Chapter 251: The Impending Arrival of the Witch
"How unexpected that you'd do nothing and let Lelouch have his solo performance."
C.C. lay lazily on the bed, her beautiful green hair spread out, the strands impossibly smooth and captivating like premium silk.
The Witch turned her head slightly on the pillow, her amber eyes quietly gazing at Mahiro.
"What else could I do? It was a student's request. How could a teacher possibly interfere? I suppose I'm just too fond of my students."
Mahiro took off his coat and draped it over the back of a chair, loosening the buttons at his collar and cuffs before plopping down on the bed.
He had just finished telling C.C. about how he and Lelouch stormed the execution ground.
But after hearing the story, C.C. had done nothing but laugh.
It was unclear whether she was mocking him or Lelouch—when there were clearly more convenient methods available, they had chosen the most complicated approach to rescue someone from execution.
"What about Suzaku Kururugi? Did he join you?" C.C. asked again, her eyes curved with amusement as if deliberately provoking him.
"Hah, that bastard..."
Mahiro curled his lip disdainfully.
What else could that fool who treats his enemy as family do? Of course he didn't join.
Instead, he ran back to Britannia to confess his crimes and accept punishment.
Nothing had changed.
Afterward, Mahiro had asked Lelouch why he didn't just use Geass to control Suzaku directly.
But Lelouch's answer was that he didn't want to use that ability on someone so close to him.
In some ways, Lelouch was truly indecisive.
And so, Mahiro had beaten him up again.
After all I've taught you, you don't consider me your closest person, but instead treat that family-traitor like a brother!
He deserved it!
"So it seems your efforts were all for nothing then?"
Seeing his sulky expression, C.C. nearly laughed aloud.
"Not entirely. At the very least, we gained a group of terrorists to serve as Lelouch's starting foundation."
Although aside from Kallen, the rest of those terrorists were completely useless.
Their only merit was following orders...
"Speaking of which, there's something I'm curious about. Why do you like this straitjacket so much? Do you particularly like its design?"
Mahiro turned his head to look at the Witch lying prone on the bed—the perky curve of her hips and long legs outlined by the straitjacket, her exquisitely beautiful feet swaying idly before him.
He had prepared many clothes for C.C. in the wardrobe, yet she showed no intention of changing out of this straitjacket, clinging to it stubbornly.
Even though it was already covered in various patches.
"I just feel it suits me well."
"Suits you how?"
"...I have no freedom. I'm bound. So this straitjacket suits me perfectly."
C.C.'s calm words seemed to conceal deep weariness and loneliness. "Because C.C. is bound by this world."
Her words seemed profound, yet might have been merely simple lamentation and reflection.
"You really do enjoy speaking in such mysterious ways, C.C."
While grumbling, Mahiro collapsed onto the bed just like C.C., surrounded by the Witch's natural fragrance. With just a turn of his head, he could see that captivating beautiful face.
"If you feel you lack freedom, then why not fight for it? It's not like you're powerless, so why wallow in self-pity here?"
"...Just like how you used to be?"
"What did you say?"
"What I mean is, you and I are quite similar, Mahiro. Both bound by constraints..."
Before C.C. could finish, Mahiro suddenly sat up, grabbed her shoulders, flipped her over, and pinned her down.
He firmly pressed the Witch's slender, snow-white wrists with both hands while his legs restrained hers to prevent any movement. To any outsider, their current position would resemble the prelude to intimate activities.
Mahiro gradually brought his face closer to her lovely countenance, staring intently into those amber eyes that seemed to have witnessed all of life's hardships and seen through everything...
Yet those eyes were filled with amusement.
"Can't hold back anymore, you impatient brat?"
"What did you see." Mahiro asked expressionlessly.
"Does it bother you?"
"What did you see, Witch."
Mahiro repeated the question, this time with a slightly sharper tone.
When she said they were similar, Mahiro had already realized—this woman might have glimpsed into his memories, his past.
Though being seen didn't really matter, he felt an inexplicable shame, as if being publicly exposed.
Yet C.C. continued laughing coquettishly without concern, showing no panic or resistance as she lay on the bed.
Her small cherry lips breathed out fragrant air as her gaze met his cold stare unflinchingly. Through his dark, night-sky-like eyes and those crimson pupils that always flickered with ominous light, C.C. seemed to see a completely different Mahiro.
This was his truest self, stripped of all gentleness.
And she, with her cherry lips slightly parted, said:
"Everything about you. Your past, all your experiences. Everything about Yotsuba Mahiro, the Magical Adjuster."
CODE connects to C's World, a collective consciousness similar to the ālaya-vijñāna.
It can essentially glimpse into anyone's complete experiences.
Nothing can be hidden.
During that brief contact, C.C. had glimpsed those experiences from the destructive aspect of Mahiro's nature.
The Fourth Research Institute, test subject, Magical Adjuster, Yotsuba Mahiro.
Though such knowledge had never appeared in her countless years of existence, she could deeply empathize.
Therefore, she thought perhaps Mahiro was her kind—similarly harboring ominous power, similarly cursed.
So, after lengthy contemplation, she decided to reveal herself and attempt to make contact with this man.
"I never expected a Witch like you to have the habit of peeking into others' memories."
The next moment, Mahiro suddenly released her.
He rolled over and lay back on the bed.
But C.C. suddenly clung to him, seemingly imitating his earlier actions by straddling him, placing her hands on his chest, her emerald green hair cascading like a waterfall to cover both their faces.
Behind the curtain of hair, C.C. met his gaze.
"Mahiro, you will fulfill my wish, right?"
"What wish? The one about killing you?"
C.C. didn't speak, only nodded slightly.
"But I'm not your contractor, you know."
"I know."
"Besides, I don't have the ability to kill you~ Last time, I failed all 137,232 attempts. Why would you think I'm capable now?"
Back then, he had spent an entire month killing her, with C.C. almost constantly breaking through death's cocoon to be reborn, only to face death again.
Yet this time, he didn't see fear in C.C.'s eyes—instead, they were filled with liberation and determination.
She replied calmly:
"There will be an opportunity."
"Alright. In that case, I promise you—if such a day truly comes and your wish remains unchanged, I will help you fulfill this long-cherished desire and kill you with my own hands."
Mahiro also understood that C.C. had lived far too long.
She had grown numb to everything in the world. Death had become her most coveted request. All her contracts with others were made in pursuit of death.
Even her Geass contract with Marianne was the same.
So, reviving this withered tree wouldn't be easy.
He could only do his best.
If he couldn't achieve what Lelouch had accomplished, then at the very least, he should let C.C. die by his hand.
"Thank you."
The immortal Witch suddenly smiled, her beauty so breathtaking it could suffocate.
But what surprised Mahiro even more was that this woman would actually say the word "thank you"!
Heavens.
Was the sun going to rise from the west?
Just as he was thinking this, C.C. suddenly leaned closer.
"Then let's make a contract! A contract without Geass binding us..."
C.C. closed her eyes, her face—as if emerged from the abyss, soul-captivating—drew near to him. With the temptation of cornflowers, her cherry lips met Mahiro's.
In that instant, Mahiro felt his consciousness immerse in a vast, empty space.
From the beginning of humanity, he experienced the transition from nothingness to existence in a fleeting moment, seeing countless girls with bird-like symbols above their heads praying devoutly.
Countless threads resembling human nerves filled his entire mind.
That was C's World.
Moreover, it was the collective consciousness of humanity, the Alaya-vijnana!
Magnificent and grand.
Before Its presence, Mahiro actually felt his own insignificance.
Like a cluster of stardust among the myriad stars in the vast universe, emitting tiny yet dazzling radiance, yet ominous like a death star.
But strangely, this time he didn't lose control, didn't descend into madness.
Like a passerby, he quietly watched, feeling everything flowing gently around him, slipping through the gaps between his fingers...
"This feeling is quite marvelous."
Mahiro murmured to himself alone in this space.
...
C.C. looked at Mahiro, who had closed his eyes, and breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Slowly getting off him, she moved his body to the head of the bed with some effort, propped up his pillow, and covered him with the blanket.
Then she sat by the bedside, quietly watching.
To be honest, she didn't know why she had made such a decision.
Entrusting her wish to this man who remained completely unfathomable to her.
She had already made promises with Charles and Marianne... Yet her subconscious told her that compared to Lelouch, who had been scheming for years and became her new contractor, this mysterious man was more likely to fulfill her wish.
On the Middle Eastern battlefield, a group of modified deep purple Sutherlands were engaged in fierce combat.
It was Cornelia personally leading her royal guard, eliminating the last resistance forces on this battlefield.
Cornelia li Britannia, the Second Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire, one of the strongest contenders for the imperial throne, known as the Empire's Witch.
Since graduating from military academy with outstanding grades, Cornelia had been campaigning across various battlefields for the empire. Unlike other princesses who remained sheltered behind the scenes, gentle and delicate like hothouse flowers, she resembled a War Goddess—personally leading troops, going to the frontlines, and charging into battle, bringing countless victories to Britannia.
With remarkable achievements and numerous military merits, her reputation as the Empire's Witch had spread worldwide. Domestic support for her ran high, for in Britannia—a nation where the strong prey on the weak—both princes and princesses possessed the potential to inherit the throne.
But the prerequisite was: you must be strong!
With her excellent military command abilities, the technological superiority of the Britannian Empire, the support of its massive national power, and her lead-from-the-front bravery, she had gathered a group of talented individuals who fought fearlessly under her leadership.
"It's over... This way, the Eighteenth Area can be established."
Fighting on the battlefield personally, Cornelia leveraged the performance advantage of Knightmares against the Middle Eastern nations' cumbersome war machines. Alone, she nearly defeated an entire enemy legion.
The last fortress in the desert turned to scorched earth under Britannia's bombardment.
Amid thick black smoke and scorching heat waves, the capes of Cornelia's royal guard fluttered in the wind behind their Knightmares, emblazoned with the empire's national flag and the emblem of Cornelia's maternal family.
"Your Highness, what are our next plans?"
Through the Knightmare's internal communicator, Cornelia's adjutant Andreas Darlton inquired.
Facing this capable assistant who was also her military mentor, the cold beauty of Cornelia's face softened slightly.
"My apologies for having you deal with the mess left by my foolish brother. Bringing you from the battlefield to Area Eleven means we cannot act as freely as we did on the frontlines."
"No, Your Highness! Wherever you are, that is where our hearts belong!"
Darlton placed his hand over his chest, offering Cornelia a formal knight's salute.
Cornelia smiled and nodded, murmuring in a voice too low for Darlton to hear: "...I will definitely capture you, Zero! For Clovis's sake...! And Sensei... I must find you!"
Thinking of Lelouch, thinking of Nunnally, thinking of Mahiro-sensei who had once taught her combat, Cornelia clenched her fists tightly.
Eight years ago, her teacher Mahiro had suddenly disappeared without a word. Immediately after, Empress Marianne was assassinated, then Lelouch and Nunnally were sent to Japan as political hostages, only to go missing during the war.
The successive blows tormented Cornelia's heart, so she threw herself entirely into expanding the empire's territories. Seven years of continuous warfare were meant to make her forget the pain of that time.
But unexpectedly, just when she had nearly forgotten, rumors of Mahiro-sensei's whereabouts began spreading in Area Eleven. And Clovis, who had also been searching for Lelouch and Nunnally, was killed by terrorists at this very moment!
"By the way, Your Highness..." Darlton suddenly remembered something, hesitating to speak.
"Go ahead, Darlton. Is something wrong?" Seeing her adjutant's expression, Cornelia grew curious about what had happened. After all, the normally decisive Darlton would never hesitate like this.
"It's like this, Your Highness. Some time ago, we received news from the homeland. Since you were constantly on the battlefield, I didn't inform you. It's just that... Princess Euphemia has been assigned to Area Eleven."
"Euphy?" Cornelia was startled and quickly said, "Didn't I say not to let Euphy leave Pendragon?"
Darlton looked embarrassed and replied helplessly, "My apologies, Your Highness. Princess Euphemia wouldn't listen to our advice, and we couldn't stop her."
"..." Cornelia knew that although her sister had a gentle personality, she was actually strong-willed inside. Once she decided on something, even Cornelia herself might not be able to make her give up. Especially since she was a princess, these subordinates couldn't possibly restrain her.
"Then we must accelerate our progress. I'll deal with Euphy's matter when I reach Area Eleven!" Though her tone carried some anger, Cornelia's face showed no rage, instead revealing affection for Euphemia.
Darlton remained silent. He naturally knew exactly how indulgent his mistress was toward Euphy. At times like this, silence was the best response.
"It's complete!" A man in a lab coat stared at the reassembled Lancelot Z-01 before him, letting out strange and exaggerated laughter that sounded like "Ah-ha ah-ha!"
The man wore frameless glasses and was very tall, though he appeared quite slender. His moving hands looked delicate too, suggesting the legs beneath his trousers were similarly thin, giving off a sickly impression of someone who hadn't seen sunlight or exercised for years.
Yet his tone was energetic, filled with intense emotion.
Lloyd Asplund—that was the man's name. He was the same person who had appeared in Shinjuku earlier, head of the Special Dispatch Guidance Technology Department responsible for supporting Clovis, and the developer of the newest model K...
The developer of the nightmare Lancelot.
His family, the Asplunds, is one of the prestigious noble houses supporting the Second Prince, Schneizel!
Originally, he thought the Lancelot he had developed was lost for good and was prepared to build another one based on the blueprints stored in the computer.
But just two days ago, the Lancelot that had been lost was casually discarded in front of the Viceroy's Palace!
Although it had been reduced to a pile of parts, the joy of recovering what was lost drove him to reassemble the components, allowing Lancelot to make a triumphant return!
He even enhanced the machine's performance based on the data obtained from the previous Shinjuku incident!
It was simply a double blessing!
"Mr. Lloyd, don't you think it's strange? The machine was dismantled and transported away before, so why would it be sent back now?"
The speaker was an exceptionally beautiful female officer.
She had shoulder-length blue hair and a dignified, elegant appearance.
Though she wore a standard uniform, her demeanor was serene, and her face exuded an intellectual aura that naturally inspired goodwill.
Not to mention, her tone was incredibly gentle.
"Well, what does it matter, Cécile? In the Chinese Federation, there's an old saying: 'A loss may turn out to be a gain.' Even if Lancelot hadn't been returned, we would still have built a second one, wouldn't we?"
"Besides, I've checked all the parts, and there's nothing unusual about them."
"What's more, the best component of Lancelot has been acquitted and released. Isn't that the best news?!"
Lloyd breathed in the fresh air outside while gazing at the distant city, muttering to himself.
Excitement was written all over Lloyd's face.
Not only had he recovered everything about Lancelot, but also because the Empire's Witch, Cornelia, was about to become the Viceroy of Area 11, with her sister Euphemia as the Deputy Viceroy.
Moreover, Euphemia had already arrived in Area 11.
This meant that his Lancelot would once again have the opportunity to deploy and gather even more new combat data!
"That's true, but..."
A look of hesitation appeared on the female officer Cécile's face, but she ultimately swallowed her words.
What Lloyd said wasn't wrong.
Suzaku Kururugi, the pilot, was the most critical component of Lancelot. Due to Lancelot's overwhelming performance, it was nearly impossible to find a suitable pilot to operate it.
Someone like Suzaku could be described as one in a million—a rare find that couldn't be sought out intentionally.
And earlier this morning, he had been acquitted and released by the military court...
Yet, Cécile couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss, especially regarding the return of Lancelot in its dismantled state.
It left her inexplicably uneasy.