And he wasn’t just an ordinary cssmate as well. From what Suzaku had told her about his life within the academy, Alexander was one of the first people ted him as a friend within the Britannian-filled school. And sihen, they’ve been good friends who’d spend their time together in the academy often, may it be during breaks or during their time iudent cil.
To find out that he was… the “enemy” he had been fighting, must have been shog to him.
She couldn’t help but pity her dear knight for finding out that both of his closest friends were actually the “enemies” he had been fighting against all this time…
And seeing his expression of pure shock, as if his world had been turned upside down, she couldn’t help but feel the urge to hug him and be his support.
Her valiant and brave knight. The one who had been standing tall before her, proteg and supp her… Perhaps now, she could be the oo do it for him.
Euphemia started reag out to hold Suzaku’s hand to support him. But unfortunately, Mordred, or rather, Alexander spoke up.
“Well then… As much as I’d like to expin the reason why we do this, we don't have much time. Lelouch, should we start expining the reason why we’re here.”
“Mm. We have a lengthy talk about this ter on. For now…”
“Ah, yes… Please.”
“...I uand.”
Euphemia and Suzaku snapped out of their thoughts and sharding the revetion, and focused their attention towards Leloud Alexander. Or at least, as much as they could.
No matter how much Suzaku tried to refocus himself… he was still visibly shaken from everything. He’d need… quite a bit of time to process everything.
Leloud Alexahen expiheir reason for ing here, despite knowing the dangers of being in the midst of the Britannian army.
Lelouch expined why he made a spectacle before all the Japanese present. And then, he began expining his and Alex’s true wish for this nd.
“It is my genuine wish to protect the sembnce of pead rights this Special Zone would grant to the Japanese. And make this the first step for Japan to free itself from Britannian rule and instead bee that of an equal partner.
I wao show the Britannians that the price they had to pay to “subdue” Japan was not worth it, and that it’d be easier if they were to be in a mutually beneficial retionship.”
Euphemia and Suzaku’s eyes widened in shock at Lelouch’s words.
“The scars of war, trauma, and hatred built up from all these years of fighting would take not years but perhaps decades… but I believe… I want to believe that time will eventually heal. And one day… Peace could be a more realistic dream than it is now.”
“I-Is this really possible…? Lelouch…?”
Euphemia looked at him with hopeful eyes. This genius half brother of hers had always been smarter than her. And for him to say such a thing must mean that he could see a way to achieve it!
Suzaku also began looking at Lelouch with hope in his eyes.
But in respoo their visible hopeful enthusiasm, Lelouch smiled wryly and nodded.
“It might sound idealistid naive, and… for now, it may as well be. But It is possible. Britannia now had seen the drawbacks fr to forcefully subdue the JLF. And with the Bights presend growth, they couldn’t act rashly sidering they’ve also sustained losses.
So, if they could see how much more beneficial it is to work with the Japanese instead of subduing them… It’s only logical for them to at least try this rather than act rashly and provoke another war.”
“I see…”
Euphemia fell into silence as she thought of Lelouch’s words.
Although she was not as privy to Britannia’s current military power in Area 11 as her sister or brother, she khat they’ve indeed suffered great losses from their battle in Narita against the Bights and several subsequent battles against them as well afterwards.
This was one of the reasons she believed why elia decided to support her idea to establish this special zone.
Even though her brother was also here along with his advanced skyship called Avalon, Seizel didn’t seem that keen in engaging in a war with the Bights as well.
“But you mentioned before that… Britannia might try to gain trol of the special zone. Are you here so that you prevent that?”
Lelouodded.
“The Bights will bee a deterrent for them fr to take trol of the special zone forcefully. And if they tried to use politid ey to do it… then we’re ready for it as well.”
“Eh? What do you…”
Lelouch sat bad g Yuuji, before returning his gaze at Euphie.
“We’ve been ying down the groundwork even before you annouhe establishment of this special zone, Euphie. A way to fight Britannia aside from using guns and bullets… And now, we’ll use it to protect the Japanese instead.”
The time and effort Yuuji had spent on gaining moo obtain influehin Britannia’s ey had finally bore fruit. At this point, although he could not pletely maim Britannia’s military, he could greatly disrupt their entire ey by plunging the stoajor panies, holdings, and hedge funds down to hell.
And once he’s done building his AI, he’ll be able to gain arrasp on the world’s ey to help Lelouch stop his father wheurns from his inal world.
Oher hand, Lelouch had also been ying down the foundation for a neanese gover with the help of Kirihara, Tohdoh, and general Katase, which would begin within this special zone.
“So you’ve been pnning for so long… To end this war… and bring peace back to this nd.”
“Lelouch…”
Lelouch let out a wry smile and looked Euphie and Suzaku in the eyes.
“Even though I still wish to stop whatever the emperor of Britannia pnned on doing… My desire to create a world where Nunnally… and those I care for could be happy and live happily precedes it. I’ve decided that this time… I will live my life to the fullest, unbound by the shadows of my past.”
Their eyes widened as they listeo his words. But soon after, a smile of happiness and relief appeared on their faces.
“I see… I’m very happy for you, Lelouch.”
Her eyes watered as Euphemia let out a hand towards Leloud grasped his hand tightly wheook it.
“Lelouch… I’m gd.”
Suzaku simirly teared up when he listeo his dear friend’s words… He, who had met him at his worst and been with him ever since, knew how much Lelouch had suffered since his childhood.
So for him to look as if the weight has been lifted from his shoulders… There were no words to describe hoy he was for him.
The tense air within the meeting room slowly disappeared as the fan to verse more amicably.
But just then, Yuuji sensed multiple presence approag the room they were in.
He gnced silently at the door, and pced a hand on Lelouch’s shoulder.
“...We have guests ing.”
Lelouced up and saw Yuuji c his face with the mobile suit’s devilish mask. And in that moment, he received a <
“...It seems our time for privacy is unfortunately up.”
He let out an unfortunate sigh and put on his mask back, shog and fusing Euphemia and Suzaku.
But before they could ask, a knock came from the door.
“Yhness, Prince Seizel and Princess elia have e to join your meeting.”
Euphemia’s eyes widened in shock to the General’s words. This… This shouldn’t have happened! She heard that her brother and sister would be busy today. She didn't expect them to be here!
“Le- Zero…!”
She looked towards Lelou a slight panic, worried that he might misuand her. But he simply nodded his head in uanding, and veyed his willio meet with those two.
Euphemia nodded and responded.
“Very well. Please e in.”
The meical door slid open, revealing the figures of the handsome, charismatic, blonde-haired sed prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, and the fuschia-haired sed princess and Chief General of the Imperial Army.
Following behind the golden haired prince was Kanon Maldini, a rose gold-haired, right-hand man of Seizel with feminiures. While General Darlton followed the sed princess in the room.
And the moment they ehe air immediately turense and heavy as elia, Darlton, and Kanon tighteheir gazes at both Zero and Mordred.
Immediately after they saw them… they were shocked when they felt the immense presence exuding from the two “terrorists”.
This… This kind of presence wasn’t something that sur terrorist could have…! This kind of pressure… They’ve only experie when they were in the presence of the Emperor.
“Dear brother, dear sister! I-I did not expect you to be here…”
Euphemia immediately stood up from her seat and curtsied to greet her elder siblings, while Suzaku saluted them all.
“I’m sorry for not telling you, Euphie. We were truly busy, but after hearing that Zero and Mordred had e here to talk to you… Well, I simply couldn’t miss this ce to exge a few words with them.”
Seizel answered his dear little sister with a soft, gentle smile, and with the same expressiourned and addressed Zero and Mordred.
“The Sed Prind Sed Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire… I have to say, I am delightfully surprised by your presence.”
“I would say the same to your appearance here, Zero. I hope my little sister was aodating to you on this fair day.”
“She is. And we had a pleasant versation.”
Until you e.
Lelouch did not say those words out loud, but they were implied and they were noticed by all of them.
“I’m gd.”
Unlike his younger sister, elia, the General, nor his right hand man who clearly showed their hostility towards the two, Seizel kept his perfect, amicable and polite smile as he sat in the seat right before Zero, where Euphie previously sat at.
Euphie then took the chair to his left as elia took the seat to his right. While Kanon, Darlton, and Suzaku took their pce behind their respective liege.
After settling to their seats, Seizel turowards Zero with a curious look as he narrowed his eyes on him. His smile still ever-present on his handsome face.
“Well then. I suppose a greeting is in order? It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Zero.”
“Likewise, yhness. I suppose it is courtesy to exge pleasantries in your circle, but sidering the time we have, I suppose you would be fihout it?”
“Hahaha, of course. There is no need for formalities here. It would be rude of me to demand such a thing from you, given I was the one whed into your meeting with my dear little sister.”
Zero nodded.
“Well, speak your mind, yhness.”
Sheizel nodded as his eyes narrowed.
“Very well. Then… May I know what you were talking about with Euphemia?”
He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head slightly.
“I truly hate being discourteous, but I must know. For the safety of my little sister. You uand.”
“Of course. But you may rest assured, sed prince Seizel. As well as you, sed princess elia. I bore no ill-iowards the third princess who sought peastead of war.”
Both Seizel and elia, as well as Darlton and Kanon, narrowed their eyes, as if trying to see past through any sort of lies a in his words.
And in their silence, Lelouch tinued.
“I came here to hear Princess Euphemia’s iion for the Special Administrative Zone of Japan. To find out her pns, her iions, aaowards the people of Japan. So that we, the Bights, could know where we stand in regards to the Special Zone.”
Seizel kept his calm and stoic front that he decorated with a slight smile despite uanding the implications Zero had pnted behind those words.
He came to “hear” Euphemia’s pns, iions, and stance, and her answer would determihe future as of the Bights.
Meaning… if he didn’t agree with Euphie’s pns… Then there will be war against the Bights.
“I see… So?”
Zero narrowed his eyes at Seizel.
In the past, no matter how much he tried, he could never guess what his thoughts were. But strangely… Now, he could clearly tell what he was thinking.
Was it perhaps the effects of his [Archivist of Universal Knowledge]?
His expression rexed as a small smile appeared on his lips.
“I express my support for Princess Euphemia’s establishment of the Special Administrative Zone of Japan.”
If the room was silent before. It was a vacuum now, as his words shook Seizel, elia, Darlton, and Kanon to their very core.
Then, a few moments ter, a small ugh from Seizel broke the silenbsp;
“I see. I’m gd you think that way, Zero. I, myself, supported Euphemia in her pursuit of pead her vision for this special zone as well.”
Seizel leaned forward and pced his hands before him, resting it oable.
“I’ve never been fond of war myself. Peace created through treaties and alliances would be a much better way to spend everyoime and resources.”
“I agree. Though, unfortunately, there would also be some who would try and take everything for themselves at the expense of others. In such cases, against those who could not be unicated with… force is, sometimes, a y.”
“Unfortunately… Such is the world we live in.”
Seizel fell into a thought for a moment. Then, he leaned back to his chais, adopting a more rexed posture, aured towards Zero.
“Zero, time may not be on our side now and I do not know when we would have another eet like this in such privacy. But, I wish to know more about you. So, may I invite you for a friendly game of chess?”
Zero, or rather, Lelouch’s eyes widened in shock for a moment at his half brother’s proposition.
However, he kept himself calm and weighed the options…
He knew very well that Seizel wao profile his, or rather, Zero’s way of thinking and personality through this game of chess.
And to prevent it, he could simply refuse. However, refusing would also make it seem like he feared him, which would be a tremendous disadvantage against such a ing individual.
So… There’s truly only one choice
“Very well. Then, shall we have a shame with five minutes each?”
VergsX