The news announced to the public that Princess Euphemia has found, but not to mention the Ronin Vindicator involvement at the top of viceroy palace which the media is under controlled by the viceroy government to censor and change the narrative version to cover-up and avoid the humiliated defeat of confrontation against a masked vigilante called Ronin Vindicator.

Cornelia and her subordinates return from the EU campaign and see her relief that Euphemia is safe, however no sign of Ronin Vindicator being captured or why she ended up back here in the Viceroy Palace, but nonetheless, all she matters is her sister safe and sound. Suzaku and the members of Glinda Knights remain hospitalized due to Ronin giving them major injuries. But with Britannia's advanced medical technology, they'll be able to get back up in no time. Suzaku, on other hand, needs to be fully recovered as he will be selected for the next mission that puts an end to major resistance in Area 11. Seeing this, Cornelia feels a bit frustrated and has no choice but to move up for just two days. At least she is able to make preparations well for strategic plan.

The news reached to the Black Knights that found surprising Princess Euphemia returned, but never heard of apprehended the Ronin Vindicator, leaving some others making speculation that either he changed his mind and brought her home or she managed to escape and reach back there by herself. Zero, aka Lelouch Lamperouge, while relieved to hear she is alright, finds it strange and feels suspicious that it has to do with Ronin Vindicator. He doesn't know what he is planning next, but he has to focus on a new plan for two days as he had heard where Cornelia is going to lead the campaign to snuff out the JLF where their headquarter is located in Narita Mountain and the Britannians are going to eliminate them. So, he needs to act precisely before they will succeed in wiping out the JLF, putting an end to the long resistance that succeeded when Area 11 was under the leadership of Prince Clovis before his death.

The Salvatians send spies to deep territory of the Euro-Britannia Empire to sabotage the war effort against the EU. But it is not about helping the EU, it's about weakening Euro-Britannia defenses by destroying military factories, swaying some Euro-Britannians to take their side, & cutting off supply lines from within Euro-Britannia and Holy Britannian Empire from overseas.

The Chinese Federation started having problems with the rebels who are secretly supported by Salvatian to provide aid to take on a corrupt government in different provinces. They focus on them so much that Eunuchs feel frightened of these rebels who are just stronger than they could ever imagine. They sent one of the best officers–Li Xingke–to lead the army against the insurrection. Although he is loyal to the empress, he is also concerned that his country that would embroil the entire China would fall into conflict. He blamed the Eunuchs for damage they caused without facing their consequences responsible for the insurrection uprising. Regardless, he had to take down the rebels first before it escalated further.

Back at Area 11, since the operation will start in two days until Suzaku is recovered, Euphemia has to make a first move. She maintains communication with Xavier Salvador for quite hours to proceed with the plan to follow his instructions. She secretly went to the military base within Tokyo where they have honorary Britannians, specifically Japanese, she uses her sweet voice of persuasion to have them to her side as she has plans that something they are unaware of, not even her own big sister knows about her intention. Since she is vice viceroy and an imperial princess of the Holy Britannian Empire, they followed her command absolutely without question. This makes Euphemia smile that it works. Now she starts gathering support of every honorary Britannian across Area 11 to increase her number. With Salvatian agents on her side, they are able to prevent Cornelia, or others from Euphemia's intention if they raise suspicions about her. Moreover, Xavier informed her that another member of the Imperial Family, Sherry me Britannia in Hokkaido, along with her husband, had pledged their support. Euphemia had already made contact with her stepsister, relieved to know she was not alone in part of the Xavier's plan. Whatever she made a choice to join Xavier Salvador to his plan, she is going to change for the better of this world, even though she will be working with Xavier to establish a new order through radical reformation, and to do that, the Holy Britannian Empire must be taken out first.

...

Nighttime

Ashford Academy, Swimming Pool

Lelouch is sitting on a chair doing some research on his laptop. C.C wearing a blue swimsuit jumped out from the towering diving board into the water. As she was swimming in the pool, Lelouch caught the attention of this Britannian reporter named Diethard on the application file.

"A Britannian," He looked so curious about this Britannian journalist for unknown reasons to join the Black Knights. "He looks too proud to be a spy. Is he a radical?"

"Wonderful, isn't it? How the number of people wanting to join up keeps growing." C.C. said near the pool to speak to him. She simply lay there, floating on water calmly.

"It was simpler than I thought it'd be," Lelouch replied to her. "While I hate the Britannians, I can't approve of terrorism. That's the prevailing view of most Elevens."

"In short, Elevens support Black Knights for the most part. But what about the Ronin Vindicator?"

That name mentioning him makes Lelouch feel so a bit annoyed after he encounters him a few times in different places. "Him? I don't know what kind of man he is, but he has something to do with his militaristic group back at Saitama Ghetto. They're so powerful with their arsenals, though I'm not sure how they get one in the first place. I've been checking online, searching for some kind of trace of their arsenal, but no luck." He takes a deep breath to relinquish his anger thinking about Ronin Vindicator always interfering with his plan. "As for recruitment, why does he need them when they have a powerful arsenal in his hands?"

"Maybe others will decide that the Ronin Vindicator actually shows something to fight back with results through efficiency and need more numbers? Many have flocked to his side, while others flock to the Black Knights." C.C. said.

"Everyone has their own decision. However, it concerns me that there are rumors that the Ronin Vindicator engaged in activities in different areas, either urban city or rural town, simply to show results and take care of problems successfully more than the Black Knights, but not as a heroic knight. Nevertheless, they are eager to join him to bring payback to Britannia."

"Then why did he bring Euphemia back to the viceroy palace? Did they learn he was involved in bringing a princess back safely?" She said curiously.

Lelouch paused. He remembered that day when news announced that Princess Euphemia returned safely, he felt disbelief of what just happened. He and the others of the Black Knights show shocked and disbelief of why he gave up Euphemia as his hostage to use her for leverage. But they do not have a clue of his intention and they speculate nothing to conclude that theory. While he is relieved to see her okay, he feels something wrong in his mind like he couldn't take it mind off of why he gave up just like that. What is the Ronin Vindicator doing in his mind? Is it one of his schemes? What's going on in there? Nonetheless, it seems likely he doesn't have the answers, and so, his plan must be continued regardless of Ronin's intention.

"I don't know," Lelouch said to her. Then, deciding to change the topic, he continued, "But anyway, we should prepare ourselves for the next mission. I heard Cornelia has shortened her preparation time to just two days, according to my spy who happens to work there as a simple janitor. Don't know why, but she must have her reasons."

"As for this new recruitment, the Black Knights have only a little outside support for the most part—which, in turn, makes it easier for us to operate as a unified group. While some have sided with the Ronin Vindicator, at least they aren't reporting our activities to the authorities; they dislike them too much for that. And there's this group called 'Kyoto' offering to send us Knightmares, too." He gave a confident, genuine smile. "It's strange they don't support him when he has shown some results in his demonstrations."

"Probably they're skeptical, maybe cautious about him wearing that mask," C.C. added.

"Hm, maybe. But Zero wears a mask too, and yet they still choose to support us." He let out a small chuckle. "I guess the Ronin Vindicator has no support from the Kyoto group. Also, the number of informants has been increasing quickly. The Japanese can't resist a good stampede—give them a chance to do something positive, unlike whatever Ronin has been doing, and off they go."

C.C. climb up from the pool. "Hence the big 'Knights for Justice' act?"

"Well, everyone likes heroic knights, don't they? As for Ronin—he's more of an anti-heroic lone wolf. Or maybe a secret leader of some unknown group I saw once... but no one knew who they were," Lelouch said.

C.C. chuckled. "That's not the expression a true Knight of Justice would have, is it?"

"You think not?" he replied.

...

JLF Jimachi Base (former Japan Army Military Camp)

Yamagata Province

When the Holy Britannian Empire capitulates Tokyo to claim over entire Japan to become Area colonial, the Jimachi military base has become fortified base houses of supplies they have to provide other allies throughout the provinces to strengthen the resistance against Britannian colonizers. It becomes a key structure that is important for JLF resistance strength. Luckily, the Britannia fails to go and take over that base so it is why they have much arsenals as well as manpower they recruited from locals in Yamagata towns and villages as well as other resistance cells in different places.

But after the Lake Kamaguchi incident, everything started to fall apart for the Japanese Liberation Front.

At night time, the large force of Black Death Legion was sent there to neutralize the JLF military base responsible for providing supply lines to other JLF bases, some of them were wiped out. First, the mecha frames were sent on the ground, then mecha fighters deployed to every area to take them out. They even sent ground forces to occupy Yamagata village, of course they face JLF infantry resistance, but they are no match for Black Death Legion's elite infantry units. For one occasion, a death trooper, a male cambion, went slicing a small number of JLF soldiers with his energy blade gauntlet in enhanced speed. The group of death troopers fired their chemrail and electron-phrased plasma firearms to take out most of the JLF soldiers on the street or inside one of the buildings. Yamagata village is becoming a battlefield. Thankfully, the Black Legion was instructed to get villagers out of the battlefield to prevent civilian casualties.

The Black Legion's mecha fighters—Blackguards, Blackguard Heavy Types, Todesritters, and Dymbals—tore through every structure the JLF possessed. Supply depots, barracks, training camps, warehouses, and even the military command center collapsed under their onslaught.

A Dymbal raised its dark beam gun and fired a dark beam, erasing the last units of JLF ground forces. Its sensors then locked onto two nearby warehouses where a pair of JLF Knightmare Frames units called Burai, remained docked inside. With two Todesritters flanking it, the trio opened fire, combining dark beam volleys with concentrated glyph-powered blasts that ripped through the buildings and annihilated the Knightmares inside.

All across the area, the Legion's mecha fighters and mecha frames advanced relentlessly, their arcane bolters and mana beam weapons flooding the JLF base with destructive fire, leaving nothing but ruins in their wake.

Once the base lay in ruins, the death troopers rounded up the last remaining JLF soldiers who had been forced to surrender. They drove them to their knees, and without hesitation, executed them with precise shots to the head.

A Commissary-Commander wearing a dark, authoritarian officer's uniform and he is a Wraith surveyed the devastated remains of what had once been the JLF's base. After a moment of silent observation, he tapped his earpiece and opened a channel.

"JLF Yamagata Base is destroyed. Mission success. Requesting GAS deployment to establish a base in this sector."

"Acknowledged, Commissary-Commander," a Salvatian operator replied over the comms.

Afterwards, the GAS forces arrived in Yamagata once Black Death Legion left, establishing a small military base to occupy the province. The townspeople emerged to see new unknown forces just take out JLF base, and now, they are under their rule. They feel scared as they are going to treat them just like the Holy Britannian Empire. But instead, Salvatians show them unexpectedly generously and earn them trust. Once trust is established, they provide security of their town from Britannians and any hostile groups as well as provide supplies they need to have a better life. The Salvatian will begin an operation to spread influence throughout Japan, even when it eventually breaks free from Britannia to become a free independent nation the Japanese really desire.

...

Holy Britannian Empire

Throne room, Capital City of Pendragon

In a very dim room a light shines only over the throne chair where Charles zi Britannia sat upon it. He is alone in this dark room and no aristocratic nobles and imperial family members are in need of an audience as he is waiting for someone to come in here for a private meeting. Charles waited on his throne chair for 2-3 hours until the door opened to see someone have made it to this chamber.

A figure shown to be a man wearing a prominent white military-style tunic with gold accents. He has long blonde hair. What's more is that he wore a black mask covering his upper face which has golden accents, and white eyes. That figure is a Knight of Five, one who is entrusted solely only to Charles zi Britannia, named himself Norland von Lunebelg.

Charles gazed at him, his own enhanced genetic clone, made to serve as his next vessel, standing before him. Norland bowed respectfully in greeting. Charles spoke in a calm tone, though a sternness lingered beneath his words. "Norland, I see you've taken quite a long time to arrive. That's unlike you. You could have contacted me immediately, especially after traveling all the way to my homeland."

"My apologies, your majesty. But you must understand why I've contacted you so urgently at this point."

"Tell me..."

Norland takes a deep breath and says to him straightforwardly. "Hokkaido... it was being invaded by an unknown military force. Their mass number of firepower and manpower is capable of claiming part of Area 11's island. Me, Christoph, and my last members managed to escape before they could capture me."

"Who would dare to take over Hokkaido with no purpose of military strategic goal. What is the fate of my daughter?" Charles said, referring to Sherry me Britannia.

"Either she is killed or be cooperative with an unknown enemy. Nevertheless, what I witness is something that may pose a great threat to your Ragnarok Connection plan, your Majesty." Norland said.

"Was it the EU?" Charles raises his eyebrow for a question.

"The EU won't be able to spread their forces to simply invade one island. Even if it is them, I doubt they know about the Geass existence. They too focus on fighting Euro-Britannia for freedom while living a luxurious life to fatten themselves, drowning in squabble with petty rivals in a political popularity game. The Chinese Federation is not one of them too." Norland explained.

"If it's not them, and I know it's not my son since he recently established himself a squabble rebel group of Black Knights to fight back in Area 11, then who is?" Charles questioned.

"Unknown. I had no time to identify an unknown group when they suddenly came. They act fast, coordinated, and capable of erasing their existences from everyone knowing their presence. What shall we do?"

Charles leaned back his throne, replied to his clone with stern tone. "Until we know who they are, we must increase the manpower of the military. If they decide to reveal themselves, I want every man and woman who proudly serves my empire to be fully ready to destroy them. They may have weapons to claim their battle to victory, but they made a very mistake to challenge the Holy Britannian Empire as it has conquered these lesser nations to be under colonial rule and our technology and weapons are advanced and won battles through strength and power. Nobody can topple the empire since our ancestors fled humiliated from our former ancestral home by French empire under Napoleon Bonaparte, and yet, we remain stand tall and proud in our hearts."

"Shall we inform Knights of the Rounds and your imperial family members about this?" Norland said.

"No." Charles shook his head firmly. "But they will follow my command to increase the number of men needed to squash them in our boots. You are right to come here in person, perhaps I am underestimating your instinct to flee from an unknown enemy just to tell me the news for my backup vessel. Thank you."

"Anything to succeed in your plan, Your Majesty." Norland replied, bowing to him respectfully.

"Also, there is one more thing for you." Charles said as Norland raised his head at him. "If my life or VV or both died in any unexpected circumstance, should Ragnarok plan have been destroyed, in accordance of contingency plan should I failed to transfer my consciousness to you, I want you to lead whatever Britannia have left to reclaim the empire to continue world conquest, or if failed, have every human except true worthy Britannians to be eradicated out of the world. Is that understood, my vessel?"

Norland bowed his head without any sign of hesitation. "Understood, your liege. I'll be off now." He turns around and leaves the throne room. Charles' ambitious goal remains to take over other nations to claim Thought Elevators to power up the Sword of Akasha to kill a god and make every human consciousness to be collective tobe united as one mind unable to show deceit and mankind will finally be equal and truthful. That's what he and his brother promised when they were kids. No one, not even an unknown group claiming over Hokkaido Island, will ever stop his plan, and they will face the same fate as those who are being conquered with might and power.

 Nobody can defeat the invincible Holy Britannian Empire, and no one will destroy Ragnarok Connection to fulfill their dream.