As Cornelia discusses with her cabinet measures to be taken against the Black Knights, the Kyoto Group discuss their own troubles: the destruction of the JLF's base in Narita has struck a massive blow to the rebellion, and Tohdoh is missing. Their youngest member of the group, Kaguya Sumeragi, believes that there is still hope: the Black Knights.
At school, Shirley receives tickets to a concert as a present from her father. She notices that Lelouch and Kallen are absent, and voices her worries over this with Milly, who tells her to simply be frank about her feelings for her beloved "Lulu". Lelouch arrives, claiming to have stayed home to care for Nunnally. While picking up some papers, he accidentally takes Shirley's tickets. Shirley takes the opportunity to give Lelouch one of the tickets, asking him out on a date. Afterwards, she receives a phone call...
That evening, at the Black Knights' mobile base, Lelouch wonders why Shirley would ask him out on a date. Zero then receives a letter from Kyoto, requesting a meeting: earning the support of Kyoto would secure funding for the Black Knights, making up for deficits caused largely by Tamaki's reckless spending. Tensions brew as Tamaki resents being asked to show he can be trustworthy by a man who hides behind a mask, until Kallen reminds him that Zero produces results, which is what matters most.
After Lelouch returns home, Nunnally asks for him. Nunnally worries that Lelouch is being more distant from him. Lelouch assures her that he would always be by her side.
The following day, Lelouch asks C.C. for a favor, in regards to the Black Knights' trip to Kyoto. When C.C. brings up Shirley's date, Lelouch states he was planning to cancel. Shirley calls him first, however: she tells him she'll be late, due to a side trip she has to make to Narita...
At Narita, Suzaku is continuing to recover from the traumatic experience he had during the battle there. He asks Lloyd what the Black Knights hope to accomplish, and takes issue with his answer that they claim to be "knights of justice", since their version of "justice" resulted in countless innocent deaths from the landslide they caused. Afterwards, Lloyd and Cecile discuss the weapon used by the Black Knights' custom Knightmare: the Radiant Wave Surger, which had been created by Lloyd's intellectual rival, Rakshata Chawla.
Zero, along with Kallen, Ohgi, and Tamaki, meet with the Kyoto Group. To their surprise, they are based on Mount Fuji, right on top of the Sakuradite mines. The leader of the Kyoto group hides his identity, much like Zero does. However, he demands Zero show his face before he can give him his support. When Ohgi removes Zero's masks on his orders, everyone is shocked to find that Zero is a woman! Kallen, however, recognizes her from after the Battle of Narita. Likewise, C.C. identifies the leader of Kyoto as Taizo Kirihara. Before Kirihara's guards can execute the Black Knights, however, one of the Knightmares guarding him turns on the others. The Knightmare had been commandeered by Zero, who reveals that he is not Japanese, shocking the Black Knights.
Zero then reveals his identity to Kirihara, who recognizes Lelouch from when he was a young child, forced into political exile in Japan with his sister Nunnally, and taking up shelter with the Kururugi family. With this, Kirihara throws his full support behind the Black Knights, and explains to Ohgi that Zero is a sworn enemy of Britannia, thus he has good reason to hide his identity.
When Lelouch arrives at the concert hall after his trip to Kyoto, he sees Shirley standing in the rain. She asks him one question: if Zero stands for the weak, why did he kill her father? Realizing that Shirley's father died because of his actions at Narita, Lelouch is shaken to his core. Shirley suddenly throws herself into Lelouch's arms, and kisses him...
