"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Under the gazes of outsiders who could not understand, this Eleventh Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire did not show the slightest bit of pain or hesitation.
He was far too decisive, as if his biological father held no position at all in his heart and could be discarded at any time.
"Then that's for the best. I look forward to your pledge of allegiance."
With that, Selene waved her hand, walked past Lelouch's side, and left without even turning her head.
Afterward, in accordance with Selene's orders, the golden-armored Royal Guard extended their hands with an unquestionable bearing, gesturing for Lelouch to hand over the push handles of Nunnally's transport chair.
"Brother..."
Sitting in the transport chair, Nunnally cast a frightened glance at the golden-armored Royal Guard around her.
Petite as she was, even when she tilted her head up as far as she could, she still could not see the full forms of these terrifying yet resplendent giants.
Though she wanted to say something, Nunnally was not foolish. She could sense that her existence was restraining her brother.
"..."
A trace of struggle flashed across his face, but in the end Lelouch silently handed it over. Watching Selene's departing back as she left amid her entourage, he bent forward respectfully and stood there.
There was no chuunibyou declaration like 'You must protect my sister. If a single hair on her head is harmed, no matter the cost, I will destroy the Holy Selene Empire.' Lelouch simply stood there in silence and humility.
The disparity in status, strength, and power was far too great. Any words tinged with resistance could easily be taken as provocation by these golden-armored Royal Guard and the high command of the Astartes Legions.
Perhaps there was a saying that adults do not stoop to the level of children, but there was also a saying called the crime of deceiving and disrespecting the emperor.
After all, was his homeland, the Holy Britannian Empire, not an entity that acted with such domineering force?
Lelouch would not gamble with his and his sister's lives, nor with the lives of all the Ashford Academy students. He had a premonition that if he dared speak out, he would surely die.
"Hey, Eleventh Prince of an otherworldly empire... Your Highness. Did you hear Her Majesty's decree clearly?"
Only when the arrogant female voice sounded before him did Lelouch raise his head and look over.
His lilac eyes cautiously examined the several tall golden-armored female warriors before him.
"Sisters of Silence...?" Recalling Selene's words, Lelouch murmured softly.
Compared to the towering and imposing Royal Guard, these golden-armored female warriors known as the Sisters of Silence were more 'petite'. Even clad in golden, specially crafted masterwork Honkai energy power armor, their graceful figures could not be concealed.
They stood at heights not inferior to ordinary Astartes warriors. Their dazzling golden power armor was exquisitely ornate. The breastplates, pauldrons, helmets, even the greaves were engraved with various reliefs of two-handed greatswords and double-headed aquilas.
Crimson capes trimmed with gold patterns draped from their shoulder armor. They held massive two-handed greatswords, whose edges shimmered with faint purple radiance. Under the sunlight, Lelouch had no doubt as to their sharpness.
Through television broadcasts and various underground rumors, Lelouch had heard of scenes where Astartes warriors, wielding chainswords or Honkai-powered greatswords, cleaved Knightmare Frames apart.
"Yes. I am ready. May I ask how you intend to take me to face my father? He is within the Imperial Capital of Pendragon, in Pendragon Palace, under heavy guard—"
Before he could finish, Lelouch saw the leading Sister of Silence officer reach out and grab.
In the next instant.
"AAAAAH—!"
The shadow beneath Lelouch's feet writhed violently. In an instant, the ground seemed to connect to some other space, and his body abruptly sank downward.
"Don't worry. This is merely a method of rapid movement. Pendragon..."
...
Sensing that the presence of Lelouch, this otherworldly prince, had vanished under the escort of the Sisters of Silence, Budo spoke with a tone of doubt.
"Hm. Your Majesty, is there a problem with the existence of this so-called Eleventh Prince of the Britannian Empire? This is personally killing his own biological father. He seems to be..."
"Feels a bit excited, doesn't it?"
Picking up on Budo's words, Selene let out a chuckle.
With his brows tightly furrowed, Budo nodded somewhat uncomfortably.
Although over the Empire's millennia-long history, struggles for the throne had not been without cases of sons killing fathers, without exception those emperors were unable to firmly secure their rule. Domestic opposition was widespread.
Coupled with Budo's rigidly loyal mindset, in his eyes, a ruler killing subjects was entirely normal. Reversed, however, that was utter treason.
"No need to doubt it. Britannia has its own national circumstances. These two princes and princesses abandoned by the royal family also have their own reasons."
Selene said with some interest. As she spoke, her crimson diamond-shaped pupils met the gaze of Nunnally, who was cautiously watching her.
"Ah..."
Seeing Nunnally lower her head like a startled little rabbit, her body trembling, Selene had no intention whatsoever of focusing her attention on her.
However, such a rare scene of 'fatherly love and filial piety' could not be missed. Shouldn't she secretly take a look?
Lelouch toward his father Charles. Oh, no, it should be said that Lelouch toward his mother and all his ancestors, would put on a grand performance of 'fatherly love and filial piety'!
At Narita Island's Geass ruins, during his second confrontation with his father Charles, and within the Geass ruins' Thought Elevator system, Lelouch discovered the full truth of how he and Nunnally had been abandoned by their parents.
Afterward, deeply resentful of his parents' selfishness, ignorance, and madness, Lelouch killed them in one stroke to stop these so-called blood parents from pursuing the past and severing the future.
After patricide and seizing the throne, Lelouch even destroyed all portraits, statues, and mausoleums of Britannia's successive emperors.
This... you dug up your own ancestral graves, didn't you?
One wonders whether his ancestors would be so furious they'd flip open their coffins. Britannia's descendants producing such a bastard.
Aside from Nunnally, Lelouch seemed capable of abandoning anything and anyone.
Leaving aside everything else, Lelouch's direct motivation for destroying the Britannian Empire and carrying out the 'Zero Requiem' plan was to create an everlasting world for his sister.
Of course, Selene was now Britannia's enemy, so she naturally found it delightful to watch. It wasn't her ancestral grave. Watching the spectacle without fear of trouble.
While musing idly, Selene rather shamelessly thought of her own 'benevolence'.
In her mind, a little figure stood with hands on hips. Look, my ascension to the throne didn't involve killing the ruler, didn't dig up ancestral graves, didn't weaken feudal lords or royal relatives. Isn't that clearly a 'benevolent' monarch?
Sigh. Leaving other things aside, thanks to Honest for the generous gift. (Honest: thank you for the death by a thousand cuts.)
"By the way, Budo, have you carried out decapitation strikes?" Selene asked, ending her reverie.
If Budo had already carried out ultra-dimensional boarding decapitation strikes, then when the Sisters of Silence brought Lelouch to Pendragon, wouldn't it just be corpse collection? How would there be any show to watch or enjoyment?
"Implemented, but also not implemented. In Britannia's North American central homeland, Area 1, this subordinate has not yet dispatched Terminator squads. I originally planned to attempt recruitment."
Having dealt with her momentary dark amusement, it was time to handle proper matters. Selene's expression grew serious.
"That's fine. Now, give Me the data list of all Britannian prisoners your legion has captured so far."
Arriving atop a low building in Ashford Academy whose roof had been nearly blown away by artillery, Selene narrowed her eyes slightly and gazed upon the devastated cityscape.
All skyscrapers were gone. Especially the former Area 11 Governor's Office at the heart of the Tokyo Settlement, which had now been replaced by a barren ruin composed of massive rubble.
The former brilliance and splendor were gone, leaving only blood and pale white.
"Your Majesty, these are the Britannian prisoners we have temporarily captured and registered." Taking the legion terminal from his adjutant, Budo respectfully presented it with both hands.
"Let me see whether they can survive this war."
Although Selene had issued orders to minimize casualties among research and technical personnel, bullets had no eyes. Being taken by stray fire was unavoidable.
Taking the thick legion portable terminal engraved with the Empire's double-headed eagle on the back, violet light flickered in Selene's hand.
"Synchronization. Query."
Humm—!
The violet light shifted into strands of blue. The terminal's screen flashed at tens of thousands of frames per second, continuing to accelerate.
Until, click.
"Found them..."
"Lloyd Asplund, Nina Einstein, Rakshata Chawla..."
...
At this moment, on the other side of the world, on the eastern coast of the Pacific Ocean, within the capital of the Holy Britannian Empire, Pendragon.
Inside a luxurious palace dominated by Baroque style with Rococo elements as embellishment.
The officials assembled within all wore solemn expressions on their faces.
Or rather, expressions of helplessness and despair.
News of defeat, surrender, emergencies, and pleas for aid streamed endlessly into the Britannian Empire's core like falling snowflakes.
The bright crystal chandeliers, infused with gold dust and radiating a golden glow, could not dispel the shadows in their hearts. A mournful atmosphere grew wildly within the hall.
Before these people stood a 3D projection of the Britannian Empire's national map. Countless crisscrossing lines covered it, with brown landmasses and blue oceans spread across those lines.
Visible to the naked eye, the Britannian Empire was losing its territory continuously every moment. Visitors from another world had already pushed into the Britannian Empire's homeland. They were powerless to resist... and had nowhere to flee.
If no one broke the silence, this heavy and dejected atmosphere might have continued indefinitely.
Finally, the person seated upon the throne slowly spoke. His speech was unhurried. His low, hoarse voice carried a sense of mountain-like authority.
"Speak. My ministers, this is already the moment of the Britannian Empire's life and death. How should we preserve the Britannian Empire and overcome this crisis?"
He was tall and powerfully built, clad in luxurious and solemnly elaborate royal attire. His waist-length silver-white hair was styled in the most common manner of European medieval nobility, resembling rows of long silver-white rolls.
His name was Charles zi Britannia, the ninety-eighth Emperor of the Britannian Empire, and Lelouch's biological father, an autocratic ruler who believed in militarism.
"Your Majesty, this subordinate's opinion is surrender."
Straightening up, a pot-bellied middle-aged noble governor spoke in a deep voice.
In response, the aged Emperor Charles remained seated calmly upon the throne and said in an even tone.
"Anyone else who shares Lord Gregor's view?"
"Your Majesty, this subordinate objects. The Britannian Empire must not surrender. Even if we die, we must die with thunderous glory and tear a chunk of flesh from them!"
The Britannian Empire's eldest princess, Guinevere de Britannia, spoke loudly with a resolute expression.
She had beautiful long silver hair, a full figure, and thin lips painted with purple lipstick. Combined with the inherent pride of the royal family, she looked like a perfectly orthodox ancient royal princess.
"And you? Schneizel."
Expressionless, the aged Emperor Charles spoke in his hoarse voice.
Schneizel el Britannia, the Britannian Empire's second prince.
Schneizel appeared gentle and refined, known as the "White Prince," a leading figure of the new generation of the Britannian Empire.
His short golden hair gleamed with noble luster. His affable demeanor, calm pale-violet eyes, and flawless leadership aura naturally inspired goodwill at first sight.
"Your Majesty, this son's opinion is surrender."
Because Schneizel lacked desire, he never clung to anything, including his own life.
At present, anyone with eyes could see that the Britannian Empire's fate was sealed. Why not exchange remaining leverage for a more dignified treatment?
Schneizel's stance instantly shattered the silence. The officials present quickly voiced their support for the second prince's decision.
However, most of the military faction, led by the First Knight of the Round, expressed opposition.
Thus, the debate continued without result, while the aged Emperor remained silently observant, leaving no one able to discern his thoughts.
Suddenly.
"Surrender?! You no longer have that chance!"
"Who goes there?"
In an instant, the First Knight of the Round, Bismarck Waldstein, drew his longsword and blocked in front of Emperor Charles, roaring loudly.
Staring at the suddenly appearing youth clad in a black student uniform within the council chamber, the guards who reacted instantly launched their attack without hesitation.
But in the next moment.
Clang—!
A whistling violet-red slash instantly cut down the charging guards. Several slender golden figures flashed out from the pitch-black shadows.
In the blink of an eye, more than half of the meeting participants were dead or wounded.
Silver blades swept through the gilded hall without sparking at all, slicing as easily as butter. The palace rapidly disintegrated, kicking up layers upon layers of rubble.
Under the protection of several loyal ministers, Charles fixed his blazing gaze upon the black-haired, violet-eyed youth.
"You are... Lelouch?"
"That's right, my father. I didn't expect you to still remember me. I crawled back from hell, for Mother, for Nunnally, to take my revenge on you!"