The Britannian Military launched a massive operation in the Shinjuku Ghetto. Once a bustling part of Japan, the now-devastated area swarmed with Britannian forces—IFVs, VTOL aircraft, and ranks of heavily armed soldiers scouring the ruins. The deployment was triggered by a chase involving a truck, reportedly hijacked by suspected terrorists, which escalated into a full-scale response from the military.

Meanwhile, in an abandoned subway that is quite the distance from the epicenter of the chaos, Lelouch found himself in a peculiar and precarious situation.

"just what is going to happen now?" Lelouch asks himself as he had hitched a ride on board the truck of the terrorists that landed him somewhere he didn't know.

As Lelouch was thinking of what to do, the side doors of the truck's container started to open which surprised him and he instinctively hid himself, thinking that the terrorist was going to get him.

'are they going to get me? Or perhaps it's just the systems' malfunctioning because of the crash? Or..' Lelouch thought about what was going to happen next before he heard movement nearby. He turns and gasps in surprised when a masked Britannian Soldier suddenly rushed in to quickly apprehend him to the floor with a powerful one-handed throat grab.

"Enough mindless murder!" The soldier snarled at him.

"Wha? Wait, I'm…" Lelouch tried to get out before the choking hand clenched briefly, cutting off his air temporarily. "gah!"

"Planning on using poison gas, eh? Stop trying to kill people!" the soldier snarled.

Lelouch considered himself a fairly controlled individual, but he hated being accused of things he hadn't done. He always had.

"GET OFF ME!" Lelouch snarled back at the soldier and backed up his words with a swift kick to the soldier's midriff, which was dodged.

"First off," Lelouch slowly gets up and looks at the soldier who nearly choked him. "I'm a Britannian, you can tell by my uniform. Secondly, I'm not here by choice." The boy strode forward a step, to show his Ashford Academy uniform. "If this is poison gas, the only people who could make it is Britannia! Mindless Murder, you say? Then simply obliterate Britannia!"

"w-wait…you're…" the soldier stiffened at the sight of Lelouch in the light. "Lelouch?"

"huh? Why do you.." Lelouch looks at the soldier with a raised eyebrow before he gasps in surprise when the masked man takes off his helmet and mask to reveal his face and identity. "w-wha…Suzaku!? Is that you?!"

"yeah, it's me." Suzaku nodded with a smile. "it's been so long, Lelouch."

"Y-You became a Britannian Soldier?!" Lelouch said in shock.

"yeah, a lot has happened. But.." Suzaku spoke out before he realized something and looks at Lelouch in shock. "wait! If you're inside this truck! Lelouch! Are you a part of the terrorists!?"

"No, I'm not! This truck crashed and I went to help it, then it drove off with me in it!" Lelouch tried to explain, only for Suzaku to raise an eyebrow.

"Considering how smart you are, is thatreallythe best excuse you can give?" Suzaku asked. Lelouch felt like gnashing his teeth.

"I can't 'make up a better excuse' because that's what really happened!" Lelouch retorted as he rolled his eyes before he facepalmed. "Argh! You really haven't changed a bit! Once you get an idea into your head, you hang onto it more tenaciously than Kaguya used to hang off of me!"

Suddenly, the "poison gas canister" began to glow and emit a strange light. Lelouch was immediately tackled to the ground by Suzaku, who quickly forced his own gas mask over his friend's mouth and nose.

The sphere's four lids popped open, and instead of poison gas, a girl emerged. She had waist-length jade-green hair and eyes the color of gold. Dressed in a Britannian prisoner's straitjacket, her slim, lithe form was barely concealed. She looked briefly at the two stunned young men before collapsing in an unconscious heap.

"That's… not poison gas," Suzaku muttered, clearly bewildered.

Lelouch nodded, pushing Suzaku's hand away from his mouth. "Something smells off, and I don't mean the sewage pipes," he remarked, moving closer to the girl. "Suzaku, be honest with me," Lelouch continued, working on undoing the bindings on her straitjacket, "what on earth does a girl have to do with 'poison gas'?"

"It's just what the briefing said was inside," Suzaku defended as he was equally confused.

The then checks on the girl as they wondered on the many questions that regards her existence that was revealed hidden in a so called Poison gas canister.

Suddenly, blinding lights flashed on, flooding the area. Both Lelouch and Suzaku raised their hands to shield their eyes from the glare.

"Damn Monkey!" a voice shouted in frustration as Lelouch and Suzaku sees a group of military personnel arriving into the scene while pointing their weapons at the two. "even an Honorary Britannian doesn't have the authority to do what you've done!"

"captain!?" Suzaku looks at his superior in surprise before he quickly went to him and explained the situation. "sir! The poison gas canister, it's not what it seems! The information of the briefing was wrong! What came out was just.."

"shut up!" the superior officer exclaimed. "you have no right to protest!"

'Suzaku. Get back from there!' Lelouch looks tense and worried. 'there's poison alright! It's a very venomous poison that could land danger Suzaku's superiors if it ever gets out!'

"I would reprimand you for doing such informality, but considering that you've found our target in the nick of time, I should be merciful instead." The officer spoke before reaching to his back to take out his military grade pistol that he handed to Suzaku. "under direct command of Prince Clovis, you are to execute this terrorist to ensure no information leaks out, Private Kururugi!"

"eh? What?" Suzaku spoke in surprise and confusion before he took a quick glance at Lelouch and then at his superior. "but sir, he's not a terrorist! He's merely a civilian caught up in this!"

"are you defying me?" the officer looks mad in an instant. "that's an order! Didn't you swear your loyalty to Britannia!? You are to follow order you damn brat! Kill this boy now or I'll..!"

"I can't." Suzaku's words were steady, resolute. "I swore loyalty to Britannia, but I swore to uphold justice, not murder innocents." He looked at Lelouch, a soft, sad smile forming on his lips. "Especially not him."

"Suzaku…" Lelouch's heart clenched, caught between gratitude and horror. But his relief was short-lived, for out of the corner of his eye, he saw the officer raising his gun, finger already squeezing the trigger.

"Then for your disobedience," the officer growled, aiming squarely at Suzaku, "I'll carry out your punishment myself."

BANG!

The gunshot cracked through the silence, echoing like a final bell.

"Suzaku!" Lelouch screamed as his eyes shows him watching Suzaku falling to the ground after being shot from the back.

Unknown to Lelouch, the gunshot and his scream had the driver of the stolen truck regain enough conscious. The last thing he remembers next was the whole tunnel covered in smoke.

Meanwhile, in a safe zone of the Shinjuku Ghetto. A base has been built as the military personnel surround the area in guarding the G-1 Base; aBritannianland-cruiser commonly employed by the known members of theImperial Familyas a mobile command center and a field hospital.

Prince Clovis sat atop the commander's seat within the G-1 Base, his face was painted with a blend of irritation and impatience. It has almost been an hour and there's no report whatsoever about the target's current whereabouts.

While he was waiting, Bartley answered a report on the radio, knowing already it was the Royal Guard's update. His face tightened as he listened to the grim report, giving small nods as the words sank in.

"We…lost the girl?" Bartley repeated, stunned. Clovis's head snapped up from where he'd been seated, his brows knitting with irritation.

"We can't afford these blunders!" Clovis hissed, visibly seething. He gestured sharply to Bartley. "If any word of her leaks out—my inheritance, Bartley, all of it is gone! I'll be disowned!"

Bartley swallowed, glancing toward the other officers who remained silent and rigid, sensing the prince's fury. "Your Highness," he said carefully, "perhaps if we delay until we can reassemble our forces, we might—"

"No!" Clovis cut him off with a sharp wave of his hand. "We move on to the next phase." He straightened, his voice colder, more decisive. "The failure of the Royal Guard changes nothing. Begin the purge, Bartley. Send out word that this is merely 'urban renewal' for public stability. And…" he paused, eyes narrowing with disdain, "there will be no survivors in the Shinjuku Ghetto."

Bartley hesitated for only a fraction of a second before nodding obediently. "Yes, Your Highness."

The command was relayed quickly and efficiently, spreading through every Britannian channel like wildfire. Across the comms, the message was clear: "The enemy is garbage, scum unworthy of even honorary Britannian status! Eliminate every last one of them!"

His command is relayed to all Britannian forces as Sutherland units rushes into the Ghetto to take out anyone that they could find. One Sutherland is piloted by Jeremiah Gottwald who overheard the orders and, with an approving nod, loaded his Knightmare's Assault rifle. "Filthy Elevens…" he muttered under his breath while smiling as he join the chaos, pulling the trigger on anyone and everyone who crossed his line of sight, indifferent to age or innocence.

Clovis watched the electronic map radar on the bridge, his smirk widening as he witnessed the spreading red dots of destruction across Shinjuku.

But the smirk faded when a young officer burst into the room, his face pale with panic. He saluted, his voice shaky as he relayed the news. "Your Highness! two Sutherlands have been…stolen in the midst of the operation!"

Clovis's face went in rage. "Stolen?! By whom?!" he snapped.

The officer fumbled for words. "We…don't know yet, but the culprits appear to be using our machines against us, causing further casualties."

Clovis's jaw clenched, the earlier satisfaction melting away into furious disbelief. He looked to Bartley. "I want these thieves dealt with immediately! Deploy units to contain them. Now!"

Bartley gave a stiff nod, rallying the soldiers as the scene outside descended into yet greater chaos, the stolen Knightmares now turning the tide against Britannian forces. Clovis's eyes stayed fixed on the radar, his fingers gripping the edge of the console, frustration mounting at every dot that blinked out of existence on his command screen.

The streets of the Shinjuku Ghetto, once eerily silent, erupted with chaos. Britannian forces stormed through the area, relentless in their pursuit to eliminate anyone in their path. Troops swept each sector of the ghetto, soldiers firing indiscriminately at fleeing civilians. The clatter of weapons and the heavy thudding of boots were accompanied by the distant hum of Britannian Sutherland units, giant mechanical machinery built for war.

At the moment, several Eleven were running away from being chased by three Sutherland Units as they ran a corner but find themselves pinned in by another Sutherland that appeared out of nowhere and this leads to the four robots surrounding the people who look terrified.

"looks like we got ourselves a good number, boys." One Sutherland pilot spoke in a smug voice while chuckling. "everyone pick a target and shoot them good."

"roger." "got it." "this is going to be fun." The other pilots got their Sutherlands to point their Torso-mounted Anti-Personnel Machine Gun at the terrified Elevens who were crying in plea for them to spare their lives.

"on my count…" the first Sutherland pilot readied his unit's machine gun as well and was about to give the command to shoot the Elevens into pieces, but stopped when his radar picked up two IFF signals coming in fast on their location. "what?"

"which units are these guys from?" a Sutherland pilot asked while the purple mech turns and deployed its Factsphere Sensor that gave a visual on the incoming Sutherland units that were coming in fast. "did we get an order to group up?"

"these IFF signal, they're Rudolf and Norman's signals." Another pilot deduced the identity of the incoming machines' pilots via the usage of the military system list in his monitor. "they're supposed to be sweeping up the Elevens in point A11."

"if that's the case, why are they.." the other Sutherland looks to its comrades before it gets a bullet shot to the head that gets completely destroyed before the unit fell. "gah!?"

"what the!?" the Britannian pilots looks at where the shot came from and sees that the two incoming Sutherland units had fired the shot. "hey! The hell do you think you're doing!?"

The pilots of the hostile units didn't respond as they immediately went on the offensive with one unit preparing its right hand's Stun Tonfa which was swung and embedded itself into the chest cavity of one of the Britannian units.

"Keith!" a pilot shouted in shock as his comrade's unit fell. His Sutherland then turns and aims its Assault Rifle against one of the attacking Sutherland units and opened fire. "you bastard! Are you terrorists!?"

The other rogue Sutherland unit quickly went and fired several shots with its own Assault Rifle, each shot precisely hitting and destroying the Britannian unit's weapon and head.

"this is Maxwell! We are under attack by two Sutherland units taken by the terrorist! We need help and…" one pilot tried to inform his superiors but his core block gets smashed by one of the rogue Sutherland units that proceeded to crush its Stun Tonfa right on it. "aggghhh!"

With that, the last of the Britannian units fell as this leaves the terrified Eleven relieved and confused.

"w-what's going on?" a terrified Japanese woman asks while cradling her baby close.

"why are the Britannians attacking one another?" another Japanese woman asks.

"evacuate immediately." Cagalli's voice is heard from one of the Sutherland units as she and Athrun have gone on the offense against the Britannian units. "there will be more Britannians coming, therefore you all need to evacuate away from this area. Now. Head toward the western end of the ghetto, where it's safer. Move as quickly as you can!"

The Elevens chattered amongst each other in confusion before they gratefully take the warning and fled the area in an instant.

"that's done for this area." Cagalli said as she watches the people fleeing before she turns her attention to Athrun's Sutherland unit. "let's get a move on, Athrun."

"yeah." Athrun replied as he uses his Sutherland's Factsphere Sensor to check their area for anymore Britannian units nearby. He spots a few in the number of 5 coming their way from the south. "we got incoming." his unit turns to look at Cagalli's unit. "let's go."

"right." Cagalli nodded before both Sutherland units deployed their Landspinner and headed for the direction opposite to the incoming Britannian forces.

Athrun and Cagalli had started to take the fight against the Britannians as they are attacking their forces while saving as many Civilians that they could save. The two worked together in checking out their enemy's whereabouts with their own weapons and taking them down.

In one part of the Ghetto, Athrun and Cagalli's Sutherlands find a massive advancement of Britannian troops coming in to kill any civilians hiding as they went on the move in an instant.

"eat this!" Cagalli aimed her Sutherland's Assault Rifle and fired several shots that cause the ground near the Britannian forces to explode and halt their advance in attacking the civilians.

Athrun keened his eyes as he had his unit's targeting system locking on to a squad of Britannian infantry about to fire on a family huddled against the remnants of a wall. he took aim and fired, his Sutherland's rifle lighting up as a controlled burst of energy shots took out the soldiers.

Cagalli's units merely fired burst shots against the enemy forces as she destroyed their tanks and VTOL units that were coming their way.

"Terrorists have taken our Knightmare units! All personnel fire at will!" a commanding officer shouted as the Britannian military forces focused their attacks on Athrun and Cagalli.

"Cagalli! Help evacuate the civilians! I'll handle these guys!" Athrun exclaimed as his Sutherland unit advanced and started firing against the enemy forces that gets the backup of the Knightmare units coming in.

"right!" Cagalli responded as she had her Sutherland unit dash in and kicks away a tank that was about to fire upon a building filled with terrified civilians.

The Britannian attacked but their infantry is regrouping, trying to recalibrate their strategy against the sudden rebellion. The soldiers had orders to kill anyone on sight, but the appearance of rogue Sutherlands had thrown them into disarray. Clovis' orders to eradicate every Eleven were colliding with the fact that two powerful mechanical robots now opposed them. Unlike the ragtag resistance fighters Britannia was used to, these two pilots demonstrated a level of skill and discipline that was dismantling the operation from within.

This news even reached to Clovis in his G-1 Base.

"What is going on out there?" Clovis shouted angrily. "Two Sutherland units stolen? And you fools have yet to contain them?!" He looked at Bartley, who was fidgeting nervously. "what is the meaning of this, Bartley!?"

"Your Highness," Bartley began, "these aren't ordinary rebels. Their maneuvers are too precise, their tactics… highly effective. Whoever these people are, they're trained."

Clovis sneered, unimpressed by his subordinate's excuses. "I don't care who they are or how well-trained they might be. Crush them, Bartley. I want no survivors. Do you understand? No survivors!"

Bartley gave a stiff nod, barking new orders to the officers below. They relayed his commands to the field, where Britannian units began advancing with increased aggression. Soldiers and remaining Sutherlands were instructed to target the rogue units and the fleeing civilians alike.

Back in the field, Athrun and Cagalli could see the incoming reinforcements on their HUDs. A fresh wave of Britannian mobile suits was closing in on them, their weapons armed and ready.

"Cagalli, they're sending reinforcements!" Athrun called out to her as his Sutherland is giving suppressing fire to the Britannian forces. "We need to hold this position as long as we can. Civilians are still in the open."

"Understood!" Cagalli responded. "Let's give them everything we've got!"

They worked in tandem, their Sutherlands darting and weaving as they took out each Britannian unit that approached. Athrun's experience showed in the way he quickly disarmed the advancing Sutherlands, disabling their weapons before they could retaliate. Cagalli followed suit, her own attacks relentless yet controlled, each strike calculated to protect the defenseless civilians in the line of fire.

As they fought, a family with young children scrambled toward a nearby alley, only for a Britannian sniper to take aim at them. Athrun noticed the glint of the rifle just in time. With swift reflexes, he angled his Sutherland's body in front of the family, blocking the shot.

"Go, now!" he urged them through the external speakers, and the family, eyes wide with terror and gratitude, fled to safety.

Around them, the Shinjuku Ghetto was becoming a battlefield littered with fallen Britannian units, debris, and ruined buildings. Yet the two rogue Sutherlands stood firm, their pilots' dedication unwavering.

However, even as they continued to protect the fleeing people, the odds became increasingly difficult. Cagalli's Sutherland took a hit to its left arm, and sparks flew as the joint malfunctioned.

"Damn it," she muttered, struggling to control the damaged limb. "Athrun, my left side's hit. Cover me for a moment."

Athrun moved his Sutherland to her side, shielding her from the incoming fire as she recalibrated her controls. He glanced over, catching sight of her steely gaze through the reinforced glass. Despite the setback, she didn't waver. He could see the fire in her eyes, a determination that matched his own.

"Stay close," he told her, resolute. "We'll hold them off together."

The Britannian soldiers, realizing that brute force alone wouldn't bring down the two rogue units, attempted a more coordinated assault. They flanked Athrun and Cagalli, attempting to surround them. But that move was anticipated by the two who adapted their positions to counter each new attack. Their movements were fluid, each anticipating the other's actions as they fought in sync.

With a swift, decisive movement, Athrun disabled another Britannian Sutherland, sending it crashing into a building. He turned to see Cagalli doing the same, her expression fierce as she cleared the area around her. Together, they pushed back the Britannian forces, determined to protect every last civilian within their reach.

In nearly ten minutes, the battle site had ended with the Britannian forces completely obliterated by the two.

"looks like they're coming in slow now." Athrun said as his Sutherland unit is getting its energy pack swapped out with a new one with the help of Cagalli's Sutherland unit. The energy pack taken form a fallen Sutherland unit that is repurposed for their own. The man then made his unit do the same for her too. "after we recharge our energy and ammunition, we need to head to another part of the town."

"got it." Cagalli replied as her Sutherland unit's depleted energy gets fully recharged with the energy pack change. Their units then started to pick up the enemy unit's discarded Assault Rifles, taking their ammunition for themselves.

"No matter what happens, Cagalli, we've done everything we could here," Athrun said, glancing toward the last waves of civilians making their escape. "They'll remember what we did. We made a difference."

Cagalli's voice came back soft but filled with a quiet strength. "We're not done yet, Athrun. Let's hold this line, for them."

And so they fought on, each move a testament to their courage and determination. With every civilian saved, every Britannian unit felled, the spirit of resistance sparked in the heart of the ghetto. And for a moment, hope flickered within the ruins of Shinjuku, as Athrun and Cagalli stood their ground against the might of Britannia.

Meanwhile with Lelouch, he and the mystery girl are found walking in the underground tunnel together but stopped when they needed to take a break to recover their strength.

"just what is going on here?" he said, his tone low but resolute, emphasizing the importance of his words with a small nod. He paused, studying her. She looked back at him with an unreadable expression, her golden eyes sharp, yet calm, almost unsettlingly so. "just how did this day even come to like this!?"

When he encountered Suzaku and the event continued with his old friend getting shot in the back, Lelouch felt his world going into an uncontrollable swirl. He thought he was going to die so many times in just one day as he had somehow still lived.

After the encounter against the military forces, the terrorist named Nagata who was still in the truck's driver seat had woken up from being unconscious before pushing the self detonation switch that cause the vehicle to explode and gave Lelouch and the mystery girl a chance to escape.

"Do you even understand what's happening here?" Lelouch asked, his voice carrying a hint of exasperation. He gaze down upon the woman. "Because this mess, this entire operation, none of it makes sense. Who are you? Why was someone like you in that capsule? Why did Suzaku get shot because of you?!"

The girl's gaze didn't waver as she observed him in return, and Lelouch felt a strange pull in the back of his mind—a sense that there was more to this girl than met the eye. A prisoner, yes, but there was an odd familiarity in her presence, as if some ancient part of him knew her already. Shaking the thought aside, he spoke again, this time with a touch of frustration he couldn't mask. "just who are you?"

The girl remained silent, her eyes never leaving his, as though calculating, weighing something within him. Finally, she spoke, her voice soft yet filled with an eerie authority.

"Are you afraid of dying?" she asked, her voice carrying an almost unnatural calm. Her words hung in the air, seeming to echo around them.

Lelouch felt a chill, though he scoffed slightly, masking it. "What kind of question is that? I don't have the luxury of fear, not with the stakes I'm dealing with."

She tilted her head, eyes narrowing just slightly. "Your best friend… Suzaku. He died trying to save you, and yet here you are, alive."

The words hit him like a blow. Lelouch's face hardened, but his voice dropped, his tone now colder. "I don't need reminders. What happened to Suzaku was Britannia's doing—and people like you, caught up in it." He shook his head, turning his gaze away, looking down the tunnel as he clenched his fists. "There's nothing left to save in a place that's destroyed everything."

"Yet you saved me," she replied quietly, her voice carrying a strange intensity. "Why?"

For a moment, Lelouch was silent. He looked back at her, meeting her gaze once again, and the weight of her question hit him deeper than he'd expected. Why had he saved her? Because she was a prisoner? Because she was someone caught in Britannia's twisted machinations, just like him?

After a long pause, he murmured, "Maybe… I'm just tired of losing everything I care about. Maybe it's as simple as that."

The girl regarded him thoughtfully, and a faint, almost imperceptible smile played on her lips. "Then I will give you a choice," she said, her voice holding an odd gravity. "A chance to change the fate of those who matter to you."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow, skepticism flickering across his face. "And what makes you think I need choices from you?"

She stepped closer, her golden eyes glowing faintly in the dim light, and her voice seemed to resonate within him. "Because in this world, power is everything. And I can give it to you."

Lelouch felt his breath catch as her words wrapped around him, a promise and a curse all at once. He searched her face, seeing something he couldn't quite understand, something powerful and relentless.

"enough of this." Lelouch ended the conversation as he moved forward while grabbing her arm. "let's get out of here before we can properly talk, understand?"

The girl didn't respond as she just stayed quiet and followed his lead.

Five minutes later, Lelouch and the girl emerged from the tunnel, reaching a set of stairs leading to the surface. His mind was racing, mapping out possible ways to escape the Ghetto and return to Nunnally. He had so much to do—if he could just slip past Britannia's forces undetected, he could reach her safely. But it seemed that fate had other plans.

Upon surfacing, Lelouch found himself in an old storage building, once repurposed as a shelter by Elevens. The space, however, was now a scene of brutal carnage. Lifeless bodies of men, women, and even children lay scattered across the floor, their only crime being caught in Britannia's merciless path. A wave of horror gripped Lelouch as he took in the sight of the slaughtered civilians. It was one thing to understand the cruelty of Britannia, but to witness it firsthand was nearly unbearable.

His instincts screamed for him to flee, to drag the girl back down into the tunnel. Yet just as he motioned to retreat, his phone rang, piercing the silence. Lelouch froze, cursing his bad luck as the sound gave them away. Immediately, the soldiers turned their guns toward him and the girl.

The leader of the Royal Guard stepped forward with a self-satisfied smirk. "Well, well. Looks like we found a clever little schoolboy meddling in things far beyond him. Did you think you could just walk out of here?" The man sneered, raising his pistol. "This is the end of the line for you, young man."

Lelouch felt an icy wave of dread wash over him as the gun's barrel was pointed directly at his chest. He gritted his teeth, unable to move. His mind raced with regret and despair. 'Is this really it? Suzaku was gone, so much death because of the Britannians and yet here I am going to die?! This can't be the end!'

Just as the leader prepared to pull the trigger, the girl stepped forward, throwing herself in front of Lelouch.

"No! He mustn't die!" she cried out.

BANG!

The shot rang out, hitting her square in the forehead. Time seemed to stop as Lelouch watched in horror, feeling her body slump into his arms, her jade-green hair fanning out around her like the final act of a tragedy. Her golden eyes, so vibrant and defiant only moments before, were now dim.

"You…you shot her!" Lelouch gasped, instinctively lowering her to the ground. Grief and anger twisted within him, yet the soldiers only seemed to watch, indifferent to the life they had just taken.

"We were supposed to capture her alive," the commander remarked coldly, giving a shrug as if dismissing a minor inconvenience. "But I guess this makes things easier." He leaned forward, his tone mocking. "This will be our report: 'We, the Royal Guard, found and exterminated the terrorists' nest.'" He swept his pistol to indicate the bodies around them, "Naturally, the female hostage had already been tortured to death by these monsters." He chuckled darkly. "What do you think of that little narrative, schoolboy?"

Lelouch's fists clenched. Numbly, he stared down at the girl lying at his feet. Suzaku was dead, the people here were dead, and now she was gone, too. Everything seemed to slip through his grasp before he even had the chance to act. 'Nunnally…' he thought helplessly, grief overwhelming him.

And then, everything changed.

'You don't want it to end here, do you?'

A voice echoed in his mind, calm, steady, yet filled with an eerie strength as this caused Lelouch to stiffen, his thoughts freezing. 'The girl?' He could hardly believe it, yet her voice resonated clearly within him.

'You have a reason to live, don't you? If you had power, could you go on?'

The voice was compelling, relentless.

'I offer you a contract. In exchange for this power, you must make my wish come true.'

Lelouch felt himself slipping into a strange, otherworldly state, his mind bombarded by images—two planets in the sky, warriors marked with strange symbols, visions of the girl herself as though from a distant lifetime. The words cut through to his core. 'The Power of the King will condemn you to a life of solitude. Can you accept that fate?'

Then, one last image seared into his mind: his father, the Emperor, speaking in tones of cryptic arrogance. "A convergence with the Ragnarök Connection... so the myth is beginning again?" The voice echoed within him, his father's involvement clearer than ever.

Lelouch's thoughts snapped back, clarity piercing through his despair like a blade. If he could wield this power, he could change everything, for Nunnally, for Suzaku, for all the lives Britannia had taken. Aloud, he spoke, voice low but resolute. "Very well. I accept your contract…and its conditions!"

Time resumed, and Lelouch became acutely aware of the Royal Guard commander's smug smirk and the pistol aimed directly at him. But something within him had changed, an intense, unfamiliar power pulsing beneath his skin.

Slowly, he rose to his feet, his left hand covering his eye, where the energy seemed to throb with purpose. The commander took a step back, the smirk fading into something more like wariness as he watched Lelouch with growing suspicion.

"What…what's with that look?" the commander sneered, though there was a nervous edge in his voice now.

Lelouch's voice was tinged with a dark amusement. "Tell me, as a Britannian who despises his own country, how should I live my life?"

The commander scoffed, trying to shake off his hesitation. "Hmph. Are you some kind of radical?" He raised his pistol once more but hesitated again. Something about the boy's presence now was unsettling, dangerous, even—enough to make him pause, a hesitation that would cost him everything.

"What's wrong?" Lelouch taunted, his voice a smooth sneer. "Why not shoot? After all, I'm 'just a schoolboy.'" He leaned forward, his gaze unyielding. "Or perhaps you've finally realized… the only ones who should kill are those prepared to be killed themselves."

With that, Lelouch uncovered his left eye, revealing a crimson symbol glowing like a red bird at its center. Its shape pulsed with an unnatural energy that seemed to pierce through the commander's very will.

"I, Lelouch vi Britannia, command you!" Lelouch declared as the symbol in his eye flashes when his eye widens. "All of you...DIE!"

The bird seemed to flap its wings and then the commander, and the rest of his men fell into parade rest.

"Hehehehe…Happily, Your Highness!" The commander said, and pointed his gun at his jugular vein. The rest of his troop copied him. "Fire!" Ordered the commander and, as one, the Royal Guard of Clovis la Britannia committed suicide.

A small splash of blood hit Lelouch's face and for a moment, he looked appalled at the first lives he has ever taken.

'My life was nothing but lies. My name, personal data, everything, lies, lies nothing but lies. I despaired in an unchanging world, yet could not, even with my lies, give in to despair. But now I have it…this…incredible power…it's mine…' Lelouch thought as his horror-struck face shifted into an almost maniacal grin. "Well then…"

Lelouch knelt beside the girl who had granted him his power. He was slightly irritated, as there was no way for him to fulfil his end of the contract if the girl wasn't alive to tell him what her 'One True Wish' was in the first place

"I thank you for giving me this power and I will use it well for my revenge." Lelouch told the dead girl before he felt the entire place just shaking. "this is?"

Suddenly, a Sutherland, marked in the colored in the Purist Faction, loomed through the doors, its assault rifle held ready to fire. Its Factsphere Sensor opened and a moment later, a voice boomed out from its external speakers.

"What happened here, Boy? And why is a Britannian student in a place like this?"a female's voice boomed out, identifying that the pilot is a woman. "why are all the Royal guard's forces dead!?"

Lelouch activated his Geass and said, "I order you to come out. At once." All that earned him was an angry demand as to who he thought he was to order a Knight around.

'I see. It requires direct eye contact.' Lelouch concluded the requirement to use his new ability. 'This ability seems to be far more intricate and tricky than I first thought. I'll have to be careful how I use it.' The young man then raises both hands above his head. "My name is Alan Spacer, my father is a Duke. My I.D. card is in my breast pocket. Once you have confirmed my identity, I will request your protection."

"a noble?...very well." The pilot spoke out as this made Lelouch smirk a bit.

Lelouch observed with calculating precision. 'A mere Knight will leap at the chance to aid a high-ranking noble if it might lead to a hereditary title, he thought, satisfied with his strategy. That should lure her out to a more vulnerable position.'

As anticipated, the cockpit of the towering Knightmare frame opened, and from it descended a woman on a boarding wire. Lelouch's eyes narrowed as he took in her appearance. She was in her mid-twenties, he estimated, with a strong, athletic build that spoke of rigorous training and discipline. Her silvery hair fell loosely, framing a face both fierce and beautiful. Her eyes were the deep, unyielding color of polished agate, focused and intense. Her physique was muscular yet feminine, with a striking presence that exuded confidence and power. This person's name is Villetta Nu and a member of the Pureblood faction.

'Perfect..' Lelouch thought, his mind already calculating his next move.

"Stay there! I'll take your I.D. out." She called as she walked forward.

Lelouch instantly activated his new powers upon seeing the pilot coming to him. "Now, Hand your Knightmare over to me."

A red halo encircled the woman's eyes. She lowered her hand gun and nodded. "Of course. The number is XG21G2D4." She then tossed the activation key at him, which he caught.

"My thanks." Lelouch said as he prepped for his next move.

About a few minutes pass and the female pilot snaps out of whatever trance that she was in and she soon notices that she was all alone and her Knightmare was gone.

"what? What's going on?" she looks around the area and became more confused. "why am i…"

Meanwhile in the Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corps or A.S.E.E.C.C Trailer, located at the Britannian Temporary Shinjuku Ghetto Command

Suzaku's thoughts drifted back to simpler days—the days before the Britannian invasion, when he, Lelouch, and Nunnally had spent afternoons laughing and playing at the Kururugi Shrine. But a sudden, sharp explosion snapped him back to the present.

"SO, are we having a bad day?!" a voice blared above him, loud and obnoxiously cheerful.

Suzaku's eyes snapped open. He was lying in a room painted in neutral greys and creams, with a strange man leaning over him, grinning widely. The man wore large, round glasses, short grey hair, and a white lab coat with an armband on his sleeve. Beside him stood a woman in an orange and black uniform, her pale blue eyes kind, holding something wrapped in a handkerchief.

"W-Where...?" Suzaku croaked, his throat dry as sandpaper.

The man casually handed him a flask of water. The woman smiled softly as she explained, "We're still in the Shinjuku Ghetto, right next to Prince Clovis' G-1 command center. For now, you're as safe as anyone in the Ghetto."

Suzaku gratefully took a sip, feeling the cool water ease his parched throat.

"You missed a chance to go to heaven, Private Kururugi," the man teased, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Suzaku noticed the fresh bandages wrapped around his abdomen and felt a dull ache near his right kidney. His attention was drawn back as the woman leaned forward, revealing what was wrapped in her handkerchief.

"This saved your life, Suzaku," she said, holding out a familiar silver object.

Suzaku's eyes widened in recognition. It was his father's pocket watch.

"You're incredibly lucky," the man said in a carefree tone. "It was right under your body armor, angled just right to deflect the bullet."

Suzaku held the watch, his face a mix of shock and reverence. "I can't believe it… My father's memento saved me…"

The man chuckled. "You Elevens believe there are gods in everything, right? Even objects? What do you call it… a 'Shugo Seirei'? Guardian Spirit?"

Suzaku shook his head, still absorbing the gravity of his near-death experience. But the relief quickly gave way to dread as he remembered why he was here.

"What… what's happening out there?" he asked, eyes searching both of them for answers.

The woman's expression darkened, and she looked away briefly. "The resistance fighters are blending with the civilians. The military is… responding with full force."

Suzaku's heart sank. "So they're… killing everyone?"

"Officially, we're to believe it's unavoidable. The resistance is... well, persistent," the man replied, almost detached.

Suzaku gritted his teeth, horrified. 'More lives lost, more senseless slaughter! he thought in despair. Lelouch, please… make it out of this. For Nunnally's sake.'

Before he could speak, the man cleared his throat. "That's why we wanted to see you, Private Kururugi. Given your training… and if Prince Clovis agrees… we want you to pilot an experimental Knightmare Frame to end this. Fast."

Suzaku froze, the weight of the offer pressing down on him.

The woman met his gaze with steady resolve. "It could prevent more bloodshed."

Suzaku closed his eyes, battling the storm of doubt within. 'Could I truly help end this?"

He took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. Suzaku looks at the key that would give him access to pilot the Knightmare unit stationed outside and covered under a gray tarp.

Meanwhile in another site of the battlefield.

A red and damaged Glasgow is fighting against the Britannian forces with all its might. The pilot Kallen is looking very pissed and angry as her blood was boiling. Her people, innocent lives, were being slaughtered, and she couldn't shake the bitter thought that she was partly responsible.

"Britannian bastards!" she spat, her fury propelling her Glasgow forward as she deployed its last remaining Slash Harken, tearing through a Britannian tank that had just gunned down a group of Shinjuku residents. "how dare you!"

"Kallen!" Ohgi's voice crackled over the radio, tense and frantic. "Can the Glasgow still move?"

Kallen took a steadying breath, her grip firm. "Don't worry, Ohgi-san! I'll be the decoy. Get everyone else out! Only we resistance fighters need to get caught in this mess!"

"It's not that easy!" Ohgi's voice wavered, panic creeping in. "They've got us surrounded! There's nowhere to go!"

Kallen's gaze hardened as she spotted another Britannian tank, her mind racing. 'Is there really no escape?' Desperation clawed at her heart. 'Please,' she thought, her silent plea almost prayer-like. 'If there's any god out there…grant us a miracle. Anything.'

As this was occurring, Lelouch was found a few miles from the area as he was piloting the Sutherland he stole and is hiding. The young man was thinking as he had just hung up from a call with Shirley from school, he asked her various of things to confirm his suspicions of the current situation at hand.

"Clovis isn't as clueless as I thought," he muttered to himself. "Shirley mentioned there's a media blackout—the news only reports 'traffic restrictions' around Shinjuku. No mention of the chaos actually happening." He then picks up a black King chess piece that he was swirling around his right hand's fingers. "I'm trapped here in Shinjuku," he thought aloud while strategizing his next move in his mind. "Clovis needs to keep this incident low-profile. Bringing in too many reinforcements would risk exposing what he's trying to cover up." He placed a lone black king on his side of the board, considering his options. "But Clovis won't have the luxury of reinforcements this time. He'll be forced to rely on what he already has here. Still, I'm outnumbered and outgunned. I need pieces on the board—no, I need allies."

The only potential allies he could think of were the resistance fighters, the very ones who'd dragged him into this chaotic situation. 'Fitting,' he mused. 'If I have to get involved, they're going to be part of my strategy.'

"Though they're under armed," Lelouch muttered, weighing the resistance's limited small arms and one fourth-generation Glasgow against the full division of Sutherlands. "That's easily remedied," he murmured with a smirk. "Clovis sent in a train of Sutherlands without escorts. And, of all things, he used an open channel." He shook his head at the thought. "Overconfidence will be his downfall."

Determined, he steered the Sutherland toward the train depot, his mind racing with plans. 'Rebels, you're going to pay me back for dragging me into this.'

At another area of the Ghetto. Thunderous explosions occurred as Athrun's Sutherland dodged a direct hit, quickly reversing and charging to intercept a hostile unit. The Britannian Sutherland in front of him raised its rifle, but it was stopped when the Athrun's unit swiftly deployed his Stun Tonfa, crashing it down hard enough to crush through the enemy's chest armor. The enemy Knightmare shuddered, sparks flying before it collapsed, smoke billowing from its broken core.

A moment later, Cagalli's Sutherland joined him, moving into formation after clearing another sector. The two exchanged quick nods as they scanned the area for any remaining threats.

"That should be it for this section," Cagalli said, lowering her weapon. "We've saved as many people as we could here. But the Britannian forces are still advancing. What's our next move?"

Athrun took a moment, considering their options. "If we're going to slow them down any more, we'll need to disrupt their command structure. Maybe take out one of the command units nearby." He paused, then added, "We can't protect every block, but if we're strategic, we can buy more time for civilians to escape."

Cagalli's gaze hardened, her resolve clear. "Then let's find their command units. If we target the officers, we can weaken their hold here," she replied, her voice full of determination. "This ghetto is practically a death trap for these people."

Just then, a crackle from an open radio frequency caught their attention, and both of them froze, listening.

"...Repeat, Britannian forces being held back at multiple fronts by insurgent forces. Terrorist interference increasing; multiple units lost. Requesting backup."

Athrun and Cagalli exchanged glances, confusion evident on both their faces.

"'Terrorists'? Since when did the resistance have this kind of firepower?" Cagalli murmured, her brows furrowing.

"They shouldn't have enough firepower to hold back an entire Britannian regiment," Athrun replied, his mind racing. "But... this could work in our favor. If these insurgents are fighting the Britannians too, we might be able to divide their attention even further."

Cagalli's face brightened slightly. "If we can coordinate with them, even indirectly, we'll be able to save more lives. Let's keep moving and see if we can intercept any more Intel."

Their Sutherland Units moved out as Athrun and Cagalli plans to take advantage of the two forces fighting one another.

Kallen's Glasgow tore through the battlefield, her Slash Harken slamming into a Britannian VTOL. She was almost ready to move to the next target when a taunting, familiar voice crackled over the loudspeaker.

"Well, well, if it isn't our Glasgow friend," the voice sneered. "You've led me on quite the chase, but no mere Eleven can escape Jeremiah Gottwald!"

Kallen's heart raced as she glanced at her controls—her energy levels were dipping fast. Down to thirty minutes. She swore under her breath. "D-damn it! Of all times to run low…" she muttered, her stomach tightening at the thought of her Glasgow shutting down mid-pursuit. In her rearview, she spotted Jeremiah's Sutherland closing in, flanked by another Knightmare.

Just then, her radio crackled to life. "The West Entrance! Use the tracks to the West Entrance!" an unknown voice instructed sharply.

Kallen's eyes narrowed as she gripped her controls. "Who the hell are you?" she demanded. "How did you get this channel?"

"Doesn't matter!" the voice shot back with urgency. "You want to survive and take down these Britannians? Trust me."

Kallen hesitated, mind racing. This stranger's voice carried an almost unnerving confidence. Trust me, they had said. She bit her lip, then nodded. "Fine. Got it." Without another word, she urged her Glasgow onto the old rail bridge, speeding toward the west entrance, the two Britannian Knightmares closing in.

"What's the next move?" she asked, adrenaline spiking as she saw them drawing closer.

"Jump onto the approaching train!" the voice instructed, the calm certainty in their tone not wavering.

A cargo train roared into view, speeding along the tracks beside her. Kallen's eyes widened, but she gave a quick, affirming nod. "Right!" She jumped onto the train engine, then sprinted across the roofs of the cargo cars as the two Britannian Sutherlands followed.

Jeremiah scoffed, his voice seething over the loudspeaker. "Running, are we? How typical." His Sutherland went and stopped the train with one hand before turning its head to look at its companion. "go and get it."

"roger." The second Sutherland leapt onto the train behind her, hot in pursuit. But before it could close the distance, a pair of Slash Harkens shot out from a nearby building, slicing through the air and colliding with the Sutherland, shattering it mid-leap.

Kallen turned her Glasgow, and both she and Jeremiah stared at the new Sutherland that had appeared in the nearby structure, Slash Harkens retracting back into place. Jeremiah's voice turned cold and furious as he growled through the speakers, his gaze locked on the mysterious Knightmare that had saved her.

"Friendly fire?!" Jeremiah saw the Sutherland hiding by a broken building. "You there! From which unit are you from!?" as the demand was being ordered, the man instantly pulls back his Knightmare as he was getting rained by a hail of bullets. "wha?!"

Not one to not take advantage of a distracted and crippled opponent, Kallen yelled out a wordless battle cry as she charged the Sutherland. With a curse, the pilot activated the ejection system of the Sutherland and sailed off to safety.

"You saved me!" Kallen spoke to the voice on the radio, not caring that relief was obvious in her voice. "But how in the world did you get your hands on a…"

Her voice trailed off as she noticed the mystery Sutherland had disappeared.

Kallen's Glasgow scanned the area as she muttered, "How the heck did he disappear in less than thirty seconds?" Her Factsphere Sensor yielded nothing, and frustration welled up as she tried to locate the mysterious Knightmare that had helped her.

"KALLEN!" a voice shouted, breaking her focus. She turned her Glasgow and saw Ohgi running toward her, flanked by the rest of her brother's old friends: Kento Sugiyama, Shinichiro Tamaki, Yoshitaka Minami, and Naomi Inoue. "What was with that radio message earlier!?" he asked the female pilot as his voice is on edge. "Is our channel compromised?!"

"He contacted you guys too?" Kallen replied through her speakers, surprised.

"Yeah, Yoshida's group also heard it. They should be joining us any minute now," Ohgi nodded.

Before they could discuss it further, Ohgi's walkie-talkie crackled to life. A familiar voice came through. "Are you the one in charge?"

Kallen's eyes widened. She recognized it immediately—it was the same voice that had guided her to safety.

"Uh… Y-Yes, I am," Ohgi stammered, his brows furrowing.

"Good. I'm offering you the contents of that train." The voice spoke out as Ohgi and the others looks at the train. "It's filled with the tools you'll need to achieve your victory. If you want to use them to win, follow my orders."

Ohgi and the others checked the train's content and became shocked when they find Sutherland units in pristine conditions.

"i-is this for real!?" Inoue asks.

"how did this guy get his hands on this many Sutherlands!?" Minami asks as he touched the Sutherland near him.

"Woman in the Glasgow!" the voice suddenly barked, snapping her out of her daze. "What's the status of your Energy Filler?"

"About… about fifteen minutes left," she replied, regaining her composure.

"Then swap it out with a fresh one immediately. Standby and be ready. You'll be running decoy." The voice instructed further. "I'll contact you in ten minutes with code names and further instructions."

And just like that, the radio went silent. Kallen sat back, mind racing with questions and nerves. Today had already been a series of shocks—but she could sense that whatever was coming next would be like nothing she'd expected.

With the instruction given, Lelouch shuts off the radio and placed it aside. The young man feeling the tension seep into his body.

'This is a lot more tiring than I anticipated, mentally speaking.' Lelouch mused. 'But I must persevere. This game is one upon which I bet my life on.' He raises his black king chess piece and grips it tight. 'let the games begin!'

"Hey, are you really sure this is a good idea?" Tamaki called at Ohgi, who had just booted up his Sutherland. "They've all had their IFF Beacons removed! What if this is a trap!"

Ohgi sighed, giving his friend a look. "Tamaki, Britannia already has the upper hand with their military power alone. They don't need traps or tricks to beat us—they could crush us outright if they wanted."

Tamaki grumbled but fell silent, shooting uneasy glances at the borrowed Sutherlands.

Just then, Ohgi's radio crackled to life with the familiar voice. "P-1, are you ready to move?" the voice asked calmly. Five minutes ago, it had assigned code names to each of them: Ohgi was P-1, Tamaki was P-5, and the rest were given combinations with P, B, and N. The one exception was Kallen, designated as Q-1 to highlight her role as decoy.

"Alright, the Sutherland controls aren't too different from the Glasgow, so it should be manageable," the voice continued. Ohgi seized the opportunity and spoke into the radio.

"Look, can't you at least tell us your name? Calling you 'the voice' feels ridiculous." He rolled his eyes, muttering to himself.

"No can do. Britannians could be listening. Call me K-1 for now," the voice replied smoothly. "Now, P-1, if Q-1 is on schedule, two enemy Sutherlands will reach the opposite side of that wall in exactly twenty-three seconds. Fire through it to ambush them."

Tamaki scoffed. "Is this guy serious? He's gotta be nuts!"

But Ohgi, detecting absolute confidence in K-1's tone, took it seriously. "Everyone, double-check your weapons and get to your positions!" he commanded, ignoring Tamaki's skeptical glare.

As everyone prepared, Ohgi started the countdown. "Three... two... one… Fire!"

The seven Sutherlands with him unleashed a coordinated barrage, instantly demolishing the wall and revealing two Britannian Sutherlands on the other side—who were promptly torn apart by the blasts meant for them. The resistance fighters stared at the wreckage, astonished.

"Alright, everyone! Looks like K-1's word is as good as gold," Ohgi said over the radio, feeling his confidence swell. "Follow K-1's orders, and let's show Britannia what real Japanese spirit looks like!"

Meanwhile, far from the battlefield, Lelouch watched the chaotic display on his screen, smirking as he tracked the IFF markers for Clovis' troops. "An IFF beacon can be a double-edged sword, can't it, brother?" he murmured to himself, setting up chess pieces to reflect their respective forces.

He studied the board thoughtfully. Clovis had the numbers, but the game's real strength lay with strategy. And Clovis, for all his resources, was no match for Lelouch's skill.

In the confines of the G-1 mobile command fortress, Prince Clovis sat before the tactical display, horrified as the red blips—representing his Britannian Knightmare forces—vanished from the screen with alarming frequency. Each flicker of a disappearing dot sent a fresh wave of panic through him, his grip on his command chair tightening until his knuckles turned white.

"Who… who is doing this?" Clovis stammered, his voice barely more than a whisper, yet heavy with dread. His gaze darted toward General Bartley, seeking answers, a desperate edge in his eyes. "Is this the work of the JLF? Have they somehow mounted a coordinated attack?"

Bartley, standing stiffly nearby, shook his head, his brow creased in bewilderment. "No indications of the Japanese Liberation Front, Your Highness. They usually broadcast demands or taunts. But there's… nothing."

Clovis's face twisted in frustration and terror. "Then who could it be? A terrorist faction? A resistance group? But they're operating like a trained army!" His voice quivered with each question, and he turned back to the display, watching as more Britannian forces fell. "This… this is impossible! How are they evading us so precisely?"

The silence in the command room was punctuated only by the uneasy shifting of his officers and the occasional, grim report. The unknown enemy struck with unnerving precision, as if they were predicting Britannia's every move. Clovis's chest tightened further with each loss, his composure rapidly slipping away.

A young officer approached, visibly nervous. "S-Sir, it appears the enemy forces have commandeered… Sutherlands." He paused, the horror in his voice evident. "They're… using our own Knightmares against us."

Clovis felt his stomach drop. "Our own weapons?" He stared, his disbelief raw and palpable. "How did this happen?" He looked toward Bartley, barely able to process the revelation. "first it was two and now a group of them?! Stop this madness now, Bartley!"

"Yes! Send Glaube's squad!" Bartley replied before he ordered hoarsely, struggling to maintain a semblance of control. Clovis, meanwhile, sank deeper into his chair, realizing that this unknown force was dismantling his military edge piece by piece.

"They have our Knightmares…" Clovis murmured to himself, struggling to wrap his mind around it. "How could a ragtag resistance manage to commandeer our technology?"

Then, the radio crackled with yet another grim update. "Sir Henry's squadron, lost! He reported, just before ejecting, that the terrorists had access to multiple Sutherlands. They've advanced toward sector G-2-8!"

Clovis was gripped by a mounting sense of helplessness, his mind whirling. The thought that a single adversary—or, worse, an organized group—could infiltrate and commandeer Britannia's prized Knightmares felt like a nightmare. "Who... who am I even fighting against?" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else, a pleading edge to his words.

"Sir Glaube, Lost!" The same Staff Officer reports.

"Change our codes, they must be intercepting our transmissions!" Bartley barks at his officers.

"But we have sir, five times already!" Protests one of them.

"Well do it again!" Bartley shoots back. Mentally, Bartley is very much dumbfounded. How were the terrorists moving like an elite unit of pilots and making his own forces look like rank amateurs? It made no sense.

Turning to Bartley, Clovis's voice rose, tinged with desperation. "Find out who is behind this! I demand to know who's responsible for this chaos!"

But the minutes dragged on, and the answers never came. Clovis watched as his forces continued to falter, his grip on his chair tightening until he could feel his nails pressing into his skin. For the first time, it struck him that, despite his royal power and Britannia's overwhelming might, he was facing an enemy he neither understood nor could hope to control. And in that moment, Clovis felt utterly powerless.

"This failure is totally unacceptable!" Clovis declares, rising from his throne.

"M-My apologies, your highness!" Bartley stammers out, nervously. He knew that those who displeased members of the Imperial Family rarely survived the experience with their careers -or their lives- intact.

Suddenly, the main battlefield monitor flickered, and a vid-call window popped up, filling the screen with the animated face of Earl Lloyd Asplund of the A.S.E.E.C.C.C. Special Task Group.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen!" Lloyd greeted, his voice overly cheerful and loud, a stark contrast to the tension in the command room.

Bartley clenched his fists and snarled at the monitor, his irritation barely contained. "What is it!? We are in the MIDDLE of an OPERATION!" If it weren't for the authority granted to Lloyd by First Prince Schneizel, Bartley would have happily barred the eccentric scientist—and his whimsically named Camelot unit—from meddling in Shinjuku's battlefield. Yet, as frustrating as it was, Bartley knew he held no power over Camelot. Only the Royal House itself, or the prince in command, could issue them orders.

Lloyd, however, seemed blissfully unaffected by Bartley's disdain. "I'd say it's the perfect time to deploy the A.S.E.E.C.C.C. Special Weapon!" he announced, his tone as bright as ever.

Bartley shot Clovis an exasperated look. "As I suspected," he muttered under his breath, clearly unimpressed.

Clovis, his patience already fraying, stepped forward, his voice sharp. "There's no time for this nonsense!" He glanced around at his officers, the urgency in his tone clear. "I will now assume personal command over the forces stationed here! We'll see this operation through with or without your… special weapon, Earl."

Lloyd only smiled, tilting his head thoughtfully, as if unconcerned. "if you say so, your highness." The call was ended and the scientist turns around to look at a large robot hidden under the grey tarp that is slowly pulled down to reveal appearance of the Knightmare called the Lancelot.

Lelouch observed the tactical screen, a faint smile touching his lips as one by one, enemy blips vanished from the display—each marking a lost Britannian unit. The latest casualty? A tank unit.

"R-2, deploy anchor," he commanded smoothly, advancing a castle piece on the chessboard beside him.

A chime sounded from the monitor.

"B-7, employ UN ordnance," he ordered, nudging a bishop forward and another enemy unit was lost followed with the chime from the monitor

"N-Group, continue your advance," he said, positioning a knight piece forward.

Lelouch settled back, watching as the IFF screen flickered, the map littered with the fading remnants of Clovis's scattered forces. He narrowed his gaze, reading the board.

"Now then," he muttered, leaning back, "the enemy has five possible choices. Your move, Clovis." His voice turned cold, calculating as he contemplated his brother's response. "If my dear elder brother panics and decides to take command himself, he'll likely opt for a massive, disorganized charge. If he has any sense left, he'll tighten the encirclement, taking a cautious, methodical approach." A hint of amusement sparked in Lelouch's eyes as he considered the impending tactics. "But either way, I have preparations to handle anything my brother or his loyal lackey can devise."

With a clenched jaw, Clovis seized direct command, determined to wrestle the situation back under control.

"Sir, we've just lost Sir Lazlo's squad!" one of the officers reported, his voice straining under the mounting pressure of yet another casualty.

"Grr… no choice," Clovis snapped. "Deploy Quincy's squad to the front line!"

Bartley stiffened, hesitating. "But, Your Highness, deploying Quincy's squad will weaken our encirclement!"

Clovis shot Bartley a withering glare. "Reinforce the line with units assigned to my own defense. Battles are won by decisive action, not hesitation," he declared, dismissing Bartley's concern with an impatient wave. His finger jabbed at the tactical display on the command table, where clusters of enemy forces lingered as ghostly blips across the battlefield.

"All we know," he continued, raising his voice to quell any further objections, "is that the enemy is somewhere within this sector. Encircle their position, reinforce the line, and crush them in one swift strike!"

As his command echoed through the room, Clovis felt his confidence rally. Victory was only a decisive move away—he would make sure of it.

Lelouch idly twirled the Black King piece between his fingers, studying the enemy's recent movements on the map. As he noted the new formations, a sly smile crept onto his face.

"So, Clovis has taken command himself," he muttered, amusement lacing his tone. "Of all the choices he had, he picks the most reckless one." With a light chuckle, Lelouch reached for his radio.

"Q-1, do you have an area map?" he inquired, already certain that his instructions would lead to a brilliant checkmate.

"Yes, I've got a map, but it's outdated. None of the current landmarks are marked," came her response, her frustration breaking through in her voice.

Lelouch smirked, pleased with the hint of defiance. "That will do, Q-1. Now, here's the plan…"

On the battlefield, Jeremiah Gottwald is found making his way to the G-1 base as he had been taken out of the battle when his Sutherland got destroyed and he was forced to eject.

While on his way, he saw a column of Knightmare Frames and Tanks advancing towards an unknown destination. Jeremiah peered at the units and recognised them. They were some of the units assigned to encircle and blockade Shinjuku.

"Why are they breaking the encirclement?" Jeremiah wondered aloud.

"Are all of you ready?" Lelouch's voice crackled through the comms, his tone sharp and commanding.

A chorus of affirmatives came back to him, crisp and precise.

"Good," Lelouch thought, his gaze narrowing on the tactical map displayed before him. "Time for Act Two to close, and Act Three to begin." With that, he picked up the Queen piece from the board, the weight of it a fitting metaphor for the strategic shift he was about to initiate.

"Begin Mission Number Three... now!" Lelouch's voice was steady as he transmitted the order.

Mission Three was deceptively simple, yet devastatingly effective. All Knightmares were to enter the old subway tunnels, with Q-1 at the rear, serving as the trigger. Once the team was deep underground, the plan was set in motion. After a designated amount of time, Q-1 would turn around and fire her Slash Harkens directly into the ceiling's support beams. The resulting collapse would trigger a chain reaction, causing the surface above to cave in, swallowing everything in its path—Knightmares, tanks, all of it. A calculated destruction, with nothing to be left standing.

Lelouch raises his Black King's chess piece and smiles when he received the notifications that his plan succeeded in completely obliterating the forces that were coming after his.

"that's checkmate, brother." Lelouch chuckled with a smile.

Clovis stood frozen, his eyes locked on the tactical screen as he watched in growing horror. One by one, his forces—nearly every unit under his command—were torn apart by a wave of destruction. The red blips representing his Knightmares flickered and vanished, swallowed by an unseen hand, as though they were nothing more than pawns in a game he could no longer control.

"J-Just... who am I dealing with here...?" Clovis thought, panic creeping into his features. His breath quickened, and his chest tightened as the reality of his situation set in. "My God... What if he's better than Todoh?!"

In the eyes of the Eleven populace, General Kyoshiro Todoh was a living legend—The Miracle Bringer. His reputation for defeating numerically superior forces, despite lacking Knightmares of his own, had made him a figure of hope and reverence among the Japanese. Yet, in the eyes of Britannia, Todoh was The Phantom of Itsukushima's Miracle, a threat to be reviled for his uncanny ability to outwit and overpower the Empire's military might.

The mere thought of facing Todoh in battle terrified Clovis to his core. But now, as the battlefield continued to crumble around him, another, more chilling thought emerged in his mind: What if this enemy... was better than Todoh? The prospect was enough to send a shiver down his spine, and for a moment, he felt his strength waver. It was all too much. His grip on the command chair tightened as if it might somehow anchor him to reality.

Then, in the midst of his panic, a sudden spark of inspiration flickered in his mind.

"Lloyd!" Clovis shouted, his voice harsh and desperate.

The image of Earl Lloyd Asplund reappeared on the main monitor, the scientist's ever-cheerful expression seemingly unfazed by the chaos unfolding around him.

"Yes, Your Highness?" Lloyd replied with an annoyingly upbeat tone, as if they weren't in the middle of a catastrophic battle.

Clovis' eyes narrowed with renewed resolve. "Can your toy win?"

Lloyd's grin widened, undeterred by the situation. "Oh, please, Your Highness—call it the Lancelot."

In the A.S.E.E.C.C.C. Knightmare Storage and Transport Trailer, preparations for Lancelot's deployment were in full swing. The massive frame of the Knightmare stood ready, its sleek white and gold design gleaming under the harsh lights, as the Lancelot's systems came online.

"Z-01, Lancelot, launching. Please clear the area!" Cecily Croomey's voice rang out over the loudspeakers, commanding attention across the facility.

Inside the trailer, Suzaku Kururugi was finishing the last touches of his gear, donning a "Devicer's Uniform," as Lloyd called it. The uniform, designed for maximum protection during the Lancelot's high-speed maneuvers, was a mixture of white, black, and gold, padded at the joints and torso to absorb the shock of rapid movement and intense G-forces. It felt almost ceremonial in its precision, yet he couldn't help but feel the weight of the responsibility that came with piloting the advanced machine.

"Have you read the manual, Suzaku-kun?" Cecile's voice crackled over Suzaku's earpiece.

"Pretty much," Suzaku replied while adjusting the gloves of his suit.

"as expected, you scored in the top class in the simulator." Cecile replied.

"umm..about what you said before…" Suzaku spoke out as he made his way to the Knightmare unit he is to pilot.

"before? Oh, it's possible." Cecile replied. "but the possibility is close to zero, you know?"

"it's not zero, right?" Suzaku asks.

"that is true." Cecile replied. "but still, I don't want you to do anything reckless. The new system doesn't have an escape mechanism installed."

"I understand, Cecile-san." Suzaku replied as he stood and gazed upon the Lancelot, the Knightmare stood before him, magnificent and imposing, its brilliant paintwork gleaming. "so this is the Lancelot?"

"yes, the experimental weapon that we developed in the A.S.E.E.C.C, the Z-01 Lancelot." Cecile replied while Suzaku went and climbed into the cockpit, sealing the hatch behind him, and ran through the start-up procedures. The hum of the Lancelot's systems coming online was almost comforting, reassuring him that this was the right path. "the world's first ever 7th Generation Knightmare Frame."

"All right then, Suzaku-kun, shall we proceed with the initial Start Up?" Llyod spoke out as he, Cecile, and an ASEECC member are readying the launch for the Lancelot.

"roger that." Suzaku replied as he inserted the key to activate the Lancelot that went alive.

"Initial Start-up proceeding from Phase 20." Cecile reported as the Lancelot gets prepped. "Equipping Energy Filler."

"confirming pre-start, energy filler now at normal output." The ASEEC member followed up on the start up command. "30 seconds to reach critical voltage. Core luminous, shifting phase. Yggdrasil Drive starting.

"let's see what he can do.." Llyod whispers with a smile.

"All Systems green!" Cecile spoke out. "Releasing safety locks 1-16! Devicer standby for launch!"

The Lancelot's landspinner deployed, and the unit crouches with a hand to the ground and its face face forward.

"Lancelot, M.E Boost!" Suzaku spoke out as the landspinner started to spin very fast.

"Lancelot! Launch!" Cecile exclaimed before the Lancelot launched out of its base and zooms right into the battlefield in a gust of wind.

Meanwhile, at another area far from the G-1 Base. Athrun and Cagalli's Sutherland units are found to be replenishing their ammunition from the wreckages of other Britannian Sutherland units that they had taken out just minutes ago.

"sounds like the terrorists are giving the Britannians a taste of their own medicine." Cagalli spoke out as she is listening on the radio's channel about the terrorists pushing back and eliminating the Britannian forces.

"Whoever is their leader, that person might be a tactician if they could push such a large military force to the point of nearly retreating." Athrun said, the man getting his Sutherland to pick up a discarded Assault Rifle to replace the one that he had lost in the fight. "I think it's best to say that the Britannian might be on the run instead of the terrorists."

"I guess so." Cagalli said before she started to fiddle with the radio channel. "I wonder if we can get to hear what the terrorists are doing?"

"hey, don't do something that could.." Athrun speaks but stops when he hears the words coming from the radio channel.

"K-1, this is B-6! I've spotted an unknown Knightmare. It's proceeding along the old main street, seemingly towards where Q-1 was last spotted by Britannian forces!" a panicked voice is heard from the radio. "it's just one unit, but it's…agghhh!"

"what the?" Cagalli checks the radio and listens to more chatter about an unknown Knightmare unit tearing in the terrorists' forces like it was hunting them down. "Do the Britannians have a secret weapon?"

"it might be the Club's younger sibling." Athrun spoke out as Cagalli's Sutherland turns to look at the other one. "when I was checking the data stored in the Lancelot Club's main frame, I came across records of another unit of the same type being produced. It's called the Lancelot and it's the successor to the Club."

"so they launched that Knightmare into the battlefield, huh?" Cagalli said before she checked the radio and could hear more frantic chatter from the terrorists. "I know that we shouldn't be helping, but it this Lancelot Knightmare is helping the Britannian, then we should be involved in taking it down, right?"

Athrun thought about it for a second before he nods and checks his systems on the map that shows his and Cagalli's Sutherland's location and the location of the Lancelot.

"Cagalli, you stay in a 70 meter position for support fire." Athrun spoke out on the comms. "I'll directly confront the guy head on."

"wait, what!?" Cagalli exclaimed in shock. "hey, Athrun! This Knightmare unit is taking down the terrorists like they're flies! If you take it on by yourself!"

"I'll be alright." Athrun said as his Sutherland turns towards the direction of where the Lancelot is located. "besides, this isn't the first time I fought someone with an unknown weapon at hand."

"not the first time?" Cagalli spoke out before she sighs and just decided to do what he wants her to do.

Athrun and Cagalli's Sutherland units went off as they go straight for the location of where the battle was taking place

In the battlefield, several Sutherand units were firing their Assault Rifles at the direction of the Lancelot that appeared and is chasing after them.

"god damnit!" "what is this thing!?" the Sutherland unit's pilot cried out as they were trying to shoot down the Lancelot but failed miserably when the white Knightmare unit rushes in and takes them out by merely using the blades of the Slash Harkens on its arms.

The Lancelot was built for precision and speed—an ideal machine to hunt down these insurgents. Suzaku's mission was clear: neutralize the enemy, protect the innocent, and restore order. But as he advanced, he knew that the battle would not be simple. The Sutherlands, despite being inferior in design, were still deadly in the hands of skilled pilots. And from the intelligence reports, these were no ordinary terrorists.

As the Lancelot touched down on the cracked pavement of a narrow street, Suzaku's sensors immediately picked up several hostile signatures nearby. The Sutherland Knightmares were within striking distance.

"Target acquired," Suzaku muttered under his breath, adjusting the Lancelot's stance. His fingers danced across the controls, activating the Blaze Luminous Shielding System. The Lancelot's arms flared to life, shimmering with a golden hue as the energy shield enveloped the frame and is used to block the incoming bullets from the enemy units.

The Sutherland pilot, now desperate, attempted a close-quarters strike with a stun tonfa. But Suzaku was faster. He fired the Slash Harken on the Lancelot Right arm down and used it to propel the unit up into the air to dodge the attack before firing its other Slash Harkens that struck the Sutherland's legs.

The purple Knightmare's knees buckled, sending it crashing to the ground in a flurry of sparks and debris. The terrorist pilot scrambled to regain control, but it was too late. The Lancelot's fist came down with a bone-shattering force, smashing through the Sutherland's head and eliminating the threat with a single blow.

"that's another one…" Suzaku spoke before he grunted in pain and touched the side of where he was once shot upon. "ugh!"

"Suzaku-kun, good job. That's the last enemy Knightmare in the radar." Cecile spoke out on Suzaku's comms. "get back to rest and let the military handle the remnants of the terrorists."

"I'm alright." Suzaku grunted. "I'll continue on and sweep through the place before.." he stopped when his HUD spotted a single Sutherland Knightmare hiding in the ruins of a tall building. "that is?"

"What's wrong, Suzaku-kun?" Cecile asks.

"I've spotted a Sutherland unit hiding." Suzaku replied. "it doesn't seem to be moving nor hostile, but…" he got cut off mid sentence when his radar picked up a signal of another Knightmare unit coming straight for his location on top speed. "Cecile-san, I got another enemy coming in."

"eh?" Cecile responded while the Lancelot spins around and faces the incoming Sutherland unit. "how many are there?"

"just one." Suzaku responded, the young man felt himself tense as his fingers tightened on the controls, he didn't know why but he felt that this Knightmare's pilot might be different from the rest.

A few seconds later, the Sutherland appeared in his sight, emerging from behind a dilapidated building. Its silhouette was sharp, its movements swift. Suzaku's eyes narrowed, recognizing the machine for what it was, yet something about it screamed danger.

"just one unit that is the same as the rest and yet…" Suzaku watches the Sutherland as it moves around the Lancelot's area in circling it like it was trying to examine it. "what is this feeling?"

The Sutherland circled around a few more times before it stops a few feet in front of the Lancelot.

Suzaku looks at the Sutherland unit that stands before him, the purple mass produced Knightmare didn't make a move as the pilot was still analyzing him.

Inside the Sutherland is Athrun who has got to the location and is watching the Lancelot from his safe distance.

"so that's the Club's successor, huh?" Athrun whispers as he checks the log data on the Lancelot in the Sutherland and finds it registered. "a new unit that has been brought out to be tested, is it?"

"Athrun, I'm in position." Cagalli called out on the comms as the blonde has her Sutherland positioned on top of a broken down building's inside and is ready to snipe. "just give me the go to shoot the guy down."

"I know, Cagalli." Athrun replied as he grips the control rods. "but first, let me test this guy out."

"wait, what?" Cagalli said before Athrun's Sutherland got into a stance with its Landspinner spinning fast before it rushes straight for the Lancelot. "h-hey!"

The Sutherland deployed its left arm's Stun Tonfa as it proceeded to use its Assault Rifle to fire several shots against the Lancelot that zooms back to dodge them.

"he's good!" Athrun exclaimed as he increased the Sutherland's speed to the point he was catching up to the Lancelot.

"he accelerated!?" Suzaku looks surprised for a moment before he proceeded to go on the offense. He gripped his controllers and then thrusts them forward to launch the Lancelot against the Sutherland that swung its Stun Tonfa that it blocked with its right arm's Blaze Luminous. "not enough!"

Athrun wasn't fazed by the response. The Sutherland pushes itself back and did a crouched spin to dodge the Lancelot's launched Slash Harken then it dashes in to ram its shoulder against the white Knightmare's chest and pushed it back.

"ugh?!" Suzaku grunted as he quickly got the Lancelot to regain its balance and zooms back to dodge a hail of bullets from the Sutherland. "This guy! he is different from the rest!"

Cagalli watched the battle from her spot, the blonde seeing how Athrun's Sutherland is locked in close combat against Suzaku's Lancelot.

"That guy." Cagalli whispers. "does he plan to take it out or what?"

The Assault Rifle of Athrun's Sutherland flashes as it fires bullets towards the Lancelot, but Suzaku dodged them with a swift motion, he pulled the Lancelot to the side, narrowly avoiding the incoming bullets. He could feel his muscles straining from the effort, the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he executed the maneuver.

The Sutherland didn't let up. It was relentless, its assault rifle firing in quick bursts, each shot aimed with deadly intent. Suzaku's mind raced, assessing the situation. The Lancelot had the edge in terms of agility, but the Sutherland was a tough opponent. Every time the white knightmare's pilot tried to get in close, the Sutherland's pilot either blocked or countered with its own weapon.

"Dammit," Suzaku muttered, frustration creeping into his mind. The Sutherland was too good. Every move he made was countered, every strike he delivered blocked or deflected. There was no opening.

The Sutherland stood unmoving, its sleek form silhouetted against the chaotic background of the Shinjuku Ghetto. Athrun stayed calm inside the cockpit, his senses attuned to every sound and movement around him.

"this guy is without a doubt an ace pilot if he could work his Knightmare like that.." Athrun spoke out as he checks his Sutherland's systems and sees his ammunition being a bit short after such usage in the battle. "if I'm going to be fighting this guy till I take him out of the board…"

Athrun's fingers danced over the controls, his body reacting instinctively as the Sutherland's systems synchronized with his movements. He raised the Sutherland's assault rifle and fired, aiming to catch the Lancelot off guard.

Suzaku saw the muzzle flash from the corner of his eye. With a sudden twist, the Lancelot's Landspinner flared, sending it into a sharp roll. The rounds missed by mere inches, the heat from the shots grazing the sides of the Lancelot's frame. The Sutherland was relentless, though. Athrun immediately began to adjust, aiming again, but Suzaku wasn't waiting.

The Lancelot surged forward, the Slash Harkens on its arms were readied. The Sutherland is also ready as it threw away its Assault Rifle that is now without ammo before readying both Stun Tonfa.

"Raaahh!" Suzaku and Athrun roared out as both Knightmares collided with a thunderous crash, their weapons of choice meeting with a deafening clang.

While the battle occurs, the hidden Sutherland watches the battle as so did Lelouch who was analyzing the situation.

"What is this?" Lelouch muttered under his breath, his voice a mix of frustration and curiosity. He activated his comm link, addressing the remaining four resistance fighters in their stolen Sutherlands. "Do any of you recognize that white Knightmare? And the Sutherland it's fighting—it's not one of ours, is it?"

A moment of silence passed before one of the resistance pilots hesitantly responded. "N-No... The white Knightmare isn't Britannian standard, and that Sutherland—it's not one of ours either. But… it's holding its own pretty well."

Lelouch frowned, his mind racing. A white Knightmare engaging in an isolated duel with an unaffiliated Sutherland? The situation defied logic. He toggled the view on his monitors, catching glimpses of the battle. The white Knightmare moved with incredible speed and precision, its advanced systems evident in the way it dodged and countered the Sutherland's strikes. Yet, the Sutherland's pilot fought back fiercely, utilizing terrain and clever maneuvers to keep the white machine occupied.

"This isn't part of Britannia's forces… nor mine. Who are they?" Lelouch muttered, half to himself.

Another resistance pilot chimed in, their voice tinged with awe. "Whoever's in that Sutherland, they're good. Real good. They're keeping that white Knightmare busy like it's nothing."

Lelouch's frown deepened. "Good or not, this wasn't in the plan," he said, more to himself than anyone else. "I can't afford unknown variables interfering." He took a deep breath, quickly recalibrating his strategy. He toggled his comm link again, issuing new orders to the resistance pilots. "Listen carefully, we'll use this distraction to our advantage. I want the four of you to form a wedge formation and push through the Britannian line. Create an opening path for me."

"Roger that!" As the resistance pilots began maneuvering their Sutherlands, Lelouch couldn't help but glance once more at the duel on his monitor. The white Knightmare continued its relentless assault, but the lone Sutherland pilot refused to yield, using evasive tactics and counterattacks to keep the enemy at bay.

"Whoever they are," Lelouch mused, "they're either incredibly skilled or incredibly reckless."

The resistance Sutherlands pressed forward, their coordinated assault carving a temporary gap in Britannia's defenses. Explosions lit up the battlefield as the stolen units engaged enemy forces, providing Lelouch the opportunity he needed.

"Good," Lelouch muttered, satisfied. "Now for the next phase." He activated his comm link again. "Your job is done. Regroup with the rest of the team immediately. I'll handle the rest from here."

"Understood" The resistance fighters retreated to rejoin their comrades, Lelouch pushed his Sutherland forward, the stolen machine weaving through the temporary opening. His goal was clear: reach Clovis and bring an end to this operation.

Yet, his mind lingered on the peculiar scene unfolding in the distance. The unknown Sutherland and the white Knightmare continued their duel, their movements a blur of calculated aggression and nimble defense. Lelouch couldn't shake the nagging sense of intrigue—and foreboding—that this encounter stirred within him.

"Just who are you?" Lelouch murmured to the unseen pilots.

But there was no time for answers. Focusing his attention on the mission at hand, he pressed onward, his determination unshaken even as the chaos of the battlefield roared around him.

Suzaku gritted his teeth, feeling the force of the impact reverberate through the Lancelot's frame. His systems warned him of the stress on the servos, but he ignored it.

The Lancelot's Slash Harken' blades grazes against the Sutherland's Stun Tonfas before both Knightmares pushed each other away. Suzaku moved forward as his Knightmare came down in a quick strike, aimed at the Sutherland's midsection.

Athrun's response was immediate, twisting the Sutherland into a quick sidestep, avoiding the strike. His fingers moved expertly over the controls, bringing the Sutherland's Stun Tonfas up to meet the Lancelot's Slash Harken blades, blocking the next attack with expert timing.

Suzaku was momentarily thrown off balance, the Sutherland's Stun Tonfa locked against his Lancelot's Slash Harken. For a moment, they were at a standstill. But Suzaku knew this wouldn't last. He disengaged, pushing the Lancelot back with its Landspinners.

Athrun didn't allow the distance to last long. With a grunt of determination, he propelled the Sutherland forward, closing the gap between them again. He rushed his Knightmare's Stun Tonfa to get swung straight towards the Lancelot's torso, but Suzaku followed in countering the attack by getting the Lancelot to dodge to the side then pushed itself back in distancing itself.

"hey, Athrun! Don't get too close on that guy!" Cagalli exclaimed to Athrun on the comms. "it doesn't take a genius for anyone to see that thing is made for close combat!"

"I know!" Athrun replied as he adjusted the stance of his Sutherland before deploying the Knightmare's Slash Harkens, sending the harpoons toward the Lancelot.

Suzaku saw the harpoons coming, but he was already moving, the Lancelot twisting and flipping in midair, dodging the first harpoon. The second one came closer, grazing the side of the Lancelot's armor and sending sparks flying.

"This guy is so strong!" Suzaku grunted before he groaned in pain when his wound felt that it was reopening. "u-ugh?!"

The Lancelot landed before it got a bit off balance when the pilot didn't properly adjusted to its spot.

"It wavered?" Athrun spoke out before thinking that the pilot might not be well. "If that's the case." The Sutherland rushes in as it prepares to uses its Stun Tonfas again. "how about this!?"

"he comes!" Suzaku grunted before he held in the pain and got the Lancelot to rush in and the two Knightmares clashed again.

The Lancelot's arms swings in fast and slices with its Slash Harken that meet and collide against the Sutherland's Stun Tonfas. Each strike from the white Knightmare rang out like thunder, sending shockwave grunts against Athrun in the cockpit.

Suzaku's face was set with determination, each action fueled by a singular desire to break his opponent's defenses. The Sutherland's defenses isn't finite and Athrun knows that and therefore could only hold back before he pushes back when the Lancelot staggered a bit due to the pilot's injury. The pilot swings its unit's tonfa that is blocked by the white Knightmare's right arm before its left arm proceeded to swing a fist that the purple Knightmare caught. Both now caught in a power struggle.

Groaning grunts are heard from Athrun and Suzaku as both are trying to overpower the other in this conflict.

Each machine began to groan under the strain, their limbs shuddering with the effort. The Lancelot's servos flared, trying to break free, but the Sutherland's servos kept it grounded. Athrun used his weight to his advantage, pushing his machine forward, the purple knightmare's legs digging into the rubble beneath it, anchoring itself against the Lancelot's might.

"This guy!?" Athrun groaned as he hears constant beeping from a monitor showing that the Sutherland's arm and leg servos were being overworked.

"Athrun! Move!" Cagalli shouted out as Athrun made a surprised noise before he hears a warning about an incoming projectile. The man quickly pushed the controls in making the Sutherland ram its head against the Lancelot which gave it the opportunity to retreat back.

"wait!" Suzaku shouted before he gasps and moves the Lancelot away to dodge a bullet that nearly hit it. "a shot!? From where!?" the Knightmare uses its Factsphere sensor and found that the shot came from a few miles from its current position. "a sniper?!"

"Thanks, Cagalli!" Athrun accessed the damages and sees that the servos and motors of his Knightmare are failing soon. "anymore of that and my Knightmare would be limbless!"

"That's why you should've let me snipe the guy down!" Cagalli exclaimed as she readied his Sutherland's Assault Rifle for another shot. "Athrun, all civilians have been evacuated here! We should just retreat for now!"

"yeah, this guy is too strong with that Knightmare of his." Athrun said as he checks the reading of his Energy Filler's status that is already a quarter of its full percentage.

Athrun pivoted the Sutherland's body, igniting its servos to spin the Landspinner to put as much distance as possible between him and the advancing Lancelot. Dust and debris kicked up in a thick cloud around him as he wove through the ruined terrain, trying to find an opening in the wreckage that might hide him long enough to flee.

"retreating now?! Like I let you!" Suzaku exclaimed as he was not about to let him go so easily. The Lancelot's Landspinner units whirled at full speed, letting it close the gap with startling precision and speed.

Suzaku maneuvered around debris effortlessly, his Knightmare's agility far surpassing the Sutherland's.

With practiced precision, Suzaku extended the Lancelot's right arm, his target set on the Sutherland's right limb. He lined up the shot and fired its Slash Harken that flew in hard. Athrun saw it coming as he tried to repel it with his Knightmare's right arm Stun Tonfa, but the blade of the projectile went and cuts the entire arm off before the weapon could be deployed.

"d-damnit!" Athrun grunted as his machine nearly staggered and fall but he kept a good control on its movement.

"Athrun!" Cagalli called out before her Sutherland fired several shots at the Lancelot that dodged them all by spinning and twirling around. "what?! He dodged them!?"

"you're not going away!" Suzaku shouted as the Lancelot's Yggdrasil Drive processing faster as this allowed the white Knightmare to jump high into the air and landed right in front of the Sutherland that staggered in breaking its acceleration.

"How the hell could his Knightmare jump like that!?" Cagalli exclaimed while Athrun growled in frustration as his Sutherland readied its last Stun Tonfa.

Another clash began once again as the Sutherland's Stun Tonfa collided against the swung Slash Harken of the Lancelot that is grinding against each other and creates sparks.

"tch!" Athrun growls as he tried to push the Lancelot back but his Sutherland's servos were failing from the stress that he is putting on them. "not now!"

"take this!" Suzaku exclaimed as he pushes the Sutherland back before he proceeded to swing the Slash Harken's blade down and cuts off the purple Knightmare's left leg.

"damnit!" Athrun grunted before he braces the shock of his Sutherland crashing its front to the ground with a violent thud. The purple Knightmare lay in the dirt, immobilized, its limbs crippled and its movement rendered useless.

Suzaku took deep breathes as he just had a struggle against an opponent that could've defeated him if the Sutherland was better than the Lancelot.

"this is Lancelot, I've subdued a terrorist member." Suzaku spoke out. "the member might be the leader." He brought the Lancelot closer, while reaching a hand towards the cockpit block. "proceeding to capture the terrorist member."

As the Lancelot was going to grab hold of the down Sutherland's cockpit block, a shot rang out and a bullet pierced through the unit's right shoulder and busted its entire arm.

"w-wha!? The sniper!?" Suzaku forgot about the sniper as he ejected the Lancelot's right arm and then jumps away to dodge another shot from the sniper.

"Athrun! Eject! Now!" Cagalli shouted as she continues shooting at the Lancelot that dodged and moved away.

"r-right!" Athrun groans a bit as he shakes his head before he grabs hold of both ejection lever and pulls them up. The Sutherland's cockpit hatch hissed open, and core block flew away with a burst of compressed air, rocketing away from the battlefield.

Suzaku's eyes snapped to the ascending pod, realizing what was happening. He considered chasing after it, but after seeing that his Energy Filler was only a third of a full charge, he didn't want to risk catching after it without being shot by the sniper.

"damnit!" Suzaku growled a bit before he gasps and moves the Lancelot back from another shot from the sniper.

Cagalli fired a few more shots of the Sutherland's Assault Rifle that made the Lancelot move back even more before it stops.

"that should be enough." Cagalli said as she checks on where Athrun's ejection block had flown off. "better regroup now."

The Sutherland gets out of its hiding space and then jumps down before dashing off to exit the battlefield.

Suzaku watched, frustration etched across his face as the escape pod disappeared into the distance, his objective slipping from his grasp. The Lancelot stood alone, the remains of Athrun's Sutherland scattered across the ground as smoke and silence settled over the battlefield once more.

Time soon passes as the ruined Shinjuku Ghetto is in a tattered state.

Currently, Kallen is found running around the smoking battlefield, she had to eject out of her Glasgow after it ran out of power and was damaged. She is now just making an escape before she finds a warehouse on the right from which came out Ohgi.

"hurry, Kallen!" Ohgi called out to Kallen as the two then entered the warehouse to hide from any Britannians.

"Are you alright?" Ohgi asked her after they entered the warehouse that serves as a shelter for them and refugees.

"I'm fine," Kallen replied. "but I had to get out of my Glasgow when It ran out of energy."

"that's alright." Ohgi nodded. "did you get any call from the guy who was helping us?"

"no, nothing." Kallen replied while taking out her radio. "after the call about an unknown Knightmare coming in on the attack, there's been nothing but silence."

"I think there might be something going on outside." Inoue came to the two after hearing their conversation. "before coming here, me and Minami saw that a single Sutherland was facing off against the unknown Knightmare. It fought against it hard and was in a stand still for a good 10 minutes."

"was it one of us?" Ohgi asks.

"no way." Inoue replied while shaking her head. "none of us could do the stuff that the Sutherland pilot did. Can you imagine Tamaki doing something like that?"

"no." Ohgi and Kallen replied in unison while Tami who was in the background made a "Huh?" sound as if he heard his name called.

As this conversation was going on, the ground suddenly rumbles a bit.

"what's going on now!?" Kallen exclaimed.

The door burst open suddenly, and a squad of Britannian soldiers stormed in with a tank. Their machine guns raised and ready. The squad leader sneered, his gaze sweeping over the group of Japanese civilians before settling his pistol on Ohgi.

"how the hell did they find us!?" Ohgi exclaimed.

"it's that guy's fault!" Tamaki shouted. "because of following that stranger's voice, he must've tipped the Brits about our hideout!"

"So, this is where you Elevens scurried of to." The squad leader spoke out while on top of the tank. "he then raises his hand. "prepare to fire!"

The soldiers raised their weapons in unison, preparing to fire. This instantly terrified everyone as they thought that their time was up.

Kallen, standing at the rear, felt her muscles tense. She was unarmed and outnumbered, but she clenched her fists, determined not to go down without a fight.

"Oniichan…" Kallen spoke out in a whisper, remembering her older brother who died doing what he wanted to do for Japan.

Just as the squad leader opened his mouth to give the order, the ground trembles for a moment.

"w-what is this!?" the squad leader looks confused as he turns and gasps when he sees four Sutherland Units readying their Assault Rifles at his team. "n-no!"

Loud gunshots are heard as the Sutherland units unloaded their bullets and killed the Britannian soldiers in cold blood.

"you guys alright?!" a pilot of the Sutherlands called out as everyone else let out a sigh of relief.

"thank god you guys came in time!" Ohgi said, relieved that everyone is still alive.

"yeah.." Kallen said and sighs with a smile. "I'm glad that we still have a few of the enemy machines with us, if we didn't.."

"Attention all forces!" Clovis' voice suddenly rang out as this caused everyone to be quiet and listen to his words. "Cease fire at once! I, Clovis, Third Prince of Britannia and Royal Viceroy of Area 11, hereby command you! All forces are to cease fire at once! All destruction of property shall cease immediately! The wounded, whether they be Eleven or Britannian, are to be treated with equal care. In the name of Clovis la Britannia, I shall allow no further fighting!"

This was heard by all as it surprises many and confuses dozens.

In the distance of the area, Cagalli piloted her Sutherland and carried Athrun on its right hand, the blonde making an escape with him but stopped when the announcement was heard.

"What was that?" Cagalli spoke out. "the Viceroy stopped the massacre he started? Just what is going on?"

Athrun wondered the same thing, but he should think about it for a later time.

"let's go before we get caught, Cagalli." Athrun told Cagalli who nodded before getting the Sutherland to enter an underground driveway and escapes the Ghetto without anyone knowing.

In the shadowed command center of the G-1 Base, Clovis la Britannia turned slowly in his throne, his outward poise concealing the ripple of fear running through him as he faced the figure leaning against the wall, pistol raised in his direction.

"Are you satisfied?" Clovis asked, his voice carrying a forced arch tone, his noble demeanor masking the anxiety gnawing within. It took every ounce of his training to keep his voice steady, his expression untouched by the terror of being held at gunpoint.

The figure straightened, his tone laced with amusement. "Indeed. You did very well." His voice held a condescension that made Clovis' jaw tighten.

Clovis' right eye twitched, a flash of anger mingling with his fear. Regaining control, he spoke with pointed sarcasm. "So what now? Shall i sing a few lively ballads? Or perhaps engage in a game of chess?"

The figure chuckled, as if finding the idea of chess both amusing and nostalgic. "Chess, you say?" he murmured, humor creeping into his tone. "That brings back memories, doesn't it?"

Clovis' expression faltered, and the faintest frown tugged at his mouth. The figure seemed to relish the effect of his words as he raised his free hand and, slowly and deliberately, removed his helmet, revealing a face Clovis hadn't seen in years.

"Don't you remember?" the man continued, his voice now entirely free of the mask he'd worn, a darkly amused smile on his face. "As boys, we played chess all the time at the Aries Villa. I always won, of course."

Clovis sat up sharply, his back rigid against the cold of his throne as a chilling recognition crept over him. His mouth fell open, eyes wide with disbelief and terror. "Who…who are you?" he managed to whisper, his voice choked by shock.

The figure took a step forward, stepping fully into the dim light, his voice filled with a mocking familiarity. "It's been a long time… Big Brother."

Clovis' face drained of color, the words catching in his throat. "L-Lelouch?!" he stammered, his eyes wide, uncomprehending. "Is… is it really you?"

"Yes, Brother," Lelouch replied, his voice brimming with icy contempt. With a mocking flourish, he gave a Britannian salute. "Eldest son of the late consort Marianne vi Britannia and 17th in line to the Imperial Throne, Lelouch vi Britannia, at your service."

Clovis felt as though the floor had dropped out from under him. Lelouch's piercing gaze bored into him, as calculating and unyielding as ever. It was no longer the face of the boy he remembered but one of a man hardened by exile, his eyes gleaming with a vengeful purpose.

"I have returned, your highness," Lelouch continued, his voice soft, laced with something dark and resolute, each word like a knife. "And I will change everything."

In the oppressive silence of the command center, those words reverberated with the force of a death sentence. Clovis could do nothing but stare, helplessly ensnared in the gaze of the brother he'd thought was lost.

That's a wrap

Bye bye