Eudisseus sat stiffly in the private chambers of Pendragon Palace, his posture rigid, eyes flicking constantly toward the windows. The grandeur of the throne room, once a source of comfort and authority, now seemed suffocating. His mother, the Dowager Empress, paced slowly behind him, her expression unreadable but her voice calm.
"Clovis has something you do not," she said finally, her words deliberate. "A technology capable of neutralizing enemy Knightmares. It is dangerous, Eudisseus. Do not leave this palace. Here, we are protected by our ally the knight of two. It is the only place where you are truly safe."
He frowned, tension creasing his brow. "But… if he controls that power, what can we do?"
"Patience," she replied, almost icily. "Schneizel is the only real threat. Once he arrives, I will inform him of the situation. He will move against Clovis. And when both factions weaken themselves fighting for influence, we will act. You will not have to face them alone. Do not leave this room. Do not test your luck."
Eudisseus nodded reluctantly, though unease gnawed at him. He had learned long ago that the Emperor's wisdom often came too late for those who underestimated events.
A sudden, violent explosion shook the palace, rattling the windows and sending a cascade of fine glass across the marble floor. The Dowager Empress' eyes narrowed. Guards and servants rushed to the doors as alarms sounded.
"They're attacking," an aide shouted. "Multiple factions—Clovis, Guinevere, and Carine—are converging on the palace simultaneously."
Eudisseus swallowed hard. His fingers clenched the arms of his chair. "Impossible," he muttered. "Even together…"
The Knight of Two, stationed atop the palace terrace, spoke through comms. "Do not worry. This is exactly why I am here. Out there, a Knight of Eleven and a Knight of Eight could challenge me together. Here, within the palace walls, the advantage is mine. I can defeat two opponents alone."
The Dowager Empress crossed her arms, lips curling into a faint, scornful smile. "This is even better. Once this three are delt with, we can size full control of the capital and proclaim Eudisseus as emperor. Schneizel won't even have the opportunity to compete." She thought.
They are truly foolish," she murmured. "Both girls have wasted the advantage of having a Knight of Round at their service. And Clovis… more foolish still to believe he could seize the throne without one."
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Outside, chaos erupted. The first salvo of Knightmares crashed through the palace gardens, their massive frames striking the defensive perimeters with terrifying force. But then the Knight of Two flew outside their heads and started shooting. Every shot slayed an enemy. It was a massacre.
The knight suddenly threw his rifle to take a spear. He turned toward the two others flying Knighmare that were coming his way. Sparks flew as he engaged the Knight of Eleven and the Knight of Eight, moving with unerring precision.
For a time, it seemed the Dowager Empress' confidence was justified. The Knight of Two forced both attackers into a retreating formation, his superiority undeniable. But then two new figures appeared: Kallen, piloting the Guren with lethal accuracy, and Suzaku in the Lancelot, moving like a white blur across the palace grounds.
Now outnumbered four to one, the Knight of Two's advantage evaporated. Blades clashed, rifles fired, and mechanical limbs tore through armor. Within minutes, he was overwhelmed, his systems failing under the relentless assault.
With a precise maneuver, the Guren's right arm grabbed the enemy Knightmare, holding it fast. A concentrated surge of energy coursed through the Guren's arm and into the Knightmare's systems. Sparks erupted, panels burst, and the massive frame convulsed violently. In a sudden, violent explosion, the Knightmare detonated, obliterating itself along with its pilot. Flames and shrapnel rained across the battlefield.
The Dowager Empress and Eudisseus watched in stunned silence as the once-mighty Knight of Round had been completely annihilated. The balance of power had shifted in an instant.
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The palace defenses, designed to withstand coordinated assaults, could not compensate for the loss of the Knight of Round. Intruders poured in, and the corridors quickly became a battlefield. Within the inner sanctum, Eudisseus and the Dowager Empress were captured, their guards neutralized or turned aside.
The Dowager Empress studied the intruders with measured eyes. She could not fathom that their opponents had concealed two additional Knightmares with strength rivaling her own Knight of Round. That Clovis, Guinevere, and Carine dared to unite against her son was almost unthinkable. Did they truly believe they could overcome Schneizel?
As resistance collapsed, the trio consolidated control. Strategic points, communication nodes, and supply corridors fell into their hands. The palace was theirs. Eudisseus and his mother were prisoners. The balance of power within Pendragon had irrevocably shifted.
Shortly after, Eudisseus was compelled to announce his renunciation of the throne. His remaining supporters, realizing their fate without a new patron, quickly pledged loyalty to one of the triumphant factions. Yet the division of spoils soon revealed cracks in the victors' alliance; their unity dissolved as internal rivalries ignited battles across the capital. It was clear: while they had won the palace, their fragile coalition would not endure.
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Schneizel leaned back in his command chair aboard the flagship, the capital sprawling beneath the clouds far in the distance. The latest communications had confirmed what he had suspected but had not dared fully predict: Eudisseus had abdicated, his supporters scattering to align themselves with Clovis, Guinevere, and Carine.
A faint smile touched Schneizel's lips. He had anticipated turbulence in the capital, but not such a rapid collapse. That Eudisseus could be neutralized so quickly was… impressive, in its own way. The first prince had one of the strongest faction, and many powerful pilots.
Schneizel allowed himself a measured pause, studying the reports. While the palace fell, he had taken his time to secure the support of the troops designated for the Euro Universe campaign. Logistics were aligned, fleets provisioned, and morale stabilized. He had traveled with three Knights of Round—Bradley, Bismarck, and Gino—each a calculated choice, each a guarantee of overwhelming force if it came to confrontation.
The thought amused him. The other three—Clovis, Guinevere, and Carine—had been foolish. They had united only briefly, and yet their temporary coalition had been enough to topple Eudisseus. Alone, each of them was trivial, incapable of mounting a true challenge. Schneizel shook his head lightly. Together, he would not have dared face them. But separately… they were nothing.
He allowed himself a cold, deliberate calculation. They had wasted their advantage, betraying their own potential through impatience and ambition. Each faction now held its gains tenuously, suspicious and isolated. Schneizel did not need to act directly. A few subtle manipulations, carefully placed information, a hint here, a threat there… and they would turn on each other. Their battles would weaken them further, their resources squandered on internecine strife.
And then, when they were sufficiently drained, Schneizel would intervene. His forces would sweep in with precision. No hesitation. No wasted effort. By the time the last Knightmare fell and the last faction crumbled, he would have finished what had begun in the shadows, claiming the capital—and the throne—with absolute certainty.
A slow, self-assured smile spread across his face. He did not need to fight, not yet. The pieces had already fallen into place. All that remained was to wait, to let their ambition destroy them from within. Then, Schneizel thought quietly, leaning back further into his chair, surveying the distant city, "I have already won."