AN:

DarkDremora: Kallen will get the SEITEN later for certain. There's no way I'm leaving something so cool out. And, I've already planned on how it's going to happen.

Chapter 128: Wyvern Squad

"Crush their lines! Don't relent!" Smilas ordered as a Giant-class land battleship rolled over a trench, destroying a stranded tank in the process.

"Sir, the Euro Britannian's have been successfully routed." a Specialist informed, "It looks like they're trying to regroup in Petersburg."

"Good. Then let's draw them out of hiding." the General smirked, "Prepare to unleash hell upon the city. I want to see nothing but rubble remain."

"What about civilian casualties?"

"If the Duke is the half the man I believe he is; he'll have already evacuated everyone. Now, tell Lorenzo to lead the charge."

"Yes, sir!"

"Keep your heads down!" Michele ordered as he took cover behind a building, witnessing a retreating Sutherland getting hit square in the cockpit, killing the pilot instantly. "Don't give them an inch!"

That's when a Medium-class land battleship began rolling through the streets, shaving off apartment buildings due to its sheer size. Luckily, its reign of destruction wouldn't last, as a group of Gloucester Swordsman attacked it from the side, managing to flip it into a building, where the underbelly would be exposed to further stabs from their heat swords – causing it to explode shortly after.

Even so, the Euro Britannian pilots couldn't rest for long, as several Panzer Hummels began shooting from down the street, forcing them to rush recklessly into the hail of bullets, and dispatch the Europian escorts.

The lead Gloucester effortlessly flipped over an opposing frame, forcing it quickly spin around, only to be stabbed through the cockpit, killing its pilot, and allowing him to move onto two more, which tried to fire their missiles, just to miss and strike a building, allowing the Britannian frame to close the gap, bisecting both of them in a single slash.

Meanwhile, the second Gloucester grabbed a Panzer Hummel by the arm, slamming it into a building, before using the body as a shield to advance toward another, where he would dispatch both by impaling them simultaneously.

Finally, the third Gloucester grabbed a chunk of falling rubble, tossing it toward the opponent as a distraction, making it possible for him to launch off a building, landing onto the Europian machine, executing it with a downward stab.

"Grandmaster Manfredi!" one Knight called, taking cover from incoming cannon fire.

Soon, the Gold Knightmare rounded a corner, and came to a stop next to his subordinates, "You took out one of them? Nicely done. Now, we just have to-"

Suddenly, a barrage of missiles struck the down, sending the Sagramore crashing into an apartment courtyard, where it would be buried beneath falling rubble, "They're firing on the city!" another Knight shouted as he tried to take cover, only to be thrown against a building by a powerful blast.

"Where are you, Knight of Two!?" a Spanish voice echoed through a Giant-class battleship, "I saw how you took out Langli, so come on! I dare you to try the same shit against me!"

At that moment, it began launching dozens of Europian gunships, which raised more hell upon the once proud Russian city. Shin leapt off the top of a building and grabbed one by the wing, forcing it to crash into another, causing a fiery mass to fall to the streets, drawing the attention of three more. However, the Japanese man wasn't done yet, as he whipped out his rifle, and took out two in quick succession, only running out of ammo once he aimed at the last. Luckily, Jean swerved around a corner, and finished the job before it could kill him, saving her fellow Knight, "Shin, are you okay?"

"Thank you, Jean. Your help was appreciated." he answered blankly, grabbing her Gracchus, forcing it to follow him as more Panzer Hummels chased them, "But things aren't looking good for us."

"Don't say that! We can still win!" the woman protested as she turned, shooting a concrete overhang as they passed, collapsing it onto their pursuers, allowing them to hide in an alley.

"Never took you for an optimist." Shin responded as he drew a heat blade.

"Attention, Euro Britannian soldiers." Zero's voice came over their radio, earning gasps of shock from everyone, "I advise you to keep your heads down."

Suddenly, a flash of red passed the duo's alley, causing them to instinctively check outside, only to find the destroyed remnants of Panzer Hummels. "What the hell was that?"

"Cowards! All of them!" Lorenzo shouted from within his battleship, "Should've known they would never face us in full-on combat!"

"They don't stand a chance against our military power. To think these fools thought siding with Britannia would bring them sovereignty! Such foolishness!" a fanatic proclaimed, before feeling a massive tremor, sending everyone to fall out of their seats.

"What the hell was that!?"

"S-sir, we've hit a snag!" a specialist reported, "Sensors say the disturbance it's coming from the front!"

"Check the cameras! I need eyes on-"

However, before he could finish that sentence, a faint red glow began to spread throughout the ship, growing brighter and brighter as the interior began bubbling, causing alarms that read 'critical damage' to trigger, until finally, they erupted into a massive explosion. A squad of Panzer Hummels quickly arrived on-scene to investigate, coming face-to-face with the culprits haunting silhouette.

Instantly, the figure shot out, slicing the center Panzer clean in half, before ripping the top half off another, leaving one left to fire helplessly at the demon. Even so, the bullets wouldn't even land, as the Guren expertly dodged the hail, and grabbed its opponent, hurling it toward a Medium-class battleship, creating a fiery smoke screen that allowed her to instantly appear behind the vehicle, where the surger would be used to eradicate it.

"Fire all guns!" another Europian battleship began firing upon the unstoppable Guren, only for its attention to shift.

Meanwhile, Rakshata observed the destruction from the Ikaruga's deck with a smile, watching as her prized possession quickly flew to the vehicle's side, and flipped it into a building. "As I thought, Europia is still filled with Relics of the past. They've got nothing that can stand up to the sheer might of my Guren."

Soon after, the battleship erupted into a large explosion, "Zero, I've cleared the city of Europian heavy armaments. What are my next orders?" the red head reported.

"Good work. I want you to stop the next wave coming from the east. I've been informed by the Grand Duke that the city's been completely evacuated, so feel free to deal with the enemy as you see fit."

"Already on it!" Kallen shouted as she began climbing upward, until she finally came to a stop, where she could finally see the entire Europian assault, "Looks like I can take care of the vanguard with one strike." she observed, taking note of the Leviathan and it's escorts, which were positioned toward the back, "Lelouch said nothing about those… so I'll deal with them later."

Below, a squad of gunships began making their way towards her, firing a combination of missiles and bullets to bring her down. In response, Kallen activated her surger, creating a massive wide-range attack that encapsulated the entire Europian assault force, damaging their internals systems, and sending their smaller units – like tanks and APC's – flying into the land battleships, dealing considerable damage. As for the soldiers, their fate was far more brutal, as the radiant wave technology caused their bodies to erupt into a fine red mist, leaving no traces.

"I'm losing control!" a gunship pilot shouted as it was sent hurtling toward the ground, crashing into the deck of a Giant-class, destroying the reserve aircraft.

"Such power." Shin muttered as he watched the display from a roof, "To think the Black Knights have such a weapon…" his eyes trailed back to the Ikaruga, which now floated just above Caesar's Palace, "I wonder what else they've got in there?"

The Guren dove head-first into the remaining Europian lines, immediately engaging a Giant-class battleship by grabbing its command deck, and activating her surger, dealing devastating damage as it bubbled into a massive explosion. For the Medium-class, she activated the missile pods on both of her shoulders, using them to destroy the remaining land craft with pinpoint accuracy.

"D-damn it! We're screwed!" a Panzer Hummel pilot shouted in despair as he tried moving his frame, only to find it unresponsive due to the earlier blast.

Fortunately, Kallen soon came through with her fork knife, using it to effortlessly cut through numerous Europian Knightmares, decimating their overwhelming advantage in mere moments, leaving Smilas stunned from his Leviathan. "Sir! We've lost over 40% of our assault force!" a specialist reported.

"Those damn Eleven Terrorist!" a fanatic shouted, "How dare they side with Britannia!? Whatever happened to defending the weak!?"

"Truly disgraceful." a woman at Smilas' side expressed her thoughts, "Sir, how shall we respond?"

The General clenched his teeth in frustration, feeling the world crumble around him as the haunting voice of the Dimensional Supervisor haunted his mind once more.

Paris. General Smilas' Office. Time unknown.

With a heavy sigh, Smilas sighed another document, one pertaining to much-needed resource acquisition for the war against Europia; though, it would involve further depletion of their already near-bare mines, causing further endangerment of their people. Even so, sacrifices had to be made, and if lives were the only cost, then the General would – reluctantly – pay that price.

He took another document from the stack; looking it over carefully – his face falling further and further the more he read, "Another conscription notice… damn it. At the rate we're training them, we might as well be sending civilians or children into battle." the man leaned back in frustration, feeling hesitation seep into his mind, "How much more are we going to have to give?"

That's when the lights of his office slowly dimmed, before turning off completely, leaving it pitch black, save for a faint, blue glow along the farthest wall, "Since the dawn of time, the young have rushed to their own deaths." a pale woman with black hair and purple highlights emerged from the light.

"N-no. This can't be." the General muttered as the woman drew closer.

"Every hero, is just another dead man walking." she said hauntingly, before coming to a stop just before his desk; her feet not touching the ground, as if she was floating.

"It's not like I enjoy sending soldiers to die." he argued.

"Of course. You'd never express that in those words." the Dimensional Supervisor responded in an eerily calm tone, "But still, you are leading them to the slaughter… for your own gain."

"What's your point!?" Smilas roared while slamming his armrest, before turning left to find her standing there, taking him by surprise.

"It's very simple. Your ambitions to become king of this world are of no interest to us. But the fact remains, there was a time when you conspired against us, and now, the time has come for you to atone for your transgressions."

"Atone? How? What are you asking me to do?" the General asked, feeling his heart rate increase with every word she spoke, feeling immense fear from the word 'atone'.

Slowly, the woman raised her finger, pointing at him innocently, causing him to slide back in terror, preparing to run at a moment's notice, "This is an order in the name of the Geass." she proclaimed, her eyes stern as ever, causing his jaw to drop in worry, "You are to assassinate Lord Shin Hyuga Shaing."

"Wh-what!? How do you know about Lord Shaing!?" Smilas exclaimed, getting up from his seat in shock, "No wait… is he…"

"If you kill Shaing, we will be satisfied. But if you don't… we'll have to-"

"I'll do it! I give you my word!" Smilas desperately agreed, nervously adjusting the collar of his military uniform in the process.

The Dimensional Supervisor took a confident step back, getting closer to the walls of his office, "You are now bound by a contract. Remember that." she said hauntingly, "As long as the balance of space-time remain undisturbed, we shall remain content." she then backed into the wall, her body molding into it effortlessly, "And do not allow Zero and Shaing to meet."

"Z-Zero!? What does he have to do with this!?"

However, the woman didn't answer, instead continuing with her speech, "For if they were to join forces, that may spell the end for you… and the world." she uttered before completely melding into the wall, disappearing for good.

Smilas collapsed onto his chair, legs still trembling from the encounter, as his lights turned back on. Then, he took his pen without hesitation, and signed the conscription request, "I need to end this war quickly. As for Zero… who is he? They never spoke of him before, so why now? What could he possibly have done to anger the gods? No. It's not my place to wonder. If I ever encounter that man face-to-face, I swear, I will kill him."

Present Day.

"Full retreat!" the General ordered, "Tell our entire invasion force to retreat at once! We must regroup at Warsaw, where we can set up a proper defensive!"

"E-even the other battle groups?" a specialist asked hesitantly, "But… they've had much success in-"

"Are you stupid? Our battle is the only one that matters, and from where I'm sitting, it's clear we're outmatched. Now, full retreat!"

"Yes sir!" another crew member responded, "Ah… what about the 201st fleet!? They said that they're moving into bombardment position!"

"Good. Tell them to flatten Petersburg. Hopefully we'll be able to kill that… thing in the process. Afterward, they're free to retreat."

"Understood!"

"You see, Shin, that's the kind of woman you need in life." Michele proclaimed proudly as the Guren tore up the Europian Panzer Hummels, "One that isn't afraid to take care of business."

"A woman? How can you be so sure?" the Japanese man questioned as the red frame destroyed another Giant-class battleship.

"Well, it's all just rumors, but apparently some engineers managed to capture some audio files from another frame that was in direct communication with it." the former Knight informed, "Of course, they don't have her name, but know her voice."

"A female pilot in the Black Knights?" Jean stared at the beautiful red machine with awe, then quickly glanced at Shin's Knightmare, trying to gauge his reaction.

"To pilot such a powerful frame, she surely has to be as good as a Round." Michele commented, observing the Guren as it began ascending above the battlefield, "Maybe even better."

"Are you sure it's the pilot and not the frame?" the Japanese man asked suspiciously, "Surely there's no way she could do that in yours."

The former Knight chuckled at the question, "Of course it's the pilot. Sure, my Knightmare doesn't have half the weapons hers does, but I believe that's a testament to her own skill. Constantly managing everything perfectly without any hiccups, that's the sign of a great pilot." he explained matter-of-factly, "I know for a fact that I couldn't handle it. Hell, I bet you'd see me struggling to get off the ground. Hahaha!"

Shin stared blankly at the former Knight as he erupted into hearty laughter, causing him to clench his controls in annoyance, "Fool. How can you say such a thing, especially knowing how much more valuable that Knightmare would be in your hands?" he then opened his cockpit, and stood upon the Gracchus, now staring at the Guren as it charged the surger for another attack.

Meanwhile, Jean's expression changed slightly, her eyes widened with surprise, "Lord Shaing… got out of his Knightmare? Does the pilot truly infatuate him that much?"

"Ah! But that's not to say you can't take care of business, Jean!" Manfredi quickly shouted, "I'm sure that when you get the chance, you'll find that you share a lot in common with that pilot. The two of you'll be best friends in no time!"

"Oh… um… sure." the red-haired girl mumbled, not knowing how to respond.

"Take this!" Kallen shouted as she fired a radiant wave beam at a bogged-down Giant-class battleship, destroying it instantly, before glaring at the now retreating battle group, "Zero, the Europian's are-"

"Yes. I've seen it. Good work, Kallen. You've done exceptionally well. Now, return to the Ikaruga and-"

"Gah!?" that's when the Guren was suddenly tackled out of the air by several Orange Knightmares, sending her hurtling downward in shock, "Wh-what are these things!?" she exclaimed while stabbing two, before hitting the ground in a rough tumble. This managed to throw off the remaining frames.

"Damn it! Why didn't we pick them up on our sensors!?" Zero complained to his staff, who frantically checked their stations.

"Ah… they've flying over the Euro Britannian troops, that's why!" one specialist reported, "Their Sakuradite signature was masked that way."

"Hold on, did you say flying? I wasn't aware Europia had float technology. At least for Knightmares."

"They're not flying." C.C chimed in, pointing outward toward several squads of Alexanders, which were gliding past Caesar's Palace. "They've got glide wings."

"But if they're gliding, that must mean they were set up in the other direction… but Europia couldn't have had the time, nor manpower to do that." Lelouch mumbled, "In any case, the situation's changed, Naoto-"

"We're already on it!" the Kozuki responded as he, Tohdoh, and the four Holy Swords shot out of the bay.

"Damn, my air glide unit's fried. The fall must've damaged it." Kallen muttered as shook the snow off her shoulders, getting up only to stare down a group of Orange Alexanders as they landed in front of her, "What are those Knightmares? I've never seen anything like them. No… they actually kind of look like those GX Knightmare's Alice used. Though… these are bulkier, and far less human."

Suddenly, the Orange frames began crawling at her with great speed, firing two sets of machine guns on their back, though their attempts were all absorbed by the Guren's radiant wave shielding. Without hesitation, Kallen quickly rushed into battle, easily dispatching one by stepping on the first Knightmare, crushing it against the ground before stabbing another with her fork knife, causing the others to get to their feet, equipping two tonfas.

The red head carefully observed their sluggish attacks in confusion, grabbing an overhead strike with her surger, and using her fork knife to stab her opponent's cockpit, leaving only on Alexander as it charged in recklessly, "Are these things even human?" she wondered while dodging an attack, before kicking her opponent in half. "They're so slow… I swear, even the average Britannian pilot is better than this. Or are Europian's just that bad?"

That's when she was attacked from behind by a drone, which climbed onto her back, and began hitting her head repeatedly. In response, she effortlessly grabbed, and slammed it into the ground, finishing the frame with a powerful stomp, but her work wasn't done yet, as she noticed another Knightmare coming to attack from the right.

So, she used her fork knife to dismember its arms, and force open the cockpit, where she was met with a shocking sight, "There's nothing here!?" she grunted while destroying the Alexander, "Then how are they moving?"

Leila clumsy guided her Alexander through a cluster of destroyed buildings, collapsing her glide wings once close enough to the ground, and skidding to a stop, "All units, do you read me?" she reported while activating her command halo, which hung overhead, allowing her to check on the status of the Alexander drones. "What? Some of them have already been defeat? But we just landed…"

"It's that red Knightmare." Akito's voice put a hand on his commander's shoulder, directing her attention to the desolate battlefield, where the Guren did a flip over an incoming Alexander, and used a harken to destroy it with ease, "Seems like they've already figured out our trick."

"That frame… it's a Black Knight!" Leila proclaimed, "I recognize it from when they broadcasted the aftermath of Tokyo." then, she tilted her head in confusion, "Though… why are the Black Knights here?"

"And fighting against us." the Japanese boy added as he pointed to the destruction, "I saw her destroying General Smilas' forces as we were gliding in."

"Oh… I was too focused on my landing to notice." the blonde thought as she looked around, "Wait… where are the others?"

Suddenly, a bullet came flying in, forcing Akito to act almost instantly, and throw Leila to the ground, narrowly dodging the attack, "Damn. You're good, Akito." Yukiya – who was positioned around a corner with his sniper rifle – commented.

"Private Yukiya, what are you doing!?" the blonde exclaimed, "We're supposed to be working together!"

From above, Ryo leapt down and tried to attack Akito with his axe, only to be dodged, and countered by a kick, sending him flying into a building, "And he's quick." the Japanese rebel added while rushing back into the fight.

That's when Ayano began rushing toward's Akito from behind, her landspinners screeching to a halt as she extended her wrist blades, "Not fast enough!" she shouted while lunging at his cockpit, only for the Japanese boy to spin around, and delivered a devastating kick to her head, sending the Alexander crashing into a pile of rubble.

"W-wait! Everyone, stand down! Now's not the time for fighting!" Leila pleaded as Akito dodged another swing from Ryo, and grabbed the axe, using it as leverage to kick the rebelling Japanese boy away.

Then, he ducked another incoming attack from Yukiya, allowing the bullet to sail past his head, hitting the building behind him. "Crap… this guy's way too good." the rogue Alexander's pilot mumbled, before preparing another shot just as Ryo went in for another attack.

However, when he went to pull the trigger, something managed to grab his head from above, forcefully pulling his Knightmare up for a closer look, "Am I crazy, or aren't you all in the same Knightmare?" Naoto's voice came through the intercom as Yukiya's legs now dangled mere feet from the ground, "So, why are you fighting each other?"

"D-damn it… they got me." the Japanese rebel muttered; fear laced all over his voice.

"Crap, Yukiya!" Ryo shouted as he rushed the Black Knightmare, who had an air glide system equipped, "Stay calm, we'll be there in a second!"

That's when two Gekkas landed in front of the Alexander, who struck at them without hesitation, just to have his axe effortlessly blocked by two revolving blades, "So, the EU had real Knightmare's all along." Asahina commented as he kicked Ryo away.

"It's a wonder why they're only using them now." Nagisa added, "Nevertheless, they're serious threats, so we have to take them seriously."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Damn it! Let him go!" Ryo ordered as he rushed in, clashing with Asahina, only for the female Holy Sword to flank him, and drive her shoulder into his side, sending him stumbling backwards helplessly. He was outclassed in – with lack of a better word – everything.

"Lieutenant, do it!" Leila ordered as several Orange Alexanders jumped the Black Knights from behind, tackling Naoto out of the air, and freeing Yukiya. The attack caught the Holy Swords by surprise, forcing them to strike down the insect-mode drones as they were drawn into an alley, separating them from Naoto.

"Get out of here and regroup!" Wyvern Squad's ace ordered as he leapt onto the Magnus, using his legs as springs to send the Knightmare crashing into a building.

"Hey, I was being nice before." Naoto complained as he killed the drone mid-leap, tossing it aside to face Akito.

Now, the group finally got a good look at the Knightmare; contrary to the Japanese designs Rakshata usually stuck to, Naoto's frame was modeled after the Irregular's GX frames, which she took from their very first encounter. Though, she couldn't replicate everything, such as 'muscle framing', so she covered those parts with traditional Knightmare armor painted a dark blue. But that wasn't the only visual difference, as the head was modeled after a Samurai helmet, with gold horns purely to draw attention; attempting to create an illusion that Naoto was Zero. Of course, whether this would work or not is still under trial.

"Stand down." the Kozuki ordered sternly, drawing his MVS Katana in the process, "I don't want to hurt you."

Despite this warning, Akito didn't respond, and instead entered his insect-mode, where he would begin crawling toward his opponent at high-speed, firing his machine gun to cover the assault. Naoto let out a sigh as he used the MVS system on his wrist to block the incoming bullets, then swung his blade downward once the Japanese boy got close, striking concrete due to the Alexander dodging right, where it would resume in normal mode.

Equipping his Tonfas, Akito went in for a strike, only to collide with an MVS Katana as Naoto effortlessly blocked the attack, then used his hand to push the Alexander away, following up with a downward slash, which was easily side-stepped. The Europian soldier let out a breath as he quickly swerved around the Magnus, sending out a punch, which the Kozuki predictably tried to block, allowing him to instantly pulled back his fist, and launch a kick; hitting the Black frames leg, forcing it onto one knee.

Naoto scoffed as he caught his opponent's arm as it went in for a punch, catching the Tonfa just inches from his face, only for a blade to shoot out from the tip, injuring his eye, "Damn it!" he cursed while pulling back his Katana, thrusting it toward the Alexander's chest. Unfortunately, Akito leapt over the blade before contact, and slammed his feet onto the Magnus' head, using it to launch himself away in a backflip.

Though, this was when Naoto decided to commit to the attack, rushing in with an upward slash, forcing the Alexander to leap back, where he would follow into a downward slash, forcing Akito to dash left to dodge it. However, just as his blade was about to hit the ground, the Kozuki spun around into a slash, taking his Japanese opponent by surprise, and forcing him to block at the last moment with his Tonfa.

Even so, this wasn't without a great cost, as the strike sent him flying into a building, where he would gasp in pain as he began getting buried beneath some rubble. "Now, please surrender. I just wanna talk." the Black Knight ordered, "If you comply, then I can help vouch for your freedom. Wouldn't you like that? It'd certainly be better than dieing for some man's ambitions – and in a foreign country no less. Come on, I know your family would appreciate it."

Suddenly, Akito's frame burst out of the debris, and hit Naoto with a devastating dropkick, sending him flying backwards, skidding across the ground until he came to a stop at Ryo's feet, "Take this!" the flamboyant man shouted as he brought his axe down.

Luckily, the Kozuki narrowly blocked the attack just as it was about to reach his chest; struggling to keep his Katana steady while pushing upward. "And don't forget this." Yukiya added as he stood over the Magnus, pointing his rifle at its head.

But, once he pulled the trigger, Naoto activated his wrist MVS, which was still in range, blocking the shot, and ricocheting it back at Yukiya's head, sending the Alexander stumbling back in pain. Using this opportunity, the Kozuki lifted his legs to deliver a kick to Yukiya's frame, knocking it into a building, while he contorted his body to strike Ryo next. The Japanese boy stumbled back in pain, only to find himself on the ropes once again, as the Magnus moved in with a heavy upward slash, sending his axe flailing to the side as he tried to block, "So strong! I can't stop him!"

Naoto let out another breath before unleashing a downward slash, knocking the axe out of his opponent's hand as they tried to block, then he spun around, and delivered two quick cuts across their chest, causing the Europian Knightmare to fall backwards. Instinctively, the Kozuki ducked, narrowly avoiding Ayano as she lunged at his cockpit with her hidden blades extended.

The Magnus quickly rammed its shoulder into her chest, knocking the Alexander over, and onto the ground, where it would helplessly stare at the Black frame, as its foot was raised to finish the job.

Luckily for her, Akito came in to tackle Naoto, sending both of them tumbling into the center of the street, where the latter would finally get a hold of his opponent, and deliver a devastating kick onto the White Knightmare.

However, instead of crashing onto the ground, it recovered with a beautiful flip, and landed graceful in front of the Magnus, where it would use both Tonfas to knock his opponent's katana into the air, before retreating – gaining considerable ground as the rest of Wyvern Squad slowly got to their feet.

"There's no doubt about it. He's the most skilled pilot they've got." Naoto thought calmly as he glanced at his MVS as it twirled in the air, "And it's not even close. If I beat him, the rest will follow shortly. At least we seem to be equal in skill… no, maybe he's better, considering he's still keeping up in these conditions."

At once, the Wyvern Squad began converging on his position, which he responded by flying upward, retrieving his Katana before using it to slam the ground, sending the Alexander's tumbling away with the force of his attack, alongside pieces of the road.

"Damn… that's no fair!" Ryo complained, using his axe to stop himself.

Yukiya leapt onto a roof, and knelt with his sniper rifle trained on Naoto's head, "I wouldn't bother." Ayano told him as she stared down the Black Knightmare, "Bullets don't seem to work on these guys."

"Well, I'm not good with close quarters, so you take him and create an opening for me." the boy responded.

"Hey, Akito. We'll settle our beef later." Ryo warned the Lieutenant, "For now, let's just focus on getting out of here."

In response, the blue-haired boy nodded silently and prepared to attack, only for Senba and Urabe to suddenly arrive behind Naoto, preventing Ayano and Ryo from advancing, "We're here to assist." the first Holy Sword reported.

"What happened to your air glide units?" the Kozuki questioned as he watched Ayano draw her sword.

"Those Orange Knightmares are a complete joke, but once they latch on, they're like spider monkeys." Urabe complained, "So we had to eject them."

"What about Asahina and Nagisa?"

"They're with Tohdoh. There's an entire Europian fleet closing in from the waterfront. Zero wants to use the Hadron cannons to wipe them out, so they're checking for any civilians in the area – just in case."

"As for the other Orange Knightmares, the city is clear of them. These White ones are the only thing that remains of the Europian force." Senba added.

"Good. Let's end this quickly." Naoto proclaimed as he charged Akito.

"Lieutenant!" Leila shouted from within her Alexander as the fight commenced, then she glanced at the Guren as it stood atop a pile of Alexander drones triumphantly, "No… I was too focused on trying to keep that one at bay… now I can't help the others." she shook her head, and aimed her rifle at the Black Knights, "Wyvern Squad, retreat! We're outmatched here!" no response, "Wyvern Squad! Do you read me? I said retreat, we're outmatched!"

However, the only words she got in return, was a faint 'die' from Akito, which slowly grew louder and louder with each second, until he shouted, "DIE!"

As if some kind of flip switched, the Lieutenant quickly gained the upper hand over his opponent, using his Tonfas to expertly strike the Katana with all his might, putting a lot of strain onto the Kozuki as he desperately tried remaining in control. But… the fact was staring him straight in the face, "He's changed."

Naoto spun around as he received another hit, speeding off with his landspinners onto another street, where Akito chased him like a relentless dog, launching a devastating drop-kick that sent his frame tumbling through a park, knocking over a tree in the process. "DIE!" the Europian soldier shouted as he slammed the Katana into the ground, and kicked it away, "DIE!" he added a flying kick to send the Magnus through a building, onto another street, closer to Saint Petersburg's outskirts.

Then, the Alexander extended its arms, letting out a mechanical roar as its gears spun rapidly to compensate for Akito's improved performance; its faceplate opened shortly after to reveal a demonic, red face underneath, which blew out two huffs of steam. Inside, the Pilot's eyes were surrounded by the signature red rings of Geass as he continued to shout the word, "DIE!"

Sensing the command activate, Shin glanced at the direction of the battle, and smirked, "Ah, so you are alive, brother." his Geass flaring in the process, "And a Europian Soldier no less. The god's must have allowed you to live just for this special occasion."

"Lord Shaing?" Jean called, "We've been ordered to gather in front of Caesar's Palace. The Black Knights will handle the rest."

"Hm? You can go on without me. I'd like to… mourn our losses just a bit longer."

"Yes… sir." the girl responded hesitantly, before directing her Gracchus toward the Palace.

"Now… shall we have our reunion, brother?" Shin smirked as he rushed toward the source of his undeniable instinct.

Ikaruga.

"Ah… what was that?" C.C mumbled, sensing the command go off, "There's no way… a Geass? But who? And why's it so strong? I've never sensed anything like this before."

"Something wrong?" Zero asked sternly as he kept watch over his crew; though, the Immortal could easily tell that he was concerned.

"Now's not a good time. I'll tell you later."

"Is it about that?"

"Correct."

Lelouch scoffed beneath his mask, "Great. More problems."

AN: Since Shin can somehow sense his command going off, I thought it'd make a bit of sense for C.C to be able to sense it a bit too. Not so much that she can pinpoint it like him, but just enough for her to know it's there. Of course, there's no proof she can do this in the anime (to my Knowledge, unless you count her vaguely sensing Geass, or Nunnally that one time), but I'm including it here for a later reason. All I'll say, is it has something to do with Shin's Geass.