Chapter 95 ~ Wind of Victory
<span style="font-weight:400">“Y-You…?! How…? H-How are you… alive…?!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Color drained from Taizo’s face as he stared at the revealed countenance of “Mordred” with widened eyes.
<span style="font-weight:400">He must’ve been mistaken… No, it <i><span style="font-weight:400">must</i><span style="font-weight:400"> be a mistake!!!
<span style="font-weight:400">But unfortunately, it was impossible, for he had inherited the appearance of both his mother and the Demon of Britannia, the madman who created weapons of mass destruction. The devil who led the crusade against those who are not of Britannian blood. The demon lord who he took part in taking down…
<span style="font-weight:400">“H-How… I-I was sure…”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Alexander” let out a soft smile at the stunned old lord.
<span style="font-weight:400">“A miracle, Lord Kirihara. A simple miracle. And worry not… I have note to exact revenge. Instead… It is the opposite.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...Huh?”
<span style="font-weight:400">The old man looked at the figure of the young man before him, that reminded him of the hellish pain and suffering many of hisrades had gone through due to the Devil of Britannia and his minions, in confusion. And when he bowed, the old lord froze in shock.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Thank you very much for bringing that monster down. He is not someone who should be allowed to walk this world. Now, the world is one step closer to peace thanks to your actions.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kirihara Taizo doubted his ears for a moment. Did such words trulye from the son of Arthur von Morningstar…? The Devil himself? And towards him, the one who arranged the “disappearance” of the Morningstar family…
<span style="font-weight:400">“Are you… Truly… his son…?”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Unfortunately…”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Alexander” nodded with a sad smile as the old man scrutinized his every expression, words, and actions as he clenched onto his wooden staff.
<span style="font-weight:400">“...Do you not hold a grudge against me, boy?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Of course not. As I said, you did the right thing. And if you didn’t… I would’ve done it myself.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...”
<span style="font-weight:400">Taizo looked the young man in the eyes. Eyes that were beautiful beyond words and charming enough to disarm even the most guarded person before him.
<span style="font-weight:400">His heart swayed. He had seen through the true nature of many charismatic devils in his lifetime. And though no one had the charisma on par with the young man before him, he was still experienced enough to discern the truth from the lies that came out of his mouth.
<span style="font-weight:400">And to his shock, he found nothing but the truth and genuine gratefulness.
<span style="font-weight:400">He turned towards Lelouch.
<span style="font-weight:400">“...Do you trust him?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Of course. He is one of my closest friends and trusted confidants.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Lelouch nodded immediately. If he couldn’t trust even hisrades and friends in the Chat Group, whose true nature and life he had seen through their life “stories”, then there was no one in the world worthy of his trust.
<span style="font-weight:400">“...Very well.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Lord Kirihara nodded and turned his gaze back at Yuuji.
<span style="font-weight:400">“So? You’ve revealed yourself to me. What do you want?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I am simply here to convey a message. A message from “Shiba”.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Once again, Taizo’s eyes widened in shock as thest word “Alexander” uttered reverberated like thunder in his mind.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Shiba…? Do you mean… That Shiba…?”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Indeed. Their son is alive, and he wanted to thank you for your efforts in supporting them and protecting them until theirst moments.”
<span style="font-weight:400">His hands began to tremble along with his entire body. A single tear flowed down the eyes of the weathered old man as the figure of a handsome man and beautiful woman, both ck of hair, pure of hearts, and kind beyond words appeared in his mind…
<span style="font-weight:400">“How… Just how…? I was sure…”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It is yet another miracle, Lord Kirihara. Their son had grown up and their legacy was also still intact. They’ve left the location of their legacy to their son.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Both of the Shiba were the brilliant, steadfast, and shining light of hope that would’ve illuminated the future of Japan. And when he failed to protect them, that light disappeared along with a part of his heart.
<span style="font-weight:400">The moment he received news of their death, the death of those he had considered his own flesh and blood, a part of him died along with them.
<span style="font-weight:400">But now… He finally found it once again. A new light… A new hope.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I see… I see. That’s good…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Taizo closed his eyes and collected himself. He took in a deep breath and let it out through his mouth before looking at “Alexander” once again.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I assume he’s with the ck Knights as well.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Alexander” nodded.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Indeed. But it is not time for his parent’s legacy to be revealed to the world. Lest, we’ll attract the attention of the powerhouses of Britannia.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Taizo nodded in agreement.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Good choice. You are still few and weak. If you used it, you would’ve been akin to a child wielding a gun fighting against a trained veteran. Wait until you can stand on your own two feet. Then use it to bring this war to an end.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, Lord Kirihara.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Mm. Until then, we shall assist you in this war.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I appreciate it, Lord Kirihara.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Lelouch donned his mask of Zero once again and turned around, his cape fluttering in the air.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Alexander” bowed onest time before his devilish mask closed, hiding his true countenance from the world, and followed after “Zero”.
<span style="font-weight:400">And as they walked away, Taizo watched their back recede in silence.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">Finally… The winds of victory had blown in our favor…</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">--------------------------------X--------------------------------
<span style="font-weight:400">After finishing their business, Zero had Karen, Ohgi, and Tamaki return to Tokyo Settlement by themselves while he and Mordred took care of some remaining business in Kyoto.
<span style="font-weight:400">Zero didn’t say what their business was when they asked. And when Karen asked Mordred in private, she too failed to get an answer, leaving her disappointed as the three made their way back to Tokyo on their own.
<span style="font-weight:400">Once they’re gone, Zero and Mordred go to find a hidden ce. They arrived at a quiet street near the outskirts of the Kyoto settlement, and after making sure no eyes, human or machine, had their sights on them, they changed from their suit and armor into regr, civilian’s clothing.
<span style="font-weight:400">Where previously stood two conspicuous looking men, now stood a pair of eye-catching handsome young men, the taller one dressed in a ck shirt, ck leather jacket, and long ck jeans, and the other dressed in a caramel jacket, ck shirt, and dark pants.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Are you ready?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. I just got a text from Shirley that she’s about to head to our meet up point. She’ll probably arrive in less than an hour.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Yuuij nodded with a confident smile.
<span style="font-weight:400">“No problem. We’ll arrive even faster. What about her protection?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Satoru-san had both “Momonga” and “Peroroncino” guard her stealthily. Mao won’t be able to touch her.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s good. Well then, shall we?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Mm. Thank you for doing this, Yuuji.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“No problem. Let’s go.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">The two began to float up into the air as their appearance slowly vanished. Then, as the literal space around them bent to propel them forward without the need to fight against air resistance and gravity, the two head towards Tokyo with speed surpassing even a fighter jet.
<span style="font-weight:400">And less than 30 minutester, they arrived near Lelouch’s meeting point with Shirley as promised.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wow, we really did arrive in less than half an hour… So this is your top speed.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“My top speed is still a bit faster. I didn’t want you to get a headache from seeing the sight around you move so quickly, so I held back a little.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Yuuji undid his invisibility spell and ced a hand on his friend’s shoulder.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Alright then, off you go. Good luck on your date. And have fun. You deserve it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Lelouch smiled and nodded softly.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Thank you. Then, I’ll be going.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Lelouch went straight towards the za and stood in front of a fountain. This was the ce he had agreed upon with Shirley for their meet up point.
<span style="font-weight:400">And after waiting for several minutes, Yuuji saw the two meeting up and went towards the concert hall like a regr young couple. And after knowing what kinds of things Lelouch had to go through, the sight brought a smile to his face.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">You deserve happiness, Lelouch… And now that we’re here, we’ll help you obtain it.</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Yuuji took out his phone and texted Satoru.
<span style="font-weight:400">Tsubakihara Yuuji: “Satoru-san, did Mao approach Shirley?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Soon, a reply came to him.
<span style="font-weight:400">Suzuki Satoru: “He did. He tried to approach her while she was on the way to their meeting point. But I had “Momonga” put him to sleep before he could reach her. He’s been dragged away by a few policemen who found him.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Tsubakihara Yuuji: “That’s great. Thank you, Satoru-san. Lelouch has also met up with Shirley, so they should be fine now.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Suzuki Satoru: “I’m d. I’ll leave “Momonga” to watch over them and have “Peroroncino” return to be a look out for the base.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Tsubakihara Yuuji: “Alright. I won’t be returning to the base tonight since I told them that Lelouch and I have business in Kyoto. So I will return to our home tonight.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Suzuki Satoru: “Sure. Tatsuya-kun said he will be staying at the base tonight to continue studying Excalibur and the Guren. But I’ll return hom. See you there.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Tsubakihara Yuuji: “Alright, see you, Satoru-san.”
<span style="font-weight:400">--------------------------------X--------------------------------
<span style="font-weight:400">Under the clear blue sky, a serene beauty stood atop the rooftop of the academy building as the breeze blew her beautiful leaf green hair that was tied into a twin tail.
<span style="font-weight:400">Her golden eyes gazed into the distance, seemingly to view something even further. Something… intangible. Something in the past. Her past.
<span style="font-weight:400">If she were to describe her life up to this point, she could easily describe it with just two words.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Pain” would be the first. And the second, “Suffering.”
<span style="font-weight:400">She had seen all the pain and suffering humanity went through. She had experienced the cruelty of man and the world, endured its pain with her immortal body, and experienced the despair that turned her heart numb.
<span style="font-weight:400">Her eyes remained tranquil even as memories of her “deaths” recur in her mind like a never ending nightmare. In fact, most of, if not, all of her dreams were nightmares. She was simply used to it that it didn’t wake her up at night any longer.
<span style="font-weight:400">At this point… She was simply tired of it all.
<span style="font-weight:400">She was tired of this never ending life…
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hm? What’s wrong?”
<span style="font-weight:400">The leaf green-haired beauty uttered those words into the wind as a breeze blew over her, sending her twin tails swaying in the air.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What? Are you that bored that you started caring about that?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes yes, I know already. You’re a helicopter mom.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“How could you even deny that? You asked me to watch over him. And now, you’re asking me to observe his friend!”
<span style="font-weight:400">An exasperated sigh escaped her lips as she shook her head.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I get it, already… But you know that I can’t reveal myself to just anyone, right? Even for you, I won’t risk being turned into ab rat again just so I can tell you about your son’s friend.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“T-That was just an ident. I didn’t-”
<span style="font-weight:400">Just then, as C.C nced down onto the courtyard, she saw the figure of the “most handsome student in Ashford” looking up towards her with eyes widened in surprise.
<span style="font-weight:400">Her body immediately froze. And in the next moment, she immediately run away as her heart thumped loudly in her chest.
<span style="font-weight:400">C.C quickly made her way back to the Student Government Clubhouse, where Lelouch and his little sister were staying. She immediately went to her room, locked the door, and slumped down onto her bed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hah… Hah… Shut up… I know it already!”
<span style="font-weight:400">C.C at the voice in her mind as she panted in exhaustion.
<span style="font-weight:400">This would be the second time “he” had seen her… And this time, he definitely saw her since they even made eye contact.
<span style="font-weight:400">And to make things worse, he was the “friend” they voice in her head was referring to.
<span style="font-weight:400">Lelouch and Alexander had gotten close ever since thetter became an “honorary” member of the Student Council. It seemed like Alexander had been helping Lelouch with his work and the two grew closer because of that. And before long, they got along very well and could also be seen talking with each other and even having lunch together.
<span style="font-weight:400">And now… She, whose identity and existence were supposed to be unknown by anyone in the academy, had been seen twice by him.
<span style="font-weight:400">If things go wrong, her connection with Lelouch might be revealed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“How… Did you evene to that conclusion…? My heart is beating fast because I ran all the way back here…!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“His appearance doesn’t matter…!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“What…? What nonsense are you talking…? Love at first sight…? Hah… It seems your brain have rotted since you haven’t been using them muchtely, huh?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...Alright alright, I get your point. But I disagree.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah, I’ll talk to youter.”
<span style="font-weight:400">C.C let out another sigh as the voice in her mind left. She rolled around in her bed and hugged her favorite pizza restaurant mascot plushie called “Cheese-kun”.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Love… I’ve long since lost the heart to love long ago, Marianne…”
<span style="font-weight:400">She closed her eyes, and memories of her torturous past filled with death, pain, and suffering shed across her mind.
<span style="font-weight:400">But fortunately for her, darkness quickly imed her consciousness as a single tear rolled down the corner of her eyes, with the final image in her mind being the countenance of the boy she met eyes with previously.