Throne of Glass

Part One: To Build A Truth

Chapter revised 1/1/2024

Chapter 1: The Boy Who Knew Nothing

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November 13, 2009 ATB

He was kept from her side.

His legs would not move from where he stood in the cold empty hallway. All he could hear was the pounding of his heart in his chest, as his eyes remained affixed on the closed door ahead of him. Above it, a lit sign offering a small hope that she might yet live. Thinking of any other outcome terrified him.

It was all he could do to remain afloat as his world came crashing down around him. Shards of glass rained down around the boy, sinking into an inky black abyss below. Reflected on them were memories of a life now shattered, lost to him forever.

An eternity passed, as he remained frozen in that spot before the door. She was in there, fighting for her life, and he could do nothing to help her. He could not save her, he could not even be at her side. He knew not how long he stood rooted in place, unable to look away, before that light finally blinked off. His breath caught in his throat, as he broke out in a cold sweat.

The door opened, and out stepped the lead surgeon- a man renowned as the best Britannia had available. His face was cold and impassive as he met the boy's gaze. A hand was placed upon his small shoulder as pitiless words were offered. "I am sorry, your highness."

The man continued past him without another thought, as his strength finally gave out. The boy fell to his knees as he stared into the open room beyond. Among the nurses and surgeons finishing their duties, a girl lay upon a table. Her small frame laid out for him to witness. Helplessly, perfectly still.

She was gone.

He lost her.

He lost everything.

His eyes remained transfixed forward, until the door closed, and he could see her no longer.

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Charles zi Britannia, emperor of the greatest nation on earth, lamented his powerlessness.

Very few things left in this mundane world could invoke feelings of anger quite like this had. His beloved Marianne, dead in her own home. And his own damned brother the one responsible.

Even though by a miracle, her soul was preserved with the power she wielded, it did little to alleviate the fury he possessed toward the one he once loved so much. Because V.V. had the nerve to lie to his face about it. To him!

The unequal trust they once shared was broken, and bodies were left in its wake. And there was not a damned thing he could do about it. Not to avenge Marianne, and not to save what was left behind. That frustration was alien to him, nor did it sit well.

"What do you plan to do about this, Charles?" The child before him demanded of him.

Though in his mind's eye he could picture Marianne standing there, with the way this girl copied her mannerisms and speech. It was difficult to refer to the child as his favored wife.

"What can I do?" He responded in an exasperated voice. "V.V. wields a power beyond me, mine own has yet to threaten him. And after this, he will be wary of me. He might pretend as though he is not to blame, but he knows as well as I do the truth. I cannot touch him."

"I'm well aware of that. But that is not what I was referring to." The pink haired girl crossed her arms in a fashion that mimicked Marianne.

The emperor let out a sigh. "Again, what can I do? Any protection I offer them will only serve to further endanger them. Without you, they are exposed to all the malice of the court, and to V.V. as well."

"They are our children, Charles. I won't allow him to touch them." Not Marianne declared with all her characteristic conviction.

"What do you suggest then?" He snapped her, his frustration spilling over. "Whatever I do will be seen as favoritism. It will only make the others more hostile toward them."

Marianne growled, but offered no further suggestion.

"Forgive my intrusion, majesties." Bismarck spoke as he entered the private chamber, the only man on earth who could do so unannounced. "I bear most grave news."

"What is it?" The girl before him demanded.

The knight bowed his head. "Princess Nunnally has…passed on."

The girl's mother fell to her knees, crying out in anguish.

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The Aries Villa was much colder than it had been mere days before. The arms of the girl that wrapped around him did little to stave off that creeping dread.

Before him, his elder sister paced back and forth through the study, exchanging heated words over her phone. He vaguely registered what she was saying, her voice drowned out by the suffocating despair that enveloped him.

"All I want is to speak with them, why can't I do that?" Cornelia argued, passing by him. Little Euphemia held him tighter. "We hardly have any viable information, and no one is doing anything to figure anything out!"

The princess growled, stopping in place. "What do you mean I need to stop? I am the head of her guard! This is my responsibility to-" She froze, her face displaying sudden shock. "You can't be serious! There must be some mistake!"

A few seconds went by, Cornelia listened to the words spoken, even if she hated them. "I see."

Her arm fell, hanging limply as she stared off, unfocused. After a moment, she cursed, hurling her phone across the room.

The boy looked up at her, silently asking what had happened. Cornelia met his gaze, before turning her head away in guilt. "Father-the emperor has…ceased the investigation."

Lelouch slowly rose, disturbing the girl who clung to him. "What?"

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November 14, 2009 ATB

"Announcing his highness Lelouch vi Britannia! Eleventh prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, and seventeenth in line to the throne!"

That was the first time the prince had heard his full title cried out. He suspected it may be the last, for many different reasons. He carried himself as proudly as he could, taking measured steps into the imposing throne room. On all sides, nobles of the great Britannian court cast their prying gazes upon him, whispering insidious drivel to one another. Often loud enough for him to hear quite clearly.

"That's the peasant prince?"

"What is he doing here, wasn't his mother killed?"

"And his sister as well, I heard. Died in surgery it seems."

"A shame he still remains, isn't it?"

He ignored them, they were not worth his time. He had a singular purpose in coming here, into the heart of this den of snakes. One step at a time, until he reached the end, before the man he wished to see.

Lelouch knelt, as was required of him, before the emperor. His father. "Hail, your majesty."

He spoke, and the nobility fell silent. The emperor set violet eyes upon the boy, an intense gaze that demanded attention. "My mother, Empress Marianne, and my sister, Nunnally, are dead."

He spoke that painful truth, and with it came a heavy finality that he could not escape.

"So I have been told. What purpose do you have in telling me this?" His father spoke, his voice carrying throughout the room. "Have you become a messenger boy following your mother's death?"

Lelouch frowned slightly, he knew well his father's abrasive nature. He had to deal with it. "I understand you have stopped all investigation into their murder. I would like to inquire of you your reason for this."

"You sought an audience with the emperor of Britannia, simply to ask a mere question?" The man upon the throne thundered. "I have no patience for such pointless matters, send the next one in."

Lelouch stood up, having no intention of leaving now. "Mother was killed in the heart of Britannia, the very capital of your empire! How could you let someone get away with that?!"

The emperor narrowed his eyes at the defiant outburst. "She was slain within her own sanctuary, surrounded by guardians of her own choosing. Her death in such a manner demonstrates she was not fit to be empress."

He gazed upon the baffled face of his son. "Perhaps she was too weak."

"It was mother's deeds that put you on that throne!" The young prince cried out. "How dare you call her weak!"

"And what would you know of strength? You are nothing, you have shown nothing to prove your worth." His father replied coldly. "That is the nature of the world, of our Britannia. You know nothing of that truth. The strong prevail, and the weak are cast aside. Just like your sister."

"Nunnally? But she…" Lelouch protested, appalled at the cruelty on display.

"She was a princess of Britannia." The emperor stated. "Meaning there is responsibly, expectations of the station of which she has fallen short. Titles alone do not grant strength, such has been demonstrated. That is what it means to be Britannian, to be royalty."

Eyes widened in disbelief, unable to comprehend the madness before him. Lelouch slowly shook his head, thoughts of a helpless girl fresh on his mind. "How could anyone stand to live in a world like that?"

"If you hate this world, then change it with your own hands." His father callously told him. "Except you cannot. You have not the power to do it."

The emperor rose from his throne, towering over the boy. "You have nothing, you are nothing. All that you have I have given to you: the food you eat, the clothes upon your back- your very life! They are all things I have given. Things I can just as easily take away." He raised a hand in declaration. "I shall send you to Japan. There your title as prince shall be of some use: as a bargaining chip. That is all you are worth, a tool to be used and disposed of as I see fit."

Lelouch trembled with rage, raw fury filling his veins, washing away the despair that had since plagued him. "If you intend to have me killed, at least have me executed properly!"

The old man scoffed, sitting back down on his throne. "You think you deserve such treatment? As I have stated, you have nothing. Now leave my sight, boy."

Lelouch's fists shook, balled to a white-knuckled grip. "You will regret keeping me alive. One day, when next we meet…I will kill you. And I will tear apart this world you built piece by piece."

The boy's face morphed into the visage of a demon, violet eyes burning with hatred. "I swear it."

The emperor's lips curled into the faintest ghost of a smile. "By all means, try. Perhaps then you will be worthy of being called a prince."

Lelouch snarled, speaking not another word as he sharply turned away from the image of the man he called father.

The steps that took him away were not echoed by the whispers of those who witnessed his vow. Not a sound was heard but his own footsteps.

But he was keenly aware of the eyes that never left him, branding him with the oath that they would meet once more.

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True to his word, the emperor had Lelouch unceremoniously shipped off to Japan within a day of the boy's immediate banishment. Not allowed to set foot back in the Aries Villa, he was not even given a chance to say goodbye to any of his family that might care to bid him farewell.

So, the now exiled prince found himself sent halfway across the world completely alone, with nothing to call his own.

For as his father said: he had nothing.

Upon arriving in the island nation, Lelouch was met by a young Japanese woman who introduced herself as Sayoko Shinozaki. With thinly veiled hostility, she stated she was to serve him during his stay in Japan. And as they drove through the countryside, he felt as though even the land itself shared in his caretakers' displeasure of him.

For despite the land's natural beauty being a stark contrast to the dominating structures of Pendragon surrounded by barren landscapes, the Britannian boy hardly felt at peace here.

After a trip of uncomfortable silence, Lelouch was taken to the home of the nation's leader. The Kururugi shrine was to be his prison for the foreseeable future, until his father tired of the tune they were dancing to.

He was greeted by the man himself at the gate to the complex. Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi stood before him, next to an aged bald man Lelouch did not recognize. Openly scowling was a boy his own age beside the prime minister, which he assumed was his son. He was certain they would get along just great.

Demonstrating all the grace expected of him, the prince in exile bowed deeply before the foreign leader. "Thank you for housing me, Prime Minister Kururgi. I am Lelouch vi Britannia, eleventh prince of the Holy Britannian Empire." He left out the last part. He no longer had any claim to speak of. He had nothing.

He lifted his head, now realizing there was a fourth person here. A little girl hid behind the second man, poking her head out to peer at him. He turned to the one in front of her. "My apologies, but I'm afraid I do not recognize you, sir."

"This is Lord Taizou Kirihara, a close associate of mine." Kururugi answered before gesturing to his other flank. "And this is my son, Suzaku."

The other boy bowed. "I'm honored to meet you."

It was quite clear he was not.

"His Majesty sends his regards." Lelouch continued the charade of well meaning. "He hopes the relationship between Britannia and Japan may improve in the future."

What a farce. As if anyone would believe such blatant lies.

"I do hope such good faith lasts, your highness." Genbu answered, then gestured behind him. "Sayoko will show you to your quarters."

"Yes, my lord." The woman gave him a bow of actual respect, before moving to escort Lelouch. The two other children followed, leaving Genbu alone with Kirihara.

"I have no idea what the emperor is plotting, sending that boy here." The man spoke, watching the children enter the main building.

"I can't say." Kirihara agreed. "I honestly doubt it really is an act of good faith, however."

"From what I understand, his mother and sister were assassinated hardly a week ago. The first time in over a decade." Genbu frowned. "Then he's sent away as a political hostage. He wasn't even given the chance to attend their funeral."

The older man sighed. "That explains the look in the boy's eyes. Like a walking corpse, held together by hate alone."

It was an unsettling sight. Kirihara got a sense that the boy he had met today may very well become exceedingly dangerous, assuming he lived through the uncertain path laid out before him.

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November 21, 2009 ATB

A week had passed since Lelouch had begun his stay at the Kururugi shrine. His experience thus far had been far from pleasant, with no way of knowing just how long he would have to endure it. The servants of the estate treated him with open disdain, as if he were a nuisance, rather than an honored guest. He suspected he would be disliked, but it genuinely surprised the prince that they have the nerve to display such animosity. There was no love lost between their countries, but he was still foreign royalty. He supposed rumors of his disinheritance had spread throughout the shrine. They had no reason to play nice with a prince who's daddy would not lend him an ear.

The worst of it however, was when he was introduced to Kyoshiro Todoh, the JSDF colonel charged with training Suzaku in martial combat. Against his will, Lelouch found himself partaking in the regimen. The training was brutal, and Lelouch struggled to keep up with the boundless Suzaku every step up the way. A ruthless rivalry developed nearly instantly, as Suzaku found himself superior to the Britannian prince, and never let him forget about it. As such Lelouch dragged himself on through spite alone.

His suspicion of Suzaku turned out to be spot on, the two of them did not get along in the slightest. However, he was forced to spend nearly the entire day within proximity of the insufferable boy. He wondered how long he could endure this, physically and mentally.

After several days, he had taken to wandering into the surrounding forests, away from the estate and its hateful presence. It was the only place he felt somewhat comfortable, even if Sayoko-whom he learned was as skilled an assassin as a maid-was never far away.

Lelouch roamed aimlessly, letting only his thoughts keep him company.

The sounds of leaves and twigs crunching alerted to another's approach. He thought it might have been Sayoko making herself known to escort him back, but instead found that girl he saw on his first day here. He hadn't seen her since then, and had no idea as to whom she might be. She stomped her way through the trees, a pouting look on her face as she neared him, oblivious to his presence.

He watched the girl sit down on a fallen log with a loud huff, folding her arms as she maintained her frown. He said not a word, until she finally took notice of him. She shot upright in an instant, fear quickly replacing her expression.

"D-demon!" She accused with a pointed finger, as she stumbled back away from him.

Lelouch raised an eyebrow at the girl, not making any attempt to approach her. "That's rather rude. Do I look like a demon to you?"

She stared at him a moment longer, before relaxing slightly. "Oh, you're that Britannian boy from before…"

Suddenly, her demeanor shifted as she puffed out her chest. "I am Kaguya Sumeragi, heiress of the esteemed Sumeragi house." She once again pointed a finger at Lelouch, this time with more…arrogance. "You will return to the shrine, and inform my retainers I will not be returning until they allow me to do as I please."

The prince frowned, finding himself suddenly displeased by this girl. "And why would I do that?"

"Did you not hear me?" Kaguya answered, upset with his reply. "I am the heiress of the Sumeragi house. There will be consequences if you do not do as I say."

Lelouch narrowed his eyes, taking a step toward her. "Do you think your name has power? That your title has meaning?"

As he stalked toward the Japanese girl, the haughty stature she held began to falter. "Tell me, Kaguya Sumeragi, what power does your name have right now…in this moment?"

He was a head taller than her, and standing right before her, he struck an imposing figure. Her bravado gone, Lelouch could see Kaguya tremble slightly, though she attempted to maintain some kind of dignity.

He sighed, taking a step back. "My apologies, Lady Sumeragi, it was not my intention to frighten you." She still eyed him warily, even as he bowed apologetically to her. "But I do hope you remember…your name holds no power on its own."

His quiet stroll now ruined, Lelouch decided he would head back to the Kururugi home, leaving the girl named Kaguya alone.

He did however miss the way her eyes followed him leave, and how they were filled with not fear, but curiosity.

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August 7; 2010 ATB

Despite all his efforts, Lelouch found himself thrown to the floor once again.

"That's enough, well done."

The exiled prince groaned as the other boy offered him a hand back to his feet. "I think that's the best you've done so far. Not half bad."

Lelouch scowled, rubbing a few bruises. "Not well enough it appears. I'm starting to think I'll never beat you."

"You've made noteworthy progress since you've started training, your highness." Todoh told him from where he had observed their latest bout. "Suzaku has simply been working at this longer than you have."

"So he'll always be a few steps ahead of me then?"

The colonel grinned. "Only if you slow down."

"I appreciate the encouragement, sensei. Despite my earlier grievances with your teachings." The boy bowed in gratitude. Daily training had done much to keep his mind from delving too far into the darkness that lingered.

"You are dismissed."

Suzaku and Lelouch departed the grounds together, the two having come to form some sort of mutual respect in the months they had been living under the same roof. "You know, you'd probably do better if you spent a little more time exercising." The other boy poked.

"It's important to train your mind as well as your body, Suzaku. Besides, I have plans scheduled already." Lelouch responded as they walked along one of the wooded paths through the shrine grounds.

"Oh, is she here now, then?" Suzaku's face scrunched up at the thought.

"Is that any way to refer to your fiancé?" He smirked.

The other boy huffed. "Whatever, I'll see you later then."

Shaking his head in amusement, Lelouch continued alone through the path. It was hot, even this early, and he'd come to find his surroundings a little less hostile than when he'd first arrived. Perhaps even welcoming, if he looked in the right places.

After the short stroll, he found himself arriving at a quaint little pavilion situated in a far off corner of the shrine's grounds. Sitting at that pavilion was one lady Kaguya Sumeragi. Upon noticing his approach, she waved cheerfully toward him. He offered a small smile in response.

Much to his surprise, Kaguya had not become nearly as terrified of him as he believed he'd made her. Instead, the young girl had developed a profound curiosity of him, and the knowledge he brought to her enclosed world. Of the many things she found interest in, was his treasured pastime: chess.

"Were you training with Suzaku just now?" She asked as he reached the table she sat at.

"Indeed I was. And I can say I defeated him swiftly and utterly." Lelouch answered with a flourish of gestures.

"I find that a little hard to believe." Kaguya giggled at his theatrics. "But I suppose I'll have to take your word for it."

Lelouch set upon the table his most prized possession, a set of the game given to him by his mother for his last birthday they shared. In a well accustomed routine, he set the pieces upon the board between them.

"Perhaps that means I might finally defeat you then right?" The girl said with a mischievous smile as she began their game with a pawn's advance.

Kaguya had over the course of their matches, gotten considerably good at playing the game. She learned very quickly, and was even keener at picking up on his own method of playing. Lelouch himself had adapted his strategy to playing opponents like Schneizel, who often utterly dominated the board. A single decisive counterattack that turned the tables was his trump card.

Kaguya however, was frighteningly good at coaxing others to do things the way she wanted them to. He'd seen it in her interactions with other people quite often, and she tried to adapt that skill to chess as well.

Against anyone else, it would have been exceedingly effective. Even still he occasionally caught himself a turn shy of falling for the traps she laid out. She kept him on his toes, to say the least.

Even so… "Not bad, but not enough." He said triumphantly. "That's checkmate."

"I almost had you!" Kaguya whined. "Why don't you ever fall for anything!"

"You're gonna need more than a few tricks to win. Those won't work on me."

The girl folded her arms with a huff. "Next time for sure, I'll get you."

He offered an apologetic smile to Kaguya. "I'm afraid there might not be a next time."

She tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean? You're not leaving are you?"

Lelouch shook his head. "No, I don't think I'll ever be leaving Japan. But I'm not sure how long it will be Japan."

Kaguya frowned for a moment. "You don't mean…"

"I've been watching Britannia's actions as closely as I could." He explained. "A number of alarming moves have been made that make me believe an attack may soon be coming."

"Is that so?" Kaguya said, her voice quiet as the energy she carried drained away. "I suppose…the possibility was always there, but I never thought it would come."

The girl shook her head, poking at one of the pieces. "No. I guess I just didn't want it to. It was inevitable, wasn't it?"

"Yes, I'm afraid it was. My being here was never meant to deter that idea."

"What does that mean for you then?" She asked.

"I'm to serve my purpose, I would imagine." He answered.

"Your purpose?" Kaguya repeated with visible confusion.

"I was only ever here for one reason." He said, knocking over his own king piece. "And it wasn't to promote peace."

"Lady Sumeragi!" A man called out to Kaguya as he emerged into the clearing. "It's time to go now, milady."

The girl stood, acknowledging her guard before turning to Lelouch again. "Well regardless, I hope that we can play again one day. No matter where it is that we do so."

He offered her a thin smile. "I'll have this ready for you then."

Kaguya returned the gesture. "Until then. Goodbye, Lelouch."

He watched her leave, feeling a swell of complicated emotions. He was painfully aware a Britannian invasion was always his father's intention. Knowing that, he tried his best to live his days here detached from the people around him. After all, soon enough they'd be dead or reduced to slaves. The beautiful scenery around him would be burned to ash and the life choked away.

It was easy at first. The animosity they displayed made remaining indifferent simple enough. But…he couldn't help it, not when that girl was so eager to learn his treasured game. Hell, even Suzaku wasn't as bad as he'd been at first. Not that it truly mattered, what could he do anyway?

His father was right, Lelouch was powerless, completely and utterly.

"Did Kaguya leave already?"

Lelouch looked up to see Suzaku had wandered his way before him while he was lost in thought. He lost track of how long he sat by himself before the other boy arrived. "Yeah, a while ago now."

Suzaku eyed the board Lelouch left out, the pieces still arrayed how the game had concluded. "You might as well just play shogi, you know."

"And what makes shogi so special?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's deeply rooted in Japanese history." Suzaku declared. "Japanese culture is far more meaningful. It's a culture based on honor and respect."

Lelouch rolled his eyes. "That kind of thinking is so narrow minded."

He looked nostalgically toward the board before him. "Chess holds a lot more meaning to me. My brother taught me to play it, he showed me that you can learn a lot about a person by how they play the game."

"Like what exactly?" Suzaku asked, sounding skeptical.

"Their temperament, what they value, how they approach things, a whole lot. Even if they aren't particularly good at the game." He explained. "Playing against Kaguya I've learned that her cunning comes not from predicting another's actions, but rather manipulating them to her desired outcome."

The other boy stared down at the game for a moment before sitting himself down. "Teach me to play then."

Lelouch gave him an amused look, to which he snapped "Don't make me change my mind!"

He laughed lightly, moving to reset the positions of the pieces. "My apologies, I just didn't expect that."

"So what's the point of this then?" Suzaku nudged one of the white objects in front of him.

"In chess, your goal is to capture your opponent's pieces with the biggest prize being their king. Successfully doing so is called a checkmate." He began to launch into a thorough explanation. "Each one of your pieces can move a specific way. For starters the pawns can only-"

He cut off his speech, a hand hovering above one such pawn. Suzaku looked at him with puzzlement. "What's the matter?"

"You don't hear that?" He said, straining his ears.

"Hear what?" His companion asked, listening for what he might have missed. "Wait…I think so…"

Low rumbling, periodic, each sending small waves through the earth. The prince could see now that his board shook ever so slightly. It took precious seconds to understand what was going in, enough time for him to shout in warning.

"Suzaku, get down!" No sooner did the world go white, ringing in his ears as everything spun around him. Lelouch was vaguely aware that he was now flat on his back, as the view of the sky above slowly became clearer.

A sky filled with smoke.

With pained effort, the boy sat up, regaining his bearings. The table had been knocked over, the chess pieces scattered across the floor. Beyond the pavilion, where the complex proper stood, a roaring inferno billowed up into the air. A moment passed as Lelouch came to understand exactly what had happened. In the distance beyond the trees similar pillars of dark smoke rose up in places. The shaking of the earth hadn't stopped either. In fact, it had grown more distinct.

"What the heck was that?" Suzaku grumbled as he sat up a ways away.

Lelouch regarded him briefly. It was a simple miracle the two of them had been out here at that moment. He had little doubt not a soul in the shrine beside them had lived through the explosion.

"I think it's rather obvious, Suzaku." He spoke calmly, despite the situation. "Your house was just bombed, and it looks like it's not just this one place. You can guess who is responsible, right?"

The Japanese boy stared blankly at the flames eating away what remained of his home. "That can't be." He slowly turned to Lelouch. "But you're here, why would they…?"

"You've answered your own question." He said sharply, eyes assessing their surroundings. "Your father has only stayed here twice in all the time I've been here. If Britannia knew of this place, surely they knew that as well. So the Prime Minister wasn't the target here. Who else could have been?"

Suzaku's face was one of shock and terror uncharacteristic of the haughty boy he'd come to know. "But why would they do that?"

"There's lots of reasons, plenty of people want me dead." His own father among them, he had no doubt. "I'm not too keen on just accepting that fate though."

The prince paused for a moment, his gaze focused on the king piece that rested at his feet. At that moment he came to a decision.

"Where is your father at now?" He turned his attention back to Suzaku, who appeared completely shell-shocked.

"My father? He was in Tokyo earlier, but…" the boy looked toward the rising towers and the planes overhead that created them. "I remember them talking about a new base in Narita. I think he might go there, considering…"

Lelouch reached down, picking up the fallen pieces one by one. "Where is Narita?"

"Um…East, I think?"

The prince frowned. He should have gotten a better understanding of Japan's landscape. "Well, that's where I'll be going then." Having carefully stowed away the pieces of his mother's memento, he turned toward the other boy. "Are you coming?"

Suzaku was clearly confused by his decision. "To Narita? But you're-"

"I don't believe I fare very well seeking out Britannian aid. I have no idea who might try to kill me, or who might bring me to someone who will kill me." It wasn't as though every soldier on the island was going to shoot him on sight, but he had no doubt that one way or another he'd end up in the homeland in a coffin. "In the least, I know where your father stands, and I might be able to bargain for my safety. I still have one card to play in exchange for my life."

The Japanese youth looked once more upon the raging fire that consumed all before him, the reality of it all finally setting in. "I'll go with you."

"Everyone will be our enemy, Suzaku. We can't trust Britannians or Japanese, remember that." Lelouch said. "With any luck, we can travel through areas Britannia was already secured. That's our safest route."

"We need to go all of Tokyo to get there. Do you think they'll get that far before we do?" Suzaku asked, following after Lelouch as the boy headed into the forests beyond the burning wreckage.

"Without a doubt." He replied. "The empire has a new armored weapon. If we see any of them, we hide. And pray it didn't see us."

A new weapon? "What do they look like?"

Lelouch turned back to his companion. "You'll know."

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Everything had happened so fast, it still didn't quite feel real to Kaguya.

She sat quietly, her presence at the table mere formality. The men around her argued heatedly, she only paid half a mind listening to them. Her thoughts were elsewhere.

Her immediate thought might have been otherwise, but it must have been a terrible coincidence that mere hours after Lelouch had warned her, Britannia launched their invasion in full scale. He couldn't have really known, though clearly his guess was frighteningly accurate. She had been whisked away to safety before any real danger had presented itself. But from what the girl had gathered, even the roads she traveled to get here had been overtaken by Britannian invaders. She was told the Prime Minister had reached the Narita headquarters along with most of the JSDF leadership. Though no one had any information on what had happened to Suzaku or Lelouch.

Other than that the Kururugi shrine was gone.

An early airstrike had targeted the residence, perhaps in an attempt to remove the Prime Minister. Though it had failed, his son, and a Britannian prince were still present.

They may very well be dead already. Kaguya had no way of knowing.

And if they did survive, they were caught in the middle of a sweeping warzone that grew day by day. It had been only a week, and Japan had lost in all but their hearts.

She could only hope the two boys she spent her better days with would make out alive.

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August 14, 2010 ATB

Slow and weary steps carried the boy across rubble and ruin. What was once a bustling metropolis had been crushed mercilessly into dust in the blink of an eye. Britannia's scorched earth assault had left nothing behind but broken buildings…and bodies.

Waiting only a single day before traversing the city had allowed Lelouch and Suzaku to trail in the wake of the onslaught, bearing witness to the carnage left behind. They encountered not a single survivor thus far, but more than a few of the dead.

"Why would they do this?" Suzaku muttered, his gaze lingering on corpses they stepped over.

"It's a fear tactic." Lelouch answered breathlessly, Suzaku had been faring far better the last few days. "Practically, it also makes it easier to ensure security with how quickly they're conquering territory. Britannia wants Japan under control as fast as humanly possible, before the rest of the world can even find out what happened."

The prince's own eyes met the lifeless stare of a young child half buried beneath a crumbled wall. "They're culling the population at the same time. The survivors will know they're new masters won't hesitate to erase them if they step out of line."

He lingered on the dead at his feet a moment longer, before he trudged further on. Behind him, Suzaku stood still.

"Come on, Suzaku." He beckoned, forcing his aching feet to carry him over the remains of the dead. He had to hurry. If Japan fell before he reached Narita, the fledgling plans he made wouldn't even have a chance of coming to fruition. Those thoughts were what kept him moving forward.

"It's still…" the other boy tried to say.

"I know." Was all Lelouch offered.

What more could he say?

This was the will of his father, the work of his nation. It disgusted him.

Nothing else was said as Suzaku continued to follow Lelouch, allowing the slower boy to set their pace. The exiled prince continued on, following what remained of landmarks he could discern based on maps he was able to find earlier before. Suzaku had unsurprisingly been a terrible guide, though he was at least somewhat familiar with the more obvious features, scarred as they were.

That way at least, he wasn't second guessing himself.

Somewhere, far in front of them, distant sounds of battle echoed through the ruined buildings. It wasn't uncommon to hear that, though they had never witnessed it themselves. Though the remains, a few fallen Britannians and significantly more JSDF, were common enough. They were scattered with the rest of the bodies littering the streets. The bodies before them however, were a little different.

Lelouch stopped, observing the gruesome spectacle on display. Three Britannians clad in standard infantry armor were strung up on a wall. Each was mutilated beyond recognition, he wouldn't have even been capable of discerning their nationality if not for the characteristic uniform. It was almost enough to make him sick. If he hadn't gotten so used to death and decay all around him, he might have.

Suzaku however, looked upon the corpses in horror. Beside them, written with the blood of what was likely those victims', were Japanese words.

"Death to the invaders." Suzaku whispered, reading the grizzly message. Lelouch had been learning Japanese during his stay in the country. To him at least, the word death was blatantly clear.

"Why would they do this?" Suzaku's voice shook, his eyes unable to look away.

"Why wouldn't they?" Lelouch said. This reaction seemed fairly justified to him. Japanese soldiers or even just civilians probably caught this group alone and unaware. They merely exacted revenge.

"But…that isn't…they wouldn't…" Suzaku was unable to formulate a response. Lelouch sighed.

"Is it their honor?" He asked. The Britannian boy had heard that word thrown around a lot. From Todoh, and many others around him here. "Chivalry is dead Suzaku. There is no such thing as honor. Only the real world, the world that took my mother and sister. No one cares about honor."

He thrust his hand out, gesturing to the massacre that surrounded them. "This is the real world. Any delusions you have otherwise…get rid of them."

"That can't be…" the boy despaired.

Lelouch allowed his companion a moment, taking the time to rest himself. He realized however, that they couldn't afford to linger. "That blood is still fresh." He noticed, understanding what that meant. "Whoever did this isn't very far away. Any company is bad for us, but I don't exactly want to meet these particular people."

Picking himself up, he dragged Suzaku away from the wall. "We have to keep going."

Britannian or Japanese, anyone for that matter. They were all the same, good or bad. People were people, humanity was inherently evil. A world like that…

That was the world he knew.

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The nights spent huddled in more intact structures offered little comfort. Britannia had knocked out power to the city grid early on, hiding away indoors midsummer was unbearably hot. Hot as the hellscape they walked through. In the least, scavenging supplies wasn't all that difficult. Anyone who managed to escape Tokyo didn't have the time to bring much with them. The sun was beginning to set, illuminating the hazy sky in a blood red.

Lelouch dragged his feet, exhaustion seeping into his bones. He had spent the entire day on high alert, watching for evidence of a hostile presence.

"Let's hide out there for tonight." He said, pointing lazily to a structure that had remained unscathed before them.

Britannia had leveled nearly everything in sight in the Tokyo area. It made clearing the capital for the future settlement easier, such indiscriminate destruction was standard protocol for their invasions.

"I think we can make it out of Tokyo proper tomorrow." Lelouch said, clambering over some debris. "That means the outer districts will probably have more survivors, we'll have to be careful we don't-"

He froze in the doorway, halfway inside as he got a clear view at the room within. Five men were seated around a table in the center of the building, each stopped to look at him with blank looks.

Adrenaline flooded the boy's veins as he rapidly assessed the situation he walked into. The men before him were dressed in JSDF uniforms, and several rifles were propped up against the table. They were in the middle of eating, several of the soldiers with mouths full.

He had to run, that instinct screamed at him. The area had plenty of places to hide, and the shadows around were growing long. If he could make it out fast enough, maybe he-

One man stood up, and Lelouch was already back in the streets. Both Suzaku and the soldiers called out to him, one in confusion and one more sinister. The Britannian boy had no doubts they were not actually friendly, there was no convincing them otherwise. He stumbled, tripping over scattered rubble, but didn't stop. If he could just get around that corner, and out of sight, then he could sneak away.

Except he never made it that far. He was grabbed by the collar, yanked roughly backward. The man who caught him shoved him against the wall, pinning the boy in place.

"Well what do we have here?" The soldier jeered as his friends gathered around him. Lelouch could see by the markings on his uniform that the one holding him down was a sergeant, probably the leader of the group.

"Stop it! Leave him alone!" He heard Suzaku cry out as a couple of the men prevented him from reaching Lelouch.

"What, is he your friend or something?" The sargeant spat. "He's a Britannian, can't you tell? They're the ones responsible for all this, they're goddamn monsters!"

"He didn't do anything, we're just trying to get to my father!" Suzaku protested, fighting against the bigger men, to no avail.

"You're dad huh? What's he gonna do then…hold on a sec, you're Kururugi, the Prime Minister's son, aren't you?" The man recognized Suzaku, probably having met once before as Genbu was well connected to the JSDF. "What the hell are you doing with one of them?! You're a disgrace, a dishonor to your family!"

"What? No I…" Suzaku was taken aback by the man's hostility.

"To think our leader's son was hanging around with a Brit. How revolting." He gestured to one of his men. "Give Kururugi your pistol. Let's give the kid a chance to redeem himself, yeah?"

Suzaku's eyes went wide. "What are you saying?! I can't-" The gun was shoved roughly into his hands, quelling his protests. He rapidly looked between it, and Lelouch. Whatever thoughts he was attempting to process, Lelouch had no idea.

He wouldn't…would he?

Sensing a horrific end to a situation he had no control over, the prince began to thrash against his captor. The soldier held him down firmly. What strength he had left was hardly enough to break free.

"What are you waiting for? He's a Brit. He'd do the same to you if he had to, without hesitation."

Their eyes met, and Lelouch saw fear and hesitation. He at least understood Suzaku certainly did not want to kill him, but what good did that do him? What could either of them do here?

"I…don't…" With shaking hands, Suzaku readied the weapon, unable to properly aim the thing.

"Come on then!"

Lelouch faced down the barrel of the gun. He couldn't die here, not like this. He couldn't give that man what he wanted. He just needed…

He was still powerless.

An explosion of rubble burst out behind them. Crashing through a crumbling wall, a fifteen foot tall monster of cold steel loomed over the stunned men before it.

Speechless, Lelouch faced the imposing machine. He knew what it was, what it could do.

The men below it shouted, some attempting to fire assault rifles, as futile as it was. The machine- the knightmare frame- seemed to focus on the boy for a moment, before it leveled its own oversized rifle at the helpless Japanese soldiers.

They were torn to shreds in only seconds.

Lelouch lay on the ground, surrounded by fresh corpses and newly spilt blood. He was, however, alive and unharmed.

The knightmare stopped, and the hatch on its back opened up. From within, a Britannian pilot disembarked before clambering down his machine. The knight rushed to an unmoved Lelouch, offering the boy a hand. "I can't believe it." The young man said, relief in his voice. "It is you, isn't it, your highness? We were sent out to search for you, but we hadn't the slightest hint. We had begun to lose hope."

They were looking for him? All at once, fear began to once again flood him. Even if the man before him was sincere in his mission, whoever had issued that order doubtless had more nefarious intentions. Lelouch couldn't go back, his fate there would be as certain as it would have been in the hands of the men at his feet.

He recoiled away from the offered hand. "No, stay away! I won't…"

The Britannian man offered him a welcome smile. "It's alright your highness, I won't hurt you, you're safe now. I'm going to take you to her high-"

A gunshot cracked through the air, and the man fell to the ground.

Behind him, Suzaku stood with a drawn pistol. Lelouch looked at him in surprise. He had completely forgotten in that moment.

"You said…that everyone was our enemy…So I…" The boy trembled, the gun falling from his hands.

Lelouch looked upon the bodies that lay all around him. Japanese and Britannian alike. "That's right…It's just you and I."

Perhaps he could count on his friend.

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Despite their exhaustion, Lelouch insisted the two boys get as far from their encounter as possible. He was sure Britannia would come to investigate the abandoned knightmare, and they should not be around when they did. And so they marched on until it was too dark to navigate the mess of rubble anymore, finally collapsing in a hollow shell of a home far away from danger.

After scrounging up what they could to sustain themselves, Suzaku finally broke the silence. "Lelouch, I'm sorry."

"Don't be." The other boy interrupted before he could continue. "You saved my life. That Britannian pilot was just as dangerous."

"But those Japanese soldiers…I couldn't do anything." Suzaku protested. "I almost had to kill you."

"But you didn't. And there was nothing I could have done either, so we're in the same position." He frowned, looking down at his tiny, weak hands. They were not capable of saving anyone, not even himself. "We're both pitifully weak."

Suzaku did not respond to that claim.

"I swear…Suzaku, I will become stronger. Strong enough that no one can look down on me ever again." Lelouch spoke, all the fury at his own failures poured into the words. "I will tear this world apart, piece by piece…and rebuild it as I will."

"I will have the power I need, to take the world as my own."

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August 20, 2010 ATB

Grim haggard features lay hunched over a map that had been redrawn a dozen times over in only a few days time. Hardly two weeks had passed since the invaders had set foot on Japan's shores, and already half of their territory had been conquered. Much of it being reduced to ash. Any attempts they made to halt Britannia's relentless advance were swiftly crushed. In all this time, Japan had not achieved a single victory. Genbu had once been confident in his nation's defenses, and his people's tenacity to hold them. It seemed a grave miscalculation compared to the empire's might.

"We've just received confirmation that Major Taro has been defeated. His entire battalion was just lost." General Katase, the JSDF's highest ranking officer told him.

"So that means Shinjuku is lost as well." Genbu declared, his eyes on one of the few remaining friendly blue pieces on the map. "Tokyo has already fallen, and the surrounding districts quickly following."

"They're new weapons are to blame. Nothing we try seems to have any effect. Nonetheless, its all we can do to try, perhaps there is a weakness yet." Katase said. The man's face betraying his confident tone.

"Those machines have just as much firepower as a tank does." Lieutenant Colonel Todoh commented. "They may appear less durable, but their mobility more than makes up for it. They can literally run circles around our armored support, shredding infantry apart as an afterthought."

Todoh was Japan's most skilled commander, and even he was unable to slow down Britannia's assault.

"What do you propose we do, sir?" Katase asked him.

Genbu sighed. "Whatever we can do, we cannot surrender. No matter how badly Britannia beats us down, they cannot defeat our spirit."

Katase, and many of the officers overhearing the conversation nodded in agreement. "Japan will live on, long after we are gone. The honor we demonstrate today will never be forgotten."

And that was all they could hope for. If they could not achieve victory, they would not taste true defeat.

"Prime Minister, sir!" A young officer entered the command center. He didn't seem to be bearing bad news, but there wasn't much Genbu could imagine the man telling him that wasn't bad.

"What is it?" He asked.

"It's your son, sir. He's just arrived at the base moments ago."

Genbu's eyes widened in surprise. "You're serious? I had…feared the worst."

"He was also with the Britannian prince as well sir. He wishes to speak with you, sir." The officer said.

"The prince? He's here?" Genbu repeated in confusion. He had guessed the boy was brought to him as some form of punishment, he wasn't exactly privy to his circumstances. But still, he couldn't imagine what would lead the prince to choose to come here of all places. "I will speak to him, have the two meet me shortly."

The messenger nodded before departing. Genbu turned to Todoh. "Come with me, Lieutenant Colonel, you are more familiar with the prince than I. You as well General, let's hear what the prince has to say."

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Before Todoh were two very different boys than he remembered hardly weeks ago. Their disheveled appearance aside, both children wore expressions testament to the hell they witnessed reaching this safe haven. There was a hardness in their eyes not unlike that of a veteran soldier.

"Suzaku, my son, it is a rare fortune that you are safe." The Prime Minister placed a hand on Suzaku's shoulder. "Forgive me that I was unable to retrieve you. Britannia's attacks came without warning, I hadn't the slightest opportunity before the shrine was out of my reach."

"It's alright father, I understand. You have a duty that goes beyond me." The boy replied.

Genbu nodded. "You have made me proud, Suzaku. I am sure your journey here was far from easy. You are safe now." He then turned his attention to the other boy beside his son. "And you, Prince Lelouch. I did not expect you to come here as well. What purpose do you have to seek me out rather than the safety of your own kind?"

The prince shook his head. "Such safety does not exist, I'm afraid. Being quite frank sir, I believe my father had me sent here with the sole purpose of dying in a way that would benefit him. If he learned that I failed to even die properly, I'm sure he would be very upset."

"I don't believe I can refute that claim, I see your point." Genbu replied. "Then why come here? I don't see this as being any safer for you."

Lelouch shook his head. "Perhaps not, but I thought you to be a reasonable man. One I might bargain with."

"Then you have something to offer then?" The older man asked with a raised eyebrow.

He nodded. "Suzaku and I had a run in with one of Britannia's weapons that have been giving you so much trouble."

"Those bipedal tanks they have?"

"They are called knightmare frames, the next evolution of modern warfare." The prince revealed. "My mother was the first to ever pilot one."

"Then you have information on these knightmares for us? A weakness perhaps?" General Katase surmised.

"I'm afraid not. The models Britannia has in use are not the same as what I'm familiar with." The boy explained. "Another company stole the project from my mother's supporters after her death."

Lelouch retrieved a small device and showed it to the three men. "I did get this, however. Consider yourself lucky. Had Britannia not so eagerly rolled out their new weapons, getting this wouldn't have been possible."

"What is it?" Katase asked.

"Let me show you." He said, moving to install the drive into a display in the command table. The screen lit up, displaying hundreds of markers across a map of Japan.

Todoh's eyes widened in shock. "This is…

"IFF data, siphoned directly from the empire." Lelouch finished.

"You got this from one of their knightmares?" He asked, skeptical of the method.

"The pilot let his guard down when he saw me. That was his last mistake." Lelouch clarified, sparing Suzaku a glance. "I had access to the cockpit of the frame, and its systems were still active."

General Katase had been analyzing the map with an expression that almost looked hopeful. "This kind of information is invaluable. With it, we might just be able to turn the tide of this war."

Lelouch sighed. "At this point even a force of equal measure would not be enough to help you win."

Genbu sent the boy a sharp glare. "Then what exactly do you suggest we do?"

"Britannia makes a point to ensure the nations they conquer have their military might completely exhausted. Without trained soldiers or equipment future resistance is much weaker, and far easier to put down. Right now you have the opportunity to circumvent that fate." The prince explained to the three men. "My proposal is this: use that information to avoid engagements, and gather as much resources and manpower as you can inside this base. Right now, Britannia does not know of its existence. That means you can hide away here indefinitely as long as they don't think to look. Once you've done all you can…issue a formal surrender."

"You would dare suggest we surrender?!" Genbu reacted harshly, his voice thundering. "That is the last thing we will do!"

"I am not implying that you simply give up, Prime Minister." Lelouch however remained calm. "But you cannot ignore the truth of the matter. Britannia will win, Japan will be subjugated."

"Then it will be soaked in our own blood. We would rather die with our honor intact than live on as slaves. Even if we are all dead, your empire cannot kill our pride. We will not let them."

"Even if your entire nation is reduced to ash? Your people ground to dust? What good will your pride do then?" He argued, brow furrowed at the man's stubbornness. "Right now, you are terribly outmatched, and wholly unprepared for Britannia's invasion. But there will come a day when Japan will be free again, if you give them the chance to see it. Live to fight another day, and that day will come."

Genbu glared at the boy, and Katase turned to him to speak. "Prime Minister, sir, perhaps-"

Enough of this. I wouldn't expect a Britannian like you to know anything of our people, our honor. Suzaku could tell you, even our children know it well. It is worth more to us than our lives, and it will not be taken away from us. Not now, and not when the last man who calls himself Japanese breathes his last. We will not surrender. We will fight until there is no one left to fight. Any other choice is unthinkable."

The man and the boy held their intense gazes for several suffocating seconds before the prince sighed. "Do what you will then. Have the data, but I will make preparations to leave this country. I won't go down with your ship."

"Do so. I don't want you here any longer than you must." Genbu replied.

The prince turned on his heel, marching out of the room.

"Lelouch!" Suzaku called out to him before his father stopped him.

"You see Suzaku, that is what a Britannian is. Self-preservation is more important to him than anything. He knows nothing of honor. None of them do."

"But…" He tried to argue, but was unable to.

The man turned to Todoh. "I will be in my quarters. See that Suzaku is taken care of, Colonel."

"Right away, sir. Come, Suzaku." Todoh nudged the boy, looking in the direction of where the prince had left.

Even if there was merit in his plan, it was simply not the Japanese way. Genbu represented Japan, and so Japan would fight.

To the death, it seemed.

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August 22, 2010 ATB

Two days had passed since Lelouch and Suzaku had arrived in Narita. Two days since the prince had provided them with real time data on the enemy forces. The intel had proved to be accurate, down to the most minute detail. It was a priceless advantage, practically unfair.

But it was not enough.

Todoh knew this well, as did Prime Minister Kururugi. Despite that understanding, they fought on, even as their comrades were slaughtered in mass without any hope for victory. The prince's judgement appeared correct, though Todoh himself already knew it to be true. Nothing could change their fate.

Though the Prime Minister remained stalwart in his decision, cracks had begun to grow around them. Even Todoh had felt despair clawing its way into his heart. Nevertheless, Genbu was his leader. It was not Todoh's place to question or doubt.

"Prime Minister." He rapped lightly on the man's door. The prince would be departing soon, to Europe he said.

No response. He tried again. "Prime Minister sir?"

Todoh frowned, there wasn't a sound from within. He tried the door, finding it unlocked. "My apologies sir, I-"

In the center of the room, Genbu Kururugi knelt unmoving, his hands limply grasping a knife that had pierced his heart.

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August 23, 2010 ATB

Prime Minister Kururugi had committed suicide.

Following his death, General Katase took command of the JSDF. With their leader gone, Japan's morale plummeted, and so the general proposed that they surrender. The rest of their command readily agreed, proving Genbu's sentiment was not wholly shared. Their honor appeared a fickle thing.

To Todoh, however, a different truth seemed more obvious. Prince Lelouch had decided to remain in Narita, agreeing to help Katase however he could. Though Genbu appeared to have committed the act of Seppuku, Todoh found it far too convenient for the prince. He did not know if Katase shared his suspicions, but the man seemed to be doing what he saw best for Japan.

So Todoh took matters into his own hands. He entered Lelouch's room unannounced, finding the boy pouring over an inventory of the base. He was, in the least, dedicated to his own plan.

He glanced at him entering. "Oh, Todoh, did you need something?"

He did not answer as he strode to where he sat. Todoh grabbed his shirt, roughly pulling the prince up.. "What the hell did you do?"

"What are you referring to, Todoh?" Lelouch asked as he held the boy.

"Don't take me for a fool. Genbu Kururugi did not take his own life, you did." He growled.

"And what of it? The man believed he was going to die either way right? Why does it matter by whose hand?" The boy had, like with Genbu, remained completely unphased.

Todoh snarled at his response. "What of it? If you are responsible then I shall answer in kind. For the honor of my lord I shall-"

"What is honor, Todoh; that you keep referring to it so reverently?" Lelouch interrupted.

"A man's worth. Something greater than himself by which he will never be forgotten." He answered without hesitation. "A man strives to live honorably. So that his life might have meaning."

"And what meaning is there in throwing away that life without purpose in that sacrifice?" Lelouch asked. "There will be no Japan, and none who once called themselves Japanese. Do you think Britannia will remember you? You'll be forgotten by this world before your bodies wither away. That's all your honor amounts to."

"It is as the Prime Minister said: we would rather die with honor than live as slaves. No one can take that from us, unless we give it up ourselves."

"And where was Genbu when he made that choice for them? Was it alongside his people, fighting for his honor?" The boy said, emotion finally seeping through his calm demeanor. "No, he was here, safe from danger, where no one could threaten him. Genbu Kururgi was a coward."

"He was a leader, he was doing his duty." Todoh tried to justify.

"He hid away and ordered his people to die in vain, all from the safety of this fortress. That doesn't sound very honorable to me." Lelouch spat out. "Then again, what do I know? I know nothing after all. That's what Genbu told me…what my father told me."

Todoh's grip slackened, and Lelouch pushed away the man's hands. "I know nothing of Britannia, or Japan. This world is something I cannot know, it seems."

"So if I cannot know the world's truth…I will make it know mine."

The prince walked past him, and Todoh made no move to stop him.

"Hold a knife to my back, Todoh. If I take a step backward, I will fall upon your blade. If I falter, my life will be yours. Cut me down when you see fit." Todoh let silence be his answer to that promise. He had no words to offer. "But I will see Japan freed. It shall become my sword with which I shall carve a new truth. My truth."

Lelouch turned to Todoh, and offered him a chilling smile. "I have a promise to keep, after all."

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