AN : Aye, cursed by an illness which sent me to bed for three days and now plagued by exams. I still came back to deliver this chapter. Some interesting reviews too this time. I am not sure which "last part" Sacchin was referring about since the whole 'last part' was tons of fun to write and read. I am indeed French as I already answered IonicAmalgam. Proofreading by other people will currently not happens because... long to explain but let's say there are very long communications delay with my +/- betareader(s).

Bigfan gave an interesting summary too and since he did review I can correct the minor points which the craziness of last scene leaded toward. First Marianne is not a Demon King or whatsoever, the Demon King of Lelouch is a much more complicated existence which I won't explain here as it would take LOT of words. Marianne only 'broke' her Geass partly due to the aftereffects of C.C using her geass to save Anya (how and why was explained last chapter), that and being within a corrupted space filled with abominations ruled by the Demon King. She did molest pretty much all the men in Charles's room however she didn't finish off Bismark. Marianne's geass even broken cannot break the 'absolutely impossible' rule that say a dead body can be resurrected.

What her Geass was able to do by being broken was splitting her own consciousness and take over Bismarck WITHOUT eye-contact (since he was unconscious and face down), and yeah... she managed to take over him when he was 'lost to the world' for a lack of a better world-erm...word! Apart the Demon King and Bismarck's status Bigfan made an accurate summary and I thank him for his praise.

Now on with the story, including more in the Kouzuki's side-story! (needed to address it here for plot reasons, sorry for those who don't like the Kouzuki). By the way, I am surprised no-one caught on the 'girl with red eyes' attacking a brother(in-law) with a dark giant, himself using an over-sized sword? Shame on you Fate lovers if you haven't!

There should have been a Bismarck versus Rolo scene in the thought elevator but since it wasn't plot relevant in any way I decided against it. If some readers manifest themselves about it, I can add it as an omake to the chapter. I skipped another scene at the end about Zero and who accompany him to Kyoto meeting, mostly due to factor which made the scene rather pointless. the 'Leader's Duties' arc should be done in two-three chapters and then we're on with Narita which will probably take at least three entire chapters.

After this rather lengthy author note, I bid you a good reading.

Code Geass : Back to Zero

Chapter 23th : Leader's Duties : Poor leaders(2)

An eleven with dark red hairs was feeling quite distressed by his current situation. A dozen minutes after the unfortunate loss of a Knightmare Zero had returned to his improvised room in the mobile warehouse. Naoto himself hadn't been there, Zero had told him and Minika to stay in base to watch for possible agitations on Britannia side while he was going to see just what had gone awry again. This was not to say that the Black Knights were incompetent or that their leader didn't know how to discipline his men. No, rather it was either because Zero's accomplice was stirring up trouble or, more frequently, because Tamaki did something to make Zero's patience run dry. The twenty-four man was a loyal ally and ready to fight to the end in battle but Naoto had to agree with Zero that sometime it was really hard to bear with Tamaki's blunders.

Anyway, Tamaki was for now a low priority concern in Naoto Kouzuki's mind. There were more pressing issues, including his current presence in Zero's room.

"Then, what did you wish to talk about?" He asked tentatively, just a moment ago he had been trying to calm down a flustered Kallen who herself was trying to stop the poor Inoue from trembling. He didn't heard the whole stories but from what he understood the blue haired woman was going to obtain a vast knowledge on bondage, the worst being that it was apparently for perfectly justified reasons and there was no way she could refuse. Inoue had also cursed 'a scary soldier in black who barged in a closing hour and forced her to pick dozens of outfits for two young girls he had only loose measures on.'. Well, at least it had explained why she had been sleepy, one day Inoue's work at a Britannien clothes shop would get the better of her. 'If it already hadn't.' Naoto added as an afterthought.

Zero straightened himself in his seat, the faceless mask starring silently at the former leader of Shinjuku resistance. Said former leader felt quite uncomfortable with the promiscuity as he sat on the bed of the room. The place was cramped, it was barely larger than the other black Knights's rooms. The sole notable difference was the presence of a large desk extending in an arch with no less than three computers on them, multiple stacks of papers, some tools and also three empties boxes of pizzas. The twenty-one years old Japanese glanced to the side at the also silent and immobile woman called C.C, still with her suit and green-thing lines. He very carefully tried not to think on the fact that the bed was fairly small and that to his knowledge C.C had no other room than Zero's.

"Naoto Kouzuki, what are you?" Zero suddenly asked, startling the Japanese who starred in honest confusion at the masked man. For a second he was left dumbfounded as he racked his brains for just what his and his sister's savior was asking about. Seeing that he wasn't going to answer anytime soon, Zero raised a finger and aimed it at him. This time Naoto noted the tone of the man had gone less than friendly, full business with a hint of warning. "I said, what are you?"

"Hum..." Naoto observed fuzzily the man, knowing he was missing something in the conversation and that it was bad. "A Japanese rebel?" He tried wondering if Zero was referring to his actions as the leader of a cell. Zero starred blankly, although the term seemed rather inappropriate since the man was wholly in black. "A black knight?" He tried again while glancing briefly at his uniform. His engagement in the Black Knights had been pretty much a given with his sister and Oghi strongly pushing their former leader into it. Zero nodded briefly, not quite looking like it was the expected answer but accepting it nonetheless.

"Next question then, why isn't Naoto Kouzuki dead?" The masked man asked in an even voice, leaning back in his chair with his fingers intertwined.

"Excuse me?" Naoto reflexively blurted out, now even more confused as to where Zero was going with this.

"I said," Zero said a forced annoyed sigh "why. are. you. alive?" Naoto began to realize that in this small room, with the woman at his left and Zero before him, both people in full suit and undoubtedly armed the situation was resembling more and more an interrogation. It seemed his nervous glance around the room to confirm that he was in an hostile situation wasn't left unnoticed by the woman as her posture stiffened. The way she was slightly leaned toward him proved that if needed she would pounce on him, badly. There was absolutely nothing tempting in that fact. Naoto forced himself to calm down despite how the situation was sharing similarities with Britannia's 'demand of answers' sessions, although there was still no violence here that could link both event. "Naoto Kouzuki!" Zero growled with an accented tone of annoyance as he made clear he wouldn't repeat himself a third time.

"You're faking that anger." He answered as calm as he could manage despite the sweat he felt beginning to mass in his back. Zero didn't move, still leaning back in his chair. The masked man also didn't move when he growled earlier.

"Do I have to take this as you refusing to answer?" The fake annoyance was gone from the man's voice, however its sharpness didn't escape Naoto.

"No, but I ask that you precise your questions." The Japanese answered politely, straightening his back on the wall and putting his hands on his legs to show he was leaving himself open to both attacks and questions. He still didn't know what Zero was interrogating him about, but from the 'why are you alive?' question, it wasn't very good for him. On his side the woman touched him and quickly passed her hands over multiple parts of his body which made him stiffen, 'checking for weapons' he realized. He forced himself to relaxed as she finished within seconds. Zero had observed his accomplice's actions wordlessly, then he remarked.

"I'm surprised you didn't protest." A slight nod of the mask toward the woman helped Naoto figure what he was speaking about, he carefully kept his defenseless position while keeping his face straight. Still he didn't bother to answer, this was an attempt by Zero to make him speak but that wasn't a question, if his guess was right Zero would continue with- "Why?" and the masked man did ask the expected question.

"There was no reason to, if I am somewhat correct, you're doubting me for some still unclear reason. Currently you're taking measures to ensure security..." He trailed off as he glanced around the room which had soundproofed walls. "and discretion..." Naoto looked at the two people but couldn't read anything from their movement, or rather lack of, nor from C.C's face. He didn't have the experience of Zero in reading the woman's slight changes to see the shadow of a smile on her lips.

"Answer by yes or no first, then correct if needed understood?" Zero said, this time straightening himself in his chair so that he could look at Naoto closely. Naoto nodded then caught himself.

"Yes." The exchange was followed by many questions shot in rapid-fire, the masked man clearly wanting to have Naoto answers before he could properly think the asked questions out. His name, his date of birth, where he lived before the invasion, his preferred food and so on... Zero threw trivial questions among more delicate ones, ranging from when he started his resistance to the name of his first love. Just now Zero gave him Naoto's supposed phone's number, which was wrong, and then Naoto had to give his real one. Everytime he had to answer Yes or no first, then correct if he was given the time too, otherwise they would process with other questions.

"Is Kallen your half-sister?"

"-No." Damn, he almost fell into that one. Zero continued, again in an even voice.

"Were you sane of mind and body when you recruted Shinichiro Tamaki?"

"-Ah..." He paused "No, I can't guarantee I was." C.C snorted. Zero made a disapproving noise as the Japanese answered in more than one word, although it seemed hardly convincing. The questions went on a bit more before finally stopping. Naoto sighed as Zero leaned back in his chair. It seemed to have lasted hours to Naoto and yet he intellectually understood that only two-three minutes had been spent on the quizz of sort. After a brief silence Zero continued.

"Tell me how you were arrested." Naoto shifted, then put back his hands on his lap as he saw C.C stirs. He wasn't surprised by the questions, rather expected it. None of the questions had touched the subject of his arrest or what happened afterward. The list of questions had been used as a mean to stress and tire him out as much as a way to catch him off-guard.

"You think I am an impostor, don't you?" Naoto asked though he didn't expect an answer, it was more of letting know that he knew. Unsurprisingly the masked man didn't answer nor the woman by Naoto's side. Naoto placed himself comfortably on the bed, although he was still siting in a somewhat formal manner and drew his two hands together until the tips touched. "Let's see..." He began trying to find where he should begin. It was somewhat amusing how easily he was complying to Zero's demands who didn't use violence even once in the whole interrogation, while the Britannien who he had been interrogated by were much more prone to physical ways than the masked man.

How he got captured was simple enough, the reason of his capture almost as old as humanity itself. One of their fresh recruit betrayed them to the britannien army, Naoto later learned the traitor had been an honorary britannien under the order of the purist faction. They had charged at the warehouse in the middle of the day with many men and two Knightmares, it had been pretty much a one-sided slaughter. Thankfully there had been unexpected complications to the plan Naoto devised to take the gas capsule from britannien hands, Oghi and the rest who escaped had all been on various duties working on preparations. Still, before the betrayal, their cell had over forty members and that had been reduced to a dozen people. The fact that Oghi and the rest escaped was thank to Naoto being somewhat cautious enough not to give the details of the plan to a newcomer.

Zero nodded absently, inwardly wondering just how the heck the britannien managed to lose the capsule to the terrorist when they were warned of a very possible attack.

During the attack Naoto was cornered along with a few others members, each dying one per one. At some point he was knocked out by falling rubble and the next he received a bucket of water on his head, the water then the bucket itself. Naoto had found himself in a dark cell along with a britannien officer looking at him in an unpleasant manner, the man was named Bretan. The man tried to start an interrogation in the cell but another officer came and disputed his right to interrogate the prisoner. After some arguments Bretan left Naoto in the hand of the other officer with grayish-green hairs, a britannien named Gottwald.

Followed several 'demands of information' with one of the man's subordinate, a man named Kewell who apparently hold a born grudge against all numbers. It had been brutal, yes, the men not caring too much about his safety. They didn't capture him to find the rest of his cell no, they thought they had completely wiped out his group except for the redhead. Once he realized that fact Naoto made sure to comfort them in that idea, that way Oghi, Kallen and the rest would avoid troubles it they laid down for some time. It also appeared they didn't know that the man before them was Naoto Kouzuki, the redhead had used an alias if only to give Kallen more time to be safe. Even now he didn't know why the traitor who sold him didn't reveal his identity, he never met the honnary britannien after the attack. As for what they wanted, Kewell was trying to find how Naoto Kouzuki learned about the prince project. It went in long and painful circle for both sides, Naoto had to admit it was worse for him since he had both the mental and physical abuses on his side, but they didn't learn anything from him in the end. That was because Naoto studied the way to break and question someone, mostly using it to obtain information while passing as a britannien. It had allowed him to know how to answer and what he should expect. Knowing that Oghi wouldn't abandon the plan for the capsule if possible, Naoto feed Kewell fake intel about how 'Naoto Kouzuki' planned to seize it from the prince's hands.

This happened over the course of several days, how many unknown to him as his interrogators did their best to make him lose his perception of time. The most obvious attempt being irregular feeding hours, disturbed sleeping hours and varying number of meal. That is, when he had meals at all. Thus after an undetermined period of time which Naoto estimated to be a week, he was relocated by men who were military yet neither purist nor staff of the prison he was in, blindfolded and then threw into another cell. Bretan came as his new interrogator though he met him only two times, he also saw a couple of men with white blouses observing him once but then they left without a word. For days he had been left alone in a windowless place with no info regarding the events outside. The changes came at some point when the responsible of the prison came with a fat man who wore a suit, there had been exchange of words that he didn't heard from his side of the reinforced glass and then he noted the fat man passing row of bills to the responsible. As some guards took him out and threw him into some car after binding him, Naoto had realized he had just been sold to someone. Despite the look the fat man gave him between his muscled personal guards, the event came as fortunate to the elder of the Kouzuki siblings.

"So no one came to execute you?" Zero spoke for the first time since Naoto had begun his story. Startled the Japanese gave him a surprised look before answering.

"No... I imagined the event a few hundred times but I am fairly sure it didn't happens." It was more than stating the obvious, he also meant that his execution hadn't been announced to him either. Zero nodded thoughtfully and gestured him to go on. "Well... after that it didn't turn out very pretty. Don't tell Kallen if you can, that would make her really really mad." It was easier to tell Zero, a stranger behind a mask, than Oghi or Kallen what happened once he got out of the damned car. It took little for Naoto to realize that the man was a slave trader, who doubled as the patron of the Babel tower. Apparently his half-blood nature had been pierced and his 'twisted' existence (by britannien standards) appealed buyers from the noble circles. The patron clearly intended to make a good profit out of the redhead half-blood.

And so he encouraged his men to 'break' the future slave, to instill obedience in him. There had been humiliating things, he told Zero a few although the full extend was something he didn't wish to share. Thankfully at least there wasn't much violence, he had been still well-built when he arrived and the fat trader bet on that. That and the half-blood rather good looking face. Naoto had been strongly encouraged to keep himself fit and although he got bruised when he refused to whip fellow Japaneses, they were careful in avoiding damaging his face or inflicting permanent wounds. Apart that he hadn't been much hit, Naoto had complied with most of the requests, no matter of sick or wrong they seemed, no matter how sure his hate of Britannia would increase from the experience. His guards hadn't seem to be aware of his past activity as freedom fighter judging that they didn't restrain Naoto much more than the other prisoners. The Japanese's plan had been simple, to wait for the moment he would be bought and then escape from his buyer after a few days. He had considered escaping from the babel tower but the slaves to be sold were very well watched and even if he managed to do it, the other elevens would pay for Naoto's escape even if there was no basis for it.

There had been only two days left before Naoto bid when Zero and the Black Knights raided the corrupted tower. Zero nodded slowly as the masked man finally understood why the man had squeezed his hand so much the first time they met in person. Zero had saved him from a grim present and a possibly bad future, plus Naoto had only learned of Kallen capture and rescue when he had been freed.

"Naoto." The mask spoke.

"Yes?"

"I really pray you aren't an impostor, sincerely." There was multiple meanings in that sentence and Naoto understood them all, cold and warm. Then the man fully dressed in black took a large sheet from his desk and handed it to Naoto. The redhead opened it and was surprised when he recognized a familiar map although devoid of many handwritten notes. He felt no surprise when Zero handed him a pen and put his two hands together while leaning forward. "Now, shall I bring you to Kyoto?" Naoto observed the man for several moments, switching between him and the map from times to times. It was a test, probably the last one.

"No, as long as there is doubt you should not. You will not." The half-blood Japanese answered with determination, then he looked down and started rewriting and explaining the plan he made seemingly years ago. The steps which allowed Oghi and the rest to seize the gas capsule. Zero and C.C observed him in absolute silence, alone with the man who had been a key in the two Code bearers encounter.

*break*

"RAAAAAHHHH!" A ridiculously large sword cut the air of the room as Rolo backpedaled as fast as possible, his gun already empty. He jumped from place to place in hope of surviving the onslaught long enough to find some way to make it out alive. "WOUUARGHHH!" Another threatening growl of -whatever it was- echoed as another slash broke down the floor. It did take roughly a second for the corrupted Knight of One to launch another attack, unfortunately all of the assassin's bullets had be blocked with the flat of the blade and now he had no weapon able to hit from three meters away, the minimum range needed in order to dodge the strokes promising instant death on hit. "RAAAAAHHHH!" Rolo put a hand on his heart as once again his geass proved to be powerless against the mindless entity, barely dodging he continued to retreat. Master V.V would have to deal with the other one himself, it didn't worry too much Rolo overall since after all the immortal leader was just that, immortal.

The emperor of Britannia, Charles zi Britannia saw his servant chases his prey further and further away. He would have to comment on the boy who dodged Bismarck's attacks successfully even if the boy had most likely no chance to win, but still even if the Knight of One was weakened by the terrific earlier combo of Marianne, dodging Excalibur for an extended period of time was no small feat. Charles felt half-worried when he noticed the two were going to enter the thought elevator if they continued but he reasoned that they had no chance of damaging it. Beside if V.V's servant wanted to survive, going inside the elevator was probably the wisest course of action.

"RAAAAAHHHH!" The emperor turned his attention away from the one-sided battle and looked at the other who screamed in a manner unlike the corrupted thing Bismarck currently was. The entity sitting on top of the small boy had finished ripping the skin out of V.V's left arm, with her nails and cellphone no less! Even after witnessing Dark Marianne do it, the emperor still couldn't understand how the delicate fingers of Anya and the small metallic object could accomplish such a feat. Yet, and V.V blood dripping out from his arm even as it regenerated proved it, it was impossible but still reality! Now the ghost of his wife was working on taking out the eyes of the immortal and taking no small amount of pleasure in piercing the worthless defenses of the ageless boy. "STOP THAT YOU DAMN-!" V.V didn't speak much further as one of his eye popped out of its emplacement. "RAAAAAHHH!" Then light shone as V.V used his Code in an attempt to disturb the psyche of whatever the Knight of Six was possessed by. Surprisingly it worked, the entity stopped with one of her hand ready to take out V.V's second eye. As he channeled the power the pseudo immortal allowed a sigh of relief to escape his lips. As long as the girl didn't made an instant kill against him, he could regenerate from anything.

"Grrrrrrrr!" His thoughts froze again as Dark Marianne leaned once again toward him, despite the already insane state of the entity, it seemed that even more of her sanity had been discarded. V.V had no way to know although Charles had a vague idea of what was happening. From what the emperor knew, that psychic attack used past bad and traumatic events to disturb one's mind. Sadly for V.V, Marianne dying killed by the immortal boy counted among those experiences.

"-!"

Charles's eyes literally popped out of their sockets although in a different manner than his brother right eye. Dark Marianne gave no time the immortal boy to scream as she launched her seven-hits combo, sending him in the air with an upward kick that connected their bodies at V.V's crotch in order to launch her deadly techniques. The total eight hits passed in a flash and then Dark Marianne kicked the wreck of a body upward again as she launched AGAIN her seven-hits monstrosity! Not content with just that she continued again with a third, then a fourth execution before ramming the regenerating body on the ground and stumping on it with a skill worth ten thousand years of crushing spiders underfoot. Even after those repeated beatings she continued by mounting once again the trembling mess and went on breaking bones, two or three at a times and continued to do so even as the bones rebuilt themselves.

Forget the screams, V.V was too busy keeping his regeneration top notch and dealing with the pain to use his vocal cords. The almighty emperor of Britannia paled as he watched in disbelief the gruesome hundred hit chain that would make any fighting video game look like friendly yaoi. Charles zi Britannia made a mental note to buy a chastity belt for himself out of survival instinct and finally decided to call his guards. There were just things he didn't wish to his worst enemy, things that overcame the hate he could feel for his brother and it was indisputable V.V's current treatment was among those things. Thus the Emperor did the brave and heroic deed: he called his guards!

There was going to be a very long session of memory rewriting afterward, that was sure. While he was considering those important matters, Anya was trying to shut off the current torture inflicted upon the boy. V.V's attack with the code had an unexpected effect, as an attack which targeted a 'body' and not simply a 'mind' the pink haired girl had been caught by the attack. The most traumatic event that Anya should have remembered was the tons of vengeful spirits, but whether because of Marianne's presence or because C.C and Lelouch coming to save her had greatly diminished the sheer impact of the event, another scene had been replaying in her mind. Lelouch wouldn't have been surprised to see her remember a scene that she was geassed to forget, after all the geass canceler was here to prove that memories weren't fully erased when becoming a victim of the cursed power. Whatever it was, what Anya saw was a decade old event closely linked with Marianne Lamperouge's death. It was V.V gunning down the woman with a machinegun, then ordering his men to attack the house to make it look like a terrorist attack.

The petite girl felt sick, old and current event both tiring her wounded mind and body. For one long moment and without any warning the Knight of Six body froze in its task of breaking the bones of the immortal boy, then turned toward the newly arrived guards who were approaching as a dark aura continued to surround her. And finally it went loose as the fiveteen years old body's couldn't support anymore the vengeful wrath of its impostor user. Like a puppet cut off its strings the girl fell atop the battered mess of Marianne's murderer, who emitted a pained whine under the lifeless weight.

*break*

Guilford kept his face straight as his princess turned to hide (brown version) under her pillows while the door opened under the gentle but determined touch of Euphemia li Britannia. Ever since her older sister had been wounded at Ashford, the girl was truly resembling a dragon every-time Cornelia tried to get out of her bed. The vice-viceroy (as ridiculous as the title sounded) was holding the reins of the country with a gentle but firm hand. Cornelia, who realized large teddies were somewhat difficult to hide properly smiled as her young sister entered. The knight observed with a faint smile the two sisters greeting each others warmly.

"It looks like I won't stay in there much longer." Ever since the critical wound his highness received at Ashford, Euphemia had been merciless with her older sister regarding Cornelia many attempts at ruling the country despite her heavy wounds. True, Euphemia couldn't stop the countless flood of paperwork from flooding the viceroy's office, but she could and did make sure the wounded Cornelia didn't step out of the palace and by extension her room until she was fully healed. For the poor guards and various people in the palace it had been very long days with shared feelings and terrible dilemma each time Cornelia was trying to mount another attack against the various terrorists. Having Cornelia appearing at the television so as to show she was still alive and active had been meet with heated argument.

"Good, I won't have to chastise you any longer and give guards permissions after nervous depression." The sixteen blue eyed younger princess said with a gentle yet bitter smile. Her comment earned her a scoff from the few people present in the room. Even Cornelia loyal men would gladly rush into an enemy stronghold for the princess, however being sandwiched between the opposite will of the strong Cornelia and the stubborn Euphemia li Britannia had proven to be an experience all their training didn't protect them against. Someone coughed by the entry, all stares suddenly darting toward an embarrassed Major Haddock who also seemed quite tired.

The man had been first tasked with looking out of corrupted officers within the police ranks along with Darlton, but then there had been some attack around Ashford and the man had been tasked with the investigation. Normally he shouldn't have but the location near Ashford, the scale of the destruction and most importantly the disarray in which the chain of commands was lately made him the unfortunate bearer of the chaos that ensued two days ago. "Good morning your highnesses, I've come to report as asked." Cornelia nodded attempted to stand up, only for Euphemia to put a hand on her stomach and glaring at her with an ominous expression. After a brief glaring contest the Viceroy woman settled by sitting on the bed, she didn't glance at Guildford for help. The knight had preferred to keep Cornelia's royal guard out of the pseudo-war of resting between the two women, his argument had been that their protection would be even more disliked by the young princess if they tried to interfere. As Euphemia proved twice now that she could indeed escape her watchers's eyes, the purple haired viceroy had been left with no support. Admittedly, Euphemia overusing puppy eyes had been a game-breaker move.

"You look like you could use some sleep." Guildford pointed out the obvious at Haddock, seeing that the man was going to fall down before the princesses were done if he was left alone. Haddock nodded his head absently, completely ignoring the silent antics of the two members of royalty before him, the door was closed again and was soundproofed so that no one could eavesdrop. Including the two members of Cornelia's Knights standing as guards of the room.

"Then give us your report Major, after that I order you to get some hours of rest." It surprisingly was Euphemia who spoke after breaking eye-contact with her sister. The sixteen years old princess was standing straight, sitting in a dignified manner on Euphemia's bed. Haddock nodded tiredly as his brains barely processed the order, however the rest of the room nodded that the sub-viceroy was forcing herself. There was something off in her posture that neither Cornelia nor Guildford failed to notice.

"The results aren't encouraging. There had been no claim from any terrorist group for the attack. One parking was burned down, we found trace of explosive that blew up a car and created a chain reaction. Research proved the explosive to be an hand-grenade. The lights in the street were shoot by a small caliber weapon, the precision of the shoot indicate that all lights were shoot by the same person. The other damaged building was partly removed by some yet undetermined weapon..." He went on sleepily giving out further details.

"What of the people who escaped the barrage?" Guildford asked.

"No traces, the very few descriptions we've are spoke of an inhuman being creating death all around him without visible weapon. However..." Haddock frowned. "There are some bizarre circumstances."

"Meaning?" Cornelia asked for precision. The thirty or so man sighed before continuing.

"From what I gathered, the Knight of Six on the scene, and later she was brought by two people said to belong to the O.S.I. Oddly enough no one had been able to give an accurate description except that it was a man and a woman, rather youngs, the man handsome despite the fact they can't recall any particular feature. A demand from the O.S.I. told me that they've currently no agents in the town and after further research, none that could have come in time to be at the scene." It was a testimony of Haddock talents to have already checked for the reality of secrets agents, the O.S.I. being under direct control of the emperor, it was often very difficult to obtain information from them.

"So, what remain unclear to learn is what is that 'third party'." Cornelia said. It was fairly easy to guess what had happened at the beginning. The Knight of Six was to meet some people discretely and another person didn't wish for the meeting to go well and had sent an assassin, a skilled one who didn't mind using grenades in the middle of a city to accomplish his objectives and that could shoot with perfect precision street lights from dozen of meters away. The people with the Knight of Six had escaped and at some point fought with the pursuing assassin. The usage of Japanese weaponry perplexed them, it was still unclear whether the assassin or the fleeing people had wielded them. Either way it betrayed that elevens were involved in some ways. Still using a... kunai and such things were too much of a signature, there was the possibility that the weapons had been left to confuse them.

Anya Alstreim had been heavily wounded, bloody traces showed that she had been rammed in a blacked out street light. The assassin had obliviously been from another league, even as young as Anya and without Knightmares, the Knight of the Rounds were a rather frightening threat. Unknowingly to Cornelia and the rest of the room, V.V was currently the living confirmation how just how much a Knight of Round can be a threat to one's own safety.

"So the third party appeared and engaged the assassin." Guildford said. It was rather obvious from the mark on the building, some unknown weapon had removed a small part of the building vertically. There had been a battle although how it ended was unclear. "The assassin got overwhelmed and fled." Most likely to be true as the following event proved. "Then the police on the scene meet the third party and got wiped out." Yes, the building had all its windows broken and the rest of it was going to fall soon. Also there had been a howl heard by the nearby residents. Inhuman, high-pitched and extremely loud.

"Some intimidation technique." Cornelia muttered, unwilling as the other to acknowledge the possibility of some beast or monster as responsible for the chaos.

"They didn't need it much judging from our losses." Haddock muttered as he recalled the gruesome death of the policemen. Those had been quick to react and even some soldiers had joined them, they had apparently encircled something and attempted an arrest. All surrounding people had been killed, their hearts exploding from inside without any external wound. There was no records and only the presence of the loudspeaker in the dead office's hand proved that he had been trying to speak to some people, and that it ended badly for them. Twenty-two people had been killed in that single moment, the total casualty being over forty. Within that count, three policemen who were watching the exploded apartment had been killed and the place had been cleaned of anything that could have clued the investigators. "Heart exploded too, we can conclude this 'third party' is responsible." Haddock concluded

"As if we didn't have enough with the terrorist and Zero." Cornelia mumbled in both disgust and frustration. The worst of the whole thing was probably that they had no clue at all on who attacked nor who the third party was. As for the people with the Knight of the Round, unless the emperor was willing to partake his knowledge, they wouldn't heard anything about it anytime soon. Haddock left soon afterward to follow Euphemia's earlier order, the princess thanking him for his hard work to which the man had sleepily bowed.

Guildford exchanged a glance with his princess as Euphemia was mumbling in disgust at the ways the proud britannien had been killed. "So Euphie, did you have anything to tell me?" Cornelia turned her attention back to her sister. The girl blinked then nodded as she took out a piece of paper. Cornelia gasped as she read the content.

As you wouldn't believe me if I said it myself, I warn you through this mean. Someone who is involved with the incident two days ago in Tokyo warned me that the princess Euphemia li Britannia might be in danger, either of kidnapping or assassination. (the earlier apparently more plausible). For safety reasons, I cannot reveal who is my source however he is no stranger to the princess and undoubtedly doesn't wish to see her fell to the same fate. With all my due respects, I hope you won't discard this as a mere prank.

Away from the palace, a certain eleven teen was praying his anonymous letter wouldn't be dismissed too fast.