“I was w why you were trying to meet me so much… So this is what you wanted me to look over, Euphie?”

  “Yes…”

  Euphemia li Britannia, the third princess of the Holy Britannian Empire, stood before his sister elia’s desk nervously. She kept a calm expression on her and stood in a manner with her back straight, up, and hands in front of her stomabsp;

  But no matter how much she tried, her hands kept sweating and her heart pounded within her chest.

  And everytime her sister turned over the stack of proposals she had prepared page by page, her nervousness doubled.

  She khat there was a slim ce that her sister would even sider reading the proposal she had prepared to the best of her abilities after reading the first few words of the title. But, she still went to meet her and gave her the proposal, despite haviurned away multiple times before due to her sister’s busy schedule, in the hope that she would sider it.

  elia read through the proposal her dear little sister had made. And holy, she was shocked when she first read the title.

  A Proposal for the Establishment of a Special Administrative Zone of Japan.

  It was something that was unheard of.

  To create a special administrative zone which would give the y they had quered their right to rule its people within a designated area meant that they would be essentially giving up their hold on the nd they’ve quered.

  Such a thing… If it was her from before, then she would’ve thrown these papers into the trash and pced Euphemia on probation immediately.

  But now… When she read it, Zero’s words resounded within her mind. And as she tio read it, his words began to set deeper and deeper into her thoughts until she couldn't get rid of it anymore.

  This proposal… Was this the way for them to stop the fighting? Was this the way for Britannia to keep their hold on Area 11 and stop the flibsp;

  Although they won’t be able to pletely take it over, they would still have great influence even within the special administrative zone if they were to py their cards right. In fact, this might be a more effit way of quering. Not by bullets, but by bureaucrabsp;

  But…

  “Are you serious about this, Euphie?”

  elia gnced up towards her little sister, her eyes cold and dignified, a far cry from the g ale look she had always given to her little sister.

  Euphemia felt herself shudder under her gaze. But she nodded heless as sweat began to drip down the side of her fabsp;

  “Yes, sister… I believe this would bring ao the flid the deaths of our soldiers and people.”

  elia pced the dots onto her desk and leaned ba her chair. She closed her eyes and massaged the bridge of her nose for a few moments before fag Euphemia once again.

  “I will review this proposal. When I’m done, fix them and bring them bae.”

  “Y-You mean…!”

  “...Yes. Given the current situation… I will at least sider it as one of our possible courses of a.”

  “T-Thank you very much, sister!!!”

  For the first time sining to this room, the bright smile and shining eyes that elia had always known Euphie for appeared before her. Her face seemed to shine more, and her shoulders no longer droop, as if a huge weight had been lifted up from her babsp;

  Euphemia bowed to her sister and thanked her with eyes filled with determination and gratefulness.

  “Thank you very much for your time, sister! I will do my best to make this work!”

  “Mm.”

  She nodded. But as Euphie was about to turn and leave, she stopped her.

  “Euphie.”

  “Yes…?”

  “...If you want this to work, then you will need a way to show your siy to the Elevens.”

  “Siy…”

  elia leaned her head on her hand as she casually picked up one of the dots on her desk ahem over.

  “Do you think, after all that has transpired in this nd, that the Elevens would simply e to the special administrative zone you want to build happily without holding any distrust and ay?”

  “T-That is…”

  The determination aement she had before quickly disappeared as worry and uainty filled her. She lowered her head and thought over her sister’s words.

  “Think of something that would show the Elevens your true iion. If you ’t even think of that first step, then don’t bother ing to me to talk about this again.”

  “...Yes, sister.”

  Euphemia bowed a his sister’s office with her head lowered, trying her best to think of a way to clear this first challenge.

  --------------------------------X--------------------------------

  “Thank you very much for aodating us on such short notice, Zero. We couldn’t tell you that we are ing, and… even our arrival here was doh the utmost secrecy to prevent us from being tracked back to his location.”

  “Pay it no heed. Though, I was certainly surprised when Ohgi told me of your arrival.”

  Zero sat on the couch, with Mordred and Karen standing behind him, in the living area of the first floor of the Bight’s luxurious double-decked mega car that served as its and vehicle. At least, for now.

  Lelouch mao gain this mega car, which was akin to a nd yacht or a rge modified coach with spacious living, unications equipment that hides its location from intercepting Britannian signals, and even a televisio with a full surround sound system. After all, although they had a “proper” base in the form of “Amaterasu”, it was still too soon to reveal its existeo even the embers of the Bights.

  Sitting opposite him, oher side of the coffee table where several Japaea cups with an aromatic Japanese green tea rested on, was a man with sharp, rugged looks, akin to a battle hardened warrior. And standing behind him were three men and a woman, standing at attention as they eyed Zero, Mordred, and Karen one by one.

  “Wele to the base of the Bights, Lieutenant el Kyoshiro Tohdoh of the Japan Liberation Force, as well as the fabled elite unit, the Four Holy Swords.”

  “Thank you very much. Although our journey had not been the best, I am gd we were able to reach here safely.”

  “As do I. So, what does the miracle-worker of the Japanese military and his four holy swords wish for by ing to us?”

  Tohdoh nodded, appreciating Zero’s straight to the point attitude as he, himself, was not as eloquent with words as he was with the sword. Rather than talking in circles which many Japanese or any officials called “diplomacy” and “bureaucracy”, he prefers speaking bluntly and holy. A truly “warrior-like” trait to have.

  “First of all, we would like to thank you for your timely rescue of the Majeneral during our absence. Without the Bights’ interferehe Britannians might’ve successfully dealt a lethal blow to the Japan Liberation Force. So, thank you.”

  Tohdoh pced his hands on his knees and lowered his head. And alongside him, the four holy swords bowed deeply towards Zero, Mordred, and Karen.

  “We knew elia would try to attack the Majeneral to wipe out the remaining pilr of the Japan Liberation Force. So we intervened not only to save the Majeneral, but to also er elia even further. It is a beneficial venture for us as well. But… I accept yratitude.”

  Zero owards Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords as they raised back up. Tohdoh nodded back towards the mask man with a slight, rare smile ad his rugged face.

  “Sedly, we have bee by the Majeneral to act along with the Bights and be uhe and of Zero for the time being.”

  “Eh?!”

  “Oh? The Majeneral did? ”

  Zero responded with a slight hint of surprise yered beh the surfa his tone. He didn’t expect that Tohdoh would still e under his wings, albeit temporarily, sihe Japan Liberation Force was not destroyed.

  In the aohdoh and the four holy swords joihe Bights because the leader they served under, Majeneral Katase, was gone. And, after Tohdoh was captured by the Britannians, the four holy swords seeked the Bights’ help to rescue him, which subsequently leads to them joining the Bights after the successful rescue of their leader.

  But now, the Japan Liberation Ford Majeneral Katase still lived. There was no reason for Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords to join the Bights instead of proteg the Japan Liberation Force as its st bastion of defense.

  And the Majeneral didn’t seem like the kind of person who would simply give up his trump card to Zero just because he was grateful for the Bights saving his life. There must be another reason.

  Yuuji, who was simirly surprised by Tohdoh’s words, reached the same clusion as Lelouch. But Karen was clearly shocked enough that she uionally raised her voi surprise.

  Tohdoh owards Zero and tinued.

  “The Majeneral and the remaining Japan Liberation Front are currently in an undisclosed and safe location, thanks to the Kyoto House. There, they will focus on rebuilding the Japanese Military and streheir defenses. But… The Majeneral didn’t want us to stand idle on the sidelines. So, he ordered us to fight along with the Bights.”

  “I see.”

  The Majeneral might be safer if he had Tohdoh and the four holy swords by his side. However, he khat even if Tohdoh and the four holy swords were with him, the Japan Liberation Front currently will not have the strength to oppose elia’s army, battered as they were.

  So, the Majeneral must’ve chosen to let Tohdoh and the four holy swords fight alongside the Bights and make them more powerful, so that they would be able to keep elia busy while the Japan Liberation Front healed and rebuilt their power.

  It was a win-win situation for both the JLF and the Bights. JLF would be able to rebuild their strength without elia’s obstru, while the Bights will have extremely skilled knightmare frame pilots and field ander on their side.

  Lelouch then looked up towards Mordred and Karen.

  “I doubt we have any obje?”

  “’d be an honor to fight alongside the legendary ander himself and the four holy swords.”

  “M-Me too. I have no objes.

  “Very well. Thehe Bights, will formally wele Kyoshiro Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords into our ranks. We look forward t with you.”

  Lelouch extended his hand for a handshake, and Tohdoh nodded his head and reached out towards it, and shook it.

  “Likewise.”

  After shaking hands, Zero raised from his seat aured towards the exit of the and vehicle.

  “Well then, shall we go meet with the others? I’m sure they will be thrilled to hear that you are all going to join our ranks, albeit temporarily.”

  Tohdoh nodded, and replied with a smile.

  “It would be our pleasure to meet with our future rades.”

  “The’s go.”

  With that, Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords were lead by Zero, Mordred, and Karen to meet the rest of the Bights members.

  The legendary warriors that created miracles for Japan and defe for so long didn’t need any introdus to the Japanese members who had already idolized them for so long. But, while they were going around, Zero also annouhat they would be joining the Bights for the foreseeable future, which excited every single member of the Bights.

  They didn’t only get to fight alongside legends, but they were also reassured by their presence. With Zero as the ander, Mordred, Karen, Tohdoh, and the four holy swords as their trump cards in battle, Silver with his incredible innovation and improvement with the knightmares, and Ainz who made their anization ruremely smoothly thanks to his anizational skills and leadership, the Bights have grown even more powerful now than ever, sparking their determination to free their homend from the invader’s trol.

  Then, after having their fill of meeting the legendary miracle worker and the four holy swords of Japan, members of the Bights all returo their tasks.

  Zero left for the aer vehicle to rest and pn for their possible operations iure. And, as Mordred and Karen were also about to go do their daily maintenan their knightmares, they were stopped by Tohdoh.

  “Mordred, Kozuki, I look forward to fighting alongside the Grim Reaper and Red Demon of the Bights.”

  Mordred and Karen turned around and looked at Tohdoh in shock for a moment, before nodding.

  “L-Likewise! It’s an honor to be fighting alongside all of you.”

  “Likewise, Kyoshiro-san. It would be my honor.”

  Tohdoh smiled and his eyes narrowed towards Mordred.

  “I’ve seen your skills with the sword while you were piloting that jet-bightmare. Are you perhaps… skilled with a real sword as well?”

  Yuuji stopped for a moment before he answered. He did have Swordsmanship Proficy that he got from the gacha reward after pleting the mission in Tatsuya’s world, which would make him peerless with the sword. But, saying that he eerless would make him seem like he’s full of himself, especially if he said it to someone like Tohdoh, who was a master with a sword himself as well.

  “I have experienced using a real sword as well, yes. However, whether or not I’m skilled… Well, I’ve never had aell me if I’m skilled or not, so I wouldn’t know. Though, if I were to be pared with Zero, then I would say I’m skilled, since he wouldn’t even be able to hold a katana properly.”

  A rare chuckle resounded from the stern, dignified leader of the four holy swords, as well as some of the four holy swords as well.

  “Well, seeing your swordsmanship with the knightmare, I would guess you are extremely skilled with a real sword as well. How about a friendly match?”

  Tohdoh walked towards Mordred and stood before him with a friendly smile, which still seemed sharp and fierce due to his sharp eyes. But, Mordred responded with a l of his head and accepted.

  “It would be an honor to be able to test my skills with a master such as yourself.”

  “I’m no master. I’m just someone who still chose to train with the sword in the age of guns and knightmares.”

  Mordred smiled, though it was unseen by anyone due to his devilish mask.

  “Then, shall we find ay space? Ah, would you like t your sword, or would you like to borrow a wooden one from ours?”

  “A wooden one would be fi’s just a spar, after all.”

  “Uood. Then, this lease.”

  Mordred theohdoh and the Four Holy Swords towards a pce they could spar in. And Karen, not wanting to go and do maintenan Guren alone, decided to join along and watch Mordred fight against the legendary Kyoshiro Tohdoh.

  VergsX