Russia...

" Are you sure of this dear?"

The black haired woman nodded her head with confidence at her mother.

Bechir: " she made her choice. She is old enough to make her own decisions."

He reassured his worried wife.

Aya: " I don't know how long I will be away."

Bechir: " it doesn't matter. Just make sure you stay safe."

She smiled softly at her father before shifting her look to her sisters who seemed totally indifferent about the fact that she is leaving in a few minutes.

Mai: " see you then. Just bring me something back."

Aya: " I... Will try..."

Yosra: " nah, don't bother about saying goodbye. Finally I have your whole wardrobe for me."

Aya: " you're looking forward to this aren't you."

Yosra: " yep."

She heaved a sigh before finally hugging her parents and leaving through the gates and to the Duck Shuttle where Jessica was waiting for her and Lillia.

The other woman bid Yu Zhang farewell before they each headed their way...

In a few minutes, the Duck Shuttle was already in the sky, cutting its way through the fluffy white clouds.

Aya admired the sight through her window before turning towards the others.

Aya: " so, what's your destination?"

Lillia: " I was about to ask the same question."

KeQing: " we know you're looking for this guy who created the program that made it possible for us to exceed our usual limits."

Kämpfer : " but what we got is only a summary. We want to know more."

Jessica: " right, we owe you more explanation after all. But for now, our destination is actually Russia."

Lillia: " Russia?"

Ban: " seems that the last Driver is there, based on what Lilyan said."

Aya: " based on?"

Lilyan: " the message left by Onii-sama stated that the next driver will be with his teacher."

KeQing: " hold on. His teacher? Just how many teachers you think someone can get through his life. And of all of his teachers you though about this particular one in Russia."

Lilyan: " it's because he is the one that influenced Onii-sama the most, though he spent the least time with him."

Lillia: " though... Giving that very personal hint. You have to be someone he knew to know that."

Mirai: " I think he mostly fed Mizel on that info."

Lillia almost chocked upon hearing the name.

Lillia: " hold on, Mizel!"

Jessica seemed bothered when he was brought up.

Jessica: " right. We still didn't tell you about Mizel yet."

Gouda: " long story short, he is working for the creator, so he is on our side."

Lillia: " oh come on! Mizel? On our side? That can't be possible! I mean, have you forgotten what he had done to the world?"

Hiro: " it's not something we can forget since we were the ones who fought him up close."

He rubbed the back of his head uneasily.

Lillia: " all the more reason not to trust him."

Ban: " even though, so far he was a great help, and we would never have been seeking the creator if not for him."

Lillia: " to be honest this creator is to be doubted as well. No offense Lilyan but he is working with Mizel."

Lilyan: " I trust Onii-sama. I know he would never intend to harm others. So it's enough reason for me to trust Mizel if Onii-sama trusts him that much."

KeQing: " and everyone else is the same?"

From their looks, they could tell it was the case.

Lillia: " seriously?"

Aya: " Lillia, listen, they are the ones who knew Mizel the best and the ones who stopped him once while we never seen him up close. If they believe in him, then he must have proved himself to gain their trust after all that."

Lillia: " still, I can't really bring myself to believe him. I have to see to it myself that he deserves another chance."

Kämpfer : " well, it can't be helped right?"

Sendou: " right, we still don't have the technology to change people's minds yet."

Gouda: " how funny."

Sendou: " I never meant for you to laugh, muscle head."

Jessica: " don't you start on it now!"

Touko: " anyway guys, we have a call from Kirito and the others."

She said before broadcasting the video call into a hologram screen in front of everyone else.

Kirito: " so the next Driver should be in Russia. It will be up to you to get it. We will be staying back here."

Jin : " had something happened?"

Kirito: " sort of. First of, someone that Yagami-san arrested was soon found dead before he got transferred back into his country to continue the investigation."

Everyone were thunderstruck by the news.

Evangeline : " found dead?"

Kirito: " based on what Yagami-san said, someone managed to sneak a pill of poison to him, and he chose to end his life rather than being captured. Takuya-san and Yagami-san both have their hands full with this incident. On top of that, some cities are now facing some break outs due to the L virus and we need to help them out."

Haruka: " I see. Alright then, we will be taking care of the last driver. Be careful there."

He nodded before ending the call. Everyone seemed to mull over what they just heard.

Elie: " they... Killed him... Just that easily..."

Her hand clenched and unclenched on her arm before Eva patted her shoulder gently as to comfort her.

Ran: " like Gardyne..."

Ban balled his hands into fists.

Ban: " they're trying to keep us away from reaching them, even of it meant killing their own friend."...

The muscular woman stepped out of her car and locked it before walking into the building. She took the glass elevator that climbed up till a short chime announced her arrival to her floor.

She walked through the wide hallway and to the office at the very end. The brunette secretary rose her eyes at the new comer as she walked by and as soon as she confirmed her identity decided upon not stopping her from entering.

The black haired woman knocked on the door before walking inside and locking it behind her. She was now face to face with the white haired man with a scar on his face.

Reiji: " Make it quick."

Eva: " it was taken care of. Zhao had swallowed the pill and put all of us at ease."

Reiji: " I see, I'm astonished how you managed to convince him."

Eva: " I had my messenger promise him that his mother will be taken care of very well, and the rest was thanks to the fact that he didn't want to spend the rest of his life in jail."

Reiji inhaled as he leaned back on his chair.

Reiji: " they're getting dangerously closer to us, we have to be very careful with each move we take. Else we will be next."

Eva: " but who could have revealed information about us?"

She said taking a seat close by, putting one leg over the other.

Reiji: " that's what I want to know too. We've made sure everyone who knows of us were under the ground before they could even betray us."

Eva: " are you implying that someone came from the realm of dead and leaked our secrets."

Reiji then leaned back on his desk with his face propped against his knitted hands.

Reiji: " my very point exactly."

Eva's teasing smirk dissipated at that.

Eva: " you're not serious, are you?"

Through the blackness of his sunglasses, his eyes could be seen narrowing.

Reiji: " maybe we've failed to confirm the death of one of them."...

Everyone of the news members gathered around Eva with marveling eyes as she began scrolling through her codes and blue print on the computer without even the need to reach to it.

Arata: " wow! I've never knew you could do that! Ran-nee had never mentioned it!"

Twilight : " well, it's the point of keeping it a secret isn't it?"

Eva inspected them carefully as they closed on more to her, asking her all sorts of things. She instantly began regret what she had done back in Artemis. However, a promise is a promise.

Momona: " so can you control anything like a computer or... Mechanical?"

Evangeline : " to a certain point yeah!"

Wataru: " can you control your LBX without a CCM for exemple ?"

Evangeline : " um... I've never tried it before... But I've been warned against it due to certain... Circumstances that happened in the past."

She twisted her thumps nervously as she tried her best to keep personal distance which the others were invading as they came up with more questions.

Lillia: " is it safe? Like, you don't get hack or bugged or something..."

Her hand flew to her arm, rubbing it uneasily. The conversation was getting more and more awkward.

Evangeline : " uh, um.. theoretically speaking, it's a possibility. So I should be careful when using it..."

Her eyes flicked around promptly but no sight of her friends, no one can help her put an end to this.

Aya: " this is really similar to those stories where the Main characters get super power because of accidents and all! This is really awesome! Any other after effects?"

Eva was seriously considering running out the door when Muraku stepped in.

Muraku: " I think that's enough."

He said most sternly as he looked back at his friends.

Muraku: " I'm not sure it's a pleasant thing to share for Eva-san. So can we stop bombarding her with questions."

The others exchanged glanced as they contemplated on his words.

Ruri: " you're right. Sorry Eva-san, I think we were carried away."

Ken: " you don't need to tell us anymore than you had did. We're sorry again for pushing it to far."

Eva shook her head before her eyes caught those of Muraku.

Evangeline : " thanks."

Muraku: " no need to thank me, it was the natural thing to do. You don't have to share things you're not comfortable talking about."

Evangeline: "right... I will keep that in mind then."

Her face beamed at him...

The plates fell down and shattered to multiple pieces, startling all the customers with the loud sound that resounded through the place.

" This is the fifth set that you've broken this week! Are you doing that on purpose!"

The blond male had his eyes wide in rage as he grabbed the owner of the restaurant by his collar, almost strangling him.

Liam: " listen you old man! Give me one reason why I would do that on purpose! Are you trying to start a fight here!"

Other workers quickly interfered and managed to get the owner from the hand of the angry blond who was yet trying to get his hand on him. The middle aged man was sweating and coughing before glaring at Liam.

Owner: " I had about enough from you! Get out already! I don't want to see your face here once more! That's what I get for being nice to the son of a former friend!"

Liam took off his hat and apron and threw them on the ground, stepping on them as he pointed his index at the half bald male.

Liam: " no one asked for your sympathy! And you can't just kick me out because I'm already quitting!"

And he stormed out through the side door, walking with a spaced footsteps along the alleys. He was getting slower by the time till he stopped completely, punching the wall next to him as hard as he could as though trying to vent all of his built up anger.

Liam: " darn it."

He leaned back on the wall and slid down until he was sitting on the ground. He closed his eyes as his mind was trying to pull him back through the mist of memories before the sound of a glass bottle rolling around as it was pushed by someone pulled him back to the reality.

He looked up to the side to see a boy with a buzz haircut and a lollipop sticking out of his mouth.

Itan: " found you. Himari Liam right?"

Liam: " depends on who is asking."

Itan took out the lollipop out of his mouth and circled it around with a mischievous.

Itan: " I was send to ask you this. Do you want a chance to make them suffer the way you did?"

Liam's eyes slightly widened at that before they narrowed again, pulling himself up once more on his feet, he looked down on the boy.

Liam: " I'm listening."...

The Duck Shuttle landed in the middle of the white field.

Metamo : " we can't get any closer to the city Mo~. There is no suitable areas to land and the storm is getting stronger Mo~."

Metamo's words reached all around the Duck Shuttle as they were wearing some coats and warm clothes to fend against the freezing cold.

Jessica: " thankfully we got these while shopping for dresses."

Lillia: " I'm excited to see snow. I've never seen it before!"

Aya: " same!"

Both girls squeaked in excitement at the opportunity.

Haruka: " alright, Lilyan, you know your way around?"

Lilyan: " if the address is the same as when Onii-sama mentioned it."

Mirai: " even if it's not, we can ask around for this man. You said he is a scientist right? Sure people would know or at least remember him."

Ban: " alright then, Lilyan, Elie, Jin, Aya, Lillia, Jessica, Professor Oozora and I are going to seek him. The rest you stay here as."

Odin: " we'll keep contact with you."

Evangeline: " very well, but be careful. The storm is getting stronger."

With a reassuring nod they all left the Duck Shuttle...

They walked to the road and followed up through the strong wind. It was hard to see through the whiteness. They had their arms lifted above their heads to shield them against the wind that was hitting their faces hardly while dragging their feet through the thick layer of snow. Lilyan was speeding up her pace while pushing through the blanket of white.

Ban: " wait! Lilyan!"

He screamed through the wind, but she didn't hear him, always continuing forward.

When she realized, she was surrounded by the white color and with no one else in sight. She started to panic when she got she was on her own, and can't see the road anymore.

Lilyan : " Ban-kun! Elie-san! Jin-san!"

Unicorn: " Jessica! Professor Oozora! Aya! Lillia!"

She turned around, trying to glimpse them but with no use. Fear was starting to rise up within her before she felt a hand falling on her shoulder. She jolted and whirled around and she breathed in relief when she was met with the dark green color of Ban's eyes.

He smiled warmly at her, wrapped in his thick brown coat and orange woolen hat.

Ban: " Lilyan, I understand how you feel. But don't get too far from us, we need to move together."

She nodded at him, feeling at ease as everyone gathered around her.

Jessica: " alright, I can see the outlines of the city from here. Seems we're pretty close."

Jin: " yosh, stay close and move carefully."

They didn't proceed for so long before Jin's red eyes glimpsed something glittering among the falling snow. He narrowed his eyes as to follow it. It appeared and then disappeared, moving around. Zenon seemed to notice it as well.

Zenon: " Jin, those moves..."

His eyes widened in realization while the glittering was approaching both Ban and Elie.

Jin: " an LBX!"

He said quickly rushing towards them, grabbing their arms tightly and pulling them down along himself just when the small thing passed above them, slightly trimming the tips of his hair.

They fell down on the thick snow so they weren't injured, thankfully.

Ban: " is something wrong, Jin!"

Jin: " enemy's ambush!"

He said getting back on his feet. At that, everyone else followed his suit, holding their CCMs up. Their LBXs were standing ready to launch anytime soon.

Haruka : " how did he manage to send LBXs after us in such a place!?"

Lillia: " maybe he had them placed here already!"

Jessica: " like some infected LBX belonging to someone down that city!"

The glittering appeared once more and KeQing rushed forward in a neck breaking speed, blocking the said LBX. At the strong impact, the snow around them was sent flying away.

Jin and the Seekers' members had their eyes wide in shock at the LBX in front of them.

Ban: " Fairy!"

Fairy pushed away KeQing's sword and tried thrusting at her side but the other robot managed to dodge easily thanks to her speed. However, once she whirled around she didn't see Fairy due to the snow.

Lillia: " it disappeared!"

Elie: " it's blending well with the snow storm we can't catch it!"

Fairy reappeared behind Zenon but with his fast reaction he managed to block its surprising attack. The robot found itself forced to pull back again.

Lilyan : " disappeared again!"

Aya: " I'm running thin on patience !"

She grabbed tightly to her CCM.

Aya: " Hissatsu Function!"

" Attack Function: Giga Destroyer!"

Kämpfer charged his two energy balls before shooting at them, creating the huge explosive laser beams that cut through the thick layer of snow. The explosive air pression that was caused pushed Fairy into sight.

Beargguy : " there it is!"

Ban: " alright! Hissatsu Function!"

" Attack Function: Glorious Rays!"

Odin charged energy in his lance before hovering up high, spinning the lance around and unleashing it at the form of energy arrows similar to shooting stars.

Fairy held its hands up in defense in front of the attack and tried to hold still. It received some damage, but it wasn't fatal.

Unicorn: " still not enough!"

Elie: " Lilyan-san ! Let's attack together!"

Lilyan: " Roger!"

Unicorn and Beargguy lunged at Fairy that held up its sword and zoomed forward. Fairy and Beargguy's swords clashed before they pushed each other back. Unicorn rushed to the robot that lost balance, aiming his giant claw down at it. Fairy swayed its sword at him, it scratched its side but he managed to push it further back.

Zenon and Odin took over next, trying to finish it using their combo play. But through out the time, the robot's moves seemed to improve.

Ban: " Jin, it's studying our moves!"

Jin: " we have to finish it quickly! Thankfully we have many people here, so we should be fine as long as we keep switching among each other!"

Kämpfer shot at Fairy, forcing it to run into the other direction, but KeQing wouldn't let it escape, using her speed to keep up with it.

Jessica's Jeanne D was backing them up from a distance. Yet Ban couldn't help but worry as Fairy was evading their focused attack more frequently.

Haruka : " its analyzing speed is far greater than before."

Lillia: " we hardly can keep up with it!"

Fairy was slowly and steadily turning the table to its favor. Zenon and the others were pushed back, hardly escaping its blows.

To top that, the storm was getting even stronger, making it hard to follow up for both humans and LBXs.

Unicorn: " Everyone! Be careful!"

In a gust of bright blue light, the SD LBX shifted to the real mode, shielding his friends as Fairy aimed for a rapid attack, its blade stack in the joint of his shoulder.

Lilyan: " Unicron !"

She narrowed her eyes as she detached the jets, using them to push Fairy away and protect the others.

Ban: " what about the damage?"

Lilyan: " not sever, thankfully."

Ban: " alright, everyone stay close to each other, we can't see our opponent and it may use that to attack us directly."

The humans closed up to each other while the LBXs kept watch as to protect them.

Ban: " Jin, you take care of Elie."

He whispered to his friend who in respond tightened his hold around her hand.

There was a glittering flash near them, and they got even closer, readying themselves for a coming attack.

Soon, Jessica's eyes widened as the LBX's silhouette approached her with its weapon up. It was too close she couldn't move to dodge in time.

Ban: " Jessica!"

Suddenly there was a flash of blue light hitting the robot, knocking it on the snowy ground. Jessica let out a breath she didn't know she was holding when she felt safe.

Elie : " Jessica ! You're okay!?"

Jessica: " a...ah... I... I was saved..."

Her eyes fell on a small silhouette that dropped in front of them, facing off the Fairy struggling to stand up.

All had their eyes widening in shock at the familiar LBX.

Ban: " this LBX..."

Zenon: " the one that helped us out in the Infinity Net."

The LBX's blue visors glowed as she held up her sword, pointing it at Fairy which started analyzing her immediately.

Haruka: " no use! That LBX won't be able to hold on in front of Fairy on its own!"

Odin: " we need to help her out!"

" No need."

She spoke with an unwavering calm voice. It took a few moments of heavy silence before any of them made a move.

Fairy and the other LBX's swords locked as they lunged at each other. The later managed to over power the former. She span around as soon as he managed to brush away Fairy's sword and landed a slice on its torso.

Fairy tried to escape but the golden and brown armored robot wouldn't let it. She chased after her through the storm, exchanging hits and blows.

Lillia: " How is she able to keep up with it through the falling snow!"

Jin had his eyes narrowed at the movements of the robot fighting their opponent.

Jin: " this is.."

Elie: " what's the matter, Jin?"

Ban: " don't you feel she has quite familiar moves."

He squinted at the battle happening a small distance away from them.

Lilyan: " familiar moves?"

Haruka focused on the said LBX, how she managed to easily dodge Fairy's attack at the last moment and answered with her owns with a short time delay.

Haruka: " it can't be... Overload!"

Aya&Lillia: " overload ?!"

Jessica: " leave the questions for later. If it's truly overload."

They all started looking around them.

Jin: " that LBX's player should be around here!"

Fairy's wings fell down after the other robot slashed at them with her sword glowing in blue.

" Hissatsu Function."

There was a soft feminine voice calling through the wind of the snow storm.

" Attack Function: Victory Sword!"

The golden sword decorated with the blue gem glowed in blue as the LBX lifted it over her head before rushing towards her opponent and slashing at it. As a result, an explosion of blue energy broke out, overwhelming Fairy and destroying it.

Lillia: " amazing!"

Lilyan: " she beat her, all on her own..."

Aya: " is she really that strong?..."

Ban: " not strength..."

He was about to explain when the same feminine voice spoke again.

" True, it's not strength..."

They whirled their heads around as to try and find the owner of the voice. The Golden and brown LBX hopped over to a form walking through the wind and approaching them. The robot landed swiftly on the silhouette shoulder as it finally got closer enough for them to see it.

" Overload allows you to exceed your limits. Analyzing doesn't work on LBXs manipulated by an overload user."

She was a girl around 13 or 14 in a grey fur coat and hat. She had blonde metallic hair arranged into two braids and falling down her shoulders. Her aqua blue eyes were gauging the group of people in front of her. A red flipping CCM was held up in her hand covered in a grey glove and they all could see a wire linked to it and coming out from beneath her hat.

" I was waiting for you."...