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IBP 59
Belief and Coco had set their education time for ten o'clock every night.
Coco had been counting down the moments until that time.
However...
"You're saying you don't know exactly how to use your supernatural ability?"
"Yes! I... I find it hard to use it well. If you could 'transfer' the knowledge to me so I can properly use my animal affinity..."
"It's not animal affinity; it's the light ability."
Coco's eyes widened.
"How could I, as an educator, not know that? It's like the difference between heaven and earth."
She really was careless in the most useless ways. Did she truly think he wouldn't recognize her ability?
From the day he first took Coco as his disciple, he had realized it was the light ability when she described it as 'healing power.'
For a five-year-old, she was strangely intelligent, yet she kept making mistakes in odd areas.
Belief thought this was simply her nature, unaware that Coco possessed a vague condition where she only became intelligent regarding 'matters related to her sister.'
"I don't quite understand why you're trying to hide such a magnificent ability as the light ability, but I'm sure you have your reasons."
"Yeees..."
"I shall keep your secret."
Seeing the visible relief on Coco's face, he shared the knowledge he possessed regarding the <light ability>.
"I have something to warn you about. The light ability is famous for its healing power, said to be able to revive even the dead. Because of that, using it frequently is fatally harmful to the body."
"Hu—huh. Why?"
"While all other abilities are based on the mana within the body, the light ability is a healing power based on life force."
"Ah..."
"Don't just say 'ah.' In short, it means you are shaving away your own life to heal others."
Coco stared blankly at Belief.
'Does that mean I might not be able to live with Sister for more than five years?'
But she soon steadied her heart with all her might.
'I came here to make Sister happy.'
Thinking that her own life force was a small price to pay as long as she could lower the risk of her sister's berserk state, Coco spoke.
"If I practice hard, can I cure people who keep going berserk?"
"...I suppose so. If it can revive the dead, why wouldn't it be able to save someone in a berserk state?"
"Then, that's enough."
Coco looked at Belief and said,
"Please teach me how to save someone in danger of going berserk."
"There is no such direct method... but I know the principle of resolving a berserk state."
"What principle is it?"
"Those in danger of going berserk usually have tangled flows of mana. Therefore, you must unravel those tangled flows of mana one by one."
"Gasp..."
"Of course, if the healing power is overwhelmingly strong, you might be able to unravel those mana flows all at once. Or, you could target that healing power very precisely within the mana circuits inside that person's body."
"Then, I... I want to start by practicing shooting my healing power at a precise spot!"
"Give it a try. I will prepare a target for you, so practice shooting at it."
Even as he said this, Belief did not think Coco would practice for very long.
'Since manifesting light by shaving away one's life force must be incredibly exhausting.'
However.
One hour passed, then two, then three...
Coco continued to gather light at the tips of her fingers.
All the while, she struggled to shoot it into the center of the target.
Belief sighed as he watched Coco, who continued to move even in a state of exhaustion.
"Huff, huff, huff..."
"Stop now. You're hitting quite close to the target, aren't you?"
"No. I have to do more. I think it's still not enough. I can't shoot exactly where I want to."
He watched Coco as she polished her healing power with all her soul.
After manifesting the light once, she would often collapse and roll on the floor.
But she would immediately push her small body back up. Determination was etched in her eyes.
Gritting her teeth, she reached out her hand once more.
'And yet she clutches her stomach like a sick puppy.'
Whimpering, Coco asked him,
"Would this be enough to stop a berserk state?"
...Just why was she so desperate and urgent?
"Well, I wouldn't know... Life is long, you little rascal. If you act this desperate, you won't even live five years."
At those words, Coco flinched.
"...That's why."
"Huh?"
Why that expression?
'As if she's certain she won't live long.'
As if she were someone who had something she absolutely had to protect.
"...I have to do it."
It couldn't be helped.
He had no choice but to pat her round head comfortingly.
Belief looked at Coco with a worried gaze.
'If she keeps depleting her life force like that, she won't last long.'
But she looked so earnest that he simply couldn't bring himself to stop her.
"...If you look any sicker, I'm stopping the training immediately."
"Yes! Really! That's okay!"
Closing her eyes tight, Coco waved her hand frantically.
Until a faint light flickered and flowed from her fingertips.
* * *
The next morning.
Having woken up after moaning in pain, I had fortunately recovered a bit.
With that, I was diligently lingering around Sister.
The fact that I possessed the light ability was still a secret from everyone except Belief.
Of course, I didn't mind if Sister found out about my ability.
'But if I can't definitely heal her, Sister will be disappointed.'
So, I made a decision.
'Shall I try healing her secretly and see if Sister likes it?'
And so!
While hiding in the grass of the annex, I watched Sister...
I gave a quick flick of my hand toward her.
Before I knew it, a cluster of pure white light, precisely targeted, flowed toward Sister.
Looking up at Sister as she drank tea while gazing out the window...
'Sister is smiling!'
Does she feel good because she was hit by the light?
"Coco, shall Sister show you the darkness?"
"Mung!"
"Oh, how pretty. The stars are twinkling in the darkness, aren't they?"
"Mung mung!"
Sister, who feared the unknown darkness but was not afraid of the darkness blooming from her own fingertips.
I hope Sister can truly regain her original power.
With a desperate hope, I cast a faint light toward her.
Then, through the gap in the light, I saw the flow of mana that constituted Sister's interior.
'Gasp! That must be it!'
The moment I aimed a new light precisely at that flow.
The moment the cluster of light spread throughout Sister's entire body.
'Did it work?'
As I watched the light gradually dissipate in the middle of the window, a drop of sweat fell from my forehead.
And just as it felt like Sister's gaze landed on me!
I dashed back toward my annex with a wadada.
* * *
'Could she really believe that she wouldn't be seen?'
After finishing dinner, Chloe leaned against the window of the annex and thought.
She recalled the five-year-old child who had been peeking with only her eyes visible from the bushes earlier.
Every time she rested her chin on the window and savored her tea with her eyes closed.
A cluster of pure white light had flowed from that child's hand.
Her mood had improved subtly when her body was enveloped in that cozy light.
The pain that had been ravaging her insides gradually disappeared.
But really.
'Why on earth is she secretly shooting that light at me?'
And doing it while pretending to be so stealthy.
"What is that."
It is rare for such a transparently pure white light to flow from a human hand.
Because it is something only possible for a being with the light ability.
'I heard the light ability has healing power and can even save the terminally ill.'
However, officially, Coco's ability was not light, but animal affinity.
'...But what enveloped my body was definitely healing power.'
Lately, she hadn't gone berserk to a strange degree, but because she had experienced berserk crises for a while, the side effects were inevitable.
Things like constant nausea or headaches.
Yet, the moment Coco's light touched her, they vanished instantly.
'Full of secrets, as usual.'
* * *
After healing Sister, I trudged back to my annex.
'I think it's still not enough.'
I had watched Sister smile from afar, but—
"Coco, what are you doing here."
At the sudden voice, I lifted my head from the ground.
"...Oh, Caligo?"
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