Hughes Awakens

"Young lady, you need to tell the truth. A misdiagnosis can be very dangerous," Porlyusica scolded.

She wasn't a mage and couldn't sense magic power. She had trusted Mira and assessed Hughes's condition based on what Mira had said. Mira had nearly ruined her reputation.

Porlyusica hurriedly examined Hughes carefully from head to toe again.

"Hey, Porlyusica, Mira wasn't wrong. Hughes really can use magic very similar to Fire Element Magic, but he doesn't have a magic source in his body."

Makarov, do you even hear yourself?

The expression on Porlyusica's face was so obvious that Makarov knew what she meant without her saying a word. He raised a hand to stop her.

"Don't be hasty. Hear me out first!"

"Mira awakened Take Over Magic on her own and took a demon into her body. That fits with what we know."

Porlyusica nodded. That was indeed a characteristic of Take Over Magic.

"But Hughes is different. According to Mira, Hughes ate the demon, and only then did he gain fire magic."

Mira nodded too. That was what Hughes had told her.

Porlyusica had examined Hughes's body and immediately argued, "That's impossible. This boy's physique may be extraordinary, but he's still human at his core, not a demon.

"Based on what you told me earlier, the demons Mira and Hughes encountered were both artificial demons. Artificial demons are bound to contain Magic Barrier Particles.

"They're deadly to ordinary people and mages alike. If Hughes had eaten a demon, he couldn't possibly have survived this long."

Porlyusica paused briefly and cast a suspicious glance at Mira, whose lips were pressed together, and the unconscious Hughes.

The facts were plain to see. One of them was lying, or both of them were.

"Besides, demons use Curses. Curses and magic are two different systems. Even if Hughes had devoured a demon, what he awakened should have been a Curse, not magic."

Porlyusica's further words pierced Mira's heart like an arrow. She stared blankly at Hughes. She couldn't believe that Hughes, whom she had spent so much time with, would lie to her.

Makarov shook his head. "The power in Hughes isn't a Curse. I can sense curse power, that evil power."

Golden light rose from Makarov, and the guild emblems on Mira's and Hughes's right forearms shone in response.

"But the power in Hughes isn't magic either. Though it's very similar, it's a system of power that has never existed in Earth-land."

Makarov's two casually spoken remarks shocked Porlyusica. "Is he from another world too?"

In Fairy Tail's setting, there were multiple worlds, and some had completely different systems of power.

The world Makarov lived in was Earth-land, a world where magic was used. Porlyusica, whom he had known for decades, came from Edolas, a world where humans had no magic source in their bodies, much like Hughes.

She had appeared in Earth-land by chance decades ago because of an accident.

"But Hughes probably isn't from Edolas either!" Through someone in the guild, Makarov knew quite a lot about Edolas.

It was a completely ordinary world!

Hughes's unique system of power meant he could never have come from Edolas.

"Someone from another world!" Porlyusica's voice was low and tinged with disappointment.

Mira, who was equally shocked by Hughes's origins, had blue eyes that shone like the light bulb overhead. She peered curiously at Hughes, her gaze as if trying to see right through him.

She had never imagined Hughes was from another world. Another world!

...Another world??

Mira suddenly came to her senses. The curiosity faded from her eyes, and she looked down at the medicine in her hands. "Granny Porlyusica, will this medicine still work on Hughes?"

Mira's sudden question brought Makarov and Porlyusica back to their senses as well.

"It'll be fine, but it treats the symptoms, not the cause. In the end, it'll still depend on Hughes himself."

Porlyusica had wanted to say something more, but considering that she knew nothing about Hughes's system of power, she held her tongue.

"Mira, don't worry! The world of magic is vast. There'll be a way to get Hughes back to normal, just like Laxus back then," Makarov said firmly.

Porlyusica shot him a slightly exasperated glance. Were the two situations even comparable?

Mira gripped the medicine tightly. She didn't know who Laxus was, but she knew Hughes wouldn't have another episode for the time being.

"All right, Hughes can stay here for now, and Mira can stay to look after him. Makarov, why haven't you gone back yet? Your guild might get torn down if you're not careful."

Porlyusica had started to see him out, but those words made Makarov a little uncomfortable.

Makarov rubbed his nose. "Before I came, Macao and the others had already torn the guild down..."

Porlyusica: ∑(O_O;)

"Then, Mira, I'll leave Hughes to you. I'll go find people to rebuild the guild. Once Hughes wakes up, bring him over."

Mira nodded.

The last rays of the setting sun carried a touch of warmth, but were also somewhat dazzling. They fell at an angle across the sickbed, speckling Hughes's face with light as he slowly opened his eyes.

The unfamiliar surroundings and his groggy head left Hughes somewhat confused.

Hughes lay in the sickbed and thought for a long time before he recalled what had happened before he lost consciousness.

He raised his noticeably different right hand, and the blue guild emblem on his arm took him by surprise.

Had I joined Fairy Tail?

"You have a tattoo. You can't pass the interview!"

The words suddenly flashed through his mind, making Hughes shudder for no apparent reason.

Oh, this life is ruined. Taking the civil service exam and finding a job will both be difficult now!

Oh! I have a mental illness, so both were pipe dreams to begin with, and I've even transmigrated to another world... Never mind, then.

While Hughes was still in the mood to amuse himself, the door to the sickroom was gently pushed open. Mira walked in carrying a basin of water, wearing a pink dress with her white hair tied in a high ponytail.

She looked up and saw that Hughes was awake. She froze for a moment, and the weariness on her face faded.

"You're awake?"

"Yeah, I feel pretty good!"

"That's good!" The white-haired girl with the ponytail set the washbasin down beneath the sickbed and abandoned her intention of washing Hughes's body.

"Mira, where are we?"

The white-haired girl stood beside the bed, blocking the glaring sunlight from Hughes. She parted her lips and softly told him everything that had happened after he lost consciousness, one thing at a time.

Hughes listened while thinking, then raised a finger and pointed at her arm.

"Yours is blue too! I thought you'd get a white guild emblem."

"Wait... Why did you put it on your right hand?" Hughes shot upright and grabbed her shoulders with both hands, utterly shocked.

In his memory, Mira's guild emblem was supposed to be on her thigh.

This is bad. The plot was starting to diverge from his memories, and Hughes felt uneasy.

With him so close, the white-haired girl turned her head slightly, and her voice grew much quieter.

"It's just a guild emblem. It's not a big deal, is it?"

As she spoke, she gradually lowered her head, making her expression hard to see.