Lenks knelt down and checked the pulses of Uncle and Aunt, who had fainted. With a look that said 'good grief', he turned cold eyes toward the two.

  "These scumbags seem to be barely alive. It's a wonder you managed to hold back from killing them in that situation. My [Rebellion] can easily kill a person with just a slight mistake in adjustment."

  "Yu was desperately resisting the impulse. Even though he really shouldn't have wanted to do something like this. Because Uncle and Aunt tried to kill him..."

  "I know. The power went out of control, right?"

  When I nodded, he sighed with a grave face.

  "Considering the possibility that the other Yu might reach it by any chance from the knowledge I gave you, I dared to keep quiet about the ability, but... even without saying it, he ended up using it in the end. Sorry. My reading was naive."

  "I see. Lenks was afraid of this happening, so you didn't teach me anything."

  I understand your feelings well now. If I knew there was such a terrible risk, I wouldn't have wanted to know either.

  "Yeah. But it's already in the past. The ability has already been used. Now that it's come to this, it would be better to tell you everything and think of countermeasures together."

  "Yeah. Please. I definitely won't let the current Yu use such a dangerous power again."

  "That's good."

  He faced Uncle and Aunt again and began to examine the state of their injuries in detail. Both looked seriously injured, and I was worried if they would survive. Eventually, he showed a relieved face.

  "Alright. Looks like I can heal this. As expected, if Yu became a murderer for the sake of guys like this, I'd have a bad aftertaste."

  "Really!? Thank goodness. Because I was worried about how hurt he would be if he knew he killed them..."

  "Leave it to me. I won't let him shoulder unnecessary guilt."

  "Thank you, Lenks... For everything."

  "Yeah."

  Replying shyly, he slapped his cheeks with both hands to psyche himself up.

  "Alriiight! I'm going to use [Rebellion] a little for treatment. Since I'm tweaking the Qi Tolerance, it should have a not-so-small effect on Yu sleeping inside you too. Hold him down firmly."

  At the words I had never heard, I tilted my head blankly.

  "Qi Tolerance? What is Qi? Could it be, that thing where you go 'Wave—'?"

  I was thinking of the manga Yu secretly read before.

  "Hmm. Well, no use explaining in detail. Anyway, there is a power called Qi, and something like the standard for the limit value of Qi in this world is Qi Tolerance."

  "Fuhee."

  "So, I use this Qi for treatment, but the limit value in this world is too low, so I can't treat properly as it is."

  "Yeah."

  I didn't really get the point, but I nodded for now.

  "So, I'm going to use [Rebellion] now to remove the limit for just a short while."

  "You can do such a thing."

  "You bet. Due to that influence, power should overflow from Yu too, so hold him down properly so he doesn't go out of control. You tried to stop the flow of power in the 'World of Heart' earlier, right? You should probably be able to do it with that knack."

  "I don't really understand, but okay. I'll try."

  Anyway, I just have to hold it down, right?

  "Then I'll do a countdown, so brace yourself firmly."

  "Okay."

  Turning my consciousness to the 'World of Heart', I waited for the time.

  "3, 2, 1, go."

  Simultaneously with the signal, something like enormous life energy began to surge from the sleeping Yu. A very strong power. But compared to that flow I couldn't hold back at all, it's not a big deal. I managed to succeed in holding down Yu's power.

  While I was directing most of my consciousness inside the 'World of Heart', he was working on the treatment of the two. It was a mysterious sight. Just by holding his hand over them, the injuries that should have been serious healed visibly. It was like a miracle.

  "This should be fine. While I'm at it, I'll tweak their memories a little too. Let's erase the things inconvenient for Yu."

  "You can do that too?"

  "Naturally. I'm not called a Yuna-approved cheat for show."

  He raises the corners of his mouth proudly, and I can't help but find him truly reliable. Furthermore, he smiles mischievously and proposes.

  "Kukku. Since we're at it, let's leave only the trauma. Every time they try to do something to Yu in the future, today's fear will revive and they'll be scared stiff."

  "Ahaha. That's the best!"

  Maybe he won't be abused anymore from now on. Will Yu finally be saved with this? If so, it was worth your effort even though you suffered so much.

  Having finished the treatment and memory alteration for Uncle, Aunt, and Ken, Lenks sighed 'phew' and smiled at me.

  "Okay. Since we're at it, shall I do it while I can? Is 'Yu' fine?"

  "It's fine. I'm also part of Yu."

  "Come here a sec."

  "What?"

  As beckoned, I walked toward him unsteadily. Then he said something outrageous.

  "Lift up your clothes a bit."

  "...You won't do anything weird, right?"

  "I won't at a time like this! It's treatment for injuries. Geez, no trust at all."

  "Because your usual behavior is your usual behavior."

  When I sent a gaze filled with contempt, he scratched his head looking embarrassed and smiled wryly. This guy, every time he meets the other Yu since then, he makes up trivial reasons to call me out and tries to achieve excessive physical contact. Absolutely cannot let my guard down.

  Due to such circumstances, although very reluctantly, I eventually lifted my clothes obediently. But I'm full of caution, you know. Bracing myself to slap him if he did anything even slightly weird, he held his hand over me at a point where he was touching or not touching my body.

  Then, what a surprise. Along with the injuries, even the bruises, wounds, and burn marks remaining all over my body disappeared completely cleanly. To me dumbfounded by the event, he rubbed his nose proudly with a grin.

  "Hehe. A girl's body has to be beautiful after all!"

  The realization came a little later.

  "Unbelievable... I thought they would remain for life and gave up..."

  Joy wells up gradually. I was moved enough to cry.

  "I'm happy... Really happy. Thank you. Lenks."

  "You've been thanking me a lot since earlier. Well, you're welcome."

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  After talking about trivial things for a bit, the topic finally moved to Yu's ability.

  "Now then. Shall I talk about it soon? About the true nature of the ability sleeping within you guys."

  "I was waiting."

  Seeing me straighten my back, Lenks took a breath before starting the story.

  "At first I thought it was a transformation ability. An ability to switch bodies between you and the other Yu. Since it seems to be set to activate that way by default, I was also almost deceived by appearance."

  "Is that so? But if that's the case—"

  He picked up what I was thinking and continued.

  "Yeah. The concept of 'World of Heart' cannot be explained."

  "Right. I knew from the beginning that power was sleeping there. Because I was inside all the time."

  To my words, he listened firmly and nodded.

  "So. When I heard about the 'World of Heart' from you, I suspected that might be the essence of your ability rather."

  "The 'World of Heart' is the essence?"

  "Yeah. Because FabL abilities are usually all very powerful, like my [Rebellion]. I thought it could never be something cheap like transformation. In that respect, the thing called 'World of Heart' seems to have a tremendous scale."

  "I see... So, does that mean my power was strong after all?"

  I didn't think it was a weak power given the magnitude of power I originally felt inside and seeing that Yu's rampage, but I asked in the form of a question. He nodded powerfully.

  "Yeah. It was an outrageous ability. Honestly, enough to make even me pale."

  I doubt my ears. What on earth is an ability that makes even Lenks, who possesses [Rebellion] which seems like an omnipotent ability, pale?

  "First, as you know, everything Yu experiences accumulates in the 'World of Heart' without a single leak, right?"

  "Yeah."

  In the first place, that's what I taught you.

  "If it were only that, it would have been fine. But—"

  His face becomes slightly grim. I swallow my saliva.

  "You guys can treat the things taken in that way as one hundred percent your own power in principle."

  "Eeeh!?"

  I was just astonished. But, now that he mentions it... I certainly have an idea. Yu, who activated the ability, was mastering Mom's throwing technique and Lenks' [Rebellion] as if they were his own. In other words, that was it.

  Waiting a little until I calmed down, he continued the story.

  "So to speak, it's a power like combining perfect memory ability and perfect learning ability. Endless growth and self-expansion. That is the very essence of your ability."

  Endless growth. I, who still didn't know the fate of FabLs, had no way of knowing how terrifying that would become when combined with the characteristic of FabLs possessing immortality.

  "H, heeh. That's amazing after all, right?"

  Lenks affirmed with a face looking exasperated from the bottom of his heart.

  "It's not just amazing. Frankly speaking, in terms of potential alone, it's the strongest."

  "Strongest..."

  Eeh. It doesn't feel real.

  "Moreover. What's terrifying is that no matter how tremendous the thing is, you seem to incorporate it into yourself without exception. Even this [Rebellion] of mine, Yu mastered it easily after taking it just once."

  There, he let out a long sigh once. Maybe he wants to hold his head.

  "In the experiment where I had you cooperate, I confirmed that. Using my [Rebellion], I tried to activate the [Rebellion] sleeping inside Yu. The effect was [Anti-Gravity Effect]."

  "I see. So that's why." I floated softly.

  "That's right. It activated firmly without a single mistake. Unbelievable, really. Stealing someone's exclusive patent easily. Ah. My individuality..."

  To him dropping his shoulders exaggeratedly, even though I knew he wasn't really depressed, I felt subtly sorry.

  "Ah... Somehow, I'm sorry."

  "It's fine. Well, you haven't shown everything yet. What you guys can use is strictly only the thing you remembered itself. There are various ways to use [Rebellion], but it doesn't mean you became able to do all of them at once."

  I see. Well, I don't know what and how far this person can do, and it would be troublesome if I became able to do too strange things. Because we want to live a normal life. Right, Yu?

  "Still, I firmly confirmed that Yu was mastering the [Anti-Gravity Effect] by [Rebellion] perfectly. Ah. If used so easily, my position..."

  "Now, now. Cheer up."

  When I approached and rubbed his back a little, he recovered immediately as if jumping up.

  "Alriiight! I cheered up after getting encouraged by you!"

  The fact that my encouragement works so blatantly is simple or whatever. He really loves me. This pervert. He, who floated a creepy grin for a moment, tightened his face immediately though.

  "However. This tremendous ability has a fatal flaw. The fact that the ability is too strong itself is the problem."

  "What do you mean?"

  I had a vague guess, but since he would know much more details, I asked honestly.

  "We FabLs are normally made to withstand the use of abilities without problems. Because we awaken to unique abilities suited to our own qualities."

  "Fumufumu. So Lenks is fine." Lenks nods.

  "But. Yu alone is the exception among exceptions. There is no quality that matches the ability that swallows everything and continues to grow endlessly."

  I see. Certainly so. In fact, it was clearly over capacity even at this point. Unable to withstand the too enormous power, Yu's body and mind were about to burst.

  "And sadly, your bodies are strictly those of ordinary humans. It's not that you don't have reasonable talent, but you're not particularly strong either."

  A body that is nothing more than a mere human definitely cannot withstand too large power. Lenks said so.

  "So, only the potential is terrifyingly high, but... in reality, you can hardly control the ability properly with your own power alone. You can't use it because it's too strong. What an ironic story."

  "Too strong, conversely troublesome."

  I felt it was dangerous too, but it was a story of 'as expected'.

  "Yeah. Still, if you force yourself to use power—"

  "It becomes like that."

  Thinking back on Yu's rampage, I feel bitter.

  "Right. Like that." He shrugged.

  "If you go all out, you will break immediately. Probably because he understands that instinctively, Yu is unconsciously putting a strong save on his own ability. Limiting the activation of ability only to what he can master safely. And, the pivot of that save is—"

  Lenks pointed clearly at me.

  "Eh, me?"

  To me bewildered by the sudden nomination, he nods powerfully.

  "Yeah. Among all elements existing in the 'World of Heart', Yu gave form to the existence with the highest affinity with himself and the least burden as a partner. Probably unconsciously, but to make it his support. That is you."

  "I have such roots."

  "Of course, environmental factors must have been large for you to be born as the current you, though."

  I thought I was called out as a conversation partner just because Yu was having a hard time. Surely that is large too, but originally there was such a reason.

  "The fact that transformation ability is set by default is probably something like a kind of defense response."

  Defense response. Quite a tough word came out.

  "Reconstructing the body instantly takes considerable effort, but the result isn't much for it."

  "Yeah."

  "By allocating capacity to such a thing, to put it badly, a waste, the activation of ability is stabilized as a result."

  "Yeah yeah."

  "In short, thanks to your existence, Yu is protected from unnecessary danger due to abuse of ability."

  "So that was it..."

  I understood the meaning of my birth. I have been doing this with the purpose of supporting Yu from the beginning. I never doubted that role. But come to think of it, maybe it was natural. Because if Lenks' story is correct, I was desired to be so, and created to be so.

  He peered into my face worriedly as I looked down before I knew it.

  "I said quite a lot, but are you hurt? Whatever the circumstances of your birth, you are already a splendid single human being. I guarantee that."

  I raised my face. I don't have dark feelings particularly.

  "No. I'm okay. Rather, I understood myself well and could renew my feelings."

  "I see. Anyway. Yu shouldn't be just using you."

  "That's obvious. I know myself best."

  Yu never looked down on me. Always, as another "Me", he treated me equally with affinity. Rejoicing together, grieving together. We came this far sharing various feelings. Would there be any hesitation in continuing to support Yu as "Me" from now on? I can declare absolutely not.

  Well, thanks to a certain someone calling me out repeatedly, I started to think I want to go out and bathe in the sunlight occasionally though. Looking casually, that certain someone in front of me was laughing as if amused for some reason.

  "Kukuku. Because you don't understand even though it's about yourself, you are asking me various things about the ability, right?"

  "Ah, that's right!"

  It became funny, and I laughed greatly too.

  Having deepened the understanding of the ability, the topic moved to the Operation Protect Yu.

  "Since I separated the memories, I think there's no worry about today for the time being."

  "Again, thanks."

  Lenks admonishes me thanking him to be careful.

  "But the fundamental problem is that young Yu can go to the 'World of Heart' anytime despite being before ability awakening. We don't know what trigger might make him touch the power again. It's a very dangerous state."

  "Right. I think so too."

  "Since when? Since Yu became able to connect to and go back and forth to the 'World of Heart'."

  "About two months ago."

  "Heeh. So it was a touch difference from when I came."

  "Yeah. Lenks came a few days after that."

  There, he started thinking a little. During that time, I was staring at his face somewhat intently. His figure sinking into serious thought looks just a little bit cool, unlike his usual joking feeling, although I don't really want to admit it. Just a little bit though.

  Eventually, perhaps having gathered his thoughts, he opened his mouth again.

  "The cause of connection was mental instability due to abuse, right?"

  "That's right. The strong feeling seeking help connected the path."

  "As I thought... Then, conversely, if we stabilize the mental state, won't the path close again? If we do that, Yu won't touch the power by mistake anymore."

  It was an eye-opener. That seems simple but very effective idea. Seeing hope, I became happy.

  "Maybe so!"

  But he who made the proposal had a face not so cheerful.

  "However. The path closing means that you and Yu won't be able to meet anymore. It means you won't be able to walk outside like this anymore. Are you okay with that?"

  About that matter, I had already made up my mind. If Yu is saved, that's fine.

  "It's a little lonely, but it's just returning to the original state. Besides, I want Yu to enjoy reality firmly, not just in dreams."

  "I see. You're strong."

  "Because I'm the one supporting him, I have to be solid."

  Lenks narrows his eyes smilingly at me puffing out my chest. And he said as if muttering.

  "Three more months."

  "What?"

  "The remaining time I can stay in this town."

  "After that passes, will you go somewhere?"

  "Yeah. I absolutely have to go."

  His expression announcing that was serious, filled with resignation that it couldn't be helped. I can't imagine him, who helped me and Yu so kindly, leaving us for a trivial reason. There must be a really unavoidable circumstance. I dared not to question him.

  "I see. It will be lonely."

  "Yeah."

  It became a little somber. While I was wondering what to do with this atmosphere, Lenks suddenly raised a psyched-up voice.

  "So, until then, we'll cooperate and do something about it!"

  Caught up, I inadvertently responded in a similar mood.

  "Ohh!"

  "We can't erase bad memories anymore. Because they are accumulated exactly as they are politely."

  "Right. But."

  "Instead, let's make lots of fun memories. Enough to wash away painful things. It's simple, but I think that will be best for Yu."

  "Yeah yeah. That's good!"

  "Alright. It's decided! I'm in reality, you're from inside the dream. Let's do our best together!"

  "Yeah!"

  I bump fists lightly with Lenks. Clunk. A crisp sensation was felt.

  From this moment, Operation Protect Yu, renamed Operation Cheer Up Yu, began.

  Author's Note:

  Magical Girl and Progression Fantasy elements!

  Overpowers Magical Girl Crossover Grimlight Progression

  

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