Every reaction from Nelli was within Lelouch's expectations.
The appearance of Mu's version of Creuset, combined with Wang Hu's plan to cooperate with the Clyne Faction to jointly break someone out of prison—these two pieces of information were bound to disrupt the warden's own thought process. At this moment, having Mu propose transferring the prisoners was the perfect move.
If Nelli agreed, that would be ideal; if not, it was still within reason.
After all, Lelouch had a backup plan: cutting off all power supply within the prison would serve as the final decisive blow!
"People from the East Asian Alliance and the Clyne Faction are here."
Before Nelli could issue any orders, Mu voiced his judgment first.
Given Mu's current identity, Nelli instinctively believed what he said.
After all, it was true.
"Activate the emergency power supply now!"
Nelli hurriedly pulled out his walkie-talkie and shouted toward the emergency energy center deep inside the prison.
As the emergency power supply was activated, the lights in the prison flickered back on.
Another round of intense gunfire echoed from the direction of the main entrance.
"What's going on?!" Nelli roared into the walkie-talkie, sweat pouring down his face.
"Warden, it's the Clyne Faction and people from the East Asian Alliance—they're breaking in!"
The voice from the walkie-talkie quickly confirmed Mu's judgment once again.
"Damn it."
At this point, Nelli had no more doubts. He turned to his subordinates and said:
"Hold them off! This is the most heavily guarded prison of our ZAFT Forces."
"Under no circumstances can we let those traitors break in and rescue the Clyne Faction prisoners."
After repeatedly ordering his subordinates to defend the entrance at all costs, sweat was now streaming down his face like a river.
Turning to look at the composed Mu, Nelli forced himself to calm down.
"Captain Creuset? When will reinforcements arrive?"
Earlier, Mu had mentioned that Chairman Patrick intended to trap the enemy here.
So reinforcements should be arriving soon, right?
It wasn't that he feared his men couldn't hold out, but for the sake of his career, it was best to share the blame as much as possible.
"Soon. Chairman Patrick has his own considerations."
"If we can use this opportunity to round up all the traitors within PLANT itself..."
At this point, the masked Mu stared intently at Nelli for a long moment.
"You'd like to see Chairman Patrick's plan succeed too, wouldn't you?"
An invisible pressure instantly fell upon Nelli, amplified by Mu's expressionless mask.
Pulling out a handkerchief, Nelli deeply felt the imposing presence of their elite captain.
"Yes, yes, yes."
His mind already hijacked by Lelouch's scheme, Nelli was gradually becoming a puppet under Lelouch's control.
"Chairman Patrick's plan is naturally foolproof. I will definitely cooperate fully, cooperate fully."
"Good. Open the doors then. As a precaution, we'll transfer them temporarily."
With his hands behind his back, Mu brought up the matter again.
This time, urged on by the gunfire outside, Nelli indeed raised no objections.
Seeking instructions from superiors? Checking credentials?
Unnecessary, completely unnecessary.
Once I hand over the prisoners to Captain Creuset, it's no longer my responsibility.
With this calculation in mind, combined with the authority Mu currently represented, Nelli weighed the situation briefly.
He decisively commanded his subordinates to open the gate imprisoning the main members of the Clyne Faction.
"Captain Creuset, what should we do next?"
Watching his subordinates escort the Clyne Faction members out while clutching a damp handkerchief, Nelli whispered.
"Have someone take us to the back gate. My people are waiting there."
"As for you, lead all your troops to the front gate. Just hold off those traitors until Chairman Patrick's plan succeeds."
"When the time comes."
Patting Nelli's shoulder, Mu smiled.
"I'll personally recommend you to the Chairman and put in a good word for your merits."
"Yes."
Nelli felt completely disarmed by Mu's pat on the shoulder and didn't doubt him.
"You, you, and you."
"Quickly take Captain Creuset to the back gate. As for the rest, for PLANT and all Coordinators!"
"Follow me!"
Drawing his gun with fighting spirit, Nelli rallied the remaining prison guards.
Then he strode boldly toward the front gate, determined to demonstrate his bravery to Chairman Patrick!
"Let's go."
Watching the valiant warden depart, Mu breathed a sigh of relief and turned to follow the Green Coat guide toward the back gate.
Heading toward the evacuation vehicles prepared there long in advance.
"Is it over just like that? So simple?"
Zhang Peng, who was with Lelouch, was quite surprised. Weren't Coordinators supposed to be very intelligent?
Lelouch's strategy didn't seem particularly impressive either!
"Hmph, the foolish wisdom of mortals."
Tapping the table, Lelouch appeared disdainful.
"The more truthful the information, the more convincing it becomes. The simpler the strategy, the more effective it is."
"I've grasped all the information from start to finish, so how could it not succeed?"
"Everyone has weaknesses."
In Lelouch's view, this wasn't difficult at all. He had control over timing, terrain, and human factors - a prison break was just a matter of minutes.
What came next was the real challenge.
His gaze shifted to Lacus, who had been sitting nearby with a smile. Lelouch hadn't forgotten about this pink-haired, black-hearted diva.
He absolutely didn't believe Lacus would cooperate with him honestly without playing tricks.
"Mr. Lelouch, I should head to the Eternal now."
"I look forward to meeting everyone there again."
Just as Lelouch was pondering when Lacus might make her move, she stood up gracefully and spoke.
Since this had been agreed upon beforehand, Lelouch couldn't refuse.
"Alright, then we'll meet on the Eternal."
Nodding, Lelouch replied while glancing at C.C., who stood up along with Lacus.
Placing C.C. by Lacus's side served not only for protection but also as a surveillance measure.
"Well then, until we meet again."
Bowing slightly, with C.C. following behind, Lacus left without looking back.
"Now then..."
Watching Lacus's figure disappear, Lelouch focused on the numerous surveillance displays before him.
Besides footage from the prison, there were also images sent by people specifically dispatched to Durandal's residence.
"Still not showing yourselves? Wang Hu or Durandal?"
He waited with keen interest as his people began the prison break here.
The ZAFT forces sent to apprehend Wang Hu at Durandal's residence had also arrived.
What would happen?
Would Wang Hu be captured? Would the contingency plans they had arranged need to be activated?
"Dearka, this time we must capture Wang Hu with our own hands."
"To avenge Captain Creuset!"
Outside Durandal's residence, Yzak declared with unwavering determination.
In truth, his fervor and agitation weren't solely due to his stated reasons.
After all, he and his mother had concealed crucial information regarding the Panama incident.
If that matter were ever exposed, he could handle the consequences himself, but if it implicated his mother—
That was absolutely unacceptable!
If they could capture that damned Wang Hu here...
Not only could they atone for their mistakes, but also—
Just thinking about all the setbacks he had suffered at Wang Hu's hands since his debut made his blood boil. He gritted his teeth, itching to seize Wang Hu and tear him apart!
"Understood, understood."
Dearka's expression was equally grave—perhaps more serious than ever before.
Observing the silent Durandal residence, he was inclined to believe Wang Hu was inside.
Otherwise, with all the commotion outside, unless everyone inside was deaf, someone should have come out to investigate.
"Heine, what do you think?"
To be cautious, he turned to ask the newly assigned member of their team, another Red Uniform.
Based on their interactions so far, Dearka trusted Heine's calm demeanor would yield useful insights.
Heine's eyes flickered as he studied the building, having already considered every angle on the way.
Upon arriving at the scene, he spoke with confidence.
"Expand the perimeter. If he's truly inside, he won't be alone."
"Given Wang Hu's status, there must be accomplices nearby."
"Good." Nodding, Dearka gestured for his subordinates to begin scouting the surroundings.
Having secured this opportunity through his family's influence, failure was not an option.
No amount of caution was excessive.
"What next?"
Dearka watched his men disperse and asked again.
"What else? We charge in! On our turf, dragons must coil and tigers must crouch!"
Yzak, unable to hold back any longer, interjected. He understood the others' cautious, battle-ready attitudes, but as someone with a temperament akin to a male version of Cagalli, his nature wouldn't allow hesitation.
"What do you think?"
Resigned to Yzak's impulsiveness, Dearka decided to seek further input.
"Agreed."
To his surprise, Heine nodded.
"Great! I'll take the lead!"
Overjoyed, Yzak didn't wait for Dearka's response. He signaled two Green Coats and stormed toward the door.
"Is this wise? What if it's false intelligence?"
Dearka still had reservations. After all, the owner of this residence was a PLANT council member. Relying solely on a tip-off, if they were mistaken, their status might shield them from major repercussions, but it would still cause complications.
"Don't worry, that's Yzak."
Shaking his head, Heine glanced meaningfully at the white-haired youth already pounding on the door.
"His surname is Joule, after all."
The implication was clear: with a mother like that, even if he tore the sky apart, someone would handle the aftermath.
"You..."
Dearka paused, repeatedly sizing up Heine beside him. He had initially thought Heine, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, was straightforward, but it turned out he was quite cunning.
Knock, knock, knock.
Still unaware of the dubious thoughts brewing in the minds of the two behind him, Yzak knocked on the door for a while.
When there was no response from inside no matter what, an extremely impatient Yzak signaled the two beside him to break the door down.
"Please step back a bit."
One of the two Green Coats said, waiting until Yzak had moved a safe distance away from the door.
The other Green Coat pulled out a gun and fired several shots into the lock, shattering it to pieces.
Then, pulling out an anti-blast shield, he cautiously pushed the door open.
They didn't enter immediately. The two professionally trained Green Coats waited in place for a moment,
guarding against any booby traps Wang Hu might have set behind the door.
"Clear."
Making a hand signal, once they confirmed it was safe, the two Green Coats assumed a combat formation, one in front and the other behind.
Hiding behind the raised shield, they finally dared to step into the seemingly empty room.
"Hey, what's the situation inside?"
Impulsive as he was, Yzak knew when to be cautious.
Suppressing his inner restlessness, Yzak waited a moment before shouting loudly into the room.
There was no other way—the two had been inside for quite some time, yet there was no response at all.
Was Wang Hu even in there? At the very least, they could make a sound!
After waiting a bit longer, Yzak still heard no sound from inside the room.
"Could it be...?"
Excitement gleaming in his eyes, Yzak was certain something was happening inside the room.
"It seems it might be true—Wang Hu is inside."
In the rear, Dearka and Heine exchanged a glance, both confirming it with certainty.
"Go, go, go!"
With a wave of his hand, Dearka led more Green Coats as they rushed forward quickly.
"Dearka, you—!"
Yzak hadn't expected his good friend to act so swiftly.
Before he could even enter, his friend had already charged in with the others.
"Hey, wait for me!"
The white-haired man yelled, about to dash in as well.
But suddenly, from within the open doorway, a series of rapid gunshots erupted from the room, like popping beans.
One of the gunshots had a distinct rhythm: two shots, a brief pause, then another shot.
It seemed to maintain this rhythm endlessly, ceaselessly.
"Mozambique Drill?"
Yzak's expression changed abruptly, and his forward steps halted.
"Damn it."
Heine listened to the gunfire, silently counting and realizing it was gradually matching the number of people who had rushed in.
"Dearka!"
Others might be dispensable, but Dearka absolutely could not die!
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