Chapter 58: Operation Win Over Mirajane—Begin!
In the days that followed, Mirajane came to deeply experience the legendary warmth and enthusiasm of Fairy Tail.
And that "warmth"… was almost entirely coming from one very peculiar red-haired girl.
As she walked down the main streets of Magnolia, Mirajane suddenly stopped and turned her head sharply—only to see that same redhead hastily dive behind a nearby stall to hide.
"…"
Mirajane clenched her demon arm into a tight fist, visibly resisting the urge to go back and punch something.
At that moment, she found herself not hating her powers as much as usual. Maybe… this kind of strength could be useful, like, say, when she needed to beat someone over the head.
"What's wrong, Mira-nee?"
Lisanna tilted her head, also looking curiously behind them. She didn't spot Erza, though, so she turned back with a puzzled look.
"…It's nothing. Let's go."
Mirajane exhaled slowly and continued on her way back toward the Fairy Tail guildhall, choosing to ignore that stalker for now.
From the moment she left the dormitory, that girl—Erza—had been tailing her nonstop. Every day, without fail. The second Mirajane stepped foot outside the guild or her dorm, Erza would show up like some relentless tracking hound.
There had been multiple occasions where Mirajane nearly snapped and confronted the girl: Why the hell are you following me?!
Normally, she wouldn't care. Let her follow—Mirajane would just ignore her. But lately, the situation was different.
She'd made up her mind. She was going to leave Fairy Tail.
And thanks to Erza constantly sticking to her like glue, she hadn't found a single chance to sneak away.
Mirajane wanted to slip out quietly—not exactly like a ninja in the night, but at least without Lisanna and Elfman noticing.
But with Erza tracking her every move, the whole plan was falling apart.
Worse still, if Erza ever found out she was planning to leave, she'd definitely rat her out to Lisanna and Elfman. That was practically guaranteed.
And the worst part? Lisanna and Elfman had already bonded so well with the guild. They'd made friends. They'd adapted.
Erza seemed to get along with them, too.
"Looks like I'll have to talk to her directly."
Mirajane sighed internally.
At this rate, if she didn't have a serious conversation with Erza, she'd never escape Fairy Tail for the rest of her life.
Back at the guild, Mirajane reunited with Elfman, and she brought Lisanna in as well. After that, she handed them both over to Moen for their scheduled magic lesson.
Her gaze lingered briefly on Moen's bright, cheerful face.
…Could she really trust him to take care of Lisanna and Elfman?
"Mirajane? Is something wrong? Do I have something on my face?"
Moen rubbed his cheek awkwardly. Mirajane had been staring at him so intently that it was starting to get awkward.
Normally, she wouldn't even look people in the eye, let alone gaze at them so directly. Of course Moen sensed something was up.
"She's planning to leave… isn't she?"
He could already read it on her face. That hint of resolve. That faint sadness.
Mirajane blinked and quickly snapped out of it, her cheeks suddenly flushing with color. She just realized how long she'd been staring—like a total idiot.
"N-no… there's nothing…"
She mumbled, then turned on her heel and speed-walked out of the guildhall without looking back.
"…Moen-nii?"
Lisanna and Elfman exchanged a look and then turned toward Moen. Even they could tell something was off.
"It's time. No more waiting. You two are up."
Moen watched Mirajane's figure disappear, then turned back to the siblings with a smile.
Thankfully, these two had worked hard. It was finally time to activate the plan.
Lisanna had just successfully completed her first full-body Take Over transformation—using "Beast Soul: Cat."
A beginner-friendly form, but already enough to let her fully transform into a sleek, agile "cat girl."
Elfman had successfully performed a partial Take Over with "Beast Soul: Black Bear."
Unlike Lisanna's nimble "Cat," his form leaned heavily toward raw strength—higher in difficulty and combat power.
He couldn't manage a full transformation just yet, so he settled for "Beast Arm: Black Bear," which let him morph one of his arms into a burly black bear's paw.
"More than enough."
Moen was confident. Everything was falling into place, and the plan was about to reach its most crucial step.
"What should we do next, Moen-nii?"
Elfman asked eagerly, his expression serious but fired up.
Despite his growing strength, he didn't try to rush ahead. Instead, he turned to Moen for instruction—after nearly a month of lessons, that had become second nature.
Moen couldn't help but chuckle.
Even at a moment like this, this guy still wanted exact directions? What did he expect—step-by-step scripts on what to say?
"This is the part where you stop asking me."
He smiled, ruffling both of their heads.
"Go after her. Say what you really feel. Tell her everything you've been holding back—what you want her to know. If you speak from the heart, she'll listen. She will be moved."
Everything had been set up. All that remained… was honesty.
"Yes, Moen-nii! We'll do our best!"
Elfman and Lisanna shared a determined glance, gave each other a nod, and then dashed off after their sister.
Moen wasn't worried they'd lose track of her.
After all, right after Mirajane walked out, Erza had followed closely behind.
"By now, Erza's probably already cut her off."
Moen didn't follow. He had already done all he could. What happened next was out of his hands.
If everything worked out, fantastic.
If not… well, forcing it wouldn't help. Some things had to happen naturally.
On a quiet street in Magnolia, Mirajane turned her head to look back.
Behind her, Fairy Tail stood bathed in warm sunlight, its iconic guild emblem glimmering in the light.
"What a beautiful guild…"
"Elfman, Lisanna… they'll be happy here."
"They don't need me anymore…"
She whispered those words to herself. Despite always keeping her distance, she had come to love Fairy Tail during this past month.
She could feel the warmth of it all—the camaraderie, the bond.
Even if she hadn't been part of it, she could see how much her siblings had changed.
"Magic… demons… this kind of power…"
"I never wanted it in the first place."
"I'm not even human anymore, am I? No wonder everyone hates me."
The memories of scorn and rejection surged up again.
Her heart hardened. The decision to leave became final.
But just then—
"Mirajane! Stop right there! "
A sharp voice rang out.
Erza stepped out from hiding and moved swiftly to block Mirajane's path.
"What's wrong with this power?!"
"If it's a power you can use to protect your family—why throw it away?!"
"Or… are you saying you'll lose control of it?"
Erza stared her down, eyes firm, voice steady.
She couldn't understand—why would someone willingly abandon a power that had been used to protect the ones they loved?
Wasn't that… something to be proud of?
"Then why the hell do you even care?!"
Mirajane finally snapped, her head snapping up, eyes blazing with frustration.
She glared at Erza.
"…You're not even close to me! We're practically strangers! Why are you butting into my life?!"