AN:
DarkDremora: It's true that such rumors about Kallen float around briefly. Though, they are quickly snuffed out by Naoto, who obviously doesn't like the idea of his little sister being referred to as a 'mistress'.
Alan Wake: I don't have any real plans regarding Ash, and while it's possible that something will change about that, only time will tell.
Guest: I just want to say (and feel free to say I'm wrong, since I haven't read that part of OZ), but wasn't Marrybell piloting the Elphaba, which is a Knight Giga fortress, so it makes sense that nobody would be able to take her in a 1v1 regardless. Especially considering how well V.V performed with one against Lelouch's raid party.
Chapter 94: Pressure
Black Knight Warehouse. Chennai. April 15th. 12:38PM
"Hiyah!" Benio shouted while stabbing a can with her trash stick, before putting it into her bag, "Hiyah!" she repeated the move on another piece of trash.
"Not bad." Tamaki commented as the little girl assaulted a can, "It's only been a little under a week, and you've already become a pro custodian." he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "And honestly, I might be out of a job at this rate!"
The brown-haired girl sauntered over to Naoto, who calmly placed a beer can at his side, watching the ocean thoughtfully, before having his possession suddenly snatched from behind, "Ah! Hey!" just as he was about to complain, Benio swiftly replaced the confection with a new, ice-cold one, quelling any words the Kozuki might have, "Uh… thanks… I guess…"
Tamaki chuckled while walking up to his friend, "How do you like that?" he asked as the girl stood by his side, "Or are you awestruck by my pupil's skill?"
Naoto rolled his eyes as the Japanese man gave him a smug look, "I couldn't care less. Besides, aren't you taking your cleaning gig a little too seriously?" he cracked open the beer, and took a sip.
"No way. Being a custodian is serious work, right, Benio?"
"Right!" the girl shouted eagerly.
The Kozuki raised an eyebrow suspiciously at the display, "For some reason… I really don't like this…"
"Look at that, Benio. Naoto's too flabbergasted to even comment on our Brilliance!" Tamaki proclaimed while hitting a dramatic pose; bringing his hand up to his chin, while using the other to point at Naoto, and slightly leaning back. This was soon followed by the girl, who mirrored her teacher's movements to a T.
"Tamaki, what are you teaching her?"
"Isn't it obvious? I'm showing her how to be a Black Knight."
"By striking dramatic poses straight from that anime you were watching a few months back? We're not a clubhouse, you know?"
"What's wrong with a little fun?" Tamaki responded while returning to normal, "I bet you're just jealous, since we get to have fun, while all you do is go to meetings and get thrown around by Tohdoh."
"Oh yeah. Because I'm totally jealous of you, Tamaki." the Kozuki said sarcastically, before facing the ocean once more, "By the way, Benio."
"Y-yes?" she stepped forward, holding her trash stick close to her chest. Admittedly, she was a bit scared of Naoto, due to who he was: An authoritarian figure. Unlike Tamaki, who commonly cracked jokes, she had never seen the Kozuki laugh once. Only ever giving – or at least what she thought were – judgmental smirks.
"Where did you learn to… use a trash stick like that?"
"That? Well… Tamaki taught me the basics, but I've learned to borrow a few moves from those old sword-fighting shows I used to watch." she explained, "Is… that not okay?"
"No. It's fine. I just wanted to ask."
"Jeez, why do you have to scare her like that?" Tamaki lightly scolded his friend, "C'mon, Benio. Let's leave this bad influence behind."
"Bad influence!? Don't you dare say that when you exist!" Naoto finally snapped, causing the girl to flinch slightly, "How am I a bad influence, and you're not!?"
"Well, I'm not the one drinking so early in the morning."
"It's the afternoon!"
"Only by about 40 minutes. So what? Were you counting down the minutes to start drinking? Is that it?" Tamaki turned to his pupil, "These are the common signs of an alcoholic."
"I'm not an alcoholic!"
"Come on, Benio. Let's get back to cleaning."
Naoto watched as the two began walking away, but not without the girl bowing slightly before running off, "We need to get Benio away from him." he mumbled while taking a sip of his drink, "If not, then there's a good chance we'll have two Tamakis running around."
"Then you'll like what we have planned." C.C suddenly interjected, startling the man, causing him to spill a bit of his drink.
"Considering what Lelouch has told me about you, I doubt Benio hanging around you is any better."
"Oh my… Lelouch talks about me? What's he said?"
"Yeah. I see what he means." the Kozuki mumbled in response to the girl's teasing, "Though, considering you said 'we', that means she'll be hanging around more than just you, correct?"
"Pft. Both of you are so dull." the Immortal retorted, "But yes. She'll be with myself, Kallen, and Maya."
"Oh, Kallen's finally taking her turn? That's good of her." Naoto picked up his beer, only to stop inches from taking a sip, "By the way… where will you be going?"
"Ah… I see." Lelouch paced back and forth in his office on the phone, as Kallen watched from the couch, her eyes half-open from taking a nap moments earlier, "Right. Then let me know when he's gone, okay?"
"Is Nunnally alright?" the red head asked as her boyfriend breathed a heavy sigh.
"I honestly don't know. Ever since Schneizel's began visiting Kirihara's estate regularly, there hasn't been an opening for me to speak with Nunnally." he explained while moving to the couch, where Kallen lifted her legs, freeing a space for him to sit, before laying them on his lap, "Sayoko says they're getting along all right. Especially Euphemia and Lila. Then again, anyone could tell those two would take a liking to Nunnally. Though, Cornelia was someone I genuinely didn't expect to hear about, given how much she loves her country and such."
"Yeah. You'd half-expect her to run Euphemia, Lila, and Nunnally out of there as soon as possible. But, either due to the stubbornness of those girls, or Cornelia's weakness for her sisters, they're still staying at Kirihara's." Kallen added while closing her eyes.
"Even so, Schneizel still troubles me."
"Why's he even there? Doesn't he have something else to do as Prime Minister?"
"While he hasn't told the group anything substantial, it can only be assumed that he's there for the Chinese Embassy." the Prince explained while reaching for his mask, "Though, I doubt my worries will be quelled even after he concludes his business there, and leaves for Britannia. After all, he knows Nunnally exists." he put the mask on Kallen's face, nearly covering it completely, only leaving behind a few strands of red hair sticking out, "So I'm stuck wondering what he'll do with such information. For Cornelia, I can understand her not revealing Nunnally's existence due to Euphemia. But Schneizel's a true wild card."
The red head's faint groan could be heard through the mask's voice filter, causing the owner to chuckle while playfully using his hand to shake her head, "Stop… it's too hot for this mask…" she mumbled while weakly trying to push him away, "I don't understand how you do it. Especially, with all that… whatever the hell your suits made of."
"It's a small price I have to pay for peace." the Prince responded while removing his mask from Kallen's face, allowing her to take a breath of fresh air, "How's Benio been doing?"
"She's… I think it'd be better for you to ask Tamaki about that."
"Why? Don't tell me you're ducking your responsibilities."
"It's nothing like that." the red head giggled, "It's just… she's good. There's not a rebellious bone in her body, so she follows orders without much resistance. But…"
"That's not a good thing, right?"
"Yeah. She needs guidance, and I don't think just hanging around the base all day cleaning will do her any good."
"What are you suggesting?"
Kallen sat up, "Well, Maya and I were thinking about taking her to the beach."
"Girls day-out? How nice." Lelouch commented, though he couldn't help but feel something nagging in the back of his mind, "Wait… you're going to the beach?"
"Yeah." she answered flawlessly, "I thought it'd be nice to take advantage of the sun or something."
"And you're going… with just Maya and Benio?"
"C.C's gonna be there too." Kallen added while getting up.
"And for your attire… you'll be wearing…"
"Normal beach wear." she then gave her boyfriend a sly smile, "Oh… I know what you're doing."
Lelouch looked away, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh come on." she slid back onto the couch, bumping shoulders with the boy, "You don't want me to go, do you?"
Of course, the Prince didn't want to admit such a thing out loud. The thought of his girlfriend going to the beach without him stirred a strange feeling of… jealousy? For what? She could go out whenever she wanted. He never had any real qualms about it before, so why now? "It's not like that…" he lied while trying to look away, only for Kallen to grab his face, and force him to look at her.
"Is that so?" she asked while playfully squishing his cheeks, "So if I go to the beach today, you won't care?"
"Well… I will care… it's just-"
"That's not what I meant." Kallen cut him off, "You won't be angry if I go out?"
"Why would I?" his eyes wandered to the right, avoiding his girlfriend's gaze, annoying her in the process, "Besides… even if I was… it wouldn't be right to deny you the freedom to go out, especially with how things are now."
"Pft." the red head snickered, "It's not like you're shackling me down, so even if you told me not to go, I could still choose to if I desired. However, you should know by now that if you asked me not to go somewhere, I'd listen." she began squishing his face playfully again, "So say it. Say you don't want me to go."
"What about Benio and Maya? What will they do?" Lelouch asked, trying to cover up his embarrassment.
"We'll find somewhere else to go, it's not that big a deal." she replied while wrapping her legs around his torso, pulling him closer to apply more pressure, "Now, say it."
The Prince groaned, clearly frustrated from being pushed like this, "I don't want you to go." he mumbled.
"What's that? I couldn't hear you." Kallen teased, while putting her ear closer, "Mind repeating that?"
Lelouch faced her fully, giving her a dead-on stare while stating in a firm tone, "I don't want you to go."
The red head's eyes widened slightly, before softening into a taunting gaze, "That almost sounded like an order."
"Ugh. Why are you making this so difficult?" the Prince asked, losing all of his confidence upon realizing what he just said, "That's going to be painful to remember in the future…"
"Awe. I wasn't making fun of you." Kallen said while finally separating herself from the boy, "I just like seeing you confident, that's all." she tried to get up, only to have her arms grabbed suddenly, and pulled back down, causing her to squeal slightly.
"If that's the case, then as Zero, I cannot allow you to visit the beach due to the possible security risks it could bring." Lelouch ordered while putting on his Zero mask, "Is that understood, Q1?"
"Y-you…" the red head looked away as her face began to match the hue of her hair, "You're cheating with that mask… how can I see your reaction with it on?"
"Q1. Did you hear me?"
"St-stop calling me that…" she mumbled while taking a deep breath, "I didn't think you'd take my advice so… quickly…"
Lelouch sighed beneath his mask, hiding a face that was about as red as Kallen's hair. Though, he didn't let it show through his voice. With the mask on, he didn't have to worry about being called out for being embarrassed, allowing him to fully commit to teasing, "Then you won't be going to the beach, correct?"
"You know… I didn't think Zero would be dictating my life with such an iron-hand." the red head joked, trying to regain some ground.
Nevertheless, she failed in the end, as her face made it all too easy for Lelouch to take back the initiative by saying, "Well, I'm supposed to care about all my subordinates; that remains especially true for those close to me." he put a hand on her back, causing her to arch slightly while puffing out her cheeks in even more embarrassment, "I don't want to see you get hurt, Kallen."
Those final words seemed to break the camel's back, as the red head finally admitted, "Okay! Okay! I get it! You win, Lelouch! I can't take this anymore!"
"Oh? You're done?"
She nodded vigorously in response, "I'm done teasing, now! Just let me go, please…"
The Prince did as told, and released his girlfriend, who instantly jumped off the couch, and hid behind an armrest, only peeking her eyes over the crest to cutely glare at him, "I'm sorry, was that too much?" he asked while trying to get up, only to be stopped.
"D-don't move!" the red head ordered, "It was… a bit much…" she added in a mere whisper, "But… it's not like I hated it…"
"What did you say?" Lelouch genuinely asked, not hearing her due to her mouth being hidden behind the armrest.
"Nothing!" she stood up and hastily headed for the door, "By the way… we're going to the open market, not the beach…"
"What? Don't you have to confirm that with the girls first?" the Prince questioned as Kallen slowly turned around, her face clearly indicating she still had one last move.
"We were never going to the beach. I lied." she proclaimed before bolting out the door, haphazardly jumping off the balcony, and landing before C.C and Benio, of which the latter yelled in surprise at the display, "Come on, let get Maya and get out of here."
"Hm? What's wrong, Kally?" the Immortal teased, "Your face it quite red…"
"It's just the heat. Nothing more."
In truth, while Kallen was embarrassed by her boyfriends display, she secretly enjoyed it deep within her heart, as it gave her new confidence regarding their relationship. Not that she was doubting him before, but the display Lelouch just gave was a testament to how far they had come since December. Sure, he had pulled similar stunts in the past, but not like this, where he seemed like a completely different person, "Ugh… it's that mask. It has to be…" the red head thought while walking down the street, "I don't know why it got to me so much…" she shook her head, trying to forget about what happened, otherwise she could possibly faint from embarrassment.
Though, she wasn't the only one feeling this way, as Lelouch was slamming his head repeatedly on the couch, reflecting on what just transpired, "Ah! Why did I say that!? So stupid… I'm never going to live this down…" he rolled onto the floor, landing with a thud, "I wish I could just crawl in a hole and-"
"Zero?" suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
"Who is it?" the Prince asked flawlessly, as if nothing happened.
"It's Savitri Kagari. I'm here for early tests of the Druid System."
"Already?" the masked man opened the door to a young Indian girl, with a serious face. Based on first impressions, it was clear that she meant business, "I thought it would take longer."
"These are just early tests and calibrations." she explained as they headed into the warehouse next door, where the Kagero and Aroundight were being dropped off the back of a trailer, "We'd like you to have a sparring matching with Naoto to get a proper reading."
That's when the man in question and Tohdoh entered the warehouse, "Woah. Are you sure this is a good idea? What if someone sees?" the former asked with a hint of concern.
"Nobody comes to the end of the pier anyway." Zero stated calmly, "Do you have any qualms with a quick match?"
"What? I get to test my mettle against Zero? What more could I want?" the Kozuki responded with a smile, "Sure."
The Open Market.
"Oh! This is cute." Maya said while picking up a white folding fan with a black lotus design, "What do you think, Benio?"
"I think it's nice… my mom used to have one of those for display…"
"Do you want it?" the black-haired girl asked with a smile, "This way, you can finally use one of these things."
"O-oh…" however, the brown-haired girl seemed a bit down by the suggestion, "Um… sure."
"Alright. I'll get it for you."
Kallen watched the interaction from afar, using a tent as shade to escape the heat and the crowds of people walking along the street, "She's not able to process that loss well." C.C's voice cut through while bumping shoulders with the red head, "Considering how traumatic the event was, I wouldn't be surprised if she forgot the finer details; only remembering the fact that her parents are-"
"I wonder how my mom is…" Kallen thought aloud, "I… didn't really think about it, but I wonder if she survived the battle of Tokyo. And… if she did-"
"She most definitely did. The fighting was really just concentrated in the main city." the Immortal interrupted.
The red head rolled her eyes, "Well, I wonder if she's worried about me."
"Of course she is. Your mother's different this time, right? But you shouldn't be sad about it, as I'm sure she's got Sayoko and Nunnally to keep her company."
"I don't know about that… they're pretty busy at the Kirihara estate."
C.C nodded, "Even so, there's nothing you can do about it now. Once you return, I'm sure she'll be ecstatic."
"Right…" Kallen released a heavy sigh, before walking up to Benio, "Find something interesting?" she asked as the young girl loomed over a sewing kit.
"I was just thinking… if someone's clothing gets damaged, it would be nice to have a sewing kit to repair them, wouldn't it?"
The red head grabbed the girl by the arm, and began pulling her away from the stand, "Benio, get your mind off chores. You deserve the day to relax, considering how hard you've been working." she pulled her to a small jewelry stand, which was filled with cheap, but fashionable brooches, "See anything you like?"
"Um…" Benio suddenly froze upon being touched by Kallen. In truth, she had been avoiding the red head in fear of saying, or doing, something stupid that would earn herself a negative reputation with the girl. Benio desperately wanted to prove herself, so she did it the only way she knew how: through doing chores. Sure, it's silly, but she didn't have any other skills to bring. So, now that she was being shown such… kindness for doing nothing, it was quite overwhelming to say the least.
"Go ahead. Pick one."
The brown-haired girl gulped and slowly began looking over the vast amount of choice laid before her. At first, her eyes were drawn to a monarch butterfly brooch, which instantly became one of her favorites. Then, there was a red poppy brooch, though this one seemed a bit off-putting to the girl for some unexplainable reason. Finally, her gaze landed upon a black dove brooch, which was accented with a bit of yellow to make the - otherwise - subtle wings stand-out. "I think… I have my choice."
Kallen looked down, "The bird? Yeah. It does look cute, doesn't it?"
Upon paying for the piece, Benio put it on her shirt, brandishing it for the world to see, "How does it look?"
"Pretty good." the red head giggled, "I think it suits you perfectly."
"R-really? Why?"
"I dunno. It just looks great on you."
"Kally~" Maya called with a suspiciously sweet tone, "Look at what we found."
The girl sauntered over to her friends, who were positioned in front of a clothing stand, where there was a belly dancer's outfit on display, "Don't you think this would look good on you?" C.C asked with a teasing grin.
"Ugh. For a second there, I thought you two found something good." Kallen rolled her eyes before turning to Benio, "If those two ever say something stupid, just don't listen to them and seek safety with your nearest adult. Especially if it's C.C."
"C.C? That's… an odd name…" the brown-haired girl mumbled, "Is it like a code name or something?"
"Yeah… a code name."
"Quit spreading such negativity about, Kally." the Immortal jumped in, "Besides, are you seriously not interested in something like this?" she tapped the manikin's shoulder, "Don't you remember how he looked at me before? Now, just imagine if it was you."
Upon the vague mentioning of Lelouch, Kallen turned red and began sputtering; remembering what happened an hour ago, "Y-you… nobody would approve of something like that… it's… demeaning."
"Demeaning? It sounds like you're just hesitating. I can see it in your face."
"Kallen… what's she talking about?" Benio asked innocently, earning a strange reaction.
"Nothing! Absolutely nothing!" the red head grabbed her by the shoulders, and began guiding her away from the duo, "Remember this, C.C's a bad influence, so don't hang around her unless you absolutely have to. I don't want your potential ruined by her."
"Potential?"
"Yeah. You've got the potential to be a healthy and successful member of the Black Knights. However, I'm afraid if you hang around people like her - or Tamaki - then your judgment will unfortunately become clouded." Kallen cupped Benio's face, causing her to lightly blush in embarrassment, "You mustn't allow that to happen. I don't think I can handle another C.C or Maya hanging around the base, okay?" she held the little girl in a tight embrace, as if comically protecting her from the evil that was Maya and C.C.
This obviously prompted a reaction from the girls, "Hey! Stop treating us like we're the villains!" the black-haired girl shouted, "If anything, you're the bad guy here!"
"What!? Me?" the red head pointed at herself, "I'm not the bad influence here."
"You're just as bad of an influence as we are." the Immortal added with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh really? How so?"
"We don't have to provide a reason. Benio will see your true colors soon enough." Maya stated confidently, "But there's still time for her to escape your grasp. Come on, Benio. Join our side, and we'll do you no wrong."
"Don't listen to them." Kallen proclaimed while pulling the brown-haired girl away, putting considerable distance between herself and the duo, "They're just little weasels waiting to enter your mind and mess with it. Just ask Clara when you get the chance."
Suddenly, Benio's stomach growled, putting an end to the playful argument as the girls turned their attention to her, "Hungry?" Maya asked while getting closer.
"It's nothing…" the little girl responded while rubbing the back of her head, "I'm alright, really."
Another growl soon followed, eliciting Kallen to ask, "So where are we going?"
"How about spicy curry?" Maya suggested, causing C.C to snicker, "What?"
"Oh nothing. It's just, I was remembering Mario telling me about you almost died eating one before."
"That bastard snitched on me!? I'm gonna kill him!"
"Oh. I call dibs on his Sougetsu, then."
"No way. I'm gonna turn that thing into scrap metal, and create the ultimate Sougetsu-no. The Supreme Sougetsu!" Maya proclaimed with a playful laugh.
Benio's stomach growled once more, signaling a hint of urgency for their decision, "Well, where do you want to go?" the question was directed at the girl.
"Um… it doesn't really matter to me…"
"Then how about tandoori chicken?" Kallen suggested
"Or we could do pizza-"
"No way." the combined force of Maya and Kallen shut down the Immortal's suggestion, which came as a surprise.
"Whoa. Why not?"
"We had that like… two days ago." the Disel stated, "There's no way I'm having it again today."
"Yeah. I'm getting bored with pizza."
"Heretics."
"Yeah? Well, the heretics are going to get fed, while the stubborn one isn't." Kallen said while dragging Benio into the distance, "Either follow or starve, witch."
"So cruel." C.C giggled, "Very well, I suppose I'll broaden my horizon a bit. Or at least that's what I would say if I hadn't had tandoori chicken before."
"All systems are ready." Lelouch stated while flipping a few switches in his Kagero, "I think I'm ready to begin the sparring."
Naoto nodded, and prepared his Aroundight, "Alright. Let's see what this druid system's got."
The Prince waited for a few seconds for the system to start its projections, but found nothing popping up. So, his opponent chose to start their attack by rushing forth with his fist, sending a right hook, which Zero easily dodged, taking numerous steps back, trying to gain ground, only to be chased down. Naoto sent out his left hand, which was easily deflected. Though, this was exactly what he wanted, as once Lelouch tried to bring his arm back, he lunged forth and grabbed it, preventing the boy from pulling away, before driving a knee into his chest.
"Damn." Zero mumbled while stumbling back, "The time-lag on this thing is too much."
"What is it?"
"Four seconds."
Upon hearing this, Savitri tsked, "That's alright. This is just a starting test, after all."
Clara, Rolo, Mario, and Tohdoh watched from the sidelines, specifically paying attentions to Lelouch's moves, "He's gotten pretty good, hasn't he?"
"Sure is an improvement." the Miracle worker answered Mario's question, "If only he applied himself more, then he'd be even better."
"I doubt it." Rolo added, "There's a certain level of innate talent that's needed for staggering physical improvements. From what I've seen, it's not like he's not taking training seriously, but his body simply cannot keep up with the demand."
"Since when did become so knowledgeable?" Clara asked with a raised eyebrow.
"And since when did you turn down a day off?"
The pink-haired girl puffed out her cheeks, "I just wasn't in the mood. That's all."
"You're not fooling anyone." her fellow assassin stated, "It's because of him, isn't it? You're afraid of encountering him, despite being in a completely different city."
It was true, Clara was afraid of encountering Orpheus, especially after her brief talk with him at Agra. Now, she sought safety within the Black Knights; opting to be as close to Zero as possible, since she knew he could keep her from harm the best. Though, she wouldn't actively admit this, especially to someone like Rolo.
"I'm gonna pick up the pace, okay?" Naoto announced, clearly getting carried away with the spar.
"Fine." Lelouch mumbled, "Do you have enough data on the Druid System?"
"Yes. This will do. Feel free to enter a full-on spar." Savitri said while typing something on her tablet.
"Finally! I've been waiting for this!" the Kozuki pushed his frame forth, only to come up just short of his opponent, who ducked out of the way.
Naoto had been anticipating this day for a while. The day when he'd finally be able to spar with Lelouch in Knightmare combat. It wasn't due to any profound reason, like the boy dating his sister, or anything like that. Well… maybe a little, but it wasn't the main one. He's always been competitive - must run in the family -, and even though he and Lelouch were two completely different pilots, the question always bugged him in the back of his mind: what if they fought? To everyone who had eyes, it was obvious Lelouch - rather Zero -, would lose. But with the training from Kallen, Naoto wanted to see just how far the Prince had come for himself.
Using the Aroundight's superior movement, he zipped past the Kagero, aiming a punch at his opponent's torso, only for it to be dodged with a side-step. Lelouch let out a breath while deflecting a kick, before trying to counter via a jab. Though, his strike would hit nothing but air, as Naoto did a split, and zoomed away, leaving skid marks in his wake. Eventually, he did a flip and landed on both feet, staying close to the ground like some kind of wild cat; ready to pounce his opponent.
The Prince prepared himself as the White Knightmare burst forth, nearly taking him by surprise with the speed. Even so, he managed to narrowly dodge the incoming strike, causing both of their wheels to squeal as they positioned themselves across from each other. Naoto sent out a left jab, which Lelouch blocked with his right hand, before pulling him opponent forth for a counter. However, the Kozuki managed to block the Prince's own left jab with his right hand. Though, unlike his counterpart, he used his legs to disrupt the Kagero's footing, forcing it onto one knee, letting go of his left fist in an attempt to catch itself.
Lelouch's eyes widened as he heard the Aroundight's arm cock back for a strike, to which he braced himself for the finishing blow that sent him crashing to the ground, ending the spar. That's when his spectators began clapping at the impressive display from their leader, "Not bad, best buddy!" Tamaki shouted, "I'm pretty sure I saw Naoto sweating there for a second when you hit 'em with that reversal!"
The Kozuki rolled his eyes while helping the Black Knightmare up, "That was pretty good, Zero. You should be proud of that."
Lelouch sighed while putting his Kagero in a kneeling position, "You can thank your sister for that." he exited the frame and was instantly approached by Tohdoh, "Don't even say it."
"Say what?"
"I know what you're going to say, and it's a no."
"Le-Zero. I think if you put in extra training with me, you could truly become a formidable pilot."
"There's no way I'm doing that." the Prince put his foot down, "I'll just leave the main fighting to you guys, while I command everything from the backlines."
"And what if you get singled out? What'll you do then?"
"I can hold my own until you guys get there." Zero signaled Savitri to collect the Kagero, and began to walk toward his office.
"Even so, you have to keep in mind that we're not always going to be there." Tohdoh continued by following the masked man, "Just keep in mind what I'm saying."
"I've been doing that. However, no matter how much I think of it, the thought of doing extra healing isn't appealing to me." Lelouch stated while sitting on the couch, "Anyway, where are the other Holy Swords? I haven't seen them in a while."
"Urabe and Senba said they'd stop by tomorrow. The underground Knightmare matches are starting to bore them. As for Asahina and Nagisa… I don't know. They said they had something important to attend to, that's all."
Somewhere within Chennai.
"Is this the building?" Nagisa asked as she and Asahina stood outside a large hotel, which easily towered over the surrounding landscape.
"There's no mistaking it." the bespectacled man added, "Besides, he's the type of guy to live in luxury, and considering this is the nicest hotel around, he's definitely here."
The duo approached the front door, which was opened for them by the doorman, greeting them with a charismatic smile. "Good Afternoon. How may I help you?" the receptionist asked with yet another smile.
"Um… we're here for… Diethard Reid? He's expecting us-"
"Ah yes. Mr. Reid." the girl happily handed them two guest passes, "You'll find him in the penthouse suite."
"This idiot seriously used his real name to book a hotel!? And in the penthouse too?" Nagisa rolled her eyes while heading toward the elevators, "Figures…"
"Just keep calm." Asahina said while pressing the button to call the lift, which arrived mere moments later, "I'm still surprised you agreed to this."
"Yeah? Well, I don't want to associate with this guy. He creeps me out."
"Yet he's the only person I know who's been around since the Ashford dispute. He has to know something." the bespectacled man said as they were taken upward, arriving at the top floor in less than a minute.
"Zero or not, I'm killing Diethard if he suggests anything dishonorable."
"Aren't we already being dishonorable by, not only going being Zero's back, but Tohdoh's as well?"
"This is for the safety of the Black Knights, and my own peace of mind." Nagisa responded as the elevator came to a stop, "Tohdoh knows and trusts Zero. Even so, he was willing to lie about that boy's identity, meaning there's clearly something… fishy going on." she stepped out and knocked on the suite's door, "Don't you feel the same?"
Asahina looked away, clearly unsure himself, "I… I don't know. I trust Tohdoh, and his word is final. If he says Zero is to be trusted, then I'll follow his judgment. But, I can't deny how suspicious it is, that he'd feel the need to lie about the man's identity."
"Then we agree."
"I suppose…"
Suddenly, the door opened, and there stood Diethard with a beyond smug smile, one that sent a chill up Nagisa's spin, "Good evening, my esteemed guests." he greeted them with flawless delivery, "Please, come inside, and make yourselves at home. From what we discussed on the phone, I'm sure we've got plenty to talk about."
