AN:

Alan Wake: Killing Carine will certainly aid the Black Knights greatly, so in that sense it is a win. However, the objective of this battle wasn't just to kill Carine, but to retake Japan. In which, they only recieved a relatively small victory in face of the bigger picture.

DarkDremora: I understand what you're saying about KT Suzaku, because it's what I've been trying to go for. Showing that this isn't the same Suzaku we've dealt with before. In his mind, killing Zero is his top priority, so caring for Lila, or the ASEEC crew isn't something he's concerned with, especially if he hadn't developed any relationship with them previously (in his Timeline).

Samurai Seven: It's... pending.

Chapter 81: The End

ASEEC Warehouse. 1:00AM.

"Alright, transfusion's been complete." a medic stated while taking out the IV from Rai and Euphemia's arm. "Now, you two need rest, okay? Especially you, Rai. It'll take a while for your body to fully recover."

"N-no…" the Silver-haired boy responded while slowly sitting up, much to the Princess' surprise, "I… need to get back out there…"

"Rai… you don't have to do anything else." Euphie held his hand tenderly, "What you've done for everyone, is more than enough."

The boy looked down, "Even so… I feel like I should be doing more."

"I'd advise against that." the medic added, "After all, look at your face. It's way too pale. If you push yourself too, the probability of passing out is way too high."

Rai turned to the Princess with pleading eyes, "Euphie… let me go out there, please."

The pink-haired girl caressed her Knight's cheek gently, "If I'm going to do so… I need you to promise me something."

"What is it?"

"If things start getting rough, then you'll immediately retreat, okay?"

Rai smiled and held her hand, "Very well. I'll return once things start getting rough, I promise."

"Thank you, my Knight." Euphemia took back her hand, letting its touch linger for a moment, before she closes her eyes to get some rest.

Her Knight then hobbled out of the medical tent, and quickly caught up to his mentor, who was in front of the Lancelot, "H-Hey, Suzaku."

"Rai?" the Knight turned around, "Tired of sleeping?"

"Something like that…" the silver-haired boy scratched the back of his head, "Listen, I'm heading back out, okay? So, if you need someone to watch your back, you can count on me."

Suzaku eyed his student up, as if judging his condition, "Alright, let's go."

This took Rai aback slightly, "Wait… really? Just like that?"

"It's not like I can change your mind. And honestly, why should I? If you truly believe you'll be useful out there, then who am I to say otherwise?" the Knight climbed aboard his Lancelot, and cracked his knuckles, "Just don't hold me back out there."

"As if." the silver-haired boy sluggishly entered the club, misplacing his step a few times, before properly strapping in, "Considering the Lancelot's current condition, I'd say you're the one who needs my help more than anything."

Suzaku checked the Sutherland arm that had replaced the one destroyed in his battle with Kallen and Naoto. "Big words from someone who was unconscious for the past hour."

"That's enough, boys." Cecile chimed in over their comms, "Rai, I hope you won't push yourself too hard."

"Sorry, Cecile. I just can't help it sometimes." the boy responded while rubbing his temple, relieving a slight migraine, "But don't worry, I made a promise with Euphie to return if I feel like things are starting to get rough."

"Euphie…" Suzaku muttered to himself while straddling his Knightmare's legs, "Ready for launch."

"Alright, you're clear. Good luck, Suzaku!" the indigo-haired woman cheered as the air-cavalry boosted into the air, soaring as free as a bird once again.

"And don't push the Lancelot too hard!" Lloyd shouted from below as he repaired the Bradford.

"Hey! Try worrying about your pilots more!"

"Ah-I'm sorry-gah!?"

Rai chuckled at the exchange before zooming out of the warehouse, his landspinners squealing against the pavement as he reached full-speed. Gino smiled at the spectacle, before returning to his Knightmare, "So, what's the verdict?"

Lloyd rubbed the bump on his head with a hiss, "Oh, the systems actually looking pretty healthy. I just had to replace the armor, so you're good to go."

"What about the energy consumption?"

"Actually, that's the most impressive part, it's looking phenomenal. The plasma motor is doing wonders."

"Does that mean we'll be using those in the future instead of float systems?"

"Goodness no. While the energy consumption is taxing, we can easily fix that through further development. If we're directly comparing performance, the Lancelot's moving faster than you. However, you have the edge in efficiency." Lloyd explained as the Knight entered his Knightmare, "Just don't think about it, let us do our job, and you'll do yours."

Gino nodded, "Alright, you're the boss. Thanks again."

The mad scientist took a step back as the Bradford flew out of the warehouse, back into action. "You hear that, Cecile? He called me boss. A Knight of the Round."

The woman rubbed her face in annoyance, "Earl Lloyd Asplund, if you don't get back to work, I'm gonna wring you out like a dish cloth!"

"Ah- Y-yes ma'am!" he turned around to walk away, but hesitated, "Actually… can I speak with Rai and Suzaku?"

Cecile's face turned melancholic as she realized what he was going to do, "Are you really going to tell them now?"

"Might as well. It could increase their performance." Lloyd sighed and pressed on the comms button, "Boys, just to let you know… the ASEEC crew we had stationed in Kyushu, they… they didn't make it."

Rai's heart sunk as fond memories of those old and young mechanics alike played in his mind, causing him to take a deep breath, steeling his resolve, "Then… I'll fight for their sake as well."

"I expected no other response from you." the mad scientist responded while awaiting Suzaku's. However, the boy was too busy crushing a squad of Gun-Ru's to care, so he had to get a little reminder, "Suzaku, did you hear what I said?"

"Oh, sorry…" the Knight withdrew his bloody MVS from a destroyed Knightmare, "Could you repeat it?"

"I said, the ASEEC crew in Kyushu didn't make it. They were wiped out by the Chinese Federation assault."

"Ah. That's a shame." the boy lunged at a Burai, bisecting it across the waist with a spinning kick. In all honesty, he had appreciated the many mechanics attempts at trying to form deeper bonds with him and Rai, but it wasn't enough for him to truly care for them. "I'll make sure their final project is put to good use."

"I hope so…" Lloyd sighed and returned to repairing Sutherlands below. He had been suspicious of Suzaku's sudden personality change for some time, and while it's possible that this was how the boy really was, he didn't believe it. The real Suzaku, the one he knew, was kind, humble, and genuinely cared for the ASEEC crew and Rai. But this one, this imposter, didn't seem to care for any of them. Instead, he was continually trying to push them away with each passing day.

Then again, who was Lloyd to judge? He was the same way once before. No… even he changed thanks to Cecile. After all, that's why, despite being their boss, he kept a lax atmosphere in the workplace. He believed it was better for their mental state, as it was more than obvious they weren't like him, in the sense of being a workaholic.


Black Knight Submarine. 1:05AM.

"Lock it down!" Tohdoh reported as the Gawain was lowered in the Sub's cargo hold, "Make sure we have enough room for Zero and Naoto!"

In the background, several Burais held off an entire squad of Britannian Sutherlands as they relentlessly assaulted the port, "Tohdoh! Sub 2 is almost full!" Nagisa reported as she grabbed a VARIS rifle from the cargo hold, "The Holy Swords will be stationed in this one, okay?"

"Don't worry, I'll join you too." the Miracle worker reported as Urabe leapt from roof-to-roof, cutting down one Knightmare after another.

"I still can't believe Zero actually saved you!" Senba shouted as he joined in for a joint-attack.

"Neither can I! For a second there, I thought my life was done! Then, out of nowhere, he shows up, and busts me loose!" Urabe boasted as he retreated to the sub, "And you should've seen how he dealt with Dasko!"

"Urabe, I'm sorry, but we're gonna have to abandon your Sutherland." Rakshata explained over the intercom, "We just don't need such an obsolete model with us."

"No problem. I understand."

"Speaking of which, Holy Swords, get inside!" Tohdoh ordered, "When the time comes, I want as little people out on the field as possible. That way, we can make a quick escape."

"You sure about this?"

"You were already caught once, Urabe. I think you specifically should listen to Tohdoh." Asahina taunted while taking cover.

"It was only one time!"

"Enough arguing!" Kallen interjected as she obliterated an entire Sutherland squad trying to flank them, "Just get inside! Zero's almost here!"

"You spoke with him?" Tohdoh asked as he moved to the red head.

However, before she could respond, a flash of white took her away. Kallen grunted as she was taken further and further into the sky, the G-forces putting immense strain on her head as she stared directly into the Lancelot's eyes. "Suzaku!" she cried as he dropped her.

"Too easy." he muttered while trying to fly away, only to get caught by the Guren's slash harken, pulling them close for a punch. The Knight groaned as the two entered a death spiral, hurtling toward the ground at immense speed. Even so, the red head didn't give up, and instead jammed her fork knife into his good arm, detaching it. Though, before she could do anything else, the Lancelot broke off just as they were meters from the ground.

Thanks to the Guren attaching its slash harken to the white Knightmare, it was pulled along its retreat, dragging her feet against solid concrete, before releasing the wire, allowing her to safely skid to a stop.

"Face me like a man, Suzaku!" Kallen roared as she got in a stance.

"Fine." the Knight in question landed in front of her. But, he didn't get a chance to enter a stance, as she instantly lunged at him with her surger extended, intending to end the fight in one strike. Thankfully, he managed to narrowly dodge the claws, before countering with a knee to her chin.

The Guren did a backflip to properly recover, and charged in again, sending her right fist forward. Even though it was impressive how easy it was for her to change from defense to offense, Suzaku could do just the same with his increased specs. The Lancelot moved behind its opponent and grabbed the fork knife that was embedded within its shoulder, before stabbing it into the surger, much to the red head's frustration.

Luckily, just as he was about to pull back for another attack, Kallen reeled back, and knocked him up with a sweeping kick. The Knight used his flight to narrowly dodge a double axe handle attack, then he spun back and struck her over the head with a kick, forcing her to eat concrete.

With a piece of rubble in hand, Kallen threw it at her opponent like a baseball, striking him dead center in the chest, sending him flying into a nearby warehouse. Though, he managed to recover from such an attack with relative ease, and the two clashed Sutherland fists once more.


Ruins of Tokyo Settlement. 1:10AM.

Rai calmly approached the Knightmare of the traitorous Knight known as Dasko. Before him, laid the dozens of Sutherland corpses that he defeated not too long ago in his rampage, "Dasko…" the boy called, getting his attention, "Why? Why have you done this? You knew about Carine's antics the whole time, and yet you continued to support her regardless. So why now?"

The Knight didn't answer, instead he lunged at the Club, sending his KMF lance forth. However, he was completely outclassed here, and Rai knew it. Effortlessly, the blue Knightmare dodged the strike, before sending the back of his hand into the Guren's chest, sending it flying back.

"Did Zero provide you with a better deal?" he continued to try and reason with the Knight, but to no avail, as he simply tried to attack once again. The Club stepped back, gently guiding the lance over head, before ripping off the arm with a swift motion. "Someone has to put you down. And… it unfortunately has to be me."

Enraged, Dasko picked the lance off the ground to attack once more, only to get judo slammed in the next second. Rai pointed half of his MVS lance at the Guren's cockpit, forcing his opponent to stare death in the eyes, "From one Knight to another… I appreciate all you did for Carine while you were in her service. However, now you must be put down for good." he plunged the weapon through Dasko's chest, causing him to gargle blood as his vision turned blurry.

"C-Carine…" he muttered as his life faded, "Th-thank you…" the red rings around his eyes dissipated as he fell lifeless against the ceiling of his Knightmare.

"What did you say?" Rai asked, only to receive no answer. Dasko was dead. Would it have been smarter to capture him alive? Perhaps. But considering that this was his second offense, there was a kill-on-sight order placed on Dasko's head. Meaning that even with Rai captured him, he would've just been executed the second he was transferred to MP custody. Besides, even if they did interrogate Dasko, he's an accomplished soldier who had gone through multiple interrogation attempts in the past. He wouldn't break. In fact, that was the reason Carine personally selected him. Or at least, that's what the public believed.

Rai shook the blood off his weapon, before moving toward the port. He had hoped to intercept Lelouch and Naoto with Dasko, but it appeared that Suzaku made the right choice. The Black Knights were turning tail, at least most of them were. There were still large pockets of resistance scattered throughout the city, enough to mount a large scale assault. That's why Britannia couldn't completely commit to destroying the submarines, as they were already spread thin as it is.


Warehouse district located near Tokyo Settlement. 1:15AM.

"There you are." Gino greeted both Naoto and Lelouch as they came to a halt, "And you got a new Knightmare… interesting."

The Kozuki grunted as he drew his MVS, "Zero, try to sneak around, I'll hold him off for as long as possible."

"Not happening." the Bradford sped past the Aroundight, and send a punch toward the Kagero, only to have its strike blocked by its MVS, "Woah, not bad." he commented as the Black Knightmare was sent flying into a warehouse.

Naoto turned around, only to be sent flying with a kick, "This Knightmare's terrible!" he shouted as he tumbled through a wall, "Crap… maybe I should've gotten the Kagero-" he rolled to the side, narrowly dodging a curb stomp, as the Bradford followed up with three more, before firing its Megiddo harken. The Kozuki cut the projectile in half, before sending a spinning kick into his opponent's arm, forcing them to stumble left.

Meanwhile, Lelouch desperately pulled on his controls, only to find the Kagero unresponsive, "Damn it. I thought I blocked, so why'd it do so much damage!?" he opened the cockpit, and found his problem. The MVS had shattered, sending shrapnel throughout his Knightmare; one of the pieces must've hit his energy filler or another crucial system, because not it was just a sitting duck. The Prince hopped out and began running toward the subs, witnessing the battle between the two titans as they threw one-another into warehouse after warehouse.

Eventually, he ducked behind a corner, only to come face-to-face with Rolo, whose was extremely pale, "Z-Zero…" he pulled out a gun, intending to kill Lelouch then and there, only to keel over as he entered a coughing fit, "D-damn it…"

"This guy… he's the one who worked with Clara before, right? That means he should be able to provide some relevant information." Lelouch opened the small hatch on the left side of his mask, and ordered, "Do as I say!"

Red rings flashed around Rolo's eyes, evident of his struggle against the command, "N-no!" he shouted while shakily aiming his gun at his opponent's head, "I'll… kill you!" he pulled the trigger, sending a single bullet to strike the center of Zero's mask, causing it to crack down the middle, separating into two pieces that fell to the ground.

Lelouch clenched his forehead in pain as a small trail of blood seeped from his bruise, "Damn… the mask took the brunt of it… but that still hurt." he eyed Rolo, who was currently reeling in pain as he desperately tried to ignore the command, "That's the second time that's happened today… why? Is my Geass failing? Have I used it too much, and now the potency has been lowered? Or maybe Rolo's built some kind of resistance to Geass in general. No… how would he even do that? Regardless, this is a question I have to pick from C.C's mind later."

"Shut up!" the Geass Assassin shouted as he rolled on the ground, "Just shut up! Get out of my head!" he reached for the gun, before pointing it at his own head.

That's when Lelouch shouted, "Stop!" reinforcing the command.

At that point, Rolo completely gave in. His will was completely taken over by the Geass command, "Yes, My Lord."

Lelouch could only think of the repercussions of such an action later. After all, it was different with Dasko, who seemed to genuinely be a bad person from his point of view. But Rolo was different. From how Clara described the Geass Order, they were just kids thrust into a program that basically brainwashed them into becoming virtual super soldiers for V.V. No. Lelouch didn't have time to weigh his conscious right now. He had to get to the submarine, and if he really thought about it, he would be saving the boy from a cruel death. Or so he told himself.

"Crap… my mask…" the Prince quickly tossed the pieces into the ocean, "No matter… everyone should be too busy to see my face." he ran farther into the port while covering his face with his arm, "Follow me, Rolo."

"Yes, My lord." the boy followed close behind as Naoto crashed through another warehouse.


"This ain't good…" the Kozuki muttered while getting rag dolled by the Bradford. "Man… this is supposed to be working towards a mass-produced Lancelot? No wonder it was a failure." his body was thrown to the side, accidentally hitting a red button, causing himself to recover by practically skating across a wall.

"What the hell was that?" Gino muttered as the Aroundight's landspinners seemed to automatically move back to its original positions.

"Gah!? Are the Black Knight's just obsessed with stealing everything ASEEC has to offer!?" Lloyd exclaimed over the radio.

"Mind elaborating?" the blond asked as his opponent rushed forth, attacking with their fist-first, forcing him to dodge, and move behind him. However, Naoto seemed to turn around almost on a dime as his landspinners spun around to aid in his advanced maneuver. This obviously caught Gino off-guard, as he had never seen a Knightmare move in such a way, this distraction caused him to receive a mean right hook across the face, sending him flying into a building, only to recover seconds before, and land on the roof.

"The Aroundight is outfitted with an advanced movement system where the Landspinners can automatically move around to aid in the direction the Knightmare wants to accelerate towards, providing an unprecedented advantage in combat." Lloyd explained, "Of course, due to such excessive changes happening all the time, it takes up extra power, so we installed another energy filler to make sure it can last a full battle."

"Oh great." Gino muttered as he flew toward Naoto, sending a fist forward which was easily dodged, and countered with a swift kick that was boosted from a nearby warehouse wall. "So… in terms of mobility, we're practically equal." he ducked a strike from his opponent, and send an arm into them.

The Aroundight stumbled into a warehouse, where it instantly flew out, and began trying to get away, "I can't waste time on this guy! I have to get to the sub first!"

"Gino, I beg of you! Capture the Aroundight!" Lloyd pleaded as the Knight flew in front of his opponent.

"There's no way I can guarantee that!" he dodged another strike, and countered with an uppercut, only for his opponent to move behind, before kicking him away.

Once again, the Bradford recovered just inches from colliding with a warehouse, and zoomed back into battle, sending a jab that the Aroundight dodged. Naoto countered with a kick, which Gino easily went under, punching his gut in the process, sending the Kozuki back slightly, before countering with a kick, that the blond took boldly.

Suddenly, they both pulled their fist, intending to finish the fight with a single strike, only to get interrupted by a hail of gunfire, "Don't worry, Naoto!" a Black Knight shouted as he entered the port, "Zero told us you'd be in a strange Knightmare, let us handle that bastard!"

The Bradford flew away, dodging dozens of bullets as his opponent got away scot-free, "Can I get some support over here!?" the blond called as the pressure was building.

"We're rerouting two Sutherland squads to help, and Rai's almost there. You just have to hold on." Cecile reported

"But with that timeframe…" Gino took a deep breath, before charging into battle. He annihilated two Burais upon landing, before moving to destroy the remaining Knightmares. His eyes moved toward the retreating Aroundight, but before he could pursue, the Lancelot and Guren crashed right in his path. The two separated while panting heavily, "Oh, I was wondering when you'd show up. You look worse for wear, Suzaku."

"I'm fine. Just go destroy the submarine."

"Ah… about that…" the Bradford shrugged, "I don't have any weapons to do that. What about you?"

The Japanese man sighed, "My MVS are gone… and so are my VARIS."

"Then, it looks like we'll have to face off against this one together." the two turned to the Guren as it swayed from side-to-side, clearly experiencing battle fatigue, "Rai's gonna be here soon, so let's get to work!"


Meanwhile, Naoto moved toward the edge of the pier, where he could see Zero desperately running with someone chasing him, "Need a lift?" he called while extending his hand.

"Thanks." Lelouch responded as he climbed onto the hand, with his pursuer following suit.

"Friend of yours?" the Kozuki inquired

"Not really. I'll explain later."

"What happened to your mask?"

"It got destroyed. Don't worry, I have a spare onboard."

"Really? How long have you had this prepared?" Naoto asked as he entered the sub, parking his Knightmare in an empty slot.

"I got everything in position just this week. And, considering that the Chinese Federation were gearing up to attack, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity. Apparently, I was wrong." Lelouch explained while hopping off, keeping his face covered as he hid in the shadows, "Make sure everyone is accounted for, then we'll set sail. But hurry up, okay? I have no doubt the Britannian navy is close to blocking us off now."

"Right." Naoto and Zero split off, with the former heading to the command center, "We ready to go?"

"Not yet, Kallen's still out there." Maya reported as she tapped away at a keyboard, "We've called her in now, but…"


Kallen stared down the Bradford, Lancelot, and Club as they stood between her and the subs, "Sorry about this, but we're gonna have to take you into custody." Gino commented while floating above his allies.

"Rai, do you not have your VARIS?" Suzaku asked his student.

"No. Mine got destroyed a while ago." the boy responded while preparing his MVS lance, "We'll have to wait for the reinforcements."

"Not enough firepower to destroy those subs…" the red head muttered to herself, "Rakshata, get moving."

"What!? But you're not here yet!"

"If you wait any longer, they'll be destroyed. Just kept the first subs hatch open, I'll make it." Kallen assured as she let out a deep breath, entering extreme focus, "I won't have time to kill all three… I've just gonna run for it." god, she hated running from battle. But, this was an instance where she'd be putting the lives of her friends at risk if she didn't. Rai would be the easiest, since he's lacking in experience and specs, but Suzaku and Gino would provide significant trouble, only due to the fact that they can fly. Meaning, just getting on the sub won't be good enough.

The red head suddenly lunged forward, clashing her surger with Rai's lance first, causing both of them to be dragged toward the end of the pier. At this point, the subs are a substantial distance away, so to catch-up, she used the silver-haired boy as a launch pad, covering half the trip. Even so, she still wouldn't make. That was, until Gino decided to move in front of her, "Not so fast, pretty lady." he brought his fist back, intending to take her head off.

But this was what Kallen hoped for. She quickly used her slash harken to latch onto his chest, bringing her close enough to grab his head with the surger, hoping to use the momentum from the explosion to get her to the sub. So, she tried to activate it at full strength, only to find out there was an error, "Crap. That damage from earlier must've made it short-circuit." with her armament failing, she chose to set it to self-destruct, and detached her limb. The proceeding explosion sent her flying toward the submarine, "With this, I'll make it!"

However, like a phantom overhead, a white flash caught her eye, and she instantly recognized it as Suzaku. "Lelouch is there, isn't he!?" he pushed his Lancelot to dive at full speed toward the Guren, intending on tackling her into the open Knightmare bay, where he would subsequently self-destruct, killing himself, and the man who made his life a living hell, simultaneously.

Kallen realized that her opponent was going for a suicide run, but couldn't do anything to stop it. Her harken had been damaged in the explosion from earlier, so it wouldn't fire. Her arms weren't long enough to slap him away. Right now, she was the most vulnerable she had ever been.

The Lancelot's Yggdrasil drive spun wildly as it began overclocking itself, before going cold, turning its beautiful flight, into a horrifying free-fall. "N-no!" Suzaku shouted as he tried moving the controls while veering off course, "Why now!? Why now!?"

The red head breathed a sigh of relief as the White Knightmare headed face-first toward the ocean, out of sight as she crashed in the center of the subs Knightmare bay, "Close the hatch!" she heard a mechanic shouted as she passed out from exhaustion.

Outside, the Bradford, with half of its body severely damaged, swooped in and saved the Lancelot just as it was about to collide with the harsh sea, "Don't worry, I've got you." Gino called as he put all power into his motor.

"What about… Zero?" Suzaku asked as he grew light-headed from the fall.

"Don't worry, he won't be getting away." In the distance, a total of 18 warships moved to intercept the sub's path as they began to dive beneath the surface, "About time the navy arrived."


ASEEC Warehouse.

A loud crash, followed the squealing of metal, brought every single mechanic rushing outside, where their eyes laid upon the Avalon as it skid past their front door. "Gah!?" Lloyd exclaimed as it came to a screeching halt. "What happened!? Why'd the Avalon crash?"

Soon, the flying ship's back door opened, allowing for Schneizel to calmly exit the frame with a solid poker face, "Sorry about the damage, Lloyd. But the float system failed halfway through our trip. We were already running on fumes once we got here." he explained as the rest of the crew hobbled out, including Kanon as they barely kept their bile within their stomachs.

"M-my apologies…" the captain muttered as he keeled over.

"It's alright. This was merely a test run, after all." the blond Prince responded while gazing at the warships as they positioned themselves above the submarines on their radar, "It's a good thing we didn't run out of power in the middle of the ocean." a small smirk placed itself on his face as he watched depth charges being dropped in the water, "This… is Checkmate, Zero."


Black Knight Submarine 1.

"Zero! We're being surrounded!" a Black Knight shouted as the warships positioned themselves over the sub, "It'll take us a few more meters to become undetectable!"

The Masked man clenched the arm rest of his chair, "Damn it. Schneizel thought of this too? Or was it because we took too long?"

Maya was practically tossed out of her seat as an explosion errupted on their left, "Depth charges!"

"Shit! They got us!" a crew member shouted as numerous explosions went off all around them, "We won't last long like this!"

"Rakshata! You've got our countermeasures ready!?"

The Indian Woman clenched her pipe between her teeth in frustration, "Tohdoh!" she shouted, gaining the attention of the second subs commander, "Tell your crew to activate the-"


Suzaku and Gino watched with awe as a massive explosion sent water flying upwards of 50 feet, nearly capsizing the warships as they retreated, "Targets destroyed." they confirmed while checking their sonar for any blips, only to find it absent of any signatures."

"Th-they did it…" Rai muttered as the Lancelot and Bradford collapsed next to his Club, "Zero's been…"

"Good riddance." Suzaku joined in with a perturbed look, "It's about time he was killed."

Gino stretched his arms, "I don't know man… he exposed who Carine really was, and killed her. Subsequently, protecting Princess Euphemia and Viceroy Lila."

"So what? Are you saying you're sad that he's gone?"

"Not at all. I'm just grateful that he was willing to protect the two Princess' who had been innocent all along. The JLF would've had them killed for merely being related to the royal family, not looking for exceptions. Or worse…" the blond explained, "Regardless, I don't approve of his methods, but I can see that he had righteous intentions."

"Is that so…" the Japanese man scoffed, "He's gone. Lelouch is finally gone. Then why? Why don't I feel happy? I thought… if he died, I could finally be at peace, but my heart's still in turmoil."

"By the way…" Gino patted the Knight on the back, "I saw what you were going for back there. A suicide run."

"Yeah. What about it?"

The Knight of Three sighed, "I know you really wanted to win, Suzaku. But, you shouldn't be going into battle with the mindset that you HAVE to sacrifice yourself to win. Otherwise, did you truly win? Think about it. If you died, how would that have impacted poor Lila? She lost her sister today, her brother a few months ago, and now she'll be losing you too? I'm pretty sure she wouldn't have been able to handle it."

Rai nodded at the Knight words, "He's right, Suzaku. I don't know why you wanted Zero dead so badly, but it wasn't worth your own life."

The Japanese man sighed as dark clouds rolled in from above, allowing for warm rain to pelt the boys, "Ew." Gino tried covering his face, but to no avail.

"You don't like rain?" Rai asked as Suzaku sat next to him.

"No. I just don't like warm rain. It's disgusting."

"It's probably warm from the battle." the Japanese Knight muttered, "Or maybe your body's just too hot."

"Oh. I didn't know you could compliment people."

"That wasn't-" Suzaku sighed, "Whatever."

"Oh, lighten up." the blond patted the two Knights on their backs, "Zero's gone. You can finally rest."

"Sure, Zero is gone, but his influence remains."

Gino took a deep breath, taking in Suzaku's words, "Well… I'm sure you're right about that. I have a feeling the Glinda Knights are going to be very busy for the coming months."

In the distance, V.V watched the trio with an amused smile, "Suzaku Kururugi… I think Charles will certainly take an interest in you, I'll make sure of it."


ASEEC Warehouse.

"Ah, Schneizel. It's so good to see you." Euphemia said in a weak voice as her brother sat by her bedside, "What brings you here?"

"I heard you gave some blood to your Knight. That was very nice of you." the blond replied while keeping an eye on the TV, "I'm assuming you've heard the news about Carine?"

"Y-yes… it's very unfortunate." she looked at her lap, "I know she wasn't the best person around, but someone losing their life is still sad. Did you see the fear in her eyes? She really didn't expect Dasko to turn on her like that…"

"It is a shame." the TV suddenly changed to the news, which instantly drew the Prince's attention.

"We have reports coming in that Zero has been defeated by Prime Minister Schneizel's forces." the woman reporter as she read off the script, "The footage you are seeing now, are the man's last moments before his submarine was destroyed by exactly 18 Britannian warships." she narrated as the screen changed to the large explosion that followed the hundreds of depth charges the ships had dropped, "In other news, after witnessing Zero's uprising, multiple terrorists groups all over Britannia have been inspired by his display, and are currently in the process of overthrowing their own Viceroyalty's. We have yet to receive a statement from either the Emperor, or Prime Minister Schneizel."

"It… it looks like you'll have your hands full for a while…" Euphemia giggled lightly as the reporter continued to go in depth with the uprisings.

"It seems so." Schneizel stood up, "I'll let you get back to recovering. Oh, by the way, I thought you would like to know, that Cornelia's brought Area 18 to its knees, and is currently on her way to Area 11."

"R-really!?"

"Yep. She'll be here tomorrow, so you should put on your best smile." the blond walked out of the tent, and gazed upon the Avalon as Lloyd comically flew around it with a ghostly expression, panicking at how much the repairs would cost. "Zero… I wonder what your next move will be?"


AN: The Aroundight (to my knowledge) doesn't have the ability I listed for its landspinners. However, after staring at its wiki for a few hours, and checking back on it for refrence, I figured that it was way too boring since it's basically just a normal Knightmare that's supposed to be used toward the 'Vincent Plan', so I figured I might as well have it take some influence for the Vincent. The landspinners being my choice, because the Vincent has four total landspinners (two on the shoulder, two at the feet), so I figured in Lloyd's mind, he would try to improve the Aroundight's performance, by making its landspinners extremely versatile, since a similar solution was found for the Vincent (or at least similar enough).