To Lelouch's surprise, C.C., the girl who gave him his power, is alive and now living in his residence. Suzaku, having been acquitted of all charges, accidentally meets Third Princess Euphemia li Britannia and ends up intervening in an internal Purist faction struggle. Meanwhile, Second Princess Cornelia li Britannia endeavors to take charge of Area 11 as Viceroy and bring Zero, now the Empire's number one enemy and most wanted man, to justice.

As Euphemia knights Suzaku, Lelouch establishes the hierarchy of the Black Knights. Diethard Reid suggests assassinating Suzaku, but Lelouch has other plans for him. He launches a plan to disable and capture Suzaku and the Lancelot at a Britannia military base on Shikinejima. The plan almost succeeds, but Second Prince Schneizel el Britannia appears and orders his floating battleship, the Avalon, to bombard the island.