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It's late when Suzaku drags himself back to Schneizel's ship. In fact, it's so late it has turned early. Any moment now, Suzaku expects dawn to arrive and the morning light to shine upon the world. He imagines the sun's rays would pierce his skin like daggers, like a sword, like the sword he used to...
He shakes himself and lands his knightmare in the hangar bay. It's not his Lancelot—the Conquista is a ruin after the disaster in Tokyo—but it's served him well enough to get to Kaminejima and back.
It's also now filled with the distinctive, coppery scent of blood. Technically speaking, that was something Suzaku prepared himself for, when he set out on his mission to assassinate the emperor. He just didn't expect it to end like this.
As the hatch of his machine opens, he grabs his bundled up cloak and picks it up. The blue material is covered in blood, although for the most part, it has congealed by now. The rest of his uniform is pretty much in a similar state, splattered in crimson.
The people in the hangar bay freeze when they see him emerge. "Sir Kururugi, are you all right?"someone whose name he cannot remember asks. "Do you need medical assistance?"
How cute. Are they trying to appear like they're worried about him? It's a little too late for that. "I'm fine," he replies. "It's not mine. But I wouldn't refuse a new jacket."
The technicians stare at one another. There must be something particularly scary about him today, because someone takes off his own jacket and hands it over. It's orange, the regular color of the military uniform, but it's more appropriate than running around the ship in his blood-stained one.
Really, dressing in white is so inconvenient when you're planning assassinations.
"Thank you. I'll remember to give it back."
"I-It's not a problem," the man replies. His fingers are shaking. You'd think these people would be used to this sort of thing by now, but apparently not.
Suzaku leaves them to it—and to the gossip that would undoubtedly follow—and heads toward the main deck. He finds Schneizel and his immediate entourage there, exactly like he expected.
"Your Highness, I have returned. I promised to slay the emperor. I've upheld my side of the bargain."
"Not possible," Bismark says from his place at Schneizel's side. "Emperor Charles could not be slain by a mere man, especially by not one such as you."
"Well then... It's a good thing Lelouch killed him before I could get there."
Schneizel arches a perfect, blonde brow at him. He couldn't have missed the bundle Suzaku is carrying, but for the moment, he seems to be ignoring it. He may not realize its contents. "Then our deal is void, is not, Sir Kururugi?"
"Not so. Since Lelouch killed Charles, the Britannian throne was his by right of conquest. He was the emperor. So, I've upheld my side of the bargain, by killing him."
And with that, Suzaku dumps his burden at Schneizel's feet. The material comes undone, revealing what is inside.
To Schneizel's right, Kanon takes a step back and covers his mouth. Schneizel turns pale. It's a strange show of emotion from the White Prince, the same person who told Suzaku that he needed to make a choice and stop hesitating. Even so, when it came down to it, Schneizel never really did have the stomach for bloodshed. He preferred to let others do the dirty work and maneuver things from the shadows, like a puppet master.
Well, Suzaku has given both him and everyone else present a full view of all the grizzly details that happen behind the scenes in a war. Every single person can see Lelouch's dark purple eyes, now blank, bereft of their previous vitality and fire, but also, bereft of the curse of Geass. His jet black hair is stained with blood, and his long pale neck ends in... nothing.
This decapitated head is all that is left from a past they both shared, from the circle of hatred they were both guilty of—and no one here can deny that Suzaku has accomplished the task he set out to do. Or so, he hopes, at least.
Will it be enough? He doesn't know. He doesn't know anything anymore. All he has left is a deal, a promise and a betrayal.
The people on deck continue to stare at him. Schneizel finally recovers and clears his throat. "Well... I admit this is a surprise. I admit I did not expect you to be quite so... graphic."
Suzaku shrugs. "I do apologize for offending you with this gruesome spectacle, Your Majesty, but I didn't think you'd actually take me up on my word if I told you. Lelouch and I were... something once and I didn't kill him the first time I had the chance."
"I suppose that's true," Schneizel replies, his gaze fixed on Suzaku's face. His penetrating eyes seem to be trying to stare into Suzaku's soul, but it's a futile effort. Suzaku has faced worse, and he's done far too much and come too far to falter now.
"Very well then, Sir Kururugi," Schneizel finally says. "We did have a deal, and I will uphold it. There's just one problem. We already have a Knight of One, and Bismarck has already said that he will serve me now that my father is dead. Given his experience and loyalty to the Empire, I cannot simply dismiss him to give you the position."
"I perfectly understand, Your Majesty," Suzaku replies, his heart hammering in his chest. So far so good. He covers Lelouch's head with his cape again and pulls out his sword. "I am willing to fight for the position and prove I am worthy of the title."
"You really think you can beat me, Kururugi?" Bismark sneers at him. "You couldn't even touch me on the island. You fled like a coward."
"I had other priorities at the time," Suzaku replies. "But perhaps now, we can continue our match." He shoots Schneizel a look. "With His Majesty's permission, of course."
"Certainly, although this may not be the best location. Let us adjourn to the training room."
The delay is not ideal, but it is also not something that can be helped. Fortunately, Schneizel seems to want to get the matter out of the way, which is exactly what Suzaku has been hoping for.
As Schneizel gets up and heads toward the exit, Suzaku prepares himself to follow. Since nobody seems willing to touch the head, he picks it up again and takes it along. He can't exactly leave it there on the floor. It's still a part of Lelouch, after all, and he does intend to... give it some kind of burial.
But that can only happen later, assuming, of course, that he is successful in this second task.
The training room is, for the most part, empty. Anya and Monica join their small group, but Gino is still nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he still had issues with the coup d’état Suzaku suggested. He hasn't seen Cecile and Lloyd either, so maybe they too have been trying to remove themselves from the situation.
Well, this battle will settle things once and for all. It may not be in a big arena or an a magical island, but it's just as important, if not more so.
As Schneizel finds a seat, flanked by Kanon and the other two Rounds, Bismarck pulls out his sword as well. "For the record, Kururugi, I do believe that you could've been an excellent Rounds. Unfortunately, you've long ago left behind all your potential."
"I suppose we'll just have to see about that."
Truth be told, Bismarck isn’t wrong in being confident. He always was the best fighter in the Rounds. While Suzaku knows he would’ve had an excellent chance in knightmare combat, in a swordfight, the odds are stacked against him.
Bismarck has years of experience over him. He’s stronger, bigger, and wields a weapon he’s used to. Suzaku’s speed—which is his main advantage in hand to hand combat and knightmare fights—can only help him to a limited extent when fighting someone like Bismarck. But there is no other way but to do this, because Bismarck is a real danger to their scheme.
According to C.C., Bismarck is well aware of the details of Geass. It is unclear if he understands how a transfer of codes works, or that it is even possible for someone who has not been contracted by a certain code bearer to forcibly take the code of the person in question. Schneizel only seems aware of the bare bones of Geass, so he isn't an issue, but Bismarck may figure out the ploy and tell Schneizel.
Therefore, Suzaku needs to get Bismarck out of the way, permanently.
If he fails to do this, their plan will go up in flames. It is not unlikely that his "live on" Geass may make him do something regrettable like betray Lelouch and spill everything that actually happened should it be activated.
But that is exactly why he will succeed, because he must, because he has new orders and a vow that he can’t afford to break.
Suzaku tightens his hold on his sword and thinks about the way he felt when he used it to separate Lelouch’s head from his body. If he was able to do that, fighting Bismarck is nothing.
Bismarck attacks first. After the first fiasco on the island, Suzaku is prepared for it and doesn’t make the same mistakes. He knows now that he doesn’t have a chance of matching Bismarck’s physical strength. But he doesn’t need to, and as Lelouch has so eloquently proven, so many times, not every battle is about strength.
Suzaku’s talents have always been in the field of speed of agility. Yes, it’s mostly because of the way he’s trained, of the classical Japanese fighting style he studied as a child, but as of late, Suzaku has realized that maybe it was more than that.
He’s always been running from himself, from his past, from the truth of his mistakes. Even when he thought he wasn’t and he kept throwing himself at danger in the hope of being punished for his horrible crime, it was still the same. But no longer. He’s become the thing he’s hated all his life, yes, but maybe that is his destiny. And gods willing, he won’t have to run for much longer.
For the moment, he uses his speed as his advantage and avoids Bismarck’s first blow. The second comes at him almost instantly. The ‘Live on’ Geass begins to blare at the back of his mind, a little more insistent than before.
So far, there’s been no sign of his secondary gift, but it may yet be needed.
Suzaku dances around Bismarck, seeking a hole in the large knight’s defenses. He’s younger and has better stamina. Then there's Bismark's eye. His blind spot is a huge weakness that he hopes he can exploit. But Bismarck never drops his guard, not once, and Suzaku finally accepts that he’s not going to win this one through a classical strategy.
The sword he’s using is hindering his motions too much. It’s not like MVS blades on the Lancelot, that have become almost like extensions of his own body. It feels bulky and slows him down.
He thinks about Lelouch’s final command, before Suzaku took his life with these accursed, blood-stained hands. “Remember, Suzaku. You need to live on.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” he’d said, even as he’d delivered the final blow that ended Lelouch’s life.
The Geass burns Suzaku, even brighter and fiercer than before. He drops his sword, suddenly finding its weight unbearable.
With his hands free, he moves like quicksilver. He’s impossible to catch—he always has been—and it takes him only a few seconds to slide underneath Bismarck’s guard.
Bismarck isn’t like one of the slow officers of Euro-Britannia. He knows Suzaku is more of a threat than he seems. But even Bismarck doesn’t expect this move, or the strength behind it. He manages to dodge slightly and takes it in the shoulder—instead of the face, which Suzaku had been aiming at—but he still staggers. “Kururugi?” Bismarck asks. “What?”
Despite his surprise, he recovers quickly and tries to attack again. Suzaku picks up his sword, but doesn’t bother blocking Bismarck’s blow with it. He hasn’t forgotten the way Bismarck had swatted him away like a fly on the island.
He delivers a few more blows, and all the while, Bismarck is unable to catch him. “So be it then,” he mutters. “Perhaps we’ve played this game long enough.”
The threads holding his eye closed snap and Suzaku watches in horror as Bismarck reveals his secret. His right eye, the eye he’s kept sealed all along, is alight with the curse of Geass.
Instantly, Lelouch’s command starts screaming at him, louder than ever before, louder than it had on the island. This is bad.
If his own contract with C.C. has activated, he can’t tell. He has to end this, now.
“I have to give you some credit, Kururugi,” Bismarck says. “I didn’t expect this of you. I’ve only had to use this power once, when fighting Her Majesty, Empress Marianne. But you are not her and you cannot win.”
Suzaku half-wants to tell Bismarck about the incident on Kamine Island, about the way Marianne screamed when Lelouch killed her. But he stays silent, because that’s not important now.
What Geass does Bismarck have? There’s only one way to find out and that’s by facing it.
This time, when Suzaku tries to attack Bismarck, the other knight sees him coming. Suzaku comes very close to being disemboweled and it’s only his Geass curse that saves his life. The second time, he’s more careful, but it makes no difference. Bismarck seems to just know what Suzaku wants to do.
Is that how his Geass works? Is it a form of mind reading? If so, they might have a bigger problem on their hand than they’d already thought. Bismarck hasn’t guessed Suzaku’s true intentions so far, but that’s no guarantee. Geass is nothing if not volatile.
One thing is certain, though, Bismarck can anticipate his moves. Suzaku will just have to work around that and complete this mission as soon as possible.
“Live on,” Lelouch shouts in his mind, a memory, a gift, and a curse.
“I bestow upon you the Power of the King,” C.C. says, her voice mellow, enchanting, and yet, carrying a trace of sadness he never expected from the immortal witch.
Everything happens so fast. He doesn’t try to dodge Bismarck’s attacks any longer. Instead, he rushes at the larger knight.
“Head on?” Bismarck shouts, tightening his grip on his sword.. “You insult me!”
Maybe he’s right and it’s crazy. Bismarck is a very talented swordsman and Suzaku can’t afford to underestimate him. But this isn’t about underestimating anyone or about proving a point. It’s not even so much about Suzaku’s desire to be Knight of One.
Bismarck is an obstacle for something far more important and that knowledge gives Suzaku strength and clarity.
The command sings at back of Suzaku’s mind. “Live!”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” he whispers under his breath. Lelouch isn’t here to hear him anymore, but it feels like he is.
After that, the battle has an almost anticlimactic ending. Bismarck’s blade flashes through the air, but Suzaku is faster. He doesn’t need a weapon at all to bring Bismarck down. Bismarck’s own strength and momentum works against him. Well, that, and Lelouch’s Geass command.
The world blurs and in the blink of an eye, Suzaku has Bismarck pinned down to the floor. He doesn’t wait for Bismarck to recover from the sudden attack. Instead, he goes ahead and snaps Bismarcks’s neck.
He only realizes this task is complete when his Geass curse settles, going dormant once again. He’s done it. He’s beaten Bismarck. One of the biggest obstacles in the way of the new plan is out of the way.
He gets up and faces Schneizel. “Congratulations, Sir Kururugi,” the White Prince drawls. “It appear you were correct in saying you were deserving of the position of Knight of One.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Suzaku answers, the words tasting like ash in his mouth. “You honor me.”
Schneizel beckons him to come closer. Suzaku does, and his heart hammers in his chest as he wonders if Schneizel noticed anything wrong. "What is it that you truly want?” Schneizel asks after a few moments of pause. “Why go so far? Why kill my brother?"
Suzaku doesn’t flinch. "Your Majesty, I joined the Britannian army to prove that Honorary Britannians can be of service to the Empire, that we are not so different from born Britannians and we can all be part of the same country without hating one another. That desire has not changed. I merely wish for a peaceful future, one which we may all share. The future Euphie dreamed of too."
"So it is for my sister then?"
"For her, Princess Nunnally and all the people who died, and for everyone else who is relying on us. That future would’ve never been possible as long as Lelouch was alive. You were right when we spoke in Tokyo. I needed to make my decision, and I have."
"I see," Schneizel says. "Well then, I can only accept your pledge, as I did before. Although perhaps there is something you should know before we go any further."
He snaps his fingers and Kanon emerges from the shadows. Much to Suzaku’s surprise, he’s pushing along Nunnally’s wheelchair.
She’s as white as a sheet, clutching the handles of her wheelchair impossibly tight. Her eyes are fixed on the barely covered bundle of Lelouch’s head that now lies abandoned on the floor of the training room.
"I-It's true then,” she stammers.“You killed Lelouch."
She looks up at him and in her eyes, he sees the same fierce anger he’d seen in Lelouch. "Monster. Demon. How could you? I thought you were our friend! I trusted you! I thought you could help us!"
It's a low blow on Schneizel's part, but Suzaku accepts it as part of the burden he has to carry. Perhaps he is a monster. But it's too late to turn back, and too much blood has been spilled.
“I am your friend, Nunnally,” he said. “But this was necessary. Lelouch went too far. He killed Euphie. I can’t ever forgive him that.”
Except that isn’t true, is it? It hasn’t been true, not since the explosion in Tokyo, not since they all stood together in the ruins in the world of C and made a different deal. But Nunnally doesn’t know that and neither does Schneizel.
Kanon wheels Nunnally away and she insists to take Lelouch’s head with her. Suzaku allows it and directs his attention to Schneizel. "Well, now that this matter has been dealt with... It is time to return to Pendragon,” the new emperor says.
"Your Majesty, what about the Black Knights?" Monica asks.
"What about them? They promised me my brother and they failed to deliver. Sir Kururugi has done so in their stead. Thus, jurisdiction over Area 11 will fall to him. Sir Kururugi, your first orders will be to clean up this area of any lingering disruptive elements. This matter has gone on long enough, and we can't have terrorists in an area we will be trying to rebuild."
Suzaku bows in front of Schneizel. "Thank you, Your Majesty. You honor me through your trust. I will not fail you."
****
Without Lelouch, the Black Knights fall apart. It was a foregone conclusion. While they appeared to have a lot of qualified staff and the support of Li Xingke, who was a talented military commander in his own right, none of them could compare to Lelouch's genius.
They don't go down easily, but they go down. Suzaku is the one who finally catches Kallen. By now, she's heard that he was the one to execute Lelouch, so she comes at him with extra fire, but in the end, it makes no difference. He is too determined, and everything he's done so far hinges on him solidifying his position at Schneizel's side.
When he watches the Guren explode, his heart is heavy. But he was prepared for this and for every other loss and death that will come to pass.
The Black Knights are not the only ones Schneizel turns on. With Lelouch dead and the FLEIJA at his fingertips, he no longer has a need for allies.
The Damocles Fortress is soon deployed and missiles fly through the sky. One falls on the Forbidden City, another on Paris.
Suzaku expected this. He knew it was going to happen. He realized it that day, as he stood by the crater he himself had made.
So he doesn't think about the number of dead bodies that are piling up in the biggest cities all over the world. And when he learns that Nina Einstein was found dead in her own room, he discards the thought too.
It is for a purpose. Everything is for a purpose. He needs to keep his mind on his goal.
The Zero Requiem.
Starting over.
Soon. It's going to be soon.
He just needs to hang in there for a while longer.
It does help that Gino and Anya no longer give him a wide berth. The other knights are still very wary of him due to him killing Bismarck, but Gino doesn't seem to begrudge him for it. Anya is still confused, since she hasn't regained her memories of her time spent under Marianne's sway, but she appears to believe he's abandoned his previous masochistic behavior. Maybe she approves. Who knows?
It doesn’t take long for Schneizel to declare himself the emperor of the world. Peace has been accomplished.
At least in theory, because in practice, Britannian terror spreads like it never has before. As governments surrender their weapons, civilians are forced into servitude—much like the Japanese were in Area 11.
In fact, the only place where life is bearable for a non-Britannian is Area 11, since Suzaku is officially a governor there. Technically speaking, he can't always be present, since his service is still necessary as Schneizel's Knight of One, but he does leave specific instructions and everyone is too terrified of him to disobey.
Who else do the Japanese have to turn to now, anyway? Kaguya is dead, as are the last remnants of the JLF, Tohdoh, Chiba, and so many others. Suzaku is the only one left.
It's kind of funny that he bought the tentative freedom of Japan with the slavery of the whole world. Then again, the Black Knights were apparently intending to do the same by surrendering Lelouch to Schneizel. Maybe they aren't all that different.
Life settles down in a routine. He wakes up, goes to work, acts normally and pretends he isn't screaming inside, trying to get away from this cage he built around himself. He monitors the areas he knows are dangerous and makes sure no one notices any suspicious patterns of movement. They have a few close calls, but a small computer malfunction takes care of it. Suzaku isn’t forced to take matters in his own hands with anyone.
It’s almost funny, but everyone is much too terrified of Schneizel to worry about anything else.
Then it comes... The call he's been waiting for.
"We're ready," the female voice says on the other side of the connection. "It's going to be tomorrow."
Suzaku doesn't bother to hide his sigh of relief. "Finally. You sure took your time."
“These things cannot be rushed. You know that. You know what to do?"
"I remember. I'll see you tonight. And... C.C. Thank you."
The witch laughs lightly. "It's not like I did it for you. Good luck, Knight of Zero. Don't mess up."
“I won’t,” Suzaku promises.
As he ends the call, his heart feels lighter. He’s hurt so many people and lost so much, but soon, that’ll end. Soon, they’ll be able to start over.
****
The day Suzaku earns his freedom doesn’t start in any way special. Schneizel is holding court, receiving petitions and listening to reports. The Britannian nobility more or less supports Schneizel, but it’s not like the support they offered Charles. Even they have realized that Schneizel is a tyrant and will not hesitate to murder any one of them should they be in his way.
To be fair, Charles hadn’t been all that scrupulous either, but in recent years, he’d lost interest in such machinations, so the memory of his true ruthlessness is not as pronounced.
It would probably make no real difference except for the fact that there is someone waiting in the wings, ready to exploit their displeasure.
At exactly twelve in the afternoon, the doors of the throne room open. In the doorway, a lone, dark-clad figure stands.
Lelouch isn’t wearing his Zero suit any longer. They’ve decided of common accord that it wouldn’t be a good idea to link the former Eleven terrorist to the future Britannian emperor. Instead, he’s dressed in an elaborate black and suit with purple accents. “Hello, dearest brother,” he greets Schneizel. “It’s been a while.”
Schneizel opens his mouth, presumably trying to give an order. Nothing comes out. A wave of palpable fear spreads through the room, making the assembled nobles shake.
Behind Zero, a small group trickles in. "Drop your weapons,” Lelouch orders. “Now."
No guards arrive. The crowd parts for Lelouch to pass. "What?” Odysseus asks. “Lelouch... But... We thought you were dead."
Lelouch waves a hand dismissively. "Rumors of my demise were greatly exaggerated."
All eyes turn to Suzaku. "I may have let them in," Suzaku says. The tip of his sword is already against Schneizel's throat. "I'd apologize, but we all know that I wouldn't mean it."
Monica already has her sword out and is readying herself to lunge at him. Suzaku arches a brow at her. "Now, now, Monica... Don't do anything we're all going to regret, or my hand might just slip."
Truth be told, despite her well-known loyalty to the empire, even Monica isn’t so sure about Schneizel’s approach to leadership. Suzaku can see it on her face. There’s a shadow of relief on her face when she realizes she won’t have to carry the burden of serving a dictator any longer.
Kanon is predictably not so happy. He glowers at Suzaku, shaking with unrestrained fury. "I knew you couldn't be trusted. His Majesty should have executed you a long time ago."
Suzaku snorts. "Better people than him have tried to kill me. Much to my dismay, they've all failed." He bodily picks up Schneizel, freeing the throne. "Your Majesty, your throne."
"Thank you, Suzaku," Lelouch drawls.
Their eyes meet for the first time in a year. It’s only a look, but it feels so good Suzaku almost feels like he’s on Refrain.
When they’d come up their rather insane plan, they’d had no idea if it would actually work. They probably would have never tried, if not for the side-effects of Lelouch’s murder of his father.
Suzaku can still remember it now, the way Lelouch had collapsed after his father disappeared into the void. He’d dropped his sword and caught his friend/worst enemy before he could fall, just in time to see the horrible crimson of Geass fade from Lelouch’s eyes.
A brand had appeared against Lelouch’s neck, in the exact same spot where Charles had grabbed Lelouch.
Lelouch had not known how to handle this. He’d been newly immortal and Nunnally had died. But C.C. and Suzaku had still been there, and he’d seemed to take comfort in that.
"You told me that the best way to fix my lies was by making them real,” he’d said. “Zero was meant to be a hero, the man of miracles who could save the world from Britannia. But that Zero has been betrayed, and without Geass, I don't have the power to create a hero anew."
"Then what do you suggest?" Suzaku had asked.
"A hero will always emerge once a villain is powerful enough. As much as it grates on me to admit it, the emperor was right. We have inherited Schneizel's world. I have no doubt that once he takes over, he will make his views on the world clear."
"So you would just let your brother do what he wants?"
"No, of course not," Lelouch had answered. "That's where you come in. You're going to buy me time. You're going to make Schneizel thinks I am dead. And to do that, you are going to kill me, here and now."
Suzaku had refused at first. Despite C.C.'s assurances that Lelouch had the code now and would not permanently die, he could not bring himself to assassinate Lelouch. When Lelouch had pointed out his change in tune, Suzaku had finally admitted what he never had throughout this past year, even to himself.
“I would’ve killed you before, just for what you did to Euphie—if you’d been someone else.”
He hadn’t been able to say anything else, but he hadn’t needed to. C.C. had understood him. “It’ll be all right, Suzaku,” she’d said. “Trust me on this.”
He’d come very close to refusing her. After all, he’d had no reason to reason to believe her. She’d betrayed Lelouch and had admitted she only cared about her own desire to die. But he’d seen his own heart in her golden eyes, so when she’d offered him her hand and a cursed contract, he’d taken it.
His part of the plan had been simple—get rid of Bismarck, then stall Schneizel and make him believe Lelouch was out of the way while Lelouch prepared a new army, one full of people loyal to him. It had taken him less than a year to gather enough contractors willing to enslave themselves to Lelouch and C.C. for the sake of power.
And now here they are, having done exactly that. The Geass Order is rebuilt anew, supporting Lelouch and C.C. in their takeover of Britannia.
The whole concept should disgust Suzaku, and maybe it would have, once, but right now, the only thing he feels is relief.
As far as he can tell, his own Geass has yet to awaken, but he has a feeling that when he does, it will be in the service of his new emperor, the one he should’ve always been serving. He wouldn’t have it any other way.
Lelouch sits on the newly vacated throne and crosses his legs, smirking. “Now, I believe it’s time for us to start anew. Starting today, Britannia will no longer be a force for oppression. My brother has been a plague on the world for long enough. But not anymore.”
Suzaku knows better than to think it will be easy. If nothing else, people will always remember everything he’s done in Charles and Schneizel’s service. But he finds that he’s strangely okay with that. He’s been hated for the better part of his existence. As long as he can help support the new world Lelouch will build, he doesn’t care about himself.
Over Lelouch’s shoulder, C.C. meets his eyes and Suzaku has a feeling she knows exactly what he’s thinking. She shoots him a quick smile. Another memory flashes through Suzaku’s mind, that of the strange kiss she’d given him before he’d left Kamine Island.
“We’ll be Lelouch’s sword and shield,” she had said. “Are you prepared for what that means?”
“Of course. It’s what I always wanted.”
In that respect, at least, he’d been honest. And when he looks at her—at them both—he thinks that maybe, just maybe, it’s not too late for him to finally get what he wants.
****
The Demon Emperor, Schneizel el Britannia, is executed two days after the Britannian throne is taken over by his younger brother, Lelouch. Lelouch’s remaining siblings support his sudden ascension.
There are those who question the presence of Schneizel’s Knight of One by Lelouch’s side, but Lelouch waves it off with a simple explanation. “Sir Kururugi was never Schneizel’s Knight of One. He was always my Knight of Zero, acting on my behalf to hopefully limit the damage my brother did while I recovered from my injuries.”
He doesn’t have Geass anymore, but he doesn’t need it. The only people who could’ve questioned him are dead, their lives cut short by Schneizel himself.
Lelouch builds a memorial in Tokyo and shrouds himself in even more lies and masks than before. But in Pendragon, his smiles become genuine.
Two years after he takes the throne, he marries his witch and takes his knight as his second consort. His sister Nunnally is by his side and Lelouch is content with the fact that he’s managed to build a better world for her, just like he promised.
He lights candles for everyone who has fallen—Euphie, Kallen, Shirley, Rolo, Nina, Kaguya, Xingke, even Schneizel—then turns to face his new future.