Art Is an Explosion

He just couldn't quite understand Jeremiah Gottwald's behavior. This guy should have believed everything he said that day...

But compared to those insignificant trifles, the present moment is far more interesting.

"Little guy, aren't you afraid of dying?"

Using Hadron Cannon at such close range could easily damage one's own machine, causing it to be engulfed by energy, but this girl still charged forward recklessly.

It was as if they wanted to die together with him.

"I am Anya Alstreim Alstorem, the sixth of the Knights of the Rounds..."

A very immature, yet ethereal voice devoid of any emotion, came from the loudspeaker.

The cold voice said:

"It is my duty to eliminate the enemies of the Empire. For the honor of the Knights of the Rounds, I have long since disregarded life and death."

How long has it been since he heard such an amusing answer?

Despite piloting a machine named Mordred, who in legend is the illegitimate son of King Arthur and his sister, and the traitor who ultimately destroyed the King Arthur, he is now performing such a loyal act for honor...

His gaze seemed to penetrate the cockpit, witnessing firsthand the pink-clad girl sitting in the driver's seat, observing her gorgeous yet extremely revealing pilot's uniform that completely exposed her flat stomach.

But that pretty face, so adorable that even the God of Faces would be jealous, remained expressionless, like a judicating angel looking down upon the mortal realm.

"In that case, let me test your loyalty, Miss Anya Alstreim."

Upon hearing this, Anya Alstreim frowned slightly, sensing something was amiss.

But before they could react, the Nation-Protector Divine Machine, which Mordred had firmly held in place, suddenly underwent a strange change.

"What happened?!"

For the first time, her usually cool voice carried a hint of panic.

Because her Mordred was no longer able to restrain the other party, and under her gaze, the Nation-Protector Divine Machine was gradually growing larger.

That's right, it's about growing bigger.

At a speed visible to the naked eye.

Originally six meters like Gawain's, it instantly became ten meters, and then expanded to fifty meters, causing the Hadron Cannon to instantly disintegrate upon impact with the armor shell.

It's like Ultraman's human form using his Sparklence.

At the same time, a terrifying pressure, enough to make all living beings submit and instinctively tremble, swept over them.

In an instant, both friend and foe were filled with fear by this oppressive aura, wishing they could flee the battlefield on the spot.

Not to mention Mordred, who is the closest.

"What is this..." she murmured to herself, her delicate body trembling slightly, her eyes filled with disbelief.

This was the first time she had ever felt the emotion called fear.

"This is the true form of the Nation-Protector Divine Machine - Azure Dragon."

Mahiro kindly answered her questions.

It is indeed the true form, or what can be called liberation or full-power form.

It's not that Miori Shiba and Ita did it, but they not only managed to successfully fuse most of the parts of the Cloud Giant Dragon into the Nation-Protector Divine Machine, but also reduced its size while adding this function.

This was something Miori Shiba specifically told him before they set off; however, transforming into this form required even more Psions or magic.

However, this was nothing to Mahiro; he didn't feel much pressure at all. He could only feel his magic power being continuously drained and fed into his body.

He is the driver, and also the energy core.

"Miss Anya Alstreim, since you're not running away, it seems you also want to dance."

Seeing that the other party did not react, Mahiro did not waste any words and directly grabbed Mordred's head with one hand.

"!!!"

As an overwhelming sense of crisis swept over her, Anya Alstreim finally reacted and immediately unleashed all the weapons she had on her body.

But it was too late.

When this weapon struck the Nation-Protector Divine Machine, it didn't even leave a scratch.

Instead, the other party grabbed her by the head of the machine, lifted her high up, and then—

It slammed hard into the ground!

Rumble!!!

The earth trembled as if a powerful earthquake was about to strike!

The massive hand of the Nation-Protector Divine Machine had already slammed heavily into the ground, shattering the rubble and bombarding the rock strata!

With a single strike, the high and mighty Knights of the Rounds, Mordred's mech, was utterly destroyed.

Anya Alstreim then fell into a deep coma.

"Take her away."

The Nation-Protector Divine Machine returned to its original size. After Mahiro from the cockpit, Shinji simply waved his hand at the girl with a bloodied head.

Suddenly, several girls from the Shadow Garden appeared, picked up Anya Alstreim, jumped out of the pit, and disappeared into the night covered by artillery fire.

One more loot added to the collection.

Speaking of which, the girl named Monica is still in custody and hasn't been dealt with yet. It just so happens that after this war ends, she and Anya Alstreim will go and settle things.

As Mahiro pondered this, Mahiro piloted his mecha toward the Governor's Mansion.

However, just as he was dealing with Anya Alstreim, another strange thing happened on the battlefield.

Jeremiah Gottwald, who had originally intended to attack Lelouch, has instead turned against him and attacked Gino Weinberg, Knights of the Rounds!

Having lost its weapons, Gino Weinberg's Tristan quickly began to crumble.

"Sir Jeremiah Gottwald, it seems Orange's rumors are true; you have betrayed the Empire once again."

"Hmph, Orange? Betrayal? The name Orange represents my loyalty!"

Without a doubt, Jeremiah Gottwald was very capable; had it not been for Marianne's sudden downfall, he would certainly have had a place among the Knights of the Rounds.

Coupled with its superior machine design, Gino Weinberg soon suffered a complete defeat.

Lelouch seized the opportunity and stormed into the governor's mansion.

But to his surprise, on the rooftop of the governor's mansion, he saw familiar furnishings, exactly the same as the Aries Palace in his memory, even the white pavilion was perfectly replicated.

In the very center of this garden, a majestic Valkyrie had been waiting for some time.

"Welcome, Zero. I knew it; you would sneak in during the chaos. But what about Shadow? Let that guy come out too."

"Hmph, Cornelia... I'm more than enough to deal with someone like you."

Lelouch responded arrogantly.

But what she received in return was a soft laugh from the Imperial Witch.

"Is that so? But it doesn't matter... It doesn't matter if there's one more or one less person at this ball. All of you who betrayed Euphemia li Britannia, I will kill you one by one with my own hands."

"I just don't know, do you like dances?"

Cornelia's face gradually contorted into a grotesque expression, and a cruel smile slowly crept onto her eerie lips.

Chapter 303 Art is an Explosion (5.5K)

"Nailed it?"

By the time Mahiro arrived, the battle was already over.

What came into view was as if the garden had been swept by a gale-force wind; the soil in the garden had been turned upside down, and even the white marble pavilion in the center was teetering on the verge of collapse.

However, it is still clear that the layout here is exactly the same as that of the Aries Palace.

Then, his gaze shifted slightly and landed on Cornelia, who was now half-paralyzed and half-leaning against the side of the pavilion, covered in blood.

Cornelia's original Knightmare was now shattered, with a spear even embedded in her chest.

Lelouch, who was opposite her, was not in good condition either. Although he was able to stand, he was stained with blood and had suffered a serious injury. He was holding the helmet that covered his face in his arms.

What a difficult woman, she's practically a berserker.

If Gawain hadn't been so powerful, and hadn't used Geass to lay traps beforehand, things might have really gone wrong this time.

Whenever he recalled it, Lelouch's expression would become more serious.

In the firelight, Lelouch looked down at Cornelia, pointing his gun at her, while Cornelia looked at Lelouch with a mixture of relief and indignation.

The moment she saw Zero's true face, she finally understood that no one could surpass the hatred for the Britannia royal family in the person before her.

But why kill Clovis? Why kill Euphemia li Britannia?

They are clearly innocent!

However, perhaps upon hearing the third voice that appeared here, Lelouch suddenly lowered his arm and stopped pointing the gun at her.

Instead, he turned to the person on the other side and replied:

"Ah, I've got what I wanted."

Lelouch's tone was very calm, as if he had just done something as trivial as eating or drinking.

"Oh, now that you've got her, hand her over to me."

"?"

Lelouch looked over curiously, about to ask something, but when he met Yotsuba Mahiro's gaze, he froze, swallowed his words, and instead said:

"Alright, it's up to you."

That's all.

Lelouch then turned around, boarded Gawain, and left.

Cornelia, still in a daze, vaguely heard their conversation, but the trauma she suffered and the excessive blood loss left her with little energy to think.

I just feel very sleepy and am about to fall asleep.

She was jolted awake when a pair of familiar leather shoes came into view of her lowered eyelids.

With all her might, she slowly raised her head, taking in the other person's entire figure from bottom to top until she saw their face and those unforgettable eyes.

"It's you!"

Cornelia gritted her teeth, almost spitting out the hateful words through clenched teeth.

Then, as if in a final burst of energy, he suddenly rose and rushed forward, staggering as he grabbed his collar tightly with both hands, shouting angrily:

"Why, why did you kill Euphemia li Britannia! Weren't the knights beside Euphemia li Britannia your men? Why did you stand aside and ignore Euphemia li Britannia's death... Why did you leave the palace back then... Euphemia li Britannia loved you so much... and I loved you so much too..."

Resentment, anger, confusion, and sorrow—the voice was a complex mix of emotions, like a cuckoo crying blood, and also a bit reckless.

Her bloodied forehead pressed against his chest, listening to the strong, powerful heartbeat emanating from his chest. At the same time, the blood overflowing from her forehead mixed with tears, leaving an inconspicuous crimson streak against the blackness.

Throughout this process, Mahiro watched silently as the woman threw herself into his arms.

He initially wanted to explain, but upon closer inspection, it seemed too troublesome and unnecessary.

Then he sighed softly and said:

"Euphemia li Britannia is not dead."

"What did you say?"

Cornelia looked up at him in disbelief, her purplish-red lips trembling slightly, and a hint of confusion flashing in her beautiful eyes, which were veiled with mist.

She felt like she had misheard.

Mahiro repeated it again.

"I said, Euphemia li Britannia didn't die. After she was shot that day, Alpha and the others brought Euphemia li Britannia back to me, and then I rescued her."

"Alpha..."

Upon hearing this name, Cornelia suddenly recalled the image of that dashing blonde woman.

Her exquisite, work-of-art face, her well-proportioned and tall figure, and her unparalleled swordsmanship are things she can never forget.

If Marianne was the object of her admiration and longing, then Alpha was the absolute goddess in her heart whom she dared not even dream of. She even once thought that only a woman like that was qualified to stand beside Yotsuba Mahiro.