All-World Alliance Guild

New Kingdom Atismata.

Border.

Near Ries Island.

"Are you really sure it's around here? We've been flying for more than three hours now, you know."

"Don't give me that bullshit, Lux; you're practically a human on steroids. You can keep going a little longer, no."

"Ahhh—Give me a break, Laurel-san."

Flying across the border of the New Kingdom, close to the seas, were Lux and Laurel.

If it was at this time, it's possible to find Hayes over there. However, if not, then his calculations may be slightly off.

He could only hope "that place" was still intact.

"By the way, wouldn't we cause a ruckus by doing this? After all, Ries is—"

"I know. Connected to the Knights Academy. High possibility Drag-Knights are stationed there. Don't worry, keep going."

Lux couldn't help but wince hearing that. But he had no choice but to comply.

Laurel was incredibly pushy; that much he knew.

And another reason why he had to most definitely follow Laurel was to study him.

This person… rather, the Admin, just how much does he know about them?

Be it Mei, Luminous, or even he—Lux. Laurel seemed to know everything.

He didn't want to believe Laurel would harm them since he welcomed discussing it with him, and by what he'd heard, he felt Laurel wasn't hiding anything.

Still, how much he knew.

Lux wanted to see how far and also, more importantly, to ensure the safety of this world.

With someone holding the amount of [Negentropy] that far exceeded his own, but still far from Luminous.

He couldn't let that darned atomic bomb, or in this case, a literal calamity, walk this world without supervision.

Only God knows what he's capable of doing should he let Laurel saunter around freely.

'A couple of republics may be wiped out… haha…'

Funny. He himself wasn't one to talk.

While he had the least amount of [Negentropy], he had more than enough to raze a city to the ground.

And while Laurel wasn't as huge as Luminous, Laurel still had more than, so estimating his strength at the bare minimum. Yeah.

That added to the reason why he had no choice.

Not to mention Hayes, Laurel would probably drag out every single troublemaker and deal with them on the spot.

"By the way, Lux."

"What's up?"

"Do you know of the person called 'Empire's Assassin Blade'?"

"Eh? Who…?"

Lux blinked as Laurel asked that question.

However, as Lux answered that, Laurel shook his head.

"Don't worry then."

Of course, such a troublesome person would be handed over to Lux.

Soon enough, they soon came to a stop on an island that was more than a fifteen-minute flight from Ries Island.

Upon looking at the island, they could see crumbled structures in the distance.

"It's over there, huh? What do we do?"

"What do you say? Drag her out."

Laurel said as he equipped the [Breath Gun] of the Drag-Machine.

A pressurised, dark-coloured gun that fit the size of the Drag-Machine.

"Heh—! One shot from this baby amplified by [Negentropy] would make the entire island quake. Since their base is underground, there is no need to worry about casualties."

"No, no, no! Laurel-san! That's out of the question!"

"Tch. Fine then."

Seeing Lux stop him so intently, Laurel clicked his tongue, putting the weapon away.

Originally, the gun is meant to only shoot pressurised bullets akin to lasers.

However, give such a weapon to Laurel, and it becomes a bomb.

Having averted such a crisis, Lux let out a breath of relief.

"How about we search the entire place instead?"

Looking over to Lux, Laurel spread his arms but gave a weak nod.

However, before they did.

"Laurel-san."

"I know!"

TSUM! TSUM!

Two streaks of light whizzed past the air, heading towards them.

However, instead of dodging to the sides, both had simply raised the mechanical arms of their machine dragon.

""[Howling Roar]""

Both said simultaneously as a strong gust of shockwave was unleashed from their drag machines, pushing away the pressurised bullet.

As they did—

"Well, well, what do we have here? A fucking disgrace of a prince, and… who?"

"Doesn't matter anyway, regardless of who is here. While I am shocked you've managed to use your minuscule brains to figure out my location, that's all there is to it."

Looking over the island below, they saw three figures.

Two of them had donned on their Machine Dragon.

The first one was a trifling existence that Lux and Laurel had ignored. However, it was the second one that caught their attention.

A machine dyed in the colour of the night sky, with a katana-type sword hung by the machine dragon's waist.

"Lux, that person."

"Yeah, Divine."

Then Lux paused.

"Wait, is that—"

"Yeah, the one I had told you about, the Empire's Assassin Blade."

"I see."

While they both conversed in the air, the three below had narrowed their eyes at them.

More than anything, seeing both inconsequentials ignore them struck one with Hayes' pride.

Yes!

Below was Hayes—their target, a silver-haired girl with mismatched eyes, wearing a jet-black robe.

And one other. Two others, actually, but the third really was inconsequential.

[Event capturing has begun.]

[Members can now watch real-time or pre-recorded events—battles between members and otherworlders—happening across worlds.]

"Tch! Those little—well, it doesn't matter." 

Hayes continued, her tone turning cold. 

"I don't have time to play. My job here is done."

"I don't know why you've come, but your appearance is... unnecessary."

Hayes reached into her robes, pulling out a small, ominous-looking flute…

Seeing that, Laurel had blinked.

"Oh? It's that flute…"

As Laurel had noticed that, Hayes had brought the flute close to her lips and had begun playing it.

FUUUU~

The sound rang out, haunting and unnatural. 

Normally, hearing it would disorient anyone, but it had no effect on Lux and Laurel, who both had resistances against mental attacks.

"Laurel, this is…."

"Abyss summoning. Not just any Abyss—this one's calling gargoyles…"

Having deduced the frequency, Laurel said that flatly.

However, Lux's eyes widened. 

"A gargoyle? But there are no ruins around here—so, that's what you meant, huh?"

He said that as his grip tightened on Bahamut's controls.

"Consider this a parting gift, oh False Prince."

Hayes sneered as multiple figures began to rise from the water's surface.

They were humanoid, with sharp, gaunt faces, bat-like wings, and long, gleaming claws.

"Gargoyles, huh? It's like you said."

Lux muttered under his breath as he clenched Bahamut's controls.

Hayes smirked, leaping onto the extended arm of the Drag-Knight beside her.

She wouldn't waste time here on things that don't concern her. At least for now.

While she would have loved to put Lux in his place, if she were to do so now, it'd leave a bad taste in her mouth.

As despairing as possible.

Eliminating the New Empire alongside the prince of the Old altogether.

Additionally, even if she were to face him here, that crazy bastard would complain.

But even he too is inconsequential to her.

Once she'd destroyed the New Empire, then the likes of Fugil were next.

Or so she thought. 

Hence, "Yes, gargoyles, though knowing that wouldn't help your situation. Though you may be the lord Black Hero, even you would have to struggle against a few hundred of them."

"So, how do you like it—?"

"—Distasteful."

Laurel's voice cut through her taunt as he encased his Drag-Machine in a layer of frost that formed a thin membrane over the machine dragon.

"Agreed."

Lux gave a nod, Bahamut releasing a surge of dark-like energy that matched with the intensity that Laurel gave.

"We've come for you, Hayes. Give it up and surrender now; we'll go easy on you."

"Hahaha!" 

Hayes threw her head back with a mocking laugh as the machine dragon that carried her slowly ascended to the sky.

"The False Prince aside, who even are you, nobody?" 

She sneered at Laurel, but he silently tossed her taunt to the back of his mind.

GRRR—

As the gargoyles launched themselves at Lux and Laurel in a flurry of wings and claws, Hayes took off, vanishing into the sky.

"You're not going to chase her?" 

Lux asked, side-eyeing Laurel as he guarded his back.

"Nah." 

Laurel shook his head, lifting his Drag-Machine's sword and pointing it at the approaching creatures.

"No rush. Let's finish this first. You, on the other hand, go accompany that person."

Hearing that from Laurel, Lux glanced over to Laurel, who also did the same.

"But—"

"The battle will be over in an instant. Who do you think I am?"

With the seriousness in his words, even Lux had no choice but to give up.

In fact, he had no reason to worry about a literal calamity.

"Alright then."

Lux nodded as he took off towards the island. Leaving the gargoyles that clawed up their way to him.

"I thought Hayes would go all out and summon Ragnarok... but I guess that's asking too much."

"After all, Ragnarok needs lots of preparation. Regardless, that is of no concern currently."

With a cold, misty breath, Laurel had welcomed them. —

A world of ice.

From his body exuded cold air that decelerated even the molecules in the air.

Amongst the brutal deaths he'd experienced was his entire body, molecule by molecule, blood by blood, cell by cell, being slowed down.

Experiencing this firsthand so many times over the course of more than a decade made this naturally something he was more familiar with. 

More than anyone.

"As organic beings, you all can feel it too, no? Your body. Slowing down to such an extent you can no longer move. How is it? Death by freezing, that is?"

An extremely cruel smile.

It had formed on his lips as he graced them with the one death he'd experienced over and over for the longest of time.

GRRR—!

The gargoyles paused, their systems overloading; despite trying to act on their primal instinct, the fact that they couldn't move also made them tremble in fear.

Fear?

They aren't supposed to feel such a thing, are they?

There were hundreds of them, yes? But in a blink of an eye, each and every one of them had been subdued.

"Be buried in eternal frost. [Lic Lac Lilac: Antosu Bagetu Kirion Etōn]!"

With that, they all froze into crystal statues, slowly dropping into the seas like droplets of rain.

"Hahaha… I feel bad for stealing that line, but oh well, time to chase Hayes."

Saying that, Laurel picked up his pace and pursued where she'd left.

It shouldn't be more than two minutes since Hayes left.

—Hayes.

Leaning back against the Drag-Machine carrying, Hayes watched with a mocking smile as she saw Laurel approaching from a distance.

"I'd expect nothing less from the Black Hero." 

She sneered, her tone dripping with disdain. 

"Sacrificing himself to let a nobody go."

The Drag-Knight riding the machine stirred uneasily, but Hayes barely spared her a glance.

"However, does nobody really think he can catch up to me?"

As if that was a command from Hayes, the Drag-Knight riding the Drag-Machine increased her speed.

But as they did, so did Laurel, drawing closer with each passing second.

"Tsk. How annoying. Engage."

As Hayes gave the order, she drew her sword device, donning Nidhogg, her own Drag-Machine. 

The first to engage Laurel was the Ex Drag-Machine rider, who charged forward, the [Blade Scale] of her machine raised.

But before she could even reach him, she froze over mid-air, dropping like a crystal statue into the waters below.

"Tsk. Pathetic." 

Hayes clicked her tongue, eyes narrowing.

"I could say the same thing for you, Hayes. Hiding behind your partner like that." 

Laurel raised his head in a way that made it clear he was looking down on her.

"Beating you is easy. So, instead of wasting time, I'll give you one chance to surrender."

"Oh, spare me the heroics." Hayes's eyes narrowed as she adjusted Nidhogg's position.

Nidhogg's blade swung high, slicing through the air with a strike that cut space itself.

A thin red line that seemed to reach the sky encompassed him, yet Laurel dodged it effortlessly.

"Sorry, but you'd have to do better than that." He said flatly. "And… is that really all Nidhogg can do?"

Laurel said that, but that statement was absolutely false. 

Any normal person can't dodge Nidhogg attacks the way Laurel dodges them.

Dodging her attacks should have required reflexes at the level of Lux, Fugil, or Celis gate ability to dodge it.

But he…. Laurel makes it so infuriatingly easy.

"Think you can lecture me from up there?" Hayes hissed. 

"You're not even close to knowing what you're up against!"

Though he already knew she was headstrong and wouldn't give up. He still tried. 

"Last chance, Hayes. After this, it gets ugly—"

"Let's see you try." 

She interrupted Laurel, raising Nidhogg's blade toward him. 

"—Crimson Abyss!"

A torrent of crimson energy burst forth from Nidhogg's blade, twisting and spiralling as it surged toward Laurel.

This time. It was aimed in such a way that it would leave no room for escape for him, an encirclement.

Regardless. Laurel evaded it, increasing his [Negentropy], allowing him to escape before it enclosed him.

Hayes, however, laughed, her voice rising in manic excitement. 

"Not bad, but let's see how long you last!"

She shifted tactics, descending rapidly as she engaged Nidhogg's thrusters, firing another barrage of energy projectiles his way. 

Laurel dodged, the projectiles freezing midair before they shattered around him.

Then, as though noticing it. He spoke out.

"You're getting desperate, Hayes."

"Desperate?"

She threw her head back with a derisive laugh. "I haven't even started."

Without warning, Hayes drew the flute from her robes, bringing it to her lips.

A haunting note filled the air, reverberating through the airspace.

Laurel's Drag-Machine shuddered as his systems momentarily stalled as though responding to the flute.

From below, shadowy, wiggly tentacles began to rise—

"Ragnarok? No. It's different…"

"You're strong, I'll give you that—" 

Hayes sneered, her eyes wild.

"Almost as strong as that bastard. But let's see how you fare against Ragnarok itself!"

"Ragnarok, you say? You look down on me. As if that incomplete thing is Ragnarok."

According to what Laurel knew, this particular Ragnarok shouldn't appear until later.

But if it appeared now, then why not DOMINATE IT!?

Laurel thought as frost gathered behind him, condensing into jagged, icy wings that unfolded with a brilliant shimmer, releasing particles of ice into the air.

Tentacles shot up towards Laurel, who grinned. His eyes are glowing blue.

"[Negentropy: Force core—100%]"

Normally, a drag machine could only operate safely at around 50% or less of its Force Core capacity.

Pushing it to 100% was deadly—even for experienced pilots.

Wielding a Divine Drag-Machine at full power was a gamble with one's life, as there have been cases of it killing the user.

Even with a general specialised machine, one couldn't withstand it without risking fatal consequences.

"Hahaha! Do you want to die before your time!? HAHAHAHA!"

Hayes laughed in even more hysteria.

The tentacles shot towards Laurel, who, in turn, now dashed towards the tentacles.

Slash and freeze.

Each tentacle that neared his Drag-Machine was instantly encased in bone-chilling ice.

"Ragnarok's strength lies in its regeneration, however—"

—What would it do if it were encased in bone-chilling ice?

In hindsight. This Ragnarok was modelled after an octopus itself. 

Then, its tentacles were rising from the water—an environment easy to freeze.

And that's exactly what Laurel did.

"Impossible, what sort of sorcery is this? I will not accept this!"

Hayes' voice crackled with fury as she tried to reposition.

She fired several shots at his back, aiming for his blind spots, but each projectile fizzled out in the biting cold.

"I am not that easy to beat!"

CRINK—!

However, by the time she realised it. A large area of the sea had been frozen over.

Ragnarok itself had been frozen over, with the ice spanning that of the New Kingdom's main capital.

"[Absolute Ice] and [Deceleration]."

"Even if the opponent has an insane regen factor, this alone should do it."

He stood on the now-solid sea, watching as the ice continued to spread, inching ever closer to Hayes.

"This isn't possible," she whispered, her voice barely audible. 

"You... you're just... how are you...?"

Shaken, Hayes tried to recalibrate, but her Drag-Machine's systems wouldn't move.

"Stay back!"

"Too late for that."

Slowly, the energy barrier around Nidhogg began to freeze over, cracking and splintering as the ice crept along its surface.

Hayes attempted to disengage, but the frost closed in faster than she could move.

"You—!"

Laurel pressed a finger to his lips. 

"Shhh. Just close your eyes. It'll be over soon."

Though she fought against it, her vision dimmed, slowly consumed by the encroaching ice.

—What she saw before her vision froze over was a world of pure ice… and… silence.

Laurel exhaled, his breath misting in the cold air as he watched her frozen form.

"Fuu." 

He turned away, glancing over the now-icy expanse.

"Now then... what to do about this place?"