"To everyone who calls themselves Japanese, I have a favor to ask. Would you please die?"
The words left Euphemia's lips with terrifying clarity.
Why? The question screamed in my mind. I had only spent a single day at the White Star. How could this be happening already? Unless...
"Echidna," I snapped, my eyes glued to the screen. "You followed me after I teleported. How much time passed for you before you jumped?"
"Approximately two months."
I knew it.
It had taken me nearly half a year to reunite with Echidna after arriving in this world. Yet, for her, only two months had passed. That meant...
"The gap between dimensions... is the flow of time different there?"
I ground my back teeth together, hard. This was completely outside my calculations. Even so, I only spent one day at the White Star. Are you telling me that a single day there translates to nearly a month in this world?
While my mind raced, Euphemia spoke again on the monitor, her voice light and airy.
"Umm, I wanted you all to commit suicide, but I suppose that's no good? Well then, soldiers of Britannia, please kill them all. It's a massacre!"
At those words, the venue on the screen fell into a deathly silence. On the stage behind her, Darlton was shouting something, likely trying to cut the broadcast. But he was too late. Even if they tried to pull the plug now, the Black Knights—Diethard, Rakshata, and their team—would have already hacked the feed to ensure it couldn't be stopped.
Bang!
The gunshot rang out with bizarre clarity in the hushed stadium.
An elderly man sitting directly in front of Euphemia collapsed, his chest stained red. A collective shriek rose from the Japanese people surrounding him.
"Come now, soldiers! Hurry up!"
"Princess Euphemia!"
Darlton rushed toward her from behind as she cheerfully ordered the slaughter of the Japanese people.
"What on earth has gotten into you? Please, stop this! This is—"
Bang!
Another shot rang out. This time, the muzzle wasn't aimed at a Japanese civilian, but at Darlton.
"Ghh... ugh..."
Darlton crumpled, clutching his bleeding abdomen. Euphemia looked down at him, her eyes devoid of malice—they were simply the eyes of a parent looking at a disobedient child.
"I'm sorry. But I have to kill all the Japanese."
She turned back to the troops surrounding the perimeter.
"Now! People of Britannia, it is time for the massacre!"
What followed could only be described as hell on earth.
Gloucesters unleashed a shower of lead from their torso-mounted anti-personnel guns, mowing down the attendees. Lances swept horizontally, sending bodies flying like ragdolls. Sutherlands fired their assault rifles into the panicked crowd, then sped forward with the unique agility of Knightmare Frames to trample the survivors underfoot. Even the infantry joined in, emptying their machine guns into the masses to their heart's content.
"...God damn it all!"
I swung my fist down onto the bench near the monitor.
Thanks to the astronomical physical stats granted by my growth cheats and the passive effect of Infight Level 9, the bench didn't just break—it shattered into dust.
The Britannians and Elevens around us stared, dumbfounded, but I didn't have the luxury to care about their reactions.
Why? Why did Euphemia have to do this? That gentle, kind-hearted girl... Was it Zero's Geass? Or was it Schneizel, seeing the Special Administrative Zone as a threat?
...No. It's neither.
It's my fault.
I refused to actively intervene. I told myself that if I changed the original flow of Code Geass too much, I wouldn't be able to stop this very massacre. I tried to play it safe. And because I hesitated, I didn't make it in time for the one moment that mattered.
"Captain!"
Echidna grabbed my arm as I stared at the ground, lost in a spiral of self-loathing. Her face, usually a mask of cool, detached beauty, was twisted with genuine concern.
Seeing her expression, the raging storm inside me began to settle.
She was right. The massacre had already happened. The question now was, what should I do? Do I just stand here and watch the plot play out exactly as written? No. What is my place in this world?
I am a direct subordinate of Cornelia.
If nothing else, I will protect Cornelia, no matter the cost.
"...Echidna. We're heading to the Government Bureau."
If Cornelia sees this footage, she will sortiest without hesitation. But on her way there, she will learn the truth—she will learn of her beloved little sister's death.
"Understood."
Echidna nodded. We immediately bolted toward the Government Bureau. Between my cheat-enhanced physical abilities and Echidna's superior W-Number physiology, the distance to the government sector was negligible if we ran at full speed.
We arrived in less than ten minutes. The Britannian civilians in the area seemed restless, likely having glimpsed the broadcast of the ceremony.
As we attempted to breach the perimeter, a guard blocked our path.
"The Government Bureau is currently off-limits to non-personnel. I'm sorry, but you'll have to come back another—"
The chaos from the broadcast was already causing a lockdown. But I didn't have time for bureaucracy.
"I am Axel Almer. Direct subordinate to Viceroy Cornelia li Britannia, Area 11."
"M-My apologies, sir!"
Whether it was my tone or Cornelia's name, the guard panicked and stepped aside. I ignored him, rushing past the gate and heading straight for military command.
"Captain, do you believe this disturbance will lead to war?" Echidna asked, keeping pace just behind me as we navigated the corridors.
"Yeah. Without a doubt. It happened in the history I know, but more importantly... they broadcast that slaughter to the entire country. No, the entire world. Riots are going to break out everywhere. And the ones leading them will be the Black Knights."
"The Black Knights... In terms of combat ability, how significant is the threat?"
"Well, generally speaking? They're mostly small fry. But," I paused, "there are a few among them whose skills rival the elite pilots of the Hagane or the Hiryuu Custom."
Kallen. Todo. Those two could easily hold their own if they were dropped into the ranks of the Hagane or Hiryuu. Then there were the Four Holy Swords under Todo. Individually, they might be lacking, but their coordination is impeccable. If you treat the four of them as a single unit, they're certainly skilled enough to survive in those legendary battalions. Just like Princess Shine and Latouni.
...Though, unlike the Princess, Latouni is an ace-class pilot even on her own.
And above all, there is Zero. His intellect is terrifying. His strategies and tactics are enough to overturn any disparity in raw military power.
"Alright, that's the place."
Still talking, we reached the sector occupied by the Britannian military. I shouted at the first officer I saw.
"Hey! What is the status of the military?"
"You are... Axel Almer!? Weren't you with Viceroy Cornelia?"
The officer evidently knew my face; he looked at me with shock.
"I'm asking you about Cornelia's status. Did she head to the ceremony venue?"
"Y-Yes. She sortied for the venue a short while ago. ...However."
"However?"
"It seems Fuji fell before the Viceroy could arrive. It was deemed reckless to charge into an area where the Black Knights are lying in wait without preparation, so she is scheduled to turn back."
"...I see."
Cornelia is returning to the Tokyo Settlement. That means she likely already knows about Euphemia.
"...How many movable units do we have right now?"
I pushed down my complex feelings regarding Cornelia and focused on the officer.
"The Viceroy took the KMF VTOL T4s as her main force to rush to Fuji, so we actually have quite a number of units left behind."
The KMF VTOL T4. An aerial transport designed to rapidly deploy ground-based Knightmare Frames. Its flaw is that it can only carry one unit at a time. Furthermore, the transport itself has no armament, making it vulnerable to anti-air fire. It's a machine destined to fade into obscurity once Float Units become standard issue.
"Have the remaining KMF forces prepped for immediate sortie. They—the Black Knights—are going to advance on the Tokyo Settlement. And they'll be absorbing every terrorist cell scattered across Area 11 as they come."
"What!? ...No, I admit the Elevens might explode after seeing that footage, but to mobilize without orders from above is—"
"If you need orders from above, I'll get them from Cornelia or Guilford later myself! Just shut up and get the preparations done!"
"Y-Yes sir!"
Reluctantly, he nodded and began barking orders into his comms.
That should hold things together for now. Riots might break out inside the Tokyo Settlement, but as long as the Britannian military has active Knightmares, no one will try anything too stupid. The real problem isn't the Settlement; it's the Ghettos. The Shinjuku Ghetto is practically empty after Clovis's purge, but the other Ghettos are teeming with Elevens.
They could explode... No, they definitely will.
"Captain, what shall we do?"
"Right. The urgent matters are handled. The KMF corps can sortie if there's any trouble. That leaves us with nothing to do until Cornelia or Guilford return."
To be precise, there are things to do, but I don't have the command authority to order them. Even as Cornelia's direct subordinate, I am a mercenary—an outsider. They wouldn't hand over full command to someone like me. It's not a matter of trust; it's a matter of protocol. And honestly, I agree with that judgment.
"Understood. In that case, I would like to secure my unit while we have time."
Echidna's unit... The Guarlion would be the best choice. Her original machine, the Vysaga, is simply too large and conspicuous. The Guarlion is still nearly four times the size of a standard KMF, so it stands out regardless, but since it's known as "the machine I pilot," the troops are somewhat used to seeing it.
"Use the Guarlion I was piloting. It should be in the hangar here."
"Huh? Then what will you pilot, Captain?"
I turned to Echidna, my resolve hardening as I spoke.
This wasn't about atonement. This was simply about doing something that would allow me to live with myself.
"My unit is the Grousavior. Obviously."
Name: Axel Almer
LV: 35
PP: 330
Melee: 246
Shooting: 264
Skill: 256
Defense: 253
Evasion: 281
Accuracy: 303
SP: 422
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Consumes SP to increase Slime performance)
Growth Type: Versatile/Special
Terrain Ratings:
Air: S
Land: S
Sea: B
Space: S
Spirit Commands:
Accel (SP 4)
Gain (SP 8)
Focus (SP 16)
Direct Attack (SP 30)
Awake (SP 32)
Love (SP 48)
Skills:
EXP Up
SP Boost (SP Up Lv.9 & SP Recover & Focus Force)
Telekinesis LV.10
Attacker
Gunfight LV.9
Infight LV.9
Limit Break (Spirit Limit Break)
Geass (Gray)
???
???
???
???
???
Shot Down Count: 223
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you so much for your support!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"