Chapter Summaries

Ask met with Euphemia about her knight candidates, then ordered his agents to watch Tosai Munakata and pressured Empress Kaguya into infiltrating the Black Knights. He outlined the parts of his plans that needed her help while Lelouch negotiated with the Kyoto Six Houses.

• Ask reviewed Cornelia's knight candidates with Euphemia, who showed no interest in them.
• Ask went to his shop and learned from Sphynx that Empress Kaguya could hold a normal conversation.
• Ask ordered Leila to have Jeremiah find someone to surveil Tosai Munakata and watch for his hidden plans.
• Ask demanded that Empress Kaguya infiltrate the Black Knights, help Zero build the organization, and gain influence within it.
• Ask promised Empress Kaguya autonomy for the island nation if she succeeded and threatened her and her people if she betrayed him.
• Ask led Empress Kaguya to a sofa and explained the parts of his plans that required her participation.

After securing the Kyoto Six Houses’ support, Lelouch planned to rescue Kyoshiro Tohdoh from Chofu Base before his public execution in three days. He considered using tensions over Kyushu to distract Cornelia and Ask, then decided to ask C.C. to negotiate with the Chinese Federation.

• Kaguya returned to her headquarters unnoticed, while Jeremiah’s agents monitored Tosai Munakata and waited to confirm his plans.
• Lelouch established cooperation between the Black Knights and the Kyoto Six Houses, assigning Rakshata Chawla to mecha technology, Diethard Ried to intelligence, and Kallen to his personal guard.
• Lelouch chose Kyoshiro Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords as valuable recruits, but Tohdoh was imprisoned at Chofu Base and scheduled for execution in three days.
• Lelouch considered using Geass against Ask but concluded that meeting him face-to-face would be difficult and risky.
• Lelouch studied a map and considered exploiting Britannia’s ambitions in Chinese Federation-occupied Kyushu to divert Cornelia and Ask from the rescue.
• Lelouch decided to ask C.C. to negotiate with the Chinese Federation.

C.C. agreed to negotiate with the Chinese Federation while urging Lelouch to supervise the Black Knights’ growth and consider taking control of the Kyoto Six Houses through Empress Kaguya. Lelouch accepted her advice but remained wary of C.C. and planned to use Geass as a safeguard if her negotiations failed.

• C.C. agreed to handle negotiations with the Chinese Federation, but refused Lelouch’s offer to prepare talking points or a recording.
• C.C. told Lelouch to stay involved in managing the Black Knights so new members would gather around him and his authority would not be taken by others.
• C.C. warned Lelouch not to keep the Kyoto Six Houses as partners indefinitely and suggested gaining the support of Empress Kaguya.
• Lelouch realized Empress Kaguya could help him gain control of the Kyoto Six Houses and considered whether her ideals would make her a suitable second-in-command.
• Lelouch left C.C. to negotiate with the Chinese Federation, while planning to use Geass on its leaders if the talks failed.

Ask learned that Mao had kidnapped Nunnally to lure Lelouch and C.C. into a trap, and decided to send a newly arrived girl to kill Mao. The white-haired girl reached Area 11 and eagerly anticipated seeing Ask again.

• Leila told Ask that Mao had kidnapped Nunnally and demanded that Lelouch come alone, delaying his meeting with Empress Kaguya and his trip to Kyushu.
• Ask learned that Mao could read minds within about five hundred meters and suspected he was targeting C.C. and her Code.
• Ask ordered C.C. to go to Kyushu after Nunnally's rescue and assigned the newly arriving girl to kill Mao and provide data for further modifications.
• Ask arranged to meet C.C. at the unopened Clovis Memorial Hall.
• A white-haired girl arrived at Tokyo Settlement, got into a car driven by Sphink Grimm, and said she could not wait to see her beloved Lord Ask again.

Ask welcomed Origami back to Clovis Memorial Hall and gave her a covert assignment to kill a Geass user who could hear thoughts within five hundred meters. Origami accepted the mission and planned to eliminate the target before the following afternoon in exchange for a promised reward.

• Origami reunited with Ask, who praised her training and cooperation with the experiments.
• Ask’s recollections revealed that Origami had survived her family’s murder and years of abuse before he rescued her and brought her to the White House and a Geass laboratory.
• Ask gave Origami a photograph of a Geass user whose ability let him hear nearby people’s thoughts and ordered her to kill him without attracting attention.
• Origami analyzed the target’s likely habits and said she would find a suitable place to kill and dispose of him.
• Ask told Origami to eliminate the target before tomorrow afternoon and promised her a reward if she succeeded.

After Mao escaped with knowledge of Lelouch’s identity, Lelouch planned to use C.C. to lure him into a trap, but she was occupied sparring with Ask. Ask revealed that Origami had become immune to Geass and would help fight the Geass Order before Leila brought him an urgent document.

• Lelouch returned Nunnally safely, then discovered that C.C. had left for Kyushu and decided to call her for help with Mao.
• C.C. answered Lelouch’s call while sparring with Ask and claimed she had spotted Mao and hidden from him.
• C.C. warned Lelouch against involving the Chinese Federation because doing so could expose Geass, and she insisted she would handle Mao herself.
• Ask told C.C. that Origami’s Geass-nullification experiment had succeeded, leaving her immune to all Geass and ready to fight the Geass Order.
• After Ask defeated C.C. in their sparring match, Leila arrived and handed him a document to review.

Ask learned that Geass ruins had been found on Kamine Island and ordered an investigation while keeping his interest hidden from Charles and Schneizel. He agreed to stay at the Clovis Memorial Hall as Lelouch sought to draw him away, while Origami killed Mao and reported back to Ask.

• Ask examined photographs of the Geass ruins on Kamine Island and ordered a team to investigate, while telling Beatrice to monitor Charles and Schneizel.
• Ask asked C.C. about Lelouch's plan to draw him and Cornelia away so Lelouch could rescue Tōdō, then agreed to stay at the Clovis Memorial Hall.
• Mao hid among the ruins of Shinjuku, unaware that Origami was watching him with a sniper rifle.
• Origami shot Mao, concealed his body, and called Ask to report that the target had been eliminated.

Clovis Memorial Hall opened as Ask prepared for its public events and learned that Suzaku Kururugi would execute Kyoshiro Tohdoh. After hearing that Schneizel’s men were approaching Kamine Island, Ask ordered his people to withdraw and planned a joint investigation.

• Clovis Memorial Hall opened, with Euphemia scheduled to tour its exhibits and announce a preselected winning work while reporters sought interviews with her and Ask.
• General Dalton told Ask that Suzaku Kururugi would execute Kyoshiro Tohdoh and that Cornelia had gone north to address unrest near Ishikawa.
• Ask suspected Lelouch had used Geass to redirect the Chinese Federation’s unrest and considered how to gain influence over Tianzi.
• Leila told Ask that a squad led by one of Duke Nicholas’s men was approaching Kamine Island, probably on Schneizel’s orders.
• Ask ordered his people to withdraw, then planned to send them back after Schneizel’s men landed so they could conduct an open joint investigation.

Ask learned that the seventh-generation Knightmare prototype Methratton had passed its tests and would soon arrive in Tokyo, and he gave Origami permission to use it as her graduation present. After the banquet, he refused Duke Nicholas's late invitation to dine, leaving the duke waiting.

• Ask learned that Methratton had passed its tests and would arrive in the Tokyo Settlement the day after tomorrow, while eighth-generation research remained limited by unfinished systems.
• Ask told Origami that Methratton would be her graduation present and granted her request, after which they spent the time before the evening's events together.
• Monica told Ask that the banquet began at seven, the press conference at eight thirty, and Kyoshiro Tohdoh's execution at nine.
• After the banquet, Leila told Ask that Duke Nicholas had invited him to dine, and Ask refused, judging the duke's request for sakuradite resources insincere.

At Euphemia’s press conference, a raid on Chofu Base exposed Suzaku Kururugi as the pilot defending it, provoking scorn from the audience. Euphemia named Suzaku as her knight, leaving the hall stunned.

• Euphemia struggled to answer reporters’ political questions, so Dalton restricted the conference to the art museum.
• A soldier reported that the Black Knights had attacked Chofu Base and that Suzaku Kururugi had deployed in the Lancelot.
• Dalton ordered the live battle footage shown at the conference, where the white Knightmare’s cockpit was cut open and Suzaku’s identity was revealed.
• Britannian troops arrived and the Black Knights retreated after rescuing Kyoshiro Tohdoh; Dalton told the press that the enemy had been annihilated.
• As the audience mocked Suzaku, Euphemia declared that he was the hero she had chosen as her knight.

After Euphemia appointed Suzaku Kururugi as her knight, Ask publicly supported her choice while distancing himself from the decision and promised action against the Black Knights. Watching the news, Lelouch resolved to reclaim Suzaku and ordered Kaname Ohgi to prepare a covert Knightmare operation.

• A reporter asked Ask about Euphemia choosing an honorary Britannian as her knight, and Ask said the choice was Euphemia's while praising Suzaku's loyalty and piloting.
• Ask told reporters that Cornelia would work to eliminate the Black Knights and that Britannia would not reveal its plans.
• Lelouch watched the press conference replay and grew angry that Suzaku had become Euphemia's knight.
• Lelouch decided to persuade Suzaku to return, considering using Geass if persuasion failed.
• Lelouch ordered Kaname Ohgi to send four groups to rendezvous point D4 the next day and transport dismantled Knightmare parts separately under Diethard's command.

Euphemia held Suzaku Kururugi’s knight’s investiture, drawing scorn from the nobles and public, while Ask congratulated him and urged him to protect Euphemia. Suzaku kept Lelouch and Nunnally’s survival secret, and Ask later considered a discreet chance to see them at Nunnally’s celebration.

• Euphemia arranged Suzaku Kururugi’s investiture, and the nobles and public murmured contemptuously as he walked the red carpet.
• Euphemia presented Suzaku with the Knight’s Sword, and the attendees followed Earl Lloyd’s applause.
• Ask congratulated Suzaku and told him to protect the reckless Euphemia, who protested being called reckless.
• Suzaku nearly told Ask that Lelouch and Nunnally were alive, but kept the information to himself after Ask said he believed they had died in the war.
• Ask told Leila he could make use of Suzaku because he piloted the Lancelot, then considered discreetly seeing Lelouch and Nunnally at Nunnally’s celebration.

Ask met Kallen at Ashford Academy, where she told him Zero planned to target Suzaku Kururugi and asked how to handle Diethard’s order to assassinate him. Ask told her to ignore orders not given by Zero and revealed that he planned to test the Island Nation Special Administrative Zone around the academy, though he warned that the emperor could overturn it.

• Leila asked Ask whether he would see his younger brother, and Ask said he would let events unfold naturally.
• At Ashford Academy, Ask sparred with Milly while Rivalz searched for her; Milly later made it to Suzaku Kururugi’s party.
• Ask saw Nunnally at the party but no sign of Lelouch, then took a discreet route downstairs with Monica.
• Kallen told Ask that Zero planned to move against Suzaku and that Diethard had asked her to assassinate him.
• Ask instructed Kallen to refuse any order that did not come from Zero and to report the matter to him afterward.
• Ask told Kallen he would test the Island Nation Special Administrative Zone around Ashford Academy and warned that the emperor could overturn the trial.

Ask recruited Nina to develop her nuclear theory and learned that Schneizel’s Avalon was heading for Kamine Island, where Ask decided to go. After Lloyd announced an assignment there, Lelouch saw an opportunity to capture Suzaku and the Lancelot and slipped away.

• Ask warned Kallen that Zero’s decision mattered and told her to trust him.
• Ask took Nina with him, offering her a chance to meet Euphemia and planning to fund a laboratory for her research.
• Leila informed Ask that Schneizel’s Avalon was heading to Kamine Island and would arrive in about two hours, so Ask set out for the island.
• Lloyd told Suzaku that an experimental base and an important visitor were expected on Kamine Island, with Euphemia accompanying them.
• Lelouch concluded that the island offered the Black Knights a chance to capture Suzaku and the Lancelot, then quietly left the banquet hall.

Ask prepared to meet Schneizel on Kamine Island, where the Geass ruins were tied to Emperor Charles’s plan to activate the Sword of Akasha. Before their meeting, the Black Knights launched a surprise attack, and Euphemia sent Suzaku to reinforce the defenders.

• Ask considered how Emperor Charles planned to use the Geass ruins and suspected Schneizel wanted to take the throne for Britannia’s sake.
• Ask waited on Kamine Island with Leila, Euphemia, and his guards as he prepared to speak with Schneizel.
• An explosion sounded in the forest, and a scout reported that the Black Knights had launched a surprise attack.
• Euphemia ordered Suzaku to help defend the island, overruling an officer who questioned whether he might defect.

Lelouch lured Suzaku into a trap that disabled the Lancelot, but a quasi-level-one missile order threatened everyone in the pit. Suzaku took Lelouch hostage as the Avalon began its bombardment.

• Lelouch used Tōdō’s forces to lure Suzaku into a sand pit surrounded by a Gefiun Disturber, which shut down the Lancelot.
• Zero demanded that Suzaku join him while Black Knights aimed their weapons at the captured pilot.
• Euphemia tried to stop a missile strike, but a commander refused, citing a quasi-level-one order that Lloyd identified as Schneizel’s.
• Suzaku seized Lelouch’s gun and took him hostage inside the Lancelot, intending to ensure Zero died in the strike.
• The Avalon appeared overhead and launched missiles at the sand pit.

Britannia’s Avalon unleashed its Hadron Cannon on the battlefield, engulfing Zero, Suzaku, Euphemia, and the Black Knights in its attack. Ask learned that the missing Knightmares suggested the targets had escaped, though their survival remained unconfirmed.

• Euphemia rushed to the battlefield despite an officer’s attempt to stop her, while Lloyd and Cecile discussed why Ask had not intervened.
• Tōdō ordered the Black Knights to fire at the incoming missiles, and Ask told Kallen to retreat because the next attack could not be stopped.
• Avalon revealed its Hadron Cannon and bombarded the battlefield, leaving Zero, Suzaku, Euphemia, and the Black Knights’ whereabouts unknown.
• A royal guard reported that the Black Knights had retreated and that an enemy submarine was near Kamine Island.
• Ask concluded that the lack of Knightmare wreckage meant the targets had escaped, suspected someone had used Geass on Suzaku, and blamed Schneizel for disrupting his plans.

Ask met Schneizel at the Geass Ruins, where their veiled conversation revealed possible common ground over governing responsibilities and their own ambitions. After returning to the Avalon, Ask considered what Schneizel knew about Geass, then received an invitation to dinner that left him wondering whether Schneizel had discovered something or intended to make a proposal.

• Ask greeted Schneizel at the Geass Ruins, and the two discussed their concerns about someone neglecting official duties to pursue research.
• Ask and Schneizel inspected the ruins, and Ask hinted that he understood more about their symbols than Schneizel did.
• Ask returned to the Avalon and told Monica that Schneizel might cooperate, depending on the outcome of his investigation.
• Ask considered his advantage in knowledge about Geass and the conditions needed to secure Schneizel's cooperation.
• Cecile told Ask that Schneizel had invited him to dinner, and Ask agreed to attend while wondering what Schneizel intended.

Ask prepared to inspect the Geass Ruins while arranging for Cornelia to pacify the north and ensure the Sakuradite conference went ahead. He planned to use any unauthorized departure by Cornelia to gain political leverage, while keeping his own Geass secrets hidden.

• Ask avoided using Geass on Schneizel because he feared exposing his ability to kill Code bearers and provoke Emperor Charles.
• Leila told Ask that Cornelia planned to hand command to her chief of staff and go alone to Kamine Island.
• Ask ordered Leila to tell Cornelia to secure the north first so the Sakuradite agreements could proceed.
• Ask explained that if Cornelia left the battlefield without authorization, Calarres could protest and potentially take over some of her authority.
• Ask finished dressing and prepared to enter the Geass Ruins to inspect the survey results and the newly delivered Gawain.

Charles left Schneizel and Ask alone to challenge him while focusing on the temple, and the Geass Ruins became the site of a sudden raid. Lelouch escaped in Gawain with Euphemia as his hostage, while Suzaku was arrested.

• Charles ordered his soldier to leave Schneizel and Ask alone, while the blond child listening nearby reacted with disgust to Schneizel's name.
• Schneizel asked Lloyd and Ask to help refine Gawain's Druid system for analyzing the Geass Ruins, and Ask gave no firm agreement.
• The Geass Ruins shook, the ceiling collapsed, and Zero appeared with Euphemia held at gunpoint as Suzaku faced him.
• Lelouch boarded the running Gawain and used its Hadron Cannon and Float System to break through the soldiers and escape.
• Schneizel approved the plan to arrest Suzaku, and the soldiers placed him under arrest on suspicion of violating the second-level military code.