"I've completed the procedure to get you in the hospital," Senku said. "I'll go visit you there. Do you need anything?"
"Thanks, Senku, I'm all right. After you stop by the lab, head for the hospital."
Kuri entered her hospital room and gasped. The petri dish lay broken on the floor. A large crystal sat beside it, with a figure inside. "The crystal... It's growing this huge!? But how? It looks just like the form of a person...! What on earth..." She moaned and doubled over. "It hurts... The number of fits is increasing... Am I starting to lose it...?"
Kuri looked up. "Who's there? The window's opening?"
The creature floated out of the crystal she was closed in. "You have gotten the first piece of me," she said. "I am Snow Kaguya. I was named by you."
"You came to meet me...?" said Kuri. "I'll probably die soon. I see. I don't worry. My parents died so long ago, and there's no one else who will grieve... I can die in peace. You can take me at any time."
"Lonely... I can somewhat understand your loneliness. I was also alone. All alone for four and a half billion years..."
Senku sat outside the hospital in the falling snow. "Kuri-san..." he thought. "Even being a scientist, there's nothing I can do for you. But I want to see you..."
A nurse entered Kuri's room. "Hikawa-san? How are you feeling? If anything's changed..." She saw the spirit over Kuri's unconscious body. She screamed.
Senku heard, and ran into the room and saw the nurse frozen in crystal by the spirit. "That thing!? That form... Oh no! An enemy!?"
"Who the hell!?" the spirit said.
Senku yanked a fire extinguisher out and shot foam at it.
The spirit cried out. "I'll retreat for now!" She left.
Senku rushed into the room. "Kuri!?" He runs to her. He looked up at Senku. "What's wrong? What happened?"
Kuri opens her eyes. "Senku?"
"Kuri!?"
"That crystal..."
"The crystal!?"
"It suddenly appeared from there... Snow Kaguya..."
"Snow Kaguya!?"