Chapter 37: Tengume

The morning was still young, and the sun was still rising in the east. Yet, it couldn't completely banish the cold as much as the cold could dampen the moods of the vi Britannia household. Like most mornings, Lelouch sat at the dinner table, breakfast before him, newspaper in hand. Nunnally sat close by, enjoying her regular breakfast. His baby sister, as much as she hated the term, was now a whole year older.

14 years old, it was at times hard for him to grasp that, as there would be moments when he would look at her, and instead of seeing the wonderful young lady she was turning into, he would still see his baby sister running around, free as a bird and as hyper as a monkey. Or he would see her, eyes closed as she sat in her wheelchair, a small little thing.

But even without knowing it, she would remind him that she wasn’t that little girl anymore, much like she was doing now as she laughed at his expense, the regicide and rebel hiding his face in his newspaper as if it would offer him some protection from his sister’s jabs.

"How did you never notice? Shirley wasn't good at hiding that she liked you." Nunnally asked through her giggling, bringing red to his face as he wondered if he had been wise to tell her.

"I couldn't have been the only one who didn't notice…right?" Lelouch asked, looking towards their faithful helper and friend, Sayoko. She turned her attention to her master but could only offer an apologetic smile.

“I picked up on Ms. Fenette's quite early, but it wasn't my place to say anything on the issue," Sayoko stated, which only made Lelouch feel worse for that as Nunnally reached out, not her glum brother, oh no, he could stew in his silliness. She reached for Sayoko.

“Of course, you could talk to us about that and more, you're a dear friend and member of the family, Sayoko," Nunnally told her, which got a little smile out of the maid. She knew she was lucky, serving such good people, but moments like this only reminded her that it was more than just a job.

“Still, it had to be a gut punch for Shirley when Claude came into our lives. I know I was, but if your date with Shirley went well, then why don't you try? You will have my support, brother." Nunnally started speaking with Sayoko but quickly directed the rest of her words to her brother.

"Nunnally," Lelouch started with a sigh. It was a single date, so that doesn't mean we'll end up together or anything. Besides, you know our lives are complicated, so I can't just…date like other people do."

As if to challenge his words, that was when C.C. walked into the dining room, wearing one of his shirts and nothing else. She still looked half asleep, and like the cat she was, she hardly cared for how Lelouch glared at her for her state of dress. Despite not being capable of seeing it, Nunnally figured as much and just stuck her tongue out at her brother in victory.

"Having food without me?" C.C. asked as she didn't sit in a chair but instead sat in Lelouch's lap. The man grumbled but still lifted his newspaper so that she could take her seat. The immortal then reached for his plate to eat his breakfast.

"She's quite forward," Sayoko noted as this was…well, not new. Since she arrived, Ms. C.C. had acted like this, but since the two had returned from Narita, she seemed to enjoy being close to the master.

Nunnally didn't seem to mind it, smiling as she bit into her buttered toast. "I know our lives aren't like Milly's, Rivalz 's, or any other council members', but Claude and I have already discussed it." Sayoko silently admonished her for speaking with her mouth full.

Popping a piece of his bacon into her mouth, C.C. snuggled into her lover as she looked towards his sister. “About what?”

"About my brother being silly with romance," Nunnally replied, which C.C. understood. She shook her head and let out a sigh, which she knew was getting on Lelouch's nerves.

“You can’t blame him; dogs aren't the best at this sort of thing." She had the gall to pet his head, leaving him more perplexed than angry at such disrespect in his home. And to make it worse, his sister was feeding into this, smiling like she was speaking about a slow-learning guard dog.

“Please be patient with him, he’ll soon get it, and I’m looking forward to it.” She chirped, which only dumbfounded him. He could get Rivalz's interest in his love life, and the guy got it in his head that once Lelouch broke his streak, he could ask him for advice on how to ask out Milly. He could get what Milly's interest was; she was a perverted person who also wished to live out our romance vicariously through others, as she could end up being promised to a noble she neither knew nor loved.

But for a while now, Nunnally had been oddly interested in his love life when it should be the other way around, him keeping any boys and girls around her from getting funny ideas with his baby sister.

"Why do you want me to take more than a single lover to begin with?" Lelouch asked.

"Well," Nunnally started. It'll mean more nieces and nephews." She finished, and if Lelouch had been drinking his morning coffee, he would have spat it out at such an insane response. The man left unable to respond.

"Well, would you look at that," C.C. noted, giving Nunnally a proud, cheeky smile. "You managed to knock the sense out of him without so much a touch." As the two giggled at his expense, Lelouch shook himself back into form.

“You’ve been spending far too much time around Milly,” Lelouch stated as he placed C.C. in the seat next to his before getting up. But as he was walking out of the room, C.C. couldn’t let him go with what little dignity he had left, not when Nunnally had gone and set him up so nicely for her.

"Nunnally let it slip a while back that she would love to be an aunt to plenty of children, Lelouch. I hope you don't intend for me to bear them all." For the sake of his pride, he would pretend that he didn't hear Sayoko laughing with them as he looked towards Pedro.

"When did I lose control of my own damn house?" The large hound's response was a sad whine as the two had just left. He hadn't finished his meal, but C.C. would handle it for him. For now, he would just settle for ordering something along the way.

Line Break

Zero was calm, collected, enigmatic, observant, charismatic, and decisive. He did not show weakness, and he certainly didn't let it slip that he was miffed with how his morning had started, from being teased out of his own house, to finding his favourite off-campus deli didn't have the sandwiches he likes. Hence, he just bought an extra cup of terribly brewed coffee and breakfast muffins, which he wolfed down before he needed to shift into Zero.

His newly gained alliance and trust from the leader of Kyoto didn't give him much, at least in terms of service. Despite knowing the destination, he was still requested to meet his driver in another isolated spot. Unlike the first time, when the driver pulled up and opened his window to speak, Lelouch noticed that the man wore an odd visor.

'Could just be typical security guard attire, or it could be some sort of geass countermeasure.' As instructed, he thought to himself as the man asked if he was alone. 'Better not test it, Kirihara's no doubt on edge.' He concluded as he confirmed that he didn't even bring a bodyguard.

His command staff was surprised, but because he managed to convince Kyoto to back him so easily, they didn't voice any concerns for his safety. As he didn't know how long the meeting would last, he left Ohgi and Katase in charge while he handled things. C.C. was the more sceptical of them, as he had spoken to her when they returned from the first meeting that the old man knew of geass, and how he suspected Kirihara guessed that Lelouch had the power.

She didn't know what to make of it, but while she was worried, they both agreed that it wouldn't make sense for the old man to try and turn on him now, even if he had a power C.C. recalled had got people judged, convicted, and executed as witches and mages for having.

After a similar long trip filled with detours, turns, and misdirects, the driver informed him that they had arrived at their destination. 'Strange, no elevator this time?' Lelouch had heard from the others about that, but it seemed like this was a different part of the mountain.

“This way, sir.” His driver opened the door for him, and Zero stepped out and found that this was a different part of the mines. For such a labour-intensive activity, Zero didn't spot a single worker. In their place was the hum and clank of automated machinery, moving rock filled with precious ore to be extracted, refined, and packed for shipment to a secondary refinery. It was also well lit, so one could see many safety signs and warnings about what not to do.

Standard practice, considering that even in its raw form, Sakuradite was much more volatile than coal. It would take just a single accident, a single spark in the wrong place at the wrong time, and this entire cavern would go up in flames. And yet, Zero could still see the mountain’s inner beauty; this portion of the mines wasn't nearly as extensive as the rest, and thanks to his guide, it wasn't long before he was in a part of it virtually untouched by the mining, by Britannia.

That put him at ease, even with the literal millions of tons of rock and explosive material between him and the outside. A while after that, he was led towards a door, outside of which stood 2 guards. The driver handed him off to them, bowed, and left as Zero was let into the room, revealing an expectantly lavish space.

The room he was led into was styled off a high-end zashiki, lit up by handcrafted bronze lanterns, as polished cedar beams framed the silky tatami mats and lacquered chabudai set with pristine porcelain tea wares. Despite being deep within the mountain, translucent shōji screens and painted fusuma doors of this intimate chamber. His host was seated on one of the plush silk cushions, flanked by 2 servants and another 4 guards standing in the corners of the room. Between the two was a carved wooden table on which the tea set sat and a plate of snacks.

“Welcome, Zero.” Kirihara greeted, to which Zero gave a small but noticeable bow.

“Greetings, clan chief. I am honoured that you would extend an invitation to me.” The masked man replied.

“Please, take a seat. We have much to discuss.” Zero didn’t waste time, taking the offered seat.

Kirihara was silent for a moment, like Zero. The two seemed to eye each other, trying to gauge what was going through their heads, until after around a minute, it was Kirihara who spoke first. “I had a feeling that you would enjoy this place better than the machines and steel.”

“Yes, well, I'm come to find comfort where it can be found, as is the life of a man of action," Zero replied, which got a nod from the old man who turned to one of his maids before she could serve them tea.

“Leave us.” He ordered, which wasn’t immediately followed.

“But my lord-” One of his guards tried to protest, but Kirihara raised his hand, silencing the man.

“Enough, if he wished me harm, there is little you could do. After all, was he allowed to keep whatever arms he carried?” He asked, as unlike when they had brought the Black Knights, Zero hadn’t been checked, which the masked man suspected was intentional. A means to show trust, a smart play from the old fox.

“As a show of courtesy,” Zero volunteered his weapons to show that he could see that, which meant no harm. From the depths of his cape, he placed 2 pistols, his shotgun, and a dagger on the table, much to the bafflement of the staff, who wondered where he even hid all that. He even removed his wrist-mounted pistols and placed the specially made weapons along with the rest. “I would like to have those back when I leave. It’s hard finding quality steel.”

One of the guards, still bemused by the show of how Zero armed himself, stepped forward and gently took the offered-up weapons, placing them into a trolley used to bring the food and drink.

The door was closed behind them as they left the room, leaving the Clan head of Kyoto and the masked leader of Japan's strongest resistance group in peace.

“The room has been cleared of whatever bugs or plants it might have, and the walls are soundproofed," Kirihara told him, as he was curious about how long Lelouch planned on wearing the mask.

“One can never be too careful, but considering the situation, I can let my well-justified paranoia take the backseat.” Zero stated, but still reached for his mask, removing it with a hiss of hair. Placing it on the table, he reached for the cloth mask he wore, lowering it so that his face was revealed once more.

Kirihara snorted at his line about paranoia, but didn’t counter him. Instead, he reached for the kettle, which had been kept warm. As he prepped the tea, he made conversation.

“I must admit that I was surprised to see that you were the man causing all the fuss, but I was relieved to see that it was you.” Kirihara mused, to which Lelouch frowned.

“Why?” Lelouch asked. “I might have been your student, but it was for a relatively short time, and largely informal.” Lelouch picked one of the snacks, a piece of yokan. Popping it into his mouth, he enjoyed the sweetness, followed by that bean wave of taste.

“Short, it might have been, but it was an impactful experience. At least you took to your lessons on politics and business better than Suzaku did.” Kirihara replied as he finished scooping the tea into the pot. Now, he reached for the kettle of boiling water to pour it in.

“I’m sure that Tohdoh would say similar things about me when it came to general fitness and martial arts," Lelouch recalled how much he hated those lessons, even though, over the years, he had come to appreciate staying in shape, if for no other reason than the insults that would arise should he be defeated because he couldn't outrun his enemies.

Kirihara chuckled. “Could you blame him? As Suzaku dozed off in my lessons on statecraft, you would prefer to just sit by your quarters with a book and the rodents instead of training."

Lelouch smirked at that, as he knew how much the staff hated his frequent visits from the local wildlife. Still, as they didn't touch their quarters during their stay, as long as the critters stayed clear of the main buildings, they could…tolerate it.

“Rats are quite intelligent and make wonderful companions; besides, they didn't try to make me exercise.” Lelouch joked.

“You mean they don't punish brats?” Kirihara asked him as he slid a cup of fresh Genmaicha tea towards Lelouch. “But as amusing as the memories are, it wasn’t because we bonded that I was relieved.”

“I would have assumed you were lying to me if you claimed as such, but if not for camaraderie or care for me, why?” Lelouch asked as he didn't have bad memories of Kirihara, he didn't have particularly good ones either. Yes, he was a mentor figure, but not someone he could confide in or trust.

Kirihara didn't answer the question immediately; instead, he went on a little tangent: “I recall that once, after one of our tutoring sessions. You had already left, Suzaku wanting to show you something, and the Prime Minister came to see me. He was curious about why I was entertaining you and acting like you were just another student and not a hostage of little real worth.”

Lelouch might have felt offended if he didn't already know it to be true. Besides, Genbu had never hid how little he thought of him and his sister, as the fact they were sent to Japan with nothing but their luggage made it clear how little his father cared about them, their only value being that Charles' was perhaps hoping the Japanese would see them as a slight against their honour and kill them, giving Britannia its casus belli for war.

When Genbu didn't fall for it, his father decided to just cut the pretence and invade. Britannian history books would create a justified reason after the fact.

“I told him it was because I could see in your something broken, something bleeding,” Kirihara looked him in the eye, his gaze as hard as stone. “Something dangerous.”

Intrigued by the honesty, Lelouch listened as the old man spoke.

“I feared that should you have been found by Britannia, and that your father managed to tame or at least…direct your undying hate towards his enemies…” Kirihara seemed old at that moment, as if his age was hitting him as he spoke, a deep wariness and fear permeating his body.

Lelouch couldn’t blame him, as while the idea of serving his father in any capacity nearly made him physically ill, he knew his bastard of a father would have his means. All he had to do was take Nunnally and threaten to do her harm, and like the good dog he was, Lelouch would wag his tail, bark when told, and bite when ordered.

Kirihara sipped his tea, letting the sweet roasted nut flavour ground him. “I was just praying that such wasn’t the case, that news of you hadn’t been made as you were never officially in Japan, so they could hold off on your debut to the public till you were of age.”

“Well, you certainly don’t dance around issues, do you?” Lelouch let out a humourless chuckle. “I…you weren't wrong about describing me back then. In many ways, I'm the same broken, angry brat. I…I know I'm missing something important that everyone else seems to have.”

He was worse than Kirihara thought. He wasn't just angry; he was without peace. He just…couldn't see himself existing, not when his enemies did as well, not when so much of what he and the voices in his head hated still existed, still drew breath. But he didn't wish to give the old man more reason to worry for him than admitting he might already be insane, a functional insane, but insane all the same.

“I would have faith that you’ll find a means from under his thumb, but such could take years and by then…the entire world might already be under imperial colours, with so much already put to the torch, even if you managed to set the erase the empire, all we’ll have left is its remnants.” Kirihara mused, as Britannia's advancements over the past few years alone were concerning.

Yes, the Chinese and Europeans were catching up, but with machines like the Lancelot and their Guren introducing the 7th generation, Gun-Rus and Panzer Hummel just wouldn't cut it. And with how self-serving both governments were, he couldn't seriously believe they could mount a meaningful defence against Britannia. Britannia was already chipping away at Europe's influence in Africa, as it had in the Middle East.

Lelouch understood his senior's concerns. His sister, Cornelia, might have been struggling now against him, but that was only because he didn't operate like a traditional army.

As she's proven in several campaigns, she's not some pushover; if he were on her side, they could achieve great and horrible things for the empire. Perhaps even retake the British Isles and lead an invasion of the E.U. through France. “For what it's worth, both in such a terrible timeline, and now, I would find a means to counter whatever control he had over me, before gutting the emperor like a fish and strangling him with his own intestines," Lelouch spoke candidly, without pause or deceit.

Kirihara nodded. “If this old man is still alive, kindly have it be a video so I can watch it. That way, I can die a happy man.” He paused, as the talk also gave him clues on another mystery. “But considering how you work and haven't denied that your father could make you bend the knee, that means the means of which to do still breaths. How is Nunnally? I hope she's been doing well over the years.”

His question seemed innocent, as Nunnally had been a nice girl when he last saw her—a child who tried her best to smile even as life handed her tragedy. But there was another facet to his concern. As Lelouch's blasé earlier statement proved, there was something wrong with him—a seemingly misfiring sense of morality, compassion, and even humanity.

Kirihara didn't dare trust the boy to self-regulate. Nunnally was his morality given form—completely separate from him yet intimately connected. As long as she lived, the beast wouldn't change but would remain on his lease. At least, that was how it seemed back then, but Kirihara couldn't be sure what it was like now.

“She’s doing well, though she still can’t see or walk," Lelouch explained, his grip on his teacup tightening, before relaxing. "I never did thank you for your offer…back then." He remembered the day the way ended, and how he had parted ways with Suzaku. He made his vow, yes, but the car that had driven them away belonged to Kirihara, the man who had offered to protect them.

"I didn't wish for my refusal of your generous offer to come off as rude or ungrateful. It would have been somewhat stable, even if I knew you would only make such an offer as an insurance policy. Let it be known, if not acknowledged, that you were protecting us, and how easy that protection could end." Lelouch spoke honestly, no hidden cards, no lies. Just the cold, brutal truth.

Perhaps it was the logical option then to take the deal. What did a weak orphan know about caring for his sister? How would he do it? What if she got sick? Would he be able to handle it? What if he got sick? He had those worries, even back then, but…he didn't want them. He couldn't let them be tools yet again, with no means to fight and nowhere to run should they need it.

So, he struck out on his own and was doing…okay for himself until he chanced upon Lord Ashford at a gambling event. The man insisted that he move into and attend Ashford Academy. Until then, he and Nunnally lived in the abandoned subway station.

Kirihara didn't ask; he just knew. "You stayed in the ghettos, didn’t you?" At his statement, Lelouch's eyes grew vacant. His mind traveled to those early days, to the things he saw, the things he smelled…the things he did.

Lelouch didn’t answer with words, but after a minute, he did nod. “It would have been impossible for us to live in the settlement. Britannian we might be, but I was still a preteen with no papers or family. Finding legal work that could afford even a single-bedroom apartment would have been impossible." Not to mention, he needed something flexible so he could care for his sister, whom he would often leave with only the animals for company.

Shaking himself out of those dreary memories, he shifted focus. “Why did you summon me?”

“Because of this,” Kirihara lifted his cane, which had been at his side the entire time, showing the glowing mark of geass. “The world is filled with many things, and when you get to my age, and can travel and speak with people from all over the place, you witness much of it. From scientific breakthroughs, to the occult and supernatural.”

“Are you going to tell me about yokai?” Lelouch asked, letting a little humour flow into his words.

Kirihara didn’t think it funny, though he did smile. “Perhaps, after all, in a world where tengume exists, what’s truly stopping supernatural spirits from existing as well? Separate from humanity, or our understanding of reality?”

“Tengume?” Lelouch asked, having never heard the term before.

Kirihara pointed to his eye. “The power you possess, the force that manifests in your eye was a crow in flight.”

“You mean my geass?” Lelouch asked, to which the man waved off the name difference.

“It's a power with many names. From what I've uncovered in Japan, it's known as the 'Eyes of the Tenju', hence the name, tengume.”

“As you must have guessed, this cane isn't like any you could have seen, as one of its abilities is detecting those with tengume and giving a sort of warning.”

“Did you make it?” Lelouch asked, to which the man let out a hearty laugh.

“God no, it’s far older than me. Older than democratic rule in Japan, I would say it’s perhaps from around the time of the Tokugawa shogunate, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was older.” Lelouch's interest in the cane grew, as the thing's young age estimate was around 120 years, while Kirihara guessed it could be well over 200 if not older.

Caressing it, the old man admired the cane's gentle carvings, its intricate depictions of scenes and nature. And how, despite its age, the tool was as strong as the day it was first crafted. "It was crafted with special spells imbued into it, which, like I said, can detect tengume in others, but also block its power on whoever holds it."

Lelouch’s eyes widened at the statement. “It…makes you immune?” He had read through Code-R's files thoroughly, but they had never gotten close to… the Irregulars. Even still, the various geass had nothing on this. The concept of creating tools like that was…a game changer.

Kirihara shook his head. “Immune in the sense armour makes you bulletproof," Kirihara replied as he gestured to himself. “Go ahead, use your power on me.” Lelouch’s brow creased, but the old man didn’t seem like he was joking…and he was asking.

Lelouch tapped into his geass, feeling its power surge into form in his left eye as he locked gazes with Kirihara.

“Slap yourself.” Lelouch felt the power activate. He felt the order fly toward his target, but instead of losing emotion and responding dullly, followed by the act being carried out, he noted the cane's mark glow brighter, almost like a flash, as Kirihara just looked at him.

“I will not, and I’m disappointed you don’t have a greater sense of imagination.” Kirihara admonished him, and Lelouch rolled his eyes as he let the power recede into his mind.

“I don’t take to messing with the elderly, Kirihara," Lelouch grumbled. “Charles and his ilk are exceptions, and I'm more focused on murdering them than humiliating them.”

“Well, I would say your power enforces your will on others?” Kirihara asked.

"It's a little more complicated than that," Lelouch replied, before he gave him some of the details of his geass.

Line Break

Through their talk, Lelouch learned that geass, or as the Japanese called it, Tengume, was not a new thing, having been known to people in the Isles for centuries, at least going by the records the old man had managed to find through the decades. Lelouch, having it also told him that it seemed to be multi-cultural, manifesting in cultures and peoples across the planet.

Kirihara was horrified when he learned that Clovis was looking into it, relieved that Clovis was dead. Lelouch was hunting down the elements of Code-R as it had already produced results, though Lelouch refused to say what. He was happy but unsettled by learning about C.C., or as he knew her, the woman who acted as Zero to dupe him and his staff. He had never met an immortal, nor had he known that they could graft the power, but with what he already knew, he was quick to believe the young rebel.

“Still, the idea of the empire getting their hands on that research…well, good thing Clovis was too terrified of consequences to approach your father about this. If they had results as you say they did, Charles would have supported it.” Kirihara shivered at the idea of the emperor having such power.

“Lord Kirihara,” he looked up, seeing his former student looking worried. You've never met a confirmed immortal. Does that mean you've met other geass users?”

“At least 7 of them, though the 7th was well over 20 years ago on a business trip in Korea. You, my boy, are the 8th.” Kirihara replied, which sent Lelouch for a loop. He knew there were others, but Alice and the rest weren't like him. They got their powers in a lab; it was a newly created process, so he didn't need to worry about it.

But if that wasn't the case, then it would mean there were others like him, with powers that couldn't be traced, with different backgrounds, goals, and allegiances. Yes, his father didn't have it, but who's to say he just didn't know? A general, a pilot-even a Knight of Round, any one of them could have geass achieved through some other means than Clovis' research or C.C.'s contracts.

“You wouldn’t happen to have another of those canes, would you?” Lelouch asked the man what it would take to add the cane to his zero gear to give him peace of mind.

Sadly, for him, Kirihara shook his head. "It's one of a kind, having been passed through my family since at least my grandfather. Stubborn man refused to speak of where and how he acquired it, even on his deathbed.”

“But, I have no living heirs, so when I finally pass, I wouldn't mind if you take possession of it.” Well, that was…sad. Kirihara had married twice in his life, and from what Lelouch could find about him, he had fathered several children. But all were dead, either killed in the war, or before by disease or accidents.

But they were dead, so it got him or the old man nothing to allow grief to stop him from taking the cane, but Kirihara wasn't dead yet. It could be a couple more years before he could claim such a potent tool, and considering all he had managed in September, who knows what else could change in those years.

“However, there is a means for you to acquire something like it, provided you clear your schedule as I asked," Kirihara asked him, to which Lelouch nodded.

“Good, then we can start the ceremony.” Moving his old legs, Kirihara grunted before he pulled a remote from his robes and pressed a bottom. Moments later, the walls opened up, and out came several people dressed in red and pink shrine workers. Unlike those Lelouch had seen in books or at Britannian centric tourist traps, these people had their faces covered with cloths with an image of geass.

“What is happening?” Lelouch inquired, as he had nearly leapt to his feet at the unexpected interruption, but seiza was designed to be slow to stand or move. And disarmed as he was, he would be overwhelmed by numbers alone.

Kirihara, seeing how frayed Lelouch was by the surprise, smirked. “Strange, isn't it? You like to keep secrets but hate being kept in the dark.” Kirihara joked, chuckling at how cross the younger man looked as he got up. “You’ll learn soon enough.”

Line Break

Mt. Fuji was a sacred place for the Japanese, a place poets, painters, and pilgrims revered as a gateway between the Earth and the divine, much like the Greeks of old and Olympus. Fuji was seen as the home of the Gods, and to climb it was for rituals of purification and renewal. For that reason, I rejected the idea of mining it when Sakuradite was found in the late 1980s. It was why so many looked to its state as just a painful reminder of how all they loved and once stood proud had been violated, and horribly twisted to suit their oppressors.

However, there was more to it than Lelouch had ever realised. As he was led down a dark path, lit only by the lanterns that Kirihara's…temple attendants carried, he wondered just how much. He was split from Kirihara, who assured him that they'd meet again soon and that things needed to be prepared. In the meantime, he could trust his attendants to handle things for him.

Lelouch noted the attendants who didn't make a sound. He could hardly hear them breathe and, at times, wondered if they were people, recalling Kirihara's musings on Yokai. But he didn't ask, nor did he force it. It had to be for a purpose if they covered their faces and chose not to speak.

Again, they arrived at a new room, which seemed to be a dressing room. Looking around, one of the 2 attendants who entered with him spoke.

“Kindly strip.” They spoke, Lelouch unable to tell if they were a man or a woman, their voice a perfect fusion of typically masculine and feminine vocal traits, but then the words caught up with him.

“Pardon?” Lelouch asked, holding onto Zero's mask, which he hadn't put back on.

“Kindly strip, sir. It’s for the ceremony.” The second attendant spoke up, their voice identical and yet…not to the first. What was this? And why did they want him out of his clothes?

“What ceremony requires that I strip?” He couldn’t hide his anger at such an absurd request.

“An important one that can't have unclean things, including clothing.”

Lelouch considered using his geass and forcing a straight answer out of them. “Fine…” But he ultimately relented.

Visibly angry and slightly embarrassed, he started to undress—first with his cape and then with the rest of his clothing. His only reprieve was that there was a dressing screen behind him, behind which he took shelter as he did this. Once down to just his briefs, he took the towel that had been set aside for him, wrapped it around his waist, and walked out, pissed that he had to strip. “Should this suffice?”

The attendants bowed, their hands held up, hidden in their sleeves. “There is a towel on the other side of the screen. You can’t take unclean things into the ceremony.”

Lelouch felt his brow twitch at that, and the man started reconsidering his choice not to geass them.

Line Break

Walking down the path again, Lelouch had to take several breaths to control his anger and embarrassment. Where the attendants were covered head to toe, he was stuck walking with nothing but a thin towel wrapped around his waist. He wasn't even given shoes and walked barefoot, which allowed him to tell how the floor and walls had changed.

As they walked deeper into the mountain, their route changed to one that couldn't have been cut with modern tools, nor could it have been made recently, as the wear and tear on the stone seemed decades or centuries old. He wondered if the cane was related to this place, if the two were comparable in age. How old were these tunnels, where it seemed like men and volcanic activity, not beast or machine, had cut these paths?

But he also found himself asking why he felt so calm here. His anger at being near naked, his annoyance at being caught off guard, even the madness that followed him wherever he went…all of it seemed…partially placated, not silent but dulled.

They continued down, and that feeling only intensified until, at last, he saw a pink glow approaching. Lelouch wondered what it could be and if it was related to this feeling of unnatural calm he felt. He got his answers when they crossed into it. He saw that it was a giant cavern, a vast space with a ceiling high up. You could stack three Sutherlands on top of the other, and the third might just barely be able to touch the ceiling.

But in the centre of the room was the source of the pink glow, as within a deep pit was a giant pool of liquid sakuradite. One that seemed…alive, as it bubbled and swirled about, the cracks lining the steep walls of this fissure glowing a similar shade of pink. Like veins, they pulsed as sakuradite flowed down these narrow, jagged paths into the pond, lighting up the entire space.

“It’s a sight to see," Kirihara said, Lelouch turning to see that the man was present but had also changed clothing. He looked like the head priest of this strange underground shrine. You don’t get many sights like it.”

“What is it?” Lelouch asked.

“A sacred pool, a place of power for those who bear Tengume," Kirihara replied, a sense of awe in his words.

“How was this place never found, or safe? That much liquid sakuradite…” It wouldn’t take much for this place to explode, and with this much, the explosion could be mistaken for Mt. Fuji erupting.

“It's been kept secret and safe for centuries, and may it continue to be kept safe for centuries.” Lelouch noticed how the man sounded. Kirihara sounded like a priest. The rest had split and stood at different points of the cavern, some closer, some not. Now, can you guess what the ceremony is?” Kirihara drew Lelouch's attention back to him, to which the younger man shook his head.

Kirihara, in response, pointed to the pool below. “You must bathe in it.”

Lelouch gave him a look of confusion, horror, and anger. “Are you insane? Aside from the fact that liquid sakuradite is incredibly volatile and a powerful explosive, it's also extremely poisonous and corrosive. You can't handle the bare-handed stuff, and you want me to bathe in it?”

Kirihara didn’t sugarcoat it. “Yes. You're different from others, to me, for you have Tengume. As such, you needn't worry about death.” Lelouch caught how he didn’t say safe from harm, which didn’t encourage him, but as things had already been a chaotic, confusing mess…

“Explain.”

“According to the notes of my predecessor, the sakuradite reacted…weirdly with tengime, boosting its power for some, but also increasing their physical prowess. To the point that some could pass for near demi-gods. It's the third thing we're interested in today, for through this ceremony, you may create and use shinbuki, a special tool greater than any normal version of it.” His explanation was…better than he expected, but there were still questions Leluch had.

“That sounds great, but how does all that ensure I don’t burn to death, or drown in what has been described by those who get it spilled on them as liquid fire?” Lelouch frowned, annoyed by the lack of answers, and more so by the fact that his annoyance wasn't nearly as high as it should be.

“You need to enter the pool with your tengume active, that should protect you, but only if you’re seen as capable by the pool. Should you fail, then you will die.” Kirihara was being particularly blunt with him.

“And how would the…pool judge me?" Lelouch asked, his gaze shooting towards the pink, sludge-like depths, only one of which was believed to be capable of thought, opinion, and judgment.

Kirihara shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s been described as different for each who underwent it.”

Lelouch took a breath, trying to organise his thoughts about all this. “So there’s a chance that I could be rejected, odds which would be higher considering that it might take issue with someone of Britannian royal blood."

“There is a chance, as you’ll be the first foreigner as far as I know to even make the attempt, but,” Kirihara was the one who turned to him, the pink glow of the pool illuminating every crevice and every wrinkle on his face. "Can you turn down this chance for greater power, for more tools to use in your crusade of carnage?"

Lelouch went silent, deliberating on this offer, weighing its risks, its rewards, and everything else. The cavern went silent, not a word spoken for what felt like an eternity before Lelouch made his choice.

"Ashford Academy," Lelouch spoke, his gaze firmly on the pool of sakuradite. "Nunnally attends and lives at Ashford Academy under the protection of the Ashfords, should anything happen…"

"I shall ensure she's well cared for," Kirihara promised him as Lelouch broke from the old man and approached the pool's edge.

As he walked, Kirihara added a piece of information: "You were right about its corrosive nature. Even with its blessing and tengume, your clothing would be melted away, so best remove the towel now so you'll have something to wear later."

Grumbling about it, Lelouch did as advised, taking off his towel and leaving the man nude before the entire room, Lelouch just imagining that it was a gym locker room, that this was like the showers at Ashford…only he was the only one naked.

This better be worth it.

Activating his geass once more, the little zap he typically felt from it was supercharged, feeling like he had stuck a fork into an outlet. It was such a surprise that he nearly fell, barely keeping his balance as he continued towards its edge. ‘This place…it’s certainly a place of power.’ Lelouch thought, as he had never felt this…energized, even when he first gained power.

Reaching, he looked into the pool, noting that it wasn't too far down, maybe a couple of meters, but he had no idea how deep the thing was. It could be just a couple of inches, a few meters, if not more or less; this was just how thick and opaque it was.

“Do I just jump in?” He asked.

“You need first to offer up your blood,” Kirihara explained as one of the attendants walked over, handing him a ceremonial dagger fitted with gold and ivory. Doing as instructed, Lelouch wordlessly placed the knife to his palm and sliced it clean open.

Giving the bloody knife back, he held his hand over the edge and clenched his hands, watching as his blood flowed out of the wound, off his hand, and into the glowing pink abyss below. As soon as the first drop touched it, it reacted, the gentle swirling growing more intense, the sakuradite seeming to bash against its rocky walls like a ravenous beast, starved and now showing prime flesh.

“Well, isn’t that encouraging…” Lelouch sarcastically quipped, but continued as the sakuradite took on a darker pink, almost red shade despite how little blood he poured into it. As he grew closer, he kept his geass active till he stood at the point of no return, the sakuradite lapping at the rocks mere inches from him.

He could turn back, perhaps he should turn back…

He took that step forward, and immediately, he felt the corrosive bite into his foot. He could still feel his foot, but it felt like the stuff had already pierced his bone. Still, it wasn't as…painful as he expected, so he took another step, and then another. Waving further into it, he had to bite his tongue to keep from making a pained whine or distressing yelp as he forced himself further.

As he went, the sakuradite's levels rose. First, it was just his ankles, then his shins, then knee-deep, until now, when he stood at the very centre of it, it was only waist-deep.

"Okay, so what-!" Whatever he was going to ask would never be spoken as the poor shuddered. The sakuradite flashed a deep, ominous red, a pink geass mark forming across its surface with him at the centre, before he was pulled under, leaving an undisturbed surface.

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Part of me wanted to continue with the Nunnally in Wonderland parody, but I was already plotting to write something else with this chapter, so with some regret, we'll cut past that. Don't worry, perhaps I can revisit it as a flashback. This chapter was another early deviation I wanted to try, playing around with the lore of the world, and opening us up for some more stuff down the line, as while it won't play too much of a role in part 1, which is my R1, it-along with other changes will impact how things in part 2 go. Also, I just like writing Nunnally being cheeky with her brother.

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Well…wasn’t that ominous? At least he was honest with the man. Lelouch could die, but hey, he didn't keep secrets…from this one person… kind of.