The War After the Breakup
The black and cold muzzle was pointed at the back of Lelouch's head. A few soldiers wearing black helmets put shackles on Lelouch's hands, and at the same time, they pushed Lelouch into a ZT-model armored vehicle in a rough and barbaric manner. [Hurry up!] (ZT armored vehicle, made in Germany. It was known as the world's most expensive armored vehicle, wrapped in 20 centimeters of composite steel. Unless it was a specialized armor-piercing bullet, it would be very difficult to destroy. An engine with 1000 horsepower could easily climb to the peak. Even if the tires burst, it could still drive at high speed.）。
[I didn't expect that ZERO was really a student behind her mask.]」Guilford didn't look like a military officer. Instead, he wore glasses and looked angry. What was surprising was that he was indeed a military officer. Moreover, he was the knight under the direct command of the second princess of the Butanian Empire, Cornelia, and also her advisor.
Without saying anything else, Guilford closed the car door. Three gray and black Gawain clone machines hovered above the armored vehicle, guarding the surroundings.
" That's so sad." A gentle voice came from the display screen installed on the seat. Lelouch looked as if he had received a shock and stared at the screen that lit up in front of him with wide eyes.
"The assassin of the Britania royal family. His real identity is actually my younger brother.」The usually elegant and indifferent Second Prince, Shugel, was frowning slightly as he looked at his younger brother on the screen. It was as if he could no longer stand Lelouch's actions. It was like a brother who had always loved his younger brother and was reprimanded for doing something wrong. Her pure blue eyes seemed to be filled with complexity, shock, and anger towards her younger brother?
After a brief moment of shock, Lelouch's eyes were filled with hatred. His bright purple eyes looked as if he wanted to burn the man in front of him. He gritted his teeth and said,"Shunigel!」
[Long time no see, Lelouch.] "I'll go mediate with His Majesty," said Shunigel, who still looked helpless.」He paused."Of course, although you can't escape punishment, you might still be able to keep your life."
[Are you sympathizing with me?] Xiu Nigel!"
This attitude again! Hugh Nigel! Because of this, you are one of the people I hate the most!
Lelouch's voice was hoarse as he thought about this.
"Lelouch, even now, I still regard you as my younger brother. I won't harm you. Can't you trust me?」Shawnigel's expression turned serious, and his eyebrows furrowed.
[Believe?] Lelouch seemed to have heard a joke.
[Yes, trust your royal brother.]
" That's a pity. I don't trust anyone anymore. Moreover, Lelouch's left eyeball glowed with a red light as he gently pulled his collar with his right hand. [It's the Britania royal family?!]
Guildford, who was sitting in Knighmare, had been watching Lelouch's every move in the armored vehicle through the screen. He suddenly let out a surprised voice,"Your Highness!」As if he was hallucinating,"Cornelia", who was sitting in the armored vehicle, asked him for help!「Yes! YourHighness!」
Before Knight could even notice what was happening, he was killed by a knight's spear.
"Hmph, you finally noticed, Guildford.」Lelouch laughed softly.
"Lord Guildford! What are you doing!" On the other side, a knight wearing goggles roared angrily.
"You are! Why did they arrest the princess?」As he said that, Guilford controlled Knight to pull down the door of the armored vehicle. Lelouch had unshackled himself and climbed onto Guilford's Mech.
" Even Lord Guilford..." On the other side, Nigel sat on the sofa and muttered to himself. [It seems that what you said was true.]
[Lelouch!] The Pinnacle Vermilion Bird shouted at the top of his lungs as he watched the Mech fly away.
Lelouch, who was sitting on Knight's shoulder, looked back disdainfully.
Farewell, my first and last friend! I'll treat everything you've done as a declaration of war against me!
The M4A1s in the hands of a few soldiers spat out fire snakes, and the shells scattered all over the ground, trying to hit Lelouch. However, as Knight flew further and further away, he stopped his futile efforts.
However, on the stairs, the Pinnacle Vermilion Bird couldn't care less about the dust on his face. He stared in disbelief at the beautiful adjutant in front of him. [You, you mean, all of this is…]
"Yeah," Garen interrupted the Vermilion Bird as he ruffled the hair on his cheek, looking as if he had won. "Everything was ordered by His Highness Shunigel. As long as I follow you, I will find ZERO.」
The Vermilion Bird looked as if she had been discovered. She couldn't help but let out a low voice,"Ah?」
"Your Highness has already noticed it long ago. Your relationship with ZERO is extraordinary.」
[Gum]
********************************************
At dusk, a huge spacecraft appeared in the sky above the Tokyo concession. It was the prototype of the Britannia Army's hovering spacecraft, Avalon. And in the Knightmares 'dedicated air combat garage under the Zenith Main Bridge, a woman was watching the Knightmares above her with a complicated expression. The woman with shoulder-length hair and a valiant military uniform was Captain Cecil Cormie, the deputy director of the " Camelot " development team of Knightmares.
At this moment, Cecil's fingers were on the keyboard that could directly control Knight Mare, but there was no movement.
[Have you completed the preparation of the cannon missile and the balance of the body?」
A voice suddenly came from behind him, and Cecil could not help but turn around. At the entrance to the cabin, a bespectacled man in white, the director of Camelot, Count Lloyd Asplind, appeared.
It seemed like Lloyd had just woken up. He scratched his head with a sleepy expression as he walked over. Cecil nodded at him and replied," Yes."
"Generally speaking. Only the special weapons needed some special adjustments.」
[Ah, that can't be helped ~~]
Lloyd replied indifferently and yawned.
"However, if this is the case, the maneuverability will be reduced again. She's getting further and further away from my type. If Albion completed it, he might be able to improve.」
" We're not talking about whether you like it or not-"
Cecil sighed softly.
[I still object to this!]
The White Knight was sitting in front of the two of them without a word. The engine of the Seventh Knight, Lancelot Conquista, was turned off, so there was no sound of the machine running. Only Cecil and Lloyd's voices echoed in the warehouse. Cecil looked up at Lancelot again. Then, he continued.
[To carry strategic weapons onto tactical weapons...]
[If that's the case-]
Lloyd shrugged his shoulders.
" However, this is an order from His Highness Shunigel. Moreover, its power was indeed astonishing. Didn't you see it too? Images and data of that experiment."
[I said that because I saw it.」
Yes, Cecil had indeed seen it, so he knew. An explosion experiment conducted in a laboratory in Britania. The latest warhead design completed. It was called Freyja.
The Lancelot in front of him was equipped with the latest weapon, Freyja.
" This is a weapon that can cause immeasurable destruction and slaughter if used carelessly. It was understandable if it was just a strategic weapon to suppress the threat of the opponent... but why install it on a personally operated Knight? This is completely unnecessary, right?"
[You are absolutely right. But for us, deciding how to use weapons is not our job.」
[But…]
[Are you going to disobey the military order? He was a very stubborn person. Moreover, he was the type who could smile and say,"There's a good job in Siberia." In the end, he would still make this weapon according to his own ideas.」
」......」
"So even if we refuse, he still has a second or third plan. He was not an easy person to deal with!」
Lloyd said calmly, while Cecil remained silent. She just stared at the keyboard in her hand and lowered her shoulders in disappointment. After a while, Cecil asked Lloyd in a low voice.
[…Where is Lord Vermillion Bird?]
[In my own room.] However, there seemed to be some problems on his side now, and it was not easy to deal with them.」
***********************************************
In a certain room on the ship, the Vermilion Bird was facing two people. One of them was the Prime Minister of the Holy Britania Empire, Nigel L. Britania. He was tall and had long golden hair. Standing beside him was his adjutant, Count Garen Maldini.
"... So, I was under surveillance from the beginning?」
The Vermilion Bird asked in a low voice. Instead of answering his question directly, he pressed the button on the recorder beside him. Although there was some noise mixed in, they could still clearly distinguish the identity of the person who spoke inside.
"I'm sure of one thing. Did you use Geass on Yuffie?」
[Hmm…]
It was a conversation that had taken place in the shrine. The Vermilion Bird frowned. When did he start…No, the Vermilion Bird suddenly understood. In fact, he had long noticed that this Nigel's personality and methods were completely different from the emperor's. Moreover, he seemed to have completely understood the Emperor's movements and goals. In that case, was he using her as a breakthrough point? Perhaps, ever since he was promoted to the seventh knight by the emperor. He had already begun to target her. Although he had always been very careful, he didn't expect that he would still
[Lelouch escaped.]
Shunigel suddenly said after turning off the switch of the recorder.
"Although we did catch him then. However, during the escort mission, Guilford, who was in charge of escorting him, suddenly ran away with him.」
[Guilford…]
[Seventh Knight.] Don't you know the reason for Guilford's betrayal?」
「......」
Vermilion Bird did not answer Shugel's question. However, this was definitely not a denial. Yes, the Vermilion Bird knew the reason. The only person who could make Lord Guilford, known as the " Vanguard of the Empire " and known for his loyalty and benevolence, give his all and die with all his might was Cornelia. Therefore, he was definitely not the kind of person who would submit to Lelouch and ZERO. There was no one else who could twist such a firm will of Gilbert other than Lelouch's absolute order, Geass.
[You said the same thing when you took action on the island, didn't you?」
The Vermilion Bird became even more silent in the face of Shugel's question. Garen, who was standing next to Shugel, stared at him with a sharp gaze that seemed to pierce through the Vermilion Bird.
[Shouldn't we be chasing after ZERO now?」The Vermilion Bird seemed to be unable to endure such a scrutinizing gaze and spoke.
"Right now, we lack very important information.」Garen, who was half a head taller than the Vermilion Bird, did not seem to want to let him get away with it. "And that is the information you know.」
Finally, Shawnigel sighed deeply and said to the Vermilion Bird.
[Pinnacle Vermilion Bird.]
「！」
The Vermilion Bird was surprised. This was the first time that he had been called by his full name. Usually, he would only call her Shu Muqing or the Seventh Knight, but never the Vermilion Bird.
[Who are you? The Pinnacle Vermilion Bird?"
Shugel repeated his name.
[Japanese? Honorary Britanians? The Seventh Knight? Or the son of Prime Minister Xuanwu? Lelouch's good friend? A knight of Eufemia?"
The Vermilion Bird held the white knight badge tightly in her hand. It was the knight badge of Eufemia that he wore when he forced Lelouch to tell the truth.
Shugel glanced at the Vermilion Bird with a resentful gaze.
"If you refuse to tell us, then all of us will have no choice but to throw ourselves into an unfair war.……How long do you plan to continue this tragic chain reaction?」
Even so, the Vermillion Bird remained silent.
********************************************************
The Vermilion Bird was no longer in the room.
Only Nigel was left sitting on the sofa. He held a crystal wine glass in his hand, and a bottle of aged wine was placed on the table in front of him. He poured the reddish-purple wine into the wine glass in his hand and then looked at the foliage plants in the room through the wine glass.
At this moment, the door of the room was pulled open. The adjutant Garen, who had just left the room, walked in happily. Shugel said to Garen as he continued to stare at the cup without turning his head.
[What a stubborn guy.」
The solemnity on Shugel's face was gone, and a faint smile appeared on his face. Garen stopped in his tracks when he reached the door of the house, but he immediately walked to the side of Shawnigel.
"No matter what we do, this is the only information we can get. The other party is a member of His Majesty's knight order, so we can't take any forceful measures against him.」
Shuugel gestured for Garen to sit on the sofa opposite him, and Garen continued to speak as he sat down.
"However, do you really intend to give the Freyja warheads to Shu Mu-qing?」
Shugel did not answer Garen's question immediately. Instead, he poured the wine in his glass into his mouth and poured another glass for Garen before continuing.
"You mean he doesn't know how to use this weapon?」
[Not only that, I think he might even bring Lancelot to ZERO's camp!]」
"A very creative idea, but the problem now isn't with him, but with my younger brother, Garen. Do you understand the so-called principle of 'deep love leads to intense hate'?」
After all, the current Lelouch would not accept the Vermilion Bird.
[Although it is true…]
Garen took the cup and said with a troubled expression.
"However, I still can't trust Shu Mu-qing as much as you do. If, if Shu Muqing really did that, what would you do?」
[No choice]
Shawnigel replied with a faint smile.
"If that's the case, I'll have to prepare other chess pieces. In any case, other than the Freyja that was mounted on Shu Muqing's Knight, we had other options.」
[I see…]
"Of course, if he wishes to choose a humiliating and dishonorable death, that is his freedom.」
Shawnigel refilled his empty glass with fine wine. The sweet fragrance of the wine instantly filled the entire room. This was somewhat inappropriate in Avalon, which was a warship. However, due to the special status and identity of Nigel, no one could object to this matter. In addition, they were not on a combat mission and were on standby. In order to better prepare for the upcoming mission, the soldiers in the ship were also resting.
Garen's gaze was fixed on the wine glass that was slowly being filled by Shugel. At this moment, Shugel suddenly spoke again.
[Speaking of which, I just received a report from Bertoris. Sure enough, Cornelia had been caught. Strangely, the enemy was not the Black Knights.」
Garen's eyes widened in shock.
[Is this true?]
[A few days ago, during ZERO's strange operation-]
Hugh put the bottle back on the table and continued.
[But no matter how you look at it, this seems like Lelouch's style. It was still in the ruins in Central Asia. ZERO seemed to have deployed troops there, and it just so happened that Cornelia was investigating the place as well.」
Hence, she was discovered by ZERO, who broke into the facility by force, and was captured. At present, there was no news of where she was imprisoned.
Speaking up to this point, Cang Naijie could not help but laugh bitterly.
[However, as expected of Bertolis, she still has a trick up her sleeve.]」
[What does that mean?]
"From the information she provided me on the disc. It was definitely not the complete original version, and the content included was less than the original data.」
Garen immediately understood what he meant.
"In other words, if you want to know the rest of the data, it depends on our attitude towards the incident with Cornelia?」
[Although she didn't say it explicitly…that's what she meant in the end.]」
[How presumptuous. Even an intelligence advisor couldn't be so rude to the Prime Minister of the Empire!」
" She is such a person, and this is the only way for her at the moment. Now, I can only agree to her conditions…"
" But even so," said Shawnigel as he shook his head.
" In this case, I can't ignore the matter of Cornelia. And if we can rescue Cornelia, we might be able to get some more accurate information. -- Garen, how's the situation now?"
[Yes.]
Garen placed the wine glass on the table and stood up from the sofa.
In fact, the flames of war had already ignited in District 11.
After ZERO escaped, he jumped down from Knighthood in a dense forest. He also gave Guildford the order to leave. Looking at Guildford, who was far away, Lelouch chuckled." It seems that you have a loyal knight." Royal Sister." After he returned to the Black Knights, he immediately gave the order to gather the troops and march toward District 11 in cooperation with the Chinese Federal Army.
Of course, there was no war in the Tokyo concession where Shunigel, Garen, and Governor Nunnally, who was about to resign, were located. However, the coastal areas of the Nine Provinces in the west had all entered combat mode. All the soldiers of the Chinese Federation who had accepted the rescue request of the former Chief Cabinet Officer, Atsuki Sawazaki, had arrived. The Black Knights, who had accepted the joint invitation of the United States, also led 200,000 troops under the command of their commander-in-chief, Li Xingke. A total of 6,500 warships set off from Penglai Island. The troops of the Empire's strongest knights, the First Knight and the Tenth Knight, who were responsible for the defense of the Jiuzhou coast, had already exchanged fire with the enemy forces two days ago. At present, the battle on the sea had entered a stalemate.
[Judging from the current situation. We don't need to send reinforcements yet."
Garen stood in front of the LCD panel that displayed the strategic map and explained his point of view.
"Whether it is in terms of quantity or quality, our Britania army has the advantage.」
[However, it is not enough to repel the enemy.」
Shawnigel looked at the map and stroked his chin.
[That's amazing, Li Xingke.] They dared to use their obviously inferior forces to contend with the First Knight and the Tenth Knight. Moreover, they fought to a standstill..."
In the dark room, a glimmer of light suddenly flashed in Shonigel's eyes.
[However, was his original goal this battlefield?」
Hearing this, Garen could not help but turn around and ask.
[Could it be that such a large-scale operation is a feint?」
[Of course, if there's a chance, Li Xingke will also take advantage of it.」
" Yes," Shunigel replied calmly.
"However, he would never be brave and foolhardy enough to launch an all-out assault. After all, the commander of the defense here was the First Knight. No matter how one looked at it, it was destined to enter a stalemate.」
The Black Knights had also engaged in small-scale skirmishes with the Trembling Army on the borders of Russia, India, and other countries. Only this side hadn't joined the battle yet and had been observing.
Garen nodded slightly, then asked Shugel again.
[Then do you think that the other party's target is still the Tokyo concession? The Black Knights are dispersing our forces in many places. Is their goal to launch a surprise attack on the Tokyo concession?」
Hugh Nigel said with a rare certainty.
[I don't care what Star Carving thinks for now, but my brother's goal in this battle is definitely here.」
" Are you talking about Governor Na Nali..."
" After breaking up with Shu Muqing, Lelouch had no other choice. What a sad guy."
From a strategic point of view, Lelouch's battle did not seem to be successful. No, there was nothing wrong with the feint attack itself. The problem was that Lelouch's intentions were completely seen through by the enemy commander, Shawnigel.
Garen, who was standing beside the map, thought about it for a moment before speaking in a very cautious tone.
"What is your brother, Lelouch, thinking about? Putting on ZERO's mask and engaging in such a battle with his hometown.」
[This is understandable.]
For some reason, a smile suddenly appeared on Nigel's face.
"Lelouch admired his father very much when he was very young.」
" His Majesty the Emperor?"
"Of course, even more so than his mother.」
However, everything changed when his mother died.
"Because he was betrayed by the person he trusted the most--that's why he hated her. The more emotional a person was, the easier it was for them to fall into such a quagmire of hatred.」
Shawnigel commented in an indifferent tone, but Garen's tone became more cautious.
"I see. That's the difference between him and you, isn't it?」
The smile on Shonigel's face suddenly disappeared. Seeing this, Garen hurriedly wanted to apologize, but Shonigel suddenly laughed again.
[Maybe.]
」......」
[Forget it, no matter what…]
Shawnigel did not look at Garen who was silent at the side, but reached out to pick up the wine glass again.
[Knowing that ZERO's real identity is my younger brother makes it easier to analyze his every move.」
As long as he considered Na Nali and his revenge as the center, it was easy to judge how Lelouch would think and act. This was Lelouch's fatal weakness. A scheme that could be seen through from the starting point of one's thoughts could hardly be called a scheme. Moreover, most of the effects had already been lost.
"Besides, this time, it's not just Na Nali, there's Shu Muqing too.」
[Then-]
Garen sorted out his emotions and suggested.
" Should I bring Her Excellency Governor Nunnally to your side and protect her in this Avalon? I don't think we should keep her in the Governor's Mansion. If ZERO's target is Governor Na Nali, shouldn't we strike first?"
However, Shawnigel smiled and shook his head.
"Leave it to Bertolis and the Intelligence Bureau.」
" Give it to Sir Francis?"
"Under such circumstances,'protection' isn't as effective as 'hide'. It was the same whether it was the enemy or himself. Especially from my point of view.」
"This... perhaps that's the case.」
"And this is also the job that the Special Agent Bureau is best at. Bertolis would definitely do well. Next, it's my turn to use the materials I've collected to destroy Cornelia and the Black Knights-"
Just as Nigel was halfway through his sentence.
A piercing alarm suddenly sounded from the ship. Garen immediately stood up with a serious expression. However, Nigel did not seem to care.
[It's a little earlier than I thought. Did this mean that Lelouch was also becoming anxious?」
The alarm signal from the bridge communicator caused the screen in the room to flash red.
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