories that weren't possible. We saved Kururugi from his pending execution. We helped the people of Saitama while Joker and the others took the fight to Cornelia. We saved the hostages when Britannia couldn't and wouldn't. We put a massive dent in the Refrain operation plaguing Japan. And now, we dealt a massive blow to Cornelia's forces." Ohgi added, inspiring the group.
"It's more than just a victory. This is the first time a Japanese force has won in a purely offensive engagement against Britannia. Not even Tohdoh, who was the first to win a battle against Britannia, can claim that." Odin chimed in as the last of the Knightmare Frames were loaded and secured to the train. "Be proud. You proved that there is a chance to win, and more resistance groups will be emboldened by your actions."
"Y-Yeah, what he said!"
"We won today! Against Cornelia of all people!"
"With Joker and his friends on our side, we can win!"
"We can finally take back Japan!"
The disbelief now turned into cheers and chants for the Crimson Suns and their masked leaders. Cheers of triumph and jubilation, and hope for the future.
"All right, Crimson Suns. Party, but not too much now." Cipher said, drawing some laughter. "Then rest, train, and be prepared for the fights ahead. The honeymoon's over, and Britannia knows how serious we are. But for now, back to vigilante work!"
"But not too quickly, guys. I believe our men and women deserve a little break from action. We just finished a major battle, and I'm sure many would like to go home to loved ones for a day or two before we dive headlong into the grinder again." Joker announced to the assembled crew.
The Kouzuki group looked at each other. "Are you sure that is such a good idea? Is now really a good time?" Ohgi asked the question on everyone's minds.
"Now is the perfect time. Brittania will be licking its wounds while also trying to keep track of the JLF remnants that have fled Narita during the chaos we created. It will be days before they are anywhere near ready to make any moves against anyone. We bought ourselves a small reprieve."
Ohgi had to admit the point was valid. With the amount of damage they had done it would take some time for Cornelia to recoup her losses. And with the Refrain racket all but dead thanks to their efforts, there really wasn't much for them to do at the moment. "Alright, you make a good point, but what do you have in mind for a break? I mean, there aren't many places for us to go with Britannia ruling the country. They have seized every attraction and resort we have."
Joker chuckled. "Perhaps, but there is one place they don't control, and we have direct access and permission to take you there for a royal treatment. The last bastion of Japanese culture and heritage."
Ohgi's eyes went so wide, it was a wonder they did not roll out of his head. His crew didn't look like they were far behind in their surprise. "Y-you don't mean…"
"That is exactly what I mean. Fellow Suns, you are going on an all expenses paid trip to the one and only… Uzu Island!"
There was a moment of silence before the entire group began to cheer in excitement.
When the Crimson Suns got onto the train, they were greeted by the sight of hosts and hostesses dressed in traditional Japanese garb and welcoming them on board. There were tables, refrigerators, and heaters full of appetizers and refreshments for the Suns to dine on on their way to Uzu.
There were also doctors on sight to tend to their injuries. Those not in the know were nervous since some of the doctors had glowing green hands, but relaxed when they realized that they were being healed. Despite the masked ones showing off their abilities, there was still the normal human fear of the unknown.
And speaking of the masked ones…
"Let's talk about the zou in the room…" Milly said brightly, her hologram self coming from her drone along with the others still in the bunker.
"Zou?/Zou?" Almost everyone asked in confusion.
The Crimson Suns were in their private car for a quick meeting. Their Servants were in their shadows, recovering their energy.
"Japanese for elephant." Milly clarified, with everyone now groaning. "And that elephant is the fact that our dear Suzaku Kururugi is the Lancelot pilot, and an active participant in this conflict," she said, before getting serious. "This will not be the last time we kick his butt, by the way."
"So it would seem," Lucienne grumbled through her straw as she drank her refreshment. "It's one thing to be part of the Engineer Corp fixing stuff. But to be an active participant, piloting a powerful test Knightmare to enforce Britannia's will…that baka-"
"The name of the Kururugi, the last Samurai, weeps!" Kallen snapped, banging her fist on the table. "What the hell is he playing at?! Using that damn thing to keep his own people under Britannia's heel?! His family pedigree leaves him no excuse!"
Claire nodded, looking troubled. "Even I find it odd that the son of Kururugi Genbu would willingly side with Britannia. It doesn't add up."
"Well, he did say that he wanted to become a Knight of the Round," Rivalz pointed out. "Maybe he thinks his family name will make it happen?"
"Depends on how much he wants to sell his soul," C.C. mused before pulling another slice of pizza.
"If I recall, he said he wanted to become the Knight of One to take Japan as his tribute. He seems to believe that if he gains authority to rule Japan, he can stop all the bloodshed. I admire his desire, but he has to know that his own people hate him for joining the enemy. They won't stop resisting even if he is given Japan." Nines pointed out as he typed on a terminal at his seat.
"But why would the Ele- Japanese resist if one of their own becomes the new Viceroy of Area- Japan?" a confused Nina asked.
Rivalz gave a nervous laugh. "There's one small problem, Nina. Even if Suzaku were to succeed, he'd still be loyal to Britannia. Japan would still be called Area 11, it would still be under Britannia rule, and the Japanese would still be called Elevens. He can't have his cake and eat it too, because the change he preaches won't involve any change at all."
Nines furrowed his eyebrows. "You're right. His belief that he can change everything does seem like a fool's dream. But he seems so fervent in it that it almost seems obsessive. In fact….I think it is an obsession. Combine that with his willingness to be seen as the villain by his people, it looks like he has a martyr complex."
Aki gaped at that. "A martyr complex? Are you sure?"
"Everything points to it. And I'm starting to believe that it has to do with his father's death."
"Yeah, a seppuku would do that," Kallen grumbled, looking out the window of the running electro-mag train. "Might explain how Suzaku got that stupid martyr complex."
"I said 'death,' not 'suicide.'" Nines said dryly, causing everyone to look at him.
"What do you mean? Everyone knows that Suzaku's father killed himself in order to stop an all-out war against Britannia." Claire said, typing something in midair before showing everyone an old newspaper article about the suicide.
"You know, when you say it like that, that doesn't make a lick of sense." Nick drawled, with the twins and Lucienne wincing. "Hard to believe that actually flew for the past seven years. Then again, with Britannia controlling the media, it would be child's play to shape the narrative as well, until only the most skeptical would still question it."
"With the war going on, it was easy to overlook the exact details of the death," Milly commented, grumbling. "But we were busy with our Phantom Thieves operation… and school."
"Kururugi Genbu was a prideful man, and strong-willed. That was what catapulted him to the position of Prime Minister. Even in the brief time I met him, I could tell he placed himself and his people ahead of everything. He was a man who would never give up in the face of adversity. Suicide just does not fit his character." Nines said while in a thinking pose.
"So he would've never surrendered, huh? Sounds like what I assumed that time was wrong." Nick mused absentmindedly.
"Yeah, and trying to marry Nunnally doesn't either," Naruto grumbled, with everyone except for Naruko, Lucienne, Nines, and Milly rounding on him for an explanation. "Genbu was planning to marry Nunnally for the usual political garbage. Kaa-chan personally paid him a visit to…convince him not to pull that shit."
"B-b-b-b-b-b-but w-w-w-why?!" Nina stammered, looking mortified. "The age g-g-gap is-!"
"Sounds like he got desperate and wasn't thinking clearly." C.C. guessed. "War will do that to a man."
"Hold on, we're getting off-topic!" Claire snapped, waving her hands. "Are you saying the Prime Minister was murdered?"
"It is my suspicion, especially when I looked at the autopsy report. The official report states his death was caused by a self-inflicted sword wound to the abdomen. The weapon used was his family katana. At first glance, it does seem like a suicide, however, the photos do not match up with a self-inflicted stab wound with a full-sized katana held in a person's hands. I scanned all the images into my computer to create a 3D model in VR, and what I found was this."
Nines pushed a few buttons and a projector appeared showing the image of a man with a sword wound passing through his midsection. The image displayed a sword passing through the front at an odd angle, too awkward to be self-inflicted.
"This shows it would be unlikely for Genbu to have stabbed himself with a sword of that size at that angle. Now, if we change that angle of attack…"
The image reset, only this time, the sword passed through from behind.
Kallen shot up from her chair. "What the!?"
"He…was stabbed from behind!?" Nina gasped.
Naruko frowned. "It sure as hell wasn't suicide."
"Correct. Given the evidence, it is extremely likely that Kururugi Genbu was murdered, rather than suicide. It also seems that people took the trouble to cover this fact up."
"Cover it up? But shouldn't the people know?" Kallen demanded. "It's sounding more like a Britannian hitjob!"
"It does seem that way. He has sent Nunnally and me to Japan to be political hostages. No doubt to lower Japan's guard…wait," Lucienne frowned in realization. "Genbu's death happened days after we escaped the OSI during the bombing!"
Nines shook his head. "It could have been an assassination by Britannia, but the MO does not fit. They would have done a surgical strike like they did with the shrine. No, this was a different actor, I'm sure of it."
"Well, that's just great. Another mystery we have to solve." Naruto groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm not fond of Genbu, but in your world's terms, Nines, we let him cook because as you said, he never gave up no matter what. His accepting kaa-chan's secret agreement proved that."
"Let him cook?" Kallen repeated, looking baffled.
Nick chuckled. "It just means to let him keep going about his business because it looked like he knew what he was doing. As for it being an assassination…well, that seems likely." However, his mind drifted back to his conversation with Suzaku and the Princesses, and the boy's insistence on not wanting his father's death to have been in vain. At the very least, he must have known that someone else caused it. Or maybe even…
"Hold that thought, what secret agreement?" Aki demanded.
"During kaa-chan's visit to threat…er…convince Genbu not to marry Nunnally, she offered a deal. The Uzumaki-jin were allowed back into Japan en-masse as long as we cleared out the Britannians trying to take the land. He's the only one who knew so the plan wouldn't leak, so when he died…right on the day of the planned counterattack…well…" Naruto trailed off, the Kozuki sisters looking floored.
"So whoever killed Genbu-san prevented a last-ditch effort from Japan to fight back." Rivalz guessed meekly.
"And practically handed Japan to Brittania on a silver platter." Lucienne finished with a grimace.
"Sssssshhhhhhhhhiiiiittttttttttttttttttt."
"So now we've narrowed it down to either assassination, or just plain old treachery," Nick said before he glanced at the sisters. "Well, either way, the perpetrator is due for some karma in the future, I imagine."
Kallen was now looking murderous, with Aki smiling with a shadow over her eyes. If only Genbu wasn't murdered, then maybe things would be different now.
Maybe their brother would still be alive!
Whoever had done the deed, better pray they never get ahold of them. Their suffering would be legendary!
Coincidentally, a certain unconscious Devicer sneezed and shivered on his medical bed as a feeling of dread crawled up his spine.
"…FFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!" Cornelia suddenly screamed.
"W-Wha?! What is it, Sis- Viceroy?!" Euphemia squeaked.
"Yes, what is wrong?" Guilford asked, he, Darlton, Jeremiah, and Villetta running over.
"Their damn 20 questions bullshit! I could've asked them for that encryption key for Code-R!" Cornelia raged, punching a wall.
"Yeah, that could've been useful. My team and I are at our wit's end." Bourne drawled as he took a smoke.
"Please calm yourself, Princess. You can't show that the Crimson Suns have gotten under your skin." Guilford advised her.
"I really don't care right now…because it's working!" Cornelia seethed and collapsed in her chair. "I need a drink. Call me over if you find anything…or anyone."
"Anyone? But the whole town has been cleared, even at gunpoint." Euphemia said.
"And you did that wonderfully, but there is a specific target in mind," Bourne said, showing a map on his tablet. "One of Bartley's men cracked. There's a Code-R lab here in Narita…
"And none of the scientists were among the evacuates…"
Euphemia blinked. "...Eh?"
END OF CHAPTER 16
Next time: Chapter 17 - Uzu and Kyoto (tentative title)
The Crimson Suns relax and take a tour of Uzu Island, being treated to the sights before being called in to finally meet the Six Houses of Kyoto. But unbeknownst to them, their actions cause a ripple effect that puts them into conflict with a dear friend, leading to a collision course with a new and dangerous adversity, hidden in the shadows…
Naruto: …I don't like the sound of that last part.
Soul: Oh, come on, it'll be fine.
Naruko: Can't you just tell us?
BB: Sorry blondies, no spoilers!
Lucienne: At least we get a slight reprieve.
Milly: But will there finally be some sex?! Hopefully, involving me?
Lucienne: Stop binging that Iwao artist.
Soul: I promise you, soon. But that's where C.C. comes in for the next arc.
C.C.: Me, in a sex scene in the next arc? Why…don't tell me…
BB: Hey, don't spoil the surprise!
C.C.: I think I know what you're planning, and it's evil.
BB: I assure you that your cheeks getting clapped all night is important to the plot.
C.C.: Well, I had a few kinds of partners in the multiverse.
Naruto: You gotta pump those up, those are rookie numbers, dear.
[References and Explantions]
This chapter was inspired from The Black Emperor by Primordial Vortex, one of the inspirations for this story. Please give it a read.
A Pele Kick is a backflip kick used in wrestling, and soccer.
A Pow Hammer is a squeaky toy and a spell from the Tales of Series.
"...Really?" Suzaku's kick met with abridged Alucard's sarcasm.
Paisano is Spanish for pal, buddy.
Shibari is… if you know, you know.
I need to rewatch V for Vendetta. We all need to rewatch it.
I was going to use the Duke of York randomly. I saw it is currently Prince Andrew and had a laugh because of his…associations.
Pulls, guides, drives; I've watched too many Matrix clips.
Genbu planning to marry Nunnally is real. Check the Audio Drama Stage 0.521, Nunnally Vanished
And the preview, use Asura's Wrath episode preview music
'O' For Omake
"Great, another masked weirdo," Cornelia grumbled. "Do any of you not wear masks? Who are you people?"
"Who? 'Who' is but the form following the function of 'what,' and what I am is a man in a mask."
"Yes, I already said that."
"Evidently. I am not doubting the powers of your observation. I am merely remarking on the paradox of asking a masked man who he is."
The cave was silent for a few moments as the two sisters glanced at each other.
"But on this most auspicious of evenings, permit me then, in lieu of the more commonplace sobriquet, to suggest the character of the persona."
"Oh, here we go…" muttered Ginkaku.
Odin dramatically threw his cape open.
"Observe! As an ordinary old oaf, ostentatiously organized as both outcast and outlaw by the objectionable options of fate. This outfit, no mere obfuscation of originality, is the only orator of the ordinary-man, now oppressed, olden. However, this outlandish occurrence of an outdated obstacle stands re-originated, and has objective to oust these obscene and opprobrious oligarchs owning offense and ostensibly ostracizing the openly outrageous and obdurate obliteration of opportunity."
With a gesture of his hand, the drone turned to the stone wall and fired a red laser that carved a large half-circle into the stone. It repeated the action mirroring the first arc to complete the circle, leaving a smoking 'O' in the wall.
"The only outcome is to overthrow; an onslaught, whose onset is offered, open-handedly, with the opinion and optimism that such shall one day oblige ovation of the observant and the objective."
Looking rather perplexed, the sister watched as the masked man laughed almost disturbingly.
"Obviously, this overwhelming oration has opted overboard, so let me simply add that it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me Odin."
"Are you….some kind of crazy person?"
"I am pretty sure they will say so." Odin quipped, with Athena letting out a round of amused laughter.
"I'm sure you could've added orgasm to the speech-" Cypher was saying before getting bonked on the head by Joker. "Ow."
"...I need a drink," Cornelia finally whined, with Rei handing her a bottle. "Thank you," She snatched it and began to down it, much to Euphemia grief.
At this point, the empathetic Princess could use a drink too.
Released: February 03, 2024