Chapter 317 - 316 The Twist

Chapter 317: Chapter 316 The Twist

December 17th was a perfectly ordinary Sunday. For the majority of Japan’s workforce, it was just the end of a standard weekend. However, for the millions of Code Geass fans across the country, the initial electric excitement that had greeted the series six months ago had settled into something more like a comfortable habit.

The show was still a topic of conversation, and while engagement spiked on Sundays, it usually stayed within predictable limits.

Most fans assumed that tonight’s episode would follow the established rhythm of the second season. They expected to see Lelouch continuing his careful maneuvering, letting the Black Knights engage in skirmishes with the Britannian Empire while secretly forging an alliance with the Chinese Federation.

The plot had been interesting, featuring subplots like Nunnally being used as a political tool by the Emperor and sent to Japan as the Governor General, but the overarching mission to topple Britannian rule hadn’t seen a massive breakthrough recently.

This was why the ratings for the second season, despite being high, hadn’t yet surpassed the record-breaking finale of the first season.

"The last episode was just high school slice-of-life stuff. Honestly, I’m surprised that after all this time, Haruto is increasing Shirley’s screen time again. Has he run out of ideas for the main plot?"

"What’s wrong with more Shirley? I actually really like her."

"It’s not that she’s a bad character, but it’s obvious C.C. is the main heroine now. If he gives Shirley too much focus, where is it going to go? It’s not like Lelouch is actually going to end up in a harem."

"I agree. If she’s not going to be the lead, they should stop giving her focus. It just makes things more painful for the viewers."

"True. It would have been kinder to let her forget Lelouch entirely and live as a normal girl. But in this second season, even after forgetting him once, she’s fallen for him all over again. It’s like a moth to a flame."

"Well, that’s just Shirley for you."

"Anyway, Episode 12 was just a transitional school episode. It was nice to see a popular side character from the first season get some spotlight."

"I found it tragic. That poor, silly girl... she lost her memories and still managed to fall in love with the same guy twice. Lelouch is a curse on her life!"

"How is Jeremiah Gottwald still alive? He’s been opposing Lelouch for so long and he’s still active in the Empire. Based on the preview, it looks like he’s going to cause trouble in Episode 13."

"If you think about it, almost all the major characters have survived except for Euphemia. I guess that’s just Haruto’s way of handling things now."

"Haruto probably got scared after the fan riots following Euphemia’s death. That’s likely why the second season has been so much more restrained."

Sora spent the day drifting through various fan groups, chatting with fellow enthusiasts. While most popular high school students spent their weekends at shopping districts in Shibuya, Botan was a dedicated follower who lived for gaming and anime forums. Hunter x Hunter, Sword Art Online, Code Geass... the topics in the chat shifted constantly between Haruto’s various works.

Interestingly, since the second season of Lelouch began, even the die-hard fans had stopped obsessing over the ratings. The show had been number one since its premiere, and the only lingering question was whether it could beat Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Since it hadn’t happened yet, the initial fervor had cooled slightly.

After finishing an early dinner, Botan took a walk and then had a shower. He checked the time: 7:55 PM. He switched the TV to Tokyo TV and was greeted by the usual barrage of Code Geass commercials. Between over a hundred different character figures and dozens of Knightmare Frame models, a collector would need tens of thousands of yen to get the full official set.

The ACG market was overflowing with wealthy fans, and most of the merchandise was perpetually sold out. In fact, the profits from merchandise had already far exceeded the earnings from Blu-ray sales.

Botan sighed; as a high school student with a limited allowance, even the cheapest C.C. figure at 2,999 yen was a bit of a stretch. He had to settle for watching the commercials or discussing the figures with friends at school.

The commercials abruptly stopped as the clock hit 8:00 PM. The familiar theme song began, and millions of fans across the country felt a sudden surge of focus. Once the opening concluded, the perspective shifted back to Ashford Academy.

The previous episode had been a standard school-life story. A polite way to describe it was that it provided a needed emotional reprieve from the horrors of war. A less polite way was that Haruto was back to his old tricks of padding the story. It felt like a breather episode often found in the middle of a seasonal anime. Consequently, there had been no cliffhanger, and the fan groups had remained relatively peaceful.

At the start of this episode, Jeremiah Gottwald, revealed his purpose for returning to Japan. With the help of the mysterious V.V., he had obtained a new power: a Geass Canceler that could nullify the effects of any other Geass.

He began indiscriminately pulsing this power through the city to cleanse any citizens or soldiers who might be under Lelouch’s control.

By chance, the pulse hit Shirley Fenette.

Within the first few minutes of Episode 13, the entire premise was flipped on its head. Botan was stunned, along with every other viewer in Japan. But if Jeremiah’s power could cancel all Geass effects... that meant Shirley now remembered everything. The faster members of the fan groups were already flooding the chat.

"Holy crap!"

"Could Haruto be any more abrupt with this plot?"

"Is this even allowed?"

"What is Shirley going to do now? She remembers her father’s death AND the fact that she’s fallen for Lelouch twice. How do those emotions even fit together?"

"Haruto finally decided to stir the pot!"

"Now I see why she had so much screen time in the last episode. It was all a setup for this!"

"Is she going to go dark? Because a Dark Shirley arc would be incredible."

The narrative, which had been relatively calm for twelve episodes, suddenly signaled the arrival of a massive storm. The perspective remained fixed on Shirley. Having regained her memories, she immediately noticed the wrongness of the world.

If Lelouch is Zero, why is he still pretending to be a student? Nunnally is his sister, so why is she serving as the Britannian Governor-General?

And who is Rolo? Why is he pretending to be Lelouch’s brother?

The conflict between her love for Lelouch and the fact that his actions led to her father’s death brought her to the brink of a mental breakdown. Desperate for answers, she called Suzaku to meet her in a public square. However, she was terrified that her actions might inadvertently harm Lelouch, so she remained paralyzed and silent when they met.

In a twist of fate, she ran into Lelouch. At that exact moment, Jeremiah Gottwald arrived, intent on hunting down and killing Lelouch. Within minutes, the situation escalated into a three-way confrontation between Lelouch, Suzaku, and Shirley.

None of them trusted the others. Suzaku was there to monitor Lelouch. Lelouch, fearing for Nunnally’s safety, had to maintain the charade of being a normal student. Shirley was trapped in the middle, terrified that if she told Suzaku the truth, things would spiral out of control. Despite everything, she couldn’t bring herself to hurt the boy she loved.

The tension peaked when Shirley, in a state of mental distress, fell from a high building. Lelouch risked his life to catch her, and Suzaku risked his own life to grab Lelouch’s leg and pull them both to safety. Seeing the two of them willing to die for one another, Shirley finally found a sense of closure. She realized that despite the sins they carried, their bond was real.

Botan felt a slight bit of discomfort watching this. Can she really just forgive him for her father’s death? But then he considered that Lelouch hadn’t personally killed him; her father had been an accidental victim of a mudslide caused by the battle. It had been a long time since then, and Botan found he could accept Shirley’s reaction.

Shirley intentionally drew Suzaku away to give Lelouch space, and then... the true turning point arrived. Jeremiah was closing in on Lelouch, and Rolo, the fake brother, was also rushing to the scene out of a desperate need to protect Lelouch.

Amidst the chaos, Shirley encountered Rolo. Having found a discarded gun near a fallen security guard, she had no idea if Rolo was there to save Lelouch or, like Jeremiah, to kill him.

"Do you love Lelouch?" Shirley asked, her eyes full of suspicion as she faced Rolo.

"I do," Rolo replied, his eyes intense and sincere. "He is my only brother."

"Then you are Lelouch’s ally," Shirley said, letting out a massive sigh of relief. "Please, let me join you. I want to protect him too. I want to help him get his happiness back, and help him reunite with his sister, Nunnally..."

When Botan heard Shirley mention Nunnally to Rolo, his heart sank. She’s too innocent!

Rolo truly did love Lelouch, and Shirley could tell he wasn’t lying. But Rolo was a lonely, possessive child who had finally found a family. There was no way he would want Lelouch’s real sister to return and steal the love he had fought so hard to secure. Rolo’s Geass, the ability to freeze a person’s perception of time, activated. He looked at Shirley with a gaze full of murderous intent.

The camera immediately cut back to Lelouch.

’No! Haruto, you bastard, what are you doing?

I don’t want to see Lelouch right now! Show me what Rolo did to Shirley!’

Across Japan, countless fans were screaming internally.

Lelouch, having successfully neutralized and recruited Jeremiah to his cause, was ready to return to school.

On his way out, he stopped dead.

He found Shirley lying in a pool of blood. A gunshot wound to her abdomen had bled out, creating a vivid crimson circle on the floor around her.

Botan felt a chill run through his entire body.

’What... what is this? Was this really necessary?

Haruto, you absolute monster! And Rolo... you piece of trash!’

Shirley had simply said she wanted to help Lelouch find his sister, and Rolo killed her for it?

The jealousy was that extreme? It was sickeningly cruel.

Rolo had always been a polarizing character among the fans, but in this moment, the entire Code Geass community was united in a single, burning rage.

That bastard Rolo has to die.

But the scene wasn’t over. Lelouch scooped Shirley up into his arms. With the last of her strength, she managed a weak smile for him.

"Lelouch... I’m so glad... I got to talk to you one last time."

"This isn’t the last time! I’m calling a doctor right now!" Lelouch’s voice actor perfectly captured the sheer, raw panic and helplessness of the character.

The character’s agony was transmitted directly to every viewer. No one could have predicted such a violent twist. Shirley had regained her memories at the start of the episode, only to be murdered by the end. It was too fast, and it was devastatingly painful to watch.

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