The Ever-Changing Situation (5.6K) (Continued)

All eyes were on Luciano Bradley.

"You bastard!!!"

Cornelia's staff could no longer tolerate the frivolous man's provocations and insults. Just as they were about to make a move, a throwing knife whizzed past his cheek.

As a drop of blood spilled and dripped down, a clear line of blood gradually appeared on his face.

The man was immediately terrified; if it had been just ten centimeters lower, it probably would have killed him.

"Luciano Bradley, what do you mean by this?"

Cornelia narrowed her eyes slightly and said coldly.

"I apologize, Your Highness Princess Cornelia. I meant no harm; it was just a slip of the hand."

Luciano Bradley spoke respectfully, but a disdainful sneer played on his lips.

What Valkyrie? In his eyes, Cornelia was nothing more than an ordinary woman, only good because of her royal lineage. She was just like Euphemia, that pretty face.

Having thought of this, Luciano Bradley calmly took out a throwing knife from under his cloak and began to play with it.

While twirling his knife, he looked around at everyone and said:

"However, Your Highness Princess Cornelia, I don't think there's anything wrong with what you said."

Luciano Bradley's mockery persisted, his gaze sweeping over everyone with an equal and playful mockery, finally settling on Guilford.

"You just said the enemy has anti-aircraft defenses, so it's impossible to get close from the air? That's just outdated junk. If it were Knightmare, are you sure you couldn't break through?"

"Lord Luciano Bradley, you have a point, but where can you find a flying Knightmare? Even if Lord Beinberg's machine could fly, it would only be one, so what..."

Guilford, suppressing his dissatisfaction, continued calmly.

If Princess Euphemia li Britannia weren't in such a dangerous situation, he would have dueled this man even if Princess Cornelia had stopped him!

"If it's possible, even if it's just one unit. Don't lump us Knights of the Rounds together with you bunch of nobodies, don't you agree, Mr. Kino?"

"Oh dear, Lord Bulat, you jest. I was once just an ordinary knight, and it was only through His Majesty's grace that I became a member of the Knights of the Rounds. In truth, I am no different from them."

"Tch, bastard..."

Luciano Bradley looked at the blond bastard with the gentle smile on his face and curled his lip in disdain.

I never expected this man, a fellow Knights of the Rounds, to be so disrespectful to me!

However, just as he was about to say something, Cornelia spoke up:

"Enough, Lord Bulat. I cannot accept your suggestion. This operation is not only about ensuring Euphemia li Britannia's safety, but also about protecting the lives of the other hostages!"

This is an almost impossible task.

They had to refuse to compromise with the terrorists, but also rescue the other hostages.

That's a bit of a pipe dream.

Of all those present, no one knew what Cornelia was thinking.

"Indeed, a woman is just a woman after all, forever so naive."

While everyone remained silent, Luciano Bradley stood up with a sneer.

"You've gone too far, Lord Bulat. If you wish to engage in a knightly duel, I'll oblige!"

Guilford spoke coldly.

The emotions that had been suppressed for so long in order to advance the overall situation finally erupted.

As the spearhead of the empire, he still pointed his spear at the high and mighty Knights of the Rounds before him.

However, Luciano Bradley completely ignored him and instead bowed to Cornelia, whose face was already filled with anger, saying, "In that case, I apologize, Your Highness Princess Cornelia, but I cannot continue playing with you any longer. I shall take my leave."

As the emperor's direct troops, only the emperor could punish them or give them orders; otherwise, even princes and princesses could not do anything to them.

So, he can basically come and go as he pleases, and no one can stop him.

However, before leaving, Luciano Bradley left Cornelia with one more sentence.

"Oh, by the way, I remember your teacher was that Mahiro Zi Britannia, right? I never imagined he could teach such a naive student. If he knew, he'd probably cry, hehehehe..."

The morbid and arrogant laughter echoed in the silent command center.

After leaving the combat command center, Luciano Bradley did not return to his room to rest, but went to the hangar to look up and admire his personal mech, the RZA-10JS Percival.

The sharp claws embedded in the arms gleamed under the light.

Despite its purple paint job, it exudes a ghostly red hue resembling fresh blood.

The Empire's Vampire—that was the title he earned on the battlefield.

But before that, there was the executioner of the empire, a title belonging to Mahiro Zi Britannia.

He rose to fame in a single battle, annihilating every enemy on the battlefield like an executioner. Luciano Bradley

Luciano Bradley became a Kingthmare pilot almost entirely through listening to Yotsuba Mahiro's battlefield legends, and he held this imperial executioner in high esteem and reverence.

Just how far does this worship go?

Luciano Bradley wished he could find Yotsuba Mahiro, drag him to the battlefield, dismember him piece by piece, and take his life away.

After all...

"The blood of a legendary figure, the wails of a legendary figure... that must be quite something, right? Hehehehe..."

Luciano Bradley gradually revealed a morbidly arrogant smile.

Shortly after, an officer suddenly burst into the operations command room.

"What's wrong? Why are you in such a panic!"

"Governor, ZERO... a message came from ZERO."

"ZERO?!"

Cornelia frowned.

What are you planning to do by coming at this time?

After a moment's thought, Cornelia quickly left the command room with Guilford and the other staff.

Meanwhile, Diethard Ried, who was fishing by the lake out of boredom, received news that their news department's camera van had been stolen.

"What?! Car number three has been stolen! What is Jimson doing?"

"Yes, he said when he came to his senses, the car was gone!"

The person in charge of vehicle number two replied with a wry smile, saying that even he couldn't believe this explanation.

However, Diethard Ried did not pursue the matter further, but instead inquired about the situation of car number three.

"Where is car number three now?"

"That one, right in the middle of the army!"

That's right, the No. 3 camera vehicle, which Lelouch seized using Geass, is now filled with people from the organization he's about to establish, including Kaname Ogi Kaname Ohgi from the former Red Moon.

ZERO, the new leader, stood directly above the camera vehicle number three, facing off against the Britannia army.

The spotlights shone all over him, as if welcoming the protagonist making a grand entrance.

It was as if they were afraid that ZERO would disappear into the darkness and escape at any moment.

At the same time, accompanied by an earthquake-like roar, several Knightmare vehicles painted in a dark purple blocked their path.

That was Cornelia's personal guard, and the mecha at the head, with its white cloak fluttering, was naturally Cornelia's vehicle.

"We meet again, ZERO. Are you a member of the Japanese Liberation Front? Or are you trying to help them? But right now, settling our score is the priority!"

Cornelia stepped out of the cockpit and gazed at ZERO, who was hiding his true appearance behind a mask.

A calm and stern voice emanated from her pale purple lips.

"Let's settle the score for Shinjuku Clovis here!"

Cornelia drew her sidearm, the longsword-like weapon pointing directly down at ZERO on the camera van, aiming at the mask.

Pulling the trigger would take ZERO's life right now.

This scene terrified everyone inside the car, causing them to panic.

If ZERO dies here, wouldn't they be like lambs to the slaughter, doomed to die?

"See? I told you! We shouldn't have listened to ZERO. Isn't barging into the enemy's base a death sentence?!"

Tamaki began to weep again.

They became accustomed to this and started to back down.

This time, however, the others remained silent, because the panicked expressions on their faces betrayed their true feelings.

He didn't say anything, he just endured it, still firmly believing in his heart that ZERO could create a miracle.

However, the next second, the ZERO on the roof opened.

"Is this really okay, Cornelia?"

"What do you mean?" Cornelia asked, puzzled. "Are you still bluffing, ZERO? This time, you won't be as lucky as Saitama was to escape!"

With that, Cornelia prepared to pull the trigger, but at the critical moment, her hand stopped.

Because ZERO on the other side said something that forced her to stop.

"I'm not bluffing. I just want to ask you, which one do you choose? The dead Clovis, or the living Euphemia? In other words, Cornelia, you don't want your sister Euphemia to become a cold corpse like Clovis, do you?"

"You..."

Cornelia's face darkened.

This statement completely hit her weak spot, and she was completely at his mercy.

Euphemia was like life itself to Cornelia; nothing was more important than Euphemia li Britannia's safety!

Lelouch only dared to appear here because he knew Cornelia was a siscon.

"Choose, Cornelia."

ZERO slowly opened his arms toward Cornelia, as if putting on a show.

"You can kill me here, or use my power to rescue your sister Euphemia, and all the other Britannia hostages."

Cornelia hesitated.

This moment of hesitation became the first condition that Lelouch had to fulfill.

"ZERO, I don't know what you're talking about!"

Cornelia was still making a last-ditch effort to express herself.

"I can definitely rescue them, along with the hostages, if it's up to me!"

Lelouch repeated it again with certainty.

"..."

After a long silence, Cornelia, Guilford, and the other members of her SS made way for the bridge leading to the hotel, and gave the order to the entire army to proceed.

"Everyone, make way! Let Zero pass!"

The camera van started up again and slowly drove towards the hotel across the bridge.

However, just as they brushed past each other, Cornelia couldn't help but clench her fists tightly.

Her brother's enemy was right in front of her, yet she could do nothing...

However, ZERO is right; Euphemia, who is alive, is more important than Clovis, who is already dead.

As ZERO and his group slowly crossed the bridge, the situation inside the hotel gradually changed.

The reason for the change was that the terrorists were patrolling among the hostages, which frightened Nina, who was terrified of Eleven, and she muttered "Eleven" under her breath.

"What did you just say?! How dare you call ELEVEN Japan?!"

As if piercing their nerves, the man pointed his gun directly at Nina was cowering in Milly's arms.