The crowd was still shaken when Kabe's shout rang out again, making everyone jolt in unison.
"And the rest of you, do not think you are off the hook just because you pushed everything onto Natsu. How many times has the boys' dorm been demolished already? You idiots really cannot behave yourselves at night?"
As he spoke, Kabe pointed at the kicked off door panel and the fresh hole Natsu had just blown out, his tone icy.
"I am giving you one hour. You fix the guild properly, or every last one of you can go jump in the lake and keep Natsu company."
"Yes, Boss Kabe!"
Relief washed over their faces the moment they received clear orders. Everyone scrambled to their feet and rushed into action. Those good with tools grabbed tools, those better with magic used magic. In no time at all, they were busily and efficiently patching the guild back together like they had done this a hundred times already.
After that little purge, most of the fire in Kabe's chest had finally burned out.
He raised his voice to the bar, ordering a glass of juice. Evy looked like she had long since gotten used to scenes like this. Smiling as always, she handed a cup over to him as naturally as breathing.
Kabe thanked her, took the drink, and wandered over to an empty table where he flopped into a seat.
Only then did Cana dare bring the Strauss siblings over.
The moment she sat down, Cana scratched her cheek, looking a bit guilty as she apologized.
"Sorry, Kabe. I forgot to remind you about the boys' dorm during the day."
"It is fine. This is already the third time in two years. I am used to it."
Kabe sighed after a sip of juice.
Back when the dorm had been destroyed last time, Makarov had already warned them. If the same thing happened again, the guild would not pay to rebuild the boys' dorm anymore.
Sure, the guild housing also charged rent, but compared to houses outside, it was still a lot cheaper. A place like Lucy's one bedroom apartment with private bath for only 70,000 J a month was not something you found every day.
Watching Kabe worry, Cana had no idea how to comfort him.
Then suddenly, she thought of the Strauss trio beside her. Quickly changing the subject, she began introducing them.
"Right, Kabe, I forgot to introduce them earlier. These are the Strauss siblings who joined the guild three days ago. Big sister Mirajane, little brother Elfman and the youngest, sister Lisanna."
After witnessing Kabe's brutal side just now, Elfman and Lisanna were clearly a little afraid of him. Once Cana finished the introduction, both quickly lowered their heads and greeted him.
"Big brother Kabe, please take care of us from now on."
"Yeah, pleased to meet you."
Kabe did not act overly familiar. He just nodded back in response.
The one he actively spoke to was Mirajane, wrapped in her black cloak and keeping quiet.
"About this morning, sorry about running into you. Since we are all part of the same guild now, if there is anything you do not understand, you can come ask me. I am not in the guild very often, though."
This time, Mira actually reacted to something Kabe said.
"It, it is fine. I did not notice you either."
Hearing their tone, it was obvious the two of them had bumped into each other earlier. Cana instantly felt like she had stumbled across a juicy secret. Her eyes glittered as she glanced between them with interest.
Ignoring Cana's nosy stare, Kabe focused on the right arm Mira kept hidden under her cloak, and spoke in a way that felt like he was seeing straight through her.
"I can feel a presence on you that does not belong to you."
At those words, Mira instinctively clutched her deformed, demonized right arm. Panic flashed briefly in her eyes.
"You should have awakened Take Over magic, right? I have sensed a similar kind of aura from other Take Over mages before."
That last follow up sentence finally let Mira breathe again.
'So that is what he meant. He did not discover my arm after all...'
"I asked Master about it. I am different from everyone else. The thing I took in... is a demon."
Back when they joined the guild, Makarov had already explained Take Over magic to the three siblings. Take Over was not some extremely rare magic. There were plenty of people in the world who used it.
However, most Take Over mages merely took in ordinary beasts. The more capable ones might manage a type of monster.
Someone like Mira, who had taken in a demon the moment she awakened her magic, was truly unusual. That was one of the biggest reasons she could not let go of it and kept treating herself as something different from normal people.
Elfman and Lisanna both sensed their sister's mood dipping again and hurried closer, trying to warm her with their presence.
As for Kabe, having seen the original story, he knew very well where her worries lay. He spoke like someone who had already been through it.
"You know, your problem is that you overthink things. Magic is tied to your heart. The more you reject it, the more it will go against you."
"If you like Take Over magic, you can go learn other magics as well. Just do not think of magic as some kind of burden or curse."
As he went on, Kabe ran a hand roughly through his hair, looking annoyed.
"Seriously. Asking a Saiyan like me, who only knows how to talk with his fists, to give pep talks is really pushing it."
"Anyway, all you need to remember is that power has many sides. How it is used is entirely up to you. Once you really understand that, the little problem you have will sort itself out."
"You want me... to accept it?"
Mira muttered those words under her breath. The moment she thought of all the cold stares and fear she had suffered because of this arm, her heart instinctively tried to push everything away.
Right then, Lisanna suddenly clapped her hands, as if a bright idea had popped into her head.
"Yeah, exactly, it is just another kind of magic. If you feel lonely, then Brother Elfman and I will learn it too."
"Since we joined the guild and we want to be mages, then I am going to learn the same magic as you, Sis. That way you will not be alone anymore. Right, Brother Elfman?"
Elfman was a little slow on the uptake. He froze for a moment, but quickly decided Lisanna's idea was great. He nodded again and again, eyes shining.
"Yeah. Once we learn the same magic, you will not be alone anymore, Sis."
The two little ones then looked up at Mira with hopeful eyes.
Mira was utterly stunned by her siblings' decision. Her first instinct was to refuse.
But Kabe beat her to the punch.
"Oh, you want to learn Take Over? Not bad. Take Over is a very well rounded kind of magic. Once you three get good at it, people in the guild will be lining up to team up with you on jobs."
Cana chimed in enthusiastically from the side.
"Exactly. Once you master Take Over you can turn into fish or birds and all sorts of things. It is super cool."
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