Chapter 276: Stupid Woman, Who Do You Think You're Looking Down On?
"Stop!"
Just as both sides were about to clash, a calm female voice suddenly rang out.
The Witch in her straitjacket had, at some point, left the cockpit of the Guardian Deity Machine and was now walking openly across the battlefield.
"That... what is that?"
Suzaku Kururugi's pupils contracted as he stared at the girl displayed on Lancelot's screen, exclaiming in shock: "...That's from the sealed capsule in Shinjuku..."
"I won't permit you to shoot this man."
Like a proud queen, the Witch issued her command.
Her steps were slow, light as a dance.
In this moment, it seemed as if she had become the center of the world, with both Cornelia and Suzaku Kururugi staring at her in stunned silence.
"Hey, don't interfere."
"This isn't interference. I'd be troubled if you died."
C.C. said this to Mahiro without turning her head, then approached the Lancelot and gently pressed her hand against it.
The CODE mark on her forehead flashed with an eerie red light.
Instantly, Suzaku in the cockpit was engulfed by a strange light!
The sensation came so suddenly—in that instant, Suzaku Kururugi in the Knightmare cockpit felt his consciousness being stretched infinitely.
This weightless feeling was like being thrown into a pitch-black universe with no foothold, where twinkling stars transformed into streaming lines fading into the distance. Through the haze, he vaguely saw a light approaching.
"What—"
Suzaku Kururugi was swept into this light, his vision beginning to tumble uncontrollably like a kaleidoscope.
And in his field of vision, a figure abruptly appeared.
A man dressed in light green clothing—yes, it was the military uniform formerly used by Japan.
He was slightly overweight with a receding hairline.
And those gloomy eyes were deeply sunken into their sockets.
The man turned in this direction, slowly walking toward Suzaku as if to criticize something? As if to blame something? Or perhaps to mock something?
Suzaku's eyes widened, his pupils losing focus.
The man's footsteps didn't stop.
In that instant, the boy's consciousness rapidly flipped, his sealed past transforming into a raging torrent that washed away his personality.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH——————!"
Suzaku Kururugi suddenly screamed.
"Suzaku-kun!? What's wrong, Suzaku-kun!?"
Cécile, the operator, desperately called out to the control monitor connected directly to the cockpit, while Lloyd beside her couldn't help but widen his eyes hidden behind his glasses.
But there was no response.
No, only one sound could be heard—the boy's scream as if his heart were being crushed by an invisible hand.
The wildly firing VARIS rounds pierced through surrounding trees, rocks, and clouds in the sky—the word "wild firing" was insufficient to describe the scene.
Every bullet that hit the ground exploded like a bomb.
The Lancelot was rampaging with the momentum to destroy everything in its path.
The load on its joints had reached critical levels.
Gears screamed in protest, the main engine seeming ready to explode at any moment.
"What happened? What did that woman do?"
Cornelia, who had been hanging from the Lancelot, was thrown off but landed on soft muddy ground. As she climbed to her feet and saw the raging white Knightmare, Cornelia felt completely bewildered.
"C.C., you really do love meddling in others' affairs."
"I told you, it would be very troublesome for me if you died here."
The two stared at each other across the distance when an energy round grazed past Mahiro's head, creating a scorching blast wave not far behind him that sent both their hair fluttering.
This woman, was she looking down on him too much?
Would he be killed by such a weapon here?
If it were really possible, he'd actually like to try it.
"Leave this place. Leave the rest to me."
C.C. seemed to have failed to read any message from his eyes. After confirming that Suzaku's mind had been tempered through C's World, she released her hold on Lancelot.
Spreading her arms and blocking the Guardian Deity Knightmare with her body, she stood like a saint ready for martyrdom, supporting her slender frame as if trying to shield him from the storm.
"Fa...father... No, no, no! You should be dead! You should be dead! I killed you with my own hands! Yes, I killed you with my own hands!"
Lost in the corridor of memories where he saw remnants of his late father, Suzaku Kururugi had already begun to lose his sanity.
The raging artillery fire shook the earth, shattering mountain rocks.
Thanks to Cornelia taking timely shelter behind Lancelot, she escaped completely unscathed.
But C.C., who stood blocking the Guardian Deity Knightmare, wasn't so fortunate.
Flying rock fragments struck the Knightmare's outer shell like shotgun pellets. While this didn't even qualify as scratching an itch for the Guardian Deity Knightmare—not leaving even a trace—
C.C. was covered in wounds from them, crimson blood flowing uncontrollably. Yet her face showed no trace of pain as she stood there resolutely.
"You really are a fool."
Mahiro's figure instantly vanished from the Knightmare's arm and reappeared before C.C., one arm wrapping around her nearly boneless delicate form.
With the thick scent of blood assaulting his nostrils and sticky, slippery blood coating his palm, he stopped overthinking and directly scooped her up in a princess carry.
"You're the fool here, brat..."
As Mahiro lifted her, C.C.'s expression remained calm. Her amber eyes slowly shifted to meet his gaze, her blood-drained pale face revealing a weak smile.
"Even for someone like you, if you carelessly get caught in that kind of attack, it probably won't feel too good."
"Do you really think so?"
Mahiro's voice was terrifyingly calm, as if he had discarded all emotion, leaving only tranquility and deathly stillness.
He had always considered himself no good person—calling himself scum or villain wouldn't be excessive at all.
But he still had his own bottom line and principles.
If he could remain unmoved while letting a woman take a hail of bullets for him, that would make him worse than scum!
And just at that moment.
A VARIS energy round flew straight toward his back.
——"Mist Dispersion"——
Without even turning his head, a flash of red light in his pupils instantly decomposed and dissipated the energy projectile into nothingness, leaving only a gust of hot wind blowing past.
The scattered debris flying toward them was completely intercepted by the antimatter barrier, striking the transparent shield with a series of crackling sounds.
The "Antimatter Barrier" was the magic the Yotsuba family's "Sakura" series excelled at.
In terms of defensive capability alone, it was no weaker than the Juumonji family's "Linked Barrier Array," and could even be said to be slightly superior. It was a specialized defense, capable of withstanding even the explosion of a missile.
However, what it lacked was the regeneration speed of the "Linked Barrier Array," and using this magic required consuming and overdrawing a massive amount of life force.
Yet, for Mahiro, this was not a problem at all.
After all, the life force brought by the Tyrant genes was no trivial matter—it could even perfectly repair genetic defects.
"I never expected you to have something like this, and to hide it so deeply."
Her tone was as mocking as ever, but there was an indescribable nuance to it.
A hint of relief, and a touch of ease.
"Shut up, you foolish woman!"
Mahiro directly picked her up, retracted the Guardian Deity Mech with a backhand motion, and left the battlefield, swiftly leaping and darting through the mountain forests.
While keeping his eyes on the path ahead, he said calmly, "I've never hidden anything. It's just what you assumed. But you—do you really treat your own life so carelessly?"
"Heh, you're right. What can't a freak like you do..."
C.C. smiled weakly, closed her eyes, and leaned into Mahiro's embrace.
"But what does it matter? After all, I cannot die... little..."
The Witch murmured softly.
For some reason, a smile appeared on her face.
Left behind like trash, Cornelia felt somewhat bewildered.
The situation had changed so quickly that she still couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
The only thing she knew was that the guide weapon piloted by that Honorary Britannian, Suzaku Kururugi, had suddenly gone berserk.
To avoid being caught in the crossfire, Cornelia had desperately taken cover behind a rocky cliff, leaning against it as she gasped for breath.
Why Suzaku Kururugi had gone mad, she still couldn't figure out. And then there was her teacher...
Cornelia had thought she had changed from before—having been tempered on the European battlefield and dominating the Middle Eastern front without a single defeat. Even when facing stubborn resistance, she could effortlessly slaughter her enemies, toying with nations in the palm of her hand like a War Goddess.
But in the end, when facing the teacher who had once instructed her, she still felt a profound sense of powerlessness.
She was like a child, easily manipulated by her teacher.
"Mahiro... sensei."
Clenching her fists tightly, Cornelia murmured with surging fighting spirit. She could not simply accept defeat. For Mahiro, for the teacher who had once taught her, she had already marked him as an opponent she must personally defeat.
In comparison, the nearly destroyed Japan Liberation Front no longer seemed so important.
Everyone in the Black Knights except ZERO would have to take a backseat for now.
Mahiro naturally had no idea what Cornelia was currently thinking, or rather, he didn't care at all. What concerned him now was finding a quiet place for this injured foolish woman.
However, upon reaching the foot of the mountain, he realized just how absurd the disaster they had triggered was—the towns surrounding Narita Mountain Range were almost entirely buried under mud and rubble.
It was only thanks to Cornelia having evacuated all the residents earlier that countless lives were spared.
Not that it was his concern anyway. Although he provided the bomb, the one who carried out the act was that guy Lelouch.
"Lord Mahiro!"
Just as he was searching for a secluded spot, Beta and Epsilon arrived in their Knightmares to rendezvous with him.
"How did it go?"
"Lord Mahiro, as you requested, we have intercepted the two Knights of Rounds."
"Intercepted" was an understatement—it was more like grinding them into the dirt.
Tristan's arms and weapons were completely dismantled by Epsilon, while Mordred fared even worse, subjected to Beta's relentless bombardment. The girl who had always galloped across battlefields providing fire support was experiencing such treatment for the first time.
Had Cornelia not issued the retreat order in time, both Gino and Anya would likely have been dragged out of their cockpits.
Though Mahiro remained unaware of these details, he simply replied, "Well done," before shifting his gaze to what their Knightmares were holding.
"What is that?"
They appeared to be dragging something limp in their hands.
"It's Orange, Lord Mahiro."
"Orange?"
Mahiro's expression turned peculiar, but Beta confirmed it and explained, "Yes, Orange. Epsilon and I encountered him on the way and thought you might be interested, so we brought him along."
Alright, with that explanation, Mahiro recognized this was indeed Orange Jeremiah—barely alive, bleeding from all seven orifices.
He looked like he was on his last breath.
"Tsk tsk tsk, Mr. Orange, you're in quite a miserable state."
"O...Orange...Z-Zero..."
Even now, at death's doorstep, Jeremiah still insisted on this point.
For him, the word "Orange" was like an indelible stain on his life!
But soon, Jeremiah's perception of the word "Orange" would shift—all because of a single sentence from Mahiro.
"Do you really hate that word that much?"
Mahiro shook his head helplessly and said softly, "What if I told you this name was bestowed upon you by the child of the late Empress Marianne?"
"...What...did you say?!"
Jeremiah lifted his head to look at him, his nearly blind pupils trembling.
However, Mahiro offered no further explanation, merely waving his hand dismissively. "Send him where he needs to go—like that Geass research institute."
"Yes, Lord Mahiro!"
"Wait! You...explain yourself clearly...!"
However, Epsilon, who was in charge of the transport, completely ignored Jeremiah's wails and directly took him away from the place.
As for Beta, she led Mahiro to the temporary secret base located in the Narita mountain range.
Situated beside a river that cut through the mountains, the base was reinforced beneath a mountain slope.
The space was quite spacious, with sunlight filtering down from above. Aside from the murmuring flow of the river, it could be described as an absolutely secluded spot.
Moreover, this secret base was equipped with all the daily necessities.
Mahiro, carrying the still-unconscious C.C., randomly opened a room and walked in, placing her on the bed.
Then, he slowly tore open the blood-soaked straitjacket she was wearing.
"Even though she's immortal, her bodily functions are the same as an ordinary human's. Losing too much blood can still cause her to faint, huh?"
Looking at C.C., who remained unconscious and pale, he muttered with a hint of curiosity.
Yet, despite being covered in blood, her serene expression didn't seem like someone who had been struck by debris at all. Instead, she resembled the Sleeping Beauty from a fairy tale, quietly waiting for a prince's kiss to awaken her.
"It's a pity I'm no prince, dear Witch."
As if telling some kind of dark-humored joke, he gradually tore the straitjacket completely off her.
He clearly remembered that C.C. was very fond of this garment, claiming that this straitjacket was her life.
It bore many traces of careful repairs.
Given that, it was all the more reason not to let it remain!
However, once the straitjacket was removed, a perfect, delicate body was unveiled before his eyes.
Bathed in the soft light from the dome above, the girl's form seemed enveloped in a hazy glow, so beautiful it appeared otherworldly—like an angel about to ascend to heaven.
If this were a church, the girl would likely be worshipped by countless people.
But Mahiro knew well that C.C. was not revered as a saint or an angel in the past; instead, she was branded a heretical Witch and had undergone burning at the stake.
C.C. possessed a typical European physique—beneath her seemingly slender frame lay graceful curves and undulating contours, an elegant form as if carved by nature.
European women have a peculiar trait: when they are young, they are as adorable and fragile as dolls.
But as they age, these women naturally develop broader, heavier builds. Unless they deliberately maintain their figures, most European women over thirty tend to look quite stout.
C.C., however, was different. Her age was eternally fixed at sixteen, forever preserving her most beautiful, blooming state. Her skin wasn't coarse-pored like that of typical European women; instead, it was flawless and pure, like that of an Eastern woman—a pristine body akin to glistening snow.
That fairness was something Eastern women could hardly possess. Her entire delicate form seemed entirely devoid of body hair, as if sculpted from a single piece of flawless Hetian jade by the world's finest artisan, stroke by stroke.
Mahiro let his hand glide gently over it, feeling the smooth, warm texture beneath his fingertips, much like caressing a piece of exquisite jade.
But soon, his fingers paused abruptly.
It wasn't that he had touched something strange, but rather that it was crushed stone fragments embedded in C.C.'s body, forcibly lodged in her flesh like bullets.
"I hope you won't wake up from the pain... probably not."
C.C., who had lived for over a thousand years, had endured far more suffering in the past than he could imagine.
Therefore, without any hesitation or disinfection procedures, he immediately inserted his fingers into the wound, digging around inside until he extracted a stone fragment.
Throughout this process, C.C. merely furrowed her brows slightly, showing no other reaction.
If it were anyone else, Mahiro would naturally be concerned about infection, but for an immortal Witch, simply removing the foreign objects from the wound was sufficient.
After he extracted each piece of crushed stone from C.C.'s body, the mangled wound began healing at a visible rate, and even the surrounding bloodstains mysteriously disappeared.
With the wound healed and bloodstains gone, C.C.'s pale, naked form was completely exposed to Mahiro's gaze. Yet this exquisite body wasn't flawless—there was a scar on her chest that looked like it had been clawed by a beast.
That was the only ferocious scar on C.C.'s entire body that couldn't be healed.
While wiping the blood from his hands, Mahiro carefully examined C.C.'s body to check for any missed areas.
Well, it seemed there were none.
Even the most private areas had been thoroughly inspected.
That place remained a plain, without even a patch of lush grass—only smooth, flat terrain all the way, like a shy, budding flower trembling delicately with each breath.
"They say the White Tiger belongs to Metal in the Five Elements, governing slaughter in astrology—an ominous sign indeed... but it suits you, a Witch."
Gazing at the sight he had admired countless times, Mahiro offered his serious evaluation with an air of solemnity.