Whose youth romance story begins with a witch's trial?!

Chang Rong tentatively inquired of Melu on Ice using rather conservative reasons and a relatively safe distance, and then—

"Waaaah... You, you, you mean you want to be friends with me? Really, really, Chang Rong-san...! Friends, if you don't mind, I'll definitely try my best to become Chang Rong-san's friend...! Um, is there a friend fee or something? But, but I really don't have anything to offer, or... otherwise, you can use this body of mine as you please—"

Hey, I was just doing a little A, how come someone immediately used their ultimate skill and self-destructed?!

Faced with Chang Rong's distant and formal social niceties, Ice Slide Meruru immediately started shedding tears. While wiping away her tears, she spoke words of gratitude mixed with self-deprecation in a sobbing voice. The next second, she even began to actively try to unbutton the front of her clothes and bring them closer to herself—

As a result, Chang Rong's first encounter with Ice Meruru ended temporarily with the mysterious female photographer, Fut, frantically snapping photos of the silvery masterpiece before her eyes, and Kurobe Nanoha Kaori's disdainful look at her after she rushed over upon hearing the commotion.

Meluru on Ice...a terrifying woman, a woman with absolutely no room to maneuver...!

During her time on the prison island, Chang Rong gradually learned more about Meruru. The most obvious thing was that she was really prone to internal strife.

Chang Rong felt that Meruru was either crying and reflecting on something, or she was on her way to crying.

Sometimes she would try to comfort and persuade the other aspiring witches, but most of the time she would be directly rejected and given the cold shoulder by those prickly aspiring witches. Afterwards, Meruru would cry and drift away like a jellyfish to a secluded corner to drop her little pearls. But even if she was turned away or criticized and disliked by the other party with harsh words, Meruru would still try to help others again after dropping her little pearls.

Chang Rong also asked Meruru why she did this. Her behavior had even gone beyond the scope of 'kindness'. It was a kind of 'meddling' act of kindness, or even more like a 'saint' level of selflessness.

"Because... I feel that everyone is in pain... If I could, even just a little bit, I... I really want to help everyone... Even if you don't need my help, I... I still... want to help..."

When asked, Ice Meluru responded in a delicate, trembling voice. After hearing the nun's soft yet firm response, Chang Rong sat down next to Ice Meluru and followed her example, helping her organize and tidy up the various medicine bottles and capsules in the infirmary.

"Um... Chang Rong-san, what are you doing...?" Ice Meruru, who was already used to spending her time alone in the infirmary, seemingly doing nothing, was momentarily stunned by Chang Rong's actions.

"Since you want to help everyone, Ice-kun, then I'll represent everyone and help you too, although whether it can really be called helping is debatable—but it's a very simple principle, isn't it? Of course, um... if you find me in your way, Ice-kun, just cough twice, and I'll politely leave—Pfft!!?"

Before Chang Rong could finish speaking, the jellyfish-like nun suddenly threw herself into his arms, rubbing against him frantically while making "woo woo woo" noises and dropping small pearls.

"Chang, Chang Rong-san, do you need help? Waaaaah... I, I'm so touched! Before, almost no one ever said something like this to me, 'If possible, please stay friends with me forever...' I, I, I will definitely do my best...!"

Looking at the ice skater Meruru in her arms, who was inexplicably excited, Chang Rong sighed with a mixture of helplessness and relief. What a clumsy, overly kind, innocent, and naive child.

And yet, this very 'good child' is right in front of him at this very moment—

"Um, the Great Witch possesses almost every kind of magic in the world! Although, although Chang Rong's breakfast is really delicious, the Great Witch can manipulate familiars to turn food into fragrant dishes!"

"Oh, right, the Great Witch can also change the seasons and weather at will! With just a wave of her hand, she can freeze the lake outside the window and cover the lush flower fields with white snow. She's really, really amazing!"

"The Great Witch used to hold me in this study and patiently tell me bedtime stories that I couldn't understand... Even though I couldn't understand them, I can still clearly recall the Great Witch's warm touch!"

The woman who claimed to be the 'mastermind' behind this witch trial, where countless girls killed each other, and whom he once thought was an 'too naive and innocent girl,' was now standing right in front of him, holding the photo that Futter had printed out, with an expression of immense happiness on her face, and recounting to herself the various trivialities of her life with the 'Great Witch' on this prison island.

"Ah... It's so wonderful, Chang Rong-san! My admiration for the Great Witch is more sincere than anyone else in the world, but I can only keep this devotion hidden in my heart at all times. But with your appearance, Chang Rong-san, I can finally express all my admiration and respect, and all my wonderful memories of the Great Witch...!"

On the ice, Meruru struck a holy pose as if in prayer, and smiled at Chang Rong.

"If it's Chang Rong-san... if it's Chang Rong-san who's willing to be friends with someone like me, if it's Chang Rong-san who's patiently lends a helping hand to someone as clumsy as me, then there's definitely no problem...! So I'll try my best to show my truest self to Chang Rong-san!"

"The most authentic side...?"

Looking at the increasingly fervent expression on Ice Meluru's face, Chang Rong even felt that the words coming from her mouth were not coming from herself, but from some distant place.

Despite being in a cramped room, and despite being able to reach out and touch the ice maiden, Chang Rong felt as if she had been thrown to the edge of the horizon, growing ever more distant from the nun in front of her.

"Meruru, what—what are you doing? You just said you're...the mastermind?"

Chang Rong couldn't even figure out what the 'driving force' that supported the normal operation of her language module was. Perhaps it was those dead, executed, and aspiring witches?

Perhaps it was the obsession of those girls who died on this prison island that allowed Chang Rong to at least still have the strength to stand here and confront Meruru on the ice.

"Rather than a conspiracy... well, it's more like some kind of... [accomplice]? But I am indeed the [witch] that everyone has been looking for and trying, that's for sure—of course, I'm different from other witches, I'm the witch personally favored by the Great Witch, much more high-class and noble than other witches... yes, that's right, it's like the relationship between 'owner and pet'!"

After a moment's thought, Melu on the ice offered what she considered a very apt metaphor for the current situation.

"Master...? Meruru, what are you talking about...? Is this some kind of joke? Even if it's a prank, it's too cruel—"

"No, no, Chang Rong-san...! Right, hey-hoo—!"

Faced with Chang Rong's questioning, Melulu on the ice showed a somewhat panicked expression. After thinking for a moment, she realized something, picked up a book beside her, tore it to shreds, and then reached out and touched the shards. After a pale green light, the torn pages turned back into a complete book.

"This, this is my true magic—【Restore】. No matter how intricate the parts, or even the human body structure, it can be perfectly restored to its original state! However, the dead cannot be resurrected by magic... Um, is it different from the magic of other witches? If other witches want to have this level of precise control over magic, they must become 'inferior witches' who are almost out of their minds... Um, Chang Rong-san, you've seen it too, right? Miss Nana and Miss Li Hua... They didn't look beautiful at all, they were extremely ugly and twisted, weren't they? But, but I'm different..."

On the ice, Meruru placed her hands on her chest, revealing an expression of immense happiness and pride.

"I am a witch chosen by the Great Witch, so I can use and develop my own magic skillfully in a normal manner...! Completely different from those inferior witches! No matter how I use my magic, I will never become an ugly 'wreck' like Miss Nana, Miss Reika, or Miss Drew—"

"...So, so it was all a lie? From the moment we arrived on this prison island, it was all just an act, a ridiculous show you orchestrated to please that so-called 'Great Witch'?"

While questioning the distorted nun in front of her, Chang Rong observed the table next to Meru on the ice, where photo developing equipment was placed.

"No, no... Well, what Chang Rong-san said might be true. I did infiltrate everyone's group in order to find the Great Witch, because that would make it easier to try and turn everyone into witches... But, but, I really like everyone too!"

Melu shook her head on the ice, her tone remarkably devout and resolute.

"I really like Miss Drew's little bird. That bird can even tell the difference between carrots, tissues, and cola! But Miss Drew herself isn't very sociable. If this continues, she'll become withdrawn and melancholic..."

"I really like Ms. Chisa's proud, calm, and charismatic demeanor. For example, if I could be that decisive and cool, would Mr. Chang Rong like me even more? But Ms. Chisa seems to be constantly persecuting Ms. Nana. This... this won't do..."

"I really like Miss Nana. Her kind and gentle nature, yet her extraordinary courage in certain matters, is like a lost lamb. But, I can't help her resolve her troubles; she's already been executed and sealed away..."

"I really like Miss Truth. Her rational and logical thinking is always fascinating. If she could change her habit of staying up late reading in bed and take better care of her eyes, and also plant fewer landmines, that would be even better..."

"I really like Miss Yuan. Although she claims to be a shampoo criminal, she seems to only target bad guys who abuse and abduct girls in human society. Yes, she's a very cool person!"

"I really like Miss Lihua. Even though I tried so hard to seduce her for so long, she still held on for more than a month before breaking down. I think that pride that belongs to a young lady is really amazing!"

"I really like Alice. That child is as innocent as a pure girl who has wandered into a land of the lost... But, the very existence of witches on this prison island is a sin. That child... must have died helplessly and in great pain..."

"I really like Miss Futo's carefree attitude, Miss Nanoha's perseverance and courage, and the familiar and nostalgic scent of Koyuki—and most importantly, I really like... Chang Rong-san...!"

With a halting but earnest tone, Meru spoke on the ice, recounting her memories and aspirations for each of the aspiring witches as if they were her most cherished possessions.

"I really, really love everyone... Even when I get hurt or become a target, even when I'm misunderstood, I still love you all. It's just... it's just that they're not the Great Witch, so they can only die, right—?"

Boom! !

"Chang Rong-sang—wailing!?"

Meruru's prayer-like words on the ice were suddenly interrupted. Chang Rong slammed into the desk next to Meruru and grabbed the fixative from the desk, splashing it on the girl.

The nun in her habit instinctively raised her hand to block the splashing liquid, but Chang Rong lunged forward almost simultaneously, grabbing Melulu on the ice and pinning her to the ground, pressing her hands firmly against her neck.

"Chang, Chang Rongsang...? Cough cough—what's going on...!"

The effort, exerting force through the wrist and fingers, was much easier than expected. It seemed that with just a little more effort, one could easily break the overly pale and slender neck of the nun who called herself a witch.

—If we kill Meruru here, will all this end?

—But Meruru says she is a witch. Witches are immortal beings, right? Can you really kill her just by saying that?

—There's a paper cutter next to it. Can I use that to cut off Meruru's head? Will she die if I do that?

—I must protect Yuki and Nanoha, I absolutely cannot let this conspiracy go unpunished, but…

But... Meruru...

Looking at the girl he was pinning down with a pained expression, Chang Rong momentarily hallucinated the scene in the infirmary where Ice Meluru was leaning against the window, staring blankly at the clouds in the distance.

At that moment, the expression on her face was incredibly lonely and desolate, carrying a weariness and sorrow that shouldn't belong to someone her age.

However, upon realizing Chang Rong's arrival, she immediately suppressed all these expressions and put on her signature tearful, jellyfish-like expression once again.

Is that the expression a 'behind-the-scenes manipulator' should have? Is that the emotion a villain who treats life as a 'pet' should hide?

"Cough cough...cough cough—Chang Rong-san, you, you really are, really, really gentle..."

When Chang Rong came to her senses, she had already let go of his hands.

On the ice, Meruru gently touched her bruised neck, but instead of healing herself, she gave the abuser, Chang Rong, a smile that seemed to encompass everything.

“After the Great Witch left, it has been such a long, long time since I have experienced this kind of gentleness… So please rest assured, Chang Rong-san. There are no witch genes in your body, so you are not a being ‘doomed to death’ with original sin, but rather—a pure and flawless person.”

On the ice, Meruru extended her right hand, clad in a long white silk glove, and gently stroked the white-haired boy's cheek with a smile.

"Chang Rong-san...you are the only one destined to walk with me to the end, to welcome the day the Great Witch returns with me, my most cherished partner...!"

"It's not the only one—I promised Yuki, we made a promise to leave here together...and Kurobe-kun too, we'll leave this prison...!"

Chang Rong slapped away Mei Lulu's hand on the ice. Even though his brain wanted to completely give up thinking and give up entirely, he still forced himself to think about what he could still do right now.

"Xiaoxue, Nanoha-chan... Waaaa, I really like them too, but, but that's impossible... They are witches chosen by the Witch Factor, destined to be executed... But, um... I, I will use the magic [Witch Slayer] given to me by the Great Witch. Because it is the Great Witch's blessing, even if my life is taken away, I will definitely not feel any pain!"

—Every word Meruru says is inseparable from the Great Witch, which means... is that person called the Great Witch the real instigator of all this?

"The Great Witch... Just what kind of being is that? Did she orchestrate all of this?"

"The Great Witch is truly the Great Witch! I must find the Great Witch. Finding her will be salvation for everyone... She's not only my only family, but also the gentlest being in the world. But... sob sob... The Great Witch left no records. I... I should save Miss Futter. Even though it will expose my identity, I can just wait until the next round. That way, Miss Futter can read and write down the Great Witch's picture... Wait, Miss Futter even developed a photo?"

Suddenly, Meru on the ice noticed that another photo she hadn't seen had also fallen down during Chang Rong's attack.

On the ice, Meruru casually picked up the photo—to be honest, it was a terrible shot. It seemed to be a candid shot taken after everyone had taken a group photo and were preparing to return to their cells.

Kurobe Nanoha, carrying a long spear, walked alongside him at the back. The white-haired boy, carrying the blonde girl Alice, looked somewhat strained and helpless. Beside the white-haired boy was a girl with long, silver hair, as white as snowflakes, turning to look at Chang Rong with a cute and beautiful smile.

"Huh... Great Witch... Lady...?"

Looking at the silver-haired girl, Meru spoke softly.

Volume 1: Chapter 120. Snowflake Fragments - Final Chapter

Snow's "forgetting magic" can only remain at the level of the person's own self-awareness; she cannot interfere with the medium through which a third party records the event.

She could make Meruru on Ice forget the blurred face during each meeting, thus hindering her connection with the 'Great Witch'. However, Meruru's long-standing obsession with the Great Witch, the memory of the Great Witch imprinted in her mind, is unforgettable and can be instantly activated with just a small third-party medium.

In reality, the mysterious existence of 'witches' itself hates being recorded; the more they are observed, the more trouble they will cause themselves.

"Xiaoxue, Xiaoxue is—the Great Witch...!!"

"Xiaoxue is—the great witch you mentioned!?"

Meruru and Chang Rong exclaimed almost simultaneously.

At that very moment, the door to the abandoned study was pushed open, and a girl with long silver hair, panting heavily, looked at the white-haired boy in the room.

"Rong, I—"

"Lady the Great Witch...!!!"

Xiaoxue adjusted her breathing, wanting to say something to Chang Rong, but before she could utter a word, she was pulled into Ice Melulu's arms.

"...!?" The Great Witch's face showed surprise and panic for a moment. Although she thought she was prepared, the sudden revelation from Meru on Ice still stunned her for a moment.

"Great Witch, Great Witch...! I, I've searched for you for so long...! I really, really tried my best...!" Meru on Ice knelt on the ground and hugged the Great Witch, pleading in a sobbing voice.

"Meruru, I—"