Emblem

Mirajane held out her arm, her expression unchanged.

Before, she could never have been so composed, but now she no longer minded it.

It would be best if it could return to normal, but even if it couldn't, she would make that arm a power to protect her family for the rest of her life.

Makarov studied the demonic arm carefully for a while, then said, "Yuri was right. This really isn't demonic possession."

"It's just that, because of Take Over Magic, the demon's power has taken up residence in your body."

"If you want to change it back, you just need to become more proficient with the magic."

"If you don't mind, I can teach you."

"Really?!"

Makarov had barely finished speaking, and Mirajane hadn't even had time to answer,

when Lisanna darted out from behind her and thanked him excitedly. "Thank you so, so much, Grandpa."

Elfman bowed beside her and thanked him as well. "Thank you, Grandpa."

"Hahaha, you're welcome, children. If there's any magic you want to learn, you can tell Grandpa. I know plenty."

"Really?" Lisanna asked in delight. "Then I want to learn the same magic as Mira."

Elfman also spoke up timidly, a look of longing on his face. "I... I want to learn the same magic as my sister and Yuri, too."

"No problem."

Looking at the two children before him, who were almost unbelievably well-behaved, Makarov smiled until the wrinkles on his face nearly bloomed like a flower and affectionately rubbed their heads.

Ah~, kids these days really are so innocent and good...

"Tone it down, old man. Your face looks like a chrysanthemum when you smile like that. You might scare them."

Except for these few in my own guild!!!

Makarov shot Yuri a sharp look, then abruptly changed his tune. "You've got a lot of free time lately, haven't you? You just got back from a job anyway, so you've got nothing to do. Why don't you teach them?"

At that, Mirajane, who still hadn't had a chance to reply, immediately brightened.

It wasn't that she had any prejudice against the guild master she'd just met, but if Yuri could teach her magic, that would naturally be even better.

After all, how should she put it? His magic involved a demon and an arm too, didn't it? That would make him a better fit to teach her... yes, that was it. It definitely wasn't for any selfish reason!

Yuri gave Makarov an annoyed look and said resentfully, "Again? Do you really take me for a babysitter? Looking after kids isn't my full-time job."

Disappointment was just starting to show in Mirajane's eyes when Makarov said unhurriedly, "You brought them back, so naturally you should teach them. That's reasonable, isn't it?"

Yuri gave him a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "You're the guild master. Naturally, it would be safer for you to handle this sort of thing."

Makarov said leisurely, "You're a veteran guild member by now, however you look at it. I'm perfectly comfortable leaving it to you."

"My abilities are limited..."

Yuri was about to refuse again when Makarov raised one finger. "I'll pay you 300,000 J a month while you're teaching them."

He immediately changed tack. "My abilities are limited... but teaching newcomers is the duty of every veteran guild member. Leave them to me!"

How mercenary...

After they settled the matter of magic, the guild master dug a stamp out from behind the bar.

As everyone knew, the mages of official guilds all bore their guild's unique emblem, which showed that they were recognized members of the guild.

Only when the emblem was stamped on you did you officially join the guild.

"Mira, Yuri, look, look!" After receiving her emblem, Lisanna ran over in high spirits and showed them the white emblem with a blue border on her left arm, like a child showing off a new toy. "What do you think? Does it look good?" (Note 1)

"Mm, Lisanna, you're so cute," Mirajane said, doting on her little sister as always.

Yuri nodded in agreement, then asked in puzzlement, "But why is there a blue border?"

He could understand the white, since all three siblings had white hair, but why was there a blue border too?

"Because your magic power is blue, Yuri," Lisanna said with a smile, as if it were obvious.

"Oh!" Yuri suddenly understood and reached out to rub Lisanna's head.

Is she thanking me this way because I helped them? This kid really is innocent and good.

"Sis, Y-Yuri." Elfman came over next. He had chosen a black emblem on the left side of his neck.

"Why did you choose black?" Mirajane asked her brother in confusion.

"B-because..." Elfman clenched his fists, as if psyching himself up, and mustered the courage to say, "Black looks a little more suited to boys."

What he had actually wanted to say was, "A real man should choose black!"

But somehow, the words had taken a different turn when they came out, leaving Elfman a little dejected...

Mirajane was last, but she was still struggling to decide on the color and position of her emblem.

She had initially wanted to choose white, but after taking inspiration from her sister, she immediately changed her mind... and glanced at Yuri without showing it.

"What?"

To her surprise, he noticed immediately.

"N-nothing." Mirajane guiltily looked away, then once again asked "casually," "Come to think of it, Yuri, what color is your emblem?"

"Mine?" Yuri paused. "Red. Why?"

"Red?!" Mirajane's eyes widened, and she grabbed Yuri by the shoulders in agitation.

"I-is there a problem?" The girl's reaction left Yuri a little bewildered.

"N-nothing." Mirajane did her best to conceal her unusual reaction, but her gaze inadvertently swept over a figure with long scarlet hair.

Although she had guessed that their relationship couldn't be bad if they went on jobs together, she hadn't expected it to be this deep.

If she remembered correctly, Erza's emblem was blue and stamped on her left arm, so...

"Right, where is your emblem stamped?" Mirajane asked again.

"On my left arm. Why?" Yuri took a drink and answered as casually as could be.

Pwah!

Mirajane clutched her chest, as if ten thousand arrows had pierced her heart, and nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

Trembling, she forced a smile to hide her disappointment. "N-nothing..."

A drop of sweat slid down Yuri's forehead, and he waved his hands repeatedly. "No, anyone could tell there's definitely something, okay?"

"Honestly, what have you been getting so worked up about since just now?" Yuri took off his coat, speechless, and revealed the red emblem on his left upper arm. "Can't you just choose whatever color and position you want? Why care what other people think?"

"But..." Mirajane pouted. "Then why did you choose red and put it specifically on your left arm?"

"Huh?" Yuri didn't understand what she was sulking about all by herself.

The only reason he had chosen red for his emblem was that his own magic power was blue.

In Devil May Cry, the two brothers locked in a fated showdown had blue and red as their respective main colors. Since he was blue, he had thought he'd add red to complete the pair. It was that simple.

As for why he had chosen his left arm... because his right arm was liable to be taken for a "handy trick."

Note 1: In the anime, Lisanna's emblem was originally red and located on her left arm. It disappeared when she crossed over to Edolas. Later, she got a new emblem there, which appeared in white on her left thigh. I've simply changed it here.