"Mira-nee isn't a bad person, nor is she a demon. She only became like this because she defeated the demon in the church to save everyone!."
Though pulled behind Mira, Lisanna turned her head and looked at Raizel with a firm gaze as she explained.
Elfman also ran to Mira's side.
"I know, this is Take Over Magic." Raizel calmly averted his gaze from Mira's right hand.
"I use Take Over Magic as well." Raizel performed a Take Over with his right hand, manifesting the Garuru Cannon to show Mira, Lisanna, and Elfman.
Take Over Magic allows the user to take over the power of monsters or animals and use it for themselves.
It is divided into [Partial Take Over], which only takes over a part of the target's body, and [Full-Body Take Over], which completely takes over the target.
Raizel exited the Take Over state and first explained to the three of them what Take Over Magic was.
Raizel was capable of Partial Take Over, but Partial Take Over wasn't as cool as Full-Body Take Over.
If it weren't for the explanation, he couldn't be bothered to do it.
"But yours is rather special. You took over a demon."
Hearing the word 'demon', Mira's entire body seemed to freeze...
After recovering, she took a couple of slight steps back, stretching out a hand to protect Lisanna and Elfman behind her.
Mira took a few deep breaths.
First, she looked at her own right hand, then, seeing that Raizel didn't seem to despise or want to attack her, she asked hesitantly, "Can... can this be cured?"
"Raizel, what happened?" Ultear, Erza, Kagura, and Wendy ran out of the bushes, having followed Raizel's flight path.
"There's a girl here who used Take Over Magic on a demon," Raizel explained, tilting his head toward the siblings.
The group looked at Mira.
Mira immediately hid her right hand under her cloak. She bit her lip, looking down. She hated being stared at.
She hated being a freak.
"I've never seen anyone who could take over a demon before." Ultear frowned, staring at the right hand hidden under Mira's robe.
There was no hostility in her eyes, only curiosity.
"My Royal Knight Take Over is also one of a kind. It's not that strange." Raizel spoke up to soothe the somewhat tense Erza and Kagura, but it was also a comfort to Mira, wanting to tell her this wasn't a big deal.
There was even a "War Princess" like Dimaria Yesta who could take over the God of Time.
Wendy blinked.
She thought the arm looked a bit scary, but she didn't sense any bad intentions from Mira, so she stayed calm.
"The demon you absorbed is powerful," Raizel analyzed. "You can't control it yet, so it keeps manifesting on your arm. Once you learn to master the magic, you can make it disappear or appear at will."
"Master it? No!" Mira shook her head violently, covering her face with her left hand. "I don't want to control it! I want it gone! Can you make it leave my body?"
Recalling the malice from the villagers, she had gone to the church alone precisely because she wanted to help them, yet she felt no gratitude from the villagers—only hostility.
Shaking her head was her attempt to drive these images from her mind.
"The power limits of Take Over Magic when Taking Over monsters versus animals are different. I can sense that the demon potential within you is exceptionally high." Raizel was essentially lying, in truth, he couldn't actually sense it at all.
"But I don't want to be some demon! I've had enough of being discriminated against!!!" Mira lowered her head, closed her eyes, and clenched her fists so tightly that her body began to tremble.
She desperately wanted to vent her anger, but she knew well that these people before her had nothing to do with her struggles.
She shouldn't take her frustrations out on them.
Lisanna and Elfman each held one of her arms, and gradually, Mira calmed down a little.
"What's your name?" Raizel didn't respond to Mira's outburst, instead asking her name in a calm tone.
"Mirajane Strauss." Mira took a slow, deep breath before speaking her name.
"Mira, may I call you that?" Raizel first sought Mira's consent, and after she nodded, he continued.
"I won't give you a speech about how power is good or bad," Raizel said softly. "But I believe that as thinking beings, we choose how to use our power."
He looked her in the eye.
"The fact that you absorbed a demon is done. You can't change that. But whether you act like a demon is up to you."
He paused.
"I'll ask just one question: Have you ever used that hand to harm an innocent person?"
As he spoke, Raizel casually sat down on the ground and patted the earth, signaling for Erza and the others to sit as well.
His main intention was to show that he meant no harm to Mira.
"No." The three Strauss siblings watched as Erza and the others sat down, then they too took a seat.
Mira's slightly tense expression relaxed, and she shook her head.
"Even when the villagers threw stones at her and called her a demon, Mira-nee never fought back," Lisanna added, explaining on Mira's behalf.
Hearing this, Erza's expression darkened.
She clenched her fist.
Erza, who had only known kindness in her village, couldn't imagine such cruelty.
'To protect them while being hated... she is strong,' Erza thought.
"See?" Raizel leaned back against a tree, relaxing his posture. "There are bad humans and good humans. Demons are no different. Just use your power correctly."
"Demons can be good and bad too..." Mira murmured softly, still not entirely convinced.
Though her voice was quiet, Raizel still heard her.
"Of course. We have demon friends, don't we, Ultear?" Raizel turned his head to ask Ultear beside him.
"Galuna Island... It's been a long time since we've been there." Ultear lifted her head, recalling the villagers of Galuna Island—how they turned back into demons, spread their wings, and flew into the sky.
Even in their demonic forms, Ultear felt they were no different from ordinary people.
Kagura, Erza, and Wendy, who had never been there, listened with curiosity in their eyes.
"Besides, not everyone dislikes demons. I'm certain there are people who would like them." Raizel slightly raised his head, gazing at the leaves and branches above.
Mira leaned forward slightly as a sudden glimmer of light appearing in her eyes.
...
"Take Over: Jesmon."
Raizel summoned the Blade Spirits. "Go catch Natsu. Bring him here. Fast."
The spirits zoomed off.
A minute later, screaming could be heard approaching rapidly.
"RAIZEL! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! I WAS EATING!!! WHY DID YOU DRAG ME HERE?!"
Natsu was being carried by the Three Sword Spirits, kicking and punching in mid-air while spitting fire as he spoke.
"I'll treat you to a big meal when we get back."
Natsu instantly quieted down in mid-air, putting on an "I'm very well-behaved" expression.
He had witnessed Raizel's generosity before - he could eat as much as he wanted.
Natsu was dropped two meters in front of Mira, landing in an ORZ position.
Sniff. Sniff.
His nose twitched, "What a strange smell."
This scent was peculiar - a human smell mixed with something he'd never encountered before.
He even felt it was slightly similar to his own, but only a little, not much.
"Mira, please extend your hand."
Watching Natsu's posture, Raizel didn't know whether to be angry or amused as he twitched the corner of his mouth.
Mira mentally prepared herself and slowly extended her hand.
"COOL!!!" Natsu suddenly scrambled on all fours to position himself in front of Mira, circling around her right hand.
'You're using the wrong lines, Natsu! That's Jason's catchphrase!!!'
'And what kind of posture is that? You're human, for goodness sake!'
Raizel, Erza, and Ultear were mentally screaming these complaints.
"These claws, with the spikes - so cool! Can you teach me this? I really want to learn it!"
Mira was somewhat startled by Natsu's enthusiasm, leaning her upper body back slightly.
She wasn't really bothered though.
While Natsu's actions were indeed quite rude, she could feel that Natsu genuinely liked her arm.
For her, this was much better than being looked at with disgust and fear - she had endured enough of those looks over the past few months.
"Alright, you look absolutely ridiculous like that, Natsu." Raizel walked over, grabbed Natsu by the collar, and tossed him aside.
"So, what did I tell you? There would be people who like it." Raizel's lips curved slightly upward, revealing a faint, gentle smile.
"Thank you." Mira stood up and solemnly expressed her gratitude to both Raizel and Natsu.
"How about joining our Guild? Fairy Tail." Raizel raised his left hand, showing the Guild Mark to the three of them.
Mira blinked.
She reached into her bag and pulled out a crumpled copy of Sorcerer Weekly.
"I... I was actually coming to find you. I saw this magazine. I thought Fairy Tail might be able to help me."
Raizel looked at the cover.
It was the photo of him, Gildarts, and Laxus.
He smiled.
"So that's how the butterfly wings flap," he muttered.
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