Chapter 8: Special Envoy

All characters depicted, said or otherwise implied to have sexual relations are 18 years and older.

Having withdrawn from his duties, the 98th emperor of Britannia, Charles zi Britannia, slipped away from Pendragon via the hidden Thought Elevator into C’s world—his refuge from the tedium of empire. Confident Schneizel would hold the fort, he need not worry about state affairs.

He knew his second-eldest son resented this, though the boy only politely asked to be kept informed about what took his attention. Schneizel's own schemes drew his attention—hardly surprising since all his children were raised to plot and scheme.

Yet another concern drove him back to C’s Thought: the unfinished Sword of Akasha project and the progress of his wayward son, Zero. He found V.V.—the immortal elder twin masquerading as a boy—waiting for him.

"I must admit, he's doing better than expected," V.V. said. His long blond hair, bound by a gold-and-black ornament, nearly brushed the marble floor. Though dressed as a prince, no record linked him to the royal family.

“He’s evaded Cornelia’s capture attempts and steadily undermines her forces in Area 11,” V.V. continued, frowning. “He even learned of Euphemia’s visit to Shikine Island and slipped there.”

Charles nodded. "Our spies confirm neither Euphemia nor Cornelia knew whom she'd met—so Schneizel must suspect sympathizers in Area 11's government or military." Such secrecy was a necessary evil, but evils all the same as far as he was concerned.

“But why spare Euphemia?” Charles asked. “He could have killed or interrogated her, as he did Clovis, or used her to draw Schneizel out.”

V.V. shrugged. “He’s too soft to kill her—and she knows nothing of his mother’s death. Besides, her death would trigger Cornelia’s wrath. She’d raze half of Area 11 searching for him—a costly backlash Zero would avoid.”

“It’s touching, isn’t it, Charles?” V.V. murmured, eyes glinting. “How protective Cornelia is of Euphemia—the bond of siblings.” Charles nodded, suppressing a retort at his brother’s hypocrisy.

V.V. turned away. “But Lelouch made no move on Schneizel?”

“All reports say so,” Charles replied. “They demolished half the Shikine garrison, sank two ships, and stole the Gawain—yet left the Lancelot untouched, even monitored it until Schneizel nearly obliterated them.” He frowned. Capturing the Gawain but not the Lancelot—and shifting the fight from Shikine to Kamine around the Thought Elevator—made little sense. His son couldn’t know the Elevator’s value; perhaps they trailed the Avalon, striking hours after its landing.

Still, something’s off.

V.V. laughed. “He’s sentimental. He won’t shed his and his sister’s names because of Marianne. But it could also be because of his humiliation at Saitama.”

Charles glared at the casual mention of Marianne—the wife V.V. had murdered in jealousy.

“Your worry stands, brother. Fighting near Kamine risked the Elevator. I must act.”

"Wait," Charles warned. Our focus remains the E.U. This was a hiccup—there is no need to risk exposure to our hand should Lelouch's luck run stronger than expected.”

V.V. paused. “Very well. But if it happens again, I will intervene.” With that, V.V. left. Minutes later, Anya Alstreim—Knight of Six—appeared. But the red rings in her eyes betrayed who was in control.

“What troubles V.V.?” she asked, tone more familiar than protocol allowed.

“The usual—though he’s fixated on Area 11’s events,” Charles replied.

Marianne scoffed.

“The little troll’s just upset my son’s proving himself the most capable commander on those miserable islands. But, much as it pains me, I do have some concerns,” Marriane muttered, glaring at nothing—likely imagining V.V.’s meals spiked with laxatives and his toilet rigged to explode.

"Oh?" Charles asked. If she was siding with his brother on anything, it had to be serious.

“C.C.’s been acting… off.”

“How so? That woman barely cares about anything,” Charles replied. It was a miracle she hadn’t exposed herself to Cornelia. Bismarck once warned him he’d refuse if ordered to rein her in—not out of disloyalty, but wisdom.

“She’s animated,” Marriane said, frustration turning Anya’s youthful face into an annoyed teen’s. “Happier than I’ve ever seen her. Tries to act normal, but dodges questions—says it’s just a great new pizza place.”

If she didn’t know better, she’d say C.C. was glowing—like someone enjoying regular, toe-curling sex. She’d know; despite court whispers, Charles’s age hadn’t slowed him down.

But that made no sense. She’d confirmed Lelouch was with the Stadtfeld girl—not ideal, but better than nothing. She had hoped he'd eventually bed a proper Britannian like the Ashford girl. But she had faith that he'd eventually outgrow this rebellious half-blood fascination.

“And that’s weird… why?” Charles asked. “She’s always loved that trash food.”

Marriane sighed. She adored him, but Lord, was he dense sometimes.

“Charles, I spent years with her. We bonded. You didn’t. And I’m telling you—no matter how obsessed she is with bread covered in cheese and tomato sauce—she’s never been this happy."

“Maybe she’s just spending time with our children is the culprit,” Charles offered. “Nunnally has that effect.”

Marriane paused, frowning. “Maybe… but something still feels off.”

Line Break

Back on Earth, life flowed as usual—sun traversing the sky, common folk tending daily routines, schemers plotting in hidden corridors. Within the walled grandeur of the Vermilion Forbidden City, the Chinese Federation's heartbeat pulsed amid gleaming red halls and jade-veined marble terraces. Beyond, secret gardens stunned the rare visitor: ancient ginkgo and plum trees arching over lotus-dotted ponds, their mirrored surfaces broken only by swans tended by silent servants. Embroidered pavilions and silk-draped eaves offered hushed refuge for policy debates—through genuine counsel was as scarce as honesty in power's ear.

The compound remained sealed to all but a select few: armored guards, eunuchs, and female attendants— for fear that one of the royals that resided within could fall pregnant out of wedlock and while modern science could confirm the father of any child and thus out any would-be rapist or adulterer, it was a practice that was still carried out. Outside those exceptions, every high-ranking official was a eunuch.

Through these halls strode a woman, a military officer whose uniform bore no wrinkle, whose posture bespoke discipline. She avoided idle courtiers and saluted passing soldiers as she strode toward Commander Xingke’s office.

There was a sharp knock, and she entered on summons. Xingke, her superior, looked up from reports. The man was often kept busy by his own work and the work of others, one of the few who took their jobs seriously and was qualified for them.

“Colonel Xianglin Zhou, reporting,” she announced, saluting. He returned it, then gestured to a seat.

“At ease. I wished to discuss our… guest,” he began.

“He’s settled without issue,” she replied, “Though his Mandarin needs work.” As the officer overseeing Katase’s arrival and housing, she’d acted swiftly: when the Britannian consulate later demanded his surrender as an imperial criminal, they claimed his ship had merely reached port—with no JLF personnel aboard.

Which, strictly speaking, was true. The ship’s original Japanese and JLF crew had been replaced in international waters by a Chinese complement; Katase and his men—having arrived separately—slipped in unseen. When the Britannian consulate demanded his handover, officials offered only bland assurances: "We'll investigate, and if he's in our jurisdiction, we'll comply." Legalistic drivel transparent to any child—but such is politics.

“Well, that’s why we have translators,” General Xingke replied. “Their operations proceeded smoothly, and our contact in Area 11 expressed gratitude.” Through layers of intermediaries and encrypted channels, Kaguya had equipped that masked agent with the means to bypass standard oversight.

“Yet permitting them to establish factories, procure materials, and recruit from our populace remains a gamble. You must trust this masked man far more than I expected, Master Xingke.” Xianglin leaned forward.

Xingke shook his head. “I trust him no more than you. But he enjoys Kaguya’s full confidence—and now Kyoto’s.” She wouldn’t back him without cause; otherwise, she’d already have been exposed as a member of the terrorist supporting Kyoto or lost her company to Britannia’s efforts.

Xianglin considered that. The High Eunuchs dismissed Kaguya's support as a flirtation; she recognized it as an investment—one that the masked leader and his Black Knights were living up to.

“We’ve pledged continued aid in exchange for their future assistance,” Xingke said. “But we should reinforce our commitment.”

“You’re not sending the Shen-hu?” Xianglin asked, half-joking. The eunuchs had hoped to conceal its existence, forgetting its inventor wouldn’t keep such secrets.

Xingke chuckled. “Not yet, Colonel.” She flushed, recalling how she tends to jump the gun. He continued, “Our warning about the looming invasion—disguised as humanitarian aid under Sawasaki’s name—was the first step.”

“Indeed,” Xianglin said. “It assures him we won’t covertly support rivals in Area 11, which would undermine his bid for control.”

She nodded privately. She doubted the plan would unify all of Area 11 under their banner—at least, not yet.

“Also, if I may, I have another suggestion,” Xianglin said.

Xingke inclined his head. “Speak.”

“Katase remains under our protection. We could arrest or hand him and his former JLF forces at any moment to the Britannians. To allay any suspicions and smooth operations with Zero’s faction, we should offer a high-ranking envoy—and I volunteer.”

Xingke frowned, but while she picked up the type of worry she was expecting, there was…something else, too. "Well, I had a similar idea and was thinking of how to broach the topic, as while I mainly speak with Zero, I still have exchanges with Kaguya." Xingke, one of the best people she had ever known and no doubt China's greatest soldier, got a little uncomfortable, some red coming to his face. Why would he get-"And she's implied that Zero can be…ravenous when it comes to such affairs."

Oh…oh. Well…that proved the one theory, at least partially true, on how Zero got Kaguya’s strong support. But…but for Kaguya to reveal such to Xingke would mean that she knew for a fact her partner was…capable and insatiable when it came to the pleasures of the flesh, or maybe he already had mistresses and still wasn’t sated?!

Her face was as red as the columns, but she shook her head. Regardless of the how, she wouldn't back down and stood to salute her superior. "If this sacrifice cements the alliance we need—ensuring our aid will be reciprocated when the time comes and enabling us to break the High Eunuchs' stranglehold on the Empress—I accept the post in Area 11…and the role of Zero's concubine."

Line Break

It had been days since their strategy meeting in the Federation’s marbled corridors, and Area 11’s tangled politics had only grown more… interesting. Though complications, after all, needn’t be unwelcome.

Case in point, Lelouch, lounging in his living room surrounded by his lovers, each spirited onto school grounds and unseen by staff or students.

Only Milly suspected the truth. How she discovered them remained a mystery—Lelouch was certain she'd never caught sight—but she didn't care. The notion that he was "finally making his move" earned her blessing, even though she knew Chiba's terrorist ties. So long as Ashford remained safe, Milly would indulge in any scheme—her sole condition: she wanted front-row seats. Lelouch had politely declined.

He sipped tea brewed by Sayoko while Mao's fresh cookies and sandwiches vanished under Shirley's praise. "When did you learn to bake like this?" Shirley asked, delighted.

Mao grinned. “I spent my youth around bakeries—mostly to steal. Picked up tricks and a few family secrets.” She winked at Chantal, hardly showing any resentment over C.C., leaving her with nothing in the destitute Federation.

Chantal barely flinched—perhaps fortified by Nunnally, who’d spent the afternoon chatting with Cecile and Chiba. Cecile, in turn, doted on Nunnally, discussing Lloyd’s tyrannies and Suzaku’s stubborn, unhealthy routines.

Cecile hadn't been Lelouch's intended conquest—initially, she was just another beautiful face. But that evening, over drinks, conversation bared their frustrations. Cecile lamented Lloyd's petty cruelty, fretted over Suzaku's mental health, and marveled that only Euphemia truly cared for him—Schneizel was oblivious, Cornelia indifferent, and Suzaku… was Suzaku.

Lelouch nodded—he understood. Suzaku's stubbornness left no room for rest, and he was so self-sacrificing that he would always put himself at risk. Even then, Lelouch's duties pulled him away, and nights ended late. Yes, he was frequently intimate, but sometimes he craved a lazy dawn.

Drunk, Cecile challenged him, believing there was no way he saw so much action. Prideful and tipsy, Lelouch vowed proof. One thing led to another—and they found themselves in a hotel room, Mao posted as a lookout.

They sobered on the way back yet remained entwined—after sixteen months without a lover, Cecile was insatiable. A bottom who shed all restraint in the sheets, she screamed, cursed, and urged him on through climax after climax, even as he filled repeatedly. She'd even invited Mao in—an invitation the Chinese maid had eagerly accepted.

Yet now, she was unchanged: prim beside Naomi and Nunnally, discussing Milly’s upcoming festival. The same Cecile who’d spent two hours where he showed her more pleasure than she’d ever felt. As they all bathed and things were explained, Cecile had taken things…surprisingly well, being more focused on the fact his still hard cock rested between her spanked sore butt cheeks while he fondled her breasts.

Cecile believed in their cause. So long as they spared Suzaku, Lloyd(despite how often he infuriated her), and the A.S.E.E.C. in Area 11, she’d serve as his second agent in Britannia…and as another of his lovers.

“Things are tense in the Viceroy’s palace,” Villetta observed. Cecile nodded.

“Neither Cornelia nor Schneizel were pleased with Shikine or Kamine," Cecile replied. Euphemia still visited Lancelot's trailer, but now she was shadowed by newly arrived Sapphire Kalas, her "knight" (or jailer, in Euphemia's words)—so public affection with Suzaku was impossible.

“We didn’t target Euphemia; we even kept the fight distant. How could we predict she’d race in when we seized the Lancelot?” Chiba pouted. She’d gone along with the plan and still found the princess’s recklessness maddening—and now the Viceroy blamed them.

“I forgot how impulsive my sister can be,” Lelouch sighed. Nunnally frowned in agreement. “Still, Schneizel ordered the Gawain to fire, knowing she might be caught in the blast.”

“Maybe the PM’s angrier that we escaped with the Gawain than that he nearly lost a sister,” Naomi mused.

"In any case, the operation succeeded," Lelouch said. They'd delivered the stolen knightmare to Rakshata for analysis; C.C. and he would pilot it once complete.

"Now, we must prepare for the invasion," Kaguya added. Xingke had warned them through back channels, but Kyoto's other houses remained oblivious.

“Will things turn ugly? This won’t be like your past skirmishes—and Suzaku could be deployed,” Nunnally asked. Involving the Chinese meant inevitable casualties on both sides; they wouldn’t simply withdraw.

C.C. hugged her. "He almost certainly will. Schneizel remains in Area 11 and will assume joint command with Cornelia once hostilities begin." Everyone recalled Lelouch's warning on his brother and his admission that he might not be up to par in outthinking him, certainly not when Schneizel controlled the longer, stronger force.

“This time, we won’t fight Cornelia or Suzaku, Nunnally,” Lelouch reassured.

“So we let them bleed each other?” Kallen challenged.

Lelouch rose and gazed at the sunlit campus. Turning back, he allowed dramatic flair. “We’re going to help the Britannians.”

“Excuse me?” Mao blinked. Weakening both sides would have suited their cause—and given them space to expand.

“Our aim is a free Japan—and then a new world order,” Lelouch explained. “If the Federation gains a foothold, they’ll treat Japan no better than Britannia does its colonies. As painful as it is to say, they’ll be worse. Striping the land bare, as they’ve done elsewhere.”

Mao—a skeptic of Federation propaganda—nodded. Poverty and corruption were rife beyond the gleaming city centers, and many people knew it; they just didn't say it because they believed nothing would change.

“So we choose the devils we know over unknown ones?” Chiba asked.

Lelouch nodded as Kaguya thought aloud. “Kyoto would be open to such, as we’ve gotten no word from Sawasaki or the Eunuchs. It could be spun as them trying to oust them." She mused, especially if they waited till the last moment to announce this. They didn't like Zero, but they knew him at least, and he had her and Kirihara's support. Sawasaki had neither, and if he was coming with Chinese support, then he couldn't be independent.

Shirley cleared her throat, emboldened when C.C. and Chiba nodded. “What of the other terms?”

Kaguya smiled. “That front thrives. Supplies flow in steadily, and a Chinese envoy will arrive as a liaison.”

“Couldn’t we use this new supply line for more than combat?” Shirley asked. “Kaguya and Kyoto already back the Black Knights; Villetta and Cecile gather intelligence. But could we also send food and medicine to the ghettos?”

Lelouch slapped his forehead. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Kaguya and Mao grinned. “Brilliant!”

Naomi nodded. "Our outreach trucks run dry too fast. Even with Kyoto tripling resources, it's hardly making a dent and only draws in more people we can't manage to provide for."

C.C. smiled at Shirley. “An insightful suggestion. We can’t plan only for tomorrow and ignore today.”

Kaguya sketched logistics in the air. “We’d need to operate facilities in China and India to produce food, clothing, and medicine. Plus, cooking gas, portable lights, and water-filtration kits—ghetto water is often fouled by sewage.”

Lelouch tapped his chin. “If our workers can feed themselves and their families, it underscores the High Eunuchs’ failures—and wins hearts. This humanitarian effort could be our strongest argument for change.”

Line Break

When the invasion came, the Black Knights had been ready. Zero had already announced the event before it happened, first passing along the information to Kyoto, which Kaguya 'confirmed', then he informed his commanders as well as their mid-term objective of making Japan an independent nation, though he was a little disappointed in how few believed that would be possible, as if they had been fighting all this time with no hope of a true victory, just to being pains in Britannia's ass till someone else, like the Chinese or the Europeans, came along and defeated the empire for them.

Having Chiba speaking in his favor did help with the naysayers. While he tried to hide it, he could tell Tohdoh was happy that his sword had dropped her animosity towards their masked leader, probably assuming it was because she understood he was their best bet, which he was…and also the fact he fucked the attitude out of her, but the old samurai didn't need to know that.

Either way, they could send a greater response as yes, Chantal and Zero led the surprise attack with the Gawain, its weapons having been completed thanks to Rakshata’s efforts. Still, the rest of the Black Knights had also pitched in, launching several massive blitz assault on the Chinese forces across Kyushu, assisting the equally surprised Britannian forces which must have thrown his siblings for a loop and perhaps it was the fact he was their younger brother, but that was a thought that he enjoyed a little more then he should.

When they arrived, as he had suspected from the Britannian attack formation, Schneizel or perhaps Cornelia had ordered the Lancelot into a suicide charge to the enemy's heart. No matter how skilled he was or the might of the Lancelot, Suzaku was doomed without back-up or resupply, but he had carved through enough of their forces that the second, larger wave could strike and finish things off.

After the fact, he would learn via Cecile that it was Schneizel's plan. While both rebel and scientist could agree that on a practical level, it was a sound plan, perhaps even one of the best as at the end, it would only be the loss of a single pilot and machine-they still hated it, especially when Cecile told him how Suzaku again just accepted it.

Did his friend have a death wish, or was he just too stupid to realize he should value his life? At this point, he didn't know and couldn't even ask him, as Suzaku would question how he knew that.

Outside their growing frustration with Suzaku’s reckless tendencies, the invasion was repelled, and the Black Knights' involvement was made known to the world. Though the Britannians tried clamping down on it, Diethard's media team managed to get excellent shots and video, which they posted online or sent to E.U. and Australian news agencies, which ran with it.

How could they not, when the headline 'Zero: Killer of Royals sides with Empire over Federation' was too irresistible to not publish? Either way, it was a boon to them, as opinions in the ghettos were shifting more toward defiance, toward the Black Knights.

As Lelouch, Suzaku, and Kallen sat through make-up classes, the two terrorists couldn't help but smile as they recalled what their spies told them, as both Cecile and Villetta mentioned that Cornelia and Schneizel correctly suspected that the Black Knights were in league with the Chinese, as their operation was far too flawless to have been rushed like their own, and the aftermath far too much in Zero's favor to be an accident.

Sadly, the two were wrong in that their ties to the Vermilion Forbidden City weren't to the Eunuchs, so Schneizel could play all the cards, ploys, treats, and veiled threats he wished. Even if the Eunuchs completely renounced the Black Knights and pulled their support, it would only bring down their resources coming out of the Federation by 30%, and that number dropped every week.

Line Break

"To what do I owe the visit, Zero? I would have assumed you'd be preoccupied with plans and reading up on reports from our mysterious spies." Rakshata turned away from the tests they were running on the Gawain, as she might have finished gathering its data, but there was still much to be studied, particularly on its float unit, which, annoying as it was, was more advanced than her prototype.

“I wished to personally hand this over,” Zero, accompanied by Kallen and Inoue, pulled out a hard drive and handed it to Rakshata. The Indian bombshell raised an eyebrow but accepted it all the same, curious about its contents.

“Do I need to wait till you leave to look over it?” She asked.

"It's intelligence from a spy in the Britannia's A.S.E.E.C program here in Area 11. All their data on the float unit along with hadron technology. I trust that you'll make the best use of this." She nearly dropped her pipe at that assertion, looking at the 500GB drive with new eyes as if the thing was made from gold.

Handing it over to one of her assistants with strict instructions to be careful with it, she turned to the masked man, her interest in him growing. "Oh, and how did you manage to get your hands on so much of the Earl of Pudding's work?" She had already figured out she was in a way, fighting against Lloyd after she saw the Lancelot's design, the Gawain only turned her suspicion to the fact for her, and while she had many issues with that walking disaster, she knew he took his research more seriously then his life, it wouldn’t have been easy to get close to it, nevermind copy so much of it.

Zero could have refused to answer or had been vague. It wasn't as if Rakshata would care all that much, but the fact that she was somewhat independent meant that he didn't need to be as secretive with her as he would the others. “Ms. Croomy sends her regards.”

The scientist blinked, surprised by the response, before she burst out laughing, breaking that cool and collected appearance she had kept from the moment she arrived in Japan. This was all because of his response, which had him wondering that perhaps he didn't appreciate how much of a miracle it was that he had converted Cecile.

Having gotten herself under control, Rakshata wiped away a tear from her eye. "How unexpected. Cecile was always at Lloyd's side. It would fit that she would still be. Still, I can't imagine there was much you could have offered or threatened such a woman with to get her to commit treason like that. Did you perhaps seduce her, Mr. Dark and Mysterious?"

Her comment was meant as a joke, obviously, but it still got a knowing smile out of Naomi and got Kallen to blush a little, which gave Rakshata cause to believe she was closer to the truth than she thought. Looking Zero over, she hummed. "Well, color me impressed. You must know what you're doing for that to be the issue. I wouldn't mind a night or two to see for myself, but I have work to do." With that, the woman turned back to her work.

“Quite, I shall leave you to it.” Zero chuckled as only Rakshata would act like she could dismiss him on his submarine, but why make something of it? Leaving, he turned to Naomi. “Is it that obvious?”

“At this point, yes.” The woman chuckled as it was honestly a miracle that the others hadn't caught on with how often Zero seemed to 'converse' with them for long periods or how, at times, any or all of the harem members in the Black Knights walked around happy as they could be…or limped.

Well, that wasn't completely true. It seemed that the guys hadn't noticed, but she had seen a few of their female members pick up on something and hurry away red-faced or just shamelessly stare. No one had approached them about it yet, but with Chiba being so clearly in his sheets, it was only a matter of time before their little thing became an open secret.

Inoue steered things back on track, a smirk on her face. “Let’s focus on the liaison. I got her file last night, and I think there's a fun way we could…introduce her to how things are done here."

Line Break

On a clear autumn's day, the skies over Ashford lit up with colored fireworks and colored smoke bombs. The campus grounds have been transformed into a student-run amusement park complete with food, shows, and games. And at the center of it all was the human vessel of Dionysus, Milly Ashford.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for waiting! The Ashford Academy School festival, the most open event in the Tokyo Settlement, is now open!” Milly started, her cheerful energy seemingly infecting every student in sight. "It will begin at the sound of this voice!”

“Meow!” Another voice came on, acting like a…cat of all things?

‘Just…what is this?’ As students cheered at the state of things, Xianglin found herself confused and out of her depth. She had only arrived in Area 11 the previous night, under the pretense of being a new staffer to their Area 11 consulate. Still, this morning, she had been sent a message through the communication line between her and the Black Knights to leave the embassy and make her way here. Why?

'They said I was to meet with their agent, but why chose a Britannian school of all places?' She asked though the school seemed far different from what she would have expected from an upper-crust educational institution, especially soon after the Kyushu events. Shouldn't these people be…she didn't know, concerned? Weary?

Standing to the side, she seemed lost in how to handle things, which made it easy for a green-haired woman to approach her. Looking at her, Xianglin saw the school uniform but immediately picked it up. She didn't move like other students, which put her on alert, the same as those eyes that seemed to house secrets and danger as easily as they did amusement and casualness. "You seem lost. Might you be new in town, mam?" C.C. asked her.

“That’s correct,” Xianglin replied, her English not being the best and her accent thick, but it would do. "I was sent to work at the Chinese embassy, but someone told me this school was a lively place to be."

“Did he mention knowing someone named Arthur?” C.C. asked, which caused the Chinese woman's eyes to widen before she controlled herself.

"He did. He also said that Arthur had an issue with his boss that nearly exposed some secrets." With this response, C.C.'s smirk grew as she offered a hand to shake, the secret confirmation having been completed. Taking the hand, Xianglin relaxed a little. “So, you’re them?”

“That’s correct, but we can discuss business later. It would be nice to enjoy the festival, wouldn’t you say?” C.C. replied, gesturing into the school grounds. Xianglin, despite her misgivings, had no real counters for the suggestion, reasoning that if someone heard them speak, it would only be suspicious if she tried to leave, so she ventured after her host, who she just realized was the same woman she met, with a few weeks prior.

She looked around and could admit that the stalls were all fun looking, with many things that could help make the day enjoyable, but she was still on edge, namely due to the amount of press on site.

“A lot of cameras.” She noted that her host didn't seem to mind, though she avoided them just as easily as she breathed, keeping out of sight.

"These sorts of things are somewhat known in the settlement, but with how things had been lately, perhaps they were sent because it would be good to report on something low stakes," C.C. replied. However, she knew it was because Milly went and pulled a Milly, ordering that the 2m pizza they typically made for these things be turned up to a 12m, and she would have her slice hot out of the oven.

Entering the main buildings, there were fewer cameras but more people as C.C. led her to the first stop. The military officer looked at it and saw that it looked the same as the rest of the rooms they passed, the only exceptions being the student dressed like a cartoony witch and a 'spooky' sign that revealed it as the horror house. "Shall we try the horror house?” C.C. suggested, putting her guest on the spot.

“Oh…okay?” Xianglin nodded as they got in line.

Line Break

"What do you think? It's not bad for some students," C.C. asked as they walked through the artificially cramped halls of the graveyard-themed activity that the class had put on.

Xianglin took a moment to think about that, as the lighting was purposely dim, while glow-in-the-dark green and purple paint added to the ambiance. She was more curious about how they'd clean up afterwards. "I wouldn't really have a means to judge. We don't have such things back in the federation, at least, none at the schools I attended."

C.C. didn't touch the fact that, outside the officer academies, the odds are that the federation's education system was a joke, with most schools having too many students, too few staff, and non-existent funding while some administrators just happened to get a bonus he won't talk about. “Were you perhaps one of those whose head was always in the books?”

Xianglin glared at C.C. for the dig. “I have you know that was fairly active in club activities.” Despite what some people she was forced to work with implied, she wasn't some emotionless machine or master Xingke’s mistress. She knew how to have fun and did so through basketball, archery, and hiking back in her school days. She still did, but unlike most idiots, she didn't bring it up at work.

As they walked back to one of the graves, the stone shifted as it rose, groaning towards them. “Join me in the grave!” Kallen moaned like a zombie, only to backtrack when she got a pistol pointed right at her. “Hey, wait a second!” She instantly dropped the act.

Xianglin took a moment to realize she had drawn her weapon out of fright. “Wha-sorry, I mean, my apologies, I just reacted on instinct.” She sheepishly put it away and bowed to the student, praying that this didn't get her into trouble as God, would that be embarrassing. Not even 24 hours in Area 11 and already starting what could be turned into an international incident.

Thankfully for her, her flight/flight response happened to one of the more chill student body members. “You’ll telling me, did that actually scare you?” Kallen was more surprised that her act worked on a grown-ass woman, a military one at that.

“I-i-isn’t part of your job to be scary?” Xianglin tried to deflect attention off that, only for Kallen to cross her arms, not buying that, like C.C., who just smiled like a cat caught a canary.

"Even I know it's not that scary," Kallen told her, making the visitor feel worse about it. How was she supposed to respond? That was her training!... Oh, who was she kidding? That was embarrassing, and now she just wanted to find a hole and hide in it.

C.C. lightly smacked her back. "Cut her some slack; she hasn't gone through something like this before."

“Hey!” Okay, Xianglin was pretty sure that was a dig at her poor upbringing or the federation's low standards of living.

"That so, well, you should probably get rid of the gun. This school is far from normal, and something else is bound to get you jumpy. It wouldn’t do for a Chinese woman to shoot a student.” Kallen advised her that if this worked on her, then some other parts of the horror house could see the woman racking up a body count.

“Are you…not upset?” Xianglin asked, but she followed her advice and put her weapon on safety and unloaded it before placing it into a pouch she didn't typically reach for.

Kallen shrugged. “Why would I be? Not like it’s the worst thing that’s happened to me, you’re not the one dressed like a cheap tombstone, soldier lady.” With that, Kallen got back into position, leaving C.C. to lead Xianglin further through the horror house.

Only when she reached the end did she stop wondering how that student knew she was a soldier.

Line Break

“Oh, hello, there!” They had been walking through the grounds when Cecile spotted them, with her wee other members of the A.S.E.E.C’s unit and Villetta, who had requested the day off.

Approaching the woman played off their connection as born for another reason. "I've seen you before…oh, you must be one of Suzaku's school friends. But I don't recognize her; is she now?" She immediately turned to Xianglin.

“That’s correct, I’m Xianglin Zhou, a new staffer at the Chinese consulate in the Tokyo Settlement." Xianglin introduced herself, shaking Cecile's hand. Her identity gets some caution from the rest of the A.S.E.E.C., but neither Cecile nor Viletta acted differently.

“I’m Lieutenant Cecile Croomy, and this is Captain Villetta Nu. We're members of the Britannian armed forces, but right now, we're just having some fun." She was quite open about that, which Xianglin appreciated.

“Would you like to join us? We’re about to try out this game.” Villetta suggested, pointing towards the game they had been about to play.

“What is it?” Xianglin asked as she recognized the name, but shouldn't the game have…non-living targets?

“It’s like wac-a-hole, only they have students acting as the moles," Cecille explained to her, as the five students stuck their heads out and smiled at her before returning in.

Xianglin frowned as she eyed the mallet in Cecile’s hand.“But don’t you have to smash them over the head with a mallet?”

“It’s just a children’s toy; I would hardly call that dangerous. Now it's my turn!" To prove her point, Cecile smacked her hand with it. She felt little from the impact before turning around and starting her round at the game. However, it became apparent that she wasn't hitting as many as she could but focused on just the one. Even when other heads popped out for longer than the norm, she just giggled and waited till her favorite target made his reluctant appearance. Then she brought the mallet down on his head. Over and over.

“School festivals are such fun; I feel so free." She cheered, though the rest of the party didn’t share her enthusiasm.

“Is there a reason she’s just hitting that one ‘mole’?” Xianglin asked, as that seemed personal, but she couldn't imagine that the woman had an issue with the student.

One of the A.C.E.E.S. mechanics filled her in: "He resembles our boss, and let's just say he's…a hand full." Xianglin nodded, putting the pieces together, and despite Cecile being Britannian, she sent her sympathies to her, as dealing with annoying supervisors seemed to be universal.

"She's his right-hand woman, so she has to deal with his issues the most, " another added, to which the spectacled one made sure he kept his distance.

“I’m just happy I’m not in there.”

Line Break

“Nubile nurses to sexy swimsuits,” Shirley, posing suggestively along with the other swim team members, started.

“Delightfully commanding dominatrix and adorable maiden,” A teacher absolutely owning the dommy-mommy look continued. How the students convinced the married woman to do this, she didn't know, but she could see her husband in the crowd and knew he was really happy to see her break this out so publicly.

“To Prim, proper and yet provocative princesses and seductive secretaries.” Kaguya and another senior dressed like a secretary from a porno continued without an ounce of shame as Kaguya showed off her petite yet alluring body thanks to the heavily modified traditional robes, with fabric so thin and transparent less was covered than Shirley’s micro-bikini

“We of the Fantasy Seduction Café are here to serve all your desires.” They finished as one, much to the cheers of the predominantly male crowd.

“How is this appropriate?!” Xianglin hissed towards C.C., the two having left the soldiers not too long ago only to end up here. University or not, there should still be some decorum, rules against showing that much skin as she sore. She saw a few erect nipples, and it sure as hell wasn't because it was cold!

C.C. hardly seemed to mind. "Oh, don't get so uptight. It's not as if they're in demand. We might struggle to get a table."

“But why here?” Xianglin begged as this was turning out to be a real trip.

Kaguya appeared, seemingly out of thin air along with Shirley. Xianglin only got hotter under the collar as she saw someone with as much pull and power as Sumeragi flaunting herself like a stripper! “Oh, you don’t need to worry about a table; we always have room for such fine beauties right this way." The two pulled them in, giggling like the devils they were, as Shirley could admit that she had been corrupted…and enjoyed every second of it by now.

Line Break

Xianglin didn’t know if this was Britannian debauchery or just something in Japan’s water that made things weird, confusing, or needlessly lewd, but she was nothing could have prepared her for what was basically a school-approved strip club; only the girls didn't strip as most were already wearing so little that one could fill in the blanks. Her contact and guide didn't seem to mind any of it, only mentioning 'her man kept her satisfied'.

Well, good for her, flaunting the fact she could juggle an apparently highly satisfying sex life; she didn't even look at some of the male servers while also being a member of the Black Knights. Not all of them had both the time and the pick of men worth a damn.

She was saved from any more of this when someone yelled that Princess Euphemia had been sighted, which derailed the entire day as the princess got whisked off by some antique of a knightmare, taking just about all the press with her.

It was only as the sun was setting and it was getting close to the time she would need to return to the consulate that her guide finally told her that she would take them to meet with Zero. Instead of leading her off campus, she led her deeper in.

“This is it,” C.C. noted as she approached the student council building.”

"You're joking," Xianglin told her as C.C. walked up the steps. Mao, dressed in her main uniform, opened the door before C.C. could knock, the woman no doubt hearing Xianglin’s thoughts as she approached.

“Come on, we wouldn’t want people questioning why a Chinese consulate worker was seen entering here,” C.C. smirked at her as Xianglin sighed but followed her. Perhaps Zero was a professor or lecturer who would match someone of his intellect-

That thought went right out the window when she saw that there wasn't a single professor present. What she did find was all the women she had seen throughout the day, all seated and waiting for her. At the centre of the group was a student just like the rest she had seen…and in his hands was the mask of Zero.

With the situation completely confusing, she just said the first thing that came to mind.

“Was I spending the day with the rest of your concubines before I joined them in your bed chambers?”

Line Break

Well, with no Thursday upload for this week, at least not one that I had to write this week, I had some extra time, thank God, to work on this and the other Friday story upload. Now, the last chapter didn't have much in the way of smut or well-outside implied happenings, but it was pretty well received, so this chapter will follow that trend, but when we have that final chapter next week…oh, will it be nothing but 'plot'. Of course, there is stuff that has to be addressed. Also, as much as this is crack, I am testing some ideas for other stories like Gwrthryfel y Ci Du and other WIPs I'm cooking. Mao, especially as she's just fun to write when she's on screen, the in-house homicidal yandere who only kills who you say to, and when she's not doing that, it's maid-work, head-pats, and fucking like wild animals in heat.

Line Break

Marriane: Wonder why C.C.'s been so happy, maybe it's sex…no way, my son's already with the disgusting half-blood.

Kallen: I want to kill her…so badly for that comment.

Inoue: We shouldn’t…it’ll mess with her even more if she knew that her boy was just like his dad-

Lelouch: Don’t remind me!

Inoue: But his growing harem counted a half-blood, 2 Japanese splendors, and 2 Chinese beauties.

Kaguya: You have a taste for Eastern women, dear?

Lelouch: It is not my fault the author keeps placing in my way.

Author: Screw you, you damned horndog. Besides, it's not like there are that many Britannian options, well, ones that would benefit you by bedding them.