The Grousavior.
It was my beloved machine, the unit I piloted in the world of Super Robot Wars. Originally, it was a high-mobility assault weapon known as an Assault Dragoon. However, thanks to Lemon Browning—the head of the Shadow-Mirror's technical division—it underwent a monstrous transformation.
She installed a Time Flow Engine—a perpetual motion generator—along with a Tesla Drive. She integrated the Chronos Combined Arms System, which unified various armaments into a single platform, and installed the T-LINK System. It was subjected to every "demon modification" in the book, eventually even being equipped with a mass-production type System XN for dimensional maneuvers.
When you combine its raw combat specs with my own cheat-like abilities, the result is, in a word, peerless.
To put its absurdity into perspective: in the Super Robot Wars world, this machine single-handedly overwhelmed the Hagane and Hiryuu Custom squads—forces renowned as the strongest in that dimension—on multiple occasions.
Frankly, in this world of Code Geass, I could take on the Lancelot, the Guren Type-02, the Gawain, and the Gekka—all piloted by their respective aces—simultaneously, and I would still have victory well in hand.
It was the symbol of the strongest force in the Shadow-Mirror. And it was mine.
"Captain, are you really going to use the Grousavior?"
"Yeah. I'm going to end this stupid battle."
"Axel!"
Guilford, having just returned to the Government Bureau, shouted the moment he saw me.
"Guilford. Took you long enough. ...Where is Cornelia?"
"While we were en route to the ceremony at Fuji, we received a report from the Special Envoy... stating that Princess Euphemia had passed away. Since then..."
Guilford fell silent, shaking his head.
The mental damage was too severe. Just as I feared.
"Where is she now?"
"She has shut herself inside Princess Euphemia's quarters since we returned. She is alone."
"I see. Alright, leave her to me. More importantly, you need to prepare the defenses for the Tokyo Settlement. I've already used my authority as a direct subordinate to initiate prep work before you arrived, but I'm an outsider. I don't have command authority. Can I leave the rest to you?"
"I cannot. I cannot move the army without orders from Her Highness."
"Are you serious right now!?"
I grabbed Guilford by the collar and yanked him close.
"Think! Cornelia is crushed right now. But if she snaps out of it and decides to act, what happens if the army isn't ready? You might be a knight who can't act without his master's orders, but isn't it also a knight's duty to pave the way for his master's actions?"
"Ghh... but..."
"Swearing blind loyalty isn't the only way to serve your liege, is it?"
"...Understood. Axel, I will do as you say. However, I can only go as far as preparing the forces for sortie. Beyond that, I cannot move without Her Highness's command."
"That's fine. As for Cornelia, I'll do something about her. I'll get the old Cornelia back. ...She's in Euphemia's room, right?"
"Yes."
Seeing Guilford nod, I released his collar. I turned my back on him and headed straight for Euphemia's quarters.
"Axel... please. Look after the Princess."
I received Guilford's raspy plea on my back as I walked away.
"Echidna, wait here."
"Understood."
Confirming Echidna's nod, I lightly knocked on the door.
"Cornelia. I'm coming in."
I called out to her and entered. The room was dark; the lights were off. Only the flames in the fireplace provided illumination, casting a flickering, somewhat fantastical glow across the space.
Cornelia was sitting on the floor in front of the hearth, staring blankly into the fire. Despite the news of Euphemia's death, she didn't seem to be crying.
...No. It was the death of the sister she loved more than anything. The grief was likely so overwhelming that she couldn't cry.
I moved silently to the fireplace and sat down next to her.
"Cornelia. I heard what happened."
"..."
She didn't respond. She just continued to stare into the empty air.
"Sorry I'm late. I won't say things would have been different if I'd been here... but I'm sorry for worrying you. My errand took longer than expected."
"..."
Now then. I talked a big game to Guilford about handling this, but... what exactly should I do? All I could do was stay by her side in silence.
Ideally, the firelight danced softly against the walls as I sat there, wordless, next to her.
"..."
"..."
The only sound in Euphemia's room was the occasional crack and pop of the firewood. We sat together in the silence, surrendering ourselves to the flow of time.
How much time passed? Ten minutes? Twenty? Maybe an hour or two. Eventually, in that room where only the two of us existed, a faint voice broke the silence.
"Axel... is your errand finished?"
It was a voice so frail, it was hard to believe it belonged to the spirited Cornelia. But it was unmistakably hers.
"Yeah. Sorry for the delay. It took more time than I anticipated."
"Indeed. Taking a leave of absence for nearly a month without permission, when you only asked for a day or two off."
From there, we exchanged sporadic, trivial small talk. Cooking. Television. Sports. Books. It was meaningless chatter, but it seemed to serve as a distraction. Slowly, very slowly, the strength began to return to Cornelia's voice.
I don't know how long we talked. But suddenly, Cornelia fell silent.
"What's wrong?"
"...Why is it? I heard that Euphy died. I should be sad, and yet... no tears will come. Did I... not love Euphy as much as I thought I did?"
She looked at me with an agonized expression, blaming herself for her dry eyes. I silently reached out and stroked her violet hair.
"When people experience grief that is too profound, they cap their emotions. If they accepted the sorrow all at once, it would break them. Cornelia, the fact that you can't cry right now is proof of just how deeply you loved Euphemia."
"Is... that how it works?"
"Yeah."
Cornelia said nothing more, simply allowing me to continue stroking her hair.
Perhaps five minutes passed. Without warning, a single tear spilled from her eye. Reflecting the light of the fireplace, it looked incredibly surreal.
"Ah... Aaaaaahhhhhhh!"
That single tear broke the dam.
At first, it was a whimper, but it quickly escalated into a wailing scream as tears streamed down her face.
"Euphy! Euphy...! I want to see Euphy! I don't want this! I don't want to never see her again!"
Cornelia clung to me tightly, sobbing uncontrollably. All I could do was hold her, stroking her hair, waiting for the storm to pass.
She cried for ten minutes straight. Finally, her sobbing subsided, though she continued to embrace me, as if trying to fill the void Euphemia had left behind.
"...This is the first time in my life I have cried in front of others. Let alone a man."
"And it's the first time I've lent my chest to a member of the Imperial Family to cry on. Here."
I pulled a handkerchief from my pocket and handed it to her.
"Forgive me."
"Don't be. Are you calm now?"
"Yes."
"Then, about what comes next."
"Of course... I will avenge Euphy!"
"Right. I saw the broadcast too. There was clearly something wrong. Even I, who didn't know Euphemia that well, could feel it."
"Exactly. There is no way Euphy would order a massacre."
...Should I tell her about Geass? No. I have the knowledge, but if she asks for evidence, I have nothing. In that case...
"If that's true, then before we take revenge, don't we need to capture Zero and interrogate him? We need to know what he did to Euphemia."
If I can explain Geass later, I can also warn her to be careful of Darlton... but that's impossible right now.
"You're right. Unless we pry that secret from him, we cannot clear Euphy's name."
"Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—the Black Knights are heading toward the Tokyo Settlement from Fuji, absorbing terrorist groups and civilians along the way."
I didn't know exactly how much time had passed since I entered this room, but the Black Knights were likely close to the settlement by now. The battle may have already begun. I told Guilford to prepare the defenses, but he needs Cornelia's order to move them.
"I see... Then, let us go."
Cornelia stood up. She was no longer the empty shell I had found earlier; she had returned to her usual self—the noble, spirited warrior princess.
"Fortunately, while you were away, Axel, I was able to summon the Glaston Knights from the homeland. ...I originally intended for them to fill the hole left by your absence. I suppose this is what they call a blessing in disguise."
"The Glaston Knights?"
"Ah, that's right, you wouldn't know. They are knights raised by Darlton. In terms of being my direct subordinates, they are the same as you."
...Now that she mentions it, I recall a group called the Glaston Knights in the original story. They were the ones who fought Gino and were manipulated by Lelouch in R2.
"Speaking of which, is Darlton's whereabouts still unknown?"
"Yes. He has been missing since we received word that he was wounded at the ceremony."
So that part is following the original script. Damn it. I can't exactly tell Cornelia to be suspicious of Darlton—her most trusted confidant. The only saving grace is that the Geass placed on Darlton was likely "Capture Cornelia alive." At the very least, her life should be safe. I don't think Lelouch would go out of his way to kill Cornelia when she likely holds the secrets regarding Marianne's murder.
"I must issue orders to the various sectors, so I will go ahead. ...Axel."
"Hm?"
I was lost in thought when she suddenly called my name. I turned around, only to find Cornelia's face right in front of mine.
In the next instant, my lips were sealed by hers.
"Mmph!?"
"..."
Our lips remained pressed together for a few seconds—or perhaps it was more like ten. Eventually, Cornelia pulled away.
"Th-That was a reward for helping me get back on my feet! And for the record, that was my first time!"
Face burning bright red, she declared this and then marched out of the room without looking back. She was likely heading to give orders to the Glaston Knights and Guilford.
I was left standing there, watching her leave, completely dumbfounded.
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)
???
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???
???
???
Shot Down Count: 223
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