Chapter 302: Do you want to dance, too?
At this moment, around the Governor's Mansion, Area Eleven's garrison forces had completely withdrawn their defensive lines into the mansion itself, while the frontline troops of the Black Knights continued their relentless advance.
However, the multiple large-caliber autocannons mounted on the Governor's Mansion completely obstructed their assault.
Amid the ruins not far away, a red Knightmare was already locked in combat with a white Knightmare.
That was the Guren and the Lancelot.
But with both sides fighting desperately and their formidable performances evenly matched, neither could gain the upper hand anytime soon.
Until a faint roar from the sky above caused Suzaku's pupils to contract.
"Zero!"
A black Knightmare, even larger than the Lancelot, flew across the sky, accompanied by a special mech adorned with dragon scales.
That was Lelouch's Gawain and Yotsuba Mahiro's Guardian Deity Mech: Azure Dragon.
"You won't get away!"
"Don't even think about leaving!"
Just as the Lancelot was about to activate its flight mode to pursue them, Kallen immediately drove her mech to deliver a fierce kick, shattering the Lancelot's wings and sending it crashing into the ruins.
In an instant, it was buried beneath rubble.
For the two in the sky above, the events below were merely a minor distraction, unworthy of their attention.
Or rather, what deserved their attention were the two Knightmares blocking their path ahead.
"Oh ho, is this... new modifications again?"
Unlike Lelouch's grave expression, Mahiro looked utterly calm, even somewhat amused.
From the Governor's Mansion, engulfed in artillery fire in the distance, two Knightmares swiftly flew out.
One was the Tristan, capable of transformation, and the other was a deep crimson mech that appeared quite heavy—the Mordred.
Their pilots were self-evident: two Knights of the Rounds.
However, this encounter differed from previous ones. Neither Gino nor Anya chose to attack immediately. Instead, they observed them warily and attempted persuasion.
"Surrender, Zero, and Shadow. If you stop the war now, there's still a way out."
"Pfft..."
This made Mahiro chuckle involuntarily, and he retorted mockingly, "On what grounds? Just because of that pile of scrap metal behind you?"
Behind Gino and Anya, countless transport aircraft were rushing toward them—clearly, reinforcements from Britannia.
Although he had no intention of interfering in this war, only wanting to accomplish his own goals, encountering these two sparked an urge in Mahiro's heart to have a little fun with them.
He immediately placed a hand on the console before him, and dense psion waves erupted from his body.
With a raise of his hand, he fired—
Charged Particle Cannon.
Hum—
An intense hum instantly drowned out all other sounds. Gino, who had been about to say something more, felt his hair stand on end and instinctively maneuvered the Tristan to evade.
Immediately after, a blue-white beam grazed past him, streaking toward the distant transport aircraft.
This was a magic Lina excelled at—a spell manipulating electric charges. It was also why her specialized CAD was a rod: to fire such artillery strikes.
Lelouch's reaction was equally swift. The moment he saw the other move, he quickly input commands and fired the hadron cannon.
Thus, two crimson beams, accompanied by a blue-white energy stream, instantly engulfed the aerial support units.
But unlike Lelouch's sweeping horizontal assault that obliterated everything in its path, the moment the charged particle cannon fire reached its target, Mahiro raised his hand again inside the cockpit, mimicking a gun-firing gesture.
"[Material Burst]—"
"Activate!"
BOOM!!!
A violent explosion erupted abruptly as the originally blue-white energy pillar erupted with even more blinding radiance.
The spherical light source rising like a nuclear explosion resembled a gluttonous abyssal maw, greedily devouring everything in its grasp.
Whether it was light, matter, or anything else—even space itself seemed to warp and distort.
Achieving even greater efficiency than Lelouch, a single strike completely annihilated all rear aerial support.
At this moment, Gino's face couldn't help but darken.
The enemy was too powerful.
They stood no chance against such strength.
If such firepower were directed at them, could they withstand it or even escape?
There was simply no opportunity.
But not everyone shared this perspective.
"What an annoying fellow."
Anya's perpetually expressionless young face puffed up slightly, as if sulking, as she likewise fired the hadron cannons mounted on her Knightmare.
Yet the twin shoulder cannons weren't aimed at the Guardian Deity Unit, but rather at the nearby Gawain!
Lelouch noticed this immediately, ceasing his barrage and deploying the Absolute Defense System.
The crimson energy blast collided with an emerald barrier, forcing Gawain backward while Mordred pressed forward aggressively.
Yotsuba Mahiro: ...…
Watching the scene unfold before him, he was at a loss for words.
Was this what they called "picking the soft target"?
Why weren't they coming to play with him instead?
But it didn't matter—there was still one more left.
As his gaze fell upon the Tristan hovering opposite him, Mahiro's lips curled into a malicious grin. Simultaneously, Gino in the cockpit felt an icy chill down his spine, as if being targeted by some predator.
Gulping audibly, his eyes sharpened with determination.
He knew perfectly well he was no match in a 1v1 confrontation, but... that didn't mean there was no way to win!
The typically handsome British pilot suddenly propelled his Tristan toward Mahiro's Guardian Deity Unit, the massive double-headed scythe in its hands instantly glowing crimson.
Yes—his strategy was a surprise assault to close the distance.
Because he had observed that the Guardian Deity Unit appeared to lack close-combat capabilities, functioning more like Mordred as a long-range artillery support unit.
So if he could just close the distance...
CLANG!
The crisp ring of metal meeting metal erupted alongside scattered sparks.
The descending scythe of the Tristan was caught outright by the Guardian Deity Unit's massive hand. With slight pressure, numerous cracks instantly spread across its surface before it shattered with a sickening crunch.
Meanwhile, the Guardian Deity Unit's other hand seized the Tristan's neck joint, gradually increasing its crushing grip.
"I thought there might be some unexpectedly good surprises, but is this all?"
Mahiro, who had been standing in the cockpit earlier, was now lazily seated on the added throne, watching Tristan being crushed by the Knightmare through the radar with boredom.
"My apologies for not being able to fully entertain you, Shadow."
Gino's voice came from inside the Knightmare, "However, on the battlefield of the Knights of Rounds, there is no such thing as defeat—now, Anya!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a crimson energy cannon suddenly shot from below, forcing him to release his grip.
The moment he let go of Tristan, the enemy Knightmare in front of him shifted roles—it was Anya piloting Mordred!
It looked just like a little girl throwing herself into an adult's embrace, as Mordred slammed hard into his Nation-Protecting Divine Machine in the same manner, while its hands firmly locked onto the arms of the Divine Machine.
Completely immobilized and even pushed rapidly in another direction.
"Let's see if your Knightmare's defense is tougher or my Stark Sub Cannon is more powerful."
Anya said expressionlessly as she pulled the trigger.
A powerful torrent of energy burst from the cannons on Mordred's shoulders, striking the Nation-Protecting Divine Machine's body at almost point-blank range.
But strangely, such a close-range bombardment did not destroy the Divine Machine's frame; instead, the energy cascaded over it like a waterfall.
Upon closer inspection, the surface of the machine was protected by a colorful, transparent film.
Anya continued to intensify the firepower, as if determined to breach his Knightmare today.
Seeing this, Lelouch, piloting Gawain, tried to assist, but just as he was about to fire, Gino intercepted him.
"You can't interrupt them. Your opponent is right here."
"Damn it! Move aside!"
Gawain's performance naturally surpassed that of the other Knights of Rounds' exclusive Knightmares, not even Lancelot could compare, let alone the fact it was equipped with the most advanced systems and had been modified.
However, Lelouch, as the pilot, was not skilled in combat. Facing an opponent like the Knights of Rounds, if the battle dragged on, he would eventually be defeated.
Just as Lelouch was thinking this, a frenzied voice suddenly surged from below.
"Zero! Zero! I've finally found you, I've found you, Zero!!!"
The voice was filled with excitement and madness.
Looking down, he saw a spherical, orange-colored Knightmare, resembling a tangerine, charging upward and slamming into Gawain, sending it flying.
Its surface was covered in green flying claws like sharp spikes.
"..."
Lelouch's expression darkened, feeling the voice was strangely familiar until he saw the figure rising from the top of the Knightmare.
"Oh? I wondered who it was. So it's Orange."
"O... Orange, that damned name again!"
The furious and crazed Jeremiah immediately retracted into the machine named Siegfried, and in the next moment, the entire frame began to spin, tearing through Gawain's armor and pushing it even farther away.
This turn of events even caught Gino off guard.
"...What exactly is this guy trying to do? Verify the truth?"
Mahiro slowly narrowed his eyes, lost in thought.
Naturally, he had witnessed everything that had just happened.
It was just that he couldn't quite understand Jeremiah's actions. After all, the things said that day should have convinced this guy already...
But compared to such trivial matters, the current situation was far more interesting.
"Little one, aren't you afraid of death?"
Using a hadron cannon at such close range meant that even the slightest mistake could engulf one's own mech in the energy blast, yet this girl still charged forward as if her life meant nothing.
It was as if she intended to perish together with him.
"I am Anya Alstreim, the Sixth Seat of the Knights of Rounds..."
A very youthful yet utterly emotionless, ethereal voice came through the speakers.
The cool voice continued:
"Eliminating the enemies of the empire is my duty. For the honor of the Knights of the Rounds, I have long since disregarded life and death."
How long had it been since he last heard such an interesting response?
The mech she piloted was named Mordred, who in legend was the illegitimate child of King Arthur and his sister, the betrayer who ultimately destroyed the Arthurian dynasty. Yet now, for the sake of honor, she was performing such a loyal act...
His gaze seemed to pierce through the cockpit, as if he could see the pink-haired girl sitting in the pilot's seat, wearing that extremely ornate yet very revealing pilot suit that fully exposed her flat stomach.
But on that adorable face, so beautiful it could make even gods envious, there was not a trace of expression, like an angel of judgment looking down upon the mortal world.
"In that case, let me test your loyalty, Miss Anya."
Hearing this, Anya's brows furrowed slightly, sensing something was wrong.
But before she could react, the Guardian Deity Mech, which had been firmly pinned down by Mordred, suddenly underwent a strange transformation.
"What's happening?!"
For the first time, a hint of panic tinged her cool voice.
Because her Mordred could no longer restrain the opponent, and right before her eyes, the Guardian Deity Mech was slowly... swelling.
Yes, swelling.
At a speed visible to the naked eye.
From its original six-meter scale, the same as Gawain, it instantly grew to ten meters, then expanded further to fifty meters. The hadron cannon's impact dissipated instantly against its armor plating.
It was as if Ultraman's human form had used his transformation device.
At the same time, a terrifying pressure swept over the battlefield—one that could make all living beings submit and tremble instinctively from fear.
In an instant, both friend and foe alike felt fear from this pressure, wishing they could flee the battlefield immediately.
Not to mention Mordred, which was the closest.
"What is this..." she murmured, her delicate body trembling slightly, her eyes filled with disbelief.
This was the first time she had ever felt an emotion called fear.
"This is the true form of the Guardian Deity Mech: Azure Dragon."
Mahiro kindly provided the answer for her.
It was indeed the true form, or what could be called its liberated or full-power state.
It's unclear how Shiba Miori and Eta managed it, but not only did they successfully integrate most components of the Cloud Dragon into the Guardian Deity Knightmare while reducing its size, they also added this functionality.
Miori had specifically informed him of this just before departure, though transforming into this mode required more thought particles—or mana—consumption.
For Mahiro, however, this posed no significant burden. He could simply feel his mana being continuously drained and channeled into the machine.
He was both the pilot and the energy core.
"Miss Anya, since you're not fleeing, it seems you wish to dance as well."
Seeing no response from his opponent, Mahiro wasted no words and directly grabbed Mordred's head.
"!!!"
Overwhelmed by a surge of intense danger, Anya finally reacted, unleashing all her weapons at once.
But it was already too late.
The weapons struck the Guardian Deity Knightmare without leaving even a scratch.
Instead, her adversary lifted her machine's head high and—
smashed it violently into the ground!
BOOM!!!
The earth trembled as if struck by a powerful quake!
The Guardian Deity's massive hand had plunged deep into the ground, shattering rocks and slamming into the bedrock!
With just one blow, the lofty Knights of Rounds' Knightmare, known as Mordred, was utterly destroyed.
Anya fell into a deep coma shortly after.
"Take her away."
After the Guardian Deity reverted to its original size and Mahiro emerged from the cockpit, he merely waved a hand at the bloodied, unconscious girl.
Instantly, several girls from Shadow Garden appeared, hoisted Anya up, leaped out of the crater, and vanished into the artillery-streaked night.
Another trophy acquired.
Come to think of it, that girl named Monica was still detained and awaiting disposal. Once this battle concluded, she could be dealt with alongside Anya.
As Mahiro pondered this, he piloted his Knightmare toward the Viceroy's Palace.
However, while he had been dealing with Anya, something strange occurred on the battlefield.
Jeremiah, who had been assaulting Lelouch, suddenly switched sides and attacked Gino of the Knights of Rounds!
Deprived of his weapons, Gino's Tristan quickly began to crumble.
"Lord Jeremiah, it seems the rumors of Orange are true—you've betrayed the Empire again."
"Hmph, Orange? Betrayal? The name Orange symbolizes my loyalty!"
Undoubtedly, Jeremiah's skills were formidable. Had it not been for Marianne's sudden downfall, he would surely have secured a seat among the Knights of Rounds.
Coupled with his Knightmare's superiority, Gino was soon completely defeated.
Seizing the opportunity, Lelouch charged straight into the Viceroy's Palace.
Yet, to his surprise, the rooftop terrace of the palace greeted him with a familiar arrangement—an exact replica of the White Gemini Palace from his memories, complete with a perfectly recreated white gazebo.
And at the heart of this garden, a majestic War Goddess had been waiting for some time.
"Welcome, Zero. As I suspected, you would take advantage of the chaos to infiltrate this place. But where is Shadow? Have that fellow come out as well."
"Hmph, Cornelia... To deal with someone like you, I alone am more than enough."
Lelouch responded with brazen arrogance.
Yet what greeted him was the light laughter of the Empire's Witch.
"Is that so? But it doesn't matter... Whether there's one more or one less at this ball makes no difference. All of you, those who betrayed Euphy, I will kill each and every one of you with my own hands."
"I just wonder, do you enjoy balls?"
Cornelia's expression gradually twisted into a sinister grin, a cruel smile slowly curling at the corners of her bewitching lips.