Back at Ashford Academy, the news seemed fairly normal, only mentioning a few traffic restrictions. Alice, Dalque, and Lucretia were watching with an odd amount of interest.

"Huh, a lot of stuff happening downtown." Dalque noted. "I wonder why there are traffic restrictions."

Alice and Lucretia shared a look, knowing there's a good chance something was going on, before Alice's phone went off. She picked it up to see it was a private number. Something generally done for her squadron. "Hello?"

"Alice, it's me." Sanica's voice spoke. "Are Lucretia and Dalque with you?"

"Yes they are. Is something happening?"

"The Britannian military are currently massacring everyone in the Shinjuku Ghetto." Sanica informed her.

Alice took a step back. "What?!"

"What is it, Alice?" Dalque asked.

"Sanica says that the military is massacring everyone in the Shinjuku Ghetto." Alice told her.

"Huh?!" Dalque widened her eyes.

"What? Why on Earth would they do that?" Lucretia said, stunned.

Looking around to make sure no one could overhear, Alice pressed the speaker button on her phone.

"Go on, Sanica. Why?"

"Prince Clovis is attempting to cover up some sort of mistake that the rebels are responsible for." Sanica informed them.

"What kind of mistake?" Alice asked.

"The full details are unknown, but the story is that the rebels took a canister of poison gas."

"Poison gas?" Dalque repeated. "Then why would he go out of his way to try killing all those people?"

"I'm not sure myself. Regardless, I need the three of you to stay put, regardless of other orders received from Britannia."

"You don't agree with what Clovis is trying to do, do you?" Alice guessed.

"...that is one part of the reason." Sanica said. "The other is that our squad is currently being reassigned under a different commander."

"Reassigned? To who?" Lucretia asked.

"I'm still awaiting more details. Until then, stay put. Understood?"

"Understood." Alice nodded.

The call ended, as she looked at the other two.

"So something big is happening." Dalque said, putting her hands behind her head.

"It appears so." Lucretia nodded. "We'll remain on standby then."

Alice was silent, still looking at her phone.

"You look gloomy Alice." Dalque said. "What's up?"

"A massacre is happening and we were made unaware... why?" Alice said.

"Considering what Clovis has done to us, I'd imagine this is why we were uninformed." Lucretia guessed.

"Probably, yeah." Dalque agreed.

Alice looked at her hand again, feeling powerless in the current situation.

"Why don't you go visit Nunnally?" Dalque suggested. "I'm sure that'll make both of you happy."

"I recall that Ange is with her as well." Lucretia remembered, seeing Ange had gone towards the clubhouse a few hours ago.

"...Alright."

The two watched as Alice walked off. They frowned, disappointed in themselves they couldn't help their friend further.

"I wish we could do more for her." Dalque sighed.

"She did get the worst of it with hers…" Lucretia muttered.


"Ughhh..." Ange groaned, as consciousness returned to her. She tried standing up, but was unable to. She felt ropes around her wrists and ankles, both tied to a chair. A single light was hanging over her head. "What the...?"

"Well, it looks like Sleeping Beauty finally decided to wake up."

Ange looked up to see Hilda looking at her, now with several bandages on her face. She was accompanied by Salia, who had her arms crossed.

They're wearing modified Para-mail suits… Ange realized. Are they Norma?

"Well? You got anything to say?" Hilda said, stepping forward.

"Yeah…" Ange smirked. "Your face looks pretty tolerable now with all those bandages on it."

Hilda slapped Ange across the face, drawing blood.

"Touche." Hilda narrowed her eyes. "Now, you're gonna give us answers."

"Answers about what?" Ange asked, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Tips on how you can be less of a bitch and actually attract a lover?"

Hilda kicked the chair over, giving Ange a faceful of the asphalt floor.

"That's it!" Hilda growled, cracking her knuckles. "I'll beat the answers out of you if I have to!"

"Control yourself, Hilda." Salia sighed. "We'll wait for Jill before we decide what to do with her."

"Let me at least break her leg or something!" Hilda snarled "She's fucking asking for it!"

"So, who exactly are you two?" Ange asked, turning her face away from the ground. "I can tell from your uniforms that you're both Norma like me. But I'm pretty sure you're not working for Britannia, are you?"

"I said we're asking the-" Hilda started.

"You would be right. But that's all we'll say on that matter." Salia said.

"Resistance members, huh." Ange guessed.

"The hell, Salia?!" Hilda shouted.

"Anyone with half a brain would have guessed that, Hilda." Salia said.

"Yeah. Though I'm guessing you have less than that, Hilda." Ange added.

"Alright, bitch!" Hilda grabbed Ange by her shirt collar, pulling her up (even with the chair). "You're-!"

"That's enough. Both of you."

Jill had entered the room.

"Jill!" Salia said.

Jill, huh? Ange thought. I'm guessing she must be the one in charge then…

"So this is the one you managed to snag?" Jill asked.

"Yeah." Hilda frowned. "Careful, she's got a real mouth on her."

Jill walked over to the chair, before grasping Ange's face. Ange stared into her eyes, vaguely noticing that the hand Jill was using wasn't normal.

A metal arm? Ange thought.

Jill however, seemed to recognize Ange. This girl... she's...


Lelouch meanwhile, was still in the warehouse surrounded by the dead bodies of the Royal Guard. He stared down at the green-haired woman that had saved his life, blood pooling from her unmoving body, while trying to understand what he had managed to do.

"I don't understand what it is you wanted me to do." He said. "Why did you give me this bizarre power?"

A Knightmare Frame smashed into the warehouse, with Villetta Nu as the pilot. It scanned the area, seeing all the corpses and Lelouch.

"How could all these Royal Guards be dead?" She switched on the speaker. "What happened here, boy? And why is a Britannian student in a place like this?! Are you deaf? Answer me or I'll-"

She fired several shots around Lelouch, but not hitting him. A few warning shots to get the point across.

"Tch. I order you to come out." Lelouch's eye flashed red. "At once!"

"Who the hell do you think you are to order me?" Villetta said, crossly.

I see. It only works with direct eye contact. Lelouch realized, coming up with a new plan on the fly. "My name is Allen Spacer, my father's a duke."

"Nobility?" Villetta asked.

"My ID card's in my breast pocket. After you confirm who I am, I'll request your protection." Lelouch said.

At that, the cockpit for the Sutherland opened up as Villetta came out from it, riding the cable down to the ground. She then pointed a gun at Lelouch.

"Keep your hands up in the air, I'll take out your ID." She said.

Before she could, Lelouch's eye flashed once more. "Now then, hand your Knightmare over to me."

This time, the red sigil entered Villetta's eye, putting her under Lelouch's control.

"Understood. The code number is XG21G2D4." She tossed the key to him, as he caught it.

"Got it." Lelouch smirked.

Consciousness returned to Villetta as she found herself alone in the warehouse, with no sign of Lelouch or her Knightmare anywhere.

"What the...?"


Back down in the interrogation room, Hilda and Salia were silent as they watched Jill. She was still seemingly analyzing Ange for some reason.

"They've been like that for a few minutes now." Hilda said.

"Yeah… Is everything okay, Jill?" Salia asked.

"...Salia. We have the Villkiss stored nearby, correct?" Jill asked.

"We do. Why?" Salia raised a brow.

Jill looked back at Ange, letting go of the girl's face. "Because we're gonna give it to our friend here."

"What?!" Both Salia and Hilda stared at Jill with wide eyes.

"You heard me."

"The hell is this Villkiss?" Ange asked.

"Jill, why would you do such a thing?" Salia asked.

"I'll explain later. For now, get the Villkiss into the hangar. ...and wipe off some of the blood from the last flight." Jill said.

"Are you being serious?!" Hilda snapped. "She works for Britannia and-"

"That's an order, Hilda."

Ange watched as the two begrudgingly left to get things ready. The redhead had an attitude, but it was clear they both respected Jill enough.

"...you should be glad they didn't recognize you or they'd have torn you apart further…" Jill chuckled. "Princess Angelise."

Ange slightly paled. "You recognize me?"

"You're talking to a former soldier. But I'm just another Norma you never considered human... poetic, isn't it?" She asked. "How you were the same as those you persecuted."

Ange wanted to retort, but Jill had a point. In fact her time with Lelouch and Nunnally when they were kids always made her wonder if her way of thinking was wrong.

She was brought out of her thoughts as another figure arrived. This time a young man with brown hair.

"Tusk. Took you long enough." Jill said.

"Sorry it took me a while, Jill." The young man apologized. "Had an order to fulfill before I could come back."

"No issues, Tusk." Jill said. "How's the situation looking up above?"

"I see…" Jill looked up, seeing the ceiling light slightly shake from the tremors.

"Uh, who's this?" Tusk asked, seeing Ange.

"Britannian Norma that we captured." Jill explained. "It looks like we'll have a use for her."

"Huh…" Tusk stared at Ange.

"What?" Ange asked, defensively.

"Nothing, just that you're real pretty."

Ange stares at him for a few moments, before blushing. "Huh?!"

"Whoa, something wrong?" Tusk asked.

"Who goes up and tells a person they just met that they're pretty?!" Ange shouted.

"I-It was just an observation!" Tusk said.

"Enough flirting for now, Tusk." Jill sighed. "Can you take Ange to the hangar?"

"I got it."

He took a step forward and promptly tripped on his feet... with his face ending up in Ange's crotch. The two were silent for several moments, before Ange's face turned red with embarrassment.

"GET OFF!"

Despite the fact that she was tied to the chair with her arms and legs tied, she still managed to push him off and kick him in the face. Somehow. Jill merely sighed, hoping she wasn't making a mistake.

She had seen the ring on Ange's finger.


"So are we having a bad day?"

With a gasp, Suzaku's eyes opened up, looking around to see two people in the medical room. One was a man with glasses and white hair, while the other was a woman with purple hair. He remembered the two; Lloyd Asplund and Cecile Croomy.

"Looks like you missed a chance to go to heaven, Private Kururugi." Lloyd said.

"I did?" He sat up, looking around. "Where-?"

"Hmm? Ah, we're still in the Shinjuku Ghetto." Lloyd said.

"With Prince Clovis' transport nearby this is probably the safest place anywhere." Cecile said, holding out a stopwatch. "This is what saved your life, Mr. Suzaku."

"You're lucky it was under your protective suit because that's what deflected the bullet." Lloyd commented.

"Is it a keepsake?" Cecile asked.

"Yeah, very." Suzaku took the watch, the face was now cracked. "Who picked me up?"

"It was another soldier of ours." Cecile said. "I believe he said his name was Tusk."

Tusk did that? Suzaku smiled. Guess I owe him one.

"You Elevens believe that gods live inside of everything, even objects, don't you?" Lloyd asked. "I guess this one-"

"Is Lelou-" Suzaku started, before clearing his throat. "What's the latest on the situation?"

"It looks like the poison gas was released. Massive Eleven casualties have been reported." Lloyd explained.

"They haven't caught the perpetrators yet." Cecile said.

"They haven't, huh? Not yet?" Suzaku asked.

"Private Kururugi, how much experience do you have in piloting a Knightmare Frame?" Lloyd asked.

"Huh?" Suzaku raised a brow. "But there's no way an Eleven would be made a knight."

"Well, supposing you could?" Lloyd held up a key.

Suzaku took a moment to think about it. He hoped Lelouch had gotten away, but if the casualties were still rising… he needed to take to the field. He held out his hand, Lloyd dropped the key in it.

"Congratulations, the only Knightmare of its kind awaits you! Once you take the controls of this big beauty everything will change, you and your world."

"Whether you want it to or not." Cecile said.


An armored tank gunned down several more Eleven civilians. It would have kept causing more destruction, before a slash harken tore it apart. It returned to the damaged Glasgow from earlier.

"Those damn Britannians!" Kallen screamed.

"Kallen, can the Glasgow still move?" Ohgi asked over comms.

"Don't worry Ogi, it's all right!" Kallen shouted. "I'll decoy them! Get the people out of here! The only ones that'll be captured are those of us in the resistance!"

"Sorry to burst you wanting to pull that, but we're totally surrounded!" Rosalie said over the comms.

"And an aerial escape with the Para-mails is no good…" Chris said. "Too many are in the sky…"


Shirley was getting changed into her bathing suit to get ready for swim club. Her friends were watching the news nearby, before she heard her phone ring. She went over and answered it, seeing that it was Lelouch calling her.

"Ah, Lulu? What in the world have you been doing? Where are you now?" She asked. "If you keep cutting class, you'll get held back."

"Are you near a TV?" He asked.

"A TV?"

"Sorry, but this is important." He said.

"Hang on. Hey, can I change the channel?" Shirley asked another student. Lightly pushing them away from the laptop.

"Huh? To what?"

"The news, is there anything about Shinjuku?" Lelouch asked.

"News? Uhh, let's see... There's nothing on. Traffic restrictions?"

"Why is it restricted?" Lelouch asked.

"I don't know. They're not saying." Shirley said.


Lelouch was currently piloting the Sutherland through the battlefield, while observing the movements of any Britannia forces that passed by.

I get it. Once they finish everything off, they'll release news that favors the military. Lelouch realized, before seeing a discarded chess piece on the ground. Looks like the Japanese enjoyed that game just as much as he did.

"Ooh, you're gambling again, aren't you?" Shirley guessed. "I've warned you before more than once how dangerous that is!"

"Yep, you caught me." Lelouch chuckled. "By the way, tell my little sister that I'm gonna be late home tonight, would you? Thanks."

Without another word, he hung up. He looked back at the battlefield, looking at what the Knightmare Frame could do for him.


Shirley heard the call end, before stamping her foot in frustration. "Oooh! Why does he always hang up on me like that?!"

Shirley tried calling Lelouch back but that failed.

"The number you have called is beyond service range." The voice message said.

"Oh darn it, not this again." Shirley sighed.


"They need to keep a lid on this information, so it'll be hard for them to call in reinforcements." Lelouch realized, looking at the formation and data he had. "They'll have to make do with the pieces they have on the board. But I'm hemmed in here, and it'll be tough to break through by myself. Gaining refuge carries its own risk, too. I want payback for being dragged into your fight."

Opening the cockpit, he quickly descended to grab what remained of the chess set.


On the battlefield, the Para-mails managed to keep on even ground with the Britannian Military. However, they were starting to lose ground as they kept losing ground with how outgunned they were and outdated the Knightmare Frames were.

Kallen, still using her damaged Glasgow, launched its slash harken to take out an aircraft when she noticed two Sutherlands moving up behind her.

Jeremiah chuckled. "It's our Glasgow friend."

The Sutherland then opened fire on her but she managed to drive away from their gunfire. Kallen looked at her energy reserves, grimacing.

"Just 30 minutes left...!"

Her comm turned on, but the voice wasn't any of her allies. "The west entrance. Use the tracks to move to the west entrance."

"Who's this! How do you know this code?!" Kallen demanded.

"That doesn't matter. If you wanna win, you're just gonna have to trust me." The voice said again.

"To win…?!"

Seeing as she was running out of options, she decided to take the chance, Kallen drove her Glasgow over, jumping onto the train tracks and grinding the wheels on the rail.

"Okay, what am I supposed to do now?!" She asked, glancing back to see the Sutherlands were hot on her trail.

The two Sutherlands meanwhile had managed to catch up to her and were now chasing her on the rails as well.

"You pathetic Eleven." Jeremiah laughed. "If you simply run away, this hunt hasn't much to offer in the way of sport."

Kallen then hears the sound of a whistle as she looks ahead and sees a train approaching towards her.

"Since you trusted me, you're gonna win. Jump onto the train!"

"Gotcha!" Kallen shouted.

Kallen's Glasgow jumped onto the train, before getting away. Jeremiah's Sutherland held out a hand, slowing the train down.

"You think you can get through that way, hmm? If that's your plan, then…" Jeremiah addressed the soldier he was with. "You! Go after the Glasgow."

"Yes, My Lord!" The soldier said.

The second Sutherland lept up to land on the train, but it was suddenly taken out by a pair of slash harkens and fell off the tracks.

"What the...?"

Jeremiah was then able to see that the slash harken came from a Sutherland that was hiding inside of a damaged building.

"Shot by friendly fire? What's your name and your unit?!" Jeremiah demanded. "We're after the one-armed Glasgow."

The Sutherland simply fired upon Jeremiah without a response, as he realized what was going on.

"Oh my god! A terrorist?!" He shouted.

It shot off one of his Sutherland's legs. He growled and aimed his gun.

"Tch! You son of a-!"

"RAAAAAAAAAAH!"

He turned to see that Kallen's Glasgow was rapidly approaching. Jeremiah let out an annoyed grunt as he pulled the levers on his seat, triggering his cockpit's ejection feature as it launched towards safety away from the rails.

Kallen let out a sigh of relief. "You saved me. But how did you get a Sutherland?"

Kallen looked back at the building, but saw that the Sutherland that had helped her was gone.

"What? Where did he go?"

"Kallen!"

Ohgi and several other resistance members ran up, flanked by the Para-mails.

"What the hell was that radio message earlier?" He asked her.

"What? He contacted you, too?" Kallen asked.

"Yeah." Rosalie nodded. "The guy sounded pretty condescending about it though."

"And Yoshida's group ought to be here soon too." Ohgi said.

Ohgi's radio came to life, as the voice came on it again. "Are you in charge?"

"Uh, yeah." He responded.

"I present to you the cargo in that train over there. They're tools for your victory. If you want to use them to win, then follow my orders."

Kallen opened the train and widened her eyes. Inside were several dozen Sutherlands, all ready to go. In addition, there was more fuel and weaponry for the Para-mails.

"There's more in here!" Chris shouted.

"Here, too!"

"Amazing! Maybe we should give this guy a chance!"

Kallen's eyes were still wide as the resistance took the Sutherlands and the Para-mails refueled themselves. "All this? But how?"

"Women in the Glasgow." The voice said again.

"Y-Yes!"

"Stay where you are. Your unit's gonna run decoy. You got that?" He ordered.

"Understood." Kallen nodded.

"Energy filler status?"

"About 15 minutes worth." Kallen reported.

"Then recharge it! In 10 minutes, I'll contact you with your next instructions."


Lelouch ended the call, before leaning back and taking a breath.

"This is wearing me out. Regardless, I'll need determination to succeed. After all…" He held up the King Piece. "I'm betting my life in this game."


At Clovis's Mobile Headquarters, the third prince of Britannia was observing the battle going on with his advisor.

"The terrorists are mixed among the Eleven populace and they're mounting a minor resistance against us. But they pose little threat to our vastly superior army." Bartley said.

"We know that. Moving on." Clovis said, almost bored.

"Understood, Your Highness." Barley said. "The gas capsules will be-"

"What the public thinks." Clovis said, cutting him off.

"Yes. We'll keep searching for her." Barley said.

"Either way I want her captured dead or alive." Clovis said, putting a hand on his face.


Meanwhile, the resistance members were still preparing to enter battle again with the new supplies their mysterious ally had given them.

"Hey, are you certain about this whole thing?" Tamaki asked Ohgi. "They've all had their IFFs removed. What if this is a trap?"

"Yeah. We're being way too trusting of some random person on the radio." Rosalie agreed.

"The other side has total advantage in this war." Ohgi said, setting up his Sutherland. "They don't need to set any traps."

"And considering Britannian pride, they wouldn't just give us a bunch of their "prized" Knightmare Frames just for us to lose." Ersha reasoned.

"All right people, let's move. Get to your assigned points." Ohgi said, as the radio came to life again.

"P1, can you move? It operates basically the same as what you're used to."

"Can't you tell us who you are, at least your name?" Ohgi asked.

"I can't do that. What if these signals are being intercepted?" The voice said. "Anyway, if Q1 is on schedule, enemy Sutherlands, probably two of them, will reach you in 23 seconds. Shoot them through the wall."

"Guess we're doing this now!" Rosalie shouted.


"Enemy spotted at point F 31." A soldier reported to Clovis.

"A feint, eh? How pedestrian." Clovis said, unamused.

"Tell Laslo's squad to go straight in. Have Eugen and Valerie strike from the rear." Bartley commanded.


The Sutherlands started wheeling into position, unaware of the enemy's true intentions.

"3... 2... 1... fire!" Ohgi shouted.

The hail of gunfire from the resistance's Sutherlands tore through the wall and caught the two approaching Sutherlands off-guard, tearing straight through them and destroying them.


"Sir Eugen and Sir Valerie, both lost." The soldier reported to Clovis.

"Hmm? An ambush?" Clovis raised a brow.


An ID signal can be a double edged sword. Lelouch thought, holding the black knight piece. Besides, if the terrorists follow the orders I issue, my task at hand is sure to be completed.

He pressed his communicator to relay more orders.


"P1, P4, move a hundred meters to the right and fire your slash harkens toward 3 o'clock. P7, you throw your weapon at 4 o'clock."

You heard him. Do what the voice says!" Ohgi said.

"Damn, what else does he want us to do?" Tamaki complained.

"P5, ready?"

"Yeah. Quit calling me that." He grumbled, getting into his Sutherland.

The two resistance Sutherlands launched their Slash Harkens, tearing apart a Britannian Sutherland, while the pink Para-mail threw its boomerang and bisected another.

"Whoa…" Vivian's Para-mail caught the boomerang. "Whoever this voice is, he's good!"


While the battle between the resistance and military was going on, Maya had managed to find an abandoned Sutherland. Getting into its cockpit while she was still processing what had happened back in the tunnel.

They're dead. Hina, Mari, and Tomo. All dead. Those kids who struggled everyday just to stay alive… crushed to death by rubble. How could they just kill people like that? Is it because they're Japanese? Do the lives of those on the losing side of war really mean so little? Is snatching their futures away from them really so trivial? Determination was in her eyes. "No, this is wrong."

Her radio came to life as Lelouch's voice came on.

"K1. It seems you've been attacked. Can you still fight?"

"If you're looking for the Japanese who was in this cockpit, they've already run away." Maya said.

"Who are you? You don't sound like a Britannian soldier."

"I'm neither Japanese nor Britannian. Though, I'd like to bring about Britannia's destruction." Maya told the voice.

"Heh. Very well. In that case, an enemy Sutherland will be heading your way in 30 seconds. Take it down and then come join the rest of my command."

As the communicator ended, Maya steeled herself as the enemy arrived. The Britannian soldier scanned Maya's Sutherland, noticing what was off.

"Its IFF's been removed?! You... You're a terrorist!"

"I'm not a terrorist!" Maya shouted.

"I knew it! Do you really think an amateur can use a Knightmare so-!" He widened his eyes. "What?!"

Maya's Sutherland sped forward, dodging gunfire, gliding off the walls, using the Slash Harkens to maneuver around.

"Because I don't view people like that as actual people!" Maya screamed. "I'm your... WORST ENEMY!"

Her Sutherland tore straight through the enemy's with a single punch, ripping through the stomach of the machine.

"Gwah... to think that a Sutherland had these types of capabilities!"

The Britannian Sutherland exploded, but not before the pilot ejected in time. But Maya paid no mind to it. She took the chance to take a breath after her first skirmish.

I beat him... But that was only one...

The radio turned on again. "K1, I've confirmed that the enemy signal's been lost. Seems you can fight."

"He showed up 30 seconds later, just like you said. You're using an IFF, aren't you?" Maya asked.

"Well now. Seems like I'm not the only clever one." Lelouch said, impressed.

"I'm nothing compared to you, though." Maya said. "I listened to the instructions you gave the others over the radio. Your tactics are impressive."

"Is that so? In that case, join my command."

"Okay, I will. But in return, I want to take down as many Britannians as possible." A glint of vengeance in her eyes. "I want to be the one to do it."


This is someone that I could use, but it may be risky. Lelouch thought. And that voice… I've heard it somewhere before.


As long as I follow his instructions, I can take down Britannia. Maya thought. But I feel like I've heard his voice before...

"Very well. Then you'll be diverting and distracting." Lelouch said. "Head toward point Eta. And stay on line."

"Got it."

"I'll send your next instructions shortly." The line cut again.

As the call ended, Maya took a breath and thought to herself. The person I'm talking to isn't just some ordinary resistance member. But I can tell he plans to win against Britannia. If that's the case, I don't care whose orders I have to take. So long as I can smash Britannia with my own two hands. For Hina. And everyone else…


Back in Clovis' vehicle, they were observing the situation. A majority of their forces had been wiped out by the resistance.

"We just lost Laslo's Squad." A soldier reported.

"So do it. We'll have to bring up Quincey's squad." Clovis said.

"My Lord, that will break the encirclement." Bartley said.

"Reinforce the breach with some of the units guarding me." Clovis commanded. "All we know for certain is that enemy forces are here."


"Well that's a more stupid move than I expected." Lelouch said, after studying the movements and turning on the radio, Lelouch spoke to Kallen once more. "You, Q1, do you have an area map?"

"Yes, I have a map of the old town. But it has no current landmarks." Kallen said.

"It'll do."


"All right, send in Burts and the others too. Concentrate our forces there." Clovis pointed at a single dot. "Surround them. The enemy's main force is that center dot. Finish every one of them off."

The Sutherlands all circled in on the one spot Clovis had commanded them to converge on, but they found no one.

"What?! Where's the enemy?"


"With this, I call check." Lelouch declared.

The resistance were all underground, before Kallen's Glasgow fired a Slash Harken at the ceiling and before retreating. The Knightmare Frames were all given boosts from the Para-mail's flight modes to get to safety. The ground collapsed in on itself, bringing all the Sutherlands down with it. As Clovis stared at the destruction in shock, Lelouch broke out into a maniacal laugh, one full of catharsis from all his pent up rage against Britannia.

"My plan worked, didn't it?! I can do it! I can! I can defeat Britannia!" He shouted.


Who? Who in the hell am I up against? What if he's even better than Tohdoh? Clovis took a step back, before tapping a communicator." Lloyd!"

A video call then pops up on the viewscreen in the command center, showing Lloyd at the transport vehicle for ASEEC.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Can it win, will your toy beat them?" Clovis asked.

Lloyd grinned. "My Lord, please be so kind as to call it Lancelot."


Suzaku was fixing on his new pilot suit as the announcement came on about how the new Knightmare Frame was going to launch.

"Did you read the manual?" Cecile asked.

"Pretty much." He said as he stepped out of the vehicle.

"Well done. You scored at the top of the class in the simulator." She said.

"Hey, look. About what you told me earlier." Suzaku asked, thinking about Lelouch.

"Huh? Ah, it could be. But the possibility is nearly zero."

"But that means there's still a chance, right?" Suzaku asked.

"Yes, I'm afraid that's true. Even so, you're not to do anything reckless. The new system is not outfitted with an ejection mechanism." She said.

"OK. I understand, Miss Cecile." He said.

Walking up to the deployment vehicle, the fabric fell away to reveal the Knightmare Frame. It was white, with gold accents and green eyes.

"So that's it?" Suzaku asked, impressed.

"Yes, the advanced weapon developed by us in the Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corps, Lancelot, the world's first seventh generation Knightmare Frame." Cecile explained.

"It's sleeker than I thought." He commented.

"Lancelot was created using the studies of Para-mail movements, incorporating their speed and mobility." Lloyd explained. "In fact, I based this design off of the strongest Para-mail that Britannia used to have."

"The strongest Para-mail, huh? What happened to it?" Suzaku asked.

"A certain accident in a skirmish with too many DRAGONs." Lloyd said. "Afterwards, the pilot turned traitor and took it with her."

"I see…" Suzaku said.

"Anyways, enough of the history lesson. If you're ready, Suzaku, shall we proceed with the initial startup?" Lloyd asked.

Suzaku got into the Lancelot as the ASEEC crew began the preparations and setup for the Lancelot. Cecile was watching over things to make sure they were running smoothly. "Initial startup. Now perceiving from phase twenty. Equipping energy filler. Confirm pre-start. Energy filler now at full output. 30 seconds to reach critical voltage. Core Luminance, shifting phase."

The machines inserted the power packs into the Lancelot. The machines inserted the power packs into the Lancelot as Suzaku gripped the controls.

"Initiating devicer setup. Confirming entry of devicer into Z-01. Individual ID registration confirmed. Confirm man-machine interface. Engage. Yggdrasil Resonance confirmed. Rejection Response, weak. Devicer's Stress Response, weak. All readings, nominal…"

"So far, it's going per the data." Lloyd said.

"Status, all green. Status of backup tactical bank, authorized. Secondary confirmation, given."

Suzaku then inputted the code to start up Lancelot, as the Knightmare Frame moved into position for launch and brought its wheels out.

"Lancelot, activate ME-boost." Suzaku said as he got into position.

"Lancelot, launch!"

With a burst of speed, the Lancelot rushed forward, gliding towards the battlefield. The gust was so strong it had knocked over the technicians watching over him.

"HAHAHAHA!" Lloyd cackled. "Running full throttle right out of the gate!"

Suzaku was impressed at how well the Lancelot was controlled. "Cooler than the manual. With this...!"

He winced, holding his wound, but kept pushing forward. He hoped he could save Lelouch this way.


Back on the battlefield, the resistance was managing to push back against Clovis' forces thanks to Lelouch's strategy. But the tide of the battle was about to change as Tamaki in his Sutherland and Rosalie in her Para-mail caught sight of the approaching Lancelot.

"Huh? What is that? It doesn't look like a Sutherland." Tamaki said.

"It doesn't seem like a Para-mail either, but it's coming in hot!" Rosalie shouted.

The Lancelot was soon right up close to them as it quickly swung its arm and sliced the head off of Tamaki's Sutherland.

"What the hell?!" Tamaki shouted as he went down.

"Why you sonova-!"

She pulled out her Para-mail's blade and tried to attack, but the Lancelot dodged the strike before kicking off her machine's head, completely stunning her movements before it rushed off to the next area.

Seeing the Lancelot rush off, she angrily kicked her control panel. "Fuck!"


From her position, Maya was getting communications from all the other resistance members, as they were all disabled by the new unit.

Huh? What's going on? What are they up against? She wondered.

"Bastard!" A resistance member shouted.

Two Sutherlands started to open fire on the Lancelot with two nearby Para-mails joining in on the assault, but the Lancelot brought its arm up and generated a green energy shield that deflected all of the gunfire.

"No way, it deflected all our bullets?!" Chris shouted.

A resistance member cursed. "Damn it-!"

The Lancelot rushed forward and kicked off the head of the Sutherland, before running up the wall and kicking Chris' Para-mail out of the air.

"N4, N5, hold it there! When the rear units reach you, surround them!" Lelouch commanded.

"Roger!"

Another duo of Sutherlands fired their weapons at the Lancelot to slow it down, but it proved futile as the Lancelot's shields held up. It then deployed its slash harkens as hand blades and used them to slice one of the Sutherlands' heads off. It then dashed towards the other one and sliced the arm holding its rifle off.

"We can't stop it!"

It fired its Slash Harkens, but the Lancelot dodged, retaliating by firing one of its own and disabling the Sutherland.

"Groups B and N were wiped out that fast?" Maya saw their signals die, surprising her. "Looks like it's trying to rush through the Ome route."

"Damn it, we've lost contact with Group N!" Ohgi shouted. "What the hell is that thing- A-Ahhh!"

Ohgi's line was also cut off, presumably thanks to the new unit.


"P1! Report!" Lelouch got no response. "The enemy, can it really be only one unit?"

Down below, the Lancelot was scanning the area for more enemies.

"If I can stop all the Knightmares, then this battle is over." Suzaku said to himself. "No matter what it takes, I've gotta save Lelouch and that girl."

He looked around, before his scanner picked up something in one of the taller building ruins. A Sutherland hidden out of view.

"There!" Suzaku realized.

The Lancelot shot one of its slash harkens towards the ruined building and reeled itself up to the floor the Sutherland was on. It dashed forward and struck the Sutherland, with Lelouch quickly managing to block the attack with his Knightmare Frame's arms.

"You mean this thing's what's ruining my plan?!" Lelouch shouted, both shocked and annoyed.

The Lancelot's wheels started to spin forward, forcing Lelouch's Sutherland to be pushed back. Its own wheels were unable to match the Lancelot.

"Are you the guy that's in command?" Suzaku questioned.

"Nothing more than a pilot. How dare he!" Lelouch snarled.

The floor collapsed beneath them, as the Sutherland was sent down several stories. Recovering, Lelouch reevaluated the situation.

"No choice, I've gotta get out of here." He decided.

Looking up, the Lancelot dove down towards him, landing a kick that knocked the Sutherland off its feet. Seeing his foe was down, the Lancelot aimed its Slash Harkens, ready to finish things. A hail of gunfire stopped this, as the Lancelot quickly raised its shield up to block the bullets. Looking up, Suzaku saw that it had came from Ersha's Para-mail. It was then forced to block a punch from Kallen's Glasgow with its hand.

"Hey, I'm returning the favor!" Kallen shouted.

"Yeah, so hurry and get out of here!" Ersha added.

Kallen gasped as her Glasgow's fist was getting crushed. "I can't-!"

The Lancelot destroyed the remaining arm, forcing Kallen to activate its eject function.

"Kallen!" Ersha shouted. "You-!"

She barely dodged getting impaled by the Lancelot's Slash Harken. Seeing as the battle was pretty much over, she decided to retreat and assist Kallen. In the confrontation, Lelouch's Sutherland had escaped.

I must remember that the most vital element in battle is the human one. Lelouch thought to himself.

However, an alert came up on Lelouch's Sutherland and he saw that the Lancelot was gaining on him.

"Damn! It's that white unit!" He cursed.

"There you are!"

Maya's Sutherland came in from behind, firing upon the Lancelot. It spun around, bringing up its shield to block the gunfire. After the array, it rushed in, as Maya's Sutherland barely blocked the attack.

"K1?!" Lelouch recognized.

"I'll buy you some time! Get out of here!" Maya shouted.

Lelouch's Sutherland continued moving on ahead as Maya then had hers back off and try firing at the Lancelot again, which it just blocked once more. The Lancelot then moved in to attack Maya's Sutherland, but she managed to use its slash harkens in time to hook to the side of a building and dodge the strike.

"That was some quick reaction speed here." Suzaku commented. "However!"

Using the Lancelot's superior speed, he rushed in and delivered a spinning kick, knocking Maya back and into a building.

"Ugh…!" Maya winced from the damage, but kept pushing forward. "I'm not done!"

"K1!" Lelouch shouted.


"A new model?" Jill asked.

Jill was having a communication call with Ersha while the others were still prepping the Villkiss and Ange.

"Yeah! It appears to be a new Knightmare Frame but it moves as fast as a Para-mail!" Ersha reported. "And it's managed to demolish just about everyone here!"

"Damn. What about this new friend of ours?" Jill asked.

"It looks like that new model is after him, but a resistance member intercepted it mid-chase. It's not looking so good for the resistance member, though."

"Then what I send next should hopefully turn the tide." Jill said.

"Alright, Ma'am." Ersha said.

The call ended, and Jill turned to see that Villkiss was ready. The only problem was the pilot. The moment that her bonds were taken off, Ange had tried fighting her way out. Hilda and Salia were currently holding her down, while Tusk watched in confusion.

"Will you stop moving around alr-" Hilda got kicked in the side. "Oww, bitch!"

"There's more where that comes from, you red-haired skank!" Ange shouted. "Same for you ponytails! And the pervert too!"

"Umm…" Tusk wasn't sure if he was offended as Jill walked up.

"Let her go, you two." Jill ordered.

"Jill?" Salia said, confused where she was going with this.

"Let me handle this." Jill said.

The two let Ange go, as she turned to Jill. "If you think I'm gonna go out there and fight for you, you got-!"

She was cut off as Jill punched her in the gut, knocking the wind out of her.

"Uggh!"

Jill then kicked her in the gut again and knocked her back down onto the ground. Ange started to get back up, but stopped when she saw Jill pointing a gun at her. Looking at the barrel of the weapon, she looked back at Jill. Her face was one of indifference.

"If you don't want to go out there, that's fine. I can just kill you here and now because dying is the only other way you're going to be able to leave." Jill told her. "And if not me, then the Britannians will kill you the moment they find this place and they have no qualms killing indiscriminately if it means they can keep a tight lid on what happened here."

"You-!"

"If you want to live, get out there and fight. You're a Norma and you know what it's like to lose everything, so why side with Britannia?" Jill asked. "The ones that keep taking everything from everyone?"

Ange thought back to people like Suzaku, Alice and her squadron, but also remembered Lelouch and Nunnally. Standing up, she looked back at the stone-like Villkiss in its flight mode.


Back on the surface, Maya's Sutherland was still trying to hold off the Lancelot, but it was a futile effort as her Knightmare Frame couldn't handle the superiority of the Lancelot.

Damn! Even with how skilled K1 seems to be, this white unit is too advanced to defeat in a direct fight! Lelouch grimaced.

The Lancelot aimed its wrists, firing the Slash Harkens and destroying the legs of the Sutherland.

"That's it...!" Maya winced. "My Knightmare can't take anymore!"

She pulled the levers and activated the eject function, but the pod abruptly crashed mid-flight instead.

"K1!" Lelouch shouted. "She ejected, but it looks like her parachute didn't deploy…"

Lelouch's radar showed the Lancelot was back on his tail.

"You're a tenacious one…"

Before the pursuit could continue, a new blip appeared on the radar.

"Huh? Who's this?"

Suzaku also scanned the new signal. "Another terrorist, huh?"

"Suzaku, above you!" Cecile said.

The Lancelot looked skyward to see that a gray Para-mail was flying in. The odd thing was that it didn't seem to be functioning properly, with erratic flight patterns.

"A gray Para-mail?" Suzaku said.

"Oh my! Can it be what I think it is?!" Lloyd said, amazed.

"Wait, are you saying that...?" Suzaku realized.

"While it looks rundown, there's no mistaking it! That is the Villkiss Para-mail, once piloted by Jill of the late Lady Marianne's Royal Guard, and the same Para-mail that inspired the Lancelot!" Lloyd confirmed. "So it was with the terrorists the whole time!"

Marianne? Suzaku thought. That's Lelouch and Nunnally's mother...!

"Suzaku, your mission has changed." Cecile told him. "You have to retrieve the Villkiss!"

"Roger!" Suzaku shouted.

"And don't damage it too badly either!" Lloyd added. "I want it as intact as possible when you bring it back so that I can study it!"

"Um…" Suzaku saw it was still flying in random patterns. "I'll try my best!"

Up in the sky, Ange was having trouble with Villkiss, as its controls were far more advanced than the Para-mails she piloted as part of Britannia.

"God damn this thing!" Ange cursed. "Why are the controls this stupid?!"

Ange realized the Lancelot was leaping up towards her to try and kick her down. Randomly pulling at the controls, she barely managed to operate the Villkiss to dodge the attack.

"Damn it! You-!"

She tried dodging again, but the Villkiss went in the opposite direction, allowing the Lancelot to land a punch and sending the Para-mail reeling.

"Aggh! Why won't you work properly?!" Ange yelled.

Lelouch was watching the rather one-sided fight unfold. "What is that pilot doing? Is she a novice?"

Before he could continue retreating, another alert appeared on his dashboard. This one caused him to widen his eyes, as both Lancelot and Villkiss picked up on it as well.

"A Singularity alert... that means!"

Nearby the fight, a portal opened up in the sky, as a large purple DRAGON flew out of it, roaring.

The DRAGON roared and shot a blast of flames, damaging a building and causing more destruction.

DRAGONs, creatures of destruction with unknown origins. Lelouch thought as he observed the creature. This is my first time seeing one up close, but these are what Ange and Naomi had to fight nearly every day?!

The Lancelot landed on the ground, dodging all the falling debris without much issue. The Villkiss wasn't as lucky, as the DRAGON grasped it in its claws.

"It even made it through all that?! I don't know which one's the monster now!" Lelouch said, before glancing at the Villkiss. "But that Para-mail pilot... she's done for."

Indeed, the Vilkiss was currently unable to escape the grasp of the DRAGON even as Ange tried her best to get the machine to do so.

"Come on! Come on! Come on!" She yelled. "I can't die here! Not now!"

Seeing the DRAGON's get closer, Ange's panic grew even more. She remembered how Coco and Miranda had lost their lives against these creatures, as she started to hyperventilate. Fear started to overtake her, before she looked at her ring; her last gift from her mother.

"Live on, Angelise..."

She remembered her mother's last words, before remembering the smiling faces of her friends... Lelouch and Nunnally...

She screamed as a drop of her blood fell on the ring, causing it to start glowing and triggering a transformation in Villkiss.

"What?!" Lelouch widened his eyes.

"I've never seen a Para-mail do that before!" Suzaku said, amazed.

Seeing the light start to fade, Ange quickly grabbed the controls, now somehow familiar to her. She pulled them, as Villkiss transformed into its Assault Mode. All of the dirt and grime disappeared as it was restored into the white and golden form, with shining blue wings.

Ange was still breathing heavily, before seeing the DRAGON fly towards her.

"I'm not going to die... I'm not going to die…" She muttered.

This time, Villkiss avoided the DRAGON, before pulling out its rifle and firing at it. The shots from the rifle proved to be very effective against the DRAGON, roaring in pain as the bullets tore through parts of its body. The DRAGON tried breathing a stream of fire at Villkiss, but it dodged out of the way to destroy the base of a building. A scream was heard out, as a Japanese woman holding her baby was falling. Both Lelouch and Ange saw this, but were too far away to help.

But what they did see was that the Lancelot had rushed at the two, managing to gently catch them.

"What the...?" Ange muttered.

"In the midst of a situation like this, he rescues someone?" Lelouch noted.

The DRAGON charged at Villkiss, but Ange recovered, drawing out the massive blade.

"I'm not going to die...! So you...!"

She stabbed the sword straight through the DRAGON's neck, drawing out a burst of blood.

"YOU CAN DIIIIIIIIE!"

Villkiss slammed its palm on the DRAGON, before ripping out the sword. Flying back, the palm mark exploded into ice. The DRAGON fell with a thunderous boom, before it completely froze up, finally dead.

"Amazing…" Lelouch said, as he slipped away.

The Lancelot meanwhile, had set the Japanese woman and her baby back on the ground safely, with Suzaku also managing to catch the sight of the Villkiss killing the DRAGON in time.

"Whoa… is that the power that the Vilkiss possesses?" He asked.

Up in the sky, Ange was breathing heavily, before having a brief fit of mirthless laughter The fight was over, but what the hell had she gotten herself into?

The comm line activated, as Jill's voice came over the call.

"Hm. Looks like I made the right choice." Jill said. "You'd better get back here before Britannia sends in more."

"And why the hell would I-"

"If you want to be convicted for treason for flying a stolen Britannian Para-mail, you're free to stay there."

Ange frowned, knowing Britannia's rigged court system. "Alright, fine."

Suzaku watched as the Villkiss flew off.

"Suzaku, are you tired? We'll call it quits for today." Cecile's voice said.

"No. I'm fine. Please let me keep going." Suzaku said, looking at the retreating Para-mail. I didn't get a good look at the pilot… who was that?


Maya groaned as she woke up, still inside the cockpit. "Ugh… Where am…?"

She took in her surroundings, seeing only darkness and a few details of the cockpit. The lights were all off.

Oh. Looks like the ejection system's parachute didn't work and the entire cockpit slammed into the ground… Ugh. How long was I unconscious? In any case, I need to get out of here.

She heard a tap from outside, alarming her as her monitor was brought to life.

"Pilot, please respond! Are you injured?! If you are, please tell us!" A man said.

The person on the monitor is Britannian. I must be in an aircraft hangar. Maya realized. "Yes, I'm alright. Sorry, can you explain the situation to me?"

"Thank goodness. This is the hangar for Prince Clovis' ship."

The Third Prince's hangar? Does that mean it was Viceroy Clovis' decision to have the Japanese in the ghetto slaughtered? Maya realized.

"We've successfully suppressed the terrorists. Your cockpit ejected nearby, my lord, so we took it upon ourselves to collect it."

"I see. You have my thanks." Maya said, pretending to be the lord they thought they were addressing.

"However, it seems the hatch's handle is destroyed from the outside. We are unable to open it. Can you open it from inside?" The worker asked.

The electrical system seems to be working normally. But it's not as though I can just exit… "No. It looks like I can't open it from the inside, either. Sorry, but can you open it from your end." She lied.

"Yes, my lord! Your patience is appreciated."

"Thank you." Maya said, before the worker left to get some proper tools.

The mechanics are gone. Now's my chance.

Opening the hatch, she got out of the cockpit and looked around.

"This is the G-1 base, the imperial family's land cruiser." She realized. "That means Clovis… The same Clovis who killed Hina and the others is here."


Back at the hideout for the resistance, they were currently housing several refugees from the attack. While some of them tried to calm down the crowd, the resistance members had met up with the ones that had stayed back.

"Good to see you're all back in one piece." Salia said.

"Yeah, we're all good. Though the other's Para-mails did get wrecked a bit." Ersha said.

"All because of that new Knightmare Frame! It just moved so fast!" Rosalie said, annoyed.

"But... who was that voice earlier?" Kallen asked.

"We're not sure." Tusk said. "We tried tracing the signal but-"

The group heard the rumbling of tanks outside, getting louder.

"Oh no…" Ohgi realized.

The door to the hideout was suddenly blown wide open as a tank drove into the doorway, followed by a squad of Britannia soldiers lining up next to it.

"Damn it, they found us!" Hilda cursed.

"There, you see! Instead of following somebody we don't even know, we should've used the poison gas!" Tamaki shouted. "Damn Nagata to hell!"

Jill frowned, before looking up to see that Villkiss was en route and saw the situation.

"Shit...!" Ange muttered. "I'd better-!"

A loud announcement came over the communications; Clovis' voice echoing throughout the ghetto. "Attention all forces. Cease fire at once!"

"Huh?!" Ange said, shocked.

Suzaku stopped his pursuit nearby. "A ceasefire?"

High atop a building was a man in a trenchcoat with a red scarf, observing the whole situation.


"I, Clovis, third prince of Britannia and royal viceroy of Area Eleven, here by command you: all forces are ordered to cease fire at once. You'll also cease destruction of any buildings or property. All casualties, whether Britannian or Eleven, shall be treated equally and without prejudice. In the name of Clovis la Britannia, you are hereby ordered, cease fire at once. I shall allow no further fighting."

The lights within Clovis' personal command room went off, as he sat back on his chair. A soldier was pointing a gun at him, being the one that asked him to send out the order.

"Are you satisfied?" He asked.

"Very. Well done."

"And what shall we do now?" Clovis rested his head on his chin. "Sing a few lively ballads, or perhaps a nice game of chess?"

"That has a familiar ring." The soldier said.

"Hmm?"

The soldier took off his helmet, but kept to the shadows.

"Don't you recall?" He asked. "The two of us used to play chess together as boys. Of course, I would always win."

"What?"

"Remember? At the Aries Villa?" The soldier asked.

Clovis glared at him. "You, who are you?"

The soldier stepped out of the shadows, revealing himself. "It's been a long time, big brother."

Clovis' eyes widened and he let out a shocked gasp upon seeing the face of someone he had thought longed to be dead.

Lelouch bowed to him. "The eldest son of the late consort Marianne and seventeenth in line to the imperial throne, Lelouch vi Britannia, at your service."

"Lelouch?!" Clovis sputtered. "B-But I thought–"

"That I was dead? You were wrong. I have returned, Your Highness." He gave a devilish smirk. "And I've come back to change everything."