August 25th, 2018. Tokyo Settlement Airspace, afternoon.

"I know you're going to have a lot of questions," Viletta began, "but unfortunately we don't have a lot of time for them right now. Rest assured that we can get you briefed on the last week's events later, but we need you focused."

Suzaku, having just been dragged into a VTOL and struggling to stay patient under a medical officer's examination, scowled. "And you think leaving me confused is less of a distraction than keeping me informed? What's so urgent that you can't tell me anything?"

The woman sighed in frustration, clearly not enjoying the circumstances anymore than Suzaku was. "I… don't know how to drip-feed this. My suspicion is that once you're told anything at all, you'll be concerned enough to latch onto it and keep reaching for more until everything comes out. And trying to process it all? That is the distraction I'm worried about."

Before Suzaku could attempt to press further, Viletta raised a hand. "I swear, I'll see to it that you're properly briefed by nightfall unless we're stuck in active combat or another matter of similar urgency. But for a few hours until then, everyone needs you to be patient and deal with what's going on now rather than catching up on past events."

Suzaku stood up in frustration, only to immediately be sat back down by the medic with a yelp. "You still haven't even told me what the big emergency is!"

Viletta blinked, and realized after a second's reflection that she hadn't. "There's a VIP just offshore, who will be arriving at Yokosuka Port in three hours. As a key instrument of the Viceroy's administration a notable person of interest, you have to be on-hand for the greeting when he comes ashore. And before you ask to pretend that you're still in a coma, news of your abduction was leaked before we could stop it. Given that the VIP has expressed a keen interest in meeting you personally, we have to show you off - both as proof of our own ability to recover you quickly, and to mitigate any risk of your… unplanned medical leave and vacation from reflecting a potential image of weakness onto the Viceroy."

Seeing Suzaku prepared for another round of questions, Viletta just came out and said it. "It's Sir Luciano Bradley," she explained. "The Knight of Ten and the King's Executioner. We've been told he'll be conducting an overnight inspection of the Area capitol and will then be doing the same across our territories in Southeast Asia on his way to join the front in Africa. While I'm sure you have some awareness of his sterling reputation as a hero at home, foreign media have denounced him as a monster among monsters, even going so far as to call him The Vampire. I've never met him myself, nor served with anyone who has, but given the propaganda at play on all sides we can likely assume the truth is somewhere in the middle."

Suzaku grew still as his de-facto second-in-command spoke, forcibly trying to remember the warning and promise another woman had given him what seemed like only a few hours earlier.

"Luciano Bradley is heading for Area Eleven with nothing less in mind than to murder you, specifically... If you prove able to slay the Knight of Ten in a one-on-one contest, I can lobby for you to be made a Knight of the Round in your own right."

So the time's already here… "I need to speak with the Viceroy," he eventually said. "Now."

As the transport chopper arrived at the port in Yokosuka, a freshly-uniformed Suzaku hopped off onto the landing pad and was met by a host of familiar faces he'd never seen before.

"Someone's eager," said a grinning giant of a man with a scar on his face whom One recognized as Andreas Darlton. "Can't say I don't understand it, though; I've always hated being cooped on medical leave myself."

Standing behind him were almost a half-dozen boys that must have been his adopted sons, the Glaston Knights. Though they certainly stared at Suzaku a bit, clearly surprised to see for themselves an Honorary Britannian being considered relevant enough for the purpose at hand, their gazes held no judgment or contempt.

Next to Darlton was the more properly familiar Jeremiah Gottwald, who nodded once at Suzaku before turning his attention to Viletta as she stepped out into a salute that Suzaku instantly mirrored.

"Celestial Being Special Operative Viletta Nu, reporting for duty with Captain Suzaku Kururugi!"

She didn't even tell us we'd been promoted…?!

At least we know about it now...

"Suzaku Kururugi, Celestial Being. Reporting!"

"Both of you at ease," Euphemia said as she stepped forward from behind the assembled Glastons. Her beaming smile dimmed, however, when she noticed Suzaku's missing bangs, highlighted by the adhesive bandage on his forehead. "What happened?"

"That's not – the most important issue right now," Suzaku self-corrected mid-sentence. "I can go into today's events later, but right now there's something more important we need to discuss in private."

Euphemia nodded, before indicating a curious rose-haired young woman in a stylish but functional flowing red dress to her left, and a taller, strict purple-haired woman in a dress uniform. "If it's a matter of state," she replied, "then I'll need you to brief my Sub-Viceroy and... special advisor. Allow me to introduce Princess Merrybell mel Britannia and General Cornelia li Britannia."

Suzaku saluted to each, a gesture which Merrybell returned with a small smile and which Cornelia barely accepted.

Go on, Suzaku mentally sighed, let's get it out of the way.

Huh?

Those goo-goo eyes you keep making when we meet attractive women.

I'm not gonna act stupid like that in front of this many people, and sure, Merrybell's gorgeous as fuck but Cornelia can go jump off a cliff for all I care.

If Suzaku had been drinking anything at that moment, he'd have choked on it.

A blonde drew the mentally fractured soldier's gaze as she stepped up from behind Merrybell, raising an eyebrow at him. "Are you really sure you should be here? You look unwell…"

She must be Oldrin Zevon, Merrybell's Knight of Honor.

"It's nothing that would sideline me," Suzaku promised with a smile even as One continued cataloging other members of the Glinda Knights as he recognized them.

Cornelia scowled in contempt, making full use of her convenient height to look down on Suzaku. "You should know better than to be so familiar with your betters."

Next to her, the bespectacled Sir Gilbert G.P. Guilford stepped up with a hand casually resting on his sword. "At a word, my lady, I would consider it an honor and a pleasure to give the boy some remedial lessons in etiquette."

Play nice, we don't need to cause a scene-!

We don't need these people to think they can cause us trouble with impunity, either.

I brush off Guilford for the functional accessory he is and look Cornelia straight in the eyes – before remembering we've got bigger fish to fry. "I'll deal with you later; Viceroy, is there an office or something we can use? I need to brief you before it gets any later."

Cornelia's eyes seemed to flash with rage over the sheer dismissal as her palm fell to the grip of her sword, only to grit her teeth at a warning glare from Euphemia – and even moreso at the bewildered shock on Merrybell's face that quickly morphed into smug approval.

"Of course, Sir Kururugi; the rest of you all know what you should be doing."

The Princesses and their Knights of Honor followed as Euphemia led Suzaku to a secured and partially soundproofed office in the base, whereupon the the Viceroy immediately rounded on Cornelia once she'd locked the door behind them. "Not even breathing the same air for twenty seconds and you're already-!"

"The Knight of Twelve contacted me before I fought Zero and warned me that Bradley would use a performance evaluation of the Lancelot as cover to kill me. She also said that if I can turn the tables and kill him myself, she could lobby the other Rounds for me to take his place."

Euphemia, Merrybell, Cornelia, Oldrin, and Guilford all instantly fall silent to stare at me as I pull out a chair for each of the ladies except Cornelia, and one for myself.

"If not for Zero's ill-timed stunt distracting us, Viceroy, I would've told you about it at the time."

Cornelia scoffs. "You've knocked over one corrupt nobleman, and you think you're important enough for a Knight of the Round to travel halfway around the world to personally dispose of?"

"I think Euphemia's important enough for a Knight of the Round to kill someone she likes as a warning not to get politically creative."

No one seemed confident enough to argue that point.

As the assembled movers and shakers began to sit down at the table with me, the looks on their faces a varying spectrum of disbelief to worried acceptance, Merrybell addressed me directly. "Sir Kururugi, you say that Lady Kruchevsky contacted you directly? I'd like you to elaborate on that."

I shrug, and put Suzaku back on the witness stand as much to annoy him as anything else. "I was called by a mysterious cell phone that had been placed in my quarters at campus without my knowledge. When I answered it, I was greeted by the Knight of Twelve."

Cornelia rolled her eyes in contempt, leaning in with a snarl. "Do you honestly expect us to believe that you found a foreign object in your living quarters, in a hotbed of terrorist activity, and accepted it at face value instead of turning it over to security for screening when it could have been something like a bomb? What kind of fools do you take us for?!"

"If it had been a bomb," Suzaku calmly replied, "I wouldn't have been able to complain."

"...was that an attempt at a joke, Sir Kururugi?"

"I say it as a plain statement of fact, Sir Guilford. As for my taking the foreign object's inherent nature at face value? Given the security processes and personnel that Camelot has in place, it didn't seem implausible to me that a colleague or someone else with legitimate access might have dropped it off with the intention I would find it and use it – for remote communications in case of a potential emergency, perhaps. You're welcome to call that naivete, and I wouldn't argue the point… but it doesn't change the reality that we're soon to be hosting an unwanted guest who in all likelihood at best intends to sabotage our Viceroy's agenda."

This time Suzaku drags me back behind the wheel, feeding me his next line but wanting it delivered with some attitude. "Rather than looking for a convenient opportunity to try and punch down at an Eleven," I drawl while rolling some tension out of my neck, "I'd hope that addressing a threat to our leader's policy concerns would be the greater priority here."

Euphemia puts on her game face, looking us in the eye. "Supposing that the scenario you laid out is true, Sir Kururugi… you can't just kill a Knight of the Round."

Euphie, I felt bad enough lying to you about Lelouch and Nunnally still being dead. Please don't ask that I do it to you again…

It was also said that one can't simply walk into Mordor, but that's been done too.

"Your Highness, why do you think I pulled you aside to explain the situation?"

After a moment, Euphemia sighs in relief, apparently too distracted to fully identify my question for the bullshit non-answer it is. Cornelia narrows her eyes at me, but doesn't say anything.

Merrybell, however, does.

"Sir Kururugi, I would like you to confirm that I haven't misunderstood something. You're reporting to us that a Knight of the Round is interested in eliminating one of their own peers?"

The room falls dead silent.

"I'm inclined to believe that the Knight of Twelve doesn't consider Sir Bradley specifically to be a peer," Suzaku replies.

After a moment, Euphemia takes a deep breath. "Suzaku… even if it can be brushed off as a training accident, which I don't believe the rest of the Rounds are likely to accept as a group, something like the death of a Round will bring entirely too much scrutiny from the homeland for us to deal with right now. We can't afford to deal with the kind of investigation that would bring – not while Zero remains at large, and not while the domestic situation is still so vulnerable."

Looking us straight in the eye, our Viceroy says, "If there's truly no avoiding a Knightmare duel between you and Sir Bradley, then I must insist that you find a way to survive and disable his machine non-fatally. The Homeland obtains more than enough of a showing that the Prime Minister's prototype is everything it's been advertised as, your show of prowess solidifies our position, and we gain more time to properly assess how best to deal with this apparent schism in the Rounds."

Suzaku's relieved by this instruction, and in a lot of ways I can't really blame him.

But rather than let us deflate too much with relief, I turn to look at Cornelia.

Don't.

There's no way Bradley will just peacefully go on his way after getting schooled by a rookie Eleven! Asking Cornelia about it's the best way for us to introduce that idea to the others!

So what if it is? Euphemia's counting on us to support her, especially in front of Cornelia. We can't just second-guess her so casually like that!

...fuck, I guess you have a point.

"Is something the matter, young man?"

I can feel through Cornelia's icy stare how much she really wanted to call us an Eleven or something equally derogatory.

"...just thinking about how much I want to deck you in the face for the grief you've caused my Princess," I reply. "Not just what happened before we met, but whatever you've said or done while I was knocked out."

Cornelia's eyes go wide with shock… before they narrow with malevolent intent as she stands. "You've quite the nerve, talking to me that way, and I can see in your eyes that it isn't just ignorance. If the Eleven rebels at Saitama Ghetto had had a fraction of the guts you do, perhaps that operation wouldn't have been such a bore."

Saitama…?!

White-hot rage floods through Suzaku's mind as my memories of the anime and other materials play out before him, demonstrating scenarios in which Cornelia used Saitama as an experiment to draw out Zero by imitating the slaughter Clovis had perpetrated at Shinjuku.

WHAT DID SHE DO AT SAITAMA?!

We abruptly stand to match Cornelia, but luckily I manage to keep him out of the driver's seat and stop the emotional outburst she's obviously trying to provoke. "You talk about wiping out men and women fighting for their survival," I grit out. "And say it bored you? I just got out of a coma earlier, but I think I can fit an armed intervention into my day before bed."

"How dare you threaten Her Highness, you despicable knave-!"

As an incensed Guilford walks around the table to clobber us, we grab him by the forearm and toss him across the room. "I said outside that I'd deal with you later," we spit as much as say, "and now that I've briefed the Viceroy about the situation with the Rounds, it's later."

Cornelia rips her concerned gaze from the embarrassed heap Guilford landed in and turns her attention back to us.

A bloodthirsty smile blossoms on her face like a flower in the desert, and she laughs. "You just may be a mad enough lad to be worth my time after all – if you can fight as well as you put on a show!"

I glance at Euphemia to gauge her reaction… and call me a bad reader, but I can't entirely tell if she's horrified, thrilled, or lovestruck. For all I know, it might even be a combination of all three.

"We... we really do have other concerns we need to be prioritizing," Euphemia says in a tone that suggests she really wants to watch this play out but feels guilty about it.

Merrybell takes advantage of my attention being off of Cornelia and claps her hands, getting everyone else to join me in watching her. "If I may be so bold as to suggest it, Viceroy, these two may have presented us with a chance to address several of our present issues at once. Since the Knight of Ten's stated purpose for coming here is to evaluate our readiness and to observe Camelot's prototype in action, I propose we stage a small wargame: General li Britannia, Sir Guilford, and the Glaston Knights as one unit in a skirmish against Sir Kururugi and Celestial Being as another unit, with my own Glinda Knights providing enough manpower to make up for any shortages, and Sir Andreas Darlton in overall mission command to referee the both of you."

Cornelia and I return eye contact with each other, even as Merrybell continues. "This way, the Knight of Ten has a chance to observe Sir Kururugi's piloting ability and the power of the Lancelot for himself without anyone's life being put at risk; the lack of prior scheduling will demonstrate that our elite forces and their logistics are ready and capable for combat or for remote deployment at a moment's notice; and the two of you can get this question of ego promptly resolved."

Cornelia smirks, probably because she's aware we have zero command experience and that I don't even know a majority of my squadmates in this scenario. "I have no complaints with this arrangement. I would, however, suggest that my opponent be allowed to nominate a referee of his own."

Her smirk deepens. "Not that I expect any accusations of unfair play, of course."

Euphie is practically begging us with her eyes to go along with this, and there's just no refusing a face that cute. "I accept the terms as well," Suzaku replies with a nod. "I'm not worried about nominating my own referee, though; if your man can't call it down the middle, then I'll just break him over my knee with the rest of you."

Cornelia's eyes light up for the half-second we can still see them as she turns away, and if I didn't know any better I might think she were giving Euphemia a look of approval.

...nah. That's just wishful thinking on my part.

"We haven't much longer until the Knight of Ten makes landfall," Merrybell notes as she checks her watch. "I'll make a few priority calls to arrange for tomorrow's wargame; in the meantime, might I suggest the rest of you regain your composure for our guest?"

"It's as fine a suggestion as any," Cornelia agrees on her way out of the room. "With me, Guilford; we'll find out tomorrow whether the dog's bite can live up to his bark."

Guilford pauses a half-step behind us on his way out. "I'll admit I underestimated you a few moments ago, but don't count on it happening again."

Oh my good fucking grief, these warrior types… "See that it doesn't. The General won't have any use for a Knight who keeps looking so far down on her enemies that he can't see the train heading right for them."

Guilford makes a noise that sounds suspiciously like a chuckle, and then resumes following Cornelia out of the room.

I turn to address Euphemia now that those two are out of my hair, only to find Oldrin Zevon standing in front of me, arms crossed and brow furrowed. "I've never heard of anyone to come out swinging on General Cornelia like that and survive the next day. I mean… in one sense I can appreciate the bold approach, but as a Knight of Honor, you need to think more about what your actions and your fate mean for your Princess, too. Are you sure you don't have some kind of death wish?"

"I'm not a Knight of Honor-"

Oldrin scoffs, and pats us on the shoulder as she steps past. "You can keep telling yourself that if you want to, but anyone who catches the pair of you looking at each other for more than two seconds will know better. So long as you bear in mind that your life isn't only yours to be reckless with, I'll leave it at that."

Suzaku watches Oldrin leave as Merrybell follows her, only for Euphie to practically tackle-hug him the second he turns back around. "Suzaku, you have no idea how much I was worried about you! How much I've missed you!"

Wrapping her up in his arms, Suzaku instinctively opens his mouth to apologize and is promptly kissed before he can even get a word out.

A few seconds pass as he returns the affection in earnest, until Euphie abruptly breaks away with wide eyes. "I… um, wasn't supposed to do that," she admits with averted eyes. "Not until Cecile, Mariel and I were able to have a talk with you about where we all stand with each other…"

In my mind's eye, I can almost see Elle going through a full-body twitch at her proper first name being used, so I give Euphie a light tap on the nose on her behalf. "I don't think she's fond of anyone but her dad or maybe Lloyd using that name. To everyone else, it's just Elle. How are she and Cecile holding up, anyway?"

Euphie pouts at the question, but after a moment decides with an awkward smile not to complain. "I haven't been free enough to stay entirely current with goings-on at Camelot, but it's my understanding that they're doing about as well as can be expected. I know that Elle spent a lot of time visiting and watching over you while you were asleep, and I'm sure that Cecile did as much as her workload would have allowed her to; Elle's probably jealous or upset that she didn't get to be the first to greet you when you woke up."

"...that's one of the most romantic things I've ever heard."

Neither of us is sure who said that... but it's true either way.

Euphie runs a hand through our hair as I give the wheel back to Suzaku, who in turn gently cups Euphie's face. "I'll talk with both of them when I get a chance; what about you, Euphie? Viletta wouldn't tell me a thing, but it's starting to sound like life's been a real mess while I was out."

"It's… it's been a challenge," the Princess admits.

Then she smiles, and something inside us just melts. "But I made it through to here and now, and you're back. At the moment, that's all I care about… or it would be," she adds with a frown, "if not for these bandages on your head. I've only been given incomplete information about your earlier abduction; are you alright?"

Euphie's hand finds its way to where Asahina cut us on the forehead earlier, and Suzaku places his own hand on hers. "It's just a little cut," he softly explains. "And I've already been treated for it. Nothing worth getting too worked up about."

Euphemia hums in response, just staring into his eyes. "If it were, you'd admit it. Right?"

Not only can Suzaku not help but look away at the question, but he even leaves me to pick up the pieces while he's at it. Looks like a type of responsibility we're gonna have to work on moving forward... "Even if I didn't, I'm pretty sure you and everyone else would see right through my bullshit and call me on it straight out."

"That wasn't my preferred answer, but it's one I'll accept." Euphemia leans in with a sigh, almost collapsing against our chest as we hold each other. "...do you remember that moment in Shibuya?"

With a little awkwardness, I pull a chair back out to sit in – and there goes Euphemia sliding into our lap. "I remember a lot of moments in Shibuya. Are you talking about when I said your name out of the blue there at the start, or when you accused me of being cheesy about us both fitting in the Knightmare's cockpit?"

"Hm… just after that, actually. When I wished that we could stay in that moment, and you said you wished the world was kind enough to let us…"

I'm not sure what to say in response to that. So instead, I just say what is on my mind.

"Euphie, I'm… I'm sorry I couldn't honestly give you the answer you deserve."

The rose-haired beauty gently rubs a circle into our back, the smile on her face every bit deserving the word angelic. "That's okay, Suzaku. I'd rather that you frustrate or upset me with the truth than comfort me with a lie. Even if you're a little indirect in saying it."

Everything's are gonna be a chaotic bloody mess again before we know it, and whatever metaknowledge I have that might have still been useful is probably getting tossed out with yesterday's garbage tomorrow. Even if Cornelia behaves herself, I'm not confident that someone bloodthirsty enough to be called a Vampire will be contented with a scenario where nobody dies. It's gonna be fucked, and I've got a feeling that whatever comes after that will probably somehow be worse.

But right here, right now, in a comparatively isolated room with Euphie's arms around me?

Life ain't too bad.