Ch 249: Priceless, Worthless.

After she got far enough away, Akeno found a place to hide. It wasn't exactly hard, as Shinjuku had recently become depopulated after Prince Clovis decided massacring tenths of thousands of Japanese was a viable solution to hide one of his failures.

Zero had given him what he deserved, a bullet in the head. He was without a doubt screaming in the afterlife, and would be for a long, long life.

Akeno placed the Sanctuary into the abandoned ruin of what had been a modest apartment and entered inside.

Sakuya and Sakura were sitting beside each other on one sofa, and Tohdoh and the still hooded Cécile were on the opposite one. Cécile was awake, and seemed to be focusing on listening and not attracting undue attention to herself by moving. She was smart.

"You really look like twins." grinned Akeno as she removed her kitsune helmet and sat on the armchair near the sofas.

"Thank you so much, Akeno!" smiled Sakuya. "You really can do anything you set your mind to!"

"Being the agent of a deity helps a lot with that, as you will personally experience soon. You too will pull off ridiculous stunts after you gain these abilities."

"Your name is Akeno?" carefully asked Tohdoh. "I wish to thank you for rescuing me, but why did you do it?"

Akeno leaned forward and removed Cécile's hood, then her gag. Cécile blinked as her vision gradually returned and looked around warily.

"Do I need a reason to save a member of the JLF from execution? Do you mind if I simply call you Tohdoh? I am not big on formalities."

"Please do. You are my benefactor after all. But I had made my peace with my scheduled execution. I do not intend to fight anymore."

"…Tohdoh, how much is your life worth?" asked Akeno after considering him for a few seconds.

"Not much." shrugged Tohdoh. "I am just a tired old soldier."

"It is worth less than the lives of many members of the Japanese resistance?"

"Yes." nodded Tohdoh.

"Is it worth less than the lives of your subordinates? The Four Holy Swords?"

"A lot less." agreed Tohdoh.

"Then use your life to save theirs! The liberation of Japan is only a few months away, and they will participate in it. They will stand a better chance of survival if you are there to lead them."

"A few months away, you say?"

"Have you heard about Britannia recently suffering setbacks in their Europian frontline?"

"I have been in jail for months." shrugged Tohdoh.

"I see… then accompany me back to the frontline, just as an observer for now. I want you to witness the performances of the Knightmares we are building over there. I intend for one of them to be yours."

Tohdoh stared at Akeno for long seconds, before he nodded.

"We do we leave?"

"Soon. I still have a few people to meet and two errands to do in Japan." sighed Akeno before she looked at Cécile.

"Sorry for earlier, Cécile." said Akeno with an apologetic smile. "But this is war after all, and you should expect to paint a target on your backs when you create something like the Lancelot. Suzaku and Lloyd are fine. They must have woken up by now. And I stole the Lancelot."

"The war would have been over if you accepted the reality of the situation." frowned Cécile. "I do not like my country having taken over other nations, but this is what it is, and armed resistance only makes it worse for the civilians."

"Yes, because living under the iron fist of Britannians treating you as subhumans and making you live in broken buildings while they use your country's resources to create Britannian-only areas is so much better. Have you visited Shinjuku or Saitama after the recent facelifting Britannia did? They haven't finished cleaning up the bloodstains." sarcastically replied Akeno, and Cécile lowered her eyes in shame.

"…What do you intend to do with me?"

"In the short term, you will join my side and contribute to improving the Knightmares I mentioned. They already can fight the Knights of the Rounds, but they still have room for improvement."

"No." said Cécile with a determined expression. "If that was the only reason you took me, you may as well kill me now."

Akeno stared at her for a few seconds, then shrugged and looked at everyone else.

"I will take Cécile to the basement, where she will be confined until she changes her mind. That is the one part of the house none of you is allowed to enter. Tohdoh, please choose a room upstairs for yourself. Sakuya, please help Sakura choose one as well, and make yourself at home. It will be a few days before I can let you out. And please tell her about our future plans, our agreement, and her role in it."

"…Yes." sighed Sakuya. She wasn't looking forward to revealing to her childhood friend that she actually was a slave, and that Akeno intended for her to be one as well.

Tohdoh, Sakura and Sakuya climbed the stairs, and Cécile looked nervously as Akeno stood and opened the door to the basement.

"After you." smiled Akeno.

Cécile sighed and stood, thinking that Akeno was going to stuff her in a cell and let her stew for a while. She walked down the stairs waited for Akeno to open the door at the bottom, and when she took a good look at the content of the basement, it took her a few seconds to understand what she was looking at.

"No…" breathed Cécile, her face going pale.

"It's not as bad as it looks, pet. I promise you that a month from now, the basement will be your favorite part of the house."

Cécile was stiff handcuffed, and she couldn't resist effectively when Akeno started removing her uniform.

"W-Why are you doing this?"

"There are some deep reasons, going beyond even the conflict between Britannia and the Japanese resistance or Europia, but you do not need to know for now, and I am not in the mood for lengthy explanations. I have done a lot of that these last few days, and I'm tired of it. All you need to think about is that I am going to mold you into a sexual submissive, a proper slave pet for me and my lover and Master."

Akeno removed the cuff around Cécile's left wrist, only to cuff her again when she got Cécile's vest, shirt and bra out of the way.

Seconds later, Cécile stood naked in her cuffs, trembling, when Akeno walked to a closet and took from it a black latex bodysuit. Not one of the golems-type models that Noah was playing with when training his most recent slaves, but one that could open access holes after being synched to the phone app.

"Sit on that chair and lift your right leg, Cécile. You are going to wear this one."

"I guess it beats being naked." sighed Cécile as she sat down, and Akeno got to work. Soon, she had both of Cécile's legs tightly wrapped by the tight latex, and had her stand to keep dressing her up. When she was done, Akeno took a few steps back to look at Cécile, and the Britannian officer blushed despite herself.

Next on Akeno's agenda was a black, metallic chastity belt with a smaller replica of Noah's cock, and a butt plug shaped like several balls of increasing size lined up. Cécile's eyes bulged when she saw it.

"Yes, this is going on you. Or maybe I should say inside you? You aren't a virgin, right?" smiled Akeno.

"I-I am!" blushed Cécile, scared of the belt.

"Oh." said Akeno as she stopped, and she disconnected both the dildo and the butt plug from the belt.

"Change of plans, then. I will let you keep both of your vaginal and anal virginity until the day you can offer them to our Master, as proof of your devotion to him. Until you get the opportunity to meet him, I will train you for oral service and for long-term denial play."

Cécile tried to struggle as Akeno used her phone to have the catsuit open both holes so that she would be able to have bathroom breaks, and installed the belt around her waist. Once locked, the belt adjusted itself for a comfortable fit. Although Cécile would find it anything but comfortable.

"The belt still has a stimulator pressed against your love button, pet. I will set it to activate on random patterns. Before long, you will be desperate to touch yourself."

"I will endure it." said Cécile with a glare.

Akeno ignored her bravado and next put a special chest harness on Cécile. She wasn't small by any means, but both she and Noah liked them big. Next came a special black leather collar that would ensure she came to love bondage, latex and denial far sooner than she would think.

The last item Akeno wanted Cecile to wear was a box-type armbinder. Cécile reluctantly put her hands against her opposite elbows, letting Akeno slip the leather sack over them, and she fastened the leather straps to make it hold her arms in its snug embrace.

"There, all done for now. You can go to the toilet over there if needed, pet. The suit has open holes, as I'm sure you noticed, and the front part of the belt has many small holes to let fluids through, while the back had a ring. Hygiene won't be an issue either. You can sleep on the bed, or explore the room, although without the use of your hands. I will often visit you to give you food and water, and also to train you."

"My companions will find me and rescue me." declared Cécile with a glare.

Akeno replied by taking her phone and tapping the screen a few times, and Cécile bit down a groan, stiffening, when something inside the front plate of her belt started vibrating.

"See you later, my pet."

Akeno smiled, then left the basement, locking the door behind her.

She took the stairs to the second floor and tried several doors, knocking to see if someone answered. The first door was opened by Tohdoh.

"Sorry for bothering you, I wanted to speak with Sakuya and Sakura."

Tohdoh looked at her with a serious expression. "Princess Sakuya has taken the room facing mine, and Sakura is next to hers. Akeno, I thought carefully about what you told me. I will rejoin the fight against Britannia."

"I am glad to hear it." smiled Akeno. "Are you still coming with me and the princess to the eastern frontline, or would you prefer for me to drop you somewhere in Japan?"

"I want to find my companions. I am worried about them."

"I understand. When you make contact with them, try to join the Black Knights. We are about to provide the designs for new Knightmares to the individuals who back them up. And when the wZERO squadron comes to Japan, there will be another one for you. One capable of fighting with the best of the Knights of Rounds."

"Thank you, Akeno. I appreciate it."

"So am I, Tohdoh. So am I. Once Japan is liberated, I intend for you to be part of the new government. And remind me to give you new clothes, money and a fake ID card. You won't go far with that prisoner outfit."

"You are correct." smiled Tohdoh. I will retire for the night. Thank you again, Akeno."

"You're welcome." replied Akeno as she closed the door, and she knocked on the opposite one. With no answer, she moved to Sakura's room and knocked again. Sakuya opened.

"Can I enter?"

"Why even ask? You could order me to let you enter." shrugged Sakuya.

"It is technically Sakura's room now, at least temporarily, and I'm trying to be polite."

"Please enter." sighed Sakura behind Sakuya.

"Thank you." nodded Akeno. "Did you have time to tell her everything?"

"I didn't go into too much details about the plan to liberate Japan, and I didn't tell her what action caused you to decide to enslave me." sighed Sakuya as she sat beside her childhood friend. "But I told her about the slave contract."

"I see. How are you taking it, Sakura?"

"How do you want me to take something like this? I was grateful to you for saving me, but it looks like I only jumped from the pan and into the fire." bitterly said Sakura.

"It is one way to see things." acknowledged Akeno. "Another way would be to consider that you are going to gain many things people would willingly trade their freedom for. Besides, Noah doesn't keep his slaves on a short leash. As long as we do not do something detrimental to the family, we are essentially allowed to go anywhere, do anything we want."

"The only significant freedom we lack is the right to have a romantic or physical relationship with another man. And after experiencing Noah's affection and love, I do not think I will ever need anyone else."

Sakura didn't look immediately convinced, but it was fine with Akeno. She was willing to give her some time to think it through before she would resort to more forceful methods.

"Come to think of it, I have yet to show any of you what Noah even looks like, right?" smiled Akeno, taking her smartphone and displaying a picture of Noah. She showed it to them for a few seconds.

"About his looks at least, I do not think you have any reason to complain. And I won't demand you sign the contract immediately, Sakura. now I'll be going. The Sanctuary isn't really in a safe place right now."

Sakura nodded wordlessly, and Akeno left the room.

…

On the morning of the next day, Akeno dropped Tohdoh in a back alley near a metro station, then headed to Ashford Academy, a gigantic campus Britannia had built for the youngsters of Britannian families in Tokyo.

Akeno had made an approximate version of the school uniform based on Noah's memories, but when she spotted several students walking toward the campus, she turned away to find a back alley. Two minutes later, she emerged from it wearing a significantly more accurate version and entered the campus.

And she immediately attracted a lot of attention, as she was not only attractive to an almost inhuman level, but also a Japanese among a sea of Caucasian students.

As expected, moving incognito was impossible, so she switched to plan B.

With her most friendly smile, she approached the closest boy.

"Hello. I am new on the campus, and I would like to meet the student council. Would you be so kind as to give me directions?"

Her smile had the desired effect, and the boy blushed as he nodded.

"Y-Yes, it is this way. B-But I can lead you there, if you wish. I have some free time, so it wouldn't be a bother."

"I would appreciate it, thank you." smiled Akeno.

"I am Theodore Spencer, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Theodore, and thank you for taking the time to bring me there." replied Akeno, not wanting to give him her name.

On the way, Theodore tried a few more times to get a conversation going, and Akeno politely shut him down until he gave up. They arrived in front of a large wooden door, with the label "Student Council" on the wall near it.

"The room of the Student Council is behind those doors, but this early in the morning, there probably aren't many of them present." warned Theodore.

"Thank you very much." nodded Akeno, staring at him with a neutral expression and not saying another word, and the boy left, disappointed.

Akeno made three knocks on the door, and a girl's voice inside invited her to enter.

Opening the door, Akeno entered a large room, about six meters wide and twenty meters long. On one side of the room, Several desks had been placed together in to form a massive table large enough for a dozen people to work while facing each other. The other half was a mostly empty space with a cat tree in a corner.

Two girls were present and looking at her with curiosity. Milly Ashford, the Student Council President, was the granddaughter of the Academy's superintendent. She had slightly wavy, shoulder-length blonde hair and dark blue eyes, and had a kind personality, and seemed to switch between serious and playful according to the situation. If Noah's memories were accurate, she was also betrothed to Lloyd Asplund despite him being easily twelve years older, and not by choice.

The other person was Shirley Fenette. An attractive girl with waist-long, straight orange hair and green eyes. She was in love with Lelouch and everyone knew it, although Lelouch himself, not interested in romance, pretended to be oblivious.

Akeno closed the door behind her and displayed her friendly smile again.

"Hello. From the descriptions Kallen gave me, you must be Ashford-san and Fenette-san. I am Akeno Enfield. It is nice to meet you."

"Hi." replied Shirley with a smile of her own. "Are you one of Kallen's friends?"

"More an acquaintance at this point, since we haven't known each other for long, although I do hope to become friends with her. We get along well so far." grinned Akeno.

"It is nice to hear that Kallen will soon have more friends." smiled Milli. "How is she feeling? She hasn't been in school these last few days."

"You know how her health is. She has her ups and downs." shrugged Akeno. "She wasn't feeling that great when I called her yesterday, but she also told me that there was nothing unusual with her health this time around, so it should only be a matter of time before she returns to school. Hey, this is Arthur, right?"

Akeno crouched with a grin and extended her right hand for the little black cat to sniff her. The cat was apparently satisfied as he decided to rub himself against her legs with a slight purr, shamelessly marking Akeno as his property.

She took Arthur into her arms and grinned at the girls.

"It looks like I made a new friend already!"

"You did!" laughed Milli, pointing to an electric kettle. "We were about to have tea. Would you like to join us?"

"Gladly, thank you for inviting me, Ashford-san." smiled Akeno.

"Please call me Milli. I won't have one of Kallen's friends act formally with me."

"Yes, I'd prefer you to call me Shirley as well." firmly nodded Shirley.

"Thank you. Call me Akeno too." said Akeno, sitting on the chair Milli had gestured to. "I hope my presence isn't disrupting your morning routine."

"Not at all." smiled Milli. "The members of the Student Council gather here before class to discuss the day's events or news, but the work only happens after classes. Are you a new student at Ashford Academy? This is the first time I have seen you, and with your looks, I am sure you would be well known through the campus."

"I am not a student, actually." shrugged Akeno. "And I must confess to the uniform I wear being a replica I made after seeing one of Kallen's uniforms. But I needed to speak with a member of the Student Council, and I thought that coming in civilian clothes would be just wrong. I stand out enough as I am."

"I see." nodded Milli, taking another long look at Akeno. "That isn't really something I can condone, but I guess it is harmless enough, and thank you for being upfront about it. Who did you want to talk to?"

"Nina Einstein. It is about the science project she is working on." replied Akeno. Arthur in her arms purred louder as she kept scratching behind his ears.

"Are you interested in what she's working on?" smiled Shirley. "She would be glad to tell someone about it, but whenever she talks to us, we quickly get lost. It's too technical for us."

"I can imagine. I am more skilled in cooking or baking than in physics myself." nodded Akeno with a sad smile. "But I know just enough about Nina's work to realize that an urgent talk to her is needed. She is about to open a door that should remain closed."

"What do you mean?" asked Milli with concern. But before Akeno could say more, another door opened, and three people entered. Akeno immediately recognized Lelouch, dressed in the male variant of the school's uniform, black with golden highlights.

He froze in complete shock when he saw her, although it only lasted for an instant.

Beside him was a Japanese maid with short brown hair and brown eyes pushing a wheelchair. Akeno knew that she was called Sayoko Shinozaki and was actually a martial artist and the successor of a ninja clan.

On the wheelchair was sitting Nunnally, Lelouch's little sister. She was a petite girl with delicate features, probably around fifteen, and long curly light brown hair. She was also blind, although that issue was psychological and not physical in nature.

"Hi, Lelouch. Long time no see." waved Akeno with a grin.

"You two know each other?" asked Milli.

"We played chess a few times in a public place, and he trounced me completely!" smiled Akeno as she turned to her. "Did you know that he always insists on taking the black pieces, and on moving his King at the first opportunity? When I asked him why he made such an illogical move, he told me that a King should always lead from the front, else how can he expect his subjects to follow him? Not that I disagree with that."

"That sounds so much like something Onii-sama would say." chuckled Nunnally.

"You must be Nunnally, and Sayoko-san. I am Akeno Enfield. It is very nice to meet you."

"It is nice to meet you too." smiled Nunnally.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance." nodded Sayoko with a polite smile. But her eyes were sharp.

"Did you come here to see me, Akeno?" asked Lelouch.

"Nope. I came because I needed to talk to someone else. You aren't the center of the world, Lelouch, and I already have a boyfriend, one who is more handsome than you."

"Puhi." choked Milli as she stifled a laugh. Shirley was watching with an amused smile, but Akeno didn't feel anything more coming from her. No anger at Akeno dissing the target of her affection, and no relief at Akeno's declaration she wasn’t interested in him.

Akeno had a strong suspicion about it, but this wasn't the right place for this talk.

"I came to see Nina Einstein." said Akeno with a more serious tone, setting Arthur back on the ground.

"Nina?" asked Lelouch

Someone knocked on the door, and it opened. A male student entered, tall for a Japanese, with short brown hair and green eyes.

"Good morning, everyone." said Suzaku Kururugi, pausing as he saw Akeno.

"Good morning, Suzaku." said Milli. "This is Akeno Enfield, one of Kallen's friends."

"It is nice to meet you." smiled Akeno with a nod.

"Likewise. I am Suzaku Kururugi." smiled Suzaku. "How is Kallen?"

"Not great as of yesterday, but she told me there wasn't anything unusual. She'll rest at home for a while then return to school."

"So you know both Kallen and Lelouch. it really is a small world." smiled Shirley.

"It is." agreed Akeno.

"The tea is ready, let's take your seats, everyone." suggested Milli.

Another knock on the door, and Akeno's target entered the room.

Nina Einstein was a girl with short, dark green hair, aside from two long bangs framing her face, has indigo eyes, and wore glasses.

"Good morning, every… an Eleven?" gasped Nina, her eyes going wide.

Akeno sighed inwardly. Noah had warned her that, at this stage of the fiction, this girl was a xenophobe, in the true sense of the term. She was scared of Japanese people, and one scolding her or shouting at her would be enough to cause her a panic attack. Later in the fiction, she would outgrow it and interact normally with people of all kinds. Unfortunately, one of the major events causing her growth was something Akeno was here to prevent.

"I prefer Japanese." smiled Akeno. "You do not need to look so worried, I promise I do not bite. I am Akeno Enfield. It is nice to meet you. I wanted to speak with you."

"With me?" gasped Nina.

"Yeah, about your current science project. Can you tell me more about it?"

"Oh. Are you interested in particle physics?" asked Nina, her fear muted as if a switch had just been flipped.

"I heard you are experimenting with something that would start with a nuclear fission and cause a collapse effect on the matter around it."

"Yes! I already managed to cause a few Uranium-235 atoms to split by bombarding them with a neutron cannon, and by using Sakuradite…"

Akeno listening intently as Nina went on, while Milli served everyone tea. After nearly two minutes, Akeno lifted her hand to stop her.

"Sorry, you lost me in the details of the Folkvangr Field."

"That's already a lot more than we could follow." nodded Milli with an awkward smile.

"Oh." said Nina, sounding a little disappointed. "I can expand on it…"

"No need. We do not want the others to be bored, and to be honest, the process is of less interest to me than the practical result. Nina-san, for the sake of everyone understanding what you were speaking about, please let me vulgarize it to give everyone some perspective."

Nina nodded with trepidation, and Akeno took a deep breath.

"Using several kilograms of Uranium-235 and tens of kilograms of refined Sakuradite, then triggering the fission of the uranium, the result would be an expanding sphere that would quickly reach a massive size, then collapse nearly instantly into nothingness, taking all matter it engulfed with it and creating a vacuum that would nearly instantly be filled with air. Essentially, an implosion. What is the radius of the sphere we are talking about?"

As she talked, Akeno was gesturing with her hands, pulling them apart slowly, and then suddenly clapping once.

"…In theory and for tens of kilograms of Sakuradite as second-satage fuel, it should be… about three to six kilometers?" frowned Nina, her mind apparently so filled with math formulas that it didn't leave space to consider the practical consequences that Milli, Lelouch and Suzaku were already imagining, judging from their stiff expressions.

"Nina." sighed Akeno. "Please stop thinking about things like ratios and conversion efficiency and such. You do not seem to realize that your research is going to be turned into warheads. And that those warheads will inevitably be used to turn cities into holes in the ground."

"Ah!" gasped Shirley and Nunnally simultaneously, and Nina's eyes widened in complete surprise. Maybe, it was the first time this genius girl actually contemplated a weaponization of her research.

"If you continue on this path, Britannia will make those Sakuradite-enhanced warheads and start using them on Europia to accelerate their conquest. Europia and the other nations will scramble to have their own warheads, and it won't be that hard for them to make them, once they understand how they work."

"It will give birth to an era where every major nation can threaten each other with catastrophic destruction. Where any false alarm, any succession of bad decisions from scared military officers or politicians, any such weapon stolen by a group of terrorists might result in the death of millions of civilians, maybe even billions if two or more countries start a cycle of preemptive strikes and retaliations."

Nina started to tremble.

"Do you really want to become known as the mother of those weapons, Nina? To have your share of responsibility in all the deaths they will cause?"

Nina's mouth opened and closed for a while as she started to tear up, and Milli put an arm around her shoulder in sympathy.

"Nina, if what Akeno said is true, if your project can lead to the creation of such weapons even in theory, you need to stop it immediately." said Milli.

"Y-Yes. I need… I need to destroy it all!"

"Maybe you could instead try to come up with a way to counter those weapons?" suggested Akeno. "Even if you stop, someone else will eventually get the idea. It is only a matter of time before those weapons are made. Just make sure that you can destroy your research instantly, if someone tries to steal it. Using encryption would be good as well, if you aren't already doing it."

Nina nodded, and Akeno stood.

"Thank you, Nina-san. I mostly came here to warn you about this danger, but I also have a matter to discuss with Suzaku-kun. Would you mind accompanying me to the rooftop?"

"With me? I do not mind." frowned Suzaku.

Akeno nodded and headed for the door but turned to face the members of the Student Council.

"I do not know when will be the next opportunity for us to meet. Thank you for the tea, Milli, Shirley, and I wish everyone a good day."

"See you later, Akeno. Thank you for coming to tell us about this." smiled Shirley, and the others followed suit.

Akeno hummed a song as she walked up the stairs, Suzaku following behind her. When they reached the rooftop, Akeno walked near one of its edges, looking at the scenery for a few seconds, then faced Suzaku, her waist against the guardrail as support.

"It really is a nice place, quiet and peaceful. I wish the rest of the world was like this."

"I wish it was the case as well." smiled Suzaku.

"I can tell you are honest when you say it, and that you are a good person overall, Suzaku-kun." nodded Akeno, before sighing. "And yet, you aren't helping making this happen. I know you are a soldier in the Britannian Army, mister Honorary Britannian, former Eleven."

"This isn't really a secret. It was publicly revealed when I was accused of the murder of Prince Clovis." shrugged Suzaku.

"I am aware." nodded Akeno. "Of course, Britannia knew from the start that it wasn't you. You were simply a convenient scapegoat, being a former Eleven and all. A way for those who had failed in their duty to pass the blame around. The court wouldn't have acquitted you if not for Zero claiming responsibility for it in front of live cameras. And yet, you still fight for Britannia. Still fight for that rotten country. Did Zero offer for you to join his side, after he saved you?"

"He did. But I refused."

"Why, Suzaku?"

"Because his methods are wrong. As you said, Britannia has many issues. Once I reach a high enough position, I will work to fix them."

Akeno slowly nodded, as this was the answer she expected.

"You're an idiot, Suzaku-kun."

His lip twitched into a fleeting smile.

"Lelouch often tells me that. Zero did as well, when I turned him down."

"They aren't wrong. But your idiocy isn't the cute kind. It is the kind that makes me want to throw things at a wall in frustration. Your plan will not work out. You will never manage to change Britannia from the inside. You are even arrogant, thinking that you are the only one who tried that approach, or that you will succeed where the others failed."

"But it is the only way to do it. Without the support of Society, durable change cannot be done."

"But which society are you referring to, Suzaku? The Japanese citizens, most of whom are seeing you as a traitor and a dog for those who oppress them? Or the Britannian one, who will never truly see you as a true Britannian, never as anything more than an underling, no matter how much you fight and bleed for them?"

"Are you saying that the members of the Student Council see me as a tool?"

"No, not them." sighed Akeno. "They are good people. But you should be aware that they do not represent the average Britannian. Go take a stroll outside of the Academy, and it won't be long before you stumble upon Britannians bullying Japanese people.

Suzaku couldn't deny this, as he had been confronted with it often enough.

"Suzaku-kun, listen well, because I am about to tell you a fundamental truth backed by millennia of history." declared Akeno, and Suzaku frowned.

"There will never be a durable peace between two nations when one of them is looking down on the other. When there is a huge disparity in power, it will always be a relationship of a bully taking advantage, and a bullied being taken advantage of. This will generate resentment on the bullied side, which will turn into resistance, assassinations, terrorism, and all other sorts of asymmetrical warfare."

"The only way to get long-term peace is when two nations are respecting each other as equals. And to get that respect, both sides need to be strong enough that one cannot bully the other. Such peace will only be obtained after Japan is liberated from Britannia and has enough military power to stop another invasion."

"Are you suggesting that I should have accepted Zero's offer?"

"Yes, you should have." nodded Akeno.

"But the things he does are wrong! Taking people hostage, killing prince Clovis!"

"Zero often do things I do not approve of. But at least, he gets results that benefit innocent people. As for Clovis? The little shit who ordered the massacre of the Shinjuku ghetto to cover his own mistakes? He deserved a far worse punishment than a quick death."

Suzaku didn't reply, only staring at her for a few seconds, and Akeno sighed.

"One person I deeply respect told this one day: 'The lives of innocent people are priceless, and the lives of guilty people are worthless'. This is a principle I am trying to live by, at least where the guilty ones do not feel remorse and are likely to do harm others again."

"Tell me, Suzaku-kun. How long do you think it will take you to reach your goal of reforming Britannia from the inside, assuming it is even possible? How many innocent people will have been slaughtered by Britannia by the time you reach that point? How many priceless innocent lives are your principles worth, while you protect the worthless lives of worthless Britannian nobles and their sadistic soldiers?"

"That's…"

Suzaku took a step back under Akeno's merciless words, his eyes wide as he tried to find a way to refute her arguments.

"The truth, Suzaku-kun, is that you are a coward. You want to keep your hands clean, tell yourself that you are an upright and moral person who wouldn't stoop to shady methods. But you also willfully blind yourself to the fact that while you are doing this, others are paying the price. Innocent people keep being ground to nothing every hour, every minute by the system you fight to protect."

"But Zero…" stubbornly protested Suzaku.

"Zero is trying to usher in a world where the weak won't be oppressed by the strong. He doesn't always choose the best way to get the results he want, and he sometimes makes mistakes and cause more damage than he intended, but that is just him being a human being. Only Gods do not make mistakes."

"…You know who Zero is." frowned Suzaku, suddenly realizing.

Akeno only smiled.

The bell rang, signaling the start of classes.

"You should go, Suzaku-kun. I will hold on to the hope that after reality slaps you in the face enough times, you will come to realize your current foolishness."

Suzaku stared at her for a few seconds, looking conflicted, then he sighed.

"As long as you do not harm anyone inside the campus, I will not arrest you there. We will settle this outside of school."

"Much appreciated. I will extend you the same courtesy. Let the Academy be a neutral ground." grinned Akeno.

Suzaku gave her another look, then departed. When he was gone, Akeno closed her eyes for a few seconds, then nodded.

"When I really focus, I can even detect the bio-electricity of everyone around me."

A second later, Lelouch emerged from behind the rooftop enclosure.

"Why did you really come here?" demanded Lelouch. "Was it really to stop Nina from making those bombs?"

"I have a whole checklist of things to do while I'm in Japan, and this talk with Nina was one of them." grinned Akeno. "Have you heard about what happened last night?"

"As expected, you are Kyuubi." said Lelouch with a weird pose, his left eye starting at her through the intervals between the fingers of his right hand. "You managed to save both the fake Imperial Princess and Tohdoh Kyoshiro."

"Exactly. I also stole the white Knightmare I told you I would do something about, and abducted one of the two scientists who built it. Ah, I see you weren't aware about that tidbit." chuckled Akeno. "Suzaku was the one piloting it. Not that it really matter now."

"Suzaku?" asked Lelouch, greatly shocked.

"Did you not recognize his trademark spinning kick?" grinned Akeno.

Lelouch remembered the few battles when the white Knightmare had interfered with his plans and the way he moved, and there were indeed a few occasions where it executed a spinning kick. The same Suzaku had performed on the day he met CC.

Now that she had pointed this out, he wondered how he had missed it.

"Tohdoh is remaining in Japan." continued Akeno. "I suggested for him to contact you at some point. He and his subordinates would be a valuable addition to the Black Knights."

"And he will also be a good mole, I suspect. I, Lelouch vi Britannia, command you. Be my slave."

Akeno mentally brushed away the system notification and rolled her eyes at him.

"You may want to avoid announcing your last name so brazenly. And what use would I have for a mole? It's not like I couldn't force you to do as I say by threatening you."

Lelouch deflated, having received confirmation that Akeno was indeed immune to his Geass.

"I noticed earlier that Shirley didn't call you 'Lulu'. Did you use your Geass on her?"

"…You really know far too much for my peace of mind. Yes, I made her forget about me, and about that Mao."

"That's only a temporary stopgap, you know? Eventually, she will remember. Ah, here's another useful piece of information for you. Remember Lord Jeremiah, the guy you ridiculed previously when you saved Suzaku?"

"Yes. What about him?"

"His loyalty is to Empress Marianne and extends to her children. That is, Nunnally and you. He will follow you willingly the instant he knows about you being Zero. You won't even need to use your Geass on him. Returning to Shirley's matter, I am quite fond of her. She's like a ray of sunshine in our grim, jaded world, illuminating a single flower in the ground of a ruined city. And she was in love with you before you sealed her memories. Do you intend to ever answer her feelings and make her your girlfriend?"

"…No." sighed Lelouch. "The path I walk on isn't one where she can follow. I would get her killed."

"So you do not mind if I take her in? I will give her the happiness she deserves."

"…If you really feel confident that you can keep her safe and happy, I will not interfere."

"I am confident, or I wouldn't have suggested it in the first place. And on that note, have you dealt with Mao already? Another item on my list."

"No. I took some preemptive measures, but I haven't found him yet."

"…Then I'll remain in Japan for a little while longer." sighed Akeno. "I can't stay too long, though. There are things I need to do in Europia. You'll see me hanging around Shirley, CC and yourself. The instant I locate him, Kyuubi will strike again. And if he's still at large by the time I need to leave, I'll make you a few bangles that will give you and others immunity to his Geass."

"Those would be good to have. Where have you hidden the princess and her double? Are they in Kaguya's home?"

"No." shrugged Akeno. "I'm keeping my distance with Kaguya for now. I do not want to risk attracting Britannia's attention to her. They are in a pocket dimension only I can access, if you must know."

"A pocket dimension?"

Akeno opened her hand, taking a pen from her inventory, and put it back inside.

"Is there anything that you cannot do? This is aggravating."

"There are plenty of things I cannot do." grinned Akeno. "And you're already late for class. See you during school lunch."

"…Yes." sighed Lelouch, walking away.

Akeno watched him go, thinking about her checklist. She could use the additional time in Japan to get closer to Shirley and Milli, but the only remaining thing she really had to do was to deal with Mao, and he probably wouldn't be in the school during daylight. Which meant she had almost three hours with nothing to do aside from maybe talking to Sakura and Sakuya, or giving Cécile another training session.

With a smile, she found another hiding spot for the Sanctuary and directly entered the basement.

She made a show of sniffing the air as she looked at the rubber-clad, leather-bound woman on the bed. During her first training session, Akeno had added leather cuffs linked together by a padlock to her ankles.

"It smells like someone is in heat." smiled Akeno.

Cécile refused to answer and just glared.

Akeno used her smartphone to turn the belt's stimulation to being constantly active and grabbed Cécile as she sat on the bed, forcing her head into her lap. The bound woman struggled in her bonds, only resulting in making the leather and the latex creak pleasantly.

"Have you been bored while your Mistress was away, my horny pet?"

"You can go to hell. You will not manage to break me with just this much."

"That sounds like a challenge, or an invitation to take things up a notch." snorted Akeno, taking from her inventory a large, black rubber dildo.

Seeing it, Cécile clamped her mouth shut.

"Come on, we've been through this already, pet. You should know better." chided Akeno, one hand drifting toward Cécile's right nipple, getting ready to pinch it hard.

Cécile shuddered, gave up, and opened her mouth.

"Good girl." praised Akeno as she slowly pushed the dildo in her mouth, moving it black and forth, slightly changing the angle or amplitude, pushing one second, pulling the next.

"Ahk… mpho…"

Tears of humiliation slowly filled Cécile's eyes as Akeno used the rubber dildo to slowly fuck her mouth.

"This dildo is modeled after your Master's cock, pet." said Akeno. "You will learn to love this shape. You will learn to worship it."

"Amh… Akh…"

Keeping up the slow face fucking with one hand, Akeno used the other to knead Cécile's breasts, increasing the pleasure she couldn't help but feel, and after a few minutes, she had an orgasm.

"You like this, pet." smiled Akeno, talking with a soft and confident voice. "You like the bondage's snug embrace. You like the humiliation of being used against your will. And you like being locked into chastity, unable to touch yourself."

"And in a few minutes, I will have you kneel beside the bed, and you will get a taste of my strap-on. It is called Corruption. Can you take a guess why?"

Cécile denied Akeno's words desperately, shaking her head, but Akeno could see in her eyes that her resolve was starting to crack, her certainty eroding from the physical pleasure and feeling of euphoria she knew she shouldn't be feeling if Akeno was wrong about her being a perverted woman, deep inside.

It wouldn't be a sudden thing. Cécile would need days or weeks of training before she accepted her new place as Akeno's pet.

But it was fine. Some things shouldn't be rushed, and Akeno was patient.