Subduing Mahoraga

"Master, I'm back."

"Mm, glad you're back." Makarov looked up from a pile of complaint letters from the Magic Council. "How did your training go?"

"I made some progress." As Blanc spoke, he set the thing on his shoulder down on the counter with a thud.

An entire barrel of wine.

Makarov's eyes narrowed out of habit at first. Then, slowly, a sheen of tears welled up in those tiny eyes.

"B-Blanc..." The old man's voice trembled as he reached shakily for the barrel. "You dear boy... All the care I've shown you wasn't wasted. You actually..."

Back in the royal capital, Blanc had silently promised himself that he would buy the master two months' worth of wine as an apology.

Later, he had stood outside the winery for a while, carefully recalled how much the master could drink, then carefully examined his own purse. In the end, he decided that a single barrel could convey his heartfelt sincerity just fine.

"I picked it up on the way."

"Picked it up?" Makarov's hands paused around the barrel. Once his initial emotion passed and his brain caught up, his touched expression shifted into one of highly professional suspicion.

"Boy, I've been sitting in this guild master's seat for decades. I know exactly what sort of kid would casually lug a barrel of top-quality wine back for his master."

"Out with it. What trouble did you cause out there? How many houses did you demolish? How much money do you owe? Is a summons from the Magic Council already on its way?"

"Nothing. Don't you know how I do things?" Blanc spread his hands innocently.

"True enough. You've never been one to make me worry... Wait! Then why are you treating me to wine this good for no reason?!"

Blanc gave his wording some serious thought, then tentatively reached for the barrel. "Then how about I take it back and treat someone else?"

"In your dreams. Once you've given it to me, it's mine." The old man slapped Blanc's hand away, then turned and shouted at Cana, "Cana, hands off! You're far too young!"

"I just want to smell it!"

"Not even a sniff! Go drink juice, you little brat!"

Taking advantage of the opening, Blanc stepped forward and lowered his voice to get to the point.

"By the way, Master, do you know where I can learn Take Over Magic?"

Makarov paused with his arms around the barrel.

"Take Over? The magic that draws another creature's power into your own body?"

"Yes. Does anyone in the guild know it?"

"No." The master shook his head. "It's rare and difficult to master. I haven't heard of more than a handful of people around Magnolia who can use it."

Blanc was about to sigh when the old man slowly added:

"What do you want to learn Take Over Magic for, anyway?"

"You know I've been looking for ways to shore up my weaknesses in close combat. Recently, I found a very promising creature, so I wanted to learn Take Over to strengthen myself."

Something about that answer seemed to trigger an association in Makarov's mind, and his brows instantly knitted tight.

A moment later, anger gradually spread across his face. As if he had reached the limits of his patience, he jumped up and punched Blanc on the head.

Smack! "You great idiot! Blanc, you're treating magic far too lightly!"

"Ow!" Blanc clutched his head and gave the master an aggrieved look. "Master, why did you hit me?"

"Boy, you don't have enough respect for magic. I don't know what creature you're talking about, but if it's caught your eye, it certainly can't be anything ordinary."

"And powerful creatures aren't something you can simply take over."

"When taking over the soul and power of another powerful creature, a Wizard needs either profound mastery of Take Over Magic or an exceptionally resilient mind to suppress its wild instincts or malice. Without that, your body could mutate at best. At worst, the creature could seize your consciousness and turn you into its puppet."

His face livid, the master launched into an unbroken lecture on the dangers of Take Over Magic.

"This is an extremely dangerous undertaking, yet you think you can take over a powerful creature with magic you've only studied on the side? Have you got a death wish, boy?"

After venting his anger, the master looked at Blanc rubbing his head and continued in an earnest tone.

"You've always been levelheaded and had ideas of your own. I've always trusted you."

"It's good to enjoy studying different kinds of magic, but you must respect unknown powers. Many spells offer tremendous effects while concealing an abyss of a price behind them. I don't want you going astray and becoming so obsessed with magic that you lose yourself."

"With this last-minute approach of yours, the most you could manage would be harmless little animals, like birds or cats. Don't even think about powerful magical creatures."

As the master unleashed his scolding, Blanc felt no anger. Instead, warmth welled up inside him.

He had been hit, yet he couldn't bring himself to resent such wholehearted concern from an elder.

Still, although he fully understood the master's worries, his situation was a little unusual.

An ordinary Wizard trying to take over a powerful magical beast in the wild would indeed have to wage a fierce battle of souls.

But Mahoraga was different. Taking over an unsubdued Mahoraga might be just as dangerous, but Blanc could take a shortcut-first beat him into complete submission in the real world and subdue him!

Once subdued, Mahoraga would become a summoned being who obeyed his will completely.

If he took over a Mahoraga already under his complete control, what struggle of consciousness would there be? There would be almost no risk.

"I'm sorry. I understand the risks now, Master." Blanc took a deep breath, his gaze utterly sincere.

"But please let me try anyway. I'll cautiously test how difficult it is first, and if it proves beyond me, I'll give up."

Makarov stared into Blanc's clear, determined eyes. After a long moment, he could only let out a deep sigh and rub his temples in resignation.

"Hmph, you stubborn boy." Seeing that Blanc understood the risks and still insisted, Makarov reluctantly agreed. "Fine. Since you're so determined, go ahead and try."

"So do you know where I can learn it, Master? There doesn't seem to be any relevant material in the guild library."

Blanc had been a regular visitor to the library over the past two years. Although he hadn't finished many entire magic books, he had a fair idea of what materials were available.

But in the original story, Lisanna and Elfman had both learned Take Over Magic after joining Fairy Tail, so there ought to be a way to study it.

Makarov didn't answer immediately.

He moved the barrel behind the counter, leisurely found a cup, filled it, and took a contented sip before drawling:

"It isn't in the library. Don't bother searching."

Blanc frowned. "The guild has so many books, but not even an introductory one?"

"We have one," Makarov said. "It's locked in my room."

"...Why? The guild library even has ancient texts on magic comparable to super magic. Is it really necessary to hide a book on Take Over Magic?"

"Because, as I just told you, it's far too dangerous for children!" The master's voice lowered, taking on a serious edge.

"So I won't leave something like that where any child can reach it."

Blanc's expression grew a little solemn as he asked tentatively, "Then do you mean I can't learn it?"

"I only said I wouldn't let children study it as they please. Wizards who've earned my approval can learn it."

Makarov set his cup firmly on the counter. "You can learn it, provided you agree to two conditions." He raised two fingers.

"First, your first Take Over must happen right under my nose. I'll personally supervise it!"

"Second, start with a weak creature. If you dare go straight for that 'very promising creature' you mentioned-I'll hang you from the sign outside the guild."

"Yes, yes, I understand!" Blanc nodded obediently.

"Wait here. I'll fetch the materials."

The basics of Take Over Magic weren't particularly difficult. Lisanna and Elfman learning it successfully not long after joining the guild proved as much. The difficulty lay in developing deeper mastery afterward and possessing enough mental strength to suppress the wild instincts or malice of the creature being taken over.

After studying for a while, Blanc successfully grasped the fundamentals of Take Over Magic and completed his first experiment under the old master's supervision.

Originally, Blanc had intended to take over an unsubdued Mahoraga. That way, he could gain Mahoraga's power while also summoning him again endlessly to fight for him, without worrying that Mahoraga would disappear after being killed in one hit.

But after hearing the master's warning, Blanc decided it was better to play it safe.

After all, having an extra summoned Mahoraga who couldn't distinguish friend from foe seemed somewhat useful, but not all that useful. He was an optional bonus, not a necessity. There was no reason to take an unnecessary risk.

Thus, Blanc chose to subdue Mahoraga before taking him over, gaining only the enhancement Mahoraga would provide to his own abilities. If that meant losing him as a summon, so be it.

To perform the subjugation, Blanc traveled alone dozens of miles away from Magnolia, arriving at a desolate, utterly deserted stretch of ruins littered with jagged rocks.

Mahoraga's traits meant that subduing him required magic powerful enough to kill him instantly in a single strike.

Although Mahoraga's combat strength probably wouldn't rank among the very best in Fairy Tail, even without any adaptations, he should have been more than capable of matching an S-Class Mage.

His exact upper limit was uncertain. After all, he had never appeared in Fairy Tail.

To prevent any mishaps, Blanc decided to go all out. If he misjudged the force required and allowed Mahoraga to adapt to his magic, he would be in serious trouble.

And if he was going all out, he couldn't do it near the guild. The impact would be far too great, leaving him no choice but to head somewhere deserted.

Blanc took a deep breath and began preparing to subdue Mahoraga, clapping his hands together.

"Wood Release: Wooden Human Technique!"

"Wood Release: Wooden Dragon Technique!"

"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees!"

"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!"

Blanc cast four colossal spells in succession.

A hundred-meter-tall giant stood silently upon the earth, its immense presence making the ground itself tremble.

A wooden dragon no smaller than the giant coiled around its body, baring its fangs and claws as though ready to devour everything. Its enormous tail was rooted in the earth like an arm of the giant, casting the entire forest beneath its shadow.

The once-barren clearing was instantly covered in forest as enormous trees burst from the ground, forming dense woodland.

Countless enormous flowers blossomed upon the trees, releasing strange, vividly colored poisonous fumes that shrouded the entire forest in their scent.

He had created the forest and its poisonous atmosphere to immobilize Mahoraga in an instant, then move his own body away before having the wooden giant and dragon attack directly.

Standing before the wooden giant, Blanc surveyed his preparations and nodded in satisfaction.

"Mm... Battlefield magic, restraint, deadly poison, single-target burst damage-all maxed out. If this still can't finish him in one hit, I'll have to run and fetch the master."

Blanc wiped nonexistent sweat from his forehead and muttered:

"The wooden giant does look a little rough, though. It'd be nice if it looked cooler. I'll think about how to improve it later. For now, let's begin the actual subjugation." Blanc's Wood Release was an imitation created through magic in the first place, so he could change its form however he pleased.

"Furube, yurayura, Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga!"

An enormous, deathly pale figure emerged from the shadows, bearing two pairs of winglike compound eyes and a sacred wheel above his head. His presence sent a chill deep into the marrow.

The moment he appeared, he attacked Blanc. Already prepared, Blanc controlled the surrounding trees and vines, binding Mahoraga tightly.

Then he used magic to make a massive vine carry him onto the wooden giant's head.

Next, the wooden giant's fist, the wooden dragon's claws, and the surrounding trees and vines all slammed into Mahoraga together.

The powerful attacks shook the earth. Violent waves of energy spread in every direction, uprooting countless trees and tearing the ground apart. Billowing dust blotted out the sky and sun, making the entire battlefield look as though the apocalypse had arrived.

The attack ended.

Only after a long while did the dust filling the sky gradually settle.

Where Mahoraga had stood, all that remained was a hundred-meter-wide crater whose bottom lay out of sight.

There was no suspense. Mahoraga had been killed instantly, and the subjugation was complete.

"Phew." Blanc let out a long breath, wiped the dust from his face, and sighed with feeling. "Now that was one thoroughly satisfying battle!"