AN: Remember when I said I'd cross-post this to AO3? Neither do I. (JK. I'm working on building the confidence)

ryder77: The Kagero can't fly. I was just using 'flew' to describe how fast the Kagero was moving, but yeah, there were better words I could've used.

Samurai Seven: NT Lelouch is gonna get some character development after all this.

Knighthunter911700: OT Lelouch sitting back and watching with a bag of popcorn would be comical. But realistically, there's nothing he can do. He can't just enter the world without a body. And the process for him to take over NT Lelouch's body is a bit more complicated than OT Kallen and KT Suzaku. Even if he could though, he'd still be stuck in the same situation, with the same Black Knights. It's not like his presence is gonna automatically make them better, when he's already lacking the resources necessary to win in the first place. There's also the fact that he needs to stay in C's world just in case V.V shows up. Also, you'll like the pinacle I have planned for Kallen's character then.

REKS021: I've seen some people say that he made a vague appearance (that being just a silouette) in OZ. But until there's actually confirmation, I'm just gonna treat him as dead in the original series.

Chapter 77: Fatigue

Suzaku got within inches of Kallen's face as he tried to drive his MVS into her stomach. Luckily, the red head managed to move away in time, using her whole body to crash through a building in a desperate attempt to eliminate her opponent's maneuverability. But, the Lancelot didn't follow, instead it flew into the sky, before firing a volley of VARIS rounds into the structure, forcing Kallen to climb through each story as her cover crumbled all around her. Just in the knick of time, the Guren reached the top, and lunged at the white Knightmare, which was stayed hovering to conserve power. This would lead to the two crashing into another building, where the Guren would grab a-hold of the Lancelot's right arm with its surger. Though, just before it activated, Suzaku detached his captured arm, causing it to explode, allowing him to escape the building.

"Too close." he muttered as his energy filler reached 10%, "I need to refuel and rearm before continuing."

"Getting scared!?" Kallen shouted as she climbed up the building to reach her opponent, "I can still fight!"

It only took a moment, but Suzaku drew his VARIS, and fired a single shot, forcing the red head to block with her surger midair. "I'll be back later." he stated, "You should really check on Lelouch in the meantime." he smirked, "Otherwise-"

"Don't forget about us!" Nagisa stated, as she and Asahina appeared behind the Knight, prepared to deliver a synchronized slash.

Though, this wouldn't prove to be difficult to deal with, as Suzaku effortlessly moved between them with his superior speed. Then, he sent a kick into their backs, sending them flying into Kallen, causing the VARIS round to explode, sending the trio flying in multiple directions. Now, his energy filler read 4%.

Without wasting another second, Suzaku flew toward the ASEEC warehouse, where he would get a new arm fitted, and a fresh energy filler. Meanwhile, Kallen shook the rubble off her Knightmare, where she found her Surger arm had sustained critical damage. It was safe to say that it wouldn't be working for the rest of the battle, "And my energy fillers already at half? The only good thing about this is that Suzaku's going to be draining energy like no tomorrow thanks to that float system."

"Sorry about that, Kozuki." Nagisa apologized as sparks flew from her Gekka, "It looks like we were just a hindrance."

"It's fine… I doubt I would've been able to keep him still without you."

"Even still…" Asahina chimed in as his Gekka's right arm was missing, "What the hell was that? He was flying, right?"

"It's called a float system." the red head mindlessly answered, "With that, he could easily avoid fighting me while zipping around the battlefield for-"

"Lelouch." Nagisa interjected, "That's… Zero's name, isn't it?"

Kallen's heart dropped as she desperately tried to recover, "Y-you heard that?"

"It was an open channel." the Four Holy Sword looked away, "It doesn't sound Japanese… then again, I already knew that."

"Nagisa, Lelouch… he's-"

"Here to help, we know." Asahina thankfully answered with a calm tone, "I'm not gonna say anything out of respect for Tohdoh. And I suspect Nagisa will do the same." he used his working arm to pat his fellow soldier on the shoulder, "Right?"

The woman scoffed with a light blush, "W-whatever. As long as I get to see Zero's face by the end of all this, I… won't tell anyone about what I've heard."

"Just like Zero promised, once we take Japan, he'll reveal his identity." Kallen gazed upon the upper limits of Tokyo settlement, which were being scaled by Black Knight Burais. "And from the looks of things… we're gonna succeed."

"You got that right." Asahina chuckled, "I wonder what we should do to celebrate?"

"Don't get overconfident." Nagisa warned, "The battle's far from over, especially with the Chinese Federation coming in from Kyushu."

"You're such a downer."

"I'm just being realistic." the woman moved her Gekka forward, "Come on, let's head to Ashford Academy. Last I heard, Ohgi successfully established a foothold there, and now it's being used as a staging area where we can repair our frames, and get new energy fillers."

"Right." Kallen followed close behind the two members.

Ashford Academy. 8:41PM.

Two Black Knight Burais entered the courtyard, where they parked their machines. In a matter of minutes, a crew of mechanics ran out and began doing quick checks on the frames, while also refilling the energy fillers. "Alright, you're good to go!" one announced. Just like that, the two Burais zoomed out of the campus, back into battle.

"Rakshata." Asahina called as he, Kallen, and Nagisa entered.

"Oh my. What happened to you three?" the Indian woman asked while holding her pipe to her lips.

"We fought Suzaku briefly." Nagisa answered, "And… as much as it pains me. He got away."

"You should've just let Kallen do it herself." Rakshata responded while guiding Asahina into the gym, which had a large hole carved into it for the Knightmare's to enter. Inside, a makeshift repair bay had been established, where several utility Knightmares were being used to replace destroyed limbs on those damaged in battle.

"That's the thing… he has a float system now." Kallen answered, as she knelt in a bay personalized for Rakshata.

"A… float system?" the woman in question muttered, "Looks like they've got me beat."

"So what? There's no countermeasure?" Nagisa asked as she entered the gym on-foot, leaving her Gekka outside for the pit crew to look over.

"I have the Gefjun disturbers, but they'll require you to set up a trap for the Lancelot."

"And with how fast he is, I doubt we'd be able to pull it off in the first place." Asahina threw in his two-cents.

"So, it looks like I'll just beat him the old-fashioned way." Kallen stated as the Guren surger was replaced, "Rakshata, do you know where Zero's Kagero is?"

"It's came to a stop just before the Viceroy palace. It looks like he's fighting someone alongside a small Black Knight force. Though, I'm very worried." the woman looked at a computer screen as she saw the IFF's of Britannian Sutherlands begin to converge on their leader's position, "They're heavily isolated."

"Where's Naoto?"

"He and Tohdoh are fighting the Knights of the Round with Senba and Urabe." Nagisa reported, "After we're done here, Asahina and I will move to assist."

"Then I'll aid Zero." Kallen added.

"It's a plan." Rakshata said as the Guren's energy filler returned to a full charge, "She's ready to go!"

The red head climbed into her Knightmare, and left the gym at full speed, leaving an imprint of her frame in her wake. "Lelouch, just hold on. I'll be there soon."

Ashford Academy. 8:30PM.

"H-hey. I need you punks to get to the auditorium!" Tamaki ordered the members of the student council while waving his gun around, "You hear me!?"

Milly rolled her eyes as the Japanese man tried to get her to play along. But she didn't particularly appreciate the way he was waving the gun in Nunnally's face, so she felt obligated to step in, "You don't have to be so pushy!" she tried to pull the wheelchair back, but another Black Knight, one who was unaware of Milly's involvement with them, stopped her.

"Don't you dare move! Otherwise-"

"Otherwise what!?" the blonde stated defiantly, "You're gonna kill a bunch of kids?"

Alice, who watched the events unfold in the background, clenched her fist, and scanned the room for her next move. In her mind, she knew this was going to escalate given Milly's personality, so she had to act fast to save everyone. More importantly, Nunnally.

"Shut up, bitch!" the Black Knight shouted while pushing the barrel of his gun into the President's chest.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Tamaki slammed the butt of his rifle into the Black Knight's face, knocking him out. Then, he turned to the rest and shouted, "Anyone who even thinks of harming these kids, will have to deal with me! Cause if you do, you'd be directly disobeying Zero's orders. And if that happens…" he pointed his gun at his comrades, "I'll fucking kill ya!"

"Y-you're not going to hurt us?" Nunnally asked meekly.

This made the Japanese man sigh, "N-no. Just… get to the auditorium, please?" he scratched the back of his head and faced Milly, "This place is about to turn into a war zone, and unless you wanna die, being in the auditorium is the safest place on campus."

"Listen to him, Milly." C.C entered the room, followed closely behind by Clara, which shocked Alice.

"You're with the Black Knight's!?" Rivalz exclaimed, "Wh-what the hell's going on?"

"Exactly as it seems. We're taking back Japan." the Immortal responded, "Don't worry. As long as you keep your head down, you'll make it out of this unscathed."

"What about Lelouch?" Shirley interjected, "And where's Kallen?"

"I have no idea. We can afford to keep track of everyone."

"Wait, why're we hiding the fact that Kallen's a Black Knight?" Tamaki asked loudly.

Nunnally gasped, "What? Kallen's… a Black Knight…" her face looked downtrodden, remembering Zero's broadcast from earlier, "So… where is she now?"

C.C sighed and punched Tamaki in the arm, "She's fine. Surprisingly, Kallen's a very competent mechanic, so she'll be staying out of battle for the most part."

"Oh. She's a mechanic? That makes me happy. I can't imagine how Lelouch would react to her dying…"

"You don't need to worry about that, Nunna." Shirley rubbed the Princess' shoulders, "I'm sure we'll see Kallen again soon."

Alice grabbed the wheelchair's handles firmly, "Then… we'll be going." she muttered as pushed the chair out. Most of the student council followed close behind, while one remained completely frozen, "Nina." C.C glanced at the bespectacled girl as her breaths turned erratic, "Get to the auditorium."

"N-no…" the meek girl whispered, "They're gonna kill us…" she slowly backed away, "Those Elevens are gonna kill us!"

The remaining Black Knights clenched their teeth in anger at being referred to in such a manner. But before they could act, the Immortal sent a series of strikes to Nina's neck, knocking her out in seconds. "Rivalz. Take her to the auditorium." she commanded the boy, "Clara, stay with them. Keep the Black Knights in check at all times."

"Understood." the pink-haired girl nodded and led the group through the halls, keeping a particular eye on Alice, "When are you going to make your move? Haven't you gotten the orders to retake Ashford? Or are you still scared of my Geass?" her eyes moved ahead as the blonde continued pushing Nunnally's chair, "Regardless, I can't reveal my hand too soon. It's the only way to keep her in check."

Unbeknownst to the pink-haired girl, Alice had no intention of leaving Nunnally's side, as she had gotten attached to the Princess in the past months. And now, especially with the Black Knights around, there was no way she could afford to leave her best friend without protection.

Just outside the Viceroy Palace. 9:27PM.

The Kagero and a Lancelot Variant clashed blades among a desolate plain, where the surrounding buildings had all been leveled. In the background, Black Knights and Glinda Knights traded gunfire as their leaders clashed for dominance over the battlefield, "Back off, Marrybell!" Lelouch shouted as he kicked away the red Knightmare.

"What's wrong!?" the Hero Princess shouted as her Lancelot Trial strafed left, which was hastily put together by Lloyd, Cecile, and whatever was left of the ASEEC crew in Tokyo. "I thought you wanted to speak to me earlier! So now, I'm here!"

"Unless you're here to give me the keys to the castle, I'm not interested in what you have to say!" Lelouch shouted as he fired his left machine gun, only for it to be deflected by his opponent's Blaze Luminous.

"Unfortunately for you, the keys aren't mine to give!" Marrybell moved closer to her opponent, and sent her MVS into his, forcing him to flail wildly to the left.

"Then shut up!" the Prince leapt back, gaining some space as he poised for a thrust, forcing his sister to block the strike due to the speed, "In terms of skill…"

"We're equal!" Marrybell pushed her blade up, separating them as they stood on-guard once again. Then, she led with a slash from the right, which the Prince expertly parried, before sending a thrust toward the Trial's shoulder. Of course, the Princess saw this coming, and ducked the attack, sending a sweeping kick that Lelouch easily avoided by jumping back.

Once he landed, Marrybell fired a slash harken, wrapping itself around the Kagero's leg, and pulling the Trial in for an upward slash. Though, just as it was about to connect, Lelouch used his other foot to step on the wire, disrupting the flow of the attack, allowing him to block it by shoving his sword into the ground, where the rest of the wire was. In a single motion, he severed the harken, and tried grabbing his opponent's face, only to get kicked in the face, as the Trial backflipped away.

The siblings stared one another down as the war waged on in the background, "I won't let him get to Lila. It's up to me to stop Zero's advance here and now! We just have to outlast their energy fillers, where they'll be forced to retreat for a resupply. In that time, we'll do the same, and strengthen the defense."

"I have to end it before then." Lelouch tightened his grip around his blade, "Once Britannia reforms their defense, it'll be even harder to take the palace. And the Chinese Federation would only be a few hours from arriving at that point, in which they'll play clean-up, stealing all the glory!" he glanced at his energy filler, which read 43%, "Then… Nunnally will…"

The siblings charged once more, clashing in a beautiful display of Red and Black as they danced around one another. To the normal pilot, they looked like masters of their craft. However, to people like Suzaku or Kallen, they could notice the mistakes each sibling made. Over extending, under extending, delayed reactions, all of these factors played into the victor of this duel. In truth, there was no better opponent for Lelouch, as normally, Marrybell would be performing better than him, but due to the fact she was still getting used to the Lancelot Trial, she was falling behind. However, her energy filler was still at 79%, so all she had to do was outlast her brother.

Zero parried a strike from the left, before taking one step back. Using this new space, he fired a slash harken at his opponent's head, only for them to do a split, taking him by surprise with the sudden maneuver. In that second, Marrybell placed her hands on the ground, lifting herself up to send two roundhouse kicks to her brother. Lelouch took the first kick straight to the face, causing him to stumble back slightly while he recovered. Then, when the second kick came, he grabbed his sister's leg, and tossed her into the distance. Though, this hardly deterred her, as the Trial's landspinners squealed against the ground, allowing itself to be launched back into the Kagero for a tackle.

Lelouch released the hold on his MVS as his back crashed into the ground, letting Marrybell mount his Knightmare to begin sending repeated punches into him. "You're telling me I can't even beat Marrybell!?" the Prince grabbed both his sister's arms, and forced them back, before firing his slash harken at her face, ripping half of it off. The Trial then put both legs on the Kagero, using it as support to backflip away.

Lelouch sluggishly picked up his MVS, while Marrybell did the same. As they stood within a few meters of each other, the siblings simultaneously went in for another attack, with the Trial going for an upward slash, while the Kagero went for a downward one. The two MVS clashed, causing the two to be pushed back slightly.

However, this didn't deter them from conflict, as they approached one another again, this time, when they attacked, the Prince went for an upward slash, while the Princess went for a downward one, switching roles from before. Once again, they separated, but didn't skip a beat as they charged in for another attack. This time, entering a clench as they desperately tried to overpower the other.

"You're better than average, Zero." Marrybell taunted as she put her leg between his, "But while your Knightmare is superior to mine, you lack the training to take advantage of it!"

With a quick pivot, the Princess sent her elbow into the masked man's face, knocking him toward the edge of the upper level. "What? How'd I get here?" he checked his surroundings, and noticed the Black Knight force that he pushed up with, was getting beaten back by the Glinda Knights, as they began supporting the center, "That's it! She was just trying to get me away from the palace!"

Suddenly, a small dot shimmered in the sky, and within seconds, the Lancelot Air Cavalry flew in, tackling Lelouch off the platform. He then spun around, and threw the Black Knightmare into another building, causing it to emerge the other side. But Suzaku wasn't done yet, as he instantly caught up to his best friend's frame, grabbed it by the leg, and tossed it into another building. As Lelouch's body flailed through the air, the Lancelot flew through the Kagero-sized hole, and finished off his combo with an axe-kick, sending him crashing into the ground.

The Kagero now laid in a crater as the White Knightmare pulled out both VARIS cannons, intending to finish him off right there. Luckily for him, his Knight appeared out of nowhere in her red Knightmare, shouting, "Round two, fuck face!"

Kallen tackled the Lancelot into a building, destroying one VARIS as they tumbled down the side. Though, Suzaku managed to lift his foot, and kick the persistent woman into the opposite building, before taking aim with his remaining VARIS, only for it to be destroyed by a slash harken. So, he resorted to drawing his MVS, and flying into the Guren, kicking her through a building, bringing their fight to another section of the building. Meanwhile, Asahina and Nagisa dragged Lelouch's Kagero out of the crater it was stuck in. They intended to bring him back to Ashford Academy, where the frame would be repaired.

Lower Levels of Tokyo Settlement. 9:46PM.

"We're so outmatched." Naoto muttered as he clashed MVS' with Gino. In the background, Tohdoh barely managed to keep up with Bradley, who was practically toying with him.

"Oh, c'mon, Miracle worker! Show me something good!" the Knight of Ten shouted as he kicked the Gekka away. "You got me good last time!"

Meanwhile, Urabe and Senba circled around Anya, as her slow Zetland barely kept up with the nimble Gekka's. Of course, the two Holy Swords couldn't do any real damage to her with their revolving blades, so it was pretty equal. Though, with constant attacks, the Zetland's tough armor would eventually break, a fact Gino and Anya knew.

But Bradley… "Keep up, pipsqueak!" he taunted the pink-haired girl as he watched her tumble into a building, "You're telling me those small fry are actually beating you?" he laughed maniacally, "How the hell did you become a Knight of the Round?"

"Talking trash to your own team?" Tohdoh questioned as he landed a clean strike against the left side of Bradley's Gloucester, irking the Knight greatly.

"So, you can only get an attack off when my back is turned? How cowardly." he quickly retaliated by thrusting his sword forth, attempting to pierce through their shoulder, only for the Miracle Worker to dodge, and jam his wrist mounted rifle into the Knight's side.

"Take this!" Tohdoh shouted as he laid an endless spray of bullets into Luciano's side, causing his Gloucester to spark as it was seconds from exploding.

"S-son of-" his auto-eject activated, allowing him to escape the battlefield as his Knightmare was destroyed, "I'll be back! Just you wait, filthy Elevens!"
With his opponent defeated, Tohdoh turned his attention to the Zetland, and intended to aid his fellow Holy Swords in destroying it. However, just before he could take even one step forward, the Lancelot Grail appeared before him. Though, the Knightmare appeared to be damaged, as sparks flew from some of its joints, "Don't think you've bested us!"

Soon, the rest of the Glinda Knights who took such a fall emerged from the distant smoke. But, it was clear to everyone that their numbers had been drastically cut down, as the fall destroyed 80% of them. Oldrin and Tohdoh clashed, though with damage to her frame, the former was at a disadvantage despite the latter narrowly defeating Luciano moments earlier. Even so, as a whole the Black Knights were still at a major disadvantage, due to most of their force not being skilled fighters. Not in the slightest. So, without proper leadership, they were destined to fail.

And Naoto knew it, "Why can't I shake this guy!?" he kicked Gino away, who easily recovered by hooking onto a building with his slash harkens. Then, he swung his feet into the Kagero, sending it flying back, despite blocking the strike.

As Naoto skidded across the dirt, he grabbed a piece of rubble, and hurled it at his opponent, who was forced to slice it in half. Thankfully, this gave the Kozuki enough time to burst through the smoke, and drive his MVS through the Knight of Three's shoulder. Of course, it wouldn't end that easily, as Gino fired both of his slash harkens into the Kagero's arms, dismembering them, leaving it to stumble back. Though, Naoto wasn't out of options yet, as he fired his own slash harkens at his opponent, targeting the Gloucesters head, taking it clean off, and activating the auto-eject, forcing Gino off the field., "N-not bad." he groaned as his cockpit bounced off a building.

Even still, he was in bad shape without his arms, so fighting wasn't an option for Naoto anymore. He had to pull back, and leave this front to Tohdoh. "I need to retreat, Tohdoh!" he announced while moving the Kagero toward Ashford, "Don't worry, I'll be shouting orders from-"

At that moment, the real Zero interjected, "P5, move approximately 50 feet to the west, and flank Britannia's lines by using the opening there. N7, N8, move your Raiko to the derelict warehouse to the south. You'll get a clear shot on the Britannian lines from that angle."

"Roger!" the designated forces shouted as they moved in position.

"P7, P9, P1, assume left echelon formation, and force Britannia against the wall. Once that happens, crush them in one fell swoop." Lelouch ordered as Naoto entered Ashford Academy, "N4, N3, keep applying pressure to your front. Don't allow a single Britannian from there to support the center."

"Zero." the Kozuki called as he parked his Kagero inside the gym, where Lelouch's version was still receiving repairs.

"Naoto." the masked man called, "We've got a problem with the Chinese Federation. Their numbers are higher than expected."

"How many?" the two walked onto campus, and entered a makeshift guard tower overlooking the battlefield.

"Reports say they've got over 1,500 Gun Ru's inbound." Lelouch sighed, "To say they're tearing apart the Britannian defensive faster than anticipated is… an understatement."

"Th-that's insane!"

"Exactly. That's why we need to switch gears."

"So… do you wanna send someone out there to hold them off?"

"No. It'll be pointless. As we speak, the Black Knight forces we have spread out near the Kyushu region have already been wiped out." Lelouch handed the tablet to Naoto, who looked over the map of approaching yellow markers, signifying the Chinese Federation, "We'll let them reach Tokyo. And with their arrival, we'll use the chaos to grab the Viceroy palace."

"But… even if we combine the Black Knight and Britannian forces here… we hardly have enough to even match the sheer volume of Gun Ru's. And if there's a second wave…"

"Don't worry about that, Naoto." the Prince explained, "Just fight to the best of your abilities. When the clock strikes 10:30, I'll bring in half of the Black Knights for a resupply, then the rest will follow at 11:00. Once China gets here, I want our forces to be as fresh as possible."

"What about Britannia? Won't they try the same thing?"

"The 10:30 group will continue to apply pressure to Britannia after returning to the field as the 11:00 crew leaves. Unlike us, Britannia doesn't have a proper resupply chain set up, so they'll begin struggling at around 11:00." the masked man returned to the gym, "And with their Knightmare's running low on Energy fillers, victory will be all but assured."

"A battle of attrition…" Naoto muttered, "Japan… will be free soon."

"Keep your head in the game." Lelouch hopped into his Kagero, "We've still got a long way to go. I'm heading back to the G1. It's clear my presence on the battlefield isn't necessary at this moment."

"Oh. That reminds me." Naoto stared into the cold black visor of Zero's mask, "Why didn't you tell me about Princess Sumeragi?"

"It… wasn't necessary." the Prince answered while checking his systems, "I had to prepare everything fast, so I didn't have time to waste."

The Kozuki looked around, making sure nobody as around to hear him, "Lelouch. What else are you hiding?"

"Nothing that I can explain right now." the Kagero's cockpit closed, and it moved out of the gym, "Once this all ends, I'll tell you everything. I swear."

"Always secretive…" Naoto muttered to himself, "Ah- Ohgi!"

"Naoto?" the Japanese man approached his friend with a smile, "How's the fighting?"

"We're bogged down, but if everything goes according to plan, Britannia will crumble."

"That's amazing." Ohgi typed something on his tablet, before asking, "And… then we'll find Zero's identity, right?"

"Of course. He did promise, after all."

"I'm glad we have someone like you around, Naoto." Kaname explained as they walked outside, where C.C, Clara, and Alice were guiding Nunnally's wheelchair to the clubhouse. Though, neither paid them mind, "If it was me… I don't know how I'd be able to handle Zero."

"What do you mean?"

The Japanese man let out a sigh, "I… He's just so suspicious, isn't he? If it weren't for you, I'd probably be doing everything in my power to find his identity."

"So much so that you'd lose sight of freeing Japan?"

"O-obviously not."
"Then I see no problem with being cautious." the Kozuki gave his friend a reassuring pat on the back, "But you don't have to worry about that now. I'm here, after all."

"Thank you, Naoto. Thank you for all you've done." Ohgi reopened his tablet, "I know Kallen's proud of you."

"Seriously? Shouldn't I be the one proud of her? Since I'm the older sibling and all."

"Are you? I can hardly tell, sometimes…"

"Hey!"

Ruins of Tokyo Settlement. 10:12PM.

"H-holy shit…" Maya gulped as Rai stood before them in a slightly damaged frame, "He really got better, didn't he?"

"This doesn't make any sense." Mario muttered, "He and I were equals before. So what changed?" blood trickled down the black-haired boys forehead as the Club swayed from side-to-side.

Meanwhile, within the silver-haired boy's cockpit, he heaved in and out, desperately catching his breath against the impossible odds stacked against him. "I can't fall… not now…" he clenched his controls, "If they get through here… Princess Lila… Princess Euphemia… they'll die."

Mario and Maya leaned forward with their Naginata poised for another attack, while Rai spun his MVS lance several times, before pointing it at them. The twin Sougetsu's burst forth, with Mario taking the lead. The Club moved to the side just as his Naginata came in for a downward strike. Then, he delivered a slash across the back of Mario's Knightmare, before kicking it forward. Once he was dealt with, Rai quickly turned around, only to have his chest cut by Maya, whose Naginata made contact. Though, this didn't deter him, as he brought down his lance, cutting her handle in half, and delivering a deep cut to her chest. After that, the Club kicked her into a building just as Mario rushed back into the fight.

The two Knightmares danced around each other before entering a clench, "Where does your strength come from!?" the black-haired boy shouted as their weapons separated, then they simultaneously sent a kick into each others stomach's, sending them flying into a building, with Mario crashing into his system.

Upon hitting his back on a wall, Rai coughed up a pint of blood. Nevertheless, he still had the strength to move his Knightmare forward, "It's because… justice is on my side!"
"Shut up, you naive bastard!" Mario burst forth, and the two clashed once more, sending a shockwave that kicked up a cloud of dust, "You Britannian's would never understand the pain we've gone through!"

Little did he know, he and Rai were far more similar than he knew. But not even Rai was aware of their similarities, due to his mind being heavily traumatized by General Bartley's experiments. Many of the boys memories laid dormant, waiting for the right trigger to have them resurface.

"Even so, what you're doing… is wrong!" the silver-haired boy kicked away his opponent, "Think of the innocent lives you're killing by deceiving them with that false transmission!"

"And think about those YOU'RE killing with Britannia's culture!" the black-haired boy argued while recovering and skidding past Rai as his Naginata snapped. "Who's the real villain here!?" Mario grabbed the MVS lance and wrestled his opponent for control over it. Eventually, the owner tossed the weapon to the side, before resulting to hand-to-hand.

"While I agree, Britannia isn't perfect… it's the best we've got now!" Rai parried a strike, before countering with a jab to the chest, causing Mario to stumble slightly.

"No it's not! With Zero, we could build a better Japan!" the Sougetsu grabbed the Club's arm as it retreated, then he drove his knee into their chest, forcing the silver-haired boy to scream in pain as he spat out another pint of blood. "And… I'd be able to exact my revenge!"

"I'm gonna die if this keeps up!" Rai wiped the blood off his face while blocking an incoming strike. Then, he countered by sending a moon kick to Mario's face, sending him tumbling away. However, the damage was already done, and he could feel his head beginning to spin, "There's no guarantee…" he hiccuped, "Of that happening."

"It's still a higher chance than whatever Britannia is giving us!" the black-haired boy shouted while wiping the blood off his brow.

"Then what about the Chinese Federation? How will you fend them off?"

"I'd rather die on my feet, than live on my knees."

"So… you'd take everyone else down with you for such a selfish desire?" Rai pushed forth, despite the banging he felt on his head, "You're so pathetic."

The Club sent a jab out, only for it to be blocked, and countered with a hard right hook from the Sougetsu. Rai felt his body float through the air, before abruptly crashing into a large metal rod, that pierced through his Knightmare's shoulder. Another pint of blood came spilling out of his mouth, causing him to nearly choke, "I'm… hitting my limit…"

Mario stumbled over to the MVS lance, and picked it up, before dragging his feet toward his nearly defeated opponent, "You can call me pathetic all you want… but I won't let anyone… stop me from taking… my revenge." he muttered his true feelings while hoisting the weapon over his head, intending to end the fight then and there.

"I'm sorry… Princess Euphemia. It looks like… I'm just a failure after all." Rai watched powerlessly as the Sougetsu swayed back and forth, "Suzaku… I hope… you can carry on her will for me. You really should've been her Knight. Not someone like me…"

Just as Mario moved to slam the lance down, a bullet shredded through his right arm, sending him flying back. Then, a GX Knightmare picked up the Club and began running away with him. In the background, Dalque landed in front of the siblings and cracked her knuckles, "Round 2, bitches!"

"Isn't this like… round 3?" Maya muttered as she finally got the strength to stand. Meanwhile, her brother struggled to get up, using the lance as support with his left arm missing.

"Semantics, semantics. I'm still gonna kill ya!"

"It's gonna be so embarrassing when we molly whop your ass." the black-haired girl taunted while getting in a stance.

"Dalque." Sancia reported, "We're returning to the warehouse. Don't get distracted."

The dark-skinned girl rolled her eyes, "Fine. Looks like we'll have to continue this later, punks!" she announced while running away.

Meanwhile, the siblings were too tired to give chase. Instead, Maya chose to hoist her brother by the shoulders, and escort him back to Ashford, where they'd lick their wounds.

ASEEC Warehouse. 10:30PM.

"Special delivery!" Lucretia announced as she dropped the Club inside. "He's pretty banged up, but we got there just in time!"

"Rai!" Princess Euphemia ran to her Knight upon seeing his defeated frame, "Oh no! Please be okay!"

"Princess, please stand back." a medical team rushed to the frame as the mechanics prepared to manually open the hatch. On the count of three, the Club opened, allowing blood to spill out as Rai's steamy body was dragged onto a stretcher, "Get him to the medical tent! He's lost a lot of blood!"

Despite their protest, Euphemia stayed by her Knight's side as they entered the emergency medical tents placed within the warehouse, "There doesn't appear to be any open wounds." a medic declared as he looked over the boys body, "But he's extremely pale, so we'll need an emergency blood transfusion."

Another medic dug into Rai's pilot suit, and pulled out his military ID, "He's B+!"

Upon hearing those words, Euphemia's ears perked, "I can give him blood!"

Lila, who had been following her sister closely for the past few minutes, gasped. Meanwhile, the medics shook their head, "You don't have to do that, Princess. We can simply run over to the next warehouse and-"

"No. You said it's an emergency, right?" she sat on the table next to Rai, "Well? What are you waiting for? Hurry!"

The Medics looked at each and murmured, "Are we really doing this?"

"It's the Princess' orders… we have to."

The two began preparing Euphemia by hooking up an IV between her, two blood bags, and Rai. Meanwhile, Lila held her sister's hand tightly, "Are you gonna be okay?"

The pink-haired Princess giggled, "Aww. You don't have to be so scared. It's really nothing too dangerous." she comforted her little sister as Rai began to stir.

"E-Euphie…" he muttered as he could barely make out her pink hair through his blurry vision, "What are you doing here?"

"Calm down. You're alright, young man." a medic placed his hands on the boys shoulders, trying to comfort him, "You took a beating, but it'll be-"

The silver-haired boy quickly scanned the room, and flashbacks of what Bartley put him through resurfaced in his mind, causing him to panic. Rai pushed the medic off him, and reached for the IV, only to find Euphemia holding his hand, pulling him back to reality, "It's okay…" she whispered.

The boy quickly traced the line to the Princess' own arm, and panicked as he realized the one taking blood was him, "Ah-what are you doing!?" he tried to remove the line once again, only for the Princess to grab his wrist with her own, "Princess, you don't have to-"

"I'm choosing to do this." Euphemia answered calmly, "After all, I know it's something you'd do for me. And right now, what you're doing for me. For Lila. It's more important than just standing around, waiting to be saved." her hand trailed back into his, where she held on tightly, "So please… let me give you some of my blood. That way… I can feel like I'm fighting alongside you."

Rai felt a light blush form on his face as he leaned back on the table, "Th-thank you for your kindness…"

Euphie noticed the blush, and smiled, "You're welcome."

Suddenly, a loud crash could be heard in the warehouse, followed by the loud cry of Suzaku, "Lloyd! I need a recharge! Some of the Black Knights are pulling back!" the sound of his boots running pounding the ground signified him moving closer to the medical tent, "If we take this chance, we could push them all the way back to Ashford!" he calmly entered the tent, "Could I get some… water…" his voice trailed off as he noticed Rai and Euphemia, "Wh-what happened?"

"According to Sancia, he was getting double-teamed by the Sougetsu pair." Lloyd added while entering abruptly, "Could I get some water too? I'm absolutely parched."

A medic handed the two men a bottle of water, while Suzaku's eyes stayed locked on Euphemia, "I… see…"

Lila hopped up, "Don't worry!" she gave him a grin, trying to lighten the mood as she misunderstood the situation, "Rai's gonna be okay!"

"That's… great." Suzaku turned around with a heavy sigh.

"And if you need some blood, don't worry! I'll happily give you some of mine!" the innocent Princess announced as her Knight headed onto the warehouse floor.

"Thank you… Lila." he muttered while facing the Lancelot, which was getting its energy filler replaced. He took a swig of water, before clenching his teeth in frustration, "I don't get it. I'm the one who's fighting constantly out there. And yet… why? Why won't she look at me the same way?" he poured the rest of the water on his head, cooling himself off, "Relax. She's probably just being nice. Euphie's like that, after all. I've gotta keep a clear mind. If I let Kallen touch me even once, I'll be finished." he shook the droplets out of his hair.

"Good luck!" the innocent Princess shouted as she waved her Knight goodbye.

However, before he set off, he asked, "What are you two doing here anyway? Did the Palace get compromised?"

"Not exactly. Schneizel asked us to get as far away as possible."

"Does he plan on destroying it?" Suzaku closed the cockpit, "I'm sure he has a plan. Stay safe, Lila."

"Don't worry, Lloyd assured us this is the safest place with Dalque, Sancia, and Lucretia protecting us!"

Suzaku exited the warehouse and took off at blinding speeds, "The Chinese Federation are close. If we don't take care of the Black Knights quickly, we'll be too exhausted to fight them off. Even if Schneizel gets here, it'll be too late." he observed the fiery city from above with melancholic eyes, "This battle hinges on my performance." with his dual MVS blades, he muttered, "Alright. Let's see what you've got, Lancelot Air Cavalry."

Time: 10:45PM

Countdown until the Chinese Federation arrival in Tokyo: 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Countdown until the total annihilation of the Black Knights: 2 hours and 15 minutes.

AN: The Euphemia and Rai moment wasn't something I expected to write. And while it might seem a bit corny, I find it cute AF. So, I'm including it.

Also, I've been feeling really good about the fights I've written for Lelouch so far. The Suzaku one felt right, while the Marrybell one felt exciting, considering I could experiment a bit with her strength. I think I've read somewhere that Marrybell is actually a competent Knightmare pilot (hence her having the Lancelot Trial), but to equal things out, I had this be her first time ever using it, or even seeing it.