"Moen was the one who told me to do this."
Facing Mirajane's question, Erza froze for a moment, then answered honestly, directly giving Moen away.
"Moen…"
Mirajane also froze for a second. That answer clearly wasn't what she expected.
"He already figured out you were planning to leave."
Erza continued, not feeling there was anything to hide. Besides, Moen never told her to keep it a secret.
"He really likes sticking his nose into things…"
Mirajane felt discouraged. So her thoughts had already been seen through.
However—though she stubbornly complained "likes sticking his nose in"—inside, being noticed and cared about still touched her deeply. Moen… really had helped their family a lot.
In Mirajane's mind, Moen's voice seemed to echo:
"Once you join the guild, we're all family."
It sounded like something said casually, but Moen clearly hadn't been joking. Mirajane's expression grew complicated.
Moen's concern and guidance for Lisanna and Elfman, and the attention he gave her…
"Big Sis! Mira!"
The familiar voices entered Mirajane's conflicted heart. She sighed lightly.
As expected, Lisanna and Elfman still came.
Mirajane turned to look at her younger siblings. Elfman and Lisanna ran toward her with smiles on their faces, not overly anxious, as if they didn't know she was planning to leave.
"Mira, look! Look! We prepared a surprise for you!"
Lisanna, in her pink dress, said happily.
"It'll definitely give you a scare!"
Elfman, dressed neatly in a blue suit, white shirt, and red bow tie, also laughed as he spoke.
Both of them firmly remembered Moen's words:
Don't overthink it. Just express your true feelings. That alone is enough.
"One, two, three—Transform!"
Elfman and Lisanna activated their magic at the same time. Magic surged as their bodies changed rapidly.
"Animal Soul: Cat!"
Lisanna, who could perform full-body Take Over, changed more drastically—white cat ears grew on her head, a black-and-white striped cat tail extended behind her, and her hands and feet became cat paws. She transformed into an adorable white catgirl.
"Beast Soul: Bear! But I can only change my arm, hehe."
As for Elfman, only his right arm changed—turning into a thick, fur-covered black bear arm with sharp claws filled with power.
"Look, Mira! We can use Take Over magic too!"
After transforming, Elfman and Lisanna excitedly showed off their new forms.
"How… how is this possible!"
Mirajane was genuinely shocked. Her expression froze—this was something she had never imagined.
"Moen taught us! It's the same kind of magic you use, Mira!"
Lisanna explained happily, once again mentioning Moen's name.
Even if Lisanna didn't say it, Mirajane would have guessed. They had been learning from Moen this whole time.
Looking at her silly younger siblings, Mirajane's eyes were already shimmering with tears.
But she held them back. As the eldest sister, raising her siblings alone, she never cried in front of them. She always acted strong—only that way could she keep others from bullying them.
"Why…?"
Mirajane held back her tears, her shoulders trembling.
"Because Mira has always been lonely! Now you won't be lonely anymore!"
"We're family—we'll always be together! And we'll even use the same magic!"
Lisanna and Elfman expressed their hearts. Their purest feelings—those were the most touching of all.
"It doesn't matter if you don't want to use your demon power anymore. Just like you protected us before using that power… from now on, it'll be our turn to use magic to protect you! I'll protect you and Lisanna like a real man should!"
Elfman spoke seriously. He wasn't good at emotional speeches, but he knew he couldn't shy away now. Moen's encouragement was firmly engraved into his heart.
"Yeah! Lisanna will protect you too, Sis!"
Lisanna nodded rapidly, her cat ears flicking.
"Elfman… Lisanna…"
Looking at her siblings, Mirajane finally couldn't hold back anymore. Tears streamed down her face, and her heart began to change.
She opened her arms—including her demon arm and pulled Elfman with his giant bear arm and catgirl Lisanna tightly into an embrace. All three of their eyes glimmered with tears.
Erza watched from the side, smiling yet her eyes carried a hint of envy for the bond the Strauss siblings shared.
"Looks like we succeeded."
A voice sounded, interrupting Erza's thoughts. She turned in surprise to see Moen standing there with a gentle smile.
"When did you get here?"
Erza was startled—she had been so absorbed in watching the siblings that she never noticed Moen approach.
"Just a moment ago."
Moen walked up beside Erza, watching the three crying siblings.
Although he had thought earlier that following wouldn't help, he still couldn't resist coming anyway. Thankfully, Elfman and Lisanna didn't disappoint— their heartfelt emotions were far more powerful than any plan or speech.
Judging by Mirajane's current state, her heart would definitely undergo a huge change.
"Moen!"
Lisanna noticed him and shouted happily, her face full of gratitude. It was Moen's idea that helped them change their sister.
Hearing Lisanna call Moen's name, Mirajane released her siblings and hurriedly wiped her tears.
She stood up and looked toward Moen and Erza.
Looking at Moen, Mirajane's expression was extremely complicated. This boy was the same age as her, yet he gave her a warm, big-brother-like feeling—a feeling of being cared for and protected, something she had never experienced before.
"Moen… thank you for everything."
Mirajane bowed deeply to Moen. She couldn't remain silent after receiving such kindness.
"No nee—"
Moen reached out, trying to stop her from giving such formal thanks.
"But!"
Before Moen could finish, Mirajane straightened abruptly, raising her voice with a sharp turn of tone.
"You following me everywhere was still extremely annoying!"
Grinding her teeth, fists clenched, she finally snapped after holding it in for so long.
She pointed straight at the dumbfounded Erza and declared:
"Erza, right? Let's fight—right now!"
"…"
Staring at the delinquent-like, fierce Mirajane, Moen opened his mouth.
So THIS is the real Mira?!
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