Zero shocks both his allies and enemies by agreeing to join Nunnally’s Special Administrative Zone (SAZ). He enters a secret negotiation with Suzaku and other Britannian officials, proposing his own exile in exchange for delivering one million Japanese to the SAZ. During the opening ceremony, a massive smoke screen is deployed, and as it clears, every participating Japanese person—including a dog—is revealed to be wearing a Zero costume. Because the Britannians previously agreed to exile "Zero," Suzaku is forced to choose between starting another massacre or exiling all one million "Zeros". He ultimately chooses exile, and a giant iceberg ship from the Chinese Federation arrives to transport them to safety.
: Some viewers found the logistics of preparing one million costumes on short notice to be a bit "unbelievable," though most were willing to overlook this for the sake of the narrative payoff. Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch R2 - Episode 8
: The episode explores the philosophical question of what it means to be Japanese. Lelouch posits that being Japanese is not tied to a physical territory but to the heart and shared culture of a people, regardless of where they are. Zero shocks both his allies and enemies by
: Suzaku is once again forced to choose between his duty as a Britannian soldier and his desire to protect his people and Nunnally’s ideals. His decision to honor the "exile" agreement prevents a repeat of the tragedy associated with Princess Euphemia. Because the Britannians previously agreed to exile "Zero,"