Capítulo 16: Meeting the Demon
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[X778, 8 months later]
— Dannis Martell —
Rackshaw village, an isolated village in an extremely rural part of Fiore.
I studied the paper with the mission details about the demon lurking in the streets of the village. I certainly didn't mean for it to take this long. But one thing led to another, a bandit hunt that turned into a wild goose chase for a week, exploring some old ruins that popped up on the path leading here, finding a treasure map in those ruins, and going on a treasure hunt for another four months, only for that treasure map to be a dud.
Let me tell you, it's been a very interesting eight months.
But I'm finally here, ready to take down whatever demon decided to hole up in the middle of nowhere. Not that I knew why, there were much better places to set up if this demon wanted to eat humans.
Which probably means that sustainable sustenance in the form of human life isn't the goal.
"Excuse me, I am the mage who has responded to your request to exterminate the demon within the village."
I saw a flash of disappointment across the village chief's face. He was an older man with receding hair and a slightly unkempt beard. I withheld a sigh at dealing with another one of these people who most likely expected adult mages instead of a 16-year-old like me.
Despite obviously not being happy with the current circumstances, the village chief still pointed me in a direction and gave further details.
"The demon lies at the house furthest west of the village. It was originally from the abandoned church near there and has recently possessed the body of a girl. She's a lost cause by now, as are her siblings. You'll probably have to put them down anyway," he said with a dismissive tone.
"The demon already possessed a victim?" I asked with wide eyes. "When did that happen?"
"Just last week. A couple of local hunters tried to kill it, only to be eaten by the demon in the attempt. The same demon then possessed their daughter in retaliation. Hell, that entire family is probably cursed at this point."
I paused, learning of this new development. So there were already victims. Damn it, if only I didn't waste time on pointless jobs, this could have been prevented.
I nodded at the man in a show of understanding. "I'll make sure to finish the job quickly to prevent any more victims."
The chief snorted. "Yeah, you do that."
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— Mirajane Strauss —
They had to leave now.
Mirajane really hated the fact that they were leaving their childhood home, but there was no other choice.
She heard the rumors that the village chief had hired an experienced mage to kill her, the so-called demon that has been harassing the people of Rackshaw Village.
If only the world knew the truth: it was them who had been harassing her and her siblings. Elfman and Lisanna couldn't go ten steps outside their house without being pelted by rocks thrown by the other villagers. They couldn't have a proper meal since people refused to sell to them.
She felt tears in her eyes but forced them away before her siblings could see. They couldn't see her like this; she had to be strong for them. She had to. Ever since that demon killed her parents, she took it upon herself to protect and care for her little brother and sister. No one would harm them while she was alive.
However, she knew she was no match for an experienced mage. Despite her condition, she had no means of controlling it or any capability of defending her siblings.
Which is why they needed to leave.
Her siblings did not question her at all as they quickly packed whatever necessities they needed and left immediately. She hugged her siblings close as they all took one last look at their home before turning away.
They had been walking for two days now. She had already decided their destination was a neighboring town, hopefully one with a person who knew what to do with her demon arm.
It's dangerous making the journey in this manner. The journey to the town would take a week, if they were lucky. If they were lucky enough to not get lost in the wilderness or run into man-eating monsters in the process.
She was scared too, but she had to be brave because she was the oldest. No one else could protect her siblings. If she had to use the demon's power and lose her humanity in the process, then so be it. She would be a demon if it meant keeping her family safe.
Night had fallen, and they had set up camp in an area that she thought was safe. It was the third day of the journey, and she was getting tired. She could tell her siblings were too.
They had no time to stop since they knew the mage was hunting them, so none of them had gotten a good chance to rest. Mirajane knew they couldn't continue like this, but she didn't know what else to do.
It was then that the sound of rustling bushes caught their attention. Mirajane immediately pulled her siblings behind her as a boy appeared from the dense foliage.
He had black hair and heterochromatic eyes, a trait she would find interesting under different circumstances. He wore a long-sleeved black coat highlighted with gold stripes on the collar over the same-colored shirt and pants. He was smoking a cigarette while holding a sharp sword that glinted under the light of the moon.
However, it was his eyes that caught her attention. They were different in color, with a long jagged scar going over the left eye. Those eyes were narrowed in focus, as if analyzing her entire existence with his gaze. Mira saw his one red eye glow before the boy's eyebrows shot up straight to his head.
Her siblings took out the sharpened sticks that she made for them as makeshift weapons in case they needed to defend themselves. They were all afraid, but they had nowhere else to run.
"W-Who are you?! What do you want?!"
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— Dannis Martell —
"W-Who are you?! What do you want?!"
I blinked in confusion and shock. My clairvoyance already showed me that these three siblings weren't a threat. I continued to stare at them, still trying to comprehend it all.
"You are the demon the villagers were talking about?"
Something in my words provoked the eldest one in the middle, as she let out a guttural scream.
"I AM NOT A DEMON!"
Raw magic burst from her body, the sheer density of it causing everything in a certain radius to be blasted away. I held my ground with an arm raised to block the winds that formed from her outburst as the two younger ones were strangely spared.
I made a mental note of it as a girl around a few years younger than me, her silver hair cascading down her back and blue eyes staring at me in defiance. She tried to stand on her shaky legs, placing herself between me and her siblings.
I knew that sudden burst of magic took a lot out of her. Judging from their state of dress, they must have been traveling for days now. She must be exhausted.
"I believe there is a misunderstanding," I said slowly as I lowered my sword and sheathed it. "The village chief told me that the demon possessed a girl. But you were never possessed, were you?"
The oldest sibling slowly shook her head as she panted a few quick breaths.
I sighed. "Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Dannis Martell, and I am a mage of Fairy Tail. I believe I might know a way to help you, if you would let me."
I saw how her eyes widened at my words. I noted how her previously desperate eyes gained a look of hope, the same with her siblings. If all goes well, I might be able to lessen her suffering, even just a little.
After all, this entire thing was my fault. If I hadn't wasted time on pointless quests, all this could have been prevented. I'm sure this girl and her siblings would never forgive me if they knew the truth.
I have to help them.
I have to.
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"Magic..? I have magic??"
"Yes, you do. The magic you have is something called Take Over. You took over the body of the demon that killed your parents. You are no demon, Mirajane Strauss. You defeated one."
I could see the look of disbelief and shock on her face. I bet she didn't even comprehend that her actions were caused by her own magic. Even now, she looked at the demonic arm with half contempt.
It must be agonizing, having that constant reminder of the demon that killed her parents permanently marked on your own body.
"C-Can you teach me? Magic, I mean."
I smiled at her. "Of course. I can't teach you much since I don't know much about Take Over. But I can try to at least teach you how to control it. Let's make turning that arm back the goal before we reach Magnolia."
"We're going to Magnolia?" she questioned in surprise, her siblings also perking up at the new destination.
"Yep. I'm just going to assume you don't really have anywhere else to go, so why don't you join Fairy Tail?" I asked as I took a cigarette from a pocket and lit it.
"B-But Fairy Tail is the number one guild in Fiore!" the smaller girl, Lisanna, if I remember correctly, exclaimed. "W-Would they really take us?"
"Of course they would," I replied with full confidence. "If they accepted me of all people, they'll accept you for sure."
"Why..?" She asked in a voice I could barely hear. "Why are you being so nice to us? E-Everyone's been looking at our family like monsters since our parents died. People we've known all our lives. You're just a stranger. Hell, you were hired to hunt me down! Why are you showing us so much kindness?!" She screamed at me with tears flowing down her cheeks. Her siblings crowded around her as Lisanna hugged her sister from behind while the boy, Elfman, tried to sniff his own tears away.
I remained silent as I looked at this family of three. Specifically, Mirajane. She must have been holding her true feelings for a while, feeling scared and uncertain about their future while maintaining a strong facade for her siblings. Those emotions finally erupted after a while.
For a moment, Mirajane's form shifted to that of a sad and lonely little boy, whose black hair had been drenched with blood and a long cut over his left eye.
'DON'T COME NEAR ME!'
'If Makarov didn't save me that day…' I felt my jaw tighten and clench around the cigarette, some of the ash pouring to the ground, before I released it.
"Believe it or not, I was like you once." My words got the attention of the trio of siblings. "Master Makarov saved me from a life of misery. I wouldn't be here now if it weren't for him. I'm just repaying the favor to other people who need it. That's all."
A silence descended as they processed my words.
"Everyone in Fairy Tail has some sort of past or trauma they have to deal with. Believe me when I say that sometimes, a new space to breathe and relax could help you. Who knows, perhaps you'll find the peace you're so desperate to find inside those halls."
I smiled once more at the people I'd most likely call my nakama soon. "So how about it? Would you like to join Fairy Tail?"
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AN: Dannis meets Mirajane, best girl in all of Fairy Tail.
Like I mentioned before, Mira is the confirmed pairing.
Life has been kicking me in the ass recently and something came up, so I might have some late posts for the rest of the week. Sorry about that.
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