Akitsu told him not to underestimate his ability to face the demon, urging him to hurry and save Natsu, assuring him that he wasn’t so weak that a demon would worry him. Jinta thanked him and left. Then Akitsu used his magic to summon a massive warrior, one that surpassed the strength of any demon. The summoned giant challenged the demon, and the creature rushed forward to engage it in battle.
Meanwhile, we shifted to Jinta, who was rushing toward Natsu. At that moment, Natsu’s father was drinking with his daughter. Jinta managed to reach them just in time and saved Natsu from her transformed father. Making sure Natsu was safe, he prepared to face the demon. Natsu, however, was overcome with fear for her father.
Back with Akitsu, he succeeded in beheading the demon that Jinta had left for him. Though the threat was defeated, Akitsu realized the aftermath would carry severe consequences.
Returning to Jinta, he was attacked by the demon. He blocked the blow and fought back with several strikes. In the middle of the fight, memories of drinking with Natsu’s father and their peaceful times together came rushing back. Distracted by these thoughts, he was struck and badly injured.
Lying on the ground, Jinta reflected on his strength and how many demons he had defeated—but he also admitted to himself that there was a weakness in his heart he couldn’t overcome. Then he remembered Shereai, his ex-girlfriend, and the moment she had once told him that they were alike—that he thought differently from others and chose to live his own way.
Returning to the present, he picked up a bottle of Frozen Snow from the ground. As the demon advanced toward Natsu, Jinta drank the cursed sake in an attempt to gain more power, but he still felt weak. He hated that feeling. Then, Jinta transformed into a demon himself.
He confronted Natsu’s father, revealing that his wife had been kidnapped by a demon, and his son had eloped with a woman. He had fallen into darkness too, becoming a demon—a twisted irony. He then revealed his true name: Kikan, and that his purpose was to eliminate evil people.
The demon attacked him, but Jinta dodged and knocked it to the ground, throwing it out of the house. As he approached, step by step, Jinta remembered his father, his sister Suzun, and all the people he loved. With one final rush, he struck the demon and whispered, “Goodbye, my friend,” eliminating Natsu’s father in a single blow.
Natsu watched in shock and asked, “What is this?” Jinta approached to comfort her, but she was afraid and backed away, begging him not to come closer. Overwhelmed by grief and rage, she lashed out at him for what had happened to her father.
Akitsu arrived and told Jinta that his opponent had been formidable, but Jinta expressed regret, saying he wished he had been the one to die instead. This shocked Akitsu, since it was unlike Jinta to say such things. But with both demons gone, the incident appeared to be over.
Jinta confirmed it was finished. All that remained was to clean up the aftermath.
The next day, Jinta and Akitsu set off for the seabed where the cursed sake originated. Akitsu, exhausted from the journey, asked Jinta to slow down. As night fell again, Akitsu grew frustrated, especially knowing they were heading to the seabed. He asked Jinta if he was worried about the lingering effects of Yukino Nagori, but Jinta remained silent.
Akitsu, suspecting Jinta knew more than he let on, pressed him again. Jinta asked how the drink was made. Akitsu explained the brewing method—mixing koji with steamed rice and water. Jinta confirmed that was right and said they’d do the same with the remaining Yukino Nagori. Akitsu was puzzled, saying simply adding koji to a spring hadn’t yielded anything.
Jinta mentioned something called Konishi, a drink that adds flavor by soaking fruits and herbs. Akitsu realized there had to be another component turning people into demons—the one responsible must be the blonde-haired woman. Jinta was sure a corpse was missing from the spring.
Feeling the chill and fatigue, Akitsu lay on the ground, unsure why he had followed Jinta this far. But Jinta knew—it was because he wanted to uncover the truth about Yukino Nagori. Akitsu admitted it, though he felt it didn’t suit him.
Then, in the middle of winter, flowers bloomed—surprising Akitsu. But Jinta knew what it meant. He softly spoke the name: Shirayuki.
Akitsu, puzzled, asked, “What is this?”
For the first time, Jinta tasted Yukino Nagori. He felt immense weakness and nostalgia. It didn’t seem to be fueled by hatred. Instead, the effect of Yukino Nagori seemed to lie in the hearts of the lost. It was a drink born from memories still lingering in the world.
Akitsu thought it was a bad idea, believing it turned people into evil beings, and asked what kind of grudge was behind it. But Jinta knew it wasn’t designed with malicious intent.
Then Akitsu smelled something strange and asked about it. Jinta identified it as Sumigoro. Akitsu felt relieved—he could finally rest, his legs aching, and his act of pretending to be weak was over.
Jinta walked on alone and was amazed to see more flowers blooming. He reached the spring and descended into it. There, he muttered that she wanted him to find the spring and was waiting for hatred to overflow and turn people evil.
Inside the spring, he found a skeleton dressed in a costume. As he picked it up, memories of Shereai, his beloved, flooded his mind. He remembered that he belonged to her. He hadn’t realized her body had been taken.
Suddenly, Shereai appeared and apologized for causing him pain. Jinta looked at her and said
He was Mikumori, and it was only natural for him to use his sword to protect her. Then, light crystals emerged from her body as she said goodbye and disappeared. He looked up at the sky and silently bid her farewell.
Later, Jinta and Akitsu visited a sweet shop. Akitsu mentioned that rumors about evil creatures had started to decline, which should help settle the situation—possibly also because Omodo had disappeared. However, the snow in Ido had begun to melt, turning into water and causing chaos. Jinta realized that this was why the people of Ido were protesting.
Akitsu explained that it was the government’s fault. Recently, the people of Oai had sent military forces to foreign countries, which was making the citizens anxious. But things couldn’t go on like this forever. All they could do now was defeat the evil ones—they couldn’t do anything about the passage of time.
Despite that, the blonde-haired woman kept distracting Jinta‘s thoughts. Akitsu asked if Jinta believed she was planning something else. Jinta was sure of it, but Akitsu said there was no point in dwelling on it now.
Then, Akitsu left money for the restaurant owner and told Jinta that he was leaving because he was worried about his students. He asked Jinta to look into things on his behalf. He added that if anyone gave him Sumigoro, he would come find them immediately. Jinta promised to do so if the opportunity arose. Then, Akitsu departed.
Afterward, Jinta went to Sedana’s restaurant. Obie welcomed him warmly, noting she hadn’t seen him in a long time. Sedana also greeted him, saying it was unusual for Jinta to be gone for so long. Jinta explained that he had many things to take care of. Obie was happy to see him return, especially since they didn’t have many regular customers anymore.
She offered him a drink and mentioned that Meai had come for lunch as usual, and Onagi and Zenji had also been there. Then, Obie served him his meal. After eating, Jinta asked Sedana if the food’s flavor had changed. Sedana replied that he hadn’t changed anything, though Jinta thought he must have just imagined the difference, which surprised both Sedana and Obie.
After finishing his meal, Jinta got up to leave. Obie asked him to wait so she could walk with him for a bit. As they walked, Obie noted how cold the weather had become and asked Jinta if he was okay, considering everything that had happened. Jinta apologized for worrying her. To Obie, it was simply a matter of looking after a regular customer.
Then she stopped and bid him farewell—but paused again to ask if he remembered Jin Shouji. After that, she left. Jinta continued to watch her go and quietly told himself that he remembered—they were the flowers that bloomed in the harsh winter, heralding the arrival of spring.
Finally, we moved to Suzun, who was at the spring. She softly told herself that the snow had been dyed white, even if no one could see it at night.
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