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

It wasn't a wail or a loud cry, but rather a calm statement about what needed to be done next.

"Ugh... you stupid knight, can you really hold on...?" Tono Hannah looked at Chang Rong with great concern and asked. Anyone could easily see that the white-haired boy was in a terrible mental state.

"The final moment is approaching—at least I must witness it to the very end... Besides, there's no point in staying in the courtroom, everyone... should leave."

Chang Rong said this to herself, then left the courtroom from the judge's bench and headed towards the library.

The brain is like a hard drive that has been overloaded for decades and is about to reach the end of its lifespan. It is full of bad sectors that are stuck and cannot be read. Thoughts are intermittent and difficult to connect. Even if you try to think about something, you will soon be interrupted by yourself.

Why me of all people...? Why do I have to witness, time and time again, the people I cherish being tried and executed?

I've already been through this 'hell' once... why do I have to go through it again? What did I do to deserve this torture?!

I'm...I'm really fed up with everything that's happening on Witch Island. There's no redemption, no hope, just endless torment and despair...!

All of this was caused by the Great Witch. If there's anything I still have to do, it's probably to find that so-called Great Witch.

'Sato Yuki', Yuki... the last witch who tried to destroy all human civilization, the black curtain ice-ground Meruru who slaughtered countless prospective witches just to pursue her 'master', the forgetting witch who toyed with my memories time and time again, the being that even my 'sister' wanted to kill, my... my 'childhood friend'.

I... I was accidentally killed by my sister while trying to save that kind of guy? Why did I do that? Why did I do something so ridiculous? Everyone's deaths are inextricably linked to her. She and Meluru on Ice are the undisputed sinners, the origin of all despair and suffering. They are unforgivable, absolutely unforgivable beings. They are witches who must be executed—

"Chang Rong-jun...no, no, Chang Rong-jun...!!!"

"Emma—Pfft!?"

Just before Chang Rong's consciousness became increasingly chaotic and gradually slid into the abyss of darkness, Sakura Emma suddenly rushed over with a sob in her voice. The pink and white-haired girl's strength was so great that the unsuspecting Chang Rong was directly knocked to the ground by the small dog.

"No, no, Chang Rong-jun...! I, I... Waaah, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...! I can't help at all. Chang Rong-jun looks so painful, but I... I have absolutely no idea how to help Chang Rong-jun. But, but... I'm so scared...! Scared that you'll disappear, that you'll become a stranger, so, so... please, Chang Rong-jun... Waaah, at least let me find a way to share some of your burden...!"

Sakura Emma, ​​who was pinning Chang Rong to the ground, sobbed and spoke incoherently. She noticed Chang Rong's unusual condition and sensed that he might completely 'break down' if things continued like this. She didn't know what she could do for the white-haired boy, but Sakura Emma still rushed to him, using incredibly clumsy but most sincere trembling words to plead with Chang Rong not to bear it all alone.

"I...I'm...awful too...!!"

Hero, who arrived immediately after Emma, ​​also wanted to say something, but even she, who considered herself to be right, was unsure what she could do in this situation, so she could only grit her teeth, clench her fists, and stand aside.

No… she knew that her magic might possess the power to change things… but, could that so-called 'power' really be used? That kind of magic, which felt more like a taboo to her… if the actual effect wasn't what she expected… then wouldn't that be… wouldn't that be…

"Um... Emma, ​​I..."

On the other side, Chang Rong, who was being tackled to the ground by Sakura Emma while shedding small pearls, gradually came to his senses after feeling the girl's tears dripping down his cheek.

The shrill noises and buzzing in his ears, which felt like they were tearing his brain apart, gradually subsided, and his heart, which felt like it was about to leap out of his body, slowly calmed down again. His vision, which had been swallowed by the endless darkness, gradually regained its light, and he could see the outside world clearly, as well as the extremely worried expressions on the faces of the girls surrounding him.

"...I'm sorry to have worried you, Emma. Thank you, I'm much better now."

"Chang Rong-jun...! You, are you really alright...?" When Sakura Emma saw the boy in front of her once again show that incredibly familiar and reassuring smile, she almost burst out with excitement again.

"Yeah, I've completely calmed down, and my mind is much clearer. In fact, I feel like if I keep going like this, my consciousness will become so clear that it'll just disappear on the spot ^q^..."

"Kiang!? Yes, yes, I'm so sorry...!!"

Seeing Chang Rong, whom she had pinned to the ground and was frantically rubbing against, looking utterly relieved as if he were about to ascend to heaven and die on the spot, Sakura Emma let out a cute sound and quickly let go, lest she accidentally get sucked to death by Chang Rong.

“Sakura... Emma—! You really are a born evil being. It looks like you won’t even get a chance to push butts anymore…!” Seeing that the pink-haired puppy almost killed the rabbit that he had painstakingly raised but hadn’t had a chance to kill himself, Nikaido Hiro once again lost his temper and issued an ultimatum: ‘You are not allowed to participate in the Silver Party from now on.’

"W-How could this be...! But, but if I kiss you directly on the lips next time, or even just kiss you straight on the rice... then it'll be fine, right...!"

Emma Sakuraba instantly revealed an extremely disappointed and empty expression, but she quickly thought of something and rekindled her dark will, declaring, "The battle will begin in 5 seconds next time we meet."

"This...this is incorrect...!!" Hiro was startled by Emma's blunt and explosive remarks, which were far more shameless than his own.

"Oh my, I didn't expect Emma to be such a formidable opponent. This child is destined for greatness." Shirley Tachibana nodded thoughtfully as she watched Emma from the side.

"So... how are you doing right now? I'm not asking about Kurobe Nanoha, but... about your 'witch factor,' can it still be maintained? Noah, Rhea, and Nanoha have all left... Damn it, can you really handle it?"

Hiro reached out and pulled Chang Rong up, then frowned with concern and asked. The boy in front of her was clearly a special being, neither alive nor dead, who survived by attaching himself to the 'witch factor' within the prospective witches, yet the prospective witches were leaving one after another... This made Hiro even more worried about Chang Rong's physical condition.

“Hmm… don’t worry about Hiro. Although ‘sister’ doesn’t have the witch factor, there’s still a part of her that hasn’t been corrupted and can be used, so at least for now, you don’t have to worry about me,” Chang Rong replied softly.

"Tsk... You'd better tell the truth, otherwise if I find out you're giving 'perjury,' then I'll... draft it twice! Once as a necessary means to replenish the witch factor, and the other as punishment for your lying!"

"Isn't it wrong to say 'brotherly food'?!" Chang Rong was startled by Hero's equally straightforward "brother vanilla mud" comment.

"I am right!"

"You don't even want to act anymore... Hiro?"

As the number of prospective witches dwindles, Hiro's obsession with being a Yamato Nadeshiko (ideal Japanese woman) also diminishes. He has now almost completely abandoned this concept, to the point of saying, "This is unnecessary (referring to the Yamato Nadeshiko character)."

In any case, after the brief chaos, everyone managed to put aside the departure of Kurobe Nanoha, Noah, and Rhea for the time being, and headed to the library to find the location where the 'Great Witch' had hidden something in Kurobe Nanoha's vision.

Hannah Tono and Arisa Fujito did not come along. Hannah was completely exhausted after the witch trial. Led by Arisa, she returned to the infirmary with Arisa to take care of Milia, who was still unconscious even after the trial ended.

In Arisa's words, Uncle Saeki Miria's condition was a bit strange. Although her injuries looked a bit scary, most of them were just superficial wounds. Even though Arisa didn't know much about medicine, she knew very well that such injuries shouldn't cause her to remain in a coma.

But in reality, Saeki Miria had been in a coma, which worried everyone. They could only try their best to take care of Miria in order to alleviate their vague unease.

Meanwhile, after parting ways with Hannah Arisa at the infirmary, Chang Rong and her group arrived at the library and, following the directions, found the bookshelf where the clues were hidden.

"Hmm... I haven't seen any of these books before? Are they newly added? Or..."

"It must be the magic of the Great Witch. She has the ability to make people forget. Perhaps she cast some kind of spell on this bookshelf so that ordinary people wouldn't notice its existence, or even if they did, they would subconsciously ignore it."

Chang Rong walked to the bookshelf while making guesses.

"What a convenient and wickedly funny magic~ But speaking of which, is this really the place? It's crammed full of books, there's no space to put anything else—ah, I know! There must be a hammer hidden in one of the Bibles, the path to salvation is in it, let's use the hammer to dig through the wall and escape, right!"

Shirley Tachibana stared at the bookshelf crammed full of various books and said thoughtfully.

"Although it sounds like an old-fashioned method, it does seem like it could be a viable alternative... Our cell seems to have an underground drainage system. If we could dig down the sewers, we might actually have a way to escape this prison."

Although Emma Sakuraba wore a wry smile, she still affirmed Sherry Tachibana's proposal. Perhaps for her, the method wasn't important; what mattered was that she absolutely couldn't give up and had to keep thinking about escaping from here no matter what.

"No...that's not right."

"Eh!? I'm so sorry, Chang Rong-jun, I was just talking nonsense. Please don't torture me if it's unrealistic...!"

Chang Rong suddenly spoke up to refute, instantly making Sakura Emma soft-hearted and admitting defeat.

"Uh? No, Emma... I meant the 'bookshelf is full' thing is wrong."

Chang Rong quickly explained, and walked to the bookshelf.

This bookshelf was very familiar to Chang Rong—because this was the secret location where Alice had used the [Rainbow (Refraction) Magic] to hide a crucial clue in a case with her life.

Alice's magic has not disappeared; it still exists, just like the rainbow in the flower field.

Following her memory, Chang Rong reached her hand towards the bookshelf. The bookshelf, which seemed to be filled with books, had a corner where she could easily reach her hand.

The object hidden by the Great Witch within the 'light refraction angle' was surprisingly simple. It was neither a ring capable of controlling minds, nor a sword sheath that could protect everything, nor a mysterious little button that could clear the map with a single click.

It was an overly old-looking camera, and underneath it was a rather unremarkable photograph.

In the photo, 'Kurobe Nanoha Kaori' is walking beside someone carrying a long spear, and walking alongside her is Ice Meruru, who is dressed as a nun. Behind them, the white-haired boy Chang Rong is carrying a blonde girl in a Lolita maid dress on his back, with a tired, helpless, and happy expression on his face.

Beside Chang Rong stood a girl with long, silver-white hair, as ethereal as snowflakes. The girl turned to look at Chang Rong, her smile incredibly cute and beautiful.

The Great Witch, the Witch of Oblivion, possesses terrifying magic that allows her to manipulate the memories of others at will, yet she cannot distort her own existence as objectively recorded.

The moment they saw the girl—Chang Rong, Sakura Emma, ​​and Nikaido Hiro almost instinctively exclaimed in unison:

"Xiaoxue...?"

Those two words, that name, were like a key, unlocking a long-sealed box of memories. Countless memories—beautiful, desperate, happy, embarrassing—all poured out at that moment.

All three of them froze on the spot, leaving only Tachibana Sherry completely bewildered, asking, "Huh? Huh? Huh?"

"Xiaoxue... Xiaoxue—"

The memories that had never been forgotten, the memories that Chang Rong had desperately wanted to remember, the memories that shone brightly for her, the memories that no amount of gold or silver would ever betray, were all brought back the moment she saw that photo.

Light Snow —

That girl who liked to squat in the corner and silently count dust and ants. That girl who was inexplicably good at somersaults. That girl who used to always exude a strange, foul stench. That girl who later became fragrant with pine and lemon scents.

That girl who sometimes acted strangely and erratically, that girl as ethereal yet beautiful as a snowflake. That girl who once lived with me, that girl I wanted to walk with to the end.

That clumsy, willful, and possessive girl who is gradually changing; that girl who likes to indulge in fantasies and is somewhat of a hapless character; that girl who tries to cultivate maternal instincts in her child but always messes things up.

The one who destroyed everything, dragged herself into the abyss from which she could not escape, the one who tried to destroy all of humanity, the one who witnessed one tragedy after another, but was merely an observer... the witch.

Meluru on Ice exhausted almost everything in her pursuit of the 'Great Witch' in her heart. Her cruelty and naivety hurt countless innocent girls in one witch trial after another. In the end, Yuki, the last Great Witch, simply remained silent, acquiesced, watched from the sidelines, and ignored it.

I... I should hate her utterly, I should be so angry that I'm speechless, I should have an uncontrollable urge to kill, I should despise and loathe her soul and everything about her.

That's how it should be, but... but... what's wrong with me... why, why don't I feel that kind of anger?

After regaining my memories, what I truly felt... was more of a sadness and a pain than anger.

Was everything Xiaoxue has done so far just an act to deliberately create in order to eliminate humanity? Were all those smiles and sullen expressions she showed me merely a prelude to witnessing my despair and breakdown in the future?

Am I an actor on her stage, a being deliberately fabricated by her to appreciate the various behaviors of the race called 'humanity' in the face of death and slaughter time and time again?

...That's not right, it shouldn't be like that.

Xiaoxue must have something she wanted to tell me, just like in this photo. She must have also wanted to tell me something.

The evidence is—

Chang Rong didn't say a word, then suddenly ran from the library to the adjacent recreation room and pressed the play button on the overly old-fashioned projector.

The videotapes, which had never been collected and reorganized, were played again, and the past of Witch Island and the witches was once again displayed before Chang Rong's eyes.

Xiaoxue once wanted to show me this videotape, and... and she seemed to have said something to me back then.

Chang Rong desperately squeezed her brain, trying to find that clue in her still chaotic memories.

That's right, she said back then, no matter what choice you make, I will still...

I still love you—is that right?

Even when Xiaoxue tried to show Chang Rong the videotape a second time, her words changed once again.

I won't let you make any judgments anymore; I just wanted to tell you all this because, no matter what, I—

I love you.

Chang Rong was unaware of the changes in Xiao Xue's mindset. It seemed that she had once longed for him immensely, hoping that he could bring an end to her century-long lonely revenge, and had even been waiting for his answer all along.

Fool... How could I possibly answer that? How could I possibly bear the weight of your sins? All I can do is... accompany you to the very end after you've made your choice.

No... I didn't even do anything.

I was unable to make a choice: support or oppose her revenge...

He was also unable to 'accompany' her to the end and witness the end of the path she chose.

Ignorance can be a sin, or it can not. At least for Chang Rong at this moment, he hates his own 'ignorance'.