Throne of Glass
Part Three: To Seek Tomorrow
Chapter 42: The Sword Held Above the World
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A deathly silence hung in the air. Clovis, along with the rest of the room's audience, watched in mute horror as the display offered no revelation to what they had just witnessed. He had no means of comprehending what he had seen, he wasn't even sure he understood exactly what happened. Only that some kind of brilliant flash of light had consumed New Delhi, and rendered their communication inert.
A few whispers of confusion murmured through the halls, one after another. Jeremiah even leaned toward the former prince. "Do you have any idea what just happened, your highness?"
Clovis shook his head, dumbfounded. "Not in the slightest. Though I can say…I have an uneasy feeling about it."
"As do I."
Before they could speculate any further, the dead camera feed came back to life. However, instead of the view they had previously seen of the Indian capital moments ago, a new face greeted them.
One that shook Clovis deeply.
"Greetings, good people of Yoake. And of course, all the rest watching this fine moment in history around the world. I do not believe I need an introduction, but well, it's not me you know. It's the face." A mask spoke in a distorted tongue. It was one Clovis, and all the world knew very well. One that was abandoned. "For all intents and purposes, I am Zero. For this mask serves my purpose well enough. After all, my goal is to reduce this world…to zero."
The view from the giant screen changed. And what it showed them truly defied reason.
"This is footage ten miles away from New Delhi…or what is left of it." The voice of 'Zero' told them as they were left to drink in the impossible scenery.
Clovis, like everyone else present, could see nothing but a crater. A perfectly spherical hole in the ground where a city was supposed to be.
"This is the result of a device known as a FLEIJA warhead. A sakuradite bomb with incomparable destructive potential." Once again, they were gazing upon the now tarnished visage of Zero. "It was myself who detonated this device."
"You might ask yourself why? For what reason would anyone wish to bring such devastation upon innocent life?" The cold, lifeless mask bore into Clovis' soul. "My answer is simple: I shall bring this world to its knees."
"I alone have the keys to activate the FLEIJAs, which I have hidden away in critical locations across the entire world. Even if they are discovered, they cannot be stopped. Attempting to approach or disarm them will cause them to immediately detonate." The man calling himself Zero spoke with deadly words, instilling terror into every heart that heard them. Were they truth? The remnants of New Delhi spoke to their fears.
"If you do not wish for an immediate end, then my requirements are thus. Disarm your nations, tear down your rulers…and submit to me."
He was silent for a second, the mask he wore betrayed no emotion. "Any who refuses, will be annihilated."
"I will not wait long."
The screen once more cut to black. One second passed, and another.
Then all hell broke loose.
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New Delhi Outskirts, Disputed Area 19; 2020 ATB
There was nothing left.
It was a simple conclusion to come to, yet one that left her and all others who witnessed it stunned speechless. Cornelia was no stranger to destruction and ruin. Many a time she had been responsible for laying waste to once great cities, reducing them to rubble.
That was just it however. In her experience, human kind had always left an ugly scar upon the earth with their remains. Unmistakable signs that ravaged the landscape, and remains that stood testament to what once had been.
But not here.
There was…nothing. A hole, a void that was heralded by an assailing light engulfing all before it. And just as quickly, it was gone, along with everything within it. As if it had been scooped up, raptured by some indifferent god that cared not what he stole away. Cornelia remained transfixed on this anomaly for what seemed an eternity; before the realization dawned upon her that without a chance intervention, she would have been within the region ripped away from this reality.
She then immediately wondered if it was more than coincidence. Someone had advised her not to attack today, and out of some gut feeling she decided to comply. Without any sort of logic or reasoning, she had done what he suggested. And because of that, she was alive. The voice had saved her. He had to have known, was he responsible?
Was…he responsible?
For three years Cornelia had tried to bury the thoughts that plagued her from those days. From the time when everything she had known was forcefully uprooted. She pushed it down, attempting to return to some form of normalcy, once she realized the man who might have been her savior was now less than a shell of his former self.
He had been completely unwilling to negotiate with her or Schneizel. And for whatever reason the emperor seemed unwilling to do anything with him either. And so he was consigned to oblivion, without a care for that fate. And that was why none of this made any sense.
He couldn't have been who stopped her, he couldn't have done this.
And yet she could not convince herself that was true.
The how did not matter, the why did not matter. Nothing mattered in the face of the insanity before her.
"Princess Cornelia." Guilford spoke with a hollow voice from beside her. She slightly turned herself to regard him, unable to pull herself away from the cavity in the earth.
"Prime Minister Schneizel is contacting you."
She nodded. Perhaps he might know something. She could hope, at least.
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Temple Tower, Pendragon; 2020 ATB
After a quick confirmation with Cornelia about the situation, Schneizel wasted no time returning to the place he had only just recently visited for the first time in so long.
The feelings deep within the prince were alien to him. Never before had he felt so completely out of control. That weapon, the FLEIJA shook him to his core like nothing else ever had. Not even the Mirai had evoked such a reaction. Because the warship was something he could comprehend, something that could be understood and possibly overcome. But this power?
He had no answer for it.
But someone did.
The Prime Minister strode through hallways with singular purpose. Ignoring all formality with the heavy security he had previously complied with. He would not waste a second on them.
Schneizel found the young man laying upon his plain cot, The Count of Monte Cristo resting open upon his chest. He slammed his hand on the impenetrable glass separating them, causing the one within to stir.
"Back again so soon?" The young man drawled. "If you don't mind, I am trying to sleep here.
"What the hell was that?" Schneizel demanded.
"What exactly are you referring to dear brother?" Ge asked with a wry smile. "I'm not exactly privy to the happenings beyond these humble walls."
"I am not in the mood for these games, Lelouch. New Delhi is gone. Not even ash or rubble remains."
"Now isn't that tragic." The younger prince yawned with an exaggerated stretch. "Whatever caused such a terrible fate?"
"A FLEIJA warhead. Sound familiar?" Schneizel spoke sharply.
"Hmm. Can't say that it does." Lelouch answered without much thought. "You aren't responsible for it are you? I can't imagine Clovis would do something like that."
"Someone else claimed responsibility for it. He wore a mask, and called himself Zero." He revealed.
At this Lelouch laughed. "Now isn't that something? And what did this man want?"
"He's trying to take the entire world hostage, with claims that such devastation could be employed almost anywhere." Schneizel himself wasn't sure how truthful the threat was, but the power behind it was certainly very real. "He has demanded that every nation submit to him or face annihilation."
"How amusing. Does that sword worry you, Damocles?" He taunted, amethyst eyes shining brightly.
"A fitting metaphor. And I can certainly say it will work as intended against the masses." Schneizel replied. "So what I want to know, is what you know about it."
"I already said as much, it doesn't ring a bell." Lelouch shrugged.
He glared at his brother. "Frankly, I do not believe you."
"Believe whatever you wish, because all the same I have no answers for you." He said dismissively.
"Then why did you bring Clovis' anniversary speech to attention? Don't tell me you had no knowledge of what was going to happen." Schneizel continued his interrogation.
"And how exactly would I have any such knowledge? In case you've forgotten, I don't go out much." He gestured to the tiny cell in which he resided, with its single glass wall offering only a glimpse of what lay beyond.
"That is what I would like to know, Lelouch." Schneizel ground out.
"Well it seems like you'll be having a grand time solving that, won't you?" He rose, taking the few steps needed to stand before the Prime Minister. "I merely thought it might be interesting to see what Clovis had to say about India. Kallen tells me Cornelia was pushed out of the capital, that's quite an accomplishment, no?"
"Impressive though it may be, that achievement was utterly erased from this world. A weapon like that is no small feat to construct. My top analysts haven't the slightest idea how it was designed, what methods caused such devastation. Only one person comes to mind capable of developing that kind of power."
"Okay, you caught me." Lelouch said, throwing up his hands. "Years ago I developed the FLEIJA alongside a power generator utilizing the same technology. It's what powers the Mirai."
"Nuclear power? That's what the FLEIJA is?" Schneizel asked.
"So you've done your homework. Sakuradite is involved in the process, helps control the field of effect. I built them as insurance, only I had access to them."
A sinister smile crept upon his face. "And now someone else has gotten their hands on them. How exciting is that?"
"I'm afraid I don't share your sentiment."
"That's too bad. Here I thought you might. Weren't you looking for your black king?"
The exiled prince held up for Schneizel the very same chess piece. The one he had in possession since their childhood, it was one the two of them played with, over a decade ago now. He had allowed Lelouch to keep it and its companion queen with him.
Perhaps believing it might one day remind the prince who he was supposed to be.
"A madman like that could never be a king." He stated in response.
Lelouch shook his head, stepping away from the glass wall. "Truly a shame. Then what of Clovis, can he not be your king?"
"Clovis is already a piece on the board." Schneizel answered. "A bishop, to be precise. A king he is not, no matter the clothes he wears."
The imprisoned prince sat back upon the bed, resting his head in one hand. "He may yet surprise you. At the very least, he'll have quite the ordeal ahead of him, don't you think?"
He grinned, the expression predatory. "If he survives, maybe he might be what you want after all." Another soft chuckle escaped his lips. "Assuming you survive, that is."
Schneizel himself scoffed. "What do you take me for?"
He turned away, not allowing the younger prince the final word.
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New Tokyo, Yoake; 2020 ATB
Below him, people flooded the streets, much as they had earlier that day. The reason for their presence was much different however.
No celebrations were held, and those cries were not ones of joy.
Clovis massaged his weary eyes as he continued to observe what could easily be called riots. It was a far cry difference from their attitudes just that morning. Hours had been painfully spent controlling the outrage and paranoia spreading like wildfire. Reassuring the safety of his citizens when Clovis himself had no certainties that any of them were out of danger. It was an indisputable fact that New Delhi had been completely destroyed in a matter of seconds, taking half of Yoake's air fleet with it. Though the Mirai still offered some semblance of peace where it remained above New Tokyo, little could be done to assuage their fear of instant annihilation. Clovis knew not what they could do to stop the imposter, even while cries to comply with his outrageous demands grew ever louder.
Loud enough to be heard from where he stood now, overlooking the mobs.
He could not bear to think what would become of this nation if he handed it over to a man like that. Honestly Clovis wasn't even able to fathom the purpose behind such a preposterous ultimatum. Was his goal to simply force all nations to cease fighting? But then what, control them through fear to what end? He did not know, and he did not want to find out.
A knock at the door to his office drew the Chancellor from his dark thoughts. The man who entered was not one he'd have expected.
"Lord Ashford, what a surprise." He greeted the aging man as he offered a seat. "You're doing well enough to be out and about?"
The old Ruben felt his age catch up in the blink of an eye the last few years. Losing Lelouch had done much to drag down his spry step. Though he refused to simply lie down and retire, he had since handed the reins of Ashford to his capable granddaughter, only handling foreign affairs from the comfort of his own manor. Before Clovis now though, he seemed far more haunted than usual.
"My health really isn't all that important here, Clovis." The man rasped. "Not after what has happened today."
"I suppose that may be true." He agreed with a solemn nod. "You've heard all about it then?"
Ruben hung his head, drawing a haggard breath. "More than enough to know…Clovis my boy, every word that man spoke was true."
He frowned. "What do you mean, you're referring to Zero?"
"The weapon that destroyed New Delhi, the FLEIJA warhead…we created it."
Clovis did not speak for several seconds, as he grasped what was told. "...'We' did?"
"It did not take long in the development of Miss Einstein's nuclear theories to discover the alternative use the technology allowed." Ruben began to explain, his voice quiet as he spoke of secrets long kept. "Lelouch began work on a project he kept hidden from everyone. Only myself, and those necessary to further its progress knew of it. And even then, no one knew more than they needed to. Lelouch split the project in such a way that he and I were the only ones who were aware of the full scope."
Clovis listened to the old man with dreadful intent. He of course knew none of this, and it didn't sound at all like something he wouldn't have done, away from the eyes of even his closest allies.
"He called it the Damocles Contingency. Officially, it was meant to act as a deterrent to protect Yoake from external threats. As Zero claimed, there are dozens of bombs hidden away in major cities all across every nation. In a single night he could have crippled the entire world. I believe that a part of him did it only out of hatred, knowing that he held the world in his hand. That could end it all with only so much as a thought."
The two of them sat in deathly silence for some time, only the distant sounds of near anarchy between them. Clovis shook his head. "And now, a lunatic imposter has them."
"There was only one way to activate them, Clovis." Ruben spoke. "A set of keys that needed to be joined together. Lelouch kept both with him, until he gave one of them to Kaguya Sumeragi."
Clovis breathed in, and the old man held up a hand. "I can't say whether or not he told her anything about the significance of it. But I can say this: she lost it. On that rooftop three years ago."
"Then that means…"
"Who can really say? We don't know exactly what happened that day. Who coerced Todoh to betray us, who told Suzaku about his father." Ruben mused, his eyes dark. "Was it them who now hold the keys to Damocles? Or perhaps…"
"It can't be. That just isn't possible." At least, he didn't want to believe it.
"I certainly hope so, my boy." The old man sighed. "For a terrible truth it would be."
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Great Imperial Bastion, Pendragon; 2020 ATB
A frown set upon her face as her phone failed to connect yet again. Cornelia was expecting her call, and it wasn't like her to forget. The unusual bustling around her didn't seem like a coincidence either. This was Pendragon's primary military installation, the number of garrison units here was nothing to laugh at. And they way they all roamed about, on edge, but moving without purpose, was not an ordinary occurrence. This was where Kallen would arrive and depart the capital, she had been here many times the last few years. She could safely say the way the soldiers around her were acting was not normal. Like they were mobilized, but for no real reason.
Kallen however, had an idea as to their apprehension. Thus she paid it little mind as she approached the hangar where her knightmare was awaiting her.
The beautiful Guren was still a work of art compared to the machines around it. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Rakshata followed where her baby went, regardless of whose banner she was under. It was Lelouch who recruited her, and without him nothing could convince the genius to go anywhere but where her creation was residing.
In short, the Guren had been diligently maintained and improved to remain at the forefront of its competitors.
"Well well. Look who it is." She was greeted by one who stopped her from reaching her frame. A woman dressed in a signature white suit, cloaked in a unique icy blue cape.
"You don't have anything better to do than wait around her for me to show up?" Kallen remarked to the knight in her path.
"Haven't heard the news? Everyone's in a state of panic." Emilia replied with a glare.
"Can't say that I have, or that I care." She replied as she stopped to confront Emilia.
"Area Nineteen's settlement is gone. The whole city and everything in it." The knight revealed. "Princess Cornelia wasn't in it at the time, luckily; but we're at a loss at how to proceed now."
Kallen raised an eyebrow. "Who's fault is that? If Cornelia didn't do it then surely it wasn't Clovis. And I doubt the Chinese Federation would dare to."
"A man calling himself Zero took the credit. Quite the audacious claim, if I do say so. I wonder what your prince thinks about it." Emilia commented with a grin.
"Probably the same as I do." She answered flatly. "So if you'd kindly move I have to get back to Princess Cornelia now."
Emilia shrugged. "I suppose I should also mention that our offer still stands."
"I'm not going to change my mind." Kallen growled. She was sick of being pestered over this.
"I assumed so. But things are starting to look interesting, so don't forget." She strode past Kallen, and the redhead didn't turn to acknowledge her passing comment. "I'd love to have you as an underling."
Strauss had, miraculously, escaped the defeat at Area Eleven better off than she went in. Cornelia had given credit to Lelouch's capture to the Round, allowing her to present him to the emperor herself. Though the princess had vehemently expressed her protection, for whatever it was worth against His Majesty. Kallen had no idea what transpired between Lelouch and his father, only that the end result was the latter's imprisonment. She never asked.
At least it seemed Cornelia was okay. Kallen had come to find she didn't mind the princess as much as she feared she would. Her personality was straight forward enough.
Time to see the damage for herself.
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Ashford Manor, Yoake; 2020 ATB
These halls felt so hostile to him now. Where he once felt comfortably at home he now felt an outsider, an enemy. He supposed he had no one to blame but himself for it though.
The staff treated him the same, they knew not what he was guilty of. But the walls, the empty rooms, the immaculate gardens…they condemned him.
To be imprisoned here.
That was his punishment, to live in a place that did not want him, protecting someone who hated him. He didn't argue it, it was well deserved.
He took a deep breath to ready himself as he approached the door. He knocked gently, receiving no answer. He was used to that, if she did not want to see him, she would have demanded he leave. And he would comply.
So he opened the door, adding light to the dim lamp that reflected her features. She was, in a shortness of words, simply stunning. She had grown to be a woman of unparalleled beauty, far beyond the cute charm she once exuded. He dared to say she had the appearance of a goddess.
Those features were looking over a board adorned by pieces of ivory and ebony. As she always was, playing a game with no opponent.
Setting only a single foot into the room, he called out to her. "Lady Ashford-"
"Stop calling me that Suzaku." She cut him off, not turning to acknowledge his presence.
"It's for your…" Safety. That's what he insisted on, though she hated it. But honestly, were any of them safe after today? "Alright then…Kaguya."
She said nothing in return, only moving another piece in her never ending game she played alone.
"New Delhi is lost, half our air fleet gone with it." He told her, still standing in the threshold of the room.
"You bothered me just to tell me that?" Kaguya snapped, sending a glare over her shoulder. "What makes you think I care?"
"It wasn't taken by Britannia." Suzaku began. "It was destroyed by something called a FLEIJA. The one who did it is calling himself Zero."
Her hand stopped over one of the finely crafted pieces. "Zero…you say?"
"He wears the same mask." He confirmed for her.
The young woman sat in silence for several moments, her face a picture of cold rage. "Who would dare."
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Reactions and revelations. we'll now be back to probably monthly updates. Hopefully we'll be back for march.