AN:
ryder77: I am going off the wiki, and there it says she's blood type B. Though, Cornelia is type O, which is probably why you were surprised, since you'd expect the siblings to share blood types. Even I was taken aback while reading it.
Knighthunter911700: The Fleija's probably aren't going to make an appearance anytime soon, since Nina doesn't have a reason to turn her research from being about a new energy source (or something like that), to creating a weapon of mass destruction.
DarkDremora: They've been witnessing things from NT Lelouch's POV since then. And yes, they can hear the thoughts of whose perspective they're viewing from. (E.X, Lelouch's perspective, means they can hear his thoughts)
Guest: I've actually been keeping my eye on the Gawain Tensyuu for a while, since it would be perfect for the Disels later. (it can house two pilots after all). I can imagine a scenario where I could (theoretically) have the Queenglint built. However, it's probably unlikely that I'll include it. Though, I'll keep an open mind to it. But the Mewdrawd probably won't make an appearance. As for Rolo, be careful what you wish for, especially with the plan I've got for him.
Poofy Ohio: If he loses here, it'll leave an unhealable scar that he'll never forget. But, that won't necessarily be a bad thing.
Chapter 78: Arrival
Like a demon, Suzaku effortlessly cut through a group of Burais, shocking two Raikos that were positioned on a building looking over the front lines. "Damn you!" one rail gun commander shouted.
Though, he didn't get a shot off, as the Lancelot flew through the cannon, cutting it in half in the process. Then, the second Raiko practically shoved the rail gun in his face, charging it up for a shot, "Dodge this you son of a bitch!"
The Knight smiled as he kicked the nozzle to the side, forcing it to aim at three Black Knight Burais that were fending incoming Britannian forces. "Oh shit! Abort! Abort!"
"We can't! The triggers already been-"
In the next moment, those unknowing Burais felt a volley of painful shrapnel dig into their backs as they screamed in pain. Luckily, it didn't last long, as they erupted into a fiery explosion, ending their brief suffering. Suzaku finally bisected the remaining Raiko, and moved onto the next battlefield, "Kururugi." Marrybell called, "My sister has given me permission to use you as I wish for this battle."
"Understood. Where am I needed?"
"The center. Oldrin won't admit it out of pride, but she's getting overpowered."
"I'll be there in only a second." at full speed, the Lancelot dove back into the chaotic streets of Tokyo, cutting Burais to ribbons as he made it toward the designated 'center' line. Once there, he was greeted by the sight of Tohdoh putting Oldrin on the back foot. Instantly, the Knight went into action, kicking the Miracle Worker into some rubble, "Suzaku Kururugi, reporting in." he stated as the Lancelot Grail pulled back.
"Suzaku, I need you to keep them off us." the blonde stated as the Zetland got on one knee, keeping its head safe as two Gekkas continued circling it, "From what I can see… if I can combine my frame with the Zetland, we can create a cannon that could single-handedly take back the center."
"Then I'll leave it to you." the Lancelot moved to attack Urabe and Senba, only for the Holy Swords to dodge while moving toward Tohdoh's side.
"Woah. He sure is zippy. Ain't he?" Urabe commented, "Think we can take him?"
Senba chuckled, "We out-number him 3-1 in frames relative to his own. I think we're more than a match."
"Don't underestimate him. On paper, we might have Knightmares in the same generation, but his heavily outperforms ours." Tohdoh warned, "We should take this slow, and break him down."
"We'll follow your lead!" the Swords shouted simultaneously.
Suzaku watched as the Miracle worker assaulted his position. In response, the Knight flew directly in front of him, baiting out a slash that gave him enough time to maneuver behind the Gekka, and cut off its arms.
Though, Senba and Urabe took this chance to try and destroy the float pack on Suzaku's back, only for their slashes to hit nothing but air, as the Knight weaved between the openings of their attack. The Holy swords watch helplessly as the Lancelot put both MVS' together, and delivered a dual slash to their legs, sweeping them upward. As his victims began falling, Suzaku reverse-gripped his dual blades, and stabbed them directly through their bodies, causing Senba and Urabe to groan in pain as they felt the blades twist. He was going to kill them. Or, at least, he would've if Tohdoh hadn't interrupted him with a kick.
Of course, this didn't deter the Knight at all, as he simply cut the Miracle Worker to pieces, sending his cockpit flying backwards with the auto-eject. Suzaku watched as his former mentor fly straight into the arms of another Gekka, "N-Nagisa!" Senba called.
"You've gotta get out of here!" Urabe shouted, "He's way too strong!"
Suzaku calmly burst toward the lone Gekka, intending to kill the pilot in one strike. However, Nagisa didn't move from her position, despite the imminent danger she was in. No. She knew that Suzaku couldn't touch her. And that was because…
A red flash landed in front of her, and the Knight came to a dead stop as he faced the Guren, "Ready to finish what you started?" the red head taunted as she launched her surger forth, narrowly missing Suzaku as he backed away.
"Not particularly." the Lancelot flew up the side of a building, only to get cut off by Kallen, who had latched onto his leg with her slash harken. The two crashed through another building as Asahina retrieved Senba and Urabe.
"Let's get the hell out of here!" the bespectacled man shouted as he sped off.
"Docking." Anya reported as her Zetland backed into the Lancelot Grail, combining the two to form a massive rail gun that would change the pace of the field.
"All systems are a go." Oldrin added as she gripped her controls, gaining full authority over the Zetland's cannon.
Simultaneously, the two girls said, "Lancelot Grail Chariot, operational."
Wasting no time, the blonde charged up the cannon, and fired a massive beam into a crowd of Black Knights, who got wiped out in the initial blast. With the beam still going, Oldrin shifted it to the right, forcing a Black Knight squad to take cover behind a wall of rubble. But even that wasn't enough, as their cover was obliterated within seconds, before they themselves were hit with the full-force of a hadron beam.
Nagisa managed to dodge the beam in time, keeping Tohdoh safe. However, Asahina wasn't as lucky. His right arm only got lightly grazed, but it was still enough for it to bubble, and explode moments later, "You've gotta be kidding!" he shouted as Urabe's cockpit fell to the ground, tumbling a few meters away.
"Hey! Be careful-" before the lanky man could complain, a slash harken suddenly pierced through the cockpits shell, just inches from his back. Then, he was drawn upward, where he landed in the arms of the Lancelot.
"Give him back!" Kallen shouted as she hung from a nearby building.
Suzaku looked at Urabe and smiled, "Sure." he tossed the Holy Sword cockpit at the Guren, who mistakenly caught it with her only free hand. The Surger. Upon seeing this new opening, the Knight instantly took advantage, by sending a devastating flying kick into Kallen's face, sending her flying through the building, dropping Urabe in the process. Luckily, the Lancelot retrieved him with its slash harkens while watching the red head bounce from building to building in the distance.
"Kururugi!" Marrybell called, "Bring me that cockpit! I want to interrogate the pilot!"
"Very well." the Knight quickly dropped Urabe off at the Princess' feet, before returning to the battlefield. Unfortunately, Asahina and Nagisa were long gone, and Kallen was nowhere to be found. So, all he could do was support Oldrin and Anya as they pushed the center.
The Grail detached from the Zetland with less than a quarter of its power supply remaining, "Damn. That took way too much." the blonde muttered as the Glinda Knights, mixed with Lila's personal force, pushed forth, "Though, I can't say it wasn't worth it.
Meanwhile, Anya checked her energy filler, and sighed, "I'm almost done."
"Then pull back. We'll take it from here." Oldrin ordered as she drew two Schrötter Steel Swords, "Push the initiative!"
The pink-haired girl pulled the Zetland back. However, the center push wouldn't get far, as they were suddenly hit from behind by a new Black Knight force, this time, they were operating captured Sutherlands and tanks. "Those came from Carine's side!" Sokkia shouted as she took cover with Leonhardt.
"What's she doing!?" the boy questioned as he returned fire.
Oldrin cut through a few Sutherlands with her new swords and muttered, "Yeah… that's what I'm wondering too."
Suddenly, the voice of the red-haired Princess came over the intercom, "Sorry about that, but the right flank's completely screwed. We're retreating to the upper limits. Tehee."
"There's nothing to 'tehee' about!" Oldrin screamed in outrage as she thrust her blade through a Sutherland cockpit, killing the pilot. Then, another group of Black Knights pressed them from the front, sandwiching her force. "I knew it! That bitch has to be in cahoots with Zero! There's no other explanation!"
"Careful with your words." Suzaku warned as he wiped out three Sutherlands in a single dive, "Even though Carine's a coward, she's still a Princess."
"As if I care!" the blonde responded while taking cover behind a building, "She'll get what's coming to her, I swear!"
The White Knightmare hovered above the battlefield, eyeing Ashford Academy in the distance, "I agree. She shouldn't just get away with hurting us." his eyes trailed back to the task at hand, where he dove once more, impaling a Sutherland, and used it as a shield to break through the Black Knight lines, wreaking havoc in the process.
"Right!? With the battle being like this, we won't be able to press on!" Oldrin and Suzaku stood back-to-back, staring at the surrounding Sutherlands as they closed in. Five lined up, and opened fire on the Lancelot's side, but their shots were easily deflected by the Blaze Luminous, and soon after, Suzaku rushed in, decapitating one, while taking out two more with his slash harkens. The remaining Sutherlands tried to strike him with their stun tonfas, only to be bisected across the center before their strikes could make within an inch of the White frame.
"Must be so easy to block bullets like that!" Oldrin complained while dodging a volley from three Sutherlands. Of course, she didn't plan on just charging in blindly. No. Instead, she used her new sword harkens, which used the Schrötter Steel Swords on her back as harkens, to do devastating damage to two Sutherlands, before personally dispatching the last herself.
"I'll move to secure the right flank." Suzaku stated while flying away.
"Got it. We'll do clean up here." the blonde responded while continuing to push the Black Knights positioned to their back.
Ashford Academy. 11:15PM.
"I'm heading out!" Naoto shouted as he hopped into the Kagero, "Anyone joining me?"
"I will." Nagisa suddenly chimed in as she dropped off Tohdoh's cockpit, "Rakshata! We need three new Gekkas!"
"Well… these are pretty much our last ones." the Indian woman stated as her engineers moved into action, "Don't wreck them like the others."
"Wait. We only need two. One for Tohdoh, and one for Senba." Asahina explained, "Urabe got captured, remember?"
"Urabe did!?" the Kozuki exclaimed, "What happened?"
"Suzaku got him. Kallen tried to fend the Lancelot off, but she got knocked away."
"Where is she now?"
"Don't know. Last I saw, she was crashing through a few buildings."
Tamaki overheard the conversation, and chose to toss in his two cents, "Oh man. If Kallen can't beat that guy… we're so screwed."
"Why don't we set up a trap?" Rakshata suggested while tapping a Gefjun disturber, "If I can capture the Lancelot, I'll be able to take its float system, and reverse engineer it to serve us in the future."
"And it'll make Suzaku a non-factor." Naoto nodded, "Alright, do it. Once it's done, contact me, and I'll try leading him here."
Suddenly, Lelouch called over the radio, "Naoto, where are you? I need you to support the left flank. We're finally breaking through, so we can't afford to miss a beat."
"Don't worry, I'll be there soon." the Kozuki stated while zooming out of campus, followed closely by Nagisa, "You've been a great help." he complimented the woman as they weaved between side streets.
"I'm just following orders." the woman stated while driving her revolving blade through a stray Sutherland, "Besides, Tohdoh seems to have great faith in you, Naoto."
"That's… flattering." they rounded a corner, only to be greeted by a nearly desolate area where the Black Knights had steamed rolled through Carine's forces with ease. Now, the only resistance remaining were the ones positioned on the upper limits, but even they were failing, as a few Burais had already scaled the walls, and began wreaking havoc. "Can't believe they did this all by themselves." the Kozuki muttered as he and the Holy Sword took position amongst a group of captured Sutherlands.
However, their attention quickly drew to the sound of the Guren's radiant surger activating directly above them. There, the red Knightmare clashed with the Lancelot in an oddly beautiful display. Suzaku activated the blaze luminous on his right arm to temporarily block the surgers attack, and followed this move up, by kicking his opponent to the ground. Though, it still drained a considerable amount of energy, something the Knight was getting too familiar with.
The Lancelot dove once more to attack his opponent, only to be shot at by the Kagero, which was holding an anti-Blaze Luminous rifle, "Lelouch? No… he didn't have that rifle. It must be Naoto."
The Kozuki siblings stood side-by-side as Suzaku landed in front of them, "Thanks for that, Naoto." Kallen said as she stood up, "But my energy filler's almost spent."
"That's alright. You can go get a recharge soon."
"Not now." his sister responded, "We have to fend off Suzaku."
Naoto stared down the White Knightmare, who stood suspiciously still, as if observing the sibling duo, "Yeah. He could become a real problem if we don't deal with him now." he turned to Nagisa, "Go support the assault. We'll-"
"Watch out!" Kallen pushed her brother out of the way just as Suzaku sent a spinning kick past his face. The Knight clicked his tongue in frustration, and did a backflip midair, dodging the red head's attempt to grab his leg, "That's so unfair!"
The Lancelot put its foot on the Guren's chest, before pushing off to do another backflip, sending the red Knightmare tumbling through the rubble. Naoto recovered soon after, and fired several bullets toward his new opponent. Instinctively, Suzaku brought his right arm up to block the bullets with his Blaze Luminous, but to his surprise, his shielding instantly cracked, allowing them to obliterate his arm as they sailed through to his chest, piercing his cockpit in the process. One managed to graze his skin, leaving behind a burning red mark in his flight suit, "Can't believe I forgot about that…" he muttered while shifting left.
Naoto maneuvered his frame to the left, creating a circle as the two waited for the other's next move. Obviously, the Kozuki took the initiative, as he had the gun. Though, once he raised it, Suzaku fired a slash harken, bisecting the weapon. Now disarmed, Naoto was placed on the back foot, as the Lancelot flew toward him with a spinning kick, which he barely blocked with his own Blaze Luminous. From behind, the Guren tried to grab the White Knightmare's pack, only to fail as he flew to the right, gaining distance from the Kozuki siblings.
"Thanks." Naoto drew his MVS blades, "I'll follow your lead from now on."
Kallen wordlessly agreed, and charged forth, meeting the Lancelot first, before sending out a sweeping kick. Suzaku naturally leapt over the kick, only to be met with a dual strike from Naoto, as both of his MVS' clashed with the Knight's one. This easily overpowered the White Knightmare, sending it tumbling through a lone pillar. Upon recovering, he was met with the Guren's surger arm, which aimed to capture his face. In response, Suzaku pulled his left MVS back, and drove it through the overpowered arm, surprising the red head as she was now stuck in place.
The Knight pulled back his right MVS, intending to strike her cockpit, only to have it cut off by Naoto, who zoomed behind his frame. Upon seeing the Kozuki's intent, Suzaku tried to fly away, only to be stopped by Kallen, who drove her fork knife into his shoulder, keeping the Lancelot in position as her brother tried to strike the cockpit.
In a desperate attempt to escape, Suzaku released his left MVS, while simultaneously firing his slash harken into the Guren's left arm, taking it clean off while boosting forward with his float unit. This action took a decent chunk out of his energy filler, but it was worth it to keep his life.
Naoto was flabbergasted as the Lancelot practically ran over his sister while getting away, "Even that wasn't enough!?"
Suzaku was tempted to dive back into the fight to finish off Kallen, but hesitated upon seeing the remaining Holy Swords appear out of nowhere. "Can't fight like this. I'll get a new arm, and return. Meanwhile, Kallen will struggle without another surger. Next time, will be the last duel. I know it."
With those parting thoughts, the Knight retreated to refuel, and repair his frame for the last time.
Viceroy Palace Jail Block. 11:55PM.
Urabe's lifeless body was dragged through a dark corridor by two Britannian soldiers, before being thrown into a cell, where the sounds of battle could be heard in the distance. "Can't believe they actually have time to do such a thing." an ominous voice echoed from one corner of the cell.
The Holy Sword's bloody face shakily removed itself from the cold, hard ground to find the source. However, his vision was too blurry, so he couldn't properly make out the person's figure. All he could tell, was that they were big. "Wh-who are you?"
They emerged from the darkness, revealing themselves to be Dasko, "I could ask you the same question."
Urabe stood up in a defensive posture, "Y-you!" he began chuckling, "So, even you aren't immune to the Britannian penal system. That's hilarious."
"Don't laugh so hard." the Knight approached threateningly, "If I kill you right now, nobody would care."
"Is that what you think? I'm not some wimp who can easily be overpowered!" the Holy Sword sent a punch forth, only to find himself crashing into a wall less than a second later. "So fast…"
Dasko kneeled to the man's level, and picked him up by the hair, "Now, tell me. What's going on up there?"
"You haven't heard?" Urabe coughed, "The Black Knights are taking back Japan. Soon, they'll get here to bust me free, leaving you to rot in this cell, all by your lonesome."
The Knight's eyes narrowed, "I don't know why you're being so hostile toward me. After all, we're in the same situation."
"O-oh? You interested in switching sides?"
"Not at all." Dasko released his hold, and returned to his side of the cell, "I'll stay here, as per Carine's orders."
"Carine? She told you to rot here? And you're following those orders?"
"You know nothing, Eleven."
"But I can infer." Urabe slumped against the wall, breathing heavy, "From what I've seen, she's just an opportunistic bitch who only cares for herself-"
In the blink of an eye, Dasko blitzed the Holy Sword, slamming his black military boots into his throat, "Don't you dare speak of Princess Carine in such a manner!"
"Y-you're psychotic!" Urabe struggled to push against the Knight's boot, as it dug into his neck more and more, "Not only is he fast, but he's also strong!"
"Take back what you've said!"
"F-fine! I'm sorry. You happy, jackass!?"
Finally, Dasko took back his foot, and returned to his side, "Very."
Urabe soothingly rubbed his own neck, and noticed his cellmate kept most of his Knightly gear, including his sword. "Wait a minute. Why do you have so much with you?"
"Wouldn't you like to know."
"Oh. Don't be a child!"
Dasko smirked, "Well… since you're going to 'rot in this cell for the rest of your life', I'll enlighten you. Princess Carine permitted me to keep my personal effects, even while being treated as a prisoner."
"You're joking!" Urabe shouted in outrage, "There's no way she has that much authority!"
"On the contrary, while Viceroy Lila owns most of the entertainment infrastructures, Princess Carine gained control over the Military infrastructure. That includes the prisons. Meaning, anything she says, goes."
"Well, if that isn't corruption, then I don't know what is."
"I know that during your time-serving as a Black Knight, Carine hasn't been painted in a… positive light. However, she's a good woman at heart."
"So what? She's some kind of misguided child?" Urabe asked sarcastically, not feeling any sympathy.
"That's exactly what I'm saying. The true culprit for Carine's behavior, is Guinevere De Britannia."
"Is that so?" the Holy Sword said in a completely disinterested tone.
"Believe what you want, Eleven. But it's the truth. Beneath all that spite she's built up, Carine's a good person, whose true passion lies in the entertainment industry." Dasko looked through the small opening, where large clouds of smoke ascended into the clouds, creating a hellfire-like landscape, "It's only due to Guinevere's influence, that she gained so much bloodlust. I attempted to take on the burden of her sins, by turning myself into a bigger monster."
"Did it work?" Urabe asked in a quiet tone.
"I… don't know. It doesn't seem like she's gotten any better."
"Then maybe… her true passion is that bloodlust."
"Eleven, what's your name?"
"Urabe. That's all you're getting."
"Urabe? You Elevens have such funny names." Dasko leaned back, "How about I call you Reva instead?"
After a moment of silence, the Holy Sword muttered, "Shut up."
Ruins of Tokyo Settlement. Zero's G1. 12:00AM
"Here they come." Lelouch muttered as he saw thousands of yellow dots approaching the city at high speeds. "Attention all units! Enter circular formations, and brace!"
Upon hearing those words, the Burais and Sutherlands escorting the G1 surrounded it with their weapons facing outward. Awaiting the impending assault. However, the Britannian forces didn't seem to understand what was going on, as the Black Knights suddenly halted their assault, and retreated, "Marrybell! The Black Knights have given up! Shall we pursue?"
The Hero Princess eyed the battlefield in the distance, where clouds of smoke seemed to be getting closer and closer, "No. Hold fast! Sokkia, report!"
"I-I've got a lot incoming!" the woman in the Sutherland Eye reported, "It's the Chinese Federation!"
"Son of a- They're here!" Marrybell panicked, "Retreat to the upper limits, and make sure all entrances are closed off! Do NOT let them break through."
However, it was far too late for that. Hundreds of Chinese Gun-Ru's suddenly flooded the battlefield, swarming around Black Knight formations, trying to pick them off one-by-one. But, thanks to Lelouch's preemptive thinking, he made it difficult for the nimble Knightmare's to pick off his more sluggish ones.
Upon figuring out that the Black Knights were too difficult to take out now, a red Gun-Ru seemingly commanded his comrades to target Britannia. Within seconds, the speedy Knightmares used the fallen tiles as ramps to make it up to the second floor, where they began encircling Britannian Sutherlands, cutting through them like butter.
"Too easy!" General Katase taunted from within his Gun-Ru. "See!? Japan doesn't need the Black Knights!"
Kaguya held onto Zero as the G1 rocked from a few explosions rocked the large vehicle, "Damage Report!"
"Current projected losses are approximately 80% less than originally predicted!" a Black Knight reported, "You were right! The Chinese Federation seems to be prioritizing Britannia!"
"Excellent. Tell all remaining forces to maintain their formation until I give the all clear." Lelouch responded as he tried to push the Princess off, only for her to cling harder, "How accurate is our database regarding the Federations military strength?"
"From the data the Kagero's collecting, it appears there are 600 less Gun-Ru's than expected. It seems like our boys and the Britannian forces on Kyushu over performed!"
"It's truly a shame that they've all been wiped out." Kaguya said in a melancholic tone, "Regardless, we can't let their sacrifice go to waste! Fight on!"
Due to the cute display, moral within the G1 shot up, and the staff members shouted, "As you wish!"
Lelouch rolled his eyes, "Princess Sumeragi, please unhand me."
Kaguya slowly retreated with an innocent smile, "By the way, Master Zero."
"Please drop the 'Master'. It makes me uncomfortable."
"Very well. Mr. Zero."
"I-You're just trying to annoy me, aren't you?"
"Not at all." Kaguya grinned from ear-to-ear, "Anyway, can we return to-"
"Did you not hear me the first time? I'm not interested in marriage at this moment." Lelouch responded as he watched dozens of red dots drop off the map.
"You're no fun."
Suddenly, red alarms began blaring within the G1, and Schneizel's face appeared on-screen, "Zero. I see your assault on Tokyo is going well." the blond stated calmly with barely noticeable bags under his eyes.
"Prime Minister Schneizel. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Lelouch calmly stated as his staff began panicking.
"I'm here to give you a chance at diplomacy. Pull your Black Knights from the battlefield, and I'll let you walk free. I'd say this deal is more than generous, considering what you've done to get to this point."
"Hm… let me think about it…" the Masked man said sarcastically, "How about no? After all, why accept a deal to gain temporary freedom, when I can fight and get a permanent one?"
"You truly think you can not only defeat both Britannia and the Chinese federation, but also hold Area 11 long enough to establish a stable economy? You're not thinking in the long run. Even if you do win here, you'll be making enemies with the whole world." Schneizel warned.
"No we won't. It's no secret that the Chinese Federation forces are currently being led by Japanese Government officials. Once they die, China will be forced to pull out, otherwise it would be declared as an invasion." In the distance, Britannian and Chinese Federation naval forces were committed to a stand-off, as neither were eager to commit to a full-scale conflict, "After all, that's why the navy hasn't given any fire support."
Schneizel smirked, "It seems… I had to pegged wrong. You do appear to be aware of the political scene, however surface level it may be. Even so, I can't allow you to do as you please. So, last chance."
Lelouch scoffed, "Give it your best shot, Prime Minister. My Black Knights are strong, and will withstand anything you throw at us."
"We'll see about that." Once the transmission cut, a loud explosion followed shortly after, followed by several smaller ones.
"What's going on!?"
"W-we've got another Knightmare! It's fast… as fast as the Lancelot!" a Black Knight reported.
"They've got another flying Knightmare?" Lelouch questioned.
"No! They've got two! It's hard to detect, but the second one is-"
A red hadron beam suddenly decimated two Black Knight squads from above, leaving behind scorched earth as its dark figure loomed hauntingly over the field.
Off the Coast of Honshu. Avalon. 12:25AM
"Carine, I'm giving you full authority over our Aircraft Carriers." Schneizel told the red-haired Princess as she, Marrybell, Euphemia, and Lila were on a call with him, "Use their bombers as you see fit. Marry, I want you to maintain the frontline by sending Anya toward the right flank, while Oldrin takes on the left." he commanded calmly, "I'll be taking over the defense of Tokyo from here on out. However, the finer details on the battlefield are to be delegated to our field commanders."
"Thank you so much!" Carine shouted in a sweet tone, much to Marrybell's frustration, "I'll put those bombers to good use!" with that, she left the call.
Meanwhile, the Hero Princess nodded, "Thank you for your help, Schneizel. I owe you one."
"There's no need." the blond answered with a charismatic smile, "I'm just doing my job as Prime Minister, sister."
"Even so, I'll repay you for this later." with those parting words, Marrybell left the call.
Then, Gino and Luciano suddenly appeared on-screen, "How do you like the Bradford, Gino?" the Prince questioned, "We made it specifically to fit your needs, though… its fortress mode feature hasn't been implemented successfully."
"Despite that, this thing's still fast!" the Knight of Three shouted as he zoomed all over the battlefield, akin to how Suzaku was moving before, "I like it!"
"So, you understand your role, then?"
"Yes, sir. I'm to rotate from each front, and help where I'm needed." Gino reported as he cut down four Burais with his Megiddo harkens.
"Excellent. How about you, Bradley?"
"Meh. The Gawain's alright." the Knight of Ten responded in a bored tone, "However, I like fighting up close and personal. Firing off these beams is more Anya's style. After all, it doesn't take much skill. Bahaha!"
"So rude…"
"Shut it, Gino!"
"That's enough." Schneizel instantly brought the Knights back, "I know you're disappointed with the Gawain's fighting style. However, it's still a formidable Knightmare, and I need you to be careful. We can't afford to have it get captured."
"Whatever."
With that, the two Knights left the call. "Captain, how's the Avalon's float system?"
"We're experiencing power shortages in the right engine. Permission to divert power from the Blaze Luminous to support it?"
"Granted. Keep us a float for as long as possible."
"Yes, my lord!"
Ashford Academy. 12:15AM
"Come on, Rakshata! You've got to hurry!" Kallen pleaded with the woman as she worked on repairing the first surger arm that was damaged. "We're getting slaughtered out there!"
"I understand that, Kallen. But we need time." she responded while connecting a few wires, "If we can't manage to fix this, you'll have to head into battle with just Sutherland arms, which will take down the Guren's functionality substantially."
Naoto overheard the conversation and clenched his fist, "I'm heading back out!"
The red head looked down in disappointment, realizing her hastiness had put her into this situation. "I-I'm sorry."
"It's alright. Rakshata, take your time with the arm. I have no doubt we'll need it for the final stretch." Naoto hopped into his Kagero, and took off alone, where dozens of Gun-Ru corpses were strung outside of Ashford Academy. "The Defense is holding up here, just like Lelouch predicted. Now, I need to lead the Lancelot to Ashford, and catch it in the Gefjun net Rakshata set up."
He clenched his controls tightly as he narrowly dodged a hadron blast, "Though… given the current state of the field… I doubt we'd win, even if we captured the Lancelot."
Suddenly, the Bradford cut the Kagero off, forcing Naoto to come to a screeching halt. "Hey Buddy!" Gino greeted, "It's not like I'm stalking you or anything… but I noticed you walking down the street, and thought you looked pretty lonely." he winked playfully, "Wanna have a good time?"
"Even now, you can still crack jokes?" the Kozuki took a step back cautiously, "Is it the Knightmare that's giving you all that confidence? Or did your ego inflate after killing some of our guys?"
"A bit of both, actually." the blond put up his fists in a boxing stance, "You ready for another round?"
Naoto took up his MVS, and pointed it at his opponent, "Crap… if I get stuck here, I'll never lead the Lancelot back to Ashford. Wait… what if I take Gino there? No, that won't work. Unlike Suzaku, Gino only wants to fight me. So, there's no way I can run away, especially with that kind of speed." he was abruptly brought out of his thoughts, when he narrowly dodged a Megiddo harken, while deflecting the other. However, this wasn't the end of the Knight's assault, as he sent a flying knee into the Kagero's chest, sending it flying backwards, "And… I forgot he's a Knight of the Round. I may have beaten him in a Gloucester, but… this custom frame is a different story."
"Keep up, Naoto!" Gino taunted while sending out two jabs, forcing his opponent to block, before hitting him with a devious uppercut that lifted him off the ground. Then, he followed up with a double kick, sending the Kozuki crashing into a building. "Don't tell me that the only reason you beat me before, was because of the frame!"
The Kagero got back onto its feet, and narrowly dodged an incoming Megiddo Harken, before slicing the wire, sending the piece of metal into a wall. Though, this didn't impress the Knight, as he once against flew toward his opponent at high speed, stopping inches from his face as Naoto brought his sword down for a strike, only for it to be dodged at the last second. Gino calmly hovered behind the black Knightmare, before hitting it with a devastating kick, sending it hurtling to the ground.
Naoto wiped the blood off his brow while desperately trying to catch his breath, only to be grabbed by the leg, and thrown into a building, where countless pieces of rubble collapsed onto him, "This is hardly a fight! It's a slaughter!"
Now, the Bradford stared down his opponent menacingly, as if challenging him to continue. In truth, it was an illusion of choice, as Gino planned on capturing Naoto then and there. Though, he wouldn't hesitate to go for the kill if forced into the role.
Luciano let out a heavy sigh as he flew toward Ashford Academy, witnessing the destruction from above, "The strangest thing about this Knightmare… has to be the fact that it requires a copilot." he muttered while eyeing a blond boy in the back seat, "Hey, pipsqueak. Mind telling my why Schneizel wants us to head to Ashford?"
The boy raised an eyebrow, "It's a covert mission to recapture it. I'm sure you've noticed it, but the Black Knights are using it as a staging area."
"So what? I'm supposed to take it alone?"
"Are you saying you can't do it?"
"Hell no!"
"Good."
Luciano returned to shooting his Hadron beams, while keeping an eye on his copilot, "How did I not notice him when I got in here? Did he hide under the dash or something? I mean… he's small enough… but why would he hide if he's with Prince Schneizel? Something's fishy here…"
Once they got within range, the boy opened the cockpit, "You can land in the courtyard. Go wild, Bradley." suddenly, he jumped out, much to the Knight's surprise.
"What the fuck!?" Luciano quickly closed the cockpit, and sighed, "Am I high? I know those painkillers were pretty strong… but I didn't think they'd make me hallucinate." he shook his head, "Whatever. If I'm lucky, I'll come across that Tohdoh bastard again, and exact my revenge." his haunting chuckle echoed throughout the cockpit, "That's it… I can see the fear in his eyes as I steal his life away!"
Canal near Ashford Academy. 12:25AM
From behind, Rolo suddenly heard a splash, and he rushed over, only to find V.V's body floating across the water. His body was contorted in multiple areas, but thanks to his immortality, he was alive. "Master V.V."
The blond healed his limbs, and climbed out to greet his subordinate, "Have you confirmed Princess Nunnally's position?"
"Yes. She's in the Clubhouse. Security is lax due to everyone focused on fending off the Chinese Federation. Now would be the best time to strike." Rolo reported.
"Excellent. Are you ready to redeem yourself?"
"Always, Master V.V." the boy bowed as the Immortal walked past him.
"Then let's do this." V.V chuckled, "With Nunnally in my grasp, dealing with Lelouch in C's world will be trivial. After all, he wouldn't dare let harm come to his little sister." he watched as an Apache crashed into the canal, extinguishing its flame upon contact, "Looks like the Lelouch of this timeline has bitten off way more than he could chew anyway. So, it's not like he'll notice her absence. Not immediately, at least."
Ruins of Tokyo Settlement. 12:25AM.
"Break formation!" Zero ordered over the comms just as a set of bombers destroyed the Viceroy Palace in the distance, destroying hundreds of Gun-Ru's, "We're simultaneously on the verge of defeat and victory! Your performance matters now more than ever, Black Knights. Leave a scourge on Britannian history they'll never forget!"
Tohdoh and the remaining Holy Swords began tearing through Gun-Ru's like butter, as Britannian forces above were busy dealing with their own outbreak of the mechanical cockroaches, "These guys just don't end!" Senba complained as he killed three in a single motion.
"Don't let up! In terms of supplies, we're superior!" the Miracle worker announced while dueling with a red Gun-Ru.
"Is that you, Tohdoh!?" his opponent shouted.
"Katase!?"
"It seems fate has brought us together for a final duel, hasn't it?" the General backed away as more Gun-Ru's surrounded him, "Of course, I'll keep my promise. Tohdoh, will you join us? This is your last chance."
Tohdoh and his Holy Swords stood defiantly in face of their former leader, "Katase, you've killed your own people to get to this point! It's clear you don't stand for the Japanese people!" Nagisa protested.
"Exactly! You've lost sight of our goal!" Asahina added, "What's the point of a free Japan if everyone yearning to be free is dead?"
"So… you're all against me?" Katase asked while readying his Gun-Ru.
"We're not against a free Japan." Tohdoh responded, "We're just against your method of doing things."
"Then, unfortunately… you'll have to die fighting for the wrong side!" the General proclaimed as his Gun-Ru's split up, charging toward the Gekkas while firing their machine guns.
The Miracle worker and his group did the same. This was a moment they had been preparing themselves for in the past few weeks. They knew that the time would come when they'd be forced to face off against General Katase on the battlefield. In short, they weren't planning on losing while fighting for Japan, unlike their General, who became corrupted by the power given to him from the Chinese Federation.
Countdown until the Total Annihilation of the Black Knights: 35 minutes.
AN: Schneizal has finally arrived, and he's taken full command of this operation. Also, there are quite a few problems regarding the Avalon (the float system was just one of many), so it's not at full strength like it was when it first appeared in the anime. The Gawain's Hadron cannons aren't lacking due to the information gained from Anya's performance in the Zetland. And the Bradford is without its fortress mode, and main weaponry.
The upcoming chapters are going to chronologically take place at the same time, so I'm going to be splitting up major events, that way they can be properly digested, instead of being rushed out all at once.