Hello, everyone. Here is the next chapter of this work! I do hope all of you enjoy it! Be prepared for the upcoming set of updates as well.
- The White Lion of the Red Keep
- Overlord: The Demon Empress (Perhaps!)
(Next schedule.)
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Chapter 17
Lelouch couldn't help but hum when she caught sight of C.C.'s outfit. The girl with green hair let out a slight huff of annoyance while examining the counterfeit passport in her hand. It seemed she had an important task at hand, one that made her feel quite anxious. But it was hard to say if C.C.s anxiousness was because of her mission or something else. Lelouch has noticed the green-haired girl's expression the last few days. Something was clearly bothering her.
"You've been quite absent-minded in the last days, C.C. Something is clearly bothering you," Lelouch commented as C.C. sighed deeply.
"Sometimes, you pay too much attention to people around you," C.C. replied.
"Maybe I am just knowing you better."
"Or maybe I am opening myself too much."
Lelouch frowned deeply at that comment from C.C. "What is it then?" She asked.
C.C. looked at the window for a few seconds before shaking her head. This was her problem, her sin. She could not put it on Lelouch's shoulders. The poor girl already had too much to worry about. C.C. knew Mao was around, so she thought that if she left for China for that mission, he would follow her, and then she'd deal with him there. Or so she thought. It was not a perfect plan at all, and maybe her not telling Lelouch about it was a big mistake. But she wanted to do this alone.
Besides, Mao sent her messages and letters warning her about what could happen if she told Lelouch about it. C.C. was not a damsel in distress nor someone who would look for help. She was still quite stubborn, and knowing just how much Lelouch had on her plate, adding more was selfish on her part. That's why C.C. would deal with this by herself. Then, she would explain herself to Lelouch.
She will be furious with me. C.C. thought before taking a deep breath.
"There is something I must do, and it's bothering me for a while. A mistake I must fix."
C.C. said as Lelouch tilted her head at her. "A mistake?" Lelouch asked. "What sort of mistake?"
"One that I deeply regret. You're not the only one with dead bodies in the closet. I'll tell you all about it when I come back. Among other things."
Lelouch raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Alright. But why do you sound like you're about to kill someone?"
Now, that brought a large smile to C.C.'s face. "Perhaps I am."
Lelouch wanted to ask something; she did not like being left in the dark, but soon, she began to feel a thundering headache of sorts. She lost a bit of balance and landed on the bed.
"Lelouch, are you alright?" C.C. asked with a concerned face.
"Yeah, just headache, that's all," Lelouch groaned softly.
"Kallen is not here today. Are you sure you don't want someone with you?" C.C. asked with a surprising tone of honesty and concern.
"No. Kallen is busy right now with the new updates of the Guren, and so is the rest of the Black Knights. And you have to go to and meet the Chinese Federation."
C.C. nodded while still keeping her eyes on Lelouch. "Still, I don't know what you expect of them. From what I know, they aren't keen on speaking to someone of a lower class than them."
"That's good. Besides, you said you have a sense of humility that I don't have," Lelouch teased as C.C. simply snorted.
"I'll try to do my best," C.C. replied before taking his bag and walking away. But before she opened the door, she looked at Lelouch, who was lying on the bed, clearly tired. "Be careful, Lelouch. I'll try to come back as quickly as possible."
Lelouch nodded quickly. "I am going to be just fine, C.C."
"Take your medicine and rest, or I'll tell Kallen to force you to take a break."
"You're such a snitch," Lelouch scoffed.
"Of course, you're too stupid to take care of yourself."
C.C. said before leaving the room behind a very insulted Lelouch. Still, as she was walking away, she could not help but feel a sense of anxiety, as if something was not right. So, with that in mind, she decided to call a certain red-haired girl and tell her that she needed to keep an eye on her girlfriend.
Lelouch sighed contently as she exited the shower. Her body felt rigid, and her head still hurt, but it was a far cry from her worst days. Nevertheless, she realised that the last few days had been good, all things considered—perhaps the best she had ever felt in a long time.
"It not aching as much as it used to," Lelouch mumbled, watching the nasty scar on her chest. Soon enough, she decided not to dwell too much on the lack of pain and instead enjoy it for as long as she could. It was a normal day of school for her, or something close to it. Right now, Lelouch was only waiting.
Numerous agents have been apprehended, but fortunately, none of them possessed any substantial information regarding the whereabouts of the Black Knights. This resulted in a roadblock for Britannia's intelligence, precisely as Diethard had envisioned–deploying multiple agents with conflicting intelligence.
"He is way smarter than I thought."
Lelouch stated to herself, pondering just how she could use him better. So far, Britannia has been waiting for reinforcements, giving her time to plan ahead. Yet, at the same time, once the reinforcements arrived. The clock would begin ticking.
"And we are not ready to face them."
Lelouch sighed as she put on her uniform clothes. The Black Knights, Japan, were all simply means to an end. But she would die if she wasn't concerned about them. Lelouch did not want them to die for her. She had enough blood in her hands already.
"You're lying."
Lelouch stopped thinking as she looked herself in the mirror, and for a brief moment, staring back at her, it wasn't her. But her avatar, Galadriel.
"You're lying. You care for them. You care more for them than you want revenge. You're getting weak. You're not what you need to be. What you need to become. That's all you want. That's all you need."
Lelouch shook her head rapidly, trying not to look at the reflection again. "No. I am—who am I?" Lelouch whispered suddenly, feeling confused and out of place.
"Have you forgotten Nazarick?" The reflection asked her, and Lelouch only saw Galadriel in the mirror, glaring at her, almost in disgust. "Have you truly forgotten all?"
"I haven't forgotten, but that game belongs to the past. Now, I am here," responded Lelouch while Galadriel continued to gaze steadily at her.
"You are not ready."
Lelouch frowned at her avatar before suddenly feeling an intense pain in her head. Hissingly, she grabbed her head and lay on a chair for a few minutes until the pain went away.
"Am I fighting against myself?" Lelouch whispered, wondering if she had been imagining all of that conversation. Perhaps she truly had something wrong in her head. Maybe some tumours and whatnot.
"What is happening to me?" Lelouch said as she watched herself in the mirror, now seeing that Galadriel was nowhere in sight. "I just don't understand it anymore."
Lelouch sighed before taking her bags and walking out of the room.
As Lelouch walked towards the school, she was met by no other than Suzaku, who appeared to be standing still, looking at the sky, deep in thought. It was clear that she wasn't the only one busy with inner thoughts.
"Suzaku? You're here?" Lelouch asked as Suzaku appeared to snap back to reality.
"Lelouch!" Suzaku smiled at her. "Sorry, I was a bit absentminded."
"And absent from school too, it appears," Lelouch teased at him. "Are you hooking up with some military girl, uh?"
"Please, don't joke about that," Suzaku replied with embarrassment.
"You truly need to get laid, Suzaku. Like asap," Lelouch replied, sounding almost concerned.
"I am fine being single. Right now, I am way too busy seeking a relationship," he replied. "In anycase, I was thinking of seeing Nunnally tonight. I have a free day."
"A free day? Uh, yeah, sure, you can come in. Nunnally surely misses you," Lelouch replied with a smile. "But you're paying for the food."
"You know, Britannia doesn't pay me that much?" Suzaku chuckled before soon, and they were all shocked by the loud sound of a motorcycle arriving near them. The smell of fuel and the sound of a very scared Rivalz made them forget about what they were just talking about recently.
"Rivalz, what is it?!" Lelouch exclaimed as Rivalz got close to her.
"You knew it?!" Rivalz demanded.
"Knew what?" Lelouch asked, confused.
"About Milly meeting her suitor!" Rivalz cried loudly and very dramatically. If Lelouch could admit, it was even amusing to some degree.
"Oh, yeah, it was today. She did tell me about it," Lelouch replied as she began to hum. "Maybe they are already tying the knot? Perhaps having a bit of action already~?" She teased loudly as Rivalz's heart began to break.
"What's with you and sex?" Suzaku mumbled.
"I like sex, especially with Kallen."
"I don't want to hear it," Suzaku replied.
"Why didn't you tell me?! You're supposed to be my friend!" Rivalz cried.
"I sort of… forgot," Lelouch replied a bit sheepishly. "Besides, I knew it would have made you cry."
"I–! I blew up my chance!" Rivalz began to weep, and Lelouch simply rolled her eyes at him. She liked him, but she was also realistic and knew that Milly wasn't interested in Rivalz in such a way. Besides, if anything, Milly appeared to be more on her side of the road. Not that she ever asked her about it.
However, Milly had consistently expressed her lack of interest in men. It could be possible that Milly was a lesbian but preferred to keep it private, or she was very selective when it came to the men she found attractive. Alternatively, Milly may have no interest in dating anyone. Whatever it was, Rivalz simply had no chance with the blonde girl.
"Besides, Rivalz, you know that Milly won't like people prying in her life," Lelouch stated, and Rivalz sighed pathetically.
"I know," he replied.
"Don't worry, maybe you'll find someone who will like you someday," Lelouch said, trying to cheer up poor Rivalz. However, her words appeared to cause more harm than good as Rivalz sobbed.
"Someday?" Rivalz mumbled.
"You're so cruel, Lelouch."
"What? What did I do?!"
Kallen was focusing on the new updates of the Guren, but while she was trying her hardest to learn everything necessary to pilot such an advanced Knightmare Frame. Her mind was focusing on something else. It was C.C.'s call from not too long ago.
"What did she mean with worry about her?" Kallen whispered as she leaned back on her chair. She could not focus on her task, no matter how much she tried. "Should I call her?"
Kallen stood up and decided to make herself a coffee. But as she was doing just that, she heard the phone vibrating.
"Uh?" Kallen mumbled before picking up the call. She could not hear anything from the other side for a few seconds. "Hello?"
"My! What a surprise you actually answered your phone without checking who it could be!"
Kallen frowned deeply. "Excuse me, who is this?" She asked now, her voice becoming more serious.
"No one, you should worry about Kallen Stadtfeld, or maybe should I call you Bunny?"
Kallen froze when she heard that. "What? Who is this?! Who are you?!"
"Wait, too many questions!" The man chuckled. "But first, let me tell you something. Does your mother know you're in the Black Knights? Uh? Does the student council know that one of their own is the reason so many have died?"
Kallen's body was standing still, as she wasn't sure what to do or react.
"Now, I hope the silence is you thinking what could happen if I dare to tell someone about this. So let's play a game! And no, you cannot tell anyone about his, or I shall pay a little visit to your girlfriend. If you break the rules, I'll know, believe me."
"Who are you?!" Kallen hissed.
"Someone who is very, very angry. But that could wait until you wish everyone to know who you work for or, more importantly, who your little girlfriend is. You shall do what I say."
Kallen realised she found herself in a position where she could not even fight. "What do you want?" She hissed loudly.
"You should go back to school. I have a surprise for you there."
Lelouch had been having an amazing day so far, to the extent that she had already managed to push many of her concerns out of her mind. However, it wouldn't be long before her pleasant mood began to shift. Just as she was heading towards her room to retrieve something, the sound of her phone ringing caught her attention.
"Uh, hello?" Lelouch called, and soon, she heard Nunnally's voice.
"Sister! Sister!" Nunnally's voice sounded alarmed and afraid, quickly sending a pang of anguish to Lelouch.
"Nunnally?! What is it?!" Lelouch asked.
"It's me, Lulu!" A voice she did not recognise replied. Almost mockingly.
"Who are you?! What have you done to Nunnally?!" Lelouch yelled. Suddenly, her hands were shaking, and her breath became raspy.
"Introductions are in order. I am surprised C.C. did not tell you about me!"
"C.C.?" Lelouch then recalled the look on C.C.'s face and the words she muttered before leaving. "Who are you?! What have you done to my sister?!"
"Nothing, yet. It all depends on how you play this little game. One where your geass won't work."
Lelouch was overcome with shock, her body freezing, as those words reached her ears. The thought that someone else might know about her Geass had been pushed so far back in her mind that she hadn't even considered it until this very moment. But then again, who was this person, and how does he know about the Geass or C.C.? Her mind began to run with ideas and thoughts.
"Shock? I thought so, but don't worry. I am not going to kill your sister, only you. But it had to be on my terms."
"What do you want?" Lelouch whispered.
"First of all, try to find me. I am not that far away, so don't forget. This is between you and me; don't call for help. I'll know if you do. You have five hours to find her and me. Don't take long," the man said before hanging up.
Lelouch's breathing quickened as she sprinted towards Nunnally and her room with all her might. Her entire body trembled, especially upon laying eyes on Nunnally's photograph resting on the desk. Horror consumed Lelouch as she gazed upon the image of her dear little sister, bound and helpless.
"[Shadow Dem–!" Lelouch could not finish her sentence as she fell to the ground in pain; her chest tightened, and her heart began to hurt. The pain flowed through her body. "Shit! Shit! Not now! Please, not now!"
Lelouch hissed in pain, patiently waiting until the discomfort subsided. Once it finally did, she mustered the strength to stand, though her legs trembled uncontrollably. Her vitality seemed to ebb and flow as if her own body was engaging in a cruel, twisted game.
Slowly, Lelouch began to walk. She had to find Nunnally one way or another.
But as she began to walk around the school, thoughts began to flood her mind. "Geass, how does he know? Could it be that he has a Geass, too?" Lelouch whispered, and the realisation of that made her feel even more afraid of what he could do with such a power.
"Nunnally!" Lelouch hissed, not knowing where to begin. "If Kallen were here…! Or C.C.!" She hissed before hearing someone calling out her name.
"Lelouch!" Suzaku yelled at the moment, and when he did, Lelouch fell to her knees.
"Suzaku…!" She whispered, relieved to see him there.
"Lelouch!" Suzaku approached her quickly. "Does your chest hurt? Where is the medicine?" He asked in a frenetic tone, but that wasn't why Lelouch was on her knees. Quickly, she pulled Nunnally's photo and showed it to him.
"I need help. Someone took Nunnally!"
On the opposite end of the school, Kallen had managed to arrive in an astonishingly short amount of time. She had taken extra precautions to dress inconspicuously, but deep down, she couldn't help but feel that the moment had finally arrived for her to be fully prepared for the worst-case scenario. If someone had already discovered the truth, she knew she had to be ready to make a swift escape or to fight for her life.
But then again, she could not leave and leave Lelouch alone.
"Where are you, Lelouch?" Kallen whispered, glancing at her phone once more but finding no new messages. She hesitated, contemplating whether she should dial his number. "Is it possible that someone has tracked my phone or Lelouch's? If they were eavesdropping on our conversation, it could put both of us in danger."
In a hurry, she set off in search of Lelouch. Countless thoughts and endless possibilities swirled in Kallen's mind. However, what awaited her in Lelouch's room was far from what she had anticipated. Without delay, she entered the modest apartment shared by Lelouch and Nunnally and called out for both of them. "Lelouch?! Nunnally?!"
Kallen looked around and found no trace of either of them. Panic began to rise, and soon enough, another voice brought Kallen's thoughts to a halt.
"You're here."
Kallen glanced back and noticed Shirley seated on Lelouch's bed. The girl with orange hair avoided eye contact with Kallen, her gaze fixed upon a photograph of Lelouch. A sorrowful expression adorned her face.
"Shirley? What are you doing here?" Kallen asked, noticing the look on Shirley's face. After Shirley had not answered for a few seconds, Kallen walked towards her carefully. "Where is Lelouch? I need to speak with her."
Shirley put the photo on the bed and shook her head. "I don't know," she mumbled as she stood up and now facing Kallen.
"Kallen, is there something you wish to tell me?" Shirley asked, and Kallen frowned at her.
"Sorry, Shirley, but I don't have time for games. I need to find Lelouch," Kallen replied, her voice devoid of its usual subdued and quiet tone. Kallen couldn't afford to keep up the facade she always put on. It simply didn't matter to her anymore.
Kallen turned around and was ready to head out before a sudden click sound made her stop. She recognised it almost immediately. It was the sound of a gun being pointed at her. Kallen glanced back and saw Shirley aiming her gun at her. Her hands were trembling, yet she had a firm grasp on the gun as she looked at her with hatred and hesitation.
"Shirley, what are you doing?" Kallen whispered, with a tense tone of voice.
"I know the truth," Shirley whispered, her voice letting her know the conflicted feelings coursing through her. "You are part of the Black Knights, aren't you, Kallen?! You're the reason why my father is dead! And Lelouch…! Lelouch… is… Zero, isn't it?!"
Kallen's body stood still as she only stared at Shirley, completely stunned. How does she know that?! Kallen's thoughts were filled with horror and panic. Yet, she did an incredible job at keeping a calm facade.
"P-please, Shirley, what you're saying is madness. Me, a Black Knight? Lelouch being Zero? This is a joke, right? C'mon, please don't joke with that," Kallen chuckles nervously. "The pistol is a fake one, right? Please, put it down."
Shirley, on the other hand, responded by pulling the trigger, and in no time, the sound made Kallen realise that Shirley was not joking. The bullet whizzed past Kallen, who swiftly moved out of the way.
"DON'T LIE TO ME! I KNOW THE TRUTH!" Shirley screamed, as her hands were shaking in fear and rage. "I know it all."
Kallen's panic increased as she realised Shirley was not listening to reason. "Shirley, please, put the gun down!"
"No!" Shirley replied. "No! I-I-! I will avenge my father, and the–Lelouch will–!"
Shirley's sobs grew louder. "It's over, Kallen," she whispered, her trembling hand clutching the gun once more. Kallen knew she had to kill if she wanted to live. But was she prepared to do whatever it took to survive? Kallen couldn't be certain. Maybe it was inevitable. Perhaps this was the way it was meant to conclude, though Kallen had her doubts. Regardless, she refused to abandon Lelouch.
And if she had spilt the blood of even more innocent people, she would have done so.
"Shirley, don't do this…" Kalle whispered as she slowly took her pocket knife discreetly. "Please, don't make me do this."
Shirley's tears and shaking hands made for a horrible scene, but it was the look in Shirley's eyes. "Please forgive me, Kallen. I never hated you, believe me."
Within the confines of that room, an abrupt and resounding noise reverberated through the air. It unmistakably echoed the discharge of a pistol, followed in close succession by the jarring thud of a body colliding with the unforgiving floor.