The Skies Above Area 11

The battle between the Black Knights and Britannian forces raged across the ruins of Shinjuku. Knightmares clashed, artillery thundered, smoke rose like pillars. Then… shadows fell across the battlefield. Massive aircrafts — unlike any seen before — descended from the heavens, their hulls black with crimson insignias: a rising sun wrapped in chains. Dozens of carriers, leviathan-like, floated silently. Then a single voice echoed across the land, carried by a deafening speaker system.

Unknown Voice (from the skies): "Subjects of Britannia. Struggling people of Japan. We are the Dominion of Aurelion. We descend not as saviors, nor as allies… but as rulers. From this day forth, your petty wars mean nothing. You will kneel — to the Dominion, or be erased beneath the wings of our empire."

Every soldier froze. Guns lowered. Even the Knightmares paused in their slaughter, their pilots staring at the ominous fleet.

Japanese Civilian (hiding among rubble): “What… what is that? Another colonizer? Haven’t we suffered enough!?”

Britannian Soldier: “Impossible…! No nation dares to challenge the Holy Britannian Empire! Who are these… pretenders!?”

Another Britannian Officer: “Look at the scale of their fleet… even the Avalon looks like a toy compared to those giants.”

Kallen (from inside the Guren): “Tch… just what we needed. Another monster empire trampling over Japan…”

Lelouch, standing atop his Burai, stares skyward. His mask reflects the crimson insignia glowing from the ships. His voice is calm, but sharp.

Lelouch (Zero): “So… the Dominion of Aurelion. Another empire seeking dominion over the weak. How predictable. Britannia from the west, Aurelion from the skies… vultures circling the corpse of Japan.”

C.C. (appearing at his side, arms crossed): “Hm. You were already playing chess with Britannia, Lelouch. Now it seems another king has placed their piece on the board. Do you have a strategy for two enemies at once?”

Lelouch (smirking faintly under the mask): “Strategy? No… this is opportunity. If Britannia and Aurelion are to clash, then I, Zero, will be the one to decide which empire survives this new game. And in the end—”

He raises his arm toward the fleet, voice amplified through the Black Knights’ comms.

Lelouch (Zero): “—it is neither Britannia, nor Aurelion who will rule this land. It will be us. It will be me.”

The skies rumble again as Aurelion’s voice booms a final time:

Aurelion Speaker: "Kneel… or burn. The Dominion has spoken."

The battlefield falls into silence — Britannians and Japanese alike frozen between two empires, while Lelouch’s mask gleams with a new determination.