The contracts were not made lightly.
C.C. insisted on that.
They stood in the old, unused storeroom beneath the academy—quiet, isolated, forgotten by everyone but those who knew where to look. The air smelled faintly of dust and metal, the kind of place where secrets could be buried without effort.
Nina stood stiffly in the center of the room, hands clenched at her sides. Kallen leaned against a pillar nearby, arms crossed, posture relaxed but eyes sharp. Both trusted Lelouch implicitly now.
That made what followed easier.
And more dangerous.
C.C. stepped forward first, her golden eyes settling on Nina.
"You understand what this is?" she asked calmly.
Nina swallowed, then nodded. "Yes. It's… power. A contract."
"A burden," C.C. corrected. "And a tool."
Lelouch watched closely as C.C. placed two fingers against Nina's forehead. The familiar pressure filled the room, thick and intangible.
The sigil ignited.
Nina gasped—not in pain, but in shock. Her pupils dilated, breath hitching as the world seemed to slow around her.
"What—what is this?" she whispered.
Her thoughts were racing.
No—accelerating.
Connections formed instantly. Equations aligned themselves. Problems unraveled before she could consciously finish asking them.
C.C. stepped back.
"Your Geass enhances cognitive velocity," she explained. "Your mind now operates far beyond human norms. You will think faster. See further. Solve problems before others finish stating them."
Nina's hands trembled.
"I can—" she whispered, eyes unfocused. "I can see it. All of it. The flaws. The possibilities."
Lelouch smiled faintly.
Perfect.
Then C.C. turned to Kallen.
Kallen met her gaze without flinching.
C.C.'s smile sharpened. "Yours is different."
The sigil burned again.
Kallen sucked in a sharp breath, muscles tensing violently. Her heartbeat spiked, then steadied—stronger, heavier, controlled.
She staggered, then caught herself.
"…Whoa," she muttered.
Lelouch could feel it even without touching her.
Presence.
"Your Geass enhances adaptive combat response," C.C. said. "Your body now learns in real time. The longer you fight, the better you become. Enemy patterns, weapon trajectories, terrain—your instincts will rewrite themselves mid-battle."
Kallen clenched her fist.
The air cracked.
"…I feel incredible," she said quietly.
"Good," Lelouch replied. "You'll need it."
---------------------------------------------------------
The news broke that evening.
The three of them sat in Lelouch's dorm room, the television casting pale blue light across the walls.
BREAKING NEWS—SHINJUKU TERRORIST CELL CAPTURED
Faces appeared on-screen.
Ohgi.
Tamaki.
The others.
Charged. Convicted. Sentenced to life of forced labor.
The broadcast cut to footage from Shinjuku.
Elevens stood before the cameras—civilians, shopkeepers, survivors. Some spoke through tears, others through clenched jaws. They described the chaos, the explosions, the bodies left behind.
Mothers cried for children who never came home. Old men cursed the terrorists openly, calling them murderers who had turned their own people into collateral damage.
The word resistance was never used.
Only killers.
Kallen watched without blinking.
Lelouch glanced at her. "Do you regret it?"
She shook her head immediately. "No."
No hesitation. No doubt.
"I'm glad," she continued. "They would've died pointlessly. This way… it's what you wanted."
Her voice softened when she looked at him. "And that's enough for me."
"Good girl."
Under Nina' watchful eyes, Lelouch leaned in and kissed her.
This one was not gentle.
It was possessive. Certain.
When he pulled back, Kallen was flushed—but smiling.
---------------------------------------------------------
Later, the room was quieter.
Kallen sat on the bed. Nina stood near the desk, hands folded, unusually subdued.
Lelouch spoke first.
"Kallen, you'll be joining the military."
She stiffened—then relaxed.
"At first, part-time," he added. "Count Asplund has developed a new seventh-generation Knightmare Frame known as the Lancelot. I have asked him to develop a second one. It will be tailored specifically for you."
Her eyes widened.
"For… me?"
"You'll be its pilot," Lelouch said. "No one else could use it properly."
Kallen nodded without question. "I won't disappoint you."
He turned to Nina.
"I've secured investors for your research," he said. "Military, industrial, and private. Full funding."
Her breath caught.
"I'll pull you from the academy labs," he continued. "You'll work on it full-time. No restrictions."
Nina's hands trembled.
"I—thank you," she whispered. "I won't waste this."
Lelouch turned away, satisfied.
That should have been the end of it.
"Lelouch, could you…?"
Her voice was barely audible.
He paused. "What was that?"
Nina's face turned bright red.
"I—I said—could you—"
She swallowed hard.
"Could you… kiss me too?"
Lelouch smirked. "Sure."
He stepped forward and did exactly that.
When he finally pulled away, Nina looked unsteady, her thoughts clearly overwhelmed.
Lelouch observed her calmly.
Yes, he thought.
Everything is progressing perfectly.