Power of the Kings: Round Two

Power of the Heart

"Second enemy air raid squadron coming in fast!" a girl exclaims.

"We're not gonna hold out long against this!" another girl adds.

"I hate those who stand on the top holding power like a sword." I cross my arms.

The screen on the widow changes to show the High Eunuchs in their smug glory. All they can see is Zero.

"Ah," a fat eunuch (Zhao Hao) says, "so you admit you're outmatched? Well, we won't accept your surrender! It's too late now!"

"You insist on fighting!?" Lelouch snaps. "Even though your own empress will die in the attack!"

"The empress is merely a system."

"There are plenty of others to replace her," a tall eunuch (Xia Wang) says.

"So, you can't use her as a bargaining chip," the short old eunuch (Cheng Zong) from before says.

"But you used her to gain noble titles in the Britannian court," Lelouch says.

Zhao Hao laughs, "You have sharp ears, don't you?"

"A cheap price to pay for power," Xia Wang says.

"Cheap?" Lelouch scoffs. "A phony treaty that gives China's land to a foreign nation?"

"Land is nothing but dirt, after all," Zhao Hao shrugs.

"Correct, we're Britannian nobleman now, that's all that counts," Xia Wong says.

"And what about the common people you've sworn to protect!" Lelouch snaps.

"Zero, when you walk down the street, do you worry about stepping on ants?" Zhao Hao shakes his head.

"You throw away paper that clings to your bottom, don't you!?" Cheng Zong blurts out. "It's the same thing!"

"You sell out your country, abandon your empress, betray your own people, and for what!?" Lelouch shouts.

"Ha, an idealist!" Zhao Hao exclaims. "I never thought you were so naïve, Zero. Is your partner Infinity not there to knock some sense into you?"

"Indeed, masters and commoners always breed," Xia Wong says.

"Like insects!" Cheng Zong exclaims, causing the three of them to laugh.

The Ikaruga continues to shake from the barrage on us, and the lights flicker with each hit.

"Radiant shield generators two and five are offline!" the girl with purple hair shouts.

"That leaves the deck exposed!" Ohgi shouts.

A harsh explosion rocks the Ikaruga once more. I grip the armrests of my chair, waiting for the flickering lights to plunge us into darkness.

"Noblemen?" Lelouch shoots to his feet. "You're bureaucrats, paper-pushers who know nothing about noblesse oblige!"

The video call ends, and I fling myself to my feet and rush up to Lelouch. "We have to go now."

"Then let's go," he grabs my hand, dragging me out of the room to ride the elevator where the Shinkirō (an updated version of the Gawain) is waiting for us.

"I've never had a vision this close to the event happening," I let out a breath.

"What did you see?"