Rise of the Monarch

Author: Tenno Hikari

Fandom: Code Geass R2 (Sort of crossover with the webtoon Solo Leveling and the Destiny video game).

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Synopsis: Like shattered pieces of a mosaic falling into place, Lelouch remembers his death during the Black Rebellion and the strange rebirth that followed after. Zero has revived his rebellion against Britannia; fighting on the front lines and armed with terrifying new powers in replacement of his lost Geass. If the strong must conquer the weak for the sake of peace… then so be it.

Chapter Three

"Immortal?" Julius repeated slowly before watching his Ghost bob up and down in confirmation. "But I can still die, and remain dead unless you resurrect me?"

"That's why I need to stay with you at all times. But please try not to die; resurrecting you will leave me vulnerable and I… Whoa!"

He couldn't help but cut his Ghost off, snatching her out of the air and held her close.

"If that's the case, then you shouldn't be hovering around like that," he reprimanded. "I killed a sniper not too long ago, and if the enemy figures out what you can do, you'll be targeted first."

His Ghost was silent for a moment, processing his words.

"Very well, my Guardian. While I can scan the surrounding the area for enemies, I can also do this while you're in combat…"

Julius stared as she dematerialized out of his hands.

"Ghost?!"

"I'm still here," she responded, though her voice sounded much closer and clearer than before. "Though my functions are limited without a physical form, I can still communicate with you, and only you and anyone else on this frequency will be able to hear me."

Perhaps for that reason, this robotic drone was called a 'Ghost'.

"We have to do something about your name and what you call me,"

"You don't like being called a 'Guardian'?"

"It's not that…" he uttered, running a hand through his black hair. "I just don't think it suits me. I don't feel like a protector."

Considering the moment he opened his eyes, the only one Julius has protected since his rebirth had been himself. Not there was anything in this Dungeon, other than the Ghost, that was worth protecting. Everything else, those Dregs and Vandal, all wanted him dead.

"Your highness."

"That's…" His violet eyes widened in surprise at the jolt of familiarity that the title had on him.

"I'm kidding!" she laughed. "When I read your surname: Kingsly, addressing you as 'your highness' just seemed appropriate!"

Apparently robotic drones had their own sense of humor.

Still…

"I don't mind."

"What…really?" his Ghost asked in astonishment.

"It has a nice ring to it," he admitted.

Had her physical form been present, Julius had a feeling that her singular eye might be rolling at him.

"Very well," she sighed, "your highness."

"So now I need to figure out what to call you now."

"You're going to choose 'my' name?"

He shrugged. "I don't see why not since you've already referred to me as 'your highness'."

"It was a joke!" she exclaimed.

"Hmm…"

When Julius pictured a king, he didn't see a man with a crown sitting upon a throne. Instead, he saw a white and black checkered board, with black and white pieces on either side. Chess, he somehow recalled, was a game of strategy, and the king piece is the most powerful piece on the board. But there were other pieces: pawns, knights, bishops, rooks, and of course the queen.

Queen… Well, his Ghost was female (at least she sounded like one) and it was just the two of them. On second thought, giving her the title 'Queen' felt… wrong; as if it was reserved for someone else. Pawn didn't seem fitting either, especially with the robotic drone that had so many roles that were meant to support him. Then he thought of the third most important piece in a game of chess.

"Bishop."

"'Bishop'?" she echoed.

"I've decided that will be your name."

"Very well, your highness," Bishop sighed. "Now, can we please try to leave this place?"

"Yes, fine," he agreed while climbing to his feet.

"I've already done an area scan and placed indicators for directions we should follow to avoid getting lost. Also, the boss isn't far from this location."

At last, the boss. Regrettably, Julius would have liked to gain a few more levels, but this was a beginner's dungeon and killing Dregs wasn't adding up enough experience.

"Since you know the Fallen, any idea what I'm in for?" Julius asked while following a flowing indicator that now appeared with a circular mini-map of the dungeon that the Hunter could maximize if needed. "I only have my daggers, but at least all of my abilities have recharged."

"Scanning my archives," she hummed while her single eye seemed to be fixated at nothing. "Scan complete. As you're aware, the Dregs and Vandals are lower-tier soldiers of the Fallen hierarchy. After Vandals, are the Marauders; assassins who are able to cloak themselves with invisibility and remain undetected on our radar until they reveal themselves."

"That's… annoying."

"I know," Bishop agreed. "A Captain, commands low-tier Fallen, and usually shielded by an energy barrier. Arc attacks will be essential to bringing it down. A Servitor, a floating support unit that the Fallen revere since it provides a food source called Ether to them. It can also grant them immunity if close by..."

"Including it?"

"Thankfully not, but it will be well protected if there are Fallen soldiers in close proximity. The boss of this Dungeon will probably be a middle tear Fallen. Such as a Maurader, Captain, or a Servitor."

"So… what's a high tier Fallen?" he couldn't help but ask.

"Fallen have their own Houses and the Lords would be a high-level threat," Bishop informed him. "Wherever they are, a Fallen Army with heavy artillery won't be far behind."

"What kind of artillery?"

"Fallen ride vehicles called Pikes that have fast mobility and firepower. They also command their own version of tanks, called Walkers"

"I'm assuming it has four Legs?" he wondered out loud while remembering his four-armed opponents.

"Six."

Julius tried to imagine himself face to face with these tanks, and even with his abilities, could he take one on? He thought back to his visions and remembered those leviathans from his few memories, and wondered how he could obtain one in the outside world. Would he even be able to use it here in these Dungeons, and vice versa, could use his abilities and weapons out there in the world of humans?

He thought about asking Bishop until a red blip appeared on the map ahead of him.

At the sight of danger, hi daggers immediately appeared in his hands.

"Get down," were Bishop's only words to him as he crouched down and out of the enemies' line of sight.

Perhaps it was due to his leveling up, he felt light on his feet and his footsteps made no sound as he sprinted forward. It dawned on him quickly why his class was called the 'Hunter' now, as he stalked his unsuspecting target. To think that those terrifying four-armed monsters would be something he would consider prey.

He leaped high into the air, maneuvering his body so that the soles of his feet touched the ceiling, before launching himself forward. He landed heavily upon the Vandal leader, daggers embedded into its back and taking the creature out in an instant. Several pairs of eyes stared in disbelief before a shockwave of arc energy sent their remains flying in all directions.

At the cry from their brethren, more Fallen dregs and vandals had begun to appear.

'Got to save Blade Dancer for the boss encounter,' he thought to himself, while his feet swiftly ran across the walls as he dodged the sniper shots coming from the rafters. 'It would be wasted on this lower-tier Fallen; they're hardly giving me experience.'

He landed in a crouch before a startled Vandal, slapping the sniper out of its hands, and dodging its' many armed-grasp. Putting his daggers to work, he sliced at the creature's vitals within mere seconds and moved onto the next enemy before the body fell to the ground. He worked quickly, mindful of his fatigue meter, and cut a bloody path through wave after wave of enemies.

[ALERT: DREG'S HAND DAGGERS Durability: 0/15]

He discarded the broken weapons and pulled a new set from his inventory.

Some of the Fallen paused, while others backed away in fear and ran towards a now visible door.

"We should follow," Bishop advised him. "Be on the lookout for of their traps."

Traps

Julius stared down the dark hallway with narrowed eyes.

Of course, there would be traps

"Don't worry, if you set them off and die, I can always revive you."

"As assuring as that is," he began while turning around to look at his surroundings. "I've come up with an alternative."

"What are you doing with that?" his ghost asked as he hoisted up the remains of a Dreg's corpse and dragged it towards the door.

With a grunt, he hurled it forward, throwing it across the dark hallway.

Several small alarms went off and the darkness was briefly illuminated by small explosions.

"Well, I guess that works."

"Try not to sound disappointed."

"I'm not!" she insisted as he made his way through the now trap-free area. He was thankful that the blasts didn't cause enough damage to the walls to collapse. Who knows how long it would take to find another path.

The hallway leads to a dead-end; with no other doors or pathways to take, save for the gaping hole in the concrete floor.

Bishop suddenly materialized over his shoulder, and both Ghost and Guardian stared at one another as they spoke in unison:

"Bet you the boss is down there."

Kallen Kozouki woke with a start. Her blue eyes were wide with terror. Her heart, she could feel beating rapidly in her chest. A cool sheen of sweat dewed upon her pale skin, as her red hair was plastered to her forehead.

Another nightmare, or rather a reoccurring one, had plagued her dreams yet again.

The young woman groaned, kicking the retraining bedsheets from her bare legs as she sat up. Running a shaking hand through damp red hair, Kallen took deep breaths as she tried to compose herself. It took a few minutes but her heart rate returned to normal, and she finally noticed a pair of golden eyes watching her.

Ignoring her alarm clock that blearily displayed that it was three in the morning, Kallen instead frowned at her roommate. Lounging in the bed across from hers, lay C.C. watched her with a bemused expression and of course, a box of half-eaten pizza right next to her.

The immortal witch reached up to push back her headphones, from which Kallen could hear the audio of whatever show C.C. was watching on her tablet.

"Another bad dream?" the older woman asked, while her attention returned to her tablet.

"Y-Yeah."

There was no point hiding it, after all, they had been roommates for many months now. At least the nightmares were becoming less frequent, but they still tormented her. In those dark dreams, she had not run away from what she had seen, rather frozen in place.

Over and over again, she had not been able to move or even utter a sound.

Over and over again, she had watched Zero, no Lelouch, die.

In one particular dream, she had been the one to pull the trigger rather than Suzaku. She might as well have. If she had stayed and protected her leader as she should have, he might still be here with them. Or maybe not; after all, Nunnally was missing and presumed taken back by the Royal family.

"If you could see him again," C.C. spoke softly, "what would you do?"

Kallen grit her teeth, she hated questions like these.

There was no point.

The dead were dead, and all you could do was mourn for them.

She often thought about what she would do or say if Naoto had survived. Of course, she would have embraced her older brother. Of course, she would be overjoyed.

However, Lelouch was not her brother.

It was complicated. She might have despised Lelouch Lamperouge. He had been her aloof classmate at Ashford, a genius who was full of himself and disinterred in everything that wasn't his little sister. But he had been different than the other Britannians at Ashford, he acknowledged the Japanese people… his childhood friend was Japanese. It made sense why Zero had forbidden Suzaku Kururugi's assassination.

Zero… Kallen had adored the leader of the Black Knights. He had given her people hope and a fighting chance. She thought she would follow him to the ends of the earth; she would have protected him no matter what the cost.

So why hadn't she?

Because Zero was Lelouch.

He had lied and deceived her and all those who followed him.

But could she really blame him?

According to C.C. everything he had done had been for Nunnally's sake. Lelouch had lived, fought… and ultimately died for his sister… and Nunally would never know. If possible, her loathing for Suzaku grew even more. Why, could she not dream of killing that traitor instead?

"Kallen?"

The Ace of Black Knights glared blearily back at C.C. before she flopped back down onto her bed.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I'd probably demand if he had used his Geass to make me loyal to him."

"Hmm. If you're questioning it, then you know he didn't."

Damn witch.

"Then… I would punch him," she continued. "I would yell at him for all the lying and the Geass… and the hell that went down in the SAZ, for leaving the battlefield without an explanation. For – for leaving Nunnally without her big brother…"

Kallen then buried her face into her pillow, to hide the tears that burned her eyes.

'I would tell him that I'm sorry.'

Setting her tablet and headphones aside, C.C. slowly sat up from her bed and padded over to where Kallen lay. Judging by how the redhead was breathing, it was safe to assume the young woman was fast asleep. Hesitantly she placed her hand at the back of Kallen's head and immediately yanked it back as the sleeping redhead rolled away.

Quietly, C.C. backed away and sat down back on her bed and stared at her own hands as they begin to shake. She really shouldn't have asked Kallen such a question. In truth, she herself didn't have any answers.

What would she do, if she saw the dead return to the living?

'Since when did you become so sentimental in your old age?'

The immortal groaned as she reached for her headphones again.

"Who knows?"

'Why must you be so difficult? We're on the same side after all.'

"Were on the same side," She corrected the voice in her head. "It was clear to me, that all you and Charles truly cared for was yourselves. Our contract meant nothing to you. Your own children mean nothing."

'Don't say that! Of course, they do! Charles and I are doing all of this for Lelouch and Nunnally!'

"Really? How did Lelouch take it when you told him?" C.C. tilted her head to the side when she received only silence. "You didn't tell him? Or did he reject you once learning the truth?"

'I didn't tell him… because he's not here.'

Golden eyes narrowed as C.C.'s hands curled into fists.

"It isn't wise to lie to me."

'I would never. Don't you think I would be overjoyed to have my son back?'

C.C. immediately got up and began pacing. For the hundredth time, she tried reaching out to her contractor. But there was no connection. Even if he was unconscious and hundreds of miles away, she would still be able to know if he was alive.

Or was her old contractor just trying to get under her skin?

"I'm done talking to you, Marianne."

With a mental command, she blocked the channel between her and the previous contractor.

C.C. sighed quietly, before turning to stare through the window where the moon shined brightly in the pitch-black sky.

"If you're alive, Lelouch," she whispered as to not disturb Kallen. "Then where are you?"

"Bishop?" Julius asked his Ghost as he dropped down, landing quietly in a crouch. "Where are we?"

'Looks like a cavern underneath the building. Be careful, there are Fallen lurking in the shadows.'

She wasn't wrong.

In the darkness, he could see multiple on multiple eyes staring cautiously at him. He didn't know whether to be relieved or wary that they weren't swarming at him in packs. His violet eyes scanned about the large cavern that was illuminated by electric lights that must have been scavenged from the building above.

To his surprise, and dread, the entrance above had been sealed off by a shimmering barrier. His eyes searched but the only exit he could see was a giant dark hole in the wall, but it to had the same shimmering barrier. Would a door to the outside world appear of he killed this boss creature?

[ALERT: THE DUNGEON BOSS HAS BEEN ALERTED TO YOUR PRESENCE.]

It looks like he was about to find out.

"GRAAAAGH!"

He tensed at the sound of that inhuman roar, hands clutching at his daggers tightly.

Four pairs of clawed hands emerged from the dark hole, grasping onto the outside. Julius couldn't help but swallow hard in nervous fear, as a massive Fallen climbed out. It was twice the size of the Dregs and Vandals he had previously fought and had a massive health gold health bar over its title.

[FALLEN BOSS: RIKSIS, DEVIL ARCHON]

"What's a Devil Archon?" he asked his Ghost. "I thought you said the Boss would be a Captain or a Servitor."

'I also said probably!'

The Boss let out another roar, followed by the sound of many footsteps approaching from all directions.

'The Boss summoned its allies!' Bishop cried to him in warning, 'move, before they flank you!'

He was already moving upon hearing their approach, and in the back right of the cavern, Julius went to work destroying the group of Dregs and Vandals there. To not waste the durability of his daggers, he made sure each strike was a fatal one, even if getting too close resulted in minor injuries. His wounds from enemy daggers were healed overtime do to his recovery. However, fighting so many enemies at once was raising his fatigue and he had to run and hide just so he could catch his breath.

'I think you thinned down the low-level enemies,' his Ghost informed him, 'but there are still more that exist and the boss, it…'

She broke off as Julius picked up the sound of heavier footsteps rushing towards him. He quickly rolled away as a powerful blast struck the spot he had been, leaving behind a small smoldering crater. His violet eyes widened in disbelief as he could help but stare at the cannon-like weapon in Riksis' four hands.

'Your highness!'

At Bishop's warning, he quickly snapped out of his daze, performing a series of backflips just to avoid the barrage of fire. He tried throwing a low durability dagger towards the Archon's face, hoping to blind and drop its weapon. However, the Boss merely batted it away with an arm, destroying the dagger and inflicting a mere '10' damage that didn't even reflect on its health bar.

"You mean I have to fight hand to hand against this monster?" he muttered to himself, while quickly dodging behind larger rocks for cover and catching a brief moment to rest. "Does that weapon even run out of ammo?"

'No,' Bishop answered. 'Enemies may need to reload their weapons, but their ammunition is endless.'

Endless?!

There was something seriously wrong with this world system if he had to worry about weapon durability while monsters here can shoot at him non-stop. Or was it just because he was using low-level weapons dropped from low-level enemies?

He couldn't use the rifle-like weapon the Vandals had used to snipe him, as they were destroyed after leaving their owner's four hands. Would it be the same with that canon that the Boss, Riksis, was using to try and mow him down with?

BOOM!

Julius grunted as he dodged from the explosion that hit the rocks he had been using as cover. But rather than run away like had been doing, he ran forward. Ignoring Bishop's frantic shouting in his head, he launched himself forward, and drove his daggers into two of the Fallen's arms…

Only for them to shatter as their durability went from five to nothing in a flash.

The creature grunted in pain, a small sliver disappeared from its health bar, but it hadn't relinquished its hold on the weapon. Instead, Riksis raised its leg and stomped hard into the ground. The impact sent a shockwave, strong enough to send him flying across the cavern.

SLAM!

His impact against the rock wall had been strong enough to leave cracks upon the stone. Julius' whole body screamed in pain even if he didn't utter a sound as he collapsed onto the ground. Bishop's voice that had been speaking directly in his head now sounded so far away. All he could almost hear now was the sound of his bones rattling in his body and his own frantic heartbeat as he spat blood onto the cavern floor.

With his shaking limbs, he managed to pull himself up onto his hands and knees. He raised his head, and his bleary eyes caught sight of Riksis from across the room. The Fallen Leader did not advance; instead, several Dregs finally emerged from the darkness.

Apparently, the higher tier Boss had no intention of making his first death short and painless.

'Get up,' he commanded himself. 'Immortal or not, I'm not dying here!'

With a growl, he forced himself to stand shakily on his own two feet. Vertigo threatened to knock him back down, but it was gone immediately as Bishop materialized over his shoulder. He felt a surge of recovery wash through him. The aches and pain were gone, and he mutely nodded his thanks.

"That blow took half of your health away," she informed him.

True enough, his HP bar had been cut in half in mere seconds. His health would be restored over time… if he managed to stay alive. The Dregs were on him in an instant, and while his Arc melee attack had incinerated two of them, the other three were on him an instant. A two-fisted punch drove the breath from his lungs and sent him staggering backward.

A sharp, searing pain enveloped his chest as Dreg buried its blade through his ribs.

[WARNING: HP is at 25%]

"Julius!"

The small drone was at his side once more. She frantically tried to heal him, but Julius batted her away as a Dreg made a dagger swipe towards his Ghost. He grunted, catching the blade literally through his hand.

Julius bared his teeth at the Fallen's hideous face that had been mere inches from his own, before kicking it away. With a short cry of pain, he wrenched the dagger free and returned it to its owner. The Dreg let out a choked cry, as he thrust the blade into it's' throat, and watched as multiple eyes rolled back as the creature fell to the ground.

He let loose the Arc Grenade he had been saving. While the lower tier enemies disintegrated away; he kept his violet stare locked onto the boss. The higher tier Fallen could have easily shot him while he was down or occupied with the Dregs. Instead, The Archon had not moved an inch to help its brethren.

"Sheda huet shadago do bora!" Riksis barked.

Julius blinked in disbelief.

The monster was actually trying to communicate with him?

"I don't suppose than translates to 'I surrender'?" he asked humorlessly while holding a hand to his chest. The wound he could feel closing slowly, as blood soaked through his white shirt.

"It's an issued challenge in Fallen tongue," Bishop explained.

The Archon's glowing eyes suddenly fixated on Julius' Ghost as she healed her Guardian. Riksis took a step forward, pointing a clawed finger at Bishop. A surge of unease ran through Julius as he also stepped forward to shield the little drone.

"Stay out of sight," he ordered.

"But, Julius! An Archon is a high-tier Fallen!"

"Do as I say!"

Bishop made a noise of exasperation, which Julius interpreted as compliance when the Fallen's gaze turned towards him. It was clear that the Archon knew what Ghost was capable of. But he wasn't going to let the monster get its claws on her.

"Over your dead body," he hissed out loud.

Riksis reached up and removed what looked like a ventilation mask from the lower part of its' face, revealing a mouth of razor-sharp teeth curved in a grotesque smile.

End Chapter Three

Author's Notes:

I need more practice in writing fight scenes. Then again, I'm having Lelouch of all anime characters, try to take down aliens with daggers – instead of actual guns (those will come later), so expect to be underwhelmed.

So anyone who plays Destiny here, don't you just love the boss stomp mechanic? The shock alone pretty much takes all your health, but you die from impact - unless you're thrown off the map (good old Court of Oryx days).

Review Responses:

Ash the Aura Guardian: I can't wait for that confrontation either. Lelouch has a lot of leveling up to do, but he'll definitely get there.

Qrow454: Thank you. Once Lelouch remembers, he'll be more than ready to force-feed them their just desserts.