Shirley finds herself a stranger in a strange land since her memories were reverted by the Geass Canceler: why is the class president on TV? Why is Nunnally the Viceroy of Area 11? Where do the lies end and the truths begin?
Meanwhile, at the Geass Order's base, Bartley explains to Cornelia that they were planning to kill "God". Cornelia believes it all to be hogwash, a sentiment shared by V.V., whom Cornelia throws a knife at. Though she hits her mark, V.V. does not die! V.V., introducing himself as Cornelia's uncle, explains that he and his brother, the Emperor, vowed to kill any "God" that drove men to fight and kill.
While Shirley, Lelouch, and Suzaku meet in Ikebukuro, a suspicious man appears on Ashford's campus: the cybernetic Jeremiah! Sayoko and Rolo confront Jeremiah, with Sayoko engaging him with martial arts and daggers, and Rolo using his Geass. Unfortunately for them, Jeremiah's Geass Canceler renders Rolo's Geass useless. He strikes down Sayoko and apprehends Rolo. Before he can kill Rolo, a distraught Villetta tells him Lelouch's location, and he leaves to confront Lelouch. This buys Villetta time so Rolo can rendezvous with Lelouch, so they can deal with Jeremiah.
Shirley planned to tell Suzaku about Zero's identity, but as she, Suzaku, and Lelouch walk together, she begins to think they are working in concert with each other. She nearly falls off of a building in a panic, but Lelouch and Suzaku manage to save her. While they wax nostalgic about how this was like when they chased Arthur through the school a year ago, with Shirley concluding they were not conspiring with each other, Lelouch gets a call: Rolo informs him that Jeremiah was on his way to assassinate him. Shirley walks off with Suzaku, with Lelouch at ease with the knowledge that he can protect her.
Shirley confesses to Suzaku that she loves Lelouch, but wonders why Suzaku has grown distant towards him. Suzaku states that he can't forgive Lelouch. Shirley states that nothing is unforgivable, and she forgave Lelouch a long time ago. Just then, however, they notice a commotion at Ikebukuro station: smoke bellows from the station as Jeremiah goes to confront Lelouch. Suzaku takes operational control over the police and emergency services, and tasks them with protecting Shirley. Shirley, however, runs from the police, so she can help Lelouch. While looking for Lelouch, she finds a gun dropped by an officer that Jeremiah knocked out. Taking it, she then finds Rolo. She vows to help him and Rolo, so that Lelouch can be together with Nunnally again. The mention of Nunnally's name causes Rolo to activate his Geass...
Jeremiah appears to have Lelouch cornered. Lelouch, however, lured him into a trap: a train that he is nearby deploys Gefjun Disturbers which cause Jeremiah's cybernetics to malfunction. Since all urban technology, as well as Jeremiah's cybernetics, are powered by Sakuradite, the Gefjun Disturbers could potentially paralyze Tokyo. Somehow, however, Jeremiah is able to move, and as he bleeds from his prosthetics, demands to know why Lelouch betrayed his country and became Zero. Lelouch reveals that it is because he is a prince of Britannia, and he rebels against the empire because the Emperor allowed his mother to die and his sister to be crippled and blinded.
Jeremiah is shocked at this revelation: his first assignment was to protect Lelouch's mother, Lady Marianne vi Britannia, to whom his loyalty truly lies! Before Jeremiah dies, Lelouch deactivates the Gefjun Disturbers, restoring full functionality to his cybernetics. Lelouch tells him that his loyalty to Marianne was still needed, and thus, he recruits Jeremiah to his cause.
On his way back out of the building, Lelouch finds Shirley lying on the ground in a pool of her blood! As she laid dying, Shirley reveals to him that her memories had returned, and that she felt she was trapped in a world of lies, but it was that world he was fighting against. She loved him, even though he killed her father and tampered with her memories, and she would always fall in love with him. In desperation, Lelouch uses his Geass to compel her to live.
Although the Geass takes effect, it is too late. Shirley Fennette dies before his very eyes, a smile on her face...
Tropes:
- Spoiler Opening: A subtle one, but this episode features a new opening which notably omits Shirley.
