Chapter 194
The sound of footsteps could be heard.
From the shadows, a short figure dressed in luxurious clothes, with long, light golden, slightly wavy hair, strolled out.
"Who are you?"
Vera's gaze sharpened, and a perfectly timed look of surprise flashed across her face.
Bathed in the ancient candlelight of the church's crypt, the little boy raised his head, ignoring the threat of gunfire, and met Vera's gaze fearlessly with his dark purple eyes. He stared at Vera's left eye with an obscure look that contrasted with his youthful appearance.
"The Geass awakened in this way, faster than I expected. However, thanks to you activating the Geass ruins beneath Königsberg, I was able to get here."
He continued, "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. Nice to meet you, I'm VV..."
"According to the family hierarchy, you should call me Uncle, Vera."
In this way, the ability will not be limited to one type, and it also fits the character design.
Let me explain the proper noun again: Requiem of Zero. This refers to the scene in the original story where Lelouch, after becoming the 99th Emperor of Britannia, threatens the world with the Freya Annihilation Bomb.
The idea is to concentrate all the world's hatred on oneself, then have Suzaku Kururugi impersonate ZERO to assassinate oneself, thereby eliminating all hatred and achieving world peace.
To be honest, it's a really unreliable plan. It's too idealistic and far underestimates the complexity of reality and human desires.
Without Shuuji, I don't think Nunnally and her little girls could handle the unpredictable events that followed. Even Euphemia would have been better than them.
188
Chapter 188 Outside of Vera.
"Self-acquisition? Truly excellent, worthy of being your offspring, Charlie. Well, Charlie, her Geass aptitude is beyond doubt. Relying solely on the lingering resentment of the deceased Code owner, she not only obtained her own Geass but also activated the Geass ruins beneath Königsberg."
"So, is brother planning to tell Vera about the Ragnarok Plan?"
A childlike voice spoke with a surprisingly mature tone, and soon, another strong, aged voice responded. Strangely, the latter addressed the former as "elder brother."
"I do have this idea. However, there's no need to provide the full details."
VV, the current Chief bishop of the Geass Order, a former member of the Britannia royal family, and the brother of Emperor Charles, gazed thoughtfully at the strange world before him, which seemed to be entirely bathed in the golden light of dawn.
Above a sea of clouds, an altar made of stone slabs floats prominently in the air.
This is the C's World.
The collective of human subconsciousness, the convergence of mind and Remembrance, the sea of reincarnation, and the great will.
"Charlie, none of your offspring know about the Ragnarok Plan yet."
With her youthful appearance and senior-like tone, VV continued without turning her head, "Schneizel is good, but he doesn't have the necessary strong desire and sense of self, which means he has a lower aptitude for developing Geass to the point where he can control his eyes."
"Now that Vera possesses Geass, we might as well accept her as one of us. With her abilities, she will surely become an aid to you, Charlie, in conquering the surface world and occupying all the Geass ruins on the surface."
"Among the younger generation of the royal family, having one more insider to help cover up and confuse the public is also a good option."
"Oh, confusion?"
Charles opened his eyes.
Standing beside his child-sized elder brother, the emperor, draped in an opulent cloak adorned with crests, remained composed. He astutely grasped the key point in VV's words. "Did the Geass agents sent by my brother to District 11 encounter any unexpected circumstances?"
His rebellious son, who's always trying to outsmart everyone, is abusing the power of Geass in District 11.
He killed Clovis, proclaimed himself ZERO, fought against Cornelia, and formed the Black Knights...
Despite the scale of the conflict, the fact that they were fighting against the Holy Britannian Empire from just one corner of District 11, and that they couldn't even fully control that corner, suggests that the power of Geass played a crucial role in this disparity in strength.
However, mastering newly acquired power inevitably requires a process.
Even with exceptional talent, the arrogance of newly acquired power and the urgent desire for revenge can lead to oversights in one's actions, leaving behind many loose ends due to crude and immature methods.
"There are some."
VV nodded gently and explained considerately:
"Jeremiah Gottwald and Villetta Nu, the 'Pureblood Faction' who lost power due to Orange's treasonous affair; the armored knight who lost his Knightmare armored rider but has no recollection of it; the family members of the researchers related to the cult who perished; Bartley, who once captured C. C. for research; Euphemia, who wants to investigate the cause of her brother's death..."
These people were either unfortunate souls who had been subjected to Geass, or those who had lost someone important to them due to the Black Knights' increasingly intense terrorist attacks.
Especially among the former group, some people have already noticed something amiss.
They proposed a hypothesis and speculated that ZERO possessed some kind of hypnotic ability, even though they were unaware of Geass.
"The fewer people who know anything about Geass, the better, before the horn of god-slaying is finished."
VV tilted her head and asked in a calm tone, "Getting back to the point, Charlie, what's your opinion on Vera?"
"If it's your brother's wish, then there's nothing wrong with it."
"Indeed, in the end, it's brothers who can understand each other."
VV's brows and eyes relaxed, clearly pleased. Then she turned around, "Charlie, our dream, absolutely, can come true..."
With a joyful yet firm expression, he descended the stone steps of the temple, his figure gradually disappearing into the dim morning light.
Only Emperor Charles remains standing here.
He watched his brother's departing figure in silence.
It was a gentle smile, but her eyes held a frosty edge, a complex mix of disappointment, sadness, and, above all, anger. The atmosphere seemed to subtly shift.
"Brother, you're about to lie again."
Königsberg Cathedral, catacombs.
Now.
"So that's how it is. The Code above Geass, [The C's World], the Thought Elevator... Britannia's global Conquest War was for the great cause of planetary unification, and also for the Geass relics scattered throughout the world. What did Uncle and Father secretly research? The transdimensional network project of an ancient civilization?"
According to VV, the Thought Elevator is a system scattered throughout Geass ruins around the world. Its functions include connecting the real world with the "C's World" and moving people to designated areas within the "C's World".
According to Vera's understanding—it's the internet, after all.
The kind with a monkey version and some modified parts.
Looking down at her uncle, who had the appearance of a child, Vera, who had instantly regained her composure after her initial disbelief, shook her head thoughtfully and asked knowingly, "So, now that Father has chosen to reveal the truth of the underworld to me, what does he need me to do?"
Vera's straightforward approach pleased VV, who nodded in satisfaction.
"That's what I admire most about you."
VV has no ill intentions towards her exceptionally talented, hardworking, and realistic niece.
He met Vera's gaze without fear, her left eye flashing with a fiery red bird mark.
As the owner of the Code above Geass, he can read some of Vera's traits from the active mental fluctuations of Geass.
Arrogance, greed, domineering...
Beneath his seemingly gentle and refined exterior lies an arrogance almost etched into his soul. Does he intend to conquer the world, to tyrannize all, and to consider the world and the throne as his own in the bag?
VV remained silent.
This domineering, self-assured aura far surpasses that of his peers and Charlie...
But.
The Ragnarok Plan is the only truth; everything else is meaningless!
Vera is quite good, but her vision and perspective are limited; she only focuses on the physical world, which is filled with lies and human falsehoods.
She was neither the femme fatale who would dull Charles's sword, nor was she one of those two despicable orphans who were deposed.
Compared to the genuine understanding between Charles and Marianne, while Vera and Charles could be described as having a good working relationship, their ideals were ultimately in conflict, making them destined to be unable to understand each other.
His understanding and supportive younger brother will always remain his!
His vow to Charles is still intact!
Unaware of what her yandere, brother-obsessed, young uncle was thinking, Vera continued her 'ignorant performance'. Putting down her pistol, she pressed her earpiece and ordered, "Bring in the field survival supplies and place them at the entrance of the underground sanctuary. Yes, for ancestral worship and vigil."
"The Königsberg parade? I understand. No need to postpone it, proceed as planned."
After assigning the tasks at hand, Vera put one hand on her hip and showed a curious smile.
"Uncle, I still have many questions I would like to ask. The environment is simple, so how about we have a long talk here tonight?"
District 11, Tokyo Concession.
A detached dormitory villa within the Ashford Academy.
The room was cluttered, with bottles and jars of various painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs on the table and cabinets. A pungent smell of blood and disinfectant filled the air. Dim light streamed into the room through the semi-closed window, illuminating a pretty girl with green hair and golden eyes.
"Lelouch, I told you before, be careful not to be arrogant or impatient."
Sitting on the floor with her back against the sofa cushions, the green-haired girl said irritably, "Cornelia is not like the artist-governor Clovis; she knows about military affairs."
"Cough, cough cough... cough. Thanks, CC."
A weak voice, coughing incessantly, said, "If it weren't for you, I probably would have been killed by Cornelia's cyborg special forces."
"A reminder: to be precise, they are not from Cornelia. They are an exchange unit belonging to European Britannia..."
189
Chapter 189 Vera's Idle Move, Lelouch's Pain.
Lelouch's anti- Britannia struggle was not going well.
Although he transformed into ZERO, successfully raised the banner of the Black Knights, and engaged in fierce battles with the Holy Britannian Empire throughout District 11.
He publicly and scathingly criticized the Britannia authorities and their national policies in the Shinjuku Incident, the Orange Incident, and the Lake Kawaguchi Incident.
Militarily, they had their share of victories and defeats. Through alliances and maneuvering, they managed to break the myth of the Britannian Army's invincibility in direct combat.
Furthermore, the Mount Narita Defense Battle thwarted Cornelia's momentum, and the Chofu City Battle that Major General Toudo Todo, were such resounding victories that they officially replaced the Japanese Liberation Front as the benchmark for the resistance forces in the District 11.
What's the cost?
Cornelia swiftly and decisively wiped out the Six Houses of Kyoto, who secretly funded the Black Knights and the underground resistance organization in District 11.
The current spiritual leader of the Six Houses of Kyoto, the so-called sole survivor and heir of the old Japanese imperial family, barely escaped with his life, only managing to flee District 11 in a sorry state thanks to the desperate cover of the Black Knights and the assistance of the Federation.
Britannia shifted from supporting agents to controlling the region to directly controlling various resources in District 11. Remnants of old Japan were implicated and their homes confiscated because they had lost their usefulness.
The Black Knights' economic and military support sources were cut off by more than half.
In addition, Governor Cornelia relentlessly pursued the District 11 like a mad dog.
It is said that the Second Princess ignored the rebellion in her former territory, the Middle East Area 18, and after reporting it to the Imperial Capital Pendragon, she entrusted it to the Third Princess Vera of European Britannia.
Faced with such an opponent, after numerous battles, even though the intensity, ferocity, and tactical level were all lower than those on the Eastern Europe front, the Black Knights' makeshift nature was still laid bare.
The already scarce number of skilled veterans continues to suffer losses, while the channels for replenishing qualified personnel are problematic. There is a shortage of middle-level managers, and the casualty rate of new recruits who join the regiment with only enthusiasm remains high.
The Black Knights' development has reached a bottleneck.
The Britannian Army, however, became increasingly skilled in battle.
There seems to be a trend where no matter how much you win, you end up losing everything.
How could Lelouch not be anxious?
Anxiety can lead to mistakes.
The cost of mistakes is—
"Cornelia and Vera, indeed, they are the real enemies I must overcome, hiss..."
The excitement aggravated his physical injuries, causing Lelouch to let out a muffled groan.
Looking at her contractual accomplice lying on the hospital bed, his jaw clenched, his limbs spasming, and his facial muscles twitching, CC sighed softly. She stood up, quietly removed a few painkillers, then picked up the thermos, poured a cup of hot water, and handed it to him.