Far away in the perilous region, deep within the woods where mortals hadn't ventured or tampered, in a tiny cavern near the ocean—the Crimson Sea, as sunlight struck the scarlet waves, creating a stunning vista.
We observe someone slumbering in the tiny cavern, draped by a dark cloak as blankets: a youth resting motionlessly, immersed in his visions.
Kanami slumbers profoundly. Four days have passed by now. Kanami's form is recuperating, healing from it all: the initial death, the grueling drills with the puppet and Mai, the clash with Yoshike. All had unfolded so swiftly; now it culminated here, in utter isolation. He had even surrendered to frenzy, remorse, agony—until his frame yielded to that strain.
Now he's lost in his vision. Kanami as a child—he resembled any ordinary lad, hosting gatherings and even a younger sibling. Back when he attended junior high, frolicking with companions, attending classes in a typical, routine existence. His dad was a youthful fellow, a diligent worker who cherished his modest life. He labored for a courier firm. His mom was a youthful, lovely, gentle lady, adoring her kin. And the younger sister was ten years old then, while Kanami was thirteen.
One day amid the downpour, in the heart of winter, everything was blanketed in a pale sheet of snow in that hillside hamlet. The youngsters were heading to classes in that chill. It was a standard winter for Kanami's kin—until it occurred.
Kanami's dad was fetching his young daughter from classes. He was delayed; he aimed to attend her special day. He chose the incorrect route to the academy, and just as he veered too sharply, he collided with something. He sensed perhaps some feline or canine was concealed there. He swiftly leaped from the vehicle. His frame stiffened as if no vitality coursed within. He felt frigid, scarcely maintaining his gaze open and remaining rigid. He beheld his own daughter submerging in her gore. He had struck his own daughter. He rushed her to the clinic, but she perished from hemorrhage.
On that fateful day, everything altered eternally. The dad was no longer sane. He couldn't forgive himself; he had slain his own offspring on her special day, engulfed in his own torment. The mom, from the trauma and the resentment, accused him for everything. Then they separated after weeks.
Kanami's existence altered eternally. He was no longer capable of venturing outside solo. His mom fretted about him excessively; she shielded him overly. She was employed now and also nurturing him. His companions no longer frolicked with the murderer's son, tormenting him and shunning him. Then his dad descended into lunacy gradually in his own delirium.
Just a few months later, Kanami's mom expired right before his eyes. She had safeguarded him every instance, all the time—and for the final time. She rescued him from a vehicle collision. She wouldn't permit it again, not while she existed. In her final words, she urged him to survive, to persist living no matter what. That was her wish.
Kanami can't. That torrent of recollections that signify no more. Enough. Enough. Enough. Enough.
He awoke yelling, "Enough! Enough! Enough! Enough! Enough! It always was me. It always was me. It was me, the cause for my own torment. It was me, the cause for my torment. It always was my frailty."
Mai remained in silence.
He uttered with a vacant face, tears streaming everywhere on his face, "I always endure, and I will endure every day of my life, every hour of my life, every second of my life. It was just me and my frailty. It always was me. It always was my frail self. I always claimed I never know myself, but that was nothing. That deception over and over. It was just feigning I don't know who I am or what I sense. It was all deception, deception, deception, deception. It was just vast to flee from my insanity. But I'm the one who was frail and causing it every time. I'm the cause."
"I'm the cause for my torments. I'm the cause for my frailty. As long as I'm myself, as long as I'm alive, as long as I breathe, it's all my blame and the cause for my torment. Everything is pointless because of me. I'm always yelling for aid, for notice, for being anything other than myself. I'm the one who placed himself in an endless loop of agony and torment. I'm the one who always desires to be anything else, just being something ordinary."
"There's nothing ordinary. I'm the blame. All I'm the culprit of being not myself. I'm the culprit of being myself. I'm the torment itself. I'm yelling for aid, but nothing's there. I'm enduring in silence, and nothing's there. I'm alone, all alone. I'm none, none at all. I will never be anything, anytime or anywhere. I'm just something that can be depicted."
"What am I? What am I... It's nothing. I know it's nothing, and I can't accept I know it's nothing, and I keep yelling I know it's nothing, but I still attempt. I'm the cause for my torment."
"I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't."
"I'm just like flame. Its own presence scorches itself. Its own presence to sustain itself going and expanding, to endure more and more and more and more and more. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't."
"I will keep scorching. I will keep expanding. I will keep going. I can't halt. I can't halt at all. Existence will never let me rest. Existence will never let me alone. Existence will never give me the chance."
"Everything just occurs because of me, because I was frail and always frail."
"Tell me, Mai. Look at me. Tell me why. Why did you bring me here? Why did you do that to me? Why do you all want me to endure? I should also have rights to live, have right to have mental health."
"You all keep pushing me into insanity forever, descending and descending every time."
Kanami sat in silence. He had no longer words to say. Everything was inside his heart; it had been revealing. He just recalled himself and wept.
Mai also couldn't. She was just weeping too. She knew, more than anyone else. But everyone is selfish for themselves. Everyone will keep only pursuing his desire, his own will and aim, using everything, anything, without caring—just to end up when they think he himself is supposed to.
Mai held her tears and said, "Is that what you think of everything? Is that everything you really think? Is that what you believe? If you want to weep, weep—because none will help you. If you see yourself that frail and useless, that means you are. You will never go anywhere like that. Everyone endures in their own way. It's not just you." She couldn't but weep too.
"No one will be on your side. No one will stand with you. Can't you see? If you want anything, you should do it by yourself. Your torment will never end until you move and end it. Because weeping will do nothing. Weeping will never bring anything or solve anything. Weeping has never been a solution to anything."
Mai gripped him from his shirt and struck him. She was weeping so hard. "If you don't want to feel pain, just stop me. Move now and stop me." She kept shoving him. "Weep. Don't stop me from that. Weeping will never save you. Remorse will be there always, no matter what you did or what you didn't." She stopped and turned to the other side. "You have until tomorrow. If you don't take your decision, I will move without you."
Kanami lay on the ground, laughing so hard at himself while tears were still going. He knew she was right. He knew he should advance no matter what. He knew, but he couldn't really move. He asked slowly, "What am I?"