New Kingdom Atismata Border.
Near Ries Island.
Lux.
Slowly descending below. To the island, like Laurel had said, he slowly came face to face with a figure.
Glossy black hair, wearing a kimono with a mismatched eyes, her body proportions were just perfect.
And such a girl was waiting for him.
After the first opening shot, she hadn't attacked anymore.
'So, she's the Empire's Assassin Blade, huh?'
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Master."
She gave a respectful bow even on her Drag-Machine, yet Lux couldn't help but be on alert.
'She's strong.'
Whilst she wasn't as strong as the current him, nor did she warrant him to be wary, were it the former him, she'd have stood a chance.
Yet, it was surprising to see.
"I've looked forward to meeting you, but this is certainly not how I imagined it."
"Who are you?"
Lux asked warily as he levelled Bahamut's sword upwards.
While Laurel had told him she was the Empire's Assassin Blade, he hadn't said anything more.
So, he'd have to acquire the information himself from her.
"I was formerly a Drag-Knight serving the Emperor's family. Yoruka Kirihime, at your service, master."
Yoruka said that with a smile.
The weapon of her Drag-Machine was lowered, showing that she seemed to have no intentions of attacking him.
Regardless, Lux still didn't buy it.
"But if I may ask, what has brought Master here?"
Yoruka tilted her head, her gaze drifting up toward the sky, which had now become exceedingly calm.
If anything, she could still feel the slightest of chills Laurel had released.
Lux too felt it. However, his focus wasn't on that now.
"Uhm... A friend of mine has a business with Hayes over there."
Lux felt the tiniest bit of embarrassment as he said that, after all, like Laurel had said, he'd came to rob Hayes.
Or was that simply a font?
Lux wouldn't know.
But as Laurel said, she was no doubt one of the most troublesome opponents the former him would have had to face.
"But seeing as you are with someone like that… Do you have any intention of restoring the old empire like her?"
"Restoring the old empire? Master does not wish to? My, this is certainly a predicament."
As she said that, silence fell over them, followed by the cold, chilling wind that blew over.
Then, SHAA—!
In a blink of an eye, Yourka and her Drag-Machine had appeared in front of Lux.
She swung Yato-no-Kami's swordlike katana at Lux, who blocked it in time with Bahamut's Blade.
Although he blocked that, the impact sent him skidding some meters back.
'Huh? What was that?'
Lux blinked as he hurriedly looked front.
But again she had disappeared and suddenly appeared at his back.
But this time, it was no problem.
He was already prepared. Naturally, he was caught off guard. But now that he was focused, he could easily detect her.
CLANG!
They clashed blades once more.
'As expected of an assassin. With movements like this, it would be deadly to fight her in the night.'
He'd noted.
Unlike Laurel and the rest, Lux wasn't hack-orientated; he still needed to fight while using his Drag-Machine.
Nay.
To put it simply, Lux already had the benefit of his natural physique being enhanced more than two times over already.
Still, all his skills and kit were more directed to him being able to ride a Drag-Machine without his previous limits.
"Ehh… you blocked that. As expected of master."
Yoruka let out a smile.
It was one that sent chills down his spine for no reason.
Next, the mechanical arm of her Drag-Machine grabbed the right mechanical arm of Bahamut.
"Let me tell you a story, master."
"Eh?"
Yoruka Kirihime.
Nay.
Habakiri Yoruka.
Born as the princess of Ancient City, she killed a person at the mere age of five.
Her opponent was an assassin hired by a noble's mistress.
She dodged the black-clothed man's swung blade and stabbed a single bamboo skewer in his throat, ending his life.
Assassination, murder, stealth elimination.
In the Habakiri Castle, the royal family, the central figure of the Ancient City, was in a state of utter turmoil and unrest──
However, the reason why Yoruka was rejected by everyone around her was not due to her continued murder, but because she struck down every single assassin sent after her all by herself.
『You ─…Someone like you is not a person!』
They all pointed their hands at her and said that.
However, Yoruka would smile with a chuckle and dismiss it like that.
Even though she couldn't remember her father's face in the slightest, for some reason only his frightened words remained in the girl's memory forever.
Possessing an imperturbable heart ready to harm and kill without a shred of hesitation.
And an unusual talent for battle far removed from the realm of nature.
Yoruka attained full mastery of martial arts from the swordsmanship instructor and was feared by everyone in the castle.
On her ninth birthday, she received the unspeakable name『Kirihime』.
Two years later. Yoruka joined the Arcadia Empire after the war, where they started invading Ancient City.
She made a single contract and pledged loyalty to the emperor.
That Arcadia Empire was also destroyed—but the imperial blood had yet to die out.
──And now. Yoruka broke into a shallow smile while looking at the silver-haired boy in front of her.
"From there, I made a contract with the emperor. Live and die for the empire. And as the sole male legitimate successor, my allegiance is automatically in your hands."
Lux fell silent once more, which just made the smile on the girl's face widen.
"I see…"
"And with the current powers master possesses, it's possible to destroy the false empire in a heartbeat. Even cutting down the pillar of this country and rebuilding Arcadia Empire is—"
"No."
Lux rejected.
Sure, he had enough power to fulfil their ambitions, yet he had no interest.
To put it simply, his own ideals were that as long as his loved ones could live in peace, then that's all.
All that was what he wanted.
"I have no plans of going against the new empire."
Silence again.
Followed by—
"Hihihihihi. I see; guess I was mistaken, huh?"
Yoruka let out a chilling smile. And by the time Lux would realise it.
Some strange symbols were moving on the parts of his mechanical armour.
"This is—"
"Yato-No-Kami's Divine Raiment. «Spell Code». The ability to take control of one's machine. The longer I take hold of the machine, the more I can control them."
"For master, currently, I can control Bahamut entirely."
Yoruka said that with a fearless smile as she stepped back from Lux, brandishing her sword, pointing at him as she muttered.
"What a shame."
She said that, however—
"What a shame really; I couldn't agree more."
It was Lux who had continued that, on his face, was no longer the slightly confused and normal Lux.
It was a serious Lux, who would dominate his opponent regardless of their circumstances.
Especially when he acknowledges them as "enemies."
"!?"
Yoruka jumped away, far from him.
She felt it.
'What is that—'
She had thought as she kept her gaze on him. She tried controlling Bahamut, forcing it to disarm.
Yet, 'It's not working.'
"Sorry, Yoruka, truly, I'm not in any position to tell you this, but the Old Empire was wrong."
"There is no Old Empire in the future that I see. And that's why…"
Saying that, the spell code that had surrounded Lux's Bahamut slowly began dissipating.
Still, even now, as he pointed his weapon at the girl, he had no intention of finishing her off.
Regardless of what he thought.
He had to make her give up on the idea that she was a tool. Hence—
"Here I come."
As Lux said that, the world became exceedingly bright, with the light overwhelming the entire island.
With that, the world seemed to go deaf due to that intensity.
There were no loud sounds, bangs, or explosions. Yet, a huge trench was made on that island.
"It's over."
Lux stood over Yoruka still donning Bahamut while Yoruka lay sprawled on the ground.
She had been disarmed by that one attack.
No, that didn't even seem to be an attack in the first place. It was more aimed at disarming Yato-No-Kami.
"I see… I lost."
Yoruka said, eyes closed on the ground as if welcoming her death. However, no matter how much she waited for it.
It never came.
Slowly, she then opened her eyes, looking at Lux.
"Why…?"
"Uhm… First of all, I have no reason, since the old empire is no more; I believe you should live as you like."
"...."
Yoruka fell silent.
This wasn't how she wanted to meet him in the first place. But perhaps, is this fate?
"You're too naive for your own sake… master."
At the same time, Laurel had been watching from afar while clapping his hands, making a Lloyd meme-worthy face along with a wide smile.
But at the same time, Laurel once more fell into thoughts.
'Because of my greed, there's no doubt things would escalate. But with Lux's power, it'd be no problem.'
'At the same time, why not screw a few things up too?'
Another certain person he'd wanted to help was a certain queen who would eventually come to be manipulated by Fugil.
'Really, as much as I'd wish to restrain Fugil…'
Laurel then turned towards the island.
'Yeah, I can't exactly do just that yet.'
Additionally, Laurel had this feeling.
This strange feeling that things wouldn't be simple.
But for now, it wasn't like him to contemplate what he can't see coming.
While that was happening.
Ries Island.
It had just been a peaceful afternoon broken by chilling winds and a veil in the sky.
They saw two unregistered Drag-Machines fighting in the distance, using observation from where they stood.
Naturally, they had planned to stop it when all of a sudden, a Ragnarok appeared on the battlefield.
They paused.
"That's a Ragnarok, you know!"
"The fuck!?"
Most of the females stationed there let out noises unbecoming of them.
Yet, as they continued watching, before they knew it, the prototype Ragnarok had turned to ice.
Even without using observation, they saw the white-like veil that covered the sky like a blanket, freezing not only Ragnarok but also a large part of the sea frozen.
"..."
"..."
At that point. They were lost for words.
What should they do?
Investigate?
"As if!"
"That's a Divine Raiment that can freeze a Ragnarok along with the sea, you know?"
What are they? Superhuman?
No, they thought not!
They weren't paid enough to fight a Divine Drag-Knight, nor were they foolish to run to their potential death.
Yes. They were simply spectating to report what had happened, yes.
But while all that's said and done, after confirming that the Drag-Knights had left, they headed over to the frozen sea.
They tried all sorts of bombardment; however, they made no dent on the frozen surface.
"You're kidding me…"