[Location: Code Geass - Area 11 - Ashford Academy - Clubhouse Private Quarters.]
Lelouch Lamperouge stared at his reflection in the mirror, an ironic smile tugging at his lips.
"Heh..." he muttered. "My nerves still aren't quite strong enough for this...".
He had returned from the so-called "White Space" not long ago.
And as he reflected on what had transpired, that repulsive image surged back into his mind: lifeless bodies, severed heads rolling across the floor, and blood pooling without restraint.
Even now, he could swear he still heard the dull thud as they hit the ground.
That memory alone was enough to trigger another violent wave of nausea, forcing him to lean over the sink.
Dry-heaving all over again was inevitable.
The fact that he had managed to suppress the urge until now was a small miracle in itself—and maintaining a serene facade in front of the others had taken everything he had.
...
"None of them are normal..." he muttered, wiping his mouth.
He was far from the only one who had witnessed that grotesque scene, yet most of the others had appeared shockingly unfazed.
He recalled the boy with glasses, Keima Katsuragi. Of everyone present, Keima had shown the most visible reaction—he had looked utterly terrified.
Lelouch had fully expected him to snap, completely overwhelmed by the pressure.
Yet against all odds, Keima had simply pulled a handheld console from his pocket and begun pressing buttons without a word.
With that single gesture, his expression smoothed out, and the trembling in his body vanished entirely.
It was as if he had retreated into a world of his own creation.
"...Truly... abnormal..." Lelouch muttered, letting himself fall backward onto the bed.
It was already past midnight, and both his mind and body practically begged for rest.
Lacking the strength to keep overthinking, he closed his eyes.
And drifted off to sleep.
_____
[Location: Code Geass - Area 11 - Ashford Academy - Classroom.]
"Kallen Stadtfeld," Rivalz Cardemonde remarked, running through everything he knew about her in his head.
Just moments ago, upon returning to the classroom, he had caught Lelouch staring intently at her.
Kallen—a girl with vivid red hair brushed with soft pink highlights—sat quietly alongside her friends, calm as usual.
There was no doubt about it: Lelouch was interested.
And as a good friend, Rivalz wasn't about to let an opportunity like this slide.
Besides, it never hurt to have Lelouch owe him a favor.
"Turns out her health is a bit fragile," Rivalz continued, adopting a sympathetic tone. "Last year, she barely came to class."
Lelouch didn't look particularly invested in that detail, though Rivalz couldn't be entirely sure.
For someone her age, being sidelined by a condition beyond her control was genuinely unfortunate.
Still, Rivalz doubted that mattered much to Lelouch. He had known him long enough to know he wasn't the type to judge someone over physical limitations.
If Lelouch cared about anything, it was intellect.
"Her grades are top-tier, though!" Rivalz added immediately, as if presenting a rare and valuable artifact. "Plus, she's from the Stadtfeld family, so she has money and plenty of personality."
And, of course, there was her physical appearance.
Kallen Stadtfeld stood out even among the prettiest girls in school.
"Hyaaa~ You've got refined taste," Rivalz teased, grinning with amusement.
"It's not like that..." Lelouch replied, sounding slightly weary.
He had already told him as much, but Rivalz simply wasn't listening.
"Don't hide it, don't hide it~" Rivalz pressed on, thoroughly unconvinced.
Then he recalled one more detail.
"Though she's always surrounded by her friends... I'd say they're pretty protective of her...".
"That aside—do you happen to know of an animal shelter nearby?" Lelouch interjected abruptly, shifting the topic.
Regardless of whether their conversation might be overheard, he had far more pressing matters on his mind. He needed to conduct experiments with his new ability.
As for Kallen, he could address that situation later.
"Hmm... Yeah, I know one," Rivalz answered, caught off guard. "Why the sudden interest, though? I mean, you never seemed like the pet-owner type before..."
"I have my reasons," Lelouch replied calmly. "I'll explain later...".
_____
[Location: Code Geass - Area 11 - Ashford Academy - Clubhouse Private Quarters.]
That evening, Lelouch reclined on his soft, silent bed, mentally reviewing the day's events.
In simple terms, it had been a chaotic blur of shifting variables.
The incident with Kallen remained lingering in his thoughts. Depending on how her intentions aligned, he would need to deal with her accordingly.
To that end, he had already taken several preliminary precautions.
The voice recorder held firmly between his fingers served as sufficient proof.
As for the underlying issue, he had a fairly clear hypothesis.
Even so, to prevent further mishaps, he would need to exercise restraint before conducting more tests.
For now, patience was paramount.
His eyes drifted down to the elegant silver ring adorning his hand.
The so-called "additional rewards" had proven vastly more useful than he initially anticipated.
Hours earlier, while adjusting his plans surrounding the Kallen variable and placing an order at a tailor shop to safeguard his anonymity, he had paid a visit to an animal shelter.
By a bitter stroke of coincidence, the staff had just euthanized an elderly dog. As was all too common in such facilities, older animals rarely found homes and were discarded in silence.
It was a grim reality.
Yet that dog would not go forgotten.
The image of its lifeless form resurfaced in his mind periodically, causing a lingering pang of discomfort. Though, naturally, had he not chosen to absorb its memories, those sensations wouldn't exist in the first place.
But there was no turning back now.
The shelter was firmly under his control; the staff would execute his commands without question.
It had all been made possible by a single, meticulously phrased instruction: "From this moment on, whenever you hear me introduce myself as Lelouch Lamperouge, you will obey my every command."
At first, he had doubted its efficacy. However, this was no time to second-guess hypotheses or waste precious time.
He had even prepared a plausible excuse should the need arise.
Fortunately, it had worked flawlessly.
Now, completing the counter was merely a matter of time.
Lelouch closed his eyes, drawing a slow breath to quiet his mind.
"Store," he whispered.
In an instant, the voice recorder vanished from his palm.
"Retrieve."
A second later, it materialized right back between his fingers.
Gradually, he was coming to understand the mechanics governing the ring.
Much like the other artifacts, uttering the keyword alone was insufficient—it required a clear, conscious intent to activate.
Even so, numerous unanswered questions remained.
The item's description was remarkably open to interpretation: Allows you to use a cubic space within the White Space as a storage area. You can store almost anything. Edge length: 1,000 yards. Keywords: Store / Retrieve.
"Almost anything..." he repeated under his breath.
That deceptively simple phrase masked a web of restrictions.
He had already attempted to store the ambient air around him without success, indicating that not all forms of matter were valid—or, at the very least, gaseous substances were excluded.
It was reasonable to assume the remaining limitations followed a similar pattern.
Further experimentation would be mandatory.
With a single thought, a holographic window materialized, overlaying a section of his field of vision.
[You have completed the counter!]
[Reward: Total Concentration Breathing Knowledge (全集中の呼吸).]
[Description: This technique consists of: Absolute control over respiratory rhythm; precise synchronization between breathing, posture, and movement; and maximal oxygen utilization to enhance muscle strength, endurance, speed, recovery, and mental focus.
Effectively, it allows the human body to operate near its biological limit, withstand extreme exertion, increase muscular density and efficiency, and endure impacts or injuries that would ordinarily be incapacitating.
Important: The "styles"—Flame, Water, Thunder, Stone, and Wind—are artistic representations of the user's movement flow and intent.]
Lelouch narrowed his eyes. "Exceedingly verbose..." he muttered.
This wasn't the first time he had seen it.
Ever since he completed the counter for the first time, he had developed a certain... inclination toward repeating the process.
Sourcing the required targets hadn't been difficult.
At the local supermarket's preserved food section, he had purchased 300 grams of shirasu—vacuum-sealed, perfectly hygienic sardine fry.
A common staple in Japanese cuisine, exotic by Britannian standards, but ideal for testing purposes.
150 grams of kama-age shirasu, lightly boiled; 150 grams of chirimen-jako, even smaller and completely dried.
Enough to supply a family's weekly consumption.
To his pleasant surprise, both varieties were registered as valid "targets" without issue.
For obvious reasons, he had been forced to "devour" them inside the nearest public restroom. It was there that he discovered an additional function.
He could dismiss the holographic windows merely by thinking it.
For security reasons, he chose to review his options in detail only once he was completely alone.
A fresh interface expanded before him.
[Select one of the following Total Concentration Breathing styles.]
Multiple options appeared, each paired with a concise summary.
[Total Concentration Breathing - Flame Style (炎)]
[Description: Exceptional offensive power featuring broad, precise movements. Attacks in this style are heavy and devastating, reflecting the user's emotional intensity.]
[Total Concentration Breathing - Water Style (水)]
[Description: Outstanding balance between offense and defense, characterized by fluid transitions. It centers on adaptability, composure, and seamless motion to deflect incoming attacks or counter with precision.]
[Total Concentration Breathing - Thunder Style (雷)]
[Description: Peak attack speed utilizing explosive force and extreme precision. This style relies on lightning-fast strikes to end combat instantly.]
[Total Concentration Breathing - Stone Style (岩)]
[Description: Heavy, powerful, and defensive maneuvers based on stability and brute strength. This style mirrors the solid endurance of rock, employing massive, high-impact blows.]
[Total Concentration Breathing - Wind Style (風)]
[Description: Swift, sweeping, and erratic attacks rooted in wild ferocity. This style utilizes rapid, violent slashes from unpredictable angles.]
Lelouch read through each entry meticulously, unable to suppress a wave of skepticism regarding their real-world efficacy.
From a purely rational standpoint, using breathing as a martial discipline had clear, undeniable merits—respiratory control, optimized oxygen intake, enhanced focus. All of that was scientifically sound.
But pushing it to such absurd extremes...
'Absurd,' he thought.
Yet, remembering Zefir, he dismissed the objection.
If there was one lesson he had learned thus far, it was that underestimating Zefir's words was a fatal mistake.
Regardless of how fantastical it sounded, time would reveal the truth.
Sighing, he decided against further overthinking.
He reached forward, selecting the style best suited to his temperament.
[Total Concentration Breathing - Water Style (水) (Selected).]
Instantly, a torrent of memories surged into his mind.
It took him several agonizing minutes to process the influx.
Unlike his previous experience, these memories arrived complete, sharp, and overwhelmingly vivid. They didn't feel like isolated fragments belonging to someone else, but rather like experiences he had personally lived through over years of training.
Even so, a distinct boundary remained—each memory possessed a clearly defined beginning and end.
Lelouch clenched his fists, momentarily unsettled by the eerie sensation of "remembering" techniques he knew, with absolute certainty, he had never performed.
Yet he quickly set the sensation aside to focus on the actual knowledge.
The art of Total Concentration Breathing was, without a shadow of a doubt, extraordinary.
And yet... completely useless to him.
At least for now.
The disparity between the physical condition of the body in those memories and his current physical state was vast. In the visions, every movement was anchored by exceptional physical endurance; here, his actual body could barely withstand a fraction of that strain.
He grasped the core principle almost instantly:
The human brain instinctively limits how much muscular force the body can exert to prevent self-destruction. Tapping into one hundred percent of muscle capacity leads to torn ligaments, bone fractures, and permanent damage.
Total Concentration Breathing intentionally forced past that limit.
It accomplished this by regulating oxygen flow and conditioning the body to sustain—and survive—the self-inflicted toll.
However, the core prerequisite was unyielding:
To achieve it, one required a baseline physique of extraordinary durability.
Lelouch sighed softly.
A lingering sensation of physical power still coursed through his veins—persistent and enticing. Even so, he forced himself to suppress it.
He shifted his gaze toward the counter floating in the upper right corner of his vision.
[1063 / 10000.]
With another thought, a new holographic window expanded before him.
[You have completed the counter!]
[Reward: Weapons]
[Description: High-quality weaponry. You will be granted one random item from my vault. Best of luck!]
"...? Random?" he muttered, raising an eyebrow.
[Congratulations! You have obtained: Yubashiri (雪走)!]
[Description: One of the 50 Meito (名刀) of the Ryo Wazamono (良業物) grade. A Meito refers to a famed bladed weapon recognized for superior forging quality.]
Without warning, a katana housed in a pitch-black sheath materialized, floating directly above his face.
Lelouch barely managed to sit up before it clattered onto his lap.
Setting the floating text aside, he unsheathed the weapon slightly to inspect it himself.
The Yubashiri was a long katana featuring a black hilt, a cross-shaped tsuba, and a polished black scabbard. While the blade itself appeared conventional, the sheath and hilt were embellished with intricate, fine gold detailing.
Lelouch had to admit it.
It was undeniably elegant.
And, for the moment, equally useless.
Much like Total Concentration Breathing, the katana represented latent potential, not immediate utility.
With another mental directive, a final holographic panel surfaced before him.
[You have completed the counter!]
[Reward: Knowledge of Armed Combat - Unarmed Combat]
[Description: Armed combat styles represent bladed martial techniques built upon specific philosophical foundations.
Unarmed combat styles encompass martial techniques that transform the human body—particularly the limbs—into lethal offensive tools.]
[Select one of the following combat styles.]
[Armed Combat.]
[Water God Style (水神流)]
[Description: A sword style specializing in absolute defensive technique, emphasizing parrying, blocking, and countering any incoming assault—including physical attacks, magic, and projectiles.
Because it features few proactive attack forms, practitioners utilize psychological taunts to force opponents into striking first.]
[Sword God Style (剣神流)]
[Description: A sword style focused purely on overwhelming offense, prioritizing extreme velocity to deliver a decisive, lethal blow before the opponent can react.
By staking everything on a single strike, defense is heavily neglected, leaving the user vulnerable if the initial attack is parried or dodged.]
[North God Style (北神流)]
[Description: A pragmatic style focused not on refined swordplay, but on survival and securing victory by any means necessary. It relies heavily on adaptability, environmental awareness, feints, and dirty tricks.
Includes non-sword survival arts such as field medicine, tracking, and fighting through severe physical impairment.]
[Important: All three armed styles rely heavily on the user's Mana—an internal energy native to a specific world. Practitioners project, compress, and circulate Mana throughout their bodies during combat.
Consequently, much of the acquired knowledge must be adapted due to the absence of this energy.]
[Unarmed Combat.]
[Ryusui Gansai-ken / Water Stream Rock Smashing Fists (流水岩砕拳)]
[Description: A martial art that allows the user to predict opponent movements and redirect incoming kinetic force, even against vastly superior physical power.
The flow of energy enveloping the user's hands and feet can deflect physical strikes, weapon attacks, projectile impacts, and raw energy blasts.]
[Senpo Tetsuzan-ken / Whirlwind Iron Cutting Fists (旋風鉄斬拳)]
[Description: A martial art utilizing rapid rotational movements of the arms and hands to generate high-pressure whirlwinds and localized air pressure blades.
The energy surrounding the limbs produces wind currents sharp enough to slice through flesh, stone, and solid metal.]
[Bakushin Kaiho-ken / Explode-Heart Release Fists (爆心解放拳)]
[Description: A martial art centered on brutal power and destructive impact. The user's heart spikes explosively in sync with their strikes, flooding the body with adrenaline to surpass physical limitations and deliver devastating blows.
The energy surging through the fists generates internal shockwaves that mimic a direct explosion within the target's body.]
[Important: All three unarmed styles rely heavily on Life Energy—a fundamental force present in most worlds. Practitioners manipulate and infuse their strikes with this force.]
"...".
Lelouch remained motionless, taking in every line of text.
Earlier, he had reflected on the inherent mechanics of "devouring."
Unlike his initial attempt, subsequent target absorptions hadn't granted observable physical enhancements, nor had any prompt offered memory assimilation.
The reason was obvious:
They were tiny, long-dead preserved fish.
Considering the warnings, it appeared the "Life Energy" Zefir had referenced was indeed paramount.
With a quiet sigh of resignation, Lelouch stored the katana back inside his storage ring.
It seemed he would be sacrificing a few more hours of sleep tonight.
Arriving late for dinner with his younger sister was turning out to be the least of his concerns today.