Ch 259: Peace extorted with a threat.

"…What are you scheming with this request?" asked Cornelia with squinted eyes as she stared at the screen displaying Schneizel face.

"I am afraid I cannot tell you yet. His Majesty's ordered absolute secrecy. But this may be our only chance to deal with her." replied Schneizel with an even voice.

"It is obvious you do not want me to be involved any more than this, so I won't try to pry my nose into it." sighed Cornelia. "I will approve of that transfer. But we should stop there, Big Brother. She isn't someone we can just kill. She is like a damn hurricane. You either get out of her way, or you suffer. And what if what she said about a threat to humanity is true after all? Maybe killing her is something we shouldn't do."

"This is His Majesty's will." replied Schneizel, pity in his eyes, and Cornelia bristled. He was looking down on her! Just because her frayed nerves had gotten the better of her just once, now he thought her advice was motivated by fear!

It had been five days since that disastrous defeat. The Holy Empire had tried to keep the news from spreading, but its enemies were only too willing to spread the footage of the battle, and by now everyone knew that the Knights of Rounds were reduced to only one.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Cornelia." continued Schneizel, just before ending the call.

Cornelia massaged her temples with a sigh, wondering why her brother suddenly wanted several tens of tons of highly refined Sakuradite sent to some research institute in Cambodia. At this level of concentration, this stuff was too unstable to power Knightmares and even became dangerous to transport. She would have to…

Her phone rang, displaying the name Darlton, and she picked up without a second thought.

"Darlton?"

"Sorry, this is Akeno. Hello, Viceroy." replied the voice she had learned to hate, although without her usual flippant tone.

"What the hell do you want? Have you not tormented me enough already?" angrily retorted Cornelia, her tension skyrocketing to the moon.

"About that, I wanted to apologize. I never intended to send you to the hospital, and I won't tease you anymore about the fruit paste. I have gone too far with those jokes."

"Why did you call using Darlton's phone? Have you hurt him?"

"No, I only kept his old phone from the hostage exchange incident, thinking it might be useful one day. Let's make a deal, Viceroy, for the sake of not killing more of your soldiers than necessary."

"…What are you suggesting?" asked Cornelia, her eyes narrowing.

"I do not like the fact that there are a thousand Britannian Knightmares massed on the Europian border, and I intent to do something about it within the next few days. Did you know that I can make myself invisible and do some really nasty things, such as infiltrating a base to spread poison in your soldiers' food or plant explosives, or kill them in their sleep? I could also simply attack those bases with our, at the current time, ten Hakens, on top of myself."

Cornelia's blood ran cold, as she didn't doubt for an instant that Akeno wasn't bluffing.

"What are you demanding to refrain from doing so?"

"If Britannia were to send at least half of those Knightmares back to wherever you drew them from when you organized your attack, I and my followers as well as Princess Sakuya will disengage ourselves from the conflict between Britannia and the URE and start organizing our relocation to Japan. That will leave you with more than enough troops to be at a standoff with the URE."

"What will happen in Japan then will be for you to choose, between an orderly and bloodless retreat of your military assets and peaceful transfer of power to Imperial Princess Sakuya, or a violent military campaign to liberate the country. Whatever you choose, we do not intend to harm the Britannian civilians currently living in Japan or force them to relocate."

"…I will inform His Majesty. This isn't something I have the authority to decide on my own." finally said Cornelia.

"Yes, thank you, Viceroy. And, in the interest of helping him reach a decision that will not result in shedding more blood than necessary, I will give you and the Emperor a concession. If we can liberate Japan peacefully, I will not kill him after all."

"…Assuming I can convince His Majesty and evacuate Area Eleven, what will you do then?"

"We will enlist as students in Ashford Academy, Tokyo, and spend our days peacefully until the information we need to take care of that world threat is obtained. We will deal with it, then leave this world for the next one on our list, and we will leave the Hakens behind, so the upcoming Japanese government can defend the nation from future invasions."

Cornelia thought about it for a moment. Akeno was in a position to inflict incredible damage to the Holy Empire if she decided to stop caring about how many people she killed. Not that she hadn't already done incredible damage.

The thought of her invading military bases at night to wreak havoc and disappearing before a response could be mounted was nothing short of terrifying. Considering what she had done during the fight against the Knights of Rounds, she could probably destroy whole bases in under a minute, and with her demonstrated flight speed, do it several times every night!

If she agreed to quietly stay put for a few months and then go away, Cornelia wouldn't mind giving her some important concessions. Even something as huge and humiliating as giving up control of Area Eleven.

And after she was gone… The Hakens wouldn't maintain their technological superiority over Britannian Knightmares forever, and what had been conquered once, could be conquered again.

"I will advance your proposal to His Majesty and try to convince him."

"Thank you, Viceroy. Have a good day."

The call ended. Cornelia took a moment to organize her thoughts, then searched in her contacts the number of the Imperial Palace in Pendragon.

A few minutes later, she sighed in relief. The Emperor, also aware of how much more of a nuisance Akeno and her bunch could make themselves if they really wanted to, had agreed to evacuate Area Eleven.

The Holy Empire needed a break anyway, to recover their morale after the near complete losses of the Knights and two of its Orders. And whatever her brother was cooking in Cambodia would need time. Time that Akeno seemed willing to give them. They would have been foolish to turn her offer down.

She called back on Darlton's old number.

"Akeno speaking."

"The Emperor agreed to let you have Area El… no, Japan back, and the troops on the Europian border will be given the order to move within half an hour. We will need maybe two weeks to completely evacuate Japan."

"I am very happy to hear that, and we will not interfere with your troops as they evacuate. Thank you, Viceroy."

"When are you moving to Japan?"

"Please let me check with Princess Sakuya and others… Three days."

"We will make the public announcement in the afternoon."

"Thank you."

Cornelia ended the call. She had work to do.

…

Akeno switched phones, putting the one Darlton possessed into her inventory, and called Lelouch.

He didn't accept the call but sent a quick message.

[In class. Is there an issue?]

[I offered Britannia a choice, and they took it.]

[What choice?]

[I agreed to pull out of the Europian border without killing any more of them and settle down in Ashford. In return, they agreed to get their troops out of Japan without a fight. They should make the announcement this afternoon. Can you declare your support for Princess Sakuya after they do? We're coming in about three days.]

[I will. But Britannia isn't the kind to give up so easily.]

[I think so, too. They only agreed because they are so scared of me and my followers. The instant they're confident we're gone, they will revert to their old tricks. But our responsibility is to stop the destruction of many worlds, and we can't stay here long-term. You guys will have to manage without us.]

[The Black Knights will be ready. You will leave behind your Knightmares, right?]

[Yes. And maybe a few other things. Our engineers won't just be twiddling their thumbs while we wait at Ashford. Expect advanced combat drones, and mini-factories to build more of them. Got to go, things to do.]

[Thank you for the early warning.]

Akeno closed her phone, thinking that things were going almost too well. The URE had put into practice the changes Akeno had demanded, as far as she could tell. Britannia was giving up on trying to oppose her. And her allies seemed to be doing what she was asking them to do.

But it was logical. Things were going well because they was strong to the point that her enemies thought humoring her was less painful than opposing her.

It was the result of her tireless effort to improve herself so far. For a moment, she reflected on how things would have turned out, if she had been significantly less powerful.

…

Lieutenant-Colonel Leila Malcal stared for a while at her carefully folded blue uniform, the one belonging to the URE army. She touched it fondly, then transferred it into the spatial ring Akeno had given her. She checked her appearance in the mirror, making certain her new black and gold uniform was immaculate.

Those were the colors of Noah's faction, had told her Akeno, and Leila rather liked its simple elegance.

With a nod to herself, she surveyed the room, making certain she hadn't forgotten anything, and left it for the last time.

She left the castle to join the others in front of the castle gate, where twelve Hakens, each with a personalized color scheme, were waiting for their pilots.

Izumi, Kasumi, Ayano, Marika, Liliana, Angelise, Selesia, Dorothea and Monica, Kallen, Haruka and Akito would pilot them, all of them dressed in new black and gold pilot suits, made of a resilient but comfortable material that looked halfway between mate latex and leather.

The other members of the squadron, as well as Jean and Anya, would board the massive URE VTOL transport waiting beside the Hakens. The black and blue transport was made to carry twelve personnel and just as many Alexanders, and would run almost empty for this trip, some of its cargo space being instead used for additional fuel pods.

When Leila had requested to borrow the transport for the trip to Japan, the URE military had agreed instantly. The higher-ups wanted Akeno as far away from them as they could. They would have given her the transport without a blink had she requested it.

Akeno waved at her as she approached, phone in hand.

"I have just secured lodgings." smiled Akeno. "We will all live in Ashford Academy's Student Government Clubhouse. I talked to the Superintendent, Ruben K Ashford, and he agreed to let us join the academy officially, in return for curing his wife from cancer, and professor Da Vinci will do a few lectures for the students. Oh, and I told him that I'd give immortality to his granddaughter Milly, who's a friend I made during my trip to retrieve Sakura."

"I see. Does he understand what giving her immortality entails regarding her continued presence in this world?" asked Leila, already knowing the answer.

"I may have been a little creatively vague about it." winked Akeno, and Leila sighed.

Near Akeno stood Sakura and Sakuya, Ferilli, Hilda and Chloé, but also Jean and Anya. Both of them were standing awkwardly, dressed in maid uniforms, black and white with a few gold buttons and linings. Akeno hadn't gotten around to 'convincing' them yet, and the two captives were uncuffed, but they knew better than to try anything when surrounded by so many people with superhuman capabilities.

Masaki and Toru ran out of the castle, dressed in the same uniforms, and their belongings in their spatial rings. Akeno had been very generous with distributing magic items to the squadron.

Leila nodded to them.

"Now that everyone is there, we can depart!"

…

Selesia looked at her fellow slaves, and they shared an eager grin as the signal to depart was finally given. She climbed into the cockpit of her Haken. She knew that they would soon be upgraded with remote-controlling ability, but for now, she still needed to pilot it directly.

Da Vinci had given them a choice regarding the style of the cockpit, and Selesia had chosen the familiar Britannian-style. She sat on the padded chair as the hatch closed.

But the cockpits of the Hakens made for Selesia and her companions also incorporated a few features that others didn't have.

She took her control helmet from her spatial ring, and connected the wire attached to it to a port in the war machine's console, locking it in place. The helmet, using what Da Vinci and Cécile had called Endlave tech, would allow Selesia to control the Haken with her very thoughts, from movement to communication. Tests had reveled that this method was significantly better compared to the classic way to control a Knightmare in terms of situational awareness and reaction speed.

From the outside, the helmet was sleek, glossy black, and would hide her features, although its wearer could easily see through its visor.

"Suit, open ports." said Selesia in a soft, husky voice, and her pilot's suit, a golem, opened two holes in her crotch.

Satisfied, Selesia opened the helmet's visor and put it on, then opened her mouth wide as she slowly closed the visor again, welcoming the cock-shaped mouthpiece that would fill her mouth.

With a soft moan of pleasure, Selesia adjusted her position, placed her arms along the sides of the seat, and thought:

[Secure slave pilot unit.]

Hidden nylon straps burst from hidden slots in the seat's padding, connecting to each other to form a harness around her body and limbs, then retracted slightly, tightly pinning Selesia against the seat.

That seat was another golem.

Two dildo-shaped probes rose from a secret compartment inside the seat and entered her hungry holes, and Selesia's connection to her war machine was now complete.

Selesia moaned lustfully as the feeling of the restraints on her body and her plugged holes made her feel whole again.

[Start boot sequence] thought Selesia, and the Haken came to life, responding to her very thoughts. The vaginal probe hummed slightly, giving her low amounts of pleasure.

For the whole trip's duration, Selesia and her fellow slaves would be teased. Not badly enough to really distract them, but enough that they would be in the mood for some fun shortly after their arrival. Not that they really needed it, as they were always in the mood.

Da Vinci and Cécile had suggested this oh so unusual way for the new slaves to control the Hakens to Akeno, and she had clapped at the idea, loving it.

The VTOL transport got off the ground, and one by one, the Hakens extended their wings and took escort positions around it.

…

Sayoko Shinozaki, governess of the Ashford family, waited patiently beside the massive, paved plaza of Ashford Academy, her hands in her lap.

She had been surprised when Master Ruben K Ashford had requested her immediate attendance. Worried at first that it had something to do with Mistress Nunnally or Master Lelouch, her two charges, she had been astonished at the reason.

A lot of people were coming to Ashford Academy, led by Akeno Himejima. She would cure the cancer affecting Master Ruben's wife and give immortality to Mistress Milly.

Even more surprising, Akeno had specifically requested for Sayoko's service during her stay.

As a loyal servant of the Ashford family, and trained to the strictest standards of Britannian etiquette, Sayoko didn't lose her countenance and accepted with a curtsy.

She had spent hours since then cleaning up the many empty rooms of the clubhouse. Fortunately, she was a bit of a neat freak, and the rooms were already maintained to an acceptable level. However, as the only servant in charge of the clubhouse, she was wondering how she was going to manage serving over twenty people in addition to her current charges.

She spotted a black dot far in the western sky, close to the setting sun, and soon noticed more dots of different colors around it. The dots grew bigger, eventually turning into a military transport surrounded by a dozen Knightmares flying on glowing wings. A few aerial patrollers of Britannia's air force were flying parallel to them, keeping their distance.

Several groups of students had noticed as well, and were pointing fingers as they observed and discussed among themselves, not knowing what was happening. Then they grew alarmed as they started to recognize those Knightmares as the infamous Hakens who had defeated the Knights of Rounds.

When the Europian troop transport reduced its speed, and the students understood that it was about to land on the plaza, they quickly scattered to observe from a safe distance. The Hakens landed around it, retracting their glowing wings and kneeling on the pavement.

Sayoko displayed a professional smile as several people in black and gold uniforms, as well as two dressed as maids, left the transport, signaled to the pilot, and the transport took to the air again.

She hoped that the two maids might be allowed to help her take care of the clubhouse.

After a minute, the Haken pilots opened their cockpits and reached the ground, and then the Hakens started blinking out of existence, disappearing one after another as if they were never there. She knew Akeno possessed some strange abilities, but seeing it happen in front of her eyes was quite different from watching a video on internet. And it wasn’t just Akeno would could do strange things, it seemed.

The group approached her, and Sayoko curtsied.

"Welcome back to Ashford Academy, Mistress Akeno."

"Thank you, Sayoko-san." smiled Akeno with a warm smile. "It is good to be back, and good to see you again. I hope our arrival doesn't put you under too much stress."

"Not at all, Mistress Akeno, and I am gratified that you personally requested my service. Although I have to confess to entertaining some worry about maintaining an adequate quality of service with so many guests."

"Yes, I was aware that you were alone with dealing with the clubhouse, and I took that into account. Sayoko-san, those is Anya Alstreim, and Jean Rowe."

Sayoko had recognized Anya as one of the Knights or Rounds, or maybe she should say former Knights of Rounds now, and Anya made a competent curtsy. Jean tried, but she was clearly unfamiliar with it.

"You can consider them under your command for the duration, and learning to act as proper maids will do them some good. If they aren't enough, there are some people among our pilots who you can enlist as well."

"I was an apprentice-maid in Pendragon's imperial palace before I became a Knightmare pilot." nodded Anya. "I lack practice, but I will relearn fast."

"I am very grateful for your thoughtfulness, Mistress Akeno, and I am thankful for your help, Miss Anya, Miss Jean." smiled Sayoko, relieved. "I do not see any luggage, however. I hope they weren't forgotten in the transport."

"Inside the spatial rings." smiled Akeno, showing her a thin silver ring on her left middle finger. "I will make one for you as well later. Can you please lead us to a more private place before I do the introductions?"

"Of course. Please follow me, everyone." said Sayoko.

"How are Lelouch, Nunnally, Milly and the others of the student council?" asked Akeno as they walked.

"Master Lelouch is away in the city a lot, but is doing fine. I think he has been more relaxed lately. Mistress Nunnally and most of the others have been taken aback at first after hearing about the declaration you made in Paris, and the battle on the Europian border, but I think that a good conversation with them would help a lot to dissipate their worries. Suzaku-kun is somewhat depressed, however."

"That is to be expected, I guess." sighed Akeno. "The girl they just learned to know suddenly turning into a supernatural being and threatening to kill people to get her way, then actually killing a lot of Britannian soldiers… Talking to them and addressing their questions is my priority for tomorrow, or even this evening."

Sayoko nodded, and they reached the clubhouse. She was introduced to everyone in turn, and she managed to memorize their names on the first try. She showed everyone their rooms, with the men having their rooms on the first floor and the upper floors being reserved for the women.

Sayoko was surprised again when Akeno solved the issue of school uniforms, demonstrating that they could easily provide them. Not only that, but they were magic clothes that would repair and clean themselves, and even adjusted themselves to their wearer's body for a perfect fit. Such wondrous clothes would lessen by a lot the number of chores required to take care of all the guests.

Not only that, but it turned out that most of the guests could use such magic.

After Sayoko was done with the room attribution, she knocked on Akeno's door.

"Enter."

Akeno was alone, hanging some of her clothes in a cabinet.

"Mistress Akeno, preparing the rooms and waiting for your arrival took some time, and I am afraid that I am late in preparing dinner. Would you be willing to consider ordering food? The Academy will pay for it, of course."

"Ah, that's not necessary, Sayoko-san. Just like I can create clothes, I can also create food, from raw ingredient like vegetable to ready-made hot dishes. I can replicate any food I ever tasted flawlessly. So I will provide the meals for everyone from now on."

"That is so convenient, Mistress Akeno." breathed Sayoko, feeling envious.

"One of the perks of working for deities." grinned Akeno. "We have been given ways to not waste time on mundane tasks. Although I do have a cooking and baking hobby, so I still cook the old-fashioned way on occasion... Would you mind if I call you just Sayoko? We are going to see each other often from now on, so…"

"I do not mind, Mistress Akeno." smiled Sayoko.

"And you can drop the Mistress, you know? Some other people call me Mistress, but the context is very different!" replied Akeno with a joking tone and a wink.

Sayoko's eyes narrowed for an instant, but she took it in stride.

"That wouldn't do, Mistress Akeno. Since you requested my service, and I accepted, I must address you properly. As for any potential… context, I must inform you that as a servant trained to the highest standards or Britannia's society, I am prepared and willing to offer a full range of service, including catering to the desires and tastes of my charges."

Akeno paused and considered her for a few seconds, evaluating her.

"…Those are dangerous words you just said, Sayoko. I might be tempted to take you up on your offer and avail myself of your services. You should tell me now if you didn't really mean them."

"I mean them, Mistress Akeno." nodded Sayoko. "I have been trained in the arts of the bedroom and can accompany you for any activity, as long as they do not cause any lasting damage."

"There is no such thing as lasting damage when I can heal anything, Sayoko, and I am not into anything too rough in the first place. I would like for you to go to my room after dinner, and we will discuss this further. I would also like to know about your own preferences before any such activity takes place."

"Of course, Mistress Akeno." nodded Sayoko, having a good feeling about it. Akeno was charismatic and easy on the eyes, and seemed to care about her own partners' happiness. She thought that providing such service to her wouldn't be unpleasant. And it had been such a long time. She missed it sorely.

"Did you ever propose such services to other people?" asked Akeno, curious.

"Master Ruben availed himself to them a few times, eight years ago. Shortly after, I was assigned to take care of Master Lelouch and Mistress Nunnally. They were obviously too young for this option to be even mentioned. And since then, I have never talked about it. We do not have that type of relationship, and I know it would only make things awkward."

"I understand." nodded Akeno. "I should warn you about Anya and Jean. I cannot guarantee you that they will not severely misbehave. They currently are prisoners of war that I haven't yet convinced to switch sides. I am rather confident that Anya will behave, but less so about Jean. If she makes a run for it, I am not even sure I want to stop her."

"I understand, Mistress Akeno. I will be vigilant about their actions." nodded Sayoko.

She would keep a close eye on Jean indeed. The very idea of a servant running away offended her deeply. Whatever Jean herself thought about her own status, if Akeno decided she was a servant, she was one as far as Sayoko was concerned. If Jean turned out to be rebellious, the governess would take it upon herself to teach her some discipline.

"The other former members of the Knights or Valkyries have all signed a binding magic contract, so their loyalty is guaranteed. Please do not hesitate to rely on them if need be. And speaking about troublemakers, I need to have a little talk with Leila about a few people, so if you will excuse me..."

"Of course, Mistress Akeno." nodded Sayoko, opening the door for Akeno, and they both left the room.

"At what time do you usually eat?"

"Master Lelouch, Mistress Nunnally and Miss CC usually eat at 20:00, and I typically eat at 20:45."

"You do not eat with them?" asked Akeno, freezing mid-step in surprise.

"I do not, Mistress Akeno."

"Well, you eat with us all now, and I will insist."

Sayoko opened her mouth to decline, but saw in Akeno's eyes that she wouldn't budge, so she relented.

"As you command, Mistress Akeno."

"Good. There are many maids in our faction, but they are all family."

"Do you see me as I part of your faction, Mistress Akeno?"

"Temporarily? As for the future beyond our stay inside the campus, who can say? Sayoko, does anyone have any allergies or special food requirements or dislikes? I need to know before I make dinner tonight."

"No allergies or particular requirements." replied Sayoko, welcoming the change of subject. "Mistress Nunnally has a particular dislike for most shellfish aside from shrimps or lobster, and Master Lelouch hates any dish using entrails, but they aren't picky eaters overall. Miss CC has a great fondness for pizza."

"And what about you, Sayoko?" asked Akeno.

"I would rather avoid having to eat entrails as well, and I have a preference for Japanese cooking."

"What do you think about salad and curry rice for tonight, and a chocolate cake for dessert?"

"That would be lovely, Mistress Akeno." smiled Sayoko.

They stopped in front of the Leila's room, and Sayoko left her in a good mood, already thinking about procuring a few motion-sensor alarms to keep watch over the wing of the building dedicated to the servants.

She suspected that the next few months were going to be very eventful, and she was always up for a challenge!

…

After her chat with Leila, Akeno headed for Lelouch's door and knocked.

The one who opened it was CC.

"Good evening, CC. How are you doing?" smiled Akeno.

"Please come in." nodded CC, and Akeno did. "I am fine, now that I know my goal is within reach. And thank you for dealing with Mao. it is unfortunate that things came down to this, but…"

"Yes." said Akeno with compassion. "It must have been painful to you, that someone you lived with for years fell into madness… That reminds me, Lelouch hasn't started losing control of his own Geass yet, right?"

"No, he still has time. Since that remote meeting with you, he's used it a lot less often, and with Britannia leaving, he has even less reasons to use it." nodded CC. "When will you give me that immortality-cancelling artifact?"

"Before we leave this world, so in a few months at most." nodded Akeno. "I won't leave you to suffer for centuries or more."

"Thank you." said CC with a rare smile, but Akeno wasn't done.

"However, CC, that solution doesn't sit very well with me. I want to convince you to live. Would you be willing to let me try?"

"…You aren't the first person who tried, Akeno." sighed CC as she sat on the bed. "I have lived for around three centuries now, and I am just tired. But I am willing to let you try, as thanks for your help. I lose nothing if you fail, and if you succeed, I guess that is still a benefit for me, until I grow weary again and use that artifact. You will still make me one even if I agree to live for a while longer, right?"

"Yes." nodded Akeno.

"Then I agree. Try any method you want with me."

"Great. I will start my plan to give you a new reason to live in the very near future. This aside, do you know where Lelouch is?"

"Dealing with Black Knight matters with Ohgi and the others. He should be back soon."

"And Nunnally?"

"In her room, listening to the television, I think."

"I'll go check on her. Will you join us for dinner?"

"Yes."

Akeno nodded and left the room. She saw Suzaku and Cécile talking near the end of the hallway, waved to them, and headed for Nunnally's room. Taking a deep breath, she knocked.

"Nunnally, this is Akeno. Can I enter?"

"…Yes." replied Nunnally after a long hesitation.

Akeno entered, and saw her near the window, a television nearby. On the table near her were a remote and a dozen paper cranes of various colors and sheets of paper for her to make more.

"Hi, Nunnally. It is good to see you. Can I sit near you."

"Yes." said Nunnally after a short hesitation.

"Akeno, are you really Kyuubi?"

"Yes. I am sorry for having hidden this from you before. But I had good reasons for it."

"Onii-sama and Shirley said that you have wings. Is it really true?"

"Yes. Do you want to touch them?" asked Akeni with a smile.

Nunnally hesitated for an instant, then nodded, and Akeno manifested her wings, extending one of them to touch Nunnally's hands.

"…They are soft and warm." muttered Nunnally as she ran her hands along the joints and feathers

"And sensitive, too." chuckled Akeno. "Your touch feels a bit ticklish."

"…Akeno, why did you return to Ashford Academy?"

"Do I not have the right to visit friends and spend time with them? At least I hope we are still friends."

"…I think I would like it, but… Are you going to hurt anyone?"

"I made a deal with Britannia, Nunnally. I agreed to quietly stay put in Ashford until the time comes for me and my companions to leave, not kill Emperor Charles, and refrain from serving them defeat after defeat, in return for them handing over control of Japan to Princess Sakuya. As long as they respect their part of the deal, there will not be any more violence."

"I know that me having killed a bunch of Britannian soldiers recently may be a difficult pill to swallow, but I am not the one who started this war. The Emperor did. And I can promise you that over the last few years, I have saved far more people than I killed. As for you, Lelouch, Shirley, Milly and the others, you have nothing to fear from me. Even if you say mean things to me, I have a tough skin."

Nunnally didn't move for a few seconds, then she smiled and nodded.

"Still friends, then."

"I am relieved to hear it, Nunnally. And now that I can openly talk about my abilities, did you know that my favorite one is being able to…"

There was a knock at the door.

"Nunnally, are you here?"

"Yes, Onii-sama."

Lelouch entered, nodding at Akeno, unsurprised. He must have talked to CC.

"Hi, Lelouch." smiled Akeno. "You have impeccable timing. I was about to tell Nunnally about my ability to heal wounds and infirmities."

"You can?" asked Lelouch with suddenly hopeful eyes.

"I wouldn't joke about something so important. Nunnally, are you willing to let me try? All I need is to hold your hand, and you won't feel any pain."

"I am happy that you are willing to try to help me, Akeno, but I am not actually injured."

"You aren't?"

Lelouch sighed and stood close to Nunnally, gently squeezing her shoulder. "After the incident, Nunnally was examined by many doctors, and her physical wounds were healed. But she still couldn't see or move her legs. They eventually concluded that the severe trauma had created a block in Nunnally's subconscious. We have tried many things to help her overcome it, but nothing worked."

Akeno nodded, thinking, then came to a possible fix.

"…Have you tried hypnosis?"

"We did, and it didn't work."

"I collected and trained in a large panel of abilities as we were hoping from world to world, and one of them is a form of magic-powered hypnosis, much more efficient than normal one. Are you willing to give it a try?"

"You aren't going to implant any strange suggestion in her psyche, right?"

"Of course not." snorted Akeno. "And you can witness it if you wish."

"I don't mind trying. Nunnally, are you willing?"

"…Yes, please."

"Okay. Let's start." said Akeno, activating her Magecraft hypnosis spell. The fact that they couldn't make eye contact would blunt its effectiveness, but it should still be much more effective than anything a non-Magus could achieve. She started speaking, adopting a peculiar cadence and slightly deeper tone like what Noah had taught her during one of their discussions about Elisabeth Phenex and her own brand of hypnosis.

"Nunnally, I want you to listen to my voice and take deep breaths. As you listen to my voice, you will feel relaxed. More and more relaxed…"

It didn't take long for Akeno to put Nunnally into a deep trance. Even Lelouch was affected, as he was starting to sway a little and regularly shook his head as if to clear it.

"Nunnally, you are strong. Stronger than you think. The things of the past only have hold on you if you let them, and you do not want for that to be the case anymore. You must not forget about the past, but you must not let it chain you down, either. So, break the chains, and be free. Open your eyes, Nunnally, to see the beautiful world, and move your legs to travel and experience what it has to offer."

Akeno saw her eyelids move, struggling for a few seconds, and they suddenly shot open, revealing beautiful violet eyes. Her legs twitched and moved slightly.

"You did well, Nunnally. I knew you were strong. I will count down to zero, and when I reach zero, you will wake up fully, remembering everything. Three… two… one… zero."

Nunnally blinked, closed her eyes and opened them again several times, her mind used to the darkness suddenly feeling a temporary overload of information.

"You have beautiful eyes, Nunnally." smiled Akeno.

"I… I can see…" said Nunnally, her voice choking." I… thank you, Akeno!"

"You're welcome. I just gave you a little push, you did all the work yourself."

"Yes, you did great, Nunnally." said Lelouch as he crouched near her sister, holding her right hand. "And thank you, Akeno. I will never forget that debt."

"There is no debt between friends." shrugged Akeno, before she stood and headed for the door. "It's about time I go prepare dinner. Or more precisely, manifest it out of thin air, like I am a genie in a bottle. You're fine with curry rice and chocolate cake, right,"

"Yes, thank you!" smiled Nunnally through her tears with the happiest smile.

"See? That smile! That's the reason I love healing people so much! See you for dinner!" chuckled Akeno as she left the room.

Very satisfied with her day, and thinking about Sayoko, Akeno hummed a song as she walked down the stairs. But her mood soured as she heard arguing. Leila was near the entrance of the clubhouse, facing Ryo and Yukiya, and Ayano was looking unhappy, standing on the side, dressed in her new Ashford Academy uniform.

"…and now that we aren't useful anymore, we're being kicked out like dogs?" angrily asked Ryo.

"What did you expect?" asked Akeno as she walked closer. "We gave you a chance to get a place where you could belong to as you wanted, but you kept the rest of the squadron at arm's length. And do not think for a second we aren't aware that you planned to steal the first three Hakens."

Ryo and Yukiya opened their eyes wide and shot a betrayed look at Ayano.

"No, she isn't the one who told me, you idiots." continued Akeno before she could deny their silent accusation. "I had Da Vinci keep an eye on you, and you just didn't notice. You really must have taken us for gullible fools. As for your alleged usefulness, you have been dead weight so far, and while I was tolerating you until now for Ayano's sake, I decided that now was the best time to part ways. You're back in Japan, I gave you spatial rings, you can sell them for a fortune and not have to worry about money for the rest of your lives. That's already far more than you deserve. Now leave without making a scene, or I will confiscate those rings."

They both glared at her for a few seconds, then deflated and gave up.

"Let's go, Ayano." grumbled Roy as he turned for the door.

"Sorry, but I am staying here. Goodbye, Ryo, Yukiya. I wish you both a good life." replied Ayano.

"What?" blurted you Ryo, not believing his ears.

Akeno chuckled and possessively put her arm around Ayano's waist, making her blush a little.

"Ayano is mine, for eternity. Don't worry, I'll take good care of her."

"You!"

"You're about to lose that ring." cut in Akeno, and Ryo hesitated, then left.

…

Dinner had become something of a celebration with Nunnally now being able to see. She would still need a few months of physical therapy to relearn to walk long distances or run, but she was determined to get there, and it was only a matter of time. The effect of Akeno's hypnosis hadn't been limited to just helping her overcome her mental block, and Akeno could tell she was already turning into a very confident young woman.

Everyone except Nunnally, Lelouch and CC helped Sayoko with cleaning the dishes after they were done, much to her embarrassed dismay, and they retired to their chambers after discussing tomorrow's plans. Akeno and every member of her retinue were considered special students. They had the right to live inside the campus, but were not registered to any class, and could more or less come and go as they pleased.

Da Vinci and Cécile intended to take a few well deserved days of break and visit the city. Masaki had some surviving family in the countryside and intended to move in with them within two weeks, leaving the Squadron. Toru and Akito also intended to leave in the near future, to start rebuilding their lives as civilians. Akeno would make sure they were well compensated with a variety of magic items for their participation in the war.

The Valkyries and former Knights wanted to spend their days socializing inside the campus, and their nights 'socializing' in the Sanctuary. Without a doubt, much depravity and debauchery would ensue.

Sakuya and Sakura, with the occasional assistance from Akeno, Izumi and Kasumi, Kaguya, the Black Knights and other resistance groups, would get started on making public appearances and creating up the provisional government of the new United States of Japan.

Akeno already had a few people in mind to replace Sakuya as the head of the government when the time to leave would come.

For now, the public's response was… ecstatic. As far as Akeno could tell from the reactions on internet, Princess Sakuya had the near complete support of the Japanese citizen, while the Britannian ones were keeping their heads down.

When the cleaning was done, Akeno retired to her room, who had an attached bathroom. She brushed her teeth, checked on her appearance, and sat on her bed, smiling in anticipation.

She didn't have to wait long, as someone knocked on the door.

"Mistress Akeno, I have come as instructed."

"Please enter, Sayoko."

Sayoko entered and made a perfect curtsy.

"What is your desire, Mistress Akeno?"

"Before we start discussing what we are about to do, Sayoko, I need to tell you something. I am aware that you are a kunoichi."

Sayoko's eyes twitched for a fraction of a second, but the rest of her face remained unperturbable. She had a masterful level of control over her body.

"A kunoichi, Mistress Akeno? Will this be the theme of the play? A captured Kunoichi being tormented, maybe?"

"Nice try, but futile." chuckled Akeno. "I learned about the Shinozaki clan mere hours after we entered this world."

"…That is a problem, Mistress Akeno." sighed Sayoko. "I would be excommunicated from my clan if anyone were to know about my cover being blown."

"I won't tell anyone." shrugged Akeno. "I am only saying this to you I know because I want to be honest with you. As far as I am concerned, that only makes you an even more capable individual, and I am always on the lookout for capable, kind and beautiful people."

"I see." nodded Sayoko with a sigh of relief. "I will not be foolish enough to try to silence you with violence, so I guess I can only do so by endearment."

"Hey, don't make it sound like I am blackmailing you." chuckled Akeno. "with this out of the way, let us speak about our own preferences, and I will trust you to be discreet about what I am about to tell you. I am a switch. I am submissive to my lover Noah, but dominant with everyone else. You can expect some bondage to be involved tonight."

"That would be lovely, Mistress Akeno." beamed Sayoko, and Akeno could tell that the governess was genuinely pleased by her admission.

"How about you tell me about your own tastes, Sayoko? I am willing to compromise so we can both have fond memories of this night."

"I do not think much compromise will be needed, Mistress Akeno. As you said, I was raised from a very young age as a Kunoichi and later trained as a maid at the strictest of Britannia's schools for servants. Discipline has always been part of my life, and I learned to embrace it. I would only plead that you do not use tools for punishment more aggressive than a paddle or crop, as they could easily cause scars."

"I see." nodded Akeno, standing from the bed with a grin. "So far, your service has been flawless and exemplary. However, that doesn't mean you could not benefit from the occasional reminder, to keep you on the straight and narrow. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Oh, I agree completely, Mistress Akeno." grinned Sayoko. "Please use whatever mean necessary to remind this humble governess of her place and stop her from ever growing complacent."

"I will transport us into a more suitable place for discipline, Sayoko." smiled Akeno, taking her Sanctuary out of her inventory. She teleported herself and Sayoko directly into the basement.

"You have a portable dungeon? And a well-furnished one at that!" admired Sayoko as she looked around.

"Noah made it for me. A good place to convince bad girls to become good girls."

"He sounds like a great gentleman." nodded Sayoko, noticing that while she spotted some whips and flogs and paddles, the vast majority of the tools on display seemed intended to bring pleasure rather than pain. It told her a lot about both Noah's and Akeno's personalities.

"Please undress, Sayoko, and we will start." smiled Akeno.

"Yes, Mistress Akeno." smiled Sayoko, removing her clothes with precise and efficient moves. She stook naked, hands clasped behind her back, offering a full view of her body to Akeno.

"Beautiful as expected." nodded Akeno with a smile, taking a black leather blindfold and a pair of soft, padded leather cuffs from her inventory.

She slipped the blindfold over Sayoko's eyes, and fastened the cuffs on her wrists in front of her, then led her to the whipping post and bound her hands above her head.

"Spread your legs, Sayoko." asked Akeno, and the governess eagerly did, full of anticipation. Akeno fastened around her ankles more padded leather cuffs, finishing her binding to the stout wooden frame.

"Since you already are a veteran where such activities are concerned, I will be less lenient than I would be for my first time with an amateur. I trust you have no objections?"

"None, Mistress Akeno." said Sayoko with a hot breath.

"Good girl. Arch your back to present your butt for discipline, Sayoko."

Sayoko did, leaning forward as she adopted a sexy pose.

Akeno didn't immediately fetch a paddle. She first ran her hands all over Sayoko's butt, her legs, her chest. Occasionally, she slightly pinched Sayoko's rock-hard nipples, eliciting a sweet moan.

When she decided Sayoko was horny enough, she kissed her while using a hand to rub Sayoko's crotch. The bound and blindfolded governess eagerly returned the kiss, and Akeno didn't feel surprise at her competence. Obviously, Sayoko had been trained to be a good kisser as well.

Akeno toyed with her until she felt confident that Sayoko was about to have an orgasm, then stepped away to take a riding crop.

The first blow to her left butt cheek took Sayoko by surprise, and she made a hot gasp as she strained against her bonds.

"Why are you being punished, Sayoko?" asked Akeno, curious about what answer she would come up with.

"Because I am not a good girl, Mistress Akeno." gasped Sayoko, and Akeno replied by another blow, on her right but cheek.

"But why are you not a good girl?"

"I was about to cum without permission, Mistress Akeno."

"That is correct. Good girls do no cum without permission, and you were about to. Did you ask permission?"

"I didn't, Mistress Akeno. Please discipline me for my mistake."

Akeno did, using the crop on Sayoko's butt and thighs, keeping five to ten seconds between each blow, alternating the pain with pleasure from her hands, a soft caress here, a gentle kneading there, and evaluating Sayoko's response to them. It seemed the governess was enough of masochist that the pain from the blows was acting as spice for the pleasure, and it wasn't long before she begged.

"Mistress Akeno… May I request permission to cum?"

"Denied." immediately replied Akeno. "You will cum when I decide. Failure to do so will result in severe punishment.

Sayoko groaned lustfully in answer.

Akeno played with her some more, pushing Sayoko further, until she estimated that the governess couldn't hold out anymore, and she dropped the crop, using one hand to hold Sayoko against her chest while she thrust two fingers into Sayoko's drenched pussy and pumped away.

"Cum for your Mistress, Sayoko." said Akeno right before kissing her.

Sayoko convulsed into her bonds, screaming an orgasm that seemed to take a lot out of her.

When she came down from it, Akeno lifted her juice-coated fingers to her face.

My fingers are dirtied, Sayoko. As she one responsible for it, you should do something about it, right?

Without leaving her time to answer, Akeno put her fingers inside Sayoko's mouth, and the governess wasted no time licking away, moving her tongue as if trying to please Akeno's fingers, and making pleasant and lustful moans as she did.

Akeno had to hand it to Britannia, their training seemed top-notch. Or maybe it was Sayoko who was truly talented.

After two minutes, Akeno retracted her fingers and kissed Sayoko again.

"Your discipline is only beginning." said Akeno with a grin. "Are you ready for round two?"

"Yes, Mistress Akeno." replied Sayoko with a hot breath. "Please discipline this bad girl to your heart's content."

…

Some time later, Sayoko and Akeno were both cuddling together under the blanket, naked. After a long time with both of them remaining silent, quietly reveling in each other's warmth, Akeno sighed.

"So, it's time for some feedback. Is there anything that would have made it better for you?"

"It was great, Mistress Akeno." smiled Sayoko. "You went beyond my most hopeful expectations. I had not been disciplined for years now, and I had not realized until now how much I was missing it."

"Was I too hard? Too soft?"

"A bit too soft, I would say. Despite the occasional denial, you allowed me to have seven orgasms, while you got four."

"And that's a problem?" asked Akeno with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course, Mistress Akeno. A servant's role is to please her Master or Mistress, not to be pleased by him or her. If you give the servant ideas, she will grow conceited and later need to be corrected."

"…You really are a hardcore disciplinarian, you know that?"

"Thank you for the praise, Mistress Akeno." chuckled Sayoko.

"How about we make a deal, Sayoko? I will tell you exactly how I trained Ayano from a rebellious girl trying to steal our Knightmares, into a good, obedient girl, and in return, you will tell me in detail about your experiences in that Britannian school of yours. Of course, this is on the condition that none of this leaves this basement."

"With pleasure, Mistress Akeno, and I agree with that condition."

Akeno spoke first, and then it was Sayoko's turn. When she was done, Akeno chuckled.

"Well, that was quite something… Sayoko, would you be willing to consider a change of employer? Noah has thousands of lovers slash maids in his harem, and I think we could all benefit from a bit of discipline."

"Thousands!" asked Sayoko, her eyes wide.

"Yes. Although more than nine out of ten are clones, but that's a long story I'd rather tell another time. Returning to the position I'm offering, you would gain immortality, great combat power, the ability to heal all wounds, purge all parasites, speak any language, and many more. You would live on a large island with an ideal climate in one of many palaces, and most of the chores already are automated."

"Do you need thousands of maids if they aren't that many chores to do, Mistress Akeno?"

"Not really." chuckled Akeno. "It's more that Noah likes to see us in cute maid uniforms, and he appreciates the idea of service that it represents. But as I said, with so many maids, he is swamped, and… You know what, I'm going to call him right now. He should still be up. It's going to be a video call."

Sayoko nodded and pulled the blanket so that only her head and a hint of her shoulders would be visible.

"Hi, Beautiful."

"Hi, Handsome." grinned Akeno. "Do you have a moment to talk alone? And activate the video, please."

His image was displayed on Akeno's phone. From his clothes and the background, she could tell what he had been doing.

"Still hunting Hollows, huh?"

"There's no such thing as having too many Yin… you're in bed?"

"Yes, and I just had a most enlightening discussion. Noah, this is Sayoko Shinozaki, although you already know who she is. Sayoko, this is Noah Enfield, my lover and Master."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Sayoko-san." smiled Noah on the phone.

"The pleasure is mine." nodded Sayoko as she returned his smile. "Mistress Akeno only had praise for you."

"Mistress? Didn't you reach Japan only a few hours ago, Akeno?" asked Noah with a raised eyebrow.

"She also calls Lelouch as Master Lelouch. I requested her specifically, so I'm Mistress to her, according to the rules of Britannian etiquette. I managed to heal Nunnally today, Noah, and, well, let's just say that between Sayoko and I, things escalated quickly. We were having a pillow talk about how to train other people into proper servants, and... I need your input." said Akeno.

"I'm listening. And great job for Nunnally, I'm happy you could help her."

"Yes. She deserves all the happiness in the world. Back to the reason I called you. Sayoko is big, I repeat, big, on Discipline. I'll be honest and say that her description of some of the punishments she had in mind for bad girls got me all tingly and eager to experience from both ends. Lots of softcore impact play, but also plenty of edging and unforgiving bondage and sensory deprivation. Her definition of a Good Girl is demure and reverent and doesn't masturbate without permission, among many, many other restrictions and duties they are expected to perform flawlessly."

"Quite different from our own way of doing things." nodded Noah.

"Yes. So, the big question is, do you want the girls of your harem to follow that kind of discipline?"

"What do you think about it, Akeno? You're in a better position than me to judge if it would be beneficial to everyone."

"I think it's hot. I love our times together, Noah, and I know you trained us to have fun with each other whenever you aren't available, so that things would remain tolerable. But I want… more. More teasing, more sweet torment. Being able to have fun whenever we want is not as… satisfying. I mean, it is physically, but it doesn't really sate our spiritual desire for submission when you know it just lasts at most a few hours, and you're going to switch and be the dominant one when your turn is over. Oh, and Albion's completely in love with the idea."

"I see… I will admit that I find the idea exciting as well, and the Sisters could really use some discipline. There's never less than two hundreds of them in the dungeon rooms playing with each other at any given time, those horny kinky rabbits…"

Akeno chuckled while Sayoko looked incredulous, and Noah sighed.

"…Aside from some plays involving chastity belts, I never pushed for a real, twenty-four seven Discipline lifestyle because I am afraid to hurt you girls, afraid to break you and make you less than you are, and that kind of damage is not easily reversed."

"Yes, I understand, and we all love how much you care for us." smiled Akeno. "But as long as we do not push things too far, I think it would do us all some good. It really takes a lot to damage someone's personality like you're afraid of doing. And like I said, I think it's hot."

"Sir Noah, if I may interject." said Sayoko. "For having been subjected to that kind of discipline and having seen many, many others being trained under the same conditions, I can assure you that this kind of training isn't as dangerous as you seem to think."

"It can and probably will supercharge the trainees' libido and give them a taste for bondage and discipline that may push some of them to misbehave for the express purpose of being punished. It will not, however, affect their basic personalities aside from making them more submissive toward their Master or Mistress. They will still be functioning individuals in other contexts."

Sayoko saw some strange monster with a white plaster mask over its face emerging from the white sands behind Noah and was about to say something, when a golden sword appeared and divided it into two pieces before disappearing. Noah had barely given it a glance.

"Thank you, Sayoko-san, for your valuable opinion… My priority is for my girls to be happy, but if the current situation isn't really satisfying them… Here's what we'll do: Sayoko-san, could I please ask you to make a complete and detailed list of the restrictions and duties you would expect of an ideal servant, including those related to sex? And maybe describe some of the punishments you would enact on the rulebreakers?"

"It would be my pleasure, Sir Noah." nodded Sayoko. "I will give that list to Mistress Akeno tomorrow."

"Thank you very much, Sayoko-san. I will examine it, veto anything I find really too extreme or simply dislike, then show it to everyone, and they will get to decide if they want to be put under that regimen or not."

"I'm sure they will." grinned Akeno. "I'll call you again tomorrow. Love you, Noah."

"Love you, Akeno. and goodbye, Sayoko-san."

"Farewell, Sir Noah." replied Sayoko before Akeno ended the call.

"He's handsome, right?" grinned Akeno as she looked back at Sayoko.

"Very much so. And he seems genuinely kind and caring." agreed the governess.

"He is. And we're back to that invitation."

"This really feels like an offer I would be foolish to decline, but the Ashford family has been good to me, and my current charges… Mistress Akeno, what are your plans regarding the female members of the Student Council?"

"What makes you think I have plans?" asked Akeno, not denying her words.

"I have eyes, Mistress Akeno." said Sayoko with a roll of said eyes. "I even think they are the main reason you decided to return to Ashford Academy."

"Oh my, that is some cheekiness alright." replied Akeno, pretending to be offended. "It looks like another round of discipline is necessary."

Akeno decided to ignore Sayoko's victorious smile. She had just been played!

"To answer your question, I already asked Lelouch, and he told me he didn't ever intend to return Shirley's feelings. He gave me the green light to take care of her and offer her a very long and happy life. Noah will also resurrect her father. Yes, he can do that. Not without paying a price, so he can't do it too often, but I'm sure he will for Shirley. I am going to seduce Milly as well, and she will come live with us. I have no plans regarding Nina and Nunnally, and Kallen is already on board. Noah will also revive her older brother."

"…Can I have a few days to think about it?"

"Of course." nodded Akeno. "This offer remains open to you until we leave this world."

"Thank you… And you mentioned the name Albion as if that person had listened to our conversation." frowned Sayoko.

Akeno nodded, lifted her right arm, and the Divine Dividing Gauntlet appeared, its main jewel glowing.

"Nice to meet you, Sayoko-san. I am Albion. My soul is currently anchored to Akeno's soul until Master can save up enough energy to create a physical body for me. Since I am a Heavenly Dragon powerful enough to destroy cities, it will take him years or even decades, but I waited a thousand years already, so I don't mind waiting a few more."

"Oh… I… see." replied Sayoko with a blush, thinking about her previous activities.

"Yes, sorry. Maybe I should have mentioned having a dragon inside my soul before we did what we did tonight. If it can make you feel better, Albion has seen so much debauchery over the last few years, this much is nothing."

"It was still fun to watch! I wanted to be in Sayoko-san's shoes!" quipped Albion with a lustful tone.

"You're not helping, you damn perverted masochistic lizard girl!" angrily retorted Akeno.

Albion chuckled, and the gauntlet disappeared.

Sayoko started laughing. She couldn't help it. Those next few months were going to be eventful indeed.