"Transfer orders?"
"Eastern European front? The jurisdiction of the Third Princess most likely to inherit, the 'Goddess with the Lamp'?"
"A special expeditionary corps formed from Honorary Britannians of Area 11, assembled specifically to carry out operations against the WZERO Unit of the E.U. forces?"
After class at Ashford Academy, sudden exclamations rang out from the student council room.
Hearing it was about a military transfer, everyone inside reacted differently.
"Sorry, I just joined the student council not long ago, and now I must leave."
Setting aside the cat toy, the boy with chestnut-brown, slightly wavy short hair spoke regretfully: "Because of military duty, as a member of the Britannian army, obeying orders is my responsibility."
"These days have been troublesome for everyone. Thank you all for your guidance. I've truly been happy. Really, thank you so much."
With that, Suzaku Kururugi stood at attention and bowed deeply in thanks to his classmates.
"Suzaku…?" At the conference table, Lelouch, who had been interacting with his sister as usual, lifted his head. He stared in disbelief at Suzaku, who had come to bid farewell.
He did not want to believe what he had heard.
Having narrowly survived the Shinjuku Incident, barely cleared of suspicion in the case of Clovis' assassination, transferred into Ashford Academy, reunited with him and Nunnally—just when things were finally turning for the better, his childhood friend Suzaku was about to be sent by the Britannian authorities as cannon fodder to the Eastern European battlefield?
The Eastern European front was no mere suppression campaign or policing action in Area 11. It was the main battlefield against the E.U., one of the world's three superpowers—a true hell on earth.
Dragged there as an Area 11er, did anyone think Britannia would give a colonial soldier a safe posting?
"Damn it, has the military fallen so far?!"
Lelouch clenched his fists, anger at Britannia overflowing.
"Is this recruitment of student soldiers? That noble who helped you, who said a seventeen-year-old should still be in school—doesn't he have the authority to protect you? Didn't you say you were in the technical division?"
"Help should go all the way."
When it came to the life and death of his only childhood friend, Lelouch's emotions were shaken, his concern making him frantic.
"It's useless."
Suzaku only shook his head. Though his clear green eyes were full of regret and reluctance, as an Area 11er he was used to discrimination. His voice was calm: "It's a quasi–Level One order."
Above every officer, there are higher officers.
The moment these words left his mouth, the room fell silent.
In Britannia's military hierarchy, canceling a quasi–Level One order required the signature of a Governor-General or three full generals.
Suzaku could clearly see Lelouch's expression turn heavy in an instant. He saw the classmates around them—hesitating, their faces showing disbelief, surprise, pity, concern, or indifference. Some shook their heads, some frowned, some whispered.
"A quasi–Level One order? Seriously?"
The blue-haired student council member, Rivalz Cardemonde, scratched his head.
"Has the war escalated again?"
Shirley, the lively orange-haired girl, instinctively covered her mouth. Her blue-green eyes flickered with deep worry. "Lulu…"
She looked at Lelouch, unusually agitated, with eyes full of concern and comfort.
"Um, what is the WZERO Unit?"
Nina Einstein, the timid girl with twin dark-green braids and glasses, shrank her shoulders and asked nervously: "It sounds a lot like that terrorist [ZERO] who assassinated Prince Clovis. Is there a connection?"
Even after the rooftop cat rescue incident and some time spent together since Suzaku joined the council, she still found it hard to accept him as an Area 11er and former suspect. Now that he had to leave Ashford, was that a good thing for her? She wasn't sure whether she should feel glad or sad…
"No connection."
Even the mature and poised Student Council President, Milly, was no longer her usual easygoing self. Flicking back her glossy golden curls, she sighed heavily, troubled: "Of course, perhaps the E.U. only heard that our Area 11 produced a [ZERO] who killed the Governor, and so they chose that name to spite Euro Britannia?"
"Nina, focus is good for research, but you should also pay attention to what happens outside Area 11."
"The WZERO Unit is a special force the E.U. army formed, recruiting Area 11 refugees or Japanese who fled to Europe. Special force here means suicide units—self-detonation attacks."
"Ah?"
At these words, Nina trembled violently. "Self-detonation?!"
Like someone startled, she shrank into herself, clutching her shoulders with both arms, visibly shaken. "So scary…"
…
Seeing this, Suzaku's heart ached. His eyes grew darker.
He was clumsy with words. He didn't know how to refute, nor how to defend the actions of his distant compatriots in Europe.
In the end, he turned to the silent Lelouch, then to the blind girl in her wheelchair. Stepping forward, he crouched down and said softly, with deep apology: "Nunnally, I'm sorry."
Soft cheeks, flaxen hair cascading to her waist, the fragile girl sat quietly in her chair.
This middle school uniformed girl of Ashford was none other than Lelouch's sister, Nunnally Lamperouge—or rather, Nunnally vi Britannia.
Once the Eighth Princess, eighty-eighth in line of succession.
As a child, she was caught in the assassination plot of the Fifth Consort, left blind and crippled. Eight years ago, she and Lelouch were sent to Japan as diplomatic tools.
It was then Suzaku first met the siblings.
Together, they had shared a year of precious happiness—until the 2010 Imperial Calendar, when the Invasion of Japan began, and every beautiful memory was cut short.
In the Britannian royal registry, the names Lelouch and Nunnally had been declared dead at the outset of war.
"Is the war… still going?"
Nunnally's small face showed sorrow, her lips trembling: "Suzaku, we've only just reunited… and now you're leaving again, to a place that already sounds so dangerous, the Eastern European front…"
Her weak, tender voice wavered with a hint of tears, making it hard for anyone present to bear.
"It's all right. I promise, I will do everything I can to come back alive."
With knightly courtesy, Suzaku knelt on one knee and took Nunnally's hand, his still-youthful face radiating unshakable resolve.
"Really?"
Though blind, Nunnally turned her face toward Suzaku, asking again.
"Really."
"Then pinky swear."
"Yes, pinky swear."
Nunnally smiled through her tears. Even as she hooked her finger with his, tears still spilled from her reddened eyes.
Lelouch watched expressionlessly, though his gaze hid worry and deep resentment.
"The Eastern European front… the Third Princess' jurisdiction."
Seeing Lelouch lost in his own struggle, and Suzaku resolute about heading to that battlefield, Milly only took a sip of water, murmuring faintly. She then patted Nina's trembling back—still shaken by the thought of "Area 11 suicide troops"—but offered no words of comfort to Lelouch.
As the heiress of the Ashford family, she knew the true identities of the fallen prince and princess.
After all, the Ashfords had once been supporters of Consort Marianne.
But their bet had failed.
When Consort Marianne was assassinated, Lelouch lost his claim to succession and was exiled to Japan.
From then, the Ashfords lost power, stripped of their peerage. The valuable rights and patents for Knightmare development they had invested heavily in, along with many frontline engineers, were seized and divided among the vested interests—chiefly Third Princess Vela.
Thanks to timely pragmatism and the Third Princess' leniency, the Ashford family managed to preserve its noble title and considerable assets through the turmoil, shifting its focus toward colonial ventures. Ashford Academy in Area 11 was one such product of this change in direction.
Even so, the family's decline was inevitable.
From the family's painful history, Milly knew all too well the power Third Princess Vela wielded.
A quasi–Level One order—Vela had the authority. In all of Area 11, aside from Governor-General Cornelia, no one could oppose it.
And now, her sudden large-scale conscription of Area 11's Honorary Britannians—was this a tit-for-tat reprisal against the E.U.? Poison against poison? How vile, and yet how merciful. A princess full of contradictions.
In that light, Suzaku's plight was simply the misfortune of his compatriots being misused in Europe—he was dragged down with them.
Surely Princess Vela, burdened with countless affairs, had not singled out the son of a fallen Prime Minister. More likely, it was the suggestion of aides—a straightforward countermeasure against the E.U.'s WZERO Unit. Lelouch and Nunnally's true identities should not yet be exposed…
Milly's mind raced with these thoughts.
"Lelouch, Nunnally, everyone—until we meet again."
Rising to his feet, Suzaku offered his final farewell, then turned without hesitation.
As he stepped out the door, Milly's quiet voice followed: "I'll notify the faculty office to keep your enrollment on hold."
"Thank you, President."
With a gentle smile, Suzaku left the room.
Step, step.
Right after him went Lelouch, who had comforted Nunnally before suddenly chasing after Suzaku.
The room quieted again.
"Never thought our new member would leave so soon… Area 11ers, even those given Honorary titles, are just numbered citizens…"
Rivalz shrugged. "Well, good thing I'm Britannian."
"Let's just pray Suzaku makes it back safely."
Shirley pressed her hands together, praying silently for the soldiers of the Empire.
"Yeah, prayer is all we can do now… hm?"
As Milly withdrew her hand from Nina's thin shoulder and prepared to push Nunnally's wheelchair home, she noticed something. Another student—heiress of one of Britannia's Eight Noble Houses, the frail-seeming young lady of the Stadtfeld family—seemed oddly unsettled.
"Kallen?"
Milly looked in surprise at the red-haired girl, who had not spoken a word the entire time.
Her chin-length hair hung naturally, her soft appearance belying the anger burning across her face. Her eyes flashed, fists clenched tight. The contrast to her usual sickly demeanor was stark.
Ah?!
Could Kallen… like Suzaku?
Unaware that her academy harbored hidden talents—and even terrorists—Milly's thoughts went in that direction.
Meanwhile, Lelouch caught up to Suzaku.
"Lelouch, there's no need to say more. I appreciate your concern, but I must go to Europe. And once there, we should cut contact—act as though we don't know each other."
Suzaku stopped.
Lelouch's gaze sharpened, his voice edged with rebuke: "Why do you always…"
"Because I have to."
Suzaku turned, glanced around, then lowered his voice: "The Eastern Front isn't Area 11. I've heard of Third Princess Vela's iron-fisted rule. If I stay in touch with you, how would I explain a Britannian friend named Lelouch?"
"Remember, my identity is the son of Area 11's last Prime Minister. And I knew 'the Eleventh Prince, Eighteenth in line, Lelouch' in childhood… supposedly dead."
Lelouch froze, calming instantly.
Suzaku went on: "This transfer order came from the very princess who holds supreme civil and military authority over Euro Britannia—Third Princess Vela. She's also one of the suspects you named seven years ago in your mother's assassination. If she truly was the culprit, and through this realized you're still alive… I can't take that risk."
"Nunnally too—I won't bring her more danger."
At this point, Suzaku looked seriously at Lelouch. "Thank you, for this time together. I've been happy. If I can return alive from the Eastern Front…"
With a faint, almost resigned smile, as though life and death no longer weighed on him, he turned away. "Don't be so pessimistic, Lelouch. The Eastern Front is a pilot zone for Britannia's medical prosthetics program. If all goes well, I'll do everything I can to find prosthetics that will let Nunnally stand again… and see once more."
"Wait."
As if steeling himself, Lelouch's eyes hardened. He spoke again: "Come with me to the rooftop. I have something to give you."
Suzaku turned, puzzled.
But Lelouch had already entered the stairwell ahead. After a moment's hesitation, Suzaku followed.
Whoosh.
A breeze brushed their faces. The campus bathed in soft sunset light, golden rays spilling from the eaves of the European-style roof. Lelouch and Suzaku faced each other.
"Is this some charm for blessings? You don't believe in such things, do you? Your eyes—"
The next instant, Suzaku froze. His gaze dulled, pupils glowing faint red, eerie and unnatural.
"In the name of Lelouch vi Britannia, I command you—Suzaku Kururugi, live."
Lelouch's left eye flared with crimson light. A red sigil shaped like a V, like a fiery bird spreading its wings, imprinted itself deep within Suzaku's eyes.
"…"
"…Huh?"
After a heartbeat—or perhaps an eternity—Suzaku finally blinked, confused. He looked blankly at Lelouch, who stood with hands behind his back at the railing. "What did you just say?"
"Nothing. Suzaku, take care."
"…Yes. You too."
Suzaku nodded firmly, then left the rooftop.
As his footsteps faded, only the soft wind remained.
"…Hah."
Lelouch covered his left eye with one hand, his expression complicated. "I hope the Geass' absolute command can keep that stubborn muscle-brained idiot alive. That woman—I doubt she'll spare Area 11's free cannon fodder."
Tap, tap.
Footsteps approached.
A faint fragrance mingled with the rich scent of cheese pizza drifted closer.
Without turning, Lelouch spoke: "Didn't I tell you to stay in the room, C.C.?"
"Your friend knows our identity. Sending him under Princess Vela's nose—are you sure that's wise?"
A pizza box was set on the railing beside him. The voice was ethereal.
Rare green hair, vivid as spring grass, swayed in the wind. Her delicate face, beautiful and serene, was adorned with golden eyes that pierced the soul. She seemed like some fairy of the forest brought to life—if not for the white straitjacket marring the ethereal image.
Biting into a slice of pizza, chewing and swallowing, she then turned to her contractor, her accomplice, with curious eyes.
"The Geass I granted you—I thought you'd use it to eliminate a risk. You didn't need to kill him. You could've just made him unable to speak of us. But no—you gave him such a ridiculous order."
"Don't forget your loss to Cornelia, how you nearly got captured. Third Princess Vela is an even more formidable opponent."
"Mind your posture. If your childhood friend slips even once, if her police or secret service catch him and file their reports on her desk at Catherine Palace—one suspicion, the faintest clue, could undo all your work."
"I trust him."
Words wholly uncharacteristic of the Black Prince.
"Oh? Is this that fabled bond of boys' love?"
"You pizza witch!"
Lelouch snapped, unable to contain himself. "Stop browsing those things online!"
C.C. only tilted her head aside, calmly raising another slice to her lips. "Speaking of… doesn't it strike you as odd? Why hasn't your friend walked out of the student council building yet?"
She pointed casually toward the campus below.
Ashford students strolled and chatted past the front of the building. But Suzaku Kururugi's figure was nowhere to be seen.
By now, with that muscle-headed fool's stride, he should have already gone downstairs…
Lelouch glanced once more, abandoning his spat with the pizza witch, turning quickly toward the stairwell, face tense and uncertain.
God forbid—if his Geass had gone out of control. If Suzaku, bound by the command to live, refused orders and deserted instead of going to the Eastern Front—that would mean execution.
Then, relief washed over him. So it was just a phone call.
He saw Suzaku in the stairwell, one hand on the railing, speaking into his phone.
Lelouch tilted closer, ears straining.
"…Yes, Your Highness!"
"Thank you, Your Highness Euphemia, for your kindness. But I've already made up my mind. For the compatriots suffering in the E.U., for the Japanese… and for my fellow Eleveners, I must go to the Eastern Front!"
Euphemia?
"So it's Euphy…"
At the name, Lelouch remembered the days of Aries Palace. The pink-haired girl always trailing behind him. Pure and kind, like Nunnally—toward this sister, he bore no malice.
As memories stirred, Suzaku's voice rose again: "Yes, understood. Thank you for informing me. I'll do my utmost to rally my people."
"I understand. I am the son of the last Prime Minister, my status is special… What? The Governor and you are speaking with the Third Princess herself? What? A Knight of the Round has come to Area 11? The formation of an Honorary Britannian corps? A commission—no, no, that really isn't necessary!"
A Knight of the Round, here, after seven years of absence? At this timing?
Lelouch seized on that point.
Troublesome.
Pressure bore down on him.
Against power of that level, many of his plans would need to be scrapped.
At present he had no strength to match it. The Black Knights were only a shade above rabble, urgently in need of reorganization. If they drew too much attention, a Knight of the Round would crush them instantly. What to do? If they were stationed permanently—no. Calm down. Likely not permanent.
Most likely dispatched by Vela in passing…
"Lelouch, look. One of the greatest enemies you may face has already made her move."
As thoughts tangled in his mind, C.C. appeared silently at his side.
"Even if her target is the E.U., the waves she stirs will be enough to shatter your fragile designs."
"You are not yet qualified to sit at the table with them. So curb your pride. Grow stronger, colder, more cunning, more ruthless, rebellious prince."