Chapter 59: So This Is the Real Mirajane!

“It was Mo En who told me to do this.”

Faced with Mirajane’s question, Erza paused, then answered honestly, immediately naming Mo En.

“Mo En.”

Mirajane also froze—this answer was far from what she expected.

“He knew Itachi’d leave.”

Erza continued, seeing no reason to hide it; Mo En had never told her to keep quiet.

“He’s meddling.”

Mirajane felt deflated—her thoughts had been seen through all along.

Yet even as she grumbled “meddling,” deep inside, the feeling of being watched over, cared for, moved her deeply—Mo En had truly helped her family so much.

In Mirajane’s mind, Mo En’s earlier words echoed again.

“Once Itachi join the guild, we’re family.”

It sounded like empty politeness, but Mo En clearly wasn’t joking—Mirajane’s expression grew complex.

Mo En’s care and guidance for Lisanna and Elfman, and his attention to her…

“Sis! Mirajane!”

A familiar voice reached Mirajane’s ears, and she sighed softly.

Of course—Lisanna and Elfman had come.

Mirajane turned to face her siblings; Elfman and Lisanna ran toward her with smiles, not frantic, as if they didn’t know she was leaving.

“Mirajane, look, look—we’ve got a surprise for Itachi!”

Standing before Mirajane, Lisanna in her pink dress beamed happily.

“It’s gonna shock Itachi!”

Elfman, in his blue suit, white shirt, and red bowtie, dressed neatly, also grinned.

Both carried Mo En’s words tightly in their hearts.

Don’t overthink it—just express your feelings sincerely!

“One, two, three—change!”

Elfman and Lisanna activated their magic together; magic surged, and their bodies transformed rapidly.

“Soul of the Beast: Cat!”

Lisanna’s transformation was greater—cat ears sprouted on her head, a black-and-white striped tail grew behind her, her hands and feet became cat paws, turning her entirely into a cute white-furred cat-girl.

“Soul of the Beast: Bear! But only my arm can change, heh.”

As for Elfman, only his right arm transformed—turning into a thick, furry black bear arm, massive and clawed, radiating raw combat power.

“See, Mirajane! We can use Acceptance Magic too!”

After casting the spell, Elfman and Lisanna proudly showed off their transformations to Mirajane.

“How is this possible!”

Mirajane was genuinely shocked—her expression stunned, this scene utterly beyond anything she’d imagined.

“Mo En taught us—same magic as Itachi, Mirajane!”

Lisanna explained happily, mentioning Mo En’s name again.

Even without Lisanna saying it, Mirajane could guess—they’d been training under Mo En all along.

Looking at her silly-smiling siblings, Mirajane’s eyes shimmered with tears.

But she fought to hold them back—as the eldest, raising her siblings alone, she never cried in front of them; she always appeared fiercely strong, so no one would dare bully them.

“Why…”

Mirajane held back her tears, her shoulders trembling slightly.

“Because Itachi’ve always been so lonely—now Itachi won’t be alone anymore!”

“We’re a family—we’ll stay together forever, and we’ll use the same magic too!”

Lisanna and Elfman voiced their feelings; their purest emotions were the most powerful of all.

“Itachi don’t have to use demonic power if Itachi don’t want to—just like Itachi used that power to protect us before, now we’ll use magic to protect Itachi! I’ll be a real man and protect Itachi and Lisanna!”

Elfman spoke seriously—he wasn’t good with emotional words, but he knew he couldn’t shy away now; Mo En’s encouragement burned in his heart.

“Yeah! Lisanna will protect Itachi too!”

Lisanna nodded vigorously, her cat ears twitching.

“Elfman… Lisanna…”

Looking at her siblings, Mirajane’s tears finally spilled—her heart was changing.

Mirajane extended her arm—the demonic one included—and opened her arms wide, embracing tightly with Elfman, whose arm was now a giant bear paw, and Lisanna, transformed into a cat-girl; all three had tears in their eyes.

Erza watched from the side, smiling, but her eyes held envy—for the bond of Mirajane’s family.

“Looks like we succeeded.”

A voice interrupted Erza’s thoughts; she turned in surprise to see Mo En’s smiling face.

“When did Itachi get here?”

Erza was startled—she’d been so absorbed watching Mirajane’s family, she hadn’t noticed Mo En approaching.

“Just arrived.”

Mo En walked beside Erza, standing with her, his gaze fixed on the hugging, crying family.

Though he’d thought coming along would do no good, he couldn’t help following—luckily, Elfman and Lisanna hadn’t let him down; their heartfelt display was far more convincing than any words.

Just by Mirajane’s current state, it was clear—her mindset would change dramatically.

“Mo En!”

Mo En’s appearance caught Lisanna’s attention; she cried out joyfully, her face filled with gratitude—Mo En’s idea had changed Mirajane.

Hearing Lisanna call Mo En’s name while she was hugged, Mirajane released her siblings and quickly wiped her tears.

She stood up, facing Mo En and Erza.

Looking at Mo En, Mirajane’s expression was deeply complex—he was her age, yet he gave her the feeling of a warm older brother, a sense of being cared for and loved, something she’d never known.

“Mo En… thank Itachi for everything.”

Mirajane bowed deeply to Mo En; she could no longer remain silent after receiving such a great kindness.

“It’s no—”

Mo En reached out to stop her from such a formal thanks.

“But!”

Before Mo En could finish, Mirajane straightened up sharply, her voice rising abruptly with a sudden turn.

“Following my every move still makes me furious!”

Mirajane clenched her teeth, fists tight, as if she’d held back too long.

She pointed at Erza, who looked bewildered, and declared:

“Erza, right? Let’s fight!”

“.”

Watching Mirajane’s tough-girl glare, Mo En opened his mouth—wait, sis… so this is what Itachi’re really like?!

(End of Chapter)