Mirajane hurried down the bustling street while clutching a bag of bread to her chest.
Her heart was hammering against her ribs.
Every time a passerby glanced her way, she flinched, terrified they would somehow sense the Demon Soul hiding inside her.
She imagined them screaming, charging at her with pitchforks and torches.
'Calm down,' she told herself, taking a shaky breath. 'It's fine. I'm not a demon anymore. Ankh fixed it.'
She forced a smile onto her face as she approached the dilapidated shack where she and her siblings were squatting.
She needed to be strong for them.
"Elfman! Lisanna! I'm back!"
Her voice was bright and cheerful as she pushed the creaky wooden door open.
She trotted inside, ready to see their happy faces.
But the moment she stepped over the threshold, her smile froze.
The bag of bread slipped from her fingers and hit the floor with a dull thud.
Her beautiful blue eyes trembled violently.
On the floor lay two small bodies.
Elfman and Lisanna were covered in blood and wounds, their faces twisted in expressions of pure agony, as if they had been tortured to death.
"No..."
Mirajane fell to her knees.
She crawled over to them, her hands shaking uncontrollably as she reached out to check for a pulse.
Nothing.
"ELFMAN! LISANNA!!"
The scream ripped from her throat.
Grief, raw and overwhelming, crushed her. She collapsed over their bodies, sobbing uncontrollably.
'Who? Who did this?! They were just children!'
Slowly, the grief began to curdle.
It turned hot and heavy in her chest. The fragility she had shown earlier vanished, replaced by a dark, maddening thirst for blood.
'Revenge, i want revenge!. I will kill whoever did this.'
"Nice expression you have there."
A cold, indifferent voice cut through her sobbing like a bucket of ice water.
Mirajane's head snapped up.
Standing in the shadows of the room was Ankh. He was looking down at her with calm, unfeeling eyes.
Her blood ran cold, then instantly boiled.
She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms until they bled.
She roared like a madwoman.
"Why?! Why did you do this?!"
Ankh frowned, looking bored. "Too much talk. If you want to kill me, then come do it."
"You bastard!!"
Mirajane snapped.
She lunged at him, swinging her fist fueled by pure hatred.
But rage alone couldn't bridge the gap between them.
Ankh didn't even flinch. He caught her fist effortlessly, twisted her wrist, and flung her aside like she weighed nothing.
Bang!
Mirajane crashed heavily into the wall. She slid to the floor, coughing up a mouthful of blood.
She forced herself to stand, tears streaming down her face.
'They were so young. They didn't deserve this.'
'I have to kill him. I have to kill this monster... even if it means becoming a monster myself!'
Mirajane gritted her teeth.
Her face, already pale, turned ghastly white. Golden particles of light began to shimmer around her body.
Ankh watched with a satisfied smile.
'There it is,' he thought. 'She has incredible talent for Take Over Magic, but her fear holds her back. She needs to want the power. She needs to accept the demon.'
"Satan Soul!"
Mirajane screamed.
Her arms exploded into mass, transforming into the grotesque, purple-veined claws of the demon.
The markings crept up her neck, consuming her human side.
"DIE!"
She charged again.
This time, she was faster, stronger—a wild beast from the underworld snapping its jaws.
But it still wasn't enough.
Ankh vanished.
Before Mirajane's claws could connect, a hand slammed onto her face.
Wham!
Ankh drove her skull into the floorboards, kicking up a cloud of dust.
He effortlessly pinned her demon arms with his knees, sitting atop her struggling form.
He crossed his arms, looking down at her casually.
"Not bad...." he critiqued. "But your combat experience is garbage."
Mirajane glared up at him, humiliated and furious. Tears pooled in her eyes.
"Bastard! Get off me and Die!"
She struggled, but he was an immovable mountain.
Ankh leaned down, his glowing red eyes locking onto hers.
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"Do you understand now, Mira?"
"To protect your family, you need power. You need to be a monster if necessary. Are the rumors and the rejection of strangers really more important than your family's lives?"
Mirajane froze.
His words pierced through her rage.
'More important than their lives?'
The strength in her demon arms began to fade. The transformation receded, leaving her human hands trembling.
"Nee-san?"
A hesitant, youthful voice came from the doorway.
Mirajane jerked her head to the side.
Standing there, holding a tall stack of gift boxes, were two very alive, very confused children.
"Elfman? Lisanna?" Mirajane whispered, her brain short-circuiting.
Elfman stared wide-eyed at the scene. Lisanna peeked out from behind the boxes, looking at Ankh straddling her sister on the floor.
"Mira-nee... what are you doing with Ankh-san?"
Ankh immediately stood up, dusting off his pants.
He chuckled. "Just playing a game with your sister."
"Elfman! Lisanna!"
Mirajane scrambled up from the floor and tackled them into a hug, squeezing them so hard they squeaked.
She checked their faces, their arms—not a scratch on them.
"What happened? Where have you been?" she cried.
Elfman looked confused. "Ankh-san gave us a lot of money. He told us to go shopping for gifts while he talked to you."
Mirajane froze.
She slowly turned around, pointing a shaking finger at the two bloody "corpses" on the floor.
"Then... who are they?"
As if on cue, the "corpses" groaned.
They sat up, rubbing their heads awkwardly.
"Uh, Ankh-sama?" one of them stammered, looking terrified. "Did... did we act okay? Can we go now?"
Ankh nodded and waved his hand.
The illusion magic dissipated, revealing the two White Devil cultists he had captured earlier.
"You performed adequately."
Mirajane shoved her siblings behind her back.
She glared at Ankh, her expression fierce. "What the hell was the point of all this?"
Ankh sighed.
He looked at her seriously.
"I know you're afraid of your power. But I wanted to give you a warning: Seize your strength now. Don't wait until the day you actually lose them to regret being weak."
Mirajane stood silently.
The frail, victimized girl from the alley was gone. In her place stood a woman with the dangerous aura of a demon.
After a long silence, Lisanna tugged at her sleeve.
"Mira-nee?"
Mirajane took a deep breath. She stared Ankh down, her eyes burning with determination.
"I appreciate the lesson," she said, her voice dropping to a growl. "But I hate your methods. Deceiving me like that... You... listen to me carefully."
She pointed a finger at his chest.
"Once I fully master the Satan Soul, I am going to beat the living hell out of you."
Ankh blinked in surprise.
Then, he threw his head back and laughed.
"Fair enough! I'll be waiting."
He raised his arm, revealing the black guild mark stamped on his skin.
"My guild is called Fairy Tail. Join us, Mirajane. If you get strong enough, you might actually get the chance to punch me in the face."
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Test run, if its unpopular i wont be continuing it... please share your thoughts!