Chapter 255: Tearing Down Mechas with Bare Hands, Lancelot Gets Thrashed
"I, Euphemia li Britannia, Third Princess of the Empire, command everyone to cease fighting!!!"
"Princess Euphemia?!"
"Why is she here?!"
The knights were astonished upon hearing that voice and witnessing the pink figure rushing into the stadium through the entrance.
There was no mistake—it was indeed the rarely seen Princess Euphy!
As pure-blooded royalists, they could never misidentify her!
However, Knightmares moving at high speed couldn't stop so easily. Even though they had retracted their weapons, they unavoidably crashed toward her.
"Your Highness, dodge!!!"
Jeremiah instinctively wanted to protect the princess, but his heavily damaged mech was temporarily uncontrollable, rendering effective rescue impossible.
He could only watch helplessly as the surrounding mechs charged toward Princess Euphy.
The stirred-up dust scattered Euphy's long hair and billowed her skirt as the solid mechanical frames were about to collide with her.
At this critical moment, another plain, quiet voice softly rang out.
"So, why did you have to run so fast? Euphy."
A faint sigh followed, and then a broad shoulder shielded the princess.
[Rampart Wall]
Boom! With a loud crash, the four Sutherlands charging from all sides slammed heavily into a translucent barrier.
They were even repelled backward.
"What?!"
This scene stunned everyone.
Even Jeremiah was dumbfounded.
A human had actually blocked the Knightmare—the unparalleled weapon dominating the battlefield???
What was that protective barrier in front of him? Was it some newly developed weapon?
"Are you alright?"
Ignoring the wreckage, Mahiro turned to ask Euphemia.
"I'm fine." Euphy smiled at him. "Thank you, sensei."
"Good that you're unharmed."
It had to be said—Euphy ran remarkably fast. Her speed and stamina far surpassed Lelouch's.
Ah, this Lelouch... he's just too weak.
He can't even compare to a pampered girl.
If Nunnally weren't mobility-impaired, she'd probably outdo him too.
Then, Mahiro turned to face the four Knightmares emitting black smoke but still without activated escape mechanisms.
He stepped forward and declared:
"If you're unharmed, step back. It seems these people need to be taught a lesson."
"Mahiro-sensei?"
Just as Euphy tried to dissuade him, Mahiro raised his right hand toward the sky.
The engraving on his hand glowed brilliantly.
"Cold Steel Queen, Demon King Killing Sacred Sword—"
"—Here and now, become a blade of steel, and aid me in slaying all enemies!"
[As you wish.]
A sword of pure steel pointed straight at the heavens as Est awakened from slumber. Divine power surged, stirring fierce winds.
The Demon King Killing Sacred Sword manifested once more—a bloody conflict had become inevitable.
Meanwhile, a special military truck was drawn to the stadium by the explosion.
"This is an internal conflict among pure-blooded royalists. Escaping is your best option."
Lloyd leaned against the passenger seat in his perpetually unchanged white lab coat, speaking in his deliberately off-key voice with a teasing tone.
Despite the dangerous situation at hand, Lloyd gave off the impression of someone waiting to watch a good show.
Especially those eyes behind his reflective glasses, which held a hint of amusement.
"Also, I forgot to mention earlier – what a pity you were acquitted. Now you have to accompany my research again!"
After saying this, Lloyd closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat as if feigning sleep.
"Please wait, Miss Cécile!"
However, instead of heeding Lloyd's warning, Suzaku stopped Cécile, who was about to start driving, and made a suggestion.
"Isn't this a perfect opportunity to collect combat data for Lancelot?"
"Huh?"
Cécile looked at Suzaku in surprise, momentarily speechless at his voluntary request to join the battle.
"Ohohoho..."
The strange man in the white coat, Lloyd, let out an eerie laugh.
As if everything was within his expectations.
Seeing Lloyd's excited expression, Suzaku knew he had agreed and quickly moved to open the door to the cargo container, boarding the freshly assembled Lancelot Z-01 that hadn't undergone detailed adjustments yet.
"Mr. Lloyd, shouldn't we really stop Suzaku?"
Originally, Cécile wanted to persuade Suzaku, but Lloyd stopped her.
"What's the harm? Like he said, isn't this a perfect opportunity to collect Lancelot's combat data?"
"..."
Cécile was still hesitant.
After all, the Pureblood Faction members possessed considerable combat prowess even while piloting last-generation Sutherlands.
"Ah, why don't we go watch the show too."
Hearing Lancelot's engine roar to life, Lloyd stood up and made this suggestion.
...
Lancelot Z-01 launched forth.
Bursting out of the military truck in one leap, it fired its Slash Harkens to anchor onto the wall above, using the momentum to vault up onto the high wall of the abandoned stadium.
"Please stop...?!"
The moment Suzaku shouted this over the comms, he froze completely at the unbelievable scene before his eyes.
He saw at the center of the stadium.
A human holding a long sword stood facing a Sutherland, casually swinging the blade once.
A pure white sword light swept across the ground, then easily cleaved the Sutherland in two, before the person inside was pulled out of the cockpit and casually tossed aside.
This scene was strikingly similar to what he had experienced back in Shinjuku!
Back then, he had been in the same situation—a woman had sliced open Lancelot's cockpit, pulled him out, and discarded him like trash!
If not for the fact that this person was male, he might have mistaken them for the black-clad figure from Shinjuku!
"No, that person is..."
When he clearly saw the face of the person who had sliced open the knightmare frame, Suzaku's eyes widened in shock.
"Yotsuba Mahiro?!!"
Not only did he see Mahiro tearing apart a knightmare frame with his bare hands, but he also saw Princess Euphemia looking on with concern at the center of the field.
"Oh my, what a terrifying individual."
Lloyd and Cécile had just arrived at the stadium through the underground passage, with Lloyd peeking out from behind Cécile who was holding a riot shield.
Pushing up his glasses, Lloyd watched the scene in the arena with an equally astonished expression.
"My, the royal tutor appears even more fearsome than the rumors suggest~"
Though his tone remained flippant, there was a slight tremble in his voice.
Dismantling a Knightmare with bare hands?
This was something he'd never seen before!
Even if the Sutherland's performance was outdated, it should be impossible for flesh and blood to handle!
Yet in a corner of his mind, he felt some anticipation—wondering how his Lancelot would fare against this opponent in a few exchanges to collect combat data.
Just as Lloyd was thinking this, a powerful roar suddenly came from above the stadium.
"Please stop! Don't continue fighting!!!"
Suzaku charged in directly while piloting the Lancelot.
Simultaneously firing its chest-mounted Slash Harkens, which landed right in front of Mahiro, preventing him from taking action against the last remaining Knightmare.
Nearby, three pureblood faction knights were already piled up like dead dogs.
"Tch, troublesome people coming one after another, huh?"
"Special Division?"
Seeing the white Knightmare, the remaining Kewell immediately recognized its identity—none other than that Honorary Britannian who had been acquitted.
He roared immediately:
"Special Division, get lost! This is pureblood faction business! Interfere and you'll be eliminated!"
Kewell, operating his nearly malfunctioning Sutherland, aimed its rifle at Lancelot, as if defending his final honor as a knight.
Through the earlier conversation with Princess Euphy, Kewell had learned the man's identity -
The rumored royal tutor who bore a royal family name.
And indeed, his rash behavior toward Princess Euphy deserved punishment, making this person the most suitable one to deliver it.
But Suzaku Kururugi was different.
That was just a Britannian dog—what right did he have to interfere in pureblood faction matters?
No matter what, he couldn't let that dog disrupt things!
"No!"
From the cockpit of the white knight Lancelot, Suzaku responded resolutely.
Simultaneously, he drew two elegant silver blades with red cores from the sword containers on Lancelot's back wings.
Pressing a button on the sword hilts, instantly, red light emitted from the red cores before quickly enveloping the entire blades.
"I can't stand by and watch meaningless fighting without intervening!"
Loudly refuting, Lancelot leaped high and descended into the arena, with one sword stroke cutting through the Sutherland's rifle and arm, forcing it back.
"M.V.S.! Deployed for actual combat?"
Seeing the two red longswords in Lancelot's hands, Kewell muttered in shock.
That was the newly developed microwave laser vibration weapon for slashing attacks. Actually, it had already been equipped and deployed during the last Shinjuku incident, but Suzaku simply hadn't had the opportunity...
Use it, and be defeated with a single sword strike.
Blocked.
Now, the true power of this new armament was finally revealed.
But just then, Suzaku inside the cockpit suddenly felt a chilling cold creeping up his spine, startling him so much his scalp tingled.
Immediately afterward, a low voice quietly came from behind Lancelot—
"So, you want to dance with me too?"
Turning around, he saw Mahiro had already leaped into mid-air, swinging the Demon King Killing Sacred Sword as he descended from above, directly slashing toward Lancelot.
Perfect. He had just dismantled a few Sutherlands earlier and hadn't had enough fun—now this guy was delivering himself right to his doorstep.
And yet, it was just an ordinary jumping slash, but it made Suzaku tremble with fear.
Mahiro's figure seemed to overlap with that of the black-clad man who had slashed Lancelot in Shinjuku, frightening Suzaku so much that he hastily crossed the two red laser swords and raised them high, attempting to
form an energy shield.
But the result—
Swish!
The two laser swords, which could slice through Sutherlands like a hot knife through butter, couldn't withstand even a single strike and were cleanly severed into two pieces!
Not only that, but the long sword didn't stop there—it continued straight toward Lancelot's chest armor!
That was where Lancelot's cockpit was located. Moreover, to enhance performance and coordination, seventh-generation Knightmares didn't have ejection escape functions.
Learning from the last incident, Lloyd had specifically reinforced and thickened the chest armor.
But facing the incoming slash, Suzaku didn't dare take the risk. He immediately controlled Lancelot to cross its arms in front, activating the energy shields on its forearms to form two solid
barriers.
"Hah, just what I was hoping for. Perfect timing to test this out!"
Seeing Lancelot protected behind the shields, Mahiro didn't retreat in the slightest. Instead, an even more excited smile spread across his face as he added more force to his swing.
Swish—
"How is this possible?!!"
What happened next not only completely stunned Suzaku but also left Lloyd gaping, his mouth wide enough to fit an egg!
That steel-colored long sword effortlessly sliced through the energy shields, cleanly severing Lancelot's wrists along with them!
And leaving a translucent gash in the chest armor!
This single strike had directly pierced through the cockpit, revealing Suzaku hidden inside!
Yet after landing, Mahiro didn't stop there. He reached out, grabbed Lancelot's foot armor, and squeezed—his fingertips instantly sinking into armor that could even withstand armor-piercing rounds.
Then, with a sudden burst of force, and under the astonished gazes of everyone, the 6.8-ton Lancelot was hurled through the air, crashing into the stadium's side wall and once again buried under collapsing rubble and ruins.
This miserable state was almost an exact replica of the scene from Shinjuku.
"Trash should know its place, understand?"
Mahiro dusted off his hands, then turned his gaze to the last remaining Sutherland, saying:
"Will you crawl out of there on your own, or do I have to help you out?"
After a moment of silence, Sutherland's hatch actively opened.
The knight riding inside, Kewell, voluntarily descended from the knightmare frame and surrendered to justice.
Even Jeremiah, who had been protected behind him, also emerged from the knightmare frame, kneeling on one knee toward Euphemia.
"Your Highness Euphemia, we... we deserve death for our crimes!"
Euphy paid them no mind, instead adopting the dignity befitting an imperial princess as she stepped toward Mahiro. Reaching him, she gently lifted the sides of her skirt and bowed:
"Thank you for your assistance earlier, Mahiro-sensei."
"You're welcome. It was simply an act of righteousness."
Mahiro waved his hand dismissively.
Euphy's gaze then fell upon the Demon King Killing Sacred Sword in his hand, and she asked softly:
"Um, sensei, that... should be Est, right? It's been a long time."
Her tone carried nostalgia, and her eyes held a trace of reminiscence.
She was aware of Est's existence—or rather, she not only knew about Est but also remembered that golden-haired woman named Alpha who often followed Mahiro around in the Aries Imperial Villa during those days.
When she was young, her favorite thing to do was cling to Alpha's side because she smelled wonderful and her embrace was warm.
Then she would hold Est and play with her...
[But I don't miss you.]
An ethereal voice emerged from the sword, and immediately after, the Demon King Killing Sacred Sword transformed into a beam of white light, gradually taking the form of a young girl who appeared beside Mahiro.
Her small hands tightly gripped Mahiro's sleeve as she hid behind him, peeking out halfway while warily watching Euphy.
"I don't want to see you at all."
Est repeated and emphasized her words, then looked up at Mahiro and said:
"Mahiro, I'm tired. I want to go back to sleep."
"Mm, go ahead."
With his permission, Est transformed into a white light and returned to the mark on the back of his hand.
It seemed that due to the nature of this world, Est couldn't remain outside for too long—especially when taking sword form, which consumed more divine power—so she needed to frequently rest within the mark to recuperate.
As for why Est didn't want to see Euphemia...
Naturally, it was because Euphy used to constantly pester Est to play, while Est herself was more of a quiet child.
Over time, this led Est to frequently hide from this pink-haired, adorable girl.
Euphy now understood this too, and thinking of her childhood antics, she smiled somewhat sheepishly.
"Well then, the rest is your responsibility, Euphy. I'll take my leave now."
"Sensei, are you leaving already?" Euphy said with reluctance. "Will... will we be able to meet again?"
"Of course. I'm teaching at Ashford Academy in the settlement—it's not like I'm going anywhere else... But there's something I want to say to you."
Mahiro's tone paused slightly, and his smiling expression shifted to a serious one as he told Euphy:
"Euphy, actually, you shouldn't have come."
"I know, my elder sister said the same..."
"No, you don't understand."
Mahiro directly cut off Euphy's words, "The current Area 11 is a massive vortex of conflict. If you accidentally step into it, there's a high chance you could lose your life."
"Like Prince Clovis did?"
"No, perhaps even worse than that." Mahiro said half-jokingly, "You'll understand someday, Euphy."
After speaking, Mahiro turned and left with an air of casual elegance, but when passing by Jeremiah, he suddenly stopped again.
"Oh, right. There's something I'd like to say to you too, Sir Jeremiah."
"Yes, I'm all ears."
Jeremiah, kneeling on the ground, lowered his head even further, assuming a posture of awaiting instruction.
Mahiro then bent down and whispered into his ear:
"Orange may not be your disgrace—perhaps it will become the name of your loyalty."
Upon hearing the word "Orange," Jeremiah instinctively wanted to refute it, but hearing these additional words made his eyes widen slightly.
What does this mean?
The name of my loyalty?
Just as Jeremiah raised his head to ask for clarification, Mahiro's figure had already disappeared into the abandoned stadium.