Alt text: screenshots from Revolutionary Girl Utena. 1: The shadow girls lean in close for a kiss over a microphone. Text says: "TRUE LOVE IS POSSIBLE"
2: The castle in the sky crumbling and falling to the ground. Text reads: "ONLY IN THE NEXT WORLD"
3: Utena and Anthy's hands reaching for each other in the finale. Text reads: "FOR NEW PEOPLE."
4: the silhouettes of all five student council members standing against a sunset background. In the center of them, a table with a watering can full of roses. Text reads: "IT IS TOO LATE FOR US." End alt text
Lelouch: One of the battles that we picked was to stop Gino and Suzaku from running plastic tubes all over the palace and placing hamsters inside of them.
Nunnally: They were going to call it the Tube City.
Remember this post? I'd still been checking playthroughs of Super Robot Wars DD now and then, but only recently found out that Rolo died at least a couple months ago already. Most of his lines up to his final scenes are the same as R2's, but there's some small differences that I want to talk about below.
By the way, since I don't think the following screenshot needs its own post, Fukkatsu's story was wrapped up last week in Lost Stories, and Rolo's spirit could be seen saving Nunnally together with Euphy (Shirley is there too, but she holds Lelouch):
Back to SRW DD:
I said most of his lines are the same as R2's, but the events themselves are more similar to the movies, because Shirley never dies. The biggest difference is that in SRW DD there's a noticeable time gap between Turns 18 and 19: Lelouch doesn't completely lose his will to live after Nunnally "goes missing," as he nonetheless wants to defeat Charles, so the story continues with Lelouch still keeping Rolo and the others around after FLEIJA. He never flies into a rage at Rolo (except for the "Don't lie to me!" moment during that phone call, but that's it).
So Lelouch/Zero has been pretending that he's fine for some time (days? Weeks?), but he does miss Nunnally:
C.C.: That locket... It's pretty.
Kallen: Rolo, whenever something happens, you often grasp it tightly, huh?
Rolo: I calm down when I hold this. Because it's what I really wanted... A precious birthday present that I received from Brother.
(They are so friendly! It's cute)
Lelouch: No... That was something to give Nunnally...
Rolo: Eh?
Lelouch: ...!
Rolo: Wasn't it a present for me?
(Turn 19.02's Rolo was very aware that Lelouch's kindness wasn't for him. This Rolo is a bit slow instead.)
Lelouch: ...
Kallen: (Lelouch... It seemed like he had recovered, but he's been carrying the loss of Nunnally all this time, after all…)
Lelouch: Sorry, please forget what I just said. Rolo, the fact that you are my precious little brother doesn't change.
Rolo: Brother...
(Hello Geass writers, will Rolo ever be allowed to smile for more than 10 seconds?!)
While this conversation is taking place, Schneizel and the Black Knights are talking. Soon they are all going to turn against Zero. And that's when...
Rolo: Yes. I rescued you from that place with my barrier of absolute suspension.
Rolo rescues Lelouch, except in this version, there still hasn't been any scene where Lelouch has told Rolo that he hates him!
Lelouch: So that was it indeed. Rolo, don't overuse that power.
Rolo: It's okay. At any rate, I'm going to protect you no matter what.
(Rolo, "daijoubu" doesn't mean "I'm ready to give up my life"!)
Cornelia and Anya attack and Lelouch gets more worried:
Lelouch: Using your Geass over such a large area...! Rolo, your heart won't be able to take it anymore...!
Rolo: Don't stop me, Brother! I...!
Lelouch: Stop, Rolo! I... hate you!
Rolo: !?
Lelouch: You can't replace Nunnally's! I don't need you anymore! So...
Holy tsundereness, they managed to make Lelouch's "I hate you" adorable?! In this context, he's clearly only saying that to stop Rolo from sacrificing himself, and he even adds "So..." at the end, to make it more obvious that he means "So stop using your Geass!"
But, unlike that IF route from Taisen Z Saisei-hen, this Super Robot Wars won't spare Rolo's life:
Rolo: ... That can't be, Brother. Because...
Rolo's and Lelouch's lines afterwards are the same as R2's, the only difference being that, in this story, Lelouch didn't say that he wanted to kill Rolo.
Rolo: It's a lie, right? That you hate me...
---
I hope that next time I'm able to translate something which isn't about Rolo dying, but for now, I'm happy that this Lelouch kind of stayed nice to Rolo all throughout the story.
