Chapter 86: Knights of the Round

March 26th. Pendragon. 8:00AM.

Suzaku strutted down the hallway, heading toward the dining room to meet his fellow Knights for the first time. Well… first time in this timeline at least. "While the rest of the Round don't necessarily interest me, that boy from the other day… I need to know who he is." he eventually reached the door, where he stood for a brief moment as loud sounds could be heard from within, "There have been way too many unexpected variables. First Rai, then the Sougetsu, Lila, Carine, and Dasko? I'm tired of being caught off-guard." he reached for the handle, and slowly pulled the door open, "If he's not here today, I'll ask around. Time to return to the Old Suzaku."

The Knight of Seven entered the room with a charismatic, yet innocent smile, as the commotion seemed to come to an end. Currently, Rai seemed to be getting assaulted by Nonette Enneagram, Knight of Nine, as Dorothea Ernst, Knight of Four, tried to pull her away. "H-hey… Suzaku…" Rai greeted his fellow Knight while his cheeks were being pulled.

"Nonette!" Dorothea returned to pulling her off the poor boy, "You need to be more respectful!"

"What do you mean?" the elegant woman surprisingly responded calmly, "I asked him if it was okay, and he said yes."

"Obviously he couldn't refuse, especially with how much you're pestering him!"

Meanwhile, Monica Krushvesky, Knight of Twelve, eyed Suzaku from across the room, seemingly trying to judge how he became a Round in the first place. "So… what's going on?" the Japanese man asked while taking a seat next to his former protégé.

"Nonette was trying to take advantage of Rai."

"That's such a bad way of putting it, Dorothea." the aforementioned woman complained, "Allow me to explain what really happened: I was complimenting Rai on his facial structure, then I noticed he had a spec of croissant left on his face, so I offered to remove it."

"Borderline harassment." Suzaku chuckled lightly, trying to get on her good side, "I suppose this is what the Rounds are like when they aren't in battle."

With the light seeping in from the cushion filled alcove, Suzaku got a better look at the dining room, and it was surprisingly smaller than he thought, with the ceiling only two feet above the door frame. Even so, it was still a cozy space, with plenty of luxury furniture. The long dining table had twelve seats, each meant for one Knight at a time. However, in each corner, there were two seats with one nightstand positioned between them. Currently, Monica was present in such an area, intentionally separating herself from the considerably brighter table, due to the corners not receiving nearly as much sunlight. Even the candles hardly brought any life into the room with all the dark contrasting colors of blue, red, and green.

Finally, Nonette backed off from the Knight of Ten, who sighed in relief as he returned to his breakfast, "Well, how do you like it so far? Being Knights of the Round?"
"It's pretty good…" Rai meekly responded, "The foods nice… I have a big room, and-"

"Everyone respects you?" Monica interjected for the first time, "What about you, Kururugi? How does it feel?"

Suzaku raised an eyebrow, "Well… it's certainly strange to have the Royal Guard saluting me in the halls, instead of berating me. Definitely a change from Area Eleven."

This made the blonde proudly smile, almost as if she accomplished something monumental, "I'm glad you feel that way. You'll quickly find out, that you are treated based on your accomplishments around here. And being a Knight of the Round is the highest honor, other than being the Emperor, or his children of course."

"That obviously doesn't stop nasty rumors from being spread, though~" Nonette chimed in while buttering a croissant.

"If you didn't know, Monica's actually the leader of the Royal Guard." Dorothea explained as their newest Knights partook of the confections laid across the table, "Needless to say, once she took over, she was quite the dictator."

"Someone's gotta be!" the woman complained while finally getting out of her seat, and joining them at the table, "When I got here, all of you were practically running rampant!"

"An overexaggeration, but continue."

"Overexaggeration!? Take Gino: that guy was too carefree, leading to rumors of him being a womanizer, to develop across Pendragon! Do you really think that makes us look good!? Then there's Luciano." she turned to Rai, "Which I'm thankful you took his spot, because his recklessness also gave us a bad rep." she quickly returned to her rant, "He made the Knight of the Round look like bloodthirsty killers on his first mission!"

"Notice how she's mentioned the two guys who aren't here?" Nonette whispered while playfully nudging Rai.

"I heard that!" Monica boomed, pointing at the elegant woman, "And don't even get me started on you!"

"Me!?" the Knight of Nine said in a muffled tone, while a croissant cutely hanging out of her mouth.

"Yes you!" steam was practically extruding from her ears, "You're way too lax while we're out on missions, making us seem more like a club, than a specialized unit that the Emperor hand-picked himself!"

Suddenly, the main door swung open, and soon after, the hulking man, known as the Knight of One, Bismarck Waldstein strutted in. His face was stern, yet eerily calm at the same time, "Good Morning." he muttered while taking the head seat. Suzaku took note of the rest of the Knights, as they all, save for Nonette, seemed to straighten up. Little did he know, Bismarck was doing the same, "Now that everyone's here, I'm officially beginning our meeting."

"If I may…" Suzaku raised his hand, drawing everyone's attention, "Are you sure we're not missing anyone else?"

This made the head Knight raise an eyebrow, "Of course not. Gino and Anya are currently out with the Glinda Knights, so they can't be present."

"Are you sure?" the Japanese man chose to push the matter, due to not wanting to get caught off-guard in the future, "Because the other day, I met a Knight of the Round eating dinner here. He looked pretty young, so I was wondering where he was."

Bismarck's eyes narrowed as Nonette began asking questions, "What!? Another Knight? Why wasn't I informed of such a thing?"

"Because they don't exist." Monica muttered, "You said he was young? How young?"

"Can't really say… but he looked younger than myself and Rai."

"Really?" Dorothea turned to their leader, "Do you know who he's talking about?"

Finally, the man let out a heavy sigh, drawing everyone's eyes to him, "Suzaku, I personally meet with every Knight of the Round, and the boy you're describing right now, doesn't ring any bells."

"Perhaps it was just a dream." Rai suggested

"That's enough." Bismarck finally brought the metaphorical gavel down on the situation, "I don't have the time to discuss such trivial matters. Now, onto the task at hand. As you know, due to being Knights of the Round, you have an exceptional amount of freedom within Britannia, and are expected to behave as such."

This reminder was mostly a formality for Suzaku and Rai, as the rest of the members have been aware of such a fact since they joined. Whether they abided by it or not, was a completely different subject. Regardless, the announcement continued, "Of courses, there are still those who are above you. For one, the Emperor and, on occasion, his children. Though, they will most likely never contact you directly, so the one you'll be taking orders from, is myself or Beatrice Franks." he then stood up, "In the meantime, Suzaku and Rai, I need you two to follow me. I'll get you acquainted with the hangers and basic procedure. The rest of you can return to what you're always doing. Dismissed."

Monica swiftly left the room, almost a little too fast as she nearly bumped into another Knight of the Round, "Watch where you're going, young Monica." the man, whose frame nearly matched Bismarck's, warned in a gentle voice, "I'm sure the Royal Guard is important, but they don't miss you that much."

"Sorry about." the girl bowed before continuing out.

That's when Bismarck called, "Michele, I didn't know you were still in the capital."

"Michele? Another Knight of the Round? This is becoming a headache." Suzaku rubbed his temple as he and Rai stood behind the Knight of One.
"My apologies, it appears I was missing one Knight after all." he turned around and began introducing the man wearing a red cloak, "This is Michele Manfredi, Knight of Two."

"It's nice to meet you two." the cordial man extended both of his hands, greeting the boys with a smile, "It's incredible that two Japanese men like yourself managed to rise above the ranks as stand-out soldiers. I'm sure your people back home are very proud."

"Th-thanks…" Rai responded with a faint smile, feeling uncomfortable, yet somehow proud of the statement. Meanwhile, Suzaku was still trying to gauge just who Michele was.

"You mind if I join the tour?" the Knight of Two asked Bismarck.

"Eavesdropping? I thought I told you that you'd always be welcomed with open arms in Pendragon?"

"I know… but it was kind of embarrassing to come back so soon." Michele rubbed the back of his head while chuckling, "But Euro Britannia can wait."

"Very well." the Knight of One stepped out, only to find Nonette waiting with a suspicious grin, "I suspect you'll be joining us too?"

"Nah. It just so happens I have to visit the hanger too. So, I might as well walk you over." she replied while sneaking behind Rai.

Bismarck wasn't amused by her antics, and kept a serious face, "Let's get moving."

Suzaku found himself walking alongside Michele, while Nonette doted over Rai. "So… how long have you been a Knight of the Round?" he tried to make conversation.

"Hm. I've only been the Knight of Two for a little under a year? Before that, I was the Knight of Seven."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. I can't remember how many years it's been since I first joined, but the only one who's served a longer term is Bismarck." Michele explained as they left the building, and walked across the empty courtyard, toward the underground hanger. "And, I apologize for being nosy, but I couldn't help but take notice of your talents. Not even many Britannians can become the Knight of Royalty, let alone a Round in such a short amount of time. That alone has garnered a lot of respect from me."

"Well… thank you." Suzaku responded as they headed down a flight of stairs, "I must say, you're certainly different from most Britannians I've met. You remind me of Gino a little bit."

"Ah. Gino's a good kid. He's still got a lot to learn about the world, but his hearts in the right place, regardless of what the rumors say." Michele explained as they finally entered the hanger, where the Lancelot, Club, Galahad, and Palomides, which was still under construction. "And there she is!" the Knight of Two approached a massive Gold Knightmare as its arm was attached, "The Sagramore! Ain't she a beauty?"

"It's certainly… bright." Rai covered his eyes as the shine nearly blinded him.

"And utterly annoying." the voice of a stern woman approached the group, "Michele." her long black hair reaching her waist as she practically wore priest garbs, "I didn't expect you to still be here, yet I oddly found your Knightmare present in my hanger."

The man nonchalantly waved her comments off, "Relax, Beatrice. And please don't call Sagramore annoying. We prefer… bold."

"I told you before. As Knight of the Round, we aren't supposed to stand-out in battle. It only makes you a bigger target."

"She's a Round?" Rai whispered

Nonette shook her head, "She used to be." she held up two fingers, "Used to be number 2, but is now the 'Special Duty General Inspector', whatever that means."

"It means I'm your boss when Bismarck's not around." the aforementioned woman broke into their conversation. Her eyes then scanned Rai and Suzaku with disgust, before returning to the Knight of One, "You know I can't just let this stand, right?"

"You may do as you please. However, don't expect me to approve of your… tests."

Beatrice got in Suzaku's face, silently scanning his body while circling him, "Knight of Seven. How did you become a Knight of the Round?"

"The Emperor recognized my skill."

"Did he?" the woman pushed up her narrow glasses, "Because last I checked, the one with all the accolades is the Knight of Ten." she stopped in front of him, "To me, you're nothing special. Just another grunt who was lucky enough to pilot a powerful Knightmare."

While it wasn't common for Suzaku to get mad at such petty comments, for some reason this woman irked him greatly, and it was clearly showing on his face, as Michele stepped in, whispering, "Don't let her get under your skin. Beatrice is very… how do I put this?" he caressed his chin, "Ah! She's a role-model Britannian."

"More like Quintessential." Nonette added, much to Beatrice's annoyance.

"Knight of Two." the woman called in a threatening tone, "I order you to duel the Knight of Seven this instant."

"Do… you have a problem with me?" Suzaku asked while trying to sound as innocent as possible.

"Isn't that obvious?" Beatrice surprisingly answered, "You're riding on the coattails of the obviously superior Knight of Ten, who successfully led the push against the Black Knights, alongside the Knight of Three, and Knight of Six."

"Why does she keep referring to us by our numbers?" Rai asked Nonette as the uptight woman continued to berate his friend.

In response, the elegant woman shrugged, "Dunno. I personally think it's a superiority thing."

"So, Knight of Two, will you face off against the Knight of Seven?"

"Jeez… not really giving me much choice." Michele scratched the back of his head with a chuckle, "What do you say, Bismarck?"

"It matters not to me." the hulking man commented while staring at a certain duo who had just entered the hanger, "Excuse me, but I have to take care of this."

Suzaku tried to get a good look at who Bismarck was heading towards, only to have his vision obscured by the rather persistent Beatrice, "Knight of Seven, you will face off against the Knight of Two. We can't afford to have any slackers on this force."

"If you doubt my skills so much, why don't you face off against me yourself?" he muttered mindlessly while trying to see past her.

That was perhaps the biggest mistake he could've made, as evident from Nonette's reaction.

"What's wrong?" Rai asked innocently as she put her arms in an 'X', while shaking her head profusely.

The once elegant woman, now seemed to be struck with fear as she faced the silver-haired boy, "Just because she's now a pencil pusher, doesn't mean she can't fight."

"Knight of Two." the black-haired woman hauntingly called, "Will you show this… thing it's place?" she glared at him, "Or will I have to do it myself?"

"Don't worry, I'll give Suzaku a good spar." Michele calmly responded while turning to the Knight of Seven, "You don't mind, right?"

"I'll take off the float system to make it fair." Suzaku responded while heading toward the Lancelot, only to be stopped.

"Nah. Keep it on." the Knight of Two smiled from ear-to-ear, "I'm a lot tougher than I look."

"It's that boy again." the Japanese man noticed the Knight of the Round from before, standing beside a man whose size was comparable to Bismarck's, and he notably wore a mask. They seemed to be talking about something important, before they left the Knight of One, and headed outside. "He was a Round too, wasn't he?" Suzaku noted that from the cape, "I'm getting real tired of this."

He swiftly moved the Lancelot out of the hanger, following a set of strobe lights that line the floor toward a Knightmare slingshot. He straddled his legs, preparing to launch, before shooting forth, straight into an open-roof arena. It didn't take long for the rest of the Knights to fill in the stands, as they watched the fight unfold. Then, the Sagramore leapt into the field, landing on four legs like a centaur as it rode around the arena, before returning to its bipedal form. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah." Suzaku brought out an MVS, and stared down the Golden frame as it brought out a strange axe.

"The first to have their frame destroyed, is the loser!" Beatrice announced.

"What!?" Michele exclaimed, "There's no way we're going by those rules. It'd make it difficult on the mechanics. Instead, let's go until one of our limbs get cut off?"

"Are you sure that's fair?" Suzaku asked, "I'm much smaller than you, so it'll be harder for you to-"

The Sagramore suddenly put out its hand, "Don't worry about me. Fight to your heart's content."

Overhead, the Avalon majestically floated into the capital. But the Knights paid it no mind, as they were focused on one another. Finally, Suzaku charged forth, sending out a punch, only to pull back at the last second as the axe nearly cut him in half. The Lancelot flew behind the Sagramore, drawing an MVS before thrusting it forth, just to have it deflected with a backhand. "He's better than I thought." the Knight of Seven practically skated back while dodging strike after strike, taking note of Michele's stance, as he barely put any effort into the attacks. "Not only that, but he's going easy on me."

"That's it. Let's put on a good show for Beatrice." the Knight of Two smiled as Suzaku leapt over him, attempting to slice his back. With a burst of speed, the Gold Knightmare moved out of the way, before sending an upward slash with his SDA axe.

The Lancelot threw its head back, narrowly dodging the attack while flipping away, sending a kick into its opponent's chest in the process. "He's got some skill, right?" Nonette nervously approached the black-haired lady, "Surely we can call this off, right?"

"Not yet." Beatrice answered heartlessly, "They'll continue until the win conditions are met."

"Jeez." the elegant woman sat beside Rai, caressing his head in the process, "Don't worry about Suzaku. He's gonna be okay."

"Um… I'm not really worried about-"

"Oh. You're shivering." Nonette pulled the boy in for a hug, "Shh. It's gonna be okay."

"N-no… I'm okay." Rai tried to respond, only to find himself silenced.

"You don't have to hide your feelings. It's okay. Go ahead, cry. Cry into my shoulder." her eyes wandered to Beatrice, who couldn't care less about her display.

Suzaku slid between Michele's legs, using his blade to cut the ligaments of one, before turning around to finish it off. However, the Knight of Two quickly turned around, landing a hit directly on the Lancelot's head, sending it flying away. Before he could crash, the Knight of Seven activated his float system, flying into the sky, where he used the sun to mask his presence, diving toward his opponent.

The Sagramore lifted its axe to block, causing their weapons to clash just as Schneizel, Kanon, and two Britannian Knights entered. "You've got skills!" Michele announced while pushing the Lancelot back, "But… I've got experience!" he quickly shifted his weight, causing the White Knightmare to nearly crash into the ground, only to recover within seconds. Now, the gold frame entered its centaur state, chasing down its opponent.

Suzaku drew both MVS, and began clashing them with the SDA axe as they traversed the arena side-by-side. Finally, he chose to fire a harken, only to have it grabbed, and used to pull him in for a strike, which he narrowly dodged by flying over his opponent. Then, he fired another harken straight into Michele's head, causing it to practically bounce off, before accidentally wrapping around the axe.

The Knight of Two used this opportunity to slam the boy into the ground, trying to use the opportunity to sever his arm, which Suzaku barely avoided by tackling the Sagramore into a wall. The Lancelot brought its foot up, kicking the axe away, while slamming an MVS in the chest, causing Michele to groan as he casually flung the boy away. "Hey, watch what you're doing." he calmly reprimanded while pulling out the blade, "This'll cause the mechanics to work overtime."

"Um… sorry?" the Knight of Seven replied with slight confusion as his opponent wielded the MVS.

"How about this? We end the fight in one hit. Whoever does more damage, is the winner."

"Fine by me." Suzaku stood poised with his weapon as Michele did the same.

Suddenly, the two Knightmares charged toward each other, with the Lancelot reaching first, ducking a slash while trying to slice his opponent's leg, only for them to lift it at the last second, and nearly stomp on his arm. Luckily, Suzaku managed to skate around the Sagramore, using a harken to anchor himself while wrapping the wire around his opponent's Knightmare. Though, Michele changed to bipedal mode, leaping to safety. Or so he thought.

"Got you!" with the Sagramore in the midair, it was practically a free win.

With incredible speed, the Lancelot pivoted into the air, flying toward the gold Knightmare as its axe was brought up to block the incoming strike. However, Suzaku knew from earlier, that he wouldn't pierce through the weapon, so he flew around it at blinding speeds, dragging his weapon across the shoulder just as gravity brought Michele to the ground.

Upon landing, the Knight of Two stood there for a moment, before his right arm fell clean off, signaling his loss as the Knight of Seven stayed afloat, victorious. "Not bad." he picked up the arm, "I didn't expect you to chase me like that. The sheer pressure you were applying made that whole match worth it."

Meanwhile, Beatrice scowled as Nonette held Rai close, "It's over now. Your friend won."

"L-like I said… I wasn't really worried-"

"Shh. Just let those tears out."

Finally having enough of her show, Beatrice shouted, "Knight of Nine, unhand the Knight of Ten at once!" that's when she finally noticed Schneizel's presence, "Ah. Prime Minister. My apologies, we didn't see you come in." she bowed accordingly, while Rai and Nonette just stared at him curiously.

"I see Suzaku's fitting in well." Schneizel nonchalantly spoke as the two Knights returned to the hanger. "Beatrice, here are the reports for Area 6. You'll find that its people have realized the futility resistance brings."

"I'm sure the Emperor will be pleased by this development." the woman responded while taking the papers from Kanon.

"Prince Schneizel, to what do we owe the pleasure of your arrival?" Bismarck finally asked as they headed toward the hanger.

"I was just planning on taking Suzaku and Rai back to Area 11. After all, Lila and Euphemia most definitely miss their knights." the blonde lied effortlessly as Suzaku climbed out of his frame, where he was quickly greeted by the Knight of Two, who repeatedly patted him on the back, "Unless… you've got plans for them?"

"Not at all. Here, they are of no use."

"That's kind of cruel…" Nonette added while pulling Rai's cheeks, "I'll have you know that they've provided the upmost entertainment."

"It's good to see you, Nonette." Kanon greeted the elegant woman with a smile, "You'll be happy to know the Sheffield Eye is currently being constructed. We're projected to have it within the next few weeks."

"Ah. That's great news." the woman responded while finally stepping away from Rai, allowing room for him to breathe. "In the meantime, I'll be heading over to Japan."

"Japan?" Beatrice chimed in, "Don't you mean Area 11?"

"Did I? Oops." Nonette shrugged, with her tone suddenly becoming serious, "I'll go pack my bags." her eyes wandered to Michele, who responded with a nod, "Just don't leave without me, okay?"

Beatrice watched as the woman walked off, sighing as Rai asked, "Um… so…"

"Don't." she rubbed her temple, "While she is quite unserious at time, Nonette's not an idiot. I learned that from the years I served as a Round."

"That's not what I was talking about." Rai bowed slightly, "I'm sorry if you don't believe in Suzaku's skill, but he's a way better pilot than you give him credit for. So, can't you at least give him a chance?"

The black-haired woman couldn't believe what she was hearing, "He's asking me for a favor? And a stupid one at that." she took a deep breath, before stating, "The second the Knight of Seven shows me he's not just riding off your success, is when I'll begin to show him some form of… respect."

"Well… thank you for being open-minded."

Beatrice rolled her eyes before walking away, much to Kanon's mild amusement, "Don't worry about her. She might be cold, but she won't take any direct action against you. Though… you might wanna make sure your reports are top-notch, otherwise she'll get on your case." he pointed at the Club, "Will you please help us load it?"

"Oh. Yeah."

March 26th. Black Knight Warehouse. India. 3:00PM

Naoto hastily entered Zero's office, making sure to check that he wasn't followed, before closing the door. Inside, Lelouch sat with his hands clasped in front of the coffee table, wordlessly directing the man to the seat across. Naoto followed directions, and upon doing so, took out a rolled up piece of paper from within his shirt, spreading it across the table, allowing its contents to be viewed. "This is it?"

"Yeah." the Kozuki nodded, "I've looked across India, and this is the only suitable location."

"Really?"

"Well… for the most part. Sure, there are other areas that fit our needs, but this is the most convenient."

"Alright. When should we head out?"

"The train leaves pretty late, about 10:00PM, so we need to make sure everyone is ready."

Lelouch leaned back, "And we've already got an excuse for our trip with Rakshata."

"So… we going through with this?"

"Of course. What'll be call this operation?"

"How about…" Naoto suddenly slammed a pink heart shaped sticker that said, 'happy birthday', "Operation Birthday Girl?"

Lelouch stared at the Kozuki blankly for a few seconds, before suggesting, "A little too on-the-nose. How about… Operation BD?"

"No. That sounds stupid."

"What!?"

"You heard me." Naoto leaned back, "The name can't sound stupid, we'll just get made fun of for it."

"As if anyone else cares, we're the only ones aware of this plan."

"Then why'd you reject my name?"

"It was too on-the-nose! Are you even listening?"

The Japanese man shrugged while rolling up the paper, "Regardless, we're going through with this plan, right? Names don't matter?"

"I guess so…" the Prince responded with a hint of suspicion, "Remember, don't tell anyone else, especially Kallen."

With a single nod, the two dispersed, signaling the beginning of their ultimate plan that, despite the current situation, they could still celebrate a certain red head's birthday without issue.

AN: Shorter chapter than normal, but I wanted to establish the Knights of the Round that'll be present with this. Michele Manfredi is from Akito the Exhiled, and I didn't even know he was the Knight of Two until I checked the wiki a few months back. And, I don't know if he was the former Knight of Two because he left for Euro Britannia, or because he died to Shin. Regardless, he wouldn't be in Euro Britannia now, so he's still a Knight of the Round. Also, I do appreciate that he has an actual personality, unlike a certain Knight of Four.

Dorothea literally has nothing on her wiki that describes who she is, and I don't count 'as heroic as Bismarck', since we've never seen the man be heroic even once. Or at least I haven't. So, I'll try to steadily develop a personality for her. Monica's also a character that interests me, so I'll have her interact with Suzaku quite a bit.

Also, the Palomides doesn't have a float unit... yet.