Chapter 240: The Demon God Was Born, but Got Beaten
"...Teacher, are you still there?"
"Mhm."
After her bath and change of clothes, Nunnally was wheeled out of her room by Sayoko.
As for why she needed to change—this had become routine. After each treatment session, Nunnally would always take a bath and change into fresh clothes, claiming she had sweated too much during the procedure.
They simply accepted this explanation.
However, with her exceptionally long beautiful hair and Nunnally's physical limitations, she always needed assistance with grooming.
"I'll take care of it."
"Very well, Lord Mahiro."
Mahiro took the hairdryer from Sayoko, who bowed slightly to him before turning with a smile to head to the kitchen and prepare the day's meals.
She was a woman around thirty years old, said to come from a family that had once been ninjas. With the decline of that profession in modern society, she had been found by Ashford and assigned to care for the mobility-impaired Nunnally.
One of her caretakers.
After briefly observing Sayoko, he turned on the hairdryer and began drying Nunnally's long hair.
Whirrrrrrr.
The hairdryer continuously blew warm air.
Mahiro's fingertips gradually slipped into Nunnally's smooth, silky hair.
It had to be said that Nunnally's hair quality was surprisingly excellent, clearly well-maintained and cared for regularly.
Even with its natural waves, not a single strand was tangled.
Lock after lock of beautiful hair slid through his fingers, soft and glossy, making it hard to let go.
Since her hair was still somewhat damp, his fingertips registered a slight coolness as they touched it.
Mahiro combed through the golden-brown locks with his hand while the hairdryer continued its whirring.
Having frequently dried girls' hair in the past, combined with recently doing it regularly for Nunnally, his movements were quite skilled, without any hint of awkwardness.
Sitting in her wheelchair, Nunnally gradually showed an expression of enjoyment like a contented kitten, though this was accompanied by a faint blush of embarrassment on her face.
After all, for a girl, hair is something very important—not to be touched by anyone but those closest to her, let alone having someone dry it for her.
After a moment of tense and awkward silence, Nunnally finally couldn't help but speak.
"Um... Teacher, do you know where brother went?"
"Lelouch said he had business to attend to and went out."
"I see... Brother has been going out frequently these past few days."
Nunnally frowned slightly, looking somewhat worried.
"What's wrong, Nunnally? Is there something you can't tell your teacher?"
Noticing her opening her small mouth as if to speak but hesitating, Mahiro asked curiously.
"..."
Though they had been reunited for less than a month, they shared many memories from their time at Aries Villa. In Nunnally's heart, she had long regarded Mahiro as family.
Even though they were technically just teacher and student, Nunnally had already come to think of him as an older brother.
Therefore, after hesitating for a moment, Nunnally slowly said:
"That... um... has brother... started dating someone?"
"Hm?"
Mahiro couldn't help but chuckle softly, patting her small head as he asked, "Why would you ask that, Nunnally?"
"Because brother is rarely home lately. The books say when adolescent boys behave like this, it means they've started dating."
"Your analysis isn't wrong—there are indeed girls at school who like Lelouch..."
"Is it Miss Shirley?"
"Mhm."
Mahiro nodded, but then changed his tone, "But Nunnally, do you think someone with Lelouch's difficult personality would actually date a girl?"
"Well, now that you mention it, Sensei, that's true."
Nunnally tilted her head and thought carefully before laughing softly.
But immediately after, Nunnally raised a rather pointed question.
"Then, Mahiro-sensei, are you and Sister Alpha..."
She lifted her small head.
Though blind with eyes closed, it felt as if she was watching him with those navy purple eyes.
For some reason, after asking this question, Nunnally clearly felt her heartbeat accelerating, as if about to leap out of her chest.
"Children shouldn't meddle in adult matters."
Putting down the now dry long hair and placing the hairdryer on the nearby table, Mahiro reached out and gently pinched her cheek.
Mmm, quite comfortable indeed.
Her slightly chubby cheek felt wonderful to pinch.
But Nunnally didn't struggle at all, instead allowing him to pinch it while smiling softly and whispering:
"Sensei, I'm not that little child from Aries Palace anymore. I understand everything... You must really like Sister Alpha, right?"
"Brat."
Mahiro chuckled and released her cheek, half-jokingly saying, "Well, I really like you too, Nunnally."
"Really? Nunnally likes Sensei very much too."
Whether it was three parts truth and seven parts falsehood, or seven parts falsehood and three parts truth—no one but themselves would ever know.
Just then, sudden knocking interrupted their casual conversation.
It was Beta.
Like Alpha, she had concealed her elf features. The black combat suit outlined her magnificent figure.
The beauty mark at the corner of her eye should have added some charm to her face, but now it was completely gone, replaced by tense seriousness.
"Wait a moment, Nunnally."
After pushing the wheelchair back to the table, Mahiro directly walked out of the room.
"What's the situation?"
"Mahiro-sama, we've discovered traces of that witch."
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Mahiro raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly, "Let me guess... she's already been captured by Clovis la Britannia, disguised as poisonous gas in a container, ready for transport back to the homeland, right?"
Beta's small mouth opened slightly in surprise, and she quickly lowered her head.
"To deduce everything in an instant—as expected of Mahiro-sama, truly perceptive... Indeed, the witch C.C. has been captured, but the transport truck has been hijacked by Area 11's resistance forces."
"It was within my expectations all along, Beta. Otherwise, what would be the meaning of having you track them repeatedly?"
"So you already knew that person would be involved in this incident?!"
"Mhm."
Leaning his hands on the windowsill edge, looking down at the students wandering outside, Mahiro let out a soft hum.
Watching his retreating figure, Beta was already prostrating herself in admiration, her azure eyes sparkling with supreme reverence like a cat's.
It was as if he were a god!
No, Mahiro-sama was a god hiding among mortals!
"So, Mahiro-sama, what should we do next?"
"Let's begin our operation. The target is Shinjuku."
"I'll contact Alpha-sama immediately."
With those words, Beta instantly vanished.
Meanwhile, Mahiro gazed at the scenery outside the window and murmured to himself:
"The gears of fate have finally begun to mesh and turn. The tide that will change the world is about to arrive...
Wait, why does this sound like Cid's chuunibyou nonsense?
Is it just my imagination?
"We interrupt this broadcast with an emergency news flash! A truck carrying dangerous chemicals has been hijacked by terrorists and is heading toward the Shinjuku area. His Highness Clovis has dispatched his direct subordinate forces to surround and eliminate them. All Britannian residents near Shinjuku, please be cautious of terrorist attacks!"
"Repeating..."
Not only was the message broadcast across all frequencies, but even loudspeakers were loudly warning the surrounding residents.
Meanwhile, the Britannian military was conducting its suppression operation.
"This is Alpha 3. The target is moving from Zone 12 to Zone 14 at 80 km/h."
"All units, follow CCD instructions. Proceed from the fifth layer to the second layer. Operation Codename 3. Block all roads and deploy Knightmares for interception."
The intercepted frequency transmitted what could only be described as disastrous news, making the driver slam the radio in frustration.
"Dammit! That idiot Tamaki went too far! We've been completely exposed!"
Their original plan was simply to quickly hijack the truck to use as a bargaining chip.
But they never expected their companion Tamaki to cause such panic that it directly attracted the military!
"Damn! Enemy armored vehicles!"
"No, not just armored vehicles! The enemy Knightmares are all mobilizing too!"
Screech—
The tires left scorched black marks on the road as the truck swerved into a side road.
Seeing that they had shaken off those bastards, the two people in the truck breathed slight sighs of relief.
But they couldn't relax yet.
Because the enemy had already set up an inescapable net, and with the encirclement gradually tightening, their capture was only a matter of time.
"Is what we stole really poison gas? Why are there so many people after us?"
"No time to worry about that now! We're heading to the Shinjuku slums. We'll use the terrain there to lose these guys!"
The driver immediately turned the steering wheel again, and the roaring engine of the speeding giant truck carried them in another direction.
The other person in the truck sat in the passenger seat, gripping the handle tightly without saying a word.
Her lowered baseball cap concealed her face, but the curves outlined by her gray work uniform and the strand of red shoulder-length hair that escaped revealed her identity—
She was a girl.
And her name was Kallen Stadtfeld, the young lady of the Stadtfeld family, one of the Empire's eight great noble houses.
But as a mixed-race child of Japanese and Britannian heritage, she had another name—Kallen Kōzuki.
Carrying on her brother's will, she joined the resistance against Britannia—or as the Britannians called them, terrorists.
Though her face still retained a hint of childishness, her distinct features and the intense gaze in her eyes left a deep impression, making the young girl appear exceptionally heroic.
Yet even such a heroic girl couldn't help but feel extremely nervous given the current situation.
"Citizens of the Empire!"
"And the vast majority of Area 11 residents who have offered us assistance!"
"Do you know that my heart is now torn in two? One half is grief, the other half is anger! However, as the appointed Viceroy of Area 11, I will never yield to terrorism! Because this is a righteous battle—a battle to protect all that brings happiness!"
"Everyone, not long ago terrorists attacked our beloved citizens. Now, let us mourn together for those who sacrificed themselves for justice! I will never tolerate terrorism, and I will never allow my subjects to live under the threat of terrorism!"
On the large screen in the distance, Clovis's image appeared as he delivered his vivid speech.
Seeing this, Mahiro couldn't help but smile wryly.
That guy Clovis was practically a born orator, exceptionally skilled at stirring people's emotions.
At the very least, the Britannian people were already filled with righteous indignation and fury.
But this was all Clovis was capable of.
That guy really shouldn't have been born into the imperial family.
He understood nothing of imperial tactics or strategy, yet possessed transcendent talent in artistic matters.
The Britannian version of Cao Zhi?
That's probably what it was...
"Lord Mahiro, everything is ready. Following Lady Alpha's orders, we've gathered all available personnel from nearby—totaling one hundred and fourteen people."
On the rooftop of a certain tall building stood a dense crowd of people, all without exception women.
Moreover, every single one of them was clad in black combat attire.
Members of Shadow Garden, led primarily by Beta, Delta, Zeta, and Omega!
"One hundred and fourteen people?"
"Yes, Lord Mahiro. Most members remain stationed at various bases... If needed, I can immediately make further contact..."
"No need."
Mahiro interrupted: "If anything, that's too many. Our target this time is just that witch and one Knightmare... By the way, how is Eta's research on the sakuradite interference device progressing?"
"My deepest apologies, Lord Mahiro. Eta says she still needs more time..."
"Is that so... It doesn't matter. At worst, we can just use force to capture them. Everyone, prepare to move out."
"Yes!"
Mahiro narrowed his eyes slightly, watching the two Knightmares engaged in combat on the elevated highway, and the heavily damaged truck that had been forced to change direction and crash into the abandoned subway station.
It's finally beginning.
———
"...What in the world is this?"
Lelouch looked bewildered at the green-haired girl lying dead on the ground, and the numerous corpses scattered nearby, unconsciously covering his left eye with his hand.
What exactly happened?
Lelouch forced himself to calm down and assess the situation. Due to his meddling, he had been caught in a terrorist attack and inexplicably encountered his childhood best friend...
Then, the container was suddenly opened.
But what the so-called poisonous gas canister held wasn't gas—it was a green-haired girl.
His friend was inexplicably killed, and the terrorists detonated the truck. Afterward, the girl was shot in the forehead and died while trying to save him.
But the moment he touched her, it felt as if he had seen something...
What was that?
Lelouch didn't know, only that he had gained a power from it—the ability to command others. These Britannian soldiers had been ordered by him to kill themselves, and all had died...
"Is this the power Mahiro-sensei spoke of?"
"Exactly."
At that moment, another voice echoed through the empty warehouse. Not only that, but faint footsteps also lightly reverberated.
Leather boots stepped on the grimy stone floor, splashing dust that instantly turned the pristine, beautiful Oxford shoes gray.
"Who's there?!"
Lelouch jerked his head up, only to widen his eyes in shock. "How could it be you... Mahiro-sensei?!"
Mahiro, who should have been at school, was now in Shinjuku, greeting Lelouch with a casual "Hey, surprised?" as he stepped over the corpses nonchalantly.
"And what did you mean by what you just said?!"
"You're quite loud, Lelouch."
"Answer me!!!"
Lelouch's roar echoed through the silent warehouse, the reverberations lingering.
"Alright, alright, save your questions for later. There's no time to deal with you now."
Mahiro brushed him off dismissively and crouched down beside the fallen girl, examining her carefully.
"Not a single change at all," he murmured nostalgically.
She had gorgeous green hair and exquisitely delicate features, possessing a doll-like beauty. Her slender, fragile figure seemed almost too delicate to hold, with curves that made one's heart race. She looked exactly as she had when he last saw her at Aries Palace—still stunningly beautiful.
If there was any difference, it was her clothing: she wore something resembling a prisoner's uniform. And on her forehead, where a red, bird-shaped V mark was, there was now a bullet hole.
But upon closer inspection, one could see the bullet hole under her bangs slowly contracting, the lodged bullet gradually being pushed out.
It seemed she would fully revive in a little while.
In the meantime, he could chat casually with Lelouch...
Just as he thought this and stood up to look at Lelouch again, he noticed a bird-like V mark had appeared in the other's left eye.
"I, Lelouch vi Britannia, command you, Mahiro-sensei! Tell me everything you know and your purpose!"
A red bird flew from Lelouch's pupil, directly entering Mahiro's eye.
It was a strange power—one capable of rewriting another's will and distorting their mind.
In the blink of an eye, a faint reddish hue appeared in Mahiro's eyes, and he responded:
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Su-succeeded!
Seeing Mahiro's reaction almost identical to those before him, Lelouch couldn't contain his excitement.
It's working!
He actually managed to control Mahiro-sensei!
Lelouch immediately put on airs, extending his hand toward him and issuing a haughty command from his superior position:
"Now, state your purpose!"
"My purpose..."
Mahiro slowly began to speak.
"That's right, your purpose!"
"My purpose is..."
"Your purpose is!"
"My purpose is... to teach my hopeless student a lesson!"
"W-wait, sensei, stop!!!"
A piercing scream instantly echoed through the empty warehouse.