“Are you okay…?”

  “Five me, yhness… I have fa-”

  “You did not. You fought well… We were just unlucky.”

  “...”

  elia’s voice, still dignified and stroe her current situation, resouhroughout the ravine as she forted the fallen white knight beside her.

  But her kind, gentle words only made Suzaku ched his teeth harder in frustration. His hands were ched into fists until they were white as he looked at the barely harmed bight before him, who was holding a sword towards him and the Viceroy he was supposed to rescue.

  elia, who didn’t even flinch when the bight aimed his swht at her cockpit, turowards Zero, who was still standing at the top of the ravine and watg over them.

  “What do you want now, Zero? You’ve killed a majority of my soldiers. Defeated my reinfort. And put me in this state.

  Is this yoal? To show the world that you beat a princess of Britannia?”

  “You are mistaken, elia.”

  elia’s eyes widened when she saw Zero, ing out of the safety of his knightmare, and stood up to face her.

  “What I have done here was to prove that the Bights are capable of standing up to acts of aggression. We have shown it before by saving Britannian citizens from the clutches of some radical groups of the Japan Liberation Front…”

  Zero waved his left arm to indicate one side. And then his right arm to indicate the other side.

  “Now, I’m showing it by ralizing the Britannian forces who seek to wipe out the final bastion of the Japanese military.”

  And with both arms opened, he tinued.

  “I am proving that the Bights are capable of realizing ideals. T justice to those who abuse their power, and salvation to those oppressed.”

  elia narrowed her eyes at the masked criminal.

  “Is that all? Did you take the lives of my soldiers just to prove a point?!”

  “No. I’ve brought you here to iate.”

  “Heh? iate? While having a bde to my neck?”

  elia turowards the bight, who still had his swords aimed at both herself and the La.

  But after a few moments, it withdrew its bdes and sheathed them.

  “Is that better?”

  “...Tell me what you want.”

  Zero nodded as the armless, violet Gloucester turned back towards him.

  “I want you to promise me to halt the Britannians’ “ization” of Japan and move towards an equal treaty that would be both nations. Her eyes widened in shock at the words that came out of this masked terrorist’s mouth.

  Even after hearing it herself, she doubted if she heard correctly for a moment before looking at Zero with eyes full of disbelief.

  Moreover, her nation… Britannia had hardly ever sidered engaging in an equal treaty or an alliah other nations that they have not yet quered.

  All they’ve done was forcefully iher tries and force them onto their knees with their vastly advanced military might.

  To halt their “quest” and instead suggest a pead equal treaty towards ahey’ve ized… was Zero a madder man than the Mstar Patriarch?

  “Are you… serious?”

  “Of course. But naturally, I am aware that such a thing could not be aplished by you alohus, I’m simply asking you to make a temporary truce.”

  “A truce…?”

  “Yes. Simply stop the war fought by guns and knightmare frames. You’ve dealt a tremendous blow to the JLF. They won’t be able to un offensive on you soon. And, you take this time to recover from this battle. I believe this is not an unreasonable demand?”

  At the surface, such a request would tell her that the Bights and/or the JLF were trying to serve their strength, recover, and build up their army for a massive offensive against Britannia. She had received simir proposals from her enemies before. And she ighem and crushed their remaining military forces with the overwhelming might of her army.

  But this time… for some reason, elia couldn’t simply ig.

  She tried to find falsehood or hidden agenda from the tone of Zero’s voice. But, she failed to sense anything of that sort.

  “So you want a promise…? Quite the trusting one you are, Zero.”

  “I am simply giving you a ce to earn my resped trust.”

  “Resped trust of a terrorist? Heh, you are quite the funny one.”

  “Well, if you wish for me to a such a way, then I simply capture yht now, along with the White Knight and its pilot. You will be a great bargaining chip to force the Britannian Govero acquiesce my request.”

  “Then why don’t you do just that!”

  “Because peace built by force will not st.”

  Silence fell and hung in the ravine as elia had her words caught ihroat.

  Suzaku, who had been listening to this versation, was also shocked by Zero’s words.

  “What I want is to end the of hatred and bring peato this nd. And if that means I o put my “trust” in you, a Britannian Princess, to make it happen, then I’m willing to make that gamble. But know that if you don’t, then the fighting will not stop.”

  Zero raised his hand aured towards the kneeling, violet Gloucester.

  “It is your choice, elia vi Britannia.”

  “...”

  --------------------------------X--------------------------------

  Moving towards the rendezvous point Zero had designated for the bights, Karen and Mordred followed Zero from the back, fnking his sides to guard him.

  With most of the Britannian and JLF forces retreating, they didn’t meet a single soldier or knightmare frame, and sihey’re quite ways away from the rest of the Bights, they didn’t enter any of their owher.

  As they rode in silence, Karen couldn’t help but stare at the back of Zero’s knightmare.

  The versatioween her leader and the Britannian Princess repyed in her mind over and over, and she didn’t uand why they would simply let them go.

  Capturing elia, who was one of the stro knights of Britannia as well as a royal princess, would give them incredible leverage and advantage against them iure! And they won’t only lose their princess, but also their Viceroy, the leader of the Britannian Goverhat currently ruled the ized parts of Japan.

  This would’ve created chaos in their gover and they could use this ce to further push back Britannia’s influen Japan.

  We didn’t even capture that white knight, which has been the rgest thorn in our side a him escape with the princess… Why?

  Karen couldn’t her mind around it… Although Mordred was capable of defeating the white knight hands down, it didn’t mean that it’d stop being a threat to the rest of the bights.

  They should’ve captured it, and Silver, with his incredible engineering skills, might’ve been able to fix the knightmare and give them a brand new, powerful knightmare to add to their ranks. Then, they could also interrogate the pilot for some information and thehem as a bargaining chip for yet another advantage against the Britannians.

  There’s a lot of bes they’d get from capturing elia and the La! But Zero simply let them go, just like that…

  I really ’t uand masked people…

  Karen sighed as the figure of another masked person in a figure-fitting armor suit appeared in her mind.

  Suddenly, a windoeared on her s, showing the same figure she had in her mind.

  “Hey, are you okay?”

  “Ah-! Ah, w-what’s up?!”

  Mordred tilted his head slightly to the side when he saw the crimson-haired girl looked like she had just been caught sleeping by a teacher.

  “...Were you daydreaming? You know we’re still otlefield, right? Things could still happen here, even if the battle had ended.”

  Karen blushed at her carelessness and nodded.

  “I-I know! What do you want?”

  Mordred, or Yuuji, looked at her with doubt, which Karen could clearly feel even though she couldn't see his eyes or facial expression.

  But Yuuji decided not to pursue the matter.

  “I’m just asking if you’re alright. Are you tired?”

  “No, I’m fine. Just… a little fused.”

  “fused? About what?”

  “Well…”

  Karen gowards the dire of Zero’s knightmare, which Yuuji noticed.

  “Ah, I see. You’re w why we didn’t capture elia and the La, right?”

  “Yes…”

  Karen nodded with a look of fusion and doubt.

  “I see. Well, I have my own jecture, but it might be different from Zero.”

  “Huh? You knoe let them go?”

  “I just said this is my own theory, which might not be the same as Zero. Do you still want to hear it?”

  “Sure.”

  Karen nodded, and Yuuji began expining his theories.

  Although Lelouch had shared his pn with Yuuji, he didn’t really eborate that mu the reason why he decided to do this. Satoru pletely believed in him, so he didn’t ask any questions. While Tatsuya and Yuuji were able to more or less guess why Lelouch decided to go with this pn.

  “I think the reason why Zero decided to let go of elia and the La, was so we wouldn’t gain the full attention of the Britannian gover.”

  “Huh?”

  Karen tilted his head in fusion.

  “elia is much more beloved and regarded highly by the Britannians than Clovis. Her capture would turn every single military power they have in this nd towards us. And although we mao get victory now, the Bights was still in its infancy as an anization. We won’t be able to ha if Britannia decides to send an even rger force to take elia back from us if ture her.”

  Karen’s eyes widened in realization as things began to make sense in her head.

  Mordred was right… If they were to capture elia right now, her powerful and loyal soldiers would op until they could rescue their princess. The Bights won’t be able to ha if elia’s knights and their army were tet them specifically and go ballistibsp;

  “Moreover, if ture her now, the Japan Liberation Front would either want her dead or use her as a bargaining chip to demand ridiculous cessions in the name of reparations, which would pluhe nations deeper into war.”

  “I see… But we only got a verbal promise from her. What if she doesn’t keep her word?”

  “Zero did this not only to get her words, but to tell her his iions. Sometimes, wars be avoided easily if the leaders from the tw sides could uand each other.

  Zero is trying to let her know what he wanted so they could uand each other. And if elia also wants ao this flict, she’ll e to uand Zero.”

  Yuuji paused for a moment as Karen tried to process his words, before tinuing.

  “Also, the previous Viceroy and now sub-Viceroy, Euphemia li Britannia, seemed to be pro peace with the Japanese. She might be able to vince her sister to gh with the promise she made with us.”

  “I see… That makes sense…”

  Silence fell once again as the three tiheir trek through the trees and mountains of Narita towards their rendezvous point.

  “Well, I hope it’ll go as well as Zero pnned.”

  “Mm. I hope so too.”

  Before long, Zero and the two aces of the Bights reached their meeting point. And after the rest of the bights arrived, they made their retreat from the mountains of Narita together, marking the end of their first major operation.

  --------------------------------X--------------------------------

  The and for retreat and end of the operation came from the retly found and rescued Viceroy and quickly spread across the Britannian Army. Preparations for the retreat, helping the injured, ara process for units still trapped within the mountains due to the ndslide immediately began and all hands within the army went to work.

  Although no gunshots were fired anymore, things were still teweewo sides. They were still vigint for any sort of attacks and offehat the other side would do while taking advantage of their retreat. Thus, the front lines were still heavily guarded by the rear guards while the bulk of the army hectically and swiftly made their preparations for retreat.

  However, while everything around them cm with sounds and shouting voices of officers yelling orders, silence fell withirailer of the Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corpse.

  Cecile covered her lips with her hands as she watched footage repying within her monitor. A look of disbelief, shock, and slight fear showed in her eyes.

  And by her side, the vender-haired genius made a solemn frown that belied his usual carefree, loud, and “cheery” persona as he watched the same footage on his own monitor.

  The footage was ohey had just retly recovered from the La, which was still being transported here from the battlefield. At least, what remained of it.

  It was footage of La's fight against the “mysterious” bight. And although the footage ended when La’s head was cut off, they were still able to firm their greatest fears.

  “S-Sir Lloyd… I-Is that really…”

  “Yes… I believe so. It has to be that.”

  Although it was a different color, Lloyd could immediately reize the knightmare he had overseen its development for a while and the one he had based his greatest masterpiece, La, on. It was unmistakable…

  “This is definitely Excalibur… the nigh-impossible to pilot the Knightmare Frame created by the madman of Britannia…”

  “B-But how…? How could it appear here…? Didn’t it disappear after that “tragedy”?”

  Lloyd Cecile’s words while still keeping his eyes locked on the figure of the Excalibur dispyed in his monitor.

  After the “tragedy” that befell Arthur von Mstar, his family, and all of his fanatic subordihe Excalibur and its location disappeared along with those who caused the tragedy.

  The Empire searched high and low for the Excalibur and the culprit that caused the death of their lead Knightmare Development researchers, but they’ve only mao find the tter.

  No matter how much the Empire had tried to locate it, they failed to find even a trace of the Excalibur. It was as if the Excalibur had been erased from existenbsp;

  It was a tremendous blow to their knightmare development progress. After all, it was sidered to be a Seventh Geion Knightmare Frame in a time when even a fifth and sixth geion were still in its infanbsp;

  Although the Excalibur was known to be extremely difficult to pilot to its full capabilities, losing it still reverted their teological progress back to their fifth and sixth geion.

  The only silver lining to be had was that it mao inspire promising knightmare researchers to create another one just like the Excalibur. And the one who came closest was Lloyd with his La.

  Evehe La was still far from what the Excalibur was capable of at the time, and Lloyd was aware of it. He had pared the La to the Excalibur’s specifications, which he could faintly recall from the time he worked under Arthur, and he kheoretically, that the Excalibur was far superior.

  And now, he had his theory firmed…

  “Cecile, you use this footage to collect data on the Excalibur and put it into our simutor? I want to calcute the estimated Efficy Rating of Excalibur and its pilot”

  “A-Ah, yes! Right away!.”

  Cecile quickly got to work. They were still in the middle of their retreat and they’d o move very soon. But with the time they had left, Cecile would be able to get a very rough estimate of the Excalibur and its pilot’s Efficy Rating.

  Half an hour passed. And the moment she finished, a shocked gasp escaped her lips.

  “T-This is… Am I mistaken…? N-No… Please wait for a moment Sir Lloyd. I will recalcute it!”

  “What is it?”

  Lloyd leaned in towards Cecile to try and see her result. The highest efficy rate he had ever seen was Suzaku’s, with a 94% efficy rating. He expected a high number as well, judging by Cecile’s rea. Perhaps 85% to 90%, from what he had seen from the footage.

  But immediately, his eyes widened in pure shock when he saw the number 99.5% on her s.

  “This is…”

  Impossible. That was what Lloyd wao say. But the results were right before him, and as a stist, he should’ve believed the numbers before him instead of his own feelings.

  But right now… he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

  “...What a disaster. I hought I’d see the lost knightmare once again. And in the hands of such a terrifying enemy at that.”

  He slumped back down to his chair and removed his gsses, ping the bridge of his nose.

  “Yes…”

  Cecile nodded and began going through the footage once more.

  “He also… fights strangely.”

  Cecile muttered under her breath.

  “Sir Lloyd, do you notice it as well? The Excalibur never aimed his swords nor his ons at La’s chest, where the pilot was.”

  “That’s true…”

  Lloyd held his and began watg the fight back through the rec.

  “He had many ces to destroy the La pletely, but all he did was cut its limbs and head. He simply… re uo tinue bat.”

  A heavy sigh escaped his mouth as his shoulders slumped down even more.

  “To think the one who pilots that monstrosity was someone skilled enough to limit himself so as to not harm the enemy pilot in a life or death battle… I’ve never seen anything like this.”

  “...What should we do…?”

  Cecile looked towards her direct superior with apparent ione of her void her face.

  But Lloyd simply covered his eyes with his arm as he tilted his head up to the ceiling of the trailer.

  “...What else we do? We’ll tio innovate, improve, and enhance La. Just like always. And hopefully, that would be enough to defeat this… monster.”

  “...”

  VergsX