Ever since his conversation with Zach, Evans had remained in the hospital.
Oscar occasionally came to visit, along with Reina, who also brought news that Granny Tina wished she could visit him herself.
Surprisingly, even Ruby came by.
Evans barely spoke to her, but that didn't seem to stop her from maintaining her usual adorable and cheerful personality whenever she visited.
Arthur, on the other hand, rarely came.
And whenever he did, it was usually just a brief visit before he quietly left.
Evans sighed as he lay on the hospital bed.
At least I haven't seen any Daily Quests since I got here.
He closed his eyes briefly.
That probably means the system is waiting for me to recover.
A slight frown appeared on his face.
But I bet the moment it decides I'm strong enough to move around, it'll immediately start throwing those ridiculous missions at me again.
Evans slowly opened his eyes.
Then his brown eyes suddenly lit up with joy.
"Mike! You're alright!"
Mike stood at the entrance with a smile, one hand resting carefully against his chest.
"Well, keep your voice down a little. I'm not completely healed yet."
He slowly walked into the room.
"But I managed to sneak out just to come check on you, so you better be grateful."
He paused and smirked.
"I even left behind a very hot smoken nurse."
Evans stared at him for a moment before smiling.
"I'm glad you're still yourself."
Mike chuckled.
"Yeah."
His smile gradually softened.
"And I hope you are too."
Mike walked over and sat beside Evans' bed.
His voice became quieter.
"So..."
He looked at Evans carefully.
"How are you really doing?"
"I won't lie. I've been terrible."
Evans' expression remained broken as he stared toward the ceiling.
"I keep wondering how I'm supposed to continue living in a world where all I can do is watch the people close to me die... or put them in danger."
He slowly clenched his fist.
"I really thought life would be better. Brighter, even."
His voice became quieter
"I thought if we stuck together with our friends and fought alongside each other, everything would eventually work out."
He gave a bitter smile.
"But I guess that's something that only happens in movies."
His eyes lowered.
"Reality doesn't care about what you wish for or what you hope for. Sometimes, the thing you want most is exactly what you end up losing."
Mike sighed calmly.
"You're right."
He looked toward Evans.
"We lost a lot of friends, and it hurts."
Mike's expression became more determined.
"But Evans, we don't have to simply accept whatever kind of reality the world throws at us."
He clenched his fist.
"That's why I want to become as strong as the two greatest SS-Rank Sacred Warriors."
Evans looked at him.
"Just one of them is supposedly capable of standing against the entire world on their own."
Mike's eyes burned with determination.
"I want that kind of power."
He looked directly at Evans.
"Power strong enough to protect the people I care about."
Mike smiled.
"So, Evans... are you really going to give up on your dreams just because the world says you can't achieve them?"
Evans remained silent for a moment.
Then a small smile appeared on his face.
"You're right."
He slowly raised his fist.
"My fight isn't against the world."
His eyes became determined.
"It's against fate itself."
He clenched his fist.
"And I'll throw everything I have into defeating it."
Mike's fist softly bumped against his.
"That's the spirit!"
He flashed a wide grin.
"Let's wage a war against fate itself!"
Evans chuckled.
"Well, you should probably get some rest. I'm sure you're missing your sweet nurse by now."
Mike's mischievous grin returned.
"You know me too well."
He stood up.
"I guess I'll be seeing you soon."
Mike waved before quietly sneaking out of the room.
Silence returned.
The only sounds were the steady beeping of the machines and Evans' breathing.
Evans stared at the ceiling.
Did Mike really mean it?
Those two SS-Rank Sacred Warriors are powerful enough to take on the entire world by themselves?
He remained lost in thought for a while.
Then—
The door opened.
Oscar calmly stepped into the room with his usual relaxed, cocky smile.
"What's up, kiddo? Looks like you're doing pretty well."
Evans glanced toward him.
"Not really."
He shifted slightly on the bed.
"I'm still in a lot of pain, but it's definitely better than last week."
He paused.
"By the way, Oscar..."
Oscar raised an eyebrow.
"Can you tell me about the two SS-Rank Sacred Warriors?"
Oscar looked at him for a moment before smiling.
"Well, I'm surprised that's what you want to know."
He pulled up a chair.
"But sure."
Evans leaned forward slightly.
Oscar's expression became more serious.
"I don't know much about their Sacred Abilities myself."
He paused.
"But I can tell you one thing."
Evans listened carefully.
"Their Sacred abilities are incredibly unique."
Oscar's smile faded slightly.
"And their physical capabilities..."
He shook his head.
"They're beyond anything I've ever seen from a living being in this world."
Evans' eyes widened.
"Wait... are you serious?"
His voice was filled with awe.
"Then what are their names?"
He paused.
"I mean, obviously they should be famous, right?"
Oscar smiled.
"Oh, they're famous alright."
He leaned back.
"Almost everyone in this world has heard their names."
Then Oscar unexpectedly facepalmed himself softly.
"Sorry, kid. I would love to continue this, but I just remembered that I came here to tell you something important."
"That was out of nowhere. I wonder what he wants to tell me." Evans thought calmly.
"Okay, sure." Evans looked at him with curiosity.
Oscar smiled calmly.
"Well, in a few weeks, we'll be having the Annual Branch Alliance."
"From the name, it sounds like it has something to do with the other Branches." Evans said calmly.
"Well, you're right. But to be clear, during the Alliance, all four major Branches—the Delta Branch, Gamma Branch, Beta Branch, and Alpha Branch—will temporarily come together so we called this joining the Sacred Alliance."
Evans listened carefully.
"During this period, you'll work alongside people from Branches other than your own. It'll give everyone a chance to learn different fighting styles, improve their combat abilities, develop their teamwork and social skills, and even train under Overseers from the other Branches."
"Okay, wow. This is some really big news. But it would also be useful to see firsthand how the other Branch Overseers fight and operate." Evans thought, his mind already racing with possibilities.
"Oh, and by the way, the Alliance will only last for about a month, maybe a little less. So once you're fully recovered, you'll be training until then. Prepare yourself, because you'll be meeting completely different individuals and facing problems you aren't used to."
Evans nodded calmly.
"Don't worry. I can't wait."
He clenched his fist slightly.
"And I'll definitely get stronger before then."