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Lelouch ran to call Nunnally.
The group—Shen He, Jeanne, Mikoto Misaka, and others—waited in the hall, occasionally glancing around. The architecture was different from Earth's standards, more refined and distinctly Britannian, though intermixed with the ethereal touch of supernatural reinforcements Shen He was already familiar with from Attilan and Chaldea.
Suddenly, Shen He turned his head sharply. Something—a presence—caught his attention.
A young girl stood at the corridor's end. She wore a white restraint suit, her long green hair cascading down to her waist. Golden eyes sparkled on her baby-faced visage, her beauty almost unsettling in its ancient, delicate symmetry. She radiated charm, not forced but innate—a queenly aura too effortless to be learned.
C.C.—The Immortal Witch.
Shen He gave a soft smile. Even when watching the anime back in his original world, he'd always found her fascinating—enigmatic, tragic, yet grounded.
Somewhat unexpectedly, she walked directly toward him.
"Shen He?" she said softly, her tone more curious than surprised.
"Yes, it's me."
Shen He blinked, briefly stunned. Then realization dawned—Lelouch had clearly spoken of him already. That, or her centuries of life had sharpened instincts beyond reason.
"Here for a deal?"
She flared her sleeves slightly and sat gracefully across from him, her movements betraying none of her age.
"Want me to kill you?" Shen He asked calmly, arching an eyebrow.
That silenced her for a moment.
Lelouch hadn't told her about Shen He's nature, it seemed. Or perhaps what Shen He was capable of. Shen He saw it clearly—the witch hadn't revealed the contract's full truth. Lelouch likely knew only fragments.
"You didn't tell him everything," he said mildly. "That's why I won't help you."
He continued smiling, though there was steel behind it.
"Tell me, do you find immortality too sorrowful… or are you more afraid of never knowing if anyone truly loves you?"
Her Geass let her grant others their own Geass. But hers, her own cursed ability, was "to be loved." By all. Endlessly. Whether true or not.
Shen He had wondered, long before this meeting—was her despair rooted in eternal life, or eternal uncertainty?
"…What's the difference?" she murmured bitterly. "In the end, this life is only sad. Only death…"
"What are you saying!?"
A sharp, angry voice interrupted.
Jeanne d'Arc's chest rose and fell as she stepped forward, outrage coloring her usually calm face.
"If life is sad, isn't the answer to fight and overcome that sadness? Death is no answer! It's an escape! Even the Lord—He does not forgive those who surrender their lives without reason."
She couldn't stay silent. As one of Chaldea's guardians, resurrected through divine and magical means, Jeanne symbolized hope and second chances. To her, giving up on life was a sin against its very sanctity.
C.C. only glanced at her and looked away.
She had lived too long, seen too many die, watched too many play with love and loss. She had seen men who would trade thousands of lives for power, and others who gave up everything to save just one soul. But her curse—her love—made her the object of salvation for too many. And yet, for her, only death could be salvation.
Shen He gently tugged Jeanne's hand, calming her. It wasn't the first time they'd dealt with someone suicidal.
Still, if C.C. could die that easily, she wouldn't be the Witch of Immortality.
Silence settled.
It became clear that Shen He would not grant her wish, and C.C. didn't press further. Jeanne bit her lip, retreating quietly, while even Misaka Mikoto—usually brimming with energy—went still under Jeanne's sorrowful fury.
Moments later, Lelouch returned, pushing a hoverchair with Nunnally inside. Her prosthetic arm was clearly one of Shen He's creations—elegant, gold-trimmed, and seamlessly fused with her nervous system.
He paused, sensing the strange tension.
Though no one spoke of it, Lelouch instantly deduced it had something to do with C.C. again.
"Nunnally?" Shen He approached her with a warm smile, kneeling down. "I'm Shen He. Your brother's friend."
"Brother Shen He," Nunnally said with a gentle voice. She reached forward blindly and took his hand. "I've always wanted to meet you. Thank you for caring for Lelouch, and… for the prosthetic you gave me."
"You're amazing, Nunnally." Shen He smiled wider and gently rubbed her head. "We're here to get you treatment. Soon, you'll walk on your own."
"Thank you, Brother Shen He." Her face lit up in joy—Lelouch must have prepared her well for this meeting.
Shen He didn't delay. He opened a shimmering portal directly into the castle clinic.
He turned and looked at C.C. "Come, you too."
She said nothing but followed, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.
Inside, Dr. Gutai—formerly of Chaldea's science division—awaited them.
After a thorough examination, she looked up.
"The leg injury can be healed immediately," she said, "but… the eyes…"
"What's wrong with her eyes?" Lelouch asked tensely.
"There's no medical damage," Gutai said. "Physiologically, her eyes are fine. What we're seeing is likely the result of psychological suppression—false memory implantation. Possibly even a Geass effect. It reminds me of the mental lock abilities used by Misaki Shokuhou—Bee Eater."
"Memory tampering?" Lelouch's eyes narrowed.
Only Geass had the power to do this. And among the known users, he should be the only one in this timeline.
Shen He shook his head. "Not by me."
"Don't lie!" Lelouch snapped. "What else could've done this but Geass?!"
Shen He frowned, watching him. Something had changed. Lelouch's paranoia had grown. It was clear now that Shen He's interference had deeply affected the plot—and Lelouch's psyche.
"I have given Geass to others," Shen He admitted. "But none of them had this ability. And all are accounted for."
Lelouch gritted his teeth.
He had long suspected C.C. was hiding more than she claimed. This only added weight to that doubt.
"I understand." Shen He patted his shoulder. "This likely came from your father—Charles zi Britannia. He had help. A man called V.V. Another immortal, another Geass-giver. If you want, we can help you get rid of him. Surrendering your Geass link may be the only way to free yourself."
"…Father."
Lelouch sneered.
He looked at Nunnally—sleeping peacefully after the sedative—and shook his head.
If this was meant to shake him, it failed. It only strengthened his resolve.
"Then let me call Miss Ryougi," Lelouch said coldly.
Ryougi Shiki stepped forward. Her gaze, half-lidded but deadly, suggested she'd been waiting.
"I'll handle it," she said with quiet confidence.
Shen He studied Lelouch, realizing that while he had withheld information, Lelouch bore no grudge. Maybe even… trust. It was rare. C.C., watching quietly, recognized that Lelouch might truly become the only Geass wielder capable of reaching that height. Of succeeding where all others had failed—and perhaps even inheriting her curse.
Shen He didn't see that silent realization pass across her face.
After leaving Nunnally in Gutai's care, they all returned to Lelouch's world.
"I've prepared today's itinerary," Lelouch said cheerfully. "My world isn't as flashy as others, but I think you'll find it interesting."
"You handle it." Shen He waved a hand. "We're just here for support—and maybe a little sightseeing."
To Shen He, this was a break. Helping Lelouch, letting his companions unwind, and seeing familiar faces brought from the screen into reality. He was genuinely curious to meet those characters in the flesh.
According to Lelouch, Clovis had lost his governorship of Area 11 after a critical failure. He'd been recalled to Britannia, and Euphemia had taken his place.
Yuffie—kind-hearted, gentle, one of the few royals who truly cared for the Japanese. She had once been tragically killed in the original plot. But now, Lelouch had a plan involving her.
And Shen He remembered what Lelouch had told him before.
Yes… this would be very interesting.
But before that, everyone had spent an entire day relaxing and enjoying themselves on the streets.
As Lelouch had said earlier, this world—compared to the countless parallel universes they'd traversed—wasn't particularly special. Its development in science and technology was skewed, and in terms of culture—clothing, food, and entertainment—it fell far short. However, for Shen He, it was still a unique experience. It was her first time encountering a modern colonial regime so openly enforced in society, where status divisions were stark enough to tell who was Britannian and who was Japanese just by facial expressions and body language.
Frankly speaking, the visible oppression made both Joan of Arc and Misaka Mikoto extremely uncomfortable.
Misaka Mikoto even lost her temper, striking out and teaching some of the perpetrators a harsh lesson—before Lelouch had to use his Geass to clean up the mess and calm the situation.
When night fell, Lelouch gathered everyone and laid out the plan.
"In short, we're going to aid the rebels." Misaka Mikoto's eyes gleamed with determination. "You should've said so earlier. I've had enough of those guys."
Under the rule of Lelouch's father—the emperor of the Britannian Empire—strength was exalted, and inequality was institutionalized.
It wasn't just the nobility; even Britannian civilians participated in the systemic oppression of the conquered Japanese people. Compared to the hidden, nuanced darkness of Earth-616 or the inner corruption of Academy City, the injustice here was brazen and on full display.
"We'll be meeting with the resistance soon." Lelouch retrieved a sealed container from his backpack and opened it, revealing his familiar black disguise.
In this world, he still operated under the persona of Zero.
However, Zero hadn't yet made a grand appearance to the world—there'd been no opportunity to showcase power that would earn the resistance's trust.
Tonight would mark the birth of Zero's legend.
…
Karen Stadtfeld was of mixed Britannian and Japanese descent.
She was also one of the resistance's best Knightmare Frame pilots.
She now stood among ruined buildings on the outskirts of a bombed district, accompanied by a small cell of rebels. They had been summoned by the enigmatic Zero to meet here.
"Is this guy really trustworthy?" one of her teammates muttered with suspicion. "Can you really rely on someone who won't even show their face?"
"We're out of options," another replied grimly. "Right now, any ally is better than none."
"Didn't the new governor promise better treatment for Area 11 citizens? Look how that turned out. They just used it to divide us."
"Don't call us Area 11! We're Japanese! Not cowards!"
"Enough, quiet…"
Karen said nothing, but their words struck her deeply.
The resistance had been in decline ever since the arrival of Princess Euphemia. Her methods had eroded their morale more than the Empire's brutal tactics ever could. Despair festered even among their most loyal fighters.
Yet Zero's earlier battlefield maneuvering had sparked a glimmer of hope.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have gathered here at the call of a man in a mask.
"Zero, are these the resistance members you mentioned?"
The sudden voice caught everyone off guard. Weapons were drawn as they turned in alarm.
Without anyone realizing it, they'd been completely surrounded by a group in black robes and hoods.
"They're weak," Lelouch stepped from the shadows slowly, "but for now, they're all we have."
He now wore Zero's full uniform, the helmet obscuring his face completely. Shen He and the others made no effort to conceal themselves, their presence looming.
"You bastard!" one of the rebels shouted, fists clenched. "Cowards who hide their faces don't deserve our trust!"
Shen He lifted an eyebrow in amusement.
They were more cooperative than expected.
Without warning, she strode forward—and with a thunderous crack, the concrete beneath her foot split apart.
"Our time is limited," her voice rolled out like thunder, reverberating in everyone's ears. "You have two choices. Obey the order—or keep whining like trash."
The rebels froze, wide-eyed in terror.
Was this some kind of new Knightmare armor? Was there a hidden exosuit beneath the cloak? The idea that a person could shatter pavement like that with pure strength was unfathomable.
"Zero!" Karen stepped forward, trying to rein in the situation. "What is this supposed to be?"
"You told me before," Lelouch said calmly, "that you wanted to see power."
His helmet turned slightly. "So I brought companions who could show you power."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Karen's fists clenched. "You think you'll topple the Empire with your bare hands?"
Hearing this, Shen He turned to look at her, curiosity piqued.
Most people—when faced with the overwhelming rupture of their understanding—froze, panicked, or rejected it.
But Karen's first instinct had been tactical: could this power be used to fight the Empire?
Qi Mu Nanxiong picked up on her inner heartbeat instantly. He raised a hand and gently hooked a finger. Everyone was suddenly bound by an invisible force and dragged forward, pulled to stand directly before Shen He.
Karen let out a scream as her body was yanked uncontrollably.
"Silence."
Shen He placed her hand firmly on Karen's shoulder and tilted her head slightly, smirking. Her tone took on a mocking theatricality worthy of a Broadway villain.
"You think you understand the world? You think defeating the Britannian Empire is just a matter of tanks and mechas? Let me tell you the truth. The Empire hides monsters that can rewrite reality and immortals who can't die."
Her voice dropped like a hammer. "In this world—and in all others—the true power lies not in governments or armies. It lies in the extraordinary. And only we possess that power."
Karen could no longer suppress her expression of shock.
Shen He could practically hear the shattering of Karen's worldview.
Shameful? Maybe. But this was the world of a second-rate tyrant king and a hollow noble class—so what shame could there be in revealing the truth?
Besides, she was used to breaking people's minds a little.
Still, Mikoto—could you stop staring at me with those wide eyes?
…I'm sorry.
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