Ch 244: Destination: Paris.

"I am impressed by their gratitude." commented Akeno on the squad's channel, with a tone that suggested she was anything but.

"You get used to it." chuckled Roze, whose Knightmare was standing twenty meters on her right. The wZERO squadron had taken the flank of the force pursuing the 132nd regiment and forced the Britannians to a hasty retreat and were now standing near the top of a small cliff, watching a column of Panzer Hummels and a few other EU Knightmares trudge along a damaged road.

Akeno and her companions had received the equivalent of a pat on the head and a condescending "Good job, Elevens." from the surviving commanding officer of the 132nd, and that was it.

Was this really the people Lilith and the other Gods wanted them to save?

She shook her head to chase the thought away. They weren't playing soldiers to save those pricks. They were doing it to help the refugees and free Japan.

"We received credible intelligence, the Britannians are returning to their bases. Great job, everyone. You can look forward to a celebratory feast when you come back. I am transmitting to you the return route." said Leila.

"Understood, we're on our way." replied Akito.

Akeno quietly followed them, keeping a vigilant eye on her instruments. The Haken was well equipped with sensors and didn't have any blind spots. Anyone trying to sneak behind her would have a nasty surprise.

"Man, I thought I was a goner this time." sighed Toru. "Twenty-two Sutherlands just for the first half of it. And yet, I never had it so easy. You're a real monster, Akeno, you know that?"

"Look at you, calling a pretty girl you just met a monster. That isn't how you get a girlfriend." laughed Akeno. "This is the work of Da Vinci and a few others who created the Haken. They really did a splendid job."

"They did." agreed Toru. "But it's not just the machine. We have seen how you moved with it. We and the Britannians were fighting, but you? You were just dancing."

"The result of years of harsh training, and more than a few brushes with death. That battle was nothing special to me."

"Where did you fight previously, Akeno?" asked Roze. "The siege of Moscow? Or maybe you were part of the Japanese resistance?"

"You wouldn't have heard about it. Maybe I will tell you one day, when we know each other better."

"Black ops, perhaps?" said Akito. "That explains why you were so amused when you introduced yourself as Privates earlier. Your rank is fake."

"Something like that. There is a certain humor to be found when your official rank is so far from representing your actual capabilities. That doesn't mean I intend to disobey orders from you or Leila, mind you, now that you are better informed about what we can do. Until you give me a reason to ignore you, I am an obedient soldier under your command."

"Not very reassuring." said Leila with a deadpan tone, and Akeno chuckled.

"I know how ignoring orders can disrupt a plan and put others in danger, Leila. I won't do it without a very good reason. So far, you haven't given me any to doubt your judgement."

"…And if I do give you a reason, will lightning fall from the sky?"

Akeno frowned as the sudden silence on the com channel became heavy. That girl had guts alright. She knew her action back then would be too suspicious to be written off as a mere coincidence, but she didn't expect any member of the squadron to directly put her on the spot so soon.

At the same time, she didn't want to lie to her future comrades. Not about this, at least. It would be a bad way to start their relationship. So she decided to go with something ambiguous.

"…I can't imagine that happening, Leila." said Akeno with a soft voice. "I believe divine punishment only comes for bad people."

"Divine punishment, is it?" said Haruka. "You won't find me complaining. He had it coming. Maybe I should offer some prayers of gratitude to that God, or maybe Goddess."

Akeno didn't reply, thinking she had said enough already.

…

"First, let us observe a minute of silence for the Lieutenant-Colonel's passing." declared Leila, and the members of the wZERO squadron gathered in the room lowered their heads quietly.

She mentally counted to sixty, then raised her head.

"Alright. Now, we are gathered here to welcome Akeno, Izumi, Kasumi and Da Vinci in our midst, as well as to celebrate our pilots' safe return. Cheers!" said Leila, lifting a glass of champagne.

"Cheers!" replied everyone as they did the same, and plates filled with appetizers started being passed around.

Alcohol was frowned upon near the frontline when the enemy could attack with little warning, a rule that Claus Warwick, the intelligence officer, seemed determined to ignore as often as he could without quite triggering a response, but she had decided that one glass each would be acceptable in these circumstances.

Da Vinci was already being pressured by Ferilli, Hilda and Chloe, the three engineers, about questions related to the Haken, and Leila walked to them to join the conversation.

"…No, the shield technology is something we'll keep under wraps." smiled Da Vinci to the girls. "We have joined the URE army and the squadron to fight Britannia, but any sharing of technology with the URE will have to be part of a separate agreement. I will let you take a good look under the hood if you're interested, but no photos. I will perform its maintenance myself."

"You mentioned that more Knightmares like the Haken might come later, Da Vinci. Can you expand on that?" asked Leila.

"As we said, it is a prototype, and we intend on the long term to refine it and produce a small number of them, probably between ten and twenty. The Britannians have their Knights of Rounds, and we will have our Haken-Mk2 or Mk3 and their pilots."

"Wow." breathed Ferilli, eagerness and awe in her eyes. "The Knights of Rounds possess impressive Knightmares, and I heard some of them have shields as well. It is a great opportunity for us to learn about a Knightmare who could compete with them."

"But when you say 'we', I get the impression you aren't speaking about the United Republic of Europia." said Leila evenly.

"Because I am not." shrugged Da Vinci. "Speaking frankly, we are very disappointed in the URE, between the confinement of Japanese refugees in ghettos and the way the army is trying to use them as little more than expendable ammunition. To think that you have the words Equality, Freedom and Brotherhood as your national slogan, the irony of it..."

Da Vinci's brutally honest words caused Leila and the others who heard her, which was most of the room, to wince. They indeed felt shame at the way Japanese people were treated by their country outside of the squadron.

"However, we feel relieved that there are at least some people in the URE who do not think that way. This nation isn't hopeless, and there are still people worth saving." smiled Da Vinci, making clear that she saw them as belonging to that category, and they felt better.

"Speaking about the nation, I hope you are aware that I will have to make a report about what happened today, right?" sighed Leila. "I will simply report the Lieutenant-Colonel's death as him being stuck by lightning, since it is exactly what happened, and we have many witnesses both in and out of the squadron to confirm it. But if anyone takes a look at the weather satellite data and see a, shall we say… extremely localized storm that only lasted two or three minutes, that won't fool them."

"It is inevitable." shrugged Akeno as she walked closer. "Better than us stupidly blowing ourselves up for dubious gains. And you will send them the report about Haken's first battle, right? Then they will have another reason to come talk to us, and we can negotiate something more formal that will let them off our backs."

"…What are your goals, really?" frowned Leila, finally asking the most important question on her mind.

…

"What are your goals, really?" asked Leila.

Akeno didn't answer immediately and slowly watched everyone's face in turn. The conversations around them had gradually stopped, and they were now all waiting for her answer. She had a good feeling about the pilots, and the engineers and command staff, while desirable, were a lot less important to her plans, in the grand scheme of things.

She had initially planned to reveal her intentions to the nation's decision-makers first and negotiate a deal where they would hand over the squadron to her, but if she could get the squadron's members on her side directly, it would be better.

She took a deep breath.

"We have the technology, and power. Power beyond what science can explain." To illustrate her words, Akeno lifted her left hand and made several arcs of electricity dance around her fingers, watching their eyes widen in alarm as many took a step back. "You think that lightning strike in the courtyard was scary? I can make them fall like rain. I can fly in the air, stop bullets with my bare hands, and cure cancer. I could go to Pendragon right now, kill the Emperor in front of his court, and return unscathed, if I decided to fully expose what I can do."

"But what would that accomplish? A new one would replace him, or a civil war would start and spread chaos everywhere. There are only four of us, and that isn't enough to change the world for the better. Not when we are only here for a few months. So, changing the world has to be done using more conventional means. Means that will stay behind when we aren't here anymore to act as a deterrent."

"We will soon have multiple Knightmares like the Haken, powerful enough to take on any adversary. What we need are the pilots who will use them. And that is why we came here, to the wZERO squadron."

"Leila, you asked about our goals. We want to defeat the Britannians on the Eastern front. We want the URE to grant temporary citizenship to the Japanese refugees. Those are our goals for this part of the world."

"Once we are done here, We intend to take the squadron to Japan. I still want you to be the operational commander as we link with the local resistance groups and free our own country from Britannia's rule. This move will also benefit the URE by depriving Britannia of Japan's rich Sakuradite deposits and open another front to spread them thinner, and most of the refugees will return home."

Akeno fell silent and observed their reactions. If they had been scared to some extent when she started showing off, they were now displaying emotions ranging from doubt, to barely contained eagerness in the cases of some of the pilots.

As she had expected, expressing her intention to liberate Japan was going to be the decisive factor.

Haruka and Toru in particular already were smiling, staring at a scenery only they could see. Likely featuring a squad of overpowered Knightmares kicking Britannian butt under the acclamations and cheers of Japanese citizens.

"You said that you are only here for a few months." said Akito with a calm voice, looking at her with… sympathy? "Is this a side-effect of your power? Are you going to…"

"Not at all." smiled Akeno as she shook her head. "This is a long story, one I will not tell you about today since you all had enough revelations already, but to make it short, we are operating on the behalf of seven Deities. Yes, I said Deities, and this world is only one in a long list of worlds who could use some help. Yes, there exists an infinity of Earths in parallel dimensions, and humans living among them."

"Once we have broken the spine of Britannia's military and freed Japan, we will move on to the next one on the list, leaving our Knightmares behind for people we trust to use wisely."

"And it is my hope that some among you will choose to follow us to help other Earths. I can assure you, it is a very fulfilling job to explore new realities, help people in need, and fight evil in all its forms. We also are very well compensated with many perks that billionaires wish they could buy. Like what you would call magic, or immortality. Yes, I said immortality. Gods do not like having to replace their agents every few decades, so they made it unnecessary."

…

Akeno had stopped speaking, and Leila noticed that all the members of the wZERO squadron had turned to her, and she understood why.

They trusted her, and they wanted to hear her opinion before making their own choices.

She took a deep breath, aware of the weight on her shoulders.

"When I first put on the uniform, I swore an oath to lay down my life if necessary to defend and protect the United Republic of Europia and its people. I meant it back then, and I still mean it now."

"If you really can make truth of your words and help us secure the Eastern front and give the URE room to breathe, I will consider my duty to the URE to be fulfilled, and I will help you free Japan to the best of my ability. As for following you afterward to other worlds, I first need to know more about it before I can make an informed decision."

"Thank you for your trust, Leila." smiled Akeno. "You can ask us anything about our past experiences and the worlds we already visited. Only the process of gaining some of our abilities is off-limits for those who intend to remain in this world after we're gone."

"I'm in!" nodded Haruka vehemently. "My ultimate goal is to see Japan liberated. To see its honor restored. If you can make it a reality, I wouldn't mind devoting the rest of my life to repay you."

"Careful about your words, Haruka." grinned Kasumi. "It could be a very long life if you join us."

"I can't leave for another world, but I would do anything to free Japan as well. You can count me in." nodded Roze.

Leila nodded to herself as, without surprise, the Knightmare pilots, all of them Japanese, declared their willingness to help Akeno bring the squadron to Japan and fight Britannia in their homeland. Even Chloe, Hilda and Ferilli, URE citizens like her, declared their intent to follow in Leila's footsteps.

Only Claus declined.

"I am sorry, but I have a daughter living in the URE. I won't leave with you guys when you go to Japan."

"I understand." nodded Leila. "When the time comes, I will write you a glowing letter of recommendation."

"Thank you, Leila." smiled Claus.

Within minutes, the squad members had turned into small groups. Da Vinci was talking to the three engineer girls about technologies and future improvements they could easily make to the drones and Alexanders, like assisted aiming algorithms. Not that the white Knightmares would be used for much longer, from the sounds of it. Kazumi and Izumi were talking about their own world, where the technology was apparently more advanced, and demonstrating more magic. And Akeno was expanding on the gods and the faction she belonged to.

She would have liked to stay longer, but she had to leave the celebration after a while. She had an important report to write, and the higher-ups had probably already heard about that mysterious Knightmare seen crushing Sutherlands left and right by soldiers of the 132nd. They would want that report and records of the battle, and they would want them yesterday.

…

"Kallen, Ohgi, can you both afford to be away for a few days without attracting suspicion?" asked Zero.

"I can." replied Ohgi from the other side of a row of lockers as he was removing his Black Knight uniform and changing into his civilian clothes.

He had been a teacher, before the invasion. Then he became the head of a resistance cell. And now, he was the second in command of the Black Knights, an organization of vigilantes protecting both Japanese and Britannia citizens from the predations of the strong.

Which generally meant fighting Britannia's military and nobles, since they were the ones doing the predation most of the time, and were determined to hunt down Zero and his subordinates.

He had admitted in front of live cameras to killing Clovis vi Britannia, after all. And the Holy Empire of Britannia would never let the assassination of the de facto ruler of Area 11, much less a Prince of the Empire, unpunished.

"I can be away for a while." nodded Kallen, removing the headband she typically wore around her forehead when she was piloting a Knightmare to keep her neck-length, pinkish red hair out of the way. She turned toward him, her blue eyes almost shining in the dim room, but Zero was turning his back on them to give them a semblance of privacy.

"My cover is that of a sickly student often needing to stay home to rest, so my classmates won't suspect a thing. And my family doesn't care enough to ask what I am doing. Do you have a task for us?"

She wouldn't want him to be looking as she changed, of course, but his apparent indifference also irked her, as if he didn't see her as a woman. And maybe he didn't, for all she knew. It was hard to say when she had never seen his face. Zero always wore a black and blue helmet whenever he interacted with them. All she knew was that he wasn't Japanese.

Shaking her head at her own silliness, she started removing the black vest of her uniform.

"Yes. Kallen, I wish for you to act as a bodyguard, for both Ohgi and Kaguya Sumeragi. Although she will surely have her own escort."

"Kaguya-sama?" wondered Kallen. She had met the Young Mistress of the Kyoto House once when Zero visited her and her fellow Japanese industrialists, and her decision to support Zero had been instrumental in getting their support.

The very Knightmare Zero had assigned to her, the Guren, as well as every other Knightmare used by the Black Knights, had been built and delivered by the Kyoto House.

"Kaguya will travel around the world for a few days to meet some important people. People who might have an interest in keeping Britannia's attention away from their own affairs, and she offered me to bring along a representative of the Black Knights to help us secure more support. Ohgi is the ideal person for it, and he knows what we need. I want you to be with them, just in case something happens. When it comes to fighting, you are our best. I will feel at ease if you are with them." said Zero.

"Understood." smiled Kallen, feeling gratified. "Am I taking the Guren with me?"

"No. You will be attending social events. Also, use the occasion to relax and make some good memories. Opportunities to travel to other countries do not come often. You will both find on the table some money for your expenses and fake ID cards."

"One day, Zero, I will get you to tell me just how you manage to procure those things so easily. You always have them ready." smiled Ohgi.

"I just ask nicely." replied Zero, a grin in his voice.

…

The next day, Ohgi and Kallen waited inside an abandoned warehouse, suitcases in hand. Ohgi had dressed in a gray business suit that didn't quite seem to fit, while Kallen wore a pale-yellow dress. She also had a pair of knives hidden under her skirt.

It was about time for them to be picked up.

With impeccable timing, the metal curtain of the warehouse rose, and a white limo entered. The chauffeur greeted them, put their suitcases into the trunk, and opened the passenger door for them. Ohgi and Karen climbed in.

Sitting in front of them was Kaguya Sumeragi, probably the wealthiest Japanese woman while being only nineteen, flanked by two female bodyguards Kallen didn't knew.

As etiquette demanded, she would ignore their presence unless Kaguya introduced them.

Kaguya was very beautiful with her long black hair, large green eyes and perfect face. A thin golden band with a single red gem adorned her forehead. She was dressed in a white and red dress whose design reminded them of ancient ceremonial shrine maidens, but with a touch of modernity, and she looked great in it. To say that she had a long list of candidates for her hand would be an understatement.

"Greeting, Kaguya-sama." smiled Ohgi. "We are very grateful for the opportunity you offered us."

"Hello, Kaguya-sama." nodded Kallen respectfully. "It is a pleasure to see you in good health."

"Thank you, Ohgi, Kallen. I am glad that you could join me on this trip." smiled Kaguya as the Limo started driving away and toward the airport. "It had been too long since I was able to speak to someone close to my future husband, and when I have him on the phone, he never says much about himself. It is so frustrating."

Kellen awkwardly nodded. She had hoped that Kaguya was over it, but that didn't seem to be the case. After her first meeting with Zero, she had unilaterally declared that he would be her husband, and pretended not to hear his polite refusal.

"There isn't too much we can say about him, Kaguya-sama, since he hides his identity even from us." said Ohgi.

"I am aware. But surely you can tell me about Zero-sama when he is acting as the commander of the Black Knights."

"We will tell you what we can without breaking operational security, Kaguya-sama." nodded Ohgi.

"That is great." grinned Kaguya. "And speaking about operational security, I would like to know if the Black Knights are operating inside the URE? I received a strange call this morning, and if this one isn't yours, we may have another person we will want to meet."

As she talked, Kaguya gestured to one of the bodyguards who picked up a small suitcase beside her, opened it, and took from it a picture that she extended to Ohgi.

Kallen looked, curious. She could see a few Knightmares standing near the edge of a cliff, and more on a road below it. The photo had been taken from high altitude and through a hole in the cloud cover, it seemed. Probably from an observation balloon.

"The black one and the white ones seem to be URE Alexanders in their Insect Mode. Instead of using wheeled skates like most Knightmares do, they get on all four and run like, well, insects. They can't reach the same top speed on flat terrain, but it makes them very nimble and harder to hit from the front. And the gray ones below are URE Panzer Hummels." carefully said Kallen, who knew more about Knightmares than Ohgi did. "I do not recognize the other one. From its shadow and size relative to the alexanders, it seems to be a big one."

"Yes. According to my contact, its name is written in Japanese Kanji, and translates as Haken."

"What a domineering name." frowned Ohgi, and Kaguya nodded.

"Its pilot is someone named Akeno Himejima, and she came out of nowhere. Officially, she is a Japanese refugee recruited into the special squadron wZERO, but since when does a refugee comes with a Knightmare in her backpack? Especially a refugee barely given any training by the URE military, yet raking up thirty-one Sutherland kills on her first sortie?"

"Thirty-one!?"

Kallen and Ohgi gasped at the number. This was the kind of killing spree that Kallen might manage on a good day, with proper support, and if there were enough enemies in the first place. Whoever this Akeno was, she was good, very good. And the idea of recruiting her immediately came to mind.

But she probably was already part of another well-supplied resistance cell somewhere or secret organization.

"My contact wanted to know if Kyoto House had built it. He wanted to buy some for the URE army. But since this isn't the case, I was wondering if maybe this Knightmare or its pilot were part of the Black Knights."

"I am almost certain this isn't the case." frowned Ohgi. "Can I contact Zero to check?"

"Yes, please." nodded Kaguya.

"Hum, Kaguya-sama, you know you could have asked him directly, right?" asked Kallen, and the brunette blushed awkwardly.

"That is… it seems I called my future husband too often lately, because he blocked my number. I even had to use another phone to tell him about the invitation to this trip."

"Oh. I am sorry to hear that." said Kallen tactfully.

On the side, Ohgi was talking in a low voice to Zero, explaining what Kaguya had told them, and his decision was swift as always.

"Zero want us to meet her and evaluate her. If we think she would be a good addition to the Black Knights, we will try to recruit her. He also unblocked your number, Kaguya-sama, but asks you to please restrain yourself."

"Yes, thank you, Ohgi." smiled Kaguya.

"Will we stop near the frontlines, then, Kaguya-sama? It would be dangerous even if I had the Guren with me."

"That may not be necessary, Kallen." shrugged Kaguya. "We aren't the only ones who want to speak with her, far from it, and she has been invited to Paris to attend a gala. The very same one we wanted to attend in the first place, so invitations aren't an issue. Finding an opportunity for a secret chat with her might prove difficult, however."

"I see." nodded Kallen and Ohgi.

Kallen was looking forward to meeting this mysterious pilot. Heaven knew the Black Knights needed all the talented personnel they could find.

…

"We received a command from the higher-ups, Akeno." announced Leila as she entered a room in the castle's basement. Inside was a special Alexander, its body painted orange. Its frame was the same, but it didn't have a cockpit attached to its back.

It was one of the drones, executing various moves on a multi-directional treadmill while being linked to cables dangling from the ceiling. The team was testing its reaction speed to various simulated stimulus.

Da Vinci was rewriting some portions of the code at lightning speed to make the drone faster and more responsive, and Ferilli, Hilda and Choe were watching in awe.

"I have a guess as to what type of command that will be. Are Da Vinci and I summoned to Paris? Maybe Izumi and Kasumi as well?"

"I haven't told them that Da Vinci is the one who created the Haken." replied Leila as she shook her head. "In fact, I haven't told them anything about what you said during the celebration. My report only included what happened during the battle and to the Lieutenant-Colonel. But they already know you are the pilot, so you are going to have to attend a gala, where they will without a doubt want to know where you and the Haken come from."

"And I will go with you, since I have, for my sins, been promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel after this crushing victory two days ago. Not that I did much during that fight."

"Congratulations on the promotion, Lieutenant-Colonel Leila Malcal. You deserve it." grinned Akeno with a crisp salute.

"Thank you." smiled Leila. She didn't detect any hint of mockery in Akeno's suddenly formal salute.

"I am relieved to hear it, actually." continued Akeno as she relaxed. "It means they won't send some unknown officer to interfere with us, and they won't reassign you to another post."

"I imagine some might have seen you as an easy way to collect promotions and accolades, but the suspicious death of my predecessor might make them think twice about trying to steal credit for your actions. We'll leave for the airport tomorrow early morning. You need to be ready at 6:00."

"I will be. One of our many perks we received is that three hours of sleep are enough to be well rested." grinned Akeno.

"That makes me so envious." sheepishly said Leila. "And do not think I do not realize what you're doing, you temptress."

"As long as it works…" chuckled Akeno.

"How are the drones doing?" asked Leila, changing the subject.

"They should be ready to be used for that operation, Lieutenant-Colonel." grinned Chloe. "We too are happy for your promotion. Da Vinci-sama is doing wondrous work, and their overall performance has already increased by over 30 percent. They might not be quite as dangerous in melee combat as the Britannian elite knights, but as weapon platforms, they will be very nimble and accurate. They won't just fire at their targets, but learn how they move and anticipate their attempts at dodging. And Da Vinci-sama has reworked their control interface to lessen your load with a dozen pre-made commands like 'escort this ally' or 'set up a kill zone there'…"

"That is great." smiled Leila.

"The only issue is that since the Haken is much bigger than an Alexander, the number of drones available for that operation will be reduced by two for each Haken." finished Chloe.

"Well worth it, even if I do not know yet what that operation is about." shrugged Akeno.

Leila could only agree.

…

Akeno glanced with a fond smile at the Sanctuary on her desk, where Da Vinci was in the process of building the first Haken Mk2. The previous battle had revealed a number of minor issues in the design, like that time when Akeno had almost thrown herself off the control saddle due to excessive G forces, and the wrist blades leading to a fighting style a little too stiff. The leg joints also needed reinforcement, according to Da Vinci.

The second iteration would have a pair of proper swords sheathed on its back instead, and two laser cannons would be integrated into the forearms. They would be a nasty surprise for whoever poor soul wound up facing them.

Akeno felt sympathy for the genius Heroic Spirit who was shouldering a heavy burden without complaining. She knew how boring it must be to use Item Creation for each and every single component that would be required, but Da Vinci did it without a single complaint.

And the Knightmares were too big to simply create them using golem magic.

Da Vinci was one of the Great Game's unsung heroes, and Akeno would make sure to express her gratitude in a very personal manner later on.

She was setting her alarm for 4:00 when she heard a knock on the door, and Akeno stood, slightly surprised. It was 22:17, and she didn't expect anyone. The twins had told her they were going to train most of the night on the simulators to learn how to use the Alexanders.

She opened the door, and Roze was there, a determined expression on his face.

"Akeno, can I talk to you in private for a few minutes?"

"Of course. Please come in." nodded Akeno.

"Thank you." said Roze as he stepped in.

"What can I do for you?"

Roze didn't reply right away, staring at her, and Akeno suspected that he was about to reveal some of his secrets. Her lie detection ability had triggered quite often whenever she spoke with him, and she knew he was hiding some major things about himself.

"Akeno, I… I want you to know that I am sorry." sighed Roze as he lifted his right hand to his throat.

Akeno frowned, mentally preparing herself to react to any sudden movement as Roze touched the gem of his choker, causing several of its components to move and retract themselves, uncovering most of his throat.

And that wasn't all, as Roze's face suddenly changed. The face of a young man with blue eyes and short wavy blonde hair, aside from a longer side braid, suddenly turned into the one of a beautiful young women with long, straight black hair in a hime cut, and purplish-pink eyes with bluish rings near her irises.

"I, Sakuya Sumeragi, commands you. Be my slave, Akeno!" said 'Roze' with a very feminine voice, and some ridiculously over the top hand gesture. A strange red crest glowed around 'Roze' throat for an instant before disappearing, and a system message appeared in Akeno's vision."

[You have resisted the compulsory effect of Geass]

Akeno smiled, but her eyes became cold. A very naughty girl was about to be punished.

"So this is this Geass thing I heard about." nodded Akeno.

Sakuya's eyes widened as she realized her power had failed somehow, and she took a step back, scared.

"I didn't mention it before, but one of the perks we got is a resistance to all kinds of mind-control abilities."

Akeno placed a hand on the Sanctuary and transferred them both inside.

Sakuya gasped as she looked around, seeing the house and the snow all around, aside from a patch of land where a metallic scaffolds supporting tools and mechanical arms had been erected. The mostly-completed frame of a large Knightmare could be seen standing in the middle, and Da Vinci was bending over a console. She looked curiously at the two newcomers.

"Akeno?"

"This is Roze's real appearance." explained Akeno. "Her real name seems to be Sakuya Sumeragi. She has one of those Geass abilities Noah told us about, and she just tried to enslave me."

"Ohoh, that's a very bad thing to do." chuckled Da Vinci, stopping her work and walking closer.

"Please, I… This was a huge mistake." blurted out Sakuya, searching for a way out. She didn't even know where she was.

"A mistake indeed. Sakuya, before I decide what to do with you, you better come clean. Why did you try to make me your slave? And do not lie, please. I will know if you do. Another perk." said Akeno.

Sakuya considered her options for a few seconds, but there wasn't really a choice. She knew trying to resist physically was futile, and she had already given Akeno her true name. All it would take was for her to search the internet for a few minutes to understand nearly everything.

She decided that being honest and appealing to their sympathy offered her the best chance of getting out of this mess.

"I… am Sakuya Sumeragi." sighed Sakuya. "The daughter and only child of Jugo Sumeragi, the Last Emperor of Japan. I am, technically speaking, the legitimate Imperial Princess. And I am a fugitive. Britannia believes they have me imprisoned as a political hostage to help keep the Japanese industry leaders in line. But the person they keep prisoner is my childhood friend and body double, Sakura Haruyanagi-no-miya."

"You body double? So she looks a lot like you?" asked Akeno.

"Yes. If not for the blue in my pupils, we would be nearly undistinguishable. At least, that is how we were seven years ago. I haven't seen her since, and Britannia doesn't let her close to any camera."

"And you tried to enslave me because?"

"I wanted to borrow your power to save her." replied Sakuya. "Eventually, Britannia will decide they do not need her anymore and they will kill her, or maybe give her as a trophy to one of their nobles. We may not share the same blood, but she is a sister to me. With my father gone, she is the only close relative I have left!"

"I understand…" nodded Akeno. "And how did you obtain that power?"

"…When I was traveling around the Siberian mountains to reach the URE, I was crossing a frozen river. But the ice broke under my feet, and I almost died. I was saved by a strange woman with long green hair calling herself CC. She offered me power. She warned me that if I accepted, the Power of Kings would isolate me, but I was already alone and helpless back then, and I wasn't in a position to refuse any kind of power. Later on, I used that power to obtain this choker that could help my hide my identity, and I joined the special squadron."

"Why that squadron, however? Were you not aware of the high casualty rate?" asked Da Vinci.

"I wanted to find strong allies who might be able to help me, as well as steal some of their Knightmares. And I wanted an opportunity to kill some Britannian soldiers and become stronger myself. I was waiting for the best time to steal them and secure a transport method, and then, you came."

"I see." nodded Akeno. "Last question, then, before we speak about your punishment. Have you used your Geass on anyone in the base?"

"No." replied Sakuya, steeling herself at the reminder that she was going to be punished. It seemed leniency wasn't in the cards after all. "I dislike using this power on anyone who isn't a Britannian soldier or noble, and it was unnecessary so far."

"But once all the conditions were reunited for your attempt, you would have?" asked Da Vinci, and Sakuya nodded, lowering her head in shame.

"Alright, I have decided." nodded Akeno, creating a slave contract. "Sakuya Sumeragi, you tried to enslave me. As punishment, I will make you my slave."

Sakuya opened her mouth to protest, but Akeno stopped her with a hand gesture.

"I am not finished. We will go to Japan in the very near future and save your childhood friend. And she, too, will become my slave, as repayment for her rescue. The two of you will follow us to other worlds, receive all the benefits we agents of the Gods get for our service, and you two will live together forever."

Akeno handed the slave contract to Sakuya, who paled as she started to read the terms.

"This is..."

"This isn't a negotiation, Sakuya." cut in Akeno. "You are going to be bound by those terms, willingly or not. I have many methods at my disposal to convince reluctant people, and I already have done so many times. Trying to resist will only result in us wasting time that could be better used saving your childhood friend."

"H-How many slaves do you have?"

"Dozens. I don't bother keeping a count. Not all of them were unwilling, of course. But all of them are happy. This isn't a grim purgatory I am forcing upon you and Sakura. Many would call it a reward rather than a punishment. Now, sign it with a drop of your blood."

Akeno suddenly had a knife in hand, and held its tip near the contract in Sakuya's trembling hands.

Sakuya hesitated. The terms on that contract described nothing short of absolute servitude. If she accepted them, she wouldn't be a person anymore. She would be a thing to be owned, by Akeno and this person named Noah that she had previously mentioned.

But what choice did she have? As Akeno had made clear, this wasn't a negotiation.

And maybe, this was what she deserved, in a way. Her own Geass was just as absolute, and while she disliked using it on innocent people… that hadn't stopped her hand.

She nicked her index on the tip of the knife and let a drop of her blood fall on the contract. She dropped it when it burst into flames, but it was consumed before it reached the ground.

"What now…" asked Sakuya with a short hesitation. She didn't feel any different from before.

"Stand on your left leg, Sakuya." smiled Akeno, and Sakuya felt strange as she realized she already had lifted her right leg.

"Da Vinci, how long do you think you will need to complete the Mk2?" asked Akeno.

"The chassis will be ready in two days, subjective. I will need one more for the weapons and the software to be added."

"Very well. We will need to move your stuff to the castle, I'm afraid. I will have to take the Sanctuary with me."

"I understand." chuckled Da Vinci. "We'll hold the fort while you go rescue the princess. The other princess. You should be away less than two weeks, I assume?"

"A lot less, I hope. Izumi and Kasumi will be piloting the Mk1 and the Mk2 if another operation happens while Sakuya and I are away. Sakuya, you can now stand normally."

"Are we leaving immediately?" hopefully asked Sakuya as she became able to put her right foot down.

She was now keenly aware that she couldn't oppose any of Akeno's decisions, as was likely her intent.

"Not quite." smiled Akeno as she shook her head. "There's that important gala or whatever in Paris tomorrow, and you're coming. Maybe not to the gala itself, but I will keep you around."

"Once that is over, we will go save your friend, yes. But first, we're going to interrupt Leila's sleep, and I will get to watch her reaction as you reveal your real appearance to her and tell her why we suddenly need a permission slip. You can hide the existence of your Geass, but you will be honest about the rest, understand?"

"I'm coming. I want to see her face." grinned Da Vinci

Sakuya groaned, but she nodded regardless. She didn't have a choice anymore.

…

Leila groaned at the knocking on the door that refused to go away and left her covers. She quickly ran her fingers through her hair to try to get them in a semblance of order and opened the door, hoping it wasn't a real emergency. The absence of any shouts implied it wasn't.

And if it wasn't, someone was going to pay.

She opened the door, finding out that the one knocking had been Akeno. Behind her were Da Vinci and Roze.

"Tonight of all nights. I hope you have a good excuse." grumbled Leila.

"An urgent development, but not a dangerous one, Leila. Can we enter?" smiled Akeno, and Leila nodded.

Leila saw her glance down at her blue pajamas, and although Akeno didn't say anything, Leila suddenly felt conscious of them, and she blushed slightly.

"So, what is this about?" asked Leila to get this over quickly.

"A piece of good news first. The first Haken-Mk2 is nearly complete, thanks to Da Vinci's tireless work. It will be in the castle by the time we leave tomorrow."

"That is great news!" smiled Leila. "Great job, Da Vinci. you really produce miracles."

"Hehe, I am more than a little proud of it myself." nodded Da Vinci.

Then, Da Vinci and Akeno both looked at Roze, who seemed very, very uncomfortable. He sighed and spoke.

"Leila, I have a confession to make. I have lied to you, to everyone, about something, and I am very sorry about it."

"…What is it?" frowned Leila.

When Roze touched the choker he never went without, and he suddenly turned into a she, Leila's jaw went slack, and she rubbed her eyes to be sure she was seeing correctly.

"My real name is Sakuya Sumeragi, Leila. I am sorry..."

Leila gestured for her to stop as she looked at Akeno and Da Vinci, who were both struggling to contain their amusement.

"You’ve had your show, now get out, both of you!"

"Yes, Leila." grinned Akeno as they headed for the door. "I will just point out that she had a good reason to hide her identity. If Britannia had learned about her being there, someone close to her would have been harmed… And, they're cute."

Leila turned to grab her pillow and yeeted it at Akeno, but she already had closed the door with a laugh.

"That overpowered brat!" growled Leila as she stared at the door, then she sighed and turned to 'Roze', speaking in a flat voice.

"Tell me."

Sakuya did, and when she finished her story and told her about Akeno's intention to go to Japan with her after the Gala, Leila nodded.

"I will allow it. If Akeno is as strong as she says, it won't take long. Sakuya, keep up your Roze disguise with everyone in the squadron. You are not to reveal it to anyone for now. If you do… Britannia may hear about it."

Sakuya's eyes widened.

"Are you suspecting one of them to be a spy?"

Leila didn't suspect, she knew. But she didn't want to explain Claus's circumstances to others, so she simply nodded. Claus might have leaked some things of limited value, but never anything that would endanger the squadron, and she felt confident he never would.

"Return to your bunk and get some sleep. You need to be ready to leave at 6:00."

"Thank you, Leila." replied Sakuya with a soft voice. "I am grateful for your understanding."

"We all have our circumstances. Considering yours, what you did wasn't wrong. But do not slip up now that your goal is in sight. We've had information leaks before. Nothing truly important so far, but…" warned Leila, and Sakuya took it to heart, reactivating her Roze disguise.

After she left, Leila sighed, picked up her pillow, gave it a few slaps to get the dust off, and returned to her bed.

As she tried to sleep, she suddenly smiled, thinking about the danger of getting one's wishes fulfilled. Weeks ago, she had been hoping for a miracle to happen and reverse the URE's sleepwalking toward defeat.

Now, it looked like she was getting that miracle, but she better hang on for dear life!