Just as Zero, no, Lelouch outlined, July 1st was the day it happened. A general assembly was called and nobody heard what it would be about. Ohgi did not need to be told to know.

He caught Tohdoh's gaze as they shuffled into the hall. The older man offered a miniscule nod, standing not far from Ohgi's own group with his apprentice Asahina.

"Does anyone know what this is about?" Kallen asked them in the meantime. "He isn't usually this secretive."

A smattering of negatives followed from the others. Ohgi tried not to let anything show, a bit of an odd feeling in his stomach. He just could not shake the feeling of unease, even after agreeing to the plan. Would it really work out? Would people follow them into this?

Someone clapped his shoulder, startling Ohgi.

"What's up with you, buddy?" Tamaki asked, still in good cheer as usual.

He stuttered for a moment, caught off-guard. "O-Oh, yeah. Sorry about that, I was lost in thought. Did you want something?"

His old friend just laughed. "Now don't be a worrywart, I'm sure it won't be that bad. Just asking if Zero said anything to you about what's going on."

Of course they would ask him, too. Ohgi hesitated, glancing from Tamaki to the rest of his original group. He had the feeling that they would laugh and call him delusional if he told them even half the things he learned in that meeting. But he nodded anyway, unwilling to lie to their faces.

"I think this is about the restructuring he and Angel talked to me and Tohdoh-san about."

Some understanding noises followed his deflection. Something about what he said made Tamaki's eyes gleam, though.

"Hold on, Angel was there? The lady herself? No way, you never told!" He leaned on Ohgi's shoulder with another laugh, nudging him conspiratorially. "C'mon, be a pal and tell me if she's cute at least."

That question gave Ohgi pause. He stared at Tamaki for a long moment, unable to answer properly. Nunnally was a sweet young woman, but he did not think of her in that way.

Unfortunately, the others went along with Tamaki's antics. Kallen sidled up to Ohgi next, fluttering her lashes as she did. "Could it be Ohgi-san has a girlfriend he didn't tell us about?"

"W-Wha, no! Stop this, guys!"

There was some laughter at his expense while he tried to prevent a misunderstanding. Thankfully, Ohgi was not alone.

"Questions like these are inappropriate," Tohdoh's calm voice cut through the laughter. "Have some decorum."

His pointed attention drew some twitches from the others. Apologies were muttered, to which Tohdoh did not react beyond a little nod. Asahina frowned, looking from his mentor to the other members. Ohgi himself felt a little bad for his friends, but he was mostly glad they let off him now.

After letting the silence stand for a moment, he decided to play nice and take the sting out of Tohdoh's rebuke: "Anyway, I think you'll all get to meet her soon."

He was not so sure if they would like her, but Nunnally seemed personable and kind. Her being Britannian might be a little issue, being a princess a bigger one, but Ohgi believed in his friends. It would work out fine. So he left it at what he said and stayed out of the quiet discussion what Angel would be like.

From what he saw while looking around, the room filled quickly. Noise levels rose as people talked among themselves about the possible reason for this assembly. Ohgi never met most of the people present, though there were some he recognised; members of cells his group worked with before joining the Black Knights. He knew several of them were hardliners, so them joining the Black Knights came as a surprise. They seemed just as happy to be here as everyone else.

And then Kirihara Taizou entered. Bent by age and dressed in a simple robe, his presence earned confused and notably agitated responses from the crowd. His walking stick clacked loud on each step in the sudden silence.

Sumeragi Kaguya walked by his side, clad in another kimono. The teen looked completely composed and unaffected by the whispers. Ohgi felt for her, seeing how used she must be to this sort of treatment.

Just about everyone wondered what these traitors were doing here. Nobody but Ohgi's group and Tohdoh knew that both of them were among Kyoto House's leadership. They said nothing of it either, simply taking a spot next to Tohdoh; the lauded soldier greeted Kirihara with a respectful bow, which Sumeragi mirrored a moment later. They spoke quietly for a moment, too far away for Ohgi to overhear in the renewed buzz of conversations.

And then, last of them all, Zero entered. The sudden and total silence was all the announcement he needed.

Heads turned to the back entrance, from where he strode into the room. Ohgi felt like something was not quite right with his boss, but could not put his finger on what. The masked man strode past the assembled groups, offering faint nods this way and that; Ohgi received one, as did Tohdoh and Kirihara.

He climbed the stage set up in front without breaking stride. The expectant silence was swiftly filled.

"Thank you all for following my call today, and welcome to the Black Knights' general assembly. I have brought you here to explain a matter of grave importance."

He left a short pause, flaring out his cape for effect. Both hands were now clasped behind his back as he oversaw the many people present. Nobody dared interrupt.

"As you will be aware, the Chinese Federation is in a state of civil war and will remain there for the foreseeable future. Some have urged me to take the opportunity and make a grasp for freedom. I have considered the matter for a long time and came to a sad conclusion."

Ohgi nodded along sadly. He already knew where this went. The way Zero phrased it sent a wave of worry through the crowd. His mask and prim posture did not give his own feelings away, though.

Not until he ripped the bandaid off in two simple words.

"It's impossible."

An outcry followed at once. Nobody even tried to stop it, the individual voices indistinguishable. Their sentiment was more than clear, though. Even Kallen and Tamaki were part of the people shouting.

Zero waited patiently for the crowd to air their feelings, then raised one hand to bid for silence. His hips were cocked ever so slightly as he did, continuing only once it grew quiet again.

"This is not me admitting defeat," he clarified. "We simply need to face the facts. As the venerable Tohdoh can verify, Britannian advantages in men and material are too great to overcome in battle."

A hand was extended toward the seasoned general, who voiced his agreement without hesitation. His words were almost painfully loud, projected into the room to carry. And with them came an almost electric wave of wariness.

"We all remember the Japan Liberation Front's tragic fate," Zero added solemnly. "We, too, will end this way if we follow the same path."

He left a minor to pause to let that sink in, motioning for Kirihara and Sumeragi right after. "But one blocked road doesn't mean the goal is out of reach. The kind heads of Kyoto House, represented today by Kirihara-san and Sumeragi-san, have agreed to lend their undivided support to a new paradigm. A plan that will improve conditions for Japan in the short term, and eventually obtain her freedom."

And just like that, the buzz of conversation returned. Even Ohgi himself was surprised that Kyoto would agree with this, but the representatives inclined their heads in agreement. Sumeragi seemed a little stiff from nerves, but that was to be expected.

Everyone fell quiet again when Zero continued: "I won't lie to you: the sacrifice asked to walk this road is steep. I know every single one of you is ready to lay down their life for Japan, but this isn't what we need today. And it begins with the introduction of a treasured ally of mine."

Somehow, Ohgi knew what would come next. He watched almost in a daze as Zero gestured grandly for a door at the side, just as it opened. In walked Lelouch, dressed in a suit not dissimilar to Zero's.

Ohgi stared at him owlishly, then back to 'Zero'. Now he got what felt so odd about it, that was C.C. in the suit.

Kallen made a strangled noise by his side, but the renewed cacophony around them drowned out whatever she meant to say.

Lelouch himself stopped next to Zero to oversee the room. His expression was calm, even in the face of many hundred agitated Japanese people. To Ohgi, it felt like the sharp lines of his face were more pronounced today.

"You know the guy, Kallen?" Tamaki asked, barely audible over the noise.

"Yes," Kallen hissed back, unable to turn her eyes away. "He's my classmate."

Ohgi did not dare look at her; his expression might just give away that he knew what came next. His eyes were glued to Lelouch, who waited for the buzz to die down. Only then did he place one hand on his heart in greeting.

"I am Lelouch vi Britannia, formerly fifth Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire. If not for these circumstances, we would have never met face to face."

He left a short pause to cast his gaze around. Shocked silence answered. Primarily for his identity, but also for the fact he addressed them in fluent, accent-free Japanese. Even Ohgi had trouble speaking, not that he planned to do so.

Lelouch, seeing the crowd still receptive, carried on: "My sister and I have silently supported Zero since the very beginning. Some of you may remember that we were here in Japan when the occupation began, not as conquerors but as hostages. We, too, want for Japan to be free once more. This makes what I have to ask of you even more bitter. But it is the only way forward."

"Though he was a fool in life, it seems Kururugi Suzaku had the right idea after all."

Ohgi thought he heard a note of melancholy in that last statement. It may even add to the puzzlement that kept the expected outcry at bay for a little longer; it was only a matter of time, though. Lelouch seemed to be aware of this as well.

"Suzaku was a dear friend whom I lost too soon," he continued. "We all have lost too many already. Any military procedure would cost us more for no gain. Hence why Zero and I have come to ask of you one final sacrifice. Not of your lives, we know you are ready to lay them down. No, today we must ask for your pride as Japanese."

He projected his voice well; it reached around the room, carrying a soothing cadence with it. Not perfectly even, but calm. Ohgi heard the underlying growl, but it was so subtle he was not sure anyone else picked up on it.

Not that it mattered. The first people began to shout now, breaking the dam. A litany of accusations followed, once again becoming basically incomprehensible because everyone screamed over each other.

Lelouch weathered it all without so much as a twitch. Zero did much the same. Ohgi watched on mutely, worried what would happen next. If a single person drew a weapon now...

Much to his surprise, Tamaki was among the first to stop shouting. His old friend's eyes narrowed further, sizing up the young prince; then his gaze turned to Ohgi, a clear question on his face. Ohgi nodded back, letting Tamaki know that he knew about this already.

The two looked at each other for a long moment. Ohgi knew the feelings surging through his countrymen, friends and strangers alike. He knew that Tamaki was looking for stability right now, something to trust in. Lelouch was unknown to them yet.

So Ohgi began to walk forward. He made his way on stage in silence, though people gradually began to notice; the process only became faster when Tohdoh followed. Ohgi offered a quick bow in greeting, which Lelouch returned; he bore a faintly curious look now, but did not stop him from addressing the crowd.

"Good afternoon. I'm Ohgi, second-in-command under Zero. I know how this all sounds to you, but I beg of you to hear Prince Lelouch out. I've already heard it, as has Tohdoh-san next to me. We both agreed with his reasoning, and I trust them to see us through this."

To his own surprise, he actually meant every word. Somewhere along the way, Ohgi began to trust Lelouch and Nunnally. Maybe it was that he knew who Zero really was, but in his heart he knew that he just wanted to trust them.

The noise had already receded to a quiet buzz after his impromptu speech. It died down entirely when Tohdoh backed him up: "Distasteful it might be, but Prince Lelouch and Zero are correct: this is the only way forward. I witnessed Britannia's might firsthand, facing them on the battlefield is impossible with Japan's means. So we can either grovel before the Chinese Federation or Europia, or find a different way."

A contemplative silence followed. Even Ohgi was silent as he took in the true meaning of those words again. They never had a chance at fighting for freedom on their own.

He also noticed that Sumeragi had gone a little more pale; her gaze flitted from Lelouch to Ohgi and Tohdoh, then back. She must have known all this already, but he got why she was so worried. This situation was still fairly tense, even if they made it past the first hurdle.

"Remember that we have already seen improvements made," Zero added into the silence. 'His' voice was ever so faintly off, but one could not tell if they did not know it was C.C. under the mask. "Although Princess Cornelia bloodied us and ours, she also rooted out corruption alongside the Black Knights. All the same, Princess Euphemia began introducing laws to ease the burden on the Japanese. This, too, happened because of him."

Zero made a sweeping gesture toward Lelouch, who nodded back.

"I am well aware what I ask of you," he offered, his voice full of understanding. "Pride is all that some of you have left after these brutal years. Britannia tried their hardest to beat you down, yet here you stand unbroken. This is a feat worthy of great respect. And I do respect every single one of you."

He left a pause there, raking his eyes over the crowd. Ohgi could tell the atmosphere turned from hostile confusion to more of confused surprise. Lelouch's lips twitched up into the faintest smile.

"I had never planned to return to the empire," he admitted, "but I need to put my pride aside as well. My and my sister's pedigree is what will see us through where no force of arms can, but I need your support for that."

And now he had them. Somehow, he had the crowd listening with rapt attention now. Even Ohgi did, despite knowing the plan already.

"Something I realised in talking with Ohgi-san a short while ago is that the Japanese aren't aware of an important core value of Britannian society. Allow me to explain it in short: success forgives any sin. If it sounds stupid, but it works, then it is not in fact stupid. Results matter more to Britannia than any proper reasoning or cause."

"It is this value that we will use. With a proper and triumphant return, my sister and I can regain our standing at court. With this reputation, we can push for more legislation. Once out in the open, we can pull strings to improve the lives of all Japanese. Freedom is a long way off, but it will follow eventually. But what I can promise you here and now is that we can stop your people from starving. We can renew their homes. And we can bring them proper employment instead of exploitation!"

His voice grew louder toward the end, clearly enrapturing the audience. Lelouch threw out his arms as if to embrace them all. "This is a chance for us to change the lot of your people without horrific bloodshed! Without another war! But we can't do it alone. We need you, every single one of you to support us!"

Cheers followed. First quiet, then louder. Small pockets of applause quickly spread across the vast room until it was a deafening wall of noise. Ohgi joined in as well; his mind rang with words and questions, but also hope. He believed Lelouch, and he would pin his hopes on him.

However, not everyone joined into the cheers. Some were silent. Kallen, for one. Sumeragi as well.

The applause slowly petered out into a ringing silence. Nobody dared speak for a time.

It was either incredibly fitting or incredibly ironic that Tamaki of all people broke it.

"What's gonna happen to Zero then?"

His question was heard by all and caused some murmured agreement. Zero 'himself' stepped forward in response, standing level with Lelouch to field the question.

"When I arrived on the scene, I was needed. But a revolutionary is not needed today. Moreover, I will be put to the sword for the murder of Prince Clovis. No amount of success will forgive the spilling of royal blood. Hence why I will vanish, to return when I am needed once more."

Ohgi tried not to smile or grin at their little game; of course Zero and Lelouch could not always be in the same area. Nobody could know who Zero really was. The crowd, who did not know that, grew agitated until Lelouch cut in.

"We will turn it into a tale of an overzealous supporter to appease Britannia. This is for Zero's own safety, for if Nunnally and I fail, he will return to lead you into battle once more."

With calm restored, he inclined his head at the crowd. "Take a moment to consider our request, talk it over. I'm available for questions as well."

Then Lelouch stepped from the stage and started touring the room. People slowly began to discuss the matter in response while he did, but Ohgi could tell a bunch of them already made their choice. But others had not, his own group among them; they were arguing fiercely.

Seeing that, Ohgi quickly got off the stage, but Kallen was already coming his way; or not, he corrected a moment later. She was coming Lelouch's way. Her expression was stormy, prompting Ohgi to correct his own course, but he was too late to intercept her.

The moment she reached him, Kallen grabbed Lelouch by the collar and dragged him within inches of her face.

"What the fuck are you doing here?!"

Her near-shout drew a lot of attention, people tensing up around the display. Nobody interfered, though. Even he held back for fear of what Kallen might do if pushed. At the same time, his respect for Lelouch grew a little further; the younger man seemed completely unfazed by her anger. He offered a calm smile in response.

"Was it not you who tore into me for doing nothing, Kallen? As you can see, I have been doing plenty."

Kallen shook him in response, completely unaware of the attention their little display got. "Why didn't you say something before now, huh?" she snapped

"You threatened my life for less, if you remember."

The idle reminder made Ohgi wince. Even Kallen was taken aback for a moment. He could tell she was not sure what to even be angry about, but she pressed ahead anyway in typical Kallen fashion.

"And then you even drag Nunnally into this? How could you, she's such a sweet girl!"

Ohgi winced again. Not just him, but everyone could tell that was the wrong thing to say. Lelouch's expression hardened in response, not quite as terrifying as some Ohgi saw before, but definitely not friendly anymore.

"You may take that up with her, next time you meet. Nunnally joined me of her own volition. Now let go."

"And what if I don't?"

She could not see it from up close, but Ohgi did. He spotted the gun being drawn from Lelouch's pocket and made a noise to interfere, but it was too late. The pistol was already pressed to her stomach. Kallen stiffened.

"You will," Lelouch answered simply, his smile just as polite as before.

A moment passed in absolute silence, then she let go. Lelouch pocketed his weapon without a care in the world, then carried on as if he did not just threaten her: "I was hoping not to have to do this today, but I guess turnabout is fair play, no?"

Kallen slapped him without any warning, then stomped off with an outraged noise. It was barely not a scream.

Ohgi was not sure whether to laugh in relief or cry about how this all went sideways. He hurried over, thankful that Lelouch did not draw his gun again. He just rubbed his reddening cheek without comment.

"You took that a lot better than I expected," he admitted. "Ignoring the one thing just now."

Lelouch inclined his head in response. "Kallen may have a fiery temper, but her heart's in the right place," he said. A shadow fell over his face for a moment, but it was gone just as fast. "Even then, she won't speak as if she knows my sister's wishes in her absence. Nunnally is old enough to make her own decisions, and I won't stand for anyone saying otherwise."

He only had the time to nod back before Sumeragi joined them.

"From the way Kozuki-san spoke of her, I have the feeling she doesn't know her particularly well," the young woman reasoned.

Ohgi could not help but throw her a surprised look at that. "Are you acquainted with Princess Nunnally, Sumeragi-sama?"

"We were playmates in childhood," she explained with a faint smile. "Our bond never lessened over the years. Though I will admit that it is not easy to see Nunnally's maturity, assuming she does not want it to be seen."

It was a bit of an odd thing to say, Ohgi found. Lelouch voiced his agreement, though; then he took his leave, venturing to talk to others. Which meant Ohgi was left alone with a young heiress who made him feel the slightest bit uncomfortable; she was beautiful, not looking fourteen at all but more like an adult woman. Moreover, all politeness aside, he knew she could end him with a word.

Despite all that, Ohgi still managed a smile.

"I'm glad to see you doing well, Sumeragi-sama. Though I'm also surprised that Kyoto House would agree with this."

About as soon as he said it, he knew others were listening in. Sumeragi must know it too, but she did not seem to mind indulging them all: "I admit to some surprise as well, Ohgi-san. The six houses discussed the matter for a long time before an agreement was reached. We ultimately agreed that continuing as we had would only fuel more death for little gain. Distasteful it may be to subordinate ourselves in such way, but I gladly do so to save the lives of my people."

It was beautifully said, but the way she spoke made Ohgi want to cry again. Only this time because all these children had to grow up too soon. Sumeragi, Kallen, Nunnally, even Lelouch. They were all too young to be dragged into this, yet they stepped forward to carry the world on their shoulders anyway.

He somehow managed not to let it show, bowing to the young woman before him. "I understand, and I can only offer my respect to you for making such a difficult choice."

She favoured him with a smile, but did not get a chane to respond; others stepped forward to talk to them now, asking questions and sometimes demanding answers.

Ohgi had a lot of talking to do from then on. The same went for Sumeragi, Kirihara, and Tohdoh. Lelouch was a given, of course. Through some incredible fortune however, the general mood was contemplative more than combative. What was more, Ohgi was once again surprised by how personable Lelouch could be; a Britannian prince talking to common people like equals tripped up more than a few, and it was certainly not an act. Incidents like the one with Kallen did not repeat, either.

Contemplation began to morph into acceptance over the next half hour. People were clearly not happy, but they understood why this was necessary. Many of them looked to their leaders and the Black Knights' leadership in general, too.

Not a single person walked out.

It was a miracle in itself.

Zero kept in the background as much as possible, until they were ready to wrap up. Decisions had been made, a path decided. The Black Knights would follow Lelouch into this madness. Now that it was time to adjourn, Zero held the closing speech; he reassured them all that 'he' would return once more when needed, then took his exit alongside Lelouch.

About as soon as they left, people began to file out while talking about what happened. Ohgi begged off his own group for a while to join a final meeting under the pretense of seeing Zero off.

While his friends moved on without him, Ohgi entered a smaller office space; Tohdoh, Kirihara, Sumeragi, Lelouch, and 'Zero' were already there. He came in with a polite greeting that the other occupants returned, then addressed Lelouch.

"So how did you do the speech with C.C.-san in that suit?"

The others were taken aback for a moment, though the man himself only showed a faint smirk. C.C. took off the mask and shook out her hair with a similar expression, then held up a little remote.

"That boy pre-recorded Zero's speech," she explained, "I only had to ad-lib on occasion."

"Hold on," Sumeragi interjected in surprise, "I didn't even notice a difference?"

She shrunk back a little when C.C.'s gaze fell on her, though the older woman seemed more amused than anything.

"I am a woman of many talents, girl."

"Politeness does not seem to be among them, though."

The Japanese men were taken aback by her catty response, rude as it was. C.C. just chuckled, patting Sumeragi's head in a manner that must be intentionally condescending.

"Aren't you a delight," she chirped.

Sumeragi bore the treatment stoically until C.C. got bored of it.

In the meantime, Tohdoh filled the silence: "I did not expect this to work, yet you made it work somehow. This, I can respect."

With everyone else voicing their agreements, only C.C. noticed the way Sumeragi Kaguya grimaced. She did not comment on it, though.

"Yeah," Ohgi agreed with notable relief. "That's the hard part over, or at least I think so. What's next?"

Lelouch smiled in response. There was no warmth in it this time. Ohgi felt a chill run down his spine.

"Now our work enters the next stage," the young prince announced as he drew his phone. A speed-dial was pressed and the call connected in moments.

"Are you in position? Good. All conditions are cleared on my end, now it's your turn."

He listened a moment longer before ending the call. Nobody needed to hear whom he spoke to, but it was Sumeragi who asked the actual question on their minds: "What do you have her do?"

"She will be the one to finish this phase of the plan."

And just as he spoke those words, his sister stepped into the viceroy's palace.