novelnext Page 214
Page 214
This news undoubtedly enraged Suzaku. In her indignation, Nunnally ordered the two to come to the city hall to give an explanation.
"Now is a critical juncture for the establishment of Japanese special zones. Are you clear about what you are doing?"
"What do you mean by this, Lord Suzaku?" Marshal Auchindoun asked calmly. "ZERO is a rebel who opposes the authority of Britannia. The people of Area 11, who disdain to be controlled, are also uniformly wearing the same clothes as ZERO on a large scale. Don't you think there's a problem?"
"Why didn't you tell us that you mobilized tens of thousands of troops from an army group to conduct a search? Why did you resort to such covert arrests?"
“According to our interrogation, these tens of thousands of civilians were all contacted privately by designated individuals,” General Gabriel explained. “And their purpose was to change into these clothes at the ceremony marking the establishment of the special zone.”
"It's obvious, Your Excellency Suzaku, Your Excellency Governor, who, apart from the Black Knights, would issue such uniforms for no reason?" Marshal Auchindoun smiled slightly. "To paraphrase Lieutenant Colonel Karlstadt, if we don't take action in the shadows when our opponents are playing tricks, we'll fall behind in the score."
"What?!" Suzaku roared in fury. "Who gave you permission to mobilize the Aryan special forces?"
“You should be glad that you ordered them to be confined instead of executed. Otherwise, I would never have dreamed that they found out about this imminent crisis while they were in civilian clothes on the street.” The marshal paused leisurely. “Of course, you only said that the Aryan Special Forces could no longer participate in security operations. Now I am just inviting its key members to come and advise them in their personal capacity. There is no violation of the rules.”
"Don't try to play it safe, you'll get into trouble if you misuse the Germans!" Suzaku said, his fist clenched in anger.
"A borderline case? Hmm, but I think the next borderline case might be ZERO hitting you and His Excellency the Governor on the head?"
“Hmm…” Suzaku relaxed his brows, as if he remembered something. “ZERO had a secret televised meeting before, requesting that he be exiled from the administrative region of Britannia. Anya, Gino and Lloyd were all there at the time… If I’m not mistaken, he wanted to abandon the Black Knights and escape to the Chinese Federation alone.”
“Yes.” Nanali nodded in agreement. “Just like Gino said, once ZERO leaves Area 11, the Black Knights will be leaderless, and the terrorists in Area 11 will disband on the spot, and then there will truly be peace.”
"Forgive my bluntness, but while I can reserve my opinion on your thoughts, the above clues suggest that ZERO's actions are not a good thing." Marshal Auchindoun clicked his tongue, took out a prepared report, and handed it to Nunnally. "Finally, if my previous actions were an abuse of power, I accept the punishment."
"Furthermore, the movements of ZERO and the Black Knights are currently suspicious. I've already done what I've done, and if I were to stop now, it would be a matter of time before it's too late to undo what's done. Please rest assured, Your Excellency, that all the arrested people from Area 11 are currently being held in the mountains of Nagano Prefecture, far from the coast, and there are no plans to execute them yet."
……
"Lord ZERO, the plan has suffered a major setback. The original plan was to gather 100 million Japanese people, but they have either been arrested and imprisoned or fled in disarray. Only 60 people remain in Shizuoka City, and most of them have even thrown away the clothes they were given to protect themselves."
"What should we do? Should we still proceed with the original plan?"
"Karen, Toudou, Ogi, and a few other core members will not participate in the activities within the convention center. The rest of you will proceed according to plan... That's all..."
……
Suzaku spent a week in a state of anxiety, on the one hand helping Nanali with the affairs of the special zone, and on the other hand having Gino and Anya, who had previously been to District 45, stay with Marshal Auchindoun under the pretext of discussing the situation in District 45 to monitor the actions of their 38th Army.
Fortunately, nothing too serious happened. On the day of the ceremony, nearly 100,000 people from the 11th ward still gathered in the central square of Shizuoka City.
"Welcome to the Japanese Special Administrative Region, fellow Japanese citizens." Just as she had when she served as governor, Nanali delivered her speech in Braille with even greater ease and composure. "I am very pleased that so many of you have come to participate in the establishment of the Special Administrative Region. Please give me strength for this new history."
Suzaku, standing to the side, couldn't help but sweat. Who knew if anyone among the civilians was hiding weapons? Although Gino and Guilford's KMF were in the sky, and Dr. Lloyd's Avalon was also there, and Sunderland was on guard among the civilians, the most crucial person, Nunnally, was even more fragile than mortals. If she was finished, everything would be finished.
"Now, before the ceremony officially begins, I will convey a resolution to you on behalf of ZERO." After a close call, it was finally his turn to take the speech. "Due to the conviction for the murder of the former governor, Duke Carares, in accordance with Article 12, Paragraph 8 of the Colonial Special Law, ZERO will be exiled from the administrative region of Britannia, while the remaining 11 district residents who have joined the special zone will have their sentences reduced as appropriate."
……
"Thank you! Everyone in Britannia!" Suddenly, the cameras that had been playing images of Nunnally and Suzaku around the hall flickered and disappeared, revealing Zero's distinctive black mask in their place. "I am deeply grateful for your magnanimity."
"Ah, you've come!" Nanali exclaimed excitedly, looking around, and tried to get up from her wheelchair.
"Show yourself, ZERO!" However, Suzaku remained vigilant, even more so than the former. "I will personally escort you out of the country safely!"
"I don't need to rely on the strength of others. Rather, Suzaku Kururugi, I have a question for you to answer. What is Japan, what is the nation? Language? Land? Or bloodline?"
“No! That’s…” Suzaku hesitated for a moment as he looked at the masked cloak of ZERO on the big screen, “It’s the soul! It’s faith!”
“Very good, that’s what I think too.” This answer seemed to be exactly what ZERO expected. “Self-awareness, pride, and self-discipline. In other words, as long as you have a heart and beliefs with sufficient cultural roots, you are Japanese even if you are in a foreign land.”
"But what does that have to do with you escaping alone?!"
Before Zhuque could get a reply from the speakers, the crowd at the rally spoke first, with plumes of smoke billowing out from the people, obscuring the faces of every Asian.
"W-What happened?!" The blind Nanali only heard the footsteps of her bodyguards approaching before Anya pushed her off the platform.
"All troops prepare to suppress!" Guilford, who was watching from the sky, was extremely anxious upon seeing this.
"Wait! The enemy hasn't made a move yet! We can't fire the first shot!" Suzaku hadn't even recovered from ZERO's chat yet, frantically trying to steady each raised gun barrel over the radio.
As the smoke cleared, a ZERO mask appeared closest to the stage. Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he was met with an even bigger surprise...
Among the people who were still dressed in civilian clothes, countless figures dressed in ZERO costumes suddenly stood up!
"All ZERO! This is Governor Nunnally's order!" The man on the big screen suddenly waved his arm like a command flag, "All of you, quickly accept your deportation sentence! No matter where you are, as long as your faith remains steadfast, we are still Japanese! Come on, let's move towards our new world!"
The crowd began to stir. The civilians in plain clothes were still at a loss, while those who had changed into ZERO costumes began to walk toward the shore one by one, waiting for the iceberg ship of the Chinese Federation to slowly approach.
……
"Let's all be exiled abroad! Because we are ZERO!"
"That's right! We are all ZERO!"
"Exile abroad! Let's go!"
……
“This…” Suzaku was completely stunned. “ZERO is not a form, but a symbol… so…”
"Lord Zhuque!" Guilford was frantic in the sky. "Are you just going to let so many laborers escape?! Give the order to fire!"
"Damn it!" In her panic, Suzaku even uttered her native tongue. She turned to the unmoved man on the big screen, "ZERO! Quickly order everyone to remove their masks! If this continues, many more innocent people will be sacrificed!"
"Suzaku Kururugi! This is clearly a rebellion!"
"What exactly do we do, Suzaku! You're in charge!"
……
The Seventh Knight of the Round Table's heart was as turbulent as the coastline of Honshu during a typhoon...
"Euphemiah and Nunnally both intend to forgive the Japanese, but if we break our promise to exile ZERO, the other people won't believe us anymore..."
"No, these civilians dressed as ZERO are also criminals and must be eliminated... But criminals can also be exiled..."
"Then! You have to promise me, ZERO!" Gritting his teeth, Suzaku turned to the screen and shouted, "You will save them!"
"Of course, you are the one who can save the Japanese people left in Area 11, aren't you, Suzaku?"
"That's why I became a soldier!"
……
"I'm sorry, but as a soldier who has sworn an oath of allegiance, you are utterly unqualified! Suzaku Kururugi!"
"Who?" Not only the people on the platform, but also the crowd below and the KMF pilots in the sky were stunned by the unexpected shout. The bewildered crowd watched as Avalon slowly descended from the sky and stopped more than fifty meters above the venue.
In the shadows, with the sun behind them, Marshal Auchindoun and General Gabriel accompanied the figure of a girl with long white hair as they appeared on the deck of Avalon.
“Your Highness Elizabeth…why are you suddenly here…”
Chapter 281, Section 363: The Bubble of a Million-Dollar Miracle (Part 2)
Avalon is the personal flagship of the second prince, Schneizel, and is also used by Dr. Lloyd and Suzaku Kururugi.
Now, the Doctor is cornered on the bridge. Just minutes ago, Elizabeth, along with a group of soldiers who seemed to have sprung out of some unknown compartment, took control of the Skyship. As the three princesses headed towards the deck, these expeditionary soldiers, smeared with the sand and mud of District 45, looked like vicious, mad wolves, their terrifying eyes seeming to want to devour the Doctor alive.
Doctor, did you see the shattered KMF in the soldiers' eyes, standing before the white star insignia and the red flag? Did you see the close call when they bravely carried rocket launchers to destroy tanks and were nearly thrown into hell by the enemy?
……
"Oh? Another member of the Britannian royal family?" ZERO on the screen barely managed to suppress his inner impulse. "So, do you have a different opinion of the Japanese people than I do?"
“If you want to play word games, I can play along,” Elizabeth said, and then directly ordered Suzaku, “Take the judgment document in your hand, and read the part about ZERO carefully.”
“Uh…” Suzaku was completely dumbfounded. “‘Exile ZERO, the leader of the Black Knights, to a foreign country and forbid him from ever entering Britannia again’… Is there a problem with that, Your Highness?”
"The Black Knights, how many leaders are there? How many ZEROs are called leaders? Answer me!" Elizabeth raised her head and questioned the mask on the big screen.
“ZERO is a symbol, a sign. The Black Knights exist to arbitrate those who seize and plunder the world. Every ZERO is a practitioner and guide of this mission. In other words, we are all leaders of the Black Knights.”
"Stop your incoherent and deceptive nonsense!" Elizabeth tapped her sword lightly on the deck. "Just now, the person who ordered those dressed the same was you on the screen. Even Suzaku, who asked everyone to remove their masks, was facing you. ZERO has long been the only one. Is your so-called 'similarity' an attempt to deny the people's beliefs?"
“Everyone has different beliefs, but as I said before, no matter where we are in the world, as long as we share the same beliefs, we are all Japanese.”
"Oh dear, you started by exploiting loopholes in written grammar, and now you've strayed into twisted logic and heresy? Since you're determined to overturn the chessboard, I'll grant your wish."
Elizabeth laughed loudly, snapped her fingers, and General Gabriel gave the order. Thousands of soldiers poured into the ground and sky around the venue like a flood bursting its banks.
"What, what's going on?" Suzaku was completely unaware that Elizabeth had already hidden the army here and had also secretly dismissed the guards who were under her command outside the venue in the name of the princess.
"Shinjuku, Naritasan, the Tower of Babel, ZERO led the Black Knights against Britannia, accomplishing one miracle after another." The princess watched with satisfaction as more and more "ZEROs" were surrounded by soldiers wielding weapons in the hall.
“Now, it is time to prove yourselves. Within five minutes, if any of you present can miraculously evade all the security measures, or convince me with miraculous words, or prove your identity as the leader of the Black Knights, I will acknowledge your identity and grant you exile. Otherwise, in the name of Princess Elizabeth Britannia, I have the right to arrest or execute you all on charges of illegally crossing the border and forging identities!”
……
"What... what should we do now?"
On the distant iceberg ship at sea, Karen, Toudou, and others had secretly boarded the ship ahead of time due to the change in plans, watching from television as the situation at the venue deteriorated so drastically. Avalon slowly descended into the air above the venue, casting a shadow of despair upon every troublemaker who attempted to slip through the cracks.
In the next room, the boy standing frozen in front of the white dove and winged emblem trembled as he watched the completely out-of-control ending unfold before the camera.
“Elizabeth… now, even you are going to oppose me…”
……
"Look at what you've done, ZERO. Is this the kind of person you're supposed to save?"
Suzaku watched as Elizabeth slowly stepped off the skyship. In the hall behind her, one after another, figures in black cloaks began to shout and berate like mentally ill patients, or bar their teeth and claws like mad beasts. Some had already thrown off their masks and knelt down to beg for mercy, while others were pressed to the ground by soldiers after trying to rush out and escape.
"Please create a miracle, Lord ZERO!" and "Save us!" were the cries that rose and fell here. Look at their pathetic state, and then look at the sanctimonious figures on the screen who pretended to be unmoved.
“They are not you at all, just a bunch of useless people trying to cover themselves up with fancy clothes.” Elizabeth couldn’t help but sigh. “This is the nation and country you are trying to save? What a waste of an opportunistic lobbyist, who even considers himself ‘Japan’. Do the poor people of Area 11 still not believe in their own despicable stupidity?”
She paused, looking at Suzaku in front of her, her fists clenched. He wanted to order Guilford to stop following suit, but the princess's eyes were like a dagger, locked on her throat.
"What happened?!" At this moment, Nanali ignored all advice and insisted on going up to the platform. Hearing the commotion among the soldiers and civilians around her, she asked, "Sister Elizabeth, what are you doing?"
"You're the governor, Nanali! Order the soldiers to stop!" Suzaku cried out as if he had found a lifeline.
“Listen to me.” Elizabeth slowly walked to her wheelchair, patted her shoulder, and pointed her sharp words at Suzaku, “The governorship is not just a title. You must understand the significance of your actions. Just like a commander who leads an army not only has the power to give orders, but also the responsibility to be accountable for the lives of millions of soldiers.”
"This can't be! Your Highness Elizabeth!" Completely baffled as to why Suzaku was still arguing, Suzaku exclaimed, "We've already agreed to expel ZERO from the country! We can't repeat Euphemia's mistake! Besides, ZERO has already guaranteed the rights of these Japanese..."
*Slap!* Enraged, Elizabeth rushed over and slapped him to the ground.
"Do you remember what you just said, Suzaku?" The princess paused angrily. "Does writing a few hiragana characters make you Japanese? Just like wearing a mask and a black cloak makes you ZERO? You dare to say that your heart is still with Japan even though you're far from home? You don't even have the heart to join the Japanese special zone. A nation like this deserves to be torn apart. Where do you get the guts to talk about revival?"
"No!" Suzaku covered his face and tried to get up. "They believe in ZERO! They believe in a miracle of light!"
"Shut up, you piece of trash!" Elizabeth raised her sword sheath and slapped him again. "Do you know why the whole world looks down on people from Area 11? Have you ever reflected on your actions?!"
Not only were the people on the podium stunned, but Gino and Guilford, who were flying by, were also dumbfounded.
"Possessing the treasures of Mount Fuji, yet hiding in the streets of Honshu, even relying on a black-clad figure whose identity has never been revealed to revive your nation. The fish in the sea know to swim in groups, and the so-called bond connecting the Yamato people is a strange person who has only existed for a year? The black knight's flag hidden on your chest has only been around for a short time. Do you have any respect for the sun banner that has existed for thousands of years?!"
"no……"
"Shut up!" Elizabeth showed no sign of stopping. "Don't you realize what you're doing, Suzaku! You keep saying you want to improve yourself for the benefit of the people of Area 11, but now, as the Seventh Knight of the Round Table, standing on your own homeland, instead of using the Special District to shoulder any responsibility or pressure, you're handing over the future of tens of thousands of your compatriots to a rebel exiled to another country? You can't even seize a chance for self-redemption. Is this the awareness you have as a descendant of a former Japanese prime minister?! And you dare to call yourself the son of Genbu Kururugi?!"
……
Elizabeth stared at him for a long time with wide, angry eyes. The stubbornness in Suzaku Kururugi's eyes, which had been arguing with reason, had now turned into a blankness like broken clouds in the blue sky. All his thoughts dissipated into the echoes of the conference hall's sound system, like the sea breeze.
She didn't care about the stunned expressions of the people from District 11 looking at the stage. After letting out a sigh of relief, she squatted down in front of Nanali and hugged her.
"I'm sorry, little sister, maybe I was too harsh... I didn't mean to come here specifically to interfere, but... please keep trying, and become the person your brother wants to see soon..."
“Your Highness.” Marshal Auchindoin, who was standing nearby, received a message at that moment, “Avalon just reported that Princess Marybell’s Skyship will be anchored in the Tokyo Concession in half an hour.”
"Alright, thankfully things are finally done here..." Elizabeth wiped the sweat from her face. "General Gabriel, I'm leaving this to you."
"Then, what about the real ZERO?"
"What's done is done. He has most likely already escaped our territorial waters. In any case, let's just focus on the present."
As night fell, the law-abiding civilians of Area 11 became residents of the special zone, while those who tried to take shortcuts became visitors crowding the prison. The remaining members of the Black Knights could only dejectedly contemplate the future in the lonely cabin.
In the garden of the Tokyo Concession City Hall, Elizabeth brought Maribel there, where the entire group of members, now dressed in their Aryan Special Forces uniforms, stood before her.
Schreiber stood with Karlstadt at the front of the line, chin held high with pride—given her previous mistakes and the special forces' redemption, the princess had granted her early release.
"They look different from ordinary soldiers?"
Elizabeth looked at Maribelle's smile and happily tossed her long hair.
"This is District 45. Once you step inside, you'll understand what a world of difference it is."
Chapter 282, Section 364: A General on the Tracks (Part 1)