Suzaku Kururugi's POV
I could feel the chains digging into my wrists as I marched forward, my legs heavy with the weight of every step. The crowd lining the streets stared in silence, some with pity, others with indifference, and a few with satisfaction. I was the traitor now—the scapegoat for Clovis's assassination, even though I had done nothing. My heart pounded in my chest, not from fear, but from the weight of injustice pressing down on me.
The people of Japan, my homeland, watched as I was paraded toward my execution. A chill ran down my spine. This wasn't how it was supposed to end. I'd wanted to change things from within the system—to make peace between Japan and Britannia, to create a world where people didn't have to live in fear. Instead, I was branded a murderer, about to be sacrificed for the sins of a corrupt empire.
I stared ahead, my face blank, masking the turmoil swirling inside me. I won't resist. If this is the price I have to pay for a better world, then so be it.
The announcer's voice echoed through the streets. "Kururugi Suzaku, the man accused of assassinating Prince Clovis la Britannia, will be executed today in a public display of justice, broadcast to all of Britannia and the world as an example of what happens to those who dare to defy the Empire."
I couldn't bring myself to listen to the rest of it. Instead, my mind wandered to the people I'd lost—my father, my country, my friends. Lelouch... if only you were alive. You would understand.
As I walked, I noticed something unusual—a sleek black vehicle speeding toward the convoy. My heart skipped a beat. What's that? The car looked familiar, and I wasn't the only one who noticed. The announcer's voice trembled as he called out, "It's... it's Prince Clovis's personal transport! And it's heading straight for the procession!"
Gasps erupted from the crowd as the car screeched to a halt. For a brief moment, everything stopped—the soldiers, the crowd, even me. Then, the top of the car began to burn away, revealing a man standing atop it, cloaked in black and gold, his face hidden behind a spiked, indigo mask.
The man raised his arms dramatically, his voice booming as he declared, "I am Zero."
Zero? My mind raced. Who was this man? Why would anyone dare interrupt an execution, especially one as highly publicized as this?
Before I could process what was happening, masked men dropped from above, surrounding the area. Everything moved so quickly that it was impossible to keep up. The soldiers around me raised their weapons, but the figure atop the car remained calm, commanding. Zero snapped his fingers, and a large container was wheeled forward.
"This container holds poison gas," Zero announced, his voice steady. "I will release it unless you hand over Kururugi Suzaku."
The crowd gasped, panic setting in as whispers spread through the streets. My heart raced—Poison gas? He's going to use innocent civilians as leverage?
The politicians in the convoy immediately refused his demands, their voices frantic. But Zero didn't waver. His gaze—though I couldn't see his eyes—was cold and calculating. He had control of the situation, and he knew it.
I was powerless, bound in chains, watching as this madman played a dangerous game with my life and the lives of the people around me.
Then, it all happened in a blur. Zero snapped his fingers again, and before I could even react, one of the masked men moved with impossible speed. I barely had time to register what was happening before I felt the grip on my arms loosen and the cold metal of the chains fall away. The next thing I knew, I was beside Zero, free from my captors.
I blinked, my mind struggling to catch up with the events. "Who are you?" I demanded, my voice hoarse.
Zero didn't answer me. He simply turned toward the politicians and soldiers, ignoring my question entirely. His focus was on the larger game, on making his point clear.
"I killed Prince Clovis," Zero declared, his voice ringing through the air. The shock of his confession sent ripples through the crowd. The soldiers aimed their weapons, ready to fire. I tensed, prepared to fight back if I had to. But before they could pull the trigger, Zero snapped his fingers one last time.
The container everyone believed held poison gas opened, releasing a thick cloud of smoke. Panic erupted, the crowd screaming as they thought they were being poisoned. But as the smoke cleared, there were no casualties, no gas—only an empty street.
Zero, his masked men, and I had disappeared.
My head spun as I tried to make sense of what had just happened. We had been taken to a room—a temporary hideout, perhaps? It didn't seem like a permanent base. The walls were bare, and there was little furniture, save for a few chairs and a table. I wasn't sure where I was, but it didn't matter. All that mattered now was the man standing before me, the man who called himself Zero.
I studied him, my thoughts a whirlwind of confusion. "Who are you?" I asked again, my voice calmer this time, but no less insistent.
Zero's masked face turned toward me, but once again, he didn't answer my question. Instead, he spoke with that same cold, commanding tone. "Suzaku Kururugi, join me. Together, we can topple Britannia and create a new world."
My blood ran cold. "Topple Britannia?" I echoed, my voice filled with disbelief. "I don't want to destroy the Empire. I want to change it from within. The peace treaty—"
"Peace treaty?" Zero's voice was sharp, almost mocking. "You're a fool if you think Britannia ever intended to honor that. The politicians who control Japan are in bed with the Empire. They sold you out. They're using you to appease Britannia. They want you dead to maintain the illusion of peace."
I shook my head, refusing to believe it. "You killed the peace envoy!" I shouted. "Clovis was here to negotiate peace, and you murdered him! You're no better than Britannia!"
Zero was silent for a moment, then he spoke again, his voice lower. "The gas you saw earlier wasn't poisonous. It was a bluff—a tactic to expose the lies of the politicians who would sacrifice innocent lives for their own benefit."
I clenched my fists, my mind reeling. This can't be happening. This man...
For a fleeting moment, as I watched Zero speak, I was reminded of someone—someone I had lost long ago. Lelouch. The way he argued, the way he spoke with such conviction... it was as if Lelouch was alive again, standing before me in that mask. If Lelouch were here, would he be like Zero?
But Lelouch was dead. He had been my best friend, and now he was gone. And I was left to carry out my ideals alone.
"I won't join you," I said firmly, my voice quiet but resolute. "I believe in changing the system from within, not by destroying it."
Zero tilted his head slightly, as if observing me from behind that mask. "You really are a fool," he said softly.
That word—fool—echoed in my mind. Lelouch had called me that once, back when we were children. Back when he was alive. My heart ached with the memory of him, of what could have been. If Lelouch were alive, he would understand what I was trying to do. He would know that change had to come from within.
But he wasn't here.
I shook my head, clearing the thoughts. "I have a duty to uphold," I said. "I'll go to my court-martial and face the consequences. I have to follow the rules, even if it means my death."
Zero didn't respond immediately. He stood there for a moment, watching me through that mask. "Very well," he finally said, his voice cold again. "You're free to go, Suzaku Kururugi. But remember this—you're walking back to your own execution."
I turned away, leaving Zero behind. His words lingered in my mind, the echoes of his voice mingling with memories of Lelouch. As I walked, I couldn't help but miss my friend. If Lelouch were alive, maybe things would be different. Maybe...
But this was the path I had chosen. I had to believe in it. Even if it meant walking toward my own death.
I was back in the small, dimly lit room, chains still bound to my wrists, as the interrogation continued. Across from me, a stern-faced prosecutor stood, his gaze cold and calculating. Unlike the Britannians, these men were Japanese—my own countrymen—yet I was being treated no better than a criminal, a traitor. All because I was convenient, an easy scapegoat to hand over to Britannia in their desperate bid for peace.
"You deny having any part in Prince Clovis's assassination," the prosecutor said, his voice dripping with disdain. "And yet, the gun used in the murder was found with your fingerprints all over it."
I met his gaze, my voice calm but firm. "I've never seen that gun before."
His lip curled in disgust. "Are you still going to claim ignorance? Your fingerprints were on the weapon. That's not something you can just brush off, Kururugi."
"I'm not brushing anything off," I said, my hands tightening into fists. "I was framed. I didn't kill Prince Clovis."
"Framed," the prosecutor sneered. "Framed for what? Revenge?" He leaned in closer, his voice lowering. "You've never forgiven Britannia for what happened to your father, have you? Genbu Kururugi—once the Prime Minister of Japan, now nothing more than a corpse. And you—his son, reduced to a pawn in this game of politics."
I didn't respond immediately. My father's death still weighed heavily on me, but revenge? That wasn't what drove me. It couldn't be. I had to believe that I could change things from within. I had to be better than the system that consumed him. Still, the prosecutor's words hit close to home.
"And now you're trying to hide behind this 'Zero' figure," the prosecutor continued, his voice sharp and accusatory. "Some terrorist who, conveniently, has claimed responsibility for the murder. Tell me, Kururugi, are you working with him? Is that it? Are you part of this grand conspiracy?"
I clenched my teeth, holding back the frustration building inside me. Zero. The name had thrown everything into disarray. His appearance had delayed my execution, but in the eyes of the court, he had only added to the complexity of my case. Now, I wasn't just a suspect—I was being accused of being part of some grand conspiracy to assassinate a Britannian prince.
"I don't know him," I said quietly, my voice firm. "I have no connection to Zero."
The prosecutor's eyes narrowed. "Convenient, isn't it? A masked terrorist suddenly claims responsibility, and now you think that absolves you?"
Before I could respond, the room shifted. The large screen at the front of the courtroom flickered to life, and the courtroom, already tense, seemed to tighten further.
"Wait, what's this?" the prosecutor muttered, turning to look at the screen, as did the rest of the room.
The video feed wasn't just for the courtroom—it was being broadcast live across the world. Every eye, in Japan, in Britannia, was now glued to the screen. The tension in the room thickened, a sense of inevitability washing over everyone.
On the screen, a grainy video began to play. My breath caught as the image came into focus—Prince Clovis's private quarters. I watched as one of Zero's masked men stood over Clovis, a gun in his hand. The man raised the gun and fired. The shot echoed, and Clovis fell lifeless.
The courtroom was silent, shocked gasps barely audible as the video continued. The prosecutor, who had been so sure of his accusations, turned pale as the realization settled in.
I stared at the screen, trying to keep my expression neutral, though inside I was reeling. This was the first time I had seen the footage of Clovis's assassination. Zero... so it was real.
The video cut away, transitioning to Zero himself, standing tall, his dark mask and flowing cape creating an image of defiance. The world was now watching as he spoke.
"I am Zero," his voice declared, booming and filled with purpose. "And I am the one who killed Prince Clovis."
His words sent ripples through the courtroom and beyond, disbelief spreading like wildfire. I watched, my pulse quickening. Who is he?
Zero continued, his voice unwavering. "Clovis was not an envoy of peace. His mission to Japan was a ruse, a scheme crafted by the Holy Britannian Empire to undermine Japan's resistance and crush its spirit from within."
I froze, my mind spinning. Clovis's death wasn't about peace at all?
The video began to display files—documents, orders, and communications. Proof of the Empire's true intentions, of a grand conspiracy to slowly dismantle Japan's sovereignty. The peace treaty had been nothing more than a tool, a means to an end.
"The Empire had no intention of making peace," Zero continued. "They sought only to manipulate Japan's leadership, to weaken the country from the inside until it could no longer resist."
The courtroom remained eerily silent as the weight of Zero's words settled in. Even the prosecutor seemed at a loss, staring at the screen in disbelief. The files were real, undeniable. The Empire's lies had been exposed to the world.
My heart pounded in my chest, a mixture of relief and confusion. Zero... did you do this for me? For Japan?
The video cut back to Zero, his figure dominating the screen. His next words hit like a hammer.
"I declare war on the Holy Britannian Empire," Zero announced, his voice firm, unyielding. "And I challenge the 98th Emperor, Charles zi Britannia. No longer will the world stand by and watch as Britannia's corruption spreads. The time has come for justice."
The declaration hung in the air, shocking not just those in the courtroom, but everyone watching across the world. Zero had declared open war on the Empire, on Britannia's might, and on my own captors.
The prosecutor, now visibly shaken, stammered, "This... this is propaganda! A setup! He's using these files to cover for you, Kururugi!"
But his voice lacked the conviction it had before. The court, and the world, had seen the truth. Zero had made sure of that.
The judge, who had remained silent throughout the broadcast, finally spoke. His voice was measured, though there was a hint of resignation in it. "Given the evidence presented by this broadcast, it seems there is reasonable doubt as to the guilt of Kururugi Suzaku. Furthermore, the accusations made against him have been called into question by the new information provided."
He turned to me, his expression more neutral than before. "Kururugi Suzaku, you are hereby deemed not guilty of the charges against you."
I breathed a quiet sigh of relief, though it was tempered by the weight of everything that had just transpired.
"As compensation for this injustice," the judge continued, "you will be relieved of your duties as a soldier of Japan. You have suffered enough, and someone your age should be allowed to live a normal life."
The room was still, the tension fading. The judge looked at me, his eyes softening just slightly. "Kururugi, you will be reinstated as a civilian and are encouraged to pursue a new path. Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, the country's premier institution dedicated to fostering Japan's brightest future leaders, will be the perfect place for you to continue your education."
I nodded, my mind still spinning. "I... understand."
The judge's words had hit me harder than I expected. A student again?
The idea of returning to a normal life seemed impossible after everything that had happened. But it was better than the alternative. And perhaps... perhaps there was still a way to achieve my goals, even within a different system.
As much as I hated to admit it, I couldn't help but feel... grateful. Grateful to the masked man who had saved me, who had revealed the truth, no matter how twisted it was. Zero.
He had brought me to this point, had forced the court to face the reality of Britannia's lies. For the first time since I had been branded a murderer, I could breathe. But even then, as I sat there, I couldn't shake one thought from my mind. Who are you, Zero?
I thought of Lelouch again. It was strange, but I couldn't help it. The way Zero spoke, the calm authority in his voice, the confidence with which he acted—it reminded me of Lelouch. Lelouch had always been so calculated, always seeing through the masks people wore, cutting through the lies and manipulations of the world around us.
For a brief moment, I allowed myself to imagine that Lelouch was still alive—that somehow, some way, he was the one behind the mask. That Lelouch, my best friend, was Zero. But I quickly shook the thought away. It was impossible. Lelouch was dead, lost to the cruelty of Britannia. And I was left to walk this path alone.
The courtroom was buzzing now, the murmurs of the audience growing louder as the tide of public opinion shifted in my favor. The revelations of the video had shaken the room, turned the case on its head. The prosecutor, once so certain of my guilt, was now silent, his arguments crumbling under the weight of Zero's revelations.
I knew this wasn't over. Not yet. The battle for Japan had only just begun, and Zero—whoever he was—had lit the spark that would ignite something far larger than either of us could imagine.
But for now, for the first time in days, I felt a flicker of hope. I had a chance, a path forward. Maybe I could still change things from within, despite everything that had happened.
And somewhere, in the back of my mind, I could still hear Zero's voice echoing, reminding me that this fight—this battle for Japan's future—was only just beginning.
Zero... Who are you really?
Light Yagami's POV
The morning sun filtered through the windows of our classroom, casting soft light across the desks. I sat at my usual seat, casually glancing over the syllabus when Koro-sensei made his grand entrance. As always, he was in high spirits—too high, perhaps, for what should be a typical morning.
"Good morning, my beloved students!" Koro-sensei called out in his usual upbeat tone, his tentacles wiggling with excitement. "I have some exciting news to share with all of you today! We have a new classmate joining us—a very special addition to our humble Class E!"
His gleeful voice made me roll my eyes. It had only been a week since the classes started, yet I had long grown used to Koro-sensei's gossipy and eccentric behavior. But this? This was new. A new student? Here? In Class E?
I felt the subtle shift in the atmosphere of the room—whispers spread, curiosity rose. Who could it be?
"That's right! Please give a warm welcome to the 8th member of Class E—Suzaku Kururugi!"
The name froze me in place for a second, though I hid it well behind my usual composed demeanor. Suzaku Kururugi? I thought, quickly recalling recent news. I wasn't alone in my reaction. All around me, the class sat in stunned silence. The headlines about Suzaku, the trial, and the assassination of Clovis flashed in my mind. Hadn't he been accused of murder? Yet, somehow, he was here?
But even more intriguing than my own surprise was the reaction of Lelouch. His eyes widened briefly at the sight of Suzaku stepping through the door. However, something even more interesting happened—Lelouch's lips curled into a small, almost imperceptible smirk. It was the kind of expression you wouldn't notice unless you were paying close attention. And I was always paying attention.
What is that about? I wondered. Something was off, a flicker of recognition between them, or something deeper.
Suzaku stood before the class, introducing himself with a mixture of formal humility and quiet confidence. "I'm Suzaku Kururugi," he said, his voice steady, though I could detect a slight nervousness. "I look forward to studying here."
Koro-sensei immediately took over, his cheerful voice breaking through the awkwardness. "Due to recent events, Suzaku-kun has been given the opportunity to study at Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, and lucky us—he's now part of Class E!"
The mention of "recent events" seemed to hang in the air. We all knew what that meant, but none of us dared to say it out loud. As Suzaku made his way to the empty seat near Lelouch, my mind began to connect the dots. That's what the extra chair was for, I realized. Since the first day of class, that empty chair had bothered me. Now it all made sense.
I glanced at Suzaku as he moved toward his seat, seemingly unaware of the brief smirk Lelouch had displayed earlier. The shock in Suzaku's expression, however, was unmistakable. His eyes widened the moment he saw Lelouch—like he had seen a ghost. But behind that initial shock, there was something else. Something like... relief. Longing, even.
I frowned, trying to piece together the puzzle forming in front of me. Do they know each other? If they did, it wasn't casual. There was a history there—one I didn't know about, but one that I was suddenly very curious to uncover. What is the connection between Suzaku and Lelouch?
As Suzaku sat down, still visibly stunned, Koro-sensei, with his typical flair, carried on as if nothing strange had just happened. "Ah, before I forget, there's one more announcement!" he exclaimed. "We'll be having a swimming class this afternoon, and I expect everyone to participate!" He then shifted his gaze toward Lelouch, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "No excuses, Lelouch-kun! You will be swimming."
Lelouch's face darkened with a barely concealed grimace, making it obvious that he had been hoping to avoid this very activity. He shot Koro-sensei a look, as if to say, Are you reading my mind?
I chuckled inwardly. Koro-sensei had a knack for getting under Lelouch's skin, something that rarely happened to someone as cool-headed and calculating as him.
But the interactions between Lelouch and Suzaku lingered at the back of my mind. The way Suzaku had reacted when he saw Lelouch—it wasn't just shock. It was as though he hadn't expected to ever see him again. Wasn't Suzaku led to believe that Lelouch was dead? And yet, here he was, right in front of him. I watched the silent exchange between the two, the invisible tension filling the air.
Suzaku is alive, and so is Lelouch... What's their story?
For a moment, my thoughts drifted back to the notion of justice. Suzaku had been wrongly accused, yet here he was, free. The wrong justice had not prevailed. And now, as I studied both of them, I couldn't shake the feeling that this reunion between Suzaku and Lelouch would have major consequences.
Suzaku was hiding something—they both were.