"After we learn Take Over magic, we'll show it to Sister Mira and give her a big surprise!" Lisanna said brightly.
"Uh-huh!" Elfman nodded eagerly.
"Then let's start learning Take Over now. Can you both read?" Noah asked.
"We know a little, but not too much. Will that affect us learning magic?" Lisanna and Elfman looked at Noah nervously.
Noah thought for a moment before replying, "It's best if you can read, but since you're in a hurry, I'll just teach you directly. We can catch up on the basics later."
"Thank you, Noah!" they said together.
So Noah began to teach them Take Over magic. Perhaps because they were siblings of Mirajane, who was naturally gifted, both learned remarkably quickly.
In just half a month under Noah's guidance, Lisanna and Elfman had basically mastered the fundamentals of Take Over.
Lisanna, the younger sister, showed greater talent than her brother. She was able to perform a full-body Take Over almost immediately.
Elfman, however, could only manage partial Take Overs. The difference in their talents was clear.
Still, both had successfully learned the magic. From now on, the limits of their Take Over power would depend on their own determination and effort.
The two were overjoyed by their progress, but they decided not to reveal it to their sister until they had more practice.
Two days later, Erza returned from a commission and was resting in the guild. Turning her head, she noticed Mirajane sitting alone at the counter and walked over.
"I heard about you, Mirajane. It seems you've got some pretty impressive skills. So, how are you adapting to life in the guild?"
Without a word, Mirajane stepped down from her chair and silently walked toward the door.
"Hey !" Erza called after her, startled.
Makao and Wakaba, sitting nearby, shook their heads and said, "Forget it. That girl doesn't talk, doesn't smile."
"She always looks scary. On the other hand, her little brother and sister have already blended in with everyone, without a care," Wakaba added.
Erza turned back and saw Lisanna and Elfman laughing and playing with Natsu and the others.
Noah, resting nearby and listening to guildmates boast about their adventures, also noticed Mirajane leaving alone. He stood and walked over to Lisanna and Elfman.
"You should go show your progress to your sister. She just left go catch up with her."
Hearing this, Lisanna quickly grabbed Elfman's hand. After waving goodbye to Natsu and the others, the two ran out.
Natsu, however, turned toward Noah, his fighting spirit igniting.
"Noah! Take this!" he shouted, swinging a punch.
Noah caught his fist effortlessly with one hand, gave a flick of his wrist, and sent Natsu stumbling. Then he snapped his fingers.
"Spin!"
A whirlwind suddenly rose beneath Natsu's feet, swirling faster and faster until it enveloped him completely. The vortex spun him around more than ten times before dispersing, all without disturbing anyone else nearby.
Natsu staggered out of the gust, completely dizzy. His legs gave way, and he collapsed flat on the floor, too weak to stand back up.
"What an idiot!"
Natsu tried to shout back, but his stomach churned. Clapping a hand over his mouth, he realized he was too dizzy and weak to argue with Gray any further.
Meanwhile, Mirajane left the guild and walked alone down the road away from Magnolia. She clasped her transformed right arm tightly with her left hand, her voice trembling as she muttered to herself:
"Demonic magic… I don't need this kind of power. It's disgusting."
Her mind replayed the scene of the villagers driving her family away, their voices echoing: "Demon! Cursed child!" The memory cut deep.
Her mood sank further.
"I'm not even human anymore…"
She cast one last glance back at Fairy Tail's hall in the distance before looking forward again.
"But… this guild is a good place. I can entrust Lisanna and Elfman to them."
Her lips curved in a faint, sorrowful smile.
"I'll just leave this town. Goodbye, Elfman… Lisanna. I'm sorry."
With that, she walked silently, her figure growing smaller as she moved farther away.
Then, suddenly, a familiar voice rang out.
"Sister Mira!"
Startled, Mirajane spun around. To her surprise, Lisanna and Elfman were running toward her with bright smiles on their faces.
"Look, look!" Lisanna called.
"You're going to be surprised!" Elfman added breathlessly.
They skidded to a stop in front of her. A glow lit up beneath their feet as matching magic circles appeared. A puff of smoke erupted around them, and when it cleared, their forms had changed.
"Beast Soul: Cat! Meow!" Lisanna cried.
Soft cat ears sprouted from her head, whiskers appeared on her cheeks, her hands and feet turned into claws, and a swishing tail emerged behind her.
"Beast Soul: Bear! Even if it's only my hand for now!" Elfman shouted proudly.
His right arm had transformed into a massive bear's claw, thick with muscle and fur.
Mirajane froze in shock, her eyes widening at the sight.
"Yes!" Lisanna said excitedly. "We asked the guild to teach us! This is the same Take Over magic you use, Sister Mira!"
"Even though I can only change my hand right now," Elfman admitted sheepishly.
Mirajane's eyes filled with tears as she looked at her younger siblings, unable to find the words.
"Because Sister Mira always looks so lonely," Lisanna explained softly, raising her cat-paw hands with a gentle smile.
"Now you don't have to be alone anymore."
Elfman pressed one human hand and one bear paw against his chest, grinning broadly at his sister.
"You "
Mirajane's eyes blurred with tears, her voice trembling.
"We'll always be together!" Lisanna declared.
"And we'll share the same magic!" Elfman added proudly.
The two activated their Take Over magic again, but something went wrong this time. Lisanna suddenly transformed into a tiny pink piglet, while Elfman's right arm warped awkwardly into a deer's leg.
"Wahhh! Huh? I still can't control it properly !" Lisanna squealed.
"Wahhh me too !" Elfman groaned.
"Pfft!"
Mirajane couldn't hold it in anymore. She burst into laughter, quickly wiping at her tears with the back of her hand. Even so, a smile stretched across her face.
"With magic this clumsy, how are you ever going to complete a guild job?" she teased gently.
Elfman straightened, his voice firm.
"Just like you once used this power to protect us, now it's our turn to protect you, Sister!"
"That's right!" Lisanna chimed in.
Overwhelmed, Mirajane pulled both of her younger siblings into a tight embrace. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she held them close. Lisanna and Elfman wrapped their arms around her in return, Lisanna gently patting Mirajane's back to comfort her.
The three of them clung to one another quietly, letting Mirajane release all the sorrow she had been holding in, and slowly, peacefully, she began to calm down.