"It is impossible to predict the time and progress of revolution. It is governed by its own more or less mysterious laws."
- Vladimir Lenin
Chapter XXVI: Unto the Breach
Government Bureau
Luoyang Settlement, Duchy of Henan, Area 22 (China), Britannian Empire
August 1, 2025
"Enemy knightmares now entering settlement!" one of the operators announced as the mixed signals of Chinese and Black Knight knightmares flowed through the resultant boundary wall breach like a freshly undammed river. Several of the defenders attempted to attack them from the flanks, even scoring a number of aggressors – namely Chinese – in the process, but the river continued to surge through regardless. "Sir Johann has ordered Defense Plan Sebastus' activation!"
"Confirmed! Initiate Sebastus!" Calares replied as steadfastly as he could, all the while inwardly fighting back his growing anxiety. The enemy had breached the gate, and now entering into the fort. And not just at Luoyang either; the main monitors showed several other cities in Area 22 having already been broken through, with an additional number now well within the process. A great, area-wide incursion, the likes of which had not been seen since the Black Rebellion eight years ago. The irony did not fail to register with Calares, especially as the two central words of Tianzi's declaration continued to ring in his ears. "Mobilize all designated forces and engage all barriers accordingly!"
His commands given, the operators began carrying out their orders, sending out the appropriate call orders and activation codes both within Luoyang and throughout the rest of the Area. In a matter of moments, the monitor flashed as the blue signals representing Britannian forces began to spread throughout their respective cities, moving to their designated defensive positions and intercept points, while another round of signals also initiated as certain "hindrances" began to engage as well. All while the red and yellow signals designating the Chinese and Black Knights respectively also began to divide from the main "rivers" to "flow" through the various streets and blocks, ready to move away from the open fields and into traditional urban warfare. And Calares had little doubt Zero and Li – or, since either were otherwise occupied, their assorted sub-commanders – were also on the horn, initiating second phase stratagems of their own to account for the shift in battlefield.
Feeling a sneer threaten to creep onto his face, Calares once more forced the better part of himself back. Yes, he realized the battle wasn't lost yet; if Zero, Li, Tianzi and their respective soldiers thought that breaching the targeted cities would culminate their Red Rebellion once and for all, then they were in for the rudest of awakenings. As Sir Johann had explained to him and the other field commanders before, a broken fortress was not the same as a fallen fortress; though its outer walls could no longer keep the enemy at bay, the various corridors, dwellings and catacombs certainly offered much in the way of defense. And - again as the Knight of Two had explained - there were no greater fortresses than the former Chinese cities, which had been erected to hold off enemy advances since before Britannia's founding, and had been further emphasized by Mao Zedong and his followers in light of their much more recent war with pre-Area 11 Japan. As such, the self-proclaimed rebels still had their work cut out for them, especially with Sir Johann's "additions" to those defenses, before they could raise their banner over the area once again.
And that was not discounting the fact his side remained well in the fight. For all the losses that had been taken to that point, the Imperial forces still retained its mixed superiorities – superior quantity in the face of the Black Knights' greater individual skill and technological strength and superior quality in the face of greater CLA manpower – and so were quite able to continue giving the Twenty-Twos and Eleven exiles hell. Not even the loss of the two Canterburys and an entire land battleship, to say nothing of what had been lost in the other cities, could be considered major setbacks; in fact, any losses barely warranted now that the fighting had changed to a far more restricted environment. Overall, outside of the changing fields, the battle for the heart and soul of Area 22, or China depending on the perspective, remained on. The confrontations that were now occurring throughout the monitors, with the Black Knight and CLA vanguard units at last engaging the now firmly established Britannian defenders, only reinforced that fact to the viceroy, and everyone else in the room for that matter.
And yet, in spite of all those assurances, Calares only felt himself writhe with underlying yet ever present anger. Again he had created Argus specifically for this situation in mind; to annihilate all invading forces in one fell swoop. As much as he adhered to Sir Johann's expertise, what could he have been possibly thinking in not utilizing it? Surely it would not only have won them the battle entirely, but have done so in a matter of minutes as opposed to the hours this battle was all too likely to take. Especially since the Shenque's baryon field system apparently remained disabled from Xiaopei; otherwise Li would have had that activated early on, for obvious reasons.
This is insane. Calares thought for a moment, but then forced it, and the temptation that it represented, back. No, no matter how much he disagreed with the Knight of Two's battle plan, he was both duty and honor bound to follow them. To do anything else would be unbecoming to both his uniform and himself.
Thus, doing well to ignore such feelings, as well as the growing weight in the pit of his stomach, Calares continued to watch over the main monitor, shifting between the datawindows of Luoyang and the various other cities. Just as the battles taking place began to intensify that much more.
Doing all she could to ignore the grim unease in the pit of her stomach, C.C. continued to drive her pink Gekka down the avenue, Hannya Two trailing just behind her. A team of Sutherlands were already firing on them from the other side, apparently believing that the limited space granted them some advantage, but the two Black Knights had little issue banking around their fire while closing the distance. Not even a thrown Chaos Mine slowed them down, as the two eighth generation knightmares simply leapt up and over the grenade just before it launched its flechette volley. Landing right amongst the enemy formation, the Britannians were quick to reply with their stun tonfas extended, but again they were of little hindrance as C.C. and her wingman cut the four down with their katen yaibatous. Only one managed to leave a mark – grazing the shoulder of Hannya Two's unit – before C.C. slashed it diagonally across the torso, ending it with the rest of them.
Sensors beeping in warning as additional Sutherlands moved in from another venue, C.C. raised her handgun to stall their advance, managing to take out one while the rest scattered between the buildings, taking cover. Gritting her teeth, the "witch" and her comrade followed their example, both moving behind the sides of other buildings as more bullets began to be shot at them. As decrepit as they were, the buildings would only provide very limited amounts of protection – more toward hiding the knightmares' profiles than actually hindering any bullets or explosives – before they likely collapsed on top of the two knightmares. C.C. kept that thought in mind as she peered out, assessing their targets, squeezing off some of her own fire when she could.
This is why I hate city fighting. she thought, once more biting back the unease in her stomach. No matter the age, no matter the war, urban warfare had always been a pain in the fraudulent to her. One that even being in a knightmare frame did little to assuage. "Hannya Two, overhead."
Knowing exactly what her commander meant, the devicer of the second Gekka launched her slash harken up, then traversing to the rooftop above her. Simultaneously, the immortal, after taking a breath, threw her own Gekka back into the open, firing her handgun while charging between the responding fire. As she expected, the Britannians – obviously enamored by her knightmare's ever obnoxious color – concentrated on her, all but forgetting about Hannya Two until she herself fired down upon them from the building tops, her own position effectively granting her vantage of theirs. As a result, a number of Sutherlands chose to move back into the open as well – though one or two stubbornly remained within their covers – and either launched up to the building tops to deal with Hannya Two or chose to attack C.C. head on.
Rebrandishing her katen yaibatou, C.C. expertly maneuvering her knightmare around the street, parrying the stun tonfa attack of an initial aggressor. Sparks flying from the contact of chainblade to solid metal, she nonetheless used her machine's superior power to throw the Sutherland back, right before delivering another diagonal slash through the middle, promptly taking it out of the fight. She then went into a full spin to cleave another charging attacker – bifurcating it at the waist at such a velocity that the top half ended up flying into a nearby building side – right before banking to the left to avoid a rifle grenade shot. On that, she did well to remember her environment, just narrowly evading the resultant explosion and shrapnel rain, right before she returned fire with her handgun once more. That offending Sutherland was easily struck down as well, only for two more, both wielding lances, to rush past it to engage her. Nearly biting her lip, C.C. was forced to reverse and block their respective attacks.
Somehow the three knightmares ended up charging through the side of one of the surrounding buildings, the wide interior of which clearly identified it as a warehouse. Regardless, it was the opportunity C.C. needed, to which she launched her slash harken upward and repelled, evading the lance thrust of one of her opponents. She then landed directly behind it and executed a half spin, cutting that knightmare across the waist as well, right before reversing to evade the other Sutherland's charge from the left. She was then forced to bank around both of its slash harkens, but the immortal did this easily enough, right before closing the distance again to attack herself. To that, the Sutherland raised its lance to parry her sword, again sparks flying as the chainblade ground against the metal polearm.
"Lead!" Hannya Two called out as her Gekka also burst through the warehouse side, another pair of Sutherlands and an accompanying Gloucester trailing after her. That was enough of a distraction for C.C. to take advantage of, easily knocking the lance aside so she could thrust her whirling blade into her own opponent's torso, which then fell to the ground as soon as she withdrew it. It was just as well, as the Gloucester charged her a moment later, MVS in hand, forcing her to reverse and dodge its strike as well.
Despite the fact she couldn't quite match her superior, Hannya Two was skilled enough on her own, parrying and evading the Sutherlands while maneuvering her own knightmare well enough. She managed to take one out in the onset, deflecting its stun tonfa before unleashing her handgun into its torso, the frame toppling over as a result. The other, however, was more resilient, driving at her at such speed that she could only bring her katen yaibatou about to deflect its attack. It then went on the full offensive, bashing at her Gekka with its tonfas, which she continued to parry efficiently yet was otherwise driven back. The Britannian knightmare even evaded her surprise slash harken attack, and then charged in yet again to keep her from bringing her handgun around once more.
Unfortunately, C.C. was unable to support, as she had her own opponent to deal with. As she had half-expected, the Gloucester devicer was better than average, such that she was having a hell of a time parrying and evading his or her own MVS attacks. Not so challenging however that she was unable to find an opening, to which she easily chopped off the blue knightmare's left arm, depriving it of one of its swords. In response, the Britannian executed three successive attacks with its remaining arm and blade, forcing C.C. to parry each as her machine stepped back several meters, not unlike an actual human swordswoman. Sensing an opening itself, the Gloucester moved to impale. Which was exactly what the immortal, a predatory grin encompassing her lips, had hoped.
Sidestepping the thrust at a speed that her opponent would never had believed, C.C. then proceeded to lob off that arm as well. Now deprived of both primary weapons, as well as the means to pull out its assault rifle, the enemy devicer made one last ditch effort to reverse, launching both slash harkens in the process. C.C. weaved around those as well, then circling around the Gloucester – once more at a speed that was only attainable through her ace custom eighth generation knightmare – and proceeded to shoulder tackle the Britannian unit into the side of a nearby wall. She would have then finished it, but saw she didn't have to; the force of her attack had crumpled the cockpit block easily enough.
With that, C.C. then turned to aid her wingmate, but saw she didn't have to there as well. While she had been fighting the Gloucester, Hannya Two had managed to cut off one of the Sutherland's arms, thus causing her opponent to lash out with its remaining tonfa. This proved to be a fatal mistake in itself as Hannya Two reversed her knightmare and then, once the Sutherland overcompensated, drove it forward again, to which she proceeded to "scalp" the cockpit block in similar manner to Tohdoh's (in)famous strike on the Lancelot years ago. Only this time, as both Black Knights grimly witnessed, the attack had struck the devicer as well, resulting in the frame toppling over, rendered permanently out of action. To say the least.
Well, that was certainly a first. C.C. thought rather disturbingly as she witnessed the attack. Indeed, it was the first time she had seen what a glorified, knightmare sized chainsaw could do to the average human body. And, for all that she had seen prior, it was not something for the faint of heart.
Fortunately neither she nor her wingman – however the latter thought of what she had just witnessed – were able to consider it any further, both of their sensors beeping in warning. A moment later, a series of bullets laced their way through the side of the warehouse as another Sutherland formation made its presence known. As such, both pink and black knightmares could only return to their work, breaking through the building wall and driving back into their new opponents. With many more undoubtedly to come after them.
Maneuvering around another slash harken attack, Lelouch closed the distance and moved to behead the Dinadan, only for the dark grey knightmare to deflect his slash with its left Blaze Luminous. From there, Johann counterattacked by knocking the blade aside, then reversing and circling around to execute his own slash against the Mordred's left, but Lelouch foresaw the attack and evaded it, retaliating with a slash harken launch of his own. Again the Knight of Two reversed, as well as reengaged his Blaze Luminous to smack the harken aside, with the Demon King surging after in pursuit. More sword and dagger attacks were initiated thereafter.
All the while the duel continued, both commanders maintained some amount of attention to their respective tacscreens, both pertaining to the attack on Luoyang and the rest of the designated battlegrounds at large. By now it seemed as though the whole of Area 22 was under attack, each of the targeted cities and fortifications having now been breached by combined Black Knight and Chinese forces, with the Britannians scrambling to defend against each incursion. Lelouch felt some measure of satisfaction on that; though Akatsuki – or the Red Rebellion, he reminded himself once more – wasn't proceeding as smoothly as he would have hoped, it was proceeding all the same. Almost as well as the initial strike on Pearl Harbor even, despite the massive losses the Chinese were taking and the far more marginal losses that were somewhat hindering the Black Knights. He almost dared hope that victory was truly not far off.
Despite that however, victory remained an uncertainty regardless. A key component to his plan had yet to initiate, such that Lelouch was beginning to worry. Had Johann truly foreseen his intended move to that point? As well as already directed his pawns and at least one of his rooks to dissuade it? The former prince would have bet his mask that had been the case; otherwise the Red Rebellion – not unlike the Black Rebellion before it – would have looked far different. Just as he doubted that had been the only countermove the Owl of Britannia had made, especially in the face of potential territorial incursion.
"You seem distracted Zero," Johann observed as he slashed at the Mordred's left, nearly gouging out its eye in the process, only to watch as the black and gold, caped twin of the Lancelot evaded at the right moment. The Knight of Two inwardly frowned at this; he still couldn't understand how his opponent, who by all accounts had been a lackluster devicer during the Japanese Insurrection, could have gained such skill and technique since his liberation. Surely there was more to that than what was otherwise obvious; the Owl almost felt that to be the case. But then, that was only one mystery among so many with Zero. "Is there something concerning you?"
Knowing he was being probed again, Lelouch feigned indifference. "No more distracted or concerned than you are, Sir Johann," he countered, also knowing that the Knight of Two was observing the greater battle as much as he was. Though neither of them could direct their troops on a minute by minute basis – that was what their respective sub-commanders and operations staff were for – they could at least keep up with present events and turnabouts. Enough that they could intervene with them if necessary. "In that regard, the game remains in my favor. Isn't it about time you made another move?"
Once again, the barest vestiges of a grin emerged over the Knight of Two's lips. "Who says I haven't already?" he inquired, just as he unleashed a furious duel slash, forcing the Mordred to evade via spin jump. From there, the black knightmare launched its left arm harken, to which the Dinadan banked to evade, while barreling straight on after that, forcing its opponent to engage its Blaze Luminous in turn. As a result, the two were momentarily frozen in place, the Dinadan's dagger fixed against the Mordred's shield, both trying to overcome the other. "Surely you've realized I had anticipated this outcome, Zero."
Lelouch grit his teeth at that. He had at least theorized as such; that Johann would have expected the rebel forces to have breached their designated targets, and planned accordingly. And yet…
"And yet," the Black Prince spoke again, just as he at last threw back the grey knightmare's blade and brought his right sword against it, crimson blades now grinding against each other as a reuslt. "Nothing seems to be happening."
Johann nodded in acknowledgment of this. "Give it a moment," he answered simply, just as the Mordred circled around to strike at the Dinadan's back, to which the Knight of Two twisted around and relaunched his left harken in retaliation. Only the timely raising of his opponent's right Blaze Luminous kept its head from being knocked off. From there, the black knightmare leaped back and reversed down the street, seemingly moving to draw its VARIS, but the Dinadan was too quick in pursuing it. As a result, it was forced to bring both of its MVS up to deflect either dagger attack. "You will see it soon enough…"
At that, while continuing to exchange blade for blade and attack for attack, Lelouch couldn't help but note a tinge of anticipation in his opponent's voice. One that made an uncharacteristic chill run down his spine. What kind of move had the Knight of Two made exactly? And why wasn't it something he himself had predicted?
Sure enough, the answer to those questions indeed came a moment later, taking the form of certain signals being blotted out on Lelouch's tacscreens, followed by a sudden burst of communications both within Luoyang and throughout the Area. Upon that, Lelouch did well to feel that chill deepen as certain shock, and realization, came over him. As did a cold, yet uncharacteristically emboldened smile over Johann's face.
"This just keeps getting better and better…" Liliana muttered as she drove her Guren Isshiki down the streets of what might have been a residential area – not that the surrounding buildings looked any different from each other – while Marika moved beside her in her own machine. Bullets and explosive seemed to be in constant motion, as well as from nearly every vector, as yet another Sutherland force moved in from the left to stall their advance. To that, both Gurens twisted around and threw up their radiant wave shields, deflecting much of the firepower, all the while responding with their own grenade launchers. This took out at least two of the Sutherlands and forced the rest to scatter, but as both Zero Squadron devicers saw – much to Liliana's own bemusement – they appeared reluctant to engage at close-range, instead continuing to rain bullet fire on them with their assault rifles. Not that they were doing any better at medium range, as the Gurens shifted from evading to deflecting the fire while closing the gap themselves, fork knives drawn to strike.
From there, it was mere child's play for the women, both having attained ace status well before their joining the Black Knights, to remove the present opposition. Evading a last minute rifle grenade shot, Liliana gleefully charged by her targeted Sutherland, slashing her knife against the cockpit block as she passed. No sooner than it fell did one of its comrades storm at her, stun tonfas extended, to which she brought her surger back up and engaged her shield, deflecting its attack. After that, she dodged to her left and fired her slash harken, beheading the Sutherland and thereby allowing her to strike its cockpit block as well. Liliana couldn't help but notice the momentary trail of blood that trailed after her knife there.
A third one, armed with a lance, charged in after that as well, but once more it was no real effort for her to narrowly bank out of the attack, simultaneously reaching out with her surger to grasp her prey. At first she attempted to engage the surger to boil in traditional fashion, but another Sutherland had moved in as well, apparently trying to support its ensnared comrade. Grinning viciously at the sudden opportunity, Liliana twisted her initial target into the line of its brethren's assault rifle, where it ended up riddled with bullets, all the while she charged at the inadvertent assailant. A metallic clash sounded as the two frames smashed against each other; it was only then that Liliana engaged her surger, bubbling the first Sutherland in but a few short moments, to which she released and reversed. The resultant explosion took out both enemy knightmares while Liliana, stylishly twirling her knife, set off for additional prey.
Far less grandiose than her bloodthirsty wingmate, Marika was nonetheless effective in her own advance. Banking around the assault rifle fire, she then used her fork knife to deflect a stun tonfa attack, and then execute a spin slash into her opponent's frame, the cockpit block ejecting a moment later. Unconcerned where the block may have ended up, she then ducked underneath a bazooka shot from another Sutherland, counterattacking by firing her slash harken and knocking the cumbersome weapon out of the enemy knightmare's grip. The Sutherland retaliated by firing off its own harkens, to which Marika – in a technique that she had seen Major Kouzuki use several times – had her Guren leap onto one of the harken cables and then speed at the Britannian unit. Before the enemy devicer realized what was happening, she was upon it, stabbing her knife into the cockpit block and then jumping away, the Sutherland falling over as she landed some distance away. Another unit attempted to level its own assault rifle at her, but she responded much faster, spraying a machine gun burst from her surger that obliterated the aggressor.
"Fools," Marika muttered herself as additional enemy knightmares closed on her and Rei Five. Both immediately turned to their direction, launching twin streams of radiant energy at the newcomers. More than a few were obliterated as a result, with the rest scattering and immediately taking cover, returning fire in the form of bullets and explosive shells. Despite that offensive however, the Gurens continued their dance, weaving around the projectiles while closing the distance on the enemy units. From there the carnage continued as the two Black Knights went about their mission, dispatching any enemy knightmare that came within their reach.
Amidst the onslaught, Marika couldn't help but feel something amiss with their present adversaries. Yes they were as easy to kill as their brethren – her grasping a Sutherland by the arm and swinging it into one of its nearby squadmates before finishing the both of them with a grenade easily showcased their lacking skills – but she couldn't help but feel something else at work there. A thought that kept nagging at her even as she chased down another Sutherland, leaped on top of it – another copied maneuver, this time from Captain Finlay – and promptly applied her surger, bubbling the enemy knightmare right beneath her. It detonated as she leapt away, to which she turned and fired another radiant wave stream at the next target. Unfortunately the Sutherland evaded at the right moment, and then went into full reverse, firing its assault rifle as it backtracked.
That's when Marika realized it. Not just one, but the whole squad – those that managed to survive for so long anyway – was gradually backtracking. Not retreating per se, but rather engaging and pulling back repeatedly, and in such a way that one would hardly have depicted. Obviously they were attempting to draw them in, but to where? An ambush? No, her Guren's advanced sensors would have picked up the additional enemies, whether they were knightmares, aircraft, AFVs or infantry. And she doubted the Britannians had stealth technology on par with the Black Knights.
Still, that didn't leave many explanations, especially as Marika saw that they were drawing the two Gurens deeper into the city, specifically around a rather open street crossing, one nestled between several large buildings. That was precisely when the realization struck her like a lightning bolt, causing her eyes to widen. She had seen this before; well, she hadn't directly witnessed it, but she had seen it before regardless. And she knew they only had moments to react. "Rei Five, evade!"
Whether from her outcry or Liliana somehow realizing it herself, both Black Knights reacted simultaneously. With quad shrieks of burning rubber, both Gurens abruptly abandoned their pursuit of the enemy and reversed their landspinners in full resolution, retracting back. Just as a set of explosions set off around one of the nearby buildings, causing the ground the tremor and the building to fall upon the street crossing. Exactly where the two knightmares would have been had they not reversed at that moment.
"This is…!" Liliana managed to exclaim as she pulled back, watching as the building – a dull colored housing complex that was wider than it was heightened – fell upon her and Marika's knightmares. It was almost dreamlike to her, in which everything was in slow motion; her knightmare's reversal, the falling building, even her very breathing felt as though they had extended into minutes instead of mere seconds. For a time, it seemed like she and her wingmate were indeed going to be buried, but fortunately they had reversed at the right time, just managing to pull back before the edifice completed its fall. Even so, as the dust cloud kicked up, Liliana could only stare in horror as her exclamation completed itself. "This is Zero's technique!"
Despite her own stoic appearance, Marika felt the same horror in her as her comrade. Indeed she had not witnessed it, but she had heard of it. Zero had done this precisely – collapsing an entire building upon his opponent(s) – during the Black Rebellion. For the life of her she never thought it would have been done by another, much less used against them.
And that was only the beginning. As before either devicer realized it, quakes, explosions and similar events began to erupt around the city. All while comm. traffic – detailing the death cries and SOS calls from both Chinese and Black Knight units – increased that much more.
Black Knights mobile battleship Izumo
Duchy of Henan, Area 22 (China), Britannian Empire
What the hell is this? Ohgi thought as he gazed over the main monitor. All at once, pandemonium had unfolded unto the world; "LOST" signals began to emerge across the screen, while reports were continually coming in about ambushes, traps and other such inhibitions. Much worse, as Ohgi's mind absorbed the calls, he realized that such things as "collapsing streets", "falling debris" and "the enemy firing through walls" were among the outcries. And much worse, it wasn't just at Luoyang that these events were occurring; as the other tacscreens displayed with the other cities, Black Knight and Chinese forces were literally running into the same problems.
"Ohgi…" Minami whispered beside him, having come to the same conclusion.
"Yes, I see it too," Ohgi nodded back. It was much bigger and far more elaborate – taking place in multiple areas of battle rather than just one – but it was still the same idea. It was the exact same strategy Zero had employed at Shinjuku; utilizing the surrounding urbanscape to entrap the aggressor forces and cut them down, one after the other. Only this time, the Britannians had had much more time to entrench themselves within the occupied cities, just as they had access to a much wider range of tools and techniques to inflict upon their enemies.
Damn you Owl of Britannia. Ohgi found himself cursing the Knight of Two for his brilliance – as well as his sense of irony – on this. Even though he had known from the start that liberating China would not be easy, even he hadn't expected this turn of events. And as if to make matter that much more complicated, a certain key part of Zero's plan remained out of action…
"We just lost all CLA units in Dianzhuangzhen!" Ichijiku reported evenly as the data came flowing in. "Kitsune and Kyosha units under heavy fire!"
Ohgi nearly grimaced at that last one, but managed to force it back. There was no way Chigusa would die in a fight like this; not when she knew that there was much more to come. "Pull them back to Yuetanzhen," he commanded as coolly as he could under the circumstances. "See if they can draw the Britannians out, and then reinforce with Nue and Kasha Squadrons."
Mutsuki began relaying the orders as another signal came up on Ichijiku's monitor. "Second enemy waves emerging!" she reported, with Ohgi picking up the dread under her voice.
It was something he felt as well as he watched the new sets of knightmares emerge onto each of the cities. Between them and all the other traps and ambushes that the Britannians retained, the Chinese were going to take many more losses, and he was sure several Black Knight units would be lost as well. Once more the conditions remained unchanged; it was a contest of endurance, in which the Britannians whittled down the Chinese numbers – and as many of their Black Knight defenders as they could get – while the Black Knights rushed on for the enemy headquarters and other key strategic areas. Whether it would be a Britannian surrender or a Black Knight/Chinese withdrawal, it would be the last one standing that would be triumphant.
A victory condition that was increasing going toward the Britannians, Ohgi sneered, as additional signals of "LOST" Chinese units were received. It helped even less that a key part of Zero's plan – the "miracle" of the Red Rebellion itself – had not come into play. Had the enemy somehow guessed their intentions there?
"Order all available units to intercept in each city," he commanded in turn, retaining his focus on the battle at hand. "Head them off before they reach the Yaoguais!"
Reversing on her landspinners, Kallen just narrowly evaded the Safir's latest slash, right before retaliating with a grenade shot. As she half-expected, the Knight of Eight was quick enough to dodge, allowing the grenade to sail aimlessly until it hit the building behind them – they were currently fighting atop one such tower – to which Nena charged onward, slashing once more at the crimson knightmare. To that, Kallen was forced to deflect the initial slash with her shield and then jump away before the follow up came. She then countered with her harken, but Nena easily knocked that away with her Blaze Luminous, continuing to surge after the Guren.
It wasn't long before the two knightmares, in the course of their fight, landed on another building top, with the Red Dragoness wasting no time in banking left in an effort to flank her. Despite that effort however, Nena easily reversed before Kallen could grasp her with the Guren's surger, then counterslashing again only for the red knightmare to turn aside, once more reversing its landspinners again to gain some distance. Nena naturally followed her, executing another one of her spin attacks, but Kallen was just able to keep back enough to evade the scythe's reach. She then fired a radiant wave beam – one aimed for the Safir's head – only for Nena to reangle the scythe so that it reaped the energy into dissemination. It was the same when Kallen followed up with another grenade shot, this one exploding harmlessly as the scythe intercepted it.
Kallen could only wonder how the Knight of Eight could keep up that rotation for so long as she leaped back onto another building top, using her slash harken to tether her to it. Only then did Nena stop her spin and follow, using one of her own harkens for the same effect. As a result, both knightmares landed upon their next field – which appeared to a faded green tinted apartment building – continuing their fight with the Guren charging and dodging the Safir's next slash. Before Kallen could bring her knife against the Britannian knightmare however, Nena brought up her Blaze Luminous to intercept. Both knightmares held their blade and shield in place for a time, their devicers glowering at each other throughout, before at last breaking away.
"This dance is even better than the one before!" Nena called out in glee as she repeatedly slashed at the Guren, which systematically evaded or deflected each slash and sweep as it moved around, firing another radiant wave stream as it circled. Naturally the Knight of Eight evaded, and at such speed Kallen almost felt nauseated watching, only to reap once more. "Indeed, this really will be one to remember Red Dragoness!"
"I'm glad you approve, Reaper of Britannia," Kallen sardonically replied, both vocally and with her surger, this time as a particle spray. The Knight of Eight evaded that as well, jumping away in a dance-like twirl, much to the Ace of the Elevens' exasperation. Even Suzaku had never been so evasive, nor as elaborate in maneuvering the Lancelot. "Too bad it isn't going to end so well for you!"
A sharp, harrowing laugh was Nena's response as she slashed even more, nearly lopping off the Guren's head in the process. Only another timely reverse kept that from occurring, to which Kallen again replied with her slash harken. The Safir dodged this as well, before counterslashing again. "On the contrary, I believe you will be the one to fall, little dragon," Nena sang as the Guren zigzagged around her slashes, attempting to close a distance again to grasp her. At that, she knocked the surger aside with her Blaze Luminous and then launched her left slash harken, but Kallen was quick enough to evade this as well. "I don't know if you've been keeping up through our dance, but your offensive isn't looking too good right now!"
Another set of nearby explosions, followed by the signals of several Yaoguais being marked "LOST", only punctuated that claim. Grimacing at that event, Kallen charged forward, feinting with her surger, only to launch a solid kick into the Safir's torso upon the final moment. The resultant force sent the Knight of Eight sailing off the building and toward the street below, but they had been low enough to ground level that Nena could easily flip her knightmare up and have it land squarely. Kallen followed her, the Guren landing mere seconds after the Safir's touchdown, and the two adversaries immediately went back at it.
"At this rate, your Twenty-Two allies are going to be cut to shreds before they ever make it to the Bureau!" Nena hollered as she slashed again, forcing the Guren to once more evade and deflect. She then tried to slice off the red knightmare's surger arm, but Kallen, in a rather surprising motion, knocked the scythe aside with her fork knife. "And I doubt you Black Knights have the numbers to take the Area without them!"
"Maybe," Kallen retorted as she slashed at the Safir from its side, only for the Knight of Eight to bank and evade. As she did this, Nena again swept her scythe, but Kallen mirrored her maneuver and reversed before the weapon's blade could connect. She then crouched as Nena followed up by reaping at her, and Kallen could have sworn she felt the excess heat of the maser vibration weapon as it moved over her cockpit canopy. "But the rebellion is still on, and still far from the breaking point!"
She then fired another radiant wave stream, one that was so fast on the draw that Nena only narrowly dodged. Such that the beam grazed the left shoulder of her knightmare, causing the tip of it to melt away while the rest of the pauldron was left charred and swollen. The Knight of Eight glowered angrily at such damage; how dare this upstart Eleven hurt her beautiful Safir!
"You're going to regret not finishing us at Xiaopei!" Kallen continued as she switched back to her grenade launcher and fired. This time Nena anticipated the attack and had the Safir leap into the air, just as the grenade exited the launcher barrel. In midair she launched one of her harkens out, nearly smashing it against the Guren's surger claw, but Kallen was able to move aside at the last second. The Safir landed not long after, slashing out with its scythe once more, only for Kallen to evade that as well. "Especially when you had us then and there!"
Nena couldn't help but grit her teeth at the Red Dragoness' outcry, even as she engaged her Blaze Luminous to deflect her latest slash harken attack. As much as she adhered to Johann's expertise on the matter, Xiaopei had been a sticking point to her; somehow she always felt that, had they pushed hard enough, despite any high casualties, they could have eliminated the main branch of the CLA, captured Tianzi and possibly taken out Zero and his ilk all at once. Despite the Ogre of Kyoto coming out of nowhere with an apparent line of landships at his disposal, she had long suspected that General Kondo didn't have nearly as many ships and missiles as her side held, and that – once more if Johann had decided differently – they would have ended this insurrection then and there.
But what was done was done, and Nena could no more change the past than she could have given up her love for chocolate. And the latter was something she was sure to indulge in once she returned to the Homeland.
"And who says we don't have you here and now, Eleven!?" she growled back sharply, right before firing her harken at the Guren's head. She missed, but the anchor managed to strike the right side antennae on the helm; likely a scratch, but at least she repaid the Red Dragoness back for damaging her beloved steed. "It's you who's going to regret! Regret ever coming to Area 22 and taking us on in the first place!"
At that, Kallen let out another battle cry as she charged through the slashes, again attempting to grasp the Britannian knightmare in her surger. When that failed, she shifted and presented her fork knife, but that too was anticipated, and Nena easily threw up her Blaze Luminous to knock the gold blade aside. Knowing not to press her luck any further, it was all Kallen could do to jump overhead, just as the Safir's slashed at her.
All while in the distance, another set of explosions – and accompanying "LOST" signals, sounded.
Rai grimaced as several more of the Yaoguais he and Raidens Two, Three and Four were herding were shot up. As befitting their reputation, the stricken Chinese knightmares crumpled like aluminum, their frames – and undoubtedly their devicers – riddled with Britannian ammunition while others of their kind moved around their fallen forms as water around rocks. In response, Rai twisted the Aoren around and fired a radiant wave stream at the direction of the fire, managing to take out at least one offending Sutherland. There had been at least two more, but those enemy knightmares easily ducked around the corner as Raidens Two and Three unleashed their handguns against it, the bullets impacting harmlessly against the nearby buildings.
"Damn it," Rai cursed as he shifted the Aoren back into formation, the three Gekkas that made up his team reluctantly following along. There were still plenty of Yaoguais left in the formation he was escorting, but their numbers – for lack of better description – were being cut down literally left and right as they moved deeper into the city. And there was only so much he could do about it, even if he had the whole of Raiden Squadron with him on that specific force. It helped even less that the Britannians had begun resorting to hit-and-run attacks against the Chinese – they were still focused on them over the Black Knights – rather than continue engaging the massed Yaoguais wholesale. Once more cutting them down in every direction, several at a time, before withdrawing to avoid direct engagement.
A pair of swooping Vipers from overhead only emphasized the fact, the VTOLs unleashing their air-to-ground rockets into the Yaoguais as they passed. Several more of the Chinese units fell as a result, but the metal flood continued regardless while the four Black Knight units – as well as a fair number of the Yaoguais themselves – returned fire. One Viper fell as a result, crashing into a nearby building top, while the second circled around – thereby evading fire for a time – to bring its chin gun to bear. Fortunately Rai was quicker on the draw, and a split-second later, an extremely well-placed grenade shot blasted the VTOL out of the sky.
The Viper's remnants were still falling when Rai's sensors beeped in warning; more enemy knightmares were moving in, once more from multiple vectors and positions. Too concentrated to do anything but respond, the Blue Thunder God turned the Aoren toward the nearest avenue and fired a rapid fire burst from his surger. Though he hadn't been able to target any of the enemy units, the display at least dissuaded them for a time, forcing the Sutherlands to duck behind cover momentarily. The Yaoguais easily rushed by before they came out again, to which Rai repositioned the Aoren behind the Chinese formation and generated a radiant wave shield to deflect the resultant fire. From there, Raiden Three moved in to support, returning the fire with her handgun.
It was then peculiarity struck Rai; there was something wrong with the Britannian offensive. Oh they were attacking and attacking well, but there seemed to be an alternate purpose behind their assault beyond whittling down the Chinese units. Something far more deliberate and purposeful.
Then, much like an actual lightning bolt, realization struck Rai. The enemy knightmares weren't attacking the formation specifically; they were forcing it along as much as Rai and his compatriots were defending it. Which only meant one thing. "All units, break and reverse!"
Too late, as a collection of following explosions indicated. Explosions that came from underneath the forward most Yaoguais and proceeded onward, until the bulk of the formation was obliterated. Only a select few were fortunate enough to escape their now burning, ruined knightmares, which was precisely when enemy infantry open fired from the surrounding buildings.
Son of a bitch! Rai again cursed as he and Raiden Three turned their weapons toward the designated buildings, giving the downed Chinese pilots a fighting chance for cover, while Raidens Two and Four continued fighting the knightmares toward the rear. Through surprising subtlety, the Britannians had diverted the Chinese force into a mine field – one that had been programmed to go off when the majority of their knightmares were within it. And now the Chinese unit was effectively demolished, with the remainders caught between the burning husks of their comrades to the front, attacking knightmares toward the rear and buildings containing enemy combatants on either side. A perfect killbox that Rai and his fellows now had to fight their way out of.
More Yaoguais, as well as Raiden Four, fell as the Britannians pressed their assault, the Sutherlands and accompanying Gloucesters no longer hesitant to advance. Rocket attacks from the aforementioned buildings only increased the surrounding destruction, but Rai would be damned before he and those who fought beside him went down there. Expertly maneuvering around the bullets and projectiles, the Blue Thunder God closed the distance upon the enemy knightmares, bringing his fork knife about with a flick of the Aoren's wrist. Raidens Two and Three were quick to back him up with their katen yaibatous, while the surviving Yaoguais unleashed their machine guns and cannons for support.
Letting out a defiant howl as he held down the trigger, Tamaki fired his handgun at the pursuing Gloucester – its lance set to impale – as his Gekka retreated down the avenue. It was obviously a suicide run, as the enemy knightmare had been reduced to one arm and had been shot up repeatedly, but its devicer seemed quite determined to take Tamaki down before he or she expired. And as for Tamaki himself, his wingman had been taken out sometime ago, leaving him alone to fight through Luoyang until he could join up with other allied units somewhere. For the moment though, he was entirely focused on not ending up literally skewed.
Fortunately, it wasn't long before his efforts paid off and the Gloucester crumpled under the fire. All at once, the fifth generation type fell over and ground against the street, its cockpit block utterly shot up. It was quite clear that the devicer had not survived the onslaught.
"Serves you right, asshole!" Tamaki hollered as he disengaged and moved away. It didn't matter much – much to his exasperation – as his sensors picked up additional enemy contacts moving toward his position. Sure enough, a pair of Sutherlands soon appeared in the distance, both unleashing their assault rifles as they advanced upon him. Cursing his luck – for what seemed like the hundredth time since the battle had begun – Tamaki weaved around the fire as he launched after the pair, alternating between firing his hand gun once more and drawing in close to employ his katen yaibatou. One of the Sutherlands fell before he could close in, while its partner, deciding to try and beat Tamaki at his own game, extended its stun tonfas and drew in as well.
"I'm gonna mess you up!" Tamaki shouted as he slashed at the Britannian, only for the Sutherland to parry it, its tonfas too thick for the whirling chainblade to cut. And even more frustrating, the enemy pilot was skilled in applying them, repeatedly parrying Tamaki's sword attacks before countering with his or her slash harkens, forcing the Black Knight "ace" to pull back again. He then counterfired with his handgun, but the Sutherland banked behind a nearby building, throwing a Chaos Mine to cover its own retreat. Grimacing, Tamaki flung his knightmare back behind a corner, just as the flechette grenade opened up and began its spray.
Maybe I really am not that good at this… Tamaki admonished to himself – he dared not vocalize it – just as his sensors beeped in warning again: more enemy units were coming his way. Or at least, that's what he initially thought until more sensor contacts appeared; the enemy knightmares were in fact attacking a selection of Yaoguais, which were just rumbling onto the scene. In turn, the Chinese knightmares were doing their damnedest to hold their respective line, but the Britannians were still cutting them down as they advanced.
At first, Tamaki moved to jump right in and help his Chinese "allies", only for a sense of familiarity to cause him to halt. He didn't just recognize that setup; he outright remembered it. Especially as he saw that the Yaoguais were converging toward a large, suspiciously open street crossing.
"GET OUT OF THERE!" Tamaki shouted into his comm., forgetting to see if it was tuned into the Chinese band. "PULL OUT!"
Whether the Chinese heard him or not, he never knew. He only saw and felt what happened next: the vibration of explosives detonating within the sewers and underground tunnels, followed by the streets underneath the Yaoguais' landspinners fragmenting and caving in from the combined detonations and the knightmares' weight. Within seconds, the entirety of the Yaoguai forces fell into the enlarging gap, their flimsy hulls either crushed from the resultant fall and the showering remnants. All culminating in an ash grey dust cloud, which billowed aimlessly into the air.
The few that survived the few were immediately set upon by the surrounding Sutherlands and Gloucesters, which either descended into the gap with their harkens or simply rained bullets from above. Slamming his fist down in rage, only then did Tamaki bring his Gekka about, moving against the enemy knightmares with clear vengeance. "Bastards!" he roared as he charged, again firing his handgun as he advanced.
The Britannians responded in kind, but this time Tamaki was too focused on killing them all to falter. This time, he didn't care if any of them were, in fact, better than him; they were all going to die anyway.
Igniting the seidotou's thrusters, Tohdoh slashed his blade against the Caius' crossed broadswords, moving to drive the Knight of Five back. Despite the Zangetsu's sheer power however, Michael held his ground, uncrossing his blades and throwing the enemy sword aside. He then proceeded to counterslash at the "red haired" machine, but Tohdoh anticipated the attack and evaded, launching his chest mounted slash harken at the Caius' head in the process. At that, Michael knocked the rocket anchor aside with his Blaze Luminous, and then proceeded after the Zangetsu with clear ferocity.
With a battlecry from its devicer, the Caius drove forward, again slashing at Tohdoh as the two knightmares raced down the avenue, the Zangetsu parrying both the initial attack and the follow up. From there, Tohdoh counterattacked by slashing at the Caius' shoulder, but again Michael was fast enough to engage his Blaze Luminous before the blade could connect. Fortunately, Tohdoh was quick on the recovery, from there using the Zangetsu's superior maneuverability to move against his larger opponent's back. Only a timely backhanded parry kept the seidotou from slashing at the Caius' cockpit block, thereby allowing Michael to turn his knightmare around and launch his left arm mounted slash harken in turn. Though his knightmare lacked any elaborate shielding, Tohdoh was nonetheless fast enough to swat the harken away with the seidotou, and then – much faster than Michael could anticipate – twist the sword around and launch its hilt mounted harken in turn. And this time, he managed a hit, the harken smashing into the Caius' faceplate with enough force to crack it. As well as disable the left camera eye.
"Ow! That hurt Ki-yo-shi-ro!" Michael shouted, feeling rather ired that his knightmare had been struck so hard. Not hard enough to cleave its head off thankfully, but still enough to make his main monitor fuzzy and out of focus. The Miracle Man was definitely going to pay for that one. "I almost thought you were slowing down for a minute!"
"Not just yet whelp," Tohdoh retorted as he again charged the Caius, bringing his seidotou around on full burn. Grinning viciously, Michael brought both broadswords up and parried the intended strike, holding his adversary's sword in place as blue flames continued to jet out its thruster vents. "Not until you have been properly dealt with."
Michael actually gleamed in response, before exerting more of the Caius' power to throw back the enemy knightmare's blade. He then countered by firing his right slash harken, only for the Zangetsu to bank to its left to evade, then promptly slashing at the Caius' side. Michael evaded as well, using the reverse side of his right broadsword to smack the seidotou away, then turning his knightmare's chest around to unleash the flash cannon. Knowing he couldn't turn away the Zangetsu away in time, Tohdoh could only close his eyes and look away, simultaneously having his knightmare leap back to gain some maneuvering room. The Knight of Five naturally capitalized on that, surging the Caius after its opponent and slashing at its torso. An instinctive parry on Tohdoh's part kept the blade from connecting, but also threw him off balance, causing the Zangetsu to land on its side.
Opponent lining up for the kill, Tohdoh raised his hand gun and fired, trying to strike the open wound on the Caius' face. Unfortunately his aim was not as precise as his draw, and the Caius easily moved through the bullets as it set its right broadsword to impale. Gritting his teeth, Tohdoh was just about to pull back on his control stick, attempting to flip his knightmare away right before the blade connected, but he never made it that far. Not before another burst of machine gun fire slammed into the Caius' left, causing it disorientation.
"Shogun One!" a Chinese devicer shouted as three Yaoguais entered in, their machine guns and cannons blazing at the orange knightmare. Though none of the bullets or shells could hope to pierce through the Caius' armor, it did hold it down for a time, forcing Michael to deploy his Blaze Luminous to deflect. Beyond that effect however, it was clear the Yaoguais' fire would not hinder the Knight of Five for long.
"You fools!" Tohdoh shouted in horror as he brought the Zangetsu back onto its feet. "Fall back!"
Too late, as Michael let out an infuriated roar and charged head long at the Chinese knightmares. "Annoying tadpoles!" he shouted as he slashed the first Yaoguai straight through the middle, then proceeded to twist around to make a diagonal cut upon another. "Don't interfere!"
"Qù sǐ ba!" the remaining Yaoguai pilot shouted defiantly, firing both her cannons into the Caius' side. Again the knightmare's heavy armor held up, but the close range shock was still enough to throw the Knight of Five off momentarily. Unfortunately, this only had the effect of angering the Round that much more, causing him to surge at the lead Yaoguai with both broadswords ready and waiting.
It was only then that Tohdoh reentered the fight, intersecting his Zangetsu between the Yaoguai and the Caius, holding back the now thoroughly enraged Knight of Five's blades. Much to his surprise however, the Yaoguai pilot wasn't done just yet, bringing her knightmare to the left to fire another round of cannon and machine gun fire into the Caius' cockpit block. Again the seventh generation machine's armor held, but had it not, it was clear the cockpit would have been demolished. And Michael Raleigh would have been rendered an unpleasant stain within.
"Twenty-Two bitch!" Michael growled as he attempted to breakaway from Tohdoh and finish that insipient Yaoguai off, but the Black Knight General refused to break away.
"Fall back Wukong Five!" Tohdoh commanded, hurriedly identifying the Yaoguai pilot's callsign while keeping the Caius at bay. "There's nothing you can do here!"
"But…!" the Chinese pilot tried to protest, as well as get another shot onto the Caius.
"That's an order!" Tohdoh followed up with. "You can't touch him with that machine!"
For a moment, the Chinese pilot lingered, still trying to get a clear shot on Knight of Five as the latter exchange blades with Tohdoh. Ultimately however, she knew that the Black Knight General spoke the truth. So long as she was stuck in a Yaoguai, she'd only be getting in the way.
Besides, her sensors were picking up another Sutherland team moving toward her position. Those she could kill. "Acknowledged," she replied before drawing away.
Michael would have none of it. "You think I'm just going to let you get away!?" he hollered as he knocked the Zangetsu back and drove for the retreating Yaoguai. However, Tohdoh was quick on the recovery, and easily intercepted the Paladin's blade before he could draw close.
"I believe it is my head you're after!" Tohdoh shouted in turn, holding the seidotou up against the crossed broadswords. "Or perhaps you would care to surrender now."
The Knight of Five gleamed once more. "Fuck you, Ki-yo-shi-ro!" he called back as he drove his machine forward, moving to overpower the Zangetsu. "Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!"
Sneering in distaste, Tohdoh reversed the Zangetsu away, firing his last radiant wave rocket as he did. The Caius in turn drove forward, effortlessly knocking the projectile aside as it pursued, broadswords raised to kill.
Government Bureau
Luoyang Settlement, Duchy of Henan, Area 22 (China), Britannian Empire
"I can't believe it!" Xia Wang let out in near jubilation as more of the red signals on the tacscreen ended up "LOST". "It's actually happening! Right before our eyes!"
"Finally the CLA will be no more!" Cheng Zhong added with equal delight. "Finally this land will well and truly be ours!"
"It certainly took long enough," Xiang Sheng spoke with impatience. Now that the Chinese Liberation Army's destruction was at hand, it was almost impossible to wait for the final killing stroke. "Seven damned years too long…"
"I agree. Li and his miscreants should have been dealt with on day one," Cai Lishi also put in, feeling just as smug as the others. "But outside the wait, this isn't so bad. Not only will the CLA be destroyed, but Zero and his Black Knights will make very nice bonuses."
"Indeed," Zhao Hao replied, beady eyes remaining fixed on the main monitor. Though remained put off by the Knight of Two's prior rejection of his command – though admittedly not as much as then – even was willing to give credit where credit was due. "The Owl of Britannia well and truly lives up to his wizened image."
Yes, Calares felt himself admit as he continued to watch, Sir Johann really was among the best minds Britannia had to offer. With the battle as it was now, neither the Black Knights nor the CLA had any hope to survive, much less liberate the area. The traps and ambushes that the Owl had set throughout the targeted cities would ensure the complete elimination of the Chinese ground forces, alongside a fair chunk of the Black Knights'. Once those were dealt with, the resultant counteroffensive would finish the remainders, whose escape was now impossible by this point. As Xiang Sheng had stated, seven long years of fighting would soon be decided. With the last vestiges of China to be finally vanquished and Britannia's dominion secure in their place. All thanks to the Knight of Two.
And yet, as Calares kept his gaze on the monitor, watching as the slaughter played out, he still felt his early agitation remain. Not so much for vainglory anymore, but rather the lack of necessity of it; yes the Chinese were falling in record numbers, but then so were the Britannian forces that remained caught up in the fighting. Even now, as the CLA fought to its last and the Black Knights struggled to stem the tide, Calares watched as several blue signals ended up in the "LOST" pile, several at a time. Not nearly as many losses as the CLA was suffering – in fact, the Britannian casualties were nothing beyond what one would expect in this kind of battle – but still Sutherlands and Gloucesters fell with every passing second. Still loyal and valiant Imperial soldiers fell, even as the Chinese were being cut down as wheat to a blade.
That thought alone burned in Calares' mind like a second sun. Not too long ago, Sir Johann had chastised him for the unnecessary losses he had incurred at Xiaopei, when he had blundered them into the Tiger's trap. Unlike most of his kind, Calares had not shirked his responsibility in their deaths; those men and women had fallen under his command, and therefore the blame was his to bear. If nothing else, he had taken that lesson to heart; never again would he be so blinded by his own self-vindication as to waste precious lives. Never again would he needlessly sacrifice those under his command – no matter what it would cost him personally – when a more viable solution was present. Those who dedicated themselves to the Crown's service deserved better than that.
Yet, as much as Calares resented thinking it, wasn't that exactly what Sir Johann was doing here? Throwing away the lives of Imperial soldiers needlessly? Especially when the entire battle could have been decided in the blink of an eye? Despite his attempts to force it back, the thought endured, remaining a fixture within him. And the Viceroy of Area 22 smoldered against its touch.
"All enemy forces in Baimashizen have been eliminated," one of the operators announced as the last of the "LOST" signals flashed. "Reinforcements now moving in from Huimengzhen."
Calares nodded, at least appearing as though everything was going as he wished. "Redeploy units from Chaoyang to intercept," he commanded. "And then send up additional forces from Mengjin to reinforce, including gunships. We'll crush them before they reach the river."
Their orders given, the operators began to recite them downward to those in the field. Moments later, the designated units began to move against the Chinese formations from the east and south. More "LOST" signals emerged from the red and yellow indicators as a result, as did from the blue ones unfortunately. Again Calares felt himself grimace at that image, and with that grimace a certain temptation reemerged.
Hands flexing at his sides, Calares once more held his body in place lest it move out from under him. It would have been all too simple at this point; to engage Argus and eliminate the opposition in one fell swoop. Certainly it would have be much better than this long and drawn out fight; in fact, it would have accomplished all of their objectives in a near instant by comparison. So why did Sir Johann refuse to utilize Argus? Such that it was to remain inactive by his direct order?
It was agonizing to Calares to even consider. The entire battle could be won in the next few seconds, all with but a few switch presses and his own viceregal authority. Yet, unless he was willing to go against one of His Majesty's chosen knights – one that he had since come to respect deeply – he could do nothing but standby. Standby and watch as more Britannians were cut down in the CLA's slow and agonizing death throes.
"Damn it…" Calares snarled to himself, his hands now tightening into fists. It was all he could do to hold himself back; again lest he do something he would surely come to regret later. No matter how quickly it would bring them their much deserved, and long awaited, victory.
This is bad. Lelouch just managed to think as he parried another twin dagger attack, simultaneously fighting Johann and keeping watch over the Red Rebellion at large through his interlinked Druid System. It was exactly like Xiaopei. No, it was even worse.
"At long last," Johann announced as he unleased another slash combo against the Mordred, then followed up with one of his slash harkens. "We have reached the precipice Zero."
Lelouch gritted his teeth as he engaged his Blaze Luminous, knocking the harken away. Johann naturally exploited this opening, shifting around the Mordred to attack it from its left, thereby forcing Lelouch to remain on the defense. Another set of timely parries kept the Dinadan's daggers from connecting. "If you have any more moves to make," the Knight of Two continued. "I suggest you do so now, while your forces remain existent."
Damn you. Lelouch thought but refused to utter, lest he give the Knight of Two the satisfaction. He should have seen it coming; known from the beginning that Johann had turned the whole of Area 22 into a virtual iron cage. It was the obvious strategy to implement, knowing that a counterattack by the Chinese – in turn supported by the Black Knights – was imminent. Yet Lelouch hadn't even considered the possibility, any more than the Knight of Two had considered that Tianzi had not been present at Xiaopei when he had launched his assault. Lelouch hated himself for it.
Regardless, he needed to come up with a move of his own, and he needed to do so immediately. Everything hinged on that certain part of his plan, his "miracle", yet he had no idea how to bring it about. By now it was clear Johann had anticipated that as well – otherwise it would have been enacted at the onset of the battle – as well as taken steps to prevent it. Had it been any other time and place, Lelouch would have been impressed by Johann on this; he could not recall the last time an adversary had anticipated his strategy, and even at Xiaopei the Knight of Two had only figured it out at the last possible moment. Though it's likely been said over and over by this point, the Knight of Two truly did possess the wisdom and foresight of an owl.
All the same however, Lelouch didn't have time to be impressed. He had to figure out a way to unravel this development, and he needed to do so quickly. Yet as he continued to trade sword and dagger strike with the Dinadan, his mind could not come up with anything. No countermove he could make to reverse the tide, no last minute change to his battle plan that would neutralize the Britannian initiative. For all of the anxiety and adrenaline that was rushing through his body, his mind could only draw a blank.
No, he refused to let it remain like that. He needed to come up with something and in the next few moments, before the CLA's numbers were completely dwindled. As said before, everything had been thrown into this battle; not just with the Chinese, but with the Black Knights as well. This was to be the first Area that he and his legion would liberate; if they failed here, they would never recover. The world would go on to see Pendragon and Pearl Harbor as flukes, while the Red Rebellion would suffer the same fate as the Black. Lelouch would be damned before he allowed that outcome.
Even so, he had very few options, none of which would effectively turn the battle around. His miracle had to be enacted – needed to be enacted – yet he could not come up with a way to do it. Not from his present position.
"Nothing, Zero?" Johann questioned as he again slashed at the Mordred's head, only for the black and gold knightmare to parry with its left MVS. "No battery? No deflection? No movement whatsoever?"
At that, Lelouch counterslashed, only for the Dinadan to reverse before its blade could so much as graze. "Surely you are not going to let it end here," the Knight of Two continued as he engaged his own Blaze Luminous to deflect the follow up. "Not when so much is riding upon this game."
Lelouch could only glower behind his mask at the jeers. The fact Johann was speaking matter of factly didn't help either. "No, the game is not over yet, Sir Johann," Lelouch forced himself to reply, right before executing a spin slash, which forced the Dinadan to leap back and evade. "And rest assured, I'm not through yet."
"Very well Zero," Johann replied, sounding intrigued as he fired a near point blank shot from his hadron launcher, which the Mordred banked around. "But even so, you are fast running out of time," the tiniest semblance of a grin crept on the Knight of Two's lips. "Once again, I suggest you act quickly. Before all your pieces are cleared from the board."
Again Lelouch grit his teeth as he launched his left slash harken to counter. All the while his mind continued its desperate race, knowing that what he decided on in the next few minutes would win or lose everything. Assuming it wasn't already lost…
Another barrage of bullet and grenade fire launched from the nearby building, forcing Li and the other Tianshou to throw up their "Sheng Biao" slash harkens at full rotation to deflect. Though the Shenhu and its siblings held up easily enough, the Yaoguais that were not directly behind them were instantly struck down; more valuable Chinese fighters taken out of the battle. Grimacing at those losses, Li could only focus forward as the Britannians, no doubt invigorated by their ambush, charged out from their cover, lances and stun batons extended while those who remained behind fired for support. Brandishing his jian, Li charged the Shenhu to intercept, the Tianshou moving alongside with their own blades.
So… Li grimly thought as he banked around a Gloucester's lance thrust, and then proceeded to bifurcate it at the waist. The cockpit naturally ejected, but Li didn't bother seeing where it ended up. There were still more enemies to fight – which seemed to contrast the increasingly dwindling number of Chinese. This is the final outcome of our rebellion.
A lance wielding Sutherland quickly charged in where the Gloucester had been, forcing Li to bank once more. He then moved to strike it along the back, but the Britannian was quicker than he expected, twisting his knightmare around to fire his slash harkens. At that, Li reversed, knocking both anchors aside with his jian before retaliating with his own harken. This time he managed to catch the Sutherland in the chest, and the resultant surge immediately destabilized its Yggdrasil drive, detonating it. Unfortunately, two more Sutherlands moved in from where their comrade had been, both firing their assault rifles in tandem. Letting out a growl in annoyance, Li could only leap away, allowing the Shenque and Shenlong to attack the opposition in his place.
"They just keep coming!" Bai shouted as he slashed at the first Sutherland with his dadao, the enemy knightmare extending its tonfa to parry. The Sutherland pilot immediately reversed and fired off a grenade, which Bai deflected with his right Sheng Biao on full resolution. No sooner than he moved to pursue his target did another Gloucester move up, bringing its MVS against the Shenque's sword.
"Húndàn!" Bai shouted as he parried the Gloucester's strike and countered, only for the enemy knightmare to leap back and charge at him again, nearly cutting into the Shenque's chest in the process. It didn't take off the whole limb, but there was now a nice sized gash in it, which was then followed by a solid kick that sent the Chinese knightmare onto the ground.
"Bai!" Yin called out as she attempted to support, only to be held back by two more lance wielding Sutherlands. Letting out a battle cry, Yin spun the Shenlong to throw both polearms off, then chose one and lashed at it with her right harken. Apparently foreseeing the attack, the Sutherland dashed out of the line, while its partner covered for it by throwing a Chaos Mine. Growling in frustration, Yin reversed the Shenlong and went into a zigzag pattern, evading the flechette attack while the two Sutherlands mounted up to pursue her. All while another pair of Britannian units – a Sutherland and a Gloucester respectively – moved in and fired at her with their assault rifles.
"Damn it!" Yin howled as maintained the evasive, her sensors picking up even more enemy knightmares moving toward her position. As well as back toward the Yaoguais.
Glowering at the reinforcements, Hei threw up another baryon shield to protect both himself and his charges. Unfortunately there was just too much firepower to contend with, and while the barrier held against the bullets and shells directed at his immediate area, more Yaoguais were cut down regardless. Worse, several Sutherlands charged in with their lances set to impale, forcing Hei to abandon his defense to intercept them with his guan dao.
"There's too many of them!" he called out as he slashed at one Sutherland, cutting it down, only for another to attack from the opposite side. The elder Tianshou just barely managed to deflect its thrust, and then leap out of the way as a Gloucester followed upon it, nearly catching him in the back. "We're going to be overwhelmed like this Shangdi One!"
Li couldn't reply, as he was too busy firing his baryon cannon down one of the incoming Britannian formations. Two or three Sutherlands were immediately destroyed, and several more damaged, but the newcomers entered in all the same, firing upon the Shenhu with their gunnery weapons. It was all Li could do to follow Yin's example and reverse into an evasive pattern, while simultaneously spinning both of his harkens to deflect the fire he couldn't dodge. Two Gloucesters moved against him as he did, lance and MVS respectively set to strike.
I said this would be our finest hour. That I found relief in our war at last coming to an end. Li thought as he parried each of the Gloucester's attacks with his jian, then retaliated against one with his left harken. Rather than evade, the Gloucester simply threw its lance up to intercept the anchor, abandoning it and switching to its own MVS in the process. Li just barely dodged its sword sweep. And yet…
The Shenhu tremored all too suddenly, as the other Gloucester at last landed a cut, slicing off the Chinese knightmare's entire left arm. This was then followed up by its partner firing his slash harkens, both striking the Shenhu in the torso and the head respectively.
"Shangdi One!" Hei called out in near horror, while Yin and Bai both let out panicked outcries of their own. Unfortunately, none of the three were close enough to support, and despite their respective efforts, they could not move passed their immediate opponents.
Li cursed as he reoriented his damaged knightmare, ejecting the ruined left arm while slashing back at the Gloucesters before they could close in. He was now down one Sheng Biao, and while the technical readout claimed that the baryon cannon was still functional, he wasn't about to try and fire it now. His images on his monitors had become grainy as well, meaning his main camera had taken a solid hit. Not that he couldn't see the Gloucesters renewing their attacks.
And yet…! Li's mind railed as his mouth bellowed, charging back at his enemies. His initial attack cleaved the head off of one Gloucester, which spooked the pilot enough for him or her to eject, but the second one managed to parry his follow up strike. Not that it mattered as he brought the Shenhu against its flank, launching his remaining harken into its side and detonating it in the resultant surge. Even so, it wasn't long before two Sutherlands came at him from behind, both firing their assault rifles and forcing the general to duck behind his flail shield again.
And yet…! the thought persisted, even as Li rebrandished his sword and launched his knightmare at the Britannians, his eyes fixed squarely on the scratchy images of his targets. As well as the fortress-like image of the government bureau in the ever present distance…
"Wángbā dàn!" Hong growled as another three of his force went up in smoke. He responded quickly, twisting his machine's torso around and firing back at the attacking Sutherlands, but he only managed to catch one with his barrage; the rest were just as quick to dash away on their damned gyroscopic landspinners. More fire erupted as a result, cutting down even more Yaoguais, and though Hong managed to push his own knightmare away at the right moment, he still felt bullets slam into his machine's utterly thin hide. In turn followed by his damage indicators lighting up in warning.
By some miracle however, his wounded Yaoguai remained operational, thus allowing Hong to continue with the others while shifting his fire about. Another Sutherland was struck down with his machine gun spray, its cockpit pod ejecting at the last moment, yet two more took its place within moments. One of them launched a grenade, which slammed into the Yaoguai next to Hong, its fragments pattering his machine's armor as the general twisted around, firing both cannons in response. This time he couldn't get a clear shot unfortunately, though his misses were close enough that the Sutherland pulled away, throwing a Chaos Mine to cover its retreat while its partner continued attacking. More Yaoguais fell from the former, despite Hong's attempt to shoot the cylinder down before it could fire its payload.
The general grimaced as his main camera flickered from the resultant flare. Too many were falling, and falling much fast; much faster than previous. He had expected heavy losses to this point – in fact, it had been a miracle in itself that they had even gotten this far – but not to such a rapid extent. Unless something changed in the next few minutes, the CLA would very much be wiped out at the present rate, much to Hong's dread. Long before any hope of liberation could be accomplished.
Damn it, it can't end like this! Hong grimaced as more Sutherlands approached, firing. He quickly slewed his knightmare's torso around, counterattacking with his machine guns. That managed to scatter them, but the Britannians advanced regardless. Not when we're so close…!
Suddenly, Hong felt his entire machine quake from an explosion. Forcing himself to stay conscious against the ringing and haze, he realized he was now on the ground, his knightmare's legs apparently having been blown away. Once more he grimaced, realizing that he had run over a mine.
"Damn it," he cursed, slamming his fist into the emergency release switch and blowing open his cockpit hatch. He had lucky the mine hadn't destroyed his entire machine – and him with it – but now he was very much on foot. Not that he had a choice of course, especially as he saw another Sutherland move up to his position, lining up its assault rifle for the coup de grace.
Scowling at the Britannian machine's articulated faceplate – its factsphere sensor deploying in seeming response – Hong threw himself from his wrecked machine just as the rifle shot grenade landed. This time he felt himself land, and hard, against the ground, from which he rolled in order to absorb the impact. He also felt the Sutherland turn toward him as he did, but fire from another Yaoguai forced the machine away, allowing Hong to recover and make a run for it. As portly as he was, the general was in fine enough shape to reach nearby cover, drawing his QSZ-92 as he ducked under behind it.
"It can't end like this," he repeated, this time verbally and through heavy breathing, as he waited for the right moment to move again. Despite that proclamation however, he knew deep down that it was all too likely to happen. That the Red Rebellion would indeed end with China's final defeat…
Chinese land cruiser Mao Zedong
Duchy of Henan, Area 22 (China), Britannian Empire
"Daoji One is down!" an operator announced as the designated signal faded out. This was quickly followed by additional developments. "Additional enemy units now moving into Chanhe!"
"Redirect all available forces accordingly!" Zhou commanded in turn. At this point, she could only hope that Hong managed to get to safety; there was just too much happening for her to worry about him in particular. Losing battles were like that. "What about the Britannians in Mangling!?"
"The Black Knights are handling them," another operator reported hurriedly as the data kept coming in. Red signals continued to drop as a result. "Enemy infantry now sighted in Anlezhen. They have rocket launchers!"
Of course they do. Zhou thought irritably. "Pull back our knightmares there and redeploy the Sanzuwus to strafe!" she followed up with, just as additional Chinese signals went blank on the main monitor. Both at Luoyang and the other cities.
From the rear of the bridge, well away from the whirlwind of shouted words and typing keys, Tianzi's eyes remained upon those monitors with no forward emotions. However, if any of those present were looking at those pigeon blood eyes, they would see that they held a great intensity that its bearer's face refused to betray. Intensity directed toward the falling Chinese – and Black Knight – signals, as well as the advancing Britannian signals. The intensity of one observing an oncoming storm, right as it descended.
Momentarily she closed her eyes, solemnly shaking her head to herself, once more without notice from the Mao's bridge staff. No, the battle wasn't over – as Zhou and those in front of her indicated, the CLA would fight to the end – but Tianzi wasn't fooled about that end as things were now. Whether through the Knight of Two's efforts or through seven years of occupation, the Britannians were too entrenched within the cities, while the Chinese were just not strong enough pry them loose. And though the Black Knights fought diligently beside them, even they could only do so much, especially with their limited resources. Thus, the coming outcome of their Operation Akatsuki – her Red Rebellion – was clear, even if it was still some time yet before its arrival.
For her part, Tianzi felt rather strange about it. She knew she should have been angered; angered to have squandered her army on a clearly fruitless endeavor, one that Xingke had warned her and everyone else at the very beginning. Enraged even, for everything that she had spent seven years building up and attempting to achieve would soon be rendered into meaninglessness. After which, hope would never be regained, while her fate, and the fate of the nation and people she had tried to liberate, would be sealed.
Yet she did not feel anger in the least. Instead, she was strangely at peace with this less than desirable outcome. Yes, she knew she would be dead soon, while the man she loved and those who followed him would be as well, but, upon careful thought, it was better this way. Better than spending the rest of her life in the shadows, watching her people suffer and being powerless to do anything about it. At the very least she had committed herself – and those who fought for her – to this final battle. A battle that may have been inevitable in its conclusion, but still one that the Chinese had fought and fought well upon. Once more as opposed to remaining safe yet impotent within the depths of Xiaopei and the other secret basins in present day Area 22.
Even stranger, she didn't even hold ire toward the man that had brought this about; in fact, she still felt gratitude toward him. She knew it wasn't his fault; Zero had made his plans long before knowing the Knight of Two would be present – when it was still believed Calares would be their primary opponent – and had done his best to adjust them accordingly when the Owl's presence was found. If anything, Tianzi mused, he was the one that would lose more in this battle than she, or even the rest of China. He may yet retain his army the Red Dawn's end, but it would never recover from this loss. The great rebellion that the Demon King had envisioned would never come to be; only the Black Knights, by themselves, would be willing to fight beside their leader from this point on. And Zero would have been a fool not to realize even he could not win – even if he did in fact defeat Britannia on his own – with such meager strength. Not when his plans, whatever they were, relied on forces much bigger than himself.
Inwardly Tianzi sighed, making sure that it was quiet enough that none of the Mao's present crew could hear. Yes, it was better this way; as much as she wept for her people and their suffering still, she did not wish to live in such a world any longer. A world in which she was indeed powerless to change herself, and much more, powerless to instill hope. For there was no hope to be had in such a world, where the "strong" ruled and enslaved those they deemed "weak". The world in which the likes of Emperor Charles thrived and proclaimed as ideal, as he did at Prince Clovis' funeral years before. Only eternal torment awaited those like her in such a world; torment that would break even Zero in due time, no matter how much he struggled against it. How was that any different from the depths of Hell?
Even so, Tianzi was not through yet, opening her eyes once more and staring back at the monitors with further intensity and determination. Its outcome may have been ordained, yet the Red Rebellion was still on regardless. And as she had stated before, history would remember it – even as China's final defeat – for all time thereafter. Perhaps something good would come of that; perhaps future generations would take it as inspiration for their eventual revolution against Britannia's tyranny.
Whatever happened, the Son of Heaven – the final Son of Heaven – would see it through to the end. Until only silence remained.
Putting the Mordred into a full dash, Lelouch dodged the incoming hadron stream as it exited the Dinadan's launcher. The beam lasted for several seconds, slamming and incinerating a nearby ruined building as it trailed after the black and gold frame, actually grazing and inflaming its cape, which Lelouch ejected. No sooner than the beam dissipated did Lelouch spin around and launch both his forearm mounted slash harkens – it would have taken too long to draw his VARIS – forcing Johann to bank around them as he moved in close again, both daggers poised to strike.
Initially employing his Blaze Luminous to deflect both dagger slashes, Lelouch then countered with his MVS, slashing again at the Dinadan's head, to which the dark grey knightmare reversed to evade. At this point Lelouch was barely paying attention to his fight with Johann, his body almost acting instinctively toward keeping the Knight of Two at bay as his mind continued to desperately race. No positive developments had been made; every move he could conceive, every counterstrategy he could think up was simply inadequate at this stage of the game. At best they would only kill more Britannians before Johann's eventual checkmate.
Only his miracle would turn things around – and in such a way that all would recognize it as a miracle – yet it was quite clear Johann had intercepted that before it could be executed. With that nullified, all that remained was conventional strategy, and Lelouch could never compete with Johann in that style of fighting. In hindsight it had been one of the reasons he had been defeated in that chess match long ago; he had spent so much time elaborately maneuvering his pieces he had not comprehended Johann's far more basic approach until he had been rendered into check. Just as it was now.
Damn it. Lelouch cursed as he again parried the Dinadan's dagger attacks. He couldn't, wouldn't, let all go down like this. Not without at least making one final move that could potentially turn the game to his favor. Yet even amidst his vast knowledge of strategy and tactics, nothing came to mind. At least, nothing that would work.
"The countdown continues, Zero," Johann stated, as if to remind him that the proverbial game clock remained ticking. Lelouch knew better; the Knight of Two was obviously trying to entice him into acting rash at this point. "Remain inactive, and you forfeit your move."
Another crash of daggers against the Mordred's shield. "And with it, the game."
Lelouch glared back into the Dinadan's camera eyes, but did not reply. He knew full well that he was on the clock, and that there was not much time left to come up with a counter. A counter that would actually work anyway, or at least do more than simply throw more armed bodies at the Britannians. With so much riding on the line – with him, the Black Knights, the CLA and the rest of the world – he could not afford to…
Suddenly Lelouch's eyes lit up, in both remembrance and realization. He did, in fact, still have a move to make; not a sure move by any stretch, but still one that just may possibly work. One that just may cause everything to fall into place, even if it was as much a longshot as the Orange Incident. No, even more than that. Such that it really fell into how Li had described his past stratagems: a double edged sword, one that would either give complete victory or irreparable losses to the CLA and the Black Knights.
Even so, if it succeeded…
As he countered the Dinadan's follow up dagger attacks, Lelouch switched his comlink to Li's personal frequency. "Gyoku One to Shangdi One!"
For a moment, as he fought his way through another line of Sutherlands, Li could not believe what his ears were telling him. It was bad enough that Zero somehow knew of that particular command – which Li had attempted to keep secret from his "allies" – but now he was telling him to enact it. Needless to say, the Chinese general was quite livid. "How…!?" he began to angrily demand.
"It doesn't matter!" Zero responded quickly, knowing that time remained a factor. "You must give the command now, if we are to secure any victory!"
At first Li wanted to demand even more. Specifically how that particular command was supposed to secure victory for them; after all, it had been designed for the exact opposite outcome in mind. Instead however, as he parried a Sutherland's tonfas with his jian, Li felt himself ask a far simpler question. "Will this bring about the prophesized victory?" he inquired carefully. "In which China will be free…"
Throwing back the Sutherland's tonfas, he then countered with another harken launch, latching onto the machine's head. Once again, the resultant electrical surge detonated the whole frame, the explosion adding an eerie backdrop to Li's next line of words. "And take part in something greater?"
On the other end, Lelouch, as he slashed back at the Dinadan, was about to reply with something along the lines of "if it works". However, before he could utter a single word, he caught himself and, even under the strain of combat, forced himself to take a breath. If it was all or nothing, he knew that there could only be one answer. "Yes."
Despite the obvious hesitance in the preceding pause, Li felt himself nod. That was the answer he had hoped to hear. Whether it led to the ultimate disaster that a part of himself claimed it would, or indeed the salvation that the Demon King claimed, it was still the right answer all the same. Enough for him to believe in Zero – for better or worse – one last time.
"Very well," he stated in turn, that same part of himself repeating that there would be no going back from this. But then, hadn't it been that way since Xiaopei? And much more, wasn't that the very reason why they were fighting this battle now?
Thus, with a diligence that felt foreign to him at that time, Li switched his comlink over to the Chinese broadband. Through the Mao's own relays, the whole of the CLA would hear his next set of words.
"Hóngsè Dìyù," Li called out over the comm., strongly yet in a low tone. Such that it was almost a whisper. "I say again, Hóngsè Dìyù."
Chinese land cruiser Mao Zedong
Duchy of Henan, Area 22 (China), Britannian Empire
As if responding to the sound of a gunshot, the entirety of the Mao's bridge fell silent as General Li's words echoed, well after they had been spoken. At the heart of it, Zhou could only force herself to keep from closing her eyes in despairing resignation, and she dared not turn to see how Tianzi herself had taken to that command. They all knew what that codeword meant: final defeat was both imminent and inevitable. Just as they all knew what the command – the last command – behind it meant.
For Hóngsè Dìyù, or "Red Inferno", had been all too appropriately named for its purpose: the committance of the entire CLA into the field of battle, to destroy as much of the Britannian forces and infrastructure as possible before succumbing to complete and utter destruction. Every soldier, every piece of equipment from the last Yaoguai to the landships themselves, would be sent out in one way or another, no matter what their present condition was. The ultimate form of the Human Wave Attack first pioneered by the Soviet Union, and then perfected by the CLA itself during the Oriental Wars. And, not long afterward, used to even greater effect during the Motherland Liberation War. The irony was not lost on Zhou.
If nothing else, Zhou couldn't fault her superior's apparent logic. Once the presently deployed forces were wiped out, the CLA would have no choice but send in its reserves into the cities. And then, once they were inevitably destroyed by the thoroughly entrenched defenders, the Britannians would retake the offensive and return the fight to outside their fortresses, and the remaining Chinese would be unable to escape. Thus it was far better, if rather less than ideal, to send out the whole of the CLA here and now. While they could still do as much damage as humanly possible.
Even so, it had been the very command Zhou had hoped would never be enacted. The inferno would blaze for a time, destroying all in its path, but in the end it would be smothered and put down. It was meant to hurt the Britannians to the last, whereas Zhou, in spite of all that she knew, had hoped for much more. She had hoped for the promised victory.
Alas, it was simply not meant to be. "Orders confirmed," she sounded off, more for the sake of those around her than anything else. She then open her eyes and, with clear resolution, declared. "Begin full deployment! All forces!"
The order given and verified, the Mao's bridge clamored once more with activity. Sub-commands of various direction were relayed, beginning with the mobilization of each and every one of the CLA's reserves, and then followed by last minute orders of attack. Eventually a whole new wave of red began to emerge from the Chinese forces, at Luoyang and elsewhere, moving as one into each of their objective cities. All while the land battleships' main cannons fired yet again, the guns thundering seemingly to the Dawn's final conclusion.
Government Bureau
Luoyang Settlement, Duchy of Henan, Area 22 (China), Britannian Empire
"My…God…!" James MacArthur, who had been standing silently toward the rear of the command center through much of the battle, exclaimed as the monitors all lit up with activity. Though Calares could have done without the exclamation, it was, quite unfortunately, very much relevant to what was unfolding before his eyes now. As though the gates of Hell had split open, and legions of the damned were coming forth.
All as one, the entirety of the Chinese Liberation Army – at Luoyang and elsewhere – charged forward, the monitors showing them as a great mass of red. Accompanying those, visual images of massed Yaoguai and conventional armor, alongside the landships firing their cannons as they advanced on their caterpillar treads, were now commonplace. Several Britannian units – brave souls to Calares' eyes – tried to stem the tied, apparently believe that they could scatter the Chinese with concentrated bursts of fire. Yet the waves would not be deterred, the whole of the CLA now marching into active combat. The wiser heads could only inflict as much harm as they could before getting out of the way.
Watching this, Xia Wang sniffed contemptuously. "Such desperation," he exclaimed.
Zhao Hao seemed to concur. "Poor Li," he stated with mock sympathy. "His whole battle plan now reduced to one massed charge. Clearly in the hope of overwhelming our defenses all at once."
"What a pathetic soul," Cheng Zhong added as well. "Does he truly believe he can triumph from this? Better yet, does Zero think so?"
Ignoring them all, Calares found himself with a vastly different opinion of this turn of events. Yes, it was a reckless charge – one that would see the whole of the CLA wiped out at the end – but he could already imagine the damage it would do in the present. Even Sir Johann's well placed defenses would only amount to so much against these sheer waves of metal and human bodies; after all, they had been constructed to scatter the aggressors and cut them down piecemeal, not to hold out against sheer rushing. And though the defenders continued attacking the oncomers, they could no more hold out against them than they could a hurricane.
"No…!" Calares managed to whisper as the accumulated Chinese armor swept through the breaches and into the cities, separating only to move through individual avenues. All throughout they killed and destroyed, much like the Mongol hordes of old, obliterating all that stood against them, or even so much as was caught in front of them. This was naturally followed by desperate cries for support and reinforcements, all coming from across the cities. And though the Chinese were taking losses – grievous losses at that – they continued on, simply moving around their dead as they surged onward.
All throughout, Calares trembled in despair. While a certain temptation thundered in him, now acting as a call to arms. That now was the hour of reckoning.
Johann sneered as he watched the mass Chinese incursion spread throughout the city. In his position, he had expected Zero to do something rash for his last move, but not something so inelegant and wasteful as a human wave attack. Granted it was the most desperate hour for his side, and the Chinese had a long history of fighting to the last man. And much more, they were augmented by armor, something that the legions of Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong sorely lacked in the past. That alone would ensure their existence for a time.
Even so, it was a pathetic move made out of clear desperation. And Johann had no illusions that Li had given the command without Zero's encouragement. "I am disappointed Zero," he called out to the Mordred, just as the latter slammed its MVS against his freshly projected particle shield. "Very disappointed."
Knocking away the MVS, Johann countered by launching his slash harkens, putting the Demon King back on the defensive. "One last, desperate charge of the People's defenders," he proclaimed as he followed up with his hadron launcher. "A final stand against the Imperialists, in China's name. Either to overwhelm or take as much of the enemy with them."
He glowered as the Mordred came at him again, to which he parried with his daggers. "Such may be recorded in history as a great deed. The CLA's ultimate act of defiance against Britannia," he stated as his opponent at last switched his right MVS for his VARIS and counterfired, putting the Knight of Two on the evasive. "But in the end, they will be very much destroyed. No matter how much they bring down with them."
The Dinadan charged forward again, the Mordred parrying its dagger slash with its left sword. "You have all but guaranteed my checkmate now, Zero."
To that, Lelouch's eyebrow raised behind his mask. "Have I Sir Johann?" he questioned as he threw back the Knight of Two's dagger, then fired his VARIS once more. "I don't see it that way."
Lelouch then leaped into the air, launching his right slash harken at the Dinadan's hadron launcher, which was naturally deflected by a hastily reactivated Blaze Luminous. "Rather, I see it more as a far different kind of guarantee," he posited, his trademark villainous smile forming as he added. "A guarantee of zwischenschach."
Now it was Johann's turn to arch an eyebrow. An in-between check? An outcome that Johann had failed to foresee? How would such a move accomplish…?
Suddenly, Johann's eyes lit up in trepidation as he looked back toward the Government Bureau. "Calares!"
Government Bureau
Luoyang Settlement, Duchy of Henan, Area 22 (China), Britannian Empire
"Engage Argus!"
The command rang across the room with the effect of a lightning bolt, causing each and every one of the operators' heads to look up. "We can't Viceroy!" one of them sounded. "By order of Sir Johann, Argus is to be…!"
"I said engage it!" Calares bellowed with much more force, such that even the Eunuchs quailed in shock and surprise against it. Upon that, the Viceroy surged into the operations area, coming upon the station whose operator had spoken out. "There's no longer any time!"
"But sir…!" the operator stammered against the Viceroy.
This time Calares grabbed the man by the tunic. "Engage it!" he yelled again, only to throw the man aside thereafter. "Damn you!" he called out as he began inputting the appropriate commands into the terminal. It took a bit more time, but he managed to override the system with his viceregal authority, which he still retained through his post. Nothing, not even the direct command of a Round, could stop him now.
In a matter of moments, Argus went online. All at once, the weapons towers across Luoyang and elsewhere went active, while Blaze Luminous shield engaged around said towers, as well as the Government Bureau and other key installations. Seconds after that, the weapons emplacements shifted toward their first targets and, with the flash of hadron energy, the first open fired…
…striking a Sutherland right through its back.
All at once, Calares felt a new brand of horror fall upon him as he watched the results of his work. "What…?" he gaped as a whole new line of panicked outcries and calls for support erupted over the comm. channels. "What is this…?"
For a time, the entire command center stood frozen as all eyes watched the Viceroy's perfected defense system go about its work. Hadron cannons and missile batteries fired, machine gun emplacements sprayed, automated drones took to the sky and other such actions were executed, repeatedly and efficiently. All punctuated by the death cries of Britannian soldiers, which grew in abundance with each passing second.
And then the moment passed, and the full weight of Calares' actions came upon him. And those around him. "Shut it down!" he bellowed in near panic. "SHUT IT DOWN!"
The operators worked desperately, but Argus remained regardless. "We can't sir!" another one replied amidst tears. "The system isn't responding! We're locked out!"
Hearing that, Calares went back to the terminal he had taken over, tapping the keys even more rapidly than he had before. This time however, his commands were refused; even his viceregal override was no longer accepted. Obviously, this was not a coincidence.
"No…!" Calares breathed again as he looked back up toward the monitor, his eyes transfixed toward the destruction he had unleashed. All while the feeling of helplessness he had felt before made its valiant return, with its strength multiplied tenfold.
Black Knights mobile battleship Izumo
Duchy of Henan, Area 22 (China), Britannian Empire
Finally. Ohgi thought, letting out a breath he had been holding for the last few moments, while the rest of the Izumo's bridge looked on in shock and slowly emerging triumph. It had taken far more time and energy than he would have liked, but at long last, Zero's latest miracle had come. At long last, Akatsuki would be fulfilled.
"I don't believe it…" Van Valkenburgh let out from beside Minami, looking upon the new set of explosions and weapons fire with a mixture of awe and growing hope. Minami himself remained forwardly impassive, but Ohgi knew that was just a front. That, had it not been for their present company, he and the general would be wearing the same triumphant grin as the Red Dawn at last came to fruition.
Argus is indeed the perfect defense system. Ohgi recalled his commander's words as he explained Operation Akatsuki to him and the rest of the Black Knight leaders at that initial meeting. Seemingly long ago. It is both offense and defense oriented, capable of simultaneously attacking the enemy while protecting its strongholds, is controlled by a system that can only be accessed at the highest level and, above all else, can lay to waste entire armies before they can ever hope to enter its host cities.
Even now, Ohgi could almost feel the smirk Zero had given off from behind his mask when he knowingly added. And that is precisely its critical flaw.
Thus had laid Akatsuki's core foundation: the sabotaging of Argus. An impossible feat for any conventional force to take on, but fortunately for the Black Knights – and the CLA – Geass was anything but conventional. Through the simple infiltration of a banquet, the liberal application of Zero's Power of Absolute Obedience upon those officials that held direct access – some of which had helped build Argus from the ground up – and the discreet passing of written instructions, the defense net had been sabotaged from within, from places that neither the Black Knights nor the Chinese could ever hope to place agents in. Knowing agents anyway. From there, everything else lay in the battle itself, and ensuring that the Chinese were willing to take part.
At least, that's how it should have been, would have been even. Unfortunately, the Knight of Two's arrival in Area 22 had complicated matters substantially, such that the entire operation had been pushed to the present breaking point. But in the end, Zero's latest plan had worked out, to the greatest degree possible and very much regardless of the sheer impossibilities. All that was left now was to finish it.
"All forces advance!" Ohgi commanded, indirectly sending the Izumo bridge staff back to work. In a matter of moments, the Black Knights' lines reformed and begun to carry out their newest, and possibly final, order. Moving steadily, and quite rapidly, toward the Government Bureau and other key basins throughout the Area.
"Gǎo shénme guǐ…?" Yin gaped as she and her siblings watched all that was happening around them. It almost felt as though they were in the eye of a hurricane. While they, and by extension the rest of the CLA, were safe in their immediate space, chaos and destruction reigned supreme throughout their surroundings.
Britannians were now dying in droves, finding no respite from Argus' relentless onslaught. The few that managed to fire upon the emplacements found their weapons ineffective against the Blaze Luminous shielding, dying themselves mere moments later. Hadron fire swept the streets, eliminating Sutherlands in single bursts, while missiles virtually rained from the sky, their sheer numbers ensuing that no Britannian could outmaneuver them. Machine guns clattered against infantry, the fired rounds easily ripping through their tactical armor, while aircraft were shot out of the sky with equal efficiency. Pained screams and calls for aid were heard in the open air as well as through the open comm., all ending as abruptly as they had been generated. And in the midst of that chaos, the Black Knights moved once more, attacking the few "spared" as they passed deeper into the city.
For what seemed like an eternity, Li Xingke could only stand beside his disciples, watching the desolation progress around him. Unlike the Tianshou however, it was not shock that froze the Chinese Tiger in place so much as sudden, emerging realization. All at once, the scope of the operation became apparent to him; from the Black Knights' entry into China at the very beginning, to Zero's cryptic words and assurances following Xiaopei to his final, far more powerful assurance just the day before at the Mausoleum. Everything had been tied to this very moment, and had fallen into place the instant it had come to pass. A scheme so great that it could only be envisioned, and enacted, by one who proclaimed himself a King of Demons.
And yet, as grand as it was, it had been so dependent on but the smallest and unlikeliest of outcomes. Anything could have prevented its occurrence: Calares not taking the bait, Li refusing to give the order, a slight alteration in the initial sabotage effort. Hell, had Major Kouzuki not spoken up at that initial meeting, the very battle in which this miracle – and yes, Li admitted it was indeed a miracle – was to take place would never have been fought; nor would the CLA had been able to survive beyond Xiaopei for that matter. And, in spite of some initial obstacles, it had all come to be and accumulated, resulting in the present. The victory that Zero had long proclaimed, now coming to pass.
Such was the effect of these realizations that Li felt his lips draw back, an initial chuckle escaping from within. From that chuckle, bountiful laughter erupted in mere seconds; the sheer audacity of the Demon King's plan alone was comical enough for the Chinese general. Such that it took him a fair amount of time to calm down again, while the Tianshou looked on in near worry.
"Zero…" Li at last proclaimed, a grand smile – as grand as one could be for him at least – now across his lips. "I'm starting to see what kind of man dwells behind that mask."
With that, the Shenhu swung its jian about. Pointing its blade toward the Government Bureau. "All forces, do not fall behind the Black Knights!" he commanded, far less desperately this time. "Advance!"
"Shì, zhǎngguān tóngzhì!" the Chinese Liberation Army replied as one. Now that they were wholly committed, and with their enemies in dishevel, their awaited victory would be gained all too soon. And they were not about to let Zero and his wayward followers take all the credit.
Thus the Shenhu swept its sword about and charged once more, the other three Beasts following suit. While all throughout the Area, the Yaoguais surged forward as well, enclosing without inhibition upon their objectives.
Government Bureau
Luoyang Settlement, Duchy of Henan, Area 22 (China), Britannian Empire
This can't be happening! Calares nearly shouted as he watched the revitalized Black Knights and CLA charge onward. At this point, nothing would stop them; not with the entire CLA in the field and their being actively supported by his Argus! Unless Sir Johann thought of something soon, the battle would be decided in a matter of minutes. Regardless of whether they officially surrendered or not. "Can't you work any faster!? We have to get past the central control node!"
"It's hopeless sir," one of the more senior operators stated as he watched his subordinates rummage around the various consoles and internals. "The system was designed to prevent tampering."
"Then how the hell did Zero do it!?" Calares growled back before storming back up to the command area, where his second-in-command stood alone, watching as the world collapsed around them. At first Calares was confused at this, until he looked toward the rear of the center and snorted back a laugh.
"Will somebody help us already!?" Zhao Hao shouted as he, and the rest of his ilk, were wrestling trying to get the door open. Well, three of them were actually trying to pry the door open, while Zhao Hao himself and four others were helplessly tapping the control panel, as if repeatedly hitting the keys would somehow override the system.
As tempted as he was to shoot them all then and there for desertion, Calares simply turned back to the front and ignored them. Let them try; with Argus active, the building was completely sealed at every level, and even if the eight degenerates somehow got passed that, there was no way they could force passed the Blaze Luminous shield that now encased the building from the outside. Besides, shooting them would undoubtedly be too quick compared to what Li undoubtedly had in store for the traitors.
"Damn it," Calares let out yet again, for perhaps the thousandth time since the Red Rebellion had begun. Like it or not, there was nothing they could do on their end, not when they were completely locked out of the system. In fact, it was a miracle in itself – or a deliberate setup – that they could even watch as the Black Knights and CLA surged forward, overtaking the Britannian remnants in earnest.
If there was any luck left, Sir Johann would be able to reverse the situation somehow. And Calares had a feeling that Britannia's luck had been completely spent by that point.
Johann glared as he read over his tacscreen, which had now become all but completely filled with red and yellow signals moving toward the Government Bureau. All through one zwischenschach play, everything was falling apart before him. And even if he did come up with a counterstrategy in time, there was no way he could implement it at the rate the Black Knights and Chinese were advancing, especially not with his forces scattered and fragmented as they were. Like it or not, the game was about to be decided, and it would not be in Britannia's favor.
At least… the Knight of Two thought as he continued to slash at the Mordred, which parried his dagger attacks as efficiently as throughout their duel. …I can still…
"…dispose of Zero," the Demon King's voice spoke out almost melodiously through the comm., surprising Johann. Fortunately, he managed to keep much of that surprise off of his face as his opponent – undoubtedly smirking behind that damned mask – continued on. "That's what you're thinking now, isn't it Sir Johann?"
There was no point in hiding that, Johann knew. Not when it was the only obvious play he had left. "Indeed Zero," he answered before firing his hadron launcher near point blank. Unfortunately his opponent anticipated it, and so banked the Mordred out of the way. "Even if Area 22 falls and China emerges from its ashes, much of the day will still be ours with your untimely demise."
Though he still couldn't see the masked man's actual expression, Johann knew amusement now crossed his features. As if the Mordred were projecting it through its faceplate. "And you think you can do this?"
This time, it was Johann who smirked. Albeit as marginally as before. "I think it's quite possible," he said as he fired both harkens, nearly slamming into the Mordred's head and torso. Another timely Blaze Luminous block knocked both away, but allowed Johann to close in again with his daggers. "After all, I am the Knight of Two."
"True enough," Lelouch acknowledged, smirking at the challenge as he deflected the next line of dagger attacks. As much as he would have loved to see which of them would win that contest however, he knew he would be unable to. Especially as two particular signals were approaching rapidly. "Unfortunately however, I'm afraid this is where I must bow and take my leave…"
Johann opened his mouth to inquire how he was about to do that, but Zero kept speaking. "…and let my newest pawns takeover," he stated as he raised his right arm and snapped his fingers.
Suddenly, Johann's monitors lit up in warning. A warning that caused his eyes to widen – much more than they had upon realizing the zwischenschach – as a certain signal closed in. "What!?"
"Die Johann!" Michael shouted – strange luminescent rings outlining his irises – as the Caius charged forward, broadswords both aimed to strike.
Acting instinctively, Johann reversed and fired his hadron launcher again, which the orange knightmare merely banked around and continued to surge forward. Thus, the Knight of Two was forced to knock away either broadsword strike with timely Blaze Luminous reinforced blocks, then bank and reverse away. No sooner than he did, a second, all too familiar signal emerge from behind.
"Your ass is mine Johann!" Nena hollered – the same rings outlining her own eyes – as she launched the Safir after him, sweeping her scythe at waist level.
Gritting his teeth as he moved out of the polearms reach, Johann counterattacked by firing his harkens, but the Safir simply knocked them away with a twist or two of the scythe's pole. Simultaneously Michael was upon him again, bringing his flash cannon to bear. Johann just barely turned his main camera away and closed his eyes to avoid the glare, but his two fellow Rounds were far from done.
"This is impossible!" he managed to breathe through the onslaught, the Caius and the Safir both attacking him as one. Even as he retreated down the avenue, the Knight of Five and the Knight of Eight – however their respective state of minds were – remained relentless, completely intent on killing him while leaving him no quarter as they attacked. All with in an uncharacteristic craze and bloodlust, even for them.
Government Bureau
Luoyang Settlement, Duchy of Henan, Area 22 (China), Britannian Empire
"Sir!" one of the operators that had been working with his console's internals called and signaled to Calares. "You may want to look at this!"
Too focused on the present to react in any other manner, Calares moved over to the man's console and crouched down, where the operator gestured toward the internals. "I think I found how Zero hacked the system sir."
A small measure of hope began to kindle within Calares. If they could reverse the system, they just may yet retake the initiative. "Explain."
"Yes sir," the operator nodded obediently. "It seems that the main conduit had been bypassed, allowing them to reach right into the targeting system," he then gestured toward the inside of the console. "See that red diode flashing on the right?"
Not understanding what this "main conduit" was in the least, Calares nonetheless looked inside. Where all he saw was a mishmash of circuitry and wiring. "I don't see anything."
"It's there sir," the operator gestured for Calares to look deeper, the Viceroy complying without question. "Just off to the right… Yeah, right… THERE!"
A moment later, the sound of hard knifehand strike, followed by the sound of an unconscious body falling to the ground, resonated through the immediate vicinity.
"Oops," the operator added innocently as all eyes turned to him, and the freshly incapacitated viceroy. "Jōdanda."
The present guards immediately went for their guns, but it was too late. Right as they moved to shoot the apparent traitor, several bursts of grey smoke erupted around the complex, completely enshrouding it. This, in turn, was followed by additional sounds of physical action, as well as metal striking flesh. All of which lasted for mere seconds.
When the smoke settled, those who somehow remained conscious – namely the remaining operators – could only look on as ten men and women stand among them. All dressed in black tactical suits of some design – digital face masks and freshly discarded uniforms carelessly dispensed about the vicinity – and all bearing guns and bladed weapons in hand. All while Calares, and the Eunuchs with him, remained unconscious and their would-be defenders remained very much dead.
"Hokage Four," the apparent commander spoke up to his subordinate. "Open a channel to the Izumo."
Through his facemask, a proud smirk formed over Setsuna's lips. "Tell them, with Iga's compliments, Area 22 has officially fallen."
"Hah hah, is that all you got Johann!?" Michael hollered as he slashed at the Dinadan, which once again barely moved out of his broadswords' reach. "Sir Bismarck speaks so highly of you!"
The Knight of Five then swept his blades at the Dinadan's torso, forcing Johann to angle his own daggers for timely parries. "Surely you can do better than this!" Michael crowed as he again discharged his flash cannon, causing Johann to look away at the right moment.
Unfortunately, that was precisely when Nena acted again, firing her slash harken at her "comrade's" exposed back. Again acting instinctively Johann managed to move his cockpit block out of the line of fire, but in the process he ended up losing his hadron launcher. Seeing that, Michael retook the initiative, thundering at the Knight of Two with dual broadsword sweeps. Johann maneuvered between them, then circled around to strike the Caius from behind as well.
"Too slow!" Michael called out as he twisted his knightmare around, slashing his right broadsword about. Johann raised his shield to parry, but the angle was off, thereby allowing the Caius to slash off the Dinadan's right arm. "Just a scratch, right!?" the Knight of Five taunted as he followed up his attack with a solid kick to the Dinadan's head, knocking the whole frame away.
Uncharacteristic fury growing with Johann as he kept his now thoroughly damaged knightmare upright, the Knight of Two let out a furious bellow as he fired his remaining harken. The Knight of Five naturally knocked the anchor away with his broadsword, but he wasn't Johann's intended target.
Instead, he waited for Nena to come in once more, this time from his open right, sweeping her scythe toward his cockpit block. With a quick twist, Johann reached spun the Dinadan around, using the centrifugal force to knock away the scythe, thereby allowing him to move against the Safir's cockpit block. From there, another slash harken shot – this one point blank – slammed into the Safir, the impact more than enough to cause the left side of the block to crumple. It wasn't enough to go completely through – much to Johann's relief – but Nena was undoubtedly knocked out from the impact. Just as her control system was rendered inoperable.
"Bastard!" Michael roared as he surged forward again. Glaring back as strands of hair flung over his eyes, Johann again waited until the precise moment, from which he reversed and jumped back from the Caius' sword sweep. Michael naturally turned his machine around to face him again, but the Dinadan was faster, managing to remain with the cockpit block as it twisted around.
From there, Johann slammed his dagger into the front of the block – just centimeters from its devicer – the blade impaling itself squarely into the control system. As a result, the Caius froze in place, its frame also rendered inoperable. And as the cockpit block failed to open, it seemed Michael had also been rendered unconscious from the force of the attack.
Breathing heavily, Johann let go of his embedded dagger and had the Dinadan take two steps back. His breathing was heavy, and his body ached from a strain that had gone unobserved until this point. Even so, he was not so exhausted as he did not fail to note the Mordred's approach. And much more, it was now flanked by the Guren Nishiki and the Zangetsu. "So…" Johann spoke evenly and with care as he looked between the now inactive Caius and Safir. "This is your true power, and the source of your so-called 'miracles', Zero."
"Yes," Lelouch acknowledged, his own voice uncharacteristically mellow and restrained. "This is how I am able to accomplish that which only Gods and Devils may attempt, Sir Johann."
Despite himself, Johann let out a laugh. The second laugh that he had given in front of the Demon King. "I trust you used this power to 'coerce' those select officials at the banquet?" he inquired. "To have them recalibrate Argus' targeting system?"
"Yes," Lelouch acknowledged once more. "Though had I known you had suspected my plan, I would have used it on Calares directly. To ensure that he would activate Argus, no matter your orders to the contrary."
A moment of silence moved between the four machines, Lelouch and Johann staring directly at the other as Kallen and Tohdoh remained on guard. And then, with some apparent reluctance, Lelouch spoke again. "If it means anything to you," he added. "I would have preferred not to have employed it in this operation."
Johann looked up at that. As did Kallen and Tohdoh. "Rather, I would have beaten you with conventional tactics alone, as in a real chess game," Lelouch admitted. "However, there was simply too much riding on this operation. And your ignorance of my power…"
"…was the only real advantage you possessed over me," Johann finished for him.
Lelouch nodded. "As strange as it may sound coming from me," he continued after another brief moment. "I am sorry, Sir Johann."
For a moment, Johann – as well as Kallen and Tohdoh once more – wondered if their audio receptors were still functioning correctly. Was this man the same Zero from eight years ago? The same man that stood over Prince Clovis' corpse, openly mocked Jeremiah Gottwald, defied Princess Cornelia and then led the greatest armed rebellion that Britannia had ever seen? Was this man now displaying humility?
Taking a short, soft breath, Johann let another moment pass as those words sunk in. It seemed outright strange, to say the least, for such a man to admit distaste toward his own actions. And yet, somehow, it seemed well within his character to do so. As if Zero, the man who shot Princess Euphemia in full view – an act and incident that Johann now had many more questions toward – was indeed capable of regretting his actions. And yet, somehow, forcing himself passed those regrets. For both the fulfillment of his objectives, and for the sake of those who followed him. And those who called to him for salvation.
Thus, in an uncharacteristic move of his own, Johann's lips turned into a smile. A sincere one. "No," Johann replied with a shake of the head. "No, do not apologize Zero."
He looked back toward the Mordred's faceplate. And this time, he could not quite picture his opponent's expression. "No matter how you did it, you used every means you had at your disposal to obtain victory," he said. "There is no shame in that."
This time, Lelouch opened his mouth to reply, but Johann continued speaking. "And much more, you did so without compromising your values," he stated. "Or your integrity."
Such was the power of that last word, Lelouch felt himself be taken back. Amongst many things, no one had claimed him – or at least, Zero – to ever retain integrity. And yet…
"Be proud Demon King," Johann continued. "For you have accomplished a great victory," the Dinadan swept its arms about, as if to emphasize the continued fighting in the background. "With this, you have indeed liberated a third of the world from my empire's tyranny."
Johann just barely resisted the urge to smirk at that last word. He could only imagine how the Red Dragoness and the man behind the Miracle of Itsukushima had reacted to it. "And are now set to continue your game, though you are still well away from meeting His Majesty upon the board."
His smile then took on a sadder tone. "If there is any regret to be had," Johann posited, with some hesitation of his own. "It is that I cannot aid you in this game," he admitted, forwardly and honestly. "Any more than you can aid Britannia in conquering the world."
Lelouch actually had to bite back his initial response, for he felt the first vestiges of tears begin to well up in his eyes. Fortunately he forced them back, but their effect remained upon him, and it took a moment for him to speak without quivering. Indeeed, if only the Knight of Two realized the effect his "attack" had held. Alongside the memories of his time under his tutelage and comradeship, which seemed far too long ago.
"I share that same regret, Sir Johann," he finally admitted, simply and directly. And though he could not see it, he could feel Kallen and Tohdoh's approving smiles upon him.
Retaining his own smile, Johann flicked his finger against his side control panel. As though he were tipping over his king. "Good game," he finished with, before switching to the main Britannian frequency. "All forces, this is Sir Johann, Knight of Two."
Biting back the bitterness, he then gave the awaited command. "Cease hostilities and disarm."
China, Earth
August 1, 2025
It was over. Seemingly as instantaneous as it had begun. Upon that single broadcast from the Knight of Two, the Britannians stood down, one after the other; only a few select pockets of resistance remained, and they were dealt with in summary. Minutes later, lines of Britannian soldiers – visibly beaten and battered – began to emerge from their knightmares, vehicles and other forms of cover, marching with their hands raised as Gekkas and Yaoguais watched over them, their weapons trained for the smallest form of deception. VTOL transports departed from their mothership and landed throughout the city, deploying both Black Knight and Chinese infantry, which immediately spread about to finalize their hold over the target cities. And from there, announcements of top level officials surrendering – or being found dead – became abundant throughout Area 22. No, the reborn China.
The jubilation began almost immediately after Sir Johann's initial call to surrender, a great howl of celebration from both the Black Knights and Chinese sounding throughout the Terran surface area between 39.913818 latitude and 116.363625 longitude. Not unlike those following the triumphs in Britannia's Third Expansionary War or Eurasia's Soviet War, Black Knights and Chinese soldiers of all make and background came into the open, throwing their fists and guns into the air amidst the ruin and desolation, shouting to battlecry and anthem alike toward the heavens. Just as Britannian prisoners of war were ushered on by their armed guards, marched to whatever parts of their former defenses that they were to be processed. All complimented by Taka and Jiantou fightercraft flying overhead, streaming contrails as they passed over the former battlegrounds.
It was no different within the bowels of the Mao Zedong. Whether on the bridge or within its various decks, officer and enlisted alike purposely forgot protocol – momentarily of course – and joined in on the grand celebration. Men and women cried out in a mixture of triumph and adulation as comrades embraced one another, congratulating each on their respective survival. Others, such as General Zhou, simply sat back in their respective seats in silence, as though they were still comprehending all that had just happened. However, upon closer inspection, it was simply clear that they had given into their exhaustion, and so were taking a moment in silence, looking out either upon their immediate surroundings or the still distant city of Luoyang – which now seemed closer to them than ever – with solaced accomplishment.
Tianzi, however, was entirely different from them. Still remaining at the rear of the bridge, momentarily forgotten amongst the jubilation, she herself remained seated for a time, her eyes as fixed upon the various monitors as they had during the battle. Only now, instead of images of her followers fighting to the end, there were only CLA soldiers cheering with raised hands, Yaoguais moving by with their cockpits opened and their machine gun arms also raised up, and Britannians being marched out with their hands behind their heads. Black Knights were also amongst those images, either on foot or in their Gekkas, also crying out in triumph with their own fists, both real and mechanical raised high. Cries of "Tianchou Wan Sui!" and "Remember Japan!" were equally abundant.
And amongst those various images, there was Xingke. Standing upon the now open, extended cockpit seat of the Shenhu, flanked by the Tianshou upon their own machines, raising his own fist to the heavens and crying out. The Yu siblings, and any Chinese and Black Knight in proximity, were quick to follow his example.
It was that image that finally broke Tianzi. Emerging from the grim stoicness she had earlier projected, tears welled upon her eyes, running down her cheeks soon after. And this time, she could not restrain that emotion, no matter how much she tried. This time, she could only let it all go.
Thus, as the whole of China celebrated their victory around her, Tianzi wept, openly and continuously. Only the combined shouts of triumph kept her cries from being heard.
