Watching a Demon's path

Episode 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Grass.
 
Before they started the next video, Kaguya recalled all her memories of Suzaku. They used to get along when they were kids and at one point, he was her intended husband. That all changed however when Britannia invaded and in the aftermath Suzaku joined the enemy army. There couldn’t have been any greater insult and so he became a taboo topic in her household. Ever since, they lost contact. She couldn’t understand his motivations but after watching the last episodes she was sure that he hadn’t changed. He was still protecting the weak in his own way.

Praying for him, no, for both of them, she started the next video.

CC narrates the story until now in brief. Lelouch, his ability and his goals. In the end, she hints at something about the future.

“Miss C2, that’s your voice, right?” Shirley asked. “ Does that mean your future self helped in making these videos?”

“Who knows.” C2 mulled over the idea. She was interested to know herself.

“By the way, it’s very strange how it hinted that his father may not be his final enemy,” Kaguya spoke. “Any idea about that?”

“Not a clue,” the immortal witch replied not entirely honestly. She wasn’t sure but it could be referring to Marianne. When Lelouch will confront his father he will have to face his not-entirely dead mother too and that will surely shock him.

Nunnally sighed in dismay. Every time it was mentioned that she was part of Lelouch’s motivation, she felt bittersweet. Her brother may have a misunderstanding of what kind of world she needed to be happy. All she needed was him.

The screen shows Suzaku’s interrogation. Jeremiah puts the gun on the table and states Suzaku’s identity as the motive behind the murder.

“Him!” Kallen growled at the sight of Jeremiah. “How did he get that gun? Did Lelouch not dispose of it? How careless can he get?”

“Lelouch is not trained in assassination,” Milly defended. “No matter how intelligent he is, he is less than 18 and he was in a dangerous situation.”

Suzaku denies the accusation. Jeremiah kicks him and forces him to admit his guilt as his fingerprints were found on the gun.

“How dare they!” Euphemia jumped in anger. “They are forging evidence.”

“What else did you expect.” Kallen rolled her eyes. “ We knew already that Lelouch is the culprit not Suzaku.”

No one had any words to that. This level of corruption left everyone speechless. If even a prince was being used like this after his death, then what about the rest of them.

Lelouch carries Nunnally to her bed and assures her that Suzaku was not a murderer.

Meanwhile, Tamaki is angry of being robbed of the credit of killing a prince.
Ohgi laments his helplessness to the picture of his friend.

“Is that your brother Kallen?” Milly asked gently.

“Yes, he is.” Kallen felt emotional and wondered if he was watching her from somewhere. This whole experience had rekindled her belief in gods and afterlife.

Nunnally on the other hand felt miserable at how easily Lelouch could lie to her.

Lelouch talks to an old man under geass who assures him that his demands will be met.

“It is that person from the first episode,” Shirley identified him at once. “Lulu gambled on his behalf.”

“What are they talking about?” Kallen was a top student but that conversation completely went over her head.

“Lelouch is preparing for Suzaku’s rescue is all I got,” Kaguya said.

Lloyd is not happy at losing Suzaku as he was the best devicer for Lancelot.
Cecile asks him to use his power to free Suzaku but Lloyd explains his lack of ability due to pureblood politics involved.
At the same time Lelouch is explaining the same thing to Shirley.

Kallen was so amazed at Suzaku’s piloting skills that she forgot to rant about the injustice of it all.

Euphemia balled her fists and put the entire pureblood faction in her black list.

Nunnally and Shirley were hit the most by the blatant racism and corruption present in their country’s system.

Rivalz invites Lelouch to another gambling game. Shirley gets angry and forbids them from going. Much to Rivalz’s surprise, Lelouch agrees to quit gambling.

Lelouch says that he has found a better game and rejects him when he asks to join in.

“If only Rivalz knew,” Milly laughed. “See Shirley, Lelouch is so devious under his goody two shoes persona.”

Shirley pouted in anger. She knew her on screen self must have been happy without knowing Lelouch’s new game was even more dangerous.

Kallen meets up with her rebel friends in Tokyo tower. They speculate that it was Suzaku who called them but since he was arrested afterwards it was dangerous for them to come to the meeting.

“But it was Lulu who called them, right?” Shirley remembered from the previous episode.

Kallen, who had completely forgotten about the conversation because of her state of dress, relaxed.

“They may think Suzaku is the real deal too,” Milly mused. “His identity makes him the perfect scapegoat.”

There is an announcement for Kallen to retrieve something she lost. Kallen finds a phone there. Kallen gets a call on this phone from someone named Zero. Zero is revealed to be Lelouch.

Milly bounced in her seat in excitement. “Is that a superhero name?”

“Milly, Lulu is not a superhero,” Shirley was quick to disagree, not wanting to give her any ideas.

But her best friend was unwilling. “He can be one. He has the motive, background and the power to be one.”

Lelouch tells Kallen where to meet him.
Jeremiah is praising Diethard for his memorial program on Clovis. Diethard says that the funeral was prepared well in advance and that now Jeremiah’s funeral is being prepared as well due to his rise in status.

“Someone is full of themselves,” Kallen snorted. She was anticipating Jeremiah’s fate after Lelouch got to him. Unknowingly, she was beginning to trust Lelouch.

“Diethard doesn’t look very enthusiastic,” Milly commented.

Jeremiah invited Diethard to the army but he declines.

Kaguya was pleased.

Jeremiah talks about Suzaku’s court martial and Diethard suggests a public parade. Jeremiah has the same idea. Villetta says that someone may try to free Suzaku but Jeremiah is confident that he and his Sutherland can deal with everything.

Kaguya calculated the chances of an attack on the parade but she felt Lelouch’s geass wouldn’t be of much use against knightmares. It would be better to control the judge beforehand.

Kallen balled her fists at his insulting words. She wished she could punch him through the screen.

Kallen is on the train and receives another call. Lelouch shows her the two contrasting parts on the sides of the train- Britannia settlement and ghetto.
Kallen gives her opinions on both, full of anger on Britannia.

Britannians in the room squirmed. But no one was more uncomfortable than Shirley. This was the first time she had seen the world from this perspective.

“I am really sorry, Kallen,” she apologized, not knowing what else she could do.

Kallen waved away her apology. She knew it had nothing to do with Shirley. Her eyes were fixed on the screen, her emotions inflamed.

Lelouch praised her answers and called her to the front of the train.

“Looks like Lelouch agreed with your words,” Kaguya said.

Kallen felt like she had just passed some kind of test.

Kallen moved, followed by the others at some distance.

C2 noticed something and smirked. “There is no need to be cautious. No one will pay attention to you.”

Kallen was confused until she saw the next scene.

Everyone on the train was under geass.

“How did Lelouch mange that?” Euphemia was both surprised and proud. Her brother really was amazing.
To put the entire train under geass just for a meeting was over the top and hard to achieve. His geass did need eye contact after all.

In the final car, Kallen met a masked man. Ohgi and the others joined her.

“Is that Lulu?” Shirley opened her mouth in shock. She never expected her crush to dress like that.

Milly jumped from her seat in excitement. “I told you! Lelouch is going to become a superhero. Oh, I am so proud. He gets that dressing sense from me.”

“This is not a superhero costume, he is just in disguise,” Kallen rolled her eyes.

“It is too conspicuous for a disguise actually,” Kaguya happily said. She liked this costume very much. “I don’t mind if Lelouch has a hero dream.”

C2 smirked, finding Lelouch very interesting.

They are suspicious of his identity. Zero explains his reasons for giving them the tour.
Ohgi asserts his determination to resist the discrimination.
Zero: You are wrong. Britannia won’t fall to terrorism.
Zero says their enemy is Britannia and not Britannians. Their terrorism was nothing but a nuisance to Britannia.
Zero: It is a war you must wage. Take up your sword. Fight for justice.

Kallen felt a strong urge to follow. Even though she knew that his reasons were not entirely selfless, she could feel the passion in his words.

Shirley was blushing, liking this different side of Lelouch very much. Even Milly felt her heart skip a beat.

Both Nunnally and Euphemia were smiling proudly.

C2 and Kaguya were not that affected. They had had heard too many rousing speeches in their lives. They only judged people based on actions.

Kallen and the others don’t trust him and want to see his true identity.
Zero says that he will show them his power rather than his face.

Kallen paled in horror. She had seen first hand the power of geass and didn’t want her friends to be subjected to it.

Lelouch promises them a miracle.

Kallen relaxed and wondered what he meant.

Kaguya, who had an idea, looked in anticipation.

At the same time, Tohdoh and the JLF are discussing whether to save Suzaku or not. Tohdoh says they should not even try as it would require more than a miracle.

Kaguya’s lips turned up. She was more sure of her idea.

Milly wrote down Tohdoh’s name in her notes.

Lloyd meets Suzaku and informs him that Lelouch and C2 are not dead. He thinks Suzaku’s fate is set. Suzaku believes that the court will give him justice. Lloyd denies his foolish idea but Suzaku accepts his fate.

“Suzaku is a walking contradiction,” Kaguya muttered. She was not happy with his attitude.

“What do you mean?” Euphemia asked while trying to comfort Nunnally.

“He shows trust in the system and yet is quick to accept the flaws in the system,” C2 commented. She was interested in his attitude towards death. It was almost like hers.

“He is infuriating,” Kallen scowled.

It is time for Suzaku’s court martial. People are watching the procession on the street or through broadcast.
Diethard laments his involvement in the matter.

“So why don’t you do something about it?” Kallen grumbled. She hated people who do nothing while something wrong is happening in front of them.

“Not everyone has the courage to go against everything they know for ideals,” Euphemia said sympathetically. Her position also held her back from doing what she felt was right.

“Or maybe the right opportunity has not come yet,” Kaguya stated her opinion. She had a feeling things were going to change for Diethard soon.

There is a shadow shown on the screen.

Kaguya cheered. “Looks like I make my first appearance.”

“A foreshadowing,” Milly said. “You are likely to be an important character.”

Kaguya nodded. “That’s why I am here.”

Cecile is unhappy with the injustice while Lloyd shows his helplessness.

No one could blame Lloyd. He had done as much as he could.

Lelouch is getting dressed as zero. Ohgi is in a knightmare and the rest are at the base.

“Is Lelouch going to attack the parade?” Milly caught on immediately.

Nunnally prayed for both of them.

“Don’t worry Nunna, Lelouch must have a plan,” Euphemia said. ‘I hope it works.’

Kallen was confused why everyone was at base but Ohgi wasn’t. Was that part of the plan or…

A soldier reports to Jeremiah about an approaching vehicle. He lets it through because of orders but hesitantly explains that it is the dead prince’s car. Jeremiah orders everyone to stop.

C2 laughed. “Lelouch is so bold. Coming from the front like that.”

“Why would he use Clovis’ car?” Kallen asked. “Is not that a provocation?”

“Maybe but the soldiers wouldn’t easily attack that car,” Euphemia answered.

“Jeremiah is very ambitious. He wants to deal with the enemy himself and raise his prestige,” Kaguya deduced. Is that why Lelouch dared to go directly?

“He is outside his knightmare. Doesn’t that make him vulnerable to Lulu’s power.” Shirley pointed out something everyone else seemed to be overlooking.

At once, vague ideas of how victory could be achieved in this situation started to form in their minds.

The rebels are amazed as everything was going as Zero said it would. Tamaki calls it coincidence.

Kaguya laughed. “Jeremiah is dancing in Lelouch’s palm.”

Kallen was growing angry at Tamaki.

Clovis’ vehicle finally shows up but it is a fake. Kallen is the one driving.
In a flashback, it is shown that Kallen and Ohgi are the only ones who believed in Zero’s plan after hearing him out.
Zero was ok with that.

“What!? We can’t win with just the two of us,” Kallen exclaimed. She became nervous about her future and angry at Tamaki and the rest.

“Kallen, you don’t think your group will win in a head-on battle if you are all present, do you?” Kaguya scolded gently. “If that was possible, Tohdoh wouldn’t call this foolishness.”

“Victory will be determined by strategy,” Euphy said.

“And geass,” C2 added.

Kallen stops the car and zero appears on top of it.

Everyone was nervous. The same thought was going through their minds.
What was the plan?

Zero introduces himself. Everyone was amazed by his appearance, even Suzaku.

Kaguya’s mood soured when the word ‘eleven’ appeared in Suzaku’s mind.

Kallen balled her fists in anger.

At Jeremiah’s signal, knightmares surround the car.

Kallen tenses but Zero stands tall.

Am I going to die there? Kallen wondered, starting to lose trust. She couldn’t see a way they will get out of this.

“Jeremiah is still too far away to use geass and there is a knightmare between them,” Kaguya muttered. “But Lelouch is not afraid so he much have a trick up his sleeve.”

“He always does,” Milly echoes, holding tightly to Shirley’s trembling body.
Euphy and Nunna watched with their hearts in their throats.

Zero reveals his trump card. It was the container in which C2 was kept.
Everyone mistakes it for the poison gas container which is exactly Zero’s plan.

“Brilliant!” Kaguya exclaimed. “Now they don’t dare shoot him.”

Kallen, who saw hope again, was shaking in excitement.

“Just like a magician,” Milly snapped her fingers in imitation.

C2 smirked, impressed by the idea.

Suzaku tries to reveal the trick to his captors but is stopped by the shock collar.

Disbelieving looks were sent to the screen.

Whether they were his friends or enemies, they couldn’t believe what he just tried to pull.

“Did he—did he just, aargh!” Kallen screamed, lost for words.

Kaguya slapped a hand to her forehead.

Nunnally couldn’t believe that Lelouch’s well laid plan could have failed just because he never imagined his friend would stab him in the back at the most important moment.

Euphemia shook her head in disappointment. She had good feelings for Suzaku. He saved Lelouch’s life and put innocent life above mission ( a rare quality in Britannian military). But she was starting to think that there may be something wrong with his head.

Jeremiah finally panics. Zero reminds him of the stakes and he doesn’t dare take action.
Diethard gets excited and runs close to him with a camera.
Zero offers an exchange. The container for Suzaku.
Jeremiah refuses as Suzaku had killed a royal.
Zero looks in the camera and confesses that he is the murderer of Clovis.

Everyone shuddered. It was like Zero was talking to them.

“So that’s why he confronted Jeremiah.” Kaguya had sparkles In her eyes. “Just to announce himself to the world.”

Kallen was staring blankly at the man who was playing jokes on the strongest nation in the world. His ability was only overshadowed by his boldness.

Nunnally and Euphemia were looking at each other speechlessly. They were torn between laughing in pride and crying in sorrow. Lelouch had declared war on Britannia.

Everyone went nuts on the screen. Ohgi and Kallen started panicking.

Kallen was embarrassed for her on screen self. Because she knew about geass, she knew there was a way out as long as Lelouch wasn’t shot on sight.

“Lelouch really knows how to make an impression,” Milly chuckled at Diethard’s look. She was liking this new side of Lelouch very much.

Zero distracts him by talking about Orange as if he was going to share some secret information and moves closer.
Once close, he uses his geass and orders Jeremiah to let them go.

“Wonderful,” Kaguya sighed dreamily. “He is so amazing.”

The look on her face was so similar to Shirley that Milly looked repeatedly between the two of them.

Geassed Jeremiah orders to hand over Suzaku much to his soldiers’ disbelief.

“They must think ‘Orange’ is related to some big scandal,” Nunnally giggled.
“Orange is going to become one of the biggest mysteries in the world.” Euphemia joined her.

Zero releases colored smoke as diversion.
Zero carries Suzaku and jumps off the bridge.

“What!”
“Impossible!”

Two voices of disbelief followed this scene.

Milly and Shirley couldn’t believe their eyes. How could Lelouch have the physical strength to carry a person and jump off a bridge.

Could it be he lied to us again? Milly communicated with her eyes to Shirley.
No way… Shirley tried to confidently reply but she looked gloomy as if the love of her life had betrayed her.

No one else paid attention to them as they were all tense at the escape.

Zero, Suzaku, and Kallen escape with the help of Ohgi.

Jeremiah stops all pursuers by himself.

“We did it! We did it!” Kallen cheered like a girl her age and she was joined by Kaguya.

“No doubt, Jeremiah is the MVP this time,” Milly grinned.

Euphy and Nunna finally sighed in relief.

Tamaki still wants to call it a coincidence.
Ohgi declares that not even JLF could have pulled that off. He believes they can win against Britannia with him.
Kallen looks at Zero with amazement.

Kallen off-screen had the same look, no, even more intense. Because she knew his identity and his motivations, she could believe him whole-heartedly. She was mentally urging her on screen self to trust him.

Zero is talking to Suzaku and asks him to join the rebels as Britannia is rotten.
Suzaku demands to know if he is the one who killed Clovis.
Zero admits.

“Exactly,” Kaguya nodded at his words, not liking Suzaku’s attitude.

“Suzaku doesn’t look grateful,” Shirley noticed.

“We shouldn’t have risked our lives for his,” Kallen complained. She was not happy with the way he was talking to zero. “After all the risks Lelouch took for him…this is the result.”

Nunnally couldn’t defend him. She hadn’t forgotten the stunt he had tried to pull earlier.

Zero claims that results are all that matter and there were no deaths that day. So, it is a victory.

Suzaku doesn’t agree. He believes methods are more important than results. He believes Britannia can be changed from within.

Euphemia blinked her eyes. She was grateful that Suzaku had the same idea as her. Still, her belief was a result of her position. Where does Suzaku gain the belief to oppose his own nation?

Kaguya felt that her family was right after all. Her cousin was a lost cause. Even extending a hand of support is meaningless. Suzaku has firm beliefs, they were just opposite of hers.

Suzaku decides to go back to his court martial. It is for the sake of the honorary Britannians.

Lelouch loses his cool and says that he will die.
Suzaku doesn’t mind.

“Excuse me!?” Kallen couldn’t believe it. “Does he realise how many times we entered death’s door to save him? What does he mean he is going back!?”

Kaguya still couldn’t understand what was going through her cousin’s mind. “His reasoning is flawed. As long as he is deemed guilty, honorary Britannians will still be affected.”

“But big brother admitted his guilt. Why would they convict Suzaku again,” Nunnally was puzzled.

“He saved Suzaku, that makes Suzaku an accomplice.” Euphemia said guiltily. “Also, it was never about his guilt. His fate was already decided.”

“Lulu is so sad,” Shirley felt aggrieved for her crush. “He just wants Suzaku to be safe.”

Milly tried to look on the positive side. “Jeremiah is sure to lose his standing after this. Purebloods will take a big hit. There is room for intervention.”

It brought some light in the room but not much. Who will intervene for an eleven?

C2 rolled her eyes. Even if he lived this time, it was a matter of sooner or later. She had recognised the death will in Suzaku. It couldn’t be that he was as unlucky as her and just wouldn’t die.

Suzaku thanks zero and walks away.
News tells that Suzaku may be found innocent.

There were sighs of relief in the room as they wondered if it was really that easy.

Nunnally smiles in relief. She startles at a sound that she thinks is made by her maid.

But it is made by C2.

“C2, what are you doing there?” Milly questioned protectively. She didn’t think C2 was an enemy but she was not ready to treat her as an ally just yet.

“Who knows.” The immortal replied.

“She must have come to meet big brother,” Nunnally realized.

C2 replied with a nod. "I can track him through the contract" was all she said.

Now that the episode was over, they started to summarise.

“I think Lulu has a hero complex,” Shirley stated her own findings.

“A superhero,” Milly agreed excitedly. “So if there are any caped crusaders in the news, it is likely him.”

The rest of them didn’t refute this time. Zero was very superheroish.

“Suzaku can’t be our ally. It’s better to trap or kill him so that he doesn’t become our enemy,” Kaguya said resolutely.

“We aren’t killing Suzaku,” Nunnally insisted. This was her bottom line.

“Of course, I don’t want him to die either,” Kaguya agreed. “He is my cousin.”

But she said this with an undertone of ‘I will kill him if I must.’

“Anything else,” Milly coughed and changed the subject.

Kallen hesitated to bring up Tamaki’s attitude but decided not to. She knew Tamaki. He wasn’t a bad person. She could deal with his issues herself.

When no one spoke again, Milly ended the meeting.