The Ragnarök Connection (episode)

The Ragnarök Connection is the twenty-first episode of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2.

Summary
Within the Sword of Akasha, Lelouch learns the truth of his mother's death from the Emperor and Marianne herself, then Suzaku and C.C. appears in after Lelouch. They reveal their intention and initiate Ragnarök and Lelouch almost reconciles with them, but changes his mind upon realizing the world the Emperor desires has no future. Evolving his Geass to its next level, Lelouch defeats his father with the help of the collective unconscious mind of humanity, the personification of the "gods" the Emperor sought to defeat, dissolving his parents from existence, Marianne tries to intervene, but Suzaku blocks her and says not even Euphemia would've wanted this. Afterwhich, Suzaku, still angry at Lelouch for killing Euphemia, draws his sword, but refuses to kill him. One month later, with Ragnarök prevented, Lelouch seizes the throne as the new Emperor of Britannia with the aid of his trusting friends Suzaku and C.C., and uses his Geass to make all dissenters in the court acknowledge him as such.

Plot
Suzaku wakes up just as Anya was about to draw on his face with a marker. He's confused about why she's there, and she tells him that right now she's Marianne. On the Ikaruga, Ohgi tells Tamaki that he'll explain things to Kaguya and Li, but one thing is sure - Lelouch can't live. As she prepares to launch in the Guren SEITEN, Kallen says that she has to get an answer from Lelouch so she can move on. Inside the Sword of Akasha, Lelouch sits down and asks Charles who killed Marianne. Charles notes the irony that Lelouch has always lied up to now, but he wants the truth from someone else. Lelouch says that's a given because everyone lies to fit in with others and create societies. He says that everyone wears a mask, and even Charles wears the mask of Emperor. Charles disagrees and says that once people stop lying, they can understand each other and end conflicts. Lelouch thinks that's just an ideal theory, but Charles believes the Ragnarok junction will make that a reality and strip away the world's lies. Outside the entrance, C.C. tells Suzaku that the world of C is a collection of the unconsciousness, basically a joining of the heart and memories that some call "God." He asks if that's like what happened when they met at Narita, but she explains that it's just the joining of their own minds. Anya gives up on trying to open the door and tells C.C. to do it. Anya then touches the door, and the personality of Marianne leaves her body and passes into the Sword of Akasha. In the sky, Bismarck destroys another Geassed pilot and spots Schneizel's Avalon with the Black Knights. Inside the Sword of Akasha, Lelouch is shocked to see Marianne and wonders if she's an illusion. Marianne answers that she's real, but she can only take her true form inside the Ragnarok system. Charles tells Lelouch that 50 years ago, he and V.V. were in a living hell as nobles killed each other in their attempts to gain the throne. When their own mother was killed, they made a vow to create a world without lies. Marianne adds that she and C.C. agreed with that vow as well, but things changed eight years ago. One night, Marianne sent away all her guards to meet with V.V. He said that Charles had changed since meeting her, and that it would ruin their pact. Two servants entered the room, and V.V. mowed them and Marianne down with a machine gun. As Marianne lay dying, she spotted young Anya in the hall and used Geass to transfer her personality to Anya's mind. Afterwards, a terrorist attack was staged with Nunnally as the fake witness. After inhabiting Anya's mind, Marianne realized that if she took over, she could mentally contact C.C. When V.V. later met with Charles, Charles knew that he was lying about Marianne's death. Lelouch accuses Charles of blaming everything on V.V. since he's dead. After a news shoot, Milly spots Nina looking at body bags. Bismarck reports to Schneizel about their current battle with the rebels. C.C. tells Suzaku that she used Lelouch so she could achieve her own death. Suzaku asks her to send him to the other world. Charles tells Lelouch that he sent him and Nunnally to Japan to keep them away from V.V. He also rewrote Anya and Nunnally's memories, and Lelouch realizes that Nunnally's blindness isn't a physical condition. Charles tells Lelouch that if Ragnarok works his tragedy will never happen again, and Lelouch realizes that everything he did was all just to lure C.C. out. Suzaku and C.C. arrive, but Charles tells him there was no reason to come. Charles holds out his hand and activates the Geass symbol on C.C.'s head, causing all Geass ruins around the world to vibrate.

Marianne joyfully proclaims that the Sword of Akasha will destroy the gods and create a new world. Suzaku asks Lelouch again what his motives are, but Lelouch says that's a stupid question. He says he fought for Nunnally, but Suzaku calls that an excuse. Lelouch then says he fought for all the things he wanted to protect. Lelouch blocks Charles' path and says he doesn't approve of his plan. He says people lie because they yearn for something, and that Charles' world of memories will just be a secluded world. Marianne asks Lelouch if he's going to deny her too, and he answers by asking if her motive is the same as Charles'. She tells him that by becoming one, they can even be reunited with dead people like Euphemia. Lelouch tells them that by trying to force their ideal world onto others, it's no different from evil. He says that regardless of their intentions, the truth is they abandoned him and Nunnally. Lelouch says that when they put their plan first, it didn't matter if their children were alive or dead. He thinks they're not looking to the future, and Charles answers that they want to create Nunnally's peaceful world. Lelouch counters that such a world is gentle only for the two of them and is nothing like what Nunnally wanted. Charles says that doesn't matter since Ragnarok has already begun, but Lelouch points out that he's Zero and removes his contact lens. Lelouch notes that the world of C is the will of humanity, and Charles says the power of kings can't defeat the gods. Lelouch looks up at the image of Jupiter and calls out to the gods to not stop the progress of time. Marianne tries to intervene, but Suzaku blocks her and says not even Euphemia would've wanted this. A Geass appears in Lelouch's right eye as well, and the thought elevator begins to crumble. Charles and Marianne's bodies begin to fade away, and when she asks why C.C.'s body isn't, C.C. explains that she realized they were doing things just for their own sake. Lelouch asks his parents if they know the meaning of Nunnally's smile, and he says that it was her way of expressing gratitude since she couldn't do many things on her own. Lelouch says there's only one truth, which is that Charles and Marianne abandoned them. Charles flies over and tries to strangle Lelouch, saying that what awaits them now is Schneizel's world. Lelouch says that even then he would deny Charles' world, and he casts Charles and Marianne away. C.C. asks Lelouch and Suzaku what they're going to do now, and Suzaku points out that Lelouch is Euphemia's murderer, however Lelouch tells him that nothing is unforgivable and refuses to kill him.

One month later, reconstruction moves forward in the Tokyo settlement. Milly announces that after a month of seclusion, Charles will be giving a global address. At the imperial palace in Pendragon, Odysseus stands with Carline and Guinevere and wonders where Schneizel is. The entire crowd of nobles is shocked when Lelouch walks out in his school uniform and sits on the throne. Lelouch proclaims himself as the 99th Emperor, and Guinevere is surprised he's alive. Odysseus says he's glad Lelouch is back, but he thinks it's inappropriate to stage such a prank on TV. Lelouch then announces that he killed Charles, making him the Emperor. Guinevere orders guards to take down Lelouch, but Suzaku drops down from the ceiling and kicks them away. Lelouch announces that Suzaku will be above the other Knights of the Round and names him Knight of Zero. Lelouch then uses Geass on the entire crowd to accept him. Schneizel watches on TV and wonders who will win the world now.

Battles

 * Second Battle of Kamejima Island (Concluded)

Powers or Abilities used

 * Marianne's Geass
 * Lelouch's Geass

Quotes

 * Conversation between Lelouch and Charles
 * "So since we have plenty of time now will you answer me? Who was it that killed my mother and what's your excuse for not protecting her?" -Lelouch
 * "How ironic, here you are seeking the truth, you who made it this far by your deception and your lies." -Charles
 * "That's true. I've lied every step of the way and not just about my name and past. I've hidden my true intentions too, but that's pragmatism isn't it? People need to play along with each other. We melt into a place. If we didn't then nations and people, these things called communities, wouldn't exist. Everyone uses lies on family, on friends, in society, and everyone wears a different face, but is that a sin? What is one's true face? Even you wear a mask; that of an emperor. None of us can make a move now without our respective persona's." -Lelouch


 * "Half a century ago my elder brother and I existed in a hell on earth. Our family was just rivals competing for the throne. Assassinations occurred with regularity. Daily betrayals spawned by lies. Killing each other off. My own mother fell victim to it. My brother and I were sickened and angered by the world. We therefore both swore an oath to create a world without lies." -Charles


 * "Why do people lie? It isn't only because they struggle against each other. It's also because there's something that they're seeking. you now want a world without change, how stagnant. You could hardly call it life. The same as a world of memories. Just a world that's closed and completed. That's a place I wouldn't want to live in." -Lelouch


 * "Forcing your good intentions on others is no different from an evil act." -Lelouch


 * "God! Collective unconscious! Please, don't stop the march of time!" -Lelouch


 * "Regardless, what I want is tomorrow." -Lelouch
 * "C.C., we still bear the marks of Geass no matter what occurs we--" -Charles
 * "You, my own parents, you abandoned us!" - Lelouch


 * Conversation between Lelouch, Suzaku, and C.C.
 * "C.C., Are you going as well?" -Lelouch
 * "When death comes, you want to at least be smiling right?" -C.C.
 * "And you two? What are you Planning to do now? You rejected Charles's plan. Instead, you've choose reality and the forward march of time. However..." -C.C.
 * "I know! Lelouch is the person who murdered Euphie!" -Suzaku
 * "And what of it!?" -Lelouch


 * "Charles zi Britannia, the 98th emperor, no longer lives and I'm the one who took his life. Therefore that makes me the next emperor." -Lelouch


 * "May I introduce Suzaku Kururugi my knight. A knight of the round above all others. I grant him the title Knight of Zero." -Lelouch

Trivia

 * "Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate" - is an Italian phrase which translates to "Abandon all hope, ye who enter". In Dante Alighieri's Divina Commedia(Divine Comedy), this phrase is described as being inscribed above the entrance to Hell. Lelouch is seen reading the Divine Comedy on at least one occasion.Lasciate_ogne_speranza,_voi_ch'intrate.jpg