WORLD: EARTH
BRANCHED WORLD: UNKNOWN?
LOCATION: MODERN JAPAN.
"Haah."
The sigh slipped out as Laurel paced the sidewalk of a foreign street, the soles of his shoes tapping against the concrete.
Pale-white hair tousled by the wind, he walked flanked by two girls
The first female by his side had long purple hair, the space between them almost nonexistent as she walked side by side with him, still leaving that thin space between them.
On the other hand, the second one was a silver-haired female who maintained a close yet distant step away from him, though it was only about one foot.
"Haah."
"What's wrong with you? What's with the sigh?"
Having sighed insistently, Luminous glanced over with a somewhat irritated expression.
Laurel slumped his shoulder. "It's been two months you know, and there's been no progress."
They walked about the sidewalk close to an expressway, cars zipping around, and people walking past going about their daily lives.
On the other hand, though the three all dressed as students, and despite that, they had no place in mind to go to.
Perhaps the correct word was that they were new here and had decided on a whim to explore this place first of all.
Rather, Mei invited Laurel for an outing, and Luminous, who had struck a deal with Laurel before, was now invited by him.
Mei, of course, didn't mind.
"Perhaps, it's because Tatsuya-san keeps rejecting him?"
Mei said, tilting her head as she leaned forward, strands of hair falling like curtains across her face, which prompted another sigh from him.
"Thanks to a certain goddess who had labelled me a Plague. Not that I AM complaining."
Laurel shrugged, hands buried in his coat pockets, expression unreadable.
Even that nutcase Nightmare, as deranged as she was, wouldn't let him into her world.
It surely wasn't as though he'd leap in just to pick fights with every cosmic juggernaut lounging around.
"Says you... I wonder what other properties you'll assimilate within yourself once you step into that foreign world."
"Ahhhhh...."
Laurel tilted his head and groaned louder this time, as if trying to drown her out with raw sound.
'You really don't get it... you irredeemable twat.'
Luminous clenched her jaw.
Yes, it was true. With an ability like Laurel's, in no time, he would deduce the information layer/logic of both worlds.
While it was indeed helpful...
Luminous, on the other hand, had made this impossible. Why? Simply because... she was worried for him.
Honestly, Laurel had already drifted far from the realm of "human" when they first met.
But now, day by day, step by step, he was becoming something entirely different. A concept like "human" no longer fits.
But then again, did it ever really fit any of them?
"So, where are we exactly?"
Mei sensing the mood between them drop one level, she asked that, glancing at the distant skyline of the city.
"Yeah, a relatively modern world. Since our first task is almost done, I'd say we wind here for a bit."
As Laurel continued, Mei looked over with a serene smile.
Modern World,
Japan,
Most worlds they had made rounds to were relatively modern worlds. In more unofficial terms...
Slice of life world.
Places where people worried about school schedules and other normal problems without continental or world level threats everyday.
With abilities like theirs, fitting in only required a bit of persuasion, and just enough restraint to avoid leveling the neighborhood.
"Which reminds me of back when Laurel did that."
Mei said that with a finger slightly raised with a slightly awkward smile and tone.
"Oh, those poor people."
Luminous scoffed under her breath.
There had been a world on the brink of collapse, locked in a third World War. And Laurel had appeared right in the middle of it.
The result? Of course, anyone can guess.
He bent the battlefield to his will like it was made of paper. And in the span of about two days, he walked out of the world.
Conquered.
Management was split between the now executives of Laurel, who each had about two worlds under their jurisdictions.
In other words, conquer a world and leave management to them.
And then there was that other one.
Another where he caused the continents to shake from one spot located in the Pacific, attracting attention to himself.
Back then—
KRRRKRRRKRR
Sounds of thundering buzz filled the sky. Jet engines, drone swarms, and air-to-surface interceptors all cut through the air, all encircling the Pacific.
From global command rooms buried deep beneath capitals, voices crackled through comms:
"Target located."
"Visual acquired—humanoid. Male. Holding position above the epicenter."
Dozens of world leaders stared, wide-eyed, at the screens before them. The footage was unmistakable.
Roughly an hour earlier, a quake unlike anything in recorded history had rocked the planet.
If it had affected a country, understandable. Even if it was a continent, then the term superquake would have been used.
Yet, it would have been perhaps better if it affected a continent alone. It wasn't regional. It wasn't continental. It was planetary.
The term "superquake" didn't do it justice.
And when satellite readings traced the origin, every single arrow pointed there.
Pacific.
Of course, from each of their countries, each world leader immediately sent forces to investigate the cause. And...
"You're finally here."
Seated, perched on a jagged rock along the island's shore, a silhouette framed by frothing waves and mist.
To the incessant noises, he simply lifted his head slowly as the roaring of turbines filled the sky.
"Still, what a grand welcome."
He stretched out a single hand toward the sky, palm up.
"I only intended a little greeting; after all, the world's selections aren't up to me."
Whichever line was connected by the system was whichever world they would land in.
Unlike member invitation, which was specified as the system only needs to make a connection with a person.
However, this time, it is making connections with the world, its dimension, and its over encompassing Great World layer.
It wasn't easy to land connections to a higher-class world like that with the system's current authority, unless it was to a singular entity of that world.
And in the first place, their current task was the conquering of lower-class worlds.
Yet, despite his words, the sounds of crashing waves blocked out his words.
Though they were spoken at such volume that they wouldn't hear it.
But then again, it wasn't as though those words weren't meant for them.
"Sir, awaiting orders."
A voice buzzed from the command line, nervous.
"If he's the source... eliminate him."
Or so were the words that came from the other side of the communicator.
Silence.
The pilots glanced at each other through HUD visors and cockpit glass.
But soon....
TFFF—!
A missile launched.
NYUUUUNNNNNNNN!
Dozens followed. Missiles screamed downward in synchronized spirals.
TATATATATATATATA!
Rounds fired from the drones overhead, hundreds of tracer shells raining toward the target, glowing bright in the dusk.
On the shore, Laurel didn't move. Legs crossed. One arm on his knee. Head resting on his hand.
"Haah."
The sound left his lips like a slow breath, not a sigh, just a small ripple of exasperation.
As the first barrage neared—
SIIIIIIIU~
The barrage halted midair.
Missiles froze inches from impact. Bullets hung in the space between seconds.
Even the smoke from their trails curled upward, caught in an invisible grip.
Laurel lifted his head slightly, one eye opening with a dull flicker of interest.
In the same instant, the hovering arsenal fractured.
Each shell shimmered, thinning until they disintegrated into delicate slivers of crystal, catching the light like floating dust.
And then, gone. Dissipated into nothing.
"I doubt any government would be eager to report this level of absurdity, cause, unlike Luminous who takes control from within their ranks."
"Yes. Efficient, but if we do that all the time, then it would be boring. So let me take on the role of Tyrant for you, my Goddess."
He raised his voice just a notch, letting the wind carry it.
Naturally, harming them was a no go.
Unless the world deserved it. Even if they fired, it wasn't like any of their weapons would've reached him in the first place.
Besides, in a way...
He had invited them here.
With that in mind, Laurel's lips pressed thin as he slowly stood up, stretching his left hand forward.
His palm opened toward the fleet above.
"Ranked Zeroth. One of the apostles of Goddess Luminous. I order you all, submit."
And then-
SNAP!
It took a snap. A snap of his finger. And the entire battlefield halted.
The sounds of the drones, unmanned aircraft, choppers, and fighter jets. It all came to a halt.
If one looked closer, they would see a glimmer of light pass.
Yes. The battlefield was frozen. Frozen by transparent ice. This in turn made it appear as though... time had been paused.
[Skill Activated: Suspension Zone]
An advanced technique born from the dual principles of [Time Covenant: Slow Down] + [Glacier]
An ice that isn't ice.
The skill targets the submolecular and atomic layers of the world itself, creating an invisible binding that brings motion to a halt, without altering causality.
The result appears as frozen time... but in truth, the world is simply suspended.
The ice cannot be seen through conventional means, because it's not "ice" in the conventional sense. It binds movement by locking molecular bonds directly, bypassing physical constructs altogether.
....
"Though, Laurel was kinda cool, wasn't he?"
Mei's voice lilted playfully as she turned to glance at Luminous.
The silver-haired girl shifted her gaze to the other side of the street with practiced indifference.
Of course, she wouldn't admit it—even if she did think so.
"'Let me take on the role of Tyrant for you, my Goddess,' or so he said," Mei teased, her grin widening.
Laurel groaned loudly. "Ahh, please, just spare me!"
He turned away from her, hand dramatically raised like he was warding off a curse.
Luminous, meanwhile, kept her face turned, but the faint red tinge on her ear tips was unmistakable.
Mei saw it.
Ufufufu.
She practically beamed. Ever since she'd begun getting along with «Ei», she has been unsurprisingly bold.
Not in an overly bold way. Simply bold enough to be free around them.
However, just as she mused with satisfaction, something caught her eye.
Right after they passed a street corner, and just beyond a small convenience store, a line of excited people snaked around the sidewalk.
Mei slowed her steps, blinking.
At the storefront, a bright banner flapped above the entrance: "Hm? SAO?"
She tilted her head,
Laurel paused.
"Oh...."