Aaron awoke to the sound of muffled choking and the clicks of a crab who seemed to be furious with whatever was occurring.
His arm seared with agony as he tried to sit up to witness the scene; however, what he saw confused him even more than the Old Man's warning.
Floating in the air by the edge of the blade was a terrified little girl who squirmed with tears flowing from her eyes.
On the ground, Mr. Crab snapped his claws in quick succession at the flying weapon, trying to get it to drop the black-haired child from its grasp.
『Ah, you're finally awake, Aaron. I'm sorry you had to witness my extermination of these pests, but no matter. They will be gone in one second.』
The thoughts streamed into the boy's head, giving him no time even to think as she prepared to slit the girl's throat in one cut.
"W-Wait, Penelope!"
His shout echoed off the surrounding terrain, stopping the slice only an inch from the child's pale skin.
『Oh, pardon me. I apologize for my mistake…』
Her reply was quickly transmitted to Aaron, who sighed with relief.
He was about to respond when another message was delivered into his mind before the words could leave his lips.
『You wish to do it yourself, right?』
…
Ten minutes later, the three humans—one still asleep, one crustacean, and a living sword sat around in a circle in silence.
After he had returned from the dreamlike world with the Old Man, the boy checked Eleanor's condition and noticed a slow but steady pulse beneath her flesh.
The marks on her neck had been sealed, leaving only a small scar in memory of the dangerous situation below the town hall they had faced.
"I'm sorry that my sword treated you so harshly, Alice…"
As Aaron spoke, he bowed his head to her in shame; however, she waved her small hands in front of her in protest.
"N-No, it's a dangerous city and I should be thanking you…"
She paused, then noticed the red hue being emitted from the blade that floated off to the side, and asked:
"I-Is that supposed to be happening?"
In answer to Alice's concerned words, a wry smile appeared across the boy's face as he listened to the inner voice of the weapon.
『Hmph! Arrogant girl thinks she's better than me…』
Aaron sighed, ignoring the petty girlish thought that reverberated through his mind.
"What do you have to be thanking me for? You were the one who guided me through the city when I had no idea where I was—"
His response wavered as he glanced to his side, noticing Mr. Crab giving him possibly the worst side eye he had ever seen in his life.
Oh right… I threw him at Adam and practically left him for dead…
Inwardly, he promised himself that he would properly apologize to the small crustacean at a later date after they fled the city.
Across from him, Alice spoke again with a puzzled look reflecting off her bright green eyes.
"Y-You don't know? B-But what about that coin you gave me that saved my life?"
At the same time, she reached into her pocket, revealing the same golden coin that he had given to her as a tip for guiding him earlier.
Unlike before, its surface was dulled with tiny sparks of turquoise light popping off the edges like a mechanism that had broken.
"What do you mean, saved your life? Isn't it just a piece of golden draught?"
With a perplexed reply, he furrowed his brow, looking at the girl who twiddled her thumbs in uncertainty.
"I-It destroyed a falling rock that fell on my head with a shield of light…"
She waited a moment before passing the coin over to Aaron, who stared at it in disbelief.
"A shield of light… Turquoise and translucent, correct?"
His question barely registered with the girl before she hastily nodded in affirmation.
It's just like what surrounded me in the underground chamber near that glowing crystal.
『Oh! I know this!』
Out of nowhere, Penelope interjected on Aaron's thoughts, causing a throbbing headache to burst to life as a result.
『This is a token carved from a piece of a Ghostship! Whatever benefits that vessel provides to its wielder will be transferred to the recipient at least once.』
Her informative reply left the boy stunned as he processed the sudden rush of knowledge that flowed into his mind.
"I guess I did save you in a way…"
He grumbled as he shot a look at the crab, who simply turned his gaze away, trying to avoid making eye contact with the boy.
Alice's expression visibly brightened as he confirmed her suspicions about the object he had given her.
"Thank you! I wouldn't have been able to return it to you if it weren't for you, so thank you!"
Her endless praise shocked Aaron, who had handed her the payment out of pity; however, he chuckled silently, thinking to himself.
Being praised is actually kind of nice…
To his right, Mr. Crab scurried closer towards him, pinching his non-injured hand without even an ounce of hesitation.
"Ouch! What the hell—"
Aaron's face darkened as he looked past the black-haired girl into the distance, where the harsh waves crashed against the shore.
Far into the horizon, tiny blips appeared from the edge of his view, covering the sea with hulls and sails that soared across the ocean's current.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of ships sailed across the sea towards the burning city, preparing to evacuate the civilians who lay trapped at the main harbor.
"S-Ships! Ships are coming to rescue us!"
Following his eyes, Alice shouted out excitedly; however, a dark expression passed over his face as he quietly observed the coming fleet.
"Penelope. Can you mask our presence enough to board one of those ships?"
Aaron's deadpan words were quickly answered internally, while the young girl across from him sat confused about why he had suddenly started calling her another name.
『No… It is impossible with both our current conditions. Anyone with any strength will notice my aura immediately.』
Her honest words settled deep inside the boy's mind as he dove deep into thought.
If we can't go to the main dock, then we'll have to depart from the destroyed one on the Ghostship…
He looked ahead at the former pier that had recently burned out, leaving only a smoldering pile of ash in its place.
"Alice. Do you think you can help me with something?"
His voice was shaky as he realized what needed to be done; however, he didn't know if the two of them could accomplish it alone.
"Of course! I'll try to repay my debt in any way possible!"
The smile that was sprawled across her face brightened Aaron's mood for a moment as he began to stand up.
"Alright then. Let's set sail."
And with those words, he grabbed the hilt of the floating blade beside him and started walking in the direction of the ruined harbor.
…
"A-Are you sure this is safe, Aaron?"
Alice's fearful question received little less than a scoff from the boy who marched ahead.
Rough gusts of wind ruffled the pair's hair as they walked down the path through the ruined streets, dodging hordes of zombies who stumbled around hunting for prey.
"Yeah, it's probably fine… Just don't get separated from me, and you'll be okay."
On top of his ragged blond hair sat Mr. Crab, who tightly hung to his skull, preventing another mistake from transpiring that would send him hurdling at a demonic creature.
A combined effort of Aaron, Alice, and Penelope was lifting Eleanor.
"Be careful with your steps to not alert the beasts… It's only a little farther until we reach the beach…"
Tiny patches of sand and water had reached past the smaller sea wall that had once separated the ocean from the land, forcing them to tread through the cold liquid.
All signs of the sea terrors that had caused the rising of the water had dissipated, with the only remnant of their presence being deep slashes on the stone.
They continued to walk, passing more and more signs of the frenzied monsters' attacks on the city, finally reaching the gatehouse that Aaron once walked through.
Looks a little different now than it used to…
Pieces of rubble coated the floor, and the metal frame of the archway warped and fractured under the onslaught of the sea.
The once opulent sign that welcomed you to the port lay sprawled on the ground, with letters missing or broken.
"Is this it?"
Alice's voice echoed off the debris, with Aaron only nodding in response as a message entered his mind.
『I can't sense anything living beyond this point. You should be fine to pass.』
With that confirmation, he smiled as he helped the young girl carry Eleanor over the pile of ruined materials that covered the ground.
As he came over the mound of debris and gazed at the ruined dock, his eyes widened in horror at what sat beneath him.
"W-What the hell…"
Bodies were scattered across the ground, some ripped to pieces while others were impaled with metal or rock.
The water that pushed its way to the beach was stained red with the blood of those who had been pulled out to sea and drowned by monsters.
Alice stumbled up and followed Aaron's eyes across the scene, quickly taking in the horrifying sight.
The sound of her gagging resounded through the boy's ears, yet he made not a single noise.
After every terrible and vile thing he had witnessed that day, he understood something deep within.
This doesn't even faze me anymore…
That thought resounded through his mind, warping his perception of himself, leaving him only feeling sadness.
"Let's go…"
His sigh echoed through the port as he began to walk while simultaneously taking the full weight of Eleanor onto himself, allowing Alice to come to terms with the scene.
『Truly vile. Even in this world, the terrors take and ruin life without a second thought.』
Her words brushed uselessly off the boy's mind as he simply continued to move through the rubble, feeling disturbed.
Small waves crashed against the ground he stood on; however, he did not waver or budge as he slowly spoke to the sickened Alice behind him.
"On my right hand, I need you to tap the silver ring once."
He then decided to wait for the girl to make her way closer, inspecting his hand carefully.
"T-This one?"
Surprised, she stuttered out while pointing towards the sapphire ring that was attached to his index finger.
He nodded as she reached out her hand, tapping the gemstone a singular time.
The wind immediately exploded into a storm of gusts and droplets of water condensed into raindrops that splashed on them.
Magnificent tendrils of turquoise light shot forth from the object, forming the shape of a hull in the air the ocean.
Boards appeared from nothingness, filling the space with the base of the Ghostship, revealing the intricate design to the spectators.
Alice's jaw had dropped in awe at the insane sight she witnessed; however, not one word slipped from her lips.
After one minute, the radiance faded away, leaving the vessel floating in the sky.
They waited again as a deafening groan shook the ruined dock, signaling the completion of its form.
SPLLOOOOOSH-WHHHRRRRSHHHH!!
As it hit the sea, a massive wave rushed forth, soaking the group of youths in the freezing cold water.
『One of the Ghostships… From that token you gave the girl, I had made assumptions, but to see this specific one after so many years…』
She paused, taking a moment to appreciate the magnificence of the vessel that floated on the waves with its flaming blue sails bursting through the disguise.
What happened to you…
Planks were damaged with scars and burn marks covering the hull of the boat from bow to stern.
Alice was petrified as she stared at the Ghostship that had appeared out of thin air just from the tap of a ring.
"I-It's a Ghostship…!"
Still astonished, memories of the stories flashed through her head.
She was a small child during the war, when Orion Cosmoti obtained the title of Sea King; however, she never imagined that someone who wielded the same vessel would be standing beside her.
Aaron only smiled at her familiar reaction, recalling the first time he met Eleanor, all those weeks ago.
I should remind her not to tell people about this…
As he opened his mouth to speak, he was interrupted by Alice, who beamed up at him happily.
"Don't worry, Mister! I'll keep this a secret!"
She raised out her pinky towards him, but quickly retracted it when she realized that it was impossible to respond due to his entire arm being a limp mess of broken bones.
"T-thank you…"
Aaron laughed at her kind gesture while looking down at his ruined arm and sighing.
"Hopefully this thing will heal… like every other injury I've had before…"
Above his head, the sleeping Mr. Crab stirred awake, realizing that they had arrived at their destination.
His peg legs dug into the boy's head as he leaped onto the Ghostship, where he rushed to throw the rope ladder off the edge.
"Well, Alice, this is goodbye for now. I'll have my sword take you as far as she can, but that's all I can do for you."
He looked down at the girl who frowned at his speech.
"W-What? Why can't you take me with you?"
The girl's pleading eyes struck Aaron right in the heart, but he gently placed his other hand on her head and spoke calmly.
"Where I'm going leads down a dangerous road. Terrors beyond anything you could imagine await me, and I can't bring a kid into this mess."
Tears formed in the child's eyes as she looked up to the blond boy sadly.
"B-But I have nowhere else to go! My parents are gone, and my grandparents too! P-Please!"
Aaron closed his eyes, breathing heavily as she begged and pleaded for him to take her with him.
"I'm sorry, Alice, there's nothing else I can do for you. One day, I'll find you again, and maybe when you're older, you can come with me on an adventure, but for now, I have only one goal."
He tilted his head towards the sleeping Eleanor, who rested silently on a mound that prevented her from dipping into the cold water.
"B-B-But…"
She looked up at him and saw a sad smile on his face.
"Goodbye, Alice."
Then, with those words, he turned away, picking up the blonde-haired girl who lay on the ground.
Slowly, thanks to the small crustacean and the turquoise sword that trailed behind him, he climbed the ladder, placing Eleanor in the center of the deck.
『Will she be alright?』
Penelope's whispers echoed inside of Aaron's head as he looked down from the edge of the ship to the girl.
"Bring her as close to the main harbor as you can, without alerting anyone to your presence…"
He paused, thinking carefully before speaking again.
"Watch from a distance to make sure she boards one of the evacuation ships before returning…"
A quiet buzz of affirmation burst from the sword as it shot from the deck of the Ghostship down to Alice, who was crying on the ruined dock.
Aaron walked slowly from the ladder up the short stairs that led to the helm, glistening in the sunlight of dawn.
His eyes glanced over at the burning city in the distance, smoke billowing from every fire that had burned through the night.
Goodbye, City of Sea Fallen… I'm sorry I couldn't protect you…
The sails unfurrowed as the wind pushed the ship from the dock, onto the open ocean, and the vast plains that reached far ahead.