Chapter 54: Moen's Plan
"It was Natsu and Gray—those two brats got into a fight first thing in the morning, and the dorm ended up like this."
As Moen arrived, Reinhardt—the guild's defensive magic array master—looked up from his repairs and explained the situation.
"Reinhardt-ossan? Wait... you know how to do this kind of stuff?!"
Only after hearing his voice did Moen realize the burly man in a worker's outfit, hammering away at the damaged building, was none other than Reinhardt.
"Heh, in this line of work, you gotta have some practical skills to make ends meet."
Reinhardt chuckled heartily. And he wasn't really joking—less powerful mages really did need a second trade to support themselves.
Moen rolled his eyes. He didn't buy the "earning a living" excuse. Reinhardt wasn't weak—far from it. He was doing this purely out of passion. That's just how people in Fairy Tail were—quirky hobbies were par for the course.
Moen looked up and inspected the gaping hole in the building. Yep—right where Natsu and Gray's rooms were. Figures.
"This… this kind of damage is even possible?!"
Elfman stood next to him, visibly swallowing hard. He looked concerned—understandably so. A building with holes punched in it from a brawl didn't exactly scream "safe housing."
"Don't worry, they know their limits. You won't be caught in the crossfire."
Moen quickly reassured the boy. The last thing he needed was Elfman getting cold feet and running off on his first day.
Damn you, Natsu! Gray! Always stirring up trouble! And you didn't even bother telling me?! Afraid I'd smack you, huh?!
"I'm not scared, Moen-nii."
Despite his nerves, Elfman didn't back down.
As a man—a proper man—he couldn't let himself get spooked that easily. He wanted to learn magic too. That way, next time someone caused trouble, he could stop them.
"Attaboy."
Moen grinned and gave Elfman a big thumbs-up. This kid had a quiet resilience about him—stronger than he looked.
With his backpack slung over his shoulder, Elfman followed Moen into the dormitory. Even though part of the building was destroyed, the other rooms were still usable.
Soon enough, Moen had him settled in, but he didn't leave right away. Instead, he sat down with Elfman to talk.
"So… has your sister Mirajane always been like this?"
Moen asked, trying to get intel. If he wanted to complete the system's task, he needed to understand the root of her rejection. Know the target, win the mission.
"Not at all. Mira-nee used to be super brave and energetic."
Elfman's expression turned gloomy. His voice was filled with frustration and helplessness.
"At first, when she awakened that Take Over magic… she was fine. She wasn't like this. It was only after the villagers started hating us—after they treated her like a monster—that she began to change. That's when she became so down, so withdrawn…"
Elfman looked Moen in the eye, opening up about their past. There was hope in his gaze—hope that Moen might be able to do something they couldn't.
He and Lisanna had both tried… and failed.
During those nights they spent on the road, the two of them had heard their sister stifling her sobs. They knew—Mira had been suffering silently this whole time. It made them feel powerless.
If there was anyone who could help her return to the way she used to be… Elfman would do anything for that person.
"...I see."
Moen's eyes narrowed as he processed everything Elfman had said.
That's it… There's the key.
A plan was starting to take shape.
The current Mirajane wasn't the real her—she was just a girl tormented by guilt deep within her heart.
And the ones she felt guilty toward… were Lisanna and Elfman.
The reason she hated her "demonic powers" was also because of them.
The three of them—sister, brother, and sister—had grown up depending on one another. Only Lisanna and Elfman could affect her so deeply. She didn't care that much about what strangers thought of her.
She hated herself for her recklessness—for insisting on facing that demon head-on.
She hated this "demonic power," because it was that very power that caused Lisanna and Elfman to be shunned along with her.
She believed everything was her fault—that it was her own stubbornness that turned their lives upside down, robbing her siblings of the difficult but peaceful life they once had.
"Is… is that really how she feels?!"
Elfman was stunned by Moen's insight. But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Given his sister's personality, it was actually very likely she'd see things that way.
"But Lisanna and I never blamed Mira-nee for anything!"
He shot to his feet in a fluster. He wanted to rush off and explain everything to his sister. The three of them had been through everything together—they didn't care whether others liked them or not. As long as they were together, that was enough.
Even if they had to wander the streets, even if they went to bed cold and hungry—they never once felt bitter. They never once resented Mirajane.
"You're right to want to act," Moen nodded. "Now that we've identified the root of the problem, we just need the right solution."
The one who tied the knot must untie it. And in this case, only Lisanna and Elfman had the power to untie the knot in Mirajane's heart.
"I'll go find Mira-nee right now and tell her everything!"
Elfman moved to leave immediately, but Moen held out a hand to stop him.
Words alone were too fragile—they might not be enough to truly change Mirajane's mind.
If they were going to do this, they needed to do it right. Moen wanted to make sure it had a lasting impact—something decisive, something that couldn't be brushed aside.
"Tell me… would you be willing to learn Take Over magic?"
Elfman froze for a second, caught off guard by the question. But then, without hesitation, he nodded.
"Yes! I would!"
The boy wasn't stupid. He instantly understood what Moen was getting at.
If he learned Take Over, and if Lisanna learned it too… then Mirajane might finally stop seeing herself as the reason they ended up ostracized and homeless.
If all three of them had the same kind of magic—and if both he and Lisanna embraced that magic—then maybe, just maybe, Mira-nee would stop rejecting hers too.
"It's a solid plan," Moen said, satisfied. "But we'll have to see whether you and Lisanna actually have the talent for it."
He was feeling good about this strategy. If it worked, it would hit Mirajane right in the heart—and give her no reason left to hate herself.