{ canon info }
This is the translated and pharaphrased Knights novel concerning Gino, Anya & Suzaku as originally posted in code_geass!
The rules of the Britannian Empire were simple: those with strength rose, while those without fell. Gino thought it was a world that suited him. How else could a mere fourth son, even of a distinguished noble family, earn a place in the imperial knighthood at his age?
( The opening paragraphs set Gino's POV and relate a little about his background. He was raised in a separate estate from his parents, and compares his childhood to being a caged bird. He earned his current position on his own merit, and while many people defer to him now, he's not interested in the nobles' flattery. Gino only recognizes those who are "weak" like himself.
It's a dark and stormy cloudy night. EU soldiers guarding a mountain fortress sound the alarm as they see what appears to be a Britannian stealth fighter approach. It is, of course, Tristan, and they fail to shoot it down and get rather confused when it lands, transforms, and starts tearing into their defenses. Recognizing the Tristan as belonging to the KoR, the EU soldiers quickly panic. )
The youth in the cockpit had blue eyes and fine, sculpted features. The fabric of his pilot suit framed a lean, lithe body with the grace of a predatory cat.
( The narration pauses briefly to serenade Gino's prettiness. Gino himself is a little bored with the one-sided combat, but goes on to wrap it up fairly quickly as Anya arrives (cue more panic from EU soldiers). They're familiar at fighting together, Mordred using its large cannons to bombard the fort while Tristan flies around taking out the defensive batteries. )
"Rabbit," answered the girl, matter-of-factly. Her voice was melodic, but lacked any semblance of emotion. "Running away down the mountain."
( As the EU fortress gets destroyed, Anya stops to take a picture of a rabbit. )
"Taking pictures is a hobby of yours, isn't it?"
Anya shook her head. "No. This is a record. Of me."
-
The age of Britannia... there could be no other way to describe their world.
( Narration goes on a bit about Britannia and its expansionist policy. Britannia encompasses one third of the globe, but most of the empire's territories had been acquired during the reign of the current Emperor, Charles di Britannia. Although the Empire suffered setbacks such as the Black Rebellion of Area 11, its grandeur remained undaunted. The Chinese Federation had begun to court its power, and even the democratic EU was slowly losing its territories. The KoR are the foremost symbols of that vast power, and although they themselves were not nearly the gods of death that their enemies perceived them as, that perception remained as a mark of these twisted times.
Gino and Anya arrive back at Britannia in a charter plane. Gino wants to head off on his own, but Anya reminds him that they have to report to Beatrice. Neither of them are particularly enthusiastic about the idea. )
"We went, we fought, we won, and we came back. Isn't that good enough?"
For the first time since their arrival, Anya looked up from her cell phone. "I think it is."
"See? In that case---"
"My opinion. Don't know hers."
Gino sighed, running his hands messily through hair like spun gold. "I just... don't know how to deal with her. Instinctively."
"Same."
( Anya is bad at writing paperwork, but refuses Gino's offer of help because she feels returning the favor would be messy. The narration agrees. )
-
A vase of Florist's Cinerarias decorated the window of the spacious office. The blossoms were turned outward towards the sun, their large, red petals shining vibrantly beneath the brilliant light. They meant... "eternally cheerful", mused Gino, from his seat on the sofa. It wasn't an accurate description, at least not of the lady who owned the office.
( The KoR report to Beatrice Phalanx, the Secretary General and duchess in charge of the KoR and all security matters relating to the Emperor. She's described as a long-haired, stern woman in her late twenties, wearing a severe dress reminiscent of a nun's habit and frameless spectacles. Beatrice goes over their report, noting that the EU wouldn't be able to move against Britannia anytime soon as they've lost their fortress in the Middle East and had their Baltic supply line of Sakuradite cut off. Prince Schneizel's proposed ground invasion can begin soon. )
"The one who worked hard for these results was Prince Schneizel, not you, Knight of Three."
( Gino tries to wrangle a vacation on account of the victory, but Beatrice coldly turns him down and says that their results came from Schneizel's careful planning. Schneizel spent four years sowing dissent among the EU member states, taking advantage of minority opinions, and engaging in general politicking and rabble-rousing to unsettle the EU. While Anya doesn't express her emotions very much, Gino thinks that Beatrice is just cold-blooded, and it's a pity because she's not bad looking.
Beatrice looks over their reports and tells Anya to resubmit hers because it's unclear. She then gives them orders to be on guard at the palace. Gino tries to ask whether there's been some sort of threat of terrorism, but Beatrice isn't in a mood to chat. )
"The Rounds exist for the sake of the Emperor. Pieces on a board need not concern themselves with the greater picture."
( Apparently the Knight of One usually commands the KoR, but in his absence the Emperor has given that right to Beatrice as their manager, so no amount of whining is going to get them out of it. As they're about to leave, Beatrice hands Gino a sealed envelope. )
"I have a bad feeling about this..."
"Correct." Beatrice's voice was cold as always. "I have a favor to ask of you."
-
( Gino and Anya discuss Beatrice a bit. Apparently she used to be a KoR, known as the "Lost Sword", but retired and now focuses exclusively on desk work. Neither of them have seen her in a KMF, but Anya says Nonette (the Knight of Nine, Cornelia's sempai) has. Apparently Nonette has had a practice fight against Beatrice, and her comment afterwards was "I wanted to die." )
"Change places?"
Anya's monotone changed suddenly to one of anticipation. She raised her eyes from her cell phone and looked up at Gino, her mouth curved in a rare smile.
( Gino's been asked to duel with the new Knight of Seven in an exhibition match, and Anya offers to take his place in the duel. He declines, as the opponent KMF is melee and Mordred would be imbalanced for the fight. Anya says "boring" and her smile disappears. )
"Lancelot. ...Lancelot, huh? That's some arrogant name." A hint of mischieviousness crept into Gino's smile. "Well, I guess hazing the spunky newcomer is one of the duties of a senior knight. After all, a match in front of His Majesty is something of a rite of passage."
( Anya asks bluntly whether the Emperor is coming too. Gino sighs at her lack of mastery of formal language. )
-
( Narration goes on a bit about the KoR. While there are twelve seats in the KoR, not all of them are filled. Although filling the seats added to the authority of the Emperor and was normally fairly unremarkable, the fact that it was not only an Honorary Britannian but also the Knight of the Massacre Princess that was promoted caught Gino's interest. Regardless of his former master's reputation, however, the fact that Kururgi Suzaku was an Honorary Britannian was in and itself unprecedented. )
Yet another oddball.
As one might assume from looking at Anya, many of the Rounds were people who weren't exactly normal. That number probably included himself, although Gino didn't really want to admit it. In addition, Gino had few of the prejudices that citizens of the Empire held for the Numbers, a rare trait in a knight of noble birth. Occasionally there were aristocrats who thought that way, not out of any sense of humanitarian principles, but because of their outgoing personalities. They were simply carefree enough that the color of someone's blood mattered not at all.
( The fact that the new KoR was a Number just made Gino curious rather than repulsed, and he wonders if the new member would be strong or weak. )
-
( The match is held in a large stadium outside of the capital. "Jousting Matches" were a tradition of the Britannian Empire, which hadn't changed when the weapons of their knights turned from spears and swords to Knightmare Frames. Gino observes the Lancelot in the arena and notes that it looks better than the pictures he's seen. He's changed into a pilot suit (custom tailored for his unusual height) in preparation for the match. He notes that the Lancelot was the one who single-handedly ended the Black Rebellion and captured Zero. Beatrice, on the other hand, attributes it to the Area 11 military forces and Princess Cornelia, and thinks that a single KMF can't possibly decide the outcome of a battle on its own. She's not terribly impressed with either the Lancelot or the Emperor's decision to promote an Eleven to the KoR. )
"I will not have you disgrace the honor of the Knight of Rounds and the Britannian Empire. I will personally see that you are punished if you lose."
( Beatrice takes her leave to see to security matters. Gino asks Anya, who's in her KoR uniform, whether Beatrice doesn't like the Lancelot or Knight of Seven for some reason, but Anya says that Beatrice is just like that to everyone. Anya's role is to guard the Emperor (without her KMF), so one assumes she's able to fight without a mecha. )
"Don't start slashing again just because you don't recognize a new maid now."
-
( Jousting between KMFs follows a set of predetermined rules. Each combatant is allowed the use of two weapons, specially coated to not deal real damage, and the KMF are outfitted with shock sensitive panels that register hits. Assault rifles and weapons with a range of more than 400 meters are forbidden. Points are registered when sufficient impact is applied to one of the shock panels, and the first combatant to score 5 points wins. If neither scores 5 points in the time allotted, the higher score wins, and the referee decides if the scores are even. Range-focused KMF like the Mordred would be at a disadvantage with these rules, so limited exceptions are made for those types of units. Being an exhibition match, Tristan is also not allowed to transform to flight mode.
Gino selects Slash Harkens and a halberd (not the double-ended whatever-it-is that Tristan usually fights with). He doesn't use a shield because he has absolute confidence in avoiding the opponent's attacks, and is amused when he sees that the Lancelot also selects Slash Harkens and a long sword.
The announcer introduces the combatants. While Gino gets a lot of applause due to being popular for his skills, rank, and appearance, most of the nobles aren't particularly impressed with Suzaku, though they don't quite dare to boo him in front of the Emperor. Suzaku exits the cockpit to bow to the Emperor and his opponent, and Gino thinks that he looked about the same age as Anya, probably due to the racial differences. )
"I'm sorry, but I'm not in the habit of shaking hands with someone I'm about to pound into the dirt."
( Gino pretends to be an arrogant little brat by refusing to come out and greet Suzaku according to custom, intending to test his reaction. The Emperor allows the breach of etiquette, and Gino is intrigued when he sees Suzaku return to the Lancelot without getting angry. )
His expression was calm, and Gino could see no hint of anger or antagonism in the boy's eyes. In fact, he seemed to be missing something... something fundamental to a human being."
( Gino thinks his opponent has "passed" his initial evaluation, and gets on with the fight. )
-
( Trying to paraphrase the peculiar philosophy in the following bit would make my brain explode, so here's a direct translation. )
Although it seemed self-contradictory, Gino believed that only weak people were qualified to be knights.
Fight the strong to save the weak? Protect their liege for the sake of great justice? Lead the people and give them hope?
Nothing more than rhetoric. At the end of the day, a knight's purpose was to kill. The better the knight the more people he killed, both on and off the battlefield. A knight was a murderer who climbed to victory atop a mountain of bloody corpses. Whateve rhetoric he may adhere to did not change the fundamental facts of his actions.
Gino thought that "strong" people were not fit to be killers. A "strong" person could not fail to realize the absolute evil in his actions, and, coming to that realization, must fight against it. Whereas a "weak" man might realize the evil in his actions, but choose instead to ignore it. A "weak" man would fabricate excuses and justifications to escape from his responsibility. It was the mission, it was chivalry, it was the command of his liege lord, it was war - anything to justify himself in his own mind. And so...
It was ironic, thought Gino, that the Rounds, known as the strongest knights of the Empire, were on one level a collection of the "weakest" people in Britannian. Their only recourse for escaping the weight of the tens of thousands of lives that they took, had taken, and would take in the future was to make excuses for themselves. None of them voiced these excuses, of course, but they made them nevertheless - if only to themselves, even on a subconscious level. A person was able to kill not because they were "strong", but because they were "weak". Weak enough to make a path to escape within their own mind, as the "strong" could not do.
( While the Emperor always goes on about weak people being useless to the Empire, Gino thinks that Curly fully realizes the irony of his speech, and is actually using it cynically. Either way, Gino is uninterested in "strong" people because they live in a completely different world, and expresses interest in Suzaku because he seems to be one of the "weak". He has a brief flashback to a girl who, long ago, said "You're strong, aren't you?". )
-
( Gino makes a few passes at Lancelot, testing his defenses, and realizes that Lancelot has slightly better melee capabilities than Tristan. Each of the Rounds' KMFs is assigned an R&D team that focuses on different aspects of the KMF, and Lancelot's team just happens to have better melee tech than Tristan's. While slight differences could be covered by piloting skill, Gino lost two points when he was a little careless testing Lancelot's defenses. He notes that Lancelot fights with a graceful swordsmanship style he's not familiar with, but appears to be too disciplined to be self-taught (go kendo?). )
I suppose there are people who would make an art of killing everywhere.
( Impressed by his opponent's skills, Gino laughs out loud with his external speakers on, which earns him a confused "huh?" from Suzaku. He then declares that he's going to make seven attacks. )
"A decent knight can dodge up to three. Rounds, definitely up to five. After that..."
A moment of silence, before the question came from Lancelot. "And after that...?"
"Only god knows!" ( [note: "kami", used as a generic expression and not actually naming any particular gods, don't draw any conclusions from this] )
( Gino announces that he's finally going to Get Serious and launches into a rush of very fast attacks. )
The stadium and clouds vanished behind him in slow motion. The only sound he could hear was his own heartbeat, its rhythm strong but slow as a lullaby. This was their world, a world in which no instant passed without notice and perception of time itself changed, gifting them with infinite possibilities in the span of a single breath.
( Trying to translate the action well enough to make it look good would take way more time than I have, so the simplified version is: 1) slash with halberd 2) roundhouse kick 3) high slash 4) shoulder tackle 5) Slash Harken 6) straight thrust 7) horizontal slash. Lancelot parries all of Tristan's attacks, though Suzaku winds up seriously off-balance, but he recovers enough to have them end up hitting each other with their weapons at the same time after the seventh pass, Lancelot's sword striking Tristan in the chest and Tristan's halberd hitting Lancelot in the side. )
"...we were going too soft, hmm?"
"..."
"Though really, that's just right for people with swords, don't you think?" ( [I fail at capturing the subtleties of this, but the gist seems to be that Gino thinks it'd be better if knights could just fight competitively instead of to kill. See conversation below] )
( The KMFs freeze in their mutual kill pose as the siren goes off that signals the end of the time limit. )
-
"...I'm sorry, Cecile-san."
( In the Lancelot's hangar, Suzaku is a sad little boy as Cecile chews him out for over-stressing the Lancelot's propulsion systems. She says it was irresponsible for him to put that much stress on his KMF for just an exhibition match, although she admits that it was Tristan that started attacking past the level of "practice" first. Suzaku apologizes anyway, for rising to the bait. )
"No, it's my fault. I responded to his challenge and got carried away."
( Nevertheless, both Cecile and Lloyd (who isn't actually physically present) are pleased with the results, as Suzaku was able to tie the Knight of Three, generally considered one of the best knights in the Empire, in a straight fight. )
"...no, that was probably because..."
"He went easy on you."
( Their conversation is interrupted by Anya, who appears in the hangar. She analyzed the fight, saying Gino purposely did not take an opening he could have scored on. And that Suzaku had done the same. She asks why. Suzaku is spared having to answer by the sudden appearance of Gino himself, who wastes no time in hanging himself off of Suzaku's shoulder (see anime opening, Ep2, and Ep5. Also note that this is the first time they meet in person).
The ending is somewhat amusing, so I'll just translate that bit straight: )
"Er... huh...?"
"Well then, welcome party! You are, of course, the guest of honor, so you'll come, right?"
"Umm... L-Lord Weinberg...?"
"Gaah! Too stiff! It's Gino! Gino! Even if we've got numbers, there's no rank difference in the Rounds, okay?" Ignoring Suzaku's utter confusion, Gino continued talking enthusiastically.
"Match is three to one. Gino lost," said Anya, who had been watching the proceedings impassively. "Beatrice is really angry."
Gino's broad shoulders twitched.
"A-alright then, let's go! I'll have my cook make dinner. You good with Britannian food, Su-za-ku?" ( [note: Suzaku's name is in emphasis. See Ep 5. I don't think they have enough exclamation marks or heart emoticons to describe it properly in text.] )
"...er, um, yes? I- I mean, wait-"
"Ahh, that was an awesome match! Great exercise! But it's a little tiring, isn't it? Makes you want to spend a couple days relaxing, right Suzaku?"
"But I have a report to writ- mmmphhh!!"
Clapping a hand over Suzaku's mouth to muffle his protests, Gino dragged the bewildered boy from the hangar, leaving a stunned Cecile to stare after them in astonishment. Beside her, Anya, her expression unreadable as always, murmured, "Escaped."
As Cecile tried to make sense of the situation, Anya slipped up quietly next to her and took her hand.
"...um?"
"Come."
"Y-yes?"
"Hard to stop angry Beatrice by myself. You. Shield."
"Um? Wait, shield!? But!"
Pulling Cecile along despite her protests, Anya strode from the hangar through a different door. The Knightmare Frame Lancelot quietly watched them go.
The rules of the Britannian Empire were simple: those with strength rose, while those without fell. Gino thought it was a world that suited him. How else could a mere fourth son, even of a distinguished noble family, earn a place in the imperial knighthood at his age?
( The opening paragraphs set Gino's POV and relate a little about his background. He was raised in a separate estate from his parents, and compares his childhood to being a caged bird. He earned his current position on his own merit, and while many people defer to him now, he's not interested in the nobles' flattery. Gino only recognizes those who are "weak" like himself.
It's a dark and stormy cloudy night. EU soldiers guarding a mountain fortress sound the alarm as they see what appears to be a Britannian stealth fighter approach. It is, of course, Tristan, and they fail to shoot it down and get rather confused when it lands, transforms, and starts tearing into their defenses. Recognizing the Tristan as belonging to the KoR, the EU soldiers quickly panic. )
The youth in the cockpit had blue eyes and fine, sculpted features. The fabric of his pilot suit framed a lean, lithe body with the grace of a predatory cat.
( The narration pauses briefly to serenade Gino's prettiness. Gino himself is a little bored with the one-sided combat, but goes on to wrap it up fairly quickly as Anya arrives (cue more panic from EU soldiers). They're familiar at fighting together, Mordred using its large cannons to bombard the fort while Tristan flies around taking out the defensive batteries. )
"Rabbit," answered the girl, matter-of-factly. Her voice was melodic, but lacked any semblance of emotion. "Running away down the mountain."
( As the EU fortress gets destroyed, Anya stops to take a picture of a rabbit. )
"Taking pictures is a hobby of yours, isn't it?"
Anya shook her head. "No. This is a record. Of me."
-
The age of Britannia... there could be no other way to describe their world.
( Narration goes on a bit about Britannia and its expansionist policy. Britannia encompasses one third of the globe, but most of the empire's territories had been acquired during the reign of the current Emperor, Charles di Britannia. Although the Empire suffered setbacks such as the Black Rebellion of Area 11, its grandeur remained undaunted. The Chinese Federation had begun to court its power, and even the democratic EU was slowly losing its territories. The KoR are the foremost symbols of that vast power, and although they themselves were not nearly the gods of death that their enemies perceived them as, that perception remained as a mark of these twisted times.
Gino and Anya arrive back at Britannia in a charter plane. Gino wants to head off on his own, but Anya reminds him that they have to report to Beatrice. Neither of them are particularly enthusiastic about the idea. )
"We went, we fought, we won, and we came back. Isn't that good enough?"
For the first time since their arrival, Anya looked up from her cell phone. "I think it is."
"See? In that case---"
"My opinion. Don't know hers."
Gino sighed, running his hands messily through hair like spun gold. "I just... don't know how to deal with her. Instinctively."
"Same."
( Anya is bad at writing paperwork, but refuses Gino's offer of help because she feels returning the favor would be messy. The narration agrees. )
-
A vase of Florist's Cinerarias decorated the window of the spacious office. The blossoms were turned outward towards the sun, their large, red petals shining vibrantly beneath the brilliant light. They meant... "eternally cheerful", mused Gino, from his seat on the sofa. It wasn't an accurate description, at least not of the lady who owned the office.
( The KoR report to Beatrice Phalanx, the Secretary General and duchess in charge of the KoR and all security matters relating to the Emperor. She's described as a long-haired, stern woman in her late twenties, wearing a severe dress reminiscent of a nun's habit and frameless spectacles. Beatrice goes over their report, noting that the EU wouldn't be able to move against Britannia anytime soon as they've lost their fortress in the Middle East and had their Baltic supply line of Sakuradite cut off. Prince Schneizel's proposed ground invasion can begin soon. )
"The one who worked hard for these results was Prince Schneizel, not you, Knight of Three."
( Gino tries to wrangle a vacation on account of the victory, but Beatrice coldly turns him down and says that their results came from Schneizel's careful planning. Schneizel spent four years sowing dissent among the EU member states, taking advantage of minority opinions, and engaging in general politicking and rabble-rousing to unsettle the EU. While Anya doesn't express her emotions very much, Gino thinks that Beatrice is just cold-blooded, and it's a pity because she's not bad looking.
Beatrice looks over their reports and tells Anya to resubmit hers because it's unclear. She then gives them orders to be on guard at the palace. Gino tries to ask whether there's been some sort of threat of terrorism, but Beatrice isn't in a mood to chat. )
"The Rounds exist for the sake of the Emperor. Pieces on a board need not concern themselves with the greater picture."
( Apparently the Knight of One usually commands the KoR, but in his absence the Emperor has given that right to Beatrice as their manager, so no amount of whining is going to get them out of it. As they're about to leave, Beatrice hands Gino a sealed envelope. )
"I have a bad feeling about this..."
"Correct." Beatrice's voice was cold as always. "I have a favor to ask of you."
-
( Gino and Anya discuss Beatrice a bit. Apparently she used to be a KoR, known as the "Lost Sword", but retired and now focuses exclusively on desk work. Neither of them have seen her in a KMF, but Anya says Nonette (the Knight of Nine, Cornelia's sempai) has. Apparently Nonette has had a practice fight against Beatrice, and her comment afterwards was "I wanted to die." )
"Change places?"
Anya's monotone changed suddenly to one of anticipation. She raised her eyes from her cell phone and looked up at Gino, her mouth curved in a rare smile.
( Gino's been asked to duel with the new Knight of Seven in an exhibition match, and Anya offers to take his place in the duel. He declines, as the opponent KMF is melee and Mordred would be imbalanced for the fight. Anya says "boring" and her smile disappears. )
"Lancelot. ...Lancelot, huh? That's some arrogant name." A hint of mischieviousness crept into Gino's smile. "Well, I guess hazing the spunky newcomer is one of the duties of a senior knight. After all, a match in front of His Majesty is something of a rite of passage."
( Anya asks bluntly whether the Emperor is coming too. Gino sighs at her lack of mastery of formal language. )
-
( Narration goes on a bit about the KoR. While there are twelve seats in the KoR, not all of them are filled. Although filling the seats added to the authority of the Emperor and was normally fairly unremarkable, the fact that it was not only an Honorary Britannian but also the Knight of the Massacre Princess that was promoted caught Gino's interest. Regardless of his former master's reputation, however, the fact that Kururgi Suzaku was an Honorary Britannian was in and itself unprecedented. )
Yet another oddball.
As one might assume from looking at Anya, many of the Rounds were people who weren't exactly normal. That number probably included himself, although Gino didn't really want to admit it. In addition, Gino had few of the prejudices that citizens of the Empire held for the Numbers, a rare trait in a knight of noble birth. Occasionally there were aristocrats who thought that way, not out of any sense of humanitarian principles, but because of their outgoing personalities. They were simply carefree enough that the color of someone's blood mattered not at all.
( The fact that the new KoR was a Number just made Gino curious rather than repulsed, and he wonders if the new member would be strong or weak. )
-
( The match is held in a large stadium outside of the capital. "Jousting Matches" were a tradition of the Britannian Empire, which hadn't changed when the weapons of their knights turned from spears and swords to Knightmare Frames. Gino observes the Lancelot in the arena and notes that it looks better than the pictures he's seen. He's changed into a pilot suit (custom tailored for his unusual height) in preparation for the match. He notes that the Lancelot was the one who single-handedly ended the Black Rebellion and captured Zero. Beatrice, on the other hand, attributes it to the Area 11 military forces and Princess Cornelia, and thinks that a single KMF can't possibly decide the outcome of a battle on its own. She's not terribly impressed with either the Lancelot or the Emperor's decision to promote an Eleven to the KoR. )
"I will not have you disgrace the honor of the Knight of Rounds and the Britannian Empire. I will personally see that you are punished if you lose."
( Beatrice takes her leave to see to security matters. Gino asks Anya, who's in her KoR uniform, whether Beatrice doesn't like the Lancelot or Knight of Seven for some reason, but Anya says that Beatrice is just like that to everyone. Anya's role is to guard the Emperor (without her KMF), so one assumes she's able to fight without a mecha. )
"Don't start slashing again just because you don't recognize a new maid now."
-
( Jousting between KMFs follows a set of predetermined rules. Each combatant is allowed the use of two weapons, specially coated to not deal real damage, and the KMF are outfitted with shock sensitive panels that register hits. Assault rifles and weapons with a range of more than 400 meters are forbidden. Points are registered when sufficient impact is applied to one of the shock panels, and the first combatant to score 5 points wins. If neither scores 5 points in the time allotted, the higher score wins, and the referee decides if the scores are even. Range-focused KMF like the Mordred would be at a disadvantage with these rules, so limited exceptions are made for those types of units. Being an exhibition match, Tristan is also not allowed to transform to flight mode.
Gino selects Slash Harkens and a halberd (not the double-ended whatever-it-is that Tristan usually fights with). He doesn't use a shield because he has absolute confidence in avoiding the opponent's attacks, and is amused when he sees that the Lancelot also selects Slash Harkens and a long sword.
The announcer introduces the combatants. While Gino gets a lot of applause due to being popular for his skills, rank, and appearance, most of the nobles aren't particularly impressed with Suzaku, though they don't quite dare to boo him in front of the Emperor. Suzaku exits the cockpit to bow to the Emperor and his opponent, and Gino thinks that he looked about the same age as Anya, probably due to the racial differences. )
"I'm sorry, but I'm not in the habit of shaking hands with someone I'm about to pound into the dirt."
( Gino pretends to be an arrogant little brat by refusing to come out and greet Suzaku according to custom, intending to test his reaction. The Emperor allows the breach of etiquette, and Gino is intrigued when he sees Suzaku return to the Lancelot without getting angry. )
His expression was calm, and Gino could see no hint of anger or antagonism in the boy's eyes. In fact, he seemed to be missing something... something fundamental to a human being."
( Gino thinks his opponent has "passed" his initial evaluation, and gets on with the fight. )
-
( Trying to paraphrase the peculiar philosophy in the following bit would make my brain explode, so here's a direct translation. )
Although it seemed self-contradictory, Gino believed that only weak people were qualified to be knights.
Fight the strong to save the weak? Protect their liege for the sake of great justice? Lead the people and give them hope?
Nothing more than rhetoric. At the end of the day, a knight's purpose was to kill. The better the knight the more people he killed, both on and off the battlefield. A knight was a murderer who climbed to victory atop a mountain of bloody corpses. Whateve rhetoric he may adhere to did not change the fundamental facts of his actions.
Gino thought that "strong" people were not fit to be killers. A "strong" person could not fail to realize the absolute evil in his actions, and, coming to that realization, must fight against it. Whereas a "weak" man might realize the evil in his actions, but choose instead to ignore it. A "weak" man would fabricate excuses and justifications to escape from his responsibility. It was the mission, it was chivalry, it was the command of his liege lord, it was war - anything to justify himself in his own mind. And so...
It was ironic, thought Gino, that the Rounds, known as the strongest knights of the Empire, were on one level a collection of the "weakest" people in Britannian. Their only recourse for escaping the weight of the tens of thousands of lives that they took, had taken, and would take in the future was to make excuses for themselves. None of them voiced these excuses, of course, but they made them nevertheless - if only to themselves, even on a subconscious level. A person was able to kill not because they were "strong", but because they were "weak". Weak enough to make a path to escape within their own mind, as the "strong" could not do.
( While the Emperor always goes on about weak people being useless to the Empire, Gino thinks that Curly fully realizes the irony of his speech, and is actually using it cynically. Either way, Gino is uninterested in "strong" people because they live in a completely different world, and expresses interest in Suzaku because he seems to be one of the "weak". He has a brief flashback to a girl who, long ago, said "You're strong, aren't you?". )
-
( Gino makes a few passes at Lancelot, testing his defenses, and realizes that Lancelot has slightly better melee capabilities than Tristan. Each of the Rounds' KMFs is assigned an R&D team that focuses on different aspects of the KMF, and Lancelot's team just happens to have better melee tech than Tristan's. While slight differences could be covered by piloting skill, Gino lost two points when he was a little careless testing Lancelot's defenses. He notes that Lancelot fights with a graceful swordsmanship style he's not familiar with, but appears to be too disciplined to be self-taught (go kendo?). )
I suppose there are people who would make an art of killing everywhere.
( Impressed by his opponent's skills, Gino laughs out loud with his external speakers on, which earns him a confused "huh?" from Suzaku. He then declares that he's going to make seven attacks. )
"A decent knight can dodge up to three. Rounds, definitely up to five. After that..."
A moment of silence, before the question came from Lancelot. "And after that...?"
"Only god knows!" ( [note: "kami", used as a generic expression and not actually naming any particular gods, don't draw any conclusions from this] )
( Gino announces that he's finally going to Get Serious and launches into a rush of very fast attacks. )
The stadium and clouds vanished behind him in slow motion. The only sound he could hear was his own heartbeat, its rhythm strong but slow as a lullaby. This was their world, a world in which no instant passed without notice and perception of time itself changed, gifting them with infinite possibilities in the span of a single breath.
( Trying to translate the action well enough to make it look good would take way more time than I have, so the simplified version is: 1) slash with halberd 2) roundhouse kick 3) high slash 4) shoulder tackle 5) Slash Harken 6) straight thrust 7) horizontal slash. Lancelot parries all of Tristan's attacks, though Suzaku winds up seriously off-balance, but he recovers enough to have them end up hitting each other with their weapons at the same time after the seventh pass, Lancelot's sword striking Tristan in the chest and Tristan's halberd hitting Lancelot in the side. )
"...we were going too soft, hmm?"
"..."
"Though really, that's just right for people with swords, don't you think?" ( [I fail at capturing the subtleties of this, but the gist seems to be that Gino thinks it'd be better if knights could just fight competitively instead of to kill. See conversation below] )
( The KMFs freeze in their mutual kill pose as the siren goes off that signals the end of the time limit. )
-
"...I'm sorry, Cecile-san."
( In the Lancelot's hangar, Suzaku is a sad little boy as Cecile chews him out for over-stressing the Lancelot's propulsion systems. She says it was irresponsible for him to put that much stress on his KMF for just an exhibition match, although she admits that it was Tristan that started attacking past the level of "practice" first. Suzaku apologizes anyway, for rising to the bait. )
"No, it's my fault. I responded to his challenge and got carried away."
( Nevertheless, both Cecile and Lloyd (who isn't actually physically present) are pleased with the results, as Suzaku was able to tie the Knight of Three, generally considered one of the best knights in the Empire, in a straight fight. )
"...no, that was probably because..."
"He went easy on you."
( Their conversation is interrupted by Anya, who appears in the hangar. She analyzed the fight, saying Gino purposely did not take an opening he could have scored on. And that Suzaku had done the same. She asks why. Suzaku is spared having to answer by the sudden appearance of Gino himself, who wastes no time in hanging himself off of Suzaku's shoulder (see anime opening, Ep2, and Ep5. Also note that this is the first time they meet in person).
The ending is somewhat amusing, so I'll just translate that bit straight: )
"Er... huh...?"
"Well then, welcome party! You are, of course, the guest of honor, so you'll come, right?"
"Umm... L-Lord Weinberg...?"
"Gaah! Too stiff! It's Gino! Gino! Even if we've got numbers, there's no rank difference in the Rounds, okay?" Ignoring Suzaku's utter confusion, Gino continued talking enthusiastically.
"Match is three to one. Gino lost," said Anya, who had been watching the proceedings impassively. "Beatrice is really angry."
Gino's broad shoulders twitched.
"A-alright then, let's go! I'll have my cook make dinner. You good with Britannian food, Su-za-ku?" ( [note: Suzaku's name is in emphasis. See Ep 5. I don't think they have enough exclamation marks or heart emoticons to describe it properly in text.] )
"...er, um, yes? I- I mean, wait-"
"Ahh, that was an awesome match! Great exercise! But it's a little tiring, isn't it? Makes you want to spend a couple days relaxing, right Suzaku?"
"But I have a report to writ- mmmphhh!!"
Clapping a hand over Suzaku's mouth to muffle his protests, Gino dragged the bewildered boy from the hangar, leaving a stunned Cecile to stare after them in astonishment. Beside her, Anya, her expression unreadable as always, murmured, "Escaped."
As Cecile tried to make sense of the situation, Anya slipped up quietly next to her and took her hand.
"...um?"
"Come."
"Y-yes?"
"Hard to stop angry Beatrice by myself. You. Shield."
"Um? Wait, shield!? But!"
Pulling Cecile along despite her protests, Anya strode from the hangar through a different door. The Knightmare Frame Lancelot quietly watched them go.