The scene resembled a burnt-out candle.
Snow’s current state was so devoid of vitality that it was hard to believe.
Slowly, Snow turned her head and looked at me.
“Kanami…”
Her body was wrapped in noticeable white bandages. From her Status, it was clear she had no external injuries. Yet, something else was gnawing at her, something other than physical wounds. Her Condition simply read *Dragonization*.
“Those bandages…”
“…I got them from Lady Rustiara.”
“Me too. We’re in the same boat.”
“…I didn’t see it, but I heard. We were both in rough shape.”
Snow spoke listlessly. The obsession she once had was now entirely absent.
Perhaps her defeat against Rustiara had caused her to give up on everything again. It was a little unexpected. Even for someone as quick to give up as Snow, the sudden disappearance of that abnormal obsession felt unnatural.
Sensing the deviation from what I had anticipated, I reconsidered how to approach the conversation. Then, Snow pointed at my arm.
“…The ‘Bracelet’ is gone.”
She pointed to where the Bracelet had once been. With a bitter smile, she confirmed,
“…Am I no longer your Kanami?”
“That’s right.”
“…Did our world fall apart?”
“It did.”
“…I see.”
Snow lowered her head and spoke in a detached tone. Her demeanor reminded me of when we first met—during an Academy assignment in the labyrinth.
It felt like she had returned to her old self, but this time, she was utterly devoid of energy. Snow took unnaturally long pauses before speaking, her words slow and deliberate.
“…I heard from someone that during your match with Elmiraud Sidd, you declared that Kanami was my fiancé. You even went as far as a duel to drive him away.”
“Yeah, I remember. That’s exactly what happened.”
“…Does that mean you’ll marry—”
“Sorry. That wasn’t about wanting to marry you. I just didn’t want to acknowledge Elmiraud.”
“…Yeah, I know. …Ehehe, I figured.”
Snow smiled faintly. There had been a sliver of hope, but she hadn’t allowed herself to expect anything. Her smile was weak, devoid of energy.
“…Still, thank you. I think it bought me a little more time.”
Snow said “more time,” but the way she phrased it made it seem like she had given up on everything again.
While her relentless obsession had been troublesome, this complete resignation was equally troubling. It reminded me of the Dance Battle Tournament—her highs and lows were as extreme as ever.
“…So, are you quitting as an ‘Epic Seeker’? Leaving Laura Via?”
“There’s no reason for me to stay here anymore. I’ll be leaving for another country soon.”
“…I see.”
Snow accepted it with sadness but also as if it were inevitable. Then, she fell silent. The only sound that filled the room was the soft rustle of the curtains stirred by a gentle breeze.
I decided to broach the main subject.
“So, what will you do, Snow?”
“…I’ll give up. I don’t want to do anything anymore. …I should have given up long ago.”
It seemed Snow had anticipated the question. Without hesitation, she immediately answered that she would give up on everything.
“…It was all an impossible dream. …I was being foolish again.”
She endlessly blamed herself and finally apologized to me. It was unbearable to watch, but for different reasons than before.
“Giving up again?”
“…I can’t go any further. I don’t know how to make things work. Not knowing terrifies me. …I just don’t care anymore. I really don’t.”
The more she spoke, the emptier her eyes became. Before she completely lost all her strength, I hurriedly responded.
“I think… the Walker family itself is what’s tormenting you. Now that I’ve regained my memories, I can say it clearly. I can confidently assert—”
It had been a long and winding path. I should have had the answer from the beginning, but it had taken me this long to reach it.
“—Snow, you don’t belong in the Walker family.”
But my earnest answer—
“…I can’t.”
—slipped right past her. Snow shook her head without hesitation.
“…That’s already failed.”
“Failed?”
“…In the past, I tried to escape seriously, and because of that, I lost many important people. It was my fault.”
It was a story from Snow’s past. Finally, I heard from her own mouth the reason she had become so lifeless.
“…I’m strong enough to survive, but everyone else wasn’t. They all died.”
She spoke of death as if it were someone else’s affair. If she truly faced its weight, she probably wouldn’t be able to bear it. So, she spoke while running away.
“…The Walker family has no intention of letting me escape. If I try to run, they’ll use any means necessary to bring me back. …The memory of that time still clings to me and won’t let go.”
“So…”
So, Snow had been searching for a way to survive within the Walker family. The result was her choosing to burden her entire family onto her husband.
“…Whenever I think of escaping, my body freezes. …My only choice is to live in the Walker family. …Then, Palinkron introduced me to Kanami, who had no memories. I thought it would be okay even if Palinkron deceived me. I thought I could make it work with Kanami… That’s what I thought… It didn’t work out, though. Ehehe…”
Seeing her sad smile made me feel sorrowful too.
Snow had given up on *me*. That’s why she spoke so openly about her inner thoughts. Whether it was because I declared her my fiancé at the Dance Battle Tournament, buying her more time, or because she lost to Rustiara—I didn’t know for sure.
But regardless of the reason, my answer remained unchanged.
“Snow. Let’s try to escape again.”
“Try again…?”
“I know it’s traumatized you. But let’s try just once more. This time, we’ll do it together—me, Rustiara, and the others—”
“Are you saying you’ll kidnap me?”
Snow spoke expressionlessly, echoing what she had said once during the Dance Battle Tournament.
Back then, Snow had genuinely held onto hope. But now, she didn’t seem to be expecting much. It felt like she was waiting for me to reject her.
Slowly, I shook my head.
Such a convenient ‘hero’ doesn’t exist anywhere. That much, I agreed with, even back when I had no memories.
“No. It’s not about me. It’s about Snow deciding to escape on her own. If Snow decides to do it with her own will, I’ll support her with everything I’ve got.”
“…Decide on my own? …Why?”
“Otherwise, it becomes a one-sided relationship. I don’t want that. I want us to be equals. If we’re not equals, we’ll make mistakes again. We’ll—”
I remembered.
Back then, I had unilaterally saved Maria, unilaterally helped her, and it had ended up benefiting no one. In fact, it had only brought more misfortune.
The scene flashed before my eyes.
The end of the Christmas festival—that *Purgatory*—amidst raging flames, I had lost so much—so I vowed never to repeat it again. My very cells screamed, and my body shook.
“…Kanami, you’re the one acting strange. …I guess we’re the same, huh? Both traumatized by our colossal failures. Neither of us can escape it.”
Seeing me tremble, Snow laughed and reached out her hand to me. Her hand trembled too, just like mine.
“…Kanami, you understand, right? That memory of failure will cling to you until you die. No matter what you do, that memory will haunt you. When you encounter a similar situation, your body will freeze.”
Snow sought understanding. She probably thought that, having both made failures that made us want to die, we could empathize with each other.
But I couldn’t accept that.
“No…!! This isn’t trauma. Snow, it’s all about perspective. It’s not about regretting past mistakes, being afraid, and freezing. We can learn from our mistakes and make sure we don’t repeat them! So, Snow, what you need to do now is escape the Walker family without letting anyone die this time!!”
“…That’s impossible. I’ve failed three times already. I’m bound to fail again. …Why can’t you understand me?”
Snow withdrew her hand and hugged her own shoulders.
“Everyone from my hometown, the seniors from the Epic Seekers, the people who escaped with me… they all died! Because of me!!”
Just as I remembered *the flames of Purgatory*, Snow must have been recalling *the flames of her own hell*.
Shaking, trembling, freezing… giving up on everything…
Now that my memories had returned, I could somewhat understand that feeling.
“I don’t want anyone else to die because of me… I don’t want to be the only one left… I’d rather stay here than shoulder that heavy responsibility…”
“…If you’re afraid of someone dying, I promise I won’t die.”
“…There’s no such thing as certainty in this world. No one is immortal. Such a promise is meaningless!”
“Maybe so. But that doesn’t mean we should give up…! Do you want to keep living here, lying to yourself forever? Snow…!”
“…That’s—”
I didn’t give up.
I wanted to stop living in a fake world, and that’s why I regained my memories. Even though I knew it would take me further from happiness.
“Snow, don’t mistake what you truly want.”
In the end, that was all I wanted to say.
Even without my memories, I had remembered this much.
The will that even the Reaper had understood.
With that in mind, I answered on Snow’s behalf.
“—Snow’s true wish is to escape the Walker family.”
Hearing that, Snow grimaced.
Surely, it was a wish she had been trying not to think about for a long time.
Being reminded of it so bluntly, she was furious.
“…I know that! You don’t need to tell me! I want to escape from here!!”
Clenching her fists in anger, she shouted.
“—I hate it here!!”
The fire reignited in Snow, who had given up on everything.
There was no pause before her words, and she spoke whatever came to mind—the earnest Snow.
From experience, I knew this was the perfect opportunity.
—Yes, experience.
I had learned from past failures.
This time, I wouldn’t make a mistake.
To have someone open their heart to you, you must first open yours.
At the end of the Christmas festival, I had sworn.
To open my heart, to trust others, to not lie—
“Then!! Do whatever it takes to make that wish come true!! This time, don’t let the Walker family, Palinkron, or anyone else deceive you! Do it for yourself, Snow!!”
“But!! What if I fail again? If I give it my all and fail, I’ll be devastated. I’ll be truly miserable. I hate that… I absolutely hate it!!”
“But if you don’t act, nothing will change! If you really want to escape, you have to take the first step!!”
“What if I don’t act and things still change? What if someone helps me! Like Fran did back then! Like Lady Rustiara! I was so jealous of them! Incredibly jealous! I’ve always been unbearably jealous of them! Why did they get help, and I didn’t!? I never wanted to stay in the Walker family! But up until now, no one… no one came to help me!!”
Snow and I clashed words earnestly.
There was no calculating or making excuses—just the real Snow and me.
“Help doesn’t just come!! I didn’t get any help either, that’s why I ended up like this!!”
“The person who helped me is right here, so of course I’d have expectations! I thought Kanami would become mine!! I had genuine expectations for Kanami! So when you betrayed them, I was truly heartbroken! It hurt so much! I hate giving my all and suffering so much!!”
“But if you don’t genuinely try, you’ll never truly be happy! Is staying like this forever what you really want!? Living in fear of the Walker family, deceiving yourself—is that your true wish!?”
“I want to… genuinely feel happy about things too…! But I can’t anymore. I’ve become such a coward… Terrified of pain, I keep running away…! My legs freeze on their own. My heart avoids facing it… Living is so terrifying… I can’t be like everyone else anymore…!!”
Snow poured out everything, shouting for the first time with all her might.
Her throat trembled, her fists clenched, and she cursed her fate.
Shouting meant acknowledging it.
Snow, who had been running away all this time, faced that fact and grimaced.
Then, she cried.
Tears fell in large drops as she trembled uncontrollably and collapsed to her knees.
“See… Making me get serious… Makes me cry uncontrollably…”
Wiping her tears, she blamed me.
“I didn’t want to know my true feelings… If I hadn’t acknowledged them, I wouldn’t have to know anything… This is just painful…”
Snow couldn’t stop crying, trembling like a child.
“But that’s Snow’s true feelings. Snow has been crying all along.”
From the moment we met, all along…
Soothingly, I made the final confirmation.
“Snow was waiting, wasn’t she? For someone to take her away from here…”
“Yes, I was waiting for Kanami all along. Ever since I became Snow Walker—”
Snow looked up at me with tear-filled eyes.
Her eyes reflected only me.
Snow was desperately seeking me. She couldn’t live without me—her obsession had reached that level. In our honest clash, the madness she had hidden began to resurface.
But I couldn’t accept that madness.
“Snow, I’ll say it again. There’s no ‘hero’ who will help you unconditionally. At least, I’m not that. I’m not…”
Still, I refused.
“…Kanami isn’t the True Hero. …And you’re not ‘my hero’ either.”
Finally, Snow accepted it.
After pouring out our true feelings and hurting each other, Snow finally acknowledged that I wasn’t her hero. That’s why I could finally propose.
“That’s why I don’t want to be a ‘hero,’ but Snow’s ‘partner.’ I don’t want to help Snow unilaterally. I want Snow to be my strength, and I’ll be Snow’s strength. We can surely become equals… Definitely!”
“…Partner?”
Snow repeated as if hearing it for the first time.
“Yes. Didn’t Snow introduce me to Elmiraud like that? That we were partners. I think that’s the best kind of relationship. As partners, we don’t help each other unconditionally. We support each other, side by side.”
“Support each other, side by side…”
“As ‘partners,’ not ‘heroes,’ I’ll never leave your side. I promise. No matter how much the Walker family interferes, I’ll support you to the end. …So, Snow, fight with your own strength. Fight for your true wishes.”
I didn’t want Snow to see me as a ‘hero.’
I detested the idea of being seen the same way the nobles at the Dance Battle Tournament had looked at me, trying to use me as a ‘hero.’ That was the only condition I had for Snow.
Understanding my request, Snow gradually changed how she looked at me.
Wiping her tears, she spoke.
“If we’re partners, will you really stay with me forever?”
“Yes, really.”
“You’ll really never die?”
“Yes, I’ll never die.”
“As partners, will you help me?”
“That’s the plan. In return, don’t slack off helping me.”
Snow was making her final confirmation.
I nodded confidently to reassure her.
“T-then… if we’re partners… then—”
Finally, she asked.
Her wish from before, one more time.
“If I want it, will you marry me?”
“That’s…”
My heart pounded as if it would burst.
Faced with a question that went beyond the bounds of being partners, I calmly could only shake my head.
That much I absolutely couldn’t agree to.
Seeing that, Snow’s expression crumpled, and she lowered her eyes.
“I knew it… you’d still shake your head… Ugh, it really frustrates me… So frustrating…”
But her reaction was slightly different from before.
She wasn’t surprised or petrified.
With a surprisingly refreshing and peaceful demeanor—as if she had finally gotten her answer—Snow smiled softly.
“Ah, I finally understand. I really am—”
Then, still smiling, she rephrased her confession from before.
“Just as Lady Rustiara said, I truly love Kanami. That’s why I wanted to marry you so badly.”
“—Huh?”
This time, I was the one stunned and frozen.
Her straightforward and sincere confession left me speechless.
It seemed Rustiara was the cause.
…Rustiara hadn’t told me anything about this.
I had heard she persuaded Snow, but I hadn’t heard they had delved this deep…
Sadly, I could easily imagine Rustiara happily explaining the intricacies of love to Snow.
I felt the difficulty of persuading Snow increasing, surpassing my tolerance.
“Lady Rustiara said she’d be my ‘hero,’ but I couldn’t answer immediately. Now I understand why clearly… It’s because I didn’t want anyone but Kanami. Not because they’re a ‘hero’ or convenient, but because Kanami is Kanami, I wanted Kanami to be *mine*.”
But Snow was calmer than ever, opening her heart.
I had to respond.
Not responding would be the same as before I regained my memories.
But before I could answer, Snow continued her monologue.
“‘I love Kanami,’ Lady Rustiara told me, and I didn’t know what to do. I had no confidence it would work out, so I decided to give up on everything. If Kanami disappeared, I wouldn’t have to truly suffer. I thought forgetting and pretending it never happened would be the easiest… That’s what I thought… But… it didn’t work.”
Snow’s characteristic laziness and self-deprecation were entirely absent.
Like any ordinary girl, her cheeks slightly flushed as she continued speaking.
Her expression was the most adorable I had ever seen.
Seeing that, I could feel my own face turning red.
“I don’t want to get serious… but I can’t suppress these feelings… I had misunderstood for so long, but now I finally realized. This feeling of not wanting to part with Kanami—it’s because I love Kanami!”
Smiling, Snow organized her feelings.
As if freed from a curse, her smile was pure and innocent.
Still, knowing that smile would crumble, I couldn’t lie.
Resolved, I prepared to respond to her confession—
“Snow, I—”
“It’s okay. I know Kanami doesn’t love me. After all, what I’ve done—”
Before I could finish, Snow accepted it with a smile.
“Ignoring whether you loved me or not, I just tried to make Kanami mine… There’s no way Kanami could love me after that… Even someone as foolish as me can understand that…”
She calmly accepted her actions and reflected on them.
It was a side of Snow I hadn’t known before.
“But now, I want Kanami to love me… I’m scared of being hated, but I want you to love me so much… Even if you hate me now, someday I want you to say you love me…”
Snow’s body still hadn’t stopped trembling.
But she desperately suppressed it, standing firmly on her own two legs, smiling.
“So, I’ll try. For the Kanami I love, I’ll try my best.”
Then, Snow said something unimaginable for her past self.
“I’ll stop pretending, be my true self, and fulfill my true wishes.”
As I had said before the Dance Battle Tournament, Snow was pulling herself together.
She was moving forward to fulfill her own wishes by herself.
“My wish—long ago, I wanted everyone’s approval. That’s why I thought ‘glory’ was everything. I thought if I gained ‘glory,’ something would change.”
The old Snow had wished for ‘glory.’
Just like Rowen.
“But it was meaningless. Instead of giving me anything, it took everything away.”
And because of ‘glory,’ she had lost everything.
That was probably why she couldn’t get along with Rowen. She must have felt like she was looking at her past self.
“I want to try again. To do that, I want to be free from here.”
In the past, Snow had failed, despaired, and her spirit had broken.
But now, she was ready to move forward again.
“Not for someone else, but for myself, I want to go far—into that sky. My true wish was really just that…”
Snow’s gaze turned to the window with the swaying white curtains.
Looking at the blue sky beyond, she smiled softly.
It was clear that only the simplest wish remained within her.
“I finally realized… Thank you, Kanami. You’re not ‘mine,’ nor my ‘hero.’ You’re the person I love…”
With her gentle eyes and smile directed at me, Snow expressed her gratitude.
Then, she took a step forward.
By her own will.
“I’m going to cut ties with the Walker family now. Will you come with me, Kanami?”
Before opening the door, she looked back and invited me.
Her beautiful sky-blue hair fluttered, and her translucent eyes gazed at me.
“Of course.”
There was no reason to refuse.
I went along with her invitation and left the room with Snow.
And so, Snow and I finally stepped out of the false world—towards the exit of this *prison*. Side by side, as partners, we went to sever ties with the Walker family.
