Chapter 291: Don't Let the Sadness Spread Any Further
The warship cut through the waves under the clear sky, advancing toward the open sea.
Far southwest of Tokyo Bay, lies the island of Shikinejima floating on the ocean. Though not particularly large, it was inhabited and housed small-scale Britannian military facilities.
Euphemia li Britannia, Vice-Governor of Area Eleven, stood on the deck of the warship heading to Shikinejima, letting the sea breeze wash over her face.
As Vice-Governor, she was acting in place of Governor Cornelia to welcome the Imperial Prime Minister Schneizel el Britannia during his visit to Area Eleven.
Among her entourage, aside from the charmingly naive female knight Beatrix, were two members from the Special Division: Lloyd and Cécile.
Since they were originally Schneizel's subordinates, it was natural for them to join the welcoming party.
But there was one more person who insisted on accompanying them—
A boy with a silver-white prosthetic metal arm, Suzaku Kururugi.
The surgery had been successful.
Suzaku Kururugi had survived the operation and been reborn.
Normally, patients would still be resting in bed at this stage, but right after the surgery, Suzaku had urgently sought out Lloyd.
The reason was simple: Lloyd had considered replacing him and finding other components.
But Suzaku believed he could still do it. He didn't want to give up the Lancelot, so he pleaded with Lloyd to let him continue as the Knightmare's pilot.
Lloyd gave Suzaku a chance. Relying on his almost superhuman physical resilience, Suzaku pushed through the simulation test and successfully secured his position, continuing his role as the pilot.
Thus, he also became part of the entourage for this trip.
However, when he saw the pale golden-haired girl standing beside Princess Euphemia, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, along with a strange ache in his heart.
He felt as though he had seen her somewhere before, a faint sense of déjà vu...
And—
He felt that the position beside the princess should have been his.
"...What are you looking at?"
Noticing his gaze, Beatrix turned around and asked Suzaku curiously.
"Ah... It's nothing..."
Suzaku quickly averted his eyes and, like a scolded dog, hurriedly retreated from the deck back into the ship's cabin.
Looking at the Lancelot docked in the hangar, Suzaku couldn't help but approach it. He reached out with his mechanical prosthetic and gently stroked the silver-white surface of the machine.
Indeed, only this cold Knightmare could make him feel a trace of warmth.
...
Soon after, the warship successfully arrived at Shikinejima, slowly entering the harbor.
The busy dockworkers paused their tasks and saluted as they saw the figure of a young girl descending from the warship moored at the pier.
"We have arrived at Shikinejima on schedule, Your Highness Princess Euphemia!"
"Is that so."
The escort ships will not enter the harbor but will remain on nearby waters for vigilance tasks. Do you grant permission?"
"I'm not well-versed in military command, so I leave it entirely to you, Captain. Permission granted!"
"Yes!"
This warship was specially selected by Cornelia for Euphemia's journey, knowing her sister would be traveling. While severely lacking in offensive capabilities, its defensive systems were excellent. Moreover, it contained a VIP lounge, allowing Euphemia to enjoy comfortable living conditions even at sea. Cornelia had been exceptionally thoughtful when it came to her younger sister.
The military deployment was essentially complete, so thorough that it could be considered foolproof. All Euphemia needed to do was welcome her imperial brother as his sister.
Yet despite such meticulous arrangements for such a simple task, with Zero's presence, unexpected events were bound to occur.
For instance, at this very moment—
BOOM!!!
With an earth-shattering explosion, black smoke rose from the central island's command headquarters.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Aaaaah—"
Successive screams came through the communications channel, without even a chance to relay information, as if they were eliminated upon first contact.
The only ones capable of this, aside from the Knights of Rounds and the guided weapon Lancelot, were that very organization—
"So they've come after all, the Black Knights, Zero!"
Suzaku Kururugi was the first to deduce who could attack this place. He was also the first to take action, gritting his teeth and completely disregarding the chain of command as he took Lancelot's key from Lloyd and immediately boarded the Knightmare.
On the plaza of the command headquarters, Kallen's Guren Type-02 and Toudou's Zangetsu led the charge with the Four Holy Swords. Against the Sutherland defense forces, these few combatants made their opposition seem like serving dishes on a platter.
The Guren Type-02 grabbed one of the enemy units, its radiation wave system instantly melting the machine into molten metal. The Four Holy Swords and Toudou cut down Britannia's stationed troops one after another, each strike claiming another machine.
"Everyone, follow orders! Quickly eliminate all guards and occupy the command headquarters!"
From the high ground behind the command headquarters, Lelouch sat in the cockpit of his Burai, issuing annihilation orders to Toudou, Kallen, and the others.
However, the next moment, violent explosions and impacts suddenly came from another direction of the headquarters.
The white Knightmare, Lancelot, burst onto the battlefield.
Blades crossed as it swiftly engaged Toudou and the Four Holy Swords in combat.
"Hmph, I expected to ambush a Knight of Rounds, but never imagined it would be you, Suzaku Kururugi."
Lelouch quickly revised his original plan in his mind and commanded:
"All units, strategic retreat! Avoid direct confrontation with Suzaku Kururugi. Kallen, follow the previous plan and lure Lancelot to the designated location!"
"Huh? But, that's..."
Wasn't that trap prepared for a Knight of the Rounds?
If they used it to capture Lancelot, what would they do when a Knight of the Rounds appeared?
"Better follow Zero's orders, young lady. We must trust him."
Toudou Kyoushirou, piloting the Zangetsu, calmly reminded her while retreating.
Though he said this, Kallen remained puzzled.
Nevertheless, since Toudou, who was in charge of military operations, said so, she naturally followed the command and altered her tactics.
Feinting a claw strike toward the Lancelot, he disengaged from the close combat and swiftly retreated toward the mountain forest.
"Don't even think about running!"
Suzaku Kururugi, just as Lelouch had anticipated, immediately gave chase, driven by his urgent need for a victory to prove himself.
"So it is you, Zero!!"
While pursuing, Suzaku 'accidentally' discovered the Knightmare piloted by Zero.
Without hesitation, he charged directly at his target.
Zero, appearing shocked by his sudden appearance, clumsily turned his Guren around with unimpressive piloting skills and fled in panic toward the depths of the jungle.
However, Suzaku remained vigilant. He noticed that other Black Knights members made no attempt to intercept him, allowing him to pursue Zero unimpeded. This unusual situation put him on high alert.
But confident in his own skills and daring, he continued the chase confidently.
The outcome, naturally, was falling right into Lelouch's trap—
The radiation interference emitters arranged around the sandpit instantly emitted dazzling flashes. Magnetic field fluctuations spread as the emitted light waves successfully disrupted the Sakuradite power source.
"Hehehe... Hahahahaha!!! You've been captured, Suzaku Kururugi!!"
Lelaugh burst into maniacal laughter, never expecting that using himself as bait would work so perfectly!
Other Black Knights members who had been lying in ambush emerged from their positions in Knightmares, surrounding both Suzaku Kururugi and Zero in the center of the sandpit.
"Not bad at all. The range is a bit limited, but the interference intensity and duration are excellent."
A woman in white clothing, Rakshata, stood at the edge of the sandpit leisurely holding her smoking pipe while offering casual remarks.
The data displayed on her notebook exceeded her expectations in every aspect.
The only regret was that the radiation interference emitters weren't solely her creation—they were completed with assistance dispatched from Shadow Garden.
"Little girl, how about becoming my assistant?"
She turned to ask the loli girl dressed entirely in black who was squatting nearby tinkering with another computer.
"No. Not interested. I only follow Shadow brother's orders."
Eta didn't even look up, replying in a lazy, sleepy tone.
Although her sleep schedule had been forcibly corrected under Alpha's supervision, she still always appeared drowsy and never fully awake.
Her gaze remained fixed on the computer screen where massive amounts of data rapidly scrolled past.
"Shadow brother..."
Rakshata took a deep drag from her pipe, though nothing seemed to come out.
"...That guy really has nine lives. Can't believe he didn't die on the operating table."
On another hilltop, Mahiro stood overlooking the current situation on Shikine Island.
The command headquarters had been destroyed, Britannian forces were regrouping, and the isolated Suzaku had been trapped in place by the radiation interference emitters.
"If you want him dead so badly, why not do it yourself? Someone of your ability could manage it, right?"
At that moment, accompanied by faint footsteps, a voice sounded from behind him.
It was C.C.
Like Mahiro, she came to the cliff edge, tugged at her own beautiful hair with her hand, and calmly gazed at the scene below.
"Of course I could do it, but this guy hasn't provoked me. Why should I kill him? Not to mention, he still has use value. Occasionally watching the drama of him and Lelouch caught between love and hate—don't you find it quite interesting?"
"What a man with twisted tastes."
"Takes one to know one. I may have twisted tastes, but aren't you, the Witch, also saying one thing while meaning another? You clearly promised not to come, yet you followed in the end."
"I just felt uneasy."
The Witch looked at him with meaningful eyes.
Then, she suddenly smiled strangely, crossed her arms in front of her chest, and tapped her slender, beautiful fingers on her arm, saying, "But speaking of which, I heard that Britannia has recently become fascinated with things like male-male relationships? Perhaps it would suit you well."
Mahiro's face instantly darkened.
Who on earth taught this creature all these messy things?
"Can't be bothered with you. I'm leaving, going down to take a look."
Mahiro threw her a contemptuous glare, then leaped down from the cliff edge, instantly disappearing into the jungle.
Watching the spot where he vanished, C.C.'s lips curled into a faint, triumphant smile.
"Suzaku Kururugi, I now give you a choice: either surrender and submit to me, or be destroyed here. What will you choose?"
"Is this a threat?"
Lelouch, disguised as Zero, confronted Suzaku, who had left the Lancelot, in the sand pit.
"No, this is not a threat, but a friendly proposal—and a final warning."
Lelouch's voice beneath the mask was grave.
"Leave Britannia. That place is not for you, Suzaku Kururugi."
"I refuse."
Suzaku Kururugi replied righteously, "As I've said before, results obtained through wrong methods are meaningless."
"Then what is meaningful, you stubborn fool!"
The voice from beneath the mask sounded slightly agitated.
"Do you mean to say Britannia's actions are correct? Suzaku Kururugi, I ask you: how was Area Eleven established? How many lives were lost to Britannia's military guns? Have you forgotten all that?!"
"You haven't forgotten how this false peace was achieved, have you, Suzaku Kururugi?"
"Although it was publicly announced that Genbu Kururugi committed suicide, he was actually killed by someone, causing chaos in the command system and leading to an unconditional surrender."
"The one who killed Prime Minister Kururugi not only broke the rules but also arbitrarily stripped the people of their will!"
"Can you still not wake up? Do you intend to let this sorrow continue to spread? Suzaku Kururugi!"
Lelouch questioned him loudly.
Even now, he still held a sliver of hope for Suzaku Kururugi.
But what Suzaku Kururugi thought was that, no matter what, he had to change everything from within Britannia.
Even something Britannians couldn't accomplish—how dare an Area Eleven native entertain such delusions in this regard.
"You're still so naive, Zero."
"Shadow?!"
A sigh drew everyone's attention.
Looking up, they saw a figure in sharp black attire, flowing silver hair, and crimson eyes that seemed to reflect the night sky. There could be no second person but Mahiro disguised as Shadow.
He paced slowly along the edge of the sandpit, descending step by step with steady footing.
At the crater's edge, C.C. with her long green hair was also visible.
"What are you doing here?"
"Am I not allowed to come?"
Facing Lelouch's confusion, he retorted while looking at the wary Suzaku Kururugi.
"How tedious. I never expected you'd still harbor illusions about such people... 'There's no use discussing matters with fools and simpletons'—is that phrase really so difficult to understand?"
"..."
Lelouch shamefully turned his head away.
Had anyone else said it, he might have refuted with various arguments. But when Mahiro said these words, he couldn't offer even half a rebuttal.
However, just then, an unexpected incident occurred.
When aerial missiles should have been raining down, this anticipated bombardment didn't happen. Instead, an enormous black shadow suddenly appeared above everyone's heads,
blocking out the sky.
"...That's... His Highness's vessel, Avalon."
Outside the distant temporary command post, Euphy's eyes widened, her gem-like pupils trembling slightly.
It floated in the air like a castle.
This was a massive warship so enormous it obscured the sky, just as the G1 mobile command base could travel on land—this was an aerial battleship that could fly through the air.
The warship's underside was protected by thick armor and special magnetic fields. All who saw it would be awed by this flying fortress.
As she wondered why her brother, who should have arrived at Shikine Island by warship or military aircraft, had instead come aboard Avalon, she heard communications from the nearby chief warrant officer.
"Can you hear me, Lieutenant Kururugi!"
"This is Britannia's Shikine Island Base Command, Colonel Fayer."
"We have an important mission for you. You must keep Shadow and Zero pinned down at all costs."
"We will conduct precision bombing on the target assembly point to eliminate all terrorists here in one strike!"
"Please don't grieve, Lieutenant Suzaku Kururugi. Your sacrifice will be valuable. By burying the great traitors Zero and Shadow, your achievements will be remembered for generations!"
They planned to bomb the assembly point, burying Shadow and Zero...
Euphy's heart sank instantly, her face turning pale.
This sudden turn of events made Euphy cast aside all caution as she immediately tried to storm into the temporary command post to demand answers.
Just then, she encountered Colonel Fayer who had just issued the order emerging.
"Who authorized you to give this command!"
"Indeed, do you intend to destroy Lancelot along with them?"
Lloyd followed with an angry question of his own.
However, the other party remained unmoved. The tall officer standing at the forefront coldly replied:
"Lieutenant Kururugi is currently holding off the enemy. Now is the time to eliminate Zero and Shadow! This is an Imperial Quasi-Level-One Order, which you naturally know requires either the Governor's authorization or approval from at least three senior officers to be issued in the colonial zone."
"So I ask you as Deputy Governor—who formulated this operation plan!"
Euphemia's tone grew firmer.
Though she clearly understood who could issue Quasi-Level-One orders, she refused to believe it could be her elder brother Schneizel who gave the instruction!
Meanwhile, Lloyd appeared resigned as he silently lowered his head and adjusted his gleaming glasses.
If it were that person, he would indeed issue such an order.
"Tell me who gave the command! I need to contact them immediately!"
"This is a Quasi-Level-One Order, Your Highness Euphemia!"
The officer's expression remained unchanged, cold as a statue.
These words served as his way of telling her to abandon this unrealistic notion.
Euphy gritted her teeth, deciding not to press further. Instead, she lifted her beautiful long dress and ran past them.
Her elegant figure moved like a graceful butterfly, swiftly passing the officer and his soldiers as she rushed toward the vacant Sutherland behind them.
She immediately boarded it and charged toward the bombing coordinates, shouting as she departed:
"Tell whoever issued the command that the Third Princess Euphemia is also within the target coordinates! The bombing is prohibited!"
The Sutherland was rapidly traversing through the mountain forest.
In the past, Euphemia had undergone Knightmare pilot training. Though not as exceptional as her elder sister Cornelia, she was still far more skilled than ordinary soldiers.
Most importantly, her heart was filled with urgency at this moment.
"Please give me a little more time..."
Euphy prayed silently in her heart.
Others didn't know, but she was well aware—Zero was her brother Lelouch, and Shadow was her beloved Mahiro-sensei!
How could this be happening? She had already conceived a way to resolve the conflict...
Please don't let the sorrow continue to spread any further!!!