Picture Drama 10: Stage 0.97

Included with the Japan-only 5.1 CH blue ray collector's edition Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion box set released in 2015. Has not yet seen an official translation, unlike the other new Illust Drama, Turn 12.06, which was released with the Funimation blue ray box set in 2016.
English translation in the captions by me (rainfall-tumbles on tumblr!) with help from the lovely touchreceptors (also on tumblr and twitter)!
TRANSLATION NOTES:
1.) "And all the while, die inside." / 俺の心を殺してゆく
LIT. "And I will keep killing my own heart."
Translating this into natural English is tricky because we don't really say it this way when we're talking about what Lelouch is talking about here. He's talking about the death of his spirit or his spark (hence, "dying inside"), similar to how he'll explicitly say in Turn 1 that his life as an ordinary schoolboy is suffocating.
The Japanese here is very explicit; in this case, Lelouch is doing it to himself, presumably by following his own mandated rules. ("Don't stand out, don't attract attention, stay very very quiet, wait for your chance...") But we don't have an equivalent expression.
TL;DR: hiding and planning since 2010 is slowly killing Lelouch's soul.

[@user-jg8vc4dz6w]

ルルはギアスを持つ前から、ずっと戦ってきたんだね

[@____Lily]

ルルーシュ様って焦ると 不安が増す方なのですね お勉強になります

[@needdy359]

この抑圧された感じいいな こんな鬱憤を抱えてる中であんな力入れたらそら世界を壊したくなっちゃうよ

[@Jetix34]

So that explains why Lelouch can suddenly pilot a Knightmare frame in the second episode.

[@LockeLynx]

And they implemented it in the Lost Stories game too.

[@MegaBossmama]

After watching this, it really feels like C.C. is the embodiment of everything he wished for: gives him power he needed to start the rebellion, becomes someone he can trust to never betray him, even covers up his weakness at piloting knightmare by being his copilot

[@Neftimoon]

yeah so true

[@AusSP]

Eh... In part. Lelouch isn't a "weak" pilot, but he has no particular talent. Compared to a small squad of 5, he's not at all capable of victory, and against the Aces in the series, has no chance. C.C. isn't much better, if at all. There's no scenes where she shows noteworthy talent, having never matched, let alone defeated, any of the Aces. She gives him power, and he trusts and relies on her, but she is using him the whole way, though mutually. The power she grants him is something that's brought her, and everyone else who's possessed that power, suffering, despair, and/or madness. And, worse, she never makes the consequences clear - she never tells him not to abuse his Geass, nor what she plans for him. She fulfills his wish, but, as always, be careful what you wish for.

[@MegaBossmama]

Well of course. After all she's no fairy godmother, she's a witch. Never said C.C. is an ace pilot, and didn't think she needs to be one either, just good enough to be his co-pilot that operate the technical stuffs while he takes command in battlefield. Important thing here is that whoever this co-pilot is need to be someone he trust to not betray him, considering it's a very critical position that could jeopardize his life had they decided to turn against him in a middle of battlefield.

[@AusSP]

Well, she's not a witch, just like Lelouch isn't a "demon king". It's just an... insult? Nickname? It's not even remotely accurate, despite how much Lelouch seems to believe in them. Point is, there's no actual reason for Lelouch to be in a Knightmare Frame... at all. Excluding the first half of R1, where he severely lacks trained personnel, he's better off not being on the battlefield at all. And during the first half, he regularly gets put into positions where it's clear that leading from a Knightmare Frame is a terrible, terrible idea. He can lead better when he's not in the middle of combat, and he's far less likely to die from betrayal than he is from the Gawain being shot down, regardless of whether he's in the pilot seat or not. (Both actually nearly happen, of course, but one nearly happens quite bit more often than the other.) When they get the submarine and Ikaruga, that holds infinitely more true. More over, the Gawain is better used by someone more skilled than C.C. or Lelouch. And even the subpilot angle fails to hold true once he gets the Shinkiro.

[@MegaBossmama]

I didn't mean it in literal sense. And I don't think Lelouch believes C.C. is a real witch either. That's how it turns out, indeed. But at the time this PD sets at, up to the middle of R2 where he finally acquired a HQ where he could take command without putting himself on the front line, he did need C.C. didn't he. It's not like he could achieve ideal situation right of the bat.

[@a7278]

ルルーシュの声がたくさん聞けて幸せです...！

[@kmts5207]

ギアスがなくてもやろうとはしてたんだよな ギアスのおかげで早まっただけで

[@rainfallplays2791]

そうですね。だって、ルルーシュがそう話した。

[@sazuri-desuyo]

でもギアスが無かったらユフィーが死んでしまうことはなかったと思うと・・・

[@user-sg4vd5bo7g]

どの道、シャルル達の計画のせいでゲームオーバー

[@user-gb8dx4qq8s]

ロストストーリーズでこのシミュレーターの話が出てきて驚いた

[@gapitsu]

ロススト1.5章の潜伏中のカレンとC.Cのやり取りもピクチャドラマからだし、ほんと色々拾ってつなぎ合わせるの制作陣上手いよな

[@user-eh6kf9yc6y]

ルルーシュの作画まじ上手い

[@user-js7tx1od5z]

総作監の千羽さんのイラストだしね

[@user-oz2nj7bi5d]

どおりで初めてナイトメアに乗った時に普通に操縦出来たんですね♪

[@rainfallplays2791]

ハハハ、ですね。

[@user-rv1zl9nz5f]

ルルーシュってナナリーの幸せがどうのこうのって一番気にかけてるくせに自分がナナリーにとって需要な人間だって自覚がまるでないように思う。ナナリーが安全なら、笑って暮らせればっていう割にその輪の中に自分を入れようとしないよね。ルルーシュがナナリーにとってかけがえのない存在だってわかってたら復活のルルーシュでラスト、ナナリーやスザクに答えることができたのかなって思うと切ないっていうか、ルルーシュはたくさんの人に愛される人間なのに、もったいないなーと思ってしまう。

[@user-qx9ge7zl8f]

ルルーシュは手を汚しまくったから幸せになる権利なんてないって考えてるんじゃないの

[@user-rv1zl9nz5f]

@@user-qx9ge7zl8f この時点でそこまで汚してる気もしないですがルルなら考えてそうですよね。周りからたくさん愛されてるのに罪ばっかり意識してて気づかないなんて見おったない男だ。。。

[@greenpeacegp7250]

シャーリーの時もC.C.の時も失って初めてその人の大切さがわかるんですよねルルーシュは。自分の大切な人程その人の気持ちも、その人に対しての自分の気持ちも彼は理解できていないんですよね。

[@user-eh6kf9yc6y]

貴様もう復活を見たのか

[@user-rv1zl9nz5f]

Green Peace GP 頭いいのに勿体ないやつですよ。鈍感すぎにも程がある。

[@kinzo_youtube]

一話の前の話だな、スザクもユフィも信用してたんだなやっぱり

[@wdcain1]

One thing that impresses me is that for the lead in a mech show, Lelouch is a terrible pilot, never winning a single fight by himself. He needs to have someone backing him up or he will always lose. Compare this to other action manga where the story progress is directly mapped to the protagonist's power level. His smarts really are the only advantage he has besides Geass.

[@user-sg4vd5bo7g]

ルルーシュのストレスがマッハ

[@yourhighness6034]

Thank you so much for the work, that was awesome and really enjoyable !

[@user-zg3vn5nv2g]

コーネリアとユフィに取り入って宮廷闘争するルルーシュも見てみたいな

[@thegardenofesim1174]

He did not even considered running to Australia

[@wymg4480]

shouldve taken a note from mao

[@Kunnis]

Maybe he's scared of spiders

[@renson7318]

You can tell the amount of dedication and iron will lelouch has after saying those words "ore no kokoro kuroshite iku" After his announcement of doing everything for nunnaly, watch code geass r2 true ending!!! Onii-sama level is comparable to tatsuya (mahouka rettousei...)

[@user-ct6lh8th5e]

ルルーシュの思考が速すぎて 聞いてもついていけませーんorz

[@JayDuron-in1hj]

I always wondered wher he got his Knightmae training from, now I know. Peace ✌🏻

[@Neftimoon]

Lelouch is so awesome!

[@tk-rn6jb]

ルルーシュって、本当にマリアンヌの息子か？！

[@user-fu5eb9tk4u]

ブリタニアに憎しみしかないから、性格も少しねじ曲がって変わったんじゃない？

[@llcvtmimmlde7168]

I love Lelouch OOC

[@user-ng1ef6dw4j]

ルルーシュ君絵が得意ですコードギアス大好き💓♥️❤️

[@Phathagmas]

Thank you very much for the upload and translation.

[@subhradippaul9412]

Thnx 4 uploading.

[@samlol3]

Thx for sharing this!

[@FarCritical]

Very good translation.

[@hazardmax5913]

C.Cとの出会いでギアスが無いと割と詰んでる状況だったルルーシュ。

[@user-sq3kv2if5s]

ある意味労働者の鏡だなwww

[@johanbohrer2306]

Hey, great work Rainfall! Would you mind sharing the original video file? KZbin's compressions makes it much worse D:

[@ZBoy-rc8zf]

I COMMAND U TO PUT ON CAPTIONS

[@soniamaria-od8rn]

does anyone know when this picture drama takes place? does it take place before the show or during one of the episodes?

[@grizzledwarveteran2321]

right before the first episode. I assume that after this ends, he goes with Rivalz for the chess match

[@soniamaria-od8rn]

thanks.😊

[@ZBoy-rc8zf]

Ost used at end??

[@samr2263]

Execution Place

[@9aracna.]

Meow