Swordsmanship

With Lelouch providing the brains and Suzaku the muscle, they finally managed to rescue Nunnally safely.

Mao might have possessed a Geass, but he was still only human. With Lelouch's intelligence, dealing with him was not difficult once he understood how his ability worked.

Unfortunately, Mao had escaped.

That was a loose end-and a dangerous one.

Mao's Geass had let him hear Lelouch's thoughts and learn his true identity. If he spread the news that "he is Zero," the Black Knights would collapse from within before Britannia's army even came to crush them.

A Britannian prince leading Area 11's resistance against Britannia?

What a joke!

Kaname Ohgi might well be the first to rise up against him.

The foundation of trust Lelouch had built was nowhere near strong enough to withstand that.

I have to eliminate him!

After taking Nunnally home, Lelouch immediately pushed open the door to C.C.'s room.

Mao's target was C.C. All he needed to do was use her as bait and prepare a trap in advance, and sooner or later he would lure Mao out.

The ability to hear thoughts did not work on C.C.

However, the room was empty.

"Damn it! Of all times!"

She had chosen this exact moment to head to Kyushu to negotiate with the Chinese Federation? If C.C. had not been completely unaware of the situation, he would have suspected her of working with Mao and spying on him!

Of course, that was merely what he believed.

After voicing his frustration, Lelouch calmed down again.

Looking at it another way, this might actually be a good thing.

With his target gone, Mao would not keep hounding him either.

Besides, the Chinese Federation's base in Kyushu was hardly a secret. Perhaps...

He could get someone else to do his dirty work.

Struck by a new idea, Lelouch called C.C.

Meanwhile, following her instructions, C.C. had gotten off midway through her journey to Kyushu and arrived at the Clovis Memorial Hall, where she engaged in a long-overdue bout with Ask, who had been waiting for quite some time.

Neither was willing to give ground, and both put everything they had into making the other submit.

But Ask, a veteran of countless battles, and C.C., who had only just returned and was warming up, were not in the same league-even if she had lived longer.

When it came to unrestricted combat, Ask clearly had the upper hand.

Just as Ask swung his longsword and began thrusting again and again, C.C.'s phone rang.

It was Lelouch.

She glanced back, made a shushing gesture, then answered the call.

"What... is it!"

Suddenly, Ask attacked while her guard was down, earning an eye roll from C.C.

But Ask simply felt that their surroundings were suspiciously quiet.

To avoid arousing suspicion, he decided to use the clashes and slaps of his longsword to imitate a train traveling along the tracks.

Rumble (smack)-rumble (smack)-

On the other end, Lelouch noticed nothing unusual.

"C.C., have you reached Kyushu yet?"

"Not yet."

"Perfect. Meet up with me when you arrive. I encountered a Geass user here. I need you to lure him out, then we can use the Chinese Federation to eliminate him!"

"..."

C.C. covered her mouth without answering.

She looked back at Ask, then, at a signal from his eyes, let out a long breath and said:

"Don't worry, Lelouch. I've already run into him."

"What?! He's already found you?!"

"Yes... but I spotted him first and hid. He hasn't found my exact location yet."

"He hasn't found you... Then stay put for now. I'm coming to back you up. Can you see where he is?"

"Mmph..."

"C.C.?"

Lelouch called to her in confusion.

Judging by her voice, she did not seem to be doing very well. She must have been through an intense chase.

C.C. gritted her teeth.

"I told you, you don't need to worry about me. I'll find a way to deal with him."

"But..."

"And... another thing! Using the Chinese Federation isn't a good option. It could expose the existence of Geass, and mine as well! Don't forget, the emperor has his eyes on this place!"

"..."

Lelouch fell silent.

It was not that he had failed to consider that issue. It was simply that Mao knowing his identity posed a greater threat than the risk of exposure.

Besides, if handled properly, those risks could be eliminated entirely.

But he knew C.C.'s personality. Once she made a decision, no one could change her mind.

Left with no choice, he asked:

"What if you fail?"

"Don't underestimate me, ah! Lelouch... I told you I'll handle it!"

Snap!

C.C. snapped her phone shut.

She was afraid of letting slip that she was with Ask.

If she failed to block even one attack, everything would be lost.

In the midst of wielding his sword, Ask offered a word of praise.

"Nicely done."

"You still love... doing whatever you please!"

"Haven't you gotten used to it already?"

"Tch!"

C.C. clicked her tongue in displeasure, let out a deep breath, and said:

"Can you handle things on your end? If Mao isn't dealt with, Lelouch will..."

"Relax. I know Origami's abilities very well. She might even be better than you in this regard!"

"That's not what I'm talking about!"

"Heh... (smack)!"

"Eek!"

His swordsmanship had already reached its peak, but to secure victory, Ask thrust his sword with one hand while bringing the other down in a slap, adding a humiliation buff:

"Origami's experiment was a success. No... I should say she was the first successful case."

"Was it... that Geass-nullification experiment...?"

"Exactly."

Ask nodded and said:

"The Geass Ruins in the EU provided a great deal of data, and Leila's Geass also served as a foundation for the experiment. Although Origami sacrificed an eye, she's now immune to all Geass. She'll be our main fighting force in the coming operation to wipe out the Geass Order."

At that, Ask could not help giving C.C. a teasing smile as he asked:

"You're not still attached to your past, are you? You were their revered leader once, after all."

"Hmph... I left a long time ago. Their leader now should be V.V..."

"V.V., huh..."

At the mention of him, a vicious glint flashed through Ask's eyes.

V.V. was Emperor Charles's brother, another Code bearer, and the target of Ask's planned seizure.

But it was still too early.

He would need, at the very least, the strength to go toe-to-toe with Britannia's Knights of the Round before making his move.

After a fierce struggle, C.C. finally collapsed in exhaustion.

As the price of her defeat, Ask would personally cover her body in white scars.

Just then, as Ask entered a state of utter post-release calm, Leila pushed open the door and handed him a document.

"Your Highness, you need to take a look at this."

P.S. I've been very busy lately, so all I can promise is that I won't abandon the story. My previous books can vouch for that, so read without worrying.