Mirajane's Day at the Guild

Early in the morning, sunlight spilled across the quilt as Mirajane groggily woke up in bed.

She suddenly sat upright, eyes wide. I hope those villagers won't—

Huh? No, that was wrong. She was no longer in the village.

Then it was fine.

Right, right. She had come to Magnolia and become a wizard. She would never have to see those awful people again.

Mirajane deflated and lay back down. Raising her right hand, she noticed that the "light" around her arm had become distorted. It seemed she needed to find Aibo to replenish the magic again~

She had not yet fully mastered Take Over Magic. She could not freely summon and dismiss the Demons' arm, so every other day, she had to ask Aibo to replenish the Illusion Magic and hide the ugly arm.

Mirajane was deeply grateful to Aibo. Without the help of his Illusion Magic, if she had to show that ugly arm to everyone every day, she might have chosen to leave the guild alone by now.

Mirajane would not let her ugly self affect Elfman and Lisanna. They had finally managed to begin a new life, and she absolutely could not ruin it because of herself.

Still, thankfully, that had not happened...

It was time to get up and prepare breakfast for her younger brother and sister.

Mirajane patted her cheeks to encourage herself, then got up to wash, make breakfast, wake her siblings...

Everything felt as familiar as the days before they had encountered Demons. Looking at the house their parents had left behind, Mirajane felt even more grateful to Aibo.

After breakfast, Mirajane spent a few minutes dressing up before the mirror. She changed into her newly purchased "Wild Dominator" outfit, tied up her ponytail, picked up a small lunchbox, and left home humming a tune.

After walking for two minutes, she reached Little Garden. Before she could knock, the door opened, revealing a pink-haired, large-breasted maid.

"Good morning, Virgo."

"Good morning, Miss Mira. If you are looking for my young master, he is in the study on the third floor."

"Got it, thanks."

After joining Fairy Tail, Aibo had even helped them settle down—he had moved their entire house out of some space and placed it on the edge of town, making them each other's only neighbors.

The maid before her was a Celestial Spirit. Mirajane did not really understand what Celestial Spirits were, but she did not particularly like Virgo.

Virgo always looked expressionless, impossible to read, which made talking to her uncomfortable. She was the second most disliked person Mira had encountered since coming to Magnolia.

Still, for Aibo's sake, Mirajane would not show her dislike.

"Aibo~ Your magic is about to wear off. Refill it for me!"

Aibo stopped writing at his desk and sighed.

"Didn't I already modify that magic? You just need to add some magic power to it yourself every day. You don't need to come find me."

"No! What if I accidentally damage the magic circle? If this arm gets exposed, I won't be able to live with myself. You have to inspect it personally!"

"Yes, yes, come over."

Aibo carefully recharged the magic, then waved his hand.

"All done. Now go, go. Don't interrupt my reading."

"Hmph, little bookworm! Here, I made too many snacks this morning. They'd go to waste sitting around anyway, so you can have them."

"Virgo already made me breakfast."

"Eat them or don't. I'm leaving!"

"...Mira, don't dress like some delinquent girl every day. You're dragging down our guild's average sense of fashion."

"None of your business! I like it!"

Mira huffed and left Aibo's house with her head held high.

Next, she needed to take her younger brother and sister to the guild. Recently, they had been training under the master to learn how to control Take Over Magic, while Elfman and Lisanna were also learning new magic.

To be honest, Mirajane felt she was close to grasping the trick. It should have been something worth celebrating, but for some reason, she was not anxious at all.

Maybe it was because she had Aibo's Illusion Magic. Whether she hid it or not, no one could see it anyway, so there really was no need to rush.

The moment she entered the guild, a pink-haired hedgehog head came flying straight at her. Mirajane frowned and immediately punched him.

"You bastard, Natsu! You almost hit Lisanna!"

"Ah! That hurt like hell! Damn it! It's you again, Mira, you violent maniac! Let's duel!"

"Bring it on! You think I'm scared?"

Mirajane settled the battle in a few punches and kicks. Heh, so much for a Dragon Slayer. Did he think having pink hair made him Aibo?

After coming to the guild, Mirajane realized that not everyone was as powerful as Aibo or as knowledgeable as he was. And it seemed she truly had considerable talent for magic, just as he had said.

Her magic power was high, and she had learned the technique of reinforcing her body with magic power almost immediately. The Demons' fist she could not dismiss became absurdly powerful when reinforced with magic power; few people her age in the guild could withstand even one of her punches.

Although she hated this Demons' power, when she thought about it, Aibo was right. Power itself was neither good nor evil. It depended on the person wielding it.

If this power could help her protect Elfman and Lisanna, then perhaps even becoming a Demon would not be such a ba—huh?

Mirajane froze and reached for her Demons' arm—it was smooth. Wait, had she... already mastered Take Over Magic?!

"Mirajane! You're bullying Natsu again! Let him go!"

That unpleasant voice made Mirajane's brows rise. She kicked Natsu, who was lying at her feet, and crossed her arms.

"You again! Erza, I'm warning you not to meddle in other people's business. I'm not the same as I was yesterday. If you make me angry, you won't be able to bear the consequences!"

Erza! The person Mirajane hated most after joining the guild, without question.

Two days ago, Mirajane had seen Natsu bullying Elfman and beaten him up. Then Erza, who had just returned to the guild, saw it. That freakishly strong she-ape had shouted about not bullying comrades and punched her without even bothering to understand the situation.

By the time Mirajane woke up, she was already lying at home. She had actually been knocked unconscious with one punch! That bastard only knew how to ambush people!

Yesterday, Mirajane had refused to accept it and gone to reason with Erza. But without fully mastering her magic, she was no match for her and was defeated head-on once again.

Even worse, after winning, that woman had apologized with a lofty expression: [Yesterday, I did not know you were a new comrade. I hit too hard, and I am sorry. I am Erza, Aibo's older sister. Please take care of me in the future.]

Humiliation! Utter humiliation!

Mirajane swore she had never hated anyone this much. Violent! Arrogant! Fake and self-righteous! Aibo's older sister? As if she deserved that title!

Mirajane swore that she would make Erza pay!

"Don't bully your comrades in the guild!"

"Hah?! Who do you think you are? Don't tell me what to do!"

A small hand trembled as it rose.

"E-Erza, this is a duel between Mira and me. Don't interfere!"

"Shut up! No one asked you!"

The two beautiful girls faced off, tensions drawn tight. Meanwhile, a group of unscrupulous middle-aged men watched the show while munching sunflower seeds.

"Yohohoho! That new girl really has guts, and what spirit too. Does Erza finally have a challenger among the new generation?"

"When it comes to guts, I only respect Natsu. That kid is the real hardhead."

"Taking bets! Mirajane versus Erza! Erza at 1.4, Mirajane at 3.1, draw at 4.0! Place your bets!"

Erza sensed Mirajane's soaring fighting spirit. Her opponent's magic power was no weaker than her own. She was an opponent who required serious attention.

"Erza, I've completely mastered my magic. Want to have a match?"

"I never refuse a challenge!"

"Heh heh! Let me show you what real power is!"

Mirajane licked her lips excitedly. As long as she could defeat Erza here, it did not matter if she had to use this power she hated!

"Hah! Ha!"

Mirajane drew upon the magic power within her body, preparing to perform her first Take Over. Even the magic power stirred up during the preparation stage whipped up a whirlwind through the guild.

Erza refused to be outdone and summoned her strongest Heaven's Wheel Armor, her aura no less imposing.

"Seriously? You're kidding, right? Such violent magic power?"

"Is that magic power something a child that age should have? Why are the new recruits of this generation more outrageous than the last?"

"You two idiots! Both of you—STOP!"

Two enormous arms reached out from the guild's second floor, and two huge palms slammed the girls to the ground, instantly ending the dispute.

Makarov had been sleeping peacefully. Without even changing out of his pajamas, he leaped down from upstairs, glaring furiously.

"Are you two trying to tear down the guild!?"

"My apologies, Master. I failed to consider things properly."

Erza bowed in apology with a serious expression, but Mirajane was not so easygoing. Not only did she refuse to back down, she even tried to challenge the master's authority.

"You old bastard! What right do you have to hit me? Don't interfere with my duel with Erza! Bastard! This isn't over!"

Veins bulged on Makarov's forehead. He directly grabbed Mirajane with one huge hand and tossed her into the sky.

"Idiot! Reflect on yourself properly!!!"

"Big sis, sister!?"

"Master! The guild wall is broken!"

"Erza! You are responsible for repairing it!"

"Yes, Master!"

The tossed Mirajane could no longer hear the commotion in the guild. She soared over half the town before landing precisely in the yard of Little Garden.

"Ow, ow, ow... Damn it! Was that old bastard really trying to kill me!?"

Mirajane climbed to her feet, covered in dust, only to discover that her injuries were not as severe as she had imagined. Her body seemed to have been strengthened to an unbelievable extent.

"So this magic is that strong? I didn't even complete the Take Over, and I'm still completely fine..."

Mirajane looked at her body in astonishment, gaining a new understanding of her current strength.

"Yo, Mira. You look pretty miserable."

She looked up to see Aibo flying down from the sky and hovering before her, mocking her.

"The first lesson in becoming a competent wizard is knowing your own strength. You can't even beat Erza, yet you dared challenge the master? Do you really think the master is some kind old man? He is one of the Ten Wizard Saints. He could crush you to death with one finger. How did you dare act so arrogantly before him?"

For some reason, Mirajane had not felt wronged when Erza bullied her, nor had it been a big deal when the master threw her out of the guild. But after Aibo spoke to her in that indifferent tone, she felt like she could barely hold back her tears.

"Y-You! Why are you taking their side!? I'm the one who got beaten up!"

"Because you were in the wrong to begin with. The master asked me to teach you a lesson."

"Hah? You're just an eight-year-old brat! What right do you have to teach me?"

"Because I was the one who brought you out of that ignorant village, and I was the one who guaranteed your admission to the guild. So I need to be responsible for your behavior. Is that reason enough?"

Mirajane felt a rush of heat flood through her body, leaving her head dizzy. She did not even know what she was saying anymore.

"Who, who asked you to take responsibility!? Idiot! So annoying! You're driving me crazy!"

Aibo sighed, descended from the air, and stood before Mirajane, refusing to let her look away.

"Mira, I know you're actually a kind-hearted girl. You just became used to putting on a tough shell, pretending to be a little hedgehog no one could provoke.

"But what I want to say is that you don't need that hard shell anymore. Everyone in the guild is your family. No one in the guild will hurt you, so don't use your strength against your family, okay?"

Mirajane lowered her head timidly. She realized she had gone too far. She had only just gained some power, yet she was already getting carried away. Wasn't she becoming exactly the kind of person she hated most?

"You... call me... big sister... and I'll listen..."

"What did you say?"

Mirajane blushed, forced herself to close her eyes, and said,

"Since we're family, you're my little brother too. If you call me big sister, I'll listen to you!"

"..."

"This is your punishment! Who told you to trick me into calling you big brother?"

"..."

"Are you going to say it or not? If you don't, I'll go back and make trouble!"

A very heavy sigh.

"Big sister."

"Hm?"

"Big Sister Mira."

"I didn't hear that!"

"Big Sister Mirajane."

"R-Really, I have no choice with you~ Since you're begging me so earnestly, Aibo, I'll reluctantly go easier on them from now on~"

"You are not allowed to use magic in the guild."

"Hm?!"

"...Big Sister Mira, you are not allowed to use magic in the guild from now on."

"Okay~"

"Big Sister Mira, don't defy the master in the guild."

"No problem~"

"Big Sister Mira, get out of my house right now. Go apologize to the master and Erza, then learn to control your Take Over Magic."

"I don't want to apologize to Erza!"

"Big. Sister. Mira?"

"I'll listen to everything you say~~~"

Mirajane left Little Garden humming a tune.

Mirajane happily apologized to Makarov.

Mirajane apologized to Erza without expression.

Mirajane began practicing magic.

Mirajane suddenly realized something was wrong! Had Aibo used mind-control magic on her just now!? Why did she seem possessed!? She was not that easy a woman!!!

Mirajane remembered what Aibo had called her.

Forget it. He had called her big sister already, so what else could she do? She could only listen to him.

Mirajane completely mastered Take Over Magic, ending a pleasant day.