Bloodstained Euphie (episode)

Bloodstained Euphie is the twenty-second episode of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion.

Summary
During the commemoration ceremony for the Specially Administrated Zone, Lelouch and Euphemia privately discuss Japan's future. She convinces him, and Lelouch summarily halts his rebellion, until he suddenly loses control of his Geass while jokingly telling her to kill all the Japanese. The Geass-influenced Euphemia orders a bloody massacre of the people attending the ceremony. Blaming himself, a resolute Lelouch decides to salvage the situation by declaring Euphemia's Specially Administrated Zone a trap to lure out the Black Knights, and commands his troops to defeat the Britannian forces, protect the Japanese, and stop Euphemia.

Plot
As final preparations are made to a stadium in the Special Administrative Zone of Japan, many higher-ups begin to suspect that Euphemia willingly joined Zero's cause on Kamine Island. As they make plans to arrest her, they are stopped and arrested themselves by Bartley and Andreas Darlton, who plan to use the move to lure the Black Knights out of hiding. At the same time, Suzaku and Euphemia are at the stadium, where 200,000 people are registering for the program. Suzaku is amazed at the progress, and Euphemia says it is because they see him as a role model. Suzaku says that she is giving him too much credit, but Euphemia instead thanks him, and tells him not to act formally around her now that they're a couple.

As news stations broadcast what is to take place, Sayoko and Nunnally watch happily; Nina hides herself in the Ganymede storage room and decides to comply with the idea if Euphemia is sanctioning it; and Lelouch angrily learns that Taizo Kirihara supports the idea. Schneizel contacts Cornelia, and states he sanctioned the idea for the same reason that Lelouch is now put in a dilemma; Cornelia continues to express hatred over the idea, but is forced to comply to ensure public safety, having sent Darlton as a representative, although Schneizel notes she is only going through with it due to it being Euphemia's idea. At the Kyoto House, some are opposed to Kirihara's decision due to it sounding insulting to their resistance efforts, as well as due to the fact that Kirihara will be given control of sakuradite mines, but he denies suspicions and says he will attend the opening ceremony after being invited. The girl behind the window pane then asks about the Black Knights' opinion.

With the Black Knights, Tohdoh notes that many Black Knights are already signing up; Diethard says this is due to minimal risk, while Rakshata says this is due to them trusting a princess over a superhero. Minami and Sugiyama also tell Tamaki that Kyoto is complying to get equality, and Kallen and Asahina deny this truth, but acknowledge that a decision must be made soon. Ohgi, meanwhile, flashes back on Villetta telling him that she wants to join the Zone due to equality appearing to be in place. He decides to say that they should support the Zone, since they would have to rely on a promise and it doesn't contradict what Zero wanted for an independent nation, while also maintaining the people's support, even though Chiba notes they will have to give up their weapons. Meanwhile, after shopping with him, Rivalz drops off Lelouch at a place where Shirley asked him to meet her to presumably go shopping. They see a Britannian nobleman flogging a Japanese boy with his cane for no apparent reason. Lelouch confronts him, noting that he is merely trying to look down upon others with contempt and act like God; he promptly uses Geass on his subordinate to make him go home. He then tries to use Geass on the nobleman to make him commit suicide and chuck his body elsewhere, but he cuts short the order when Rivalz tries to break up the fight. As the nobleman goes after his subordinate, Shirley witnesses the scene and questions what Lelouch is doing, wondering why he would help the boy yet talk to Euphemia. Darlton also threatens Kirihara, saying that if he doesn't break off support from the Black Knights, he will lose the sakuradite mines.

Lelouch returns home later on and tells Nunnally that Shirley never showed up, so he will try to be nice to her. Nunnally gets the feeling that Lelouch is troubled, and wonders if it's about Euphemia, who she wants to see again. Lelouch then muses that he did like her. The next day, the opening ceremony begins to take place, and the area becomes jam packed with Japanese, but the news is skeptical that Zero will show up, as are Cornelia's subordinates. Even Charles watches the ceremony from a Thought Elevator. When the ceremony begins to take place, Zero promptly arrives on the Gawain, to Euphemia's joy. However, numerous Sutherlands are stationed to kill him, and Kirihara notes the dangers of what might happen if his identity is exposed. Zero greets Euphemia, but requests that he speak privately with her, leaving Cecile suspicious but Lloyd generally okay. As the Student Council watches, Zero is scanned for weapons, but none are found on him, and though Suzaku remains suspicious, Euphemia tells him to trust her.

In the surrounding forest, the Black Knights hide and wait for instructions, with Tohdoh suspecting that Zero plans to kill Euphemia. Euphemia shuts off cameras when the two are alone in a room together, and when he takes off his mask, Zero pulls out a plastic needle gun that shoots wood. Euphemia says he wouldn't shoot her, but Zero says that she will be doing the shooting. Outside, Suzaku waits patiently when suddenly he experiences a vision of a cracked wall. Turning to the right, he notices C.C.'s presence as the pilot of the Gawain the same way Lelouch did at the truck, but oddly no one else can see her. C.C. wonders if this is due to the contact at the Battle of Narita, but quickly begins to suspect something else as the passenger hatch to the Gawain opens on its own. Zero then explains to Euphemia that she is going to kill him on live television, resulting in rioting and Zero being deemed a deceived martyr. From there, he will recover, allowing people to view him as divine. Euphemia questions why he would do this, and he explains that she is unintentionally forcing him to be subordinates, the way Clovis did. He then hands her the gun, but suddenly begins clutching his eye. At the same time, C.C. reveals herself and tries to ask Suzaku a question when she begins clutching her own eye with her Code activating, and notes that someone has forced Lelouch to reach "a point". Suzaku tries to come to her aid and touches her shoulders, but this causes him to see Geass illusions and the face of Marianne before passing out; the same fate befalls three others who try to apprehend her.

Seemingly driven mad, Zero prepares to Geass Euphemia and stain her hands with blood, but Euphemia rejects her royal identity to him, causing him to come back to his senses. Euphemia then reveals that, like him, she has given up her claim to the throne in order to protect Zero, and reveals to him Nunnally's desire to be with him and him alone, wanting to make the Zone for her sake. Zero is amused at the petty situation, noting how her actions were selfish and easy to accomplish, and that she might not see Cornelia afterwards. He then notes that she really hasn't changed at all, even as the Sub-Viceroy. She then asks him again to join her. Musing that she is the worst opponent he has ever faced, Zero shakes her hand in approval, preparing to amend his plans to help build the Zone. They then begin joking about the ordeal, and Zero notes that he would've simply forced her to do things such as shoot him, give up Suzaku, or (as a complete joke) kill all the Japanese had he really expected her to do them. However, at that exact moment, the boy who caused the earlier ordeal with his eyes turns on Lelouch's Geass permanently, resulting in Euphemia being Geassed into killing all the Japanese. At first, Euphemia becomes shaky, violently trying to avoid following the order, but is unable to shake it off and, taking the needle gun, leaves to follow the order. Lelouch then realizes that his Geass can't be controlled any longer, just like Mao, but obliviously becomes convinced that it was his own inaction that caused it.

Schneizel, meanwhile, talks with Bartley about upcoming plans with the Chinese Federation, and it is revealed that the two are experimenting on Jeremiah. Bartley asks what to do with the Thought Elevator, and Schneizel, with a smile on his face, notes that they will proceed work on it once Euphemia and the Zone stabilize Area 11's condition. Euphemia, meanwhile, rushes out to the stadium and requests on the loudspeakers that all the Japanese commit suicide, leaving everyone confused. When no one does so, Euphemia then orders her soldiers to kill all the Japanese present. At the same time, Zero rushes out and discovers that Euphemia ran right past Suzaku, but thinks she knocked him unconscious, as C.C. fled. He then tries to run out and stop Euphemia with words, but is held back by suspicious guards. As he tries to Geass them away, Euphemia takes the needle gun and shoots an old Japanese man in the heart, killing him. Darlton again questions her, but she proceeds to shoot him non-fatally so he won't get in her way. With that, everyone follows Euphemia's orders, and all the Japanese in the stadium begin to get killed one by one in a vicious, bloody rampage.

Eventually, Suzaku wakes up and tries to call off the attack, refusing to believe Euphemia's orders, but has one of Cornelia's Knights instead try to kill him, while the news doesn't cover the slaughter. Zero runs through the stands, trying to figure out a way to stop the massacre, when an old woman clutches his cloak and begs him to save them as their Messiah, only to die on the spot. He then makes his way backstage where Darlton confronts him and demands to know what he did to Euphemia, only to collapse unconscious. Diethard and Rakshata then get feed of the attack onto the television to get the Black Knights' actions, with Diethard gloating over the turn of events. C.C. recovers Zero and takes him inside the Gawain, where he reveals the Geass' permanence, with C.C. seemingly figuring what is going on but not telling him. Charles, meanwhile, laughs hideously over the events, and reveals he knows of Zero's identity, while Schneizel appears to put on an act and question the massacre. Cornelia makes plans to leave for the Zone while Suzaku makes contact with Lloyd and Cecile. The Kyoto House also makes preparations to leave, but the girl, whose name is revealed to be Kaguya, complains how they are saving their own skins when they should be saving the Japanese. And left with no other choice, Zero claims to the Black Knights that Euphemia created the Zone to lure the Japanese out and kill them all, and as Suzaku leaves to find Euphemia in the Lancelot, Zero gives them orders to scour the Zone's grounds, wipe out Britannian troops, and (with tears in his eyes) kill Euphemia.

Battles

 * Special Administrative Zone Massacre (Started)

Powers or Abilities used

 * Lelouch's Geass
 * Hallucinatory experience from C.C.'s Code of Immortality.

Quotes

 * "Unlike the Black Knights there is no risk in signing up for the Japan special zone." -Diethard


 * "What's wrong sir nobleman? Confusing borrowed power with your own ability is a big mistake you know. Garbage like you should simply die and be thrown out where no one..." -Lelouch interrupted by his own Geass


 * Conversation between Lelouch and Euphemia
 * "Euphy you are a fool. An amazing fool." -Lelouch
 * "I know I'm not as smart as you Lelouch. I've never been able to beat you at games or studies, however..." -Euphemia
 * "However, in your usual rash Euphy fashion you've managed to end up winning all of it. When I think of you I don't visualize a sub-viceroy or a princess. I only see the plain little Euphy who you used to be." -Lelouch
 * "Then will you join plain little Euphy and help her?" -Euphy
 * "You are, you are the worst opponent I have ever faced. You win. I'll amend my plans to help out your special zone. But, not as your subordinate all right?" -Lelouch
 * "All right. Though you haven't got very much faith in me have you? Did you honestly believe that by simply threatening me I would shoot you?" -Euphemia
 * "Oh no you've got it all wrong. When I really want people to follow my orders they will not resist me. Whether it's to shoot me, to grant pardon to Suzaku, or any order at all." -Lelouch
 * "Oh now you're being silly. Stop playing with me." -Euphemia
 * "I'm serious for example if I told you to kill all the Japanese it wouldn't matter how you felt about it." -Lelouch
 * "No! Don't make me do it please. I'm not... I'm not going to do it please! I don't want to kill them. No!" -Euphemia
 * "Did I?" -Lelouch
 * "You're right. I have to kill all the Japanese." -Euphemia
 * "I've become like Mao. I can't control my Geass power!" -Lelouch


 * "Those of you who call yourselves Japanese I have a favor to ask. Could you all die please? Um, I was hoping you would all just commit suicide but you can't can you? OK soldiers please kill the Japanese. Kill them all" -Euphemia


 * "Right in this case our only option is to exploit Euphemia to the utmost. It's the least we can do. This is my order to all Black Knights, Euphemia has become our enemy. The Specially Administrated Zone of Japan is a cowardly trap designed to lure us in. All armored autonomous battle knight units; advance on the ceremony grounds and wage an attack. Save the Japanese! Hurry!" -Lelouch


 * "Who is the one responsible for creating this situation? Who is the one to bear the sin for this grotesque tragedy? Who is the one craving for this battle? And who is the one who possesses the world? Yes I understand. But even so..." -Lelouch (Preview for the next episode)