Code Geass: Oz the Reflection - Photo Story Translation

Chapter 4: "A Town Not On The Map"

(Live.)

Euria had said that.

That day, Orpheus Zevon was in a small desolated and ruined town. A frontier village that was far away from any urban areas and that you could only arrive at by going down a rugged and weaving mountain path. It was surrounded on all sides by a thick forest, and there were almost no cases of outsiders visiting this place.

“I’ve returned, Euria.”

Orpheus offered a small bouquet of flowers at the cornerstone of a burnt house dirtied with soot. Everything was covered with weeds, but looking closely all the surrounding buildings were also burnt down. In the not so far past, this village had been wrapped in flames. It was then that the happiest time of Orpheus’ life were taken away.

Several days earlier—

“Hungary?”

“That’s right. I’m meeting with Wizard there.”

Orpheus said that and pointed at a map. Southern Hungary, a mountainous region near the border. The meeting place was a location that wasn’t recorded on the map at all. The fact that the conditions for meeting with someone were being suggested by Orpheus was unusual.

“There’s nothing at that place, isn’t there?”

“There used to be a village there in the past.”

“Certainly, I’m grateful to him for lending us a replacement Knightmare until the repairs to the Byakuen are complete, but…” 

That had been the proposal of Peace Mark’s big sponsor, Wizard. He said that he would lend them a high-spec custom Glasgow for Orpheus to pilot until the Byakuen, which received great damage in the battle against the Guren Mk-I at Hong Kong, was repaired.

“Leaving aside the Glasgow itself, why do you have to go to Hungary to receive it?”

“It’s a personal matter. I have no intention of explaining.”

Ze frowned.

“Really? We’re also going have to do various things, like transporting the frame and performing countermeasures against Britannian inspection, you know.”

“Leave it at that, Ze. If Oz says he won’t explain, that’s the end of the matter.”

So said Ganabati.

In Orpheus’ mind, there was always the smiling face of one girl. Euria—the only other person that Orpheus had ever trusted. Because her existence was the only thing that had made it possible for him to endure those days of hell spent showing results in his power at the Geass Order. In this Order led by the mysterious boy called V.V., Orpheus had developed and trained his Geass power of taking the appearance of other people. However, refusing to be used by the Order as a Geass-user, he had plotted to escape along with Euria. Running from the pursuit of the Order, the place the two of them stayed at was a small village in southern Hungary. How did the forms of these two young people look in the eyes of the villagers—the two of them didn’t tell them everything, but the villagers had said nothing and accepted both of them. Orpheus mixed with the village men and helped with all the work, from farming to cattle-breeding. Euria, who learned how to cook and sew from the women, also helped with making traditionally-crafted embroidery, and brought a modest income to the village through it. They were poor, but to the two of them, it was without a doubt a happy time. Until that night—when his uncle Oiaguro Zevon and his four subordinates came.

It was something he only learned later after he become a member of Peace Mark, but Oiaguro and the subordinates he commanded were part of a dark group with a long history called “Pluton”. That group’s objective was to single-handedly undertake every single dirty job for the Britannian royal family. And the clan that led Pluton was the very Zevon family that Orpheus was born into. Following the custom of the Zevon family, when twins are born, the male twin is sent out to be adopted elsewhere. Orpheus, who didn’t know a thing about his birth as a result of that, had no choice but to call it ironic that he met his uncle Oiaguro. Because Oiaguro came to this village in order to erase Orpheus and Euria who had fled from the Order. Through Emperor Charles, V.V. had handed down search-and-kill orders regarding Orpheus and Euria to Pluton. Oiaguro and his four subordinates attacked the village with Knightmares, killed all the villagers and set everything on fire. Also ironically, the only one that managed to survive was Orpheus. Euria had protected Orpheus and breathed her last breath in his arms.

Learning of the origins of his birth and his blood connection to Oiaguro who attacked the village, Orpheus swore revenge against all those who had to do with Euria’s death. And in order to engrave that decision in his heart, he went as far as to take upon himself the surname of Zevon, which he should have hated. If he rebelled against Britannia and flung himself to the frontlines of battle as a mercenary hired for money, it would definitely be possible to come across Oiaguro and his four subordinates—believing that, Orpheus remained in Peace Mark. It was only for the sake of revenge against Pluton that Orpheus continued living.

A faint mechanical sound drifted through. Orpheus stood up and turned his head in the direction the noise was coming from. His consciousness clicked and switched over to battle-mode. He strained his ears. The driving sound of a Knightmare was approaching. Was it the Glasgow that Wizard had prepared? Orpheus began to lower his guard back down, but—

“!” 

No. This wasn’t the driving sound of a Glasgow. It was the driving sound of a Sutherland—and moreover, the unique driving sound of a custom Sutherland that clung to Orpheus’ ears and that he could never forget in his life. A Pluton Knightmare that had once attacked this village. It had appeared once again.

Orpheus ran. The enemy he had been searching for—But, he would never have thought that he would encounter them with this kind of timing. ‘Was I being watched? Had they already even learned that the Byakuen had received damage in Hong Kong? To begin with, did the enemy know that I’m a member of Peace Mark?’ No, that may be thinking too much. Really, it was impossible tell whether the enemy might have merely come here by terrible coincidence, or with Orpheus as their aim. Various questions coursed through his mind, but Orpheus made himself ignore them. 

This situation was bad. For the time being, he had to get some distance away from the enemy and get in touch with Ze and Ganabati, and—

The sound of an explosion roared. The car that Orpheus had taken to get here was going up in flames. The vivid flames scorched the evening sky.

“!”

Dropping his waist, he changed directions and ran while weaving between shrub bushes. The Sutherland had fired at his car with its Assault Rifle. With this, things were clear. The enemy was aiming for him. He would find it out later, but the truth was that Orpheus’s movements had been marked by Pluton since he entered Hungary. The dark organization that undertook Britannia’s dirty jobs never forgot about a target they had failed to shoot—

A bullet from the Assault Rifle landed nearby, raising up a cloud of dust. The enemy was shooting at Orpheus using the infrared images obtained through their Factsphere. Pebbles that were sent flying from the impact poured down on his head, and the stones of rubble that was blown off buildings hit his body hard. But Orpheus ignored that pain and ran. The pain from his body was insignificant compared to the anguish of losing Euria. While keeping the adrenaline coursing through his body, Orpheus calmly considered the weapons he had on hand. ‘It’s useless. I only have a military-use handgun and knife for self-defence. They couldn’t possible help against an opponent in a Knightmare.’ At that moment, as Orpheus broke through a cluster of tress, the Sutherland appeared before his eyes. It was a frame he recognized. One of the Pluton frames that had once reduced this village to ashes. The eerie emblem that was stencilled onto its armor was something he never forgot even for a day.

He could feel unmistakable killing intent being emitted through the Factsphere. ‘Right now at this moment, I’m this guy’s prey.’ 

The Sutherland prepared its rifle. Orpheus looked straight into that empty gun barrel. A Knightmare-use 20mm Assault Rifle. If hit directly by that bullet propelled at super-sonic speeds, his body would be smashed into small fragments. He wouldn’t even feel the pain—

(If that happens, I can meet Euria again.)

The dark temptation of death. But, at the same time, a gentle voice resounded within his mind. It was—

(Orpheus—Please. Live.)

The words Euria had let out in her last moments. The wish of a girl that risked her life, only wanting for the one she loved, Orpheus, to live.

“—Euria!”

At the same time as he cried her name out, Orpheus jumped to the side and dodged the Sutherland’s shot. ‘I can’t die yet. But, how can I break through this situation?’

At that instant. A shell exploded in the Sutherland’s hands. The mechanism of the Assault Rifle was destroyed, and the gushing-out energy of Sakuradite illuminated the vicinity like a strobe light. Orpheus reflexively looked away to protect his eyesight, and then looked up to the sky above. A black, atypical humanoid form—a Knightmare. It seemed to be holding and suspending another different frame in the air.

“Agravain—So it’s Wizard!”

“Use this, Oz.” 

At the same time as he said that, the Agravain let loose the suspended frame—a Glasgow. Landing using its automatic landing controls, the Glasgow’s cockpit opened and invited Orpheus in.

“—Thanks!”

Orpheus quickly started up the Glasgow. By just lightly testing out the response of the operating system, he quickly understood it. This frame was good. Everything was splendidly adjusted—no, tuned to Orpheus’ habits. From the instant he got on it, he could pilot it like the Byakuen.

Orpheus quickly confirmed the situation. After delivering the Glasgow, Wizard’s Agravain seem to have retreated. It appeared it he had no intention to further participate in the battle. Well, that was also fine. Supplying the Glasgow to Orpheus was all the support he needed. Meanwhile, having lost its rifle, the Sutherland had taken out a silver EM Lance.

Orpheus activated the Glasgow’s weapons system and chose the Assault Rifle. He rapid-fired with the 20mm bullets. The Sutherland avoided the firing lines with its Landspinners, and reliably shortened the distance between itself and the Glasgow. Strong. He must have been as accustomed, no, more accustomed to battle than Orpheus. In that case—. 

Orpheus aimed the rifle’s sight not at the Sutherland, but at its feet and pulled the trigger. Rubble was sent flying and the field of vision was hidden. The cornerstone where Orpheus had offered flowers to Euria was also smashed up. But, there was hesitation in Orpheus. 

(Live.)

Euria had said that. And this was a battle in order to survive and live.

Catching the moment when the sight of the Sutherland was blocked, Orpheus threw away his rifle and activated his Mark-59 anti-armor Combat Knife. At the same time, he approached the Sutherland using his Landspinners. He avoided the tip of the lance and thrusted with the high frequency blade that vibrated very fast.

“Eat—my fang!”

The crystalline structure of the special allow that the Mark-59’s blade was composed of, which ignored durability and poured in electric power, crumbled in just a few seconds, but just before that, it penetrated through the L307 reinforced Tungsten bombproof metal sheet that was used as the armor material for Knightmares and boasted maximum strength, and reached the cockpit. The Sutherland’s operations stopped. It had lost combat power.

Orpheus descended from the Glasgow and carefully approached the Sutherland. He opened the cockpit and pointed his handgun at the pilot. But, it wasn’t necessary to pull the trigger. With one look, he knew the enemy was on the verge of death. The high frequency wave that was given off from the Glasgow’s knife when it penetrated the cockpit had thoroughly burned through his body. The pilot was slowly but surely breathing his dying breath. The pain would continue until he died. Thinking that, Orpheus felt good.

“Speak. Where is Pluton’s base? Where is Oiaguro Zevon? If you tell me, I’ll put you out of your misery now with this gun. Now, speak. Where is Oiaguro Zevon!?”

The pilot spit out blood mixed with reddish-black bubbles.

“Plu…ton will…kill…you.”

He looked up at Orpheus with no strength left in his eyes and bent his lips. He was smiling.

“…” 

Orpheus left the pilot in the Sutherland and left that place. He wouldn’t return to this village again.

There were still four people remaining that he had to carry out revenge against.

The curtain of night had come down upon the ruined village.

From the cockpit of the stranded Sutherland, faint breathing and occasionally foaming sounds could be heard. The pilot still hadn’t died.

A black shadow softly lightly stood over the cockpit. A man who hid his face with a mask—Wizard.

“Cerberus.”

When Wizard muttered that, he crouched over the pilot and took off his mask. On the blood-stained face of the pilot called Cerberus, an expression of shock appeared. He moved his lips a little in order to say something. Wizard picked his body up in his arms, as if tending to him.

“Forgive me. My friend—”

Wizard’s hand quickly flash, and Cerberus became quiet. A thin and sharp knife had pierced his neck and destroyed the lower half of his brain stem. Laying Cerberus’ corpse back in the cockpit, Wizard stood up and got back down to the ground. If Orpheus had happened to be present there, what would he have said? 

Because, when Cerberus saw Wizard’s face without his mask, he called out a name. ‘Oiaguro’—.

(To be continued)