Hello everyone. I know this fanfic is taking such a long time to put up. But the reason is that it is on a secondary priority list. It's the same with From Thedas to Westeros. These fanfics aren't that popular, so the chapters are sometimes shorter than some of my other works. So I am focusing on my other work. But I'll try to keep them updated. Sorry to those who like this.
In anycase, the next update is going to be...!
-Harry Potter and the Demon Empress (One Chapter)
-Harriet Potter: The Demon Empress. (One Chapter)
-Bokue No Overlord. (One Chapter)
-See you all later!
-Also, if you wish to follow me on Tumblr! You will see the next updates, Artwork, or ask me anything about my works or what you'll like to see in the future, and get more news! As well as how to support me directly!
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Chapter 14
Shirley gazed wearily at the book notes on her desk, feeling uninspired and downcast. The photographs of her father adorned her desk, evoking painful memories. Despite the passage of time, things seemed to be getting worse instead of better. Shirley had lost the girl she had fallen for since they met, and then the death of her father introduced a new kind of struggle. Shirley slumped in her seat, unsure of what steps to take or where to begin. On her left was a photo of her with Lelouch, smiling, laughing, like good friends.
"Perhaps, that was all we would ever be," Shirley smiled sadly at her own words.
The sound of her phone ringing suddenly stopped Shirley's thoughts. She frowned as she didn't quite recognise the number, yet she answered out of sheer curiosity.
"Uh, hello...?"
"Hello there, Shirley~!"
Shirley couldn't recognise the voice at all, no matter how much she dared to try. It sounded quite teasing, jokingly even, but for Shirley, hearing such a voice just confused her.
"Who is this? How did you get my phone number?" Shirley questioned as she could only hear a small chuckle from the other side of the phone.
"I just heard it," the voice replied.
"Heard it?"
"Don't worry about details, my dear Shirley. I heard about what happened to your beloved father. Such a shame. He seemed like a good man and an excellent father too."
Upon hearing the mention of her father, Shirley's body instinctively tensed up. The subject remained a raw and sore spot for her. However, what truly stirred up her emotions was the fact that an unfamiliar individual had the audacity to speak about her father in such a disrespectful manner. It was a source of discomfort and anger for her, and she couldn't help but feel defensive about her family.
"I don't know who you are or what you want! But please stop, don't dare to talk about my family!" Shirley snapped back, and again a small chuckle was heard.
"Sorry, sorry! Truly, this is not my intention."
Shirley's anger flare up, now hating this person. "I don't care about your intentions! Goodbye!" Shirley was about to hang up, but the mysterious man had another plan under his sleeves.
"Don't you want to know the truth?" The man spoke, and Shirley suddenly froze.
"The truth? What do you mean?" Shirley asked carefully.
"A lot is going on, Shirley Fenette. Things are not what they seem. And perhaps, someone you thought you knew may be responsible for what happened to your dear father."
Shirley simply held the phone closer to her ear; she didn't say much or could. Shirley didn't have anything to say. She was merely stunned and bewildered. A part of her was telling her that it was just a prank, a cruel joke from someone without a sense of humour. Yet, another part of her, still hurt from her father's death, truly wanted to know who was responsible for his death. But someone who she knew? A friend? That just made her stop for a few seconds.
"Oh, I know what you're thinking. A friend? Could someone I know and trust be responsible for my father's death?"
Shirley was now scared, as she couldn't quite grasp how someone would know such a thing, was this person looking at her?
"Don't worry, Shirley. I not going to hurt you. I merely want to tell you the truth."
"The truth...?"
"Yes, don't you want to know the whole thing? The name's person, who that person is and why they are doing it?"
Shirley just held the phone, her mind confused and filled with questions that she wasn't sure she was ready for. Nevertheless, her inner curiosity to find the one who killed her father outweighed her logical thinking of staying away from danger. And the person on the other side of the phone knew too well what Shirley was thinking.
"Would you like to know more?"
Those were the words that pushed Shirley to seek the truth, even if it hurt her.
Cornelia was well aware that the night ahead was fraught with danger. The operation at hand was a crucial one, serving as a poignant reminder to everyone around the world, allies or enemies alike, that Britannia still retained the power to control the areas it ruled over. However, for Cornelia, this small but significant undertaking also served as a personal reminder of her own capabilities as both a leader and a commander. As a princess of Britannia, she knew that she had a duty to her people to take charge and ensure that the mission was carried out as safely and efficiently as possible. That was how she operated before coming to Area 11. Cornelia was the Goddess of Victory, although that title means little to her now.
"I must not think about it," Cornelia whispered as she took a deep breath, glancing at the night sky.
"My princess?" In a gentle tone, Guildford inquired while observing the weary expression on his lady's face. He had learned not to underestimate the capabilities of his princess. Still, as a seasoned soldier who had fought under Cornelia's leadership, he couldn't help but notice the immense level of strain and fatigue she was exhibiting. The challenges of governing Area 11 were unlike anything she had faced before, and it was taking a toll on her.
"Nothing, Guildford. It's time," Cornelia stated, looking at the time. Again she took a deep breath before shaking any doubt out of her mind. Her soldiers needed her to be focused and determined. "Commence operation!"
Soon all the Knight Frames and special aquatic units began to deplete. One after another, they move towards their destination with one goal: to eliminate what was left of the JLF.
The JLF ship was on shore, ready to depart. However, Britannia's forces were about to keep them from leaving. Soon enough, missiles stuck the foundation of the shipyard, causing the ship to tilt and putting on high alert the JLF forces, who scrambled out to see Cornelia's men attacking them, stopping them from leaving Area 11.
The underwater explosions were big and loud, and the sound of machinery moving from one site to the next echoed throughout the entire place. And Cornelia's forces weren't the only ones awaiting such a signal. On the other side of the shipyard, Zero and his Black Knights saw the Britannia operation starting.
"It has started, Zero!"
Zero heard Ohgi's voice from the comms as she stared at the map inside her Knightmare Frame. Honestly, she hated that she'll have to do all of this just to try and capture Cornelia. She didn't care about the JLF's forces or the leadership. They were arrogant fools who lived in the past. That's why she simply smiled as she replied to Ohgi. "We can't move now, Ohgi. Cornelia moved faster than I expected."
Zero wasn't lying. Cornelia did move faster than she thought. Zero thought that Cornelia was trying to be quicker than before—a sort of shock and awe type of operation, leaving no place for a kind of counter-offensive. And it seemed to be cruel. Cornelia's forces were hitting all their objectives with incredible speed and precision; even Zero wondered if there was a reason for such ferocity.
It seems my sister's past experiences have left a sour taste in her mouth. Zero thought, watching the forces quickly dismantle the JLF's forces.
"What are we going to do now?" Ohgi asked now, sounding worried.
"Tell Kento and Yoshitaka to move to their designated position and to be ready. They are going to face Cornelia's personal guard. Also, start the jamming in their system. We are going in 30 seconds. Also, we must be careful. That ship has raw Sakuradite in their halls."
"Understood!"
Zero hummed deeply as she looked down at her hand, where a magical circle appeared. It was the timing of the Arcanic Mines she left underneath the sea floor. She'll use the JLF as bait to lure Cornelia out. That was the only thing they were useful for now—a good distraction.
On the ship, the JLF was against the ropes, wondering where was the help Kyoto promised them. Help would never arrive at their aid, but they didn't know. Zero knew that Cornelia would simply kill every single one of them. Complete eradication of the one proud Japanese Liberation Front. And she could hear it and see it. Some of the JLF soldiers were trying to surrender but were quickly killed by the Britannia soldiers with mercy.
"Zero...! They are killing them!" Ohgi exclaimed through the radio as Zero simply sighed.
You can be pretty patriotic sometimes, Ohgi. Zero thought, with a hint of amusement. "Understood began the operation! Move-in!"
Zero's Arcanic Mines suddenly exploded when the JLF ship was directly above them, activating the trap she lay for them hours ago. Soon enough, the boat itself was enveloped in a strange explosion. It looked as if the Sakuradite from itself the boat reacted to the immediate blast from itself, creating a ball of fire that blinded all of the soldiers in the nearby area.
Zero herself was surprised by the blast. Not knowing if it was Zero's Arcanic Mines of that hazardous liquid. Nevertheless, it helped to do the job.
"What's that?!" Kallen exclaimed through comms as the ship they were in began to shake from the sheer explosion of the Sakuradite.
"The...! The ship exploded!" Ohgi replied, adding more chaos to the comms.
"It seems the Sakuradite was compromised. I don't know if the JLF had anything to do with it or if an unguided missile caused such a reaction."
Zero did play her part in sounding concerned and shaken. Lying has become easier than breathing for her now.
"Nevertheless, we can't step back now! We're going according to play! Rush to Cornelia's point! Ohgi, move your men!"
"Y-yes!"
Zero hummed, wondering now, liking what she'll do now. The battle between Cornelia's forces and the Black Knights was just starting.
Cornelia stared at the mushroom cloud left by the explosion ahead of her. She was confused, just like everyone. Did they just blow themselves up? No, she honestly doubted that was the case. The Japan Liberation Front were too proud and arrogant to do something like this without any other choice. And even then. The possibility of them actually committing suicide was slight. Was it a simple mistake, a loose bullet, or an explosion that caused such a reaction? Again, the possibilities were small. So, what was it?
Cornelia debated with herself for a few seconds before suddenly; she watched a boat flying towards them. And soon enough, missiles began to fly towards her direction.
"My princess!" Guildford screamed before Cornelia ran towards her Knightmare Frame.
"It's ambushed!" Cornelia finally understood what she was watching. As soon enough, Black Knightmare Frames emerged from the boat, and she knew to whom she belonged. "It's Zero!"
The Black Knight's attack took Cornelia's forces by surprise, and soon enough, the entire shipyard became a war zone. Zero's Knightmare Frame soon saw Cornelia's. It quickly went on the offensive, which led Zero to feel quite annoyed at the difference between their mechas. The Glasgow was on a different level than Cornelia's Gloucester, who was faster and stronger in every sense of the word. The spear also allowed Cornelia to attack her quickly, and the thick armour stopped Zero's Glasgow bullets without a problem.
I hate this weak Knightmare Frame. When I'll have my own? Zero thought as she groaned furiously as she tried to attack Cornelia unsuccessfully.
Cornelia was on a one-on-one with Zero and felt confident in her skills. "You'll pay for this, Zero!" She yelled, thrusting her spear in Zero's direction.
Zero could avoid the spear and made her mecha jump back, get some distance and shoot. Again, those bullets did nothing to Cornelia's Knightmare Frame. Zero realised that the only one who could take on Cornelia was Kallen, who was easily slicing her way through against Cornelia's personal guard.
"Bunny, you're the only one who can take on Cornelia's Gloucester," Zero's voice sounded tense as she was debating herself to use her magic. She already used Arcanic Mines and didn't want to push her body more.
"I'm on it!" Kallen stated, but before she could attack Cornelia, a white Knightmare Frame suddenly came out of nowhere, attacking Zero's Glasgow.
"Princess!" Suzaku called from the private line of communication inside their mechas. Cornelia stared at the white Knightmare Frame, and while she was confident that she could take on Zero. That red and peculiar Knightmare Frame was truly something else.
"Suzaku, take on that red Knightmare frame. I'll deal with Zero!" Cornelia stated through comms. Suzaku nodded as he glanced at Zero's mecha, knowing it wouldn't last long in that state.
"Yes, your highness," Suzaku replied before focusing on the enemy ahead of him.
On the side of Zero and Kallen, both were utterly stunned at the sudden appearance of the white Knightmare Frame. Especially, Zero, who was incredibly furious to see it again.
That damn Knightmare frame! Again you?! Zero hissed furiously as she attacked Cornelia. Kallen growled angrily, knowing she couldn't get past that pilot without fighting. She glanced at Cornelia and Zero fighting just ahead of her and the Glasgow slowly losing the match up. That made her panic.
"Let me pass!" Kallen yelled, furiously striking that white Knightmare Frame. Neither Zero nor Kallen knew that Suzaku was piloting the white Knightmare Frame. And, of course, Suzaku didn't know who he was facing.
Both white and red Knightmare Frames face each other, trying desperately to outdo one another. Kallen by trying to get to Zero's side, and Suzaku by stopping her. At the same time, Zero just began to feel anger rising up, noticing how her mecha was slowly being destroyed, part by part; Cornelia's spear took chunks of the Glasgow without a problem.
"Zero!" Kallen exclaimed as she saw Zero's Knightmare Frame slowly falling apart. She furiously tried to fight and push Suzaku away, but the Lancelot Knightmare Frame wasn't just another mecha. It could go against's Kallen's mecha, and since he was an incredible pilot. Suzaku was able to stop Kallen's ramapge.
"You're not going anywhere!" Suzaku stated, not knowing who was the pilot he was facing.
Zero was furious now. That white Knightmare Frame was always there, stopping her.
"This is where you end, Zero!" Cornelia viciously attacked Zero's Knightmare Frame, and suddenly it aimed her mecha's spear directly at the pilot's cockpit. "I got you!"
With a smile on her face, Cornelia couldn't help but feel victorious as she witnessed the destruction of her enemy, mecha. However, her satisfaction was short-lived as Zero's Glasgow suddenly exploded in a ball of fire. What she anticipated to be an assertive and expected death was far from it. From the wreckage of the Knightmare Frame emerged a small figure, strolling out, seemingly unfazed by the raging fire engulfing it.
"That's... Zero?" Cornelia whispered, watching the robotic woman in front of her. But soon, in a blink of an eye, Zero was not near to be seen. "What..?!"
Cornelia then saw a Zero just flying before her. Soon, a beam of light came out of Zero's hand, striking Cornelia's Gloucester. The mecha's arms were cut clean by that strange light.
"What's that?!" Cornelia exclaimed before seeing many lights coming from the sky, landing around her and destroying everything. Soon enough, a powerful shockwave sent Cornelia's Gloucester away, slamming it into one of the containers, ending the life of that mecha.
Yet, Cornelia's Knightmare Frame has succeeded in keeping the princess alive. Still, it was clear that it wasn't without hardship. Cornelia could feel it inside her cockpit, how battered her body was. Her ribs were broken by the sheer shockwave of those explosions. Her head slammed hard, and she could feel blood running down her face. But was still conscious.
"What... what are you?" Cornelia could only whisper as she saw on her screen Zero's body, on top of what was left of her Knightmare Frame, reading to open the hatch. Then, Cornelia realised that Zero was not human but something else.
On the other side of the battle, Suzaku stared, stunned at what he was watching. His eyes didn't lie to him. He saw how those lights came out of Zero as if that thing was a machine. But the circle of light and strange writing around Zero's body was unnatural, and Suzaku didn't know what to think. But he knew that he must help Cornelia immediately.
"Your Highness!" Suzaku moved quickly, ignoring Kallen's pursuit, and attacked Zero.
Suzaku aimed Lancelot's rifle at Zero, and for a brief period, he debated himself, yet he shook his head. He must protect Cornelia. He must defend Lelouch's sister. So, he pulled the trigger, and typically, a bullet of that size would've been enough to destroy the body of a human. Yet it did nothing of sorts to Zero. Zero raised her hand, and suddenly, a blue sphere appeared around her, deflecting all the bullets.
"What...?" Suzaku muttered, stunned.
Kallen took this opportunity to attack Suzaku, striking the side of the Lancelot and damaging the left side of the white Knightmare Frame.
"Ugh!" Suzaku groaned, moving quickly, but soon noticed how far the damage on his mecha went, as he couldn't move the left side of Lancelot.
"Suzaku!" Cecile appeared on the screen. "I see heavy damage on the Lancelot! Are you alright?!"
"I am just fine! Zero...! Did you see it?! Did you see that?!" Sazaku exclaimed as Cecile nodded quickly, her face not betraying her stunned reaction.
"We have! But please be careful. We noticed an increasing amount of strange energy!"
Suzaku's gaze shifted upwards, fixating on the towering figure of Zero standing atop Cornelia's Knightmare Frame. The scene unfolding before him was nothing short of surreal - Zero was effortlessly tearing apart the hatch of the Frame with her bare hands as if it were nothing more than a flimsy piece of cardboard. Suzaku's mind struggled to comprehend the sheer strength and power on display, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease at the sight. Yet, he wasn't the only one.
Cecile and Lloyd were also watching on the base, with a stunned looks on their faces.
Zero, for her part, could feel it, anger, fury, a sense that her body was reaching its limit. Yet, she was close to Cornelia. She wanted to know if her sister knew about Marianne, Charles, or anything that could help her fill those gaps in her memory. But soon as she opened the hatch, Cornelia was already ready. The Britannia princess pointed her gun at her, taking Zero by surprise. Soon enough, Cornelia pulled the trigger and began shooting at Zero.
Zero grimaced at the sensation of those bullets hitting her, but her armour was able to block them. Still, her anger only increased for some reason. She could feel nothing but hatred. Zero seemed to forget that her race as a player was back on Yggdrasil, was of a Demon. And ever since "waking up" in this world and being able to use her power again. Those traits were slowly emerging, one by one.
"You'll need something more powerful than that to stop me," Zero hissed as Cornelia tried to move but was stuck inside her cockpit.
"So, you'll kill me just like Clovis, eh? Another life in your hand?" Cornelia spat furiously yet anxiously.
"No, I'll not kill you," Zero whispered. "The are things I must know..."
"What?" Cornelia stuttered, confused about what Zero was trying to imply.
As Zero's mask began to emit plumes of white smoke, she could feel her machinery working to help her breathe more easily. Despite knowing that time was running out, Zero found it difficult to ignore the overwhelming sensation of anger that coursed through her. It was not a normal feeling of rage. It was artificial, like something just fueling her inner fire. Zero didn't care to notice it or to stop it.
However, soon enough, Zero saw something. Her skills detected someone watching her closely. Confused, Zero turned to her side, preparing for a possible enemy. Yet, what she found was no enemy but a friend. It was the orange hair of a certain girl.
"S-Shirley?" Zero whispered lowly, suddenly stunned. Watching Shirley seemingly walking around an active war zone threw Zero out of balance. It allowed Suzaku to his slash harkens in order to strike Zero, and it did directly to her. Suzaku should feel horrible using such a thing on a person. Still, the fact that Zero's body could take such a hit was already adding more to the inhumane something that it was that person.
Zero's body was thrown away as Kallen sneaked past Suzaku, going directly to her.
"Zero!" Kallen was horrified as she watched Zero's body armour slowly falling apart, and the gasses, the sound of the machinery pumping as much medicine inside her body, was scary to hear.
"O... Order the retreat," Zero's voice sounded fragile and in pain. But her mind was still utterly confused at seeing Shirley there, or was it her imagination? She glanced up and saw nothing. Yet her eyes wouldn't deceive her like that.
But why would Shirley be there? Could it be that she knows? But how?
Zero didn't know, but she'll find out why soon.