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Perhaps it was during the special operations team's celebratory leisure time, or perhaps it was a reporter with a strong mind accompanying them to record the event, but the speed at which the photo of the burned cherry tree spread was already more uncontrollable than any of the corpses and horrific scenes of the facades. Newspapers and news media all used it as the cover story of this tragedy.
Different groups of people gave this event different names—Brittanian residents called it the Night of Disaster, those of Chinese descent jokingly called it the "Fireworks Incident," and the people of Japan, who are used to vague terms, stuck to their habit and sadly called it the "Scorching Sunset."
As for the Aryan Special Forces, they seemed to regard it as a huge success, shamelessly naming it "Night of the Holy Flame"—well, that must have been the idea of one of the guys in the team who participated in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
One wonders what Pierre de Coubertin, who has been buried in Switzerland for over eight years, would think. The Olympic flame, symbolizing fair competition, mutual understanding, friendship, and unity, burned for the first time on the main cauldron in the main stadium, but in front of the swastika, a symbol of endless sin. Meanwhile, the fanatical followers of the Führer continued to desecrate the vibrant and warm light of the Olympic flame in another world without batting an eye.
……
“We have always maintained that all our actions were necessary and effective.” Karlstadt even gave a television interview to reporters, saying, “We believe our record speaks for itself. In the operation, we discovered a large number of people from District 11 who were illegally possessing automatic weapons and even dared to openly engage in firefights with the armed forces of Britannia.”
"Their existence further confirms that the Black Knights' influence in District 11 has become deeply entrenched. We cannot simply use mild measures to impose any humane measures on these deliberate subversive thugs. It is all their own choice and decision. The Aryan Special Forces' objective is also very simple: to wipe out all the incurable patients in Britannia's territory."
Well, it seems that even news anchors have some difficulty controlling their emotions when making such statements.
"Ahem... Next, please take a look at the census statistics we have compiled. Among the approximately 8 Britannian citizens who participated in the survey in District 11, 24% believe that the actions of the Aryan Special Forces are highly commendable and without any major faults; 58% believe that although their motives were good, their methods were inappropriate; 11% of the respondents believe that the Aryan Special Forces were completely wrong, and even believe that the officials in the city hall should regret and apologize for their initial decision; the remaining 7% hold a neutral attitude."
……
Leaning against a lamppost on the street, Davis and his group swallowed hard and smoked as they watched the series of reports that were being broadcast on a large screen on the building.
"I'm telling you Germans, stop trying to make a big news story all the time..." Philip clicked his tongue as he listened to the broadcast, "We're all in the same boat, the same old folks who grew up drinking Rhine water are going to get dragged into this criticism too..."
“When the time comes, you’ll ask the old folks if they support it, and they definitely won’t.” Garcia was taking his medicine. “The concentration camps built by these Himmler fans are already known to the world. They can’t hide it anymore, so they’ve given up and gone all out, right? Anyway, they have high-ranking officials backing them up.”
Well, before they could even complain a bit more, they were back to their regular duties. A luxury car pulled up in front of the factory gate next to them, and several officials got out.
“Greeting, sir. I am Sergeant Aitani Davis, a volunteer soldier from District 45. I am here to await your escort orders.”
"Hmm, not bad." The soldiers all felt that the faces were unfamiliar, probably officials sent from outside Honshu Island to inspect them. "Sergeant, regarding the security arrangements during the factory inspection, I hope you won't ruin this first impression."
This is a place that specifically employs “stateless residents” of Britannia. Well, this term seems to have appeared many times in various reports. The so-called stateless residents are different from those born in Area 11 of Japan and those born in Area 18 of the Middle Eastern Federation. They are specifically for those countries that have not yet been conquered by Britannia.
They still possess independent national sovereignty, even one that stands in opposition to Britannia, but some of their citizens still want to become Britannian citizens. Britannia is receptive to such people and, after a simple screening, grants them "stateless resident" status.
In the decadent Chinese Federation, some "visionary" individuals arrived early, and Australia, an absolutely neutral country that admires Britannia's military might, also had no shortage of visitors. The already fragmented EU routinely offered up its labor force. As for the existence of District 45, it has not yet been made public, so it needs to be covered up with the label of stateless resident.
During the factory tour, the owner soon raised the question of "why so many white undocumented residents have been sent to District 11 in recent months." The official, of course, could not reveal the true identities of these German civilians, and cleverly used the "great victory in the EU" as a convenient excuse.
……
When the day was over, during their night patrol, the four of them sneaked into Clark's restaurant, which was still open, as usual.
“I’ve watched the news programs. Things are completely out of control in Germany now.” Clark’s expression was also very grim.
“We can’t win in a head-on confrontation. Besides, what they call leverage is actually a merit in the eyes of that Earl Rosenberg. There’s nothing we can do. We can’t get rid of this Japanese guy who’s just trying to make his presence felt.” Garcia said, his eyes glazed over.
“Those black Nazi dogs can control the fire department and command the wind and rain, and we still have to live under their noses.” Taylor was still furious. “Today, when we were protecting that high-ranking official and his party in that factory, we ordered those officials to walk in front and we followed behind. Then two officers followed behind us, staring at the back of my head until it itched.”
“It’s obvious,” Davis said bluntly. “On the one hand, they need to pay attention to our mental state, and on the other hand, they will also pay attention to the way we look at German civilians. They don’t trust us because we’ve never carried out a large-scale massacre.”
“Damn it… is the loyalty of the immigrant population measured by their anti-Area 11 sentiment?” Philip scratched his ear with his crucifix and complained. “The world isn’t ruled by these short Japanese people. It’s a disgrace to the word ‘empire’.”
……
The room was silent for a long time, and everyone had smoked two cigarettes.
“Um, sir.” Just then, a waiter who was cleaning came to find Clark. “We received a letter today, but no one has come to pick it up. I remember the postman said that a few regulars in blue and white military uniforms would pick up the mail for the recipient. It must be one of them, right? The recipient’s name is quite unfamiliar: Apaul Garllip.”
"You may leave." The waiter left, and everyone stared at the envelope, pondering its contents.
"A letter you were asked to forward? Hmm? What kind of weird name is this? The surname seems to have an extra letter?" He touched it and held it up to the light. There was indeed only letter paper inside, and no powder, granules or other strange things.
Suddenly, Clark noticed a trace of red ink on the part of the envelope that wasn't properly sealed, and it seemed to have been wiped off quite heavily, as if it had been done on purpose.
"Holy crap?" Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a small hammer and sickle emblem painted with red ink.
Just as he was about to open the envelope, Davis slammed his hand on the table and suddenly understood the meaning of the name.
"Apau broken down, A is the first letter of my name 'Aitani,' and paul is the first letter of Taylor's name 'Paul.' Then Garrillip broken down, gar is the first syllable of Garcia, and lip is the last syllable of Philip... Holy crap, is this a letter addressed to the four of us?"
“Damn, you’re amazing.” Garcia turned the letter over, and the first thing he wrote was their four names. “Just like you said last time, your experience as a policeman in town before you joined the army is more valuable than any of our lives.”
Then, they found a group photo of the workers in the envelope, with a middle-aged man wearing glasses circled in red.
……
"Dear Davis, Taylor, Garcia and Philip."
"When you receive this letter, you will understand that we have been observing the four of you for quite some time. This restaurant is a place you frequent. From now on, I will also use Garip as the recipient of your letters. If there is anything that is inconvenient to meet in the military camp, please communicate through this place."
“Right now, the Germans are very opposed to the people of Area 11, and their relationship with the Aryan special forces who have inherited the Nazi mantle is not very close. I think this is an area that can be used, and I will continue to work on this.”
"I privately contacted an engineer among the German civilians named Hanks, who had been our guide when we crossed the Oder River and headed straight for Berlin. I planned to use him to persuade other German civilians, on the one hand to control the negative impression of Germans among the ruling class in Britannia, and on the other hand to try to ignite the sense of unity and self-defense among these proletarians."
"When we see him in the future, we should be careful to protect his safety. I hope our path will be smooth sailing, and when we succeed, we can raise a glass to celebrate like we did two months ago."
"—Talangroev Stasevich."
……
In the quiet Kanto Plain, no one knew that in a German settlement outside the Tokyo Concession, a group of people were gathered in a dimly lit room.
"An indisputable fact is before us, brothers and sisters." The man named Hanks stood on a broken wooden crate. "We have been adrift in this world for so long that we have forgotten that we were once a great nation. We may have made unforgivable mistakes, but nothing is perfect and nothing is ever smooth sailing. Wherever we go, we must remember one word: survival!"
“I’ve felt fear and confusion here.” Hanks said, pulling a compass from his pocket. “This was one of the few things I had before I was captured by the Britannian soldiers, and it was also a cherished memory from my student days… I’ve asked myself more than once, what kind of enemy am I facing, what kind of new world am I facing? And when will I be able to return to my homeland, and when will I have a place to live, and when will the German people have a place to live?”
"Now, this is the answer reality gives us." As he spoke, he took out a hammer from the factory and held it up. "We are not afraid of unknown invaders because we believe they cannot wipe us out. On the contrary, when they allow us to voluntarily participate in labor in exchange for the cost of living, we should understand that everything needs to be fought for by ourselves, and everything needs to be protected by ourselves. Only in this way can we have hope for the future, to survive, and to fight."
"We need to assess our environment and work together towards a common goal. Currently, the ruling class of Britannia understands that we are not lazy or parasites; we are creative Germans, working people who are good at creating everything in the world with our own hands. We are different from those self-enclosed so-called 'Area 11' people. We know how to extend a friendly hand to outsiders, and we know how to respect, love, strengthen, and be humble. This is the best proof of a great nation and a great class."
"When a nation unites, when a class unites, it can defend itself against enemies thousands of miles away and create hymns of human civilization. One day, when we clench our fists, this entire alien world will tremble at our unity. And we are doing well now. Next, we should not be too impatient, nor should we make enemies everywhere. We should clearly understand what our next step is."
"We are in a prison cell, and the people of District 11 who oppress our living space are the shackles that bind our hands, while the Britannian Empire is the cage. We must unite to fight against those people of District 11 who oppress us on the streets like thugs. Only by successfully removing the shackles can we get food from outside the cage, nourish ourselves, and accumulate the strength to break the cage in the future."
"At the same time, those Nazi party members who formed the so-called Aryan Special Forces are like rotten, moldy prison food that is right at hand. The concentration camps they carried behind our backs in the past and the atrocities they committed in the Tokyo Concession today prove that we cannot be with them. Relying on them again to fight for German independence is a poisoned chalice."
"We are a great nation, a respected nation. The tragedies of the past were caused by our misjudgment, and we need to correct ourselves in time. The glory of all nations stems from self-awareness, and all strength depends on the cohesion of the great proletariat. Believe me, brothers and sisters, one day, perhaps the whole world, or perhaps half a continent, will witness the power of the German nation's revival."
The hammer and compass were tightly gripped together in Hanks' hands.
Chapter 252, Section 332: The Song of the Pacific
The day has finally come; today is the day Governor Nunnally arrives on Honshu Island.
Near Naka City, northwest of Tokyo, there is a small airport. There are not many people or vehicles coming and going normally, and the military uses it occasionally. Clark sat in a truck driven by his subordinate and slowly drove into the tarmac area.
All he had to do next was stay calm—from the plane and crew to the airport and time of delivery, everything was arranged by the other party, making it less likely for him to become a suspect. After receiving notification from the military, Clark only needed to tell ZERO the departure location of the plane at the appropriate time.
Of course, how the Black Knights infiltrated the area is up to their skills—ZERO instructed that there was no place he couldn't infiltrate.
"Heh, the magic of making anyone obey after a glare is quite effective, isn't it, Lelouch?"
Thinking this, Clark got out of the car, and a sergeant next to him lit a cigarette for him. He watched as the forklift carried the large box of goods to the cargo hold of an armed transport plane.
“I’m sorry, sir, but I suggest you leave sooner rather than later.” The sergeant’s tone was a bit serious. “The delivery was arranged here because the airport, which is closer to the concession, is too busy. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get some rest.”
"Rest? If you rest, who will stand guard for your pilots? They still have to stay on the ground, don't they?"
"No, sir, we're about to leave." As he spoke, the cargo door of the transport plane was closing, and the engines were starting to heat up.
“Wait, something’s not right.” Clark took out his pocket watch. This was more than half an hour earlier than planned. In other words, Nunnally’s Sky Fleet hadn’t even reached the interception area of Plan ZERO yet.
“That’s not your problem, sir,” the sergeant explained. “Our flight schedules have been a bit chaotic lately, so they have to leave early today to make room for other planes.”
"Oh no, oh no!" Clark panicked. He had to signal the Black Knights members, who were hiding somewhere in the airport, to start their operation, or it would be too late.
"What's wrong? What's happened?"
"Oh, nothing. I just suddenly remembered I have to make a phone call." He took out a handkerchief, put the cigarette butt inside, wrapped it up, and gently held it in his hand. Then he rummaged through his clothes with his other hand.
"Don't worry, I'll help you carry it."
Just as the sergeant was about to take it, the handkerchief suddenly caught fire.
"Holy crap!" Clark was so startled that he flung it to the ground some distance away. Watching it burst into flames on the ground gave everyone a fright. If he hadn't been wearing gloves, he probably would have lost the skin on his palm.
Before the soldiers next to him could even stomp out the handkerchief, the warehouse next door exploded.
"Enemies!" The sergeant pushed Clark and his group into the guard post behind them, ordered the nearby soldiers to attack the three KMFs, and rushed out through a large hole in the warehouse wall, stepping on sparks. "It's the Black Knights! They're heading towards the transport plane!"
"Damn it." The young man next to the sergeant looked surprised and angry. "Didn't the guard who just relieved us say everything was normal in the warehouse? What are we going to do, sir?"
……
Meanwhile, Clark, who had retreated to the guard post, secretly observed from the window.
"Damn, it seems like there's a bit too much alcohol in the handkerchief..." He didn't care about the holes in his gloves now. He only felt relieved after the Black Knights blasted open the tail door of the transport plane, causing it to sway left and right on the runway before staggering into the air.
There's no way around it; others might walk on a knife's edge, but ZERO is practically dancing ballet on a power drill. His reckless and adventurous spirit is just too much.
“Mr. ZERO, my mission is complete. Now it’s up to you.” With that, he took out his phone and sent a text message.
……
At this moment, in the open sea east of Tokyo Bay, a cargo ship is drifting on its shipping route.
Several armed helicopters and a few angular KMFs appeared on the deck, while young men and women dressed in black knight uniforms were busy at work.
The people on the bridge were just as anxious as they were; ZERO's cell phone had just brought bad news.
"How could this be? Mr. Atlantic sent a message saying the transport plane took off ahead of schedule?" Toudou stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Lord ZERO, what is your opinion now?"
"The operation has begun, and it's only a matter of time before our objective is exposed," the masked man said. "Toudou, Karen, and the members of the Four Holy Swords, get into position as soon as possible. Remind Ougi and Tamaki to check the status of the helicopters and the KMF's parachutes."
The original plan was to execute both schemes simultaneously, using the transport plane as bait while the cargo ship would be the actual operation. It seems that no matter how you plan, things can't keep up with changes...
"Everyone take off immediately and proceed to the designated airspace to await orders." With that, ZERO stepped into the cockpit of a rogue aircraft and, along with the other figures, headed towards the white clouds.
……
"This is Naka City A5 Airport! Emergency report! The Black Knights have launched a surprise attack on us and hijacked an armed transport plane! Repeat! The Black Knights have hijacked a transport plane and are currently flying towards the eastern sea!"
The message was received immediately by the city hall in the Tokyo concession, and fortunately, the three Knights of the Round Table who were present also learned of it in time.
"Mobilize all available air power in the vicinity and intercept the plane as soon as possible!" After Gino gave the order, he began to ponder, "The Black Knights, are they planning to intercept the Governor from the air?"
"What's the solution?" Anya glanced at Gino, then at Suzaku Kururugi, who was still wearing his school uniform.
"Oh no, we have to make sure Nanali is safe now..." Suzaku panicked. "Gino, send two forces in one direction. The nearby garrison will intercept the transport plane. The three of us will head towards the Sky Fleet as fast as we can."
“Well, that’s fine. I’m not sure if the Black Riders will be operating in other directions besides this transport plane.” Gino paused. “But Lord Suzaku, it seems you didn’t park Lancelot at the City Hall.”
"Uh... that's true. What should we do? It's too late for me to get there now."
"Go change your clothes first, I'll figure something out."
After a while, Anya's Mordred set off first, while Gino's Tristan was also preparing to set sail on the rooftop of the city hall.
"Hopefully Governor Nunnally is still alright." He contacted the Avalon, which was secretly accompanying the Governor's Sky Fleet, at the rear. "Hello? Dr. Lloyd? How is the Governor?"
"Oh dear, we just saw a few helicopters carrying KMF approaching them. They must be the Black Knights. General Upson has already dispatched shipborne helicopters to intercept them."
"What? Aren't there any other units?"
"Secretary Guilford is also on board preparing for sortie, and Lancelot's commissioning has been completed long ago."
"Very good." After exchanging words, Suzaku, who had also changed her clothes, waited below him.
"Please make do and squeeze in." With everything ready, Gino switched his aircraft to fighter jet mode. "Every second is precious now. Let me take you to Avalon first."
"Gino".
"Ok?"
"Don't you dislike people using your landline? Don't you like the traces they leave behind?"
“I have accepted others.” Gino’s eyes darkened, he sighed, and looked up at the top of the cockpit. “And I have accepted failure.”
Suzaku then noticed that a blue iron piece had appeared out of nowhere and was embedded in it. This was caused when Tristan's grappling hook was broken earlier, and a white dove was painted on it with silver glitter paint.
"Gino... what exactly did District 45 give you?"
……
By the time Gino could see the giant ship in the sky, the situation was not optimistic; the flagship, the Rogers-class, was covered in smoke.
"Sir Guilford, can you hear me?" Vincent asked, looking at the few figures flying around the Rogers-class ships. "Governor, how is His Excellency the Governor now?"
"Three of the four escort ships have had their levitation devices destroyed and have fallen. We also cannot contact General Upson! ZERO is likely inside the Skyship now, with a red and a cyan KMF on the deck holding us back."
"You've worked hard." Gino had a bit of sweat on his forehead. "Suzaku, you might need to be prepared."