The footsteps grew heavier and heavier, and the breathing began to become miserable. Al was too badly wounded. Even with the protection of teammates, forcibly moving exacerbates the trauma of the Spiritual Vein.

He wanted to fall like that, in the snow.

Spend time with your comrades' military cards, and then sleep peacefully.

But every echo in his mind wakes him up.

“...... If it's the chief..... I will definitely be able to do it....."

“...... Sir...... If you survived..... Please bring the badge to our loved ones...... Okay?"

- yes, my mission is not completed yet!

Their military badges have not yet been delivered to their loved ones.

Go down.

Go down.

Before you stop breathing, go down—

I don't know how long it took, but Al finally collapsed under a giant tree. Corrupted by the spiritual power released by the broken spiritual veins, he was powerless to return to the sky, and his legs were crippled. The congestion blocked the central nervous system of the lower body, and it was impossible to move.

It wasn't dawn yet.

It's been a long night.

Al smiled wryly.

I'm so sorry -

I can't help you fulfill your last wish.

I'm an unqualified sir.

I knew I should have taken you back in the first place, so at least some of us would have survived.

It must be like this.

I am the one who has killed you.

I'm sorry.

Under the endless sky is the glitter of the stars, moving with the wind but not finding a way back.

In the cold wind, Al's consciousness gradually blurred, but he still clutched five military cards with different names written on them.

"Be sure to bring the badge to their loved ones. ”

"Gotta go back......"

He kept muttering, perhaps this was the only way to keep himself awake.

——

In the silent snow, I don't know where it came from. A crisp voice sounded around him.

"Are you Mr. Al Fitterdam, please?"

The posture of the petals, the elegant tone, is this an angel, or is it death?

- This is ...... What's the situation?

Why did this woman come to me?

After thinking about it, Al had only one thought left in his mind, and that was to entrust the military badge of his comrade and his own to this mysterious woman.

"What's your name?"

"Iris Havinfa. ”

"Is it Snowpiercer?"

"Yes, sir. ”

Al breathed a sigh of relief, if it was an enemy army, it would be troublesome.

"I, I am...... Al Fitdam. ”

Maybe she shouldn't have told her her name.

Maybe this will put the girl in the same bad situation as herself. But even so—

- Their last wish must be fulfilled.

"These ...... These military plates ...... It's me and my comrades-in-arms...... If you can, take them back to your hometown...... I promised them, but now I can't do it......"

Al smacked hoarsely. The woman looked at Al in front of her, blinked as if her face twitched, and then bowed politely.

"First meeting. I was invited by your parents to visit their beloved son. I'm the Flower Girl, Iris Havenfa. Sorry to keep you waiting. ”

Only then did Al notice that the woman who claimed to be Iris with the scent of flowers still looked childish.

- She must be younger than me.

Although her first impression is that of an extremely affectionate and mature woman, she is actually closer to a young girl.

“...... Mr. Ayr. ”

Looking at Al on the scales, Iris sighed deeply.

"Thank you, thank you, come here ....... Please be sure to give these badges to their families...... We are the sixth detachment of the night battle in the Glorious Forest Theater of the Sacred Snow Country, and the captain is ...... It's Al Havinfa, the team member...... Rafael Plitdam. Michael Shelley. Francis Hall. Ani Lester. Maxwell Eddy ......"

Al said as he coughed up blood.

Seeing this, Iris hurriedly opened his vein, and at the same time took out gauze and bandages from his luggage, helping him heal and bandage him at the same time.

"Your parents are worried about you, their son hasn't heard back for three months, and they want to know if their child is safe, so they sent me here. ”

"Why....... Know I'm here......"

"It's a trade secret, I can't answer it. ”

Iris replied crisply.

Al was silent.

The flower girl put away the badges of Al and the other soldiers, and said.

"Mr. Al, let's get out of here. Your veins have been battered, but bear with me, and I'll take you to the front lines of the Radiant Forest, where a good psychic will heal you. ”

"No, no...... No, thanks. Al said in fits and starts.

Iris understood what he was trying to say, and she tried to stop it, but swallowed it back when the words came to her lips.

After a brief silence, Al said with tears in his eyes and a smile.

"I ...... Can't go back...... You don't have to take me with you...... Iris. It's dangerous here, and girls should get out of here. It's bad if you run into enemy troops—"

"Don't say that, Mr. Al, your parents are waiting for you to go back. ”

“...... I'm sorry...... Could you please help me relay this to them...... Al can't go back...... There's no going back. ”

Iris shook his head desperately, as if trying to seize the last chance.

"Mr. Al, if you go to the front line, the Snowpiercer Spiritualist will definitely be able to save you, and you must not give up. ”

Al let out a long sigh and relieved himself of all his baggage.

"Girl, you're also a psychic, aren't you...... Not...... It should be able to open six veins...... Right?"

"Yes. ”

"In that case, you also know how badly I'm injured, even a top psychic can't treat me, my six veins have collapsed, and I'm afraid it will be the limit of my life in more than ten minutes......"

Al's brain was already groggy as if it was about to melt.

“...... These military cards are my ..... is a testimony to our last life...... Be sure to get them into the hands of your family...... If you can......"

"Mr. Al, Mr. Al-"

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry to entrust such an embarrassing task to a little girl like you—"

Iris asked the agitated Al to lie down under the snow-free roots, then pulled out a blanket from his luggage. Hearing Al's words, Iris only raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and carefully put away the six cold military cards. He said, "Don't worry, I'll leave it to me." Then she picked up Al and laid him down on the blanket, wrapping his body around the corners of the blanket.

“...... Thank you、I was ...... just now Cold...... It's warm now......."

With what little strength Al squeezed out a smile.

“...... But wait a minute..... I'm going to be cold again......"

"No, Mr. El will be fine, your parents are still waiting for you. ”

“...... Is that so......"

"It's them...... The lord and the lady told me the ......."

Such lines, it's like there are really many people waiting for you. Al smiled helplessly. Why did this girl come to this place?

Although he had many questions in his mind, when he opened his mouth, it was a completely different content, and his mind had already begun to become confused.

"My brothers...... It's all up to you...... Can you finally help me with a word?...... To my parents......"

“...... Sorry, no..... These are the words you have to say to the lord and the lady yourself......"

“...... That, or ...... Can you give me a word..... Just convey the corresponding meaning...... A beautiful girl like you can do it...... I..... It's almost gone..... This is before death...... A final wish. ”

There was a hoarse sound in his throat, and he coughed as he spoke. Although it didn't seem to have any wounds, the blood vessels and internal organs in the body had been destroyed by spiritual power. Looking at Al, who kept vomiting blood and emitting pain, Iris reached out and gently rubbed his shoulder and nodded.

"I see, sir. ”

Her expression was no longer confused. Iris took out a note-taking pencil and notebook from his luggage and placed them on his lap. She held her pen and motioned for Al to begin dictating.

"First and foremost...... To my parents, ......."

Thank you for raising me with the deepest love, I wanted to be an athlete, but I didn't expect to join the Ice Knights. I had a fight with you when I left Rootsville, and now that I think about it, I really regret it. After I arrived in the Holy King's City, I rarely wrote letters to my family, and I always felt that no one could understand me. Then I went to war in a daze, and I haven't written a letter to my family for three months, I'm sorry, I must have worried you. So this last letter will be my suicide note.

Al gave the last of his gratitude and apologies.

Iris is not only good at recording, but also very good at distilling feelings from Al's words.

When he can't express himself properly due to his hot head, she makes a suggestion, and Al just needs to nod and the letter can be written.

Al rarely writes to his parents, and when he does, he only writes a few words.

But with Iris's help, everything seems so simple.

"Mom, when I was a child, I said that when I became a professional athlete and made money, I would redecorate my home, but I ...... Can't do it...... I'm sorry. ”

It wasn't until he faced death that he realized that man is selfish.

Because there are so many things in my heart that I want to express.

"Dad, I was hoping you would have a chance to see me play. You said before that you liked the way I exercised, and I was really happy at the time...... I..... I've always wanted to be praised by my father. Even if you enter the Ice Knights...... Although you are as opposed as your mother, I know that the real you are proud of me...... Right? That kind of gaze...... You said that a man's gaze ...... Only I can read it....... So, if there's something else I'd like to praise, I'll be happy...... As your son, I have lived such a happy life...... It was, it didn't deserve. Why...... I've really, always, all the time, been happy...... Although, there have been times when it was uncomfortable..... But to die like today, I've never ...... Didn't think about ......"

His parents never wanted him to join the army, let alone the Ice Knights-

If the family stays together, it will be a happy ending.