Only those with the strongest mentality could bear to walk the darkest path.
A middle-aged man walked through a long, lightless corridor. Each step echoed loudly around him, the sound bouncing endlessly off the stone walls. Yet he showed no reaction. He had walked this path countless times before, long enough for the darkness to lose its meaning.
The brown-haired man finally stopped before a massive metal door. Its surface was scarred and worn by time, marks layered upon marks as if the door itself had witnessed countless visitors and sins across time.
He paused for a bit, looking at the door. It was unknown what he was thinking.
Then, taking a deep breath, he finally pushed it open.
Inside was a vast room, seemingly empty at first glance. But calling it empty would have been a lie. In the center of the chamber stood a grotesque throne built entirely from bones and skulls, stacked carelessly atop one another, as if the owners of those bones had never mattered.
But the throne—
was empty.
The man's expression tightened as he stared at the vacant throne. Before he could speak, a presence brushed against his senses. The door behind him closed on its own with a dullsound.
He turned slowly. His left eye glowed red as he looked behind.
A child stood there…or a boy to be precise.
The boy wore an oversized silver robe, far too large for his small frame, the fabric dragging slightly against the ground. Long silver hair flowed down to his waist, several strands resting casually against his chest. Near the ends of that hair, faint green streaks shimmered softly beneath the dim light.
"You're getting careless, Golvax," the child said, his voice innocent and light. "You didn't even notice me. I could have killed you the moment you stepped into the room."
Golvax immediately dropped to one knee.
"Master…" the brown-haired man spoke in a respectful tone. "My life is already yours. You may take it whenever you wish."
"Hm." The child hummed thoughtfully. "I don't hate sweet talk. But that's not what I want to hear right now."
He walked up the steps leading to the throne, his small footsteps barely making a sound. As he turned around, his body shifted in an instant. The child's form stretched and matured, bones were cracking softly as seconds passed. When it ended, a young man in his 20s sat upon the throne of bones, the silver robe now fitting him perfectly.
His bright green eyes glowed faintly as he looked down at Golvax.
"I thought you had finally found what I asked you to find," the silver-haired man said calmly.
"I apologize. There was some—"
"Yeah, I know." He cut him off without hesitation. "Your daughter ran away with the map. But You should already have known where it was, yet you still didn't kill her for the crime she dared to commit. How touching."
Golvax flinched; a blonde girl's image flashed through his mind, and his gaze instantly dropped to the floor.
"Master…She is still young. I only wished that one day she would understand the bigger picture. That she would serve under—"
Golvax slowly looked up as he was speaking, only to see a cold, uncaring pair of eyes.
A chill ran through Golvax's bones as he looked at the bright green eye.
"You're the one who doesn't see the bigger picture," the silver-haired man said in a low voice. But it was pretty easy to see that he was irritated. "Do you have any idea what I'm trying to do? What are we trying to accomplish?"
His fingers tightened slightly against the armrest as he continued.
"If our mission succeeds, you could have hundreds of daughters. So why are you still clinging to just one? That shallow affection is what's holding you back, Golvax." His voice hardened. "When will you understand that?"
"I… I am sorry, Master."
"Enough."
The man finally calmed down a bit and leaned back against the throne. "Now tell me. What did you find?"
"Master… I thought you could see the future. That's how you knew about—"
"After Arthur's child caused a shift in the timeline, everything is now becoming harder to predict," the silver-haired man interrupted, rubbing his forehead in irritation.
"I thought I could still grasp the new flow, but I'm slowly losing hold of it…"
His eyes narrowed.
"I'm starting to believe it was preplanned somehow—by Arthur and his wife. But that's impossible. Fate can not be changed by someone this casually."
Golvax's left eye twitched at the mention of Arthur, but he carefully kept his expression neutral.
"That's why I need you to take this seriously," the silver-haired man continued as he looked at Golvax. "There won't be many chances left if you fail this. If we get that thing, then I can grow stronger and can see the flow of time again."
"I understand, Master." Golvax nodded. "The map is no longer necessary. I know where the object is. It's with the Iceberg Kingdom's royal family."
He hesitated briefly before continuing.
"My wife was close friends with the late queen. My daughter used to play with the first prince there, and she thought they were friends. Because of that, my foolish daughter gave that map to the prince."
His left eye glowed red.
"Unfortunately, just like my late wife, she can't judge people well.. The prince now plans to use it for his own gain, though I haven't yet discovered to what extent he would go…"
"Hmph. Humans and their greed," the silver-haired man said lazily. "So many Generations passed, yet that flaw never fades. At first, it was amusing, but now it is just getting annoying."
He rose from the throne.
"That's enough for now. Follow me."
The man took a single step forward.
Golvax was going to ask where they were going, but suddenly The world around Golvax twisted violently.
He blinked several times, and when his vision cleared, he found himself standing inside the hidden base of his own dark guild—an underground chamber packed with unruly mages he personally gathered from across the continent.
The silver-haired man stood above them on the second floor, gazing down at the crowd.
"You are the only member of Abyss Howl that doesn't have a partner. So, you had to create your own dark guild. You have worked hard, Golvax."
"No, master… It was nothing…"
"Don't apologize, I decided to give up the ice devil's lacrima to them. Although the trade was more beneficial to me, it did cost you a partner…"
"Master…"
"But these people won't be enough, Golvax… Dont't forget your people couldn't even deal with some fairies in Ventara Island," he said calmly. "I don't doubt your strength, but a single strong individual never decides a battlefield. That's why I created the Abyss Howl, you know?""
A lazy, devilish smile curved his lips.
He snapped his fingers. And numerous silver magic circles bloomed in the air above each of the dark wizard's heads.
"What is this?"
"An attack?!"
"Aghh…"
Before anyone could react, silver markings spread across their bodies like living tattoos. Screams erupted throughout the huge chamber as pain tore through them, but the silver-haired man merely watched, unmoved.
"Master, if you do this—" Golvax shouted.
"I thought you understood," the man replied smoothly. "My foresight is weakening. There won't be another chance."
"And if you can get that item, you won't need them anymore anyway…. I will officially make you my right-hand man…"
Power surged violently through the dark wizards, their magic rising at an alarming rate as the markings grew clearer across their faces and bodies.
"Don't disappoint me this time, Golvax," he said softly. "Or this will be your fate as well."
"I… I won't, Master."
Golvax looked back to reply, only to see no one there. And he could no longer sense his presence either.
He looked down at his subordinates, still screaming as their magic power continued to rise. Slowly, the noise faded into background static.
"Don't worry, Master," Golvax muttered. "I've worked too long for this."
His left eye glowed fiercely as he watched them suffer.
"Anyone who tries to stop me this time…" His lips curled into a grim smile. "I won't let them have a good end."
He paused.
"…Even my own daughter."
The smile lingered for only a moment—
Then faded away just as quickly as he continued to observe the transformation of his people
Even without the strongest heart, one could still walk through the darkest path, knowing the people closest to them were cheering for them.
A pair of purple eyes lazily gazed out the window, watching the heavy snow fall endlessly outside.
On the road leading toward the Iceberg Kingdom, a huge convoy of lacrima-driven carriages was rushing forward across the snow-covered path. Thick layers of snow blanketed the ground, yet the carriages moved without slowing down, faint magic circles glowing beneath their wheels as if the snow itself was being pushed aside.
With just a glance, it was easy to see that each carriage proudly displayed the flag of Fiore atop its roof, fluttering against the cold wind.
Inside one of the carriages sat Astro and Laxus, positioned just ahead of the one carrying the king and princess. Astro leaned slightly toward the window, his gaze fixed on the endless white scenery sliding past quickly.
"So… do we really have to fight in this snow?" he muttered. "I hate winter. Especially when it snows."
Well, it couldn't be helped; a sky devil slayer needs wind to replenish his magic. And if he tried to eat air while it was snowing…well, let's just say it is not a pleasing experience to eat a lot of snow.
"Hmph. A wizard should know how to adapt to any situation," Laxus said from the seat across from him. He said in a calm and lecturing tone. "If you don't, it'll be used against you. Don't underestimate the intelligence of stronger wizards."
Astro slowly turned his head and stared at the blonde young man.
"Weren't you literally begging me earlier to use Troia on you?"
Troia was the magic that helps with motion sickness… Without it, Astro wouldn't even dare to sit in the same carriage as Laxus.
Laxus stiffened for half a second before crossing his arms. "Th-that was just a safety measure," he said, looking away outside the window, too. "I would've been completely fine without it."
Astro didn't respond right away. He simply stared at Laxus with a completely flat expression.
"Yeah, right."
This was the same guy who had been seconds away from vomiting all over his lap before the spell was cast. Dragon Slayer magic really was inconvenient in this day and age.
After a moment, Astro spoke again in a thoughtful tone.
"Hm… you know, I just remembered something. Natsu always gets carried by Happy after he loses a fight with me, and I've never seen him get sick. Are you sure this is actually a Dragon Slayer problem? The more I think about it, the more it feels like a Laxus problem, no?"
Laxus looked at him like he was dealing with an idiot.
"Happy isn't a means of transportation. Why would someone get sick from being carried by someone else? "
"Well… I guess you have a point," Astro said slowly.
He wasn't actually convinced. There seems to be a lot of what-ifs there. But Astro simply reasoned it might be more mental than physical. Dragon Slayer magic was closely tied to dragons—and dragons, according to what he'd read at least, could fly naturally. Compared to that, modern transportation probably felt wrong to their instincts.
Thankfully, devil slayer magic doesn't have such inconveniences. Otherwise, his life would have been a literal hell.
Lost in thought, Astro casually looked out the window again.
"Looks like we're almost near Nivorath."
In the distance, the capital city of the Iceberg Kingdom emerged through the snowfall. Towering structures rose faintly from beneath layers of white, giving the city a cold yet majestic presence.
"Hey, Astro," Laxus said suddenly, looking seriously at Astro. "No matter what happens, I forbid you to lose to any other wizards in this event. Don't shame Fairy Tail there."
Astro turned back and smiled, clearly unfazed.
"Don't worry. You, of all people, know how hard it is to defeat me. And if someone here can beat me, they'd be able to beat you too, you know."
Laxus opened his mouth to argue—
—and immediately slapped a hand over it.
Astro froze, then sighed.
"…Okay. I think I spoke too soon. You are so easy to beat. Some S-class wizards you are."
"Mmph…"
"Use that spell again," Laxus said in a muffled voice.
"It's not that I don't want to," Astro replied in a helpless voice with a smile, "but it loses effectiveness if you rely on it too much. I know you're stronger than me, so i believe you can hold it in."
" Otherwise, do you really want the news of Fiore's strongest wizard having severe motion sickness to spread?"
"You bastard—mmph!"
Laxus tried to snap back, but the nausea forced him to cover his mouth again.
"Hold it, Laxus. I know you can do it," Astro said while opening the spellbook he'd received from Porlyusica.
"Mmph…"
For a while, the only sound in the carriage was Laxus struggling against his motion sickness. Fortunately, it didn't last long. The carriage soon slowed as they arrived at the royal mansion just outside the castle, where the welcome ceremony would take place.
Astro looked through the frosted window. Despite the heavy snowfall, large crowds seemed to have gathered outside the gate, all dressed in thick winter clothing. Even in this weather, people had come to witness the arrival of foreign monarchs.
"Well… I guess royals really are kind of like celebrities here," Astro murmured as he took in the scene.
"People of the Iceberg Kingdom! Welcome, in honor of our great King Runar Steensen, our lovely Queen Helen Steensen, and the two rising stars of our kingdom—Prince Nova Steensen and Prince Oskar Steensen!"
Cheers erupted from the crowd, and Astro could feel the respect the people of this kingdom held for their royal family. Although he couldn't see them clearly from here, he knew the Iceberg royals had arrived to personally welcome them.
This wasn't just a greeting—it was a display. A message to the people that the kingdoms of Western Ishgar stood united with the Iceberg royal family. So, despite the weather, the royal family themselves came out to greet them.
"Let us welcome our honoured, esteemed guests who have come here despite this harsh weather! Let us give them the warmest welcome possible!"
Another wave of cheering from the crowd came from the people.
"For the Western Ishgar Summit, we welcome the royal family of the beautiful kingdom farthest to the west—Fiore!"
The carriage began moving again. Without a word, Astro cast Troia on Laxus.
Laxus shot him a resentful look but said nothing as he put on the expensive white long coat provided by Fiore. Astro followed suit as well. Inside Laxus was wearing a black shirt, while Astro was wearing a
Three luxurious carriages powered by magic lacrima passed the gate and rolled to a stop before the mansion's grand staircase.
"We welcome our honored guests—the King of Fiore, Toma E. Fiore, and the one and only lovely Princess of Fiore, Hisui E. Fiore!"
A few moments later, A guard opened the door to Astro's carriage. Astro stepped out first, only to get hit by a sharp wave of cold air in his face. He frowned slightly but kept his expression neutral as he slowly descended.
Astro and Laxus nodded to the guard as the door closed behind them and followed the king, princess, and other ministers forward. There were some other guards too, but they will go from the side door later, to make this place less crowded. Anyway, there are a lot of council wizards here, so the security was not an issue. One of the princes praised Princess Hisui while greeting King Toma with a warm smile. Behind them, the carriage slowly pulled away.
Astro briefly glanced toward the crowd before stopping behind the royal pair, with Laxus beside him.
Astro and Laxus nodded to the guard as the carriage door was closed behind them. The sound of the wheels faded as the carriage slowly pulled away. Astro and Laxus also went toward the king and princess.
Standing at the front was obviously the King of the Iceberg Kingdom.
He was a tall man with a broad frame; his presence was heavy and imposing even when he was just standing casually. A huge, thick beard flowed down his chest, streaked with gray that matched his sharp gray eyes. Judging by his appearance, he looked to be well over seventy years old, yet there was no weakness in his posture. Draped over his shoulders was a luxurious winter coat, tailored perfectly to his build, layered over richly colored fabrics that marked his status as a monarch at a single glance.
Beside him stood the queen.
At first glance, she was undeniably beautiful. Her rose-colored hair cascaded down elegantly, framing a face that looked far younger than the king's—too young. Her red eyes held a confident gleam as she smiled at the gathered guests.
She wore a bold, eye-catching dress that revealed quite a bit of her chest at the front. But the long skirt flowed down gracefully, covering her ankles, while a fluffy scarf rested loosely around her neck, doing little to hide the dress's daring design.
On each side of the queen stood the two princes of this kingdom.
The younger one, the second prince, appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen years old. He shared his queen's rose-colored hair, though his gray eyes mirrored the king's.
Astro's main focus was, however, on the first prince, Nova Steensen, stood slightly ahead of his younger brother. His shiny yellow hair caught the light even beneath the cloudy sky, and his gray eyes carried a confident, composed look befitting the future ruler of the Iceberg Kingdom
Ahead of them, he was already speaking warmly, praising Princess Hisui, while the king of Iceberg was welcoming King Toma with a practiced smile. Astro absentmindedly listened to everyone praising each other. His attention slowly drifted as he casually glanced toward the crowd gathered outside the mansion.
Snow continued to fall steadily, but that didn't stop the murmurs or excitement in the crowd outside the gate. There were a lot of people on the windows or rooftops of nearby buildings, too.
"Wow, the princess of Fiore is so cute."
"Yeah, I want to pinch her cheek so much."
"Hey, did you look at the people behind the Fiore royals? They're so handsome…"
"Look at the muscles on the blond one. They must feel really good to touch. Kyaa—"
Astro's steps slowed just slightly before he stopped behind the royal pair, with Laxus naturally taking position beside him, with the same poker face as Astro.
"Are they models from Fiore? They're so tall."
"You idiot, they're obviously wizards. I thought all wizards were barbarians, but I didn't know there were cool ones like this, too. Do you think they're single?"
"You old hag, aren't you already thirty—mmph!"
"Shut up!"
Astro sighed inwardly, listening to the chaos outside.
The crowd wasn't particularly close due to security measures, so even if they were loud, no one this side should have been able to hear them clearly in this weather.
Well… no one except him.
And Laxus.
Sometimes, he really wished he could turn his heightened senses off. He didn't need—nor want—to hear people openly discussing Laxus's muscles like that. And he didn't like getting praised like this from strangers either.
Astro glanced at the blond wizard beside him. Laxus's expression hadn't changed, but judging by the slight tension in his shoulders, he was definitely hearing it all.
At first, Astro had assumed Devil Slayers and Dragon Slayers had roughly the same level of enhanced senses. Only recently had he realized just how wrong that assumption was. Dragon Slayers were far more sensitive than him.
Which meant Laxus was probably picking up comments from even farther away than Astro was.
…That must be really annoying. He remembered Laxus used headphones a lot. Laxus didn't seem to be a music-loving guy, so he probably carried one for this reason. Should he also get one?
Before Astro could dwell on it further, a calm, clear, and young voice spoke from the front.
"These must be the wizards you selected for the event, Princess Hisui."
The speaker stepped forward with a relaxed and confident posture.
"I welcome you to the Iceberg Kingdom," he continued with a polite smile. "I hope you enjoy your time here. I am Nova Steensen, the First Prince of Iceberg Kingdom."
As he spoke, Prince Nova extended his hand to Astro and Laxus in a friendly manner.
Although Astro didn't show it, he was a little surprised inside. He hadn't expected the prince himself to greet them so directly. Still, he quickly composed himself and accepted the handshake with a warm expression.
"It's an honor to meet you, Your Highness," Astro said respectfully. "I am Astro Blackmist, from Fairy Tail in Fiore."
"It's an honor to meet you, Your Highness," Laxus added, giving a short nod. "Laxus Dreyar, from Fairy Tail."
Prince Nova's gaze lingered on them for a moment before he smiled faintly.
"Nice to meet you both. I know that travelling to another kingdom can be difficult. Let us know if you encounter any difficulty here."
"Thank you for your generosity, Your Highness. I have always heard good things about this kingdom. So we are looking forward to seeing it with our own eyes," Astro said with a small bow.
"Haha, Is that so? Well, except for the weather, everything here is top-notch, I assure you."
At that point, the King of the Iceberg Kingdom also shifted his attention toward the two wizards, then looked back at King Toma.
"Astro Blackmist, the wizard who has recently risen to fame in Joya," King Runar said as he rubbed his beard, "And Laxus Dreyar, grandson of one of the Ten Wizard Saints."
He gave a small nod.
"I am really honored that, although we gave such a late notice, you are taking this event so seriously, King Toma."
King Toma laughed casually, waving his hand.
"Of course. An event like this wouldn't be entertaining if no one took it seriously," he said with an easy smile. "I have to say, I really like your idea for this summit event this year."
He continued without pause with a sincere tone.
"A lot of normal people fear wizards simply because they don't understand them. Events like this would really help in showing that wizards are just normal people too—just with a bit more power."
King Runar blinked for a brief moment, clearly taken aback by the enthusiasm, before letting out a short laugh.
"Haha, you're absolutely right, King Toma," he said, smiling professionally. "I'm glad to see that you understand the actual point of this event."
"Now, please follow us to your rooms," King Runar said generously. " We still have some time. The remaining guests should arrive by tonight, before the gala begins. From the royal family of Steensen, we sincerely hope that you enjoy the events we prepared for you."