[TRANSLATED] CODE GEASS: Lelouch of the Re;surrection (Chapter 2)

[rainfall]

Original Scans: courtesy of Comic NewType

SFX
<vrrrr>

RESISTANCE LEADER (BANDOU)
It's true that Lelouch's death
gave the world a chance to start anew...

RESISTANCE LEADER
But!
Zero is still at the center of the new world order!

RESISTANCE LEADER
He murdered Col. Kusakabe, who was only trying to free Japan,
when he could have united with us!

RESISTANCE LEADER
As a result, we lost Maj. Katase—
—and were forced underground, where we've been hiding ever since.
But that all ends today.

RESISTANCE LEADER
Thanks to this braconidae, our names will go down in history!

SFX
<shing—>

RESISTANCE SOLDIERS
<Yeah—!>

SFX
<slide>

RESISTANCE LEADER
Let's remind Zero who we are...
with a prick from this needle!

RESISTANCE LEADER
Cheers!

SFX
<gulp>

SFX
<shatter!>

SFX
<vrrr>

ASAHINA
<♪>

ASAHINA
<♫ ♪>

SFX
<jingle>

SFX
<close>

SIGN
cafe
ZERO
(Seeking Part-Timers!)

ASAHINA
How's it going?
I'll have the usual!

TAMAKI
Sure thing!
Just a sec.

TV BROADCAST (MILLY)
As we enter Kouwa 2¹, the first post-war reform...

TV SCREEN
Topic: As we ener Kouwa 2, the first post-war reform of the education system...

ASAHINA
Man, it's only been like six months,
but we're already in the second year of the Kouwa era².
I don't think it's totally hit me yet. You know?

TAMAKI
I feel you...

TAMKI
But I could get used to this.
We've all got the chance to really live now!
<Ouch, ouch—>

TV BROADCAST (MILLY)
And at the same time, reconstruction projects are being carried out one after the other
to heal the remaining scars from the war.

TAMAKI
We quit the Black Knights, sure, but you can't just be aimless, you gotta live a little, man!
Like me!

ASAHINA
Hmph.
I live plenty, I'm a musician and I play tennis... I'm keeping busy!

TAMAKI
Kinda sounds like you're just messing around, but...
Here you go, our breakfast special. Sorry 'bout the wait.

ASAHINA
<munch>
Oh!

ASAHINA
It's one of Villetta's old students.

TV BROADCAST (MILLY)
Today, the United Federation of Nations' Supreme Council will hold its meeting at this venue.
The agenda is said to mainly revolve around reconstruction efforts and infrastructure development—

ASAHINA
The UFN Supreme Council, huh...?
Funny, to think we used to be part of all that.

TAMAKI
Sure is!
But we're all still doin' our part for peace, man.
Including my best bud, Zero!

CODE GEASS
Lelouch of the Re;surrection

ZERO
This is wrong.

SCHNEIZEL
No, you see,
it's precisely because of the current situation that Zero needs a machine worthy of all he represents.

ZERO
..."Need" is the wrong word.

SCHNEIZEL
Look. However much progress the world as a whole makes towards peace,
the occasional conflict will always sprout up.
<shing>
In order to prevent that, it is imperative that you project strength —
— the same strength that defeated the treacherous Emperor, Lelouch.

ZERO
...

KAGUYA
Surely you can see he's right.
No matter how many of the people in the world have come to want peace
small seeds of conflict remain.

KAGUYA
Our world has been at war for so long...
You can't expect to simply extinguish all conflict.
Besides, wherever there are individuals living their lives, some conflict will be inevitable.

LIHUA
And perhaps it is only right for Zero, the hero who brought about this peace,
to have the power to enforce it by putting an end to these conflicts...

ZERO
That doesn't follow.
Undue military power given to the Black Knights would only frighten the public,
creating more conflict.
We exist only to preserve world peace.

ZERO
To that end, I'm asking the Glinda Knights to keep the Black Knights in check.

SCHNEIZEL
...

SFX
<roooar>

SFX
<vrrrr>

SFX
<vroooom>

SFX
<screech>

SFX
<whoosh>

SFX
<zoom>

SFX
<ka-thunk>

SFX
<whoosh>
<squeak>

SECURITY OFFICER
!
That truck...

SECURITY OFFICER
Hey!
No one said anything about a truck like this coming in for a—
!

SFX
<ka-thunk—
<ruuuumble>

SFX
<vrrr>
<clang>

SECURITY OFFICER
That's—
A Knightmare?!

SFX
<rrruummmbbllee>

SFX
<BA-DUMP>

SFX
<focus>

SFX
<fsshh>

SFX
<crunch, rumble>

SFX
<ruuuumble>

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<rumble rubmle>

SFX
<click>

SECURITY OFFICER
Wha—
Who are you people?!

SFX
<bam bam bam>

SFX
<hurrying—>

RESISTANCE LEADER
Now, Zero...
We'll make sure everyone knows that our war isn't over just yet!

SFX
<roooar>

SFX
<pssh, rumble>

SFX
<loosen>

NUNNALLY
Welcome home, Zero.

ZERO
<hanging up...>
Sorry to keep you waiting, Nunnally.³

SFX
<thump>

ZERO
<sigh...>

ZERO
!
What's wrong?

NUNNALLY
Would you mind...
removing your mask?

ZERO
...

NUNNALLY
It's just that...
here, at least, I want to talk to Suzaku, not Zero.

SFX
<click, whoosh>

SUZAKU
<slide—>
Haah...

SUZAKU
I'm just no match for you.
Guess that runs in the family, too.

NUNNALLY
Maybe so.

SFX
<glug glug...>

SFX
<clack...>

SFX
<ting>

NUNNALLY
I asked something of you today, as my accomplice⁴.

SUZAKU
About your scheduled humanitarian visit to Spain next month...
Right?

SUZAKU
The anti-Britannian sentiment in Spain has run deep — ever since Marrybell's reign⁵.
It's not safe there yet.

NUNNALLY
I know.
That's why I'm making this request of you, Suzaku... on whom that same punishment was inflicted.

SUZAKU
...

NUNNALLY
I know I only became the World Humanitarian Agency's honorary consultant a month ago...
...a position I was only given for appearances' sake,
but I have to do as much as I can.

NUNNALLY
I've also been meaning to apologize — keeping you here, at the side of someone like me... it was selfish.⁶
And yet, I still...

SFX
<clack>

SUZAKU
No, Nunnally, you're completely right.
All around the world, there are still so many scars from war.
What we really need are more people, offering their support.

SUZAKU
If going there to engage in relief efforts
is something you feel you need to do...
...then please — I'd like you to make full use of Zero's power⁷.

NUNNALLY
Thank you.
In that case...

SFX
<bzzbzz>

SUZAKU
!

SFX
>beep<

SUZAKU
What is it?

VOICE
Incoming call from the UFN Supreme Council!
Apparently an armed group calling itself the Japanese Revolutionary Army⁸ has seized control of the Shinagawa Seaside Airport!

SUZAKU
!

NUNNALLY
Suzaku...

SUZAKU
Don't worry, everything's fine.
I'll be back soon, okay?

SFX
<sweep>

SFX
<whoosh>

SFX
<rustle>

SFX
<click, whoosh>
<pssh>

ZERO
—Zero has no need for power.
Or so I said...

The definitive CODE GEASS comic!!

CODE GEASS
Lelouch of the Rebellion Re;

Comic By: Tomofumi Ogasawara

Scenario By: Koujirou Taniguchi (Sunrise)

Original Story:
based on CODE GEASS: Lelouch of the Re;surrection

(c) SUNRISE/PROJECT L-GEASS
Character Design (c) 2006-2017 CLAMP-ST

The final volume of the Revolution Series will move you to tears!!

Volume 4 on sale July 10th!!



^{1 Leaving this "untranslated" because it's not a word, exactly, it's nengou — a system also used in real life by Japan, and a system to which Code Geass's fictionalized Japan has apparently returned after Lelouch's death. Although in the TV show, dates were only ever given in a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia), Akito added the Revolutionary Calendar, of which 2017 was "Year 228", (which lines up roughly with the real-world French Revoluion of 1788, or at least it does now that Sunrise has given up on the idea of a.t.b. as not lining up with AD/CE dates), and this also implies that the Chinese Federation might have its own date system. It would be neat to know what's being used by Britannia, now that it's a Principality and presumably wants to cut ties with things like the Imperial Calendar it was previously using.
2 This actually makes perfect sense with the way nengou works IRL, too. Assuming Lelouch died in a.t.b. 2018, the exact day he died would have been the first day of Kouwa 1, which would have been a short year — lasting only until January came around again — and then Kouwa 2 would have begun on schedule. In Chapter 1, Kallen stated that it had been 数か月 ("several months") since Lelouch's death; here, Asahina says it's been 半年 ("half a year"), so presumably some more time has passed. Come Chapter 5, the narration will say it's been one year since Lelouch's death, and all of that, I think, makes sense... but by Chapter 14, characters are going to start claiming it's been two years since the Second Tokyo Settlement Battle, and that, I think it less the logical further progression of time than Koujirou losing track of the timeline. I just have trouble believing that Suzaku and Nunnally spent nine months or longer in Zilkhstan. ↩
3 Suzaku's earlier dialogue was all a somewhat passable imitation of Lelouch's "Zero" voice, but here he's reverted to his own speech patterns again. (Or maybe I should just say: Lelouch doesn't apologize often, even in set phrases like this one.) ↩
4 This is the same 'accomplice' that C.C. always used with Lelouch.↩
5 Referring to the events of Oz the Reflection.↩
6 Lit. "I've been thinking of apologizing to Suzaku-san for, selfishly and unfortunately, causing him to keep company with such a person as myself." Jeez, Nunnally, give yourself a break. ↩
7 この力 is often used to mean "my power", but the way Suzaku stands up straight, and the mask behind him, clearly show what his intent is — whose power he wants Nunnally to make use of. ↩
8 Despite clearly being made up of former JLF (日本解放戦線) members, this is a different name. Probably because they know Japan isn't precisely in need of liberation any longer... ↩}

Comments

I can't describe how happy this make.me feel.

[(Anonymous)]

There's so much bad news this year. Thank you very much for the amazing translation, also stay safe.

<3

[rainfall]

Oh, thank you. :( I'm so glad to provide you with a little bit of happiness right now.

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you once again for translating!

If I'm not mistaken, at least some of this looks to be adapting a short story that was released about the Lancelot Albion Zero with some additional parts added in. The whole conversation with the Schneizel and then with Nunnally with Suzaku getting called away fits exactly.

Makes sense I suppose it took place afterwards but before the events of Resurrection. Not sure if there were any other examples that we might see adapted.

So, I'm trying to remember here but pretty much most of the higher ups of the Black Knights and a number of other people are also aware Suzaku is Zero, but just keeping quiet for obvious reasons, right?

I rather like the relationship between Suzaku and Nunnally here as they seem to rely on each other to keep moving forward. Interesting she uses accomplice in the same way as C.C. did with Lelouch. I don't recall her ever being aware of the exact nature of their relationship so not sure if it's meant to be symbolic and coincidental.

It's funny as they could really stretch this out to be quite long if they keep adding new stuff, which is actually what I'd prefer. Rather worried they might not though and just speed through the plot of Resurrection when we get there.

Also wondering if we might get to see when Lelouch was initially brought back in his soulless state from being dead, though probably far more likely that we'll just cut to them travelling. Interesting thing to note is that going from the Requiem manga, Shirley is dead in this version of things like in the show (her death was shown among a number of things Lelouch was recalling at one point) so are they just going to come up with some other way C.C. smuggled his body out? Not that there was much detail given but still.

[rainfall]

You're welcome, nonny!

- I haven't actually read the short story or seen the movie, so if you're talking about information from that (in terms of who knows Suzaku's "secret"), it's news to me. 😃

- I mean, if the writers want her to be aware that C.C. and Lelouch were accomplices, all they need to do is have Suzaku tell Nunnally as much. He definitely knew.

(The series has occasionally used other words that could also be translated as accomplice in English, and I've had to double-check to avoid a misleading translation... but this time it was the same word.)

In terms of Suzaku and Nunnally's relationship... I definitely think Nunnally is trying for that, but Suzaku isn't entirely cooperating with her efforts.

(I don't want to make too big a Thing out of this, but there are a couple of subtle points where Suzaku fails to treat wherever they are as His Home — there are some set expressions revolving around going out and returning to one's home in Japanese, 行ってきます / 行ってらっしゃい ("I'm off, see you later"/"Take care", in essence) and ただいま / おかえりなさい ("I'm back"/"Welcome home"). You can see Nunnally greeting Suzaku with おかえりなさい, attempting to prompt a ただいま (either order works fine for this one), but instead she gets 待たせすまない ("Sorry to keep you waiting"), which... well, it's much more neutral.

(Then, when Suzaku tells her he has to go, he says すぐに戻る, which definitely does mean "I'll be back soon," but is also very neutral — 戻る doesn't sound like you're returning home specifically. In a salaryman AU, Suzaku might say すぐに戻るよ to his coworkers as he steps out of the office to grab a bite to eat. And because Suzaku says this instead of 行ってきます, Nunnally can't respond with 行ってらっしゃい. 😢)

Like. Again I don't want to make too much of it. Maybe Suzaku usually says ただいま when he comes home, he was just later than he thought he'd be this time; maybe he usually says 行ってきます when he leaves wherever it is that they're staying together... but this feels distancing to me.

- I was definitely expecting to see Lelouch's actual resurrection, but you bring up a good point.

So far, I think, the end of Re; and the beginning of Re;surrection manga have both managed to be somewhat ambiguous about the timeline. (The ending of Re; actually makes more sense, imho, for the Miraculous Birthday Illust Drama than it does for the original Lelouch of the Re;surrection movie. Re;!Lelouch seemed to be purposefully returning to life, which didn't seem like the case for the movie timeline.) But at the same time, obviously this new manga shares a lot in common with Re; — it's also interweaving elements from the manga side stories, for example. And so far we've handled the question of Shirley's survival by just... not showing her or having anyone mention her status.

(It's totally possible she was at Ougi's wedding, for example, but just conveniently off-panel the whole time.)

I definitely don't think it would be any big loss if this manga excised the bit where Shirley allegedly, somehow, helped C.C. smuggle Lelouch's body out of the country. (As I said on Tumblr: it's not Shirley's willingness I doubt so much as her resources.) And then she didn't even show up in the Re;surrection movie, right? That ominous meeting with C.C. at the end of the re;boot trilogy was all we got.

(I'm not even Shirley's biggest fan, and I'm still disappointed by the re;boot timeline's use of Shirley. She and Lelouch are dating..... but only really because Taniguchi & Co. were concerned that if too many different characters were shown being suspicious of Lelouch, the movie audience would think he wasn't very good at having a secret identity. She survives.......... but also every important scene she ever had was cut in the process, making it seem less like the creative team actually wanted her to live than like they were trying to save screen time for other characters. Shirley survives because it's simpler that way, and her supposed role in Lelouch's resurrection is an afterthought.)

But to show anything else happening, this manga would definitely have to commit to not being in the same timeline as the movies... 🤔 So skipping over it might be the safest thing for them to do, assuming the ambiguity they've so far maintained was both deliberate and important to the creative team.

[(Anonymous)]

- There was a second part I thought, but I can only find the first one.

https://mononoke-no-ko.tumblr.com/post/180818054254/code-geass-lelouch-of-the-rebellion-side-story

The knowledge thing is more of just conjecture from the end of the show/movies and then I suppose the fact no one in Resurrection seemed surprised Suzaku was alive. With the manga, the first chapter seemed to show Kallen knows and I felt like Kaguya's comments implied this as well. Or she's mad about him killing Lelouch in spite of things.

- Ah that's true. She may have asked for some explanation.

- Thanks for the breakdown on that. I could see it being a case of him being distant due to the role of Zero and perhaps just sort of closing himself off from everyone.

Nunnally seems to be trying to get him to share the burden with her to a degree and letting him still be himself at times, but he doesn't seem to really be having it quite yet.

- I was under the impression that this was a direct continuation of the Re; manga which depicts Shirley as dead. If they're meant to be entirely separate they haven't done a good job of conveying that.

As for Lelouch in Re; seeming to be trying to come back, I'm not so sure on that though I can see where one could get that with how he chooses to follow the voice calling to him.

They've definitely integrated Oz into this and shown them off. I was actually surprised by the little cameo from those characters in the Resurrection movie since they'd never been brought up prior.

It did feel like an afterthought with how they had her role. I can kind of see how she could have more easily fulfilled things as she could smuggle Lelouch's body out by saying it was a relative who died in the fighting and she's escorting the body home for burial or something. That she's just a normal citizen would put her under less suspicion. But C.C.'s not dumb and could probably come up with a disguise or plan for this.

The way she was handled was extremely strange, especially with the dating angle. There are a couple lines that imply a relationship, but it's incredibly easy to miss. The fact it seems like such a change of pace for Lelouch to actually date someone with all this going on and this isn't addressed makes it feel like something they didn't really do much planning on.

[rainfall]

— With the manga, the first chapter seemed to show Kallen knows and I felt like Kaguya's comments implied this as well. Or she's mad about him killing Lelouch in spite of things.

- I think Kallen always knew. She was the first to insist that the man in Zero's costume was "the real Zero", but she was probably in a better position than just about anyone to recognize Suzaku's trademark fighting style.

(As opposed to Nunnally, who had no reason to recognize his fighting style, which imho is why she winds up leveling a gun at him in that panel of the final Re; chapter.)

As for Kaguya's coldness... I hope we'll get an explanation for that. I mean, I think the creative team expected it to be a surprise for readers. Unlike Kallen, Kaguya has always seemed pretty fond of Suzaku, and you'd think she of all people would be quick to realize both the purpose of Lelouch's sacrifice and the fact that it must have been planned.

(If you want my guess as to what's going on, as uninformed as it is, I might venture to suggest that Suzaku/Zero has made meetings difficult before this one, too. Kaguya, who has always risen to a tremendous amount of pressure and responsibility ever since the death of the entire rest of her family in the war, might not look kindly on this sort of thing — might view it as Suzaku shirking the duties Lelouch left for him, for example.)

— I was under the impression that this was a direct continuation of the Re; manga. If they're meant to be entirely separate they haven't done a good job of conveying that.

- It can be taken that way, yes, but it can also be viewed as separate from Re; — the "new manga", with a new title, enables one to do that, should one want to. The opening is there; fans can interpret it either way, as they like.

If I'm right, they're intentionally leaving it up to fan interpretation, and, as such, will continue to deliberately avoid conveying that it's definitely separate.

This is a feature, not a bug. 😉

— I can kind of see how she could have more easily fulfilled things as she could smuggle Lelouch's body out by saying it was a relative who died in the fighting and she's escorting the body home for burial or something.

- It's not actually that easy to bring a dead body on a plane. I mean, it's possible Sunrise just didn't do their research, but Shirley definitely couldn't actually just say "this is a member of my family, promise" and bring Lelouch's corpse with her onto a commercial airline. (And if they're transporting Lelouch's corpse by KMF, I'm not sure what Shirley's role would be.)

— The fact it seems like such a change of pace for Lelouch to actually date someone with all this going on and this isn't addressed makes it feel like something they didn't really do much planning on.

- Yep, agreed. I was particularly frustrated that they said they were cutting Kallen's romantic interest in Lelouch because they "didn't have time to do it justice", then had her kiss him out of nowhere in the third movie anyway. Seems like they just sort of... forgot their own changes to the timeline. (See also: the way Rolo receives his locket and Lelouch's new rationalization for destroying the geass cult.) Maybe the last movie was just more rushed than the first one? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[(Anonymous)]

You know, I think suzaku's coldness towards Nunnally may be explained by that time when she contacts him during the battle with damocles in the novel.

[rainfall]

For sure, if you think that conversation actually happened in this timeline.

(I translated it because I thought it was neat, but it's not referenced by any other materials, and the novel adaptations — just like the many manga adaptations — were given fairly wide latitude. The novels' author clearly has a soft spot for Nunnally, he took her character in some very interesting directions throughout the novels — but if this adaptation expected its readers to be familiar with novel-only canon from more than ten years ago, I think it would have done an explicit flashback to its own version of that conversation.)

(It's not like including characters from Lancelot & Guren, you know? That manga would have been on sale right next to this one in most stores. It's cross-promotional. The novels, meanwhile, appear to be out of print — at least in America.)

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you for translation as well! In regards to Suzaku and Nunnally's relationship itself here, by 'trying' does it means that Nunnally is trying in a romantic sense or just in a platonic one (like C.C. and Lelouch once)? I just came back from mononoke-no-ko's Resurrection Picture Drama: Re;f 1.05 Private Talk in Hammam and this came in mind when I read your translation.

[rainfall]

Well, what I meant by "trying" was the sentence I was responding to ("Nunnally seems to be trying to get him to share the burden with her to a degree and letting him still be himself at times, but he doesn't seem to really be having it quite yet."), so... neither.

I should clearly make an FAQ question about this, since you aren't the first one to ask, but dear anon: I can't confirm or deny your ships. I am just a translator, not the original author of the piece. I might have access to more nuance than you, but I don't have access to insider information. 🙂

If you want my opinion, then my memory of that picture drama is that Nunnally's deflection of the question about her and Suzaku's relationship was absolutely intended to let you, the viewer, choose for yourself whether or not you want her and Suzaku to be dating. It was ambiguous on purpose, so that fans who like the relationship can interpret it positively and fans who don't can interpret it dispositively.

And that's all I'll say on the subject because every time I try to add more I start getting really, really negative about both it and the picture drama that followed it, which I try not to do. I don't wanna rain on anyone else's parade if they're enjoying the Re;surrection timeline!!

[(Anonymous)]

No, no, it's all right! Thank you so much for the answer and the kindness (if this is the correct English word?) to my previous ask. I'm sorry too for the inconvenience I have caused and the repeated questions (also any rude or inconsiderate English words I might have wrote before) since I just realized that you probably have a lot of these ships questions going on too so it's like a repeated questions over and over without an end.. 🥺🙏 (also, I encouraged a FAQ question too! just so others stop hounding you for shipping answers)

[rainfall]

Hey, it's okay. I promise!! :) You aren't annoying me, you weren't rude.

At the very least, I definitely think Nunnally is trying to get closer to Suzaku here. You can read that in a romantic light, absolutely.

I just also don't want anyone thinking I'm an arbiter of ships. :) I'm just a fan like you!

Tutor chapter and Re;

[(Anonymous)]

so the new chapter of the Tutor Lelouch is out. Also, are there plans on getting the 4th Re; volume coming out in July 10th, cause from the number of pages there maybe a special chapter or epilogue not shown at new type comic that may shed some light in the Re;surrection comic. Given that ch 15 ended with a 'to be continued' sign in the bottom of Lelouch walking.

[rainfall]

Could've sworn I had done another "next chapters" post on DW too, but I clearly didn't. But: Yes, I know Lelouch the Tutor is out. As always, you may expect a translation from me tomorrow in the EST PM zone. 😃

And... I sure was all set to say "no", and as a warning I am not very good at scanning in comics, so I'm definitely not saying you'll be getting nice clean HD scans like what NewType kindly provides, but I just checked CDJapan and they've got all four books (the fourth being a preorder) for a quite reasonable price, sooooo I may have just bought the lot.

I will definitely let you all know if there are any extras worth translating. 😃 And do my best to scan an additional chapter, if one exists.

special

[(Anonymous)]

well, given the 4th comes out soon it seems we are provided that there is indeed a 12 page special that you can perhaps translate.

Re: special

[rainfall]

Turns out I already had. I think folks jumped to conclusions, unfortunately. The extra pages were just a preview of Re;surrection's first chapter.

[(Anonymous)]

Oh, thank you for this! You do amazing work.

[rainfall]

You are so welcome! ❤ Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it.

[koenigbuuhuu]

Thanks for the translation~
I´m back. I can´t believe, it was this long already - the time flew by. But now, I have some chapters to read and to catch up. ^^

Great!

[shanoawarrior]

I really love the art style of this manga, its much better than and closer to the anime than the original CG manga, which I have. I don't know if the CG movie recaps have a manga adaptation but if it does, I'm interested in reading them ^^