August 26th, 2018. Ashford University, morning.
When Elle awoke, the first thing she noticed was that Suzaku had apparently somehow escaped the bed without waking her or Cecile, and that in their sleep the two women had ended up snuggling with each other.
Damn it, that's not fair… our first night in a relationship, and he can't even stick around long enough for us to wake up together...
Elle sat up in disappointment, the disruption to the bedsheet causing enough of a disturbance that then woke Cecile up. The older woman proceeded to stretch herself out like a cat, and despite her annoyance even Elle couldn't help but watch. "Hm? Where's Suzaku?"
Before the redhead could answer, the door to the room opened and Suzaku himself re-entering with a tray from which emanated delicious smells. "I wanted to try and start things off right, so I got up early and made a little something. I'm not exactly some fancy kitchen guru or anything, but at the very least it should be decent… you both look great, by the way!"
Our first night in a relationship, and you come in with breakfast in bed?! Suzakkun, that's so not fair…!
Flushed at the situation and the easy compliment, Elle looked away with a pout. "I appreciate it, but I know my bed hair's got to be a real mess…" Something else that Cecile doesn't have to worry about, with how short and simple she keeps hers...
"No, really-!"
"He's not just buttering you up," Cecile promised with the wisdom of experience. "Sometimes when you look in a mirror and see the most unpresentable chaotic mess in the world, your partner might think it's absolutely amazing."
Leaning in with a conspiratorial wink, she added, "I think some of it has to do with the ego boost of knowing that you wouldn't let just anyone see you in such a state."
While Cecile was sharing her insights, Suzaku had set his tray down on a nightstand to reveal some plates of scrambled eggs and biscuits with a massive bottle of juice, as well as some cups and cutlery. "I know it's not much," the pilot admitted, "but-"
Cecile gently hushed him with a finger on his lips, beaming at him with a smile soft and bright as the moon. "It looks and smells great, Suzaku."
Picking up a fork to take a bite of the eggs, Cecile chewed for a moment, nodded, and swallowed. "Suzaku, would you mind doing me a small favor?"
"Um, sure?"
"I'd appreciate if you didn't let Lloyd know you can cook," she asked. "He'd never let me in the kitchen again."
Elle laughed at the confused look on Suzaku's face when he accepted, and the trio went on with breakfast before getting ready for the day.
In the main office, Viletta snapped to attention as the interior door opened. "Captain! I've assembled the rest of our team for the wargame, and our transports are waiting outside! I might suggest getting introductions out of the way now!"
A quartet of soldiers in the room had copied her salute, only for a blonde young man to break ranks and narrow his blue eyes in shock when Suzaku stepped in.
"...I'd thought the earlier briefings were some kind of joke," the youth cried. "Do you really expect us to take orders from an Eleven?!"
In hindsight, Viletta realized, that would have been me a month ago. With a sigh at the sight of Suzaku working his jaw in thought, and a visibly disapproving Elle and Cecile flanking him, Viletta indicated the one who'd spoken out of turn. "Since he's volunteered to start us off, this is Private Schnee Hexen. Though he and his partner are fresh out of West Point, their scores were high enough to merit recognition from the Prime Minister's office and be recommended for transfer to our unit. It may also be worth pointing out that his father is a Baron of some regional importance in Idaho, so..."
Elle groaned behind her palm at the last detail, even as Cecile hummed in consideration. "I suppose that would explain a thing or two," the older woman of the two noted, even as Schnee flinched.
"My father doesn't have anything to do with this," Schnee protested. "I spent my entire education working hard to earn this posting in Euphemia's personal irregular unit! On my own merit! I'm not just some useless nepotism hire-"
"No one was implying that," Cecile gently but firmly cut him off. Stepping down to meet him from the higher level, she continued, "Merely that you were sheltered enough not to realize that out in contested Areas like this, things are done differently than in the homeland."
Schnee flinched at the tone, clearly embarrassed to be made a spectacle of like some ignorant hick – and to realize that he himself was partly to blame for it – only to brace himself and double down when Suzaku stepped in front of him with an outstretched hand.
"I know it's rough to have a background that didn't prepare you for what's in front of you. There's no reason it has to be some whole thing-"
Schnee's gloved hand slapped away Suzaku's cutting him off with a snarl. "You don't even carry yourself in a way befitting your rank! Is the reason you don't know any better because you're an Eleven, or because you're a rookie in over his head who got lucky and jumped the line?! Or both?! Either way, there's no reason I should have to take orders from someone like you!"
Before anyone else could give the blatant insubordination its due reprisal, Suzaku just shrugged. "Fine, then you can take orders from Viletta or Cecile while I get to know everyone else. Now for anyone else who wasn't briefed or thought what they'd heard was a joke," he drawled, "I'm Suzaku Kururugi. Formerly Warrant Officer, and apparently promoted to Captain while I was comatose. I'm the main brain in charge of Celestial Being's goals and direction, with considerable administrative assistance from Viletta Nu, who I assume you've already been acquainted with."
Setting his gaze on each of the four new faces in turn, he added, "You're all standing here today because I picked a fight with General Cornelia – yes, the one you're thinking of – and our Sub-Viceroy saw it as an opportunity to address a few other matters of state at the same time. Whether that makes me the bravest soul in the room or the dumbest, I'll let you all make up your own minds. With all that out of the way, who's next?"
The question was left hanging for a full three seconds before Elle finally spoke up. "Suzakkun, are… are you seriously just brushing off a subordinate giving you that kind of disrespect to your face?"
Suzaku sighed and rolled his eyes, before pinching the bridge of his nose. "To be blunt, the kid isn't wrong to guess that I lack command experience or that I'm making a lot of this up as I go, and I can't fault someone for refusing to put their trust in a commander with seemingly no credibility. Whether he gets over whatever shit his parents and hometown raised him on, or he doesn't and he can spend the rest of his time here crying about it – either way, we've all got more important things to prioritize right now."
His gaze moving to a dark-skinned young man Schnee's age with red eyes and long hair flowing down his shoulders, Suzaku pointed at him. "So like I said, moving on. Now. You. Introduction. Please."
In contrast to his peer, this young soldier snapped to a crisp salute on being addressed without any sense of hesitation or tension. "Sir! I'm Private Reed Offen. I was Private Hexen's classmate at West Point-"
"First names are good enough here," Suzaku interrupted, "though your manners are noted and appreciated. Rank and protocol are less important than getting the job done and knowing who everyone is."
"...with due respect, Captain," the faltering Reed replied, "I don't believe it's acceptable for a recruit like myself to be so familiar with a commanding officer. Regulations state-"
"If I may?" Cecile asked, and Suzaku stepped aside for her with a bow and a wave.
Clearing her throat, the bluenette addressed the entire room. "While Earl Lloyd Asplund may be our foremost ranking officer and our chief employer beneath the Prime Minister, the general affairs of the Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corps – and by extension until further notice, of Celestial Being – have been made mine to deal with. When you come in, it's enough to just say I'm here. As a semi-autonomous unit, our policy is different from other places in the military. While working, we ignore military and aristocratic rank. Have I made that clear enough to everyone?"
Schnee meekly nodded from his place in line with the other new faces, while Reed and the pair next to him took a moment to settle themselves.
"I think I understand, then... as I said," Reed continued, "I was a classmate of Schnee's at West Point. While he may have some abrasive traits, I can vouch that he usually means well. In terms of our piloting ability, his proficiency is up close while mine is at a distance with firearms."
Suzaku nodded as he bled out some tension, favoring Reed with a smile and a handshake. "Good to meet you, and well done."
Almost before he'd even finished speaking, the girl next to Reed – a svelte young woman around their same age with her dark green hair done up in a spiked bun under her hat, and two singular thick bangs framing her face – had already opened her mouth. "I'm Sokkia Sherpa, whom you may recognize as the nationally-famous and fan-favorite Knightmare Racing League competitor Crasher Sokkia: so named because I get in a huge wreck in every single race, but always come out unharmed!"
The girl, Sokkia, threw her head back in a boisterous laugh while everyone else in the room shared a common thought: Constantly getting into accidents doesn't sound like something you should be so proud of.
"Anyway," she continued with a wide grin and no regard for the incredulous looks aimed her way, "me and my buddy Tink here are on loan from the Glinda Knights, courtesy of Princess Merrybell! He's the big, strong, shy type as you can see, while I'm the sexy and mouthy one without a speech filter, and a burgeoning tactical mastermind to boot!"
If Lloyd were an energetic teenaged girl, Cecile thought to herself with a small amount of horror, I'm sure he'd be about this exhausting…
"You seem a bit dim but well-meaning," Sokkia told Suzaku with an earnest smile, "but don't worry! That self-awareness you showed off counts for a lot in my book! Anyway, in combat I hang back and shoot stuff while Tink here strides into the thick of it, shrugging off the enemy's attacks with ease!"
Turning to indicate her partner, standing at seven feet tall with broad shoulders, premature grey hair maintained in an otherwise-neat buzz cut only spoiled by a tuft at the front, and a deep red scar starting at his cheek and racing down his neck, Sokkia shot Elle, Cecile, and Viletta a wicked grin. "He's not just big and strong, ladies; he's got stamina for days!"
"Please don't mind Sokkia too much," Tink asked with a weary but patient smile. "She just gets excited easily. My full name's Tink Lockheart, it's a pleasure to work with you all."
"And that's more than enough small talk for now," Viletta declared with authority. "Our KMFs were shipped to the deployment site overnight, so we'll be taking a pair of transports. The new meat among you are packed into one, while the command staff will be discussing strategy in the other. I suggest you use your time on the road to try and get to know each other better."
As the news sunk in, Sokkia brought her hands to her cheeks and wiggled in faux shyness. "Oh me oh my! A delicate and vulnerable maiden like myself, trapped in an enclosed space with so many handsome young men?! I dare not imagine what could possibly happen in such circumstances!"
When Sokkia's lidded eyes and flushed face made it pretty clear that she was absolutely daring to daydream, Elle facepalmed in dread. "Eden be with us, she's like a soldier version of Milly..."
"Excuse me, but aren't we missing someone? I count only six," Reed noted, "while General li Britannia's team has seven…"
Viletta shot him a look, seemingly half-proud of his attention detail and half-annoyed with his delay in obeying. "Our final teammate is occupied with administrative work and will be joining us later."
As Schnee, Reed, Sokkia, and Tink filed out of the room and into a van outside, Suzaku beckoned Viletta toward him with a concerned expression.
Liliana Vergamond, leader of the Valkyrie Squadron assigned as the Knight of Ten's bodyguards, looked down from her stadium VIP seat with a depressed eye as technical crews on the field hustled and bustled finishing a collapsible 'stronghold'.
"Even the Royal Princesses… look at what a hurry they're in to put on a show for him out of nowhere," she mused with a sigh.
The more she looked out at the world, the more it seemed to show her that Luciano Bradley's power and influence were simply too vast to escape.
And I thought serving a Knight of the Round would be glory enough to be worth leaving General Cornelia's service…
Liliana shook her head, long blonde tresses swaying against the back of her seat. "Foolish little girl should've listened when she was told that choices were forever..."
In the next row back, her subordinate Luna was excitedly gushing about A.S.E.E.C.'s 7th-generation prototype KMF and its pilot. "So this Kururugi guy, they say he wiped out something like 20 Sutherlands single-handedly on his first sortie ever in Shinjuku with no prior piloting training at all! And then when he rescued Princess Euphemia from that attempted coup in Shibuya, he humiliated a squad of top Pureblood pilots just with a Glasgow! I really think we're looking at the birth of a new Super Ace! Isn't that amazing?"
After the magenta-haired fangirl had finally stopped to breathe, the blonde tomboy sitting next to her disinterestedly with crossed arms just sighed. The look in Calli's amber eyes made it clear she'd have desperately preferred to be anywhere else. "Uh-huh. More like the death of one, if our betters have their way."
In the row behind those two, the fourth Valkyrie looked on with an almost blank stare. The pink-haired Lacy had once been an aspiring singer before she'd been offered a transfer into the Valkyries… and had been an immediate hit with the Knight of Ten.
Outside of a token 'yes sir' or 'no sir', she hadn't uttered a word in almost a year.
"Oh don't be that way," Luna insisted. "Even if Cornelia were gonna kill her own brother-in-law, you can't tell me she'd make a giant show out of it like this!"
Liliana stopped and looked over her shoulder to stare at her newest recruit in disbelief, at the same time as Calli and Lacy turned to do the same thing.
Faintly realizing that she'd made a spectacle of herself but not entirely certain of why or how, Luna looked from each of her veteran teammates to the next in confusion. "...what, did I say something weird? I mean, if Euphemia's not hitting that hot bodyguard of hers yet then it can't be too much longer, right?"
The door to the VIP lounge promptly opened as Calli got up to try and move, only to find herself trapped in the next seat over as Luciano Bradley made his entrance. "The lass has a point," he drawled with a grin. "You never know what tomorrow brings! There's no sense in letting love wait when every day could be the last."
Nearing his Valkyries, the Vampire traced a finger along Lacy's exposed collarbone and paused just long enough to drink in the way her entire body involuntarily stiffened. "Oh come now, still haven't learned how to relax yet? We're gonna have to work on that."
Liliana and Calli hurriedly turned away from the absolute look of terror in their teammate's wide eyes for fear of being next, while Luna flinched in surprise and looked up at her boss in concern. Before she could open her mouth, Bradley dramatically flared out his cape and hopped into the seat between her and Calli to pull the pair close against him.
Taking a handful and silencing any protest with a menacing smirk, Bradley leaned back and propped his feet up on the seat in front, one foot on each of Liliana's shoulders. "Kick back and relax, ladies! Our hosts in this backwater joke of an Area have elected to put on a nice little show for us; sit tight and enjoy."
"Your Highness, I would ask a favor of you if it isn't too much."
Seated in her prized custom Gloucester with her arms folded, General Cornelia barely spared her comms display a glance. "You'd like to duel Kururugi one-on-one for the light he made of you last night, isn't that right Guilford?"
On the screen, her Knight of Honor bowed to the extent that his own combat-ready position would allow him. "Yes, General, but not only for that reason. The Viceroy's inexplicable fondness for him notwithstanding, I cannot abide a man that crass and uncouth being graced with the honor of knighthood. Kururugi is clearly in need of humbling, and with permission I would spare you the effort of soiling your gloves on him."
With the Glaston Knights waiting patiently in formation around her, Cornelia just watched her external display of the other side of the arena, anticipating the arrival of her opponents.
You've only another few minutes before you're late, she grumbled to herself. "Truth be told, Guilford, I rather look forward to the prospect of getting my hands on that upstart Eleven. Nevertheless, I quite understand how last night's events must have nettled your pride… very well, I'll give you five minutes on your own with him. If you can't defeat him in that amount of time, then I'll step in and we crush him together."
"Yes! Your Highness!"
As if summoned by her subordinate's request, five Sutherlands rolled into the arena through the loading bay opposite Cornelia… followed by a gleaming metal paragon armored in white and gold.
"Lancelot," Cornelia breathed with recognition. She'd seen it earlier in the week, while it was still going through internal system repairs in ASEEC's care, and had heard its designers' boasts of being the most powerful Knightmare in the world. But to finally see it in motion, and ready to oppose her no less?
The Witch of Britannia licked her lips, the cockpit steadily filling with a familiar lust for battle. "I'll never let Schneizel live it down if you can't do justice to that machine."
Guilford's Gloucester rolled ahead of her, before drawing its EM lance and pointing at the gathered forces of Celestial Being. "We were promised seven on seven! Are you truly in such a desperate state that you can't even deploy a full team despite the Sub-Viceroy's assistance?!"
As the Celestial Being Sutherlands spread out around the 'stronghold' they were to defend – a hastily-assembled prefabricated structure standing in for a warehouse full of ill-gotten weapons – the Lancelot raised two fingers up to its eyes… and then pointed them straight at Cornelia, ignoring Guilford entirely. "Our seventh member is gonna be a little late to the party. You'll have to excuse him for needing to prioritize a certain amount of administrative work."
Cornelia hummed at that, confident enough that she'd identified the individual in question just with that little tidbit of information. It's certainly no one capable enough to save you from me…
Bristling in his cockpit, Guilford grit his teeth. "I can see that your manners haven't improved overnight, Kururugi! If you even remotely care about how your behavior reflects on the Viceroy, then you won't deny me the satisfaction of a duel for your repeated slights!"
The average observer wouldn't have noticed the Lancelot's trigger finger twitch, as minute and subtle of an action as it was when anyone watching a Knightmare would have expected fully committed-to acts of violence.
But Cornelia wasn't an average observer. And neither was Guilford.
Before he could get an answer, however, all the assembled Knightmares were linked up to a universal comms channel. Standing on their screens was General Andreas Darlton, the chosen referee for the match. "Now that most of us are here," he began, "it's time to lay out the rules for this wargame before you all get to blastin'. Fortunately for the lot of you, though? I hate speeches, so I'll keep this short. First off, no killing. All your firearms should be loaded with paint rounds, and anyone who gets caught shooting live fire will be immediately disqualified and written up for disciplinary action. Some of you have instead chosen to bring melee weapons; I'll especially be keeping an eye on you. A deliberate swing for your opponent's cockpit will be treated the exact same as discharging live ammunition, and I'll personally string up the fool who done it. Secondly, your respective mission control teams are not to share any tactical information they may happen to overhear from the other team during the match. We've got some important guests in attendance, and I won't tolerate skullduggery from anyone – and I do mean anyone! Any questions?"
Before anyone in the arena could possibly have had the chance to voice a question, Darlton dramatically swept his arm and commanded both teams to start.
Not wasting any time, Cornelia immediately flipped her comms to open broadcast. "Glaston Knights, circle around Kururugi and go for the warehouse! Guilford, your five minutes begin now!"
"YES! YOUR HIGHNESS!"
As the five Glaston Knights sped off towards the makeshift warehouse, giving the ace pilots a wide berth, Viletta Nu slammed open her team-only comms. "Offen, you're with me on overwatch from the roof! Lockhart, you and Hexen go out front and engage the Glastons! Sherpa, support them from the ground! Maintain awareness of each other's position at all times; the Glastons will isolate and pick you off like a pack of wolves if you give them the chance! Kururugi, I don't care how you stop Guilford and Cornelia from reinforcing the Glastons so long as you do it!"
"Understood," Kururugi replied, before switching his comms to public. "Commencing mission. As long as Corny's gonna stay back and watch, Guilford, I guess I can humor you."
With a howl of rage, Guilford's Gloucester rushed for the Lancelot, its lance on a collision course with the Lancelot's head. "HOW DARE YOU SPEAK OF MY PRINCESS SO CASUALLY! ARE THERE TRULY NO BOUNDS TO YOUR INSOLENCE?!"
It was expected of a duelist, when challenged, that they should draw their weapon. Such as either of the swords mounted on the Lancelot's back, in this instance.
The white machine neglected to do so, however, and instead almost lazily circled around Guilford to his left. "Not that benefit you," Kururugi quipped.
Snarling, Guilford planted one foot of his Gloucester and pivoted, using what remained of his momentum to swing his lance in an arc to bash Lancelot with it – only for the Lancelot to wheel away out of range, evading it by meters. "I refuse to be humiliated by a fool too arrogant to even draw his weapon!"
"Slight this, insolence that, humiliation the other. Is your pride really worth getting so worked up over?"
Incensed to the edge of reason, Guilford stopped his machine and removed his glasses for a moment to clean them, forcing himself to try and calm down in response to his foe's obvious attempts to make and keep him off-balance. "I swore my spear… and indeed, my very life to Princess Cornelia! For years I've served at her side, through countless battles from one campaign to the next! I've vanquished more of Her Highness's enemies than I can even remember, as the steadfast and implacable tip of her spear! Of the Empire's spear! Nearly half of Britannia's current territory, and the riches within, are the prizes won through my indomitable Princess's victories! I think I've very much earned some honor through such a career, incapable though a beaten Eleven such as yourself are of understanding that!"
For a few seconds, the Spear of the Empire's tirade went unanswered.
And then the Lancelot shook its head, almost as though exhausted. "...honor, you say? Is that overcoming a worthy opponent fair and square? Because the brutal reality of wars being won in part by overwhelming technological advantage leaves no room for that whatsoever. Is it giving a less-powerful foe a handicap to make the fight more fair? Because you've just illustrated that doing that's an insult. Is it strictly holding yourself to some uncompromising code that anyone with a brain can exploit when they learn about it? ...is it carrying yourself in such a way that you don't have an immediate urge to kill the person you see in the mirror every night when you get home?"
Having somewhat regained his clarity of mind, Guilford revved up his Gloucester's landspinners and dove in for another attack, which the Lancelot once again swayed clear of with as minimal an expenditure of energy as possible. "Such a thorough lack of understanding only proves your failure to qualify as a Knight, Kururugi! Now stop dancing around like a jester and fight me, you miserable coward!"
After wheeling back around to put Guilford between itself and Cornelia, the Lancelot rolled to a stop. "You know what? Fine," Suzaku growled over the comms. "If you want a piece of me so badly, then I'll stop dicking around and let you come get it. We'll settle your grievance and lay it to rest with a single blow!"
Cornelia perked up in her cockpit at that proclamation, as did the attending spectators.
In the control box normally occupied by commentators and broadcasting staff, Princess Merrybell spared a glance to Euphemia in the seat next to her. "I'd been waiting to see your favorite show off what he can do... you've beheld him in action from the front seat, haven't you?"
"My Knight may have... an abrasive personality at times," Euphemia allowed, "but I haven't known him to make an empty boast. If he says he can defeat Guilford with one strike, then I trust that he believes it."
Behind the pair, Oldrin scoffed. "With all due respect, Your Highness… the cockpit hours on Kururugi's service record can be counted on one hand. As a pilot myself, I don't care how talented he is, or how powerful his Knightmare is. Anyone with that much of an experience disadvantage who can spout that kind of line to a veteran of multiple campaigns and believe it is delusional."
Darlton didn't comment on the brewing debate behind him, instead keeping his gaze focused like a hawk on the duelists below.
At the broadcasting booth, Elle was using her laptop to record and monitor the Lancelot's performance data, while Cecile did the same for the five Sutherlands engaged in defensive action against the Glaston Knights. Supervising the pair from behind, Lloyd airily spoke up. "That Devicer of ours certainly does appear to have the odd screw loose, yes," he admitted with a side-eye towards Oldrin. "But don't take it lightly when I tell you that nothing in the Witch of Britannia or her lackey's experience has prepared them to face a machine like our Lancelot."
"Lloyd," Elle sighed, "you're gonna cause us problems if you keep calling Knights of Honor lackeys."
Cecile nodded in agreement. "I know our protocol is to ignore rank when working, but you really should learn a degree of restraint."
"Oh, but these proud warrior types of people are so stuffy-"
"A grown man shouldn't be so petulant when he's corrected. Especially when you know that the Prime Minister's protection can only extend so far."
Turning away from her console at the unexpected voice, Elle's jaw dropped when she saw her father in the doorway, supported as usual by his cane. "Dad?! What are you doing here?!"
"Lloyd invited me to come and observe his magnum opus," Lenard replied with a smile for his daughter, before favoring the royalty in the room with a modest bow. "Aside from that, Mariel, I hoped to get a firsthand glimpse of the young man you've been so taken with."
"Hang on," Oldrin asked with wide eyes as she glanced between Elle and Lenard, "you're from that Lubie family?!"
Turning her attention more directly to Lenard, she asked, "Aren't you the engineer who worked with the Knights of the Round on the very first KMFs?!"
"With some financial backing from the Ashfords, yes," Lenard replied, going to stand next to Darlton.
The General from Texas spared the man at his side a quick glance and nothing more. "So what do you think of all this, Baron?"
Looking down through the glass at the Knightmares below, Lenard tightened his grip on his cane. "...I think that young man might be a very clever fool, if I'm reading him correctly."
Back in the arena, Guilford spun his lance over his head and then stabbed the air with it in his opponent's direction, eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Oh, you're finally ready to get serious? How kind of you to finally join the rest of us."
"On the name of my Princess Euphemia," Suzaku swore, "I won't move an inch from this spot until one of us can no longer stand."
The Lancelot punctuated the statement by spreading both arms wide open, as if beckoning Guilford to come in for a hug.
As Guilford's Gloucester set into a charging stance, the man himself grit his teeth at how nonchalant Kururugi was behaving. "If you're ready to fight, then draw your sword."
He didn't need to see Suzaku's face to imagine the cheeky grin on the other end of the radio. "Come over here and make me."
Guilford didn't roar at this latest taunt, nor did he scream or protest against it.
He simply lunged, his EM lance crackling with energy as it powered up to skewer the Lancelot through and bisect it at the waist.
The lance thrust that followed, everyone in attendance would later agree, was perfect in every way. At the range it struck from, and the speed with which it launched, there could be no possible chance to evade it.
An absolutely flawless finishing strike refined into an artisanal masterpiece, through hundreds of battles real and simulated.
Guilford guided his weapon through the air on a perfect trajectory to his target, and in an instant the duel was decided.
When the Lancelot activated the Blaze Luminous on its left arm and used it to backhand away the spear like a minor nuisance, before slightly extending the Harken Booster on the right arm into an improvised blade and skewering the Gloucester's generator clean through with a single punch.
Suzaku's counterattack hadn't in any way been elegant or beautiful, like Guilford's strike had been.
But its effectiveness was beyond dispute as the Gloucester crumpled and fell against Lancelot like a puppet with its strings cut right before the cockpit ejection system triggered. An immediate mission-kill.
"You fought proudly and with honor, Gilbert J.P. Guilford," Suzaku broadcast to all present and with his external speakers, before the Lancelot stepped back and pushed the Gloucester off of it, its Blaze Luminous shield deactivating again.
"And then you fell," he continued, his voice lowering to a sinister pitch as the Lancelot pointed at Cornelia. "And, hey, what a coincidence – there's nobody else left standing between me and the Princess you're sworn to serve. I can't imagine what chain of ill-considered decisions could possibly have created this scenario."
For a moment, there was silence, even as the Glaston Knights paused in their assault on the warehouse to register the brutal shock of Guilford's defeat.
And then Cornelia smirked, her Gloucester twirling its lance in a circle before stepping forward with it behind her. "Indeed, there are no further obstacles between us. Approach me if you dare, Kururugi!"
Without hesitation, the Lancelot lowered itself into a sprinter's form and then charged.