"To be precise, it's Roger's unique magic tool," Mira explained, flapping the massive black bat wings conjured by her Satan Soul takeover magic as she effortlessly flew to Lisanna's side.
Lisanna stared in awe at Mira's wings, then glanced ahead at Lisanna—whose lower body had transformed into a shimmering, water-glinting fishtail. Her sea-blue hair flowed like waves in the wind, and she moved through the air with the grace of a mermaid "swimming" in the sky.
"Satan Soul… Spirit Soul…" Lisanna murmured, her eyes sparkling with wonder. "That's incredible! You can actually transform like this? Is this how you guys usually travel?"
"Well, this time it's only because Roger's here that we dared to do it!" Lisanna, in her fishtail form, did a nimble backflip, sending tiny water droplets sparkling around her. She "swam" backward to Lisanna's side, as if backstroking through the air.
"It doesn't take much energy if we're not fighting, but even then, we can only keep this up for five or six hours tops. Normally, we take the train to save energy and stay safe. But with Roger escorting us today, we're not worried!" She playfully circled around Lisanna with a mischievous grin.
Lisanna watched their carefree movements, puzzled. "Then why don't we just fly straight back to the guild? Why head to the train station and take a train? Is the train faster than flying?"
"Nah, it's not that," Lisanna replied, extending a finger. A blue glow flickered at her fingertip, and several lively little blue fish materialized, swimming around them in the air.
"Keeping the takeover state active is pretty tiring. You have to constantly control your magic power. Taking the train is way more relaxing—you can sleep, chat, and not think about anything!"
Lisanna nodded, her gaze shifting to Elfman, who was clumsily hovering nearby with his "bamboo dragonfly" magic tool. "What about Elf-nii's takeover magic? Can't it fly? I thought it was… Beast Soul?"
Elfman scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed. "My magic can take over all sorts of magical beasts, but I haven't found one that's just right and can fly."
Lisanna spread her hands, smirking teasingly. "Elf-nii's just too picky! That Storm Falcon last time was awesome! Its Skyfall Strike flattened a whole hill!"
"Destroyed a hill?!" Lisanna gasped, stunned.
Elfman's face turned beet red as he protested loudly, "But it had pink feathers all over! If I took it over, I'd have to go around with pink wings every time I went out?! No way, absolutely not!" He shook his head vehemently.
Lisanna stifled a laugh. "Pink's super cute! Maybe if you'd taken it, you'd have passed the S-Class exam already!"
"No way! Absolutely not!" Elfman insisted, glancing enviously at Lisanna's elegant fishtail. "Your magic's way better. Once your magic power hits a certain level, you awaken new spirit forms without having to search the world for them."
Lisanna puffed out her cheeks. "That's what I should be saying! I'm already at S-Class magic power, and I've only awakened one Spirit Soul—Water Spirit! Who knows when the next one will come? I've done so many jobs already!" she whined, dragging out her words.
"Don't worry~" Mira's cheerful voice cut in as she flapped her bat wings and flew between them. "I'm sure in the upcoming special training, you'll both find—or awaken—the perfect forms!"
"Special training?!" Elfman's face went blank, a bad feeling creeping up on him.
"Whoa, look!" Lisanna suddenly pointed at the faint outline of a town on the horizon, changing the subject. "The train station's right there! The next train's about to leave—we gotta speed up!!"
Before she finished speaking, her fishtail flicked powerfully, and her speed surged! At the same time, she conjured a massive pale-blue water hand that grabbed the still-dazed Elfman!
"Waaahhh!" The sudden speed made Elfman's eyes roll back as he yelped in shock. The two shot toward the station like arrows loosed from a bow!
Watching Lisanna and Elfman "eagerly" race toward the station, Mira gave a fond, helpless smile. "Didn't expect them to be that excited to get back for training. I'd better plan something good so they don't get disappointed."
The group soon boarded a train back to Magnolia. As they strolled through familiar streets and passed a cake shop, Lisanna suddenly froze. "Wait!"
Mira turned back, puzzled. "What's up? Craving some cake?"
"No way!" Lisanna's eyes sparkled as she spotted a familiar figure with short brown hair at the counter—Kanna, paying for her purchase.
It was like fox ears popped up on Lisanna's head as a sly grin spread across her face. "Hehe, I just got a super fun idea!"
She turned to Lisanna, clasping her hands together, her big eyes blinking pleadingly. "Can you help me out? Pretty please~~"
She pinched her thumb and forefinger together. "Just a tiny favor! It's the only request I'll ever make in my whole life!"
"Huh?" Being stared at so earnestly by another version of herself made Lisanna squirm. After a few seconds of hesitation, she nodded lightly. "O-Okay, fine."
"YES!" Lisanna pumped her fist excitedly, leaning in to whisper rapidly in Lisanna's ear.
Lisanna's expression turned odd as she listened. "Will that really work? Sure, we look alike, but anyone who knows us could tell us apart in a second, right?"
Lisanna gave a confident thumbs-up. "Trust me! Do exactly what I say, and Kanna won't have a clue! One hundred percent guaranteed!"
Meanwhile, Kanna stepped out of the shop, happily carrying a box of delicate little cakes.
"Nothing beats a good drink, but a cake now and then isn't bad either," she hummed a tuneless melody, her steps light.
Just as she exited, a familiar voice shouted from ahead.
"The limited-edition cakes are almost gone—!!"
Lisanna zipped past her like a gust of wind, rushing into the cake shop.
"Heh~" Kanna smugly waved her cake box. "Good thing I'm smart! I checked the release time for the limited-edition cakes and made sure to clear my schedule—no jobs today!"
She grinned, already planning. "Find a nice sunny garden, pair the cake with some manga, and wash it down with a big mug of ale. That's the life~"
As she strolled along, she mused, "Hmm, maybe I should grab some barbecue too? A bite of savory meat, a bite of sweet cake, and a gulp of ale in between—perfect combo!"
"Good afternoon, Kanna!"
"Good afternoon, Lisanna."
"Huh?" Something felt off. Kanna froze, her neck stiffly turning.
There, on a street bench, Lisanna sat leisurely, nibbling on the exact same limited-edition cake Kanna held?!
"Lisanna?!" Kanna's eyes widened as she stumbled back two steps, pointing at the girl on the bench. "What are you doing here?!"
The Lisanna on the bench looked up, her face a picture of innocent confusion. "I've been here the whole time, Kanna. Why's that such a weird question?"
"Huh?" Kanna's brain short-circuited, her brows twisting into knots. "But—didn't you just rush into the cake shop to buy a cake?"
Lisanna burst out laughing, waving a hand. "Kanna, have you been drinking too much? I bought my cake ages ago. How could I have just gone into the shop?"
Kanna glanced at Lisanna's cake, then lifted her own to compare.
"It's definitely the new limited-edition cake, but I only drank three barrels this morning—there's no way I'm drunk!" she muttered, starting to question reality itself.