Chapter 279: The Imprisoned Canary—Kaguya Sumeragi
The Kyoto Six Families refer to the six houses composed of Kirihara Taizō, Osakabe Tatsunori, Kubouin Hidenobu, Munakata Tousai, the Yoshino family, and the former Kururugi family.
They were an organization formed by the six major financial conglomerates that controlled the economic lifeline of former Japan.
After Japan was invaded, Genbu Kururugi died and Suzaku Kururugi went missing, leading to the Kururugi family's withdrawal from the Kyoto Six Families.
The remaining five families established cooperative relations with Britannia itself, ostensibly assisting the Empire while secretly supporting Japan's underground resistance organizations, such as having supported the Japan Liberation Front and the Akatsuki Resistance Army.
However, after the Battle of Narita, the Japan Liberation Front had completely fractured, with most of its core members captured, forcing the Kyoto Six Families to abandon the Japan Liberation Front and seek alternative paths.
"So those old fossils have pinned their hopes on the Black Knights?"
"..."
Lelouch refuted his statement.
"This invitation isn't just for ZERO of the Black Knights, but also for Shadow of Shadow Garden. It seems the Kyoto Six Families are more eager to meet you than me, Teacher."
"?"
This was truly unexpected.
Not only do they want to uncover ZERO's true identity, but they also want to meet him?
"If they want to meet, then let's meet~"
After a moment's thought, Mahiro reached this conclusion with an indifferent expression.
Perfect timing to discuss sakura ore matters with these old relics.
He'd bring Gamma and Alpha along then. As a business genius, wasn't Gamma exactly suited for such occasions?
Moreover, he remembered there was an interesting young lady among the Kyoto Six Families...
The image of a lively girl with long, straight black hair surfaced in his mind. January 5th
Thus, he and Lelouch finalized their itinerary.
However...
"One more thing, Lelouch."
Just as Lelouch stood up to leave, Mahiro suddenly called out to him.
"You know all student council members are attending a funeral today, right?"
At his words, Lelouch's expression noticeably froze for a brief moment before quickly returning to normal as he nodded.
"Yes, Kallen told me. She used the funeral as her reason to request leave from the Knights today."
"BRE?"
Mahiro cut straight to the point: "You must know who that funeral is for. Any thoughts about it?"
"None. You should know me, Teacher. From the very beginning, I've had no retreat—I can only keep moving forward, whether this path leads to heaven or hell... I discarded that weakness from the start."
As if speaking to himself, Lelouch hastily uttered these words and departed swiftly, rising from the opposite sofa and exiting the room without the slightest pause.
Only Lelouch himself knew whether he felt any regret or what he did after leaving.
But one could roughly guess he probably went to some hidden corner to lick his wounds.
After all, even beasts of prey can get wounded.
"Teacher, is that you?"
"I'm surprised you could guess it was me, Nunnally."
After Lelouch left his room, Mahiro kept his promise and came to visit Nunnally under the cover of night.
He hadn't expected the lovely girl to detect his presence the moment he stepped inside.
"030303..."
Nunnally giggled softly behind her hand, her laughter utterly charming.
After a moment, she spoke in a gentle voice:
"But sensei, it's so late already. Is there something you came here for instead of sleeping?"
"Well, I heard you were sick, so I came to check on you."
Mahiro pulled up a chair and sat beside Nunnally's bed.
The bright moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating the bed perfectly.
Hearing the movement, Nunnally slowly pushed herself up, emerging halfway from under the covers.
She wore only a thin, plain nightgown, and the moonlight passing through the fabric outlined her delicate figure.
Though slender and fragile, there was an inexplicable allure to her form.
Mahiro politely averted his gaze as Nunnally spoke again:
"I'm fine now, sensei. After taking medicine and resting, I feel much better."
Nunnally smiled tenderly, and indeed, no discomfort could be seen on her face.
Seeing this, Mahiro nodded in satisfaction.
"That's good. I'm glad you're okay. Otherwise, your brother Lelouch would have been so worried."
Whether it was his imagination or not, when Lelouch was mentioned, Nunnally's expression visibly stiffened. Moments later, a faint shadow of melancholy and disappointment crossed her features.
"What's wrong? Why do you look like that? Did someone bully you? Tell sensei, and I'll help you get even... Was it that brat Lelouch? I'll go give him a beating right now."
Without another thought, Mahiro stood up immediately, ready to confront Lelouch.
Whether Lelouch had bullied her or not, if his sister was making such an expression, the older brother was definitely the first to blame.
"No, sensei, please wait... Ah—"
Realizing Mahiro was about to leave, Nunnally quickly reached out from the bed to stop him. But in doing so, her hand missed its mark, and her entire body lurched uncontrollably toward the floor.
However, the expected pain and cold hardness never came. Instead, she seemed to have fallen into a warm embrace, enveloped by a strong masculine scent.
Strangely, she felt no embarrassment or discomfort—only an overwhelming sense of security.
"Mahiro-sensei..."
"Sigh, you should be more careful. What if you got hurt?"
"I-I'm sorry..."
Nunnally lowered her head and apologized softly.
Seeing her so vulnerable, what else could he say?
Naturally, he had to forgive her.
"Never mind, just don't let it happen again. Let me help you back to bed."
Though he said "help," he actually scooped her up in a princess carry and placed her back on the bed.
Her smooth, bare legs dangled and swayed in the air.
Nunnally took the opportunity to clutch his clothes with her small hands, nestling deeper into his embrace.
Even after she was back on the bed, she showed no intention of letting go.
"Nunnally?"
"Teacher, may I lean on you like this for a while?"
Nunnally clung to his clothes as if acting spoiled, yet her voice carried a hint of pleading.
"Alright."
Mahiro did not refuse but gently wrapped his arm around Nunnally's delicate shoulders.
After Nunnally whispered her thanks, he asked, "Nunnally, you seem to have a lot on your mind?"
Nunnally nodded lightly in his embrace and said, "Teacher, there are a few questions in my heart. I wonder if you could help me answer them?"
"Oh? Seeking knowledge? Feel free to ask."
However, Nunnally remained silent for a moment before speaking again, and her words were even more startling.
"It's just... Teacher, during the last school festival, Princess Euphemia came too, right?"
"Oh? How did you know?"
Mahiro was somewhat surprised.
Only a handful of people knew about Euphemia's visit to the school festival, and it wasn't even reported in the news.
After all, Cornelia doted on Euphemia and had controlled the information for her safety, ensuring as few people as possible knew about it.
"Sayoko told me. She said a very beautiful girl with pink hair was following you, so I wondered if that person might be Princess Euphemia."
"Alright, that was indeed Euphemia. She originally intended to visit you, but when she saw you, she changed her mind and only watched you from afar... But Nunnally, that's not what you really wanted to ask, is it?"
Because, no matter how you looked at it, Euphemia's arrival had nothing to do with Lelouch.
After all, Lelouch had no idea about Euphy's whereabouts.
Nunnally nodded lightly in confirmation before speaking again, "Teacher, have you and my brother been keeping something from me lately?"
A familiar topic.
He remembered Nunnally asking the same question last time.
"Um... Teacher, I know I can't help my brother, but I still hope you can tell me. At the very least, I want to share some of his burdens..."
Nunnally's tone was sincere, with a faint undertone of pleading.
Though she couldn't see now, she could sense from his voice that her brother must have been very tired lately...
The barely detectable weariness hidden in his tone.
And how Lelouch had been going out more and more frequently recently, often at night.
Last time, he even went on a sudden three-day trip.
Shortly after, the news reported the incident at Mount Narita.
Though she didn't understand the details, she had already begun to sense something...
Mahiro, of course, knew.
With Lelouch's level of skill, hiding things from this perceptive girl was simply impossible. Schneizel might have stood a chance.
Even in the original story, Nunnally was likely just pretending not to know, feigning ignorance...
Thinking of this, Mahiro reached out and took her small, slightly cold but still soft hand, interlacing their fingers firmly.
"...T-Teacher?"
Nunnally lifted her head, her closed eyes turning toward him.
"Nunnally, I promise I will tell you everything, but not now. Can you wait just a little longer?"
"Th-that's... no, Sensei... I..."
Hearing his solemn response, Nunnally grew momentarily flustered before finally lowering her head and leaning against his chest, murmuring softly:
"Sensei, you don't need to make such promises to me. This is just Nunnally being a little selfish... Since you say we should wait, I don't mind waiting a while longer."
Not wanting to cause trouble for others.
This was the only thing Nunnally wished to accomplish after accepting her life as a wheelchair user.
Even her daily life already required so much assistance—first from her brother, now from Sayoko... And Mahiro-sensei had even taken it upon himself to treat her old injuries.
What right did she have to make demands of anyone?
In response, Mahiro simply showed a gentle smile before lifting his gaze to the night sky outside the window.
Watching the brilliant stars hanging in the night, he couldn't help but think:
"It seems this really needs to be scheduled soon... I should indeed summon Miya Yotsuba."
The next day.
"Shadow... isn't coming?"
Sitting in the black sedan sent by Kyoto, Kallen couldn't help but ask the people across from her.
Facing her were two women.
One was a golden-haired woman wearing a long black evening gown with full-length black gloves, her face concealed behind sunglasses, appearing rather elegant and noble.
If she remembered correctly, this woman was called Alpha, who seemed to be Mahiro-sensei's most capable assistant.
Beside Alpha sat a beautiful woman with long blue hair—the kind of beauty that left a strong impression, particularly the beauty mark beneath the corner of her lips that served as a memorable feature.
She also wore an alluring black cocktail dress, possessing the figure of a model.
Accompanying them was another woman in professional attire, wearing glasses with her long hair tied up.
Though quite attractive herself, she appeared somewhat overshadowed in the presence of the other two.
These three were the representatives of Shadow Garden for this meeting with the Six Houses of Kyoto.
As for the Black Knights, their representatives were Kallen, Kaname Ohgi, and Zero.
Truth be told, while Zero's strategies and wisdom were remarkable, in situations like this where they were being invited into the enemy's stronghold, having Shadow—whose combat abilities surpassed human limits—would have been more reassuring.
"Regarding Shadow-sama, he has other matters to attend to, so Alpha-sama and I will be conducting this meeting."
So said the blue-haired woman across from them.
Her tone was calm, her smiling face naturally giving off a sense of approachability.
As for the woman called Alpha, she remained completely silent while gazing out the window, her slender fingers formed into a fist supporting her cheek.
Though the car windows were covered with black cloth, her eyes behind the sunglasses seemed capable of seeing the outside scenery anyway, as if gazing distantly at the approaching Mount Fuji.
"By time calculations, he should have arrived by now?"
Alpha made this deduction in her heart.
Mahiro's actions were separate from the others. Claiming he wanted to thoroughly explore Mount Fuji, he used the excuse that it was both the headquarters of the Kyoto Six Families and the most heavily guarded location by the Britannian military in Area Eleven to leave them behind.
He quietly carried out infiltration work alone.
Though called infiltration, it was essentially walking right in. Under the effects of "Kimon Tonkou," it felt no different from strolling through his own backyard. All defensive measures proved utterly useless.
Still, as a precaution against any strange Geass abilities that might detect his [position] and cause unnecessary trouble, he employed a "Parade" disguise—the familiar silver-haired vampire outfit.
His gaze fixed on the towering mountain now looming before him.
This was Mount Fuji—the very source of this world's war crimes.
Yet now, Mount Fuji was no longer Japan's sacred mountain. Like something half-transformed by mechanization, its entire reverse slope was encircled by endless steel, mirroring the nation itself—a caged canary, mined day and night, enduring the helpless agony of being drained of blood.
Beneath this mountain lay the world's largest Sakuradite deposit, accounting for over 80% of global reserves.
As the saying goes, "Though the common man is innocent, possessing a treasure becomes his crime." A mere island nation possessing resources that controlled the world's lifeline, yet lacking the power to protect them—invasion was inevitable.
Even without Britannia, there would still be the Chinese Federation or the EU. Which of these nations could resist coveting such ripe prey?
Even he now felt an irresistible urge to claim it for himself.
"Hmm... How could I let anyone snatch such a prize from me? Right? I'd dig up your ancestral graves!"
With these thoughts, Mahiro swaggered into the mines of Mount Fuji as if returning home.
Surprisingly, the mine's development was quite advanced.
It combined residential and mining facilities—the Kyoto Six Families' ancient elites living above, while machinery and workers tirelessly excavated ore below.
The internal structure was somewhat complex. Mahiro wandered for a long time, transferred between several elevators, and admired the underground veins before finally reaching the upper levels.
"Gotta admit, Sakuradite is quite beautiful."
True to its name, the entire vein shone in a pale pink reminiscent of cherry blossoms. Untouched raw ore retained a stony crust, beneath which glowed a faint, eerie fluorescence.
Probably enough to max out a Geiger counter on the spot, he mused.
While thinking this, Mahiro effortlessly hacked open a metal door with practiced ease.
The electronic magic he'd copied from the electronic Witch Fujibayashi Kyouko was practically a dimensional overpower against this world's technology.
But upon entering and finding no one around, Mahiro—who had deactivated "Kimon Tonkou"—paused in slight surprise.
The world beyond the metal door stood in stark contrast to modernity, as if he'd stepped into Japan's Edo period. It was an extensive complex of ancient architectural courtyards built within the structure.
"Seems I've found the right place?"
Mahiro stepped into the central mansion's courtyard, accompanied by the soft trickling sound of artificial flowing water, muttering quietly to himself.
These six mansions likely represent the Kyoto Six Families.
Yet the next moment, a clear and melodious female voice emerged from the mansion.
"Weren't you supposed to meet with the Black Knights and Shadow Garden? Is there still something you need to report?"
The girl's voice sounded about fourteen or fifteen years old—the blooming age of innocence—yet Mahiro detected a maturity in her tone that surpassed her years.
He had already guessed who the owner of this voice was.
So he stepped forward, walking along the pebble-paved path until he reached the room concealed by a curtain, and spoke:
"I wouldn't call it a report, but since you wish to speak with me, I'd rather talk with you—the last Emperor of Old Japan, Sumeragi Kaguya."
His calm response drifted into the room as Mahiro reached out and drew aside the curtain.
In the center of the room sat a kneeling girl, her face filled with astonishment.