"...Hm?"
I wake on the floor.
Dozens of monitors surround me, each showing different locations.
"Where...?"
Clearly an apartment room. Why am I here?
Spatial storage hole open, slime extending—memory floods back. Yes, succeeded absorbing Mao at the library.
Library restroom vent duct: slime waits. Can't leave it. Reach to slime from storage hole, will retrieval—all slime from city to library vanishes into storage instantly.
"Phew. No witness risk now. Next..."
Display status in mind. Check skills.
"There... but..."
Skills list: "Geass." Expected—Mao for that. But only Geass grayed out. Others white.
"What's this?"
Focus to activate: nothing. Mao's Geass should let hear thoughts as voices within 500m radius—nope. Mirror check: no phoenix mark in eyes.
So...
"Total waste?"
Or Mao-specific? Geass manifests from recipient's qualities/wishes. Mao's "know hearts" became thought-reading. I lack that desire—so unusable?
Hard-won skill, useless: pointless. Pure loss.
...Or condition-based activation?
If so, don't overwrite skill slot.
Check other stats—oddity.
"Sure Hit SP cost 30?"
Was 20 before. Now 30. ...Geass effect?
Unusable and Sure Hit cost up... insult to injury.
...Wait. Geass boosted Sure Hit performance?
Test in combat needed, but hope so.
"Anyway, bittersweet success—one goal down. Stop Special Zone Japan massacre: mission complete."
Special Zone Japan plan fine—canon Lelouch accepts eventually. Issue: Geass overload. Can't warn Zero "Geass runs wild"—marks me target. Or Emperor Charles.
No memory rewrite—hide Geass ownership. Mao neutralized: safe... hopefully.
Combat: match Suzaku/Kallen confident. Strategy: Zero outclasses. Edge: canon knowledge only.
"For now... return."
Can't loiter at Intelligence base. Exit apartment, head government building, thank Kino, back to room.
Told Kino threat eliminated—Cornelia informed soon.
"Tired today..."
Mutter, collapse bed—sleep instant.
...
"Japan Liberation Front remnants?"
"Yeah. Trying overseas escape—prepped tanker."
Day after Geass. Called to Cornelia's office. Guilford, Darlton sorting docs.
"Raiding tanker?"
"Intel: departs evening. Target: JLF leader, Major General Katase."
"I join?"
"No. Your units overkill firepower. Tanker loaded with liquid Sakuradite as escape funds—sympathetic detonation bad."
Right—canon Zero mines Sakuradite, wipes amphibious Portmans.
Land Lion repaired via Special Division, but precision-attack Sakuradite-loaded tanker tough. Railgun oversized/powerful—no. Machine cannon short range—no. Homing missiles? Auto-reject. (Cecil watched Lloyd—no weird mods.)
Garlion: flight allows air strike, but Burst Railgun too strong. Machine cannon from above penetrates—boom. ...Sonic Breaker? Suicide—no.
"...Yeah. My machines on explosive tanker: reckless."
Nod agreement. But canon: Black Knights target Cornelia. Better nearby guard.
"Black Knights."
"...Think they'll come?"
Narita thrashing: natural reaction.
"Yeah. Prediction: yes. Narita too—they aimed capture, not kill."
"True... Narita was restraint."
"Cornelia focused on JLF. ...Zero exploits?"
"Possible... Guilford, Axel—guard duty?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
Guilford salutes from docs.
"Fine. ...Garlion intercept prep."
"Brother's Special Division too—notify participation."
"Understood."
Darlton nods, grabs communicator.
...
Sky crimson, port assembled: Britannians. 5 Portmans, 15 Sutherlands. Lancelot present.
Forces await silently. Darlton speaks.
"Time, Princess."
"Commence."
Cornelia's order: Portmans dive. Sutherlands/Lancelot deploy shore for tanker sight.
Portman torpedoes explode multiple spots, block path. Land teams micro-missile snipes deck JLF soldiers.
"Smooth."
Mutter in Garlion cockpit, watching.
"Yes. This pace: capture Katase soon. ...If no Black Knights."
Cornelia comms. She/Guilford/Darlton not mounted—suggested, rejected (reasons).
"You'll protect me, Axel?"
Can't push—solo Garlion vigilance.
Op continues; tanker flees—can't endure. Underwater Portmans fire slash harkens, board successively.
Soon.
"Axel?"
Sudden Garlion block—Cornelia queries.
"Down!"
"What?"
"Down, Cornelia!"
Shout syncs Zero's mine—Sakuradite detonates.
Even distant: blast, debris pings Garlion armor.
"Tch, exploding Sakuradite—idiocy."
"Cornelia, Guilford, Darlton—mount NOW. Black Knights coming!"
"What!"
Stunned Cornelia—too late. Port explosions, friendly markers vanish.
"All units: emergency mount! Foe: Black Knights probable. Form defense!"
Darlton wire-ascends, shouts—one step late.
Sea-leaping assault landers disgorge Black Knights Burais. Zero's oni-mask Burai, Guren Mk-II charge. End Cornelia pre-Gloucester startup!?
"No chance!"
Charge Zero's Burai at Cornelia's Gloucester—Assault Blade down...!?
"Tch—Guren!"
Guren blocks Assault Blade with Ryou-O ethyl special slash sword, activates chainsaw unit—grinds blade. Seconds: sword shatters, drops. Momentum swings Assault Blade... spot Guren right arm extend—retro Garlion.
Narita repeat: radiant wave surger melts blade—pass. Spares finite.
"Guilford—Cornelia!"
Machine cannon harass Guren, comm Guilford boarding Gloucester. Cornelia's: legs/right arm wrecked by Zero—immobile. Elite pilot powerless pre-start.
"Got it. Custom yours!"
Guilford nods, rear-lance Zero's Burai. Zero sidesteps—left arm only. Landers spawn Burais endless. Guilford outskills Zero pilotage, but multiples: survival max.
Darlton: ally command swamped—no reinforce. Me/Guilford hold till Lancelot.
"Accelerate!"
Spirit command: retreat, dodge Guren swung radiant arm. Grasp-miss instant: Burst Railgun fire.
"Nice."
Guren mid-swing aerial spin evades bullets. Can't forever.
Now—test evolved Sure Hit!
"Sure Hit."
Command: odd power flows body-to-Garlion. Chest machine cannon fires Guren. Instinct: power imbues bullets. Guren can't sense—blitz radiant shield arm. But Sure Hit pierces—bullets through, strike.
Guren small/size/performance/Kallen skill: few hits, most dodge. Glides back agile.
Chase—machine lags reaction!
"Damn—response too slow!"
Frustration eternal: Tesla Drive air, above Guren—dump homing missiles/Burst Railgun/machine cannon. Ground: missile blasts, railgun hit, bullets hellscape.
Mid-attack: ponder Sure Hit. Old: instinct gaps. New: Awaken-like power surge to machine/bullets. Performance changed.
"Viceroy, Axel!"
Blast-break: white KMF—Lancelot.
"Fine here—you nail Zero! They collapse!"
Burst Railgun chase ground-evasion Guren, comm Suzaku.
"Got it!"
Lancelot to Zero. Guren pursues—my turn stall.
Low skim, Assault Blade sideswipe turned-back Guren—evades like rear eyes.
But folly realized—faces me again.
"...Focus, Accelerate."
Garlion fair Guren fight impossible—commands again.
"!?"
Chest slash harkens high-speed: one Assault Blade block, other machine cannon.
Simul: close Guren kick-speed exploit—air evade, Burst Railgun. Dodges swift, blends port black smoke...
"Retreated."
Assault Blade posed smoke—10sec no show: withdraw.
...Honestly, no spirits: done. Garlion this. Land Lion: loss probable.
"Kururugi Suzaku—Zero?"
"Sorry—downed his Burai, but others interfered..."
"Escaped."
"Apologies."
"No. Cornelia safe, JLF wiped—not bad."
"Yeah..."
Voice down—canon JLF soldier snipes nag?
Name: Axel Almar
LV: 34
PP: 170
Melee: 242
Shooting: 260
Skill: 252
Defense: 249
Evasion: 277
Accuracy: 299
SP: 414
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Consume SP to upgrade slime performance)
Growth Type: All-Rounder · Special
Air: S
Land: S
Sea: B
Space: S
Spirit: Accelerate (SP4)
Effort (SP8)
Focus (SP16)
Sure Hit (SP30)
Awaken (SP32)
Love (SP48)
Skills: EXP Up
SP Boost (SP Up Lv.9 & SP Recovery & Concentration)
Psychokinesis LV.10
Attacker
Gunfight LV.9
Infight LV.9
Spirit Limit Break
Geass (Gray)
???
???
???
???
???
Kills: 193
-------------------------------
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