Part 2
Haruto woke up lying on the soft grass of the forest. The coolness of the ground still clung to his skin. He felt heavy, but at least he could move.
As his senses returned, a familiar voice broke the silence.
"Haruto, are you okay?" Yuna asked, genuine concern in her voice.
Turning his head, he saw her sitting beside him. Her face reflected sincere worry as she watched him closely. Clearly, she had stayed to look after him.
"Yuna…?" he murmured, still groggy. "What happened?"
She let out a sigh of relief at his response, though her expression remained somewhat tense.
"You collapsed after summoning those weapons."
"You burned through all your mana at once and spent the entire morning recovering," she explained.
"I shouldn't have let you try without warning you first."
Haruto slowly sat up.
"The whole morning…?" he repeated, surprised.
Though still a bit drained, he felt better. Yuna nodded with a faint smile.
"I let you rest so you could regain your strength."
"You still need more time, but at least you're not unconscious anymore."
Haruto placed a hand on his chest, steadying his breathing.
He remembered the pistols he had summoned… and how they vanished just before he blacked out.
"Guess I overdid it with 'Materialize,' huh?" he joked, trying to lighten the mood.
Yuna looked at him with a mix of seriousness and understanding.
"That's normal. A lot of beginners don't know how to manage their mana,"
"Your body's not used to that kind of strain yet, and if you don't learn to control it, you could collapse again…"
"or worse."
Haruto nodded, taking her warning to heart.
"I'll keep that in mind for next time. Although…" —he paused for a moment— "While I was asleep, I saw someone."
"A small figure who called herself Kizuna."
"She said she was the manifestation of my ability."
"That she would help me share powers with others."
Yuna raised her eyebrows—more curious than surprised.
"You mean the one dancing over your head right now?" she asked, pointing with an amused smile.
Haruto frowned and slowly looked up.
Hovering right above him, Kizuna was spinning in cheerful circles, brimming with energy. Her tiny figure floated effortlessly, humming a tune completely out of place.
"Mana's not everything, Kizu~!" she sang as she shook a pair of tiny maracas, keeping time with an exaggerated little dance routine.
Yuna let out a soft laugh, unable to hold it in.
Haruto blinked several times, bewildered. But there she was—dancing and floating as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Kizuna…?" he murmured, still processing the scene.
She paused her show for a moment, leaning in toward him with a mischievous grin that seemed to say, What would you do without me?
"That's right, Haruto-kyun!" she answered with infectious energy, waving one maraca like a royal scepter.
"I'm here to remind you that mana isn't everything, Kizu~!"
And just like that, she returned to her cheerful dance, spinning without missing a beat.
"Looks like you bonded with her pretty fast," Yuna said, stifling another laugh.
"I guess Kizuna's going to be by your side from now on… and not just in your dreams."
Haruto tried to reply, but only managed a nervous chuckle.
Kizuna showed no sign of calming down.
"Seems like it…" he muttered, unsure whether to feel flattered or overwhelmed.
Yuna watched her for a moment, then turned her gaze back to Haruto.
"She's definitely a very… active manifestation of your ability."
He sighed in resignation.
"Though… this is the first time I've seen an ability take humanoid form."
"Maybe because it's unique," Yuna mused.
"She seems to have a special bond with you."
"Exactly!" Kizuna cut in, performing a dramatic spin mid-air.
"I'm not just any manifestation! I'm the best one you could ever have, Kizu~!"
Yuna smiled gently, though her eyes still sparkled with that barely-contained laughter.
"If I understood her right… it sounds like Kizuna will let you share abilities with others," she said thoughtfully.
"Maybe it depends on emotions, trust… and how much time you spend with them."
Kizuna floated in front of Haruto, nodding enthusiastically.
"That's right! The stronger your bond with someone, the easier it'll be to share their abilities!"
Then she pointed at him with her tiny hands, as if delivering an epic motivational speech.
"But don't think it'll be easy!" Kizuna warned.
"Not everyone will accept you right away."
"It's a gradual process! Building bonds takes time."
"You can't make friends overnight, right?"
"But don't worry! With my help, you'll be a total pro at it, Kizu!"
"I've never heard of anything like this before," Yuna added.
"That's because I'm not like anything else!" Kizuna replied proudly, crossing her arms with dramatic flair.
"I'm unique, brilliant, adorable, and emotionally efficient, Kizu!"
Haruto scratched his head, still trying to wrap his mind around everything that implied.
Trusting others… relying on them… wasn't exactly his strong suit.
"This is… a lot more than I expected," he admitted with a sigh.
"But… it makes sense. If I'm going to stay in this world, I'll have to start opening up to others again."
Yuna nodded gently, as if she understood more than her words let on.
"Exactly. Unlike other powers, yours requires cooperation. Which means… you won't be alone."
Kizuna floated in front of his face and tilted her head in a nearly solemn gesture.
"And that's why I'm here to remind you!" she exclaimed, quickly regaining her usual energy.
"It's not just about power, Haruto. It's about trust! So get ready to make lots of friends, Kizu!"
Haruto didn't respond right away. He still had plenty of doubts…
But amid all the uncertainty, a small spark of hope had begun to flicker.
"Thank you… both of you," he finally said, offering a faint smile.
"I don't know how this will all turn out, but I'm definitely going to need help."
Kizuna spun in the air, overflowing with joy.
"That's the spirit, Kizu~!" she sang, twirling with contagious excitement.
Then, striking a pose, she placed one hand on her hip and pointed to the sky with dramatic flair.
"No need to thank me! Together, we'll be invincible!"
"We'll conquer the world, Kizu!"
She was clearly trying to sound like a manga villain… but her high-pitched voice and tiny frame only made her more adorable than threatening.
Haruto watched her, blinking, unsure whether to laugh or worry.
In the end, he burst out laughing.
"'Conquer the world'? At your scale, I think you already have."
Yuna brought a hand to her mouth to stifle her laugh, though the sparkle in her eyes gave her away.
"Well, at least you have big dreams, Kizuna," she added with a warm smile.
"Though maybe we should start with something more achievable."
"Hey, don't make fun of me, Kizu!" Kizuna protested, her mock indignation only making her look even more endearing.
Their laughter gradually faded, and the forest around them returned to its usual, peaceful quiet.