At the largest port of the Holy Britannian Empire, Yang Hui looked at the siblings who were about to depart for Japan and couldn't stop sighing.
"Lelouch, Nunnally, take care of yourselves after you reach Japan. Especially you, Lelouch—don't be so impulsive anymore," Yang Hui urged as he rubbed the black-haired boy's head.
"Tch, you don't need to tell me that!" Lelouch impatiently brushed Yang Hui's hand away. "I will take care of Nunnally."
"Haha, isn't it more likely that Nunnally will be the one taking care of you? Right, Nunnally?" Yang Hui teased.
"Yes, Imperial Brother Yang Hui, I will definitely take care of my brother." The young girl's voice was as gentle and kind as an Angel's, yet she had been cruelly deprived of her legs and sight, forced to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. How cruel it was.
Lelouch vi Britannia and Nunnally vi Britannia were the Eleventh Prince and Seventh Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire, respectively, ranking seventeenth and eighty-seventh in the line of succession.
Recently, an assassination occurred within the palace. Their biological mother, the former Sixth Knight of the Imperial Knights of the Round—Marianne the Flash—was assassinated. Lelouch had angrily questioned the Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, Charles zi Britannia, as to why he had left Marianne to die without lifting a finger. He received no answer, and now they were being sent as hostages to Japan, where international tensions were high.
As for Yang Hui, since only he and Regene Regetta had come to this world, and because there were powers here that he was wary of, he had chosen to undergo Rebirth in this world. He began his layout from the very beginning, becoming the Fourth Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire and the half-brother of Lelouch and Nunnally.
The Imperial Family is the most heartless of places. Even among siblings, because there were so many princes and princesses, their relationships could hardly be called familial, and they often split into their own small factions.
Yang Hui, however, had been close to Lelouch and Nunnally since they were children, always looking after them as an older brother.
"Nunnally!" Lelouch said, embarrassed and indignant. He was the older brother, and he was able-bodied; the idea of needing his disabled sister to care for him was something most people couldn't stand, let alone the fiercely proud Lelouch.
"Hahaha..."
"Alright, it's time for you to depart. I've already contacted the Chairman of Ashford Academy; they will send someone to pick you up. Those people in Japan... don't trust them too much."
"Don't worry, I know. You've never beaten me at chess," Lelouch said cockily to Yang Hui. "On the other hand, I heard you're heading to the EU battlefield soon. Be careful, don't die."
"Rest assured, I'm going to serve as Imperial Sister Cornelia's assistant. Would she really let me get hurt?" Yang Hui said.
"True. You and Imperial Sister Cornelia are so close; she'll definitely protect you," Lelouch nodded.
Among the many siblings, Yang Hui was something of an oddity. He hadn't joined any faction, yet he maintained good relationships with every group. This included the mediocre eldest prince who had already been designated as the crown prince, the Second Prince Schneizel el Britannia who was the designated Minister, and Cornelia li Britannia, the youngest female general of the Holy Britannian Empire—several individuals who stood head and shoulders above the other princes and princesses.
Strangely, Yang Hui's performance had always been average. He had no outstanding specialties and seemed balanced yet mediocre, yet he was able to gain the favor of others. This was a very peculiar thing.
Furthermore, regardless of their birth, Yang Hui took great care of his younger brothers and sisters.
"Go on. Perhaps I'll come to Japan to bring you back in the future."
"Forget it. They call it a symbol of friendship, but isn't it just abandoning us? That cold-blooded Emperor won't care about us."
"Lelouch... Sigh." Yang Hui sighed. He naturally knew why Lelouch and Nunnally were being sent to Japan, but he couldn't say it. "The Father doesn't care about you, but what about me? What about Euphy?"
"...Tch, I get it already. We're leaving!"
"Mmh, go ahead. Goodbye, Nunnally. I'll come visit you when I have time."
"Goodbye, Imperial Brother Yang Hui. You must come!"
Watching the young siblings board the ship for Japan, Yang Hui stood on the shore without leaving until the ship disappeared over the horizon and vanished completely from his sight.
"Regetta."
"Master Yang Hui." At that moment, Regene Regetta, dressed in a maid uniform, stepped forward.
"Is everything arranged on the Japanese side?"
"Everything is in order, Master Yang Hui. We can absolutely guarantee the safety of Prince Lelouch and Princess Nunnally."
"And the secondary preparation?"
"That is also ready."
"Good. If those Japanese brats decide they don't want to act like humans, then sink that island for me." He spoke the most ruthless and ferocious words in a calm voice, his tone filled with frost.
"Understood."
"Let's go." As he turned, his cloak flared. Yang Hui's eyes turned sharp, and his entire temperament changed. He was no longer the gentle older brother from a moment ago, but a hardened, iron-blooded soldier. "Head straight to the airport. We are going to the EU's African theater."
"Yes."
...
Inside the imperial palace, in Schneizel's private chambers, Schneizel had paused all official business. With his hands behind his back, he gazed out through the glass at the azure sky.
"They have all departed, haven't they?" Schneizel asked, as if talking to himself.
"Yes, Your Highness Schneizel. Prince Lelouch and Princess Nunnally's ship has departed and will arrive in Japan at the scheduled time. Prince Yang Hui has also taken a private jet to the African theater," the secretary reported.
"Lelouch and Nunnally..."
"Is Your Highness worried about their safety?"
"Heh." Schneizel chuckled and shook his head. "Their safety? I'm afraid that aside from Father, those two siblings are the safest people in the world."
"How can that be? Your Highness, you are the noble..."
"Minister? Heh." Schneizel sneered. "Don't be deceived by appearances. This fourth brother of mine... is not simple at all."
"The Fourth Prince! Isn't he..."
"That's why I said, don't be deceived by appearances."
"I understand. I will arrange for people to investigate," the secretary, who had followed Schneizel for a long time, immediately understood his implication.
"Don't be too tense. If you can't find anything, let it go. Now is not the time to fall out with him."
"Yes..."
As the secretary withdrew from the room, a deep, intrigued smile appeared on Schneizel's face. "The African theater is a good place. Although the Empire's offensive is stalled, danger also represents opportunity. Your vision is as sharp as ever. I just wonder... between Cornelia and you... heh."
...
A day later, Yang Hui's private jet arrived at the African theater. The airport was built in the middle of the desert. As soon as he stepped off the plane, a hot wind carrying sand whipped against his face. He instinctively raised a hand to block it, but his forward steps never faltered, remaining steady.
"Mmh, not bad." Cornelia was waiting by the plane with her Knight order. She could feel Yang Hui's temperament—a temperament completely different from the one he showed in the palace, one perfectly suited for the battlefield.
"Imperial Sister, my mission?" Yang Hui asked, cutting straight to the chase. He knew Cornelia; she was an iron-blooded female general who never bothered with formalities like welcome banquets. Her style was decisive and direct.
"It seems you are impatient?" The corner of Cornelia's mouth quirked. She was perhaps the one among all the siblings who understood Yang Hui best. Cornelia's martial skills were the strongest among the princes and princesses, but she had secretly sparred with Yang Hui in private and lost miserably.
"Of course. I didn't come here for a vacation." Yang Hui smirked, revealing a wicked smile.
"I didn't misjudge you. However, I'll give you the power to choose. Where in my forces do you want to go?"
"The front lines, of course. And an active combat unit."
"Have you ever piloted a Knightmare?"
Knightmare, the humanoid mecha of this world, also known as Humanoid Versatile Combat Armor. However, compared to an MS, they were much more compact, standing about 4.5 meters tall. Their characteristic features included the ability to fire Flying Swallow Claws (a type of projectile hook) for attacks or climbing. They were equipped with High-Mobility Land-Drive Wheels on their legs, allowing for high-speed movement on the ground. The cockpit also doubled as an escape pod that could be ejected in emergencies.
"I know a bit."
"Then I wouldn't dare send you to the front. You are my brother, after all," Cornelia refused, shaking her head. She knew Yang Hui was not simple and had been hiding his true self, but she didn't believe that Yang Hui, who had never been on a battlefield, could protect himself in the middle of a gruesome conflict.
"How about this, Imperial Sister." Yang Hui extended a finger and pointed at one of the members of the Knight order behind Cornelia. "Knight Gilbert Durandal, do you dare to Duel me?"
"Absurd!" Cornelia shouted. "Although Gilbert is young, he is an excellent Knight who has followed me through many achievements. His skills are exquisite and he is a veteran of a hundred battles. Neither his piloting skills nor his combat experience are something a person who has never been to the battlefield like you can compare to."
"How will we know without trying? Or perhaps..." Looking at the increasingly dark expressions on Cornelia and Gilbert Durandal's faces, Yang Hui smiled mockingly. "...is Imperial Sister afraid that your excellent Knight will lose face?"
"Yang Hui! You..."
"Your Highness Cornelia, please allow this subordinate to accept the Fourth Prince's Duel," Gilbert Durandal stepped forward and knelt on one knee before Cornelia to request.
He was an excellent Knight, not just in ability, but in knightly virtue. Cornelia was his master, and as a Knight, he had to defend his master's honor as well as her safety.
He naturally knew that Yang Hui was deliberately provoking Cornelia to prove his worth. Gilbert Durandal also felt that Yang Hui was too arrogant and would never be his match, but now that his master's honor had been insulted, as a loyal Knight, he could not stand idly by.
"Gilbert..."
"I beg Your Highness to grant this."
"...I understand. Go ahead. Give this blindly arrogant brother of mine a lesson."
"Yes, your highness!"
Since the other party had agreed, Yang Hui's goal was achieved.
"Master Yang Hui, isn't it a bit too early to expose yourself now?" Regene Regetta asked.
"No. Cornelia isn't Schneizel."
"Understood."
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