Lelouch remains troubled over the events of the battle over the Pacific Ocean. As Nunnally is inaugurated as the new Viceroy of Area 11, he takes some solace in the fact that she is safe under the protection of Suzaku and the Britannian military, but her desire to recreate the Special Administrative Zone of Japan means that the Black Knights and Zero would only be a bane to her.
At the inauguration ceremony, Nunnally voices her intent to recreate the Special Zone. This proves highly controversial among both the Britannian government and the Elevens (including the Black Knights), the memories of Euphemia's massacre of Japanese still fresh in everyone's memories. After making the announcement, Nunnally wonders if it was wrong for Euphemia to create the Special Zone, but Suzaku assures her it wasn't her who was wrong.
Meanwhile, Lelouch comes to the conclusion that Zero, and the war he fought with Britannia, were no longer needed. Driving himself mad with grief, he wonders into an alley where a Britannian noble and some Eleven underlings are shaking down another Eleven for money to purchase Refrain. He starts using his Geass on them, making them embarrass themselves for his amusement.
Later, Kallen, worried about Zero, finds Lelouch in a development project in Shinjuku, where Zero was born, ready to inject himself with Refrain. She snatches the Refrain out of Lelouch's hand, reprimanding him for giving up after the last mission failed and asking for orders, stating she'd do anything. Lelouch suggests that she "console" him and tries to kiss her, but Kallen, frightened, slaps him across the face. Tearfully, she begs Lelouch to keep lying, to give them the dream that he promised, before running away in grief. Rolo then approaches him, suggesting he forget about his burdens, of Zero, and of Nunnally. Though he states that it's for Nunnally's sake, Rolo is attempting to coax Lelouch to forget about her so he can take her place. He explains that if they go back to living as normal students, Area 11 would finally be at peace, and that he could always be by his side.
As Kallen looks over Zero's mask, the ship that the Black Knights are aboard is stopped by a fleet of Britannian ships with Suzaku aboard, demanding the ship stop for an inspection...
Lelouch and Rolo return to Ashford. They had planned before to go on a school trip, but the other students left without them, leaving Lelouch with an "empty birdcage". To his surprise, however, fireworks begin to go off over the school grounds. Milly, Shirley, and Rivalz stayed behind to light them, not wanting to leave Lelouch behind. Shirley had also made a paper crane; although she had forgotten that Nunnally taught her how to make them, she remembered that legend said making them would make one's wish come true, with her wish being to light fireworks with her friends, for those who couldn't be there to celebrate with them, like Suzaku, Nina, and Kallen.
Lelouch thinks back to his childhood, when he, Suzaku, and Nunnally wondered what happiness would look like if given form. Suzaku said it would look like glass: although usually unnoticeable, it was always there. You just had to change your point of view slightly to see it. He begins to tear up when he thinks back to Nunnally's wish for a gentler world. He promises his friends that, one day, he'd light fireworks with them again from the school's rooftop. For now, however, there was a battle to fight...
Suzaku's forces open fire on the Black Knights. They dive in their sub, but Suzaku has them pinned down. As all hope seems lost, Zero's voice is heard over the radio. He commands the Black Knights to crash dive, firing torpedoes dead ahead and setting the detonators to go off after a brief delay before anchoring themselves to the ocean floor. The Black Knights follow the orders, and in doing, set off a massive pocket of methane gas, capsizing the fleet.
As Gino and Anya prepare to engage the Black Knights, Zero makes his appearance, riding on the Vincent, and makes a shocking announcement: he, and the Black Knights, would participate in the Special Zone!
