After recovering Procyon, who was surrounded by lamias, Orion and Sirius returned to Horizon.

With their excursion finished, the two companions returned to their tranquility, which Procyon needed after enduring the love of many people.

Orion, with his mind seemingly elsewhere, let his feet carry him.

Walking north, he suddenly found himself in front of the Siren Sea, spreading endlessly now that the realm had evolved.

"Ah. I'm here."

Coming out of his thoughts, Orion looked around. There was but the sound of the waves and the few sightings of fish in the water.

As a crab walked next to his left foot, he smiled.

"Hey there."

Kneeling next to the little creature, Orion extended his hand and pointed his index finger at it.

*Poke*

The crab touched his finger with its claw before running off toward the sea, only to be dragged into the ocean by a wave.

"Haha~"

Lightheartedly, Orion laughed. He sat on the sand and stared into the distance.

"You look so much better with a smile on your face."

A familiar face emerged from the water, capturing his attention.

"Senia. Isn't this place further away from the siren colony?"

Watching the former siren drag her body on the sand, he observed. Her whole essence was different now that she became a Lorelei, and he couldn't help but stare.

He was curious about her evolution, but he contained himself, knowing that this was a bad habit of his.

"It is. But I heard the voice of a little crab telling me you were here."

Orion noticed a little friend on her shoulder. It was the same crab that touched his finger a moment ago.

"I came to see you the instant I heard it."

With a smile, she held the crab in her hand and dropped it over the sand before sitting next to Orion.

"You can speak to marine animals?"

Astonished, Orion lifted an eyebrow.

"Yes, I can."

"..."

"You are hiding your curiosity very poorly. I hope you know that."

With a giggle, Senia leaned backward, placing both hands on the ground behind her.

Her wet figure, hair dripping beads of seawater, and glistening scales. Orion captured this instant in his mind, forever engraved in it.

"My bad..."

Scratching his cheek, Orion tried to look elsewhere.

"There's nothing bad about it. It simply makes me happy to know you try your hardest for us."

Then, as she spoke, Senia took on a serious expression.

"You know we would never refuse anything. If you would like to know more about me, just ask."

Giving out a sigh, Orion dropped his shoulders.

"Be it you, or everyone else, you've been giving me far too much. I have barely done anything to match your devotion and strong passion."

"I have strong feelings for you, and they are still growing as I speak with you. Yet, I think I've been lacking in the 'lover' department for quite a while."

With a defeated smile, he looked at her.

"Well, that's mainly the reason for my presence. Even if I've let my feet pull me here, I didn't come with no reason in mind."

"And what would that reason be?"

With an affectionate smile, Senia leaned toward him, waiting with trepidation.

Clearing his throat, Orion shifted his posture toward her.

"I needed to be transparent. I am in love with you. Everything that makes you, I love it. Even now, as you've evolved, I find you very attractive."

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A light blush formed under her eyes. Darting left and right, Senia's eyes showed how surprised his confession made her.

"W-Why, thank you! I rarely get compliments from you!"

Feeling the blood go to her brain, she smiled shyly.

'So she can still feel shy.'

With a smile, Orion took this moment as an opportunity.

"Senia."

"Y-Yes?"

Startled, she stared into his eyes.

"Do sirens have the custom of marriage?"

"Heh?"

Surprised by his question, she remained frozen.

"Because..."

Pulling out a box from seemingly nowhere, Orion held it firmly in his hand.

He slowly reached for her left hand, which was the closest to him, coincidentally.

Senia straightened, finally brought to reality.

"W-We don't. I heard of such customs from Amelia and the others."

"Why the sudden tension?"

Finding her reaction funny, Orion chuckled. At the same time, it helped Senia loosen her body and mind.

"In that case, would you be the first siren to enter such a custom? This gift will be the proof of my love for you."

Opening the box, the first thing that appeared in Senia's eyes was a teardrop-shaped gemstone.

A blue aquamarine as gorgeous as can be laid over a lighter black ring.

At first glance, it looked like a common ring anyone would wear, but as Orion took it out of the box, Senia noticed the incredible craftsmanship put into it.

A glass outline extended from the gemstone socket from one side to the other of the ring, and between the glass decoration, water flowed perpetually.

It was only possible because the ring was slightly larger than other types, but not enough to be a hindrance.

This crafted ring, as if magical in nature, caught the attention of the ocean dweller.

Somehow, her eyes could help but stare at it.

"I... can feel the same energy that the Siren Sea has inside this ring."

Orion nodded.

"I gave the materials to the store with the design plans. Your ring was made through my knowledge."

"The ring itself was made with titanium. It is resistant to seawater, better than any metal existing."

He kept the part where this metal was the most expensive to get for himself.

"And I thought putting a drop of your home into the ring would make you happy. You will always have it with you in this form."

"Though it is a drop, I cleaned extensively. It is nowhere as close as the real ocean you live in."

Scratching the back of his head, he looked at the ring. If he had given a drop of the Siren Sea uncleaned, bacteria could have grown into the ring and damaged it.

After boiling the water countless times, he only gathered a drop of it, enough to be layered between two thin pieces of glass.

In shock, Senia watched as Orion slid the ring around her finger.

"T-Thank you!"

Immediately, Senia placed the ring in front of her chest and closed her eyes.

'And he said he doesn't do anything for us...'

'He simply doesn't understand.'

With a radiant smile, she jumped at him. His back sank into the sand while Senia cornered his face with her hands.

"I know what happens when someone 'proposes.'. It's something I also learned from everyone."

Orion smiled softly as he let the Lorelei express her feelings.

...

The sun slowly began to set, coloring the sky a fiery orange.

Walking into knee-deep snow after leaving a portal, Orion stretched his arms.

"Huh?"

Looking down, he realized how high the snow actually was.

"What happened in here?"

Confused, he observed his surroundings.

No one was in the streets. Not a single soul was outside, and not even traces of footsteps were observable.

"I guess it is normal they stayed indoors with this pile of snow."

Closing his eyes, he opened his third eye, which activated his Remnant power.

Through it, he noticed various grayish shapes run around in circles, while some stayed still.

There were at least twenty of them.

"What?"

For a minute, Orion appeared confused.

"Oh!"

But the realization soon came to be.

"It's probably children playing in the snow. They are playing around and building snowmen, I imagine."

He then turned around and left Turric.

After a few minutes of dragging his legs through the snow, he arrived at the place he wanted to.

"..."

Quietly, he leaned against a tree and watched a woman with crimson hair hold a blazing sword in her hand.

The blazing gem on her chest pulsed radiantly as she focused on the blade, her eyes closed.

'She's so serious. May was always like that. No one else possesses the sense of responsibility she has.'

Even after recovering the flame of life, May was still the same, to Orion's relief.

But more than that, May was ready to work even harder to make up for the lost time.

"Hya!"

Suddenly, she pierced the ground with her blazing sword.

"Scorched Dominion."

A massive circle formed in a ten-meter radius around her. The snow began to melt at mind-blowing speed, releasing large amounts of steam.

The circle released high columns of fire around her, as tall as the pine trees.

Shocked, Orion stood in awe in front of this display.

'It's way different from before! Her control over the elemental is far stronger and more natural than ever!'

'They are in perfect sync!'

They were one, and their energy fused into this new being.

Compared to Henrietta, who was a Remnant borrowing the power of the elementals, May was an elemental but human.

"Orion?!"

Finding his presence at last, May rapidly extinguished the flames ravaging the ground.

The blazing sword disappeared, and she rushed toward him with an anxious expression.

"Did you see?"

"I did."

Still in awe in front of such pure flames, Orion smiled. The only person with intense flames was Amelia, but there was no comparison possible between them.

It didn't matter to Orion. What was incredible remained so in his eyes.

"And here I was, trying to hide it! All for nothing."

Ruffling her hair in frustration, May then dropped her arms in defeat.

"Can you control it properly? From what I've seen, you've been making immense progress."

Puffing her chest, she chose to ignore the frustration of being found out and opened up to him.

"That was close to five percent of what we can do. Past that, I burn myself."

Showing her forearm, a wide burn mark ran until her elbow.

"May..."

Orion sighed while placing his hand over her injury.

"I usually see Karteira for that. There's no point in worrying you about something this insignificant."

He sighed again.

"It's far from being insignificant. Just come and see me when you get hurt."

May placed her finger on her cheek and rubbed it up and down.

"Sorry..."

"If you have time to apologize, use it to care for your body."

Her burn mark healed, and Orion gently rubbed her forearm with his opened hand.

"You've finally recovered the healthy body I promised you. Treasure yourself."

"If not..."

Orion bent to the side. May leaned to the side, ignorant of his intentions.

"BWA!"

Picking up a large amount of snow in his hand, he threw it at her face.

"O-Orion! Damn it!"

Memories of the past resurfaced, where a snowball came crashing on her.

"Did that refresh your body?"

Laughing loudly, he grabbed another handful.

"I won't let you win this time!"

May joined him in a short but heated battle. Orion, cheating his way through victory, warped away each time a snowball came closer.

Still, he avoided only pelting her. He also voluntarily missed a lot.

"Come back here! Hey-"

"Woah!"

Plowing through the snow, May failed to avoid the exposed root of a pine tree and fell forward.

"May!"

Orion warped in front of her, only to realize too late.

"I got you!"

She jumped at him with a snowball in hand. Before he knew it, Orion took the snow head-on and fell backward.

Following him as she was in midair, May fell on top of him.

Both sank into the cold snow, with only Orion's body shape outlining their whereabouts.

Wiping the snow off his face, he smiled.

"You got me good. I had no idea you would feint me."

"I have to keep you on your toes, or you'll get hit by an enemy."

Giggling, May snuggled closer to his chest. This was so different from the past.

The cold sensation from her skin was no more, replaced by the warmth of life. Orion was relieved he had managed to keep his promise, even if it was under the circumstances of the moment.

'One wrong move, and I would've lost her.'

He placed his left hand on top of hers, enjoying the moment.

"May."

"Hmm~"

"Would you marry me?"

Orion felt a sudden push on his chest as May leaned over his face.

"Yes."

"That was fast."

Smiling, he straightened while carefully shifting May's posture.

"The promise you made. Since you've succeeded, I find it fair I answer your wish."

"If you want my hand, I will give it to you. I'll give you everything I have. My body, my heart, my soul."

The determination in her eyes showed no traces of weakness. She was beyond ready.

"In that case..."

Orion felt bashful for once. He wasn't used to such powerful advances coming from her.

But it wasn't a bad feeling.

As a box was brought out from a sealed space only he could access, Orion opened it.

"Would you accept it?"

"Gladly!"

May extended her left hand forward.

A black ring, made of pure hammered tungsten, slid across her fourth finger. The material, which resisted incredible temperatures, was perfect for her.

"Beautiful..."

After Orion pulled his hand away, May lifted her hand above her head and stared at the ring.

"Is that a ruby?"

Orion nodded silently.

The vibrant red coupled with the diamond cut brought a breathtaking ring into another realm.

'Since she prefers items with practicality, I hoped she would like it, even if it looked simple.'

Seeing her beaming smile, his fears lifted off as soon as he saw it.

Then May glanced at Orion. Confused, he tilted his head.

But it took him only half a second to notice the slight blush on her ears.

"..."

Opening his arms wide, he waited for her to come closer.

Only for May to jump at his neck and make him fall into the snow again.

For a while, they stayed in the deep snow, almost dying it red from their passion.