《The Tech Prince of Britannia》 1 A complex mission "Huh? Wha, What is going on here?!" I yelled, I was literally on the middle of a endless white space with nothing around me on any direction. I still remember I was quite well talking to... huh? Who was I talking to anyway? Actually, now that I think about it, I can''t remember anything of importance whatsoever about myself. Seriously, I can''t remember shit about myself. But, my memories about games, movies, anime, manga, and light novels are intact... was I that much of an otaku? Fuck, I hope I at least had a girlfriend before whatever this is happening! ''Have you calmed down, little one?'' A deep voice that seemed strangely like a mix of hundreds of voices said behind me. I turned to look, but as I did so I realized that I didn''t quite have a body so to speak. Seriously, I am begining to think I might be on the place where Truth resides in FMA Brotherhood, and I probably look like Father in his chibi form. In other words, like a ball of something with an eye and possibly a mouth attached. But that is not THAT important right now as I look at whoever is it that is talking. It is a figure covered in a weird white mist making differentiate who it is nearly impossible. All I can say is that I am glad there is no giant door behind him or I might either fanboy over him or despair on the prospect of what would happen in the near future. Seeing that I did not talk anything the thing nodded and started talking. ''I see that you relaxed enough. Good. Now, as to answer your previous question over what you are doing here, I brought you here after you died of a stroke when they announced that One Piece and Jojo would stop production due to some reason, you never really got to that part as you died when you heard that one.'' Okay, yeah I can see myself having a stroke if I didn''t manage to get to the end of One Piece after accompanying it for so long. And Jojo was one of my favorite animes and manga of all time, complete stop is unforgivable! ''I brought you here due to some issues I am having. Someone is trying to kill me and take my place, but I can''t quite accept that so easily. The problem is that, despite all my powers, I can''t stop them proactively due to my own nature so I must try and find someone else to stop them for me. Normally I would have chosen the best of the best, but as what I am doing right now is already stretching quite a bit I couldn''t go and chose too much or I would upset the balance of my world; so now I must ask you, will you fight a tyrant to save a God?" I showed my best idea of a smile and said. "Nope." Seriously, why should I? I was always lazy by nature, I am pretty sure of that one, so why should I go and do something so bothersome? If this,I guess God, is facing trouble and wants me to fight a tyrant I can say for sure that I will likely die before I get to do anything of use. ''Well, what if I said that I can grant you a wish for when you go?'' "Still no." I said. Seriously, what is the problem with this ''God''? Can''t it understand that I just don''t want to do this? ''And what if I said I can grant you two wishes AND that if you don''t accept I am letting your soul go right back to hell?'' ... ... ... ...Well, when it puts it like that... "Can you at least explain what you need me to do?" I said defeatedly. Hell, that equals pain and I am no good with that. ''Sure, I shall explain, even if you already know quite a bit about it anyway.'' Huh? ''I guess I should simply tell you my name and where we are, that should be more than enough for you to understand what is my situation. I am the Collective Consciousness of the Universe, and we are on the world of C.'' And with that, my mind stopped. No respectful Otaku would not recognize those words, they are iconic to one of the best animes of all times after all. Code Geass. I am in the fucking world of Code Geass, a place where intrigue runs rampant, giant mechas are the norm, and the emperor is... ...Oh, now I get it. "You want me to kill THE Emperor Charles? How the hell am I even supposed to do that?" I screeched. No way I can do that so easily. ''I need to guaranty that I will live, it is the only way to ensure the world will not end with me. Also, the animation you saw in your universe was a message from me from one of the possible futures that might wait for this world. There are hundreds of others where I am saved and hundreds more where I am not. I can''t risk it. So I decided to bring someone else to help, you. Now, if you understand what is it that awaits you, what are the gifts you will want?'' Well, ain''t that a kicker? I guess I have no choice then. I mean, if I don''t accept I will likely go to hell, dying is scary, and if I can help my favorite characters than I don''t really have a problem. Also, my dream of kicking Suzaku on his self-righteous balls is too good to throw away, I have him on my list of most hated characters of all times, right above Shou Tucker and that is saying a lot. But now, what should I ask? This is not a world of magic, even if Geass exist, but a world of science. Thinking that I remember how there are so many shows out there focused on science and two determining factors were finding good pilots and making great mechas. Oh yeah, I can already see what I will need. "I want to be able to see the potential of others for piloting Knightmare Frames while also being able to induce loyalty on them to me and have the collective intelligence of all scientists from Academy City from Toaru Majustu no Index''s universe, but without losing my morals or integrity for it!" I am not good with science as of right now and I am not that much of a people''s person so no big charisma there. What I do need, however, are people that would fight for me and be the one in the forefront of the technology to ensure I am number one no matter what. ''Done.'' The CCU (Collective Consciousness of the Universe) said. I don''t feel any different, but I guess I just need to wait to see the results. ''Now, I will send you to your new life. But be warned, this universe is not precisely the same as the one you knew before, there will be differences in your surroundings and on some of the people there.'' And like that, my new life begins. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 3¡ã Person P.O.V. "Madam Marie, it is born. It is a healthy body." A nurse said to the woman on the table. The birth was not easy, there were a lot of complications and the woman almost died multiple times, but it was finally over. They were in Pendragon, the capital of the Holy Britania Empire, and the woman in the bed was Marie Zi Britania, the only full sister of Charles Zi Britania the current emperor of the Empire. She was a good 5 years younger than him and was known as the person he doted on the most in the entire world. It was no surprise by many that the Emperor, despite normally not bothering to be present during the births of his own children, was pacing from one side to the other of the room in front of where she was giving birth today. It has only been a few days since his Fifth Wife, Marianne Vi Britania, had her first child, a boy with the same purple eyes as the Emperor himself. Charles was ecstatic then, but now he was much more nervous than the previous birth, or any other for that matter. The husband of her Highness Marie Zi Britania had died not long ago during one of the combat operations against EU, the impact of it was such that her Highness almost died from shock. Thankfully she braved through and now she was having a new prince for the imperial family. When the nurse that was inside the chambers came out and warned the emperor that everything went fine and that the boy was born Charles rushed into the room followed closily by a small boy that looked about 10 or 11 years old with long blond hair, both exuding such happiness in knowing Marie was fine that it would shock most that knew them. "Marie, are you okay?" the boy, V.V., said as soon as he got inside the room. He eyed everyone inside, all of them working with the Directorate (the secret organization under his control) and all loyal to a fault, but if anything happened to his sister he would have their heads in a spike on the literal sense. Charles, much less proper, had simply hugged her even as she was weakened, or tried to as he was stopped when he almost crushed the baby in his sister''s eyes. Seeing his apologetic eyes Marie released a small laugh. "Almost the same doofus, heh, big brother. You almost crushed this little one." She said with a rebute even as she laughed. Seeing her happy face it was enough to calm the nerves of both overprotective brothers. She was the only other family member they truly thought as such. She was there to support them in any problem they might have had during the entire way and she had dealt with the court in many occasions to help Charles reach the throne faster, she had done everything to help them even as her health was almost too weak. Charles always felt bad for her, even with the entire wealth of the empire she was too weak to enjoy most of it and she was expected to die in just a few more years even with the help of all their scientists. Anyway, letting these thoughts to the back of his mind Charles looked down to see his nephew, he had black hair, a god structured face that Charles believed was the cutest baby he had seen to date and he had many childreen already, and something else that surprised him. Purple eyes, the same as his own eyes and considered by many a sign of a leader. He even saw a flash of intelligence, or so he said himself, on the boy''s eyes. L.L. had the same impression, he couldn''t wait until the point when he''d give this little one got old enough to get a geass of his own, he was sure it would be something amazing. Honestly speaking these three siblings only thought of each other as true family, Marriane was a close friend and Charle''s children were mostly inconsequential, but this little one was special for them all. It was due to him being the only child of Marie, Marie loved him immensely and both brothers that were overprotective of her were also loving this little one for association. "What name you are thinking about giving him?" Charles asked in curiosity. "I don''t really know, how about the two of you decide on a name. I probably will not be around for that long and we will see each other again only after you use that sword, but I want my little prince to have a good name for when I am gone." She said sadly, she knew her health had been weak for too long and giving birth had not helped in the slightest, if anything she doubted she could get to his fifth birthday unless she received some of those more extreme surgeries V.V. suggested, but they didn''t know if that would possibly make her any different when they completed their goal. She would NOT look like a badly made cyborg for all of eternity, she considered it ugly and an affront to life itself as she did not like this sort of thing. Charles and V.V. were sad hearing those words, but their resolve in completing their plan only strengthened as they wanted to be with their little sister longer. But, back to business, the two sibblings looked at each other and started to discuss on what name to give the small boy. It started civil, the two being mindful over their sister that was still reccuperating, but with time, well... "AND I TOLD YOU ALREADY, YOU IDIOTIC OLD FART! THE NAME SHOULD BE VICTOR! VICTOR VI BRITANIA SO AS TO SOUND JUST LIKE HIS OBVIOUSLY SMARTEST UNCLE!" V.V. shouted at Charles who looked just as pissed off. "NO, AS THE EMPEROR OF THIS NATION I DEMAN THE NAME TO BE ARTHUR AS IN KING ARTHUR! HE WILL BE THE GREATEST KNIGHT OF OUT KINGDOM FOR SURE!" Charles shouted back, his eyes shining dangerously as he wanted to strangle his older brother that looked like a child. The two hit head to head, furry in their eyes. Marie sighed, the two were likely to get into this sort of discussion whenever the subject was about anything related to her. They both cared too much about her. This was not getting anywhere and Marie knew that both had to solve things already as there were other matters they should focus on, the world would not be taken so easily after all. "Brothers, how about this then, each write down the names you think would be good and show them to the boy, the one he picks is the one he will have as a name. But be quick, he seems to want to go to sleep." Marie proposed, her purple eyes shining with that gentle light that made her brothers unnable to dany any wish from her. And so, both went ahead and wrote down names on papers for the kid to choose. Secretly both tried to cheat by adding some sweet smells or write with a more colorful manner or paint. Finishing with that the two showed the papers to Marie who saw through their deception and rolled her eyes. Seriously, the two were just too easy to understand for her. But before she could say anything the boy looked at the names and chose one with a happy smile on his face that was almost sleeping already. As the three looked over to see which name it was a light grunt of annoyance left V.V.''s mouth as Charles looked at him triumphantly. "Why did you chose such a strange name? Seriously, I have never seen someone with such name before." V.V. commented. "It is a rather peculiar name indeed brother, why did you choose it?"Marie asked as well. "Simple, I wanted him to have the same initials that I do and I want it to be unique, I do like unique names after all." Charles said triumphantly. "But still, Ciel? Seriously, Ciel Zi Britania is still too weird." V.V. commented while hiding a smirk as he thought ''and so is Shneizel, I guess brother just sucks at naming''. Unfortunately, he had many other matters to attend so he had to get moving. He had ignored work for the last 13 hours during the labor time, he should go back before things go south. Seeing that V.V. was standing up Charles did the same, pride emanating from him as he had won this little dispute with his brother. Seeing the two leave Marie released a sigh of exasperation, she honestly could only see the two brothers like they were bickering children most of the time. They talked big and were quite ruthless and capable, true, but inside they were just too much like kids on her eyes. Anyway, she looked down at the baby currently sleeping in her arms. A warm expression on her face as she looked at her little prince. "Ciel, Ciel Zi Britania. I won''t be there to protect you forever, but I am sure you will grow up to do great things, you will be the best there is. I just know it." And she finished that by giving him a little kiss in the forehead. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 5 years later Two boys were sitting on a library, the two were quite close together even as they were starkly different from each other and had the same color of eyes. One of them was widely known as the commoner prince due to the fact his mother was originally a commoner, but it didn''t trouble him that much as his mother was still highly respected by the military due to having been the knight of two and unbeatable on the past. He, however, did not get much of a knack for physical training as he would avoid it as much as humanly possible. Regardless, he was loved by many and was having a great time with his best friend right now. The other one was different however, he was reading a book about advanced chemistry on one side and one of advanced mechanics on the other. His mother was known as the one the Emperor pampered the most and he himself was highly appreciated and pampered by the Emperor as well, something that made some of the imperial family to hate him. It didn''t help that he also avoided most of the nobility events he could like they were a plague since he gone to his first one, his words were ''what a waste of time, I would rather just be left alone already''. The friendship between the two was a well-known fact, Lelouch Vi Britania and Ciel Zi Britania were together most time and both were already geniuses on their own right. Ciel had an unprecedented intelligence for most scientific matters and already was approached by Shneizel in a sign of ''friendship'', but his capacity in politics was more than lacking as he outright shot Shneizel down without a second thought. Meanwhile, Lelouch was already showing signs of being a strategist as he had won virtually any match he ever faced against most of his siblings, the only exceptions being Shneizel and Ciel, even if against Ciel he won more than he ever lost. Lelouch was reading a book about strategy and comparing notes with Ciel, they had fun doing that as both challenged one another. They were young and had grown together so they trusted one another immensely. "Ciel, do you really plan on skipping the ball tonight? I am sure your mother will be disappointed if you do." Lelouch said. "Yeah, but I am just so close to finish this new theory. I can''t quite go and waste time talking with ass kissers that only want to look good and try and use me to suck it up to the emperor." Ciel said while shaking his head. He had finally learned enough to start writing his first theory, it was about how to use sakuradite on a semi perpetual way by creating a loop energy cycle. With luck he would finish the development of it tonight and present it to the emperor soon enough. His objective is to create knightmares able to function on a much higher level than they do right now. However, Lelouch next few words completely dashed his hopes away. "Well, I guess it is fine. Cornelia did say she would put you through hell if you didn''t go but if you really don''t want to I guess she will understand." Just like that Ciel groaned in annoyance and defeat. Cornelia Li Britania was the second bane of Ciel''s existence, just losing for physical exercise. She was someone who had taken an interest in him on her thoughts of trying to teach him the ''proper'' way that a noble should act and to make him her future second in command. Fat chance, he hated physical training and all it entailed, he wanted nothing less than to do that. But, she was insistent and Ciel knew he couldn''t win against her at all. "... Fine, I will go to that hell with you Lulu." Ciel said, taking no small joy on seeing how Lelouch scolded when he said that nickname. "But I will have to tell Loyd that I couldn''t go because you blackmailed me not to." This time it was Lelouch who groaned in annoyance. Lloyd Asplund had been appointed as the prince''s tutor by the insistence of the prince himself, at the start the count of pudding, as Lloyd was more widely known, was against it vehemently but after being with Ciel for about a week he became Ciel''s most obsessed follower. It was a reason to concern by some as Lloyd was an up and coming young noble that was already one of the best scientists under Britania, for him to choose someone so strongly was not a welcome sight for those like Schneizel who wanted to recruit the mad genius. Anyway, the two entered an agreement on what they would be both suffering as Ciel hated these parties and Lelouch equally hated being lectured by Lloyd over how he shouldn''t waste Ciel''s time with unimportant things. Before they could change to another subject a voice came from the outside. "And what are you two doing here? We, as princes, or quasi on your cases, should be out and showing the world all of our glory. Not dusting off here in this desolate spot." "Maybe you would be smarter if you were to spend more time in this ''desolate spot'', Clovis." Came Ciel''s retort to the third prince, Lelouch holding back his laughter at Clovis'' red face. Clovis La Britania, he was a pompous prince who liked looking good more than anything else really. The problem was that his personal perfect image was shattered by both Lelouch during a game of chess and Ciel that he challenged to see who would get a better score on a test in which Ciel ended up doing it perfectly despite its ''high'' level. But one thing must be said of him, he was someone who would not give up. He would keep challenging the two and trying to talk up to them, even if the results were not always the best. He was an okay guy in the two younger prince''s books, even if Clovis did look down on them slightly due to one being half commoner and one not having any inheriting rights to the throne. But, if compared to the other princes that were actively hostile and others who talked badly of them in the back while trying to act nice Clovis was like a burst of fresh air. "Anyway, I was wondering if the two of you would like to go out and enjoy some fresh air, maybe just a picnic outside to admire the ladies would do you both some good. You both are far too pale." Clovis said, and just as both Lelouch and Ciel were about to shot down the idea Clovis said the magic words. "I have some delicious sweets to accompany the picnic." "What sort of sweets?" Ciel said, droll almost being visible on the corner of his mouth. Lelouch rolled his eyes on that one, while this cousin and friend of his were smarter than most could ever be it was just a fact he was a sucker to some things, candy being on the top of the list. "All sorts, my personal chef have crafter many of them including some delicious cake and-" "What are we waiting for? Let''s go!" Ciel said, already abandoning the two books he had almost finished reading and moving out, his hand grabbing Lelouch''s arm and pulling him along to the outside. Clovis could only show a fond smile at this, Ciel and Lelouch were not the most proper royals but it was undeniable that the two were amongst the few Clovis truly liked being with. As he thought of all the nobles that speak badly of these two little ones, even if not entirely wrong, he did not appreciate it in the slightest. As he was reminiscing he heard a shout from the outside. "Cak- I mean, Clovis! Come on, the cake and sweets will not be eaten alone!" Clovis could only shake his head, at least he had asked for people to call for Nunaly, she was three years old now so she could finally go outside and he knew that the only thing that could keep Lelouchdong something he didn''t want to was that little sister of his. Not wanting to let the two wait much longer he left the library, it was another good day in the Pendragon castle. 2 The party Yeah, it is official. I will kidnap Clovis'' chef and make him work for me in the future. Seriously, how is it that his cakes are so good? I already ate more than ten slices and I still want more, and that is not to talk about his other sweets that he knows how to make. Taking another bite of this bite-sized heaven I feel a bliss run down my spine. "Calm down, Ciel. The cake is not going anywhere." Lelouch said on my side and I rolled my eyes at this affirmation. "I know it won''t, it doesn''t mean I intend on not eating all of it before-" "Lulu! Ciel! You two were there, why did you not warn us?!" a young voice said from the right in the distance, and I could not help but sigh. So the competition came, huh? Turning to look I see two pinketes approaching. The two have long silky hair but while one is more reserved and with the hair coming down more straight and with a pink that could be called Spanish pink the other is much more animated and with the hair having much more volume and the tips in a roll and more vibrant pink on the hair. The two are very cute and pretty, they are Marrybell Mel Britania and Euphemia Li Britania, two of the princesses of our kingdom. Yep, these two will grow up to both be called ''massacre princess'', both killing hundreds, if not thousands, but the most important fact for me- "Hey, there are sweets with them!" Marrybell said, pointing at the box of sweets by our side. "Let''s go and get some!" Euphemia said happily, the two starting to run right to us, or rather the package of heaven. I, I will not let them take my sweets! Standing up I took the box and went running away from them. Clovis showed an amused face at my savior action, Nunally was still eating a cookie with a happy smile on her face (I had separated a large amount of cookies just for her beforehand as she loves them), and Lelouch is pretending to not see me. Traitorous bastard, this is important! Help me! Just you wait, I will not help you in the future too, you are a traitor of our friendship! I ran with all I had, my legs burning as the scenery passed by me. I will get away and ensure that the sweets will not fall on enemy hands. ... Or so I tried. "And why exactly did you try to run anyway?" Euphemia said in front of me, a hand in her hips as Marrybel had MY box of sweets in her hands. "You know you are no good in physical matters, so why try?" "B-Because *HUFF* *HUFF*, I don''t want *HUFF* *HUFF* to share it all." I said while huffing, my forehead covered in sweat. My physical capacity is, for the lack of better words, about as good as Lelouch''s, which means outright terrible. Seriously, I suck at this running thing. Euphemia and Marrybel caught up to me in less than two minutes for Christ''s sake. Well, it could be worse I guess. They could try and take it completely away from me, instead, they just want to share in the goods, so I suppose I can allow it. Seeing that I stopped trying to run away the two pulled me back to where we came from, Lelouch and the others were barely containing the laughter as they saw me so easily defeated. "Little Ciel, I think you should try and exercise more. This was simply awful." Clovis said, taking one cookie from the box and putting in his mouth after he reached us. I flipped him off, he only chuckled seeing me do that as he probably guessed I would do something like this. Seeing that I would not be able to eat my fill I gave up and went with them back to the picnic area. No point in not enjoying good food I guess, besides I need sugar due to how my brain works. Sugar is needed to help me think faster and to give energy to my brain for me to continue the production of my first published theory about how to create a stable source of nearly unlimited energy that could be small enough. It would be a loop system based on a mix of Sakuradite and Nuclear fusion, but it was honestly not my current main concern as I had that mostly figured out long ago and am not worried too much on that front. I spend more time with Lloyd writing down how to build better mechas as that is much more interesting and because I was honestly disappointed when I saw and understood the functionality and work build of the ''most advanced'' model on the line of production, the Sutherlands. When I saw it during one of Lloyd''s classes I quickly elaborated on how to better its functionality and gave several workable ideas to the scientist. If I didn''t know any better I''d say that I might have helped the development for the Lancelot in at least 5 or 6 years, since then Lloyd and I exchanged multiple ideas about it, well mostly me fixing wrong ideas and indicating better ways Knightmare frame to work to raise all its specs. Right now I am writing down a separated code of programming to our future Knightmare Frames as a way to counter hacking and someone counter engineering any of my machines, and, most importantly, trying to develop nanotechnology to help mother live longer. It is a lot on my plate, honestly speaking I wonder sometimes when I will manage to put everything down, but it is all needed for the future I want. Turning to the others I could not resist but ask. "Hey, what do you all want for the world? I mean, if you could change it right here and now, how would you like it to be?" The others looked at me confused but the first one to talk was Nunally. "I want to live in a happy world with my brother." She said happily as she leaned on Lelouch''s side and continued munching on the cookie. Lelouch seemed to melt when he heard that, no one even bothered asking him as he likely thought the exact same. "Well, I want to make this entire world recognize the greatness of Britania and that everyone will know of me." Clovis said, he honestly loved himself way too much. "I want the world to be in peace and for everyone to understand each other." Euphemia said. "I want to be with my family forever and ever. I also would want for all those rebels and terrorists to stop harassing us and for the war to be over." Marrybel said. "And I want this world to remain entartaining." A voice said behind me, and I felt a shiver run down my spine hearing it. Fuck, if I knew this guy would show up I would not have come even if there were cake and sweets involved. ...maybe. What can I say? I love these way too much. Almost enough to stomach the presence of the fake one, Shneizel is a hateful being to me and the fact he would even accept use a F.R.E.I.J.A. in CANON is enough to tell me he is a terrifying and unsensitive monster. Schneizel is elegantly standing there. He looks at everyone with a look of fondness that almost made me believe he cared about anyone but himself, almost. "And what exactly is the entertaining you are after, cousin?" I asked. "Many things, I especially enjoy the court and dealings with foreign countries, trying to outsmart everyone and avoiding get outsmarted in turn is an incredibly interesting thing to do. I also hope to be able to see my siblings enjoy themselves, just like right now." Shneizel said. "And you, cousin, what would you change and wish for?" "For me to have my own city. I would bring all the best and most talented people in the world and would advance the world by 200 years and be remembered as the one who brought forth a new renascence." I said. Well, this and a few other things like bringing forward more anime and mangas as well as finding myself a girlfriend or two. I don''t need to reach the point of uncle Charles, but I wouldn''t be against female companionship as well. Besides, I want to make my own little kingdom. I don''t understand even with all this intelligence why anyone would want to rule so much land like most of my family wants to, heck just imagining the amount of paperwork and ''important'' matters that I would have to deal with is enough to make me terrified. Hearing my answer most of the others looked at me surprised and with faces like they thought I was being funny. Well, except for two people. One is Lelouch, he is the one who understands me the best amongst my siblings as we spend quite a lot of time together. The other, however, surprised me a bit. Clasping my hands in hers Marrybel looked at me with sparkling eyes. "Amazing, to think you want to make such great contributions to this world. Please, in the future if you need anything don''t forget to tell." Marrybel said. She is always like this, she might act meek sometimes but deep down she is very decisive and headstrong. I bet that if, in the future, I need her help she would really do it. I could only show a shaky smile at that one, I know better than to expect her help through since I probably will rebel in my own way against the empire in the future. I do mean what I said about creating and controlling my own city, and considering how technological it will become I have no doubts that the other princes and the empire will want it in their control. Not that I will let it through. I do like my stuff being mine after all. What I need are capable helpers, pilots for my future machines. Thanks to the deal with the entity that sent me here I can see the talent for piloting in others like a color, the more vivid the color or mix of colors the more talented someone is. For instance, the color on Marrybel is highly vibrant in red and yellow with tints of blue showing great power and killing capacity but the green is weak so she is not that good with long distance, she would do well on a closer or mid range combat. Cornelia is strong in all purely combat fronts, the colors on her indicating that she would work well under any type but is more capable in close combat and in leading during combat as her red and purple colors are stronger. I want to create a team where they would all have absurdly high potential, so much so that no one would deny it. In case of a doubt here is how the colors work: Red for close combat, Blue for mid-range combat, Yellow for mobility, Purple for capacity to lead in combat, Green for long-range combat, Brown for capacity in engineering and science in general, and Orange for Loyalty. None of my siblings had Orange on them, except Marrybel who have some, but it is still too weak. If I made it a point I guess she could be loyal but her ultimate loyalty would remain with Britania. I would need a lot of work or something drastic to change in her for her to go fully to my side, right now it just isn''t happening. "Thanks, Marry. And if you ever need help, you just need to ask." I said back, and I mean it. It may sound strange considering I am thinking on how to better kill their ''father'' (if Charles even deserve that name) but I do consider them family and I would be dammed if I were to let them die for nothing when I could intervene to stop it. Well, I know some of them will likely die due to this current world we live in but I will at least try and protect them as much as possible and grant asylum to them if needed in case they need to run away. Oh, that reminds me. "Marry, when is it that you are going to show us those two friends of yours. You know, the Oz twins." I said while faking innocence. The Oz twins are two future ace pilots, the two have high potential and I can''t help but wonder if I can induce loyalty in them. "They will be on the party tonight, this is the party to coronate their mother as the knight of eight after all." Marrybel said. Oh well, if this is such an ''important'' party I am sure they and likely others will be there. Not like the number of parties in the court isn''t absurdly high but still, I guess a new appointment for a knight of the round deserves some respect, even if they change quite a bit due to all this war that is happening. After that talk, I had to try my damn best to not show how annoyed I was by the intrusion of Shneizel as the picnic continued. At least it was relaxing enough and I had a sufficient intake of delicious, delicious sugar, so after about two hours of enjoying the quality family time I said my goodbyes to everyone and left to my lab. I still want to see how my new experiments were going and I had to put down some of my new ideas for future experiments and see how Lloyd was doing in his own experiments. Entering the lab I saw Lloyd with a mad smile-like expression on his face as he was currently giving the final tests on one of our latest experiments. "So, Lloyd. How is it going? Any good or we will need to remake it from scratch?" I asked as I entered. As he saw me the respectable young man (He was currently only 18) raised his eyes and looked at me. His eyes were full of reverence and curiosity as he skipped my way. "My teacher, I must say that it is going perfectly as expected! Honestly, I still cannot believe we managed to create such a wonderful weapon in just this short month while also working on other projects, but the achievement of creating of a true plasma weapons like these in such a short time, I am humbled to be in your service and of advancing science to a new age." "Yeah, yeah, whatever. You and I both knows that our relationship is of mutual help. You don''t need to go and act like this with me, also don''t get so excited with only this much. You and I are just getting started, I plan on so much more than just this toy." I said, Lloyd was ecstatic hearing it as he probably started thinking on what future weapons we would create. Well, even if I said this weapon isn''t that much it doesn''t mean it isn''t leagues above what we have in the military. The Beam Katana is a single-handed weapon, it has a reach of about 25 meters and its temperature on the blade is of 30.000 degrees Celsius. It can slice through Knightmares and buildings like they are paper or even less, but the most important and hard aspect was ensuring that the heat and plasma were kept in a limited area. It took me and Lloyd quite some time to figure out and the Emperor is waiting for results about this and our semi-unlimited power source. I will present them later tonight to him, after ensuring that the tech is properly unusable to others unless in big bases of operation to the power source in theory and that instead of Plasma weapons I showcase the HV (high Vibration) weapons that also cut extremely well. Both would likely help the Empire''s battlefront but I would keep the best to myself. After we finished reviewing the Beam Katana I started my discussions with Lloyd about how to implement other machines, he was quite great as a partner to discuss this but he lagged behind every once in a while when talking to me. I guess I should look into bio engineering to see if I can increase someone''s mental capacity, I am sure there are plenty of terrorists and enemies of the State down in the dungeons that would work well as lab rats for this endeavor of mine. Anyway, we continued our discussions we lost count of the time, we were engrossed in the possibilities as we continued heated discussions about how to minimize the size of our semi-nuclear generator for it to fit on a knightmare frame, we already have a mostly functional prototype for the bigger one but the smaller unity is our actual objective here as I want to be freer to use energy-heavy items and weapons on my future knightmares. But, just as the two of us were reaching the good part and ideas started becoming more and more defines, someone entered the room with a huff of irritation on her voice. "Prince Ciel! Why are you still here? Your mother said that you should be getting ready as the party will begin shortly." The intruder said, and both I am Lloyd rolled our eyes at her. She was a 12 years old girl with short blue hair and an honestly cute face that was looking at both of us in exasperation. "C¨¦cile, that can''t be right. I should still have like 4 hours until the damn hell begins." I said. "No, it is in half an hour. You two were discussing this entire time and your mother was worried and sent me here to check on you." C¨¦cile Croomy said. She was 12 years old and one of the maids my mother got for me, I refused anyone who wasn''t at least decently smart and I used my power to identify that she can develop an acceptable level of loyalty to me so I had no big issues with her in that time. But, she is far too into bossing me around. ''Master Ciel, no running with sharp objects.'' ''Master Ciel, no snacking after midnight.'' ''Master Ciel, no creating weapons of mass destruction or play with bombs.'' ''Master Ciel, please stop trying to create a mass hypnotizing machine to make everyone give you candy.'' It is like she wants to suck away all the fun of life. "Fine, you buzzkill." I said with an annoyed face. She nodded happily as she took out a chocolate bar from her pocket and gave it to me. I accepted it but after the first bite I spit it out. "Yuck, no sugar chocolate. Do you hate me that much?" I said with an angry snarl. "You already eat too much sugar, at least take this before the party as I am sure there will be sweets there." C¨¦cile said. I. Hate. No-sugar sweets! They DARE to pretend to be sweets while they aren''t, how evil. When I command my city/kingdom I will eliminate anyone carrying that monstrosity. And I will even heal diabetes to make no one have that excuse to carry that sin around. Sigh, if only I could begin already, but I still am too young to build my city, besides I want it to be in Japan as it will be close to large reserves of Sakuradite for me to study it more deeply. But right now I guess I don''t have much of a chance of choosing here. "Let''s just get this over with. But C¨¦cile, I want you to come back here and start helping Lloyd in whatever he may need during the time I am away, I want him to be able to work to his best and you are our assistant anyway." I said, and she rolled her eyes at that one. It was an unofficial title that all the staff under me are semi-assistants and capable of that as well, all with a strong Brown color in them even if none can really match Lloyd amongst them, even if C¨¦cile is not that far away. I said my goodbyes to Lloyd, mostly out of courtesy as he was still high on the state where ideas keep coming to his mind and likely hasn''t understood me talking to him, and moved out of my lab. Looking outside I saw that it was already dark, I would likely not be getting in the party in time but I doubt Charles will care. He dotes on mother and me too much to say anything negative, and considering the gift I will be giving him things will work out okay. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX I am now inside the party hall, hundreds of people here and many of them from the military and talking of their accomplishments. If what they were saying is true then they would be all amazing, but considering how most of them have such pale and weak colors I doubt they could beat a novice terrorist even if they had an advantage in machinery. Seriously, to think that this is our elite. I must get to build my city as fast as possible and prepare to obtain all the best pilots I possibly can otherwise I will have to make do with sub-par capacity and I don''t want to build weapons to someone who talks like he would kill a dragon with a glare but could probably not kill a squirrel 10 meters from him while using a Gatling gun. Sighing I continued on my quest to stay as inconspicuous as I could. I quickly evaded the other princes, those I consider family because I feel like they will attract too much attention while from those I don''t think as a family because I don''t want to be pointed out as the ''fake prince''. It is not my fault Charles decided to nominate me a prince as well even if I wasn''t supposed to be one, he even put me on the list to succession which infuriated some of the other siblings as they didn''t want the competition. Well, not like it matters all that much for me I guess. I am not interested in the slightest on becoming the emperor of Britania anyway. As I continued on my mission of hiding away from my family the best I could I took notice of something. On the edge of the hall, amongst those of lower nobility, there is someone quite interesting. A boy is standing there on the lower section while trying even more than me to stay out of everyone else''s view, his nervousness is palpable even from here and he is clearly not used to this sort of place. He is roughly 5 or perhaps 4 years old with whitish blond curly hair and bluish green eyes, but it is not his appearance or his nervousness that interests me. It is his colors, he has very vibrant Red and Blue but his Yellow and Orange colors are shockingly strong, probably the highest I have ever seen. I could barely restrain a maniacal smile when I saw this, but looking around some more to see if there are other gems hidden away I saw three girls that made me wonder if this place is a party to me instead of to someone else. One of the girls has strong colors across the board with weaker Green and Brown but it didn''t matter much as her Orange was strong enough, she was currently hugging a woman that is in the center of the party so I guess she is Oldrin Zevon. She probably is easy to manipulate right now, but I will have to wait as right now isn''t that good of a time to approach her. The second is a blond girl sticking close to her mother, she has long straight hair with two pigtails in the front of her head tied with pink ribbons, she is quite gentle looking but the colors around her are fiercely strong in Red and Blue and moderately bright on yellow, she is not to be trifled with and I will have to see if I can approach her when she is not so close to her mother, it is just a shame that the tone of her Orange is not quite right to ensure absolute loyalty just yet, but I must at least give it a shot. She is likely Monica Krushevsky, the future knight of Twelve, but to think she still isn''t 100% against being mine, I guess I should move in to ensure she belongs to me before she fully embrace becoming a knight for the emperor as it would be a waste to see such a useful tool vanish before I can take any advantage of her talents, after all I would have to take her out of the board if that happens. As for the last one, it is someone who I think I know who it is and, if I am right, I need special care on how to approach that ticking bomb, but for her I can find later as I doubt I would miss the creator of FL.E.I.J.A., Nina Einstein, so easily. I mean, the orange around her is so strong that it is blinding and I get a serious vibe that I might end up with a stalker if I go too hard, the Yandere is powerful on this one. Well, I at least have one person I can approach right now with no worries, I might try and approach some of the others during the dance or something. Moving while trying not to make a scene I approached the boy. He was quite petite, I dunno if it is because he is actually small or if it is because he is shrinking himself but that hardly matters to me right now. When the boy saw me close to him he almost screeched as he likely recognized me. Well, my eyes anyway as in the entire court only three people have purple eyes and these are me, the emperor, and Lelouch. "Y-Y-your highness, i-it is a honors to meety you." The boy stuttered and misspoke as he quickly said, probably trying his best to act formal. He probably realized what he said as he continued. "I, I am sorry for mispoking just now. I mean-" "Don''t worry, it was nothing much and I was the one who intruded anyway." I said to calm him down. He quickly calmed down as I decided to continue. "Now, can you tell me why you are in a corner like this instead of enjoying the party?" He looks nervous as he is shivering on the corner. "M, my father. He is a new nobility that got his title from his merchant capacity. He received an invitation and brought me and mother with him, but he said I can''t offend anyone or we might lose all hope over here in the court. Please don''t ruin my family." He said meekly. I could not help but giggle in a good mood. "No worries, if he managed to obtain approval to this party he must be influential enough anyway, besides we live in a society that is of predators. You need more of a backbone to be respected here, but anyway. I forgot my own manners just now, let me introduce myself. I am Ciel Zi Britania, one of the princes of Britania and only true nephew of the emperor." His eyes widened as he entered a stance like if he were a soldier, or to be more precise a kid pretending to be a soldier, as he said. "M-My name is Slaine Troyard, happy to meet your acquaintance." Well, he is interesting alright. I guess I might just have found my very first knight. 3 Meeting interesting people left and righ Speaking to Slaine was surprisingly interesting, he was the only child of a rising merchant family that dealt with food stock, to be more precise corn and potatoes, and he was expected to be the next one to lead the family in it''s business even if he said he was not that good with numbers. I guess that explains why he would not be known in the original timeline, he probably was someone who wasted his talent. After we talked for a while he finally relaxed and told me more of himself. "So you are going to the imperial academy? That sounds, interesting?" I said tentatively, the imperial academy is probably the reason why so many people had chosen to leave the mainland to go to Area 11 to study in CANON. The place is boring like hell and the discrimination and elitism is as bad or worse than the court, not to forget that the education is promoted as excellent but I''d call it sub-par at best. "I do, and I am sorry to say but it is not interesting. The professors brush over many subjects and there are students there that actively act against me and others of low nobility, it is not a good place."Slaine said while rubing his arm. I saw this and continued. "Then why not get a school tutor for you? I know there are many very capable ones out there and you probably would understand it better then." He shook his head. "It wouldn''t be possible, most tutors are far too expensive if you want good quality and my family still has a lot of competition so we can''t spend too much. The Academy still teaches and it is not that bad." His face in the end shows to me he really doesn''t like it there. Maybe I should invite him over to have him take some lessons with the tutors that were assigned to me? I never really much cared for them as I quickly went beyond them but they are still paid already and they are high quality so I think they could be given some work to do instead of scratching their butts back in the mansion. "Hey, how about I give you my tutors then? My mother already paid them and they are iddle as I didn''t need their lessons anyway, and with this at least you can get out of that damned purgatory." I proposed, and quickly held him back as he was one movement away from kneeling to me. "And stop all this kneeling thing, I want to make friends with you so you don''t need to be all stiff with me, relax." He hesitantly nodded. He might act meek but I can see that he is probably as stubborn as a Ox and would not stop what he wants to do even if I tried to stop him. I guess it would be more interesting this way, having someone too servile and obedient by my side would be too boring anyway. "Your highness, are you good in sports?" He asked. "Sure, I am as good in sports as a human is capable of flying with no equipment." I deadpanned, he stiffled a giggle seeing me deadpan like this. Oh well, I only laughed a bit before feeling my stomach grumble a bit. I guess spending so long in that discussion with Lloyd and using my brain so intensively made me hungry. "Slaine, I was thinking of catching some chocolate truffled cake, would you like some too?" I asked. "Sorry, but I am not sure. I have never eaten this cake you mentioned." He said. ''Times New Roman''; font-size: medium;"...WHAT?! "Wait, you mean you never tasted chocolate truffled cake before? How can you even survive without tasting that?" I said. Sure, I know many never tasted it before but it still stands to reason that anyone that wants to taste how heaven is like should eat it. He tilts his head as I sighed, he truly is clueless about the pleasures of life. Turning to one of the servers I said. "Bring me and my friend here two big slices of chocolate truffled cake, I want the best ones you can find." I said. "I am sorry, your highness, but there are no such cakes in today''s kitchen. Would something else work?" Groaning in annoyance I said to the servant to go somewhere else as there was nothing else I want right now. Turning to Slaine he had wide eyes while looking at me, seeing his innocent face I released a light laugh. "I guess we will need to wait for a future opportunity to make you taste it, oh well I guess you can always just come to visit when you want. No, you must come to visit whenever possible." I said seriously. "So that you can have an excuse to eat more sweets?" "In big part, but also to educate my friend here on what he is missing and-" it was at that moment when two realizations hit me. First, I spoke too much and might have ruined the image of myself which I was trying to show. Second, and much more important, is that the the one behind me is a nightmare incarnate to me. "B-b-big sis Cornelia?!" I yelped as I instinctively tried to run, but her claws of evil locked me in place. "No, you are not running away. I want to know why I heard of how you have been eating your weight in candies while ignoring your training." She said sternly. Shit, why, of all times, did she manage to find me now? I could not move as she has that stupid strength which she emanates from all around her. Seriously, how a twelve year old girl is capable of being more intimidating than most generals is a mystery to me. Is this a testament of how weak some of the generals are or is it evidence of how terrifying she is. I guess probably both. Sighing in defeat as there is no way I can get away from this evil incarnate I gave her my most innocent smile. "Big sis Cornelia, it is so good to see you." "Yeah, so why did you run from me since that one training session between us?" she asked. ''Because I hated it almost as much as Suzaku and that nonsense Zero Requiem'' "Because I feared pulling you down as I am not that good in it." I said. "Nonsense, I have seen the numbers and tested you as well, your talent for piloting is better than most of the members of the Rounds when they were your age. Not using it due to some excuse is unforgivable." she said, making me again think I should have downplayed myself then. It happened a while ago, a basic technology to test potential pilots is used on most young members of high nobility and royals, but no one told me how it worked or how high the average numbers are and as I could never see my own color I just went at it with all I got. The problem is that I DO have a lot of talent for the thing, thankfully I managed to convince Charles to not let the news spread with some excuse I can''t remember, but the main problem is that Cornelia found out about it. She can''t reveal my real numbers but she still decided to train me on how to be a knight. I can officially say that I have a lot of respect for knights after training like one for a day, it takes a lot of confidence to walk proudly after becoming such a masochist as I doubt anyone normal would want to work with that. And, to be honest, when I said I had high numbers I mean it was actually high beyond all others tested except the knight of one and Lelouch''s mother, bitch that she is. But I feel no desire about becoming a knight, I want to be my own boss and have my own little kingdom/city, not to go to the battlefield and die in a ditch somewhere. Cornelia looked at me with a disgruntled face as she tried carrying me to the knights in another area, looking at Slaine he simply was shell shocked as he saw me being dragged away. "Let''s talk more later, you can come and find me in my villa anytime." I said loudly to him, many turned to see who it was that was talking loudly and seeing me many showed surprised faces as most did not recognize me before, some then turned to see who I was talking with and when they saw the small form of Slaine I could swear some were already thinking about eliminating or humiliating him. Normally I would not care about the court and the stupid pigs we call nobles despite having no talent or capacity, but if they are aiming at someone I want as a knight and possibly a friend, well that''s a different story. Thinking that I took out one of my rings after pressing a digit to it for a second and then threw it to Slaine who already had a group of people approaching him. As he caught the ring with a symbol of a bat on it I continued, hoping he would listen as Cornelia was yanking me away further and further. "A symbol for our friendship, if anything happens just show that ring and say that messing with you means messing with me." I wanted to say more, but the evil took me away. At least the bat ring is with him, it is one of the little things I developed and it can work as a distress signal to the guards back in my family''s mansion as well as being able to release directed sound blasts. I have other such items on me as a precaution but it should work well to help keep Slaine safe. Reaching where Cornelia wanted to take me I had to try, and I mean REALLY try not to fall asleep. No, it is not because it is getting somewhat late and I am a kid, but because the conversations are so absurdly boring. I mean, seriously, if you are starting to strain too much on your reserves of food and weaponry you should try and sign a peace treaty already and develope better ways of production to actually ensure you can continue in one decisive movement. But, I guess expecting those of the military to even think of that when we are winning is impossible. We are nearly finished in conquering the entire African continent, if we do that we would win a lot of land and grainaries but I can''t help but wonder how the population of the former territory is coping. The custom of conquering more and more land without regard is something that will inevitably lead to failure in the long run, which the emperor doesn''t mind but I do. I want to build my academic city, Britannia would work perfectly as a shield to me but if it were to fall or worse drag me with it I would really be annoyed. As the conversations continued and no decent decision was reached I decided to just go ahead and explain the obvious for them. "You should just use the R23K chemical on the food you are providing to the soldiers." I said to the general complaining like a little bitch. As he heard my comment he turned to me, he had a single eye as the other was destroyed and only a scar was left but that single eye and his face had an expression like he was trying to please me but also was looking down at me for my age. It is his mistake I guess. Though Ciel frowned a moment as the man looked vaguely familiar. "And what exactly would using that make?" He asked. "Would the food taste better? Maybe like sweets?" he said teasingly, he has a high rank and my love for sweets is well known for all anyway. I was about to answer when someone interrupted me, seriously I need to get myself something like a alarm on my back to warn me when someone is about to suddenly appear behind my back like this. "I-It is not to change the taste." A girl said behind me. I turned to look and was almost blinded by how Orange she was, seriously I bet even Jeremiah isn''t so Orange for Marianne or Lelouch. The girl that spoke up is exactly one of my targets of tonight, I guess she is much more open now than she was in CANON. "And how would you know that? You are just a child." The general said dismissively. She looked down before I stepped in, she was about to leave when I held her in place by the shoulder and I was honestly surprised. There actually IS someone physically weaker than me, who would have thought that? "There is no need to run, you are correct in what you said and did nothing wrong. And as for you, you should treat a lady better! Especially when she is smarter than you." "You bra-" "General Ogre, please remember who he is and that any actions against him will not to be forgiven by me." Cornelia said, I guess she has her not evil moments. Not like I won''t be careful as I don''t want to do laps again. Those things are simply not something a human good in the head should do! The general Ogre, backed down as I looked at the green haired girl. "Now, why don''t you show him and everyone just what you know? If anything goes wrong I will help so don''t be afraid to talk." I said to Nina Einstein, she looked at me for a moment more before nodding and beginning to talk. "The R23K is a chemical product that would allow for the slowing down of the metabolism of the eater, making them need a smaller intake of food and need longer periods of time to sustain the eater with no great problem for the person. The only issues it has is how hard it is to actually obtain said chemical so it is not used despite its advantages." Nina explained, when she finished she turned to me and I gave her a smile and a nod as she blushed, but if it is because of my actions or of her talking to all these people I don''t know. She is someone that when she was only 16 managed to create basically a nuclear bomb without any helpers or financial support, she definitly is a genius. "Huh, so what? If we can''t produce this thing then it is useless anyway." General Ogre said. "Well, that is..." Nina started talking without knowing how to continue but I simply gave her a smile before turning to Ogre. "For that you can just leave it to me, I already finished my latest project for the Emperor so creating a better way to extract this chemical will not be hard at all, maybe one or two weeks I suppose." I said, making not only Ogre but the other generals look at me with strange faces. "And are you shrimp really capable of doing anything? I doubt you can even reach the shelf, there is no way you can go and make anything good for the Emperor." Ogre said, looking around I see that some of the generals are nodding slightly. Oh well, at least this gives me an excuse to get out of here. "If you truly think so it is your problem, but I do have time now. Well, if you really think you don''t want what I have to offer then I guess it is not my fault," I said trying not to laugh as I imagined what his reaction would be when he realizes what I will be revealing. "Humph, as if I need the help of some toy a kid as small as a meal to me can offer." He said dismissively. "Well, it is your and your troop''s losses then. I guess Britannia can live with one less battalion anyway." I said, earning an irritated glare from him, his hand itching towards his sword as he did so. Honestly, I could not be any less fearful of him if I wanted to, with some of the little trinkets I have with me I doubt I would need to worry about anything bellow riffles or Knightmares. Turning to Cornelia I gave her a courteous bow before opening my mouth. "Princess Cornelia, I am sorry to have to cut this enlightening conversation short but I fear that my presence would sour the mood. As such, I will leave you and yours to meet on a more appropriate time." The translation to that is ''Sorry, I may have pissed off a bunch of idiots so I am going to use that to run. Bye, see you never if possible.''. I REALLY dislike military personnel, especially old types that likely bought their way to the top. Also, the farther away from Cornelia I get the less chance there is of her making me work out. She tried to say something but I quickly bolted away, if this was a cartoon I would likely have dust flying on my trail from how desperate I was to get out of there. Seeing as Cornelia hadn''t chased me with a swinging sword (yep, that happened once) I sighed in relief. "Humm, where are we going?" A weak voice said from the side. I almost jumped in fright as I heard it and as I looked I noticed something. I may have, potentially, perhaps, pulled Nina with me as I ran due to my hand being on her shoulder. The greenet was fidgeting as she was looking up to me, or to be more specific my hand. Quickly taking my hand away I sheepishly smiled. "Sorry about that, I didn''t intend on dragging you along like this." I said and she moved frantically her hands in front of her. "N-No problem. I, I was just s-suprised by it, that is all." Nina said. She then started fidgeting her hands as she clasped them together. "Why did you help me back there?" "Huh, why? It is obvious isn''t it?" I asked, seriously why is everyone so slow on the uptake sometimes? "N-No, I don''t understand it. I, I was never protected by someone else before, so I don''t understand." She said, her words dying out by the end. "Well, I guess it is alright then. And, to answer your question, I just did what I did because it was what I wanted to do. But let''s forget all the heavy stuff, why don''t you tell me more about yourself?" I said. Now that I think more about it she likely isn''t dangerous unless ''triggered'', like the death of her crush or something. If I manage her right she could easily be a great asset, even if I would prefer to have approached her on my own volitions instead of her doing it for me. "I, I am Nina Einstein. I am from a count family and came here to accompany my sister and our friend to the party." Nina said. Well, that is unexpected. In CANON there was never a mention of a sister, perhaps she died or something in the original timeline? "Interesting my name is-" It was at this moment that I realized it, I haven''t told my name yet! I can just prank her and say a pseudonym to her, and one I always wanted to use no less. "My name is Ciel Phantomhive, I am at your disposal my green princess." I gave her my most charming smile. I had to learn a bunch of smiles under one of the only tutors I even have classes with, Adelle Schnee for my education in the nobility way of acting, and when she saw I couldn''t act like that without grunting in displeasure every five minutes she taught me how to pretend like I care and many different smiles. I admit that when I heard her name is Schnee, that her family is the owner of a company named Schnee Mining Industries and responsible for a large part of the excavation of the Sakuradite within the borders of our territory, and that she had white hair I honestly almost yelled hundreds of curses but I managed to reign myself in, after all it is not like she has a daughter called Winter and another named Weiss or anything. Anyway, my actions seem to have hit the spot if her face getting red like a ruby tells me anything. I was about to ask more when I heard the music start playing and it was the time for the first dance. I extended my hand to a blushing Nina. "Would you care for a dance, my lady?" I said. She instantly got shell shocked from my words and almost as if she was a robot she extended her hand rigidly to me, I guess she is nervous. Not minding her actions I pulled her to the dance floor, this was not my first dance but for her it just might be as she stepped on my feet more than five times during our little dance to the sound of Clair de Lune by Debussy, one of my favorite classic songs even if I was more of a rock type of guy. It is a slow song but it is so beautiful that even those around and the chattering nobles quieted down to enjoy the music, me and Nina just continued to dance to the sound of it but I noticed midway through that she was looking down to the floor as if she was nervous. Cute. Approaching her ear I opened my mouth and whispered to her. "Don''t worry about the stares, just look at me and everything will be okay." After she heard that I could swear she was about to run away before she calmed down enough and looked straight at me. We continued our little dance on the floor and by the end of the song the chatter began anew, I could not help but say. "Shame, I wanted to dance some more. Would you accompany me next time?" Yep, it is possible for someone to get even redder than a ruby, and Nina is definitely going there right now. She was just about to answer when someone suddenly hugged/tackled her from the side. "Sis, I am so glad you are okay!" the invader said. She looks slightly older than me or Nina, perhaps seven or eight years old. She had orangish red hair that was quite long and with side braids to it as well as wore glasses. Her dress was not that good either, just like the one Nina had but instead of green it was a pale yellow. She was hugging Nina so much that I am afraid she might end up suffocating the poor thing. "That should be enough." I said while pulling the new addition back. "Now, would you mind telling me why you decided it would be an appropriate action to jump onto someone during a party like this? I hardly think it is a very appropriate action." The girl scratched the back of her head as she seems embarrassed. "Sorry, I just... HEY, why should I apologize to you about anything?! She is my little sister so of course I should protect her against a smooth talker like you, mister... sorry but what is your name again?" This girl is all over the place, but now that I look closer she has a similar light to Nina even if the orange isn''t nearly as bright or blinding. Well, patience is a virtue so I guess I should not be too hard on her, I want to foster as many good relationships as I can if I have to stay here until the Emperors arrival. But that doesn''t mean I should let someone else walk over me like this girl. When in court proper etiquette is needed, which is one of the reasons as to why I hate the court but rules are the rules. "And why not be a more proper lady and tell me your name first, it is the custom to tell your own name before demanding another persons after all." I said impassively. The girl was about to say something when Nina intervened by standing between the two of us. Turning to me she started. "She is my big sister, her name is Matsu Einstein." She then turned to Matsu. "And his name is Ciel Phantomvine, he was gentle with me so treat him well big sis." I barely managed to surpress a curse as looked at the Girl which he now recognized as a seven year old version of the Brain-Sekirei Matsu. What the hell did the Collective do? Is she really THAT Matsu from Sekirei? Seriously, her way of acting and talking seems almost identical to me. Deciding that I need some air and space to think of what this likely revelation means I turned to the two. "I am sorry for needing to cut this short but I have some business to attend right now. But take this," I said, giving her another one of the rings on my hands, this one had a shining star in it and has both a alarm system to distress calls and a flashlight capacity to blind whoever is attacking the person. "Use this to visit me in my Villa any time you want, here is the address." I said as I also gave her a tiny piece of paper with my adress on it. Only after walking away did I remember that Nina still thinks I am named Ciel Phantomhive. ...Oh well, I am sure it won''t be a problem. As I was thinking that I approached one of the many tables with heaven in it. This time I know that the Evil is not around so I can relax and eat to my heart''s content. I caught one cupcake and was just about to put it on my mouth when the sound of trumpets was released, I groaned as I know perfectly well the reason why this would happen. "And now, the Emperor has arrived. All Hail Britannia!" As these words were released everyone went to their knees, I having to leave the cupcake on the table to also kneel to the Emperor. "All hail Britannia!" """"""""""""""All hail Britannia! All hail Britannia! All hail Britannia! All hail Britannia!""""""""""""" I also followed the chorus, but my mind is still on the cupcake. Fuck, I still haven''t eaten any sweets for the last 6 hours, if I take much longer I might die. I tried to grab the cupcake again when a booming voice came from the center of the hall. "Ciel Zi Britania, come here this instant! I have a question for you." Yep, Destiny must hate me with a passion as Charles looming and big presence washed over everyone as I almost cursed at this. Why does everyone seem to hate me so much that I can''t even snack in peace? Hiding away my discomfort I steadied myself and moved towards the Emperor. His eyes were hard as his white hair in that honestly ridiculous hairstyle showed signs of age that disagreed with his muscular and fit body. By his side was both Marianne Vi Britannia and my mother Marie Zi Britannia, both smiling gently at my approach even as I noticed a slight discomfort from Marianne, I guess she really doesn''t like me all that much. Probably because the Emperor favours me much more than Lelouch. When approaching the emperor I did not look down or act weak towards him, I refuse to let myself be seen as a true weakling on his eyes. It seems like the others noticed my actions but I promptly ignored them all. Kneeling before the emperor when I got close enough I waited for him to speak. "My nephew, it is to my understanding that you have been developing a new weapon after I ordered you to, I want to know if it is ready yet or if you intend on testing my patience." I could barely restrain a roll of my eye at his words. This? He really stood in the path between me and heaven for some simple thing like this? Yep, I am definetly killing him later. "Yes, my majesty. I luckily managed to complete a perfectly functional prototype a few days prior and was only running some extra safety tests." I said. "The Ultra Vibrating Blade is ready for field use as of this afternoon, but I must warn you that it has a large energy consumption which is why I already developed a functional knightmare with a special fuel system that would more than make it up for the energy consumption of the sword. I already have sent word to bring my new creation over to the colosseum close by so you can see with your own eyes if the money spent was used in a good way." I explained. Of course, the ''new'' Knightmare was just a slightly better version of a Glasgow with different paint and the Yggdrasil Drive being much more functional and capable. If I were to compare my energy system should be equal to what a seventh or eight generation Knightmare frame would possess years from now. It took me about 2 days to build the system so I guess it was money well spent. Of course, this was far from all I managed and will deliver, I do need more funds and to show everyone that I am someone worth investing in. "My majesty, I also have reached a new breakthrough on the new energy source utilization I mentioned to you on an earlier date. I believe that if everything continues as it is we can manage to obtain a clean and near limitless power sources to all our main cities and military bases without any big risk, this shall lessen the expenses of the Empire as a whole for more than 18% thus allowing for the money to be reinvested in more interesting and needed areas." I finished. Taking a look around I could see that most were thinking my words funny and some were shaking their heads like I was promising something absurd. The ones who didn''t, however, were those that had their jaws agape. One good example is Lelouch who was looking at me as if I was a monster, another person that, while not agape, was still looking at me with a serious face was Schneizel, that snake is probably thinking of ways to put me under his employment by now. I was expecting some sort of question from the Emperor but instead, he just nodded firmly and turned to the others. "We will all go to the Colosseum then, when there I also have an announcement to make after the test is complete." And like that, he turned around as my mother came to me and by hand started taking me with her. I guess something is about to happen, let''s just hope it isn''t 100% bad. 4 Love and I guess things got very interesting Nina''s P.O.V. I, I don''t want to be here! Mommy and daddy brought me to my first party, apparently it was mandatory to bring your children this time around as long as they were 4 years old or higher so they took me away from my room and decided I should attend. My mommy and daddy are scientists and we managed to become nobility thanks to patenting some of our more succesful inventions but our money isn''t that big so my dress is not pretty at all and my sisters isn''t much better in comparison. But unlike me my sister actually wanted to come to this party. Her friend, Milly Ashford the Granddaughter of Duke Ruben Ashford is attending and the two were happy to meet up. She is different from me, she has friends and some that care for her but I don''t. Mommy and daddy are very busy with their work and sister, while nice to me, don''t spend that much time with me. In school it is the same, the girls mock me for being plain and the boys play pranks at me for being a nerd and of low nobility rank, I see some of them at the party as I stand in the middle of the hall not knowing what to do and their pointing fingers and laughing faces make me nervous. Why is it that only I have to go through this? I would much rather be back inside my room and away from everyone else, at least my books are not bad to me (except that one time I cut my finger on one of the pages from one of the books, that is a bad book). As I was thinking that I decided to go to some corner, at least over there is less chance of someone pointing their fingers at me. When I was about to go I noticed a beautiful girl about 12 or 13 years pulling along a boy who was yelling something out loud to another boy who seemed slightly younger before being dragged away. I don''t know why but I decided to go after them, I guess I was curious about it. It took me a while to get there as no one seems to see me and whenever they hit me they all looked down at me with displeasure, probably because of my ugly dress or because I am so small and plain looking. When I finally reached them they were close to a lot of old men and the boy looked disinterested in hearing whatever it is they were saying when he said with a hint of annoyance. "You should just use the R23K chemical on the food you are providing to the soldiers." The boy said and my eyes widened. I had only learned about that chemical a few days ago from one of the books in daddy''s study and I thought no one else my age would know this, but this boy did. He, he is different somewhat. "And what exactly would using that make?" A tall and muscular man said, he only had one eye and I feel that he could kill me in one strike and feel nothing of it from his appearance alone. "Would the food taste better? Maybe like sweets?" I don''t know why he said that, doesn''t he know of it? "I-It is not to change the taste." I said, almost as if in instinct, which isn''t anything big normally but right now the giant evil man turned to me with a dangerous look. "And how would you know that? You are just a child." the evil man snarked, his eye is scary. Just as I was about to say something to apologize and run away the boy put his hand in my shoulder. "There is no need to run, you are correct in what you said and did nothing wrong." The boy said, only now that I am closer can I see his face better, it is a face that might be seen as more feminine than my own but the confidence he is exuding simply makes me unnable to look away from his purple eyes. And here he was, looking at this ugly duckling like me. "And as for you," The boy said as he turned to the old man. "you should treat a lady better! Especially when she is smarter than you." D-Did he just compliment me? No one EVER compliments me, ever! I didn''t quite get what was said after until the boy turned to me again. "Now, why don''t you show him and everyone just what you know? If anything goes wrong I will help so don''t be afraid to talk." He said. He, he will help me? Why is he speaking such weird things, no one ever even cares for such a plain and weak-willed person like me. Not knowing what else to say I simply explained what I knew. The man snarled at me what was the point of knowing it if we can''t produce the stuff but this boy again moved forward. "For that you can just leave it to me, I already finished my latest project for the Emperor so creating a better way to extract this chemical will not be hard at all, maybe one or two weeks I suppose." T-T-T-T-THE EMPEROR!? How does he know the Emperor, and for him to have had an assignment from him, it is impossible! I missed the rest of the conversation as my thoughts were too scrambled but when I took notice we were already far away as he pulled me along. "Humm, where are we going?" I asked, I don''t know him and if he is one of those scary people I have to go and find daddy already. Instead of yelling at me or something like that he instead pulled his hand away from my shoulder quickly before opening his mouth. "Sorry about that, I didn''t intend on dragging you along like this." He said. Wait, he is apologizing to me? Why is he being nice, no boy is ever nice to me. "N-No problem. I, I was just s-surprised by it, that is all." I said, afraid his opinion of me would become bad if I took too long to say something and he would mock me. It happened before. Unable to resist I had to ask. "Why did you help me back there?" He did stand up for me when that evil guy who seemed like he was about to eat me alive. His answer, however, was a deadpan face before speaking. "Huh, why? It is obvious isn''t it?" "N-No, I don''t understand it. I, I was never protected by someone else before, so I don''t understand." As I was finishing the sentence was too weird and I ended up trailing off and wanting to stop midway. I expected many things, many answers passing through my mind but none were like the one he just said. "Well, I guess it is alright then. And, to answer your question, I just did what I did because it was what I wanted to do. But let''s forget all the heavy stuff, why don''t you tell me more about yourself?" He wants to know more about me. ... My brain short circuited for a second there before I realized what I was doing and answering him. "I, I am Nina Einstein. I am from a Baron family and came here to accompany my sister and our friend to the party." He heard what I said and smiled slightly, his face is so cute that I think some of my dolls look just like him. "Interesting my name is-" he trailed off at this point, maybe he just realized that I am from a lower nobility house and is thinking on getting away from me. It did happen before. However, after a second he continued. "My name is Ciel Phantomhive, I am at your disposal my green princess." P-P-P-P-P-PRINCESS?! Did he just call me, the one who every boy always called boring and plain, a princess? I, I don''t know what to do! Suddenly his form seems to shine a bit on my eyes as his smile turned so beautiful and charming that I felt my heart skip a beat, or a hundred. As I was thinking on how to respond a music started playing and listening to it he extended his hand to me. "Would you care for a dance, my lady?" I admit I almost died right then and there, this situation is just like one of those books I once read from my sister''s room, she took it away when the man ''took out his meat stick and gave it to the quivering girl'', whatever that means, but this situation is still just like a dream. I didn''t even relized when I began to dance with him, it was just like a dream as I twirled around with him and he didn''t show his displeasure even the times I accidentally stepped on his foot. However, as we danced I noticed more and more eyes on us. I looked down in shame, everyone must be thinking that an ugly and messy girl like me shouldn''t be with someone so cool like him at all. "Don''t worry about the stares, just look at me and everything will be okay." He said to my ear. The sensation of him so close to me was weird, but in a good way and as I looked up and gazed at his crystal clear purple eyes I was lost in them. If only this moment could continue, just this one moment made coming here worth it. However, the world doesn''t like me that much as the song ended just like that and we stopped the dance. I was dissapointed, it was such a good feeling to dance with him so why did it have to end so fast. And now I will never feel like this again. He then sighed before looking at me. "Shame, I wanted to dance some more. Would you accompany me next time?" Yep, he definetly is shining to my eyes. I was about to answer when something, or better yet someONE ruined the situation by quite literally hug/tackling me. "Sis, I am so glad you are okay!" As I turned to look I saw the face of my sister. She had red eyes and if I didn''t know any better I''d say she was close to tears right now. She began to hug me tighter and tighter, breathing was getting difficult until my prince (he did call me a princess, so it is fair) pulled my sister away. "That should be enough." He said as my sister managed to recompose herself now that she assured I was fine and he made sure that I would not die from a sisterly bear hug. "Now, would you mind telling me why you decided it would be an appropriate action to jump onto someone during a party like this? I hardly think it is a very appropriate action." Wow, he definitly is not nearly as gentle with her as he is with me. I guess I am special, hehe. "Sorry, I just... HEY, why should I apologize to you about anything?! She is my little sister so of course I should protect her against a smooth talker like you, mister... sorry but what is your name again?" I had to resist my desire to screech at my sister. She was ruining everything, if my prince were to hate me now because of my rude sister, I don''t even want to imagine. However, my prince wasn''t mad at the two of us, he was just displeased due to sister''s reaction as he said. "And why not be a more proper lady and tell me your name first, it is the custom to tell your own name before demanding another persons after all." Oh no, sister is too headstrong when she wants to and I bet my prince is headstrong as well if his challenging tone against that big evil man earlier is anything to go by. I must stop this. "She is my big sister, her name is Matsu Einstein." I said while standing between the two, my eyes on Ciel as I said so before turning to sister. "And his name is Ciel Phantomhive, he was gentle with me so treat him well big sis." As I said this both of them calmed down quite a bit but Ciel was still fidgeting a bit before he started sweating cold, is he perhaps sick? "I am sorry for needing to cut this short but I have some business to attend right now." He said, I had to fight against the sadness that started welling up inside my heart at that one. However, he again came to my rescue. "But take this," he said, giving me one of the rings on my hands, it had a shining star in it and was quite pretty. "Use this to visit me in my Villa any time you want, here is the address." With the gift from my prince in hand I saw his back as he was walking away, I feel like a dream was just cut short. Not long after my prince left one of my sister''s friends approached us. She had blond hair and a very pretty dress being close to the age of my sister, she also was of a higher rank to us as she was the only granddaughter to the Duke Arshford. However, her facial expression is weird. She normally would be just like my sister and approach me and sister as if she was a comet. However, right now she approached slowly and her face was a tad white as she looked at me with a complex and worried face. "Did you speak out of place with that boy?" Was the first words out of her mouth. Weird, normaly she would say hello first before anything else and possibly grope my chest or butt for no good reason but this time she did neither. I shock my head in denial, I believe I didn''t do anything that would be seen as bad with him. Well, I did step on his feet 5, or 15 times during the dance but he never complained or showed a irritated face to me throughout it all. Seeing my answer Milly Ashford sighed in relief. "Phew, at least you didn''t do anything to end up on his bad side. That would probably be a disaster." Milly said. "Why?" I was about to ask that but big sister did it first. "Because your little sister was speaking with someone that is highly protected by both Prince Schneizel and Princess Cornelia, if he spoke to them ruining your house would only take a snap of their fingers." Milly explained, sis got a white face but I didn''t. He is my prince, I am sure there is nothing to be afraid of from him. But, I wonder why does Milly seem to know him. "Oh well, if something goes wrong just give him some good sweets and be sure that it is nothing major and it should be okay. He is well known as a sweets lover after all." Milly proposed. Sweets? I never tried my hand on those but I wonder if he would like one made by my hand. I want to impress him next time we see each other, maybe then he would ask to dance with me again. Suddenly trumpets started signing and words echoed across the floor making everyone including me kneel. "And now, the Emperor has arrived. All Hail Britannia!" I joined in the chorus and then it stopped and we all stood up, but what was said next made every fiber of my being paralyzed. "Ciel Zi Britania, come here this instant! I have a question for you." The Emperor proclaimed, his powerful voice made everyone quiet and transfixed on the ground, no one daring to move unless they are to disrespect the emperor. All sound stopped except for one. It was a silent but confident sound of steps of someone very light. Wait, now that I look at the one approaching the Emperor I see that he, he is MY prince! Is he an actual prince? But, if so why did he not say anything? But he called me his princess, does that mean he wants to... NO, WE ARE TOO YOUNG FOR THAT! "My nephew, it is to my understanding that you have been developing a new weapon after I ordered you to, I want to know if it is ready yet or if you intend on testing my patience." The Emperor said, my mind was out of those thoughts of us being together until we grow old and instead focusing on what was happening. "Yes, my majesty. I luckily managed to complete a perfectly functional prototype a few days prior and was only running some extra safety tests." he said. "The Ultra Vibrating Blade is ready for field use as of this afternoon, but I must warn you that it has a large energy consumption which is why I already developed a functional Knightmare with a special fuel system that would more than make up for the energy consumption of the sword. I already have sent word to bring my new creation over to the Colosseum close by so you can see with your own eyes if the money spent was used in a good way." Did, did he really just confirm that he invented a whole new type of weapon for the Knightmares? If he really did so he must be an unprecedented genius, and I am his princess. "My majesty, I also have reached a new breakthrough on the new energy source utilization I mentioned to you on an earlier date. I believe that if everything continues as it is we can manage to obtain a clean and near limitless power source to all our main cities and military bases without any big risk, this likely will lessen the expenses of the Empire as a whole for more than 18% thus allowing for the money to be reinvested in more interesting and needed areas." he said, confirming the fact that he is the greatest genius of the entire empire. To think someone like that was dancing with me moments ago and asked for us to dance together again, I should start learning how to dance more and study much harder as I don''t want to embarass him. The emperor nodded before declaring in a loud tone. "We will all go to the Colosseum then, when there I also have an announcement to make after the test is complete." he then proceeded to leave together with the knights and my prince all but carried away by a very pretty lady. Sis and Milly pulled me along, the Emperor decreed that we should go there so I too was pulled along. The distance was not that long but I noticed how some of the nobles were sweating profusely from this light walk and some were barely managing to continue already, it actually disgusted me a bit to see and know that these people are of the higher nobility when they were less in shape than a little Girl. On the Colosseum we all went to find spots to sit, mommy and daddy were with a group of nobleman and trying to make connections so me and my friends were the only ones here by our lonesomes though a orange-haired Girl was sitting alone watching the Arena. It took a while for everyone to find their spots but when we did the doors of the Colosseum opened and from it 11 knightmare frames entered the stadium. Most were the classic Glasgows which are of the fourth Generation while one was a unknown Knightmare design, thinking about it she dimly remembered her Father mentioning a experimental design called Sutherland which eventually was supposed to replace the Glasgow. The unknown Knightmare was holding a big sword in hand and was carrying it almost like he was a knight abou to duel. The emperor looked at everyone before declaring in a loud voice. "The Test will begin now. The Fighters will be the current Knight of Three Gaurry Ubiquitous in the experimental Knightmare Sutherland and in the Glasgows the 17 Squadron led by Knight Cardin Winchester. Let the battle begin!" Nina watched as almost immediatly four of the Glasgows grabbed their Assault Rifles and started shooting at the Sutherland. Four more were activating their Wrist-mounted Tonfas and rushed from left and right towards the enemy. Nina frowned though when she noticed the last two Glasgows merely stand behind their shooting companions doing nothing. Looking at the Sutherland it seemed for a moment that the battle was already finished but to Ninas and everyones surprise the Sutherlands Landspinner activated and the Knightmare shot forward towards the Knightmares approaching from the right. The sword quickly lashed out and cut the arms of the Glasgows off followed by the head with barely a sound made as the sword cleave the parts like they meant nothing. This caused the Eject-system to activate putting them out of the fight. Nina frowned a bit, that system still needed some improvement as the ejection took far too long to happen. However, she kept watching with fascination as the Sutherland grabbed his own Assault Rifle that was also modified and quickly shot the Rifles in the Glasgows hands apart with the bullets clearly packing much more of a punch than the ones the Glasgows were using. Perhaps the guns too were modified by her prince, he truly is the most amazing genius. "What are you fools doing? Use the Missile Launchers on him." Nina watched as now the last two Glasgows also started moving. The Glasgows shot Missiles towards the Sutherland but, to her surprise, the Landspinners proved their worth as the Sutherland rushed over the arena towards the remaining two Glasgows approaching from the left as the Sutherland cut the missiles that approached like they meant nothing. While doing that he used his Assault Rifle to take down two more Glasgows that were further away before reaching the last two Tonfa-users which he slashed apart in the middle like the thick metal was no different than sheets of thin paper and causing the pilots to eject. Shaking her head slightly she watched as the remaining three Glasgows ran out of Missiles and decided to attack with their Tonfas. Useless, the three should have given up with how clearly superior the Sutherland was. The result was predictable as the Sutherland quickly literally disarmed the Glasgows before slicing their legs off. Nina looked at the Place where the Royal Family was seated and saw the Emperor stand up. "The test is finished and the new weapon has proven its worth." The Emperor declared. "To commemorate a new addition to the Knights of Round and the new weapons that will bring out empire to glory I declare that the first Ultra Vibrating Sword shall be used by our new knight of Eight Olivia Zevon. Ciel Zi Britannia, approach!" As the Emperor said that my prince got to the side of His Majesty. "For your wonderful work in amplifying the strength of our nation and advancing our civilization one step further, I grant you the title of Earl and a plot of land fitting for the title as well as larger funds to continue on your researches for the betterment of the empire. Now, what is the family name you desire to use for it?" The emperor asked, everyone was flabbergasted by the Emperor. Granting one of the princes an additional nobility title was one thing but allowing him to chose his own family name is something shocking since normally the Emperor is the one to decide this sort of things. Does this mean that my prince has an actual chance of becoming my emperor? As I was thinking that I heard my prince''s voice again, somehow it sounded even more majestic and alluring than before even as he kneeled to the emperor. "I wish to have the name Phantomhive. My name from this day forward shall be Earl Ciel Phantomhive Zi Britannia and I shall do all I can to bring our great empire to even greater heights. All hail Britannia!" And with that everyone proclaimed together. "ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!" XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ciel''s P.O.V. This. Is. ~~Paradise~~~. "Aaahm." I released the sound as I put one delicious bite-sized chocolate cupcake in my mouth. It was delicious and it slid down my throat like it was bringing happiness to the world. This bliss, I simply love this. After the test and me unexpectedly receiving the title of Earl and being renamed Ciel Phantomhive Zi Britania I was led to a separated room where someone was to meet me and explain the objectives I am to fulfill and the finer details of my obligations and other matters related to my new title. Not that I care, the room had a table filled with enough sweets to make it look like a mountain and that is enough for me. I am eating like I am in the chocolate factory of Willy Wonka and have no intentions on stopping it. While between two brownies I see a secret door opening and someone walking in, he looked about 10 or 11 years old and had long platinum blonde hair. I instantly recognized him as my uncle V.V., but that didn''t mean I would stop my eating spree. I spent more than 6 whole hours without sugar, I NEED to compensate for that. "It seems like your appetite for sweets is still as extreme as ever, I see. You should watch out or you might end up fat or diabetic." V.V. said with a chuckle. "Humph, as if. I just need to continue my research on nanomachines and I can inject them in my body to make me lose any excess fat, stop diabetes, and even get stronger when I am older. Or I might create a gene modification vaccine to do the same. Honestly, I can think of over 20 possible ways to stop any problems related to that from the top of my head." I said before shoving a cookie in my mouth. Hummm, chocolate mint cookies, delicious. "Well, while I do agree that you seem capable of doing just that I believe what I have to talk with you is of higher importance right now." V.V. said as he sat on one of the sofas while pointing to another one in front of him. Shrugging my shoulders I grabbed a last lollipop and put it on my mouth as I sat down in front of him. Seeing my relaxed position V.V.''s eyes twitched. Him and uncle Charles are used to everyone fearing them immensly, I guess my actions seem rather strange and even offensive to them sometimes. As I straightened myself a little more V.V. nodded slightly before continuing. "Very well, I am here to explain to you what it is that me and my brother want. As you very well know we have been obtaining large expanses of land for a while now and with it many Numbers, they might be conquered groups but they ultimately are from former enemy countries and with it becoming more and more likely that we will be entering a stalemate with the EU and Chinese Federation it is likely that the war advances will start to slow down on the near future. Thanks to your inventions with both a better power system for the Knightmares and the sword you made we can likely advance for longer but before long the speed of conquering will slow to a near halt. "That is inevitable, but that comes with the rising problem of terrorism and movements of separation as well as extreme corruption that also damage the empire as a whole. We can likely press the other two powers for a while longer to make them not try and take advantage of that by aiding the terrorists or buying off the corrupt nobles but when the wars slow down they would likely begin this and we would be in danger of self-destructing. So, we will in the future need a strike force to eliminate terrorists as much as possible to ensure the peace of the land. Our objective in making you an earl is to give you the right to create your own power and city, me and my brother want you to create the strongest possible force to cleanse the empire of all internal threats and ensuring that nothing will disturb me or my brother while we continue some more important business. "I know you are still young but your maturity and Intellect, while not around sweets, is impressive and I am secure that the terrorism won''t be such a big problem for at least a few more years. We want you to make the best use of your time, work hard so as to become strong enough to be a threat to any terrorist organization in the empire and stopping anything from interrupting the empire''s plans." V.V. ordered, and I had to fight so hard to stop myself from smiling maniacally from his speach. It is almost like he is asking me to kill him later on. "So, I have free reign and near unlimited funds to create a powerful enough force to ensure the Empire''s stability?" I asked, just to make sure. "Yes, also me and Charles will ensure that none of the other nobles will be able to stop you until we need you to begin moving, but we demand some of the technology you produce at least to work as an excuse for the funds we deliver." V.V. said. Man, is this my birthday gift from all my birthdays until I am 18? Seriously, it is like they read my mind on what I want exactly, which would be a terrifying thing since they would know I will kill them all before the whole Ragnarok Connection plan nonsense. Well, if they want me to do the very best then there are a few things I will need. "I accept your request, but I would like to request a few conditions to add to it as well. Don''t worry, they will all be within reason and I just want to ensure that my work can become the best possible." I said. "Fine, I will indulge my cute nephew this once." V.V. said, he likely is just thinking of this as a game, which for him and Charles it likely is since all that matters for them is this stupid plan of them. "First, I need a large enough budget and tax exemption on the selling of any products I might create for the general public since I want a large enough money amount and if there is too large a budget of the public directed to me it would possibly create friction. I don''t need to have this sort of attention if you want me to do as you said." I proposed. Never doubt the jealousy of mankind, and nobles are even worse. If they know that I have too large of a budget they would doubtlessly try and create troubles for me all the steps of the way and I would much rather make them all absolutely dependent of my tech then as my enemies. "A fine idea, I see no problem with that as long as you know that if you need any budget increase you just need to request and it shall be transferred." V.V. said. "Second, I want free reign on choosing for who will work in the city I intend on creating. I don''t want to be saturated with incompetent noble sons who likely can''t pilot or invent any better than a toddler but have a big name attached to them." I said. "And what exactly you mean by ''free reign''?" V.V. asked. "Simple, soldiers of other areas, civilians who have the potential, researchers of all places within the empire, criminals that have the necessary capacity, half-bloods that would otherwise be rejected for stupid reasons, and even numbers that prove capable enough in my eyes. I want to make this city and force not only and example of absolute force but also of the future of the empire by all sorts of people working together under one absolute ruler. Besides, even if they are from the lowest of the lowest class within the empire it doesn''t mean they are inherently less talented and with the right training this might be a chance to bring the empire closer to be a unity instead of a divided place like we have right now that we barely can keep our areas in check. "Besides, imagining the face of those cattle-like nobles that do nothing being rejected in where those ''weak'' numbers are accepted is enough to put a smile on my face. I never really fully agreed with the ideas of purity anyway since talent is talent and giving high posts of any kind for the stupid is a ridiculous idea for me. Well, it is still true that it works but I want to try this as a social experiment if you wouldn''t mind." I explained. There are simply too many people out there who have the right capacity to do what I want and if I am to limit myself to only nobility I am sure to lose out on many places and areas. Besides, I DO want to see the face of those nobles seeing a japanese or brazilian pilot beating them in a match. "You should watch your words better, Earl Phantomhive. With any other person such words would get you in trouble. While Charles and I only use the Pureblood and Numbers system as Propaganda to make ruling easier we will need to punish you if you speak so frankly in public about our "official policies" of the Empire." V.V. said. "However, I can understand what you mean and I will accept your terms as long as you have a way to control said foreign elements within your grasp as until then you are not allowed to add any foreign elements to your city and force. Now, do you have any other requests?" "Yes, and that is the most important one." I said. "I want to have Clovis'' cook working for me for now on." And just like that I did two things, first is that I cracked the serious face of V.V. as he started to laugh enough to need to hole is belly as well as managed my own personal promise. I said I would get that cook. I watched with a small smile on my face as Uncle V.V. left me alone. Truthfully, I always found it a bit amusing that unlike Schneizel and Lelouch I simply never registered as a threat to my Uncles. After thinking about it I had concluded it was because unlike others I did not have anything personal against the two, it was just what I had to do to survive in the end. In fact, I felt a small undercurrent of sadness at the fact that I would need to kill his two doting Uncles later on. That was probably why the two didn''t feel in danger of him, they could analyze countless emotions directed at them from Love to Hate, Distrust and Glee. But the one emotions which they never encountered was pity and sadness. Nobody ever pitied them or felt sad about their possible demise. That was the one thing setting me apart from all the people who desired my Uncles death. Which was why I would succeed where everyone else failed. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Charles P.o.V. The Emperor of Britannia sighed a bit as he listened to his Brother talk to the other Directors of the Geass-order. He had enjoyed giving his Nephew his gift along with watching the Show in the arena. Now he was forced to listen to useless status-updates which his Brother could have informed him off in private, but NO! Those power-mongers in the Order needed assurance that he took note of their work. Looking them over he sighed in depression slightly. The first aside from himself was of course V.V. his brother and Head of the Order. He was currently speaking about how the Order had recently recruited several new Scientists into their ranks which should speed up work. Occasionally glancing at Charles in hope of being praised. The second was his sister Marie zi Britannia who contributing to his worry was starting to look more and more sickly now. She had spent the last two weeks in the Hospital and only came out today. Honestly, he wished she would have skipped the meeting to rest but she was stubborn like always. The third in the group was his Wife Marianne vi Britannia who looked rather bored. She spent most of her time supporting him in court or taking care of her children nowadays. Charles felt a small amount of worry given that he felt his favouring of Ciel was making her a bit discontent. The fourth person was Bismarck Waldstein the Knight of One. He was only included due to the fact that he was supposed to be the fail-safe who recovered Vincents Code should he ever be killed by a Geass-user before the Connection could be activated. The man had his eyes closed and merely listened to the others, never contributing. The fifth person was the Scientist Arthur Watts. The mustach wearing man was in charge of the construction of the Sword of Akasha which took up most of his work. The sixth person was a White-haired woman with golden eyes in a black dress. That woman was Salem Fall, the best Geass-Assasin available in the Order. Her Geass if Absolute Evil Indulcement made people affected by it have their dark emtions controled, it was possible to make someone crazy with lust or envious enough to kill their best friend as long as they were in her area of influence. She was the person which Charles was the most careful off in the Order as her powers were just too dificult to deal with. The seventh person was Count Lucius Malfoy. He was the monetary supporter of the Order who laundered much of the money which was used to build the Equipment the Order used and build. The man was rather slimy but he knew money which made him useful enough to keep around. The eight person was Doctor Hojo. A Japanese Scientist which they had recruited years ago and who was in charge of creating Artifical Geass-powers. If his earlier report was correct then the man was currently working on a Drug derived from a Geass that made the person affected relieve happy moments of their past. The man was apparently thinking off calling the final product Refrain. Finally, the last person in the room was C.C. the second Code-Bearer of the Order and the one who granted Marianne her Geass. Currently, the woman looked rather uncomfortable while looking at his Brother. Charles idly wondered if the few rumors of disagreements and shouting-matches between them which his informants inside the Order reported were getting more serious. If that escalated he would need to step in personally. "And this means that we will be making large strides in finishing the Sword once we have gotten access to more Thought-Elevators. Does anyone else have to report anything? No? Then the meeting is adjourned." Charles looked slightly annoyed at his brother but nodded in agreement before standing up and leaving the room. He really hoped he could have some more Family-time with Ciel and Marie soon because he could seriously use a break. 5 Speaking to two magnatas and getting a bonus After the more than enlightening talk, I had with my uncle and the encounters with the strange people that by all rights should not be here present I can only assume the worst. The Collective Consciousness of Humanity is sadistic. That is the only explanation possible to me. After my surprising encounter with the not-Sekirei Sekirei Matsu who, for some reason that I can¡ät hope to understand exists in this world I had inwardly panicked and started looking up countless people from various franchise per the ultimate tool I had available: Google. That tool seems to be universal regardless of what universe you might be. The result had been fruitful and horrifying at once. Trying to remember if I had encountered others I had connected the stupid General Ogre with the corrupt Police-captain from the Akame ga Kill anime. (That basically confirmed everything I thought about the man, and also painted a very dark image to what I will be facing in the near future both internally and externally regarding the empire) Other people had cropped up too thanks to them having the same last name or particularly famous: Adelle Schnee, my etiquette teacher. was, in fact, the mother of three kids Weiss, Winter and Whitley Schnee along with having married a rich Merchant called Jaques Gele. Though a notable difference was that Adelle worked politics and Jaques the Company which kept them far away from each other so Adelle never went into depression or became a drunk, but the fact they are here at all opened a whole new can of possible problems to the future. Other people had also made some impressive waves in this world: The White Fang existed but was made up of Numbers instead of Faunus. They were also led by Sienna Khan. They managed to stay afloat simply due to their habit of wearing Masks which protected their identities from the Emperor and that they still haven''t started being too extremists on their requests for better rights, but it was probably only a matter of time until they turned full-on rebellious and terrorist in their blind rage. Another person which I found was actually a now two-hundred years long dead ancestor of his called Link who married his half-sister, Princess Zelda. I got a good chuckle from that. Link had become famous for defeating a Warlord called Ganondorf along with a "Sorcerer" called Vaati which he suspected might have been a Code-bearer. But that was where my good mood ended. I managed to find scores more minor and major people all over the world, including a certain Toad-Sage who had recently published the newest Icha Icha down in Japan. Pirate Captain Kuro had just a few months ago been executed by Olivia Zevon after terrorizing the North American west coast for five years. It had been that deed which had her promoted to a Knight of Round, mostly because battles on the Ocean always were more dangerous than Land-battles. Most Knightmare-frames simply were too clunky for that work and her managing to eliminate the Target just in a small ship and a Glasgow when he had a specially created Marine-based Knightmare was impressive. The last noteworthy issue which he read about was something which actually worried him deeply. In Japan, a renowned bio-scientist specialized in genetic manipulation disappeared, and his name is Orochimaru. A man like that falling off the grid terrified me, I still distinctly remembered the man''s deeds in the Naruto franchise and I would be willing to bet that the Geass-Directorate had a new member now as he would fill the bill quite nicely, or badly depending on how you saw things. Overall, things were moving too far out of my comfort zone and I again felt like cursing the Collective. Well, that was bad and all, but, for me, there is at least one light at the end of the tunnel. "I can begin making the city." I said to myself. Of course, I understand that I still can''t quite start right now as I am still far too young and my money is currently lacking, but the first one isn''t that big of a deal if you have enough money anyway. Money, that is the most important thing and I have some good ideas on how to make the most money. I will create a financial empire inside the empire itself to fund my company, I could barely contain my smile as I continued fixing my experiments and testings of a few more chemicals, these things I am making now are exactly what will make my name known in the minds of everyone. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 1 Month Later "Now please start the Test". I barely prevented from sighing in boredom as my teacher Adelle Schnee took a seat at the Desk in the room we were currently in. Looking down on the test I sighed before starting to work on it. Most of the test was based on Etiquette and Cultural life of Britannia with some History mixed in. Thinking about what I knew about canon I admit that some of the things which I had learned made now quite a bit of sense. The fact that Charles had multiple Wives and countless children was well known to any Code Geass fan. But why that was, had been interesting to know about. Apparently back when the Royal Family immigrated to America and build the Britannian Empire one of the Emperors had decided that the more Heirs he had the more secure would be his Rule. With one woman not being capable of having dozens of children without destroying her body he simply had decided to make Polygamy legal. That of course resulted in much anger among the Christian Religion. So the Emperor had sharply removed any power which religion could have in Britannia. Combined with strong Propaganda to make Britannians feel superior above others and it had led to a slow decline of Believers all over the Empire. Nowadays roughly 80% of Britannia consisted of either Atheists or people who worshipped the Deceased Emperors much like the Egyptians did to the Pharaohs once. Other Countries of course also copied the Polygamy-laws. Asia and the Middle East were happy with implementing those laws as the rights of women were always rather shaky in those parts anyway, not to mention some countries had those laws beforehand. The result was that Monogamy even lost some influence in European United with the Nobles there implementing the same. (For Nobles only of course) Anyway, nowadays while many people in Britannia were monogamous just as many were not and nobody batted an eye when a man or even woman had multiple spouses. The Royal Family was the best example. Not only had Charles over a hundred wives but Lelouch''s older brothers Odysseus and Schneizel were also married to several women. (Odysseus having four wives and Schneizel seven. Damn did that surprise me when I found that out.) At this point, many Noble women worldwide had simply grown used to sharing their husbands with others because marriage was a good way to elevate the family up the social-ladder and of course commoners were almost always happy about it since marrying nobility or royalty meant a secure life with the only thing demanded being manners and to have some children. Marianne had actually been unpopular not just because of her status as a commoner but due to her status as Female Soldier before Marriage. It was only after her marriage to Charles that the idea of female knights started getting popular with the first few of this new generation being Olivia Zevon and Nonette Enneagram. On the matter of Religion, that had drawn a very bad card in this world he had noticed. The Asian Religions were rather strong but firmly restricted to their countries, Christianity was almost non-existent outside of Europe and the Muslims had been heavily stamped on by Britannia with the Religion being forbidden in every conquered Area. Only the Jewish religion was actually somewhat accepted by Britannia because they simply kept to themselves. Of course, minor Cults and Religions existed but the moment where they started acting negatively the Propaganda of Britannia quickly went to work. With a sigh, I finished the Test and waited for Adelle Schnee to come and take it. She approached and looked it over before opening her mouth. "It is very well done, mister Phatomhive, continue your exemplary work." She said before turning to the others in the room. "And when is it that both of you intend to finish your assignments? They were not that complex, to begin with." She said, making me compare Adelle as more of a drill-instructor than I thought before. The two in question were desperately trying their very best to do what was required of them, but it was clear that it isn''t nearly as easy for them. The first one was, unsurprisingly Slaine that now was a constant visitor to my place just as much as Nina who was sitting by his side. The two were fairly capable in most areas but neither is any good in history as it doesn''t involve science nor physical training. One interesting thing I noticed was how both of them seemed to have a rivalry between them, it would even be cute if I didn''t know that one of them had the potential of creating a portable and radiation-free atomic bomb and the other was shaping up to be on the same level or higher than the current Knights of the round. It was something I would have to deal with eventually if it got out of hand, but as both tried to one-up each other with giving me better and better sweets I think a permanent solution can wait. I was cut out of my musings when one of my newest maids, a girl by the name of Kirumi Tojo, a half-blood Japanese orphan who had caught my eye during my most recent trip to where ''my land'' (a nice place in California) is entered the room. To be honest the territory is just a small city without anything distinctive but it was nice to be there regardless. While there I decided to go for a walk and while going pass a small run-down orphanage that existed there I saw her. Surprisingly the one that was supposed to manage it did not bother about taking care of anyone and left all the duty to two of the ''older'' girls there. One was Kirumi Tojo and the other is named Maki Harukawa, Kurumi''s cousin. The two lived well in Japan until not long ago when Japan had a confrontation with the Chinese Federation which had the Japanese mother of Kirumi and the whole family of Maki killed. Kirumi''s father was a minor knight of Britania and managed to have the two sent here to Britannia but he too died not long after during the ongoing conquest of New Zealand. In the end, they were left in one of the orphanages that happened to be in the city under my control. The two were highly interesting, one had quite a notably bright orange while the other also shined but much more quietly, however it was simply undeniable that neither had the talent to pilot Knightmares. However, that was not that significant as I felt in my guts that they would be good additions regardless and I was correct. I guess I am getting good at spotting talented individuals. Maki has begun training physically and has shown great promise in physical combat, but her biggest advantage is how she seems remarkably able to hide and be quiet. I guess she might become a decent assassin, later on, let''s wait and see. Kirumi, on the other hand, is a ''perfect maid'' in training. Her obstinacy fulfilling anything requested of her even when she is tired or sleep deprived is enough to make me wonder if she even counts as a human. But the most valued aspect of her to me is how relentlessly loyal she is. I will likely need her talents later on in life as I would not trust my food or anything of the sort related to me to anyone that could easily be bribed with some money. "Young master, your guests have arrived." Kirumi said, completely ignoring the hateful glances she got from Slaine and Nina. I guess both might not like how a non-Britannian is serving me, or just generally dislike the fact that another kid of around our age gets to spend so much time and is so trusted by me. The both are developing a bit of a dependency streek towards me, which is unsurprising since both have strong Orange color around them with Nina being absurdly bright and Slaine not being anything to scoff at either. "Okay, just a second Kiru and I will be there." I said, I had decided to give her a nickname as she didn''t really care either way. I then turned to the other two and said. "I will be going there real quick, after that what you two say of going to the ice cream shop in the capital with Marrybell and Matsu? Of course, the bill is on me." I said and the two kids cheered loudly and smiled broadly. "Only if you two do well on your tests can you leave, otherwise it is extended lessons for you both." Adelle said, making the cheering stop instantly. She was obviously able to reign these kids in when she wanted to, perks of being a mother I suppose; "Now, as for you my prince." She said, her face turning from stern to a more amicable smile. "Would you mind extending your invitation to my children as well? My little Weiss and Winter both wanted to meet you for a while now and this would be an interesting chance to do it." Well, while it is a bit obvious that she is trying to push me into being at least friends with her kids it is by no means a bad idea. The finances of the Schnee Conglomerate are considerable and they are a favorite group for being targeted by terrorism, they would likely support my future ventures quite extensively in hopes of ridding themselves of the thorn on their side that the White Fang will become for them. Also, I wanted to try and meet the two anyway. If they truly are like the ones from the anime I know off then it would be for the better if I were to get them on my side as their talents would be wasted otherwise. Besides, the two were quite beautiful in RWBY in my opinion and if their mother is anything to go by then they probably truly are. What? I might not have hormones yet to speak of but I can still think of things as cute and pretty if I want to. I hopefully would be better than uncle Charles who married 108 times or Schneizel who already has 6 wives and fools around with most of his maids and likely with his right-hand-man as well, if Earl Kanon is really a male that is. Anyway, I followed Kirumi out and before long I was in front of the doors leading to the people I would be meeting today. Not wasting any time I pushed the doors open and inside there were three people, one was a man with pale golden hair and an air of arrogance that could likely match even Schneizel if in comparison, by his side is his wife and his heir as far as I know, but considering how his family works he might be replaced by one of his brothers if he were to suffer an ''accident''. "I thank you for finding time in your busy schedule to meet with me, president Togami." I said to the bigger man, the head of the Togami Conglomerate, one of the biggest and richest conglomerates in the world. "And these must be your heir and your beautiful wife that I heard so much about. I originally doubted but now I know that the rumors of your beauty are justified, Miss Togami." I said, giving my pleasantries to them. It was nothing too much flattering or ass-licking but enough to show that I am not here as an enemy. "Don''t worry about my schedule, for a prince it was well worth it to find the time. Especially considering what you sent me as a gift." He said with a small smile. "I honestly never saw something like these two items you sent me, the perfume is great in that for every person it smells different but always the best smell the person has felt in some of the bottles and others bringing forth some more specific reactions of others but the skin-care is something I simply can''t believe with how great it really is. To think it can remove all signs of age of the skin of anyone, just the thought of it is ludicrous until not long ago but here we are. You truly are a genius of the century." HUMPH, IDIOT as if these toys are anything great. They are merely sub-products of my experiments from when I am actually creating something great, to think that only this is enough to make him happy and all-smiles. I bet that if he were to know what the end results were he would not simply call me a genius and instead call me a monster. Oh well, it is not like I would care much either way as both do have a nice sound to them. "Then, I suppose you can see what this little toy of mine can do to the current Beauty industry, one that your company has invested heavily on the last few years mind you." I said, and the previously bright smile of his turned much more disgruntled. I guess he must have hoped I would not see what it means and give me a proposition to sell the formula to him by much less than it is actually worth it. His wife then decided to step in. "I wonder, do you have any plans for it? I mean, just having created it is one thing but distribution, production, and selling are a separate matter entirely. If you want we of the Togami Conglomerate could take care of this for you and give you a percentage of the total value, I suppose 10% should be plenty enough for you to play with." She said, making me wonder if she was simply stupid or if her brains went to her ridiculously big breasts. "Now you jest, madam Togami. If I were to accept that I would be the most foolish idiot there is in this world, and as your husband said I am not dumb but instead a genius. You might not know it but the production cost of these chemicals is dirt cheap as long as you have the right equipment, equipment that I already have created and is not that expensive to create in large scale. As for the price, no matter what the price would be it would ruin all other skin-care products and the perfume would dominate the industry almost as much when sold. Honestly speaking it would be a product that no amount of production would be enough and it would create a monopoly like none other, a true multi-billion dollar industry on whoever works for me on this." And to be fair, that is by my lowest estimates. What is the need for different brands of perfume if yours is always the best? What is the need for dozens of beauty products if you can look like you were at your prime? Anyone would want that, the nobility, in particular, would simply never stop consuming it and all that cash would go to whoever is manufacturing it. "Now here is my proposal, I want you to produce it in your factories. I will give you the recipe and the blueprints for the machine that can make them in exchange for 60% of all profit obtained for the next ten years by it and 30% from that point forward." I said, making both Mr. and Mrs. Togami snort dismissively. "And why not ask for all if you want so much? You clearly are asking too much by any logic." Mr. Togami said. "Perhaps I am, but if you don''t want to do business with me like this then I can simply offer it to the next company, and the next, and the next, until someone accepts my propositions and all those who denied my proposal will receive damage in those businesses as there is simply no way for their sub-par product line to match mine, especially since I still can invent and create more such things in the future and if no one accepts I can simply request a loan to my uncle to pay it for me. You heard of him, right? The Emperor of Britannia." I said with a smirk, if looks could kill I am certain the Togami family would have long since killed me by now. To be fairly honest the only reason I chose them is that their base is in Japan, if they accept I can use this as an excuse to go there and scout some of the people there to join my side later on or at least get a feel of how things are going there. However, if they don''t accept there is still no big issue since I can always get some excuse to go there any way by other means. "... Would it be possible for you to give us the time to discuss this before we continue this conversation? That is not a small matter and doing it in a hurry would not abide well for us." He said. "Sure." I said, making him sigh in relief. "I will be going to meet the Towa Industries representative now anyway so there is plenty of time for you to think until my talks with him are complete." Standing up in shock and fury Mr. Togami yelled. "You also invited that damn idiot here at the same time? Are you so desperate to force us into consigning to your request?" I inclined my head to the side and evenly said. "Not at all, why do you think I would be desperate to force you into doing anything? I am giving you an opportunity to follow me, if you take it I will make you prosper and if you deny I will ruin you, it is quite straightforward and if you fail to see that then I don''t really need you anymore." I then turned to Kirumi and continued. "Please accompany Mr. Togami and his family on the way out. I believe I have had enough wasting my time that could be better used inventing better machines to produce clothing so that I can sell higher quality for smaller prices in large numbers costing next to nothing." It is simply a fact that there are some things that there is never enough out there, clothing is one that is almost always in high necessity and highly lucrative as a business. What I need is money, as much as possible of it and if I can take over the clothing and Beauty industries as my own I would likely have enough to make ends do with the start of my city. The fact that 20% of Togami Conglomerate''s business is related to Beauty industry and 25% is to the Cloth industry just makes it more interesting to see the face of Mr. Togami as it goes from pale to green all the way back to normal as he sat back dejectedly. "We accept it. Where do I have to sign this?" He said. I resisted my desire to smile too much as it would only sour his mood further if I were to do that, not that I would mind but if he were to start being an annoyance to me then I would have to try and deal with him appropriately, any of his sons in the lead of his company would do after all. You gotta hand it to the Togami family, they just keep producing so many replacements for themselves that finding a more appropriate one if needed wouldn''t even be hard if I were to need it. Later that day I was sitting in one of the many chairs in the carriage going back from the ice cream shop. In the end, I had a pretty good day as I got good grades from my teacher, made one of the most influential men in the economic world bow to my demands in mere minutes, and got to the ice cream shop to eat freely. It is a shame that Winter and Weiss couldn''t come since both were busy with tutoring classes, Adelle had been extremely annoyed with her husband. But the highlights of today are definitely my talks with the Towa Industrie. While I did write the agreement with the Togami Conglomerate I never said I intended to speak only of those products with the Towa group anyway. In this case, my reason to talk with the Towa group was much less ''nice'' than the one with the Togami family. Thinking back on it now made me release a chuckle, it is funny how easy it is possible to get what you want if you know what to look for. _Not long after the talk with the Togami family_ Entering the room where the Towa family was present I noticed something distinctive. In here there were also three people, Tokuichi Towa being the father and an old idiot in all regards excluding his business mind, his eldest son Haiji Towa with a head of bad hair and honestly the makings of an egomaniac idiot if my research is anything to go by as I am sure it is as I did some deep investigations on them, and finally the third person was the daughter of Mr. Towa, Monaca Towa. She has short green hair tied with a red ribbon and matching eyes in green color like a dirty pool. She wears a knee-length black dress with a decal of a pelvis and spine on it''s back, which is quite strange but if this is what she likes I can''t say much of it. Looking at her trying to smile sweetly while I can grasp slight tremors from her I can bet that what I heard is true and that she had some of the ''education'' she likely received before coming here. Really, to treat his own daughter like this only because she was not pure Japanese instead of a half-Britannian, bastards and idiots exist everywhere I suppose. As I entered the room both Tokuichi and Haiji stood up to introduce themselves, but I quickly stopped them both. "There is no need for introductions. I am here because I have important matters to speak with you three and considering the fact that you all were visiting Britannia it was only opportune to make our matters certain." I said. Of course this was a lie, I talked with uncle V.V. about making some troubles to the Towa Industry''s branch within Pendragon and afterward, it was easy to make them come to fix it just at the right time, even if the timing is such that I wonder if uncle went well and beyond to facilitate my plans further. "I see." Tokuichi said, his smile faltering slightly as he reclined again in his chair. "And what is it of so much importance that you must talk to me about it today?" "Simple, that I am your final hope to live in getting out of this city and that your next words will define if your company will be ruined or not." I explained, this time both Haiji and Tokuichi shot straight up in shock. They were about to ask me why, I am quite sure, but I am in no mood to talk to these two trash men more than needed. "I had some of the spies of my family investigate more deeply about the ones sending ''aid'' to the ''revolutionary army'' within area 6 and to the various Terrorist Groups in the Areas. Normally we would not care much about it, as we would simply crush our enemies regardless, but when our spies told us of the sheer number of ammunition and weaponry this helper is giving our enemies and how they had the gall to send it under the pretext of ''humanitarian aid'', well I can only say that it was a bit too arrogant of a single company like yours, don''t you think so banker for our enemies Tokuichi Towa?" This time he didn''t react, what I said was all true and he knows what he must do next even if he doesn''t want to as not only can he be killed here but his company would be destroyed. I smirked inwardly, of course, Tokuichi was nothing more than a puppet of the six Houses of Kyoto who constantly backed the various enemies of the three "empires" in the hope it would prevent an invasion of Japan but the man would never be stupid enough to sell them out. If he did he''d be waiting to find his company confiscated and his family house burned to the ground while being considered a sinner to his nation. "What do you want?" He said. In the end, if I simply wanted him dead he would have long since died and he knows it, I didn''t even need to talk to him if I wanted to use his actions, sanctioned by the government or not as an excuse to kill him and destroy everything related to his company. No, he knows that if I am talking with him here I must be wanting something. "Simple really, I want two of your factories here on Britannian soil, the ones in these locations would do," I said, passing him a slip of paper with some information on them. ", the complete stop of the supplies towards the smaller Terrorist Groups, lessening of the supplies towards the Rebell Army in area 6," No point in stopping them completely now, their armament would remain outdated this way and they would not try to use more extreme methods to obtain what they want for their stupid rebellion. "and finally I want your daughter." I explained, making every one of the Towa family to look at me in shock. "Y-You want to marry her? Why, she is just a crippled thing so why bother with her?" This time it was Haiji who opened his mouth, not like I gave him the benefit of knowing his words reached my ears. I simply waited for the answer of the Towa patriarch. After about four minutes of a staring contest, he finally consented, his mental vigor was definitely higher than Mr. Togami. "I understand, just tell me your reasons for it?" "Those don''t concern you, I just need to know if you accept my demands or if you would rather perish together with your legacy." I said impassively. "*SIGH* I don''t really have a choice now, do I?" "No, no you don''t. You lost all choice the moment you decided to come here to Britannia, it is as simple as that." I said. "Fine, you win. But any kids you might create with that aberration over there will have no stake on the Towa Industry''s line of succession." He said, earning a scoff from me. "First, I am not getting Miss Monaca for such matters as what I value is not her blood relations to you or your family but what I value is what I learned of her. Compared to it your family''s power means less than trash to me, it is just how highly I think of her and how weak I see you for what you are. I am sure that in time she will be one of my greatest assets and someone like her would be wasted on your weak self, and remember that if I were to hear half a word that you went back on your words of our agreement I will personally raze your company later on." I said, this time it was he that scoffed at me before leaving without saying another word. I wonder how long until the effect of the drug wears off? The room was pumped full of the true result of my experiments that created the perfume the Togami family will be selling, the true chemical I created is much more powerful than what anyone else seems to realize it. It is a pack of different odors that can influence the mind of others, but while the perfumes he is selling can make one smell something they appreciate the ones I use are more, let''s say that they are less gentle. For instance, if I were to use "Calm" on someone they would remain calm even if they were having their family slaughtered, "Envy" would make one envious enough of someone getting stabbed that they would want the blade in their own guts instead, so on and so forth. I am still trying to find the perfect amount of mixtures of emotions for something more specific like agreeability, but I at least managed to make everyone a bit calmer and more open to negotiations. The best part of this chemical is that after a while it completely dissipates in the organism so there is no way for anyone to say I did anything, if anyone questions me later on how I got this agreement or the one with the Togami family I will credit it to luck and persuasion. Seeing their family leave Monaca didn''t show much on the way of sadness, instead, she was looking at me with interest. "...So, you want Monaca for her talents? I never heard anyone talking of taking me in for that." She said innocently. "Then they are idiots, simple as that." I said. "After I got my hands on detailed confirmation of your family''s actions I was about to act when I took notice of how some of the Knightmares being sent to our enemies were of surprisingly high quality even if not being a match for Britannian ones. I investigated and saw that surprisingly YOU were the one that managed to make those barely working machines into something worth noting. "When I found out about that I prepared even more intel on you, the more I saw the more certain I am that you alone are worth much more than that company ever could be. I want your mind working for me, Monaca Towa. I assure you that under my rule you will not only live a much more fulfilling life but also be able to show the world that you are one to be feared by all, even if I doubt you would not be able to do so regardless. After all, someone cunning enough to pretend being crippled at the tender age of 5 just to escape punishment for ''being alive'' and harness pity of fools makes one wonder how powerful of a figure you will be in the future." Hearing my words her previous look became one of interest and I am finding it funny as she crossed one of her legs over the other with no problem. "Funny, if you know I can cause devastation without you why do you think I will work for you?" She said. "Simple, because being by my side is more interesting and at least you will have someone to talk with who will never treat you as a disabled or a pity target, I will simply treat you as you. Also, I will give you enough funds and targets to play with later on as well, after all this world will never run out of terrorists, and their deaths don''t really have to be fair." I explained, this time she exploded in laughter. "Good, GOOD. Yeah, you will do nicely. I want to be entertained, and you will do nicely. Now, what next?" "Now? Now we go to the ice cream shop. I am starving for some sweets." I said, this time I noticed her sweat dripping down her foreheard hearing my words. And so, my revenue of scientists got a new addition, it is cause for commemoration. More ice cream for me! XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Finishing remembering it I could not help but chuckle, things succeeded simply too well and now I have all the pieces needed to start my bigger projects. All I need now is time, with enough time I can ensure that I will be able to deal with everything I need to deal with. I likely have at least four and at most seven years to finish the basis for my projects, I don''t have time to lose and will need all I can have to get what I want. At least I know that uncle V.V. will give me a geass when I become eight years old, it is the youngest age that is safe for someone to obtain one and the age that would allow for the better development and control over it later on. "Well, at least I will have a lot to do these next few years." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Bismarck Waldstein P.o.V. Bismarck looked on with a sense of boredom as the current Generation of the Knights of Round entered their meeting room. Most of the current Generation were people which were at best five years in service. The Conquests of Area 6 (South America), Area 7 (Hawaii), Area 8 (the Falkland Islands) and Area 9 (New Zealand) in the last decade had wreaked havoc on the Knights of Round. The losses were so bad that a new Knight was announced almost every three months. Only Bismarck and two others of the Thirteen Knights had been in service for longer than ten years. Looking them over he inwardly sighed. The Knight of Two: Michele Manfredi. Bismarck was honestly very disappointed of the man who could not compare at all to his predecessor Marianne the Flash. The Knight of Three: Gaurry Ubiquitous. The man was honestly just a bit above average but his loyalty was firm and steady which Bismarck liked. The man was currently spending a few days with his daughter Seryu before leaving again to combat Terrorists in Area 6 together with the Knight of Seven. The Knight of Four: Hazel Rainart. A rather stoic man with a grudge toward Ozpin the Headmaster of the Imperial Academy. Apparently, his sister died on the Battlefield due to the sub-standard education there. The Knight of Five: Green. A glasses wearing young man. The Knight of Six: Natala. A young silverhaired Teen. The Knight of Seven: Najasho. Another pale-haired young man mostly called Chief by the others. The Knight of Eight: The newly sworn in Olivia Zevon. The Knight of Nine: Nonette Enneagram. A young woman who was good friends with Princess Cornelia. The Knight of Ten: Guy. A perverted annoying young man who was wearing a strange outfit which hid partly his face. The Knight of Eleven: Wall. A glasses wearing bald man. The Knight of Twelve: Zanku. A deranged sociopath who at one point served as Executioner but now was more useful on the Battlefield. And finally the Knight of Thirteen: Barbaros. A savage man sent on the Battlefield when the Emperor wanted to "make a point". Honestly, Bismarck almost wanted to cry. Most of these people only barely had the skill needed to be a Round and many had emotional problems making them a potential liability or were just far to inexperienced due to their age. When the Conquest for Area 10 (Indochina) started he really expected more than a few of them to die. How sad that the two Savages Zanku and Barbaros had the best chances to survive simply due to their years of experience. Bismarck really hoped that the eventual replacements would be a better batch. 6 The Citys inner workings beging to take form 3 Years Later It has been three years since I got Monaca as a new addition to my scientist team. I had started teaching Monaca more of what I knew and she absorbed it all like a sponge in water. She has become a very dedicated helper even if she had received some dirty looks from the others in the palace. Speaking of which I am no longer living in the Royal palace''s grounds. Since mother died last year, her health was just too weak and she was already getting older and she could not resist even with my medicine I made for her, I moved out of the palace''s grounds. Aside from the many Memories there it was only because of Mothers bad health that people overlooked the fact that she lived in the same place as the Emperor. Now with her gone I had the choice of moving to the old Villa in which Charles, Mother and Vincent grew up in or to build a new high-class place. I had chosen to build a new one and was now living in the Phantomhive Manor located on the border of my City. I spent most of my time in my own personal Company-tower which I had shamelessly ripped of from Tonys Stark-tower only with a large C on it, my city was truly advancing nicely according to my plans and soon enough I would have completed my main objective for it. I now am firmly considered the king of the newest technology and I constantly have to deal with attempts of sabotage, espionage, and other nuisances which would be much worse if not for another thing that is becoming common knowledge amongst those who try to do that. None who enter my city to take away my tech without my permission manage to leave, all simply vanishing and no one from the outside knows of them. It is a good thing, however, since if they knew of the destiny of those thieves they would long since have given up on entering my city and me and a few of my other associates need fresh lab rats whenever possible. It is especially so with Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the man was a true monster in terms of morals though I was never someone who cared about stuff like that as all that mattered was that he was good enough to assist me on discovering new things. As I enter my lab I turn to the side and many vigilance monitors connected to other places are going on and in them I see all my scientists working diligently, I only can smile as I think that things are progressing well. The ones responsible for robotics are Lloyd, C¨¦cile, Sasori (yep, it is a carbon copy of the Akatsuki member and a number from Area 6 specifically Peru, it was a shock for most when I chose him over other renowned scientists in the mainland but he is better so that is all that matters anyway) and Monaca who is now a very cute murder machine if her recently modified wheelchair is anything to go by. They all even have a rivalry on who can create the best Knightmares and other such things and are advancing nicely for it, even if C¨¦cile isn''t interested in competing for all that much. The Cyborg-project which I had started was led by Dr. Gero a man which I had been amused to find. While Android 17 and 18 were not anywhere close to being created the man did have some successes. Among those being General Ironwood who recently lost an arm, the two legs and some of the vital body parts on the battlefield is now fully back to health and can fight much better than before. I also have a man named Genos who was still in training for Knighthood after losing everything during a bombing incident involving revolutionaries in Area 9 (New Zealand), he is now mostly machine but his will is still his own and he decided by himself to become a knight to fight against terrorism. Honestly speaking terrorism is something much more common in this world than I''d expect from the show and the sheer number of victims is astouding. Anyway, for the explosive department, there is the department head Deidara and his disciple Nina, who still spends a lot of time with me. Seriously it is like she is always either with me, her family and Milly, or learning from Deidara about explosives. She seriously has an absurd talent for the art of blowing shit up, I think she might have the highest talent within the entire city with only very few to match. On the area of programming, there is Chihiro Fujisaki (a cross-dressing boy who is entirely too young but more than capable enough, he was originally Japanese but moved to Britania to obtain better study conditions and got my eye), and Matsu (she likes to come with Nina when her sister visits, she tries to tease me but considering we are all kids there isn''t much of a point) who are also advancing on the development of AIs quite well. If everything proceeds as planned we will have a few dozen AIs within the next year or so and my current hacking programs are enough to invade virtually any computer and the firewall over my systems is so tight that it would be easier to just break in on my city then invade my system, and that is saying something. I had some interesting plans for the AIs including perhaps creating my own Ultron which I could unleash on some poor saps. Or just make a Decpticon, that would be fun. For pharmaceutics, there is Seiko Abraham, originally Kimura, who was an orphan of Britanian heritage who ended up living in an orphanage back in Japan due to some situations. She won some competitions of chemistry and I went to visit her for it, when I saw what she was capable of I invited her to my city no matter what. A good proof of why it was a good idea was on the new vaccine I took that made my originally frail body more than two times as strong as I was before, now I could at least run from Cornelia for a while! But the most interesting ones are the scientists that are more deeply studying the body, or to be more precise cloning technology and other more extreme modifications to the human body. The ones helping me there the most are Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Tearju Lunatique and the Kihara family, a family of scientists that are extremely capable but not really that ethical and thus are on the wanted list of most countries, not that I care of course since I am sure of their loyalty to me. I even have some of the Kihara family members owning their own labs in the City for them to create their own things freely, I am a good young man. Besides, the Kihara family members do not care much how I use what they make as long as they can keep inventing things and continuing their pursuits. While I was thinking of all that I can feel my eye tingle as a smirk played in my lips, someone decided to stop being loyal I see. Well, I guess it is fine as well. "Mayuri, will you still need more lab rats?" I asked as I approached him. He laughed hearing me say this before opening his mouth. "Yes, there are never really enough test subjects for the more invasive experiments for me." he said. "Well, you are in luck then. Some idiot decided to throw away my gift for some reason, likely money or prestige, so I will bring him to you later." I said cutting off our conversation as he shook his head in disapproval before continuing his task. I turn to the computer on the side and start working on it, before long a video feed shows up of a man trying to act normal as he leaves the city, it was one of my scientists that was responsible for the work with Seiko. I can''t tell why he turned his back on me but I suppose I can always hear it from his mouth anyway. Connecting to one of the internal guard divisions of the city I waited until someone answered. "Hello, My Prince. What is the issue?" A serious but calm voice said as a image of a tall man with dark blue hair, broad shoulders, dark blue piercing eyes and glasses wearing a blue uniform said. He was the leader of one of the safety keeping units I formed in my city, the Scepter 4, and was one of my personal knights as well. "Comander Reisi, there is an escapee trying to run away from the city. I want him brought to me as quickly as possible, his state must be as close to healthy as you possibly can." I said. "I will see to it. How much damage would be acceptable and is he expected to be armed?" Reisi asked without losing a beat. But, knowing him he likely is trying to find a way to give some extra punishment to the one trying to run away and that betrayed me. "I just need him brought to me, doesn''t need to go further than the necessary for that. Also, see if he is looking for someone with the dose of truth serum I gave you last time. If there are any spies connected to him in the city I want Scepter 4 to eliminate them all. I want the true development of this city to remain a secret to anyone from the outside. Also, contact Jungle after getting the info and if the person isn''t untouchable tell them to ruin the organization behind them." I gave my orders after thinking some more. He nodded and went to do his job. I could calmly smile as I can already predict how things will turn out. I have currently 4 forces in my city, all with their own characteristics and I can easily tell that outside of here any of them would be game changers in any war. The first one is Scepter 4 led by Reisi. It is responsible for the policing of the city and guard duties, they are all highly trained individuals I obtained from various places though they are mostly pureblood Britannians. However, I made it a point that none of them were to be conceited brats and I examined them myself and in any demonstration of racism they were promptly punished as that sort of thing is counterproductive to this city. The second organization is Jungle, they are likely the least and also the most threatening force under my control. Their main objective is to infiltrate on what is considered secure systems of my enemies, find their secrets, and deliver me news of them. If needed they also fabricate scandals as well but due to how usually there are true things to their words the world usually believes it and the influence of it is not to be trifled with. From the other two organizations, well they are my knights (some in training, some already official and all of them with the potential that would likely not lose out to even the likes of Suzaku or Kallen), and the final one being my military troops, even if they are still ''in production''. I guess it will take a while for them to fully work as I intended them to. There are other smaller groups I am trying to create to deal with some more overt operations, but I will need some more time to make them fully operational. I suppose not everything can go exactly as I want, but at least the project is going decently well and in a few more years I can expect my army to be fully formed. But seriously, I could only chuckle at how my now eye-patched Geass works. Uncle V.V. and uncle Charles were also surprised when we figured how it worked and we all could only think that nothing would be more suitable for my needs. After all my Geass of Absolute Enhancement and Trust is just too suited for me and my plans. It isn''t like those from most others that either enhance themselves directly, are capable of causing direct harm to others, or alter their minds and force them to do something they wouldn''t want to, its effects are more subtle and also much more interesting and hard to use. When I activate this Geass I connect to my target, if he or she truly is loyal to me then the effect of the Geass will activate and the person''s full talent blossoms forward unhindered. It is like the entire capacity that it would take years, if not decades to draw forth is all brought out instantly and enhanced further than what they''d normally be able to reach. Not only that but they become a part of what I can only call my mind-hive, if they need to process information faster they can draw upon the hive and use part of my own capacity of processing information and of others if that won''t pressure them, I also can do the same with them but need to be careful as my initial test-subjects which I tried my Geass on became Brain-dead when I drained to much capacity something which I could not reverse at all. I was just lucky that those people had been not allies as I shudder at what could have happened if I discovered that feature on someone more important like Nina or Slaine. Anyway the best part of my Geass is that the moment someone stops being loyal I can sense who it is, they stop getting any benefits from my Geass, forget they had it affect them or what it was, and I also continue feeling their location no matter how long it passes, I can never be betrayed so to say. In other words, all scientists and fighters in my forces all can be classified as super-human by most people''s standings. When I obtained my Geass I made it a point to put its effects to bear, everyone who was willing to work for me and not betray me was given a Geass and those who don''t were simply removed from the equation, I didn''t kill them as there would simply be too many dead if I did so but as I didn''t much need to explain what the Geass was all about everyone that didn''t know simply thought I had developed some sort of super-soldier drug to enhance those I trust. Well, that is just wrong. I still need some time before Seiko can finish those particular projects, she first is creating a drug that would help those suffering from addictions remove all traces of such substances from the body and repair the chemical receptors to make the person healthy again. It is part of my way to deal with the refrain infestation that will eventually begin to ravage Japan and most likely other Areas. I want to scout all talents and willing fighters that could work for any of my subsidiary organizations I can find including those amongst the numbers but if they are under drugs it would not be easy. My ability to see the "talent" of people was negatively effected by Drugs as the results were muddled quite a bit. As I was musing the projects of the many scientists under my domain I started my own new pet project. It is the blueprints for how to deal with my GN Drive. It was driving me mad, I have long since finished the project for the mini perpetual energy generator that would fit in a Knightmare but the fact that if I were to install it would make the ejection capacity impossible was not something I could easily deal with. I talked about it with my robotics staff and none could find a solution for it, but thankfully I managed to find one that just might work. It is the Calculate Fortress used in Toaru Majutsu to protect the Windowless Building. It constantly scans its surroundings with Electromagnetic Waves and ultraviolet rays to identify any source of impact, as soon as the impact gets close enough it is canceled out by vibrating the impact areas the exact necessary and with the exact frequency needed to paralyze any and all attacks. It would effectively cancel out any and all attacks, even nuclear explosions wouldn''t destroy it, but implementing this to Knightmares would be a waste right now due to the generation currently being far to low-tech and not to mention that especially the programming needed for it is complex to an absurd degree. I am facing some difficulties with it, to be totally honest. I really didn¡ät want to destroy the timeline to much by creating stuff like the Lancelot almost ten years before it should happen otherwise Britannia would just steam-roll the opposition. After working on it for about thirty minutes a knock came from the door as Kirumi opened it. "Young master, Commander Reisi asks permission to enter." She said simply. "Sure, bring him in and the package with him as well. And please bring some snacks for us to enjoy." I said as she bowed to me and left. About two minutes later Reisi entered the doors with a struggling young man on his side. I took one look at the man and he stiffened a bit, he was one of the ones I added not long ago and was friends with someone who ended up as a spy from Schneizel. The spy is now being used to test a drug used to force the cells on an area to become equal to stem cells, but the results were still not quite there yet as instead of regenerating he is giving birth to a third arm, it is quite extreme and on the grotesque side to be honest. I guess seeing his friend becoming an abomination made him want to quit, oh well I bet there was also someone that paid him for something as well so money likely helped the deal. "So, I suppose you decided to leave the city then. Would you mind telling me why?" I asked mostly rhetorically. PHEW! He simply spits in my face. Well, I guess there isn''t much more of a reason to be reasonable. "Wait." I said as Reisi had a sword about to pierce the man''s back for what he just did. He still looked completely professional but his killing intent was quite strong right now. "I still have a few uses for most of him." I explained and Reisi nodded. I looked down at the person as I took of my eyepatch. My Geass already was permanent after using it on so many others so I needed to hide my eye under the eyepatch, not that it made much of a difference for me to see as it was seethrough to me and even had some cool stuff added to it. But the important thing is what I was about to do. "You, know that you betrayed me and want to leave, but first leave behind the gift I gave you. Now, give back all that you received." I ordered as my geass activated as it fully drew away its influence from his mind, but not before pulling with it all the processing capacity that I granted him along with a bit extra. His potential that I unlocked now is mine. Again, this geass is the most benign and malign Geass out there in my opinion. To those who accept me as their leader or boss, even if only by association they all can get better than they were ever before and live fulfilling and good lives, but those who betray me will not have any chance for a good future. Truly, a Geass for a gentle evil tyrant as Uncle Charles likes to call it. After I did that I felt my own mind expand further for a bit, but even that was quickly consumed by the Mind-Hive I have going so that everyone gets a tad smarter on the expenses of those who would otherwise bring nothing positive to the city''s future. "Take him to Mayuri, I am sure that psycho can find some use for him. Also, give me a report on everything you found out about his motivations and objectives when he left the city." I said as Reisi bowed and went to work. Not long since he left Kirumi re-entered the room while carrying a package filled with page after page of information, or better said resumes. "Young master, these are the scholars that have shown interest in your proposition. I did as instructed and gave all that came and were properly tested and these are the ones who passed it." She said. "Thank you Kurumi, that is all for now." I said as I took the resumes in hand. It is another thing I decided to do. If I want to make this place truly an example for the world at large than I must do it right. I spread my recruiters across all of Britannia and its conquered areas with orders to attempt recruitment of anyone with the capacity to teach regardless of status. Of course, this didn''t exactly sit well with most Nobles but I promptly ignored the complaints of sullying my city with scum Numbers as my answer was very simple. ''If you don''t want them to get the spots then get them yourself, it is the way of Britannia to take what it desires.'' That helped shut them up nicely, Schneizel''s help on the side also helped but he likely just wanted to send as many spies as he can into my city as he and many others likely are curious of what I am producing, after all, anything I release is always more than 40 years ahead of everyone else but I never show any military tech unless the emperor demands it. Now, of course, I tested everyone that asked for a job equally and now I have the top 400 of the empire to work with me as teachers. Now all I need is to release the news of acceptance for all students between the age of 10 and 18 who desire to study on the city, if any of them decide to and pass a basic exam they can live here and eat well and be taught and given opportunities. They can be called whatever they want here and those who desire to continue here and work as scientists, engineers, or other things are welcomed to do so. Those who decide to stay will also be able to bring their loved ones and family to live here, I intend for this place to be a home for talented individuals everywhere. Well, at least that is my intentions. I want to make as many talented and capable individuals appear in my city and them having loyalty if not directly to me then to this city. Of course, the tech used in most of the city is not that dangerous, the security measures I put in place are nothing that can easily be dealt with to enter the areas where actually dangerous things are located, and the number of surveillance cameras installed throughout the city is enough to make even the combined number of cameras in Pendragon and the next five main cities of Britannia seem tiny in comparison. And that is not to forget that any criminal organization or spy circle that tries to form is promptly stomped out of existence with not one member surviving unless I am feeling particularly merciful. And so I simply nodded my head as I gave the order to bring all these teachers to the city as well as sending more recruiters to all Areas and cities within the Empire with news about the grand opening of my Academic City and the rules I established. Now, I can''t help but wonder how will the world react when they understand what it is that I am doing. No other place in the Empire ever allows for Numbers to receive any education beyond highschool-level so imagining the reaction of those who look down on Numbers when they hear of my decision is enough to make me happy. (Even the Highschool stuff was only taught because the Numbers needed to have some knowledge for their Jobs where most of the time their Boss was a Britannian.) Almost as happy as when I managed to prepare the machines that are doing the constructions of the most important parts of the city underground (It was not easy to do this stealthily but it was a good challenge), when I managed to dominate the home appliances, agricultural products, and medicinal products to treat many diseases that plagued the empire and were thought incurable before. There IS a reason for this city to be getting so famous as any of the products related to it always dominate the market and all of them are cheap enough for even the Numbers and honorary Britannians to buy and improve their lives. Hell, Ciel even had major Customers in the EU and Chinese Federation. In fact, Ciel had at one point met the Eunuchs who had slyly suggested for him to visit the Chinese Federation when Puberty started with them indicating that they would have some of the more beautiful Noble Daughters ready to meet me, probably in hopes of me marrying one of them and therefore giving the Chinese some more beneficial Trade-agreements. But nothing beats what I felt when I installed those smell detectors within the city to identify anyone who brings a forbidden item to my city for Scepter4 to escort them out. After all, anyone who eats those accursed no-sugar chocolates was almost criminal in my eyes. Thinking of that- "Aauuhm." I released this sound as I took a big bite from a chocolate bar on the side, a content smile on my face. Yeah, nothing beats sweets after all. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX "Aahh, this is pure bliss." I said, I was sitting on my chair with some good sweets by my side and some of my friends around me in my personal gardens on top of my tower/lab/home. Slaine, who was now with his family living in my city, was right by my side much like Nina, Matsu, and Milly. He was with a book open as he was reading something with a slight smile while the three girls were talking animatedly with each other while enjoying the sweets, I also invited some others but most of my family were too far away to come here but at least I had a few new additions to my table. First was Mayuri''s daughter Nemu who was quite stoic over 90% of the time but was curious and was not a bad presence to have around, by her side, there were two of my current knights (not the official knight that all royals must have as neither wanted that post for some reason). The two knights were Lyle and Neil Dyland, a pair of twins that lived happily with their families until a terrorist attack and now hate terrorism with a passion, both experts in sniping and good examples to the future knights that are still in training like Slaine himself who is a Knight in training. My knights are the top of the crop chosen by hand by me, there are not many and some are still children or simply too young but none of them aren''t talented enough, many think me crazy with some of my additions to my knights like the kid who I recruited not long ago. Soran Ibrahim is a small child soldier who escaped from the conflict between his country and its neighbor for oil resources. He was captured during one of the military training expeditions of my knights (they need real experience and with their current Knightmares even those not yet up to standards still are more than capable of surviving) and brought to the city to receive proper medical treatment as he was simply too close to dying. After we understood who it was that was rescued things got interesting. Normally someone like him would be executed on the spot due to his dubious allegiance but I instead made him one of my knights in training after I talked with him. My reason is that the Orange around him is calm but strong and his Red and other colors are quite strong as well, he would be a great addition to my forces. Not only that but he also told me how his desire was to end foolish conflicts throughout the world that are focused on civilians (he doesn''t have that big of a problem with death in a battlefield, go figure) and save people so when I explained to him the type of power I am creating and how this force is to work to stop revolutionaries and terrorists as well as safeguarding those same civilians he wanted to ensure protection he agreed to work with me but said he''d shot me if I were to use my power to terrorize the world. He is now being taught the language and the basics of how to behave as well as talking to a proper psychiatrist to help him deal with everything he saw and had to do back in his nation. He even said he wanted to change his name to Setsuna Seie as a way to show that this is a new life, apparently, Setsuna on his mother language means peace-bringer or something like that. It honestly annoys me that I can''t go and end this ridiculous conflict after Setsuna told me of it and how it is going on, how it started, and how many are dying for something so easy to fix, but the Emperor didn''t allow me to deal with it as the whole area is too strong right now and the official decision is to wait for both sides to either weaken enough or one loses while weakening the other to make the victory over them all the easier. I at least prepared a refugee camp near the area for all of those who escape it to live, something the Emperor wasn''t so happy about but let me do it when I told him it was a way to win the hearts of the people of the area for when we invade and take everything away. As I was thinking that and wondering what my next delicacy would be someone outright kicked the door open with all the delicacy of a bull in a glass shop. "CIEL! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" A woman yelled and I turned to answer until I saw who it was, when the dark pink hair came into view I turned around and started to run away, there is no way I want anything to do with her. "Come back here this instant!" Cornelia yelled as she started running after me, her knights by her side to help her as I looked at my own knights that were only laughing from the side. I mouthed the words ''I. WILL. REMEMBER. THIS!'' to them and had a wave of satisfaction by seeing them shiver a bit from this. Haha, if I am going to suffer because of this evil witch then you two also will from me. I tried my very best, used all stamina I had but within a few minutes I was being held by Cornelia like a sack of potatoes as she brought me back to where we started, I suddenly felt that my decision to give free access to most areas (not the top priority secrecy ones) to my family (those I actually consider such) was not such a genial idea. Cornelia sat me down on the chair I was previously while two of her knights flanked me, I would be intimidated if I didn''t know that she is a bleeding heart to those she truly considers family and she''d never hurt me just like I''d never hurt her. It also helps that there are about two dozen weapons in our surroundings and that if anything happens to me they would fill with holes whoever actually carries the deed and that Maki, the sister-like girl to Kurumi who I rescued long ago is also here using the latest optical camouflage suit to deal with whoever might attack me, she truly is talented as an assassin even if I don''t ask her to do that all that much. I ALWAYS have security all around me, my life is just that important to me. Cornelia ignored this as she knows of my security measures and she herself said it was overblown but she was still impressed enough to leave Euphemia visit here and stay for a while even without Cornelia by her side, it even became something of a costume for her to keep Euphi here when she is to go to some mission. "So, to what do I owe this pleasure?" I asked giving a very fake smile that looked genuine enough. "Humph, if it was so much of a pleasure why did you run when you saw me?" She asked with an irritated face. "And why did you decide it would be a good idea to kick my door open like that?" I asked back, her glare and mine clashed mid-air and if this was an anime sparks would appear between our eyes. After a while, she relaxed a bit and smiled slightly. "I see that you didn''t go and lose your edge from living with so many non-Britanians." She said. "Fine, if you don''t know what I am talking about I will explain. I heard rumors of your decision of admitting Numbers and Honorary Britanians into this city as both students and professors, why would you do such a thing?" "Simple," I said. "because it would be a waste otherwise." She raised an eyebrow at this and motioned me to continue. "While growing up in the capital one thing that always seemed oddly wrong to me was how so many of the pilots there were not that good or talented. Yes, some are excellent just like you and yours but the vast majority are not up to my standards. I also noticed that most that could even get the chance to try and be a pilot are those from nobility, that means that from the entire population of the Empire the pool to receive talented individuals is actually not that big at all. "I want to be able to bring forth as many of the hidden gems out current society is missing and ignoring to the light, to give the chance to all to try and grasp their future and the best of the best to become actual pilots or even one of my 14 knights." I explained. Hearing my mention of the 14 knights she was disgruntled again. The fact that I used 13 knights was also known and considered by some as an affront to the Empire as the Emperor only has 13 but I declared I would have 14 my actual reason is that I simply want 14 as it is a way to win out against the Rounds also in numbers if I ever need to fight them. "... Fine, if you want to try your foolish plan then go ahead. But you must at least be strong enough to resist them if they were to rebel against you." She said, I could feel a shiver going down my back as I could well imagine her training me into shape. "Anyway, that is not the main reason for me being here. I want to ask what you intend to do about the Emperor''s last decree." "Huh?" Was all I and a few of the others could say at this comment, I was way too immersed into building my Calculate Fortress and the program related to it to much care about anything else. Excluding the time last week that I dealt with the traitor, this was likely the first time I actually left my lab. I didn''t really hear anything from uncle as I locked myself into my studies, it is likely the same with the others. "Wait, you don''t know it yet?" Milly said while leaning forward from her chair, she always was very much a prankster and love gossip so she knowing whatever it is that Cornelia wants to say is not really a surprise. Seeing my face filled with doubt I could slowly see the Cheshire smile spreading over her face. "Now that is interesting, to think that the small genius that is the talk of the Empire doesn''t know something that is so well known. That is so rich." Milly said, this time the others were also looking confusedly at her. She was about to open her mouth when Cornelia intervened. "The Emperor declared that he is irritated with all the talks sent to him of noble ladies that want to marry you, he might be your legal guardian after aunt''s death but he has no desire to deal with this so he decided that you are going to choose one of the current princesses and marry her so as to end all this nuisance as he himself said." Okay, that is weird in SO many levels. Needing to marry one of my cousins is weird no matter how I look at it, but I could probably just make this a political move and push it for later until after I end the Emperor and his little group. After that everything would solve itself as I can end the engagement by then and let them be free. Yeah, that could work well. I know that at least some of those I am close to will be having a tough time due to marriage proposals and would face difficulties due to this. For instance one of the reasons why Lelouch kept hidden even after the invasion was for fear that Nunnally would be used for marriage connections, Euphemia had to go from one battlefield to another with Cornelia to avoid marriage proposals, and Marrybel likely also faced problems due to that as well but likely avoided the worse of the pressure by being in the military and probably beating to the ground whoever came for her hand. It is worth it thinking about it, but that is not my main concern right now. "However, if you want Euphi you must first beat me in melee combat and piloting as well as ensure me that no one would try anything against her from your side even with all these numbers and Honorary Britanians under you." She said and my eyebrows twitched. I don''t particularly would want to marry Euphemia, she is sweet and kind but she honestly lacks a backbone too much. In comparison, Marrybel''s overall gentle but firm personality or Nunnally who is gentle but knows how to impose herself and has a willpower that is likely even stronger than the Emperor and the rest of the imperial family together are more preferable. Euphemia would likely not want to be with me anyway, she is more into the idealistic types that help others and dream of a bette... Shit, to those on the outside I just might look like a SUCCESSFUL Suzaku! Fuck! I hate that hypocrite''s guts, to think that my city is starting to look just like his ideal in the anime (a place where the weak are protected and even Numbers have opportunities while also stopping terrorists and bettering society as a whole). Fuck! Taking a deep breath to calm my more than irritated nerves I opened my mouth, but before I could say anything someone else entered in the conversation. "Hey, hey, at least wait for us to catch a camera before you decide to ask Princess Cornelia''s hand." Milly said with a grin so big it might actually touch ear to ear. "Don''t worry, I have one right here." Matsu said taking out a portable camera from her purse, making my eye twitch. If she was not a friend I would have had confiscated the camera, now I feel I should have done it. "I-It is not like that! I do not have any intention of asking Cornelia''s hand in marriage!" I almost yelled that, but suddenly I felt a wave of killing intent of both knights of Cornelia by my sides. I didn''t know what to say to fix this situation as I could sense how Dylandia brothers got tenser and that Setsuna had a hand behind his back, there are no weapons allowed in this place but I wouldn''t doubt him having a pointy rock in his hand already or one of the hand knives used on the table already in hand. Slayne didn''t react much, he was already used to this situation after three years seeing it and he knows that nothing would happen. "Anyway, I and Cornelia would not work out well. She is older than me and our personalities would not work out together." I said. "... that is good." I heard Nina whisper mostly to herself. I was about to ask Nina what she meant when Nemu spoke up. "Master Ciel, when can we expect you to have children? My father once told me he would love to teach someone from your descendency about science and make him or her his successor." Nemu said expressionlessly as everyone sweatdropped at this, or at least the adults did. I didn''t have to say anything to answer that one, Mayuri was nuts and this was unfortunately nothing new to him. Neil decided to intervene. "Little girl, you should not have to worry about that. When and if the boss decides to have a kid you will know so there is no need to try and get a schedule." His voice was calm as he put a hand over the girl''s head. "... Then I am to go with plan B, I understand." Nemu said. "And what that plan is?" This time it was Slaine who asked, he was obviously curious now. "If there is no schedule and it seems like it will take too long I am to get a child with him myself for father to teach." Nemu said simply, and the tea I had just put on my mouth went flying. Normally this would imply I soaked Cornelia but as she did the exact same we canceled each other out. "I like this girl." Milly said impishly. "Me too." Matsu said by her best friend''s side. "Do you have any reference material to teach you what to do to get a baby? Would you like big sisters to teach you?" "There will be no need. Father already gave me a biology book and explained all I needed was in there." she said. The two girls trembled to hear this before each catching Nemu from either side and starting to drag her away. I guess I would do well to lock my door from now on, just as a precaution. "Anyway, Cornelia." I said, bringing her attention back to me for us to continue our conversation properly. "First, I could only ever even try to challenge you in melee and Knightmare combat years from now as I AM a kid of eight, a sweet and cute child no less." At my words, everyone gave me a snort like they think I am joking, but I am not! I am cute, and when I am older I will be handsome! "Also, trust me, the chance of me being caught off-guard by betrayal is almost non-existent. I¡äm honestly more worried about Schneizel given that he has been stepping up recruitment for his own Science-division. Even his spy-attempts on the City have slowed down recently, I guess that so many vanishing with no further notice." Cornelia twitched slightly at my admission. That was one of the things which Cornelia and I were actually in agreement with each other. Schneizel was our least favorite Sibling/Cousin. His detached and at times robotic demeanor creeped out Cornelia who was a very emotional person and I think she internally knew that Schneizel could and would kill her if she ever stood in his way. It is not a possibility, he would kill her and half the world and make the rest ashes if he could dominate the ashes with an iron fist. "By the way, what are you doing here now Cornelia? I don''t think you would come here just for that without Euphy no less. And aren¡ät you supposed to guard Marianne and her kids right now?" I watched as Cornelia twitched again but this time she looked a mix between angry and confused. "Yes, I normally would do that but Lady Marianne sent me and the Guards on the inside of the Aries Palace away. She said with the other Guards patrolling the perimeter we would not be needed as much anymore and should take the night off for once. I tried to convince her otherwise but she just called Nonette and I needed to flee before that woman arrived. Last we were together she tried to sexually abuse me under the guise of training, I had to wash five times and I still felt dirty." I watched with slight amusement as Cornelia shivered before my mind drifted off. So THAT day had finally arrived, well he wouldn¡ät miss that bitch Marianne but he felt sad for Nunnally and Lelouch. Hmm, perhaps he could at least make sure that Nunnally would not lose her legs in addition to her eyes by making sure his doctors would take care of her. It might make Charles a bit reluctant to act overtly and the man might be satisfied with just making her blind and paralyzed as he never much cared for her, but my medicinal treatments are more than enough to make anyone that still have an operational brain live on, just not being able to move his legs and her not being able to see. Heck, if needed I can just replace the parts that might be damaged anyway. It was worth a try and I''d never let them be hurt if I can help them. I at least have shown V.V. multiple times that I care for them and wouldn''t want either hurt or I''d hate the assailant, he already don''t see the two as targets anyway so not hurting Lelouch and Nunnally is for the best and without Marianne it would only be for the better, hate that bitch. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 3¡ã Person P.O.V. "Another Failure it seems!" Prince Schneizel looked at the report of his new spies demise with a small twitch in his face which for other people would have been a scream of rage. Schneizel had been sending spies into Ciels Organization since he first started up recruitment on a larger level a year ago. Unfortunately, none of his spies managed to last more than a month or two in the City and the few results which they gave him were mostly discarded ideas and inventions which were deemed not important enough to properly guard or not needed to be kept as a secret for one reason or another. Much of that was useless though Schneizels scientists had made some stuff work. Like that one project about Metallurgy which while useless for the more mobile Knightmares would work perfectly for his Flying Ship Avalon. (In his room Ciel looked at a plan to re-create Adamantium or Vibranium before sneezing suddenly, the previous plans that were simply impractical that he put on paper he used as paper plains and threw them a bit and one ended up outside due to that) Honestly, Schneizel almost wanted to scold his Cousin about his carelessness with his discarded projects. But he also could well imagine that if that sort of thing was discarded what he actually focused on would be something he could only imagine. "Prince Schneizel. Your guests have arrived!" Schneizel sighed as he heard his assistant Kanon¡äs voice. Giving permission for entry he watched as his own Inner Circle started entering the room. The first was, of course, Earl Kanon Maldini his most trusted Ally. The Second was Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin. An Extremist of the Military who shared Schneizels vision of a super-weapon capable of forcing the other countries into submission. The Third was Count Dooku. A man who was an outspoken proponent to the Numbers-system and who was trying to remove the Corrupt Nobility from the Empire as much as possible. He was the Man in charge of Area 2 (Canada), the most peaceful and law-abiding Area of the entire Empire. Corruption there was so low that the country had not a single Terrorist Group since he first took up his position 50 years ago. The next person was Schneizels first Wife Katarea Leviathan. A typical Britannian Noble with a superiorty complex who''s family owned the largest Knightmare Company of the Empire and had created the Glasgow and the initial Sutherland design. Katarea and her family had lost some power recently due to his cousin Ciel though and the boy was number one on their list of people to dispose of. The fourth person to enter was Schneizels Head-scientist and member of his own personal Elite Knights the Espada: Szayelapporo Grantz. While a true madman Szayel was still a very intelligent man who had made large strides in building the Technology Schneizel needed for his plans. Already the plans for Avalon were looking rather promising and were perhaps even better than what Lloyd would have created. He still was miffed about how Ciel had snapped the Earl of Pudding from under his nose but what was done couldn¡ät be changed. The fifth and final person was Schneizels most dangerous Ally. Aizen was Schneizels personal Knight and a man who was emotionally unstable even in the best of times. His Death God Order is a terrifying force to be reckoned with, especially the new second and third in command by the names Gin and Tosen, those two were terrifying alright. Schneizel sighed for a moment. "Welcome my friends. As you know, the Empire has recently gotten the upper hand in the conquest of Indochina. Despite the loss of two Knights of Round and my younger Brother Prince Endymion the Conquest will be finished in no more than two months. From there I suspect the Emperor will be declaring which Country will be the next for conquering. Whichever it is I have no doubt that the next target is the reason for the Mass-producing of Glasgows which he ordered from your family Katarea. We will need to discuss how such a large change in warfare will change the way Wars are conducted." Schneizel watched as his Allies nodded in Agreement and began to add their thoughts. Now if only he could have that much success in infiltrating Ciel''s domain then he would be actually happy for once, if he were to obtain all his cousin was building and all the potential being accumulated in that city he just might become the emperor earlier than planned. 7 Realizing my mistake, a promise to myself Half an hour later and I was taking Cornelia and her entourage deeper within my city. Of course I didn''t took her to the weapon testing facilities or the more secret labs but it was still much deeper than I would normally let outsiders enter. It was the weaponry deposit of the successful and tested technology that were ready for use. As we moved I noticed Cornelia gaping at some of the things I had and I could not help but feel some pride towards it all. "C-Ciel, what is this Knightmare?" She asked about a blue knightmare. It looked very sleek and the sword on its side was not that large but the sheer number of minor lasers attached to it was outstanding, it had a capacity to release a protective shield around itself with energy reactors, the speed and maneuverability of it was absurdly high and its weight was not so big that any structure would fall under its weight, and the ''simple'' sword actually had the capacity to use its own protective field to work as bludgeoning damage as well as having the plasma cutter to enhance it. "This, dear Cornelia, is the Blue Damocles. It is the future Knightmare of Reisi and the first proto-type of the seventh generation of Knightmares." I said. Wait, I wasn''t supposed to reveal that I did a seventh generation yet! SHIT! Change topics, change topics! "A-Anyway, that is not the object of our concern. The main issue is right around the corner." I said, making Cornelia nod but her gaze was still on the machine. I bet she will ask me to give one to her for birthday but I will definetly not give her a positive answer. After walking a bit further ahead we were face to face with a black Plane. Its name is HsB it has the shape of a flying wing. with a curved nose and a curved bar connected to the front, It had a pair of engines under either side of the main wing. There are a pair of additional wings, one under the other with a small gap between them, extending from the tips either side of the primary wing. But the main attributes of this beauty are two specific enhancements, one being its stealth that can hide from any electronic detectors and the second being its speed. "Cornelia, I present you with my first HsB. It is a plane that can fit all of us, as well as the medical equipment to ensure the health of any of our family members that might be in need. With this beauty, we can reach the capital within the next 10 or so minutes." As I said that I shuddered at the gleam in the eyes of Cornelia, she likely is thinking on how to convince me to make this sort of aircraft to the military, which I wouldn''t no matter what. I didn''t tell her but another main attribute of this is that it can- "What are you waiting there for, PrinceYa? We already are ready to launch for a while now." Said a voice from the inside of the ship, looking there I saw a young man of 16 to 18 years old. He had dark hair, a slightly sickly complexion, a yellow hoodie, with black sleeves and a fancy looking hat. That is the doctor I secured while searching for someone who could work well for me, I honestly could barely resist my internal fanboy when I first saw Trafalgar FUCKING Law on the first time and even now it is still amazing. But enough about that, I pushed Cornelia inside the airship and left with her and her knights while having Reisi as my bodyguard. The older man didn''t mind coming with me to the capital, but having only one escort was not quite what I would have preferred. I guess I must really step up my game in finding my future knights, I really will need more of them soon. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Arriving in the capital really took just over ten minutes, the plane landed quickly on the Royal Airfield and soon after a five minute drive I was directing my staff to take everything they need to the hospital. The vision of my city forces (members of Scepter4 that came with Reisi) taking a lot of equipment to the hospital was enough to raise some minor alarm amongst the streets of the capital, but I couldn''t care less if I tried. Entering the hospital I asked the location for the royal family members here, Marrybell was on the burn-wound section since she was caught very badly in the explosion that took her family away, Lelouch was in shock and non-responsive and Nunnally was on the operation room as there was some shrapnel that hit her during the attack and even if there was no danger to her life she might still become cripple. Hearing this we did not hesitate to go directly to Nunnally, anyone who tried to bar my path was shoved aside by either members of Scepter4 or Cornelia''s entourage and before long we were in front of the operation room where Nunnally was being operated. "Remember that if you fail here there might not be a place to you anywhere else." I said while talking to Law, he might be a cool guy and losing him would be a big problem but I still wouldn''t hesitate to do this. To me, family is the most important. He nodded seriously and entered the operation room while taking with him some of the equipment we had, it was not everything as the deeper treatment would have to wait until we take her to Academic City but it would still be a considerable improvement in comparison. Honestly speaking this whole hospital was subpar at best to me from the little I saw. I could see that Lelouch was nowhere to be found as he is likely in some other room but I don''t have time to deal with him right now, the situation with Marrybell is more important. I moved towards the place where she was and saw a crying Euphy in front of the room where Marrybell was located, I gave one look at Cornelia and she likely didn''t even need it as she already moved to her sister to calm the young girl down. Taking a deep breath I opened the door to Marrybel''s room and saw something that really infuriated me. The skin on her right arm that was as smooth as a baby''s was almost completely covered in a large burn-wound. A bit of her right torso and leg was also injured and had open wounds from the places where her clothes had molten onto her flesh. The clothes had already been surgically removed but it still was a horrid site. Her face was somewhat alright aside from light red skin where the heat affected her and the shorter hair who had been burned away. The sad thing was, that Marrybell despite her wounds had been lucky. Her Mother and Sister who had been directly next to the explosion had only been able to be identified at their Dental-records. Honestly, no wonder the canon version of Marrybell had been almost fanatical in her hunt for Terrorists. That version probably had only looked like she did due to expensive skin graft and cosmetic work done which had replaced her burnt skin. Even then he was sure she had been for a long time in horrid agony both emotionally and physically. I can only hope this works. Opening a small container in my hands I took out some cream and started applying it delicately on her burnt skin. After I had finished the container I had passed the contents all over her wounds, a new layer of skin would surge and with luck, she would go back to normal soon, but to ensure that no scars are left I still need her to go to Academic City. I told Cornelia I was leaving to talk to the Emperor now. "No, if you go he will definetly go after you." Cornelia asked. "He probably wants to find something to put his anger out on and if you go there things will not go well." "Sound advice, but I must take care of this regardless. I refuse to let Nunnally and Marrybell in these conditions, my city and me can treat them back to health and better ensure their safety than anyone else in the capital, obviously." I said. She tried to say more but I wouldn''t listen. I will ensure their safety and bring them as much happiness as I possibly can. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX I called for a personal meeting with Charles about the situation at hand. He was not happy about it but accepted my request with a stern warning that if it was not relevant he would take away my city from me. "So? What do you wish to say?" He asked as we both were in his study. I was not brazen or stupid enough to ask for a court meeting, those were more of a stage to a play than anything else, as due to how the nobility was all around like hawks of prey. That was a stage that Lelouch adored as he was always much more of a show off and reveled in it, even if he won''t admit it now or ever. "Simple, I want an exchange. I want Marrybell and Nunnally to be sent to my city and for them to stay there in exchange for the information on who was responsible for the whole disaster that was last night." I said. The temperature of the room felt colder as Charles showed a glare that would make any lesser men paralyzed. "Who?" Was all he said. "It was uncle V.V., and before you say that it is impossible here is evidence of what happened and I can also tell that it is likely that Marianne is still alive but residing in the body of a girl named Anya Alstreim as she was present during the whole event and was on the line of sight of Marianne in the last second, with aunt''s Geass it would not be hard for her to transfer her mind to the girl." I explained while giving him a flashdrive. When he heard my words the emperor said nothing while he took the flashdrive and started watching it attentively. After a while, the sound of a gasp was heard from Charles as probably V.V. entered the place and started shooting at Marianne while laughing maniacally. But when he was about to explode he saw how Marianne looked straight at the young girl for a while as she died, her eyes going glazed even before she died. He then passed to the next video of V.V. entering the Steel Villa with a package and not long after the package exploded killing one of his wives and one of his daughters while scarring the other. (Not that he cared of course. Both he and I knew that the only people which Charles cared about were his siblings, Marianne, me and to some extent Bismarck who was probably the closest thing to a friend as was possible for Charles zi Britannia. His other wives and Children were useful but if given enough of a reason he would have ordered the death of any of them without a single bit of regret.) We stayed in silence for a while before he opened his eyes again. His eyes as he looked at me were cold and tired. "How did you obtain this video? As far as I know there was no cameras of the attack at the Aries Villa at all." He said. "Humph, of course, I know that there shouldn''t be cameras inside but Lelouch and Nunnally are my precious family members so I wanted to ensure their safety just in case and as both spent most of the time inside due to their status and Marianne trying to pull me and them apart I could only try my best to ensure my family is taken care of. On the Mel Britannia side was mostly because I wanted to ensure that Marrybell was safe and none of the other princes would pick on her while I was away or I would have to take proper action. I had prepared multiple cameras throughout the Aries Villa and Steel Villa long ago, I was going to present them some items to protect them on their birthday but it seems that I was too late." I said, when I thought of that last part I could only clench my hand. While I accepted the risk to Lelouch and Nunnally I was indeed making some items to guard them in case of emergency and to make extra sure they would be fine. Especially Marrybell as what happened to her was something completely unnecessary for the future, but due to my taking this whole situation lightly she now was full of burn marks over half of her body. Damnit! DAMNIT, DAMNIT, DAMNIT! From now on I will NOT let this sort of thing to happen under my watch, not at FUCKING all. "You really care so much for those girls?" He asked. "I care for them no less than you cared for mother, and considering how uncle V.V. is acting right now I don''t trust either of them to stay in the capital and be safe." I said, my words clearly conveying the fact that I would take the two away by force if needed. They must get proper treatment, both of them can only be fully save back in Academic City and every second counted to ensure their full recovery to how they should be from the start. "... Fine, you can get them. I don''t care anymore, just take them already and don''t bother me for now. I have to think." Charles said, his voice aged to the point he looked even older than he actually was. I wanted to talk more on some matters but I could only nod my head and leave, but just as I opened the door to leave I turned to my uncle. "Uncle, you know that I like both you and uncle V.V. a lot, so this is a warning. Don''t let uncle have any more thoughts on those girls, I will not actively do anything against him but they will be under heavy automatic security and if he tries anything it is more likely that he would NEED to be an immortal to leave the city whole. I know that if the body of a Code-bearer gets destroyed completely they reform after a few years thanks to the Thought Elevators but please, don''t make me see uncle go through this." I said, Charles'' face hardened even further but nodded regardless. I could only smile as I closed the door behind me, at least I now can move forward, now all I need is to take the two to intensive health care. I will leave Lelouch in the hospital for now with some of the Scepter4 members to ensure his safety and to try and make him NOT do anything stupid, but with him I am just trying the impossible. Living in this world I can see clearly the main components of his personality: prideful, genius intellect, rash sometimes, prideful, and loving to those he cares about the most, but especially prideful. Even if I were to put him on Academic City he would only escape to try and demand justice regardless of everyone else and possible consequences, with him there isn''t much I doubt he would be willing to do to get his way. There would be better ways of acting than demand things of the emperor in a public meeting, but Lelouch''s pride and his showman-tendencies would demand that. Sometimes I wonder if he is well in the head, but then I remember the whole Zero thing and especially the Zero Requiem and how arrogant it was to believe in one single plan and that his life alone would be enough to create peace for the whole world forever. Yep, he is not alright in the head. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX -THREE DAYS LATER- Ciel walked into the Meeting-room briskly. He had just come from a meeting with his Head-doctor Trafalgar Law. The man had thanks to Ciel replaced the Doctors which looked Nunnally over. That had thankfully kept the Emperor from ordering that Nunnally be made into a cripple through surgery, the Shrapnel having been not really dangerous to a man of Trafalgars skill. Still, Charles had used his Geass to make her go blind to make her less of a threat in V.V.s eyes. Ciel didn¡ät like it but just being blind was not something too horrid. Nunnally in canon had easily coped and he was sure she would do the same in this world. Thinking about his other Uncle, Ciel had to suppress a grimace. He knew that his mother''s death had been a harsh blow. But Vincent vi Britannia was growing increasingly unstable in a way that seemed unnatural. Ciel had watched the death of Marianne like his Uncle Charles and the derange laughing of his Uncle while he gunned down a defenseless woman had been disturbing to witness. Collecting himself Ciel sat down on his seat at the Head of the Table and looked at the base of his political power: The Aristocracy of Evil. The First was Silva Zoldyck, a silver haired man who was the current head of the Zoldyck family, a family of the most deadly assassins in the entire world. Though they had lost much influence since the ascension of V.V. as Director of the Geass-Directorate. His Uncle had spent much time creating countless Assassin Groups which were literally brainwashed and raised into being loyal to the Emperor which took away at many of their possible targets and lessening their job offers considerably. An independent Group like the Zoldycks were, no matter their professionality, far too unreliable to use due to how they operated as assassins for hire and many were against using their absurdly expensive services when there were others that were cheaper and still reliable. Ciel though had use for them regardless so he invited them to his Academic City where their already monstrously trained bodies were being modified by the power of science to be able to contend against anything as well as giving them tech to help them in their jobs when needed and, as payment for that. they''d take any job Ciel needed them to for a much lower cost while not accepting any against someone on Ciel''s side or on the list he gave them. The second was Duke Maximillion Pegasus. A high-ranking Noble who shared with Ciel ownership of the Toy-company "Industrial and Illusions". Aside from things like Board-games the firm was also the greatest maker of Video-games and Consoles. Ciel and Pegasus often discussed Ideas about Games with each other and got along famously. The Third person in the room was his tutor Adelle Schnee. After an almost disastrous first meeting between Jaques and Ciel, the three had agreed that any future dealings would be done through Adelle which had paid off quite good. Nowadays Ciels City got the biggest access to Sakuradite right after the Emperor, surpassing even Schneizel. A true boon for his cause. The Fourth person was General James Ironwood. The Man had been heavily injured in the Conquest of Indochina and thanks to Ciels Cyborg-Technology could stay in the Military. Since then the man felt indebted to him and had agreed to join Ciel''s political base, which was a great boon since the older man had a talent for leadership that would not fall short to the likes of Cornelia in the slightest. Currently, he was training a Group of slightly less experienced Knights into a Group similar to the Glaston Knights of his sister Cornelia, they''d be instrumental on his future. The Fifth was the politician monster Pariston Hill a up and coming new face on the Britanian politic world and already expanding his influence to a terrifying degree, he is a man who Ciel feared almost as much as he did Schneizel. The reason for Ciels fear was that he knew his Geass was at best unreliable on Pariston. The man was ultimately loyal to Ciel sure, but his tendency to "play" and desire to be amused allowed the man to work against Ciel on many things without seeing it as betrayal, even if it would disturb or go against Ciel''s well being or interests. With Ciel''s Geass being dependend on the other person to know that he was betraying Ciel that meant it was mostly useless as observation-tool in regards to Pariston. Still, Ciel was content with that because he knew that just like his canon-version was loyal to Netero this worlds version was loyal to Ciel and knew which things he could get away with that would merely annoy Ciel instead of causing him to add a kill-order on Paristons head. He still would keep an eye on him just to make sure of course as no one could ever trust him all that much. Finally, the last person in the room was Ciel''s Spymaster Qrow Branwen. The man¡äs History was both impressive and sad, Ciel had researched Team STRQ quite heavily and their fate had been a sad one indeed. Team STRQ had been a group of four Knights of Round who had become famous for their almost completely bloodless Conquest of Area 7 (Hawaii), well atleast bloodless on side of Britannia. Unfortunately things went wrong shortly afterwards, the Chinese Federation had anticipated the attack on Area 8 (Falkland Islands) and had sent large amounts of Weaponry and Men as support there. The strong resistance had caught the four off-guard which resulted in the death of Summer Rose. That led to Taiyang Xiao Long (A chinese/Britannian mix) to fall into depression and resign from the Rounds. Shortly after Raven Branwen disappeared and Qrow started drinking. Finally five years ago Qrow had been dishonorally discharged from the Rounds due to unprofessional behaviour. The man had then returned to the small amount of Land which his families Baron-title had gotten and had taken care off his depressed Brother in law along with his Nieces Ruby and Yang. That continued until Ciel had recruited the man into his ranks two years ago and offered his Nieces free education in his City. Since then Qrow served as his Spymaster and had gotten such good results that Ciel now even got information about the Geass Directorate from him. Looking at Qrow in particular he sighed. "Alright hit me with it." Qrow looked with a certain amount of annoyance as he took a swig from his flask. "Basically its a Shitstorm. The death of Marianne has countless Nobles moving against her supporters at once, except for the Ashfords which are partially under your protection her supporters are falling into disgrace faster than you can eat your sweets. Margrave Jeremiah which you asked me to keep an eye on is currently guarding Prince Lelouch with a few others from Mariannes old guard. The members of Scepter4 were dismissed by Prince Lelouch and have returned to their base in the city. On the side of the Geass-directorate things have been going bad too. The Code-Bearer C.C. defected shortly after Mariannes death, the Emperor and V.V. have sent Director Salem and two Knights of Round specifically Hazel Rainart and Natala after her. I don''t know the specifics but there was a small battle at a harbor in one of the Cities of California. It is unknown what happened to the other three but Analysis of one of the corpses in the Harbour has confirmed the death of the Knight of Six Natala." Ciel winced a bit. The boy had just been 17 years old and was already dead. The disappearance of C.C. in California made sense given that she would be moving to China where she would meet Mao. The fate of Salem and Hazel was curious, he was wondering if Salem perhaps had decided to rid herself of the Geass-order in favour of making her own group. He silently resolved to keep track of Arthur Watts in case the man defected eventually to join her. "Very well, make it clear that the Ashfords are under my protection so nobody gets stupid ideas. Also, extend Jeremiah an offer to join my City if he wants..." Ciels eyes twitched in annoyance as someone interrupted his speech by knocking on the door. A butler came in hurriedly and ran towards him. "Your Highness. Emperor Charles has demanded your immediate presence in the Palace. He made it clear that non-attendance will result in trouble." Ciel growled before standing up. Looking at Marrybell he nodded for her to join him. "Very well. Meeting adjourned for now. We will be talking about your report later General." General Ironwood merely looked serious before nodding in agreement. Ciel nodded to the others and left the room with his Cousin. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX "Announcing Prince Lelouch vi Britannia. 17th Heir to the Royal Britannian Imperial Throne." Ciel almost groaned out loud as he watched his Cousin Lelouch march towards the Emperors Throne with a horrid scowl on his face. His expression growing angrier and angrier the more he heard the wispers of the other Nobles who spoke purposfully loud enough for Lelouch to understand them. He really wished he had been able to succeed in contacting Lelouch to stop him from doing this stupid shit but the boy had rebuffed any messager which he had sent to him and only said he knew what he was doing and that Nunnally should be with him as only he could protect her. Something which Ciel would not do given that it would mean the girl would leave the protection of his city and especially the treatment that was trying to save not only her life but her vision and legs. If she were to leave now she would never walk again, but Lelouch just refused to listen to anything anyone would tell him, completely believing that Ciel might have been one of the responsible for his mother''s death. After all, Marianne was quite explicitly against the boy when the Emperor was not around, to Lelouch his mother must have had a good reason to dislike Ciel so much. That, at least, was what his young and impressionable mind told him. Surpressing a sigh Ciel decided to look around at the other people in attendance. Cornelia was present with Nonette. No Euphy though. Both woman had serious expressions mixed with pity on their faces no doubt due to them already knowing how this would go. Schneizel was also there. He was standing beside Odysseus his older brother who long since had been subverted into obeying Schneizel and his older sister Guinevere who while being the embodiment of Britannian Arrogance was smart enough to work for Schneizel instead of against him. Ironically, despite being far more unlikely to get the Throne she had the largest Network of supporters with her having Blackmail and Favours owed to her from almost 60% of the Nobility. The woman was a true Politican in social matters which Schneizel actually lacked in given that he was more into diplomacy and Business. Probably why the man made her his ally in the first place. Next was Carine ne Britannia. Ciels younger cousin was also called the Bratty Princess and was a firm believer of Britannian superiorty and the Nobility system. Despite that, she was not a completely rotten person as Ciel and her got along rather well. He was not as close to her as he was to Nunnally, Euphie or Marry but he still would make sure that she would not die in the destruction of Pendragon this time around. The next notable members of the Royal House were the Twins Castor and Pollux. Ciel knew that both were already working as Scientists for the Geass-Directorate and had even gotten their own Geass already. Both showed some amusement as they watched Lelouch approach the Emperor. The last members of the Royal Siblings in attendance were Clovis who looked sadly to the ground and his sister the young Laila la Britannia who Ciel honestly had never even spoken to. Aside from the royal Family, there was only one more person which Ciel took note off, Oiaguro Zevon. Or as he later would become known as: Wizard. Ciel had been angry as hell to find out that in the chaos of the deaths of several Royal family members the man had made his move and Assassinated his sister Olivia Zevon. Worse, the man had already taken Orpheus and had handed him over to V.V. for indoctrination. The chance of Ciel getting his hands on him were now very low. He''d at least managed to ensure the safety of Oldrin as she was visiting Marrybell when that happened, she was quite shaken but Ciel managed to calm her down and led her to a place where she would be safe as well as sending people to watch over the young girl. Ciel really was considering creating a whole section of his city just for the treatment of mental trauma. Ignoring those was not healthy by any means. Glaring at the man for a moment he put his attention to Lelouch who had began speaking to the Emperor now. "...you should have protected her. I also demand to know where Nunnally is!" Ciel fought to keep his face impassive despite his desire to wince. Accusing the Emperor of being incompetent in front of countless Nobles and then demanding something from the man. "I have little use for a blind weakling like her." "How dare you say that?" Lelouch asked in rage, but that was just about the worse he could have done right now. From there it was something that I bet would become the fuel for Lelouch''s nightmares from this day forward. "How I dare? No, how something like YOU dare to say anything against someone like me. You are dead! You have always been dead to me, dead from the moment you were born. Who gave you the fine Clothes you wear, the comfortable Home, the food you ate and your very life. All of those I have given to you, in short, you are nothing to me because you never existed. YET YOU DARE TO SPEAK SUCH FOOLISHNESS TO MEEE!" Ciel watched with some sadness as Lelouch fell back in fear as the Emperor stood threatening over him. "Lelouch, you are dead. Therefore you are not entitled to any rights. I¡äm sending you to Japan where you as Prince will serve well as a Bargaining-tool! "On the matter of Nunnally and her sister Marrybell. I have thankfully found some purpose for them due to Ciel expressing his interest in them. I was looking for potential wives for him anyway and those two will serve nicely in that regard, he is someone who deserves a prize after all. He did things to help the Empire flourish, so you better not try anything against him while you remain a deadman." As the Emperor spoke that almost every person in the room had their mouth fall down to the ground. Ciel himself went bug-eyed in horror, when he told Charles that he would take care of them he had NOT meant something like that, he wanted to ensure their health and that they would receive the very best treatment possible so as to make them go back to how they were before. Looking at Lelouch Ciels blood went cold. The look in Lelouch''s face when he looked at Ciel was so full of desire to see Ciel dead as he never had experienced, long gone was the friendship and brotherhood that the boy felt for him and instead Ciel could sense that he was now one of Lelouch''s ire. Ciel knew, if they had been alone Lelouch would have attacked and killed him here and now, he''d do that with a smile on his face even and not bothered with explanations. Thankfully for Ciel two Guards grabbed Lelouch and led him out of the room even as the boy tried to do his best to memorize the faces of every single person there to kill them later. Lelouch had become a mad dog, he was likely to kill everyone he saw just for the heck of it and that thought terrified Ciel to no end as he never doubted his brother (cousin actually, but Ciel thought of him as brother regardless) is capable of such a feat. Ciel winced slightly. Nunnally would not be happy about this once she woke up, and neither him was as he could understand that the Emperor was likely saying that on the spur of the moment (he was prone to quick judgment for no good reason sometimes) but it still troubled Ciel greatly. He could only hope to manage to find some time to speak to Lelouch properly, Ciel was sure the boy he knew would understand if he were to explain it to him properly. Ciel was about to go and try to speak with Lelouch when his cellphone rang. He only opened it and the message made him wince as he decided he had something more important to deal with than calming down a fuming Lelouch who would refuse to listen anyway. Ciel''s P.O.V. Back in the city after the fiasco, I didn''t even have the time to eat some sweets as I speed towards the hospital. Law had called me to warn that Marrybell had just woken up and when she saw her own state and her memories of what happened hit her she started crying madly and had to be constrained otherwise she might have wounded herself more. When I entered her room I saw that she was fully held down on the bed, her body moving madly as she tried all she could to get out. She was completely in panic and despair. I, I caused this. My precious cousin, my family, is now in such a sorry state because I wasn''t fucking careful enough. Fuck! With slow steps, I approached her bed, when Marrybell saw me her movements slowed down a bit but it was clear she was not back to normal at all. Sighing I released her from her constraints but just as she was about to jump and run to who knows where I hugged her. She continued flailing about, her sharp nails creating some wounds on my back but I simply continued hugging her until her crazy movements receded and instead sobbing could be heard as my shoulders were slowly but surely covered in her tears. "I am sorry, I am so sorry." I told her, she didn''t answer at all as I just continued like this and continued talking. "What happened, it should never have happened. I am sorry, I, I should have been able to stop it somehow, but I failed. But have no fear because I''m here now. I will make sure that you never again will go through such a situation, I will keep you safe and about your wounds, I will treat them. You will be able to show to all ladies in court your face and have them be filled in jealous of how pretty you will be. I give you my word, you are not alone as long as I am here you will always have a home." I said. Her sobbing continued for a while more but I could sense that her arms were now circulating my body as she fully released all her frustrations on me. Let it out, you must let the emotions out. I will stay right here to be the shoulder she cries on for as long as she wants, after failing her so much there isn''t anything that I could do for her that would be too much. I will ensure that both her and Nunnally were treated well and to give them a protection that would make the one on Charles seem like not having one by comparison. I will keep those I care about safe, no matter what. 8 Meeting the Stadtfeld family, the female-only institute Pandora "And in other news: the Assassination of the Fifth Consort Lady Marianne vi Britannia and the Sixteenth Consort Flora mel Britannia have caused much disturbance among the Royalty of Britannia with many members of the Royal Family having started to improve their security-measures to prevent similiar incidents." Genbu Kururugi grunted as he looked at the TV. As far as he was concerned the womans deaths meant just two damn Britannian less. Still, looking at his Allies the Six houses of Kyoto he knew that there was one thing to discuss. "As I already informed you, the Emperor of Britannia has "offered" to send his son Lelouch vi Britannia over as political hostage. I used some of our Spies in Britannia to find out the reason for that." One of the Heads: Tobirama Senju snorted. "As if that cold-hearted cunt needs a reason to sacrifice his children in political moves." Genbu saw three of the other Heads nod in Agreement: Hiruzen Sarutobi, Taizo Kirihara and Oonoki Sumeragi. (Oonoki was the Uncle of Genbus dead wife and Grandfather of Kurotsuchi and Kaguya Sumeragi.) The last two Heads of Kyoto were silent though. For the better Genbu idly thought, Danzou Shimura and Madara Uchiha were the Leaders of the Extremist factions of the Government and regulary opposed many of the other four Heads political plans. Of course, he idly thought. Disposing of them was not really an option either, Danzous Root was extremly useful in sabotaging the Three great powers in the World and had even managed the Assassination of three of the Royal Children of Britannia. Granted they were some of the more empty-headed ones who never stepped a foot away from the Capital Pendragon but it still served as a small blow to the enemy. At the same Madara was just too popular to dispose off. The man was often making speeches about how Japan was surrounded by Enemies and that the Military needed to be made stronger before Japan was invaded. The Uchiha was a fear-monger who thrived on the Xenophobic attitude which many Japanese still had. Combined with his rank as General in the Army and you had an influental and experienced possible Leader to defend Japan which appealed to many. "That may be, but I always like to know the motives of my enemies. In this particular case, Lelouch is being punished for not only speaking out against the Emperor but also downright accusing the man of being involved in the death of Marianne vi Britannia and on top he defied and insulted the man heavily when the Emperor announced that Lelouchs sister Nunnally would become the Fiance of his Nephew Ciel zi Britannia. Little Lelouch was not happy with that decision at all and was rumored to even have broken Ciels nose when his cousin approached him about the matter without even letting the boy explain things." Danzou let out a grumbling sound. "As I always say, people who let themselves be guided by their emotions will lead short unhappy lives. If the boy had controlled himself then he could have easily stayed with his Cousin and Sister. Instead he is now sent to us." The other Heads nodded in agreement to the mans words. Genbu sighed. "Indeed, well I have decided that I will agree to the Emperors proposal. Does anyone mind if the boy stays at the Kururugi Shrine?" The six Heads looked at each other before one by one they shook their heads. The last being Danzou who looked at Madara questioningly for a moment before simply falling silent. "Very well. Then I will prepare a room for him." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Well, that was something. Seriously, to think that Lelouch would have such a mean punch, he truly is full of surprises. Earlier Lelouch was on his path to the airship to take him to Japan, he was cold to everyone but he was still respectful to them and even hugged both Cornelia and Euphemia as a goodbye. But when I tried to approach him, give him at least a note with my explanation on what actually happened and give him a safe number in which he could call me any time if he ever were to need me. However, not only did he refuse to take the note he also punched me right in the face and if not for me pulling my hand to stop I am pretty sure either Slaine or Kamal would have filled Lelouch with holes as both had guns drawn in less than a second and both were aiming at Lelouch. Of course, my brat of a friend ignored the guns by thinking himself invincible or that no one would touch him in anyway. Seriously, for someone so smart he can be one stupid kid when he wants. Sigh, I can only give him some time to cool his head. Hopefully he can become friends with Suzaku or someone else back in Japan. If I had at least a useful spy-network in Japan that could... I started smirking a bit. Well, I may not have a functioning network there (yet) but I knew some people who would make a good start at one. "Hello, Pariston?" "Boss, is that you? How are you doing, I heard you got punched in the face and I could not help but fear that your pretty face would be ruined by it." The troll said, making me roll my eyes but smile a bit. He was unreliable and prone to do crazy stunts for no good reason except his own pleasure but he still was far more interesting than any other politician that I know. "Don''t need to worry about that, I just wanted to ask if you know someone that is called Stadtfeld between your acquaintances?" I asked. "Yes, I know him. Earl Stadtfeld is a rather minor figure who was apart of the Mel Britannia political base. Now with that house being finished he has started looking for another Royal patron, Princess Guinevere who he approached though demanded that he must divorce of his Japanese wife first before she agreed to add him to her base, so far the man has not answered her demand and seems reluctant though his younger siblings try to pressure him into accepting. Does he have some sort of thing that you desire, if so I will personally go and take it for you, boss." Pariston said earnestly. "Don''t bother, knowing you even if there was something inhis possession that I wanted the item would disappear under ''mysterious'' circumstances only for it to reappear after it was useless or just in the nick of time due to ''coincidence''." I said. "Oh, but that would be far too bad of a situation. I am sure that I would not let such a thing happen." Pariston countered. "...Sure, why not? Anyway, who cares? I am not looking for the Stadtfeld guy because of something like that anyway. I had heard that he is one of the rare nobles that are married to a Japanese woman and had some kids, I want to meet them all as soon as possible to discuss some matters." I said. "I understand, they will be given to you dead or alive as soon as possible." Pariston said with what I bet is a large smile on his face. Seriously, he could give the Joker a run for his money when it comes to smiling all the time. (Thankfully that particular Nut-job did not exist in this reality. Though I did find a few other DC and Marvel people present. Example being Barbara Gordon who was studying in his city now and her father who was a Policeman in New York, I have no intention on meeting ny of them if all possible through. No point in complicating things further.) "No, they need to be alive and well. Please don''t go causing unnecessary problems for me." I said tiredly. "Of course, it will be done at the earliest convenience." He said. "And this ''earliest convenience'' will not be months from now, right?" "No, of course not! How could I let you wait for so long, it would be disrespectful if I were to do so." Pariston said and just as I was about to speak something more he himself hanged the phone up on my face. He truly loves to annoy others for no good reason. He still is fun to be around, however, even if he annoys the heck out of me and is universally hated by most others who know him personally. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX It has been a day since I have talked with Pariston and he managed to get a meeting between me and the Stadtfeld family, of course, the meeting had to happen late at night when I usually was fast asleep as there was ''no other time for it'', which is just another way of saying that Pariston decided to do this because he thought it would be funny to see me work when sleepy. Seriously, the guy is a genius politician and the worst troll ever when he wants to be. He can make his logic seem flawless but is truly just doing things to annoy others. Anyway, I took a look at the group in front of me before approaching. As taught I shook the hands of the males and gave a kiss on the hand to the females. I had to admit that I enjoyed the flush on the young Kallen''s face when I did that, it was rather cute in how she tried to pretend nothing happened. The father was a tall man with a strong build and red hair the same shade as his children, but it was like he was trying to look smaller than he actually was and he looked fidgety at me and the others as I bet Pariston said something to make him think he is in trouble. I guess the fact he was a bit close to the Towa Conglomerate made him even more nervous as I have a terrible relationship with that bunch since the time I put pressure/blackmailed them into giving me Monaca who is even now creating weapons and Knightmares in a way that even Lloyd thinks is fascinating. The mother looked even more uncomfortable, she likely suffered harassment from those of nobility of Britannia and hearing that a prince wants to meet her too must put her on quite the edge as most nobles and royals are too into the whole ''I am above all'' mentality. Though my show of manners had calmed her down slightly. Their kids, however, were far more interesting. The boy was trying to behave but it was clear that he didn''t like me much and likely is indoctrinated into loving Japan by his friends there, Naoto probably thinks that Britannia is bad and he is, even if slightly, looking down on me. One thing which I DID notice though was that despite his apparent distaste his Clothes were greatly cared for in a way that indicated that in some way he did care about his Noble status leading me to think that Naoto''s preference was partly based on the fact that Britannia was not very accepting of him so far, something which I could easily change. I also noted the slightly Orange Aura around him which showed that he was not yet beyond my grasp. Kallen, however, looked stunning right now. She looked like a red doll who I would like to pamper but at the same time she was like a wild cat that wanted to get away from here which also makes her endearing to me, she seems like she wants to get out of this dress she is using right this instant but the thing that is most interesting is the colors around her. She has just as many colors around her as Slaine does, maybe even more, but her orange is not particularly strong so she likely would listen and be loyal in the future if nothing happens but wouldn''t be 100% loyal if things continue as it is and her views didn''t change. However, if I play my cards right, I bet her Orange would be almost as blinding as the one around Slaine, which is saying a lot. She also still had a flush on her face from my actions which was adorable. Anyway, it is time for business now and I really need this to work out well. "Earl Stadtfeld, it is a pleasure meeting you here." "And I must say that this was an unexpected but very welcome honor to meet you as well, I have long since heard stories of you and the precious gem of a city you are building." He answered. "Yes, it is my pride and joy right after my machine to identify any no-sugar chocolates so as to purge them from existence." I said. I completely ignored the deadpan looks delivered by the entire Stadtfeld family. "I understand, and who are these gentlemen by your side?" He asked pointing at my two knights that were on my sides. "These are my protectors for tonight. The one in the left is the captain Reisi of Scepter4, a peacekeeping force in my city and someone who is extremely capable in all fronts, so much so that he is one of my knights. Meanwhile, the one in my right is a former Knight of the Round and someone who is also very capable, Qrow Branwen." I introduced. "It is a pleasure meeting you all." Reise said with a perfectly even and calm voice. I noticed that Mrs. Stadtfeld blushed slightly at the younger man, I guess he is her type. Oh well, I doubt anything will happen and even if it did I doubt it would mean much as Britannia is quite liberal in the matters of relationships, if the husband wouldn''t mind she could have a thing or two with other males. (Most of the Nobility was firmly of the opinion that as long as it didn¡ät make into the Newspaper then it was alright. In fact, among the lower Nobility, it had even evolved into a type of test. If you could manage to keep your Lovers Identity secret so that you couldn¡ät be blackmailed then it proved competence. Those who were incapable of keeping something as unimportant as a Lover secret wouldn¡ät make it far in Politics where exploitation and Blackmail were the daily bread.) Qrow, however, did not bother with saying much. He only drank his beer quietly and was annoyed that this meeting had to happen right as he was enjoying a good time in one of the bars of the city with some pretty young lady with white hair, apparently, she and he were very drunk and Pariston walked right into them having some special action. I don''t know why but I feel like Pariston really enjoyed causing this problem to Qrow for some reason. "Now that the pleasantries are over we should begin the proper meeting. I am here to speak of something that would likely interest you greatly, after all." "I understand, but why would you need my family here then?" he asked a bit defensive, I am quite sure that the reason as to why his wife and kids live in Japan the majority of their time is because of how the Nobility would treat them, but there is no need for this now. "First, I want to say that I would like to give you all an invitation. I have heard of your recent troubles because of the fall of the Mel Britannia line, as you know I''m accepting people of all ethnicities in my City as I am a firm believer of a true meritocracy where effort is the most important and not your place of birth. You and the other Nobles married and affiliated with foreigners would be useful additions to my political power base which, while growing slowly, still cannot directly compete with my Brother Schneizel and some of the other Royal siblings much to my personal shame." I let the Stadtfelds take my words in slowly. While the two kids looked like they barely understood what I was saying the parents were looking more aware. The mother looking shocked a bit but I could literally see Earl Stadtfeld shift from the nervous person he was into a more confident man with a shrewd look in his face as he dissected my words and saw the opportunity for him. "In exchange I will let your kids enter any of the academies forming in the city as well as making you and your wife members of this city and be under my protection, thus removing any chance of you two being forced to separate like my cousin Guinevere made as demand. If you accept this offer I would give you protection from your fellow Nobles, and a place for your kids to grow that is a much better environment than back in Japan where the sentiment of Anti-Britannia is so strong." I finished and I could see that Mr. Stadtfeld''s eyes were shining a bit. He truly seems to have liked what I just said and just as he was about to likely agree a barely teen''s voice rang. "And who the hell are YOU to say that my environment back in Japan was bad? It is all Britannia''s fault that mother and we had to live there and be so far from father, but even the air of the slums there are better than what you have in this country." Naoto said. Kallen''s eyes were on her brother as she heard that. "Yeah, big brother is right and all you royals suck." Kallen said earning an approving nod from her brother and a terrified expression from her mother and father. It was clear the young girl didn''t understand what she was saying as she was only eight years old (I was too but that is beside the point), but Naoto had no such excuse. These words alone are much more than what most of those who are executed by the Imperial family ever did. Mr. Stadtfeld was about to have a nervous breakdown, I can almost see him berating and fighting his son for provoking a prince for no good reason. He wanted to say something but I waved at him to calm down. "It is fine, Mr. Stadtfeld. I am sure that growing up in a country that has such a strong anti-Britannia sentiment must have made him have a distorted view of the world at large. That is just another good reason for him to come live in my city as we allow and encourage all types of people to enter and live here as long as they are talented or hardworking enough. He would meet many people here that would help him have a broader view of the world at large for sure, and the same could be said about your pretty daughter who is on such an important phase of her life." I said. Looking at Kallen and Naoto I slowly chuckled. "Don''t misunderstand, Naoto. I have nothing against Japan, in fact, I have quite a bit of interest in expanding my holdings over there. Perhaps you would like a small history lesson on the nation you believe so much?" Naoto and Kallen looked a bit conflicted before nodding while Earl Stadtfeld and his wife leaned back in interest. "Alright. It all goes back to when the British Isles were still ruled by the Monarchy. Back then the East India Trading Company expanded far into the Asian market for Trade. That included Japan who at the time was ruled by the Samurai who were the Japanese Noble-caste for the most part led by Feudal-Lords. Now the large amounts of Trade caused much Western culture to come to Japan including Weaponry like Cannons and Guns. I don''t think I have to tell you what happened to the Sword-wielding Samurai when suddenly armies of gun-using peasants existed. It was a slow but sure fall of Samurai from the battlefield with countless important Clans being destroyed or forced to change their lives. "Since then there has always been a Samurai-faction in Japan who spent much of their time vilifying Western Culture and especially Britannia who spearheaded the spread of the culture. Of course, things didn''t get any better when Britannia and the Chinese Federation waged several bloody wars in attempts to fight each other which spilled into Japan. Because of that both the Chinese and Britannia became much hated tyrannical Overlords in the eyes of the Japanese which was supported by strong Propaganda aimed against foreigners by the Samurai-faction. "One thing of notice is that, in recent times, the Japanese have been hitting back quite heavily. The Britannian secret-services have traced various Assassination-attempts on Nobles, Officers and Royals back to the Japanese Government. Combined with the Japanese influencing the market of Sakuradite which they have in large amounts to keep Britannia and the Chinese Federation evenly strong and you have a powder-keg ready to explode. Both the Japanese and Britannia know that it is at most five years before the Emperor declares Japan as the next target of Conquest and of course the people of both Countries grow more and more cautious and unfriendly to each other due to the instigation of some from both sides, which is not something I desire." At the end of my explanation, the entire Stadtfeld family looked shocked but I noticed that both Mrs. Stadtfeld and Earl Stadtfeld didn''t look surprised in the slightest. Interesting, perhaps the man was more politically aware then I suspected. Naoto who understood far more from my explanation was looking in a mix between angry, afraid and shocked. Angry because he still saw Britannia in an unfriendly light, afraid for the lives of his friends who were in danger from the Invasion and finally shocked because of the Japanese killing Britannians through cowardly actions like Assassinating which went against the Code of Honor which his friends had told him about. Kallen on the hand I was surprised to see that she had a thoughtful look on her and the Brown in her Aura grew a sliver stronger. I wonder if her Knowledge of Japanese culture was merely stuff which she repeated from her brother instead of something she learned properly. Given that the Japanese education system is controlled by the extremist factions and that her brother is likely a walking poster of Japanese ideals from what he learned in school and with friends it wouldn''t surprise me if she were to become a fanatic Japanese supporter. I intend to stop that right now otherwise I''d have to kill her to ensure she wouldn''t cause any trouble for me. "Now, Earl Stadtfeld. Would you be interested in my offer to join my political faction?" Earl Stadfeld looked serious and thought about my offer for a moment. I knew he would accept because his only other choice would be to divorce the woman he loved or giving his Title to his younger siblings who were typical Britannian Hyenas. After a moment the man nodded at me and gave his agreement. Well, at least this means that his family will live here and I can use them as a connection to Japan. "I agree with you, my Lord. This would indeed be a wonderful offer but I must ask still why amongst all those who desperately would love and do anything for such an offer you would decide on us." He asked. "Simple, there is no particular reason for it having to be you first. I will give such offers to others who are under similar circumstances as long as they fulfill certain criteria, but the main reason is that I would like a meeting with someone you have ties with through your businesses in Japan. Specifically the Sumeragi and Sarutobi Clan-heads." This time it was the wife who almost jumped out of her skin from my words. I guess they never imagined I would figure out their connection to those two families, but I researched the Stadtfeld family long ago as I wanted to know more about Kallen Kozuki anyway. To say that they tried their best to cover this up was not an exaggeration as this information was dangerous. The Sarutobi and Sumeragi might be the most politically open Clans in regards to Britannia but it still didn¡ät change the fact that they have worked against Britannia rather actively. Especially the Sumeragi who controlled the Japanese Sakuradite mines. Though the current Sarutobi-head Hiruzen had also killed two of Ciels Uncles during a small war Forty years ago before Charles ascended to Emperor, something which the Britannians had not forgotten about in the slightest especially given that one of the two had been the Crown-Prince of that time. It was a surprise when I found out about this connection of the Stadtfelds but it was not an unwelcome surprise, this would mean I can meet two families that are very relevant to Japan and that cooperation would do wonders to help me deal with the whole Zero disaster. "Now, I understand that you likely will need some time to think more about it so I will not inconvenience you more for now. You can leave and inform me of your decision later on, but would you be able to give me an advice on which other nobles you know that are married to those from other nations that would also appreciate my generous offer?" I asked. Earl Stadtfeld looked rather thoughtful. "I don''t know many, truth be told, but I think the Fairchild connected to Japan, Phenyl from Finland of the EU, Bonaparte connected to France, Eliptons who while purely Britannian have strong connections to India through their Shipping Company, and Lockheart connected to Australia. They all are not so we''ll seen but are good people and would likely appreciate this offer." Mr. Stadtfeld said, and I had to pull all my weight not to do a spit-take from it. These are all names I knew well as they were the names of the strongest Pandoras from the Freezing anime. Seriously, it is like this world wants me to become too strong. Just shame that they probably had no superpowers. "Thanks for the Information and I hope for good relations between us. Please inform me once you have set up a meeting between me and the Sarutobi and Sumeragi Heads." As they left I decided that if it is this late already I might as well eat a midnight snack. Opening a secret compartment on the wall a secret stash of sweets showed up, they shined like precious gems in my eyes. Just as I caught the first one and was about to put it in my mouth someone snatched it from my hands. "That is no good, young master." Kirumi said sternly. She was clearly tired due to the hour this meeting was taking place (seriously, Pariston was annoying when he wanted to) but she still was dutiful. "Considering the hour of the night you should avoid snacks or it might cause problems to your health." She said. I wanted to say something, but due to no longer having to think about anything overly important and from all the problems I had these past few days my body just wanted to sleep. Without realizing when my eyes started closing as the tiredness in my bones finally catching up to me. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 3¡ã Person P.O.V. Catching his young master before he fell on the floor was Qrow. He had seen signs of weariness over the small kid, a simple child that normally should be having fun with friends but instead was here in this state. Qrow sighed a bit. Honestly he pitied the kid, with his parents dead there was nobody who really could order him to cut back a bit. The only possible people were members of the Royal Family. Honestly Qrow was almost happy that the two girls would now be living with the kid because they would make sure that he calmed down a bit. Looking at the kid Qrow smiled a bit. He had been in a horrid slump when he first met the brat. The death of Summer, Taiyangs depression and of course Raven running off and if rumors were correct joining some Terrorist-group. Well, it had all become too much for Qrow and only his duty of having to take care of Ruby and Yang had kept him going at all. Still, when Bismarck had expelled him from the Rounds it had been a terrible blow to not only Qrows reputation but also his pride and dreams. He had wanted to be a Round since reading about the era of the last Knight of One the "Grim Reaper" Maria Callavera. Being thrown out basically buried that dream of his forever. But then the kid came with his job-offer and promises of protection, at first he had been skeptical but he had decided to join the Kids faction so that Ruby and Yang could get their education here which was already acknowledged as the best in the world. In the end, Qrow had nothing to regret. "How is he?" Reisi asked, he was looking from the side with a hand on his sword and Qrow had no doubt that if he were to try anything funny with their master the leader of Scepter4 would cut him down instantly. His swordplay was no lesser than Qrow''s and even at his best Qrow was not confident to win in a fight against the bespectable male. "Tired." Qrow said. "He has gone through a lot. Not only is he supporting and creating this city from scratch he also has to deal with too many matters and with this whole situation with prince Lelouch''s newfound baseless hatred for our master, yeah it is not looking good." Qrow admitted. "Humph, useless rabble, that is what that boy is." Reisi said. He was someone who gave only the bare minimum respect to those of higher nobility rank than him unless they prove themselves one way or another, someone who was like Ciel a deep believer of meritocracy who hated the current situation of the world at large. Ciel had impressed him and working for the boy was an experience of its own that Reisi greatly enjoyed, the boy was exactly how he visualized a royal must be and he desired to protect this seedling in hopes to one day see him sit on that throne and having Reisi as Knight of One. However, Reisi always despised some of his liege''s family members. Lelouch in special as the child was too brash, prideful, and prone to show off, all things Reisi didn''t like much. If the boy at least showed some interest in something of value to better Britannia or himself Reisi might have had a high opinion of him as the boy showed great promise, but instead, he only played chess and acted like being good at this game made him a genius. And now with the boy outburst and punching his liege and acting like Ciel was some sort of evil and scheming being against his own family he clearly likes so much, yeah he wasn''t liking it one bit. "I guess he had a lot of things to take care of. He might not realize it much, but he is taking too many things by himself. We need to ensure that his safety and well-being is fully secured in the future, and for that, we must try and solve all we can for him as, otherwise, he might overwork himself." Reisi said. "Yeah, yeah, I will get going after tonight. I will go and see into those families we heard of, if possible I will approach them myself and if they desire entrance and are safe I will bring them over myself. It is better than trusting that snake into approaching them." Qrow said in which both showed disgusted faces as they remembered the visage of a certain politician. What they failed to notice was that said politician was on the outside of the door holding his laughter at that last comment, knowing that he managed to annoy them such was a great thing in his books. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Meanwhile, in the Stadtfeld manor, things were not quite as peaceful. "You damn idiot! Do you WANT to get us killed?" Earl Stadtfeld yelled at his son who was doing his very best to shout even louder. "And why can''t I speak as I want to? He is just some britannian brat who had everything given to him on a silver plate! He was acting all high and mighty, he is just like any other Britannian out there." Naoto declared, ignoring the fact that his father was in fact a Britannian and he and his sister were half Britannian too. Earl Stadtfeld was about to yell more when his wife intervened. "Please, darling, that is enough. Let me talk with our boy." She then turned to Naoto, he had a horrid scowl on his face. "Son, what is wrong? I thought you were better than this. You know how the words you just said could influence your father''s status, besides you were offered such a great chance so why don''t you wish to go into that city?" "Because it is not needed. I get all the information and preparation I might need back in our school back home where all my friends are, Japanese friends, that truly are good people and not like Britannians at all." Naoto said. "''Good people''? Naoto, you must be joking. Those friends of yours are mostly unemployed youngsters that are up to no good most of the time. The only ones of them who do something productive are Ohgi-kun who started working as Elementary-school teacher and Naomi-chan who is working in her parents flower-shop. The worst are that Tamaki boy and that Nagata man. Tamaki goes around with that cliche "bump into people, pretend a broken arm and then demand money or beat them up" scheme which he uses to bully and rob foreigners and that Nagata is a fanatic who has downright horrid views about foreigners." "I still refuse. I want to live like a great man much like how Madara-sama said a man must act, he is a symbol of true manliness and pride of the glorious Japanese name. Only those of Japanese blood and heritage are decent and good as all others are after our pride and power, that is the truth." Naoto said with a strong devotion, making the mother and father horrified. They knew this type of behavior well, it was how many youngsters were turning out back in Japan for a while now and they were mostly all enlisted in the army under the Uchiha leadership. Most were fanatics and that Naoto was being so strongly influenced by Madara''s teachings was not a happy thought. They feared Naoto might try that when he was of high enough age for it. "Listen, and listen well." Earl Stadtfeld moved, he was glaring right at his son who he could barely recognize anymore. "You are half Britannian, don''t forget that. My blood and the one from this nation runs through your veins no less than the Japanese blood is also a part of you. This opportunity is something that we cannot simply ignore, its impact for us is too big but before we can do this we must do what was requested of us. We have to return to Japan and arrange a meeting between the prince and the patriarchs, out futures depend on this." Meanwhile Kallen was watching it all from the side with sleepy eyes. She was rather young so she didn¡ät completely understand things but she could see that the relationship between her parents and her brother was getting worse. She didn¡ät like that at all, especially given that it seemed to be mostly the fault of others like that cute pirate-boy and this Madara-woman who her brother had pictures of in his room. (It had to be a woman. No man would wear their hair that long, right?) XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 3 Months Later Kallen''s P.O.V. This is the academy father wanted me to enter, huh? It looks pretty but I don''t think I will like it that much, there are too many Britannians here and I still remember big brother and his friends telling me that no Britannian is to be trusted and they all are stuck up and no good at all. I still remember that I asked about father and my brother derisively laughed and explained to me that father should be embarrassed by us because we were half of a different culture that was much superior. Mother always yelled at big brother when he spoke of that, but big brother is so smart so he must be right. I miss big brother, he left home with father to go back to Japan for the meeting with Mr. Sarutobi and Sumeragi. Before he left he had warned me to be careful of the people at my new school. As I was thinking that I continued walking while trying not to look at others, I bet that if any of those from Britannia were to know that someone of great Japan was here they would gang up on me like the bunch of bullies brother taught me they were. "Hey, are you a new student?" A cheerful voice said, suddenly drawing my attention to the source. It was a girl about my age with long orange hair in a ponytail and a bright smile on her face. "Your hair is so cool, it is just like the color of the superhero Mighty Man! I love that show, there are just so many good things in it, especially when they talk about JUSTICE." The girl said happily. What is wrong with this girl? She was just too excited about everything from what I can see and nothing like what brother told me all of her people were like. No, this must be a ruse! No Britannian scum is any good, brother explained this to me well so I bet she is only being nice because she thinks I am Britannian as well. "H-Hello, my name is Kallen. Kallen Stadtfeld. And no, I haven''t watched this show you said yet." I said softly while pretending to be weak just as brother told me to. Pretend weakness to strike when needed, that is what brother said I should be like, but never to forget about the Japanese pride of doing anything to win! Win against what I don''t know exactly, but maybe it is on some game I haven''t heard of yet. My brother wouldn''t say something to me if there was no reason after all. "WHAT? You haven''t watched it yet? That is not good, not good at all! Here," She said while taking out her backpack and opening it to show a lot of things in it, mostly action figures and a bunch of BlueRay discs. She took some of the disks out and shoved them in my arms. "You can watch them and give them back to me later. This is the entire first and second season, it is an amazing show about justice and I am sure you will love it as well! Oh, where are my manners? I almost forgot to introduce myself." She said as she took a salute that honestly seemed a bit clumsy but was cute nonetheless with this excitable girl brimming with energy and cheerfulness. "My name is Seryu Ubiquitous, I am eight years old and my hobbies are watching hero shows and to train to one day become a great hero fighting for justice, I hate dishonesty and evil doers who inflict harm on the innocent. I hope we can be friends!" ... I didn''t know how to answer but I didn''t have to as suddenly a girl that was passing by yelled. "Hey, why are you hogging all the fun?" A girl said loudly, she has magenta hair, which is done in the most unique style as its ends encircling her neck like pincers, while the rest frames her face and her bangs stop just above her eyes. She has a pretty face but with a devilish smile and an expression of someone looking for mischief. "I thought you would not go cause any problems without the great Roxxane the Immortal there." The girl said with fake hurt tone, it was so fake that anyone could see that it was false. "W-W-What? I was just wanting to talk to her, I didn''t want to make you cry. Please don''t cry, if you do I can''t be a hero as no hero of justice must make those around him sad." Seryu said tearing up a bit. "I, I will stop only if you give me your pudding later during lunch." The girl said while eyeing her friend. "Sure I wi-" "Don''t go being an idiot, idiot." A new voice said, it was from a more petite girl with short hair and red eyes. "You should stop trying to wriggle your way into getting more pudding or you will get fat. Besides, how are you ''immortal'' anyway? You are just playing around and speaking nonsense." "I am not speaking ''nonsense''! I am a immortal because I always recover super fast from any wounds and will survive anything that life throws at me. Also, I will not get fat at all, when I grow older I will be buxom and pretty to the point all boys will run around after me. You should go back to drink more milk as otherwise you will forever look like you are now, but then again you being the shortest of our class would always remain true in all fronts, or backs as well." "S-S-Shut up, I will grow to be much prettier than you will Roxxane or my name isn''t Charles Bonaparte." The now named Charles Bonaparte yelled before turning to me. "Hey, don''t go listening to any of this nonsense this fat chicken tells you to. And also, why did you wait so long to enter the academy? I heard you were invited before most of us and you only entered it now, that is so weird." "Well, my father had to deal with a lot of things and brother did not want to come over here at all." And neither did I, I heard my brother explaining this city and nation to me so I feel like someone would come and kill me or at least steal my lunch if I were to lose focus for even a second. "Heh, why not?" Seryu asked. "This city is amazing and it is super safe, no terrorists can even hope to step foot in this place and we get the best education there is as well as a chance to save others later on. My Father was extremly happy about the fact that I got an offer for education in this City." Huh? What does she mean by that? "Seryu! Why are you stopping a new student like that for no good reason!" The new girl said, she looked like a typical Britannian with long curly blond hair and deep blue eyes. "Sorry, president Mably. I didn''t intend on causing problems, I just wanted to meet the new student of our class." Seryu said sheepishly. "It still is not an excuse. As part of nobility yourself you should carry yourself so as to help others when needed instead of causing problems and imposing on others out of nowhere. And as for you two, you two should also be in class or do I need to call Chiffon to teach you both good manners?" Roxxane and Charles both shivered a bit as both nodded and bolted away, whoever this Chiffon person is she must be qute scary. The new girl then turned to me and gave a respectful bow that look so elegant that made me jealous. "I appologize for Seryu''s actions, she is too excitable and not right in her head from time to time. Please don''t think that all of us from our class arejust like the three you saw just now. It is just that our class still doesn''t have all that many students and we had heard so much of you that we wanted to meet you for a while now so they must have come to meet you sooner." The girl explained. Wait, does that mean they know I am a half-Japanese? But, if so, why are they treating me well? Looking at my face she must have understood what I was thinking as the girl giggled a little. "You shouldn''t think too much about that. We here in this city are quite different from those of other places, here discrimination is forbidden and we respect other cultures or groups as long as they don''t act against us. So much so that some of the new students of the academy are not even nobles or Britannians, for instance some of them were nobles related to Numbers like Roxxane and Charles or even completely Numbers, but here we all have the same stand at the base and the only thing that defines how high you can reach here is your abilities and talent. Even if you don''t have talent, as long as you put in the effort you can still become someone important and live in luxury with your family by your side in this city." The girl said. "Now welcome, to the genius class of the female-only institution, the Pandora Academy. You can call me Elizabeth Mably by the way." "K-Kallen Stadtfeld." I said embarrassedly. Looking at this girl I can''t help but feel slightly inferior. The girl was about to say something but she suddenly went beet red and didn''t know where to look as someone approached me from the back. Turning to see it was a boy with pale blond, almost white hair and a pretty face, he had a bearing of a warrior despite being just as young as we were, possibly younger, but I couldn''t look down on him at all as I remember that he was the person who led my family to the meeting between father and Prince Ciel. "Lady Mably, I apologize for the inconvenience but my master requested me to come and watch over the situation of the Pandora Academy to see if everything was okay as there will be some guests later today and he wants to be sure everything is in order beforehand." The boy said in an elegant manner. "I-I understand, L-Lord Troyad. Please come this way." Elizabeth said while indicating to walk together. It was actually kind of funny seeing her try and get the boy''s attention and getting closer to him but it was clear to me that the boy was either not interested in being friends with her or was too serious about his mission. Now that I think about it, I wonder what that Britannian prince wants. If what I saw while getting in is true and what I heard is the reality then this entire city is pretty much a fortress. And that is not to forget that this institution is one of those where the security is the highest and if they want to double check the security the person that is coming must be quite important. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX It was later after class and I have one conclusion for it. Hell exists. Fuck those who think religion is stupid and that Christianity is wrong, this class alone is proof enough that Hell exists and the moment we were released from it and entered the cafeteria I understood that Heaven is also real. The place was highly decorated and classy while remaining accomodating, there were four long tables with from what I saw were maybe a hundred students sitting at them, the tables themselves were filled with plates of delicious looking and smelling food. "Amazing." I could not help but say, my mouth filling with food as it all tasted so good that it was unbelievable. "It is, isn''t it?" A Japanese girl said, she was a bit taller than me and was probably one or two years older but she didn''t appear threatening at all. She had short brown hair, very closed eyes, and a smile that seemed fake and true at the same time. "Oh, where are my maners? My name is Chiffon, Chiffon Fairchild and the girl beside me is Ticy Phenyl. I hope we can become friends." Chiffon said, it was just now that I noticed another girl besides her who looked really pretty with long black hair and a cute face, she also seemed to not be from Britania or had mixed blood like me. "I-It is a p-p-p-pleasure meeting you." Ticy said, her last words almost a yelp as I could sense that if left as it is she would likely run away here and there. "Good girl, god girl. I knew you could do it." Chiffon said as she petted Ticy''s head. She then turned to me as if asking me to introduce myself too. "My name is Kallen Stadtfeld. It is a pleasure meeting you." I said. Chiffon nodded as she sat beside me and Ticyl on the other side. We ate in silence but after a while, I could not resist anymore. "Why are the two of you here?" "And what would that mean exactly?" Chiffon asked, her smile creeping me out a bit. "I mean, you two don''t seem purely Britannian so why are the two of you in a Britannia city and studying here while being so calm about it. Normally, shouldn''t you be unable to even enter an academy like this if you are not pureblood nobles?" "Oh, that. I get it now, you don''t know how this city and academy works." Chiffon said warmly, Ticyl laughed on the side and I had to admit that her laugh was a bit cute. Chiffon then explained to me about this city and how it actually works. How she and roughly a third of the others here are not pure Britannians or some who don''t even have a drop of Britanian blood in them, but all are equal here. "An example is her," Chiffon said while pointing to Charles. "She was the daughter of a French friend of count Spencer. She was accepted here even if she is just adopted and is of equal standings to anyone else here, another example would be me. I am someone the Fairchild family adopted on Japan to help cement their position as good-natured and friendly to the nation, but I am pretty sure that when war breaks out I would be discarded. We all have stories here, but we really want to be friends with you Kallen." Ticyl nodded and I could not help but wonder if I could at least try. I mean, they don''t look as bad as brother told me all those of filthy blood are so it shouldn''t be so bad. Now that I am looking around I can see that everyone here doesn''t seem so bad at all. There are the girls I talked to in the morning, Seryu was watching what looked like a tonkatsu on her phone which looked more advanced than any other I''d seen in my life while Charles and Roxxane were disputing about pretty much anything they can. Together with them was another girl, she has green hair, tied up on the back of her head creating two flat ponytails with two hair strands come down behind both her ears and three bangs covering her forehead with separations in-between them above both of her brown tinted eyes, this girl was trying her best to calm down the nerves of the others in the table to no avail. The last girl was someone who had white hair reaching her back with just one bang being crimson in her forehead, she was quite seriously studying her books and the others were not disturbing her at all. Chiffon spoke up again. "How about I introduce you to our friends in class? Let''s see. Well, first is our year. You already know Charles, Seryu, and Roxanne, on the same table there are miss Cassie Lockheart who is quite a kind but strong girl who is very talented in combat but dislikes it very much and finally miss Amelia Evans, she is the least talented amongst us all but is so dedicated in improving that an exception was made for her to enter this class even if she didn''t fulfill all the requirements. Then there is Weiss Schnee, she is a very wealthy heiress and one of the students for General Ironwoods Hunter-unit. Though don''t mention her father she doesn¡ät like that man very much. Her friends are the blonde girl Yang and her little sister Ruby who is a year below us, both are also planning to join the Hunter-unit. Also, there is Nora Valkyrie who is the one eating the mountain of Pancakes, she is a bit weird but a rather nice person even if airheaded most of the time. "Over there are the Twins Erza and Elsa. Their parents lost all their relatives in wars and, because of that, the Twins became the sole heirs to the titles of both their parents'' families. Erza being the Scarlett heir and Elsa being the Knightwalker heir. They are sitting with a purely Japanese student named Kagura Mikazuchi, she has a half-brother over in the boys'' academy who is the heir of his family. Then there are Minerva Orland who is originated from the Chinese Federation and who is getting a stipend from Prince Ciel to attend here due to the poverty of her own family, much like a few of the others now that I think about it. The prince wants to make those who can do best reach their best for what I heard. "Overall, we all have our quirks but I hope we can get along." I looked with astonishment at the various students with so many different backgrounds. Overall, this place doesn''t really remind me of how brother described how this school would be like at all. Maybe I was worrying over being bullied or ignored for nothing. No, Kallen, you must remember that brother has to have some reason for his words. Otherwise, he would be a bad person who is bullying others instead of the hero that he is. It was at this moment that a commotion started and from the door of the cafeteria a new group of people entered. There were a total of five people entering the place. The first was Elyzabeth, she was leading the group inside as she sneaked glances at Slaine who was also present from time to time. I guess he is her first crush. The other three, however, drew more of my attention, or to be more specific the other boy on this group. It was the Pirate-boy who father was called a Prince. Stupid father anyone wearing an eyepatch must be a pirate, movies don¡ät lie after all. But what drew my attention was how he was careful about leading a girl inside the room. This girl had wavy brown hair, had to use the support of Ciel to walk while also using a cane and her eyes were closed but none of that diminished of her cuteness in the slightest. She was obviously trying her best to walk even as it was clear that she could barely take some steps but she held firm despite it all. TRIP It was at this moment that she tripped on her own feet and fell on the ground. Ciel desperately tried to raise her up but she stopped him. "Please, I can do this." the girl said and with much effort and using the support of the wall she managed to stand up. Ciel clearly was heartbroken seeing this. "Please, Nunnally. This, we could wait some more before you begin classes. You still are recovering and we still need to figure out a way to treat your eyesight." He said pleadingly, something that was nothing at all like the cool and detached way I thought he was three months ago. "No, doctor Law said I was good enough to do this much without problems and I don''t want to inconvenience you more." Nunnally said with a serious tone. "But, but you don''t inconvenience me at all! I want you to be healthy again and-" "Okay, that is enough." The final girl said, standing between the two. She had her right arm covered in bandages but from the way she moved her arm it was clear that the wounds were already fading away, her hair was very short with some tuffs growing bigger than others and all in a pretty dark pink tone. She turned to Ciel. "Ciel, you don''t have to worry so much about Nunna, I will protect her and nothing will happen." She then turned to Nunally. "And as for you-" That was as far as he could go before she shut up as she saw Nunnally pouting in such a way that I could swear that anyone would bow to her in defeat seeing it. Shouldn''t such a cute expression be a crime already? "... Fine, you were right. Now please go back to normal." The girl said in which Nunnally relaxed and smiled. "Great, now take me to meet our new classmates, sister Marrybell." Nunnally said to Marrybell who nodded and started directing the blind girl around. I could see that Ciel was looking at the pair with extreme worry in his eyes and whenever he thought Nunnally would hit anything or get wounded in any way he would almost jump out of his skin to protect her. It was a side of him that I never imagined could exist, it actually reminded me a bit of Naoto before he began watching those speeches of Madara-sama (I looked that person up after the fight between my parents and Brother. Though I¡äm still astonished that Madara was not a woman given the long mane which he had.) And so we continued enjoying our time, I guess I can get used to this school. 9 Showing off Ciels P.O.V. I am right now in front of my desk. I have a pile of information about the Six Houses of Kyoto and a psychological profile of what to expect from the people I will be meeting today. Originally I wanted to meet only the Sarutobi and Sumeragi family heads but the Senju family head decided he wanted in as well. Honestly, I am not sure what to do when I meet them as their personalities will not be easy to deal with. Sarutobi Hiruzen was an old man that was capable of keeping secrets well but his ''weakness'' towards children for being gentler towards them makes me somewhat expectant in meeting him. Amongst those I will meet he is likely the one I can least expect violence from. Sumeragi Oonoki was a hard-headed old man who many wonder how old he really is. No one knows how old that guy is exactly but he is likely one of the most stubborn ones in the Six Heads. He is, however, capable of being cunning and is experienced enough to know when to advance and force his way and when to fold, someone who is able to survive regardless of what happened. But it is the last one that is giving me a headache. Senju Tobirama is the younger brother of Senju Hashirama who was a rival to Uchiha Madara and who died being murdered by the Mercenary Kakuzu. It was long suspected that it was Madara who hired Kakuzu but the lack of evidence prevented him from being prosecuted, though if I ever got the chance I would try to capture the old Mercenary and make him confess. Anyway Tobirama is someone who would not hesitate to sacrifice anything for Japan and the betterment of its people. Unlike Madara and Danzo he cares more about keeping the people safe and continuing the Japanese spirit than the nation itself but he still is a cunning and capable General being considered by most as the best fighter of Japan after Madara. Sighing I massaged my temples, this meeting took months to happen and I bet that it was in part to annoy me and in part to find information about me personally. It is not going as I wanted as the meeting took much longer to happen than I wanted to and I still have no intel on Lelouch''s conditions. I want to meet him but the longer it takes the harder it will be to actually get through that hard skull of his. God was he hard to listen when he didn''t want to. "Young master, it is time for the meeting." Kirumi said as she entered the room. I nodded and stood up, this would be quite an intense meeting. I can only hope everything goes alright. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Entering the room I looked at the three man at the other side of the table. They all looked mildly annoyed as they had to come to this place in secret but considering we were on a ship in international waters near the coast of Japan they couldn''t complain much. It was a big risk, they only agreed to this because they want to know exactly what I intend on telling them and wanting to ignore my request would not be seen as that smart of an idea since I am quickly approaching influence enough to join the top 10 most influential people inside Britannia thanks in no small part to the political influence Pariston is developing, the weapons I produced, the new tech to improve the life of the citizens, and the Emperor''s favor to the point of giving me two of his daughters. I wasn''t someone they could easily ignore, and considering I was only eight bordering nine years old and already had all that I wouldn''t doubt they think I am already on the race for the position of next emperor. I was unsure if I wanted the post. On one hand, I knew that I was smart and influential enough to have a pretty good shot on obtaining the post and be successful in my rule as it would be quite different than the shit it is right now, I also wanted to complete the Empires conquest of the World as I firmly believed that if given enough time a fully unified world would be far more peaceful then a World divided by petty squabbling over land and influence. A balanced world controled by one suppreme leader and strict but fair laws seems much better than what we have now. The main-problem though was that aside from me not really wnting to have all this work there weren¡ät many other candidates in the running that I could even consider. Most Princes and Princesses were incompetent and arrogant, I would not trust them to control anything of any importance. Those who weren''t as bad in comparison had some rather glaring problems. -Odysseus as Crown-prince was promising as Puppet-ruler through me if I could eliminate Schneizel beforehand. The man was a very pleasant and gentle person who would allow me to defend the Empire how I wished and I think we could make good allies, but he is far too weak minded and would likely not be manipulated by me alone but also anyone who knew how to talk. He is feeble-minded, and likely a pedophile as in CANON he accepted marrying a girl that was 13 when he was 34, it is disgusting. - Schneizel? Hell no! He''d burn the world in war just for the heck of it. - Guinevere? She was as arrogant as she was stupid. While she was good at Politics she would quickly run the Empire into the ground with excessive expenses on fancy parties and absurd dresses that no sane person would ever even consider using. - Clovis? Potential was there, he was after Guinevere the most suited for Politics and if I could make him a better person then it might be worth a try and I, of course, knew that he desired the position of Emperor. The only question was if he would be able to not screw everything up. - Cornelia? No chance. She was not only a Racist and arrogant like hell but she also had no interest in Politics at all. She probably would turn the Empire into a fullblown Military Dictatorship and turn half the Empire into a sea of corpses in her constant need to put down rebellions. She is not a bad person and military leader, but she''d be the ruin of this nation. - Euphemia? The potential was again there just like with Clovis but she was painfully naive and she had absolutely NO support at all due to Cornelia keeping a tight leash on her. Even with me supporting her claim she would be very unlikely to be respected by the nobles and the fact she is a woman would mean she has to marry someone and that someone would be the Emperor, I can''t help but shiver with the thought of Emperor Suzaku Kururugi. I would rebel just to make this nightmare end, and screw sacrifices I would not waver on my holly call. - Nunnally and Marrybell were out of the running given that I would marry them and therefore them ascending would automatically make me Emperor by default. - Lelouch? Same as Schneizel, no chance in hell. He only knows how to fight but his ability to rule is a pure dictatorship that would be either mind slaves to his Geass or masses controlled by the media to be docile. - Castor and Pollux? They were already on my Kill-list for when I went after the Directorate. - Laila and Carine were pretty blank but I could see neither of them in the Emperor position given that they were followers. They''d make possible allies on whoever is put on the throne but they aren''t able to make that big of a difference. Overall, my choices were Odysseus, Euphemia, Clovis or taking the Throne myself. I still needed to think about my options about what I wanted to do and which was less awful. Anyway as I sat there I looked at the three men in silence as Kirumi finished serving us tea. Hiruzen took it with a smile and thanked Kirumi for it, but the other two didn''t. Oonoki simply smirked seeing the cup and did nothing to it while Tobirama directly pushed the cup away. Seeing this I raised an eyebrow. "I am sorry, I thought as Japanese you would like the tea I set for this meeting." I said. "Yes, it is very delicious." Hiruzen said. "I already saw friends being poisoned by tea under much less troublesome situations, I wouldn''t risk it now." Oonoki said. "As if I would want something like this." Tobirama grumbled. Well, listening to the three of them I can see that it was somewhat as I expected. They are mostly similar to how they were in the anime, Hiruzen is gentle but definetly cunning as while he was drinking the actual amount he put in his mouth at first was minimum and not swallowed only after a while to see if he felt anything did he continue drinking, Oonoki is experienced and doesn''t like taking unnecessary risks but isn''t outright rude or show his displeasure but does enjoy looking down a bit on the inexperienced, meanwhile Tobirama is hard headed and paranoid. If anything this poses a complex situation for me, my objective here is not one that will be easy and can easily escalate but it is the best option for me considering everything. "Let''s not bother with useless pleasantries, I wish to know why exactly you asked for this meeting. According to the official stance of the government of Britannia we are neutral so why go out of your way to have a secret talk with us?" Tobirama said pointedly. I noticed that neither Oonoki nor Hiruzen were against his words all that much so I guess I might as well just tell them. "Fine, it is simple really. I am here for two reasons, first is that I wish to know the guarding procedure that my cousin has." I said. "Humph, so it wasn''t that unfounded the theory of the brat." Oonoki said while stroking his long pointer beard. "Hoh, and which brat and what theory would you mean? If it regards me personally I should be allowed to know." I said with a slight smile. "Humph, if you wish to know your cousin, Lelouch, has started spreading word about you to us. He said that your city is an amoral place that commits human experiments," Not inaccurate, I suppose. "has more military might than anyone realizes," okay, that doesn''t even count as a secret. Anyone with two brain cells should be able to tell that one. "and that you are likely wanting to eliminate him to take over the Vi Britannia''s influence by marrying lady Nunnally and eliminating anyone else that could contest the claim." "Okay, that is ridiculous." I said, a tick mark on my forehead at that one. "Seriously, I understand my cousin can be a self-centered prick when he wants to, and reaching his own ''genius'' conclusions with the evidence at hand and refuse to listen, but this one is just plain wrong." I blurted out. Before I could continue ranting a piece of chocolate with nuts was shoved in my mouth and it helped calm me down a bit. "Thanks, Kirumi. I needed that." I said to the maid who bowed slightly as she took out a piece of fabric to clean the table as in my outburst I ended up leaving some drops of the tea fall in it. "The first point of Lelouch is correct though we use only spies, High-level Criminals like Rapists and Serial-killers and of course Volunteers. The second point is wellknown to everyone in the entire Empire and most likely the entire world. Finally the third point is not only completely wrong given that I have no interest in going after Lelouchs life but also the assets of House vi Britannia were already seized by the Emperor himself and aside from a quarter which Nunnally got the rest went to the Royal Treasury or in case of Land will slowly be awarded to other Nobles so I certainly received nothing from it. Even the Ganymede who is in my City is merely loaned to me by the Ashfords in exchange for Milly not needing to pay Tuition at my Schools. The room was silent for a while before Tobirama said. "... And what of the second reason for this meeting?" "I need you to stop provoking Britannia." I said and before they could act dumb I continued. "We know that some of the members of the Six Houses of Kyoto, the true leaders of the nation, together with the Towa Conglomerate have been giving financial and technical support to some of the terrorist and dissident groups within the Empire, not to mention the assassination of the Princes Zanac and Barbro. We ignore it because of the war fronts we already have going on and because of the Sakuradite you sell at an affordable price, but if this continues much longer the Emperor will likely lose the patience he has and send an attack to your nation regardless of everything else. Also, I noticed that the prices of Sakuradite that you control have started raising, you should stop that or war might truly be unavoidable." I explained. Of course, the war will happen regardless but if they listen to me I might be able to make the war happen years from now instead of months. "Humph, we have one of your princes, there is no way you would attack suddenly." Oonoki said. "Yes, we wouldn''t unless sufficiently provoked. For the Emperor any of the princes are expendable, he would hesitate but it wouldn''t stop him from following through if needed. But, I don''t wish for that. I rather like your nation, the culture fascinates me, the anime you produce is a work of art as far as I am concerned with any possible death of a mangaka being a crime against humanity, and there are plenty of talented individuals in your nation that I wish could come and join my city. Besides, if a war does break out my cousin would be in danger and even if he doesn''t believe it I do want him to be safe." I said. The three kept staring at me, but the first one to talk this time was Hiruzen. "Even if you say so, it is not like we are doing what you say we are. We are not sending assassins to your nation and-" "Yeah, yeah, we are innocent and you can''t stop what isn''t related to you, but you will stop it regardless." I said. "Humph, I know that it isn''t like we should fear the power of Britannia. Thanks to the advancements of the Towa Conglomerate we now have our own Knightmares, we also can ally with the other powers and our marine prowess doesn''t lose out to Britannia. There is a limit to how much manpower you all can deploy, after all." Oonoki said, but it was clear he wasn''t enjoying this talk much. "That might have been true once, but you must understand that thanks to the weaponry I developed Britannia''s Knightmares can win four to one even if the pilot isn''t that good. Besides, I and my knights would enter the field and we can conquer your nation easily." I said, the eyes of the others look at me as if I am a cocky kid. I am, but right now I am not lying at all. "Humph, as if we would believe the words of a brat with no hair down there." Tobirama said. "But, I must admit that your words have some merit, while I can''t say much about most matters I can tell that your worry over your stupid family member who is naive about the word and tries to bullhead things is something I understand deeply. My brother, rest his soul, was an idiot who had grand and stupid ideals and would get himself into trouble almost every time I took my eyes off him, he''d ignore everything else sometimes and it gave me more trouble than I ever wish to remember." "Young Lelouch, while much darker than my brother, does have his unwavering capacity to infuriate his family by simply being too focused on his own belief. He lacks his desire for peace and union of all by dialogues and the least amount of bloodshed, well, I must still thank you for these talks, prince Ciel. It was, enlightening." Tobirama said before falling quiet. "About your words of the Sakuradite," Oonoki said, turning my attention to him. "My family is owner of 40% of the mines and rights for it, but I can''t decide on the prices by myself. I can''t help you there." "Then you will most likely have your nation burning within the year and Britannia will be having to rename it." I said flatly. No point in munching my words, they either listen to me now or their nation will burn much worse and the chance of Lelouch''s death increases. I still need to become much stronger and gain enough merits to get to be part of the invasion forces, otherwise, there is no way to find Lelouch. I still want to start a new era of science, but now I want something else just as much. I want my family and friends to be safe in a world they can walk freely without a care on the world about violence, that we can all enjoy ourselves without fear of enemies and that the war ends properly. Oonoki looked at me for a while and chuckled. "That seems rather unlikely, but if you really say so I will put some effort to follow your suggestion." Oonoki said. "Young prince, if I may," Hiruzen said. "I must say that I think that you are jumping to conclusions here. After all there is no proof that we are even related to any of the things you accuse my nation and that you vastly underestimate us. We might not win a war against the full power of Britannia but we certainly will not lose so easily or ultimately as you seem to predict." "You are not wrong when you say I don''t know exactly all there is to know about your country''s military, but my personal powers alone should suffice regardless." I said, and I am not joking. While I am not sure my few knights right now would suffice but after I finish my Knightmare it would be more than enough. Let alone Japan I wouldn''t fear even fighting and obtaining one of the countries of EU, maybe I will even do just that to obtain Leila Macal before she fully enlists into the military as her Geass is just priceless if I can study it properly for my creation, but that is only in a few years from now. Unfortunately none of the three older man trusted my words and all thought of me as a kid speaking nonsense. My words were dismissed and they left with nothing to really show for. Sigh, I truly will need to speed up things. I can''t stay passive forever and if I don''t make a move now the war with Japan will begin shortly after. "Kirumi, please fetch me my phone." I said to my trusted maid. She nodded and went out and before long she was back with my phone in her hands. Giving her a short thanks I took the phone and dialed. "Majesty, I have a request to make. Would it be possible to let me-" XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Three days later "Young master, is this really alright? I mean, we shouldn''t need to do this for now am I correct?" Kirumi asked as she finished serving me a cup of tea with plenty of sugar. "No, Kirumi, now is a good time to act. I have been quiet about my military advancements for too long and it is one of the reasons why the number of spies has been steadily increasing and why others take me lightly. To rectify that I need a demonstration of power, if others feared me enough the talk with the three heads would have gone smoother and I am sure that the advancements of the city would also be faster. I just never did this before due to fear of the emperor starting to order me to move before I was ready. Now, we already have at least a few units ready for combat and they should be plenty enough for this operation. I already asked the emperor and he authorized the operation with the condition that I don''t disappoint. I also have to film the entire thing and release it to the press to help showcase that actions are being made to end the terrorism as my forces would work as a stronger deterrent for them." As I finished explaining that I took a sip of my cup, and yep I should have asked for chocolate milk. Or a good cup of coffee, both are good options. Anyway, I am now in the middle of a small military base, a total of three White Fang bases locations are on display that I obtained from the General in charge here. I am in South America, also known as Area 6. It is an area with too strong of a presence of the White Fang extremists and it is one of the main production sights of grain and food products for the entire empire. With the rebels and terrorists acting against the unfairness of Britannia the grain and food stock has lessened which led to hunger in many areas and the worsening of the quality of life of the same Numbers they fight for, truly the actions of a mad dog. I moved here to try and stop this before the problem gets any worse as it could lead to mass hunger across the Empire if the situation continued, not like the other Royals or high nobles would notice anything as they are too worried about petty disputes or the battlefront to win glory. Besides, they had their own Agriculture on their own lands in the Mainland consisting of Area 1 (USA) and Area 2 (Canada) so unlike the Britannians living in the other Areas of the homeland as well as the Numbers that already are starving and the Honorary Britanians that are not far behind they would not be affected. Turning to the side I looked at the commander of this base. I decided on using this base for two reasons, the first is that its communication equipment was sufficient for me to mobilize my knights in real time and the second was because the commander here is someone who seems good enough to be my backing while on this area. The historic of the commander was impressive, he has shown great talent and capacity since young, but what I took special notice of is that he was not as hot-blooded as most commanders of the Imperial Army, being able to retreat promptly when the objective was completed or if the situation was unfavorable his results were not as shocking when compared to a lucky few but the results he had overall were much better in the end. The man¡äs ancestry was also interesting given that he was a former Russian who immigrated into the Empire after the breakdown of Communism. His knowledge of Russias doctrine and Military had been extremely useful in the ongoing conquest of Russia, though of course, the War was still slow going due to its size. Still, thanks to my new Weaponry and the genius Tactics of Schneizel Russia would probably fall in the next two years completely and the Euro-Britannian Empire would rise with the Britain islands joining with Russia. "Colonel Smirnov, I must again say that it is an honor working with a man such as you." I said. he was one of the VERY few military officers I could say that to without being sarcastic. "You honor me by saying this, Prince Ciel. But please, if you don''t mind you can call me Sergei Smirnov when it is just us." The older man said and I nodded. He had short black hair and a scar the looked like a burn mark covering his left forehead to his cheeks. "I must admit, your work on this base is impressive considering how outdated your equipment was even when compared to most other bases within the Empire." "Well, there is nothing I could do about how outdated it is, but thanks for the compliment. I guess this location isn''t so important to the empire as the battlefront so they couldn''t afford better conditions for us, at least the new equipment you brought with you will come a long way to help us out here." He said. I did indeed bring equipment to this facility to both military and non-military circumstances like water purifiers and the like to help them here as well as some Glasgows I obtained from some of the ''geniuses'' that thought I wouldn''t notice someone bringing a giant made of metal in the middle of my city. Seriously, shit for brains the lot of them. While I was thinking that the communication panels illuminated as the images of Reisi, Neil Dylandia, Slaine, and Kamal already in position. Reisi is in front of the biggest base with his Blue Damocles in the ready, Neil was in front of the base with the most complicated terrain for being on top of a mountain that any attack would be seen long before it reached with the use of his Knightmare Dynames, while Slaine and Setsuna who were using Tharsis and Exia respectively were on the final and simplest base, their objective was to bring down these bases and rescue anyone who was captured in them. I grimaced a bit. The White Fang of this world was rather foolish organized as just like in RWBY it was divided into individual Cells working independently from each other. Only here Siennas position as High-leader was merely a figurehead for the most part. She was the Leader of Area 7 (Hawaii) and she restricted herself to protests and every now and then some extremely racist Noble vanishing without a trace. That was merely a pin-prick which didn¡ät even register in the Emperors mind. Area 6 though was led by two people who were little more than monsters in human-skin: Victor and his son Craydon Creed. The Sabretooth and the Leader of the Friends of Humanity from Marvel. Once I found that out from the reports I decided that they had to die NOW! Under their lead the Area 6 White Fang had developed into a brutal Cartel with some Cultis vibes. They dealt in Slaves, Drugs, Weapons, Terrorist-attacks and Assassinations. In the last five years countless Britannians and even non-affiliated Numbers had been killed in this Area on their orders. I will start dealing with this slowly as my forces are not fully developed but I swear to myself before the year is out the two would meet their demise. Well, now I guess it is time to show the world properly a first appetizer of what my city and my forces can do. "My knights, remember that the mission is to eliminate any and all radicals. Now, let''s commence operation!" And so my knights moved into action. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 3¡ã Person P.O.V. As Reisi heard the order to begin operation he moved his glasses up, a confident smirk on his face as the stealth function of his precious Blue Damocles was deactivated, the enemy base was right in front of him. It was a large military base for terrorists, right in the middle of the Amazon Forest and with anti-Knightmare measures in place it was clear that they didn''t steal it all but also received ''generous donations'' from most likely the EU considering he could see some Alexander Prototypes in place. The fact that it was surrounded by a large plantation of a variety of drugs that would be sold for ''funding the righteous war'' also didn''t help the eyes of Reisi. Well, he didn''t mind that all that much. It was long since been confirmed that the EU and Chinese Federation secretly supported terrorists within Britania anyway and the plantation would be burned to the ground before long. Moving his Knightmare with confident steps it was not long until the enemies detected his presence, multiple missile launchers aimed at Reisi who snorted. "Pathetic, to think you''d be using such inferior weaponry." as he said that two lasers on the side of his hips and two on his shoulders moved, blue laser beams were launched and cut down all missile launchers before they could even launch, Blue Damocles steps not faltering from the start to finish. When he was close enough to the base that he could touch the buildings one of the Knightmares jumped at him, there was a total of fifteen Knightmares on this base with some already aiming at him from the distance and a few others trying to reach him from the back. "Humph, taste what my Blue Damocles can offer you scum." As Reisi said that he took out his sword. The blade was a light blue and as soon as he activated its plasma sword function activated. SCHIN With one movement the blade already cut the Knightmare above him right through like the metal was paper. The other pilots didn''t have the time to process the speed of the swing or how the sword cut right through but they were worried about something else. The sword was quite normal or even small in size but the plasma itself reached over 15 meters tall in a gentle blue light. But for the pilots seeing this it looked as threatening as threatening can go. Opening communications to all enemy forces and using the hacking system of his machine he invaded all communication devices before speaking. "Stop all assault and surrender, any who do so will be judged fairly and no unnecessary death will have to happen." After he finished he saw how none of the pilots seemed to listen and he shrugged seeing this, he warned them. Seeing that peace was not an option he moved, the agility of his machine shown to all as he accelerated by using the propulsors on his legs and back to reach the nearest enemy Knightmare. The enemy didn''t even get the time to react as with one swing the enemy was cut in half together with one unity behind it. The others tried to attack him from the back but he jumped above them faster than they could understand and while airborne moved his sword in a flurry of movements, the blade adjusted to reach the enemy unities and cut them all down. By the time he reached ground level there were only three more unities, two stood and advanced to either side of Blue Damocles to try and pincer attack it, but it was useless as each shoulder had a laser canon attached, they launched at the same time and killed the pilots within the Knightmares with extreme accuracy. The final pilot decided that there was no way he could beat this monster so he ejected his unity to escape, but while his escaping pod was in mid-flight one more laser, this time on the head of Blue Damocles, hit it squarely and killed the last pilot. 12 trained Knightmare pilots killed in less than a full minute. "Now, I will say it one last time. Stop all assault and surrender, any who do so will be judged fairly and no unnecessary death will have to happen." As Reisi said this message the laser cannons in the machine fully opened and a total of 48 laser canons showed their head aiming at quite possibly everything. This time, everyone dropped their weapons in surrender. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX On the mountain base where the White Fang operated you could see from the distance rows upon rows of Britanians. They have captured civilians who were being used as slave workers to excavate the mountain as it was filled with sakuradite that was to be used to construct the Knightmares to the White Fang. It was something discovered not long ago by the locals and the main-land of Britania still had no idea of this new location so the White Fang positioned one of its bases here and started working to obtain all sakuradite inside. The britannians working were put on degrading conditions such as the woman being constantly harassed or even openly raped or the men being tortured for the fun of the soldiers. Even little kids that were captured were used as entertainment or even ''chairs'' for the White Fang soldiers, it was a truly gruesome scene, it was a truly gruesome scene which only a twisted man like Victor Creed could come up with. But, none of the White Fang members of the extremist faction thought this treatment cruel as they just wanted to inflict pain on any britannian they could get their hands on, they just wanted to inflict pain on the ''responsible ones'' for their previous suffering. And, as in most wars, the ones to suffer the most were the innocents. If they were responsible for wounding any of them didn''t matter, they carried the name ''brittanian'' and that was plenty reason enough. These britannians were all regular civilians that moved in this place to escape the excessive economical pressure nobles put on them back in the capital and mainland as mostly anything good there was for the nobles. These civilians just wanted to get a piece of land to work with and live a happy life with no great danger from terrorists. However, they were captured regardless and the local authorities didn''t bother reporting or rescuing them as part of the sakuradite obtained by the terrorists was given as ''extra taxes'' to the top brass of Area 6. Corruption showing its ugly head as weapons and luxuries were paid by the sweat, blood, and tears of those who nothing had to do with it. But, things would change quite a lot on this place as a Knightmare was positioned high above the clouds. Inside the pilot saw what was happening and felt his blood boiling over it, but he quickly pushed this feeling down as he refocused on the mission. He pulled down a weapon-like appendix that was inside his cockpit, aiming it the robot he was inside accompanied the movement. The robot was a forest green with two Gatling guns on its hips, four small laser blades in place of need, a shield on his left shoulder and the main weapon on his right shoulder being a sniper rifle that could work with a variety of ammunition and could be used to reach over 50 kilometers of distance if needed, or if well prepared well over 300 kilometers. It also had six four tubes missile lanchers, four on the hips and one on each knee. It also had a secundary shield on its back that could move to the font together with the shield on its left arm to protect the Knightmare Dynames from damage. "Changing from Energy Batteries to E26 Batteries. Lockon Stratos, Targeted and Firing." As he finished saying that he pulled the trigger. The sniper rifle released the shot and the distance of more than 9 kilometers was breached within 4 seconds, the communication tower was the first target to avoid any chance of them asking for reinforcements. Following that Neil continuously shot down any Knightmare who tried to move, any airship that tried to take flights, and any vehicle that might try anything funny. Before long the base that was considered by most as an impregnable fortress was reduced to less than even regular rebellious forces would have, any heavy weaponry was destroyed and the White Fang members were reduced to only using handguns. "You know, I would feel bad for you all if you were not scum. But considering what you all are I guess there is no need for leniency." Neil said as his Knightmare Dynames descended. When on the ground level he didn''t bother speaking as he took out his Gattling guns and shot all terrorists he could find, he killed dozens within less than three minutes and avoided wounding anyone who wasn''t a target to the best of his ability. Unfortunately, the terrorists decided to kill as many of their captured hostages as possible but the people themselves also rose up in a quick rebellion. Still, Neil gritted his teeth when more than two-hundred of the one-thousand and three-hundred Prisoners were killed in the battle. He knew that the idea of having no casualties was a pipe-dream but, for him, every life lost was a tragedy. He only wanted to end this sort of actions and make sure that no one else would suffer by the actions of terrorists. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX On Isla del Sol in the former territory of Bolivia, a White Fang base was located. It wasn''t quite as big as the other bases of the White Fang but it didn''t have to be. Its main use were the usage of its location to launch planes to any shipment passing by the sea nearby that left one of the main ports within Area 6 and ''relocate the materials to better use'', which was just another word for stealing everything on the ship and killing all occupants. Yes, it didn''t always work as sometimes the tripulation managed to fight back but the fact it happened near constantly made it hard to deal with. This base worked as ''food production center'' for the entire White Fang organization, and was also one of the main contributors to the mass hunger the Numbers and Honorary Britanians were suffering throughout the empire, a hunger they used as an excuse to convince other to follow them and enlist to the forces of White Fang. It was an efficient system to White Fang, starve the poor and offering the food they stole for their loyalty, hungry breeds desperation and if you are desperate and hungry you would do anything to have what to eat. However, they didn''t see what was about to happen at all. High above the ground, so high that the human eye could not see and normal equipment would not notice, a air carrier opened. From it two knightmares flew down with express requirement to eliminate all who oposes them. The first was a white and blue Knightmare with one long and one shot ultra vibration blade on its right and left arm respectively arm for any enemy that energy-based weapons don''t work, a plasma sword on its back, six plasma daggers for the case of extreme close combat or to use as flying daggers if need be, a shield equiped on its left arm that is made from a metal similar to Vibranium, a metal sword on its right hip that can work as a rifle, and finally two small guns installed on the forearms this Knightmare is likely the most extreme when it comes to CQC, but if needed can also use regular weapons to auxiliate its functionalities. The second, however, was a different monster entirely. Being entirely white this knightmare had two large shields on its arms, big enough to cover the entire arm, it also had five machine guns on each shield tip with the bullets being pure plasma, from the shields it had a large metallic double-edged sword for each shield, a true monster on defense, but the less noticeble but most important aspect of it as its mobility. Due to propulsors on its back, feet, and shoulders it could move in extreme speed to any direction on a 3D fashion not being limiter by the ground in the slightest and boasting of a speed of flight and movement that could make any other think it should by all means be impossible due to the Gs that the pilot would support but thanks to the new developments on human improvement the pilot had his body slightly modified to be able to support two times the normal Gs other humans could take without losing efficiency. Truly, a monster in its own right. The two machines were undetected for a while, but when they were close enough to be seen by the naked eye approaching and the enemy started to react it was too late as the speed they had accumulated wasn''t something that could be dealt with so easily by the enemies. BOOM The two impacted the ground creating two craters in their awake. The only reason the craters weren''t even larger was for the fact they had used their propulsion systems to lessen the acceleration at the last second to ensure no damage to their machines. Both stood there, larger than most Knightmares by 5 whole meters standing at 13 meters high, even their presence was enough to terrify the terrorists present. "Exia, Setsuna Seie, commencing operation, eliminating targets." Setsuna said from inside the blue and white Exia. "Count Troyard, for orders of Prince Ciel Phantomhive Zi Britania I shall eliminate you all." Slaine said from the white Knightmare named Tharsis. And so they began the fight, not that there was much of one since the sheer difference in specs was just that large. Added that they appeared right in the middle of the enemy base and the image was one where they eliminated all targets swiftly. Slaine could only feel relief that one of the medicines he took before entering the Tharsis was to help calm and numb his emotions as, otherwise, he might react adversely to this mission where he killed for the first time. However, he would have done the same regardless as he understands how this mission would help many others by eliminating this source of a problem to the nation and his prince. Saline''s loyalty was absolutely in no way inferior to the one Jeremiah Gottwald had towards lady Marryane. Meanwhile, Setsuna simply kept firing, he didn''t need any medicine as he killed many before due to being a former child soldier during the war between his nation and its enemy for some reason Setsuna never understood or was explained. But, Setsuna could clearly remember how some of the guerilla fighters used to hog all the food and water to themselves while saying that it was for the good of the nation but leaving the same nation to starve, he himself starved quite a bit back then as well, and due to this he wanted to eliminate this group to the best of his capacity. In the end this base too fell in less than five minutes. "Humph, they didn''t even manage to make me activate my Geass." Slaine said. He was one of the only two of the knights under Ciel who had received a Geass, the other being Reisi. Reisi''s Geass allowed him to be unaffected by any Geass if he wanted to, nothing would corrupt the path he chooses and no matter what others tried to do using Geass on him unless he gave expressive consent it would not work, he was considered a security measure against those who might use Geass against Ciel as he was almost ever in guard against it (V.V. found it good to have Reisi by Ciel''s side as he''d protect his favorite nephew against any possible assassin by the hand of C.C.), meanwhile Slaine was one that allowed him to see himself taking any damage seconds before it happens, a somewhat weaker version of Bismark''s own Geass but with the advantage that it would activate automatically making him with his absurd agility and defense from his shields as good as unkillable. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ciel''s P.O.V. Watching the spectacle I could only nod. "Yep, that seems about right. They took a bit too long to stop the enemies without weaponry, maybe I should create drones to deal with this sittuation." I commented. Honestly speaking they were about one minute later than I expected for them to defeat all enemies and eliminate the fortresses of the enemy, the terrorists really did their best in trying to run and this led my calculations astray. Maybe I should try and create a Tri-Diagram satelite like the one in Toaru Majutsu later, it would definetly help me in forecasting this sort of things much better and also help on my experiments. I am really so close to finishing the program for the Calculate Fortress that it is getting annoying. "M-My prince, was that not enough? This was an astounding victory by all accounts, three terrorist bases with considerable manpower were captured with no loss on our side within five minutes from start to finish, I doubt even his majesty Prince Schneizel would be able to do such a thing." Coronel Smirnov said impressed. "Yeah, he would simply blow everything up and cover up any losses amongst the Britanians or civilians as the enemy attacking instead of his own actions. As if there is any point in doing it like this, if you are doing a job you ought to do it to the best you possibly can and not half-ass it." I said annoyed, unfortunately, what I said wasn''t wrong since whenever Schneizel explodes something, be it enemy bases or terrorist groups, the story is always the same. Smirnov gulped seeing my action but he quickly calmed down before turning to the personal. "Send the ground unities, rescue whoever was captured, lock and bring back whoever is guilty of being a terrorist, and salvage whatever is on these bases that can be of use." he said. Suddenly Neil sent me a message with some very interesting info about the base he was on. "Coronel, please send a message to the Schnee industries. Tell them that we found what seems to be a mountain filled with sakuradite and that they should move in now to take it over in exchange for lower prices to those of this Area and that the idea was mine." I said. If the food is delivered properly to the mainland the economy of this area will get better and if the Schnee industries work here they would give work to the local numbers too making their situation better as well as selling their sakuradite to this base and others in the area cheaper making them more able to combat the terrorist and turn this area slightly more peaceful. Smirnov seems smart as he quickly caught on what I meant and nodded with a small smile before turning serious and continuing his work here. Seeing this I moved away from the command center, there was no need for me to be present anymore and I still have data to take care off since I must see if there was any problem with the programming during the mission. Fine tuning to adapt to each pilot''s specifications isn''t easy, but the better working of the machines make it all worth it. I just wish I could capture one of those special machines V.V. has that can connect a Geass to the machine itself as well as a few of his Geass users, we already worked the basics for Artificial Geass but we need more examples of offensive ones as I can''t use those connected to me as who knows what might happen to the network if I were to do anything of the sort and the ones from Reisi and Slaine are not capable to activate at a whim. I need something like Lelouch or Charles Geass users, if I get a few of those I just might be able to make my future grand creation the biggest deterrent in the world. Well, until then I can at least search for all the best minds the world has to offer and make them even better and mine. Maybe I could also continue my studies into space colonies and possibly even catch some classes about self-defense with Reisi and Setsuna (the kid was a child soldier on a war zone filled with religious extremists, he has to know a lot about self-defense) as it might come in handy. The world is about to change from the powers I''ve shown and the number of enemies I have now are hard to calculate, most will be test subjects in the end but if someone manages to get too close... yeah, I don''t want to risk it. 10 Reactions of all, the enemy takes notice "Breaking news, we have just received footage from the leader of Academic City, Prince Ciel Phantomhive Zi Brittania, and the message is for all to watch. But, the content is not advisable to children as there are some scenes of great graphic content, parental discretion is recommended." A reporter said on TV as the newly graduated Diethard Reid watched. He was the second son of a rather famous Television companies owner and had from a young age been groomed to work for his father''s company. Diethard was originally quite hopeful for the future when he started journalism, but as he studied more and learned more on Britannia he could only think it was all boring. It was like everything was too boring for him to care as nothing changes. Even this ''important news was likely just another show for the royalty, which he was right that it was a show, but that was as far as his assumptions would go as truth. Watching the TV Diethard saw a young boy on the screen, he had black hair like a moonless night, an aristocratic but not overly absurd clothing, and an eyepatch covering one of his eyes while the other was as purple as the one the emperor had. An omen of greatness, that was what most nobles believed as the Emperors with purple eyes were known to be extremely powerful and the best there was. It was even shown sometimes that a child with purple eyes was chosen over their older brothers and every single one of those with purple eyes left their name marked in history. Of course, not ALL emperors that marked Britania story had purple eyes, but none of those with purple eyes didn''t mark Britania in a way or another. That was one o the reasons why prince Lelouch was favored by a few as a candidate to the throne even without any accomplishments, but now that he was no longer in the race for the throne most thought Schneizel''s position was assured, Diethard being one of them. But, seeing the eye of Prince Ciel, not only the color but also the pose of mystery and power he was emanating, like everyone were toys squirming in his hands, eyes not of madness but of unmistakable confidence in himself, Diethard started to wonder if this boy had something more to him besides his genius intellect. He was also VERY interested in what exactly had happened to Prince Ciel''s eye that caused him to wear an eyepatch. He could not remember any type of news regarding an injury and it was like he simply started wearing it one day. "My dear citizens of Britannia, my name is Ciel Phantomhive Zi Britannia. I am the nephew of the emperor Charles Zi Britannia and newly appointed head of the Autonomous Peace Keeping forces of the Holy Britania Empire, the newly created A-laws. It is an organization that answers only to the Emperor first and me second with no one else allowed to manage it, my objective is the elimination of terrorism and corruption across the nation, by the orders of the Emperor and my own desires. "Both those thing have been a plague in our glorious nation for too long. And so, using my own personal forces I am starting now to operate to stop this. I already executed my first mission, the total annihilation of three military bases of the White Fang within Area 6. For the sake of simplification, I will call these bases as A, B, and C. Base A that I will show next was responsible for the plantation and creation of dozens of tons of drugs that were being distributed across the entire Empire to obtain funds for their little ''missions''. Thanks to them the number of drug dependents within the Empire from not only Numbers but also from pure blood and honorary britanians is around 9 million by the lowest estimative. I already started working on a vaccine to treat that as a way to eliminate the resistance and the chemical dependency within a user''s body, but, for now, let''s focus on what my forces do to that base." Ciel said, and it was simply too much information at once for Diethard''s head. An autonomous peacekeeping force? An attack on a base of the White Fang without anyone being any wiser? A cure for chemical dependency? That all is impossible, the Emperor would never agree to the first one, the White Fang would have reacted to the second the moment it happened, and the third was something that no scientist was anywhere close to succeeding. However, when looking at the eye of the prince in the screen Diethard could feel that this was not a lie. This was the truth, and if so it terrified and excited Diethard. This boy was about to push forward this stagnant empire, of this Diethard had no doubts. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX "Damn it!" Euphemia li Britannia winced as she saw her sister throw another Vase at a wall of her office in the Li Britannia Villa. She sighed a bit as she watched her sister pace up and down the room in agitation. Cornelia had been like this since the news which Ciel had broadcasted several days ago. From the few things which Euphemia had overheard her sister rage about she was angry about having her request for a Knightmare being denied by Ciel as well as the fact that the Emperor had given Ciel such prestigious position. Euphie knew that her sister was extremely proud of her skill on the battlefield. While she had not achieved the rank of General yet it honestly was only a matter of time until she surpassed her mentor Andreas Darlton in Tactics and skill. The fact that it had been a "Civilian" who had been given command of his own special-military unit without her even being considered for such a position hurt her pride fiercely. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX "Lady Nunnally, your Guest is here." Nunnally perked up as she heard the voice of her personal Bodyguard Jeremiah Gottwald. She smiled softly in the direction of the man. When Ciel had first introduced Jeremiah to her she had been both indignant at needing a bodyguard and confused at why this man, in particular, had been chosen by her overprotective Fiance. It had taken a bit time for Jeremiah to get closer to her but eventually, he had informed her about how he had been a member of the Aries Villa Guards and heavily admired her Mother. He had confessed his shame at being unable to protect her and how he had quickly fallen from Grace after the Assassination. Jeremiah had been on the verge of joining a Military Faction called the Purebloods for political protection when Ciel had approached him for the offer of being Nunnally''s Bodyguard. Suffice to say Jeremiah had been extremely grateful and happy about Ciel''s offer and immediately accepted. "Please let her in Ser Jeremiah." Nunnally heard the door open and felt her friend rushing in. "Nunna. Did you watch the news yet? Ciel has started fighting Terrorists now." Nunnally smirked as she heard Ruby Rose rapidly spill out words in a speed which she could barely follow. The little Rose was her best friend and her favorite Classmate. In fact, given Ruby''s skill at fighting and piloting Knightmares Ciel had suggested to her to consider naming Ruby her own personal Knight. Nunnally would be lying if she said that she was not seriously considering it. "Yes, Ruby I watched it. I''m a bit worried about Ciel but I trust that his Knights will keep him safe for me. On that matter, did you see how giddy Marry was? I almost thought she would start bouncing up and down the room in eagerness. It probably won¡ät be long before she asks Ciel to join his Group." Ruby hummed in agreement. "True, though she is not the only one. Weiss, Yang, and Nora have been starting to train extra hard in the Knightmare-simulators. They want to join General Ironwoods Hunter-unit as quickly as possible. Though that makes me wonder where they will be deployed. Right now Britannia is mostly waging war in Russia and Africa. It¡äs doubtful they will be deployed there with Prince Ciel, it''s more likely that a new War-front will start soon now that Indochina was conquered." Nunnally frowned a bit. She was not really happy with the aggressive expansion of the Empire. The number of people dying in the wars was horrifying if you looked at the statistics. Hell, she knew that Ruby agreed with her on that matter given that Area 8 (Falkland Islands) was 95% of the people Britannians who immigrated there after the conquest. After Summer Rose died and Taiyang left the battlefield in depression the war there had been up to Qrow Branwen and Raven Branwen. Due to the strong pressure on the supply-lines Qrow had been forced to run interference there which had left Raven alone on the front. Which had turned out bad as she used mass-slaughter of Civilians as Fear-tactics. In the end, most of the Islands population had been massacred or had fled to the EU in desperation. Of course, Qrow had been horrified at his sister''s actions and it had resulted in a huge row between them. Not even half a year later Raven had vanished without a trace from Britannia. "I think you are right Ruby. I just hope the Generals working with Ciel will be willing to keep Civilian casualties low." "Oh, don''t worry. Knowing that cousin of yours he wouldn''t work with people he couldn''t trust or that he can control. He is a bit of a control freak if you ask me." Ruby said while putting one of the cookies that were in the table on her mouth. "Yummy. Now, there is room for one, or ten, more." She tried to take one more cookie, but she then realized that the cookies were all gone from the table. Looking up she saw Nunnally had taken away the cookies from her. "No cookies for someone who speaks bad things about him. Humph." Nunnally said. She knew it was unfair and evil (on her eyes) but she knew exactly how much effort Ciel put into making sure she was fine and happy, of how much he tried to give her everything and anything she might desire, and that he was still trying to search for Lelouch not really for himself (She was rather good at noticing emotions and while Ciel didn''t hate Lelouch, he had started to feel some well-hidden disdain for him, like the one an adult would have towards an angry child that thinks that knows everything) but for her. Of how he even risked himself to talk with those three ''evil men'' from Japan just to be able to tell her that her brother was fine. She agreed that her cousin was a control freak, but she also heard of how there were people trying to spy and even many attempts at kidnapping against him since he was five. FIVE, he was even younger than when she went through that incident that made her go blind and despite that, he was trying his best to make the world a better place for everyone. So, for Nunnally, she would not forgive anyone who spoke badly of her fiancee, and would even give them the cruelest punishment there ever was (from what she gathered from Ciel and Ruby''s reactions), no cookies or other sweets for a while. On the door, Lord Jeremiah saw the two girls basically playing around with cookies and smiled, this is what he wanted to protect. He failed so immensely previously, he had not managed to protect Lady Marianne so now the least he could do is ensure that her child was safe, sound, and happy. And he''d plunge his sword right through whoever tries to disturb her happiness, this he swears. However, he had to wonder how his other two friends were doing. They had decided to head to Japan and wait for a chance to offer their services to young Lelouch, the boy also needed protection so they left to protect him while Jeremiah continued in Britania on guard duties to princess Nunnally. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX On Japan, to be more precise in one of Okinawa''s beaches two friends were sickly laying on a bed. They were the ones who Jeremiah was thinking off and they were capable fighters and aristocrats, but when they got to Japan they had been attacked by strange Assassin who had somehow tracked them down and poisoned them. They couldn''t risk calling a doctor as if they did their disguise would likely be blown and they''d lose the chance to serve their chosen king. However, now all of this was too late as the two friends looked at the three children in front of them. "Kids, I know this might be too much, but we can only ask of you to do this for us." The first one said. The second one wanted to say something but she was not able to speak anymore. The feeling of failure inside her heart being too strong. One of the kids, he wore a frilly white shirt, black pants and a pair of black shoes, he had golden hair and a very sad face as he looked at his parents. "Don''t you worry, mom, dad, we swear we will ensure the King is fine and gets to fulfill his destiny." "Yeah, don''t worry about anything and leave it to us." A taller and much more robust boy said, he had the looks of someone who would definetly be a fighting monster. He had short black hair pulled back on his head with a lot of gel to keep it down. "Yeah, we will ensure the king is safe and sound, that he will be happy." The last one, a girl wearing a blue overcoat with six yellow buttons and cuff links, shorts and orange socks with thin black stripes, and a pair of blue shoes, she had ruby eyes and shoulder-length wavy white hair. Listening to their children''s words the couple was relieved. Their three Children had proven to be exceptional in their Knightmare-simulations and would help the son of the woman they failed so much in taking his rightful place. "Good, if you three can say this I am sure that everything will be fine. Now come here one last time, my precious Neferpitou, Shaiapouf, and Menthuthuyoupi." the woman said as she embraced the three of them. "I love all of you so much, I just know you three will do what we couldn''t and help protect our king unlike us who failed to save his mother." The three kids nodded as they saw their parents die. It was the saddest moment of their lives, but they couldn''t stay there forever. After a few hours they left the place, they torched the house together with their parents and any proof they were once there, they couldn''t risk anyone knowing they were there until they were close to the ''destined king'' that their parents loved to speak about. "Let us go, we have to be by the side of the king." Shaiapouf, or just Pouf, said as he turned to leave. The three took a few steps before saying to themselves. "All hail Britannia! All hail Emperor Lelouch!" XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX "Hmm, how interesting!" Kanon Maldini looked at his Master Prince Schneizel la Britannia who looked at the recording of Ciels bold speech which had been sent to their base in East-Russia from where they directed the conquest of Russia. "What is so interesting about this recording my Prince? I mean, the creation of an Anti-Terrorist unit was pretty predictable for the Empire to do and Prince Ciels Military advancements would certainly serve to make the Unit very effective." Schneizel looked slightly amused at Kanon before returning to the frozen image of Ciel. "You are correct. The implemention of a Anti-terrorist unit was predictable. But you are wrong in thinking that it would be obvious to put Ciel in charge of it. Ciel is a child with no experience in leading a Military or fighting Terrorists. His troops right now are only effective because of his superior technology and a few experienced commanders not because of him. No, the reason why Ciel was put in charge was a play from the Emperor. He no doubt is using Ciel to cause strife among his Heirs to heat up the political battles between them. As example I have no doubt that Clovis, Cornelia and Guinevere are now far more antagonistic towards Ciel due to envy. At the same time Ciels speech was more open then he should have been as he attacked the Nobles outright by accusing them of corruption showing his inexperience in Politics. He made many enemies with that speech and his stated purpose which will lower his standing in Britannias Homeland by great amounts. Basically while Military he has won a big deal, his support-base and allies have shrunken by a just as large amount meaning nothing has changed in total. Of course, once Ciel starts knocking off a few Nobles things will shift slightly in his favour but even that will be more difficult now that the Nobles know to prepare for him. Poor Ciel, the Emperor played him like a fiddle while making it look like he favours him." Schneizel smirked a bit before he pushed the button on the remote causing the screen to go black. He also knew one positive point Ciel obtained from his actions by becoming a favorite of the civilians due to focusing on actually stopping the terrorism that was plaguing and terrorizing them was one such positive. The other was that part of the Numbers who want peace and a chance to improve saw this with Ciel''s offer, the fact that one of Ciel''s knights piloting those Knightmares was actually someone who wasn''t even a number but instead a former child soldier really made the Numbers think they could actually obtain a future for themselves if they signed up to this A-Laws thing. The fact Ciel would not differentiate payment between Britannians and Numbers and the posts were to those who were capable really made a point to the Numbers that this was a true opportunity. His position to execute the corrupt nobles from Area 6 who were connected to the White Fang and supported the supression of Numbers was also a point that made some of the Numbers tentatively hopeful. Still, Schneizel had to shake his head at Ciels over-eagerness. Despite his desire to convince the Numbers to bank on him Schneizel knew that Ciel underestimated the sheer amount of hatred the Numbers had for Britannia. Sure, maybe some of them would come to work for him and would even hope that he becomes Emperor but the majority of them would rip Ciel apart with their bare hands if they could get away with it. Schneizel knew that around one in five Numbers had lost a friend, relative or Job due to their Invasions in many cases even all three at once. One kid deciding to give them an equal Job-offer which they would have had anyway if Britannia didn¡ät invade their country would not endear him to the Numbers nearly as much as he wished. As far as Schneizel was concerned Ciel was an idealistic fool who was not seeing the reality he was living in. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX European United Noble Council "Hmph. What an arrogant little brat! To think Britannia is so desperate to put children in charge of their Military now." Tywin Lannister, Lord of Germany looked with his normal calculating eyes at the man who spoke after the recording ended. Stannis Baratheon, Lord of Ireland was certainly not very impressed with what he just saw. In Europe United, the heads of state were elected, yes, but as only those with enough finances ever managed to obtain the leadership and the most influential families were not that many they were almost always the same heads of state. Even if it changed the political base of said Heads was so strong they basically continued leading making the whole ''democracy'' just a show for the public. And so, the current ''Lord'' of Ireland considered himself king of his little kingdom and was not pleased by the fact a simple child could grasp a military power that likely surpassed his own despite being so young. Tywin himself though had seen the danger in the eyes of the Boy-Prince and the potential in there, like if everything they saw was just a little game he played and it was as he expected it to be. He made a note to never underestimate the kid should he encounter him, he would never underestimate someone who had eyes like that. Still looking through the Council he had to repress a sigh at what he saw. - The Head-councilor Robert Baratheon was drinking wine while groping one of the Servant-maids, he enjoyed his post as Head of the Union that he obtained a bit too much, the man ruled the British Isles like every Head-councilor before him due to them being neutral Ground in the EU. Of course Robert could be charismatic (when he wanted to). However, his deplorable behaviour behind closed doors made Tywin regret marrying his Daughter to the Oaf even if the political advantages were not so small. - Stannis Baratheon from Ireland was looking like he swallowed a pile of moldy cheese as he looked at his brother in disdain, he was someone who was said to only have smiled once in his life and if Tywin had to bet he''d say they might have counted wrong as the man likely never smiled. - Renly Baratheon, Lord of Denmark was talking with his lover Loras Tyrell, the two speaking sweet nothings in each other''s ears making the old lion regret not being allowed to just cut the two down then and there. There is a fucking time to act like this, and this was not the time! - Mace Tyrell, the oaf of Paris was trying to act intelligent but Tywin would not be surprised if they found out he didn''t have even two working brain cells in his head as one probably was to say ''yes, mother''. He lacked a spine so much that Tywin wouldn''t be surprised if they were to find out that he needed his mothers council over if he should go take a dump when he needed to or not. - The Greyjoy Brothers Euron, Balon and Victarion who ruled Sweden, Norway and Finland were looking at the screen with barely hidden greed. They probably were thinking about sending a force to the Academic City somehow and steal it clean, or just any base producing Knightmares really as they never build anything themselves and just stole everything, the ''iron price'' or something like that. - Eddard Stark, Lord of Poland had a serious look on his face but seemed to take a more cautious stance. Good, Tywin liked that at least one person had their priorities right. But, that man would never truly grow in strength as he was too honorable to do anything except fair and direct battle only when needed, he was not one that Tywin needed to worry much about, - Viserys Targaryen, Lord of Greece despite being only 16 years old (his family influence being the main reason he had ANY power in his hand) had, like always, a barely restrained look of hatred on his face while looking at Robert, Eddard and Tywin. Good, after Rhaegars kidnapping of Lyanna Stark which led to a short civil war in the EU and the death of Rhaegar and the removal of former Head-councilor Aerys Targaryen the influence of the Dragons had waned for the most part. His sister looked promising despite only being nine years old and rumors of him abusing her. - Lord Mance Ryder from Russia was looking more and more pale with every day that passed. Tywin actually felt some sympathy for the man who was forced to watch as Schneizel slaughtered his way through Russia. He was nothing to worry about for Tywin as the man would likely be beheaded soon enough by Schneizel. - Doran Martell, Lord of Spain was sitting uncomfortably in his seat. His Gout was getting worse and Tywin wondered idly when the time came that Oberyn Martell was forced to replace his brother, a thought that brought a scowl to Tywin''s face as the man was a sex degenerate who would fuck or be fucked by anyone and thought himself great despite not having much to his name. However, he did have some experience in combat due to his years working as a mercenary for the Second Sons mercenary company in Egypt. Maybe he''d be able to help in their war effort, if he didn''t try to fuck everyone up in possibly a literal sense. - Jon Arryn the old Falcon from Austria was looking more weary after watching the recording and was no doubt already formulating some letter which he would send to Britannia in his position as Ambassadeur between the two Super-powers. The man was an eyesore to Tywin but he at least tried to delay the war as long as they could since the Alexander Units were still mostly prototypes. - Finally the last High-Lord was Hoster Tully from Italy. The old man was long past retirement but with his son being in Venice all the time partying he had not much choice about it. Honestly, Tywin could feel pity for the man, even his embarassment of a son was better than the failure the Tully family has raised, so much so that Tywin thought not before long there would be another Lord family taking over and commanding Italy. Aside from them there were a few minor Lords which Tywin knew to keep an eye on like Walder Frey, Petyr Baelish and Roose Bolton but they were not here at the moment. Finishing his look through the Council Tywin wondered if European United even stood a chance against Britannia in the long run. Short term he was not worried but sooner or later Britannia would crush them. Hmm, that would take some thinking but Tywin had some plans to keep his family on top for the future. He smiled wintry as he thought of a certain One-eyed Prince who no doubt could use a man on the inside. Now just how to go about contacting him. Maybe sending his son there could work, he''d probably enjoy the opportunity and the fact that Tyrion was at least decently intelligent was an added benefit. Also, if he had to risk one of his children to die on such a mission it was better to be Tyrion than his heir Jaime. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Kouen Ren was in many things a complex person. He was the eldest son of the current Empress second Uncle and as such he was the fourth in line of the Chinese Throne. Directly after his cousin Hakuryuu Ren, Hakuei Ren and his own Father Koutoku Ren of course. Kouen was a deep believer in the Idea of uniting the entire world under one Country and Culture, for that purpose he had started at a young age to research and learn everything he could about Ruling, Military Tactics, Diplomacy and even Science. After the horrible Fire which killed his Uncle Hakutoku Ren, two Imperial Princes and the last Emperor his own star had risen largely. His cousin Jiang Lihua was a puppet-ruler used by the Eunuchs. Sure, Kouen loved her like he loved all his cousins and siblings but he very much knew that Jiang not only was not suited to be Empress but also that she didn¡ät WANT to be Empress at all. Of course he could not take the Throne by force either given the large amount of opposition he had. Li Xingke that annoying man who Kouen suspected to be a pedophile in love with his cousin had for some reason deluded himself into thinking that Jiang wanted to be Empress and had taken a antagonistic stance towards nearly the entire Imperial Family. The Eunuchs led by that crafty old codger Varys were controlling the Federation in all but name and were also owners of many of the Factories creating the Military weapons like Tanks, Jets and Knightmares. They also had a powerful Army called the Golden Company who originated from India at their beck and call. Hakuryuu had descended into rage and if what Kouen feared was correct madness. He believed that Kouen and his siblings had been apart of the group who "removed" his Father and brothers. Something which was not true at all, though Kouen knew that the Eunuchs had their hand in it. Finally there was Gyokuen Ren and her Puppet his father Koutoku. Kouen had found out through some Investigating that Gyokuen was in contact with a shadow-organization called Peace Mark who apparently was some sort of Anarchist cult who supplied Terrorists world-wide with supplies, weapons and soldiers. At the same time remnants of defeated Terrorist Groups vanished into thin air around them. Kouen had after some thinking concluded that the remnants were used to create one large army made up of experienced Veterans in Battle and Guerilla Wars. Maybe enough to even topple one of the Super-powers in the world if they fought smartly. A knocking at the door of his office had Kouen look up. "Enter!" Kouen watched as his brother Koumei entered the room. "Hello Brother, I have the new War-reports from around the world." Koumei went and stood before his desk and handed over a bunch of papers. Kouen nodded slightly and gestured for Koumei to begin. "Alright. As you know Area 6 is currently embroiled in heavy fighting with Prince Ciel zi Britannia searching for White Fang bases and supporters all over the continent. Last I heard he took down a rather savage White Fang Officer called Victor Creed in Peru. The battles there will probably continue for another three Months before things calm down. On the EU front the fights between the EU and Britannia over Africa is starting to heat up. Also, a new report came in that the Britannian General William Stryker was killed down in Kenya. The Troops of the EU were led by Ser Barristan Selmy who has moved his forces to support the Baratheon troops in Tanzania. The second front in Russia though is going in favour of Britannia. The Russian General Styr was killed in the siege of Yakutsk. The Britannian Army is moving further westwards towards Norilsk where General Tormund Giantsbane is stationed. I doubt though that he will prevail against Schneizels tactics. Here in the Chinese Federation the loss of Indochina was rather harsh. It has led to India moving a bit more bold against China, the Sultan is apparently picking up with his weapons-developement team to create better Knightmares thanks to that woman Rakshata Chawla. We also had some more border-brushes with the EU trying to encroach on our territory. Finally Japan seems to have some internal trouble. In Kyushu a Terrorist Group led by a man called Seimei has made some brutal attacks on the populance, it is still unknown why exactly his group did that but I heard that General Kitsuchi Sumeragi was sent to take the group out." Kouen frowned a bit at the report. Things seemed to move a bit slowly right now. Most of the current strife was long time conflicts which wouldn¡ät ressolve anytime soon. It seemed like the whole world was waiting for the other shoe to drop. "Very well. Koumei, inform me when something else important happens." Koumei nodded solemnly before leaving the room. Kouen stood up and looked at the Map hanging on his wall before applying the changes which Koumei informed him off. With a sigh he sat down and thought about how he could make allies capable of helping him clean up in the Chinese Federation. With a sigh he sat down and thought about how he could remove his political opposition. He knew that soon Koumei and him would be deployed to the front against the Arab League. In some ways Kouen was happy about this given that the Arab League was the smallest of the five big Alliances. Britannia, European United, the Arab League, the Chinese Federation and finally Australia. Of course there were a few smaller independent countries left like Japan but they were quickly falling to the war-machine of Britannia, the EU and the Federation. Still, he worried about how long the Federation had left before the corruption and hostility in the upper class exploded in a bloody civil war. Hmm, perhaps once he returned from the front it would be time to remove one of the cancers. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX In one of the many rooms of the Imperial Palace of the Chinese Federation a certain black haired woman was brushing her hair. She was decidedly beautiful to an umbelievable degree considering she was already older than 40 yet looked no different from when she was in her twenties. Suddenly a voice said from one of the speakers of the phone she had on the side. "I see that everything is going well on your side, Gyokuen." a male voice said calmly. "Yes," She said, not even being surprised by the fact said person started speaking out of the phone even through she hadn''t answered any calls and the phone being supposedly turned off until a little while ago. "The plans are going splendidly here in the Chinese Federation. While that eunuch Varis seems to be onto me and distrusts me he can''t do anything against me and with my position I am managing to keep the other ''eunuchs'' at bay and under control by using my body." "Kukuku, to think a man would call himself a eunuch even though he isn''t, and so many of them no less. Really, humanity is such a strange little race that it gets quite funny watching them play." The voice said in good humor. "Regardless, I need to know when will be the right time to approach Kouen. We need him and his desire to conquer if we want this world to continue in its project towards world unification, we can''t quite trust Charles and the brat V.V. with the unified world after all." "I understand, but he isn''t quite on the right point for it. However, I already planted the seeds of doubt and distrust into Hakuryuu''s mind to make him resentful to me and Kouen. We can use his hatred any time to start a civil war inside the Chinese Federation." Gyokuen said smiling while remembering the eyes of hatred that her ''child'' had when looking at her. "I see, I suppose the plans of Peace Mark are still on track then. It is such a joy to work with my fellow "Gods" in reworking the world. Still I doubt many of them will be left once the final of the war begins." Ribbon mused silently in amusement. "Do not worry, while the others might not be able to accompany you into the world of C. I will as I have the Geass you gave me, the Geass of Transfer to simply jump my soul to another body and completely take it over." Gyokuen said. "After all, this Arba already accompanies you for the last 600 years, nothing stops me from joining you in the final battle. Anyway, I must get going now, master Ribbons Almark. There are people waiting for me that I must meet due to the child from Britannia who is killing our pawns left and right in Area 6, I might need to send some men from Al-Thamen to deal with him." "I suppose I understand. It wouldn''t do for us if Britannia were to become stable internally otherwise they just might realize our members on the inside and that wouldn''t do for any of our subsidiary organizations like your Al-Thamen, Danzou''s Root, and Doflamingo and his family. I suppose eliminating him now would be for the best. Okay, give the go order but only when we can be sure it won''t interfere with our overall plans and when he is not surrounded by those machines as fighting them would cause too much trouble for us. Also, send word to Salem and her forces to stay further away from Britannia''s capital, I don''t want the Emperor sniffing around close to me." "Hehe, that is rich coming from you master, you are literally living in a hotel while IN the capital of the man who would do anything to capture you if he was to know you are there. "Well, what can I say? Humans are truly predictable creatures, after living in this world for more than one thousand years I already understand how they work simply too well." Ribbons answered. "Master Ribbons, I must ask but why do you speak of other humans and even other Code Bearers like they are different from you?" "Well, they are. I am the one destined to make this world progress, after all I instigated most of the wars this world has seen for the last few hundred years and thanks to my efforts the cattle is finally evolving. I am different from humans who accept living in mediocrity or the Code Bearers that still keep trying to connect to humanity for some reason, if I were to define myself I''d say I am an Innovator." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX On Pandora Academy the girls were excitedly talking. "When is your cousin coming back?" Seryu said excitedly to Marrybell who was glued to a screen and intensely watching the news on the phone where dozens of people, Britannian and Numbers, were lining up to become members of the A-Law while Marrybell was seething in anger at this. "As I told you before, I don''t know. Ciel said he would try to come back within the next month. He has finished with most of Area 6 Terrorists and only Argentinia and Chile are left to search through." Marrybell explained while whispering to herself "Lucky bastards, got to fight already while I have to stay at school." "Humm, do you think he would mind if I wanted to join? I really want to fight for JUSTICE already and he definitly is fighting for it." Seryuu said before starting to shake Marrybell."Come on, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell m-" SMACK "That should be enough." A girl said from behind Seryu who now had a bump in her head. Seryu was pouting with her new wound but the new girl didn''t mind in the least. "As the future knight of Marrybell, I won''t allow you to do whatever you want with her! This I swear as Oldrin Zevon, future knight of Marrybell Mel Britania." "Yeah, yeah, everyone heard you proclaiming that a hundred times already." A new person walked over, Kallen who was already much more open now after spending more than a few months in this academy. She had already forgotten her brother''s words about how she should pretend to be sick all the time as there was no reason for it. She liked it here. She was living with her mother in the citys western district quite well, her father was making great strides with his company due to some inventions being sold to him cheaply by Ciel and with the new political support from Ciel her mother had even said that it was likely that he might receive a comanding position in one of the Areas when Ciel eliminates the bad nobles there nothing would stop the chance of her father being able to help manage one such area. The only sad part to her was how her brother had gone back to Japan and stopped sending letters after telling her how he was now living with his friend Kento Sugiyama and that he was planning to apply for the Military in two years once he was eighteen. She didn''t like that Madara-guy her brother idolized anymore, now that she lived in Academic City and saw a much more colorful world she could never agree with something like race superiority and things like that, she had seen people from all races and cultures in this school, its rival school (Teito Institute for males-only) and the other schools to know that race shouldn''t define a person, effort is what should. Kallen was especially friendly with Seryu, even if the girl needed to have someone to reign her in every once in a while or she might do something stupid like start a fight for ''justice'' or whatever. But, she had to admit that the superhero animes Seryu recommended were quite good. "Regardless, I already asked my fiance," Marrybel started, making those listening sweatdrop at how calm Marrybell was about the engagement despite being so young. "and he said that the minimum age to be a member of the A-Laws is 13, it will take four more years for us as we are all nine years old now." "But don''t Slaine and Setsuna join in operations? I saw them on TV, piloting their machines and fighting, how can the prince say it isn''t allowed for us but is for them?" A new girl that was passing by and heard the talk said. "Well, as you know Erza, Slaine and Setsuna are part of Ciel''s 14 knights. They don''t exactly count as members of the A-Laws as the two are separate entities working for Ciel, they might act together but they are not the same." Marrybell explained. "Hum, then if I were to become one of Ciel''s knights I''d be able to fight already?" Erza asked, but these words made a LOT of people''s ears twitch, many were having the same thoughts as it was known that despite being ''14 knights'' there was still eight open slots, perhaps 9 as there still was the personal knight for Ciel to speak off so there was quite the chance for them. "Yes, he likely would agree. But he only accepts as knights those completely loyal and with enough talent or enough effort to replace the talent. Also, it is not like it is just us from Pandora who are looking for these chances as there still are other schools in the city and many new recruits from the A-Laws, who knows who will be chosen?" Marrybell said before changing the subject, she was happy right now as she had just seen Ciel giving a speech over the importance of their fight against terrorism and corruption. Marrybell was actually relieved that as Imperial Princess and Ciels fiance she also had access to Ciels pool of recruits to build her personal unit the Glynda Knights. One person, however, was wondering if she should accept the offer from Ciel to become one of his knights. She didn''t know if she should, but the title Knight Chiffon Fairchild does sound good. She was the only one until now from the Pandora Academy who had received such an offer after she participated in a mock battle with Setsuna and managed a draw in close combat, something that highly impressed Ciel. Other members of the class continued talking and all of them were enjoying it, the peace they were having now being more complete in knowing that terrorists and corrupt nobles that for so long put many of them through hell were now starting to get their just deserts. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ciel''s P.O.V. I am now in front of a pile of paperwork, to think that the child that is beginning to change the Empire is now in a losing battle against paperwork. It truly is regretful. Oh well, at least one of the papers I have right now is more interesting. It is the details on the number of people that are enlisting into the A-laws, some of them even requesting transfers from the military to do that. It was annoying, but one good thing is that with my financial support through the new company I developed to create cheaper medicine and selling them to all on a fair price I now have enough money to, with the help of the Schnee industries, start the mass production of the power suits I wanted for my elite troops. They aren''t as strong as a Knightmare but they are cheaper to produce as one Glasgow costs the equivalent to 20 power suits, they also are not that much bigger than the human body and can protect against the guns used by Glasgows and Sutherlands for about 30 rounds and the increase in physical strength, speed, and protection means it is enough to help alleviate a lot of problems. I also started preparing the Power Suits to the higher ranking officers as these will cost much more to produce their numbers will be limited but the sheer specs of this will make it all worth it. Now I just need to wait and see how things will play out while I cleanse Area 6 with the blood of the White Fang and those Nobleman who failed to cover up their crimes in time. "Master Ciel, we just received word of the Emperor." Kirumi said from the door after she entered. "Hoh, and what does uncle has to say about my request?" "He said he will be sending one of the princes here shortly and that you are free to do what you wish now." A malicious grin spread across my face. "I see, then send word to the A-Laws. We will capture the current Viceroy Raven (Fullmetal Alchemist) and execute him today, his incompetence and greed already cost too much for our empire." I said and Kirumi bowed before leaving to send the message. I had to wait for too long to actually kill this Viceroy as I can''t take charge of this Area or maybe people would call it me trying to rebel, but if the Emperor gave his agreement and already will be sending one of my cousins here then everything should be fine. If there already is a replacement in place and the Emperor gave his approval this is a mission the A-Laws can fulfill without issue, now I just need to think how I should execute the traitor who was letting this Area become a nest of snakes as well as ensuring that the other Viceroys stop thinking themselves king and realize they must behave or their heads are next. I do know that this will create hundreds of enemies within those in power, but I also understand that my standing amongst the citizens will raise as I become the ''champion of the weak''. It is amazing really, how all other princes only have their eyes on the nobility and petty squabbles while failing to notice how the people is what is the most important. Control the heart of the nation, become its hero and savior in its time of crisis, and you will become their guiding light and spiritual leader in time. This is what I believe, a nation who loves someone will not easily turn against them for no good reason and will instead worry about them, the population will become my shield as more and more will come to like me and attacking me becomes something the others will have to avoid. They fail to see how I will be using the nation itself to defend me from any direct attacks and the more hidden types are easier to deal with as I can easily stomp them with my tech. The only real way of beatin my forces is by overwhelming numbers, but without being able to use this I am safe for the time being. When they manage to get something that could threaten me it will be too late, my power will be great enough to face any of the three great powers by that point in time. Everything is going according to the plan. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ribbon Almark entered a dark room in his hidden base in a mansion in the capital of Britania with some amusement on his face. Sitting down on the tallest throne he looked at the other seven thrones as he tapped a single button and watched as seven Hologramms activated on the other Thrones projecting the remaining seven members in control of Peace Mark. The from him ironically named "Peaceful Seven" who controlled most of the world from the Shadows for the goal of advancing Humanity through a bloody evolution into a single unified world. - The first was Madara Uchiha, the Japanese Warlord in his red Samurai Armor looked passive like always as he surveyed the rest of the Group. He joined not long ago but already was making good use of his Geass that allowed him to influence the minds of others into trusting him and making them agree with him the more they listened to him, something he was using in various public speeches to create his own large amount of Fanatics. The main weakness of his Geass though was that not only did it require for him to speak in person due to electronic mediums not working with it but unlike other Geass his changed the minds of people very slowly so if they only attended one or two speeches then the victim could easily resist his influence. - The second was Salem, the white-haired Witch who controlled hundreds of Terrorist Groups from the Shadows all over the world and kept the various minor countries politically unstable by means of terrorism or assassination, she was originally a member sent undercover to work in the inner group of Charles Zi Britannia as his best assassin but now had been recalled so that she could lead the Terrorist groups more directly. She, as always, had by her side her loyal apprentice Cinder Fall. - The third was Petyr Baelish, the one responsible for destabilizing the EU and making it fracture when the time was right. He was also the responsible for financing the troops of Peace Mark and ensuring that the operations ran smoothly, his latest triumph being making a military secret base on Austria by using his lover/follower/Dumb Cheating Woman lady Lisa, the wife of the old Lord Aryn. - The Fourth was Mason Ordrosso. The oldest living member of the EU secret killer-unit "Chronos Numbers" and a Veteran of the Chinese-Euro War in which Mason killed the Grandfather of the current Chinese Empress himself. After the war he had become disillusioned by the world and had started working with Ribbon. Nowadays he not only had converted several of the Chronos Numbers to their cause but he also was the secret Leader of the Terrorist Group "Apostles of the Star". The most elite Group under the control of Peace Mark which they planned to eventually use as spear-head for their attack on Britannia. - Fifth was a man only known as Father. He is also a Code Bearer who, before becoming a Code Bearer had a Geass that allowed him to divide his soul''s sins and implant them into other people to turn them into hybrids between their original personality and his own with them being also extremely loyal to him. Father himself had also granted a Geass to his two most loyal sons King and Selim Bradley. - Sixth was Gyokuen Ren, or Arba to those who knew her better. The most devoted follower of Ribbons and the leader of AL-Thamen, a cult who worshipped Ribbon for nearly five-hundred years. - The final one was Yhwach, a German man who commands the most powerful mercenary force in the world, the Sternitter, and was the possessor of a Geass capable of seeing the future and used it to both fights and lead during wars making his troops nearly always winning and when not winning being capable of escape without much damage making him a legendary figure in his own right. Currently, he was a leading-figure in the EU-front at Africa where he was causing much damage to both sides of the conflict through subtly sabotage in case of the EU and battle in case of Britannia. All seven, him included, were working to their own goals, not all being perfectly aligned with others but working together regardless. Ribbon smiled in dark amusement. Seeing how most of these members were likely working to destabilize the world to remake it anew on their own image made Ribbons think it was cute they thought they would be the ones in charge on the end. "Now let the meeting begin." 11 New movements in the world, Ciels doub After giving the order for the A-Laws to start I went to the main battle stations. This was definitely going to turn into a battle given that the opposition was unlikely to surrender without a fight. After eliminating the White Fang South America Chapter along with thirty-five other Terrorist and Criminal Groups I now only needed to remove the corrupt nobility parts of Area 6. Thankfully most of the heaviest corruption had been concentrated in Area 6 Capital in Brazil where the Viceroy held court. Not to say that there weren¡ät some corrupt ones elsewhere on the continent but most of those had been small-time stuff like lower wages for Numbers or bribing officers to cover up crimes. I had left those guys to Smirnov with instruction to keep an eye on them and arrest them if necessary. There had been some nasty ones though like that Baron Walden Macnair who had been hunting Numbers for sport and Margrave Augustus Rookwood a doctor who secretly dissected his patients to satisfy his bloodlust. Those had gotten a quick visit from Setsuna to make sure they would not be able to continue with their deeds. Now I was laying siege on the Viceroy-Palace in Rio de Janeiro where Viceroy Raven was holing up. (Brasilia the old capital had been bombed into the ground during the Invasion twenty-eight years ago so they changed back to Rio de Janeiro the first major city of Brazil which Britannia conquered.) Sighing I think how the rest of the world will see my actions, I can just hope the number of assassins doesn''t rise too much as even Mayuri doesn''t need that many for his more bizzare experiments and that is saying something. Standing on the main airship I moved with the A-laws to fly around the palace, looking at my airship I could not help but smile with pride as a flying monster that looks similar to the Helicarrier used by Shield during the first Avengers movie is underneath my feet, many missile launchers, laser canons, and many other ''toys'' are on board and this will help me in dealing with mobility and field base of operations until I finish with some of my other projects. However, my good mood is spoiled when I look at the Viceroy''s palace. Just looking at it puts a tick-mark in my forehead as the area was suffering so much due to the terrorists with bombings almost weekly and the palace is almost as opulent as the capital''s palace! This is a disgrace. Spending so much in luxuries while the people starve, if the emperor didn''t give me permission to move I''d at least send a battalion to clean this place to get all these luxuries to help pay for the repairs of this Area to decent levels. It is one of the advantages of being in my position, no one can say s*** about any of my actions as long as the Emperor doesn''t say anything against it, and uncle Charles only cares about the Ragnarok Project and his "the strong rule" stance so as long as I have the power to defeat my enemies he will simply declare my foes as weak and therefore useless to the empire. While I was musing that, me and the A-Laws are now within firing range of the palace when I notice several Glasgows in position all around as well as multiple tanks as well. That was one of the reasons why I hated that cunt Katarea and her family. They sold the Glasgows to EVERYONE who had enough money to pay for them in the Empire which meant that there were Nobles who had dozens if not hundreds of "Security-Knightmares" which the ones opposing me were given that the Emperor had given a stand-down order to the normal Area 6 Military. "Put me on a speaker." I said to the comunication officer on the bridge. He nodded and gave me the go signal. "Security-forces of Viceroy Raven, my name is Ciel Phantomhive Zi Britannia. I am here with the A-Laws to bring the current Viceroy and fellow corrupt nobles to Justice from the fact they collaborated with the terrorist organization White Fang and other transgressions like the taxes that went well beyond the established level, production and selling of Drugs and the illegal transfer of public funding for personal use, if you stand down we will not consider you enemies but if you remain resistant you will be classified as criminals and will be put down as such. "Now, what will you all choose?" I said, and unsurprisingly I saw that none of them decided to give up. Somewhat logical given that most of them were Mercenaries who were depending heavily on reputation so if they sold out their employer it meant no one would ever hire them again. Regardless, this was all I needed as I turn the communicator to the ground forces that I prepared. 500 A-Law soldiers using the first and only currently working batch of power suits I had previously left done, they are the first 500 who passed the test to be members of the A-Laws and as such received the first batch of power suits. I still will need some time to mass produce them but what I did until now should be enough. "1st Battalion, your mission is simple. I want you to eliminate all tanks and other infantry fighters of the other side while we deal with the Knightmares using my air fleet''s capacity. Remember, anyone who surrenders is to be imprisoned using the Y-Gun which you were all trained to use and the Viceroy and other nobles who hide in there are to be brought back alive. I also will be sending the six-wing helicopters to help you all so there is nothing to worry about, just remember that your lives are the most important and if the situation gets hard or you are close to dying you must ask for backup and escape if needed, medicinal spray is also on your person so if you get injured you must instantly use it. "Now go and show Viceroy Raven what the result of his folly is." "Yes, my lord." The A-Law members said enthusiastically while wearing their dark suits. I originally thought of using something else entirely but this prototype worked just as well after I examined the results of Mayuri and a few others and combined them to generate this type of power suit. It was the same type as the one used in Gantz, that same basic suit that was honestly very ugly but practical nonetheless. It was a skin-tight black bodysuit with metallic cylinders around to serve as entrance points to the battery of the suit. Each one is attuned to the individual''s body and can only be utilized by that specific user it was configured to. I had planned to make the suit as impenetrable as in the Gantz-series but there was unfortunately no material yet strong enough to fend off calibers from a Knightmare or Tank but atleast they could reflect normal rounds even from things like Shotguns or Machine-guns and when the suit is close to its limit it releases a warning sign to the others around allowing others to go to the rescue or to stay away depending on the situation. The other good aspect of this suit is that it works as pseudo-muscles, the amount of power someone using it can reach is about 25 times the normal amount they normally can(I still have room to improve as I want to reach 100 times), which means that if normally you can jump 30 centimeters high you now can jump over 7,5 meters high without any strain, if you count how much strength and agility it can also grant you get some terrifying army right there. Not that the phyiscal abilitys were very useful on the battlefield with Knightmares slowly replacing Infantry but for my Agents and Assassins the Suits would be worth pure Gold. I also equipped them with a gun similar to the one used by Cable in Deadpool 2, it has the ability to launch energy shots with varied capacity with the main difference that it takes time to shoot the stronger shots. But I modified it to allow for normal caliber weapons as well and I also equipped the A-laws with my Y-guns, a gun that released three interconnected ''laser anchors''. These anchors are connected by a special rope that would take much more physical strength than any regular human could ever hope to have to tear apart and when the anchors hit someone they wrap around the target before firmly planting it to the ground and effectively stopping the target in place. I had also equipped them with vibration swords that only activate when used by the specific user, so I guess you could say I went a tad bit overboard with my preparations. But, I really wanted something cool, and seeing 500 people who look just like the characters on Gantz before going to a fight is enough to be classified as VERY cool. Regardless, as the hatches of the aircraft opened all of the A-Law infantry members that were wearing the power suit jumped out, none of them with a parachute despite being over 100 meters high. When they were close to hitting the ground their feet and back released a white smoke to propel them upward just enough to kill the fall and allow them to land without a hitch. I sit back and see that they start running towards the armed group around the Viceroys palace, a fierce battle starts and I decide to look for a moment to see how a group of soldiers using my power suits compare against a trained group of armed men with a much greater number. One thing I noticed was that many of my A-Laws are still inexperienced, they don''t know well how to fight or use their suits as of right now given that most of them are fresh recruits so they can''t bring out their full potential. Yet, the battle is still going my way due to the fact that the enemy regular bullets can''t bypass the suits defenses, there is also the fact that during combat the A-Laws are learning, their instincts combined well with the suits that make their physical capacities much greater and before long they begin to fight better and better. Still amateurs, no doubt, but as they loosen up and get used to the battlefield they improve right before my eyes, even if some started acting stupid after not dying from mulitple shots. I then see that the enemy Knightmares began to move to rescue their Infantry, the guns of five knightmares focusing on a few A-laws and before long they were killed as they failed to evade in time. I see that this helped to make the others who were beginning to relax too much realize they also are in danger and they started fighting with much greater savagery and prudence, their effectiveness rising even more. "Send in the six-wings, eliminate the resistance and also use the anti-vehicle missiles on the ship to destroy those knightmares." I ordered, and quickly enough both orders were followed. If before the fight was on my side now it was simply a massacre. The missiles had a tracking capacity that made avoiding them nearly impossible for these Glasgows and destroying them beforehand was also unlikely as their speed was nothing to scoff at. But it was the six-wings that took the cake. I just sent three such helicopters, they all are unmanned with ridiculously high speed and its main capacity is that they each had three machine guns capable of firing a total of 10 bullets per-second, all anti-tank types. To say that the battlefield was drenched in the enemy''s blood was an understatement. But I did put a program to avoid anyone that was unarmed so those who gave up and threw their weapons down were left alive. From the enemy''s 800 soldiers it only took me about 10 minutes to clean them out, and I didn''t even need to send any of my knights to do so. The casualties of the battle made for interesting Data. From the 800 enemy Infantry 732 were dead and the rest captured, all 82 Tanks were destroyed and the 51 Glasgows were also eliminated with only 12 ejecting in time. On my own side from my 500 A-Laws I had lost 32 in total and another 25 wounded, of my three six-wings two had been shot down by the enemies Anti-aircraft Guns mounted to the Palace and my Helicarrier had sustained no damage at all. Not bad for a first test-battle of the A-laws. In the end I just had to wait another 10 minutes to have the Viceroy and the rest of the Nobles in front of me, we all were in the middle of the battlefield that was covered in the stench of death while the A-Law members pulled them along. "Do you know what you are doing?! You all are going to the court-martial for attacking a Viceroy, you hear? I am going to see you, all of you pay for this situation you are putting me into!" Raven yelled in hysteria while around him other nobles tried to intimidate, bribe, or plead for mercy. I look at all of them coldly before nodding to the cameramen who was more than a bit excited to do his job. When I got the go sign I turned to the camera. "Here is Prince Ciel, supreme commander of the A-Laws. I am sorry to disturb the normal programation of you all, I am here for a release of an important announcement. Just a few moments ago me and my organization raided the Viceroy Palace of Area 6 and arrested Viceroy Raven and several of his associates. "Marqis Rabastan Lestrange, Count Thorfinn Rowle, Baron Amycus Carrow, Baroness Alecto Carrow and finally Viscount Evan Rosier. The evidence of your crimes has already been forwarded to the Emperor. You have been found guilty on the charges of Corruption, Betrayal of the Crown and in the case of two of you War-crimes due to selling restricted information to the EU. You are sentenced to death and will meet a firing-squad in the morning." I looked at the fearful and seething people before me with disdain before nodding at my A-Laws to lead them to their cells onboard the Heli-carrier. Then I turned towards the shaking Viceroy. "I guess you never really understood your position." I said while he curled up in fear at my gaze. "The position of Viceroy means the trust of the Emperor, the belief that this person can manage and make the Area prosper, to make the nation as a whole prosper and bring forth stability and possibilities for all citizens. Instead, you saw this as a chance to get more power and riches, your original goal is forgotten to instead get more luxuries while allowing the Empire as a whole suffer and bringing shame to the name of nobility everywhere. "Just for your sheer incompetence you already deserve death, the fact you also sold intel on military bases to terrorist organizations and that you profited by the selling of drugs within your Area makes it worse. Now, do you have any last words?" "M-My family, what will be of them?" "Your two eldest sons who we already discovered were directly involved with the criminal activities you enjoyed, will be sent to the frontlines in Africa to serve in a suicide-squad until they either die or survive until the end of the war. The rest of your family will lose its position in court and nobility, becoming normal citizens with no influence, 75% of your riches will be used to repair the damage you caused in this area and your land will return into ownership of the Emperor" I explained. Raven looks at me pleadingly. "I, I am a Viceroy." he said, and before he could continue I nodded to two guard who put Raven on his knees. Reisi then moved forward with his sword drawn before with a quick slash Ravens head rolled onto the ground. "You were a Viceroy, consider yourself fired." I said before turning to the television. "I am sorry if this scene was too strong for you all, it was not my intention to traumatize any of you, but I hope this helps make you all understand that corruption and betrayal will be met with quick and harsh punishment. This is necessary for a better future where those who deserve more and work for it can obtain their just rewards, if you also want to help me in this path, the path of cleaning this nation of ours of all of those who are stopping it from truly growing and becoming what we all dream it should be, then come and enlist in the A-Law or enter in Academic City. I do not discriminate over race, place of birth or origins, all that matters is yourself as a person. "If you are strong, if you are determined, if you have what it takes to reach the peak, that is all that matters. In case you have the necessary talent, you can go to Academic City and from there receive a higher position inside the A-Laws, but even if you lack the talent to enter the city you can still enlist in the A-Laws and work your way up just as well, both paths are acceptable and both can get results. Also, I will be showing you all proof of what we are accomplishing, just look out and see how we work. The A-laws are the imperial order demanding justice and progress, and we will use all to reach our goal." As I finished that the cameraman cut the signal when I gave him a sign. This little speech was one that just came to my mind and I didn''t really think it over too much as I was never that good at these. I just hope it was not that bad. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX It has been five days since I did all that, it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth that I had those begging for their lives and forgiveness to be executed, but it was needed regardless. They were a cancer to the nation, with their execution I sent a message to those in power about what I was allowed to do, of how their petty titles and alliances didn''t mean anything if I was the one going after them. I even know for a fact that many of them were connected to some of the princes, the most prominent was how a good half of them worked for Guinevere and therefore Schneizel to some degree, but I couldn''t hesitate. (Though Rabastan Lestrange had been in the pocket of my Uncle Charles through Lucius Malfoy. I was already expecting for Lucius, Bellatrix and Rodolphus to eventually make a move against me so I had Qrow and Matsu keep an eye on them.) At the same time I also got some benefits. The House of Rosier was now extinct and the assets would be seized by the Emperor removing an Allied House from Guineveres political base permamently and House Carrow was now lead by 12 year old Flora Carrow who had already sent a Letter of Allegiance in thanks of me disposing of her and her sister Hestias abusive Aunt and Uncle. That was why I could cope with the blood I shed. Their deaths mean the vengeance for the suffering of who knows how many who died due to their actions and the salvation of many more who would otherwise be used by them or other nobles in other areas who now would fear retribution and lessen their activities to a degree. Sighing I took a candy bar and put it in my mouth, I just need to keep going and hope to be able to bring the world to the state I desire soon, a world where equal chances are given to all and everyone doesn''t need to worry about violence. A peaceful future that I want to build step by step, a world cemented on education, healthy lives, and fair and equal starting points. A world that truly has what it takes to evolve to something greater than the shithole it is today with greed, pride, and vanity moving it forward. "Master Ciel, the newly appointed Viceroy wants to speak with you." The ever trustworthy Kirumi said as she entered the room with a polite bow. Looking at her I nodded, but just as she was about to leave I could not help but ask. "Kirumi, do you think what I did was good?" I said, surprising even myself at the question, but I had to ask it regardless. If I were to completely ignore my thoughts and worries I could become truly twisted on the inside. Kirumi, by her part, didn''t seem surprised by my question. She turned to me and with a gentle expression answered. "No, you were not good. Executing others is never a ''good'' thing." she said. "However, the fact that you did what you had to do by that point meant saving many others. Those people were causing so much suffering, uncaring of the damage they were doing and in many of their cases actively revelling in it. It was necessary and many people on this continent will thank you for it: Britannians and Numbers, Commoners and Nobles by the way. She said that and I thought over her words, what she said was true as I also believe my actions were not ones people like Nunnally or Euphemia would ever really approve, but in the end, they served a good purpose. "Now, when do you intend to go properly to sleep, young master? To my knowledge, you have been working nonstop for the last five days and even with the medicine you took to help your body recover it can''t replace actual sleep and your power naps also don''t do the job." She admonished me. I winced before answering. "I will take a good night sleep after this meeting, okay? I swear." "Then it is fine. Now, let''s go to the meeting at once before the new Viceroy does something that would trouble us more." She said as I followed her. Well, at least whoever it is that is the one coming to be the Viceroy can''t be worse than that rat Raven. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX I was wrong, so very very wrong. The prince in front of me is one of the most stupid beings I have ever had the displeasure to talk with, he is truly one of the princes I want to deal with the least whenever I can. "Hey, if it isn''t little Ciel. The fake prince decided to show his face after playing around so much, good for you runt." The shrill and annoying voice of Spandam Du Britannia, personally I think the Du stands for dumb but I can''t say for sure. I grimaced slightly at the sight of him. He was one of the Princes who deeply disapproved of me being given a position as potential successor in the Race for the Throne. The fact that I took Lelouch''s position as Eleventh in succession (not my decision, the Emperor decided it by himself as a ''gift'' or something along those lines, I was satisfied being on the lower forties but I suppose the leader of a powerful military and civil position can''t be too low on the succession line if he is a prince) while Spandam was the only number Thirty-two angered him also. This being is the exact example of why some believe humanity should be destroyed. Spandam was a downright annoying piece of crap who was a firm believer of the Emperors Darwinistic stance and while he was fanatically loyal to the Empire he was also one of the most ruthless people in it with little to no morals. Well, at least I could count on him to keep Area 6 free of Terrorists and corrupt Nobles. Spandam himself also saw Terrorists and corrupt Nobles as a direct offense to his authority so he would make quick use of the Area 6''s standing army when the darker elements of society tried to encroach back here. I guess in his vision only him can be an asshole to everyone and get away with it. I suppose it could have been worse. But, looking at Spandan''s face I can''t help but want to snap his neck then and there. But, as I can''t do that I might as well go for option number two. "Spandam." I said while pulling him closer (he was seriously weak, I could pull him so easily I didn''t even felt a thing) "You know what I did to Raven and the other nobles that made something stupid, you better understand that I can and WILL come back the moment you decides to be an idiot. Try and test me and we will see if Royal blood is truly the same as those of other humans. He tried to play it off, but I just opened a video showing Mayuri during one of his experiments on a terrorist. Mayuri was trying to test a medicine to change the structure of the cells on a few tissues back to stem cells, the results were cancerous bubbles that started covering the body of the terrorist until he inflated all over and his heart was crushed inside the chest by other muscles. And yep, Spandam''s face is such that I doubt he would even want to go against me. "Remember, the only one who can stop me is the Emperor and are you worthy enough for him to actually speak up in your defense if you were to do something stupid?" Spandan''s face got even paler if that was even possible. "And remember, you must make the Area better for ALL its citizens, and that includes the Numbers." "Humph, while I don¡ät understand why you care so much about those second-rate citizens you won¡ät have to worry about that. I don¡ät associate with those lesser then me and you know my stance on Terrorist-groups" Spandam grunted with a slightly offended look. I could understand that, Spandam was a selfish and arrogant man but he saw no benefit in making money or putting down people for his own amusement like the now disposed corrupt Nobles here did. Still I would keep an eye on him, indirectly of course as his face made me want to punch his teeth in.. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX It has been a year since I managed to mostly settle the situation with Area 6. A report is on my table explaining how everything is going fine after I sent an agent (read Maki) to give Spandam a scare when I got reports about him trying to force a Shipwright named Tom into joining the Military. According to Maki Spandam pissed his pants when he woke up with a knife beside his head and a letter explaining that either he behaves or next time the knife would be considerably closer to his head. The only thing I find a shame is that I forgot to ask Maki to take some pictures of the situation with the failure of a human being. It would actually sell for quite a bit as that asshole is quite hated. Really, there was a "Hate Spandam" Club in the Empire. Cousin Carine was the Chairman of that Club and I myself was Clubmember 17. (Emperor Charles was Clubmember number 3 funnily enough. I still got a kick out of that.) I also have had to avoid Cornelia even more as she pestered me every time we saw one another about building her a Knightmare but I always shot her requests down, if I give her a new machine I believe she will start pestering me about making one for all of her squad and then to build it to the rest of the military as a way to make Britannia even greater, which would be terrible for Britannia. Don''t get me wrong, I can see where she is coming from but the fact is that the chance of the military tech ending up in the hands of terrorists is 100% and I don''t want to face my own Knightmares for as long as possible. Also, the Empire is already straining itself with the number of war fronts it has, if the military seeking new accomplishments got even more power they''d conquer more lands and all the new lands would have even more terrorists that would have a beef with me for producing the tech used to take their land away. I wouldn''t get new recruits from there, the number of people seeing me as a new opportunity for the Empire would lessen together with public support, the amount of work I''d have would increase with more Areas to oversee, and I''d have to waste even more time with all that. Besides, I WAS already handing over large amounts of Military technology, from Knightmare designs of the Glasgow and Sutherland generation to give more diversity available for the different fighting styles of Pilots, to enhanced communication equipment, improved medical supplies and several improved Military Jeeps and Helicopters for troop-transport. All those things had been given to the Emperor as monthly payment for the justification to keep my city and Military-units. The end result was Cornelia and mine relationship worsened a little, thanks to Euphie pointing the other stuff out it had not gotten to bad between us. Though with Cornelia now being in the South-African front together with Nonette it meant that Euphie spent most of her time in Academy City. Hopefully Corny would calm down after smashing some EU-soldiers apart. On the matter of the A-laws things had been going rather okay. I had received another three-thousand recruits in the aftermath of the Area 6 campaign. This is great and all, but I couldn''t afford everyone to get the power suits I had for the first batch as the price would be absurd so instead I spent time developing a way to make the armors cheaper and the final works in finishing the creation of my personal Knightmare (it is awesome) as well as managing to build my first few satelites. It was not easy, this world had virtually no good space program to speak of as everyone was only focusing on building better and better war machines. However, my technological advancements still could allow me to do it. I now have a Tri-Diagram quantum computer in space that is only accessable by me and Matsu, it took me the better part of three months focusing almost exclusively in it to build and start working but now with it in place the speed of calculation of the city went up yet again thus the speed of the experiments raised yet again. Added to that the fact that I had also set up a few other satelites that are constantly obtaining intel from all over the world''s surface and the fact I have hacking programs reading a large amount of everything related to the internet by using the Tri-Diagram satellite to identify and see any interesting intel that I might need and I have one of the best spy networks in the world. However, this led to a new headache of mine. The discovery of just how many enemies I have at the lowest estimative. It is staggering, the sheer number of revolutionary and terrorist cells working to destabilize Britannia, it is honestly surprising that the Empire is even standing right now with how it is. But, considering how it is now I can venture to say that even without Lelouch''s intervention during CANON the Holy Britania Empire would be destroyed from the inside within the next decade at the very most. My mission to make sure the Empire doesn''t implode is staggering, just one charismatic leader to the revolutionaries to follow and the Empire would crumble from the internal and external pressure. If it was up to me I''d have long since stopped the battle fronts from going further and instead focus on securing the Empires functionality, but considering Charles couldn''t care less about the Empires stability when compared with his desire to complete the Ragnarok Project then the situation is what it is. Even worse, I had Matsu compile the information and create lists about the various Terrorist Groups, Criminal Organizations and Revolutionary Armies scattered over the world and it was nasty. The worst thing was that they only seemed to be individual Groups at first glance, thanks to my hacking of private correspondence I knew that in almost EVERY group were atleast a few spies sending off Information to others to coordinate the efforts of the various groups secretly. The spies were unfortunately careful enough to never mention what Organization they belonged to so I had no evidence but I did suspect the Group called Peace Mark which Oiaguro Zevon would eventually join to be behind everything. Unfortunately even in canon the Groups background and membership had been extremly vague with most members having no idea about who actually led the Organization or what its goals were. So for now I was planning to wait until Wizard was confirmed to have appeared and then I would grab Oiaguro and interrogate the living hell out of him. Sigh, it is just so much freaking work. At least I managed to finally finish my personal Knightmare frame, with it now I doubt any regular troops could ever defeat me in combat. BANG "Ciel, we have come to kidnap you!" A cheerful voice said from the doorway that once was pristine but now had the clear imprint of a foot in it. Looking at it I sighed as I was rushed and taken away from the table by a defeated-looking Slaine and a stoic Setsuna as Milly was in the background smiling with pride in her pretty face. "This time you can''t escape, you will be going with me and the others to do something you need right now!" Milly said. SNIFF SNIFF "I don''t think I am smelling bad enough to need a bath and I am not hungry, so what exactly do I need?" I asked in a deadpan. Normally I''d never act like this with those I don''t like but the ones I see now are all friends so there is no real problem. Besides, it is just a little innocent joke. "Regardless, I am taking you with me! Now come, the plane launches in twenty minutes!" Milly said. Wait, plane? What does she mean by plane? "Milly, I have work to do! I can''t just ignore my responsibilities and-" "Bla, bla, bla. You are starting to sound like an old man! That is it, we are definitly going now and your intake in it is not necessary! Now come, we have to get going." Milly said making a pose. If it was not such a troublesome situation I would have laughed at her antics Turning to my two ''captors'' Setsuna didn''t look fazed in the slightest about anything but Slaine had a look of shame in his face. "I am sorry, my lord, but this is necessary." Was the only thing Slaine said before dragging me away. I started struggling when I realized no one was going to let me continue my work, but when even Slaine and Reisi did not raise a finger to help me the result was as expected and I am now on a plane with Milly and a few others. Looking to my sides I see two heads of green hair on either side of me as Monaca and Nina are both reclining their heads in my shoulders, as I spent so much time in the labs I actually spent a considerable amount of time with these two since we were younger. Both also had serious problems with social interactions as Nina was too shy while Monaca was... XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX A memory of Monaca laughing hysterically while testing her newest creation during combat with the rebels in Chile, her eyes were so happy when she saw her Monokuma soldiers kill them all. Monokumas were robotic bears that she build to help in extermination missions as they are no good for other things, except for cuteness as their dual colors and dual type of eyes are simply cute in my eyes, something she readily agrees. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Yeah, Monaca is just Monaca. Regardless, I also notice Nunnally, Marrybell, Oldrin, Euphemia, Kallen, Ruby, Milly, Matsu, Chiffon, Slaine, Reisi, Setsuna, Nemu, Kirumi, Maki, and the Lockon brothers. Before I could ask Milly yelled. "Let''s go! Next stop, a well-deserved vacation on the beach!" XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX In the Chinese Federation, a woman was pacing from one side to the other worriedly. It has almost been a full year since master Ribbons had given her the order to eliminate the pest known as prince Ciel, the so-called hero of the weak as many dubbed him, or the Emperor''s guard dog by others. To Gyokuen he was a thorn in her side, someone who continued delaying her chance to obtain praises by master Ribbons by finishing this person. Oh, if Gyokuen could she''d go to the Britanian Empire right then and there and strangle the brat barehanded. She felt like she was disappointing her master, that she was disappointing her GOD. "I see that this is not a good time, I wonder if you''d prefer if I come back later." A male voice said from the door. Turning to it Gyokuen scowled as she honestly despised this snake-like being that her God had taken a liking to. "Littlefinger, who gave you permission to enter my quarters." Gyokuen hissed. Petyr Baelish, another of the leaders of Peace Mark, had come to the Chinese Federation in ''business'' as he was one of the strongest economical tyrants of the world with more money than entire nations by this point. It was nothing strange for him to move across all the major powers and his presence in the Imperial Palace is nothing new as well. However, that didn''t mean Gyokuen was happy about his presence. "Money, you''d be surprised by how many people are willing to look the other way in exchange of some." Baelish said happily. Gyokuen would make sure to find out whoever allowed this and skin that person alive before sending the said skin to the family together with the corpse. "Now, I suppose you are mad about your constant failure about killing that kid from Britannia. The Emperor''s Guard Dog if memory serves me right." "If you know, why ask?!" Gyokuen said disdainfully. She normally was infinitily more composed but her constant failures were grating on her immensely. "Because, you finally have a chance." Baelish said, and looking at Gyokuen''s face he knew he had her. "I just got word that he has arrived in Area 7 for vacation. He has minimal security and hasn¡ät any of his Knightmares with him, a true golden chance." "I, I must go and inform my Al-Thamen to act. We must go and eliminate him at once before master Ribbons loses his faith in us." "I would not do that if I were you, this is still Britanian territory and if someone identifies the ones to take the life of the prince as being Chinese the cold war between the Chinese Federation and Britania will intensify beyond what Lord Ribbons would like." Baelish said, his words were enough to make Gyokuen listen. "I have a suggestion, one that could do wonders to help stop your problem and even if it were to fail we would not lose anything at all." "And what would that be?" "A while ago I met an interesting boy, he was only around 15 to 16 at the time but he has an undeniable charisma to himself and wanted help in his little revolution to redefine his organization. Say, if he were to receive such help from you in exchange for eliminating the prince, something he''d do for free as far as I know, he not only would work as a scapegoat for the Emperor''s ire he''d also create chaos for the entire empire which is also beneficial." "I can see your point, very well I will go with your plan this time. Then, who is this kid you mentioned?" "His name is Adam Taurus, the up and coming leader of the extremist faction of the White Fang." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Second Prince Schneizel was looking at a report in front of him as he sat in his new office in Norilsk with a slight twitch on his face as he barely surpressed his anger. The siege of Norilsk should have been easy and for a man of his skills perfectly executed but like all man of great skill he had after so many successes underestimated his enemies. In all the battles against Russians armies it had been somewhat straight forwards wave-attacks so when his troops besieged the City he had expected the same tactic from General Tormund Giantbane. That had been a mistake as Mance Ryder had used this battle to unleash his trump-card against Schneizel. Unknown to him while his army advanced on Norilsk, Mance had sent two other Russian-armies led by General Gorn and a General called the Lord of Bones to attack Schneizels troops from behind and his left flank. Normally Schneizels scouts and spies in Russia would have informed him beforehand but here Mance had used his Trump: the remnants of the Soviet Unions KGB. Schneizels prized Network all over Russia had in a matter of days been gutted and his army had been blinded. The result had been horrible for him. The two armies attack came completely surprising to him and while he was caught off-guard Tormunds army had attacked from the front in mass. Schneizels Infantry which had been in the rear had been almost completely slaughtered and his Glasgow and Tank battalions were heavily damaged too. His Sutherlands and Glasgows had in the end prevailed against the three armies but the losses had been horrifying and Schneizel was now forced to call for reinforcment from the Homeland to continue the conquest of Russia. Worst of all the Knight of Round Wall had been killed in the battle which made the Emperor very unhappy with Schneizel Even worse, while the Lord of Bones and General Gorn had been killed with most of their armies the General Tormund had escaped with around two-hundred soldiers into Russias wilderness and Schneizels weakened army could not afford to send men after the General which infuriated him. Schneizel was taking a cup of tea with slightly shaking hands. This next decision of his left his mouth tasting slightly bad but it was necessary to ensure his succession to the throne now that his reputation had taken a strong blow. He had to obtain the technology that could ensure victories again otherwise his position would be in question and with the blockade around it that made Schneizel only able to obtain the scraps made Schneizel have no other choice. Also, the current wave of pacification hitting Britania added to the elimination of some of his supporters made the decision more and more necessary. He could only hope Cornelia didn''t figure that one out, she might truly start a coup to attack him if she were to find his next action out as she was secretly almost as overprotective of their cousin as she was towards her little sister. It was even cute that she tried to play it off whenever it was put into question but it remained undeniable that she quite liked the kid since he was younger. SLIDE "My prince, the three people you asked for have arrived." Kanon said with an impassive look on his face. "Good, send them in." After that Kanon bowed and moved outside, a few moments later three men entered the room. The first one used a black robe, black pants, and a black cloth in his head to only leave his eyes in view. The second was a man wearing a ragged jacket, had no shirt on, had medium length gray hair slicked back, and a scythe of all things on his back. The final was the one that actualy looked more professional as he was actually wearing a proper black suit that did not match well with his wild red-like-blood hair. "So, I have heard you have a job you want our merry band to fulfill." the red haired man said. "I do." Schneizel admitted. "If the job pays well enough we can go and do whatever you need us to, but we are not cheap." the cloaked male said. "I understand, but don''t worry as payment is ensured and as long as you can eliminate this person then I cal pay you three''s combined weight in gold." Schneizel said, he had plundered an immense amount of gold and money during this war and got even more from the corrupt nobles that worked under him as bribes. "Yes, we accept! Who do you want as sacrifice to Jashin?" the gray haired man with a schythe asked. "My cousin, he is currently heading to Area 7 and I need him to die. You also have a secondary target in the form of his Knight Reisi a very dangerous man" Schneizel said as he looked at the three heads of the KPSA mercenaries, Hidan, Kakuzu, and Ali Al-Sacheez. The three nodded with varied emotions. Hidan was joyful over being able to send a new soul to his God Jashin, Kakuzu was thinking if he could perhaps get more cash out of this, and Ali was thinking about what sort of chaos this action will cause, how it is possible even the wars worldwide could potentially escalate and how much fun he''d have during these wars. The three, however, didn''t find it strange for a person to ask them to kill a family member, the royal family of any empire was never something peaceful to begin with and Schneizel''s decision was normal. This was just the sort of world this is. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX "Old man, hey old man wake up already or I might kick your ass." A loud voice said inside a plane going to Hawaii. The person speakng is a tall (195 cm), handsome, and powerfully built young man, with light eyes. He has short, dark and unkempt hair, parts of his bangs shooting outwards in spikes, the hair and age being the main difference between him and the said ''old man'' he was talking to. With his loud voice all other passengers looked over only for the women to blush at the older gentleman, as he could only be one from the air around him alone, as he looked like the perfect ''dream man'' for all the girls and women on the plane. Awakening slowly he turned to look at his son and smiled tiredly. "I am sorry for sleeping during your story, Joseph. I just had too much on my mind these last few months." "Humph, you must not have slept well to get time to see the interview my cousin gave to the television in repeat." Joseph said tiredly. "You should take better care of your health as I don''t want mother Erina to get single any time soon, beating up those who would try to approach her for no good reason by myself wouldn''t be nearly as good as getting dirty with my girlfirend Suzzie." The father''s smiled faltered a bit before he sighed and accepted his son''s words. "Fine, I will take care of myself. But, you should remember that a gentleman shouldn''t use such words as ''getting dirty'', it is not correct." "Hay, hay, Old Man Jonathan." Joseph said. "It is father to you, young man." Jonathan said while pulling on his son''s ear. It was honestly a funny sight to see someone as big as Joseph losing to a pull on the ear but it was the truth. "Ouch, ouch, ouch, I understand now let my ear go as I only have two and want to have this number years from now." Joseph said with slight tears in his eyes. Seeing this Jonathan let him go, Joseph held his ear in pain as Jonathan looked at him tiredly. "Now, I understand your worries for my health but please don''t say that you will beat anyone that comes as beating someone should always be the last option, also, I know that Erina is a strong-willed woman and anyone that actually interests her would not be a bad person. Also, if there is ever a need to beat someone you should also count on your younger brother."As Jonathan said that he turned to the third and final member from the Joestar Ducal family that were on their way to a vacation in Area 7. Said younger brother was trying to pretend he had nothing to do with his family but seeing the two turning to him he lowered his trademark visored ornamented cap, torn at the back and blending with his hair. However, with his build similar to the other two he couldn''t even hope others wouldn''t see the resemblance. "What a pain, just go and do what you want. I will continue with my nap as we still have hours before arriving or crashing if your luck in flying continues constant brother." "That was just three times this happened and you know it Jotaro!" Joseph yelled before starting to fight with his younger brother. Jonathan smiled through it all as he tried to ignore the emptiness he felt in never having even seen his older brother''s only child. But, if the Emperor refused then Jonathan couldn''t do anything due to the delicate position the Joestar family has been through and just hope he could one day meet his beloved older brother''s last mark in the world, Prince Ciel Phantomhive Zi Britania. 12 Trip to hawaii, meeting family Ciel P.o.V. "Yeah, that is right. Slow and steady, slow and steady." I said to myself while on one of the beaches of Hawaii, to be more specific we are on the Kauna ''oa beach, a small and private beach of Area 7 that is reserved for Royalty first and following that, if there is place, to dukes and possibly other nobles. We landed our plane at the airport south of the Capital of Area 7 Kuo Kuana and had rented the two topmost floors of a six stars hotel nearby, and still, my bed was softer by comparison. Regardless, I decided to at least try to enjoy myself if I am to go on a vacation. I could go learn surfing but I was not really interested in trying something as difficult as that, maybe I would go diving in the coral-reefs later though. Instead, I focused into building sand-figures for now as that was a nice relaxing thing to do. As I finish the basic details of one I took a step back to appreciate it. It is a full size image of how I want to look when I get older, including the rocking body and the six packs that could grate cheese on it and a face that would make even a few models green with envy. What? Can''t a boy at least dream? "Hum, not bad. But, shouldn''t you be looking over at the water instead of at the sand?" Milly said as she hugged me from behind, her barely starting to grow chest pressing onto my back as her blond hair almost filled my vision as she positioned her head on my shoulder, Sighing I turned to look at her bikini form (she and Matsu were the only girls in the group who decided to wear a two-piece bikini) and deadpanned before answering. "Sorry, no puberty yet. Better luck in two years or so, you know, when I am 12 to 13 years old." I said. "Humph, you are no fun. Now there is no man to mess around with, you are not currently available, Slaine is on the same boat, Setsuna is Setsuna and thus only cares about fighting and finally Reisi is to old for my tastes." Milly pouted before pulling me by hand away from my self-sculpture. Looking at it I almost shed tears when I saw the wind blowing and unmaking the six pack. Turning away from it I saw everyone enjoying themselves, some were sunbathing, some were just talking, a few were swimming freely, and everything was in peace. At the water I saw Ruby telling something to Nunnally before my cousin turned to me, her eyes still closed but with a happy smile as she stood before speaking. "Ciel, see how fast I can swim now!" As she said that she went right back to swimming, her speed wasn''t that impressive but to think she can so freely swim now when just a few months ago she couldn''t even walk properly, it was enough to put a smile on my face. However, it also made me angry at Charles and Vincent. If not for my interference which stopped Charles Doctors from surgically making Nunnally into a paraplegic she would not have been able to walk, swim, do sports, not to mention various other activities which required legs. Even then her blindness from Charles Geass prevented her from enjoying more than a few things in life which really made me see red at my Uncles. Still I covered my feelings with a smile as I moved to the water while making a sign to Ruby to not speak what I was about to do. The girl grinned and held her hands to her mouth as I swam under Nunnally''s swimming form before turning and catching her by the stomach and begin to spin her around. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Kallen looked from her beach-chair towards the water when she heard a squeak followed by laughter and furrowed her brow a bit as she looked at Ciel, Nunnally and Ruby in the water. Thinking about how she came to be here made her frown a bit. She was not really THAT close to Ciel or most of the others here in the Group, in fact the only one which she really called a friend on a personal level was Ruby who she got to know through Yang who was one of Kallens Classmates in school. That said, when her father heard about her being invited by Milly for the trip to Hawaii and that Prince Ciel would attend he practically pushed her out of the door himself. She also knew why. The Etiquette and History lessons in school had taught Kallen much about the various cultures in the world, good and bad. So when her father happily talked her into joining the group on vacation it didn¡ät take much for her to put two and two together. Her Father was hoping on Kallen becoming one of Ciels Fiances and later Wife. Kallen felt conflicted about that. Before her education at Pandora she would have bristled in anger and probably started a shouting match with her father where she would accuse him of him trying to sell her for political power. Now though she understood things a bit better. While she still felt annoyed at her Fathers plans she couldn¡ät really fault him trying to get Kallen a better life which being married to a Prince would guarantee. Looking at the smiling Ciel in the water she also flushed slightly as she admitted to herself that he was in Millys words: really her type. The eyepatch caused a bit air of mystery to be around him while his ruthless military actions made her feel respect for him. Combined with his more gentle demeanor which he showed to his friends and family meant that he was the most popular boy in Academy-city which almost every Girl dreamed of marrying. Still she would have to think about that matter a bit more over the next years. Especially given the rumor of Weiss father trying to engage her with Ciel which caused the man to apply some pressure on the Prince. Ciel already had two Fiances with potentially three more in the form of Weiss, Nina and Milly. Kallen was not sure if she would be willing to share her boyfriend with other girls so for now she would keep a bit distance. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Reisi idly flipped to the new page of his book as he relaxed on his towel. Letting out a small sigh he had to admit if only to himself that his young Prince was not the only one who needed a vacation. Between his Job as Leader of Scepter4, Bodyguard of Ciel and being one of the best Knightmare pilots in the A-Laws he was extremly overworked and had little time to himself. Thankfully today Neil and Lyle would be commanding the Guards surrounding the Beach so that no danger could happen. He and Setsuna would be responsible tomorrow so that meant work again. Flipping to another Page he let out a small giggle. He really would need to find that Toad Sage guy one day and congratulate him for writing such a great book. If anyone had bothered to read the title of his book they would have seen two words: "Icha Icha". XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX "So I should wait until he is older before approaching him?" Nemu Kurotsuchi looked at her Sempai Matsu with a questioning expression. Matsu just let out a perverted giggle before answering. "Fufufu. Yes, right now little Ciel has not begun puberty yet so any advances you would make would be wasted right now. Instead you should focus on eating foods which will help you get a sexy body when you start hitting puberty so that seducing him will be easier." Nemu slowly nodded as she took notes on a small Note-book which she had with her. "Yes, that makes sense Matsu-sempai. I truly appreciate that you help me with my mission to bear the Princes progeny like my Father ordered." Matsu twitched slightly at the mention of Mayuri. While she herself had some slight mad-scientist vibes she truly feared the Mad Clown as he was called by some of the braver Scientists in the Phantomhive-tower Laboratories. Still helping out Nemu with getting into a relationship with Ciel was in her opinion a good deed as Mayuri would never be stupid enough to experiment on a Fiance of Ciel which meant Nemu would be better protected from the Psychopaths grasp. Was her opinion biased or unfair? Maybe, but she would rather go the safe route instead of leaving things to fate. "Don¡ät worry Nemu. You can always come to me for advice when you want. But for now you should go and mingle with some of Ciels friends to make better connections with them." Matsu sighed in relief as Nemu nodded and walked off to talk with Monaca who was talking with Nina about some project they were working on. Frowning a bit Matsus thoughts went to another Issue she had. As one of the two people in charge of the Satelites which Ciel used to gather Information she was responsible for looking through countless information and that meant she was the person who was the most aware of the countless threats which Ciel and Britannia as a whole were facing. She had been working on creating files on various people which she believed might be connected to the Shadow-group which Ciel had after some thinking connected to a Group called Peace Mark. They still had no evidence of connecting the two but Matsu was of the opinion that Ciel was correct in this instance. Officially according to various Secret-services Peace Mark was a group working to support groups fighting against Britannia which included among others several White Fang divisions and the six Houses of Kyoto. But the holes were there for people with the same hacking skills as Matsu. Peace Mark had at two small instances been rumored to be connected to groups aiming to overthrow House Baratheon in the EU and the accusation had been dismissed by court far to quickly for her tastes. It smelled like a quick cover-up and the two Terrorists who had confessed that their groups received support from Peace Mark had both been dead merely a day after their Trial. So Matsu was convinced that Ciel was right in suspecting them. The problem was that the people which Matsu could connect to the Group were mostly paid spies who had no true idea about who they worked for and also didn¡ät care at all about it. The true believers and the Higher members were shrouded more in mystery than any other Group in existence. In fact, if her suspicions were correct then Peace Mark might even be made up of several large Organizations which acted independently for the most part but were still connected through their Leaders. Matsu had searched for various incidents which could be connected to Peace Mark and she believed that she had some possible clues. In Asia she had heard rumblings of various Cults springing up some of them being extremly nasty like that Group of Priests wearing Red who burnt humans alive at stakes, in Africa Hundreds of Mercenary Groups were working for every side in the conflicts there causing horrible bloodshed on all sides, In Britannia countless Terrorist Groups and Political Extremists were cropping up, in European United she heard Conspiracy Theorists talk about the Government being infiltrated by spies in such amounts that it would be more difficult to find a actual honest man instead of a spy and finally in Japan where it was the most open a General named Madara Uchiha was starting a brutal Arms-race while trying to conscript as many people into the army as he could. To Matsu the situation pointed towards a bleak picture. If all these things were truly connected to Peace Mark then the Shadow Group had enough influence and power to not just cause trouble but to completely BREAK society as it existed now. Still, she had no doubt that Ciel would prevail with their help, the destruction of the White Fang in the entire Area 6 Continent was no doubt a strong blow for Peace Mark if the Groups were connected. Something which would only get better when the Emperor finally allowed Ciel to start weeding out another Area. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX In a corner of the beach slightly away from the others a fierce competition was taking place due to Monaca''s ''innocent'' words riling up the tow people into proving who is better among them. "Huff, huff, huf-" "Huff, huff, huff-" The two boys doing push-ups with all their might were Slaine and Setsuna, the two looked one step away from breaking down but both had resolute expressions that would never allow such thing to take place. ''If I lose here I will never be able to confidently take the position of Ciel''s personal knight! I want that, I will not lose!'' Slaine thought with gritted teeth as he continued his exercise. Meanwhile, Setsuna was having quite a different thought pattern. ''If I lose here then Monaca will paint my Exia black and white like those bears of hers. I want my Exia to stay as it is so I refuse to lose!'' It should be said that both were just mislead by Monaca''s words that hinted at those things and that only the best would get what they wanted, something that was not considerably hard to happen in Academic City as a city where hard work and capacity determines most of everything but that even the ''scraps'' the losers obtained were infinitely better than most outsiders could dream to have. The two didn''t think much of it but went along as they consider each other as rivals and any chance to compete in non-deadly ways was welcome, however, considering the two were being watched over by one of Monaca''s many, many Monokuma robots that was, strangely enough, wearing a gym teacher''s outfit with a whistle in one hand and a paper fan in the other the two boys simply continued to suffer as their sunscreen was secretly replaced by suntan lotion that was removed from the market for being too strong the real motivation for the competition was something the two failed to realize. No need to be said that Monaca was smiling in the distance seeing this, a smile that her friend Nina failed to see as she was too entranced with looking at the prince with dreamy eyes. Turning her eyes away from the notepad that was showing the two boys suffering for her amusement Monaca turned to her friend. Yes, friend. A word Monaca years ago, before that fateful meeting, never expected to relate to herself due, in great part, to her older brother who liked to beat her since she could remember for being the shame of the family for not being pure japanese and her father who liked to make her starve every once in a while and when giving her food it was generally the scraps left on the table after he had eaten and she had to thank him for letting her eat whatever was left. He used to say it was to teach her how her kind should feel thankful for anything they received as they were scum and bla, bla, bla. Honestly, Monaca couldn''t care less about what the man who couldn''t keep his dick inside his damn pants and probably had more bastards than she could count had to say about her or others like her, anyone that was not purely Japanese so to say as the piece of crap was extremely racist and a strong supporter of Madara''s ideals. Utter nonsense for Monaca, not that her father ever cared about her much. She rather liked the fact she was half britannian, at least it connected her to the people from the city that made her much better, a city which she''d never destroy or allow be destroyed if her Monokuma armies she was secretly making had anything to say. Anyway, the important thing for her right now was not her secret army or her past, what mattered was what to do about Nina. "You know, you could just go and shove your tongue down his throat, it would be faster to make him realize how much you like him than just staring in the distance." Monaca said, taking no small amount of pleasure from the deep red that went to her friend''s face though when Nina fell down with swirly eyes she wondered if she should censor herself a bit more. Naah! It was to much fun to make crude suggestions on Ninas expense. After a while of seeing no reaction Monaca decided to ''accidentally'' throw some of her juice over Nina''s face. "*COUGH* *COUGH* S-Stop that!" Nina said while standing up, her face covered in orange juice. She glared at Monaca who looked timid before bashfully saying. "Sorry, it was not my intentions to make you uncomfortable. I just wanted to suggest a way to make you get what you deserve and the juice was just an accident." "The juice, was, on the other side, of the table!" Nina said, almost pulling Monaca''s hairs out from frustration. "Please don''t be mad at Monaca. Monaca didn''t mean to do anything bad, I just wanted to wake you up." Monaca said making Nina give up on being mad at the girl, not because she wasn''t mad but because she knew it would be nearly useless being mad with Monaca right now. "Anyway, you should think about confessing to him already or he might truly not start a relationship with you and after he gets married starting a new one will be much more difficult." "But how should I do it? I don''t know what to say or do." "Then how about a gift?" Monaca proposed. "I think that if you make him something handmade it might work." Of course, Monaca meant a bar of handmade chocolate as she, and almost anyone who has met the prince before, knew that the guy was crazy about sweets. The problem was that Nina never gifted a boy before in her life. Her only relationships with boys included Ciel, those around him, and her teacher. She had no idea about what a boy would like so she thought of something unexpected. She had seen on TV how the boys on the shows usually get along great with pets, maybe she should get one for him. If he liked them then it would be great and it would also work to make them closer. Yeah, before they left the island she would go to the local kennel and procure something for him. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX "They are having quite a bit fun, don¡ät you think Marry?" Marrybell mel Britannia sat up a bit from her sunbathing to look in the direction which her half-sister Euphemia was looking. She smiled in amusement as she watched Nunnally, Ruby and Ciel doing a small race in the water. "True, it is nice to see that Nunnally has recovered good from her injuries and that she is coping with being separated from Lelouch." Thinking about her half-brother Marrybell had a small grimace on her face which was mirrored by Euphemia. Lelouchs attack on Ciel before leaving along with his blatant refusal to accept ANY correspondence from his siblings including Nunnally was grating on their patience with him. From what they had been told by the Man who was supposed to deliver the Letters Lelouch had sneered and told him to take those fake-letters from Ciel and shove them down his cousins throat. Suffice to say, seeing Nunnally break out into tears when she had been told about his reaction had made both of them VERY angry with their brother. "By the way Marry, I was wondering if you could answer me a question." Marrybell looked at Euphie who suddenly was nervously fidgeting. "Sure, ask away. Though I can¡ät guarantee that I will answer." Euphie nodded before gathering herself. "Well, I was wondering what you think about marrying Ciel. After all it was a decision made solely by the Emperor without anyone having a say in it so I was wondering how you three felt about it." Marrybell frowned a bit before thinking about her response. "I actually had been thinking about that myself after I was told of the Emperors decision and even talked with Ciel and Nunnally. On the matter of Ciel it was rather simple as he told me that he found me beautiful and that he would always do his best to be a good Fiance and Husband. I felt relieved about that though it was the response which I expected from him. On Nunnallys side I was surprised heavily though. I had expected her to be angry, sad, unsure or even happy about it when I asked her but instead she had a rather mature response to me. She said that she always knew that Father would marry her off to one of his supporters, something which even her Mother seemed to support to some extent though the woman would have been unhappy about Ciel being the Emperors choice. Nunnally on the hand is happy and content with Ciel as Fiance because he had been high up on her own list of potential grooms which she planned to propose to her mother when talk about marriage came." As Marrybell took some moments to gather herself she looked at the somewhat shocked but also interested gaze of Euphemia. "For myself I admit that I was rather angry at the Emperor at first, while I liked Ciel heavily I wanted to take more time to choose a husband for myself. I also was rather interested in trying my hand on becoming Empress of Britannia. With Ciel being a Prince himself along with being male control of the Throne would automatically fall to him and even if he didn¡ät care about ruling himself many of the Nobles, Military and Knights of Round would ignore my orders without Ciel to confirm them. So I was rather disappointed and angry at first. Thankfully Ciel gave me some time to adjust along with letting me react off at the Target-range in his basement. I must say, shooting Targets with Brother Schneizels Face is rather therapeutic. (Euphemia deadpanned at that, though she made a note of bringing the idea up with Cornelia) In the end though I¡äm alright with marrying Ciel. He has honor, looks, power and a strong desire of making sure that the world will be a better place even if he must make his hands dirty for it. I like that and have decided to throw my support fully behind him." Marrybell looked as Euphemias face went soft and she started smiling. "In that case I¡äm happy for you Marry. If it weren¡ät for the fact that I want to wait for a few more years before looking for a Fiance then I would actually think about asking sister Cornelia to arrange me marrying Ciel myself." At that Marrybells smile strained a bit. She knew that the chance of Euphemia, Nina and Milly joining her a Nunnally was rather likely but she still hoped to have Ciel for herself for some more years. Just as she wanted to answer Euphemia she frowned though when she saw a man in some rather impressive looking Britannian garb approach. Standing up she watched as the man came to a halt before her. "Princess Marrybell mel Britannia? I¡äm Tukson, Steward of Viceroy Ghira Belladonna from Area 7. I have here a formal request for Prince Ciel to please meet him in the Royal Palace tomorrow." Marrybell frowned but accepted the Letter from Tukson. "I will inform my Fiance and make sure that we will attend." Tukson nodded with a smile before bowing slightly and walking off. Euphemia and Marrybell shared a small glance before walking toward where Ciel was just leaving the water. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX In a secret base of the White Fang a young man with about 18 years old with red hair and a mask covering his face was facing a group of his subordinates. Looking at the around 120 Members of the Area 7 Branch of the White Fang who had joined his Faction over Siennas he had to surpress a smirk. Though his good mood quickly vanished when he remembered that compared to the several Thousand members lost because of that damn dog of the Emperor many of the members of the group were starting to waver in loyalty. The fact that the A-Laws attacked almost any and all bases which Area 6 had was a heavy blow, the fact they also only attacked the Extremists while the members of the less violent side were left untouched only made even more people abbandon the correct path. And, of course, the fact that the prince made actual effort to help mitigate the problems the Numbers suffered and eliminated many of those who did the worst against the Numbers made him moderatly popular among the Areas. However, however,- "We are not done yet!" Adam said to his followers. His voice full of energy as they all turned to him with eyes full of fire as they eat up all he said. "The dog is in this land, we have received confirmed sights of him walking around like he owned this place, like the entire world was owned by him! He sullied this sacred land where the White Fang started its movement, but he doesn''t fear us. And why would he when our supposed leader, the one who promised to lead us to a bright future decided not to make use of this once in a lifetime opportunity? Sienna despite having a perfect chance to take down one of Britannias best weapons has deemed it to "risky" and "not worth" it. The sacrifices of our compatriots in Area 6 mean nothing for her anymore and she has proven that her ideals are feeble and weak." "How dare he, and how dare our leader to act in this way?! We are the heroes that will bring the revolution to this world, and for that we must take action in our own hands. That so called Prince will pay in blood and that miserable Viceroy Ghira who supports him will fall with him no matter what Sienna says." Adam smirked at the thunderous clapping and roaring of his followers them becoming more and more bloodthirsty through his speech. Smiling at this Adam left after saying the plan will begin two days from now and that they should rest for now as they might need the extra strength later on. Stopping in the floor he watched as his contact and ally approached him. The said man was clapping his hands to Adam''s speech. "Magnificent, yes we will definitely be able to work with you if my eyes don''t deceive me." "Humph, I just care about those machines you have assured will be sent over. We need them if we want this plan of ours to be successful." Adam snarled at the man, Jaqen H¡äghar. "Please, do not worry. We promised to deliver and this is what we will do. After all, we from Peace Mark are enemies of Britannia just like you. The Grimm-series of war-machines will arrive later today and your troops have all of tomorrow to get familiar with them." Adam nodded before walking away, the other gift from Peace Mark strapped to his hip as his newest sword shined with a menacing light. It was not easy for Peace Mark to develop the tech to minimize the size of the vibration swords used by the Knightmares to something human-sized, but it still was a great help regardless. It was surprising how easily most of the tech that was sent from the Academic City to the military was almost always studied and obtained little by little by enemy forces. Then again, in war, this should be normal. Stealing, killing, spying, anything was valid as long as you win, this was just how humans are. That said: "Ilia, I want you to go and assasinate the Prince now. With his death the Government will be thrown into chaos so that our troops can move even easier against our enemies." From his shadow a young woman nodded and after activating a button on her suit she vanished from his sight. Finally alone Adams confident smirk turned into a bloodthirsty smile as he imagined Sienna, Ghira and the Prince Ciel lying dead before him. Soon! XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Meanwhile, in another part of the town two friends were walking through a game convention. The two attracted attention due to their unique appearances as one had long black hair in a twintail and blood red eyes that shined like rubies but her overall body made her look like a dool, she also was carrying a katana in hand making her look even more mysterious and interesting to the curious eyes. The other one was dressed as a maid with silver shoulder length hair in a neatly cut walked by her side, there was not a single detail about her that didn''t scream ''perfect maid'' as she truly was worth such a title. These two were Maki and Kirumi. "... I still don''t understand why we had to come all the way here to buy this game." Maki said while playing with one of the locks of hair from a twintail. "Because we should buy a present to Master now as his birthday is in just a few more days and this whole trip is part of his gift. The game we are buying is one I know he wants to play for a while now and it would be below me to allow our master to want something and not obtaining it when it is available and there is an excuse to obtain it." Kirumi explained as Maki rolled her eyes. "Fine, do as you please. I am just coming along because someone had to be your bodyguard." FLASH Suddenly the two girls were startled as someone took a picture of them. Looking over they saw a fat oily old man with a camera in hand smiling while taking pictures of them. Kirumi just looked at him coldly but Maki took out the Katana and glared at him. "Do you want to die?" However, her choice of words was just about the worst option as all others that were eyeing her before now looked at her intensely were now with cameras in hand taking photos like crazy while whispering how they can''t believe such level of cosplay existed and other such things. Maki didn''t know what to do and only stood there in fright, but that resulted in the photographers to be even more excited as her position was the same as the one in the poster of the game. Funnily enough it is of the exact same game the two girls were here to buy. Maki turned to the side to ask Kirumi for help only to not see her friend there. "Sorry, but I must do what has to be done. This is for master and as a maid I must do things to the ultmost to complete my objectives so please hang on until I return." Kirumi said to herself as she speed away quickly enough. In the other side of the hall two girls that were before flooded by people taking pictures now saw their fans go away. One of them, a blue haired one with hair reaching her waist and wearing a deep blue school uniform turned to her blond friend that was working as her model. "Sorry, Junko. I guess my cosplays were not good enough to make people stay longer." the blue haired one with a face that could be forgotten in a crowd said. "Don''t sweat the small stuff, who cares if this work was not good enough. At least we got something even better with this, the chance to try and meet that boy I talked to you about." Junko explained to her friend, one of the best cosplayers of the world and her name is Tsumugi. "What do you mean, Junko-chan?" Tsumugi asked. "The girl who just entered the main hall, she is the personal maid of the prince. I wanted to meet him at least once before I enter his city as it is my last tentative of giving this world a chance before I simply follow despair to the end." Junko said. "Wherever you go I will go too." Tsumugi said. "Oh, of course you will, how else can an empress rule without her subordinates?" Junko said, a swift change to her personality marked by her putting a crown on her head as she said so. Junko did that as she simply liked changing the mood at any random moment and changing your way of talking and acting did provide some entertainment from looking at other''s reactions to it. She was, in the end, someone who was including herself in entertainment, the only things she cared about was ending her tedium. If she were to say one thing that eluded her it would be how can someone like the prince Ciel who was always so absurdly smart to the point of creating so many things not be just as bored of everything like her, thus why she wanted to talk to him one day. She didn''t know yet but she would enter Academy City soon and become one of its core members, but this is a talk for another time as there are things that will happen in this trip that will mark many people there. Many, many lives will change from this tiny ripple, chance meetings and chance encounters, troubles brewing beneath the surface for far too long. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX NEXT DAY Groaning a bit Ciel slowly marched towards the Palace of the Viceroy of Area 7. During his time in the Hotel last day he had used his Notebook to look up everything he could about Hawaii and what was happening there, given how many enemies he had it was just common sense to be cautious. He had been both relieved and slightly worried at what he read. Ghira Belladona the Viceroy of Area 7 was like his RWBY counterpart a very honorable and Idealistic person. The people which he ruled over were living for the most part good and decent lives. He had implemented laws in the Area that forbid the Nobles from exploiting the Numbers and even more, he had a Police-force who actually enforced those laws. Because of this the man was well loved and respected among the people of Hawaii. The same went for his wife Kali Belladonna who regulary started up fund-raisers for various Groups ranging from Homeless to Animals and his Daughter Blake who was wellknown for attending the more peaceful White Fang protests which took place in some Areas. The White Fang was also something which Ciel had looked into. Blake he had confirmed to be NOT a member of the Group as they never would have accepted a Britannian among them, Sienna had started up the movement almost twenty years ago and despite it becoming more wide-spread still had some measure of influence though the leaders from other Areas tended to ignore her on many matters. After searching through the register of people living in Area 7 he had also found the Albain Brothers and Ilia Amitola who were all Numbers and part of the WF. But what truly worried Ciel was the fact that no matter how hard he looked he had not found ANY trace of Adam Taurus. Did he not exist? Was he dead? Did he lead a White Fang group in another Area? He didn¡ät have any answers to that question which made him wary. Outside of maybe Cinder and Salem it was no doubt Adam who was the most dangerous of the RWBY cast to Ciel as the man was both powerful and charismatic. It was only his obession with Blake which resulted in Adam mentally breaking down in the Show and lose otherwise the Beast probably would have knocked off half the cast before he was stopped. With the connection between them not existing in this world Ciel was not sure if he could predict Adams actions outside of him fighting Britannia which was to vague. Stopping at the entrance with Reisi, Neil and Lyle following him he looked at the man walking down the steps towards him. "Your majesty, I am Tukson, Steward of Menagerie-palace. I will lead you to the meeting-room where Lord Ghira awaits you." Ciel nodded and followed in Tuksons steps. He found it amusing how the man went from a Bookstore-worker to Steward of a Lord. They walked for around five minutes until they reached the meeting-room in the third floor of the Palace. Tukson knocked on the door before opening it and stepping aside for Ciel and his bodyguards to walk through. Looking into the room he saw the imposing figure of Ghira Belladonna who looked at Ciel with a calm gaze. Ciel went toward the seat opposite of Ghira and for a moment both looked silently at each other before Ghira finally started talking. "It is an Honor to meet you Prince Ciel." "I feel the same regarding you Viceroy Ghira. I very much appreciate the way you have been ruling this Area and hope others will learn from your example." Ciel watched as Ghira smiled slightly and relaxed at his words. A short moment later the man turned serious though. "I¡äm sure you were wondering why I invited you to meet with me today." "Yes, while a meeting between us was just common courtesy the formal way which you went about it tells me that it is a more serious matter." At Ciels words Ghira hesitated for a moment before grumbling slightly. "That is a matter of perspective I think. On a personal matter I was planning to invite you for Dinner with my Family tomorrow evening where we could have introduced each other. But my hand was somewhat forced. Yesterday I was approached by a fellow Viceroy who apparently heard of your visit here. He and his Family quickly traveled here and approached me about arranging a meeting with you. From what they told me they are apparently your relatives on your Fathers side who wanted to use your distance from the Homeland to finally meet you." At Ghiras words not only Ciel but all four men were shocked. "Relatives on my Fathers side? I didn¡ät even know that there was anyone left, why didn¡ät they approach me earlier?" Ghira let out a small sigh. "I do not know the specifics as they were rather vague but I got the impression that they were trying to keep things secret from the Emperor as they asked me to not inform him of their presence in my Area." Ciels eye grew sharp at that. Yes, he could come up with more than a few reasons on why Charles could want to keep him from meeting his Fathers side of the Family. Some nice and others not so much. "Well, they left a note here with an adress and time for Lunch at a rather good Restaurant here in Kuo Kuana where you can meet them today if you want." With those words Ghira handed Ciel a piece of paper with the information he said. Looking at it Ciel went silent for a moment before his eye flashed with determination. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX This, this is very awkward. After talking with Ghira and accepting the man''s invitation for dinner at night I had ordered Reisi to drive us to the Restaurant to meet my relatives. I had ordered Neil and Lyle to take sniper-positions around the Restaurant to guard us and went in with Reisi who would leave after making sure that there was no trap, this is also his vacation from what I heard and the others also need someone to watch over and protect them. From there I had thought about who my relatives could be given that I found it unlikely for them to be to not come from another franchise. Well, now I had my answer: The Joestar Family. Like in THE Joestar family, the same as the one from JoJo''s Bizarre Adventures! I take pride in not gushing in happiness and fanboying like crazy over this, Jojo is probably one of my favorite mangas of all times and if in this world this family exists and is one that is related by blood to me no less then all the better. Damn. If I had known about their existence I would have researched about them earlier. Sighing I continued waiting for the waiter to show up. "Hey, can we get some service here?" Me and Joseph said at the same time, breaking the more than awkward silence. "Sheesh, I thought you guys wouldn''t start talking at all." Jotaro said while drinking from a coke can that he bought before we entered this place. "Anyway," Jonathan said, taking the attention to him. "Ciel, I am happy to finally meet you. It might have been something unexpected but it still is something I have been waiting for for quite some time." "Huh?" I voiced. "If you wanted to meet me and mentioned you are related to whoever my father is I would meet you. So why couldn''t you?" "Let me answer your question with another question. Do you even know your father''s name or about our existence before?" Jonathan asked. Hummm, now that I think about it I really never heard of that side of my family. I was raised as a member of the Royal Family and that was it, any mention of another family related to me was never mentioned to me before. Shit, is this another one of the ''little things'' Charles did in the past to ensure the loyalty of the Royal family? Is he trying to manipulate me and I failed to realize this? Seeing my expression Jonathan''s own seemed to go a bit softer. "Hey, don''t worry. I already expected that to happen anyway, especially considering the delicate situation both the Britannian Royal Family and the Joestar Family have." Jonathan said, making me raise an eyebrow. Seeing this he decided to continue to explain what he meant. "Before I begin can you tell me what are the main companies that command the market worldwide and are the economical truly big names?" "Well, there are quite a few but the strongest ones in Britannia are the Schnee Industries, the Togami Corporation, and the Industrial Illusions, all three connected to me quite a bit with each one having their own specialty. Then there are other groups like the Towa Industries, Petyr Baelishs S.I.C. (Shared Investment Company), the Blue Cosmos (unlike Lexcorp which was led by Katarea Leviathans brother Lex the Blue Cosmos solely concentrated on stuff like Infantry-weapons, Tanks, Battleships and Jet-fighters), Ozcorp Energy and Lexcorp (the primary Knightmare-builders for the Empire). In the EU exists the Iron Bank who is the only Bank in the entire Continent and even has branches in Britannia and the CF, again Baelishs S.I.C., the Shinra-Weapon Manufacturing who creates the Alexanders and some more mid-level companies. I don¡ät know much about the Chinese Federation but I did manage to get some Information about Japan. There the most prominent are Kaiba Corp who developes their Army-equipment, Gatou Industries who is having strong control of the Exports of Japan through his Shipping-fleet, the Yotsuba Group who are the Japanese equivalent of Baelishs Investment Company and thats the extent of my knowledge so far. "Your understanding is good, but considering that you already have such good economical support it isn''t anything strange that the Emperor tried to make our meeting as hard to happen as possible. You see, the Joestar family originally was a regular noble family on the times of my father. However, when my brother Johny, I, and a family friend named Robert Speedwagon were young we started a company as well, even if Johny decided to go and enlist in the military when another war was announced. The company was originally supported by the Joestar family but soon enough became the other way around as we basically were the main power when it came to housing and construction in all of Britannia." "Our Influence was great enough that your Uncles Main-rival during the Succession of Blood went to add us to his power-base. The support of our family allowed Prince Jircniv at several points to nearly kill Charles. Suffice to say we became a big thorn in your Uncles eye and he was even responsible for my Fathers death in a retaliation to an Assassination attempt from Jircniv which occured while he was traveling through our land. Eventual my Brother Johny was given the title Knight of Four by the last Emperor and on prodding from Jircniv was named bodyguard of Princess Marie. Jircniv desired for her to die through Johnys help but ironically to opposite happened. They fell in love and both convinced their families to ally with each other. This led to Charles quickly triumphing over Jircniv and the death of his last and most dangerous brothers and his own ascension to the Throne. For his sister Charles decided to overlook our former allegiance to his Half-brother but he never forgot." "However, not long before you were born Johny, who had returned to the Battlefield, was killed in action. Now the Emperor feared that we might try something, the deterrent that existed from the love between my brother and his sister was gone and you were but a baby, anyone could manipulate you to some degree and he probably didn''t want to let any chance for the Joestar family to grow any politically stronger happen. It was partially also out of spite I believe as his sister Marie sent us a few messages where she told us about you showing that Charles was keeping his reasons close to his chest." "Thus he did what he could to ensure we would not meet for as long as possible, if not for us hearing about your vacatiom and deciding to do the same we probably would not meet one another at all." ... Wow, I didn''t expect that. Why can''t anything related to me be simple, I would rather this just be a happy occasion instead of all this. "Also, if you were to have meet this cool guy in front of you earlier you probably wouldn''t think much of the rest of the Royal Family." Joseph said with a confident smirk. "Humph, what a pain." Jotaro said while shaking his head. "What? Do you have a problem with what I just said?" Joseph asked with gritted teeth. "Yeah, my problem is that you are an overconfident idiot that likes to open your mouth when you don''t need to." "You want to fight? Huh?" "Sure, let''s throw down here already." The two brothers were one step away from starting to beat each other up, which would admittedly be interesting to see, when suddenly Jonathan stood up between the two. "You two, we are in public and this is not the way someone from the Joestar family or any other gentleman should act." He said, making the two younger man look to the side, Jotaro covering his eyes with his hat while Joseph released a ''tch'' sound before reclining too far on the table. Seeing this Jonathan shock his head before turning to me and smiling. "Anyway, we talked enough about us. Tell us more about you. We have been curious for quite some time and we want to know how you are, your friends and-" "If you already are thinking on expanding the family line a few times over." Joseph said before his ear was pulled again by Jonathan and screaming in a way almost like a girl. Laughing a bit I started talking. No huge secret or anything, nothing that someone who tried to learn more about me couldn''t see, but I put my personal thoughts into it. I told them about the training sessions with Reisi, of the first time I piloted a knightmare, of how I felt during the first mission for the A-Laws, how stressful it is sometimes having to deal with the intrigues of the court or Pariston''s ''pranks'' (I still can''t believe he managed to make an entire week where there were meetings only on the most unopportune times, looking back it was kind of funny), and about my relationships and how I was sort of forced into engagement with Nunnally and Marrybell. I also listened as they talked about themselves. Jonathan explaining about how his life with his wife was and gave me some tips about how to make relationships last forever while filled with love and recognizing true friendships like his with Speedwagon and his teacher who died around three years ago named Will Antonio Zepelli, the reasons for the death was that he had been killed by a mercenary band who was hired to kill him. Meanwhile, to raise the moods, Joseph spoke about how his life was, his rivalry with the son of Will Zeppeli that was named Caesar Zepelli, the torture that was his hot P.E. teacher during highschool named Lisa Lisa, and told all about his girl, Suzy Q, who he was very much in love with even if he had a fling or two with other girls every once in a while. And finally Jotaro spoke of his school life and his friendship with Kakyoin and Bruno Bucciarati who are both great friends with Jotaro even if they enter in conflict every once in a while. After the food was served we enjoyed ourselves as we drank liberal amounts of coke (me and Joseph did at least, Jonathan was drinking wine while Jotaro, despite being still minor, was drinking beer like it was water) and ate delicious food we simply let go of any worries. It was, however, at that point when two men entered the room. The two were quite conspicuous as they moved, their appearance made it so that no one would be able to ignore their existence. "Mr. client, I am sorry but we are all ful-" CRACK A waiter moved to them but one of the two who entered, one that had his head almost fully covered in cloth, caught his head and snapped his neck just for standing in his path. Seeing this everyone besides us moved to the exit, desperate to run away as fast as they could, cleaning the restaurant easily. "Are you sure it is fine to let these people go? I could swear it would be bad if all these offerings would be wasted." The clearly Hidan from Akatsuki said to the equaly obvious Kakuzu from Akatsuki. Really, couldn''t they just not exist or have died already? While I do like their characters I don''t really like seeing them alive and on my enemies side. "Don''t be an even greater idiot, Hidan. We already have our target in sight and we have men outside to do the cleaning anyway, we just need to hurry over and finish this." Kakuzu said while I wondered where the hell were Nyle and Leil! They were supposed to keep an eye out for suspicious people and those two definitely qualified. Regardless, just as the two were about to get too close and Reisi drew his Sword my relatives stepped before us. "Hey, hey, what are you two doing? What do you want with us here?" Joseph said as he stood in their path, a cheeky smile on his face as he pointed at both of them. "Beat it, kid. We got no time to deal with you." Hiddan said. "Oh, noo! And here I was thinking you two were members of the KPS, the organization who killed uncle Zepelli and seems to now be aiming at my cousin if what I see seems right." Joseph said. The two looked at each other for a moment at this. "Your next words will be ''And what about it?''." "And what about i-" With that Hidan shut his mouth hastily before glaring at Joseph. "Smartass, do you think I won''t kill you?" Hidan said while pulling out the blood-red scythe he had on his back." "Oh no! What should I do?" Joseph said while obviously faking fear. "You took out a dangerous weapon, and now that I only have this one weapon I don''t have a choice but to use it." As he said that he took out a- ... how the HELL did he manage to take out a machine gun from his back? I didn''t even realize he was armed! "Say hello to my little friend!" BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG. 13 Characters: series of origin, alligniance, death or alive Ciels Faction: Ciel Phantomhive vi Britannia (Kuroshitsuji/ SI) Nunnally vi Britannia (Code Geass) Marrybell mel Britannia (Code Geass) Lloyd Asplund (Code Geass) Cecile Croomy (Code Geass) Nina Einstein (Code Geass) Matsu Einstein (Sekirei) Milly Ashford (Code Geass) Ruben Ashford (Code Geass) Jeremiah Gottwald (Code Geass) Leil Dyland [knight for Ciel] (Gundam 00) Neil Dyland [knight for Ciel] (Gundam 00) Kirumi Tojo (Danganronpa) Maki Harukawa (Danganronpa) Monaca Towa (Danganronpa) Oldrin Zevon (Code Geass) Slaine Troyad [knight for Ciel] (Aldnoah Zero) Setsuna Seie [knight for Ciel] (Gundam 00) Ruby Rose (RWBY) Adelle Schnee (RWBY) Winter Schnee (RWBY) Weiss Schnee (RWBY) Qrow Branwen (RWBY) James Ironwood (RWBY) Silva Zoldyck (Hunter X Hunter) Ilumi Zoldyck (Hunter X Hunter) Killua Zoldyck (Hunter X Hunter) Miluki Zoldyck (Hunter X Hunter) Zeno Zoldyck (Hunter X Hunter) Maximillion Pegasus (Yugioh) Pariston Hill (Hunter x Hunter) Nemu Kurotsuchi (Bleach) Genos [knight for Ciel] (One Punch Man) Reisi Lincoln [knight for Ciel] (K-Project) Academy City: Charles Bonaparte (Freezing) Seryu Ubiquitous (Akame ga Kill) Roxanne Elypton (Freezing) Chiffon Fairchild [knight for Ciel] (Freezing) Ticy Phenyl (Freezing) Cassie Lockheart (Freezing) Amelia Evans (Freezing) Yang Xiao Long (RWBY) Nora Valkyrie (RWBY) Elizabeth Mably (Freezing) Erza Scarlett (Fairy Tail) Elsa Knightwalker (Fairy Tail) Minerva Orland (Fairy Tail) Simon Darkshield (Fairy Tail) Kagura Mikazuchi (Fairy Tail) Mayuri Kurotsuchi (Bleach) Sasori (Naruto) Trafalgar Law (One Piece) Dr. Gero (Dragonball Z) Deidara (Naruto) Chihiro Fujisaki (Danganronpa) Seiko Abraham (Danganronpa) Tearju Lunatique (Black Cat) Kihara Family (To-aru majutsu no Index) Earl Stadtfeld (Code Geass) Mrs. Stadtfeld/Kozuki (Code Geass) Kallen Stadtfeld (Code Geass) Barbara Gordon (DC) Charles Faction/Geass Order: Marianne vi Britannia (Code Geass) Marie vi Britannia: Dead (OC) Anya Alstreim (Code Geass) V.V. /Vincent vi Britannia (Code Geass) Castor Britannia (Code Geass) Pollux Britannia (Code Geass) Arthur Watts (RWBY) Hojo (Final Fantasy VII) Lucius Malfoy (Harry Potter) Bellatrix Lestrange (Harry Potter) Rodolphus Lestrange (Harry Potter) Orpheus Zevon (Code Geass) Oiaguro Zevon (Code Geass) Knights of Round: Maria Callavera: Dead (RWBY) Bismarck Waldstein (Code Geass) Michele Manfredi (Code Geass) Gaurry Ubiquitous (Akame ga Kill) Green (Akame ga Kill) Natala: Dead (Akame ga Kill) Najasho (Akame ga Kill) Olivia Zevon: Dead (Code Geass) Nonette Enneagramm (Code Geass) Guy (Akame ga Kill) Wall: Dead (Akame ga Kill) Zanku (Akame ga Kill) Barbaros (Code Geass) Area 1 (United States): Monica Krushevsky (Code Geass) Diethard Ried (Code Geass) Ozpin (RWBY) Ogre (Akame ga Kill) Jim Gordon (DC) Cardin Winchester (RWBY) Jaques Schnee (RWBY) Whitley Schnee: Dead (RWBY) Mr. Togami (Danganronpa) Byakuya Togami (Danganronpa Captain Kuro: Dead (One Piece) Taiyang Xiao Long (RWBY) William Stryker: Dead (Marvel) Andreas Darlton (Code Geass) Gilbert J.P. Guilford (Code Geass) Lex Luthor Leviathan (DC) Norman Osborn (Marvel) Britannia Royal Family: Carine ne Britannia (Code Geass) Cornelia li Britannia (Code Geass) Clovis la Britannia (Code Geass) Laila la Britannia (Code Geass) Flora mel Britannia: Dead (Code Geass) Zanac ro Britannia: Dead (Overlord) Barbro ro Britannia: Dead (Overlord) Jircniv rul Britannia: Dead (Overlord) Schneizels Faction: Schneizel el Britannia (Code Geass) Guinevere Britannia (Code Geass) Kanon Maldini (Code Geass) Count Dooku (Star Wars) Wilhuff Tarkin (Star Wars) Katarea Leviathan (Highschool DxD) Szayelapporo Granz (Bleach) Sosuke Aizen (Bleach) Ichimaru Gin (Bleach) Kaname Tosen (Bleach) Peace Mark: Ribbons Almark (Gundam 00) Petyr Baelish (Game of Thrones) Kougyoku Ren (Magi: Labyrinth of Magic) Madara Uchiha (Naruto) Father (Fullmetal Alchemist) Mason Ordrosso (Black Cat) Yhwach (Bleach) King Bradley (Fullmetal Alchemist) Selim Bradley (Fullmetal Alchemist) Salem (RWBY) Cinder Fall (RWBY) Hazel Rainart (RWBY) Jaqen H¡äghar (Game of Thrones) Chinese Federation: Jiang Lihua (Code Geass) Li Xingke (Code Geass) Kouen Ren (Magi: Labyrinth of Magic) Koumei Ren (Magi: Labyrinth of Magic) Koutoku Ren (Magi: Labyrinth of Magic) Kougyoku Ren (Magi: Labyrinth of Magic) Hakutoku Ren: Dead (Magi: Labyrinth of Magic) Hakuryuu Ren (Magi: Labyrinth of Magic) Hakuei Ren (Magi: Labyrinth of Magic) Varys (Game of Thrones) C.C. (Code Geass) Mao (Code Geass) Rakshata Chawla (Code Geass) European United: Robert Baratheon (Game of Thrones) Stannis Baratheon (Game of Thrones) Renly Baratheon (Game of Thrones) Tywin Lannister (Game of Thrones) Jaime Lannister (Game of Thrones) Cersei Lannister (Game of Thrones) Tyrion Lannister (Game of Thrones) Jon Arryn (Game of Thrones) Lysa Arryn (Game of Thrones) Euron Greyjoy (Game of Thrones) Balon Greyjoy (Game of Thrones) Victarion Greyjoy (Game of Thrones) Eddard Stark (Game of Thrones) Lyanna Stark: Dead (Game of Thrones) Mance Ryder (Game of Thrones) Tormund Giantbane (Game of Thrones) Lord of Bones: Dead (Game of Thrones) Gorn: Dead (Game of Thrones) Styr: Dead (Game of Thrones) Doran Martell (Game of Thrones) Oberyn Martell (Game of Thrones) Hoster Tully (Game of Thrones) Edmure Tully (Game of Thrones) Loras Tyrell (Game of Thrones) Mace Tyrell (Game of Thrones) Olenna Tyrell (Game of Thrones) Aerys Targaryen: Dead (Game of Thrones) Rhaegar Targaryen: Dead (Game of Thrones) Viserys Targaryen (Game of Thrones) Daenerys Targaryen (Game of Thrones) Roose Bolton (Game of Thrones) Walder Frey (Game of Thrones) Barristan Selmy (Game of Thrones) President Shinra (Final Fantasy VII) Rufus Shinra (Final Fantasy VII) Japan: Genbu Kururugi (Code Geass) Lelouch Lamperouge/vi Britannia (Code Geass) Suzaku Kururugi (Code Geass) Naoto Stadtfeld (Code Geass) Kaname Ohgi (Code Geass) Takeshi Nagata (Code Geass) Shinichiro Tamaki (Code Geass) Naomi Inoue (Code Geass) Taizo Kirihara (Code Geass) Danzou Shimura (Naruto) Hiruzen Sarutobi (Naruto) Hashirama Senju: Dead (Naruto) Tobirama Senju (Naruto) Oonoki Sumeragi (Naruto) Kitsuchi Sumeragi (Naruto) Kaguya Sumeragi (Code Geass) Kurotsuchi Sumeragi (Naruto) Jiraiya (Naruto) Neferpitou (Hunter x Hunter) Shaiapouf (Hunter x Hunter) Menthuthuyoupi (Hunter x Hunter) Seimei: Dead (Naruto) Tokuichi Towa (Danganronpa) Haiji Towa (Danganronpa) Gatou (Naruto) Area 6 (South America): Raven: Dead (Fullmetal Alchemist) Sergei Smirnov (Gundam 00) Victor Creed: Dead (Marvel) Craydon Creed (Marvel) Evan Rosier: Dead (Harry Potter) Rabastan Lestrange: Dead (Harry Potter) Amycus Carrow: Dead (Harry Potter) Alecto Carrow: Dead (Harry Potter) Thorfinn Rowle: Dead (Harry Potter) Walden Mcnair: Dead (Harry Potter) Augustus Rookwood: Dead (Harry Potter) Hestia Carrow (Harry Potter) Flora Carrow (Harry Potter) Spandam du Britannia (One Piece) Tom (One Piece) Area 7 (Hawaii): Sienna Khan (RWBY) Adam Taurus (RWBY) Tukson (RWBY) Ghira Belladonna (RWBY) Kali Belladonna (RWBY) Blake Belladonna (RWBY) Ilia Amitola (RWBY) Corsac Albain (RWBY) Fennec Albain (RWBY) Hidan (Naruto) Kakuzu (Naruto) Ali al-sanchez (Gundam 00) Junko Enoshima (Danganronpa) Tsumugi Shirogane (Danganronpa) Area 3 (Mexico): Jonathan Joestar (JoJo Bizarre Adventure) Johnny Joestar: Dead (JoJo Bizarre Adventure) Joseph Joestar (JoJo Bizarre Adventure) Jotaro Joestar (JoJo Bizarre Adventure) Erina Joestar (JoJO Bizarre Adventure) Suzzie Q (JoJO Bizarre Adventure) Robert Speedwagon (JoJo Bizarre Adventure) Will Antonio Zepelli: Dead (JoJO Bizarre Adventure) Caesar Zepelli (JoJo Bizarre Adventure) Kakyoin (JoJo Bizarre Adventure) Lisa Lisa (JoJo Bizarre Adventure) Bruno Bucciarati (JoJo Bizarre Adventure) Area 8 (Falkland Islands): Summer Rose: Dead (RWBY) Unknown Whereabouts: Orochimaru (Naruto) Donquixote Doflamingo (One Piece) Raven Branwen (RWBY) Historical Figures: Link li Britannia: Dead (Legend of Zelda) Zelda shi Britannia: Dead (Legend of Zelda) Ganondorf: Dead (Legend of Zelda) Vaati (Legend of Zelda) 12 Characters: series of origin, alligniance, death or alive Ciels Faction: Ciel Phantomhive vi Britannia (Kuroshitsuji/ SI) Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Nunnally vi Britannia (Code Geass) Marrybell mel Britannia (Code Geass) Lloyd Asplund (Code Geass) Cecile Croomy (Code Geass) Nina Einstein (Code Geass) Matsu Einstein (Sekirei) Milly Ashford (Code Geass) Ruben Ashford (Code Geass) Jeremiah Gottwald (Code Geass) Leil Dyland [knight for Ciel] (Gundam 00) Neil Dyland [knight for Ciel] (Gundam 00) Kirumi Tojo (Danganronpa) Maki Harukawa (Danganronpa) Monaca Towa (Danganronpa) Oldrin Zevon (Code Geass) Slaine Troyad [knight for Ciel] (Aldnoah Zero) Setsuna Seie [knight for Ciel] (Gundam 00) Ruby Rose (RWBY) Adelle Schnee (RWBY) Winter Schnee (RWBY) Weiss Schnee (RWBY) Qrow Branwen (RWBY) James Ironwood (RWBY) Silva Zoldyck (Hunter X Hunter) Ilumi Zoldyck (Hunter X Hunter) Killua Zoldyck (Hunter X Hunter) Miluki Zoldyck (Hunter X Hunter) Zeno Zoldyck (Hunter X Hunter) Maximillion Pegasus (Yugioh) Pariston Hill (Hunter x Hunter) Nemu Kurotsuchi (Bleach) Genos [knight for Ciel] (One Punch Man) Reisi Lincoln [knight for Ciel] (K-Project) Academy City: Charles Bonaparte (Freezing) Seryu Ubiquitous (Akame ga Kill) Roxanne Elypton (Freezing) Chiffon Fairchild [knight for Ciel] (Freezing) Ticy Phenyl (Freezing) Cassie Lockheart (Freezing) Amelia Evans (Freezing) Yang Xiao Long (RWBY) Nora Valkyrie (RWBY) Elizabeth Mably (Freezing) Erza Scarlett (Fairy Tail) Elsa Knightwalker (Fairy Tail) Minerva Orland (Fairy Tail) Simon Darkshield (Fairy Tail) Kagura Mikazuchi (Fairy Tail) Mayuri Kurotsuchi (Bleach) Sasori (Naruto) Trafalgar Law (One Piece) Dr. Gero (Dragonball Z) Deidara (Naruto) Chihiro Fujisaki (Danganronpa) Seiko Abraham (Danganronpa) Tearju Lunatique (Black Cat) Kihara Family (To-aru majutsu no Index) Earl Stadtfeld (Code Geass) Mrs. Stadtfeld/Kozuki (Code Geass) Kallen Stadtfeld (Code Geass) Barbara Gordon (DC) Charles Faction/Geass Order: Marianne vi Britannia (Code Geass) Marie vi Britannia: Dead (OC) Anya Alstreim (Code Geass) V.V. /Vincent vi Britannia (Code Geass) Castor Britannia (Code Geass) Pollux Britannia (Code Geass) Arthur Watts (RWBY) Hojo (Final Fantasy VII) Lucius Malfoy (Harry Potter) Bellatrix Lestrange (Harry Potter) Rodolphus Lestrange (Harry Potter) Orpheus Zevon (Code Geass) Oiaguro Zevon (Code Geass) Knights of Round: Maria Callavera: Dead (RWBY) Bismarck Waldstein (Code Geass) Michele Manfredi (Code Geass) Gaurry Ubiquitous (Akame ga Kill) Green (Akame ga Kill) Natala: Dead (Akame ga Kill) Najasho (Akame ga Kill) Olivia Zevon: Dead (Code Geass) Nonette Enneagramm (Code Geass) Guy (Akame ga Kill) Wall: Dead (Akame ga Kill) Zanku (Akame ga Kill) Barbaros (Code Geass) Area 1 (United States): Monica Krushevsky (Code Geass) Diethard Ried (Code Geass) Ozpin (RWBY) Ogre (Akame ga Kill) Jim Gordon (DC) Cardin Winchester (RWBY) Jaques Schnee (RWBY) Whitley Schnee: Dead (RWBY) Mr. Togami (Danganronpa) Byakuya Togami (Danganronpa Captain Kuro: Dead (One Piece) Taiyang Xiao Long (RWBY) William Stryker: Dead (Marvel) Andreas Darlton (Code Geass) Gilbert J.P. Guilford (Code Geass) Lex Luthor Leviathan (DC) Norman Osborn (Marvel) Britannia Royal Family: Carine ne Britannia (Code Geass) Cornelia li Britannia (Code Geass) Clovis la Britannia (Code Geass) Laila la Britannia (Code Geass) Flora mel Britannia: Dead (Code Geass) Zanac ro Britannia: Dead (Overlord) Barbro ro Britannia: Dead (Overlord) Jircniv rul Britannia: Dead (Overlord) Schneizels Faction: Schneizel el Britannia (Code Geass) Guinevere Britannia (Code Geass) Kanon Maldini (Code Geass) Count Dooku (Star Wars) Wilhuff Tarkin (Star Wars) Katarea Leviathan (Highschool DxD) Szayelapporo Granz (Bleach) Sosuke Aizen (Bleach) Ichimaru Gin (Bleach) Kaname Tosen (Bleach) Peace Mark: Ribbons Almark (Gundam 00) Petyr Baelish (Game of Thrones) Kougyoku Ren (Magi: Labyrinth of Magic) Madara Uchiha (Naruto) Father (Fullmetal Alchemist) Mason Ordrosso (Black Cat) Yhwach (Bleach) King Bradley (Fullmetal Alchemist) Selim Bradley (Fullmetal Alchemist) Salem (RWBY) Cinder Fall (RWBY) Hazel Rainart (RWBY) Jaqen H¡äghar (Game of Thrones) Chinese Federation: Jiang Lihua (Code Geass) Li Xingke (Code Geass) Kouen Ren (Magi: Labyrinth of Magic) Koumei Ren (Magi: Labyrinth of Magic) Koutoku Ren (Magi: Labyrinth of Magic) Kougyoku Ren (Magi: Labyrinth of Magic) Hakutoku Ren: Dead (Magi: Labyrinth of Magic) Hakuryuu Ren (Magi: Labyrinth of Magic) Hakuei Ren (Magi: Labyrinth of Magic) Varys (Game of Thrones) C.C. (Code Geass) Mao (Code Geass) Rakshata Chawla (Code Geass) European United: Robert Baratheon (Game of Thrones) Stannis Baratheon (Game of Thrones) Renly Baratheon (Game of Thrones) Tywin Lannister (Game of Thrones) Jaime Lannister (Game of Thrones) Cersei Lannister (Game of Thrones) Tyrion Lannister (Game of Thrones) Jon Arryn (Game of Thrones) Lysa Arryn (Game of Thrones) Euron Greyjoy (Game of Thrones) Balon Greyjoy (Game of Thrones) Victarion Greyjoy (Game of Thrones) Eddard Stark (Game of Thrones) Lyanna Stark: Dead (Game of Thrones) Mance Ryder (Game of Thrones) Tormund Giantbane (Game of Thrones) Lord of Bones: Dead (Game of Thrones) Gorn: Dead (Game of Thrones) Styr: Dead (Game of Thrones) Doran Martell (Game of Thrones) Oberyn Martell (Game of Thrones) Hoster Tully (Game of Thrones) Edmure Tully (Game of Thrones) Loras Tyrell (Game of Thrones) Mace Tyrell (Game of Thrones) Olenna Tyrell (Game of Thrones) Aerys Targaryen: Dead (Game of Thrones) Rhaegar Targaryen: Dead (Game of Thrones) Viserys Targaryen (Game of Thrones) Daenerys Targaryen (Game of Thrones) Roose Bolton (Game of Thrones) Walder Frey (Game of Thrones) Barristan Selmy (Game of Thrones) President Shinra (Final Fantasy VII) Rufus Shinra (Final Fantasy VII) Japan: Genbu Kururugi (Code Geass) Lelouch Lamperouge/vi Britannia (Code Geass) Suzaku Kururugi (Code Geass) Naoto Stadtfeld (Code Geass) Kaname Ohgi (Code Geass) Takeshi Nagata (Code Geass) Shinichiro Tamaki (Code Geass) Naomi Inoue (Code Geass) Taizo Kirihara (Code Geass) Danzou Shimura (Naruto) Hiruzen Sarutobi (Naruto) Hashirama Senju: Dead (Naruto) Tobirama Senju (Naruto) Oonoki Sumeragi (Naruto) Kitsuchi Sumeragi (Naruto) Kaguya Sumeragi (Code Geass) Kurotsuchi Sumeragi (Naruto) Jiraiya (Naruto) Neferpitou (Hunter x Hunter) Shaiapouf (Hunter x Hunter) Menthuthuyoupi (Hunter x Hunter) Seimei: Dead (Naruto) Tokuichi Towa (Danganronpa) Haiji Towa (Danganronpa) Gatou (Naruto) Area 6 (South America): Raven: Dead (Fullmetal Alchemist) Sergei Smirnov (Gundam 00) Victor Creed: Dead (Marvel) Craydon Creed (Marvel) Evan Rosier: Dead (Harry Potter) Rabastan Lestrange: Dead (Harry Potter) Amycus Carrow: Dead (Harry Potter) Alecto Carrow: Dead (Harry Potter) Thorfinn Rowle: Dead (Harry Potter) Walden Mcnair: Dead (Harry Potter) Augustus Rookwood: Dead (Harry Potter) Hestia Carrow (Harry Potter) Flora Carrow (Harry Potter) Spandam du Britannia (One Piece) Tom (One Piece) Area 7 (Hawaii): Sienna Khan (RWBY) Adam Taurus (RWBY) Tukson (RWBY) Ghira Belladonna (RWBY) Kali Belladonna (RWBY) Blake Belladonna (RWBY) Ilia Amitola (RWBY) Corsac Albain (RWBY) Fennec Albain (RWBY) Hidan (Naruto) Kakuzu (Naruto) Ali al-sanchez (Gundam 00) Junko Enoshima (Danganronpa) Tsumugi Shirogane (Danganronpa) Area 3 (Mexico): Jonathan Joestar (JoJo Bizarre Adventure) Johnny Joestar: Dead (JoJo Bizarre Adventure) Joseph Joestar (JoJo Bizarre Adventure) Jotaro Joestar (JoJo Bizarre Adventure) Erina Joestar (JoJO Bizarre Adventure) Suzzie Q (JoJO Bizarre Adventure) Robert Speedwagon (JoJo Bizarre Adventure) Will Antonio Zepelli: Dead (JoJO Bizarre Adventure) Caesar Zepelli (JoJo Bizarre Adventure) Kakyoin (JoJo Bizarre Adventure) Lisa Lisa (JoJo Bizarre Adventure) Bruno Bucciarati (JoJo Bizarre Adventure) Area 8 (Falkland Islands): Summer Rose: Dead (RWBY) Unknown Whereabouts: Orochimaru (Naruto) Donquixote Doflamingo (One Piece) Raven Branwen (RWBY) Historical Figures: Link li Britannia: Dead (Legend of Zelda) Zelda shi Britannia: Dead (Legend of Zelda) Ganondorf: Dead (Legend of Zelda) Vaati (Legend of Zelda) 13 Side Chapter - Lelouchs perspective AN: this is to show that I did not stop this fic. It is just that my co-writer that was responsible for this arc had his laptop busted and is going to buy a new one. Until he does he can''t write and we had agreed that he would do this arc. This next chapter was to be released later but considering that I fear you all might forget this fic otherwise I am releasing this one now. This is to show things from Lelouch''s perspective, do remember that he is just a 8 years old boy who was raised hearing that he was a genius by everyone. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX BANG BANG "Hey, prince, wake the fuck up already or you won''t have what to eat." A gruff voice said from the door as I was startled awake from the knocking on the door. A grunt escaped my lips as I stood up from the bed, my arms and legs aching from the training I received the last day. One of ''Madara-sama'' subordinates was ordered to teach me how to fight. I bet it was just another excuse to see me get beat up, the instructor Fugaku does seem like a spiteful little man who likes to make other suffer for no good reason. "Humm, is it morning already?" A voice said from the side, looking at my friend, for as strange as the word sound in my mouth, I smiled slightly. His head of raven black hair that was slightly messy together with his black eyes and groggy expression make him look near harmless but he is probably one of the strongest youngsters of the whole compound. "Yeah, Sasuke. It is morning, so we have to hurry or we will be yelled again and we will have to hear that self-righteous brat speak of how we are not doing what we should and his even louder friend yelling about how he will suppress us all and become the next legend or something." I said good-naturedly and Sasuke shivered in the mere thought of it all. Needless to say but me and Sasuke REALLY don''t get along with Suzaku and his friend Naruto. We were pretty much like fire and water, or as I would put a person and two piles of shit. Entering the doors to leave the room I turned to take a look at a picture I had beside my bed, a torn picture that once showed me, my most loved sister, and the traitor who took her away from me. It was a reminder, a reminder of the person I would one day rescue and of the betrayal I suffered that to this day torn me. I still remember crystal clear of everything and the truth of it all. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The day my mother was killed I was listening, again, about how Ciel was a terrible person. She yelled at me over and over about how I should not be friends with him anymore, how he was someone who wanted power and influence and that he wanted to take the throne to himself despite not having almost any right to the throne. "Mother, why do you keep saying all of this? I know Ciel, he is a friend to us and deffinetly isn''t someone who would do anything bad to me nor Nunnally." I said. "*SIGH*, You really don''t see, do you?" She said. "My child, my sweet and innocent Lelouch, Ciel isn''t someone who anyone should trust. I will tell you a secret, just between you and me." She said quietly. I listened carefully, wondering what she would say that could explain why she acted the way she did towards him. "Lelouch, do you know of Ciel''s father?" She asked. "No, not really. I never heard Ciel say anything about him and I never bothered learning of him." I said, and only now that I realized that this was a bit weird. I never really cared much as any prince was always a son of the Emperor to me and Ciel was always more of a brother than all my other brothers so I didn''t really think about that at all. "As I expected." She said. "His father is a member of the Joestar family, a family with an extremely long story and being a member of high nobility since the times of the first Emperor just as the other traditional family that is the current Viceroy family of Area 4, the Corwen family that is led by that crazy hag Elizard. Anyway, the Joestard family is strong, too strong you might say. "They are the owners of the Speedwagon Conglomerate that owns around 30% of all housing-related things in the entire Empire and even more around the world, their money is enough to buy entire nations if needs be and they also have close ties with a mercenary organization called Tenkadan that is quite strong. They also own a large number of prisons and are growing on other areas as well, you could say that their power is too big. "Normally the Emperor would never allow for this sort of situation but Ciel''s mother and his father, the only brother of the current head of the Joestar family fell in love. Charles, sweet and good man that he is, decided to not intervene with the sittuation with the Joestar family even though they are also a family that tried to help one of Charles'' brothers take the throne back in the day. "This would be all and good if not for the fact your aunt got pregnant. This meant that there was a large chance for the Joestar family to try and use the kid as a way to obtain the throne, they already have everything except for it so expecting them to vie for it is obvious. Considering that I and a few other worried supporters of the Emperor decided to move to ensure that nothing would go wrong and that the royal family would continue being the Britania Family instead of the Joestar family. "We waited for a chance and made sure that Johny Joestar would NOT be coming back home, we also did our best to limit the contact between the Joestars and Ciel, but I fear it might not be enough anymore, maybe, maybe it is not enough anymore to stop that boy with what we did." She said, making my head spin. My mother was related to Ciel''s father death? But, but that doesn''t make sense! Mother is a saint, she is the nicest and most amazing person in the world, the Flash and the best knight this whole empire has ever seen, someone who truly is incredible, pure, and amazing. She can''t be related to such thing. But, if so, then why did she say what she said about fearing that what she did might not be enough anymore? "Mother, what do you mean by-" "Madam, there are guests outside looking for you." A buttler entered the room saying that. Mother, upon hearing this, showed a displeased expression before turning to me with a smile trying to pretend I didn''t see her displeasure. "My dear, go and look for Nunnally for me, okay? Just make sure she gets to her room and doesn''t leave. Don''t worry, everything will be alright." Saying that she gave me a peck on the forehead. This was the last kiss she gave me. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX "Nunnally, little sis, where are you? Are you hiding from me again?" I yelled across the mansion''s second and third floor as I searched for my cute sister. Since a while ago she got very spirited, she would move and play all the time, it was even hard to find a moment where she wasn''t laughing or enjoying herself one way or another. For a while now she started liking to play hide-and-seek and she was getting quite good at it if compared to when she started and would leave her feet out in the open when she hid behind the curtains. It was a tad annoying that she would do that when we searched for her but the hugs she gave me whenever I found her would always put a big smile on my face. Her presence and Ciel''s friendship were the best part of my day-to-day life. Her smile soothed my soul more than anyone could ever imagine and from my very first memory, her presence was one I cherished above all else. My cousin, on the other hand, was the closest thing to a true equal to me there ever was or likely will ever be. He was not too cunning, not for a long shot for what I see, but he was almost as smart as me when it comes to strategy when he wants to and his intelligence in other areas is much higher than my own even if he is too reclusive to my tastes. I always imagined how it would be like, me as the Emperor, him as prime minister, and Nunnally as a goddess to all there are, because she deserves to be thought as such in my eyes, and of course Schneizel on the side lamenting with a bottle of wine about losing every time against my intellect during our chess matches. ... But, but mother''s revelations of the past is quite troublesome. From what I know of Ciel he is very easy to get along with but to those he hates he can smile and hide his emotions well but never forgive, he is a bit petty on that regard. Maybe he should learn with me on how to be more open-minded and less vengeful? Yes, he probably could. BANG Suddenly, without any warning, a bang sound appeared on the mansion. One I recognized well from Cornelia''s demonstrations, it was the sound of a gunshot. As I heard this I ran, I ran, ran, ran, and ran towards where the sound of gunshots rang, after the first one more and more rang and I could clearly feel my blood running cold like ice. Terror engulfed my mind as one thing appeared in the forefront of my head as I almost screamed in terror at the thought of what was on my mind. I don''t know where Nunnally is. As this thought occupied my head I ran to the main entrance, I had to make sure that Nunnally isn''t there and that mother was kicking the ass of whoever was attacking. She was awesome, after all. No run of the mil no name could possibly match her, Marriane the Flash! And then... hell. It was all I could think as I saw what can only be hell. I could see clearly the pristine walls that once we''re decorated in gold and paintings were now damaged and broken. The floor where I and Nunnally would run non-stop until not long ago is now filled with the still forms of the servants, like the kind nani who told Nunnally stories every night and would always have a candy somewhere in her for me and a smile on her face was now forever unable to smile as her face was destroyed. The butler who would wake me up when I slept more than I should was not with his body filled with holes and the clock he always kept on his hand was now broken in the floor. But, but no matter how many people there were that died my mind was on the person in the stairs. My mother, she was dying on the stairs, it was visible as more and more her breathing weakened and her blood just kept flowing out of her and dyiny sister in it as she too was shot even if it didn''t look mortal at all. I ran to them, my legs failing me as I fell while going down the stairs and felt right by mother''s side, my consciousness failing a little but I could still hear the words she said to herself before it was too late. "I guess he really couldn''t forgive me." As she said that she coughed blood, gave one kiss on Nunnally''s forehead and looked at the wall where a crying girl was standing before mother''s breathing stopped. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The time after this was a blur, the face of whoever attacked is a mystery as I can''t remember much of anything. However, I do remember my mother''s last words and also one more thing. The gun. The gun was unlike others I have seen before, it was bigger in most aspects than any other handgun I have seen and had a high-tech vibe to it. I could not think of anything as the last words of my innocent mother played in my head and her revelation of earlier all continued to swirl in my mind like an all encompassing wirpol that was bringine more and more to the dark realisation of what is likely the truth. Ciel is the culprit. It is the only logical explanation, no one else could have reason to attack my saint of a mother who was loved by all. But, at the same time I know him. I know he isn''t the type that would do something like that, he is my friend and he wouldn''t kill my mother over someone he never even met. However, he still is the most liely person to be responsible for that. Those thoughts continued swirling inside my head, contradictions, and denials mixed with what I know and saw until I finally decided to act when I received a piece of shocking news. The Emperor, my father, stopped looking for the culprit for both my mother''s death and aunt Flora. Asking around I heard more about it and learned that this happened not even two hours after a meeting between Ciel and the Emperor. ... I, I can''t believe it. This shouldn''t be possible. I know of Ciel, he is my friend! Nunnally, I need to see her. I, I must see if she is alright. I must make sure she is safe, it is the first thing I must do before finding out who is responsible for what happened to sister and mother, who is the one I am going to gut alive and make suffer hundreds of times more than what he ever felt possible. Luckily those guys from Scepter4 that Ciel left to watch over me (if for protection or something else I don''t know anymore) so I can move more easily. Quietly I left the room I was and wandered around, looking for the doctor responsible for Nunnally. These people talking are smart, otherwise they wouldn''t be here working for this hospital as doctors and they are looking from the outside so they might know something I don''t know yet. "Can you believe it? The gall of that brat, does he thinks he can order us around just because he is a prince?" An angry voice said from a room. Finding that this might be related I approached the door but stayed outside to hear what was being said. "Yeah, does he thinks us from the Avalonian Hospital? We are the best! There is no where better than us when it comes to medicine so there is no reason to take princess Nunnally away from here, much less princess Marrybell. Both are beyond repair, Nunnally will never walk again and Marrybell is disfigured for life so there is no way to heal them back to normal." "Maybe he wants them for something else? Who knows really, the two still are princesses after all." "Yeah, it would make sense. Maybe he could ''present'' them to someone for an alliance or even marry them to reinforce his position if he wants to take the throne." "Nah, that wouldn''t work. He is too far down the line of succession, there would be no way for him to become the next Emperor." "On that I disagree, it wouldn''t be the first time that someone who was low on succession line take the throne and he is increasing his influence worldwide. Last I heard there were talks of him being the Emperor''s favorite and that he is garnering a lot of unknown stuff back on his city." "That is not to forget his little helper that is garnering a lot of influence, Pariston, and the connections the prince has with some big companies. Honestly, the dispute was between three sides with Schneizel with the new military, Ciel''s increasing popularity and unknown power-base, and Lelouch''s with the influence he was garnering from old nobility and the supporters from his mother as well as the supersticious bunch that believe in the nonsense of the purple eyes being destined to greatness, but now the last one is in the air really." "*SIGH* To think that the dispute started already, I just hope it isn''t as bloody as last time where from the over 30 sons of the late Emperor the only survivors were our current Emperor and his younger sister. It is always like that, all the weaker princes end up dead and only the best take the throne." "Yeah, and we must admit that this attack was quite interesting. Entering somewhere like the Aries Vila without a problem, there is no way someone normal could do it. It would have to be a ro-" "HEY, you better stop talking or we all might have our heads rolling. We all know how these sort of things are, the succession battles are always bloody but one is better not speaking too much about them." "Yeah, but hey did you hear about-" After that it was just some gossip, meaningless and empty gossip that didn''t matter at all. Not like I could hear much of it anyway since the members of Ciel''s forces appeared soon after and started following me around, for the first time in my life I could feel it when I felt the shadows of the soldiers of Ciel on my back. I could feel terror, the terror of being manipulated so thoroughly. I wanted to deny it, deny everything to keep the image of the past as the guide light of what I wanted for my life, the dream I dreamed so much and desired so much, but it was not to be. I was like a puppet, just starting to realise how much I was played. I don''t know since when, it might have been only recent that he decided that or it might have been for years now (I know he is ALMOST as smart as me, he would be able to do that) but Ciel betrayed me. No, betrayed is the wrong word. To betray someone you must have something to betray, he was my enemy from the start. Prince Ciel Phantomhive Zi Britania, you are my enemy. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX I did it. I managed to get an audience with the Emperor, and it will be with the full court that it will happen. I must make them all see that I am not weak, that I am the best and much greater than Schneizel or the traitor. I am THE best! I am smarter than everybody else, I only win in chess and I will do the same in politics just as well! Stepping through the doors of the audience chambers I see my family members, the nobility, the traitor, and the Emperor ever so important just standing there on his fat ass and not doing what any man should and hunting down the criminal who killed his wife. "Hail, your majesty." I said in proper greeting, but with as much strength as I could. I must make sure to look as imposing as I possibly can otherwise others might not take me seriously, everyone must see me as strong so as to make more of them decide to follow me in the future and help me become the next emperor and punish the traitor for the crimes he commited! "My mother, the Empress, is dead." "Oh, yes. ...What of it?" The Emperor said disinterested, like it meant nothing. "W-What of it?" I said incredulously. The petulance, doesn''t he understand what he is saying? MY mother, HIS wife, is dead and gone. Is he also stupid like everyone else? That might explain why he never accepted my challenges to chess, he was afraid to be defeated like everyone else. "Did you call me just to inform me of that?! Send the next one in, I have no time for these childish games." As the emperor said that and was about to dismiss me I had to act, I must make him see me and answer my questions! "Father." I yelled as I ran to the throne, a few soldiers tried to stop me but the Emperor stopped them and let me continue. "Why didn''t you keep mother out of harms way? You are the emperor, the greatest men in this nation, if not the world. You should have protected her. I also demand to know where Nunnally is!" I said, the last part being the most important. I must know where Nunnally is, I must understand where is it that she is so I can rescue her from the evil clutches of the manipulative traitor! "I have little use for a blind weakling like her." The Emperor said, his voice was as impassive as if he was talking of the clouds or anything else except the most precious thing in the whole world. "How dare you say that?" I said in rage, my voice as loud as it could get and fire burning on my eyes. How can anyone DARE to speak of my precious sister like that? I swear that one day I will have his head for saying such a thing! "How I dare? No, how something like YOU dare to say anything against someone like me. You are dead! You have always been dead to me, dead from the moment you were born. Who gave you the fine Clothes you wear, the comfortable Home, the food you ate and your very life. All of those I have given to you, in short, you are nothing to me because you never existed. YET YOU DARE TO SPEAK SUCH FOOLISHNESS TO MEEE!" As he said these words the Emperor stood up, his eyes cold and at the same time burning with hatred like none I have ever seen. Power, this is the first time I understood what power meant. Those eyes looking down on me as I stumbled back to the floor, those cold and hard eyes making me cower even as I tried my best to stand my ground, it was all too much. "Lelouch, you are dead. Therefore you are not entitled to any rights. I¡äm sending you to Japan where you as Prince will serve well as a bargaining-tool!" The Emperor said making me tremble inwardly. I was just a tool, none of the respect I wanted granted to me as I was just an item for this man in front of me. This is the worst humiliation of my life. ... Wait, he only spoke about me. What of Nunnally? "On the matter of Nunnally and her sister Marrybell, I have thankfully found some purpose for them due to Ciel expressing his interest in them." Interest, what sort of interest that snake has with my precious little sister (and my half sister who I care significantly less about)? Nunnally isn''t someone who should be anywhere near someone that is so dangerous as Ciel, she is innocent, and pure, and so very precious. The last good thing I have in this world, the last ray of sunlight that still exist. But, she belongs with family. She should be with ME! I can''t let anyone here anywhere near her, especially the traitor as he is likely the one who killed mother and who knows if he will try the same with Nunnally later. However, the next few words made the world turn black for me. "I was looking for potential wives for him anyway and those two will serve nicely in that regard, he is someone who deserves a prize after all. He did things to help the Empire flourish, so you better not try anything against him while you remain a deadman." He, hehe, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! So that is it! That was his aim all along! He didn''t just want my mother''s death, he wanted it all. He wanted her influence and connections that rightfully should belong to me after mother''s death. He wanted to take everything away from me, I bet even this speech of the Emperor was something that the bastard combined with the Emperor. I heard of how Schneizel''s influence was growing too strong these last few days after analyzing everything, that he might try and overthrow the Emperor and take the throne if things continued as they are since no other prince was capable to stand as Schneizel''s equal. I bet that the Emperor and Ciel planned this as a way to balance Schneizel out, taking away everything from me as well as the Mel Britania family and putting it all on Ciel''s ambitious but obedient hands. Ciel, you bastard! You definitely planned everything, you want it all and convinced the Emperor to help you. You will even take two princesses as brides to fortify your position and claim to the throne, I am sure of it! Otherwise, it would only be some absurd coincidence that would just not make sense. There is no way it was all just coincidence! Turning to my enemy I saw him staring at me, his form frigid as he likely understood that I saw through his little charade. I am a genius, there is no way I am wrong and I am dead sure that you, my once friend, is the one person I will decidedly kill. I just wish there were fewer people here as, before I could move to strangle the bastard, two guards came to see me off the room. When I was brought back to a separated room I saw a bag of clothes and belongings already prepared, as expected since Ciel and the Emperor decided long ago to have me expelled from the country that belongs to me. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The next day I was taken almost by force to the plain the Emperor prepared for me, all formalities expected from a royal trip were there but even as I looked at all the people around and my half-brothers I could feel nothing but coldness in my heart. I bet all of them are gloating inside, loving to see the smartest of them all being reduced to such a state. Right as I was about to enter the plane someone moved to talk to me, it was the traitor. "Lelouch, I, I just wanted to say that I am sorry things ended up this way. I, I will take good care of Nunnally and if you ever need anything you just have to tell me, okay?" He said, his face deserving a oscar from how good his acting was. The blood flow to my head and before I could think twice I had already punched him in the eye. As he recoiled back I smiled and was about to rush in, if I were to give him a lucky punch that could make him injured or even kill the bastard now it would be perfect. However, before I could Clovis pulled me back by holding both my arms back. I saw the coldness as well as pity in his eyes and my fury flooded, he likely knew that the disaster that happened to me was going to happen and he let it happen, maybe even helped. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Enemies, everyone is a enemy in this place. I, I need space. I need to get away from all of this, all of them and I need time. I must have time to plan how to rescue my sister before it is to late and she is turned against me by the clever and malicious lies of the traitor. Tears were about to spill from my eyes as I was pulled to the plane, this time no other brother or sister of mine tried to approach and they all left me with a wide space and feared me a bit. Why? All I did was strike the monster that took everything from me, I am just sad I didn''t have a weapon at hand. But, next time I will. I will have a weapon and I WILL strike down this monster that pretends to be nice. I will have my revenge. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Present days Remembering that I could only smile slightly, things were still the same deep down but I grew since then. I have been learning a lot under the direct tutelage of Madara-sama and Danzou-sama. They taught me a lot of things about war, about strategy, about leading, and about deception. Being able to discern what is a disception and what isn''t is a very useful skill, a good example is how I managed to discover the fact that both Marrybell and the Nunnally that are seen by the side of Ciel are likely fakes. I obtained before I left copies of the medical records of both of them, Nunnally would not be able to walk no matter what and Marrybell should be disfigured no matter how good the plastic surgery was, instead he parades with the two fakes that are walking around as impossibilities. Marrybell and Nunnally, the real ones, are likely imprisoned to serve as reproductive mares for Ciel while he parades with better versions of them. That is the only viable explanation I could see and when I proposed it to Danzou-sama he agreed with me that it was quite likely as he himself had done some shady business and showed how it was not impossible to find people that can pretend to be the true deal. That is why I destroyed that fake letter of the fake Nunnally as soon as I received it, there is no way the traitor would ever let my true sister write any message to me. He is too smart for that. Sighing I moved with Sasuke to the training grounds, I and the other children were all learning how to be ninjas for some reason. I am not happy about the physical work involved but I do admit that seeing myself grown out of being so weak physically has been invigorating, and the fact that I could imagine the training dummies as Ciel when using kunais was an extra. Although, I do hate the taijutsu parts since I always got beaten black and blue by Suzaku, the prick. He would probably work well with Ciel, a manipulative bastard and a self-serving prick that is easy to manipulate under the right stimuli, it is just a shame that the two haven''t met or Ciel might have had a stroke from trying to talk sense with Suzaku, idiot that he is. At least my relationship with Suzaku is better than the one between Sasuke and Naruto, the two fight all the time about the pettiest of things. Sasuke always wins, true, but Naruto just has is near endless stamina and can take a beating like crazy and the next day be back to normal like nothing happened. It is a characteristic of the Uzumaki clan from what I heard, they all heal almost supernaturally fast and have near endless stamina. Meanwhile, the Uchiha clan has eyes that are sharper than everybody else making them able to nearly see the future, the two are quite absurd like that. There are others around as well, like that smartass that lose to me in chess but always win when playing shogi, Shikamaru Nara; the almost beast-like kid from the Inuzuka clan; the girl with giant boobs (for our age even if she is a bit older) of the Senjuu clan; and the quiet girl from the traditional Hyuga clan. There were others but I never really cared much for them. I remember talking with them, fighting with them, discussing with them, eating with them, and having a great time with them all. I felt like I did when I was with the traitor on the start, a proof that the friendship we had back then was nothing special. I am glad to have met them as well as my senseis (Madara and Danzou), I feel like one day with their help I will be able to create my own army and take over my rightful place in the world. BBBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM And, with that sound things changed as the gears of war of Britania advanced to my new home. To take away the small peace I obtained here. 14 The Conquer of Japan part 1 AN: I AM SOOOO SORRY! This chapter was supposed to be posted days ago, it is just that I got full of work IRL and I only had real time to work during the weekends and even then I had nearly no internet during those days. Anyway, I modified the end of the previous chapter and intend to post this chapter now as a way to show that this story is very much alive. Also, I removed the chapter about the vacation as I feel that, while interesting in its own right, would make it dificult for me on the long run to put it there. ------------------------------- Pacing from side to side after having kicked everything there was on the room beside Kirumi I continued to fume in anger. I mean, I KNEW the invasion was unavoidable but to think it would happen just as I went on a vacation, and for me to be unwarned by ANYONE for days, DAYS, that my nation is invading Japan and disregarding my cousin, it is simply infuriating! "Kirumi, how much longer until the emperor will answer the damn phone?!" I asked, fury in my eyes as she stood there. "I must talk to him already, I can''t let this continue as is." "And what exactly can''t you let continue?" Charles said, his appearance surging on the video-chat screen in front of me. Knowing him he likely was free for a while and was trying to see when would be the ideal moment to show his face, he is just too much of a showman for my patience to handle right now. "I will not ask why you decided to attack Japan regardless of Lelouch presence there, it is an obvious for all the reasoning behind it and for me that already knows of the plans regarding the Ragnarock Project it is even more so." I started, him nodding at my words. He sees anything and everything acceptable if the plan is to succeed. And why not, after all, if his plan works he would be able to rewrite everything to make it be like he wants it to be. Foolishness, that is what this is. Giving up the present for an uncertain future that might never happen only to get the easier solution, this is what I call foolish and cowardice. Just a man trying to play god and being too much of a coward to take the world by its reins and move it like he wants it to. Regardless, I must play his little game no matter how I despise it. He is the Emperor after all and even if I WILL kill him at some point he still is necessary for now even if only to ensure that the run for the next Emperor doesn''t start just yet. My city and influence aren''t great enough to water away all troubles his death would possibly cause especially since the chance of Schneizel taking the throne is almost 100% and if so I will have to become fully independent. Taking a deep breath to calm down and push all those thoughts back I continued. "I will participate in the invasion of Japan." "No." Was the immediate answer. "Your A-Laws are not to participate as it would be counter-productive to what you set out to do in helping fortify and cleanse the Empire on the inside. Besides, you also are not experienced in battle and I can see you want to rescue my son. It is not necessary as long as the plan succeeds, which would be put at risk if you were to perish." "I understand, but I think you failed to understand what I meant your Majesty." I said. "I never planned for the A-Laws to come with me. As you said it would go against their objective if they were to do so, however, this only applies to the A-Laws. I myself and my knights will not enter combat as members of the A-Laws, I believe our addition would prove useful overall and it is not unheard for that members of royalty using their private forces to help the empire prosper." "Oho, you plan to go yourself?" He asked, his face with a small smile even if his eyes continued looking cold as steel. "Yes, and I will be fighting on the frontlines in my personal Knightmare. I will also not require ammunition from the military or any assistance, all the things used will come from my own pocket and my own capacity." I said, I have more than enough anyway. I had money I accumulated these last few months from not having to invest everything into the A-Laws since the money belonging to the corrupt officials and ammunition from rebels and terrorists were partially received to fund the A-Laws itself. "It is still too risky." He said. "There is no need for you to act as this war will likely end in one month or so at the very most." "Ten days." I said through gritted teeth, not enjoying the fact I was saying what I was about to say. "Give me ten days and we will have a new Area to our control and one more Thought Elevator for you and uncle V.V. to study and use." I said. This was not what I wanted, not at all, but it was necessary regardless. Charles is someone ambitious, if not he wouldn''t be trying to do what he is, and as such he wants his objective fulfilled. This is his strength but also his weakness as I know that if what I offer helps his desire becoming reality even a second earlier he will take it. "I understand, but if you desire so you must know that I will want something in exchange for allowing your little fun in this unnecessary ''rescue'' mission later." The Emperor said and I nodded as there is no way Charles wouldn''t use this chance to get something in return. He saw me nod before continuing. "I will warn the general in command of the operation about your presence and that you have the Imperial Authority to act as you see fit, but if I hear you did something stupid you are to return to the mainland immediately. I expect great things from you." "Understood, we will be there within the next 12 hours with our own equipment." I said and with that Charles turned off the transmitter while glaring down at me, which is not surprising considering that he glares at everyone and everything. Sighing a bit in relief I was allowed to go I turned to Kirumi and said. "Send the message to all my knights and the crew of the Dominion to prepare to sortie as I can''t go with the usual air carrier of the A-Laws. Also, send the message for Monaca to send me a group of the Monokumas, as many as possible, to help. And, also, send word for the A-Law commanders to continue as usual and that they are to not get involved in the conflict with Japan until it is annexed, until that point they are all to go and continue their operations with the focus of eliminating the White Fang with the capture of Adam being the top priority, capture alive if at all possible as I want to finish him myself." As I finished saying all that I began moving to the labs. There are a few things I need to look for there that would help this operation, my objective is to bring as swift of an end for this combat and searching for Lelouch to bring him back home. He has a LOT of things he needs to explain, especially about his behavior about Nunnally since he went into his exile. If he can''t explain himself well I will punch his face so hard he will discover the taste of his own teeth when I punch them in. "Hah, I imagined you would want my help. So? What is it that you need exactly?" Deidara asked while smirking as he turned to me. He was confident as ever as he petted a bomb he created. "I want some of your intelligent bombs, as many as possible and with the different capacities for each of them as well. I may need to send them to explode supply lines or help invade some specific locations that would need a more precise touch." I explained. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "Fine, but I want the data you obtain for the life test. I can let you take about 300 unities of diverse capacity, and this is the transmitter to control their movements, to explode you just need to say ''katsu'' on the transmitter and the bomb released will burst." Deidara explained. "Just make sure to give me better supplies for my art." "Deal, also where is Nina? I could swear she should be here somewhere as we did arrive a few hours ago." I said. "Her? Who knows or cares, idiot? When she gets here I will tell her you were here." Deidara said before shooing me off. And, with that, I have enough high-end explosives to send five or so Mount Fuji''s to the sky. Neat. Anyway, I now need to go and look at my knight that was on repairs after his genial decision to try and test the durability of his body by trying to see how much he can do before he breaks. He is not that smart even if he tries to act like he is. "My Majesty, I am glad to see you well." Genos said even if he currently was merely a torso with his head attached. "Yeah, I sure am glad I survived the shitstorm that went after me. Anyway, we are going to Japan next." I said. "Could you tell me the details?" He said. After explaining everything he nodded his head. "I understand, would it be possible to request aid in putting the more destructive upgrades? I believe they will be useful." Nodding I helped put the parts he needed, or I was about to when I was interrupted. "Please, Our Master, leave this to us." A tall man (?) said. He had a tall and thin build, white eyes, and pointy beard and hair that, together with his clothing and the jester hat, made him look more fit to be on a circus. Not only him but by his side there was also another tall male (?) who was wearing a white suit, a white cowboy hat, had a guitar on his hand, and one of his eyes had two pupils while the other had none. The final was a petite female (?) who was about as high as you''d expect from a 12 or 13 years old child (which still is taller than me), had blond hair, big eyes, and is wearing a mini skirt-styled gothic loli dress. The three gave polite bows as I looked at them. "Impressive, don''t you think?" Sasori said while approaching. "These are the newest models of machines I have created, they are puppets that don''t need to be looked over too much as they have a high-level AI and also high fighting capacity." As Sasori said that smugness could be sense oozing out of him. "They are respectively Pantalone, Arlequino, and Columbine." He continued. "I had them ready as a birthday gift of sorts to you and as a way to prove my research is more relevant in the long run than the one that idiot who doesn''t understand that art must be forever instead of an instant... Anyway, they have been programmed to follow your orders. Pantalone can release bullets of air capable of penetrating steel on a distance of 15 meters and release said air bullets in high speed. Arlequino can release flames of around 3000 degrees, more than enough to burn a knightmare as it is. And finally, Columbine can control tens of thousands of nanomachines she releases to her surroundings and uses said machines to attack or defend at will. I believe these will be useful, I also have a few other interesting puppets that I want to build later and the funds for it would be appreciated." "I understand, thank you for the gifts. Also, are there any that would be useful for recon? I will likely need many of them if I want to obtain success." "I believe I may have what you are looking for. I can send them to your airship in about an hour." Sasori said impatiently, clearly not in the mood for small talk. "Ok, see to it and I will see if we can increase the budget for you as well as let you in on the data from other studies that might interest you." I said and he nodded before turning away aloofly and moving out, he had an objective to fulfill now. With that set I moved to another one of the labs, one that could be of interest for me to see how things are going there. ------------------------------- "Oh, Ciel. I did not expect your visit just yet. Are you here to look into my latest creation?" Mayuri said with a maniac grim on his face covered in thick white make-up and his stupid hat. At least this time he isn''t wearing his glowing clothes that shine like a sun, his sense of ''fashion'' is as strange as his creations. "Depends, if there is anything that would help in my next little mission it would work but my main concern is on our mutual project. I believe at least a few unities have been completed by now." I said while sitting on a chair like I owned the place, which I technically did since everything within the labs is funded by me and my money. I am glad to get so much revenue from the multiple factories I have producing all sorts of technologies as well as the money I receive from the energy generators within the main cities of the Empire and the sponsorship from the Schnee Industries, Togami Industries, and the Industrial Illusions. If I didn''t spend as much as I do it is likely I would be filthy rich instead of barely making do most of the time. "Oh, yes I wish I could say otherwise but the experiment still needs some fine adjustments. It is unfortunate that the data we wanted is unavailable for now, even with what I managed to grasp from your Geass I believe a few extra Geass to study would be necessary. Also, unfortunately, most of my research isn''t on the point it can be used freely, even if I do have some interesting poisons or medicines that could be used right away." "Great, while I don''t think the poisons will be needed I do think that the medicine can come a long way to help the civilians that might get involved. While on a war involving the civilians is the last thing I want after dying or losing the battle or my subordinates. Now, send them to my ship at once, the more the better and focus on producing more of it for now and prepare to send it via airship as some of my ships will be used for it. Also, please start the processing of the food capsules that you mentioned for me a while ago, if I am to move myself I plan to show what I am capable of." I said and Mayuri nodded before turning away to do s ordered. I am just a tad uncertain about the food capsules as it is a cube of about 2,5X2,5X2,5 that stores enough nutrients to replace a full meal and that is quite easy to carry around in large amounts and is near impossible to spoil. They would do wonders to help the civilian relief there, something extremely important in my personal opinion, but at the same time it is also undeniable that should such technology enter the hands of the military they would be able to advance further in the war effort. Well, whatever. I should stop worrying so much about that right now, I already will be going out using my personal battleship and any of the things I will be using are already too much but I don''t give a damn anymore. I want this war to finish as swiftly and in the best state possible, every second count. Nodding to myself I started moving to Dominion, however, I couldn''t get there as quickly as I wanted since someone stood in my path. "Prince Ciel, I wish to go as well." Jeremiah Gottwald said as he stood in front of me, his hair and clothes are impeccable as he looked straight at me with eyes blazing with determination. "I want to secure Her Majesty Marianne''s son, it is my duty to do as such." Looking at his frame I nodded. "Fine, you can come with us but you must follow my orders to the letter. Any transgression and you will be returned here immediately, if I order a retreat you retreat and if I order an attack you attack, if you can''t do that then you can forget about returning to this city and to your post as a protector for Nunnally." I said firmly, he is a great fighter but I fear he would do something stupid if given the wrong incentive. In certain ways he is an impulsive ''brat'' that follows his heart too much, he could easily become a liability if let be. Bowing to me Jeremiah said. "Yes, prince Ciel. I will do as you said, I just need to get a Southerland and I will be set and ready. "Humph, a Southerland? Please, you must be joking." I said. "I had a prototype ready for a while now for a new Knightmare I intend to make the norm for the Knightmares to be used by the A-Laws, I suppose you''d work well as a pilot for one of the Flags." "Flags sir? I never heard of those." Jeremiah said. "The Flag is a high-performance mobile suit that can also act as a high-speed jet fighter. Both modes are capable of aerial flight with the mobile suit mode providing greater mobility and the jet fighter mode providing greater speed. For the flight, four hydrogen plasma jets are mounted on its back. The linear rifle is usable in both the mobile suit and jet fighter mode. For the latter, it also has the function of generating a "sharp shaped" electromagnetic field on the front of the jet and it is for this reason that the Flag can travel at high velocities despite its shape not being aerodynamic. For melee combat, the unit is equipped with a vibration based sonic blade which possesses the ability to focus plasma into a sword shape. While it possesses two operation modes, the Flag cannot freely transform between these modes in mid-air due to immense stress the frame buffers that can potentially spin it out of control. "One interesting feature about the Flag is its fuel system. The hydrogen that it uses as fuel is infused into the molecular bonds of the carbon that makes up the machine''s frame, removing the risk of explosions and eliminating the need for extra space for fuel tanks. It also-" "Okay, okay, I understand that it is an incredible machine." Jeremiah said, making me sheepishly smile. I guess I went out of the tangent again as I got too excited. The flag is a special design I really enjoyed building, its main value for me is its capacity to fly and the fact its cost isn''t so far above of a typical Southerland but its performance is much higher. It isn''t on the same level of a seventh generation Knightmare like the Lancelot in Code Geass but the distance isn''t that great and the cost to build one seventh generation is enough to build 150 Flag unities. The only thing I need now is field testing, this war should prove satisfactory. ------------------------------- With all set I entered my battleship, it was gigantic. It was capable of carrying about 50 Knightmares of the size of my own and of my knights. It is armed with positron blaster cannons, beam cannons, CIWS, linear cannons and several missile launchers. The Dominion also featured laminated armor for better protection against beam weaponry, ablative gel dispensers for protection against the heat of atmospheric entry (yes, it can work in space very well, I just need to get enough funds and time to build a mass drive to be able to start exploring the space and especially Jupiter since I feel that it might have some connection to the power of Geass), and a number of multipurpose launchers for deploying flares, anti-beam depth charges, etc. With the use of extensive automation, the Dominion can be operated even by a handful of crew members. In terms of the operating environment, the Dominion can travel in space, in the air, and on the water either to submerge and cruise underwater or to be used as an actual ship. It was a ship that was made for one thing, supremacy. I honestly doubt there is any ship capable to stand up to this baby of mine. And considering the ship is also being loaded with a veritable army of Monokumas as well as multiple crates with the creations of Deidara and I could only think that the war should have ended before I knew of it. Honestly, I think that my ship and forces alone could topple a country like Japan in about 8 days or so if I were to not mind killing everyone in it. Instead, I have a different plan for this grand occasion. Now it will probably be less of a war and more of actual bullying. Anyway, I now sat on the high position on the ship, we are going to travel through the air as it is a tad faster and with this, the Dominion''s submarine capabilities will remain hidden. On the ship, we just finished putting all knightmares and the load is all being put in place, I look to one side and see Kirumi and looking on the other side I see the four puppets from Sasori that are programmed to help me. Soon, we will be launching this campaign... sigh, I can only hope to get this over with quickly, if I can limit the needless casualties I will. Well, at least one thing was for sure. If before people of other nations took notice of me now they will have no option but to think a whole lot harder about possible retribution for any hasty action which means that some of the funding for terrorists will be cut making my work easier. Sigh, I really need a vacation. ... Wait, I was on one just a day ago and it ended up with me fighting knightmares and crazy terrorist and bloody mercenaries that wanted my head on a spike. My life sometimes sucks. Taking a deep breath to try and force those annoying memories away I look as every crew member was ready to launch and just waiting orders to go. I looked to the side to see the captain, a weakminded man who I intend on replacing as soon as a better option presents itself but, for now, I will keep him as his family is somewhat influential amongst the nobility. "Captain, it is time to set off. Let''s show the world the might of my Dominion and my personal power. It is time to truly start the end of this war." ------------------------------- 3¡ã Person P.O.V. At Japan... things weren''t doing so well. Well, actually one could say that was both true and false at the same time since the overall populace wasn''t as aware of the bigger picture as the government or the military were. Whilst they remained in their blissful ignorance, the government and military practically gnashed their teeth together in both fury and dread each day that passed, since the next day could be very well their last... as a free Nation, that is. Things with the war between Britannia and the rest of the world weren''t going so smoothly, with that powerful empire growing and growing the more countries which had to surrender to them, it filled the other Nations with dread and nervousness. Knowing just how tyrannical that the Nation''s ruler was didn''t help matters, in fact, it would be safe to say that it only made things all the worse, like fanning the flames as it were. Thanks to the nation''s superior military technology, as well as that DAMNED CITY ruled by that one prince Ciel who had been taking the world by storm in every way possible, it felt like they didn''t have many options available to them. Like they were nothing but children surrounded by vicious bullies, bullies who would take their time slowly closing in before pouncing for a major beat-down. None of their spies were able to gain anything from sneaking inside either, which only worsened their fears. If it weren''t for Madara Uchiha and his military forces controlled by the Uchiha clan and the Senju clan, the Government knew deep in their very BONES that they would have been just counting their days until subjugation by this point in time. Those guys had fought against Britannia''s forces time and time again, proving themselves as Japan''s sole line of defense against them when they needed such a line the most. As stated before, if it weren''t for them, Japan would have fallen long ago, even with their... archaic notions of fighting reminiscent of a time in the past. Not even the top government or military officials could grasp why they had adopted such principles like ninjas, or where Madara had gotten this idea from when he formed his military, but hey, it worked. But, how long they''d be able to keep this up was anyone''s guess... Right now in one of their secret bases... "*YAWN*, Man I''m beat..." It was in the middle of the afternoon, for this secret base located deep within a dense, deep forest. The Base itself had the size of a small city, whilst boasting a rather large military presence with various different aircraft, gun batteries, etc. It wouldn''t be unlikely to call it a land fortress, due to how heavily defended it looked. Two Soldiers were standing atop one of the four watchtowers around the base, keeping an eye out for any signs of hostile aggression. Due to the geography in which the base had as a natural defense, it would be quite difficult for land forces to break through without being noticed, as the wilderness would have alerted the base in one form or another. "You had much sleep last night? Did the sergeant general give you a hard time again?" When one Soldier noticed his colleague yawning like a bear waking up for a nap, a concerned frown formed on his lips when he looked over. "Ah, don''t mind me, I brought it on myself. Haven''t been able to sleep lately thanks to my son being close to the Japanese borders. He and his mom sometimes drive me crazy with their choices, to believe the promises that everything was fine from the government..." "I see... well then, let''s talk about something else to keep you awake." "Like the war?" The Colleague sweatdropped at the casual mention of the Nation''s current crisis, but he knew the guy personally so he didn''t take too much offense to it. He then glanced to the forest once more, eyeing the wilderness around it both leisurely as well as cautiously. One could never be too careful, and it was their jobs to report anything fishy in the surrounding area. "Sure, you think it''ll be over soon?" "No way. Japan''s not going to give up so easily, we still have some cards left to play. Well, that''s what the higher-ups think anyways, me? I''m not so sure. I mean, with so many powerhouses on the Empire''s side..." The Colleague chuckled weakly at that, scratching his jaw whilst the tired Soldier, slumped in a resigned fashion. It was the type of demeanor one makes when they were officially done with some kind of bullshit, the face one makes when they just want to go and be like ''fuck this shit, I''m done!'' or something. Even so, the colleague still looked quite hopeful in contrast to his pessimistic partner. "True. But hey, at least we have Generals Madara, Tobirama, and to a lesser extend Todoh they are someone we can rely on, don''t you agree?" "I''m not so sure..." "Huh? What do you mean?" "You serious? I have seen them when close to each other, I would say that it would be easier to see Britania disarm than to see them working well together. Just one look and it was clear that they couldn''t see eye to eye. And if we already are weak and are not able to cooperate than it is not quite easy to see how we can hope to win." Just before the colleague could say anything back to him, both men noticed something approaching in the distance. Neither of them could make out what it was exactly as it looked to be quite the distance from the forest, however, they assumed it to be something flying. Simply due to how it stayed in the air, but what really caught their attention was that it was gradually getting closer to them. "Huh? What''s that?" The Colleague questioned whilst his tired partner pushed his fatigue aside to pull up his binoculars to take a closer look. Just as he did so, however, the formerly tired soldier noticed something... weird. Dozens of small black dots seemingly flew upwards from the big silhouette into the skies above, like birds releasing their young from their nests out into the world. Only, these weren''t birds... And that was the moment everything went to hell completely. "ATTENTION JAPANESE SOLDIERS: THIS IS PRINCE CIEL OF BRITANNIA! AFTER MUCH CONSIDERATION WE HAD SENT WORDS OF PROPOSAL OF PEACE BETWEEN OUR TWO NATIONS, BUT WITH YOUR VEHEMENT DENIAL OF THE WORDS EVEN BEING SENT WE OF BRITANIA HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO MOVE INTO ACTION. HOWEVER, WE DO NOT WISH FOR MEANINGLESS DEATHS. THROW DOWN YOUR WEAPONS AND SURRENDER AND YOU SHALL BE TREATED FAIRLY AS SHALL YOUR FAMILIES, RESIST AND YOU SHALL KNOW WHAT DEATH IS LIKE. REPEAT, THROW DOWN YOUR WEAPONS. THIS IS A FIRST AND LAST WARNING, AFTER THIRTY SECONDS WE SHALL OPEN COMBAT, ANY RESISTANCE WILL BE MEET WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE. IF, AT ANY POINT, YOU THROW YOUR WEAPON TO THE GROUND AND KNEEL YOU SHALL BE SPEARED." As the message passed through the base no one knew exactly how to react. Well, at the first two or so seconds anyway since right after everyone started running to battle stations even if how useful they would be was questionable since the mostly expected a ground battle and not an air battle since most flying machines were not that popular on Britania''s army. And so the time on the clock continued dropping and before long the thirty seconds count reached zero. From the airship two compartments were opened, the first one released about a hundred or so white and black bears. They hit the ground with quite the strength but despite that, they acted like the fall was nothing much before their red eye glowed menacingly before they exploded into motion. They released claws that could cut through concrete and steel like it was barely even there and their speed and agility were higher than humans but quite a bit. However, it was not the monokumas that were the scarier part. It was the knightmare that flew out of the second compartment that was. It was red and golden in color, considerably bulky like it was a giant or something along those lines with no apparent cockpit to eject. Later it would be known that no suck ejection system was made, while there were many technical reasons for it to the warriors of later times it would be seen as confidence and honor to not run away. The figure was floating in the sky by using multiple repulsors that force it to stay afloat due to the sheer weight of the Knightmare. It also had many more functions to it as, while flying many compartments opened from all over it and a total of thirty satellite-like items appeared flying around the knightmare. All of them pointed at different positions at the same time and like it was nothing they all shot at the same time at the military base''s strategic locations and the heaviest artillery that were there. The Knightmare didn''t even need to move itself as its satellites were more than enough for it to defeat them all. And, as everyone despaired over it, the Knightmare descended to the ground. Ciel''s voices rang again as he again started talking. "Throw down your weapons, I have no wish to kill more than I absolutely have to. Think of your families, this country will fall and do you really want them to fend off for themselves? Think of your children, living without a parent only because of orders of your superiors that failed you all and that are not brave enough to go to the front lines themselves." "Who said we are too coward to be in the frontline?!" Suddenly a voice rang from the other camp as a hatch that was still unscratched busted open. From it, a Knightmare appeared bearing the symbol of the Hyugga clan in it. Inside the hatch was a man with cascading black hair with a stern appearance and white eyes that were showing a faint bird appearance to them, the Hyuga clan members had a pseudo geass that all clan members possessed from birth. This hereditary geass could not truly be called an actual Geass since its effects were quite meager but it still was enough to let their members see through objects within a certain range. This was why the Hyugga clan was one of the strongest clans outside of the Six Houses of Kyoto, their natural ability that they believed was due to the god the worshiped that went by the name Ribbons having graced them with was one thing that made them decisively greater than any normal man even in piloting. They could see the internal structure of a Knightmare just by being close to it when looking and it meant that all the target''s movements were seen through. They were the best when it came to CQC on knightmares out of all clans of Japan, they were prideful and arrogant warriors and the man behind the cockpit was even more so as he was named Hiashi Hyugga and he was the clan head of the Hyugga clan, he was the most prideful of all Hyuggas. It was even said that he was capable of fighting on equal grounds against any of the heads of the six houses of Kyoto, his position as leader of this base was due to the confidence that he could guard this position. However, Ciel''s mere presence here was enough to make this man grit his teeth in anger. He could see how some of his men were losing hope, they had all seen the exploits of this young man during some of the A-Law operations that happened, Ciel managed to hack in all countries and release footage to them and in some cases even illegally passed his videos on TV as if it was what should be there from the start, he even sent the companies he hacked payment for their troubles and an apologize for doing what he did. And now he was doing the exact same thing again, doing something wrong and trying to cover it up with pretty words, he wanted to take this base with minimal battle but his machines had already killed more than 500 personnel. Hiashi had to act and act he did, his confidence was blistering to the front as he moved his state of the art 5th generation Knightmare frame that could match even 6th generation knightmares on some areas. Ciel''s Knightmare didn''t move as Hiashi ran to it, the arms pulled back as he prepared to give two punches at the same time at Ciel''s Knightmare. It connected, and did nothing. Hiashi then proceeded to give continuous punches at Ciel''s Knightmare with all possible strength while aiming at the places that looked like weaknesses. They connected, and did nothing. Hiashi started doing everything he could, he tried everything there was that he could do including even throwing the dust into Ciel''s knightmare''s visual sensors or where he believed they should be. It all did nothing to even faze Ciel. After about a minute of doing so and it clearly being ineffective the soldiers that threw down their weapons and were being left alone by the slaughtering Monokumas, even protected against friendly fire from those who cursed those who were smart enough not to die when they would not win, could see that it was futile. They could not win. They never stood a chance against this kid, a mere kid that was trampling them so thoroughly and absolutely as it was quite clear that this was not all he could do, his ship was clearly capable of more and his knights that were already becoming something of a legend were also on standby. Ciel''s knightmare''s arm suddenly shot upward and hocked into the arm of Hiashi''s Knightmare. Hiashi decisively expelled said arm and aimed a gun at it to explode the arm together with Ciel''s Knightmare. Not that it worked as Ciel''s Knightmare just kept there, before it suddenly exploded in movement. Hiashi''s eyes widened as he could not understand one thing of how Ciel''s knightmare worked as its internal structure was absurdly chaotic, like hundreds of tiny machines working together and separately to reach their own individual designs. It was absurd, like it was a thing that should not be possible no matter how he saw it, but it was why he failed to detect the movement of Ciel''s Knightmare when it both caught the primal visor sensor of his machine on one hand and the cockpit on the other, he crushed the sensor and held the cockpit in place without even slightly bulging when Hiashi tried to escape. He tried to eject, to use the landspinners, to jump back, to punch at Ciel''s knightmare, and nothing worked. "That is enough, you lost." Ciel said and when Hiashi tried to defy Ciel again three of the satellites moved at high speed and turned into swords of plasma instead of plasma cannons, the satellites cut the Knightmare up until there was only the cockpit left and it was only then that Hiashi, as if speaking these words felt like swords coming out of his throat, said. "Let''s talk terms." "No, surrender is surrender. You surrender and stops fighting against Britania, you do that and your soldiers will not have to die, you continue and more useless sacrifice will continue. Now chose, do you surrender to Britannia?" Ciel said, this time the silence spoke volumes as Hiashi refused to speak. "Very well then, this battle will continue. Hear me, brave soldiers of Japan, throw down your weapons and your lives will be spared. Chose if you want to have empty pride or life for yourselves as your leaders and commanders can''t do that for you. CHOSE!" As Ciel said that he put the cockpit where Hiashi was located up in the air using only one hand before a wave of energy was released from it and destroyed the cockpit and Hiashi within. Not long after the battle ended, 70% of the Japanese survived by throwing down their weapons, they were treated fairly and no abuse was done to them as even if their weapons were taken away they were still allowed to make use of the facilities for materials like food and water. They were not hurt after they gave up and those who were wounded before were being treated by Ciel''s technology. One thing of importance, however, was that Ciel made it a point to ''accidentally'' leave the communications up and working for the Japanese. He wanted to make sure that the enemy knows of his presence and especially knows that those who surrender to him will be treated fairly. And with this the war that was on a slight stalemate between Britania and Japan had turned, the start of the end was now. He also wanted the connection to the servers of Japan that this base had, when he said ten days for Charles he did not mean ten days to say they win most of it and just some forces were remaining but the country could be called Area 11, it meant ten days to eliminate all opposition and win the war completely and flawlessly. And with this connection, the results are already set. Japan, upon facing Ciel one time, already completely lost even if it did not know it yet. 15 The Conquer of Japan Part 2 3¡ã person P.O.V. BANG "What you mean base Higuromo has fallen?! That should be impossible to happen, especially this fast. Where were the reinforcements from base Shinjitsu at, taking a fucking nap?!" A voice yelled on the transmitter of the central base of Japan''s military. The man talking was none other than Fugaku Uchiha, the vice head of the Uchiha clan and the chief of military operations when the war started. Normally the leader of the central force of Japan would have been Madara or Tobirama but both had decided that they would go to the front lines to help defend together with the general Todoh. To say that things were not going well was an understatement but the presence of these three leaders was just enough to ensure that the front lines don''t fall apart. Meanwhile the other heads were also with their hands full, Danzou was leading the espionage and assassination squads to try and destroy the invasion force from within, Oonoki and Hyruzen were trying their absolute best to help the production lines to be able to continue the war effort while receiving large help and assistance from the Towa Industries, and Gembu Kururugi was doing his best to squash and stop any dissident movements of those who would accept fall into Britania''s lap. This was all necessary as Britania was simply too strong right now. They not only had an overwhelming superiority in power and talented commanders they also were smart enough to bribe politicians, start information wars, and aimed at transportation lines to make sure that the enemy would fall with minimal effort. They were simply too accustomed to warfare and knew by heart how to do it to the best of their abilities. Honestly speaking Japan had only started the fighting by less than four days and things were already going to the point where even the more hard-headed and stubborn people could see that this is a war they could not win. And now the Higuromo base fell. That was a disaster that was simply unacceptable, the fact of the matter is that the Higuromo base was a place for the front line retreated in case it ever needed a new base and it also was one of the bases where the monorail where the sakuradite was transported passed by. With it being taken away it meant that the enemy could literally cut the eastern front of the defense line of its resources to power its knightmares and tanks. They had to take that base back but even when ordering the soldiers that remained to take back the base there was no positive answer, all soldiers there had lost the spirit to revolt against Britania, no, against prince Ciel. Fugaku was furious, the eastern front was a specially important place as it was where Madara''s army was located, it meant that there was a serious risk of things going out of order there if this was not taken care off. "Sir, a report came from our scouts." A soldier said as he entered without bothering with removing his shoes before and bowing to Fugaku, something that largely displeased the man. But, if the report was important enough, he supposed that ten lashes instead of the thirty he planed should suffice. "We had received word that the enemy has launched a total of 6 knightmares. They were released from the main ship of prince Ciel, they all are heading to different directions and if the directions they are going are to be where they are heading, then they are aiming at 6 smaller military bases used for transportations of goods located across the eastern and central frontlines. We also received word that the main ship is heading to base Shinjitsu." As he heard that the cup filled with scented tea that was on the hand of Fugaku was crushed by his hand. He screamed at the messenger. "Then go and warn Shinjitsu base already! They must intercept and destroy that damn monster at once! Also, go and make sure Danzou orders all his assassins possible to try and take the head of that accursed child, I want it on a spike." "T-That would be impossible, sir." The messenger said. "The Shinjitsu base has just managed to complete a report, it has been shot from the 40 kilometers distance and the flight carriers, as well as the hangars where the knightmares were located and the anti-air missiles, were all destroyed before they could realize. Not only that but they also reported that a considerable number of explosives were sent and destroyed the outer walls entirely and burned the stocks where the food was maintained. The troops were already starting to starve even before the battle." "How the hell did we not know of that? We should have known that since long ago so why am I being informed of this only now?" Fugaku asked in a considerable calmness, his fury went pass a threshold and now was back to what it once was. "Did the enemy managed to jam the communications?" Fugaku asked, the implications of this sort of jamming was terrifying to say the absolute least. However, it was not the soldier there that answered but instead, a voice said from the speaker in Fugaku''s own personal computer. "You thought it was jamming, but it was me Ciel!" The voice, revealed to be Ciel, said with an oddly high amount of pride like if he managed to do something extremely impressing. "I always wanted to say that, yay. Now, before you try and break your computer, yes I can see you all right now and I can see that most of you clearly want to destroy or turn off your computer, I want to talk." "So, you hacked my computer." Fugaku summarized. "I did not exactly hack this computer I am speaking from, I hacked Japan itself." Ciel said. "I hacked all the electronic systems in Japan and as of right now control all its communications that rely on any sort of computer. Of course, I also obtained intel on all your bases, transport routes, and even your escape routes to when you abandon Japan to try and ''fight another day''. It was honestly cute that you thought I would give you all this sort of chance. Anyway, I also hacked into all your banks and control the cash of all the main families, I literally can turn you all into poor people with a flick of my finger. "Oh, and I also have any and all evidence of any misgivings that you and the other great houses have committed against the people of this nation, including corruption and the less savory pass times, I thought only the Boltons in the EU liked torture so much but I guess burning people alive is something that you Uchihas and the Targeryans in Rome have in common, I guess your close relations are explainable after all, then again turning others into eunuchs like what Danzou does is something that the Chinese Federation is quite fond off. I can never understand how removing the balls of someone would make them smarter but I guess it might just be jea-" SMACK "Sorry, sorry, jeez Kirumi you don''t know how to handle even one little joke." Ciel said making Fugaku''s lips twitch, this hint of humanity in there was enough to make others think of him less of a demon that he actually was. "Besides, it is not like me speaking this makes any difference anyway, as far as the listener here knows the war might have ended and only he doesn''t know yet, after all, I control the enemy communication systems and spreading fake information would be just too easy. I am just too bored right now as I already won." As Ciel finished saying that the blood in Fugaku''s veins turned ice cold. How this kid did what he said was something that Fugaku could not understand but it was not relevant anymore. If what he said is true then this whole war was quite literally already as good as won. "Anyway, I am just messaging now because I want to give you all a chance to give up. If you surrender to me I promise that you can keep your lives as long as your actions don''t go against the laws of the Empire. I want you and the other leaders to think carefully about what you intend for the Japanese people, what is it that matters. If you give up now I can pledge for the Emperor to be fair with this nation''s people and make sure that the Viceroy and other nobles don''t try and take unfair advantages of the Japanese people. I can even help facilitate the honorary Britanian conditions and open more spots on the A-Laws and on my city for the Japanese people who want to take part. "The world is heading to unification, the era of divided countries is coming to the end just like the warring state era of Japan came to an end by the hands of the emperor, getting on the winning horse early is not such a bad idea if you ask me. Now, I wait for the answer of you all, the leaders of each military base of Japan as well as the political leaders of this nation, your decision will be the factor that will determinate how this war is going to play out, but to prove I am serious about winning I will allow for communications for the next two hours and you all will be able to see the destiny of base Shinjitsu, they received this offer hours ago and refused to listen to good sense so now they will pay the correct price." As Ciel said all that Fugaku sat on his chair and reclined into it, he then opened one of the drawers and pulled out a bottle of rare sake that he threw out of the window before opening another bottle of a terrible sake, opened the bottle, and drank it from the bottle itself. "You know, soldier, what that bottle I just threw away was?" "No, sir, I, unfortunately, have no idea." "That was a gift from my son that I received last month for my birthday. I wanted a special experience that deserved me opening it and when the war started I decided that winning the war would be when I drank it until it either ended or I passed out cold, possibly in a pool of my own vomit and with a smile on my face. Unfortunately, this war is one we will not win. There is no way we can win, not anymore. So, I will drink this shit my cousin gave me instead, it tastes like shit but it at least matches my mood right now." "... Sir, would you consider the offer from the prince?" "... I can never accept such a thing as surrender. I will choose to fight, that this nation bleed to its last man and that Britania only receives as a prize for a hard-won battle a pile of ashes, it is more than what they deserve. Anything less would be an offense for the Uchiha name." "But sir, what of the people?" "What of them? They are irrelevant, they were born of this nation and if this nation falls they falling too is just something that must happen. That is why I feel like shit, because I know how my nation and people will be killed to the last men and that I will ensure that we all can fight to the absolute bitter end. Now, soldier, you have obligations to do besides standing there. Go and send the news to the other bases, we must know what they will say." The soldier nodded and left, both the soldier and Fugaku not noticing a shadow on the roof that was spying on them quietly. ''Father, this is insane. Why would you try and push this sort of situation forward? What must I do now'' the teen of no more than 16 thought to himself as his black hair covered his eyes. -------------------------------- On other military bases, the reactions varied immensely, some blasphemed to the high heavens, some thought it was a joke, some ordered the execution of anyone who would even try and mention the message. However, just as Ciel expected some of the bases thought things through and wavered. Strangely enough, the three wavering the most were actually two of the six heads of the Six Houses of Kyoto. Kirihara, Sumeragi, and Sarutobi all had been trying their best to ensure that Japan would survive but this new action really put things into perspective. The thing that worried them the most was the money situation, if what Ciel said is true that he can eliminate all their finances instantly they knew that he could literally ruin Japan by just removing its money and withdrawing, they would be all ruined regardless. It was cunning, but effective as most of the money was digital nowadays anyway. From the three the one more troubled was undoubtedly the Sumeragi family head, Oonoki Sumeragi. He had worked his entire life to get to the point he was now, he was not the first on the line of succession and was also not the first option in many things but he still reached his station as one of the most influential people in Japan by no small amount of cunning and depending a great deal on his foresight. He knew that if the nation was taken as it was and if the resources were to be simply taken away together with the money he and his house would be the first to fall, he refused such scenario. He had worked too hard to reach his station in life and he would not be defeated and pulled down so easily. A plan surged in his head, a plan that would potentially raise him much further than before and also ensure the survival of the Sumeragi family while also ensuring the safety and quality of life for many Japanese. Yeah, he could work with that, he just had to find the right way to go about that plan, that was what was on his mind after the message got out. -------------------------------- On the bridge of Dominion, Ciel was reclining tiredly on his chair, he was exhausted as hacking the entire Japan servers and security levels was not so easy and due to Matsu and Chihiro not being there the load was even more so deposited on his back It took him 5 hours to crack and take over the nation, three hours where he had to use his Geass to further his own capacity and in exchange get a mild headache that just refuses to pass up. "*SIGH* Taking five full hours to crack these systems, Japan really is a capable minor country," Ciel said, and for him, this was high praise but if any Japanese (that wasn''t working for him already) heard his words they would want nothing more than to kick his butt over it and yell at him over how he shouldn''t mock them so much. Of course, this was no mockery, for him to take that long really is in fact high praise. Usually he could have done the same for most small nations in a matter of at most an hour, for it to take three meant that their security was at least higher than normal and considering how their hardware were inferior to the super-nations (A.K.A. EU, Chinese Federation, and Holly Britania Empire) than their capacity to defend against Ciel in any sort of level is already praiseworthy. But, by the end of the day, they already lost as far as Ciel was concerned. Losing communications is one thing but having their communications controlled thoroughly by the enemy means that any level of war is impossible to win. Ciel nodded his head before turning to the three bodyguards he had by his side, the three dolls made by Sasori were currently itching to do anything to show their worth and Ciel could well imagine how they could be useful right now. "I have intel that the Towa Industries have one of its factories producing canned food and ammunition is on these coordinates, this is troublesome as even with the falling of computadorized communications it is possible for it to be used to deliver ammunition to the enemy army due to its position close to the river Shinamo river that would let them transport items easily by manual boats if needed. I want two of you to go and destroy that factory, don''t wound the workers unless they resist and if necessary killing them is acceptable. However, this should be as a last resort if, at all possible, these workers might later work to the reconstruction of this territory industry and having more hands to work is better, eliminating them would be counterproductive on the long run, something I feel that most military commanders fail to grasp." Ciel said and the three nodded before Columbine and Pantalone excused themselves to go there while Arlequino would remain to help in being Ciel''s bodyguard. Seeing that another of Japan''s possible lines of survival was about to be shot down it was time to do something that Ciel was not looking forward to. "Kirumi, contact the general commander responsible for the invasion. I need to talk to him." Ciel said trying very hard not to bang his head against a wall from the sheer stupidity he was surely about to listen. -------------------------------- On the general meeting of the Holly Britania Empire forces into Japan, a group of people was looking at the screen and discussing the war, however, the leader of these forces was unusually silent. "What of that prince? The emperor sent a message that he would be helping, so where is he." The leader of the central staff asked. He was a tall and broad man that was unusually muscular, he had lightly tanned skin, a cap with the words Britania on it, and sports a crimson, double-breasted suit, decorated with what appears to be a pink rose on his left buttonhole. Unlike many high-ranking military members, he does not wear a tie, but instead leaves his light-colored flower-patterned shirt unbuttoned, showing his muscular neck and part of his tattoo. The tattoo on the left side of his chest is black (light-blue in the anime), containing numerous images of flowers integrated into its design. His tattoo has flame-shaped edges, and it extends from the admiral''s left shoulder to his hip, covering part of his back and ribs. He has another, smaller tattoo in the shape of a black sword on his right deltoids and a small part of the biceps. His most striking characteristic is the sheer pressure he exudes that demands absolute control, anything below that is simply unacceptable and thus his displeasure on having a prince ''flying around and messing my battlefield'' was enough to make the high general that was mostly only known by Red Hound, or as the Japanese called Akainu, be pissed at everything. Not that this was a rare sight, he was pissed and furious about mostly anything that wasn''t absolutely in is control or under the Emperor direct designs. He was the poster ''child'' of the belief of ''Absolute Britania Rule'' and one of the highest generals of Britania. "Sir, we just received a request of communication from Prince Ciel Phantomhive Zi Britania." An officer entered the room before saluting and saying that. "I understand, connect him to us. I have some words to this boy." Red Hound said. Nodding the officer stepped out of the room and before long the communications were open. In front of Red Hound the face of Ciel appeared, the prince was absolutely stoic like if his face was chiseled out of stone as he looked at Red Hound. "General, I am sorry for not answering to your communications early but I had no other option as I was quite busy winning the war." Ciel said, infuriating not only Red Hound but pretty much all other officers on the room. "Humph, As far as I can see you haven''t done anything beside defeating one military base that would be squashed clean regardless of what happened. How can you have won the war?" Red Hound said derisively. "Because I had used the connection of this base to connect to all communications and computers in Japan and hack into them. I now effectively control all communications in this country." Ciel said. "So? This doesn''t mean the war is over." Red Hound said. "No, it, in fact, does mean it is over. I already sent a request for the people of high enough rank to surrender, I expect around 30 to 40% would have given up within the next few hours. I am only sending this message to request that you pressure the enemy soldiers just enough for them to not be able to rest but not enough to put much of a strain on our side. I will ensure they don''t receive nearly enough ammunition from this point forward and I request that any enemy that surrenders is to be spared." Ciel said. "Ridiculous, like there is any possible reason to give enemies any sort of mercy. Eliminating them to the last man is the right way to do it, just like the former Knight of the Hound Raven Branwen did the results are clearly the superior option." Red Hound said. "And that sort of thinking is exactly why I have such absurdly high workload as leader of the A-Law, also you seem to have forgotten that Prince Lelouch is currently in the hands of the Japanese Government what would you do if your actions led to him being executed? Also, our empire is already stretching thin from the current battle effort, if we follow your idea we would need a too high number of Empire citizens to be transferred over and thus opening the chance for terrorists to act more freely while also lessening our forces available to the other battlefronts due to needing too high a number to be stationed in this little nation. So no, you will listen to my words or this empire might fall, not that you will be in a position to worry over it as I would first make a deep investigation in your and your subordinates past and I would ensure that you would be suitably punished for any crime I might find." Ciel said, his eyes glaring at the Red Hound with clearly no intention of backing down. The said general was about to punch the screen and punch someone, possibly some of the few captured soldiers he left alive instead of executing for the crime of not being britanian, but he managed to barely hold his anger before hissing. "I will inform the Emperor of your obstruction of military plans." ''Yeah, inform him how I could win the war with barely any bloodshed and this must that could not hold himself wanted to wash the Empire territory in the blood is complaining like an idiot. I am sure that will go SUPER well, I am sure he would not yell and remove the rank of the idiot that complained over an easy victory.'' Ciel wanted to say, he really wanted to say, but instead he said this: "You can do as you wish, however, remember your position in the empire and that as a member of our glorious military you and the other soldiers exist to realize the Emperor''s decisions the best way possible and bring prosperity for the empire. You can listen to me or not, but those who surrender are effectively the Empire members from that point forward and senseless slaughter of Empire citizens, no matter the rank, is not something that I and the A-Law are keen to forgive." After Ciel said that he turned off the message, and not a second after the Red Hound punched the monitor clean off. "We attack!" Red Hound said. "No matter the cost we will win this war right now, I refuse to leave that brat be the factor to win this war. No matter how much it might cost, we will win today and take over the country head-on in a true Britanian way." -------------------------------- Back in the Dominion Ciel was headbutting his table from the sheer stupidity of Red Hound. ''How can such a crazy guy manage to reach his position? He is nothing more than a hound looking for blood, incapable of thinking in any way that might actually help the empire'' Ciel thought before turning to the last knight under him that wasn''t launched to squash the production line and transport ways that Ciel couldn''t control fully like roads. "Genos, I need you to go to the battlefront. You must watch over the situation and anyone who throws down his weapon in surrender you ensure is safe. However, if they have already killed any Empire soldiers than you don''t need saving them. Remember, if any Britania force tries to attack you then you are free to deal with them as you see fit." Ciel said. "I understand, I will do my very best to do as you asked." Genos said seriously before launching himself out of the window and flying away. Looking at him leave Ciel could only recline his head and put his hand to the side and, unsurprisingly, didn''t have to ask before a bar of chocolates was served to him by Kirumi. Behind him, Arlequino had started singing a wonderful tune that Ciel was enjoying quite thoroughly as the music seemed perfect to help him relax. Using his Geass at higher levels was never quite so easy, especially since he needed extra from many people to pull out what he did and as such was quite tired. He now had to wait for the reports from the multiple leaders of the enemy forces, the only ones he hadn''t sent anything nor allowed the messages to truly pass through was the three main generals and those in the front lines. Ciel''s objective is to completely cut down the front lines and the rear, making the war entirely unsustainable and defeating the enemy with minimal losses for both sides. Also, by making it this way he would get the Japanese military force in the open and closer to its shores instead of holing up on the mountains where it would be much easier to hide afterward after they lose the war. The reason as to why, in canon, there was so much power into the terrorist hands was in part from the Six Houses of Kyoto (which Ciel intended to destabilize thoroughly by taking under his wing one or two of them and killing off Danzou and, if possible, Madara, but especially Danzou as he was too dangerous to Ciel) and the other part was that the defeated military managed to hide away its forces and part of the manpower. If Ciel''s plan succeeds he will be able to get all the experienced fighters and machines in one feel sweep instead of seeing too much trouble down the line. The Black Rebellion is one thing Ciel has no desire to see succeed. He is a prince of Britania now, he wants to change and improve the Empire from within and he is managing that, if that rebellion succeeds it might truly spell out the end for Britania. And yet, the most important was how up until this point Ciel didn''t manage to find any info on Lelouch''s current whereabouts. To do such a thing it would need to be somewhere with no electronic security and yet very protected, thus the most likely scenario was on one of the more traditional clans within the country like the Uchiha or Senjuu or even with Danzou, they would be the most likely reason for things to be as they are. Sighing Ciel started eating his chocolate and praised in his head as he noticed it was handmaid by most likely Kirumi herself. "Delicious, Kirumi. You truly are a wonderful maid, do I say that enough?" "Yes, yes you do master. Also, there is no need to thank me so. It is simply my duty as your maid to see to your needs to perfection." Kirumi said. "Regardless, I appreciate the effort." Ciel said. "And Arlequino, you do have a talent for music, good to know. Would it be able for you to play the violin sonata of Amy Beach?" "Of course, my master." Arlequino said as the tune changed and Ciel sank on a content smile as the war and a nation of hundreds of years of history changed under his thumbs. -------------------------------- On a transport train headed to the frontlines, a group of mercenaries was looking outside the windows carefully with rifles in hand. They were part of a mercenary group called seven swords of the mist and were working under a man named Gatou to help secure the transport to the frontlines of food and ammunition. It was a usual thing, a typical mission for the mercenary gang, but for some reason, the seven leaders were more tense than normal, and a mission most of the leaders were only doing because the pay is good and the fact their original nation is Japan. The leaders of this convoy was a man called Zabuza and another called Jinin, both already inside their customized knightmares of sixth generations that were extremely modified by the organization that provided them these models, the Peace Mark. The two knew something was wrong from the last hour or so, they''re instincts that helped survive so many wars until this point helped them in seeing that things were about to go south soon. "Sirs, we have managed to find some signal of a machine approaching. It is in the rails and seems to be waiting for us." "Ran it over." Zabuza said. "It is on the way of our destination, just ran it over and don''t you all dare to slow down or allow the train to slow down." "Yes, sir." The mercenary said before going to relay the message. The driver found it strange and wasn''t too pleased with the orders but he accepted them regardless and accelerated. It was two minutes later that the driver got the sight of the machine in front of it, it was a knightmare of a model he had never seen before. It was big, sure, but the most notable aspect was its giant claw hands that were almost of the size of the knightmare itself and the four big swords that were just as big ''floating'' around the Knightmare''s back. The main color of the knightmare was a mixture of white and brown with highlights in yellow. Surely it was nothing like the mercenaries have ever seen. The most surprising thing, however, was how it stood in place even as the train was upon it, not bothering to move a single inch. It was only when the train was right in front and close to the knightmare did it chose to move, extending both its arms it stood strong before the impact as the train hit it with all its weight and speed. The knightmare didn''t move a single inch as the train was forced to stop, the sound was deafening as the front few cars broke and the frontmost car was crushed by the sheer force of the impact, not that there was much of an impact for the knightmare in question as the palm of it had the capacity to release concentrated magnetic repulsive or attractive fields when the pilot wanted it to. The pilot even playfully said that it was troublesome as it makes most battles too easy, but that is only because the pilot herself is excellent. To use the capacity of these palms that were reduced to the minimal size possible but still looked too big would need someone who could, on the fly, add and remove multiples variables to determine the correct wavelength to attract or repulse what the pilot wanted. It also must be said that to control this knightmare that was of such considerable size and with the terrible natural balance it is necessary a pilot of abundant skills. However, the most important part is that the pilot needed to be able to control the desire to destroy senselessly as this was likely the most destructive knightmare as destroying everything with its sharp claws and the other functions are just too easy. Ciel''s choice for it, however, was one that most considered dubious at best. Chiffon Fairchild, a girl with Japanese blood and was only adopted by the Fairchild family of minor nobles of Britania. And yet she was trusted to fight even in this battlefield and even though she is still 12 years old, and she is quite happy about it. She is someone who follows orders, and still, she wants to end this war as cleanly and quickly as possible. Strangling the enemy of its resources would ensure the chance to do just that. She was now sitting in her cockpit, looking to see what is left to destroy as her plasma cannons in the form of fur floating swords were ready to destroy whatever is left, she would after destroy this rail line by covering it in debris. It would be easy to fix but take the time that the Japanese army frontlines did not have. BANG It was at that moment when one of the cars of the train broke open and from inside it, two knightmares appeared. One was a sixth generation modified knightmare that was already releasing mist mixed with jamming particles to cut off the enemy, the Knightmare also has a giant big sword with a hole in the middle of it. The second, however, was a smaller and faster model with a war-ax in one hand and a hammer in the other. The blades of all the weapons of both knightmares vibrated indicating that they both had been based on the technology given to the Empire by her chef. He would not be too pleased with it. "So, a little pest decided to grace us. Fine, we can eliminate you as well." Zabuza said. "My mighty weapon will cleave through you easily, britania." Jinin said threateningly. The pilot, however, was uninterested as she thought of what to get as a souvenir to her friend Tycil. She was definitely lonely back in the Academy and Chiffon would need something special to cheer the girl up. In a moment of distraction, both Zabuza and Jinin released the heavy mist that quickly covered the entire battlefield. It was a mist mixed with iron sand and other metallic elements that would ensure that signals could not pass through, the objective was to blind the enemy and cut off its communication systems. It worked well in that it did in fact cut the communication between Chiffon and the Dominion, but that was not an issue. As long as she finished with these two in the next few minutes everything would be fine and she would be free to read more of her romance novel that she liked so much. She was quite the romance enthusiast if she can say so herself, not that anyone else that saw her fight would ever think that. There was a good reason for her nickname in the Pandora Academy where the most talented young women in the empire gathered decided to call her the smiling monster. Setting her mind into combat again Chiffon jumped ahead, she was aiming ahead as she turned her palm and released a pulse of magnetism to expel all mist from her surroundings, ruining the efforts of both Zabuza and Jinin so easily that it was anti-climatic. Of course, that was far from enough. As soon as Chiffon got sight of one of them she released her landspiners, her speed going from zero to 200 kilometers per hour so fast it was quite unfair, her knightmare had the highest instantaneous acceleration amongst all the knightmares of the current knights and it was proven dangerous when she combined that with the claws of her palm. SHING And, just like that, one of the opponent''s knightmares was cut like ribbons in front of the mercenary troops. Zabuza did not bother to speak one world, he only focused on how to win. If his partner for years died or not it was all irrelevant. Moving between a few containers that were thrown around he moved to the back of Chiffon''s knightmare when it stopped again, he could expect it to be some sort of limit but he couldn''t tell, the important part is that it was a chance. Avoiding this strike by mere chance she launched ahead, however, the enemy mercenaries jumped at her from all sides with rocket launchers and other military grade anti-knightmare weaponry that were destined to the front lines and now were on the floor of this interrupt battlefield. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. However, with swift movements and ample use of the magnetism, she managed to avoid everything. It, however, ticked her off a bit, just a tiny bit, and this was a battlefield, after all, this was a place of war after all, and this was a place where she could go a bit wild without a problem after all. With a smile many times darker than before Chiffon moved again, her target was the mercenaries on foot, she used her magnetism to pull them to her palms quickly, even if they threw their weapons away there was metal on their clothes so the pull was still strong. After the mercenaries were pulled to her palms she did the natural thing and clenched her fist, blood and guts exploding from her hands. Zabuza moved again, he had no great cover this time so he decided that he would go for as direct a combat this time around as he could. Moving to Chiffon he put all the weight and energy of his knightmare into one swing to try and kill the monster, however- CLANK A second later two pieces of a great sword fell to the ground, the vibration still going as Zabuza, as if in reflex, ejected from the knightmare and escaped just in time. Chiffon saw that and her more wicked side shown its face, she continued her work of eliminating every mercenary and about a second later she was done with them all. The only one left was Zabuza who had entered the woods a few seconds ago. "Well, that is troublesome. He entered the forest and it would be hard to move in this place, so I guess I don''t have much of a choice but to give up... or not." She said as she started cleaving her way through the forest using pure destruction. It was not much later that she noticed the trail of Zabuza who was running at all speed but as unable to escape this monster. And so, a few tens of seconds later, he was captured by Chiffon. His capture happened when he tried entering in contact with reinforcements and the message stipulated somewhere in the middle of the jungle as a safe heaven. It was unusual but not so much that it would stop the movement of Zabuza who was running like his life depended on it, unfortunately, it was just not enough. "Are you scared? Please, do tell... What does fear feels like? No matter how much I destroy... No matter how much I crush... I can''t understand it, so will you show me how it is done?" Chiffon said while holding Zabuza by his two arms using her palms before slowly pulling them apart, the sound of tearing flesh and bones was loud and clear, so much so that anyone would be able to hear it. But Zabuza would not give the enemy what he wanted. "Fuck, you." He said even as his arms were removed from him, the pain shooting up to his brain blinding but he stood his ground. "Oh well, there is always another person to teach me in the end I guess." Chiffon said cheerfully as she moved her Knightmare''s legs, kicking Zabuza''s head clean off. She then moved to the next location, she had more to do anyway and she could not stop here. The only shame was that there were no more enemies to fight, she wanted more chances to destroy others and things as well. 16 The War progresses, the end of two armies 3¡ã Person P.O.V. It couldn''t be said that they were lax. The Todoh army was one of the three strongest armies amongst the entire country and had a rigid discipline to it, despite not knowing if reinforcements would even arrive or if they had supplies to last for long, but regardless they were managing to stand their ground against the overwhelming might of Britania''s military. The battlefield was an extremely sorry sight as soldiers of both sides died in droves, for every Britanian slain there would be twenty Japanese soldiers, but the Japanese stood their grounds and continues to claw and fight away for a chance of survival. Their only hope was that the general Todoh who had managed to stage a win on the first encounter could continue doing it and finally save the country. However, it was all too late when a single Knightmare started going towards them. The first one to notice was one of the operators of the radars. He didn''t understand why a single unity would be going at their base by itself but he still swiftly acted, sending word to the unities controlling the anti-knightmare canons the one closest to the enemy acted, sending one shot at the enemy. BANG As the bullet hit the knightmare a explosion happened and they expected the knightmare that did not react to the attack to be destroyed or at least pushed back. That did not happen as the knightmare continued walking forward as if nothing had happened. That scared the canon shooter who quickly reloaded and shot again, which again was promptly dismissed. Before long it was two, then five, then twenty anti-knightmare canons hitting that lonesome knightmare with wild abandon as explosions rang continuously, however, the knightmare continued as if there wasn''t anything hitting it. "How tough IS this thing?" One of the operators asked in terror as he saw the knightmare getting too close, despite only walking instead of dashing or using propulsors the knightmare was finally within thirty meters of the first anti-knightmare cannon. The operator made to escape but it was interrupted as the opposing knightmare put one of it''s hands on it''s back and took out a metallic cylinder. It was impossible to tell what it was exactly until they saw its hands grasping it tightly and the cylinder extending and, from the tip, a plasma blade appearing. It was a plasma glave, based on the ones used by generals of old to fight on the frontlines. It was massive and, with one swing of the weapon, the entire upper half of the canon and the occupants were cut clean through. After that the knightmare took position and stood still for a moment, the pilot not moving an inch as the prince directed the calculative power of his geass as much as possible for this and with glazed and almost empty eyes he dashed forward at speeds on the range of 250 km/h, whatever place he passed through that had any military construct was cut right through it. The onlookers on the distance could only gape at the display in front of them, no matter what stood in his way the knightmare cut everything down with absurd precision and without stopping or slowing down in the slightest. "Wow, I think this is bad news Shogo-san." A frivolous voice sounded on the comunication network of the knightmares sent to stop the advancing monstrosity of a knightmare. "Don''t matter." Shogo Asahina said back as he and his team of ten knightmares moved. "We must stop it regardless of everything else. Also, even if it is strong the team led by Captains Chiba, Urabe, and Senba are also going, with more than thirty knightmares and the support fire from the canons as well as the helicopters support fire there is no way this knightmare can pass through us." As Shogo said that he continued looking ahead, the enemy was around 5 kilometers away and even with his speed they should be able to be on the position in time. It was not hard to see from where the knightmare was coming from as a trail of continuous explosions continued tocking the place as the knightmare continued opening a path straight through the military camp. When Shogo and the others got in position and saw the other knightmares and the final defense line of artillery canons Shogo felt confident that this was the right position just as the command has ordered for him and his battalion to be positioned. "Captain Chiba, move to the right and try to focus on the flank. Captains Urabe and Senba please focus on the center while I and my team focus on the left." Shogo quickly sent positions for the other captains as they had long since got used to this structure of leadership when in a fight. However, none of the knightmares moved from position. Shogo looked confused about what is going on. However, the one much more confused was undoubtedly the slightly panicking General Todoh as he has no idea about why his entire elite team would have gone to this specific location. No such order has been sent and any tentative of communicating with the elite squads had been proven useless as the system just did not work. It was at this moment that Tohdoh remembered of something that made his entire body grow cold. It was amongst the words of Prince Ciel, he has complete control over the communications of Japan. That thought made him terrified as he no longer could trust in the messages he is receiving from the frontlines and with some fear he took out a simple binocle from his pocket and moved to the side as he needed to see what was going on and thanks to the position on top of a high mount it would be easy to do just that. However, he wished it wasn''t so right now. After all, he was seeing the complete annihilation of his top unities as multiple smaller Bits that launched out of the giant advancing, every single one of those Bits released lasers at the enemies without stopping and even when the more experienced pilots managed to avoid the strikes they couldn''t focus on the advancing machine that cut them down one by one, two of the pilots ejected in hopes of survival when their machines got close to exploding but the ejection unities were hit all the same by the Bits lasers. Memories of his squad, those who he trained himself to fight and felt confident that could match any pilot on equal grounds if fighting together, those brave honorable soldiers were dying before his eyes. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. War was never about equality, it was about who has the highest morale, equipment, training, strategy, and support. War is about supremacy and the one who has that is not Tohdoh''s army, it is Ciel who was easily demolishing the entire army with such ease that Tohdoh could not help but feel like giving up. ''No, I must defeat that monster! I can''t fall here without at least taking him out with me, he has to die or the land of the rising sun will plummet into darkness.'' He thought to himself and turned to his assistant. "... I am going, you take care of the army for me." He said, not as a request but as an order as he moved away. Normally people would think he might be thinking about escaping but those in the command center knew that this was not the case. They felt their eyes water a bit, they could predict what the general was about to do, and they felt terrible that the general was about to do that. And they watched as the general went, using his knightmare (a salvaged model from Britania that they managed to remodel) he took in his arms and back as much sakuradite as he could. He would die here, true, but he would rather die on what was probably the best chance for the destruction of that single knightmare than any other. He could have sent another soldier to do this, true enough, he knew any of the other generals would have done just that and give lip service that the soldier would be remembered and how the soldier''s family would get a reward for his heroism, but Todoh would not do that. He was too honorable to send a soldier to do such a thing and lie like that, he might never admit it but he knew Japan lost already. Unless the EU and the Chinese Federation joined them right now they would not survive at all, and that might not be any improvement since there is all chance that they might just annex the weakened Japan anyway. Todoh moved forward, his knightmare picking up speed as he dashed towards the enemy who continued waving his weapon at high speeds. Todoh is an expert in kngihtmare maneuvers, easily comparable to the best in all of Britania on that aspect, so he was confident he would reach it. Opening comunications, even if he didn''t know how effective it would really be he shouted. "My comrades in arms, we may fall here but do not worry for our nation will not fall! We are it''s guardians and we. Will. WIN!" And with this last shout Todoh reached the knghtmare. And detonated the bombs. BBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! ====================== Ciel''s P.O.V. I could only look in a bit of boredom and with a tired sigh. I mean, shouldn''t they have just run away long ago? What is the point of coming to attack me when I clearly don''t take any damage on this knightmare? Seriously, why would I have spent months working on a defense system that could be overcome with guts and explosions? This is not a shonen anime where everything can be solved by a big explosion and courage, this is real life and guts cannot solve all problems. I sigh as I see the enemy knightmares be destroyed and I end up under a crater caused by the explosion. Oh well, it doesn''t really change much and now their base is close enough for me to act. Aiming my ''glave'' in the direction the enemy base is I set it out, it quickly started overworking and heating up. This is a weapon, true, but it has the capacity to take in energy from my armor and store it inside before turning it into pure heat and expeling the said heat. Creating a metal capable of handling this sort of heat was not easy, it took me about five days to reach my specifications really, but the final result was a good enough plasma weapon that can become a termal bomb easily enough and in short notice. With the capacity of my power system to produce virtually unlimited energy I can create quite the attack and this knightmare can fling this glaive at a distance of one and a half kilometers. So, without any delays, I launch the glaive at the enemy base, or to be more exact at the area right underneath it as I set it off. The explosion that follows burn everyone in the base and, due to the position of the glaive, it should also burn anyone that might be on an underground escape passageway. Seeing my work done I took back my glave and move back to my ship, no one bothered me on my way back, they either didn''t dare or they were too busy watching the place where there used to be their base. Without communications and a center of command the army on this region must fall in a short time, no matter how strong an army is if there is no leader to direct it and with Britania being stronger it is not even a question now. Getting to the ship I get out of the knightmare, I don''t really feel anything despite having killed probably 500 or so people right now, I asked them to surrender, showed how fruitless resisting is, put forth decent terms to the leaders, tried to move the war to end bloodlessly, and the army still decided to fight it out. If it is like that then it is better to kill those pushing the war forward. "Master, are you tired?" Kirumi asked as I sat on my chair in the command center. "... A bit, not physically but more like I am tired of idiots doing stupid things." I said. She looks at me curiously and I explained to her what I meant only for her to shake her head. "Wouldn''t you too fight to the end if it was for those you consider family or friends?" She asked. "Of course, that doesn''t even count as a question." I said. "But this and that are separated matters. If they cared for the nation they''d see how this resistance is futile and should be trying to speak terms of surrender or just moving out to another country, not fight when they know they will only ever die." "Well, everyone has different ideas and thoughts." Kirumi said and I sighed at that. I just want this to end, find Lelouch to bring him back, and go create more things. One of those I want to work out on how to make is my joined project with Mayuri, it will take time but I really want it to work. If it does this situation I was in just now should never occur again. "Now let us go, to the south and the Senjuu army." I said and we shipped away. "Oh, but send a message to the Imperial Court about what we did and a video if he deems necessary. I want him to put more importance on me as, this way, he will be even more careful on where to ''use'' me, thus lowering the number of times to call me forward. A extremely treasured weapon isn''t one you use all the time, it is only when absolutely necessary." "But, wouldn''t the message possibly leak? You know as well as I that any video we sent there would deffinetly end up on the hands of the other powers." Kirumi said. "Wouldn''t it be better to send it to the Emperor directly?" "No, it is better this way. If the other powers find out what I can do they will send assassins after me, which isn''t anything new, but they will also put political pressure on Britania to not use me. It will not really stop the Emperor from ordering me to act but the political and external pressure will definetly lower the number of times even further that the Emperor will call on me." I said as we travel away, a small smile on my face as I imagine how the Emperor will react to what I will do. He will see right through me, true, but he will not be really able to do much as, if he pushes me even more on the battlefield it is entirely possible all nations to join and fight Britania at once for fear of me and what I represent. Sometimes it is good to be smart. ====================== 3¡ã Person P.O.V. The Next Day Charles Zi Britania was not happy. He saw right through Ciel''s little ploy on not going to the frontlines anymore, it was a daring move that the Emperor had to respect. He was basically showing off like another man''s wife teasing him only to drawback if he tries anything as her husband is nearby. It teases him but he can''t do it, unless under certain circumstances. Ciel was literally making himself the secret weapon of Britania and sticking to that position even if Charles wants to use that sort of capacity more. Oh, Charles knew that Ciel would listen to any order given to him and execute it to perfection, of that he had little doubt, but this sort of action from the boy annoyed the Emperor to no end. And, truth be told, also make the old man smiled a bit inside. The boy was daring, smart, capable, and has considerable charisma, otherwise, he wouldn''t be that popular on the entire empire despite his young age. As Charles walked through the castle halls he heard again and again about Ciel''s actions the previous few days, especially his display on the fight against the Todoh army and how he destroyed that base so quickly. Charles had to think of ways to increase the prestige of his other sons, he needs the succession line to become as murky as possible as, this way, the possible successors would have great competition and his position as Emperor would remain secure for longer. He was getting old, it wouldn''t be strange if some of the nobles started to think of new blood leading the Empire going forward but if the powers of those on the line of succession were to be well divided enough there would be little chance of anyone trying to push him out of the throne. "My Emperor, urgent news!" A messenger approached quickly. Charles frowned but beckoned the man to speak up. "Thirty minutes ago Prince Ciel Phantomhive Zi Britania has infiltrated the base of operations of the Senjuu army on the south of Japan. The prince just sent the court the video of the combat." As the messenger said that the Emperor sighed, he could well imagine that Ciel''s image would improve further after this. The Emperor then moved to the court and on the wall, a large tv was on and everyone was in attendance to watch the show. The Emperor gave the signal to play and, not five seconds after it became plain to see that Ciel, this time, attacked with his airship. It launched multiple energy beams everywhere and the enemy army was impotent to do anything about it as it moved forward slowly, eliminating everything that could be considered military except the foot soldiers. The knightmares, defense systems, and structures were all demolished and crumbled under the power of that airship. After more than 40% of the base was in flames a challenge for a duel was sent out from Tobirama towards Ciel who accepted the challenge. The two fought quite heatedly and in the end, Ciel won. His knightmare had some damages to it and the perspective of the video changed from the distance to close by. Seeing the damage some surprised appeared in everyone''s faces as there is very little damage to it. However, the more surprised on was Charles himself. He knew that the defensive system of Ciel was out of this world, it would be nearly impossible to damage him on that kngihtmare, so any damage to that armor should also be impossible. However, as the Emperor looked around, he realized what was going on and smirked to himself. This was a show through and through. Ciel wanted the previous video to show that he could take almost any kind of damage but with the next one so close by and some damage appearing the future enemies would think that there is a limit to his defensive capabilities. This way he will make others a bit less afraid to face him, a grave mistake. He even lowered the specs of the knightmare a bit compared to the day before to make it more believable that some damage was taken from that explosion. The Emperor had to admit, use even these little details to his advantage was truly a great play on Ciel''s part. What the emperor didn''t know was that Ciel actually deactivated his defense systems only to make this a more fair duel and he also lowered the parameters of the knightmare to make this an even more fair duel. Ciel respects Tobirama, thus he didn''t want to humiliate the man and instead wanted to fight him head-on properly. Ciel then proceeded to kill Tobirama when the man refused to give up and accept being taken prisioner. It was the option of the man and Ciel accepted it so he didn''t make it any more painful than it had to be. After that Ciel finished the transmission as the Senjuu army surrendered with the death of its leader. The Emperor had to slightly force a smile since this meant that the support for Ciel''s position was going to increase a whole lot. ''I guess I need to keep him as far away from the court as possible, otherwise, I might lose my throne if things grow any further.'' ====================== On Tokyo, many clans'' compounds existed. They were the place of residence of many clans and one of the strongest was the Uchiha. In it you could find two young boys talking, both had black hair but while one had classical Japanese features and black eyes the other had classical Britannian features and purple eyes. They were Uchiha Sasuke and Lelouch Vi Britania. The two were trying to distract themselves while the adults decided on what to do about Lelouch and the war. The thought of exchanging him for something was given but since there was no way the Empire would stop its advance based on only a kid they wouldn''t do that. There were also some who thought of sending the decapitated head of Lelouch to his father as revenge for all the death they were suffering, but that was also dished out as that would only make the Uchiha clan all the more a target for Britania''s fury. The best they managed from Lelouch was intel from the Empire, what strategies they liked using in the battlefield and the personalities of the commanders. It was vital information that was key for the Japanese army to have had a fighting chance during the start of the combat. Lelouch was all the happier to share this intel as it was a chance to make his father suffer. However, with the addition of Ciel everything changed. Lelouch had NO idea about what exactly Ciel could or would do, even when they used to play chess Ciel would say something that stuck to Lelouch as he thought about the disaster that was this war that the Japanese army already lost. Ciel once, when playing chess and having ended up losing Lelouch mocked him about how if this was a war he would beat Ciel every time if the game was any indication. In exchange Ciel smiled and spoke up, he said that Chess really isn''t anything like a war. Lelouch, obviously, disagreed about that, Lelouch was absurdly intelligent when it came to strategies so he did see wars and chess as similar. Ciel just shook his head and said. ''Even the best chess player of the world can''t beat a small kid if said kid just flips the board over and points a gun at the player. War isn''t about being fair, it is about getting the best results with minimal losses and maximum gain, it is not a game where the rules are set. If you enter a war when you are equal to your oponent you already fundamentally lost to me. ''War is a struggle for supremacy nothing more and nothing less.'' At the time Lelouch couldn''t disagree more. But now, seeing how Ciel with minimal forces was basically taking over the country so easily, how one-sided a war could be based on a difference in quality, it was an eye-opener for Lelouch who started to feel burning jealousy towards Ciel. How could the two, who were both princes and of almost the same age, be so different as Ciel being already a key ''player'' in the world while Lelouch was relegated as a mere sacrificial lamb? Lelouch''s dark emotions just kept building up, he associated everything of bad that happened to him with Ciel already. It was at that moment when an emergency meeting was called. Everyone was called and Lelouch followed as well. When he got to the meeting place he saw a soldier being treated from extremely deep burns and without an arm, he was taking great doses of morphine but was clearly about to pass out. On his side there was another soldier, this one looked tired but overall not that bad. The two soldiers told the story of how Ciel basically devastated the northern and southern armies, that now the only army that still existed with any real capacity was the Uchiha army. Some of the people around started speaking of surrender, how it was useless and wasteful to keep on the fighting, but the elders of the clan spoke up at this moment. "And you call yourselves Uchiha?! How disgraceful, we are of noble blood and always stand at the top, how can we allow others to trample our pride?" As an elder said that the movement for surrender changed quickly, now the clan was fired up for war, to show the world the worth of the Uchiha. Lelouch found them stupid for doing that, escaping and regrouping, bidding their time until a better chance would work better in Lelouch''s opinion. However, no one asked Lelouch and the boy could only be taken back to his room to spend the day. He was quarantined there as a way to ensure that he would not escape or communicate with the prince Ciel. However, at night of the same day disaster took place. The Uchihas were massacred by Itachi to the last babe. ====================== Academic City On Academic City many advancements were being quickly made. The students there were focused on improving and some drugs were discovered to improve a person''s reaction speed, memory and mental capacity, and eye to hand action, thus the number of talents of the city continued to increase. The people there were happily going about their lives, the competition in this place was not decided by the place of birth so everyone had a chance if they put in the effort. That made the atmosphere much more intense as everyone put their entire effort into improving. One interesting thing that could be noticed through the city, however, was how the citizens did not seem worried in the slightest about the city''s manager and lord being absent. If anyone on the outside were to ask any citizen they''d just laugh the worry off and say how losing for that prince is simply impossible. But this is not what this specific moment is about, what is the most relevant is that in one of the labs a crazy scientist was starting to laugh madly as the project he was working on so intensely finally was ''completed''. Not that it really was complete, but the basics of it were and that was plenty enough. "I am a genius, a true genius!" Mayuri laughed as he looked at the opening eyes of the being in front of him. He had done it, he had created the perfect homunculus army. Not that they already had the numbers, being only 200 right now, but they shared a degree of consciousness and they could see what each other can, feel what each other feels, and communicate via their mind at least general ideas. The basics of it were that Mayuri, together with Ciel, managed to comprehend the way the brain works when under Ciel''s geass and how it transfers mental capacity amongst themselves. Using it as a basis a way to transfer information was possible and from there Mayuri managed to develop a homunculus army. Mayuri only thought it bad that they didn''t have more samples of other Geass, if they had it would make it possible for these creations to be even more amazing. They even managed to hack some data from the Geass Order, but it was not enough in Mayuri''s own words, they could really use some more Geass for this. "Now, what to call you?" He said/asked at the homunculus in front of him, it looked like a normal boy with brown hair, black eyes, and a neutral expression. "Oh, I know. Inaho Network, that should work." "Father, will you send them to young master? I believe he could use the extra manpower." Nemu said as she finished bringing him some information from one of the information screens. "Now? No, there is no need." Mayuri said. "I already am sure he can deal with whatever problem he is facing with what he has, besides the fact that with his knights there I doubt he could even need the help right now." Mayuri was confident, he knew that the knights with Ciel right now had in hand were more than capable enough to do what they need. But truthfully what Mayuri put more focus right now was in trying to implement other Geass effects on the Inaho Network, to be more precise there is one he was focusing to comprehend how to do that right now. If he could fuse Slaine''s Geass effects to what he already built the army created would be near perfection. It is just a matter of time until it was done though, just a matter of time. ====================== Author''s Note: About the Inaho Network, it is based on the Misaka Network from Toaru Majutsu no Index but, instead of preteen girl clones, it is a homunculi army based on Inaho from Aldnoah Zero. The clones will have their minds connected based on Ciel''s Geass and they will have the power of multiple Geass on their disposal, they will be the ultimate secret weapon of Ciel when it is time for the final war. Next chapter I intend to show Ciel destroying the Uchiha army with his knights, the fallout of the Uchiha Massacre, the fight against Danzou, and the set up for a time-skip to CANON (I give no guarantees I will manage it all in one chapter but I will try my best.) PLEASE REVIEW as I would love ideas for this fic. 17 Chapter 17 - End of the War, Ambush, True Hell for Ciel at leas Slaine''s P.O.V. I close my eyes as I wait for everyone else to enter the room. We are all inside the ship of Ciel, my lord, and we were going to prepare for the final conflict in this operation. Honestly speaking, I can say that the rebellions inside the Empire are harder to deal with than this. If anything the fighting there seems more akin to actual combat as the enemies there, while much smaller in numbers, actually are prepared to fight against us in some shape. This war was one where the Japanese was not as ready as they should have been (despite Ciel telling them how the conflict was almost sure to happen) and they only think on terms that are much too inferior. An experienced pilot of a sixth-generation Knightmare could easily deal with at least 10 of the knightmares of this nation and, back in the homeland, our operations are usually against well-organized groups composed of people using sixth-generation knightmares and some even having vibration weapons or plasma weapons that Ciel has invented in the past. I would feel like a bully to fight here, but orders are orders and if Ciel orders me anything then I, as his knight, am dutybound to follow even if it means my death. Not that he would ever ask me something of this magnitude, my master is far too kind a person to do such a thing. "Okay everyone, we have confirmation that the Golden Company is approaching the coast of Japan and, in a few hours, they will be here in mass. Right now the forces of Britania have retreated a fair deal to the Uchiha Army as the forces are being redirected to the North and South to accelerate the annexation." Ciel began explaining. "Kirumi, be a dear and tell everyone how things are going on those areas." "Understood, my prince." Kirumi said with a bow to Ciel before turning to us. "The Monokuma forces are helping keep the peace and are sending a steady stream of information to the Army about pockets of resistance. They also have express orders to stop any soldiers attempting to **** or kill for no good reason, we have sent a message to the Emperor informing him of this and explaining that we do this because we already consider Japan as a new Area of Britania and as the ones with the duty to impose peace in the Empire''s lands we are in our rights to do so." "Phew, and that went by without a fuss?" Neil said with an impressed look on his face. To that, there was simply a shrug from Ciel. "The Emperor could not care less and when the more irritated officers began to protest I mentioned that I could easily have their faces stampede in all journals across the globe as people who approve of **** and that are pedophiles, I can''t say for certain if either is true but since when did the media of the people care about such small matters as the truth of things? Knowing that this noble or that Noble was doing this, whenever it is true or false, would inevitably lead to a spiral of infamy that would see them possibly losing their post. What can I say, they lacked the backbone to follow through with their idiotic ideals." Ciel shrugged with a light laugh. Chiffon, for her part, spoke up after a moment. "It is good you did such a thing. As a woman, I don''t know how I would feel if other women were suffering in this manner because of me helping conquer the nation." "Let us return to the topic then." Kirui said as she returned to the previous talk. "As of this moment, the Britania forces here are just enough to keep the Uchiha Army busy, with the addition of the Golden Company we expect that the Uchiha Army would grow to about 600 thousand soldiers." "Wait, you mean that this army is that big? How can they have so many soldiers like that?" I ask surprised, I have seen how tough it is to command the A-Laws for Ciel and the A-Laws are nowhere near as big. Just the money needed to supply everyone is staggering, needless to say, that their supply lines are cut. They shouldn''t even be able to eat properly and their ammunition can''t be that much either, with the odds stacked so much against them there should be many deserters by now. Keep cohesion like this should not be easy in the slightest. "Religion." Setsuna said, the first few words he''d said since this whole meeting started. "Back in my country this sort of thing happened quite a lot, a charismatic leader would bring others via the fear of others and patriotism that would become like a religion to those who are mentally weak and children. If this army is raised for a long enough time then they would turn fanatics quite easily, I''ve seen the publicity in this nation and I can see the signs clear enough that this is very similar. These people will not break unless their leader is dead and even then they would easily be swept by the next charismatic figurehead very easily." As Setsuna spoke thus everyone stood silent, not knowing what exactly they should react. "My Majesty, I may be presumptuous by saying this but if what Setsuna said is true then we should not hold back now." It was Reisi who spoke this time. "They are the enemies for now, we must eliminate the head of them as well as the Uchiha clan to the best of our ability. Consider them as the White Fang if you must, until they surrender they are the enemy and we are your knights, we exist to cut down all your enemies." With nods from everyone, including myself, Ciel sighed. "I was afraid it would turn out this way. Why are people so stubbornly idiotic about such petty notions like patriotism? Can''t they think of their families and what will happen to them should they fall? They have no chance of victory, if they think the Golden Company will save them we only need to dash their hopes I suppose." As Ciel spoke he turned to the Dylandy brothers. "I will give you both the mission of destroying the Golden Company as they approach. Your knightmares should have good enough ultra-long and long-distance sniper ability to shoot some ships. Don''t worry about eliminating them all, they are a large fleet and I feel no need for either of you to force yourself to the point you might die, just do as much as you can until you see the enemy starting to represent an actual danger to you. After that, you both are to return to the Dominion and help with suppression fire to any commander you see. "Reisi, Chiffon, I want both of you to go to the beach where the Golden Company should appear. I want you both to eliminate as many of them as possible whenever they land, focus on their anti-air unities as well as the knightmares, you can leave their supplies as is for the most part. "Setsuna, you and Slaine are to go to the center of the enemy army to destroy their headquarters. I will try and send commands to the Dominion this time around to ensure that their main army cannot form any form of organization and spread mayhem, while I do that I will be moving to the Uchiha Clan compound, I will eliminate them to the best of my abilities and ensure that there is no one to command whoever is left after this fight. The most important thing is that we have to kill Madara, no mercy for him whatsoever since he could always become a martyr or something, best to have him die now as a symbol of the death of the current Japan than letting him become some sort of symbol of hope." After orders were given I sighed in relief. When I heard how Ciel decided to go to the possibly toughest battlefields that anyone here has faced in this mission and he did it alone, that was far too reckless. He should pay much more attention to his own safety in my opinion, but he sometimes can be far too reckless. I know mentally that he is the safest when inside his knightmare, but this fact and my emotions in knowing he is in a dangerous place are two completely separated matters. I move to the resting area, the operation will only start in about three hours and despite being in the middle of a war Ciel always wants us to at least try and take 8 hours of sleep per day and the food we get is great. I take a plate of chicken and mash potatoes with a serving of spaghetti and feel that this may be a bit much, but I don''t really mind. I, like the others, have taken the formula that Ciel made to allow the body to grow stronger and accelerate the speed of the organism, thus I can burn through this quite easily. After finishing eating I lay my head on the bed in my room and begin taking a nap, soon enough I was fast asleep and felt satisfied in knowing that my liege will not be anywhere near a place as dangerous as the battlefield, facing only the Uchiha Clan without its guards should be a piece of cake by comparison. ///---/// Ciel''s P.O.V. After finishing up the meeting I went to review all the information regarding the Uchiha I could find. There was quite a bit I had to go through but, in the end, I managed that in under half an hour and after memorizing everything, especially about their compound, I moved. I went to my Knightmare, this is an important matter and thus something I must take care of. Entering it I activate it and begin my travel. If I go now I should arrive at the Uchiha Compound at about the same time as the combat here will explode, this way even if they figured some message method it would no longer matter. I board my knightmare and depart, the travel is smooth and while I move I begin to think about what steps to take to ensure that this place will not be suffering nearly as much from the revolution as before. I want this place to be peaceful, for that I must ensure that the occupation is not nearly as bad and that what natives there are they can still find good well-paying jobs. From what I could gather in my fights against rebels is that most of them are not really that interested in bringing back their nation or with misguided patriotism. They fight because they see no other way of survival, they can''t get good jobs and the discrimination is too strong against them. If there were better conditions (not necessarily equal but not so despair-inducing difference) then the numbers of those willing to fight against the system are sure to lower. Besides, the more people are willing to work in the system the more chance some of them will be rough diamonds that can enter my city. And so I strategize in ways of improving what is left of this whole situation after the war ends. ///---/// 3¡ã Person P.O.V. As Ciel moved forward he failed to notice a single human that saw him fly by. He was one of ROOT''s agents that were spread across the territory where the Dominion was believed to be, all of them had as objective finding where the prince was located so as to have a better chance at eliminating him. Ribbons had long since provided special communication devices that could bypass the information lock Ciel had going, even if Danzo believed he himself had managed it. It also was Danzo who thought he had decided to fight Ciel at all costs and Danzo also believed that the special knightmares he had in hand were ones that he commissioned and obtained. All wrong assumptions since Ribbons was controlling Danzo much like a marionette but that is beside the point. But the knightmares were good, they were only sixth generation, but they would do. Ribbons had better, but he could not bother giving something actually valuable to a mere replaceable pawn. Danzo and 30 more ROOT members entered their knightmares, all of them taking flight not long after and their eyes all flashing red with the Geass symbol in them, the only exception being Danzo whose entire arm flashed red, more than 20 different Geass ready for use. ///---/// In the battlefield things developed in big part like what Ciel said they would. Dominion showed it''s, well dominion, over the Uchiha army by bombardment via, in no small part, to Deidara''s bombs and the simple fact that the Dominion was better. They took many hits, true, but the ship stood despite that and it was a huge distraction to the bulk of the army. Yes, distraction since their communications were all down and the soldiers started trying to fire at the Dominion instead of running or organizing themselves, their commanders trying to keep things organized but, with the current lack of communication, the commanders could not relay orders well enough. It did not help that the Uchiha army was the one with the most fanaticism and ''hot blood'' amongst the entire Japan. It was actually surprising how, due to this, hardly anyone noticed the few knights from Ciel''s personal squad moving. Honestly speaking, the only ones who realized the danger these few knights meant were those in their immediate surroundings. The Dylandy brothers had already sunk 23 of the 30 ships from the Golden company before they retreated to the top of the dominium with the express objective of shooting down anyone who seemed to be getting things in control as well as the anti-air unities in the army. On the shoes, the 7 remaining ships docked but even then they were not given any respite since Chiffon and Reisi were working as if meatgrinders to all those trying to pass, for every 100 unities that tried less than five managed to pass through and even they were under the fear of the Dominion who was raining down death all around. And finally, both Setsuna and Slaine were moving to the headquarters of this place, both CQC experts were moving as if hot knives through butter, they were almost emulating the scene shown by their lord a few days ago when he did the same for the Todoh army. The two were evading and cleaving through any opposition and they quickly got to where the headquarters was. They began destroying everything in sight there but Madara himself they could not find. The man was long gone, escaping the moment the conflict started and by now was impossible to be found. Slaine, feeling like he failed, decided a course of action to, at the very least, break the spirits of the Uchiha Army. If he could not find Madara he would do the next best thing. He communicated with the Dominion to send a certain message across all the communication devices in the army on the maximum volume. Thus, the Britania National Anthem started echoing across the entire battlefield, joining that with the destruction of the headquarters and the flag of Britania atop it the result was immense. Soldiers all around broke and they fell into the pits of despair, spirits were broken as they felt the pressure of utter domination and the pressure of fighting a truly impossible fight. ///---/// Meanwhile, in the Uchiha Compound, blood and screams were the norm. Itachi had used a strong poison in the water of the clan to kill as many as possible at once. He had given stealthily the antidote of said poison to Sasuke, as he was Itachi''s younger brother, and to Lelouch, as it would not do to have the likely reason for Ciel''s coming to Japan die right now. Of course, not everyone drank the water and even amongst those who did drink it there were some who had a certain resistance to the poison. That meant that Itachi was now ''cleaning up'' the place by going into a killing spree. He knew that any survivors would represent a danger as possible symbols for the Uchiha Army after their inevitable defeat. Beyond just the army, they would be able to call upon the more patriotic Japanese civilians and the conflict would not end. He decided that, for the sake of the nation, he had to kill the entire clan. Of his blood only his brother was left alive, he left both him and Lelouch in the edge of the clan compound area as a way to make them as far away from danger as it was possible while he would take on the entire clan. What he failed to see were three children, little bigger than Lelouch and Sasuke themselves, who saw him put the two there. The three entered the place and a few minutes later found the two boys. Without much of a second thought they took the two away from there, they had no idea where to go but knew that this place was dangerous and they had to take their king away from there. Thus Lelouch escaped Ciel''s reach by pure luck. He would later, in his hubris, think that Ciel is the one who organized the execution of the entire Uchiha Clan and that he was left for last as he wanted to kill him himself, on his mind, it was the only explanation as he could not believe in coincidences. ///---/// Ciel was now almost upon Kioto. He would arrive soon and with luck round things up in this place to end this bloody mess of a war. BANG Suddenly a shot got on his side. As he did not detect anything before and did not expect an ambush the hit actually was felt in the knightmare. Ciel twisted in the air and redirected himself, activating the defense system of his knightmare and using every trick he could try to identify where his enemies are. After a few seconds, he could not see them. Ciel knitted his eyebrows, not being able to find the enemies was simply impossible for him. Suddenly impacts began to ring around him, they came too quickly but Ciel could not react in time as it happened. He noticed that his knightmare was working strangely. He moved to attack but the knightmare was failing to hit anything. Regardless of how he tried to attack, no attacks were working. Even his movements were not how they should be, when he tried to move his right index finger he would instead move his left shoulder and when he tried to move his arm he would have his head move up and down. It was disconcerting, to say the least. Feeling frustrated Ciel understood what was going on. "A Geass ambush, huh. Is it the Directorate?" Ciel said as he tried to move. Multiple Geass were being used against him at once. He could feel his knightmare moving slowly and his own moves were not working as they should. If not for his armor he would have died already but even so there was a limit to how many attacks he could take before his armor weakened, especially since he had to use it in his entire knightmare instead of only the necessary places. In Danzo''s knightmare a small smile could be seen in the old war hawk''s face, this was working perfectly and he could not see how this could possibly go wrong now. BANG A shot could be heard and one of the knightmares exploded. Danzo''s eyes widened as he saw this. He looked around but could not see anyone around that could have done so. BANG BANG BANG BANG Multiple shots could be heard and about 7 more knightmares were destroyed. He finally understood what has happened and cursed inside. "That damn brat! How could his snipers hit from this far away!" Yes, it was the Dylandy Brothers. As soon as Ciel realized what was going on he sent a distress signal to the Dominion and the Dylandy Brothers, that were already on top of it, moved at once. Using their sniper riffles they took aim and fired at more than 150 kilometers away with pinpoint precision despite the terrible footing. It was something that should have been impossible since no machine should have this much range, but Ciel had long since improved the sniper riffles of both Dylandy brothers to be able to reach these distances. It was already close to the limit of where they could hit but it was still enough. Gritting his teeth Danzo was about to order a retreat when his mind changed, his right arm twisted a bit as the cells in it took effect and the mental control of Ribbons took effect. Danzo sounded a full charge, but he failed to realize that amongst those who were taken out were the ones who made Ciel fail to see them. Ciel smirked, during the time he was waiting for the support he figured out the new ''configuration'' of his body''s movements and even if slowed down he still moved, taking out his glaive he moved forward. His commands were coming out slow, true, but that just meant he had to predict what his opponents would do before they could even begin to think about it. One by one the knightmares were being destroyed by Ciel despite their numbers and Geass. Ciel continued moving without fear, his eyes set as he moved to destroy everyone perfectly. Let it not be forgotten, in the midst of all the capacity that Ciel has shown, that he was a genius pilot like rarely has been ever seen. Danzo himself was the last one to reach Ciel, as he was the furthest from him so as to lower the chance he would end up in any danger. But now he completely forgot such matters, Ribbons commands overriding all of Danzo''s cowardice, and instead, forcing him to attack. "For Japan, for my PEOPLE!" "Yeah, no." Ciel said as he moved his Glaive, cutting the knightmare despite everything. Danzo activated the ejection system and flew out. As he did so the amplification effect that existed inside his Knightmare that allowed his Geass to affect others within a knightmare was no longer in effect. As soon as Danzo''s pod hit the ground he tried to escape only for Ciel to shoot his right leg off. Falling to the ground the old man tried to crawl away but Ciel calmly walked to him and held his body in his hand. "I am gonna extract every little thing of importance you have in your head soon enough. Secret locations, military stashes of this country, connections to foreign powers, even the locations of the Yakuza and other such organizations that might cause problem. And especially, I will find out exactly HOW you have a Geass and got a force like that." Ciel said via speaker only for Danzo to go deathly quiet before his face morphed, from what it was used to, into one that exuded sophistication and superiority, a smug expression on his face. "Impressive, young Geass holder. To defeat this ambush I laid out to you, truly impressive. It might not have been nearly the best I could manage, just a way to test you, but it still was not a bad display." Danzo spoke, but his voice was different now. Ciel knitted his eyebrows and spoke. "And who, might I ask, is the one controlling this old sack of shit?" "Haha, you truly are funny, young Ciel. I am quite certain that by now you should be able to at least guest as much." "... Peace mark." Ciel said and Danzou laughed heartily. "Great, truly great. It seems like the next few years will be quite entertaining if someone like you is out there in the world now. For the answer I will give you a small gift, I would be destroying Danzo''s entire body but I will gift some of it to you. Consider this your reward for managing to impress me such." As this ended Danzo''s face bloated up and exploded in gore. Ciel could only look and feel immense displeasure. It seems like there was someone out there that would be a true annoyance to deal with in the future. ///---/// Five Days Later Ciel was back in the Holy Britania Empire''s capital. He was in a procession like the ones of old, everyone admiring him and speaking of how he was a hero and things like that. Truthfully, he would rather be back in his city already. Partially because he still had to get Nunnally to feel well again after he failed to get her brother back, something that made her highly depressed, but even more importantly because he wanted to study what he could from Danzo''s body. he found out that one of Danzo''s arms was made of human tissue of unique properties and that it could sustain and allow for the use of many Geasses. Mayuri was beyond ecstatic when he took it, he was going crazy with one experiment after another, and honestly, Ciel would rather be right there in the thick of it, paving the way of discoveries, instead of right here doing little more than being the face of the victory for the Empire. Beside him were his knights with one recent addition, Itachi Uchiha. He appeared in front of Ciel when he arrived to deal with the Uchiha and said how he eliminated his clan for the good of the nation, that he would rather have the conflict stop already. Ciel accepted his request and took him in. After talking for a bit Itachi accepted giving his loyalty to Ciel in exchange for ensuring that the lives of the Japanese citizens would be protected, which Ciel accepted without much of an issue. And now Ciel ended up with one more Knight to him. That raised a lot of questions, but it was something Ciel decided and he would not mind the opinion of others when it comes to things he was decided about, especially when this decision could mean his life or death. He was now certain that there was a big enemy hidden somewhere, he would not simply ignore this and to deal with it he would need to grow in power. When Ciel got to the throne room he walked with confident steps, his figure imposing and, despite his youth, no one dared look down on him. He was someone who had basically took out an entire country in a matter of days, anyone that before thought of him as just a kid now felt that it was better to not provoke this little asura. After the pleasantries everyone expected the Emperor to give Ciel the right to request something, but instead, the Emperor directly gave him something to make sure that Ciel would be as far away from the capital as possible. "Young Ciel, I understand that you already is quite busy with the A-Laws and Academic City but it has come to my attention how extraordinary your work in the administration of your city and the A-Laws is. Under your supervision, the corruption across the Empire is being rooted out and I also know that as a war hero you ought to be properly gifted something of value, as such I decided on a most appropriate gift. "You, from this day forward, is named Ciel Phamtomhive Zi Britania, Viceroy of Area 11." As soon as these words rang Ciel felt that it was good that he allowed Kirumi to put on some make-up on him otherwise people would see how quickly he paled as he thought of what exactly this means. ''Oh gods, so much paperwork!'' ///---/// AN: FINALLY, I was trying to finish this chapter for a whole lot of time. It was way too hard, and I did not have the right motivation for it. It was just luck that I got a bolt of inspiration today and managed basically the entire thing in one go. Anyway, changing topics, yeah Ciel is not the Viceroy of Area 11 and next chapter I intend to be a time-skip to around CANON time. Not that CANON would happen as it did, Ciel already screwed it up big time long ago with the changes he has made, but especially how he changed the ways of the battle and the end results of the war. Japan was not nearly as ruined as before and while they lost the actual life loss is relatively small. Madara escaped death this time around, but Danzo did not and I felt great pleasure in having Ciel explode his leg off and in the talk between Ciel and Ribbons. Especially with Danzo''s head going pop, that gave me great satisfaction. Well, I will end this here. Ideas or thoughts about who the other knights should be would be appreciated, the MVPs of this last battle were the Dylandy brothers who saved Ciel big time. Expect great things in the future ;) Oh, and try out my other fics, I have quite a few of them after all kkkk Chapter 18 - A new page starts now (time-skip) After getting my position as Viceroy I had to smile and wave to many cameras, it was beyond annoying to do so. I wonder if I can create an ultra-realistic robot to take my place when doing these sorts of things, it would certainly be better than having to be in front of cameras all the freaking time. Many people congratulated me and spoke about how great it is that I accomplished so much and whatnot. But, the most annoying was when talks over who would take stewardship over Academy City started. That is MY city, my place, and no one is going to just come and take it always from me. When I spoke thus everyone looked at me as if I was crazy. "Prince Ciel, I understand the desire of a lord to watch over their land personally, but you must understand that you already have too many responsibilities for one so young. It would be better if someone else were to watch over the city while you fulfill your duty as Viceroy."An elderly lord said with a kind smile, but the greed in him was so visible it wasn''t even funny. "No need, I can take care of all of it easily enough." I said to him, as this was in the commemorative party regarding my appointment as Viceroy, many people were paying special attention to me so it was no shocker when they all stared when I spoke that. Seeing that no amount of explaining would make them understand it I decided to just show them. Putting my hand forward what looked like a bracelet released the holographic image filled with many lines of code. Looking it over I confirmed that everything was in order, with this settled I clicked the start of operation New Home. After having completed this I lowered my arms again. "Done, now there won''t be any issue." I spoke to the man and the crowd around. They all look confused and were about to ask what I meant when I completely stopped paying any attention to them, preferring instead to eat some of the delicacies that were being served. Speak what you wish about him, but cousin Clovis certainly knows how to make a social event, I am glad he was the one responsible for this one as he made sure to include many delicacies with actual sugar in it. I was in cloud nine when a messenger came screaming his lung out regarding how Academy City was moving. Everyone was in doubt about what he meant so I just spoke it in between bites. "I worried in case I was ever requested to relocate to somewhere else, so to deal with this worry I made the city able to accompany me if I were to have to move." The city was over several platforms capable of moving without issue, the platforms able to move smoothly regardless of the terrain and able to spread out to make sure they could move better. Not only that those platforms also are able to move through the sea and fly through the air for short distances, a great feat of architecture which allows may city to go where I need it to go. If I were to say something negative of it then it would be that I would need to wait around three days before it arrived in Japan. But, even with this slight inconvenience, the fact I did such a thing would still make me look all the more powerful in the eyes of others. That means even more fear from others regarding me involving myself on anything. With luck they will pressure the Empire into not sending me out to the front again, fingers crossed. ///---/// Yeah, after the little stunt I did with moving my city the Emperor was not pleased. He probably thought I was showing off too much but he gave some excuses unrelated to them and instead said to me that there will be peace talks between the Holy Britania Empire, the Europia United, and the Chinese Federation, mostly because the Empire reached it''s current limit, needing to settle it''s territories a bit more and the other powers all agreeing to fight to the death if needed. It seems like the Emperor managed to calm down and not demand we keep pushing too much right away. However, the Emperor said that before the peace talks and negotiations he intends to take the rest of Russia as a base for future takings of the EU. Thankfully Schneizel already did most of the job, his forces already quite advanced and despite how tough the fight is being the Emperor and Schneizel both agree that it is merely a matter of time before complete occupation. The problem is, the country is not yet occupied and at the current pace, it won''t be before the talks. As such the emperor ordered me to mobilize with all available forces and win the war. This time I didn''t go personally, instead sending my knights and someone else, namely Junko Enoshima. She was a cute little thing who entered the city not long ago after the whole situation regarding the annexation of Japan to the Empire, she was just a girl but her intelligence for strategy is outstanding and I let her accompany the others as an advisor so as to test her and see how well she manages it. Of course, with my new position and me concentrating on the outside more the White Fang and other terrorist groups thought it would be the perfect chance to try and start other conflicts and uprisings. I quickly stomped them all down the moment they started moving, showing that I am still watching them and will not let them go rampant as they wish. I also continued my various projects, when I had the time at least. I brought with me several capable leaders to create a good chain of command for the occupation of the country, but I know the loyalty of those I brought with me were mostly to the Empire and Emperor before me. I could not allow that so I created several institutions to train bureaucrats and other workers in positions of command, the best ones would be tested in several ways and put in proper positions depending on their talents and abilities. Obviously I set several systems to watch over the whole government to take note of any discrepancy and corruption, stomping it out instantly whenever it appeared with extreme prejudice. It took a while for the message to sink in but when it did the whole Area managed to improve by leagues and bounds. It was at about this time that the war with the EU officially entered a total ceasefire, the entirety of Russia was now under the Empire''s direct control and Schneizel was given the position of its Viceroy. I think this is the way the Emperor found to make me and Schneizel match each other, Schneizel''s Area has much more land and potential for many things including several of the best iron mines of the Empire, a resource extremely valuable, it also has a much more strategic position with it being connected to both the EU and Chinese Federation, thus justifying a bigger military support to it. Meanwhile, my Area is much smaller and lacks in most natural resources but is the prime producer of Sakuradite and is also in a good position to serve as a trading hub between the Chinese Federation, Australia, and the Empire. It also has a much more highly educated population and have, well, me. Me and my Academy City mean a lot already and it will only grow as time passes, making it important. That it also is so close to the Chinese Federation only makes it so that they must also put some military power on it, but not that much. Unfortunately, I am put on a tough spot by the Emperor, again. It seems like one of the requests before any treaty is signed between the Empire and the other powers, the representative of said powers want to meet me. ///---/// 3¡ã Person P.O.V. It was the gala before the sign of a peace treaty, everyone had fake smiles on their faces as they know this treaty will only work for at most 4 or 5 years at most as this should be the time needed for the Empire to properly settle its new lands and for the EU and Chinese Federation to make their own preparations. In the crowd, many people were talking and it was quite a good mood, those from the EU were a bit sullen at the fact that merely two before the meeting was official Britania finished off the Russian Federation. It was a heavy blow for them, not because any of them liked the country or much cared for the frozen wasteland, as many saw it, but because now the EU had enemies at their west, east, and south too, being on a precarious position. As for the Chinese Federation, a clear rift could be seen in them despite they trying not to make it too apparent. On one side was the eunuchs and in the other the Royal Family, both showing clear discontent with the other as the Royal Family could see the eunuchs happily talking with some dukes and nobles of Britani present. Not that it was only the Eunuchs that were talking with the people from Britania, on a corner you could see the old lion of Germany, Tywin Lannister, talking with Pariston Hill, a rising star in the political scene worldwide and known supporter of Ciel. "So, can it be arranged?" Tywin asked and Paristan put a hand on his chin. "Well, having an emissary from Germany in a time of peace like this surely would be something that young Ciel would appreciate, that it is your son would certainly be appreciated as well. I am sure prince Ciel would not mind making stronger connections with you." In his mind, however, Pariston was having quite different thoughts. ''Hehe, to think a chance like this would fall in my hands without me even needing to do anything for it, entangling young master in the political mess that is the EU when the actual parentage of the children of Robbert comes out will certainly be interesting.'' As the person he is, nothing satisfied Pariston more than to create uncomfortable situations for Ciel while also creating large opportunities. Pariston could see how the EU would most likely fall from infighting before long when the Targaryen start their pathetic little uprising for power and Robbert find out about the parentage of his ''children''. They would likely fall by themselves if Pariston did nothing, but Pariston wanted to profit from their inevitable fall. As such organizing an excuse for Ciel to get involved in this event was paramount. Creating a powerful ally on the EU would likely be of great help in time. On other corners of the hall other people were talking, many important and unimportant talks were happening when there was an announcement that normally would not make many waves but that this time caused everyone to stop and turn to the door. "Entering prince Ciel Phantomhive Zi Britania, Viceroy of Area 11, leader of the A-Laws, and 14th in the line for the throne of the Holy Britania Empire." As this was said from the doors Ciel entered slowly, having a distant expression and making many looks at him in wonder and a bit of awe. "So, this is the Emperor''s guard dog." "I expected someone more threatening." "The Empire really is lucky, even some random prince when still young could accomplish so much." "The emperor''s guard dog is quite the small kid, isn''t he?" These and other such comments started floating about and, inside his head, Ciel was making a mental note to figure out who started calling him guard dog and have this person be taught a lesson. Putting a fake smile on his face Ciel talked with several dignitaries of the many places, managing to keep a good image as long as no one offered him any sweets. He really was too much into them to ever refuse and the smile he would give whenever he eats one was one of unmistakable pleasure. Seeing him smiling like that almost made others forget how he was currently amongst the most dangerous people in the world and on the kill list of most of them. After the contract was sealed and everything on paper everyone started to leave the party, one after another they left and the media was all prepared to receive them. Flashes everywhere as the people walked out, many being stopped for questions as this was an important event for sure and many people were anxious to know details regarding the agreement. As they left one after another Ciel almost managed to pass without being noticed, but going out unnoticed was not on his stars today as one of the reporters noticed him and, much like flies to meet, quickly several of them surrounded him. "Prince Ciel, prince Ciel, I am Amelia from Daily Express, what is your opinion regarding the treaty?" "Well, I don''t really know much of it besides the fact that I am not allowed to intervene in any invasion force anymore." Ciel said making everyone look confused at this. "Are the reports that you have managed to hack the entire country of Japan true?" The same reporter asked. "Yes, and to be honest it wasn''t even that hard." Ciel said and everyone could only look at him as if he was a monster. A weird few seconds without questions made Ciel try and get away when one of the reporters finally broke out of this stupor to continue asking questions. "Prince Ciel, what are your intentions now that you have the position of viceroy of a whole new area of the Holy Britania Empire?" "To make it properly prosper." Ciel said. "I have no intention of making those under my control suffer, in many ways I intend to make the lives of everyone in Area 11 better, part of the reason why my actions during the invasion were so quick and to the point, eliminating as much of the opposition as quickly as possible while also ensuring that as few civilian casualties happen. I have no desire for needless bloodshed." Ciel then looked at his watch and spoke. "I can answer one more question and that is it." Instantly many people started wanting to ask about all sorts of things, from his intentions regarding the prices of Sakuradite to even things like if he intends to copy his uncle in creating a large harem considering two of his cousins are his fiancees. As everyone was talking at once Ciel could not answer any of them so he just pointed at one of them and spoke. "You, make your question." "Sebastian Clovis, from Total News, I wish to ask what you intend to do next? After you have accomplished so much in so little time what do you intend to do next?" Ciel stopped for a moment before raising one finger to the sky and spoke. "I intend to go beyond. In a few years, you all should be able to see what I mean by that." Ciel spoke as he left the place, leaving the reporters wondering what to make of him. It would only be a few years later when they would see exactly what Ciel meant, and by then everyone in the world would be shocked at what they would see. ///---/// A few years later On a reclined chair a young man was taking a nap. He had jet black hair that was not too long, his face extremely refined with a natural aristocratic air to it and he was quite relaxed laying there, not a single worry in the world could be seen on him. Well, he was using earplugs which would explain how he could be so relaxed when around him many screens were showing all sorts of graphics and experiments and videos were being displayed. Each of them was extremely important, but the young man couldn''t bother with it right now. He has been working for quite some time without rest in his latest pet project, he needed his rest. SHAKE SHAKE Groaning the young man opened his eyes to see the face of someone he deeply cared for but honestly didn''t want to see right now. "Kirumi, please let me sleep for a while more. I need my brain sleep if I want to keep being smart." The man said but it was useless. Normally no maid would dare do anything that angers her master, especially one like Kirumi who was an ''eleven'' with her master being a prince of the Holy Britania Empire, but Kirumi was no ordinary maid. Without hesitation, she pulled her master up and took out his earplugs. Blinking in irritation the prince looked at her and spoke. "Sometimes I wonder why I ever keep you as my maid." "Simple, because without me I am quite sure you would be a mess." Kirumi said without any hesitation and the young man sighed in defeat, knowing she is not wrong. The young man''s name is Ciel Phamtonhive Zi Britania, prince of the Holy Britania Empire and the fourteenth in the line of succession, he was also Viceroy of Area 11 and considered one of the most dangerous people in the entire world, and also one of the kindest. During his time as Viceroy of Area 11 he did much for it, not only he helped in the reconstruction efforts after the war he created an effective honorary-britanian program creating links to several other areas for universities there to allow those interested in studying out to go. He also created several orphanages across the entire country, expanded on free health-care, schooling, increased the production of food so as to not let people go hungry, and increased security across the entire Area. The Britanians were interested in coming to this Area due to the great number of top-notch companies installed there by Ciel over these years and for Academic City which was the place where the most intelligent people across the world flocked towards. And even the eleven were not in such a bad state, having stable jobs and with laws protecting them, making it so that any Britanian caught abusing them was heavily persecuted with the possibility of either being expelled from the country or imprisoned for up to five years. That made Ciel absurdly popular amongst the lower class, but quite unpopular amongst nobility with many of them hating him for his actions of being ''too kind'', but none thought him weak. None dare to when he still commanded the A-Laws who now were even more numerous and possessing even superior equipment. His ruthlessness against any violent resistance movement was something that gave pause to anyone and made his unofficial title of Guard Dog of the Emperor. Even the Hunters were constantly out on the field, helping the A-Laws or fighting on the small frontlines that were opened not long ago on Africa and in the Middle East, all hunters coming from the schools of Academic City and displaying beyond exceptional results. "So, did anything happen while I took my nap?" Ciel asked, knowing that anything could have happened during these few hours of sleep. "A new terrorist attack happened in Area 8, they took a power plant and demand several things to not destroy it." Kirumi said and Ciel rolled his eyes. "Such petty things, how long until it is resolved?" Ciel asked. "We sent an A-Laws team about thirty minutes ago led by your Knight 9, Amelia Evans." Kirumi said and Ciel nodded at that. Amelia was a child Ciel accepted in my Academic City despite lacking talent, that was due to the sheer will that anyone could see in her eyes at the time. Much like what Ciel expected, she was not talented about much of what one of my knights should be when it comes to battle prowess, but through sheer effort, she showed herself capable enough and Ciel did not regret her position in the slightest. Most his other knights were also chosen and each of them is great in some way or manner, there is only one final slot left and the dispute for that last spot was fierce, the cadets in the training academies of the Academic City for this spot was as fierce as fierce could be. "Is my project going according to schedule?" Ciel asked. "Yes, everything is in order. The Chinese Federation tried to cheat us on some of the materials, trying to send sub-par items to us, but we found that out soon enough and with some ''incentive'' things are back in proper order." "Good work as always, Kirumi." Ciel said and the maid smiled slightly at the compliment. Getting out of his living quarters Ciel looked at the object he was currently focusing so much on, a giant pillar reaching high in the heavens where much work was being done to make it operational. "Many thought I was crazy, probably still do, but with this, we will truly be able to reach space. To explore the universe, isn''t this idea amazing Kirumi?" Ciel asked and his maid moved to beside him. "I agree, this would mark a whole new page in humanity''s history." And it would, after all this was the first true and reliable space elevator produced in the world. With it Ciel intends to create space stations and, in time, expand the territory of humanity to entirely new worlds, discover new environments, possibly even other life forms. Looking at it Ciel smiled to himself, knowing how far he has come and how it was not easy, but knowing that this was the right step towards the best future. However, not everything could be sunshine and roses. After a while Ciel said. "... Is there any news of Peace Mark?" "Not as of right now." Kirumi said and Ciel felt like punching the wall in irritation. "And what of C.C., was she sighted?" "Also no," Kirumi admitted knowing how this would certainly upset Ciel. Ciel wanted to ensure that C.C. would not be obtained by the Emperor to ensure he would not be able to start the Sword of Akasha, not wanting for it to happen. As such he sent some people to take her into custody secretly, not wanting to let her know who her captor is but also not wanting her as an actual enemy. He had enough of those with that damn Peace Mark and their continuous support of terrorism across the globe, not allowing things to fully calm down. However, the moment he sent out his agents was already too late, C.C. already have vanished entirely. Ciel had made sure to look over the Imperial Villa and all other facilities that the Imperial Family owned, but nothing. He scanned most of the lands on the Empire and there were no signs of her anywhere. That could either be great news or truly terrible ones, he was not yet sure which. Closing his eyes Ciel notes that this is around the time that, in CANON Code Geass, things would start regarding Zero. But, if it was now, he doubted it would reach that point. The world now was very different from how it would be in the original Code Geass now and Ciel already had some countermeasures he prepared to deal with the Emperor and his uncle when the time was right. He would survive this and then a new age would appear for humanity. It was funny in a certain way, in the show Lelouch said that Charles only looked at the past, Schneizel only wanted the present to continue, while he wanted the future, but in Ciel''s view, HE would make the future. And no one will stop him. ///---/// In an abandoned mine structure of the Chinese Federation, Lelouch was looking calmly as his best friend plunged his sword through their mentor, Uchiha Madara was slain by Uchiha Sasuke just like that. "Good, it seems like you really have shown that you wish that position then. As promised I will support you in your crusade against Britania and the dog." Ribbons said in the communicator on Lelouch''s ear. "Before we talk exactly how much support I can give you why don''t you tell me one thing. What is it you are feeling now that you killed the man who helped raise you after your little friends saved you from Ciel? After all, he took you from the gutters and taught you many things, made you a man at least as dangerous as he was, so what you feel about your betrayal?" "... He served his uses, but he had nothing more to teach and was an obstacle on the way of my revenge against my enemy. I feel nothing about killing him, except some excitement about now being ready to do what I wanted for so long, to get the chance to kill my father, to destroy Britania, to kill Ciel, kill that fake of Nunally, and to find my real sister if she is still alive." Lelouch said, his eyes shining dangerously while Ribbons watched the whole thing with a light smile. "Interesting, so welcome aboard, Lelouch Vi Britania, to the Peace Mark''s core, the Peaceful Seven." Ribbons said. "Gyokuen will lend you and your team some of our very best knightmares and the funds needed, your objective is to eliminate or at least stop the problem we are currently facing, Ciel Phantomhive Zi Britania." Lelouch, hearing that he was being ordered to kill his cousin, actually gave his first smile on years and said. "As you wish, Master Ribbons." ///---/// On the underground of Pendragon, another conversation was taking place. "So, is it true?" Charles asked V.V. as he quickly approached. Despite already being old he was still vigorous and the news were just too great for him right now. "Yes, after intense study I figured that if we capture five specific Thought Elevators we can activate the Sword of Akasha." "Good, which ones?" Charles asked and V.V. now felt a bit apprehensive. "One is on the center of Australia, the other in the Chinese Federation close to the border with the Middle East, another is on the British Island, the fourth one is on Poland." "Very well, so we will have to focus on taking those places as much as possible." Charles said before he did his math and noticed something. "What of the fifth Thought Elevator, it is on the moon and we can''t reach it right now." "Well then, that one should be easy then. We just need to ensure Ciel focuses as much as possible on his Space Elevator." V.V. said and Charles could only chuckle wirily. "To think that the project the kid started by himself and I thought useless would display it''s uses like this. Really, should we fail we can at least know that the world will be in good hands." "True, but I would still prefer to succeed. The only problem is that we still have no clue as to where C.C. is right now." V.V. said and it was true. Since about two years now C.C. completely vanished from Britania and they still had no clue as to where she was at this time. "We will find her eventually. Her contract with my wife is still active, as long as it is working we will eventually find her out. It is merely a matter of time." ///---/// In Italy another talk was happening, one that was not quite as dangerous but still significant in its weight nonetheless. "So, Ribbons want me to help Marribel''s kid, huh." C.C. said as she ate a slice of pizza. She had her long green hair painted black to disguise herself and was using black glasses, her clothes consisting of a simple dress with a white jacket over it. On her side was a man, he is a tall one with a long face, broad chin, and pronounced cheekbones. He has long black hair, which reaches to his lower back, and reddish-brown eyes with thin eyebrows. His attire consists of a white, double-breasted trench coat, which has the unique cross symbol on the middle, with large buttoned cuffs and lapels, white trousers, and trench boots, over all of it is a tattered, ankle-length maroon-black cloak. "Yes, he said we are also to requested my Wandenreich to send some of our agents to help the new kid." Yhwatch, one of the Peaceful 7 and a key member of Peace Mark as well as the leader of the Wandenreich, the strongest mercenary army of the world, said to C.C. who nodded. She had been approached by RIbbons not long ago while she was running away from the Empire, not sure if their plan regarding the Sword of Akasha was such a great idea anymore. She was only doing it for the chance of finally dying, but Ribbons could do it for her without risking the end of humanity as a whole so she decided to follow him. She then turned back to the document in her hands and could see the cold, almost dead purple eyes of the boy she would assist in the near future. "Lelouch, huh. Now, how will the delusional boy entertain me I wonder?" ///---/// AN: Hope you all enjoyed and sorry for the wait, I have many projects to balance out right now and it is not really easy to do so. Anyway, thanks and hope you all keep on with this crazy project of mine =) Reviews are appreciated, give ideas for what you would like to see next if at all possible. Chapter 19 - 19 "Citizens of Area 11, here is your Viceroy Ciel Phantomhive Zi Britania. On this historic day, me and my entourage of knights are here to celebrate with you and the rest of Britania this historic event. After the last 3 years of hard work and everyone''s help the space elevator is finally completed." I said as I look at the gigantic tower in front of me. The thing stretched into space and it was clear to anyone that it was by no means an easy feat to construct, but I did it anyway. Looking at the camera I continue the speech that I had Kirumi practice with me a few minutes prior. "With this project, complete space exploration can finally start in earnest. No longer must the human race be confined to a simple planet, we shall be able to expand and claim new lands, find new resources, so much potential yet untapped is now on the palm of our hands. Just think of how much we accomplished with just the resources of one planet, now imagine how grander it will be when we have 2, 3, 10, 100, a whole galaxy under our control!" I proclaim and I can''t help but wonder how long until the other superpowers decide to try and take or destroy this project. Sure, it is beyond doubt that this project is for the goo of mankind as a whole, but this certainly doesn''t mean Britannia''s enemies would just allow my country to get that much potentially stronger. Fools, the lot of them. They are far too shortsighted that just thinking about it makes me roll my eyes. However, they are welcome to TRY and do anything. With the defense systems prepared they would have more luck trying to defeat all the Rounds with just a Glasgow. "Of course, for such an endeavor we will need strong and capable people to brave these new frontiers. A such I am giving the opportunity to everyone who wants to join. I created several institutions all around Area 11, tests will be provided to verify the body''s state, mental capacity, immunity system, and, if approved, you will be taught everything you need to know. Your social status doesn''t matter, all that matters is if you are capable or not. Now, will you join me in paving this path for humanity?" After going to this point the call ended and I slumped on my chair. Seriously, how can someone actually enjoy doing all this posing and acting in front of millions? Turning to my side I see Slaine, now that the video ended and we could all relax, was standing by my side with a serious face. "So? What you think?" I ask. "You went perfectly, my lord. I only hope this helps those who are still unsatisfied with you to decrease further." Slaine said and I nodded. As it turns out, being the one responsible for the decimation of at least eighty thousand soldiers didn''t really ingratiate myself with the Japanese people. That I moved Academic City to Japan and declared it the new capital also didn''t help, the Japanese are extremely connected to their traditions and did not take well to me. Well, even if I say so they still are living vastly superior lives when compared to those in other Areas and they all know they have a chance to grow if they put in the effort to truly shine. My area is an extreme case of pure meritocracy, if you do more and are more able you get higher and higher regardless of your previous nationality or social standing. That made even more migrants from other Areas or even the mainland to move over to Area 11, here everyone can reach much higher and I don''t allow stupidity to reign. Those who can grow will decidedly grow here as opportunities are everywhere for all those capable to take them. To those who can adapt and accept the new age, I am as good as they can possibly get, at least if compared to most other leaders I have looked into. I reformed their educational, health, and living conditions bringing great improvements. To those Japanese that work hard and are willing to put in the effort, they all could enjoy the benefits fully well beyond what they had before me. My approval rates amongst the lower class and low nobility are decidedly the highest in the entire empire and people from other nations also try and move over with considerable frequency, especially those from nations that are too poor or simply unable to support their population as fully as they should. However, there are those here and in other places who are still too connected to the older ways, they constantly try to fight me every step of the way and refuse to see sense no matter what I show them. Worst, those who don''t fit with my way of ruling, those who simply refuse to put in the work necessary but want the rewards anyway, are flocking to my opponent''s side a bit too much for my liking. Sure, talent is very important here and those more capable naturally get better opportunities, but even for those without talent or special capacities can still live comfortably as there is always space for more workers and the salaries are regulated to allow for even those with low income can live a comfortable enough life. But, if they refuse even that then there isn''t anything I can, or want, to do about it. I look at my knights, they are all the best in their respective forms but they are not uniform at all. Yeah, I have the best knights. Suck it Schneizel, you asshole. I wanted to talk some more when Kirumi came over with a phone. "Master Ciel, for you." She said giving me the phone. A look at it and I could predict I was not going to enjoy this. Not at all. Putting the phone against my ear I spoke. "Hello-" "CIEL! Why did you do such an idiotic thing?" Came the irate voice of Cornelia on the other side of the phone. Sheesh, she really is far too loud when she wants to. "Yeah, yeah, love you too. So? What did I do so wrong this time around? Was it the party or the strip dancers?" I ask in wonder, I sometimes have a bit to drink and drunk Ciel is not intelligent Ciel. "... Which party and which strip dancers?" She asks and I smirk. "Nothing, just ignore my ramblings. I got a lot to do and had woken up just a few minutes before doing an announcement, PR is important and all that, definitely nothing to do with a royal birthday that I may or may not have sent strip dancers to." I say and I can almost hear her snarling at my words. Note to self, verify if I accidentally sent stripers to some other princess by accident. As I hear Cornelia grumbling and clearly wanting to strangle me I note that it really is always fun to tease her, when she is not around. Which reminds me, I must stay as far away from her physically unless I have some gift to pacify her in hand. Last time it was a new body armor that could take on hits from rifles at point-blank and she would not feel anything whatsoever from that strike. "Ciel, how many times do I have to tell you to stop antagonizing the nobles and the mainlanders? Your opening for this exploration to anyone regardless of status will make the nobility look at your actions in a negative fashion. You already are looking bad for some due to how your Area is so different from the others and how many Elevens are of high social status in your country. If you keep pushing there could be troubles coming your way and those saying you are a rebel or something equally idiotic." Cornelia says and I sigh. "So what if they don''t like me? I am always fair, if they want to be above others then BE better than them. Patronizing the nobility too much and letting incompetence persist is what leads to all this unending state of rebellion throughout the Empire that I have to keep cleaning up. I want to improve the Empire as a unity, not as a tyrant that terrorizes others into compliance, the system we are doing in other areas can only end badly if we don''t change and adapt." I say and she doesn''t answer to my rejection as she can see I am not wrong. Or at least I think it is because of that, it can also be because she simply doesn''t want to fight over something that she can''t change, who knows really. This type of conversation is a regular occurrence already seeing as Cornelia is not stupid and she knows just how effective my method of governing is turning out to be. The profits and advancements of this Area is easily five times the original estimate and one of the most profitable areas in the entire Empire despite lacking in actual territory and most natural resources. My system works, but knowing Cornelia she still worries as she cares for me and knows how most nobles act or will see my actions as something that challenges the status quo that they so enjoy. I honestly stopped worrying about most of that a while ago, the nobles who can keep up and work with me, those that actually work and not just laze about playing chess and act important, all have experienced considerable growth well beyond the rest. But, those who didn''t even try or only put in a token effort aren''t getting anything and they dislike that. "Anyway, changing topics, how have you been? Is everything alright on the mainland?" I question her, sure I have probably as many spies (both people and security systems) that little pass without me knowing, but a third party''s perspective is always good. Coughing in her hand Cornelia redirects herself and speaks. "For the most part yes. Since the peace signing, we have not entered any major conflict to instead rebuild our military but now that we are stronger than ever talks of reopening the frontlines are starting again." "Stupidity, true stupidity." I say and she sends me a mocking glare even if she herself doesn''t necessarily disagree fully with me. "A war exists to supply a demand, most likely for resources as is our case, but we already have more resources than what we can do with them. Starting a war and throwing always Britannian''s lives to obtain more resources when we already have more than enough is just being greedy for the sake of it and would lead to a worsening political situation and more paperwork and bureaucracy, the truest evil of mankind." Cornelia doesn''t answer back and instead change topics. "So? Have you decided on the day for your wedding yet? I am sure that little Nunnally and Marrybel are waiting anxiously for it." Cornelia says and I feel like groaning at that one. Nunnally was fine, she was still very much innocent and had more a crush instead of anything serious towards me and wanted to wait, but Marrybel was decidedly less patient. I had to, more than once, throw her out of my bedroom when she tried to sneak in and try to sleep with me. Worse, the one that let her do so is Kurumi who, even when I confront her, only says that as the future miss Phantomhive it is only natural that Marrybel can sleep with me. We aren''t even married yet and neither of the two seems to understand or care about that. Honestly, I don''t really either, but I would rather only do it after marriage so no one can say anything about it (a year back when the fourth princess ended up pregnant before wedlock with her fiancee the amount of gossip and bullshit she had to handle was enough to make me decide to not risk the same). Shame those around me don''t seem to care about this. "... I was thinking about holding the wedding in a month''s time. No fully sure but I suppose this should be enough time to set everything up and I can marry at least Marrybel already, not sure about Nunnally as she still is too young, it would be up to Nunally to decide however really. As my bride she is to have as many voice on these sorts of decisions as I do." I say and Cornelia nods and says. "I see, well when you have the date ready don''t forget to inform me. I and my squad will be going to it and I expect good presents." She says and I raise an eyebrow at that one. "Isn''t it normally the guests that give presents to the newlyweds?" "I know what I said. Besides, I still am waiting for an entire squadron of Knightmares at least as good as those you made for your personal knights the first time." She says and I sigh. "I will think about it, that is all I can say for now. Anyway, gotta go, I have some stuff to make and Area 11 won''t govern itself without me." Well, it would actually do just that seeing as I barely have to do anything thanks to all the talented and capable subordinates I have, but that is beside the point really. "I see, very well. Just make sure to not be too antagonistic anymore, also, Euphemia wants to go visit again, I hope you understand that her safety is paramount." "I know, all those I consider family naturally have only my very best protection, especially when in my city." I say and she nods before turning off the call. Sheesh, she is far too serious sometimes. She didn''t need to call me to warn me about the disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e some assholes have towards me, I already am hated enough throughout the world regardless. Seriously, the number of crappy assassins (or experienced ones, I can''t tell the difference since they all die the same) from all over the world from all sorts of nations. Seriously, I thought that they would learn with time, but nope, they still keep trying. Go figure. At least Germany hasn''t been doing much of it at all, apparently the fact that having a Lannister living here (Tyrion is very entertaining to talk to) without any major issue and the talks of a possible political marriage between me and Myrcela Baratheon, the granddaughter of the head of the Lannister house, really helped calm the mood over there. Not that it has made it so that no one from the EU tries to attack me, far from it as the number of spies and assassins from there that constantly tries to get to me continuously rises despite they all dying without failure. Heck, I have already killed several of the daughters of the brother of the head of the Martel Family that leads Spain, I don''t even quite remember their names only that their father was pissed and swore vengeance on me when I killed them after they tried to kill me first. If he didn''t want them to die why send them to what should already be known as certain death? Were they this c.o.c.ky that they wouldn''t be exterminated? ... Whatever, I am not intelligent enough to be able to understand the thought process of the stupid. Seriously, he even sent me a message in blood from one of my A-Laws that he will find some way to kill me. The guy has no sense and seems to live in his own little world if you ask me, I just not kill him because I am pretty sure he is doing an amazing job at spreading DSTs to half of Spain if my intel of his s.e.x.u.a.l activities is any indication. He is doing Britania''s work for me by weakening their entire population with his extreme d.e.s.i.r.e to stick his d.i.c.k in every hole he sees and him not believing in using any sort of protection. Well, it is not like the that I did not react to his provocations stopped Paristan from inflaming the rage of the Martels by notifying them of their deaths with pictures attached of their corpses he sent to them for them to have proper funerals. That was annoying since it made me look like an evil person, I do try and make a good appearance overall, not act like a monster all the time (unless for those who are my enemies or trying to steal my stuff, for those I have no need for excessive mercy). Well, whatever, at least Paristan still got me something good in return as he used the pictures of the girls trying to assassinate me and their failure to the other members of the EU. The fact those girls all died without failure just made the Martels look weak and, over there, if you look weak others will try and take you down and take over your spot. That made the EU even more unstable as some of the less intelligent or capable lords and leaders started trying to take over the land of the Martels, which softened the EU further. Well, not that the softening of the EU''s defenses truly affected me personally that much. I may not see any need to take over the world (the amount of paperwork it would entail is a nightmare I have no d.e.s.i.r.e for), but the EU was always an easy prey in the end. They are too divided and they tend to war against each other much too often for proper defenses to be established over there. Besides, the more they pressure each other the less they put up economic barriers with Britania and it let me get my hands in some good old materials for my creations. Only the Chinese Federation and Australia are any true dangers, the first because of it''s an overall strong military and having a strong imperial family (even if the current Empress is a small girl completely unfit to rule), and the second because of they simply not being a bunch of dumb-asses with less than one collective brain cell for every 1000 people and having capable military members that also can think politically. Well, not that it matters to me. As long as I am not pulled into the war, I don''t care. I honestly just want a peaceful life where I can invent stuff and live with the ones I grew to care. Speaking of my d.e.s.i.r.e for a peaceful life, my investigation on how to kill a Code Bearer, a way to ensure the Sword of Akasha, and the humanity suicide plan of uncle Charles have not given any fruit, which is a shame. I need to remove either uncle V.V. or C.C. to ensure that the Sword of Akasha doesn''t happen, if I manage either then it will be fine. If I take out V.V. I would need to be extra quiet about it, can''t risk anyone finding out about my involvement, and I would most likely need to kill uncle Charles. The two treat me well, so I am not overly wanting to do that, if I can stop their plans then it would be enough for me as I don''t really d.e.s.i.r.e to kill them after knowing them for so long, I would only do it if it was really needed. On the other hand, taking out C.C. is an honestly more viable option. The Sword of Akasha needs two Codes to work at least, if I take down C.C. the Sword wouldn''t work, she would get her wish of simply dying, and I could leave uncle Charles just die of natural causes (or most likely being killed by one of his sons, he is not winning any father of the year award). Hell, if I can at least capture C.C. then it would be most likely enough. In case of doubt I can always just launch her up in space, I wouldn''t like relegating her to living in eternal darkness and suffering, but between this and killing my own family OR seeing humanity being exterminated as a whole, so, yeah, not much of a question there on which I would choose. Of course, even if I do capture C.C. I would need to eliminate Anya/Marriane. I honestly would feel bad for it (not), but for me to be able to capture C.C. quietly I can''t risk the emperor finding out I am responsible for his idiotic plan to fail. C.C. could always just inform Marriane about what I am doing if I capture her and I wouldn''t want to risk that. Besides, killing Marriane would be a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e and, in the end, I could even see if I can forcefully activate her Geass to transfer her to a decrepit old man who is one step away from dying just to help facilitate the way going forward, that it would save Anya would be a bonus of course. Reclining on my chair I think, what should I do next? ///---/// In the capital of the Britannia Empire movement started. The Emperor decided that expansion was in order and the following day from the creation of the space elevator he did his move as he sent out for a meeting between all heads of the military and Viceroys in one week''s time as to give time for all to make their preparations before their travels. As news of this meeting spread the entire world got tense as several smaller nations feared what the dreaded Britannia was about to do. In the EU in special things tensed further as Pariston did his work extensively for the sake of his personal enjoyment. News regarding the meeting and speculations ran out of control as Pariston released fake information throughout the nations of the EU. The Martells in Spain were already taking up arms to prepare for a counter-invasion under the orders of Oberyn Martell, head of their military, but his actions were not agreed upon by the other nations of the EU who disliked the Martels considerably after the many years of internal warfare and that they were the last nation of Europe to join the EU and was the one that was provoking Britannia the most. Meanwhile, Robert Baratheon of the British Isles was also preparing for war, which made it so he was no longer paying nearly as much attention as he should to internal affairs, leaving them to his ''loving wife'' Cersei. Needless to say, Cersei already knew of her father''s plans regarding betraying the EU and making Cersei''s own daughter, Myrcela, one of Ciel''s wives. As such, for Cersei, if the EU were to fall then there was a chance her daughter could be one of the wives of a possible Emperor of a much expanded Britannia, possibly Queen of the world. Considering such Cersei did not hesitate in making sure that the EU lost as much of its teeth as possible, redirecting much of the money that was not being used on the military to her own personal coffers with the help of the corrupt statesmen she put in control of the government. She would then transfer over all the blame for the failings of the government to the military that was being expanded and Robert would refuse to listen when the citizens complained about the military s.u.c.k.i.n.g up so much of the nation''s funds. Her plan was obvious for anyone that could see it clearly, but, unfortunately, her husband was a fool of the highest order and could not see any of it whatsoever as he could only think of a new war. Meanwhile, in Area 9 that was once called New Zeland, one could find the leader of Peace Mark sitting down face to face for the first time with the newest member of the Peaceful 6. As he looked up and down at Lelouch Vi Britannia he noted the changes of the boy. His hair was now longer than most males, his body well built up from years of training with Uchiha Madara, his purple eyes showing a hint of malice that could never be hidden for those who knew how to look for it, and a face that was perfectly symmetrical and handsome. He was the perfect image of a prince, or at least the perfect image of an exiled prince that wanted revenge on the world for it not conforming to his personal wishes. Smirking to himself as he ended his tea, Ribbons spoke up after leaving his newest ally to stew on the plan he was given. "So? What do you think of the mission I want to give you? Can you do it?" Lelouch looked at Ribbons intensely before speaking. "With this time frame I will need to have ample support for it to be possible, but if the support is within a certain range then I believe I can do it perfectly." "Very well, you will have all the technical support you may possibly need." Ribbons said as he gave Lelouch details on the type of support he would have at his disposal. Lelouch read it over and smirked. "That is more than acceptable. I have to get moving then if I am to do as we agreed upon." Lelouch said as he stood up and left. Ribbons smirked, while Lelouch would not have the target he d.e.s.i.r.ed it would still be a more than acceptable target for the young man, everything considered. Looking at a beautiful painting he made of a most impressive city, Ribbons smirked. "Now, shall we see what colors you will show me when you are in flames, oh great city of Pendragon?" ///---/// AN: Hope you all enjoyed it, it was hard for me to write this but I hope it was decent enough. We see more of how the world changed and hopefully, you guys will be able to enjoy what is to come next. I am posting this as a Christmas present for you all, hope you guys enjoy it as I hope for next chapter to show even more of the discrepancies between the original Code Geass CANON and this fic. Anyway, review, favorite, and follow this fic, but especially review it. Ciao ;)