Moments later, the box on the car opened, revealing a figure in a black mask and long black overcoat.
"I am Zero," Lelouch declared.
The soldiers and bystanders froze at the masked figure's declaration.
Jeremiah's voice broke the silence. "I've seen enough, Zero. This little show of yours is over. First things first, lose the mask."
Lelouch raised his hand toward his face and snapped his fingers. The gas bomb came into view.
Yuuya leaned forward. "Oh, this just got interesting. So the Britannian military announced earlier that poison gas was released in Shinjuku by terrorists. But it wasn't actually released, it was just a cover story. Now Jeremiah thinks this bomb really contains the gas. Since he knows the terrorists didn't set it off, he assumes it's still inside the container. But he can't admit that publicly, or he'd be contradicting their own statement. So now he believes Zero has taken every Britannian here hostage, and none of them even realize it. What a complete 4D chess move."
As Jeremiah aimed his gun at Zero, his thoughts raced. You bastard! He's taken every Britannian here hostage, damn him!
"Fine," Jeremiah growled. "What are your demands?"
"An exchange," Lelouch said. "This, for Kururugi."
"Like hell. He's charged with high treason for murdering a prince. I can't hand him over."
Lelouch tilted his head slightly. "You're mistaken, Jeremiah. He's no murderer. The one who killed Prince Clovis was me."
Off to the side, Diethard held his camera, eyes gleaming with fascination. This was history unfolding before him.
"Ohgi, we're screwed," Kallen whispered.
"No way out," Ohgi muttered.
Lelouch continued, "For a single Eleven, you'll save dozens of Britannians. I'd call that a bargain."
Diethard murmured, "This is all one big performance to him."
Jeremiah's thinking furiously. He's insane. Disguising this truck as His Highness's vehicle, mocking the crown itself. He'll pay for this.
Lelouch's tone shifted. "Careful. You wouldn't want the public learning about 'Orange,' would you?"
The soldiers glanced at each other in confusion.
"Orange? What's he talking about?"
"I don't know."
"If I die," Lelouch said, "it all goes public. Unless you want that…"
Jeremiah frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Lelouch's eyes glowed crimson behind the mask. "You'll do everything in your power to let us go. Release the prisoner as well."
Jeremiah's pupils constricted. "Right… understood. You there, release the prisoner."
"Eh!?" Kallen gasped.
Villetta shouted, "My lord, what are you doing!?"
The soldiers hesitated, but Jeremiah ordered, "Do as he says!"
Suzaku was brought forward. Lelouch pressed the switch. The fake gas erupted, throwing everything into chaos. The Britannian soldiers gave chase, but Jeremiah blocked their path with his Knightmare, holding them off.
Lelouch and Suzaku leapt from the bridge, landing on a hidden transport below. Within moments, they were gone.
At the hideout, the two finally faced each other.
Suzaku's voice was quiet. "So it's true, you killed Prince Clovis?"
"This is war," Lelouch replied evenly. "Why wouldn't I kill an enemy commander?"
Suzaku's eyes narrowed. "And the gas? There were civilians out there."
"It was a bluff," Lelouch said. "In the end, no one died."
Suzaku shook his head. "So the result is all that matters to you, huh…"
"Join me," Lelouch offered. "The Britannia you serve is rotten to the core."
"Maybe," Suzaku said, "but it can be changed, from within."
"Changed?" Lelouch repeated, almost scoffing.
"Any victory gained through contemptible means isn't worth anything," Suzaku said quietly. "My trial starts in an hour."
"You'll die," Lelouch warned.
"I don't mind," Suzaku answered. "If I don't go, they'll punish the Elevens and the honorary Britannians even harder. Rules are rules."
"Don't be an idiot," Lelouch snapped.
Suzaku smiled faintly. "An old friend used to tell me that. He said I was a fool. Guess he was right. If I captured you, you'd probably kill me anyway. So if I'm going to die, it'll be for the people. Still… thanks, for saving me."
Lelouch's expression softened. "You fool."
Soon after, the broadcast resumed.
"Private Kururugi has made contact with the authorities," the announcer said. "Zero has released him. With new evidence overturning the murder charge, Kururugi may be found innocent."
As the credits rolled, Yuuya leaned back.
"I get it now. Suzaku definitely has a self-destructive side. He keeps doing things that could easily get him killed. No one's that naïve, there's something deeper pushing him. Maybe it's guilt, or something from his past. I just hope we learn what it is soon."
On Mizushiro's fend account, his follower count had nearly tripled. He now had over ten million followers, and his fanbase was spreading across the world. Even when new episodes were released in some parts of the world late at night or during work hours, that didn't stop the discussions from exploding as soon as the episode premiered.
"The Diethard character is so funny, man."
"I know, right? Aside from Lelouch, I think Kallen and Diethard might become the most interesting characters after episode 4."
"What's the problem with Suzaku? I don't like him. He's making me enjoy the show less. Can someone tell me what I'm missing?"
"No, he's just a bad character. There's nothing to explain."
"No, no, I think we'll get his background later. Maybe he'll be interesting then. For now, he's just… meh."
"Hey, why are there so few comments about Lelouch? The way he handled that situation and freed Suzaku without firing a single bullet, man—"
"People did talk about it! I was going to post about it too, but when that idiot Suzaku said, 'I'll go back and face trial,' I completely forgot about Lelouch. I was screaming at the screen!"
"Hey, you guys are going too hard on him. Give him time, we don't know his reasons yet. Mizushiro wouldn't write that kind of character without purpose."
"Whatever his reason turns out to be, right now I just hate him. I think he's a lock for my 'Most Hated Character of the Year.' Even my ten-year-old brother isn't that naïve."
"You guys need to look deeper. Suzaku clearly has layers. When Mizushiro reveals his past, you'll all look like idiots for judging too early."
[Note:- I experimented with a different reaction style in this chapter. Pacing will be faster again from here.]
(TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-a-t-r-e-o-n.com/Alioth23 for 60+ advanced chapters)