Chapter 204: Take Over: Demon Sitri
Noah raised his hand, and rings of light clamped around the Demon Sitri's arms and legs, binding it tightly. He then used his Gravity Magic to make it float, lifting it from the crater and bringing it over to him.
He inspected it closely. The demon was critically wounded, with only a single thread of life left, sustained by its own powerful life force. Noah had it float along behind him as he walked back to Ultear and the others, wanting Mirajane to perform the Take Over while it was still "fresh."
As he approached, the demon's massive body cast a dark shadow over the four women.
"Is it done?" Ultear asked, looking from the floating demon back to Noah.
"It's got one breath left," Noah confirmed, then turned to Mirajane. "What's your status? Are you fully recovered?"
Mirajane took a moment to check her own condition. She shook her head. "Almost, but not quite."
Noah took a potion from his pocket and tossed it to her. She caught it as he spoke.
"This will speed up the last bit of your recovery. I'm going to go clean up the battlefield."
Mirajane nodded, uncapped the potion, and drank it down. She closed her eyes to focus, trying to get back to peak condition as fast as possible.
Noah left the demon floating in the air and walked back to the crater. The most striking feature of the battlefield was the hundred-meter-wide crater, looking as if a meteor had struck the ground. 'Well,' he thought, 'Celestial Magic: Seven Star Sword has the power of a meteor, so it's no surprise.'
As satisfying as it was to unleash such a powerful move, cleaning up the environmental damage was always a hassle. He sighed. 'I broke it, so I have to fix it.'
He began to cast his spells, filling the crater, leveling the earth, and accelerating the growth of new trees. Soon, the area was once again a lush, green forest, as if no battle had ever taken place.
Satisfied, Noah walked back to the group. He could see at a glance that color had returned to Mirajane's face, and the others looked to be in high spirits.
"Recovered?"
"Mhm, all recovered," Mirajane said, opening her eyes.
Noah then pulled out three more vials and handed them to her.
"What are these?" she asked, taking them.
"Temporary boosters to strengthen your current state," he explained. "One for your magic, one for your physical body, and one for your spirit. There are no major side effects, you'll just be exhausted for a while after they wear off. They're perfect for helping you with the Take Over."
Mirajane drank all three potions. She immediately felt a powerful surge. Her mind became crystal clear, her body felt incredibly strong, and her magic power was welling up, so much so that some of it began to leak out, creating small gusts of wind around her.
Ultear and the others quickly took a few steps back. Noah raised his hand, a magic circle appearing.
"Enchant: Full-Body Attribute Boost!"
"Enchant: Magic Power Boost!"
"Enchant: Mental Boost!"
"Enchant: Control Boost!"
With the enchantments stacked on top of the potions, Mirajane felt exponentially stronger. She easily reined in the overflowing magic, bringing it back under her command.
"I've never felt so powerful!" Mirajane said, clenching her fists. She could feel the immense power in her body and the perfect clarity of her mind.
"Alright, focus and get ready to begin," Noah said. "In this state, you should have no problem."
She took a few deep breaths, surprised at how easily she could control this new level of power, and nodded.
Noah let the Demon Sitri's body drop to the ground. Then, he raised his hand and delivered a final, decisive blow, blasting holes through its head and heart. He scanned it several times with his detection magic to ensure it was absolutely, completely dead, then signaled for Mirajane to begin.
Mirajane took a deep breath, placed her hands on the demon's body, and began to cast her Take Over magic.
"HAAAAAAH!"
The Demon Sitri's body began to dissolve and flow into her. She pushed her power, and the rate of absorption increased, until the entire demon had been pulled into her body.
The moment it was finished, Mirajane gasped for air. Suddenly, she froze. Her magic power exploded outward, and she let out a scream of pure agony.
"AAAAAAAGH!"
The leaking magic blasted a crater in the ground around her as she fell to her knees, screaming.
"Mira! What's wrong?!" Erza shouted, worried.
Noah watched calmly. "It's fine," he said. "Sitri was much stronger than her. If she had tried this normally, she would have lost her mind and become a monster. But with all the enhancements, she can handle this. This is just the demon's final, instinctual backlash. If she can push through it, she'll have perfect control over Sitri's power. This is a good thing for her."
The others relaxed slightly, but they still watched her with worried eyes.
Mirajane was in agony, her fists clenched, her jaw set. Her magic power continued to rage, creating a crushing pressure around her. She screamed for a long time, then began to punch the ground, her fists digging crater after crater.
This continued for what felt like an eternity. Her voice grew hoarse, but the pain on her face finally began to fade. Her punches became weaker, until at last, her body went limp and she collapsed onto the ground.
She was smiling.
Suddenly, she felt herself become weightless as she was lifted into the air. She recognized Noah's magic and didn't struggle, letting it float her out of the crater and over to the group.
"Mira, are you okay?" Erza asked.
Mirajane's face split into a wide grin. "Of course. I did it. The Take Over was a success."
~~~
Get early access to 50+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn