A chess board of mahogany wood aiful polished, wooden pieces rested upon a small coffee table that sat between the masked leader of the Bights and the Sed Prince of Britannia. The bck pieces stood on Zero’s side of the board, while the white piece stood on the sed prince’s side.

  Meanwhile, watg nervously, elia and Euphie sat on a rge, soft, and luxurious couch of leather adjat to them.

  Mordred stood by Zero’s side, while Suzaku, Darlton, and Kanon simirly stood by their respective liege’s side.

  After agreeing to a shame of chess, they moved to the tht er of the room, where a lounge resent.

  “Well then, shall we begin?”

  “Of course.”

  Being the pyer with the bck pieces and sed to make the move, pressed the button on the chess clock to start the time.

  Immediately, the timer on Seizel’s side began ting down from 05:00.

  [e4], [c5]

  [d4], [d6]

  [Nf3], [cxd4]

  [Nxd4], [Nf6]

  [Nc3], [a6]

  A tense, heavy silence fell within the vast empty room with only the subtle g sound of solid, wooden pieces hitting the board and tig clock to fill the absolute stillness.

  And as time went on and the game quickly ehe middle game, Kanon, Seizel’s right hand man who had been with him the lo, couldn’t help but be shocked at their current position.

  His prince had always been a pyer with an iron cd defense aiculous positioning. He would keep his position strong and protected while waiting for his oppoo make a slight mistake, and strike right in their weakest spot, just like a knight’s nce.

  However… Zero ying even more perfectly.

  He was outmaneuvering his pri every front. tinuing to provoke Seizel into attag him. Deliberately creating a oint in his position to bait the sed prio attad trap him.

  And Seizel had almost fallen for them several times… Thinking he had finally found a chip in Zero’s armor.

  Oher hand, when Seizel tried baiting him to attad overextend, Zero never fell for it. Instead, he used the ce to solidate his defenses and maneuver his pieces around the trap.

  Slowly but surely, Seizel was being pushed bad was forced to take disadvantageous trades of his minor pieces, causing him to lose his bishop pair and double-up his pawns at unfavorable positions.

  I ’t believe this… This is the first time I’ve ever seen his highness in such a losing position against anyone in chess…

  A drop of sweat flowed down the side of his forehead as Kanon g his prinervously.

  There were no visible ges to his ever-smiling visage. There rarely was. And although he khat his prince was still stalwart and did not falter in the least, the fact that he was losing still pained him.

  And soon, Seizel found his queen trapped with no other way out but to trade it with Zero’s queen.

  With both his rooks gone a with a knight, a bck square bishop, a three pawn-isnd, and a separated pawn against Zero’s rook, two bishops, a three pawn-isnd, and one pass pawn on [h4], he was in a terrible and greatly losing position.

  “You’re quite the strategist indeed. I’m impressed. Or perhaps… I should say as expected of you?”

  Seizel shook his head, a helpless smile ad his face. But despite his words, he still hadn’t given up on the game.

  “Check.”

  He moved his bishop to [d2] and checked the bck king on [h6].

  “Likewise. You are quite impressive yourself. This has been quite the exg game.”

  Lelouch calmly moved his king to [g6], avoiding the chebsp;

  And at this position, Seizel’s knight could easily move to [a6] and fork Zero’s rook and bishop on [c7] and [b8].

  But in doing so, Zero’s bishop would be able to check his king on [f2] by moving to [b6], esg the fork with the check. And after avoiding the check, his knight would have no good squares left to go and became a sitting du the midst of the battlefield.

  “Well, I’m gd.”

  Seizel moved his king to [g6], getting away from the possible pin on the diagonal. Lelouch moved his rook to [b6], moving out of the fork that had bee feasible after Seizel escaped the pin.

  The daween Seizel’s minor pieces and Lelouch’s rook and two bishops tinued. But then, Lelouch made a move that surprised Seizel.

  [Kf5]

  “A forward king move…? Iing.”

  Zero still had plenty of attag pieces. But to choose to make a forward king move instead… It was quite a surprising move.

  “If a king does not lead, then how could he expect his subordio follow? Don’t you agree?”

  Seizel smiled, and nodded.

  “That is certainly respectable. And I agree with your belief. So, I shall do the same.”

  [Kg2]

  Zero then traded his bishop with Seizel’s, using his king to recapture, and threaten to take his pawn.

  And a few moves ter, Seizel’s King stood before Zero’s King and passed a pawn oher side of the board, away from Seizel’s remaining knight and pawns.

  There was no time for him to maneuver his knight to the defense of his king. Even if there was, he simply could not win against a rook and a bishop.

  And soon… Seizel’s king had o run.

  With Zero’s king blog his way forward and his other pieces threatening checkmate in a few moves, his lost was almost certain.

  “... Well, it has certainly been fun.”

  “It certainly has.”

  His clock tio tick with less than 30 seds remaining, and in such a dire situation… Seizel knew he had lost. However…

  [Kg4]

  “Checkmate.”

  Seizel pced his king right before Zero’s, and gasps of surprise filled the room.

  “B-Brother, what are you…”

  “Dear brother…”

  “Yhness…?”

  elia, Euphemia, and Kanon all turowards Seizel with visible shock apparent on their faces.

  Even though they may not uand chess as much as the two pying, they uood the rules well enough to know that Seizel had just made an illegal move that would cause his king to be taken.

  Did he just… lose on purpose by making an illegal move? Even if checkmate was almost certain… Why would he make such a move, instead ning?

  “What is the meaning of this…? Are you simply handihe victory?”

  “Hm? What do you mean? Victory is already in yrasp. I simply… gave it to you earlier.”

  “...”

  Zero ched his fists as his eyes gred furiously at Seizel from beh his mask.

  With his enhanced intelligend mind crity as the [Archivist of Universal Knowledge], pying against Seizel, who he had never won against in chess before, was simple.

  Sihe te early game, Lelouew that his victory was all but guaranteed.

  However, he simply couldn’t believe that Seizel would do such a thing, just like he did in the Code Geass anime.

  And what made things worse… he was in the same position once more. If he took it, then he’ll simply be pying into Seizel’s hand.

  Moreover…

  “The Emperor would have taken it without hesitation…”

  He recalled Seizel’s words from the anime… And the thought of being “simir” to that man simply disgusted him.

  His chest heaved uhe pressure as he began raising his hand slowly and hovered over his own King, instead of Seizel’s.

  But just then, another hand bck took Seizel’s white King and pced the pawn beside Zero’s king on its square.

  ““!!!””

  All eyes immediately turowards Mordred, who held the white king in his hands. Their eyes wide as saucers. Even Seizel showed a rare look of pure shobsp;

  “Well, that has certainly been quite the game, has it not? And I believe you’ve also achieved your purpose of learning Zero’s character from the clear hesitation he showed just now. Am I right, yhness?”

  “You…”

  For the first time ever, elia, Euphie, Kanon, and Darlton saw a look they’ve never seen their brother and prince made before.

  A look of pure shock, fusion, and disbelief as he stared at Mordred, who had the white king in his fingers, spinning it.

  “Five me for interfering. However, Zero would’ve retreated his king, and the decision would not be something he would’ve done if not for your cheap provocations.

  I’m sure you could’ve guessed it as well, given his hesitance of not seizing the victory you hao him immediately.

  From it… you’ve guessed what kind of person he is, have you not?”

  “...”

  “Mordred…”

  Zero mumbled his name as Seizel stared at the man in the devil’s mask.

  With just this oion, Seizel’s impression of Mordred had turned from him simply being aremely skilled knightmare pilot… into somethiirely different.

  This man before him… He might be even more dangerous than Zero.

  “Hah… It is as you say. The emperor would’ve taken it without hesitation. But he didn’t… It’s certainly iing to know that the leader of the Bights was someone who wouldn’t take the victory if it was hao him.”

  The strangely pleasant sound of a giggle that Seizel nor anyone else in this room aside from Zero would’ve expected from the man known as the “Devil” within their ranks resounded.

  His magic voice was alluring, weling, and soothing, just like the “Devil’s whispers”. Even if they were on different sides in the war, they couldn’t help but admit the fabsp;

  However, hearing his giggle, that almost seemed so normal and even… bright, was extremely surprising, especially when juxtaposed by his devilish mask.

  It was as if they’re hearing someone ugh from teasing their close friend.

  “Well, smart as he is, he certainly still has his fws, but… That is where I, no, we e in.”

  Mordred pced a hand on Zero’s shoulder before turning his gaze towards the golden-haired prince.

  “And this is where the two of you differ, yhness.”

  “What do you mean…?”

  Mordred stopped spinning the white king in his fingers and looked down to it.

  “Yhness. I must say, from my observation of your character thus far, I fidently state that you are a natural-born ruler.”

  “...”

  Seizel narrowed his eyes to his praise.

  “You are destin over your subjects. Perhaps, from the moment you were born, everything and everyone around you were destio be pieces on yame board for you to trol.”

  Mordred raised the white king in his hand up for all to see, and tinued.

  “You were not bound by rules. For you are the rule. And so, you have no qualms of breaking the rules made by others, and you would not hesitate to lead even you “King” to its death. After all, if that is what it takes to achieve yoal, then they’re justified.”

  “How dare you-”

  Seizel raised his hand, stopping Kanon from berating Mordred for having, essentially, insinuated Seizel daring to go against the emperor for his own gain.

  Uurbed by the femboy looking aide of Seizel, Mordred tinued.

  “And you might’ve achieved yoal if Zero were to be alone. After all, genius and logical as he might be, he’s still someone quite driven by his emotions.”

  Mordred looked towards Zero and smiled within his mask. His bright, soothing voice that belied his current appearance resounded once more as he patted Zero’s shoulder.

  “But that’s fine. Because he’s not alone. Not anymore.”

  Lelouch felt the warmth of his dear friend’s words in his heart.

  Thanks to his interference, he was able to snap out of his tunnel vision and disorrayed thoughts, and recalled his rades in the group chat.

  His closest and most trusted friends and rades. The ones who had given him the warmth of a family, and hope for the future.

  The ones who had ged his life for the better… forever.

  Yuuji then gazed into the eyes of Darlton, elia, Kanon, Euphemia, and Suzaku one by one, before returning his eyes towards Seizel.

  “You have generals, knights, and armies at your disposal. Even the members of the Holy Britannian Empire’s royal family would follow your words. All willing to move at your behest. You are one of the few people in the world with the power to ge the world with your words alone. You stand at the top. But… has there ever been anyone who stood by your side?”

  Mordred pced the white king pieto the table, to the side of the board. And it gazed up at the Bck King and the pawn by its side from below.

  Seizel’s eyes looked at the white king he had just put before returning his gaze towards Mordred.

  “Of course, I do. While they might stand behind me, iy, all of my trusted friends, rades, and family stood by my side, lendiheir advid their sel, and I heeded them and took them to heart.”

  “Yet, no oried to prevent you from making such a rash move just then.”

  “...”

  M elia and Euphemia, his younger sisters and family, before nding his gaze at his aide and right-hand man, who was gring at him as if he was his mortal enemy.

  “Of course. It was but a simple game. It was not something that should be taken seriously.

  But it still reflects the reality of the people around you. Pray tell, yhness, has anyone ever dared to actually stop you from enag the decision you have made?”

  Mordred took his eyes off Kanon, as if losing i in him, and turned his attention towards Seizel once more.

  “You may “sider” their advice deeply, but in the end, you are still alone in your decision. No one was by your side to stop you from enag your decision, even if it was a foolish one.”

  The earl and right hand man of Seizel ched his teeth tightly as he gred at Mordred, who began putting the chess pieces back to its p the board.

  “Respectfully. As I’ve said before, you are born to be a ruler, yhness. Yifted with intelligence, charisma, and iron will; aremely rare but incredible mix of character and personality that would make for a perfect ruler. But unfortunately, because you are a ruler, you have no one who would and could stop you once you’ve made your decision.”

  Mordred picked up the bck king after pg all other bck pieces back to its pce, and held it in his hands for a moment.

  “Zero might’ve been g as a ruler when pared to you. But that is fine. Because he has others who are willing to stand by his side, and correct him wherays from his path.”

  The members of the group chat. They were not his subordinates, uhe members of the Bights, who might only see him as their leader who could lead them to victory.

  They were his friends, his closest ally, and the only ones who truly know Lelouch for the person he was. With them, Lelouch would have someone who would be able to care for him just as he did for his sister and help him in his fight.

  Yuuji pced the bck king on its square, with all of the other pieces by its sides and before him. Then, he picked up the white king and pced it at the ter of the board, in front of the rest of the white pieces.

  “I hope you remember this, yhness. You have all of Britannia behind you. But know that when you face the Bights, you are not fag Zero alone. But every single member within it and those who support it.”

  A deafening silence filled the room. And every single one of them held their breath, as if fearing that it would disrupt the silenbsp;

  Seizel stared at the white king Mordred had pced at the ter of the board in silence. And for the first time in his life… the words of a stranger had mao shake him to the core and make him rethink his life. Doubting his choices.

  The pregnant silence lingered… When suddenly, a loud explosion echoed from the stadium. And blood-curdling screams quickly followed after.

  “What was that?!”

  VergsX