Aaron awoke within Pam's Budget Motel on November 33rd with a frown on his face, the cool desert air filling his bedroom.
His muscles ached, complaining about the intense training he had undergone over the past few weeks under the harsh guidance of Don Urude, which only reminded him how weak he still was.
Yet, slowly but surely, he was making it towards the level where he could feel improvement, gentle lines across his abs truly cementing his pride in himself.
I'll stop by the hospital to see how it's going. Today is the day after all…
Referring to a special date he had learned of in passing while aboard the Ghostship all those months ago, he sighed aloud.
Today's her birthday, and she's still asleep…
Deciding that he would celebrate with or without her knowing, he ordered a cake and a bottle of venom to drink alongside the Sea King.
Both he and Cauron had grown closer over the past few weeks, their conversation delving deeper into the specifics of his Ghostship and how he could improve, both as its wielder and as a fighter.
Still, he didn't dare invite the King aboard his vessel since the thought of a god's contractor stepping onto his ship was obviously not a pleasant one.
While his training had advanced, so had his own personal endeavors, including a small craftsmanship project that was going smoothly up to that point.
Finalizing the design for the sword he wished to make, he awaited the arrival of a material suitable enough to be melded into the blade itself.
If his search bore no results, he was prepared to snap off his own metallic leg and find a way to melt it into a blade himself.
He had tried asking Cauron for advice on what materials would be suitable; however, in a rare twist, the man admitted he was inexperienced in blacksmithing, his only tip being not to mix opposite mana frequencies.
I'll be sure to do that if I can actually make the damn thing…
Stepping out of the shower and changing quickly, he left the motel and made his way through the busy town.
It had been long enough after the tournament that the crowds had significantly reduced, and only a few horse-drawn carriages still cluttered the streets.
Overall, at least within the city's central borough, it was as peaceful as one could wish for in a major capital.
Taking a few shortcuts he had pioneered over his weeks of exploring the place, Aaron made it to the hospital in record time, his eyes scanning the structure.
As he made his way inside, he greeted the attendant, whom he had gotten to know over time, and a friendly conversation broke out between them.
"Good morning, Mr. Grimstall! I've already checked you in, so you're free to head up to the room now."
Smiling, Aaron opened his mouth to respond quickly.
"Thank you, Ms. Reen. It's never fun to do that entire check-in process, so being able to skip it is incredible."
The young woman giggled and spoke again.
"You know, now that you mention it, there have definitely been some incredible things happening recently! Maybe you'll meet the miracle man too!"
Aaron furrowed his brow, not quite understanding what the woman meant.
"Miracle man?"
She recoiled, obviously surprised that someone of his level would be unaware of the rumor that had begun to spread over the week.
"Haven't you heard? Ever since the end of last week, people have been reporting to the police that they've seen some mysterious figure clad in a green robe crawling around the alleyways!"
Pausing for a moment, there was a place for the boy to interject.
"Is he a criminal? I could look for him if you would—"
He was cut off.
"No! He's a miracle worker! Anyone who's seen him has said that their luck has increased tenfold! One of my colleagues, after going through a rough patch with her boyfriend and breaking up, was suddenly approached by a rich noble from the Sea of Wishes! Not only that, but there have been tons of cases where the local lottery has been won by the same person three times in a row!"
Listening carefully, the blond boy tilted his head to the side.
The sequence of events described by the attendant was unusual.
Could it be the work of a swindler? A terror perhaps?
Pursing his lips, he shook his head and turned his attention back to the attendant.
"Well, if these stories hold true, I'd recommend you stay far away from this mystery man, and if you do come across him, don't hesitate to report it to the authorities."
Noticing the look of concern across the Commodore's face, her expression sobered, and she nodded in understanding.
"If you say so…"
Saying goodbye to the woman, he made his way up the stairs and through the tight hallways that he had already fully memorized after all those times he had treaded the same paths.
Gone were the days of relying on a nurse to guide him through the maze-like passages
Now he could just rely on his memory—which usually only worked that well when it came to remembering the best places to get food—allowing him to arrive at her room quickly.
Reaching out to touch the knob, he felt a strange tug in his heart, his eyebrows raising in surprise.
Placing his palm upon the handle, he turned slowly, watching as the slivers of morning light seeped through the growing gap.
Creaaaaaak!
The first thing he noticed was Cauron Thorn asleep in the chair, his face covered in sweat and his eye bags deep.
Why is he—
"Ergh…"
His head whipped around, landing on the bed where the most minuscule of moments caught his eye.
I-It can't be…
Taking a step closer, he felt a presence he hadn't felt in months come over him, the movement under the sheets making his chest pulse.
With bated breath, he watched as the figure inside the bed slowly opened her eyes—two gray marbles that gradually regained focus, scanning her surroundings.
Confused at where she was, she caught sight of the boy standing over her, a look of shock and relief instantly coating her expression.
"A-Aaron…"
Her voice was shaky, tears flowing out of her eyes at a rate that made the boy nervous, her pale white hand reaching out to touch his own.
Readily moving his hand closer to let her grasp it, he watched as she cried for minutes on end, her sobs deep and heavy.
Within his own heart, he could feel something stir, a feeling that shouldn't be there, but yet, it was.
His expression was one of overwhelming shock, unable to contort into a smile or a frown.
Glancing across the room to where the orange-haired man was, Aaron could immediately tell that he had awoken, yet remained silent so as not to interrupt the reunion.
As Eleanor's sniffles subsided, leaving her eyes red and puffy, she sat up in her nicely made cot.
She didn't dare remove the threads that pumped fluid into her veins, their sustenance granting her the very same strength that allowed her to move at that moment.
"Y-you…"
The blond boy furrowed his brow at the girl's raspy attempt to speak, concern growing in his chest.
"Is something wrong…?"
There was a pause, the sound of her slow but steady breathing comforting the nervous boy.
"Y-you need to go home…"
Her body was trembling ever so slightly, a smile coming across her pale lips.
Aaron didn't know what she meant, confused by the sudden advice from a friend who had just woken up from a long period of unconsciousness, and so he tried to inquire for an explanation.
"Home? Return to the Sea of Dreams?"
In the corner, the Sea King opened his eyes, just as puzzled by the girl's words, the oddity of the situation apparent to him even in his tired daze.
Yet, as she relaxed back into her bed and began to drift into slumber—fortunately, normal and not coma-induced this time—only one word left her lips.
"Strava."
…
On the island of Svall in the Sea of Chains, Azaroth Pane walked alongside Stein Brevmore in the deepest depths of their underground fortress.
Torches attached to spikes on the walls lit the tunnels, which brimmed with traps and barriers, prison cells decorating the sides of the path.
As they walked slowly through the dusty passages, the Devil of Greed curled his lips in a wry smile.
"You've excelled in your training for this job far beyond what I expected. Therefore, I believe it is finally time for you to begin."
The silver-haired noble beamed with pride, hands shuffling his deck of cards as he trailed behind his lord.
"But of course~! When you need my talents, you should simply call, and I will heed the command!"
His enthusiasm was sickening to the horned man; however, he said nothing, since the former noble and long-term gambling addict was the only person he could trust with this job.
It was a task far more important than any other that he had ever assigned to a subordinate, with the only exception perhaps being Adam's last mission.
There was no margin for error—the trust he was putting into the convict was far greater than what he would put even in his own blood.
"So boss man… What actually is this job? You've been teasing me for soooooo long that I've been unsure if you were even going to give it to me!"
He bounced up beside the Devil, a jolly look on his face as he waited for an answer that the black-haired man didn't want to give.
"Brevmore. You understand why you were elevated to the fifth head of the Order, even if you are not strong enough to defeat even a rogue child in a casino, correct?"
There was a pause as they entered a massive clearing, and a single cage completely isolated from the cavern around it came into view.
High above the iron cell, the cave's highest point was exposed to the stars, a metal grate covering it to prevent one from falling within.
Stein froze, his mouth moving on its own.
"Because of my unnatural luck…"
Every cell in his body told him to run; that what lay ahead of him meant death; however, he couldn't turn away.
A twisted smile worked its way up his lips as he shook with utter ecstasy, eyes fixed on the unfathomable figure residing within the cage.
Azaroth stepped forward ahead of him, addressing the being inside the prison.
"You've been quite naughty recently, my friend. Using the remainder of your Divine Interference to spread your luck to every corner of the world was truly a move I never could've expected. However, that will be the last of that, isn't that right?"
He paused, turning to face his subordinate.
"He will act as your personal guard until the day when you reveal the location of the fourth seal. As you can likely tell, he is immune to your manipulation of fate through the gift that you yourself gave him years ago."
The horned man stepped into the moonlight, his top hat glistening and his hands gently caressing the edges of the cell.
"Now, what shall the Prophet of Luck do against this roadblock?"
He smiled as the figure inside the cage stood and slowly walked up to where the Devil touched the bars.
There, under the watchful eye of the world itself, a man missing his right arm and with a core so damaged it might as well have been destroyed too, existed.
His green hair was streaked with strips of gray, while his robe was matted with bloodstains from a fight that he had nearly perished in.
Orion Proximus Cosmoti, the King of Curses, Prophet of Luck, and ruler of the Cosmoti Archipelago, stood tall once more.
[END OF VOLUME TWO: THE IMMORTAL]