Chapter 55: The Right Thing to Do
"Brother Moen, do you mean... we can learn magic too?!"
Lisanna's big round eyes widened in surprise as she stared at Moen in disbelief.
After Elfman explained Moen's idea to her, the young girl had instantly agreed to learn Take Over magic—without the slightest hesitation.
Deep down, Lisanna had always felt guilty toward her sister Mirajane. When she first saw her sister's transformed arm, she had been afraid—and that fear still made her feel ashamed whenever she thought about it.
So now, when she finally had the chance to make up for it, Lisanna grabbed hold like it was a lifeline—something she couldn't afford to let slip away. Her eyes sparkled with hope as she looked at Moen, afraid he might say no.
"Let's start with meditation."
Moen didn't give her a definite answer—because he honestly wasn't sure.
Logically speaking, there was no reason why Elfman and Lisanna wouldn't at least be able to sense magic.
After all, their older sister Mirajane was a prodigy who had awakened her magic without formal training. As her full-blooded siblings, Elfman and Lisanna should have inherited at least some magical potential.
Magical talent could be hereditary. Laxus was living proof of that. Very few children of mages were completely unable to use magic—though their aptitude might vary greatly.
That was why Moen had even suggested this approach in the first place.
Still, he couldn't make any promises. What if—just what if—both of them turned out to be "Muggles"? That would be a joke too cruel even for fate.
"We'll try our best!"
Despite Moen's vague reply, Lisanna didn't seem discouraged. She and her brother Elfman were both determined. They were going to hold on tight to this chance they had been given.
Such pure and beautiful feelings…
Watching the two of them, Moen couldn't help but feel moved. These three siblings, bound together through hardship, were willing to give their all for each other.
"You'll make it," Moen said reassuringly.
"Calm your minds… and just feel."
He led the two of them into the guild's quiet meditation room, guiding them through the process of sensing magic and locating the source of magic within their own bodies.
Meditating to sense magic was a slow, deliberate process. It wasn't something that could be rushed. Moen had never done it himself—his own "magic" had come from his awakening into the [Saint Seiya System]—but this was how others had described it to him.
Inside the still room, Lisanna and Elfman sat quietly, following Moen's instructions and focusing intently on their meditation.
Not long after, Elfman suddenly jumped up, his face lit with excitement.
"Hm?"
Moen blinked at him, a bit confused. The boy looked ecstatic—could it be he had already sensed magic?
"Brother Moen! I can feel it—I can feel the magic inside me!"
Elfman clenched his fists, trembling with joy.
Moen chuckled softly and shook his head. He couldn't sense any magical energy coming from Elfman yet.
"Easy now. Take your time. You haven't quite stepped through the door just yet."
He gestured for Elfman to sit back down and continue meditating. Still, he felt relieved. Elfman definitely had magical potential—it was just a matter of time now. The boy had already sensed the presence of magic, and that was what set mages apart from ordinary people.
All things in the world contained magic. Every living person had magic within them—even magic and life force were closely intertwined.
The one true dividing line between a mage and a "muggle"… was whether you could sense that magic.
And Elfman was already standing at the threshold. He just needed one more step.
"Yes, Moen-bro!"
Elfman obediently sat back down and resumed meditating. Compared to his sister, he clearly had a slight edge in terms of talent. Lisanna, meanwhile, was still frowning in concentration, working hard to find that elusive feeling.
Even if Lisanna failed to sense magic today, it didn't matter anymore. As long as one of the two siblings could learn Take Over magic, the effect on Mirajane would be just as impactful.
Moen stood watch at the door of the meditation room, guarding it like a sentinel. He wasn't about to let anyone barge in and interrupt the siblings' meditation—not when his task depended on it. As far as he was concerned, the room was his for the day.
At one point, Natsu and Gray came tumbling over, roughhousing as usual.
BAM!
THUD!
Each of them received a swift kick from Moen and went flying backward.
The two boys, now sprawled on the floor, looked utterly baffled. Normally, Moen didn't interfere when they fought—so why today?
"Whatever! Let's just fight him instead!"
Natsu, having been booted halfway across the corridor, jumped back up, itching for a battle. His fighting spirit had been lit—and he wanted to take on Moen.
POW!
CRACK!
Before he could get close, Moen hit him with a clean punch, knocking stars into Natsu's eyes. He collapsed face-first on the ground, completely out cold.
"Drag him out of here," Moen said, looking over at the stunned Gray.
"Y-Yes, Brother Moen!"
Without another word, Gray grabbed one of Natsu's legs and began dragging him away in a hurry. As they passed the corridor, they brushed right past a cloaked girl—Mirajane.
Gray glanced at her briefly. There was something about this strange, quiet girl that reminded him of when Erza had first arrived at the guild.
Still, Gray didn't think too deeply about it. Moen's got this, he thought. He handled Erza. He'll figure this one out too.
Meanwhile, Mirajane peeked out from under her hood, watching the two boys disappear around the corner.
Even in her withdrawn, shut-in state… she still thought those two were absolute weirdos.
She began questioning her decision again. Was staying here really the right move?
Is it really okay to leave Lisanna and Elfman in a place like this?
Haunted by uncertainty, Mirajane made her way over to where Moen stood guarding the meditation room.
Since Moen was noticeably taller than average for his age, she had to tilt her head up slightly to meet his gaze from beneath her cloak.
"Where are Lisanna and Elfman?" she asked softly.
She had seen Elfman bring Lisanna along earlier, and they'd been gone for quite a while. A flicker of unease stirred in her heart.
"They're inside. I'm guiding them through meditation—helping them see if they've got the talent for magic. After all, we are a guild for mages," Moen replied, smiling warmly at her.
He didn't see any reason to hide it—it would be difficult to keep it a secret anyway.
Lisanna and Elfman would be gone for extended periods while studying magic, so there had to be a good explanation. Telling the truth would avoid suspicion. All they had to hide was the type of magic—Take Over.
That part would be easy: just have them keep saying they were still meditating, not yet ready to start magic training.
"...Meditation. Magic…"
Mirajane lowered her head again, avoiding Moen's smile. Her hand—the one transformed by demonic power—tightened into a fist, then slowly relaxed.
Even though she hated this so-called Take Over magic… she understood that what Moen was doing was for them. For Lisanna. For Elfman.
"…Thank you."
Her body shrank slightly into her cloak, and her voice was so soft that Moen almost thought he imagined it.