Macao pointed toward the back of the guild. "Nah, the Master and Laxus just went to the back room. They're probably talking about Ivan."
Erza frowned. "Ivan? I think he's Laxus's father, right? I've barely seen him around since I joined the guild."
Wakaba, puffing on a cigarette, shrugged with both hands. "Yeah, well, he's always looked down on some folks in the guild, saying they're not strong or smart enough. He wanted the Master to kick them out and only let top-tier mages join to make Fairy Tail the strongest guild in Fiore."
"But the Master wasn't having it. Their ideals clashed, and they've argued over it plenty. That's why Ivan hardly shows up around here."
Wakaba lowered his voice. "Bet that's what this is about too. Otherwise, the Master's face wouldn't look so grim."
"Does my face look that grim?" Makarov's aged but hearty voice suddenly boomed behind Wakaba.
"Pfft!" Wakaba nearly dropped his cigarette, spinning around with a forced grin. "No, no, no! Master, you're positively glowing! Look, Roger brought back a newbie!"
"Oh?" Makarov's gaze shifted to the unfamiliar white-haired girl. When his eyes landed on Mirajane, his pupils shrank. "S-Class?!"
"S-Class?" Wakaba blinked, taking a moment to process. Then his eyes nearly popped out. "Wha… what?! S-Class?! This kid's an S-Class mage?!"
"WHAT?!"
The guild erupted into chaos! Shouts of disbelief echoed everywhere. Another young S-Class mage? And a brand-new guild member at that?!
"No way! Little miss, what kind of magic do you use?!"
"Roger! Where'd you find her? Just picked her up off the street?"
"Idiot! It's not 'picked up,' it's invited! Come on, little miss, spill it—how'd Roger trick… uh, I mean, convince you to join?"
The wave of enthusiasm and curious stares overwhelmed Mirajane. It was the first time so many people looked at her without malice, and her pale cheeks flushed slightly.
"I'm Mirajane, Mirajane Strauss. My magic is…"
She opened her mouth to say it but hesitated, memories of the villagers' hateful faces flashing through her mind.
She was afraid—afraid these people would fear or despise her magic, just like before.
But then, the memory of the lake, of Roger and Erza, washed over her. Their guild… it had to be different, right?
Mirajane took a deep breath. "My magic is Take Over magic. I can take on the powers of demons."
"Demons?" To her surprise, the guild members didn't react with fear or disgust—just pure curiosity.
Cana pushed to the front, her big eyes sparkling. "Take Over demons? That's awesome! Can you show us? I've never seen what a demon looks like!"
"Huh?" The Strauss siblings froze, imaginary question marks floating above their heads. Curiosity? Just curiosity? No fear?
Mirajane stared at Cana, incredulous. "It's… it's a demon. You're not scared?"
"Scared of what?" Cana tilted her head, looking puzzled. "You've already made the demon's power your own, right? Why would I be afraid of my friend's strength?"
"Friend…" Mirajane softly repeated the word, her blue eyes lighting up as a warm feeling crept into her heart.
She didn't hesitate anymore. She raised her left hand.
Buzz—
A black-purple magic circle spun to life in her palm!
[Partial Take Over: Satan Soul!]
Strange black barcode-like patterns raced up her arm before vanishing.
In the next moment, her left arm was covered in black scales, her fingers transforming into sharp, icy golden claws!
"Whoa!!" The guild exploded with even louder gasps.
"That's some serious magic power! Definitely S-Class!"
"She's so young… wonder when she'll take the exam?"
"Guess it's Cana and Gray's turn next, huh? Newbies probably need some time."
"Natsu's got S-Class-level magic power too, doesn't he?"
"Yeah, but he's too reckless. The Master's probably holding off on his exam to temper his impulsiveness a bit, let him mature first."
"I heard the Master's planning to make the S-Class exam tougher since the newbies are getting so strong. Wonder how many will pass?"
"Oh no! Does that mean we've got even less of a shot at S-Class?!"
"=_=|| Focus on getting to A-Class first…"
BOOM!!
The guild's heavy doors flew open, and a flaming figure burst in with a signature booming voice:
"ERZA!! You're back! Let's fight!!!"
Erza didn't even fully turn around, just sighed and casually swung a hand chop backward.
Thud!
A dull sound rang out. Natsu, still in his charging pose, sprouted a comically large lump on his head. Like a flattened frog, he faceplanted into the floor with a splat, his legs twitching weakly.
Cana watched the scene and shrugged helplessly. "Ugh, I don't get Natsu. He gets crushed every time but still keeps challenging her."
The Strauss siblings gazed at the fresh Fairy Tail emblem on their arms, their faces glowing with relief and anticipation.
Makarov leapt onto the bar counter, raising a massive beer mug. The gloom on his face vanished as his booming voice filled the lively guild:
"To celebrate Mirajane, Lisanna, and Elfman officially joining Fairy Tail! And to celebrate our little Happy getting smarter! The party—starts NOW!!"
"OHHHH!!!"
Deafening cheers flooded the guild, the joyful atmosphere practically crackling in the air!
Lisanna cupped her face, watching Happy eagerly dig into a bowl of food, her eyes wide with wonder. "Cana, does Happy do anything besides eat marshmallows?"
Cana set down her juice cup and started counting on her fingers, a hint of pride in her voice. "Grocery shopping! Taking out the trash! Cheering up crying kids! Folding laundry! Finding lost stuff! Grabbing things for me…"
"Uh, that's all we've figured out so far! Still working on his other talents!"
Lisanna's mouth twitched. Can a cat really do all that?
Gray sidled over, crouching beside Happy and eyeing the "unusual" cat skeptically.
"Doesn't it get scammed when it buys groceries?" he asked, his face full of doubt.
"Tch, tch, tch," Cana wagged her finger with a "you're too naive" look. "Don't underestimate Happy! I even taught him math the other day!"
Gray perked up at that. He pulled out a few bills and waved them in front of Happy.
"Hey, Happy, you've got 500 Jewels. You spend 300 Jewels on veggies and meat at my shop. How much change do I owe you?"
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