Chapter 104 ~ An End to A Conflict

Right after dealing with the reinforcements Cornelia sent to deal with the fleeing JLF ship, Yuuji made to the rendezvous point he and Lelouch had agreed upon before. 

Soon, he saw Lelouch's knightmare, a burai with a dark crimson horned mask on its head, and several other buraise who served as his guards while waiting for him. 

"Zero."

"Good work. You came right on time. Let's go. Cornelia's just up ahead."

Yuuji nodded and turned towards the others in their burai frames. 

"Patrol the area and conduct a search and destroy of any Britannian forces. Work together with the others so none of Cornelia's forces could come to her position in time."

""Yes!!""

With a resounding affirmative, all five burais immediately set off and began patrolling the area, following Yuuji's order. 

Just then, he noticed a crimson light, followed by an explosion near the shore. 

"Ah, that must be the Guren. It seems like she's doing well for herself."

Lelouch, who noticed the same, commented through their private communication line between their knightmare frames.

"Yeah. She should be winning easily, especially since Lancelot seemed to be unsure about the orders given to him."

Knowing Suzaku's inner feelings and psyche through the anime, Yuuji and Lelouch could easily predict the conclusion of a fight between an unsure Suzaku, and a determined Karen.

Karen and Suzaku were depicted as an equal, the most powerful knightmare frame pilot of their respective sides. But in reality, Karen was even more powerful, given she was capable of fighting on par and, in the end, winning against Suzaku despite him gaining a boost in his fighting capabilities thanks to Lelouch's geass for him to "live".

Now, without Lelouch's geass and his doubts in his orders, Karen, who had renewed her determination and had improved her piloting skills tremendously thanks to Yuuji, would be able to defeat the Lancelot without any problem. 

"Let's go, Mordred. It's time."

"Yeah."

Yuuji led in front while Lelouch followed from behind, both of them making their way towards Cornelia's position. 

Don't lose, Karen. Or you won't hear the end of it from me.

His lips curled into a soft smile as he recalled the time they've spent together. 

Karen was never someone who'd take a loss so easily. She was extremely competitive, and would always try her best to win even though she knew she was at a disadvantage. 

It was a part of her that Yuuji greatly admired and loved. 

Though, he loved her "angy" expression when she lost against him just as much. It was simply too cute. 

That's why he would never hold back when teaching her and competing against her. This way, she'd be able to improve more than if he would hold back. And, when she lost, he'd get to enjoy her pouts and expressions. 

Yuuji enjoyed his musing, imagining the various expressions Karen had made when he teased her. 

That said, he was completely alerted about his surroundings. His Elemental Sight allowed him to grasp every single inch of the battlefield, and he could clearly see the Britannian forces trying their best to regroup or make their way to Cornelia's position, only to be halted and disrupted by the Black Knights. 

Even the Lancelot was under Guren's mercy as it fought without its left arm against the best pilot of the Black Knights after Yuuji. 

Thus, Lelouch and him were making their way towards the commander of the Britannian forces without anyone to halt them. 

Turning corners, going in between warehouses, the two soon came face to face with the iconic customized Gloucester that belonged to the war princess of the Holy Britannian Empire. 

She was alone.

No knights by her side. Not even soldiers, as they've been sent by Cornelia herself to reinforce her forces that had been ambushed by the Black Knights. 

Yet there she stood, high, mighty, and dignified, with her massive lance by her side, its hilt crushing the concrete ground beneath it from its weight.

She stood in an impossibly imposing manner, despite facing the Grim Reaper of the Black Knights, who could defeat her easily without even drawing his swords, and Zero himself. 

And yet… the voice that resounded out of the imposing violet knightmare frame sounded… exhausted.

"So you've come after all…"

"Of course. We've made a deal, and promised that we shall appear before you once again if you fail to keep your side of the deal."

"..."

Cornelia was confident in her army's prowess. They were her soldiers, men who had overcome adversaries along with her and prevailed numerous times before. 

But after experiencing the battle of Narita, she knew she couldn't consider the Black Knights so lightly. And she didn't, yet, they still went beyond her expectations.

However, even if they didn't, Cornelia truly thought over her decision in attacking the final remnants of the Japan Liberation Force and completely snuff out the fire of the Japanese military. 

Her dear little sister, Euphemia Li Britannia, had given her proposals to create a special administrative zone where "Elevens" could be referred to as "Japanese" once again and be given a pseudo-autonomy under their rule. 

She had read them… She had read them all and put them under serious consideration, especially after her meeting with Zero in the mountains of Narita. 

But in the end, she couldn't simply throw away all the blood and tears her and her soldiers had spent in completely neutralizing the Japanese military and attaining complete rule over Area 11. 

She thought that perhaps… After she was done with completely erasing any hostile forces in Area 11, she could give it to Euphemia and let her rule. Knowing her little sister's personality, Cornelia knew that peace would come onto this land. 

But…

"Why do you stand in my way?"

Cornelia raised her arm and aimed her spear right at Zero, ignoring the Grim Reaper by his side. 

And yet, even at the obvious act of hostility, the Excalibur didn't move and simply stood here unmoving, as if implying that such a mere act of hostility from her won't be enough to be a true threat for Zero while he was there.

"Do you think that snuffing out the final pillar of the Japanese Military will be enough to bring peace to this land?"

"Of course. It will be! Without the JLF, this land will no longer bear any threat to the Holy Britannian Empire!"

"And yet here we are. You, the war princess of the Holy Britannian empire who knew no defeat, pushed into the corner by a newly formed rebel group."

"..."

Cornelia clenched her teeth and lunged towards Zero with her lance thrusted. But, the tip of her lance stopped just a few inches off of the chest of Zero's burai. 

A creaking sound of metal being crushed echoed throughout the area as the Excalibur's clawed left hand held onto Cornelia's lance, preventing it from going any further.

"Then I will defeat you! I will crush you here and then the Japan Liberation Force!"

"Even if the Japan Liberation Force disappears, another group of rebels will form. And another. And another. Until one strong enough to oppose you appears, and plunge this land into war once again."

"Then I will keep on crushing them one by one!"

"And when will it end?"

Cornelia, who had been trying to push the lance forward and pierce Zero's cockpit, stopped. 

"Will it end until you have no more army? When every single one of your men had died? Or when you die and leave those who care about you?"

Euphie's figure flashed across her mind, and Cornelia completely froze, stunned by his words.

The Excalibur let go of the lance, and it lowered down to the ground as Cornelia's arm lost its strength. 

"You will never be able to completely snuff out the fires of rebellion, oh princess of the Holy Britannian Empire. For war begets war, and the cycle of suffering and revenge will never break if you try to end it with even more suffering."

Cornelia fell silent, for she knew that Zero spoke the truth. 

She had seen it countless times… She had attained many victories. Defeated armies. Nations. Yet, every single time, no matter how thoroughly and completely she believed she had won, there would always be an incursion from a rebel group. 

No matter how many she snuffed out, they would always appear. And they would continue to appear, prolonging the war, and plunging both sides deeper into the cycle of suffering and hatred.

She knew it all too well. For she had seen it and experienced it more times than she had victories. 

"Do you think I wish for war? Do you think I revel standing on a ground soaked with the blood of my enemies and allies?!"

"No. That is why you stand here now, alive."

Zero's burai took a step forward and faced the slightly taller customized Gloucester head on. 

"You wish for peace. That is why you fight so hard. To ensure there would be peace after conquest. You believe you'd be able to do it, even though no one in history could have done it, because you are powerful.

But you're wrong, Cornelia. No matter how skilled you are with a knightmare and commanding an army, you are, in the end, still human. And the peace you seek will not come if you seek it by waging wars."

Zero turned around, exposing the most vulnerable point of a knightmare frame in front of Cornelia. Yet, Cornelia stood unmoving even though she was given ample opportunity to strike down the commander of her opposing army.

"Peace is built not by a mountain of corpses and bullets. They could only be built upon compassion, consideration, understanding, and willingness to accept differences. 

If you don't have such compassion, find someone who does. And help them realize their wish to bring peace into this land."

Zero began to move away, and the Excalibur followed closely behind as Cornelia stood there frozen.

"The next time we meet, I sincerely hope that we stand together side by side, not as enemies, but as allies, trying to forge a path towards peace."

--------------------------------X--------------------------------

A small, bright ball of red flew to the sky and burst into a small, red firework, lighting up the dark, night sky with a crimson hue. 

Karen looked up from within the cockpit of her Guren and saw it through the top monitor screen. It was the flare Zero fired to signal all participating members of the Black Knights that they've succeeded in their objectives and to retreat to their designated rendezvous point.

She looked back down, and beneath the feet of her Guren was the Lancelot with its head within the grasp of her right hand.

She was just about to pull the trigger, her thumb already right above the button to unleash Guren's lethal Radiant Wave Surger. But she stopped when she heard the flare and recalled Mordred's words.

"Don't kill the pilot of the Lancelot. He'll be needed for the sake of peace in Japan."

She looked at the Lancelot once again. The White Knight who had defeated many of her friends and pushed them to the brink multiple times before they meet Zero and Mordred. 

But in the end… She let go of the Lancelot's head, stepped off its body, and left. 

You better explain to me in more detail why I should spare the white knight later, Mordred.

She let out a sigh and felt the strength leaving her body as the tenseness of battle left her with the end of the operation.

Instead, a feeling of happiness and relief that they've safely completed their objectives filled her. She couldn't wait to report back, meet everyone, and rub her victory over the Lancelot to Mordred's face. 

Now, he's not the only one who has defeated Lancelot anymore. 

Karen left with a light heart, leaving Lancelot and Suzaku on the ground, confused, rattled, and disappointed. 

I lost… Again…

First to the Excalibur. A masterpiece and weapon of destruction though lost to history, now found and wielded by a monster. 

And now… to the Crimson Knightmare, an extremely advanced knightmare frame created by the Japanese and wielded by a similarly skilled pilot. 

Even with Lancelot, the supposedly first ever seventh-generation knightmare with technologies surpassing most existing knightmare frames in the world, he still lost.

Utterly. 

Anger, frustration, and disappointment filled his heart as he recalled the battle he had with the Excalibur and the Crimson Knightmare. 

And by the end of it, emptiness was all he felt.

He was a soldier… What use was a soldier if he couldn't defeat his enemies and protect the people whom he swore to protect. What use was a soldier who kept on losing… over and over again…?

"Suzaku…"

He tilted his head up and looked forward, towards the screen. There, he saw Cecile's figure, looking at him with a soft smile and worried eyes as she spoke with a warm, gentle voice.

"The operation is over… The Black Knights have made their retreat. An order for retreat has also been announced. You should return now and take a rest."

"...I understand."

Suzaku nodded and raised the Lancleot back to its feet, and began making his way back. 

"There's no need to worry… Although you could've done better, you were too distracted from your previous order and too worried about the Viceroy's safety. You would've won if you could put all your focus on the battle."

Her gentle, comforting words resounded within the cockpit of Lancelot. Yet, it only served to make Suzaku more frustrated with himself as she clenched onto his controls harder. 

"That's no excuse, Miss Cecile… I lost… No matter the reason, I lost…"

He shook his head lifelessly, and silence filled his cockpit as Cecile simply looked at him worriedly without a word.

A few moments later, Suzaku smiled softly, helplessly, towards Cecile and lowered his head.

"I'm sorry, Miss Cecile. But… May I be allowed to get a few days off to clear my mind. I would like to return to school… It has been quite a while since I've gone."

Cecile smiled in return and nodded softly. 

"Of course. You may go after you've given your report and pass your postoperative health examination."

"Thank you very much."