Episode 1 – The Day a New Demon was Born
On August 10, 2010, the Holy Britannian Empire invaded the independent state of Japan. Utilizing the powerful, pilot-able robots known as Knightmare Frames, the Britannian military completely overwhelmed the Japanese. They then took control of the Japanese nation, reducing them to a territory under Britannian control. They even took away its name, simply calling it “Area 11.” In the midst of this destruction, one young boy claimed to his friend that he would destroy Britannia.
In 2017, seven years after Japan was conquered, the Britannian Empire has complete and total control over Area 11. There are even schools of Britannian students within its borders. Two students at the Ashford Academy in the Tokyo settlement, Lelouch Lamperouge and Rivalz Cardemonde, visit a Britannian noble. Lelouch trounces him in a game of chess, beginning by moving his king. Meanwhile, two pro-Japanese terrorists ride through the settlement in a truck, the contents of which are unknown, chased by the Britannian police. Back at Ashford Academy, three of Lelouch and Rivalz’s friends, Shirley Fenette, Milly Ashford, and Nina Einstein chat about Lelouch. In response to the terrorist hijacking, Clovis la Britannia, the third Britannian prince and ruler of Area 11, chastises the terrorists for their actions and asks everyone to observe a moment of silence for those who died trying to stop them. However, he is really at a party, and this on-air message was simply well-acted. A newsman, Diethard Ried, laments Clovis’ foolishness. One of Clovis’ generals, Bartley Aspirus, then runs in to inform Clovis exactly what was taken. In response, Clovis deploys the Royal Guard to catch the terrorists.
Lelouch and Rivalz travel back to school, but they are nearly hit by the terrorists escaping in the truck. Swerving out of the way, the truck ends up going down a side road and crashing into a building. Out of curiosity as to the situation, perhaps ignorant of the true identity of the people driving the truck, Lelouch goes to investigate the crash, and he hears a mysterious voice. The truck then suddenly starts up again, and he falls inside. The Royal Guard arrives, and one of the terrorists, Kouzuki Kallen, gets out of the truck in a Knightmare Frame to engage them, while her compatriot continues into the old Shinjuku subway tunnels. Jeremiah Gottwald and Villetta Nu, two members of the Royal Guard, begin to fight with Kallen. Meanwhile, Bartley is confronted by two members of the Special Core, Lloyd Asplund and Cecile Croomy, who want to get a chance to go to the front lines to test their equipment. Bartley states that the item that was stolen was poison gas.
The Royal Guard send in a group of Eleven (Japanese) soldiers to locate the terrorists. One of them spots the truck in the tunnels and reports back in. When Lelouch tries to get out of the truck, he is attacked by this soldier, who soon reveals himself to be Kururugi Suzaku, Lelouch’s childhood Japanese friend. They were the two boys featured in the beginning sequence. The capsule supposedly filled with gas opens to reveal a bound young woman. Suzaku’s superior arrives and orders him to kill the terrorist, a.k.a. Lelouch. Suzaku refuses, and his superior shoots him. The real terrorist in the truck, who has been injured, blows the truck up, and Lelouch and the girl use this opportunity to run.
Clovis, in anger at his forces’ inability to secure the girl, orders the Royal Guard to slaughter the citizens of the Shinjuku ghettos. Lloyd fiddles with a Knightmare Frame ignition key, lamenting that he does not have any pilot to assist him. While fleeing, Lelouch’s cell phone goes off, and he is caught by the Royal Guard. When they try to shoot him, the girl jumps in the way and takes the bullet. Although it seems that Lelouch is next, the girl grabs his hand and starts communicating with him telepathically. She offers him a contract that will give him “the power of the king” if he only fulfills her one desire. He accepts and stands up with new found confidence. Suddenly understanding how his power works, he proclaims that the only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed. A bird insignia appears in his eye. Claiming that he is Lelouch vi Britannia, Lelouch commands all the soldiers to die, and the bird insignia leaps into the soldiers’ eyes. The soldiers then gleefully kill themselves. Lelouch states that everything about him is a lie, and he wonders what he is going to do with this new found power.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion Episode 2
