Drifting towards Rebellion
Story:Drifting towards Rebellion
Storylink: https/s/12383696/1/
Category: Code Geass Drifters/ドリフターズ Crossover
Genre: Lelouch L., Nasu no Yoichi, O. Nobunaga, S. Toyohisa
Author: Starlight's Poet
Authorlink: https/u/4746382/
Last updated:
Words: 42903
Rating: T
Status: In Progress
Content: Chapter 1 to 6 of 6 chapters
Source:
Summary: When Shimazu Toyohisa awoke it was not a world of fantasy he was in. It was Japan...over 400 years after the Battle of Sekigahara. His homeland has been enslaved, and now he finds himself working with the thought-dead Demon King of the Sixth Heaven and a hero from the Genpei War. Then a certain Britannian prince joins the fray. This world was destined for more than chaos.
*Chapter 1: Act I
Well, ladies and gents...it is time to make good on my promise, and thus, I am presenting to you the first completed chapter of the story I was showing off with my oneshot "Teaser"! And do you know what the best part is? This is made possible by the combined efforts of myself and RealmOfEmptiness! If you don't know who he is, I suggest you look him up and read at least ONE of his stories! Seriously, man's a genius!
Well, I shouldn't keep you waiting. Ladies and gents...welcome to "Drifting towards Rebellion!"
Drifting towards Rebellion
Act 1: The Battlefield of the Ruined Japan
Shimazu Toyohisa hurt like hell. He wasn't sure if it was just his body aching in general, or the numerous stabs he received when he shot that general in the chest.
The memory was still deep in his heart. Their forces were on the verge of defeat...but the feeling of it was not there. The Shimazu of Satsuma never knew such a thing as 'defeat'. The Battle of Sekigahara resounded deeply into his heart as he charged into the battlefield, taking both lives and heads of the enemies before him. When his uncle called for a retreat, he stayed behind to defend him. It was a shame, though, that he didn't get that damned commander's head. It would have made for a fine trophy.
However, he was confused about the rest: while he wandered through the forest he had somehow found himself in that strange white corridor, with doors lined up. The last thing he could recall was that man who sat there as if holding court, and everything after that was a blank. He was brought back to reality when he felt his wounds lurch with agony. A curse came through his teeth as he sat up, a hand at his ribs. His hands felt something warm seeping through the cloth wrapped around his waist.
"D-dammit!" he hissed in pain. "What the hell...huh?" Suddenly he became more aware of his surroundings. He was sitting atop a raised bed, sheets hiding his lower body from view. Bandages were wrapped around his waist, left bicep, and neck, no doubt to stop the bleeding. His actions must have reopened some of them, as the red blotch in his right side began to grow bigger. However, even stranger still was the fact that he was inside some sort of room. It was unfamiliar to him, with dark gray walls surrounding the available space and a single door made of metal as the only exit. The walls looked dilapidated: several cracks ran along the walls, some even left partially destroyed. They looked ready to fall apart any second. "Where is this?"
Then he heard a couple of familiar, yet at the same time foreign sounds: the sound of gunfire, and that of screams.
The sound of screams was more than familiar to him. Hell, he's heard it for nearly all of his life since he took up arms. However, the gunfire was foreign: it sounded like hundreds of muskets firing off in a disorganized rhythm, a mess of shots firing off in rapid succession. Well not quite, but that was the best way Toyohisa could describe it. That said, both sounds were clear signs that wherever he was...sure as hell wasn't safe. He couldn't tell if this place was being defended or if someone was attacking. He looked around the room, hoping to find his weapon: to his relief he found his trusty katana sitting next to the bed he sat on. Sadly his gun was nowhere to be found.
It would do. Inside a building a sword had the advantage against guns due to the confined space, even one as long as his katana: he trained hard to remove that weakness.
He tore the sheets from his body and hopped off the bed, ignoring the pain of protest his body gave, taking his sword with him. He placed himself against the wall next to the door, slowly drawing the blade from the scabbard. He then pressed his ear to the wall: the sound of gunfire had ceased, as had the screams. Now, however, he heard rushing footfalls, running straight down what he assumed was the entryway.
"Search the facility! Don't leave any of these filthy Elevens alive!"
Toyohisa frowned. 'That's...English, isn't it?' He was no stranger to the English language, able to understand the basics, but he never bothered to actually learn it. He'd met a few Englishmen who came to Japan for whatever reason so understanding it was more or less cakewalk, especially when his father and uncle demanded it. Still, the fact that there were people speaking English and attacking...what did that mean? And who in the hell were those 'Elevens'? Footsteps rushed past the door, causing him to tense. He gritted his teeth and readied his sword, ready to strike.
Two seconds passed. Then, movement: the door was thrown open and someone entered. Immediately Toyohisa struck: he swung his sword down, slashing at their back. The figure let out a cry of pain, a masculine one, as he hit the floor, his musket falling out of his grasp. Before he had a chance to escape Toyohisa stabbed his sword into his stomach, thus pinning him to the floor. The captive let out another cry of pain.
Toyohisa's head turned, but found no one trying to save their comrade. He also didn't hear their footsteps, meaning they had moved on. Good. Now he could properly get a hand on the situation. He turned his head to his captive, only to frown. He had half-expected them to be dressed in some kind of foreign clothing, since the Englishmen never really had a taste of armor, relying on their muskets as their only defense. His captive however was wearing gray padding and armor over what appeared to be black clothing that fully covered the body. The helmet was the oddest piece. It was dome-shaped with a few edges, and the faceplate was certainly strange: it had what looked to be a mask of some kind with a tube over the mouth, and a strange piece with two round plates of glass where the eyes would be.
What strange armor...did all people from Britain or wherever they came from wear such armor? It hardly looked practical. Hell, it didn't even provide the slightest protection from his sword! Regardless, he pulled his sword from his captive's stomach and then flipped him over, placing the blade right over his neck.
"Okay Gajin." he said slowly with fierce eyes. "Answer my questions. If you don't...you know what happens."
The soldier let out a low growl. "Go to hell, you filthy Eleven!"
Again, there it was: Eleven. What did that even mean? Was that how Englishmen address the people of Japan? Still, Toyohisa had to respect the man to some degree: fearlessness in the face of the one who captured him...admirable, at the very least. The trait of a good warrior. He pressed the blade further against his neck. "Hell is a place I'm familiar with." Toyohisa said, wanting to intimidate him. "As are the men who's heads I've claimed. Now, unless you want to join them answer my goddamn question. Where the hell am I?!"
The man winced at the cold feeling of steel biting his flesh, followed by the warm feeling of his own blood on the skin. If before he wasn't sure about the blade's sharpness, now he was. "...The Osaka ghetto." He finally hissed between clenched teeth.
'Osaka? I'm in Osaka?' Toyohisa thought with some skepticism. Osaka was pretty distant from Sekigahara, more than a full day on foot if one didn't run. Considering he was in a pretty bad shape after the battle, he doubted he was able to walk there alone. Someone, probably the one who bandaged his wounds, took him there. But why not stopping in a closest town, or even Kyoto?
Also...what the hell was a 'ghetto'? Was he talking about the slums? If so, then it would explain the state of the room and the several cracks on its surface. Still, he wanted to know who built this place: the walls seemed to be made of thick earth, like concrete or the like. He was vaguely familiar with concrete, if only for the building of the foundation of some houses. That said, the rest of the housing should normally be wood, paper and mud.
At any rate, it seemed he would get the answers he needed. "Alright then, next questions. Who are you? And why are you attacking the people here?"
"W-what?!" his captive practically gawked. If Toyohisa could see beneath the helm, he would see the soldier's face twist in shock and disbelief. "Are you a fucking idiot?! I'm a Britannian, you filthy Eleven! Your better and master! And why shouldn't we attack this shithole you animals live in?! It's a base for you filthy terrorists!"
'Terrorists?' That term was unfamiliar to him. Someone who caused terror? However, the other terms confused and irritated him even more.
"Britannian?" Toyohisa's eyebrows reached the middle of his forehead. "What? Is that what you Englishmen call yourselves now?" Then his eyes narrowed. "I don't know what's poisoned that mind of yours, but I don't remember ever swearing fealty to some sort of arrogant fool. My loyalty is to the Shimazu! No one else!" He pressed the blade further, causing his captive to growl in pain. "Now answer! Why are you attacking this place! Who are you attacking?!"
The soldier felt the blade dig deeper. Soon it would touch his jugular and he would bleed to teeth. The wound in his stomach hurt like a bitch too, so he could barely move. Maybe if he kept talking and was lucky he could recover to his weapon. "L-Like I said, we're taking out the terrorists here!" he repeated. "Our orders were to kill everyone inside this building!"
So that's what it was...a massacre. Somehow that seemed to infuriate Toyohisa even more, his eyes burning something fierce. He recalled what the so-called Britannian said about his people: calling them filthy animals and the like. He referred to himself and the other Britannians as being superior to them. "...Then all the people inside this building...they're all Japanese, is that correct?"
"Hah!" the soldier barked a laugh. "Even when your nothing but a defeated dog, you still call yourselves that?! Face it, you fucking pig! You're not samurai or heroes or whatever! You're not even people as far as we're concerned! Just numbers in the system! Just Elevens!"
Toyohisa's anger spiked. His heart burned with rage and his soul demanded justice for this treachery. He was more than happy to oblige. Besides, he had what he needed anyway.
"Then you can die with your pride intact, 'Britannian'!" he roared.
He raised his sword above his head and swung. Before the soldier realized it his head was cut clean off, creating a spurt of blood that splashed against his pants. Crimson liquid stained the silver polish of his blade, a common event when it came to blood. Toyohisa let out a humph, swiping his sword through the air to flick off the blood before he held a hand to his chest, his eyes closed. With the head severed from the corpse any and all sins were cleansed from his enemy. Filth remained in the body, but the head was now pure. He would have liked to give it a proper burial, but now he had to get out of here.
He exited the room and found himself in a long hallway. It was like the room he was in, and just as ruined. The walls were made of stone, cracks running through them. Some large pieces of debris even layered the floor, leaving behind gaping holes. "This sure as hell doesn't look like any slum I've ever seen." Toyohisa commented. He took a quick look around and then found the corpses of what he assumed were his countrymen. They were dressed oddly: rather than armor, they wore what he assumed to be some kind of western designed clothes. Similar to the bodysuits to wear under the armor, only separated and in different colors and segments. However, he also took notice of the muskets in their grasp and frowned. He walked over to one of the bodies and picked up its weapon. "What kind of musket IS this?"
The weapon in his hands was most definitely anything but a musket. It was all metal but no wood. The barrel was also much longer, but not long enough to be considered a rifle. It had two muzzles rather than a single one, though it still looked part of the same tubing. It also had no flintlock, much less a chamber to load the gunpowder in. "How the hell is this thing even supposed to work?" he questioned, looking it over. "Is this what foreigners use? Seriously...Gajins are so strange."
Well, he needed a weapon with range either way. But he had no holster. An idea came to him shortly however: he moved back to the room he woke up in and ripped the sheets from the bed, fastening them into a makeshift belt and holster. "That should do for now." he nodded to himself before leaving the room. "Now...back to Sekigahara! I need to get back to uncle!"
Unknown to Toyohisa, a figure watched him from afar, hidden by the shadows.
"So he's awake?"
"Seems like it. Going by his reaction thus far...your gut feeling might not be off the mark."
"Heh...I'll be damned. In that case, make sure he gets here in one piece."
"I'll do my best. Still...the Britannians got lucky. They discovered this base purely by accident. My guess is that they spotted one of the soldiers when we were bringing him back here."
"Figures...did you at least get the supplies?"
"You should be getting them in a few minutes. If not, well, there goes another shipment for you."
"So long as the guys bringing 'em are okay, all's fair I guess~"
"This place is a damned maze!" Toyohisa cursed as he ran around the complex, trying to find his way out of here. "I must have been running for at least an hour! Who in hell built this place, and using stone no less?!"
Either the place was ridiculously large, or somehow he kept missing the exit. All he found were the bodies of his fellow countrymen, some bodies of those 'britannians' and rooms with bizarre stuff he couldn't be arsed to identify. At least the beds told him people lived there, whatever their reasons and occupations could be.
But most of all, there was not a single window! He didn't even know if he was underground or not!
He was about to turn another corner when he heard footsteps coming from the other direction.
'Finally! Someone I can threaten into guiding me outside this trap!' Unless it was a fellow Japanese, in that case he was sure they could come to a common understanding. Quickly he ran into a room and pressed himself against the wall next to the door, ready to grab and push inside the last one to pass...and kill the others if necessary.
As the footsteps grew closer he held his breath to give nothing away. Soon he could discern the differences between each set. 'Two, no three people.'
When the first person appeared in his field of vision he felt relieved. It was a Japanese, wearing the same strange outfit and armed with another of those not-muskets. The second one was a woman: unusual on the battlefield, but if the enemy targets civilians it was necessary even for them to take up arms. While there was no honor in killing a woman Toyohisa admitted willingness to fight and skills weren't exclusive to one gender.
The third person was a man with a bandana around the head. 'Now!' Toyohisa step halfway through the door, his left hand latching over the man's mouth before pulling him inside the room. Before he could use his not-musket Toyohisa put his blade in front of his neck, close enough the man could see it but without cutting the skin. "Sorry for the manhandling fellow countryman." He said in Japanese when he felt the man tensing. "But I'm injured, with no idea where I am and also rather confused about pretty much everything. If you're willing to talk without shooting me raise a hand."
Slowly the man took off one hand from his weapon and raised it, palm open. Nodding Toyohisa released him.
"Never thought I would risk having my head chopped off..." Turning around the man revealed brown hair and eyes, one hand massaging his neck. "Next time use another-Dude, you're bleeding!"
"I survived worse." Toyohisa shrugged, saying the honest truth.
"Shuichi!" A voice called. "Where are you?!"
The man, who probably was 'Shuichi', looked first at the door and then back at Toyohisa. "Can I...?" At Toyohisa's nod Shuichi replied back at the call. "I'm fine! It's not the Britannians: I think I found him!"
"Found me?" The samurai frowned. "Were you searching for me?"
"Yeah." Shuichi nodded. "Our boss told us to find the injured man him and the others brought here. He told me to say..." His eyebrows furrowed in concentration before he addressed his comrades that were entering the room at the moment. "Hisae, what was the message again?"
The woman, Hisae, relaxed when he saw Toyohisa. "Here you are, good. Our boss told you to tell you those words: I guess you have no idea where you are and what happened to you, but the last thing you probably remember before waking up was a long white corridor, with many doors and an odd man with large glasses."
His eyes widened. "Yeah!"
"If your response is yes, then know I'm the same as you. Follow my men, they will bring you to safety and to me. I'll answer all of your questions. Well, those I can at least." The woman finished.
"That's the gist of it." The first man, who had large sideburns, said with a smirk. "Name's Ippei. So, are you ready to leave for a nicer place that isn't crawling with Brits?"
Toyohisa nodded. From the sound of it, their boss had the answers he needed, especially if he mentioned that man in the white corridor. He then moved out, trailing behind the three. "So where are we anyway?" he asked as they ran. "The last thing I remember was being at Sekigahara, not Osaka!"
"We found you injured not too far from here." Shuichi answered without looking at him, keeping his gaze set straight ahead of him and his gun at the ready. He was tense, but Toyohisa couldn't blame him. Given his first meeting with one of these Britannians they obviously did not like Japanese people at all. "Though how you managed to get here from Sekigahara is beyond me. As for where we are, it's our base...or at least it was, until these guys found it!"
Toyohisa didn't ask anything further. He pretty much had the information he needed, though he was still confused. How could he have reached this place? He recalled trudging through the forest, and then meeting that man in the corridor. After that, nothing. Well, at least he was saved by his countrymen and not anyone else. However, he wondered what the state of the war was. He couldn't quite relax yet, both because of the gajins here, and because of the fact that he was in another region. He couldn't remember who Osaka had sided with, but he still couldn't afford to let himself be open. Perhaps it was a ruse...no, that couldn't be. The fact that these gajins were invading and attacking was pretty much proof that things were tense. 'But when had they come? How?' his mind questioned. They whirled around a corner, and began running up a stairwell. 'Surely news of Englishmen invading Japan would have spread quickly around!'
"Ippei, where's the extraction point?" Shuhei questioned.
"Up on the roof. The boss is coming to pick him up in a helicopter." Ippei replied grimly. "I just hope we get out of here in one piece."
"The fuck is a helicopter?" Toyohisa demanded.
Shuhei looked over his shoulder, staring at the man in shock. "...Are you serious?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
"How do you not know what a helicopter is?!"
"Run now, talk later!" Hisae snapped at the boys. "Ippei, how much further?"
"Not much!" He replied. They could worry about helicopters and strange guys armed with swords later, now they needed to get out of there.
They finally reached a door. Ippei slammed it open by literally ramming it with his shoulder, unwilling to slow down even a little. As he passed through the frame Toyohisa was momentarily blinded by the light after so long inside, but his eyes adjusted quickly. When they did, he behold a sight that stole his breath.
A literal sea of grey. The building he was standing on was taller than most buildings he ever saw, only comparable to some stories soldiers tell each other around the bonfire about gigantic castles nobles with too much money on hand were always commissioning somewhere really far away. Around it were scattered other buildings of similar height, ugly and blocky things made of the same grey stuff of the inside, and just as dilapidated. In the distance he could see the sea.
Somehow he felt like he was standing in the middle of a giant graveyard. Maybe he was really dead and this was King Enma's waiting room. Nah, his body hurt too much. Also, those guys that came to get him didn't look like Gozu and Mezu. No animal faces, and they were three instead of two.
"What..." Toyohisa realized that he hadn't been breathing properly, so his voice came out a slight gasp. "W-What the hell is this? It looks like a damned graveyard...all of those gray towers. Lined up like tombstones."
"Aptly put." someone said in agreement from the other side. Alarmed by the unfamiliarity of the voice Toyohisa turned to draw his blade. "Then again, this is what has become of almost all of Japan. In the old days Osaka used to be proud and vibrant...but now look at it. A city of rot and decay, just like everywhere else outside the Tokyo Settlement." The samurai stared at the figure with slight apprehension. It was a woman with long dark hair tied back into a large ponytail, bearing a youthful face with a slight grin. No wait, it wasn't a woman: presuming she was the one who speak, her voice was masculine. Must have been one of those pretty boys one of his comrades used to rave about when he was drunk. His attire was similar to the Britannians, though the armor was more padded and actually gave some form of protection, covering most of the body. "Must be quite the shock for you, waking up to see Japan reduced to this."
"Y-Yoichi-sama!" Hisae cried, her tone suggesting the utmost respect. "H-how are you-?!"
The man, Yoichi, gave a shrug. "Oda insisted I keep an eye out, in case things got rough." he said before smirking. "Oh, and don't worry about the Britannians...their bodies will be buried among the rubble soon enough." Then his smile dropped. "More importantly...Ippei, how many of you were able to escape?"
"I think ten or fifteen. Twenty, if we want to be optimistic." Ippei hung his head in shame. "I am sorry Yoichi-sama, it's my-"
"It's NOBODY fault." The ponytailed man interrupted him harshly, but with a touch of concern. "The Britannians just got lucky. It happens. Nobody can predict everything."
"Did you just said that everywhere but Tokyo is like this?!" Toyohisa demanded. Any other day he would respect comforting a soldier that blamed himself for a mistake not his own, but this was not any other day. "Don't joke with me! I was out like a light for only one, maybe two days! There is no way Japan changed so much!"
"True. Sadly, it's a bit more complicated that just missing a few days. I once felt the same as you." He walked closer to them before looking in the distance. "Ah, here's our ride. Don't freak out new guy, no matter what it seems."
Before Toyohisa could ask for clarifications he heard a strange sound coming closer and stronger with each passing second: it reminded him of a sword being swung around in the air at great speed, faster than humanely possible.
The wind also felt stronger, like something was pushing up against him. The sound then began to emerge from up above. He looked up, and his eyes promptly turned the size of dinner plates. Being the eloquent man he was, he spoke three words that perfectly described what he saw and felt.
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
Some sort of metal clump was flying down, oddly shaped like a demented carriage. The only part of it that remotely resembled a carriage was what he assumed was the head, while the rest of it stuck out like a tail from behind. Above it were rotating blades, spinning at a speed that not even the fastest of Iado-users could be capable of. He wasn't sure if he was looking at a demon or whatever, but the sight was scary enough for him as it is. Soon the carriage descended, landing on what looked like metal rods. One of the doors slid open, revealing a man inside: his clothes were odd, just like the others, but of a different style. He recalled that western merchants wore similar clothes. However the man was also Japanese and looked to have aged well, being probably somewhere in his fifties. He had stubble growing on his face, both on the upper lip and on his chin. His black hair fell down past his shoulders, and a black eyepatch sat over his right eye. All the while he was smiling. If Toyohisa were to compare it to something, he'd say the man was smiling like the Devil himself.
Then he noticed it. A small pin on the pocket on his left breast. Though it was seemingly made of gold, it was hard to not recognize that crest.
The Oda Mokkou. The banner and symbol of the Oda clan.
"Hey boys and girl." the man, who Toyohisa assumed to be the 'boss' Ippei and his comrades spoke of, greeted them jovially. "Miss me?"
"Boss!" "It's the Boss!" "Sir!" The three soldiers greeted the new arrival in their own way, while Yoichi just smirked. He seemed to really like smirking.
"I see everyone is in a good shape." Then he glanced at Toyohisa. "Well, almost everyone."
He stepped down from the carriage and advanced towards Toyohisa who, however, reacted by pointing his sword at him. But the instant Toyohisa started moving the man flicked his wrist, grabbed a gun that came out of his sleeve and pointed it at the samurai's head.
Ippei, Hisae and Shuichi moved, probably to protect their Boss, but Yoichi stopped them with a raised hand. "Let them." he said with a casual tone. "They aren't going to kill each other anyway."
"Who are you? That Mokko family crest...are you a man from the house of Oda?" Toyohisa barked.
"A man from the house of Oda?" The eyepatched man smiled like he just heard something incredibly funny. "Are you an oaf? I am Oda, and Oda is ME."
That phrase...there was once a certain great man that loved to said that phrase, but it couldn't be him! "Who the hell are you?!"
"I am Nobunaga." The man replied, a cloud over the sun casting shadows on his face. Only his eye was visible: it was the eye of a true demon. "Oda Ufu Nobunaga."
Toyohisa stared.
Then he swung his sword.
Like before the man that called himself Nobunaga moved as the same moment as Toyohisa. He stepped back, letting the breeze produced by the moving sword rustle his hair. "That was dangerous. You really are an oaf."
"You are the oaf!" Toyohisa shouted, cold sweat starting to form on his skin: he was really pushing his body too hard. "Lord Nobunaga has been dead for many years now! Henceforth, this must indeed be the Netherworld and you a demon trying to dece-"
"Not to ruin the moment." Yoichi's voice cut through Toyohisa's tirade. Everyone looked at the ponytailed man, who has a silly grin on his face. "But the explosive charges I left behind are about to explode. When they do, the entire building will collapse."
They stared.
Then everyone but Yoichi and Toyohisa ran inside the carriage.
The samurai stared at the effeminate man, who grinned back at him. "You expect me to follow you?" he growled. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't cut you down here."
"Well, I was the one who stitched you up, however little good that did since you re-opened your wounds," Yoichi pointed out. As he said, red blotches had formed along the other bandaged areas of Toyohisa's body, with the one at his chest growing larger. "That, and we're currently trying to save you. If this is how you repay gratitude, I'd hate to see how you handle betrayal."
"Don't test me, jester!"
The man looked offended. "Jester? I am an archer, first and foremost! Now then, unless you want to die and be crushed to death, do get inside the helicopter. That thing." He pointed at the carriage. "We don't have much time." Toyohisa still regarded him with hostility, but he knew he had a point. Besides, he couldn't quite kill him yet. There were still answers he needed. Reluctantly he hopped into the carriage while Yoichi took to one of the legs. Then the 'helicopter' began to move up, taking them into the air.
Toyohisa had to admit to himself he was scared. Facing death on the battlefield was one thing, but flying was a completely different thing: it was unnatural, if the Gods wanted man to fly they would have given them wings.
Even if in the past, when he was a kid, he sometime wondered what flying would be like. All children have stupid thoughts. But like that, inside a metal carriage nosier than an inn full of drunken soldiers, it was far from the dream he once had. And the view wasn't even good. "I think I hate flying."
"Have to agree with you here." The man who called himself Nobunaga said from the opposite seat. He didn't recognize the material those seats were made of, but they were comfortable. "Useful if one is in a hurry, but it's better to keep one's feet on the earth. So young man." He grinned. "I told you my name. Who are you?"
"Told me my name?" Toyohisa scowled. "All you did was giving me the name of a man who died 18 years ago."
"18 years after my supposed death? I see." The man nodded. "I'll ask again: who are you?"
"...Shimazu. Shimazu Toyohisa!" He finally answered. Entertaining the madman in front of him was the last thing he wanted, but he wouldn't shame the name of his family by withholding it. "Son of Shimazu Iehisa."
"Shimazu Toyohisa..." The man closed his eye, as if in remembrance. Then he opened it again. "The battle of Sekigahara, uh?"
"That's right!" Toyohisa's eyes widened. "The battle! How did it ended? Was my uncle, Shimazu Yoshihiro, able to retreat?" He wasn't sure if the battle had even come to an end, but the fact that this man who called himself the one infamously feared as the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven knew of it meant he had to know something about the outcome.
"...Hate to tell you this, young man-"
Outside the carriage the building was torn apart by multiple explosions going off in different places at the same time. By the time it happened only Britannian soldiers were left inside: those that weren't killed by the explosions died crushed by the falling debris.
But no amount of racket could prevent Toyohisa from hearing Nobunaga's next words.
"Yes, your uncle survived. Lived well afterwards too. But since the Battle of Sekigahara...more than 400 years have passed."
Suddenly, as if ice cold water was dumped over him, Toyohisa found himself reeling back. "W-what?"
"The Battle of Sekigahara happened in 1600," the man told him. "We're in 2017. By the way," he grinned again. "Welcome to Area 11, formally the land of the rising sun, now the penal colony of a nation who rules over a third of the world."
Future.
Resistance.
Area 11.
Act 2: New World
*Chapter 2: Act II
We're back with yet another chapter filled with Drifter goodness! Sorry for the long wait! We both have stuff to deal with on our end, plus thinking out some new stuff while setting up the outline. I'd say we have, maybe, up to the conflict at Narita planned. At any rate, this chapter will primarily focus on Toyohisa getting caught up to speed.
With that in mind, welcome, ladies and gentlemen...to Drifting Towards Rebellion!
Drifting towards Rebellion
Act 2: New World
It had been a few hours since Toyohisa had arrived at the destination the man, Nobunaga Oda, had brought them to. Currently, they were inside a giant tower, which Oda referred to as Dairoku Tengoku Industries, which overlooked a city that looked as if it were made of silver. In honesty, the sight was breath taking, and startled him to the core. Part of him wondered if that one-eyed fool was truly telling the truth. Once they arrived, Oda said that he would explain everything him to him later while he gave him time to adjust. After that, he was led to a room with a bed, which he assumed was some sort of living quarters, and given a fresh pair of clothes. They were...quite strange. For starters, they were separate pieces of clothing rather than a bodysuit one would wear underneath their armor, and were different from any sort of training gi. He was given a "shirt," which was white with short sleeves that came down to his elbows, red accents at the neckline and hem, black pants that were much slimmer than a hakama, and another shirt called a "jacket," which was dark red with a hood attached.
His wounds were also healed once again, with new bandages wrapped around his body.
'The longer I'm here, the more I question my sanity,' Toyohisa thought as he sat in the room, left alone to his thoughts. 'That city...that fool who calls himself Nobunaga said it was the Tokyo Settlement, and that the Battle of Sekigahara happened over four hundred years ago. But...what the hell does THAT mean? Time travel? Preposterous!' Yet the evidence so far had tried to prove him otherwise. The strange attire, the Gajin who call themselves Britannians, the strange firearms, that contraption called a Helicopter...and the supposed remains of Osaka. The silver city that was Tokyo. 'Even if I do believe what he says, and that this is in the future...how do I know that kabuki is truly who he claims to be?' The Samurai scowled, gripping his hair in frustration. 'Dammit all! Nothing here makes sense! The last I remember was meeting that man in that white corridor!'
Toyohisa paused, suddenly remembering something. The one-eyed fool...he claimed to have met that man as well. That meant he must have had some answers. With that in mind, he lifted himself off the bed and moved to the door. He was still left startled by the fact that it slid open without him even touching it, yet another piece of evidence that this was most certainly not his time. However, he frowned when he found the pretty boy called Yoichi leaning against the wall across from him, smiling. "About time," he said, as if he had been waiting a long time. His armor was gone, revealing attire that Toyohisa was more than familiar with; a light blue kimono top with the sleeves rolled up to the shoulders, armor wrapped around the wrists and covering the back of the hand. A white sash was wrapped around his waist, and below wore baggy blue pants with wooden sandals. 'At least someone's wearing something normal,' Toyohisa thought, holding some respect over the stranger. "I trust you've gathered your thoughts?"
"Hardly," the warrior of Satsuma spat. "I'm still confused, and even more so since you brought me here. Where is that kabuki actor? I want answers."
Yoichi laughed. "Patience, friend," he said placantly. "Oda's asked me to bring you once you've felt like leaving your room."
Toyohisa quirked an eyebrow. So even this man called that kabuki actor Oda? Hmph, likely another poor fool who believed that the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven had yet to perish from this world. He then followed the man out, walking into a long corridor. Deciding to question Yoichi, Toyohisa spoke up. "So, that fool gave me his name, however believable it is, but I don't know yours, other than what our countrymen from earlier called you."
"They were part of a resistance cell that swore their allegiance to Oda, like many others," Yoichi explained, a Cheshire-like smile on his face as he looked at the Samurai over his shoulders. "And as for my name...I'd doubt you would believe me."
Toyohisa growled. "Just tell me already!"
"Heh, alright...Nasu Suketaka Yoichi, that is my name. Former vassal to Minamoto no Yoshitsune."
Nasu Suketaka Yoichi.
That was a name hardly anyone did not know. Nor was the name of Minamoto no Yoshitsune. The latter was known as perhaps one of the greatest swordsmen to ever grace Japan, and the former known for his skills of archery and heroism. While his brothers had chosen to align themselves with the Taira Clan, he sided with Yoshitsune. Perhaps one of his greatest feats was shooting a man while atop his stead in the Battle of Yashima; his target sat in a ship which was being rocked by the waves, and with but a single arrow, the name of Nasu no Yoichi spread across the land. The name of the man who's arrow pierced through the storm and killed his target from so great a distance.
However...
"Do you take me for a fool?!" Toyohisa shouted, stopping while his mouth hung agape from the audacity of the man before him, and his eyes the size of a dinner plate. "Nasu no Yoichi was a hero from the Genpei War! That was over four hundred years ago! You expect me to believe your over four hundred years old?!"
Yoichi laughed again. "I told you that you wouldn't believe me," he said with a witty smile clear on his face. "Also, I'm 19 years old...and as to how I found myself here with Oda, I was in the same situation as the both of you. I met that strange man in the middle of a white corridor lined with several doors."
"Y-You too?!"
"Yes. People seem to believe I died at the age of 64," He snickered. "But in truth I ended there after a battle against the Fujiwara: I got separated from my retainers, and while I was dragging my sorry ass to a river to wash my clothes of blood I found myself in that strange corridor." He shrugged. "I admit I just kind of stared without doing anything at first, but just as I was about to shoot a warning shot I got sucked into one of the doors. Next thing I know I'm landing face first in a small town outside Osaka, where the locals where kind enough to treat and feed a complete stranger like me."
"And then you met with the kabuki actor?" Toyohisa asked. He was still skeptical of course, but it would be foolish to dismiss everything as a lie. Thinking ahead was not his forte, but he could trust his instincts to point him in the right direction.
"Yes, a few months later. I was actually the first to arrive, which allowed me to get used to the modern era, as fucked up as it is." The man's smiled dropped. "For you and Oda it has been four hundred years, but for me it has been twice that amount."
Toyohisa frowned. He didn't seem like he was lying...and in a way, he understood. His reaction to seeing the world around him was certainly something. However, he still doubted whether or not that one-eyed fool was truly who he said he was. That being said, the fact that he, Yoichi, and himself shared a similar event was curious. Just who was that man, and where was that place? Wherever it may have been, it must have brought them to this alien time. "...sorry for bringing up bad memories, then," Toyohisa apologized, sincerity in his voice. "Although, I still don't know whether or not I can believe yours or that fool's story."
"We'd think you were a fool if you had," Yoichi said, his whimsical demeanor returning. "At any rate, let's get going. You do want to know what has become of Japan, don't you?"
The Samurai nodded, and the two resumed walking towards their destination.
Oda Nobunaga was a name that the Japanese, and to some extent, even the Britannians knew. To some in history, he was a fearsome tyrant who was ruthless in his conquest to unite all of Japan beneath a single banner, though one can argue the many betrayals he had suffered were no doubt apart of this. Others saw him as a man who modernized the country, introducing firearms into the military. If Japan was to achieve the same level as its foreign neighbors, then they must achieve the same level of firepower. Regardless of however you may see him, the man who became the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven was one of high renown.
Some Britannians held him with some respect. The Holy Empire believed that the strong will continue ever onward towards the future, and Oda was a man who did just that; through betrayal and hardship and he made Japan into a powerful nation. Had he still lived in the modern day, there was no doubt that Britannia would have met serious resistance rather than feeble defense when they invaded.
Unknown to them, however, he WAS alive...as the CEO of Dairoku Tengoku Industries.
When he first arrived, Oda was shocked all to hell. He woke in the ruined slums of Saitama, where prejudice was strong. He found a young man being beaten for the simplest crime of stealing just a loaf of bread, and his oppressors would no doubt 'accidentally' kill him. Naturally, Oda fought them off (read: scared the shit out of them and/or killed at least one of them) and helped the young man. His attire raised eyebrows, as had his name. However, that mattered little. In exchange for his help, the young man brought Oda to his home, fed him, and gave him some clean clothes rather than the burnt ones he wore while he was trying to escape from Mitsuhide. From there, Oda asked where he was, which then lead to a crash course of what happened to Japan.
Needless to say, Oda was floored...and enraged.
Japan, 400 years after his 'death,' had been conquered and defeated by a monstrous behemoth known as the Holy Empire of Britannia. Technology had advanced beyond his wildest imaginations, even delving to unheard of realms. Giant machines known as Knightmare Frames, guns that no longer needed gunpowder, a powerful energy source that could power an entire city for YEARS...the surprises never ceased to end. Normally, Oda would have admired such a powerful country, who utilized every available asset in its hands...but his pride as a Japanese warlord made him furious that they would have the gall to take Japan. Not to mention the glaringly obvious stupidity of the empire.
They conquered several territories in their dreams of expansion to dominate the world, yet that was all they did. Sure, technology continued to progress, but what of culture? What about agriculture? Farming? History? Traditions? None of this mattered. Britannia was solely focused on taking everything for themselves, and simply erasing history. The warlord could only scoff at their own stupidity. Truly, they were fools that did not learn from history. If they adopted certain religions and aspects from the countries they take, then they would truly become a ferocious empire...but instead they trample upon it, flaunting their so-called superiority.
Oda likened them to a dying giant.
Thankfully, Japan wasn't really down for the count. Despite having lost, their military might wasn't fully exhausted, something the local rebels had used to their advantage. There were several Resistances scattered throughout Japan, the most prominent being the Blood of the Samurai, which was the largest, and the Japan Liberation Front, who held more advantages and tactical weaponry than the others. Hell, if what he heard was true, the last honest-to-Kami samurai, Kyoshiro Tohdoh, otherwise known as Kiseki no Tohdoh, was among their ranks. Oda respected the man for his discipline and strength. He had claimed the only victory Japan could have over Britannia, all without the aid of Knightmares.
Back to the present, if Oda was to reclaim Japan and fight back against this decaying oppressor, he was going to need allies and resources. He worked quickly into integrating himself as an 'Honorary Britannian,' and worked up the corporate ladder. In just a few months, he managed to obtain a high-enough position to where he could snag the seat of power from the original leader of the company he now owned, and then use it for his own needs. When he did, he replaced the old board with those he could trust, worked on rallying smaller Resistance Groups underneath him, and maintained a good business. While some Britannians would otherwise refuse to continue business with a 'filthy Eleven' as they called him...they forget that corporate blackmail and sabotage can go a long way.
In short, business owners quickly realized that this was a man who would do anything and everything to increase his business. At that point, they stopped calling him an 'Eleven' and respectfully called him Mr. Oda.
'Heh, if only Nobutada could see me now,' the former warlord thought with a worn smile, staring up at the ceiling of the meeting room. He made it a point to learn everything he could about Japan's history since his arrival, and much to his dismay, his son had died at the hands of Mitsuhide...that stung a bit. It was the son who was supposed to outlive the father, not the other way around, dammit. 'Still, at least now we know that we're not the only ones thrown into the future.'
Oda had met Yoichi not long after he became the CEO of the company. Apparently the young man was skilled in stealth, and had snuck into his office without anyone knowing. At first Oda was suspicious...at least until Yoichi asked him about the man in the white corridor. Hah, imagine his surprise when he found out that the pretty boy was actually the goddamn hero from the Genpei War! It did mean that there may have been others from Japan's history that were brought to the future. As a result, Oda made it a point to monitor any and all activity within Japan, having his spies keep a lookout.
And now one such young man came into his care...Shimazu Toyohisa, of Satsuma.
He had to admit that, during his previous life, the Shimazu Clan from Kyushu never came into his attention. They were just provincial folks after all, and his eyes were set on conquering the center of Japan first. However, after rescuing Toyohisa he checked the records and liked what he saw: considered one of the wealthiest and most powerful clans of Kyushu, very successful in defeating larger enemy armies and renowned for the loyalty of its retainers and officers, the Shimazu were people who lived for war but also knew how to take care of their own people. Moreover they retained wealth and influence until the current era: there were not records of them surviving the war with Britannia, but Nobunaga was willing to beat they were still there in Kyushu, fighting the good fights.
And now he had in his quarters one of its most famous members, Toyohisa Shimazu. A great warrior comparable to the Crimson Demon of War himself, Sanada Yukimura, he was raised and lived on the battlefield: while not one to employ complicated strategies, him and his men were almost invincible on the battlefield and, when properly directed, could turn the tides of a battle around.
Just the type of guy he needed. And how, by the approaching footsteps, he was going to walk into his quarters. Nobunaga, always a lover of the dramatic, started to prepare the appropriate atmosphere for the oncoming meeting.
When Toyohisa arrived, he couldn't help but feel his eyebrow twitch, his eyes narrowed and glaring at the kabuki actor who sat comfortably in a large chair that seemed to be of the same make as the chair in that Helicopter, only bigger and stretched out enough so a person could lay down on it. The room was dark, lit by only a dim red light, and the one-eyed fool sat in it, grinning like a madman. "Took ya long enough," he said, his arm resting on his elbow while a smoking pipe was held in his hand. "Not nice to make a man wait, you know."
"And why should I wait for a fool who's clearly disillusion?" the samurai snorted, causing Yoichi to chuckle. "You still haven't told me who you are yet."
"I thought I told you already. I'm the man who was once one with Japan itself, Oda Nobunaga," the one-eyed fool stated once more, though he then shrugged his shoulders. "Although, I doubt that name means much anymore these days. True, it carries some weight, but not nearly enough. Then again, I doubt you came here just to question an old man." He gestured to the chair opposing him. "Come, sit!"
Toyohisa's scowl deepened before he stole a glance at Yoichi. The boy was still smiling, but his eyes held more than mirth. He really believed that what was going to be said there was important. So the young Shimazu decided to trust him. He walked to the chair and sit down. At least the chair was comfortable. "Oda Nobunaga, huh. Well, as strange as it sounds it's still more believable than time travel, or the various things I witnessed today."
"Good thinking. That's why I'm going to ask you to keep an open mind, because I'll provide proofs that this isn't a fantasy or a weird-ass corner of Hell, but reality." The one-eyed man took a long drag from the pipe: he held the smoke for a few seconds before exhaling. "Let's start with something easy: who are those Britannians that get a kick out of looking down on others. Are you aware how the first Gaijin to arrive in Japan were those who spoke the languages called Spanish and Portuguese, and only later were joined by those speaking English? Does the name William Adams ring any bell?"
Toyohisa nodded. "That Gaijin who worked for Tokugawa. Never spoke or saw him much, but my uncle said he had the spirit of a true Samurai despite not being Japanese."
"True. His efforts helped Japan immensely...sadly, his countrymen would later prove themselves immense asses." Nobunaga began to explain. "The country of origin of Adams was called Britain: two hundreds years ago a warlord called Napoleon started a conquering campaign and managed to set Britain's royal family and most of its followers run with their tails between their legs out of their country, forcing them to seek refuge in one of their colonies. It was a very big humiliation, even more considering the fact Napoleon was very, very small nobility. So they decided: never again. You with me so far?"
"Yeah. It's a very common story." When losing honor dictated you have three choices: death, swearing fealty to the victor or try your damnest to redeem yourself by defeating your opponent the next time.
"Common. Of course. But in the case of those Englishmen, they also adopted an holiest-than-thou attitude and started believing themselves better than anyone else. Literally no respect for anyone: if you are a native of a conquered nation you're on par with an animal, your whole culture is trash and your place in life is to be an obedient but expendable slave." Toyohisa scowled at Nobunaga's words. "Yeah, nasty as shit. After suppressing a rebellion of people tired of their narcissism the Englishmen named their new nation Holy Britannian Empire and started waging war almost non-stop for the following two centuries, which ended with them being one of the world's major powers. Any questions before I continue?"
Oh, he had several. For starters, how the hell they conquered Japan! However, for the time being, he kept his mouth shut, and gestured for Nobunga to continue.
"By then, the world started to change. New minerals and resources were being discovered, lands becoming colonies and territories for other nations. Hell, swords practically became obsolete in favor of firearms. Our own nation, Japan, was also swept up in that tide of change. Before I get into that, though, I assume you want to know what happened after Sekigahara?"
Toyohisa nodded.
"Well, when the fighting came to an end, Tokugawa Ieyasu redistributed the lands and fiefs of the participants, generally rewarding those who assisted him and displacing, punishing, or exiling those who fought against him. In doing so, he gained control of many former Toyotomi territories. Tokugawa himself also became quite wealthy."
The one-eyed man paused before chuckling.
"Lucky bastard. Anyway, following a public execution of Ishida Mitsunari, Konishi Yukinaga and Ankokuji Ekei, the influence and reputation of the Toyotomi clan and its remaining loyalists drastically decreased. Of course, at the time, the battle was considered only an internal conflict between Toyotomi vassals. However, after Ieyasu was named Shogun in 1603 by Emperor Go-Youzei, a position that had been left vacant since the fall of the Ashikaga shogunate 27 years earlier, the battle was perceived as a more important event. Nearly sixty years later, a historian from Tokugawa named Hayashi Gahou called the consequences of the battle this: "Evil-doers and bandits were vanquished and the entire realm submitted to Lord Ieyasu, praising the establishment of peace and extolling his martial virtue. That this glorious era that he founded may continue for ten thousands upon ten thousands of generations, coeval with heaven and earth."
Nobunaga let out a laugh.
"Shame not many saw it like that. While most lords and clans were satisfied, three didn't quite share the same appeal. One was the Mouri, led by Torimoto, who was pissed because their land was relocated, despite having not taken part in Sekigahara at all. The second were the Chousokabe, who were stripped of their title and domain. They really didn't like the new bigwigs all that much."
Nobunaga paused for a moment, causing Toyohisa to raise an eyebrow. The man seemed to eye him carefully before he spoke next. When he did, Toyohisa's heart nearly stopped.
"And finally...the Shimazu Clan, led by Yoshihiro."
"Uncle!" Toyohisa shouted. "You said my uncle survived. Was it the truth?"
"Of course. He returned to Satsuma safely, but blamed the defeat on Shimazu's poor intelligence-gathering."
"Thank goodness." The Samurai sighed in relief. "Yeah, our scouting squads were, quite frankly, shit. We had to improvise a lot during the campaign."
"I can imagine. That's why Yoshihiro and the rest of the clan made sure to improve them. Your clan retained its domains without swearing total loyalty to Ieyasu: until the Tokugawa shogunate ended they were virtually an autonomous kingdom. Yoshihiro retired to Sakurajima and took up teaching younger generations, while your cousin Tadatsune became the next daimyo."
"Tadatsune? Good choice: he was way better than me at politics." Toyohisa nodded. Tadatsune was a bit too serious for his own good, and some said incapable of enjoying himself, but his heart was in the right place. "Oh? What happened to Li Naomasa? I wasn't able to confirm if the wound I gave him was fatal or not."
"It was. Believe it or not, even if he never fully recovered from it the bastard survived for almost two years before kicking the bucket."
"Tch. I should have tried harder to take his head." Toyohisa scowled. Not that he didn't at the time, but maybe he should have picked up two muskets, or something like that.
"Heh heh." Nobunaga grinned. "Is it true Naomasa wore monkey mask during battle?"
"Ah?" The man of Shimazu gaped, one eyebrow rising in disbelief. "There is a rumor like that? Nope, he wore nothing on his face when I fought him."
"A pity. It means there wasn't a single monkeys prattling around during the Sengoku period." Nobunaga snickered.
The samurai resisted the urge to laugh. Yoichi rolled his eyes. "Ahem," he cleared his throat. "Oda? The Britannians?"
"Oh, right," the one-eyed man calmed himself down. "Now where was I...? Oh, right. Japan eventually underwent several changes alongside the rest of the countries. The nobility was abolished, and replaced with this little thing called a 'government.' Naturally, this meant that lords, shoguns, princes, hell even the Emperor were booted out of power. Now Japan was in the hands of peasants, something that REALLY got the nobles pissed. However, because of this change, Japan entered into a stable economy. The military was reformed and worked from the inside out, technology advanced, electricity was introduced thus leading to Japan being like our Gajin neighbors, and eventually it became the country you see today...just without the Britannian control and the desolated cities." Nobunaga smirked. "Thanks to that, we were also able to establish foreign connections to other countries. Then, during a period where industrial work was at an all time high, Japan hit the proverbial jackpot."
"What? What did we find?"
"Sakuradite. A powerful ore, colored the same as the cherry blossoms trees that we're so famous for! Found right underneath Mt. Fuji!" the man responded, his voice showing excitement. "By itself, it wasn't anything special. However, when refined...Sakuradite can be made into a power source. Electricity can only take you so far. For example, a communication device called a cell phone, which lets you speak with others over long distances, can last up to a few hours...but Sakuradite?" He threw his head back, laughing. "This stuff can run an entire CITY for HUNDREDS of years! And I'm only talking about a small portion! With a large amount of Sakuradite...well, you'd have to see what the modern day has to offer."
"You lost me at the cell phone stuff." Toyohisa frowned without a single ounce of shame: he knew he wasn't very smart, but everything beside being a warrior was of little interest to him. "When I understand modern stuff, I will do so in a manner than doesn't leave me with a headache."
"Fair enough." Nobunaga conceded.
"So, this Sakuradite. I understand it's precious, but did we mine to get it?" The thought of the sacred mountain being mined made him aghast.
"Oh, it isn't all under Mt. Fuji: there are veins in other places, but the biggest amount is under there. As you can guess Japan started mining in those other places, and by trading it with the rest of the world our nation became incredibly wealthy and influential since most everything now run on Sakuradite. You can say Japan controlled the fate of the whole world...which, of course, made many people want to kick it down and take its stuff." Nobunaga's tone turned solemn. "Britannia started conquering territories close to Japan and demand more Sakuradite to fuel their war efforts, so Japan joined another couple of powerful countries into blocking Britannia's ports. They wanted it to enter negotiations...except the Britannians responded by starting the conflict later known as the Second Pacific War."
From there, Yoichi continued, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. "The attack came so suddenly, no one knew what was happening. The worst part was that it was just Britannia testing the waters. When the real attacks began, well..." The ponytailed man trailed off, and his eyes turned dark. "Lets just say that the Genpei War, the Battle for Sekigahara, and everything before then all paled in comparison. Casualties were high, defenses were stretched thin, supplies were short...Britannia had taken us completely by surprise. But that wasn't even the full force."
Nobunaga took a swift inhale of his pipe before exhaling a puff of smoke, a cold smile clear on his face. "When the fighting really got started, Britannia let loose its ultimate weapon. Something that made even made the most powerful of guns obsolete. A true masterpiece of war itself."
"W-what?" Toyohisa asked, finding his throat dry. "What was it dammit?!"
Nobunaga smirked. "The Knightmare Frame," he answered. "Picture this. A suit made entirely of steel, capable of traversing any sort of terrain; ice, sand, rubble, and can scale mountains with ease just by using hooks installed unto your shoulders, latching on to anything within reach and keeping you suspended by a cable. Armed with any sort of weapon, most prominantly a firearm. Now...imagine that suit the size of ten man standing atop their shoulders, as big as a small-time lord's castle." Toyohisa imagined it alright. A giant made of metal, musket aimed right at him. The mere thought of such a thing existing nearly made him weak in the knees, a feeling no Shimazu was familiar with. "They were the greatest weapon you would ever find in war...and the most effective."
"In less than a month," Yoichi finished, leaving Toyohisa staring at the two in utter shock, unable to believe their words. "Japan fell, and became nothing more but a penal colony and territory for Britannia to exploit.
The samurai leaped to his feet, eyes wide. "You must be joking!" Toyohisa cried in hysteria. "Japan fell? In less than a month?! You expect me to believe that?!"
"You remember the ruined city of Osaka?" Nobunaga asked, unfazed by his outburt. "That was what Japan looked like after the war ended. Believe us or not, that's up to you...but remember this, Shimazu Toyohisa. The Japan we're in now...is one that's been enslaved by a bunch of self-righteous bastards who only care about taking everything for themselves."
At those words Toyohisa's fear and hysteria turned into righteous fury. His pride as both a Samurai of Shimazu and a Japanese demanded him to protect his country or die trying. Yeah: he wasn't afraid of death, so the only thing he should fear...was failure! "Then what are we waiting for?!" He slammed a fist on the chair's arm, crushing it. "The Let's pay the bastards tenfold and take back our country! No enemy is invincible!"
"Well said!" Nobunaga beamed. This was what he was searching for: a spirit that doesn't admit defeat. "What do you think Yoichi and me did until now? The world may consider us dead men of the past...but we're here! We're alive! And we are not beaten yet!"
"My old life may be no more..." Yoichi said. "But to fight for the sake of Japan and its honor, it's a cause I don't mind embracing."
"Heh, got that right," the man smiled devilishly. "Of course, before that...we're gonna need to get this guy up to speed." He gestured to Toyohisa, who frowned in confusion. "Times have changed, Toyohisa. The world doesn't fight with swords or guns anymore." Nobunaga stood up, slipping his hands into his trousers. "Now we fight with goddamn robots. So, first order of business...is get you used to a Knightmare."
Toyohisa quirked an eyebrow, wondering what he meant, but gave a shrug. However, before Nobunaga could move up to lead him to wherever he planned to take him, he had to question him about something; the real purpose behind his question. "You said you also met that strange man, in the white corridor," he asked, earning a nod. "What else do you remember?"
"Sadly, nothing much," Oda sighed. "As I was escaping from Mitsuhide after the bastard had the gall to backstab me, I suddenly found myself in a mysterious white corridor, lined with several doors, and a man sitting at a desk, as if holding court. After that, nothing else. Just remember waking up in the ghettos. Although, I'd bet you anything that he has something in mind, if he brought us to the future or wherever this place is."
Toyohisa nodded in agreement. It seemed as if this man had thrown them here for a reason. Why, he couldn't possibly know. For now, they would simply go with the goal they had in mind. With that said, he followed Nobunaga out the room, and out back into the hallways.
When Nobunaga had described them earlier, Toyohisa had imagined giant samurai. Instead, what he found was something that he simply couldn't believe. The man had led him out of the room and into something called an elevator. According to Yoichi, it was a much easier way to traverse places with several floors, as it brought them down to another level. He was vastly uncomfortable with the way it moved, however. While it wasn't as uncomfortable as the ride in the helicopter, it was still unnerving, like it was about to fall and crash any second. When they arrived, the facility they were in resembled some sort of workship, only the wood was entirely replaced with metal. Sparks were flying as people worked on what he could only describe as metal giants, attaching limbs and placing sheets of metal and taking off heads and so on. Nobunaga laughed at his expression, though he admitted he once shared a similar reaction when he first saw a Knightmare.
"What do you think?!" Nobunaga said boisterously, stepping in front of Toyohisa and spreading his arms out, showing off the facility in all of its glory. "While it ain't as big or as fancy as the other bigwig companies, Dairoku Tengoku is apart of developing Knightmares! In other words, we can build ourselves our own goddamn robots and supply them to our allies, all the while retaining the guise of the ever faithful Britannian company!"
Toyohisa tried to say something, but he couldn't find the words. His eyes were exploring the sights, amazed and shocked all at the same time. "W-wha...how...?!"
"How I acquired all of this? Bribery, blackmail and my own intelligence." Nobunaga tapped the side of his head. "But if you're asking how all of this work, well I must confess that the details escape even me."
"To be honest they escape most people." Yoichi shrugged at Toyohisa's questioning glance. "Knightmare Frames are made of literally thousands of pieces. Learning how they all work together take years."
"Think of a Knightmare as riding a horse." Nobunaga continues. "It's very obedient, but it's still not your body so you have to give it commands and directions. See that box-thing over there?" He pointed to the back of a finished Knightmare. "It's called a cockpit. You get inside there and receive images and sounds from the Frame's own senses: then, using them you move certain parts of the cockpit to make the Frame move in a certain way. It's not quite the same as using a weapon yourself, but by using one of those-" Nobunaga grinned like a shark. "You can go around hacking apart Britannians with a sword seven meters long! Interested?"
Toyohisa would lie if he said he wasn't. "Didn't you say the world doesn't fight with swords or guns anymore?"
"Yeah, I did. Now the ones who use swords and guns are the Knightmare Frames, which are then used by humans."
"To be fair, Knightmare Frames are elite units. There is still a lot of fighting between people and normal weapons." Yoichi interjected. "But unlike with cavalry, the only good anti-Knightmare weapon is another Knightmare."
"So, to sum it up, to fight against those Britannian bastards I need to not only catch up to the four hundreds years I apparently missed, I also need to learn how to control a giant suit of armor." Toyohisa looked at the Frames being built and back at Nobunaga. "When do I begin?"
The man grinned. "Glad you asked~ Though before that, we're gonna have to set you up with some of the basic stuff. You know, to get yourself used to this new era of ours." He then turned to Yoichi. "How long will it take to set Toyohisa up with an identity?"
"A few days, but that's only if I'm being thorough."
"Not a problem. Rather, that's perfect." Nobunaga waved at Toyohisa. "We have to wait for your wound to close enough they wouldn't open again anyway, so best to start with the theory. Any request in particular?"
"Something to drink. Maybe after getting drunk everything will make more sense." After all the shit he had to deal with since Sekigahara he needed to unwind some or he would snap. Toyohisa had no idea whatever the world he was in was a dream or reality, so the only thing he can do is charge in like he always...but even him has to admit his tolerance for weird shit was reaching a limit he didn't know it had. Plus, after the shit that shappening...he felt he deserved the chance to get fucking dead drnk.
"Easy stuff. If you know where to look you can still find high-quality saké." Nobunaga smirked. It didn't hurt that he had his own saké brewery. "Yoichi can-"
That was when Toyohisa heard a strange sound. Searching for the source, he was confused when Nobunaga took out a strange rectangular object and looked at it. "Sorry, duty's calling. We'll talk later."
Leaving behind a confused Toyohisa and a curious Yoichi, Nobunaga entered the elevator and pressed the button for his office's floor. Only then he answered the call. "How unusual for you to be the one to call me, Ohgi-kun."
"Sorry if I'm disturbing you Oda-sama." A masculine voice replied from the phone in Japanese. "But I found myself in need of your help."
Kaname Oghi was the leader of a small Resistance Cell operating mostly around the Shinjuku Ghetto of the Tokyo Settlement, and one of the many that worked for Nobunaga. When he contacted them for the first time the leader was Naoto Kozuki, a promising young man that, despite being Half-Japanese and Half-Britannian, was the recognized son of a noble but founded that Cell because he identified himself as a Japanese more. Sadly he was killed a few months ago and Oghi, despite not being outright bad, was only mediocre as a leader. However Naoto's sister, Kallen, has proved herself to be some kind of genius when piloting Knightmares: a talent that Nobunaga had no intention of wasting. "Speak."
"After Naoto died..." Ohgi paused, probably remembering his dead friend. "We discovered he managed to deliver the data about what we were working at the time before his death. It took some time to decrypt it, but what we found, backed with proof, can potentially discredit the Viceroy and have him lose his seat, or at the very least lessen the people's trust in the military."
"Interesting! Consider my interesting peaked!" Nobunaga replied. Oghi was the cautions type, so if he spoke that way it meant he was sure of what he was talking about. "I assume you need my help acquire this 'proof'?"
"Hai. The Viceroy of Area 11, Prince Clovis, is funding something disgusting." Nobunaga raised a curious eyebrow. "The info Naoto got us...they've been making poison gas."
Shinjuku.
Knightmare.
Exiled Prince.
Act 3: Birth of the Demon
*Chapter 3: Act III
Huh. So we finally got around to updating this. About damn time. Then again, like with Disgaea: Dragon of Dragons, both of us have real life problems. We're not machines. We're probably gonna get some haters, though. *drums chest* My body is ready. Come at me, bro!
Jokes aside, please do enjoy the chapter! Now then, once more! Let us Drift towards Rebellion!
P.S: In case you don't know, I have a poll up on my page. The poll ends the day after tomorrow, so please vote!
Drifting towards Rebellion
Act 3: Birth of the Demon
The Tokyo Settlement. A testament of Britannian ingenuity. A symbol of monotony and technical prowess. A gesture of good will to the few Japanese who dared to take up the status of Honorary Britannians. Everywhere, buildings were like silvery and ivory towers that stood proudly. High-end cars raced down the highways and streets, rushing to their destinations while trains sped across the rails, faster than what should have been possible. The streets were crowded, flooding with activity. Businessmen and individuals living out casual lives lining the sidewalks for whatever purposes.
For the likes of Lelouch Lamperouge, however, such a sight was nothing short but pitiful.
"We're almost there, Lelouch." his friend, Rivalz Cardemonde, said as he swiveled around the corner, keeping the bike in pace with the rest of ongoing traffic. Red gloves covered his hands while goggles shielded his face from the whipping winds. Per safety standards, a round helmet sat over his messy bedhead of blue hair. "You excited, pal?" Lelouch chuckled softly as he turned the page in his notebook, rereading up some of the notes for Biology. The material was relatively easy to understand. Just as easy to understand as what he would soon be facing. "We haven't had big fish in a while."
"Indeed we haven't. What was the client's name?"
"Simon Rutherford. Small-time nobility." came the swift response. A small grin curved across his lips. Scratch that. This wouldn't be easy. "Right now, he should be facing off against the old man we're subbing for." Rivalz grimaced. "Hope he doesn't screw up too bad."
It wouldn't matter, Lelouch knew. Nobility like Rutherford weren't worth much in terms of intellect. He estimated six, maybe seven minutes. After about ten minutes of driving, Rivalz reached the parking area. The bike curved into the lot, slowing down into one of the open spaces. Coming to a full stop, the driver cut the engine and pulled off his gloves and helmet, bringing the goggles down to his neck. Lelouch flipped his notebook close and slipped it into his breast pocket, removing his own helmet and placing it in the compartment.
"Should be right here in this building." Rivalz told him. He looked up at the building, lifting his neck and whistling. Like almost every other building in the Settlement, it was impressive. "Man...you know, even after winning so many times, I still wonder how much moola the people who live here make!"
The raven-haired teen shook his head in amusement. "Come on, Rivalz." he said complacently. "Our client is waiting for us inside, right?"
"Oh, right. Sorry." Rivalz smiled sheepishly. The two then reached the sidewalk. In his excitement, the blue-haired driver had not seen someone coming and found himself bumping into his shoulder. "Whoa, sorry 'bout-"
"Oi! Anata ga iku tokoro o mite, baka!"
Lelouch blinked while Rivalz recoiled. It took him a second to realize that the person Rivalz had bumped into was Japanese (Lelouch refused to address them by their more 'proper' name). He was in his late twenties, maybe thirty, bearing black hair and cold gray eyes with a dark scowl on his face, boiling with anger. He wore a simple red jacket with a hood over a plain shirt and dark gray trousers. Printed on the back of the hood was a circle with a cross.
Of course, that wasn't what surprised the teenage student. What surprised him was his language. 'Japanese? In the middle of public?' While the man didn't know it, Lelouch held a low level of respect for him.
"I-I'm sorry!" Rivalz panicked, holding his hands up in worry. "I wasn't looking, honest!"
The man's scowl deepened. "Subete o hazukashimeru!" he spat. "Anata wa gaikoku hito wa mattaku keii o motte imasen! Nihongo wa rikaidekinai!"
Going by the man's expression, and by how he was growing increasingly more ticked off with Rivalz's attempts to placate him, Lelouch wisely chose to step in. He placed himself in front of his friend, offering a disarming smile. Thankfully, his Japanese hadn't rusted in the last seven years.
"Taihen mōshiwake arimasen." he said perfectly. The man and Rivalz blinked, staring at him. The latter's jaw dropped in surprise as this was the first time he had ever seen or heard Lelouch speak fluent Japanese while the man's eyes narrowed cautiously. "Watashi no yūjin wa sukoshi bukiyōdesu." Politely, he bowed his head deeply. A gesture of apology. "Sore o kojin-teki ni fukuyō shinaide kudasai."
Two months of exploring the Tokyo Settlement, and Toyohisa could say, with the utmost certainty, that he could no longer deny of when he was.
For the longest time, he wondered if he was dreaming or something, yet the proof said otherwise. After the wonders ceased, rage began to boil shortly afterwards, fueling his already found desire to teach the Britannian bastards a lesson. Oda had told him that, since he was going to be working with them, he needed to familiarize himself with the modern era. To that end, he had to remember the layout of the Settlement.
It took a bit of work (or a lot if you asked Yoichi, given how often the samurai had almost found himself getting arrested for getting into a fight), but eventually, Toyohisa got a good feel around the city. After that came the "technology" aspect.
He grimaced at that particular memory. Cars were just as uncomfortable as that damned helicopter, despite being more or less carriages without the aid of horses and being relatively smaller. At the very least, he understood how to use a cell phone well enough. His only gripe was the memory of the numbers used to dial someone up. How in the hell did anyone even remember so many numbers?! After the small stuff, however, Toyohisa was able to move on to Knightmares. At first, the prospect of piloting such giant behemoths was nerve racking, but once he found himself in the cockpit, there was an unusual feeling of excitement swelling in his breast.
Yes, he was rather horrible at first. His scores in the "simulation test" were utter shit as Oda oh-so bluntly told him, but he was beginning to get the hang of it. In truth, though, he despised these already thought-out tests. If one was to truly understand, they needed a more hands-on experience. He wanted to get inside the cockpit and feel the nature of battle for himself, not sit in a seat in some imaginative scenario someone thought out!
Back to the present, he had decided to take a break and fancy one of the local shops run by a fellow countryman. Business was understandably slow, but the food was great.
Sadly, what little of a good mood Toyohisa had was ruined when some Britannian brat bumped into him. "Hey!" he growled in his native tongue. "Watch where your going, you fool!" The blue-haired foreigner panicked. The boy was mumbling too fast and incoherently for him to properly understand, causing him to curse. He was already in a foul mood. His hands were twitching. If the boy continued to babble any further, he just might bash his face in. "Typical. You foreigners have absolutely no respect whatsoever! At least try and understand Japanese!"
Before his temper could get the best of him, the boy's friend, a pretty boy like Yoichi interceded. His features reminded Toyohisa of a blue blood - handsome features, sharp eyes and a cool look bearing intellect. His raven hair matched his violet eyes rather well. What surprised Toyohisa was his words.
The boy spoke, unmistakably, in Japanese.
"Terribly sorry about that, sir. My friend's a bit clumsy. Please, don't take it personally."
Toyohisa's eyes narrowed in justified caution as the violet-eyed boy kept apologizing in passable Japanese and even bowed in the appropriate manner. On one hand, it was good to finally get some respect. But on the other one, after his experiences with Britannians so far meeting a polite one that also knew his native tongue was a little suspicious.
A second later he resisted the urge to smack his own head. What was he thinking? Suspecting a person being extremely polite was okay on court, where there always were a few boot-lickers sucking it up to the powerful, but he was on a street! Clearly the bad mood was starting to mess with his head: he needed a way to unwind, and fast.
"...I take back my previous words: it seems some of you do know respect." He gruffly replied with a small nod before walking around and past them.
After a few meters he stole a quick glance behind his shoulders: the blue haired boy was sighing in relief, while the other one was staring back at Toyohisa with a look the Shimazu couldn't quite decipher. Somehow, he had the gut feeling the boy was more dangerous that he appeared.
More unneeded thoughts. He was going to ask Oda if he had a task that required killing a few Britannian soldiers. Spilling blood and hunting heads would do wonders to his mood.
"Hooooly shit that was scary." Rivalz breathed a heavy sigh, a hand over his panicking heart. Lelouch would be lying if he didn't say he wasn't worried. He was almost sure the man was going to be violent. Still, how strange. It was rather odd, yet refreshing, to see someone of Japanese blood still be proud of his own heritage and not bow to someone's whims. Much more than he could say for most. "Still, you never told me you could speak Eleven."
The violet-eyed teen shrugged his shoulders. "I used to live here before the occupation." he said, though he never revealed the true reasons behind those circumstances. As a matter of fact, there were only a handful of people who knew the true reasons why he was in Japan before Britannia invaded. "At any rate, come on. If we wait any longer, our client is going to get too far ahead of himself."
Without waiting, Lelouch made his way up the steps into the ivory tower. Rivalz, snapping out of his stupor, quickly followed him. The mechanical doors whirred open, sliding back to allow them to enter. The lobby was rather grand, hosting enough space to fill at least a hundred people at max. Far off to the right, there was a waiting area with a table carrying a stack of magazines with soft, leather couches to provide some comfort. To the left was a registration desk with an accountant behind it, typing away methodically at a keyboard with eyes trained on a monitor.
Lelouch walked over to the counter, tapping his hand against the table. "Excuse me." he called, causing the accountant to momentarily stop and look at him. "We have an appointment with Lord Rutherford."
"One moment." the man said. It took three seconds for the accountant to input the keys at a lightning-quick pace, fingers flying, before the small console to the right of him beeped. A red light flashed before a small plastic card pulled itself out. "Here is your Visitor's Key. It expires in three days, but you can renew it." Lelouch nodded, gratefully accepting the card. "Lord Rutherford's estate is on the 34th Floor." The accountant flashed a fake, pleasant smile like everyone else Lelouch knew as he bowed his head. "Have a pleasant day."
"Thank you."
He pulled away from the desk and went straight for the elevator. Rivalz kept in pace behind him before they waited a while for the metal doors to open. Once it did, they had to step back, allowing its previous occupants to leave before entering. Once Lelouch stepped in, the doors closed behind him. A moment later, a jolt rumbled through the elevator and then began to pull itself up. The clear glass window behind them showed a spectacular and grand view of the Tokyo Settlement, though in the distance behind the silvery city was the ruined remains of what was left of Japan.
Lelouch put his back to the scene, closing his eyes. Old memories began to play in the back of his head. He smelled smoke and burning flesh in the air while sounds of gunfire and explosions danced in mayhem inside his ears. All around him were piles upon piles of corpses: all of Japanese descent. Not a single Britannian to be found. His knuckles turned white, gripping the railings inside the elevator as he pushed the memory out of his head.
'Seven years, and yet everything is the same.' he thought bitterly. 'Even now, it's still the day-old routine. Wake up, go to class, challenge a nobleman and win.'
It wasn't a bad life by any means. The money he received for winning was quite spectacular, especially since the poor bastards paid extra money to keep him quiet. They always valued their pride and dignity over everything else. The money was always put to good use, such as paying for living expenses. The Ashfords had offered to take care of everything, but he refused. He wanted to support himself and Nunnally on his own rather than rely on his. Perhaps it was pride or that he didn't trust them, despite the fact that they had already done so much for him and his sister, but he refused aid all the same.
Part-time jobs wouldn't pay all that much, especially since he was still in high school. Instead, he chose the more...risky option. It was dangerous, he knew, but a small part of time enjoyed the satisfaction of spiting nobility whenever he got the chances.
Not surprising, given his history.
After a minute, the elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open, letting the two school boys enter a pristine white hallway. On either side, rooms and apartments laid inside. However, there were no occupants. As Lelouch was quick to learn that nobleman often bought out an entire floor unto themselves for whatever reasons. It also served an indicator of how wealthy they were. It was easy to find Rutherford's room, as the small steps leading to a pair of double doors guarded by men in sharp suits on either side, served as a good indicator.
The guards tensed as he approached, but he didn't mind. Instead, he put on his poker face and flashed a calm smile and pulled out his Visitor's Key. "We have an appointment with his Lordship." he said pleasantly. "We're here as Mister Carmine's substitutes."
They didn't relax, but they gave a curt nod. They then proceeded to push the doors open for them, letting the two inside. As one might have expected, the room in which the nobleman lived in was far more luxurious than any rich person could afford. The walls were covered in velvet wallpaper, items that were no doubt expensive in various ways sitting out in plain sight. A rather large plasma-scree television set sat on a nearby wall. Paintings decorated the room along with a few other homely comforts.
Lelouch ignored all of that and instead focused on the two men in the center of the room, both sitting at a table with a chess board on top of it. In the far back was the nobleman, arrogant and pompous while the one closest to Lelouch was an elderly man wearing a gray vest over a white shirt and withering hair atop his balding head.
"T-thank heavens you came!" Carmine breathed in relief as he sat up in the chair. "Are things going well in school?"
Simon Rutherford scoffed. "What have we here?" he said with amusement, sizing the violet-eyed boy up. "A bunch of school boys?"
"What do have we here, a nobleman?" Lelouch repeated mockingly, sizing back his opponent in a more subtle way. While his opinion of nobles in general was very low, it was an important skill in this job being able to guess if the one he was going to play with would pay the bet if defeated, or if they would use force to cover up the insult to their pride. While he was confident in his chess skills, they would serve him nothing against Rutherford's guards if they turn violent. No amount of money was worth his and Rivalz's lives.
"I envy young people. They have so much time on their hands. So much time for regrets..." Rutherford's sarcastic reply and amused smile were actually good signs. They told Lelouch he was used to banter even with people below him (probably not commoners, but the boy was good at giving off the image of the noble scion in search of strong emotions) and that he was not overly prideful. "Your name?"
"Lelouch Lamperouge." He said in a flat tone, as if reading a carton of milk. Lamperouge was not a noble's name, but this way Rutherford would think it was a fake name.
Rivalz approached the table with the chess board to look at it and gasped. "Whoa! Whoa! You can't win this no matter what you do. Even you, Lelouch..."
It was indeed a seemly hopeless set-up. Carmine hadn't improved at all since the time Lelouch first substituted for him. Luckily, recovering from it remained just as easily. "Rivalz, in how many minutes should we leave here in order to arrive in time for our next class?"
"Uhm..." The blue-haired boy blinked. "If we go really fast, about 20 minutes?"
The tips of Lelouch's lips turned upwards. He trusted Rivalz as a pilot, but there was no reason to risk an accident just to savor this a little longer. "In that case I'll ask you to drive safely on the way back, since I need only 9 minutes." He sit down on the chair before glancing at the balding man. "Mister Carmine, about yesterday's matter..."
"Understood. We'll discuss it later." Carmine replied immediately. While as a chess player he was bad, as an accountant his skills more than make up for it.
"9 minutes?" Rutherford grinned like he just heard the best joke of the century. "You only have 20 seconds for move."
Lelouch waited for one of the men in a suit to set the timer before, without hesitation, grasping the black King piece within his fingers. "More than enough."
"You start with the King?" the noble asked, raising an eyebrow before laughing. The boy merely gave him a small, innocent smile.
In actuality, it was a vicious grin. Poor bastard wouldn't even know what hit him.
"So, the infiltration went smoothly until Tamaki screwed the pooch, eh?" Oda sighed as he ran a hand down his face. He was sitting in a limosuine making its way back to the company HQ, having only just returned from a business deal. Honestly, the people who ran the companies these days were nothing more than mere bottom feeders at most. It should have been a crime to manhandle them so easily. Of course, the call had ruined his good mood. "Why am I not surprised?"
"I-I'm very sorry, Oda-sama!" Ohgi apologized profusely over the phone. "I-I should have told him to-"
The warlord chuckled. "Relax, it's fine. The fact of the matter is, Kallen-chan and Nagata-kun have retrieved the poison gas and are making their way to the rendevous point, right?"
"Y-yes, sir!"
"Good. I'll set up the extraction point." Oda ended the phone call, closing his cell and narrowing his eyes. "The Viceroy, creating chemical weapons...correct me if I'm wrong here, but I thought Britannia banned chemical warfare after the Yellow Poisoning incident at the Europia Union warfront ten years back."
At the driver's seat was Yoichi, wearing a professional suit, consisting of a black jacket and dress shirt and slacks with a small dark blue tie. "During the assault in Berlin in 2007, to my understanding, a General named Ramses Waterloo had his back against the wall. Out of fear of disappointing his country, his last resort was chemical weapons. The end result was rather messy. On one hand, it proved effective as it wiped out over 70% of the enemy forces. However, over half of Waterloo's own forces were apart of those casualties, along with a high number of civilian deaths. After that, the use of chemical warefare was forbidden."
"And now His Royal Highness was manufacturing some of the stuff." the one-eyed Demon King rubbed his chin thoughtfully, leaning back in his seat. "Something doesn't add up here." He opened his cell phone again, dialing up a number and pressing it to his ear. "It's me. I need a favor."
"Man, I love playing against the nobility! They pay you extra just to hide the fact that they got their asses handed to them on a silver platter!"
Lelouch rolled his eyes at Rivalz's enthusiasm. The match had ended rather quickly in his opinion. Each move lasted about twenty seconds, which as he proved in that little match that it was more than enough time for him to act. The same could not be said for the nobleman. As Lelouch began to grow more aggressive, his defenses began to crumble. Eventually, his tactics turned sloppy.
In the end, his fate was sealed with the King blocking his only chance of escape. A Rook had taken his Knight and destroyed his remaining Pawns. A Queen threatened to take his Bishops. A Knight had him backed into a corner.
It was checkmate, pure and simple. The teen grinned ear to ear, remembering the satisfaction of seeing that pathetic noble's face drop into one of sheer disbelief. His skills were impressive...but compared to a blonde tactician that Lelouch had not faced in over seven years, it was child's play.
"By the way." Rivalz turned around, walking backwards with his hands behind his head and a cheeky grin plastered across his face. "Eight minutes and forty-two seconds is a new record!"
Lelouch let out a scoff. "The nobility are nothing but tepid, over-privileged parasites." he said, expressing his honest thoughts. "They think that, simply because they were born into power, they're absolute. That nothing can touch them. It's rather simple, if you ask me."
"In that case, why not play against an Eleven?" his friend suggested. Inwardly, Lelouch grimaced at the filthy slander. "They're nothing like us Britannians!"
On that he more than agreed, if for completely different reasons. Lelouch knew Rivalz was not racist, the boy simply conformed to the rules of society.
Before Lelouch could reply that very few Japanese were likely to know chess instead of the similar game of Go (which he was good at too), a news report being played on the mega screen of a nearby building caught both of their attention. The picture of a smoking skyscraper was replaced by the Britannian flag. "Forgive the delay. It's now time for an address by His Royal Highness Prince Clovis, third prince of the Britannian Empire."
The good mood from his recent victory quickly evaporated when Lelouch saw the face of his foppish half-brother. While he was not part of those that detested him and Nunnally for their commoner blood, rather they got along well, Clovis more or less personified what he hated about Britannia. Not to mention, since the time he became Viceroy of Japan -Area Eleven- the country got more and more unstable. Lelouch knew the Homeland cared only about the Sakuradite, but sucking the country and its people dry was just pointless cruelty.
"To my imperial subjects! And of course, to the many Elevens who cooperate with us!" Clovis began, clenching his hand over his heart. "Do you not see? Right now, my heart is torn in half! Into a part filled with sadness, and a part filled with rage!"
'Did they cut your hair one centimeter too short? Truly heartbreaking.' Lelouch's thoughts were literally dripping sarcasm. He wanted nothing more than to loudly vocalize them, but the consequences were not worth it.
"However, as the ruler of Area 11 I will not allow terrorism of any kind! The reason being that the battle we fight is a righteous one! A righteous battle to protect the happiness of all! Now then, everyone! Won't you join me in grieving for the eight who died in the line of duty for justice?"
Sighing softly Lelouch ignored the crowd falling silent and went to pay the parking meter.
"Oh? Not gonna join in?" Rivalz wondered even as he started the bike.
"Will you?" The raven-haired boy asked back.
"I'd be embarrassed." He admitted with a light chuckle.
"Exactly." Lelouch agreed. It was nothing more than a political farce after all. "Beside, our crying for them won't bring the dead back to life." And beside, the only ones allowed to cry were the loves ones of those who died. Complete strangers like them had no right to express pity.
"That's harsh, dude." Rivalz pointed out.
"In the end, it's all just self-satisfaction." Lelouch stared at the parking lot ticket before looking back at the screen that was still showing Clovis. "No matter how hard you may try, there's no way you can ever change the world with just words."
The only way to do that, was to act.
However, Lelouch knew that, by himself, his ultimate goal was impossible. At least, for now.
Eventually, the two students put on their helmets and hopped atop the bike. After Rivalz paid the bill for parking, he revved up the engine and began to take off. As they drove, Lelouch went back to his little notebook. As he opened it to the first page, his eyes became focused on a small photograph, taped to the bound leather front inside. It was torn in half, evident by the rips on the left side of the photograph, leaving only a tiny arm with a portion of a boy's face in the picture. Beside that child was a woman sitting in a chair. She was beautiful and shared many of Lelouch's features: long, ebony black hair and beautiful eyes, wearing robes fit for royalty.
His eyes became softer, remembering the much kinder times before he closed his eyes, turning to the page he was on previously before they arrived at Rutherford's place.
"By the way," Rivalz called. "I've been meaning to ask you something."
"What is it?" Lelouch replied.
"That first move you made. Why'd you start with the King?"
"If a king doesn't lead," Lelouch answered with a grin. "How can he expect his subordinates to follow?"
His friend laughed. "What's up with that? You plan on becoming some big corporate bigshot or something?"
"No way! That'd be bad for your health."
After visiting his favorite little stand, Toyohisa's mood had somewhat improved. Now he found himself lazying about an apartment complex. The tenants were pretty much most Honorary Britannians, so no one wouldn't think twice about him being there. What they would be curious, however, is the samurai fiddling around with the device in his hand.
"I've had this thing for a few weeks, and I still don't understand how in the hell this slate works." he muttered under his breath, looking at the many apps and functions the cell phone provided. "Then again, I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth." He wished they had these cell phones back during the Battle of Sekigahara. The flow of information gathering would have been so much easier. Of course, the same could be said about the existence of the current day firearms and those giant machines.
It was still all so surreal to Toyohisa. To think that he would be here in the future. On the one hand he was glad to hear that his uncle had survived, but on the other hand he was also saddened that he would not be able to fulfill his promise of returning to his home with him. Worse, that bastard Naomasa still got to keep his head in death! If he ever found a way back to his own time, the samurai swore the first thing he'd do was claim Naomasa's head as he promised.
Toyohisa was eventually thrown out of his musings when the cell phone in his hands suddenly began to shake and play a tune. Shocked and startled, he momentarily lost his group and started to play a game of hot potato, scrambling to catch the phone before it fell. He managed to grab it in time and sigh in relief, looking down at the display. "I'm just supposed to hit the green button, right?" he muttered.
He pressed the button, and as Yoichi showed him, he pressed it against his ear. "Ah, good. You picked up." Speak of the devil and he shall appear it seems. On the other end was none other than the hero of the Genpei War himself. "We've got a problem."
Toyohisa frowned, leaning on the railing. "What kind of problem?"
"I'm sure Oda told you before, but after the Britannian occupation, our countrymen formed resistance groups. Among them was the Kouzuki Resistance Cell. Their leader died, but he was able to retrieve a vital piece of intelligence that would dampen the people's trust in the military, and at best, discredit the Viceroy."
"What information would that be?"
"Have you ever heard of poison gas?"
Toyohisa closed his eyes, following his memories. "I've never seen it personally, but I've heard mention of it before. A cloud of death and disease with no discrimination. It claims everyone who breaths it."
"An apt description. The Viceroy was apparently manufacturing such a chemical weapon, which, by Britannian law, is forbidden." Yoichi informed. "Right now, the Kouzuki Resistance cell is en route with the gas, but there's been a complication. The military is on their heels because of a screw up."
Toyohisa opened his mouth, but his eyes caught sight of something bizarre. Looking up, he found a car with an enormous body (a truck, if he remembered right from Oda's lessons) speeding down to the road. Not far off in the distance was a helicopter, but it had a familiar insignia.
"...Yoichi." he said. "By any chance, would the car that resistance group is in carrying the gas happen to be a truck?"
"Yes. Why?"
The truck swiveled off to the left side of the road, no doubt to avoid the drivers of that bike in front of them. Unfortunately, that led to them curving down a ramp, and without any chance to slow down or turn, it unceremonially crashed into a tower of steel beams and tarps.
"...because I think I just found it."
Toyohisa watched a crowd of gaping onlookers forming around the crashed truck, one hand on his chin as he considered the chances of his target just falling right on his lap. It happened once when he went hunting, the deer they were following ran in front of them and broke its neck on a large tree. They had then to deal with the bear that was chasing the deer, but damn if it didn't make for an amusing story to tell later on.
"That would be a most fortunate coincidence if it's true. But what was that rumor?" Yoichi asked.
"The truck just crashed." He nonchalantly replied.
"...The speed was too high I assume. Go and help-"
"Hell no!" The Shimazu samurai instantly refused. "I'm not coming close to something that can kill me just by breathing! I'll die with a sword through my head and the enemy general's head in my hands, no other way about it."
"What about saving the members of the resistance group?"
"If you can provide me with something that will block out the gas, I may consider it." He then saw a distant figure approaching the truck, with a second one pushing the bike that caused the incident. "Nevermind, someone is already helping."
"Friend, foe or civilian?"
"I can't see from-" The truck suddenly drove in reverse, causing the distant figure, who climbed to the vehicle's top, to fall inside. It then moved back into the street and drove away at full speed, the helicopter with the Britannian flag hot on its heels. "The truck is moving again, but it seems the Britannians has caught up with them."
"..." Yoichi stood silent for a few seconds. "Return to the base for now. We need to verify what exactly is going on now, so prepare for possible deployment."
"Are you kidding me?" Toyohisa's smile was that of a predator that just smelled flesh blood. "I'm always ready!"
As he slipped the phone back in his pocket and fled, he felt his fingers twitch madly with anticipation. Already, he could hear the familiar sounds of battle ringing in his head.
Not long after Toyohisa had reported that the truck was once again on the move with the Britannian forces hot on their trail did Oda catch wind of a peculiar order. It wasn't relatively hard to hack into the military's communication system, and it was pretty obvious that the first thing you needed to do was get an edge over your opponent. They were fighting an Empire, after all. It also helped being the head of a corporation, as it got you quite a bit of attention - and allies.
"The Royal Guard?" Oda's eyebrow reached his hairline, a wide smile spreading across his face. In hand was a similar device Toyohisa had, only a tad smaller. "Well, that's interesting, isn't it?"
Yoichi, who had changed into the same attire Toyohisa met him in, looked at his compatriot. "By now, the envoy must have hit the Shinjuku Ghetto, if the report is accurate."
"And Toyohisa?"
"I'M HERE!" The doors were nearly thrown off their hinges when Toyohisa barreled in, sliding to a stop with a thin sheet of sweat on his skin. He was panting slightly, looking a bit winded. "D-Dammit...!"
The Genpei War hero chuckled. "What's the matter, Toyohisa?" he asked teasingly. "Old age?"
"Fuck off! I'm 30 dammit!"
"Alright, alright..." Oda waved a hand, ceasing pleasantries. "Enough wasting time, my friends. Yoichi, head to the rendevous point with Shupei and his group. I want eyes and ears on the ground. See what the Britannians will be doing if they don't retrieve the objective." Yoichi nodded, already making his way out. Oda then turned to Toyohisa. "As for you, Toyohisa, you and I will be heading out into the field."
The samurai's eyes widened. "We're heading out already?" He wasn't normally one to complain, but he was surprised that they would already leaving to the battlefield. "It's only been less than an hour."
"Enough time for the Britannians to roll into Shinjuku and start wiping out civilians." came the answer, which caused Toyohisa to freeze. The warlord couldn't help but grin madly when he saw the look of fury burn in the man's eyes. There it was, the same passionate spirit that could only belong to one such as he. A warrior of Japan, born and bred on the battlefield. "The truck's hit the Shinjuku Ghetto and hasn't moved since. Already, the military is on the move. The first order of business they did was send in the Royal Guard."
"Odd, don't you think? Their objective is to retrieve a chemical weapon capable of killing countless scores of men and women. Rather than send a group of soldiers trained specifically to handle such a dangerous weapon, the prince sent his most trusted soldiers. Why do that?"
Toyohisa beared his teeth. "Get to the point, Oda!"
"What they stole wasn't poison gas. No, it's something even more important than that! Something Clovis wouldn't dare reveal to the public." A mad laugh escaped his throat as he turned, already on his way out. "And if the Royal Guard is unable to retrieve it, then Clovis won't be sending out a search party. He can't afford to let ANYONE know his dirty little secret." He looked over his shoulder. By now, Toyohisa got the message, and his rage increased tenfold. "In other words, if he can't get it back...he'll send in the troops to slaughter every last poor bastard in the ghettos, regardless if they're apart of a Resistance!"
The samurai's teeth clenched. His hands balled into fists. Soon, his legs pounded against the floor, brushing past Oda and heading down to the hangar bay. "I won't let them." he snarled. "By the time the smoke starts to rise..."
It was time to show his so-called 'Masters' that the Shimazu were still alive and breathing.
"...I'll take their heads!"
'This can't be happening.' Lelouch thought, stumbling through the tunnel as he fled, getting as far away from the smoldering remains of the truck as possible. 'This can't possibly be happening...!'
Up until half an hour ago, his life had been completely normal. He had acquired a good amount of money to last him and Nunnally for a while, but then he went and made the stupid decision to try and help the people in the truck. It wasn't long until after he found himself inside with their cargo that he learned the people driving it were terrorists. What else would they be, what with the military shooting at them? He couldn't risk be found, not without dying first anyway. He then found himself trying to escape after it crashed, only to find a startling sight. A soldier had discovered him, but it was who that soldier was that was making his heart beat against his chest like a drum and despair haunting his mind.
His friend from seven years ago: Suzaku Kururugi.
Sometime within those seven years of separation, he had become a Britannian soldier. Lelouch couldn't wrap his head around the fact, but their reunion hadn't lasted very long. The item that was supposed to have been poison gas was actually a container housing a girl. Then the Royal Guard came.
"-SUZAKU!"
The sound of a gun firing ringed in his ears. The ground shook for a moment and found himself stumbling, smacking into a wall and holding on for support. The girl he was escorting was not as fortunate as she fell to the ground. Lelouch found himself staring at her again. As he did, the ringing in his ears grew louder. A flame danced in his heart, building up to becoming an inferno. The girl was the reason why Suzaku was dead, wasn't she? Why the military was chasing after the terrorists in the first place? If she hadn't been there...
"What the hell are you?" he asked, pressing a hand to his face. The girl didn't answer, despite the bindings over her mouth having been undone when he and his friend had removed her from that capsule. "This chaos is all your fault, isn't it?! Not only that, but now Britannia has...!"
She remained silent, quiet as the silence that followed the rumbling's aftermath. Lelouch panted, his mind in a whirlwind of thoughts. No, this wasn't fair. He couldn't blame her just for that. But he was angry. He wanted someone to blame. Someone to put his hatred on. She was the closest in his vicinity, so she was to suffer the brunt of that anger. Even so, he tried to reign himself in. This wasn't the time to be so emotional. He needed to get out of here. Suzaku and he were trying to get here out of here, and the military seemed to be after her, so there was little point arguing.
Taking a deep breath, Lelouch calmed his raging heart and gently pulled the girl up. "I'm sorry." he said quietly, pulling her away. "Everything...it's happening way too fast."
A minute or so of traversing the tunnel, the two happened upon a stairwell leading upward. Going by the dim patches of sunlight visible, he was assuming it was a way up. "Stay here." he told the girl, who nodded before he crouched up. If the military was still out looking for them, he couldn't rush out blindly into danger. He slowly peeked his head out, only to then duck back into cover.
Gunfire echoed and was followed by a body hitting the ground. Lelouch remained deathly quiet as he heard a familiar voice, belonging to that of the captain who killed Suzaku. "Report."
"Area is secured. We've found only Elevens here, sir."
"And you're certain that the entrance to the tunnel leads here?"
"Yes, sir."
Lelouch was tense. A bead of sweat dripped from his cheek. He heard a mass of footsteps slowly fade away. He let out a sigh, the tension leaving him...only to then freeze when he heard the familiar wailing of an infant. "They wouldn't." he whispered, now fearing what would come. "They wouldn't dare...!"
Gunfire rung out again. Silence followed.
He clenched his teeth, closing his eyes tightly. He didn't dare imagine the scene right now. Then, just as the footsteps continued to retreat, a tune began to play loudly from his pocket.
His cell phone was going off.
Toyohisa lifted his head to better take in the four meters tall giant of metal, his weapon for the incoming battle. Burai, Oda called it, but as long as it wasn't embarrassing and painted on the side the young samurai couldn't care less about the name. All he cared for was that it would allow him to defeat the gaijin and their own 'Knigthmares'.
After adjusting the straps of his sword and gun, in case there was the opportunity to use them, he climbed the ladder leading to the open cockpit of his Burai and jumped into the seat. The inside was full of buttons and screens, some rectangular and other circular, the majority of which Toyohisa had no idea what they did. What he knew was that the two handgrips running along tubes on both sides allowed him, if moved in certain ways, to make the Burai act and, most importantly, fight. As long as he could control the limbs and that thing to go faster called 'Landspinner' Toyohisa was satisfied.
He inserted the key and turned the Knightmare on, but frowned when he looked at the main screen. If he was reading it right...
"Is this a joke?" He stood up and shouted at the technician still walking around the hangar. "Where's this thing's sword? How can I fight without a sword?!"
"Calm down fool!" Oda barked, about to climb on board of his own Knightmare. "Those plain blades from the simulations aren't gonna cut it in a real fight. But don't worry, I pulled some strings and got you a real treasure. Bring 'that' in!"
At Oda's call the technicians, previously spooked by Toyohisa, entered into a frenzy. One minute later a forklift entered the hangar, carrying a Knightmare's sized katana. "That, Toyohisa, is a Katen Yaibatou. I'm sure the shape is familiar enough to you, but unlike normal blades this beauty can easily cut through a Knightmare's armor."
"Really? Just what I needed." Returning to the control Toyohisa made his Burai pick up and unsheathe the sword. "What are those small blades on its edge?"
"It's something similar to a device called 'chainsaw'." Oda explained. "Basically, once activated those blades will start circulating around the length of the blade at such speed they'll saw through their target. It also increases the cutting power even further by superheating the blades."
Toyohisa frowned. "...Not sure I got everything of that explanation, but if it works then that's fine. How are we reaching the ghetto?"
"All roads are already sealed. In this case..." Oda grinned like a demented monkey, which never boded well for Toyohisa. "We'll go above them!"
Lelouch gave a small gasp when he found himself thrown against the wall. His back smacked up against the steel wall of the warehouse, causing him to bite back a yell. "Not a good day to cut class, school boy." the captain said with a sneer, staring him down. "You gave us quite the chase. Still, that's to be expected. You're a Britannian!"
"Y-you scum...!"
The captain gave a small snicker. The girl tried to escape her confines, but the other soldiers kept her down. She was on her knees with two guns aimed at her. Even if she could escape, she'd be gun down on the spot. Lelouch's eyes scanned the area, looking for any possible way to escape. He only found corpses scattered across the ground - all Japanese citizens with bullet holes bored into their bodies. His blood curdled.
The smell of burning flesh and ash filled the air, burning his nostrils. On either side of a dirt road, mountains upon mountains of bodies. Many were as black as charcoal, burnt beyond recognition. Behind him, Suzaku whined pitifully, yet made sure that his voice was low so that Nunnally couldn't hear it.
"Unfortunately for you, you have no future."
Lelouch looked back. His heart rate spiked when he saw a gun aimed directly at him. The captain squeezed the trigger.
"He musn't die!"
The girl spoke for the first time - a heavenly beautiful voice - as she tore herself away from her captors and stood between them. Lelouch's eyes widened in horror as did the captain's, but it was too late. The gun fired off a bullet, shooting straight into the girl's forehead. Even in the face of death, she looked defiant. The bangs parted to reveal the sigil atop her forehead from the bullet blasting into her skull before she fell on her back. Rigidly, the violet-eyed teen looked down. Slowly, a pool of blood began to flow beneath her skull.
"Y-you shot her..." he whispered. His mind was still trying to process what just happened. Gingerly, he bent down and held a hand at her neck. It was a useless hope to think that she would be alive. The bullet hole was clear as day in her face. A clean shot to the brain. It would be nothing short of miraculous for her to have survived that.
"Our superiors ordered us to take her alive, but oh well..." the captain sighed in disappoint. Not in fear of what he had just done, nor anxiety and making up some excuse. Disappointment. As if her death had brought on an inconvenience. "How about this? We tracked the terrorists to their hideout and exterminated them. By the time we arrived, they had already tortured the poor girl to death. Does that sound good to you, school boy?"
Lelouch didn't heed his words. His face was glued to the corpse in front of him. How could this have happened? What went wrong? Why had this happened to him? All he had done was lead a normal life for the sake of his sister. He tried to end the rage in his heart, but yet it lingered. He tried to protect her, but it was she who protected him in vain. He was going to die here. Like her, a bullet would be in his head and his corpse left forgotten, made a home for maggots and worms. Nunnally wouldn't know what happened to him. She'd remain ignorant of the truth.
No...this couldn't be the end here, could it? He needed to go back to her. He needed to go back to his sister. He couldn't die here!
'Nunnally...!'
"You don't want it to end here, do you?"
A hand touched his own. In that moment, Lelouch felt vertigo. His senses warped and his body felt as if it were floating. The world around him exploded into white. Streams of brilliant colors danced around him, flowing into what seemed like a tunnel. Images and scenes flashed by in his mind. Some he recognized from his childhood. He saw the Ares Villia, sitting close to the beautiful lake just a few miles away. There was even that beautiful rose garden he, Nunnally and his older sister Euphemia visited on occasion with Cornelia standing guard.
Some images were foreign. Children in white robes with leafy circlets atop their heads, hands clasped in prayer while a red sigil reminiscent to that of a bird locked in flight sat atop their forehead. Two planets in the middle of an unearthly void, a light slowly descending downward and shining upon them.
"You appear to have a reason." a voice called out to him. Lelouch gasped. The voice belonged to the girl. But, that was impossible. She was dead! "A reason to live."
'What...?' he questioned, endlessly floating while the visions continued to pass through his mind. 'How is she...?'
"I propose a contract. In exchange for granting my one wish, you will be granted power unlike any other. If you accept these conditions, you will live a life beyond the likes of ordinary men."
The streams of light began to intertwine together. The white expanse broke apart, dancing together with the lights and forming into a series of lines, geometrically mixed together like a puzzle.
"A different providence. A different time. A different life." the girl continued. "Be warned, however. The Power of the King will condemn you to a life of solitude. Are you prepared for this?"
One final image became engraved in Lelouch's mind. Men in robes, standing behind a giant of a man wearing a cape with white hair and broad, imposing shoulders. Lelouch could not see his face, but he would be damned if he ever dared to forget the man who made his life hell. "A convergence with the Ragnarok Connection?" the man bellowed. "So the myth begins once again?!"
The burning flames inside of Lelouch sparked, becoming a raging inferno. His eyes turned to steel, and his hands balled into fists. The nearly-forgotten passion of rage in his heart burned anew.
"Yes!" he shouted with all of his heart. His left eye began to itch, but not out of irritation. It felt as if something was washing over it, something warm and incredible. "I accept the terms of your contract!"
His ears ringed as the world broke apart while the rest of him burned. His skin tingled as if warmed up by something incredibly hot. He soon found himself plastered on his knees once again, staring at the face of the woman who died. No longer had the sight disturbed him so deeply. Instead, it brought to him a disturbing glee as a smirk slowly came to his face.
"Say..."
He slowly rose up to his feet, no longer caring for the soldiers who had their guns aimed at him. His hand covered his face while his mind was sorting through the newfound information that had been imprinted into his brain.
"How should a Britannian who hates Britannians live his life?"
The captain's eyebrow vanished beneath his cap. "Are you some kind of radical?" he asked before he noticed the unusual confidence the boy before him excluded. It shouldn't have been so distracting, but there was something off here. When had he become so confident?
Lelouch noticed this hesitation and laughed. "What's wrong? Why don't you shoot? I'm just a student, after all. Or maybe, you finally realize..." His hand fell from his face. The violet iris in his left eye was consumed by a glittering red, accompanied by a glowing sigil - the very same found on the forehead of the girl. "...the only ones who should kill, are those prepared to be killed."
"W-what's going on here...?!" An unease spread amongst them. Something was horribly wrong here. This feeling of pressure, what was it? Why were they so terrified all of a sudden?
The captain did not realize, even now, that he should have shot Lelouch when he had the chance, for he had made his contract with the devil.
"I, Lelouch vi Britannia, command you." he spoke with rage burning in his voice. "All of you."
"-Die."
"You! Give me a report!" A Sutherland with the colors of the Purist Faction came to a stop next to a company of men and tanks. "What's the situation?"
"Sir!" The captain stood on attention and saluted, immediately imitated by the other soldiers. "The terrorist are armed only with rifles and RPGs - It's that one-armed red Glasgow that is a problem."
"I see." The Knightmare's head turned to the ghetto. "Damn monkeys, where did they ever find that old junk?" Inside the cockpit a brown-haired man turned out his radio transmitter. "Jeremiah, do you hear me?"
There was a bit of static before a voice replied. "What is it Kewell?"
"I found the red Glasgow. Permission to engage? Even if it's just junk, a Knightmare is still a Knightmare."
"Do so. And when everything end reminds me to plan a clean-up of the black market. It's absurd that those Elevens managed to get their dirty hands on something like that."
"Yeah, yeah." Turning off the radio Kewell moved deeper into the ghetto and activated the Sutherland's Factsphere. "Now, where are-uh?" Kewell stopped when the Factsphere reported something that should have been on the IFF map: a squadron of Knightmare VTOLs approaching from afar. "Reinforcements? Why they don't have their IFFs on?" But once they were directly above him the Purist pilot realized something else was wrong. "Those Knightmares...they're black? What kind of unit is that?!"
The VTOLs started releasing the strange Knightmares one by one, the humanoid machines falling for a dozen meters before landing in a crouch. "AAAAAAHHH!" Kewell could even hear the pilot of one of them, screaming so loudly as his Knightmare fell that it reached him without the need of a radio.
Now that they were close Kewell could see they were mainly Glasgows with a single Sutherland, but the head has been remodeled. "You! What are your names and ranks? To which unit you-"
"GOD DAMN IIIIIIIT!" The radio suddenly burst to life, the loud and furious bellow piercing Kewell's drum. The Glasgow with the pilot that screamed shot towards Kewell's Sutherland, the sword in its hands coming to life with the roar of a gigantic chainsaw.
The brown-haired Britannian didn't even had the time to react before the sword sliced his Knightmare straight in half.
"I HATE FLYING!" Toyohisa bellowed again. Damn that Oda, he really was a senile old coot!
White Knight
Mysterious Voice
Samurai
Act 4: Lit Fuse
*Chapter 4: Act IV
Sorry for the delay, everyone. Me and Writer Of A Thousand Stories were busy with other stuff. For example, did you know the guy wrote an Evangelion/Darling In The FranXX crossover over in Questionable Questioning? I've read it, and I gotta tell ya. It. Is. Fucking. AWESOME. Especially since the Shinji has had character development from the Rebuild Film. Well, minus 3.
We can all agree that was just one giant angst film.
At any rate, let's dive into the chaos of our merry band of misfits and demons! Let us Drift Towards Rebellion!
Drifting towards Rebellion
Act 4: Lit Fuse
Lelouch stared at the dead bodies of the Royal Guard for a moment, uncaring of the fact that he was still in the midst of a war zone. His mind was elsewhere, pondering on his own situation while his hand touched his left eye, which tingled warmly with a surge of strength. It itched, but the feeling was not unpleasant. Then his eyes drifted down to the nameless woman, dead at his feet. Her hand was curved, as if having grasped something.
"Is she really dead...?" he questioned as he kneeled down, hand against her neck. There was no rhythmic pulse pouring through her vein. Her skin was ice cold. "But, her hand..."
He shook his head. Now was hardly the time to be questioning things like that. For now, he needed to escape. Being around the bodies of Britannians, regardless of his own ethnicity, was a sure fire way to get himself killed quick. He pulled himself up to his feet, about to leave and think of a way to get out of here when the ground shook beneath his feet. The wall exploded, sending metal shrapnel flying through the air. Out from the smoke was a sight he had seen plenty of times before during Britannia's assault seven years ago.
A Knightmare Frame.
"Shit!"
"So, Toyohisa..." Oda lit a cigarette in his mouth as he sat leisurely in his Knightmare Frame, currently in the process of setting up a secure line of communication with the Kouzuki Resistance. "How's your first kill inside a Knightmare?'
"For starters, I'm going to gut you when this is all over." the Samurai growled. "And secondly, very refreshing. We're behind the enemy forces, right? So, what's next?"
Oda didn't answer right away. Namely, because communications were green lit. "O-Oda-sama?!" Kamane Ohgi cried in relief. "Oh, thank Kami! You're here!"
"What? You didn't think I'd just leave you and the rest of my countrymen left to rot, did you?" the mad fool grinned wickedly. "What's your status, Ohgi-kun?"
"Bad." He replied with an audible grimace in his tone. "We lost contact with Nagata, and Kallen's Knightmare lost an arm." Right, that old Glasgow they managed to salvage all on their own. He really needed to get the girl a Burai after this, her talents are wasted in that old piece of metal. "We're trying everything to get as many civilians as possible to safety, but the Brits have too many troops. They've got us surrounded."
"I can see that. The blonde princeling seems really determined to paint the whole Shinjuku in blood." Sloppy, so very sloppy: if Clovis wanted back whatever he lost so badly he should have sent an elite unit to operate in secret, not send a whole army to slaughter everyone. A very Britannian mentality...and the reason he was going to lose. "Well, no way we are going to let this continue. Where's your Glasgow pilot?"
"Kallen? She contacted me a few minutes ago: her battery has only thirty minutes left, so she decided to play decoy for the Britannian Knightmares."
Makes sense: pilots wouldn't waste time for target that normal ground troops can handle. "Tell her to come our way. We're going to take care of her hunters."
"An ambush?" Toyohisa inquired. Not his preferred form of warfare, but he was quite able to take people by surprise when necessary.
"You, me and a few others, yes. The rest will go help Ohgi-kun and his buddy." Oda hummed, a hand cupping his chin. "As long as the enemy think we have only that Glasgow we can use it as bait to slowly chip away at the Britannian army. But we need to be quick about it, we can't let realize the rouse."
The samurai nodded: it was a reasonable plan, and one from the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven himself.
While Toyohisa doubted Oda was who he claimed to be, he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. They were in the same situation, and more importantly, brothers in arms at this very moment. Whether he truly was the same man of infamy was not important. For now, he had to take care of the problem at hand. As he and Yoichi headed out, his monitor caught a glimpse of a destroyed building. There was rubble scattered about the ground, but his eyes were glued to what lay underneath the remains.
It was a mother, holding her two children close to her. They laid there, not moving an inch. Their fate had already been decided the moment the building came apart and shed its skin upon them.
With anger boiling deep in his breast, Toyohisa bared his fangs. "I'm taking their heads." he declared, loud enough for Oda and everyone else on the line to hear. "Every. Last. One of them!"
Lelouch could scarcely believe what he was doing right now. Earlier, he had been put at gunpoint by a woman operating a Sutherland. And now, he was inside said Sutherland, leaning against the pilot seat with his hand pressed against his palm while he tried to collect himself. Currently, the machine was parked not too far away from where he left the previous pilot, no doubt in a confused gaze and wondering what had happened. Or, at least, he hoped that was the case.
'So, I need direct eye contact to use this power.' he thought back to the power residing in his left eye, looking at his reflection presented on a blank monitor. By instinct and memory from the first time he used it, he called upon something - whatever this power was - and felt his eye twitch before violet became swallowed in red, marked by an avian sigil. 'And I can command whoever I want to do with as I please. With this... I could escape the encirclement, easy.'
Of course, there were more than a few complications. For starters, he was in the middle of a warzone and he only barely knew how to operate a Knightmare Frame. While he could still recall the lessons his mother taught him, that was for a Third-Generation Knightmare Frame. This thing was a Fifth-Generation, and its design was far too different from the one he used, albeit for a short while. He was mostly going on trial and error, but for the most part, the basic controls were still the same.
Secondly, the soldiers. There were no doubt checkpoints established around the ghetto, and while he did have this wonderful power, the soldiers would be wearing their helmets. He didn't understand the full limitations of his powers yet, so the odds of it working on soldiers with their helmets on were quite low. Plus, they would question as to why he was at the checkpoint rather than at the field before asking him to disembark, ruining the illusion.
Third, the rebels were also present. If he was unlucky enough to encounter them, all he could do was pray and hope he could get out of there before they filled him full of holes. The downside to having a Britannian Unit meant that they would easily mistake him for an enemy. While he did have an IFF readout present on one of the monitors, he was still in trouble.
'...wait.'
Slowly, Lelouch pushed himself forward as the gears in his head started to turn. He looked at his hip, where a radio rested next to him. Taking hold of it, he looked back at the monitor showing his IFF readout. He then glanced back at the radio in his hand, narrowing his eyes. His options were limited, and he was pushed into a corner. As far as he could think of, this plan, while dangerous, was probably his best bet. The odds of it succeeding were...not pleasant, but this was his best chance at survival.
'Still... Can I pull this off?' he questioned himself. 'This isn't like chess. We're playing with lives, not pieces. Irreplaceable. If I'm not careful...'
Hesitation brewed. He swallowed a giant lump in his throat, gulping it down while trying to steady his hand. Then, with a shaky press of the button, the radio cracked to life.
It had been twenty minutes since Oda had took to the field, and in that time, Kallen had been running around like a chicken with its head cut off. She did not enjoy playing the role of the damsel in distress, but she swallowed her pride and performed her role. There had been numerous close calls, but she managed to stay alive this long.
Plus, there was some satisfaction, hearing those Britannians cry out in shock and disbelief as they were gunned down, taken completely by surprise and killed by the Elevens they trampled over.
"Nicely done, Kouzuki." Oda told her over the radio. "Remind me to introduce you to our resident samurai! You two would work wonders! How's your energy filler?"
"I've got under ten minutes left." she responded as swiftly as possible. "I'm heading to point C to refuel."
"I'll send Yoichi over, just be on the lookout for enemy soldiers."
"Hai!"
She hadn't gotten any further than a few feet, swerving around the corner of a street before the wall behind her was destroyed and reduced to debris and shrapnel, allowing two Sutherlands to enter into view. "Well, if it isn't our Glasgow friend!" Kallen cursed, recognizing the voice as the man from earlier when she and Nagata were trying to escape. Just as he opened fire, she went into overtime and dashed down the street, the Glasgow shaking as it attempted to make its escape.
'Dammit! I still have my slash harkens, but I've only got one working arm! And there's two of these bastards here!' she cursed her poor fortune. 'Okay! Just need to make it to the rendezvous point. Yoichi-san should be there. If I can get there-' She was throttled forward, nearly hitting the monitor with her forehead when she felt bullets pelt on the backside of her Knightmare. Sweat started to pour down her skin. 'This is bad...! C'mon, c'mon!'
At this rate, she was going to need a miracle.
And the man of miracles answered, "The west entrance." Kallen's breath was taken away, eyes darting to her radio, which had been taped to the dashboard. "Head to the west entrance."
"Who is this?!" she demanded, not recognizing the voice. "How did you get this code?!"
"Do you want to win?"
If she wanted to win! Of course she wanted to win! And with Oda-sama commanding them it was going to happen...but if things continued like this she was not going to be present for the end of the current battle, let alone the future liberation of Japan.
Another warning from the monitor about her filler being almost empty cemented her resolve! "I want to live!"
The mysterious voice chuckled. "An answer as good as any. Use the train tracks to move over the west entrance, and when you see a train coming jump over it."
Cursing loudly Kallen made a sharp turn to the right, passing between two dilapidated buildings and emerging in front of the train tracks, the only thing the Britannians bothered to repair within the ghetto. She jumped on top of them and landed on the tracks, aligning her landspinners to run on them. Sparks flied off where part of the Glasgow's legs chafed against the metal bars, not having been developed with this maneuver in mind.
"Pathetic Eleven! What kind of hunt is this if you just run away?" One of the Sutherlands taunted as they followed after her.
Gritting her teeth Kallen finally saw a train coming from the other way. She jumped on top of it, bouncing from carriage to carriage to quickly reach the other end.
Having seen it coming too late the Sutherland that taunted the redhead had no choice but to stop the train with one hand, pushing against it to slow it down and avoid being run over. "Go after the Glasgow!" He ordered his companion.
"Yes My Lord!" The second Sutherland jumped-and was promptly shot down by two slash harkens, its head and torso destroyed. The culprit was a third Sutherland that suddenly appeared from the hole in a nearby building.
"F-Friendly fire?! What's your unit?" The first Sutherland shouted in anger. "The enemy is-!"
The mysterious Knightmare merely raised its machine gun and fired, peppering its opponent with bullets and blowing up one of the legs.
"A terrorist?! You bastard!" The Britannian took out its own machine gun, but then noticed the red Glasgow was coming back. Pressed on two sides the pilot did the only sensible choice: he activated the Ejection System and let his cockpit rocket away from the doomed Knightmare and to safety.
Keallen sneered at the failed opportunity before remembering her mysterious savior. "Thanks, you saved me. But where did you get a Sutherland?" Stealing such a high-grade Frame from the Britannians was almost impossible, Burai and Glasgows were the most resistance fighters like her could get. However, when she looked the third Sutherland was already gone. "Uh? Where did it go?"
"Well, well. This is surprising." Yoichi's amused voice could be heard as his Burai approached the train, the Frame armed with a sniper rifle. Behind it were Ohgi and the others. "I would say nice job Kallen, but I have the feeling this is more the work of our shadowy interloper."
"Yoichi-san!" She exclaimed with relief. "Wait, he contacted you too?"
"More like he broadcasted loudly you needed help." The archer took his radio and activated it, leaning back on his seat in a more comfortable position. "He's also still listening, I am right?"
"A good judgment." The voice praised. "Are you the leader?"
"No. That would be me." Oda's deep, charismatic voice joined the conversation. "I'm curious: from which one of my men did you steal a radio?"
"A story for another time, I'm afraid. We're short on time as it is." the voice replied, making Kallen frown. While she did owe this mysterious interloper for saving her, she didn't appreciate his secrecy. "Now, if you would be so kind, check the contents of the freighter. They'll be your keys to victory."
"The train?" Ohgi questioned. Everyone's attention was directed to the freighter that had been stopped earlier. A few of their men had exited their Knightmares, moving towards the cargo doors. With a shot from the Knightmares, the locks were destroyed, allowing them to open the freighters. The steel shutters slid open, revealing the contents. Yoichi's eyes widened at the sight.
"...Oda? Are you getting this?"
The Demon King of the Sixth Heaven had to admit, if the stranger hadn't garnered his attention, they most certainly had now. 'Sutherlands... An entire cargo full of Sutherlands and ammunition.' he thought with a giddy smile. 'The bastard knew the supply route, meaning that his Knightmare isn't just something he stole. It's a unit from the enemy force. That means he isn't just monitoring enemy communications, he knows the location of every enemy soldier on the map!'
On the one hand, he felt a bit infuriated someone had the gall to steal his thunder. On the other hand, he was genuinely curious. The move in which he dealt with those two Britannians and simultaneously obtained supplies from the enemy was brilliant. Perhaps a bit rough, but still brilliant.
He had to see what else this guy could do.
"Well, stranger, you've certainly caught my interest." Oda remarked with a face-splitting grin. "I take it this is a peace offering?"
"You are correct." the voice replied. "I want to deal with the Britannians, if only to simply survive." Ah, simple and honest. If he claimed he was sympathetic and wanted to fight with them, that would raise suspicions. But if he said he was using them just to get out of here alive, then while everyone would treat him with some hostility, they would still trust his word after this. So long as he didn't stab them in the back. Oda had enough of that from his family and Mitsuhide! "The Sutherlands inside the train are my gift. Do I have your cooperation?"
Toyohisa snarled. "I don't like this." he made his opinion known. "I can't trust someone who isn't willing to reveal his face. Who are you, anyway?! What's your name?"
"I can't say. The enemy could be monitoring communications." A valid concern, but ultimately unneeded. Oda had plenty of time to learn how set up a secure line of communication. Besides, if they were being monitored, the enemy would be right on top of them at this moment. Yet the man still held his tongue, simply out of curiosity. "If you need something to call me, please refer to me as K-1."
Oda laughed. "Going by chess terms, eh? You're an interesting one! But alright, you've got my cooperation. Kallen! How much time do you have left on your energy filler?"
"About fifteen minutes worth, Oda-sama!" Kallen replied.
"Then recharge. These Brits ain't gonna sit around on their asses while we discuss strategies. You, Ohgi, Tamaki, Sugiyama, Inoue and Kenta will work with K-1! The rest of you, you're with me." Oda gave them their orders, unable to hamper this feeling of excitement. He could count the times he actually worked with someone on the fingers of his hands. Whether this mystery voice proved to be competent would be determined at this moment. "Toyohisa, you're running decoy for Kallen instead."
"What?!" the samurai cried in outrage. "Do I look like bait to you, you kabuki?!"
"Oh, don't be like that~ Think of it like this. All you have to do is run wild. Just do what you Shimazu do best." Oda smirked. In the shadows casted by his own Knightmare, his lone eye glistened with malice. "Raise hell and cut 'em down."
Toyohisa was quiet for a moment. "...hmph. You should have just said that instead!"
Once this Oda had finished issuing orders and giving him his own soldiers to command, albeit far smaller than he would have liked, Lelouch momentarily disconnected with the rebels and leaned back in his seat, trying to remember how to breathe. 'That was entirely nerve wracking...' he thought, wincing in pain from how fast his heart was racing as it pounded against his chest like a drum. 'At least I've secured their cooperation. But, that man, Oda...'
Hearing the man talk like that near the end as he spoke with some man named Toyohisa made him feel as if someone had just walked over his own grave.
Their voices...even if in a different way, they gave off a very menacing feeling. Oda, especially when he issued orders, reminded Lelouch of the Emperor: but in place of the ever-present disdain there was a palpable sense of bloodlust, as if every order was a death sentence to some unfortunate fool that bit more than he could chew. The man named Toyohisa shared the same bloodlust, but he sounded more like a younger Tohdoh with Suzaku's past temper: a warrior that follow honor, yes, but also revel in slaughter. A scary combination to be sure.
If the Japanese resistance had people like that...they must have joined the scene just recently, otherwise Clovis would have suffered many humiliating defeats already. Dealing with them wasn't going to be easy...yet it was also oddly comforting knowing that not all responsibility rested on his shoulders.
'Listen to myself. Talking as if we already won.' Lelouch scoffed at his own thoughts: unlike a chess match it would do him well to never lower his guard until he was far away from the battlefield, lest he makes a mistake he cannot compensate for.
Once his little break was over he contacted the man called Ohgi. Lelouch briefly thought about assigning everyone a code name, but then thought otherwise: if their actual commander doesn't bother using them, then they must not be a security risk. "Ohgi, this is K-1. Can you and your men move?"
"Yes, we're used to Burai but the Sutherland have a similar system." Burai? Must be the name of those black Glasgow-like Knightmares. Had the Japanese resistance started to produce their own KFs? Good to know. "What do we need to do?"
"Assuming Kallen is on schedule-" He watched the map and smirked. "Two enemy Sutherlands will reach your position in 23 seconds. Shoot them through the wall. Pull the trigger exactly at my signal, or you will hit your companion too."
"Hey! Don't talk like you're the boss of us!" A distance voice shouted in the background.
"Those are Oda-sama's orders." Ohgi replied. "Everyone, double check your weapons."
Lelouch smirked, then started to count down. "3... 2... 1... Fire!"
The sound of multiple machine guns was followed by the enemy Sutherlands' signals being overlapped by the word [LOST].
'Not bad for a start.'
The moment Lelouch and Oda had come together, Clovis la Britannia had started to know what fear was like.
Initially, everything had been so simple. The euthanization of the ghetto should have proceeded, but the terrorists were a tricky bunch. In the end, he was forced to have the Purebloods take front and center stage. That was when results were coming in. He was concerned about his Royal Guard not reporting in. Surely, they must have found her by now, shouldn't they? Then again, they did allow some mere schoolboy escape with her when an Honorary Britannian managed to locate the truck. Honestly, how disgraceful!
There were reports of black Glasgows - Burai, Eleven modified Knightmares - having appeared. When the reports came, Clovis had started to sweat bullets, namely because the operation was beginning to stall. It seemed to him that the terrorists had a trump card up their sleeve, though at best he only lost a handful of soldiers. Things were still progressing as planned, as they managed to wipe out more and more of the resistance in the ghetto.
And then, without warning, everything suddenly went to Hell.
"What the hell's going on?!" Bartley demanded as one deck hand reported the loss of another squadron. "How're they predicting our movements?!"
"We-we don't know!" one general stammered, shrinking back from the enraged visage of the head of the Science Division. "They must be intercepting transmission codes!"
"Then what are you waiting for! Change them!"
"Oda. Have you noticed?"
Oda grinned. "I'd be a fool not to notice." His interest was piqued. Sure, the stranger was suspicious, but his moves so far had shown intelligence and strategy. Nowhere near his level, of course, but still impressive. "He's a bit rough around the edges, but his skills are the real thing. Still, he's an amateur. This is probably his first real battle, not to mention his first time leading a squad of his own."
"And we're just going to trust a novice?!" Toyohisa cried in outrage. On the battlefield, he encountered two Sutherlands who had already taken to firing at him. The best way to handle the situation would have been to use his slash harkens to knock one of them off balance and eliminate the other as quickly as possible. However, being a mean driven by bloodlust and instinct, he instead opted to use his slash harkens to drag him up to the side of the building and catapult right off of it, leaping upon them and driving the sword into the chest of his foe, killing the pilot instantly. When his comrade recovered, Toyohisa knocked the rifle out of his hand with the stun tonfa and retaliated by grabbing the Sutherland's head, proceeding to slam the unit down to the ground and bring his machine's foot down upon the cockpit, crushing and killing the Britannian inside. "You truly are mad!"
"What? You think I was called the Mad Fool of Okehazama for nothing?!" the one-eyed man laughed boisterously. "Madness can be ingenius in battle, Toyohisa. Especially in times like these. Besides...novice he may be, that mystery man is driven by the instinct to survive. A man who's back is up against the wall is a man to be feared, indeed." Still, he had to admit, he was curious as to who this tactician could be. While he was lacking in some areas, there was room for improvement. Why, if Oda had him on his side, they could easily flourish into something more. Perhaps an equal in terms of planning out the battlefield. "Yoichi. See if you can find which Sutherland he's in. Since he's focused on monitoring the situation, he'll most likely be stationary, and in a spot where he would have the best vantage point in the ghetto."
"Consider it done."
"R-2, fire anchor. B-7, use UN Ordinates. N Group, continue your advance!"
Leading a battle had been mentally exhausting for Lelouch. While this Oda had been operating on his own, adjusting to his plans accordingly, he was still having trouble. Admittedly, this was his first true taste of the battlefield, but even so, he never quite expected it to be so tiring. 'And to think, my siblings do this daily.' he thought with no small amount of respect.
Schneizel would almost certainly have little to no trouble commanding this battle if he were in Lelouch's shoes. In fact, he believed that his older brother could have ended this in mere moments, even if he excelled more in politics. Cornelia, who valued quality over quantity, would have trampled on Clovis in a few short moves, even if she wasn't as good in tactics. That didn't make her a bad strategist. Far from it. But in a battle of wits against Lelouch or Schenizel, she would lose hands down.
'Things are progressing faster than I thought. Oda is making decent progress, taking out quite a few squads. At this rate, Clovis will have no choice but to use the guards protecting the G-1 Mobile Base to make up for it. As it stands, he has five options.' Lelouch stared at the IFF monitor, twirling the king chess piece in his hand around his fingers. Not long after he had decided to get involved, he had found a discarded chess board nearby. He wasn't sure why he had taken the pieces into the cockpit. Perhaps he likened this to an actual chess match, only with real lives on the line?
"Your move, big brother." Lelouch muttered. When he saw most of what remained of Clovis' army converging on the ghetto from all sides the raven-haired prince couldn't help but laughing uproariously. "You managed to surprise me Clovis! Of all the possible moves, this is stupider than anything I expected!"
Clovis has never won against him or Schneizel, but Lelouch thought that the constant experience had put Clovis head and shoulders above other normal players. Sadly, it seemed the blonde's wits had dulled considerably in the years. "Oda. Do you think the same thing I do?"
"That whoever ordered this and let it happen need to be shot? Hell yes I do!" The man laughed like he just heard a bad joke. "But you didn't call me to ask me this, uh K-1? What do you have in mind?"
"That area is full of underground tunnels." He explained. In truth all modern Japanese cities were like that: due to the lack of available space Japan learned how to build up and down to accommodate its growing population. "If we cause a localized collapse-"
"-That mighty army will be buried under tons of rubble." Oda finished. "Nasty and clever, I approve." The man smiled wickedly. "A man after my own heart!"
"Q-1, do you read me?"
Kallen snapped out of her stupor as the mystery voice, K-1, contacted her and a few others. While she was still heavily suspicious about the whole affair, she couldn't deny that they had been making progress. The Britannians were getting their asses kicked with each passing move that was made, and each Sutherland that went down only made her grin more and more. She still wanted to know who this person was, but for now, she would trust in Oda and Ohgi.
"Yes," she answered.
"Do you have a map of the area?"
"Only from before the occupation, and it only has landmarks."
"It'll do." K-1 told her. "These are your next orders."
At this point, Clovis felt like tearing his hear out.
"How is this even remotely possible?!" he demanded, not bothering to try and maintain a cool disposition as he walked down to the main deck from his throne. His shout put everyone on edge, especially Bartley who shook when the blonde prince demanded answers from him. "These terrorists not only managed to get a hold of our weaponry, they've managed to push us back!"
"I-I'm sorry, your Highness!" Bartley stammered and trembled beneath the fury of the third Prince of Britannia. "The-the enemy is stronger than we anticipated!"
"Oh, my. It sounds like we're having a bad day~" A jovial voice commented. Clovis turned and found a man leaning against the entrance to the main deck. He wore a white lab coat, the collar undone slightly while his hair was utterly unkempt, intelligent eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses with a Cheshire grin spread across his face. "Can I take it to mean you will require our services, Your Highness?"
Clovis narrowed his eyes. Lloyd Asplund of the Camelot Unit had been the head researcher in the recent development of an experimental Knightmare Frame. The first ever Seventh Generation. Because of the research in general, his older brother Schneizel had decided to fund the group. However, Clovis held little love for the man. Not only was he flippant, but he treated everything as if it were a game without a care in the world.
"What do you want, Asplund?" he said, managing to keep his voice clipped. "We are in the middle of an operation!"
"Oh, I can see that, Your Highness. And you're failing spectacularly." Lloyd said, still grinning while being brutally blunt. Clovis cringed at his words, unable to refute them. Though he could come up with any number of excuse, the fact remained that he was being defeated. Something he couldn't allow. "Might I suggest sending out the Lancelot?"
"I don't have a use for a toy that hasn't even been tested yet." Clovis took some pleasure in the disgruntled look on Lloyd's face, referring to the next generation Knightmare as a mere toy. "Also, you haven't even found yourself a Devicer for it!"
At this, Lloyd's grin returned. "Oh, but I have! Just last minute, in fact! A strapping Private Officer by the name of Kururugi."
Clovis's face went slack, blinking before he cried in outrage. "You would have a Number become a knight?! You may be an Earl, Asplund, but that is overstepping your boundaries! It will be a cold day in hell before I allow a filthy Eleven inside a cockpit!" He spun around, returning to the matter at hand. "Enough of this farce! Gather all surrounding units in the southeast sector and encircle the enemy!" He tapped his finger on the single dot that had remained stationary for several minutes. "This must be the enemy's main base! Also request squads A and D to take part in the raid!"
"B-but my lord!" one of his strategists cried. "That will break the encirclement!"
"Then reinforce it with units tasked with guarding me!"
"With this..." Lelouch raised the Black King before putting it down. "I call Check. Q-1!"
"Here we go!" She took aim before firing her surviving Slash Harken, creating a crack in the wall. She immediately turned around and rushed away, unwilling to stay and witness the result.
"Ahahahaha! This is music for my ears!" Oda laughed as she saw the streets crumbling under Britannian Knightmares and tanks alike, speakers transmitting the screams of the pilots before being silenced by tons of rubble.
Toyohisa snorted. Effective it may be, using the environment against the enemy in this way wasn't something he took joy in. He would do it without hesitation if necessary, but for a samurai like him only cutting down his opponents with his sword was the proper way to win. One more reason why he wasn't fitted to be a general, and he preferred it that way.
What he could find joy in, instead, was the humiliating blow dealt to both the Britannian's army and pride. "A fitting end for dogs, doomed by their own hubris. Were those the last, or has the enemy even more reserves?"
"Beside a few troops guarding Clovis' base this should be the last of them." Oda mused. "Still, it would be best to not drop our guard quite yet. Hoy! Yoichi! Have you found him yet?"
"I have." The archer's cocky voice replied on a secure channel. "Like you predicted he's hiding in one of the ghetto's best vantage points. I have him in my sight: do I?"
"No. The lass helped us a lot, the least I can do in return is letting him keep his head. Beside..." He grinned. "I may have further use for him."
Yoichi blinked. "...oh dear. I know that tone. And I don't know who to pity more, the poor sod or the soldiers who put up with your antics."
The moment the last of his forces fell, buried and crushed beneath heaps of rubble, Clovis felt as if he had just been delivered to the grim reaper. Around him, his generals and soldiers attempted to gain control of the situation. To him, they were all but drowned out in the woes of fright and despair as he backed away, sweat pouring down his face like a fountain.
'How is this possible?' he questioned, staring at the decimated sight of his forces. 'He anticipated every one of my moves. Countered me in every way. Not once did he let up, witling us down to a trickle. My soldiers...they're all in shambles. I don't understand! Who in the hell is commanding these terrorists?! Is it him?! The man called the Miracle Worker?!' A terrifying thought crossed his mind. One that made his fears even worse. 'No, it couldn't be...! W-what if, he is even better than him?!'
This wasn't possible. It wasn't. He couldn't afford to stand by and watch this happen! To hell with his pride. This needed to end! Now!
"Lloyd!" Clovis yelled as he turned to face the scientist, who looked immensely pleased with the almost pleading look in his eyes. "Can it win? Can my brother's pet project route them?!"
Lloyd Asplund smirked, adjusting his glasses. "But of course it can, Your Highness." he said, sweeping into a bow. "The Lancelot is yours to command~"
"All that's left is to push forward and eliminate whatever's left of Clovis' forces." Lelouch remarked to himself as he looked at the monitor. He had to admit, he was vastly impressed with Oda's leadership skills. If he had been doing this by himself, there surely would have been much more resistance. This was almost too easy. He idly wondered if he could ever get the opportunity to ask him for a chess match, assuming he knew how to play. When it realized where his train of thought was going, he shook his head. This was a one time thing. They wouldn't meet again. "Just need to deal with Clovis, and then I'm home free."
Suddenly, his monitor flickered with movement. Narrowing his eyes, Lelouch saw a singe unit emerging from the rear of Clovis' defenses, moving past the last of his petty forces.
"What is that?" he muttered before he pulled up his radio. "Reinforcements? But why a single unit?" Pressing the button, he contacted the unit closest to it. "B-4, S-2, there's a unit coming your way. It's by itself, and its approaching your position fast. It appears to be reinforcements. See if you can determine what it is."
"Roger!" the two soldiers said before communication went dark, moving to intercept.
Almost five seconds later, they appeared on his monitor as [LOST].
"What the fuck?!" Oda cried when he saw his IFF monitor start showing several resistance members listed as LOST. "The hell's going on?! Why's everyone dropping like flies?!" Growling, he grabbed his radio. "Ohgi! There's something going on in Sector 4! Everyone's starting to go dark! Seems like the bastard of a prince had one last trick up his sleeve! Take two people and observe the unit, but don't get too close!"
Suzaku Kururugi had never experienced such an amazing sense of thrill before, in spite of the situation. Earlier, he had been shot by his superior officer when he attempted to protect Lelouch, who he had finally seen again after several years, and that girl from the capsule and subsequently shot by his superior before he woke up in the care of ASEEC. He wasn't entirely sure how in the world he found himself piloting an experimental Knightmare Frame, a Seventh Generation at that, but he couldn't deny the overwhelming sense of excitement and power that was coursing through him.
But he pushed down those feelings. Now was hardly the time to feel so giddy. Right now, he had to move. He had to find Lelouch and that girl, before it was too late!
In little time at all since he took control of the Lancelot, dozens of hijacked Sutherlands were defeated by his hands. He didn't kill them, of course. They were his countrymen, and therefore they deserved a fair trial. He would leave the capture up to the ground forces. He was focused on trying to find one unit among their number. It had to be the leader of the group. If he cut the head off the snake, then the chain of command will fall apart. They would have to surrender then!
"What? An energy shield?" Lelouch repeated with an incredulous tone. Britannia managed to create something like that? He was aware how much money and resources are dedicated to the development of their military, but this was ridiculous! "N-4, N-5! Hold it there! When the rear units reach you, surround it."
They managed to hold it...for about ten seconds, at the end of which the last soldier Oda gave him beside Kallen and Ohgi was defeated. "Damn it! Is the enemy... really one unit?!" He quickly selected another radio line. "Oda! We have a problem!"
"I see it!" The man growled. "Looks like Britannia fielded a new type of Knightmare... one which, apparently, is to Fifth-Generation Frames what they are to a Second-Generation one!"
"What did you say?!" 'Comparing the difference between those gangly prototypes and a Glasgow... What kind of monster did Britannia make?!'
It was like fighting with a sword against someone with a gun: without knowing beforehand and time to formulate a strategy it was impossible to win.
'Sorry Oda, but it may be safer for me to retreat now.' Of course, that was the moment that a slash harken stabbed itself above Lelouch's position, the cable quickly reeling something to the floor where he was hiding. 'Fuck.'
"Hey, Toyohisa." Oda muttered darkly, an aura of malice growing around him. "What does your Shimazu blood say about facing an enemy who is faster, stronger and better equipped than you in every way?"
"Do you even need to ask, you Kabuki?" The Samurai's grin, one who was mirrored by Yoichi, could give nightmares to children and heart attacks to the elderly. "BRING IT ON!"
It didn't take Suzaku long to find the enemy commander. They had situated themselves atop the tallest building in the ghetto, allowing them a great vantage point and view of the entire battlefield. Despite the Sutherland showing up on his IFF monitor as an ally, the fact that it had its gun primed to shoot at him was proof enough, especially when Clovis had informed what little soldiers he had left about his presence on the field, that the unit in front of him was an enemy.
He managed to destroy its left arm before a red Glasgow came in, attempting to take him down. Suzaku frowned, but was swiftly able to disable the unit by using his slash harken to destroy one of its land spinners and slowly crush its arm. It had the intended effect, and the unit was forced to eject. The enemy commander hadn't gotten very far, so Suzaku was quickly able to chase after him.
"I won't let you get away!" the brunette swore as he moved the Lancelot into pursuit. At first, the enemy commander tried to gun him down. Thanks to the Blaze Luminous system, though, Suzaku was able to defend himself and deflect the bullets with ease. A shame he wasn't outfitted with a gun of his own, though. It would certainly make dealing with him easier. He would have used his slash harkens, but the street was too narrow. Chances were, he'd miss.
Suzaku's hate for the enemy commander skyrocketed when he began firing at the surrounding buildings, bringing down debris upon him. While he was sure that the enemy rebels had begun evacuation, the fact that the bastard was destroying everything around him just to get ensure his survival was enough to anger him. "Stop destroying everything for no reason!" he cried out on his loud speakers. In a burst of speed, the Lancelot evaded the falling debris and used its slash harkens to pull it up to the corner of a building, just as the commander made a swerve to the right. When he reached the building, he leaped off of it, intending to come down on the enemy commander and disable him here.
That had been the plan, until out of the corner of his eye he saw a black Knightmare Frame coming straight at him with a katana-shaped sword with a spinning sawblade as part of the blade's edge. "HYAAAAAAGH!" the pilot let out a battlecry as they brought down their sword. Swiftly activating the Blaze Luminous, Suzaku deflected the swing and was forced down to the ground, the cockpit shuddering. The enemy unit before him landed away from him, still wielding a sword in hand and held in a stance.
'That stance...' Suzaku stared in surprise. Having once been a student of the katana, he could recognize it quite easily. 'In No Kamae?' This particular sword stance, according to his former teacher Tohdoh, had been widely known during the wartorn period of Japan. The stance was perhaps among the most favored among samurai, being an offensive stance that allowed one to react to any situation in any direction. Being a practitioner of the sword himself, Suzaku favored the Ko Gasumi, given the amount of dedication needed for that particular stance.
"Ore wa anata no atama, Britannian o toru yo!" the pilot, male and vulgar with a fiery tone that briefly reminded Suzaku of himself, charging straight at him. Rather than using his landspinners, he came straight at Suzaku on foot, sword raised.
Suzaku met the charge evenly, dashing forward with the intent of finishing the battle with a swift uppercut to knock the unit off balance and then destroy the energy filler to disable it. Surprisingly, however, as he went for the strike, the enemy dodged to the side as the torso spun around in a complete circle, bringing the sword straight at him. Grabbing it with both hands, Suzaku ordered the Lancelot to disarm the opponent and kick them away before tossing the sword aside.
"Tatte!" Suzaku cried in his native language. "Watashi wa mushiro watashi no kuni no hitori to tatakawanaidarou! Sugu ni kōfuku shite kudasai!"
"Please, stand down! I'd rather not have to fight a fellow countryman! Please surrender at once!"
Toyohisa reeled, hearing honest to Kami Japanese. Unlike the black haired Britannian from earlier, there was no fluency. It was natural. That meant the person in the cockpit was...
"...is this some kind of sick joke?!" he growled, confused and angered. "If you claim to be Japanese, then why are you aiding in this senseless slaughter?! Where's the honor in striking down someone who isn't even armed?!"
The fellow Japanese in the white Knightmare offered no words. Perhaps he was stunned into silence, or perhaps he saw no point in talking. Either way, Toyohisa had no intention of backing down. Not only because of samurai pride, but because of the beating heart of the Shimazu that burned deep inside his chest. The injustice of what happened today would be repaid in blood!
"Toyohisa." The radio crackled to life, Yoichi's voice coming from the speaker. "I'll distract the white Knightmare. Use it to recover your sword."
Before the samurai could protest there was a loud 'bang', immediately followed by one of the enemy's landspinners shattering. Cursing up a storm he dashed for his sword, picking it up before facing his opponent again, who meanwhile has jumped back and activated the same glowing shield as before. "Don't interfere! I don't need your help!"
"One, that's debatable given how quickly you were disarmed. Two, this is not a duel but a battle: right now you're a soldier before being a warrior."
Toyohisa gritted his teeth but couldn't deny the archer's words. His uncle had thoroughly taught him that, sometimes, a samurai must do disagreeable things in order to achieve victory. For the life of single man is transient, but his cause and country will endure.
Toyohisa hated doing the reasonable thing instead of the right one.
Just for that, he would make the White Knightmare's demise extra bloody! "Even if you are my fellow countryman..." he growled, taking up a sword stance again before he charged forward, roaring like a demon hellbent on spilling blood.
"I'M TAKING YOUR HEAD!"
Ceasefire.
Ashford.
Duel.
Act 5: Throttle
*Chapter 5: Act V
Huh, what do you know? First chapter attempted solo. Sorry if the quality is bad, as I didn't ask help from my usual go-to guy for this story. In case you haven't been keeping up, don't read these author notes or don't remember, he's the Writer of a Thousand Stories. Not literal, mind you. He did, however, beta this chapter.
Now then. Show of hands? Who's excited to see Toyohisa trying to take Suzaku's head? And as for music for this fight, may I suggest "Gospel of the Throttle" by Minutes 'till Midnight?
Now then, let's drift back to rebellion, shall we?
Drifting towards Rebellion
Act 5: Throttle
The roar that ripped out from Toyohisa's throat was primal, almost guttural and practically shook the entire area as his black-colored Burai charged straight at Suzaku, the Yaibatou frimly in his Knightmare's grasp. The white Knightmare blocked the blow with its shield, but Toyohisa pushed forward. The Burai pressed its free hand against the blade, bringing the entirely of its mechanical strength into the clash. With only one working Land Spinner his adversary found itself pressed up against a dilapidated building behind it.
"I don't give a damn if you're Japanese, Britannian or another goddamn foreigner!" Toyohisa snarled, refusing to let up the pressure. "I'm taking your head!"
With surprising force the white Knightmare pushed back, planting a foot against the Burai's chest and forcing the samurai back before it threw a Slash Harken his way. Toyohisa easily knocked it away with his sword, but found himself forced to dodge to the side and evade two more that came hurling at him. With the pressure gone the white Knightmare moved closer to subdue the black unit: only to have its other Land Spinner shot, now rendering its mobility useless.
From his spot Yoichi hummed. "That shield is quite impressive," he remarked. "Unfortunately, that prototype suffers from the same problem all Knightmares do." It was a design flaw that he had seen shortly after he had become accustomed to piloting a Knightmare Frame. Oda had seen it as well when he learned how the damned things worked. If there was one common flaw all Knightmares shared, it was that their famed maneuverability was entirely dependent on the Land Spinners. Those devices allowed them to traverse any terrain imaginable, but if you got rid of those both their speed and overall maneuverability would be greatly reduced. Toyohisa's Burai was an exception modified to adjust to the samurai's style. "I've taken out its remaining Land Spinner. It should be quite vulnerable now."
Toyohisa grunted, still sore about the whole thing, but accepted the help nonetheless. Using his own Slash Harkens, which the white Knightmare evaded with some difficulty, Toyohisa pulled himself forward and went in for a straight stab. The enemy before him stopped him cold in his tracks by grabbing the sword with both hands again, but was unable to stop Toyohisa from pushing forward, once again forcing it into a building.
"Good. Keep it there." Yoichi asked Toyohisa as his own Burai raised its sniper rifle, ready to fire. However, just as he was getting ready to shoot the White Knightmare suddenly opened up its factspheres, watching the world in front of it before the head turned towards...him?! Recoiling in shock, and cursing at having his position being discovered, Yoichi pulled the trigger.
Sadly the enemy unit proved to be far more agile than either Japanese warrior had anticipated, as it diverted Toyohisa's sword to stab the spot next to its torso before grabbing the Burai's head, hoisting itself up and evading the shot before it proceeded to use Toyohisa's Knightmare as a springboard, leaping off of it and landing far away behind him. Turning around it fired several slash harkens at Yoichi's position. Thankfully the archer managed to pull himself out of the way, ducking further back inside the building before going to another vantage point. Toyohisa managed to recover as well: turning around and growling in anger he resumed the battle against his adversary, charging in straight forward with sword in hand.
To his surprise and shock, however, the white Knightmare leaped forward, spinning its body in mid-air and delivering a roundhouse backwards kick to the Burai's head, effectively throwing it to the ground. "What skill!" Toyohisa marveled, unable to hide his reluctant awe. He didn't know that Knightmares were capable of mimicking human techniques so flawlessly! "How can a machine even move like that?!"
"So this is what a Seventh Generation is capable of..." Yoichi gritted his teeth, glaring at the white foe before them. "Even without its Land Spinners it's still capable of fighting efficiently. Oda, what do we do?!"
"Keep that damn thing busy!" the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven snapped. "What's left of us is rounding up the survivors and getting them the hell out of here! I have no idea where K-1 is, and honestly I don't give a damn!"
Toyohisa snorted, tugging at the controls. "I don't plan on keeping him busy, old fool." he said as the Burai pushed itself back up to its feet. "I'm going to take this bastard's head!"
Lelouch was grateful for Kallen's intervention, as well as the aid of Toyohisa, even if the man was probably unaware of it. Honestly, he wouldn't be surprised if the man didn't even noticed his presence, so focused he seemed to be on the battle. He sounded like the type of man with a one-track mind, but who was so good at his job that it wasn't such a great weakness.
Now, however, he had to resolve another entirely different problem. Since his plans on pushing Clovis back was now down the drain he had only one real option left: it wasn't ideal, and the odds of success were far lower than leading the rebel forces, but he had no choice. Inside the cockpit of his Knightmare Lelouch sucked in a large intake of air to calm himself, running a hand through his raven black hair. As if leading an army wasn't nerve-wracking enough. 'As things currently stand this is my only option.' He thought before mustering the courage to step outside. The cockpit was pulled open, allowing him to disembark via a cable leading down to ground level. 'The only way I'll be able to succeed is with this power.'
It didn't take him long to find a Britannian soldier: with a little bit of convincing to get him to remove his helmet Lelouch was able to use his "gift" to make the man forfeit his clothes to him. For insurance Lelouch also gave him the same order as the royal guard before walking away. Within a few minutes the G-1 base was in sight, with Knightmares standing ready and armed with rifles. 'Thirty in all.' Lelouch counted, scoffing. 'If it wasn't for that white unit we could have taken Clovis captive and end this senseless slaughter. And more importantly, I could have got the hell out of here.' So much trouble just to get home. Now that he thought about it he hadn't taken the time to call anyone in the Student Council, having been so preoccupied with survival. They must be very worried. 'Don't worry, Nunnally. I'll be home soon enough.'
With thoughts of his beautiful little sister, the only family he truly had left in this world, comforting him Lelouch forced himself to walk forward and approach the checkpoint. "Hold it." One guard stopped him, stepping in between him and his goal. "Only authorized personnel are allowed. Let me see your ID."
Lelouch didn't bother striking a conversation with the man. His visor was down, so he had a clear line of contact. His eye itched and throbbed as he felt power surge through it. While the man couldn't see it, Lelouch's left eye was consumed in red and marked by a bird-like sigil. "Let me inside the G-1 Command Center." he ordered. The man looked surprised for a moment before the order took effect, a red circle forming around his iris and pupils. He wisely stepped aside, bowing his head to allow Lelouch to proceed forward. Giving a mock bow of gratitude, the exiled prince narrowed his eyes as he made his way to where Clovis was.
"Shit!"
By the end of it all the results had been quite clear. Even though Toyohisa was a quick learner inside a Knightmare Frame, he was still a novice. In comparison the pilot of the white Knightmare, while having undergone many simulations, had never piloted a machine like this, but was able to match the samurai and defeat him. Toyohisa had put up a valiant front, fighting back with sword in hand and pure skills. However, in the end the stronger and slightly more experienced warrior won: Toyohisa's Burai was missing a leg, half of its right arm was destroyed and its sword was stabbed into the ground far away from him.
To say that Toyohisa was angry would be an understatement. This was humiliating! He hadn't felt like this since Ii Naomasa had escaped with his head still on his shoulders! Even worse was the fact that the enemy had not made any movements to finish him off. Instead the Knightmare looked down at him with its fixed expression before it turned its gaze to Yoichi's own Burai, who remained hidden inside the building with its rifle still aimed. Despite his best efforts the famed archer of the Genpei War was boxed and pushed into a corner. Yoichi knew that the odds of escaping such a formidable adversary were next to none.
"Oda." Yoichi called over the radio. "Has everyone evacuated?"
"Thankfully." Oda replied. "What about you two?"
"...I fear the enemy's sword is on our necks." he answered with a grim smile. "I haven't felt like this since the early days of the Genpei War. I imagine Toyohisa is quite livid himself." A second later his eyes hardened as he readied his rifle. "Even so, I will not back down without a fight." His honor wouldn't allow for him to die without so much as some resistance. Such was the pride of a true warrior belonging tothe land of the rising sun of old. As if it was knocking back a bow the Burai raised its rifle: Yoichi would have liked to die with a bow in his hands, but you can't have everything even when choosing an honorable last stand.
In response the white Knightmare looked ready to launch into combat.
Then a panicked cry, broadcasted on an open channel, flooded every working radio belonging to either a Britannian officer or rebel soldier. The voice belonged to none other than third prince Clovis la Britannia.
"Cease fire at once! I order you! In the name of Clovis la Britannia, third prince of the Holy Britannian Empire! Cease fire at once! I will no longer tolerate more fighting! Return to base and escort any and all survivors out of the ghetto and into treatment camps! This is a direct order!"
Oda blinked. Once. Twice. Then a grin started to form across his face. "Well, I'll be damned..." he said, narrowing his single eye. "It seems you've got a trick up your sleeve, eh? K-1?"
Infiltrating the G-1 had been so easy even without that wonderful power. Honestly, Lelouch couldn't believe how careless Clovis was: obviously the poor flop had focused more on lavish gatherings with the nobility and propaganda than actually taking a page from their smarter siblings. Lelouch's first order of business had been to disable the security system: it would be problematic if someone were to recognize him once he was finished up there. A few uses of his power here and there, and the security cameras in the G-1 were rendered useless. Now the guards had been a rather tricky affair, since a few of them were wearing helmets that prevented him from making eye contact. He instead had to rely on honey-laced words and trickery, which he admitted were nowhere near as good as what Schneizel could pull off. But were still good enough for the task ahead.
He was finally able to reach the Main Bridge after a few complications. The door slid open, allowing him to step inside. "What are you doing?!" one of the officials on deck, a rather overweight man with dark skin, scowled as the veins on his bald head bulged out. Lelouch smiled inwardly, pleased to know that his and the rebel's actions had certainly put them on edge, even if they were getting some ground back with that white Knightmare of theirs. "No one is allowed up here unless-"
He didn't get very far. No one of them was wearing anything that prevented them from having eye contact with him. Lelouch's power surged as he stared at the officers, left eye twitching mildly in irritation. "Leave." was his lone word of instruction. In a few moments red rings engulfed the officers' eyes, their earlier resistance fell apart as they moved towards the many exits. Lelouch savored the dumbfounded and shocked expression on Clovis' face as he turned to face him, making his way up to the throne and removing the gun he stole from his holster.
Upon seeing the firearm Clovis started to sweat. "Y-you're a terrorist, aren't you?" he asked, trying to remain as calm as he possibly could. "I don't know what you hope to accomplish with this, but if you honestly think for a moment that-"
*BANG!*
A gunshot echoed into the air. Surprisingly enough Clovis didn't let out a single scream as the bullet pierced its way into his throne, mere centimeters away from his head. "Unless you value your life, Clovis, I suggest you put a stop to this." Lelouch said. "Otherwise, the next one is going into your head." Stepping to the side, but keeping his gun trained on his older brother, he gestured to the console. "The command console has a speaker system, doesn't it? Broadcast a ceasefire. Try anything that's even remotely suspicious, and you'll find a bullet in your head."
"V...Very well." Clovis hissed. Slowly he rose from his throne and made his way over to the Main Bridge, Lelouch trailing behind him. He had purposely slowed his pace, hoping that by some chance a guard would enter to deliver a status report and alert everyone in the base. When he was in front of the console Clovis glanced over his shoulder, finding the terrorist still close by with the gun at the ready. His eyes were hidden underneath the visor, but he could feel them practically trained on him. Swallowing a lump his fingers methodically danced across the keyboard. Before long, the speaker system was engaged.
"Your order, if you please."
'Oh, how I hope you rot in hell, you filthy Eleven.' Clovis raged at his captor before he was forced to deliver the message to stand down. He kept the message straight to the point while trying to remain as calm as possible. He was half-tempted to make a distress signal, but he saw the man's finger curl around the trigger, meaning he was getting ready to fire.
Once the message was delivered Clovis pulled away from the console. "Impressive." Lelouch remarked with a small grin. "I imagine that must've been your most impressive performance yet."
"And what do you propose we do now? Singe a ballet? Dance the night away? Perhaps a game of chess?"
Lelouch smiled thinly as he looked up at the ceiling. "Chess... That sounds quite nostalgic, don't you think?" he asked, making Clovis look at him strangely. "I remember how you always kept challenging me and Schneizel back at the Aries Villa. And you kept losing, every single time." Clovis stiffened, eyes widening. Lelouch undid the hook on his helmet, removing it with his free hand. As soon as his face was revealed in full view to the blonde-haired prince, Clovis could only look at him as the color drained away from his face. "It's been seven years, big brother..."
"L-Lelouch...?" Clovis whispered, nearly tripping over his feet. "B-but you're...?"
"Dead? Oh, I can assure you, big brother, I'm very much alive. And we have a lot to discuss..."
Following Clovis' orders, the remaining Britannian soldiers escorted the stragglers of the massacre created by their own hands out of the ruined remains of their once quiet and demolished home. It had been a somber and quiet affair, the survivors looking back at the ruined remains that they were forced to leave behind. It also didn't help the fact that the ones behind this mess in the first place were the same people that were escorting them to a refugee camp.
Kallen wanted nothing more than to bash their skulls in. Cry out in anger. In despair. But at the end, all she could do was walk with Ohgi, pulling tightly on the jacket draped over her shoulders. Behind them was what remained of the Kouzuki Resistance Cell. Many had left after Naoto had died: though Tamaki had claimed they were traitors, Ohgi had allowed them to leave. Kallen was more than aware of how much the man doubted his abilities despite being entrusted with their lives. Naoto would have wanted this as well, she was sure of that.
After they were safely situated at the refugee camp the red-haired girl took a moment to look around the area. Several tents were erected, housing the wounded and sickly. At best, perhaps only a meager thousand had survived the Britannian massacre. She saw children crying out for their mothers, begging adults to find them. She saw a woman, half-starved to death, cradling a little infant in a bundle. She saw married couples grieving the loss of their children. She saw men wrapped in bandages, sulking away. So many people, lost and grieving from their losses. If it wasn't their home, it was their families. No different than her situation: the only real family she had was Naoto, and even him was gone from this world now. She refused to acknowledge her mother as family any longer, not after she willingly allowed herself to be debased into a mere maid for her stepmother to abuse.
"...A sad sight, isn't it?" Turning around Kallen found a young man approaching from behind her, wearing a slightly ruined suit. He was quite pretty, with a feminine face that she could swear belonged to a woman and long black hair tied back into a ponytail. "It's bad enough knowing that our country's been bound in shackles, but now our people are forced to live like this. It's shameful."
"It is." Kallen nodded, frowning slightly in sadness. "I'm sorry, but have we met?"
"This would be our first meeting, Kouzuki-chan." the young man smiled somberly. "I am Nasu no Yoichi. Oda's bodyguard and gofer."
Immediately the spitfire straightened her back. "O-Oda-sama is here also?!" she asked in a hushed whisper, looking around in fear of Britannians eavesdropping. The last thing they needed to hear and discover was that the Eleven businessman they had wanted to throw out of his seat of power was the benefactor of small-time Resistance Cells.
"He asked me to find someone from the Kouzuki Resistance Cell, preferably the red Glasgow's pilot." Yoichi replied smoothly. "We should move this conversation away from prying ears. There's a tent to far side: he wants to talk with you there."
Kallen nodded and followed him. Upon entering the tent she found herself staring at the man named after the infamous warlord of the Sengoku Jidai. Many Japanese citizens knew that one of their own had risen to become the head of his own corporation, a feat that had never been accomplished before. Many had been curious to know what sort of man this Oda Nobunaga was. Some called him a traitor, while others looked up to him immensely due to his accomplishments.
However, when Kallen first met the man she saw none of that. No anger at an Honorary Britannian who rose through the ranks. No admiration for him managing to put the Britannians in their place by becoming the head of a company. No, her meeting with Oda Nobunaga had an entirely different effect, both for her and the Kouzuki Resistance cell.
What they had felt was fear. For the sight of that aged man with only a single functional eye which danced with mischief and violence, while off-putting, had brought upon them a sense of primal terror that no one could explain. He was undoubtedly Japanese, but something about the man unnerved them: it was like he was inherently different from them somehow. None of them knew why this old codger scared them so much, but they knew one thing for certain: he was not named after the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven just for show.
Kallen got that same feeling from the man sitting off to the far side of Oda: he was wearing a red jacket with an insignia on the back, a scowl set on his face while a katana sat next to him.
"I'll kill him!"
Oda threw his head back and laughed heartedly. "You're certainly passionate, even after getting your ass kicked!" he said, showing off his pearly white teeth as he leaned into his seat while placing one leg on top of his other knee. "Then again, what did you expect was going to happen? It's an experimental Seventh Generation taking on a modified Glasgow, a Fourth-Generation. Frankly I'm surprised you lasted as long as you did." His answer only seemed to make the man's scowl deepen, fingers curling tightly into a pair of trembling fists. "Calm down Toyohisa: I'm stating a fact. Actually, it brings a lot to the table: at least now I know what the Second Prince has been working on."
"It doesn't change the fact the son of a bitch was murdering his own countrymen!" the man, now identified as Toyohisa, snarled. Kallen froze at this information, paling at the thought. The pilot of that white Knightmare had been Japanese? An Honorary Britannian? But that didn't sound right: though her knowledge on the Britannian Military's stance on Honorary Soldiers wasn't quite complete, she did know that they were explicitly barred from piloting a Knightmare Frame. "Those people weren't even armed! The bastard should've slit his own belly!"
"Not to say I don't agree, but you ought to remember Toyohisa: this ain't the old Japan we used to know." Oda told him, as if scolding a child, before he craned his head and turned to Kallen. She squeaked when his eye fell upon her, making him grin. "Ah, Kouzuki-chan! I was wondering when you'd get here! Come on and sit! We've got a lot to talk about..."
"Y-Yes, Oda-sama!"
"W-wait! We don't have the same mother, but-but we're still-!"
Lelouch's eyes snapped open, nearly falling off his chair from how his body pulled itself back from the table, sweat pouring down his skin. Immediately afterward he looked around, expecting to see himself in Hell or perhaps inside a holding cell awaiting execution. Instead all he saw were tables and chairs, with a computer sitting at the far corner of the room. Windows were erected along the wall, showing off the view outside: luscious green trees, a blue sky and a courtyard.
He was in Ashford Academy's Student Council room.
Releasing a heavy sigh Lelouch relaxed in his chair, letting his face fall into one hand. 'Killing someone isn't as easy as I thought it would be.' he thought with a wry, somber smile as he pulled his hand away. The same hand that killed his brother. 'Especially not one's own family. Even if Clovis had changed he was still my brother, wasn't he?' Yet when he met that blonde fop for the first time since his father exiled him Lelouch saw none of the foolish, yet perpetual smiling painter that he used to know. Rather, all he saw was yet another noble, thriving on corruption and greed.
In all honesty Lelouch had no intention of killing him. At least, not until he had opened his mouth once he got him talking. Oh, the things he learned from his darling brother's mouth. And all of them were sickening and horrifying to hear. Clovis held the Japanese in such high contempt that he honestly had given thought to purging a ghetto before; the situation had only given him the excuse he needed to justify his actions. The worst part was that his hatred came from Lelouch and Nunnally's apparent demise: after all, the whole reason the Holy Britannian Empire declared war on Japan was because of the falsified report of his and his sister's death. They had been murdered by the Japanese, and thus the Empire demanded swift retribution.
The raven-haired teen was willing to bet every pound in the world that his father was the one who came up with that report.
Lelouch had questioned Clovis about the existence of that green-haired girl, the one responsible for this newfound power. As it turned out, the woman was somehow immortal. How had Clovis discovered this? By putting her through every possible way to murder someone. Pumping them full of lead. Drowning them. Burning them. Suffocating them. Cutting off their head. Every trick in the book was used, and she came back in every instance.
It sickened him to no end. He had decided that there was nothing left of that innocent older brother who doted on Nunnally and painted beautiful portraits. He had become a monster that needed to be put down. It had been only after Lelouch had returned home to Ashford, unhindered by any opposition now that the command structure had been effectively toppled beyond recognition, that he had realized the ramifications of his actions
To put it bluntly, a small part of him whispered rather vulgarly: "You fucked up."
Now that Clovis, an incompetent ruler, was removed from power several things would happen. First would be civil unrest, with conditions for the Japanese worsening. While Lelouch didn't care for them as much as Nunnally had, he still owed them for giving him and Nunnally a place to call home after they were exiled. The Purebloods were the logical choice for a stand-in Viceroy until a new one could be selected. There was no way they would pass up the opportunity: Hell, he was sure that they would do everything they possibly could to secure a seat of power even after the new Viceroy was determined and put into office. The only question was what would happen while they held the position: there were so many possibilities that he couldn't figure out which approach they would take, at least not without investigating their leaders.
Whatever they would do, chances were likely that the Honorary Britannians would be in danger of having their citizenship revoked. The Purist Faction had made it blatantly clear in the past that they wanted all non-Britannians out of the Settlements and military and back to their ghettos.
Sighing in annoyance Lelouch shook his head: he shouldn't be thinking about this sort of stuff right now. Besides, what could he possibly do? There was only so much a mere student could accomplish, especially in his situation. The last thing he had on his mind was returning to being a political tool. And he couldn't risk leaving Nunnally by herself: even with the Ashfords providing them asylum, he was still afraid something might happen without him there.
That situation had nothing to do with him. He may have been the one to kill Clovis, but unless something happened that would put him and Nunnally in jeopardy he was content with where he was now.
Speaking of which, they were rather late, weren't they? Usually, they'd be here right about-
"Lulu!"
'Ah. Right on time.'
The prince in hiding barely had enough time to prepare himself as a girl with long orange hair tackled into him, wrapping her arms around his body rather tightly.
Shortly after the situation was deemed clear, the refugees were allowed to return home. Or at least, what was left of the ghetto. Kallen and the rest of the Kouzuki Resistance Cell had already taken their leave and returned to their home base. Oda and the other two had only just returned to Dairoku Tengoku Industries when Toyohisa, still fuming, immediately went to the cabinet to snatch himself a bottle of whiskey: it wasn't as pleasant as sake, but the man needed a fucking drink after what happened today.
"Looks like future operations will be quite difficult, what with the addition of that White Knightmare the Britannians have." Yoichi remarked humorlessly as he sat down, folding his hands atop his lap. "The way it moved was so fluid, I had briefly mistaken it for a human being."
"And the pilot's apparently a fellow Japanese." Oda chuckled. "By law Honorary Britannians aren't allowed to pilot Knightmares. That's a role exclusive only to Knights and high-ranking officers in the military. But, seeing as how that unit belongs to the Second Prince of Britannia the normal rules may not apply." A moment later, however, his eye narrowed. "However you are right: if they manage to mass produce that thing, then our lives are going to be much harder."
"What about Clovis?" Toyohisa asked as he sat down, his voice hoarse. Already he could feel the whiskey burning away at his throat: it was definitely stronger than sake, and more difficult to wash down. "The bastard deserves to pay after what he's done!"
The archer smiled thinly. "I believe that has already been taken care of." he said mysteriously, causing Toyohisa to raise an eyebrow, clearly demanding answers. "I found the stolen Sutherland that our strange friend had been using to hide among the Britannian soldiers. It was abandoned, but otherwise it looked intact. And given that it was undoubtedly Clovis who ordered the ceasefire, I can hazard a guess as to what happened. It has been eerily quiet on the Britannian's side: I've heard not a peep since the battle subsided."
"Which means K-1 killed the poor bastard." Oda surmised, shocking the samurai. They killed the prince? Well, damn. He had to admit, that was impressive. "And thanks to that, I think I can hazard a guess as to who they might be."
"You do?"
The one-eyed man nodded, taking a tin case from his breast pocket and opening it, revealing a row of thick, long cigars. "Stealing a Sutherland, depending on how you do it, can be pretty easy." he explained as he took one of the cigars out from the tin case, pulled out a lighter from his other pocket and flicked it open, lighting up the cigar before sticking it in his mouth. "But sneaking inside a Britannian military base? One that's heavily guarded, even if the boss is incompetent? No matter who you are, the soldiers there would have to check your identity before letting you inside. Even if they managed to sneak inside undetected, they'd still have to worry about encountering other soldiers. They also have to find a way outside the base after they manage to get Clovis to call off the massacre and then kill him. Assuming they weren't detected at all, you'd have to be as skilled as a shinobi."
Purposely, the kabuki paused for dramatic effect before he smirked. "Or, you'd have be a Britannian."
Toyohisa's eyes widened, jaw going slack. Yoichi looked positively amused by the whole thing, a wide smile spreading upon his face as he leaned forward. "Oho? Now that's an interesting idea. Assuming that's true, then I can only imagine the ramifications of what it would mean for a Britannian to kill the Prince of his own nation. Assuming the Purist Faction doesn't take advantage of Clovis' death."
"W-wait! Hold on a damned minute!" the samurai cried, slamming his hands on the table. "You mean to tell me that snake was a Britannian?!"
"Like I told you before, Toyohisa. Britannia is a dying giant." Oda smirked at the look of outrage the Shimazu demonstrated. The bloodthirsty warrior was pissed by the idea that they had been taking orders from the enemy, but he saw it differently. "Even its citizens notice it. The majority either don't care and just want to rule the world, or they just can't do anything about it. A minority is actually trying to change Britannia's system, some even going as far as fighting against their home country. But the voices of the minorities are always trampled upon and dismantled."
"It's rare to encounter a Britannian fighting against his country, but not an uncommon sight." Yoichi told Toyohisa. "As a matter of fact, quite a few of Oda's business partners disagree with Britannia's current policies."
Toyohisa frowned: he still didn't like the fact that they had been played, but even he couldn't refute those two words. Given from what he had seen of Britannia he was still finding it hard to believe that its own countrymen would take up arms against it, especially given how almost every Britannian he had met was a racist, holier-than-thou git who deserved to have their head separated from their shoulders! That being said, he couldn't deny K-1's apparent gift for strategy.
"I bet you two would get along fine." he mused with some humor as he took another drink from the bottle of whiskey in his hand. "Considering how you two work in the shadows."
Oda grinned wickedly. "That all depends on them. But I do have to admit, they have a knack for strategy. A little bit rough around the edges, but definitely potential." A true diamond in the rough. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't interested in meeting with them.
'Now, let's think. What Britannian would be able to sneak inside the G-1 Mobile Command Center and assassinate a prince? Couldn't be a soldier. They're disciplined, sure, but they're not too competent. Can't be a Knight, either. As far as I know, every Knight in Japan was picked by Clovis himself. A former OSI agent? Doubtful. Those bastards wouldn't allow a traitor to live the moment they turned coats.'
The more Oda thought about who this mystery figure could be, the more excited he became. He couldn't wait for the day he and this K-1 met face to face.
Elsewhere, a meeting was being held in a place unknown to the world of man. Two individuals stood on a platform suspended in mid-air with only marble columns lining the path leading to the end. The steps that led up to the platform were hanging in mid-air, held up by some invisible force. The world that surrounded this platform was beautiful: a sky without end, stretching as far as the eye could possibly see, locked in an eternal sunset. Yet the sun was nowhere to be seen. The clouds were constantly shifting, sliding across the horizon like a flowing river. Faintly, one could make out what appeared to be gears hidden behind the breathtaking scenery.
The two individuals were a stark contrast to one another. The first was a bear of a man, with broad shoulders and a gaunt face, as if made of iron. His hair was white, bearing an impressive beard and adorned in royal garb, a long cape hanging over his shoulders while his narrowed eyes gazed across the horizon. The other was shorter, perhaps around the height of an average male, dressed in white clothes with a cap atop his black mane. His attire was quite different from any uniform worn by those in the Britannian Royal Court or of the Nobility. In fact, one might mistake it for religious garments. His eyes were dark purple, reflecting only anxiety and a coldness reminiscent to the frigid north.
"...It would appear that the Drifters have made their first move." the towering man said, his voice booming with authority.
The young man nodded. "So it would seem." The towering figure stared out at the horizon for a moment longer before he turned on his heel, making his leave from this place. The young man turned around, watching him go before he called out. "Charles! Why do you do nothing? You realize where things stand, don't you?"
"I am well aware of the present circumstances, Haruakira." Charles zi Britannia, 98th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empier, replied coldly. "However, my plan has not changed. The Ragnarok Connection will continue without delay."
"Even though Vincent lied to you and killed Marianne?" Charles didn't answer him. In fact, Haruakira was sure Charles stopped listening to him after he mentioned that little brat's name. Shaking his head, he looked back at the horizon and narrowed his eyes.
Though it was hard to see, it was there. A symbol that would soon become known to the world. A sign that the end of the world was looming over the horizon. The insignia for the downfall of humanity.
A dark eye, drawn over the beautiful sky, where the sun should have been.
Suspicion.
Red.
Prince.
Act 6: Loop
*Chapter 6: Act VI
Jesus. The last time this was updated was back in July of 2018. Welp, at least it's updated now! ...right?
Kudos for Writer of a Thousand Stories, who contributed to a good portion of this chapter. Zero's debut is rapidly approaching, boys and girls. And with Oda here, Britannia is not prepared!
Also, before anybody asks, I still have not seen the recap film trilogy or Re;surrection, so NO SPOILERS!
At any rate, let's drift back to rebellion, shall we?
Drifting towards Rebellion
Act 6: Loop
Following the Student Council's arrival, Lelouch had been bombarded without end by them, asking what had happened to him after his apparent kidnapping inside a truck. Because of the situation and the panic he felt at the time, he had never attempted to call them and assure them that they were okay. The only person he had called was Sayoko, who had been quite worried for Nunnally's sake about his prolonged absense. The woman was quite sharp, as she had already noticed that there was something off with her young lord. Thankfully, she hadn't questioned him, though it was clear she was suspicious of him. He made a mental note to tell her what happened, or at the very least give her the abridged version.
Unfortunately, Sayoko's suspicion and the Student Council's worry over him was the least of his concerns at the moment. He could barely keep his eyes open, finding himself to be utterly exhausted in spite of the fact that he had managed to sleep last night, if only just barely. When he was only a moment away from dozing off, Milly's voice cracked in the air as she brought down a rolled up piece of paper on his head.
"Wake up, Lelouch!" she scolded. "I know you're trying to sleep! Your hand stopped moving!"
"You don't have to hit me over it..."
'And you weren't the one who was in a life or death battle with the freaking military...'
"That right? Well, thanks." After a short conversation over the phone, Oda set the cell down on the table and turned to his fellows, who had been lounging around in his office. Toyohisa was still drinking from the whiskey he stole from his cabinet while Yoichi was doing maintenance on his firearm. Though he still very much preferred the bow, the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven was fully aware that he had taken a begrudging liking to guns. "Well, I got some news."
"Is it good or bad?" Toyohisa scoffed.
"In our line of work, there's really no such thing as bad news or good news." the man replied as he sat down on the sofa, propping his leg up on his knee and swinging an arm over the spine of the sofa while he took out the tin box in his breast pocket, going for another cigar. "The grease monkeys just got done doing maintenance on our mystery friend's stolen Sutherland. The bastard was smart and damaged the motherboard, so we couldn't access the internal footage."
"Internal what?"
"A recording of what was happening inside the Knightmare Frame." Yoichi explained with a hint of exasperation. "We covered this the other day. Did you already forget?"
"You can't honestly expect me to remember every tiny detail about that damned thing!"
"No, we don't. In fact, I'd be surprised if you did." Oda snickered. "At any rate, our mystery friend is quite the craft one, if not careful. The fact that he was able to pilot a Knightmare Frame, even if his actions were amateurish, means he's had some type of formal training. He's also shown a tactical mind, which means he's somewhat knowledgeable about warfare. Putting these two together, there's no doubt our mystery friend is Britannian." He paused to take a quick smoke of his cigarette, then continued. "What I haven't figured out just yet is his angle. How did he get involved in that operation, how he got his hands on that Knightmare, and so on. I keep running my mind, and all I get are blanks."
Toyohisa scoffed. "Whatever the case is, what I want to know is about what happens next."
Though he preferred swinging his sword and raising hell while chopping heads, he was no fool. The viceroy was dead. Everything that happened in the Settlement was in accordance to his plans, and everyone turned to him for leadership. They had effectively cut off the head of the snake, and now no one knew what to do. There was definitely going to be a power vacuum, which of course meant that all kinds of people were going to be crawling out of the woodwork. Everyone was going to react to this, both Japanese and Britannian alike.
"Well, since Clovis is dead as a door nail, I imagine the nobility and everyone looking to get ahead in life will want to take his place, or at the very least set up a temporary system while they try and find his replacement. To tell the truth, some of the big wigs have been looking to remove Clovis from power because of his incompetence, since most of his actions were mainly focused on reconstruction and improvement of the Settlement and other little side ventures."
Yoichi rubbed his chin. "Who do you think will be the best possible replacement for him?"
"Hard to say, but if I were to make a wager, I'd say Cornelia li Britannia." Oda guessed. Toyohisa raised an eyebrow, as he was unfamiliar with that name. "Cornelia's known as the Goddess of Victory to Britannia, and to her enemies the Witch of Britannia. Ever since she became a leading commander in the subjugation of various other countries and continents around the world, she's never lost a battle. In other words, she is undefeated. However, subjugation and stamping out enemies is what she does best. When it comes to the political circle, the best in the business is the second prince. He's in charge of dealing with foreign relations in the Europia Union, and he's the reason why some of the other Areas are more pacified than others. He's done several reforms and dealt with enough politics to know how to screw them over while reaping the benefits."
"In other words, a snake." Toyohisa grunted. "I hate people like that."
"Lucky for us, he's more focused on the war front at the moment." Oda offered some consolation. "Which means the best choice is Cornelia, especially since Japan has been home to greater resistance than the other penal colonies. Another boon thanks to Clovis' incompetence. For now, we should focus what's in front of us. Now that Clovis is dead, everyone's gonna be looking to take his throne while it's still warm. And my gut tells me the Purist Faction is having a field day."
"Purist Faction?"
Yoichi grimaced. "They're a group within the Britannian military, comprised mainly of noblemen of pure Britannian descent. There are other soldiers in the military and even the political circle who, while Britannian, are sometimes of mixed blood. As a matter of fact, I believe that a member of Clovis' Civilian Council is one-third Japanse, though he was removed from the council some odd months ago. The Purist Faction has been looking to make reforms so that only those of pure Britannian heritage may be involved in Britannian politics, as well as the military. On the more extreme side of things, they also want to do away with the Honorary Britannian citizenship."
"If there's one thing Britannia realizes, it's that having a few happy natives of a conquered country can do wonders to the populace." Oda gave a dark smile at the now enraged Toyohisa. "By giving those poor fools the illusion that they can push further ahead in life, they give them the idea that they can stand on equal par with their rulers. Naturally, a lot of people recognize the deception, but when you back a man into the corner and give him no other ways of escape, he crumbles beneath the pressure. And in response, they get a man who realizes the hopelessness of the situation, and will lash out at anything that will ruin his chances at surviving. The Honorary Britannians will lash out at their countrymen who fight back, or at the very least act as a deterrent. Simple, but effective. Unfortunately, the Purists are too near-sighted to understand something as simple as that."
"Those sons of...!" Toyohisa growled, grip on his katana tightening. "If that's the case, we should slaughter every last one of them!"
"And we will, in time. For now, we have to wait until things cool off. Wait and see how things pan out." Oda advised. "In the meantime, why don't you go see Ohgi and the others? I've already set things up for them at their new hideout, but just to be safe, I'd like it if someone checked on them. Plus, it'll be a good way to get to know your comrades!"
"Comrades? I call comrades only those who has shed tears and blood together with me." Toyohisa replied sharply to Oda's statement.
All this damn politicking was giving him an headache and the alcohol, while numbing his anger, wasn't helping in the slightest. That was the reason he preferred to fight directly on the battlefield, where even complicated stuff made sense and could be resolved with enough courage and common sense.
In contrast, he couldn't help but view all this cloak and dagger as a giant parade of fools. One he was very glad to leave to the old Kabuki. With a scoff and more force than necessary he put the cap back on the whisky and pushed it out of his view: he had seen what alcohol can do to men who get addicted to it, and he would sooner commit seppuku than ending like that.
"They may be on our side, and fought with us on Shinjuku, but I'll withhold my judgment until I can watch them in the eyes."
"Fair enough." Oda shrugged. He, too, would never trust someone he never met before... or forget to set up contingencies for possible betrayals even from people he actually respect, like the two young men before him. After all, he survived Mitsuhide setting fire on the whole Honnoji temple because of that.
Not that he ever trusted or respected that damn snake: despite his title, he was decidedly not a fool.
"I can see all this heavy thinking is wearing down on our friend's already frayed nerves." Yoichi said with a pleasant tone. He didn't really predict himself playing the part of the peacemaker, but he was the only one in the right position to do it. "What do you say Toyohisa-dono, shall I accompany you to meet Ohgi and the others so that you may properly assess them? They're decent soldiers already, but I'm sure they can only improve with the guidance of a seasoned warrior such as you."
"Pulling recruits through the grinder? Why not, it feels like years since I did it." Toyohisa grinned in a way that would make normal people shiver. "Second best way to get rid of bad mood."
"Try to refrain from anything that doesn't heal in a few days." Oda rolled his eye. He would pity Ohgi and the others, but the faster they improve the better.
Although, considering Kallen's temper... Eh, there were going to be some impressive fireworks once those two met.
That girl was a spitfire if he ever saw one. It was a shame there weren't very many women like her back in their time. He had read that, although women in Japan still typically held the same role as usual, some had taken up the katana way back when. There were not very many stories about female samurai, but what little there were told the story of someone as dangerous as they were beautiful. If given enough time, maybe Kallen could become just like those female warriors of yore.
Assuming she didn't kill Toyohisa first.
For now, though, he had his own task. Namely, to look into the mysterious interloper "K-1" that intervened in the battle at Shinjuku. Their work was rough around the edges, and maybe a little naive, but he saw potential. There was skill and potential, and perhaps an ally. However, they were also an unknown and that was something that irritated the so-called Demon King of the Sixth Heaven. He didn't like not knowing about anything or if someone or something went and screwed things up for him. Everything he made today was done so with careful planning.
Oda was certain they could benefit from this person's skill, regardless of whether or not they really were Britannia. He had to dig up as much information as he could. So he looked at what he knew.
'They clearly weren't expecting to get involved in that goddamn mess, seeing as how they were fighting to live.' Oda went over the facts in his mind. 'He knew that he wouldn't be able to bypass the checkpoints at the perimeter even if he did have a Sutherland, which means he probably stole it but didn't have the proper items necessary to pass himself off as a soldier. As for how they managed to get their hands on one of our radios, it must have been recent. Maybe, was it when Kallen and Nagata were running away from the Britannians after we stole the poison gas?'
His eye narrowed. 'Wait, if I remember right, Nagata ended up crashing into a building under construction. Assuming they were out for at least a minute or so, someone that wasn't gawking like a bunch of onlookers would have had enough time to reach the truck and see if anyone was injured. If we go that by line of thought, they must have ended up inside the truck when Nagata and Kallen snapped out of it and got out of there. Assuming that is the case...'
As Yoichi and Toyohisa left his office, Oda took out his cell phone and quickly dialed up a number. "Yo, it's me. I need a favor. Think you can hack into the security cameras on highways? I need you to look for something."
Ohgi sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
The last few days had been hectic, between handling the relocation of the refugees and survivors of the Shinjuku Ghetto and keeping the cell from tearing itself apart. Ever since the botched operation a few days ago and the massacre, tensions were running high. Some of the more bloodthirsty members were calling out for blood and attack the Britannians, others were stating that it would be better for them to quit while they were ahead. In all honesty, he couldn't blame them. They had been fighting Britannia for a few years, but in all that time they never saw deaths as horrible as the ones in Shinjuku.
However, Ohgi knew that they couldn't give up. While they had lost the poison gas, which had no doubt been already recovered by the Britannians, they now knew it was possible to strike a blow against them. And with Oda's resources and intelligence, it would only be a matter of time before they could deliver another one. But right now, they just weren't ready. They were ill-prepared for any major offensive. They needed time. Time to heal and prepare.
Time he felt that they didn't have under his leadership.
It was no secret that Ohgi felt that he couldn't lead the Kouzuki Resistance as well as Naoto had. Whereas Ohgi operated with logic and often played the part of peace maker, it was Naoto's charisma and boldness that had eventually led to them establishing ties with the Japan Liberation Front. He did not have the same charisma or charm that could make people follow him. At best, people followed him because they knew, without him, the resistance cell would fall apart.
When he first heard about Oda Nobunaga, a man named after one of the most infamous warlords in their country's history, he thought that it would be better for him to lead the Resistance Cell in his place. Not only did he possess that same charisma Naoto had, but he was a talented schemer with good connections to the point where he could supply them with Knightmares and intelligence. Ohgi had even made the man an offer when he was at his lowest point, but Oda had refused. When Ohgi asked for an explanation, the response he was given stunned him.
"These men don't trust me. They trust me to provide them with weapons, supplies and information. They will trust me to help them in any way I can. But they don't trust me enough to have them under my command. Give enough time they might, but right now, and in the near future, Kaname, it's you who they trust. After all, your the reason why they're still alive."
He never would have expected such a response, but it was just the talk he needed to try and forge ahead. In spite of his reservations, Ohgi did his best to lead Naoto's group and keep everyone's spirits up.
As the afro-haired man continued to think about their present circumstances, wondering if they should make a move or wait for Oda to give them another chance, Tamaki entered the room. "Yo, Ohgi. Yoichi-sama's here with some new guy. Says they want to meet with you."
"I'll be right there." Ohgi nodded and stood up.
The two left the room and returned to the huge open space litered with machinery and supplies, both from Oda's contributions and stolen equipment from small Britannian outposts. Everyone was either making sure they had what they needed for future raids or keeping someone from killing another out of frustration. He saw that a few people were incensed and looked ready to start a brawl at a moment's notice, that he could have blamed them.
Eventually, Ohgi and Tamaki stopped in front of two people. One was Yoichi, Oda's right hand man. At first, Ohgi was not entirely sure what to make of him other than that he was a crack shot with a gun, though the pretty boy mentioned he preferred a bow and arrow over a firearm. The other was someone he did not recognize and was likely a new member of Oda's group, but he had the look of a warrior on him. His eyes were fierce and his body thick with tension, perfectly ready for an assault at the drop of a hat.
"Long time no see, Ohgi-san." Yoichi greeted with a smile. "You look well."
"I wouldn't say that." Ohgi replied weakly. "Things have been pretty hectic, what with relocating the survivors and all. Who's your new friend?"
"This is Toyohisa, one of our new recruits. He's a bit technologically inept, but he's a natural in a Knightmare. He's also good with a sword."
Toyohisa snorted. "I can introduce myself, thanks." He turned back to Ohgi. "You the guy in charge of this place?"
"Yeah. Kaname Ohgi, at your service." He extended a hand. "Good to meet you, Toyohisa-san."
Toyohisa returned the gesture and wrapped his hand around his. Immediately, Ohgi could tell that Yoichi's words were the truth. His hands were rough with callouses, slightly bigger than his own.
"So, what's a newbie doing here?" Tamaki asked. "He a new recruit or something?"
Yoichi smirked. "Hardly. Oda's asked him to help whip your troops into shape."
"Whip them into shape?" Ohgi repeated before analyzing Yoichi's statement inside his head. There was no doubt that being physically fit was a necessary requirement to be in a resistance cell like theirs, as more often than not it was demanded they fight against or run away from the military. That didn't meant they turned away those that failed to meet certain standards, they just give them more administrative jobs where they help the cell without being in danger. Ohgi was sure Oda knew about it, so why send someone like Toyohisa?
Unless, he realized immediately afterward, it was not about physical training but combat training. That was more understandable, as the majority of their members, Ohgi included, were civilians before Naoto recruited them. They all learned how to use firearms and some of them (especially Kallen) showed themselves good with a Knightmare, but it was an amateurish thing compared to the strict coaching Ohgi knew Britannian soldiers go through. Loathe was he was to admit it, there were many good reasons why Britannia had such a strong army.
"What the fuck?" Tamaki blurted out, a clearly annoyed expression on his face. "We're already doing fine by ourselves! We don't need a stranger butting in, even one sent by Oda-sama."
Of course, maybe Ohgi was one of the few seeing it that way. Quickly looking around at the members present the afro-haired man saw those who before looked ready to start a brawl now clearly agreed with Tamaki. Not only that, they clearly thought they found the perfect excuse to start said brawl.
Before Ohgi could try to cool down their spirits, Tamaki was a hothead but as an old friend he knew which buttons to push, Toyohisa quickly looked up and down the redhead with a neutral gaze before taking a few steps towards him, until their chests were almost touching. "H-Hey! What gives?" Tamaki demanded while looking up at the taller male. His earlier bravado was gone, the young man clearly intimidated by the warrior's fierce presence.
"..." For a few moments Toyohisa said nothing, merely gazing down as Tamaki with an indecipherable look.
And then, faster than Ohgi could follow, the warrior's fist was buried into Tamaki's stomach, the readhead folding over it with wide eyes as spittle flew out of his open mouth.
"Maybe I should have started a betting pool." Yoichi commented with an idle smile, completely unperturbed by the current events.
"You are either incredibly lucky or blessed by the gods. There's no explaining how greenhorns like you managed to survive until now otherwise." Toyohisa commented with a harsh and disappointed tone before grabbing Tamaki's shirt and forcing him to look back into his eyes. "Here's a lesson for you: if you want to prove someone wrong don't use words." He straightened up the redhead before pushing him away. "Use facts."
He looked up and glared at the others, bearing his fangs at them. "Listen up! I don't care what you think about me! If you have a problem, then come up here and say it to my face! If you want to fight, bring it! I'll gladly pummel you into submission if that's what it takes for you to realize where it is your standing!"
Ohgi looked on worriedly, wondering whether or not a fight was about to break out. Toyohisa's declaration had deterred them slightly, some looking hesitant. Others were still incensed and were about to lunge at him. At this time, Yoichi finally spoke up.
"By the way, anyone who doesn't undergo Toyohisa-dono's training camp will be subjected to my own personal training program." The archer smiled innocently. "We've actually been looking for some volunteers to stand still while we try and shoot an apple off your heads. Any takers?" Immediately, their faces paled. Resistance was gone and quickly bowed their heads towards Toyohisa as if he were the kami. Pleased with himself, Yoichi turned to Ohgi and Toyohisa. "Try not to kill them, Toyohisa-dono. We do need them alive, and I'm certain Ohgi-san won't be pleased to see you killing his subordinates."
Toyohisa snorted. "Only if they don't test my patience."
"Dully noted. At any rate, I must be heading back. I'll leave the rest to you."
Ohgi bowed deeply. "Safe journey, Yoichi-sama."
The archer nodded and turned on his heel to leave. As he did, the afro-haired man decided to take Toyohisa on a tour through the warehouse in order for him to understand the layout. Some of the resistance members grew curious and were happy to hear that Oda had sent them help, albeit not in the way they expected. Others were resistant to the idea, though like before, they cowed quickly when Ohgi relayed to them Yoichi's offer of them being his personal target practice if they didn't comply.
He glanced at the fierce man beside him. His expression gave nothing away, and his eyes were almost always wandering as if in search of a threat. Ohgi took notice of how stiff he became when speaking to a female member, though he didn't understand why that was. He had to admit, he was curious as to what Toyohisa's relationship with his benefactor was, but that wasn't his place to pry. Whatever relationship Toyohisa had with Oda was none of his business, and frankly, the less he knew about Oda's associates the better. He would never admit it to anyone, but Ohgi actually feared the man named after the infamous warlord centuries ago. There was something unsettling about the man, this sense of danger that lingered around him like the scent of death.
Whatever the case, Ohgi was not about to anger the man nor deny his help. After all, they needed all the help they could get.
"So." Toyohisa said to Ohgi. "Tell me what I can expect."
"For the most part, the original members have been fighting Britannia for a good few years now, so we're well-versed in combat and military routines. At best, we're adequate." Ohgi answered. "However, most of the newer members struggle to keep up. Then again, none of them ever really expected to get into this life. Not helping matters is that some of the refugees from the Shinjuku Ghetto decided to join up with us. Can't say I blame them after what happened. I'm worried that they might let their feelings towards Britannia in general get the better of them. Last thing I need are radicals. We're freedom fighters, not terrorists."
Toyohisa nodded. "Well, at least you have your heads on straight. I can offer you military training, but as for Knightmares, you're better off asking somebody else. Actually, the pilot of the red one. Are they here?"
"No, Kallen's at school." At the swordsman's confused look, Ohgi explained. "Kallen is one of our older members. She's the original leader's younger sister. She used to have a normal life before she found out Naoto was part of the resistance, but we try to have her stick a normal life. That, and there's her connection to her family."
"Her family?"
Ohgi grimaced. "She's not exactly proud of her heritage. You see, Kallen's father is a Britannian nobleman." Toyohisa looked at Ohgi with wide eyes. "If you think we Elevens have it bad, Japanese with Britannian heritage have it a hell of a lot worse. Britannians, especially the Purebloods, look down on anyone that isn't of pure Britannian descent. And the Elevens mistrust anyone who has Britannian blood in them. We try to keep Kallen's heritage a secret for the most part. I'd appreciate it if you kept this to yourself."
Toyohisa nodded. Aside from this "Kallen" being a woman and his personal belief that killing was a man's job, he was not prejudicial to someone simply because of their blood ties. Granted, his homeland had a very critical way of looking at someone's bloodline, but as far as he was concerned, if she was capable of fighting in spite of opposition, then he was willing to give her a chance.
"It isn't my business to meddle with, and we need all the members with can get, especially if they're actually good at it." The warrior from the Sengoku period told Ohgi. "I'll handle the refugees from Shinjuku, I know a thing or two how to channel anger and hate into something productive." Lessons taught to him by his father and uncle, who supported his desire to fight against Tokugawa but wanted him to do so as a honorable samurai.
If his fellow countrymen wished to have their vengeance against Britannia, then the Shimazu scion would show them how to do it properly.
Lelouch finished puking the last traces of food in his stomach, then flushed the toilet and let the proof of his moment of weakness disappear into the sewers.
'But it's really weakness if I feel sick at the thought I killed someone? And not just a stranger, but my own half-brother?' He thought while leaving the stall. Pleased to see the bathroom was still empty he approached a sink and washed both his mouth and face with cold water. Catching his own reflection in the mirror he smiled in a self-deprecating manner. "I'm a lot more sensitive than I thought."
For years he fantasized about killing his own father as revenge for leaving the murder of his mother unpunished. Not only the Emperor, many of his half-siblings that despised Marianne and could have ordered her killed became targets of his hatred. And yet, despite not hesitating when it came to kill Clovis he still found haunted by his own actions, a small part of him wishing the events of a few days ago never happened. Clovis wasn't involved in the death of Lelouch's mother, the use of his new power made it clear, yet he was still guilty of human experimentation and the senseless killing of hundreds of innocents for the trivial purpose of covering up his crimes; even worse, they were not crimes that would had him being judged fairly by a tribunal but merely something that could hurt his chances to inherit the throne. As if he had any chance in the first place.
'Thinking about it, why have they yet to announce Clovis' death?' Lelouch thought while closing the faucet. 'Are they hiding it to prevent chaos? Or to preserve his reputation? But if they do that, then they'll need a scapegoat or a false culprit on hand once they decide to announce it.' A member of the Royal Family killed was a serious affair, to have it happen was already bad enough but to actually lack a culprit was suicide, in more than one way.
Lelouch wondered if Clovis' ex-subordinates were at each other's throat, trying to decide who to sacrifice, or if they were searching for a scapegoat to accuse with false proof. The first possibility made him smile internally, but the second had him feeling actual guilt: Clovis' murder was his sin to bear. But even if he wanted to there wasn't much he could do without proclaiming himself the culprit: doing that would put Nunnally into danger, so it was out of the question.
Deciding to set the matter aside for now Lelouch dried his hands and face, then left the bathroom to return to his classroom. He managed to reach the entrance unmolested before hearing a girl exclaiming loudly. "Kallen! It's been ages! Are you okay? Sophie's been worried about you."
Looking for the source he saw a group of girls making a fuss around one of them. A girl with red hair, if he remembered right she was often ab-
Lelouch's gaze landed on her face, his eyes widening as he recognized the girl he saw within the truck that 'kidnapped' him. 'Of course! That's why I thought she looked familiar!'
Her hair was different and her expression was calm if maybe downcast, but her features were the same. It was quite a sight, as the last time he saw her her eyes were full of fire and her hair was unkempt. No doubt the face she was wearing was a "mask" no different from his own, but he was genuinely curious as to why a terrorist was doing at his school.
"What'cha looking at there, buddy?" Rivalz leaned over his shoulder and followed his gaze before grinning. "Oho~ You got a good eye. Kallen Stadfelt, huh? You sure do know how to pick 'em!"
He rolled his eyes. "It isn't like that. It's just that her being here is pretty rare. Hasn't she been absent for most of the semester since it started?"
"Yeah, I think so. I think it's because she's pretty sick and frail."
Lelouch internally snorted. Considering what he saw and heard from her the last time they met, she was anything but. Either way, this was both an opportunity and a danger.
On one hand, she could put him into contact with her fellows and superiors. Even though he tried to live a normal life, there was no quelling the angry fire of revenge in his heart. What happened the other day only fueled it further. He was dead set on fighting Britannia and claiming his vengeance, but he couldn't do it alone. He needed allies. If he could learn about her affiliation and get into the good graces of her boss, perhaps with the use of this newfound power, he could finally take his first steps towards his goal.
On the other hand, she was also dangerous. While he was careful in covering his tracks, removing all traces of his being in the stolen Sutherland by frying the hardware and wiping his fingerprints from the consoles, he still couldn't be sure that they didn't know who he was. Being a Britannian would naturally make the group wary of him, but if they discovered he was a prince, who knows what they might do?
His mind drifted back to Nunnally and her pure smile. The smile he was going to fight desperately to protect. No matter what, he was going to do all it took to defend it. Even if he had to spill the whole world in blood.
'First things first...' Lelouch glanced at Kallen again, eyes narrow. 'I need to get some answers.'
"Great! Thanks a lot! Say, why don't you and your girlfriend go someplace nice? I'll foot the bill, don't you worry. Take a load off, my man. You earned it."
Oda grinned from ear to ear as he got off the phone. He couldn't stop himself from laughing and dancing around the room, company be damned. Yoichi stared at the sight with indifference was he was already used to the man's eccentric behavior. "I assume whatever that phone call was about produced some good results?"
"You better goddamn believe it!" Oda stopped his little routine and looked at his comrade. "That was an ol' buddy of mine who works along the highways. One of our saboteurs, you might say. Had him look into the video feed on the highway cameras, tracked where the poison gas was headed to see where it crashed. Our mystery friend couldn't have had very many opportunities to slip on inside the truck, so chances are he must have snuck his way inside either when they stole the truck, or when it crashed."
Yoichi smirked. "And let me guess, we now know who our illustrious K-1 is?"
Oda sat back down on the couch and opened up his laptop. With a few keystrokes, he opened up a window and revealed a picture that had been sent to him thanks to the aforementioned informant. The picture showed the building that was under construction where Nagata and Kallen had crashed into during their escape. Almost everyone in the picture was gawking at the sight, clearly gossiping and taking photos but doing little else.
All except for one person; a good Samaritan wearing a school uniform that was at the truck, trying to help whoever was inside.
Yoichi smiled wryly. "Looks like you're guess was on the money as usual, Oda-dono. That uniform belongs to students of Ashford Academy, an all-Britannian civilian school. Still, who would have thought that our budding young strategist was so young? I dare say he's a little younger than yours truly."
"Least we got a face." Oda said. "With this, we can finally find out who K-1 is. Have to admit, I'm actually quite curious. It'll take some time before we get the results, but luckily for us, we happen to have someone who just so happens to be at Ashford at the moment."
"Ah, Kozuki." Yoichi recalled the red-haired spitfire. "I do remember hearing she was a student. You think she might be able to tell us who our mystery friend is?"
"Worth a shot, at least." Before Oda could make the call, his cell phone began to ring. A quick glance at the ID made him frown. "Hey, Yoichi. Handle that call to Kozuki-chan for me, will ya? Got to take this." Yoichi raised an eyebrow, but shrugged as he walked away. Oda answered the call and put the cell phone to his ear. "Been a while since the last time you rang me up, Ried."
"I believe the last time we called was when you inquired information about Bartley's mystery project." the man on the phone replied smoothly. "A shame neither of us was able to turn up any promising leads. I'm still working on it, but I just happened to come across some news I think you'll come to greatly appreciate."
Oda's good eye narrowed. Diethard Ried, a Britannian civil servant in the news sector, was one of his informants. At first, Oda wasn't took keen on operating with people he didn't know very well or couldn't get a good read on. Diethard was a mix of both. He spent his whole career working for the masses, creating sensational news that got them riled up. But internally, he was frustrated by the lack of progress. He was disgusted by all the fake news and desired something more revolutionary. A groundbreaking change. That was why the man threw his lot in with Oda.
Somehow, Diethard believed Oda could create incredible change. A chance to truly shake things up in the Settlement. However, Oda was cautious. He knew that the second Diethard believed that Oda was no longer capable of providing him the incredible change he was looking for, he would jump ship. For that reason, he kept him on a tight leash.
Still, the man's connections to the army and other pieces of hot intel made him valuable.
"Depends. What do you got for me?"
"Margraive Jeremiah recently apprehended Major Bartley and members of his operations, save for those that were transferred to Narita just this morning." Ried answered. "Several of the prince's major officers have either transferred or abdicated power. As of now, the Purist Faction now has total control of the Britannian Settlement, with Jeremiah Gottwald named as Regent until the new Viceroy is named."
Oda scoffed. "Great. That makes things troublesome, though it's not like I didn't expect this. So, how's he going to handle Clovis' death? It'd be foolish for him to say that the prince was assassinated and they're looking for the killer. Even if they did tell everyone the murderer is an Eleven, the public would lose trust in them and think they're incompetent."
Ried chuckled. "As expected, you're always a step ahead. The Margraive has a scapegoat in mind. A rather special one, considering their position will not only demoralize or incense the other resistance movements into acting recklessly, but also effectively destroy the Honorary Britannian citizenship practices here in Area 11."
Oda's good eye widened. "Don't tell me the guy they're using to save their ass is..."
"I'm afraid so. Three days from now, Private Suzaku Kururugi, the son of Japan's last Prime Minister, will be executed for the murder of Prince Clovis la Britannia."
Traitor.
Mask.
Devil's smile.
Act 7: Cut You Down